#consider it a collab in a way..? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

orphicsun · 4 months ago

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CAMGIRL ELLIE

Camgirl Ellie AU: Ellie Williams x Fem! reader

Description: Ellie is a broke college student whose options are either selling weed on campus or doing filthy things on live for her mainly female audience. When another famous camgirl joins one of her lives, she is about to have the collab of a lifetime.

Content / Warnings: Femme camgirl reader, headcannon-style fic, explicit content, Jesse and Dina make cameos woah, Ellie is all cute and nervous for the first half, masturbation on camera, fingering & oral sex, use of strap-ons, reader is on receiving end, feminine reader, use of petnames (baby and mamas), breeding kinks, mult. orgasms. Enjoy the ride.

Word Count: 3.3k

★ Camgirl Ellie who is a sophomore in college, so broke and extremely desperate come with the territory. Like, Taco Bell is a luxury broke, and desperate as in she has applied to every job around campus. She even thought about dealing for a while, but as much as she loves a good smoke sesh, she'd rather not risk getting kicked out of school for something as dumb as selling blunts.

★ Camgirl Ellie who laughed when her friend Jesse suggested her being a camgirl.

"Why the fuck would I give old creepy dudes jerk-off material?"

Jesse laughed, grabbing a handful of cheetos from the bag in her hand. "Dude, you wouldn't be doing it for men. I mean, look at you." Jesse took a good, hard look at his friend; the several silver rings across her five fingers, a short-sleeve blue button up layered over a white wife-pleaser, and for god's sake, a pair of jorts that only Ellie could pull off. "You're clearly not for the male gaze."

After much (15 minutes) contemplation, she decided that maybe it'd be fun to get attention from girls and money at the same time.

★ Camgirl Ellie who is actually rather awkward and quiet around girls in the real world, cursing "fuck" under her breath when she sees a pretty girl but just doesn't know how to impress women in a way that doesn't come off as too forward or weird. That being said, she actually likes having a persona online where she can say anything she wants, and she definitely abuses the fact that she is allowed to say anything she truly feels like saying, and women will go crazy for it.

Sitting on her couch, propping up her iphone 11 on the coffee table with a pop socket she got like, 6 years ago so that the fans have a wonderful view of her stroking a strap-on with cheap lube she picked up from her local Walmart. Her bush is slightly peeking out from the harness, and the fans are getting filthy. Not as filthy as camgirl Ellie, though.

"Fuck, feels so good on my clit.." she groans, throwing her head back dramatically.

dykeluvr69 commented: oh my god y'all her happy trail i'm throbbing

wet4williams commented: i wish i could ride that strap

andersonsabs33 commented: mid💀

Ellie squints, anticipating all the thirsty comments, and scoffs at one, her hand jerking away from the silicone shaft for a moment to tell off some random.

"Suck my dick, andersonabs33."

fairydustonmyclit_2 commented: me next please!!

★ Camgirl Ellie who doesn't always have to be explicit to even get views. She finds that focusing the camera on her fingers while strumming her guitar can work wonders online. If she has had an exhausting day or is feeling anxious about getting naked in front of an overwhelmingly growing audience, she can always just show off her hands or say sweet things to her fans.

★ Camgirl Ellie who is not a virgin. She's had a few past girlfriends, no casual sex, but is pretty experienced from her long-term relationships. That being said, she never once has considered doing actual sex on camera for money. That changes when another famous (and nearby) camgirl joins her livestream.

Ellie's once again on her couch, two fingers doing figure eights on her clit as the view count rises. She's basically man-spreading to give her girls the best view possible, and not holding back from letting out breathy little groans and loud curses. Her fans go crazy when she has her tits out, so her sports bra is hitched up, her perky tits free and her nipples stiff.

"F-Feels so good, holy shit, wanna cum for my girls so bad," she groans, closing her eyes. Ellie doesn't view real masturbation as anything like her online work; if she were actually to be playing with her pussy all alone with no audience, she'd cum by now. But that doesn't make a profit, no. Longer time is important, and the more she ups the antics, teases her fans, the more comments can come in. The more donations arise and all that good shit.

Ellie teases her entrance with her middle finger, and her eyes flutter open as she eases the digit past her puffy folds.

She reads through the chat to hold out from cumming too quickly.

elliessluttygirl commented: i wish that was my hand playing w ur pussy ellie:(

Ellie smiles, curling her finger and moaning. She smiles lazily. "Yeah, slutty girl..wish it was yours, too."

As she adds a second finger upon the majority request in her comment section, she pauses at the feed.

urfavfemme has joined the livestream. Say hi!

Holy fuck. Ellie hasn't seen your videos, but the pink checkmark on your name means you're verified. Suddenly, Ellie is nervous as hell now. How is she supposed to act now, with some famous, probably fine woman watching her? She swallows and continues bucking up into her palm, but her fingers are slightly shaky now.

urfavfemme commented: ur pussy is so pretty.

Ellie laughs nervously at that. What the fuck is happening? But maybe she can use the situation to her advantage.

" 'urfavfemme', huh? Cute username," she coos, a little breathlessly because now she's getting closer to cumming, her nerves dying down as her fingers massage her sensitive walls. Ellie is so fucked up, she thinks to herself. She doesn't even know what you look like yet, why is she getting so crazed by you complimenting her?

urfavfemme commented: i wanna see that pretty pussy squirt please..

Ellie moans and squeezes her eyes shut for a moment, trying to wrap her head around it all. She gets dozens of comments just like these, thirsty ass girls drooling to her playing with herself or showing off a strap-on. Why is it that the idea of you, a self-proclaimed 'femme' making these comments is the thing that makes her belly all hot with the familiar ache of true need?

pixiestickpussy commented: holy shit this is so hot

wet4williams commented: is it just me or is smth going on with ellie and this camgirl chick

imonherefortheporn69 commented: i checked out the girl's content she's super hot dude

Ellie's head is spinning at the whole situation. It's overwhelming and she wants to just turn off the camera, but she's so close and getting desperate to cum. It is just so fucking hard when all of her girls are in an uproar over you.

urfavfemme commented: stretch me out on those fingers.

"Oh- Oh, my fucking god!! 'm cumming-" Ellie can barely keep herself from crying out as the waves shoot through her body throughout, a finger covering her clit to extend the orgasm that hits her so deeply. Her fingers are soaked more than usual, juices trickling down her knuckles. Her other palm is massaging over her tits, and for a moment, she forgets she is on camera. Forgets the thousands of people watching her, probably fingering themselves just like her. The though that is usually so overwhelming is forgotten.

Her body is warm, and if she could describe how this nut feels right about now, she'd say it's hot pink. It's light lightning, and for some reason, all she can repeat in her head is "thank you thank you thank you urfavfemme" because seriously, this has been one of the most insane experiences of her life. When she finally comes down, she has to take a few moments to catch her breath.

The aftermath of it all hits her. She did not just cum like she does in private. The usually dramatic orgasms the viewers got are nothing like that, and for what? Some girl she hasn't even seen yet?

The comments are going off, praising her and thirsting like she's never seen before, but she is still panting and flushed on her couch.

urfavfemme has donated $1000.

urfavfemme has left the livestream. Bye!

Ellie is quickly turning off the stream with a half-assed goodbye, and collapsing back onto her couch. She cannot believe that she just lost control like that. Her mind is processing the huge donation, too. A whole thousand is more than she's ever gotten in donations on a single live. How famous are you?

Ellie can't dwell much, because as her body cools down, she realizes how soaked the towel she is sitting on is. Oh, my god. She actually squirted on live.

★ Camgirl Ellie who searches up your username on google a few days following the squirting contest incident, and is soon brought to a url that hits her like a flashbang as soon as it loads on her ancient ass laptop. Her screen is covered in pink, and a pretty white font with your username is front and center. She then sees your face and nearly nuts. You're fucking gorgeous, definitely out of her league.. How are you the same girl that talked her through an intense orgasm over a livestream the other night?

★ Camgirl Ellie who spends the next few hours watching your videos. She has found a new obsession, that's for sure.

She has hearts in her eyes watching you bounce on a fairly-sized dildo suctioned to your floor, helplessly groaning with a hand down her basketball shorts as your pussy swallows the length of the toy. Your moans are what really gets her. You sound like anything but the pornstars she's heard, instead moaning like you're really getting it. And suddenly, Ellie wants to be the one to give it to you.

★ Camgirl Ellie who types out various messages to send to your gmail so conveniently linked on your website until she finally settles on something not too awkward

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Collab? Dear urfavfemme,

You were in my livestream the other day. I'm Ellie from the camgirl website, and I wanna know if you'd like to collab? (If you're around my area, of course).

Reading it back after she sent it, she sighs. That looks way too fucking professional for a request to do porn together.

★ Camgirl Ellie who anxiously waits for about an hour, not even Borderlands 3 able to distract her before she finally gets an email back.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Collab?

Hi!! I'm in Fairview, WY if you're near? I'd love to collab:)

★ Ellie, who is freaking the fuck out now. She hadn't had sex in two years since Dina traumatized her with the worst break-up possible, and you're one of the hottest girls she's ever seen. Plus, she is only an hour away from you.

Jesse laughs when she rants to him about the whole thing.

"So you've got a fine ass girl offering to have sex with you? What's the problem?"

Ellie scoffs and gives him a glare, but there isn't any true malice. "That's the problem, idiot! She is way hotter than me. Plus, I haven't even had any practice in so long. What if I can't make her cum? What if I embarrass myself on live in front of both of our fan-"

"C'mon man, you gotta get out of your head about this. Does she seem nice?"

Ellie nods.

Jesse sighs, and slightly softens his tough-love look. "Look, she is probably just as nervous as you are. Give yourself a break, and go have fun with the pretty femme girl."

★ Camgirl Ellie who shows up at your apartment a little earlier than she meant to. She didn't mean to speed, but she was nervous on the road, anxiously tapping the steering wheel.

★ Camgirl Ellie who is greeted by you in a robe and what she assumes is going to be either nothing or lingerie underneath. That makes her heart beat even faster. She feels like she's gonna puke from how nervous she is, you're even more gorgeous up close.

★ Camgirl Ellie who takes in your bedroom compared to her own small apartment's bedroom. You've got posters covering your walls of various artists like PinkPantheress and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts; your bedsheets match your whole feminine vibe, and you have a whole camera set up with a stand. There's a box with a harness and different sizes of dildos inside of it. All of this is making Ellie even more nervous, like, shit her pants nervous.

You seem to take notice of her nerves, because you have clear concern on your face as you guide her to sit on your bed.

"You okay, Ellie?" voice so sweet and soothing, it could make her heart stop.

"Yeah..I'm okay.." she sighs, and anxiously chews on her lip, "I'm just like, me.. and you're super hot and all-"

Ellie's self-doubt is choked off when you cup her face, leaning in. "Do you know why I donated?"

"Why?" Ellie sounds shaky, a little confused on where this is going.

You give her a sweet smile, your glossy lips catching the ceiling light. You lean in even closer so that you can speak quietly, intimately. "I thought that you were easily one of the hottest camgirls I've ever seen on the website."

Ellie's eyebrows shoot up at that. "No fuckin' way you think that.."

Your smile doesn't falter, and you lean in even closer. "I do. I want you to fuck me, Ellie."

★ Camgirl Ellie who didn't know how passionately one could eat a pussy until she got a taste of yours. With the camera all set up and the live on, viewers roll in quickly at the promise of a collab between their two favorite lesbian camgirls. Ellie never forgot about the camera when it came to her solo steams, but you just have an effect on her that makes her head dizzy and her pussy throb, and all of a sudden she has her tongue deep in your wet pussy, alternating between tonguing your hole and tasting your clit. You're sprawled out on your bed, completely naked with Ellie between your thighs, and your moans are even louder than usual. They're angelic sounds that make the comments roll in like crazy.

dykeluvr69 commented: ellie eats pussy like a madman and i am so jealous rn

andersonabs33 commented: she's too sloppy with it, slow tf down girl.

This time, Ellie is far too blissed out devouring you to even pull away and tell the troll to fuck off.

"Mmmph, pussy tastes so fuckin' good.." You can't make out her muffled declaration, but the vibrations on your clit have you creaming for her.

Your pussy just sings for her. Three orgasms in, and she hasn't even used the strap she's wearing yet. She wants to savor every soft whimper you make when she nibbles on your neck before making out with you, tongue shoving into your mouth so that you can take your own perfect pussy on her tongue.

★ Camgirl Ellie whose fingers curl inside of you relentlessly, pumping into you, coaxing out orgasms like it's nothing. To her though, it is truly everything. You cry like you're pleading for her to never stop. It feels like hours that she's been tending to the perfect cunt you've got between your legs, and she doesn't know where she even learned half of the shit she's done. It isn't too hard to please you when she craves your sounds, though. She craves the feeling of your thighs squeezing the apples of her cheeks, making her lightheaded.

★ Camgirl Ellie who saves best for last, finally rubbing girthy silicone against your clit, making you whine in the process. That sound goes straight to her clit.

She grins with a newfound confidence, one she think that she has been given from a witchy ritual or something, not lesbian camgirl sex.

"You want me to fuck you good, baby? Fuck you 'till you squirt on my dick like you made me squirt?"

"Please, fuck, Ellie..." You're babbling nonsense at this point, legs spread wide and knees almost to your ears at you nearly sob for her dick.

"C'mon mamas, I wanna hear you beg for me." She taps the tip against your clit repeatedly, holding you down by the back your thighs to keep you from trying to squirm for more.

"Please, Ellie!! Fuck me, make me cum. I want your dick."

Ellie groans as she finally parts your soaked folds with the tip, sinking into your heat slowly as to not hurt you, but she soon finds that your walls are just swallowing her completely. All that foreplay must've really paid off.

★ Camgirl Ellie who practically goes from a nervous wreck to a pornstar in a matter of minutes, because she insists that she can feel how tight you are around her huge dick.

"Fuck, baby. Gonna fuck this pussy so good, gonna make you scream my name." She manhandles your legs around her waist so that she can hold your hips while she pounds into you, creating a whole bonfire of heat in your pussy.

"Feel you so deep in me, Ellie!" You almost break when she starts leaving sloppy, open-mouthed kisses on your neck.

"Yeah? Gonna make you feel me in your tummy, mamas. Gonna put a baby in you." Where in the hell did that come from? You both roll with it, if not getting even more riled up by the idea of Ellie cumming in you and knocking you up.

"Please, Ellie. 'm g-gonna cum for you-" before you can finally have your orgasm, it's ripped away as she pulls out of you. You can't even protest or make a loud whine before Ellie is flipping you onto your stomach, frantic to tuck one of your pink pillows underneath your tummy. She lines back up with your sloppy hole, slamming back into it to earn herself an actual sob from you.

You cry into the pillow, not from pain at all. No, this is probably one of the best fucks you've ever had in your life. Ellie doesn't start slow again but rather pistons her hips into yours, bony hips slamming into the fat of your ass upon each thrust until you finally get the intense orgasm you need.

"Pleaseknockmeup-" you cum with a broken cry, a couple euphoric tears streaming down your face. Your poor bedsheets, all soaked from you and Ellie's pussies and your tears. At this angle with the pillow raising you, you believe you can truly feel Ellie all up in your stomach. The waves are more like knots of a rope being snapped in half deep inside of you, and Ellie only keeps you riding the pleasure with her little sloppy grunts audible behind you.

Ellie groans as the friction to her own clit is vastly more intense with each grind to meet your body, and now she is humping your ass to get herself off. After she cums with a "gonna fucking cum in this pussy", she goes limp on top of you, her sweaty body covering yours, her tits pressed against your back in a way that is more comforting than arousing now.

★ Camgirl Ellie and you who entirely forget about the live and fall asleep in your bed together, snuggled up with you the big spoon, and the cum-coated strap on thrown somewhere across the room. Your bodies are flush against each other and your hands are wrapped around Ellie’s stomach, holding her closely.

fairydustonmyclit_2 commented: aw this is actually kind of cute

pixiestickpussy commented: i wanna be sandwiched between them wtf

limpbizkitsbitch commented: ts gonna be awkward when they wake up

andersonabs33: quit being a miserable bitch

limpbizkitsbitch: ironic coming from you🌝

andersonabs33 has left the live. Bye!

#ellie williams #tlou2 #ellie tlou #ellie the last of us #ellie x reader #the last of us part 2 #ellie smut #ellie williams au #ellie x you #ellie x fem reader #lesbian sex #wlw #dividers by enchanthings #dividers by anitalenia

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arroganceisherfavoritecolor · 1 month ago

Note

Hamzah feining over YouTuber reader in one of slushy noobz video? And then them later making a video with each other

crush

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆Hamzah and you, his YouTube crush, finally do a collab

warnings: fluff, flirting, hamzahs got a huge crush, mentions of food, bad grammar ofc

Hamzah and Martin had been brainstorming ideas for their next video. They considered going with another gameplay, but felt that idea was a bit overused. They thought of doing a baking video instead, but they most definitely didnt feel like going out and buying overpriced ingredients. They finally decided on a simple and new idea; looking at each other's TikTok feed.

So, here they sat in Hamzahs room, scrolling on Martins phone. "Dude, what the fuck is Noah Beck doing on your ForYou page?" Hamzah asked as he laughed down at the video of the thick-necked man. Martin smiled and rubbed his neck. "Yeah, sorry, just girly things," he said as he winked at the camera. Hamzah scrolled past the video and onto the next. Hamzah went through Martins feed for about 10 minutes before he began getting bored. "Boy, what are these videos," taunted Hamzah, handing over Martins phone. Martin side-eyed him and rolled his eyes. "Its not my fault I was written by a woman," he said, crossing his arms over his chest dramatically.

"Aye, its your turn now bro," Martin said, uncrossing his arms to sit up straight. Hamzahs attitude visibly shifted, almost as if he was hesitant. "Nah, nah. Here, lets see what you got goin on-" as Hamzah reached for Martins phone, he snatched it away. "Nuh-uh! You made me expose myself, now its your turn!" Martin grinned evilly at Hamzah. With a sigh, Hamzah grabbed his phone and typed in the password. He opened up TikTok and Martin took his phone out of his hand.

The first video on his ForYou page was an edit of Nettspend playing a live show. "Oh my goodness, of course," Martin laughed, scrolling past the video. Hamzah thanked his ForYou Page for not exposing him with the very first video. Hamzahs TikTok feed may have been filled with funny videos and cool edits, but Martin soon grew bored. "Hey, lets see whats in this search history," Martin said. As soon as Martin clicked the malevolent little magnifying glass in the top right corner, Hamzah felt his heart drop into his stomach. His brain tried to remember what he had last searched up.

By the time he realized he was done for, Martin was already listing off what the contents were. "Funny cat videos, PlayBoi Carti leak, and [username] edits...hey, isn't [username] that one girl?" asked Martin, looking over at a blushing Hamzah. He simply nodded his head, avoiding eye contact. "Bro, whats wrong? You got a little crushy-wushy on her?" Martin nudged Hamzah with his elbow, making him slap his arm away. "Shut up, bro," Hamzah said, looking away from the man beside him. "Well, might as well see what kind of edits people make of her," said Martin, clicking on the text.

As if things couldn't get any more embarrassing for Hamzah, the first video that was shown had already been favorited by him. The edit featured you in an interview. It was to the song Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe, specifically the violin instrumental. The video was cut to show moments of you smiling at the interviewer, talking in that soft tone Hamzah adored. "Dude, FAVORITING is insane work" Martin taunted. He was enjoying this way too much. Hamzah peeked over Martins shoulder and watched the edit play. He slowly began smirking as he watched the video, his eyes softening.

Martin glanced at Hamzah and started laughing. "Dude, you're actually breathing so heavy right now. Chill out," he said as he pushed Hamzah away. Hamzah snapped out of his trance and glared at Martin. "Ok, next," Martin scrolled past the video. The next edit was of you in your "Goodwill Try-On Haul" video. You pranced around in cute little tops and short dresses, looking like a million bucks. The comments were flooded with compliments on how great your body looked and how well you pulled off the clothes. Once again, the video had already been favorited by Hamzah. "Have you favorited every single one of these edits?" asked Martin, cocking up his eyebrow in suspicion. Hamzah simply looked away, trying to hide his forming smirk.

A few days had passed and the video had been posted. Unfortunately for Hamzah, when the video was sent to the editing team, Martin requested for them to keep the footage of Hamzahs little crush on you being exposed. Hamzah was livid with Martin when he saw the final product of the video. "Why the fuck would you keep that footage, dude" said Hamzah, his burning face buried in his hands. Martin rolled his eyes. "Bro, it's not that bad. Who knows, maybe [Name] will see it and be into it," he said in attempt to console his friend.

"I looked like a creep, shes gonna-" suddenly, Hamzah was interrupted with his phone buzzing. He snatched his phone off of the counter and opened it. Immediately, Hamzahs eyes widened in surprise. "Whats wrong?" asked Martin as he rushed over to his side.The two stared at the notification from Instagram that showed you not only followed Hamzah, but sent him a DM. He sat there, phone in hand and mouth slightly open. Martin grabbed Hamzahs shoulders. "See, bro! I told you!" he said, patting his best friends back. Hamzah quickly unlocked his phone and followed you back. He then opened his message requests and read your message.

"Hi Hamzah! I love your videos lol SlushyNoobz is one of my fave channels. I was wondering if you and Martin maybe wanted to do a collab sometime? I'll be in the Ottawa area next week, so just lmk :)."Martin turned to Hamzah. "So what, you down?" he asked. Hamzah nodded his head and began typing a response to send to you. "Hey [Name]. Me and Martin are down for next week. Just let me know whenever you wanna discuss what we should do for the video and all that👍🏽." Hamzah pressed send and closed his phone. His heart was beating like he'd just ran a mile, his hands were so sweaty that ity left a print on the cool glass of his phone. "Alright, the video..."

You stood in Martins kitchen, in between him and Hamzah. "Hey guys! Today, I'm with the SlushyNoobz who have graciously allowed me into their territory!" Hamzah and Martin waved to the camera. "Whats up everyone. Its your boys, the SlushyNoobz. We're gonna show [Name] what happens when she invades our turf," said Martin. Hamzah nodded his head along, awkwardly standing there. He tried his best not to seal glances at you every 2 seconds.

"Alright, you guys ready to get your asses kicked?" you said, smirking at the two men. Martin lifted the sleeve of his shirt and flexed his frail, pale arm. "Are me and Martin gonna have to go easy on you?" asked Hamzah, looking at you. His eyes went up and down on your body. You felt a familiar sensation in your stomach, nervous to be around Hamzah. "Nah, not at all," you said. You had been tagged countless times in reposts of the video where his crush on you was revealed. To say the least, you were quite flattered.

"Okay, so Martin and Hamzah are gonna go against me in a bake-off. We each have our own dishes we're gonna bake, and we'll have Mandy taste test them once they're done. Whichever Mandy likes the best wins," you explained to the viewers, your hands flying around as you spoke. Hamzah paid attention to every word that came out of your mouth like it was the most interesting thing he'd ever heard.

Martin rubbed his hands together eagerly. He looked to Hamzah with a grin, and they exchanged a knowing look. "Alright, we're thinking we should start this off with some chocolate chip cookies," Martin declared confidently. "Big ass cookies, stuffed with all sorts of goodies. Chocolate chunks, caramel, and maybe even some pretzels for crunch." You grinned and looked at Hamzah. "You hearing this? You think you can handle all that or what?" you asked, smiling. Hamzah grinned and nodded his head. "Yeah, I could handle all that and more," he said.

Throughout the video, Hamzah couldn't help but let his eyes linger on you a little longer than necessary, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. He tried to play it cool, not wanting to come on too strong, but you seemed to draw him in so easily. As you helped him measure out ingredients and mix batter, Hamzah brushed against your hand and arm, letting his fingers graze yours.

"So, like this?" he asked, mixing the batter with the technique you showed him. "Mhm, just like that," you said, guiding his movements gently. Hamzah turned to you and smiled. "Y'know, youre pretty good at this. You bake a lot in your free time or what?" You chuckled and moved your hands away from his. "Eh, kinda. I used to bake a lot, but I guess i've been busy lately with YouTube and what not," you said. Hamzah nodded his head.

As he opened his mouth to speak, Martin cut him off. "Hamzah, you mustn't fraternize with the enemy," he said as he grabbed the bowl of mixed batter. Hamzah smirked unapologetically as he nodded his head. "You're right, I take it back you suck at baking [Name]." Your eyes widened in fake outrage. "Really?" you said. You grabbed the spoon from the bowl you were using to mix your cake batter and flicked it towards Hamzah.

Pink batter landed on his cheek. Hamzah gasped and closed his eyes, a big smile plastered on his face. He opened his eyes and glared at you, still cheesing. "Oh yeah? That's what we're doing now?" he asked, stepping towards you. You giggled and put your hands in front of you to keep him from coming any closer. "Hey, chill out! Thats what you get for dissing me," you laughed out. Martin and Mandy watched from the side, using all of their self control to not tease you two.

Soon enough, after bantering and teasing, the baked goods were finally finished. Mandy tasted the cookies and the cake. The cookies weren't all that bad, despite the burnt caramel and charred exterior. Your strawberry cake was significantly better, topped off with vanilla frosting. "Yeah, [Name] wins for sure," said Mandy as she held her hand over her mouth. You smiled triumphantly as Martin glared at you.

You helped Martin and Hamzah clean up the kitchen. As the three of you tidied up, Hamzah made sure he was close to you. He watched as you wiped down the counter with precision, leaving a spotless trail with the dish rag.

Once the kitchen was spotless, Hamzah leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He watched as Martin walked out and you pack up your belongings, stealing glances at you when he thought no one was looking.

Hamzah walk towards where you stood. You looked up from your camera and smiled at him. "This was fun, Hamzah," you said as you folded up your equipment. Hamzah grinned at you and you could've sworn his cheeks were getting rosier by the second.

"So, whens our next video?"

(THIS WAS SO LONG BRUHH😭 but ty to @katsaresokool for requesting!!! <333 hope u guys liked this!)

#hamzahthefantastic #hamzah al emad #hamzah #hamzahthefantastic x reader #hamzah al emad x reader #hamzah x reader #slushynoobz #slushy noobz #thatmartinkid

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astrstqr · 23 days ago

Text

WHO ͏ ͏͏ ARE ͏ ͏ ͏⭒ ͏͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏YOU ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏! ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏!

ㅤmy head & my heartㅤ ৎ ۟ 𓂂 ͟𓇼

⟣ i don't chase my dreams and desires , my dreams and desires chase me. i believe in myself even when no one does. im delusional when it comes to my desires. i have the perfect balance between sexy and cute. im the hottest girl in existence. i don't get bothered by others opinions or limiting beliefs.

⟣ i don't allow any negativity or hate get to me. i have the perfect skin, body, hair & everything a girl can have, you name it and i have it. each month and year is full of blessings and love for me. i have the perfect self concept, the world is my oyster and life is literally on easy mode. my confidence is always so high people can't do anything but be attracted to my energy and aura. i can easily outsmart and outshine anyone but no one can ever outsmart or outshine me.

⟣ i just keep getting prettier and smarter every day. im a total goddess. people start doubting their sexuality for me, now i understand how hard it would be for Lisa and Jimin. im a total goddess that's why im always the centre of attention. i have a charming and ethereal presence. i'm a true fashion icon, all brands like Calvin Klein, Chanel, Hera, Dior, YSL, Celine etc die to collab with me.

⟣ i don't follow trends, i set them. im the one and only IT girl! my beauty and style is one of a kind. everyone immediately respects me, my presence is so bold, strong & captivating. im always on the pedestal no matter what, im so ethereal, sometimes even the camera fails to capture my beauty. im always treated like royalty, everyone always gives me princess treatment.

⟣ my aura is so powerful , intimidating , alluring and magnetic . I have a dominant and powerful presence. I have a rich girl essence, I give off expensive feminine vibes. I'm dominant , elegant , ambitious , intelligent , smart and intimidating . Both my presence and voice is so ethereal and angelic. I am effortlessly pretty. Everything I do is considered iconic. I am the pure embodiment of Femme Fatale

⟣ i always shine the brightest and effortlessly stand out. im so aesthetic, It's always ugly until i wear it. i look like a model. i radiate luxurious vibes, i am so elegant and carry myself with grace. whoever hates me is just jealous of me, all my haters are my secret admirer's. i am the ace, i paved the way for others. no one is doing it like me. i am the luckiest girl out there and i always get everything i want.

#yonce ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏★#my dr things 𓈒 𑁯 ⁀ ִ ۫#shiftblr #reality shifting #shifting community #shifting #shifters #desired reality #shifting motivation #manifesation #kpop shifting #things to script #dr scripting #shifting ideas #shifting script #scripting ideas #it girl aesthetic #affirm and persist #affirmations

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ceeaann · 2 months ago

Text

Guess your stuck with me..

Pairing - Troublemaker!Jinx x Academic Achiever!Reader Summary - You’re an academic achiever—sharp, disciplined, and determined to stay on top. Jinx is a reckless, unpredictable troublemaker who barely shows up to class. When the professor pairs you together for a presentation, it feels like a nightmare. She doesn’t help, doesn’t care, and somehow always gets under your skin. But between late nights, frayed nerves, and unexpected moments, you start realizing—maybe she’s not just a distraction after all. Content - 11.5k words, collab with @kkoga !! Slow-burn, Enemies-to-Lovers, Academic rivalry, forced partnership, bickering, tension, Academic stress, burnout, mild angst, brief crying scene, Jinx being an absolute menace, mutual pining, and one very unexpected but very needed kiss. Ends on a happy note!

Your name carried weight on campus.

Not in the way a socialite’s name did, or a legacy student’s, or even a student-athlete’s. No, your reputation was built on something far more lethal—academic dominance.

Summa cum laude in the making.

Top of every class.

Winner of multiple national competitions.

Professors used your essays as the example.

People didn’t just respect you. They feared you

You had single-handedly torpedoed GPAs when professors started grading on a curve. People scrambled to be in your group for projects, knowing you’d carry them to an A (you didn’t let them, obviously). You didn’t have time for slackers, and you especially didn’t have time for people who thought coasting through college was an option.

Which was why, when your professor announced the groups for your upcoming project, you expected to be placed with someone competent.

The sound of shuffling papers and quiet murmurs filled the lecture hall as your Professor adjusted his glasses, scanning the list in his hands with a practiced, impartial expression. You sat near the front, back straight, pen poised, waiting for the inevitable announcement of the semester’s biggest source of misery—group projects.

Your fingers tapped against your notebook as names were read, barely listening—until you heard yours.

And then—

"Jinx."

Your entire body tensed.

No. No, no, no. There had to be some mistake.

Slowly, you turned your head. Across the room, feet propped up on the chair in front of her, sat Jinx—headphones around her neck, chewing on a pen cap like it owed her money. She didn’t even look up, just gave an exaggerated yawn and cracked her knuckles.

The girl who skipped half her classes. The girl who turned in blank assignments. The girl who, last semester, set a toaster on fire in the dorm kitchen and called it "a science experiment."

You clenched your jaw.

"Groups will work together on a thirty-minute presentation due at the end of the month," he continued, oblivious to your silent suffering. "This will be worth 30% of your final grade. I expect collaboration."

Jinx glanced at you lazily, then grinned. "Guess you're stuck with me,nerd."

You exhaled sharply, gripping your pen tight enough to snap.

This was going to be a disaster.

You considered your options.

Beg the professor for a group change. (Humiliating, undignified.)

Carry the entire project yourself. (Tiring, inevitable.)

Force Jinx to be useful. (Impossible.)

Yeah. You were screwed.

As class ended, you gathered your things with the speed and precision of someone preparing for battle. You weren’t going to let Jinx coast through this and leech off your grade. No, you were going to establish rules, schedules, expectations—

A crumpled piece of paper hit your shoulder.

You turned, already seething.

Jinx stood a few feet away, backpack slung lazily over one shoulder, looking entirely too pleased with herself. "Hey, partner," she drawled. "Wanna do all the work for me, or should I pretend to help?"

Your eye twitched.

"Neither." You leveled her with a cold stare. "We’re meeting in the library tomorrow. Be there at noon."

Jinx mock-gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. "Noon? That’s, like, peak nap time."

You did not have the patience for this.

"Show up," you snapped, "or I will make sure the professor knows exactly how much effort you’re putting in."

Jinx smirked, tilting her head. "Oh, scary. What are you gonna do, write a strongly worded email?" You gritted your teeth. "Yes. And CC the entire department." Jinx let out a bark of laughter. "Damn, you really are serious about this nerd stuff, huh?"

"It's called having standards."

Jinx leaned in, eyes glinting with amusement. "It's called being a control freak." Your fingers curled around the strap of your bag. This was going to be a long, long project.

The next day, you arrived at the library at exactly noon. Jinx did not.

At 12:15, you tapped your pen against your notebook.

At 12:30, you checked your watch.

At 12:45, you debated homicide.

Then, at 12:57, Jinx finally strolled in, looking like she just rolled out of bed—because she probably had. She plopped into the chair across from you, legs kicked up on the table. "Chill, bookworm, I’m here."

You inhaled sharply through your nose. "You’re fifty-seven minutes late."

"Only 'cause I got distracted," she said, waving a hand. "Saw this really cool bird outside. Had blue feathers. Kinda reminded me of—oh wait, no, that was just a plastic bag."

You just stared at her.

Jinx grinned. "So, what’s the plan, boss?"

Oh, you were going to lose your mind.

You took a slow, measured breath. It didn’t help.

"The plan," you said through clenched teeth, "was to start working an hour ago."

Jinx shrugged. "Yeah, well, time’s fake. Anyway, what’s the topic again?"

You pinched the bridge of your nose. "You don’t even know the topic?"

She stretched her arms behind her head. "Look, I was too busy living in the moment to check the syllabus. Enlighten me, O Wise One."

You resisted the urge to throw your notebook at her.

"We're analyzing historical revolutions and their economic impact," you said, voice dangerously tight. "Which means research. Structure. Actual effort."

Jinx gave you a slow, amused look. "God, you sound fun at parties."

"I am fun at parties," you snapped. "Academic parties. Where people actually care about learning instead of setting things on fire."

"One time," Jinx muttered, rolling her eyes. "That toaster thing was one time." You ignored her. "We need to divide the work. Since you refuse to function like a normal student, I'll handle the primary research and outline the key points."

Jinx propped her chin on her hand. "Sweet. What do I do?"

"You," you said, narrowing your eyes, "are going to actually contribute." Jinx let out a low whistle. "Wow, setting high expectations for me. Dangerous move, nerd."

You exhaled sharply, flipping open your laptop. "You can start by reading the sources I compiled. Then we’ll discuss how to divide the sections for the presentation." Jinx yawned, cracking her neck. "Sounds so exciting." "It's more exciting than failing," you shot back. Jinx smirked. "You really think I care about failing?"

You studied her. She said it like a joke, but there was something about the way she said it—offhand, too casual, like she had already accepted it as inevitable.

You pushed the thought aside. You weren’t here to psychoanalyze her. You were here to make sure she didn’t singlehandedly tank your grade.

"Just read," you said, turning your laptop toward her. Jinx sighed dramatically but took the laptop. "Fine, fine, don’t get your nerd glasses in a twist." You did, in fact, wear glasses sometimes, but that was beside the point.

For the next ten minutes, there was silence. You focused on your own research, occasionally side-eyeing Jinx, fully expecting her to start doodling in the margins or spinning in her chair instead of reading.

But she wasn’t.

She was staring at the screen, brows furrowed, actually reading.

You blinked.

Huh.

Maybe—just maybe—this wouldn’t be a complete disaster.

Then Jinx leaned back, stretching with a loud groan. "Alright, I read, like, five paragraphs. Can I go now?"

Never mind. It was going to be a complete disaster.

"Five paragraphs?" you repeated, deadpan. "That's the best you can do?" Jinx shrugged. "Technically, I read six. But that last one was boring as hell, so I stopped paying attention halfway through." You inhaled sharply. "You—" No. You weren’t going to waste your breath. "You know what? Fine. Since reading is so difficult for you, let's try something simpler. Just tell me what you learned." Jinx hummed, tapping a finger against her chin. "Alright, so—uh—something about, like… taxes? And people being mad about… bread?"

You just stared at her.

Jinx beamed. "Nailed it, didn’t I?" You resisted the urge to slam your head against the table. "The French Revolution," you said slowly, "was not just about bread."

"Are you sure?" Jinx leaned back in her chair, balancing on two legs. "I mean, ‘Let them eat cake’ is, like, the only thing people remember from it."

"Oh my God, you are so—" You cut yourself off, pressing your fingers against your temples. "We are so behind schedule because of you."

Jinx smirked. "Correction: you are behind schedule. I never had one to begin with." You shot her a glare that could have burned a hole through solid steel. "This is worth thirty percent of our grade. Thirty. Percent. That is literally the difference between passing and failing. Do you even care about that?" Jinx didn’t answer right away. For a second—just a second—something flickered in her eyes. But then she shrugged, that same careless grin creeping back onto her face. "Eh. I like to keep things exciting."

"Failing is not exciting!"

"That’s what you think," Jinx said, crossing her arms behind her head. "But I think it’s kinda fun watching you freak out."

You wanted to strangle her.

No. You wanted to graduate, which meant getting through this project without committing a felony. You took a deep breath. "Fine," you said through gritted teeth. "If you're going to be useless, then at least sit there and let me work in peace." Jinx gasped dramatically. "Useless? Ouch, nerd, right in the heart."

"You don’t have a heart."

Jinx clutched her chest like she’d been mortally wounded. "Wow, just gutting me today, huh?"

"Just sit there quietly," you muttered, turning back to your notes.

Surprisingly, Jinx did. For a whole five minutes. Then she started messing with your pens. Then your notebook. Then your hair. You slapped her hand away. "What are you doing?" "You're so tense," Jinx said, chin propped on one hand, watching you like she was studying a particularly interesting lab rat. "Like, seriously, do you ever relax?"

"Not when I have leeches for group members." Jinx laughed. "Come on, don’t you ever just… do something fun?" "This is fun," you snapped. Jinx’s grin widened. "Oh, you are tragic." You scowled. "Just—shut up and let me work." Jinx leaned in, smirking. "Make me."

Your brain short-circuited for a second.

The way she said it—low, teasing—was infuriating. You could feel the heat creeping up your neck, but you refused to let her win.

You exhaled sharply. "You're insufferable."

Jinx winked. "And yet, you're stuck with me."

You were going to lose your mind before this project was over.

You had never dreaded a conversation more.

The next morning, you sat in the professor’s office, hands neatly folded in your lap, trying to compose yourself. The office smelled of old books and ink, a familiar scent that usually brought you comfort. But today, it did nothing to ease the tension knotted in your shoulders. Your professor peered at you over his spectacles, waiting expectantly.

You took a breath. "I need a new partner."

He hummed, flipping through a stack of papers. "Let me guess. Jinx?"

You stiffened. "...Yes."

Your professor sighed, setting his pen down. "I assume she hasn’t contributed anything."

"Nothing," you confirmed, frustration creeping into your voice. "She barely even acknowledges the project exists. I don’t even know if she understands the topic, let alone if she’s capable of actually helping."

"She is," he said simply.

You frowned. "What?"

Your professor leaned back in his chair. "Jinx is… difficult. But not incapable. She has a sharp mind—when she applies it."

You weren’t sure if you believed that. "Then why hasn’t she applied it to this?" He offered a knowing smile. "Perhaps that’s a question you should ask her." You exhaled sharply. "Professor, I don’t have time for games. I have competitions, exams, and an academic reputation to uphold. If I fail this project because of her—"

"You won’t fail," he assured you. "But you won’t be getting a new partner, either."

You stared at him. "You can’t be serious."

"Entirely," he said. "Consider it a different kind of learning experience."

You clenched your jaw. "What am I supposed to learn from a partner who doesn’t do anything?"

He smiled faintly. "Maybe that’s up to you to figure out." You swallowed the sharp response on your tongue. This was going nowhere. So, you left his office feeling just as frustrated as when you arrived.

And now, you had no choice but to track down Jinx yourself.

The campus café was as loud and crowded as ever. You navigated through groups of students, scanning the area for your headache of a partner.

It wasn’t hard to spot her.

Jinx was sprawled out at one of the outdoor tables, legs kicked up onto a chair, idly flipping a coin between her fingers. Her blue hair was a tangled mess, and her jacket looked like she hadn’t washed it in a week. A coffee cup sat beside her—mostly empty, aside from the mountain of sugar packets she had clearly torn open and dumped inside.

You took a steadying breath and approached.

She noticed you immediately.

"Well, well, well," she drawled, catching the coin mid-air with a smirk. "If it isn’t Miss Perfect. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

You pulled out the chair across from her, ignoring her tone. "We need to talk."

Jinx whistled lowly. "Damn. Straight to business? No hello, no wow, Jinx, you look amazing today?"

You folded your arms. "We have a deadline coming up. You haven’t done anything."

Jinx leaned back, grinning. "Guilty as charged." You clenched your jaw. "Do you even care about this project?" Jinx hummed, tapping a finger against the table. "Depends." You narrowed your eyes. "On what?" She shrugged, still grinning like this was all a joke. "What’s in it for me?"

You inhaled slowly, resisting the urge to strangle her. "A passing grade." Jinx snickered. "Boooring." Your patience was hanging by a thread. "I don’t have time for this. Either do your part, or—" "Or what?" Jinx interrupted, tilting her head. "You gonna write a strongly worded letter to the professor?"

You exhaled sharply, forcing down your irritation. "I already spoke to him." Jinx raised a brow. "And?"

"He refused to reassign me."

Jinx barked out a laugh. "Damn. Sucks to be you, huh?" You ignored her, leaning forward. "Why are you even here if you’re not going to contribute?"

For a brief second, something flickered in her expression.

But then, just as quickly, she smirked again. "Dunno. Maybe I like pissing you off." Your eye twitched. "You—" "Relax, teach," she drawled, standing up and stretching. "You’ll get your little project done. Eventually."

Your blood boiled. "That’s not good enough." Jinx winked. "Too bad." And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving you seething.

You hated her. You hated how she got under your skin. And most of all…

You hated that she wasn’t stupid.

She was hiding something. And you were going to figure out what.

You were going to lose your mind.

After your conversation with Jinx, you had done what any rational, academically responsible person would do: you finished the entire outline yourself.

By the time the sun had set, you were sitting in your dorm, surrounded by neatly labeled notes, highlighted textbooks, and a fully structured presentation plan. All of it—every argument, every example, every supporting point—meticulously crafted.

And Jinx?

She hadn’t even glanced at it. You stared at your phone, rereading the text you had sent her:

You: I finished the outline. Read it before tomorrow’s meeting.

She had seen it. Read the message hours ago. No response. No acknowledgment.

Typical.

You clenched your jaw, dropping your phone onto your desk. If she wasn’t going to put in the effort, then you’d just carry this project alone.

You had done harder things before. The next morning, you walked into the library study room ten minutes early, ready to work. Jinx walked in twenty minutes late, looking like she had just rolled out of bed.

"Morning, sunshine," she drawled, flopping into the chair across from you. You didn’t even look up. "You’re late." Jinx yawned, stretching. "Yeah, yeah. Time’s just a concept, anyway." You clenched your pen. "Did you read the outline?" Jinx smirked. "What do you think?"

Your eye twitched.

"Of course you didn’t," you muttered, shoving the paper toward her. "Read it. Now." Jinx leaned forward, elbows on the table, scanning the pages with mild interest. She tilted her head, flipping through the structured sections you had painstakingly organized.

"Huh," she mused, tapping the paper. "This is… a lot."

"It’s called being prepared," you snapped.

"It’s called being a control freak," she shot back, grinning.

Your patience was wearing thin. "Jinx, we are running out of time. This project isn’t going to do itself—" "Relax," she said, waving a hand. "You already did all the work, anyway."

That—

That set something off in you.

"You think this is funny?" you snapped, slamming your pen down. "This isn’t a joke. I don’t have the luxury of slacking off like you do." Jinx raised a brow, amusement flickering into something else. "You don’t know a damn thing about me, sweetheart."

"I know you don’t take this seriously," you shot back. "You show up late, you ignore my messages, and you haven’t contributed a single thing. And now you want me to just—just carry you through this?"

Jinx was silent for a beat.

Then, she grinned.

"You’re kinda hot when you’re mad, y’know that?"

Your brain short-circuited.

"Wh—" You gaped at her. "What is wrong with you?!"

Jinx cackled. "So many things, babe." You inhaled sharply, forcing down the irritation boiling under your skin. This was getting nowhere. "Look," you said through clenched teeth. "I need to know if you’re actually going to help with this. Yes or no."

Jinx hummed, rocking back in her chair. "Mmm… Maybe.*"

You were going to scream.

"Jinx—"

"Fine, fine," she interrupted, holding up her hands. "I’ll actually do something."

"Swear it."

She smirked. "Cross my heart."

You weren’t sure if you believed her.

But for now, you had no other choice.

You were going to lose your mind.

No, seriously.

After that infuriating conversation with Jinx, you had spent another hour trying to get her to focus, but she had dodged every attempt. She either deflected with some dumb joke, changed the subject, or—worse—just stared at you like she was enjoying your suffering.

And now?

Now, she was lying across the table, tossing a crumpled piece of paper in the air and catching it while you tried—tried—to work.

"Are you actually going to do anything?" you snapped, not even looking up. "I’m thinking," Jinx drawled.

"Thinking about what?"

"Life. The universe. Why you look cute when you're mad."

You gripped your pen so hard you swore it was going to snap.

"Jinx—"

"Okay, okay," she groaned, finally sitting up. "What do you want me to do?"

You stared at her.

"You’re actually asking?"

"Yeah, yeah, don’t make it a big deal." She leaned forward, propping her chin on her hand. "Gimme an easy one."

Your eyes narrowed. "You want an easy task?" "Duh."

You handed her the worst possible section—the dense, boring, data-heavy research portion. Jinx took one look at the paper and whistled. "Damn, this looks awful."

"That’s why you’re doing it." "You’re actually evil."

"And you’re actually going to help, right?"

Jinx clicked her tongue, spinning the paper between her fingers. "Yeah, yeah," she muttered, flipping through it lazily. "But this is gonna take a while."

"Then get started."

She groaned, but to your utter shock, she actually grabbed a pen and started reading.

For the first time all week, Jinx was working.

You didn’t trust it.

One Hour Later

You were deep in your notes, rewriting a key point, when you heard the sound of soft snoring.

You froze.

Slowly, you looked up.

Jinx was asleep.

ASLEEP.

Face down, arms crossed under her head, completely knocked out on top of the papers she was supposed to be reading.

You stared at her, completely, utterly done. "Are you—" You cut yourself off, pressing your fingers against your temple. "Jinx."

She didn’t move. "Jinx." Nothing.

You took a deep breath.

Then you reached over and flicked her forehead. Jinx jerked awake with a yelp. "Ow—what the hell?!"

"You fell asleep," you said flatly. Jinx blinked at you, dazed, then slowly sat up, rubbing her forehead. "Uh. Yeah. Guess I did." You pinched the bridge of your nose. "You are impossible." Jinx snickered. "And yet, here I am, still your partner."

You were going to lose it.

"Go get some coffee," you muttered. "And actually finish reading that before the meeting tomorrow." Jinx stretched, standing up with a yawn. "Yeah, yeah. You want anything?"

You blinked. "What?"

"Coffee. Or, like, one of those nerd drinks you like." Your brain stalled. "You don’t even help, and now you’re offering me coffee?"

"Gotta keep my partner alive somehow," Jinx said, flashing you a grin.

You didn’t answer.

Because if you did, you weren’t sure if you’d start yelling at her again or—

…Something else.

"Just go," you muttered. Jinx snickered. "Later, nerd."

And just like that, she walked off, leaving you staring after her, completely bewildered.

You were still thinking about it.

Not the project. Not the research. Not even the looming deadline.

No, you were thinking about her.

More specifically, about how Jinx—your infuriating, lazy, reckless excuse of a project partner—had casually asked if you wanted coffee.

Like it was normal. Like it was just something she did.

And worse?

You had actually hesitated.

Because for one brief, insane second, your brain had latched onto the idea of Jinx showing up with your coffee order, sliding it across the table, like it was a habit.

You shook your head aggressively. No. No, absolutely not.

Jinx was unreliable, frustrating, and a walking disaster.

And yet—

You caught yourself glancing at the door every time someone walked past the study room.

Waiting.

Thirty Minutes Later Jinx never came back.

You should’ve expected it. Should’ve known she was just messing with you.

But still—

You hated the way annoyance curled in your chest as you packed up your notes.

It was fine. You didn’t need her help. You never did.

The Next Morning

By the time you arrived at the library study room, you were fully prepared to go another round with Jinx about her lack of effort.

What you weren’t prepared for was finding her already there.

Sitting at the table. Waiting.

And beside her?

A coffee cup.

You froze.

Jinx noticed immediately, her grin slow and smug. "Morning, sunshine."

You blinked. "You’re… early."

"Shocking, huh?" She nudged the extra cup toward you. "Told you I’d keep my partner alive."

You hesitated.

This—this had to be a joke. Some weird, elaborate attempt to mess with you.

But when you didn’t move, Jinx rolled her eyes. "Relax, nerd. I didn’t poison it."

You narrowed your eyes. "How do you even know what I drink?"

Jinx stretched lazily. "C’mon, you think I don’t pay attention? You always get the same thing."

…What?

Your brain halted.

She—she had noticed?

Before you could even begin to process that, Jinx leaned forward, elbows on the table, grinning like she had won something.

"Admit it," she teased. "You totally thought I ditched again."

You didn’t answer.

Which was an answer in itself.

Jinx laughed. "Damn, you really have no faith in me, huh?"

"Gee, I wonder why," you muttered.

She just smirked. "Well, guess I gotta surprise you more often, huh?"

You hated that your heart did something weird at that.

You quickly grabbed the coffee, ignoring everything else. "Just don’t screw up your part of the project."

Jinx saluted. "Yes, ma’am."

You didn’t trust her.

But for the first time, you wanted to.

Jinx didn’t immediately start slacking off.

Which, honestly, was the biggest surprise of your day.

For the next hour, she actually read through the research, tapping her pen against the table, occasionally writing things down. You caught her twirling a knife between her fingers at one point, but at least she wasn’t using it to carve something into the desk—so, progress.

You weren’t convinced she was actually absorbing any information, though.

"Jinx."

"Mm?"

"What did you just read?"

She didn’t even look up from her notebook. "Dunno. Some words." You exhaled slowly. "You’re impossible." "You say that like it’s a bad thing," she teased. You rubbed your temples. "Just—focus."

Jinx sighed dramatically but flipped back a page in her notes and started reading again. This time, out loud.

"‘According to the research conducted on—’blah blah blah, too many big words, you get the point."

"That was three seconds of effort."

"It’s called efficiency."

You gave her a look.

"Fine, fine," she muttered, waving a hand. "I’ll read like a normal person."

You weren’t sure if she actually would, but for the next few minutes, she didn’t say anything.

And then—

"Hey, brainiac."

You sighed. "What?"

"You ever get tired of being a know-it-all?"

You paused.

Your immediate response was no, obviously not—but something about the way Jinx said it made you stop.

You glanced at her.

She wasn’t grinning. She wasn’t teasing.

She was just watching you.

And that was—unnerving.

You shrugged. "It’s not about knowing everything. It’s about working for it."

Jinx hummed, spinning her pen between her fingers. "That why you do all that competition stuff?"

"I enjoy it." "Yeah, but why?"

That threw you off.

You had never really questioned it before. "I don’t know," you admitted. "I just like pushing myself. Seeing how far I can go."

Jinx smirked. "Bet you win a lot, huh?" "Most of the time." "Damn. No wonder you’re like this." "Like what?"

"A terrifyingly dedicated nerd."

You rolled your eyes. "At least I’m competent." "Hey," Jinx huffed, dramatically placing a hand on her chest. "I’m plenty competent. Just… in other ways."

"Name one."

"I could steal your wallet right now."

You automatically checked your pocket. Jinx cackled. "See? Competence.*"

You glared. "That’s not competence. That’s crime."

"Tomato, tomahto."

You were going to lose your mind.

You sat stiffly in a quiet corner of the library, laptop open, notes organized in neat stacks. Every slide for your presentation was half-done, waiting for input that had yet to come. Across from you, Jinx had her feet kicked up on the chair beside her, her own completely untouched notebook acting as a makeshift sketchpad.

She was drawing. Again.

You exhaled slowly, forcing yourself to stay calm. "Jinx." No response.

You narrowed your eyes. "Jinx, can you—" "Sshhhh," she interrupted, making vague scribbling motions. "Gimme a sec. I’m in the zone."

"You’ve been 'in the zone' for the past two hours." "And?"

"And you haven’t contributed anything." Your patience was wearing thin. "At all." Jinx finally glanced up, grinning. "I contribute moral support."

You clenched your jaw. "That’s not how group projects work." "Maybe if you stopped acting like a stressed-out librarian, you’d be more fun to work with."

You inhaled sharply, gripping your pen tighter. "Maybe if you actually did something, I wouldn’t be stressed." Jinx hummed, spinning her pen between her fingers. "Sounds like a you problem, nerd."

You gritted your teeth. Unbelievable.

She wasn’t even trying.

It wasn’t just her usual brand of chaos—this was deliberate. Like she wanted to see how long she could get away with doing nothing before you snapped.

And the worst part?

She was enjoying this.

You rubbed your temple. "This is a major part of our grade, Jinx."

"Mhm." "It requires actual work." "Mmm." "I swear to god—"

"Relax, nerd." Jinx stretched, grinning. "You’re smart. You got this." "We got this," you corrected, your patience hanging on by a thread. "This isn’t just my responsibility."

Jinx’s smirk flickered just slightly.

It was quick—barely noticeable. But something in her expression shifted. Then, just as fast, she was back to her usual carefree self.

"Alright, alright." She sat up, cracking her knuckles. "Lemme see the damage."

You turned your laptop around, half-expecting her to fake interest before finding another excuse to be useless. But to your surprise—

Jinx actually looked.

She tilted her head, scanning the slides, lips pursed in thought. Then—"Wow. You really did all of it, huh?"

You crossed your arms. "What did you expect?"

"I dunno. Maybe a little procrastination? A tiny bit of slacking off? You’re kinda making me look bad here, nerd." "You’re making yourself look bad."

"Damn. Brutal."

"This actually looks kinda good." "Of course it does," you replied, adjusting the margins. "I made it."*

Jinx snorted. "Cocky." You ignored her, your fingers flying across the keys—

Until Jinx stole your pen.

You paused mid-sentence.

"Jinx."

"Mmm?"

You turned, only to see her twirling it lazily between her fingers, completely and utterly unbothered.

You exhaled sharply. "Can you not?

"Can I not what?" she asked, still flipping the pen with obnoxious precision.

"Be distracting."

"I’m not distracting," she said, tapping the pen lightly against your wrist.

You snatched it back. Jinx grinned. "Ooh, feisty."

You rolled your eyes, turning back to your laptop. Then, just as you started typing again—

You felt it.

Something soft. Light. Tracing over your forearm.

At first, you thought you imagined it.

But then—

The sensation deepened. Your fingers froze.

Jinx was drawing on you.

Not your hand—your arm. Slow, lazy strokes of ink curling over your skin. You stared at your laptop screen, motionless. For a second, you considered ripping your arm away.

But you didn’t.

Not because you didn’t want to.

But because your entire brain short-circuited trying to process why the hell she was doing it in the first place. You twitched slightly. "What the hell are you doing?"

Jinx didn’t stop. Didn’t even look up.

"Dunno yet," she murmured, her tone completely casual. You blinked.

What.

She kept going. Her brows furrowed slightly, her tongue peeking out in concentration.

She wasn’t doodling mindlessly. She was focused.

Like she actually cared about whatever the hell she was drawing on you.

"Jinx—" "Shh."

Shh?

Oh, hell no.

Your frustration spiked, but so did something else—something you didn’t want to name. "You can’t just—" "Almost done."

Your jaw clenched. You didn’t know if you were more annoyed at her nerve or at the fact that your stupid, traitorous body hadn’t moved yet.

Jinx finally leaned back slightly, inspecting her work.

A series of spirals, tiny stars, and something that vaguely resembled a bomb trailed across your arm, ink sinking into your skin.

Jinx grinned, satisfied.

"There. Now you’re way more interesting."

You inhaled slowly, deeply.

"Jinx, I swear to god—"

"Relax, Brainiac."* She stretched, tilting her head. "You looked like you were about to become one with the laptop screen. Figured I’d make sure you were still alive."

Your eye twitched. "By drawing all over my arm?"

"Mhm."

You scowled. "You’re impossible."

Jinx smirked. "And yet, you haven’t wiped it off."

Your breath hitched.

You looked at your arm.

At the ink.

Your pulse betrayed you.

And the worst part?

Jinx knew it.

Her smirk widened.

And you realized—

You had just lost something.

A battle. A moment. A tiny, imperceptible shift in whatever the hell was happening between you two.

And you didn’t know how to take it back.

The walk to your dorm felt longer than usual.

Maybe it was the weight of your bag, or maybe it was the weight of everything else.

Jinx.

Your arm still felt warm where she had touched it.

You hated that you noticed.

You hated that the feeling wasn’t going away.

The entire night replayed in your head—how she had leaned close, how she had grabbed your wrist, how her fingers had lazily traced ink over your skin, how you had let her.

You should have pulled away sooner. You should have said something.

You should have—

Your footsteps slowed.

You lifted your arm hesitantly, rolling up your sleeve.

The ink was still there.

Messy little doodles, half-formed shapes, some random scribbled stars. She had even drawn a tiny bomb with a smiley face.

You swallowed.

It wasn’t that deep. It wasn’t anything.

It was just Jinx being Jinx.

And yet, your fingers hovered over the marks, barely touching them, like you were scared they’d smudge.

You exhaled sharply, pulling your sleeve back down.

This was not what you should be thinking about.

You had a competition in a few days. You had an unfinished presentation. You had actual priorities.

Jinx wasn’t one of them.

So why was she the only thing in your head?

You reached your front door, hesitating before pushing it open.

The house was quiet. Dimly lit. The kind of silence that should’ve been calming, but instead felt suffocating.

You went straight to your desk, flipping open your laptop.

Distractions. You needed distractions.

You pulled up your notes, reread your speech, forced yourself to focus.

But as the cursor blinked on the screen, so did the thoughts.

Jinx’s voice.

Jinx’s laughter.

Jinx’s stupid, lazy smirk when she had said—

"You trust me?"

You clenched your jaw.

That was the worst part.

Because you did.

And you didn’t know how to stop.

You barely got any sleep.

It wasn’t like you weren’t trying—you had shut your laptop, turned off the lights, buried yourself under the covers, but your mind refused to shut up.

Every time you closed your eyes, you saw Jinx.

Not just from last night, but from every moment leading up to it.

The way she stretched lazily in her seat during class, always looking half-bored, half-ready to cause problems.

The way she smirked every time she knew she was getting under your skin.

The way she had looked at you last night—not mocking, not teasing, just looking.

It was pissing you off.

You groaned, rolling onto your side, gripping your blanket like it owed you something.

You had bigger things to worry about.

Your competition was in a few days. You should be locked in, reviewing your notes, making sure every word of your speech was airtight.

Instead, you were lying here, restless, with Jinx’s stupid doodles still on your arm.

You were so gone.

The realization made something burn in your chest, something uncomfortable and stubborn and so, so frustrating.

You needed a reset.

you snapped into work mode.

Your entire morning routine was strictly regimented—wake up, shower, ignore the way the ink from last night smudged faintly against your skin, grab coffee, and sit down to actually focus.

You pulled up your notes, exhaling sharply.

Competition first. Presentation second. Everything else? Irrelevant.

Your fingers hovered over the keyboard, ready to dive in—

Knock, knock.

You froze.

You weren’t expecting anyone.

For a brief, horrifying moment, you thought—

No. No way.

Jinx wouldn’t just show up unannounced. That was insane.

But then again—it was Jinx.

You hesitated before standing, your pulse way too fast for something this small.

The second you opened the door—

It wasn’t Jinx.

It was just one of your classmates, reminding you that the professor wanted a status update on the project today.

Your stomach twisted.

Right.

The project. Jinx. Everything you had very intentionally pushed aside.

You forced a nod, closing the door, but the damage was done.

Your focus was wrecked.

And you still had no idea how to fix it.

You weren’t expecting to see Jinx today.

And yet, the moment she strolled into the classroom, she made a beeline for your table—not hesitating, not looking around, just slumping into the seat right beside you like she’d been sitting there all semester.

Jinx barely even showed up to class. And when she did, she never sat with you.

The shift was so jarring that for a second, you actually paused, hand hovering over your notes as you stared at her in disbelief.

Jinx noticed. And smirked. Her lips curled into something lazy, too knowing.

"You look tired, nerd."

You ignored her, dropping your bag onto the table and pulling out your laptop and notebook.

Jinx leaned closer, resting her chin on her palm. "Bad dreams? Or were you just up all night thinking about me?"

You didn’t even hesitate—"I was up all night fixing this project, since someone refuses to do their part."

Jinx let out a low whistle. "Damn. You sound stressed. Want me to draw you a little relaxation doodle?"

You exhaled sharply, rolling up your sleeves—only to freeze when you caught the faintest traces of ink still smudged on your skin.

Jinx saw it too.

Her smirk widened.

"Still wearing my masterpiece, huh?"

Your jaw clenched. "It wouldn’t wash off."

Jinx hummed, looking entirely too pleased.

“Whatever you say.”

You ignored her, turning back to your work.

This was fine. You weren’t going to let her distract you. Not today.

Your competition was coming up, the presentation still wasn’t done, and you had absolutely no time to deal with whatever game Jinx was playing.

You started typing, drowning her out.

Or at least, you tried.

Because not even a minute later—

Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

You blinked.

Jinx had stolen your pen.

And she was drawing all over your notes.

Your perfect, well-organized notes.

"What the hell are you doing?" you snapped, trying to grab the notebook back.

Jinx dodged effortlessly, looking entirely too amused as she continued scribbling. "You looked tense, nerd. Thought I’d help."

"By defacing my work?"

"By improving it," she corrected. "Look, I even gave you a cool lil' skull doodle. Very fitting."

You gritted your teeth, trying not to let her get a reaction out of you. She wanted you to snap. That was what she always did—poked and prodded until you finally gave in.

You weren’t playing along.

Instead, you yanked the notebook away, holding it at a distance as you examined the damage.

And—god.

She had covered the margins with tiny, chaotic doodles. Skulls, bombs, what looked like an awful caricature of your professor, and—was that supposed to be you?!

You shot her a look. "Why am I holding a calculator like it’s a sword?" Jinx grinned. "Because you’re a nerd, obviously." Before you could fire back, a sharp voice cut through the air—

"If you two are done disrupting the class, perhaps you’d like to return to the actual lesson?"

You stiffened as your professor fixed the two of you with a pointed stare.

Jinx, as always, looked completely unfazed.

She leaned back in her chair, flashing an easy grin. "Oh, don’t mind us, Prof. We’re just bonding."

You wanted to sink into the floor.

With a murderous glare, you shoved your notebook into your bag and turned back to your screen, utterly determined to ignore her for the rest of the class. Jinx just hummed under her breath, tapping her fingers against the desk.

You could feel her watching you.

And somewhere, deep down, you knew—

This wasn’t just distracting you.

It was messing with you.

And worse?

You let it.

The second class ended, you bolted out the door. Your face was still hot with embarrassment, and no matter how hard you tried to block it out, the professor’s voice echoed in your head—

"if you two are done disrupting the class, perhaps you’d like to return to the actual lesson?"

You wanted to die.

That was the first time you had ever gotten called out like that. Ever. You prided yourself on being a model student. Always prepared, always focused, always at the top of your class. Professors never had a reason to reprimand you.

Until today.

Because of Jinx.

You exhaled sharply, walking faster.

But, of course—

"Yo, nerd! Wait up!"

Jinx was following you.

You didn’t bother slowing down. "Go away."

She easily caught up, falling into step beside you. "Aw, c’mon, don’t be like that. That was, like, a bonding moment!"

You shot her a glare. "That was humiliating."

Jinx snickered.

You clenched your jaw, fingers tightening around your notebook. "That was my first time getting scolded by a professor, and it was because of you."

Jinx grinned. "Welcome to the dark side, Miss Perfect."

You stopped walking.

She took two more steps before realizing you weren’t beside her anymore, then turned with a raised brow.

You crossed your arms. "I’m being serious."

"So am I," she said, rocking back on her heels. "It’s about time you got a little dirt on your spotless record. Live a little."

You scoffed. "How is getting scolded in front of the whole class ‘living’?"

"Because now you’ve got a funny story to tell."

"That wasn’t funny."

"It was from my perspective," she said, smirking. "You should’ve seen your face, nerd."

You groaned, pressing your fingers to your temple. "I don’t have time for this."

"You sure about that?" Jinx’s head tilted. "Because if I were you, I’d be real worried about that little presentation we have to do. And your big scary competition coming up. And your totally not at all distracting duo partner."

Your eye twitched.

She was pushing you.

And what made it worse—she was right.

You were running out of time. You had a million things to do, and instead of being productive, you were standing in the middle of the hallway, arguing with Jinx.

She must have sensed your spiraling thoughts because she gave you a lazy salute and started walking backwards.

"Anyway," she said, hands in her pockets, "I’ll leave you to it. Try not to stress yourself to death, yeah?"

And with that, she turned on her heel and strolled away.

Like she hadn’t just wrecked your entire focus.

You exhaled sharply.

You had work to do.

But as much as you wanted to bury yourself in productivity, your thoughts kept drifting—

To Jinx.

To what she said.

To the fact that, somehow, some way, she had managed to mess up your entire day—

And you weren’t sure why you didn’t hate it more.

By the time you got back to your dorm, your head was killing you.

You dropped your bag by your desk and powered on your laptop.

The slides were still a mess.

You pinched the bridge of your nose. This is fine. You could finish it yourself. You just had to—

Your phone buzzed.

Incoming Video Call: Jinx

You stared at the screen.

You had never gotten a call from her before. She barely even texted.

Your first instinct was to ignore it.

But then you exhaled and swiped to accept.

Jinx’s grinning face filled the screen. “Hey, nerd.”

You blinked. “...Why are you calling me?”

She snorted. “Uh, because we have a presentation? Ring any bells?”

You narrowed your eyes. “You suddenly care about the project?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, I’ve been a terrible partner—blah blah blah—but I figured I’d help. Y’know, out of the kindness of my heart.”

You gave her a flat look.

She smirked. “Or maybe I just wanna mess with you more.”

You groaned. “That sounds more accurate.”

Jinx grinned. “C’mon, send me the slides.”

You hesitated. Was she actually going to do anything?

Still, you sent her the link.

A few seconds later, she shared her screen, revealing your unfinished slides.

“So,” she said, scrolling through them, “what’s left?”

You leaned back in your chair. “Everything, basically.”

Jinx let out a low whistle. “Damn. You really were doing all the work, huh?”

You shot her a look. “What did you think I was doing?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. I thought you were just... like that.”

“Like what?”

“You know,” she waved a hand, “a tryhard.”

Your eye twitched. “I am not a tryhard.”

“You kinda are.”

You groaned, dragging a hand down your face. “Can we just—work?”

Jinx laughed. “Alright, alright, keep your nerd rage in check.”

She actually started helping.

Kind of.

She made the font colors bright neon just to mess with you. She changed one of the slide titles to “Boring Smart People Stuff” before you immediately changed it back.

And at one point, she doodled on one of the slides.

“Jinx,” you said, staring at the little shark cartoon in the corner of your PowerPoint. “What is this.”

“A masterpiece,” she said proudly.

You dragged a hand over your face. “We can’t have that in the final version.”

“Why not? It adds character.”

“It adds stupidity.”

“Same thing.”

You let out a long-suffering sigh. “You’re impossible.”

Jinx just smirked. “And yet, here we are.”

You rolled your eyes—but for the first time all day, your shoulders didn’t feel so heavy.

You still had a ton of work to do. You still had a competition to stress over.

But at least, for tonight, you weren’t dealing with it alone.

The library was quiet—at least, it was supposed to be.

You were seated at a table near the back, books spread out around you, your laptop open, and your notebook already filled with messy notes.

You rubbed your temples, trying to push past the ache behind your eyes.

"Just keep going," you told yourself. "Fix the speech, finalize the slides, run through it one more time—"

Across from you, Jinx slouched in her seat, legs kicked up onto another chair.

She had shown up late, wearing her usual smug expression, and hadn’t done a single productive thing in the past hour.

Right now?

She was spinning a pencil between her fingers like she didn’t have a single care in the world.

You exhaled slowly, trying to keep your irritation in check.

“Are you gonna help at all?” you finally asked.

No reply.

You inhaled slowly, willing yourself not to snap.

“Okay,” you said, voice tight. “We need to finalize the script.”

Jinx slumped further into her seat. “Pshh, what script?”

You gave her a look. “The one we’ll be graded on?”

Jinx smirked. “Oh, that script.”

You clenched your jaw.

She was not helping.

You turned your laptop toward her, pointing at the half-written speech.

“Here,” you said. “You can write your part.”

Jinx blinked at the screen, then at you.

“…Or,” she drawled, stretching her arms over her head, “you can write my part, and I can sit here looking pretty.”

You snapped your laptop shut.

"Jinx."

You had zero patience left.

“Look,” you said, barely keeping your voice steady. “I don’t care what you do with your life, but I do care about my grades, and I am not about to let you drag them down.”

Jinx just grinned. “So serious. You should, y’know, relax. Live a little.”

You let out a sharp, humorless laugh.

“Relax? Relax?” You gestured to the chaos of papers around you. “I don’t have time to relax! I have this script, these slides, my competition, and somehow I also have to make sure this entire presentation doesn’t go down in flames because you refuse to take anything seriously!”

Jinx didn’t say anything for a second.

Then, she shrugged. “Sounds like a you problem.”

You stared at her.

Absolutely seething.

Your nails dug into your palm.

Don’t scream. Don’t kill her. Don’t lose it.

Your body was too exhausted to keep this up. Your brain was fried from juggling so much at once.

You could feel your vision swimming just from the sheer amount of stress pressing down on you.

You dropped your head onto the table, exhaling sharply.

You turned back to your laptop, forcing yourself to focus.

Five minutes passed.

Then ten.

You barely noticed the way your head started dipping.

Or how your blinking got slower.

Or how your grip on your pen loosened.

And then—

Darkness.

—

A hand tapped your forehead.

“Yo.”

You jerked awake.

Your vision was blurry, your brain foggy.

You blinked, trying to process where you were.

The library. Your notes. Your laptop screen, now dimmed from inactivity.

And across from you—

Jinx, watching you with an amused expression.

“Did you just pass out?” she asked, tilting her head.

Your heart dropped.

You never fell asleep while studying.

You had too much to do.

You shot up, suddenly panicked. “How long—”

“Relax, nerd.” Jinx stretched her arms over her head. “Like, fifteen minutes. You were out cold. Thought you died for a sec.”

You scowled, rubbing your face. “I don’t have time for this.”

Jinx snorted. “Yeah, no kidding. You looked like you were about to implode before you knocked out.”

You ignored her, reaching for your notebook. You still had so much to finish—

But the moment you lifted your pen, your hand trembled.

You froze.

Jinx noticed immediately.

She rested her chin on her palm, watching you with something that looked too close to concern.

"You good?" she asked.

You curled your fingers, trying to steady your hand. "I’m fine."

Jinx raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, sure. Because ‘fine’ people totally pass out on their homework."

You exhaled sharply, not in the mood for this. "Jinx, I don’t have time for your jokes right now."

She didn’t fire back with another sarcastic comment. Instead, she leaned forward, drumming her fingers on the table. "D’you even eat today?"

You didn’t answer.

Jinx let out a low whistle. "Oof. That’s a no." She nudged your notebook away from you. "Alright, that settles it. You’re taking a break."

You grabbed it back immediately. "I’m not—"

"Yeah, yeah, you’re ‘fine.’" Jinx rolled her eyes. "Come on, nerd. You literally collapsed. You really think you’re gonna get anything done like this?"

You hated that she had a point.

Your mind was sluggish, your limbs heavy. Every word on the page blurred together no matter how hard you tried to focus.

Still, you shook your head. "I have to finish this. I can’t just—"

Jinx groaned dramatically before snatching your pen right out of your hand.

"Jinx!"

"Nope." She twirled the pen between her fingers, looking entirely unbothered. "You wanna work? Cool. But you’re not doing it alone."

You narrowed your eyes. "Since when do you care about this presentation?"

Jinx smirked. "Since you looked two seconds away from dying on my watch."

That shut you up.

Jinx exhaled, rubbing the back of her neck. "Look, I know I’ve been… kinda useless."

You gave her a look.

She huffed. "Okay, very useless. But whatever, I’ll help now."

You were too exhausted to question it. You sighed, leaning back in your chair. "Fine. If you’re serious, you can help finalize the script."

Jinx grinned. "See? Was that so hard?"

You shot her a glare. "One condition."

Jinx wiggled her eyebrows. "Lemme guess. No doodling in the margins?"

"No distractions. We get this done, we run through it, and we’re done. Got it?"

Jinx held a hand to her chest. "Cross my heart, nerd. No distractions."

That promise lasted all of ten minutes.

You were halfway through editing the speech when Jinx started humming.

You ignored it.

Then she started tapping the table.

Still, you ignored it.

Then—

"Psst."

You clenched your jaw. "What?"

Jinx grinned. "You ever hear about that one guy who worked himself to death in a library?"

You gave her a blank stare. "…What?"

"Yeah, wild, right? Poor guy just—bam. Dropped dead on his notes." She tapped your forehead. "Sounds familiar?"

You swatted her hand away. "Jinx, if you don’t—"

Your vision swayed.

It hit you out of nowhere—your head feeling too light, your body too heavy.

You barely registered Jinx moving before your world tilted.

And suddenly—

You weren’t in your chair anymore.

You were in Jinx’s arms.

Your breath caught in your throat.

Jinx had caught you. One hand steady on your back, the other gripping your wrist. Her expression wasn’t playful anymore.

"Whoa—hey—" She adjusted her hold on you, voice alarmingly serious. "You okay?"

You tried to move, but your body refused to cooperate. Your pulse hammered against your ribs.

Jinx let out a slow exhale. "Alright, that’s it. You’re done for today."

"Wait, I—"

Jinx picked you up.

Not entirely, but enough to get you upright and way too close to her.

"Jinx," you hissed, mortified.

"Shh," she muttered. "You’re supposed to be unconscious. Stop ruining the moment."

You smacked her arm.

She laughed, but there was still something soft in her gaze—something you couldn’t place.

Then—

Her eyes flickered to your lips.

Your breath caught.

For a moment, you thought she might actually do it.

But then Jinx pulled back, smirk returning.

"Not yet, nerd," she teased. "You’ll have to fall for me a little harder first."

Your face burned.

And Jinx?

She just grinned.

The tension between you and Jinx hung in the air like a weight neither of you were willing to acknowledge.

You swallowed hard, still hyper-aware of how close she had been just seconds ago—how easy it would have been for her to close that last bit of distance.

Your heart was still racing.

Jinx, of course, looked entirely unbothered.

She stretched her arms over her head, grinning like she hadn’t just said something that made your brain short-circuit. "Alright, nerd. Since you’re obviously about to keel over, I’ll be nice and walk you back."

You blinked. "What? No, you don’t have to—"

Jinx leaned in, balancing her weight on her elbows. "Ohhh, I know I don’t have to. But I want to."

You scowled. "I can walk myself, thanks."

"Yeah? You sure about that?" She tilted her head. "Because, uh, you literally just collapsed."

You opened your mouth to argue, but the second you stood up, your legs wobbled.

Jinx’s arm shot out immediately, steadying you with an almost instinctual ease.

"Yeah, nope. You’re coming with me." She didn’t give you a chance to protest—just grabbed your stuff in one hand and your wrist in the other, dragging you toward the door.

You groaned, stumbling along beside her. "Jinx—"

"Shh." She threw an arm around your shoulders, steering you with way too much amusement. "Don’t fight it, nerd. Just let it happen."

You sighed. There was no winning with her.

—

By the time you made it to your dorm, you were exhausted.

Jinx dumped your bag onto your desk before flopping onto your bed like she lived there.

You glared at her. "You can leave now."

Jinx put her hands behind her head, smirking. "Aw, but we were just getting cozy."

You groaned, running a hand down your face. "Jinx, I need to sleep."

"Then sleep," she said easily.

You narrowed your eyes. "You’re still here."

Jinx grinned, completely unfazed. "You want me to tuck you in?"

"Out."

She laughed but finally stood, stretching. "Alright, alright. I’m going."

She made it halfway to the door before pausing.

When she turned back, her expression had shifted—still teasing, but softer. "...Don’t overdo it, okay?" Her voice was quieter, less playful. "Like, seriously."

You hesitated, caught off guard by the sincerity.

Before you could respond, Jinx winked. "G’night, nerd." And just like that—she was gone.

Leaving you alone with your thoughts.

And your racing heartbeat.

You barely got any sleep. No matter how much you willed yourself to shut your eyes and ignore everything that happened today, your brain refused to listen. Your body felt exhausted, but your mind was wide awake.

You tossed and turned in bed, replaying every little thing over and over again.

Jinx sitting next to you. Jinx refusing to help. Jinx looking at you like she could see straight through you. Jinx walking you back. Jinx tucking your hair behind your ear—

You groaned, shoving a pillow over your face.

This was stupid.

Jinx was stupid.

You were so tired, and you still had a million things to do.

Your competition was tomorrow. You sat up, running a hand down your face. There was no use in lying here, wide awake. With a frustrated sigh, you grabbed your notes from your desk and settled back under the covers.

Might as well study.

You flipped through the pages, scanning over highlighted sentences and messy annotations. But no matter how hard you tried to absorb the information, your mind kept drifting. Every time you read a sentence, it slipped through your brain like sand through your fingers.

Because all you could think about was Jinx.

You clenched your jaw, willing yourself to push past it.

Focus. Focus. Focus.

Still, your mind betrayed you.

The way she grinned like she had the world in her hands. The way she looked at you when she thought you weren’t paying attention. The way her fingers lingered on your wrist when she caught you before you fell.

You slammed your notebook shut.

This was ridiculous.

You refused to let her be the reason you lost focus.

Your hands curled into fists.

There was no way in hell you were going to let Jinx distract you.

You woke up with a pounding headache. The kind that made you instantly regret staying up as late as you did. Your notes were still spread across your bed, some of them half-crumpled under your arm.

Your eyes burned, your body felt heavy, and your brain was foggy as hell.

And yet—

You had no time to rest.

The competition was today. You forced yourself to sit up, rubbing the exhaustion from your face. You needed to review everything, memorize key points, and make sure you were fully prepared before you walked into that room.

Because if you weren’t?

You would lose.

And losing wasn’t an option.

You shoved down the nausea curling in your stomach and reached for your notes again.

Even if your hands were trembling.

Even if your chest was tight.Even if the words on the page blurred from lack of sleep.

You weren’t going to let that stop you.

You were going to push through it.

Even if it killed you.

—

The campus was already buzzing by the time you made it to the competition hall.

Students from different universities were scattered around, some reviewing their notes, others talking strategy. You spotted a few familiar faces—people you had competed against before.

But your focus was locked on one thing.

Winning.

“Damn. You look like hell.”

You didn’t have to look to know who it was.

Jinx.

You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. “Not now.”

Jinx grinned, falling into step beside you. “Big day, huh?”

You didn’t answer. You couldn’t waste time thinking about anything other than this competition.

Jinx, of course, didn’t seem to care.

She nudged your side. “Bet you’re gonna kill it.” Something about the way she said it made your breath catch.

Not in a cocky, teasing way.

Not in a “Let’s see if you screw this up” way.

But in a genuine, I-believe-in-you kind of way.

Your chest tightened.

You swallowed past the lump in your throat.

You couldn’t let yourself get distracted.

Not now.

Not when everything was on the line.

Bright lights. Rows of chairs. Judges seated at a long panel in the front. You exhaled slowly, steadying yourself.

This wasn’t your first competition, but something about today felt… different.

Like the pressure was heavier.

Like every second counted.

You moved toward the waiting area, clutching your notes like a lifeline.

Jinx, for some reason, was still following you.

“You got this,” she said casually, hands stuffed in her pockets. You shot her a look. “Why are you even here?”Jinx smirked. “Moral support.” You scoffed. “Since when do you care about this stuff?” Jinx tilted her head, pretending to think. “Dunno. Since now?”

You rolled your eyes, turning your focus back to your notes.

But you couldn’t focus.

Not really.

Not when Jinx was still there.

Not when the weight of her gaze lingered. Not when you could still feel the faint warmth from where she had nudged you earlier. You shook your head, pushing those thoughts away. The competition was starting.

It was time to win.

Two hours later.

Your hands were clenched into fists.

Your jaw was locked.

Your heart was still racing.

You stared at the scoreboard, eyes fixed on the number next to your name.

Second place.

Your breath hitched.

Your stomach twisted.

You lost.

After all that work.

After all those sleepless nights.

After pushing yourself to the breaking point.

It wasn’t enough.

The judges were already moving on, announcing the first-place winner.

The crowd clapped.

You barely heard it. It was like your entire body had gone numb. Like something inside you had just… collapsed. The moment you stepped off the stage, Jinx was there.

“Hey.”

You didn’t answer.

Jinx frowned, stepping in front of you. “Yo. Nerd. Earth to you?”

You still didn’t respond.

Jinx’s smirk faltered.

“…You okay?”

That was the breaking point.

Your vision blurred.

Your breath caught.

And before you could stop it—

Tears welled up in your eyes.

Jinx’s expression changed immediately.

“Whoa—hey—”

You turned away quickly, trying to hide it but Jinx had already seen. You needed to get out of there. You turned abruptly, pushing through the crowd, ignoring Jinx’s voice calling after you.

Your breath was uneven.

Your heartbeat was too loud.

Everything felt too much.

Second place.

You lost.

And the worst part?

You knew exactly why.

You’d been distracted.

By her.

By the way she got under your skin. By the way her eyes lingered too long. By the way she smiled at you like she knew every single thought in your head. You let her mess with your focus.

And now, you had nothing to show for it.

Your feet carried you blindly through the venue’s halls, pushing through a back door that led to the empty lot outside. Cool air hit your skin.

You exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to your face.

Get a grip.

Before you could even try, the door slammed open behind you. You flinched, spinning around—

And there she was.

Jinx.

Breathless from running. Frowning.

"You seriously just ran off?" she said, exasperated. "What the hell, dude?"

You turned away. “Go away, Jinx.”

"Nope." You heard her footsteps. Getting closer.

"Look, I get it," she said. "Losing sucks. It feels like—"

"You don’t get it," you snapped, voice tight.

Jinx shut up. You swallowed hard, blinking back the tears threatening to spill again.

"I worked for this," you whispered. "I gave up everything for this. And I still—"

Your voice cracked. Jinx shifted.

You could feel her watching you.

After a moment, she spoke—quieter. "…So what now?" You exhaled shakily. "I don’t know."

Silence.

Then— "Hey," Jinx said.

You barely turned your head—

And then she was kissing you.

Your breath hitched.

It was fast, reckless—just like her.

But then she lingered—long enough for you to feel the warmth of it. The way she wasn’t just teasing, wasn’t just messing with you.

She meant it.

And for some reason, instead of pushing her away— You kissed her back. You pulled away, breathless.

Silence.

Jinx blinked at you, processing what just happened. Then—

“…Huh.”

Your brain short-circuited. That was it? That was her reaction? After everything—the running, the frustration, the crying—she just goes ‘huh’?

You didn’t even know what to say. Your lips still tingled from the kiss, but your brain hadn’t caught up yet.

Jinx scratched her cheek. “Sooo… that happened.” You opened your mouth—closed it—then opened it again.

“What—what does that even mean?” you sputtered.

Jinx grinned, but there was something nervous about it. Like even she didn’t know what to do next.

“I mean, I don’t see you running away,” she pointed out. You should have. You should be freaking out, demanding answers, maybe even yelling at her—

But you weren’t.

You were just…standing there. Awkward. Speechless. Overwhelmed. Your thoughts were all over the place, but one thing was clear— You didn’t regret it.

Jinx rocked back on her heels, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "Sooo… you wanna pretend that didn't happen or...?" You exhaled sharply. “I don’t— I don’t know.”

Jinx shrugged, but you caught the way her fingers twitched. “Well, that’s not a ‘no.’” Your face felt hot. “You’re insufferable.” “You’re obsessed with me.”

You glared. “I—what?!” Jinx snickered, bumping your shoulder with hers. “Relax, nerd. No pressure or anything.”

But she wouldn’t meet your eyes.

And maybe that meant something.

Maybe this whole thing meant something.

And maybe—just maybe—neither of you were ready to admit it yet.

The awkward tension lingered for days.

Neither of you talked about the kiss.

Not in the library. Not in class. Not anywhere.

It was like an unspoken truce—act normal, pretend everything was fine, move on like nothing happened. Except. You couldn’t stop thinking about it.

And neither could Jinx. You caught her staring when she thought you weren’t looking. You noticed how she’d hover closer, how her usual teasing had lost some of its bite—how sometimes, it almost felt soft. And maybe you weren’t any better.

Because every time she laughed, every time she leaned in just a little too close, your heart betrayed you.

And then—

The presentation day came.

You nailed it.

The professor nodded approvingly. Your classmates clapped.

And Jinx?

She smirked, nudging you with her elbow. “Told you we’d crush it.” You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t hide your smile. After everything—the stress, the frustration, the late nights—you had made it through.

Together.

—

Later that evening, you found yourself standing outside, the cool night air brushing against your skin.

Jinx was next to you, arms crossed, gaze flickering toward you every few seconds.

“So,” she said, kicking at the ground. “We did it.”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

Silence. Then—

“Hey, nerd.”

You turned, only to find Jinx watching you, her usual bravado replaced with something… almost nervous.

She rubbed the back of her neck.

“I don’t wanna pretend that didn’t happen,” she admitted, voice quieter than usual.

Your heart skipped a beat.

Jinx sighed, like she was bracing herself.

“I like you.”

Three words. Simple. Direct.

Terrifying.

Your breath caught in your throat. And for the first time since that night—since the kiss—you let yourself feel it.

The warmth. The butterflies. The way she had always been there, pushing you, frustrating you, seeing you. You exhaled, a slow smile forming.

“…Took you long enough.”

Jinx blinked. Then— She grinned.

“Pshh. Please. I had you wrapped around my finger from day one.” You scoffed, shoving her shoulder, but before you could pull away—

She grabbed your wrist.

Pulled you closer.

And this time, when she kissed you—

There was nothing uncertain about it.

The moment word got out, the entire school lost it.

Jinx—the chaotic, unpredictable, barely-attends-class menace—and you—the academic weapon, professor’s favorite, most likely to succeed? Nobody saw it coming.

“Are you serious? Her?”

“What do you even talk about?”

“Oh my God, are you in love with her chaos?”

“We thought you hated her.”

"We literally watched you lose your mind because of her."

“Jinx has a girlfriend?”

“No, you don’t get it—she has her.”

The rumors spread like wildfire.

Some people were convinced it was a prank. Others thought it was some twisted case of academic sabotage. But then—

People started seeing you together.

The way Jinx would drape herself over your shoulders, stealing your pens just to hear you sigh in exasperation.

The way you rolled your eyes at her antics but never actually pushed her away. The way she’d lean down to whisper something in your ear, making you smile without even realizing it.

And suddenly, it made too much sense.

You sat on the grass, books open in front of you. Jinx laid beside you, arms stretched over her head, watching the clouds.

“You’re supposed to be helping,” you reminded her. She hummed. “I’m helping in spirit.”

You shot her a look. “That means nothing.”

Jinx grinned, reaching over to tug at your sleeve. “C’mon, nerd. You’ve been working too hard. Take a break.”

You sighed but let her pull you down until you were both lying side by side, staring at the sky.

For a moment, there was silence. Just the breeze, the faint sound of distant laughter, and the warmth of Jinx’s hand casually brushing against yours.

Then—

“…You know they’re all still freaking out about us, right?” You let out a small laugh. “Let them.” Jinx turned to face you, her usual teasing replaced by something softer.

She tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

“You’re really stuck with me now, nerd.”

You smiled.

As the sun started to set, casting warm hues over the campus, you turned your head slightly to look at Jinx. She was still staring at the sky, hands folded behind her head, her usual carefree grin softened into something almost unreadable.

It was peaceful—too peaceful.

“Y’know,” she murmured, “if you’d told me a few months ago that I’d end up with you—” she gestured vaguely at you, “—Miss Perfectionist, Miss Always-Has-Her-Life-Together—I’d have laughed in your face.”

You rolled your eyes. “Wow. Romantic.” Jinx smirked. “I’m serious.” She exhaled, tapping her fingers against her stomach. “Never thought I’d get this kinda thing. Someone who actually… sticks around.”

There was something uncharacteristically raw in her voice. It made your chest tighten. You nudged her side. “I’m not going anywhere.” Jinx turned her head, blue eyes locking onto yours, searching.

“…Promise?” You didn’t hesitate. “Promise.” She stared at you for a moment longer—then suddenly pulled her hoodie over her face. “Ugh. That was so corny.” You laughed, shoving her lightly. “You started it.” Jinx peeked out, grinning. “Guess you’re rubbing off on me, nerd.” You hummed, staring back up at the sky.

For the first time in a while, you weren’t worrying about grades. Or competitions. Or the weight of expectations pressing down on you.

For once— You just let yourself be happy.

A/N - this is my 3rd repost because for some reason my post wont appear on the tags ;-; i hope u enjoy this very yummy fic (i had a lot of fun writing this you dont understand.)

#arcane #arcane x reader #arcane x y/n #lesbian #jinx x reader #jinx x you #jinx x y/n #wlw #arcane headcanon #arcane imagines #arcane x you #jinx arcane

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bitchlessdino · 2 months ago

Text

Good Roommates Don't (m)

for @ddeonghwa-s secret cupid collab i recieved you @haologram! Secret Cupid Masterlist found here!

Pairing: roommate! Minghao x barista!afab!reader Word count: 14.1k rating: R Summary: Xu Minghao had been the most ethereal being you've ever laid your eyes on to the point being unable of functioning like a normal person, but now you're roommates. Only time will tell when you lose your mind keeping your hands to yourself, so there needed to be a list of things you don't do if you wanted to be a good roommate. tags: meet-ugly, strangers to roommates to lovers, college au, barista au, down bad!reader, mentions of band, brief bdsm, mc fell first he fell harder, cum swapping, spitting, oral (giving and receiving), face riding, unprotected sex author note: thank you @lovetaroandtaemin and @gyubakeries beta-reading this with me. after writing towtsyfdtotbycf (holy shit) i was in a little bit of a slump and had several and i mean SEVERAL versions of this and for months racked my brain how i wanted to do this. Alta, i care for you deeply and we've gotten close in the last year or so, so i really wanted to write something that would amuse you and that you'd enjoy. and if you hate it you can use it as leverage to berate me on discord lol. but please, my valentine, enjoy my gift to you. happy Valentines day Alta (and tell me was i really not that slick) <3

When you first met Minghao, you almost killed him trying to save his life. At least, that's what you thought you were doing.

All you had to do was bear a normal shift at the Coffee Shop, attempt a semblance of a smile for the oncoming customers, and clock out at your normal hour, but the universe couldn’t even give you that. Instead, they sent you the hottest guy imaginable, along with the swiftness of a gazelle, the strength of a gorilla, and the intuition of a garden gnome. That day just confirmed that some things were better left alone.

A few things were already going wrong that day. For one, your alarm didn't go off. The alarm being your mom, who usually kicked you out of bed first thing at 9 am, since she had a doctor’s appointment. Fair enough. The strings of fate got you there. All the more reason why moving out seemed like a distant dream rather than a close reality. Were you really capable of being a functioning adult?

Then there was the bus and having to shell out twenty bucks for a Lyft when the next scheduled bus was reported to have broken down and was no longer an option. That twenty bucks could’ve been your meal for the next week, but no, being fiscally responsible was a circus act, and you were the clown being pied in the face repeatedly. As if you weren’t already putting on a face and juggling multiple things enough on a daily basis, today was no different.

And then, you were late to work—which again, was nothing new—but you were hoping that Nayeon, who was scheduled as the shift manager, let you off with a warning. Yet, somehow, that went wrong as well, seeing that the shittier manager on your shift, Manager Fi, was present instead. And, by the look in the old man's eyes, he wasn’t happy about it either, especially considering he assigned you bathroom duty for the end of your shift to make up for your tardiness. He never liked you since you started. Then again, he didn’t like anybody, and vice versa.

This morning was bad omen after bad omen.

Leading up to finally meeting Minghao—tall, scorchingly hot Minghao, with lips that looked soft as clouds. You hadn’t seen him around before until today, and perhaps it should’ve stayed that way, because you couldn’t see yourself facing him ever again.

He walked in with his large group of friends, all almost nearly as charming as him with a handful of faces that you’ve seen once or twice, but none that stood quite out like his. He had the kind of face that made you want to paint murals, write ballads, or stare long enough to linger too long over the same spot you were cleaning on the counter, windshield wiping until the wet streaks you wiped off devolved to discoloration and damaged the countertop’s cheap sealant. Eventually, you averted your gaze to conceal your flushed cheeks—turning away in clear embarrassment, thinking about how much of a fucking creep you probably looked overtly gawking at him—but you’d soon realized that was the least of your worries. You’d soon wish it ended with you looking like a creep.

The next moment you lifted your eyes towards him again, you found him in a compromising position, one that had you thinking—and that was your first mistake. His face twisted with discomfort, and he gasped as he covered his mouth. A million thoughts raced through your mind, considering all the possible reasons for his distress, and one screamed the loudest above all, setting off alarm bells. So you—being meddling and troublesome you—acted on instinct.

Hopping over the counter, you raced towards him, pulled him off the booth which he was luckily on the edge of, and immediately attempted the Heimlich. Finally, your CPR certification could be put to use. You embraced him from behind, putting pressure on his ribcage as you launched and thrust yourself against him, forcing whatever was lodged in his throat out of his body.

“I’ve got you!” you exclaimed heroically.

You put in as much strength as you could muster, truly hoping to save a life today, thinking out of all things that have gone wrong today, at least this would be one thing you’ve done right. You could feel your ancestors looking down on you to witness a proud moment in your otherwise boring and mundane life.

After several rough collisions with his body, he eventually spat something chewed up and unsightly onto the booth’s table, drawing the attention of several onlookers if your boisterous shouting hadn’t already. His friends were quick to look away, wincing in disgust while the cute boy doubled over in pain, holding himself by the ribs as you ran your eyes over at him in concern.

“Are you alright, sir? That must’ve been terrifying to suffocate on something so suddenly.”

He then finally lifted his head. His cheeks were flushed as anguish took over his features. “I wasn’t choking,” He rasped.

“...Come again?”

“Oh my god!” A third-party witness stood up dramatically from their seat. “This barista just saved this young man’s life!”

Suddenly, you were punished with attention, cheers specifically. All except the people who sat at the cute boy’s table clapped for you—or, rather at you now—and gave you standing ovations for your grand heroic act, when in fact, it wasn’t heroic at all. Meanwhile, you attempted to settle them down, flapping your hands dismissively and growing hot all over. You looked over the man you so-called saved as he strained to sit back in his seat, being tended by the friends he came with.

“Dude, you okay?”

“Shit, that looked like it hurt.”

“You probably shouldn't have been drinking it that fast, Minghao.”

It turned out you had severely miscalculated the situation. What appeared to be choking, prompting you to improperly administer a rough but appropriate Heimlich maneuver, was simply a mildly exaggerated reaction to hot coffee followed by a muffin to alleviate his burnt taste buds. You, of course, profusely apologized, as if you weren’t embarrassed enough for staring at him the whole time working your entire shift at the coffee shop because he was the most breathtakingly stunning person you’ve ever seen in your life. You might’ve just about broken his ribs and made his life flash before his eyes by abruptly slamming your body against him repeatedly, and not in the fun way.

Rather than an apartment, you were in desperate need of a hole deep enough to lead you to the core of the Earth to hide you from everyone else on the crust, ideally with cheap rent and good air ventilation.

You bowed your head in humiliation, unable to meet any of their eyes, especially with the possibility of them remembering your face with a lawsuit waiting to happen. “I can’t believe that happened, I am so sorry. If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, please let me know.”

“It’s okay, really, but I think we’ve had enough excitement for today if you don’t mind.”

The attractive stranger—or Minghao, as you’ve learned from his friends who immediately rushed to him in concern—shook his hand in the air reassuringly. “Just, no more of that, alright? Make sure someone’s actually choking before trying to save them.”

“Right, please have a wonderful rest of your day,” you said, before returning to your station and disappearing behind the breakroom, screaming into your cubby and avoiding human interaction for as long as you could.

That scene replayed in your mind over and over like a recurring nightmare, burning the image of his beautiful face with such disdain for all eternity, while his name etched into your brain in permanent ink, embedded in every wrinkle in your brain. Minghao. A devastatingly beautiful name for a devastatingly beautiful owner.

Ugh. Get a fucking grip.

You just needed to get through the rest of the day. It would just be a couple more hours until your shift ended, and then you’d leave on the dot. It’d be just in time to make your appointment to meet your new potential roommate. Hopefully, it would be the silver lining of today’s catastrophic mess.

You met on electronic class forums while attending the same Cultural Studies course and somehow ended up relying on each other for notes. By your chat history, you seemed to have a lot in common—with the exception of his preference for tea over artisanal coffee—and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t get giddy seeing the green circle next to his username. Recently, he had just talked about moving into town after pondering the idea for so long, and as fate may have it, you’ve been looking for your own place to stay. You figured he seemed nice enough, and he even offered a reasonable quote on rent. It wouldn’t hurt to take a look. You just hoped he was as friendly in real life as he was online—with the day you had, you needed a win.

And, that win started with Chinese food, his choice, and it was a good one. You hadn’t been at this location before, taking note of the old-fashioned aesthetic touched by the harshness of modern neon signs that lit even the darkest of hallways. You were now thinking you ought to come more often as the heavenly notes of soy, ginger, and whatever concoction bled through the kitchen curtains and wafted through your nostrils the moment you passed through the double doors. Immediately, you were greeted by the host, visibly tired and overworked, with dark circles under his eyes, before he led you to a table in the center of the restaurant. You settled your nerves with a glass of water, trying to let the horrific events from today fade to as black as the soy sauce loitering on your table, waiting for a plate of dumplings to accompany them.

Funny how you could still have an appetite after everything that happened.

It wasn’t too long after you heard the same doors you walked through open, setting off the familiar sound of its wind chimes. You peered behind you, catching a glimpse of the new arrival, and immediately spun back in your seat, startled by the face that passed through your eyes. Trepidation brewed within you as the unsolicited visitor had your stomach in knots.

You couldn’t take another incident tonight.

You slunk into your seat, burying your chin in your shirt, hoping you’d somehow camouflage into your seat, facing away from the new arrival. Meanwhile, his eyes skimmed the room, walking in with purpose without guidance and greeting the employees as if he were right at home. Fortunately, he had yet to notice your presence as you slinked out of view the moment he passed by you to sit at the bar, while you made way into a booth in the dark corner of the restaurant, cursing the fates for their cruel games once again. You just had hoped that your new roommate would hurry it up already so you could get out of here before you were discovered.

And after about ten minutes, it felt as if all hope was lost. There was no sign of them and you were wondering if you had been stood up. Amid your anticipation, you were forced to pay attention to the person you were avoiding, seeing his patience wear thin with the tap of his foot as he sipped the last of his iced tea. Not a moment too soon, you saw him pluck his phone out from his pocket, fingers skittering over the screen before bringing it to his ear and scanning the restaurant’s floor plan. In the same instant, your phone went off, blaring your cursed ringtone, ‘Pocketful of Sunshine’, and the realization—along with the panic—quickly set in.

Alerted by the noise, his head whipped up from his screen. His eyebrows rose in shock, not all expecting the outcome that arose, and he dropped to his feet and quickly darted toward the sound that you—for the life of you—could not turn off fast enough. His footsteps matched the rate of your heart pounding in your chest, growing louder and closer until he found the source and located you cowering in the corner.

You lifted your head to lock eyes for the first time since this morning just as you finally managed to silence the ringtone and gave him an awkward laugh, waving with your phone in hand. Taking a nervous gulp, you awaited his disappointment, expecting him to make his quick exit after evaluating in the two seconds of your meeting that this arrangement would not work out because you were a deranged psycho with a savior complex. To your pleasant surprise, that didn't happen. Instead, you were met with a gentle smile and a glint of curiosity in his eyes. “There you are.”

You forced a sheepish chuckle. “Here I am, ha.”

Minghao softly chuckled before tucking his phone in his back pocket. “And to think just this morning you ‘saved my life.’”

You shut your eyes tightly, hands pressing together as if begging for forgiveness. “Again I am so, so sorry for that. It did look like you were choking.”

He shook his head reassuringly. “So you’ve said. I’m Minghao, or PalE8. Nice to meet you, CafeMixr0.”

“Is it…nice to meet me?” You asked dubiously.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

You blinked incredulously. “Well, for several reasons.”

He shrugged before entering the booth and leaving a healthy distance to sit just across from you. “Can’t think of any. Have you ordered anything yet?”

You shook your head, befuddled by his nonchalance, waiting to see the catch, if there was any.

“Good thing I know everything worth ordering.” His hand shot up before grabbing the attention of a server to get his order taken.

You weren't sure where the night was going. All you knew was the boy that you almost killed this morning was sitting across from you looking as breathtaking as he did this morning, even while slurping up his stir fry that was glossed with a sheen of chilli oil and swelling up his already full lips. Rather than a roommate meetup—if that was still the case—it felt like a date, a date you were exceedingly ill-prepared for.

Suddenly, you could feel the sweat on the back of your knees, feeling the strong urge to sniff the clothes on your back, unsure when the last time you did a fresh load of laundry and if your current attire was included in that load at all. Not to mention that bathroom duty that was forced upon you, which no doubt seeped into your clothes. You were better off naked, but then that would be an entire different kind of meeting, wouldn’t it?

“You’re okay, right?” You asked, trying to distract yourself from your spiraling thoughts as you barely finished your portion of chow mein—which was absolutely heavenly, to put it lightly.

He let out a light chuckle before kindly reassuring you. “How many times are you going to ask me? You and everyone from this morning. I’m fine, able-bodied and everything.”

“I just felt really bad. You looked really hurt.”

He couldn’t suppress his grin, finding your cautiousness amusing, but it only added to your unease. “I was hurt. You’re really, really strong.”

You winced. “Again. I am so sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s a quality of a good roommate.” He finished the last bit of his meal before dropping a couple of bills without asking for the tab. “Come on. I’ve got to show you the apartment.”

You raised an eyebrow while sipping your warm tea before tapping your mouth with a napkin. “You still want to room with me? After this morning?”

“There’s not a lot of good options for roommates in the city, and what are the odds that you’ll try to kill me twice?”

He had a fair point, and it wasn’t like you had options lining up either. You just had to hope he didn’t regret taking this chance on you.

A big reason why you wanted to move out was to learn to be on your own, but in addition to that, the city had pretty much everything to offer. The city had it all, from job opportunities to the right people to meet, and the apartment Minghao led you to was the center of the entirety of it. High above the town square, in a room several floors up, there was a nook that had a view through a large window overlooking everything within about a two-mile radius. If there was anything nice to say about the city, it definitely looked better from where you were standing. The street lights illuminated streets, neon signs brought the local businesses to life, and people that ran the night life lived it to the fullest in the flashiest clothes imaginable. You had never seen your city like this before.

Meanwhile, the apartment itself was gorgeous and already fully furnished with stylish furniture and greenery that touched the kitchen and living room. It was graced with Minghao’s taste in art and an eccentric—but tasteful—color palette of warm browns, olive greens, and rustic oranges. It felt like walking into Minghao’s mind, seeing into his world, and you were given the opportunity of it being yours, being part of his world. He was generous enough to even let you pass through the front door.

“So?” he asked, gauging your interest, watching as you looked down at the city from the large window nook in awe.

You softly scoffed, unable to take your eyes off the beautiful view calling to you like a siren at sea. “Um, I’m sorry, you had trouble finding a roommate, how?”

He crossed his arms, admiring the sight with you, glancing at you through his peripheral vision and grinning when he saw the childlike sparkle in your eyes. “I’m new to the city, and everyone I know here has their own living arrangements. I didn’t want to go too far in looking for a new roommate. I thought we'd work well together, since we’re based in the same city now and have a lot in common based on our conversations.”

“I almost killed you this morning,” You’ve pointed out to…death.

“Although you’re…impulsive and unpredictable, I’ve seen worse. I think I’ll manage.” He splayed his hand in front of you, gesturing for a shake to officially seal the deal. “What do you say? Do you still want to be roommates?”

Everything about this screamed it was a bad idea. Putting aside the fact that you nearly killed the man, you could barely stand in the presence of him without your mind drifting to dark waters. It didn’t take rocket science to understand that putting you in that same living quarters with Minghao meant you might have to live every day together with your hands tied behind your back and thighs taped shut. You’ve surprised yourself with how you’ve managed to keep your composure sharing the same air—the air you were even thinking of savoring as you contemplated this offer.

You were down-righteously-bad. You weren’t a fit roommate for Minghao in the slightest.

Yet, you took his hand, letting his cool palm clash with your warmth as his digits wrapped around you in a tight squeeze before shaking. “Let’s do it.”

And that marked the start of a new chapter of your life, unraveling the challenge of being Xu Minghao’s roommate. Only, he wasn’t the challenge. He was a breath of fresh autumn air. He was kind beyond words and accommodating in every step of your move. You were already familiar with his gentle and patient nature, as he had frequently taken the time to clarify complex ideas for class, and you’ve learned about the majority of his interests prior from your online discussions, but seeing PalE8’s traits in person—embodied in Minghao—was bizarre. You realized he was still a stranger after all. A stranger that claimed your breath with a single bat of his eyes and turned your stomach inside out worse than a bad case of food poisoning, no less.

Meanwhile, the neighbors knew him by name, were endeared by his presence, and found him to be a delightful conversationalist as well as a helping hand when the situation called for it. He was better than your friendly neighborhood spiderman. He was your kind, considerate, intricately woven, beautifully complex, and knees-bucklingly handsome Minghao.

You weren’t usually a sexual deviant, at least not to this extent, but Minghao brought something out of you that you hadn’t felt for another person. However, if you were going to live together, that had to change. This crush was going to have to dwindle out of existence if you wanted to live together—emphasis on you—in peace.

So, that’s when you decided to make a list of rules that only you had to follow. Sure, you were an adult, and the thought of giving yourself rules to keep your hands to yourself was juvenile and stupid, but for the sake of your sanity, you were looking for anything that might work. That’s when you decided to make a list of things “good roommates don’t do”, thinking it would be shorter and easier to sum up than a long redundant list of things good roommates would do, and the first thing to top the list was easy.

Good roommates don’t almost kill each other (again).

That seemed easy enough to remember, considering the first time was traumatic enough, and fortunately, it didn’t take too much effort, considering you hardly saw each other despite living together.

You ended up taking up more shifts at work, desperate enough to even join the catering team, to keep yourself busy and afford the new expense of rent, sacrificing a lot more of your free time. Meanwhile, Minghao’s work schedule was not only demanding, it was inconsistent. Working at a popular art gallery as an artist and attendant with frequent and erratic events to go to until late at night prompted your roommate to be seen home a lot less than expected. By the time either of you got home, there wouldn’t be so much of a hello or goodbye either, just the sounds of bodies falling on beds in either rooms as the day’s fatigue engulfed you until you succumbed to sleep.

You’d be lying if you said that you weren’t a little disappointed by these circumstances, but then again, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. Seeing him as little as you did meant less opportunity for you to screw things up around him, because it seemed to happen quite frequently when he was around. The few times you did cross paths, you still found ways to humiliate yourself.

“That’s mine.”

You held the toothbrush mid-scrub, bubbles foaming at the corners of your mouth, “Eh?”

“I think you’re using my toothbrush.”

Your cheeks immediately grew warm, and you shielded your face with the back of your hand. You spat into the sink and splashed water on your face to rid yourself of toothpaste residue before turning back to respond, his words jumbling in your head and bouncing from corner to corner to process them. “I-I don’t think so, this is the one I always use.”

He snickered, leaning against the door frame and crossing his arms, delectably dressed down in a gray tank top and sweatpants. The tempting taste of domesticity was sweet and permeated your tastebuds. “If that’s the case, we’ve been sharing, because I’ve always kept my brush there in the marble cup. Yours should be behind the medicine cabinet where you first left it.”

“What? You sure?” you pinned the used toothbrush on the sink’s porcelain before cracking open the medicine cabinet. “I’m pretty sure I took it—Ah!”

Startled by your findings, you dropped the toothbrush you gripped in your hand onto the floor when you’ve proven Minghao right as his toothbrush fell to the ground, now defiled with your oral bacteria and whatever was on the floor. The one day you take a shift later than usual because a member begged to take on more shifts, it blew up in your face. Seokmin, you will rue the day. “I-I’ll clean it!” You offered in a panicked tone.

He pushed himself off the threshold, waving his hand dismissively. “Don’t, please. It’s dirty; I can just replace it.”

Filled with guilt, you stepped aside to watch him pick up the dirty brush before disposing of it in the waste bin, “Sorry.”

“You say that a lot.”

He pulled a fresh toothbrush out of a drawer and ripped it out of its packaging. It was notably identical to his previous and your current abandoned toothbrush, down to the bristles. “No worries. See,” he turned the new hygiene tool for inspection, “Clean.”

“Regret having me as a roommate yet?” you joked anxiously towards his reflection in the mirror.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Nothing I can’t manage. I lived in a boarding house full of guys that shared things without asking and it didn’t stop at toothbrushes. You’re the first roommate I’ve had that’s apologized. I say that’s an upgrade.”

He went on to brush his teeth with his newly obtained brush, christening the bristles with a squeeze of fluoride toothpaste before scrubbing against his pearly whites. He never ceased to amaze you with his aloof attitude towards the situation, as if he’d become accustomed to your chaos when he didn’t need to be at all. This situation, however, did indicate that you had another thing to be added to the list.

Good roommates don’t use each other’s toothbrush (even by accident)

In your room just before you left for work, you haphazardly added to the list you put on a crumpled piece of paper you kept in your wallet, ensuring you held your list close before setting the pen aside. Your heart pounded against your chest, thinking what that had meant all this time. How you’ve pretty much swapped saliva nearly every day with Minghao since moving in. The fact that it had gone on for so long repulsed you, but not anymore than the tiny part of yourself that maybe had always known and continued to do it.

You held your digits to your lips, brushing the pads against the slit of your mouth, ragged breaths slowly leaving your lungs as you reached your enamel. Tension pooled in your stomach as the images that infiltrated your dreams were currently being conjured in your consciousness, while arousal chased down your legs as you clenched them together. Jolted back to reality, you wound your eyes shut, remembering how little he cared about the matter, how nonchalant he was when he found out. Meanwhile, here you were: perverse, losing your mind, and letting your imagination run wild like a hormonal teenager with her celebrity crush.

Fuck. You needed a night out. You had been cooped up in the apartment for too goddamn long. The only other place you went was work, and knowing labor laws, they had to give you a night or two off for all the time you’d been putting in. There was a whole outside world, and you needed to buck up and take advantage of it. You had to do something other than fawn over your very hot roommate. Losing some spare change was worth the sanity. At least, you hoped it was.

“You going out tonight?”

Hearing a familiar tenor voice, your head lifted up from fixing the strap of your shoes to see him remove his coat and store it away in the front entrance closet. “Oh, you’re home,” you stated.

“Yeah. The gallery is closed tonight for a bigger show this weekend, so I have a couple days where I’m off earlier than usual.”

More time for Minghao to be at home. Great.

You nodded, keeping your cool at the sight of his turtleneck hugging his lean and toned frame, making your heart work overtime in place of you this evening. “I see, but yeah. A couple of my friends and I are trying out that new place that just opened up in midtown.”

“Oh, let me know how that goes. Me and some friends had plans to go there too.”

“Okay.” You hurried your way to the door. “Don’t wait up.”

“Wait.”

Hand on the door knob, you cursed under your breath, squeezing your eyes shut as if bracing for impact before opening them, and turned around with an innocuous expression. “Yes?”

He held out his hand. “Your phone please.”

“Hmm? Why,” you asked, unlocking it before complying.

He smiled accepting it, before swiping his fingers off the screen. “I’m sending myself your location.”

And there your heart when pitter-patter again at thoughtful and kind hot as fuck Minghao. “I just told you where I’d be.”

“That could always change. Here,” he said, handing your phone back, beaming back at you warmly. “Just in case something happens, and you can always call me if you feel unsafe, okay?”

You gave a soft pout, cheeks growing warm at the thought of Minghao’s concern over you. It pleased you more than it should’ve. “Thanks. What are you gonna do tonight?”

He shrugged, taking a quick glance over his shoulder. “Maybe do some light reading and tea, paint if inspiration hits me.”

You gave a small grin, thinking just how Minghao those activities sound. “Sounds enlightening. Okay. I’ll be home soon.”

“Be safe.”

Even long after you’d left, you kept thinking about that interaction. How domestic it felt, how safe it made you feel, how seen you really were. It made you wonder if he was tracking you right now, looking at his phone, staring at the dot indicating where you were located. You wondered if he was thinking about you right now, because you were most certainly thinking about him.

Your mission of trying to forget Minghao by going out definitely was not working, but you took that as a sign to keep drinking. Your friends didn’t get to see you often with how much you worked, so they were just happy to see you were having a good time, not knowing you were trying to drown out the consuming thoughts of a certain man with a peculiar color scheme.

They wouldn’t have known the way you let yourself get felt up by a stranger near the dance floor, standing so close you could smell the knock off cologne he was practically bathing in as his breath hung in the air against your neck. When it went nowhere, he eventually left, looking for prospects elsewhere, while you stuck to your mission, seeing it work at some point at night. Until it didn’t, but you didn’t remember because eventually it’d all fade to black.

Your eyes ripped open, waking up with the biggest headache, blinded by the natural rays of light bleeding through blinds—only your room didn’t have blinds. You specifically made sure to have blackout curtains because you couldn’t stand waking up to the sun, and that hasn’t ever changed. Grumbling irritatingly along the lines about who turned on the lights, you flipped on the other side of the bed with a half awoken daze, your blurry vision making out a lumpy figure underneath the covers.

You drew closer in confusion, trying to make sense of what you were seeing before taking in the fact the lump had a face as blinding as the sun you turned away from, startling you upon recognition. Your eyes shot open, wide awake now, and you nearly stumbled out of the mattress before his arms grabbed you, latching on you before you could fall off and safely secured you in his tucked embrace.

“It’s a bit early for your charming antics, isn’t it?” Minghao chucked with closed eyes.

You blinked back at him, licking your lips anxiously. “How am I here right now?”

His eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the light. “You mean alive or in bed with me?”

Your cheeks grew hot. “B-both.”

“I wish I had an answer for the first question, but it seems your creator had more plans for you. As for your second concern, you seemed confused and tired, and I assumed you confused this bed for yours.”

“You should’ve kicked me out.”

He shrugged nonchalantly, rubbing his hands over your shoulders and sending a chill down your spine. “I didn’t want to wake you up.”

You let out a soft sigh, ridden with guilt. “I’d deserve it. I must’ve been annoying to deal with.”

He knitted his brows together, the corner of his lips softly turning down. “You really don’t like yourself.”

“No—well, maybe not lately. Maybe I’m just coming to the realization I’m not a good roommate.”

“No one is good at anything their first time.”

“You’re not denying it!”

“You’re a fine roommate.” Patting you on the back, he threw off the covers and pushed himself out of bed, leaving his room to trod toward the kitchen. You followed after curiously, like a duckling that imprinted on its mother, watching as he pulled out ingredients from the fridge’s shelves. “Anything you’re allergic to?” He asked over his shoulder.

“Nothing comes to mind.” You answered hesitantly.

“Good. The recipe is fairly easy anyway, it shouldn’t kill you.”

Your eyes widened and you quickly stood by his side as he set all the items down, he followed with gathering bowls and cookware. “You’re cooking for me?”

“Mmh-hmm.”

“You don’t have to.”

He turned his head slightly. “You have a headache, don’t you?”

“Yes but—”

“It’s just egg drop soup.” He patted your shoulder nodding his head over at the counter stool either of you would often have breakfast. “Sit. It’ll be done in a few minutes.”

You sat patiently by the counter, watching him chop and throw ingredients into a small pot, which filled your shared residence with a savory aroma. As soon as he was done, he presented the dish in front of you, garnishing it with fresh chopped scallions and parsley. He picked up a serving with a soup spoon and gently blew on the top before taking a quick sample and grinning at the result. Scooping with the same spoon, he held a serving towards you with proud eyes.

“Try it,” he urged.

As you accepted the offering, you tried not to think about how you were about to share yet another household item that would enter both your mouths and let the simple flavors fan out on your tongue, the warmth of soup dispersing throughout your body. You hummed in delight, already feeling it work its magic. “It’s delicious,” you said softly.

He grinned. “Feel better.”

“Thanks, Minghao.”

“No problem at all.”

As you enjoyed your thoughtful breakfast, your roommate cleaned up his mess. He wiped down whatever residue was left behind before heading to his room and coming out properly dressed in brown slacks and muted green patterned sweater when you were just about done eating. “Heading to work now.”

“You had work?” You asked surprised, “Why did you waste time cooking? You could have left already.”

He softly scoffed heading to the door. “I spent—what, five or ten minutes? It’s fine. See you later.”

In the last 24 hours, Minghao managed to make sure you were safe by tracking your location, gave you a good night's rest by not disrupting your sleep, and made you breakfast right before work. Then there’s you, black out drunk with almost no memory of last night (probably good you didn’t), annoying your overly nice and overly hot roommate, hogging a bed that isn’t yours, and eating a home cooked meal that probably set back his schedule. You were the worst. All the more reason for a new addition to the list.

Good roommates don't sleep in their other roommate’s bed piss drunk (again)

It seemed that this list of “don’ts” was getting longer, probably because you’re an awful roommate, and if there was a reward, yours would already be at the front door. You really, really had to make an effort to do something about this arrangement. Now that some time had passed and these interactions were becoming more frequent, avoiding him seemed to be out of question unless you wanted to give him the wrong impression. You would just have to become a better roommate, and that started with making up for this morning.

In the following months together, to atone for the bed incident and good deeds that followed suit, you shared the occasional breakfast if you had time (that is if you didn’t burn anything), even sometimes grabbing dinner or a late meal in the small gap before or after work. While in the late hours, when both of you should’ve been sleeping, you’d have a cup of your favorite beverages. He’d have his brew of tea for the night while you’d have a mug of coffee, awake under the stars and basking in the night, watching from the nook that you both grew fond of that was in the direction of the moon when it’s at its peak.

Of all people to share these moments with, you couldn’t imagine it with anyone else but Minghao. He was the peace amongst the chaos, the quiet you came home to after dealing with the noisy world that helped you heal like nothing else. You liked that about him, and now you were liking him too much, to the point you thought of him every day. What it’d be like for him to hold you in his arms, letting his warmth envelop your entire being the way his voice naturally does with a simple “it’s okay.”

You’d imagine how he’d look at you, how lovers do when they ache for one another so desperately they could feel it down to every atom. You’d thought of the words he’d say to you, the words he’d say to someone he’s madly, irrevocably besotted with, and every letter and word and sentence would be spoken poetry. He’d feel like love. You didn’t think it was possible for you to grow more attracted to him, but learning all these wonderful things he does and seeing up close and personal how beautiful inside and out he was, you were developing feelings and growing all these desires that you were ashamed to admit out loud.

And with that, you pulled out your list and a pen, jotting in a new item.

Good roommates don’t live in every waking moment staring at them or thinking about wanting to kiss them (no matter how hard it is)

You’ve lost count of how many times you’ve already broken that rule, but the least you could do was hold yourself accountable.

However, writing the rule didn't prevent future instances. Not from fantasizing, not from wet dreams, not from imagining a life together where you rid all your inhibitions and clothes and succumb to drowning in each other. Unlike every other rule that you’ve managed to avoid, this one was the outlier, flipping your world on its head and preoccupying every second of your thoughts with all things Xu Minghao. And what sucked was you were so guilt ridden, you couldn't even let yourself enjoy it.

This was your roommate for crying out loud. Your wholesome, nice, forgiving, and tolerant roommate that went beyond what was necessary to make you feel at home and comfortable. Only time will tell when he’ll see through you and finally kick you to the curb.

“Let’s go out.”

Your head lifted up from your phone with eyes large as saucers. “What?”

“We haven't really done anything together,” he suggested, cleaning up the dishes of the dinner you both had just had.

It was one of the few nights that you were both free. The coffee shop had more than enough staff, and you’ve exhausted the hours put in, while the art gallery was planning a grand exhibition, so they needed all hands on deck for the mornings for a few weeks, but evenings would be free until the week of. That left you two a lot more free time than you knew what to do with.

“We see each other all the time,” you pointed out.

“At home. We don’t hang outside the apartment aside from that one dinner the first day we met, so let’s go out.”

You blinked, watching him grab his coat before you could argue as he waved you over, his smile luring you closer and putting you under his spell without you realizing until it was too late. “Uh, where? It’s 9PM.”

“Anywhere.”

For someone who had only arrived in town a couple months ago, Minghao knew a lot of the good spots in the city. If it wasn’t food, it was book stores. If it wasn’t book stores, it was tea shops. He had a clear plan of the city, and without so much looking at a GPS, he could find his way around better than any native. And considering all the people he came with that day you met the coffee shop and all the staff at the Chinese restaurant, his index didn’t stop at places. He seemed more familiar with the people in your hometown than you were. Between you two, he looked like the real local.

Walking alongside your roommate, you turned to him curiously, “How do you know the city so well when you’ve moved in somewhat recently?”

He gave a soft smile looking into the distance, as if the gust of wind that passed through you both hit him with a wave of nostalgia. “I’ve been visiting for about four years. I only had the guts to become a resident recently.”

“Why’d it take you so long?”

“Student visa processes, paper work, all those things. Also, this city is great, and everyone I've met and have become close with is amazing, but home is just home. It’s all I’ve ever known.” He let out a deep sigh, taking in a deep breath before stretching out his arms and let fall back to his sides, turning slightly to you. “This country and town has become a second, though, some things even my home can’t beat.”

You mused at that, intrigued that he could find something appealing in here, then again you've been here all your life, yet Minghao showed you more you could ever imagine of it. “Like what?”

He simply smiled as their feet stopped at their final destination, a location they both aimlessly walked towards just a little off the center of the town. “I’ll tell you, as soon as we try this place out.”

Just off the center of town was a bar you had never heard of with a theme you’d never thought to put together on your own and definitely a place you’d never think to walk into with your roommate you were trying to keep platonic feelings for.

“Hey sexy babies, welcome to the Love in Leather BDSM Bar, where all your sexy dreams can come true.”

Oh, my god.

You were petrified. Every wall was decorated with leather or latex, either on display in a box, on a vulgarly displayed mannequin, or on an employee that was dressed in next to nothing, leaving no room for imagination. You weren’t shy about the theme of BDSM—there was always a small part of you curious about it—but it’s not like you’ve talked extensively about it with Minghao. The same person you were trying really hard not to think about sleeping with, which was especially hard in a place that served ‘cum shots’ and with their special for tonight being ‘buttery nipples.’

Glancing back at your roommate to get his reaction, he seemed to be just as startled with his findings as you were, but perhaps not as terrified as he should be, taking you by the wrist and weaving through the crowd with a marveled expression. You were grateful for the loud music playing the explicit versions of songs you wouldn’t otherwise hear on the radio, drowning out the sound of your heavy breathing and the loud thrum of your heart. You just had hoped he couldn’t feel your pulse under his fingertips, unable to untangle from his grasp as you felt the heat of his touch spread out through your whole body. You were trapped in a web you didn’t want to leave and that was the hardest kind to be in.

Suddenly, lights poured on the center stage of the bar. The music then slowed down, transitioning to another song, and a scantily leather clad woman entered that would erupt cheers of all clients seated in the chairs in front of her, to which she sent an air kiss and wink. Following the crowd, both you and Minghao decided to cheer along with them, your sounds of encouragement drowned out in the more enthusiastic and obscenely creative audience members of the establishment. Walking across the stage, she made a show of it, caressing her body in ways that would have a man on his knees howling at the moon (which you swore you heard once or twice in there) as money was thrown strewn stage like confetti, enough to pay for a few nice dinners uptown. After garnering the excitement, she descended down the steps of the stage, walking into her live audience. Her eyes skimmed through the endless crowds of people, landing on and picking one lucky front row member—a young, spry man no older than twenty-five—and brought him on stage, ensuing roars and applause, indicating the start of the real show.

What happened next was something you did not want to get into detail, but in layman’s terms, that audience member was having the time of his life with the use of a flog while everyone watched. You could only make the distinction of excruciating pain and pleasurable pain by the very loud affirmations coming out of his mouth and bouncing off the board he face planted on, and the words that passed through one of your ears and never wanted to come out the other. You were slack jawed from the scene, not at all expecting this scene today, and holy shit, you could not feel more suffocated knowing Minghao was witnessing all of this beside you.

He stared back at the scene, expression unreadable, but he seemed interested and unable to look away like it was an oncoming train wreck, looking as if he was stuck on the tracks and was making sense of what he was seeing. Suddenly, his eyes locked with yours and you watched as they softened with a glint of something behind them before you swiveled your head, feeling yourself burn from your face to your ears, clenching your free hand. This felt eerily like a date, but unlike the first dinner, this felt like a real one. An immense sexually charged one.

You were surrounded by sex at all angles, being tested to the most extreme degree. Tonight, you’ve learned dominance wasn’t particularly your thing, but if it were Minghao, perhaps you wouldn’t have minded.

But this, this was overwhelming. As if sensing your turmoil, Minghao tugged your wrist, making you fix your gaze on him again and read the words that he mouthed from his lips. “Time to run.”

Your fingers interlocked and feet picked up speed as you headed toward the door, running aimlessly for miles out of the bar in fits of smiles and laughter. There was no plan and no destination, you both just wanted out, and you’d only stop running when you reached a bridge, both your bodies collapsing against the metal railing. You both gave out in heavy pants, your breaths mingling as you faced one another.

“That’s crazy,” you managed to rasp. “Why did we think we could go in there?”

He gave you a tired grin back, looking in the direction from which you came. The light layer of perspiration made his shirt cling to his skin, and you get a sliver of his chest as he aired it out for comfort. “I don’t know. Try something new, but that.” He pointed where he faced. “That’s how I know so many places, I just walk inside.”

You ran your hand over your chest, baring the biggest grin. “Gosh. I feel like dying.”

“Iced coffee?” He kindly suggested.

“And tea?” You cared to offer.

Nodding back at each other, you both decided to walk the rest of the way back around, making a stop at a light night cafe and occupying their second floor balcony to taste the crisp air. As you sipped on your iced coffee and Minghao sipped on his warm tea, you quietly basked in the moonlit sky, as you’d done many times before. The adrenaline of tonight coursed through you still while you leaned against the railings and stared up at the stars, your elbows grazing close enough to spark that electricity that you’d feel whenever he ever got too close. This time, you were too tired to fight it, or you learned it’s about time you stopped trying to.

“I don’t drink coffee.” He abruptly confessed, penetrating the silence.

You softly scoffed, turning your head to him, taking his reminder as a jab for your ‘inferior’ tastes before taking a bigger sip of your delicious fresh roast press. “I know that. You prefer tea.”

“I mean, I don’t drink coffee, but the day you ‘saved me,’ I did.”

You hummed. “Oh. Yeah, you did. Funny. You got a coffee that day instead?”

He shook his head, smiling. “No, ask me why I drank coffee that day.”

You rolled your eyes, placing your drink on the side table before leaning your elbows over the railing. “Okay. Why did you drink coffee, Minghao?”

“I drank my friend’s mug on accident, thinking it was my tea, then tasted how scaldingly hot and wretched it was—”

You gasped, offended as a barista, “I work really hard on those!”

He waved his hand to calm you down. “Let me finish. I mistook my normal tea for coffee…all because I got distracted, unable to stop thinking about the cute barista who wouldn't quit staring at me from behind the counter.”

“...I apologize for being a creep.”

He shook his head smiling and set his tea cup aside. “Not my point.”

You stared into the contents of your drink, shaking the ice inside as you stirred the straw, trying to find any remains of your beverage and stalling for time to follow up with a response. Lips pressed in a firm line, you glanced at him from the corner of your eye, silence met on the other end as he keenly observed you, mirroring your posture while he sipped his tea. “So…You thought I was cute,” you managed to sum up.

“Thought…think…know.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?” You timidly asked.

“We’re roommates,” he reminded you, plain as day. “We should be honest with each other, right?”

“Honest,” you repeated, lethally soft.

“Yes, honest,” he confirmed just as quietly. “Don’t be afraid to tell me whatever is on your mind, just as I’ve told you what was on my mind.”

His honesty was cute, flattering. Your honesty could write up a restraining order. “Is that necessary? We only really live together.”

“It’s necessary because we live together, so yes, be honest about your feelings. Let me in on your thoughts, whatever they may be.”

Good roommates don’t forget to be honest about each other’s feelings.

He stood in front of you dangerously close, the lingering smell of his cologne that reminded you of the ocean wafting into your nose as he drew near. His gaze beckoned you close without so much a word passing through his lips, and you felt his presence close in on the distance as he leaned against the railing. You softly batted your eyes, adjusting to your sense being overtaken by all things Minghao, mind just filled to the brim with Minghao, as if you couldn’t get enough of him.

“You’re really committed to being a good roommate. I respect that,” you stated, harshly gulping. “Honesty. Where can I start?”

“Well, what are you thinking about right now?” He asked, face mere inches away from you, lips so plush you let out a wistful sigh.

“I’m thinking that…it’s really hard to think with your face so close in front of me.”

Despite that, he didn’t move, and instead he pushed a lock of your hair behind your ear, brushing against your helix to feel your flustered warmth bloom between his fingers. “Fair enough. What else?”

You wrapped your hand around the railing, stabling yourself on the floor in hopes of not falling over on your two feet, your breath being stolen in real time by your roommate who was looking more and more inviting by the second.

“And if I knew any better, I’d think you're about to kiss me.”

“Let’s wager that then,” he said as he reeled even closer, his fingertips once in your ears now guiding your chin, letting the surface of your lips feel the ghost of his as your breaths mingled against one another. “You can predict one of two things. One, I kiss you. Or two, I pull away. You get a prize if your answer is correct.”

“How is that a fair wager? You can easily change your response depending on how I answer,” you pointed out, ultimately playing along.

“I won’t,” he reassured in a coaxingly smooth tone. “I’ve made my choice.”

You raised a brow, attempting to look only subtly intrigued when in reality you’ve let him enchant you. “What’s my prize?”

“Loser grants whatever the winner wishes.”

“That’s irresponsible.”

“Knowing you, your request would be far from unreasonable.”

“I’m talking about you.” You narrowed your eyes, swallowing at seeing him come at you so close. “But, okay. I’ll play.”

The corner of his lips lifted mischievously, tilting his head to the side as his eyes narrowed back at you. “So, what’s your answer?”

Your eyes flickered up to him, rounded up in intrigue as you tried to follow his gaze. “You’ll…pull away. Public displays of affection are cute, but maybe not your cup of tea, at least not grand ones like kissing, unless maybe it’s one the cheek or on the forehead.”

He smiled and gently tilted his head, eyes piercing into yours and taking a sharp breath before pulling away, crossing his arms with a soft pout on his lips. “You’re good.”

You felt the sting of rejection despite your victory, as if you’d hoped you’d be wrong. That he’d take you right there against the railing and give you a fervid kiss that broke you down to your knees and you could even taste in your dreams, but a win was a win. A predicted loss was better than a false victory.

“I guess I won.”

He sighed defeatedly, crossing his arms. “You did. So tell me, what desire would you like for me to fulfill for you?”

You shuddered at his choice of words, clamping your legs together. “Well, what would you have wanted me to do if I got the answer wrong?”

“Is that your wish? For me to answer the question?”

You softly scoffed. “Don’t be so cheap.”

He rolled his eyes before taking a sip of his tea, “Doesn’t matter, you didn’t get it wrong. You get the wish. So go on, tell me your wish.”

“…Fine. Grant me your wish as if you had won.”

“You want me to grant my own wish? That defeats the entire purpose,” he chortled with knitted brows.

“It’s my wish, so come on. What’s your wish?”

“You don’t have to do this.”

“And we didn't have to place bets, but it doesn't seem like there’s any rules against it, so go ahead. Tell me.”

Minghao sucked his teeth before complying. “Fine.”

He moved toward you, hands settling over your hips and settling you on the floor beneath your feet as he gravitated toward, steadying his gaze on you. His face, inches away from you, and your breath hitched in your throat as he drew his lips near your ear. You heard the subtle squelch of his tongue as they licked his teeth, moments before the wish he dared you to grant poured out from his lush lips. “My wish is for you to…make me tea every morning, afternoon, evening, and every time I ask you to. Like my little tea gremlin.”

“Now that’s just evil, Xu Minghao,” You protested, lightly shoving him off.

He laughed. “No, it’s not! Think of it like pour over coffee.”

“Don’t try romanticizing it like it’s anything like my beautiful beans. Tea is tea. Coffee is coffee.”

“It was your wish to grant my wish.”

“Can I take it back?” You whined.

“It’d be dishonorable.”

You groaned. “Fine.”

He chuckled, “Let’s go home, hmm?”

Heading back home, you were embraced by a warm comfortable silence. There was a kind of silence that sanctioned your amicable living arrangement with Minghao to turn into something warmer, feverish even, something that you can’t even help but notice and your hands would occasionally graze one another on the way back, taking turn exchanging timid glances at you walked your path home.

“That was fun,” You admitted, taking off your shoes at the front door.

“Yeah, I think so. We should do it more often.”

You smiled at each other’s reflections as you stood in front of the bathroom mirror, seeing you take the same tube of toothpaste and started brushing your teeth. You smiled as he purposely bumped into you, raising his eyebrow as you stared pointedly at him in the mirror, not expecting you to retaliate with a light shove. Ensuing a nudging war, you attacked each other’s shoulders, getting caught in fits of giggles before you forced yourselves to split up, knowing nothing would get done if you both let it go on.

“Do you work tomorrow?” You asked through the gaping door of your room as he cleared a glass a water before bedtime, freshly out of a shower and the smell of his clean, light fragrance was beguiling even from a distance.

“Yeah. Do you?”

“Yeah.”

“Mmh.” He stalked over in your direction, a feign innocent smile on his lips. “That's too bad. We only really have nights like these together, it seems at least only for a little while.”

“It is,” You said, lathering up the last bit of lotion up your legs, feeling his eyes on you as they traveled the path of your hands.

The silence engulfed you, as if both of you were waiting for the other to make a sudden move, yet both of you remained still. Like a predator with its prey, unsure who was who, you both stood with uncertainty and palpable tension hanging in the air, waiting for the other to strike when the moment was right. Even the usually confident Minghao stood back as he observed you from a distance, eyes flickering over at you as you strided slowly towards him guarded with crossed arms.

“I guess, I’ll go to sleep now,” You finally said.

His gaze softened, nodding. “Okay,” he smiled, “good night.”

“Good night, Minghao. Sleep well.”

If only you had taken your own words to heart.

That night, you couldn’t help but stare back at the ceiling, fiddling with the covers as the night’s events replayed in your head like a home movie, your thoughts traveling at a million miles a minute, too fast for you to stop and collect them—let alone process them—and stole your precious slumber. So, as you lay in bed awake at night, squeezing your eyes shut and waiting for the night to take you, waiting for the fatigue and sleep to come, it never arrived. Instead, your eyes ripped open, heart pounding in your chest as you sat up from the mattress and tore the covers off your body. Your legs pushed you off the bed and lifted yourself off, carrying yourself out the room and out the hallway with determined steps until faltering at the threshold of another front door before you softly knocked.

You turned the knob, the door creaked open and you peeked your head through to see your roommate on the other end in bed, torso visibly bare as he slowly sat up at his late night intrusion. “Hey,” He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “You’re up.”

“I think it’s the coffee,” you excused, clutching the edge of the door, “I can’t sleep.”

Wordlessly, he nodded, stretching an arm to beckon you towards him, and you slowly inched closer to him until you were completely under the covers. Occupying the space beside him, you nestled into the contours of his body as his arm cushioned the side of your head before facing one another, silence enveloping you. The only sound that bit into the silence was muted traffic, infinitely alive outside the walls of your confines. While it looked peaceful, and you felt as though you could melt into his arms, neither of you looked as if you were trying to sleep.

Rather, you stared at one another, making sleep even harder to attain as you traced every feature and took them in as if they were brushstrokes on a painting. Minghao may have worked with art every day, but he was a work of art in his own right, and you couldn’t help favor him above all others. You didn’t need a Van Gogh or Picasso, you had an original, a one of a kind Minghao.

And that’s when you saw his eyes begin to drift, lowering to the bottom half of your face, lips parting in intrigue as his breath fanned lightly against your cheeks. Your face flush in response, pushing your bottom lip between your teeth before they were caught, finding yourself doing the same with him and watching his mouth move in anticipation. You felt your pulse in your throat as much as you felt it between your legs, feeling arousal pooling and soaking your shorts.

“Do you want to wager another bet?” Minghao softly offered.

“What kind?” You breathed.

“The same bet, same prize. Do you think I’ll kiss you, or will I pull away?”

You mused at him, fingers extending toward him reluctantly, aiming for a lock of his hair laying stray on his forehead before smoothing it over his head, softly stroking him, feeling him lean into your touch. “Hmm, this time you’ll…kiss me,” you whispered with absolute certainty. “The tension is practically eating you alive.”

A grin stretched wide across his cheeks as a hand softly clasped over your face, thumb swiping across your cheek. “Right again.”

He closed the gap, slotting his lips between yours and languidly moving against you, letting you chase after his pace. You sighed against him, feeling his hand on your hip as he pulled your torso against his, the other rested against the nape of your neck as he reveled in your heat. Hands flying in his hair, you softly moaned as he kneaded your skin, feeling him trace the inside of your mouth with his tongue before he roughly pulled your weight from the mattress to topple you over him, letting your legs card between his.

“Minghao,” you quietly sounded against his lips, crushing your hips against his groin and hearing his sweet moan in response.

His muscles tensed as you pressed against him, while his legs clung to your thighs. His hands ran over the shape of your figure, unearthing an ungodly moan from your lips as he slipped beneath your shorts, etching over the curve of your ass and claiming your raw flesh in his hands, pushing you against him assertively.

You whimpered, grinding against him. “I know my wish.”

“Anything,” He tenderly mumbled.

“Call off work tomorrow.”

He smiled against your lips, bringing one of his knees to pin your bodies closer together. “Means you should too.”

“Oh, definitely,” You confirmed before reconnecting your mouths in a frenzied liplock.

Feeling the grind of your hips as his pelvis crushed against yours, his grunts slipped through every caress as his hand moved up your back. Soon, you started feeling something you had yet to see from Minghao in all your time living with him, the part of him you managed to evade but have envisioned a multitude of times, growing in his sweatpants and rubbing against your thigh the closer your bodies were.

“I have never wanted someone so bad,” He whispered in a soft ache.

His hands crept underneath your shirt, brushing against your skin, pressing against the small of your back. Pressing his torso towards you, his erection adhered to your thigh, the tension coiling in your stomach burned like wildfire, at an unstoppable rage. “Minghao,” you mewled, impatience singeing on your tongue.

“Somehow, I can still taste coffee on your breath, but I don't really mind it. It tastes really good on you,” He admitted before kissing you deeper, his moans buzzing against your mouth, hungry and alive as his hands dug into your flesh with utter greed.

“You taste really good too.” Your hand body scoured south, cupping his size under your palm and tasting his gasp as you sucked him between your lips. “I wonder what else tastes good.”

“You are something else,” he mumbled, through quiet chuckles. “Just like you to act on impulse.”

You let out a light scoff. “You are so—”

“Don’t start things you can’t finish,” he softly warned with a smirk.

“I’m not the one you have to worry about finishing.”

You moved down, the covers draped over your head as you kept your eyes on him and resting on the hem of his sweats. Minghao’s breath hitched in his throat, gulping while he felt your nails lightly claw against his bare torso, tugging the waistband off the tent he forged, revealing the lack of underwear and restraint he had left, now sprung against your face.

“Shit,” you said grinning, claiming him by the shaft, thumbing over the precum glistening at the tip. “Even your cock looks pretty.”

A soft pink decorated his cheeks and a hand meekly shielded part of his face. “You staring is how I got myself hurt in the first place.”

“Then I’ll be careful not to hurt you this time—that is, unless you want me to.”

You spat on his cock, a translucent ribbon stretching from your tongue to his length. Your saliva lubing your knuckles, you squeezed his girth in your grip as you stroked and felt him pulse in your hands, growing bigger the tighter you clenched. Minghao’s arms propped himself up and behind him as his chest heaved, blood pumping with every drag of your fingers, shallow breaths slipping out of him as he fisted the sheets beneath him.

You kissed the curve of the head, lips pursed to wrap lightly around him, suckling down his shaft, and feeling him twitch against your mouth when you chuckled. He softly whined, his hand extended toward you to tenderly caress the side of your head and tacitly pleading with you as you teased him. Showing him mercy, you took him with an eager mouth, closing your lips around his cock as you steadied your gaze on him. Moans vibrating around his girth, your tongue tucked on the underside of his shaft, hands wrapped tightly around his base.

“Mmmh like that.” He swallowed, exhaling through his teeth the deeper you took him. His abdomen flexing overtly as you moaned around him, vibrated against his skin, your pink muscle tracing over his veins as you worked your jaw to hug a tighter grip. “God, you’re perfect. Don’t stop, please…” he panted.

He palmed at your hair headily, his motor skills not properly functioning as he sucked in his breath, feeling his presence explore deeper. He leveraged his hips to regain some ounce of control, but the sounds of moisture and squelching burned his ears, and the heart in his chest was running like a marathon. His eyes, fluttering in and out of focus, trained his gaze on you while his stomach tensed, grasping the vision of you getting wide-eyed and bold as you gingerly ate him alive. Burning the image into his retinas, it made him want to explode inside you.

Threading through your hair, he pulled them up and off your shoulders, showing off your pretty features, doing everything in his power not to give his climax an early appearance. “I’ve never seen such a pretty mouth take my cock so well. Then again, I’ve never had a pretty roommate like you, or anyone like you.”

Flustered from the flattery, you sucked him like your life depended on it as you grew hot, making Minghao’s task to regain control strenuous to achieve. You hollowed out your cheeks, leaving no room to breathe, and felt him in your throat as your vision rolled to behind your skull to the point your language deduced to the sounds of gagging. You gripped his hips, nails plunged into his flesh as your drool dribbled down his groin, slobbering over his cock in an erratic, hungry mess.

“Yes, like that. My god,” He praised through ragged breaths, hips jerking gently up into you. He lightly threw his head back, the urge to ram himself down your throat getting exceedingly more tempting, but he suppressed it as he dug his nails into his own palms. “I’m so close to cumming, can I–in your mouth or should I…?”

You hummed a confirmation before you swallowed him whole until you met the base, meeting his groin as he vanished inside you, breathing oxygen not even an afterthought. Images in front of you dulled in color, pictures shapeless and unclear, and you pushed past your boundaries to let him find home in your mouth, deeply intent with him finishing inside you one way or the other.

“F…f…fuck...”

Pleasure rippling through him, Minghao pushed himself up from his position, thrusting weakly as he cradled your head, pouring his thick, ivory load into your mouth, which was insistent on receiving every drop. He filled your cheeks, allowing warmth to coat the inside of your mouth as he tenderly stroked your hair in gratitude. Cupping your cheeks as he let his hips falter, he gently pulled himself out of your mouth, amused at how carefully you were trying to not let any of his cum seep past your lips as you sat between his legs.

His fingers danced under your chin. “Are you gonna swallow?” Minghao tiredly chuckled.

With smiling eyes, you tilted your head, as if asking if you should.

He pushed your hair behind you, softly pressing his lips against your tightly shut lips. “Don’t if you don’t want to.”

An idea occurred to you then, and in an instant you pushed yourself up to board him as your knees took either side of him, looming over him. His hands naturally found your waist as you lifted his chin, eyes staring at you curiously as his hands ran up body and gently clawed down, awaiting your next move. You then thumbed over his bottom lip before dipping between the slit of his mouth and saw it naturally part, taking the digit and settling it between his teeth.

Now confidently, you lowered your head, swirling the contents in your mouth before pushing your thumb deeper, prying the entrance wider, and finding no protest as he sanctioned it. He dug the pads of his digits into your flesh in anticipation. His eyes fluttering, he watched as your mouth withdrew the generous gift he gave to you before you gave it right back to him as it gracefully streamed down on his pulsing, eager tongue. And nothing satisfied you more than hearing him sigh wistfully as it landed.

It sent you shivers how beautiful he looked despite how vulgar the act was. Only Xu Minghao could make tasting his own cum look so ethereal, and it only made you wonder what other things a face this beautiful was willing to do. You swiped whatever fell from the corner of his lips with your thumb, sucking the residue like leftovers before you connected your mouths, sharing and tasting his lewd tang in violent swirls, and pulling away to watch it stretch between your tongues.

“I guess toothbrushes aren’t the only things you like to share,” Minghao teased before pushing you on your back, grinding his resurrecting arousal against your clothed heat and lathering the thick, viscous substance flat between your tongues in your mouths as it dribbled down your chins until there was nothing but slobber. It was a mess, and the most unmannerly you’ve ever seen him, and you’ve never been more turned on.

“My turn.”

With a rough hand, he tugged you by your legs towards him, hearing you let out a yelp, and shoved down your shorts to expose your glistening, mouth-watering, arousal soaked entrance. Be still his heart. He felt himself throb seeing you ruin his bed, but hell if he wasn't going to be sucking those juices out of the sheets until he’d tasted every drop.

He kicked off his sweats, leaving him entirely vulnerable while you witnessed his cock slowly twitch back to life before he laid on his stomach between your arched legs. “If we want to talk about pretty things, your pussy is high up on that list.”

Not waiting for a response, he licked a thick stripe up your inner thigh, flickering over your folds before sucking them in his mouth, using the tip of his tongue to tease your entrance. He felt the flutter of your core before spitting, lathering at the juices, coating at entrance but not peeking to see what was inside. “You’re already so wet, fuck.”

“Hao…” You whined.

“Mmmh, I love how you sound,” he chuckled, running long strokes up your slit, wedged through you with every swipe, looking arm around your leg to hold you in place as his thumb brushed over your clit. “Are your moans always this delicious? Or are they reserved for when you’re thinking about me?”

Shaking your head, you were too turned on to answer verbally, while his mouth closed around your clit and sucked, utilizing his fingers to assume their previous position. You clenched your stomach, fisting into the sheets as you spread your legs, feeling them already clam up from the tension as his tongue flicked against your sensitive bud in unison with his fingers twisted up into, and you couldn’t help but writhe underneath him.

“Yes, spread those pretty legs for me,” he encouraged with a haughty smile before burying his face, his moans vibrating up your walls as his tongue massaged your walls and tasted your cock pulsing nectar, sending chills up your spine.

You mewled, and feeling reserved, you held your hands up to your face to shield the tears collecting at your eyes threatening to fall, but Minghao grabbed you by the wrists, roughly pinning them to the bed.

His eyes narrowed back at you before softening almost menacingly, “Don’t cover your pretty face, watch me.”

“But—”

“I want you to watch me fuck your pretty pussy with my mouth. Don’t make me say it twice.” He warned before he got you a quiet nod, earning you a kiss against your inner thigh.

His hand flattened against your inner thighs again, pressing them further away from another and delving his tongue deeper as he rubbed your clit, working your insides until he tasted every inch of you possible. He buried his face, but his eyes were clear, staring at you as he worked his jaw, engorging with his mouth that sent you above and beyond and his eyes that saw you at the result of your undoing. You had no choice but to cling on, freeing yourself from his grasp to have your fingers fly in his hair, navigating him as you took him for a joy ride, his tongue shifting gears as it picked up pace.

“S-shit!” You rolled your hips, threading your fingers through his locks and clamping his head between your thighs as you pushed him deeper.

“Yes, ride my face—fuck, use me, please,” he pleaded in a cracked voice, pouring his heart into his feast until he was practically suffocating, worth it to worship you and bring you to the highest peak of your pleasure.

Your legs trembled as his moans infiltrated your heat, the intense flicks of his tongue titillating you to the brink of ecstasy until he used it to fuck you in time with his fingers thrusting inside, clutching you as you held him in place and grinding against him. “My god, Hao!”

Hips shaking, you bucked into his mouth, and even after your release, he made no effort to stop, lifting you to his mouth as he got on his knees, eating you like a meal he’d never have again until he worked his tongue raw, tasting you and only you as your cum coated his mouth. You squirmed, the suction of his lips on your sensitive core in tandem with his tongue viciously swirling inside you overwhelming you beyond words, unable to kick him off as he held both your knees above his head.

“You’re gonna kill me, Hao,” you cried desperately. “Just put it in me.”

He chuckled before setting you down, meeting your lips halfway as he stroked his fully erect cock, massaging the evening’s concoction against your tastebuds, mingling the contrasting flavors as they battled in your mouth while the knowledge of it all pebbled your skin. Meanwhile, he ran his hands over you beneath your shirt, found your nipples, rolling them against his thumbs as his cock rubbed between your folds, ebbing your moans as they buzzed against his lips. “What if I want to play with you first?” He taunted.

You whined, brushing your lips repeatedly over his. “I want you inside me.”

“You’re cute even when you’re needy,” he gushed.

You clasped your hands over his soft, warm cheeks. “Minghao, please…”

He playfully rolled his eyes, kissing into your palm then down your wrist before his teeth playfully started nibbling at your skin. “Fine, because you asked so nicely. Just to let you know, though, I don’t have a condom on me right now, but I’m clean.”

“Then, we don’t need one.”

He grinned, stroking the back of your head. “I had a feeling you’d say that.”

Rubbing his tip down your slit, he savored your whimpers as he drew circles against your clit before sliding his length through your folds and stretching your walls, letting you slowly adjust to his presence. Your jaw slightly dropped as you took a sharp inhale, fingers digging into his shoulders and clinging on to him before you felt him sink deeper inside you, pacing his thrusts in a steady rhythm. Your eyes flit to meet his, feeling the back and forth of his hips as they snapped, while you reveled in each collision.

“Yes please…”

Before losing himself in his pleasure, he was determined to remember how you looked getting lost in yours, taking in your features as they distorted under his care. He first found your eyes–lost in a galaxy with an infinite amount of stars out of the way. Then, his eyes started to follow the slope of your cheeks, flushed to the touch against the back of his hand, saliva leaking out of your swollen lips. And your body with the shirt adhered to you by the sweat on your skin, clinging to your form and proving to him time and time again that you were not only the object of his desires, you were something straight out of his dreams.

“You look, taste, and feel good? Where have you been all my life? Really?” He landed a harsh thrust, pressing down on your nipples and smiling manically at how you whimpered in response, clutching you as you shuddered against him. “You like that?”

You nodded, clawing your hand up his back.

“Mmh, me too,” he drew his lips to your ear. “And I like you. A lot. I wouldn’t let someone go on and use my toothbrush for months if I didn’t.” He slowed down his thrusts, cupping your face to meet your eyes. “You like me too, right?”

Feeling your ears burn, you frantically nodded again, mewling after you felt him nip at them, teeth scraping under your earlobe before an open mouth pressed against the side of your neck. The warmth of his breath sweltering against you as you struggled to carry on with the conversation Minghao was determined to have.

“Yeah, you want me to take you on a real date?” He said into the nape of your neck, moaning into your skin as he dragged his hips, rutting into you like an animal. He barely made out your soft ‘yes’s in your sharp gasps. He gritted his teeth, taking you by the hips, pushing himself flushed against you. “Fuck, you’re so cute,” he groaned.

His hips took flight while he separated your mouth in a loud moan, feeling you becoming malleable under his touch and growing weaker as you recoiled against him. He lifted your shirt above your chest and neared your stiff peaks, rolling your bud against the base of his tongue as he pinched the other, moving out of pure instinct. You threw your head back, going mad with sexual gratification. Your body spasmed out of your control, yet you craved more.

“Harder,” You gasped.

He scoffed under his breath in disbelief. “You want even more?”

“Yes…I want you to cum inside me. I want to feel everything that’s yours, Minghao.”

Knees buckling at your titillating request, he gripped your ass in both palms, clutching you against him as he rammed himself up inside you, and you’re forced to hold on. “I’ll do you one better,” he offered, “why don’t I just make you mine?”

“I…Oh, god…” Your brain was becoming mush, only processing the sound, taste, smell, sensation of Minghao’s cock as he plunged himself inside you. It fogged up your thoughts, clouded your judgement, and only formed incoherent gibberish that took place of real vocabulary as they passed through your swollen lips.

“Be mine, hmm?” He asked, pleading. “That way I can be yours.”

Captivated by his words, you nodded, feeling him suck the life out of you as your body felt close to giving out, the hilt of his cock bottoming out inside you. You anchored your legs around him, following his pace before you felt something within reach, just seconds away from ripping a scream out of your throat that would surely ensue a noise complaint from one of your neighbors.

“Hao, I’m going to cum, I’m really close,” you meekly warned.

His hand settled against your thigh, nodding. “I can feel it. You’re shaking so hard. Let me have it, I’ll catch you. Every last bit of you.”

Ecstasy was just a word, but Minghao was everything, and you could breathe in that everything.

Your bodies crushed against each other, lost in heat as you became one. Breaths blended, bodies embraced, only faltering after you long finished the initial orgasms, coming back for more. You embraced the sheer carnivorous lust that quelled this several month long push and pull, adhering you by the sweat misted on each other's skin before your mouths tenderly met repeatedly.

Sleep felt futile, while the night felt everlasting. Minghao’s company was more than you could ever ask for, and by the time you did sleep, you were too tired to move. You collapsed against each other, bodies drowning in each other’s releases, sheets and pillows stained by the arousal from the evening’s lack of inhibitions. Minghao should’ve been just as tired, but instead he tended to your tired body, leaving kisses in its wake as he cleaned you off and slept alongside you in your clean bed, letting him worry about laundry in the morning.

With your eyes closed, mind in another world, Minghao was brushing the hair away from your face, softly smiling as you gently stirred and nestled closer to him. In response, he pressed a sweet kiss to your temple, warmth blooming in his chest as a grin developed on your face.

“I’ll take you on a proper date. I promise,” he said while you slept. “And If I don’t, pull the bad roommate card on me. You can punish me however you like.”

“…ok, I will.”

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