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haknom · 2 months

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THIS MUST BE MY DREAM — YANG JUNGWON

∿ 📋 SCORE SHEETS ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 Jungwon was living his best life at Earl View Academy. He was scoring the highest marks, dominating every exam, and ranking the top one out of every student. See, he was living his best life at Earl View Academy before you came along, destroying his reputation because of your similar level in academics. It had to be a dream, there was no way someone could compete with him. With that said, he immediately renamed you as the new student to his one and only arch nemesis.

∿ TOP RANKS ✂️ academic-rival!jungwon x fem!reader (ft. jungwon from enhypen, baekseung from epex, and minji from newjeans)

∿ EXAM REVIEW ⟡ insp by doctor slump, long fic, academic rivals to lovers, rivals to lovers, highschool au, nerds to lovers, fluff, crack, and angst.

∿ 📔 STUDY NOTES ୨ৎ swearing, bickering, mentions of pills (painkillers), skipping meals, fainting, crying, being sick, and mental health issues, lmk if i missed anything.

∿ NUMBER OF EXAM QUESTIONS 🎓 14980 words

∿ FEEDBACK . . . and with that said it’s finally done!!!!! took me two months cs i took so many breaks …. happy belated jungwon day? LMFAO… and tysm to @soov for proofreading all the way !!! love u rei <33

∿ STUDY PLAYLIST 🎶 click here!

RANK ONE.

In Earl View Academy, everyone wanted to live Jungwon’s life. He was a son everyone wanted—not his words—and that made him feel good about himself. Even if he was quite the goofball, he still aced all his assignments while having fun.

His life was perfect.

“Jungwon!” His friend, Baekseung called, gaining his attention almost immediately. The boy looked over at his brown-haired friend with a smile, pausing the movements of his pencil gliding against his notebook.

“Hm?” He hummed, waiting for his friend to continue talking. Baekseung took a seat on the window sill beside Jungwon as Minji walked into the classroom.

“Did you see the banner they hung up? It has something to do with University, I believe.” He said as Minji walked towards them.

“Here.” She held out her phone, showing the boys a picture of the banner. It showcased a brief description of what to expect when applying to the University of Seoul and the date of submission—February 9th of 2024.

Jungwon’s birthday.

It was perfect timing, almost as if it was destined to be. His reputation at school and his relationship with his teachers would easily help him get accepted, right?

“The acceptance rate is 40%, which isn’t all bad, but many people apply, so…” Minji explained, turning off her phone, and shoving it into her back pocket. Jungwon tapped his pencil against his chin to a random, yet consistent rhythm in his head.

Jungwon’s friends always enabled his confidence. He was aware of his smartness, but they made it seem bigger than it really was.

“Although a lot of people apply, I’m sure you’ll get accepted. Your application will catch their eyes immediately, trust me.”

Jungwon bit back a smile at Baekseung’s words, sending him an amused nod instead.

“I’m sure it will.” He replied, returning his focus to his notes. Before his friends appeared, he was working on a few equations, to make sure they stuck with him for their test.

It was his way of studying; learn the materials in class and study them like his life depended upon it.

It worked like a charm every time.

“I don’t get how you understand these things.” Baekseung said while peeking over at his work. Jungwon smiled, letting out a chuckle.

He never did, it wasn’t anything new.

“See, you start with your values, then you write out your formula and substitute your variables for your numbers—”

“Enough! You lost me at the word ‘values.’” He exclaimed, causing both Jungwon and Minji to laugh.

“Hey, when you get accepted into the University of Seoul, don’t forget me.” Baekseung pleaded and leaned in with his hands desperately clasped together.

“I won’t, I won’t.”

Jungwon dropped his pencil, letting it lay flat on his notebook, and placed his hands on top of Baekseung’s.

“You have nothing to worry about.” He said, playing along with Baekseung’s act.

“I don’t get how I was pulled into this trio,” Minji said, cringing at the sight before her.

“Yeah, me neither.” Baekseung smiled at Jungwon, then, removed his hands from underneath his, and returned to his spot on the window sill.

“Oh well, here we are now. You love us, right?” Jungwon teased, the cringing expression never leaving Minji’s face.

The two boys stared at her in silence, waiting for her response. They wouldn’t let her off the hook if she didn’t open her mouth to say anything.

“Fine. I do.” She replied, earning bright smiles from her friends in return. She shook her head, a small smile making its way to her face.

It was impossible to avoid their faces. Even if they weren’t trying, they still managed to swoon her over with one look. They were unstoppable together.

Jungwon went back to studying as Minji and Baekseung playfully bickered over a past memory. It was a common occurrence, nothing new.

“I heard they’re selling Yakult in the cafeteria today!” A classmate said to their friend, gaining the three’s attention immediately.

They stopped what they were doing and looked at each other. They gave each other a look that only they could understand. There were no words shared, only their eyes held their words.

Soon after, Baekseung and Jungwon got up from their spots, following behind Minji who led them out of the classroom.

Yakult was their favourite thing ever. It was something all three of them could agree on—that they tasted delightful. Other than that, they all had different tastes in a way.

“Finally, they’re bringing it back!” Minji cheered, happier than ever. Baekseung, who stood in the middle, wrapped his arms around the two to pull them in closer.

“Do we have a plan?” He asked as Minji scoffed.

“Do we even need one? Just do whatever your mind tells you to.” She said and he nodded.

“Smart choice.”

The two conversed alone just as they did back in the classroom, except Jungwon wasn’t studying. He could’ve been included in their conversation right now, they weren’t excluding him at all.

He just didn’t pay attention. He didn’t even take note that they were talking because it all sounded muffled to him.

All he paid attention to was his homeroom teacher who walked down the hallways, lips moving as if he was talking to someone, but Jungwon didn’t know who.

Once he walked past, it was then revealed. A girl stood fairly behind his homeroom teacher, catching Jungwon’s attention.

He had no clue who she was, nor had he ever seen her face before, he ‘didn’t’ even care about what her name was, what time she arrived, what foods she liked, why she was wearing their school’s uniform, or what she had for breakfast.

All he cared about was how pretty she was, and fine, maybe what her name was too. Previously, if someone were to tell him about another being heaven-sent he wouldn’t understand them.

Now, he really does because she, she was heaven-sent to him at least.

“You okay?” Baekseung asked, looking over at Jungwon’s dazed figure. He shook Jungwon with the arm that rested over his shoulder, startling the poor boy.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m okay.”

Well, he hoped he was.

“Sweet, if I’m not wrong, lunch starts in about 3 minutes. Therefore, I believe we’ll be first…” Baekseung paused, his voice growing quieter at the sight before them.

“… In line.” His words were almost like a whisper. He was practically speechless at the line. At least 20 students were already waiting for their Yakult’s.

“Yeah, um, maybe we do need a plan,” Minji said, regretting her previous words. There was no way they’d get through a line like this one.

“Maybe? We 100% need a plan.” Baekseung said, his arms slipping off their shoulders.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine if we just wait. It can’t be that bad—Woah! Okay. Maybe it is bad.” Jungwon’s reassuring words were cut off by his shocked ones.

The line extended even further. How was that even possible?

“Hey, Min, what time is it?” Jungwon asked Minji as she checked her phone that previously sat in her back pocket.

“11:37 AM.” She replied, still flabbergasted at the number of students waiting for their Yakult’s.

“Do you think that will be enough time to visit the nearest convenience store and then come back?” Jungwon asked, desperate for an escape. He was still craving a Yakult, but they wouldn’t get one at this rate.

“It’s 27 (81 Fahrenheit) degrees Celsius outside…” Baekseung muttered, mentally sweating at the thought.

“We can get ice cream as well…” Jungwon whispered, scared that the line of students would overhear his words and run after them.

What if they were craving ice cream too? It wasn’t just the three of them who were feeling hot.

“Smart choice. Yeah, let’s do that instead.” Minji cautiously walked away from the entrance of the cafeteria, careful not to make a sound as the two boys did the same.

Yes, they were being very dramatic right now, but that line of students was very intimidating.

The three returned to class with leftovers of their ice creams, hoping nobody would ask them for at least one lick—it was disgusting to know that they were serious.

“Oh, Jungwon,” Minji said, remembering something from earlier. Jungwon hummed in response, his mouth full of ice cream.

“Did you even start your applications? Our midterms are soon, so I’m sure our guidance counsellors are going to approach you about it.”

“Are you worried for me? Or do you want to use my application as a template for yours?”

“I…” Minji stayed silent as Baekseung stifled a laugh. She sent him a glare, causing him to clear his throat. What was he laughing at? He was bound to do the same exact thing.

“Fine, you caught me. But hey, I have no idea what I’m supposed to do!” She exclaimed as Jungwon chuckled, getting up from his seat to throw away his ice cream wrapper.

“If you want, I can assist you—”

“Guys, guys!” A classmate shouted while running into the classroom shocked. Everyone’s heads turned to look at the said boy, more confused than ever. What lie was he about to spurt next?

“I just saw a pretty, pretty girl in the teacher’s office. I think she’s a new student.” He explained, however, nobody reacted.

“Are you lying to cover up the fact you were being scolded in the office?” Another classmate asked, causing laughs to erupt from other students in the room. Jungwon smiled to himself, that was a good one.

“I’m serious! I heard she might even be smarter than Jungwon!” The student exclaimed, causing Jungwon’s smile to falter and his pen to stop moving.

All eyes were focused on him as he slowly looked up at the shouting boy.

“Eh, I’m sure there’s no one who can compare to his level!” Baekseung said, patting Jungwon on his shoulder and smiling.

Jungwon was considered very smart for someone his age. It was a common compliment he received, but he didn’t hate it. It was quite ego-boosting.

“Everyone! Have a seat please.” Ms. Eun walked through the doors of their classroom, and another student walked in a few moments later.

“Obviously, I’m sure you’re aware of the new student joining our class today! Please make (Name) (Last Name) feel welcome in our classroom!” She explained as Jungwon’s eyes widened.

You were the same girl he saw in the hallways earlier. For some reason, his heart skipped a beat and his ears went numb at the sight of you.

“Oh, Jungwon. (Name) also got perfect on the entrance exam and was the top student at her old school. It must be great to meet someone at your level.” Ms. Eun smiled as all the emotions Jungwon had felt earlier plummeted.

So his classmate wasn’t lying. There was really someone who matched his skill of knowledge.

You looked over at the boy Ms. Eun referred to, noticing the way his expressions switched. At first glance, he was calm, but his eyes said otherwise.

They held an emotion you’ve never seen in anyone else’s—a desire to win. And, of course, you wouldn’t let him achieve that goal of his.

If someone were to win and maintain that top student rank, it would be you and you only.

You two hadn’t even spoken to one another, but within those 2 minutes of staring into each other’s eyes, it was obvious you both saw each other as a threat.

No matter what, only one of you can have that title.

RANK TWO.

“Jungwon, you haven’t looked up from your notebook this whole class,” Minji said, turning around in her seat to face him.

“Literally! There’s not even a single test coming up. What is there to be reviewed at this point?” Baekseung chimed in with a frown.

Yet, Jungwon didn’t look up, easily proving their point. It had been a week since you first arrived at Earl View Academy.

A week since Jungwon first felt threatened by your appearance. His life was perfect until you arrived.

His friends swore they hadn’t had one single hangout since then, but he said otherwise.

“You do know, you reviewing your notes while Minji and I converse without you, isn’t a hangout right?”

Jungwon’s pencil stopped moving for a brief moment, only to start up again at an even faster pace.

He couldn’t fall behind you.

He glanced over at your focused state, glaring in the process. You seemed to be at ease and he wasn’t.

That should’ve been him.

What happened to the perfect life that everyone wanted to live? The one where he could be happy and carefree even while passing all his classes with 100s?

“Don’t tell me you feel threatened—”

Jungwon’s pencil-led snapping silenced Baekseung’s voice almost immediately. He looked up at his friend, eyes darker than usual. There wasn’t his signature gleam that complimented his dimpled smile. He looked like he was ready to kill someone.

“Minji…” Baekseung called, signalling for her to take over the conversation. Sadly, that failed. She was just as scared as him.

“Hey, I could, uh… I could sharpen this for you!” She exclaimed, instead of continuing the same topic as before.

She took the pencil out of his hold, but Jungwon silently searched his pencil case for another one.

He had no time to waste. He was almost done with his notes.

Minji took her seat again, placing the boy’s broken pencil beside his notebook with a soft, yet dragged-out ‘okay.’

There would’ve been no point in going anyway.

“Dude, why don’t you let loose a bit?” A classmate said to their friend and began shaking their shoulders.

“I can’t! You know how my mom is about my grades right now…” He mumbled, embarrassed.

The boy from earlier grabbed his basketball that rolled under his desk and bounced it around him.

“I know you want to play basketball right now, but that’s okay. I’ll just play with Jungwon and his friends.” He informed his friend, turning to look at Jungwon who wasn’t paying attention.

“Yo, Jungwon! Catch this!” He shouted, alerting both of his friends, but him.

He passed the ball, expecting Jungwon—or even Baekseung—to catch the ball, however, there was nothing.

Instead, the loud thud of a ball hitting your head, echoed throughout the classroom. At least, that managed to catch Jungwon’s attention.

Your pen fell out of your hand, landing on the desk. Your ears began to ring as frustration—and a bit of lightheadedness—took over your system.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry.” The classmate said, making his way over to you with a worried look.

It was only your second day and you were making enemies.

Yet, you couldn’t bother to accept his apology. You looked at him with a facial expression that not even his mom had ever given him. He was terrified.

“Does this classroom look like a circus to you?” You asked as a throbbing pain slowly began to settle in your head.

“Are you so unskilled that you can’t even hold a basketball properly? Actually, are you so childish to the point where you aren’t aware of classroom rules?”

The atmosphere of the classroom vastly shifted. It was quite intense and unsettling.

His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water stunned by your words. He was speechless, how could he respond to that?

“Please leave me alone, you’d only be a distraction to my studies.” With that said, you returned to your work, acting as if the boy in front of you didn’t exist.

Jungwon’s brows furrowed at the sight, you were being so mean and for what?

The boy shamefully walked back to his seat as all his friends held in their laughs. He was already embarrassed enough, their laughs only adding to the fire.

Forget what Jungwon said about you being heaven-sent, the Devil must’ve sent you instead. He swore if he stared even longer, horns would grow on your head at any given moment.

So, he looked away and continued taking his notes.

“She seems mean,” Baekseung whispered to the two around him. Minji nodded in agreement, mentioning how she got chills from how you stared at the boy.

You proceeded to rub at your temples in an attempt to force away the throbbing migraine coming your way. You couldn’t take a break from studying.

You had to finish reviewing this material before anything at all—not even a meal break was allowed in your Book of Rules.

“What do you guys want to do for lunch?” Baekseung asked, gaining Jungwon and Minji’s attention again.

“I heard they’re going to play Basketball in the gym. You two should play as well!” Minji exclaimed, which only resulted in Jungwon’s head perking up at the sport.

“I’m down,” Jungwon said almost immediately. Baekseung and Minho’s eyebrows rose at his quick decision. It was almost as if he wasn’t studying his butt off while ignoring his two chattery friends a moment ago.

“Are you sure? I thought you had to revise your notes.” Baekseung verbalised his confusion as Jungwon began packing up his belongings.

“I already understand everything. A + B = X times 6–”

“Okay! Okay. No more Math, please.” Baekseung was quick to halt Jungwon’s equation with his index finger. He slowed down his pace when zipping up his backpack, taking in the words Baekseung uttered before.

A smile made its way to the boy’s face at the realisation of his friend's confusion. Baekseung definitely had no clue what they were learning in class.

“Hurry! I don’t want to be late for team decisions.” He exclaimed, hopping off of the desk he sat on.

Jungwon waved off his friend’s pestering and walked out of the classroom, the two trailing behind him.

You, on the other hand, struggled to focus on your work. The whole classroom was quiet and you were the only one left. Everyone had left for lunch, but you.

Yes, you loved quiet, however your migraine didn’t. The accompanied silence only made your migraine throb even more, a faint mic feedback noise to back it up.

Almost like you had a fever.

You placed your pencil down beside your notebook on your desk and stood up from your seat.

A quick stop at the nurse's office wouldn’t hurt anyone, right? It would benefit your studying session and get rid of your pain quite easily.

That was the only exception to your Book of Rules when it came to studying. Nothing else.

Jungwon shot the ball into the hoop, his hair and necktie flowing with his every movement. His uniform sleeves were rolled up, cuffed around the skin above his forearm, helping his gameplay style quite well.

Baekseung smiled at his friend, high-fiving him in the process.

“Nice one! They won’t beat us at this rate.” He said, looking at the scoreboard that read 17-9. Maybe he wasn't exaggerating it like every other time.

Jungwon grinned, his dimples showing faintly. It wasn’t an all-tooth grin, more toothless. His lips were pursed into a thin line and his cheekbones were nearing his under eyes. It was enough to show his appreciation for his friend’s compliment.

His forehead was becoming a slightly sweaty state, causing his previously parted bangs to clump together and loosely stick to the damped skin.

There were 8 more points until the match was done. They didn’t have much time to play 4 full quarters, so they made a bet; first to 25 wins.

Sadly, no rewards could have been won by the players, making this Basketball game more enjoyable than competitive.

Jungwon didn’t have enough time though, he would almost need to return to studying quite soon. Seriously, he couldn’t fall behind someone like you.

“Baek,” Jungwon whispered, hoping it was enough to gain his friend’s attention who stood across from him on the court, but it wasn’t enough at all.

“Baekseung!” Jungwon called while raising his voice a bit over his usual tone. The said boy looked over with widened eyes in shock.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Jungwon said, fighting back a snicker at his friend’s startled state.

“Well, I have to go now. Tell Min I said bye too.” He said and walked past Baekseung, patting his shoulder as a way of saying goodbye.

As he walked out of the gymnasium doors, he shook his head, causing his hair strands to move around, some still sticking on his forehead.

He stretched his limbs and began revising the lesson from earlier.

The hallways were empty, leaving him with more of a quiet atmosphere to focus on his thoughts.

Jungwon’s lips moved, soft whispers of equations and problems leaving them. If there were other people here, they would give him the dirtiest looks right now. He most definitely looked psychotic.

Luckily, there wasn’t anyone. Yet.

The sound of the door sliding shut caught his attention and he looked up to see where it came from.

The nurse’s office was always a popular spot in their school, so it wasn't a shock that someone was leaving the room at this exact moment.

Surprisingly, it was a shock to him. He never thought you were the type to leave your desk ever.

Your brows furrowed at the sight before you.

A sight of disgust.

Yang Jungwon was the last person you wanted to see with your throbbing migraine. He was all sweaty, his hair glistened from the sweat droplets that stuck onto the strands, his necktie was loose, his uniform was dishevelled, and his face was a light shade of red due to the hotness of the gymnasium.

He looked disgusting.

Jungwon had no clue as to why you were glaring at him. He wasn’t the reason you ended up visiting the nurse’s office, so why were you giving him such a dirty look?

He should be the annoyed one at this exact moment. After all, you were the one who moved to Earl View Academy and ruined his ‘perfect’ life.

He looked back at you with a confused yet irritated expression on his features as the two of you stood in silence.

Jungwon’s eyes looked over your appearance, noticing how your hand was propped against your chest and holding an item he had seen before.

Your eyes followed his gaze and then widened at realisation. Out of reflex, you hid the painkillers behind your back, not wanting to come off as weak towards him.

You couldn’t let him see you as someone who wasn’t that much of a threat to his academic success.

In silence, you turned around, moving the pill bottle to your chest again, and made your way back to the classroom. For some reason, your movements aggravated Jungwon’s previous calm state.

God, he hated you so much. He couldn’t believe he once thought you were pretty—it would be a lie if he said he still didn’t. That didn’t matter though, you could be pretty and still have a snotty attitude.

That was a perfect description for you.

Although you thought you left Jungwon behind in front of the nurse’s office, to your dismay, you didn’t.

There he was, standing at the doorway of your once previous quiet study room—or in other words, your homeform classroom.

You rolled your eyes after noticing him at the doorway and looked back at your notes.

He ignored your response to his presence and took a seat at his desk near the window. Jungwon slipped his hand into his backpack, grabbing his pencil case and notebook in the process.

A tense silence followed the two of you as you flipped your pages in sync and continued writing down more things in sync.

You were pausing more than he was due to the pain in your head which only slowed down your movements even more. Yes, you planned on taking the painkillers, but not when he was around.

Still, you couldn’t hold back. You had to do it or else you wouldn’t be able to study one bit.

Although the painkillers mentioned eating a meal before intaking the pills, you refused to follow the instructions. You had no time to take a break and find something to fill your stomach, especially when you were already falling behind Jungwon’s studying pace.

You reached for your bottle of water off your desk and popped a pill in your mouth, scarfing down water right after.

Jungwon looked up at the sound of pills shaking in a bottle. It was obvious it came from you, you were the only other person in the classroom.

It seemed like the basketball to your head earlier really took a toll on you. He didn’t blame you though, it truly did sound like it hurt.

Except, that wasn’t the only thing he noticed. Even if he was in one place all lunch, it seemed like you didn’t leave your seat at all. It was kept the exact same like he last saw it before lunch time.

Luckily, the sound of your stomach growling was enough to answer his unsaid question as he watched your ears turn a shade of red.

As much as you tried to pretend that didn’t happen, you were tremendously embarrassed. Still, you couldn’t eat.

Not yet at least.

“You didn’t hear that.” You mumbled, hoping it was loud enough for Jungwon to catch. He hummed in response while eyeing his work, not paying much attention to your silly incident.

He knew how embarrassing it could have been, so it was best not to engage.

Thankfully, God was on your side, ringing the bell a few seconds after Jungwon had hummed.

Soon after, students began flooding into the classroom and heading to their seats in loud crowds.

Therefore, your quiet time with the last person you wanted to spend it with, had ended.

RANK THREE.

“Jungwon and (Name), please come up and answer the questions on the board.”

Great.

It was only 10:30 AM on a Wednesday, and yet you were already going head-to-head with your rival.

Jungwon confidently made his way to the chalkboard and picked up a piece of chalk from the ledge.

You, on the other hand, paused for a moment after getting up from your seat. You were suddenly feeling lightheaded, and that was never a good sign.

However, if you didn’t make it over fast enough, he would for sure beat you in a blink. And so, you did. You rushed over and picked up a chalk stick, then began writing.

It was a simple equation to you, but to everyone else who didn’t understand the lesson, it wasn’t. It was way more complex to them than how it really was.

Jungwon was already halfway through answering the question whilst you haven’t even started. You wrote the given values on the side to keep track of the numbers you would use.

Easy, right?

Not quite.

You couldn’t focus at all even if there were no distractions nor was it loud in your classroom.

The only thing you could hear was the harsh sounds of Jungwon pressing his chalk against the board after he reached a new step.

Your ears became sensitive to any sound, causing you to even take note of the rhythm his piece of chalk followed when gliding against the blackboard. It was irritating you and annoying.

As much as you wanted to stop him from writing, you couldn’t because it was impossible. Your hand wouldn’t move one bit. Your vision became blurry, eyes fluttering shut and opening in a pattern.

“I think I’m going to faint.” You whispered, your words falling deaf on all ears, aside from Jungwon’s.

He didn’t pay much attention to your sentence, brushing it off as a dumb remark about his handwriting or something.

Truthfully, his calligraphy wasn’t the best when it came to using chalk, so you wouldn’t be wrong if you were to say something mean about it. He would only end up agreeing in the end.

Everything stilled for a brief moment before you lost your feeling in your hands, dropping the piece of chalk you held, and falling against the hardwood floor right after.

Gasps were emitted from your classmates—ones you couldn’t even hear—as Jungwon stilled his movements at the loud thud which caused him to flinch slightly.

Jungwon looked down as he still pressed the chalk on the board, his eyes widening and blood draining from his face at the sight.

“(Name)?” Your teacher called, hurriedly making her way towards your unconscious figure. However, there was no response.

“Hey, Jungwon, you were on the track team last year, right?” Ms. Ling asked as he nodded, swallowing and hoping the nauseated feeling in his stomach would disappear.

Spoiler alert—it didn’t.

“Could you run her to the nurse’s office, please?” She asked, leaving the boy with no other choice but to say yes. If he were to say no, he would seem like a villain, and he couldn’t let that happen.

“Okay.” He mumbled and placed the chalk on the ledge before crouching down, slipping an arm under your legs, and wrapping one around your back for extra support.

To his surprise, you were awfully light. A little too light for an average person. It was quite concerning.

Jungwon shook his head, making all his thoughts disappear in the process. He had no time to waste, he had to get you to the nurse’s office quickly—his teacher’s words, not his.

He slid open the door with his foot, shocked that he even managed to succeed himself, and placed you on an unoccupied bed.

Mrs. Oh, the nurse, emerged from her office with a concerned look after noticing the rush Jungwon was in.

“What’s wrong?” She asked before seeing you who lied unconsciously on the bed.

“She fainted a few moments ago in class.” He explained while running a hand through his hair, followed by a sigh.

“Fainted?” The nurse asked and made her way to your still figure, reaching out to touch your pulse points.

“I don’t think it’s a fatal issue. Just hang around for a bit, I’ll run some short tests then you can tell your teacher why she fainted.” Mrs. Oh said as Jungwon nodded.

He could just ask for the notes from Minji after class.

A few moments later, Mrs. Oh returned with a clipboard in her hand and a concerned look on her face.

“Is it bad?” Jungwon asked, slightly worried about her response.

“Oh, no.” Mrs. Oh said, reassuring the boy, then opened her mouth to say something else.

“Thing is, she hasn’t eaten for the last two days.”

What?

RANK FOUR.

Jungwon walked down the hallways of the school, heading to the vending machine nearby. Mrs. Oh’s words replayed in his head many times. It had been a day since your visit to the nurse’s office, but he was still hooked on Mrs. Oh’s discovery.

He didn’t know why he cared that you hadn’t eaten for two days. That was your problem not his.

Yet, he couldn’t help but feel quite worried about your health. How the hell were you still at his level of academic achievements even if you weren’t eating to fuel your brain?

It was crazy. Not even he could survive an hour without a small snack to keep him going. So, how did you even manage to survive?

More of Mrs. Oh’s words flooded through Jungwon’s head, mainly focusing on the fact she put him in charge of making sure you were eating.

Was it not obvious you two hated each other? Well, maybe not since you were fast asleep, but to him it was.

What the hell was he supposed to do to monitor your food intake? Buy you snacks and drinks from the vending machines at their school?

Actually… that wasn’t such a bad idea. It could work for him, but would it work for you? Would you even accept his offers?

You were hard to work with in the first place. There was no way he would follow upon Mrs. Oh’s request. That was your problem and only yours. Not his.

Nevertheless, that didn’t explain the fact he was currently punching in the number two into the vending machine, expecting two granola bars to follow through the hole.

Of course, it wouldn’t be enough to fill him up this lunch, but he had no other choice. He was already exhausted enough from playing football outdoors, leaving him with no more energy to wait in line for food in the cafeteria.

He grabbed the granola bars and made his way to room 116—his home room.

He was excited for the peace and quiet he was about to experience. Nobody ever came to school this early. It was 7:30 AM after all.

School started at 8:20 AM.

If you were to show up at the bell, he could save the granola bar until lunch and give it to you when the room was empty.

Nobody could know that he was interacting with you, especially not after you two made it clear you wanted nothing to do with each other.

“Oh, hey, Jungwon! It’s been quite a bit since I saw you first thing in the morning.” A faculty member said, greeting the boy. He smiled at the teacher and nodded.

It wasn’t a lie. Jungwon always came early, yes, but he never went straight to class. He was either shooting hoops in the gym or doing his morning jog around the track in the field.

The September breeze blew the trees outside as Jungwon watched the leaves sway while walking to class. The windows in the hallways were wide, emitting a bright light into Earl View Academy.

It really suited the vibe he was going for.

But you didn’t.

Jungwon noticed your focused figure, his mood dropping immediately. He was glad you were okay, but not glad that you were in class.

He wanted alone time today, nothing else.

Jungwon put on a straight face, avoiding eye contact with you while walking to his seat. He swiftly placed the granola bar on your desk and moved away as if he didn’t.

You looked down at the granola bar, then to the boy who walked away in silence.

Before you could say anything, he was quick to silence your ‘irritating’ voice.

“Just eat it. Mrs. Oh is making me monitor your meals even if I don’t want to.”

He said without any other explanation. You looked back at the granola bar, hearing Jungwon sit down and begin opening his snack due to the loud rustling of the wrapper.

Instead of doing the same, you pushed the granola bar to the side and returned back to your studies. Once again, your ‘Book of Rules’ said no meals until you were done reviewing.

Jungwon opened his notebook, flipping through the filled pages to find an empty one and begin his studying. He was holding the granola bar in one hand and eating at the same time.

It wasn’t hard at all, which only confused him since you weren’t doing the same.

“Aren’t you going to eat it?” He asked, but you ignored him, staring into your notebook in silence.

The boy scoffed, looking out the window in disbelief. He doesn’t even know why Mrs. Oh trusted him with this ‘task’. He couldn’t say no though, he would have felt guilty to face her again.

Honestly, he was still shocked at the news from yesterday. What did she mean you didn’t eat for 2 days?

Was this an often routine of yours? Was that why you were so concerningly light when he carried you? You were always studying and never seemed like you took any breaks, which only left him wondering.

Seriously, did you ever eat?

“What?” You asked, stiffening and turning around to look at the bow. There was a look of annoyance present on your face, only causing Jungwon to stare back in confusion.

“What?” He questioned back. Why were you looking at him like that even after you blatantly ignored him a moment ago?

“Why is it your business if I ever eat or not?”

Hold on. Did Jungwon think aloud earlier? Was that why you were acting this way?

“I…” He said, fumbling over his words. Truly, how should he respond to that? You weren’t wrong about it not being his business to care—even if you didn’t say that.

He didn’t want to care if you did or not. Still, he couldn’t explain why he was so curious about it.

“Mrs. Oh told me in the nurse’s office that you fainted because your last meal was two days ago…” Jungwon began as your brows furrowed.

“So? Why should you care if that were to happen or not?” You asked.

Once again, you weren’t wrong.

“You’re telling me, you wouldn’t be a little bit concerned about someone who hadn’t eaten for 2 days?”

“If it was part of my business, sure, but if it’s not, then no.”

Jungwon pursed his lips, unsure of what to say next. He tried to think of it, but it ended up coming out on his own. He would definitely regret this later.

“Why?” He started.

“Why do you do that?”

You remained silent and so did he. There was an obvious tension in the air and the both of you felt it easily.

You averted your eyes away from his overpowering gaze, suddenly feeling all fragile due to his sudden question.

“Mind your own business.” You mumbled before turning around to face your desk again.

Normally, you’d return to studying immediately, but this time you were quiet as you stared at your notebook.

You always had answers for questions. Always. However, nobody had ever asked you a question like that, and for some reason, you couldn’t find an answer for it.

Jungwon sighed and shook his head. He didn’t blame you for not answering and getting all defensive instead. It was a question that could pry into anyone’s private life, and obviously, you two were nowhere near a basis like that.

“At least eat the granola bar. I don’t want Mrs. Oh on my ass about anything.” He said before picking up his pencil and writing on his plain notebook.

At the sound of his words, your gaze shifted to the pink wrapper on the granola, noticing how it was strawberry flavoured, one of your favourites.

Maybe you could reconsider eating the snack he got you even if it was going against your rules. It was obvious he wouldn’t leave you alone if you didn’t.

You unwrapped the granola bar, making sure to not crush the treat inside as the bell went so suddenly.

You were both shocked at how much time went past at such a fast pace as a certain thought crossed your mind.

It was time to start another school day.

RANK FIVE.

Ever since that day, Jungwon continuously dropped you off snacks in a discreet manner.

Although you never wanted to eat them, he made you. Your secret rule was slowly being forgotten because of his actions.

“Hey,” he called from his window seat, causing you to remove an earbud from your ear.

“Are you allergic to anything?”

“Why?”

Jungwon stared at you in silence. Were you really asking him that question?

“So I don’t get you anything that’ll kill you…” He said in a tone of disbelief, but you didn’t react.

“Why are you still doing this? Mrs. Oh must’ve forgotten about my visit by now. You can stop.”

You turned away and continued writing in your notebook, leaving Jungwon baffled.

He hated how you were never wrong. Mrs. Oh definitely forgot about your visit from a few weeks ago, but Jungwon couldn’t stop his habit of giving you snacks.

Why?

“You’re telling me you rather faint continuously?” Jungwon asked, halting the hand that went to put your earbud in your ear.

“That’s not a healthy habit. Seriously, you’re going to end up visiting the ER next.”

“As if that hasn’t happened before.” You mumbled and successfully put your earbud in your ear.

Jungwon’s face contorted in confusion, unsure of what you had said. It didn’t seem like the remark he expected, but he shrugged it off.

Whatever.

“Jungwon!” Baekseung exclaimed, running up to the boy and hugging him from behind.

Jungwon stumbled over his feet at the sudden embrace as Minji chuckled from behind the two.

“You’re acting like you haven’t seen him in a decade.” She said, crossing her arms once she reached them.

The hallway they stood in was empty—aside from the 3 being there.

Jungwon wasn’t even aware that he was in the hallway at the moment. His mind was elsewhere when he left the classroom.

Yes, he said he didn’t care about what you said, but he secretly did.

Did he hit a nerve or did he hit one of your soft spots? For the last few weeks, it was obvious there was a lot to you that nobody knew of, yet, Jungwon was close to finding them out.

He felt bad due to your reaction from earlier and a few days ago. Maybe he should really watch what he says from now on.

“What’s up? Do you have your head up in the clouds or something?” Baekseung asked, teasingly.

Jungwon shook out of his thoughts and looked at the boy.

“That was terrible. Never say that again.” He said, causing Baekseung to frown and Minji to laugh.

“Still, he’s right. What’s up with you lately?” Minji asked.

The three walked down the hallways, passing time before their next period started.

“What do you mean what’s up with me?” He asked, confused at their questions.

“You’re constantly spacing out today. Plus, you’re never running or playing basketball outside in the mornings either. I haven’t seen you for a bit every time I arrive at school.” Baekseung explained.

“Dude!” He exclaimed, tapping Jungwon’s shoulder to bring him back from his trance.

Jungwon looked over at Baekseung, startled from the harsh tap.

“What was that for?!” He exclaimed.

“You were doing it again. Seriously, what’s up with you?”

The three remained silent upon Baekseung’s question; Minji and Baekseung waited for Jungwon’s response while he thought of one.

What the hell was he supposed to say?

“Is it her?” Minji asked, chiming into Jungwon’s thoughts.

“Your rival.” She added after seeing Jungwon’s confused face.

He didn’t reply to her question, instead he stayed quieter than ever. Not a peep came out of his mouth. They were almost sure he stopped breathing too.

“So it is! I knew it. Pay up, Baekseung.” Minji said with a bright smile on her face while holding her hand out in front of Baekseung.

Baekseung frowned, glaring at Jungwon as he reached into his pocket for the 10 dollar bill he promised Minji. She looked at the buck, facing the light in case it was fake.

“It’s not fake!” He exclaimed as she chuckled.

“You never know.” Minji said and slipped the $10 into her pocket.

“Wait, you guys placed a bet on me?” Jungwon asked in disbelief.

“Well, yeah. I bet that you liked (Name) and Baekseung said you were just hooked on your university applications.” Minji said, leaning closer to Jungwon.

“He knows nothing about love.”

“I do!” Baekseung blurted, embarrassed at Minji’s remark. She looked over at her and shushed him with a finger on his lip.

“No, you don’t. Just accept that.”

Jungwon shook his head, still shocked at what his friends managed to do. Why would he even be hooked on his university applications if he was 100 percent sure he’d get accepted?

Plus, liking you was definitely out of his range. Wait, liking you?

“I don’t like her! What made you ever think that?!” He exclaimed, his hands flying up in defence.

“Yes. Yes, you do. Don’t fear it, Jungwon.”

Minji looked over at the boy with a teasing smile. Jungwon was a little terrified at the look Minji gave him with her finger still over Baekseung’s lips.

She truly seemed psychotic.

He began speed walking away from the two with hopes that he could escape the so-called assumptions. How would Minji know he liked you before he even knew himself?

Pfft, she was completely wrong.

Jungwon looked at the board, writing his last bits of notes with small diagrams to go along with them.

He was starving, but luckily, lunch was soon.

Speaking of lunch, he wondered what snack he should bring you today. You refused to tell him what you were allergic to, so he couldn’t just get you anything.

He looked up from his notebook, stealing a glance at your seat.

Well, he thought it was your seat, but instead, there was someone slouched over the desk instead.

He continued looking around for you, maybe you switched seats without him knowing?

No, that couldn’t be it. He saw you in the same seat this morning before classes. So, was it really you who was slouched over the desk?

That was surprising. You were always the one to be over the top when it came to education, yet, here you were knocked out mid-lesson.

“For homework, please complete pages 4 and 6. Enjoy your day everyone!” The teacher said while closing their lesson planner and leaving the classroom.

The bell sounded, signalling that lunch had begun while Baekseung and Minji took that as a chance to bother their friend, Jungwon.

“Hey!” Baekseung cheered, sitting down on the window sill like always.

Jungwon looked up at the boy with a smile as Minji turned around in her seat.

“Seems like you don’t have much of a competition anymore.” She said, silently hinting at the girl who was fast asleep—you.

Not even the bell woke you up. You must’ve had a rough night then.

Even if it had been 5 seconds since Minji spoke, Jungwon’s eyes never left you. He was genuinely concerned for your wellbeing.

“Baekseung, didn’t you say you wanted to go to the fast food restaurant nearby for lunch today?” Minji asked, looking up at the boy who stared back in confusion.

“What—”

Minji silenced him with a light slap on his leg, sending him a glare and mouthed the words ‘play along.’

“Oh, yeah! I’ve been craving a burger all day.” Baekseung blurted while nonchalantly rubbing on his leg and dragging out the word ‘all.’

“Jungwon, did you want anything from the fast food restaurant?” Minji asked and looked at him.

But he was still stuck in his trance.

“We’ll get him fries.” She whispered to the boy on the window sill. The two left as quietly as they could, leaving you and Jungwon alone in the classroom.

He observed your silent state, watching how your back raised softly as you breathed. The sunlight from the windows shined on your face, making your eyelashes more visible than others.

You looked so peaceful and so relaxed. It was the first time he had ever seen you this calm and not stuffing your head in your notebooks, rubbing at your temples in a stressful way, harshly sighing and placing your pencil down when you were feeling tired or didn’t understand the formula. It was a great sight.

Jungwon was so focused on you that he didn't notice the smile on his face.

He was smiling because of his arch nemesis. Well, could he even call you his arch nemesis if he cared about you so much?

Probably not.

The vending machine beeped as the four items hit the bottom of it. Jungwon reached down to grab the items and made his way back to class.

Was he out of his mind for still getting you snacks? Possibly. But he couldn’t stop himself, it became a habit of his.

At least you never wasted the snacks he got you. There was one point of the day where you would eat them casually, not even paying much attention to the item in your hold. It became a habit of yours too.

Eventually, the rule became forgotten, but only at school. It still affected you at home.

You woke up in a panic. The classroom you sat in was empty, just like your notebook. The one you significantly chose for the subject.

You looked around, eyes squinting at the bright light from the uncovered windows, taking in the fact nobody—not even Jungwon—was with you.

Great. You were so behind—something you hated.

You panicked, looking at the board to only be met with erase marks of today’s lesson. There was no way you could scavenge with something so little.

Out of habit, you looked down at your desk and rubbed at your temples with your fingers, more stressed out than ever.

You couldn’t fall behind nor could you fail. That was your worst nightmare. Did your parents care if you were to fail a class or fall behind? Not at all. They only cared about you and your health, yet you hated that.

Honestly, growing up, you tended to be naturally good at the things you did. Your parents were, of course, super proud of you, but you didn’t think it was enough.

You never thought anything was enough.

So, studying continuously, fainting continuously, and even starving yourself continuously became a natural routine of yours just to seek academic validation.

If you weren’t at the top of your class or your studies, you weren’t sure how your future would turn out. You would probably end up lower than ever.

No wonder you were so frustrated with yourself. How could you slack off, let alone fall asleep all class? That was so not like you.

You were very disappointed.

The feeling of a sudden coldness on your arm made you jolt. You looked up, wondering where it came from, only to notice the boy who stood before you, Yang Jungwon.

You both looked into each other’s eyes—for the first time, you weren’t glaring. Your vision was quite blurry because of the tears that threatened to fall while he could see you perfectly fine.

He nonchalantly placed the beverage on your desk followed by the poptart. He then made his way to his seat and sat down silently.

You stared at the two items on your desk, holding back your tears. There was nothing about the bottled coffee or the poptart that made you emotional, it was yourself and Jungwon.

You were jealous of him.

The more you attended Earl View Academy, the more you noticed how everyone adored the boy. Everyone, including staff members.

He made friends quite easily and got along with anyone possible.

However, you were the complete opposite. You had your own circle which consisted entirely of yourself and your studying materials, nothing else.

You rarely conversed with anyone, but when you did, it was always harsh. Things easily ticked you off, causing you to confront the so-called things pretty quickly.

Due to this, you were never envisioned as someone who was approachable. Even if you were on top of your studies and understood everything going on, not even many teachers took a liking to you.

It was rare to see one that did.

There were a few times where you tried to maintain certain friendships, but they all ended quite fast. Their reasonings were always the same—you never had time to hang out with them, but you always had time to study.

They eventually fell tired of you and left you behind to befriend someone else. They always regretted even trying something with you because it always turned out to be a ‘waste of their time.’

Jungwon placed his opened notebook on your desk so you could copy down the notes he took in class.

“The homework is page 4 and 6 today. If you don’t understand anything, I could explain it to you if you want.” He said before walking back to his seat.

He shouldn’t be this helpful to you. You two were ‘rivals’ after all—something you both silently yet mutually agreed on. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help himself. Even the sight of your tear filled eyes managed to make him feel a bit hurt.

He probably wasn’t even the cause of it, yet he felt like he was.

“How do you do it?” You asked, catching him off guard. He looked up from his phone and at the back of your head because you refused to face him in such a vulnerable state.

“Do what? Oh, the work? Hold on, let me—”

“Not that.” You said, interrupting him as he halted in his tracks.

“…Then what?” He asked hesitantly. He genuinely had no clue what you meant. Either Jungwon couldn’t read between the lines, or he was just too stupid.

“How do I be like you?”

RANK SIX.

Jungwon stood in silence, stunned at your sudden question. He was never asked such a thing from someone like you.

Children were always the one to ask him that exact question, which only left him with one possible answer every time.

“You’re already like me. Smart and strong.”

It was very cringey, but every child felt confident after hearing his words. Still, you were nowhere near a child, so how could he respond to your question?

“What do you mean?” Was all he could think of. He didn’t want you to seem weak or anything, so he kept it simple and short.

Maybe an elaboration would help him with an answer next time.

“You’re so… perfect. All staff members and students adore you, or even look up to you. You always balance your time, making enough space to hangout with your friends and study at the same time. You’re athletic, smart, most likely a great son, and your parents are probably so proud of you for maintaining the top student rank continuously.” You ranted, leaving him flattered and quite flustered but confused at the same time.

“Perfect?” He asked, genuinely curious about what made you think that.

“Yes, you’re so perfect. I’m jealous of you.” You added, finishing off your sentence while turning to face him.

“You’re jealous of me?”

Truly, in Jungwon’s eyes there was nothing about him to be jealous of. He had his own ups and downs, but managed to keep his composure around his friends and many others.

“Honestly, (Name), you’re fine the way you are. Yes, you have some unhealthy habits, but that doesn’t mean they can’t change.” Jungwon said while walking towards the seat in front of you.

“I wouldn’t say I’m perfect either. Of course, I’m going to sound a bit cringey, but all of us have things we don’t show. Like, I could’ve cried on my way to class.”

“Did you?”

“Did I do what?” Jungwon asked while taking a seat.

“Oh. No, that was just an example. I would never cry where people could see or hear.”

His eyes slightly widened as he raised his hands up in defence.

“I didn’t mean you shouldn’t! Do whatever you feel comfortable with.” He said, hoping he didn’t offend you.

You used your sleeves to wipe away the few tears that managed to fall, then looked at the boy in front of you.

“I don’t know why I’m about to tell you this, but I really need to get it off my chest.”

“Go on,” Jungwon said in a soft voice.

Although he waited for you to speak, you hesitated. Could you even trust him? You two started off as rivals, and still were rivals, but didn’t show it as much.

Whatever, speaking your mind wouldn’t hurt.

“Honestly, it’s not that I need to be on top of my work for my parents to adore me, they do. They very much do and show it every day, but it’s me who thinks it is not enough.” You said.

“I believe if I’m distracted, I won’t be able to achieve my academic goals to the fullest, you know?”

Jungwon nodded even if he didn’t get what you meant. He understood achieving your academic goals, but not to the point where he couldn’t do so if he were distracted.

“I mean, yeah, but considering eating meals or taking breaks as a distraction isn’t good for your mental health—or your health in general,” Jungwon explained as your eyes narrowed.

“Are you scolding me right now?”

“Quite literally.”

You rolled your eyes at Jungwon’s words, waving them off as if they meant nothing.

“Pretend this didn’t happen. Tell anyone, and I’ll make sure your life in Earl View Academy is almost unbearable.” You threatened, sending daggers at the boy.

“How so?” He asked, curious as to what tricks you could pull.

“I’ll beat you on every test, I’ll beat you on the final exam, and even make sure you don’t get accepted into University of Seoul.”

“Okay… However, in return, you have to at the very least tell me what you’re allergic to.” Jungwon said with pleading eyes.

You were shocked that was all he wanted in return. He really wanted to know what you were allergic to, but why? What good would that bring him if he knew what you could and couldn’t eat?

“Why are you so curious about that?”

“Dude, you really want me to end up killing you?” His words sounded like he was joking, but he wasn’t.

“No… I could just eat what I know I can and what I know I can’t.”

Jungwon continued to stare at you, waiting for you to give him the actual answer he wanted. You sighed and gave into his silent begs.

“There’s nothing.”

He remained quiet, his head tilting like a lost cat.

“There’s nothing that I’m allergic to. I’ll eat anything.” You informed the boy as he held back a smile.

“Perfect.” He whispered before grabbing the notebook he gave you earlier.

“What do you mean by perfect?” You asked, causing Jungwon to glance at you with a slight smile on his lips.

“You’ll see.”

RANK SEVEN.

To be honest, yesterday you went home wondering what Jungwon was hinting at.

He pretended as if he had never brought up anything and proceeded to teach you today’s materials. It was annoying.

Yes, you wanted to know badly, but begging wouldn’t even get him to tell you anything.

You adjusted your name tag while looking in the mirror, wondering what else you should fix up.

There was 5 minutes before you had to leave for school. Five minutes before you would get to see Jungwon.

You had no clue why you were a bit excited to see him. Usually, you never were. It was weird.

Part of you was glad he listened to what you had to say yesterday, it felt nice to get it off your chest. However, the other part of you felt ecstatic and let your heart thump even at the thought of seeing the boy.

What happened to the part of you that deeply hated him?

You couldn’t start liking Jungwon. At least, not when there was a possibility that he still hated you or saw you like his competition.

Right?

Jungwon stretched his limbs before reaching down to tie his laces. It had been a while since he ran around the track in the morning. He wanted to see if he still had it in him.

He couldn’t let his stamina fall because of his so-called continuous studying habits. It was also a great way to get his mind off of things, for example, you.

After yesterday’s conversation, for some reason he felt terrible about what you said. Was it his fault? No. But obviously, there was a time and place where he was in the same boat as you.

Trust him, it wasn’t the best.

This morning, he woke up extra earlier than usual because he had a lot to do—cook. He hand picked a recipe he believed you both would enjoy, and cooked all morning so it was nice and fresh by lunch.

It was way better than constantly getting snacks from the vending machine. Now, you could actually gain nutrients while eating.

He was very excited.

But why? Why was he excited to share a meal with you? There wasn’t anything going on between, aside from your quiet studying times halfway through lunch, the conversation from yesterday, and the times you two have been paired up or went head-to-head in class.

Other than that, what was there to really be excited about?

Jungwon slowed down his pace, then leaned over while placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

Or was he just excited to see you? What was the meaning of all this?

Were you the reason his heart raced as if he did his morning runs whenever he was in class? Were you the reason he was always planning what he wanted to buy the two of you on his way to school? He rarely ever did that when you didn’t attend Earl View Academy.

So, were you really the reason?

You took a seat at your desk, pulling out your studying equipment—a normal routine of yours. You always arrived at the same time, 7:30 AM, with Jungwon arriving a little after.

Shockingly, even with 5 minutes passing, he didn’t appear. That was odd, he was always on time.

You shook your head, brushing off the fact he hadn’t arrived yet. The things he taught you yesterday were the only materials you had to review this morning.

You couldn’t fall behind so easily.

When you went home, you decided to take a break. A was a rare sight since you were always studying all night and all morning, nobody could stop you.

But for some reason, Jungwon was able to change part of your ‘unhealthy’ studying habits. At your old school, it was impossible for that to happen. Not even your short-term friendships changed anything.

It was the same old ‘Book of Rules’ you followed with no updates.

The door slid open, showcasing an exhausted Jungwon. He walked over to the seat in front of you and placed the two snacks in an empty spot on your desk then took a seat.

It wasn’t at his actual desk, instead, it was the one in front of you.

“Why do you seem so tired?” You asked, noticing his droopy eyes.

“I ran around the track today. It’s been a while since I’ve done it, so I guess I pushed my limits.” He explained while yawning. He stretched his arms before examining your desk; there was a partially empty space at the edge of your desk.

It looked like it could fit most of his arms and head.

“Can I?” He questioned while gesturing at the spot from earlier. You nodded, not giving him any other reaction.

Your heart was already racing from the ‘close’ proximity he provided. You had to keep it lowkey.

“Thanks. Wake me up a few minutes before the bell.” He said and dozed off to dreamland.

The classroom fell silent, the only thing being heard was the rustling leaves from the wind that travelled through the sky, your pencil gliding on the piece of paper you wrote on, sounding like music to Jungwon’s ears.

It was a relaxing sound. Not even close to irritating.

There were moments where you snuck in a few glances, noticing the way his face looked peaceful and less irritating than when he was wide awake. His breathing was at a usual pace as his back rose and fell at his command.

He was quite the pretty sleeper.

The formula of your work suddenly started to not make any sense. You searched the article you were looking at, realisation only hitting you a bit after.

You were working on your English, not Math. No wonder your formulas weren’t making any sense. Clearly, with how close Jungwon was to you, it was obvious you couldn’t think straight.

How often did someone mix up English work with Mathematics? It was never that often, and yet, you still managed to make the mistake.

You picked up your highlighter, forgetting about the embarrassing situation from earlier, and began highlighting simple concepts that you would need to remember when answering the questions.

Without you knowing, 30 minutes of silence passed between the two of you. You were surprised he didn’t wake up from the sound of your beating heart, because to you, it was quite loud.

You hesitated on waking up the boy in front of you. He was sound asleep. What if he woke up cranky?

Still, he requested for you to wake him up a few minutes before the bell. He wouldn’t be mad if you did so, right?

You softly placed your hand on his shoulder and gently shook him at a slow pace. There wasn’t much momentum, however, it was still enough to wake him up.

His eyes slowly opened, eyeing the area he sat in.

He could barely see, eyes still blurred with his sleepiness. Jungwon blinked a few times before looking in front of him, spotting your shocked figure.

“Morning.” He mumbled, his words cutting short because of a yawn. He stretched his arms before looking over at the clock.

It was only 8:20 AM. It always shocked you how students weren’t filling up the classroom around this time. They always arrived at least 5 minutes before the bell. Even if it was shocking, it was quite satisfying how everyone was still on time.

“What’re you working on?” Jungwon asked, slightly curious about the reason you held a highlighter.

“English,” you muttered. He hummed at your words and continued to inspect your desk.

“You didn’t eat?” He asked, pointing at the neatly kept snacks. It looked the same as when he first gave you them.

You shook your head. You completely forgot about the snacks. Instead, you were more focused on calming your racing heart, so it wouldn’t have woken him up.

“Eat. At least three pieces before the lesson starts.” He said. The snacks he brought the both of you were a small packet of animal crackers. One of Jungwon’s favourites as a child.

You paused for a moment, debating if you should follow through with his request. He was staring at you, once again, causing you to feel fragile under his gaze. There was no way he would stop if you didn’t eat.

You placed your highlighter down and grabbed one of the two packets. Hopefully, that would help his strong state.

Honestly, you couldn’t help but feel taken care of because of Jungwon’s acts. Your parents were amazing to you. There was no doubt about it. Still, with Jungwon, there was a new feeling you’ve never felt with anyone else.

At your old school, you wouldn’t even have a chance at something like this. If you fainted, there was only a tiny bit of shock from others. It happened very often because of your bad habits that it became so natural to those who studied and worked there.

But if you were to faint around Jungwon or anyone else in this school, they would be very worried. The nurse at Earl View Academy even instructed Jungwon to watch over your eating habits.

At first, you didn’t like the idea of having a so-called babysitter, but eventually it felt nice to know someone possibly cared about you. He started off as your number one threat, and became the person you looked forward to seeing most.

To him, you started off as someone he could never trust and his one and only arch nemesis, and became the person he watched over and enjoyed being around.

Well, look how the tables turned.

“Also,” Jungwon said, chiming into your thoughts. Your attention was then focused onto the boy who stood up from his previous seat with his animal crackers in hold.

“You’re doing great.” He said as the bell rang as if it were completing his sentence.

He sat in his assigned seat at the window while students began filling up the classroom. Maybe they were a little delayed today, but your heart for sure wasn’t.

You were concerned as to why Jungwon’s words had such an effect on your wellbeing, judging from how fast your heart rate was going.

You didn’t even know it was possible to experience such a rush of adrenaline. Your face felt warm as you recalled his words.

Was he perhaps referring to yesterday’s incident?

No matter what the reason was, you’ve never been told something like that. It was always about taking a break and slowing your pace. Even mentioning how you were trying too hard and needed to pay more attention to yourself.

But the words ‘you’re doing great’ were different. It felt like they were filling a void in your life that you didn’t even know existed.

Whatever it was, you were thankful.

Thankful for Jungwon.

Jungwon watched as the ball ricocheted off the rim of the net, sighing in disappointment.

“Gosh, straighten up.” Baekseung said and tossed the ball back to his friend.

The trio stood inside the empty gymnasium, shooting hoops for fun, until it became serious. Baekseung was quite literally concerned for Jungwon’s wellbeing.

He was missing every one of his shots.

“You do remember he did Track and not Basketball like you, Baek, right?” Minji asked while flipping through the pages of her book.

“I mean, yeah, but he’s never this bad.” Baekseung replied, emphasising his words.

“I’m literally right here.”

“Oh, my bad.”

Minji chuckled at the two, looking away at her book while placing a bookmark between the two pages she stopped on.

“Won, what’s on your mind?” She asked.

Great, here comes round two.

“I swear we didn’t put a bet on anything this time. Feel free to tell us anything.”

Jungwon sighed, letting himself loose. It was now or never. He needed to settle things, so he could peacefully continue along with his day.

So…

“How would you confirm your feelings for someone?”

RANK EIGHT.

Minji blinked her eyes in silence as Baekseung held the basketball in his hand with a dropped jaw.

Judging by their reactions, it was obvious they didn’t know what to say, leaving Jungwon feeling embarrassed.

“Nevermind, forget I said that.”

“No, no.” Minji said, shaking her head.

“We were just… stunned, that’s all.” She reassured Jungwon who’s ears turned a light shade of red out of embarrassment.

“Is this about a particular someone?” Minji questioned, slightly wanting it to be you.

She had been noticing the difference between Jungwon’s behaviour now and the first time you arrived. Nowadays, he was always looking at you with adoration in his eyes instead of an intense glare.

It was definitely different between you two.

“You know who it is, don’t you?” Jungwon asked, judging by her expression. It looked like she was holding off on saying something. She was terrible at hiding her expressions.

“Wait, I’m so confused,” Baekseung chimed in, dropping the basketball and making his way closer to the two.

“It’s (Name), right? The atmosphere between you two is so much different than before.”

Jungwon remained quiet upon Minji’s words. She wasn’t wrong, but she was very observant. Even Jungwon hadn’t noticed the change between you and him.

“Your silence is the only answer we need.” Baekseung said with a sly smile.

What? Who wouldn’t act the same way after finding out his best friend had a crush on someone?

“It is…” Jungwon mumbled.

“Okay. First question is… how do you feel when you’re near her?”

Oh.

Well, that could go a long way… There was at least a list of possible feelings, so where should he even start?

“Tingly. I feel tingly.” He said, recalling the moments he was with you.

To be honest, he was shocked you hadn’t realised how red the tip of his ears were when he fell asleep in front of you. It was almost an impossible process for him to sleep, but he managed.

“Sometimes, my ears become warm and my heart flutters at the sight of her smile or if I were to make her laugh…” He paused, thinking of more things to say.

“And—”

“Yeah, you definitely like her.” Baekseung interrupted with a shock yet disgusted look on his face.

“I do?” Jungwon asked, looking at the boy with wide eyes.

Baekseung nodded, causing him to look over at Minji who only did the same as Baekseung in return.

“Are you ever going to tell her?” Minji asked, opening up her book once again.

“I’d embarrass myself terribly. We’re still kinda rivals in some way. Wouldn’t it be weird if I were to suddenly confess my attraction to her?”

“Okay, Shakespeare, what the hell do you mean by attraction?” Baekseung asked as Minji chuckled.

“He means feelings, Baek.”

“Oh… That makes sense. I say do it, what is there to waste? You only live once.” He explained as Jungwon rolled his eyes.

It was a corny saying he had been told all his life, but they were never wrong. Things always turned out good for him if he at least tried them. Therefore, it wouldn’t hurt to profess his love for you, right?

“Jungwon, it’s 11:30, don’t you have to go now?” Minji questioned after checking the time on her phone.

“Ah, right. Thanks Min, thanks Baek.” He said before smiling at them and leaving.

To be honest, Jungwon was expecting a longer explanation to his feelings, but comparing these moments to a book, it was awfully obvious that he liked you. It must’ve flown past his head the first time.

You stared at the clock, awaiting Jungwon’s arrival. This was the first time you had caught yourself doing something like this. Usually, your head would be stuffed in your notebook right now, but after discovering these possible feelings for the boy you spend lunch with daily, things have changed.

Your habits must’ve been one of them.

There were moments where you glanced at the door, hoping that he would appear after every glance, but he didn’t.

“Sorry.” A voice emitted from the doorway, heavy panting followed through. Your head whipped over, noticing the boy you were waiting for all this time. He looked up from the floor, making straight eye contact with you.

He was subtly sweaty, making it obvious that he ran here. Yes, it was a disgusting look, but to you…

He looked disgustingly handsome. It was odd, very odd, that the look made your heartbeat race. You couldn’t deny it, you definitely liked Jungwon.

“You’re late.” You said in a teasing tone. You could care less if he was late or not, but it was fun to joke around with him.

“I’m aware.” Jungwon joked back while walking towards his seat.

“Are you hungry?” He asked while reaching into his backpack. You stayed silent, not sure how to answer that question.

“Be honest.” He said in a serious tone and grabbed the meal he cooked this morning.

“A little bit.” You replied as he took a seat in front of you. You eyed the containers he placed on the empty space, causing you to move your notebooks aside to create more.

He opened the containers one-by-one, leaving you stunned with every single meal. Once he was left with one container, he looked up to see your reaction, smiling at your childish look.

“Does it look good?”

His question brought you out of your trance, causing you to straighten up immediately.

“Yes. It looks great.” You said as Jungwon chuckled at your response. You observed the 3 containers, noticing the different aspects of each; one had greens while the others didn’t.

“Oh, I wasn’t sure if you liked greens, so I separated them just in case.” He explained while pointing at the container you stared at.

You nodded at his words and hummed in amusement. Maybe you were only a tad bit hungry before, but now, you were starving.

“You don’t have to wait for me, you can eat.” Jungwon said, gesturing at the meal in front of you two.

You looked at him once then down at the utensils, hesitantly reaching for a spoon. Jungwon picked up on this and grabbed your hand, flipping it over while grabbing the spoon that laid on the napkin. He then placed it into the palm of your hand and looked into your eyes.

“Don’t hesitate, it’s fine.” Jungwon said and flashed you a smile, his dimples catching your eyes immediately.

Well, maybe you weren’t hesitating on eating anymore, but you were definitely still hesitant about something…

Confessing your feelings to the boy before you.

Yeah, that could wait.

RANK NINE.

Two days ago, Jungwon had a talk with his two friends. He was reassured about his feelings for you, finalising them to a certain extent.

Today, he claimed he was ready to confess. He wouldn’t back away from doing so, and plus, there ‘wasn’t’ much time until graduation (it was 7 months away).

Of course, it was a lie. He had to make an excuse to be able to push himself to tell you how he really felt.

You, on the other hand, thought the same. But, you weren’t sure how you would approach him in a way where it wouldn’t be as awkward as you imagined.

Still, that would have to wait for the perfect time today. You couldn’t mess this up.

As your teacher spoke, your head became drowsy. Your notes seemed messy due to your eyesight blurring and nothing was comprehendible.

You shook your head, an attempt to regain your composure, but that didn’t work either.

“Okay, everyone. I’ll leave the rest of this period for individual work time.” Your teacher said even if there was only 5 minutes before lunch.

“Soccer today?” Baekseung asked Jungwon who wrote in his notebook.

He nodded at his friend’s request, causing the boy to smile. It had been a while since they went to play soccer and not basketball, so it would be quite fun to reminisce about the past.

The bell went, making 5 minutes feel like 30 seconds. To others it must’ve felt long, but to you, it felt short. You couldn’t focus on anything around you, not even the time. The throbbing headache that made its way into your system, as well as the nauseating feeling was all that occupied your mind.

Nothing else.

Not even the fact Jungwon was standing beside you right now.

“You alright?” He asked. You looked up at him, your head spinning at the movement. It was quiet in the classroom, hinting at the fact there was practically nobody left aside from the two of you.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Lies. You were far from feeling ‘fine’. However, you couldn’t let him worry as much as he did about your eating habits.

You managed to flash him a convincing smile as he did the same. The gentle pat on your head before leaving felt comforting knowing it was from Jungwon and no one else.

“I’ll be back.” He said as he walked out the classroom, leaving you alone in silence.

You weren’t able to tell if the heat that crept up your neck was from his subtle action, or the developing fever that made its way towards you. Honestly, you could care less. It wouldn’t stop you from studying anyway.

And, well, maybe preparing your confession for the said boy.

The mesh of the net ricocheted as the ball glided against the barrier. The goalie was on the floor, the outcome of his failed attempt at blocking the ball.

“It’s okay! That was a good try.” A teammate reassured while helping the male up on his feet.

Once the ball was thrown into play, Baekseung scanned the area, searching for an open target to send the ball to. Teamwork was all that mattered when playing sports, so, why not include everyone even if he could shoot the ball himself?

You looked out the window, noticing the view of the many boys who kicked around a soccer ball. It wasn’t the best view, but you were still able to see a few faces—Jungwon’s especially.

Most of you wanted to get a closer look. It would be nice to take a short break from studying, right? It couldn’t hurt your academics that much…

You rose from your seat, head spinning once again. It was unbearable, but you’ve experienced worse.

See, you’ve definitely experienced worse. So, why were you on the verge of passing out, once again?

You stood in front of the window sill Jungwon’s friend, Baekseung, would always sit on. Your grip tightened the ledge, losing balance in your legs. Your vision became even blurry than before as your mind became foggy.

Yeah, you were definitely about to knock out cold. There was no way you would manage to stay conscious.

A moment after coming to terms with the fact you were about to faint, your body hit the floor, leaving the space between two desks occupied.

Your eyes were slowly closing as the warmth of a hand was placed on your face. Ears ringing, making anything that person said incoherent.

It was a terrible feeling. Maybe you should’ve gone to the nurse’s office at the beginning of your fever.

Yeah… Maybe.

“It’s 11:30, I have to go.” Jungwon said after checking the time on his watch. He waved goodbye to those he played with on the field, then looked at the classroom window, a smile making its way to his face.

Now it was time for 30 minutes with you.

But where were you? He scanned the empty classroom, yet you were nowhere to be found. Your stuff wasn't there either.

You weren’t there.

He was confused. You never left your seat, no matter the reason. So, where could you have gone?

Jungwon had no clue where he was going, letting his feet take him wherever. Suddenly, he was in front of the nurse’s office. Not even he knew why he was here.

Without hesitation, he slid open the door, a wave of nostalgia hitting him. Except, you weren’t in his arms like before.

“Oh, Jungwon. What brings you here?” Mrs. Oh greets almost immediately. That was a great question.

What brought him here?

“I’m not sure.” Jungwon said, not knowing what else to say. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t know.

“What do you mean?” She questioned, confused. That was the first time she received an answer like his.

The boy stared at the nurse in silence. It was awkward for her, but not for him.

Seriously, why was he brought here?

“Is… Is (Name) here?” He asked. Part of him regretted letting his so-called question slip out while the other part hoped you were here.

Other than that, he wouldn’t have any other ideas about where you could possibly be right now.

“Oh, yes, she is. Were you looking for her?” Mrs. Oh questioned, a slight smile plastered on her face.

Jungwon nodded, not wanting to say anything else. He already embarrassed himself enough.

He followed the direction the nurse pointed in, heading to where you were supposedly lying down.

“Apparently, she fainted in class again. One of your classmates brought her over… Turns out she had a raging fever.”

So, he wasn’t hallucinating the pained expression you gave him at the start of lunch.

At the sounds of his footsteps, you turned around fast, pretending to be asleep.

“I saw you.” Jungwon said, pulling your curtains aside.

“Nice try.” He took a seat beside you as you bit your bottom lip, eyes squinting in defeat.

“Are you feeling better?”

You turned around at his words to face him. The damped cloth that rested on your forehead slowly slipped off, causing him to catch it.

“A little bit.” You said as he adjusted the cloth.

You weren’t lying about it being a little bit. At least you were now able to move.

“Did you take medication?”

You nodded, noticing the fact he was only going to continue asking questions about your wellbeing.

“I heard you fainted… Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked, the worry finally sinking in.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I got up to look out the window, but I guess I overestimated my ability.” You said with a light laugh.

“Why would you get up to look out the window if you were already feeling unwell?” He asked with furrowed brows.

It was only common sense, you should’ve made your way to the nurse's office. Not somewhere to admire scenery.

“Are you lecturing me, again?” You asked, referring to the conversation in the classroom from a while ago.

“Yes. You need to take care of yourself more.”

“But if I said I was trying to watch you play soccer, then what?”

Jungwon felt his heart skip a beat.

Okay. Maybe you got him there.

“T-That doesn’t matter. Your health comes first.” He mentally cursed at himself for stuttering. Your words must’ve taken a toll on him.

“You’re boring.” You said before looking away from the boy.

To be honest, this would be the best time to confess, right?

Mrs. Oh had left the office a while ago, meaning it was just the two of you left alone.

When would Jungwon ever get another opportunity like this one?

“Listen,” he started, gaining your attention all over again. You look over at him, waiting for him to continue his sentence.

“I know grades are important, but your health is too. Please prioritise your health as well, okay?” Jungwon paused, hesitating with his next words.

It was now or never.

“I don't want to fall in love with a corpse. It’ll be better if it were just you.”

You stared at the boy, stunned. You couldn’t tell if your temperature was rising or you were flustered by his sudden confession.

An awkward silence followed through, as he felt his heart sink.

Did he just mess everything up?

“Anyways… have you drank anything yet?” Jungwon asked, switching the topic really fast.

“No…” You whispered.

He nodded his head, pursing his lips and patted his thighs.

“Okay. I’ll go get you something.” He said before rising up from his seat and leaving quite fast.

You felt bad. If it were a confession, you just left him hanging.

Jungwon pushed the buttons on the vending machine with pressure. He was embarrassed.

Very embarrassed.

He didn’t want to show himself in that room ever again. The atmosphere was definitely still the same as before—awkward and unbearable.

Maybe he shouldn’t have taken his friend's advice. He could’ve saved himself from experiencing this sort of regret.

The sound of the juice boxes falling from their designated spots caught Jungwon’s attention. He whined at the sound, not wanting to go back at all.

Still, he couldn’t keep you waiting.

His plan of pretending nothing happened was now set in motion. It wouldn’t be that hard to forget the previous interaction, right?

“I hope you like orange juice—”

“Was that a confession earlier or was I going crazy?”

So much for pretending nothing happened.

He stumbled in his tracks, he was nowhere near your bed yet.

“Was it?” You asked, quite literally pestering a response from him.

Jungwon mumbled something to himself. Something along the lines of hoping he doesn’t mess things up further.

“Yes, it was.” He said, a heavy sigh following through.

Although his sigh sounded stressed, yours sounded relieved.

“Oh, that’s good. I thought I was the only one.” You said, causing Jungwon to make his way to your bed even faster.

“What do you mean?” He asked, his hands carrying the juice boxes and a confused expression on his face.

“Is it not obvious?” You asked, but he remained still.

Clearly, it wasn’t.

You sighed, disappointed that he couldn’t read between the lines with that brain of his.

“I like you too, Jungwon.”

RANK TEN.

“It really happened?!” Baekseung exclaimed, shocked. Jungwon covered his mouth with a hand, not wanting the whole world to hear about yesterday’s interaction.

“Then what?” Minji asked.

“It’s a secret.” Jungwon said with a teasing smile. Minji rolled her eyes at his response. It definitely wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

The classroom door slid open, gaining his attention quickly. You walked into the classroom, holding your books to your chest.

A smile of adoration made its way to Jungwon’s face as you looked over at him, smiling.

Minji observed the interaction with curious eyes.

“What the hell? Never do that again, please.” Baekseung said, removing Jungwon’s hand from his mouth.

“Wait so… Are you guys, well, dating now?” Minji asked.

“Woah, no.” He said, raising his hands up in defence.

“So, you guys just confessed to each other and that was all?” She asked in a more hushed tone since you arrived.

Jungwon nodded.

Minji was about to say something else, but the bell rang, cutting her off before she could even start. The teacher walked in, addressing everyone to return to their seats.

You smiled to yourself and pulled out your phone to send the boy a text.

“Nice one.” It read with a smiley emoji.

Jungwon’s phone dinged, causing him to look at it. A smile made its way to his face as he read the message.

He was lying to his friends the whole time. Yes, that was bad to do, but it was the best way of keeping your official relationship with each other a secret.

They could know you two confessed to each other, but not that you were dating.

To be honest, Jungwon never saw this coming. He always thought you would be someone he hated because he never knew it was possible to meet somebody who was at his level.

He truly thought he was dreaming when he first saw you and learned about that information.

But right now, he was thankful he wasn’t and was thankful that you were someone who he fell in love with.

Ξ ©HAKNOM, 2024

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catgumi · 4 days

Note

megumi isn't really a define the relationship type of person, when things work for him they work. occasionally he'll mull about it, but he doesn't vocalise. yuuji, on the other hand, defines his relationships as whatever the other person wants. he's a friend when you need one, the voice of reason when you're at crossroads, the stranger that you talk to sometimes. really, he plays off the energy of whoever he interacts with.

so there's a long stretch of silence between them, when someone asks them the question. blinking slowly, megumi considers, and yuuji eyes him, curious for his reply. though, megumi isn't really thinking about their relationship, as much as he is thinking about yuuji in general. lashes fluttering, images of unbridled humanity flash — yuuji pausing midway through their conversation to help an elderly lady cross the street, ever first to give up his seat, conversations with the crying student crouched by the pavement, picking up and disposing glass bottles when he finds them. yuuji is kind, and through that megumi is linked, because he is removed from such kindness.

at the sombre expression on his face, yuuji slaps his back lightly, and shoots him a reassuring grin. out of the two of them, megumi has the kinder heart. if yuuji runs on autopilot — cashing in good deeds because being someone dependable has overwritten all other aspects of his sense of self — megumi is honest in his actions. walking past a kid getting bullied, not wanting to get involved, thinking he could just go home and read a book on the only quiet day he has for a while, he still ends up turning around and breaking it up. for megumi, there are options, so there is weight in his choice to be selfless.

yuuji answers first, because for someone whose moral compass is broken and stuck on goodness through and through, megumi is someone he admires.

(thank you again😭 you're genuinely so sweet, i will eventually build up the courage to at least dm you bc i do want to talk to you!! while i work on that, i will burden you with more of my incessant rambling🤧)

this is Everything actually this is like crack to me . 'there are options, so there is weight in his choice to be selfless' bawling

if u evr consider writing full blown fics js know ill b ur no1 supporter 🙏🙏

( take ur time ^_^ ill read like ljterally anything u want to rant ab..if ur ever inclined to share an indicator as to which moot u are tho i'll take that too cs ion want to try and blindly guess based off the way u type )

#gumi . answers #jjk #jjk megumi #megumi fushiguro #itafushi #yuji itadori #jjk yuji #jujutsu kaisen

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booksteaandtoomuchtv · 9 months

Note

hi im new to tumblr and love ur blog, i rly love captainswan! can u suggest some other captainswan tumblrs to follow? thanks xx

WELCOME, MY DEAR NONNIE.

HAVE I GOT BLOGS FOR YOU...

(I am still fairly new to the fandom so this is not an exhaustive list at all.)

Art @cocohook38 @piinfeathers @wild-werewolf - her Insta is more active and I highly recommend following @pirateswhore

Gifs/Edits @pirateherokillian @killianjonesz @k-leemac @naiariddle Fics/Meta/All the Things/Reblogs For fics, I elaborated at length here and my tag 'major cs fic rec' has many, many other lists that others in the community have done. (I will spare the retag for most of those folks.)

@teamhook @ishoulddefbedoingotherthings @piraterefrigerator @cptainjones @vasfasan @saptaincwan @grimmswan @exhaustedpirate @goforlaunchcee @snowbellewells @killian-whump @killiansprincss @kmomof4 @nachocheese-itsmycheese @anmylica @stahlop @tiganasummertree @jrob64 @djlbg @zaharadessert @xarandomdreamx @hollyethecurious @whimsicallyenchantedrose @elfiola @undercaffinatednightmare - Also has lots of relateable writing things over there @kazoosandfannypacks - Kazzy did OUAT-tober last year and propelled me into the OUAT fandom. Even when she is not doing OUAT things, she is doing amazingly creative things that encourage you to write or create on your own. Crack pairings? She's got them. Meta? Got it. And, it is smut-free and curse-free for those who take that into consideration. @ouatsnark - Doing the good work of defending CS against so much hate Event Pages @cssns @cshistfic @csjanuaryjoy @cssecretsanta2020 @ouattober Listen... I know that I forgot people I KNOW that I did and I am so, so sorry. But, follow them too!!

Oh, and I am so glad you like it here.

#ouat #captain swan #asked and answered #ouat fandom

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firewoodfigs · 10 months

Note

any royai headcanons? :)

hi anon!! I'm SO sorry it took me forever to respond, but ah thank you for the ask--this is especially fun now since ao3 is down, much to everyone's dismay!!

I should preface this by saying I've just been writing fic and hardly engaging with canon material LMAO so I unfortunately only have paltry crumbs to offer at this point but there have been so many interesting h/cs going around, and it's always fun to see the fandom coming back to life again :)

some completely random and bizarre royai headcanons (this is more crack than anything else because I have about two brain cells left):

roy is a simp

riza is a simp

roy loves shrimps (and also loves peeling them for riza because he is a simp)

riza forces him to finish his vegetables

they are each other's emergency contacts

they 100% got it on before the promised day. how else could they have been so agile after literally sustaining life-threatening injuries???

roy is a generally reckless driver but drives with extra caution whenever riza is on board as passenger princess bcs that's his precious cargo right there

riza has a nifty collection of his shirts that she routinely wears as PJs (back to point no. 2)

roy has a burgeoning collection of dog toys bcs he was the asian dad who claimed he didn't want a pet but is obviously deeply in love with the dog

riza would make breakfast first for the dog and give roy crumbs and roy would be like aww yea that's fair (also "that's my wife")

riza is secretly an amazing singer and roy is always looking for ways to sneak in karaoke sessions during team bonding activities

but nobody wants to go for karaoke because roy is tone-deaf and deadass cannot sing. when he's drunk he just raps and that gets everyone on their knees begging for mercy

roy was very excited when riza started growing her hair out because he's always dreamed of getting to braid it with his own two hands, yadayada

riza on the other hand adores it when roy rolls his sleeves up

tldr they are both thirsty and in need of something more than a drink or two

riza fell in love first but would sooner die than admit it

riza decided to pick up xingese while in the countryside so that she could listen to the songs and read the poems that roy enjoys in secret

roy on the other hand really loves buying first edition copies of poetry books for riza. i'm sure he's also loaded so no biggie (apart from the possible mesothelioma but honestly first editions are worth inhaling some asbestos or whatever for)

roy's nickname is tailor swift because he's really good at sewing and has made riza more than one dress

roy's black coat is gucci

#royai #as u can tell I have zero brain cells left but this was very fun to come up with #asks #thank you anon!!! and sorry it took me forever to respond AAAHHH I HOPE YOU ARE WELL <3

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jrob64 · 3 months

Text

Writing Patterns

I was tagged for this game by @searchingwardrobes & @kmomof4. Sounds like fun!

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 posted fics and see if there's a pattern. (With links to the stories on Ao3)

Pet for Rent

Emma Swan flopped down onto her sofa with a sigh.

Freed to Love (Collab fic with @snowbellewells & @statustemporary - these first words were actually written by one of them, so I'm not sure if that counts!)

Early morning dew soaks through Emma's boots to her stockings.

Hitting a High Note

Killian Jones buttoned his black pea coat, then wrapped a festive green and gold scarf around his neck.

I Loved You First

David Nolan paced in the hallway outside the room where Mary Margaret was helping Emma get ready for her wedding.

Silly Songs with Killian

It's been one hell of a day.

Turning a Foul Ball into a Home Run

Emma Swan joined the group of people who were making their way down the hallway and into the press room.

Saying Goodbye and Moving On

Storybrooke was peaceful for perhaps the first time since Emma Swan crashed into the town sign three years ago.

Never Leave Me (reposted after I added a 2nd chapter)

"It's nice when our schedules sync up," Emma Swan said, rubbing her foot up and down the calf of her boyfriend's bare leg, as they lingered in bed.

Cave Cruises, Cabin Capers, & Cracked Craniums (Another Collab fic with @kmomof4, @snowbellewells & @whimsicallyenchantedrose - again, I don't think the first sentence was written by me)

Emma Swan and her girlfriends–Mary Margaret Blanchard, Ruby Lucas, Regina Mills, Belle French, and Elsa Arendelle–were on the first day of their yearly, week-long girls trip.

Long Overdue Conversations (This work is in parts, not chapters, so I'll post the first sentence of the last part I added)

“You guys gonna finally tell me the name of my little brother or should I just keep calling him ‘hey there’?” (direct quote from the show)

I guess the pattern I see is that I almost always use the name of at least one main character for the story, especially Emma.

Tagging @statustemporary @cs-rylie @kymbersmith-90

#tag game #writing patterns #jrob64 #CS fanfiction #with a splash of Daddy Charming

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snowbellewells · 6 months

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Self Promo Sunday: "And All the Trimmings"

These next couple of weeks, I'm going to highlight the Thanksgiving fics I have written over the years. I've always loved the holiday, and there aren't enough fics for it (in my humble opinion) so I've tried to create a few at various times along the way. This one is some Thanksgiving fluff written during 5B as I anxiously hoped for them to return from the Underworld with their hero party still intact and a pirate in tow. Nods to CS, Snowing, and OQ in here; Thanksgiving is a whole family holiday after all! ;p Anyway, I think that’s it, other than it obviously being canon divergent now, since things did not pan out nearly so happily upon their return from Underbrooke. Still, enjoy – and please let me know what you think if you’re so inclined!

**Also available on ff.net or AO3, as a part of my one shots collection "Of Swans and Swords and Hopeful Hearts**

by: @snowbellewells

“Charming?” his lovely wife’s voice rings brightly from the loft’s small kitchen right into the erstwhile Prince of the Enchanted Forest’s ears as he bustles through the door of their apartment, arms full of groceries and cheeks red from the first deep chill and frost of the year. “Is that you?”

“Yes, Snow, I’m back!” he calls, bemused smile quirking up one side of his mouth. A chuckle escapes David Nolan’s throat at how happy and excited his Princess sounds. Setting his purchases on the table until he can hang his coat back on its peg, he shakes his head with affectionate good humor and goes to meet her in the kitchen.

If he’s honest with himself, David is nearly as anxious and thrilled as Snow. After all, their entire family, with all its odd, extended members, will soon be gathered here with them for the first Thanksgiving holiday they have celebrated together. His heart swells at the very idea – even if at the same time he has to simply hope the whole thing will really manage to go off without a hitch…or any bloodshed.

“Looking for these?” he asks with happy teasing in his voice as he enters the kitchen, sets the several plastic bags from the market on the counter, and leans over the center island to plant a kiss on Snow’s upturned lips.

“Yep,” she chirps, beaming at him as they part and reaching in to begin unpacking, “I was.”

Charming moves back into the front dining area, preparing the table and making sure they have enough chairs, seeing that the candles and centerpieces Snows wants are out, and letting her get back to her cooking in the meantime. Between the homemade noodles, green beans, and the mashed potatoes and gravy his wife has simmering all at once, Charming is impressed she can keep everything going without setting anything on fire, much less have the whole apartment smelling good enough to make him drool, and he certainly doesn’t want to distract her from it. No matter how long they have been married, or what realm they find themselves in, it doesn’t take long for Snow to prove that she will never cease to surprise and amaze him.

He has just stepped back to survey his handiwork proudly when the doorbell rings. Swiftly moving forward to answer it before Snow comes running, Charming’s smile grows even wider as Henry bursts into the room, greeting him enthusiastically and launching right into a story of their hectic morning. He is followed by Roland, who is practically bouncing up and down, vibrating with rambunctious energy, his deep dimples cracking wide across his face. After their two boys come Robin and Regina, each laden with items that Charming attempts to help take off their hands.

Robin hands over the delectably scented and delicious-looking turkey, beaming proudly as he gives a nod toward the perfectly crisped and golden brown bird on the platter, which has clearly been charmed in some way by Regina to stay warm and ready to place on the table. “Caught it myself, Mate,” Robin says. “Should be a good one.”

Charming sets the turkey on the long dining table he has just finished with, then claps his friend on the shoulder and ushers him in. “I’m sure it will be. Thanks,” he answers.

Robin slings an insulated bag off his shoulder and holds it forward as well. “Regina’s apple tarts,” he explains with both a mischievous smile and a shrug of feigned innocence. The former thief knows the rest of the family’s understandable aversion to the fruit, but he also somewhat adores his beloved’s rather twisted sense of humor and refusal to shy away from her past by making a dish that highlights the difference in her now and just how far she has come. With a wink, he tacks on, “Taste tested them myself, and they’re irresistible.”

The archer moves past, on into the loft to greet Snow and to catch and corral his young son. Regina raises a sculpted brow at David as she enters after Robin, their new little girl sleeping cradled in her arms and a diaper bag slung over her shoulder. Though David knows all too well that having a newborn in the home can be harrying, the formerly evil Queen looks as completely polished and put together as always – not a hair out of place. “Charming,” she greets with a wry nod, somehow managing to inject even the simplest hello with her trademark dry sarcasm. They may be on the same side now, fumbling towards being a truly non-dysfunctional family, but he somehow feels that her half-mocking way of using the name Snow gave him will never change, and perhaps – in Regina’s own way – it is meant as an endearment.

Peeking into the layers of lavender blanket bundled around Robin and Regina’s little daughter to shield her from the biting wind outside, Charming can’t help a soft grin at the sweet, perfect infant sleeping peacefully, the softest wisps of russet curls on her little head and her soft, pale pink skin. “She’s lovely, Regina,” he murmurs in quiet awe, not wanting to rouse little Mariana, and feeling a flood of affection for this woman who once hunted he and Snow, wanting both of their heads, but who also saved Snow’s life as a child, and has clawed her way back from the bottom to right her wrongs.

Before he can close the door behind her, Emma and Killian come tramping up the hall stairs, cheeks flushed and both laughing at some unknown joke between them, but greeting him heartily as they see that he is standing there watching. Emma reaches David first, falling into her dad’s arms and returning his hug exuberantly before reaching back to pull Killian in as well when he hesitates, effectively sandwiching herself between the two of them in a three-way hug. The laugh that rings from his daughter’s throat, light and open and at last free of the guilt and pain she had been saddled with for too long, is all David needs to be as grateful this Thanksgiving as at any he can remember.

“Thanks Dad,” Emma mumbles almost bashfully when she does ease back and both she and her pirate boyfriend pull away. They follow him into the house, their food contributions in hand.

“Aye, thank you for having us, Mate,” Killian adds with a dip of his chin as they all step through the door and he shuts it behind himself. He offers his love’s father a genuine smile when their gazes meet, Emma having busied herself with hanging up their jackets and removing her boots. For a moment, David is frozen in place, forcibly reminded of how Killian had looked just a few weeks before, when they had found him in the black depths of the Underworld. As long as any of them live, David fears the sight of Killian Jones which had greeted them beyond the Veil would be hauntingly branded on their souls. Chained to a dank stone wall in the furthest recesses of Hades’ domain, the shade of a pirate that they’d found was not the dashing rapscallion they knew. Though bearing his torment in stoic silence, he had been emaciated and shivering, the dark rings under his eyes clearly showing that Killian had known no sleep nor peace since he left their world. The rest of the rescue party had stood horrified as Emma fell to her knees before him, tears pouring down her face while she reached out to cup his bearded cheeks in her hands. Worse than all that though had been the blank, almost unseeing despair in blue eyes that had always been so full of life; the vacancy in their depths no longer seemed like Killian at all and had truly made their blood run cold.

To see that spark back in Jones’ smiling gaze, and the dark bruises beneath his eyes fading, reminds David forcibly just how much they do have to celebrate before he clears his throat to respond with hoarse emotion. “Of course. We’re glad to have everyone. Snow’s really trying to outdo herself.”

Without further ado, David soon finds his family gathered around the table, talking, laughing and reveling in the warmth and happiness of the occasion. There is good natured ribbing at Emma’s continued inability to cook and a playful debate over whether or not the bottoms of several of the butter horn rolls she had made were more burnt than a nice golden brown. Mariana wakes from her nap and begins to gurgle and coo at everyone she can see gathered around her. Snow gushes over the pecan pie that Emma grudgingly admits Killian had made, complete with perfectly crimped edges of crust and an ornate little ‘KJ’ carved into the crunchy sugared top. “Figures,” Charming hears his daughter grumble with teasing chagrin, “He can cook circles around me with only one hand.”

Snow is quick to assure her daughter that she will get better with practice, but Killian only smirks at Emma, looking entirely as though he wants her to either smack or kiss the grin off his face. “Well, I had to sign such artwork, Swan,” he counters playfully. “You might have tried to take credit for it otherwise.”

The whole table laughs and carries on, but is quickly more absorbed in eating than talking, just comfortable in each other’s presence and enjoying a quiet moment. David looks to the other end of the long table and catches Snow’s eye, perfectly understanding the misty look he finds there. This was all either of them had ever wanted: a family, all together, happy and safe. It is what they had sacrificed so much for their best chance at preserving. He smiles at his True Love, marveling that two other pairs of True Loves sit in this very room with them, and tucks into his own meal at last. Now that they have all found each other, this family has every blessing it could possibly need.

Tagging a few who might enjoy: @searchingwardrobes @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @laschatzi @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @xsajx @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight @optomisticgirl @tiganasummertree @kazoosandfannypacks @booksteaandtoomuchtv @sotangledupinit @anmylica @stahlop @xarandomdreamx @bluewildcatfanatic @winterbaby89 @gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot @scientificapricot

#self promo sunday #ouat ff #ouat one shot #5b canon divergent ff #thanksgiving fic #and all the trimmings #captain swan #outlaw queen #snowing

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wangxianficfinder · 2 years

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In the mood for a Fic...

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1. I’m in the mood for Rogue Cultivator Wei Wuxian, particularly any fic where Wei Wuxian’s parents live a bit longer so that he isn’t on his own until his teens? I’d really love a fic where his understanding of the sects and his own self-worth is informed by his parents. Bonus if his introduction to the sects happens at the Cloud Recesses lectures! Thanks!! @posteggpunk

Wújī by FairyTaleDreams (M, 43k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, WCZ & CS Lives, Rouge cultivator WWX)

🧡Resplendence by FrozenMarVel (E, 159k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, CS Lives, Different first meeting, Fluff, Crossdressing, Love at first sight, Fix-it of sorts)

Dear Fellow Traveler by Netrixie (Not Rated, 13k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alive WWX parents, immortal BSSR and family being rogue cultivators together, meet cute, travel partners falling in love, Flirting, Yearning, Sharing a Bed, Fluff, Sweet, good parental figures only, Pre-Relationship, Getting Together) absolutely adorable,tho this *is* wangxian centric

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2. Hello! For the next mood post, does anyone have any animal cafe/animal shelter recs?? Or any other fics with cute wangxian interactions with animals. Pls and ty!!

in the arms of the angel by ScarlettStorm (E,37k, WangXian, Modern AU with Magic, Fox WWX, animal rescuer LWJ, Minor pining, major shenanigans, Comedy, Smut, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Adhd WWX, Blowjobs, Frottage, switch rights, Scent Kink, mildly telepathic sex, courtship via kittens)

Bun Fu Fighting by Silvarbelle (G, 4k ,Modern AU, Racism, racist microaggressions, petting farm (in america), animal education, cultural education (attempt), Two Dads, Established Relationship, Slice of Life, Mojo’s Post)

2:15 PM by cherishthespark (T, 12k, WangXian, Modern AU, Bunny Cafe AU, This counts as a coffee shop au right, Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff, Pining, pre-dating)

风调雨顺 | a good time (to grow a family) by frostferox (T, 3k, WangXian, Modern AU, Meet-Cute, Domesticity, Pets)

Found: Extremely Friendly Fox by wanderingflame (T, 22k, ZhuiLing, WangXian, mild animal injury, Curses, Reunions, Fox WWX, Foxxian being a lovable terror, POV Alternating, Modern With Cultivation, Tooth-Rotting Fluff)

~*~

3. What is that one fic that lives rent-free in your mind?

🧡Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 370k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement)

🧡close your eyes, feel my heartbeat by ThatDesiGirl (T, 11k, WangXian, blind!WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, Rewriting Canon, not a fix-it but a what-if, Golden Core Transfer)

(I enjoyed both of these a lot ~ Mod C)

💖From the Future for the Past by friedchickenlord (G, 27k, wangxian, time travel, fix-it, fluff & humor, happy ending, denial, pining, bullying ur younger self is in fact ok) I feel like I’m always reccing this but I just love it too much haha ~Mod L

Taking Responsibility by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 6k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Getting Together, Trope Subversion/Inversion, Pretend mpreg, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Fluff and Crack)

总有一天; a place to hide (can’t find one near) by yiqie (E, 76k, WangXian, Modern AU, Pianist, Getting Together, Mental Health Issues, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Hospitals, Overdosing, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Additional Warnings In Author's Note) the one fic that lives rent free in my mind, it's a modern AU that taken on depression and suicide themes but in such a thoughtful and cleansing way

The envy of the world by vulnerable_bead (E, 48k, wangxian, post-canon, night-hunt; WWX and LWJ as teachers to LSZ, LJY, and Lan junior OCs; poetic fairytale prose; a casefic of unfurling complexity with an intelligent, subtle, and powerful antagonist; mysterious uncharted musical magic; a climactic confrontation that deserves to be animated. And then there’s the famous Windowsill Papapa Scene.)

Different Paths to the Same Route by JustAWanderingBabbit (T, 184k, 3Zun, Canon Divergence, What-if, Magical genetic testing, Family Feels)

the field meets the wood by astronicht (T, 7k, WangXian, Post-Canon, BAMF WWX, slight whump, Ritualistic, Self Harm, Canon Era, Tang Dynasty style, Blood Loss, Blood and Injury, salt, economics, [Podfic] the field meets the wood by semperfiona_podfic (semperfiona), [podfic] the field meets the wood by jellyfishfire, mojo's bookmark)

well-met by warlight by wukuiyuxin (Not Rated, 2k, WIP, WangXian, Canon typical death, Blood CW, old english style poetry, Poetry, Epic Poetry)

Sect Leader Wen Qionglin by maya_brainstormed (mayachain) (T, 2k, LSZ & WN, Time Travel Fix-It, Crack Treated Seriously, POV Multiple, BAMF WN, Protective Siblings, Cousins, No Sunshot Campaign, Capital Punishment, Rebuilding) wen ning lives rent free in my head along with this fic

~*~

4. Hello, for the next In The Mood, could I get A) Some WWX spending his 13 years dead in Ghost City with Hua Cheng, then either moving into MXY as normal, or keeps being a ghost because he leveled up during that time? B) Since I didn't get lucky with this request last time - crossovers between characters from the novel/donghua/live action, with biggest thirst for poor live action people meeting the donghua YLLZ, but at this point i'd take anything :D

4B)

We always get what we deserve!(Doesn't matter even if you think you don't deserve it. Fate has mysterious ways!) by Ajareenlovesbtsandshinee (Not rated, 16k, WIP, WangXian, Post-Canon Fix-It, CQL Wei Ying and MDZS Wei Ying Exchange places, CQL Lan Zhan and Wei Ying also deserve to be together, Happy Ending)

The Young, the Horny, the Jaded and the Jade: Partners in Time by Admiranda (M, 35k, WangXian, WIP, Established couple, Crossover, road trip with your older selves, teasing your younger selves about their obvious crushes, yin iron does yin iron things, mdzs/cql crossover, adult wangxian, Teenage Wangxian)

Key Differences by pupeez4eva (T, 5k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Humor, Dimension Travel, Crossover, Drama!WWX meets Novel!WWX, Public Confessions, WWX plays matchmaker for himself)

~*~

5. Hello! Do you happen to have any fics that have a’yuan as wangxian’s biological kid??

Until The End by abCEE (M, 365k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, war changes people resulting to OOC, no Pining, Established Relationship, wangxian are married and have a son, Mpreg, Good Uncle LQR, a little grey LWJ, a bit of JC bashing from LWJ, BAMF JYL, 16 years of yearning, mainly CQL verse but has scenes from the novel as well, LSZ is WangXian's Child, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Canonical Character Death -WWX, Canon Rewrite, Happy Ending, Fix-It of Sorts)

Time Charm Series by Jenrose (E, 141k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time travel Fix-It, Post-Canon, BAMF WWX & LWJ, Everyone Lives/Nobody dies, Pregnancy, Queer platonic poly WangXianQing, Slice of Life)

in flagrante delicto by synonemous (E, 39k, WangXian, Modern AU, Serial killer WangXian, A/B/O, Mpreg, Smut, Wangxian's Canon Kinks, Modern Yi City arc, Angst with a happy ending)

an ongoing Twitter threadfic that’s updating daily (or close to it), trans LWJ, WWX got kicked out as a teen & disappeared before LWJ found out he was pregnant, now WWX is a pop star

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6. for the next in the mood for… could i get the best of canon divergence? or just your favorites? thank you for all your hard work at this blog! 💖💖💖

If I Could Go Back in Time by Runningbarefoot (M, 122k, WangXian, NieLan, Canon Divergence, Role Reversal, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Grief/Mourning, YL WWX, Eventual Happy Ending, The Twin Jade Brotherhood, Hurt/Comfort, Healing, Character Study, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Dynamics, Slow Burn)

Everyanything by deliciousblizzardshark, lingeringdust (E, 46k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Franken-canon, Gender Identity, Gender Dysphoria, Trans WWX, Protective LWJ, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Canon-Typical Misogyny, Fluff and Angst, Vaginal Sex, Canon-Typical Major Character Death, QS brings back WWX)

And Time Is But a Paper Moon by sami (M, 139k, WangXian, Time travel, Hurt/comfort, Canon typical violence, Getting together, Everybody loves/Nobody dies)

Love Song In Reverse by timetoboldlygo (T, 237k, WangXian, Amnesia, Hurt/comfort, Canon Divergence, Angst with a happy ending)

By Any Other Name by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 31k, Wangxian, Canon Divergence, Crossdressing, Misunderstandings, Identity Porn, Identity reveal, Polski Translation Pod każdym innym imieniem by tehanu, [PODFIC] By Any Other Name by sakizar)

❤️The One-Body Problem by metisket (T, 29k, LJY & WWX, LJY & LSZ, wangxian, possession, cohabitation, Mojo’s bookmark)

everyone has a braincell of their very own series by MarbleGlove (T, 22k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Self-Indulgent, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies)

happy not knowing by plonk (Not rated, 16k, WangXian, Canon Era, Canon Divergence, Established Relationship)

With Surgical Precision by metisket (T, 20k, WQ & WN, WQ & WWX, WangXian, Time Travel, Families of Choice)

~*~

7. Ello~ I am back with another request for "in the mood for" (love the amazing work all the mods do with this blog will never be able to say that enough) and this time it's... Meet cute coffee shop au's please! @yukihyo-no-yosei

Who Cares? by fangbook (G, 854, WangXian, MianQing, Modern AU, Coffee Shops & Cafés, barista!wwx, musicteacher!lwj, Oblivious WWX, Oblivious LWJ, Mutual Pining)

Cake it Easy by Leahelisabeth (fortheloveofcamelot) (G, 2k, WangXian, Modern AU, Meet-Cute, First Meetings, Bakery, Love at First Sight, Fluff) this is a bakery meet cute, but it has the cafe vibes so I think it'll work!

Coffee Beans & Whipped Cream by w_wxsparkles (G, 7k, WangXian, Modern AU, Coffee Shops & Cafés, Waiter WWX, Artist LWJ, Strangers to Lovers, No Angst, Fluff, Flirting, Falling In Love, First Dates, Indulgent Fic, LWJ Has Feelings, LWJ is Whipped, WWX is Whipped)

Coming right up by Onomatopoetikon (G, 1k, WangXian, Modern AU, Coffee Shops & Cafés, College/University, POV LWJ, Barista WWX, WWX is a Tease, Internally Screaming LWJ, Flirting, Meet-Cute)

Americano by impatiensatin (T, 2k, WangXian, Modern AU, Shameless WWX, Rich Boy JC, Wingman NJS, Cinnamon Roll WN,Internally Screaming LWJ, BussinessMan!LWJ, CafeOwner!YZY, Baby OZ, Barista! WWX, Barista! NHS, Barista! WN, barista!au, Rich Young Master LWJ, Playing with a Bet, Lanling is a Project, Library Pavillion is an commercial Office)

~*~

8. Hello!!! For the iitmf could you rec some completed fics of A) Polyamorous NingWangXian and B) fics where Wei WuXian grows up/joins the Nie Sect? Thanks for all your hard work!

8A)

i didn't think it could be true (let alone that it would be you) by ryneisaterriblefan (T, 11k, NingWangXian, Mutual Pining, Cuddling & Snuggling, Texting, Drunk LWJ, drunk WN, Pining, Cafes)

let me feel these highs and lows by thrallax (M, 6k, NingWangXian, Threesome, gets a little bit suggestive there in the middle but nothing explicit, technically, Hanahaki Disease, Pining, Fluff, spoilers through ch. 108 of mdzs!, Hair Washing)

throughline by lunatea (M, 81k, NingWangXian, Crime Scene Investigation, Modern AU, Polyamory, Pining, Developing Relationship, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Hurt/Comfort, Case Fic, Murder Mystery, Detectives, Canon-Typical Violence, Corruption)

Gee, Wen Ning! How Come Your Sister Lets You Have TWO Boyfriends? by thesweetpianowritingdownmylife (E, 129k, NingWangXian, Canon Divergence, Not A Fix-It, Mutual Pining, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Timelapse days, Post-Resurrection days, Injury Recovery, Grief/Mourning, Drunkenness, Dubcon Kissing, Fluff, Angst, Smut, Threesome, Trans Male Character, Anal Sex, Strap-Ons, Oral Sex)

Syzygy by Mortissimo (E, 50k, NingWangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Getting Together, Grief/Mourning, Canon-Typical Disrespect for Linear Time, Canon-Atypical Lubricant Use)

In This Life by INSPIRETOWRITE (G, 5k, NingWangXian,Fluff and Angst, Cinnamon roll WN, Falling In Love, Cute, Sad Ending, Anxiety, Oblivious, Mutual Pining,5+1 Things, Consent, Developing Relationship, Polyamory)

Three Men and a Radish by nirejseki (G, 3k, NingWangXian, Canon Divergence, Oblivious WWX, Mutual Pining but not for long)

what part of party don't you understand by wildwestwind (T, 1k, NingWangXian, Modern AU, Christmas Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Cultural Differences, Trans Female WWX, Kid Fic)

8B)

The Light That Fails to Dim by glowingreverie (T, 310k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mild Gore)

A Good Placement by madwriter223 (T, 12k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, What if YZY had been the one to find WWX AU, Emotional Manipulation, Lies, Street Child WWX, Fluff and Angst, OOC but YZY is doing that on purpose, Found Family, itty bitty Wangxian, Bittersweet Ending, Mojo's post)

❤️shades of grey by cl410 (M, 58k, nielan, wangxian, Hurt/Comfort, Accidental Sibling Acquisition, Single Dad NMJ, NHS & WWX Friendship, Fluff, Humor, Happy Ending, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Protective NMJ, Some angst, Blood and Injury, Kidnapping, Protective Siblings, Found Family, Mojo's post)

History, Fate & the thread of a goose by Blooddust (Lockel) (T, 77k, wangxian, WIP, Canon Divergence, Happy Ending, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Alternating, Fix-It of Sorts, Family Bonding, Brotherly Bonding)

Light on the Door by nirejseki (no rating, 15k, WIP, NMJ & WWX, Canon Divergence, Niè Sect WWX, Nie sect backstory, Found Family, Asexual Character, Pansexual Character, Qinghe Nie worldbuilding)

Another chance by lightsfillthesky (G, 41k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time travel Fix-It, Pre-Relationship, Light Angst)

Heart of the Beast by WaitForTheSnitch (E, 46k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Protective NMJ & NHS, Soft NMJ, Pining LWJ)

~*~

9. Hi! I’m in the mood for some fics that address Wei Wuxian’s social status as the son of a servant, particularly any that might include LWJs POV on how people treat WWX because of this

Hoards and treasures by apathyinreverie (T, 21k, WangXian, Siblings, Family, not particularly Jiang friendly, YZY Bashing slightly darker Gusu Lan, as in they are dragons and dragons get rather fiercely protective of things they consider precious, Dragon Lans, Fox WWX, Smitten LWJ, Fluff, perfect happiness, adorable WWX, Romance, Some worldbuilding, courting) this one's lxc, but there are parts in there which address wwx's place in the Jiang sect that I really enjoyed.

~*~

10. A) a fic where jin ling 'accidentally' kills wei wuxian when he stabbed him at jinlintai

B) or a fic where one of the juniors or all of the juniors got cursed that makes them see illusions and they saw wwx death or they see themselves(juniors) killing wei wuxian

C) a fic where lan sizhui being too 'lan', like being stuffy and more on rules. wwx gets sad

-no modern pls, originally gave this ideas as a prompt in my acc bc i don't know how to find

D) a fic where someone talks bad about wwx as in down bad in a conference or something and nie huaisang/lan wangji/jiang cheng/the juniors and shit goes down?

-bonus if the others save wwx too like lan xichen/lan qiren/wen ning/ jin zixuan (if he not dead) @ner-u

10D)

拨云见日 by RoseThorne (G, 1k, WangXian,. Post-Canon, Justice, Anger, Sect Leader Yáo Bashing, Cultivation Discussion Conferences, Restitution, Self-Indulgent, POV Third Person, POV WWX)

~*~

11. HI! Thanks for your constant hard work :D I'm really in the mood for a fic where wwx or lwj gets cursed to read minds. I'd specifically really like for wwx to get the ability so he can finally know what lz is thinking about him; something like 'yeah I know how you like it' by phnelt. Please canon only setting. Thank you in advance! I'll take all the mind reading fics you can recommend!

hope dangling by a string by KouriArashi (M, 70k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Everybody Lives, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Psychic Bond, Telepathy, Communication, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, jiang family feels, Lan Family Feels)(They don't get cursed in this but they do end up accidentally permanently linking minds and getting together because of it ~ Mod C)

definitely check out the cherry magic au tag (an au in which if you're a virgin at 30 yo you start hearing the thoughts of everyone that touches you) (quick search for cherry magic in the wangxian tag ~ Mod C)

Too Beautiful For Words, Will My Thoughts Suffice? by Watermelonsmellinfellon (T, 8k, WangXian, CQL/Donghua/Novel Mix, Canon Divergence, Mild Language, Fluff, Crushes, Gay Disaster WWX, Flirting, Telepathy, LWJ POV, Implied Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Drama, Golden Core Reveal)

Say so by yrwz (G, 10k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Mind reading, Happy Ending)

i'm the one for your fire by occultings (microcomets) (E, 42k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Mind Reading, Enemies to Lovers it's only enemies to lovers in wei ying's one braincell, Misunderstandings, Compulsory Heterosexuality, Whump, brief illness/injury, Pining, light bdsm in the first chap, Cherry Magic AU)

~*~

12. In the mood for A) some Cloud Recesses fics where Wangxian get together early! Also interested in B) fics where members of the Lan sect, particularly LQR or LXC are fond of/supportive of WWX

12A)

O, What Learning Is! by Comfect (M, 60k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, No Fall of Lotus Pier, No Golden Core Transfer, Fix-It, Butterfly Effect, Fluff, Cultivation Theory, Cultivation Sect Politics, Unreliable Narrator WWX, Good Student WWX, Bad Parent YZY, Bad Parent JFM, Good Uncle LQR)

joined delight by RoseThorne (M, 1k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, fast burn, MXTX Reverse Trope Fest, Making Out, Marking, Frottage, Gūsū Lán Sect Rules, Gūsū Lán Forehead Ribbon, Marathon Sex, Implied Sexual Content, Love at First Sight, Swords, Horniness, POV Third Person, POV LWJ, Cloud Recesses Study Arc)

Dual Cultivating with You by narikanyan (E, 37k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Falling In Love, Mutual Pining, Sneaking Around, Horny Teenagers, Secret Relationship, Dual Cultivation, Smut, Anal Sex, Angst, Canonical Character Death, i’m sorry Jiangs, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, JYL lives because I said so, Mpreg, Secret Marriage, Secret Baby A-Yuan!, fake death, Reuniting, Happy Ending)

Just Say Yes series by edenwolfie (M, 338k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Matchmaking, Pining, Getting Together, POV Alternating, Fluff, First Kiss, Declarations Of Love, Humor, Good Uncle LQR, POV Outsider, Engagement, Developing Relationship, Family Feels, Fix-It, Drunken Shenanigans, Hurt/Comfort, First Time, Possessive Behavior, Panic Attacks, Everybody Lives, Established Relationship, Weddings, Kid Fic, Wedding Night)

12B)

🧡 rain falls and soaks into the earth series by RoseThorne (T, 40k, WangXian, WIP, Near Death Experience, Attempt Drowning, Madam Yu Bashing, Recovery, No war AU)

~*~

13. hii <3 do you guys have any good yuan and wei wuxian fics?

kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf, tardigradeschool (T, 75k, WangXian, Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Eventual Happy Ending, Getting Together, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Inspired by The Parent Trap (1998), Kid Fic, teen shenanigans, two a-yuans, Angst, Fluff) if you want big a-yuan as well as little a-yuan

say it’s here where our pieces fall in place by Lirelyn (E, 68k, wangxian, modern, family feels, angst w/ happy ending, adoption, foster care, hurt/comfort)

a baby rabbit is called a kitten and other fun facts by aurora_chiroptera (G, 11k, WangXian, WWX & LSZ, Modern AU, Social media/YouTube AU, Mutual Pining, NB NHS, JZX is a trans lesbian and uses she/her pronouns, Child LSZ, Long-Distance Relationship, (kinda?), Fluff, Soft WangXian, Good Parent WWX, Single Parent WWX, Getting to Know Each Other, Getting Together, set in the US)

归心似箭 | Longing to Go Home by dragongirlG (M, 7k, LSZ & WWX, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Aged WWX, Grief/Mourning, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Diaspora Feels (displacement), Dramatic Irony, Secret Identity, Pining, Brief Reference To Suicidal Thoughts, Hopeful Ending, [Podfic] 归心似箭 | Longing to Go Home by Koontyme)

~*~

14. Hello!!! I’m in the mood for LWJ POV fics where LWJ learns about/thinks about/processes WWX’s life from before he was taken in by the Jiang sect

One More Tune from the Devil by Sunny73 (T, 2k, WangXian, Modern AU, Angst, Character Study, Supernatural Elements, Time Trave, lAU in canon setting, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Introspection, Kissing and then not talking about it, Best Friends, art!, Homeless tiny WWX, Hurt/Comfort, Childhood Trauma)

~*~

15. Hello, lovely people! I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of any Wangji whump fics? I'm in the mood for anything where Lan Wangji is sick or injured, and, optionally, is taken care of by Wei Wuxian or Lan Xichen. TIA xx

The Vermillion Ribbon by Unforth (E, 233k, wangxian, Wen WWX, politics, slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers, hurt WWX, hurt LWJ, whump, serious injury, off-screen torture, hurt/comfort, angst, marriage of convenience, abusive father figures, panic attacks, trauma, ptsd, dissociation, pining, suicidal thoughts, miscommunication, touch starved LWJ, light dom/sub, feels, family feels, brotherly feels, LQR is a dick, abusive lan sect, emotional hurt/comfort, healing, recovery, Happy Ending, Mojo's post)

The Jade Curse by Tabi_essentially (M, 51k, WIP, WangXian, Hurt/Comfort, Body Horror, Angst, Curse Breaking, Cursed LWJ, Time Travel, Post-Canon, not an au, Other Lives, Soulmates, POV Alternating, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Paperman!LWJ!)

moonlight caught in mutton fat by Raitelzen (T, 45k, WangXian, Case Fic, Curses, Curse Breaking, Transformation, mild body horror, Hurt LWJ, Artistic license of cultivation, Artistic liberties taken with ghosts, Ghosts) for wwx&lqr centric while the twin jades are cursed

shadows in the sun rise by Yuu_chi ( E, 24k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Night hunts, Curses, Intimacy, Light Angst with a Happy Ending)

A Lot of Edges Called Perhaps by hansbekhart (E, 21k, WangXian, Semi-Public Sex, Public Masturbation, Mutual Masturbation, Anal Sex, Sex in the cold springs, Mutual Pining, Grief/Mourning, Injury Recovery, Ethical Dilemmas, Risk Aware Consensual Patience, Edgeplay sort of, Happy Ending)

Light by redkosmos (T, 10k, WangXian, Modern AU, Blind LWJ, Friends to Lovers, Make that BEST friends to lovers, Hospitalization, Car Accidents, Healing, LWJ POV, Love Confessions, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, LWJ loses his vision)

Found Feral by AceBij (T, 22k, WangXian, Modern AU, A/B/O, Omega LWJ, Alpha WWX, Feral LWJ, Selectively Mute LWJ, Bottom LWJ, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Anal Sex, Knotting, Angst, Fluff, Smut, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff)

with such a suffering, such a deadly life by cqlorphan (T, 7k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Curses, Curse Breaking, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Affection, Touch-Starved LWJ, Love Confessions, LWJ Whump, Cuddling & Snuggling)

The Last Concubine by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 13k, WangXian, Royalty AU, Emperor WWX, Concubine LWJ, LWJ Whump, Forced Marriage, Starvation, Non-physical spousal abuse, Fluff and Angst, Doing the Wrong Thing for the Right Reasons, Happy Ending, WWX Takes Care of LWJ)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

Thank you for all of the suggestions~

#wangxian #mdzs #wangxian fic recs #i'm in the mood for a fic #the untamed #wangxian fic search #wangxianficfinder #long post

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kazoosandfannypacks · 11 months

Text

"Open to Interpretation" by kazoosandfannypacks

Chapter 16/16: Epilogue- Reinterpretation Pairing: CaptainSwan Rating: General Chapter Word Count: (986/24K) Summary: Emma Swan is appalled at works by modern artist Killian Jones- until a handsome stranger convinces her otherwise- and after introducing himself as the artist in question, he invites her out on a date. As their relationship develops, they find that they might not be as different from each other as originally though. Chapter Summary: Killian's painting at the Nolan Blanchard Art Museum is unveiled. Tags: au, fluff, captain swan, modern au Author's notes: This has been such an exciting journey. When I think that this was originally just a silly little oneshot from a silly little prompts list... I'm not gonna get all emotional, but I want to thank everyone whose enthusiasm and excitement over this fic has gotten me through to the end of it. I hope you've all enjoyed it as much as I have! Taglist: @zahara @kmomof4 @jonesfandomfanatic @booksteaandtoomuchtv @jrob64 @tiganasummertree @anmylica @teamhook @undercaffinatednightmare @gingerchangeling @lonelyspectator @caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @cs-rylie @pirateprincessofpizza @lfh1226-linda @pawshapedheart [if you'd like to be added to or removed from this list, hmu in my dms or askbox!]

Also on Ao3!

Killian's residency at the Nolan Blanchard ended a year later, with the unveiling of the painting the museum had commissioned him for. His brother came up to see the unveiling, along with Uncle Nemo and Paige, the latter of whom was more than "just" a friend of Liam's by this point. August and the new Mrs. Booth came by to support him as well, along with the Nolans- and their new infant son.

But Killian, admittedly, didn't care one iota about whether or not those people were here for the celebration- and if he did, he didn't care nearly as much as he did that Emma was there- today was a day to celebrate her too.

On his way to his wing, Killian saw his girlfriend, staring at a new painting that had recently been put on display in the museum.

"I can't believe this Emma Swan has a painting in this museum now," Killian teased, as he came up behind her.

"Why not?" Emma asked, with a playful smile as they stood in front of her newly recommissioned painting of "Small."

"Because it's just one painting. She deserves a whole gallery of her paintings, so everyone can see her talent," Killian smiled as he put his arm around her, "though none of the masterpieces could ever live up to their artist."

"Or her boyfriend, for that matter," Emma nudged him.

"You've got that right, love," he kissed her forehead.

They walked into his wing together, where his new painting hung behind a large sheet. There were cameras and a few other people around as well as Killian's guests, all waiting for Killian to unveil his masterpiece.

"Go get 'em, tiger," Emma said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

As Mr. Nolan announced him to the group, Killian didn't feel as nervous as usual- though maybe that was just because he was comparing how terrifying this would be with what he was planning on doing afterwards.

"I want to thank you all for coming out here today," Killian said, "and while I don't want to keep you all waiting too long when there's refreshments in a moment, I'd like to give a few brief words. When I partnered with the Nolan Blanchard a year ago, I was a mess. My life was empty, sad, and lonely. During my time here, I got to know some pretty cool people- Mr. and Mrs. Nolan, who've become like family to me, and my beautiful girlfriend Emma. This piece, hopefully, reflects that."

He pulled off the tarp off the canvas to reveal a painting he was rather proud of. It featured two hearts- anatomical hearts- one bright red, though cracked and bruised in a couple places, but with a glow coming from behind it. The heart next to it was in perfect condition, but was gray and dusty, and had metal bars like a jail cell across it.

"Sometimes we go through so much hurt that we don't think we can keep going," he pointed at the farther, grayed heart, "we think we'll do better if we avoid breaking our hearts, so we avoid even using them, and instead we let them wither away in their pristine condition."

He then pointed at the closer heart, the cracked and glowing one.

"But if we use our hearts- if we let ourselves risk getting them hurt- they'll flourish, and thrive, and keep beating. We have to let people in- we have to love. Too often we think 'my heart's too broken to love again-' but that's how you know you can love again. If it can be broken, it means it still works- and the more we use our broken heart, the sooner we can heal it."

Killian nodded and stepped away from the painting as those watching started clapping. He crossed paths with Mr. Nolan, whom he assumed would give him a handshake but instead gave him a hug.

Mr. Nolan then dismissed everyone for refreshments, August and Belle especially making sure everyone cleared out of the room quickly- and August giving Killian a thumbs up, as he was the last one out besides Killian and Emma.

"We probably better get down there if we want there to be refreshments left for us," Emma said.

"Wait," Killian said, taking her hand, "I have something to ask you about first."

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"When we first started out, our relationship was open to our interpretation," Killian said, his throat drying up as he fished around in his pocket, "and then you agreed to be my girlfriend, and now," he half chuckled, "I want to reinterpret us. I don't want you to be my girlfriend anymore," and he pulled a little box out of his pocket, and he got down on one knee, and he opened the box to reveal a ring, "I want you to be my wife instead," he gulped, "Emma Swan, will you marry me?"

Killian wished he could capture her face in that moment on canvas. Sure, he always wished for that, but never more than when he looked up at her on his knees in his gallery, like a ship looking up to its lighthouse, drawn in by the smile beaming on her face.

"Yes," Emma said, "yes, I'd love to!"

Killian smiled as well, all of his fear melting away at her excitement. Energy coursing his veins, he slipped the ring onto her finger, and she helped him up, off of the ground and into her arms.

Emma smiled down at the ring on her finger, then back up at Killian.

"Permission to kiss the masterpiece?" Emma asked.

Killian bit his lip, never having been more in love with her than he was in that moment- but knowing that love would continue to grow with every moment he spent at her side.

"Aye, love," he said, as they drew their lips together, "permission granted."

#captain swan #once upon a time #killian jones #emma swan #ouat #cs ff #cs fanfiction #cs au #once upon a time season 6 #august booth #belle french #liam jones ii #paige ouat #david nolan #mary margaret blanchard #neal nolan

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cssns · 11 months

Text

We’re back! Please help me welcome @jonesfandomfanatic to CSSNS23!!!

What’s your Tumblr?

@jonesfandomfanatic

How long have you been in the CS/OUAT fandom?

I've been reading CS/OUAT stories since 2016 but writing since 2020.

When did you start shipping Captain Swan?

Since THAT moment on the Beanstalk. As soon as I saw it, I knew they were going to be end game.

What drew you to this event?

I've loved reading all the supernatural summer stories for many years now so I wanted to have a go at writing in it.

What inspired your topic?

I've loved ghost and mystery stories from a very early age so I wanted to have both elements in my story... with some extras and a dash of CS fluff of course.

If you would like to share a snippet/sneak peek/summary of your fic or artwork, please use the space below.

The car that was following the Jones' sped up. It was now almost touching bumpers.

"What the… hold on guys. We're being followed by an idiot."

"Killian, that's the same car that followed me home yesterday."

Killian nodded. Eyes focused on the road, hands gripped firmly on the steering wheel. He rounded the corner. They were now in the street where they lived, meters from their home. It was at that moment when the car drove into the back of them. Killian fought valiantly to stay in control, however the rain had left the road slick.

Their car continued to spin out of control. The rain became heavier, flashes of lightning started to surround the car. With one tremendously loud crack of thunder, the car came to a stand still right in their front garden.

Killian, Emma and Henry looked at each in shock before the world around them faded away.

Who/what have you beta'd before, or is this your first time? Feel free to give as much info as you like.

I've beta'd for multiple people and stories over the last year or two.

What are you looking forward to most about participating in this event?

Challenging myself to writing something different.

Ok, am I the only one that gasped when I read that snippet? So excited for this!!! Everyone go tell Maggie hi and welcome her to the event! Her Ghost MC will be dropping on Thursday August 24!!

#GTKM #CSSNS23 #jonesfandomfanatic #gtkm interview

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kmomof4 · 1 year

Text

A Mistress to No One Part 1

And we’re back with the first chapter of Part 1 for A Mistress to No One! I’m sorry I’m so late in posting this evening, but I did finish writing the fic today and that took up most of the day! So we do have a final chapter count! Thank you for your patience!

More hugs and belated birthday celebrations to my bestie @hollyethecurious, for whom this fic was written! Thank you to @jrob64 and @zaharadessert for their betaing eyes, and running tackle internet hugs to @motherkatereloyshipper for her manips of Emma, Killian, and Cora in the artwork! Love all you ladies very much!

Enjoy this new chapter and please let me know what you thought!

Summary: Bastard Emma Swan enjoys one night of pure magic and romance in the midst of a life of drudgery and abuse- attending a masquerade ball and meeting aristocrat Killian Jones. Two years later, the same man she met on the best night of her life reappears, saving her from a dire fate in the process.

Now, she must keep herself from falling in love with a man she can never have. But when that proves impossible, is there any hope for a happy ending between two people from such vastly different worlds?

Rating: M (smut in a later ch)

Words: 2640 of 61,6K

Tags: Birthday Fic, Inspired by Benedict’s Story in Bridgerton, Smut

On ao3 from the beginning/ current chapter

On Tumblr Prologue

New tag list. Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed.

@jrob64 @teamhook @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @xarandomdreamx @undercaffinatednightmare @the-darkdragonfly @stahlop @superchocovian @pirateprincessofpizza @tiganasummertree @anmylica @cosette141 @motherkatereloyshipper @zaharadessert @jonesfandomfanatic @ultraluckycatnd @jennjenn615 @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 @kymbersmith-90 @booksteaandtoomuchtv @wistfulcynic @mie779 @snowbellewells @lfh1226-linda @aprilqueen84 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @pirateherokillian @elfiola @ilovemesomekillianjones @justanother-unluckysoul @poptart-cat-78 @myfearless-love @goforlaunchcee @searchingwardrobes @gingerpolyglot @gingerchangeling @djlbg @cocohook38 @cs-rylie @thisonesatellite @donteattheappleshook @deckerstarblanche @veryverynotgoodwrites

So without further ado, here we go! Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

Part 1

Ch. 1

Dearest Reader,

The most sought after invitation of this year’s season must be the Jones’ masquerade ball, to be held Monday next. Indeed, one cannot take two steps without being forced to listen to some society mama speculating on who will attend, and perhaps more importantly, who will wear what.

Neither of the aforementioned topics, however, are nearly as interesting as that of the two unmarried Jones brothers, Killian and David. (And before anyone points out that there is a third unmarried Jones brother, let This Author assure you that she is fully aware of the existence of Henry Jones. He is however, sixteen years of age, and therefore not pertinent to this particular column, which concerns, as This Author’s columns often do, that most sacred of sports: husband-hunting.)

Although the Misters Jones are just that- merely Misters- they are still considered two of the prime catches of the season. It is a well-known fact that both are possessed of respectable fortunes, and it does not require perfect sight to know that they also possess, as do all the Jones offspring, the Jones good looks.

Will some fortunate young lady use the mystery of the masquerade to snare one of the eligible bachelors? This Author isn’t even going to attempt to speculate.

Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers

May 18

~*~*~

“Emmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaa!”

The decibel level of Zelena’s screech was enough to crack the windows. Emma hurried up to the bedroom of her step-sister, not that she’d ever been acknowledged as such, barely able to catch her breath.

“Yes, Zelena?”

“My tea is cold,” she informed Emma with a haughty sniff of disdain.

It wasn’t when I brought it an hour ago, Emma thought, but didn’t dare say. Zelena’s treatment of Emma was nearly as bad as Cora’s, and Emma knew Zelena wouldn’t hesitate to smack her upside the head, or any part of Emma’s person she could reach, if she so much as rolled her eyes at whatever Zelena had complained about this time.

“I’ll bring you a fresh pot,” she said instead. “Would you like me to leave the biscuits?”

“I want fresh ones,” she said, looking down her narrow nose at the plate as if it had the audacity to offend her somehow.

“Right away, Zelena,” Emma said, with a small curtsy. She picked up the tray and carried it out of the room, where she nearly ran into Regina coming down the hall in her costume for the Jones masquerade ball next week. She was dressed in a riding habit of soft tan breeches and a high collared, fitted, light blue velveteen coat over a white blouse. Tall dark brown riding boots and gloves completed the ensemble.

“Oh, Emma,” she cried, surprised. “I was looking for you. What do you think of this costume?” She turned around slowly and Emma looked critically at the fit and asymmetrical hemline of the jacket, which was short in the front and came down to her knees in the back. The costume fit her beautifully and the pale color of the jacket contrasted nicely with the darkness of her hair and eyes, making her quite lovely indeed.

“You look wonderful,” Emma said sincerely, causing a light blush to color Regina’s cheeks.

“Thank you. Mother has been an absolute bear all week about the masquerade ball. And I know I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t look my best.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “Or if she thinks I don’t look my best. She’s determined that Zelena or I snag one of the Jones brothers, you know.”

“I know.” Emma almost felt sorry for Regina. Cora’s ambitions and expectations for her daughters were high indeed and Emma was thankful she didn’t have to suffer under them. She had enough to suffer under from the detestable woman.

“And to make matters worse, that Whistledown woman has started talking about them again.” Regina rolled her eyes and snagged a biscuit off the tray in Emma’s hand. “It only whets Mother’s appetite.”

“How was today’s column?” Emma asked. “I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.”

Regina slowly munched on her biscuit before speaking. “Oh, just more of the same. There was a rundown of the Blanchard Ball last week and a bit about Baron Marionette. It seems he’s disappeared again, and in the middle of the season! Then a rather longish piece on the Jones masquerade. It was all rather humdrum, actually.”

Emma bit back a sigh and struggled not to roll her eyes. What wouldn’t she give to live Regina’s humdrum life for only a single day? Well, she certainly wouldn’t want Cora for a mother, but she’d love to be the one attending the ball instead of just reading about it. The Whistledown Society Papers was Emma’s only real enjoyment in her life. Cora worked her to the bone, but she could usually find enough time to read the column when it was released. In it, Emma found glimpses of the life that could have been hers if her parents had made their union legal.

But she wouldn’t complain. She couldn’t. She was far better off in this situation than she could have been after her father died. He’d left Emma with nothing, other than a roof over her head. Her father’s will had at least given her that until she turned twenty, but for some reason, Cora had seen fit to keep her on as a virtual slave for over a year after her twentieth birthday. She probably didn’t want to take the time to try and find, or pay, a new maid. But if working as a slave, waiting on Cora hand and foot, was the devil she knew, then the world outside was the devil she didn’t know, and so she had stayed.

“I’ll let you go then,” Regina said, drawing Emma’s attention again.

“Yes, your sister is waiting for more tea.”

“I’ll see you later.”

Emma turned and started making her way down the stairs to the kitchen.

~*~*~

The day of the masquerade, Emma found herself on her knees, her mouth full of pins as she made last minute alterations on Cora’s Queen of Hearts costume. The gown had fit perfectly last week when it arrived, but when she put it on after lunch, she declared it a quarter inch too loose.

“How’s that?”

“Too tight.”

Emma took out a pin and put it right back in where it had been. “Now?”

Cora twisted this way and that. “It’ll do,” she finally declared. Emma smiled to herself as she helped her step out of the gown. “It needs to be done in an hour if we’re to make it to the masquerade on time.”

“Of course.”

Cora swept out of the room only for Zelena to barge in like a rampaging elephant. “Emma,” she snapped. “There is a tear in the hem of my gown. It must be repaired immediately.”

“I have your mother’s gown to alter first…” Emma began.

“I said, IMMEDIATELY,” she shrieked. Emma snapped her mouth shut to keep the words she wanted to say behind the guardhouse of her lips.

“Let me see,” she said, gathering the hem in her hands. She examined the hem of Glinda the Good Witch’s gown until she found the offensive tear. It was barely an inch and on the side of the dress. It would have never been seen nor made worse over the course of the evening. “This will take no time at all to repair, Zelena. You’ll have it back in plenty of time. I promise.”

Zelena sniffed indignantly. “Be sure I do. If I’m late for this ball, I’ll have your head on a platter.”

“You won’t be late,” Emma assured her. Zelena moved toward the door just as Regina came through.

“Ugh, Regina! Watch where you’re going!”

Regina’s hand flew to her chest in alarm. “You frightened me, Zelena! Oh, Emma,” she said, turning her attention to her, “Could you put my hair in a French braid for the ball?”

“I have your mother’s gown to alter first and then a tear to repair on Zelena’s gown.” Regina’s face fell and Emma tried her best not to grimace. She hated to disappoint Regina. Of all the members of the household, Regina was the kindest to her. “I’ll do my best though. Your hair is lovely even with nothing done to it.” Regina’s face broke into a small smile as Cora burst back into the room.

“Have you started on my gown yet?” she demanded.

Emma sighed. “Not yet, I’ve been speaking to Zelena and Regina.”

“Get to work!” Cora screamed.

Emma sat quickly and began work on Cora’s costume, muttering under her breath.

“Faster than immediately, quicker than a hummingbird’s wings…”

“What did you say?” Cora snapped, her eyes narrowing at Emma.

“Nothing, ma’am.” Emma looked back down at the dress in her hands.

“Well, whatever noise you were making, cease immediately. Your voice grates on my nerves.”

“Mother, Emma will be doing my hair in a French braid for the ball.”

“Fine, fine. Oh, Zelena,” she said, turning her attention to her other daughter. “You look absolutely exquisite. The pink of your gown just complements your hair so nicely.”

Emma’s blood boiled at Cora’s dismissal of her younger daughter, and she shook her head slightly to try and encourage Regina not to take Cora’s words to heart. The effusive praise of her first born- the kind of praise that was never directed toward Regina- was hardly warranted, in Emma’s opinion. She thought the color clashed horribly with Zelena’s hair, but nobody had asked her opinion.

“You’ll surely attract the attention of one of the Jones brothers,” Cora continued.

A smug smile formed on Zelena’s lips as she cut her eyes toward her sister.

“You look lovely, too, Regina,” Emma interjected.

Regina’s eyes brightened at Emma’s statement. “Do you really think so?”

“I do,” she replied. “You’re going to have a wonderful time.” Emma sighed. “I so wish I could go.”

Cora scoffed and Zelena snorted inelegantly. “Oh, that’s rich,” Cora exclaimed. “They don’t let bastards out in society, you know.”

Emma inhaled sharply at the blatant insult. “Of course I didn’t expect to go. I only wished I could.”

“Well, what’s the use of wishing for something that will never happen?” Zelena chimed in. “That only leads to disappointment.”

At that moment, old Granny Lucas, the housekeeper, appeared in the doorway. She had a small smirk on her face and shot Emma a wink. To say that Emma was surprised would be a grand understatement. The stern older woman had always treated Emma well enough, but she didn’t think Granny had enough joy or mischief in her heart to indulge in such a frivolous action.

“Emma, are you even listening to me?” Zelena broke Emma from her stunned confusion.

“I’m sorry, what?” she asked.

Zelena huffed. “Nevermind. Just be sure to get my gown finished on time. If we’re late, you’ll be to blame.”

“Of course.” Emma bent back to work and wondered again about Granny. Why would she wink?

~*~*~

Three hours later, Emma and the other servants stood at attention as first Cora, then Zelena, then Regina took their seats in the carriage that would take them to the Jones Masquerade Ball. It was only a few blocks away, but Emma knew how much Cora loved to make a grand entrance.

As soon as they were gone, Emma turned back toward the house. She was looking forward to an evening free from obligations. Whether it was an oversight on her part or just the excitement of the evening, Cora had neglected to leave Emma with a list of chores to accomplish while they were gone. As soon as she entered the house, Granny appeared at her side, grabbing her elbow.

“Hurry,” she said, “We’ve no time to lose.”

“What are you talking about Granny?”

“Come with me, come with me,” the old woman urged. She led Emma up the stairs to the servants’ bath where she found the other housemaids bustling about around a steaming tub of water.

“What is this?” Emma cried.

Granny grasped her by the arms and looked right into her eyes, a beaming smile on her face. “You, Emma Swan, are going to the ball!”

~*~*~

An hour later, Emma had been transformed. She’d been bathed and perfumed, her hair twisted up into an elegant chignon with long tendrils left loose to frame her face. A trunk Emma hadn’t noticed at first was opened, and Emma gasped at the contents. Gowns that had belonged to the late Earl’s mother, her grandmother.

At the very bottom they found a gorgeous, shimmery, blue gown, trimmed with silver accents at the top of the v-neck bodice and where it met the tulle skirt, which sparkled like stars in the sky. The silver accents also decorated the illusion sleeves topped with white feathers. Emma felt like a princess just brushing her fingers over it.

It fit her perfectly.

“Ooo, look,” Granny said, “I found matching gloves.”

Emma reached out and took one of the long, elbow length white gloves from her and examined it closely.

“Look, it has the Glowerhaven crest and initials.”

“Sarah Louise Spencer,” Granny said. “Your grandmother.”

Emma looked at Granny in surprise. No one had ever verbally acknowledged Emma’s blood ties to the Spencer family.

“What?” Granny asked, indignantly. “It’s true. And it’s high time we stopped tiptoeing around the truth. It’s shameful that those girls are treated like the daughters of the house when the Earl’s true blood is relegated to being a servant in her own house.” The other maids nodded vigorously. “Just once. Just this one night, Emma Swan, you will be the belle of the ball.”

Emma turned and looked at herself in the mirror.

“Is that me?” she whispered, stunned by what she was seeing reflected back at her.

Granny nodded, her eyes suspiciously bright. “You look lovely, my dear.”

Emma couldn’t speak over the rather large lump that had formed in her throat. It made her realize just how much the other servants cared about her, even after her father was long gone. They all stood admiring the end product of all their work this evening.

“Here’s your mask.” Granny handed her a silver demi mask with elegant swan detailing around the right eye that would cover the top half of her face. It tied at the back so her hands would be free. “Now all we need are shoes.”

“I have nothing even approaching appropriate for such finery.”

One of the housemaids held up a pair of silver slippers. “From Zelena’s closet.”

Emma shook her head. “Her foot is much larger than mine. I’d never be able to walk in them.”

“What about Regina’s, then?” the other asked. Emma shook her head again.

“Hers are too big, too. I should know, I’ve cleaned enough scuff marks off of them.”

Granny huffed. “There’s nothing for it then. We must raid Cora’s collection.”

Emma tried not to shudder. The thought of walking around all night in Cora’s shoes was rather creepy. But it was that, or go barefoot. Moments later the housemaid returned with a pair of white satin slippers, trimmed in silver. They looked like they’d been made to go with the gown she wore. Emma slipped her foot into the shoe. Another perfect fit.

“Now listen to these instructions very carefully,” Granny urged her. “The coachman has returned from taking the countess and he will now take you. But he has to be waiting outside when they are ready to depart, so you must leave not a minute after midnight for him to make it back there in time. Do you understand?”

Emma nodded and looked at the clock. It was a bit after nine, so she’d have over two hours at the ball. She felt tears well up in her eyes.

“Thank you so much,” she breathed.

“You have a good time, my dear. That’s all the thanks I need.” Granny gathered her close in a tight hug before releasing her.

Two hours. Two hours that would have to last a lifetime.

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing! Ch2 will be up on Sunday and our favorite couple will finally meet! See you then!

#a mistress to no one #birthday fic for hollye #krystal writes #art by krystal #manips by kit

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