#decided that they all must come visit AT THE SAME TIME and the house is full of people

[definitelynotnia]

had a fight with my dad and now i feel like I'm about to throw up

[maikissed]

post euro Jude Bellingham oneshot felt like writing something like this again, but it's a fluff (I guess?) sorry for typos, was writing like crazy!!!

ps. they’re best friends

A very early morning in Tokyo and you were glued to your laptop, attentively following the occurrences happening on the pitch on the other side of the world. Your eyes bloodshot, your head heavy. You did not get enough sleep since you’ve woken up on very not your usual hour to watch the European Championship final. And to add to that you went to sleep rather late. Sorrowfully, you were not prepared for it’s outcome, as you started picking at your nails, watching the minutes reach the end of the short added time. The final whistle, the final breath that left your lungs as the pictures of true euphoria kept flashing with bright colours at your tired eyes, bright red colours, happy screaming and whistling faces amongst the colour white, shrouded in sadness and defeat. You could not believe it. You were devastated. You were searching for his face but to your dismay the whole attention focused mostly on the true smiles of the cheerful winners. You waited a little bit more and there it was, an icy pain spilling inside your guts at the sight of his gaze, shocked, lost, unfocused. You were sure yours was the spitting image. Quickly you grabbed your phone laying on the nightstand to your right and looked at the last messages exchanged.

“Good luck, big boy. You got this!!!!”

“💪❤️”

You started to type. You stopped for a second and thought about it. What one say at such circumstances? Seemed easy but in fact was not. You knew how Jude was after losing any game, a damned one of the biggest events final must have been a disastrous blow. And he gave his all to it.

“Head up. You were wonderful”

You knew you would not get any more sleep this morning, so you decided to start your day at 6. After two hours of desperately trying to find a purpose in this day, you finally searched for a closest flight home.

Breathing in the England air felt different every time you came back. At some point the same, freshening, enlivening, moist whiff filling your lungs with longing; different with the way you were accepting it each time you were strolling down the very known streets. Every other time it seemed more feeble than before, like you’ve turned into a stranger. Like you did not belong anymore. You wondered why, since it was still your home, your roots. Were you distancing yourself? From home? From family? From him? Were you too preoccupied with all these new, different things? You felt downhearted at the thoughts. 

You reached the doorbell with your slightly numb fingers. Just a minute later Mark opened the door for you. You smiled from under your cap.

“Y/n, what are you doing here?” his face bright and smile honest, he reached for you to pull you into a greeting hug.

“Hi” your voice croaky so you cleared your throat “Took a quick flight. Wanted to check on you” 

“Quick? Thought it’s about fourteen hours” his expression amused, yet amazed.

“Something like that” you shrugged.

He nodded at your answer, gently in a thought.

“Please come in, want something to drink?” he turned around vigorously after a second and you followed him into the sitting-room connected with a spacious kitchen.

“I’m alright, thank you”

Not much changed around this house since your last visit, you thought to yourself. And it was quiet.

“Is he with you?” you murmured, almost like a whisper.

“Yes, upstairs”

Still very quiet.

“Asleep?” you asked.

“No, not yet” he commented, smiling at you with solicitude to it “I mean he struggles, more than usually. Mostly spends his days actively but alone, with no space to think too much. Running during the night, training for hours since early morning, sometimes visits the grandparents” his voice calm and stable, simply voicing out the facts but it added to your worry nonetheless.

A process of healing, you thought. But it broke your heart a little bit. You realised there must have been a sign of concern showing on your face because his lit up once again, his eyes smiling at you.

“He’ll be very happy to see you” you watched him beginning to collect some dirty dishes from the kitchen island “You happen to visit during his short rest so I guess he’ll be in his room or the gaming room”

You nodded before silently heading to the corridor leading to the stairs. There was an awful feeling gnawing at you because of your decision to not stay for the rest of the tournament to cheer for him, and leaving back to work after just 2 matches. Despite that he assured you it’s alright, you had your duties after all.

The doors to his room were opened and you took a quick peak around but he wasn’t there, so you turned to the other room, as Mark informed. The doors opened silently, the first thing you spotted was the back of the couch, the big TV in front of it turned off. The top of his head visible as he was sitting comfortably on the said couch. You took a few steps. A book in his hands, you realised and smiled amusingly at the sight. His head still down as he didn’t notice you.

“What’s the book about?” you started circling the couch to come closer.

His eyes shot up from the lecture and the first expression on his features that met your unsure gaze was surprise. He opened his mouth, with no sound at all, no words to voice out, his eyes always big and sparkly now smaller and tarnish. He reached out his hand for you to take it, his face softened. The corner of your mouth rose up as you placed your fingers in his gentle grip, sitting down next to him. He placed a gentle kiss on your knuckles and that’s when you reached for him to pull him in a hug.

“When did you arrive?” his voice raspy like he did not speak at all for the last few hours. You wondered.

“Two hours ago” you murmured into his arm before he pulled away.

“You crazy girl” he whispered, a bit of light entering his eyes as he examined you in amusement.

You granted him with the softest smile.

“Wanted to see you and tell you I’m proud of you” you shrugged.

Your sight turning blurry in a span of a second. You indeed were more sensitive than you would ever like to admit.

“Flew fifteen hours to tell me you’re proud of me?” he joked, his lips flexing in that funny smirk you knew so well.

“Fourteen” you corrected, making him chuckle in answer “You look tired”

“I am tired” he turned to lean back on the sofa.

“You did a great, invaluable job, you do know that?” after few seconds of silence.

These words made him tense, you could see that. His fingers shot up to his face, to the corners of his closed eyes, he sighed. Your intention was not to stress him, but it seemed it was still a very delicate subject. You reached with your own hand to his face, gently pressing on his cheek so he looked at you. Vulnerable and drained, your touch brining him peace.

“What would you say about a nap?” you asked.

As kids you used to love doing two specific things together during your free time. Playing outside all day, just the two of you or with your friends, until there was no more energy left in your limbs. And then coming back to yours or his to take a nap together. Sometimes short, sometimes lasting few more hours. Cuddled together or him resting on the pillows that were spread out on the floor and you on the bed, sometimes the other way around. Most of the times you were absolutely drained and it happened spontaneously, whatever space you reached first. But you loved to nestle into him, you rested well with his heartbeat palpable on your side. You never confessed. When you were kids it was simple and held no more into it than affection and happiness of two carefree souls.

And now you desperately yearned for him to have some good, cleansing sleep. You wished it could help, to go back a few years and feel it the way it used to made you feel. Safe and calm.

He silently agreed, so you stood up, his hand in yours when you started to walk in the direction of his room. There was a bit of awkwardness to it as you both laid down on the mattress next to each other. There never used to. But you weren’t kids anymore and it didn’t feel as natural as before. Many things didn’t feel like it used too anymore.

You turned your head to look at him, his eyes opened, staring at the ceiling.

“Come here” a whisper, a bit unsure but you hoped he didn’t notice that.

He turned your way and you rose up slightly so your back rested more on the backrest. He looked at you questionably.

“You want me to crush you?” he smiled.

“I’ll be fine” you rolled your eyes at his mocking smirk.

You’ve never been nervous around him, but when he placed his head on your stomach, gently and considerably, and his left hand reached around your waist to rest on your hip, there was a burst of funny sensations inside your belly. Affection, you held so much of it for him.

“Close your eyes” you whispered when your fingers reached his nape to scratch it gently, going down his back slowly and then back up.

“That’s nice” he hummed, his breath hot on the material of your shirt.

“Take some rest”

Minute by minute you could feel him relax more, his weight more prominent, his breathing evening – fifteen minutes later it turned deeper. He did fell asleep, you felt lighter at the realisation.

But after few more minutes you noticed the doors opening silently and you stressed that whomever decided to invade this peace might woke him up. You frowned when you noticed Jobe’s tall figure entering the room. Your expression dangerous as you shook your head at his brother because you were ready to murder him if Jude wakes up now. He smiled widely at the sight and despite your silent threats he circled the bed with an index finger placed lightly on his lips, as a sign that he’ll remain quiet. You followed him with your gaze. Bending over you he placed a quick kiss on your cheek in greeting, your features softened.

“He’s hopeless without you” Jobe whispered in your ear and you did not expect it “Don’t you dare leaving him again” his face funnily serious when he leaned back, turning away to leave you as you were.

You looked down at the boy resting on you, deep in a peaceful sleep, and you started to think heavily how would your life look like if you sacrificed all for everything you felt for him.

A sharp jolt startled you, you opened your eyes realising that sleep quickly overcame you as well. You looked around you quickly, the room turned darker, hours must’ve passed. Jude still laid on you, your legs entwined, but his grip on your side harsher, his body stiff against you. He jumped again, a distressed groan leaving his throat, followed by a quiet whimper, his face pressed hard onto your stomach. He was having a bad dream, you comprehended. You placed your palm on his arm.

“Jude” you whispered, shaking him delicately, but to no avail “Jude, wake up” louder.

He shuddered, his head rose up. After a second he turned to you in a little confusion.

“Y/n” he spoke your name more to himself, like an reassurance.

“I’m here” you confirmed watching his sleepy face, eyes a bit puffy, a few sleep wrinkles created by the material of your shirt visible on his skin.

“Good” he nodded.

He still looked disorientated, like he hasn’t fully woken up from a very deep slumber.

“Come here” he muttered, motioning for you to lay lower next to him.

You did as he asked, noticing a soft ghost of a smile on his lips, while his eyes kept closing involuntarily. You almost laughed out fondly at the sight. You had no time to correctly process his next move when he leaned closer to you and put a quick, sweet peck directly on your lips before whispering:

“Thank you” 

His head rested down on the pillows, his face in the crook of your neck, arm wrapped around you. He fell asleep on the spot and you smiled to yourself, for the deepening darkness to see only. You felt lighter than you’ve felt in years. You belonged, just not where you believed you did in these last few years. You belonged back home.

[dredgesnails]

I love to imagine the magic mountain bases all actually existing completely separately from each other in completely different time periods (almost), despite being physically in the same location.

In the ancient world, pyramids are constructed at the base of a huge volcano to honor the dead and worship old gods. A wide path leads to an entrance into the volcano, far enough in that the heat gets dangerous. Inside, sacrifices are made to the gods, to their king, offerings given up for the benefit of them all. The king is kind and forgiving, loyal to his people, asking for little and giving as much as he can. The gods however, are cruel, and all civilisations must fall eventually. For this one it's after a great eruption, one that shakes the earth with all the fury of the gods, that the pyramids become abandoned, left alone for centuries to erode. Over time new life grows, and thick jungles begin to hide the pyramids from view, until eventually, they’ve become a part of the natural landscape. Venture far enough in, however, and you might find remnants of the ancient civilisation: old writing in a language no one knows anymore, praises given to their old king; the remnants of ancient weapons and armour; the shapes of people who once lived forever preserved in ash and pumice.

~

It's the start of the industrial revolution, and rumours start spreading of an eclectic man and his steamrail full of exotic animals from across the globe. He’s a travelling zoo, of sorts, appearing in the strangest of places (as long as there's a railway line, he'll be there), areas it logically shouldn't be able to reach. He’s got all sorts of animals, from dolphins and turtles to strange, mysterious beasts. Where does he keep them all when they're not on the train? Some say he doesn't exist. others insist he does, that he lives underneath a mountain no one dares to visit. It's an active volcano, they say, dangerous to go near. If anyone dared to explore they might stumble upon the largest, most diverse collection of animals they've ever seen, and, most bizarrely, a large steam locomotive that runs on its own railway track, seemingly on a loop through the volcano itself. The tunnel is so dark the train disappears into it entirely. a young exploration group decide to find out for themselves, years later, and at first they think there's nothing there, until one of them stumbles upon the obvious remnants of a railway line, no longer in use but not so old that it's started to break down. Maybe he did exist after all...

~

In the late 1800s, a small fishing community establishes itself by the mountain. Electricity is new, and with the new machines and motors available to them the community quickly grows into a small village. Something is wrong, though. The rocks embedded in the mountain appear to resemble a skull more and more by the day, water streaming from one eye socket as though it’s crying. Underground passages and tunnels are found by the new residents, all leading to strange chambers. There's something in the water. A young man, one of the first in the village, disappears for a month, and when he returns, he's changed. He insists the ocean speaks to him, to everyone through him. He fishes for hours, days, weeks on end. When his madness begins infecting others, most gain the sense to stay away from him, but not everyone does. There's something in the water.

By the mid 1920s, the small fishing village is still standing, although most of the residents from four decades ago have since left. A young woman, traveling alone in her tiny fishing boat, docks at the village in need of repairs. What was meant to be a one night stay turns into days, then weeks, then months, as she begins to notice strange happenings in the village. A local artist has locked himself in his house, gone mad from something he found in the ocean. A scientist is experimenting with strange materials, and sometimes at night strange noises come from her house. There's something in the water. An older man speaks in tongues, driven mad by the sea. There's something in the water. The young fisher sees him occasionally, staring through her, unseeing. She's begun dreaming of ancient monsters in the depths of the water below her, reaching their long arms out and crushing her and everyone else. When she looks into the sea she can't see anything. It’s just inky blackness.

(No one knows how the village gets destroyed. One day it's here, and the next it's turned to rubble, razed to the ground by forces beyond human perception. It appears no one survived, but strangely, there's no trace of the small fishing boat the young woman had arrived in, nor of her body, and if anyone stopped for long enough in the wrecked city they might hear mumbling at night from underground, the mad ramblings of a man who has seen too much.)

~

Magic mountain row thrives in the early 2000s. They’ve beaten the Y2K bug (it really wasn't that much of a problem, anyway), business is booming at all the independent stores, and the local economy is better than ever. It doesn’t matter that not many people want to live here because new tech keeps Big Ron busy, and Willie Jr is old enough to start working at his father's shop, preparing himself to take over the business. The safe storage containers are always a little open, but nothing ever really goes missing, because no new people means everyone knows everyone. A young boy visits his neighbours for the last time before he leaves with his family; his dad's got a better job somewhere far away and they have to leave now, and besides it’s safer not to live by a barely-dormant volcano (it’s not as cool, though). His new neighbourhood has a lot more kids his age, but he can't help but miss the eccentric nature of his old neighbours. He returns to his childhood home twenty years later to find it empty. Most of magic mountain row is empty now, actually. There are a few places still open: Big Ron refuses to close up shop because Willie Jr, who has taken over the business now that his father's passed, still needs his help from time to time. Anyone still living here is merely clinging to a past they remember so fondly they can't adapt for the future. They're happy, though. They’re happy to remain here until it's their time to go.

~

In the not-so-distant future, a dense city is formed on the mountain. It started out as a smaller town, with traditional architecture and shrines dotted around the place, but as technology advanced and society progressed it grew and evolved into towering skyscrapers, holographic billboards, a rail system that winds through buildings and above streets. Elements of the past still remain - lush gardens lined with cherry blossom trees, the old shrines and temples still standing, a mark of the city's history and longevity. The city stands the longest, weathers the strongest storms, grows and evolves and changes, but all must come to an end, eventually. A rumbling in the earth, a once-dormant volcano waking from its slumber. They have the tech to know it's coming, now, so they all flee before it can hit. Only one man stays behind. This is his city. This is his home. He built this entire place from the ground up, and he’s not going to leave it behind. He makes his way to one of the shrines. Praying to his goddess, he leaves her one final offering, and when the ash settles all trace of him is gone.

~

The apocalypse happens in a future beyond our reckoning. A city lies, abandoned by most, on top of the ruins of civilisations that came before. Once a lively hub of activity and tech and innovation, the city has become a ghost town, occupied only by the artificial intelligences that had driven humanity out. They wander aimlessly, mimicking the behaviours of the humans they used to watch and help, protecting the inner core of their city that keeps everything, including themselves, alive. The humans reside elsewhere, in a bunker resembling the old world, with more vegetation and life than the city had despite being hidden underground. The city’s architects reassure everyone that they’ll be able to return someday soon. The one who designed the robots, a man more cyber than human by this point, just needs to fix a few issues with their programming. He doesn’t want to destroy them but he might have to. His partner, who designed most of the city, will need to commence repairs before anyone can live in the city again. So they leave, vowing to fix the city so that everyone can return to society. No one knows they will never return.

[baby-dr1ver]

girls night in, guys night out

a/n: hello everyone! this is my second installment of dad!lando series. most of these can be read as one-shots but some (in the future) will connect. anyway, enjoy!

------------------------------------------

pairing: dad!lando x fem!reader

warnings: fluff, so much fluff, tooth rotting, kinda pouty lando lol

--you invite the WAGS over while the boys go out. Lando isn’t happy about leaving Atticus before bed time, but the guys are okay with being delayed after seeing the precious  moment between the three of you 

Getting Lando to go out has been difficult. Which is weird because Lando is a party animal-he sokes up everyone's energy and has never turned down going to a club. 

But ever since Atticus was born, parties and club visits have slowed down…almost to a stop completely. After every race, win or lose, he’d come back to the hotel room to the two if you. Curled up in bed by 9:30 instead of celebrating with the grid. 

Now that winter break was in full swing, you’d been pushing him to see his friends, even if it was just dinner. He’d always respond the same, “I’d rather be here with you and Atty.” And while that was sweet, he NEEDED to get out of the house. So, you invited all the WAG’s over while the guys tried to wrestle Lando into some “going out clothes” instead of his usual sweatpants and shirt covered in spit up and whatever else his gremlin threw at him. 

“Baby c’mon, it’s one night away.” Lando huffed as he flung himself on the bed. He was half dressed, desperately trying to convince you to let him stay home with the girls and Atticus. 

“What if this one night throws our whole routine out of whack?! What if he resents me? What if he stops-” you put a hand over his mouth before he could get another word out, knowing exactly 

what he was gonna say. “Lan, I seriously doubt that our baby who is 9 months old, will stop loving you because you went out for one night.” He pouts and pulls you down to lay with him. He looks over to the bassinet next to your bed, listening to your baby boy shuffle around. Lan knew he was overthinking things, maybe he really did need a night out. 

“Alright, I’ll go.” he said so lowly, you almost missed it. Almost. 

You sprung up and grabbed Atticus from the crib. “Why don’t you throw that black button up on and we’ll meet you in the kitchen.” Lando cocked his head to the side confused. “Can’t let you leave without helping me give him his night time bottle.” His face lit up with excitement. Lando got into action as you made your way downstairs. 

As you walked down to greet everyone, you couldn’t help but look down at the carbon copy of Lando in your arms. Same nose, same eyes and ears, same cheeky smile-you felt a little sad Lando was leaving but you knew this was what he needed. 

By the time Lando had made his way to the kitchen, you had already dimmed the lights and had everything laid out and ready. He stood back for a moment and watched the two most important people in his life be so entranced by one another, totally blocking out the rest of the world. He made his way up behind, careful not to make you jump, and laid a delicate kiss in your shoulder. 

“Hi” you whispered, never taking your eyes off Atticus. “Hi baby,” he replied with a small squeeze to your waist. “hi other baby.” he laughed to himself as his mini me just peered up at him. “Grab the bottles for me? Everything’s ready, just need to feed the little bean.” Lando nodded and grabbed the warm sippy cup full of milk and handed it to you. 

“Here why don't you” you paused and decided it would be easier to show him. You turned so you faced a little away from lando and brought him closer. You replaced the arm holding his legs with Landos so he supported his body too. He must have got the message because suddenly he let out a long breath and leaned into you. 

“Better?” He nodded and swayed a little to try and lull Atticus to sleep quickly. You all got comfortable under the dim lighting of the kitchen, Lando laid his head on your shoulder, inhaling your scent. The little one looked up at you both with his big blue/green eyes, and reached out towards his dad. Lando stuck out his finger for him to grapple onto and just about glued himself to the floor so he’d never have to leave. 

You chuckled as you watched the pout form onto Lando’s face and leaned down to kiss his cheek. Atty let out a soft sigh through his nose, a sign he was on the brink of sleep. One trick you and Lando both knew would get him to sleep, was singing to him. 

He loved any music, whether it was rock, 80’s, indie, pop, EDM, you could always find Atticus Norris moving around to music.

But what really mesmerized him was the silky voice of Frank Sinatra or Doris Day. You quietly hummed “Dream a Little Dream of Me” while gently tracing his delicate features. “Sing for me?” lando asked as he looked over at you with identical eyes. You blushed and looked away as you softly started to sing. “..stars shining bright above you.” 

“Night breezes seemed to whisper, I love you.” you inhaled sharply as you heard Lando try to carry a proper tune. “Babe, don’t laugh.” You giggled and nudged you shoulder against his cheek. 

“I’m not, I promise, it’s cute. Love when you try to sing along.” Lando scoffed in mock offense as he started to try and defend himself without waking the babe. What you both failed to notice was that he had already fallen asleep, resting all his weight against the two of you. Still gripping onto Lando’s hand, the nipple of the cup was still stuck in his mouth. 

You could see the battle behind Lando’s eyes so you spoke up, “Wanna put him to bed? I’m sure the guys won’t mind being late by a few minutes." Lando smiled and nodded. You transferred the rest of Atticus’ limbs to him and watched him walk upstairs with all the grace in the world. 

Before you could really process, you heard sniffling behind you. You whipped around and saw the girls with their phones out, tear tracks on their faces. “...is everything alright?” 

Kika scoffed, “Alright? That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed!” the girls around her nodded as they dabbed their faces dry.

They disappeared around the corner, presumably to say goodbye to the HAB’s and you heard murmuring. 

“You can’t make him go! Please he won’t survive!”

“You didn’t see it, i have never seen him NOT wanna go out like that.”

“What?! He’s going out, I don’t care if I have to drag him by his curls out the door.” 

You giggled as you heard Max’s voice get louder. “Whatcha laughing about?” Lando asked as he came down the stairs. 

“Oh nothing, I just think that the guys are gonna leave you here if you don’t hurry.” he only grumbled and yelled. “Yeah I’m coming, I’m coming!” and disappeared out the door.

[yoonguurt]

Summary: Spring brings with it the need for a change. You're in a writing rut and that just can't happen right now. You decided to spend a few months with your aunt at her massive garden estate. for the first time in 10 years. Dreams of a boy you don't remember become a nightly thing. Who is this boy?

Pairing: Hongjoong x fem!reader

Genre: fluff, angst, smut, fantasy

AU/Trope: long lost friends to lovers, a twist on The Secret Garden

Word count: 12,295

Warnings: parental death, themes of curses, talks of insanity, mentions of kidnapping, a horrible old woman, threats. I think that's all but it's also 2 am so brain a little fuzzy. NSFW warnings under the cut

A/N: This is for the Language of Flowers event for @cultofdionysusnet I really did put everything I have into this fic. It has taken me a while and I will probably revisit this later since I didn't get everything I wanted in here. Thank you to @kwanisms for making the title banner and reading bits and pieces of this. @anyamaris @pyeonghongrie @justhere4kpop @stardragongalaxy also helped me with reading some of this. Thank you guys for putting up with the screenshots and eye emojis.

Smut warnings: unprotected sex (do not do, I will hunt you down), fingering, dry humping, so much kissing, Hongjoong is king of aftercare, virgin Hongjoong, there's no power dynamic here, they’re just soft

Walking into the courtyard of your aunt’s estate was like walking back into a long lost memory. You spent many summers here as a child and while it had been some of the best times of your life, as you had gotten older, the trips stopped. Once you began to transcend into your older teen years, the allure of the massive mansion and grounds lost its appeal. You stopped coming when you were 15. You remember that there was a specific reason why, you just couldn’t remember what that reason was. 

You closed the large iron gate behind you, listening as it made a loud creak. The gate was covered in rust, which was unusual since your aunt was a very meticulous woman. She had to have everything in perfect condition at all times. At least, that was how she was the last time you had seen her 10 years ago. From the phone call you shared, she seemed to still be the same woman she had always been. She may be older, but she still has the same fiery spirit she’s always had. You guess that was where you got it from. 

In all honesty, you have never been overly close with your aunt. You loved her, sure, but she was kind of a mean woman. She was quite a few years younger than your father, 11 to be exact, so she wasn’t elderly when you were a child. She seemed to be a little miserable your entire life, though you were too young to realize that at the time. Thinking back on it now, you realized that your aunt had any possession she could ever want, but you had never seen her have a companion of any sort. No women from the nearby town ever came to visit, and you had never seen a man, other than Steven the gardener, ever pass through the gates. You knew that no one needed anyone of the opposite sex to make their lives better, but you also knew that she must live a lonely life.

The real reason you fell in love with coming to stay the summers was the grounds. The estate was massive. Many times you had spent all day wandering around the grounds, just exploring everything your heart yearned for. You knew you had a favorite spot when you were younger, but its location was another thing slipping your mind. You’d have to make a mental note to try and find your special spot.

The old door is silent as you open in and step inside. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed. A quick glance around the foyer lets you know that not much inside the house has changed either. There are still the same two blue and white flowered vases standing on either side of the door, holding the same kind of lilies they had always held. The small table that held the rotary phone was still in the same place at the base of the stairs, rotary phone still sat atop. Even the curtains were the same. A light sage in color, small embroidered flowers running down the fabric. 

Flowers were always a large part of the decor of your aunt’s home. Each guest room in the house was themed with a different flower. There were numerous gardens spread throughout the grounds, some with mixed plants and some that only grew a particular plant. You knew flowers were really important to your aunt, though every time your curious child tendencies come forward, she would only give a stiff smile and tell you that flowers were beautiful and a woman of her standing deserved to have beauty all around her. Looking back, you can see how forced her smile had been.

“Aunt Helen!” Your voice rang throughout the empty home, surprising even yourself at just how loud your voice carried. You had been told to come right in and make yourself at home, but it didn’t feel right. Not only had you not been here in ten years after abruptly deciding that you didn’t want to return for the summer of your 16th year, but you had also called her out of nowhere to ask if you could spend some time there. Her side of the line had been silent for a few moments before she told you that there shouldn’t be an issue with you coming, but it still felt like she wasn’t sure about her decision. 

You hear footsteps coming from the top of the stairs and you turn to face the stairway with a smile. Helen comes around the corner, her face showing no emotion as she looks down at you. “Y/N. How nice to see you, dear.” Her voice is pleasant enough, though her face is still blank. You guess you must have hurt her by your sudden refusal to come back during your teen years, and then surprised her with an equally sudden request to return. You try to shake the thought from your head, making sure to keep your smile. “Thank you so much for letting me spend the next few months here. I know it was a sudden request, but I think it will really do me some good.”

The last year of your life had been hectic to say the least. You moved from your home on the outskirts of the city to the city proper to be closer to publishers. You had always wanted to be a writer. You could remember always having notebooks full of stories as a child. You had hid them away in any room you could find. By the time you turned 16, you had probably filled 50 notebooks. Like many children, the stories were fantastical and some were nonsense, but it was the process of writing that you enjoyed. Bringing whatever idea that had popped into your head to life was an addiction to you. 

Helen’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts, making you focus your attention back on the aging lady who was now making her way down the stairs. “It’s no problem at all, dear. There’s no one here but me and Steven, so there’s plenty of room.” Her feet stop in front of you as she lifts her arms toward you for a hug. You quickly drop your bags, scrambling to return her gesture as quickly as you can. The hug is an awkward one. Arms are around middles, but there is a gap between bodies. To anyone looking from a distance, it would seem as if you two don’t even know each other. But, at this time in your life, that’s essentially true. The hug breaks apart almost as soon as it begins, both of you taking a step back to put some distance between you. 

“I’m sure you’ve had a long trip. Go ahead and choose your room and get settled. Though, I’m sure you’ll choose the gardenia room. It always was your favorite.” A smile creeps to your lips at the mention of your childhood choice of room. She was right about it. That room had been your favorite. “Do you still have the gardenia garden, Aunt Helen?” The look on her face takes you aback a little. For a split second, she looks angry. She quickly changes her expression to one of confusion. “Oh dear, there’s never been a garden dedicated solely to gardenias. However, there are some planted in one of the rose gardens. Maybe that is what you’re thinking of.” It’s your turn to be confused. You distinctly remember playing in a garden full of nothing but gardenias. 

You don’t want to argue, there is a chance that you created that memory as one of your stories, so you give her a nod as you tell her that you’re going to go get settled. You grab your bags, though you didn’t bring many, the three that you do have are large and filled to the brim. Making your way up the stairs is a little tricky since there are 20 of them in total, but you manage. Turning left at the top of the stairs, you pick up your pace a little, excited to get to your room. It sits at the end of the hall on the right side. You take a deep breath as you set your bags down to open the door, making sure to open it slowly so you get the wave of nostalgia that you know will come with seeing the room for the first time in years. 

Seeing the room is like a breath of fresh air. It feels like coming home after a long day of work, knowing that relaxation and happiness are waiting for you. It almost makes you want to cry. You leave your bags at the door for a moment, you just need to feel the room first. There are fresh gardenias in a small, white vase on the bedside table. That has always been one of your favorite smells and it makes your heart flutter when it hits your nose. The king size bed has the same white and green bed set it’s always had. The handmade quilt, certainly not made by your aunt, is the color of grass and has gardenias sewn into the fabric. You run your hand over the top of the quilt, memories of spending nights completely enveloped in the warmth of the fabric as you write in one of the many notebooks you always brought with you.

There’s an oak writing table that stands in front of the large bay window that overlooks an area that looks different than the rest of the estate. It looks more run down, like it hadn’t been taken care of in years. You could have sworn that it was once a beautiful garden that you had spent much of your time in. It hits you that you seem to remember that patch of land being your favorite spot, but it doesn’t seem like that is true. 

You turn your attention to the wallpaper. It gives a little more color to the room. The background of the paper is a soft yellow while images of gardenia bushes cover the rest. All perfectly spaced out, just like you know Helen had wanted. You finally decided to grab your bags and start to put your things away, a little more pep in your step. You’re more than excited to be back in this room, where it seems like all of your story ideas seemed to have formed. You feel as if you had the greatest idea for a story while staying here over those summers, but it’s just another thing you can’t remember. Perhaps it will come back with time. You certainly need it to come back.

After all of your things are put away, you make your way back down the stairs to familiarize yourself with the house again. You’re sure that it will all come flooding back, but you’d rather get the learning process over now to prevent any future issues. The sitting room is off to the left of the stairs, through a doorway, the dining room is off to the right. Deciding to look through the left side of the house first, you make your way into the sitting room. The same old couches and chairs adorn the room, though they still look like they’ve never been used. You guess that there’s a chance that they haven’t. The fireplace stands tall and clean, another thing you’re sure Helen has never used. There are multiple tables placed around the room, all made with dark, polished wood. 

To the left there’s another doorway, this one leading into the sunroom. Wicker chairs are placed a few feet from each other, a small table in between each chair. You remember spending your time here when the rain prevented you from your outdoor adventures. You’d sit on the floor since the chairs were always uncomfortable, writing your heart out. You sure wish you could find where those notebooks had gone. The back half of the first floor is Steven’s quarters. He’s always been a nice man, but he keeps to himself and you respect that.

Making your way back through the sitting room, you take a second to look out of the small window that sits on the front of the house. Gardens fill your field of view. More gardens than you ever thought a person could have. You feel certain that Helen has a garden for every flower she could possibly grow. 

The dining room houses a table long enough to sit around 14 people, though you know nowhere near that many people have even been in the house. Like everything else, it’s a dark, polished wood. Helen is nothing but consistent in her design choices. The kitchen sits behind a set of double doors, which are painted a pristine white, no doubt kept clean by the lack of traffic. Helen has to have a maid that comes and cleans at some point, there’s no way she’d ever stoop so low as to clean herself. You already know what the kitchen will look like, large stoves and ovens that could cook meals for an obscene amount of people. Your watch tells you that it will be dark soon so you put off your plan of going out to the gardens until tomorrow. 

Helen is nowhere to be seen, though you aren’t surprised. She’s always been a mysterious woman, keeping to herself much like Steven. A rumbling from your stomach lets you know that you should probably eat, which means that you have to actually venture into the kitchen. Opening the doors, you’re surprised to find a portly woman rummaging through some pans. “Oh. I didn’t realize someone was in here. Usually Steven is the only staff that stays here at the mansion.” Your voice seems to startle the woman, causing her to hit her head on the cabinet she was looking in. She lets out a groan as she rubs the back of her head. “Fuck! Shit! Damn! I am so sorry!” You aren’t sure if you mean to curse, but it happens anyway. The lady turns to face you, a bright smile on her face. “It’s ok, really. I probably would have done that even if you hadn’t startled me.” The giggle she lets out after speaking is infectious, making you giggle along with her. “I’m Julia.” You take her outstretched hand and give it a firm shake. “I’m Y/N. Helen is my aunt.” 

You watch as Julia’s expression sours and you’re half expecting it to bounce back, but it doesn’t. “Didn’t know that mean, old broad had family.” She immediately seems to realize what she said since her eyes go wide and she looks a little panicked. “Oh, shoot! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean that. Ms. Helen is lovely.” Her nervous giggle and her flustered state makes you smile. “Hey, you’re the one that works here and spends more time here than I do. Your opinion of her is probably more accurate than mine. I haven’t seen her since I was 15.” She heaves a sigh of relief at your blatant uncaring attitude towards her unkind words about your aunt. “Whew. Thought I really made a mess of things there. Can I get you something to eat?” You give her a shake of your head, telling her that you were just refamiliarizing yourself with the house before you head up to your room. She gives you a little nod and a smile, telling you that she’ll be heading home soon, but she’ll be back the next morning for breakfast. 

The bed in the gardenia room looks like heaven as you walk through the door. Maybe the trip hit you harder than you expected or maybe it’s just being back here, but your eyes are suddenly heavy and all you want is to sleep. No alarm, no designated time to wake up, just sleep as long as your body needs. You take your time changing into your pajamas and washing your face and brushing your teeth before climbing between the sheets and stretching out. It hits you that you haven’t let your mother know that you arrived safely, so you pull out your phone to type out a quick text. Annoyance comes over you as you look at the screen. No service, of course. You should have known, you are in the middle of nowhere after all. You make the decision to call her from Helen’s phone tomorrow. You wiggle a little, making yourself comfortable and set your phone back on the bedside table, not even bothering to charge it. Flicking the lamp off, you quickly fall into a sleep filled with dreams of a boy with a dazzling smile. 

You wake up feeling more rested than you have felt in years. The sun is already high in the sky when you crawl out of bed and shuffle to the bathroom. You settle for a simple sundress to wear for the day, grabbing a cardigan just in case you get a chill. Today, you explore the gardens. Breakfast is being put away when you make your way into the dining room. Luckily, Julia spots you and greets you with a smile and a wave. “Morning, sunshine. I saved you a plate. I put it in the microwave for you.” You release a breath you didn’t realize you were holding, your stomach growling at the mention of food. You follow her into the kitchen, reaching into the microwave to grab the plate of blueberry pancakes and bacon and involuntarily let out a moan. “These are my favorite. How did you know?” Julia gives you a sly smile. “A certain gardener told me.” Steven? There’s no way he remembered that. You haven’t seen him in years. The look on your face must give your thoughts away. “That man remembers everything. It’s insane, really. So, what are your plans for the day?”

The sundress was a great choice. The weather is wonderful. It’s not too hot, not too cold, the perfect balance fornthe spring. There’s a light breeze blowing, enough to keep you cool, but not make you cold. It’s the perfect day for exploring. You stand by the steps, looking around trying to figure out where to go first. After some thought, you decided to start with the daisy garden. It took some time for you to orient yourself, but you managed more quickly than you thought you would, though most of the layout seemed like muscle memory to you. 

The daisies were off to the left of the grounds, tall hedges sounding the garden. That was something universal with the gardens. Every garden had hedges all the way around it, Helen’s way of making sure that to be able to fully see the garden, you had to actually enter the garden. Every hedge was neatly trimmed, Steven’s doing you’re sure. Taking your time, you slowly maneuvered your way through the garden. Daisies of every color surrounded you, some you were sure were some sort of hybrid or something. Helen seemed to have flowers in colors you had never seen before. There was a patch of what looked like a peach color, and it honestly took your breath away.

In the center of the garden, there was a stone bench that gave a good view of the hedge lion that stood in front of you. You weren’t sure you’d ever not be amazed by Steven’s gardening skills. Every garden seemed to be like it came right out of a fairy tale. The thought of why Helen never opened the grounds to onlookers crossed your mind as you stared at the beauty of the daisy garden, but you quickly dismissed it. Helen was a selfish woman, you wouldn’t dream of denying that. There was no way she would share the possession most dear to her with anyone that she wasn’t related to. You also weren’t sure anyone would come. Your aunt had a bit of a reputation for being a rude woman. 

A memory of going to town on your last summer here came to the forefront of your mind. Helen had taken you to town with her for some reason or another. She rarely made trips into town so you had been excited for the journey. Everyone seemed to move out of the way as Helen walked by. At the time, you hadn’t thought much of it, assuming that they were just being polite. Thinking back on it now, it seemed like they had been afraid of her. It was like they were living in fear of even being perceived by her. 

You had heard them whispering, and if Helen had heard she hadn’t let on. You hadn’t been able to make out much of what they had been saying, mostly just ‘witch’ and ‘old Mrs. Kim.’ That brought back another memory. On your rare trips into town, you had heard old Mrs. Kim mentioned numerous times. Mostly when mothers were disciplining their children for being out late. “I told you to be back here by dusk! Do you want me to end up like old Mrs. Kim?” You hadn’t been, and still weren’t, sure what that meant. Other times, it had been when two women were talking, usually one insinuating that the other was crazy. “You’re acting like old Mrs. Kim, you need to get your head on straight.” You made a mental note to ask Helen who Mrs. Kim had been.

The sun was starting to be a bit much for you, though it wasn’t unbearably hot, you were starting to get a bit uncomfortable. Heaving yourself off of the bench, you made your way back through the garden, still taking your time. The entrance to the garden gave you another flash of memory. A vision of you running as fast as you could, white dress flowing with each step you made. You couldn’t have been more than 9. There was a smile on your face, and it made you smile just seeing the memory. Past you ran towards the run down part of the grounds, but the memory faded as you reached your destination. You shook your head as the image of yourself disappeared, your feet automatically carrying you back to the house. You’d make it to investigate the dilapidated garden. Eventually.

Climbing the stairs to the front porch, the urge to sit in one of the rocking chairs hit you. You smiled to yourself before making your way inside and to the kitchen. You were sure Julia must have made some tea or lemonade, maybe both. Pushing the doors to the kitchen open, the smell of food invaded your nostrils and you gave a pleased hum. “You took longer than I thought you would. It's been about 3 hours.” That explains the sun. You gave her a toothy grin as you made your way to the fridge. “Any chance you have tea or lemonade in here?” The woman gave you a smirk before she spoke. “Both.” You knew it.

Planting yourself in one of the rocking chairs, you sipped your drink. The mix of tea and lemonade was as refreshing and you had hoped. Your thoughts wandered without control. Who had you been running to? Your mind drifted back to the dream you had the night before. The boy with the dazzling smile. Who was he? He seemed so familiar to you, but you couldn't quite place where you knew him from. Maybe he had been a playmate from town. But then again, that didn't make any sense. You were barely in town as a child and even when you were, you never spoke to anyone.

The creaking of the door brought you out of your thoughts. You turned, expecting Julia to walk through, perhaps taking a small break while the food was in the oven. Instead, Steven's form greeted you. “Steven! It's been a long time, how have you been?” Your voice seemed to startle the man since his head whipped in your direction, eyes a little wide. He relaxed once he realized that you were the one speaking. “It's good to see you again, Miss Y/N.” Your face scrunched at the title. He had always called you that and you had always hated it.

“I've told you a thousand times, just call me Y/N. Miss Y/N makes me feel old and like you're below me or something. Helen may like that, but I'm not Helen.” Steven gave you a soft smile as he made his way to sit in the chair to your left. “No can do, Miss Y/N. I'm a gentleman with manners.” The statement made you laugh and give him a playful swat on the arm. “The most gentleman to ever gentleman, Steven.”

The two of you sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other's presence. Steven had never been the most talkative, but he had always been comforting. He listened to your childish ramblings all those years ago, nodding his head and gasping when you said something dramatic. He was a friend to you and you loved him for that. 

It was Steven who finally broke the silence, surprisingly. “It sure has been quite lonely without having your visits, Miss Y/N. Glad to have you back. The gardens need you.” You gave him a bright smile, though you were sure that the gardens were thriving in his perfectly capable hands. “Steven, these gardens need no one but you. They're only this beautiful because of the time and care you put into them.” The look on his face was a little somber as he spoke again. “I appreciate it, Miss Y/N, but you and your heart are more needed than you realize. But you will remember in time.” With that, he stood and walked off into the grounds, leaving you rather confused.

The sun was starting to set by the time you went back into the house. Your stomach was starting to growl, and you were sure dinner was close to being ready, if it wasn't already finished. Helen was descending the stairs as you made your way through the front door. “Dear, dinner is ready and you look a bit of a mess.” She glanced down at your hands and legs, which prompted you to look as well. You did have a bit of dirt on your skin. “Go wash up before you join me.” 

Helen had always been this way, a bit rude. You flashed her a tight smile, nodding as you made your way to your room. Stepping through the door of your special sanctuary, you heaved a sigh of relief. The room just felt lighter than the rest of the house. You made quick work of undressing and showering, a bit eager to get food into your body. Once you were bathed and dressed, you stepped out into the hall, not noticing the notebook sitting on your bedside table.

Dinner passed slowly. There wasn't much conversation, though the food was amazing. Julia had made roast and potatoes with a side salad, and you were sure you had never tasted a roast so tender and full of flavor. Voices from the kitchen could barely be heard, Julia and Steven no doubt. You wished you could retreat through the doors and eat with them, their company would be much more welcome than Helen’s. She had finished her food already, but had always been adamant that everyone be finished before anyone left the table.

“Dear.” Her voice caused you to meet her gaze, which was hardened. “While I am pleased to have you back, I must ask why the sudden wish to return.” You knew this would come up eventually. You took a deep breath, thinking through your words carefully. “I needed a break from city life. I have hit a wall with my writing. Being here always gave me new and wonderful ideas. I thought it might help.” Your aunt gave you a curt nod, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin even though she hadn't eaten anything. “Well, if you're done, I'll retire to my room now.” The sliding of her chair filled the quiet room as she turned and made her way to the stairs.

The bed was comfortable as you fell onto it. You weren't particularly tired, but it felt nice to lay down. Steven’s words from earlier swirled through your head. He obviously knew something you didn't, but you also knew that trying to pry would get you nowhere. Out of habit, you turned to grab your phone, mentally cursing yourself when you remembered you had no service and you had forgotten to call your mother. Your attention was immediately diverted to the notebook sitting neatly by your phone, puzzling you.

You hadn't taken a notebook out of your bag, that you knew for certain. Your hand changed direction to reach for the notebook. Shuffling down under your blanket, you brought the book in front you, flipping through the pages. You stopped at a page that was dated just after your 9th birthday. 

The gardens here are so cool. There's so many of them. It'll take me weeks to go through them all.

You chuckled at the thoughts of your past self and flipped a few more pages. This entry was set a few days later.

I found a new garden! I was exploring around the old, gross part of the grounds and I looked through some vines and found it. Aunt Helen called me back before I could get a good look, but I'm gonna go back tomorrow. 

This gave you pause. You didn't remember ever exploring the old part of the grounds. Helen had always told you to stay away from that part of the estate, stating it was dangerous. Deciding to read the next entry, you quickly flipped to the next page.

The new garden is so pretty! It's already my favorite. It has some of every flower and it's huge. And there's a house in there! I didn't see anyone, but maybe tomorrow. 

This had to be some of your childhood stories. There was no way that there was another house on the property. With a sigh, you set the book back on the table and clicked your light off. Giving your pillow a fluff, you laid down and drifted into a dream. 

“Hongjoong that wasn't funny!” The young boy stood in front of you holding his belly and laughing. “You should have seen your face!” He flailed his arms around and made an exaggerated scared face while you pouted. “You shouldn't scare me like that. It's not nice.” One look at your face let him know that he had really messed up, you looked like you were about to cry. “I'm sorry Y/N. I didn't mean to make you sad. I never want to make you sad.” You perked up after his apology, telling him that it was ok and reaching for his hand. He took your hand in his and you both ran off into the garden. 

You awoke with a startle, a little disoriented. The dream was still fresh on your mind, and it left so many questions. Was that the garden you had written about in the notebook? Why did the dream seem so real? It had been like a distant memory. And who the fuck was Hongjoong? Your immediate reaction was to grab the notebook again and try to search for the name, but a knock on the bedroom door made you put that off. “Y/N dear, I’m going into town today and I would like for you to join me. Do hurry and get ready, please. I’d rather not have to wait much longer.”

The ride to town with Helen was silent, just as it always had been. Why she wanted you to join was beyond you, but you could use the time to go over your thoughts. Despite being confused,  you couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness at having woken up from your dream. The boy, Hongjoong it seemed, had already created a home in your mind. He seemed so familiar, like an old friend. But you were sure you had never met him. So, why was he invading your dreams? And why did you have such a vivid picture of this new garden? Was it something your mind had conjured on its own? It had to be. There had never been a garden in the dilapidated part of the grounds, and there certainly had never been another house. 

The abrupt stop of the car brought you out of your deep thoughts. Swiveling your head, you noticed that Helen had parked at the town market. It was a small building for a small town, nothing fancy, but it had all the essentials. The market was set in a shopping center of sorts, again just a small little gathering of buildings. There was a clothing store, a barbershop and the library all huddled around one parking lot. An idea sprung to the forefront of your mind. “Aunt Helen, I think I’d like to visit the library, if that’s ok. I could use a good book to read.” You aren’t entirely sure why you decided to lie to your aunt, something just told you that you probably shouldn’t tell her your actual plans. Helen heaved a heavy sigh from the driver’s seat. “I was hoping you would actually help me, but do as you wish, dear.” Turning your head and rolling your eyes, you stepped out of the car and made your way to the library doors.

The library was like any other library, you weren’t really sure why you expected anything else. Like everything in the town, it was small, but it seemed to be bigger than it looked from the outside. Rows of bookshelves spanned down each side of the building and behind the librarian’s desk. Stepping forward, you stopped at the desk where an older lady with thin glasses and a tight bun looked up at you. You held in a giggle at the stereotypical librarian look. “Good afternoon, how can I help you?” She had a friendly smile, a genuine smile rather than the customer service smile many people wore when they were working. “Good afternoon, ma’am. Does this library have newspaper archives?”

Surprisingly, the library had a basement. It was a bit drafty, letting the cool, spring air run through the room. It obviously wasn’t used much, boxes stacked up in one corner. The librarian led you to a single computer that sat on a desk in the very back of the basement. “Sorry that you have to come all the way down here for the archives.” She gave you a kind, somewhat sad smile. “Pretty much everything has transferred to tablets or whatever new fangled technology the kids are using these days. But the newspaper archives haven’t been switched over yet, they’re still on this computer, aside from much older ones that are still on floppy disks.” You gave her a nod of your head with a reassurance that this was fine. “What year are you looking for, sweetie?” It took a moment for you to answer. “I don’t know.”

The blinking cursor on the screen was a bit daunting. The kind librarian had been patient with you, letting you know that it was ok to not know a year and that a name could be used as well. All you had to do was type it into the search bar. If the name couldn't be found, always check the floppies. You didn't think you'd have to go back that far. Were you crazy? You didn't even have a full name. Just Hongjoong. There had to be more than just one Hongjoong, how would you know what you were looking for? Pushing the doubts aside, you typed in Hongjoong's name and pressed enter.

Unlike what you expected, only a couple of articles popped up. The headlines were vastly different from each other, and you were sure the two couldn't be related. After looking over the words for a moment, you chose to click on the first link.

Father takes son and runs.

Kim Jae-seok and Kim Hongjoong have been missing for 3 weeks at this point. While it was first suspected that the father and son had had an unfortunate accident, the running theory now is that Jae-seok has kidnapped his son and left his wife, Kim Eunbi. Mrs. Kim has adamantly argued against this theory, blaming a local woman for the disappearances, but there is no evidence at this time to substantiate her claims.

You stared at the screen with a baffled expression. At the bottom of the article there was a picture of a young boy and an older man, both wearing giant grins. The boy sat on the man’s shoulders, arms wrapped around the man’s forehead. The caption at the bottom of the picture gave the pair’s names. Kim Jae-seok and Kim Hongjoong. The article was dated around the time you would have been 9, and the boy looked to be around your age. He was also the Hongjoong from your dream.

It took you a few minutes to gather the gumption to click on the next article. After a few deep breaths, you moved the mouse, ready for what came next.

Mother of missing boy ostracized: grief or insanity?

2 years after the disappearance of her son and husband, Kim Eunbi has been shunned by the community. She has stuck to her initial claims that a local woman is responsible for the disappearances. Her claims that the owner of the large garden estate has her family hidden away have remained consistent throughout the investigation. Searches were done, but no trace of Kim Jae-seok and Kim Hongjoong were found. The woman is quoted saying “I feel for the poor woman, losing her family, but I certainly have nothing to do with her misfortune.” At this time, the case has been cold. It is still thought that Jae-seok had kidnapped their son.

As you read the words, your mind swirled. Mrs. Kim seemed to believe that Helen had something to do with the disappearances. But to your knowledge, Helen hadn't really spoken to anyone from town. Her visits were always quick, with as little interaction as possible. Looking at you watch let you know that you didn't have much time left before your aunt was done with her errands. On a whim, you erased Hongjoong's name from the search bar, typing in his mother's name instead.

The same articles popped up, only there was one thing added. An obituary. Your heart panged as you read it. She died without knowing what became of her husband and son. You quickly closed out of the tab, rushing back upstairs, thanking the librarian again on your way out. Helen was just getting back to her car as you stepped through the library doors.

You helped her put her groceries into her car, silent the entire time. You definitely had some things to think about. There was no way your hermit of an aunt could have anything to do with the case of the missing men. Mrs. Kim had to have had some sort of mental break due to her grief. Once the bags were neatly placed in the trunk, you took your place in the passenger seat once more.

“Where's your book, dear?” Helen was quick to notice that you came back from the library empty handed and you quickly came up with a believable excuse. “Nothing really interested me. I didn't want to keep you waiting.” That seemed to satisfy her, giving you a nod and a hum. Your thoughts drifted again. Sure Helen was rude, but she wasn't dangerous. Was she?

Steven came to help bring the groceries inside, Julia following soon after. With their blessing, you decided to tour another garden. Maybe that would help you clear your head. You started walking, not really having a particular garden in mind, stopping at the first one you came to. Camillas. Though the camilla garden was one of the smaller gardens, it was still large. 

Rather than hedges surrounding it, there was a tall fence, dark wood of course. Helen did have a theme after all. Despite your thoughts, you tried to pay attention to the beauty surrounding you. Once again, there were flowers of every color. How Helen managed to find so many colors baffled you, but you guessed that when you had that much money, things were more possible for you.  

At the center of the garden stood another statue. Every garden had one, or some sort of hedge animal, if you remembered correctly. This particular statue was of a man with a young boy peeking from behind the man's leg. The base of the statue had no plaque, but was surrounded by yellow camillas. The man's face was rather somber looking, which was odd for such a beautiful garden. 

Helen watched you from the window, a scowl on her face. You were hiding something and she could tell. She could always tell. Except when it came to her oaf of a gardener. She had never been able to get a good read on the man, despite years of experience and practice. She would have done away with Steven if she were able, but she knew the deal and she couldn't go against that. She didn't know what or how, but she knew something had to be done about your nosey tendencies.

You sat amongst the camillas until the sun began to set and a chill started biting at your skin. You still hadn't made sense of the information you had found in the library. Nothing made sense. You wanted to ask someone if they had heard of Hongjoong and his father, but Helen wasn't an option. You doubt Julia knew anything, which only left Steven. Even if he knew anything, you doubted he would say. He'd been working for your aunt for years, he had a loyalty to her.

“Hey mom. Sorry for not calling sooner. My phone has no service here and it kept slipping my mind.” Your mother’s voice was pleasant as she told you that it was ok. She was sure Helen would have called if you had never arrived. A thought passed through your mind and you considering asking your mother if she knew anything about the Kims. Your voice made the decision for you. “Mom, do you know anything about a missing boy and his father?” Silence. It felt like 5 minutes of silence before your mother spoke again. 

“Jae-seok was a friend of your father's. They had gone to school together and had been close ever since. Your dad had always joked about him becoming his brother in law one day.” Your mother left out a breathy chuckle and you kept your attention steady, wanting to know more. 

“When Jae-Seok met Eunbi, the jokes stopped. It was clear that the two of them were meant to be together. They had been so in love. It didn't take long for them to marry, your father was the best man. After Hongjoong was born, Helen gave Jae-Seok the job as her gardener. He made those gardens what they are.” 

You knew that Jae-Seok had been the gardener, but just how close he was to your family was new information. Your mother continued, giving you everything you knew.

“When Jae-Seok left with Hongjoong, both Eunbi and your father had been insistent that there was no way Jae-Seok would do that. He loved his life and he worshiped Eunbi and treated her like a queen. Your father searched for him as much as he could, but after a while he had to give up. The disappearances were the reason we moved. He just couldn't handle staying in a town with so many memories.”

You didn't know what to say. Your head was spinning a little. You had gotten so much information in such a short period of time. Despite all of the thinking you had done today, you still had more to do. You thanked your mother and talked a bit more before you said your goodbyes. Deciding that you weren't particularly hungry, you let Helen know that you would be skipping dinner. The woman looked far from pleased, but you paid her no mind. You were also unaware of the man standing not too far off with a smile on his face.

Laying on your bed, you felt exhausted. You hadn’t really done anything extensive, but your mind hadn't stopped running in circles since your trip to the library. You went through the facts one more time.

1. You had dreams and journal entries about a boy named Hongjoong. 

2. Your father knew the boy's father.

3. Your aunt had been accused of being involved. 

4. Hongjoong was missing.

Turning to your bedside table, you reached to grab the journal you had found the night before. You paused. There was another journal sitting on top. Where were these coming from? A knock on your door took your attention away from the journals. Giving a deep sigh, you prepared yourself to face Helen. 

Opening the door, you were a little surprised to find Steven. “Thought you should probably eat.” He extended his arm, a plate of the dinner Julia had made in his hand. You couldn't help but smile. Steven was a really nice guy. As you took the plate, you gathered enough courage to ask him a question. “Steven, do you remember me ever mentioning a boy named Hongjoong when I was a child?”

The man stiffed a little before relaxing, as if he was trying to hide his reaction. “I'm sure I can't say, Miss Y/N.” Not the answer you were expecting. Steven remembered everything. “It's getting to be a little past my bedtime. Gotta be up early. You should do some reading, Miss Y/N. Goodnight.”

His mentioning reading struck you as a little odd. He had seen you come back from town, he had to have known you hadn't brought a book back and there weren't any books in your room. Sure, he could have assumed you had brought some with you. That was the most logical explanation, but something was still bothering you.

Shrugging the odd conversation off, you took your food to your bed, planning to nibble on it as you read the journals. You chose the new one, flipping through the pages. Your browsing stop and a page that was dated when you would have been 13.

“Hongjoong and I read today, it was pretty relaxing. I like that I can have someone that doesn't feel the need to always fill the silence. Sometimes that's just what I need, to be in someone's presence but still enjoy the quiet. We did talk a little, though. He's such a great listener. He did get a little sad when I asked him to come look at the gardens with me tomorrow. He said something about not being able to leave. I'm not sure what he meant. I'll try again tomorrow.”

There was a large break in the page before a sentence placed at the very bottom.

“I'm gonna marry him one day.”

You almost closed the book immediately. Your 13 year old self was thinking of marrying her imaginary friend. It just seemed silly. You grabbed the other journal, finding a page before the last one you had read.

“I'm writing this in case I forget, the new garden can be hard to find. All you have to do is find the part of the fence with two missing boards. There's a few spots like that, but the one to the garden has vines all over it and an H carved into the board next to it.”

You finished your food, setting the plate and journal back on the table. Looks like you had some exploring to do tomorrow. 

“Don't do this, Y/N. Please. You know I can't come with you, please don't just stop coming. The look on Hongjoong's face broke your heart. He was your best friend, but you were starting to think this was all in your mind. Some imaginary world you had created in your mind. “Joong, I'm getting too old to play make believe with people who aren't there.” His face changed from sadness to anger. “You know damn well that I'm not an imaginary friend. You know what, go. Leave and don't come back. I'm fine here with my dad anyway.” You couldn't help the tear that fell from your eye as you watched him walk away.”

Waking up in a sweat was becoming normal. You groaned as you climbed out of bed to brush your teeth and change your clothes. Choosing to forego a shower, you'd be getting dirty today anyway, you picked out some jeans and an old shirt that you had turned into a night shirt. You sat and ate breakfast with Helen, choosing to ignore her comments about your outfit. She asked what your plans for the day were and you kept your cool, simply telling her you would be visiting the lilies today. She said nothing as she gathered her dirty dishes and took them to the kitchen.

Steven watched as you walked out of the door and headed to the old part of the estate. He couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped him and the smile that came to his face. He watched your form disappear before he spoke. “Finally.”

The vines were far overgrown. Steven must not worry about this section because there was nothing here. You felt a little ridiculous. Looking around for some garden that probably didn't exist. After an hour of searching, you were ready to give up. You could barely see any of the fence, there was a slim chance you'd be able to find missing boards and a carving. Moving to turn around and head back, you saw a sliver of a missing board. Stepping over to it, you pulled the vines to the side. Two missing boards. You searched around the boards around the gap. On the left board, a small H. 

You took a deep breath, preparing yourself for the incoming feeling of feeling like a silly little girl. Crouching down, you stepped through the gap. It took a little bit of wiggling, but you made it to the other side. When you lifted your head, you were in awe. The most beautiful garden you had ever seen was before you. Gardenias. Gardenias everywhere.

You stood still for a moment, just taking in the beauty. The shock subsided a little and you took your first steps further into the new majestic place you had found. Your feet seemed to know where to go, weaving you through the bushes. You stopped when you came upon a house. Just like the house from your dreams. You studied the house for a few seconds. It wasn't run down at all. In fact, it looked like it had been well taken care of. You watched the door open and a man step out. He stood there looking at you for what felt like forever. A smile slowly creeped across his face. “You're back.”

Your mind went blank. Suddenly a rush of memories came back to you. Meeting Hongjoong for the first time when you were 9, daily visits to the garden, meeting his dad, kissing him when you were 14. Everything hit you like a wave. You took a small step forward, barely moving. “Hongjoong.” The two of you slowly made your way to each other, both of you a little cautious. Once you were right in front of each other, you took a moment to just take him in.

He was handsome, he had grown into one of the most handsome men you had ever seen, if not the most handsome. He tentatively brought his hand to your cheek as if he was worried you'd back away from him. His thumb made soft movements against your face, his eyes boring into yours. “I thought I'd never see you again. I've waited. Every day I come out and take care of the flowers I planted for you, hoping I'll see you walk up. I've missed you so much. I'm sorry for the last conversation we had.”

You felt tears forming and you did your best to blink them away. You leaned into his touch, relishing in his warmth. You had so many questions for him, but you couldn't bring yourself to ask yet. Your brain was screaming at you to touch him. You quickly reached for him, wrapping your arms around him in a hug. He took no time in hugging you back, squeezing a little tighter. “I'm sorry it took so long for me to come back.” Your words were spoken into his chest, coming out a bit muffled. He must have heard you because he responded immediately. “You're here now. That's all that matters.”

Hongjoong pulled you inside, asking you to tell him about the 10 years he had missed. You told him about your high school and college graduations, moving to the city, becoming a writer. His gaze never wavered from you, fully enthralled in what you had to say. Every now and then he would give your thigh a squeeze. Once you had filled him in on your life, you asked him the same. He could see you looking around the house, obviously wondering where his father was. He let his head fall forward a little.

“Dad died about 3 years ago, it's just me now.” Your heart sank. He had lost the only person he had. He had been completely alone for 3 years. Guilt ran through your body. As if he knew what you were thinking, he grabbed your hand. “Please don't feel guilty. You had a life to live and death is natural.” Your questions finally made their way back to the forefront of your mind. Taking a deep breath, you squeezed his hand. “Joong. Why can't you leave the garden?”

He was silent for a while, gathering his words. “Dad explained everything to me before he died. There was a woman who was in love with him. She had asked him to be with her multiple times, but he always turned her down. When he met my mom, things got bad. He was the gardener here and we lived on the property. In this house, actually.” He paused, taking a deep breath before he continued. 

“She continued to try to change Dad's mind even after he married Mom and I was born, but he still refused. Mom had left to go to town one day and Dad and I were playing in the garden, it was pansies then.” He gave a sad chuckle and met your eyes, gaging your reaction as he continued. 

“Your aunt came to the garden, looking for Dad. She started talking, but she wasn't making any sense. Next thing Dad knew, she was gone. He went looking for her, but when he got to the gate, he couldn't leave. The gate would open, but he couldn't step out. We were trapped.” You could feel the tears running down your face. You were filled with sadness, but also rage. How could Helen do this? Mrs. Kim had been right all along.

“The last thing Dad heard was your aunt telling him that he would stay here until he realized that they weren't meant to be. She said until true love was realized. She said we wouldn't be able to be found, especially by my mother. So, I'm stuck here. I don't even know anything about Mom.” The tears were falling harder now. You knew you had to tell him, but it was so hard.

“I found news articles about your disappearance. Your mother never stopped looking. She looked until she died.” Hongjoong looked broken. He had lost everyone, and he had lost you for years. Every bit of emotion you had ever had for Hongjoong had hit you full force. You had forgotten him, yes, but your heart had apparently not. You decided right then that even though you weren’t sure how, you’d figure out how to get him out of the garden.

You kept returning to see Hongjoong every day for weeks. You were sure that Helen was getting suspicious, but you did your best to keep her from figuring out where you were going. The two of you talked like old times, sometimes even playing tag and hide and seek like you had when you were kids. Hongjoong still had the books the two of you would read all those years ago, and it became a routine of reading together. You had even taken trips to the library to bring him new books to read, which he was immensely grateful for. 

After a month of daily visits, you were sure that you were in love with Hongjoong. You suspected that some part of you always had been, but you were old enough to understand the things you were feeling. You wanted to tell him, but you were nervous. You knew that he would never treat you badly for telling him that you had fallen in love with him, but the fear was still there. The sight of his house made you forget about your worry immediately. He was standing outside, just like he always was. His back was turned to you while he was bent down watering the gardenias that bloomed around the house. With a smirk, you quietly walked up behind him and wrapped your arms around his waist. He jumped with a small shriek and turned to face you with a pout. 

“That wasn’t funny. You scared the hell out of me.” You couldn’t help but laugh, remembering how you had said those words to him so many years ago. “Consider that payback for scaring me when we were 9.” The pout disappeared from his face and was replaced with the bright smile you loved to see him wear. Looking at him now, you were definitely in love with him. Without giving it a second thought, you pushed forward, lips meeting his. 

It took him a moment to react, obviously surprised. As soon as he realized what was happening, his lips started to move against yours. Your heart was soaring, you were absolutely sure that you could kiss him every second of the day and never get tired of the feeling. One of his arms wrapped around your middle, pulling you closer, the other making it up to your cheek. Time seemed to stop as the two of you kissed until you had to separate for air. The two of you stared at each other, just taking everything in. “I love you, Joong.” 

Your eyes widened as you heard your own voice. That was definitely not planned. You dropped your gaze, feeling a bit embarrassed. Hongjoong’s fingers found your chin, tilting your face up. “Do you know what gardenias mean?” The question caused you a little confusion, but you shook your head. “Gardenias mean secret love. I planted these because it was my way of telling you that I loved you.  I’ve been in love with you since I was 15. I didn’t realize it until after you left. At first I thought it was just that I missed the only friend I had ever had, but that wasn’t it.” You smiled at him softly, letting him speak until he had said all he needed to say. “I knew it wasn’t that when I would go to the gate every day and just read and wait. I would hear voices on the other side every now and then and I always hoped that it was you. I stopped caring about whether or not I would ever leave the garden, as long as I had you here with me.” He ended his thoughts with a peck to your forehead. 

The tears came again, damn him for being so sweet. “Hongjoong? Will you make love to me?” He took a step back from you and you were sure that you had fucked up. He lowered his head to hide the blush that decorated his cheeks. “I don’t know how.” His voice was only a whisper, and you mentally kicked yourself for not thinking about that. “It’s ok. I’m sorry. We don’t have t-” Your voice was cut short as he stepped forward to grab your hand. “But I want to. Is that ok?” 

Hongjoong laid you onto his bed with shaking hands. Your lips had been pushed against each other since he had told you that he wanted to make love to you. Your heart was so full. You could tell he was nervous. “Joong. Take as long as you need. We don't have to do this now.” Your reassurance seemed to relax the man. “I want to do this now. I'm just nervous.” He gave an embarrassed chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. 

You reached down, rubbing him over his pants. His hips bucked into your hand and he let out a sigh at the contact. He buried his face in your neck, leaving small kisses along your skin. One of his hands slid up your body to your breast, giving it a cautious squeeze. You let out a small moan, letting him know he was doing the right thing. 

The sound seemed to relieve him of some of his nervousness, causing him to nibble on your neck and slide his hand further down your body, stopping over your clothed core. Due to the dress you were wearing, he was able to feel your damp panties, moaning at the feeling. “So wet.” His lips were back on yours immediately. His movements weren't completely on target, but you let him experiment until he found what made you moan the loudest. 

He leaned back, slipping his pants off, leaving him only in his boxers. Looking over him, you could tell that he had made them himself. You could also tell that he was very well endowed. Hongjoong moved to hover over you, resting on his arm beside your head. An idea popped in your head and you hoped it would help with his nerves.

You pulled back from his lips just long enough to speak. “Thrust your hips forward. We can start over our clothes.” His face relaxed a bit as he thrust into your core. His cock hit your clit on the first try and you moaned as your lips found his again. Hongjoong kept a slow pace and you assumed it was an attempt to not cum early. You would have been fine if he had, just having him like this at all was enough. 

He was obviously a natural, hitting the right spot every time he moved his hips. Your hands found their place on his back, nails digging in slightly. He groaned into the kiss and you made a note to push a little further next time. His breathing began to quicken. He pulled back from your body, a little flush on his cheeks. “I don't want to cum yet and I was getting close.” 

You let him know that it was ok if he came, but he shook his head. “You first. You just may have to help me.” You pecked his lips with a nod. Grabbing his hand, you slipped it under the hem of your panties, placing it directly on your clit. “Rub in slow circles, only a little bit of pressure.” He immediately got to work and again, he was a natural. 

His lips found yours yet again, his tongue rubbing at the seam of your lips. Giving him entry to your mouth, your tongues tangled in a perfect dance. You let him lead the kiss, knowing he would do it right. His playing with your clit felt good, but you needed a little more. You pulled away again to give a few more instructions. “Keep your thumb on my clit and slide your fingers down. I need you to finger me.” The circles on your clit stopped for barely a second before he moved into action.

Sliding his index and middle fingers down your pussy to your entrance, he groaned. He suddenly stopped, eyes meeting yours. “Can I see you? All of you?” You gave him a soft smile and a nod reaching to take your dress off. He grabbed the edges of your panties and slide them down your legs. And then he stared. Just stared.

You started to get a little self conscious, squirming. “Beautiful.” His voice was barely audible, but it made your heart flutter. He admired you a little longer before he moved his hand back into position. This thumb found your clit as if he had been doing this for years. His fingers circled your entrance and he smirked at the whine you let out as your hips bucked into his hand. 

He leaned down to kiss you as he slipped his index finger inside of you. You moaned against his lips, wrapping your arms back around him. Just like with his thrusts earlier, he kept his pace slow. After a few slides of his finger, his middle finger joined his index. The feeling of being slightly more full than only a second ago had your head spinning. You were about to pull away to tell him to curl his fingers when he did that on his own. Your nails dug into his back again, causing him to pick up his pace.

You were getting close and you couldn't tell if it was because he was a quick learner, or if it was just him. You didn't care. Hongjoong whined as you began to squeeze his fingers, picking up his pace again. He was the one to pull away this time, moving his face back to your neck. His lips found your ear, biting your lobe slightly. “Cum for me, my love.” And that was all it took for you to cum around his fingers.

He kept his pace until you were pushing his arm away. “Sensitive.” He pulled his hand away from you, looking at your wetness on his fingers. He looked like he was thinking about something, then slowly lifted his hand to his mouth, pushing his fingers into his mouth. The moan he let out was obscene and it made you clench around nothing. You were still a bit winded when you reached for his boxers, letting him know you wanted them off.

He was big, but not too big. His cock was perfect. He positioned himself over you again, giving you another small peck to your lips. He reached down to wrap his hand around his member, placing it at your entrance. He looked up at you. “Ready?” You gave him a nod and he pushed into you slowly, causing you both to moan in unison. Once he was fully seated inside of you, he paused, letting himself get used to the feeling. 

You rubbed his back, trying to help him relax. After a few moments, he pulled his hips back, leaving only the tip of his cock inside of you before he pushed himself back in. He sped up a little, relishing in the feeling of your walls wrapped tightly around him. You could tell by the look on his face that he wouldn't last much longer, and all you wanted was to see him cum. To fill you completely. “It's ok, baby. Cum whenever you're ready. Don't hold back.” 

He sped his hips again, his moans getting louder. His thrusts were getting sloppy and you dug your nails into his back. “I love you, Hongjoong.” He shivered and let out the loudest moan yet as his hips stopped and his seed began to fill you. “I love you. I love you so much.” His words were shaky, but full of emotion. Once he calmed down, he pressed a kiss to your forehead. “Thank you for coming back to me.”

It took two months for your aunt to finally say something to you about the garden. You had woken up, brushed your teeth and changed, and had breakfast before you walked out to go see Hongjoong. This had become such a routine that you could do it without thought. Just as you were approaching the missing boards, a voice came from behind you. “And just where are you going, dear niece?” Your body stiffened as you turned to face her. 

Her face was full of rage. You stood your ground, she had hurt so many people already. You wouldn't let her hurt anyone else. “I'm going to the garden you trapped two innocent people in.” Her face twisted into absolute hatred. “You ungrateful brat. I let you into my home and you disrespect me. How dare you?” It was your turn to feel rage.

“How dare I? How dare YOU? You couldn't accept that you weren't wanted and you cursed an entire family. You took a son and husband away from a woman who did nothing but love a man. You're disgusting.” 

You turned your back to Helen, intent on continuing your trek to see Hongjoong. Your aunt took the opportunity to grab your arm and pull you back towards her. “You will not go back there. I forbid it. If you continue to disobey you can go back to your life in the city.” You tried to pull your arm back, but Helen was stronger than she looked. “Let go of me you wretched woman!”

Hongjoong heard you yell from the garden and his feet moved faster than his brain. He ran to the garden gate, pulling on it, not even thinking twice when it opened for the first time in his life. When he stepped onto the other side, he noticed you with an older woman's hand wrapped around your arm. He saw red. He ran forward, wrapping his arms around the older woman and doing his best to pull her off of you. He managed to get her away, but she quickly broke free from his grip.

“Helen, that is enough!” Steven's voice drew everyone's attention. He was standing a few feet away, Julia by his side. He held a large book in his hand, which he handed to Julia. “This has gone on for too long, it's time to let it go. The boy has done nothing to you.” Helen made eye contact with Julia, noticing the book she held tight to her chest. 

“Yes, I found your book, not that you really hid it.” Steven's voice brought her attention back to him. “You. I don't know how you did it, but this reeks of your doing.” Her words were filled with venom, but Steven looked unbothered. He straightened his back, standing tall and proud.

“You may have forced me into silence about this situation, but I'm a crafty man. You never noticed Miss Y/N's notebooks, but I did.” Everything clicked into place. The sudden appearance of the notebooks, Steven's cryptic words. Everything made sense now.

Hongjoong stepped next to you, both of you still not realizing he had left the garden. His hand reached for yours, intertwining your fingers. You both focused on Steven, waiting for his next words.

“For years I have been forced into this sham of a marriage, into silence about how awful you are. And now it's over. The boy has made it out of the garden, Helen. True love has been realized. Your curse is broken.” 

Everyone seemed to realize that Hongjoong was free at the same time. Heads whipped to face him. Helen’s expression full of anger, yours of awe, and Hongjoong's of confusion. You wrapped your arms around him immediately, bringing him into a hug. It took him a moment to catch up to your enthusiasm, but it wasn't long before he held you tight against him.

“Now, if Miss Julia will help me, we have something planned for you. See, you're not the only one that read this little magic book of yours. We've waited for the day the boy could leave the garden. Now, he's made that garden into a home and I see no reason to take that from him. But a little garden of your own seems appropriate.”

With that, Julia began to read from the book. Her words were quick, not giving Helen enough time to make it to her to stop her. In a flash, Helen was gone. You looked at Julia, confused. You had thought that Helen's new home would appear in front of you. “I never said the garden would be here” 

It didn't take much consideration to decide to stay with Hongjoong in the house he grew up in. The garden was covered in the flowers that he planted for you. It was where your love story began, and it would be where your love story would end. 

Steven reported Helen missing and as her legal husband, that you still didn't understand, he got ownership of the estate. He had tried to give it to you, but you refused. You didn't need the big house, you just needed Hongjoong. 

You received a call from your publisher, letting you know the good news. The draft of your novel had been approved. “You still haven't told me the name of this book, my love.” You smiled at your husband, giving him a sweet kiss. Leaning to place your lips next to his ear, you whispered lowly. “The Secret Garden.”

[heavyhitterheaux]

U-Turn

Gif by @harlowgifs 💕

Synopsis: It's been six months since Scalvo broke up with you, and you’re doing your best to function without him. But when your safety is compromised, he is forced to step back into your life, and hopefully, this time, it will be for good

Pairing: ex-boyfriend!Scalvo x ex-girlfriend!reader

Read Part 1 first

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

It was close to four in the morning and you hadn't been to sleep yet. The thoughts in your mind were racing a mile and minute and it didn't seem as if they were stopping any time soon. You scrolled through the gallery on your phone that contained pictures of you and Scalvo. You knew at this point that you should have deleted them, but you just couldn't bring yourself to do it.

You fucking missed him.

It had been a few months since he had broken up with you and you were still obviously hurting. You tried to call him the next day after you confronted him about what he had done all to find out that the number wasn't in service anymore. You found yourself not going into the bakery anymore, but just casually visiting different shops along the same street hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but it was as if he had disappeared off the face of the earth. Besides, it was clear that Mr. Besegai wasn't a fan of you.

The crying didn't occur as much anymore and you found yourself trying to do anything that could serve as a distraction from the reality of it all. But the bottom line was that you missed him and wanted him back despite what he may have done.

This was supposed to be your week of vacation from your job, but all you had been doing was laying in bed most of the time. 

After everything went down and you had found out about what Scalvo and Cobby did, you weren't sure how to feel. Yes, you were upset at him obviously. But, you could understand why he did it. You weren't making excuses for him in any way, shape, or form but you couldn't imagine a life without your parents.

Your father had the safe replaced and moved it to a safer location, a bank in the middle of the city. Scalvo must have said something to Cobby because a few days after you confronted him, the bracelet mysteriously ended up back at your parents house with your mother finding it in the mailbox. Your father had never said this outloud, but deep down you had a feeling that he knew it was Scalvo. But because he wanted to spare your feelings, he probably didn't want to say anything to you about it. He knew that you had taken the break up hard and still was.

Not wanting to lay there any longer, you decided to get up and get ready to go to the gym in the hopes that it wouldn't be as crowded. After you had washed your face and brushed your teeth, you went into your closet to find a sports bra and a pair of workout shorts to match. You decided on a coral pink matching set from fabletics before you grabbed your black hoodie and slipped on your shoes.

As you made your way downstairs to the parking garage with your phone, car keys, and air pods, you felt uneasy. You couldn't exactly pinpoint why you felt that way, but you turned around to see that there was no one behind you so you shrugged it off.

Unlocking your car, you went to grab the driver's door handle when someone had come up behind you and put a hand over your mouth. Your first reaction was to begin screaming, but that instantly came to a stop when you heard a voice. 

“Shh! Don't scream. I'm not going to hurt you.” You turned around to come face to face with Cobby and you instantly rolled your eyes.

“What could you possibly want?” You asked him as you crossed your arms over your chest.

“Okay, I deserve that. I get it. But sorry about that entire thing with your dad. Scalvo was like you're never going to forgive him, but I was like "but at least you didn't kill her dad so that has to count for something, right? I think I took your break up the hardest out of anyone.”

“Cobby, you talk way too much because you should have gotten to the point already. Why are you here?” You asked him as you slipped your air pod case in your front pocket.

“Oh, right! Totally forgot. You know Scalvo tells me the same thing that I talk too much, but…”

“COBBY!”

“Sorry. Scalvo sent me.”

“Why? We aren't together anymore and we haven't talked in literal months.”

“I know and I feel terrible about that. He was actually nicer when he was dating you believe it or not. He only threatened to shoot me a few times and it would usually be a lot more.”

“Cobby, PLEASE GET TO THE POINT.” You tried not to yell at him, but it came out anyway.

“Hey, no yelling. I'm sensitive. Oh, I remember now. Someone is after you so Scalvo sent me to come and get you.”

“After me for what? And why should I believe you?” You questioned him, because at this point you didn't know what to believe.

“Scalvo has pissed a lot of people off lately and they know about you. They wouldn't hesitate to hurt you in order to get to him. And why should you believe me? You are the only person in this universe that Scalvo actually gives a damn about. So if you’ll just come with me, we'll be on our way.” He told you as he was trying to lead you to his motorcycle.

“I am not getting on that death trap and why didn't he come and get me himself if he cares about me so much?”

“Too dangerous.”

“The motorcycle or him coming to get me? And is that a breathalyzer!?”

“Oh yeah to all of that but um, do you mind blowing in it so we can leave?”

“COBBY! ARE YOU SERIOUS?”

“What!? We won't be able to move!”

“How did you even get here in the first place!?”

“I woke up my kid and made him do it.”

“I need to go back to my apartment for a minute.”

“No the fuck you don't. Excuse my French, but they have been watching you for weeks. Blow into this so we can leave.”

“If you're drunk, you are not driving me anywhere.”

“Y/N! Now is not the time! I have to get you to a safe place! Do you want to argue with me or get kidnapped? I see why you two were together, it's like I'm arguing with Scalvo junior.”

“You need to wipe that thing off before I put it anywhere near my mouth.”

“Ha! That's what she said.”

All you did was look at him and roll your eyes before you walked back to your car in order to get some disinfectant wipes to clean it off. Once you did and blew into it, his motorcycle unlocked.

“Perfect! Here, hop on and put this on.” He told you as he handed you his helmet.

“Do you honestly think my hair will fit in here?” You asked and he just stared at you.

“Look, if I bring you to Scalvo with even a SCRATCH on you, he will have my fucking ass. Just put it on.”

“Fine.” You muttered as you slipped it on over your thick and fluffy curly hair.

The two of you set off into the streets of Boston in the early hours as the world around you was still sleeping.

You didn't know how to feel about seeing Scalvo again. Obviously you missed him, but did he miss you? Well, the answer had to be yes seeing that he felt as if your life was in danger and he was going to do anything in his power to protect you. That's how he was when the two of you were together so you figured that nothing had changed. 

Out of nowhere, Cobby had slowed down and pulled into a Dunkin Donuts parking lot and you looked at him confused once he got off the bike.

“Uh? Is the secret hideout a Dunkin Donuts? Why are we here?”

“We're here because I'm hungry. You want anything?

“No. Should we really be making stops? This seems a little too out in the open.”

“It's fine. I'll be two minutes.”

You nodded your head to Cobby as he disappeared inside of the store. In that time, you had taken off the helmet and it was resting in front of you as you played on your phone to keep yourself occupied while waiting for him.

Suddenly you felt the barrel of the gun at the back of your head and knew that whoever was after you to begin with had found you.

“If you scream, I will blow your fucking brains out across this entire parking lot. Get off the motorcycle and follow me. If you try to run, I'll shoot.” 

You didn't recognize the voice, but you did as you were told as you held your hands up. Your air pods were still in your pocket as you left your phone on the seat of the motorcycle hoping that Cobby would know that he could track you. If not, Scalvo would know to pick up on it. Now would be the perfect time for Cobby to make an appearance, but he wasn't even looking in your direction.

Fuck.

Once you came face to face with the man, you knew you had seen him before but wasn't quite sure where. He led you to his car and as he was putting you in the back of it, Cobby was leaving the store and immediately ran to the car hoping to get to you in time.

“Fuck! Y/N!”

But it was too late as the car then took off. Cobby memorized the license plate number in the hopes that it would help him to track you down. 

But first things first.

He had to tell Scalvo that they had you.

And knew that he wasn't about to hear the end of it.

As Cobby let himself into the warehouse where he and Scalvo were hiding out, he climbed the steps to see Scalvo playing some video game. He heard him approaching and quickly pressed pause, but he already knew that something was wrong because he only heard one set of footsteps. He turned around to see Cobby alone which left him genuinely confused.

Even though you hadn’t seen Scalvo in these six months that had passed, he had seen you. He always made sure to check on you from a distance to make sure that you were okay and that no harm would come to you. He knew that because of what he did to Don, that more than likely it would put you in danger after he had seen him outside of your job. Scalvo made sure that he didn’t notice him, but his eyes never left sight of you. That was when Scalvo knew that you had become a target and was going to make sure that nothing happened to you because of the decisions that he decided to make. 

“Sooo…..”

“Where's Y/N? You told me that you had her.” He asked as he looked behind Cobby to see that no one had followed in behind him.

“Um yeah, so about that….” Cobby started to say while scratching the back of his neck.

All Scalvo did was take a deep breath before saying anything.

“Cobby, you have three fucking seconds. Where is my girl?” 

“Okay, I picked her up, scared the shit out of her by the way, went to Dunkin Donuts because I was hungry and I left her outside while I ran in and…”

Cobby didn't even get to finish his sentence before Scalvo’s hand was around his neck and had him pinned against the wall. His head hitting it with a thud.

“You fucking left her by herself when I told you to come straight back here?”

“Are you still in therapy? Because this right here doesn't really give me therapy vibes.”

“FUCK! COBBY I GAVE YOU ONE FUCKING JOB! I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE DID IT MYSELF!”

“We can fix this! I have the license plate number and her phone. She had her air pods too and I’m guessing that she still does.”

“Just give it here so I can see if I can track her. You better pray that she's alive when we find her. Otherwise, I will literally shoot you.”

“I had a feeling that you were going to say that.”

“I just want for her to be okay, she needs to be okay. I can’t have her getting hurt because of me and what my job is.”

“Oh, the feelings are coming out again. Hey, you never answered my question, are you still in therapy or not? That has to be one of the best things to happen since you were in a relationship with Y/N. She looks great by the way, dyed her hair again to fire engine red.”

“I know because I saw it last week, but Cobby, please not now. It is taking everything in me not to throw you out of the window and yes, I’m still in therapy because I have to deal with your stupid ass.”

“I knew you had to be! Otherwise, I knew I probably would have been kissing concrete right now. Hey, I got an extra donut for you along with a breakfast sandwich. I was going to get you coffee until I realized that my motorcycle doesn't have a cup holder.” 

Scalvo glanced at him as he set everything in front of him as he had his laptop open and was trying to track where you might be. He also unlocked your iphone since he knew the passcode had been his birthday. Thank goodness you hadn’t changed it and seeing that it was still the same also tugged on his heartstrings.

He was making a promise to himself at this very moment.

When he got you back, because it wasn’t a matter of how, but since he knew that it was going to happen, if you were to give him another chance at being in a relationship with you, he didn’t plan on wasting it.

But then again, you really probably wouldn’t want to have anything to do with him at this point because of the situation that you were in.

Only thing he could think about is if you were hurt. If he found out that you were, he wouldn’t hesitate killing the person or people who had brought you harm. 

“Not hungry. Only thing I’m focused on is getting my girl back.”

“I love this for you, should we consider this your redemption arc in a way as it relates to her? I see the two of you getting back together, you need her in the worst way. Maybe you wouldn’t be so mad all the time if you got some pussy once in a while.”

“Cobby….”

“Shutting up now, I’ll be over here. Let me know when you find something. But she misses you and misses you bad. You should have seen her face when I told her that you had sent me to get her. So, that could be more motivation for you to find her.”

–

When you had gotten placed in the back of the car by a man you learned whose name was Rob, you were quickly blindfolded so there was no way that you would be able to tell where you were going and was praying that Scalvo came to save you.

All you did was focus on your breathing and trying to stay calm.

Once you felt the car come to a complete stop, the backseat door opened and you were roughly grabbed from the car and began walking inside of what you obviously knew to be a building.

Were you even still in Boston anymore?

The car had been driving for a long time, maybe an hour or two so at this point the answer was probably no.

Once you were placed in a chair and a rope was tied around your waist as well as your wrist and ankles, the blindfold finally came off.

At this point, you knew that screaming probably wouldn’t do you any good in this situation and the best thing for you to do was to remain calm and answer their questions as you saw fit. But that would be easy since you knew absolutely nothing. You hadn’t seen him or had contact with him in over six months and it felt that he honestly disappeared from your life and never existed to begin with. 

There were three different men standing in front of you as your eyes had adjusted to the light and the short fat man in the center was the first to speak.

“Hmm, Scalvo sure did get him a pretty one.” He told you as his hand lightly grazed your cheek making you flinch away from him.

Only Scalvo was allowed to do that.

When he didn’t receive an answer from you, he spoke up again.

“Cat got your tongue, or is it too early in the morning?” He asked you as all you did was stare straight ahead at him.

You were scared shitless, but you were for damn sure not about to let them see it. The moment that you did, you knew that they would be able to use it to their advantage.

“I see you don’t want to talk, but maybe if we introduce ourselves and get to know one another a little better it might make you more comfortable? I’m Don, that’s Rob over there who picked you up and brought you to me, and over there is Booch. And there’s no reason for you to tell us your name since we already know who you are, Y/N Lawson. Daughter of James and Scarlet Lawson. Only child. Graduate of University of Maryland College Park with a degree in forensics specializing in forensic nursing from a previous degree that you had gotten at Morgan State University’s nursing program. Who lives in an luxury apartment off of 33rd street with her cat named Mojito, goes to the gym at least five days a week, works at the hospital near the baseball stadium, drives a BMW that was a gift from her parents upon graduation and last but certainly not least, the girlfriend of our beloved Scalvo. The little fucker that had been a constant thorn in my side and my reason for these constant headaches as he and his friends stole my fucking money and also killed one of my guys who works for me. Now, we can do this the easy way, because I’m all about getting and having options or the hard way, the choice is up to you, sweetheart. Now I’ll let you go free and we can pretend like this never happened, as soon as you tell me where your boyfriend is and his dumbass sidekick Cobby. I’m surprised that fucker is still alive. Now be a good girl and tell us where he is.” Don told you as he got into your face, but all you continued to do was stare at him. 

No one called you good girl except Scalvo.

“Y/N, I’m being nice right now and it would be best if you would cooperate with me. I gave you options and I’m being patient. However, you must understand that my patience is thin, especially when it comes to things like this.”

All you did once again was stare at him and he nodded silently to himself before you felt his hand give you a hard slap to your face making your head turn abruptly in the other direction. You had the sudden urge to spit and when you did, you saw blood. 

It was now stinging and tears pricked your eyes, but you made sure to not let them fall. There was no way in hell that you would ever tell them where Scalvo was and besides you didn’t even know. At this point, kidnapping you was absolutely pointless. 

However, you did know that all three of them were in for a rude awakening once Scalvo had found out what they had done and especially Don that had put his hands on you. You delighted in the fact that it was only a matter of time that Scalvo would blow his brains out for messing with his girl. 

“Y/N, I tried to be nice and ask you before I had to do that, so I’m going to ask you one more time. Where’s Scalvo?”

“We’ve been broken up for six months and I haven’t talked to him since. I don’t know where he is, but I can assure you once he does find me and finds out that you put your hands on me, you will definitely be burning in hell.” You whispered to him as he was eye level with you before promptly spitting in his face.

“Fucking bitch.” He immediately said as he pulled back wiping at his face where your bloody spit had landed and Rob and Booch looked to Don to ask permission of what to do next.

“Waterboard her. I don’t believe her for a second. She’s obviously protecting him.”

You sighed to yourself as you remembered when you had first met Scalvo when his hair was damp and it almost looked as if he had taken a shower when he came from the storage room in Mr. Besegai’s bakery.

That’s what Richie and Mr. Besegai were doing to him.

Waterboarding.

When all this was said and done, you planned on having a serious talk with Scalvo about all of this and how much he lied to you. However, he was doing his best to shield you from this life so you couldn’t totally blame him for it.

You just prayed that he was able to find you in time.

Now was not the time for you to die.

You didn’t want to die. 

Who knew that meeting that cute boy in the bakery would lead to all of this?

By this time, Scalvo had quickly grown frustrated with the fact that tracking the license plate went absolutely nowhere. They were able to trace it back to being a rental and not having a true owner. The other part that frustrated him was that your air pods must have been dead or broken because he wasn't able to trace them either. 

Cobby had called Rory who had worked on a few jobs with them to offer some type of help, but Scalvo was simply annoyed by the two old guys who couldn't seem to follow directions. Every time those three went out to do a job, some wild ass shit would happen and Scalvo was surprised that they all were alive when all was said and done.

“What if we ask Mr. Besegai for help?” Rory asked and Scalvo turned and stared at him in disbelief.

“For what? This doesn't make him any money so he definitely doesn't care. Besides, he was the one who had me rob my girlfriend's parents. Don't we remember when all that happened? He threatened to fucking kill her if I didn't do it.”

“Oh, right Cobby told me about that.” He said as he suddenly remembered.

“I'm out of fucking ideas.” Scalvo whispered to himself before his phone rang from an unknown number. He stared at it for a second and then quickly picked it up and put it on speaker.

“Hello?”

“Scalvo! Surprised I haven't heard from you yet. How's everything going?” Scalvo immediately recognized the voice that belonged to Rob.

“Don't fucking play with me. Where's Y/N?”

“Oh, the pretty little thing we picked up yesterday? She's great. For now.” He told him as he was keeping an eye on you. Your head was slouched down and he was for certain that you were asleep, but you in fact were listening to everything that was happening.

“What did you do to her?!”

“Calm down, pretty boy. She's alive. She actually fell asleep not too long ago after she got tired of us waterboarding her.”

It was at that moment that all Scalvo could see was red.

“If she's alive, put her on the phone.”

“As you wish.”

Rob walked over to you and forcefully grabbed you by a handful of your curly hair in order for you to look up and you instantly let out a scream. Hearing it in real time made Scalvo’s heart drop.

“You have a call sweetheart, it's your beloved boyfriend.”

As you heard these words, you wasted no time in yelling his name.

“Scalvo!”

“I'm coming for you princess. I…”

“Okay, that's enough.” Dob said as he snatched the phone back making you sigh in defeat.

“She's a tough one. But anyway, if you want her back you need to rightfully give me back what's mine.” 

“I'm not giving you a got damn thing.”

“Hmm, so if I were to put a bullet in her head right now, you wouldn't care? Is that what you’re telling me?” He asked as he cocked his gun next to the phone so that he would be able to hear it.

“If you cause her any more harm, me and you are going to have a conversation and it will include me blowing your brains out. Where the fuck is she?”

“Scalvo, let's be real. I’m not telling you anything. Give me what I want and you can get your girlfriend back. When you're ready to take me up on my offer, you let me know. But you don't have a lot of time. I am giving you forty-eight hours to give me back my money otherwise your girlfriend will get delivered to you in pieces. Have a good day.”

After Rob had hung up the phone, it was silent as Rory and Cobby were looking at one another before they both looked over at Scalvo.

“Okay, what now?” Cobby quietly asked and Scalvo quickly got an idea. 

“Cobby, did she have her pink coach wallet with her when you went to get her?”

“Yeah, she was holding it.”

“Shit, why didn't I think of this before?” He said as he quickly typed the password into his phone to unlock it.

“Think of what?” Rory asked and Scalvo quickly shushed him. 

“Before we broke up, I put an air tag in her wallet because that's her favorite one and she always has it. It let me know where she was and if she was okay.”

“Stalker much?” Cobby said as he looked at Scalvo who immediately rolled his eyes.

“That's when Mr. Besegai threatened her and I wasn't taking any chances. It's hidden in a part she doesn't use so there was no way she could have known it was there. I couldn't exactly tell her "oh, by the way babe people are threatening you so I'm just going to put this air tag in your wallet to keep you safe. I don't know why I'm explaining myself to either of you, but yeah.”

“Hmm, good point.”

Sure enough, within a matter of seconds, Scalvo was able to see your location and noticed that you were in Portland, Maine.Their dumbasses must have not had removed your wallet from where they currently were.

“Cobby, put in this address.” He told him, and Cobby quickly started to pull up Google on his phone.

“She's at an old warehouse. If we leave now, we probably won't hit a lot of traffic.” He said out loud which made Scalvo and Rory look at him in disbelief.

“Without a plan?” Rory said and surprisingly, Scalvo quickly agreed with him.

“Exactly. Like come on now. When do we ever just go in blindly?” Scalvo asked him and Cobby quickly turned up his nose.

“Oh, so you don't remember….”

“That was different!”

“Sure, sure. Almost got ourselves killed nonetheless.”

“I just need until tonight to plan all of this out. And we can go and get her when they least expect it.” He told both of them.

“Do you need help planning?” Rory asked and Scalvo rolled his eyes.

“Definitely not from you two. Keep your phones on and I'll call you when everything is a go.”

In the back of his mind, all Scalvo could worry about was getting to you in time and not getting himself killed in the process.

It was now midnight and Scalvo called both Cobby and Rory to meet him so that they could go over the plan so everyone was clear on what they had to do. Scalvo had explained the plan at least three times, with both of them interrupting him multiple times, making this seem like an impossible task.

“Okay, just one more time.” Rory told Scalvo as he threw his head back in disbelief.

“What are you not getting!? And wait a minute, what the fuck are you doing?”

“Taking notes.”

Scalvo immediately scoffed.

“Taking notes? On a kidnapping situation? Really?”

“It helps me stay on task.”

“What are you, four?” He asked him as they were sitting in Scalvo's car a block away from the warehouse.

“There's nothing wrong with being prepared!”

“Both of you get out of my car. NOW.” Scalvo told them as he grabbed his gun out of the glove compartment. Earlier in the day, he had made sure that there were enough bullets in there even though all of them would be going in Don's chest or skull. He wanted to make sure he got the job done and was going to make sure that it was done correctly.

By this time, you had fallen asleep, but was startled when you felt someone come up behind you.

You knew that particular smell of cologne anywhere.

“Shh, princess I'm here. But don't make a sound. We have to be quiet because I need to make sure we get out of here in one piece.” He told you as he leaned down and whispered in your ear.

All you did was nod as you felt him cutting the rope that was around your waist, ankles and wrists. Once they were cut, you immediately massaged your wrists and could see that your skin was red from where the rope had been rubbing against it.

He immediately embraced you and kissed the top of your head and you held onto him for dear life as if he was going to disappear at any moment.

“Go to the left and down the backstairs. Cobby is waiting for you there and his dumbass knows not to leave you this time and keep eyes on you.”

“But…” You started to say and Scalvo immediately cut you off.

“I'll meet you outside. I promise.”

All you did was shake your head at him and tears started forming in your eyes because you were not liking this plan at all. You wouldn't know what to do with yourself if he actually got hurt.

“Y/N, you have to trust me. We don't have any time to waste.”

The main reason why he didn't want you in there was because he definitely did not want you seeing him shoot someone, much less killing them.

Reluctantly, you nodded your head and he watched you as you opened the door and went down the steps before going and searching for Don, Rob, and Booch.

As promised, Cobby was at the bottom of the stairwell and quickly ushered you toward Scalvo’s car that was a block away making sure that no one was following the both of you.

“At this point, I'm 0 for 2 and you have every reason in the world to be pissed at me right now.” Cobby told you and you simply shrugged.

Scalvo was definitely right about one thing.

Cobby never knew what to say out of his mouth. 

Once the two of you reached Scalvo’s car, you slid in the passenger seat and laid your head against the window as Cobby hopped in the driver's seat and drove closer to the warehouse.

The plan was for Scalvo to kill Don along with his minions and set the place on fire. Cobby was going to cut the gas line as soon as Scalvo and Rory walked out of the building.

The two of you sat there on edge waiting for the doors to swing open. Once they finally did, you let out a sigh of relief as Cobby had gotten out of the car and Scalvo quickly taking his place as Rory slipped in the backseat. Cobby came out within a matter of minutes, as the building started to go up in flames.

Once everyone was settled into the car, Scalvo immediately took off and started driving back towards Boston until he suddenly changed his mind. His plan consisted of all of you laying low for a few days before heading back to Boston. 

Just in case. 

The biggest satisfaction that the night had brought for Scalvo was that you were alive and in one piece. The second part was that Don was begging on his knees for his life when he had finally caught up to him. All Scalvo did in return as put a bullet in his head for all the harm he brought to you.

As far as he was concerned, people could mess with him however much they wanted to, but you were off limits. Him doing this hopefully sent a message to everyone else including Mr. Besegai that he was not the one to mess with. He glanced over at you as he merged onto the highway to see that your head was leaning up against the window and that your eyes were closed. He watched as your chest slowly rose and fell indicating that you were asleep. This was something that he knew would change your perspective of things for the rest of your life. 

By the time that all of you had reached the hotel you were mentally and physically exhausted. Not wanting to draw any attention to yourselves, Scalvo drove another hour and a half to put as much distance as he could between all of you and the crime scene. The hotel wasn't super fancy and not anything that you were used to, but you were just excited to be alive. However, it wasn’t on the cheap side either. Only the best for Scalvo’s girl.

Before coming to get you, being the thoughtful person that he was, Scalvo had gone to your apartment and had gotten a few sets of fresh clothes for you knowing that he wasn't letting you out of his sight any time soon.

Once in the hotel room, you took in your surroundings before sitting down in the chair that was near the desk. You had been quiet ever since Scalvo found you and the one thing he wanted to hear was your voice. You sat there as you stared off into space before Scalvo came to kneel down in front of you and gently take your hands in his.

“Princess….” He quietly said and your eyes finally landed on him.

“I have some clothes for you and I want you to get cleaned up and get some sleep. I'll help you.”

When you didn't bother answering him, he tried again.

“Baby, I know that a lot has happened over the past two days, but I need you to do this for me.”

“So, this is why you were always keeping secrets from me? For this exact reason.” You barely said above a whisper and all Scalvo did was nod.

“We can talk about that later, but yes.”

“No.”

“No?”

“We're going to talk about it now. You know how much I love you and how I told you that I was always worried about you because I knew that something was off. At the very least you could have warned me. You know that I would do absolutely anything for you, no questions asked.”

“I know that now and I should have said something to you, but I didn't want to lose you. You have to understand that. You are literally the best thing that has ever happened to me. I tried to shield you from this life by breaking up with you, but I only made it worse.” Scalvo confessed as he moved a curl out of your face that had fallen. Your face was bloodied and bruised and it hurt his heart to see you like that.

“I cried myself to sleep every night for two months after you left me and disappeared without a fucking trace. You don't do that to people you love.” You yelled at him as tears were threatening to fall down your cheeks.

When you first saw him, you let out a sigh of relief. Now you were mad and were letting him have it. 

“Yes you do in order to protect them. I know you're pissed at me and for good reason. But us arguing is not going to get us anywhere. At least not tonight. I want you to sleep.”

“So you can leave when I fall asleep? And disappear again?”

“No. I'm not letting you out of my sight. It's more dangerous for us not to be together than to be in a relationship. But that's obviously only if you want to. I understand if you tell me no.”

All you did was sit there as Scalvo had gone into the bathroom and ran a washcloth under hot water and brought it back to you to start removing the dried blood off your face. At the first touch, you instantly winced from the sting and pulled back away from him.

“That hurts.”

“I know, babe but I have to do this so nothing will get infected.”

Reluctantly you moved back towards him and he continued to dab at your face with you wincing every few minutes. Scalvo was taking in the cuts on your face and how one side was noticeably more swollen than the other. The two of you were silent as he finished cleaning off your face and when he was done, you finally spoke.

“If we're going to do this, you have to promise me something.”

“Anything, baby. Name it.”

“From now on there cannot be any secrets between us. You have to be 100% honest with me about everything. I don't care how small it is. You know how I feel about lying by now.”

Scalvo nodded his head as he leaned down to take off your shoes and socks.

“And one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Do not ever make me worry like that to the point that I thought you were dead again because I will find you and kill you myself.”

Scalvo let out a laugh before he helped you stand up to get into the shower.

“Yes ma'am.” 

After you had taken a shower, washed your hair, and styled it, Scalvo had actually remembered to grab your bonnet and he quickly slipped it over your hair. Once you were settled in the king sized bed, Scalvo took a shower himself and you dozed off until you felt the bed dip indicating that he had sat down. He sat there for a few minutes and your concern was growing. You gently put a hand on his shoulder and that was when he decided to put it all out in the open how he was feeling.

“You okay?” You quietly asked and he immediately shook his head no.

“Did something else happen that I don't know about?” 

“I literally almost lost you. I almost lost you for good. That was entirely too close. It should have never been that close.”

“But you didn't. You found me and I'm okay.”

“Baby, no you're not. Not a single person that goes through that is okay when it's all said and done. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't get to you in time. All of this happened because of me. You got hurt because of me.”

“Hey, stop. None of that. But you did and I had no doubt that you would.”

“I did. And I thought to myself that my second chance was so close to me that I could reach out and touch it, but it got snatched away from me and I didn't think that this would lead to a happy ending for either of us.” He told you as he turned around to face you.

“But it did. We get a second chance to do it right this time.” You told him as he had laid down next to you and you quickly embraced him as you began to play in his hair. 

“I missed this, I missed us.”

“I missed us too and we're going to be okay.” You told him and he leaned forward to capture you in a kiss.

From the moment his lips touched yours, it honestly felt like a wave of electricity flowing through your body. You quickly kissed him back and attempted to straddle him, but he stopped you.

“Not now. I need you to get proper rest first. But, you can have as many free cuddles as you want.” He told you and you simply laid on top of him.

“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” You whispered against his chest as he held onto you tightly.

“Hmm, I don't recall, but I'm all ears if you want to tell me again.” He told you before he leaned down to kiss your forehead as he smiled at you.

A few months had passed and things were getting back to being normal, well as normal as they could be considering what had happened. For Scalvo’s comfort and peace of mind, you moved out of your apartment and into another one that was a good distance away from where the first one had been and you quickly asked him to move in with you. You had been without him longer than you had liked, so it was a quick decision that was made on your part. Of course he did so without a second thought.

It was a Saturday morning and Scalvo had plans to meet up with Cobby and Rory on a new job that Mr. Besegai had told them about.  It was around seven in the morning when you felt Scalvo leave kisses on your face and you quickly popped your left eye open to look at him seeing that he was dressed and wearing too many clothes for your liking.

“Aht! Aht! Baby, where could you possibly be going? It is seven in the morning on a Saturday. Get back over here and lay with me.” 

“I got to meet Cobby and Rory. We got another job to do from Mr. Besegai. I have to meet them at the docks. I won’t be long, princess I promise.” He muttered back to you knowing that you didn't approve. You had told him ever since that incident went down a few months ago that you wanted him out of this life. And of course he told you that it wasn't that easy.

“Scalvo….”

“I know, I know. Just a little while longer. I promise. I just need to stack enough for us to be secure and be able to leave Boston for good.”

“And if you get killed before that, what then?” You asked him as you sat up and crossed your arms.

“It's not going to happen. As long as I know that you're alive on this earth and that I have someone to come home to, I will do everything I can to make sure I get to hold you every night. I love you more than anything in this world. You know that.” He told you as he leaned forward to kiss you. Hearing that made tears prick your eyes, but you quickly wiped it away.

“I love you too. Just go before I change my mind and hold you hostage in this bed.”

“Hmm, you can tie me up later and have your way with me if that's what you're getting at.” He told you as he wiggled his eyebrows and you immediately rolled your eyes at him.

“One hour, princess.” He told you as he grabbed his wallet, keys, and gun from the nightstand. 

Having the gun in the bedroom with you was a whole nother discussion and you definitely didn't approve of it. But you knew he did it to keep the both of you safe. This was a step up because when you had first moved in, he slept with it under his pillow.

“I'm holding you to that.”

“Go back to sleep and I'll bring breakfast back for you.”

You nodded as he placed the comforter back over you to tuck you in before kissing your forehead once more.

As he locked the apartment and went down the elevator and out to the parking garage, someone was leaning on his car that was parked next to yours. He made sure that he had a good hold on his gun before approaching them.

When he did, he was startled to find out it was your father.

“Mr. Lawson?”

He turned to him as he took a long sip of his coffee.

“We need to talk.”

“I wish I could I just….”

“This won't take long. Less than two minutes and you'll be on your way.”

“Okay, sure.”

“From the moment we met, I knew I had seen you before. So I did my research with a few buddies that I know and found out about you and what exactly you do for Mr. Besegai. Now let me make this perfectly clear because I am only going to say this once. Stay away from my daughter. I don't want her anywhere near someone like you. Besides, what could you possibly offer her? I know what happened a few months ago and that would have never been the case had she not met you. I know that it was you and your little friend Cobby that broke into my house. If you don't, I will easily have the FBI investigate you and put you away for the rest of your life. I don't want to have this conversation again. Have a good day now.”

As soon as he was done talking, he walked to his range rover and slid into the driver's seat and pulled off leaving Scalvo at a loss as to what had just happened.

He couldn't worry about that now, he had a job to do.

However, what scared him the most was knowing that he had to tell you what had just happened.

[systemadministratorclu]

Y'all, I just HAD to share this, because holy shit.

A little background first:

I run the drive-thru cash register window at a fast food joint. One of the shittiest jobs there is because some of the rudest/stupidest people on the planet come through the drive-thru, and one must have near superhuman patience to deal with it. That said, there are customers who come regularly and are not hard to deal with at all. And then there are some-very few and far between-that restore your faith in humanity a little every time they come.

This is about one such customer.

This guy comes every day at about the same time with his grandson (6 years old when this started, recently turned 7) and gets the exact same thing every time. To the point where now either I see their car or I hear the guy say his name (whichever happens first) and I'm already ringing them up. Because of this, the kid now thinks I have weirdly specific psychic powers, and has said he prefers coming to the place when I'm there. He's also decided I'm the best employee this place has. The granddad talks to me like I'm a human, they're always smiling and happy to see me (which means a lot in this line of work, let me tell you) and even on my shittiest days, they've managed to make me smile. I genuinely look forward to seeing these people every day.

Recently, grandson was hella excited to tell me he had a birthday coming up. Reminded me every day "my birthday's coming!" as most 6yo kids do.

Maybe I was feeling a little holiday spirit or something, but one day after work, I went to the Dollar Tree near the restaurant. I picked out a kid's birthday card and a Christmas card. I wrote a message in the Christmas one about what I just explained above, thanking them for bringing some joy to my days, because y'know what? People need to hear that shit. Especially in today's world. And I wanted them to know how much this meant to me. I wrote a little joke in the birthday card about not forgetting the day. Then I looked in my wallet, saw I had a $10 and a $1, and stuck the $10 in the birthday card. Addressed the birthday card to the kid and the Christmas one to kid and grandpa. I give the cards to them on their normal drive-thru visit. They are of course surprised (kid starts yelling "thank you" even though he hasn't gotten to open it yet) but thankful. Then the line moves on.

Fast forward to today.

I see the car come in but I don't start ringing the order up, because it's WAY early for them. I give my usual greeting, then I hear a woman's voice, so I think it's someone in the same kind of car. But when she asks "is this Hal?" I then realize it's the kid's mother, whom he has told all about me and who has come through with him before.

I say yes, and she tells me she's not here to order anything, just to see me, since kid and granddad are sick. I tell her to come on to the window, she does, and hands me a card and a nicely wrapped gift. I asked her to tell them hi for me, she said she would and then the line moved.

I got off on lunch break and opened card and gift.

I was not prepared. At all.

This is the gift...

...the card (no writing on the front).....

.....and the typed note inside the card that actually brought tears to my eyes.

......I'm still not over this. I will be thinking about how this went on for OVER HALF A FUCKING YEAR and I had no idea.

This is the kind of stuff that makes this shitty job worth it. People like this....We need more of in this world. I'm going to hold onto that note so when I feel like shit or I don't matter, I can look at it and know there's a kid out there who I am so important to that he got his dad to write a whole-ass letter, to some random stranger he only knows through his son, inviting me to their fucking house. I'm tearing up again as I write this, just thinking about it.

If that doesn't say "you matter", idk what does.

(And yes, I will go at some point, because how can I not? I'm not gonna dash this kid's hopes and make myself look like an enormous asshole. This is the RL version of being handed a toy phone and told it's ringing)

[lelengerine]

now playing... "distractions"

pairing | student part timer!jaemin x student!reader

synopsis | a single cup of coffee actually has you waiting for more.

genre | more 3am fluff thoughts, y/n has down bad syndrome, mentions of food, no specific prns are used (lmk if i missed anything!)

wc | 0.9k

notes | here’s a little something for my bday while my other jaem fic is still in progress <3 i also have a recent addiction to writing down bad!reader rn so… that explains this a lot 😄 likes and feedbacks are always appreciated!

m.list

you sit at the corner table of the quaint cafe near campus, an array of colorful textbooks splayed open in front of you, but your attention keeps drifting away from your studies, and you think you can pinpoint the exact reason why.

na jaemin, a face you’ve seen bearing smiles more often than not from behind the register as he takes down your regular order of coffee during your visits. the two of you shared a couple of classes together, but neither of you have actually tried striking up a conversation with the other — instead, sticking to the comfort of your respective friend groups.

you were never distracted in class because of him. you never even looked his way once! okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but your point still stands…

today, however, everything seems different. each time he passes by your table to distribute orders, your gaze turns almost against your own will, mesmerized by the effortless charm he exudes and his gentle movements as he serves drinks for other patrons with the brightest smile on his face.

this was exactly why you couldn’t get anything done, god!

“come on, focus,” you chide yourself internally, patting your face a couple of times as you try shaking off the allure of your classmate, but every time you finally to return to your textbooks, you see jaemin smiling at you from the corner of your eye, and suddenly all your efforts go poof in an instant with the sound effects and all.

frankly, the lack of progress you've made has begun to bother you more than you care to admit. you can’t afford to slack off like this today, not when you have a final exam coming up that’s worth 80% of your entire grade, and so you do what any other person would — pack your books up in defeat and prepare to return home in hopes of focusing better — but jaemin has other plans in mind as he approaches your table with a small coffee cup in hand, a poorly drawn smiley face doodled onto its side.

“y/n, right?” he says with a playful grin, “i couldn't help but notice you've been here a while. thought you might need a little pick-me-up for your study session.”

you look up in surprise, not expecting him to address you directly — this was the first time the two of you were speaking to each other, after all. a rush of excitement floods your senses, and for a moment, you're at a loss for words. “oh, thank you jaemin,” you manage to sputter out despite your puzzled state, a faint surge of heat creeping onto your cheeks. “did i… look that tired for you to offer me this?”

jaemin’s chuckles at your words, eyes sparkling. “maybe, but a part of me just wished for you to stay here longer.”

he noticed you were getting ready to leave? moreover, he noticed and decided to make you a cup of coffee on the house?

you take the drink from him, feeling a tinge of elation at his cheeky answer. “you must like having me around then.” you reply teasingly.

“i could say the same about you with the amount of times i've caught you staring.” jaemin replies with a raised brow, crossing his arms together and pretending as if you were in big trouble. no way did he catch you... you made sure to be lowkey and everything!

you gawk at his response before mimicking his accusatory stance, “then... that means you were staring back to catch me stealing glances in the first place. you aren’t as innocent as you think you are.”

“caught me all red-handed.” he raises his hands in the air but he doesn’t hold an ounce of shame, a feathery chuckle escaping him. “you don’t usually leave this early though, what’s the rush today?”

“i can’t concentrate on my notes because of a certain someone.” you huff in faux frustration, hoping he’d take the jest.

“really now?” jaemin laughs, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he leans closer, his voice tinged with teasing amusement. “if that’s the case, wait for me after my shift, it ends in around ten minutes anyways.”

you raise an eyebrow, intrigued by his suggestion. “why should i?” you question out, trying to maintain a casual tone despite the flutter of intrigue in your chest. “so you can distract me even more?”

his grin only grows wider after hearing you admit to how you’ve been so affected by him today, “so i can explain the topics to you, silly. you’re studying for the statistics exam, right?”

your eyes widen in surprise, caught off guard by his astute observation. “how do you—”

“we share the class, remember?” he interrupts, his confidence evident as he leans in, voice low and enticing. “so, what do you say?”

you hesitate for a moment, the thought of spending more time with jaemin felt both thrilling and nerve-wracking because you're not sure whether you’d pay attention- correction, you’re not sure if you’d pay attention to your studies, or forget it all once more to admire his features, but ultimately, the prospect of getting help with your studies outweighs the reservations you harbor against it.

“right… okay then. i’ll wait.” you finally agree, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you watch jaemin’s expression light up in response.

“good, i’ll be back quick!” he exclaims, though his feet fail his words as he hasn’t even taken a single step back yet.

“dummy, go back behind the counter before your manager tells you off!” you reply with a quiet snort, and he rushes back to his position as per your command.

guess you have a reason to stay here for a bit longer now.

[lila-lou]

✨His true fate - Part 5/?✨

Summary: Jensen hasn't been happy for years. But it seems almost impossible for him to escape. After another nasty argument between him and his wife, he decides to visit his ´former´ best friend for his birthday. Back in Austin, an encounter awaits him that will turn his life completely upside down.

Pairing: Jensen x Reader

Warnings: Language, age gap, "cheating"

Word Count: 5924

A/N: English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙✨

Finally, you arrived at Jared’s house, where you saw Genevieve and the kids just driving away. Jared stood in the doorway, his tall frame leaning casually against the doorframe. He chuckled as he saw the two of you approaching.

“Well, look who finally decided to show up”, Jared teased, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Jensen rolled his eyes but couldn’t suppress a grin. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Padalecki. We’re here now”.

You smiled, feeling a bit more relaxed. “Thanks for the rescue earlier, Jared. We really needed it”.

Jared waved a hand dismissively. “No problem at all. You two looked like you could use some help”. He smiled warmly, gesturing for you both to come inside. “So, you want to hang out a bit? We can watch a movie or something”.

You glanced at Jensen’s ring and felt another wave of guilt wash over you. You mumbled, “Actually, I think it’s better if I head home and take a long nap. I’m still feeling pretty rough”.

Jensen noticed your gaze and, understanding your discomfort, stuck his hand in the pockets of his Jeans. “Yeah, I think we both could use some rest”, he said softly, giving Jared a knowing look.

Jared’s expression shifted to one of concern. “Are you sure? You’re welcome to stay as long as you need”.

You nodded, offering a small smile. “Thanks, Jared. I appreciate it. But I think I just need some time to clear my head”.

Jared hugged you goodbye, his embrace warm and comforting. Then, it was Jensen's turn. As he pulled you into a hug, you felt his body against yours, and another wave of heat flooded through you. Your heart began to race, and you could sense that Jensen felt the same way.

His arms wrapped around you securely, holding you close for a moment longer than just a friendly hug. When he finally released you, there was a hint of reluctance in his eyes.

"Take care of yourself", Jensen said softly, his voice carrying a warmth that sent a shiver down your spine.

You nodded, trying to steady your breathing. "You too, Jensen. Thanks for everything".

He nodded in response, a small smile tugging at his lips before he turned to follow Jared inside.

Jared handed Jensen a beer and sat down on the couch, looking at Jensen expectantly, waiting for him to spill the beans. Jensen hesitated for a moment, taking a sip of his beer before finally admitting, “We made out”.

Jared’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Seriously? When did this happen?”.

Jensen sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Last night, after we fell into the pool. Things just… happened”.

Jared grinned widely. “Hey, that’s great news! I knew there was something between you two”.

Jensen chuckled nervously, taking another sip of his beer. “Yeah, well… it’s complicated”.

“Did you guys do more than just… make out?”, Jared asked, leaning forward with curiosity.

Jensen shook his head, a hint of regret in his voice. “No, we didn’t. I think I was too much for her last night”.

“How so?”, Jared prodded, his curiosity piqued.

Jensen hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “Well, I got… excited”, he mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Jared burst out laughing, causing Jensen to roll his eyes. “Oh, man, you’re hopeless sometimes”, Jared teased, slapping Jensen lightly on the shoulder.

“Yeah, well, it’s been a while since…”.

“Since you’ve been with someone?”, Jared finished for him, his tone sympathetic now.

“Yeah”, Jensen admitted quietly. “And I didn’t want to mess things up with her”.

Jared nodded understandingly. “I get it. But hey, if she made out with you, she must like you too”.

Jensen sighed again, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Yeah, I thought so too. But this morning, she told me that I was… too old for anything more than a hookup”.

Jared raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Ouch”.

“Yeah”, Jensen agreed quietly.

“So, what about a hookup then?”, Jared asked.

Jensen sighed, shaking his head. “She told me she’s not into hookups anyway”.

Jared frowned, leaning back against the couch. “Sounds like she’s pretty conflicted”.

“I don’t blame her”.

“Well, at least she was honest with you”, Jared said, trying to find a silver lining. “Maybe she just needs some time to figure things out”.

“Maybe”, Jensen replied, though he didn’t sound entirely convinced. He set his beer down on the coffee table and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Jared nodded thoughtfully, watching Jensen closely. After a moment, he asked cautiously, “Do you even like her?”.

Jensen leaned back, closing his eyes briefly as if pondering the question. He sighed deeply before answering, “Yeah, I do. Last night… I felt like a damn teenager again, heart racing and all that bullshit. But now I don’t know if it was just the booze talking”.

Jared chuckled softly. “Ah, the classic ‘booze-induced feelings’ dilemma”.

After a while Jared spoke up again. “So, how did you two leave things?”.

Jensen sighed again. “We didn’t really. I mean, I didn’t even get her number”.

Jared raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? She didn’t offer it?”.

Jensen shook his head. “No, we were both pretty out of it this morning”.

Jared nodded thoughtfully. “Well, that’s an easy fix. I got her number. You should text her later, just to see how she’s feeling and maybe start a conversation”.

Jensen hesitated, unsure if he should take the initiative. “You think so?”.

“Absolutely”, Jared encouraged. “It’s worth a shot. Maybe after you both take a nap and clear your minds a bit”.

Jensen sighed, feeling a bit more hopeful but still unsure. “Even if I kind of like her more than I assumed, I don’t know what to do about it".

Jared clapped him on the shoulder. “One step at a time, man. You don’t have to figure it all out right now. Just take it slow and see where things go. And now, let’s grab some food. That’s something we can definitely sort out”.

As they headed to the kitchen, Jensen tried to push aside his thoughts about you and focus on the present moment. Deep down, though, he couldn’t shake the lingering hope that things would somehow fall into place between you two.

Jensen sighed heavily, the weight of his thoughts evident in his furrowed brow. Jared nudged him gently with his elbow as they walked towards the kitchen.

“Come on, man”, Jared said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood. “Stop overthinking everything. Take it as it comes”.

Jensen managed a weak smile, grateful for Jared’s attempt to cheer him up. “Yeah, I know. I just… It’s all so complicated”.

“I get it”, Jared replied, his tone sympathetic. “But sometimes, you just have to go with the flow, you know? If things are meant to work out with (Y/N) they will”:

Jensen nodded thoughtfully. “You’re right. I’ll text her later, see how she’s doing”.

“That’s the spirit”, Jared said with a nod of approval. “Now, let’s find something to eat. I’m starving”.

They rummaged through the kitchen together, grabbing sandwiches and snacks to munch on.

As they settled down at the kitchen table with their snacks, Jared took a bite of his sandwich before speaking up again.

“So, does (Y/N) actually know who you are?”, Jared asked casually, curiosity in his voice.

Jensen paused mid-bite, considering the question carefully. He shook his head slightly, mumbling around a mouthful of food, “I don’t think so. She seemed pretty surprised to find out I’m married”.

Jared raised an eyebrow, chewing thoughtfully. “Huh, interesting. How did she react?”.

Jensen swallowed his food, setting down his sandwich. “She was… taken aback, I guess. Didn’t say much about it”.

Jared nodded, leaning back in his chair. “Well, I guess that explains some of her mixed signals”.

“Yeah”, Jensen agreed quietly, his mind drifting back to the morning’s conversation and the complicated emotions it had stirred up.

Jared took a sip of his drink, contemplating. “No matter if and what happens between the two of you, you should probably fill her in on the whole situation at some point”.

Jensen sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I know. I just didn’t want to overwhelm her”.

The rest of the noon, Jensen spent taking a nap, trying to clear his mind and recharge. Meanwhile, you did the same, hoping some rest would help you sort through the whirlwind of emotions from the past day.

When you finally woke up, you decided to take a bath, hoping the warm water would help you relax and think more clearly. As you sank into the tub, the events of the previous night replayed in your mind. Jensen had definitely turned your head, and you hated how much he affected you. Every time you thought about him, your stomach fluttered uncontrollably.

You sighed, closing your eyes and letting the warm water soothe your tense muscles. “Why does everything have to be so complicated?”, you murmured to yourself, wishing for a simple answer to the mess of emotions you were feeling.

Meanwhile, at Jared’s house, Jensen woke from his nap feeling somewhat more refreshed but still weighed down by thoughts of you. He ran a hand through his hair and decided it was time to take Jared’s advice and reach out to you.

Grabbing his phone, he found the number Jared had given him and stared at it for a moment. With a deep breath, he started typing a message:

“Hey, it’s Jensen. Just wanted to check in and see how you’re feeling. I know things got a bit crazy last night. If you want to talk, I’m here”.

He hesitated for a moment, then hit send. The message felt woefully inadequate, but it was a start. All he could do now was wait and hope that you were willing to continue the conversation.

Back in your bath, your phone buzzed, and you glanced at it, seeing the message from Jensen. Your heart skipped a beat as you read his words. Despite the confusion and the complications, you couldn’t deny the warmth you felt at his concern.

You thought for a while about how to reply to Jensen’s message. Despite the whirlwind of emotions and uncertainties, deep down, you knew you wanted to see him again. Maybe the initial attraction was heightened by the alcohol, but there was something about Jensen that made you feel alive and intrigued. And even though you had told him that you weren't interested in anything other than being friends, your heart wasn't thinking quite so rationally

Taking a deep breath to calm your nerves, you decided to respond, trying to keep your tone relaxed and casual:

“Hey Jensen, thanks for checking in. I’m feeling better. Last night was unexpected, but maybe a chat without being drunk or hungover would be a good idea”.

You hit send, your heart racing as you waited for his response.

Meanwhile, at Jared’s house, Jensen’s phone buzzed with your reply. He felt a mix of relief and excitement as he read your words.

"Glad to hear you're feeling better! How about coffee tomorrow morning? I know a great place downtown".

He hesitated for a moment before hitting send, his nerves getting the best of him. The seconds that followed felt like an eternity as he anxiously waited for your response.

At Jared's house, Jared noticed the tension in Jensen's expression. He raised an eyebrow, unable to resist teasing his friend. "So, did she answer?".

Jensen glanced up from his phone, a nervous smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, I just asked her for coffee tomorrow morning".

Jared grinned knowingly. "Good move. I have a feeling she'll say yes".

Jensen chuckled, though his nerves were still on edge. "I hope so".

As the anticipation lingered, Jensen tried to distract himself by chatting with Jared about lighter topics, but his mind kept drifting back to your response.

You stared at Jensen’s message, feeling a flutter of excitement mixed with nervousness. After a few minutes of contemplation, you decided to reply:

“Coffee sounds good! Tomorrow morning works for me. Let me know where and when”.

You hit send, feeling a rush of relief as you imagined seeing Jensen again. Despite the complexities and uncertainties, you couldn’t deny the pull you felt towards him.

Jensen’s phone buzzed with your reply, and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly typed back:

“Great! I’ll pick you up. Just send me your address, and I’ll be there around 9 AM”.

After hitting send, Jensen felt a wave of anticipation wash over him. He was eager to see you again and hoped that this meeting would help both of you navigate the confusing emotions that had surfaced.

Back at your place, you read Jensen’s message and felt a smile spread across your face. You quickly typed in your address and hit send, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves.

As the evening passed and Jensen tried to distract himself with TV, Jared couldn’t help but notice his friend’s distracted state. He nudged Jensen playfully, a smirk on his face.

“Man, you really are a teenager all over again, aren’t you?”, Jared teased, chuckling lightly.

Jensen rolled his eyes good-naturedly, but he couldn’t hide the slight blush creeping up his cheeks.

Jared leaned back on the couch, studying Jensen with a knowing look. “Seriously though, I’m glad you’re going for it. She seems nice, and hey, who knows where this could lead?”.

Jensen just nodded. After you made it clear that you weren't interested in him, he became worried that you had only agreed to the coffee out of propriety.

“You think too much”, Jared remarked, offering some friendly advice. “It’s coffee, not a marriage proposal”.

Jensen sighed deeply, running his hand through his hair as he contemplated Jared’s words. He muttered to himself, “It’s just been a very long time since I’ve had a date. Even though we didn’t specifically call it a date, it’s pretty close to one. It´s my Chance to show her I´m not that bad.. I probably won't get another chance".

Jared nodded knowingly.

“I just don’t want to mess things up, you know? It feels different with her”.

“You’ll be fine”, Jared reassured him, clapping a hand on Jensen’s shoulder. “Just be yourself. She already likes you enough to agree to coffee, right?”.

Jensen chuckled nervously. “I guess so”.

“Just relax”, Jared advised, offering a supportive smile. “Enjoy getting to know each other outside of all the craziness from last night”.

Jensen nodded, trying to calm his nerves as he appreciated Jared’s encouragement.

Jared grinned mischievously, nudging Jensen playfully as he teased, “And… who knows, maybe (Y/N) is your soulmate. Your true fate. All this time, we’ve been looking in the wrong places!”.

Jensen chuckled, shaking his head at Jared’s playful jab. “Yeah, right. If only life were that simple”.

“You never know”, Jared quipped, his grin widening. “Stranger things have happened. Maybe fate has a funny way of bringing people together”.

Jensen laughed softly. “Maybe you’re onto something there, Padalecki”.

After a moment, Jensen’s phone buzzed with a message notification.

Jensen’s heart warmed as he glanced down at his phone, seeing a message from his oldest daughter, JJ. Her text simply said, “Miss you, Daddy”.

A soft smile tugged at Jensen’s lips as he typed out a quick reply, “Miss you too, sweetheart. Can’t wait to see you soon”.

Jared noticed the shift in Jensen’s expression and asked curiously, “Everything okay?”.

“Yeah”, Jensen nodded. “Just JJ. She misses me”.

Jared nodded thoughtfully, his curiosity piqued. “How’s she doing, by the way? Is she already interested in boys?”.

Jensen chuckled softly, “Oh, she’s growing up too fast, man. She’s definitely got a few crushes at school, but nothing serious yet”.

“Ah, the beginning of teenage drama”, Jared teased lightly, a grin playing on his lips. “Buckle up, my friend. It only gets more complicated from here”.

“Yeah, tell me about it”, Jensen chuckled, a mixture of amusement and affection in his voice. He appreciated Jared’s ability to lighten the mood.

As the next morning dawned, Jensen woke up early, his mind immediately jumping to you. He wanted everything to be just right. After taking a quick shower to freshen up, he stood in front of the bathroom mirror, meticulously trimming his beard and ensuring it was perfectly groomed. His hair was already styled neatly, a habit ingrained from years in the spotlight.

Jared ambled into the bathroom, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He leaned against the doorway, watching Jensen with amusement. "Dude, you're putting more effort into this coffee date than you do for some red carpet events".

Jensen chuckled, glancing at Jared through the mirror. "Yeah, well, this feels more nerve-wracking than any premiere".

"Again, you'll be fine", Jared reassured him, giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "She already likes you, remember?".

Jensen nodded, but his nerves still tingled with anticipation. "I just hope she doesn't change her mind after today".

"She won't", Jared said firmly. "Just be yourself. She'll appreciate that more than any perfectly trimmed beard".

Meanwhile, at your place, you were experiencing similar jitters. You had woken up early, determined to make a good impression on Jensen. Standing in front of your closet, you changed your outfit multiple times, each choice leaving you feeling unsatisfied.

You hoped that your sudden crush on Jensen would have faded overnight, but instead, it seemed to have intensified. Everything you thought about led back to him, and the anticipation of seeing him again made your heart race.

Finally, you settled on a casual yet stylish outfit that made you feel confident and comfortable. You took a deep breath, trying to calm the butterflies in your stomach. Checking your phone, you saw a message from Jensen:

“Morning, up already?“.

You grinned at Jensen’s message, feeling a rush of excitement mingled with nervousness. Quickly composing yourself, you replied:

“Morning. Yes, up and ready”.

As you hit send, a flurry of thoughts raced through your mind. You paced around your living room, trying to distract yourself from the anticipation building inside. Every time your phone buzzed, you hoped it was another message from Jensen.

Finally, a few minutes later, your phone chimed with a new message:

“Great. I’ll be there soon”.

You took a deep breath, realizing that the moment you had been both nervous and eager for was fast approaching. Glancing at the clock, you noted that Jensen would arrive in just a short while.

You moved to the window, peeking through the curtains to see if he was pulling up. Your heart skipped a beat when you spotted him stepping out of a car, looking handsome and composed as ever.

Moments later, the doorbell rang, and you took a deep breath to steady yourself before opening the door. There he was, Jensen, with that warm smile that instantly put you at ease.

“Hey”, Jensen greeted warmly, his eyes crinkling with a smile.

“Hi”, you replied, feeling a wave of relief and excitement wash over you.

Jensen followed you inside the hallway, and as you closed the door behind him, you couldn’t help but notice how the atmosphere seemed charged with anticipation and possibility.

“So”, Jensen started as you both stood in the hallway, “ready for that coffee?”.

You nodded, smiling back at him. “Definitely”.

You couldn’t help but notice the subtle yet intoxicating scent of Jensen’s cologne as he stepped closer, his presence making your knees feel weak. When he placed a hand gently on your lower back to guide you outside, a shiver of anticipation ran down your spine.

Jensen’s eyes lingered on your face, taking in every detail, before trailing down your body as you walked beside him. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the rapid beat of his heart. Being so close to you was affecting him more than he had anticipated.

As you reached the car, Jensen moved ahead to open the door for you, revealing a chivalrous side that made your heart flutter even more. “Thanks”, you said softly, appreciating the gesture.

Jensen quickly rounded Jared´s car and slid into the driver’s seat.

As Jensen navigated through the morning traffic, you found yourself bouncing your knee gently up and down, a nervous habit you had whenever excitement bubbled within you. Glancing over at Jensen, you noticed his focused expression, the subtle movements of his hands on the steering wheel, and the way his profile looked even more handsome in the daylight.

You couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at him. His shaved appearance today revealed a clean-cut look, adding to his already attractive demeanor. His outfit, too, caught your eye—a beige jeans paired with a matching beige dress shirt that accentuated his toned physique. You wondered if this was his usual style or if he had dressed up a bit for the occasion.

Jensen noticed your frequent glances and the way your knee bounced gently. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction mixed with nervousness at your obvious attention. Glancing towards you for a moment, he chuckled softly, breaking the silence in the car.

“You’re staring”, Jensen murmured with a playful grin, his eyes meeting yours briefly.

You bit your tongue lightly and grinned, feeling a surge of boldness. “Can you blame me? You look pretty fancy today”.

As the words left your mouth, a blush crept onto your cheeks. Jensen caught sight of it, and his heart clenched at the adorable sight. Raising an eyebrow, he asked playfully, “Today? Fancy?”.

You chuckled, feeling a bit more at ease. “Yeah, right now. I mean, the clean-shaven look, the outfit… Did you dress up for our coffee?”.

Jensen laughed softly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Maybe I did”, he admitted. “Wanted to make a good impression”.

“Well, mission accomplished”, you said, your blush deepening. “You look great”.

Jensen’s smile widened, a hint of shyness in his eyes. “Thanks. You look amazing too, by the way”.

Your heart skipped a beat at his compliment, the mutual attraction between you becoming more palpable. As the car approached the café, the atmosphere felt charged with a mixture of excitement and curiosity. He found a parking spot and turned off the engine. He glanced at you with a smile before stepping out of the car. Walking around to your side, he opened the door for you once again.

Jensen hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering around the cozy café before settling on you. He spoke carefully, his voice soft yet hesitant, "Hey, I was thinking… maybe we could grab our coffee to go and take a walk? There's a park nearby that's usually pretty empty in the mornings".

His suggestion hung in the air. The fear of being recognized by old friends or fans, especially given his complicated marital situation, weigh heavily on his mind.

You swallowed slightly, trying to mask your disappointment. In that moment, you couldn’t help but feel a pang of self-doubt, wondering if you were just a foolish distraction—a temporary escape for Jensen amidst his turbulent personal life. The thought of being perceived as a hidden affair or a side chick made your heart sink.

However, you nodded slowly, forcing a smile. “Sure, a walk sounds nice”.

Jensen let out a small sigh of relief as you agreed to take a walk instead of sitting in the café.

"Great", Jensen said softly. "Let's grab our coffee to go".

You followed Jensen to the counter where you both ordered your drinks. Jensen opted for a black coffee, while you chose a latte with a dash of cinnamon. As you waited for your order, there was a moment of comfortable silence between you.

Once your coffees were ready, Jensen paid for both and led you out of the café. The warm morning air greeted you as you walked towards the nearby park. The tension from earlier seemed to ease slightly as you fell into an easy rhythm of conversation, discussing light topics like favorite books and movies.

As you reached the park, Jensen found a secluded bench under a canopy of trees. He gestured for you to take a seat, setting his coffee down beside him. You settled next to him, taking in the peaceful surroundings and the quiet intimacy of the moment.

You talked for a while, until his phone buzzed in his pocket. Jensen glanced at the screen, a flicker of frustration crossing his face before he composed himself. "Sorry", he apologized, looking back at you with an apologetic smile. "It's just work. I thought I had set it to silent".

"It's okay", you reassured him, though a small part of you couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment at the interruption.

Jensen sighed softly, setting his phone aside. "I'm sorry about that. Where were we?".

You smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Talking about favorite movies, I think?".

As Jensen listened to you talk about your favorite movies, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between you since the interruption with his phone. He noticed the slight tension in your voice and the way your eyes flickered with uncertainty. Despite your efforts to remain polite and engaged in the conversation, he sensed that you were holding back.

He couldn’t blame you. Jensen was perceptive enough to recognize that you had been disappointed earlier when he suggested taking the coffee to go instead of sitting inside the café. It was clear to him now that you had wanted a more traditional setting for your first real, well date or whatever, and he regretted not being able to provide that for you.

As you continued to talk, Jensen found himself searching for the right words to bridge the gap that had formed between you. He wanted to reassure you, to explain that his cautiousness wasn’t a reflection of how he felt about you, but rather a necessity given his public persona and personal circumstances. Yet, he hesitated, unsure of how to broach the subject without making things more awkward.

You sipped on your coffee, the warmth doing little to ease the sudden chill in your heart. Over the last hour, you had noticed Jensen’s frequent glances around the park, his cautious demeanor becoming more evident with each passing minute. It made you increasingly self-conscious, wondering if his behavior was a reflection of how he truly felt about being seen with you.

As Jensen’s gaze swept the area once again, you felt a pang of hurt and disappointment. You bit your lip, trying to hold back the wave of emotions threatening to overwhelm you. Your eyes became glassy as you struggled with the idea that perhaps he was ashamed of you or, worse yet, that he had misled you about the state of his marriage.

The weight of uncertainty and insecurity settled heavily on your shoulders. Taking a deep breath to steady yourself, you cleared your throat softly, your voice barely above a whisper as you spoke.

“I… I think I should probably go”, you said, your words tinged with sadness and resignation.

Jensen’s eyes widened in surprise as he turned to look at you, sensing the shift in your mood. “Wait, what?”, he asked, his voice laced with concern. “Why? Did I do something wrong?”.

You shook your head slightly, unable to meet his gaze. “No, it’s not that”, you replied, your voice trembling slightly. “It’s just… I don’t think this is what I expected. And maybe… maybe I misunderstood everything”.

Jensen’s heart clenched with unease, his stomach twisting as he sensed your growing distance. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as he asked gently, “What do you mean by that? What misunderstanding?”.

You continued to avoid his gaze, your fingers fidgeting with the coffee cup in your hands. The weight of disappointment and doubt hung heavily in the air between you. Finally, you spoke, your voice barely audible.

“I thought… I thought maybe there was something here”, you admitted softly, your words tinged with vulnerability. “But today… the way you’re looking around, like you’re ashamed of being seen with me…”.

Jensen’s brow furrowed with concern and regret. “It’s not that”, he began earnestly, reaching out to touch your hand gently. “I’m not ashamed of you. I just…".

Jensen hesitated, grappling with how much to reveal. He could sense your disappointment and wanted to explain, but at the same time, he knew there were limits to what he could disclose about his personal life.

You sighed softly, feeling the weight of unspoken expectations and the reality of the situation sinking in. “I thought we were meeting to talk”, you murmured, your voice tinged with disappointment. “About last night, about… in general. But…”

Jensen looked at you, his expression a mixture of regret and understanding. “I know”, he said quietly, his voice tinged with remorse. “And I wanted to. I still do. But… today… I just…”.

You shook your head slightly, a sense of resignation settling over you. “It’s okay”, you replied softly, though a part of you wished it didn’t have to be this way.

“It’s not”, Jensen insisted earnestly, his hand still gently resting on yours. “I didn’t mean to give you the wrong impression. I just… I didn’t anticipate…”.

“Anticipate what?”, you prompted, your voice barely above a whisper as you waited for his explanation.

Jensen hesitated, searching for the right words.

You sighed again, feeling a mix of frustration and hurt. “Look”, you began, your voice tinged with sadness and a touch of frustration, “we’re not even making out or something, and yet you’re looking around like someone could be at every corner. So what is it, Jensen? Is it about your wife? Are there no real problems, and you’re just a cheater? That´s why you´re afraid to get catched?”.

Jensen’s gaze fell to his lap, his jaw tightening as he struggled to respond. He knew this conversation was inevitable, yet he hadn’t anticipated it happening so soon, nor did he want to hurt you further with his truth.

“It’s not like that”, Jensen replied finally, his voice low but firm.

“Listen”, you continued, your voice tinged with sadness and a hint of resignation, “I like you, Jensen. I really do. But I think we just had a bit too much to drink last night, and with our strained relationships, we were probably just a nice distraction to each other. I mean, we’ve only known each other for something like 24 hours. I think we were just eager for something to change in our lives and hoped maybe this was our chance. We vibe, we definitely do, but like I said this morning, I think it’s best to keep it low. Let’s cherish those memories of a really great night and leave it at that. Let’s not ruin it by pursuing something that would never work out. I’m sorry, I don’t even know why I said yes to that coffee”.

Your words hit Jensen like a punch to the gut. He sat there, stunned and silent, absorbing the weight of your honesty. Never before had he experienced such a clear and decisive rejection, especially not from someone he had felt such a strong connection with.

As he looked at you, his heart sank deeper with each passing moment. He knew you were right. You had laid bare the reality of the situation with a clarity that he couldn’t deny. It wasn’t just about last night; it was about the complexities of both your lives, the emotional baggage you both carried, and the impracticality of pursuing something more.

Regret washed over him in waves. Regret for not being more honest about his intentions. Regret for allowing himself to get swept up in a moment of mutual attraction without fully considering the consequences. And now, facing your rejection, he realized the depth of his mistake.

“I… I’m sorry”, Jensen finally managed to say, his voice thick with emotion.

“Don’t be sorry”, you murmured. “We got carried away and just felt alive for a second. But sometimes things are just meant to be there for a moment. Jumping into something so complicated… I’m not down for that”.

You paused, gathering your thoughts before continuing with a sense of vulnerability. “Jensen, when I fall for someone, I fall hard. And I know at some point, I would fall for you. I… I don’t want to risk that. The age gap, your marriage, whatever the reasons are why you can’t even sit down in a stupid cafe with me… Clearly, there’s not even space for a friendship here”.

Jensen listened in silence, his eyes downcast. Your words echoed in his mind, each one a painful reminder of the barriers between you. He wanted to say something to ease the ache in your voice, to offer a glimmer of hope or understanding. But deep down, he knew you were right.

You sighed, your heart heavy with the weight of your conversation with Jensen. As you turned to leave, ready to walk away from what could never be, Jensen stood up abruptly. His voice was quiet but determined as he spoke, “Come on, let me at least drive you back home”.

You hesitated, uncertainty flickering in your eyes as you looked at him.

After a while, you nodded silently, unable to deny the pull of his earnestness. Jensen led the way out of the park, and you followed silently beside him, the air heavy with unspoken words and unresolved emotions.

In the car, the atmosphere was tense yet tinged with a quiet understanding. Jensen focused on the road ahead, his hands steady on the steering wheel. You stole glances at him from time to time, seeing the conflict etched on his face. Despite everything, you couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the turmoil he must be going through.

As the car neared your destination, you broke the silence softly, “Thank you, Jensen”.

He glanced at you briefly, his eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and regret. “You’re welcome”, he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

You nodded, unsure of what more could be said. When Jensen pulled up in front of your place, you turned to him, hesitating for a moment before reaching out to touch his hand briefly. “Take care of yourself, Jensen”, you said sincerely.

He nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze lingering on yours for a moment longer before you pulled away and stepped out of the car.

———————————

A/N: Please let me know what you think.🥰

-

Part 6

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Taglist: @cheynovak @chriszgirl92 @jenniferr0323 @angelbabyyy99 @cevansbaby-dove @muhahaha303 @jackles010378 @suckitands33 @n-o-p-e-never @mayafatimakhan @ladysparkles78 @viviandarkbloom06 @jassackles @evasmlp @acklesaddict67 @mostlymarvelgirl @emma1998sblog @mishaesque @headinthemoon87 @hobby27 @winchesterwild78 @impala67rollingthroughtown @manicjk @kr804573 @zaratahir @djs8891

[steveshairychest]

After defeating vecna for a second time, Steve decides he's had enough of Hawkins and all things supernatural.

After hunting around for a few weeks, he scores himself a quaint little apartment big enough for him and for Robin when she eventually moves in after college. He doesn't sell his parents' house or demolish it like Robin suggests. No, he leaves it to sit and rot. He hopes his parents will come home one day and find it overgrown and falling to pieces, hopes they'll trudge up the steps to find the note that he had nailed to the front door that says, 'Welcome home :)'. Robin insisted on adding the passive-aggressive smiley face.

They move away from Hawkins and don't think about it for years. Sure, Steve still calls their friends who decided to stay there, and he often finds himself missing their company, but he doesn't miss the place itself. Only the people. He's made it very clear to them that he doesn't intend to step a single foot back into Hawkins until he dies. Everyone knows this, especially Robin, who's been informed on multiple drunken occasions that Steve wants to be buried on top of the hill next to Eddie so that he at least knows someone else in the graveyard.

But then he gets a letter in the mail, a simple letter in a white envelope and it haunts him for days.

The letter is from Wayne. His handwriting is rough and messy but familiar; they've been sending each other letters for a few years now. The cigarette ash smudged in some corners makes him smile. Most of the letter is just niceties; asking Steve how he is, what he's been up to, if he's found himself someone. Stuff he's used to. But then the words, 'I can't be alone for it Steve, I can't do it. I need you here. It's been 5 years, and the day still hasn't gotten any easier. I'd like it if you came to visit.' They punch Steve in the gut and leave him aching for days.

It takes him an entire week to call the number on the back of the envelope and confirm with Wayne that he'll be there. Just this once he'll go back to that retched place. For Wayne.

For Eddie.

The drive passes by in a blur, one second he's on the highway, the next he's passing by the Welcome to Hawkins sign and driving along the streets he thought he'd never see again. Wayne told him over the phone that morning to meet him at the cemetery, said that he wanted to get the hard part over and done with so that they could spend the rest of the day catching up and listening to Eddie's tapes. He'd be lying if he said he didn't cry for a solid 10 minutes in the car park, the memories that he had tried so hard to forget rushing back the second he lays eyes on Eddie's grave at the top of the hill.

He still remembers the hollow ache in his chest the day he helped Wayne pick out a spot. He had gone home that afternoon and begged Robin to make it stop, to hold him and tell him that the pain would go away. She had told him what he wanted, she had held him on the kitchen floor and promised he would never have to feel like that again.

She'd lied. That same ache spreads throughout his body as he trudges up the hill to stand before the shabby grave and the tears he thought he had left back in the car come bubbling back up as he stares down at the graffitied headstone. He hasn't seen it since the day he left. He forgot how overwhelming it is to see Eddie's name carved on the headstone.

"I'm sorry I haven't visited." He says through sobs, his vision blurred by tears as he plops down on the soft grass in front of the headstone. "I miss you." The words almost choke him.

There's the sound of footsteps behind him, boots crunching against the leaves and twigs. Wayne must have finally shown up. Steve doesn't turn around, he doesn't want Wayne to see his tears. He's supposed to be here as support. He's supposed to be the one coming up behind Wayne to offer his condolences. He stops beside Steve and sighs softly.

"Hi." Steve says weakly and finally looks up at Wayne - except... it's not Wayne.

"Hi, Steve."

It's Eddie.

[7ndipity]

False Pretenses

fwb!Jungkook x Reader

Summary: Just how fair does the ‘benefits’ aspect between Friends with Benefits actually extend? Based on this meme.

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings: crack to fluff, suggestive moments and ending, swearing, Jk has side by side washer/dryer units cause it’s funnier, reader’s referred to as ‘Ma’am’, not proofread

A/N: Thanks to the lovely anon who requested this! Sorry it took me soo long to get to, I hope you’ll still like it tho! (I’ll also be posting a couple more pieces with this pairing in the next couple weeks, so keep your eyes peeled if you liked this)

Masterlist

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

It was the type of text you had gotten more than used to receiving from him over the past few months, smirking down at your phone as you waited for the elevator in his building.

“Need you so bad rn. Come over?❤”

The heart was a new addition, he must be feeling particularly needy today, you thought to yourself as the elevator doors finally opened.

Since the two of you had established this new part of your friendship, it was rare for you to go more than four or five days without receiving some variation of the same short message from him.

You were still slightly surprised by his text, seeing as you had only been over the night before, but you weren’t complaining by any means. Though you may have enjoyed pretending that Jungkook was the needier one in your arrangement, if you were completely honest, you were just as affected by him, finding yourself missing him on the nights you didn’t spend together.

When he opened the door, you noticed he looked a little more disheveled than usual, his hair sticking up all over the place, as if he’d been running his hands through it, a habit you knew he did when he was stressed.

“You got here fast.” He noted, letting you into the apartment.

“Well, your text made it sound kinda urgent, didn’t want to leave you waiting too long.” You said, wandering through into the living room, slowing to a stop as you caught sight of the chaotic state of the space, cleaning supplies and laundry scattered around, furniture moved all out of place.

“What happened in here?” You asked, turning back to Jungkook, who was now avoiding your eyes. “Koo?”

“I lied, I didn’t want sex.” He said guiltily, looking up at you. “I need you to help me clean.”

“I-, what?” You blinked at him, unsure if you heard him correctly.

He slumped back against the counter, looking stressed as he ran his hand through his hair again. ”My parents decided to surprise me by announcing they’re coming to visit tomorrow, but I’ve done nothing but sleep since I got home from tour last week, so the house is a fucking mess and everything’s a disaster and I need help, please.” He pleaded, staring at you.

You immediately began pulling your coat back on, turning back towards the door. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Y/n, please!” He quickly followed after you, catching your sleeve. “I’ll do anything you want! I’ll buy you dinner, I’ll rub your back, I’ll even let you pick what we watch for a month!”

You paused, turning to look back at him with a raised brow. “Even if I want to re-watch ‘Our Beloved Summer’ for a third time?”

He bit lip, trying to fight back a pained grimace before nodding slowly. “Whatever you want.”

You stared at him for a long moment.

“Fine.” You said reluctantly, caving as you saw the genuine desperation in his eyes. You could never say no to him.

“Thank you!” He sang, catching you in a tight hug and spinning you around in a circle. “I promise I’ll make it up to you!”

“Yeah, whatever,” You grumbled as he set you back on your feet. “Where do we start?”

“Laundry room?” He offered. “It’s mostly done, I just need to vacuum behind the machines.”

Do you really think your mom’s gonna look back there?” You raised a brow, following him down the hall.

“She’s very thorough.” He said seriously.

“Fair enough.” You shrugged. “I don’t quite see why I’m necessary for this part though?”

“I was afraid if I tried to clean back there by myself, I’d slip and get stuck or die.”

“So you want me to slip and die behind your washer instead?” You shot him an accusatory look.

“No! I’ll hold onto you and keep you safe,” He smiled reassuringly. “You know, like the buddy system.”

“I thought the buddy system was for camping so you didn’t get lost or eaten by bears?”

“It’s a multi-purpose system!” He said, his earlier agitation starting to flare up again at your teasing. “Are you gonna help me or not?”

“Yeah, I’ll do it, pass me the vacuum.” You relented, boosting yourself up on top of the dryer.

He held onto your hips to keep you balanced as you cleaned, his mind beginning to wander as he stared at your ass, his fingers starting to slowly knead your flesh absent-mindedly.

“Koo.” You warned, shooting him a quick look.

“Right, sorry.” He snapped back to attention, ceasing his movements and focusing back on the task at hand.

You finished up quickly, passing the vacuum attachment back to him and letting him help you down.

“Thank you.” He said.

“You’re welcome.” You answered, looking around expectantly. “What’s next?”

The apartment wasn’t nearly as bad of a mess as he claimed it to be, but it still took both of you several hours of work to get everything back in order, finishing off with laundry and changing all the bedding.

“Why are these sticky?!” You asked, mildly horrified as you helped him strip the sheets off his bed.

“Relax, it’s just caramel sauce.” He said.

You looked up at him confused. “We didn’t use-?”

“No no, that was just me,” He explained quickly. “I had ice cream last night.”

“Without me?!” You said, clutching your chest in feign hurt, making him roll his eyes as he let out a huff of laughter.

“I’ll add that to the list of things I need to make up for, okay?” He said.

“Eh, it’s better than where my mind went.” You said, only half joking as you grabbed the fresh sheets from him and turned back to the bed. “Almost thought you were fucking around behind my back for a second there.”

Facing away from him, you missed the way his expression suddenly turned serious as he looked at you. “I would never.”

It was strange, despite the supposedly ‘casual’ nature of your arrangement, you both found yourselves making little comments like that, words and exchanges that sounded a lot more like things said between a committed couple, rather than just two friends helping each other out till you found something more serious.

“Alright, I think that’s everything.” You said, snapping him out of his thoughts. You had finished making up the bed, even turning down the covers for him.

“Thank you, y/n.” He said gratefully. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“Probably called Hobi.” You smirked, making him snort.

“Now, you promised me food, and if you lie to me twice in the same day, I’m dumping your ass.” You said, earning another laugh from him.

“Alright, whatever you want, just like I said.” He said, leaning down to give you a quick kiss.

“Although, if you wanted, I could make up for my false pretenses from earlier in a different way?” He offered, eyes darkening slightly as his hands drifted over your hips

You lightly shoved his hands away. “Not a chance, Loverboy, I’m way too tired now. You’ll have to try and ‘make it up to me’ some other time.”

“How about tomorrow?” He said, eyes twinkling mischievously, looping his arms around your waist instead to keep you close.

“I thought your parents were coming over tomorrow?” You reminded, raising a brow at him.

“You could come over after.” He suggested. “Hell, you could even come to dinner with us, my parents like getting to meet my friends.”

“Friends?” You looked up at him skeptically.

“Yeah, what?” He laughed, squeezing you lightly.

“Do you let your other friends suck your di-?”

“They don’t need to know the details of our relationship!” He said quickly, his face flushing slightly, making you snicker. “You’re still my friend, one of my best friends actually.” He added, in a soft tone.

The way he said it made your heart twist in a weird way, though you didn’t quite understand why.

“So?” He asked, staring down at you hopefully. “Will you come?”

You chewed your lip, considering. It felt like a really big commitment to meet his family, regardless of what your relationship was, but you tell it would mean a lot to him if you said yes.

“I’ll think about it.” You said finally.

He beamed.

“Thank you!” He said, leaning in to kiss you again, his lips lingering longer this time, tracing over yours lightly, making you shiver.

You pressed closer to him, hooking your arms around his neck as you tilted your head to deepen the kiss, letting your tongue delve into his mouth as his hands grip on your waist tightened.

When you pulled back for air, his pupils were blown wide, eyes almost black as he stared down at you, breathing heavily.

“Take your shirt off.” You ordered, your breaths equally unsteady.

“But I thought you said-?”

“I changed my mind.” You cut him off, tugging at the fabric impatiently. “Shirt off, now.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Taglist: @sopebubbles-replies @btsw1fe @this-must-be-my-tardis @whitefoxgirl @bethanysnow @coffeedepressionsoup @main-bangtansmauyeondan @feminympho @a-gayish-unicorn

[ybklix]

𝐒𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐩 ♡ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐥 ₊⊹

CRY BABY .♡⊹ (( bang chan )) mdni ♡ part two ♡

FIC MASTERLIST ౨ৎ₊˚

Chapters:

3: sippy cup ((word count: 6k)) 4: carousel ((word count: 4.1k))

⋆˙⟡♡

THREE: sippy cup

blood still stains when the sheets are washed, sex don't sleep when the lights are off ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

After his first day of work at the university, Chris visited his family all afternoon and called Leah to ask if she could come to her place to get ready, as he wanted to surprise her by spending the rest of the evening together. It had been a pleasant afternoon; he mentioned to his family that they could visit him whenever they wanted, he was finally home.

When he returned to his newly decorated home, he happened to glance at the house next door, which reminded him of his young neighbor, who was now also his student... and if coincidences weren't enough, she would now be his apprentice, and they would spend extra time together outside of school hours. Chris remembered the girl, shorter than him with innocent round eyes. He almost wanted to laugh at how much they had to encounter each other; he had never seen her before, and suddenly she was everywhere, in the most casual aspects of his life.

He still had some time, so he decided to prepare for their first class together; he didn't want to overwhelm her on their first meeting, so he opted to get to know her better academically. He wanted to know what she was made of, her technique, her favorite compositions... although deep down, he had to admit that maybe it would be doubly beneficial because he really did want to get to know her; he wondered about her... in her emotional personality, which somehow must be reflected in her favorite music to play; Chris could almost imagine the delicacy with which her fingers travel across the piano, in a way she was so easy to read, and at the same time there was something complicated about her.

His first impression of her was, a pretty girl, with a shy but hidden personality; seeing her at such a vulnerable point the night before, breaking down in tears, made him recognize her artistic roots. But he could be mistaken; perhaps there was something bold in her that he hadn't yet discovered, artistically speaking, or at least that's what he wanted to convince himself in his deepest thoughts.

As he entered his freshly decorated home, he could already breathe the fresh air of a newly remodeled and decorated interior; he quickly took a tour, analyzing every detail, it had turned out, perhaps, better than he had thought. The perfect combination of dark brown and white colors, and the arrangement of plants, the design of his small terrace seemed simply incredible; he had been in touch with the agency for hours and only a few details remained to complete his studio entirely. He couldn't be happier at that moment, all that was left, was to close with the perfect night with Leah and he’d wake up in the morning with a big smile.

As he climbed the stairs to his room, he remembered the small detail of notifying to change his belongings to the room that was in the opposite direction of the Burton's to avoid any misunderstandings, especially when it came to his student, no matter that she was a university student. He sighed, thinking... did he really want to move? He had chosen that room even before knowing who was in front of it, it was the largest with its own spacious bathroom, in other words, it was the master bedroom, so to simply waste it seemed pointless. Once inside, he headed to his bathroom; he had to be ready for whatever might happen during the night with his girlfriend, as he had booked a rather nice place with a view of the coast, however, he was willing to do whatever she wished.

Chris emerged from his bathroom after a few minutes, covering himself from the waist down with just a towel, this time he was grateful that the curtains, dark enough, obstructed his window. So he began to get ready, wearing light blue jeans with a simple white shirt that he would cover with his leather jacket and some comfortable white shoes. He was waiting for Leah's confirmation, so he grabbed his laptop without thinking, slid the curtains open letting in natural light and went down to his studio, observing to his right all the equipment and bar to work, to his left a sofa and in front of him the studio with his microphone and transparent glasses; the walls were decorated with random discs from artists and the low lighting was strangely comforting; he could already feel the hours he was going to lose himself there working. Chris checked emails and some things he needed to invest time in soon, as and he tried to rearrange his old lifestyle to his new one, like going to a good gym and having a perfectly detailed schedule. He checked the time once more and decided it was necessary to leave before traffic held him up; he still hadn't received a message from Leah confirming that he could pick her up, but he knew her so well, he knew that at this point she was already at her home taking her time to dress and put on makeup, so Chris took the opportunity to buy her a nice bouquet of flowers. He made a little more time when he arrived at his girlfriend's apartment, pressed the button for her apartment number, and informed her that he was there.

“Oh, Channie, come in, I'm almost ready” an impatient Leah's voice came from the intercom.

Chris smiled, feeling tender at his partner's sudden tone. The doorman let him in at Leah's indication, and Chris took the opportunity to take a look around, it had been months since he had been to his girlfriend's apartment, everything was exactly the same, yet it was one of those excellent buildings in the city, it made him proud that after her long work, she could enjoy living in the place she liked. The elevator took him to the hallway of her apartment, where, before ringing the doorbell, a smiling Leah opened the door hurriedly. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, which surprised Chris a little.

“I'm almost ready, really” she said hurriedly as she touched her hair with a little desperation.

“Okay, I'll wait.”

His girlfriend gave him a warm smile in response and turned to head to her room where she would make her final makeup touches. Chris examined her from top to bottom once she turned around, and he couldn't help but lightly bite his lip at how snugly and perfectly her short black denim skirt fit her, along with her sleeveless white top, low-heeled shoes, and gold jewelry, she seemed ready, yet she practically ran to her room to complete her look.

Chris entered slowly, almost hesitating, as expected, the apartment was very well organized and tidy, all decorated very much in her style. He sat on her soft white sofa in the living room, looking around, enjoying being in the company of his great love, but when he looked down, something caught his attention quite a bit, and his small smile slowly faded and a puzzled frown appeared on his face as he noticed a dark navy blue tie on the nightstand. Slowly, he picked it up, looking at it with so much confusion...

“We can leave now” her voice came from behind him.

Leah came out of her room, touching her earlobe, giving her earrings a final inspection, when, in front of her, she saw her boyfriend holding the tie that was lying in the living room with confusion. Before he could say anything, she hurried to speak, nervously.

“Oh, I was about to give it to you as a gift, but I couldn’t find the perfect box” Leah said, releasing a nervous laugh as she circled the couch, stopping a few meters away from Chris.

He finally lifted his gaze to his girlfriend, still confused and somewhat puzzled by the sudden situation.

“A tie… you know it was never my style” Chris remarked.

“I know, but I thought it would look good now with your job” she replied, sitting down and sliding closer to him, snatching the garment from his hand. “But I’ll return it; I’ll buy something more your style”.

Chris looked at her puzzled, but Leah got up so quickly that she didn’t even hear her boyfriend say, “If it was a gift meant for me, it’s okay, honey, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Chris was so disoriented that he didn’t know the current reason for her reaction. Leah approached him from behind the sofa, leaning in and taking his forearm sweetly.

“It’s okay, really, I’ll get you something else, okay? Can we go now?” Leah said, her face close to Chris’s, watching his expressions closely.

He sighed and got up from the sofa. He decided not to dwell on the strange interaction from moments ago and to believe firmly in the love of his life, or at least that’s what he thought.

Leah held his hand the whole time, walking by his left side until they reached his car. Chris opened the door, and she immediately noticed the large bouquet of pink and white flowers inside, along with the note handwritten by her boyfriend, ‘For Leah, I’m happy to be with you.’ She looked at him with tenderness and excitement once he got into the vehicle.

“Aw, Chan, thank you” she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

During the ride, she talked about her day at the office, her friends’s upcoming birthdays, her sister’s possible engagement, and her mother wanting him to visit. In turn, Chris updated her on his life, his quick visit to his parent’s house, and the suggestion that they could go on a weekend trip soon. He would take care of everything, and Leah just had to be there with her pretty clothes. He also mentioned that he would be mentoring his first student.

“That sounds interesting, what are you supposed to do?” she asked.

Leah felt a sudden interest, because when she received that information from her boyfriend, she immediately assumed that it meant extra hours of his life and day dedicated to a stranger, simply to someone other than her; she loved that Chris adored her, she thought maybe that the stranger could captivate him so much with their talent that even Chris came to adore them; she knew him well, he was like that, he fell so fast even if he hid himself with that serious man look, she knew very well that Chris could be too kind and soft. But in spite of that, Leah recognized that the main reason for her uneasiness was her worst nightmare, that it was about a pretty, young, naïve and talented college girl. She couldn't bear to even think of her man spending time alone with another pretty, smart girl, he might have it all to capture his attention.

Leah squinted, waiting to hear him attentively.

“Honestly, I’m not even sure,” he replied “I guess it’s about rehearsing and motive her…”

Oh no, there was her problem. She cut off the dialogue immediately.

“Motivate her?” she exclaimed incredulously “Is it a girl?”

Chris turned to look at her with a mocking smile, unable to believe she was getting jealous. Her expression said it all. Suddenly he felt insecure about answering.

“Yes.”

“Is she pretty?” she asked, a little calmer and playing along with the conversation.

Chris pictured Celeste in his mind. Yes. But he couldn’t say it, at least, for some strange reason, he couldn’t admit it out loud, not even in a playful way for a fun conversation where he could laugh at her little jealousies seconds later.

Although they had never been that type of couple where there was uncertainty, and they were always one hundred percent honest in the slightest aspect, or at least that’s what they believed over two years of their relationship, he simply didn’t respond, and thought for a few more seconds about the silhouette of his student standing in front of his desk, smiling at him.

Leah wasn’t even that angry, she wanted to play along with the situation, but the sudden silence and disappearance of her boyfriend’s smile surprised her quite a bit.

“Oh my god, Christopher Bang, that silence was so long, fuck, is she really that beautiful?”

Leah let out a little laugh, even if she wanted to be jealous, she knew deep down that in a way, Chris was teasing her and there was nothing to worry about.

Chris smiled at her playful comment and snapped out of his little trance. He hadn’t even realized that he didn’t respond, forgetting the question or even why he was thinking about Celeste in the first place.

“It's kinda silly, you don't have to worry” he said seriously in a soft tone.

“I know. But every girl's fantasy at some point is to hook up with her hot teacher.”

Chris raised his eyebrows in surprise at the sudden comment, chuckled, and licked his lips.

“Did you ever have that fantasy?” he continued teasingly.

“I would have if there were a teacher who looks like you” Chris laughed again. “Seriously, the University of Sydney used to have old professors with years of academic excellence, what happened? Suddenly hiring hot teachers who aren't even in their thirties” she added mockingly.

In a situation like this, where Leah showed a hint of jealousy, Chris would remind her that she's his, and he's hers; but this time he didn't feel it necessary, he just laughed at her amusing comments.

A couple of hours later, after their long-awaited evening, which she was so excited about, a couple of cocktails, and the natural flow of conversation they could both have for hours, Chris and Leah decided to take a stroll around the area, where, a few kilometers away, there was the beach. Chris missed it so much, almost as much as he missed his girlfriend when they were apart. The cool breeze and the characteristic smell of the sea; most people residing in Sydney were so accustomed to it that sometimes, they forgot the simple beauty of being there.

“We should have a date at the beach, when was our last date?” his girlfriend mentioned, linked to his arm.

Chris lowered his gaze to see her with a big smile and instantly realized she must be cold so he hurried to take off his jacket and gave it to her, Leah put it on giving him a strange and adorable grimace.

“Mmm, on your birthday in February?” he replied.

“Whoa, four months ago.”

“Don't worry” Chris said with a small smile “I'll plan it, just confirm your available times.”

“Ugh, do I really have to schedule a date to have a date with my boyfriend” she said amused, looking up at him.

“I guess that's how it works now.”

They were both there for another half-hour, they would have loved to sit down but Leah's short skirt felt uncomfortable in the sand, however, before leaving completely, Chris had to kiss her under the moonlight, feeling his feet light and sinking into the sand; so as a surprise, he took her by the waist and pulled her towards him while with the other hand he gently stroked her cheek and removed a loose strand of hair flying in the wind; she immediately knew what was coming, so they both kissed slowly, the act was so sweet that she had to place her arms around his shoulders for more drama and cliché.

After a couple of minutes, the alcohol took effect on Leah's body, she was a bit tipsy but still alert and conscious, nevertheless, she took advantage of the situation to whisper in her boyfriend's ear to take her to his place, the alcohol in her made her too excited. Chris couldn't help but smile and drive to his new address while thinking of all the ways to make Leah twenty times happier.

Upon arriving and parking his car, Chris heard almost inaudible shouts of argument coming from the front of his young neighbor's house. He frowned with curiosity, wondering what suddenly caused that, but Leah seemed not to care, and with clumsy steps walked to Chris's entrance, he reacted within seconds and helped her instantly.

As soon as they entered and Leah pounced on him, not even giving him time to take off his shoes at the entrance; she kissed him hard and hungrily; Chris recognized the intensity and agility of her movements that he could deduce that Leah wasn't all that drunk, she was just being naughty looking for an excuse to be wild. That suddenly turned him on so much that he forgot why he was worried just seconds ago. Chris followed Leah's kiss and held her ass tightly, lifting her up a little so he could finally carry her, Leah understood instantly and wrapped her legs around his waist. With nothing but intense desire for each other, Chris carried her up the stairs to his room. He turned on the switch lights in the entryway with a sharp flick, tonight he wanted the perfect, full view of his girlfriend at all angles, darkness wasn't enough. Chris held Leah's jaw tightly almost in an order for her to stop with her rough kisses and looked down at her with a cocky smile, her gaze was so docile and she seemed to already be a mess when he hadn't even started, that turned him on so much, just as it did her when he took control, he examined her for a few seconds and brought his lips closer to hers, now entangled in a slower, playful kiss that included the exquisite total control of his tongue against hers. Leah's little moans and gasps between the kiss made him get harder and harder.

He sat Leah on his bed; her needy gaze and the friction of her bare legs, he was more than ready to make her his but he couldn't help but think about the damn open curtains, he wasn't about to give his young pupil a pornographic show, so in a quick jump he was already simply about to slide them back until once again, the sight of his neighbor caught his attention, this time she was seen at the side of her bed; in darkness, illuminated only by the lamp on the cabinet next to her bed and by the small burst of light that crept from his room into hers. Chris watched her left profile, restless, taking irregular breaths, head down, crying; she seemed to be having an episode of anxiety so suddenly everything in him seemed to alter as well.

“Chrisss” his girlfriend called lustily, “undress me.”

The man slipped the fabric off quickly and turned almost perplexed to his girlfriend. He thought, he had nothing to worry about and had to concentrate on fucking his girlfriend very well, so he returned to her, standing in front of her, who looked him up and down with desire, biting her lip; Leah had removed his jacket and to Chris's surprise, she had also removed her underwear, leaving it guiltily to one side of her; he watched her, denying softly, running his tongue along the inside of her cheeks with a smug smile plastered on his face.

Chris leaned down to face her face, which he squeezed with moderate force with his long fingers, pulling her closer to him, feeling her hot breath.

“And who gave you permission to take off your underwear?”

He told her in a rough voice, Leah was perplexed and absolutely aroused, she couldn't resist it anymore, the thought of boyfriend's glorious cock pounding her over and over again, fucking her hard.

Chris squatted down right in front of her needy pussy, she parted her legs and lifted up her skirt, contemplating her wet pussy completely and a little drop sliding down inside her crotch, Chris wanted to go crazy, was she really this wet? He moistened his lips and smiled slightly mischievously, he locked his gaze with Leah's and finely touched the length of her throbbing labia with the pad of his index finger, Leah was elated at the touch and her boyfriend's smile grew as big as the erection trapped in his tight jeans.

“Leah, honey, you're already a mess and I haven't even started.”

She said nothing. Chris noticed the irregularity of her breathing increasing and knew she could cum at any moment; however Leah was too proud to play along and beg her boyfriend to take her and fuck her at once, she only begged him when she was in the act and preferred to always find out what kind of play he decided for her or rather, her kind of fun for him, playing with her.

Chris laughed letting out air, thinking that if this was how it would be, without her speaking, so a little roughly, he pressed her clit and opened her labia a little, stimulating them, causing her to release a choked moan.

“Start undressing for me, sweetheart” he ordered her.

She was almost trembling with excitement and awkwardly managed to strip off her clothes. Chris was so excited to see her beloved's body, he stared at her breasts while a myriad of dirty thoughts came to his mind, now it was about Chris's throbbing sex that was crying out to be released and touched; yet he continued to lubricate all over Leah's throbbing area and without warning, he inserted his two elongated middle fingers into her wet center, fucking her, slowly and torturously, when both are totally lost in desire, Leah can painfully but pleasurably endure up to four fingers inside, but he felt that just now two were just right. Leah leaned back slightly propping herself up on her elbows as she gasped ecstatically, closing her eyes tightly and letting her head fall back at her boyfriend's movements in her; Chris enjoyed every second of her body contracting, trying to regain its composure, yet Leah was so lost and aroused. Leah's belly was rising and falling violently and when Chris could sense her climax, he stopped; he knew perfectly well that this caused her enormous displeasure, but he wanted to save her ready, dilated pussy for his hard cock.

He stood up and pulled off his shirt quickly, desperate for the hot perspiration on his back; Leah excitedly saw the exposed bulge in his pants and her mouth began to salivate just looking at it, no matter how many times she had seen it, it never fails to surprise her; she felt that somehow she had waited long enough, she needed him now.

Meanwhile, when some were having wonderful sex on a Monday night, just yards away, Celeste found herself having an episode of anxiety and depression; she was so restless she couldn't breathe, her head felt more and more throbbing, her vision was blurring and heavy, slippery tears kept coming and her heartbeat seemed stronger than her frail body. She felt like she could die at any moment, but that was not the way she wanted to die, much less for a stupid reason that was out of her hands. She tried to calm down, it was so hard for her to do so; she wanted to tear her clothes but she tried her best to think that everything will pass, she has to catch her breath….

After disturbing minutes that seemed like hours to her, with her fists tightly clenched and her nails digging into the palms of her hands as she suddenly rubbed her thighs against the friction of the denim of her pants… little by little, she was able to recover herself. She lay down on her bed, returning to her normal state, as perfectly as possible, so she stared up at her ceiling for another few minutes, thinking about everything and at the same time… about nothing, feeling an emptiness that encompassed everything inside her. Again, tears slipped down her face, wetting her hair.

In her desperate act she sat up, facing the view in front of her, seeing only the dark curtain of her teacher. Celeste thought she needed fresh air, away from the radar of her home, so without thinking she left her room, almost running to get out of her home; heading with hurried steps towards her usual refuge, the local park. She knew it was late, but that didn't matter to her, it was something she had been doing for almost nine years now.

She didn't understand why the day had to end in a certain lousy way. She had been happy the rest of her hours, she thought of the little things that made her believe there was some joy in it, spending time together with Hyunjin, having to see her teacher, who was her new neighbor, and found a little attractive, worthy of having a term she had so far only read around, as it is, a slight crush on him, just to live in the fantasy of finally feeling something different; a good day at her job, progress in her school work… arriving after her working hours home and, innocently, leaving her curtain open… only for it all to end when, a little after 10 p.m., Celeste spotted the light of her father's car entering the short sidewalk leading to the garage, all from her window, looking down; normally she doesn't pay attention to anything her father does…but the way he almost ran over the bushes planted near the sidewalk, and the diagonal line in which he parked the car, somehow altered her senses and without thinking, she was already outside.

He had arrived drunk and she was so worried because her mother hadn't ingested alcohol all day —or at least that's what her brother told her—, the best option was for him to disappear from everyone's sight, but Celeste didn't know how to communicate with him that they ended up having an argument, him claiming she always wanted to get rid of him; playing the victim telling her that he tried everything and doesn't know what else to do to get her to go back to simply being his daughter, at the noise, her mother joined them; Celeste already stressed out went back to feeling repressed again in her high school years when she had nothing but a little brother to take care of and protect like a mother when that was not her duty.

The stress turned to anguish and culminated in anxiety as she felt the old feeling from the past again… the horrible feeling of trying everything and getting nothing in return. She felt horribly trapped. She really did the best she could, instead of looking for dresses for a silly but crucial event for a young girl like a school dance, she spent her time looking for the best therapies and rehabilitation for her mother. And she recognized so fucking well that she needed therapy, but she had the stupid idea that it would be no different than what she already knew: deep breathing, inhale, exhale; forgive and forget, distract yourself and relieve your stress and anxieties in a way; she believed that it wouldn't change the main thing about the problem: her parents, because even if she changed, they would still be the same; with the ability to always make her feel bad. And she believed there wasn't or was the reason for an intervention, it wasn't something to call the police for, it was just a harmless alcoholic mother with an obsessive compulsive disorder for cleanliness and tidiness of the home, and a jerk of a father.

She hated to worry and get too involved, but after twenty years, she had to accept that maybe that's just the way she is. Celeste sat on a park bench, pressing her hands on the cold artificial wood of it, as she looked out into the dark of the night, rarely feeling the smell of the ocean even though it was miles away, maybe she missed the beach, it could be therapeutic for her as well.

The thoughts and memories overwhelmed her too much, and even though the headache was almost completely gone, tears began to slide down her cheeks once again… always the same with her.

Celeste fixed her gaze on nothing specific, thinking about the simplicity that was supposed to be living, going through your childhood, growing up, meeting people, loving, loving and being loved; she thought, oh, what she would give to be listened to and adored, even though she felt she didn't have much to say, somehow she felt the need to talk to someone from something so banal to her deepest interests. She hadn't realized that perhaps, after puberty she had lived a silent life, she didn't like to share much… but she didn't used to be like that, at some point in her life she admits to having been a person with a bubbly personality.

Celeste let out a breath, wiped the moisture from her cheeks and thought about the wonderful year and a half left before she could graduate, she hoped that by doing so she could get a good job and be able to afford an apartment to finally get away from the non-existent contract that had her tied to her childhood home; she could even consider her brother to stay and live with her. The girl lost track of time, closing her eyes for a few moments and leaving her mind blank, in a few hours the sun will rise and that bad moment will remain just that, a bad taste in her mouth.

Celeste decided it was time to go back, she wasn't crazy enough to stay there all night, much less to run away from home; her teenage years were over and she had to behave like an adult looking out for her future, in a way she felt she had to force her maturity at a very young age… and at the same time she looked herself like a little girl unleashed every time the slightest inconvenience happened, crying, like a baby. Some things didn't change, when her mother was still her mother she used to tell her anecdotes as a baby and how she was always one of the annoying crying type.

There she was walking down the sidewalk a few streets away from home, still it was the same old path, the one she knew how to walk with excellence, she had no idea what time it was, she had forgotten her phone, she almost ran out of there, with nothing but pain in her heart. She deduced that it was perhaps between eleven and midnight. As she walked down one of the less well-lit streets, surrounded by large trees, Celeste sensed a car driving beside her, ever closer and slower; every fine hair on her bristled and she tried not to get hysterical, was someone following her, should she run? She wanted to turn to look at the car but she felt so scared, until finally the car stopped stuck to the curb and rolled down the window, Celeste was ready to ignore it and continue her walk until she heard a strangely familiar voice.

“Celeste.”

Her name was called from that mysterious car; she turned around cautiously, afraid that her name would suddenly be called, but in the darkness and the dim illumination of a lamppost she could finally see that it was her neighbor.

Chris dropped his girlfriend off at her apartment since, she argued, they both had to work the next morning; as he entered the area of his new residence he couldn't help but notice the girl walking backwards down a poorly lit street, he could easily and quickly recognize the shiny hair of a medium length, along with that unforgettable embroidery on the back pockets of her blue low rise jeans, this time, Chris could make out that she was wearing a black blouse that left her lower back subtly uncovered, something completely different from the sweater she was wearing this morning, did she change? Was she wearing that when he saw her crying? But the bigger question and concern was in his mind, if it really was her, what was she doing walking alone so late and…. whether he should help her go home or ignore her. Chris didn't give it much thought, the street was dark, it was late and he would hate for anything to happen to her knowing he could have done the least to help, he would do it for anyone.

Once again, meeting by chance…. Chris didn't know how to approach without scaring her, but he had to try, he knew a situation like this could make her shiver with fear. He stopped his car softly and called her name. He wanted to say, it's me Chris, but she didn't know him with that informality, if anything they barely knew each other. He was relieved to see that it was indeed her, and he was surprised for a second at how quickly he could recognize her back.

Still away from the car, Celeste could make out his distinctive nose, lips and chin, half of his face upwards were dark. She approached with hesitant steps and bent down a little until she finally caught a glimpse of his handsome countenance.

“Professor Bang?” she said without thinking, it was obvious it was him.

“Are you going home? Come on up, it's late.”

Celeste smiled and didn't know what to say, she just walked right around the car and got in, as soon as she sat down, she felt the coolness of the leather seats and the manly fragrance of Chris combined with the fresh scent of the car. Celeste knew he wasn't a stranger, at least not entirely, and they were both headed to the same place, to turn him down would be a waste, but deep down the strange feelings of nervousness and excitement were slowly creeping up on her. They had barely introduced themselves less than 24 hours ago and she was already riding in his car. Chris watched her out of the corner of his eye for a few seconds and put the vehicle back in gear, heading down their street.

He wasn't sure he'd ask her what she was doing walking alone….. but, shit, it'll just be to try to strike up a conversation like normal people, he thought.

“What were you doing out so late?” he asked her in a soft tone.

Celeste was surprised, she didn't wait for him to start talking, she was so focused on how handsome he looked driving, sneaking her gaze discreetly to watch him. Celeste saw the time on the screen in Chris's car, it was already midnight.

“I came up for air… I must have lost track of time.”

Chris smiled sideways a little incredulously, he wanted to jokingly suggest to her that if she wanted to get some fresh air it would be more feasible to do it from her large patio, but they were not in enough trust yet. He turned to see her and perceived the tip of her red nose, puffy eyes and lips. Had she cried again or was it because of a few hours ago? Chris wanted to ask her so many questions.

Celeste clasped her hands together a little uncomfortably, trying to look straight ahead.

“Yes, but you should rest, you're going to college in the morning.”

Now it was Celeste who smiled, she understood that he was trying to create a normal conversation so she questioned herself if she should follow him and ask him the same questions.

“So do you, you have to teach classes” she added amused as she turned to look at him.

Chris let out a chuckle.

“Yes, but it's different, you have to rest because you’re there to study…”

Celeste just smiled at him and, Chris drove in silence, one of which she found strangely comforting. She could have been dying at that instant, thinking about a thousand things but she didn't know if it was physical tiredness or some supernatural force but she simply felt comfortable and safe to be there, for the first time in her life, she felt calm. After a few minutes Chris stopped the car right in front of her house, and before getting out of the car, they suddenly managed to make eye contact.

“Thank you, Professor Bang. Good night, sleep well.”

She smiled warmly at him and without realizing it, he caught her act and caught himself smiling almost in an endearing way.

“Sleep well, Celeste.”

FOUR: carousel

why did you steal my cotton candy heart? you threw it in this damn coin slot, and now i'm stuck ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

Celeste had had a revelation overnight, or at least in that small span of minutes, between the last little sentence spoken by Chris and the walk to her room.

Sleep well, he had told her and that night; Celeste slept like she never had in her two decades. Despite being a different morning and having had limited hours of sleep… that next morning Celeste woke up with such enthusiasm, a couple of hours earlier than her usual routine, she hurried to the bathroom and had a shower and a shave of everything. She moisturized her skin very well, fixed her hair leaving it loose and slightly ironed without losing volume, applied another makeup routine making it more noticeable on her face compared to her everyday natural makeup look, loving the small and simple details that came with being a girl; with glitter eye shadow, a little eyeliner, mascara and a nice pink lip gloss, Celeste left the house, smelling of her favorite perfume and thankful that there was no trace of sun in the cloudy July sky in Sydney. Ready for the partial decision she had made.

She was the most outstanding person taking the bus and subway, during the morning; something about her seemed to shine brighter than her makeup.

She wanted to catch and captivate Hyunjin's attention, although he was not her initial thought; because after the night before, watching Chris drive, was for her, something that changed inside her, a new feeling, an emotion discovered.

Celeste wanted to deceive herself for hours while she tossed and turned in her bed without being able to fall asleep, she only thought if it was that feeling that she could once dream of, the one she had only read in books and seen in movies, it was as if suddenly everything made sense, even if she was aware that nothing could happen between them, despite being two adults, it was morally frowned upon the relationship between a student and her teacher; so, she was not stupid, just maybe a little naive as it was her first time in matters related to this, but somehow it was more than enough to know that she would spend time with him and be at least close to him. So she thought there was nothing wrong with playing with the situation a bit, she had no intentions of being with him in that way as deep down she knew he was too good to be true, in fact she analyzed him all night: he was handsome, good looking, had a house, a nice car and a good job position, the chances of someone like him not having a partner would be low and if he's single, that seemed like a total waste, not for him, but for the people who were missing out on him.

However, one way or another she felt grateful to Christopher Bang, because of him, Celeste was able to realize that she was capable of feeling more than just angst; she was seriously worried about dying alone even though she was apathetic to the subject of relationships, but she finally discovered that there was something in her, a little glimmer and hope, that she can be with people, romantically.

The reason why her main focus was Hyunjin even though deep down she recognized that her attention was totally guided towards Chris; it was because she wanted to experiment and finally wanted to take the initiative to put herself out there, she would give her best effort in order to allow her heart to heal. Besides, it was she who wanted to convince herself, she wanted things to work out; Hyunjin was attentive towards her, close to her age and a passionate artist, Celeste knew they could hit it off easily, so he was the choice, she wanted to have a relationship with him and not with his teacher who was older than her and probably not single.

Despite showing her determination, she was uneasy that she would approach Hyunjin just because he is really the ideal as seen from the public's point of view or she really liked him? Celeste had no idea, how was she supposed to know, she never thought any boy in her high school was attractive, she never felt the curiosity to meet someone; so today Celeste gave herself the task of discovering her emotions separately, what she felt about being with Hyunjin and what she felt about being with Chris. There was also the possibility that Hyunjin didn't like her back and she had that so contemplated as well. But that was something she was wrong about.

Celeste skipped lunch and came to study a bit in the library, so she saw her friend until it was time for the only class they shared and upon seeing her, he instantly noticed the sudden sparkle in her eyes and the delicate makeup on her face, Hyunjin thought he had to ask her out at once before he gets shy and can't do it.

They greeted each other and entered the classroom, where Hyunjin was not the only man to notice the strange change in Celeste's countenance, it was almost magnetic and Chris noticed it instantly. She was now wearing a short black pleated skirt with a thin white sweater with embroidered styling that fell over her shoulders and left a view of her collarbones and neck.

Chris started the class normally, but the only one who wasn't acting normal was her; who avoided looking at her teacher at all costs, she looked at the blackboard, her notes, the wall, but never him, she couldn't do that, not when she was with Hyunjin; she knew that if she watched him she would regret so much of her not so firm decision not to try something with him.

Celeste focused on Hyunjin, she figured she would have time later alone with Chris in their first session together and that was more than enough, so, giving her all, she tried to flirt with Hyunjin subtly, she didn't know what she was doing exactly but she had faith of a good outcome. From time to time she would lean towards him and whisper something related to the subject, Hyunjin was a talkative person who quickly caught him enthusiasm so he would go on to tell Celeste some funny anecdote, in a low voice.

Her teacher was not happy, noticing Celeste's immediate strange behavior and seeing her turn from time to time to look only at her tablemate. Chris wanted to laugh, wondering if that was really what being the best in the class was all about, someone who paid more attention to a single boy.

By the end of class Hyunjin had worked up the courage, he would ask her out on a date. Chris couldn't stand to see her going after the boy, so in an impulsive act and in a demanding tone, called her name before she left.

“Burton.”

Celeste almost froze and turned to see him. There he was, just as cute and calm as the night before where he had offered her a ride home, only this time his expression was serious. Celeste raised her eyebrows waiting for him to speak.

“See you at one o'clock” he said more relaxed.

The truth was that he didn't know what to say, it was just an excuse not to see her with his other student. Celeste smiled and left with Hyunjin. He didn't have to remind her, it was something that was nerve wracking her, but she was looking forward to it so much. Seeing him in the music room at one o'clock.

Celeste and Hyunjin walked down the hallway and as they exited outside the building, she wanted to suggest to him if they should go somewhere else, where she can finally talk to him more calmly. But he went ahead.

“What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?” he blurted out.

She saw him, his long dark hair flying as did the leaves and branches of the tall tree behind him; he really was handsome and the image of him and behind him nature on his side seemed unreal. Celeste had to work, but if he suggested something, she'd gladly skip the work day.

“Nothing.”

“Do you want to go to the carnival with me…?

“Carnival?” she didn't mean it that way, just that it was something that surprised her.

“Oh, I didn't think that…” he added, regretting that he had given a bad idea.

“Why not today? It's already here… isn't it?”

Celeste couldn't wait any longer. She would see Chris today and if possible she wanted to meet Hyunjin as well to defer between the two.

“It's okay, one has to take a break from college life for a moment.”

Celeste smiled.

“Do you want to meet somewhere or…?”

“I don't know Sydney very well yet, but I think the GPS can guide me.”

Celeste looked at him confused as he hadn't given a specific answer.

“Oh, I'll pick you up, no problem.”

She laughed, he seemed rather sweet to her.

She continued her normal day until the clock struck 12:45, she was in a study room a few minutes away from the building where the music room was located, and to be honest, the last few minutes she couldn't concentrate on her studies. She felt nervous, the same feeling she felt before a music performance. You can't flirt with him, you don't know how to do it and you'll look ridiculous, she psyched herself up. Don't get too involved. She knew that boundaries for her were a tricky thing…either she got too involved, or she was out, she was an extremist. That's why she was doing so well in her school, she was either too excellent or she was nothing.

She arrived at 12:57, same old room with the same instruments, the only thing different was the person who was already in there waiting, sitting in the piano chair checking his phone. The door rattled as she entered and that was enough to catch Chris's attention, there she was, with her freshly lip gloss applied, dazzling.

Chris smiled at the sight of her, giving her a welcoming look, inviting her closer. He looked her over from bottom to top once she was near him, still seated and she noticed him as her nerves returning. They both didn't know what to say. Celeste stood in front of him.

“Welcome, we begin our first session.”

Celeste smiled nervously at him and set her bag aside.

“Since this is our first time seeing each other… let's take advantage of this time to get to know each other” he said, trying to maintain eye contact with her, “we can start by introducing ourselves.”

She took a deep breath of air internally and did everything to tie up her nerves.

“Celeste Burton, music student” she said somewhat obviously.

Chris noticed her slight sarcasm and let out a soft laugh. He slowly watched her body language and slid to the opposite end of the alleged leather chair.

“Why don't you sit down?”

He suggested as she tried to be as expressionless as possible, not even with her eyes, he was inviting her to sit next to him, but a better way to think of, was that he was inviting her to sit in front of the piano.

Chris closed his distance, the fabric of his pants brushed against her bare knee and he turned his body to speak to her. She had never been this close to him before, not even in his car.

“You have to help me a little to make the sessions useful” he said, forcing her to look at him closely.

She watched every expression of him, how strangely smooth his face looked and his piercing gaze on hers.

“What did you expect when you signed up?”

Celeste gave it some thought, she didn't want to give an empty answer but she had no idea how to arrange her words.

“I wanted more hours of practice to become better, advice from a musician, to get more involved in this medium than just lessons.”

Chris smiled, looking quickly towards her lips, he hadn't heard her talk so much, he suddenly felt the need to want to make her talk, he wanted to hear her.

“I'm sure you're the best at what you do” he added in a confident tone.

This time she couldn't stop her eyes from reacting, she inspected his whole face from a little less than a meter away… that tone in him and slight change of voice managed to calm her down more, she finally realized that one of the main reasons she had enrolled was for the love of music, that they soothed her and it was perhaps the only thing she loved. She had signed up before she even knew he would be her instructor, it was there, as her only mode of escape.

Now it was Celeste who let out a giggle.

“You hadn't even heard me play, so what if I'm terrible and I signed up because I really needed urgent help.”

There was the real Celeste, cynical and sarcastic, not afraid of anyone but herself.

Chris smiled broadly and nodded softly. She had a valid point, that comment brought him back to reality, he didn't know exactly why he had suddenly blurted out a comment like that, he didn't even know her.

“Well… your grades say otherwise” he justified himself.

“Are you keeping an eye on my grades, Mr. Bang?” she said innocently in a playful way.

What seemed to him a good conversation starter, smooth and fluid, changed his own environment when he saw her submissive expression followed by that formality and sweet tone, Chris sat up and thought fast.

“No, but it was what I could see when the committee assigned you as my apprentice.”

Celeste blushed, not wanting to say it that way, as if to make him answer in a serious tone.

“What is your favorite composition?”

That question took her by surprise, she hadn't thought about it for years, since she had entered the university it was only about studying and being the best in order to excel and look for a job as soon as possible. She remained thinking for a few seconds until a memory from her core sunk in, Celeste smiled.

Celeste felt more relaxed and in a cozy environment, suddenly remembering what she is passionate about and talking about it, sincerely, having someone to listen to her.

“Pas de de deux by Tchaikovsky.”

Chris looked at her in detail as she said her answer, the soft smile on her face telling him that she had remembered something or asked the right question.

“The Nutcracker, do you like Christmas?”

“Actually no.”

He was surprised by her honesty; he really thought she was someone unpredictable, for a second he thought it made sense, Christmas, the typical image of the cold atmosphere with white shades, elegance and innocence, as well as the composition, were perhaps the perfect combination for a girl like her, but suddenly she comes out to deny it, that it wasn't because of that warm holiday of joy that she liked the melody.

Celeste had no favorite holiday, she stopped celebrating long ago, in fact she had spent her last Christmas alone in her old dorm, she only remembers inviting her brother over for dinner on Christmas Eve, in a totally crowded place. Christmas in Australia was different from what the rest of the world was trying to sell, there was no snow, it was warm; Celeste only had the coldness of the solitude in which she spent those dates.

“I first saw the play when I was fifteen” she confessed, “that was the composition that most caught my attention.”

Chris smiled warmly at her little comments that revealed more and more about her.

“With your parents?”

“Oh no, I went alone.”

That puzzled Chris even more, she was like a box of surprises. A pretty, tidy girl like her, looking like that, with her pastel clothes, living in a neighborhood considered upper-middle to upper-income, was expected to have a predictable story: someone who grew up with money, with a piano at home where her passion increased, has years of experience practicing it, going to private lessons and that's why she is so famous among teachers praising her performances —where Chris always heard the same: Celeste Burton, excellent musician, but she is a bit quiet and withdrawn—, a girl from a conservative family, who spends important festivities together with them. But it seemed that it was not so, Chris did not want to judge her from the beginning and she did not disappoint him, she was increasingly difficult to decipher and he felt the small tingle of curiosity for her. Gradually disproving her myths, Chris thought Celeste was a bright girl, willing to engage in conversation, she was not withdrawn, but purely expressive.

Celeste finally played a couple of keys, making the sound echo throughout the place, thinking, just, me, myself and I, as always. Until she came out of her little trance and looked at him, with a smile. He didn't understand what was going on.

“What's your favorite composition, Mr. Bang? You honestly don't look like you like classical music, do you also play the piano?”

Chris laughed at his innocent comment showing a dimple on his right side.

“I studied composition and got a master's degree in music production. Of course I play the piano, it wouldn't be in vain to be here if we didn't do the same thing.”

Celeste raised her shoulders.

“So, what's your favorite composition?”

“Liszt. Liebestraum no. 3.”

She laughed softly.

“Dream of love” she said the name of the piece aloud, “it's a pretty good answer.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it from my star pupil” he mentioned amused.

“Can you play it?” she said enthusiastically.

Chris was taken aback by her sudden excitement but remembered that the sessions were all about her.

“I want to hear you first, play for me, Celeste.”

She didn't know what to say, felt his soft gaze turn penetrating at the mention of the last phrase, perhaps ready to judge and qualify, or so she thought. Celeste sighed, confused whether she should play Liszt or her favorite composition, so she opted for the one she knew with nothing more to say.

Chris watched her settle in and before she started, he wanted to focus on her slender fingers and pianist's hands, but her high skirt and bare thighs distracted him for a second as he looked down. Celeste began, once she did, she ignored everything, there was no one around her, just her and that beautiful shiny black piano; Chris watched her in awe, every detail of her losing herself for just over four minutes as she played the melody. And she had left him, speechless.

Due seconds passed after she finished playing, when Celeste could regain herself again, she turned to look at him, his dark brown eyes shone brighter and he had an expression she hadn't seen on him before.

“Celeste that was…”

He was about to praise her but the ringing tone coming from her phone interrupted them, Chris quickly looked at the screen, it was about his work in Seoul.

“Excuse me, I have to take the call.”

She nodded and watched him walk away, listening to him speak a foreign language. Celeste couldn't take it anymore, that man had it all, now she added to the list that he was connected to his roots and ancestors that he handled another language perfectly. The call lasted about five minutes and he returned to his old place, somewhat agitated.

“Well, wow, that was amazing, how long have you been playing the piano?” he fixed his gaze on her.

“Since I was twelve, I joined in school.”

“And how old are you now?” Chris couldn't help himself, he was curious.

He lowered his head a little, waiting for an answer.

“Twenty.”

“Becoming twenty-one…?” he added.

She shook her head with a frown of curiosity.

“I turned it this month.”

“When?” he added, trying to soften the conversation again.

“The twelfth.”

He pressed his lips together in a smile as he realized he had repeated the number twice.

“For eight years of experience, that was wonderful. What do you want to do for a living?”

“I want to be in an important orchestra and travel” she answered proudly.

“What is your dream place to play?”

“Mmm, the opera house, maybe” she replied shyly to which he laughed. “What's so funny?”

“You want to travel the world but you dream of playing in this very city; I was hoping you'd say Paris or something.”

Celeste caught his laughter.

“Do you compose?” he questioned.

“Oh no, I don't think that's for me” he frowned and tilted his head in disagreement. “I stopped composing after my first year here…listening to my classmates's composition made me feel bad...”

“Mm, I don't want you to underestimate yourself, I'm sure it's good, show me some of yours.”

“I stopped doing it a long time ago, I don't remember well.”

“Then tomorrow you'll have to bring me something of yours, consider it homework.”

Celeste looked down, after all she had a flaw, she didn't think she was good enough to go around showing off her work. She didn't want silence to form so she hurried to say once she remembered:

“So, Mr. Bang, will you play for me? It's your turn.”

A shiver ran through his body at that request, once again her submissive expression and sweet tone upsetting him in seconds. Chris thought she wasn't after all that much younger than him, only six years younger, and the sudden formality in which she referred to him… a part of him thought it was strange and wanted to tell her to call him Chris, but another part of him thought she sounded so good talking to him with that vocabulary, he had a guilty pleasure.

And now she focused on him; he was very good too, his arm brushed against her sweater as he reached for a key and halfway through the tune, Celeste noticed his strong long fingers moving nimbly, she thought he had good technique, he made it look so smooth and effortless, yet his pressure was strong. The veins in his arms and hands were very marked, Celeste thought she hadn't seen someone so attractive playing the piano like that before, she always judged and listened carefully but now she was focused on everything but the melody, she didn't understand what was wrong with her, she didn't consider what she felt like for a moment. She was lost in his countenance of concentration and the agility of his fingers; suddenly the silly comment she heard once among the high school girls came up, 'you should get yourself a piano boy'.

Her heart began to flutter and her breathing to cut a little short; she had to add something else to the list, he successfully managed to play without any mistakes.

After the great hours spent with her teacher, Celeste went to work more confused than ever, the feeling of being with Chris was something she had never felt or thought she ever would had, not even in her wildest dreams. It felt so right but so wrong at the same time. And she managed even more confused to see Hyunjin, she had to make an effort for it to be him or else she would end up sadly in love with someone who can never love her back.

Once again she questioned herself… would her extremist tendencies let this work out, she wondered. She was falling and getting too involved where she shouldn't. And if she got too involved with Hyunjin she would end up with a broken heart once he had to return to his country. She wanted to act as cold hearted as possible but she couldn't, she always had to feel too much.

Why she decided to start her small love life just now; that question made sense once she got into Hyunjin's car, it was because of him —and a certain person who lived a few meters away—, who conversations flowed so naturally without feeling awkward, of how tender she considered he looked when he talked and his incredible talent and love for art.

The carnival, located to the west of the city, crowded with people and illuminated by the mechanical rides, it felt so good to be there again for her… the last time she attended one she was eleven years old. Celeste looked at Hyunjin excitedly and without thinking, intertwined her arm with Hyunjin's arm. They both had a nice time, everything was going perfect until, while she was waiting for him to buy her popcorn, standing in front of the carousel she began to reflect on the incredible difference between the two men, she never thought she would find herself in this situation, but there she was.

With Hyunjin everything was sweet, she imagined it like the emotion of living a first love; but with Professor Bang she could have talks about topics she always expected to talk about with someone expert in the subject, she felt different, like an overwhelming cloud, she could go from being a nervous wreck to being foolishly calm, only he managed to make her nervous; with Hyunjin she never felt like this, not even when he warned her that he was about to pick her up for their first date.

Celeste turned a little, thinking it was useless and she was just spinning around something that wasn't that deep or serious and, as if it was fate, she saw him, standing far enough away to get lost in the crowd, casually dressed as he waited in line for a cotton candy. Her heart raced; either she was too involved or she had to get out of there, she didn't want to end up stuck.

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₊˚⊹ ᰔ TAGLIST: @forklesschowder @bubblebisk @calisnewworld @sunarins-whore @bangchansslut6 @snowyquokka @chansbabygirlsstuff @athforskz @heeyboooo @chrizzztopherbang @yerijaksel @moonlightndaydreams @readr1221 @skzswife @moonndustx @laney1488 @purp13st4r @rockyhedgehog @linosrealgf @lailac13 @ldysmfrst @bitchysunflower11

lmk if u want to be add 2 the taglist☆

thx 4 the luv, i'm a bit shy but i'll interact more w anything you have to say lol, smut on the next chapters idec, posts weekly, i hope♡

divider by roseraris

[tiredfox64]

I had an idea, I don't know how good this sounds but in the beginning of the MK1 story when the Lin Kuei trio attack Madame Bo's restaurant as an act to text Raiden and Kung Lao skills, the reader happens to be there as a traveler who also has fighting skills and fights off Smoke and finds out it's a test by Liu Kang who accepts being one of earthrealm's champions but has a hard time trusting Smoke after what happen and Smoke does everything he can to gain her trust?

Trust Me

Prior notes: Halfway through writing this the Ninja Storm theme song played in my head nonstop. I got distracted for an hour just listening to almost all the Power Rangers theme songs Σ(￣。￣ﾉ)ﾉ

Pairing: Tomas x Afab reader

Warnings ‼️: A few kicks and punches, we got those from our siblings.

You travel high and low, far and wide. The lands must be explored and experienced. Your current location? Fengjian Village in China. Quite a peaceful village actually with farmlands that stretch for many miles. You decided to rest for a moment at the tea house. Madame Bo was really nice to you, happy to have a lovely lady like you come in.

Little did you know that she was expecting you.

Lots of different people and personalities around here. You got a show as well. Two men fighting just to figure out who is paying tonight. It must have been serious because they were fighting for their lives. You can understand since the food was amazing.

The sun had set and the cool breeze blew through the tea house. You were finishing up your meal at the same time those two men were about to. In an instant the atmosphere became hostile. You looked up to see a man with silvery hair and gray attire harassing Madame Bo. You watched carefully, wary of this guy’s intentions. You jumped into action once you saw him attack Madame Bo and literally throw her over the balcony.

His eyes turned to you when he saw you running towards him. You were surprised by the smoke bomb he threw down. It made you cough which gave him the opportunity to attack you, causing you to hit the floor.

“You are brave, but against us? You are in over your head.” He mocked you.

“I don’t care who you are or what your purpose is. You will not be a nuisance to Madame Bo.” You declared before fighting him.

You fought viciously, as anyone would suspect. This guy had a few tricks up his sleeve. Magic that you’ve never seen before. Yet you stood your ground. While you were dealing with him those other two guys were fighting off the other assassins. Oh great there are two more who got some sort of freaky magic. Well at least they are taking care of that.

An amazing spectacle of kicking, punching, and slashing was performed by you and your opponent. After all that you managed to defeat him, leaving him lying on the ground. You moved quickly to check on Madame Bo who was…fine. No, really, she was. Standing up straight and smoking a cigarette like it was a normal Tuesday night. A man with glowing eyes approached you and you finally got the answers you needed.

This was all a test from Lord Liu Kang. You, Raiden, and Kung Lao were chosen to join Earthrealm’s champions. Liu Kang was thankful that you chose to visit Fengjian now since it made things easier.

He explained that the people who attacked were the Lin Kuei and that you fought Tomas aka Smoke. They weren’t thugs but were actually a clan that helped protect Earthrealm. You were still in shock about the whole thing. You couldn’t let your guard down fully even if you now know it was a test.

Liu Kang told you all that the Wu Shi Acadamy will help train you and prepare for the Mortal Kombat tournament. Looks like you will be staying in China for longer than you expected.

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

Ever since Tomas fought you he has been dying to talk to you. He thought you did amazing. He really didn’t know what to expect since you were just a traveler. No one had a clue who trained you or even why you were so good at fighting. You must have been a quick thinker since you manage to figure out he was using smoke magic.

The problem is that you were cold to him. You still didn’t trust him even after finding out it was all a test. He would visit the Wu Shi Academy just to get a chance to talk to you, only for you to move away from him whenever you saw a hint of his silvery hair.

Raiden and Kung Lao told you to not hold it over his head. Madame Bo is safe. Hell, she was even in the Lin Kuei once, she’s a tough woman. Nope, you’re still not budging.

“I don’t understand, Raiden. She still treats me like some thug.” Tomas expresses his frustration to Raiden who wants to help make peace between you two.

“It probably didn’t feel good to her to be tricked like that. It may be best to prove to her that she can trust you.” Raiden gave back the best advice he could give.

“But what can I do if I can’t even get close to her.”

Raiden had to think for a moment. The others such as Kung Lao, Johnny, and Kenshi all came around as well since they heard Tomas’ frustration. They didn’t want him feeling bad about what he did since he was instructed to cause a disturbance at the tea house. They also don’t want you holding a grudge against a sweet and cool guy like Tomas.

“I got it!” Kung Lao snapped his fingers, “How about you train with us for some time. She will see that you aren’t so bad after all especially when she sees how calm you are when fighting us. Maybe giving her a gift once in a while will help as well.”

Not a bad plan. It could work. Tomas was on board with this. He didn’t want you viewing him as some thug anymore. You need to see who he truly is and he will do anything to prove it. Operation make you trust Tomas is a go go!

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

Tomas asked his brother if it was okay to train with the Shaolin for a bit. Bi-Han couldn’t give two fucks where Tomas would be at so he let him do that.

Now you really couldn’t avoid Tomas. Anytime you decided to train with the other champions he was always there. You grew annoyed by his presence. You couldn’t understand why no one else was upset by that trick of a test.

You also couldn’t understand why he was leaving you bunches of lavender and peace lilies. Okay well the peace lilies should have been a big sign but you weren’t the biggest expert on flowers or their meanings. He would leave them at your door, on your chair, he would even have the guys pass you the flowers just to make sure you would accept them.

And after some time you did. It would be a waste if you kept throwing them out. They were lovely and lavender is useful. You didn’t fully trust him yet but his efforts were chipping away at your stubborn heart.

You started watched as he trained with the others. All those fighting moves you saw before when you fought him. The aggression you felt before when seeing those moves slowly started to fade. You watched as he patiently taught the others some tricks on how to defend themselves. Not just that but he was open to being taught as well. The monks taught him new moves and involved him in meditation. Now would a violent person meditate? Nope, because Tomas is not the violent person you think he is.

You realized maybe you were being a bit too harsh when you heard him speak. His voice was less deeper than when you first heard it. It was just an impression anyways. And without his mask on there is no muffle to it. You listened to how disappointed he was, concerned that you still don’t trust him. He expressed that he is doing his best but he fears that you will always see him as the bad guy.

It broke your heart when you realized you misjudged him. He was putting in a lot of effort and you were turning a blind eye to it before. You don’t know how long he will be training with the Wu Shi and you don’t want to regret not saying anything to him. You want to make things right and the best way to do that was to talk to him.

One day you found him near the zen gardens. A place of relaxation and peace. A good atmosphere for something like this. He was meditating all by himself and you were unsure about disturbing him. He already heard your footsteps, you can’t sneak up on a sneaky person. He turned towards you expecting to see someone like Raiden or Johnny. But no, it was actually you. He was shocked and wasn’t sure what you were doing here. You gently waved towards him before speaking.

“Hi…do you mind if I join you?” You asked softly.

Tomas just stared for a good five seconds before breaking out of his trace. “O-oh yeah sure.”

You thanked him before walking closer. You surprised him even more when you described to sit next to him. Both your hearts were beating fast. Yours because you were unsure of what to say and his because of the same thing. You took a few deep breaths before speaking up.

“I’m sorry that I’ve been kind of cold to you. Maybe even been avoiding you. I just kept thinking back to that night at the tea house and I just thought you were the same guy I fought back then.”

You saying sorry was already the highlight of Tomas’ day. Before he can say anything to you, even to apologize for fighting you, you continued.

“You don’t have to apologize for what happened. I understand it was just a test and no one really got hurt. Well, maybe not physically but I did hurt you by being mean.”

You were picking at your fingers as you looked down at your lap. Now you wondered if he thought of you as the bad person. He doesn’t, he never did.

“We got off on the wrong foot and I want to make it right. Maybe you and I can train one of these days if you are willing to spend time with me.”

“Yes! Yes! Of course I would love to.” Tomas got too excited and covered his mouth, not wanting to disturb the tranquility of the garden anymore.

You looked at him all shocked before chuckling quietly. He really was desperate to show you that he is trustworthy. Seeing that it all paid off was too great for him that he had to express it. How could you ever imagine he was some cruel man who purposely beats up old ladies?

Your chuckle made him feel less embarrassed and happy to see you loosen up around him. You seem way chiller than he imagined. He’s excited to get to know you more now. You took his hand into yours and shook it.

“It’s nice to officially meet you, Smoke.”

He smiled at you. The mission was a success. All of this was worth it.

“The pleasure is all mine. But please, call me Tomas.”

After notes: It’s a bad time for me to find out that my favorite show is free on YouTube. Mhm I’m gonna be blasting that good shit on my tv. Anyways I hope you enjoy whoever requested it. I actually thought about this scenario a bit ago but never wrote it down and forgot about it. So looks like you read my mind. Trust me it sounded good to me :3. Adiós!

[thelov3lybookworm]

Lucien who now lives full time in the Day Court knowing the truth (think white robes and cold crown and makeup omg) and who has been in love with IC reader since getting to know her while he was there.

She's now visiting on some Night Court business (research, negotiation, etc.), and he's decided to put on his full Lucien teasing charm to woo her.

Sunlight in a Bowl.

Summary: Did he just... no. Of course not.

•○●⛦●○•

A/n: I didnt realise how much i loved this idea until i wrote it 😭 thank you soo much my darling anon for sending in this request, i had soo much fun writing it lol, it was like it took no effort, came to me soo easy 🥹

also, posting this an hour early for funsies 🤭

i promised no angst so theres no angst @milswrites

anyways, enjoy!

•○🌑○•

The day court was beautiful.

That was all Y/n could think of as a sentry led her towards Helion's private receiving chambers, all other adjectives having flown out of her head the moment Azriel had dropped her on the border of Day court, from where she'd winnowed herself to the palace.

The white houses, the red and gold roofs, the sunlight shining from above and reflecting from pools of water and the Palace right in the center of it all, the colourful market in the town square...

It was safe to say Y/n was ready to move to Day court, already having forgotten that she was here on a mission from Rhysand.

She was ready, bags packed, no questions asked.

So busy was she gaping at the beautiful architecture of the palace, the artwork reigning her in like some trick of hypnotism, she didn't realise the sentry had come to a stop outside two large oak doors.

Unfortunately, that meant she smacked right into his back before she realised.

Her cheeks blazing, Y/n stumbled back as she glanced up at the male, who had an amused smile on his face.

"I merely stumbled. My dress is a little long."

He nodded. "Never said you did not stumble. I believe it must be hard to walk around in your too long knee length dress."

Blood rushed into Y/n's ears as she looked down at the dress that... only reached her knees, realising he was right.

Fuck.

She cleared her throat, standing at attention, avoiding his eyes.

From her peripherals, she could see him grinning as he knocked on the door, waiting until a voice called out to let them in.

The male opened the door, holding it open for Y/n. She hurried in, resisting the urge to just die as he closed the door behind her.

So much for making a good first impression.

Y/n shook her head, trying to dislodge the lump now forming in her throat at the upcoming conversation.

Being an introvert and shy was a hard job, one Y/n was very good at.

But being introverted and shy while being an emissary? Now that was the job of someone that Y/n would consider god.

And exactly why Y/n had been so against the idea of her becoming an emissary when Rhysand suggested it, knowing she would rather live a life alone in the middle of nowhere and probably become the next Weaver than become an emissary.

Alas, she was the only researcher Rhysand had at his disposal, so now she had been sent to read through as many libraries and books in day court as possible to aid in Feyre's second pregnancy.

It hadn't been confirmed yet whether the babe was winged, but Rhysand and the inner circle thought it best to start researching in advance just in case the babe did have wings and to prevent the second pregnancy ending up the same way the first did, and this time with no one to save them.

"Y/n! Always a pleasure to see you!" Y/n met the warm honey eyes that belonged to Helion, a smile spreading on her face unprompted.

"Helion." She greeted, walking forward and directly into his open and inviting arms, squeezing him back when he wrapped his arms around her.

"I hope the journey was not too hard?"

Y/n laughed, pulling away. "All I had to do was winnow, Helion, why would it be hard?"

Helion grinned, then turned to glance at something behind him.

With horror, Y/n realised that it was not something, it was someone.

Her panicked eyes shot to Helion, remembering that Rhys said Y/n wouldn't have to interact with anyone other than the day court high lord.

"Ah Y/n, meet my son, Lucien. Though I'm sure you've met before."

Y/n swallowed, then let her eyes wander to Lucien. Which, definitely not a good idea, considering Y/n was suddenly drooling and looking away like he had burned her eyes.

She had only looked at him for a moment, but that moment was enough for Y/n to have taken note of how ravishing he looked.

Ravishing?!? Get a grip Y/n.

Y/n attempted to calm her racing heartbeat by taking deep breaths, trying not to think of all the golden skin on display that was not covered by the white robe, the gold crown adorning the head of fiery red.

Trying especially hard not to think about the way his skin glowed with happiness and the beautiful, flirtatious smile adorning those plush, soft lips.

"We- we have met before."

"That's amazing! So if introductions are not needed, I'll take my leave."

Y/n knew her eyes were bulging out of her head at this point, but she did not really care as she gaped at Helion's retreating back. She continued to stare until he reached the doors, then turned to wink at her like he was in on a secret she was not.

Bastard.

Y/n, not knowing what to do, glanced at Lucien, who, in the perfect son-of-bastard way, sent her a cocky grin.

Y/n glared at him at that, pretending like the blush on her face was because of anger and not because she was shy.

"I don't know if Rhys informed you, but I will be helping you out today with the research."

Y/n's eyes widened, staring at him like he'd claimed to have met the Mother herself.

Which, Y/n would have been less surprised to hear, but that was the talk for another day.

"I- no one told me."

Lucien shrugged, that infuriating smile still on his face. "It came up last moment when my father had to leave to handle some important matters."

Y/n nodded sadly, mentally encouraging herself that she could do this.

With a sigh, she gestured at him. "Lead the way."

•○🌑○•

"Are you hungry yet?"

Y/n reigned in her sigh of exasperation.

For the past hour, Lucien had been hovering around Y/n, bothering her with stupid questions and trying to get her to go somewhere else. Where, Y/n could not for the life of her figure out.

She glanced up at him, finding his arms crossed over his chest, a careless grin on his face as he leaned against the desk she sat at.

She also noticed how he stood a little too close to just be acting like a caring host, but she ignored it, just like she ignored the bulging, mouth watering muscles in his arms.

"I am sorry Lucien, but my stomach does not consider me worthy of food at the moment. I will let you know once it decides I deserve to eat."

He laughed at that, his head thrown back, his chest vibrating with how genuine the sound was.

Y/n's eyes dropped to the strong column of his throat, his Adam's apple bobbing as he glanced back down to her, grinning. Y/n noticed the dimple that made an appearance in his cheeks, but she pretended she was still mad at his constant nagging and turned back to the thick bound tomes she had open in front of her.

Y/n got a moment of reprieve before he drew her attention again.

But this time he did not ask her if she was hungry or if she was thirsty.

No, he pushed off from the table, and Y/n watched him from the corner of her eyes as he walked to the back of her chair.

She was curious, of course she was, but also glad that he would let her do her studies.

Also sad that he was leaving, but no one needed to know that.

But suddenly, two arms were caging her in against the table, and Y/n startled at the sudden heat of being caged against the wood by someone who quite literally had the heat of autumn court fire in his blood and the warmth of day court sun in his blood.

"What are you doing?!" Y/n yelped, trying to keep quiet in the library.

His breath tickled the hair at the side of her neck as he leaned in.

"I am just wanting to inquire when your stomach will deem you worthy of eating."

"Oh my god." Y/n mumbled, her blood tinting her face red. "Stop it Lucien!"

"Not until you tell me you will go out to eat with me. Tell me, will giving you the sun in a bowl convince you?"

Y/n only kept getting redder in the face, and to try to cover it up, she slapped her hands over her face.

He tsked. "That sounded like it hurt."

Y/n paused for a moment, then mumbled out- "It did."

He laughed again, and something about having him so close to her, so free and vulnerable did things to Y/n. She spread her fingers, peeking out to find his eyes closed, his teeth glinting softly in the sunlight streaming in through the stained glass windows.

She stared at him, slowly letting her hands fall into her lap, not realising she was staring.

Or maybe not caring.

His laughter slowly died down, the sound still ringing softly in Y/n's ears until it faded away.

He met her eyes, happier than Y/n had ever seen, and gave her a soft smile.

"So?"

Y/n sighed, the sound so exaggerated she would have laughed any other time.

"Fine."

For good measure, Y/n rolled her eyes at him before she turned back to the dusty tomes sitting on the rich wood desk.

She could practically feel his grin as he dipped closer, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Y/n's eyes flew wide, turning to gape at him as he straightened.

"So, a bowl of sunlight. In the receiving room before sunset?"

Y/n choked out an okay.

The bastard had the audacity to wink at her as he turned and strutted away, his careless demeanour already enchanting Y/n's malfunctioning brain.

She watched his retreating back until she couldn't anymore, then straightened to stare at the words that now made no sense to Y/n because she was so busy trying not to think about the plans she now had for the evening.

Did he just...

Y/n blinked, glancing once to the archway he'd just disappeared into.

Did he just ask me out on a date?

Y/n shook her head.

No, it was just not possible.

Lucien? Asking Y/n out on date?

Y/n wanted to laugh at herself for even thinking that. Lucien would never...

Fuck.

Despite herself, Y/n began to smile, and hope.

What have I gotten myself into?

It was going to be hurting her brain to think so much about it, but she couldn't care less about it.

Still smiling, Y/n returned to her work, now trying to stop focusing on him and start doing the thing she was actually here for.

It's going to be a long day.

•○🌑○•

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[janeyseymour]

stick season

summary: it's stick season. Hurt.

WC: ~1.85k

Feel free to listen to my cover of the Noah Kahan song!

Melissa has been your girlfriend for a year now. And she just joined you on a long weekend to go visit your hometown up in Vermont. Your parents absolutely adored Melissa, giving you the stamp of approval on your newest girlfriend, and you couldn’t be happier about that. 

It was warm, it was cozy, it was perfect. Or at least that’s what you thought. But apparently you were wrong, because the drive back to Philly just felt wrong.

As you promised me that I was more than all the miles combined, you must have had yourself a change of heart like halfway through the drive, because your voice trailed off exactly as you passed my exit sign; kept on drivin' straight and left our future to the right.

Melissa had told you that it was entirely worth all of the miles you were putting on her car to go up there with you over the weekend, and you can’t help but smile with joy. And then she’s kissing the back of your hand and promising you that you were more than all of those miles combined.

But then, about halfway through the car ride home, there’s a shift. She takes her hand off of your thigh as she drives, and when she passes the exit that she usually would to take you back to your apartment, she goes silent, biting her lip as if she’s deep in thought.

When she pulls in to her own driveway, she looks to you sadly.

“Hun? What’s wrong?” you ask, clearly concerned about this sudden shift in attitude. 

She bites her lip nervously. “Y/N, I don’t think I can do this,” she whispers.

“Do what?” you ask, although deep down you know what she’s hinting at.

She gestures between the two of you. “This. I- I’m not ready for the commitment that you’re ready for… you want to get married and have kids, and move back up to Vermont, and I can’t do that. I- I’m sorry.”

You leave her house in a puddle of tears. The uber driver that gets the misfortune of taking you home gives you quite a few concerned looks through the rear-view mirror.

Now I am stuck between my anger, and the blame that I can’t face, and memories are something even smoking weed does not replace. And I’m terrified of weather cause I see you when it rains. Doc told me to travel but there’s Covid on the planes.

You’re furious. You don’t know who you’re more mad at: yourself or Melissa. She just spent the last three nights with you up in Vermont playing the part of perfect girlfriend before dumping you and leaving you to explain to your parents that you’re single again. And you’re mad at yourself because you knew she didn’t want the future you did, but you had foolishly hoped she would change her mind. You suppose you should take the blame for that one, but you don’t want to face it- admit that it was your fault for putting blind faith in her.

Deciding that you need to relax, you roll yourself a joint, but the memories of you and Melissa over the past year just continue to replay in your mind. And for the first time ever since you started smoking weed, it doesn’t help the pain you feel in your chest. The drug might be able to remedy physical aches and pains, but it sure as hell can’t fix a broken heart; you’re not sure anything can right now.

You don’t leave your house for the next few weeks unless absolutely necessary. You’re a mopey mess, and your therapist finally tells you that you should travel. And you consider going back to Vermont because being in the same city as your now ex-girlfriend hurts too much. But there’s Covid on the planes, and you can’t quite justify driving up to Vermont on Friday night just to leave again on Sunday morning. Come Friday, you really do still toy with the idea of making your way back to your parents’ house, but there’s a cold front making it’s way through the Mid-Atlantic all the way up through New England, and you’re not about to attempt to drive through seven hours of rain and wind. Besides, when it rains, you can only think of Melissa. She used to have you dance out in the rain with her before cozying up on the couch and watching movies. She claimed it was the only way to spend a rainy day.

And I love Vermont but it’s the season of the sticks. And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed, and it’s half my fault but I just like to play the victim. I’ll drink alcohol til my friends come home for Christmas.

There’s a season that happens in New England when Fall starts to make its exit and Winter presents itself- and every year, around stick season, your life changes. Melissa came during stick season last year, and she left during this stick season. It hurts.

You end up seeing her mother at the grocery store, and you look like a wreck. You give her a shy wave just to be polite- things may have ended with her daughter, but it’s clear to you that she’s entirely forgotten about your existence or previous presence in Melissa’s life.

That stings, and you make your way to the alcohol aisle, throwing a few bottles of wine in your cart so you can mope and play the victim at home tonight. You suppose you’ll just drink until a few of your friends from college come home for Christmas.

So I thought that if I piled something good on all my bad that I could cancel out the darkness I inherited from Dad. No, I am no longer funny cause I miss the way you laugh.

For the childhood that you had with your father, the relationship that you have with him as a grown woman is nothing short of a miracle. Because of everything you witnessed growing up as a child with having your father for a Dad, you came out better. You knew where to draw the line with certain things. You were funny because of the trauma that he caused you though too… but you aren’t funny anymore because the off color jokes that you used to make were usually just there for Melissa- and you miss the way she laughs. So now, you’re back to the quiet and shy, reserved person that you used to be before she brought out the best (and worst) in you.

You once called me forever, now you still can’t call me back. 

You remember when she told you that she was going to be yours forever. You didn’t think that she would ever say something like that- you knew that she hadn’t ever wanted to get married again, but you continued to pursue her romantically. And it was all looking really good for you, until she broke up with you.

You’ve called her a few times, to beg and grovel for her to take you back- tell her that you didn’t care about marriage and children as long as it meant you got to keep her in your life, but she refused to pick up the phone or call you back.

And I love Vermont but it’s the season of the sticks. And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed, and it’s half my fault but I just like to play the victim. I’ll drink alcohol til my friends come home for Christmas.

You end up flying home after a few weeks because you simply can’t bear the pain of this heartbreak alone, and you can’t quite justify driving for a weekend. It’s still stick season though, and you feel the cool air wash over you as you exit the airport and try to hail a cab back to your childhood home.

After the flight back home, you see Melissa’s mother at the airport. She has a sign that she’s holding indicating that she’s picking someone up. But she doesn’t see you, and after the last meeting with her, you doubt she remembers you… she’s definitely forgotten about your existence by now.

You’ve come to terms with the fact that your breakup with the Schemmenti was half your fault at this point, but you still take the Septa to get closer to your house before stopping at a liquor store- with the intention of once again playing the victim and drowning your sorrows in a bottle of tequila.

Maybe once you’ve seen some of your old college friends, you’ll head back north to see your hometown friends when they come.

And I’ll dream each night of some version of you that I might not have, but I did not lose. Now you’re tire tracks and one pair of shoes, and I’m split in half but that’ll have to do.

That redheaded beauty has haunted your dreams since you broke up with her. And you miss her dearly. But in each of your dreams, she’s a different version of herself, and it’s quite odd. Somewhere deep inside though, you know none of the versions of Melissa that your mind had made up are her- so you didn’t really lose her in a sense.

You always wake up though and sigh. She isn’t next to you like she should be. And when you head into your living room, you see a pair of her shoes that she left here and hasn’t asked to get back yet.

Your heart splits in half every time you see those shoes. You should just throw them out at this point, but you don’t want to touch them- if they’re there, maybe she’ll come back to you one day. 

Oh that’ll have to do… My other half was you. I hope this pain’s just passing through, but I doubt it.

She really was your other half, and you hope that the pain that you feel every time you see her shoes passes eventually, but you doubt it will.

And I love Vermont but it’s the season of the sticks. And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed, and it’s half my fault but I just like to play the victim. I’ll drink alcohol til my friends come home for Christmas. And I’ll dream each night of some version of you that I might not have, but I did not lose. Now you’re tire tracks and one pair of shoes, and I’m split in half but that’ll have to do.

Stick season passes by, and you’re still left on your own. Christmas time comes, and you find yourself with a bottle in your hand almost every night to try to help numb the pain. It’s becoming less and less, but you still miss her with all your heart. You know that being split in half will just have to do… maybe next stick season will bring you something happy again.

Tags (and let me know if you want to be included!): @schemmentis @thesapphictimelady @marvel210 @itisdoctortoyousir @morgana-larkin @thesamesweetie @doesthatsuggestanythingtoyou @marvels--slut @gwennybriggs @megamultifandomtrashposts @lemz378 @http-sam @melissaschemmentisbranzino @imaginesmultifandoms @sexysapphicshopowner @lilfartbox1 @maybe-a-humanbean @imlike-so-gaydude @sapphicxrat @a-queen-and-her-throne @sunsol-22 @notinmyvocab

[blueparadis]

Hi! I love your writing :)

If you have the time/are interested can yo make TR Mikey x reader smut with Mikey realizing reader is a virgin right before their first time? Either he believed gossips or the reader teases a lot or something. Whatever you cook up if you decide to do this, I am sure I will love it :)

Have a nice day

—

Thank you >:)) okay. this was very precise but idk why it confused me. I did my best tho. I love him sm. I'm always excited to write on him >^< hope you love it too <33

STAY WITH ME ; MANJIRO SANO !

୨ content & tags ୧ ~ f!reader, mafia au, mention of brothels, arrange marriage, virginity k!nk, ( domestic ) fluff, f1nger1ng, orgasm control, kisses and soft love making, very light corruption k!nk, teasing, he is a big softie here. word count — 2kish + blog navigation.

“You know about this ?”, Draken throws the newspaper in front of Manjiro who is deeply staring at his knuckles and his rings, sitting on a bar stool holding a drink with his non-dominant hand.

“They made it public. Were you aware of this? . . . ”Draken continues in a harsh tone with his eyebrows furrowing further as Manjiro keeps him playing with a ring, juggling it in between his fingers. “Mi-key, you know what this means right? The wedding is gonna happen in a week or . . .”

“Shin told me that we're going to visit them. Tomorrow. So, I figured . . .”

“You figured what? Y/N is practically in the front page with massive headlines and. . . ” Manjiro grabs the news paper instantly looking at the photo of her. She is walking out of a shop in a one-piece dress that reveals much of her body curves, beautifully, he must add. And except the chauffeur, there is no sign of a bodyguard. How dare he! That scoundrel.

Moreover, it's been almost a year since he saw her or it would be more accurate to say that he was forbidden to see her, meet her, talk to her. The only thread of communication he had with her was occasional gifts, though it was more of a bridging alliance with her father than wooing her.

“We’re leaving.”He rushes out of their private bar,“Now. And Inform Haruchiyo. He is coming with us.”

“What? ”, Draken gasped. “But Shinichiro -san ”

“Didn't you want me to take action? This is me taking action . . . for her. ”

“Ahhh, fuck it.”

Manjiro wasn't angry. He was furious, furious that his fiancee is roaming around the town without any sort of protection. He has been humbling himself since the day this bond was sealed. He had stopped going to whore house, bringing girls in his house or even going to a bar with Izana. The day this marriage was confirmed, he knew he had to cut off all these (bad) habits once she is under same room with him.

She was sent to study abroad, right after the meeting. Manjiro would have easily continued his lavish acts but he was told to behave, told to be prepared for her. And now that she is back, Manjiro was supposed to court her, take care of her, and get rid of the childish awkwardness of a newly married couple. Who knows what happened abroad? She might have been deflowered or . . .

“Woah. What a good day it is . . .”, Y/N’s father rose up folding the newspaper and keeping it on the tea table as he saw three men approaching in his way. Manjiro Sano, Ken Ryuguji and Sanzu Haruchiyo. Of course, they had no trouble with the security.

Without greeting Manjiro walked in to the house, he was determined to meet her. Draken stopped y/n's father with his hand while his lips started to work. “Nah... Shiba-san .... When did y/n got back? We came here immediately as soon as we saw her... in the headlines” Haruchiyo stood beside the man with his eyes on the ground, hands tucked behind at the valley of his waist.

Manjiro smiled to himself as he heard Draken making the small talk. Ah! Geez. He never changes. His eyes scanned the hall. Not a soul was there, not even a servant. He heard quick footsteps cascading down the stairs, his heartbeats escalated, breathing became faster, hands crawling inside the pocket of his slacks. . .“Ahrey. . . Isn't it yuzuha? ”

She cocked her head to a side exclaiming in a bored tone. “Hakkai and Taiju are busy at the restaurant. I'm sure you know why”

“I’m not here for them” Yuzuha couldn't help but smile at his confession.

“She is in her room. Up-stairs. Right - wing. Last room with balcony.” Manjiro was already walking as he bowed his head to give his utmost thanks to her.

He stood in front of the door for a minute thinking now what? He hasn't prepared shit to say and he certainly doesn't want to scare her. Last meeting was . . . he was quite hard on her. He knocked, three times and waited. Within five seconds he saw y/n opening the door with so much zeal in her eyes.

“You should always ask. . . Who is it? Before opening the door.”, Manjiro quipped walking into the room and closing the door behind, without turning so as to keep his eyes on her.

“Are you not surprised to see me? ”

“Yuzuu texted.”, that girl always had a knack for enacting tit-for-tat whenever there was an opening.

“So, within a week. . . You'll have to stay. . . ”

“Stay with you, share bed with you, obey you. . . Yeah, yeah I know” God! What did they do to her? Last time when Manjiro saw her she had no fire in her eyes, no fight in her soul. What exactly happened at abroad?

“I wasn't going to say that but i guess that sums up. Here”, he kept a strip of medicines. “You will have these. I want you to be prepared for our wedding night. Start from today.” Part of her knew what those pills did, while part of her wanted to ask, to hear through his voice. How fucking rude! No gifts, no talk straight to sex.

The wedding day was lustrous and full of happiness. Just for a day, everyone in the Shiba family set aside there differences to make you smile. Yuzuha complained a little about how she is gonna be lonely without her sister and claimed she is gonna visit her soon but Manjiro brushed it off.

“You’re drinking too much. . . Is the crowd making you nervous? Do you want to go inside? Is the food too spicy? ”

Manjiro was kind even for a man who belonged to the obsidian world of blood-bath. His attention was focused on her, her tone of talking, body language. He cannot wait to just have her, share bed with her and fuck her in all positions known to a man, fuck her till all she remembers is his name, till she reeks of him, thinks of him and only him.

He entered the room an hour later than her. By the time she already had changed clothes and was under the covers laying down and thinking about the marriage, this marriage that was mere an alliance and she was just a peace offering.

“Y/N, you still awake?”Manjiro asked coming out of the bathroom and standing near the edge of the bed. The light of night lamp was perfectly falling on her face as she turned around to face him. Manjiro’s heart dropped at the pit of his stomach, cock twitched as her body peeked from under the covers.

“Are you tired?”, he asked leaning over her as he tucked the loose hair strands behind her ear. She nodded and sat upright. He was now sharing the same cover as her, cock growing, eyes glinting in lust and heart pounding amongst his rib cage. He cupped her face so as she would meet his eyes but she jerked his hands off instantaneously, jumping out of the bed and making some distance between them.

“Don’t”

“Why? Did i do something wrong? Something that hurt you? ”

“No but . . .” “I didn't take pills.”

Manjiro got out of bed and strolled towards her. She backed away. He could see her shaky hands, he swallowed and looked away. “Do i scare you, Y/N?”

“No.” There was silence for a few seconds since Manjiro did not know what to do, what to say. He wasn't ready to have babies, not yet. And, now he can't even fuck her raw and he would hate to wear condom on his wedding night. He always used protection while visiting brothels even though he knew all the girls were clean.

“I. . . I want . . . I need time”, she breathed out. Manjiro’s eyebrows jumped since an entirely different fact dawned on him. Could it be. . . she is. . .?

“Are. . .” he cleared his throat. “Are you still a virgin ?”

“What do you mean still?” , she thought.

“umm-hmm” He raked his fingers through his pitch-black hair revealing his dragon tattoo as her feeble umm-hmm echoed in his head. She is a virgin, that is, he is going to be her first, probably for everything. Honestly, he wouldn't have minded if it were opposite since he was dry for almost an year and now had to keep himself under control. Great. He is truly fucked.

“Do you trust me, y/n ?”

“I can try ”

Manjiro laid out his hand in front of her. She hesitated at first but the moment she kept her palm over his, Manjiro lowered his head to kiss her knuckles. As soon as he raised his head, he pulled her against his body wrapping his other hand around her waist. Her body felt warm,less shaky as he felt her nose grazing against his chest muscles.

“So, you're saying that. . .”, he earned her stares on him as he spoke further. “No one was handsome enough for your taste ?”

“It was a all - girls college.”

“Uhhh-Hahh!” , Manjiro lips tugged up. “And they didn't tell you about anything? What actually happens during wedding night? When they came to know about our marriage.”

“I wasn't supposed to talk about my life, this life to them. I made friends. They were nice but i missed home.” Manjiro was taken aback by her ways for two reasons; one : she wasn't afraid of him like others, two: she was innocent but not naive, a little brave he might add.

“Y/N ?”

“Hmm?”

And when she peered up Manjiro pressed his lips against her cheeks just at the corner of her lips without a second thought. He has fucked enough girls to know a woman's weak spots but this felt out of syllabus. He guided her hands over his shoulders as his lips proceeded along her neckline. Manjiro bucked his hips , pressed his hard on against her entrance earning a loud gasp with her hands locking around his nape. Bingo.

Manjiro swiftly pushed her on to the bed. He stood looking at her while she panted vigorously. He discarded his upper clothing, crawling on top her. His head dipped while she leaned in, lips slightly parted awaiting for his kiss. But Manjiro’s lithe fingers worked on the buttons of her night dress. “What? You thought I was gonna kiss you. . . on your lips. You asked for time, remember?”

But immediately Manjiro’s lips were silenced by a kiss. Dry, short-lived and quick. His hands were still on undoing the buttons Manjiro couldn't help but grin.

“Is that you call a kiss? ”one of his hands travelled underneath her thin night gown, way up to her vagina. His fingers penetrated her at the same time his lips dashed on hers. Manjiro wasn't in mood to hold back because her body was eager. She was just a little afraid and by her desperate hold on his arms, Manjiro could tell she was loving it.

He explored her lips and kissed as deep as he could. “That is ... What you call a kiss.”, he whispered against her lips before pecking her cheeks. He added one more finger and quickened his pace, hitting her spot, watching her eyes blanking out, her grips growing stronger on his arms, body squirming underneath his. Her hips reflexively bucked up as orgasm washed over her body.

“Good girl. ”, he hummed as he rolled beside her giving space to breath licking his fingers shamelesly.

@tokyometronetwork