#but thankfully it was a bit easier thanks to her family who pretty much gave her whatever she wanted

[cottoncandy-cult]

Welcome Home

Kakashi Hatake x Chubby! Reader

Kakashi gave a tired sigh as he walked down the all too familiar path, he had finished training his squad for the day and was making his way home. A tired smile slipped on his face when he noticed a large and old cherry blossom tree starting to bloom, though it was pretty he was smiling more at the memory attached to it. He had been a cocky punk as a kid and even as a teen he had a bit of a streak in him, but there was one person able to wash away that aggression. (Y/n) was just a couple years younger than him and he had first met her when some new chunin had been bullying the (E/c) eyed girl, she was a bit heavier than most girls her age but she also wasn't exactly interested in being a kunoichi so she had no real reason to go out of her way to exorcise as a ninja would. Kakashi had recognized her from a small restaurant he occasionally visited which he later learned was owned by her parents, so he decided to step in and run them off since he did out rank them, and their behavior only shined a stained light on the village. But that had just been the start, before long they had become friends and eventually things had fallen into place and they had become lovers as young adults, one of his more recent memories had been proposing to the beautiful girl beneath that very tree.

He had fallen hard and by the time he noticed he was already love struck, she was a sweet and gentle soul who he felt was far more beautiful than the vein and rude jonin who loved to boast about how they're "peak attractiveness." Something he thought was a bunch of BS since for quite a few It was obvious they had only just barely had the skills to reach their ranks, most of them couldn't hold a conversation unless it was about them or someone else and he just couldn't get passed how ugly they were on the inside. His angel may have been different from most, but she was still beautiful to him in her own perfect way. He closed his eye as he continued his walk, though he began walking faster as his stomach growled. It was Wednesday, meaning his wife was making eggplant and miso soup with salt-broiled saury, one of his favorites. He loved her cooking; he was exhilarated to learn that out of her siblings she'd be the one to inherit the family restaurant. Her brother had become a ninja and her sister wanted to be a fashion designer and seamstress, Kakashi liked making jokes that talent runs through her family as it made her flustered.

Upon walking through the door his stomach announced his arrival, making the male blush while lowering his mask when hearing his wife's laugh from the kitchen. She stood in front of the sink, the front door opened into the kitchen and to the left had been the living room. "Welcome home love." The (H/c) haired girl turned from the boiling pot on the stove to look at where he stood near the front door, the house smelled of soup and grilled fish and teased him with the fact that he'd have to get cleaned up before he got to eat. "Thanks, beautiful, I'm glad to see you're in a good mood." The silver haired male chuckled and made his approach to the blushing girl, curling his arms around her waist as she turned to face him and rested her hands on his chest when gazing up at him. "Things went rather smoothly at the restaurant today, the new waitress has really made things a lot easier. How was your day? Did the kids tire you out as usual?" Her question had a grin quirking his gorgeous lips, making him chuckle as he leaned his forehead to hers. Feeling her gentle hands rub his temples and brush through his hair his body relaxed into her, his single black eye gazed into hers. "A bit, I'll save the stories for dinner though. Thankfully they weren't as much of a handful as they usually were." He leaned back, letting her sway them from side to side and listening to her beautiful laugh. "Well why don't you go get cleaned up, it should be finished by the time you get done." This statement made the male nod before he leaned down to kiss her forehead, reluctantly slipping away from her to go shower as she continued cooking. Neither noticing the preteens dangling from the window, the 3 kids who made up squad 7 had peaked up just in time to see him hug the girl. Though unfortunately for them they had been so startled at the fact he was in a relationship that they hadn't paid any attention to trying to see his face, and upon noticing Kakashi about to turn around they panicked and slipped off the ledge left to dangle and missing their second chance.

-------------------------Bonus:

The next day Kakashi had met the team at the training grounds, but he was both surprised and mildly concerned when he got there and they all three stood with their arms crossed like parents who just found their child's porn stash. "Uh.... Good afternoon..." He raised a hand in an awkward wave and feeling oddly threatened. It was then that the 3 rushed him, Kakashi had to fight every instinct that insisted he run away as he could almost feel this situation was gonna get weird. "Don't good afternoon us Kakashi sensei! Why didn't you tell us you were married!? Why don't you wear your ring!?" This had been Sakura speaking up first, the girl clearly thinking about the worst. So, with a sigh Kakashi decided to just rip off this band aid, so he removed one of his fingerless gloves to show his wedding band protected within. "It just never occurred to me, it's not like it changes anything." That was when Naruto popped up in front of him, startling him far more than he ever thought it would. "You should have told us it was to Miss (Y/n), we could have been eating lunch at the Konoha Lotus!"

That had Kakashi quirking an eyebrow, he forgot that Naruto did eat things aside from ramen from time to time. But he still didn't see what had the three riled up, that was when Sasuke spoke up next. "It's nice to know you aren't an ass like Kaiba." Kakashi cringed at the mention of being compared to such a male, Kaiba having been a petty little man whose thoughts and opinions were only skin deep. "Just how vain did you all think I was!?" Kakashi gave an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well, I mean a lot of girls do have a thing for you, we always thought you were oblivious or just playing hard to get. At least we know you're just loyal though." Kakashi felt his head drop as a weight dropped onto him, he never realized how his attempts at ignoring the fawning of his fangirls made him look. Buuuuut at least they knew he was a devoted husband now, maybe they'd listen just a little bit better from now on. Though he doubted that, then it would just be too easy.

[stardust-3saders]

A Farewell to Remember

Synopsis: After staying in Japan to deal with family business, it is time for Jotaro to go back to America. Yet, he, Lia, and Noriaki decide to go out drinking as a late Cairo celebration and goodbye to him.

That night, the dizziness of the alcohol ends bringing up some secrets, and making the situation escalate in an unexpected way.

CW: Alcohol, drunk sex, DP, chocking, protected and unprotected sex, cream pie, threesome, oral, inappropriate stand usage.

A/N: Ayo, first time posting smut!

This is a little thing that was born thanks to some lovely people in a discord server who have been holding me at gunpoint to allow myself to be self-indulgent/lh. While you don’t need the context of the RP this is settled in, I want to clarify it is situated after the events of SDC (all characters are adults). Lia and Noriaki are already dating and living in Japan, while Jotaro is single and moved to the States.

Of all the ways Lia would expect to spend an evening with Noriaki, going drinking wasn't on her list.

After the redhead had told her of the idea, she expressed her thoughts, reminding him once again that she nor him were the kind of people that do such a thing.

However, as Noriaki explained that he had planned that along Jotaro, as a way to spend time before he left back for the States, she couldn't find the strength to say no.

After all, it was something they should've done before just as all normal friends do, right? And at that point, anything that gave their lives at least a bit of sense of normalcy was welcomed.

Taking one last look at herself in the mirror, she went to the living room, where Noriaki had been waiting for her, comfortably checking a textbook while seated down.

“What place did you say we were going to?”

“An Izakaya, pretty much like any bar. It’s not that far from here either, so don’t worry” He raised a brow as soon as he saw her, moving to stand up.

His reaction made Lia stop in her tracks, wondering if perhaps her clothing wasn’t “appropriate” to the Japanese dress code, a thing that still tended to take her by surprise at times.

“Is… everything ok?” she hugged herself sheepishly, following the redhead’s gaze as he looked her over.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s just…” He placed his hands on her waist, giving her a cheeky smile, “You’re making me consider calling Jotaro and telling him we’re not going”

She scoffed at his words, rolling her eyes as she tried to ignore the heat on her cheeks. 

“If you think I’ll let you do that after I just finished getting ready, you’re very wrong”

He chuckled, giving her a quick peck on the lips before moving away, guiding her to the door.

•••

Thankfully, the place wasn’t as crowded as one would expect for a bar.

First thing they did upon arriving was look for Jotaro, thankful that his height made it easier to spot him.

A few feet away from the entrance of the building stood Jotaro, a cigarette hanging from his lips as he ignored a groupie of girls muttering between themselves and sneaking glances towards him, before giggling together.

Lia quickly motioned the direction where their friend was waiting, playfully elbowing Noriaki.

“Better save him before some fierce girls jump at him”

Chuckling at her words, the pair was quick to approach him, their friend moving from his spot as soon as he noticed them.

As Noriaki and Lia were about to greet him, he hurried them inside, not wanting to have to deal with the risk of those girls getting near him.   

Thankfully, they were able to get on a boot far from the main area, where most of the crowd had been staying.

As soon as they were seated, an overly friendly waitress, who wasted no time on explaining things to Lia after watching her struggle with choosing a drink.

After that, she left and arrived with their orders in record time, along with an appetizer.

“Huh, I thought bars didn’t have waitresses” Lia watched as the waitress walked away, before taking a tentative sip of her drink, her eyes lighting up as the sweet flavor covered any bitter trace of alcohol she had expected.

“Guess we should bring Jotaro along more often to get special treatment”

Hearing him click his tongue, the pair laughed.Taking a larger sip of her drink, Lia eyed the waitress away, resting her arms on the table and her head on her hands, keeping the straw in between her lips, taking small sips in between sentences.

“Y'know… she was actually kinda pretty”

“I'm not here for that and you know it”

“Jeez, I never said you were!” She rolled her eyes at his words, “…but at this point Polnareff is going to have grandkids before you do anything”

“That would be concerning”

“That's what I'm saying!” She slammed a hand on the table, sitting straight, “How do you know you don't like dating someone without even trying it in the first place!” 

Jotaro tipped down his hat, ignoring her complaints as he took a sip of the wine he had ordered.

“What about the girl in the States… What was her name?

“Marina-chan?”

“Yes!” She quickly thanked Noriaki, before turning back to Jotaro, “You don't fully know her yet– she could be nice! Not all girls are the same!”

“You're all equally annoying”

She gasped, dramatically putting a hand on her chest as she leaned in Noriaki, making him chuckle at her expression.

“How dare you!” 

〜〜〜

As time passed, drinks kept arriving at the table, and empty glasses leaving.

The trio took the chance to catch up with whatever topic was laid on the table, the alcohol invading their systems slowly clouding their senses, leaving room for more personal and sentimental topics, such as the events in Cairo.

At one point, Noriaki started to narrate the events of his recovery, way more lighthearted than he had when asked about it in the past.

“OH I-!” Lia suddenly raised from her seat slightly, pointing a finger towards Jotaro’s face, “I remember you left Japan as soon as Noriaki tried to live normally after all the shitshow in Cairo!”

“Good grief, are you seriously going to give me crap over this after so long?”

“Yessss” She flopped down on her seat, crossing her arms with a pout, “You were the one here for Nori, and yet you left!”

“…I had my reasons”

“Better hear them then, otherwise I. call. Bullshit!”

“Maybe he didn’t want to see DIO’s leftovers” Noriaki joined her teasing, chuckling as Jotaro kept muttering things under his breath.

After a few: “Come on, Jojo!” “Why are you so shy all of the sudden?” Jotaro's patience ran thin, making him snap drunkenly at the pair.

“I LEFT because if I didn't, I might have told Lia I liked her while you two were dating, you idiot!” Both went quiet after hearing his words, trying to make their mind focus on what he was saying, “And what would that have made me?! You were fucking shitting your guts out through a hole and I try to make a move?!”

“Yeah, right! And I'm Queen Elizabeth” she burst out laughing, not taking his words seriously “Come on man! ‘s that the best excuse you could think of?”

He clicked his tongue in annoyance, downing the rest of his drink in one swig.

Still giggling, Lia leaned forward, snatching his hat before he could pull it down and hide his face.

“Say it on my face and I maaaay believe ya!”

Suddenly, he grabbed her arm by the wrist, looking at her in the eyes.

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, yet, his mind wasn’t in its clearer state, causing him to speak lowly without thinking twice about his words.

“Why do you think I chose the states?” He took the opportunity to yank his hat back, letting go of her as he put it back on, sitting down as if nothing had happened, “I was hoping to find you by chance. Just my fucking luck you decided to move to Japan that year.”

Before Lia could fully process his words in the short moment of clarity her mind seemed to have, she heard Noriaki laughing beside her, before being pulled to his side by an arm around her waist.

“Jotaro-kun…! Who knew you had feelings in that stony, dry heart of yours.”

The redhead’s laugh brought her back to her thoughts, giggling dumbly with him as their friend leaned back on his seat.

“In all seriousness though─and I don’t mean to offend…” He gave Jotaro an innocent smile, his eyes showing a whole opposite emotion “It’s hard to imagine it working, Lia-chan needs quite the… special attention”

Before she could question what he meant with that, she felt Noriaki’s hand move lower from her waist, stopping on her thigh as the tips of his fingers slipped under her thigh-highs, giving her flesh a light squeeze.

His actions made her breath hitch, finding herself unable to pull her gaze away from him as she leaned further into his side.

“Oh? Are you planning on reminding me of that special attention once we're back? I think I may have forgotten about it~”

His drunken blush intensified as she placed a hand on his chest, batting her lashes as she kept looking at him.

“Fuck sake, I'm still here”

They snapped out of their bubble, giggling to each other at Jotaro's awkwardness.

“What about it? You might learn a thing or two about how to win someone, right, Nori~?”

Oblivious to the reaction and thoughts her words had brought up inside the redhead's mind, Lia kept giggling, teasing Jotaro as a few more drinks made their way to the table.

Not too long after, Jotaro suddenly stood up, complaining about how he was tired of hearing their teasing, saying it was time to leave.

Excusing himself by saying he didn't trust Lia and Noriaki getting to their apartment in their current state, he walked them there, ignoring the girl as she kept her teasing while clinging to both their arms for support.

•••

Once at the apartment, Lia was the first to walk inside, clumsily taking out her boots, before whispering something in Noriaki's ear, and stumbling to their room as she laughed.

During all the walk home, she had not noticed how quiet the redhead had been, not saying anything after leaving the Izakaya.

Noticing this, Jotaro looked at his friend, wondering what was going through his head after he stood there even after Lia had left.

With his mind being too blurry to think, he simply ignored that, turning around to leave.

“You're leaving already?”

He stood speechless, trying to fully process his words.

Sensing his hesitance, the redhead chuckled, finishing taking off his shoes and looking at Jotaro over his shoulder.

“She did say I could help teach you a few things, didn't she?”

Without any other word, he moved further into the apartment and in the direction of his room, leaving Jotaro behind.

〜〜〜

Inside the room, Lia had been struggling with taking off her clothes. 

A task that shouldn’t take her more than a few minutes to complete, now seemed like one of the hardest things she had ever done, the alcohol quickly making her frustration increase.

Just as she finally shrugged off her shirts and stood only on her underwearーand threw her clothes somewhere in the room to care the next dayーshe felt a pair of arms sneak around her waist from behind, making her squeal as she felt hot breath on the side of her neck.

“Need a hand?”

As soon as she heard Noriaki’s voice, said squeal turned into giggles. 

Turning around on his grasp, she put her arms around his neck as she wasted no time kissing him.

She felt Noriaki smirk into the kiss, reciprocating her kiss with a hunger that took her breath away.

Feeling his tongue invade her mouth, Lia mewled into the kiss, desperately trying to match the fervor of his movements as her hands tangled in his hair, softly pulling at the longer strands on the back.

Once oxygen was needed, Noriaki pulled away, moving to nip and kiss her neck, chuckling as Lia tilted her head back to make the job easier for him.

Just as she was getting lost in the sensation of his lips on her neck, Lia noticed a looming figure in the doorway, making her gasp and try to push Noriaki’s face up.

Her gaze switched between the redhead and her friend at the door, watching in confusion as she waited for one of them to say something, just anything to explain why the taller man was there.

Seeing her too focused on his friend, Noriaki grabbed her by the chin, redirecting her attention towards him.

“…Nori?”

“You said you wanted me to teach him a few things, didn’t you?” Her eyes widened slightly, making him chuckle, “Would you be nice and help me with it?”

She felt a weird sensation building up, making a chill run down her back.

Noriaki had never acted in such a way. 

It was new and oddly exciting for her.

Shyly, she nodded, making him chuckle.

Placing a kiss on her forehead, he gently guided her to the bed, making her sit on the edge as he sat behind her, placing Lia between his legs.

As soon as she was seated comfortably, his hands went back to roam over her body, his hands squeezing all over as he kissed the skin on the back of her neck, making her sigh and lean into his touch.

Slowly, one of his hands slid down, teasing over her underwear.

Lia whimpered, wiggling her hips as a way to ask for more, feeling Noriaki softly biting in between her neck and shoulder as his fingers went under her panties in a quick movement, wasting no time sliding his fingers along her folds.

Her whimpers turned into small moans as the redhead’s fingers rubbed her labia and clit, making her buck her hips, searching for more friction.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to see much by just standing there”

Hearing hesitant, heavy steps, Lia moved her gaze up, finding Jotaro’s gaze looking all over her. As soon as it crossed with hers, he swallowed hard.

A sudden finger entering her brought Lia’s attention back to her boyfriend, her hand going to grip his thigh as she moaned in surprise and leaned her head back, resting against his shoulder.

Slowly, he started to speed up his motions, adding another finger as his other hand went to cup one of her breasts over her bra.

“Can’t see much with these either, can you?” He stopped his movements, keeping his fingers buried inside her, making the girl whine out Noriaki’s name “Be nice and help with these, I have my hands full at the moment”

With her mind already clouded by the pleasure she was feeling, Lia quickly raised her hips, hurrying Jotaro to obey.

Hesitantly, he moved his hands to the edge of her underwear, pulling them down slowly, unconsciously letting out a groan at the sight of her wet core swallowing his friend’s fingers.

“Actually… I think I have a better idea” He slid out his fingers agonizingly slowly, chuckling at Lia’s complaints “You won’t learn anything by just watching”

His other hand moved to unhook her bra, quickly working on taking it off.

Jotaro just stared at the pair, unable to guess if the redhead meant it seriously or not.

“Come on now, it is rude to leave a lady waiting. Right, koneko-chan?”

Before Jotaro could comment anything about the pet name, he felt a hand on his wrist tugging on his arm, way weaker than intended. Crossing his gaze with Lia’s and noticing the already present annoyance in it, he allowed her to guide his hand between her legs.

She hissed at the pressure he put on her, clearly using more force than needed, making her grip his wrist tighten as a cue to correct his actions.

Noriaki observed as his friend’s fingers slowly fell into a rhythm comfortable enough to Lia. Once they did, allowed his hand to move back to her chest, toying with her nipples.

Taking advantage of the way her mind focused only on the pleasure she was feeling, the redhead slowly slipped down her back the hand that had been working on her, still slick with her juices, moving it to the ring of muscle on her ass.

His action made her abruptly lunge forward, seeking hold on whatever she could, her free hand gripping Jotaro’s shoulder as her back arched.

What she didn’t notice was that her new position left her face inches away from her friend’s, the raven haired man only being able to focus on her expression as her breath fawned over his face.

Feeling his stare over her, Lia crossed her half lidded gaze with his, whimpering.

“J-Jojo”

It probably was the weirdness of the situation making it all feel like a fever dream, or the work of the warm wine he had drank earlier, but before he realized, his gaze was locked on her parted lips as he slowly moved forward, closing the distance.

However, just as his lips were about to brush Lia’s, he felt something suddenly wrapping itself over his lips and around his body, harshly yanking him back, pulling him down into his knees.

As soon as he recovered from the sudden movement, he noticed that what was wrapped around his body and bounding his limbs were green tendrils.

Realizing what was going on, he raised his gaze, finding Noriaki resting his head over Lia’s shoulder, watching him with a raised brow.

“I may be allowing this” He said, as in cue for more tendrils to slip between the girl’s legs, disappearing as they moved further back, “But that does not mean there aren’t some… restricted things for you”

The hand on her chest quickly moved to her chin, turning her face to him as Noriaki slammed his lips on hers, hungrily kissing her, his mouth muffling her whimpers, before pulling away with a wet sound.

Suddenly, the tendrils pulled Jotaro forward, bringing his face closer to the girl’s entrance.

“Go on, didn’t you want to use your mouth so badly?”

The tendrils pulled away from his mouth, leaving him gritting his teeth. 

Unable to move and too drunk to fight back, he allowed the stand to pull him forward once more, burying his face in between Lia’s legs, only being able to start moving his mouth to allow himself to breathe.

Soon enough, he was only able to hear her getting wetter as he worked on her, along with Lia’s mewls as his tongue moved up and down her labia and her clit, while tendrils worked on her ass and the redhead continued his attack on her mouth and breasts.

It wasn’t long before all sensations started to become overwhelming to her, pleasure coming from all directions, leaving her dizzy as the coil on her belly tightened with every movement and caress over her body.

The multiple, thin tendrils were replaced for a thicker one, slowly penetrating her and stretching her further. The feeling, along with the tongue on her cunt and the vibrations caused by Jotaro’s grunts, soon were enough to make the coil on her belly snap, one of Lia’s hands gripping her friend’s hair as the other clung to Noriaki’s thigh, letting out a loud moan as her thighs tried to snap shut.

The tendrils let go of Jotaro, allowing him to pull back as he tried to compose himself, watching as Noriaki pulled the girl into an embrace, whispering into the crown of her head as she caught her breath.

The redhead gave Jotaro a quick glance, a faint smirk appearing on his lips as he watched the man stand up, before he whispered something in his girlfriend's ear.

The girl looked up at him with a questioning gaze, shakily standing up after he nodded.

In some sort of post orgasm clarity, Lia found herself blushing as she stood bare in front of her friend. Hesitantly, her hands reached to him, resting on Jotaro’s forearms as she shyly looked up at him.

“Take these off, won’t you?” she tugged lightly on his sleeves, but her words made it clear that she meant more than just his shirt.

By the corner of his eye, he saw Kakyoin starting to shrug off his clothes, leaving only his underwear.

Not knowing what else to do, he mimicked his friend’s actions.

Once he stood in only his underwearーand hatーshe guided him to the bed, softly pushing him, so he laid down on his back, before climbing on top of him, straddling his lap as her hands started to rub his crotch.

After a few moments, she yanked down his underwear, freeing his length.

Jotaro’s hands moved to her hips, guiding her to hover over his dick, the head rubbing her entrance. Yet, before he could start pulling her down, she slapped his hands, making him let go as she moved away slightly.

Kujo glared at her as he watched the redhead hand her a small, shiny package, the girl chuckling as she opened it.

“It’s called protection, big guy…” slowly, she slipped down the preservative, stroking him a few times “for more than just one thing”

He scoffed, placing his hands back on her hips as he pulled her forward.

“I don’t stick my dick on a hole at the first chance I get”

“Oh, really?” She reached forward, taking advantage of his hands being busy to take off his hat, throwing it away, revealing his flustered face, “And what exactly are you doing right now?”

His glare deepened, making her chuckle before she started to sink down, hissing at the unfamiliar stretch. It took a few minutes before she went all the way down, having to stop to catch her breath as she did so.

Lia pressed her hands against his chest, shakily keeping herself up, Jotaro’s thumbs rubbing circles on her hips as he tried to focus on anything but how thigh and warm she felt around him.

It wasn’t until she leaned forward that he noticed Noriaki behind her, grabbing her hip with one hand as he lined up his dick, slowly pushing in. As soon as he bottomed out, he rubbed Lia's back, trying to help her relax and adjust to the sensation.

Once she had fully adjusted, she slowly started to move her hips, cursing under her breath as she did so. 

At first, she was the one fully controlling the pace, both men grunting as she moved her hip back and forth, slowly increasing the pace. 

As time passed and her movements continued, both men started to buck their hips along her motions, hurrying her to move faster.

It wasn’t until her legs started to shake from the effort that they took full control, knocking the air out of her lungs as both moved at a hard rhythm.

Soon, a mix of grunts, whimpers, and moans filled the room, along with the dull slapping of skin against skin and the trio worked with synchronized motions, each of them seeking to reach their high.

Already being on the point where he could read Lia like a book, Noriaki quickly noticed how close she was from cumming. Using this to his advantage, one of his hands let go of her, sneaking around her body, starting to rub circles on her clit, causing her to choke a cry as her walls clenched around the dick inside her.

The feeling of her walls clamping around him made Jotaro grit his teeth, cursing under his breath as he felt the pressure in his abdomen building up fast.

With one last hard rub, the coil inside Lia’s belly snapped as she let out a loud moan, her nails digging on the tall man’s chest. The mix of her grip and the pain on his chest made him follow suit, letting out a guttural groan as he bucked into her harshly a few more times before stilling.

Suddenly, Lia felt herself being pushed forward slightly, just enough for both men to slip out.

She heard the noise of something being removed behind her, yet, before she could ask anything, she felt the redhead suddenly pushing his dick inside in a swift movement, not giving her time to adjust as he started to buck into her harshly.

“W-wait!” She choked out, feeling a tendril wrap around her neck as he pulled her up by her forearms.

Still not fully recovered from her orgasm, she felt overwhelmed with the pressure in her neck and Noriaki’s hard pace, quickly feeling another orgasm building up, being able to not do anything but try to grab anything to stabilize herself.

Soon, his bucking turned erratic, letting go of her for a second before wrapping his arms around her body, clinging to her as more tendrils sneaked up her body, rubbing and caressing her body, adding to the mix of sensations overtaking her senses.

After a few rubs and thrusts, she felt herself cum again, shaking at the over stimulation, before feeling Noriaki whimper against her neck, stilling as he came, filling her up.

Lia whimpered as he pulled out, watching as he moved to lay down beside Jotaro, catching his breath.

With fatigue washing over her, she couldn’t help but lay down in between them, feeling the redhead instantly pulling her towards him, with her back against his chest.

And so, as Noriaki nuzzled on her neck, she fell asleep along with the other men.

•••

Light creeped through the half closed blinds, slowly raising Lia up, along with a headache slowly building up.

She debated with herself whether to allow herself to go back to sleep or wake up and take some painkillers, along with making some coffee for both her and Noriaki.

God, just how much had she drunk last night?

She tried to recall the events of the night prior, yet, her senses started to wake up as well as she did so, suddenly becoming aware of her surroundings and how tired she was.

She felt Noriaki snuggling closer to her body, his arms wrapped around her body and trying to pull her impossibly closer.

Smiling, she felt herself falling back asleep in his embrace, letting herself relax… until she noticed what felt like an extra hand, resting on her hip. 

Groggily, she started to open her eyes, letting them slowly adjust to the sunlight.

As soon as her gaze focused, her eyes went wide at the sight in front of her.

Jotaro was lying beside her, on the opposite side of the bed, his naked body partially hidden under the covers. 

Alarmed, Lia let out a yelp, unconsciously kicking in the raven haired man’s direction, surprisingly pushing him off the bed, making him land on the floor with a loud thud.

Her action woke up both men, making Jotaro sit up abruptly as the redhead let go of her, rubbing his eyes as to fully wake himself up.

“What the fuck, woman?!”

“That’s exactly what I’m asking!” she clung to the covers, trying to hide herself from his gaze as she noticed she, too, was naked under there “What the fuck are you doing here?!”

He moved to fully stand up, making Lia blush intensely as she looked away, avoiding looking at him.

Looking away made her gaze cross with her boyfriend’s figure, who was sitting in complete silence with his gaze lost, probably remembering the events from the night.

Frowning, he opened his mouth, no words coming out. Sighing, he swung his legs to the side of the bed, moving to stand up.

“We should get cleaned up” Once he stood up, he turned to look at Lia with a bittersweet smile, moving to pick up their clothing.

“I…” she looked at her friend by the corner of her eye, feeling her face flush darker before whispering “I can’t”

Jotaro scoffed at this, starting to pick up his clothes.

“As if I hadn’t seen everything already”

“That is NOT what I meant!!” gritting her teeth, she threw a pillow at him, the taller man catching it without trouble. 

She looked back at Noriaki, who raised a brow in confusion, before realizing the meaning of her words and moving to help her get up, guiding her to the bathroom while keeping her body out of sight as much as he could.

〜〜〜

Sitting in one of the kitchen chairs, Lia held an almost full mug of fresh coffee, having only taken a sip to down some painkillers, the burning sensation on her tongue barely comparable to the fatigue on the rest of her body.

She was more than thankful that Noriaki gave her some alone time to clean herself, more now as memories of the night prior resurfaced on her mind, making her feel ashamed of her actions.

She hid her face in her hands, groaning. Hearing footsteps coming inside the kitchen, she raised her gaze slightly, feeling herself blush in shame as she watched Jotaro lazily grabbing a mug, getting some coffee.

Feeling her gaze over him, he turned to look at her as he took a sip, raising a brow as she panicked and looked away.

“Stop acting like an idiot, I won't do anything”

“I don't know that” She glared at him, fidgeting with her mug “Thanks to you, I'm feeling like shit”

He scoffed, downing his coffee, looking around for something as he put the mug in the sink.

“Not my fault, I just wanted you to shut up” he walked past her, stopping at the entrance of the kitchen, an almost invisible smirk on his face “Got the opposite result, but at least you stopped talking shit”

As her face flushed darkly at his words, she did everything she could to hold herself back from throwing her mug at him.

“YOU FUCKING-”

“— If you're looking for your hat, it's in the bedroom”

Noriaki interrupted her, walking into the kitchen with a raised brow.

Grunting in acknowledgement, Jotaro left, leaving the redhead and Lia alone.

Taking a sip from her coffee, hid herself behind her mug, suddenly feeling way too awkward in her boyfriend's presence.

Once his friend was out of sight, Noriaki put a hand on her shoulder, making Lia flinch a little, her action causing him to frown.

Yet, before he could say anything, she whispered.

“I'm sorry” She kept avoiding his gaze, “I-I don't know why I acted like that last night, I'm-”

“Hey, all that wasn't your fault… nor anyone's” He put a hand on her cheek, gently making her look at him, smiling softly at her “It was just… a one time accident, nothing else”

She looked in his eyes, trying to look for something that showed if he was angry with her.

Finding nothing, she couldn't help but reciprocate his smile, leaning her face into his hand as she let out a sigh.

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke again.

“By the way, how are you feeling?”

She cringed at his words, blushing once again.

“Huh… like a lot of parts in my body are in a competition to see what annoys me the most”

He chuckled, his hand moving to caress her hair as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

“Well… Let's just hope Jotaro-kun learns to be kinder. Otherwise, I fear for whoever he ends dating”

“Just Jotaro?” She raised an incredulous brow at him, scoffing as he looked at her, confused, “I usually don't mind, but you weren't exactly the nicest last night”

“Well… what can I say?” Noriaki blushed slightly, chuckling sheepishly, “I just didn't want to hear you say the wrong name”

“NORIAKI”

He laughed out loud as she pushed away, hiding her face in her hands with a groan.

“Come on, time to leave”

“Leave? Where to?” She allowed him to grab her hand, standing up as her mug was placed in the sink by one of Hierophant's tendrils.

“We promised to accompany Jotaro-kun to the airport, and right now he looks like a depressed 40y/o” 

“B-but…”

“We'll get breakfast on the way there… I honestly don't think any of us has the energy to make anything”

Lia whined in protest, yet she still followed him to the entrance, nervously ignoring Jotaro's presence.

As she clung onto Noriaki's arm, the trio left, trying to act natural but still with a weird awkwardness around them, yet still not wanting to mention anything, silently agreeing to forget about the whole incident.

[sidehugsnsideblogs]

FCSU #76 Conquering College

Freshly aged up Andrew stood outside his dorm. AJ and Teresa by his side, beaming. “Your studies should always come first but you should think about joining the brainiacs.....” Lectured Teresa. “I know a lot of students drink but you don’t have to, I’ve never had alcohol in my life. Just tell them you’re mormon..” Spouted his mother. Andrew just wanted to find a room already! 

The three of them lugged all his things into the elevator and arrived on his floor. Already other students were streaming in. “Call me every Sunday, okay? I mean it!” Prattled AJ as Andrew thanked them and walked them towards the elevator. Once alone in his room he sat down peacefully at his desk. Sweet silence. “This is just like high school,” he told himself. “Study and test, study and test. I can do this.” He stopped by the kiosk to grab his books and some knickknacks then wandered aimlessly around campus, figuring out where his classes were. 

The night before he’d said goodbye to all his siblings: Abby, Autumn, Alex, Austin, Anna and Avery who was now a child. Even with Andrew gone, the little trailer was still too small for the family. AJ knew she had to move soon. The trailer was freezing cold and the children would revolt if they had to spend another winter in there. She was saving up money from her job but so far had nowhere near the amount she needed to house all those kids. 

Andrew acclimatized to university pretty well over the next few weeks. He met his roommate, Brad. He also met Brad's girlfriend Terri, who seemed to think it was her room too. One of the strangest things about school was the amount women in the dorm. As an FCSU youth Andrew never spent time with any girls he wasn't related to. Now they seemed to be everywhere. He tried to avoid them but sometimes they’d come right up and start talking to him! He didn’t know what to do.

Thankfully he didn't have to navigate this alone. Uncle Isaac was also attending Foxbury. He was getting his Master's of Psychology so he could go back to work as a school councilor. He served as a great blueprint for how to behave around female students. The trick was to pretend they were guys and just talk to them normally. Though Isaac didn't live on campus, he spent quite a bit of time there so at least Andrew had one friend.

Isaac was quick to notice any misogynistic behaviors in his young nephew. When he'd complain about Teri using his laptop without asking Isaac would say "Do you think this is a woman problem or is this a Terri problem?" Isaac coached him to think of women as “just people, like you or me.” In the beginning Andrew had to pretend they were men to feel comfortable chatting with his dormmates but soon it became second nature for him and making friends seemed much easier.

His first friend was Ayumi, an economics major who lived at the other end of the hall. She was sarcastic and fun but also kind and emotionally mature. She was often the voice of reason in roommate squabbles. She was incredibly supportive of him during his first round of finals. He had never been so exhausted. He began to lose track of days and just alternate between studying and sleeping. It was Ayumi who forced him to put his books down and get some fresh air.

Andrew decided to stay on in the dorms for his second year, too. He took a lighter class load insisting that this was his year to have the true "college experience. " He and his friends went to football games, spirit days and campus events. He even joined the Bot Savants, the robotics club at Foxbury. Through them he learned how to build all sorts of electronic toys and gadgets, which he gave to his younger siblings on holidays.

But what Andrew was really focused on this year was getting a girlfriend. He'd never really considered dating anyone before. He was taught that it wasn't his choice to make. By the time he'd escaped he was so focused on school that it didn't even cross his mind. He made a move on several women but had little success.

Andrew grew lonely and depressed about his lack of a love life. Ayumi was supportive and empathetic even though she herself was in a happy relationship. Andrew went back to focusing on his friends and his grades. The gang would often commandeer a large table in the commons and stay there for HOURS to prep for exams.  

It was at one of these study sessions that he met Nichole Meyer, an upperclassman in the physics department who was in his rocket science class. She was outspoken, confident and smart as a whip, basically everything a Priesthood girl was not. Needless to say, Andrew was smitten.

Later on that month he ran into Nichole at a floor party. Brad and his artist friends had unfortunately decided start a jam sesh in the middle of the floor, they took turns sings, drumming and playing a spectacularly out of tune violin. The sound was unbearable. Andrew saw Nichole was also eyeing the exit so they slipped out to the balcony together. They hung out there for hours, staring up at the sky. Nichole had always dreamt of being an astronaut. She pointed out constellations and told him the names of the stars above them.

All too soon the sun came up. They’d dozed off outside in each other’s arms. “That was a good time, she said as she got ready to leave. You should call me sometime. We could work on some rockets and robots and listen to some GOOD music.” She handed him her number. They met up again a few days later and by the end of their first official date, Andrew Brown had had his first kiss.

[needs-to-stop-looking-at-valves]

Can we please have more fluff. Specifically one of julieta reacting to Luisa's first period since she got it before her older sister

Oh we absolutely can, i LOVE a good fluff prompt

"Mami! Mami!!!"

Julieta got up out of bed faster than she ever thought possible. There was nothing more nerve-wracking to a mother, than hearing her child screaming. She bolted out of the room with Agustín following right behind her, right into Isabela's room. Isabela and Luisa wanted a sleepover tonight, hence why both were there. Julieta was usually comforted by the flowers in the room, but now, they were her hellscape. She immediately looked at her freaked out daughters, with Isabela who was comforting a crying Luisa.

"Luisa! What happened?! Did you fall?!"

Luisa wiped her face free of tears as her parents approached her, but it seemed to only get worse.

"I w-woke up because I was thirsty, and there was blood all over the bed!"

Julieta looked over at the bed, taking note of a giant red spot. Agustín raised a brow as he looked over his daughters.

"Oh. So you didn't fall, didn't cut yourself anywhere?"

Luisa shook her head, and both the parents sighed in relief.

"Oh Gracias por Dios- it's okay, Luisa. Isabela had her period, JUST like your prima Dolores!"

Isabela, who was only a few months older than Dolores, had been whining that her prima got her period first. She seemed excited about it, a twinkle in her eyes.

"Wait, so I'm a woman now?! COOL!"

Agustín chuckled, gently patting her head.

"You're growing up, but not a woman just yet. You're on the road to it though! Now, I'm going to put your sheets in the wash, and mami is gonna take you to get a shower."

Julieta couldn't be more relieved. She took a hold of Isabela's hand, letting Luisa calm down with her papi. She looked down at Isabela, who looked oddly...chipper, for what was happening.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"Great! I thought you said this period thing was bad! I didn't even feel the bleeding!"

"Huh. Well sometimes people get lucky with symptoms."

Julieta got her a spare change of clothes, and started the water for her. Isabela got undressed, and Julieta was expecting to throw her bloody underwear in the bin, but saw nothing. She stopped her daughter, curiously eyeing her clothes.

"Wait, hold on. There's no blood on these. Are there any on your thighs?"

Isabela checked her thighs, and even her crotch, but shrugged.

"No?"

"Well then how did you...oh no."

Isabela didn't have her period. It was her younger sister, Luisa. They thought it was Isabela, given the fact that she was overdue for one, but apparently not. The bathroom door opened just a crack, with Agustín holding onto little (and still crying) Luisa's hand.

"Think we had a mix up. She thought it was pee, but nope."

Isabela scoffed, fists clenched in anger.

"What? It's not MY period?! No FAIR!"

Julieta lightly patted her daughter's head, handing her clothes back to her.

"Please be sensitive, Isabela, this isn't easy for your sister right now. Come here, mi bebé, let's get you cleaned up."

They swapped kids, but Luisa held her hands out to Agustín. He was always her favorite.

"B-but I want papi..."

Agustín leaned down to kiss her forehead, taking a second to wipe away her tears.

"Easy, mi vida. I'll be back. I know you're sensitive right now. I promise, after your shower, we'll take a nap in your room for as long as you'd like. I'll even go into town and get you something, would you like that?"

Luisa sniffed as she wiped her face yet again, before nodding.

"I...I want Bandeja Paisa."

Julieta and Agustín shared a look. Getting Luisa to eat was like Agustín NOT getting into an accident. Half the time they had to bribe her to eat, often with toys. But here she was, requesting such a big meal. Agustín nodded quickly.

"Yes! You can have that, absolutely! From the good place, not the other one. Anything else?"

"Can you make that hot chocolate too? Please?"

Agustín nodded again, trying not to look so excited. Their daughter, wanting to EAT!

"Of course! I'll make you ANYTHING! After you take your shower, okay?"

Luisa nodded, though she looked mourning as Agustín walked out with Isabela. She got undressed, and sure enough, blood ruined her underwear, and even her dress. Julieta got the water ready, and sat on the toilet as Luisa started to clean herself. She waited till Luisa was done (a good twenty minutes at least), before helping her dry off with a towel. She looked at her from under her towel, softly smiling at her.

"Now, you remember what I told you about pads? You're going to have to wear them now, okay?"

Julieta got one of the bigger pads from under the sink, and Luisa whined loudly.

"It's big and bulky. I hate it."

"I know, mi vida, but you have to wear it, until you get comfortable with a tampon."

"I don't want this."

"I know it's difficult, but you're a growing woman, you need to-"

"I DON'T WANNA BE A GROWING WOMAN!!"

Luisa stomped on the floor, causing a big indent in the size of her small foot. Julieta looked at her, and poor Luisa immediately started to cry again.

"Luisa, no-"

"I'm sorry mami! I didn't mean it!"

Luisa immediately hugged her mother, and Julieta gave her a good squeeze.

"It's okay, it's okay. I know you just aren't feeling well. You're going to be just a bit angry sometimes, it happens. Your tìo will fix the floor."

Luisa looked up at the glass mirror, whimpering.

"I'm s-sorry, Casita, I didn't mean to hurt you."

Casita's tiles fluttered and flipped, letting her know it was alright. Julieta helped her get dressed, showed her how to properly put the pad on her underwear, and went to take her to her room. To her surprise, Dolores and Camilo were there, alongside Félix. Dolores saw her immediately, and rushed over to hug her.

"I heard what happened, Lulu. It's okay, me and Camilo brought you stuff to make you feel better!"

Félix, who had clearly just gotten out of bed, nodded at Julieta.

"Dolores woke me up right when she heard something. Been up all morning making her cards and bringing her toys."

Camilo was holding a fair bit of the stuff, including a box of chocolates.

"I even brought my chocolate stash. It's not full, but you sound like you need it more than I do, so you can have what's left. And I promise nothing in it is half eaten."

Dolores smiled at her prima, clinging to her side.

"You can eat the chocolates, play with the toys, and I brought my makeup kit so we can do your hair and your makeup! Because I know you feel kinda gross right now, I know I did."

Luisa looked at her cousins, and immediately started to tear up again. She gave Dolores a squeeze that made SOMETHING in her pop.

"You're the best prima EVER!"

Félix chuckled as he ushered them to Luisa's room.

"I'll watch the kids if you make some coffee?"

"Sounds fair. And I'm pretty sure Agustín is picking up breakfast."

"Good, neither of us should be cooking today."

He chuckled as he went into the room with the kiddos. Julieta was about to go into the kitchen, when he noticed Agustín was still at the front door, Isabela at his side. She approached him, finding him arguing with some townspeople.

"What is happening here?"

Agustín gestured to a group of angry looking men.

"They're mad because I told them Luisa can't do her chores today. I TOLD them she's on her period, but they won't listen!"

One of the men huffed.

"I was promised my fence was going to be fixed today, I need someone to carry the lumber. It's just her period, can't she hold it?"

Julieta had never felt more offended. Grown men, trying to push her daughter, and so ignorantly. He was about to speak again, when Julieta grabbed his ear, making him yelp as she brought him to her level.

"She can't 'hold it', just like you can't control your tongue. A grown man, wanting to put a little girl to work. You should be ashamed. You will ALL do your work by yourselves today. I want no ifs, ands, or butts. Grosero, all of you."

She let go of his ear, and pointed at them to leave. They grumbled bitterly, but did so anyway. Agustín chuckled at his wife, a big, dumb look on his face.

"I love you, SO much. Let's have another baby."

"Let's focus on one baby at a time. Isa, see if you can find something nice for Luisa while you're out, something pretty."

"Was already going to, it's why I brought my purse!"

Julieta smiled, kissing her baby's face a few times.

"Such a nice sister. And you, are going to be a nice husband and get enough breakfast for everyone."

"I can't promise I'll fill up Camilo, but I'll see what I can do."

They shared a quick kiss, and Julieta watched as they left. This was a hard time for her baby, but she was lucky she had such a big family to care for her.

[osferth]

happy (belated) birthday sophie!!

@maggiescarborough i know how much you love tom so here is a little something!! im so sorry this has taken so long, but i hope you enjoy it <33

word count: 3k

pairing: tom bennett x reader

tagging: @93xdiagonxalley

Lois was more than just someone you practised singing with on the weekends at this point - she and Connie had quickly become your best friends. Even if they had known each other since childhood, they had welcomed you as a friend and made your move to Manchester earlier in the year that much easier.

You were staying with your cousin, having relocated in England after graduating from university in a move considered unusual by the rest of your family, who remained abroad.

At the end of one such practice, Lois suddenly appeared to be struck by a realisation. “You've never been ‘round my place before, have you?” she asked. You shook your head.

“No, I donʼt think so.”

“Great!” she smiled. “I'm sure my dad wonʼt mind the company. Are you coming too, Connie?”

Connie shuffled her sheet music, a shy smile suddenly gracing her features. “Sorry, no can do,” she said. “I'm meeting Eddie today. Actually, he's… waiting outside, to pick me up.”

Connie and Eddie were practically stepping out by now, although neither of them had actually gotten around to admitting their obvious feelings for each other yet. Both you and Lois had been reassuring Connie that her feelings were returned for a long time, although it was anyone's guess as to when something would happen.

“Go on, then,” you grinned, with a knowing glance towards Lois. A flustered Connie smiled her thanks as she shouldered her bag and bid the two of you goodbye.

~~

The walk back to Loisʼ house was spent mostly making sure you kept in mind everything your friend was telling you.

“My dad, you don't need to worry about him,” said Lois. “He's lovely, and he'll definitely like you. To be fair, he likes most people, but you're really nice. He'll love having you over… if you'll come ‘round again. He's not very well today.”

You nodded, exhaling slightly. After all Lois had told you about him in the past, you felt more relaxed. “Oh, that's awful. Tell him I hope he gets better soon.”

“‘Course I will. My brother, though,” Lois continued, looking sideways at you, “he's a bit of a loose end. Either he'll like you a lot or he won't be able to stand you, there's no in between with him. You'll find out either way pretty quickly.”

She had mentioned her brother, Tom, a fair few times in the past too - mostly to complain about him. He had either said something to get on her nerves, or had the police after him and spent another night in a jail cell… you could go on. So a loose end sounded like a massive understatement, especially after all you had heard from her.

“Well, then, I hope he likes me,” you said.

Lois snorted. “No, you don't.”

You gave her a questioning look.

“He'll flirt with anything that moves,” she explained, “unless he hates you. Or you're lucky and your name's Connie, ‘cos even he wants to know when she's gonna start going out with Eddie properly.”

The conversation shifted back to the topic of Connie and Eddie after that, all the way up until you reached Loisʼ doorstep. “Do they know I'm coming over?” you asked.

“Good point,” Lois said thoughtfully as she unlocked the door. Immediately she called up the stairs, informing Douglas that you were also there, while you awkwardly hovered by the door.

While Douglas asked her why Connie had not accompanied you both this time, a young man slipped past her into the kitchen.

“You're Lois’ mate?” he asked, about to light up a cigarette. After a moment, he frowned and put it down, and you realised then that your brows had furrowed slightly.

“Yes, that's me,” you said finally.

You weren't sure whether to be relieved or dismayed when he started to smile - well, smirk if you were going to be honest.

“‘S nice to meet you,” he said eventually.

Thankfully, Lois returned just in time to shoo him away. “No,” she said firmly, “you’re not going to annoy her into leaving already.”

“Oh, come on, Lois, I was just saying hi,” he protested. However, it was clear that his sister was not having any of it.

“Yeah, and it’d better stay that way,” she snapped, striding across the kitchen to the counter. “D’you want a cup of tea?” she asked you, far more pleasantly this time.

Dimly you said yes, remembering why she was so cross with him - only the night before, the police had carted Tom back to the jail cell she felt had been designated for him at this point, this time for loitering. Tom had apparently sworn up and down that he had done nothing wrong, although his previous track record stated otherwise.

At least it wasn’t bad enough to land him a month or two in jail and a court order, she had supposed. You were unsure whether to feel bad for him or not, but you certainly felt for Lois.

“Thank you,” you smiled, taking the cup from her hands. It was nearly as scalding as the look she promptly gave her brother upon seeing he was still in the room.

“It’s a free country!” Tom said, raising his hands in surrender. “So,” he added, turning to you, “you've only been here a couple months, right? How're you finding it so far?”

Lois sat down beside you, shaking her head.

“Itʼs - um, itʼs quite nice, I suppose,” you said a little awkwardly. You never really were any good at small talk.

“You stepping out with anyone yet?” Tom continued rather brazenly.

Lois scoffed at him.

“Didnʼt waste a minute, there, did you?” she muttered.

You shook your head. “No. Why?”

“Just wondered,” he mumbled, but not even a smack on the arm from his sister could wipe the smirk off his face. Unsure what to make of that, you returned to your tea with a frown.

After several more dirty looks from his sister, Tom conceded an apology for what had transpired the night before and tactfully decided to head out for a little while. Although she was no longer as annoyed with him as she had been before, she certainly made no attempt to stop him.

As he made his way to the door, he paused by your seat for a moment. “I’ll see you ‘round here again, won’t I?” he asked, the now-familiar mirth returning to his eyes.

“I suppose so, probably,” you replied with a shrug.

“Good to know,” he grinned, before ducking out under the door. Lois rolled her eyes to the heavens as soon as the door slammed shut behind him.

“I’m starting to feel bad for you,” she commented.

“Me?” you asked. “Why? I feel quite bad for you.”

“‘Cos I think he’s taken a serious liking to you,” she said in a low voice. To her surprise, you laughed.

“As if,” you snorted, “we’ve hardly spoken more than five words to each other. I think you’re just saying that ‘cause you’re angry with him.”

She eyed you over the rim of her own mug. “If anyone knows what that arse is thinking, it’s me,” she pointed out. “If I think he fancies you, he fancies you.”

You only scoffed at that. “Mm, and when you catch him actually chatting someone else up, you’ll know you read too much into this.”

“Whatever you say.”

~~

A week later, the three of you - that is, Lois and Connie, not Tom - met up once again. All you were interested in was whether Connie and Eddie had put a name on what it was they clearly had, but Lois' interest - and indeed Connie's - had shifted towards… you.

“What are you looking at me like that for?” you asked, narrowing your eyes at the pair of them. They shared a mischievous look before Connie answered.

“There's someone outside waiting for you,” she grinned.

You scoffed. “Yeah, I'm sure Eddie's waiting for me and not you.”

“Not Eddie!” she said, lightly pushing your shoulder. “Loisʼ brother.”

Looking from her to Lois and back again, it slowly dawned on you that this might not be a joke. “If you two aren't messing with me then he's probably here for Lois,” you said reasonably, although you couldn't help but peer out of the window. This was stupid, you knew Lois never got picked up by-

“Tom?” you exclaimed. “What's he doing over there?”

“Why don't you go out and ask him?” Lois suggested dryly, to which you responded with a suspicious look.

“Am I missing something?”

“Yeah, the obvious,” snorted Connie.

Resolved to find out whatever it was that was making your friends so smug, you decided to take Lois' advice and go outside.

“I didn't take you for the singing type,” you commented, pulling Tom's attention away from the ground.

“Ha, ha,” he said, a slight grin sliding onto his face. “‘Course I am.”

“What are you doing here?” you asked, diverting back to the point.

Tom shuffled with an uncharacteristic awkwardness about him, his hands in his pockets. “Er, well, I was gonna-”

He stopped suddenly, glaring at a spot behind you.

“What's wrong?”

But your question was promptly answered by a round of giggles from the door. Tom rolled his eyes and beckoned you away from the entrance, giving you just enough time to send a look over your shoulder that clearly warned them to shut. Up.

Lois and Connie responded with waves, still laughing as they retreated inside.

“Um,” you said eventually, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen afterwards, “what was it you were saying?”

“Yeah, er… that,” Tom said, looking down again. “Look, I was wondering if you… if you're gonna be staying here for a while, or…?”

You smiled. “That's what you wanted to know?”

Although he nodded, you felt he didn't look very sure of himself, but it could easily have been a figment of your imagination. “Yeah.”

“I am, yeah,” you answered. What seemed to be relief washed over his face.

“Great,” he said, his familiar grin returning to his face. “That's - no, yeah, I was only asking ‘cos I thought you were leaving soon or ‘summat.”

“What gave you that idea?” you laughed. “Did Lois say that?”

“Nah, nah,” he said quickly, “I just - I ‘dunno. Well, yeah, that's… good to know.”

You nodded, folding your arms across your chest - you had never felt more awkward in your life, and it seemed neither had he, but it felt endearing, almost.

“Well,” he said finally, “d'you want me to walk you home? I know you're meant to be leaving ‘round about now anyway.”

You looked back towards the door, and he immediately backtracked. “But it's alright if you wanna stay here, I-”

“That would be really nice,” you smiled, cutting across him. “Thank you, Tom.”

The smile he gave you felt rewarding, enough that you could almost forget all the trouble he'd consistently get himself into. At that moment, at least, he was as sweet as anything.

~~

The journey to your home was rather short, but you found yourself enjoying it so much that when you got there, you felt a little disappointed it was over.

“D'you wanna come ‘round again tomorrow?” Tom offered. “Dad wasn't very well last week, and he said he wished he got to meet you, ‘cos from the sounds of it you're really nice. Did Lois say?”

Pleasantly surprised, you shook your head. “No, I don't think so,” you said, feeling your cheeks warming. “I'd love to, if that's alright.”

“Well I mean, I did offer, so…”

“Oh, shut up!”

Tom unsuccessfully dodged the light smack on his arm, laughing nonetheless. “How many of these am I gonna be getting?”

You grinned. “As if you don't deserve them.”

“Yeah, I s'pose you're right,” he conceded, still laughing slightly. “So I'll see you, yeah?”

“Yeah. Bye, Tom.”

“Bye, Y/N.”

You waved him off at your doorstep with a soft smile as you watched him round the corner and leave.

~~

As promised, you visited the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that. Soon enough, you became almost part of the family with how often you visited the Bennetts, either alongside Lois or at the invitation of Tom. As Lois had predicted, Douglas liked you a lot. She always said it was because he thought that since Tom liked you, you were a positive influence on him, but you brushed that off every time - that couldn't be true.

Could it?

After a few months, you and Tom were practically as close friends as you were with Lois. He liked asking you out for walks, which was how you spent most of your time together. Neither you nor Douglas minded - they were much better than wasting time at home doing next to nothing during the days Lois and Connie weren't free, and Douglas was keen to keep his son out of trouble. It worked out perfectly.

On one of these walks, you felt compelled to bring up something that had been plaguing your mind for a while. “I talked to my cousin last night,” you began. “She's thinking of moving back home soon.”

“Will you get to keep the place?” asked Tom.

You winced. “That's the thing. I don't know whether to stay at all or just… go back with her. I have a job but it's nothing I can't find at home…”

When you were greeted with nothing but silence, you realised Tom had stopped walking altogether. The smile from earlier had been totally wiped from his face. “D'you want to leave?” he asked quietly.

“I don't know,” you admitted. “But I need to decide soon.”

You had never seen Tom look so dejected, and the urge to stay felt even stronger.

“It'll be alright,” he said eventually, “whatever you choose. I am gonna miss you, though. I'll miss you a lot.”

“Me too,” you said sadly. “It'd be so easy for me to just stay if my family wasn't over there too, and I haven't seen them for ages. I can't afford to go over and visit all the time. I don't know how I'll be able to stay so far away all on my own for even longer-”

“You won't be on your own,” Tom said quickly. “I'll be there, won't I? Me and Lois and your mates, we'll help you out if you decide to stay. ‘Course it's alright if you do go,” he added, flushing, “but… y'know. Maybe they could visit you, if you like. Either way, we'll… we'll work ‘summat out, I promise.”

You smiled, reaching out to squeeze his hand briefly. “Thank you, Tom.”

~~

A decision was finally reached after a week of deliberation, and you decided to break the news to Tom whilst the two of you were seated together on the local park bench. You had been dreading this conversation the most for reasons you couldn't understand, but it had to be done.

“I think I'm gonna go home,” you said quietly, unable to meet his eye. As you had imagined, you didn't receive a response for several moments, until finally he said your name and you looked up.

“You're leaving?” he murmured, the heartbreak in his eyes almost too much for you to bear. Wordlessly, you nodded. Letting him take your hand, the two of you sat together in silence for a while. The lump in your throat tightened as you thought about the look on his face.

“I haven't told anyone else yet,” you admitted later. “I haven't even told my cousin yet, or arranged anything. I just wanted to tell you first.”

Tom met your gaze with a wistful smile. “Is it too late, then?”

“Too late for what?” you asked.

“To tell you the truth,” he said softly. “Lois said I should've done it ages ago and she's right, ‘cos this is horrible timing-”

“What is it?” you pressed, overcome suddenly with impatience.

“I fancy you,” he blurted out. “I- yeah. That's it, I… I really fancy you.”

You stared at him as his words sunk in, and suddenly your reluctance to tell him your decision, the quickening of your heartbeat, it all made sense. Your grip on his hand absent-mindedly loosened a little as the initial shock passed over. As that happened, Tom suddenly seemed aware of what he had just said and tore his gaze away, looking uncharacteristically embarrassed.

“Sorry,” he said quickly, “That weren't fair, I shouldn't'a dumped that on you-”

“How long have you liked me for?” you asked, suddenly more curious than anything. You had to make sure that this was all real and not a dream.

“Honestly?” he asked. You nodded quickly. “Since the day I met you. You're easily the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life. That's why I went to meet you where Eddie always meets Connie, y'know. I had to get an excuse to talk to you, alone. Well. Alone-ish.”

You could not fight the bashful smile on your face, your stomach full of butterflies. “You think?” you asked, your voice little more than a whisper.

“Easily,” he repeated. “You could be a movie star with your looks, and I'm not just saying it to impress you. And then I got to know you properly, and I just ended up liking you even more,” he continued, “‘cos you're kind and you're funny and you've got a quick word for everything that I say. That's why I was so cut up when I found out you might be leaving.”

You were lost for words. You almost felt like an idiot sitting there and saying nothing, with only a large smile on your face. “Oh, Tom,” you said finally, just as he took your hand again.

“You never gave me an answer,” he reminded you with an easy smile. “D'you like me back?”

“No,” you joked. “Kidding. I do, of course I do!”

“Well, that's just fine then, in't it?” he smiled, reaching over to cup your cheek. “So I hope you won't mind if I-”

You cut him off, leaning over to kiss him softly. “If you…?” you grinned.

Tom only chuckled at that, before bringing you down into another, deeper kiss.

It looked like you would be staying in England after all.

[karajaynetoday]

i'll be honest, it's better off this way | luke hemmings

image credit 

hello pals! long time no writing! i know it seems a bit weird to post a luke break up fic just after he got engaged but to be fair, I already had this in the works before the news broke yesterday, so soz not soz. It is kind of a happy break up story though... kind of? this one features lyrics from our song by niall and anne marie that are in italics throughout the piece (you know i love a song lyric incorporation lol) and i’m a bit rusty, so any feedback is welcome! a big shoutout to my dearest @notinthesameguey​ for beta-reading this one for me, you’re a gem blanca! enjoy xo

Word count: 2.3k

Warnings:  mentions of a break up and a car accident/hospitalisation (minor/non-graphic)

(This is a fem reader insert)

More writing here | send thoughts/feedback/suggestions here | if you’d like to be on my taglist go here

I'll be honest, I'm alright with me

Sunday mornings, in my own bedsheets

The break up with Luke had been easier than you’d first thought. It’d been months of growing apart, feeling like a stranger in your own home, before you finally worked up the nerve to utter those four words: We need to talk. He’d been spending most days and some nights in the studio, and you’d been working overtime at your job too; you were ships in the night who barely had time to say hello and goodbye, let alone have any sort of proper conversation. You’d spent an entire evening rehearsing a script in your head, and as soon as Luke walked through the door and greeted Petunia, you mustered the courage to stand up and speak your truth. 

It turned out that you weren’t alone in feeling stagnant in your relationship, and although you could feel your heart breaking as you said the words, Luke’s hand on your knee was all the gentle reassurance you needed. Just like always, even when your relationship was falling apart, Luke was there for you. And that’s what he promised, that night in the living room. It didn’t make sense for you two to become strangers overnight after 3 years together, but you also both knew that you needed space to grow and heal, and that space needed to happen sooner rather than later. 

You could tell that part of Luke wanted to fight it, wanted to raise his voice, wanted to convince you to stay. But part of Luke also knew that it was time to walk away, no matter how much his heart was feeling like it was being ripped out of his chest, because he did truly love you, and if he loved you, he’d let you go. 

Even though Luke insisted you could stay in the spare room for as long as you liked, it only took a week or so to find a new place. An apartment in KayKay’s building opened up for rent, and thanks to her help, you secured the lease and started moving in as soon as you could. Ashton accompanied you to Ikea and then helped with assembling a new bed and dining table for you, while KayKay helped unpack some of your boxes. You could tell that they were trying to be sensitive, but at the same time were desperate to know what went down in the break up, and after a few slices of pizza and half a bottle of wine, you felt the emotions rushing to the surface.

“It feels dumb to get upset, after all, I was the one who suggested we should break up.” You sniffled, smiling sadly as Ashton handed you a tissue.

“Just because it was something that needed to happen, doesn’t mean you can’t be sad about it. You two shared a lot in the time you were together, it’s only natural that it’s going to take you a while to untangle yourselves from one another and to get your head and heart back on the path that’s right for you.” KayKay spoke softly, throwing an arm around your shoulders.

You knew she was right, and the healing would come; it was all part of the rollercoaster of walking away from someone you thought was the love of your life, but had turned out not to be. Time to adjust and find some independence, and re-shape the life you found yourself in until it was the life you wanted. 

But every time I think that I can get you out my head, you never, ever let me forget

Once you’d completely moved out Luke’s house, your reasons to contact him became few and far between. A few occasional texts to advise that he’d let his family know about your split, and a link to a new cafe nearby that he thought was your kind of vibe (and it absolutely was). Everyone in your friendship group was trying their best to help you both cope, but it was hard to avoid the awkwardness that came with a break up of close friends.  

You felt like you were walking on eggshells for a while, so you started to say no to invitations out. You threw yourself into a new work project, and barely replied to any group chats. Whenever your friends called, you had the perfect script rehearsed, about how you were going to be up for promotion, and after the next month or so, you’d have plenty more time for catching up with everyone. You were fairly certain that no-one believed your story, but you were sticking to it nonetheless. You’d seen photos online of Luke out and about with various beautiful women amongst the partying crew, and even though you knew better than to torture yourself with doom-scrolling through the internet, you couldn’t help yourself. You had to keep reminding yourself that it was YOU that wanted the breakup, and that it was for the best. Or something like that.

It was coming to the end of your big project, and the entire office decided to head out for celebratory drinks. You only stayed for a couple, because after a month of overtime you were ready for bed. Your boss took you aside to assure you that the promotion was yours and the new contract would be on your desk on Monday, and as you reassured him you were excited to take on the role, a song playing over the bar’s speakers made you stop in your tracks. You’d spent many a Sunday morning dancing around the kitchen making pancakes with Luke and singing these words; something you’d completely forgotten until this moment. As you stepped outside to await your Uber, the first person you wanted to call with the news was Luke. Your fingers hovered over his name for a good few minutes before your Uber driver honked and broke you out of her trance, and you settled for texting the group chat instead to share your exciting update. Lots of confetti and heart eyes emojis started popping up alongside congratulatory messages, and you let out a giggle when you saw that Luke had sent a photo of Petunia with “congrats!” scrawled across it in purple font. It was the last thing you remembered, before the squealing of tyres and your vision going black. 

Just when I think you're gone, Hear our song on the radio

Just like that, takes me back, To the places we used to go

The rhythmic beeping of the hospital monitors was the first thing you noticed as you stirred awake. The second was a dull pain across your skull, and the third was that your arm was in a sling. Fourth was the large, warm hand that was holding your own and gently squeezing; without opening your eyes, you knew it was Luke’s. You felt too weak to say any words, so instead you tried your best to squeeze back as you slowly opened your eyes. You heard a sharp intake of breath, before Luke’s smiling face came into view.

“Hey there, sweetheart. How are you feeling?” Luke asked, reaching up to gently brush some hair out of your eyes.

“Like I was in a car accident.” You managed to croak out, shooting him a wry smile and earning a laugh in return.

“You are correct, you can pass go, and collect $200. A pretty gnarly accident, the car’s a write-off, but thankfully everyone’s injuries are relatively minor. Some dickhead ran a red light.” You could tell Luke was trying to remain calm, but under the surface he was pissed.

“Not ideal, but at least I get a few days off work.” You joked, grimacing as you tried to sit up. Luke stood and gently maneuvered your pillows to support your back and shoulders better, and you felt a zap of electricity as his hands brushed your arms in passing.

As Luke sat back in the chair next to the bed, you suddenly realised that it was just the two of you in the hospital room. 

“No offence, Hemmo, but what are you doing here? Considering we’re no longer significant others, and all…” You said awkwardly, looking down at your arm sling with sudden great interest.

“Very observant, dear. Glad to see the concussion hasn’t affected your short term memory, I was worried you’d forget me entirely. You did, however, forget to update your emergency contact details, so I guess I was first on the list for the hospital to call. Ash, KayKay and I have been taking shifts but they’re out getting food right now - “ The rest of Luke’s explanation was cut off by a gasp and a cheer at the door, signalling Ashton and KayKay’s return and subsequent delight at you being awake.

The days that followed were uncomfortable physically, but kind of heartwarming emotionally. You got home to your apartment thanks to KayKay’s assistance, and found that your friends had stocked your fridge and freezer full of ready-made meals and your favourite snacks. They’d also made a roster so not a day went by without someone popping in to check on you, although you noticed that Luke never came by. 

Your recovery was slow but steady, and soon enough the doctors gave you the all clear. At this point, it was nearly 6 months since you’d broken up with Luke, and you could feel your mindset shifting. He was no longer the first person you wanted to call with good or bad news, or the first memories that popped into your head when you needed cheering up. It almost felt like… relief? Because for the longest time, even though you knew the break up was for the best, detaching yourself from one another seemed almost in possible after so many years of so many memories. 

I've been waking up alone, I haven't thought of him for days

I'll be honest, It's better off this way

The tipping point came at Calum’s birthday party, a month or so later. Ashton had invited you out for coffee and nonchalantly mentioned that maybe, possibly, well actually extremely likely almost definitely Luke was bringing a date to the gathering at Cal’s house; a girl he’d been seeing for a month or so. Everyone wanted you to be comfortable, and everyone, Cal especially, wanted you to be there, but they also understood if you wanted to avoid any potential awkward encounters with Luke and his new love interest. You assured Ashton that it would be fine, that you honestly weren’t bothered, and laughed off his suggestion of setting you up with a super hot blind date to help level the playing field.

The night came along, and you found yourself stumbling along Calum’s front path in the dark as you tried not to drop the gift you’d bought for him (a new cookbook and a collection of various hot sauces).  “Bloody 5sos and the “no good party starts until 11pm rule”, you muttered to yourself as you almost tripped over again, and you heard an indignant shout that sounded very Ashton-like behind you.

“Oi! Don’t be mad at us, you know that rule has never let us down!” Ashton bellowed, as he came forward with his phone flashlight switched on, KayKay not too far behind him.

“Damn girl, you like fiiiiiine!” KayKay said, letting out a low whistle. You rolled your eyes, knowing she was exaggerating. Your outfit was essentially a denim skirt and a t-shirt - maybe you’d sexed it up a little bit with some thigh high boots, tousled hair and a red lip, but all’s fair in love and war, right?

The three of you made it inside, and a very tipsy Calum greeted you with open arms and a lot of excitement at your gift of hot sauce. It felt so nice to be back with all your friends at a house party, like the old days, and you found yourself stepping out onto the back patio for a moment of quiet reflection and to share some pats with Duke.

You’d exchanged a wave with Luke when you’d entered the house, but hadn’t quite worked up the confidence to go up and speak to him, especially when he had his new girl in close proximity. She looked really friendly, though, and you could tell from the spark in both of their eyes that their relationship was blossoming in the best possible way. Part of you thought you’d be upset about it, but all you truly felt was content. Content in your life as it was, surrounded by friends that loved you just as much as you loved them, and actually quite proud of how far you’d come over the past year. You’d learned to stand on your own two feet, and you’d grown into a much more settled, independent human as a result. 

You were lost in your train of thought when you heard the song change on the speakers inside. Duke’s ears perked up and he licked your hand attentively when you stopped patting him as the song registered - it was your song. Or at least, it used to be. You felt a smile creep onto your face when you remembered the Sunday mornings of pancakes and singalongs, and the smile grew wider when you saw Luke’s girlfriend dragging him onto the dancefloor, much to his (fake) protests. You made eye contact with your kind-hearted, softly-smiling, gentle-eyed ex-boyfriend, and for a split second you saw a flash of concern cross his face. In response, you raised your glass in a cheers and shot him a wink, which earned a smile and a small laugh from Luke before he turned his attention back to the beautiful girl in his arms. You took a sip, and smiled to yourself. It truly was better off this way. 

When I hear it, I just can't stop smiling, I remember you're gone

Baby, it's just a song on the radio, That we used to know

Taglist: If there’s a line through your name, I couldn’t tag you, so please message me to let me know your new URL or what the go is!   @suchalonelysunflower @blackbutterfliescal @redrattlers @loveroflrh @spicycal @notinthesameguey @metalandboybands @cheekysos @ashton-trash  @another-lonely-heart @queenalienscherrypie  @becihadshawn  @allthestarsandthemoon  @oyesmendes​ @andrianawinchester @333-xx  @findingliam-o @hoodhoran @rbforsmileycal @myloverboyash @myhappylittleyoutubee @saywhatnow07 @secretsicanthideanymore @ar1analara  @killmywildflower​

[scented-morker]

Speak now

A beeping sound echoes in the small bakery, the scent of freshly baked cookies enveloping you like a warm hug. A bell over the door jingles as someone enters the shop and you all out a “I’m in the back, I’ll be with you shortly” as you maneuver the hot pan out of the way.

You walk to the front of the store, expecting to see one of the sweet old ladies who frequent your business, and it’s a struggle to hide your surprise when you’re met with the handsome face of a man about your age.

“Uh hello,” a smile situates itself on your face as you approach where the man is standing, admiring the pastries through your display case.

“Hello” he stands up straight, his full height making you crane your neck slightly as he smiles back at you.

“Is there anything I can help you with today?”

He explains that he's getting a party together for the HYBE corporation's end of the quarter celebration, and is looking for a caterer for desserts.

"Oh, yeah absolutely, why don't I set you up with a tasting"

You weren't completely sure what they did in that building, other than that it was fancy and they got paid a lot for it. But an event is an event, and you liked catering events.

"Actually I think I'm good, I already know what I want"

A jolt of surprise runs through your body as he says it, confused on how he could already know. You're very certain he's never been in your business before, as you would definitely remember a face like his.

"Alright then, um how big of a headcount are we looking at"

"About 100 workers and their families, just put me down for," he glances back at the pastry cases to read the tags sitting in front of the baked goods, "75 of those tarts, both in raspberry and mint, 50 of those vanilla twist pastries, and 60 of the chocolate cannoli's"

You furiously scribbled down his order as he spoke, internally freaking out at how much time it would take you to bake everything, eventually looking back up when he stopped talking.

"Okay and that is under what name, and for what date?"

"Lee Heeseung, and next Saturday"

You grimaced at the short notice, thankfully Heeseung didn't notice, writing down the last bit of information on the order slip before shooting him a wide grin.

"Alright I will get that all worked out for you, thank you for the order"

He flashed a beautiful smile and you immediately smiled back, trying your best to ignore the way your stomach did flips at the sight.

"While I'm here, can I also just get whatever that chocolate thing is in the display case"

He said it with a slightly embarrassed chuckle, followed quickly by "just don't tell my boss, he'll probably give my nutritionist a heart attack"

You laughed with him, going to get the pastry he ordered, ringing it up and passing it over the counter, quickly snapping your hands back into yourself at the brush of his fingers.

Heeseung doesn't seem to notice as he takes a seat at one of the tables, continuing small talk with you as you replace items in the display case with fresh ones.

When you finished your task he was still eating and nobody else had come into the store, so you start wiping down the tables around him, accepting his offer when he asks you to sit with him.

"So you own this place?"

"Yep! It was my grandmas before the previous owner took over, and they just happened to be retiring when I graduated so it got passed down to me"

"That's impressive, owning your own business this young"

His eyes shined genuinely when he said it and you could tell that he really was impressed.

"Thank you, I'm very proud of it"

He smiles again and somehow you just know that he's a good person. The way he actually cares about the things you talk about, not just pretending to be interested. You could tell he loved seeing other people happy with the look he gave you when you talked, and maybe it was unreasonable, but right then and there a part of you fell for Lee Heeseung.

"You seem quite impressive yourself, working for a big fancy company like HYBE at your age!" You complimented back.

"Oh it's nothing, just a," he paused for just slightly longer than necessary before saying "an internship."

"That's still so cool! What's it like?"

You propped your chin on your hand as you waited for his response, not noticing the way he stared when you did so.

"Uh it's really not as cool as you think," he brushes off the question, "hey, do you want to go for a walk with me?"

The change of topic caught you slightly off guard, but you recovered quickly, checking the time on the clock and realizing it was time to close.

"Yeah that'd be great, just let me close up"

You go through the routine, counting your cash box and storing away pastries, eventually locking the door behind you as you and Heeseung head out into the evening.

"Where do you want to go?" You ask, since he was the one that suggested a walk, and he smiled back at you as soon as the words left your mouth.

"I thought you'd never ask"

He grabs your hand, excitedly pulling you to follow him as he passed through alleys and patches of trees, before eventually stopping, letting out a "ta-da"

You turn in a slow circle, taking in the view, willow trees hanging down around the bank of a river, small flowers covering the base of the trees.

"Oh my-"

You finally turned back to the man next to you, finding his sparkling eyes already on you.

"This is beautiful Heeseung"

His smile is bright enough to light up the slowly darkening night around you as it graces his face, and he pulls you over to sit down under one of the trees.

"Hey Heeseung, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah sure, anything"

"How'd you already know what you wanted to order? I'm sure I've never seen you in my store before, I would remember you"

"Because I'm just so handsome?" He teases, laughing even harder when you reply "yeah, exactly".

"Well Y/N, can I be honest with you?"

"Yeah, of course"

"I've tasted your food before, even before you owned that place"

Your eyes widened at his confession, head cocking to the side as you tried to think of where he could have had your pastries.

"Were you at an even catered?"

He shakes his head dramatically, mumbling something unintelligible.

"What was that?" You lean closer to try and hear what he says and he looks up then, face mere inches from yours as he repeats himself.

"I said 'you give a girl her first kiss and she doesn't even remember you'"

You let out a small gasp as you realize and your face flares up in embarrassment.

Seventh grade, you had your first kiss with a boy who went to the same music classes as you, and you remember embarrassingly bringing him baked goods every class after that. His name was Heeseung, and now that you think carefully you can see the resemblance to the man sitting in front of you now.

"Oh my gosh that's so embarrassing, how'd you know it was me?"

He decides not to tell you he's remembered you since that little peck in middle school and has been begging his boss to order from your bakery so he would have an excuse to see you again.

"You haven't changed much since seventh grade" was his response instead, and you slapped his arm at the comment.

You two spent the next three hours just talking, catching up on each other's lives and reconnecting after your time away.

Before you knew it the sun had completely set and there were no light posts in the area Heeseung had brought you, you now struggled to see the boys pretty smile only a foot in front of you.

"Its getting late, and you probably have work tomorrow, we should probably start heading back."

He checked his phone at your mention, and you pretended not to notice the giant number of notifications while his eyes widened at the time.

"I didn't even realize it had gotten so late, let me take you back"

You're glad he offered, not sure you would be able to make it back to the cafe without his guidance.

The way back seemed much shorter than when you had been pulled down it earlier that day, and you found yourself disappointed that he didn't grab your hand again.

"Well here we are"

He looked around once you made it back to the familiar building, before turning to you.

"Where's your car?"

"Oh, I live pretty close so I just walk, it's easier than trying to find a parking spot in the city traffic anyway"

He nodded his head along with your statement but then shook his head slightly.

"You can't walk home alone at this time of night"

You felt touched by his concern, but fought him on it anyway.

"It's fine Hee, it's only like four blocks away"

"Nope, no way. That's way too far, come on"

He waved his hand towards you and you looked down at it curiously.

"What?"

"I'm walking you home, now come on"

He grabbed your hand again, both of you smiling at how right it felt.

You reached your house in about five minutes, and you tried to hide your disappointment at the prospect of your fun night coming to an end.

"Do you want to come in"

His eyes lit up at the offer but were quickly turned down to look at his feet.

"I'd love to, but I have work early tomorrow"

"Oh, okay"

It was quiet for a few moments before he made eye contact again, taking a step closer to your body and pulling you in his arms in a friendly hug.

"Thank you"

You hugged him back, wrapping your arms around his torso.

"I should be the one thanking you, that spot was beautiful, and I had a really great time. Thank you for taking me with you"

Little did you know that he wasn't thanking you for the few hours you had spent together. But he said "of course" anyway.

"Well goodnight"

"Goodnight"

You went to go inside, sticking your key in the lock before quickly thinking of something.

"Wait!"

Heeseung looked at you quizzically, waiting for you to say whatever it was you had just thought of.

"I need your number," he raised one eyebrow and you quickly added "so you can text me when you get home safe, I would be an awful friend if I let you get kidnapped after you so graciously walked me home"

He laughed at your reasoning, but handed you his phone anyway as you two quickly added each other's contact.

You took a look at his contact, bursting out in laughter at the sight of it.

"Did you really put your name in as 'Heedungie' with a bunch of hearts?"

He looked proud of himself for making you laugh and he nodded his head.

"Yes, yes I did"

"No fair, give me your phone back I want to give you something embarrassing too"

You didn't think he actually would, but his phone was held out to you and you took it, quickly turning around and taking an exaggeratedly cute selfie to set as the contact picture before putting in a nickname for your name, complete with the same aggressive hearts as his.

"There"

He took the phone back and laughed at the improved contact.

"Perfect"

You shared one last smile before you entered your house, Heeseung leaving your porch after seeing you securely in, making sure he walked a block away before calling his driver so you wouldn't see.

Only once he was safe in the confines of the backseat did he look at the notifications on his phone.

23 missed texts from his father and 7 calls from his mother.

He clicked on the notification, skimming his eyes over the texts, rolling his eyes at their content. He didn't even read all the way through before shutting his phone off, throwing it across the seat for the rest of the ride.

You had just stepped out of the shower when you heard your phone ding, and you paused the music to go check the text.

'Just got home, all in one piece and no kidnapping attempts were made on me'

You laughed at his text, shooting back something along the lines of 'I'm glad to hear that' before heading out of your bathroom to get dressed.

Heeseung texted you a few more times after that, and you found yourself giggling at his messages exactly like seventh grade you did. Eventually you said your good nights, after you had scolded him for staying up when he needed to get up in the morning, and you smiled one last time at the obnoxiously cute contact name before floating off to sleep.

You went to work the next day, and the one after that, and there was no real difference in your life except for the constant texting and the extra bounce in your step. Even your regulars commented on how happy you looked.

Heeseung liked to come to the cafe on his lunch break, and you started making an extra lunch in the morning after the first day when he ordered three pieces of cake as his meal.

It was Thursday, and you were currently trying to find someone to help you bake the giant order for the party.

"Come on please, it's huge, and even one person would be a huge help to me"

"Sorry I can't, I'm babysitting for my neighbors the whole week"

You let out a sigh at yet another no, and put your phone back down on the counter.

You were so absorbed in the call that you hadn't heard Heeseung come in, and you almost screamed when you looked up to see him standing in front of you.

"Woah sorry," he was laughing so he obviously wasn't that sorry, "I didn't want to interrupt your call"

"It's okay"

"What do you need help with?"

It took you a moment to realize he meant the phone call and you let out another sigh at your empty search.

"I'm trying to get someone to help me with the order for the party, it's the biggest order I've gotten and it's just me so I can't make it all in one day by myself"

"Oh," he paused "what are you going to do"

"I don't know" you shrugged, "I'll have to start making things tomorrow, everything that would be able to stay overnight so that I don't have to do it all on Saturday, but even with that I don't know if I'll be able to get everything tomorrow done. Maybe I'll put a hiring sign up and hope someone applies by tomorrow"

He tried to stifle his giggles at how dumb of an idea that would be, but you still noticed.

"Heeeeee," you whined, holding the sound out for longer than needed, "stop laughingggg I know it's dumb. I'm trying to avoid a breakdown okay?"

He finally stopped laughing, and his eyes lit up like he just thought of an amazing idea.

"I can help you!!"

You look at him like he's crazy and he shrugs nonchalantly, "What? It's a good idea."

"No Hee, I would never ask you to do that. Besides it's literally for your order, I'm not making you cook for it, especially not on a work day"

"Nope, it's too late. I've made up my mind. I'm helping you"

"No Heeseung, you're not"

"Yes I am. Okay now I'm gonna run away before you can yell at me more. I'll be here tomorrow at- wait, what time do you even open?"

"Nine AM"

"-Then I will be here at nine AM"

"No Heeseung!"

He takes off running and you try to chase him down, both of your laughter ricocheting off the walls. A few people outside stop and watch as you run like children, most of them smiling at the sight.

"Heeseung"

"Nope, not happening"

He runs around you in a circle, quickly running up to the side of your body giving you a peck on the cheek and then taking off back towards the direction of his work.

"See you at nine AM" is the last thing you hear from him, a quiet message because of how far away he was, even though you know he was shouting when he said it.

You shake your head as you watch him turn the corner, turning around to come face to face with one of your regulars.

"So that's why you've been so happy lately?"

You try to think of something to say, some denial of how smitten you were, but all that came out was a giggle, one that solidified your current appearance of a lovesick school girl. You immediately slapped your hand over your mouth, embarrassed at your reaction, but the woman just laughed before heading into the building, you following shortly after to serve her.

And the next day, right at nine AM, the bell above your door rang, and in came the boy that had been the cause of your racing heart all week.

"Here I am"

"You're the worst"

"You say that, but you're smiling"

"Shut up"

He giggled as he followed you to the back of the building, teasing you more about how you were accepting his help anyway.

"I was hoping you wouldn't show up, but I guess since you're here I might as well get the help"

It wasn't true, you were up all night trying to decipher if he was actually going to show up. You even got out your cute apron and put some extra effort into your appearance this morning.

"I would recommend putting this on"

You toss him an apron to protect his clothes, going behind him and tying a nice little bow. He ignored the way his body tingled where your hands brushed it, and your breath hitched when he turned you around to do the same thing.

"This is my job Hee, I could tie it myself"

"I know," was all he said, letting his hands linger on your waist as he turned you back around to face him.

He tucked a few strands of hair behind your ear, his face a little bit too close to yours.

"Whatcha doing?" Your voice came out as a whisper and the way he smiled made your heart beat even faster then it already was, something you didn't think was possible.

"What do you want me to be doing?"

You gave a small laugh, throwing your arms behind his neck and angling your head up to get closer to the tall man above you.

"Does this answer your question?" You asked, referring to your previous actions.

"I think it's a pretty good indication" he spoke through a smile, leaning down to brush his lips against yours softly.

It was barely a kiss, absolutely no pressure from either end, but the butterflies in your stomach absolutely erupted at the contact, and you couldn't even try for an actual kiss because of the huge smiles on your faces.

"Did you feel it?" He whispered, and even without an explanation you knew what he meant.

A giggle left your lips, "yeah I felt it".

A jingle sounded as someone walked in the store and you pulled away from him to go serve the customer.

He was standing against the counter when you walked in, still just basking in the feeling of what had just happened.

"Alright lover boy, time to get to work"

He smiled at the nickname, coming up to you and spinning you around once, before speaking.

"Yes chef"

You laughed at his antics and gave him directions on how to help you start the tart shell.

By noon you were well ahead of schedule, the playlist you had chosen now blaring as you screamed the lyrics together, flour dusted over your faces as you took a break from kneading the dough for the twists.

"Thank you for this"

"Helping you bake?"

"No, everything else too"

He smiled and pulled you back in, this time for a real kiss.

That night you both went home early so that you could get up early for last minute party prep, after a goodnight kiss (or two, or three, or four...) at the your front door.

"Okay I'll see you tomorrow"

"Can't wait"

He hesitated to pull away from you, not quite wanting to leave, but you pushed him lightly.

"One more?"

He puckered up and you laughed giving him one last kiss before running into your house, hearing his whines through the door.

"Okay baby, I'll see you tomorrow"

You almost screamed when the nickname left his lips and you could hear the laugh he let out when he heard your squeal from the other side of your door.

**

"You can go to the back room, there will be another girl in there and a changing station set up, guests are starting to arrive now"

You listened to the other worker speaking, trying not to show how tired you were after finishing all of the baking that morning.

Following her instructions, you headed to the back room to change out of your sweats and into something more presentable for the party. By the time you had exited the back, you could hear the chatter of people and could tell the party was starting.

They started by giving a small speech about how well they had done that quarter, thanking all of the employees for their work and their families for supporting.

Within 30 minutes you were carrying out trays of your pastries, everyone mostly finished with dinner and some random business video was playing in the front of the room.

You walked out to stand along the wall with the other miscellaneous staff people working the event, and watched as they moved on to giving out awards for things like "best costumer service" and "highest sell rate". The entire time you were looking around for Heeseung, trying to spot him over by some lanky guys who looked like interns, but no luck.

"Alright now that all of the awards have been passed out, an important announcement from CEO Lee"

You looked around trying to spot the man in question, eyes eventually landing on an old man, grey hair and a pinstriped suit, as he used a cane to lift himself out of the chair and up to the stage.

You spotted Heeseung then, sitting at the same table the old man had just left, along with an older looking woman you assumed to be CEO Lee's wife, and another male that looked to be a little older than Heeseung.

You thought about trying to get his attention, but the CEO soon started speaking, and your eyes were pulled away from him.

"As I think we all know, I'm not as young as I was when we started this business," there were a few laughs from around the room, and the man waited for them to be done before moving on. "I don’t want you to worry, I’m perfectly healthy, but I, along with my family, have decided that it would be best for me to step down from the company."

Murmurs erupted throughout the room, and it was enough to tell you that the employees had no prior knowledge of this decision. You look over to Heeseung to gage his reaction, but instead of surprise or confusion, his face is laced with something that looks more like... disappointment? You decide it must be the lighting that's obscuring his actual expression, since that wouldn't make much sense.

"I will be retiring within six months, and my son, I know you've all seen him around the company," the female population seems especially excited about these words, a few turning to make faces at each other, you even hear one say 'hot boss' to her friend.

"Heeseung, please come up here"

You can hardly conceal your shock as you see your Heeseung stand up from his seat and go to the front of the room.

You furrow your eyebrows as he stands next to who you now realize must be his father.

"Heeseung will be taking over the company after my leave"

Your eyebrows shoot up as the words register in your mind.

Heeseung is going to be CEO of this giant company within 6 months.

Maybe you should have been mad that he lied to you, that he hid this part of himself from you. He definitely didn't tell you the position of his father, or the fact that he was going to be coming into said position, but you found yourself realizing that you didn’t really care.

'That's one hell of an internship' was the first thing you thought, and you laughed at yourself for it.

When you zoned back in to what was going on, Heeseung was ending what you figured was a short speech about him taking over, and you clapped along with the rest of the crowd.

His eyes met yours and you swore there was relief on it when he saw you let out a "whoo" along with a few others.

Heeseung steps down from the podium, taking a few hands that were held out to him, giving handshakes and responding to comments from men in high up positions.

You were called to the kitchen to pack up the few pastries that weren't needed, and the loud conversing of voices faded with the closing of the door.

You smiled giddily at yourself while transferring tarts to boxes.

'I can't believe I'm dating the new CEO'

Wait-

We're you dating the new CEO? Technically you'd never gone on a date or at least one that you called a date. And he had never asked you to be his significant other. But you kissed? Multiple times.

"What is going on in that pretty brain of yours?"

You almost dropped the tart in your hand you were so surprised by the voice. A quick look reveals the person that had you so zoned out in the first place.

"You were thinking so hard it looked like smoke was about to come out of your ears"

You can't help but laugh at his words, finally continuing your actions of packing up the food and thinking up a lie.

"Just thinking about how my little intern became CEO in a week," worry crossed his face, but it disappeared immediately when you continued, "you must have been an AMAZING intern"

He laughs and moves next to you to help.

"So I might have lied a little bit"

"A little bit?"

You raise your eyebrows at him and he corrects himself with a laugh.

"Okay it was kinda big, but I just didn't want you to treat me different or anything"

He gives you his big doe eyes as you place the last pastry in the box, sealing it up to be taken to your car.

"Hee, you know I'm not mad right?"

"Really?"

"Yeah"

He smiles, and you realize too late why he's coming closer to you, your feet leaving the floor as he spins you around.

"Hee, Hee, stop" you laugh out, and he finally puts you back on the ground.

"Okay, so you don't hate me"

You cup his face, leaning in until your noses are almost touching.

"Correct, I don't hate you"

"Then in that case," he backs up and you pout at the increased distance.

He takes your hands in his, looking at you in a way that has your knees about ready to collapse.

"Would you want to be, my official official, girlfriend?"

You giggle at how he seemed to have the perfect timing, pulling on his hands to finally plant a soft kiss on his lips.

"I would love to"

Part II

[im-no-jedi]

My Life With The Bad Batch

aka a journey into my self insert nonsense✨

notes: I created a few new planets for this story. I’m also not 100% versed in SW terminology, so forgive me if some things are labeled incorrectly! each chapter will be rated accordingly, as opposed to the overall fic. lastly, there is romance in this story (including this chapter FOR SURE 😁). hope you enjoy! 💙

add. notes: this chapter was edited and proofread by my sis @jam-n-ham! thanks sis!! 😋💙

Chapter 15, 5400+ words, rated T (violence, gun violence, blood, death, suicidal thoughts, a multitude of angst, it’s the climax ok A LOT HAPPENS 😩)

previous chapters:  Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14

next chapter

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“Freedom!” Hannah exclaimed as she threw her hands into the air. Moonlight bathed her face as she stepped further out into the open space and tilted her head towards the night sky. She had started to think her and Hunter might never get out of that decrepit building, but somehow they had managed it.

The door they had come through led up to some large scaffolding affixed to the back side of the building that stretched all the way out over the cliff below them, almost more like a landing pad. Boxes and large crates scattered the area as well. The cold, night air rustled Hannah’s hair into her face, but she didn’t mind. She was just happy to finally be free.  

In her happy state, Hannah didn’t fully realize just how precarious their situation was though. The scaffolding thankfully had a safety bar around it to prevent things from toppling over the side, but that didn’t do much to ease Hannah’s intense fear of heights. Once she noticed just how high up they were, Hannah practically stumbled back into Hunter and grabbed his arm out of fear.

“Yeah, nope, I’m just, I’m gonna, I’ll be over here,” she stammered as she sat down on one of the crates in the center of the area.

Hunter didn’t mind and just patted Hannah reassuringly on the shoulder.

As Hannah did her best to not think about the valley below, Hunter contacted the others to see what the situation was back at the Marauder. Wrecker, Omega, and Echo had made it back by that time, and Echo was thankfully already starting to recover from his unfortunate zapping earlier. Then Hunter gave a brief explanation of what happened to him and Hannah and informed Tech that he would have to bring the Marauder to them instead.

“Understood,” Tech responded. “We’ll be on our way shortly. Hope you won’t get bored waiting for us.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Hunter said, looking back at Hannah fondly. “We’ll be fine.” He put the comm device away and then sat down beside Hannah on the crate with a sigh. “Gonna be just a bit longer,” he told her.

“Yeah, I heard,” Hannah responded. Her arms were crossed, and she seemed to be curling into herself a bit. It was unclear whether it was from the cold or something else, but Hunter still placed a hand on her thigh reassuringly.  

“You ok?” he gently asked her.

“As ok as someone who’s literally been through hell could be, I guess,” Hannah bluntly responded.  

Hunter sighed solemnly. “Yeah... I honestly wouldn’t wish this sorta life on someone else. It never gets any easier.” He moved his hand from Hannah’s thigh to the small of her back and gave her a smile. “You’ve held up pretty well though. You should give yourself more credit.”

Hannah gently scoffed. “I’m glad you think so... all that back there was adrenaline though.”

“So?” Hunter responded with a shrug. “You’re alive, aren’t you? I dunno about you, but I usually consider that a good thing.”

Hannah gave a soft chuckle. “If you have something to live for, I guess.” She looked up at Hunter with a half-smile.

Hearing that, Hunter’s expression hardened a bit. He thought back to what Hannah had told him about her family and how much she missed them. She’d given the implication that she was moving on with her life for their sake, understandably so. But was that the only reason? Did she really have nothing else to live for?  

Briefly, his gaze drifted down to the bag at Hannah’s side, the thing that had brought them all together in the first place. She claimed her “entire life” was in there. Which honestly wasn’t much different from the Bad Batch, who had nothing to their name except the Marauder and everything in it. But they also had each other. Hannah had nobody. At least, that’s probably what she still thought. And that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“Hannah...” Hunter began and moved his hand further up Hannah’s back, now resting on her shoulder. “I just want you to know that whatever happens after today, you won’t have to do it alone. We all agree on that. You can ask the others if you want, but I know they agree. We wanna help you, in case that wasn’t already obvious. And not just today. Not just tomorrow either. As long as you need it, we’ve got your back.”

Hannah’s lip began to quiver. Again, it was unclear whether that was just from the cold or not, but it didn’t matter. Her response came in the form of leaning against Hunter’s shoulder and nuzzling into it.  

“Thanks,” she squeaked out.

A small gust of wind blew past, causing Hannah to shiver a bit. She heard Hunter sniffle and suddenly curse under his breath. “What’s wrong?” she asked, sitting up straight to look at him.

“Ahh, nuthin’, just a little nosebleed,” Hunter replied as he wiped off the small trickle of blood running down to his lip. “Gettin’ thrown into a desk’ll do that to ya.”

Hannah sighed and shook her head, then began rummaging through her bag. “Here,” she said as she turned back to him. A familiar square of cloth was in her hand.

“Your favorite washcloth?” Hunter said, eyeing the cloth questionably. “No, no, that’s fine, I don’t wanna ruin it.”

It apparently wasn’t up for question as Hannah started using the cloth to clean up the rest of the blood on his lip herself. He also had a small cut on his chin that she gently began dabbing at as well. Hunter was frozen in place, not used to such a treatment.

“I don’t know how you’ve survived this long, Mister Vigilance,” Hannah coyly teased with a giggle. “You’re an absolute mess.” Gently, she dabbed underneath his nose to try and stop the blood trickle and ended up lingering with her hand cradled against his cheek.  

Maker, she wanted to kiss him so bad.

She had no idea how much Hunter wanted that too. Either one of them could’ve just done so without the other questioning it. But once again, something was stopping them. The distance between them was getting shorter though, slowly but surely. Their faces came so close, they could feel each other’s breath on their lips.

“Now isn’t this touching?” a voice suddenly came from behind.

Hannah let out a gasp from both surprise and recognition of the voice. She and Hunter turned to see the distinguishable horned figure of Vin standing near the doorway with his arms crossed.

“Forgive the interruption,” Vin continued. “But--” he stopped when he saw Hunter stand up and pull Hannah behind him defensively, quickly pulling out his blaster as well. “Ah-ah,” Vin taunted, also pulling out his blaster. “Easy, Sergeant. No need to get antsy.”

“Tell that to your cronies,” Hunter retaliated, an intense scowl plastered on his face.

Vin chuckled. “A mere misunderstanding, I assure you. Good help really is hard to find these days. My men were told to simply subdue, not injure. I’m sure you understand how difficult a task that is as a former soldier.”

Hunter said nothing and continued to scowl at Vin, his blaster still pointed towards him.

“Honestly, I blame myself,” Vin spoke again, completely unfazed. “I should’ve expected as much from the infamous Clone Force 99.”

Hunter’s eyes started to go wide. Most people outside of the Imperial army didn’t know about his squad, and it worried him to hear Vin just mention their name.

“A nearly perfect track record isn’t something to ignore,” Vin continued in his signature confident tone. “Although I’m sure the loss of your sniper has been understandably detrimental.”

It was obvious now that Vin was just trying to get a rise out of Hunter. And the worst part was that it was working. Especially after what Vin said next.

“That little girl you stole from Kamino just hasn’t been the same, has she?”

Hunter’s lip immediately curled into a snarl. “What do you want?” he growled.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Sergeant,” Vin responded, shaking his head disapprovingly. “Or perhaps I should be doing business with the lovely lady behind you instead. Since she seems to keep a much better composure.” He gave Hannah the same sly look he had given her at the Prism Palace, which only made her shrink further behind Hunter.

“What do you want to do with it?” Hunter asked, clearly referring to the data rod in Hannah’s bag.

“That’s my business, not yours,” Vin firmly responded. His tone began to shift to a more serious one as he continued. “And if I were you, I’d stop asking so many questions. My patience has already been worn quite thin from your escapades, and by all rights, I should be gunning you both down right now for what you’ve done. But as I’ve said before, I despise messy business. So I’m going to ignore the fact that you’ve either killed or permanently injured all of my men and chalk this up as nothing but a blunder that is easily rectified by you simply returning my property to me. No mess, no fuss, no speaking to or seeing each other ever again, if we can help it. I’d say that’s a pretty fair deal, wouldn’t you?”

Vin’s head tilted downward, and he gave them a more menacing look. A shadow crept onto his face, only further emphasizing his demonic like features.

“And I’m certain you wouldn’t want the Empire finding out about your little operation on Ord Mantell either, now would you?”

Hunter felt his heart stop for a moment, and he started to go pale. Vin might as well have just shot him. Only a couple of people in the entire galaxy knew that they were staying on Ord Mantell. How did Vin even know that? How did he know anything about them at all? Hunter had never felt so vulnerable in his entire life than in that moment. But it didn’t last long. His desire to keep his family safe overpowered everything, and he nearly pulled the trigger on Vin right then and there.

Then Hunter felt a hand gently rest on top of his outstretched arm.

“Hunter,” Hannah said in a shaky voice. “I... I know you don’t trust him. I don’t trust him either. But... I don’t think we have another choice. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt. I’m tired of running.” She gently pressed up against his back and gave a shaky sigh. “I just want to leave. With all of you.”

He hadn’t taken his eyes off of Vin, but Hunter heard Hannah’s words, loud and clear. He knew she was right too, as much as he disliked the idea of basically giving up after everything they’d been through. But he was willing to do anything to keep his family safe, including Hannah. His visibly tense posture began to soften, although he kept his blaster pointed at Vin defensively.

“How do we know you’ll keep your word?” Hunter questioned Vin.

Vin gave a small smirk. “My business is my business. I have no desire to get involved with the Empire if I can help it. So long as you don’t cross my path again, you and your little ‘family’ will be fine.”

As genuine as Vin sounded, Hunter still didn’t fully trust him. But outside of straight up murdering him, there really were no other options. He had to believe that Vin would let them go unharmed.

“Give it to him,” he said to Hannah despondently.

Still pressed against his back, Hannah nodded and gave Hunter a reassuring squeeze before hesitantly stepping out from behind him.

“The smart choice,” Vin said, and he surprisingly lowered his blaster, which prompted Hunter to do the same. “Come and bring it to me, sweetheart.”

The scowl on Hunter’s face returned when he said that. “Don’t try anything funny,” he said to Vin while still keeping a grip on his blaster.

“Likewise,” Vin responded, also keeping his blaster at his side.

Hannah’s entire body was shaking as she slowly began to approach Vin. She had been shivering from the cold, but the same fear she had experienced encountering Vin at the Prism Palace had returned as well. Everything about him just screamed red flags. It didn’t matter how professional he spoke or how confidently he held himself. If anything, that’s what scared her the most. It was intimidating knowing that he had the power to manipulate any and all situations. She was actually glad that he didn’t like to associate with the Empire. Or at least, that’s what he claimed.

Once she was within arm’s reach of Vin, Hannah began rummaging through her bag for the data rod. Her shaky hands were making it difficult, not to mention the overly stuffed state of her bag in general. Why had everything else she’d looked for that day been so easy to find? Maybe she had dropped it somewhere. No, she remembered putting it back in her bag after she’d pulled it out earlier... right?

Seeing her struggle to find the rod, Vin let out a frustrated sigh. “This is getting ridiculous. Why don’t you just give me the bag and let me take a look?”

Hannah immediately clutched her bag protectively. “No, I can find it, I know it’s in here.”

“I’ll give it back, don’t worry.” Vin stretched out his hand towards Hannah, and she instinctively reared back, keeping the protective grip on her bag. “Just give it to me, would you?” He actually reached out and tried to grab the bag from Hannah this time.

Suddenly, a blaster shot came whizzing between Vin and Hannah. It came so close to Vin’s hand, it actually singed the top of his glove.

“I suggest you keep your distance,” Hunter threatened as he once again held his blaster towards Vin.

A loud chuckle escaped from Vin’s mouth as he patted the back of his smoking glove. “Oh Sergeant, you have really been nothing but a pesky thorn in my side this entire time.” The dark shadow crossed over his face again and a twisted smirk spread across his lips. “I absolutely despise getting annoyed.”

In a flash, Vin pointed his blaster at Hunter and returned fire at him. Hunter ducked out of the way just in time and rolled over behind one of the crates to hide. As they began shooting at each other, Hannah quickly rushed over to another crate to hide as well. She began shouting at them to stop, but her voice was drowned out by the blaster fire.  

Despite how good Hunter’s aim was, it seemed like Vin was as dexterous at avoiding fire as Hunter himself, even without much cover. At some point, Vin grabbed one of the boxes nearby and lobbed it in Hunter’s direction as a distraction to go for Hannah. She shrieked when she saw him coming and ran for a different crate.  

Then Vin suddenly found the corner of his coat pinned to a tall crate from a small blade. He turned just in time to see Hunter coming towards him with his fist out. Vin ducked out of the way just in time to avoid the punch, and Hunter’s fist went crashing into the crate instead. It turned into a fist fight between the two of them, with Vin eventually tearing his coat free from the crate and Hunter retrieving his blade.

Hannah was watching the whole thing happen from behind a crate. Vin was surprisingly able to match Hunter in speed and strength it seemed, which worried her. She didn’t know if it was because Hunter was still worn out from the previous fight or if Vin was just that well trained. Either way, it wasn’t good.  

At some point, Hunter was able to knock Vin’s blaster out of his hands, which went clattering to the floor. But he didn’t realize he’d also dropped his own blaster earlier in the fight. It was actually close enough to Hannah that she could’ve picked it up and used it if she wanted to. But she was too nervous and worried that she might accidentally shoot Hunter instead. So she left it alone and continued to watch the fight from the sidelines, once again feeling helpless.

There came a point in the fight where it was obvious Vin was getting the upper hand somehow. Although Hunter had gotten a few good hits against Vin, it was clear his stamina was beginning to run low. Hannah began to panic and once again looked at the blaster nearby. She knew she could easily turn the tide of the fight with it. But still her fears held her back. She just couldn’t do it.

She would soon regret that decision.

An audible thud echoed out as Hunter was literally thrown against the side of the building by Vin, and the wind was knocked out of him. Vin now had Hunter’s blade in his hand and went to stab him with it, but Hunter grabbed his wrists, stopping him. Using all the strength he had left, Hunter held Vin back, eventually getting him to drop the blade. He shoved Vin back with a loud grunt, nearly knocking him off his feet.

Vin didn’t need the blade though. He had another weapon at his disposal. Using the momentum from being shoved, Vin lunged at Hunter with a yell, his head tilted downwards. One of his sharp, long horns immediately pierced the side of Hunter’s torso.

Hannah screamed. She could only watch as Hunter yelped in pain. Vin yanked his horn out of Hunter with a spray of blood, and Hunter slumped to the floor, clutching his wound and gasping for air. Hannah continued to scream in denial and shouted Hunter’s name, but with no response. He eventually collapsed over on his side, blood spilling onto the floor out of his wound.

With Hunter’s blood now dripping down the side of his face, Vin slowly began making his way over to Hannah. She was still in hysterics and barely noticed him approaching. Along the way, he picked up Hunter’s blaster from the floor.  

When Hannah eventually did notice Vin, she began backing away in terror, still sobbing loudly. She backed up so far, she went all the way against the safety bar, with the deep valley still looming below her.

“I really do hate messy business,” Vin said as he wiped away some of the blood dripping onto his face with the back of his glove. His cool composure had apparently returned, but there was an unhinged timbre in the way he spoke.  

“Now, I’m going to keep this very simple,” he said to Hannah. “You know what I want. And I have no qualms with you, believe it or not. But my patience has worn very, very thin, and well, you can see what comes of that. So I suggest you be a good girl and do the smart thing so we can finally put this behind us.”

How dare he say such a thing after what he’d just done. Hannah could barely breathe through her hard sobbing and said nothing. She couldn’t even look at Vin; she could only keep her focus on Hunter’s unmoving form on the floor behind him.

Vin now had the blaster pointed at Hannah, a visible twitch in one of his eyes. “Just give me the bag, and this will all be over. Now.”

Again, how dare he say such a thing. In Hannah’s mind, it was already over. It truly felt like she had lost everything then. What was even the point? She felt like jumping over the edge of the scaffolding; it couldn’t possibly hurt any worse than how she felt in that moment. Gradually, she began to lift the strap of her bag off her shoulder until it was just dangling in her hands. Her precious bag that held everything she thought she cared about. She would give it all up if it meant bringing Hunter back.

Something deep within her began to stir. The grip on her bag tightened. Her tear-streaked face gradually shifted from a sorrowful expression to one of pure anger. Then, in one swift move, Hannah held out her bag, not towards Vin, but over the side of the scaffolding. The bag now dangled precariously over the deep valley below, held only by Hannah’s single hand.

Vin audibly gasped. “Whoa now, what are you doing?”

“You want this so badly?!” Hannah screamed at him. “This stupid thing?!” She shook the bag aggressively for emphasis. “Come and take it then, you monster!!”

There was a twinge of fear now in Vin’s eyes, but he did his best to remain cool. “Now, now, no need to get irrational...”

“Shut up!!” Hannah viscerally yelled back. “You’re terrible!! I owe you nothing!!”

“Careful,” Vin said, raising an eyebrow. “I’m still the one holding a blaster in this situation.”

“I don’t care!! Go ahead and shoot me!! I’ll still drop the bag if you do!!” Hannah shook the bag again, almost letting it fall through her fingers intentionally.

“Do you even hear yourself right now?!” Vin exclaimed with a scoff. “Are you really willing to throw your life away so carelessly??”

Hannah’s gaze drifted back down to Hunter’s lifeless body again, a searing pain still in her chest. Her voice was broken, but confidant as she spoke. “I don’t have a life... you took away the closest thing I had to one... I have nothing left to lose...” She looked Vin square in the eyes, a fire burning behind her own. “But you do.”

It was like something within Vin finally snapped. His whole body reared back with a maniacal laugh, and he shook his head amusingly at Hannah. “You poor girl... I’m afraid you’ve failed to realize one crucial thing...” He raised his blaster further towards Hannah, pointing it straight at her face. The dark shadow once again appeared over his features, and his lips curled upwards into a demonic sneer.  

“I... never... lose...”

Hannah shut her eyes. The grip on her bag remained. She regretted nothing.

PEW!!

Silence.

The world seemed to stop momentarily.

Then, slowly, Hannah’s eyes fluttered open. She was completely fine. In front of her, Vin still stood with the blaster pointed towards her. Then she watched as his eyes rolled back into his head and his body collapsed on the ground in a heap. A searing hole was in the back of his head. She gasped loudly and looked to see Hunter, still on the floor, but with Vin’s blaster in his hand.

“First time for everything,” Hunter painfully scoffed.

Immediately, Hannah ran towards him, dropping her bag on the floor next to Vin’s now dead body. She fell to her knees and began sobbing again as she carefully helped him up into a half-sitting position. He could barely move on his own, and it was obvious even on his dark clothes that his entire midsection was soaked with blood. Hunter began apologizing, but Hannah shushed him and held him against her chest protectively, not concerned if she got any blood on herself.

Then a large gust of wind blew through the space. Hannah looked up to see the very recognizable starship Marauder come flying overhead. It swerved around and pulled up to the side of the scaffolding, just far enough that the door could lower onto it. Wrecker and Omega were right there as it opened, and Hannah yelled out for Wrecker to quickly come get Hunter.

Wrecker and Omega both came running over and immediately began asking what had happened, but Hannah was too upset to speak. Echo was at the door of the Marauder now and told Wrecker to get Hunter into the ship, quickly. As carefully as he could, Wrecker picked up his brother and carried him back into the ship with Hannah and Omega following close behind. Along the way, Omega noticed Hannah’s bag on the floor and quickly grabbed it before she headed inside the ship with the others.

Once everyone was inside, Tech shut the door and pulled the ship away from the building and into the sky, away from the planet. Echo had instructed Wrecker to set Hunter down in one of the chairs, which he did so with surprising gentleness. Then Echo told him to go get the med kit. Omega was by Hunter’s side, seemingly as upset as Hannah from the state of her brother. Hannah chose to distance herself a bit, not wanting to get in everybody else’s way.

Echo quickly began ripping Hunter’s shirt open to see his wound. His entire torso was stained red, and the stab wound on his side was still wet with blood. Once Wrecker had brought the med kit, Echo got to work on Hunter’s wound. He could see that Hunter was barely conscious and instructed Omega to keep him awake. Omega already had Hunter’s arm in her hands and began coercing her brother to stay awake as she cried profusely. Hannah could barely watch and actually turned away.

As Echo continued to dress Hunter’s wound, Tech came over with his datapad and ran a scan of Hunter’s body. “We’re losing him,” Tech stated in a panicked voice. “Omega, you have to keep him awake.”

“I’m trying!” Omega sobbed. “Hunter please! Don’t give up! We need you!”

Wrecker was pacing back and forth in the hallway in distress, obviously on the verge of tears himself.

Hannah couldn’t take it anymore. She shoved her way past Tech and leaned over Omega, taking Hunter’s face in her hands. She began pleading with him through her tears.

“Hunter, listen to me, please. You can’t give up. You’ve gotta be ok, come on. Please don’t do this. Please. Your family needs you, Hunter. We all need you, please! Please... I’m... I’m here, I’m not going anywhere, I’m right here, I’m not saying goodbye again. I’m not leaving you again, Hunter... please... please don’t leave me...”

Everything went quiet, save for the sound of Hannah and Omega’s sobs. Echo had finished dealing with Hunter’s wound and stood back with Tech. Wrecker stood behind the girls with visible tears in his eyes.

Then Hannah felt a soft breath on her cheek. She looked down to see Hunter staring back at her with half-lidded eyes.  

“Is that what you want?” he softly said, a small smile appearing on his lips.

Immediately, Hannah leaned forward and held Hunter’s head against her chest, crying happily onto the top of his head. Omega wrapped her small arms around her brother’s arm and squeezed it happily, crying as well. Wrecker buried his face in his hands to hide his tears, while Echo and Tech both just breathed sighs of relief.

“You really gave us a scare there, Hunter,” Echo said, patting his brother on the leg.

“Sorry,” Hunter responded as the side of his face began to be peppered with kisses from Hannah. He specifically looked down at Omega, who was looking at up at him with the biggest smile she could muster. “Sorry for scarin’ you, kid,” he said to her.

Omega shook her head and sniffled. “It’s ok. You’re alright now, that’s all that matters.”

Then Hunter turned to look at Hannah, an almost sheepish look on his face. “Hannah... I...”

“It’s ok,” Hannah interjected, a soft smile on her face. “You don’t have to say it.” She kept a hand cradled on his face and began gently rubbing her thumb against his cheek lovingly. A soft smile spread across Hunter’s face as well.

“Alright, let’s give him some space,” Tech said. “He’ll need some time to recover for a bit.”

Hannah gave Hunter another gentle kiss on the forehead before stepping away from him. Omega looked up at her brother expectantly, and he gave her a look that told her that everything would be ok. She gave him a reassuring pat on the arm before also stepping away.

“You sure you’re gonna be ok?” Wrecker asked, leaning over his brother with concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Hunter responded. “Thanks to all of you.”

“There’s no thanks required,” Tech replied to him.

“Not when it comes to family,” Echo added.

Things finally started to settle down after that. Tech began helping Echo hook up to the ship with the cable Hannah and Hunter had found, while Wrecker decided to go lie down for a bit after getting so emotional. Hannah had plopped down into the seat across from Hunter’s, not intending on going too far from him for a while. She was thoroughly exhausted, but knew she couldn’t rest just yet. Instead, she just held her head in her hands and tried to calm down.

A moment later, Hannah felt a small hand on her knee and looked up to see Omega standing in front of her with a gentle smile on her face. She was also clutching Hannah’s bag to her chest. Immediately, the little girl was pulled into a hug as Hannah began softly crying again into her smaller friend’s shoulder. Omega didn’t mind. She knew Hannah had been through so much that day and just needed some comfort. Her small hand began gently caressing the back of Hannah’s head, and she nuzzled her face into Hannah’s hair affectionately.

In the next chair over, Hunter sat quietly, leaned back and watched the two girls in this tender moment. Like Hannah, he was also exhausted from the day, even more so from his injury. But he couldn’t help staying awake just a bit longer to watch the girls. Some of his fondest memories from the past couple days had been seeing the two of them together. They’d grown so close in such a short time, and it was wonderful to see. He didn’t need anything else in the world in that moment. His girls were ok, and that’s all that mattered. If only they’d noticed the fond smile that had grown on his face.

After a moment, Hannah pulled back from Omega and sheepishly wiped her nose on her neck wrap. Omega reached out and began wiping away some of the tears on Hannah’s cheeks, still giving her that sweet, soft smile. “Thanks, baby girl,” Hannah said, barely above a whisper, and she took her bag back from Omega gratefully.  

Then Hannah suddenly remembered something. “Hey, guess what? I got something for you.”

“For me?” Omega asked curiously.

“Technically, Hunter got it,” Hannah said as she began rummaging through the bag.

“She made me get it,” Hunter added.

Omega was super curious to know what it was now. Hannah pulled whatever it was out of her bag, and Omega gasped. Her face immediately lit up.

“It’s a Loth Cat,” Hannah said as she presented the plush animal to her friend.

“Oh, she’s so cute!” Omega exclaimed, taking it from Hannah and immediately squishing her face against it. “Thank you, Hannah!” She turned back to Hunter and thanked him as well.

Hannah giggled happily. “You know what’s even better?”

Omega couldn’t possibly fathom what could be better than a gift from her friend. Then another Loth Cat plush of a different color was pulled out of Hannah’s bag. She gasped again.

“I got one too,” Hannah said as she cradled the toy in her arm.

Excitedly, Omega held out her plush next to Hannah’s. “Sisters!” she exclaimed happily.

Hannah felt like her heart was going to explode with joy. Happy tears began to form in her eyes again, and she laughed as she fondly looked at the little girl in front of her. “Yeah... sisters.”

Omega’s plush was given a squeeze and she looked over it for a second before proudly saying, “I’m gonna name her Hannah.”

Now Hannah definitely started crying again; she had never been so touched in her entire life. Omega then exclaimed that she was going to introduce Loth Cat Hannah to Lula and went running off to her room in the back of the ship. If Hannah could have melted into the floor, she would have.

“What are you gonna name yours?” Hunter then asked her.

Hannah took a moment to dab the tears from her eyes again before looking down at her own little plushie. It had an adorable little turned-down mouth, and the way the eyes had been sewn on almost made it look like it was scowling. She knew exactly what to call it.  

“Grumpy Pants,” she confidently replied back to Hunter, a smug look on her face.

There was a brief moment of confusion on Hunter’s face before he finally realized the joke and leaned his head back against the chair with a groan. Hannah couldn’t help but laugh at him.

[miracleonice87]

38 with Mat

from the Winter/Christmas Writing Prompts list

38. “You’re under the mistletoe so stop stalling and just kiss.” 🎄

quick note: this one is prob a bit longer than the others will be. I just L O V E writing Sydney and Marty as secondary characters in Mat stories.

quick warnings: swearing, alcohol, super snowy powdery Christmas fluff

and, just for fun, song pairing: mistletoe by Justin Bieber (obviously)

_____

There really was no place like home.

After moving away to Los Angeles to attend USC for both undergrad and grad studies, you were finally back in New York. You hadn’t been able to resist the pull — it was almost as if, from all the way across the continent, you could feel the Atlantic tide receding and pulling you home along with it. For better or for worse, you belonged to the Empire State.

Sydney, your lifelong best friend and a New Yorker herself, was beyond ecstatic, as she had recently gotten engaged to her longtime boyfriend Matt, a hockey player, and named you her maid of honor. Planning a wedding — not to mention showers and bachelorette festivities — would be far easier, and far more fun, with you in the same zip code. Since moving back six weeks ago, you’d spent about ninety percent of your time with Sydney by your side, making up for lost time with the woman who had long been your other half.

So sweet, right? There was just one problem. Sydney wouldn’t stop trying to set you up with guys. She was insistent that you’d been single for too long — you’d broken up with your college sweetheart by the end of your senior year — and she made it her mission for you to find love again. And she, on her own, was bad enough — she’d already hooked you up with so many friends of friends that you’d lost count, and none had been interesting enough for a second date — but her fiancé conspiring right along with her made resisting them that much more difficult.

This particular night, she had lured you to the home she shared with Matt under the guise of having dinner with her family, when in reality, she was throwing a Christmas dinner party for Matt’s closest friends on the team. All of whom had — and brought — significant others. Except for one. What a coincidence.

Also coincidentally, his name was Mat, too, or so you were told — you didn’t quite believe Syd’s Matt when he told you that upon introducing the two of you.

“Mat with one ’t,’” he announced, one arm slung around Mat’s shoulders. The handsome, dark-haired man swallowed thickly and gave you his best polite smile — it was in that moment that you realized beyond a shadow of a doubt this was yet another set up.

Matt made a lame excuse about needing to check on Sydney in the kitchen and snuck away after some brief pleasantries, but not before blatantly nudging your much-smaller frame toward New Mat. You gave Matt a menacing glare before recovering, standing a safe distance away from New Mat, leaning against the wooden beam behind you to keep you steady.

“So, Mat with one ’t,’ how long have you played with the ever-obnoxious Matty?” you asked, trying to play it cool.

Mat laughed easily. Damn, he had a nice laugh — the kind that made his pretty eyes crinkle at the corners. Nice hair. Nice teeth — perfect fucking teeth. Wasn’t he supposed to be a hockey player? Wait, what was he saying? Something about Seattle, and the draft, and… now you were lost. You nodded slowly with a forced smile as you tried your hardest to focus on what he was saying. He was just so goddamn pretty.

Thankfully, Sydney’s call from the kitchen saved you from the embarrassment of not having heard a word this poor boy had spoken.

“Dinner’s ready! I’m really type A, as you all know, so I made little placecards for everyone at the table,” she announced to the group of ten, hands clasped before her as Matt snaked an arm around her from behind and smiled proudly.

“Guess that’s our cue,” Mat mused. “Shall we?”

You threw him a grin and nodded, turning your back to him and making your way to the dining room.

On your way, you paused in front of your dear friend just long enough to grumble, “Assigned seats? Really, Syd?”

She clapped enthusiastically and smacked your ass as you passed her. “Yep! See you in there, champ!” she exclaimed as you heard frantic whispers exchanged between Mat and Matt. You couldn’t hold back your snicker, and as you glanced over your shoulder, Mat gave you a strained smile. You shook your head bemusedly and turned to the table to find that, to no one’s surprise, you and Mat were indeed to be seated side by side at one end of the table. You cleared your throat and nodded toward the cards bearing your names.

“Subtle, no?” you joked, causing Mat to blush pink. He choked out, “Ah, yeah. You gotta love them.” Then, he pulled out your chair and motioned for you to take a seat, which, as luck would have it, Sydney and Matt caught just in time because they were bringing in the food on serving dishes at that very moment. Their eyes sparkled and Sydney looked like she may self-destruct out of sheer joy as you sat down and thanked Mat. You gave her an icy look and she visibly retreated, holding herself back from making a complete scene.

“Okay, dig in!” she said instead as she sat down across from you.

Dinner was incredible, as usual — while your talents lacked in the cooking area, Sydney had always been an outstanding chef. Even more, you enjoyed the conversation, which was mostly inclusive of everyone at the table, save for the occasional chirp Mat secretly muttered in your ear about Matt or Anders, making you cover your mouth with your hand to stifle a giggle as Sydney looked on smugly. Meanwhile, whenever you and Sydney would say the exact same thing at the same moment or finish the other’s sentence, Mat would look to Marty, who would only raise his eyebrows and nod, confirming Mat’s suspicion that these two were always this in sync. Mat found it endearing. He adored Syd — if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have agreed to come here tonight when she told him, “There’s someone I want you to meet…” — and already, he saw countless similarities in the two of you.

After he’d helped you clear the plates and load the dishwasher for your hosts, you and Mat settled onto a couch in the farthest corner of the living room, near the Christmas tree, while the others gathered in the center of the space, loudly entertaining themselves. As you curled your feet underneath yourself, you didn’t miss how Sydney reached for a nearby remote and slowly flickered on the fireplace right beside you and Mat. Yet again, you shot her a killer look that she pretended not to see as Mat smiled, amused at how flustered you were by Sydney trying to further set the mood.

“So how long have you known Syd?” he asked as he took another swig from his beer bottle, attempting to get you back on track. “Has to be a while. I swear I’ve never seen two friends who were more alike.”

You tucked some hair behind your ear and let out a breathy chuckle. With anyone else, you were ever prepared to skirt that question and quickly move on to another subject. But with Mat, it was nice knowing you really didn’t have to.

“Yeah, my whole life, actually,” you answered, a smile on your face at the thought. Your eyes flickered up to his as you added, “My dad played for the Jets... with Boomer while he was there.”

Mat’s brows quirked noticeably, but not in the familiar way that made you feel like he was about to ask you to FaceTime your dad or get an autograph from him. Because he was a professional athlete himself — which was ironic because you’d sworn up and down your whole life that, because of the lifestyle you saw your dad and his teammates, not to mention their families, lead, you’d never fall for anyone who played sports for a living. Even when Sydney insisted with a shrug after settling down with Matt, “It’s not that bad.”

“No way,” Mat said with a casual laugh. “That’s awesome. What position did he play?”

“Uh, receiver,” you replied. “So he and Boomer were tight. Our moms hit it off right off the bat and have been best friends since. Since then, we’ve always vacationed together, ended up living in the same neighborhood after they both retired. I’m three years younger than Syd and I was basically like her shadow. Still am, I guess,” you added with a smile.

Mat nodded, his eyes never leaving your face as you told the familiar tale. “I think that’s awesome though,” he spoke. “You guys could be sisters I feel like. You act just like her. Plus Marty says you’re the only friend of hers who’s kicked him out of bed so you could sleep with her.”

You threw a hand to your chest and your head back laughing at that, and Mat’s heart soared at being able to elicit such a reaction from you himself. You pointed a gold-polished index finger at him and admitted, “He tells no lies on that one.”

Just then, you caught Mat’s unabashed gaze, which had shifted from well-mannered and nonchalant into something deeper, something... affectionate. You swallowed, casting a downward glance at your lap, and swirled the ice cubes in your otherwise empty highball glass.

“I need a refill,” you said with a nervous giggle. “You want anything?”

Mat looked all too pleased with himself at your offer, and he nodded. “Sure, yeah, another beer would be great. Thank you,” he said. You smiled and nodded as you turned away and headed for the kitchen.

Ever the subtle one, once again, Sydney, who had been shamelessly watching the two of you from her perch in Matt’s lap across the room, stumbled over Jax’s paw as she bolted to the kitchen island where you now stood. You blinked at her wildly and said, “May I help you, Sydney Irene? You nearly wounded your poor dog.”

“So,” Sydney sang, ignoring your question completely as she leaned back against the kitchen counter, propping her palms on the edge and looking much more smooth than she had just a moment ago. She waggled her eyebrows at you before continuing. “Whadd’ya think? He’s cute, right?”

You scoffed. “Sydney—“ you began in a warning tone as you reached for the rum, but were interrupted before you could speak another word.

“If you hate him, it was Matt’s idea,” she deadpanned, then allowed a mischievous grin to stretch along her painted red lips as she cocked her head. “But if you like him, it was mine.”

You rolled your eyes as you poured yourself another rum ginger, ignoring the flush you could feel creeping up your chest and neck under Sydney’s scrutiny.

“You’re blushing! You do like him!” Syd squealed as she poked at your side, thankfully making an attempt to stay quiet as the guys, Mat included, carried on noisy shenanigans in the family room before you.

“Sydney, stop! I just met him,” you tried to argue, turning away from her. It was Sydney’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Like that matters. I fell for Matt like—“ she snapped her fingers for dramatic effect, “—that. And look at us now.”

You pursed your lips to the side. You couldn’t exactly argue that. With no quick comeback coming to mind, you stirred your drink, took three generous gulps — as Sydney watched, wide-eyed — and licked your lips before sighing at her.

“Well, fine,” you grumbled as you opened the fridge and grabbed a fresh beer for Mat. “Let’s not keep the boy waiting then.” You sashayed away from your friend who, spinning away from you, quickly squeezed her eyes shut and crossed her fingers before turning back and following behind you.

Mat thanked you profusely for the drink as you returned to him. Now he sat among his teammates, and Sydney sat back in Matt’s lap as you took the seat beside Mat on the opposite couch. You noticed how he immediately leaned back and comfortably stretched his arm across the cushion behind you, and you’d be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t inch a little closer then. It briefly occurred to you that you were drawn to him in the very same way you’d been drawn back home not long ago.

He felt like home. Already.

And soon, after a few hours more of merrymaking, Mat never leaving your side, the other couples had all headed for home. You four who remained had played several rounds of euchre and sang and danced to half a dozen Christmas carols before you realized how late it was. Knowing you’d had too much rum and wouldn’t be fit to drive, you’d already established that you’d stay in Sydney’s guest room — or maybe kick Matt out of the master. Regardless, you were staying put. But Mat, reluctantly, was leaving — the boys had practice in the morning.

“I guess I should go,” Mat sighed after a long round of goodbyes. Matt and Sydney gave him one last hug and retreated to the far side of the spacious room, aiming, of course, to leave the two of you to your own goodbye.

You nodded. “I guess you should,” you said, caught off guard by the twinge of sadness in your tone. “I’ll walk you out.” Mat smiled and turned toward the front door, and your heart truly may have skipped an actual beat when he glanced back at you and reached his hand out for you to grab. You did so, biting down on your smiling bottom lip as you followed him down the hall into the entryway, acutely aware that, if Sydney and Matt were indeed watching — of which you had no doubt — they could still clearly see you.

But when Mat pulled on his shoes and stood up straight again, stepping slowly, so slowly, closer to you, all you could think about was how hard your heart was thumping against your ribcage. You looked up at him in anticipation, and he smoothed his hands down the sleeves of your sweater softly.

“I had a really, really nice time tonight, you know,” Mat spoke. You had to remind yourself to breathe as the sincerity of his voice flooded your senses and his warm, honey-flecked eyes pierced through you. “Tonight was honestly the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

You beamed — how could you not? “Yeah?” you asked incredulously. Mat nodded.

“Yeah. In fact,” he cleared his throat. “I was wondering if maybe, uh, you’d want to go to dinner with me sometime. Like maybe this Sunday night, after we play?”

You felt yourself grinning like an idiot, yet had no control.

“Yeah,” you finally answered. “Yes. Of course. I’d love that.”

Mat blew out a long breath and chuckled nervously. “Thank God,” he added as you both dissolved into a fit of giggles. You stepped closer to him and smelled his clean, woodsy cologne, inadvertently breathing it in. Mat came nearer, too, and tentatively reached his hands around to your lower back. “It’s a date then,” he spoke, his voice lower now, gravelly. You swallowed — hard — and gave a nod.

“It’s a date,” you echoed.

You simply stood in one another’s presence for a few long moments, smiling giddily at each other, before Mat sighed once more and glanced toward the door.

“I really don’t wanna go, but I—“

“No! Syd, just leave them be,” Matt suddenly whispered sharply to his fiancé — who seemed to have literally leapt up from the couch — though there was no point in whispering at all because you still heard him loud and clear. Jumping up behind Sydney, Matt easily wrapped her in his arms and clapped his hand over her mouth just as she started to speak.

After wrestling for control of Matt’s hand, she finally pulled it away just long enough to call out, “You’re under the mistletoe so stop stalling and just kiss already!”

With one final “shush!”, Matt covered her mouth once more, though his entire body was wracking with silent laughter.

“Goodnight, kids!” Matt said tersely as he all but manhandled Sydney down the opposite hallway into their bedroom, the two of them erupting with laughter the second they closed the door.

You rolled your jaw and looked above you and Mat to find that, yes, indeed, there hung a very Sydney-like crystal ornament adorned with glittery mistletoe, suspended from the archway.

“Un-fucking-believable,” you muttered, resting your head against Mat’s chest as you both laughed anxiously.

But a moment later, Mat’s voice rumbled in his chest. “Hey...” he spoke. You took that as your invitation to look up at him, and when you did, you found him gazing at you even more tenderly than he had before.

“I mean, since there’s mistletoe and all.. would it be okay if I kissed you?” he asked. His hand found your cheek and you grasped his fingers in your own.

“Well,” you began, leaning further into him. “Only since there’s mistletoe.”

Mat breathed a chuckle and whispered, “Okay, good,” before his lips found yours in a toe-curling, snow-melting, heart-growing, hell of a Christmas movie kiss that you both found yourselves smiling into by the end.

“Wow,” was somehow all you could whisper when you finally pulled away for air.

“Yeah,” Mat agreed simply. “Wow.”

“It worked!” You heard the muffled squeal from behind Sydney’s closed door.

You rolled your eyes once again, hating Sydney in that moment, as Mat snickered and leaned in for another kiss.

Little did you know that a few years later, your dear, meddling Sydney would stand up at your side in front of a ballroom filled with your and Mat’s family and dearest friends and proudly tell the story of that cold late-December night when your love story with Mat began.

[merryfortune]

Sweet Dreams Under the Sea

Written for 100ships on Dreamwidth

Prompt #40 Ocean

Main Ship: Chongire/Numeri 

Other Notable Relationships: Chongire & Elda, Elda & Numeri

Fandom: Tropical Rouge PreCure

Word Count: 1,634

Rating: G

Warnings: No Warnings Apply

Tags: Fluff, Bittersweet Ending, Domestic, Found Family

   “Excuse me, Elda, but it is past your bedtime.” Butler said, peering in closer to the girl, his eyes unnerving but Elda was unrelenting. “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a girl healthy, pretty, and wise.”

   “I don’t wanna.” Elda pouted, her arms flailed as she held tightly onto her dolls.

  Chongire who had been walking past the hallway overheard and decided to, “I don’t see any harm in letting her stay up. Imagination play is good for kids or something like that.” 

   Butler sighed and shook his head.

   Numeri, who had been following along with Chongire, giggled, “I’m sorry, Chongire, but I’m with Butler on this one,” she said, she placed her hands on Chongire’s back, unsettling him as he could feel her snail slime seep in past his clothes and was cold, “it would be better for Elda if she went to bed early.”

   “I don’t want to!” Elda continued to resist.

   Butler looked pleadingly to Numeri, “You are better at handling this child than I am.” he said.

   Numeri slithered into the room and put her hands on her hips. Elda stared her down and Numeri knew if it was going to be a battle of wills, Elda would win. She had more youth and energy, after all. She could throw a tantrum until the Fool’s Casket was full and never tire. Get hungry, perhaps, but not tired.

   “Elda, why don’t Chongire and I take you to your room. We’ll put you to bed with sea cow milk and seashell cookies. We can even tell you a bedtime story. That way, you can still stay up a little bit late but not too late like Butler feels.” Numeri negotiated in a pleasantly sweet and gentle voice.

   Elda paused to consider the offer. She hummed in thought and tapped her chin before shrugging. She set down her dolls and said, “Alright.”

   “That’s a good girl.” Numeri praised her.

   “You spoil her too much.” Chongire whispered to Numeri and she just giggled again.

   Butler shook his head but the bargain worked. Elda popped herself off the top of the table she was so comfortably lying on and swam over to Numeri and Chongire. Numeri gave Butler a wave good night as it was unlikely to see him afterwards as it was his usual bedtime, too but Chongire rolled his eyes. 

   Numeri and Elda began to shuffle off and Chongire gruffly piped up, “Good night, Butler.”

   “Good night Chongire, good night Numeri, and good night Elda. I will see you all in the morning, ready to report for breakfast.” Butler bade them and that was that.

   Chongire huffed and though he had been going one way - leaving the kitchen - it was time to go the other way - back to the kitchen. He was just as bas as spoiling Elda, quite clearly, otherwise he wouldn’t go through the effort of fetching the snacks that Numeri had suggested. One cold, frothy drink of sea cow milk and seashell cookies coming up. It wouldn’t take that long, thankfully.

   So, once Chongire had done that, he scuttled along to catch up to Numeri and Elda and it looked like he had made it back just in time. Elda was throwing a tantrum. She swam swiftly around her room, literally banging off the walls and following the ricochet and all whilst incessantly screaming for her snack. Poor Numeri, shuddering at the shrillness of Elda’s voice, in the middle of it.

   “Good grief…” Chongire muttered to himself and he lifted up his claws slightly, to show off the tray that he had brought out. “Here you go, little girl.”

   Elda stopped mid-paddled and was completely still, she beamed, “Well why didn’t ya say so sooner?” she asked as she very civilly swam over to Chongire, her little tail wagging and her antennae twitching excitedly. “You always make the best snacks, Chongire.”

   “Thanks, kid.” Chongire replied, half a smile on his hard face.

   Elda grinned greedily, reaching for the sea cow milk with one hand and with the other, she was snatching up the seashell cookies that Chongire had made. Elda was munching them down, getting crumbs everywhere but she did it with an earnest excitement that was endearing. Even Numeri slyly sneaked a biscuit or two. It made Chongire smile, even if it was a gruff and somewhat hidden smile. He put a lot of effort into this pain in the neck cooking thing, it was nice to see it appreciated for once. He wasn’t going to get such gusto from the Witch of Delays any time soon so he did savour Elda’s gluttony and even Numeri’s as well.

   “Ah,” Elda exclaimed, smacking her lips together, “that was the good stuff.”

   “Ready to brush your teeth and go to bed then, hm, Elda?” Numeri prompted her.

   “I suppose.” Elda breathily sighed. “I’ll be quick as.”

   “No, you won’t. Two minutes.” Numeri told her.

   “Fiiiine.” Elda sighed loudly again.

   Chongire smiled to himself. Perhaps Numeri could be strict with Elda once in a while.

   Elda swam off to her ensuite and kept the door open. From the doorframe, she showed off how she could brush her teeth like a big girl and to complete Numeri’s order of at least two minutes. It was horrible. It was such an inconvenience, but Elda did it and then returned once she had wiped her mouth.

   Her little, fat tail wagged as she dived on her bed. She had a nice cosy little nest of a four poster bed in the corner. She got under the covers, wriggling down, and yawned, a little bit fakely. She patted her mouth and beckoned her two carers closer.

   Numeri very happily slithered closer, putting an arm around Elda, half in her own bed whilst Chongire hovered, a little distant, a little awkward. He crossed his arms but he sat down. Numeri smiled softly and she played with Elda’s hair, undoing her pigtails and straightening them out.

   “Is that better? Easier to sleep on?” she asked.

   “A little… yeah…” Elda murmured as she settled and then took a big breath. “But I want a bedtime story! You promised me a bedtime story!”

   Numeri giggled, “That I did, that I did…” she murmured. “Hm, let’s see… How about the story of Finderella.”

   “Ooh,” Elda’s eyes shone, “that’s my favourite.”

   “Glad to hear it,” Numeri said and then she glanced at Chongire, “what about you?”

   “It’s not bad.” Chongire replied with a flippant gesture of his gauntlet.

   “Well, you can do the prince’s voice.” Numeri said impishly.

   “I’ll try.” Chongire grumbled, he didn’t think he was going to be very good at it.

   Not like Numeri. She was a natural. Her tone of narration as she reeled off the story of the mermaid named Finderella was beautiful. Elda smiled, her eyes slowly closing, as she listened to Numeri’s fairy tale and by the end of it, Elda was snuggly and cosy in the bed. Numeri smiled gently and kissed Elda’s forehead.

   “And Finderella lived happily ever after…” she murmured, “Good night, Elda, sweet dreams, we’ll see you in the morning.

   “Okay,” Elda yawned, half-asleep, “night, night, Mama… g’night, Papa.”

   Numeri giggled, a scant blush of blue to her purplish face. She glanced at Chongire who was completely embarrassed.

   “Aww,” she whispered, “not yet ready to be a daddy?” she teased him.

   “N-No, it's not like that, argh, darn kids these days… I’m not that old.” Chongire grumbled.

   Numeri slowly edged away from the side of Elda’s bed and slithered towards Chongire. She slipped her arms around his huge, shelled forearms and snuggled in.

   “Speak for yourself,” Numeri murmured, “my biological clock is ticking.”

   Chongire grumbled but nothing coherent.

   “I think it's sweet that Elda considers us parental figures.” Numeri said and Chongire opened the door for them.

   Chongire’s guarded expression softened, “Yeah, it is,” Chongire murmured, “I guess I just wish…”

   “Wish it didn’t have to be so?” Numeri finished Chongire’s sentence for him.

   He nodded gravely as they continued down the halls. It was pretty lonely and very tough to grow up in the bottom of the ocean. Down an abyss where no one wanted them, except to use them like with the Witch of Delays. Cast out from the Grand Ocean, where light did penetrate the layers upon layers of water, where song and dance were commonplace. Where it was vibrant with energy and motivation and for reasons unknown, even to the adults that they were now, they had been forbidden it. Parents had abandoned them, or maybe they just came out of the squishy egg shell alone with only their instincts. Him, Numeri, and even little Elda. That was all the beats of their story - and it wasn’t exactly a fairy tale nor was it to be on the villains’ side.

 “C’mon, let’s go to bed, we’re too old to stay up late, don’t you think, Papa?” Numeri teased him even after that lull of unspoken, melancholic reverie.

   “Whatever you say, marm.” Chongire teased her back.

   “Well, I'm the doctor and doctors always know best.” Numeri said and she stretched herself up, her sea cucumber tail wiggling unsightly, just so she could get a chance at pecking the side of Chongire’s face.

   He smiled back at her, “Thanks and good night, Numeri, don’t sleep in again or we’ll all get in trouble.”

   “You better take your own advice as well then,” Numeri said and there was a bittersweet hesitance to how her hands slowly receded back to herself, the slimy pads of her fingertips skating over Chongire’s exoskeleton, “good night, Chongire.”

   With that, they parted and returned to their own quarters but for some reason, they both had the lingering feeling of not wanting to leave each other’s side. The heart could be very bothersome at times.

[taelme]

Enemies-to-lovers!Jisung

request:  - anon: Could you maybe write an enemies to lovers like the Chan one but with jisung?? It was so good 😔😔😭🥺💞💞💖💘💘💞💗💞💗💕💞 can it be fluffy and Angsty hehe 😖 maybe where they're both college students -  anon: Can you do a Enemies to Lovers AU with chan!!! Where they're going to college and their families happen to be friends so they get an apartment together to save money, but the first time they meet it doesn't go well. Then yk, slowly w time they fall in love ahhaha... I love your writings btw!! 💓💞💓💝💓💞💓💝 (I recently sent the ask about the enemies to lovers au w chan that involved going to college.. since you literally just wrote an enemies to lovers au for chan if you want you can do my request (if u do it ahahha) with jisung!!)  - anon: I really love how you write au’s/fanfictions. I just want to know if u can write something about han jisung?? maybe a cafe love story or another tattoo artist just like chan? or maybe a studio date night?

genre: enemies-to-lovers!au, college!au, roommate!au, tattoo apprentice!jisung lol (fluff, a bit of angst) 

pairing/s: Han Jisung / Reader ( ft skz Bang Chan and nct/wayv/superm (lmao)  Lucas )

word count: 18k 

tw: I talk about like kind of sad stuff when jisung has like an artist’s block in this I guess 

a/n: thank u anons for being so patient with this request!! I rly hope that I managed to do it well and that you guys are satisfied with the outcome n have fun reading it hehe, it was kind of inspired by the song sunshine!! by stray kids so I hope that it gives u the same good vibes I got from the song while writing this :( ok bye 

If it were any other person standing in front of you, maybe you wouldn’t have regretted having an outburst in the café for the morning crowd to see.

The fight, or outburst (if you wanted to relieve him of any role in the exchange), had started rather simply. You were just having one of those days where it was raining outside, you were awake even before roosters were (in your opinion) and you had wanted nothing more than to just curl up in bed and sleep into the evening.

You had gone to grab your morning coffee, combating against the rain with your multi-coloured umbrella, as one does. Shoving the doors of the café open, you were met with shouts of names and storms of people squeezing to collect their orders. The whole ordeal would’ve made you pretty at ease if it weren’t for the coldness of your feet and the way your umbrella would cause someone to slip soon if you didn’t move.

Your shoes squelched against the shiny wood floors of the café, each step making you cringe as you waited anxiously to reach the front of the line, desperate to put an end to this experience. Thankfully enough, your order was pretty straightforward, so you’d collected it quickly, the small smiley face drawn on the cup by the staff serving to put you in a slightly less dreadful mood.

Stationing yourself at one of the empty tables you’d spotted by the exit, you set your still-dripping umbrella on the floor before you tried to get your tissues out to salvage whatever you could of your shoes. Shrugging off your coat, you’d draped it over the back of the seat.

Glancing at the time on your phone before you shoved your notes aside within your bag, you’d pushed your arm forward and opened your bag harshly, taking your box file out of your bag, almost nicking yourself against the broken corner of the file in your rush.

The next sequence of events happened quickly, and too ‘all-at-once’ for you to process. Upon taking out your box file, you’d heard a yelp behind you, followed by harsh footsteps and the splash of coffee on your box file.

Letting out a loud yelp of surprise as the person in question had stopped their fall with a loud thud of their hands against the pillar in front of you, they’d turned to you with wide-eyes, their eyebrows quickly furrowing into an expression that looked utterly ticked-off, their mouth already opening to speak.

You’d seemed to beat them to it, hurriedly grabbing your tissues to wipe down your file, checking for any brown-stains on your precious papers.

“What the hell,” you scoffed, casting a glance up at the boy. He had stood slightly taller than you, with rounded eyes and a defined nose, his lips pressed into a firm line.

He looked fairly young, from the way he dressed in brand-name basics to the way he was practically decked out in accessories. Call you biased, but if this was a senior or a child, you’d probably have let them off with it. But the way he was looking at you now was somehow successfully unnerving you, and you supposed admiring his annoyed features was about the last thing you should be doing at the moment.

“‘What the hell’?” He echoed your words, “who’s the one that chose to stand in the middle of nowhere to go through their damned bag?”

Your eyebrows raised in offence, your annoyance from before making itself known as you frowned, your grip on your bag tightening, “oh, and it’s my fault you have poor coordination?”

The boy had narrowed his eyes, mirroring your expression, his bracelets shifting on his wrist as he gestured at your umbrella on the floor.

“Your stupid umbrella was the reason I tripped in the first place,” he told you pointedly, strangely making you even more annoyed that he chose to attack not only you but your innocent umbrella too.

Your volume raised involuntarily with your frustration, “it’s so bright! It was basically screaming at you that it was there,” you defended, attracting a few customers attention with your outburst. You didn’t understand why you had to go through this so early in the morning when you were already irritable beyond belief.  

The boy seemed to have noticed this as well, discomfort washing over him at the feeling of the crowd’s stares. Ultimately deciding he would rather give up the fight with the crazy stranger from the café and leave before he was late for his job at the tattoo studio.

“Whatever,” he huffed, leaving the café, the bells at the doors jingling loudly as it swung back.

Something about the apology just wasn’t enough for you, (maybe you just expected more because he irked you) but you were already late enough for class. Rolling your eyes, you’d slung your bag around your shoulder with a thump, gripping your cup in your hands tightly and picking your umbrella (that now had an evident crease in one of its panels) up before running to class.

Your mom had called you halfway through the day while you were on your way to classes, the gesture enough to make you huff good-naturedly at her insistence.

“Hello?”

“Hey, honey, is this a good time?” her tone was practically dripping with motherly concern, making you let out a breathy laugh, nodding even though she couldn’t see you.

“Yeah, It’s fine,” you told her, “but anyway, I think my umbrella’s broken. Some idiot at the café this morning practically destroyed it with their stupid combat boots.”

Your mom didn’t seem to pay much attention to your rant, cutting straight to the point that she’d called you for.

“Have you met Jisung yet?”

You sighed as you entered the auditorium for your next lecture, lowering your head slightly as you found a seat around the middle of the hall.

“No, not yet. I’m only going over to the house after my classes end, remember? But I heard my stuff already got moved there,” you explained to her, holding your phone between your ear and your shoulder as you took your laptop from your bag, setting it on the table gently.

“Oh, do you want his phone number? To make things easier for the both of you,” she offered, earning a disinterested hum from you.


Your mom was more than excited about the fact that you would be 1. Not living in a residence within the school and 2. Living with the son of one of her friends from college. You figured your duty as her child now would be to appease her and at least try to live out her desires for you. Which in this case was sharing an apartment alone with some boy you didn’t even know. Maybe your mom was just a little more trusting than most.

You shrugged, “yeah, sure, just send it to me.”

Your mom let out a squeal, “I’m so excited for you to meet him, honey, he’s such a nice boy. You two are sure to get along. I’m so happy you agreed to this.”

Letting out a small sigh, you leant back in your seat as you held your phone with one hand, your other hand going to unlock your computer.

“I still feel like I’m imposing on them,” you hummed.

“Honey, it’s fine, Jisung’s parents insisted that you didn’t have to pay any rent.”

You hummed patronisingly, it wasn’t as if it was the first time she was telling you this, “yeah, uh-huh,” your attention was momentarily diverted by the tall boy that was standing next to you, gesturing to the empty seat with raised eyebrows.

“Sorry, is there anyone sitting here?”

Your lips parted, “okay, mom I gotta go I’ll call you once I’ve settled into the apartment.”

You did a once-over of the boy, who shook his head to get his bangs away from his eyes, giving you a wide smile. Gesturing for him to go ahead and sit down, he’d flopped down onto the seat with a sigh.

Letting go of his bag strap as he turned around, he gave you an appreciative nod as he opened his bag, pulling out a notebook and pen.

“First day, huh,” his voice was deeper than you’d remembered it to be from just seconds ago, his hand coming up to cover his growing smile as a little giggle escaped him, “I’m Lucas.”

“How’d you know?” You hummed, “and my name’s Y/N.” You swore you’d never seen a boy with such sparkly eyes before in your life.

Lucas shrugged, leaning his folded arms on the desk and turning his head slightly to observe you in your confusion, one hand shifting to play with his earring, “haven’t seen you around before.”

“You talk like you know everyone in the school,” you scoffed.  

Lucas didn’t seem to sense your sarcasm, simply giving you a shrug, “possibly. And also because it’s my second time taking this stupid class so I should know an unfamiliar face when I see one,” he told you, a hint of bitterness in his tone.

Your eyebrows raised, hearing the doors at the bottom of the auditorium open, a short stocky man walking through and making his way to the speaker’s desk.

“Second time? Why?” You hummed, keeping your gaze on the man in anticipation for what he was about to say.

Lucas cast a glare towards the professor, “I thought he was boring so I didn’t really go much for his lectures the last time, you know, because I thought they weren’t graded. But he decided to include them as passing criteria way too late.”

Lucas pointed at the professor, his sleeve riding up slightly to expose a tattoo at his wrist. You were starting to wonder if everyone at this place had tattoos, the sight seeming fairly common from just your few hours in the school.

You winced, nodding, already getting the sensing that this man was someone you needed to be on good terms with.

“Alright, class, enough talking. From now on, I’m the only one that should be talking so I expect nothing but your full attention from here onwards.”

This was going to be a long lecture.

===

Your mom had texted you the Jisung kid’s number, and you’d dropped him a text saying you were on your way to the apartment, getting a reply from him that he was on his way there as well. You figured he seemed pretty polite, from the way he texted you, so you guessed that helped in making you dread the whole arrangement less.

When you’d reached, you’d ended up at an apartment building that looked fairly plain, walking in to the lobby and scanning the sparsely decorated notice board for residents, the last thing put up being a picnic for families that was 3 months ago.

Stepping into the lift, you’d noticed that though it was relatively well-maintained, it seemed rather dull, from the prison-grey lights to how the mirrors were covered for maintenance. Thankfully, your apartment itself was relatively well-maintained (you remembered your mom telling you the apartment was previously being rented out by Jisung’s parents), aside from the space being a little not-so conducive. But well, they were letting you live here for free, so you couldn’t complain.

Setting your things down onto the sofa in the living room, you moved to examine the respective rooms, frowning when you realised that whoever Jisung was, he’d taken the room with the bigger bed, his clothes either already hung up on the clothing rack or stacked up on his bed.

Walking into what you assumed was your room now, you tried to envision how you could make this space more conducive. From moving the bed aside to switching the desk out to the living room for more light, you tried out different permutations in your head, your time as an amateur interior designer cut short when you heard the rustling of keys at the front door.

Smoothing your hair down to make sure it was neat, you’d dodged the boxes of stuff as you leant over the sofa, curious to see what this Jisung kid would look like.

Jisung had done the same outside the door, making sure his hair and clothes were somewhat presentable before pushing the door open. And immediately wanting to close it back.

“You’re Jisung?”

“You’re Y/N?”

The two of you spoke simultaneously, disbelief and shock written over your features as you pointed an accusatory finger at him.

Like you mentioned before, maybe if the boy at the café this morning wasn’t Jisung, you would’ve regretted your actions a lot less.

Jisung gave you a look of disbelief, stepping into the apartment and folding his arms across his chest, his bag still hanging from his shoulder. He couldn’t wrap his head around how unlucky he must have been to have had such a bad encounter with someone he was about to spend probably his entire college life living with.

He sighed deeply, “now I don’t feel like paying the rent on your behalf anymore.”

You rolled your eyes, “your parents are paying the rent, not you. You have no say in it.”

Jisung made a sound of protest, shaking his head vigorously, his eyes widening in his aggravation.

“No, they aren’t. I told them to let me take care of it because I felt bad for them. But I don’t feel bad for you, so you’re gonna have to split the rent with me.”

Your lips parted, fumbling for a response.

Jisung’s expression was expectant, provoking you almost, “what? Would you rather get an apartment on your own? ‘Cause I’d be more than happy to let my parents know.”

You wanted to cry. It was already the start of the school term so staying in the dorms was out of the question for you already, the deadline having closed long ago. And you knew that finding another apartment in the school district that was within your budget was going to be a pain in the ass. So as much as you hated to admit it, splitting the rent with Jisung was your best option. You needed to get a job asap.

You rolled your eyes, “well…well then why do you get the bigger room?” You huffed, mirroring his stance as you folded your arms across your chest.

Jisung gave you a mocking pout, “simple, ‘cause I got here first,” he brought his hand up, inspecting his nails.

“You should be glad I’m not charging you extra for inconveniencing me,” he added.

Not being able to help but let a small gasp leave you, you were quick to respond, “inconveniencing you? You were the one that got coffee all over my file.”

Jisung shrugged, “potato, potato. Doesn’t change the fact that you made me late for work.”

You clenched your jaw, watching with a glare as he strolled past you, gesturing to the space in the living room which you’d been planning on using as a work area, “I have dibs on this space.”

You frowned, mumbling, “I wanted to shift the desk in my room out here, though.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. Wanna consider moving out now?”

You inhaled deeply, brushing past him to grab your luggage that contained your clothes.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” you huffed in annoyance as you walked into your room, his laughter echoing behind you.

===

“How can you say that? Jisung is a very nice boy,” your mother cried, making you roll your eyes, glaring at your phone from where you were hanging your clothes up.

“He’s the idiot that I fought with at the café, it’s not like I’m saying this without reason.”

You heard your mom sigh deeply, conversing with your dad about something in the background, “try to put your attitude aside for once, please, I’m begging you.”

You groaned, kicking your luggage aside before you made your way over to your bed, flopping down next to your phone with a loud sigh, wincing at the feeling of the springs in your mattress. You were so sure Jisung’s bed was more comfortable.

“It’s not me that has the attitude, it’s him,” you mumbled, sulkiness evident in your tone.

“Enough, Y/N," she said sternly, "If I hear anymore complaints you’re really gonna be in for it.”

You kicked at your blanket, “fine, goodnight. Love you.”

You hung up, staring at your desk as you contemplated on whether to move it into the living room now or tomorrow, distracted from your thoughts when you could hear the water running, not to mention the awfully loud sound of Jisung singing in the shower.

How thin were the walls? Your glare had shifted to your door now.

“Can you keep it down?” You shouted, hearing a silence on his end momentarily. Heaving a sigh of relief, you turned around in your bed only to hear him resume his singing, except this time, you swore it got louder.

Burying your head under your pillow, you kicked at your blanket, hoping this was the worst it could get. It wasn’t that bad, right? You could deal with simple shower concerts. Maybe living with him wasn’t going to be as hard as you thought.

===

Safely to say, you should’ve thought otherwise.  

The very first time you realised you'd underestimated Han Jisung, was when you'd gone to the fridge to fix yourself something for dinner, only to find post-its on every single one of the items that read : 'property of han jisung! not for y/n'

You'd moved to look for something else to eat that was unlabelled, only realising then that he'd even gone to the (very petty) extent of labelling the snacks in the cupboard.  

Huffing, you'd shrugged your coat on, grabbed your wallet and made a trip to the grocery store.

Cursing him in your head as you shoved your items into your basket, earning yourself looks of scandal from the elders who were for whatever reason still in the grocery store, though you couldn’t be bothered to look more amiable. You’d wanted nothing more than to throw out Jisung’s groceries, but of course, you were a nice person, so you wouldn’t do that. It seemed like you just couldn't get a break when your phone had begun to buzz in your pocket.

"Hey, mom," you hummed, trying not to sound too tired lest she started to drill you about resting. You brought your groceries over to the self-checkout aisle, heaving them onto the small platform with a grunt.

"Have you eaten dinner?"

You huffed, "we didn't have enough food, so I went to buy some groceries." Biting back your tongue, you rolled your eyes, scanning your items and bagging them angrily.

"How's finding a job been?"

You shrugged, Lucas had told you about various job openings nearby your house, (surprising you with how much he knew about the area) one of them you were looking into was a simple job at a café near your apartment. Thankfully, not the one that you'd had your little ‘encounter’ with Jisung at.

"Pretty alright, nothing too difficult,” you hummed, fumbling to pull out your card so you could make your payment, ignoring the stares you were getting from the people queueing up behind you.

"Alright, that's good to hear."

"Everything alright with you and dad at home?" you asked, shoving your card back into your wallet before slinging the bags onto your forearms, beginning to walk out of the supermarket.

"Yes, of course. Don't worry about us, we just miss you."

You sighed, something about the night air putting you in a drowsy mood, "me too. I never realised how much I liked living with you guys till now..."

"Don't tell me you're still having a hard time with Jisung," you heard her tone, your knew that this was her way of implying she didn't want to hear anything other than that you and Jisung's housemate experience was just peachy.

"Don't worry, mom, everything's... fine."

You'd tugged your coat closer to yourself, giving her whatever updates you figured she'd want to know before hanging up, enjoying the peaceful walk before you reached your apartment, figuring this was as much peace you were going to get before you returned to the apartment to be met with his stupid antics again.

And surely enough, the evening breeze accompanied with the sounds of faint conversation from the restaurants nearby had started to put you in a rather drowsy mood, making you start to contemplate if you were even still hungry, the lure of sleep starting to seem more tempting.

Reaching your apartment building, the lift lobby illuminated by a harshly bright lightbulb, you’d bumped into one of the ladies living on the same floor as you exited the lift on your floor, watching as her eyes widened in surprise, giving you a small smile as she enquired.

“Oh, are you the resident from apartment 19B?" you nodded.

If you were drowsy before, you sure weren't drowsy anymore.

You flinched slightly when her expression had changed in an instant, her once amiable expression now replaced with an annoyed glare.

"Can you please refrain from singing so loudly in the middle of the night? Some of us are trying to sleep."

Your eyebrows raised, shaking your head as you slot your keys into the keyhole, opening the door just a crack, "oh, sorry, that's not me that's my housemate—”

The middle-aged lady had narrowed her eyes at you, "you know, It's not ethical for someone as young as you to be living with a man when you're so young—”

"Okay, sorry, won't happen again!" you told her quickly in your attempt to appease her, shoving the door open and slamming it behind you, turning around only to see Jisung standing in the living room, dressed in loungewear with black gloves on his hands as he pointed at you in amusement, his shoulders shaking as he laughed.

"Aw, I'm not the only one that thinks it's not ethical for you to live here," he pouted.

You rolled your eyes, "I can't believe she thought I was the one singing," you huffed, going over to the kitchen to see yet more dishes in the sink.

Pointing at them with a look of disbelief on your face, "are you not gonna clean these either?"

Jisung turned around, looking at the sink with evident contempt, shrugging. He held his hands up to you, showing you that they were currently gloved.

"I'm a little busy, why don't you do me a favour this once? Consider it compensation," he grinned, making his way back to....your room?

"What are you doing in my room?" you asked, shoving the last of your groceries haphazardly into the fridge before you'd followed him into your room, shutting your mouth quickly when you saw that he’d practically set up a work station next to your desk, looking closer to find that he was using what looked like tattoo equipment.

“Practicing,” he shrugged.

You didn’t bother asking what his business using tattoo equipment was, simply huffing in exasperation, “and you had to do it in my room, of all places?”

Jisung nodded, pushing one of his sleeves up on his shoulder, revealing a rather big tattoo on his arm that was partially hidden by his sleeve.

“This is the only room with an accessible plug and a good enough space to work in.”

“Then why didn’t you just take this room as your bedroom?” You were dumbfounded at the way he was so nonchalant about his actions, the buzzing of the tattoo needle resuming as he practised on fake skin.

“I like to sleep in a comfortable bed,” he shrugged, leaning back to look at his tattoo.

“And you think I don’t?” You shot back, your hands going to your hips, his reply coming just as quick.

“Well, for $300 bucks above the rent maybe you can,” he smirked, using a tissue to rub at the fake skin, looking at you as he poked his tongue in his cheek, quirking his eyebrows before turning back to continue tattooing.

That night, you remembered asking Lucas if he knew who Jisung was, since he’d mentioned how he was pretty into tattoos, having a few of his own, his reply only making you wonder if the world was just small or you were just unlucky.

lucas wong

8:53pm - oh yeah I know him! he’s apprentice-ing at the tattoo shop I usually go to, he’s pretty good-

8:53pm - why? do u like him? I cld put in a good word for u-

You sighed deeply

8:53pm - no thanks im good-

Little did you know, the next time Lucas had visited the the tattoo studio, he’d spotted Jisung working on his designs at one corner of the room, going against your request and disturbing Jisung even despite how he looked like that was the last thing he wanted, too focused on the shadings of his chrysanthemum flower sketch on his tablet to have paid attention to Lucas' entrance.

“Hey, do you know anyone named Y/N?”

Jisung’s face scrunched up in distaste, looking up at Lucas and hoping desperately that he was joking, “don’t tell me… freshman Y/N?”

Lucas nodded, his eyes lighting up in excitement, “yeah! So you guys do know each other.”

Jisung made an uncertain sound, “I wouldn’t call it much of a relationship. Y/N’s my housemate.”

Jisung’s words had sparked a realisation in Lucas, the latter only piecing together your disdain towards Jisung with your stories about your ‘asshole housemate’

Lucas’ silence had caught Jisung off guard, making Jisung look up at Lucas expectantly, “sorry, you wanted to go get something to eat, right?”

Lucas nodded, masking his shock with a smile, recovering quickly.

“Wait, lemme go call Chan,” Jisung murmured, beckoning the boy who was currently snacking at the reception area.

“Where do you guys wanna go?” Lucas asked, earning a hum from Chan.

“I kinda wanted to get a smoothie,” Chan admitted sheepishly, though thankfully, Jisung and Lucas didn’t seem to have a problem with that.


“Why didn’t you wanna go to the other café? They’ve got better smoothies,” Lucas wondered out loud, making Jisung snort.

“We’re only going there because Chan has a fat crush on one of the baristas.” 


Which was what ended them up at the café you worked at.

The moment they had entered, you noticed your colleague tense beside you, bending down to pretend to take something from below the counter. 


“Shit, they’re here. Oh my god, help,”

You furrowed your eyebrows, “who?”

“That cute tattoo artist guy I was telling you about!” She whispered harshly, standing up and greeting the boys with a smile, her heart eyes directed particularly at one of them with curly hair.

Only then did you realise Lucas and Jisung were there, receiving an overwhelming feeling of wanting to bang your head into the cash register. You already saw him enough at home, and now you had to see him at work too?

“Hi, how may I help you?” You smiled at the curly haired boy, casting a glare in Jisung’s direction, the boy looking equally as dismayed to see you here.

“Hello, can I get the berry smoothie?” He asked, and you stepped aside, letting your colleague ring up his order while you prepared his drink, giving it to your colleague to serve since she’d spent so long talking to him.

Lucas had mouthed a ‘sorry’ to you when he’d gone to sit at one of the tables with Chan, Jisung lingering at the cashier as your colleague went to the backroom to squeal.

“What do you want?” you wore a bored expression.

Jisung looked almost too focused, his eyes glaring at the laminated menu between the both of you.

“I changed my mind, I want a drink too.”

You suppressed your urge to roll your eyes, your finger scratching at the corner of the cash register, “you couldn’t have ordered it like five seconds ago?”

Jisung shot you a look, “yeah, well I didn’t want it five seconds ago.”

Inhaling deeply, you’d gestured to the menu, and now not only was your expression bored-to-death, but your tone was too, "what do you want?”

“I want an iced americano,” he told you, pausing before he added, “and ask your friend to make it. I don’t trust you not to spit in my drink.”

You gave him a sarcastic smile, “good call.”

Ringing up his order, you’d called your friend, dismissing any thought of ever having a normal encounter with Jisung.

Upon returning to his table, Chan had given him a look, "Lucas told me you know the cashier."

"Not the one you think is cute, don't worry,” Jisung sighed, glancing in his drink just for good measure.  

Chan's eyebrows lifted in amusement, "so the one you think is cute?"

Almost instinctually, Jisung replied, "yeah," paying more attention to his drink than his words. Looking up when he heard Chan and Lucas struggle to stifle their giggles.

"What?"

Lucas clapped his hands together, his smile wide, "you just said Y/N was cute."

"No, I didn't, you did." Jisung shot back quickly. It was obvious that retaliation didn't always have to make sense for him.

Chan had a curious glint in his eyes now, the corner of his lips quirking up into a smirk, "I mean, you guys do live together right, and you've really never thought anything about her?"

“I did, I thought her nagging was annoying as hell,” Jisung shrugged.


Chan narrowed his eyes at Jisung, an amused smirk on his face, “you know that’s not what I meant.”

Jisung gave Chan a pointed look, "I'd appreciate if you wouldn't stir shit, especially not in front of him." Jisung pointed at Lucas.

"You didn't answer the question," Lucas sing-songed.

Jisung scoffed, casting a furtive glance towards your direction where you were smiling as your colleague showed you something on their phone.

Jisung shrugged, it wasn’t as if you looked bad or anything, with his pride, he’d probably have told Chan that you were pretty if he squinted.

“Guess if they smiled more they'd be...decent."


Lucas raised his eyebrows, enjoying the scene playing out in front of him very much, “decent, huh.”

Chan leant back in his seat, shaking his head at Jisung, "now I feel like I have to make you my apprentice for relationships too."

Jisung scoffed, regaining his usual confidence.

"If by that you mean you want me to stand at the counter giggling my ass off like how you did with that cashier then no thanks, I'm good on my own."

===

You'd tried your best to tolerate Jisung, especially after Lucas fed you some story about how he takes a while to warm up to people (which you totally bought).

This tolerance came in the form of things like waking up earlier to use the bathroom so the both of you wouldn't have to fight in the morning, or giving him reminders to do the laundry or clean the dishes but only doing them after he forgot the third reminder.

Jisung usually forgot to turn off the lights whenever he went to sleep (though sometimes he did it on purpose, not liking the eerie darkness of the house when the lights were off), so you would always end up waking from the glare of the lights that seeped into your room, stepping over the mess of clothes or socks (sometimes even shoes) in the walkways and turning them off for him instead of nagging him about the lights. See? Tolerance.

Call you a pushover or whatever, but you kind of prided yourself on how your well of patience seemed to run deep. Very deep. Deeper than the average human, you supposed, even.

However, days like the ones you were having now, just didn't seem to let you draw from that well of patience.

You'd started off your shitty morning when you'd slept through your alarm, needing your usual work clothes but realising that Jisung hadn't done the laundry, leaving you with no choice but to grab the nearest hoodie you could find on your bedroom floor and sprint to work.

If that wasn't enough, you'd landed cashier duty as punishment for being late, your social battery starting to empty not even halfway through the day. Your 'hi, how may I help you's slowly turning to 'what would you like's to eventually 'hi's and ending up with a small smile and gesture towards the menu.

It didn't help that Chan, the tattoo artist your colleague had an obvious thing for, had shown up halfway to try and strike a conversation with you about Jisung, much to no avail.

“Aren’t you wondering why Jisung isn’t here?” You remembered him asking, to which you’d shook your head.

“Not really,” you shrugged, earning a thoughtful hum from Chan.

“Really? You’re not even the slightest bit curious?”

You had shook your head at him then, remembering the way he looked so shocked to have made you even more curious about why he was asking you this in the first place.  

By the time you were done with your work, you'd wanted nothing more than to just go home, take the longest shower of your life and curl up in your horribly uncomfortable bed. Except you couldn't even do that, because you had unfinished readings for your class the next day.

You figured if you sat yourself at your desk with no distractions you could be done sooner and go to sleep sooner, but your one distraction had just come home from the tattoo studio and was somehow getting on your nerves even more today.

Not only had he been acting as if he was the opera community's 'next big thing', he'd proceeded to seat himself on the sofa behind you, watching whatever show he was into loudly, seeming to find whatever the protagonist was saying to be too hilarious to just enjoy the show silently.

You figured you could handle that much, you know, having to live up to your preachings on tolerance, deciding to breathe deeply and suppress your urge to tell him to shut up, and soon enough, he'd disappeared.

But your joy was short lived, once again, when Jisung came back out, singing as he made a snack for himself and proceeded to eat it right in front of you, the smell growing more and more distracting.

Now, he was now lounging on the sofa in the living room, headphones on and connected to his laptop that rest on his stomach, but still typing away with his phone not on silent, the keyboard sounds distracting you from your reading. You figured, maybe your well of patience was just closed today.

“Hey,” you called. No response. If anything, the silence of the apartment had made his typing sounds even louder.

“Hey, oh my god, can you like put your phone on silent or something?" You tried again. Still no response, now, he was humming in between his pauses before he would type another burst of words on his phone.

Deciding you had to take matters into your own hands, you stormed over to where he was, your book still in your hands as you stood in front of him, making him turn to you with wide-eyes.

Pulling his headphones off of his head, he frowned, "what?"

“This,” you gestured pointedly towards his phone, “put your phone on silent, it's distracting me."

Jisung would've complied, though a part of him couldn't help but be annoyed by your nagging, his instinct prompting him to act defensively, “why don’t you just listen to some music or something? Then my typing sounds wouldn’t be a problem,” he told you dismissively, making you groan in frustration.

“I can’t study with music, it’s already hard enough for me to focus as it is.”

Jisung was annoyed, “It’s just a typing sound, what are you getting so worked up for? You’re always getting on my back about everything when I’m just minding my own business."

You let out a groan, "look, it's been more than a month, and i'm up to here with your shit," you held a hand way above your head for emphasis, any of your tolerance long gone out of the window (which he had also left open, making the apartment chilly and noisy).

Jisung's eyebrows knit in a frown, your outburst coming as a shock to him, "fine, whatever. I'll put my phone on silent, chill."

You shook your head, your gaze firm and unwavering, "no, I wanna make rules."

Rules? Jisung wanted to scoff. What was this, a second-grade classroom?

Jisung stared at you in shock, nodding dumbly. "Rules....oka-alright, yeah. Let's make rules."

You nodded firmly, "first of all, if you're gonna make food at ungodly hours in the morning, eat it in your own room."

"And the dishes, clean up after yourself," you added, gripping your book tightly in your hand.

“Stop leaving your shit in the corridors,” you continued, “and pack up your shoes it’s such a mess at the door way I can barely walk into the house,” you huffed, feeling as though with every rule you made you were finally letting your feelings be heard.

Jisung wracked his brains for a rule of his own, finding ways to regain control over the situation, "well, I have a rule too! You gotta stop nagging me to do shit," he sat up, setting his headphones on the sofa cushion.

You let out a tiny gasp, "excuse me? I only ask you to ‘do shit’ that you should be doing."

Before you could get carried away, you continued, "and as for the laundry—”

Jisung perked up, “okay, how about this. I do the dishes and you do the laundry," he suggested with a forced smile, bringing a hand up to run it through his hair, which fell back against his forehead gently.

"You know for a fact that that’s not the same, so we'll switch," you told him, "you do laundry on one week when I do the dishes, and the next week i'll do the laundry and you do the dishes. Fair, right?"

Jisung huffed, rolling his eyes, "whatever."

At the mention of laundry, Jisung glanced over at what you were wearing, frowning at the familiarity of his hoodie.

"Good, now that we have an agree—”

"That's mine," he pointed at your stomach, making you look at him in disbelief.

"Huh?" Your stomach? Your hands found their way to cover your stomach.

"The hoodie. It's mine."

You looked down at the hoodie you were wearing, a frown evident on your face. You didn't know what he was talking about, you had this hoodie since you were in high-school, it couldn't be his.

"No, it's mine. I had this since I was in high-school," you frowned, unsure if this was some sort of joke he was trying to play.

Jisung couldn't hide his amusement, letting a laugh slip from his lips, "yeah, so did I... which is why I know that that's mine."

You scoffed, "it was on my bedroom floor," you mumbled, seeing him nod patronisingly.

"Because I left it there," he told you, enunciating his words slower, shocking you when he'd reached over and grabbed you by the sleeve, raising your hand up for you to see.

"Look, this stain. It's tattoo ink. I would know because you're wearing the wrong hoodie. New rule, don’t wear my clothes.”

You stood silent, huffing as you removed the hoodie, leaving you in your shirt and sweats, tossing the hoodie at him in annoyance, the smirk on his face making you even more annoyed.

"Fine, take your stupid hoodie, I don’t wanna wear your stupid clothes anyway,” you huffed, “and you’re on laundry duty this week."

You didn't finish your readings that night.

===

You would like to think your rule system was working pretty well, seeing as you didn't find yourself butting heads with Jisung as often as before.

Halfway into the semester, you had grown busier with your assignments, which had managed to take your attention away from Jisung.

Though you were certainly more tired than usual, from attending birthday parties of friends to working, to rushing your readings during any free time you got (not to mention squeezing in any bit of sleep whenever you could), to rushing through your assignments just to meet the packed deadlines. But you couldn’t complain, this was typical for any college student you knew.

But of course, that didn’t mean you weren’t itching for a break, eyeing the semester break on your calendar that was fast approaching, letting yourself get carried away during classes with Lucas as you both planned on your pieces of scrap paper all the things you’d wanted to do during the break.

Similarly, Jisung had grown busier at the tattoo studio, and Chan had recommended him to a music producer that was interested in hearing Jisung's compositions.

Jisung was more than thankful that Chan had given him that opportunity, of course, but what was bothering him was the pain-in-the-ass creative block he was beginning to struggle with.

Not only was he struggling to find inspiration for a song he'd wanted to make, but the process seemed almost painfully slow, with how he'd fumble around with ideas that he would start on but eventually scrap, deciding that he 'wasn't feeling it'.

He'd started receiving commissions for tattoo designs, and you'd noticed he wasn't at home as often as he was before because he'd made it a point to coop himself up in the studio to try to churn out these design requests.

Fortunately, his customers were always satisfied (and he thought that was great, you know, with all the good words from Chan he was getting), but he wasn't.

Chan had seemed to sense this too, making sure to check in on Jisung more than usual during this period.

"Hey, I'm heading home a little earlier today, you'll be fine alone?"

Jisung's head lifted when he heard Chan's voice, pulling one of his earbuds from his ear as he nodded.

Chan glanced at Jisung's papers scattered around him, of half-done or halfway-abandoned sketches, giving him a look of sympathy, "don't work too hard, alright?" he huffed, glancing out of the window.

"I heard it might rain tonight, so make sure you get home before the rain hits, alright?"

Jisung waved Chan off, not paying any care to the impending rain as he bid Chan goodbye, continuing to tap his pencil on the table in his search for good ideas.

Maybe he needed to consult a lifeline.

"Hello, Lucas?"

The said lifeline was more than happy to hear Jisung's voice, having heard from you that he wasn't home as much recently, a part of him concerned as well.

"Hey, man, what's up?"

Jisung hummed, "wanted to ask if you had any ideas on what tattoos you think would be cool."

Lucas snorted, "you're asking me? You could draw a turd and i'd want to get it tattooed. Dude, you're too good, just go with your gut."

Jisung let out a whine, "my gut's not being very useful right now."

Lucas hummed, letting out an urgent grunt of surprise, "I know! Why don't you take a look at your older designs, maybe they'd give you some vibes or something."

Jisung shrugged, figuring this was probably the best advice he was gonna get, thanking Lucas before hanging up.

Picking up his tablet, Jisung had scrolled through his various sketches until he'd reached the very first few designs, sighing at the sight of the sketches, looking at his first sketch of a peony flower, with leaves dangling along the stem wedged between the budding flowers.

Jisung figured he wouldn't let his dissatisfaction subside until he tried doing a better rendition of the sketch, to refine the shading or the flow of the shape from what he'd learnt from Chan overtime.

Putting back his earbuds in, he turned his music up, beginning to work on the sketch, riding on the motivation he was afraid would disappear at any given moment.

Jisung was surprised at how fast he was done, ( only to look at the clock and realise he wasn't that fast and that it was already a little past midnight ). Removing his earbuds and going back to the sound of the whirring air conditioner and the loud sound of rain thumping against the gravel outside, Jisung knew he was done for.

He hadn't brought an umbrella with him, and the rain frankly didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon, Jisung contemplated his very limited options.

Was a binder enough to shield him from the rain? Probably not. But was it better than putting down his pride to text you to come and pick him up? He thought the binder was better, honestly.

Deciding to try his luck anyway, he'd sent you a text.

Little did Jisung know, you'd dozed off on your bed while reading, the vibration of your phone next to your face having woken you from your nap, the sound of the rain outside harshly thumping against the window.

han jisung 12:37am -hello, housemate. it is your housemate, han jisung. its raining rly badly. wld u be so kind as to come to the tattoo studio with an umbrella for me pls :D-

You frowned in annoyance, your eyes barely open as you replied him. There was no way you were going to send yourself out in the thunderstorm like that.

12:37am - no. just wait until it stops raining-

Thinking that had settled your worries, you'd shoved your phone underneath your pillow, deciding you'd let yourself sleep in since tomorrow was a Saturday after all.

You should've known better, that this was Jisung, the 'i'm tougher than a little bit of rain' Jisung, so you should've seen it coming when you'd woken up to the sound of his incessantly ringing phone.

Rolling out of your bed with a grunt, you'd pushed yourself off of the bed, ready to confront Jisung about not answering his phone.

Walking across the corridor and pushing his bedroom door open, you'd been met with an empty room, frowning as you walked over to the bed, picking the phone up and stopping the alarm.

You noticed that he'd received a few texts from Chan, not being able to help yourself from reading them.

chan 1:20am - dude! why didnt u just wait for the rain to stop?- 1:22am -  ure gna fall sick…-

Frowning, you made your way into the living room, spotting Jisung curled up on the sofa with his blanket at his feet, an instant feeling in your gut that something was wrong.

“Jisung?” You called, seeing his eyebrows furrow slightly.

In spite of yourself, you’d walked over to where he lay, your hand coming out to nudge at his shoulder with his phone.

“Hey, are you…alright?” You watched and waited as he opened his eyes slowly, blinking at you in a daze. There was perspiration beading at his temples despite the coolness of the apartment, giving you more reason to feel like there was something wrong.

As much as you didn’t like him, you couldn’t help but feel as though you were responsible for him, and it was kind of your fault that he’d walked back in the rain. You glanced at your brightly-coloured umbrella leaning against the wall, figuring there was something about this umbrella that always got you into trouble with Jisung.

You suppressed your hesitation, bringing a hand up to his forehead, Jisung not even daring to budge even an inch as you pushed his bangs back. The back of your hand pressing against his forehead gently, your breath hitching at the sheer heat of his body.

This was probably the most contact you’d ever had with him in your months of living together, and Jisung knew this too, not knowing how to feel about the concern you were showing him, feeling as though it was some kind of ridiculous fever dream.

“You walked home in the rain didn’t you?” You murmured, your feeling of guilt growing as you saw him nod at you.

You cursed inwardly, “do you have a thermometer?” 


Jisung shook his head, attempting to get up, “it’s fine, I can take care of myself, just give me my phone.”

You handed him his phone, ignoring his previous statement as you went into the kitchen in your search for any kind of medicine you could give him, cursing once again when you realised there was none. Trust the both of you to only care to buy groceries.

“We don’t have jack shit in this house,” you groaned, walking over to the bathroom, finding a cloth and a small pail to fill with cold water, bringing it over to the coffee table and setting it down next to the sofa.

“I’ve gotta go to work,” Jisung sighed, though he made no move to get up, a part of him just waiting for you to refute him so he could use you as an excuse to get off work.

You shot him a look, “no, you don’t. Shut up and lie down, I’ll go and buy your stupid medicine. If I come back and you’re not here I’ll kill you,” you warned, missing the way Jisung had complied happily, lying back down with his head on one of the sofa cushions.

Squeezing the water from the cloth, you may have slapped it a little harshly on his forehead, earning an annoyed glare from him.

Walking to grab your wallet, you cast one last look at his bored face, seeing him rush to close his eyes when he saw you glaring.

“I mean it, you better stay here.”

Jisung nodded, waving you off.

On your way to the pharmacy, you couldn’t help but wonder if it was a good thing that Jisung was sick.

In terms of your pros, if he was sick, he wouldn’t be able to annoy you, right? And him being sick meant that you’d basically had your desk and your bedroom to yourself, with him unable to practice tattooing in your room and use your desk as his sketching station.

In terms of your cons… well, you were planning on getting some rest today, and having to watch Jisung meant you would technically have to be near him, wouldn’t you? You were starting to wonder if that was even a con that he was basically giving you an excuse to laze around and watch tv.

“Hi, how may I help you?” The pharmacist asked.

You hummed, “uh…do you have those over-the-counter medicine and stuff for like someone with fever?”

The pharmacist nodded, pulling out the various boxes and pointing at each one, confusing you with the sheer amount of names she was listing, resulting in you just choosing the one you recognised your parents telling you to take whenever you were sick.

Making your payment, you swallowed whatever pride you had that was making you hesitate. You figured Jisung falling sick was karma for that text you sent him the night before, so you decided that you were going to see him recover for yourself.

Upon returning to the house, you’d shrugged your jacket off, making your way over to where he was, sitting on your heels next to where he was so you could gently peel the cloth from his head, replacing it with one that was soaked in colder water.

You’d drawn back slightly when you felt Jisung flinch as you laid the towel on his forehead, opening one eye to look at you, “that was fast.”

You rolled your eyes, shushing him as you took the medicine out, along with a glass of water you’d gotten from the kitchen, bringing it over to him with an expectant look.

Jisung took them from you wordlessly, swallowing them down as he averted his gaze from you, unsure why you were looking at him like some kicked puppy.

“I’m sorry,” you murmured, reaching over to grab the television remote in an attempt to calm your nerves, “this is kind of my fault. Since I didn’t go over to the tattoo studio yesterday.”

Jisung took a moment to process what you said, wincing as he let out a (fake) cough, only serving to make you feel even more guilty than you already were.

“Are you actually…apologising to me?” Jisung’s smile was poorly hidden behind his hand, making you roll your eyes, your guilt ever-present when you looked at him.

Jisung sighed, deciding to let you off this once, “seriously, it’s no big deal. I didn’t expect you to come, anyway. I was just trying my luck,” he told you, making you frown, your mouth forming a slight pout.

“I was just being petty, I’m…” you trailed off, shaking your head, “yeah, whatever, I’m just really sorry.”

Jisung looked at you with a hint of a smile on his face, taking his lower lip between his teeth as he nodded. He wasn’t sure if it was his fever, or the way your gestures were exuding warmth, but Jisung swore just for a moment. A second, almost, he kind of thought you looked cute.

Jisung nodded, “I’ll let you know by the end of the day.”

You frowned, turning away from the television to face him, your back resting on the sofa slightly, “let me know about what?”

Jisung kept his gaze fixed on the television, bringing his hand up to scratch at his collarbone, hints of his tattoos peeking out from his neckline.


Shrugging, Jisung’s gaze shifted to meet yours, “if your apology is accepted.”

You were sure that your mom would’ve just laughed in your face if you told her about your experience today, as you began to realise just how much you didn’t hate Jisung’s company when the both of you weren’t trying to fight each other.

In the few hours that had passed alone, you’d learnt much more about him than you had bothered to in your months living with him. You’d learnt that he was a music major, that wanted to pursue a career in music production, and that he’d gotten interested in tattoos when he’d met this kid named Changbin in his class, who introduced him to Chan for an apprenticeship.

As for Jisung? He was just learning that you weren’t as intolerable as he thought you were.

You’d ordered food for the both of you, Jisung having refused to eat porridge, and you were currently having an actual, comfortable conversation with him, the hallmark movie playing on the television long forgotten.

Jisung’s phone had started to ring, interrupting him mid-sentence as he told you about how the tattoo studio works, making you lean over to check who it was.

“It’s Chan.”

Jisung grimaced, “speak of the devil,” he scoffed. Shaking his head vigorously as you made to grab his phone, Jisung set his chopsticks down hurriedly to reach for his phone, only to grab air when you’d answered the call.

“Hello?” You heard Chan speak, an urgency to his tone.

“Hey, this is Y/N. Jisung is…not feeling so well right now.”

Jisung shot you a look, bringing his hands around his throat with his chopsticks held between his fingers, acting as if he was so sick he was about to pass out, making loud coughing noises in the background.

You couldn’t help but smile, scrunching your nose and waving him off in your attempt to get him to stop before he choked on his food.

Chan sighed, “Is he, now? Tell him I’m shifting today’s appointment to next Wednesday. Anyway, thanks, Y/N, bye,” he hung up promptly after.

You gave Jisung a grim look, setting the phone down slowly onto the coffee table, “Chan said he’s shifting your appointment to Wednesday.”

Jisung’s lips parted, almost forgetting his cheeks were full of food, tilting his head back to groan.

“Chan’s gonna kill me.”

“Why?”

Jisung shoved more food into his mouth, chewing slowly, “I totally forgot, I was supposed to do this girl’s tattoo today, but cause I’m, you know, sick,” he gave you a pointed look, “I can’t do it.”

“You do tattoos already? I thought you were still just…”

Jisung rolled his eyes, “what? Still just tattooing on fake skin?”

You nodded sheepishly, earning a sigh from him, though you didn’t miss the small smile on his face.

“I’ll have you know, I can tattoo people now. You know Lucas’ tattoo of the angel looking mermaid hybrid type thing?”

You hummed in thought, his description oddly specific yet successfully helping you visualise the tattoo, gesturing to your forearm, “the one he got here?”

Jisung nodded, “I did that for him.”

Your eyes widened, impressed at the scale of Jisung’s detail in his design, remembering how enamoured you were with it when Lucas had first showed it to you.

“Lucas’ been asking me to get a tattoo with him once the break starts,” you mentioned casually, earning a surprised hum from Jisung.

“Oh,” his eyes widened, as if he was still trying to process what you said, “really?”

You nodded, “still thinking about it, though. Haven’t really decided on what I wanted.”

Jisung scooped the last of his food into his mouth, giving you as nonchalant a shrug as he could muster.

“Well, uh, you know, if you want or something you could come one of the days during the break, I could show you some stuff I think you’d like.”

You nodded, the simple suggestion somehow exciting you.

That night, you’d gotten ready for bed, having made sure Jisung ate his medicine before he went to sleep.

Before you could move to switch the lights off, he’d stopped you/

“Wait, like…can you um… leave the lamp on?” You raised an eyebrow at him, but complied nonetheless, figuring this was your chance to repent while he was sick.

“Goodnight,” you murmured, stretching your arms above your head with a yawn.

“Yeah, night…” he murmured, inhaling deeply, “oh, and Y/N?”

You frowned, “uh-huh?” Looking at him expectantly, your breath hitched at the sight of the small smile that made its way on his face, the moonlight casting a calm glow in the room that mirrored his expression.

“Apology accepted.”

You smiled, nodding before you left. Hopefully this meant things were looking up for your relationship.

===

After that day, it was as if something in your dynamic had shifted, you found that Jisung was giving you lesser and lesser reasons to be annoyed at him.

Lucas had gotten a kick out of it when you’d told him about it.

“You guys finally realised it wouldn’t kill you to be nice to each other?” You remembered him telling you.

You would beg to differ, though, because with this shift in dynamic came a whole lot of awkwardness, especially when one of you had done something mildly nice for the other person.

Take this instance, for example.

You’d been sitting at your desk, trying to finish up on your essay that was due that week, not wanting to let your motivation subside without making full use of it (also because you knew if you didn’t do it now, you’d procrastinate and stress out when you realised you were behind time).

You’d been able to faintly smell Jisung’s noodles that he was cooking in the kitchen, making you sigh. You didn’t like eating things after you had your dinner, but you couldn’t lie and say that they didn’t smell great.

Expecting to hear his bedroom door shut and feel the smell of the noodles get fainter, he’d surprised you when he made his way over to you, setting a mug containing a hot drink on your desk.

Turning to him abruptly, he’d flinched back, looking at you with wide eyes as his hands flew up over his chest, making you laugh.

“I’m not gonna hit you, calm down.”

Jisung relaxed (albeit hesitantly), one of his hands coming up to grip the back of his neck, gesturing towards the mug with his other hand.

“Go ahead, I uh…didn’t poison it or anything,” a huff of awkward laughter left him.

You glanced from the mug to him, nodding slowly, “thanks.”

“Don’t, you know…sleep too late, and stuff,” he told you, earning a nod from you.

He nodded back at you, giving you a close-lipped smile before practically jogging back to his room, the door shutting a little louder than usual, a yelp of apology echoing after.

It wasn’t as if you didn’t try to to be nice to him either, but frankly, he wasn’t giving you many opportunities to do so.


Jisung was still keeping his worries to himself, with his creative block seeming to have spiralled him into heavy feelings of anxiousness and a lack of confidence in his abilities.

You figured that things had been weighing heavy on his mind when you realised he’d been intentionally keeping the light on more often when he slept, or how the typing sounds of his keyboard would get more frequent as it got later into the night.

You’d even had Chan pleading for you to check up on Jisung every now and then once you noticed that he’d been sleeping a lot more and eating at irregular intervals. Listening out for his humming every now and then, you noticed the melodies seemed to have taken a more slow-paced, almost melancholic turn.

One night, you’d decided that if Jisung wasn’t going to give you opportunities to be nice to him, you would just create them for yourself. Making a determined trip to the kitchen, you’d boiled his favourite type of instant ramen, having seen how he made it so many times you knew just what to add in.

Padding over to his room, you’d knocked on the door before pushing it open slightly, watching him straighten up where he sat on his bed, setting his iPad down beside him, his thigh blocking it from your view.

“Hey, I uh…here,” you cut to the chase, Jisung was quick to find something to put under the pot on his bed, opening it and looking at you wordlessly.

“Figured the both of us could use a break,” you shrugged, oblivious to the way your words had stirred something within Jisung.

“What were you working on?” You asked, scooping some noodles into a bowl for Jisung and handing it to him.

He’d taken the bowl from you absently, his eyes widening at the mention of the sketch, unconsciously pushing it further behind him.

“Nothing, I was just doodling.”

Jisung had no idea how to explain that he had been trying to design something for you, something that reminded him of you. Because frankly, that was the only thing that seemed to be pushing his creative block aside at the moment.

“Can I see?”

Usually, Jisung would’ve fought you ( to the death ) before he’d let you see his unfinished designs, but there was something about your demeanour that made him feel like it was okay to show you. That it was okay to tell you that it wasn’t perfect because something inside of him just told him that you would understand.

In spite of any rational fibre in his being, he’d picked up the tablet, giving it to you as he continued to eat the ramen, his gaze never leaving your expression, oblivious to your scrolling as he was too busy gauging your reaction.

“These are all really pretty,” you told him, scrolling until you’d reached the bottom, clicking on one of the drawings and flipping the screen around to show Jisung.

“I love this,” you told him, earning a surprised hum from him.

He saw that you’d clicked on the sketch of the peony that he’d tried to refine that day he got rained on, wondering what made you choose that out of all his designs, since he was probably the least satisfied with that one.

“Are you sure? What about this one?” He took the tablet from you, scrolling back to the design he was working on, making you hum thoughtfully, eventually shaking your head no.

“I like the other one better,” you told him, earning a confused hum from him.

“Why?”

You scoffed, frowning at him, “why are you so against it? You’re the one that drew it,” you took the tablet back from him, holding it against your shoulder before shaking your head, setting it back down onto your lap.

“Besides,” you murmured, zooming in to admire the shading on the flower, “I think it’s beautiful.”

Jisung’s expression was unreadable, unsure how you had such strong appreciation for something he thought was his worst work, something about the way you praised it making a strange feeling that he couldn’t place build within his chest.

It was like before, the feeling of comfort, that he didn’t have to worry about any kind of creative block that could be thrown his way because you gave him a different perspective on his abilities.

You know, the cliché, hard-hitting feeling that ‘everything is gonna be okay’.

“Do you have anything happening during the break?” You asked, earning a shrug from him.

“I’ve gotta submit my song to Chan’s music producer friend.”

You perked up at the mention of Jisung’s song, “have you thought of what you wanted to do for it yet?”

Jisung shook his head, letting out a deep sigh, “it’s been kind of stressing me out, to be honest,” he admitted.

“I like…I don’t wanna give him something that doesn’t show what I’m capable of, you know?”

You nodded, “I understand…I wish I could help you but I don’t really, you know, know how,” you fidgeted with your fingers, hearing him grunt in dismissal.

“It’s fine,” he mustered a confident smile, “nothing I can’t handle.”

And for a moment, you really would’ve believed that he’d gotten it handled. Leaving him to continue with his work as you got ready for bed.

You had almost anticipated to hear typing sounds as you did every night these days. But unlike the other nights, Jisung didn’t very well feel like being alone with his thoughts that night, not even wanting to type them down. He craved the feeling of being okay, of feeling like he still had time and didn’t have to be anxious or feel shitty about his mediocre work.

So it had come as a surprise to you when you’d heard the gentle knock at your door that night just as you were about to drift into a half-asleep state, hearing the door open and watching as Jisung made his way hesitantly over to where you were.

“Can I sleep here tonight?” You heard him let out a shaky breath, and you didn’t need to ask him further, giving him a small hum of approval as he’d pulled the small heated mat from under your bed and made himself comfortable next to your bed.

Jisung let his head hit the ground gently, a deep sigh leaving him as he closed his eyes.

“Do you want me to leave the lamp on?” You mumbled, hearing him hum.

“No, it’s fine,” he told you, strangely not feeling much of a need for it now that he had you near him.

The both of you knew better than to speak more, the silence seeming to have made you understand how he was feeling. And as he lay there, with your presence in the room, Jisung felt alright, and so did you.

That night, there were no typing sounds.  

===

Contrary to yesterday, you'd started today on a good note. Having bumped into Jisung the next morning after he'd gotten ready, meeting in the hallway when you were still dressed in your sleepwear, you couldn't help but smile.

"Morning," he murmured, a small smile on his face as he gave you a little wave, leaving promptly to meet Chan at the tattoo studio.

You didn't have work today, and you'd arranged a meeting with Lucas to hang out, the boy not seeming to want to waste anymore time when he'd finally arrived at the mall, practically bounding over to where you were waiting at the fountain in the atrium.

"So, have you thought about it yet?" he asked you, extending a hand to help you up.

Frowning, your lips parted in confusion, "thought about what?"

Lucas gave you an unamused look, as if you should've known what he was talking about. Pushing his sleeves up to his elbows, he'd raised his hands as he gestured, "you know, about what tattoo you wanted to get."

You made your way to a bubble tea outlet that Lucas wanted to check out, pestering you to go with him as part of the things he’d wanted to do during the semester break.

You couldn't help but laugh at the realisation, feeling awfully giddy at the thought of yesterday.

It was just a simple interaction, yeah, whatever, but no one said there were rules on what could make your heart flutter and what couldn't. All you knew was that whatever happened yesterday, did.

"Yeah, I did," you confessed, huffing with a smile on your face.

Lucas didn't know whether to feel afraid or happy that you were so quick to decide this time, looking at you in concern, "okay...so, what did you decide on?"

You pursed your lips, your smile disappearing, "I don't have a picture with me, it's on Jisung's ipad. But it's really pretty, it's like this drawing of a flower," you explained.

Lucas' eyes widened, his hand coming up to cover his mouth in a poor attempt to conceal his growing excitement.

"Oh, it's one of Jisung's stuff?"

You nodded, not seeming to understand why he was so happy about that, "what?"

"Nothing," he shrugged, "you and Jisung seem to be on pretty good terms recently, huh.”

You scoffed, shrugging because it wasn't as if what he said was a lie.

Lucas leaned closer to you, "have you been smiling at him more these days?"

You frowned at his question, shrugging at him nonetheless, turning your attention back to the menu board, "yeah, I guess."

Lucas' giggles escaped him like bubbles, nodding at you knowingly, “perfect. You should definitely keep doing that.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, “questionable advice, but I’ll take it. Anyway, when are you planning on getting it done?"

Lucas straightened up, lifting his phone slightly to check the date.

"I made an appointment for Chan to do mine next Tuesday," he told you, “have you asked your parents yet?”

You nodded, “they weren’t as supportive until they found out Jisung designed it, they just told me not to get anything I’ll regret.”

Lucas couldn’t miss his opportunity to tease you, “well, I’m sure if Jisung’s doing it, the last thing you’d do is regret it.”

Shoving him aside and ignoring the way he’d burst into a fit of giggles, you ordered your drink, and Lucas’ as well once he calmed down enough to point at what he wanted on the menu.

“Maybe you should text him and ask about when you can book him?” Lucas gestured to you with his drink, his leg bouncing absently as he looked around the small outlet, the group of high-school girls in their uniforms sitting next to your table giggling as he’d skimmed over their table.

“Do you think that’d be too much? Should I just ask Chan instead?” You glanced at him for a sign of approval, “but then if I ask Chan would it make Jisung think I don’t want him to do my tattoo?” You wondered out loud, your stream of thought proving to be fairly amusing to Lucas.

“Just text him, it’s not that deep,” Lucas sipped on his drink.

“Nah, you know what? I should just ask him later at home, I shouldn’t bother him when he’s at work,” you shrugged, earning a sound of dismissal from him.

“Texting him would be a lot faster, you know.”

You shot him a look, “why are you so insistent on me texting him?”

Lucas scoffed, “why are you so against it?” He shot back.

Giving him a look of feigned annoyance, you’d set your phone down onto the table, staring blankly as Lucas had turned it to face him, unlocking your phone and going to Jisung’s chat.

“How should I start? ‘hey baby’—”

Your eyes widened, about to snatch the phone back from him when he’d pulled it towards himself in time, shooting you a look of feigned confusion.

“What? Too mild?” He laughed.

Sighing as he calmed down from his laughter, he shook his head slowly as he typed out a message, “man, you’re so bad at this,” he murmured.

“What makes you say that?”

Lucas pressed something on your phone with finality, scrolling up as he showed you your previous texts with Jisung. Texts like:

1:09pm - dont eat my chips get ur own - or texts like


10:11pm - keep it down! Im trying to study -

Jisung 10:11pm -well so am I!-

“All you guys ever text each other for is to ask each other to do things, how can you expect him to like you if you’re always telling him to separate his lights and darks?”

You took the phone back from Lucas with a huff, “leave me alone. And who said anything about wanting him to like me?”

Lucas looked as though you’d just asked him an obvious question, looking almost scandalised at your denial, “really? You went from ‘oh, I don’t wanna bother Jisung at work’ and ‘oh, heehee me and Jisung ate ramen together yesterday night’ to ‘who said anything about my big fat crush on Jisung’?”

You huffed, “that’s inaccurate.”

Lucas chewed on his tapioca pearls harshly, making sure you heard the smacking sounds of his chewing to unnerve you, shaking his head at you matter-of-factly, “it’s pretty much-what’s the word, ah! Verbatim. That.”


You rolled your eyes at him, wondering how the high-school girls sitting next to you still managed to find Lucas an absolute dreamboat despite how intentionally ridiculously he was behaving.

The truth is, Jisung wouldn’t have cared if you’d ‘bothered him during work or not’. He probably would’ve jumped at the notification of your text.

After the night before, Jisung couldn’t stop thinking about the feeling of comfort that flooded him at the thought of you. Finally getting enough inspiration to work on his song when he’d gotten home, even despite the pounding in his head and the sheer fatigue from the day that had passed.

Call him whatever you wanted, but Jisung couldn’t shake the feeling of reassurance he got with you, and it was a feeling he never thought he’d be experiencing as deeply as he did now.

From how familiar it was to hear your voice (even if it was asking him to fold the laundry), to how the smell of your perfume would awaken him on certain days, just in time for him to start his routine for the day. In small things, like how whenever he was looking for a break from work, somehow he’d find it with you.

He’d been working on his song for hours now, though he’d kept letting his gaze wander to the door in anticipation, wondering what was taking you so long to get home. He couldn’t help but wonder if you were still with Lucas, his imagination running wild with all sorts of scenarios that could have taken place to warrant you coming home so late.

Jisung brushed the thought away quickly after he found himself going to your contact on his phone, setting it down quickly as if it burned him. It was fine, you were an adult (he figured), you didn’t need him to hound you about a curfew.

Deciding to work on his lyrics for the song, he’d typed away on his laptop his ideas, his mind seeming to always gravitate to thinking of you as he read what he’d typed down.

Satisfied with the amount of work he’d gotten done for that day, Jisung had let his head lean back against the armrest of the sofa, his legs bent as he lay on his side, letting his eyes rest from all that staring at his glaringly bright computer screen.

You’d gone for a late-night movie with Lucas to end off your day, having gone home later than usual, though you didn’t mind. It wasn’t as if you had a curfew anymore.

You managed to reach your apartment as stealthily as you could, since the walls were really that thin and you didn’t want the old lady from next door to get on your back for being noisy when she was trying to sleep or whatever again.

Shoving your keys into the keyhole, you frowned when you saw that the lights in the living room were still switched on, spotting Jisung lying on the sofa with his eyes closed, his head lolling to the side as he dozed off.

Going into your room (in stealth mode, again), you’d set your things down quietly, deciding to take a shower and get ready for bed before anything else. Suddenly everything seemed to be a thousand times louder than you were used to. You were sure Jisung hadn’t been getting much quality sleep recently, so seeing him dozing off on the sofa had only made you want to ensure that his sleep continued uninterrupted.

Once you were changed into your sleepwear, you’d gone into Jisung’s room, taking a soft blanket from his cupboard and bringing it over to where he was, draping it over him till it reached his shoulders. You couldn’t help but find how peaceful he looked to be rather endearing, wishing you could do more but knowing there wasn’t much else you could do.

Jisung considered himself a good actor, because on the inside he was far from peaceful. He’d awoken at the feeling of being covered by the blanket, the back of your fingers grazing against his arm slightly.

His heart had fluttered, extremely, at the gesture, though something in him was yelling at him not to open his eyes, wanting to savour the moment for himself. It felt warm, a comfortable kind of warmth, the kind you would want to bask in for hours after being in the cold for so long. Something like a ray of sunshine.

Jisung was convinced he was going mad.

Switching on the lamp at your desk so that the living room wouldn’t be in complete darkness, you’d switched off the lights in the living room, bidding a silent goodnight to Jisung in your head before you’d gone back to your room, leaving Jisung dumbfounded.

===

“What did you say the song was called, again?” Chan had asked Jisung on Tuesday morning, looking at him with an endeared smile.

Jisung felt shy for some reason, pressing his lips together firmly as he averted his gaze from Chan, preparing his equipment as he waited for you and Lucas to arrive.

“Sunshine,” Jisung told him.

Chan huffed, his smile growing bigger, “I like that,” he hummed.

“What’s it about?” Chan asked, pulling his phone out to check for a text, “also, Lucas says they’re nearby.”

Jisung shrugged, “what’s it about?” He echoed Chan’s question, as if not knowing for himself either, something about him seeming fairly preoccupied, “it’s kind of hard to explain.”

Chan nodded in understanding, glancing at the way Jisung fiddled with the practice sketch he’d done of Y/N’s tattoo, twirling it around in his hands and anxiously glancing towards the door.

“Nervous?”

Jisung’s head shot up to look at Chan with wide eyes, “huh?…” he nodded slowly, “yeah, kind of.”

A small smile played at Chan’s lips as the boy had finished up the stencil for Lucas’ tattoo. “Is it because it’s Y/N?”

Jisung let out a nervous laugh, “yeah, duh,” he mumbled, “I mean, yeah, I’m nervous because she’s the one getting the tattoo but more like…”

Jisung shrugged, “I still don’t understand why she chose this out of all the designs I had.”

Chan raised an eyebrow, the jingling of the bells at the door followed by a loud guffaw of laughter signalling to him that the both of you had arrived.

“You should take more pride in your work,” Chan pat Jisung on the back, almost sending the boy stumbling with the sheer force behind the hit. Though Jisung couldn’t very well pay attention to the pain in his shoulder once he saw you with Lucas.

Lucas was quick to shove you towards Jisung, going over to one of the beds with Chan as they discussed the placement of the tattoo.

Jisung was almost uncharacteristically tense, leading you over to the station across from Lucas and Chan, holding the stencil up for you to see, “you’re absolutely sure you want this?”

You rolled your eyes, nodding, “yes, I’m sure.”

Jisung nodded slowly, albeit hesitantly, at you, “have you figured out where you want it?”

Lucas had perked up at that, butting into the conversation despite being across the room, “we were thinking between two places.”

Jisung hummed as he’d gone over to take the tablet containing a form for you to fill out before he got started.

You shushed Lucas quickly, accepting the tablet from Jisung with a nod of thanks, “yeah, I was thinking between here,” you gestured under your collarbone, “or here,” you gestured to your shoulder, just above your shoulder-blade.

Jisung nodded, “which do you feel more comfortable with? I think both are alright.”

“I was thinking maybe here?” You held a hand over the space under your collarbone, earning a nod from him.

“Alright,” he murmured, taking the tablet from you once you were done and quietly gesturing for you to lie down.

In your haste to get it over with, you’d almost completely forgotten about the placement of your tattoo, Jisung quirking an eyebrow at you and letting a huff of nervousness escape him.

“Sorry uh, I hope you don’t mind,” he murmured, pulling the collar of your shirt down to expose the area you’d wanted tattooed, making Lucas (who was watching intently) snicker from where he sat.

You’d felt heat creeping up to your neck, making you stretch your neck to look elsewhere, deciding to focus on the black pipes lining the ceiling, your shyness reducing your voice to a mere mumble, “yeah, sorry.”

Your nerves had built up even more with how tense Jisung was, even as he had disinfected the area and transferred what looked like a blue-ish outline of his sketch to your skin, making you almost want to writhe in your place with how nervous you were growing.

However, once you’d heard the buzzing of the tattoo gun, it was as if you were transported into your room, the familiarity of the sound making you less nervous, simply anticipating the pain that you’d associated with the tattoo to occur.

It was a wonder you hadn’t even been able to think much about the pain of the tattoo, though, because you were too busy trying to ignore Jisung’s proximity to you.

He was a stark contrast from Chan, who was making conversation with Lucas throughout the process, whereas Jisung had simply loomed over you, a tense knit to his brow and his lips pressed tightly together. Just by your expressions alone, people would have thought he was the one getting the tattoo.

This was only so because Jisung was struggling, with the smell of your perfume making him feel more awake than ever, and not to mention the pressure to make sure the tattoo turned out well that weighed heavy on him. Everything about you was so familiar, yet everything about the experience was not, and it was driving Jisung crazy with the amount of tension it was making him feel.

“Are you okay?” He asked, gauging your face for any sign that you were in too much pain.

You wanted to laugh, “This is like the fifth time you’re asking me that,” you told him.

“Can’t help it,” he told you, and you swore you saw his cheeks start to tint pink, “just wanted to make sure you were okay, you know…since it’s your first tattoo, and all.”

You nodded reassuringly, “it’s fine, just keep going.”

Jisung nodded, “I’ll be done quicker than you know it, I swear.”

You continued to distract yourself with the sight of Lucas across the room, Chan having to bring the needle back whenever Lucas couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“I’m sorry, It tickles,” you heard him tell Chan, making you have to stifle your laughter.

“Can I ask you something?” You decided that maybe talking to Jisung would help time pass faster (and less awkwardly).

“Uh-huh,” he hummed, shifting his chair slightly to get into a more comfortable position.

“How many tattoos do you have?” You asked, earning a long, reflective hum from him.

“I got a few in the time after college started, I would say about 5 or 6 now?” He shrugged, “and if you’re gonna ask me what’s their meanings…I don’t really know how to explain it, I just like the feeling they give me when I look at them.”

“I get it, it’s expression after all.”

Jisung nodded, his focus returning and making him let the conversation still. You didn’t like that, the feeling of awkwardness that returned with his silence, making you wrack your brains to find any sort of other conversation topic you could think of.

“Are you seeing anyone?” You wanted to instantly hide your face once you heard the words leave your mouth, Lucas turning to you with a wide-eyed expression.

Jisung sputtered, pulling the tattoo gun away from your skin, shaking his head at you.

“Uh, no, I’m not.” He narrowed his eyes at you, trying to regain his confidence in the situation, “why’d you wanna know?”

Now it was your turn to flush, averting your gaze, “oh, you know, just…curious, is all.”

Jisung smirked, “well, don’t go getting any ideas. I already like someone,” he told you, feeling as though he was dangling a carrot right in front of you.

Your eyebrows lifted in surprise, “really? Who?”

Jisung shrugged, “it’s a secret.”

You frowned, wanting to get back at him but not quite knowing how, deciding to go with the first thing you could think of, “well, I like someone too, you’re not special.”

Jisung hadn’t expected you to retort with that, narrowing his eyes at you, “wait, really? Is it Lucas?”

“Oh my god, no way, never.”

“Then who is it?” He met your gaze, making you stick your tongue out at him, mustering your best impersonation of him.

“It’s a secret.”

You had almost thought you were imagining things, but you noticed Jisung’s mood take a turn from there, seeming awfully pensive as he did the rest of your tattoo, the both of you having maintained a silence after your failed attempt at a proper conversation with him. He’d already begun to do the shading for your tattoo, so you figured he was really going to be done quicker than you thought.

You tried to distract yourself by glancing towards Lucas and Chan’s direction. Jisung could see you staring in their direction from the corner of his eye, wondering why your gaze kept travelling there when he was right in front of you.

“Is it Chan?” He blurted out, making your eyes go wide in shock.

Your smile grew, shaking your head, “no, definitely not.”

Jisung frowned, “who could it even be, you don’t even know that many people,” he huffed.

You sighed, trust you to fall for someone as oblivious as him.

“Do you want a clue?” You asked, earning a grunt from him.

“They’re very oblivious.”

Jisung frowned, looking as though he were contemplating, his tissue going over your tattoo slower as he thought. His mouth formed an ‘o’ shape in realisation, a gasp leaving him.

“No way, it’s not that Felix kid from your department, is it?” He looked as though he was hoping you would say no.

You fought to suppress the urge to roll your eyes, yet not realising you were smiling at him, “no, it’s not him.”

Jisung sighed, “oh, good. I know I always say I’m the best looking but he’s a lot better looking than I am, don’t tell him I said that.”

“Good?” You questioned, wondering why he seemed so relieved that all his options had turned out to be false. Jisung had realised he may have made things a little too obvious, shaking his head vigorously.

“Nothing, you’re all done, forget I said anything.”

He pushed himself away from you, his chair swivelling far back as he tried to calm the racing of his heart as you sat up and stretched, your body tired from being in the same position for so long.

“What time is it?” You asked, earning a grunt from Jisung, not knowing either.

Chan had chimed in from the other side, having been done with Lucas’ tattoo way before yours.

“It’s 4:24,” he told you. Jisung had been busy putting an adhesive bandage over your tattoo to pay attention to your reaction.

You spent 4 hours lying there and you only got like what, two conversations with Jisung? This was a new low, even for you.


You were snapped out of your disappointment when Jisung had spoken.

“Uh… yeah keep this on for like three to four days?” He gestured to the bandage, your breath hitching as he hiked the collar of your shirt up so it wasn’t still dropping off your shoulder.

“You can still shower and everything so yeah…” he told you, reciting from memory after having been told this a thousand times by Chan.

You tried your best to pay attention, though you knew you’d probably forget by the time you were home, making him stand up mid-speech and walk over to the counter, pulling out a little brochure to hand you.

“Honestly, just read this, it has everything you need to know inside,” he told you, walking away briskly to compose himself at his station.

You’d made your payment to Chan at the counter, Jisung having pretended to be busy with cleaning up, making Chan flash you an amused smile.

“What?”

He shook his head, dimples appearing as he gave you your receipt, “You two are just too cute,” he huffed, earning a loud hum of approval from Lucas.

“Aren’t they?” The tall boy chimed in, making you scoff.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, bye,” you waved, seeing Jisung turn around to give you a wide smile before turning back around, practically collapsing onto the bed once you and Lucas were gone.

“Those were the most excruciating 4 hours of my life.”

Chan’s laughter could be heard as he made his way over to Jisung, giving him a pat on the back, “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad, was it?”

Jisung let out a loud groan, “we were like this close!” Jisung brought his hand in front of his face for emphasis as he whined to Chan, “and I couldn’t focus at all I was so scared I was gonna screw up her tattoo because I kept zoning out,” he rambled, feeling as though his knees were about to buckle.

Chan shook his head with a feigned look of sympathy, looking at Jisung as though Jisung were his son, “I’m glad you’re feeling stressed.”

Jisung scoffed, shrugging Chan’s hand off of his shoulder and  glaring at his mentor with a look of disbelief, “you’re glad? Aren’t you supposed to be feeling some sympathy for me? That’s sick, I can’t believe you.”

Chan wasn’t surprised at Jisung’s dramatic reaction, simply laughing as he shrugged.

“I’m glad because if you’re stressed, you’re gonna be pushed to do something about it soon. And then I can stop hearing you stress about it and just see the both of you together, instead.”

Jisung shot Chan a dirty look, “you’re mean, old man.”

Chan scoffed, “at least I’m not stupid in love.”

===

Jisung had been keeping himself fairly busy since then, the both of you having been busy with your own plans since the semester break had started. However, the both of you had somehow managed to enjoy suppers together, bonding over a (rather unhealthy) meal of snacks or instant food whenever it was late in the night and the both of you didn’t want to go to sleep just yet.

And speaking of sleep, you’d also noticed how Jisung had started to look brighter these days, seeming to have been overcoming that period of lethargy he was previously in.

Now, the brightness was heard in the songs he hummed, in how he smiled and laughed more whenever you were together. Even in how he'd started growing more comfortable with sleeping in the dark. You weren’t sure what exactly sparked this change in him, but whatever it was, you were glad it happened, yourself seeming to be all the more enamoured with this version of Jisung that had grown on you.

You’d planned with Jisung to have a day of celebration (or a pity party) once he’d submitted his song to Chan’s music producer friend.

Since you had work that day, you’d wanted to get up early to prepare breakfast for him, but you didn’t realise how late you were until you woke up and found that he had already left.

Making your way over to the kitchen to find some food for yourself after you’d gotten ready for work, you yanked open the door for the fridge, expecting to be met with all of Jisung’s snacks and cans of drinks that still had their post-its on them.

However, as you were scanning the fridge to see if you had anything you could eat, you spotted a different coloured post-it on a bundle of juice packets, peeling the post-it off of the packaging to inspect it.

‘y/n, I heard these are great to start the morning with, try them for me?’

You couldn’t help but smile, a hand coming up to your face to attempt to slap away the heat you felt in your cheeks, pulling out a packet of juice anyway.

You were starting to think the juice did have some sort of magical properties in them, because when you got to work, you’d been on drink duty, which was your favourite to do. Well, technically, anything other than cashier duty was your favourite but who’s keeping track here?

You knew Jisung's meeting with the producer was around the afternoon, so when Chan had shown up at the café alone, you didn't question it.

Now you were really glad you weren't on cashier duty today, giving your colleague more time to talk to Chan while he ordered.

"One strawberry smoothie for Chan?" you called to get his attention, seeing him stroll over to the pick-up point with a smile on his face.

"Sorry, Jisung's not here," he teased, sighing wistfully.

You scoffed, "yeah, yeah. I know where he is.”

“How’s the tattoo healing?” He asked, making your hand go up to your shoulder unconsciously, “It’s alright, looks really pretty now that it’s all healed.”

Chan gave you a thumbs up, opening the lid of his drink as he took a sip, your curiosity getting the better of you.

“Is he meeting your friend now?"

Chan’s eyebrows raised in confusion, “who?..oh,” he nodded in realisation, “yeah, just went to meet him. Honestly, if you asked me, he didn’t seem as excited about the meeting as he was to meet you for dinner.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, “don’t put ideas into my head, old man.”

Chan simply gave you a shrug, “I’m not that old, you know,” he brought his drink up to his lips to take a sip, “and they’re only ideas if you’re in denial.”

You groaned, “go, begone, leave me alone.”

Chan giggled, nodding as his hand went up in surrender, “fine, I’m going. Have a good dinner later, Y/N,” he sing-songed.

Curse Chan for putting the thought into your head, now you couldn’t stop thinking about dinner.

Your shift only ended at 5:30, so that gave you just about enough time to go get groceries while Jisung prepared the things for your hotpot at home.

Deciding you would do what you were called to do, which in this case, meant to send Jisung a text wishing him the best of luck, you did as such.

2:31pm - hey, all the best for your meeting with the producer man!!-

Jisung’s reply had come quickly,

han jisung 2:32pm - thanks :( im waiting to see him now, I didn’t know there was gonna be a whole queue -

Setting your phone aside, you’d tried not to let yourself get too anxious while you waited for him to update you, busying yourself with washing dishes and even serving tables out of your sheer boredom due to the crowd starting to disperse at this time.

You waited, and you waited, you waited until the word ‘waiting’ itself felt weird to say in your head. You should’ve known better to have expected Jisung to update you over text, only receiving a text in the evening that read

han jisung 5:23pm - hey…i just finished meeting him…see u at the apartment?-

You’d texted him back, not knowing what to make of his text.

5:23pm - is that a good hey or a bad hey? -

Jisung hadn’t answered your question, his next text coming as more of a source of confusion for you.

han jisung 5:24pm - ill tell u in person -

“What happened? Is it Jisung?” Your colleague seemed to have sensed your inner turmoil, looking at you with concern etched in her features.

“Yeah, he told me he was done meeting the producer person…but he didn’t wanna tell me how it went,” you frowned, seeing your colleague hum in confusion.

“D’you think it didn’t go well?” She asked, mirroring your expression of uncertainty.

You typed out your reply to Jisung as you shrugged, “I don’t know, I’m hoping he’s just messing with me.”

5:26pm - my shift ends in like 4 minutes… I’ll go and get the groceries before I get back -

han jisung 5:26pm - okay, ill be waiting -

“All the best, then?” Your co-worker offered, giving you a look of sympathy.

“You too, enjoy the rest of your shift,” you returned her expression, sighing as you removed your apron, grabbing your bag from the back room before you left.

You’d tried your best to be quick in getting your groceries, making sure you’d gotten everything Jisung had told you to, your footsteps quick as you briskly walked to your apartment building.

Not knowing if it was because you hadn’t eaten in hours or if it was because you were just excited, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement in you, not so much because you were excited to hear how Jisung’s meeting went but more of because you were excited that you were going to see Jisung soon.

Finally reaching your apartment, you’d pushed the door open to spot Jisung coming out from his room, a towel on his head as he rubbed at his freshly-washed hair.

“Hey,” you breathed, a hint of a smile on your face, scanning his face for an expression as he glanced at you, his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose cutely.

Jisung had a whole plan for how he was going to surprise you with the news, he wanted to wait until the food was ready and when the both of you were seated across each other in the living room, wait for you to ask him about how the meeting went so that he could pretend to be upset about it.

And just like he’d seen in the romantic movie Chan was playing in the studio the other day, he would wait till you showed concern to give you a smile and tell you the good news, already being able to imagine the smile you would give him in celebration.

But seeing how you looked, a little bit breathless from rushing, carrying groceries in your hands as you looked at him with a smile that spelled nothing but relief, Jisung couldn’t help himself.

“He offered me a job,” Jisung confessed, his grip tight on his towel as he let his hand fall limp to his side, any perfect, fool-proof plan of copying the romance movie now long gone.

Your eyes widened, setting the groceries on the counter as you cheered, “oh my god, that’s great! I’m really happy for you!” You cheered, practically running towards him before stopping yourself halfway, realising you were almost about to hug him.

Jisung noticed you stop too, tilting his head at you as his hands had already begun to raise to welcome you into a hug, hesitating once he’d seen you stop.

“Sorry,” you huffed, shoving your hands into your pockets, taking a step back to create some distance between the both of you.

Jisung smiled, shaking his head, “don’t be.” Shocking you with his confidence, he’d taken a step closer to you, his arms going around your shoulders as he pulled you towards him, his head leaning against yours gently as one of his hands went up to pet your head gently.

“You really helped me through it, believe it or not.”

Your eyes widened, trying not to get too carried away with the way his hold felt too comforting for you to pull away, thankful that he’d let go first, his hands coming up to grasp your shoulders.

“You hungry? The soup’s almost done.”

You nodded, “can I uh…take a shower first? I’ll be quick I promise.”

You didn’t wait for him to reply before you’d escaped to the bathroom, too focused on showering quickly that you’d almost forgotten about the hug. Keyword, almost.

Once you’d changed into a comfortable shirt and shorts, you’d practically jogged over to the kitchen, seeing that Jisung had already taken out the ingredients to thaw the meat and prepare the veggies.

“Wow, who are you and what have you done with Jisung?”

Jisung turned around at your voice, rolling his eyes at your statement, flicking the water from the veggies at you as you dodged, “figured I’d do something while waiting, you know, make myself useful.”

You huffed, a smile on your face as you gestured for him to continue, “well, don’t let me stop you.”

“So how did the interview go?” You asked, watching intently as he brought the platefuls of ingredients to the coffee table, stopping you when you’d moved to help him get the pot of soup.

“It’s okay, you go sit down, I’ll do it.”

You couldn’t help the impressed pout from your lips, not wanting to let on that the gesture had made your heart flutter.

Once all the food was on the table, Jisung had taken a seat next to you, the both of you starting to throw your ingredients into the soup, Jisung turning to you looking as though he’d wanted to say something.

“What was I saying before? Oh, right,” he nodded, “I didn’t expect him to be so intimidating, I nearly pissed myself when I walked into the room.”

You’d burst into laughter, Jisung laughing along with you, “I’m not even joking. Chan gave me a completely different description of what he would be like.”

You’d tried your best to calm down from your laughter quickly, seeing him take a piece of food from the pot and place it into your bowl wordlessly, choosing to ignore the gesture for the sake of your heart.

“But I’m assuming he’s not that bad? Since he offered you the job?”

Jisung let out a sigh, “yeah, thank god he did, I was a stuttering mess. Even Iwouldn’t have hired myself.”

You let out a chuckle, “you’re lucky he judged you based on the song, then,” you teased, earning a harmless glare from him.

You’d scooped some food into your mouth, looking up at him to see that he’d already had his cheeks full of food, nodding at you expectantly.

“So does this mean you’re gonna work on that producer guy’s team?” You asked, earning a nod from him as he swallowed his mouthful of food with a wince.

“Yeah, he said I could intern at his company in the holidays and if everything goes well he’ll give me a contract once I graduate.”

You let out a low whistle, “wow, imagine all the exposure you’d get there…all the different types of genres and artists you’d be exposed to,” you marvelled, Jisung finding it amusing how you seemed more excited about it than he was.

You perked up in realisation, “speaking of which…I realised you’d never let me listen to the song yet.”

Jisung flushed, shaking his head, “did I? I swear I did,” he lied, making you shove him, a smile showing on his face as you did, nodding in surrender as he grabbed his phone from the coffee table.

“What’s it called?” You asked, seeing him nudge his glasses up with his knuckle, shaking his head to flick his hair from his eyes.

“Sunshine,” he told you quickly, not wasting anymore time and playing the song.

As he started to play the song, you were surprised at the light sounding melody the song had started with, the sounds of the city that he’d put inside, the feeling that you were…at home?

“Don’t look at me when you’re listening to it, I’m shy,” he brought a hand up to cover your face, making you yelp, your hands coming up to grab his wrist, pulling it away slowly as you grew more focused on the song, recognising his voice as he sang.

It wasn’t a love song, thankfully, you realised. You realised that the song revolved around a certain feeling of calm, with themes of getting away from the busy nature of your life and taking time for yourself, something you realised you and him both kind of needed.

You listened until the song had ended, looking at him with a big smile on your face, a smile that made Jisung want to cover your face in fear that it would make his heart burst with how giddy he felt.

“I love this,” you told him, “can you send it to me?”

Jisung scoffed, “no way, how do I know you’re not gonna sell it before I can get it copyrighted?” he huffed, leaning forward and resting his elbow on the table to support his head on his palm.

“I’m really impressed, how’d you get the inspiration to do this?”

Jisung shrugged, “my own life I guess, and the people that helped me get through that weird period of creative block that I was in,” he murmured.

You nodded, “well, whoever they are, you should thank them for me.”

Jisung nodded, facing the television as he contemplated in his heart whether to do what he wanted to do, turning to you with a small smile on his face, he nodded slowly.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

Your eyes widened, not knowing what to make of his words. The song had started to repeat.

Jisung had shook his head, “I’m not just saying this because I like you or whatever—” he stopped himself with a small curse, “shit, that was not how I planned on telling you. Whatever, as I was saying…” he trailed off, his gaze landing on your tattoo, the neck of your shirt having started to slip off your shoulder slightly.

“Honestly, I really hated that drawing,” he told you, your gaze following his to look at your tattoo, looking back at him with raised eyebrows.

“This? Why? But it’s so pretty,” you insisted.

Jisung shook his head.

“It was my first design, and I wasn’t…you know, I just didn’t think it was that impressive, and all. Chan had told me to keep it in my portfolio but I was really close to just removing it.”

His gaze shifted to anywhere except your face, distracting himself by looking at the various things in the house, his gaze landing on the rainbow-coloured umbrella at the door.

Jisung sighed, shifting in his seat so he was leaning against the sofa now, his body angled towards you, making you unconsciously shift your body to face him as well, your breath hitching in anticipation for what he was about to say next.

“But then, you said you wanted it tattooed, and I honestly didn’t want you to get it but I had no choice, you know, blah blah customer’s preference first and all that bullshit,” he waved his hand for emphasis, “but then after I saw you with the tattoo more, I guess my perspective started to change? I mean, like, you kept insisting that it was so beautiful and all that..you know, seeing you with it kind of started to grow on me.”

Jisung paused, his gaze on a corner of the coffee table as he tried to find the right words to express how he was feeling, shrugging at you and just deciding to say whatever was at the top of his head and work from there.

“I guess it kind of made me love my work more, and like, trust myself, you know… because I realised how beautiful it could be.”

You looked at him wordlessly, your heart picking up speed at the tension in the room, something in you urging you to stand up, making you get up on your feet with no aim in mind.

So as not to look like a complete fool, your hands flew up to hug your arms, “oh, it’s a little um, chilly. Be right back,” you sprinted to your room, reaching in your cupboard for your hoodie and putting it on without a second thought, too preoccupied to notice how it stopped at your thighs and how the sleeves bunched up more.

Returning to the coffee table, you’d almost regretted your decision to put on the hoodie, feeling utterly warm from how flustered you were, especially with the way Jisung was looking at you with a hint of a smirk playing at his lips.

“Sorry,” you murmured, averting your gaze as you tilted your head down, not expecting Jisung to tilt his head down as well so he could search for your gaze, making you scrunch your eyes shut, wrinkling your nose as you let out a huff of laughter.

“You can reject me, you know. I remember you said you already liked someone,” he told you, and Jisung meant it, not wanting anything but to make sure you were okay, and happy.

You shook your head, “I don’t want to,” you murmured, finally daring yourself to meet his gaze, your heart skipping a beat when you saw the way Jisung had smiled.

“I can’t say I’m not happy to hear that,” he told you.

Jisung had brought his hand up, lazily removing his glasses and looking at you finally, since now the other things in the house weren’t as clear in his vision, all that was important being that you were right in front of him, and he could see you clearer than anything.

“Why’d you take your glasses off?” You murmured, seeing him shrug, giving you a lazy smile.

“What? You scared I didn’t wanna see your face?” He teased, the flush on your cheeks making him give in almost immediately, “I’m kidding. I just didn’t feel like being distracted anymore.”

Maybe it was the atmosphere of the living room, or the lingering feelings the song had left in you, maybe it was even the way you felt like you were finally getting what you were waiting for.

Whatever it was, there was an overwhelming feeling of giddiness in you, especially with the way Jisung’s gaze had flickered between your lips and your gaze, and yet he’d made no move to lean closer to you, as if he was expecting you to move first.

Leaning closer, you’d let yourself glance down, getting distracted by the stain of black ink on the sleeve of your hoodie, only realising then that it wasn’t your hoodie.

“Shit, sorry I’m wearing yours by mistake again, it must’ve gotten mixed up,” you murmured, knowing it wasn’t your week to do laundry duty.

Jisung stopped you before you could stand up, pulling your hand forward so the only thing stopping you from losing your balance was his grip on your arm.

“I never thought I’d be saying this but, you can wear it.”

You’d sworn if your heart were any weaker, you wouldn’t have been able to last this long, Jisung seeming almost teasing with the way he’d inched closer at a painfully slow pace, so his lips were barely touching yours.

Just before he could pull back, you’d groaned in frustration, bringing your free hand up to cup the side of his jaw, meeting your lips with his.

And there it was again, the feeling of relief that washed over, knowing that this was very much happening, and that you wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Jisung pulled away first, his pupils blown and his eyes giving away his surprise, huffing at you and folding his arms, increasing the distance between you.

“I’m only realising this now, what do you mean I’m oblivious?”

You rolled your eyes, “I’ll explain it again later, I swear.”

Jisung huffed, more dramatic this time, making sure you sensed his sulkiness (as feigned as it was), looking at you with a pout on his lips, “give me a kiss and I’ll forgive you.”

He puckered his lips, making you roll your eyes, though you didn’t hesitate to cup his face again, pressing your lips against his as your thumb brushed over his cheek gently, pulling away before he would’ve wanted. You couldn’t help yourself from laughing at the way he’d leaned forward, chasing your lips, frowning at you with a soft sigh when you’d straightened up.

“Can we eat now? The meat’s getting overcooked.”

===

lucas 11:30pm - dude I told u it would work if you smiled at him more cant believe u didnt believe me smh -

[officialwittek]

pt. 4

*gif is not mine* 

word count: 2,101

Ever since my little conversation with the girls I haven’t been able to really be myself around Jeff. Now I notice the side glances, the lingering touches on my thigh, the way his breath hitches when I get pushed a little too close to him at parties, and everything else I haven’t noticed before. My friends were adamant that he liked me back but I couldn’t see it. Slowly I distanced myself from them, for one my manager thought it would be a good idea to release some new music soon so I was extra busy and I can’t really be around my friends without feeling like my heart is going to explode. Of course they started noticing and not a day went by where I didn’t get texts from at least three of them asking where I was and why I stopped coming around. Even Jason and Josh dropped my apartment to make sure I was still alive.

Three weeks have gone by since my sleepover with Jeff. We still talk but not as much as before. Carly and Natalie were constantly calling and texting and I truly felt bad, but it would seem like such a bullshit excuse to say it’s because of my crush on Jeff.

“Sage, this is... this is real good work. I’m thinking we finish it up, and be set to release it in two weeks” James, my manager, said listening to to the final of three of the songs

“Thanks dad, I think today we’re recording the last song. I’ll email you our final version by the end of the day” I reply, he ruffles my hair and nods, leaving for another meeting while the producer and I talk about the last track

We record for about four hours, fine tuning every last detail. After the two of us finally felt good about it we sent the file to James who also gave the approval. We sent it in the the higher ups who also gave us the ok. All the promotional pictures were finished, we had an album cover chosen, now to put it all together and make this my first serious piece of art. After the long morning I decided to head straight to my apartment. I wasn’t particularly hungry anyways. I parked my car and took the elevator up to my apartment.  

I noticed shushing and brushed it off, thinking it was just Carly and Erin messing around. I unlock the door and see all of my friends crammed into this fairly small apartment. No one had their cameras out and they all had their arms crossed I sighed and put my things down before shutting the door.

“Before you even say anything. No I’m not on drugs, I don’t hate anyone, and I actually have been working on my music. My first EP is coming out in a few weeks” I explain, their faces relax and Carly walks up to me

“Don’t you ever try to ghost us like that again. We hated it” She said, wrapping her slender arms around my shoulders and I nodded, our friends came around and we all had a sweet group hug

“Well a congratulations are in order. I think we should celebrate tonight” David says, laughing loudly

“Fine, I’m stealing a Red Bull from your fridge though” I say, we all go downstairs and I finally notice some of their cars parked there

We all head to David’s house and I grab a Red Bull. We all sit in the living room. Filming dumb bits and getting ready for tonight. David wanted to throw it at his house since he wanted to keep it relatively small. Natalie, Carly, and Erin went to stock up for the night, asking me about all my favorite things. It took about an hour and a half for them to come back. Everyone helped get things from Nat‘s car and set up. We were finally ready and decided to start drinking before everyone got here.

“May Ilya and Zane stay away from the hospital. Amen” I yell, all of them cheering in response as we take our shots

After a few rounds of shots I was already pretty tipsy. I sat down at the couch, answering a few congratulatory texts from others. I talked to a few of our friends here and there. Jeff was nowhere to be found. I frowned a bit, but who can blame him? After all, I’m the one who made the decision to not talk to him.

“Do you think we could get a sneak peak?” Jason asks, taking a set next to me but I shake my head

“I want to keep it a complete surprise. Plus I’ve been thinking about having a release party and showing everyone there” I said, Jason actually thought that was a much better idea than just playing it

We made small talk here and there, apparently Wyatt has been dying to see my new studio. I loved Jason’s kids like they were my own family, especially since Wyatt and I have such a love for music.

“I’d love to have Wyatt at the studio. He can even record some things if he wants to. I know how to produce as well” I said, Jason damn near cried at the suggestion and we set a date

“Someone looks a little sober” Zane yells from behind us, I laugh and allow him to take me to the kitchen where the others were taking shots or making their best interpretations of different cocktails

After sampling everyone’s horrible attempt at a blackberry mojito it’s safe to say I was one shot away from exiting the physical realm. Especially since Zane decided it was appropriate to just dump nearly an entire bottle of rum in the drink. After a few minutes Todd headed to the door and let someone in. I heard the familiar accent and my heart dropped to my stomach. Jeff is here.

To be fair, I’m probably the only one who really cares that much, especially since I’m drunk as hell and I have a crush on the dude. I try to run and hide in a corner but there’s a lot more people now. I finally see an opening and head straight for the backyard. Thankfully no one noticed because Zane was too busy doing something extremely dangerous. I sit in one of the chairs we reserve for smoking, hitting my puff and scrolling mindlessly through TikTok, trying to get the thoughts out of my head. I hear the sliding door open and look up to see David.

“Alright what’s wrong? You look like we threw a party because we killed your dog” David jokes, my lips spread into a light smile

“Nothing, I’ve just been so exhausted lately with everything going on.. that’s all” I lie, I mean I’m not really lying, just not telling him the whole truth

“So it has nothing to do with Jeff showing up and you’re definitely overthinking and avoiding him even more. C’mon I’ve known you for forever, you can’t lie to me” He replies, his tone suddenly being serious

And it’s true, I’ve known David since I moved out here. He was my first real L.A friend. He’s seen me at my absolute lowest moments, and someone I could always go to whenever something was wrong. I hated that he could read me like a book.

“Fine, the Jeff thing is a contributing factor. But I’m being honest about the exhaustion” I say, crossing my arms like a child

We sit and talk, something we haven’t done in forever. It felt nice to have someone listen to me. After about half an hour of just talking we decide to head back inside. I felt too sober again and took some shots with Natalie and Toddy. I could feel Jeff’s eyes glaring a hole into the side of my head, but I was too sober to deal with anything right now.

At around 1:00 am. I got hungry and ordered DoorDash for everyone. All the other guests had left so it was just our main group scattered around the house. Jeff was surprisingly still here. Todd had whispered to me earlier that the only reason he was sticking around this late was to make sure I got home alright. I smiled at the sentiment, he was always making sure my drunk ass was safe.

Our DoorDash arrived and we all ate while watching some movie David found on Netflix. Jeff took a seat next to me, the look in his eyes was telling me he was going to ask for my permission so I simply nodded and scooted over so he could be comfortable. After we ate David wanted to get some last minute bits before we left for his vlog tomorrow.

“Jeff are you attracted to Sage?” David asks, my breath hitches in my throat, making me choke on my water

“No, I’ve blocked her out. Since she’s part of the friend group I don’t want to make anything weird” He replies, I can tell the answer even made David a little upset

Jason makes a joke to lighten the mood before there’s any tension which I greatly appreciate. Although Jeff’s words struck a cord, while I sit there repeating what he said it hits me. He’s right, I can’t guarantee that if Jeff and I were together that it would be for life and I can’t lose my second family. He’s right, it would never happen. Before I know it I feel my eyes watering and Natalie gently grabs my hand before leading me to her room with the rest of the girls in tow. When she closes the door I finally let it all out

“It’s ok princess, let it out” Mariah says, the girls wrapping me in a group hug

“It’s so stupid, we’re best friends before I let this stupid ass crush ruin everything but just hearing him say that out loud made it so much more concrete that we will never be together” I cry, resting my head on her shoulder

We have a little talk and I clean myself up before we all go back outside. At that point  David was done filming and was looking through the footage on his camera to pick out some clips. Jeff was waiting patiently on the couch before Corinna spoke up.

“Hey Jeff, I’m gonna take Sage home. We have some plans tomorrow and it would just be easier if I stay over” She says, it’s sort of true, Corinna has some meetings in the morning and they’re closer to my place but she isn’t staying over

“Oh ok, I should head out then. I’ll see you guys later” Jeff says, saying his goodbyes and leaving

“So was anyone else uncomfortable with Jeff’s answer or was it just me?” David asks, the group agrees, it’s definitely in his right to say that I mean no is mad

“Yea, I wasn’t mad cause it’s his own opinion and Jeff is a big boy, but he seems to sort of lead you on for him to turn around and say that he doesn’t even see you like when we ask him about Natalie and Corinna” Heath replies, everyone nods in agreement and I just sigh

“I’m not mad, I mean I have been sort of ghosting everyone these past few weeks, maybe he’s just upset” I explain, Heath and Todd give me the look

“Baby that’s bullshit and you know it” Heath laughs, Todd agrees with him and taps my leg

“To be honest, he was very stressed out while you were gone” He says, I know he’s trying to make me feel better but it doesn’t really help

Corinna and I leave shortly after we have our little group talk. We caught up during the car ride and before I know it we’re at my apartment. We say goodbye and plan to meet for lunch tomorrow before I head up to my apartment. I knew Carly was probably fast asleep so I tried to be as quiet as possible.

I get ready for bed and climb into my warm blanket, wrapping myself like a burrito. I browse TikTok on my phone for a few minutes before setting my alarm. Just before I let sleep take over my phone buzzes on my nightstand.

Jeff: I missed you.. I’m sorry for being an asshole tonight. I had no idea that I was leading you on, but I didn’t know you had a crush on me..

Fuck.

[judediangelo75]

Happy Mother’s Day, Mama!

In honor of Mother’s Day, I decided to write a fluff, cavity inducing story featuring the Winger family!

As those of you who got to know my MC, Judith Harris, she’s, in a sense, like a background character. She loves her friends and someone who would do just about anything for someone she cares about but in a sense fades in the background.

Once she moved to Britain, her mother took it upon herself to “raise” her. Which was through abuse: physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Judith truly believes she doesn’t deserve anything nice. For many years, a lot of her friends never knew when was her birthday. For several reasons:

-Her preexisting mentality about not deserving anything, gifts included.

-Her birthday is just a month after school starts, so a new curse would already be wrecking havoc throughout the school. And she practicing for the Quidditch matches that are in November.

So when she found out she was going to be an expecting mother, she flashed back to one of her mother’s last words to her. Which was basically she’ll be just like her.

While she was anxious about being a mom, she was determined to be the best mother she can be for her children, Bakari and Kendrick.

Who, in turn, want to show their appreciation for their mama.

Enough rambling, on with the story!

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

(2006)

It was Sunday, March 26. In the early hours of the morning, two boys can be found sleeping peacefully in their beds.

It wasn’t until the early morning rays began to filter through the room when the eldest awoke. Red eyes slowly blinked open, lazily taking in his surroundings until they landed on the calendar on the wall. 

The young boy shot up from his bed, scrambling off his bed to get a closer look at the date. A giddy smile formed on his face before he rushed to his little brother’s bed side.

“Kendrick... Kendrick... wake up,” he whispered, poking at the lump hiding underneath the blankets. He heard a grunt and the head of his little brother poked out of the blanket cocoon.

“Too early,” the younger boy grumbled. Bakari chuckled at his 5 year old brother’s obvious disdain. Pale gold eyes glared back at him.

“Kendrick, it’s Mother’s Day, remember,” the eldest reminded. It took a few moments for Bakari’s words to fully settle in Kendrick’s sleep ridden mind, but when they did, the younger boy perked up.

“Oh! Do you think Dad is up,” he asked, remembering their plans. Bakari looked thoughtful for a moment before replying,

“Maybe, maybe not. Let’s get ready though, just in case he is.” Kendrick nodded, eager to surprise their mama...

-------

Not even ten minutes later, another pair of red eyes opened. 

Talbott was naturally an early riser. He always liked the peace and quiet of the mornings, as well as getting a head start of his day.

But today, he made sure to wake up early for a particular special reason. 

And that reason was still sleeping soundly in his arms.

He smiled and pressed a chaste kiss to his sleeping wife’s cheek.

He and Judith have been married for over a decade. He remembered proposing to her just a year and a half after they graduated on New Year’s Eve in their apartment flat at the time. He remembered seeing her walk down the aisle alongside her older brother. He remembered the shy happiness in her beautiful eyes when the priest gave him permission to kiss his new wife. He remembered the nervous breakdown she had when she found out she was pregnant.

There were a few times that Talbott witnessed her in the midst of an anxiety attack. He knew it was thanks to the emotional scars left by her mother. While Judith has gotten better mentally, she did had her down periods. 

That was a drastic down period.

Talbott never felt more heartbroken when he heard his little bird’s cries and sobs through the bathroom door. Her broken words that she wouldn’t be a good mother.

It killed him on the inside since Judith locked him out and he couldn’t hold her and give her the comfort that he knew that she needed.

He spoke to her gently from his side of the door, reassuring her that she wasn’t anything like the woman who gave birth to her. He seen her heart.

Despite her semi cold exterior... she had the warmest personality.

She was always there for someone in need.

She would do almost anything to get a person to smile. To open up. 

She’s been there for her friends for years.

She’s been there for him for years. 

He could trust in the fact that she would do the same for their child.

After his speech, silence fell between the two before the tell tale sound of the door unlocking hit Talbott’s ears. Talbott only had a few seconds to brace himself before the door swung open and his wife basically leapt into his arms.

She didn’t say much but Talbott knew she was appreciative by the way she was hugging him.

Fast forward to now, they had two beautiful boys and he couldn’t be more grateful.

Bakari and Kendrick simply adored their mother and all that she does for them, so they had asked him to help make a mother’s day breakfast for her. Along with a few other things.

Lucky for him, his wife was a rather heavy sleeper. Making slipping away much easier. Carefully, he slipped his arms from around her and quietly crept out of bed. 

Judith grunted softly in her sleep, rolling over to Talbott’s side before settling there. Talbott stifled a chuckle at his little wife’s adorable behavior before heading into their bathroom to freshen up.

---------

Within the next hour, Talbott and his two sons were in the kitchen making breakfast for the sleeping woman. Thankfully after Judith’s lesson on how to make pancakes, there was less of a mess and no fire.

Bakari was helping their father cook since he was a bit older. Kendrick was happy to help fetch any ingredients they needed as well as organizing their gifts. 

After an hour and a half, everything was prepared...

-----------

Judith was still sound asleep when her three loves quietly crept into the bedroom. Her nose twitched at the smell of food, causing her eyes to flutter open slightly.

Though she hid underneath the blanket when sunlight assaulted her eyelids.

“Whyyyyyy,” she groaned. Bakari chuckled, glancing at his little brother who had the decency to blush. Talbott ran a hand along the visible curve of his little bird’s body.

“Wake up, darling... we have a surprise for you...” Judith let out a curious grunt. 

‘We?’ she thought. Sitting up, she pulled the blanket from her head.

“Happy Mother’s Day!” Judith stared wide eyed at her two beaming sons, who looked up at her with the most adorable hopeful expressions on their faces. 

Bakari held a breakfast tray with a plate with heart shaped pancakes, eggs, bacon, sliced mangos and melon and a tall glass of passion fruit juice.

Kendrick held a bouquet of dwarf sunflowers, yellow tulips, and dark purple roses in one hand and a card in his other hand.

Judith slowly turned to her husband, who had a smile tugging his lips and a box in his hand.

“I-I... what?” Bakari and Kendrick sported the twin frowns, red and pale gold eyes staring up at their mother with worry reflecting in them.

“We wanted to surprise you for Mother’s Day... don’t you like it, Mama,” Kendrick asked quietly. Judith felt tears building in her eyes, her chest filled with emotion.

“I-I do, my love... you guys didn’t need to go through this trouble for me,” their mother said softly.

“But we wanted to, Mama! We really wanted to show that we love and appreciate you,” Bakari said. Tears were now running down Judith’s cheeks, worrying the two boys.

“Oh... come here you two...”  Bakari and Kendrick set the items on the bedside before crawling into bed. They were quickly engulfed in a tight embrace by their mother.

“Thank you my two little princes, you two have no idea how much this means to me...” they heard their mother whisper. They nuzzled against her, taking in her comforting scent they grew accustom to from they were babies.

Talbott silently observed the scene with a small smile. He knew this was something Judith needed. She was a lovely mother, and needed to be reminded of that from their two sons.

Leaning over, he placed a kiss on her temple.

“Why don’t you read the card we got you, darling,” he offered. Judith perked up a bit, releasing her boys so she can sit up straighter. Talbott handed her the card. Bakari and Kendrick remained on either side of their mother, eager to see their mama’s reaction.

Judith opened the card and silently read.

“Dear Mama,

We wanted to wish you the best Mother’s Day. We can’t express how much we love and appreciate you. You’re always there for both of us. When we’re learning. When we’re sick. When we’re scared. When we’re sad. When we’re mad. We always know that you’ll be there. With your bright smile that’s like sunshine. With your pretty voice, especially when you sing. Your warm hugs and loving kisses. Your pretty gold eyes.

We’ll always be your princes, just like you’ll always be our queen.

Love, Bakari and Kendrick”

Kendrick smiled when he saw the soft look in his mother’s eyes.

“Dad wrote something too,” the youngest pointed out. Judith spared a shy glance at her husband before reading the other side of the card.

“Dear Judith,

Happy Mother’s Day, my beautiful little bird. Words can’t describe how much I love you. You gave me a life I never thought I could have. A family. For that, I’m forever grateful for you. Forever indebted to you. You deserve all the love in the world. And our sons believe so as well, this was their idea after all. You are a Queen and you deserve to be treated as such.

Thank you for all that you do, my darling.

Love, Talbott”

‘I’ve gone soft, I can feel the waterworks coming again...’ Judith thought. Bakari and Kendrick leaned in to place a kiss on their mother’s cheeks.

“We love you, Mama,” they said. Judith let out a chuckle, kissing their heads.

“And I love you...” Judith looked up at her husband with a shy smile.

“All of you,” she whispered. Talbott chuckled, placing a peck on her lips.

“There’s still one more thing before you eat,” he said. He handed her the box with a smile. Judith opened it to find a gold necklace. Two gold feather charms with the engravings ‘B’ and ‘K’ were found on it. 

“Birds of a feather flock together,” Bakari chirped. Judith let out a laugh, allowing her husband to put on the necklace for her.

“What’s so funny, Mama,” Kendrick asked.

“Many years ago, your father was someone who flew solo,” Judith chuckled, smirking at Talbott who in turn playfully rolled his eyes.

“That was before I found my mate for life, little bird. Now hush and eat, we all know how you get when you’re hungry.” As if on cue, Judith’s stomach rumbled, causing the males around her to laugh. Judith blushed, grumbling underneath her breath before smiling.

The rest of the morning, the family laid in bed happily chatting. 

The males gladly showing their love for the woman they were grateful to call “Wife” and “Mother”.

[girlmeetsliv3]

Lilies of the Valley VII

A/B/O!BTS x Reader

Flowers can have different meanings depending on the flower shape, color, and method in which they are presented. Lilies are my favorite for such a simple flower can have so many distinct meanings.

    “The tiger lily is also known as a symbol of honor and riches and some cultures around the world consider it a symbol of love and kindness.”

Release Date: 06/08/20 @  9 pm

previously ~ next

Trigger Warning: Some of the contents discussed in this chapter may not be suitable for all audiences. Mentions of past trauma.

          “What the fuck are they doing here?!”

           “Soyeon, please calm down.”

           It took a lot for her to calm her older sister down, as YN pushed her away from the perplexed alphas. Once YN had managed to guide her sister towards the other side of the car, she seemed to have calmed down, or at least that’s what YN thought before her sister directed her anger towards her. “What the fuck, YN. Why would you bring them here? Are they your mates? Did they force you to do this? Do you need help?” YN placed her hands over Soyeon’s mouth, muffling any other questions she might have.

         “Please calm down, I can’t answer everything at once.” Her sister wasn’t the confrontational type, but she hadn’t been there when the incident occurred. Despite being only a year older, Soyeon had decided to study abroad. Something that YN had once overheard her saying she regretted. “Alright, I’m calm. So it’s official then, you completed the mating bond?” YN wasn’t sure how to answer, wasn’t sure how much of the truth her sister knew. There were at least three different versions of what had occurred: what YN had said, what the police had said, and the truth. Which version YN told depended on how much self-loathing she carried within her.

         "Legally, yeah. It's official." She wouldn't elaborate on it, let people interpret it the way they want. When YN saw the relief that flashed on Soyeon's face, she felt a small part of her die. "Oh, thank god. I was worried that you were going to show up alone again. That's why I asked to meet you here, I wanted to mentally prepare you for Shuhua's family." So much for what her mother had said on the phone. It was good that Soyeon had found a mate - especially a female alpha considering how strange they were. "I'm happy for you." The smile on her face was forced, but that didn't mean the words were any less true. YN was genuinely happy for her sister.

         “Oh, I’m sorry about how I reacted.”

         YN turned her head to see Jungkook and Seokjin peering, the latter smiled. “Don’t worry. We understand.”

         Soyeon nodded, “I can get a bit protective over my little sister.” The head rub Soyeon gave YN was a bit unnecessary but her scowl gave everyone a laugh, so she opted not to bring it up. Soyeon dusted off her jeans, despite there being no dust on them, “Well. I’ll see you at home tomorrow then.” Her attention returning to the alphas. “It was nice to see you again. Seriously, if you hurt my sister again I’ll kick your assess.”

       The hotel room they rented had two rooms and a sofa bed, despite YN insistence that she could take the latter they had all refused. Pushing her into the smaller of two rooms, whilst they all shared the master. Truthfully YN didn’t understand how they all managed to sleep together without waking up hot sweaty messes or maybe they didn’t mind. They’re probably used to being hot around each other. Once she dwelled on it a little more, a sudden flash of embarrassment took her over and she opted to think of something else.

       The common area of the hotel room had a balcony where YN was currently sitting. She didn’t know what the others were up to but enjoyed being alone for a while. It gave her a chance to mentally prepare for the onslaught of questions she would have to face tomorrow. The sound of the glass door sliding open, distracted her as she peered to Jungkook stepping out. YN had to steady her racing heart, though she was sure the Alpha had heard it already considering his tense stance. Never the one to leave any space between them, Jungkook strode towards the patio chairs sitting on the one right next to her. There was a frown between his full brows and his rounded eyes looked more sunken in than usual.

         “Is everything okay?” YN asked cautiously, unsure that it was the right move. Maybe she should have ignored him until he spoke first.

         "Does your family not know?" It was phrased as more of a statement than a question, but that didn't matter. YN swallowed thickly, she should've realized they would be quick to catch on. When weren't they? "They know what they need to." At this, the frown between Jungkook's brows deepened. His body was tilted so that it faced YN's entirely, while hers was facing forward. "What is that supposed to mean?!" His hands gripped hers, forcing her to look into his eyes. He looked angry and that put YN on edge, unsure of how he would react. Jungkook must've seen the fear in her eyes, for the next time he spoke the words were spoken in a softer tone.

          “Your family picked you up from the station. The police spoke to them, didn’t they?” YN didn’t answer, so he continued. “Your mother has always kept in contact, but I just assumed she was very forgiving and knew about the pack bond.” YN shook her head, keeping her eyes forward and wide, afraid to blink for that might release the unshed tears.

         “My mom- my family doesn’t know about the pack bond.”

         “So, then…”

          It took YN all her might to not stutter or let out a sob. She had been holding so much in for years and now she was about to break at the hands of the one who started it all. No, I played a part in it too. “I told my parents we were dating and that I asked you to mark me in the heat of the moment.” Jungkook stilled, YN wasn’t sure she could even pick up on him breathing. It was after a few tense moments that Jungkook intertwined his hands in hers, YN didn’t have the strength to fight back. “Why would you do that?” The words were barely above a whisper, but they were enough to shatter YN.

        Sobs wracked through her body and she knew it was only a matter of time before the other alphas made their way outside. “What else was I supposed to do? Admit the truth? Do you know how bad that would look? I was a newly presented Omega and I’d jumped into bed with someone I barely knew. Enough rumors were already going around. Do you know how people look at me because of the bite mark?! Like I’m some kind of whore. I made a mistake, we made a mistake, and it was a lot easier to say it was that than admit the truth to my family.”

         “YN, don’t say that. It doesn’t matter what people think -”

         “Do you know I saw the disappointment in my father’s eyes the day I presented. I wasn’t even supposed to stay after school that day, but I did because I couldn’t stand to be at home.” She took a deep breath, using the back of her sleeve to wipe at her face. “If I had just faced the truth-”

        “Don’t fucking say that.” Jungkook interrupted her, he was yelling now but YN could see the tears of frustration in his eyes. “What happened was a mistake. I should’ve controlled myself better, I shouldn’t have let my instincts take over and bitten you.” Jungkook brought her hands up peppering small kisses along the knuckles, “Lily, I should’ve told you when we saw each other that I felt the bond. I was just so overwhelmed, I thought it was my rut, I didn’t even realize what had happened.”

        YN shook her head again, “Jungkook, what kind of a person jumps into bed with some she barely knows because of her heat. Much less when she knows he’s mated.”

        Before YN could even continue Jungkook got down on his knees in front of her, tears now streaming down his face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The pheromones Jungkook was releasing were ones riddled with stress and anxiety. At that moment, YN ceased to see him as the perpetrator of everything that had gone wrong in her life. He was still at fault, but Jungkook had been a new alpha as well. A kid as well. It had been years and here he was groveling at her feet for forgiveness, not for himself or his mates. But in order for YN to stop blaming herself. "Jungkook, get up." The alpha refused, clinging onto her hands like they were a lifeline. Slowly, YN slid off the chair and to the floor gathering him in her arms, he was much bigger than her but the way he wrapped himself around her spoke volumes.

        Out of her mouth came the words YN never thought she would utter. “I forgive you.” Then as a display of her sincerity, she rubbed her nose where his scent gland was right above his mating mark. Where her’s would eventually go.

        The second YN stepped out of the car, her mother swept her up into a hug. “Oh, darling how I’ve missed you.” YN giggled hugging her mother tightly, despite being a beta her mother had always smelled to her like sour lemons. Most might find that irritating smell, but YN had always enjoyed it. “I missed you too, Mom.” Her mother squeezed her tightly before her focus turned on the alphas behind her. “It’s nice to see you all. You especially Namjoon.”

         “It’s a pleasure to see you again ma’am.” Namjoon’s dimpled smile was enough to have her mother swooning on the spot. Something which caused YN to roll her eyes, though the longer she thought about it. “You’ve met my mother before?” The question was directed towards the lead alpha, but it was her mother who answered. “Ah, Namjoon introduced himself during your graduation. He called to let me know that they would be accompanying you.” Oh. “I didn’t know that.” She shot the men a glare, but they all shrugged.

         Jungkook intertwined her hands in his and shot her a sheepish smile. “You look pretty today.” The dress she was wearing was one they had picked out for her, a red wrap dress that brushed her knees. Jungkook seemed to be in a better mood than yesterday, their conversation had left YN worried but thankfully it seems everything had been resolved. At least on his side. Her mother guided her through the house and to the back, showing them to the outside.

         “Be warned, Shuhua’s family is a bit antiquated.”

         That served as an understatement for what was to come.

Decorations lay thrashed on the floor as several tables and chairs were flipped over in the tumult. YN couldn’t see much through her bleary tears, but she could see the bloodstain. Drying on the freshly cut grass while its rusty odor invaded all of YN’s senses. She was aware of the echoes and shouts around her, but YN couldn’t react to them. Not until she felt warm arms wrapping around her figure, the woody scent alerting her to who it was. “Let’s go home, baby.” YN wasn’t sure whether she nodded or not, but she was dragged away nonetheless towards the six other men waiting for her.    

I called them,” Namjoon answered her thoughts, but YN wasn’t too concerned. Despite, her wondering how the men had managed to get there so quickly. She was faintly aware of getting into a car, being placed on someone’s lap, and the sweet sounds of humming near her ears. “It’s okay, YN. Everything is okay now. You’re safe.” So it was Jimin she was sitting on. That’s why her nose didn’t burn. She remembered Soyeon’s words, her mother’s shocked expression, and the face of the disgusting man being pounded into by one of her mates. “Shhh, baby. It’s okay. You’re safe now. No one’s ever going to hurt you again.”

Hope you enjoyed!!!

@hxsxxk-180294​ @saxpam24​ @trixsterbi @mel-gonzalez07​ @cstobitk​ @dionysus-png​ @taekimxx​ @moonlitehunter @joonie-grim​ @wonderlace19​ @sugashaye​ @rosey-roseu​ @mintaemark​ @ciderxi @soloikeadates​ @alex--awesome--22​ @ruth619​ @tinger-k​ @thenyousaidhello​

[heresathreebee]

That G-D Ring of Yours

High Fidelity’s Robyn Brooks X Female reader

Summary: You seek comfort from your neighbor Rob

Masterlist

There's probably gonna be a part 2

Word count: 2.5k words

Warning(s): +15 | implied cheating, internalized homophobia, heterosexism, author and Rob swearing, no hate to polyamorists but major hate to bad faith players, shameless self insert, no beta, barely edited, long as fuck I'm so sorry

Author's note: I'm having anxiety for no discernable reason and my brain has decided this is ideal fuel for a fic, so please enjoy. EDIT: ha ha yeah still anxious but we're doing stuff about it

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

"-- And she just touched my hand by accident and I just felt this–  this spark between us…" 

It was so sweet how he was talking about it. Or at least it would be were this not your fiancé explaining how he had been seeing another person behind your back. Had you rushed into things with him? Gotten hitched after three months because of familial pressure to settle down and start your family? Quite possibly.

But it didn't make that stabbing in your gut hurt any less. 

You had been a little gung-ho from date number 1, but he had been right there with you the whole time. Date number 2 happened the following weekend and then you just kept seeing each other more and more until before you knew it you had been introduced to each other's extended families and announced your engagement on Valentine's Day. 

You started to suspect something was amiss on Sunday, when you were braiding your hair on the bed and he had gone to take a shower. He accidentally set his phone screen aside with a text chat still open. Thinking nothing of it (he had already told you he was talking to Mark about getting drinks tonight), you looked at the name and saw it belonged to a woman you had never heard of before. Your immediate reaction was 'she must be a new coworker or a cousin,' but then you glanced again and saw the text conversation mirrored the same kind of ‘sentiments’ he texts you. 

The dirt burned into your brain for eternity: 

You had looked away then. You were actually not going to say anything at all to him that night– had planned to bring it up after Tuesday dinner with your auntie's family, but something came up. It turns out that Jessabelle also frequented the same Starbucks as you (and she's your age, not a teen like you worried). You can't even find it in you to be mad at her since it seemed like she had no idea who you were when she showed you the picture of her date at a baseball game. You tried not to puke as you asked for her number and to send her that picture "for her contact profile." 

You hadn't heard a word your fiance had said since the beginning of the phone call and you cut him off with some excuse you barely remember. You tossed your phone carelessly onto the couch and laid back on the cushions in defeat. What now? 

You weren't really a drinker or a smoker, and you didn't exactly have friends who would be supportive right now. You could hear them now, your family too– asking you what you did wrong, telling you to just forgive him or how to get even, or simply saying 'well what do you expect? Boys will be boys.' 

Maybe… no, you definitely need to get this off your chest before you do something stupid like pretend to forget about it. You had a bad habit of that because you tend to fall fast and hard. Perhaps your neighbor could give you some advice. 

Thank the Lord for fire escapes. Rob lived on the floor beneath you, always playing something good from her huge collection of vinyl records. You've told her at least a hundred times before if she played nothing but Phil Collins for the rest of eternity, you could die happy. You crossed your fingers and hoped you weren't being weird or invading her privacy. 

Thankfully, she seemed to be expecting you. She even motioned that the latch was undone and waved you inside. Ok the second wine glass made your face grow hot. 

"I'm not interrupting am I?" 

Rob gave you a warm smile. "I could hear you pacing around your kitchen for about an hour. Was about to come and get you actually." 

She pressed the glass into your hand and you made an effort not to grimace. Rob liked her drinks cheap and strong and she never held back. You tried a sip just to be polite, and she snorted at the face you pulled. 

"That's right, you like that sweet stuff. What's it called again?" 

"Stella Rosa," you mumbled, grateful when she takes the glass back and hands you a water to replace it. 

"Favorite flavor," she asked looking at her phone. 

"Uh… the peach and the rosé. They're all pretty good, not gonna lie." 

"OK, take this, grab a blanket from the hall closet, and tell me what's going on." 

You curled up on Rob's couch and put your feet up. There were piles of records all over the place, empty beer cans and a pizza box or two on the coffee table. Your neighbor tapped away at her phone screen before silencing it and slipping it in her back pocket. She gave you a minute or two to speak up, sipping her drink like you two had all night. Which actually you did as you did not want to see your fiancé right now. 

You felt two fingers gently tap your forehead. "Come on, dreamer, tell me what's going on in that head of yours." 

You swallow the lump in your throat. "I feel a little over dramatic saying my life is about to fall apart." 

Rob raised her eyebrows at you. "Damn, OK." 

You rush to correct yourself– explain your weird sentiment in more detail but you end up just vomiting words until your voice is hoarse. 

"I mean– like– like it's not falling apart per say or whatever– I… the rest of my life is fine its just my relationship that's screwed. Which I guess I'm more worried about because it's gonna screw up all my other relationships for a while too– dang it, let me start over–" 

"Babe! Slow down. Breathe." Rob switched drinks with you and against your better judgement you took a sip. Oddly enough it did calm you down. "So… it's your fiancé, right? What did he do?" 

You stared at her trying to unscramble your thoughts. "He… I found out he was kind of... dating another person. After I found out, he tried to explain that he didn't think I would mind–" 

Rob barked, "let me guess: he didn't think you were exclusive? Pull the Main Chick, Side Chick schtick? Tried to claim 'polyamory' after he got caught?" 

Two and two clicked together at last. "Yeah… yeah, he did!," you scoffed, "and it's not like it didn't ever come up in conversation: we spent our third date talking out our, like, sexualities and fantasies and fetishes and shit. If he was polyamorous, wh- why wouldn't he have brought it up then?" 

"That is so fucked." 

You took a deeper draft of her wine, coughing before setting it aside. Up until now, you've been numb. Now there's this wave of anger boiling up to the surface and you hear yourself getting louder. Rob doesn't flinch but she does give you this look of empathy unlike anything you've seen before. 

"If he– if he would have just asked me, I would have told him it was fine. My family does shit like that all the time: nobody bats an eye! If he really thought I wouldn't mind, he wouldn't have been so freaking sneaky about it. He literally lied, Robyn!" 

You whipped around and for a brief moment you knew you looked crazy. "He said he was going out for drinks with his guy friend, but he was making plans to go to a baseball game with a girl I've never heard of! If he really thought I wouldn't mind, or if he 'thought I would understand,' then why would go out of his way to lie about who he was with?" 

Someone buzzed Rob's door and she left you on the couch momentarily, coming back quickly with two bottles of your favorite wine. "Damn girl, these are kinda bougie: Peach or Rosé?" 

"I--"you choked, "Robyn you didn't have to–" 

"Peach it is!" She unscrewed the caps and handed you the whole freaking bottle of white, downing the last of her merlot and getting a fresh glass for you. 

You felt a little guilty she had spent money on you. But then again it had been her choice. If she didn't want you there, Rob wouldn't have let you in in the first place. Maybe you were just a tinsy bit worried you shouldn't be here. 

You and Rob took a break from talking to put on music and get a little tipsy. It came much easier with the help of the Stella Rosa, though Rob initially complained it was 5.5%, she did get accustomed to the sweetness pretty fast, and after consuming half the bottle, realized it was a little easier to get carried away with a drink like this. She admitted it was her first time trying rosé and now she was hooked. Eventually you started talking again, just spilling your guts out with no filter anymore. 

"I really think I just hate myself," you said cuddling the cool glassware. "When I found out, I wasn't even thinking of it as a betrayal of my trust– it felt like I was trying to come to terms with it so I could continue with the relationship. Not because it would make me happy but because… I don't know… it's what everybody else wants me to do. They don't even know about it and I was fully prepared not to tell them even though they'd want me to marry him whether they knew or not." 

Rob barked a laugh of surprise. "Doh-K!" 

"What?" 

"Nothing, nothing…" she said, "keep going." 

You stared off into the middle distance and leaned into her side. She was a tiny bit warm despite her lithe figure. Made you want to throw your blanket over her shoulders and share your greater warmth. 

So you did (you're not great at acting out your desires but this is nice!)

"It's just easier," the words left your mouth unbidden, "I don't even know what that means, but it's true. I don't want to marry him anymore but I don't want to break it off. Not marrying Fiancé means disappointing my family. It means having to find an entire new man to marry sooner rather than later because I'm already 'behind' and lowering my already low expectations. 

"It's not gonna make me happy, but I just think it's easier to keep this wedding going because at least I won't have to find somebody new who might not be as good for me just because I didn't want him. Another man won't make me happy so there's no reason to drop him... except that I don't want him." 

Rob's brow furrowed. "Are you saying it's easier for you to please your family than it is to be happy?" 

"Yes? I– no, I– … I don't know," you sigh. "I guess you could say my priorities are a little… mismanaged." 

"Sure, you could say that." Rob wrapped her arms around your shoulders and you inhaled the scent of her soap and cigarettes. "What if you tried… like… not doing that anymore...? You just said you do whatever your family wants you to do. So, just like do what makes you happy for a change." 

It really does sound so simple the way she puts it, doesn't it? Why are you doing this to yourself? You're not dependent on them for money or security or happiness for that matter. So... why has your whole life been centered around pleasing them? 

"I think… I think I've never really sat down and thought about what makes me happy," you admitted. "I think it's just been that way forever and I might have been too scared to try anything else." 

Rob hummed. "Are you still scared now?" 

Are you? You look into her eyes and ask yourself a question that has never crossed your mind with such depth. You used to be scared– but what is it about your happiness that you are so afraid of? OK, let’s start a little simpler: what are things that make you happy? 

“I like…” you swallowed, trying to break down the barriers you’ve built years and years ago. “I like… coffee. I like… short skirts. I like… girls– I like… my job. I like… music. I think I’d enjoy camping, you know, some day…” 

Your words… these things seemed so arbitrary and trivial. But in your house, these things cause dissent. “My family has an opinion about everything. There’s no right way to live in all of their eyes, but I think I figured out a way to get past it. Keep my head down and do what’s expected of me. Graduate college, get a respectable job, find a man to marry, drop the job and become a mother. Just… don’t make waves. It seemed better because the cousins who didn’t or couldn’t… well they became the butt of every joke at the family dinner. Lisa had one miscarriage so she was a ‘failure’ and Don never dated girls so he was gay and that was ‘bad,’ but grandma Zelda did everything a good Christian woman could do and they still gossiped about her behind her back… 

“And I just… I just let their ignorance control me for my entire life.” God, you could cry right now, but somehow it just felt too good to say it outloud. “That.. that is so fucked.” 

Robyn snorted, and you turned to her as if you’d forgotten she was there. There it was again, that sympathy. Not pity, she did not burden you with tears of her own or try to be angry for you. She just listened and understood. You twisted the diamond encrusted ring on your finger and stared at her. You felt it, that feeling in your heart. No one else had given you that look, like she could really see you. 

“You’re not going back to Fiancé, are you?” Her question was equal parts worrisome and hopeful and you already knew the answer in your heart. 

“No.”

And that was it. Decision made. Actually easier than you'd thought. Maybe not down the road but it felt good for now. There's the telling your fiancé it's over, the moving out, the public announcement, the inevitable feeling of failure, your family, god, his family too. Untangling your lives would be long and hard. You're not sure if you have that level of commitment and motivation in you but fuck it. Problems for tomorrow.

You rest your head on Rob's shoulder and hope your not pushing any boundaries. She doesn't stop you though, in fact she snuggles you deeper into her. You get the feeling she's been here before though your not sure which side or how bad it was for her.

"I like you way more in the few times I've met you than any man I've ever dated," you heard yourself say. "I'm sure that means something but I'm too tired to decide anymore. No tonight at least."

Rob chuckled. "I like you too, sugar."

If you made it this far, hi 💛 appreciate you, leave me a comment! Or just comment "💛"

[daydream-believin]

The Never-Ending Roadtrip (St. Louis)

summary: (pt 1) Reader joins Douxie in the quest for Nari’s safety. He’ll need company won’t he? - part 4) Doux and Reader get out of Missouri finally but not before one last stop      (part 5)

warnings: swearing

word count: 6205

a/n: im getting a smidge impatient on my planned mutual pining slow burn as you can see. mmm i want a piece of st louis butter cake. @blixeon​ gets credit for putting the douxie trying to keep y/n away from moppet!douxie idea in my head. its not a big plot point here but idk felt i should still mention it

Douxie stared up at the ceiling with dry, unblinking eyes. There were many interesting cracks in the ceiling, barely illuminated by the light streaming in from the bathroom door. He was wide awake, despite not being able to convince himself to move. He was never a morning person, but once he remembered where he was, it was like someone had poured a bucket of ice water on him. Y/n was no longer clinging to him when he woke up, albeit, she was not even in the bed at all when he woke up. That had gave him a fright before he realized he could hear the shower running. Somehow, this was worse than if she’d still been there when he woke up. This meant she woke, untangled herself from him, and was probably going to pretend like it didn’t happen, since she couldn’t possibly know he stayed awake long enough to know about it. Which, while waking up in her arms would have been a little awkward, at least he would have gotten a conversation out of it. An acknowledgement. Something.

Speaking of the shower, somehow that was doing a number on him too. It was so strange. They’ve lived together for years now; they’ve shared a bathroom for years now. He’s heard her shower so many fucking times. No sweat. These feelings were making him silly. Perhaps it was this fucking room. The domesticity of it all, which was a weird thing to say when you literally lived with said person. Yet, he couldn’t stop imagining that he was waking up in His Home, listening to His Wife get ready for work in the en suite of Their Bedroom. She didn’t want to wake him, how sweet. She was always worried about him getting more sleep. He’d go help her with her hair, braid it for her. His hands would run through her soft hair as he styled it. She’d kiss him on the nose before she left to go make him a cup of coffee while he got ready. She knew just how he liked it. They’d brush their teeth together, every morning, just like they did last night.

Bleeding balroths, last night. What was he going to do about last night. His dumb heart wouldn’t just be able to leave well enough alone, apparently. Does he,,, say something? Perhaps he should wait to see if she says something. That would be,, the safer route. He knew one thing for sure though. He wasn’t going to act like he didn’t love every second of it. He’d made up his mind. His life has been way too long and lonely for him to keep this ‘it’s not like I like you’ act up. And for Merlin’s sake, he had died not even three days ago. He had almost been gone, and would have never known the love of his beloved. And family wasn’t just who you have, it was also who you’re with. And he was with Y/n. She was already his family, so why not be his family? Like he dreamed of? Yes, he was going to come clean. If she said something. Yes.

Suddenly, he was aware of a noise. Someone had just knocked on the front door of the room. Or less of a knocking and more of a rapping. Archie’s ear’s flicked, but he didn’t stir. Douxie held his breath. The rapping stopped, but now whoever it was trying to open the door. Thank Merlin he warded that thing up. It couldn’t open from the outside, he made sure of it. The door handle stopped moving. Doux still made no noise. Hopefully whoever or whatever that was had decided to move on to easier prey.

Y/n combed her fingers through her wet hair. It was the best she could do at the moment. She’d try and braid it back while it was still wet, so it wouldn’t get even worse. Y/n pulled on the same clothes she’d been wearing for a week. Well, actually she had been wearing a medieval dress for most of it, but still. She looked in the mirror. Not bad for someone on the run. But they did need to make a shopping trip. As much as Y/n did not want to waste an entire other day to a store (thanks Kmart), and didn’t want to spend more of their small savings they were living off of, they did need some things. Backpacks to keep their few belongings close, one more set of clothes each so they could have something to be wearing while they wash the other set, maybe some pajama pants would be nice, although nonessential, a couple of toothbrushes that weren’t the motel provided ones, plus a tube of toothpaste, soap, a hairbrush, phone chargers, some emergency food that wouldn’t spoil, some reusable water bottles, a fucking first aid kit even, lots of stuff. It’s not like they were able to pack for this trip. Hell, they should probably get Nari an outfit that would cover up her, eh, forest spirit-ness. Her running around in leaves isn’t exactly helping their conspicuousness. Despite Y/n not wanting to add to that list, she sure was getting cold in her short-sleeved top. She needed a jacket. She’d been borrowing Douxie’s a bit for the last few days, but if she just stole it then he would be cold. She needed one of her own, she supposed.

Y/n walked out of the bathroom. Archie and Nari were still snoozing, but Doux looked like he was awake. He sat up as soon as he realized Y/n had come out. He looked, troubled. And he had every right to be, she thought. He had just suffered the loss of his mentor and died himself. He had been blankly staring at the ceiling when she’d first came into the room. He probably had so much on his mind. Thankfully he had Archie and herself. They’d be there for him, she’d make sure of it. It’d be best to give him some more time to think, though. She didn’t want to push too hard. He’d tell her if he was struggling, she was sure of it. He’d been so open lately. And they’d had plenty of talks in the past about not expressing frustrations in their lives. He hadn’t been too open with her when they first started living together and it had made being roommates stressful at first. It wasn’t a problem anymore though. They’d worked through it, and it had even brought them closer.

She told him it was his turn for the bathroom now. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then quietly nodded as he got out of bed and headed for the shower. Strangely, this inn stay has been the most normal things had been all week. It was almost like they were home. She was back in her routine of waking, getting ready, telling Douxie it was his turn to get ready. He was so sweet, he always let her have the bathroom first. So chivalrous, although, she had a sneaking suspicion it was more of his excuse to sleep in a little longer.

It was nice, living with Douxie. It was the first time she’d been on her own. Or, well, not on her own per se, since Douxie was there, but at least away from her aunt. Her aunt had practically raised her, but that didn’t mean she was too grateful for it. She felt guilty about that last part, but not too guilty. Her aunt was pretty cold. It was clear that Y/n was just a charity case to her, a beggar who wouldn’t be looked at twice if not for blood relation. She hadn’t even bothered telling Y/n about their family’s magic until Y/n had stumbled face first into it herself. And even then, she only taught Y/n a minimal number of spells, just enough to control it, so she could successfully hide it. Didn’t need some troublesome untrained wizard ruining the family name and scaring the party guests. Y/n didn’t even know that wizards were pretty much immortal at a certain point until she noticed it herself. The people she had grown up with were all out there getting their pretty adult faces, and she was stuck with a baby face. Her aunt only told her once she questioned it. She was well past being nineteen now, but was going to be stuck like this forever apparently. What a great way to live.

Of course, she was absolutely thrilled when she found out her new roommate was in the same boat as her in that department. It was serendipity. The whole thing with Douxie was perfect, really. She had heard through her friend who worked at Hextech that someone had put up a roommate ad flyer on the company’s bulletin board and she called right away. She hadn’t been having any luck apartment hunting. She couldn’t afford rent on her own with her bookstore job, and Arcadia Oaks wasn’t exactly a college town teeming with people looking for roommates. A wizard roommate would be perfect, and the price was right. So imagine her surprise when said new roommate also turned out to be her boss. Y/n hadn’t even known he was looking for a roommate, let alone that he was a fellow wizard. His old roommate, Jack, had gotten married and moved out last month, he told her. Y/n was surprised at how very easy it was getting into this agreement too, Doux already knew her so he didn’t even interview her. And she didn’t have to worry about new person awkwardness. It really was serendipity. Of course, it hadn’t been all rosy, as mentioned before, but they were really groovin’ together now.

Y/n stretched out on the bed. She could hear the water running through the wall. It had been so awesome living right above her job. She got to sleep in, and she’d get ready, eat some breakfast, and be able to instantly step into the bookstore. She’d never be late ever again. Or she never was late again. That was a depressing thought. But hey, bright side, now they could have all the fun of starting up a new bookstore. Perhaps she could convince Douxie to add on a tea shop this time too. One that had cute little round tables with pretty gingham table cloths and flower vases, filled with flowers that they grew themselves in the pots on their balcony. They’d make sure the new bookstore had a nice window that was meant for a display but they’d leave as a place for Archie to sleep in and make snarky comments as he watched the people go by. Douxie could paint the letters on the signs and window, he was great at that. It’d be a task, but truly, they had to remake their bookstore. Even if not in Arcadia. A new bookstore they could fill up with love, that’d be an idea Y/n could hold on to.

Stars, she loved their bookstore. She loved the smell. She loved the peaceful homey vibe. She loved the man who owned it. Whoops, forget about that last part. She even loved the quirky characters it drew in. One time, she encountered this really crazy lady, and she wasn’t even sure if this lady was real or if she dreamt her, since she was the only witness. But Mordrax’s miracles, was this lady something. It started normally enough, Y/n picking up the store’s landline.

“GDT Arcane Bookstore! Please state your grievances.” She knew in the back of her mind that she was the only person who found her dumb jokes funny, but she still made them to brighten up her own day. Also to piss off Hisirdoux with her unprofessionalism. He made the same passive-aggressive ‘I’m disappointed in you’ face every time. It was fun.

“Yes, Hello. I would like to know if you carry any children’s books.”

“Yes ma’am, we sure do. A whole section.”

“Great. And are you child friendly?”

“Are we-, child friendly? I-, Yes I suppose we are ma’am.”

“Perfect. And you’re open until eight?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Thank you, young lady.”

The whole phone call was odd. Y/n wasn’t too jazzed about being called ‘young lady’ either. She had mocked the lady as soon as the phone call ended, but she shrugged it off, and had forgotten that the whole thing had even happened as she went about her day. Then, at about seven, this lady rolls up. She was dressed to the nines but like, in an old rich person way. Long fur coat, black dress underneath with pearls around her neck. On one arm, she had a fancy purse covered in the logo of a fashion brand Y/n wasn’t going to admit she recognized. In the other, she carried a large porcelain doll, the size of a five-year-old, which was dressed in a frilly pink dress that remined her of the dresses her aunt used to make her wear. When Y/n greeted her, she recognized the voice as the strange caller from earlier. Y/n got the feeling that some sort of shit was about to go down, and couldn’t wait. If only Archie was here.

Fur coat lady sat her doll down on the old loveseat in the sitting area and asked Y/n to keep an eye on the doll while she went to go pick out some books. Emily could be so mischievous sometimes, she told Y/n. She assured fur coat lady that she’d watch Emily like a hawk. The doll’s painted eyes stared into Y/n’s soul. Fur coat lady came back far longer than Y/n was comfortable with. She asked Y/n if Emily had been a good-mannered girl. Y/n just nodded, not sure if she should be encouraging this, on second thought. Fur coat lady then preceded to read the doll nine children’s books in a row, pausing in between only to ask the doll if she had liked it. Y/n was too baffled to even tell this lady to scram, we aren’t a library, you know. It crept closer to eight, and Y/n was actually dreading what was going to happen when she’d have to kick this lady out, but thank the stars, fur coat lady starts telling her doll about how it was close to its bedtime so they couldn’t read any more stories, aww darn, and they had to go now. She thanked Y/n as she walked out of the door. Y/n flipped that closed sign behind her and quickly retreated upstairs for the night. She’d go make a cup of tea to relax her nerves after that encounter. Y/n had plenty of other wild stories of people who’ve stopped by their bookstore. It was great for conversation at parties.

Y/n loved parties. With Douxie came all his friends, and she didn’t mind that one bit. They were always over whenever Doux had time off. It was so nice; it kept their place lively. Y/n cooked and baked a lot, it was one of those skills her aunt insist she have, and having so many mouths to enjoy her food felt good. And whether it was band practice or game night, she was happy to play hostess. Douxie’s friends were fun to talk to. She suddenly had the freedom to invite her own friends over too. Having so many people around all the time had helped her loneliness big time when she first moved in. Her aunt’s house may have been big, but it was empty. Her aunt threw a fancy party a month, but none of the people there were people worth talking to. It was so cold. Their apartment was warm.

Honestly, as insane as it was to think about, Y/n couldn’t see herself ever leaving Douxie to live on her own anymore. At first, this arrangement was supposed to be a temporary thing until she could find a better job and go off on her own. But somehow along the way, ‘the apartment we share’ became Their Apartment, and the bookstore that she happened to operate with him became Their Bookstore. It was nuts, and also the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to Y/n. It was the home she’d never had. Douxie and Archie were her family. Way more so than her aunt ever was. It was beautiful, magical, marvelous. She no longer worked, she just lived. Hell, she couldn’t even remember the last time Doux had formally assigned her a shift. She was just kind of always there. Which she was glad to do. She loved it. And when it was time to stop working, she’d just head upstairs and get to spend even more time with her favourite person. That is, if he wasn’t on one of his bistro shifts. She felt so safe and cared for. She no longer felt alone.

If Douxie wanted to make that, how you say, a little more official, Y/n wouldn’t be opposed to that. She had a hunch that he had some sort of feelings for her, if his recent actions were anything to go by. Although, just like she didn’t want to push him about the angst feelings, she didn’t want to push him in these feelings either. He’d tell her when he was good and ready. Slow and steady wins the race after all. Besides, if she was wrong and he didn’t have feelings for her, she’d definitely be tossing this good thing they had going out the window directly into the dumpster. She had to admit though, waking up this morning cuddled into him was the loveliest way she’d ever woken up in her life. She could get used to that.

She wondered if Douxie would be a wedding person or an elopement person. Not that she expected him to marry her. But it would be nice. She rolled over and found her phone on the nightstand. There wasn’t any harm in looking at some wedding dresses, right? Just in case. Y/n listened to Nari yawn and shuffle over to the bed. She opened an arm for the forest child who snuggled in, curious at what Y/n was looking at. Y/n tilted the phone for her to see. Nari really liked the poufy dresses. She’d point excitedly to the one’s she thought were pretty while Y/n scrolled. While Y/n wasn’t a fan of big frilly stuff herself, she had to admit, those poufy dresses would make her feel like Cinderella, which was never something she’d have thought appealing, but somehow it was. There were some really gorgeous not poufy ones also, and even a cool black one. Some that Douxie might like too. Y/n leaned more towards those, but wasn’t gonna tell Nari that. The veggie lady sure was having as much fun as her right now, surprisingly. Hopefully she wouldn’t blab any of this to Hisirdoux though.

Speak of the devil, he came out of the bathroom and sat on the end of the bed. Y/n quickly closed the app she was scrolling through. She sat up, taking Nari with her. Archie yawned and stretched, after sensing movement in the room. He moved from the chair into Douxie’s lap. After giving Arch a good scratch behind the ears, Douxie turned to Y/n.

“So, what’s today’s itinerary?”

“I-, wait, why do I have to be the one who decides what we do?”

“Because you’re the one who likes to have a plan when it comes to these things.”

“Fair enough.” Y/n pulled up google maps. If she had known she would have to do this she would have done it while he got dressed instead of fantasizing about their wedding. “Okay, so as much as I hate to say this, but we gotta go back to the store today.”

Douxie groaned as he laid back. His still wet hair was gonna dry funky like this, but he didn’t care. “Fine. We’ll do that in Illinois. We gotta get out of this town before anything else.”

“I agree,” she paused, seeing something that caught her eye. It would be frivolous, but she couldn’t help herself from asking “Ooh! Can we stop in St. Louis?”

“St. Louis?”

“Yeah! It’ll be fun, Douxie. We can go sit in those cafés that people go to in the black and white movies, we can go take a cheesy tourist picture of us by the arch thing, and I’m really craving some St. Louis butter cake now.”

Doux laughed. “Okay, but only for a few hours, Love.” The least he could do was let her have a little down time to relax and have fun after this hell week. Highly populated cities were good for throwing off their scent too.

“Thank you,” she went back to her map, snickering, “And we’ll stop in Effingham to shop.” She snorted.

“Effingham?” Douxie said it correctly, in his proper accent, which was not as amusing.

“Effing. Ham. Baby.” He rolled his eyes.

They booked it out of that motel and out of that town. Douxie all but tossed the room key into the creepy innkeeper’s hands as they rushed out. Back on the boat, safe at last. He ran a mental headcount once they boarded. Y/n always held Nari’s hand when they went places, so they wouldn’t have to worry about her wandering off, but it still made Douxie feel better to go over his tiny mental list and make sure they were both still safe and with him. Archie, he didn’t have to worry about as much. Even if the cat-dragon wandered he’d always come back. He could track Douxie by scent for a hundred miles too. Y/n had a habit of getting lost, though. He had to keep an eye on her. He didn’t need her and Nari off in fairyland where the Order could find and abduct them at any given time.

Douxie’s hair had still been damp when they set off, but the wind took care of that for him. Sure, wind-tousled bangs were in, but not bangs tousled by real wind. He was sure he was rocking it though. He could pass it off as something he did on purpose. People already thought his relatively tame style was outlandish, they’d just think the messy hair was part of the look. His only qualm was Y/n. He didn’t want to embarrass himself to her any further. His Camelot self already inflicted so much damage in that department this week. That moppet with a man bun had messed up spells, quoted sappy poetry to her, bragged about being Merlin’s apprentice, and even tried serenading her with his lute in attempts to impress her. It was mortifying. He had spent the first part of their Camelot adventure distracted by having to keep Y/n away from his younger self. It was not good for the whole ‘save time’ mission. Thankfully, he had Claire there with him, who had agreed to help him once she had buggered the information out of him. Thank Merlin for nosy teen girls. Claire was a godsend.

He had to admit, he was a smidge disappointed that she didn’t bring up the cuddling. Y/n hadn’t even made a joking reference to it in passing. He would have to bring it up then. But when, how? It wasn’t exactly something that would come up in natural conversation.

He watched her, hanging over the ship’s railing again. They passed a field with some cows and she made sure to point at them and say cows. He smiled at that; Y/n always managed to make him smile. He could recall how bad he had felt when Jack left and he thought he was going to have to fire her, his only employee, to keep up with rent. He had asked Zoe if he could put up a flyer in Hextech in a desperate attempt to find someone before that had to happen. And low and behold, among the three answers he got to the ad was miss L/n herself. It was an easy decision really, and it took away the uncertainty since he knew she was someone that he already liked. As a bonus, Y/n didn’t have a familiar of her own that might fight with Archie, because let’s be real, as much as Douxie loved Archie, the dragon-cat wasn’t afraid of stepping on toes. Although, it did feel kind of strange to give Y/n her paycheck and then for her to hand a little more than half of it back to him on rent day. But it just worked.

He remembered the first time he walked by the fridge to see that not only had Y/n added some fridge magnets to the kitchen, but she had taken the time to write a message to him. It, um, was sort of a rude note, meant to tease, an inside joke. Which he thought was funny, he just wished Zoe hadn’t seen it. It was hard to explain, and Zoe never let him hear the end of it. Archie got a kick out of it too. Y/n would switch the message almost daily, and it never failed to make him smile. He still had to deal with his friends seeing them and teasing him about it, but he’d never change her magnet jokes for anything. They would stay there until she replaced them with equally embarrassing messages meant just for him. It felt sweet to know someone was thinking about him enough to come up words meant to make him laugh on a daily basis.

They had just passed by a town called Eureka, which meant they were coming up on St. Louis. Good. Douxie couldn’t wait for lunch. He had the appetite of a winning fat bear these past few days. Probably the stress. That butter cake Y/n had mentioned was sounding so tasty. He could almost smell it. What Douxie hadn’t considered when he agreed to this was that the magic flying ship couldn’t go through metropolitan areas. Well, it could, but it’d be seen. So despite his growling stomach, he wound up taking the ship around the entire concrete jungle of Missouri, staying in the forested areas. He figured he could park the boat over in Illinois, just outside of St. Louis. This added a whole other hour to the trip than he was expecting, but now at least he knew to take large cities into consideration when choosing routes.

After hiding the boat in a heavily wooded area, the four took the bus into downtown. So when Y/n said she wanted to go to an old café from a movie, she had meant a very specific old café from a specific movie. She had told him it wasn’t a big deal and there were plenty of other cafes, but Douxie was gonna get her there by golly. And he did. The happiness written on her face was worth the extra bus miles. And wow, this café had some delicious food. They had salmon, which Archie enjoyed a little more than usual. Said something about paying himself back. As if he paid for anything, being a cat. That St. Louis butter cake did not disappoint. Archie was pretty fond of the cake too. It was too sweet for Nari, though. Y/n savored every bite. Doux watched her, while he ate his own, and it was so cute how smiley this was making her. He’d learn the recipe for this cake so he could make it for her once they got… home.

Douxie was still trying to shake off that depressing thought when Y/n finished up and was already trying to get the move on. Not without getting a picture first, of course. Not satisfied with just the scenery of the café itself, she begged Douxie to pose for her in various spots around it. He obliged, despite his scruffy appearance. She didn’t think he was that scruffy, and what was better than pictures of her favourite person in a cool place she’d always wanted to go. She also snapped one of Archie to post to her cat insta she secretly kept of him. Douxie knew about it, and contributed pictures to it himself, but neither of them were about to tell Archie he was internet famous as archie_the_emo_kitty. These pictures were going to hold good memories in them. All pictures do.

There was one more photo Y/n wanted to get. Silly cliché tourist picture with the gateway arch in the background. She wanted at least one of just her and Douxie, after the group photo. She’d have to somehow get one of Archie too, since she wasn’t about to pass up the chance to make a pun in the caption about Archie being in front of the arch. As she pulled Douxie close to get the picture, she got an idea. She asked him if they could get just one more. He was holding the phone since his arms were longer so he was able to get better angles with them both in it. He agreed, happy to do anything to keep that grin on her face longer. This time, when he leaned down to make their faces closer together, Y/n gave him a kiss on the cheek. The shutter snapped. Look, she wasn’t going to push, but she could nudge. Y/n pulled away and grabbed the phone to look at how it turned out, so cute, and Douxie just stayed there, leaning over, still as a statue, with wide eyes.

“Did you just- k-kiss me?” He didn’t so ecstatic. Maybe she was reading him wrong after all. Okay, time to deny.

“Yeah, it was just a cheek kiss, Doux. It was a cute pose for our picture, see,” She showed him the picture. A perfectly captured moment where they looked so happy. Where her lips would forever be on his still burning face. “Friends do it all the time.”

“Oh. Ah, okay.” That sounded disappointed, and his face wasn’t the picture of joy before, but now he just looked crestfallen. Okay so she wasn’t reading him wrong before. Good to know. She’d,, have to fix this now. She casually grabbed his hand and laced their fingers. That got him looking back up from the ground.

“C’mon, we’ve got about ten minutes to catch the next bus.”

~ ~ ~

Effingham was a quaint place. Y/n had only chosen it for it’s funny name, but it was surprisingly pretty okay. It was home to the world’s largest cross. Which would be cool, for it’s target audience, Y/n supposed. And they had a train depot. Fun. And exactly one singular popular restaurant. Which wasn’t that much more than Arcadia had, Y/n had to give it to them. They were in this tiny little mall, to see about finding some spare clothes. Y/n stopped dead in her tracks to gawk at a store that’s sign identified itself as Rural King. She tugged Douxie’s hand.

“Oh we gotta go in there.”

Douxie took one look at it and shook his head, “Are you really going to drag us into a hunting store just because it has a silly name?”

“No, I guess not,” Y/n took one last look at the place, “Can I at least get a pic of you posing in front of it?”

“Fine.” Douxie suppressed a grin as he complied with her silly request.

Once they got into a real store though, Douxie leaned over to Y/n to tell her something without the clerk hearing. “Oh, I’ve been meaning to tell you, I’ve got an appearance modifier spell I’ve perfected over the years. We’re not actually here to buy anything, just get some inspiration.”

Y/n nodded, fascinated. Well, that’ll take care of the extra spending problems. Now came the fun part, finding a new look for Nari. Speaking of whom, she was over at a rack, trying on those fake fashion glasses without real lenses in them. She looked really cute in every pair she tried on, and they helped obscure her face. Good. She really took a liking to this square tortoiseshell pair. Y/n took a mental note. It was going to be getting cold soon, and plants tend to freeze in the cold, so they took the veggie lady over to go check out the winter coats. Nari picked out a puffer that looked pretty comfy, but she didn’t like that it was red. It reminded her of Bellroc. Douxie assured her that the one he’d make could be any color she liked. Not surprisingly, she wanted it to be green.

Y/n just decided on a simple outfit for herself, consisting of a black and white striped long-sleeved tee, a black short sleeve tee to layer over that, and a classic pair of jeans. It was easy, comfortable, and didn’t draw much attention. A band kid staple too. Nari wanted to be similar to Y/n and also decided on a striped tee and jeans to go under her coat. Now they just needed to find her something to contain that gorgeous head of grass. Y/n glanced over to see Douxie trying on a cap in the hat section. Perfect. They’d make her a hat. It’d be a big hat, but nothing too much.

Douxie actually did buy a couple of backpacks from the shop. Y/n was a bit confused but he told her how for some reason he couldn’t enchant something that was technically an illusion itself so he had to buy physical bags since he wanted to enchant them to be infinite vessels or something. Y/n nodded. This was interesting. She was pretty good at the magic she did know but it was mostly by instinct. No one had really taught her the technical side of it like this. She never really knew how stuff worked, just that it worked. They headed to the dollar store after finishing up with the clothing, which surprisingly, this little mall had in it for some reason. They quickly found all those necessity items they needed and got out of there fast. They were burning daylight after all.

Once back at the boat, greeted by Archie who was glad they came back within a decent time this go around, Douxie got to work. First, he enchanted those backpacks. Y/n watched his every move, fascinated, and taking mental notes. He stuffed the supplies into the bags, making sure each had emergency food and medicine just in case they’d ever get separated. The first aid kits were a great idea, considering he didn’t know much healing magic himself and Y/n could only do a temporary pain relief spell. Having stuff to bandage up wounds in their bags made Douxie feel slightly better.

Y/n filled Douxie in on the specifics of Nari chosen disguise, and he set to work on that. It came out pretty cute. Nari liked her new duds, taking her time to look over herself. Y/n handed the veggie lady her phone with the front facing camera on so Nari could use it as a mirror. She really liked that. Y/n snickered at Nari trying out different angles.

He moved onto Y/n. He didn’t magically fairy godmother her like he did the forest child, he just made her a spare set of clothes to go in that backpack. He made them according to her request, but paused at the tee shirt. “Do you want me to put a logo or something on this?”

Y/n twirled her hair around her finger. “Hmm. I’m thinking, Ash Dispersal Pattern. They’re my favourite band, ever heard of them?”

Douxie laughed as conjured up the tee. He picked one of his favourite designs from past merch. It could be considered vintage now, but it wasn’t that long ago to Doux. He fancied the idea of getting to see her in his merch a lot more now. She did have one of their tee shirts back in the bookstore, but she didn’t wear it often as it was in rotation with other band’s tees. He didn’t have competition anymore, it seems. He grinned as finished up.

“Anything else?”

“Yes, actually. Now that I know you can just magic up clothes for yourself, I would like your hoodie.”

“I can make you a hoodie like thi-“

“No, no, I want the one you’re wearing, thank you. It’s warm and familiar and it smells like you.” She said half-joking, half-serious. “It would make me feel safer.”

Douxie couldn’t believe what he was hearing. In fact some part of him thought he may have just daydreamed that. He wordlessly forked over the hoodie. She took it merrily and put it on, giving it a sniff for good measure. Now he really was daydreaming.

“Thank you, Dewdrop!” Oh, he had a pet name now. He’d hadn’t heard that one yet. Frisky people had called him all sorts of strange and embarrassing things over the centuries. But this one was a first. He guessed it was a play on his name. Dewdrop, ay? That was so soft and sweet. A shiny little dewdrop, the first thing you see in the morning. Ah. It seems that miss L/n was plotting to kill him. She was succeeding.