#chasing cars ch 3

[oddinary4bts]

Chasing Cars | ch 3 (jjk)

☆summary: when your brother goes to study on a semester abroad, your life collides with his best friend Jeon Jungkook, who's coincidentally your roommate. Will you survive the collision, or will you crumble into dust?

☆pairings: brother's best friend!Jungkook x younger sister!female reader

☆rating: 18+ (minors DNI, this chapter contains mature content)

☆genre: forbidden love?au, college!au, slice of life!au, smut, angst (as usual a lot of it), fluff

☆warnings: a power outage, Jungkook being a menace as per always, getting stood up for Valentine's Day, falling on a patch of ice, alcohol, curses, peach, OC gets a little jealous, explicit content: teasing?, dom!Jungkook, big dick!Jungkook, sex toy (vibrator), male and female masturbation, praising, cum play (don't be stupid), fingering

☆word count: 13.2k

☆a/n: this is like one of my fav chapters in this whole series, and also the one inspired by jungkook's iconic live with the candle and the white dress shirt and oof :') hope you enjoy it!! Thank you to @moonleeai and @jessikahathaway for beta-ing, you guys are the best <3

☆series masterpost

☆add yourself to the taglist here!

☆☆☆☆☆

If I lay here If I just lay here Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol

☆☆☆☆☆

Thursday, February 14th 

Sometimes, the universe aligns to create such a shitty day that you think your life is a joke. A cruel joke, and you’re just the sitcom character that people use to make themselves feel better.

Today has been one of those days. You woke up late, somehow not hearing your alarm, and got to your midterm so late you didn’t have time to finish. At least you were confident in the answers that you did write down, so you think there’s a chance you’ll still pass. 

Then, you forgot your student ID, and the lady at the cafeteria refused to let you eat even though she’s seen you almost every day of the semester so far. Nabi offered you some of her salad, but you felt bad and barely ate.

Then the rain started – freezing rain at that – and you had to run to the other building for your genetics class, ending with your hair half frozen and the knowledge that you’re going to get sick by tomorrow.

Genetics class in and of itself is fine. Your stomach gurgling all through the class isn’t, and you’ve noticed people looking at you where you’re sitting, every time your stomach thinks it’s a whale and it needs to sing to its fellow mates.

During break, someone offers you a protein bar, and you take it with cheeks burning, thanking them profusely. Though you hate the taste of protein bars, and you struggle to finish it without puking on the desk. You power through, and then the class resumes, and you try to focus. It’s hard, and when you receive a text from Hoseok, you stop pretending that you’re listening.

[2:47 pm] Hobi: have u seen the weather outside? [2:47 pm] You: yeah it’s trash. I think I’m still half frozen [2:49 pm] Hobi: don’t have power at my place anymore [2:50 pm] Hobi: and it looks dangerous to drive

You know exactly what’s coming. It shouldn’t even come as a surprise – you don’t know why you agreed to meet up on Valentine’s Day. Yet, you’ve been looking forward to it all day, perhaps because it’s been so shit even hanging out with Hoseok on this day of celebration of love seemed better.

[2:50 pm] Hobi: any chance I can get a raincheck?

You want to bash your head on the desk, and of course, the professor chooses this exact moment to call you out for being on your phone. You flush a deep red, mumbling an apology as you put your phone face down on the desk. Everyone’s looking at you, and from where you’re sitting at the back of the class you can see that half the people aren’t even taking notes. You think they’re full of shit for glaring at you, but you can’t help the way you turn crimson, and Nabi stifles a laugh next to you.

“Shut up,” you whisper through gritted teeth, elbowing her in the ribs. 

She shrugs innocently, and then her eyes slide back to the professor as he resumes the class. Not wanting to risk it, you focus too, and it seems the shame is what you need to finally concentrate because you find yourself typing away on the computer, describing the pictures in the PowerPoint slides so you can understand them later.

The lights go out five minutes before the end of the class. The projector shuts down in time, a clear indication that the college has run out of power too – something that rarely ever happens unless it’s the end of the world outside.

There’s a series of gasps, and the professor looks so jaded at the front of the class that you wouldn’t be surprised if he’s made of the actual precious stone. He looks towards the door, where you can see that the light has also gone out in the hallway.

Without even a glance at the class, he slams his laptop shut, heaving out a sigh.

“Class dismissed for today, we don’t have enough time left to wait for the power to come back on.” 

It doesn’t even take half a second before everyone is starting to put their stuff away, the class suddenly overcome with a cacophony of sounds, and Nabi turns to you.

“Who were you texting during class?” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“Shut up.” You put your laptop in your bag, chugging the rest of your water bottle before you stuff it next to the laptop. “Hobi cancelled on me.”

Of course the whole friend group now knows about you two. You have Hoseok to blame for that, and his incredibly good idea to have sex at a party last week, where Yoongi walked in on the two of you. You’ve never seen Yoongi look more uncomfortable before in your life and, to your surprise, he’s been teased about the situation a lot more than you or Hoseok. It’s still a relief because you were afraid the friend group would go to shit if people knew, but now it seems it’s only solidified it even more.

“Bruh,” Nabi lets out. “Why?”

You motion to the dead neon lights over your heads. “The weather. He doesn’t have power anymore.”

“Shit.” You finish packing your stuff and you’re walking out of the class when she continues, “That’s wild though, didn’t think the freezing rain would hit that bad.”

A girl in front of you turns as if summoned. “They’re saying it’s going to be the worst storm of the century.” She points her phone towards you and Nabi, screen first. “Look, tons of trees have already fallen.”

Your eyes widen, because indeed she’s showing a picture from a group chat, of a tree having fallen on someone’s poor car. You wince in time with Nabi.

“RIP to whoever’s car that is,” you answer.

The girl nods, a wistful expression taking over her features. “That would be my boyfriend’s.”

You don’t talk more after that, and she jogs to join her friends closer to the stairs. You take that as an opportunity to finally reply to Hoseok, grabbing your phone out of the pocket of your coat.

[3:59 pm] You: power even went out in college so yeah, np!

Hoseok is quicker to reply than you’ve expected, saying that he’d like to meet up some time this weekend if you can. You don’t promise him anything, though you don’t really have plans as of right now.

You’ve just got a feeling that, if the storm is going to be the storm of the century, you won’t be hanging out for at least a few days. And the moment you step outside, you realize that it might even take more than a few days.

Trees have fallen everywhere. The sidewalk is entirely iced, and just by the time you’ve made it to the bus stop in front of the building, you’ve seen a car accident, both cars unable to stop at a stop sign. You figure taking the bus would be dangerous right now, and you settle on aiming for the pedestrian trail that leads to a park near your apartment, while Nabi parts to head towards the dorm, where apparently the power is still on. She tells you to let her know if you have power at home, and then you turn to head towards home, fishing your phone out of your pocket.

At least it’s not raining heavily as you walk. It’s the only positive thing in your day, and you hold onto your phone, sending a text to Taehyung to inform him of the situation.

You’re two minutes from home when you slip on a slab of ice, and you fall in a puddle of mud that stains your pale pants. You don’t even know how there can be mud when everything else is frozen, but of course, you had to fall in it. You assess yourself for a second, making sure nothing hurts too bad and then you mutter, “Of fucking course.”

You don’t even feel like getting up. If it wasn’t for the fact that the mud in which you’re sitting is freezing, you think you’d sit there until you died. You feel drained, and the weight of the day finally hits you head-on, bringing tears to your eyes.

Or maybe it’s just the embarrassment of walking home with your favourite pair of pants ruined. You don’t even know anymore; too much has happened in just a few hours for your brain to accept to be working anymore. You angrily blink the tears away, knowing you’ll break down the second you step inside your own home.

You can only hope that Jungkook is not going to be there. You hold onto that hope as you get to the building, and when you see the lights are out, the tears win against you. You carefully walk up the stairs – even they are covered in a thick sheet of ice – and surprisingly, you make it to the top unscathed.

You try to unlock the door with shaky fingers, struggling to find the hole through the blurriness of your tears, and you almost consider breaking the door down when it suddenly swings open in front of you.

“Peach?”

You’re aware that you’ve got fat tears rolling down your cheeks. You’re aware that you probably look a mess – you are a mess – but all you can do is stare at Jungkook.

“Is something wrong?” he asks, voice laced with concern as he steps aside to let you in.

You put your bag down, shrugging as he shuts the door behind him carefully, eyeing you as if you’re a specimen of a rare animal that’s going to run if he startles it. You refuse to meet his gaze, refuse to speak lest you embarrass yourself with crying even more. All you do is angrily wipe your cheeks with the back of your hand.

“Hey,” he says, and he puts a hand on your shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

You motion around. “What’s wrong?” You scoff, and out of spite, you force down the wave of tears that is threatening to meet the ones you’ve just dried on your cheeks. “Everything is fucking wrong.”

You glance at Jungkook, and he’s just watching, eyes widened. He seems startled by your outburst, and you think you see him gulp.

“Do you…” he trails off, glancing at the door. You only then realize that he’s clad in his winter coat, and he was probably on his way out when you arrived. “Do you want to talk about it?”

You shake your head no, hating yourself for the way your bottom lip trembles. 

His hand is still on your shoulder, and it slowly slides to your arm. “Did you hurt yourself?” he asks.

He’s only then realized that you’re half-covered in mud.

“I fell on a patch of ice,” you answer.

He makes you turn, assessing the damage. “If you soak your pants in water, I can get the stain out.”

“There’s no power.”

He turns you back around, offering you a small smile as he cocks an eyebrow arrogantly. “Astute.”

You want to punch him so bad, but what you do is laugh, which makes you think you’ve gone crazy.

“Water still runs, though,” he points out. “I’ll take care of it when the power comes back on. Doesn’t even need to be warm. You can save what’s left of the hot water for a shower if you want?”

He says it like a question, and you shrug your shoulders. A new tear rolls on your cheek, and to your surprise, Jungkook dries it with his thumb. He then points to your shoes.

“Take these off. You’re going to take a shower before the neighbours steal the water.”

“I don’t…” you trail off, as he’s just staring at you as if what you were going to say was going to be the stupidest shit he’s ever heard. As much as you want to hate him right now, the way his hand feels on your arm is making the anxiety lessen, until you realize that it’s going to be okay.

You can head to Ria and Nabi’s dorm right after a quick shower.

“M’kay,” you finally accept. “But you can go, you don’t have to stay.”

He shrugs, and when he lets go of your arm, you almost want to grab his hand and put it back there. “I was just going to charge my phone in my car. It can wait.”

You hold his gaze, feeling swallowed by his big doe eyes. It finishes drying the tears on your waterline, and you take a deep steadying breath. “M’kay,” you repeat.

At that he smirks, nodding his head once. He kicks off his shoes as you carefully take yours off, and then he makes grabby hands at you.

“What?” you ask.

“Your coat,” he answers. “I’ll put it in the closet for you.”

You slightly frown. “Why?”

“Because I’m trying to be nice?” When you remain silent, he chuckles. “You think I’m just going to let my best friend’s sister cry when she gets home?”

The words hurt, even though they’re just a statement of what you are to him. “You’re so random.”

He looks somehow offended. “Just give me your coat, peach.” He’s stern, and you have half a thought to mimic him, but you resist. When you hand him the coat, he offers you a grin. “See, that wasn’t so hard.”

Once again you surprise yourself by laughing, and the grin on his lips softens in a way that makes you warm inside.

“You’re annoying,” you whine.

He shrugs as he opens the closet. “Just go take a quick shower. Make sure to soak the pants too.”

“Yes, mom.”

He chokes on a snort. “Oof, no, don’t call me mom.”

You stifle a laugh, but a smile tugs at the corner of your lips. He faces you again, and you startle as he pinches your cheek. You push him off, as all he does is offer you a wide grin that makes dimples appear on his cheeks.

You’ve never really seen those dimples before, not while he’s smiling. You have to force yourself to look away, and as entrancing as they are, you manage to have your gaze drop to a random spot on the floor. “Alright then, I’ll grab my stuff. You can charge your phone while I’m in the shower.”

“All good, I’m at 65%,” he says. “I just checked online, and the power outage will likely last through the night so… figured I didn’t have anything better to do.”

You purse your lips. “Oh.”

There’s an awkward silence before he motions to the bathroom. “Aren’t you going?”

Your cheeks burn, and you nod once before heading towards your room as he snorts behind you, evidently laughing at you. You ignore him, quickly grabbing a change of clothes and bringing them to the bathroom. Jungkook’s moved to the couch, and to your surprise you see him with a book in hand.

“You read?”

The question is out before you realize, and Jungkook’s head snaps in your direction.

“It’s for a class.”

You nod once. “Right.” You then scrape your throat, glance at the bathroom and then settle your eyes on him again. “I’ll be right back.”

He smiles at you, and it’s the last thing you see before you walk into the bathroom, softly shutting the door behind you. Luckily enough, it’s still light enough outside for you to be able to shower without being in the dark, and as Jungkook advertised, there’s still hot water.

You take the fastest shower of your life, not wanting to risk running out of hot water, and then you put your dirty pants in the sink, soaking them in cold water. You put your clean clothes on – nothing impressive, just a pair of black sweatpants with a white t-shirt. You take one look at yourself in the mirror – you look like you’ve gone through hell, but at least you’re refreshed. 

With a steadying breath, you walk out of the bathroom, and your eyes immediately find Jungkook where he’s still sitting on the couch, looking like he hasn’t moved an inch. He glances at you before resuming his attention on his book. You feel awkward, yet you still walk in his direction because, frankly, what else is there for you to do when there’s no power?

“What’s the book about?” you enquire.

He raises it for you to see as you sit next to him. He moves too fast, and all you can see is something about trickle-down economy before the book is back in his lap.

“Looks boring.”

He laughs. “It is. Plus, trickle-down economics is bullshit.”

You nod wisely, even though your knowledge in the economy and business field is little to zero. All you know is that trickle-down economics is what rich people use to defend their actions, which immediately makes it so you don’t trust it one bit.

Eat the rich and all that.

“Right,” you let out.

Jungkook throws you a glance. “Feeling better?”

You don’t know how to answer. Because, yes, you feel somehow better now that you are clean and warmed from the shower, but you’re still very aware that the power is out, you’ve likely failed a midterm, and your date was cancelled.

“Sort of,” you answer, shrugging your shoulders. “Today was just a shitshow.” 

He says nothing, but his big eyes on you entice you to open up to him, making you feel more at ease than you’ve ever been around him.

Maybe because you just need someone to vent to after all.

“Like… I woke up late this morning,” you tell him. “Arrived so late to my midterm that I couldn’t finish. Then realized that I forgot my wallet here and couldn’t eat lunch. Got stood up for a date tonight, and now no power here? This day has been the worst.”

You sit back on the couch after you’ve finished your tirade, and Jungkook just looks at you curiously. You don’t register you’ve called hanging out with Hoseok a date until Jungkook says, “You had a Valentine’s Day date?”

You shut your eyes, pinch the bridge of your nose and exhale loudly. “Sort of. Not really a date.”

“How can it not really be a date?”

You entirely miss the teasing in his voice, mostly because you’re appalled at yourself for the slipping. “It’s just… my friend with benefits, so not a date.”

“Damn, peach,” he says, and he bursts out laughing. You crack an eye open, your heart feeling like it’s been stabbed as Jungkook grins at you. “Didn’t think you were one to have a friend with benefits.”

You narrow your eyes at him. “Why?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugs, and his gaze slides away from you as his brows furrow slightly. “You’re Tae’s sister, and the way he talks about you I just… I don’t know.”

Annoyance creeps into you as you cock an eyebrow. “You shouldn’t listen to what Taehyung says about me. He still thinks I’m twelve.”

Jungkook snorts, and to your surprise, it makes you smile, right as he glances at you. 

“Are you not?”

“Yah!” You punch him in the shoulder, and he laughs as he massages the spot. “I’ll have you know I’m an adult.”

His features turn somber, and he plays with his piercing for a time before he answers. “I’m starting to realize it, trust me.”

In the somberness of his eyes, a spark ignites, and you feel as if electricity is running on every inch of your body. You wish it would run into the building instead, bringing the power back on but unfortunately, you’re the only victim, and all you can do is hold his gaze.

The moment stretches until you grow uncomfortable, and your eyes slide to the Switch under the TV, as if it’ll find solace there.

“Anyway,” you say, scraping your throat. “Apparently there’s still power at the dorms so I think I’ll head over there.”

“You’ll abandon me?” he says, faking offence. “Right when I offered to take care of your pants? The nerves on you.”

You roll your eyes as the awkwardness fades to be replaced by the annoyance Jungkook usually brings out of you. “You’re a big boy, you don’t need me.”

“You sure you want to walk all the way there though? What if you fall again?”

You push him as he smiles wickedly, satisfied that he’s annoyed you. “I hate you.”

“You know what you hate even more than me?”

Your brow creases in confusion. “What?”

He shrugs his shoulders, a smirk growing on his lips. “You’ll have to stay for me to answer.”

You sigh deeply, folding your arms on your chest. You gauge him, watch as his smirk only widens while you ponder staying here. And you don’t even know why you’re considering it in the first place. There’s just something about being able to talk to Jungkook like this, about being comfortable next to him that makes you want to stay.

“Name a single reason why I should stay,” you finally say.

His smirk turns victorious. “I’ll cook something for you.”

“The power is out,” you feel the need to remind him. 

He throws you a no-bullshit look. “Really, peach, you need to find a bit of creativity in your life.”

“What?”

“The stove doesn’t run on electricity, it runs on gas.”

You look up at the ceiling. “How was I supposed to know that, I barely ever cook.”

“I cook!” he bursts, waving the book around. You didn’t realize he was still holding it, and you laugh as the pages flutter around.  “And you usually steal my food, so just let me make something for you tonight.”

You purse your lips, meeting his gaze as he looks at you, faking annoyance. “What do you want to cook?”

“I have chicken that I need to cook tonight if I don’t want it to go bad,” he says. “I can make noodles with it.”

It takes you all but two seconds before you realize that there’s no way you’re going to leave when Jungkook is suggesting to cook for you. “Alright.”

“Yeah?” You nod, and Jungkook beams. “You won’t regret it.”

You laugh, slightly shaking your head as he puts the book away and gets up. He offers you his hand, the one with the tattoos on the back of it, and you furrow your brows. “What?”

“Go get changed,” he says, hand still extended between you. “I’ll give you a Valentine’s Day date, but you’re going to have to play the part too.”

Something stops in your chest – your heart, most likely – and you’re hit with the thought that this is a bad idea. That whatever Jungkook means by that is going to be the mistake of the century, yet you still find yourself accepting his extended hand.

He pulls you to your feet, and he doesn’t let go of your hand for a moment, big doe eyes widening slightly as he looks at you.

“You…” you trail off, scraping your throat as you look away from his eyes.

It’s all you can do not to get lost in his gaze. 

“I?” he presses, voice low.

“You should dress up too,” you mumble, cheeks burning. “So I’m not alone.”

He lets go of your hand, and your fingers twitch as it falls to your side. When his index finds your chin, you think your blood stops in your veins. He makes you tilt your head back, enough so that you’re forced to meet his gaze.

“I will.” His voice is grave, and you don’t miss the way his eyes dart to your lips once as they part. “I’m going to make this worth it. You deserve it after such a shit day, don’t you?”

You gulp. “Yeah?”

He pats your cheek. “Yeah, you do.”

And then he’s walking away. You’re left standing there, heart racing in your chest, feeling so warm you think you’re about to catch fire. You watch him disappear into his room, and it’s only when he’s out of sight that you manage to move, making your way to your own room.

You shut the door behind you, resting against it as you take deep breaths to calm down. You’re not sure if it’s doing you any good, because this is Jungkook. Jungkook, with his tattoo sleeve and piercings, your older brother’s best friend. Your roommate, the man that’s been playing with you for weeks, for months, like you’re just some playdough. You think he’s doing it on purpose. He has to – he’s trying to make your life miserable because you’re Taehyung’s sister. You don’t see what else it could be. Because why the fuck would Jungkook act like this with you?

You’re not stupid enough to believe it isn’t your fault. Because you were there the night of The Incident, and you reckon things have changed with Jungkook since that night. 

You take a deep, steadying breath before pushing up from the door. No matter what it is that is making Jungkook act like this, you’re still curious to see what he’s preparing for you. Spending time with him like this, with no power and nothing else to do than talk…

Maybe it’s going to help you understand what’s happening in that thick skull of his. So you search for something to wear, something warm since the heating is also down. You settle on brown dress pants that you know make your ass look amazing, and you pair them with a pale beige wool turtleneck. You tuck the shirt in your pants, putting a belt on to make sure it stays in place, and then you take a good look at yourself in your standing mirror. Satisfied with your outfit, you make to move out of your room, but you stop with your hand halfway to the knob.

You can hear Jungkook humming in his room, a soft melody that’s making you think he’s taking a long time in there. Is he actually dressing up? It makes something terribly warm and soft settle in your chest, and you turn back around, grab your makeup pouch and head to your desk.

If this is a date, or whatever it is that Jungkook considers dates to be, you want to look good for it. So you put a little bit of makeup on, trusting your instinct to make it look great even though the light of your small mirror doesn’t turn on since there’s still no power. You hear Jungkook get out of his room before you’re done, and you hope he doesn’t decide to come here.

You doubt he would, but you somehow feel awkward as you’re getting ready. Because he’s your older brother’s best friend, because he’s a college fuckboy, because he’s been making you feel too many things lately – most of them you repress as if your life depends on it. And you think, your life does depend on it. Because nothing can happen between you and Jungkook; you wouldn’t do that to Taehyung. And mostly, you wouldn’t do that to Jungkook, because you know Taehyung would hate him if something did happen.

You sigh. It comes out shakily, a clear indication that you’re growing anxious, and you almost want to laugh at yourself. You want to tell yourself to get a grip, to just play along for things are bound to go back to normality when the power comes back. 

You only stop feeling anxious when Taehyung texts you, your phone lighting up where you’ve put it down on your desk.

[5:02 pm] bröther👽: jk texted me the same thing! Glad u won’t be alone tonight [5:02 pm] You: he’s gonna cook dinner [5:03 pm] bröther👽: lmao, jk doesn’t cook for girls, feel lucky

With that you realize that, indeed, you should feel lucky. Because Jungkook can be a friend, if not anything else. It’s reassuring, and you finish getting ready feeling lighter than you’ve felt all day, as if the hell that today was is all forgotten. 

You spray some perfume on the inside of your wrists, dabbing it on your neck before you finally declare yourself ready to head out of your room. You hope Jungkook won’t make fun of you – he’d be the kind of guy to make fun of you for this, you just know it – and you make your way to the kitchen, where you can hear him busying himself.

He’s brought his portable speaker out of his room. The one that also has a projector in it, and it shines northern lights on the walls and on the ceiling of the kitchen, giving it a cozy atmosphere. No music is playing as of right now, yet Jungkook is still humming, voice low yet melodious.

You rarely hear him sing, but anytime you do, you feel like your ears are blessed by an angel.

He reappears from where he was hidden in the fridge, and his mouth falls open as he catches sight of you. 

He’s wearing a white dress shirt. You think it’s made of linen – it doesn’t look particularly fancy. Yet the way he’s rolled it on his forearms is weirdly attractive, even though he’s only wearing grey sweatpants with it. It’s a look, a look you think only he can pull off. He’s taken the time to style his hair back, and he’s put on earrings you’ve only seen him wear a couple of times during parties.

He eyes you up and down, his doe eyes crinkling in appreciation. “You look good, peach.”

The compliment makes you blush, and you offer him a small smile. He echoes it right away, and he holds up a bottle of rosé that you bought two months ago and forgot all about since then.

“Wine?” you let out as you stop in front of him. You feel awkward because, obviously, it’s wine, but you still hold his gaze as he nods.

“It’s yours but…” He shrugs, glancing at the label. “I figured it’d work well with the chicken.”

You nod once. “Sure, we can drink it.”

It makes him happy. You can see it in the way he beams, and then he puts it down on the counter with the rest of the ingredients. When he moves, you catch a whiff of his cologne, and you feel your cheeks burn again. You glance outside – the rain has stopped, but grey clouds are still looming in the sky as the world slowly darkens. You wonder if they’ll go away some time tonight – without the light pollution, you reckon you’d be able to stargaze.

You end up helping Jungkook with the cooking, chopping some vegetables as he takes care of the meat. You’re not particularly hungry, so you take your time, talking about everything and nothing. Jungkook is good at this, you realize. He’s good at changing your mind, at making sure it doesn’t wander back to your midterm and to the rest of your shitty day. He makes you laugh, cracking stupid jokes whenever you do something, smirking at you when you roll your eyes.

Being with him like this also makes you understand why he’s Taehyung’s friend. He feels more natural this way, less fuckboy-ish, and it’s a side of him you’ve never really seen before.

You sit at the kitchen table, sharing a glass of the rosé wine while the food simmers on the stove. Jungkook’s put on an indie music playlist before you started cooking – something you teased him about. Who knew Jeon Jungkook likes indie music?

“How was Tae before college?” Jungkook asks all of a sudden when there’s a lull in the conversation. “He barely talks about high school.”

You know the exact reason why, and her name is Youna. Taehyung’s ex, his high school sweetheart. The one that moved to the other side of the country without ever once looking back.

“He was an idiot,” you answer, and Jungkook laughs. “No, seriously. He dated the same girl all through high school. Was convinced he was going to marry her.”

“That sounds on brand with Tae,” Jungkook says, nodding his head wisely. “He said that about every girl he’s dated in college, but most of them don’t last more than a few weeks.”

You wince. “Remember Hailey from last semester?”

She lasted about three weeks, but she spent most of those at the apartment. It was the only three weeks where Jungkook and you had talked more than just small talk – or his usual teasing. Mostly because you kept complaining about her, and Jungkook kept saying you were cute when you were mad.

Come to think of it, it still was teasing.

“Fuck, her voice,” Jungkook lets out, shaking his head. “I’m sure she was faking having such a high voice. I don’t know how Taehyung could deal with that.”

It’s your turn to laugh, and Jungkook smiles as he watches you. “I swear to God, I was about to kick Tae out of the apartment,” you say. “I’m glad she didn’t last.”

“Agreed.”

There’s another silence as the song switches on Jungkook’s speaker. You take a sip of wine, appreciating the taste, and Jungkook gets up to check the food on the stove. He comes back a moment later, sitting back next to you.

You think he’s closer. He feels closer, and the smell of his cologne fills your nose again. 

“You put on some cologne,” you state, and it startles you somehow. You weren’t expecting to say that and, clearly, Jungkook wasn’t expecting it either.

“Yeah.” He looks down at himself as if the cologne is visible on him. “Do you like it?”

You gulp. “Yeah, you smell good.”

He smirks, nodding his head. “You too, peach. I love the vanilla scent.”

You don’t know what to do with the compliment. You mutter a thank you before taking a large sip of wine, and Jungkook chuckles before following your lead.

“Do you think Tae and that girl in France will last?” you ask. “He still hasn’t told me who she is.”

Indeed, he’s remained evasive whenever you’ve asked. You stalked the people that are with him on the semester abroad, and you think two of the girls could be your brother’s type, but it’s hard to tell.

“Oh,” Jungkook lets out. He grabs his phone, resting his forearms on the table as he opens it. He goes on Instagram, and as it loads, he glances at you. “He’s told me. Let me show you.”

“What!” you exclaim. “How come he told you and not me?”

Jungkook chuckles. “No idea. But here.”

He shows you the girl’s profile, and you take his phone as you scroll through the pictures. To your surprise, she’s not one of the two girls you stalked. She looks shy, barely showing her face in her pictures, most of them being of nature anyway. Come to think of it, you do get a romantic vibe from her feed, and you reckon that would work well with Taehyung. 

You’re about to give Jungkook his phone back when it vibrates in your hand, a notification appearing at the top. 

[6:05 pm] Shelly 💦🍒: are u gonna be here soon?

It’s not your fault that you read it, and your gaze widens as you look up from the device. Jungkook hasn’t noticed, and he smiles at you, seemingly expectant.

“So?” he asks.

“You had a date tonight?”

His mouth falls open. He looks guilty, eyes widening and taking a sheepish expression. He remains silent, and you can almost see the cogs turning in his head as he thinks of what to answer.

You don’t know how to feel. You feel bad for the girl – Shelly – who’s clearly waiting for Jungkook somewhere. You feel bad that he chose to stay with you because you were upset, but mostly you feel strange that he’s doing all of this for you when there’s someone waiting for him. 

The emojis next to her name are enough of an explanation of what she is to Jungkook. Still, you feel increasingly uncomfortable, even more so as he says nothing.

“What the fuck, JK?”

“She’s no one,” he says when you get up. “Trust me, I’ve only hung out with her a couple of times.”

You laugh, and it’s somehow void of joy. “Why would I care?”

He looks at the glasses of wine, and then at the food on the stove. “I don’t know… because we’re…” He motions between you, and then at said glasses of wine and food. “I just forgot to tell her I wasn’t going to come over.”

It’s enough of a reminder that Jungkook, for all his current kindness, is a renowned college fuckboy. It reminds you of all the times you’ve heard him fuck – was Shelly one of the girls? You feel disgusted, and you walk out of the kitchen, not wanting to look at Jungkook right now.

“Peach,” he says as he follows you out in the darkness of the living room.

The living room is also strangely cold, and you shiver as you turn towards him. “What?”

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes. “But why are you even reacting like this?”

You scoff. “I don’t know, Jungkook, you tell me.”

You can’t see his expression. But when he takes a step closer to you, you feel the heat of his body radiating in the space between you.

“Are you jealous?” he asks, and you hear the smirk in his voice.

“No,” you say, and you scoff again. “I’m weirded out.”

“Because I was going to fuck someone tonight?” It’s his turn to scoff when you remain silent. “Weren’t you going to fuck that dude? Hoseok?”

You don’t know how he remembers Hoseok’s name, but he’s got a point. You wet your lips, tongue poking your cheek next. “Right.”

“Come on, peach, just come back in the kitchen,” he says. He grabs your hand, and your breath gets caught in your throat as he escorts you back to the chair where you were sitting. You begrudgingly follow, and when you’re seated he towers over you.

You tilt your head back. “What?”

He flicks your nose, and you dodge a second too late. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”

“Fuck off,” you grumble. “I wasn’t jealous I was just weirded out.”

He smiles at you wickedly. “Of course, peach. Of course.”

He sounds so cocky you want to hate him, but all you can do is glare at the table. He pushes your wine glass towards you as he sits back next to you and you wordlessly take it to chug it.

“Now that that’s done,” he says once you’ve put it back on the table, “what do you think of Tae’s girl?”

You had all but forgotten why you were holding Jungkook’s phone in the first place. You recall her Instagram to the forefront of your mind, pursing your lips. 

“She looks chill,” you answer.

Jungkook pouts. “Just that?”

You shrug. “What else am I supposed to say?”

“Well,” Jungkook starts. “For one I can’t believe she’s Tae’s type. She looks nothing like the girls he dated here. Like just think about Hailey?”

You just nod, because in truth you fully agree with him. 

“Her Instagram is a vibe though,” Jungkook continues. “Tae is big on vibes so… maybe it works?”

You nod once more, tilting your head to the side as you really think about it. Because frankly you’d like for Taehyung to find someone that lasts. As much as you know he’s been having fun in college, you know his happiness usually lies in a healthy relationship like the one he had with his ex. 

“Hopefully it does,” you finally say. “Tae deserves it.”

Jungkook looks at you, somber expression on his features as he plays with his piercing. It makes your heart cease in your chest, and you busy yourself with refilling the wine glasses as he remains silent.

“He does,” Jungkook eventually replies. “He actually really does.”

He sounds so serious you throw him a questioning glance. “Yeah?”

He blinks once, as if stepping out of a daze before flashing his infuriating smirk at you again. “Definitely.”

There’s an awkward silence, and you watch as he takes a sip of wine before getting up to check on the food. He deems it ready, and makes two bowls, one for you and one for him. He sets yours in front of you, a proud smile on his lips.

“Smells good,” you compliment him as he sits.

He winks at you. “Wait till you taste.”

You have to resist the urge to roll your eyes, and you take a tentative bite, holding his gaze as he expectantly waits.

“Shit,” you let out, and you fan your mouth with your hand. “Why is it so spicy?”

“Don’t tell me you’re like your brother and can’t stand spicy food,” he complains as you take a long sip of wine.

You put your wine glass back down, wincing as it clinks against the bowl. It fortunately doesn’t break, and you push it away from the dish as you chuckle. “What’s wrong with not liking spicy food?”

He pouts. “You guys are so weak.”

You fake-glare at him. “This shit is so spicy it would wake the dead.”

He snorts, stifling his laugh until you meet his gaze and you burst out laughing at the same time. You think it’s the first time you’ve ever heard him guffaw like this. His laugh is contagious, pretty, and you’re convinced it can have healing effects.

You’re convinced it has healing effects. Indeed, in that instant, you finally really forget about the day, the heaviness it left behind dwindling into nothingness. It’s replaced with happiness, and chatter with Jungkook becomes easier, more natural. 

You realize he smiles a lot. You make him laugh a lot too, and whenever he does you feel your heart flutter in your chest. You don’t like the feeling, know it’s a mistake, but with the wine, all you can do is try to make him laugh some more, and smile whenever he does.

You’re on your first beer after finishing the wine – and the overly spicy food, which Jungkook congratulated you profusely for finishing. You’ve talked about every subject that’s come to your mind so far, none feeling taboo with Jungkook. He eventually tells you about Shelly – she is indeed one of the girls you’ve heard him sleep with – and you laugh as he admits he’s really happy he didn’t have to see her tonight.

You can’t help but snort. “Jeon Jungkook, saying no to sex? I’ve heard everything.”

“Bruh.” He laughs, shaking his head. “Is your opinion of me so low you think sex is the most important thing to me?”

His eyes are gleaming with mischief in the light of his speaker, which will apparently run out of battery soon. You both don’t care, and you’ve lit a candle in case it does die. Its sweet fragrance has been chasing the smell of the food away, and it’s been giving the kitchen a homey vibe, even as it’s growing chilly.

“Is it not?” you tease.

He rolls his eyes, shaking his head at you. “Not at all.”

You throw him a no-bullshit look that makes him frown cutely. 

“How long can you go without having sex?” you ask him, holding in a laugh.

He narrows his doe eyes at you. “At least a few weeks.”

“A few weeks? That’s nothing!”

“Yah,” he bursts, and he laughs as you snort. “Peach, just because I have casual sex doesn’t mean I can’t stop if I want to.”

“Then stop,” you challenge him.

He cocks an eyebrow. “Give me one reason why I should.”

“To prove a point?”

His eyes narrow further, but if you’ve understood one thing about Jeon Jungkook, it’s that he doesn’t step down from a challenge. No, as competitive as he is, you’re pretty sure he’ll do it.

“Peach,” he purrs, and it has something warm form in the pit of your stomach. “Is it really about me proving a point, or is it about you being jealous?”

You choke on the sip of beer you were taking, which only makes him laugh. You think it’s a little condescending, but you know he doesn’t mean it in a bad way. You still punch him in the shoulder for it, unable to resist.

“Why would I be jealous?” you ask. “Hobi fucks me good.”

Jungkook shuts his eyes and his nose scrunches. He shakes his head once before looking at you again. “I didn’t want to know that.”

You smile as if you’ve never done anything wrong in your whole life. “Your loss.”

He laughs at that, gaze dropping to the table. Silence grows between you, but it’s comfortable, not like what silence with Hoseok feels like. With Hoseok you feel the need to speak whenever there’s a lull in the conversation but, right now, you’re content with just sitting back in your chair, sipping on your beer.

To your surprise, Jungkook starts singing over the song, gaze lost in his own glass of beer. His voice settles deep inside of you, resonating in your soul, and you just look at him, awe clouding your mind.

You’re not sure he’s realized he’s singing. Because when he meets your gaze, he lets out a small laugh. “Why are you looking at me like this?”

“You have a beautiful voice,” you whisper.

It’s hard to tell in the dim light, but you’re pretty sure his cheeks have turned pink. “Nah.”

“No, I’m serious,” you insist. “I often hear you hum and… you sing really well.”

His nose scrunches up again. “Stop it.”

“Just take the compliment,” you say, laughing as he plays with his piercing.

You reckon it might be the first time in your life you’ve ever seen Jeon Jungkook shy. Because he clearly is, and he looks away from you, running his hand through his hair. It undoes the hairstyle, and a strand falls on his forehead.

You’ve never felt such a visceral need to brush your hand through someone’s hair before. You manage to resist, busying yourself with holding your beer instead.

“M’kay,” he lets out. “Thanks, peach.”

His voice is soft. Softer than the fur of a puppy, and it makes the warm thing in you grow. You gulp, wetting your lips. You don’t miss the way his eyes glance at your mouth, and he looks conflicted for half a second before he smirks again.

“We should have hung out like this before,” he declares.

“Yeah?” is all you can answer.

You feel yourself leaning in. You haven’t even realized how close you’re sitting to him until you’re leaning in. He does too. He leans forward, tilting his head to the side slightly. He looks surprised, even more so when one of your hands finds the back of his neck, pulling him closer until you’ve erased the distance between you.

You both didn’t close your eyes. And you both look startled from your lips touching, so much so that you let go of him, straightening away from him. He, on the other hand, hasn’t moved, and his gaze goes fully serious before he grabs your arm gently, pulling you closer to him again.

This time, when your mouths meet, you shut your eyes, sighing softly as he kisses you. His piercings press into your lower lip, and as his mouth moves against you, you feel the warm thing inside of you grow so big it bursts. It bursts the same way fireworks do – in an explosion of colours that leaves you waiting for more.

He doesn’t disappoint. He tilts his head to the side, deepening the kiss. His hand on your arm moves up until it rests on your shoulder before he decides better and moves it to the side of your neck. His thumb swipes at your jaw, gently, and it’s his turn to sigh in the kiss.

When his tongue darts out of his mouth, you meet it with your own. For a reason unknown, you expect it to make you both grow horny, but the kiss remains soft, slow like you have all of eternity stretched out in front of you.

Even though it’s languid, even though it’s soft, you grow dizzy, head spinning as you taste the beer in Jungkook’s mouth. As his hand moves to the nape of your neck, pulling you closer. You rest one hand on his chest, right above his heart, and you feel the organ racing under your fingers. It makes you grab a handful of fabric as if that will anchor you in the present.

As if that will make you forget that you’re kissing your brother’s best friend. 

It does, though you reckon it might be the way Jungkook shifts in his chair, moving so that you can straddle him. And he pulls you in, softly, tugging on your arm until you let go of the shirt and drape it over his shoulder. You sit on him, legs on each side of him, your toes barely even touching the floor. Still, your mouths move in unison, his lips petal soft against yours. 

Your other arm circles his neck too, until you’re holding him against you. His large hands land on your waist, gently, and his thumbs stroke you, barely even grazing you over the thick fabric of your wool turtleneck.

You don’t know how long you kiss. It just seems like you both don’t want to stop, like you both know the moment you stop will be a wake-up call, one you’d rather avoid while you get stuck in this bubble of eternity with him. The fireworks keep on shining bright, warm summer sun blooming in your heart as if this, this was always meant to be.

Oxygen is futile when you’re kissing Jeon Jungkook. Not needed, as if he breathes air into your lungs. You think he does, and you sigh once more as your hands get lost in the hair on the back of his head.

The next swipe of his tongue is sharper, carries more intent, and you both startle, finally parting from each other. Though you remain a hairsbreadth away, longing for his lips the moment your mouths aren’t connected anymore.

Immobile, you breathe in shakily, and you hear him do it too. He’s still stroking you, gently, and he wraps his arms around your waist to pull you in. You rest your head on his shoulder, breathing in the clean laundry smell of his shirt, along with the scent of his cologne as you turn your face towards his neck.

The moment stretches some more, as you listen to the music. His grip around you loosens as you press a soft kiss on the mole you’ve discovered on his neck. He pushes you back, gently, until your back is against the table. Your gazes meet then, and you wonder if his eyes always shine like this. Do they always hold the light of the universe in them, or did you set fire to his gaze?

He gulps and his mouth falls open. His pupils fill with something you can’t quite put your finger on, yet it has clouds taking over the summer sun in your heart until the beating organ goes cold.

“Now you’ve had a fake Valentine’s Day kiss,” he murmurs, and the fireworks burst into a void that tastes like ash as you interpret his gaze.

He’s regretting this. It takes over all of his features, turning his big doe eyes into hearths of remorse. It finishes dousing the sun in your heart until the star goes to sleep, and all that’s left is the echoes of what once was.

“Fake?” is all you manage to let out.

He shuts his eyes, eyelids fluttering close softly. He looks like an angel repenting as he rests his forehead against yours, forcing your own eyes shut from the proximity.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he reminds you, reality sinking into his words. 

You nod against him before pulling away. You try to get up, but his hands on your waist hold you in place.

“Let me go,” you whisper. 

He does so, albeit reluctantly, arms falling to his sides in a defeated manner. You try to not let yourself think about it too much, try to forget what just happened as you stand up, moving away from him.

Without his body heat you shiver, and you hate yourself for the next words you say.

“We should share a room tonight. It’s going to be cold.”

His eyes shoot open as he turns his head towards you, surprise replacing the reality. As if he thought he ruined everything, and you think maybe he did. Maybe he did ruin everything, but you don’t even want to be thinking about it right now. You just want to go to sleep, to let the night pass.

Maybe the insanity will go with it.

“Are you sure?” he asks.

You shrug your shoulders. “You know, Taehyung doesn’t have to know everything.”

Jungkook slowly gets up, facing you. You gulp as he pushes a strand of hair behind your ear, hand going to your chin again. He leans in, forcing you to tilt your head back until his lips find yours again.

It lasts a fraction of a second, yet it leaves you scrambling for breath as he takes a step back. He nods as you meet his gaze, an eyebrow cocked in question.

“We can sleep in your room,” he says. “It’s smaller, it’s going to be easier to keep it warm.”

Right as he finishes his sentence the battery of his speaker dies, and silence surrounds you as the northern lights go to sleep. The light flickers in time with the flame of the candle, and you glance at it.

“Sounds good,” you agree, and you wet your lips as you look at him again. His big doe eyes still shine even with just the candlelight, and you wish the world was different. Wish that he wasn’t Tae’s friend, that you could just grab him and have him kiss you stupid again. But he’s right. You shouldn’t be doing this.

Sharing a bed is only practical. Only because it’s cold, and you have to survive the night. A voice at the very back of your mind tells you that you could head over to the dorms, but you don’t want to.

You want to remain here, in this instant outside of the linear timeline of your life.

“Maybe you should get your bed covers?” you suggest. “So we don’t get cold.”

He smiles, so far from his usual smirk and grin that you feel a pang in your chest. “Yeah. Yes, that’s a good idea.”

All of five minutes later, he meets you in your room. You’ve changed into your previous outfit, and he’s swiped his dress shirt for an oversized white Nike t-shirt. He’s holding his bed cover to his chest, just a white bundle that he offers you as if he’s trying to make peace with you. You motion to your bed, and he nods before walking over to it.

You shut the door behind him, turning to look at him as he debates for a few seconds where to sleep in your bed. He starts by putting his bed cover over yours and then chooses to sit at the foot of the bed, on the side that’s against the wall.

He then turns to meet your gaze, his profile cast in the flickering light of the candle from the kitchen and the few others you’ve lit while waiting for him.

“I think this is the first time I’ve been in this room since Jimin moved out,” he tells you, and his lips stretch into that same soft smile.

You glance around, pursing your lips. “Hope it doesn’t disappoint.”

“It doesn’t,” he reassures you as he imitates your action, observing your room. “It feels like you.”

Not knowing what’s that supposed to mean, you cock an eyebrow. “Does it?”

“Yeah.”

He doesn’t explain further, and you shrug it off as you move closer to your bed to sit on the edge. The moment you’re in his vicinity your heart picks up in your chest. It’s hard to believe that Jeon Jungkook is in your bed right now, and you have to remind yourself that it’s purely because it currently is freezing in your apartment. 

“Should we…” you trail off, motioning at the bed.

He chuckles, a sweet sound that forces you to gaze at him, eyes widening as your heartbeat picks up even more. “You want me in your bed so bad, do you?”

You short-circuit, flushing fully red as you struggle to find something witty to reply with. Falling short on words, you end up shrugging your shoulders as you move under the covers, hoping he won’t tease you further. 

You highly doubt you’d survive him teasing you more.

To your relief, Jungkook ends up chuckling again, but he remains silent as he slides in next to you, keeping a safe distance between the two of you. You lie on your back, while he turns to face you, and you feel the weight of his gaze on your profile.

It makes you turn to look at him, and he offers you the same kind smile.

“Shouldn’t we blow the candles out?” he asks, and his gaze darts to where you’ve left the candles on your desk and night table. “Just to make sure we don’t burn the building down.”

“You want to go to sleep right away?”

You hate yourself for saying that. Indeed, a smirk grows on his lips and he jumps on the occasion to say, “You want to do something else?”

Something grows hot inside of you, and it’s not that same summer sun he ignited in you earlier. You wet your lips, burning from the inside out as you remind him, “We shouldn’t.”

He chuckles again. “Didn’t you say he doesn’t need to know?”

You meet his gaze, find the mischief behind his big doe eyes and roll yours. “You’re annoying.”

Right on cue you shiver. It takes you by surprise, because you feel your insides burning, yet the temperature in your room is low, winning against the warmth.

“Are you cold?” he asks, no traces of mischief left in his eyes. Only concern can be found in his pupils, and you want to hate him for it.

“A little,” you admit. “The covers are just cold.”

They actually are, as your bodies have yet to warm them. To your surprise, Jungkook sidles closer to you. 

“I can hold you, if you want. I’m always too hot.”

You burn a thousand shades of red as you wet your lips. “You don’t have to.”

“Come on, peach, I won’t let you freeze while I’m right here.”

Yet he doesn’t do anything, waits until you’ve nodded your head to slide even closer, and he loosely wraps his arm around your waist. His warm breath fans the side of your face, and you do your best to ignore it.

“Better?” he asks, voice low as he whispers in your ear.

You shut your eyes as electricity courses through your whole body. “Yeah.”

“Good.”

Your brain zeroes in on the weight of his arm on you, and when his fingers start tracing random figures on your waist, you let out a small yelp.

“That tickles,” you tell him.

He does it again, and you try to push him away. Only, Jungkook is far stronger than you, and all you manage to do is end up with your back against him as he holds you firmly to him.

“Stop,” you beg, a little breathlessly.

“It’s warming you up, is it not?”

You roll your eyes, though you reckon it is. You don’t feel nearly as cold anymore, and you can feel the heat growing in you again. As an attempt to get away from him, you shuffle, and it earns you a breathless chuckle from him.

Just to make sure you didn’t imagine the whole thing, you move your hips again. Something twitches in his sweatpants and your mouth falls open.

“You’re…”

“Consequences of the position,” he’s quick to say. “Don’t worry about it.”

You don’t know how you possibly can not worry about it. It’s all your brain can focus on as you shift again, and this time he hisses.

“Maybe you should not do that.” His voice is low, husky, and it sends shivers all over your body. 

You bite your lips. “Why?”

He pulls you back in, flush against his chest. His lips ghost on the side of your neck, and you think you’ve been struck with lightning. “Because we can’t do anything about it.”

“Right.”

He rests his head on the pillow behind you again, sighing deeply. His hand holds you against him, forcing you to feel every inch of his hard body pressing into you.

Of his hard dick too, where it pushes into your ass.

“Maybe we should go to sleep,” you say, eyes fluttering shut.

He nods. “We should.”

“I need to blow out the candles.”

His arm loosens around you before he fully lets you go. You prop yourself on an elbow, leaning towards the night table. You blow out the candle you’ve left there, and before you can move you feel Jungkook’s palm resting on your hip.

“Shit, peach,” he whispers.

You look behind yourself. Your position is explicit, as if you’re angling yourself to fuck yourself on him better. It makes you move your hips, and you see the moment something snaps inside of him.

“Why don’t you lie down next to me before we blow the rest of the candles out?”

There’s something stern, authoritative in his voice, and you immediately obey him. 

“On your back,” he adds.

You exhale shakily as you turn, not daring to disobey. His hand lands flat on your stomach, and he starts drawing circles around your navel. You inhale sharply as he nudges your cheek with his nose.

“You look stressed.”

“What are you doing?”

You hear the smirk in his voice when he says, “Helping you fall asleep?”

“Jungkook…”

“Peach.”

You fall silent as he keeps tracing circles. He sighs next to you, almost longingly and he rests his forehead against your temple. His lips are so close you think you feel their softness on your cheek.

“You’re driving me crazy,” he whispers. His fingers still on you, under your navel. Some inch or so over the band of your sweatpants and he pushes your shirt up before resuming his actions directly on your skin.

“We really shouldn’t…” you trail off.

“Are you going to be able to sleep?” he asks.

It’s rhetorical – he knows just as well as you that you won’t. “No.”

“It could help you sleep.”

You don’t want to know what the ‘it’ refers to. “Yeah?”

He wets his lips, or maybe he plays with his piercing. But from the proximity, you feel his tongue and you think you’re going to die right then and there.

“Doesn’t it help you sleep when you touch yourself?”

You’re soaking your panties. You’re burning up, caught on fire by every strike of lightning that Jungkook’s words ignite in you.

“Does it help you?” you counter-back, remembering when you heard him watching porn two weeks ago.

“It does. Always sleep soundly after.”

You slowly nod, gulping as his lips close on your jaw, and he sucks gently. 

He’s danger in human form. And he knows what he’s doing, he knows how to weave words to cause your undoing. You think he’s already started weeks ago, the night of the Incident. 

Taehyung is miles away from your thoughts when you say, “You want to touch me?”

He smirks against you, licks at the spot he just sucked on. “Why don’t you show me how you touch yourself?”

He moves his hand away from your stomach, and you moan softly when he parts your thighs open, resting his palm on the one closest to him as he presses it against his hard dick.

“Shit, Jungkook.”

“I know.”

You hate him. You hate him so much you slide your hand between your legs, pressing a circle on your clit.

“Good girl.”

You moan again, yet you stop your ministrations on yourself. “I want to watch you touch yourself too.”

He grunts, grinds his dick in the side of your thigh once more. “You want to see me come?”

“Want you to finger me with your cum.”

You’ve gone insane. You think there’s an asylum out there for you, yet Jungkook only chuckles manly against your jaw. “Peach, I won’t touch you tonight.” You whine, and he sucks on your jaw again. “You can do it yourself.”

He’s mad. So are you, and you untie the knot of your sweatpants so you can slide your hand in. You moan softly as you find your clit, and you dip two fingers inside of yourself before moving back to the bundle of nerves.

“Jerk yourself off,” you tell him. You try to sound commanding, dominant, but your voice is whiny. It earns you a smirk from him as he turns on his back. He takes off his pants and underwear, clearly not as shy as you. You can’t see his dick when you look down as he’s still under the covers, and you gulp as you imagine it.

Feeling bold, you push the covers off, needing to see him. And the sight doesn’t disappoint. His dick is large. Not excessively long, but the girth makes you understand why he’s got girls screaming whenever he fucks them. His tip is glistening with precum, and he runs his thumb on the slit before spreading the precum on his shaft. Large veins run along the length, from base to top, and you’re struck thinking he’s got the prettiest cock you’ve seen in your life.

“Like what you see?” he teases as he strokes his dick once, slowly but with a firm grip.

“Do you want to see me too?”

You really are bold. Far bolder than you’ve ever been with anyone before. Maybe because all of tonight Jungkook has put you at ease, and you think there’s nothing embarrassing about finally living out your fantasy. Especially not when he’s so pliable to it, willing to follow you into the land of insanity.

Scratch that – he’s the one leading to madness.

“It’s only fair if I see you too, no?” he teases with a smirk on his lips as he looks at you with his dark, intense gaze.

“Yeah.”

It’s all you say before you shimmy out of your pants. You don’t miss the way his eyes go to your hip, where you have a large dragon tattoo. He curses under his breath. “Didn’t know you were tatted.”

“Got it last semester,” you answer with a shaky voice.

He smirks up at you. “Hot.”

You gulp, unable to hold his gaze for longer than a few seconds. Shier than him, you keep the panties on. To your surprise, he sits up, runs his hand on the inside of your thigh before he lies down on the other side so he has a view of between your legs. His feet are next to your head, and you angle yourself away from them so that they aren’t in your face anymore.

“Touch yourself, peach.”

You nod, and you draw circles on your clit through the fabric of your underwear. It’s a plain black thong, yet you feel immensely sexy when Jungkook’s doe eyes narrow dangerously as he watches you touching yourself, stroking his dick lazily.

You watch how he touches himself, heart beating out of your chest. You’re on fire, a wildfire raging through you, and you moan softly as you press harder into you.

“Why don’t you touch yourself under your panties, mmh?” he asks, gaze sliding up to meet yours before he goes back between your legs. “Won’t it feel better?”

You can’t resist him. You push your panties to the side, holding them with one hand as you go back to your clit. Your thighs instinctively want to close together, but he holds them open.

“Put your fingers in.”

You do. You push two digits in, arching them as you rub at the sweet spot inside of you. He watches, licking his lips as he increases the pace on his dick. You moan right as he grunts, the sound making shivers course up and down your spine.

“Why don’t you use your vibrator instead?”

You entirely stop moving, digits deep inside of you. “Huh?”

“I’ve heard you use a vibrator,” he explains. “I want to see you bury it in your tight little pussy.”

Your walls clench around your fingers at his crude words, and it doesn’t take any more for you to roll towards your night table so you can grab said vibrator. When you’re settled back in your previous position, you click it on, and the soft buzzing fills your room.

“Wait,” Jungkook says, stopping you before you’ve pushed your panties aside again. “Take this off.”

He pinches the fabric on your hip, over the tattoo, and all you can do is nod once before you do. He licks his lips, looking at you appreciatively through half-lidded eyes. He looks between your legs, where you just know he can see your juices glistening. Before he says anything else, you put the vibrator on your clit, legs twitching as harsh pleasure courses through you.

To your surprise, he moans, a low sound that has your pussy clench hard. Of course he sees, and he’s quick to say, “Put it in, peach.”

You obey, and you let out a breathy sound as you immediately rub your clit with your other hand. The next few minutes are a world of bliss, of pleasure and of Jungkook’s praises and grunts, entwined with your moans. You think your room is burning hot, or maybe it’s just his eyes on you. His balls are tight as he jerks off harder, faster, eyes never once moving away from the spot between your legs, where your vibrator makes squelching sounds as you push it in and out of you.

“You’re doing so well,” Jungkook tells you after you’ve moaned loudly. 

You’re nearing your high, but for some reason, you haven’t been able to hit it yet. His words bring you closer, yet it remains just barely out of touch.

“So fucking well,” he adds, breathlessly, and you notice he’s gripping his dick harder, moving so fast you barely can see his hand, except when it slows on his head with a flick of his wrist. He moans, grunts loudly. “You’re so hot, I’m going to come.”

“Fuck,” you curse as you watch him push his shirt up, and you catch sight of his defined muscles. They contract as he jerks himself off, and you think you’re drooling.

Maybe because you’re so close to hitting an orgasm that you can’t do anything other than drool.

He glances at your face once. You meet his gaze, blood boiling as you see his eyebrows almost touching over his eyes, his mouth slightly agape as he breathes loudly. His eyelids flutter close as his eyebrows bunch up over his eyes even more, and then he moans out something that sounds like your name.

Not ‘peach’. Your full name. It makes your eyes water as you observe him, as you watch how he looks in pain. And then he curses, and your eyes fall to his dick to see white spurts of cum coming out, covering the tattoos on the back of his hand as he keeps moving, never once faltering.

Your walls clench tightly around your vibrator. You think you’re about to come, but the orgasm doesn’t want to hit, evading you frustratingly. Your motions grow inconsistent, the push and the pull of the vibrator clearly not enough for you.

As Jungkook comes down from his high, he surveys you once more, features blissed out from coming. He watches you struggle as his hand stops at the base of his dick.

“Look at the mess I made because of you,” he says, and you moan. He tilts his head to the side, pulls at his piercing, and then stops you. Puts his hand over yours between your legs as the vibrator rests deep inside of you. “Do you need help?”

You feel some of his cum as it spills from his hand to yours. You keep rubbing on your clit, meeting his gaze as he awaits your answer. “Yes.”

He smirks, and you let him grab your vibrator. He pulls it out of you, watches your juice on it with a hungry look on his features before he hands it to you again. “Put this on your clit.”

You obey, and you sigh in pleasure as he covers two of his fingers with his cum, even picking some up where it fell on his abdomen, decorating his defined abs. You know exactly what he’s going to do before he does, and it makes you curse.

He meets your gaze. “Are you on the pill?”

“IUD.”

He smirks. “Good girl.”

And then he pushes his cum-covered fingers inside of you, arching them to expertly play with your g-spot. You cry out, throwing your head back in pleasure. He fucks you with his digits for a while, and you press your vibrator hard on your clit, as if it’s going to make you come faster.

All it does is make you close your thighs on his wrist. He pulls his fingers out, forces you to spread your legs wide open again, and then circles your entrance with one finger.

“It’s so hot, to watch my cum dripping out of you.”

His digits are in again before you can reply, and he fucks you so well, you crash right into your orgasm, walls spasming around his fingers. You moan, loudly so, and tears prick at your eyes as the waves of your orgasm drown everything in you, making you shake with pleasure.

You ride the high for a long time. Longer than you’ve ever had before, and Jungkook whispers filthy praises to you all through it, until you cringe with oversensitivity and turn off the vibrator. You put it down next to you, and Jungkook pushes in and out twice more before he pulls his fingers out of you.

You remain silent for a while, both of you regaining your breath. Once you stop feeling like you’re seconds away from passing out, you prop yourself on your elbows, watching him. He’s still looking between your legs, and you instinctively close them.

His eyes shoot to your face, and he smirks. “You have no idea how hot you are with my cum dripping out of you, peach.”

You bite your lip, so hard you think you taste blood. “Shit.”

“I know.”

“What did we do?”

He shrugs, sucking on his piercing. “We made sure we’ll sleep well, that’s all.”

You sigh, nodding once before you lie back down on the bed. “Shit,” you repeat.

This time he laughs. It’s a soft sound, something that makes your heart squeeze in your chest. For some reason, it reminds you of the kiss in the kitchen, and butterflies flutter in your stomach.

Even more so as he says, “Let me go get something to clean you up with.”

He pulls his boxers up and then gets up. You miss the way he winces as his feet hit the cold floor, and he’s back with a washcloth before you’ve had time to realize he was gone.

“I’m sorry, there was no hot water left.”

“Oh,” you let out.

He chuckles as he sits next to you. “Do you want to do it or…?”

You nod, and you grab the washcloth out of his hands before cleaning yourself up. It really is cold, and you wince, one eye shutting as you make sure you’re clean before handing it back to him.

“What do you want me to do with this?” he asks, a teasing tone in his voice.

“I don’t know?” 

He laughs, still grabbing it before throwing it in your hamper. “Did you want to pee before going to bed?”

You nod again. “I should.”

“Are you okay to get there?”

You roll your eyes, finally finding some of your usual defiance. “You didn’t fuck me, Jungkook, I can still use my legs.”

“Right,” he lets out before chuckling. “I’ll wait for you here then.”

The trip to the bathroom is the worst you’ve ever experienced, with how cold it is in the rest of the apartment. You’re pleased that your room is warm when you come back, and your heart squeezes in your chest as you see Jungkook lying on his side, looking at you as you enter and shut the door behind you.

He smiles warmly at you. “Better?”

“Why is it so cold?” you complain, which makes him laugh that cute, giggly laugh of his. You immediately look away from him, not wanting him to see the blush on your cheeks.

You blow the rest of the candles out, and in the dark, you make your way to your bed. You slide under the covers, sighing at how warm they are now.

“I’m glad you stayed,” Jungkook says as you settle next to him.

You gulp. “What?”

“You said you were going to go to the dorms,” he reminds you, even though that was an eternity ago. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

“Oh,” you let out. You’re happy it’s dark because your cheeks burn so much you imagine you’ve turned purple. “I’m glad I stayed too.”

He sighs, and you feel the mattress move as he shifts. “Do you want to cuddle?” he asks. “For warmth.”

You snort, and even though you’re in the dark, you nod. 

“Sure.”

A few seconds later, you’re the small spoon again, and he holds you close to him. He sighs once more, and it ends with a yawn that has you laugh softly.

“Tired?” you tease him.

“Yeah.” He chuckles, nuzzling his face in your hair. “I’m going to sleep like a rock.”

So are you. Even if you shouldn’t, even if you and Jungkook probably committed a big mistake tonight, you still know you’re going to sleep soundly.

Especially as his breathing evens out behind you, interrupted by soft snores here and there. It forms a melody that lulls you to the land of dreams, to a land where you can forget that he’s Taehyung’s best friend, and where you can imagine that he’s yours after all. It’s idyllic, unreal, yet your sleeping form clings to it like it’s a lifeline in a storm.

You just know that reality is bound to hit again soon.

Prev | Chapter 3.5 | Next

☆☆☆☆☆

Oooooof yep. They really did that hehehe. What did you guys think? Did you like it? Let me know!!

All rights reserved to @/oddinary4bts, 2024. Do not copy, repost or translate.

[your-bestamericangirl]

Midnight Love || ch. 3 - white ferrari

Paige Bueckers x Uconnwbb!reader

previous: ch.2 - golden || next: .4 - april || masterlist

a/n: not proofread sorry baes <3

now playing: slow dancing in the dark by joji

She was sat on her bed, the passing clouds cast fleeting shadows over her room, enveloping her in a familiar wave of frustration. Throughout (Y/n)'s life, there had been countless instances where she wished she could freeze time, if only for a moment. In her experience, time never seemed to align in her favour; nothing ever happened at the 'right time,' and she often had to work tirelessly to make things happen. Unfortunately, her life hadn't witnessed any miracles yet, and there seemed to be no signs of any on the horizon to rescue her.

Currently, the clock displayed 5:47 PM.

A river of clothing continued to spill out of (Y/n)’s wardrobe, forming several piles scattered across her floor. Various textures and colours now adorned every crevice of her room. What started as simple 'yes,' 'no,' and 'maybe' piles quickly multiplied into categories like 'yes-if-the-weather-stays-nice' or 'maybe-but-it-would-look-better-if-my-hair-was-up'. Defeated, (Y/n) slumped from her bed to the floor. Choosing an outfit wasn’t a decision to be taken lightly in this context.

5:50 PM

Now would’ve been the perfect moment for her first miracle.

As she stared at the chaotic array of clothing before her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping in. It wasn't just the prospect of selecting the right outfit; it was the nagging uncertainty about the evening itself, looming on the horizon like an unanswered question. After all, it wasn't like she was getting dressed up for media day, it was just the rest of the team. She found herself second-guessing the decision to go at all. With a heavy sigh, (Y/n) pushed herself off the floor, resolving to make a decision one way or another. As she stood there amidst the scattered clothes, (Y/n) tried to rack her brain for what had compelled her to agree to this outing in the first place.

***That morning

"And good Lord, right then and there, I wished I could’ve just gotten killed earlier on when I was in that shark tank because my mom appeared, mad as hell, and was ready to slap the shit outta me-”

Absentmindedly, (Y/n) hummed in agreement as her eyes scanned the fully stocked shelves. The aroma of freshly baked bread from the nearby bakery section wafted through the air, making (Y/n)'s stomach growl in protest at its emptiness. For the past four aisles, KK had been recounting her so-called horrifying dream from the night before, all from inside their shopping cart. While the first 30 seconds had been captivating, (Y/n) soon realized that KK was far from done. This dream had been so 'emotionally and mentally impactful' that KK felt compelled to act out her car chase scene, resulting in her abandoning the cart. After the fateful crash, the two found themselves with a worker trailing them from behind, ready to intervene with KK’s boisterous antics if needed.

The restock of the week was greatly needed. With the pantry, kitchen, and fruit bowl left with nothing but dust, both girls’ moods had increasingly deteriorated from the day before. As KK continued to recount her experience, (Y/n) was left with the task of finding what they needed. “Mhmm, sounds traumatic speaking of that. What else do we need?”

KK gave her a look. “Yeah, it was. Thank you for your consideration.”

 “Always for you. But you didn’t answer my question—what else do we need?”

Realizing that KK couldn’t wring out any more sympathy from (Y/n), she shifted her focus from recounting her painful nightmare to recalling the items on the grocery list she conveniently left at home—a detail she kept from the older girl.

“Uh, okay damn. I think like… meat?” 

The cart suddenly jerked to a halt, catching KK off guard. She lurched forward, instinctively steadying herself on the shopping cart. The harsh fluorescent lighting overhead felt too intense for the early morning, casting stark shadows across the aisles. 

KK turned around to face her roommate, ready to berate her for the sudden maneuver. However, the words of distaste dissolved on her tongue as she beheld (Y/n)'s expression. The older girl stood before her, eyes closed, brows furrowed in the middle, teetering between disbelief and strained patience. KK would be grateful to come out of this conversation unscathed.

(Y/n)'s tone was short, “KK.”

“Yes, ma’am?”

With a deep inhale, (Y/n) gripped the shopping cart, her fingers tightening around the metal handle as she suppressed the urge to vent her frustration. Swallowing back all the profanities that came to mind, she managed a strained smile. 

“What type of meat?”

“You know, like, bruschetta… maybe some bacon-”

“Maybe?” (Y/n) raised an eyebrow, her patience waning.

KK chuckled, the sound bouncing off the fluorescent-lit aisles. “Nah, just kidding. We definitely need bacon. And also… Oh shit… Ice?”

(Y/n) blinked, the abrupt shift in conversation catching her off guard. “...Ice? KK, are you good? Because last time I checked, you were the one who brought up meat in the first place.”

In response, KK stood up from her position in the shopping cart, the metal rattling as she shifted her weight. “No look, it’s Ice.”

Following KK’s gaze, she then spotted Ice Brady in the next aisle. The 6’3 forward struggled to fit numerous bags of chips into her shopping basket, her arms stretched to their limits.

With a resigned sigh, (Y/n) began to maneuver the cart containing KK towards Ice's location. The wheels squeaked in protest against the linoleum floor, the rhythmic sound echoing in the bustling store. Despite her being a D1 athlete, she found herself growing weary of playing the role of chauffeur for her friend. Yet, as she glanced at KK’s expectant expression, she knew there was no escaping it.

“Ice Brady," KK sang, her arms outstretched in a theatrical gesture as the cart rolled to a stop. The spectacle drew the attention of nearby shoppers, who paused to witness the unfolding scene, transfixed by the unexpected drama. "Would you care for some assistance today?"

Ice, caught off guard by the flamboyant greeting, turned her attention from the bags of chips to KK's infectious smile. Amusement danced in her eyes as she surveyed the scene before her. With a nod of acknowledgment to (Y/n), who was still navigating the cart into a suitable parking spot, Ice responded, "I mean, if you hopped out of the cart, I could put my stuff in, but I wouldn’t want to trouble your highness."

“Oh!” KK’s hands came together in childish glee, pleased by Ice’s answer, “How considerate of you, but it's alright, I’ve been feeling courteous today.”

“So now you’re feeling ‘courteous’?” (Y/n) deadpanned as she made her way around the shopping cart across from Ice. As KK made her stellar attempt to climb out of the cart gracefully, (Y/n) stood behind her to help lift her out, “I’ve literally been pushing you around all morning, babes.” 

She then made her way over toward ice to give assistance with the various chip bags enough to feed a family for christmas dinner. 

“So,” KK started her smile towards Ice, selectively choosing to ignore her roommate’s comment “what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”

“Y’know, working had to feed the kids, and all that. You guys sure eat a lot” 

“Wait,” KK gaped, “This is all for us?”

“Have you checked the group chat?” Ice questioned. In fact, they had not. Though she had been added days prior, (Y/n) had decided to keep her distance from that group chat. The two girls turned to look at each other, proceeded by KK quickly checking her phone.

Soon enough, her eyes ignited from within. “Hell yeah, party time,” she sang.

“K, you’re being dramatic, it’s literally just the team,” Ice laughed.

“Theres a hangout tonight?” (Y/n) questioned, her stomach forming knots at the thought of being in a room with all of the UConn Women’s Basketball team.

“Yup, everyone, including you two, are coming over."

(Y/n) glanced between KK and Ice, her expression shifting to one of mild apprehension. "Do I have a choice?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of resignation.

Both KK and Ice exchanged a knowing look before simultaneously replying, "Nope."

6:15 pm

During her first official collegiate-level game freshman year, (Y/n) led her team to a resounding victory, later that night earning her the coveted title of 'The People’s Princess' of the NCAA.

Beneath the blaring lights of the stadium, (Y/n) was radiant. It was a moment she had long envisioned, the culmination of years of relentless dedication and unwavering determination. With her eyes gleaming and her words flowing with confidence, she effortlessly captivated the reporter and everyone in attendance. Her presence seemed to cast a spell over the crowd, drawing them in with her infectious smile and undeniable talent.

In the weeks that followed, (Y/n)'s reputation soared to new heights. However, amidst the high, a subtle unease began to gnaw at her. She quickly realized that the pedestal on which she had been placed came with its own set of challenges.

Despite her remarkable achievements on the court, she found herself confined by the weight of expectations. The public's perception of her became increasingly polarized, with praise often overshadowed by harsh criticism. She was both celebrated and scrutinized for her gentle demeanour, her commanding presence, and even her choice of attire.

The constant contrast between adoration and disdain left her feeling unsettled, she was constantly walking on a tightrope between two worlds. Over time, she became acutely aware of the need to separate her on-court persona from her everyday life, a process that had equally drained but benefited her.

Yet, as she immersed herself deeper into the complexities of her newfound fame, (Y/n) couldn't shake the nagging feeling that appearance had become everything.  In a world where perception was predominant, she grappled with the notion that her worth was measured not by her character or accomplishments, but by the image she projected to the world.

All this to say that unfortunately, (Y/n) had been second-guessing tonight’s event over and over again.  Only two individuals had truly seen beyond the facade she meticulously maintained: KK and, in a distant past, Paige.

As (Y/n)'s life flashed before her eyes, her gaze fixed on the door before her, its weathered surface worn by years of use. The soft hum of chatter from beyond the door drifted through the air, mingling with the faint scent of pizza and anticipation that hung in the hallway. Each groove in the wood seemed to whisper secrets, a silent witness to her inner turmoil.

She took a deep breath, her fingers tracing the edges of the doorframe. The cool touch of the wood against her skin sent a shiver down her spine, a tangible reminder of the reality awaiting her on the other side. What would they think of her? Did she look presentable enough? Doubts gnawed at her confidence, threatening to unravel the facade she had carefully constructed.

With a steadying exhale, (Y/n) pushed open the door, crossing the threshold into the unknown. The soft click of the latch echoed in her ears, signaling her descent into the realm of uncertainty.

The scene unfolded before her, intimate and genuine, a tapestry woven with the bonds of teammates. The UConn Women’s Basketball team occupied every corner of Ice’s condo, their laughter mingling with the warmth of the confined space. Despite the inviting atmosphere, (Y/n) couldn’t shake the feeling of being an intruder in this vibrant gathering.

With each step forward, (Y/n) sensed the weight of her decision. The events of this evening would undoubtedly shape her relationship with the team for the rest of the year.

Luckily, no one had noticed her entrance yet. As (Y/n) scanned the room, she searched for KK among the multitude of bodies, most of them towering over her. Despite her efforts, KK remained elusive. Frustration etched her features as uncertainty gnawed at her. She caught her reflection in a nearby mirror, regarding herself with unease.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. Lost in her inner turmoil, (Y/n) failed to notice the door behind her slowly swinging open.

As the door swung shut, the breeze proceeded to cause a shift among her hair. Shoving away all distractions, (Y/n) straightened her back, took a deep breath and prepared for her next step further into the house.

“You gonna move? Or do you need help, princess?” Paige's voice cut through the air, shattering (Y/n)'s concentration. All prior thoughts dissolved from her mind at those words, her focus instantly shifting to the unexpected encounter with Paige.

Despite the familiarity of seeing Paige's face plastered on banners around UConn, the proximity still rattled her. She had thought she'd grown accustomed to it, but the reality of facing Paige in person was an entirely different experience.

She had an image to maintain, (Y/n) wouldn’t shy away at simple words anymore.

With a subtle steeling of her resolve, she turned to face the taller girl, meeting Paige's gaze head-on. Though she found herself looking up at Paige, she refused to give any ground in their exchange.

The tension between them crackled in the air, each word laden with unspoken history and unresolved emotions. (Y/n)'s jaw tightened, but she refused to let Paige see any hint of vulnerability. She squared her shoulders and held Paige's gaze with unwavering determination.

"No need for assistance, thanks," (Y/n) replied evenly, her voice betraying none of the turmoil swirling inside her. "I can handle myself just fine."

Paige chuckled, taking a step closer to her. "Of course you can, Your Highness," she quipped, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "But it wouldn't hurt to let someone lend a hand every now and then."

(Y/n) bristled at the implication but forced herself to remain composed. "I'll keep that in mind," she replied curtly, stepping aside to let Paige pass.

Paige's lips quirked into a knowing smirk, but she didn't press the issue further. 

While Paige moved past her, (Y/n) couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that lingered in the air. Despite her best efforts to maintain her facade of confidence, there was a vulnerability in her interactions with Paige that she couldn't seem to shake.

As (Y/n) made her way further into the room, she found herself enveloped in a warm atmosphere. Smiles greeted her from every direction, genuine and welcoming, easing the tension that had knotted in her stomach.

“Damn, girl, I was just about to check if you had been kidnapped! What took you so long.” Exclaimed KK as she searched every inch of (Y/n). The younger girl’s gaze soon turned towards Paige suspiciously suddenly recounting the day prior, eyes snapping back and fourth. But then quieter KK added, “Hm, okay, I see, I see…”

A chorus of laughter bubbled up around them at KK’s dramatic statement, the sound infectious and light-hearted. (Y/n) couldn't help but smile in response, the weight of earlier uncertainties melting away in the warmth of their acceptance.

Any lingering tension between them dissipated in the face of the group's genuine warmth, replaced by a sense of belonging and shared purpose.

After making her rounds, (Y/n) went to sit by the couch, where a mini circle had formed as the team watched Azzi and Aubrey in their death match of Mario Cart. The room was filled with the rhythmic clicking of controllers and the occasional whoops and groans as players navigated their virtual karts through the colourful tracks. Azzi and Aubrey were locked in intense concentration, their eyes glued to the screen as they jostled for the lead. The competitive banter between them added to the lively atmosphere, punctuated by bursts of laughter and playful teasing from the rest of the team. (Y/n) leaned back, taking in the scene with a contented smile.

As the night progressed, (Y/n) found herself settling in, enjoying the easy connection of the team. Their genuine willingness to engage with her put her at ease, dispelling any lingering apprehension. After wrapping up a conversation with Ashlyn about her cats back at home, (Y/n) decided to take a brief respite. She excused herself and made her way to the kitchen, feeling a headache creeping in as result of the loud atmosphere. 

The cool touch of the glass along her fingers was well welcomed as (Y/n) took a sip of water. From her position in the kitchen, she had a comforting view of the apartment. As her gaze swept from Azzi and Aubrey fighting about wins and losses, to KK and Aaliyah filming their third tiktok of the night, her eyes landed on Paige. 

Obviously, people change as they grow up. Physically, Paige was taller. Her dark blond roots peaked out like a halo. But, the space between them seemed to grow as well. 

With a sigh, she turned to grab another sip of water. The kitchen, bathed in the soft glow of overhead lights, hummed with activity. The tiled floor gleamed underfoot, a testament to the cleanliness maintained in the shared space.

Unfortunately, right as she turned, she bumped into the one and only Nika Muhl.

“Oh, shit,” (Y/n) jumped, the water in her glass sloshing dangerously close to the brim.

Before she could react, the collision resulted in the water spilling on Nika, the droplets now flowing from Nika’s shirt onto the tiles below. (Y/n)'s heart sank at the sight

“I’m so sorry, let me help you,” she stammered, scrambling for a nearby towel, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Nika waved off (Y/n)'s apology with a chuckle, her easygoing demeanour putting her at ease. "Don’t worry about it, (Y/n). Accidents happen." Nika took the towel she offered and dabbed at her shirt, trying to contain the spill.

(Y/n) winced, feeling guilty. "I didn't mean to, I was just lost in thought."

Nika leaned against the counter, a small smile playing on her lips. "No harm done. Do you want to talk about whatever was on your mind?"

(Y/n) hesitated, not wanting to burden Nika with her concerns. But Nika's warm gaze encouraged her to speak up. "Yeah, I'm just trying to find my place with the team, you know? Sometimes it feels like I'm still the new kid."

Nika nodded in understanding, crossing her arms casually. "I get that. But trust me, (Y/n), you fit right in. Everyone likes you."

(Y/n) felt a warmth spread through her chest at Nika's words, and she couldn't help but blush. "Thanks, Nika. That means a lot."

Nika chuckled, nudging (Y/n) playfully. "Hey, don't mention it. And you know what? Even Paige couldn't stop talking about how excited she was when she found out you were joining."

(Y/n)'s eyes widened in surprise at the mention of Paige. "Really?"

Nika nodded, a knowing smile on her face. "Yep, really. It seems you’re quite the People’s Princess, (Y/n)."

Feeling a mix of emotions, (Y/n) leaned against the counter beside Nika, both of them watching the group outside the kitchen enjoying themselves. The sounds of laughter and chatter filled the air, creating a comforting backdrop to their conversation.

 However, (Y/n)'s attention was soon drawn to the sight of everyone getting up and preparing to leave. "Where is everyone going?" she asked, confusion evident in her voice.

Nika followed her gaze, her expression turning playful. "I guess it’s about that time now.” Nika then stood up to trail the team out of the apartment. “Team tradition."

Now playing: white ferrari by frank ocean

The night enveloped the surroundings in a tranquil embrace, casting a serene aura over the playground. The soft glow of the moon and stars illuminated the path ahead, casting gentle shadows on the playground equipment.

Amidst the laughter of her companions, (Y/n) found herself immersed in the peaceful ambiance of the night. As she followed behind the group, she couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over her. The cool night air brushed against her skin, carrying with it the faint scent of freshly cut grass and distant city lights.

With each step, (Y/n) felt a weight lifting from her shoulders, replaced by a quiet sense of serenity. She took in the sight of her newfound teammates friends ahead, their silhouettes dancing against the night sky, and allowed herself to be relax the moment, grateful for the new joys she would encounter with this team.

As they made their way onto the playground, the flash of red and blue metal bars pierced the air, bringing back memories of a time when playing D1 basketball was just a distant dream.

Following close behind, (Y/n) ended her destination at a swing set that shone silver and gold against the night sky. The chains groaned in response of her weight, their link rattling together, forming a melody long forgotten. As her world slowly swung on an axis, (Y/n) couldn’t help but finally be at ease. 

As (Y/n) allowed herself to sink into the comforting rhythm of the swing, she became aware of a presence nearby. Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted Paige making her way towards the swing set, her silhouette cutting through the darkness like a shadow. Despite the tension that often lingered between them, there was something oddly comforting about Paige's proximity in that moment. With a silent invitation, (Y/n) watched as Paige settled onto the swing beside her, the chains creaking softly in protest under their combined weight.

For a moment, there was only the soft whip of the wind that passed by (Y/n)’s ears, occasionally broken by the rattling chains and the laughter that drifted from the playground. Though things between the two girls were complicated, (Y/n) missed their time together. 

With a sigh, her eyes searched the distant lights above. Her mind filled in the blanks and connected the dots of the stars in the skies. Unbeknownst to (Y/n), Paige had been doing the same since she arrived.

“Ursa Major,” Paige murmured, the name of the constellation unintentionally slipping from her lips.

At the sudden break in the comforting silence, (Y/n) glanced over to her, giving her full attention. 

"Is it still your favorite?" Paige asked, her voice soft with genuine curiosity, her gaze falling to the side to find (Y/n)’s surprised expression within the darkness.

“Yeah,” (Y/n) spoke softly, her mind filled with the countless nights they searched the sky together. An unexplainable wave of yearning and sadness washed over her senses, “it is.”

Paige then turned her attention back to the sky above, all while (Y/n) was still processing the fact that she remembered her favourite constellation.

“You still remember?” (Y/n) asked, the question slipping from her mind out to the world before she could stop herself.

Paige felt her blood rush scarlet. “Yeah, you know… how could I forget?”

Paige’s answer stunned her. She assumed that since they parted ways, Paige would’ve also tried to erase the memories from her mind. For (Y/n), it had been too much to remember.

Paige's response  lingered in the air, the weight of its meaning hanging heavy between them.

Paige hesitated, her gaze searching (Y/n)'s face for any sign of recognition. "Do you ever miss it?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

(Y/n)'s heart skipped a beat at the question, her mind racing as she struggled to find the right words. "Miss what?" she replied, her voice barely audible over the gentle rustle of leaves and the soft glow of the stars.

Paige's gaze softened. "Us," she admitted, her voice tinged with vulnerability.

A whirlwind of emotions swept through (Y/n) at Paige's question. Her chest tightened, and her breath caught in her throat. The weight of their shared history pressed down on her, threatening to overwhelm her fragile composure.

Yet, amid the turmoil of conflicting emotions, a flicker of longing ignited within her.

Everyday.

She wanted to respond.

I’ve never stopped missing us. 

She hadn’t expected such a question from Paige. Though she had been hoping, deep down, she knew that Paige might not have the same space for her in her world. After all, a sun doesn’t need a moon to survive.

Over time, their dynamic had shifted, revealing that (Y/n) relied more on Paige than the other way around. But those words brought into question whether (Y/n) had been wrong about them all along.

Her eyes swept to the side to meet Paige’s expectant gaze, her eyes reflecting the silver moonlight.

“Always.”

Neither Paige nor (Y/n) had been expecting the answer to be spoken. At the revelation, the corners of Paige’s lips curved into the slightest smile. 

As soon as the conversation started, silence drifted between them, The two girls drifted back into their quiet comfort. Only now, they both shared the same information. Possibilities of the upcoming sprung up into (Y/n)’s mind. Things would be different then she expected, but maybe that was a good thing.

(Deleted scene)

“Nah, Paige is occupied at the moment,” KK laughed, her voice carrying over the chatter of the group. With a deft swing from the monkey bars, she landed next to Aaliyah, where her phone was propped up to capture their talents. As they continued their antics, the live chat exploded with questions about (Y/n) after the idea of getting Paige on the stream was quickly shut down.

“Damn,” Aaliyah murmured, her eyes scanning the flood of messages, “y’all really love her, don’t you?”

A chorus of affirmative responses flooded the chat. Meanwhile, Azzi's voice cut through the background noise, calling both Aaliyah and KK over to witness her latest feat on the monkey bars. With a shared grin, the two girls left their spot, drawn by Azzi's infectious energy.

In the darkness of the night, the bottom right corner of the screen was illuminated just enough to make ou two silhouettes together on a swing set. The descovery sparked a flurry of speculation in the chat. Messages scrolled rapidly as viewers attempted to decipher the identities of the mysterious figures. Within moments, messages began pouring out as Paige and (Y/n) were finally identified.

(Y/n) and Paige: Sparks Fly on Live Stream

Fans were treated to an unexpected sight during teammate KK Arnold's recent live stream, as basketball stars (Y/n) (L/n) and Paige Bueckers made a joint appearance. Their presence together immediately set social media abuzz, with fans reigniting dating rumors that have followed the pair for years. Despite both athletes maintaining silence on the matter, the resurgence of speculation has divided fans, with some eagerly shipping the duo while others advocate for their privacy. As (Y/n) and Paige continue to focus on their careers, fans remain captivated by the possibility of a romantic connection between the two athletes.

a/n: yuhh chapter two done! sorry for the wait, it's been a tough week lmao! anyways, im begging you PLEASE LISTEN TO WHITE FERRARI WHILE READING THE NIGHT SCENE ITS SO GOOD

anyways, thanks for all the love and support you guys are the best, loving all the comments <333

also for future chapters, does anyone live in seattle? cuz mc is gonna be from there and i need a highschool that was good at basketball or just one in general. LOVE YALL SO MUCH SEE YOU NEXT TIME

taglist: @kenzie-luvzz , @juphey , @h34rtsformilli , @pinkandlilacroses , @i-bribri-i , @thatonemarvelfan03 , @girlokwhatever , @ihrtthotdads , @kc88888888 , @nfleditsrjustbetteridk , @imsobabygiirl , @vi0lentb3rry , @sejus-wife , @katemlk , @littlelesbianinternujung , @ktaerssoi , @evangelinexo , @c999sh

[lacedinweb22]

new ride 🏍️༻ (Miguel O’Hara x reader)

🕸️ Entangled series 🕸️ ch. 3 prev part

author’s note: I had this hot vision of motorcycle Miguel last week then came across this artwork which completely cemented my idea. Check out the artist!!!! 💘🕸 ALSO this is a flashback chapter!!!

Summary: Your best friend/crush, Miguel, comes over to study with you. His arrival to your apartment surprises you, and gives you a new reason to procrastinate and get closer to him.  CW: none 

✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊

I looked down at our text conversation, pacing in my bedroom.

Miguel: I’m on my way from Alchemax :) give me 5

Me: Traffic is bad rn so drive safe :D I’ll be waiting in front  Me: Also it’s so dark out so drive carefully. don’t text and drive

I threw my phone on my bed and finished getting ready and cleaning up my place. I headed out and stood in front of my apartment complex, nearing the sidewalk so he could park and I could help him with his books and our lab equipment, though I knew he would reject my help.

I stared down the street waiting for Miguel when headlights approached, blinding me, and spotlighting me in the darkness. The dark blue motorcycle pulled up in front of me, parking exactly where Miguel was supposed to park. I shyly backed up into the grass to avoid blocking their path. I took a deep breath, “Sir, I was… saving this spot for a friend,” I blurted, attempting to be assertive. He took his helmet off, revealing Miguel under. "Oh yeah?" he asked, smirking as he wiped sweat from his forehead. "Miguel," I muttered, confused.

His wavy brown hair was messy, damp with sweat, cascading onto his face, and his cheeks were rosy. I admired his black fingerless gloves wrapped around his muscular hands, which gripped tightly around his motorcycle’s handlebars. He wore a compression shirt, snug around his biceps, and his dark gray pants that his crimson briefs peeked out of. He turned the engine off then got off of it. He grabbed his backpack and textbooks out from the back of the bike and slung it onto his shoulder, while I grabbed the heavy textbooks from his hands and continued to stare at him in awe.

I snapped myself out of it as Miguel looked at me through his furrowed brows, while he locked his helmet to his mirror. “Miguel, when were you going to– I mean– since when did you have a motorcycle?” I asked, interrogating him. “Since always,” he replied, shrugging. He walked past me and towards my apartment, avoiding my questions, and supporting his guiltiness. I chased after him.  

“No, you liar, I’ve never seen… When did you even…?” “Y/N, I always bring the car so you can ride with me. It would be too dangerous and… I wouldn’t want to risk anything with you,” he explained. “So you only drive your car… for me?” I asked, hiding how flattered I was. He nodded. 

“Okay but that doesn’t change the fact that you’ve still been keeping this from me,” I shrugged, “I mean, Miguel, you’ve been living a double life. You’re a double-agent, double-crossing, traitor, backstabbing, liar,” I accused jokingly, chasing after him. I caught up to him at my door, as I watched him scoff and smile, avoiding me as he opened my apartment door and entered before me.

“You have to make it up to me,” I exclaimed, “I mean, don’t you think it would be a little fucked for you to drive over here with your fancy new ride, and rub it in my face just to not let me ride with you,” I said, shrugging, blocking his way. “And that is exactly why I kept it from you,” he said, sarcastically smiling, walking around me and into the kitchen. He dropped his backpack to the floor as I placed the pile of books onto the kitchen counter. He sat at the counter, dragging the textbooks in front of him, and opening them up, ready to study. “But– but–” “It’s not safe, Y/N,” he declared, firmly. “Damn, okay,” I muttered, sitting beside him, slumping and slowly opening up my notebook. I sighed and began to write. He turned to me then hung his head low, sighing to himself, and muttering in Spanish.

“You brat,” he said, as he stood up and slammed his textbook closed. He walked towards the front door, heading back to his motorcycle. I followed happily behind him. 

He stood beside his motorcycle, his hands on his hips, “Get over here,” he demanded. I walked quickly across the grass then arrived on the opposite side of his motorcycle, awaiting his instructions.

“Get on top,” he demanded. Never thought I’d hear him say those words. “Okay, geez” I muttered, slinging one leg across the bike, trying to climb up. He watched me struggle, his arms crossed, as he rolled his eyes. “Not all of us are fucking 6’9” Miguel, help me up,” I exclaimed, annoyed.

He came to my side of the bike, and put his hand underneath my thigh, lifting me up onto it. 

I sat on his bike, as he stood tall beside me. “Nice,” I said, nodding excitedly. “Good, now safety,” he said, pulling an extra helmet out from the back. He grabbed his helmet and rested it on my lap as he helped me put the spare on. He brushed my hair back, gently moving it out of my face and sliding the helmet onto me, adjusting it. He lifted the shield up so he could see my eyes. 

“Do I look cool?” I asked, grinning with my eyes. He stepped back, taking in the view of me hovering on his bike. “So cool… and kind of…” “hot,” I finished, confidently. “I feel like all-black was the way to go today,” I said, looking down at my pants, tracing my hands along my hips and thighs. He nodded, smiling down at me, “you do look… hot,” he affirmed, nodding, his gaze soft on me. He cleared his throat then came back closer to me, adjusting the helmet. 

He traced his fingers down from the bottom of the helmet to the black cord around my neck. “You’ve always eyed this one,” I whispered nervously, as I looked up at him. “Triquetra: body, mind, spirit,” he said, tracing it. I nodded. “Your Irish is showing,” I muttered, nudging him as he smiled down at me. “Take it,” I said, as I undid it and began to wrap it around his neck. “No, what are you doing, Y/N? It’s yours,” he argued, gently pushing my hands away. “Don’t be annoying. I’m going to Dublin this summer, I’ll buy a new one,” I pushed. He surrendered, as I wrapped it around his neck. I continued, “This one has been mine since forever, so it has luck and my… essence, so you can… wear it when you’re driving or whenever you need protection,” I reasoned, clasping it.

“Thank you, Y/N. I’m never taking this off,” he said, looking down at it, his fingers caressing the charm. “So,” he took a deep breath then climbed onto the bike, now sitting in front of me. He pulled his helmet on then turned it on, now gripping the handlebars. “Scoot closer to me,” he said, reaching behind him to grab my arms and wrap them around him. “We’ll ride, but only for a bit,” he asserted. “Okay,” I whispered. He reached back and grabbed under my thighs, lifting me effortlessly up and closer to him, my thighs now completely wrapped around him. He smelled like cinnamon and… Miguel. I lowered the shield on my helmet, my face flushed. His gloved hands clenched around the bars, as he slowly started to drive. 

We drove down the street, as I held onto his muscular body tightly. I’m enjoying this a little too much. “We should head into the main city, just barely, for a little,” I whined. “We have to study,” he exclaimed back at me, through the wind. “Please, just for a bit, for me,” I said, squeezing him tighter. I felt him exhale against my chest. He dropped his head low, defeated. He headed towards the freeway. “I hate you,” he exclaimed. I grinned under my helmet, leaning my head into his back. He sped up, my hair combed by the wind. 

We entered the main city, the huge skyscrapers lit up, shining above us. I looked up in awe. “You good back there?” he called out, patting my leg. I squeezed him tightly, nodding against him. We drove through the city, then eventually headed back. 

We pulled up in front of my apartment, as he turned the engine off and got off of the bike. He took his helmet off and ran his fingers through his hair. He stood beside me, and helped me take off mine. He lifted it off of me slowly, his eyes immediately meeting mine. 

“See, not as dangerous as you thought it would be, huh?” I teased, hoping it would convince him to let me ride with him again.

“Mmmm, you are still in one piece,” he said, shrugging, helping me get off of the bike. “So, you’ll invite me to ride with you again, someday, maybe?” I asked, smiling up at him, leaning closer to him. “I’ll consider it,” he said, smirking down at me as we walked to my apartment to study. “Fair enough.” 

✧༺♥༻∞

next part

Tag List: @wingedturtledream @that-one-weeb-buts-its-the-main @infirebaby @skaochii @bat-yo-us @lostpirate79 @renn-pumkin-head @princessa-micomicona @qundadedingle11 @waiif-uwu @punpuun @migueloharaslxt @thbidkbutok @00macy2022 @acehyacinth

[onehoplessromantic]

MASTERLIST

Jeon Jungkook | Min Yoongi | Lee Minho | Lee Felix | Kim Mingyu | Bang Chan | Kim Namjoon | Jung Hoseok | Choi Seungcheol

-constantly being updated- <- (that’s a lie)

updated 8/11/2024 [guilty pleasures wc, for the birds ch 3, link check]

!!authors!! if u want ur work removed plz dm me:)

Helloooo! its been a while hasn’t it? School is dying down so I finally had a chance to update this master list! I have updated the counts and info on fics that were already there and added a bunch more (new idols get hype). another fun new thing is that im going to open my taglist, so whenever i update a new chapter or add a new fic or whatever, whoever wants to will get a notification. all you have to do is just add a note to the post that says “taglist” and ill add u, im trusting that youre over 16. anyways! enjoy the new library of fics!!!

peace 🫶🏻

PSA: if you want to be kept up to date with the happenings of this list you can sign up for my tag list here so you will be notified when i add fics or chapters and you can choose to keep up with bigger announcements as well

fluff-> 🤍 | smut -> 🍋 | angst -> 🌧️ | major tw -> ‼️

Jeon Jungkook

♡ I Want You to Stay | @ahundredtimesover

series | wc: 261.3k | 🌧️🤍‼️

boss!jungkook x assistant!reader

PLEASE READ WARNINGS

idiot strangers to lovers, enemies to lovers if you squint, k-drama feels, angst, drama, fluff, smut, sexual themes, power dynamics, anxiety, depictions of assault and aggression [chapter 8] (specific warnings on post)

♡ strong enough | @hyukaslvr

series *ongoing* | current wc: 32k | 🌧️

idol!jungkook x idol!reader

idiot exes to lovers, slow burn, kdrama feels (kind of like our beloved summer minus the salt and water if yk loll), angst, drama, fluff, smut

♡ guilty pleasures | @kookslastbutton

series *ongoing* | current wc: 28.4k | 🌧️🍋

ceo!jungkook x reader (?) idol!tae x reader

!!!okay so the fate of the story has not yet been decided, you’ll get it once you read!!! (not poly!!)

angst, smut, fluff, loverstoexesto (?), coworkersto (?), unrequited love, smut, sexism, morally grey-ness, swearing, alcohol consumption, sexism in media and business, toxic relationships, abandonment issues, explicit sexual content

♡ things you don’t know | @btsgotjams27

oneshot | wc: 4.3k | 🌧️🤍

jungkook x f!reader

angst, ex best friends au, language, light kisses, miscommunication, reader jokes about unaliving her other best friend, mentions of throwing up

“i thought i’d never see you again”

♡ the farmhouse | @solecize

series | wc: 52.3k | 🌧️🤍

jungkook x reader

estranged friends to lovers, small town au, childhood best friends, slice of life, cowboy-ish jungkook, grief, mentions of death, death, fear, drinking and substance use, mutually pining, explicit language, jk as a parental figure (you’ll see), angst, fluff, growing up

♡ Chasing Cars | @oddinary4bts

series *ongoing* | current wc: 155.2k | 🌧️🍋

brothers best friend!jungkook x younger sister!reader

18+ mdni!, forbidden love? au, college!au, slice of life, smut, angst, fluff

♡ The Boy with Galaxies in His Eyes | @oddinary4bts

oneshot | wc: 52.9k | 🌧️🍋

idol!jungkook x tattoo-artist!reader

fwb to lovers, idol!au, angst (a lot), smut (a whole lot too), fluff, oc’s ex-boyfriend died and it takes an important place in the story, swearing, fuckboy Jungkook, fuckgirl oc, a whole bunch of red flags, miscommunication (they learn how to communicate don’t worry), exes that can’t stay out of your life, alcohol, they be a little toxic but they get better, explicit content: fingering, pussy slapping, squirting, oral sex (male and female receiving), mouth fucking, dirty talking, jungkook has a slight begging kink and an exhibitionism kink (not that present in the fic), dom!jk, switch!reader, car sex, sex in a tent, hair pulling (I think), tits/nipple play, unprotected sex, a little bit of ass slapping, mentions of choking

♡ For the Birds | @yoonieper

series *ongoing* | current wc: 65.9k | 🌧️🤍🍋‼️

jungkook x reader

slow burn, lots of smut (not always healthy), cheating, discussions of depression, this series includes Jk in a pretty toxic environment, degradation (not the sexy kind), manipulation, and overall Jk being in an emotionally abusive situation! please read with caution!!

♡ how long will we fall | @jiminrings

oneshot | wc: 14k | 🌧️

jungkook x reader

soulmate au, painful f2l, unrequited love, a lot of angst, more fluff n wholesome moments, emotional constipation, yearning, jealousy, swearing, redemption arc, ngl jk kinda toxic

♡ touchin’ | @whatifyoulivelikethat

oneshot | wc: idk loll | 🍋🍋🍋

jungkook x reader

rated M (18+) for language, lovers that call themselves friends-with-benefits because jk is a fool, both parties are freaking annoying tbh, smut (fem reader, double lip piercing jk, heavy petting, standing doggy with clothes on, lots of neck making out, light nipple play, lowkey forearm kink), fluff, non-idol!au - jk is wearing the outfit from his 2023.06.29 weverse live

i dont usually recommend smut but this was just too good not to

♡ first class | @girlygguk

oneshot | wc: 25k+ | 🍋🤍🌧️

rich student!jk x (f)rich student!reader

childhood best friends, nepo baby!reader & jk, kth younger sister!reader, heavy pining, language, emotionally constipated characters, miscommunication, toxic/unhealthy friendships, fwb relationship, fighting, blood, alchohol consumption, smut (see fic for full warnings there was way too many to write here)

♡ meraki | @taegularities

series | wc: n/a | 🤍🍋

grumpy!jk ( + photographer!jk) x sunshine!reader

e2l, fluff, smut

all thats out for this right now is the teaser, full warnings to come soon, it looks incredible and i hope yall check it out!

Min Yoongi

♡ Countermelody | @bonvoyagenoona

series | wc: ~100k | 🍋🌧️🤍

yoongi x reader

small town enemies to lovers, angst, fluff, smut, humor, producers!yoongi, hobi, namjoon, songwriters!yoongi, hobi, namjoon, musician!reader

♡ Oh! Darling | @yoongiofmine

series | wc: 108k | 🤍🍋🌧️

professor!yoongi x student!reader

fluff, angst, smut, non idol au, university au, mild age gap (emphasis on mild, yn in grad school and yoongi in his early 30s), forbidden romance

♡ Kitsungi | @moni-logues

series | wc: 105k | 🤍🍋🌧️‼️

yoongi x reader

strangers-to-friends-to-lovers, non idol!au, angst, smut, eventual fluff ‼️alchohol consumption, yoongi and reader are both depressed, depressive episodes, attempted suicide, toxic relationships (readers ex), jokes about death, death, vomit, self harm, self deprecation, language (specific warnings posted for each chapter)

NOTE: please read the warnings carefully, there is a lot of heavy topics in this read

♡ Grey Area | @blushoseoks

series *ongoing* | current wc: 98,832 | 🌧️🍋

min yoongi x reader

heavy angst, language, alcohol consumption, university au, soulmate au, eventual smut, weed consumption, slow burn, death

♡ Illicit Favors | @yoongiofmine

oneshot | wc: 29k | 🍋🍋🍋

producer!yoongi x author!reader

smut with plot, friends to lovers, smut, more smut, even MORE smut, mutual pining, virgin reader, teaching sex au, this oneshot is amazing plz read it

♡ back-burner | @yoonpobs

series | wc: 95k | 🌧️🍋‼️

yoongi x f!reader

sisters best friend!au, best friend to lovers!au, sorta frenimies?to lovers!au, angst, *slow burn*, smut, fluff, one sided pining (?), longing, sibling jealousy, insecurities, family trauma, explicit language, eventual smut, eventual fluff, MAJOR ANGST, sexual harassment, mentions of poor mental health, alcohol as a coping mechanism, mentions of poor health, neglecting ones health [specific warnings in chapters]

guys this is another decently heavy one with a lot of sensitive topics so make the decision that is best for you while reading this

Kim Mingyu

♡ Today was (not) a fairytale | @babyleostuff

oneshot | wc: 1.6k | 🌧️🤍

idol!mingyu x fem!reader

established relationship, mingyu forgets your anniversary…

♡ Snowbound | @papermatisse

series *ongoing* | current wc: 17.6k | 🌧️🌧️🌧️

kim mingyu x f!reader

death mentioned/near death experiences, depression, unresolved mourning, cursing, emotional neglect, slight age gap (mingyu is slightly aged up), reader implied to be smaller than mingyu, stranger danger (?), extreme weather (?)

♡ How to Win Hearts for Dummies (the answer is lattes and banana bread) | @gyuswhore

oneshot | wc: 12.4k | 🌧️🤍

idol!mingyu x makeup-artist!reader

one sided pining, slow burn, swearing, shitty bosses, some descriptions of anxiety and breakdowns, reader has issues opening up

♡ Hits Different (…’cause it’s you) | @gyuswhore

2-part series | wc: 40k | 🌧️🤍🍋

kim mingyu x reader

based off ‘hits different’ by taylor swift, brothers best friend!au, brother!seokmin, smut (part 2), friends(?) to lovers, university!au, slowburn, mingyus a bit of an airhead and an ass, reader has a hard time managing her feelings, lots of frustrated tears, one sided pining, user toruro x minghao make an appearance, swearing, theres another woman (gasp…..but shes cool so), nayeon is a darling, seungchol is kind of annoying but we love him, smut tags in part 2

♡ Backburner | @spamgyu

series | wc: im not counting loll | 🌧️🤍

seungcheol x reader | mingyu x reader

she had grown tired of being on his backburner, the person that he had kept warm until he gotten the girl he had his eyes set on for years… and with a little help from her friend, maybe… just maybe shell finally be the first choice

♡ sugar and you | @97-liners

oneshot | wc: 4.5k | 🤍

mingyu x reader

in which mingyu is an idealistic pastry chef, and you’re a cynical wedding planner who doesn’t believe in love.

fluff, just really sweet (hah) fluff, one-sided enemies to lovers

♡ back to december | @toruro

oneshot | wc: 4.3k | 🍋🤍🌧️

mingyu x reader

miscommunication, unrequited love (not fr tho), big dick mingyu, sex in a car, riding, fingering, pet names, creampie

guys that was a lot of smit warnings but i promise its not a smut fic just read plz

Lee Minho

♡ Invisible Thread | @astraystayyh

series | wc: 37k | 🤍🌧️

minho x reader

university au, academic rivals to lovers (rivals not enemies cuz they respect each other), slow burn, fluff, angst, poor relationships with parents, insecurities, she/her reader, mention of alcohol

♡ Lost in Translation | @moonjxsung

one-shot | wc: 26.5k | 🤍🌧️🍋

minho x reader

university au, babysitter!reader, older brother!minho, smut, angst, fluff, mention of pregnancy, unprotected sex (wrap it before u tap it), pet names, (see other warnings)

Lee Felix

♡ forgive me for what i haven’t done | @rachalixie

one-shot | wc: 17.5k | 🤍🌧️

prince!felix x princess!reader

kingdom au, angst, betrayal, strangers to lovers, hurt/comfort, she/her reader, emotional manipulation and physical violence from readers father, mentions of violence

Bang Chan

♡ Dispatch | @baby-yongbok

oneshot | wc: 1.3k | 🌧️‼️

husband! 911 operator!bang chan x afab!reader

themes of home invasion, mentions of guns, please read responsibly!!!

Chan has heard a lot of calls being a 911 operator but this is never one he wanted to experience.

Kim Namjoon

♡ My Feet to Follow, and My Heart to Hold | @daechwitatamic

series | wc: 76.3k | 🌧️🍋

KNJ x f!reader, unrequited KTH x reader

college!au, roomie!au, angst, s2l, slow burn, eventual smut, pov changes, convos revolving around the past loss of immediate family members, language, drinking, angst, a LOT of poetry, eventual smut - sections will have individual warnings

Jung Hoseok

♡ Flower | @readyplayerhobi

series | wc: 177k | 🤍🌧️🍋‼️

hoseok x reader

depression, anxiety, self-loathing, lack of self-esteem, oral sex (receiving and giving) penetrative sex, fingering, kink exploration, anal, panic attack, discussion of car accidents, mentions of character death, body issues, sex toys, stress, drinking [smut isnt till later in the series btw]

Choi Seungcheol

♡ Always Only You | @honeyhotteoks

oneshot | wc: 14.2k | 🌧️🍋

s.coups x reader

non idol!seungcheol x fem!reader, older brother mingyu, seungcheol is mingyus bff, childhood friends to lovers, brothers best friend, reader is called a sl*t in a mean way by her shitty date, v protective cheol, reckless driving, unprotected sex (wrap it before u tap it), reader is curvy and descriptors like full, thick, etc are used, makeouts, grinding, cheol is obsessed with pussy, oral sex (f receiving), hand stuff, smut

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ⓒ onehopelessromantic, August 2024

[miss-oranje-disco-dancer]

older is a relative term (not old enough ch.3)

pairing: leon kennedy/reader, chris redfield/reader (light)

cw: smut, age-gap, oral sex, vaginal fingering, infidelity, degradation

summary: Leon comes back into reader's life a few years later. More sex, more complications.

word count: 5.7k

ao3 link

You told yourself you were never seeing Leon again, and you didn’t for quite some time. It was years later when you did. You moved back home, out of the city, for a while. Over-drinking, overspending, and disastrous flings with older men brought you to that realization that you weren’t ready for the world.

When you decided to move back to the city, you were still your fun-loving self, but a smarter young woman now. Smart women end up in bad situations, too, you’d come to find out. You tried your best to stay away from creepy guys, but one night, you found yourself sprinting home, being chased by a stranger.

You didn’t know if you’d get there in time, you’d be out of stamina by then if it weren’t for the adrenaline rush from the terrifying thoughts populating your mind. All you had was your phone, your wallet, and the key to your apartment. No pepper spray or pocket knives to defend yourself with.

You didn’t have a boyfriend or a dad living nearby. You needed a man, which was something you’d hate to admit, but you knew the intimidation of another man would be better than whatever fight you could put up against the guy following you. There was only one man in the city that you trusted: Leon S. Kennedy.

You didn’t know much about his job, but you knew he had some sort of weapons training. You’d seen his gun before. Moreover, you knew the type of guy he was - a good man - and he’d said you could call if you needed anything, right?

His number was still saved in your contacts, so all you had to do was press a button to reach him.

“Please pick up,” you prayed internally, not wanting to waste your breath.

Thank your lucky stars that he did.

Leon heard the phone ring - he’s an old man, he keeps his ringer on - and it was half-past midnight. Telemarketers don’t call this late. Someone needed something from him and he knew it. He picked up, didn't even look at the number, so whether he’d saved it under your name or not, he was surprised to hear your voice.

He’d heard you out of breath before, but not panicked like this.

“Leon,” you said, barely getting his name out of your mouth.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, taken out of his state of sleepiness.

“I need help.”

“Where are you? Give me your location.”

You didn’t have to beg him, didn’t even have to ask twice. You gave him your current location, which was only an approximation because you were running, and your address, which was your destination.

He got up, grabbed his keys and got in the car. You were lucky that he was dozing off on the couch and hadn’t even taken off his jacket yet. Though he’s known among friends to be a car accident magnet, he tries to be a good driver, rarely speeds if he doesn’t have to because he knows what it’s like to be in a car crash, but now, your life was on the line, so he was racing through the streets. He didn’t see you on the way, so he parked in front of your apartment complex and prayed that this means you got inside safely and not the other option.

He banged on your door and startled you. He heard you shriek, so he reassured you, “Hey, hey, it’s just me. Just let me in. I’m here to help you.”

His voice was soothing, even if you could sense the worry in it. You opened the door and he walked inside, immediately surveying the area after locking and dead-bolting your door. You explained who the man was and how you only sort of knew him, but you were able to give Leon enough of a description for him to figure out the stranger’s identity. Whether it was through legal means or not, Leon would have that man in a position where he wouldn’t have a chance to hurt you or anyone else again, he swore it.

He took you home for the first time, which was fitting considering it was your third date, if you could count him saving you as one. This was for your safety, not just an excuse to see you again - that was just an added bonus.

When you walked into his house, you were surprised by how clean it was, but you were more surprised by the fact a single man lived in a whole house by himself.

“Is it lonely or freeing?” you asked.

“A lot of both,” he answered honestly, “Sometimes I feel like there’s too much space in here for just me.”

“Why not live in an apartment then?”

“I did for a long time, but I wanted to have a place of my own. I wanted to mow the lawn.”

“What?” you asked, barely holding back a laugh, “No one likes mowing the lawn. It’s a chore.”

“Damn right it’s a chore!” He responded with a smile, “It makes you sweaty and it hurts your back.”

“Then why would anyone ever wish for that?”

“I think I wanted something else to complain about,” he said with his eyes far-away in thought, “You know, something that’s not work, something stupid and normal.”

You gazed at him fondly, while he continued.

“A problem I can control,” he said, definitively, meeting your eyes.

“You’re an interesting man, Mr. Kennedy.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment?”

“Oh, I have many compliments for you.”

“I’m willing to listen if you’re looking to share.”

“I should start by telling you that you’ve aged well.”

“I could say the same about you.”

“Am I old enough for you now?”

“Hmm…”

You expected him to let you down easy, let yourself sit with the idea of rejection. When you saw the genuine indecision in his eyes, you said, “I’ll ask you an easier question: Do you want me?”

“I do, always have.”

“Then,” you pause, letting him fill in the blanks.

“I want to do things differently this time - if we’re doing ‘this’ , that is.”

“I wanna do ‘this’.”

Whatever ‘this’ is, you thought.

“I want to take you out for real this time. I want to get to know you.”

“That sounds good to me, Mr. Kennedy.”

“You’re going to have to start calling me ‘Leon’, too.”

“Why?”

“Because it makes me feel old when you call me ‘Mr. Kennedy’. I’m not your teacher or your friend’s dad.”

You wouldn’t mind if he was.

“Can I be honest?”

“Please.”

“It’s hot. That’s why I call you ‘Mr. Kennedy’.”

“Similar to how you called me ‘Daddy’?”

You blush, surprised he remembered, “You remember that?”

“Mhm.”

“I- uh- yeah, it is like that… if I’m being honest. It’s just more appropriate.”

“Oh? So it’s a kink of yours? You like being on a last name basis?” He teased, looking amused by the whole thing.

“Don’t make fun of me! It’s not about last names… It’s about you being in charge, I guess…”

“You want me to dominate you or something?”

“That makes it sound too rough. I want - God, this is not going to sound good for my case.”

“Go on.”

More timid now, you admitted, “I want to be your good girl. I want you to be proud of me.”

“So the fact that I’m older and more experienced than you is attractive?”

“I know you’re probably not going to want to date me now.”

“I didn’t say that.”

You looked at him, hopeful.

“I never thought it’d be something that I could get into, and I’m still not sure how I feel about the whole ‘Daddy’ thing, but as long as you don’t actually want me to baby you, then I might be able to go along with it… for you .”

“I’ll take care of you, too, you know?” You said to sweeten the deal.

“Yeah? How so?”

“When you have back pain, I can give you a massage, or when your eyesight gets worse, I can read the menu to you.”

He started laughing. “The massage sounds kind of appealing, but I can read on my own, thank you very much.”

“Are you having any aches and pains right now?”

“Now that you mention it…”

He gave you a coy grin that made you think he’d say he needed a ‘dick massage’, but you forgot he has a little bit more maturity than that and a more subtle flirtatious charm. He asked you for a back massage, which you gladly provided.

“Lie down.” You motioned to the couch.

He narrowed his eyes, looking for an ulterior motive to appear across your face. When it didn’t, he asked, “Mind if I take my shirt off?”

“Please do.”

His physique never failed to leave you gawking at him. His arms had gotten even more toned since the last time you’d seen him. He winked at you when he saw the way you were eyeing him.

He lied down as instructed and you loomed over him, deciding to use his butt as a temporary seat after you got a good look at it. You pressed the balls of your palms into his shoulder blades.

He groaned at the feeling of your hands working out the knots in his muscles.

He heard your breathing change and felt your hesitation to continue - it wasn’t not because you didn’t want to hear more noises from him, but because they reminded you of another, more desirable activity - and he said, “Keep going. It feels good.”

His tone was so deep and sultry. There was a clear correlation that he must have at least noticed even if he wasn’t actively trying to get you worked up. You continued to massage his upper back, eliciting more sensual sounds from him.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

“Doin’ what?” he asked, face happily shoved into the couch cushion.

“You’re moaning.”

“You have magic hands. What can I say?”

“If you think my hands are magic, you should find out what my mouth is like.”

“Sounds like the good girl I knew grew up to be a little bit naughty.”

“I can be a good girl for you, Mr. Kennedy.”

“Yeah? I want proof.”

“How can I prove it to you?”

“Get up.”

You did, waiting expectantly for him to give you more instructions, but he didn’t, he picked you up by the waist, put you over his shoulder, and carried you to his bedroom.

“Whoa,” you said at the sudden movement, but you couldn’t complain - this is exactly what you were hoping he’d do.

Leon’s bedroom was minimalist and organized. He dropped you on the mattress and you noticed how perfectly soft it was and the freshly clean laundry smell of his sheets. Soon, he was atop you, kissing you fervently and you almost forgot your intentions. You wanted to please him.

You pushed him away, gently, but you saw the disappointment in his face. He felt rejected until you reassured him.

“Can I please, Mr. Kennedy, have the honor of going down on you?”

He knew you were exaggerating, but he still felt a bit flattered and it was written all over his rosy cheeks.

“I can’t so no to a girl as pretty as you.”

You stood up, now that you’d untangled yourself from his grasp, intending to get on your knees, but he pulled you up.

“Mm-mm.”

You wanted to huff in frustration, stomp your feet and cross your arms, but you’re too old for tantrums.

“I’m old. I want to lie back while we do this.”

“Okay, your highness, or should I say, your high maintenance .”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, which you found ironic because he was always telling stupid jokes.

“I’m kidding,” you whispered as he inched back on the bed and you crawled toward him.

You hesitated and Leon noticed. He furrowed his brows and cocked his head to the side, hoping you’d notice his confusion.

“I feel like I look weird in this position.”

He scoffed and turned his head to the side trying to avoid laughing at you.

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“No,” you whined.

He lifted your chin so that he could make sure you were paying attention when he said, “You look so fucking gorgeous right now. You have no idea.”

You shied away from the compliment and he took your hand and placed it on his clothing-covered cock, which looked painfully hard.

“I’m serious,” he said, “Feel what you do to me.”

“All for me?” you said, giving him a coy grin with your newfound confidence.

“All for you, baby.”

Leon reignited the eagerness in your body and you decided you needed to have him. You had his pants off in a matter of seconds and your greedy fingertips were hooked in his waistband. You could barely hold yourself back, but you wanted to see his face when you teased him.

You pressed open-mouthed kisses along the length, still covered by his underwear, while still toying with his waistband. You looked into his eyes, continuing your teasing routine and you watched as desire filled his eyes.

You sat up for a minute and he subconsciously voiced his disappointment in a pathetic noise, short of a whimper.

“Relax,” you said, taking off your top, “I wanna give you the full experience.”

The sight of you in your lacy black bra elicited a pretty noise of satisfaction, yet yearning, from his lips. You were ethereal and untouchable to him in that moment. He wanted to reach out and feel your skin - you could see it in his hands, practically twitching in eagerness. You removed your bra and guided his hands to your tits.

“Even better than I remembered.”

You allowed him to knead your breasts as you removed his cock from its confines and began to stroke him slowly.

“Do you ever think of me? When you’re alone at night, touching yourself?” You asked, seductively.

Normally, he’d be caught off guard, and try to tease you for being so bold, but in moments like these, he’s already prone to running his mouth, so he told you the truth.

“Fuck yes,” he sighed.

“How do you imagine me?” you asked, leaning your head down towards his cock, which was throbbing in your hand.

He was speechless at the sight of you.

You licked a stripe up the length of him from the base to the tip, stopping for a moment to place a kiss on the head.

“Like this?”

“No, not like this. This is way better than I imagined.”

His words transitioned directly into a drawn-out groan as you sucked on the head, circling your tongue around it, enough to feel him twitch.

Looking up at him, you saw sheer desperation in his eyes and pitying him, you took him into your mouth, quickly making your way down.

Taking him inch by inch, you earned incremental groans from him. He didn’t even try to hold back the noises he was making, especially when he felt how you hum around him in response to each one, sending vibrations through his body. It became a sort of call and response between the two of you.

When your nose met his abdomen, he pulled your hair out of your face into a messy ponytail, but he didn't tug, so as not to ruin your perfect rhythm. With your nose nestled in the neatly-trimmed patch of hair above his dick, he hit the back of your throat, making you choke and pull back again.

Leon, with his caring instincts, almost stopped you, worrying about your well being. Until your dewy eyes met his and he watched as mascara tears fell down your face and saliva dripped out of your mouth around him. At that point, he could no longer stop you because, in your messiest state, you were the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes upon.

He warned you before he came as a courtesy, but you both knew that you were going to have him finish in your mouth. His release came with near-painful satisfaction, strangled moans and labored breath. He fell back fully into the mattress, allowing you to swiftly pull off. You made sure to catch his eye before swallowing, so you could open up your mouth and show him how much he came. He was speechless in awe at that finishing touch. Once you’d wiped your own spit off your chin with the back of your hand, he pulled you up to meet him in a grateful kiss.

Leon, the old man he is, promptly fell asleep with you in his arms. With you by his side, he slept peacefully, without nightmares for the first time in a long time. His soft breathing and steady heartbeat lulled you to sleep as well, splayed halfway across his chest.

You woke up in the middle of the night and unraveled yourself from Leon’s embrace to use the bathroom. Seeing yourself in the mirror, with smudged makeup and messy hair, you couldn’t believe he thought you looked good like this - you looked like a disaster in your opinion, though your appearance also reminded you of yours and Leon’s collective arousal that night, making the heat between your legs return.

When you got back in bed, Leon felt your weight sink into the mattress beside him. You were light, but he was a light-sleeper, especially without you in his arms. As not to disturb him, you lay down beside him, relaxing into his plush pillows. But he wanted you closer. Feeling the blood pooling between his thighs, he realized he must’ve had a pleasant dream about you, even if the details were fuzzy.

He turned to you, realizing he hadn’t returned the favor the night before, he had a goal in mind. He pressed soft kisses to your neck in an attempt to wake you up with sweetness, so he could get your consent before going any further. Luckily, you had only begun to doze off. You would’ve been mad that he’d interrupted your dream about him - if your dream wasn’t going to play out right now, but it was. This was exactly what you wanted.

“Baby, ‘m sorry I fell asleep. I wanna make you feel good,” he whispered in your ear.

You hummed in response, leaning your head to one side, encouraging him to continue kissing your neck.

His fingertips brushed your sides, and he asked, “Can I touch you, baby?”

“Mhm,” you agreed with a smile, pushing yourself up on the bed slightly.

“Shh,” he said, gently pushing you back down, “Relax for me. It’s your turn. Don’t have to do a thing, baby.”

Feeling his thumbs graze your nipples, you let out a moan, soft and sweet.

“Except, lemme hear those pretty noises.”

Leon was lucky that you’d removed your bra earlier, so you were bare-chested in front of him. Allowing you to stay in the warmth of the covers, he ducked under them and took one nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. When he received your positive affirmations in the form of whimpers, he sucked lightly on the other.

He would be satisfied continuing this for the rest of his life, but he knew you needed him further down your body, so he made his way down your stomach with wet kisses, until he reached your panties. It was a beautiful surprise that you’d removed your shorts earlier. With his hands on your thighs, he kissed you through the lace fabric, which was already wet with your arousal.

“Can’t believe I forgot how good you taste,” he mumbled into the skin of your thighs.

He removed your panties and slowly began to tease your folds, only giving you the tip of his tongue.

Your hands shot down to his head, giving him the cue to continue. He moaned into your core, pleased at the opportunity to taste you. He began by licking a stripe from your entrance to your clit, eliciting a drawn-out moan from you. For the next couple of minutes, he savored you, spending his time on your clit. He hummed in delight, and his noises reverberated through your body. When he could tell you were close, he dipped his fingers in you and replaced his mouth on your clit with his thumb, so he could beg for you. “Please, baby, come for me. Need you to come on my face.”

His voice dripped with desperation and need.

You came hard, legs clamping around his head, nearly suffocating him. After he took you through your orgasm, he emerged from the covers and you both lied beside each other, trying to catch your breaths.

You fell back asleep entangled, but when you woke up, Leon was no longer in bed. You found the t-shirt he’d worn the day before on the floor beside the bed, and you put it on. It smelled like him, which made the soft fabric feel even better on your skin. You found Leon in the kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he said placing a kiss on the top of your head.

“Good morning, handsome,” you said with a wink.

“Where’d you get that shirt?” he said with a knowing grin.

“I can’t remember,” you said, smiling coyly.

“It looks good on you.”

He pulled you into a kiss and you could taste the coffee on his lips already.

“What are we doing today?” you ask.

“We? I have something that I have to do for work. I can drive you home, though.”

“But it’s Saturday.”

“And? I have to work.”

You were suspicious about whether Leon actually had ‘work’ obligations because you assumed that he worked a 9 to 5, but even if his activities were personal in nature, it wasn’t your business and you knew that. You weren’t even a couple. There was no right for you to feel upset that he had a life outside of you.

“I’ll call you,” he said when he dropped you off.

You held onto the kiss goodbye for longer than you would have if you’d thought he was telling the truth about calling. You were old enough to know that people lie sometimes.

But he did call. That night he called and asked you out on a real date.

You switched shifts with a coworker that Friday, so that you could have more time before your date with Leon to get ready. You had already gotten the mani-pedi earlier that week, so it was just makeup, hair, outfit, and shaving every centimeter of hair off your body.

You were staring in your bathroom mirror, fixing your eyeliner for the tenth time when your phone buzzed. You picked it up to see a text from Leon.

“Hey, baby, I need to take a rain check for tonight. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.”

You wanted to get mad and say ‘ how could you do this to me when I spent so much time getting ready ’, but what you said was, “Promise?”

“Promise,” he said with a smiley face.

You repeated the routine the next evening, except, this time Leon was there at 7 pm on the dot. The way he looked in his suit made it worth the wait.

He drove with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on your thigh.

“Do you think they’d mind if we’re a little late for the reservation?”

“We’ll get there on time.”

“But what if we didn’t?”

“Are you worried we won’t?”

Now, stopped at a red light, he turned to you and saw the desire in your eyes.

“After dinner,” he assured you with a squeeze to the thigh.

It was hard to focus on dinner. The food was great, but you wanted Leon.

You did most of the talking with Leon asking the questions. You came to find that ‘getting to know you’ was a one-way street with him. You had to accept that he’d keep his secrets.

You found yourself at Leon’s place at least once a week. Not just for sex - you really enjoyed his time, too. He was a good dinner date, shower buddy, sleeping partner, binge-watching companion to name a few things.

After you’d had an intimate encounter that was memorable in the moments after, and would’ve continued to be if your memory of that day hadn’t been tainted by what you found in his bathroom trash can.

A condom wrapper, which was alarming because you and Leon had opted for a slightly more careless route when it came to sex.

“Leon?” you called from the en suite.

You rarely used his first name, so when you did, it set off alarm bells in his head.

“Yeah?”

“Come here.”

You heard the springs of the mattress rise with the loss of his weight, and subsequently, his feet hitting the hardwoods.

“What’s up?”

“What is that?”

He looked at you with furrowed brows when you pointed to the waste basket.

“What? Is there a bug or something you need me to kill? Because I don’t see anything.”

“There’s a fucking condom wrapper in your trash.”

“Oh. Sorry about that, babe. I should’ve taken out the trash, but it completely slipped my mind. Hope it’s not too awkward for you.”

“Awkward?”

“Well, yeah, I imagine you don’t want to think about me doing those things with other women.”

“You’re not even going to try to lie your way out of this?”

“Why would I?”

“Cheating is one thing, but doing it so shamelessly somehow makes it worse.”

“Cheating?”

“Yeah, when you sleep with someone else, that’s considered cheating.”

“It would be if we were in a relationship, but we hadn’t discussed being exclusive yet.”

“I thought it was implied.”

“Clearly it wasn’t.”

“Did you not even think about me?”

“Look, I think there was a misunderstanding between us. If you want to talk about being exclusive, then we can do that, but since we hadn’t, I don’t understand why you’re mad.”

“Fuck you, Leon!”

You’re making your way to the front door when he puts his hand on your shoulder and makes you face him.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he says in a futile attempt to calm you, “I’m not just going around sleeping with the whole town and obviously I’m being safe about things.”

“When was it?”

You won’t accept the answer anyway, but your morbid curiosity won’t let you leave without asking.

“Yesterday,” he sighs, “but I don’t know why that matters.”

“Did you even change your sheets before we slept together? Did you even shower?”

“Of course I showered! Do you really think I’m that gross?”

“I’m not going to answer that.”

Physically, you doubted it, but deep inside, he was pure filth, you thought.

So, you were back at square one: no more Leon. Older men suck, Leon sucks, everyone sucks.

You went to a club one night because that’s something that single women who like to have fun do, right? Plus, you had friends going and didn’t want to spend Saturday night home alone. Leon wasn’t on your mind, especially since Leon was sober. You weren’t going to see him at this club and that was for the best.

You were getting a drink at the bar because Saturday is a special enough occasion for you to grant yourself one or two or three. You were on drink number who the fuck knows anymore when a man - older, a bit more sober, came up next to you. You casually gave him the once-over and decided he wasn’t bad looking. You weren’t subtle about it at all, you’d come to find out, when he called you out for staring. He wasn’t mean about it, though, in fact, it came with a compliment.

Perfect - the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. All the information you’d gotten from him before you pulled him onto the dance floor was his name - Chris.

You hadn't lost your touch, or your body. In fact, you’d gotten better at this - more confident, better coordination in heels from practice. You were wearing an outfit that was similar to the one you wore when you first met Leon in that it covered very little. Your tits were still in your shirt and your ass was mostly covered by your skirt. Plus, whatever was peeking out was probably - hopefully - hidden by Chris’ big hands on your hips.

You were definitely thinking about what he could do to you with those hands. You were grinding your hips into his, hoping you could egg him on enough that he’d ask you to go somewhere private.

But before you could do that, you caught someone’s eye - Leon.

What the fuck? Did he lie about being sober? Why is he here?

There was a girl with him, and she was pretty, but he was looking at you. His expression was unclear - confusion, arousal, jealousy, plain old recognition?

There was only one way to go about this. It didn’t matter whether you preferred the idea of Chris or Leon, you were leaving this room with Chris and you knew it was going straight to Leon’s head - which head, you were unsure, quite possibly both of them.

You didn’t end up in the men’s bathroom this time. Chris is a gentleman who took you to his car, which was parked in a somewhat secluded area, though whatever you were about to do was almost certainly illegal. But nobody was around to arrest you.

You were making out before you actually got in the car and he had two fingers knuckle-deep inside you - you were so right about his hands - while you were pressed up against the side of his car.

You were thinking about the logistics of getting on your knees in the parking lot when you heard footsteps and slow clapping. Deja vu.

It was exactly who you were hoping would come out. At first, you couldn’t believe a man of his age was going to be that childish about the whole thing. I mean, he was the one who cheated on you, right? And you weren’t even seeing each other anymore, so why did he give a fuck what you were up to?

But Chris turned to look at him, too, and said, “Leon, what the fuck?”

Holy shit .

This was going from good to great. You held your tongue. Didn’t want to laugh preemptively.

“Wow, I take back what I said about you - however the fuck long ago that was - seems like the ‘ good girl ’ really was a whore all along.”

“Watch your mouth.”

Chris gave you a brief apologetic look before walking towards Leon with an I’m-going-to-kick-your-ass look on his face.

“How do you like my sloppy seconds, Redfield ?”

You realized that Leon was drunk by the way he slurred his words.

“That’s enough, Leon.”

The fight that went down in front of you should’ve been pay-per-view. This was not some run-of-the-mill drunken bar fight. You should’ve been horrified, but you took a moment to admire both of their skills.

The woman you’d seen sitting next to Leon earlier came outside and broke up the fight, barely acknowledging your existence, no malice, only disappointment at the two men. She took Chris by the arm and was seemingly giving him a stern talking-to as she dragged him across the parking lot. You wondered how she does it.

Leon, alcohol on his breath and blood dripping from his nose, opened his mouth and you were already preparing your exit from this conversation. His words were not what you expect, especially after what had gone down just minutes earlier.

“I’m sorry. That was fucked up of me.”

There were a million unanswered questions in your mind, including: How do you two know each other? Who was that woman? How much have you had to drink? What the fuck were you thinking?

“Why couldn’t you just leave me alone?”

“I will. If that’s what you want, I will. I know I fucked up. Twice, now. I’m sorry.”

“Twice?”

You realized what he meant before he said it.

“Yeah, right now, and before, when you found… the evidence… in the trash can and I got all defensive instead of being an adult about it.”

“You were right, though, about the fact that we weren’t together.”

Sort of , you thought. It was a real “‘we were on a break’ Ross and Rachel situation” .

“Still, I was a dick to you about it, and I shouldn’t have been.”

“Thank you for apologizing. I’m sorry for trying to make you jealous.”

You were only a little sorry.

“Oh, so that’s what that little stunt was?” His words came with a smirk, thinking he was somehow ‘winning’ now that you’d admitted to being a bit petty.

“I mean, it wasn’t only for that - I wanted to get out and forget about you. Look where that got me…”

“If you want, I can go bargain with Claire to get Chris released from timeout,” he offered, getting all tongue-in-cheek about it, despite the situation.

“You kinda ruined the mood with your interruption.”

You fucked it up completely. Bold of you to even try to lighten it.

“I’m sorry, again. I would make it up to you if I could.”

“Make it up to me?”

Does he mean what you think he does? And if he does, is it just a drunken spur-of-the-moment thing to say? Like the whole “we should go somewhere private” thing years ago was.

“I owe you more than a pathetic apology. Don’t you think?”

“I’m surprised you still care about me… after what you said.”

“You thought I meant that shit?! Not for a second. Who am I to be calling you a whore?”

“Mhm,” you hummed, deciding not to entertain him, “I’m gonna call you a cab home”.

“Who are you? Me? ”

“Maybe. Guess I’ve grown up a little.”

“I’ll accept the cab if you call yourself one. Don’t want you getting into any more trouble tonight, young lady.”

“Alright, dad.”

“Don’t you mean ‘daddy’ ?”

“Not tonight, I don’t.”

You both went home in separate cabs. You win some, you lose some. Leon was back - could be a win, could be a loss. He fought for you. Yeah, he fought . But for you . You couldn’t decide how to feel about that. You weren’t not just going to let him off with that. It wasn’t even about jealousy. The violence was too far. And the ‘whore’ comment was uncalled for. He better be serious about making it up to you.

[ultraviolet-cello]

Yo what's up it's me, ya boi, [horrendous infection that knocked me down for a couple days]

Anyway I'll be catching up episodes 3 4 and 5 tomorrow/day after, but for now I just wanna do my thing with ep 6. 6&7 are possibly some of my favourite episodes in Tristamp, so I'm hyped to show off my theories/details about them.

Once again spoilers for Trimax [HEAVY spoilers in this case, we're talking about Legato and Razlo]

TL;DR there's something fucked up with Tristamp Livio and by extension Razlo, and I need more of them all the time.

@tristampparty I'm back in the game!

So a lot of these theories and details will link to episode 7 :]

So of note in this scene is (obviously) Wolfwood's weird red eyes which. Pretty cool ngl. But I do think there's something to be said about the way he pauses and carries the Punisher in this scene; there's a pretty popular theory that Wolfwood gets extremely overstimulated when he takes a vial and the way he pauses and wobbles with the Punisher here is, for me, more evidence for the list.

Also that they won't give this man a CAR. Give him a Thomas or something??? I think it speaks to the dehumanization of Wolfwood by EOM that he doesn't seem to get to use transport like a normal person - always set to wander the desert, because he can survive that! Not like a normal person, of course. Only the Punisher is inhuman enough to do that.

I'll have what he's having [I love that Nightow's wanted poster gets in the magazine despite being. Yknow, 30 $$]

I'll talk about this more when I actually get round to analyzing episode 5, but Roberto calling out Vash's not-being-human and then immediately going "well I'm not risking my life for that" is interesting because he's, well, a reporter. It speaks to his experience that he's not willing initially to chase down something that could be a big scoop. But also,,,, Vash looks like. 20. Roberto is probably about in his 30s-40s, which means he's probably heard of Vash since childhood [Since Tristamp Vash has a much longer reputation history than Trimax/98]. I really wonder what Roberto thinks of that; did the picture not come as a shock to him, or did he already know? Does part of the reason he keeps letting himself be talked into following Vash stem from a lifelong curiosity? Much to think about.

This plant HAUNTS me. Why does she have such a different tank? Used to power the Ion Cannon, maybe, but there's the possibility people adjusted it so she can better power the sandsteamer and that's,,,, There's a complicated relationship between humans and plants (obviously), but little implications like those adjustments make me go !!!! [My friend @millions-dykes has a Plant Engineer oc, Enigma, who focuses on that concept. She's very cool]

LIVIO SIGHTED. Let me get this out of the way quickly, but y'know that panel that is often cited as inspiration for Tristamp Livio's design? Yeah that's. That's Razlo.

Which is really fucking funny to me because it's foundational to Tristamp Livio - love that for him, but trimax Livio specifically does not wield Punishers, and the page that this appears on is when Razlo is getting Livio to tell him he's the strongest (Which then goes into this training flashback montage page which is Razlo-centric). Which again, extremely funny to me.

Not necessarily analysis, but something all iterations of Trigun do great at is a sense of Scale. The sandsteamer is massive, yes, but so is the desert. There's some great shots with the moons later on, which I love as well.

Wolfwood really doesn't try and keep it secret, huh? I mean, in every iteration Vash Knows[TM], but tristamp Wolfwood in particular just,,, doesn't keep the secret. I wonder what other conversations they've had, when Wolfwood realized Vash knew.

Being always able to see Wolfwood's eyes gives him a layer of emotion that I really like - Trimax Wolfwood is a little more reserved, because he's more developed, further layered into those coping mechanisms and repressions that make up his character. Tristamp Wolfwood hasn't quite had that yet, and it's reflected in his design. It's sick as hell

Time for me to be so normal about Livio and Razlo ^_^ so I've built up a bit of a study case on the differences in when Livio or Razlo are fronting [Trimax], and once you start looking into paneling and shit it's Very apparent! Which is cool! And I'm starting to build up one for Tristamp Livio, which,,, well, you'll see. Anyway take note of his movements here - slow, even footsteps and steady guns.

The mask here is. Also a red flag for something being Off. The eye moving independently suggests that either they have some Weirder Than Usual Body Stuff going on, that Trimax Livio and Razlo can do that and nobody comments on it because they're being polite or - My theory - the mask having those electrical components are embedded somewhat in Livio's face. I will explain in just a second.

Livio as a kid being so upset about his parents interests me - In Trimax, Razlo kills Livio's parents because Razlo was formed as a protective alter due to heavy childhood abuse, and Livio doesn't seem too upset by that specifically, more just being,,, alone. I wonder what happened with their parents in this specific timeline, or if Razlo just hasn't presented yet.

Now I've uh. Kinda semi-intentionally blocked out some stuff I've read in the Bible, but I do remember someone being crucified upside down. St Peter that was it! I don't remember anything else but I'm sure people more well-versed in the Bible will have some imagery to point out lol

Legato's outfit seems a touch inspired by that one July flashback in Trimax. Which, given that Tristamp is a leadup to July, is a nice touch!

Legato might be a bit protective of his hair. Can't imagine why.

On a more serious note, it makes sense for Legato to have such a protectiveness around his body and physical appearance, especially if Knives had an influence in it.

sands undertal

I really do wonder what Legato's ability is in this. Like unless they retrieved Vash's arm from the. Wherever it got sucked into when it was amuptated they can't go the 98 route. But the wire explanation of Trimax also doesn't quite seem to fit. Something new, maybe. Could be related to Plants!

I wonder if Vash here is thinking about Rollo. That Wolfwood was willing to kill Rollo out of mercy, and he's going to do it again to Livio. Except this time, Wolfwood knows Livio. Vash doesn't know Livio, but Wolfwood does and it's going to hurt Wolfwood if Vash lets him carry on with this. So he goes to save Livio, and save Wolfwood as well. Similar to Trimax, where Vash kills Legato to save Livio as a remnant of Wolfwood's memory, Vash here could be protecting Livio to protect Wolfwood.

Okay here's where my crack theories come in. So I do think that Razlo is elbowing his way into front about here, not even necessarily because Livio is getting his ass handed to him, but because of the mask. He's probably not fully There, because the progressing fighting style continues in Livio's movements, but the eye changes are. Well, it's Livio and Razlo you can never be too careful.

So Livio hits the mask here and is down for the count for. A Bit. What's important here to me is that the mask does of course have an electrical component. Now, what would that be for? Well, gathering that Livio seemingly has a bit of trouble after this (early episode 7, this is a two parter theory), that the mask is used by EOM to force a switch remotely. After the mask seemingly malfunctions, we get a lot more Razlo-esque movements and traits in episode 7 before Livio seems to come back in and have his little meltdown.

It links in with both dehumanization of neurodivergent people (In this case, a system) and the usage of Razlo and Livio by EOM. Razlo's very often portrayed as Big Scary Murder Alter by EOM for scare factor, whereas when we get a bit more into Razlo's head in the Elendira fight we see a bit more what he's actually like - protective alter groomed into assassinhood by Chapel - and lends more understanding to the character. EOM being able to force trigger a switch would be viscerally horrifying for that loss of autonomy theme in a way that speaks to many neurodivergent people. Thanks for coming to my ted talk????

[justagalwhowrites]

Lavender No Outbreak AU - Ch. 3

Things change for the Miller family. A continuation of Lavender No Outbreak AU Ch. 1-2 found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: Just a lot of fluff. Whole fic as smut and some mature themes so Minors DNI 18+ only. No use of Y/N.

Length: 3.3K

Friday, January 16, 2004

“Last chance, Miller,” you smiled, elbowing him playfully in the side. “Think Tommy would drive the getaway car if you need…” 

“Nope,” Tommy shook his head. “That idiot’s on his own if he takes off now. He fucks up again though, Kid, just gimme a call…” 

He gave you a wink. 

“Language Uncle Tommy,” Sarah looked scandalized. “There are children present!” 

“Just you,” Tommy winked. “You don’t count.” 

“Thank you,” Joel said wryly. “Thank you for both of those things, Tommy.”

“Any time, brother,” he clapped Joel on the shoulder with a smirk before leaning around him to talk to you. “His feet are plenty warm, Kid.”

“You think a little formality is gonna scare me off now?” Joel tugged you closer, pressing a kiss to your temple. 

“Thought the bureaucracy might do it,” you teased, fidgeting with the small bouquet that Cass had brought you. “Feel a little silly wearing white though.” 

“Don’t look silly,” he said. “Most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen…” 

“You’re biased,” you said. 

“And you’re sure you don’t want to run off and start a commune?” Cass asked. “I’ll leave Josh right now.” 

“Hey!” Josh protested. 

“Oh hush,” she waved him off. 

You laughed. 

“I think we’re making it down the aisle, folks,” you smiled. 

“About time,” Sarah smiled. 

The door to the court room opened. 

“The Miller wedding?” 

Joel looked at you and smiled. 

“Ready Baby?” 

He offered you his hand. You smiled and took it.

“Ready.” 

You’d never been the type to dream about your wedding day. You never even really wanted to get married, not until you met Joel. After that, you’d thought a lot more about what it would mean to be his wife than the day itself. 

But standing at the courthouse with Joel, Sarah, Tommy and Cass? It was exactly the day you wanted. 

Joel was right, it really had been more of a formality than anything. When he left a few days after he showed up at your school, things felt a lot more real.

The two of you told Nan together. That you were pregnant, that you were engaged, that you were moving back to Austin. Her cancer had been in remission for more than a year at that point and leaving her alone felt, while not quite right, doable at least. 

“I supposed there’s no way to change your mind,” she’d sighed, sounding resigned. You just shook your head. She turned her attention to Joel. “Are you marrying my granddaughter out of some archaic notion that you should because you got her pregnant? Because if you’re only going to leave her in five years, I’d rather you cut to the chase.” 

“No ma’am,” he said before looking at you. “I’m marrying her because I love her more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. Love someone like that, you marry them. If they’ll have you.” 

You flew down over Thanksgiving break to tell Sarah and Tommy the news together in person. Tommy just pulled Joel into a tight hug and clapped him on the back when he came into the kitchen to get a drink as you basted the turkey, your bump a lot more noticeable than it had been when you were in town a month before. 

“Could’ve fuckin’ told me, man,” Tommy clapped Joel on the back. “Good for you. Finally lockin’ that down?” 

“That’s the idea,” Joel smiled. 

“About fuckin’ time,” Tommy said. 

Sarah, on the other hand, got a bit of a softer introduction to the idea. You wore a bulky sweatshirt on the plane and sat down with her in the living room as soon as you were home from the airport. Joel’s hand was laced in yours, Sarah sitting on the couch while you both stood in front of her. 

“Why do I feel like I’m in trouble?” She frowned. “Because I swear I didn’t do it.” 

“Not in trouble,” Joel laughed a little. “We have some news. You know we got back together…” 

“Yeah,” her frown deepened. 

“Well, we decided to get married, too,” he said. 

“What!” She shrieked, leaping off the couch and launching herself at you. You caught her with a laugh, Joel grabbing you to help you stay upright. “Ugh FINALLY!” 

“OK well let’s be a little more careful,” Joel said, Sarah’s arms still around your neck. “Because she’s pregnant, too…” “What!” She let you go and looked between the two of you. “I mean ew, don’t want to think about WHY but oh my GOD! You’re having a baby?” 

“Yup,” you nodded. “It’s your last Christmas as an only child, kiddo, enjoy it while you can.” 

You moved down at the end of the semester, Joel flying up so you wouldn’t be driving or doing any heavy lifting. You settled in quickly, life so much like what it had been before you moved back to New York. You signed up to work as a substitute teacher at the local school district - Sarah even giving you her blessing to teach at the high school where she went - and studied for the MCATs. Life felt so natural, you hadn’t really thought further about the wedding. 

“Did you want to do something big?” Joel asked one evening in late December, your feet in his lap as he rubbed them, an MCAT study book on your lap. 

“For what?” You frowned. 

“The wedding,” he said. “Should do it soon, make sure you’ve got health insurance…” 

“Oh,” you frowned. “That’s true. I hadn’t really thought about what to do for it, I don’t really know that many people…” 

“Me either,” Joel smiled a little. 

“Want to just go to the courthouse?” You shrugged. He frowned. 

“You sure you don’t want something better than that?” He asked. 

“Well, if I leave your wife,” you shrugged again. “I don’t think there is anything better than that.” 

You took the MCAT on the 10th and applied for your marriage license on the 12th. Nan said she didn’t want to be there for it, regardless of the date. That stung. But, with time, you hoped she’d come around.

The vows were simple but you weren’t sure you’d ever heard anything better than Joel promising to love and cherish you for the rest of his life. You had to remind yourself that your new brother-in-law and step-daughter were there when you kissed him. You would have been happy to kiss him for hours. 

For a celebration, the six of you went to lunch downtown, Joel getting a bottle of real champagne for the table. You and Sarah split a glass during the toasts. 

“Couldn’t imagine a better woman to welcome into the family,” Tommy smiled. “You’re already the best Miller I know. Besides Sarah.” 

Everyone laughed and your husband kissed your cheek. 

“And you’re sure you want to take my name?” Joel asked as he drove to Galveston for your first weekend as a married couple. “Your degrees have your name on them…” 

“I’ve never had anyone that loved me enough that they wanted me to have their name,” you smiled, watching him drive. “I want to have your name, Sarah’s name. Our baby’s name. The degrees can deal.” 

You checked into the hotel room, a view of the gulf from the balcony and chocolate covered strawberries waiting for you when you got there. You squealed, grabbed one and stepped outside to watch the waves. Joel came up behind you and wrapped his arms around you a few minutes later, his hands on your stomach. 

“Found the only downside to not having a big wedding,” you leaned back into him. 

“Hm?” 

“We’re going to have to try really hard to make sure the next thing we dance to isn’t something stupid,” you smiled. “Otherwise our first dance is going to be a let down.” 

“Well,” he kissed your temple. “I might have thought of that.” 

You frowned, looking back at him. 

He tugged you back into the room. The boombox from Sarah’s room was set in front of the TV, Joel stretching over to press play. You heard the opening notes and laughed. 

“Joel!” You put your arms around his neck. “Really? Wonderful Tonight?” 

“If you hate the song choice I did bring other options,” he said, pulling you against him but not moving yet. 

“Just dance with me, Mr. Miller,” you smiled. 

“Anything you want, Mrs. Miller.” 

Tuesday, April 6, 2004

“Baby, you are in active labor,” Joel ground his teeth. “The applications can wait.” 

“My contractions aren’t close enough together to be that big of a…” You stopped talking for a second, clenching your teeth as a contraction hit you. You waited for it to pass, gripping the bed. You spoke again when it did. “Problem. And I’ll never get these done with a newborn at home.” 

The doctor came in, snapping on her gloves. “Alright Mrs. Miller,” she said. “Let’s see how we’re coming along…” 

“Dr. Baxter,” you said as she lifted the blankets and your gown. “Can you please tell my husband that the sooner med school applications are in, the better?” 

“You’re at eight centimeters,” Dr. Baxter said. “Almost there! And Mr. Miller, I’m afraid your wife is right, early applications are pretty important.” 

“Thank you,” you smiled. 

“Doesn’t mean I think you should be filling them out right this second, Mrs. Miller,” she raised her brows at you. “I think I need to side with your husband on this one.” 

“But I’m almost done!” You protested. “I just got my MCAT scores back yesterday, I couldn’t finish any sooner…” 

“Finish that one,” she said. “Then I’m confiscating them. Orders from one current doctor to a future one.” 

“Fine,” you muttered, going back to the form. “But I still think you’re overreacting.” 

Joel held you as you pushed, doing everything the classes had told him to do. The man had practically been a star student, paying close attention to everything the lamaze teacher had said. 

“Didn’t know what the fuck I was doing last time,” he said after your first class. “Making sure I get it right this time.” 

You weren’t sure you’d ever been as exhausted as you were on the last push but you knew you’d never been as happy to hear anything as you were to hear the sharp, cracking cry of your daughter as she came into the world. 

“Congratulations Mom and Dad, it’s a girl,” Dr. Baxter dropped her tiny, wriggling body into your arms, the cord still attached. You stared down at her in wonder, her little eyes scrunched closed, her small mouth open in a wail. 

“Hi beautiful,” you breathed, looking at her. You’d never seen anything quite so perfect. She already had thick, dark hair and Joel’s nose. “Welcome to the world, Evelyn.” 

Joel reached around you to cup her tiny head in his large hand. 

“So proud of you, Baby,” Joel kissed your wet cheek. “You did so good.” 

“Thank you for her,” you whispered, unable to take your eyes off of her. “Thank you.” 

Wednesday, April 6, 2005 

“Hey Mom,” Sarah called in a bit of a singsong voice. “Something came in the mail for you!” 

“For me?” You called back before blowing a raspberry on Evie’s tummy. She giggled. “Can you bring it over? I’m in your sister’s room…” 

You weren’t really sure if Sarah had made a conscious choice to start calling you Mom or if it was something she just fell into but you hadn’t fought it. The first time it happened was about six months after Evie was born. 

It had been a particularly hectic morning in the Miller house. Evie was teething, Joel couldn’t find the phone he needed for work, Sarah had overslept and had misplaced her homework, you felt like you were inches away from crying from stress, it was not a great combination. 

“Mom, you’re sure it didn’t get moved off the kitchen table last night?” Sarah poked her head into Evie’s room where you were getting her dressed for the day. You just looked at her for a second, a bit dumbstruck. “Mom. Homework? Purple folder?” 

It still took you a moment to respond. 

“Last place I saw it was the kitchen table after dinner,” you said. “If it got moved, it was either by your father or the ghost that haunts this house and all its inhabitants.” 

“Stupid ghost,” she sighed, calling after Joel as she went down the hall. 

When Joel went to kiss you goodbye, you grabbed his arm, Evie propped on your hip. 

“Sarah called me Mom,” you said, eyes wide. 

“Oh,” Joel blinked for a second. “Is that… is that OK? If it’s not…” 

You stretched up to kiss him before he could keep talking. He kissed you back, deeply, and you had to fight the urge to put the baby in the crib and start ripping his clothes off. He pulled back from you eventually.

“You’re not helpin’ me be OK with leavin’ the house with that, baby,” he smiled. “But are you OK? With her callin’ you that?” 

“Of course I am! I want her to do nothing BUT call me mom for the rest of my damn life now!” 

“Think we can work with that,” he kissed your forehead. “Love you, take care of all my girls. Including yourself. See you tonight.” 

You beamed, your morning suddenly so much brighter. 

You closed Evie’s onesie and pulled on her little jeans. 

“You’re getting too big too fast, girl,” you muttered, scooping her up as Sarah came in, a thick envelope in hand. 

“OK you, give me the birthday girl,” she said, setting the envelope on the changing table in front of you. “Because I think you have to open that like… immediately.” 

The University of Texas logo was on the corner and your breath caught. 

“It’s a big envelope,” Sarah said, bouncing her sister on her hip. Evie reached her fat fingers out for Sarah’s curls. “Pretty sure they only send big envelopes for good news.” 

Your hands still shook as you opened the envelope. You’d been so distracted planning a birthday dinner for Evie that you hadn’t been thinking about the looming threat of med school acceptance or denials. Inside the envelope was a thick booklet and a piece of paper on top. It said your name and then the word “Congratulations!” 

You shrieked and dropped the envelope, jumping up and down for a second before throwing your arms around your daughters, crying as you squeezed them tight. Evie gurgled and Sarah laughed. 

“Knew you’d do it, Mom,” she said. 

*** 

Joel was later leaving the job site than he wanted to be. Well, it was always later than he wanted it to be. He’d get there in the morning and want to leave, to turn around and go home to you and his daughters. But today, he had a plan. Leave by five. It was 5:20 before he made it to the truck. 

“She’s not the type to bite your head off about it man,” Tommy said as Joel drove to the house. “Don’t think you need to be this stressed about it.” 

“I know,” Joel said. “But she’s been busting her ass to plan this dinner, I don’t want to cause her any more stress…” 

“Hate to break it to you but I think she’s stressed just by bein’ married to you,” Tommy elbowed him in the ribs. Joel rolled his eyes. 

Thankfully, the job site wasn’t far and he was home before six. He opened the door to see Sarah sitting on the floor with Evie, his younger daughter using the older one’s hands to help balance as she stood, stomping her tiny feet. 

“She’s getting so close, Dad!” Sarah beamed at him. “She’s going to be an athlete, I can tell.” 

He just stood there for a moment, watching them, his heart hurting from just how fucking happy seeing them together made him. 

“Oh, Mom’s in the kitchen,” she said. “You should go see her, she really wants to see you.” 

“Might have been wrong on that,” Tommy smirked a little, going to the living room, his hands out to pick up his niece. 

You were putting something in the oven when Joel came in, you bending over giving him the perfect peek down your shirt to your breasts. 

“Hey Baby,” he said and you looked up, closing the oven and wiping your hands on your apron. Your hair was in curlers and you were still the most beautiful fucking thing he’d ever seen. “I’m so sorry we’re late, we got held up at the site…” 

“Oh,” you waved him off. “I kinda figured you would, we’ve got a good 45 minutes before anyone should be getting here anyway, I’ve got it under control.” 

You grabbed something off the counter and came over, pressing yourself against him, stretching up to kiss him. 

“You know,” he said between kisses. “I was thinking, in honor of Evie’s birthday, we should seriously consider getting her another sibling.” 

“Oh really,” you smiled against his lips. 

“Oh yes,” he said, his hands going around to the back of you, cupping your ass and pulling your hips tightly to his own. “Watching you mother my girls might just be the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen, can’t help but want to see you do it again. Plus you were a fucking gorgeous pregnant woman…” 

“Might want to hold that thought there, Daddy,” you took the envelope you’d picked up from the counter and put it between his lips and your own. He frowned and took it, pulling the papers out. 

“Congratulations!” It said. It took him a moment to figure it out but when he did, he gasped and gathered you into his arms, lifting you off the ground and spinning you around and kissing every part of you he could reach. 

“I’m so fucking proud of you, Baby!” He said as you laughed against him. “I knew you could do it, I fucking knew you’d do it…” 

He put you back down and you laughed for another moment before looking at him more seriously. 

“We should still really look at whether or not I should actually go,” you said. “It’s expensive, it’s time consuming, it’s going to be years of insane work schedules and bad pay before I start making good money, especially since I think I might want to be a pediatric surgeon…” 

“You’re going to be the most incredible surgeon,” he cut you off. “You’re going to be so amazing, you are so amazing. We’ll figure it out. It’ll be OK, we’ll figure it out. You’re going to be amazing.” 

You smiled like he’d just given you a gift and he pulled you against him again, kissing the top of your head. 

“C’mon,” he said. “If we hurry I think we can squeeze in a quickie and still have time to get dressed before anyone shows up….” 

You giggled and he took your hand, leading you to the bedroom as Tommy played with Sarah and Evie on the floor. 

“Da!” Evie reached for him. “Dada!” 

You and Joel both froze, looking at each other for a second. 

“Has she…” Tommy asked. 

“Nope,” you said, staring at your daughter. “That was her first word. Oh come ON kid, I literally feed you with my body and it’s Dada? I know he’s the best but some consideration!” 

Joel pulled you along with him to pick your daughter up tucking her small body between the two of yours and kissing her plump little cheek. He didn’t think he’d ever been as happy as he was in this moment, surrounded by love and his girls. 

[oddinary4bts]

Oh damn, there ain't no coming back from what they just did! I can't wait to see what happens when they wake up and how they deal with the morning after. Oh, and how long it takes them to realize they can't keep their hands off each other and wind up actually fucking. Probably not long at all. Tae doesn't have to know everything right? The V-Day date was really cute though. You can tell he has some strong emotions for her, especially when Tae said he doesn't cook for girls. But he went out of his way to cook for OC. That definitely means something more than just casual friendly feelings.

There sure isn’t any coming back from what happened🤭 and oof yeah how long will they be able to resist after this??🫣 I guess we’ll see haha

Tae doesn’t need to know everything indeed😌 I’m glad you liked the Vday date!! Jungkook definitely has feelings for her but don’t ask him what they are or what they mean bc he has no clue. But I can guarantee you that seeing her crying set everything in motion for them bc JK was horrified and needed to make her feel better🥹

[kaminocasey]

As Luck Would Have It Part 3

Summary: Three years go by. You're now the head of Fisk Industries and you have a run in with Spider-Man. Old feelings get dragged up.

Pairing: Peter B. Parker x Queenpin!Reader

Warnings: 18+ MDNI; Angst, guns, knives, Smut, Oral (f receiving), unprotected p in v (wrap it up), rough sex

A/N: Ah, here we are. Last (?) part (I may do an epilogue ch)! I really love Peter B Parker so much it's actually insane. I think I'll spend the rest of my days wishing he was real. (pics from pinterest)

Marvel Masterlist - Taglist Form - Marvel Sideblog: @stevengrantnotrogers

Three Years Later…

Mary Jane Watson. That’s the woman sitting across from Peter right now. She’s pretty, has a good sense of humor, and isn't an assassin… She ticks all of Peter’s mental boxes. 

But he knows he’s not going to call this woman again. Not that there was anything wrong with her… She just isn’t you. You were his best friend, the love of his life, and his entire world. He knows he can’t recreate that with just anyone. 

When Peter gets home, the same home that the two of you shared, he takes off his tie (the tie you got him for your 5th anniversary) and goes and sits on the couch, turning on the local news. Immediately, a high speed chase catches his eye. Perhaps this is what he needs to get his mind off of you again. A distraction. 

That’s how he’s gotten by the last three years. Distraction after distraction. He throws himself into being Spider-Man even more than he used to. It’s what keeps him sane. It’s what keeps him going. 

He’s not afraid to admit that he let himself go mentally and physically the first two and a half years but now… he’s gotten back into the swing (ha, get it?) of things again. He’s proud of the progress he’s made. Peter is already out the fire escape, mask on, swinging toward the commotion down near Throgs Neck Bridge. If he’s lucky, he can catch them in time and stop them from even hitting the bridge. 

You have no idea how the hell you even managed to end up in this fucking predicament. You don’t do car chases anymore. And you sure as hell don’t chase after thieves. But here you are, on your bike, chasing after Johnny’s cousin Mike. The idiot who stole 3.5 million dollars from you after he thought you weren’t treating him fair enough. He apparently thought you’d be a pushover and that you’d just let it slide. That was his mistake. 

Mike is on the bike in front of you, while Johnny is in the SUV behind you, prepared to take Mike down if he has to. You’re pretty sure he’s going to get caught in traffic on Throgs Neck Bridge before you all hit Queens. 

A place you haven’t been in three years… 

Shaking your head, you refuse to think about it. To think about him.

“Do you see him?” Johnny’s voice is in your ear piece.

Him? 

Oh. Mike. Duh.

“Yeah, I’m closing in on him.” You reply, smirking as you pull your gun out, aiming it. 

Out of nowhere, you hear a ‘thwip’ and your gun is being pulled away from you midair. 

“What the fuck?” You look around. 

That’s when you see him. The red suit… Of course he’d be here.

“Goddammit.” You ride near the rail, almost hitting it, clearly distracted. 

You kick away from it and speed ahead a little bit. 

“I think the Spider is here.” Johnny’s voice fills your helmet again. 

“Yeah, no shit.” You grunt, pulling your bike over to take him on if you have to. “Take care of Mike. I’ll handle this.”

“You sure-” 

“Don’t question me. Go.” You bark. 

“Got it.” Johnny’s SUV speeds past you toward Mike and you pull out your knife, prepared to take on Spider-Man. 

As if he was waiting for you, he drops down from the top of the bridge, releasing the webbing from his wrist, tilting his head. You take your helmet off and rest it on your bike. 

“Long time no see…” He seems nervous.

That voice… Unfortunately, it makes your stomach do somersaults and you feel like you could throw up. 

“Well, Parker… I wish I could say it’s a pleasure.” You glare, trying your best to hide your discomfort. 

“You say that like your last name isn’t also Parker.” You can hear the smirk in his voice.

“Haven’t been a Parker in a long time.” You stare at him.

He chuckles. “You look good.”

“I know.” 

You can feel him sizing you up and then he looks down and sees the knife in your hand. 

“You planning on using that?” He asks, planting his hands on his hips.

The same hips you used to wrap your legs around… 

Jesus. Get a grip.

“If I have to.” You shrug, smirking.

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

“And I’d rather you let me pass so I can handle my business.”

“Your business? The one you inherited from the guy you put into a coma?” “I think you mean ‘we’.” You tilt your head. 

“Sweetheart, you’re the one who shot him. Not me.” He shakes his head.

Your chest tightens at him calling you ‘sweetheart’ and you know you shouldn’t allow that. 

“Don’t call me that.” You step toward him. 

He puts his hands up in defense. “My bad. You prefer Queenpin?”

“That guy stole over 3 million dollars from me… I have to get it back.” You roll your shoulders slightly.

It’s been a minute since you’ve had to fight someone yourself. But you’re pretty sure it’s like riding a bike. Once you throw a punch, everything else will come back to you… You think. 

What if your body betrays you and won’t let you fight him?

Peter says your name and you nearly stop, afraid that your thought process might be right. Unfortunately, you know if you don’t do this, no one will take you seriously from now on. You’ve worked too hard to get where you’re at to throw it all away for Peter again.

“I have to.” You shake your head.

And then you throw your knife, knowing he’d be able to dodge it. It lands in a car behind him as he dodges it, just as you expected he would. Then you throw a punch, which he unfortunately catches so you rear back and spin and kick him in the chest, sending him flying into the side of a Prius. Which you can’t help but chuckle at.

“That yours?” You smirk.

He chuckles. “I wish. It handled that better than a bike would. Great on gas too.” 

You hate that he can still make you smile even after you shattered each other’s hearts. 

“Jesus, you really do talk too much.” You start to get frustrated.

More with yourself than him.

“You never said that when we used to-” 

You run at him and jump, landing with your thighs around his neck, spinning him so he lands on the ground with an ‘oof’. 

He’s breathless as he tries to talk again. “Have to say… missed these thighs suffocating me…”

Christ… That shouldn’t turn you on as much as it does. 

“Shut. The fuck. Up.” You squeeze your thighs around his neck, trying to knock him out.

He says your name again and without meaning to, you let go of him, kicking him away from you, making him stumble. 

“I don’t want to hurt you.” He says, his voice soft enough to make you want to cry. 

“I think you and I both know it’s a little too late for that, Peter.” You murmur. 

With a shake of your head, you run back toward your bike, throwing your helmet on and speeding away. You just need to get away from this bridge… Away from him. 

Peter watches you go. He wants nothing more than to stop you and beg for you back. To tell you he made a huge mistake. He knows that you taking over for Fisk is his own fault. He should’ve been there for you… He shouldn’t have run away… 

Before he even realizes he’s doing it, he’s following you over the bridge toward the Bronx. If he could just… talk to you… one on one. Preferably without trying to kill each other. Maybe he could fix things… 

When you get back to your apartment in the Bronx, you do everything you can to not break down and cry.

Instead, you call Johnny for an update. 

“Money is secured. Mike is being dealt with.” Johnny replies.

You can hear Peter in your head to not kill Mike… that you’re better than that.

“Boss?” Johnny speaks into the silence when you don’t reply. 

Ugh. Goddammit, Peter…

“Turn him over to the NYPD. He can be their problem.” You sigh. 

“Boss… I don’t think-” Johnny starts but you snap at him.

“I don’t pay you to think, now do I?” There’s venom in your tone. But also exhaustion.

“Right. Consider it done.” Johnny clicks off and you toss your phone onto your bed, beginning to pace. 

Every word that was said between you and Peter starts to replay in your mind. Every touch, every chuckle, everything. It made you feel alive again, despite the heartache of it all. 

Would there ever be a possibility of you and Peter finding your way back to each other again one day? Maybe when you’re both gray and too old to be doing this shit anymore… Until then-

The sliding of your window pulls you out of your thoughts and you immediately pull your gun out and point it at the intruder. 

“Woah woah, hey! Just me.” Peter sits halfway in the windowsill, his hands up in surrender.

You don’t put your gun down until he takes off his mask, one handed, still keeping the other one up to let you know he’s not here to hurt you. It reminds you of when he’d come home through the window of your first apartment together and you try your best to push the memory out of your mind.

“You followed me?” You tuck away your gun in the back of your pants, shrugging off your leather jacket and tossing it into the chair in the corner of your room. 

He’s not subtle in the way his eyes rake over your form in your black t-shirt and tighter fitting black jeans. It makes your burn hotter than you’d care to admit. 

“I did.” He admits freely, stepping into your apartment. “Almost scared the 12 cats of the lady right underneath you.” 

You can’t help but shrug. “That lady’s rude anyway. Always vacuuming in the middle of the night.” 

He lets out a huff of a laugh and for a very small moment, things feel like they used to. But that can’t last long, can it? 

“So what do you want Peter?” You stand six feet away from him, your hands on your hips.

He’s quiet for a moment, clearly thinking of what to say. You give him a moment before interrupting him.

“Look-”

“I’m sorry.” His words make you pause.

“What?” “I’m… so so… sorry.” Peter steps a foot closer to you. “I shouldn’t have left that day. I should’ve heard you out… tried to understand your reasoning for things. I’m just… beyond sorry.”

His words send that familiar ache throughout your body and you feel like you’re either going to cry or throw up. Hopefully neither, but who knows.

“Peter…” You whisper, never breaking eye contact with those warm brown eyes you’ve missed since the last day you saw them three years ago.

He cautiously crosses the rest of the gap and takes your hand. “Can I-”

Not bothering to let him finish his sentence, you crush your lips to his, grabbing onto the spider suit as much as you can. His arms circle around your waist, pulling you against him. It’s messy and both of you have tears falling as his tongue begs for entrance into your mouth. You grant him entrance by deepening the kiss, suddenly not able to get close enough. 

“Not gonna need this.” He pulls your gun out of the back of your pants and tosses it to the floor and starts to unbutton your jeans.

“Haven’t decided yet.” You smirk against his lips, kicking your boots off somewhere, making Peter chuckle. 

He groans softly once he has your pants down on the ground and quickly drops to his knees, his hands sliding up your thighs around to the globes of your ass. He squeezes roughly before placing a kiss just above your pantyline. 

“Need to taste you again… please, baby.” He begs softly, looking up at you with needy eyes. “Been too fucking long.”

You can’t help the soft whimper that leaves your lips as you look down at your ex husband on his knees for you. Honestly, he’s never looked so good. 

When you used to have sex, you were more submissive but now… there’s definitely a noticeable dynamic change. It doesn’t seem like either one of you mind, though. 

“Can I please?” He whispers, begging for permission. 

You nod once and he wastes no time yanking your underwear down, tossing them away from your body, and diving his tongue right into your eager pussy. The sound he makes is just downright sinful, causing vibrations throughout your warmth. 

Fuck, how you missed this. 

“God, Peter…” You moan, running your fingers through his hair and gripping tightly. “Don’t fucking stop.”

He moans again and your hips buck against his tongue, the sounds of your soaked pussy filling the room. Unfortunately, your legs start to go weak. As if he can sense it, he pushes you back on your bed, his mouth never leaving your cunt. 

“Fuck…” He groans against you. “Better than I remember.”

When he pushes a finger into you, your back arches up off the bed and you look down at him with lust blown eyes. He’s smirking right up at you and you roll your eyes, both of you chuckling. It’s starting to feel like no time has passed. 

“Feel good?” He whispers, his free hand holding you down over your stomach so that you can’t go anywhere.

You nod, only being able to manage a whimper. 

“God you’re so tight.” He pushes a second finger in and you can feel your body starting to tense up, the desire for Peter coursing through your veins the way spider venom courses through Peter’s. “You think you can still take my cock?”

Your eyes roll back in your head at the way Peter speaks such dirty things to you. 

“I bet you can… can’t you, baby?” He practically coos before his lips and tongue attack your clit again at the same time that he curls his fingers inside of you, threatening to bring you to the edge. 

“I- I can.” You whisper. “Haven’t had anyone else since you.” 

He groans roughly at that and your body immediately goes white hot as you’re pushed completely over the mental cliff, coming loudly as your hands fly to his hair again, practically writhing on his face. 

It’s incredible that your body still reacts the same exact way to Peter as it used to. 

“Incredible. Fucking beautiful.” He moans before quickly sliding out of his suit and climbing into the bed with you as you pull yourself up to the pillows at the head of the bed. 

Peter’s lips find yours, causing you to taste yourself on his tongue. It’s been so long… you forgot what this felt like. You pull him down to you so that his long length slides along your pussy enough to make you both groan against each other’s lips. 

“God… it’s so hot.” He reaches between you and slaps your pussy a few times before dipping just the tip in. 

Your nails rake down Peter’s shoulders, your legs spreading eagerly for him. “Fuck me already.” 

“Impatient as always.” He smirks, resting his forehead against yours. “Good to know not much has changed.”

He looks down where he keeps dipping the head of his cock in and out, teasing you. 

“We have plenty of time to tease each other. Now is not the time.” You whine. 

“So you’re saying this is gonna happen again.” He teases. 

“Peter.” It comes out breathless as you give him a warning glare.

He moans. “God, I still love the way you say my name. Say it again, babygirl.”

He starts to slide his cock in further and all you can do is moan Peter’s name like it's a prayer to God himself. The stretch feels way too good, way better than you remember.

“God, I missed you.” He whispers breathlessly as he slides all the way in, bottoming out. 

You can’t help but clench around him. “I missed you.”

His large hands grip your thighs firmly, pushing them back to open you up more to him and you clench around his cock at the new angle. 

“Oh yeah… She remembers me.” He teases, referring to your pussy and the way it’s still made just for him.

“Jesus, Peter.” You roll your eyes, a soft breathless laugh leaving your lips before he kisses you lightly. 

“Tell me you didn’t miss this.” He laughs as he pulls out and then thrusts back in.

“I- I can’t.” You whisper against his lips. 

He continues pulling out and pushing back in, trying his best to savor the feeling, but you can tell he wants to lose control… to lose himself in you.

“Peter…” You moan to let him know it’s okay, that you’re not going anywhere. 

You can see the switch flip and he roughly shoves his cock back into you and buries his face in your neck, breathing you in with a low growl. As your hands find their way back in his hair, he ruts against you mercilessly, desperately. As if you could disappear again at any moment. 

“Fuck I love you…” His voice is raspy and low. “Never fucking stopped. Missed you so goddamn much.” 

All you can do is kiss him, a lump in your throat threatening to send you into a fit of tears. But he pulls away to look into your eyes, searching with a furrowed brow. He wants to know if you still love him, his thrusting never stopping or letting up. 

“Fuck Peter, I love you too.” The tears spill. “Of course I do.” 

Without a warning, his orgasm is ripped from him, coating your walls in that familiar come that you’ve missed more than words could even begin to describe. He growls against your lips as they collide with your own.

“I’m- I’m sorry.” He lets out a breathless laugh after a moment, his chest heaving against yours.

“Don’t be.” You let out a laugh with him, still unable to quite believe Peter is in your bed with you. 

He stays hovering over you for a moment, his eyes squinting with delight just to be able to be looking at you and holding again. 

“God, you’re just as beautiful as the day we got married.” He whispers, leaning in and pressing his lips to yours. You roll your eyes and he grins, collapsing next to you. “You roll your eyes but I’m only telling the truth.”

“Shut up.” You push him onto his back, climbing on top of him and kissing him as he hands finding your hips. 

“Listen… I know we have a lot to discuss… but I’m in this. No matter what. If we have to keep our businesses separate…” He tries but you shake your head.

“That would never work…” You murmur, kissing down his chest, causing his back to slightly arch into your touch. “I’m giving it up. I’ll go work in actual publishing if I fucking have to.” 

He lets out a loud laugh. “Can we get a Prius?”

You groan. “Could you be any more annoying?” 

“Easily.” He winks. “Answer the question.”

You rest your head on his chest. “Fine. But I’m not selling my bike.” 

“I can live with that.” He pulls you back down to kiss you again and then rolls you over onto your back, already ready for round two. 

It’s going to take a lot of work, trust, and therapy… But you know that if you and Peter were able to find your way back to each other, you can find a way to make a better future. And as cheesy as it sounds, as long as you have each other, you know you’ll be okay. 

[luvly-writer]

“But oh..Cara mia”

Ch. 3: I want context

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Dick Grayson x Latina! Readers

Status: Ongoing

Warnings: none

Author’s note: Ages of the group in the present:

Barbara - 28

Dick - 27

Yn - 25

Jason - 23

Tim - 19

Steph - 19

Duke - 18

Cass - 17

Damian - 11

Dick is two years older than Yn.

Enjoy the story!

Taglist: @lorosette @nanas-teatime @prettyacademia00

Series Masterlist:

———————————————————

Yn stiffened at the question, she felt as if the air had been punched out of her lungs. Damian noticed the girl pale a little. She lets out an uneasy laugh and looks down at her notes, where she fiddles with her pen. “Nothing has happened between Richard and me, Damian, what makes you say that?” she mutters and Damian deadpans, he clears his throat making her look at him and answers, “You have an inconsistent relationship in comparison to the rest. It’s...” he trails off, looking for the right word, “concerning, Grayson is awfully bright and annoyingly charismatic. You are very kind and overall tolerable to be around. The problem is both of you get along like oil and water when one would assume the opposite based on your personalities. Why is that?”. The young woman was stunned, to say the least. She didn’t know how to answer. She bit her lip unsure of what to say.

Thankfully, the engine of a car and various motorcycles were heard in the cave. Everyone had arrived; Yn had never been more relieved of seeing everyone. Giving Damian a tight smile, she told him, “That’s a discussion for another day” and she stood up, walking towards the rest. Once again, Damian noticed her eyes find Grayson in relief that he was alive. What the hell had gone down between them? 

During the week, Damian tried chasing Yn down, wanting an explanation, and seeing as the girl was successful in avoiding it he decided to track down the next suspect on his list. Grayson. This one had been easier to identify seeing as Grayson liked any excuse to spend time with his siblings, yet, when asked the very same question, Grayson had avoided it completely, much like YN. He had tried a few times until he realized he wasn’t getting any help from either of them. Why were they avoiding it so much? It frustrated Damian to no end having absolutely no progress in his investigation. Bruce was out of the equation knowing that he would not offer any amount of clarity and he couldn’t ask Alfred because he would get berated for intruding on other people’s business.  His next target was Gordon. From what he had observed, Barbara and you seemed to be best friends. You were constantly together. Although you spent time with all of them, having movie nights with Cain and Thomas, playing video games with Drake and Brown, and going to the library with Todd, the person who you seemed to be closest to was Gordon. It would make sense the most seeing as Gordon, Grayson and you were the eldest, with you being the youngest of the three. He sought her out during the day and found her and Drake discussing something in the Batcave. The only other people in the cave were Jason, Duke, Cassandra, and Stephanie. Bruce was at work, Alfred was running errands, Yn was in New York visiting Diana, and Grayson was God knows where. He thought for a second if he should question in front of everyone but he figured that they could also help to provide information since they had been around much longer than he had. He went down the stairs and called her out, making everyone look at him. “Gordon, I have a question that I believe you would be the best for assistance,” he said. Cass and Steph were sparring, Jason and Duke were working out, and Tim and Barbara just looked at him curiously. “What is the relationship between Ln and Grayson?” he asked and everyone stopped what they were doing.  They all looked at each other, then at Barbara, who was staring at Damian with wide eyes. “What do you mean, Damian?” she asks nervously. Cass, Steph, Jason, and Duke neared, intrigued by what was going to happen. “You are the one that has spent the most time with them, what happened between them? Every time they interact, something is off. Sometimes they bicker lightheartedly and other times there’s this coldness from both of them. As a matter of fact, Grayson is known to not behave that way with any of us, why are they so hostile with each other one second, and the other they share looks of fondness. It is infuriating and confusing” answered Damian, and everyone stayed silent for a moment. Then, Stephanie spoke up, “You know, I’ve always wanted to know myself what went down between those two. I guess over time, I got used to the lack of context and just dealt with their weird-ass relationship.”, Tim nodded in agreeance. For all he had investigated about them before he was Robin and everything he had come to know after he became Robin, the mystery of the hostility between them two was something he never figured out? He just had gone with it because of the lack of answers. Then Duke spoke up, “Honestly, thank everything that Damian brought it up. Seeing as I got here last aside from Damian, their relationship is super fucking weird.” Cass nodded in agreement. Both Jason and Barbara looked at each other. Both of them had witnessed a good amount of that hostility and were wondering who was going to speak up first. Another silence engulfed them and, Jason was the one to break it. “Their relationship is rocky at best. To be fair, you guys haven’t witnessed the messiest fights between them” at that Tim spoke up, “OH! I have seen a few, even Bruce knew not to get in between them” and everyone else’s eyes widened. Finally, Barbara stood up, and spoke “Fine. I will tell you all that I know, but not here. We need a more secluded place.” and all of them agreed. 

They had settled for the library, where they would hear if someone would enter and could talk lowly just in case. They had all settled on the couches and thus, Barbara began her story. The rest were so ready to hear everything and didn’t even try to hide their curiosity. Finally, the context of the real mystery would be revealed and maybe, together, they would figure out what really happened between Yn and Dick. 

[pocket-lad]

CH 3- I'm a Borrower, or Whatever

Prev

They drove onto the island in a car and parked it, alongside another car and a massive trailer, beside the edge of a cliff. Not that Adelaide got a good look at any of it.  She was still extremely uncomfortable and her butt was sore from sitting so long, but she was mindful to keep her squirming to a minimum.  She repeated Ian’s words in her head. 

The sooner you get that over with, the sooner you get out of the pocket.  

She could literally reveal herself at any moment now and put an end to her suffering, but fear held her back. She knew Ian would protect her no matter what, and these Beans were probably fine people, but Adelaide had been trained since birth to associate Beans with danger. It wasn’t something that was easy to forget, and it took Ian forever to gain her trust. It was difficult to offer that trust to anyone new. 

The Humans piled out of their vehicles and regrouped, then immediately set out to look for Sarah per Ian’s insistence. 

It wasn't as hot as Adelaide remembered, but it was still toasty and definitely humid. The landscape was also quite different. Instead of open plains, they were now in a dense forest, which was marginally better in Adelaide’s eyes. She preferred a sense of cover. 

As they got closer to Sarah’s tracker, (Adelaide was very curious to see how it worked) Ian mumbled something only she could hear.

“Della, cover your ears,” he warned.

Adelaide slowly obliged since she had no reason not to. She was glad she did, because Ian started shouting Sarah’s name alongside the others. 

Sitting against his chest, it was still unbelievably loud, but the warning probably saved her eardrums from bursting. She could feel his voice physically envelop her body, and all she could do was stick her fingers in her ears and wait for it to be over. 

Then, something shook the ground. The sensation could almost be confused with Ian’s yelling, but it was too big and too distant. And it was approaching fast. If Adelaide wasn’t mistaken, that something was the familiar footsteps of a dinosaur.

“This is magnificent,” Eddie exhaled. Adelaide hoped it wasn’t some man-eating dinosaur. She honestly didn’t know what she’d do if it was , but from the tone of Eddie’s voice, it probably wasn’t. That was good.

“Yeah, ‘ooh’, ‘ahh’, that’s how it always starts. But then later there’s running.... and screaming,” Ian said. Adelaide snorted, but there was a very real fear behind the joke. 

Then, an unmistakable voice called out. “Hey Nick!” 

Ian looked up to see Sarah Harding laughing her ass off at Nick, whom she just scared off a log. Ian was instantly on the move, and Adelaide took that as an excuse to continue laying low.

Or not, she thought. Maybe she should ride the wave of shock caused by the dinosaurs and introduce herself now. Dinosaurs are real, and so are tiny people! But before she could make a decision, it was too late. Ian was chasing after Sarah and Sarah was waving him off. 

She rattled off information about the dinosaurs they just saw, but none of it told Adelaide whether they ate people or vegetables. Ian ignored all of what she said and asked, “When Hammond called you, why didn’t you say something to me?” 

“I knew you would have stopped me from coming,” she said. Hm. That sounded pretty familiar. Adelaide shook her head at Ian’s predictability.

If there was one thing Adelaide appreciated about last time, it was that she often knew what was happening. This was because she was unwillingly forced to meet a bunch of Beans, but because the Band-Aid was ripped off for her, she spent most of the trip out in the open, alert to her surroundings. 

Ian muttered to himself about how reckless Sarah was, that she was too close to the dinosaurs, but his worry was contrasted by the others who went off about how amazing the dinosaurs were. 

That, combined with the fact that Adelaide couldn’t stand being in the dark anymore, combined with the ache of sitting in a pocket too long, combined with the need to lay eyes on the danger ahead, had her chancing a peek out of the pocket.

Whatever the dinosaur was, it was huge, and there were three of them. They were long animals with plates lining their backs and spikes protruding from the end of their tails. They seemed disinterested in the Beans.

Boldly, Adelaide tried for a look at the other Beans, and it was the first real look she got at either of them. She figured they’d be distracted by the amazing, terrifying, awe-inspiring dinosaurs that stood before them, anyway.

The man immediately to Ian’s right was a little shorter and balding, and he carried a massive gun, which was unnerving. The man next to him was just as tall as Ian, which was also unnerving, and he carried a camera, which was also unnerving. Ian was the tallest Bean Adelaide knew (not that she knew a lot of Beans), so to see one just as tall as him was mind-boggling. They both wore incredulous expressions on their faces at the sight of real, live dinosaurs. 

She also saw Sarah up ahead with her camera, taking pictures of what looked like a baby version of these dinosaurs.

“What did you think you’d see?” Ian genuinely asked the others.

“Animals,” Nick muttered. “Maybe... big........ iguanas,” 

Adelaide looked up at him as he trailed off, and she realized why. Nick was looking directly at her. 

Whatever she did, she could not take cover in the pocket. No. Nick had seen her. There was no taking that back, and so she just had to put on a brave face and keep moving forward. Adelaide’s eyes went wide and she froze in place, unable to come up with anything to say.

Ian looked up at Nick, registering his odd behavior, but Nick wasn’t looking at him. He was looking at his chest. 

Ian had felt Adelaide shifting around, but she’d been doing that all day. He wrote it off, but now he realized she was fully hanging out of the pocket. He looked down to see her staring at Nick, who was staring right back. Adelaide looked like she would bolt at any second, and Nick’s mouth opened and closed a few times in search of words. Ian was tempted not to do or say anything, just to see how long it would take one of them to make a move. 

“Malcom...” He blinked a couple times, assuming he was imagining things and that the little person in Ian’s pocket would disappear if he did it enough. 

“I’m Adelaide,” Adelaide shouted abruptly. Her voice was unnaturally loud and stiff, and at a much higher pitch than normal, as if she had suddenly been forced to say that. 

This drew Eddie’s attention, and he had virtually the same reaction as Nick. He rapidly looked between Ian and Adelaide, waiting for an explanation from someone. 

Unfortunately, instead of choosing fight or flight, Adelaide’s body chose to freeze. If she didn’t say or do anything, then she couldn’t say or do anything dumb. She couldn’t say or do anything smart either, but choosing to do nothing felt like a safe middle ground, at least until she had time to think. 

In all honesty, she had hours upon hours to think, but she spent so long debating whether or not she should introduce herself that she didn’t think about how she would introduce herself. Shouting her name at them was hardly a good way to do it, so Ian took it upon himself to try again. 

“Uh, gentlemen.... Adelaide. Adelaide...... Nick Van Owen, and uh, Eddie Carr.” 

“What the hell,” Eddie started, but a loud shriek from up ahead served as a distraction. The baby dinosaur Sarah was taking pictures of wailed, calling the attention of its parents. The parents quickly became defensive, which put Sarah in danger of getting crushed or skewered (or both) by their spiked tails. 

They attacked, swinging their tails at her, and she just barely dodged them. Ian took off in her direction, but he was just going to get himself hurt if he ran out there, so Nick held him back, grabbing his arms. 

“Shoot them!” Ian shouted. 

“They’re just protecting their baby!” Eddie countered, hesitantly aiming his gun at the animals. 

“So am I!” Ian argued, still fighting against Nick's hold.  In their brief struggle, one of Nick’s hands landed dangerously close to Adelaide. 

“Hey, watch it!” she called, and she wasn’t sure whether she should fall to the bottom of the pocket, stay still, or take a leap of faith. All options sounded dangerous, but she certainly wasn’t about to let herself get crushed.  Luckily, Nick’s hand didn’t get near her again, though she wasn’t sure if he actually heard her. 

The Beans watched helplessly as Sarah took refuge in a log and hid until the dinosaurs became disinterested. Adelaide didn’t get to see it, too preoccupied with avoiding grabby hands. 

She thought about how quickly everything became dangerous. One moment, you’re sitting in a car talking about kids. The next, a T-Rex breaks out of its enclosure and attacks you. One moment, you’re on the hunt for Sarah Harding. The next, Sarah Harding is getting attacked by dinosaurs. It was the unpredictability that scared Adelaide the most. 

The dinosaurs themselves were predictable. At least, it was always a safe bet to assume they were dangerous and ready to strike. It was the humans' reactions that could prove troublesome. She couldn’t blame them for not thinking straight (she could hardly do so herself), but that meant she was usually in the hands of a Bean who wasn’t thinking straight, and that was never good. 

When the danger subsided, Ian briefly checked to make sure Adelaide was okay, then sprinted over to Sarah. Adelaide collapsed into the pocket to regroup, and they all wandered back toward base camp. 

Ian and Sarah argued about her being on the island again, so Adelaide tuned them out. She needed to form a game plan now. Nick and Eddie saw her. They didn't say anything yet, but they would soon, right? The dinosaurs could only hold their attention so long. They didn’t grab at her or give any signs that they wanted to, but they were also probably in shock. Sarah hadn’t seen her yet. Ian was also here. That was all the information Adelaide had to work with. 

Hi Sarah. I’m Adelaide. You don’t know me, but I know you. I watch you from the walls.  

That probably wasn’t good. 

Hi Sarah. I’m Adelaide. Ian kidnapped me one day but now we’re friends. Also, I watch you from the walls.  

That was even worse. 

Suddenly, somebody called out that there was a fire, so the Beans sprinted toward base camp. Adelaide didn’t understand how a fire could break out in such a damp environment, but she understood enough to know that it was really bad. They arrived at the camp shortly, and she could both smell the smoke and feel it in her lungs, even through the fabric walls of the pocket.

“Who started the fire?” Ian wondered aloud. His calm voice probably meant that the crisis was averted and Adelaide probably didn’t need to panic, but the controlling part of her brain still longed for a way to see out.

Another, very familiar voice came from somewhere behind them. One that was not supposed to be there. 

“I just wanted to make dinner. I wanted it ready when you guys got back,” Kelly said casually. 

Kelly?! What was she doing here?! Ian explicitly told her she wasn’t supposed to come, and she wasn’t on the boat with any of them. At least, not that Adelaide remembered. She would have remembered that. This was not the place for a child. 

Adelaide took a breath, realizing she was thinking like Ian. Though she didn’t exactly sneak her way onto the island, Adelaide pretty much dismissed Ian’s wishes and came along. She realized she was treating Kelly the same way Ian treated her, and that wasn’t fair. If there was one thing Adelaide learned from the kids last time, it was that children were much more capable than people gave them credit for. 

Still, Ian was furious, if his heart rate was any indication. This was to be expected. 

He pulled Kelly to the side, and she defended herself. “You practically told me to come here. You said, ‘don’t listen to me’. I thought you were trying to tell me something.” 

Adelaide laughed, appreciating the attempt. 

“Kelly, you knew exactly what I meant,” Ian said, not taking the bullshit. He banged something on something else, making Adelaide jump, then said, “Why doesn’t this thing ever work?” Adelaide had to assume it was the phone. 

“You got to wait for a decent signal,” Eddie explained. 

“Is there any reason to think the radio in the trailer might work?” Ian asked frantically. 

“If you feel qualified, try flicking the switch to on.” 

Adelaide laughed again. She also wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, but Ian needed to relax.

“Okay, I’m taking my daughter out of here,” he said. “Anyone coming with me, this is your last chance to get out.” 

Maybe they’d actually make it out of here without incident. No dinosaur attacks, hardly even noticed by Beans. Adelaide was suspicious of her luck, and rightfully so, because two seconds after she had that thought, Eddie spoke up. 

“What about your little friend?” 

Everything froze. Ian. Adelaide. Time. 

Both Sarah and Kelly looked at Ian quizzically for an explanation. 

“My-” Ian started, his brain already going into overdrive to find a clever way out. 

Adelaide couldn’t let him handle this. She needed to be the one in control of the situation, so she didn’t think much before she hauled herself to the lip of the pocket and casually swung her arms over the edge. She clasped her hands to keep them from shaking. “Who are you calling little?” she asked, offense clear in her voice. 

She was mildly offended, but she was also well aware of the fact that she was indeed little, so she tried for humor. She had no idea if she pulled it off.

Everyone stared. Eddie, Nick, Sarah, Kelly, and Ian. The silence stretched on for what felt like a lifetime. 

Adelaide took stock of her surroundings. The trailer sat to their left and a car to their right. Kelly sat on the car, putting her well above Adelaide’s eyeline. A couple of feet in front of them sat another car, with Eddie on top and Sarah and Nick standing beside it. The only one within grabbing distance was Kelly, which gave Adelaide a little sense of relief, but she still had to stay on guard. 

“Is it hot out here, or what?” she chuckled awkwardly. Still, nobody said anything. She refused to look up at Ian, not wanting to seem like she was waiting for his permission or his help. She grasped her hands tighter, feeling them start to shake despite her death grip. 

“You probably want to know what I am?” she guessed. 

“Uh, yeah,” Nick said, as if it was obvious. Rude, even, but Adelaide was grateful somebody else said something . 

“Well, I do have a name, first of all.” 

“Yeah, uh, Adelaide,” Eddie pointed out. It was hard to forget the way she shouted it at him.

“Right.... um...... I already know all your names. But I guess.... I guess I’m a borrower, or whatever,” Adelaide trailed off. She refused to look down at the ground, but she couldn’t hold eye contact with anyone for very long, so she settled on looking just off to the side of them. She thought she'd come up with a better explanation in the moment, but what else was there to say? She was a borrower. Really, that was it.

Nick fiddled with the contraption in his hands as he smacked on some gum. “So are you like, Malcolm's pet or something?” He raised the contraption up to his face, and Adelaide realized he was pointing a camera directly at her. 

She dove down into the pocket as fast as gravity would let her, and she felt Ian move. She really did not want to show any fear around the Beans, and she thought she was at least semi-successful up until this point, but it was all thrown in the trash when she took cover. It was incredibly embarrassing, but regardless, Adelaide could not let anyone take a picture of her under any circumstance. 

“Do not point that at her,” Ian said seriously. 

“Alright, okay, geez,” Nick conceded, and he sounded a lot closer. He also sounded semi-genuine, so Adelaide pulled herself back up. If she thought about what just happened any longer, she’d either get too embarrassed to show her face or she’d start shaking. Or both. 

When she poked her head out, her vision confirmed what she’d heard. Ian stood extremely close to Nick, so Adelaide had to crane her neck, and she almost fell to the bottom of the pocket while trying to do so. 

So, it was either sit here and stare up at this awkward, uncomfortable, and frankly frightening angle, or climb onto Ian’s shoulder and put herself at a higher risk of being grabbed. 

Ultimately choosing the option that made her look more confident, Adelaide ignored her surroundings and took fistfuls of fabric to hoist herself up. She could actively feel everyone staring at her, but she forced herself to keep going. 

“Sorry,” she wheezed, out of breath, but she couldn’t stand the silence that filled the air while they watched. “I just don’t mix well with cameras. And, um,” she paused to haul herself up the last couple inches and get settled, “no, I’m not his ‘pet’.” Her face scrunched up in disgust with that last word. 

Though she still had to look up, this angle was a bit more doable, so Adelaide forced herself to make eye contact with Nick. She kept twitching as her body tried to warn her about the unfamiliar circumstances, and she hoped nobody noticed. (They did.)

“Right,” Nick said, still full of disbelief. 

Seeing a way out, Ian took over the conversation. “Okay, I’m taking my daughter AND Adelaide out of here. Anyone coming with me, this is actually your last chance to get out.” 

He made his way toward the trailer but was stopped by protests from Sarah and Kelly. Kelly hopped off the car, and both made their way toward Ian. He reflexively angled himself so that Adelaide was furthest away from them. 

“Alright, you can’t just drop something like that and take off!” Sarah said, her face sparking with curiosity. 

“I didn’t - didn’t drop anything,” Ian said as he continued to back toward the trailer. 

While they spoke, Adelaide looked down at Kelly, whose eyes bored into her soul. Adelaide knew she was a good kid, but everything about the girl screamed, “I want to hold the tiny person,” which was unsettling to say the least. At least she was polite enough to not just try. 

Adelaide kept her gaze split between Sarah and Kelly, unsure who looked more eager. Eddie and Nick stayed back by the car. 

“She’s impossible!” Sarah exclaimed. 

“ She is right here, if you’d like to say hello,” Ian said, indicating his shoulder with a slight shrug and forcing Adelaide to do everything in her power not to tumble into his neck.

“Hi,” Kelly whispered, taking Ian’s command literally, but Sarah was beyond hi’s and hello's. 

“What are you? Three – three and a half inches? And where are you from? Pale, layered clothes – well-made for that matter, couldn’t be anywhere warm, and why-” 

The barrage of questions made Adelaide dizzy, and she didn’t like the pressure of having to answer them. If Sarah would even stop asking them, Adelaide wouldn’t know where to start answering. Luckily, Ian interrupted. 

“Sarah - Sarah, I uh, I think Adelaide has been wanting to meet you for a while, and I don’t think she’s too – too keen on answering a bunch of, uh, questions.... right now....” 

“What do you mean?” Sarah asked. 

Adelaide glared up at Ian. Nice one, genius, she thought. She was dreading having to explain that she actually knew who Sarah was because she lives within Ian’s walls and sees and hears everything and privacy is a lie. She was really hoping to avoid that one for now. 

Seeing the struggle on both Ian and Adelaide’s faces, Sarah decided to drop it. There was something more going on there that none of them had time for, so she’d ask later. Probably after they left the island. After a pause, she continued. “Right, sorry. It’s great to meet you, Adelaide.” She gave Adelaide a warm smile that put the borrower at ease. 

“Likewise,” Adelaide said, and she meant it. Despite the circumstances, and despite how bumpy it was, she was happy with their initial introduction. As long as she wasn’t getting grabbed at, it was going to be alright. “And I think I’m just over three inches tall, by the way.” 

Adelaide figured she’d offer some kindness back, and that was a question she could sort-of answer. “I don’t have a way to measure myself, and there's no way I’m letting this one measure me.” She indicated Ian to her left. Sarah laughed. 

Ian faked a laugh. “Haha, alright, well it’s been fun, but maybe we can pick up this conversation on the – on the way home.” That last bit of the sentence was a very pointed plea for Sarah to follow them back to the mainland. 

Ian left it at that and took Kelly’s hand, dragging her into the trailer. Adelaide turned behind them to give Sarah a look that said, what can you do? And then the trailer door closed and it was just the three of them. 

“Dad, are you mad?” Kelly asked. 

“No, I’m not mad, I’m furious!” Then, after taking in the state of the trailer: “What is this? This looks like your room. Clean it up. Now.” 

The trailer truly did look like a food bomb went off, and Adelaide couldn’t help but think about how excellent it would be to borrow in a place like this. Wrappers and food and plenty of hiding spaces – a borrower’s dream. It was a shame it was about to get cleaned up, but as always, Beans looked at things differently. 

Ian busied himself with the technology on the trailer wall, trying to figure out how to work any of it, while Kelly cleaned.

With nothing else to do, Adelaide figured she should engage in conversation. 

“Hey, Kelly,” she said. 

“How do you know my name?” Kelly asked. 

“I uh, I live in your dad’s walls.... That sounds.... really weird, but I’ve been there for a while so.... oh, and also he talks about you a ton.” Adelaide mentally scolded herself for not leading with the second thing. That’s what a child would want to hear. Not that there’s a weird person in their dad’s walls. 

Ian suddenly called out to Eddie, interrupting their conversation and proving he wasn't paying attention. “Eddie, Eddie! There’s a hundred switches!” Adelaide flinched and blinked a couple times, annoyed at the loud noise right next to her ears. She shared a knowing look with Kelly. They both knew how he got when he was frustrated, and they were riding this wave together. 

The trailer door swung open and Sarah barged in. “Ian, don’t be mad. I was gonna call you in a day or two to let you know where I was. I always do, don’t I? I’m the best kind of girlfriend there is. One who travels a lot. You like that, right? You love your independence.” Sarah immediately got to cleaning, and Adelaide felt a little guilty that she couldn’t help out. 

Something in Ian softened. “I’ve gotten used to being apart, but that’s not uh, how I want to live. Kelly, Kelly, this is um, tall talk. Just - just, uh, just for a minute.” He grabbed Kelly’s arm and ushered her away, indicating that he wanted privacy. 

“Tall talk?” Adelaide repeated, offended. 

“You know what I mean,” Ian said. 

“If you want privacy-” Adelaide began, but Sarah interrupted. 

“No, it's okay.” She turned her attention to Ian, and Adelaide got the feeling that she was the least of Sarah’s concerns. “If you wanted to rescue me, why didn’t you bail me out of that museum fundraiser three weeks ago, like you said you would? Or – or why not rescue me from that dinner with your parents that you never showed up for? Why not rescue me when I really need it, actually be there when you say you will? I have made a career out of waiting for you.” 

Adelaide was suddenly very uncomfortable, and not for the usual reasons. She felt like she was intruding on a conversation that needed to be private, and though she wasn’t sure where she was supposed to go, she knew she probably shouldn’t be on Ian’s shoulder for this. Again, she offered to leave.  “Seriously, I can go somewhere else, if you want. I don’t think I should-” 

“No, no, Adelaide, it’s fine. Really,” Sarah said distractedly. Again, Sarah turned her attention to Ian, and again, Adelaide got the feeling she was the least of Sarah’s concerns. Part of her was relieved that Sarah felt comfortable enough to have this conversation in front of her, but another part wondered if it was because Sarah thought she wasn’t intelligent enough to understand what was going on. Probably not, but it was hard not to think that way. 

“I know what I’m doing,” Sarah continued. “You guys should definitely go, but I’m going to stay. I love you. I just don’t need you right now.” 

Adelaide thought Ian might actually back down, which was practically unheard of, but stubbornness prevailed. “What you need is a good anti-psychotic.” 

“What bothers me is I’m not afraid of this place, and you are,” Sarah argued. 

“Of course I am! That’s the whole thing!” 

“If I may-” Adelaide interrupted. 

“You may not,” Ian shot back. 

Adelaide did not like that, so she tried again. “ If I may , Sarah, I get it. I get how he is-” 

“I’m right here,” Ian interjected. 

“-and I get that you’re smart and capable and strong and everything, but I was at Jurassic Park, too. And I also get that I’m not like, a dinosaur expert or anything, obviously, but I’ve spent my life evading predators.” Adelaide neglected to mention that those predators were Humans. 

She grew twitchy the longer she talked. The longer she talked, the longer she held Sarah’s attention, and she felt completely under qualified to say what she was saying. Who was she to tell a Bean about danger? But maybe she could get through to Sarah where Ian could not. “These things are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and no matter how well prepared you are, it’s not enough. I know I can’t convince you to leave. I mean, we just met, kind of, but I need you to know that Ian isn’t just being protective. It’s really dangerous out there.” 

Sarah’s eyes softened. “I appreciate the concern, really, but I’m a big girl. We’ve taken all the necessary precautions, and it’ll only be a couple days.” 

A rumbling shook the ground, followed by the sound of machinery. 

“What’s that sound?” Kelly asked, apparently having gone nowhere.

They all ran outside. Adelaide clung to Ian’s shirt and blinked in the sunlight to see a bunch of planes flying through the sky. Ian waved to get their attention, hoping they could provide a ride to the mainland since he couldn’t figure out the trailer radio. 

Eddie, who was looking through binoculars, added insight. “I don’t get it. It says InGen on the side of that chopper. Why would Hammond send two teams?” 

“Doesn’t he trust us? We haven’t started!” Sarah complained. 

At the same time, Adelaide and Ian realized what was going on. They thought back to their time at Hammond’s mansion, and how he explained that his nephew, Peter, intended to exploit Site B. This wasn’t a team sent by Hammond. It was sent by Peter Ludlow, and this meant they were not alone on the island. This meant they were staying for the foreseeable future, and there were going to be more Beans joining them, guaranteed to be hostile.

.

Next

[inevitably-johnlocked]

hi

I have no idea what I require but I want you to provide ahahah

dealers choice of fics?

Hey Lovely!!

OOOOOHHH!!! This is FANTASTIC because I have 5 lists that are ready-to-post but I don't have asks for, so letting me pick which list I want to post is a rare treat that I would love more of!! <3 Thank you so much!

Hmmm... Newcomer fics, John POV or Sherlock POV fics? Hmmm.

Since there's been an uptick requests for H/C with John fics, let's do that one :)

JOHN 3rd PERSON POV Pt. 2: HURT/COMFORT & WHUMP

See also:

POV John First/Second Person Pt. 1

POV John 3rd Person Pt 1: Fluff, Humour & PWP

POV Sherlock 1st & 2nd Person

POV Sherlock 3rd Person Pt. 1: Fluff

POV Sherlock 3rd Person Pt 2: Hurt/Comfort & Whump

Promises Kept by grannysknitting (K+, 844 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TGG, John POV, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship / Pre-Slash, Sherlock’s Violin, Worried Sherlock, John Whump) – When they were in hospital, Sherlock made a promise to himself. Now he's keeping it. Set after 'Polygamous Marriage' but before 'Back in the Saddle'

You Lead, I Lead, You Follow, I Follow by BrighteyedJill (M, 862 w., 1 Ch. || Fever, Hurt/Comfort, John Whump, Sherlock’s Violin) – John wakes up after a chase gone wrong to find Sherlock watching over him, but he’s a little hazy on the details.

Concussions And Good Old Fashioned Awkwardness by Belldere (K+, 894 w. || Humour, Hospitals, Mild John Whump, Misunderstandings, Platonic Relationship, Concussions, Not-Gay John, Possessive Sherlock) – When John lands himself in hospital... again, all he wants is to just get out of there as soon as possible, too bad his doctor has other ideas about where John may be getting his injuries. Good thing concussions make everything strangely funnier.

The Four Incidents by TheGirlWithRedHair22 (K+, 1,064 w., 1 Ch. || S1 Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, John Whump, Accident, John POV, Hand Holding, Worried Sherlock, Sherlock’s Self Esteem) – The first time John was present when someone insulted Sherlock, he brushed it off as a strange coincidence.

Black Cars by johnsarmylady (T, 1,186 w., 5 Ch. || Post-TRF, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, 221B Ficlet) – John is getting on with his life...if only he didn't see black cars everywhere! A short Post Reichenbach tale in 221B style in 5 parts.

Sleep Tonight by Jenn1984 (T, 1,220 w, 1 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Bed Sharing, Worried Sherlock, Sick John, Hugs/Cuddles, Touch Neediness) – Fingers begin prying open his jacket looking for a wound and John would really like to swat at them. No, he's not hit anywhere, he's just damn sick.- John Watson has a fever.

Hallucinations can't open doors by Bespectacled dreamer (K+, 1,330 w., 1 Ch. || Reunion, Hurt / Comfort, Friendship, Hallucinations, John’s Wedding, Light Humour) – In which John gets married and Sherlock gets a broken nose. 

I Was Wrong by AllesandraQuartermaine (K, 1,496 w., 1 Ch. || TGG AU, Friendship, Hospitalization / Injury, John’s Self Esteem, Sleepy Sherlock) – Sherlock and John have a conversation a few days after the pool face off with Moriarty. And John hears something quite surprising.

They're Taking My Wisdom by whitchry9 (K+, 1,939 w., 1 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Drugging, Dentists, Friendship, Anxious Sherlock, Humour) – Sherlock goes to the dentist. Of course, being Sherlock, things have to be complicated. Oh and drugs. They're always fun.

A Room of One's Own by whitchry9(K+, 2,174 w., 5 Ch. || S2 Timeline, Hurt/Comfort, Supernatural, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Coma, John Whump, Worried Sherlock, POV John, Angst, Friendship/Bromance, Hospital) – When a severe head injury lands John in a coma, somehow he ends up in Sherlock's mind palace. It's actually pretty nice there, and John is entertaining the notion of staying there, rather than returning to his broken body. But Sherlock isn't taking it as well, and John can feel him breaking around him.

The Many Faces of Concern by sdrawkcabemdaer5 (K+, 2,473 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Angsty Fluff, John Whump, Mildly Clueless / Guilty Sherlock) – John is injured on a case, leading to some surprising reactions and discoveries about their friendship.

Those Days by StillWaters1 (T, 2,663 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD / Sensory Attacks, Caring Sherlock) – If Sherlock had danger nights, then these were John's danger days.

Not My Proudest Moment by charlock221 (K, 2,695 w., 1 Ch. || Lunar New Year, Mild PTSD / Panic Attack, Coping Mechanisms, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort) – John tries his best not to get in the way of Sherlock's cases, but when the vivid noises of fireworks unnerve his senses and begin to bring back unwanted memories of Afghanistan, he cannot help but to hope Sherlock will notice and help him before things go too far.

As You Wish by PipMer (K, 3,311 w., 1 Ch. || Bromance/Pre-Slash/Epic Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, John Whump, Hospitals) – When John woke from his coma, he wasn't at all surprised to see the wrong Holmes brother sitting at his bedside. Disappointed, but not surprised. 

The Dangers of Dating by verityburns (T, 3,325 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Case Fic, No Slash, John Whump, 3G, Worried Sherlock) – Sherlock and John acquire a new client... with a very unusual problem.

The Sound of Silence by Dubbers (T, 3,593 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Post-TRF Hiatus, Reunion) – After Sherlock's fall, John loses the ability to talk. Three years later, Sherlock is back.

Water Is Another Matter by cathedral_carver (T, 3,903 w., 1 Ch. || Sick Fic, Pining, First Kiss, Heat Wave) – He thinks it’s in trouble, his poor heart.

Bitter Nights Turned Sweet by Hyliare (T, 4,076 w., 1 Ch. || Pre-Slash, Insomnia/Hallucinations, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, POV Present Tense John Watson, Cuddling/Snuggling) – Sherlock has always had trouble sleeping; he hasn't always had someone in his life willing to help.

Trapped and Upside Down on the M6 by BootsnBlossoms (E, 4,256 w., 1 Ch. || Whump, Car Accident, Hurt / Comfort) – Everything felt wrong. His hair was going the wrong way. His arms were bent in ways he wouldn’t choose to bend them. His neck hurt and he couldn’t really feel his toes. Something was dripping on his face – and rolling up. A car crash. He had been in a car crash.

Between Asleep and Awake by katydidit (K, 4,309 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Sick Fic, Post-TRF / Reunion) – John is sick. Incredibly, extremely, dangerously sick. Plagued by a high fever, he begins to hallucinate, start seeing things that aren't really there. Because they can't be there. Can they?

Carry On by Mazarin221b (M, 4,647 w., 1 Ch. || 5 and Ones, Hurt/Comfort, Afghanistan, Frottage, Hand Jobs, First Time) – Five times John didn't want to be carried, and one time he did.

Welcome Home, John by slashscribe (G, 5,504 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S3, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Awkwardness, Stabbed Sherlock, Protective Sherlock, Panic Attack (Sherlock), Self Esteem Issues, Love Confessions, First Kiss) – When John moves back to 221B, he thinks he’s the broken one, but after a while, it becomes clear that he might not be correct.

Nothing Quite So Spectacular by Kerkerian-Horizon (K+, 5,762 w. || Drama, Hurt / Comfort, Post-TRF) – How John Watson grieves after Sherlock Holmes' alleged suicide, and what happens when the detective returns home. Set post-Reichenbach, two parts.

EMERGENCY CONTACT: John Watson, RELATIONSHIP: Saint by blueink3 (M, 6,229 w., 1 Ch. || Hurt Sherlock, 5+1, Hurt/Comfort) – The first time Sherlock Holmes realizes he needs an emergency contact is the first time he mentally appoints John Watson with the job. John, of course, does not know this and neither does the local hospital. Part 2 of The Emergency Contact Series

Victim, Bait, Hero, Friend by KimberlyTheOwl (T, 7,887 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TGG Epilogue, Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Past Kidnapping / Torture / Implied Rape, Panic Attacks, Worried / Possessive Sherlock, Lestrade is a Good Friend) – Some insights into why John was perfectly willing to throw everything away for a chance to kill Moriarty at the pool. Trauma, ugliness, and finally healing. Some nice supporting work by Lestrade as well.

Beyond the Vow by tunteeton (M, 8,994 w., 1 Ch. || Love Confessions, Angst with Happy Ending, Post-S3, Explosions, Mary is Good-ish?, 3G, Infant Death) – Being a sociopath was never this emotionally exhausting. 

The River Variations by withoutawish (T, 11,619 w., 1 Ch. || Soulmates, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Three Garridebs, Romance, Light Case Fic, Near Death Experience, Angst and Fluff, Dark Humour) – John Watson never knew that he wanted a ‘no toast in the mornings’ normal until he realized what an honor it is to be destroyed by Sherlock Holmes.

Where the Sun Never Shines by teahigh (T, 11,634 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TRF, PTSD, Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sex) – John is a mess. Sherlock can't fix him, but he tries. That's good enough, John thinks.

I See You Through by belovedmuerto (T, 12,078 w., 8 Ch. || Psychic AU || Empath John, Alternate TGG, Whump, Nightmares, Bed Sharing, Slow Burn, Pre-Slash) – John has never asked Sherlock about his past, his childhood, the reason he quails in lonely misery almost every time he sees his brother. He’s never needed to. Part 2 of An Experiment in Empathy

A Brand of Gold by aquabelacqua (M, 12,757 w., 1 Ch. || Mutual Pining, POV John, Phone Sex, Texting, Masturbation, Long Distance, Drunk Texting) – What am I doing? he wondered. The answer came back at once:  Flirting. He let the vital, missing piece snap into place as surely and as cleanly as if it had always been there. He was flirting with Sherlock Holmes.

Understanding by rizandace (T, 13,268 w., 15 Ch. || Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Worried Sherlock, John Whump Then Sherlock Whump) – Sherlock's hiding something about his newest case, and John wants answers. Set post-TGG. Friendship fic, mostly, with brief entrances from Harry and Lestrade just for fun.

The Palmyra Atoll by elwinglyre (E, 16,609 w., 3 Ch. || TSo3 Divergence / Episode Fix-It, Stockholm Syndrome, Kidnapped John Watson, John Whump, Evil Mary, Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Toplock, Limited 3rd John POV) – As John's preparing for the wedding, Sherlock is preparing to have his heart broken, and Mary is prepared to do the unthinkable. Intervention required. Enter Sherlock. Set before Sign of Three with a far different outcome. John is drugged, kidnapped, and left on an island, but not just any old island.

I Will Take Care Of You by SailorChibi (T, 16,664 w., 15 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Sick Sherlock, BAMF John, BAMF Lestrade, Reunion Fic) – Two years after Sherlock's death, John comes to find him on the sofa. Wounded and ill, Sherlock is convinced he's hallucinating and refuses to share any details about Moran or the fact that Mycroft has been compromised. That doesn't stop John from stepping up and taking care of the last of Moriarty's web, BAMF-style.

Best of Three by SilentAuror (E, 17,473 w., 1 Ch. || POV John, John is Shot, Porn with Feels, Post HLV, Rimming, Denial, Anal) – “You want to have sex with me,” Sherlock announces one evening about a year after John's divorce. John's vigorous denial sparks a three-day wager wherein Sherlock is determined to prove his point, and John is determined to hold onto his heterosexuality. Set well after HLV. (Canon-compliant). PORN. With feels.

John Watson doesn't have a Boyfriend by naughtyspirit (E, 18,932 w., 7 Ch. || UST / URT, Fluff & Smut, Voyeurism, Masturbation) – John's date has gone very well. Sherlock requires tea. John wishes he hadn't resolved that their relationship was strictly hands off and isn't about to address it.Unless he has to. Smut, fluff and shower time for a naked John Watson.

Rupert Street by WritingOutLoud (M, 27,262 w., 9 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting || Case Fic, Sexuality, Demisexual Sherlock, Drugging, Smart John, Sherlock Has Internalized Biphobia, Fluff, Angst with Happy Ending, Gay Bar, Flirting, John Manipulates Sherlock to Eat, John Deduces, Arguments, Kidnapping/Torture, Hospitalization, John Whump) – Discharged from the war with nothing but the clothes on his back and a realisation of his bisexuality, John Watson has to learn who he’s become. He can’t afford London on an army pension, but the city is the only friend he has. In an effort to understand his newfound queer identity, he heads to a bar one night, where he stumbles across a mysterious stranger who turns his life upside down. ‘I dug around inside myself, and I'm not quite sure what I found, but it was beautiful and terrifying all at the same time.’

Vena Cava by SilentAuror (E, 27,452 w., 1 Ch. || HLV Fix-It, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Infidelity) – Sherlock has been shot in the chest; John has been shot in the heart. Though everything is broken, they do their best to heal the wounds that Mary left on them both.

Silhouettes by allonsys_girl (E, 28,585 w., 7 Ch. || Canon Compliant, POV John, Heavy Drinking, Sad/Depressed John, Grief/Mourning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Reunion, Foot Jobs, Blow Jobs, Infidelity, Cheating, Drug Use/Abuse, Anal, Switchlock, Rimming, Parentlock) – Sherlock and John find comfort in each other's arms, but as ever with these two, it's not your typical relationship. It's fluffy at the beginning, gets deeply angsty in the middle, gets porny at the end.

Darkling, I Listen by You_Light_The_Sky (T, 73,254 w., 8 Ch. || Fairy Tale AU || Loosely Based on Beauty and the Beast, Magical Realism, Suicidal Themes, Romance, Creepiness, Adventure) – No one who enters old London ever comes out. They say that the beast devours them. When his sister disappears, John ventures into the dead zone beyond the wall, and finds a brilliant madman under a terrible curse... Part 1 of Darkling I Listen + Extras, Deleted Scenes

Lunar Landscapes by J_Baillier (M, 57,046 w., 21 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || S3/TAB Fix-It, Slow Burn Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Confessions, Drugs, Pain, Medical, Injury, Sherlock Whump, Mental Health Issues, Panic Attacks, Romance, Secrets,  Tragedy, Trauma, BAMF John, Doctor!John, Drug Addict Sherlock, Injured Sherlock, Grieving John, Idiots In Love, Protective John, POV John Watson, PTSD Sherlock, Sherlock is a Mess, Medical Realism) – An accident forces John to face the fact that Sherlock's downward spiral had started long before his flight to exile even left the tarmac.

Summit Fever by J_Baillier (M, 78,802 w., 18 Ch. || Mountain Climber AU || POV John, Angst, Tragedy, Suicidal Ideation, The Himalayas, Mountain Guide / Doctor John, Mount Climber Sherlock, Loneliness, Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Injured Sherlock / Sherlock Whump, Pining John) – After graduating from medical school, John Watson followed his heart to the Himalayas. Ten years later, he's a haunted cynic working for his ex-lover's trekking and mountaineering company. Will leading an expedition to Annapurna I—the most lethal of all the world's highest mountains—shake John out of his reverie, and who is the mystery client added to the group at the last minute?

Thermocline by J_Baillier (M, 83,557 w., 14 Ch. || Scuba Diving AU || Adventure, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Marine Archaeology, Asexual Sherlock, Horny John, Relationship Drama, Technical/Scuba/Wreck Diving, Slow Burn, Underwater /  Medical Peril, Doctor John, Hurt Sherlock, Anxious Sherlock, John POV, Protective John, Body Appreciation) – John "Five Oceans" Watson — technical dive instructor, dive accident analyst and weapon of mass seduction — meets recluse professor of maritime archaeology Holmes. As they head out to a remote archipelago off the coast of Guatemala to study and film its shipwrecks for a documentary, will sparks fly or fizzle out?

A Fold in the Universe by darkest_bird (E, 152,869 w., 26 Ch. || Omegaverse / Prime Universe Crossover || OmegaJohn / AlphaSherlock, First Kiss / Time, Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Dubious Consent, Humour) – Alpha Sherlock and Omega John are in a relationship. Prime Sherlock and Prime John are not. So what happens when a freak fold in the universe switches one John for the other?

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court.

[rodentgoth]

.X| "Answer Phone" - Ch.3 |X.

◄ Prev Chapter \\Fic Playlist\\Ship Playlist\\ Next Chapter ►

I would like to thank my girlie @candy12110 for co-writing/editing with me! Love ya sis!

Rating:: 13+ // Teen

Fandom:: Homestuck

Themes/Kinks:: None

After several days of calls from Zebruh and texts from Cridea, her ticket had finally come in the mail! The train for Jeevik week left today, but Chixie had been so excited that she’d packed days in advance. In all honesty, she was kinda agitated, having to pack and unpack to make sure she had everything, discussing the schedule with Cridea, and having to deal with the most annoying essence of Zebruh’s clout-chasing. But, the day was finally here, and it would all be worth it.

A honk outside her door took her by surprise, she looked outside the window of the hive and saw a vehicle with an indigo caste symbol on the hood. Normally she wouldn’t trust taking anything from Zebruh, let alone a ride, but the closest train station was miles away, and he was the only one willing and able to give her a ride.

She quickly grabbed her bag and headed out.

The minute she set foot outside Zebruh opened the door and greeted her.

“Hey, Cupcake!”

Chixie felt herself cringe on the inside, but she powered through her disgust and formed a strained smile. 

“Hey.” She responded back shortly and quietly as she walked up to him.

He immediately opened the car door and held out his hands.

She lightly grabbed his hand, trying to leave as much space between them as she could, as she hopped in the car.

He closed the door behind her, and Chixie looked up in the driver’s seat, The chauffeur was a burgundy blood, who looked as nervous as Chixie felt.

As soon as Zebruh got in and buckled his seat belt, the driver speeded off.

They spent a few minutes in silence before Zebruh spoke up.

“So, you excited to perform, princess?”

Chixie jumped a bit as if she’d be snapped out of a trance, she had spent the last minute or so re-reading messages on her palmhusk. They were all from R3dSplatter, and reading them was weirdly calming for her. To have someone to actually talk to about her music, who wasn’t an obsessive indidingdong. She sighed before finally responding to him.

“Yeah…but also a little nervous.”

She fidgeted with the device in her hand.

“I’m sure you'll do great. And if you don't I'll be there if you need a shoulder to cry on.”

He said, moving his hand to her thigh. She cringed internally but did her absolute best not to show her disgust. 

"You're so sweet," Chixie said, giving him the least forced smile she could before crossing her legs and leaning away in a subtle attempt to get his hand off of her.

She heard her palmhusk ding and looked down to see a message from her new friend.

R3dSplatter:: I can’t wait to see you there, I know you’ll do great! Chixie smiled at her palmhusk, their words gave her more comfort than anything Zebra could've said.  Chixie:: I can't wait to see you either! Cheer for me okay? R3dSplatter:: I will!

It took a few hours for them to reach the station, by then Chixie had fallen asleep in the car, Zebruh had actually scooted closer to her, resting her head on his shoulder. He shook her thigh in order to wake her up.

“We’re here, sweetcheeks!” Zebruh whispered into her ear. Chixie opened her eyes and froze when she realized something was touching her. Then she remembered who she was with and her body violently jerked away.

"You okay? You seemed tired so I decided to be a gentleman and let you sleep on me. Didn't mean to surprise you like that," Zebruh said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder in a sleazy attempt to 'comfort' her.

Chixie took a minute to slow her breathing, doing her best not to violently shove him away or cuss him out. She had to remind herself that he was her benefactor and even if he was a creep she couldn't afford to piss him off. She forced a smile once again and replied.

“I-it’s fine, I was just a bit shaken up, is all…” 

She said, feeling a few beads of sweat roll down her face.

"No need to be afraid, my dear. The only ones here are me and you. And we both know I would never hurt you!" he replied with a smirk. Chixie resisted the urge to snarkily point out that the chauffeur was also here, but managed to resist.

She could just picture the things he was imagining while he stared at her in such close proximity. Her eyes darted around the vehicle as she thought of an escape plan. Her eyes landed on the station outside the window and she perked up. She immediately reached for the handle, and smoothly slid out of his hold, speaking in the fakest voice of excitement to hide her panic.

"Oh my god, I can't believe we're already here. It was so sweet of you to give me a ride! I should get to the platform. I want to get a good place to stand so I can grab a seat. It was nice riding with you. I'll see you later!" She gushed out, doing her best to seem appreciative and not like she wanted to crawl out of her skin to get away from him. The urge to take a full body bath to get rid of the feeling of his hand on her bare skin was overwhelming but she kept her calm in front of him.

Zebruh immediately hopped out of the car after her “I could always wait with you!” 

Chixie froze as she turned back to look at him. 

“Y-you don’t have to do all that! I don’t wanna inconvenience you!”

She replied, hoping that for once in his life he would take the hint!

“Nonsense, it would be rude of me not to escort you!”

He held out his hand for her to grab. Chixie hesitated to grab it, but she gave a very audible sigh as she grabbed his hand, and he guided her to the platform.

The two of them got a lot of looks and stares from various trolls in the station, most of them were looks of disgust and confusion from other highbloods. She looked over at Zebruh, he had a disgustingly calm and kinda smug face. As much as he loved to rant about not caring about the hemospectrum, quadrants, or what troll society thought of him, he reveled in the attention it got him. All the stares and whispers were his validation that he was a good “Lowblood Ally”.

Chixie just looked down as they made it to the platform.

When they made it up the stairs she heard Zebruh audibly gasp. She looked up at him to see what was up, only to see his gaze was fixed on a troll near the gate.

She looked over to see what all the fuss was about.

Standing near the gate was a tall, well-dressed, and very well-built purple blood. His hair was a huge mass of curls, and his horns were crooked, with one going out to the side instead of up. He wore a purple suit with gold and black accents, and if the face paint was anything to go by, he was definitely a clown. 

Chixie could feel Zebruh’s whole body quake through their hands, as he started to speak.

“Th-Tha-Tha that’s Marvus Xoloto! I knew he was on vacay, but I didn’t think I’d actually get to see him!” 

Zebruh almost screamed at the top of his lungs, as he gripped the bronzebood’s hand tighter.

Chixie looked at him even more confused. She had heard that name before, he was some big-shot performer who Zebruh would almost never shut up about. She never really paid much attention to him when he talked about him, it was obvious he just wanted to pail the guy.

Chixie looked over at him in a strange mix of curiosity and disgust. On the one hand, if what Zebruh had told her was true, Marvus was a very vocal social activist, who apparently voiced hatred of the hemospectrum and its oppressive nature in multiple interviews. On the other hand, He was a purpleblood, even if he voiced hatred of it, that didn’t mean anything to Chixie. She has been surrounded by fake activists before and will probably continue to be for the foreseeable future. At the end of the day, Marvus was higher on the spectrum than her, and could easily have her killed if she even looked at him the wrong way. After affirming who he was she immediately diverted her eyes, to avoid trouble. The only good thing about his presence was that Zebruh seemed to forget about her and began to orbit him, slowly getting closer to him and farther from her. In her disdain for the two highbloods, she missed how he had kept an eye on her since she entered. In fact, he had a clear difference in his stance and expression from when Zebruh was holding her hand to when he let go and moved away from her. She missed the way he relaxed as she did the farther Zebruh got from her. 

She found a seat by the gate, but far enough to leave some distance between her and the purpleblood.

To fill the silence and quell her anxiety she pulled out her palmhusk to text the only person that currently wasn't making her life worse.

Chixie:: I'm at the platform! Are you here too or will you not be at Jeevik week?

She sent the message when she heard a buzz across from her not even a minute later.

Her best guess was that Marvus had gotten a notification, on his device, however, he didn’t seem to check it right away. Chixie’s anxious mind began to wander a bit. What if she had somehow accidentally messaged him instead of R3dsplatter? She chuckled a bit at the thought, it was a silly thing to worry about. Marvus was a big celebrity, who probably gets hundreds of notifications every minute. She heard another buzz from across the room, validating her theory. Still in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but think that buzz was too coincidental.

[angelofrainfrogs]

Into the Pit: Ch. 3

~Coauthored by @zeitghest~

Fandom(s): Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach

Description: He should be in the Daycare. 

Gregory emerges from the ball pit to find not the bright, rainbow room he’s accustomed to, but a house with a huge backyard and a kiddie pool of plastic “water.” Calling for Gregory is a familiar voice—Michael. Only this time it’s not Charlie or Freddy by his side, but someone completely new. And why do they insist on calling him their son?

Gregory soon comes to realize this existence is vastly different from anything he remembers. Perhaps these last few weeks at the Pizzaplex have all been a dream…?

Rating: T

Read on Ao3

Thankfully, Gregory was pulled from his reverie as Jeremy posed a very important question.

“So,” the blonde started, running his thumb on the outside of Michael's palm while he spoke. “Are we doing pizza at Freddy's again tonight? Or are we going home for food?”

“Pizza...?” Gregory echoed, chasing away intrusive and betraying thoughts of unreality.

“Pizza it is, then,” Michael confirmed, meeting Gregory's gaze in the rearview mirror with a smile. The boy was being quieter than usual, a far-off look in his eyes that Mike hadn't seen in a while. He was thinking about something—likely that too-real dream he had that left him totally off-kilter for the day.

“...You know what?” Mike quirked an eyebrow, his mouth widening into a sly grin. “I think this day calls for a kitchen-sink-slush—provided we can keep out of Sam's sight. He hates it when we 'waste product' like that...”

The last part was said in a slightly mocking tone, though it was all in jest as evidenced by the twinkle in his eye. Despite Sam's reservations about raiding the soda machines to make the deadly concoction, he was always willing to turn a blind eye if the situation really called for it. Today was certainly one of those days—one mention of Gregory having bad dreams, and Mike knew Sam would straight up disable the kitchen cameras if needed so he didn't have to see his stock depleted.

Meeting Gregory's slightly confused gaze in the mirror again, Michael asked: “What do you think, Greg? Feel like rotting your teeth out with sugar today?”

Gregory perked up, very, very interested in the name alone. He met Jeremy's quick gaze in the rear-view mirror before the older man focused back on the road.

“It's been so long—how does that sound, kid?” Jeremy asked, trying hype up their son for what would be a fun trip to the Pizzaplex. Especially if the cousins were there with their parents. The only issue was finding parking on a Saturday...

“Hell yeah!” Gregory said, grasping the little musical robot on his shoulder and clipping the new friend to his belt for safekeeping.

“—Heck yeah, Greg. Come on, man.” Jer laughed. He was just glad to see Gregory coming out of the funky mood; it was hard to seriously scold the kid when he was having a fun time. After squinting at the full Pizzaplex parking lot, Jeremy glanced sidelong at his husband. “Is it right—morally—to park in the employees’ spots on my day off?”

“Jer, we practically live here,” Michael pointed out dryly. “I don't think we're gonna get in trouble with the boss if we take up a space. Plus, look—my father's already done it.”

Sure enough, there was William's bright car two spots over from them. The man himself was nowhere to be found, already wandering through the massive mall in search of his family or old business partner. Though he wasn't technically employed by the Pizzaplex, he and Henry were considered lifetime members—meaning they could do pretty much whatever they wanted. William certainly took advantage of this fact, to the great annoyance of his eldest.

With a little shake of his head, Mike unbuckled himself and hopped out before moving to open Gregory's door, snagging his hand when he exited as well. Locking up the vehicle, Jeremy was quick to join Gregory's other side, completing a three-person circuit with their son in the middle. As one they stepped through the sliding doors and entered the air-conditioned lobby of the Pizzaplex, keeping their eyes peeled for friends and family among the hundreds of guests milling about.

Everything was... the same. The decorations and vintage style décor that Gregory was familiar with graced his vision, bright neons calling out and dividing his attention every which way.

Getting through the lobby was a lot for him. Many kids were trying to get their admission stamps and parents, tired but patient, were attempting to reign in their hyperactive excitement. Gregory squeezed onto both his dads’ hands, finding himself saying honestly: “I hate crowds.”

“I know, bud. We'll be through the doors in a second! You're doing really well!” Jeremy encouraged. Since starting therapy, the constant encouragement was helping Gregory’s attitude and the way he coped in stressful situations. Reaching out, Jeremy pushed open the door and held it for his family to pass on through and into the atrium.

“Sam's gotta be in his office with all this going on,” Jeremy remarked, knowing Sam well enough at this point to correctly assume he’d leave the customer interactions up to Charlie and the Glamrocks.

Meanwhile, down by Rockstar Row, Charlie was in fact helping out with the customers. Parents didn't realize that you don't come into the Daycare and openly berate the attendant in front of the General Manager. Since taking up customer relations, she'd found that being more assertive came more naturally to her.

It did help when you had a 7 foot tall Moon-Man standing behind you for back up, though.

“Ma'am, we don't use excessive language like that here. If you can't behave properly in the Daycare, you're banned! That's it. Please sign the release form for your child and—”

“No! This is bullshit! I want my money back for the hour they spent here,” the irate patron argued. Charlie wished she could ban the woman from even existing at all, but that wasn't something she was about to say in front of other customers. “You can't possibly be the General Manager with that attitude, missy! Find me the real one so I can have him can your ass!”

Charlie bit her tongue hard, managing a decently straight face until she saw the familiar shape of the Fitz-Afton family heading towards the Daycare.

“Hm, he's off the clock. But I'm sure he'd love to speak with you. Mr. Fitz-Afton! Some assistance, please?” Charlie called, hating to do this on his day off.

Gregory squinted hard. Did he need glasses or was that lady... Charlie?!

She was older, certainly. Her big eyes still held that youthful countenance Gregory knew and loved, though her face had lengthened and thinned out with age. Honestly, he might not’ve recognized her were it not for her clothes. Despite being theme-appropriate for the Pizzaplex, the tomboyish style was something he could have seen her wear in his dream.

“Ooh, look—trouble already.” Though Michael’s words indicated annoyance, his face showed that he was fired up. No one was rude to Charlie on his watch. He smiled down at Gregory and released him, tone cheery as he cracked his knuckles. “Be right back!”

Michael didn't like conflict by any means. He simply found that sometimes it was easier to handle people with the curt edge that only his father could've raised him with. Stepping up next Charlie, he gave her a nod of acknowledgement as he turned a suddenly-cold smile on the irate mother. “Hello, ma'am—what seems to be the problem?”

“Oh, for god's sake—I'm not going to explain it again! I just want my damn money back!” the woman hissed, and from the darkness behind him Mike heard a little tut of discomfort.

“She's in quite the mood, Michael... such naughty language near all these impressionable little ears,” Moon muttered softly. Holding his hand was the woman's daughter, standing half in the dim light of the pick-up area and looking very upset.

“Well, I'm sorry our services weren't to your satisfaction,” Michael continued easily, his smile showing far too many teeth. Taking the release form from Charlie's hand, he held it out again. “As my General Manager told you, unfortunately you've been banned from the Daycare for use of foul language. In any event, no refunds are offered unless proven neglect or injury occurs on our end, which doesn't seem to be the case here. Please sign the release form—”

“Oh, fuck this!”

In a fit of rage the woman smacked the clipboard out of Michael's hands, sending it clattering across the floor. A blanket of silence settled over the Daycare, save for the bright, ambient music that played in the background during opening hours.

“...Charlie—” Michael began, the friendly mask now completely gone. “—can you please radio security and ask which of our Glamrock friends is closest and available? We need a guest escort.”

Oh no—she did not just smack the clipboard out of Michael Fitz-Afton’s hand. With the speed of one of those sharpshooting cowboys in an old spaghetti western, Charlie flipped a walkie-talkie from her belt and spoke into it.

“Any band members nearby? We need security by Superstar Daycare. We've got a Karen,” she said calmly, watching as the nuclear reactors melted down inside the mother's head. The rage was only being held back by a very thin shred of awareness as Michael's far too friendly smile had dropped into an instantly pissed off demeanor. Charlie loved it when he did that, even if it admittedly creeped her out. It always took people off-guard and their reactions made up for an otherwise stressful day.

Over the radio, there was an immediate response from the toughest girl in the mall. Roxy growled over the static: “You in trouble Charlie? Monty and I are at the end of Rockstar Row!”

Gregory balled his free hand into a fist. Getting ready to watch the Glamrocks fight some rude Mom would be a great way to start the day off. Jeremy hated these sort of parents as much as the next guy, but watching it all go down was not something he liked doing—especially with his own impressionable kid at his hip. All he ever did was think of how rough it must be for the child to watch their parents have a meltdown when they couldn't admit they were in the wrong.

“Nuts to this, Greg; let's not watch this. It might get messy,” he advised, much to his son's chagrin.

“But they're gonna beat her up!” Gregory protested, making his dad roll his eyes good-naturedly while he chose to escort his son just a little farther away.

“Right—well when they start putting wrestling moves on her, I don't want Monty tagging you in,” he teased back. The woman didn't like the idea of being kicked out with force, and was half-inclined to start filming with her phone before Roxy and Monty came stomping over.

“Alright—” Roxy huffed, making sure her mane was tied back in a loose pony tail since people have on rare occasion grabbed for her and pulled locks of well-groomed hair from her synthetic scalp. A scan and a quick profile search in, and Roxy was quick to demand that: “Veronica? You and your daughter Mandy have to come with us to the exit now. You're on temporary ban for the next seven days.”

“Oh, shut up!” Veronica exclaimed, though her demeanor was noticeably shaky as she stared up at the huge robots with far too many teeth.

“I’d listen to them if I were you,” Michael advised, all traces of a smile gone as he crossed his arms over his chest. “These two are not very patient when it comes to rowdy parents…”

“Y-You can’t touch me!” the woman insisted as the animatronics took a step closer in unison. “I’ll sue—”

“I can’t, but they can—as our security system, they’re programmed to remove threats. And you, ma’am, have just used physical violence against me and are now considered a danger to the other patrons.” Michael shrugged; it was as simple as that. He was tired now and just wanted to spend some quality time with his family. With a lazy wave of his hand, he instructed: “Monty, will you please remove this woman from the premises? Roxy, take her daughter out as well.”

“You got it, Mike!” the gator bellowed, wasting no time in grabbing the woman—carefully, as his programming made it 98% impossible to cause accidental harm to humans and 100% impossible to cause intentional damage—and hoisting her to rest over a shoulder pad. She’d be relatively comfortable if she wasn’t literally kicking and screaming. Monty simply held firm, his tail swaying to counterbalance the angry woman’s thrashing.

“Alright, little moonbeam, it’s time to go with Miss Roxy now,” Moon said in that hushed, gravelly voice. He too hated children seeing their parents act up, but sometimes it was unavoidable. With gentle prompting, he passed the tiny girl over to the wolf, who was quick to take her hand in Moon’s stead.

“Okay, sweetie! We’ll be outside in no time!” Roxy promised, whisking her away while attempting to make the girl smile. It was always hard letting these kids go with people who themselves acted like children. There was nothing more she could do, though. Roxy wasn’t programmed to be a permanent caretaker, after all.

Charlie was thankful for Mike’s intervention, though hated that no one believed the woman when she asserted her title as General Manager. Resting her tried forehead against his shoulder, Charlie sighed in relief. “Thank you! That lady was a nightmare!”

Luckily the nightmare customers were few and far between. She then saw Jeremy on the approach with one of her favorite kids, and Charlie’s stressed expression instantly flipped to one of happiness.

“Are we doing family day?!” she asked, a little spark of the young Charlie that Gregory knew peeking through the wisdom-aged glint in her eyes. “You guys picked a good day! Evan’s hanging out with Sam and Dad in the office.”

“Sweet! You feel like taking a break and joining us?” Jeremy asked, ready to convince her—but after that interaction, Charlie didn’t need to be swayed and responded with an eager nod before he finished his sentence.

“Perfect!” Michael exclaimed, his smile easy-going and content. “Yeah, I asked Liz and Evan to meet us here. My dad’s wandering around too, though by now he’s either found Henry or is horribly lost again.”

“Uncle Will? Getting lost? What—no, he has the mind of steel-trap remember?” Charlie snickered, drawing a chortle from Jeremy at the wild things they’d quote William saying.

Will’s ability to go anywhere in the Pizzaplex came at a cost: the building was so massive compared to any prior Fazbear establishment, it was easy to take a wrong turn in the employee hallways and end up in some liminal-feeling back room. It didn’t happen that often nowadays, though Mike would still get the occasional call from his dad while on duty to:

“Hurry the hell up and get me out of here, Michael! I’m not getting any younger…”

This thought tangent made Mike let out a snort, though he shook his head at the other’s questioning gazes and began walking towards Sam’s office. He made sure to keep Gregory’s hand securely in his own the whole time.

“Bye, Moon!” he called as the group made their exit through the darkly-lit area.

“Bye everyone; thank you, ehehehe,” the lanky animatronic cackled, paying special mind to the younger boy. “Good to see you, Gregory!”

Ah, the good old Daycare attendant. They didn't seem out of the ordinary with their mannerisms. Same with Roxy and Monty—from the short glimpse Gregory had been able to get, they’d seemed like their normal selves.

“Bye Moon! I'll hang out with you later!” he replied. Who knew—maybe the more talkative Sun could help fill in the gaps of his memory.

The closer the group drew to the office, the harder Gregory clung to them. Although outwardly he was smiling and content, the boy held reservations. What else was different from what he remembered? It wasn’t necessarily the changes, but the uncertainty of it all that bothered him the most.

Charlie hadn't bothered knocking, letting herself into the office and holding open the door to Sam's little executive clubhouse and personal workspace. Her and Michael's fathers were sitting at the workbench in the corner, playing cards and drinking from short, clear glasses. Relaxing at the couch was a severely-less stressed looking Samuel. Even the grey streaks in his hair seemed minimal from the last time Gregory saw him. Now that Charlie resembled her real age, Gregory could see why they were twins.

“Oh no, not these guys!” Samuel groaned teasingly, getting up to come and greet the rest of the family. Seeing Sam this energetic almost gave Gregory whiplash.

“Yup, trouble has officially arrived!” Mike announced, releasing Gregory to hook an arm around Sam’s neck and give him a noogie. While Sammy fought off his old friend, another familiar-yet-new face came up to meet them.

“Hi, Jeremy!” Evan greeted warmly, going for the blonde first since his biological brother was preoccupied. His face really hadn’t changed much from when he was a kid—it was a bit thinner and covered in laugh lines like the others', but putting him and Gregory next to each other would still show an uncanny resemblance.

After giving his brother-in-law a hug, Evan knelt down in front of Greg with a soft smile. If there was anyone who understood the boy’s emotional intricacies, it was the man who’d cried at his own shadow when he was a kid. 

“Hey, mini-me!” Evan chuckled in that same soft tone Gregory knew, just deepened a bit with age. He held out his arms, always offering a hug but never offended if it wasn’t reciprocated, a wide grin crinkling the corners of his dark brown eyes. “How’s my faaaavorite nephew today?”

Gregory was almost speechless. This was... Evan?! Aged by forty-odd years and taller than he ever expected the kid to get if he was alive.

Alive—

Of course he was alive. Shit, that dream had really messed with Gregory’s head.

Gregory fell forward and gave Evan the biggest squeeze around the shoulders he could. No longer were they the Pizzaplex twins, but uncle and nephew. Burying his face into Evan's shoulder, Gregory realized that even if this all was some manner of strange hallucination, he was glad to be in a reality where everyone was living.

“I'm so much better now,” he said with confidence. Everyone was happy and safe; it was something he never thought he’d see. Over Evan's shoulder, Gregory watched as William folded down his cards and quickly batted Henry playfully on the arm.

“You're cheating, Hen—where's the cards in your sleeve? You can't use my own tricks on me!” William could be heard saying over his own laughter as he patted down Henry's sleeves for extra cards on his person.

Sam was put in a helpless headlock, struggling to break free from Michael's grip as Charlie watched on, laughing at the two goons she'd spent her entire life with. You'd think after so many years she'd grow tired of Sam and Michael always trying to one-up each other with their wrestling moves. Yet here she was, still giggling like it was backyard wrestling at the Aftons’ in '83.

Gregory closed his eyes, unsure if he wanted to let go of Evan just yet, gripped by an emotion he seldom felt. It was a complete feeling. Like, for once, everything was right with the world.

As Jeremy recognized the long look in his gaze, he warned Evan: “Uh-oh; he's not gonna let go of you now, you know.”

To which Gregory went back and hid his face in Evan's arm. Something Jeremy found so dang cute.

“That’s fine with me!” Evan replied with a chuckle. He had no idea what happened this morning, but it was clear the kid had been spooked. He wasn’t usually this clingy… not that Evan minded in the slightest. Still—

“Although at some point you’re gonna have to fight the triplets off,” he remarked, his eyes growing softer at their mention. Finally done pestering Sam, Michael had tuned into the conversation at just the right time.

“Oh, are they here?!” he asked with a grin. “How’s Kelley doing, by the way?”

Evan’s little triplets just turned seven and were the light of his life, not to mention a top highlight of everyone else’s. Two boys and one girl made the house he shared with his wife Kelley buzz with energy—and it was about to get even livelier with another kid on the way.

“Yes they are, and she’s doing great,” Evan replied brightly, standing up when Gregory finally released him. He didn’t move though, putting a hand on Gregory’s head as comforting reassurance for whatever the kid was going through. “Cassidy’s actually with them right now since Kel picked up a last-minute shift—last I heard she was trying to wrangle them into Mazercise.”

Kelley was only a few months along, so she was still able to perform her job as an NP in a small clinic. She was one of the top practitioners, which meant she was often called in to cover shifts when others couldn’t. If not for his best friend stepping in as surrogate aunt when Liz wasn’t around, Evan didn’t know what he’d do…

“We’ll have to stop by and see them later!” Mike promised. When his gaze shifted to Gregory, the boy’s face yet again showed immense confusion. This time he was trying to hide it, but he wasn’t as good at that as he thought he was—not to his dads, at least.

Gregory had caught Michael’s worried glance and tried quickly to wipe the look of surprise off his face. Four kids… Four? Maybe even more if Evan had another set of multiples.

Gregory was still confused beyond a doubt, but at least the sad boy he met in the basement of the Pizzaplex seemed to be doing pretty well these days. These weren’t just any kids Evan had, either—they were apparently Gregory’s cousins, too. His family was suddenly way bigger than it was before, with more members to expect on the way. He had an Aunt Kelley, and Cassidy was still in their lives, apparently unable to leave Evan alone even without the entrapment of their shared Fredbear tomb.

“Where is Liz, anyway?” Gregory decided to ask, figuring it was normal to question while he tried his hardest not to appear lost in the verbal sauce.

“She’s in her little workshop—you know how we’re trying to get an extension on the mall? Liz is drawing up designs for the Glamrock Circus characters,” Sam revealed, knowing the upcoming secret project was safe in this room.

“I don’t know why you kids want to keep bringing back the 80’s. You all were so eager to get out of that era, and now you can’t leave it alone…,” William voiced, sorting the cards while looking to Henry to see if he agreed. Surely he wasn’t the only one who remembered how fast they all wanted to grow up.

“Much as I hate to admit, Will’s got a point,” Henry conceded, smiling gently even as his leg was kicked under the table and he returned the gesture tenfold. “I think it’s the nostalgia factor.”

“Hey, we might’ve been annoying kids, but we were happy for the most part,” Michael laughed, nudging Evan to make him agree.

“Mm, for the most part,” he hummed, giving Mike a knowing look. There’d been a short period of time where Michael fell in with the wrong crowd as a teen and bullied Evan near-relentlessly… but one day he came to his senses, ditched his “friends” and apologized to his brother for being such a shithead, and the rest was history. Even so, Evan never quite let Mike live that unfortunate part of their lives down—though nowadays it was only spoken of in teasing reminiscence.

Michael Afton could never be so mean.

“You should go see her—I’m sure Lizzie needs a break!” Henry encouraged, glancing up from the table after slapping a card down and grinning at Will’s outraged cry.

“I’ll go with you!” Evan volunteered, raising one hand while ruffling Gregory’s hair with the other. “Might as well track down those little rascals afterwards before they or Cassidy lose their minds…”

“Oh, please; Cas already lost that years ago,” Charlie reminded the group. The pair hadn't always been on the best of terms as kids, but after realizing they’d be in each other’s lives for the foreseeable future the girls were able to work through their differences. “June should be hanging out with them in Mazercise. You better go say hi.”

Charlie said it like a warning, but the smile in her eyes let Gregory know it wasn't so imperative. Gregory knew at this point he would have to start responding to these things. Michael and Jeremy were growing increasingly more aware that something strange was going on with him, and Gregory didn't want to raise anymore alarm bells.

“Is it cool if we both get sodas?” he asked, thinking a more neutral answer was safe for now.

Charlie, not suspecting much, told him: “Sure! You brought your Best Friend Card right? If you didn't, I've got some cash—”

“No worries Charlie! I've got Gregory's card,” Jeremy interjected. Always prepared, he dug into his beat up old wallet and pulled out Gregory's all-access pass.

“Anyone else coming with?” Michael question. He met Jeremy’s gaze, eyes twinkling playfully. “Besides you, of course—I’m stuck with you.”  

Jeremy matched the grin to a tee, replying in a rather smug tone. “You couldn't get rid of me for over 20 years, dude; of course you're stuck with me. Also, I hid the receipt.”

“I've got payroll to do—plus babysitting these guys,” Sam responded to Michael’s question, nodding to the men playing cards behind him.

When Gregory glanced over, William had smoothly produced two aces from the same sleeve and entered them into his hand before tossing his cards down on the table along with Henry. It almost worked—but Henry had four aces.

“See? You're cheating. I knew it!” William exclaimed, and it was hard to tell if his fury was genuine or not.

“Dad…” Evan couldn’t help but sigh, knowing it pointless to mention they were both clearly cheating in increasingly obvious ways. Especially when Henry responded with a jovial:

“Takes one to know one, buddy!”

—which started a squabbling argument that neither of the old fogies was ever going to win.

“Right… well, you have fun with that, Sammy,” Michael said with a grin, patting his friend on the back. After a second, Mike perked up as he remembered something. “Oh, you wanted us to check out Freddy after his new software update, right? I’m guessing he’s in his room—we’ll stop by sometime today and give you a report.”

“I’d do it sooner than later,” Henry piped up, stalling the argument over cards for a moment. “Bonnie’s been getting on my poor children’s cases about his friend being MIA, and I don’t want any of them to blow a gasket…”

Evan tried to put on a sympathetic face, though he couldn’t help but snicker at the mental image of smoke pouring out of Sam and Charlie’s ears from frustration at the overly-attentive bunny.

Michael chuckled as well. “Alright, we can swing by after we visit Liz.” He glanced down at Gregory and gave his hand a little squeeze. “Sound good, kiddo?”

“Yeah! I need to talk to Freddy anyway,” Gregory told them. It probably wasn't out of the ordinary for Gregory to want to see the bear regularly; clearly, Freddy was his favorite character regardless of circumstance.

Gregory tugged lightly on Michael’s arm to get him moving. Feeling Jeremy bump into his side as well, he decided to take his other dad’s hand in his and tried to rationalize the situation in simple terms: if Michael trusted these people, so did he—until he was given a reason not to. Which, hopefully, would never happen.

William took a deep swig from his glass. Reaching across the table to refresh both his and Henry's cups, he warned: “You'll be a good boy and not climb inside Freddy's chest compartment again, right, Gregory? I'd feel so terrible if you hurt yourself in one of those robots.”

The worry on his face was so genuine, it made Gregory wonder what the purpose of it all was when he did it before. He could feel the claustrophobic thrumming of Freddy’s internal mechanisms as he sandwiched himself between a gap in the bear’s endoskeleton. In his dreams, Gregory was running away from things trying to kill him… most notably, the very same man who apparently couldn’t stand the thought of him getting hurt by the very same bot.

Gregory nodded his understanding, feeling somewhat bad as his worried grandfather shuffled his and Henry's cards anew. “I won’t, Pappy.”

“He'll be fine, Dad,” Michael reassured with an easy smile. He knew William was just being paranoid, despite the fact that Gregory hadn't tried to climb inside an animatronic in a while—at least, not to Michael's knowledge.

Evan took the lead, walking confidently through employee-only passages and waving to staff as he went. It wasn't a secret when the Afton and Emily heirs were around, as they were so involved in other family members' franchises the staff quickly learned to memorize their faces due to frequent surprise visits. While Evan didn't work in the Pizzaplex—he was perfectly content to manage his own smaller, homier diner branch of Fazbear Entertainment—there was no mistaking his kind face as someone of great importance.

Gregory was treated much the same way, though arguably with more genuine greetings than his elder family members received. It wasn't that any of the heirs were unlikeable—though Michael had scared quite a few staff on occasion with his calm and collected lectures underlain with veiled threats—it was just that they were so important it was intimidating.

But Gregory? Yes, he was right up there in the status quo, but he was still just a kid—and dealing with kids is what the members of the Pizzaplex knew how to do best.

Soon enough, the group reached a door hidden away from the usual path of employees rushing to and fro. Michael rapped on the wood three times before pushing it open. “Liz? I brought visitors...”

Liz was dressed down today in overalls and an old painting shirt as she worked. Finishing the latest designs was something she was being particular about, having thrown away half the original concepts and finding herself in a creative rut. At Michael's voice, Liz was quick to break concentration and turn around in her office chair.

“Visitors? You brought a whole party; hey, guys!” she remarked as the group filed into the office. Meeting the youngest boy’s eyes, Lizzie waved him over with a sense of urgency. “Gregory! Quick, I need your opinion on Circus Baby and Ballora.”

Gregory was fast to let go of his father's hands to do some investigating, curiously coming to peep the watercolor characters Liz painted in her sketchbook. Circus Baby looked far less uncanny then her predecessor, as well as Ballora. While Ballora seemed to still take role as a dancer, Baby's design leaned more towards that of a pop singer.

“They're cool! They're not as weird... They kind of look like they're from like—the 90's maybe.”

Liz groaned at this, closing the book even as it was still drying.

“I'm sorry I hate shoulder pads.” Elizabeth stressed before pulling Gregory in for an aggressive hug. “How ARE you, sweetie? Did you cut your hair?” Deft fingers played with the mullet Gregory seemed to obtain between last Wednesday and now.

No, Charlie did, Gregory thought. Outwardly, he shrugged and decided to act cool about it. “Just needed something different.”

“I think it's cute—er, cool. Super cool.” Evan tried to cover his slip, knowing that if his seven-year-olds hated being called cute, surely the almost-thirteen-year-old would despise it. He hummed as he assessed the style, noting: “Kinda reminds me of Mike's hair when we were growing up. Remember how you'd lock yourself in the bathroom for hours? God, it was so annoying…”

A tiny flush of red graced Michael's cheeks as his little brother jabbed an elbow into his side. “Look, it was called fashion, Evan. I was just doing what everyone else did back then.”

“Mm... I think you just wanted to impress—”

“So, Liz—” Michael cut off whatever Evan was about to say, moving to his sister’s side and slinging an arm around her shoulders. “Uncle Henry says you need a break—wanna come visit Freddy and then go find Evan’s kids?”

Evan rolled his eyes at Mike’s poor attempt to deflect, shooting a knowing look at the other Afton-Fitzgeralds. Michael had never been one for subtlety, so it was always obvious when someone caught his attention in a way others hadn’t. As for Liz taking a break, she bounced up from her chair and stretched her arms above her head to get her circulation going again.

“I’m so glad you all showed up—I was about to start atrophying,” she lamented, then threw a smirk at her big brother’s clear embarrassment.

“We gotta go see Freddy first!” Gregory reminded the group, reminding Charlie and the others that he had an ant in his pants about beta-testing Freddy’s new updates. It came as no surprise to the others. What with Freddy being his favorite and Gregory’s interest in coding, who could blame the kid?

“Yes, yes—Freddy first, as always,” Michael chuckled, shuffling his son towards the door.

***

Previous Chapter ~~ Next Chapter

Looking for more? Check out the Chapter Masterlist on Tumblr!

Or check out the entire Wires that Bind Us Series on ao3!

[sstan-hoe]

-> summaries:

𝑻����𝑬𝒀 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑵𝑮𝑬𝑫 𝑴𝑬 𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹 — they wanted you, they enjoyed the hunt just as much as you enjoyed being chased. You didn't make it easy for them but it only prepared you that life with them wouldn't be easy.

𝑺𝑯𝑶𝑾 𝑴𝑬 𝑯𝑶𝑾 — meeting him might be the best to ever happen to you. He showed you things you've never thought you'd try, he taught you to stand up for yourself and be confident. For Bucky Barnes you were an angel, a savior and maybe the one he's been searching for all his life.

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑳𝑺 𝑫𝑬𝑵 — all you wanted was to go on vacation but your car didn't have the same idea. Almost breaking down in the middle of nowhere you luckily made it to a house with lights. A handsome stranger and his friends offer to help you. They're devilishly handsome…or almost demon-like? Something about them entrances you. (incubus!andy/lloyd/steve(r+k)/ransom/ari/bucky/nick/max)

[felicitysmoaksx]

Hi everyone! So just a warning before you start reading this chapter. It's darker than the ones previously. Sarah and Justin do get hurt in this chapter. If you know what the last episode of season 3 of PD is about then you know why. And it also does go into some detail. Probably not as much as I think, but just to be safe.

So if you want to still know what happens without reading the greater details. Stop reading when you see Driving would always be a heavy feat for her. That’s why she almost always took the bus. But her hesitation now had nothing to do with driving so much as the seemingly abandoned parking garage she had pulled into. and pick it back up at By a stroke of luck, Ava had been coming out of a treatment room, from checking in on a frequent flier (their LVAD liked to give them complications that couldn’t be helped) when Sarah Reese and Justin Voight were brought in.

Please take care of yourselves with this chapter and happy reading!

Also, the songs I recommend for this chapter are: Blink by Revive and Leavin' by Jesse McCartney.

Rating: Explicit (Minors DNI 18+)

Summary:  Blue eyes flicked down to his lover asleep once more. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. There was not a doubt in his mind that he knew Sarah. At least where it counted. He knew what kind of person she was. He knew her heart. But he didn’t know the stories of what made her heart the way that he knew it.  

Word Count: 4.7k

Warnings: Sexual Content, Depictions of parental abandonment, depictions of violence, inaccurate medical procedures, and implied/references a canonical character death.

Read On AO3 | Fic Playlist | Want to be tagged when I post a Rheese story?

Hold On, I Still Want You Ch. 3

Sarah woke up with a groan as sunlight filtered through her window. She burrowed back under her covers to block it out. After her fight with Justin, she was restless and it had taken her hours to get to sleep when she got home, and it didn’t help that her bed felt too small and too cold. Spending five nights out of a week at Connor’s apartment (She was definitely not attached. A sarcastic voice laughed bitterly in her head) for the last six months had gotten her used to his queen size mattress and him wrapped around her at night like a very large heating blanket and chasing her around the bed as he pressed kisses everywhere he could reach on her body while she laughed the morning after.

She groaned again as she rolled over. Was it pathetic that she could feel his phantom kisses even now? Were phantom kisses even a thing? She wondered as she finally sat up.

Checking the time on her phone, she saw the missed call and now a voicemail from Connor. The one she missed the night before. But she dismissed them from her notifications. She couldn’t deal with that now. It was probably just him calling her to let her down gently and that could wait. Right now she needed to find Justin.

She still needed to talk to him; she promised Hank she'd try to find out what was up with his son. Besides, Sarah also felt awful about their fight when she returned to her apartment, but she thought it might be better to let Justin sleep and cool off before she apologized and tried again. Using a friend-finding app, she found him in a parking garage on the outskirts of Wacker. So she got dressed, shoved half a protein bar in her mouth, and made her way to her car parked outside.

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

Driving would always be a heavy feat for her. That’s why she almost always took the bus. But her hesitation now had nothing to do with driving so much as the seemingly abandoned parking garage she had pulled into.

What the hell was Justin doing here? She wondered as she drove deeper into the garage. Deeper and deeper she went, following the little map on her phone’s screen. Then she caught sight of his car. Pulling up to it, she put her car in park and looked around for a moment, wondering if she should get out or try and call him, before she caught sight of him coming round the corner. Her pseudo-brother was headed right for her. Only he looked off? His shoulders were hunched and drawn tightly together. While his head kept glancing to look back over his shoulder.

“Justin, what’s going-” she started to ask when he reached the window. But Justin folded his arms and cut her off before she could even finish the question.

“Sarah, turn your car back on and drive away. Now.” Justin barked the order at her harshly, through the glass pane separating them. Dumbfounded, Sarah just stared at him. “Justin…I don’t…I-”

“Now Sarah! Now! Leave!”

Glancing over his shoulder for a moment, his green eyes were wild when he looked back at her. He hit her window with a closed fist, “Sarah, please. I’ll-I’ll explain later okay? Just go. Please just drive away.”

A tingling sensation rippled through her stomach. Her hand moved to the key still in the ignition but her eyes never left her best friend. “Justin, you’re scaring me…”

“Sarah, I’ll explain it all-”

“Okay. You’re two minutes are up and you couldn’t get her to leave. So now she’s a part of this.” A new voice called out as another man rounded the corner of Justin’s car. He had the kind of voice that instantly put you on edge because of how high and slimy it sounded. And the way he looked, the way he held himself reminded Sarah so much of Charlie. She stiffened at the stark parallels she could draw from this guy to the criminal who took care of her and Erin when Bunny stopped coming home.

The man in front of her raised his arm when he was in front of the windshield, pulling her out of her flashbacks of the past. Why? Sarah stiffened because in his hand, pointed directly in the space between her eyes, was a gun.

“Justin,” she said shakily as the other man jerked his hand to the side, “Out of the car. Now or you’ll get a bullet to the head.”

She knew she should do as he said. He had a gun and it was aimed at her. He’d probably have no hesitation in pulling the trigger too.  But she just sat there, eyes wide frozen in fear. Justin moved for her though.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. We’re just going to do what he says though, okay? Come on, get out of the car.” He didn’t wait for her to answer. Opening the door, he reached inside and undid her seat belt. Then he grabbed her arm gently and pulled her out of the car.  

“Justin,” her voice sounded near hysterical now. Her pseudo-brother though was calm. Or at least he seemed calm as he placed himself in front of her, backing her up so her back was against the metal of her car door and Justin’s back was pressed against her chest. “Justin,”

“It’s okay. It’ll be fine. Sarah, I promise everything will be fine. Don’t look at it. Look at my shoulder for right now. It’s okay.”

But the weapon was still pointed at her. Her brother was also going to take care of that though. He held his hands up as the other man moved closer. “Hey man, point that gun at me. Not at her. You’re scaring her enough and she has nothing to do with this. This is between you and me. I-I’m going to cooperate now, okay? Whatever you want. Because I might not care for my safety but I don’t play with hers.”

The other man clicked his tongue. Sarah heard the click of the safety come off at the same time. It echoed loudly in her ears like it was the end of something. She inhaled sharply. The end of her life. Her eleven-year-old self had been partially right. The bleak thought drowned out the conversation the other man and Justin were having.

“See if that were the case, you should’ve just left Melissa alone like I told you to in the first place. Then none of this would be happening. This is your fault, Justin. All of these deaths are on you. So you can go fuck yourself and her safety.”

Maybe it was her mind just trying to cope with what was actually happening but everything seemed to happen at double speed. The other man pulled the trigger and Justin moved. He turned around, trying to push her to the ground as the gun went off.  But he wasn’t fast enough. The bullet hit the back of his head. Then her best friend was dead weight as he passed out on top of her. Frozen deer-in-headlights fear paralyzed her just as much as Justin’s unconscious body did. So much fear and adrenaline were going through her that she didn’t register the pain in her neck. Or her blood that seemed to come out as if someone was crying slowly.

The man stalked forward. He gave a smile that held cruel humor, “I’m sorry sweetheart, I can’t leave any witnesses. Witnesses mean more mess for me and I can’t have that.”

Then the weapon was aimed at her again. Sarah shut her eyes when the gun went off. The shot stayed in her ears, but she didn’t feel the bullet break the skin of her neck. But she felt the blood starting to trickle out now. Though she knew what blood felt like in general, feeling her own blood coming out like this…felt different.

Then she was in and out of consciousness herself. She didn’t feel the barbed wire as it was tied to her skin, holding her wrists together. But she was barely there as he loaded her and Justin’s body into the trunk of Justin’s car.

“Don’t fight it, sweetheart. Just close your eyes and it’ll be over soon.” The man said, hovering over her face. She blinked feeling a little dazed. (Huh. He had shot her and Sarah didn’t even know his name.) The door was closed with a bang. She was alone in the darkness.

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

Sarah struggled to keep her eyes open while she tried to get the phone that lay in her pocket. Even if she knew it was futile with her hands bound together. The only thing she was doing was making the barbed wire dig further into her wrist. Still, she tried to get to her phone. But Justin’s solid mass, unmovable, unconscious body was on top of her and she could only see what was directly in front of her for fear of moving her neck. If she moved and the bullet was still inside her she could potentially paralyze herself, if it hit her spine. She couldn’t even feel the bullet inside of her with the shock coursing through her, yet she could feel the blood seeping out of the wound. It was wet and sticky. Sarah also knew it was oozing out quickly because she was dizzier than she had been just a few minutes ago when her mind had been sharp and clear.

Her eyes slid closed. But she peeled them open as quickly as her sluggish reflexes would allow her. It was important that she stay awake. For the life of her though, she couldn’t remember why now. She just knew she had to. But…maybe a small nap wouldn’t hurt. Just a small one. Besides, she was warm. So warm like a blanket was pulled over her… Surely a five-minute nap wouldn’t hurt. Her eyes slid closed as she sank into oblivion.

Sarah only said a small nap. Yet, she didn’t wake up when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Connor was calling her again, but just like last night, she didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Her phone buzzed again. Hank called her one minute then Erin called her five minutes after that.

Nor did she open her eyes when her pseudo-father and sister found her and Justin just fifteen minutes after the missed phone calls.

“5021 Lincoln: Emergency! I need two ambulances to my current location now!” Erin said into her radio. But Sarah didn’t hear that. She didn’t even hear their strangled voices as they found her and Justin’s matching bullet holes. Or the muted relief when her pseudo-father found a pulse in both of them. No matter how faint.

“5021 LINCOLN: WHERE ARE THOSE AMBULANCES? I NEED THEM RIGHT NOW!”

She stirred slightly when they loaded her in the ambulance. As hands finally came to rest on her neck to slow the blood flow.  Erin’s stricken face floated into her hazy view. Her pseudo-big sister, her protector since she was five, looked as if she was about to cry. Sarah's eyes opened and shut again.

“Errr’n?” She tried to get the police detective’s attention, but it came out all slurred. Still, Erin looked down at the noise. The other woman tried to smile at the sight of Sarah awake, but even with everything so fuzzy to the curly-haired brunette woman she could tell Erin was sad. Why was she sad? Sarah wondered as a slow beeping filled the space between them.

Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep…

“You’re going to be okay, Sarah?” Erin told her, but it sounded more like a question than a sentence. Another long blink. She wasn’t okay? Why wasn’t she okay? Tears were now sliding down the woman’s cheeks, “You have to be okay, Sarah!”

“O-” Sarah inhaled but it felt heavier to breathe than usual. Then just a few minutes ago actually. Her eyes slid shut.

…Beep…Beep…Beep…Beeeeeeep…

“SARAH!” Erin cried. But Sarah couldn’t hear her.

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

By a stroke of luck, Ava had been coming out of a treatment room, from checking in on a frequent flier (their LVAD liked to give them complications that couldn’t be helped) when Sarah Reese and Justin Voight were brought in.

“Maggie? What’s going on?” Ava questioned the charge nurse as the other woman charged forward in a jog. The charge nurse wore a wary look on her face that unnerved the blonde. With the phone pressed to her ear to let Ms. Goodwin know they were almost here and signaling another nurse to join her, Maggie told her, “We have two gunshot victims two minutes out: Sergeant Voight’s son and Reese.”

“Sarah?” The surgeon questioned, not sure she had heard right. Because she must’ve heard wrong. Or Maggie misspoke… But to her horror, the nurse nodded her head solemnly. Then she caught sight of Dr. Choi over Ava’s shoulder, “Dr. Choi! You’re up! Voight’s son. The ambulance is five minutes out.”

“Who’s taking Reese?” Ava wondered, with a glance around the ED. Everyone else was busy with other patients it seemed like.

“I’ve had Dr. Rhodes paged to take care of her,” Maggie explained. Then seeing Ava’s wide hazel eyes, “He’s one of the best trauma surgeons Chicago Med has to offer. Sarah’s one of us and deserves the best.”

Ava knew that. But Ava also knew Connor’s judgment would be clouded with it being Sarah in the hospital bed. He couldn’t be trusted to make the best choice in a hard situation, should it come to that. “Maggie, Rhodes can not do it.”

“I know with it being Reese, it'll be hard on anyone. She’s one of us. But-”

“Maggie, I caught them with their tongues down each other’s throats on the roof two months ago. Sarah and Connor are together.” The blonde shook her head, cutting the other woman off as she tried to make the charge nurse understand why Rhodes couldn’t take this case.

Realization dawned in Maggie’s brown eyes. “He can’t take her case.”

Ava was nodding her head in agreement just as the elevator dinged. The blonde turned her head just in time to see the doors open. Connor Rhodes strode forward with all the authority and experience that came with being a double-certified surgeon.

“I was paged? Something about an urgent trauma?” He questioned Maggie as he came closer to where she and Maggie stood by the bay doors. Without thinking about it, the blonde acted.

“No, that was a mistake. It’s my case now. I got it.” She told him firmly. Maybe she could get him back in the elevator and headed to someplace that wasn’t here before the ambulances arrived. Then she would tell him after when Sarah was…Ava didn’t know how to finish that thought because what if Sarah Reese wasn’t going to be okay?

But before her bleak thought could go any farther, Connor broke it with a raised eyebrow at her. “You don’t usually handle trauma.”

“I am today,” Ava countered, glancing back at Maggie who held up two fingers. Shit. Shit. Shit. They didn’t have time to have this conversation if the ambulances were only two minutes out.

“But it was my specialty for-”

“Rhodes, do yourself a favor and go back to the elevators before those ambulances get here.” Ava cut him off, jumping straight to the chase because they didn’t have the time for this. But like usual, Connor didn’t listen to her. He folded his arms over his chest.

“What? Why? What’s going on? Who’s coming in?” He asked in a tone full of suspicion. The blonde didn’t answer him or even try to come up with a lie. Instead, she was now attempting to push him back to the elevators.

“Connor, I mean it. Go.” But he still didn’t move. He never listened to her, even if it was for his own good.

“Dr. Bekker, they’re here!” Maggie called as the bay doors opened and the paramedics wheeled in the first victim. Hank Voight was right behind them.

“It’s my kids,” he told Maggie, emotion clear in his voice and Ava didn’t even know him that well but even she could hear it.

“I know. Sharon called,” Maggie nodded, listening to the paramedics as they gave her the rundown of vitals and what procedures had been done in the field, “Dr. Choi!”

“He and the other victim were found in the trunk of a car,” the paramedic explained. Meanwhile, for a split second, Connor stood confused. He didn’t know Hank Voight or his son very well. He didn’t even realize the police sergeant had kids…

Who was Ava trying to keep him from seeing? Then the second victim was rolled in with Erin Lindsay struggling to keep up.

“Sarah Reese,” the paramedic announced and instantly a sudden chill came over the ED at the name of one of their own. Every single doctor and nurse who could, turned and followed the gurney as it was rolled into the treatment bay. It seemed to move in slow motion.

But meanwhile, Connor felt like cold water had been thrown over him. That couldn’t be his Sarah in that gurney. She wasn’t answering her phone, but there had to be another reason why. Right?? She was just upset with him. That couldn’t be her. He just saw her just yesterday, but to his muted horror it was her. He had just caught sight of her curls, limp and matted to her forehead with dried blood as she was wheeled past him. “GSW to the side of her neck. GCS 5. Found unconscious at first. Lost a lot of blood. Gave her one unit in the field. Briefly regained some consciousness on the way over before she coded-”

Connor’s heart dropped as he felt himself stop breathing. Coded. Sarah’s heart had stopped working. The paramedic continued as they rotated her. “-Got her back to a sinus rhythm and bagged her the rest of the way over. There’s an entry wound but no exit wound we could find.”

The medic went on to call out her vitals. But the sound was replaced by the roaring in Connor's ears because that's when he finally caught sight of her. She looked nothing like the woman who had been sharing his bed for the last six months. She was so pale, almost translucent with the only color coming from the trauma pads attached to her neck. Bright, too bright red against her ghostly white-looking neck. The same neck he had loved on till an outline of his beard could be seen because it made her laugh, the night before last. Hell, even now he could see the faint outline of his beard now.

“Whoa, Connor. Easy.” Feeling his knees buckle, he almost fell if not for two pairs of hands that reached out to steady him. (Connor didn’t look back, because he couldn’t take his eyes off of Sarah. Afraid something would happen if he looked away. But it was the Halstead brothers that caught him and held him steady)

He tried to take a step forward into the trauma bay, to start working on her case. Sarah needed him. But a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Looking up, he saw a curtain of blonde hair as his partner in CT shook her head.

“Connor, I’ve got this. I've got her. I’m going to do everything I can.” Ava promised him quietly before she made her way into the treatment room. She addressed the support staff helping her, “Get the monitor up and going. As soon as we move her, I want her up on it. She’s already coded once. We’re going to try and not to let that happen again. April, page neurosurgery and schedule a head CT and a CT of her neck where the wound is at. But get x-Ray in here before that. I want to see a general picture of where the bullet is first and if it’s moving. Okay, transfer on my count. Nice and easy. That bullet could still be in there and we don’t want to jar it,”

“Oh god,” Erin Lindsay breathed, and a side glance told Connor that she looked as stricken as he felt. Her voice caught on her next words as she shuffled forward. Connor didn’t know the detective very well. They had only had a handful of conversations, but he had never heard her voice this shrill, this frantic before. “We-we didn’t find any casings! It still could be in her! Is Sarah going to be okay!? Is she breathing? She wasn’t in the ambulance! They had to breathe for her after her heart stopped!”

“Checking now,” Doris called out.

“Come on, we need to let them do their jobs,” Goodwin said, appearing in the ED. The last thing Connor saw before his boss pulled the curtains closed, was Sarah being moved from the gurney. 

“Get everyone back to the district. I want to know who did this to them.” Voight said to Detective Lindsay after he too was pulled away from his son’s room by Sharon’s insistence. His tone was low and his whole body was tense.

“Hank, we don’t-” the other woman started brokenly. She shook her head, “What if something happens? Sarah and Justin-”

“NOW!” The older man roared before he stalked off. There was a beat of silence then she started to follow after him, but Connor held out an arm to stop her.

“I’m sure Goodwin will keep Voight informed about his son. But I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here the whole time with her.” He promised. Because he couldn’t just go back to work. Not with Sarah…Not with her hurt like she was. “I’ll get your number from Will and call you with updates.”

“You?” Erin Lindsay had tears in her eyes, but she eyed him with suspicion. There was a beat of silence and then: “I knew Sarah had been seeing a guy she hadn’t told me about yet...But I didn’t think…”

(And she hadn’t told Connor about her past with Erin Lindsay either)

The slightest change?” Erin pressed and he nodded.

“The slightest change,” Connor confirmed, tone steady and serious because he might not know who Erin Lindsay was to Sarah. But from her reaction, Sarah was clearly important to her too.

“Thank you,” she said, before hurrying after the rest of her unit with Will’s younger brother following a step behind her. A hand at her back, steadying her when she stumbled as she glanced back at…Connor wasn’t sure if she was looking at him or trying to look through him to Sarah.

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

“You and Sarah?” Will prodded quietly, checking on his friend in between patients after Sarah had been rushed up to surgery. That had been over two hours ago. Yet Connor was still sitting here in the trauma bay she had been in, looking lost and Will didn’t know what to say to him. He didn’t know how to make it better. So the redhead settled on, “I didn’t know you two were a thing.”

A thing? A thing didn’t seem to cover what Sarah was to him.

Not when he knew just what filthy sweet nothings and exactly how to say them to get a moan out of her. Or a scream if she was really wound tight. Her back arched up to get any kind of friction she could. Not when he knew how she gave a little gasp before she saw stars. A tight inhale of air. How her nails raked down his back and she bit at his shoulder to muffle her cries of pleasure when she thought she was going to be loud enough for his neighbors to hear. (Under normal circumstances, there would be smug pride in him that she bit his shoulder quite often) Or how her skin would flush with pink when she saw the marks she had left that he didn’t dare let her apologize for. Not when his own love bites littered her skin in places only he got to see.

But it was more than just the sex too. It was how shocked she was that he was so insistent that she walked on the inside of him when they were on the sidewalk when they were coming back from or going somewhere. How his clothes swallowed her but she looked so damn gorgeous in them. It was how she chastised him for keeping it so cold in his apartment. It was how she moved in her sleep. She liked to call him the cuddly one, but she subconsciously wrapped herself around him like she was a koala bear. Or even full-on migrating so she was completely on top of him. Her ear somehow always found his heartbeat. It was how she talked in her sleep, letting him know what kind of dream she was having.

It was how she seemed to wait until he was wrapped around her and so warm in bed, about to drift off, to tell him she had to pee every. single. time.

It was how she wasn’t a morning person. But once she had her first cup of coffee, she danced around his apartment in the morning in nothing but his shirt and her underwear like she was the energizer bunny, usually using his smart speaker to play that same damn pop song (Leavin’ by Jesse McCartney his brain subconsciously supplied) after they had sex. (Though he never told her because he found it so damn amusing and he didn’t think Sarah even realized what she was doing.)  

How she thought out loud because she said it helped her work through things faster than when she remained quiet. How she seemed so surprised every single time he cooked or really did anything for her in a relationship aspect.

Or the conversations they had, especially afterward. They were never anything important, but he loved how soft and open she was post their lovemaking. The lazy kisses they exchanged. How she looked the first time he asked her to come back to bed or the first time he offered her a wash rag to clean herself up. Or when he offered to do it for her. (It was like it told Claire. It made him wonder what her past relationships were like before him that she was so in awe of things he thought were the bare minimum.)

So a thing didn’t scratch the surface of what Sarah was to him. But he couldn’t very well tell Will that. Especially not the parts about her in his bed. (He really wasn’t that kind of guy to do ‘locker room talk’) And they hadn’t put a label on it and that might’ve been Connor’s bad but what had started off as just sex had transformed into a full-blown relationship and he hadn’t been with anyone else in those six months either. He hadn’t wanted anyone else. So he told the redhead with a heavy sigh, “Yeah, we’ve been together for a while.”

“Do you know why she was found in the trunk with Voight’s son?”

Wasn’t that the million-dollar question buzzing through his mind right now? But Olive, Justin’s wife, while waiting for her husband to get x-rays done, had said that it wasn’t like that with them.

“I know my husband and sister-in-law. They grew up together. Like brother and sister. Sarah is Justin’s best friend. His person, but platonically. Whatever Justin and Sarah were doing when they were hurt, they weren’t together like that.”

She had said it with such conviction and certainty. Besides, Sarah hadn’t done anything to betray his trust like that before, so he had no reason not to believe Olive. With that in mind, instead of answering Will’s question, Connor shook his head and said, “I didn’t even know she and Erin Lindsay were close.”

His best friend gave him a puzzled look. Connor raised an eyebrow, “You did?”

“The first time Jay came in after Sarah started her rotation in the ED, he seemed familiar with her. Familiar enough that I asked if he was dating her. He laughed and said even if he even wanted to, Lindsay would have his balls in a vice grip, turning blue, and cut off before he could even attempt it. He didn’t go into much detail but he said that Sarah was Erin’s sister of sorts.”  Will told him with a shrug.

More questions and more answers he didn’t have.