#even -and especially- in Star Labs

[coldflash-corner]

Speaking of Barry being able to read Leonard Snart scarily well, imagine that Barry notices how Snart reacts to people Barry knows, and files that away in his opinions of that person

Barry is in the cortex with someone he finds kind of annoying but harmless, Snart walks in for Definitely-Not-Flirting-While-Doing-Business Reasons, and starts lowkey acting like this guy is an Immediate Threat that he's trying to act cool around to not set him off. And Barry immediately knocks like 5 points off of the "how much do i trust this guy" ranking. Subtly starts telling him less things, looks into what he's doing on the downlow, treats him as potentially suspicious And turns out... The guy does have bad intentions

Leonard comes in and meets some of Barry's new friends/coworkers, and clearly seems to mark one of them as more trustworthy/less of a threat than everyone else. And when Barry needs help or someone to confide in, he goes to that person over everyone else

Barry comes in to Saints and Sinners and sees a regular he's run into before, but hasn't seen interact with Snart. He thought the guy might be pretty cool. But today he walks into them talking, and Immediately sees that Snart is closed off, jumpy, does NOT like that guy in his space. And Barry immediately takes cues off of that, turns the guy down when he later asks to have drinks together next time Barry drops by Saints

If Snart seems unnerved by someone Barry knows, Barry trusts his instincts. Even if Leonard never says anything to Barry out loud, he still takes note of that. If Snart likes someone, or just thinks they're reliable, Barry will trust that instinct.

Even if Snart doesn't say his feelings out loud, Barry trusts him so innately that he will listen to Snart's instincts when it's clear he's feeling a type of way

[epicyonbeforeidie]

I don’t usually write rants like this, but I need to get this off my chest.

With Cyrene who is clearly an Elysia expy coming to Honkai Star Rail, I sincerely hope she won’t be too much like Elysia. I wouldn’t mind if she shared some conceptual similarities, as long as it’s done right this time. But honestly, my hopes aren’t high.

I have a lot of thoughts about Elysia, and none of them are positive. At best, I see Elysia as the biggest disappointment in the entire series at worst, I outright despise her.

The thing is, I love “perfect savior” characters. They usually come with deep emotional arcs, internal conflict, and explorations of both the good and bad sides of humanity. That’s why Elysia frustrates me so deeply.

She’s portrayed as this flawless, idealized being loved by all of the characters, and even the writers. The narrative constantly screams at you: “She sacrificed everything for humanity! She is perfect! She loves humanity! She married humanity! She’s your wife too! - Don’t you love her already?”

But it all feels empty and shallow. Her so determination rings hollow because she never actually struggles. She doesn’t make mistakes. The story tells us she’s witnessed humanity at its best and worst but we never see this. Everyone worships her, and the moment there’s even a slight hint that she might doubt herself as a Herrscher, the writing bends over backward to reassure her that none of it matters because she’s just that perfect.

She doesn’t fight her nature. She doesn’t question her convictions. And because she never experiences genuine negative emotion, her “goodness” has no weight. She’s like a cardboard cutout that is sweet to the point of blandness.

What makes it worse is that there was potential. There were hints she could have been more than just a flawless goddess — maybe even morally ambiguous. But those hints go nowhere. It’s a waste of setup and a complete letdown.

Perfect characters can work, when their perfection is shown to be inhuman, and even evil and dangerous in its incompatibility with humanity.

Maybe I’ve been spoiled by Fate a series full of complex savior figures like Morgan, Castoria, Kiara, Jeanne d’Arc, and all of the Beasts. Each of them is unique, carefully written, sometimes heroic, sometimes terrifying. They struggle. They question themselves. They feel. The writing doesn’t beg us to love them it just shows us who they are and lets us come to that conclusion on our own.

I still cling to a sliver of hope. The Amphoreus arc is written by a different team than the Elysian Realm, and they gave us Phainon a brilliant example of a savior archetype done right. He’s full of doubt, hiding his negative emotions behind a mask of perfect deliverer. He’s broken, lost, and empty yet he still fights to find his convictions and protect the world.

So I beg let Cyrene, who seems to be another “savior” type have real flaws. Let her feel, struggle, and have a opinions on the world around her. That’s all I ask.

[dcxdpdabbles]

Okay, So just what is the different between the appearance of Danny “The Menace” Wayne-Fenton and Phantom “The Star of Gotham” ((my own personal title for him based on another post))??

Every Danny “The Menace” has me cackling

First, I love that title for him, especially since Gotham doesn't have stars often because of the clouds, smog, and genuine pollution.

Second, when he first transforms, Phantom wears the same iconic jumpsuit with the stylized D. He has to put on the cape (the one Dan in Canon wears ), utility belt, and domino mask in the Batcave over his transformation. The Bat symbol is printed on the back of his cape, and people still don't know what the Stylized D stands for. There are theories.

If he wears these items as a human and transforms, his Bat-gadgets vanish like regular clothes do.

They reappear when he shifts back to human, and Bruce is still trying to figure out where they go. He doesn't accept "magic dead boy transformation" as an answer. After years of testing, including bringing in some magic users as consultants, Bruce still has no answer and accepts that Danny needs to suit up like the rest.

On the other hand, Danny Fenton-Wayne is either in wine-colored suits (his signature color), looking like he just got off the Evil Runway, or resembles a homeless man. There is no in-between.

Gotham Academy has a monthly "no uniform" day where students try their best to dress to impress and sometimes Danny would stride in with a wine suit making the students realize they really do be in puberty and other times they call the cops because they assumed a homeless man was attempting to break into the chemistry room (In all fairness, Danny was trying to bring into the chemistry room)

He tries to dress nicely for Bruce's events, but his attire is always in wine and styled so that people know it's a different suit. There are whispers that if Danny ever went rogue, he already had a uniform for his goons picked out, and others wondered what his villain gimmick would be based on the color of wine.

None of them know, not even the Batkids, that the first time Bruce, in his civilian persona, spoke to Danny after rescuing him was when he was pretending to be pulled away from an event and was wearing a wine suit when "Batman" called to ask if he was willing to hide Danny until the hero got rid of everyone involved in the Lab.

To Danny, wine is the color of freedom.

[hexhomos]

Hello fellow Jayce defender.

First off, virtual kisses on both your cheeks for your Arcane analysis. They're refreshing to read, and insightful as well.

Something that's always bothered me about the way fans interact with Jayce is assuming that he's always the one making the mistakes in any of his relationships. It's almost funny in a way how they strip other characters of their autonomy and arcs just so they can point out how Jayce is failing his partners.

With Mel and Viktor especially, there's this narrative that Jayce simultaneously ignores both of their needs while also prioritising one over the other. Either he neglects Viktor to go and swoon over Mel, or he abandons his relationship with Mel to go play science with Viktor, or he neglects both to go do his own things while they suffer through their own plots.

And it's fascinating how incredibly mistaken these people are, and also how they reduce his character to only being important when he's in a relationship.

I'm here like, "hey, do you wanna discuss the reason for how Jayce seemingly knows how to navigate the ways of high class society very easily is probably because he's had to rely on sponsorships and donations for most of his youth to find his research because his house is too poor to be able afford it?"

Or "It's canonical that Jayce only ever had one friend in his youth before Viktor, and that was the daughter of his main sponsor, do you think it's interesting that this indicates he probably had difficulty making or maintaining friendships and that this is possibly a symptom of the Academy mainly housing elite and rich students so they couldn't relate to his struggles and he couldn't relate to theirs?"

But no, people just want to hate on him for not being the picture perfect boytoy in a relationship.

And I mean, it's not like it's just reduced to Jayce either. So many other characters have had similar treatments where they're reduced to either their most basic qualities or mischaracterised entirely. And I'm really not trying to be the fandom police or whatever - everyone interprets differently - I just find it frustrating is all.

Anyways, you're cool.

YES I never have time to talk about this bc people don't give a fuck but in Jayce's journals we even see him stewing with envy and petty rage at this star-rising student on the academy that he sees as the example of a perfect prodigy (in opposition to how much Jayce fucks things up...)

It also strongly suggests he's on a scholarship, which ties into his suicide attempt.

Jayce is keeping his experiments a secret from everyone to avoid the blowback and isolating himself further and further when they don't work. Jayce is flawed! He's proud of his dream pitch to the point of hilarity. Jayce doesn't like socializing, he does it out of obligation! Even when he's being raised to a councilor position in s1 he's PANICKING. He doesn't want the fucking job, he doesn't like the parties nor the people, his truest honest self is that moment in season 2 where he declares the lab was always his home, and so was Viktor.

But even then he subsumes his own wants spends most of s1 trying to attend to the needs of other people. He routinely asks Viktor if he's alright, if he wants to come up to do the presentation, if he's sure those experiments are safe, etc. He tries to make Heimerdinger proud despite his constant rejections of their projects, and only turns on him when he threatens viktor's wellbeing. The reason why he doesn't announce anything on progress day is that he Was listening to Heimers so-called wisdom and it only bit him in the ass. Jayce gets himself in trouble with the council by being too naive and assuming his new post will allow him to crackdown on Piltovan corruption aided by the Hexgates. Majority of the complaints wrt relationships I see people making of him are just wildly exaggerated. "He was neglecting viktor" bro he talks about viktor in nearly every scene he has with mel 😭 viktor is the one who isolates himself and randomly disappears at times bc he's a grown man with his own boundaries.

Jayce's entire life is defined by the transactional nature of his existence, his work, the patronage receives - all depending on how much he can play the showpony role without fucking it up. It's not a comfortable position. Jayce is stressing out the whole damn show because if one person isn't pissed at him, someone else will be, and it always comes down to revokable money, investments, social standing. if he really was as uncaring and well-off as some claim he wouldn't give a shit. He could just coast along life, but that's not what he's doing ever. He only 'frees' himself in season 2 by abandoning his life's dream and the rotten reality that existed around it. Which is kind of bleak, but at least its over.

[woantohae]

Shadow || (Bob Reynolds "Void" x reader)

Summary: Y/N loved the darkness because she could see the stars better. Void does everything in his power to make sure she can gaze at the starry sky, even if it means turning everything into darkness.

Author's note: I'm counting the days to see Thunderbolts, and the premiere is getting closer and closer. Who else is excited?

In the comments, tell me any ideas for a future Bob one shot, if you want <333

《tags: angst, fluff, void having a soft spot for the reader, mentions of hydra, dark past and the void》

It was midnight, and the girl still couldn't get to sleep. This wasn't a surprise, since she hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep since Hydra took her prisoner.

All the times they took her from one room to another to experiment on her, the brute force they exerted on her when she resisted, the blows, bruises, and the cold that accompanied her at night had taken a serious toll on her. And the only witness observing all these atrocities were the stars.

Little Y/N constantly looked at the stars at night through the small windows on the roof of the experiment lab every time Hydra had her captive with their vile intentions to make her their lab rat. One more pawn in their chess game and manage to have everything at their disposal. She took refuge in them, thinking about how beautiful they looked, far from all the pain she'd experienced. Far from all the evil and harm she'd had to endure at such a young age.

She dreamed of going to the stars to find peace and quiet, but when she turned 18, she realized that would never happen. All the people she'd had to murder in cold blood because if she didn't, she'd suffer the consequences. Then, she had no choice but to end their lives.

At 24, she was able to escape Hydra's clutches when Bucky Barnes came for her on a mission led by the Avengers. She felt relieved to see she'd be safe, but it didn't last long. Thanos's snap happened, and they had to fight him, and the Avengers were nothing more than a name after that. Valentina then gathered them together so they could be her new pawns protecting the land, but everything went to hell when they discovered that their new friend Bob also turned out to be a villain, or rather, his other self: The Void.

Over time, they were able to help him calm his entities, which were constantly battling to emerge into the light or the darkness. Usually, Bob did it himself, but when it got too much, Yelena, Bucky, and Y/N were able to bring him back.

The night was starry, making Y/N feel peaceful and calm, despite hearing the noise of New York City down below. All the city lights dimmed the stars, so it wasn't the same compared to the nights she was in the lab. She settles onto the deck railing and sighs, still feeling the ache in her shoulder from today's mission. The is so absorbed in the sky, that she doesn't notice the shadowy presence of Void watching her from afar with his arms behind his back.

While Bob slept, Void could be present at night. He had nothing to do but prowl the compound, as most people were sleeping peacefully. Especially Alexei and John, who snored as if their lives depended on it. So seeing Y/N on the terrace seemed to make his night a lot more interesting, especially since Void had taken a liking to the girl.

He wanted to be able to say that he liked the rest of the team's presence, but he would be lying through his teeth if that were the case. However, with Y/N ​​it seemed to be different, because she wasn't loud, or bossy, or sarcastic with her comments, and she wasn't 24/7 trying to get rid of him when Void took control. On the contrary, she was quiet, spoke when she needed to, and always acted in an understanding manner, making Bob's dark entity feel a little more welcome.

Void takes slow steps toward her.

"Shouldn't you let Bob rest?" she asks, still keeping her back to him.

He smiles amusedly and comes to her side, leaning an elbow on the railing so his body is turned toward her. And his attention is focused on her only.

"He's asleep," he replies simply. "When the poor guy falls asleep, I can go out and get some fresh air."

Y/N glances at him and smiles slightly.

"Now tell me, what are you doing up so late?" Void asks.

Y/N bites her cheek for a second, debating whether or not to tell this guy what's going on in her head. She'd learned to be careful around Void when he appeared, not wanting to provoke him into losing control like last time. However, he had proven that he is capable of controlling himself, as long as no one overstepped his boundaries, and by boundaries he meant not confronting him.

The girl looks into his eyes and notices the darkness with which they stare at her, but somehow they don't make her feel uncomfortable or afraid.

"I can't sleep," she declares. "Ever since I was a kid, I've had trouble sleeping because of everything I went through at Hydra."

Void remains silent, waiting for her to continue, his brow furrowed slightly.

"All the times they experimented on me and..." she sighs and closes her eyes for a moment. "Anyway. There used to be a space in the ceiling where I could see the stars, that way I could think about something else while Hydra got their filthy hands on me to turn me into their weapon. Every time I looked at the stars, I thought about how calm and peaceful they were, wishing I could be like them while i was in hell"

Void looks down for a brief moment as he listens to her, feeling compassion for her. While he fed off people's fears brought on by the same darkness he inflicted on them, he couldn't imagine what had happened to Y/N. He was in conflict with himself for feeling that way about the girl, because he shouldn't. He swallows at the feeling, trying to get rid of it.

"Now I try to look at them whenever I can't go to bed, trying to get back to sleep, but it's hard to do with all the lights in New York City," she lets out a humorless laugh.

Void scans the girl's face as she looks up at the sky, and without thinking about the consequences, he raises a hand and begins to let the darkness flow over the city, turning everything dark.

Y/N frowns at this and watches as Void stares at her as he envelops the city in darkness with a single wave of his hand. Everything is blacked out, and she can hear the commotion of people in the streets below.

"Void..." she says hesitantly.

"It'll just be a second," he says confidently. "You wanted to see the stars, didn't you? I gave you the stars to gaze at. Enjoy it."

Y/N knows she should refuse because this could affect the entire city, but her selfish side decides for her, making her look up at the sky and contemplate the stars more clearly. They are bright, and there are more than she had counted before darkness enveloped the city.

Y/N leans on the railing and smiles slightly as she feels the night breeze.

"Thank you," she thanks Void, while continuing to admire the starry sky, feeling at peace.

"You owe me, Y/N," he says, resting his hands on the railing, still looking at her.

She smiles sideways and nods.

"I think it's worth it," she says. "It's beautiful. Don't you think?"

Void nods and agrees.

"It is beautiful, indeed," he says in a low tone.

But what the girl doesn't know is that he isn't referring to the stars, as he has no interest in them at all. He's referring to her, and the brightness of her eyes that overshadows the stars. Void decides it's his new favorite thing to admire, and if he had to darken everything in his path again so Y/N could enjoy it, he'd do it a thousand times over.

[scriptseekstories]

Queen Bee’s Hive

Yandere Batfam x Bee! Reader

A/N: this is my first post after being a silent reader to the many Yandere Batfam fics I scroll through. Hope I’m good enough for more chapters.

Right, let’s start with the classic neglected! Reader trope for these fanfics. A classic one night stand with a mother, M/N Raine, who was a scientist on her way to revolution. Not just any scientist, but an Entomologist, who studies insects of all sorts.

Your mother, with the funding from Wayne Enterprise, her group searched for a way to sustain life for bees from their mysterious species decline and to study the mindset of a hive mind for potential human advancements.

The funding from Wayne Enterprise got her invited with her science group to galas for support on their Project: Honey, where she met and talked to a young Bruce Wayne. One thing led to another and they had a moment of passion and wine, to which they silently agreed that this wouldn’t lead to anything grand.

It didn’t take long until the symptoms of pregnancy kicked in, and your mother was at a stalemate on what to do. She attempted to contact Bruce through Alfred Pennyworth, however the playboy never responded with her request to meet up.

Your mother couldn’t quit the project, but she couldn’t just give you up. So with her heart on her sleeve, she worked and powered through Project: Honey, never once informing Bruce about her pregnancy until the project ended in tragedy when a crime boss had it out for one of the scientists in her group that ultimately destroyed the lab and every single hard work she and the others had done.

With the project destroyed, your mother decided to not give up, giving birth to a beautiful baby and raising her all by herself lonesome as Bruce turn his back on Project: Honey after the attack from the crime boss and never once contacted any of them, not even your mother to check up on her. Might as well, from what she saw firsthand on how he acted, he never once knew how to act like an adult, so she wouldn’t trust him with you.

Oh how your mother adored you. She may have gotten burned and hurt from the attack, you were still healthy and kicking in her womb. Now that you were able to be seen with her very eyes, she promised she wouldn’t ever leave you. She raised you to be strong, independent, and always keep smiling.

She rebuilt her title from the ground up, earning another funding by another industry that helped her study insects, especially bees. She would hold you in her arms as she studied the worker bees take care of the queen bee. “They protect the queen from the dangers of the outside world. They adore her, just like how I adore you, my little bumble bee,” She would say to you as she kissed your cheek as you watched the bees work.

You looked up to your mother, you saw her as the one who hung up the very stars above you. And just like her, bees fascinate you. Hundreds, even millions of flying insects working hard every single day to make honey and protect their queen? It’s well so amazing and awe struck.

“Why don’t they have kings?” You once asked curiously, making your mom smile and crouch in front of you. “Because only a queen have take care of her subjects, or rather, her children,” She told you while cupping your cheek. “Is that why I don’t have a dad?” You pondered innocently, making your mother’s smile falter, but kept it on the best she could. “Yeah… I doubt he would’ve loved you the way I do,”

It was the age of five when you lost your mother. You were in the greenhouse watching the bees with fascination, letting them crawl on your hand gently before a knock was heard from the front door. You were hesitant to open, but creaked it open ajar to see a tall redhead man with glasses and a beard, looking down with a sad look in his eyes.

You didn’t understand. How can you understand that your mother wasn’t coming back? Where was she? Mr. Gordon, the man who picked you up and took you to the station, gave you a light explanation. Mugging? A criminal? Where was Batman? Oh, he didn’t make it in time…

Where will you go now? Gordon read the records of you and your family. Single mother, no father written on the birth certificate, no other extended families that has been recorded, barely reached elementary school. Not wanting to send you to the foster care, he did the best he can, a DNA test that had sent you into a world of despair and neglect.

If you had known what might’ve happen to you in the future when you were sitting all alone on that police chair, you would’ve taken your chances in foster care.

A/N: I hope you all like the introduction. I have so much story to give and I want it to be good!

And yes, those are redesigns of Beelzebub of Helluva Boss. No, Bee! Reader won’t have the personality of her, I just want the photos for future glimpses of what they will become.

There also a Yandere Batfam fanfic that has bees/honey aesthetics too, and I didn’t want to copy them with decoration wise. So hopefully my story will tell each other apart. Major difference if the drugs topic.

[long-live-astronerd-ghost-king]

DPXDC prompt: Valentine's day spirit. Superbat edition.

When Phantom sets foot on the Justice League base many years later, he expects anything but not Flash pointing finger at him and screaming about "legendary child who made Superbat canon".

~~~~

Being in Metropolis because of a ghost hunt right in the middle of a battle between Lex Luthor and Superman was not the best outcome, especially considering that Jack had his three-year-old son with him. But without such a combination of circumstances, they would never have found out that "Ghost!" "Daddy, no!" Ectoblast that Jack shot at the target of their hunt touches Superman and..really hurts him.

There were two sides to Danny-the ghostbuster's son and the astronerd. It is clear which half of him did not have a chance to win.

Danny threw his space rocket toy aside and grabbed father's arm. In the next second, boy had already sunk his teeth into Jack's fingers, forcing him to drop weapon. Youngling quickly jumped off and picked up ectoblast and then ran towards Superman. "Fly away! I'll hold him!" Danny stood up to try to cover up ghost (or alien?) in case Dad took not one but a whole bunch of shooting things with him again.

Jack: Get away from my son, ghost. Superman: Sir, I'm sure this is some kind of misunderstanding, I'm not a ghost. Jack: Danny, come to me, he's trying to hide his identity and manipulate us. Danny: No. If the heroes are being attacked, then someone must protect them too. Jack: But he's a ghost.. Danny: Alien or ghost is not so important, Daddy. He's in pain, and he's protecting this city, not haunting it. It's wrong to try to catch him for experiments. I forbid you to do that. Jack: Danny, champ, you're wrong.

Lex: Hah, what an interesting substance. Despite the other aggregate state, or rather its absence, it is so similar to kryptonite. Superman: Lex, is this a portable lab? Now is not the time, in case you haven't noticed. Lex: There is always time for science. I think my colleague will agree, right? "Similar to kryptonite?" Jack muttered to himself.

Jack: So Superman wasn't my target. And we are not colleagues. There is only one insanely rich man with questionable moral values with whom I am ready to do work, and your surname is clearly not Masters. Lex: It's a pity, but still, if you want to carry out the delivery of your wonderful weapons or exchange experiences, then call this number. Luther quickly shoves a business card into Fenton's hand. Jack*throws it away*: Come on, son, let's go back to the hotel, you've skinned your knees.

~~~The Evening. The Roof of the mentioned hotel~~~

"My friend Sam is also very frightening. And she also likes dark.“ The boy paused for a minute of thinking. “You want to kiss your goth friend?" "W-What makes you think that, kid. We’re colleagues, I respect him very much and.." "So you want to. It’s okay, I’d like to kiss Sam too but I’m afraid she’s gonna hit me. You have the same problem?" "It’s a little more complicated for adults." Kal begins to explain but stumbles upon Danny’s completely unimpressed look. Yeah, this boy apparently has heard 'kids would understand when they grow up' lectures at least thousand times. "But you’re basically right."

~~~~

When Batman himself comes to their hotel the next day as a representative of the Justice League to make sure that Mr. Fenton has no desire to harm Superman in the future and to tell that Superman is not going to press charges because of the ectoblast that injured him, Danny refuses to leave the room.

Jack: Oh, Danny, I thought you dropped your space rocket yesterday, it's a good that Alicia's Christmas present isn't lost. Danny: Well, dad, I left it on the roof of a bad bad man, yeah, but Uncle Kal returned it last night and we talked for a while. Jack: About what? Space, my little star? *Father immediately assumes that Danny would like to ask about everything real alien*. Boy*blushes and shakes his head negatively*: No, not about it.

Jack: Then what it was about? Danny: Secret superhero things. I can't tell you. I agreed to withhold that information as part of a pinky swear. Batman: And what about me, young man? You can tell me, right? Batman couldn't resist talking with such a cute kid. The boy thinks only for a second before hurriedly trying to push his father out of the room. Danny: Dad, come out for a minute and don't eavesdrop. I'll tell you when you can come in. The big man laughingly obeys. Lil child checks the reliability of the closed door and runs up to Batman. Danny: And so, Mr. Batman, first promise not to laugh or hit Uncle Kal. Batman: I promise? Danny: Good. This is very important information. Batman: I'm listening.

Danny: He thinks you're terrifying and wants to kiss you. And since he is afraid that you will hit him for this, I recommended him to appease you with a pie cooked according to his mother's recipe. Well, you know, since you love sweets and his parents' farm has the most wonderful apples in all states. He rarely cooks himself, but he will try for you, so even if he doesn't succeed, pretend that you liked it, please. Batman:...

Batman: Would you like to work in intelligence for the Justice League when you grow up? Danny: Actually, I want to be an astronaut. Batman: Our base is located in space. Danny:

Danny: Hmm, then I'll think about your offer.

Batman: Great. It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Fenton. You can count on a job recommendation from me. Do you want anything as compensation for your consultation? Danny: Actually, yes. Mr. Batman, tell me honestly, are you a bat on a frugivorous diet like Giant golden-crowned flying fox or you are a Vampire Bat? Sam says that such a big bat can only be a vegetarian and uncle Kal said your son was more than happy to steal strawberries from his garden with Superboy but..

~~~

Batman tries to behave naturally for a week. However, the sweet tooth inside him still makes him clamp Superman in the corner and question him. "Where the hell are the pies you promised to cook for me, Clark?"

[bet-on-me-13]

Unknown, the Wandering Hero

So! We all know the typical Vivisection AU, right? Danny is revealed to his parents and they take it in all the wrong ways. They capture him, Vivisect him, and eventually he manages to escape with the help of his friends.

But what about his Rouges?

Sure, we all like to think of some of the more friendly ones like Ember, or Sydney, or Johnny 13 and Kitty, but he has WAY more Evil Rouges than good ones.

Without Danny there to reign them in, the Rouges spread out across the world to fulfill their obsessions, unhampered by the Heroes and Villains of the world that have no means to fight them.

And Danny? He feels responsible. He was the one to open the Gate, he was the Sacrifice, the one to let them through. And when the going got tough he just up and left? No, that won't do.

His Obsession is Protection for a reason, and nothing has changed. All he needs to do is expand his area of focus a little.

Danny, after healing up, starts wandering the world in search of the Ghosts who have escaped into the Mortal Realm. He battles all of his old foes, as well as many new ones who he hadn't met before.

His travels take him far and wide.

He defeats Skulker in Metropolis, as he is trying to hunt down the Super Family for their pelts. They are the last of their race after all, so he is inclined to try and hunt them. Honestly dealing with Skulker was easy, dealing with the Rich Asshole who was funding him was a nightmare.

He chases down Spectra in Gotham as she tries to feed on the misery of an entire City. (Thanks to @impyssadobsessions for the idea, this Prompt specifically). She is actually a very tough fight, especially powered by both the Misery of an Entire City as well as his Own Misery, but he manages.

He defeats Technus is Central City, as he tries to Raid Star Labs for their advanced Tech. It actually took a while to beat him after he amped himself with all that Power, and he did need help from the Local Hero to deal with him. He's just thankful Technus is one of the more "Harmless" ones.

After every Victory, he sends them back to the Realms using the Banishing Spell that Sam taught him a while back (the only bit of magic he ever really managed to master).

He knows they'll eventually find their way back out, but it's all he can do anymore. It's his eternal Punishment for unleashing them out into the World in the first place. He was the Catalyst for this Situation, now he was tasked with Fixing it, no matter how long it took.

...

The Justice League is caught in a tricky situation a the moment.

In the past few months, they have been encountering more and more of these Extra Dimensional Beings known as Realms Ghosts across the World.

Justice League Dark has had some success in battling them, but even they are getting tired of having to deal with every single incident alone.

They did get approached by a Government Agency known as the Ghostly Investigation Ward that seemed to want to help, but it didn't take long to realize that their main Aim was to Genocide the entire Race. The JLA had quickly cut ties after realizing that, and took what little Tech and Information they had been able to gather.

Still, it wasn't easy to deal with these Entities.

Thankfully, they have had some outside help. An Unknown Being has been routinely showing up whenever a Realms Ghost appears and defeating them, before using a (as described by Constantine) "Rudimentary Banishing Spell held together by willpower and luck" to send them back to their home Dimension. There's honestly no way it should be functional, but he did make it work either way.

They don't know much about this Unknown, aside from the fact that he seems to be the only one able to consistently damage the Realms Ghosts. His Powerset leads them to belive he may be from the same Dimension, or at least drawing his power from the same Source, but as he actively avoids the League and takes every opportunity to not talk to them, they know they aren't getting any answers any time soon.

Over the past few months, they had affectionately started referring to him as Unknown, creative they know, because they could never get his Real Name. Sure, some of the Realms Ghosts seemed to recognize him, but they always called him stuff like "Whelp" and "Punk" and "Usurper", which were not very good names to use when referring to him. Although the last one was a bit concerning.

They had only managed to trade a few quick words with Unknown in the past few months, but it was enough to get the Gist of it. He was just doing his job, sending the Realms Ghosts back where they belonged. There was apparently a Tear in Reality letting them through, but he seemed hesitant to reveal what he knew about it.

After a few months of sparse interactions, they eventually managed to convince him to at least take an Emergency Communicator. Just in case. They even let him take it apart to look for any Tracking Devices, which earned them a small bit of trust. They took whatever wins they could.

Fortunately, it seemed he never did need it. In fact he was getting more and more efficient with every battle, defeating his foes in half the time it would have taken before.

Unfortunately, it didn't last forever. One day, the Communicator went off, a distorted voice quickly saying, "Need backup, some of them decide to Team Up" before cutting out.

They quickly rushed to his location, finding an active battlefield with no less that a dozen Ghosts battling Unknown. And he seemed to be on the ropes.

With their arrival, the combined force of the Justice League and Unknown eventually managed to defeat the Group of Ghosts. Justice League Dark volunteered to work on the Banishing Spells while the others cleaned up the damage from the Battle.

One of them approached Unknown to make sure he was ok, and froze.

During the battle, Unknown's Mask had been Torn off, and they could finally see the face of the Hero they had been working with for the past few months.

And he was a Child.

[hy6erion]

𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 ♡

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬, 𝐕𝐢𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐌𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐚, 𝐕𝐢, 𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧

𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 (≧◡≦) 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞/ 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬!! (´ ω `♡)

𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬 | 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 & 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫-𝐭𝐡𝐞-𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

Jayce doesn’t do anything halfway—especially when it comes to you. He’s the type to plan Valentine’s Day weeks in advance, making reservations, ordering flowers, and ensuring everything is perfect.

So when you wake up on the 14th, the first thing you see is a ridiculously large bouquet of roses on your nightstand. A small card is tucked between the petals, scrawled in his bold handwriting:

“Good morning, sweetheart. I hope you’re ready for a day of absolute spoiling. Love, Jayce.”

And spoiled you are. By the time you step out of bed, he’s already waiting—grinning as he hands you a cup of coffee just the way you like it.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, baby,” he murmurs, pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead.

The day unfolds in true Jayce fashion. He takes you out for a luxurious breakfast, holding your hand across the table, constantly finding excuses to brush his fingers over yours. Afterward, he insists on taking you shopping—not because you asked, but because he wants to.

“You see something you like, I’m getting it for you,” he declares proudly, slinging an arm around your shoulders. “No arguments.”

By the time dinner rolls around, he’s reserved a rooftop restaurant with a breathtaking view of Piltover’s skyline. The entire night, he looks at you like you hung the stars—his hand never leaving yours, his thumb brushing over your knuckles.

And when you’re finally home, curled up together in bed, he presses a soft kiss against your temple.

“I love you,” he murmurs, voice quiet but full of meaning. “Every single day. But I’m really glad I get an excuse to show off today.”

You laugh softly, tucking yourself closer into his arms. “You show off every day, Jayce.”

“Yeah, well,” he grins, “you love it.”

(You do.)

𝐕𝐢𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐫 | 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬 & 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Viktor isn’t one for grand displays, but what he is good at is making you feel deeply loved in his own quiet, meaningful way.

Valentine’s Day morning, you find a neatly wrapped package on your desk. The wrapping is careful, precise—he clearly took his time with it. Inside, you find a beautifully bound notebook with your initials embossed in gold on the cover. Tucked inside the first page is a handwritten note:

“For all your thoughts, dreams, and ideas. I hope to hear every one of them. –V”

When you turn around, Viktor is already watching you, his lips twitching into a fond smile. “I figured you might like it.”

You do.

Your Valentine’s Day with Viktor isn’t extravagant, but it’s intimate. He takes you to his favorite hidden café in Piltover, where the two of you sit by the window, fingers brushing as you share pastries and coffee. He listens intently as you talk, golden eyes filled with warmth.

Later, back in the lab, he pulls you onto his lap as he works, his free hand absently tracing patterns along your arm.

“I know this isn’t the most romantic way to spend the evening,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your temple.

You shake your head, smiling. “As long as I’m with you, it’s perfect.”

The way his fingers tighten around yours tells you he feels the same.

𝐌𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐚 | 𝐋𝐮𝐱𝐮𝐫𝐲, 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

Mel Medarda doesn’t waste her time on anything less than perfection. And when it comes to you, she ensures every detail is flawless.

You wake up to a single golden envelope on your pillow—inside, a handwritten letter in her elegant script.

“Wear something stunning. A car will be waiting for you at seven.”

And when the time comes, it’s everything. A private dinner in an art gallery, the dim lighting casting a soft glow over the room. The table is set for two, the wine already poured, and Mel is there—dressed in deep red, watching you with that knowing, unreadable smile.

“You’re breathtaking,” she says simply, her fingers brushing your wrist as she leads you to your seat.

The evening is indulgent, filled with quiet conversation, teasing smiles, and the occasional brush of her hand against your skin.

By the time the night ends, she leans in, her lips ghosting over your ear. “I never waste my time,” she murmurs, “but with you, I always wish I had more of it.”

And when she kisses you, it’s slow, deliberate—full of everything she never says aloud.

𝐕𝐢 | 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥, 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐟𝐮𝐥 & 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

Vi isn’t the flowers-and-candles type, but she is the type to make sure you have the best day ever.

Your morning starts with her tackling you back into bed, pressing a ridiculous amount of kisses to your face.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, babe!” she grins, straddling your waist. “Get up, get dressed—I’ve got a day planned for us.”

Her idea of a perfect date? Pure fun. She takes you on a ride through Zaun on her motorbike, the wind whipping past as she laughs, her hands steady on the handlebars. You grab lunch at her favorite street food stand, sitting on a rooftop and watching the city below.

At some point, she pulls a small box from her pocket, tossing it into your lap. “Got you something.”

Inside, there’s a custom-engraved bracelet—simple but meaningful. The inside is etched with the words:

“Always got your back.”

Your chest tightens. You glance up, and Vi just shrugs, rubbing the back of her neck. “Figured it’d remind you of me.”

You smile, pulling her into a kiss. “Like I could ever forget.”

𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧 | 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 & 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐆𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬

Caitlyn is a traditionalist when it comes to romance. She doesn’t go overboard, but she makes sure you feel adored in every way that matters.

The day starts with her showing up at your door, a bouquet of deep purple flowers in her hands.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, darling,” she says, pressing a soft kiss to your lips.

She takes you on the most thoughtful date—strolling through Piltover’s gardens, stopping by a quaint café for tea, and eventually leading you to a quiet, candlelit dinner at her favorite spot.

Halfway through, she reaches across the table, intertwining your fingers with hers.

“You know,” she says softly, “every day with you feels like something to celebrate.”

Her words send warmth curling through your chest.

And when the night ends, walking hand-in-hand beneath the city lights, she leans in close, her voice a whisper against your skin.

“I love you,” she murmurs, “today, tomorrow, always.”

And you believe her.

[wheeboo]

pulse points | wen junhui

SYNOPSIS. Being the TA for your anatomy class has always been really rewarding, especially stemming in your passion for the medical field. But as it’s approaching the peak of the school semester and labs have gotten more intense, you aren’t surprised to be dedicating your time to tutoring your strangely handsome, dorky, yet enigmatic classmate during after school hours — and reassuring him how to not be afraid of dissections. PAIRING. wen junhui x TA!reader (ft. performance unit as jun's roommates + mentions of wonwoo and jihoon) GENRE. fluff, classmates to lovers, humour WARNINGS/TAGS. unrealistic TA x student dynamics lmao, lots of medical sciency-anatomy talk, talks about dissections n cutting into things (they dissect a sheep brain), mentions of tools used for dissections, yn is wayyy too studious its a bit unhealthy perhaps, their love language is napping together n sharing food :(, alcohol and drinking (yn gets drunk 😣), they flirt in the middle of a damn dissection AHHAHA WORD COUNT. 15.9k

notes: this is my fic for the "back to school" collab hosted by @camandemstudios! i hope u all enjoy <3 was lowkey hating this fic as i wrote it but... i think it turned out fine?!?! thank you to all my moots, specifically @bananabubble @slytherinshua @etherealyoungk and the collab discord server for either helping me w ideas n brainrot or reading over the fic!! love u all to the stars and back <3

Three dollars is not enough for Jun to buy himself lunch. 

He could probably snag himself a stale, English muffin from the dining hall, but then he’d be walking around campus with a dry tongue until after his classes end. And unsurprisingly, he forgot his water bottle back in his apartment. Briefly, he considers texting Soonyoung or Minghao to perhaps drop by the apartment and grab his water bottle or even a quick snack that’ll last him, but the two of them were already knee deep enough of responsibilities of their own. 

Fucking capitalism. 

He’s already out of breath speed walking all the way from across campus and through four different hallways. The large windows of the science building bring in the natural sunlight at the peak of the afternoon, allowing it to cascade across the polished floors and right to the ends of his feet with every step that he takes. 

Jun purses his lips together tightly as he rounds one last corner before arriving in front of his current class: Anatomy. The quick glance at the time displayed on his phone shows that he’s around eight minutes late, which is way better than the fifteen minutes from last week. His shoulders slouch slightly with a bit of dread as he reaches for the doorknob and pulls it open.

Compared to the beginning of the year, there’s more empty seats in the lecture hall now. Honestly, Jun is surprised he hasn’t dropped out of the class yet, because his grade in all honesty isn’t… the best, to put it simply𑁋he’s passing, somehow, but just barely.

But he simply can’t afford to drop it and take on a new class like a snap of a finger, and he knows that if he bails now, he’ll only be prolonging his graduation date, a situation neither his parents nor his bank account would be happy about. He wasn’t even supposed to be in this class in the first place, but his horrible procrastination habits and the fact that the other classes he wanted filled up so quickly left him with no other choice.

Jun sits down in a seat near the back of the class, trying to blend in and hoping the professor won’t notice his tardiness. He swiftly pulls out his notebook and laptop and redirects his focus to the front of the classroom, where he sees Professor Lee already lecturing something about vascular anatomy and blood circulation, motioning towards the slideshow displayed on the screen. 

“…the brachiocephalic trunk branches off the aortic arch, which divides into the right subclavian artery and the right common carotid artery. These arteries supply blood to the arm and the brain, respectively…”

The words seem to flow through his brain like water. Even when he jots them down in his notes for him to study later, he reads the words like hieroglyphics. Perhaps it’s the hunger getting to him or just the mounting stress, but the lecture feels like it’s slipping through his fingers.

By the time Professor Lee finishes with the lecture, he has five pages of notes that feel like a jumble of terms and diagrams.

However, just as he thought he might finally catch a break, the slideshow switches to the next slide. 

“Now, let’s discuss the final major lab that will be crucial for your grades,” Professor Lee explains, a determined look on his face. “Your dissections that you will be finishing the year off with. I’m letting you all know about these in advance so you would have plenty of time to prepare.”

Jun’s stomach drops. Dissections. Of course, he knew it was coming, as it was quite literally listed in eye-catching bold letters in the syllabus at the beginning of the term. Yet the thought of cutting into anything and seeing its insides makes him almost squeamish. 

“This will account for a significant portion of your final grade. I can’t stress enough how important it is to take this seriously. Remember that dissections aren’t just about retaining names and locations in the body. They’re about seeing the relationships between different structures and understanding how they function together in real life.”

Every fibre of his being is aching for him to raise his hand and stupidly refute. He imagines what he’d say𑁋“I’m not good with blood,” or “Is there another activity I could do because I’m absolutely scared shitless?”𑁋but the words stick in his throat. Instead, he slouches further in his seat, hoping to disappear. He weighs all of his options, but they’re all equally unappealing: he can’t drop the class, he can’t afford to fail, and he certainly can’t magically become proficient at dissections overnight.

“Since the class has an uneven amount of students and the limited amount of specimens we have, I’ve decided to pair you all up. Y/N, may you hand out the partner lists?”

Jun feels himself tense in his seat as his eyes scan the room and land on you. Not only are you the TA of the class, but your seemingly calm demeanour as you drift throughout the room handing each student paperwork makes you appear almost intimidating to his eyes. 

When you finally reach him, he swears he catches a glimpse of a slight curl to your lips as you silently hand him the slip of paper that contains his partner assignment, before walking down to the next person. 

At first, the paper essentially states the same information that was discussed earlier: the dissection assignment, guidelines, and a list of required materials. But then his gaze falls to the part that matters most: his partner's name.

Y/N L/N, it reads. You’re his partner. Shit.

Your calm, composed attitude and role as the TA have already set a high bar for expectations in his mind. You’re probably going to be hyperanalysing and dissecting every aspect of his class performance, knowing his poor little heart wouldn’t be able to handle all that. You probably already have this tarnished reputation of him in your mind, with his frequent tardiness and the amount of times he’s dozed off in class.

Jun glances around the lecture hall, noticing other students exchanging whispers and glances at their own partner assignments. Some seem relieved, while others look as apprehensive as he feels. His stomach churns with the thought of having to work closely with you.

Professor Lee clears his throat and speaks, “Now that you all know your partners, I request that you all sit next to each other. These will be your seats starting from today and until the lab finishes. I also strongly encourage you all to exchange contact information with each other. Your collaboration together will be vital to your success in this lab.”

As the students shuffle around, Jun finds himself stuck in an uncomfortable limbo, watching as everyone pairs up and settles into their new seats, naturally exchanging contact information with one another. Then he shuffles for his backpack that was leaning against his chair in order to go find where you sit, but as he’s about to stand up, he’s met with you taking a seat right next to him.

Your eyes meet. A faint smile crosses your features. His backpack slips off his shoulders and falls to the floor with a dramatic thump.

“Hi,” You greet him softly, before offering a hand to him. “Granola bar? Had an extra one.”

Jun just blinks, eyes flickering between your face and the hand you have extended out to him. Then he awkwardly clears his throat, tentatively reaching out to grab the granola bar from your grasp, and the warmth emitting from your hand seems to crawl up his neck. 

“Thanks,” he mutters sheepishly, shifting his gaze away to hide a small upturn to the corners of his lips. 

The rest of class passes by in a blur, mainly with Professor Lee going over proper attire to wear and safety protocols for the dissection labs. And when the clock strikes dismissal time, students begin to filter out of the lecture hall, chatting amongst themselves as Jun struggles to stuff his laptop inside his backpack. 

You’re already gone to the front to talk to Professor Lee when Jun looks over. He watches as you hand in what looks like a stack of paper, only to be given another one right back, probably of assignments that the class has done lately. The air of professionalism that surrounds you is quite admirable, he would say. 

You seem to exchange a few more words with Professor Lee before turning on your heel to leave the lecture hall, the stack of papers neatly held under your arm.

By the time Jun is already on his way to his next class, he pulls the granola bar that you had given him out from the pocket of his jeans, unwrapping it and taking a bite out of it, savouring the moment as it relieves his nerves and gnawing hunger. 

Then by the time finishes his last class for the day, reality hits him the second he steps out of the building. Figuratively, and maybe even literally, at this point. 

He forgot to get your number for this lab.

The click of your pen echoes throughout the vast lecture hall. Unintelligible mutters leave your lips as your eyes quickly scan over the papers in front of you with ease. Among the many tasks you have assigned as TA, grading assignments is one of them, and you find yourself marking and correcting each paper just as you’ve done many times before. 

There used to be rumours floating around that your grading style was particularly strict, even more so than Professor Lee. Though it was probably spread around with the intention to intimidate other students and establish your reputation as someone annoyingly meticulous, you hardly let it get to you. 

The truth is, you were fair in your grading, but thorough. You didn’t see the point in letting half-baked work slide, especially when you knew these assignments could determine someone’s future. Medicine has been your passion for as long as you could remember, and that dedication extended into almost everything you did. Being the TA for the class was just one factor of it. 

It’s much, much quieter after school hours when most classes have finished for the day, and it’s natural to bask in the peacefulness that drifts throughout the barren room. You sort out the papers in front of you in a neat stack before taking a moment to stretch your arms up above your head, a soft sigh leaving you at the tension dissipating away from your limbs. 

As you begin to shuffle through all the papers in front of you𑁋separating them into piles of graded assignments and unfinished ones that you’ll save for later on𑁋there’s a quiet knock at the door that makes you pause in place. You turn your head towards the door, anticipating for someone to come in. 

Then another knock.

You swear you see some sort of shadow in the door window. It appears then disappears, and you  roll your eyes, thinking it was just someone who was lost or purposely going around knocking on each door (which has happened way more than one could expect). 

The shadow appears again, and this time, you decide on heading to the door yourself. And as you twist the doorknob and pull the door open simultaneously, you find yourself coming face-to-face with Jun, who looks a bit sheepish as he’s caught mid-knock. His eyes widen upon seeing you right in front of him, and he brings his hand down to his side. 

You blink up at him, not expecting for him to be here at this moment of the day.

“Junhui?” 

It’s at this point of his life that Jun realises he really isn’t used to people calling him by his proper first name. But the way you say it is different𑁋soft and warm, like an unexpected compliment.

“Uh, hi,” he greets a tad bit awkwardly, mentally slapping himself in the face. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything?” 

“Oh, no, you’re not. Don’t worry,” You tell him reassuringly, catching the way his eyes seem to flicker everywhere but on you. “Is there anything I can help you with?” 

Jun fidgets slightly, his gaze bouncing between the floor and your face. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. “Actually, I... um, forgot to get your number earlier today. For… for the lab, I mean. Professor Lee said we should exchange information so I thought I would ask. Unless you don’t want to, of course.”

You raise an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing at your lips. “Ah, I see. No problem. I’m glad you came by to get it. Here, let me just𑁋”

You shove into your back pocket to retrieve your phone, only to feel that it wasn’t there. Then you glance over to your desk, seeing it sitting next to your abundance of papers, before returning back to Jun.

You shove a hand into your back pocket to retrieve your phone, only to feel that it wasn’t there. Then you glance over to your desk, seeing it sitting next to your abundance of papers, before returning back to Jun.

“Here, you can come in. Let me just get my phone real quick.” You step to the side and open the door wider for him.

Jun visibly hesitates in the doorway, before muttering a quiet thank you and stepping inside the lecture hall. It’s certainly a sight to see the room so stripped of other students besides you and him, the sounds of his footsteps bouncing off the walls. He takes in the stacks of papers that you have spread across your desk, and he feels some nerves snake their way up his spine at the thought of you grading his work.

“Wow, that looks like a lot,” he comments gingerly. 

“Yeah, it’s quite the pile, right?” You agree with a light chuckle as you grab your phone and unlock it. “Always happens near the end of the sem.” 

Jun’s eyes wash over you with a look of concern. “That seems… stressful.”

You just shrug nonchalantly. “It’s nothing I can’t handle. Besides, it keeps me busy.” 

“Well, you should get some good rest after this then,” he remarks coolly. 

“Wish I could, but I have some tutoring scheduled in about half an hour,” You say, tone warm but tinged with a hint of weariness as you glance at the time on your phone. “One of the students in the intro biology class needs help with some of the basics before their midterm. So… rest will have to wait.”

From that, Jun shifts awkwardly, his fingers playing with the strap of his backpack. His brain races as he considers his options. You’re clearly knowledgeable and dedicated, not to mention you seem approachable, but the thought of admitting how much he’s struggling makes his throat dry, plus the guilt of adding more to your busy plate. 

“Tutoring, huh?” Jun finally says, trying to sound casual. “Is that… something you do a lot?”

You nod, tapping away on your phone as you pull up your contact information. “Yeah, actually. It’s nice to help people out. Keeps me up with the material too. Usually I’m free most days at any time after classes.”

Jun continues to gaze at you wonderingly until after you pick up your head to look at him, to which he faces away immediately. He scratches the back of his neck bashfully, before fixing his posture and clearing his throat.

“Do you… have room for one more student?” Then he feels the immediate regret afterwards. “It’s okay if not. I know that you’re busy and all that𑁋”

“Junhui,” You interrupt gently, a calm smile on your face. “I have room. Don’t worry about it.

He lets out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding, the reassuring warmth on your face easing the knots in his stomach. “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”

“I’d be more than happy to find a time that works for us both. Just let me know what you need, and we’ll figure a time out. We’re lab partners, after all,” You say gleefully. “Speaking of which, you can put your number in here.”

You extend an arm with your phone in-hand. Jun takes the phone from your hand, his fingers brushing against yours for a brief moment, and types in his phone number and information. When he hands the phone back, he looks up to meet your eyes, trying to muster a more confident expression.

“Thank you so much, really, I…” His voice trails off for a moment, trying to regain his words. “I’ll owe you one for this, truly.” 

“There’s no need.”

Jun shakes his head. “Seriously, I’ll feel bad.”

You bite at your bottom lip in thought, an endearing look washing over your features as you consider his insistence. The pleading in his eyes is hard to ignore, and it makes your heart soften in your chest. You take a moment to think before offering a small, playful grin.

“Alright.” You cross your arms together. “We’ll see.” 

Perhaps… you aren’t as intimidating as he thinks.

Jun is staring at a sheep brain. 

Not a real one𑁋a picture of one, specifically. It’s apparently very similar to the human brain, and the specimen he’s expected to dissect for the upcoming lab. 

He stares at the image displayed on the large screen right before his eyes, feeling a strange mix of fascination and dread. The detailed structures and labels are overwhelming, each word swimming in and out of focus as he tries to absorb the information. It's not that he isn't interested𑁋on the contrary, there's a part of him that's genuinely curious about how it all works, and the other part of him is utterly disturbed. 

You’re sitting next to him again, just like everyone else is sitting next to their partners, taking notes and even drawing a very rushed outline of the brain on your paper. 

“We have to dissect that…?” Jun whispers under his breath, as if speaking any louder might bring the brain to life. 

“Yep,” You reply, glancing over at Jun. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

Jun attempts to stifle a groan, eyes going between the image on the screen and down to his near-empty notes. He can’t help but wonder how on earth he’s going to get through this without completely embarrassing himself.

Letting your eyes roam over Jun for a moment, the visible discomfort in the way he crosses his arms together and the furrow in his brow doesn’t escape your notice. Casually, you scoot your chair towards him a little bit, along with your notebook so that it’s settled in the space between the two of you with the outline of the brain clearly visible on the page. Your shoulder almost brushes against his. 

“Here,” You say softly, tapping your pen on the page. “I’ve got the main structures labeled already. You can add them to your notes if you want. I can explain it to you in more detail when you come to tutoring tomorrow?”

Oh, that’s right. Tomorrow is the day you both were free and decided it was the day where Jun could stop by after classes end to have his first tutoring session with you. 

“Yeah, uh, that would be great,” Jun responds quietly, peeking over at how neat and organised your notes appeared to be. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” You nod, before soundlessly shuffling inside your bag and extending it out to Jun. “Granola bar?” 

Jun glances at the granola bar being offered by you, its wrapper crinkling slightly as you hold it out to him. He smiles, a little lopsided but genuine, and takes the bar from you. The hesitation in his shoulders has deflated slightly than from the first time you proposed one to him. 

Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

“Bro, are you going out on a date or what? You’re stinking up a storm here.” Soonyoung lets out a few dramatic coughs at the sudden sharp scent of Minghao’s perfume hitting his nose, followed by Chan behind him nearly gagging at the smell. Though obviously one would expect for the owner himself to be the one using it, he certainly didn’t expect for the culprit to be none other than Jun.

Okay, yes, he may have accidentally sprayed a shit ton of Minghao’s perfume on himself, which was a bit of an overkill. But he clearly wasn’t thinking straight after waking up from a nap between deciding to take a really quick shower or stealing his roommate’s expensive perfume. 

“You think this is too much?” Jun asks unsurely. 

Beside him, Chan rolls his eyes while clutching a bowl of ramen. “You smell like you’re trying to cover up a crime scene. It might suffocate someone. Where are you even going anyway?”

Jun clears his throat. “Tutoring𑁋”

“Tutoring?!” Soonyoung exclaims in surprise. “For which class?”

“Anatomy𑁋”

“Hell no,” Soonyoung crinkles his nose at the mention of anatomy. “You're telling me you’re getting all dolled up for a tutoring session on dissecting brains and guts? Are you trying to seduce the organs or something?” 

Jun groans at his roommate’s words, shaking his head. But before he can say anything in response, Chan seems to beat him to it.

“Don’t you have this really strict TA in your class too? I’ve heard that they don’t even offer partial credit or crack a smile during lectures. Like, they’re just a machine, dude,” the youngest adds in.

It’s quite literally insane to hear that kind of description about you leave Chan’s mouth when all of his interactions with you have been nothing but short and sweet, to put it simply. Though he won’t deny he’s heard all those rumours spread around about you𑁋that you’re strict, and perhaps a bit intimidating. He’s had his fair share of moments where he felt overwhelmed by your grading and meticulous nature. Yet from what he’s seen of you so far, you’re passionate, friendly if anything, and your smile is… cute. 

Jun only shrugs his shoulders. “Yeah, they’re in my class, but I’m just trying to get my grade up before the year ends. I think I can handle them.” 

Soonyoung huffs a breath, stepping up to Jun and giving him some sort of comforting pat on the back, almost like he feels bad for him. 

“Well, good luck, dude,” he reassures him, though it hardly eases Jun’s nerves at all. “Don’t get crucified in there.” 

As Jun wanders down the familiar hallway to the classroom, he finds his thoughts beginning to second-guess everything. What if he ultimately fails meeting your expectation at the end of the session? What if he struggles to fully grasp the material and ends up looking like an absolute fool in front of you by the time the real dissections roll around? 

However, those thoughts are pushed away when the door to the classroom swings open before he has the opportunity to knock, with you standing on the other side. Your face seems to light up at the sight of him, and it makes Jun briefly think about what Soonyoung said earlier about you. Like… was he talking about the same person?

“Hey, you made it,” You greet him, stepping aside so he could walk in. “Let me just finish organising some things and we can start.” 

Jun’s eyelashes bat together in curiosity as he watches you rummage through some papers, before deciding it's worth sitting down to wait for you. He places himself down an empty desk, fishing out his notebook and laptop and whatever he may need, though he doesn’t really know. By the time you’re making your way over to him, you set your stuff right next to his. 

“Okay.” You let out a relieved breath, peering at him. “Where do you want to start?” 

Oh, he hadn’t really thought that far ahead yet.

“Uh,” Jun stammers, fumbling for a moment, his mind suddenly drawing blanks. He quickly opens his notebook to the page where he had jotted down some half-baked notes during class and is staring back at him like a puzzle missing half its pieces. “Maybe… maybe we can start with what we’re going over in class right now? And just go down from there?”

“We can do that,” You agree without hesitation, leaning in more so that you were able to see his notes. Jun draws himself slightly back. “So, as you know, we’re going to have to be familiar with the parts and functions of the brain since it’s also part of the dissections. What I like to do is break it down into smaller sections and tackle each one individually. It might make the whole thing less overwhelming.”

Jun just nods, appreciating the way you’re making things more approachable. 

You grab a blank sheet of paper and draw a quick, simple outline of the brain, labeling the major parts with clear, concise notes. “Let’s go over the basics𑁋the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem. These are the main regions we need to understand before diving into all the nitty-gritty details. Is that okay?”

He nods again, moving back slightly closer so he can see what you’re drawing. 

“The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and is responsible for higher brain functions like thinking, reasoning, and sensory processing,” You continue, pointing to the relevant part of your drawing. “It’s divided into the left and right hemispheres, and each one controls the opposite side of the body.”

Jun watches as you explain, occasionally nodding to show he’s following along. There’s something calming about the way you speak𑁋gentle, but confident, filled with poise. He tries to shake off the thought, reminding himself that he’s here to study, not to admire the way your eyes light up when you speak so passionately about a topic as ridiculous and complex as the damn brain. 

You’re so different from what people say. There’s no sign of the strict, no-nonsense TA everyone talks about. 

“...and that’s why the frontal lobe is so important for decision-making and problem-solving. I like comparing it to, let’s say, a CEO,” You explain. “It’s where a lot of our executive functions happen. Think of it as the brain’s ‘boss’ making the big decisions and planning.”

Jun blinks for a moment, snapping back to attention, quickly jotting down a note to make it seem like he was paying attention. He actually was, sort of. Somehow he’s lucky enough for you to not notice him being distracted (or you do, and he’s the one who didn’t notice). 

“Frontal lobe, right,” he mutters lowly, under his breath.

“The cerebellum is our little assistant to the CEO. It’s responsible for our movement, coordination, and balance,” You say, pointing to a spot on the sketch at the very back of the brain and above the brainstem. “Think of it as the brain’s quality control. It just makes sure that whatever movements we do are smooth and precise, so…” 

Nope. He still can’t detect those rumours that paint you as some sort of cold, calculated, and harsh TA. He spots not a single one of those in your demeanour. Briefly, he wonders whether or not those rumours bother you, if they’ve ever bothered you or made you feel misunderstood. Swiftly, though, he brushes those thoughts away𑁋he’s more focused on you than the material at hand. 

It’s hard not to look at you, in all honesty. 

“Junhui?” Your voice pulls him back to reality.

“Huh?” he responds, a little too quickly.

You tilt your head slightly, a small, knowing smile on your lips. “I asked if you’re ready to move on to the brainstem, or do you want to go over the cerebellum again?”

“Oh, um… no, I’m good,” he says, feeling his face heat up slightly. He hopes you don’t notice how flustered he is. “Let’s move on.”

You nod, satisfied with his answer, and continue your explanation, turning your attention to the next section of the brain. 

“The brainstem,” You begin, pointing to an area at the bottom of the brain with the pencil. “is like the brain's relay station. It connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls many of the body’s automatic functions, like breathing, heart rate, and digestion. Without it, our bodies wouldn't be able to function properly…”

Jun observes as you draw a line down the sketch, clearly marking the brainstem. He’s listening, or at least trying to, but his mind keeps drifting back to how comfortable this whole situation feels. He expected to be a nervous wreck, fumbling through explanations and possibly embarrassing himself in front of you. But instead, he finds himself oddly at ease, more focused on how you’re able to break down the complex information into something so much more digestible.

“Still with me?” You ask suddenly, looking up from your notes to meet his gaze.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here,” Jun answers unsurely, sitting up a little straighter in his seat. He offers a small smile, hoping it masks his earlier distraction.

A flicker of amusement flashes in your eyes, and there’s a warmth in your expression that puts Jun further at ease. “Okay, great. We can continue then.”

The rest of the session goes by surprisingly rather quickly. You guide Jun through the material, your explanations helping Jun absorb the information more effectively than the regular in-class lectures. It makes him think about how great you would be as a professor, or anything in the medical field. Everything just seems to flow out of you seamlessly as you discuss various brain functions and their relevance to anatomy and dissections.

As Jun is finishing up the last of some notes, you ask, “Would you mind if I write you a little sticky note? To tell you what to look over when you’re reviewing on your own?” 

Jun looks up, a bit surprised but grateful. “That would be good, thank you.” 

You stand up to retrieve a sticky note from Professor’s Lee desk, before returning back to Jun and writing down: 

Review over neuroanatomy and its functions! •ᴗ•  

Finally, you plaster the sticky note at the corner of the page in his notebook. 

There’s a comfortable silence that follows as you both gather your belongings. It feels like a small victory for Jun𑁋he not only survived the session but actually, in a way, enjoyed it.

As you both stand up, ready to leave, you glance over at him.

“By the way, I don’t think you need all that perfume on,” You say, a hint of laughter in your voice.

Jun’s eyes widen, caught off-guard. Shit. “Oh, uh𑁋yeah, that…”

You chuckle softly, shaking your head. “It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just… a little overwhelming. Maybe tone it down next time?”

Jun’s face flushes as he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. “Sorry, I uh… was rushing and just grabbed what I could find. I didn’t mean to overdo it.”

“You’re all good,” You reassure him, still smiling as you sling your bag over your shoulder. “Just a little heads-up. So, anyway, for the next session…”

Next session? His jaw nearly drops to the floor at your casual mention of a next session. 

“...I think I’ll try and set up a little lesson plan we can reference off of… probably review over the cardiovascular system…”

“You… You don’t have to do all that,” Jun interjects. “It sounds like a lot of work.” 

You dismiss him off with a reassuring wave. “It’s no trouble. I think it’ll help to have a structured plan for us to follow. It’ll make sure we cover everything orderly.” 

Jun zips his mouth shut and just nods in agreement, unable to hide the small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, biting it back when he hangs his head down to the ground. When he perks back up, he finds you over at Professor Lee’s desk, sorting through some papers before organising the stack and preparing to finally leave. He opens his mouth, but the words he wanted to say stick to his tongue.

“I’ll see you later?” Jun calls out to you instead, his voice bouncing off the walls of the lecture hall. 

You glance up at him in acknowledgment. “I’ll see you later, Junhui.”

He takes a visible gulp.

“Jun,” he suddenly says, saying it as if he were correcting you, which in a way, he is, but it comes out a bit awkwardly. “You can call me just Jun, if you’d like.” 

A wave of surprise washes over your features, before ultimately fading into a pleasant smile.

“Alright, Just Jun,” You reply, tilting your head slightly. “I’ll see you later.” 

One could probably say you’re a party pooper. Not necessarily intentionally, but instead of filling up your college experience with going to parties and social events, you find yourself buried within pages of textbooks. Your weekends aren’t filled with the chaoticness of drinking and loosening up; rather, they consist of quiet study sessions in your room and creating new lecture material.

You’re not avoiding fun𑁋at least, that’s what you always tell yourself𑁋you’re just focused on achieving your academic goals.

It’s a routine carved ever since you were younger, your parents constantly instilling that education is the key to success, and you’ve taken that message to heart. From an early age, you learned to prioritise your studies over everything else. As you grew older, you carried that mindset with you, where you’ve become known among your peers as the diligent, dependable student and TA who always has their priorities straight.

Your schedule is precise, your assignments are always turned in on time, always prepared for every quiz and exam, and your grades reflect the countless hours you’ve spent studying. It’s a reputation you’re proud of, but it also comes with a certain level of pressure𑁋pressure to maintain those high standards, to never let yourself slip.

You sit back in the seat, satisfied after crafting a proper lesson plan and organising your materials for your next tutoring session. When you glance over at your planner to see who was coming in today, the name that you spot is𑁋

Knock. 

You glance up from your planner and over to the door. “Come in!”

It takes a few moments for the door to swing in, and the tall figure that steps through is unmistakable𑁋light brown hair slightly fluffed out, a half-opened black backpack hanging on his shoulders, and an oversized hoodie that appeared way more comfortable than it needed to be.

“Jun?” You look at the time on your phone. “You’re here early.” 

“Oh, yeah…” Jun runs a hand through his tousled hair. “I thought showing up early could give us some extra time, maybe. Unless… unless you’re still busy?” 

You shake your head. “Don’t worry, you’re fine. Just give me a few minutes and then we can start?”

“Yeah. Take all the time that you need.” 

Once again, it’s only the two of you in the lecture hall. He ponders if you’ve tutored any students before him today, hovering near you as he watches you sort through some papers and adjust your notes. The room is quiet except for the faint rustle of papers and the soft hum of the air conditioning. Jun can sense his curiosity growing within him, making him fidget with the strap of his backpack. 

“So, uh… how long have you been a TA for Professor Lee?” 

You pick your head up from your papers, fingers resting at the edge of the desk. 

“Since the beginning of the year,” You reply. “I got recommended to him by some previous professors, and I guess I couldn’t say no to the opportunity.”

Jun nods slowly, thoughtfully. “Do you like it? Being a TA, I mean.”

You consider his question for a moment, feeling a bit reflective as you answer, “I do, actually. It’s hard but rewarding, you know? I get to help students understand the material better, and I learn a lot in the process too. It’s a good balance between teaching and learning, I would say.”

Jun takes in your words attentively, peeking his eyes toward you with an almost shy smile. There’s a quiet admiration in the way he looks at you that you don’t notice, as if he’s trying to understand how you manage to keep everything together so well. Then a moment of silence fills the space between you two, not uncomfortable, maybe a bit awkward on his end, but more contemplative.

Jun shifts this abominable weight pressing down on him from one foot to the other. He’s not used to being in situations like this𑁋alone with someone who seems so put together, so sure of themselves. It’s both inspiring and a little intimidating. The silence seems to stretch, and you can see the gears turning in his head, like he’s on the verge of saying something but can’t quite find the right words.

“I guess I wonder how you manage it all so well,” he remarks timidly. “You’re always so organised and… on top of things. I’m curious how you do it.”

You purse your lips together into a thin line and simply shrug your shoulders. “I’ve always had high expectations for myself growing up and I guess it’s carried into everything I do now. It’s become second nature, really.” 

As Jun takes in your words, that sense of admiration seems to soften into a bit of worry. It’s amazing that you could handle so many responsibilities at once, but the more he thinks about it, the more it seems like a lot of stress and pressure to manage. He wonders if you ever feel overwhelmed or if it ever gets too much to handle at times. 

You probably do𑁋you’re human, after all𑁋and a twinge of concern snakes up his spine as he thinks about.

“Anyway, hm… I was thinking about going over the cardiovascular system for this session. What do you say?” You ask him.

Jun snaps out of his thoughts, walking briskly over towards the desk to take a seat. “Oh, yeah. That sounds good.” 

The session is just similar to last time: you begin by outlining the cardiovascular system, breaking it down into different sections just as you did with the brain, and using relatable analogies with associating each part with their functions.

“...so the heart has four chambers: the left and right atria plus the left and right ventricles,” You explain, pointing down to the drawing you made with the tip of your pencil. “The right side deals with deoxygenated blood, while the left side handles oxygenated blood. The heart’s valves make sure that blood flows in the correct direction. Think of it like… traffic signals.”

“Traffic signals…” Jun mutters to himself as he writes down notes. Knowing that this is all going on within his own body wraps around his mind uncomfortably.

As you continue explaining, there’s that light again that Jun detects in your eyes, as well as the subtle lift to your lips that makes your voice just a step higher. His gaze also follows your hands that you unknowingly maneuver when you talk, the movements graceful and expressive, like you’re bringing the material to life.

“Are you familiar with where all your pulse points are?” 

Jun lifts a brow, thinking for a second, before taking a finger down to his wrist. “I think so. There’s one here… on the wrist…”

“The radial artery.”

“Radial artery. Yeah.” Then he drags the tip of his finger up to his inner elbow. “There’s also one here. The brachial artery, right?”

“You got it.” 

He grins bashfully at that, though it’s quick to fade when he focuses again, pointing down to his leg. “There’s also two here. Femoral and… pop… Popliteal?”

“You’re right,” You confirm wholeheartedly, and Jun’s heart flutters in small victory. 

Jun then brings his hand back up, using two fingers to point to a spot on his neck. 

“And, uh… The one here on the neck. It’s…” He continues pressing down into his skin to find where he can feel his pulse, but your eyes on him is causing him to feel a bit self-conscious. “Uh…”

“The carotid artery. Right here.”

Before Jun has a chance to correct himself, you’re suddenly scooting closer to him in your chair, leaning in and extending an arm out towards him. The sudden contact of your fingers on the side of his neck makes his eyes widen and his breath to hitch. 

Your fingers rest gently on the side of his neck, just below his jawline, and for a brief moment, the world outside of the lecture hall seems to disappear. The visible swallow of his Adam’s apple isn’t hard to miss as he tries to focus on anything but the sensation of your hand on his neck.

Heat washes over his face, and he swears to himself that you could most definitely feel the way his pulse is running marathons under your touch. All of a sudden his tongue goes dry, his limbs go numb, and the way you’re so close to him makes it hard for him to properly think straight, let alone form any sort of coherent response.

Your eyes meet for a singular millisecond, too quick that Jun could have possibly been imagining it.

Pulling your hand away, you clear your throat soundly. “Try it.”

It takes Jun a moment to register you were talking to him, and he tentatively replaces the spot where your fingers were at with his own.

“Right here?” he asks.

“Mhm.” Your gaze roams over his concentrated face. “Apply a bit of pressure. That’s the carotid artery doing its work.” 

His pulse is certainly fast. The thought has him sinking into a pit of embarrassment. 

But he only nods, keeping his voice steady as he says, “Yeah, I feel it.”

“So whenever you want to count your heart rate, this is one of the places you can check,” You instruct. “You can just press down on that spot and count the number of beats you feel in 15 seconds. Then, multiply that number by four, and you’ll have your heart rate in beats per minute.”

Jun attempts to listen to his heart rate, but the attentive look you have on your face as you watch him makes it really hard to properly count. So he chooses to let his hand fall back down. He wouldn’t be able to calculate it with you here with him anyway. 

When the two of you meet eyes for the nth time, there’s a fleeting, almost electric moment of mutual awareness. None of you acknowledge it, yet it awkwardly lingers in the air. Warmth spreads across Jun’s chest, coupled with a nervous energy that makes his heart beat soar just a little faster.

You break the tension with an airy chuckle. “Are you ready to move on?” 

Jun blinks a few times, shaking off whatever awkwardness swirling around him, and nods quickly. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

By the time he gets back to his apartment later that evening and begins to unpack his things from his backpack, a small piece of pink paper flutters down to the floor like a feather, landing by his foot. It’s a sticky note, reading:

Good sesh today •ᴗ• Don’t forget to review!

“There’s no way I’m touching a brain.”

“Jun, you have to! You’ll be wearing gloves anyway𑁋”

“I cannot cut into a brain. That is gross,” Jun rebukes defensively, face scrunching up with stubborn refusal. 

“Jun, dissections are really important for anatomy,” You clarify calmly. “It’s part of the learning process.”

“Yeah, I… I know,” he mumbles defeatedly, almost shameful to admit. “I’m not that good with, uh… dead things. Like, couldn’t we look at diagrams or pictures instead? They’re less… squishy.” 

You smile amusedly at that, finding his squeamishness a bit endearing. But you straighten your posture and plaster on a reassuring look to your face. 

“I understand that it’s not for everyone,” You respond, a comforting tone to your voice. “But getting hands-on experience is really valuable. It’s one thing to see it in a book, but actually being able to identify the structures in real life makes a big difference in how you understand the material.”

Jun still looks apprehensive, but your words bring a sparkle of determination to his eyes. The idea of cutting into something that used to be alive still makes his stomach turn and the hairs on the back of his neck stick up, but he knows that you’re right. When are you not right?

“It just feels illegal,” Jun admits uneasily, a shudder running through him at the thought. “I don’t know if I can handle it.”

“That’s what I’m here for, remember?” You lightly nudge him in the arm with your elbow, attempting to lighten the mood. “We’re partners, after all.”

“Yeah, but…” There’s some hesitation, his gaze dropping down to his shoes. He lowers his voice as he speaks, “I want to show you that I’m capable of doing something…”

“Then we’ll start off slow, make you become familiar with everything,” You reason gently. “I know you’re not the only one who feels queasy by it, but you’ll have to face it. Facing your fears can help in conquering them, you know.” 

The corners of Jun’s lips tug up at that, mainly from the fact that you’re able to reassure him this effortlessly. He can’t tell if it’s exactly your words that eases up his nerves or if it’s simply your presence here with him right now thawing away the ice of his fears. Whatever it is, all he can really say is he likes knowing that you genuinely care.

And he likes knowing that you’re right next to him too.

“If I freak out,” he starts. “You’ll promise to help me out?”

Your lips draw into a thin line, a certain playfulness softening the features of your face. 

“No promises, but𑁋”

“Hey!”

“Study what we discussed today and then I’ll consider it.” There’s still a twinge of tease to your words, but the edges are roughened with a touch of sincerity. 

Jun just grins. How could anyone ever make up ridiculous rumours about you?

“Good game, man. Same time again next Saturday?”

Jun huffs out a winded breath, dabbing at the sweat that clings to his forehead with the edge of his shirt before taking a long chug out of the water bottle that Wonwoo tosses over to him. 

“Yeah. I’ll see you then,” he replies exhaustedly, taking another tip of water, feeling his muscles aching from the game. 

As his friends leave the basketball court, he starts to retrieve his own belongings, slinging his backpack and hoodie over his shoulder and starting his walk towards the bus stop so he could go back home. The sun has completely set at this point, the night sky now blanketing the city in a cool, comfortable darkness. The breeze that floats through the air relieves some of the tension in his body, cooling his skin after the intense game. Jun walks slowly, taking his time on the way to the bus stop, simply savouring the peacefulness of the evening.

He considers getting food for himself𑁋there’s a small convenience store that he spots at the corner of his eye, and his stomach rumbles at the thought. 

He changes direction and heads toward the store, the faint jingling of the door chime greeting him as he steps inside. The store is a cozy, cluttered space with a mix of snacks, drinks, and other essentials. He decides on grabbing a cold drink and some instant ramen that he can heat up when he gets home. And after purchasing, he heads back outside and continues his way to the bus stop.

Tapping his bus card on the scanner, Jun makes his way toward the back of the bus and settles into a seat closest to the window, the seat right next to him vacant. The bus was mostly empty, but everyone else was spread out in their own seats either dozing off, listening to music, or staring out the window. It’s quite nice, he must say.

The sounds of him crumpling his bag fills the still air of the bus as he waits for the bus to move, but the hissing of the doors opening perks his attention up. 

Out of all things, he certainly never expected to see the sight of you breathlessly climbing onto the bus, muttering apologies towards the bus driver as you scramble for your bus card in your wallet. Your backpack is about to slip off your shoulder, cheeks flushed from assuming all the running you did to get here, and a mask of tiredness that you wear on your face that isn’t hard to notice. Were you at campus? It’s almost ten at night. 

And out of all things, he didn’t expect for you to come over to him among the many empty seats in the bus. 

“Hey,” You greet him breathlessly, glancing down at the empty seat next to him. “Are you fine with me sitting here?” 

Jun blinks, before speedily adjusting himself, forcing his body more into the seat so you would have all the room that you wanted. He gives you a nod. 

Smiling faintly, you sit down right next to him, shoulder brushing against his. You settle your backpack on your lap and lean back a bit, finally allowing yourself to relax. The bus lurches, beginning to move forward. Jun lets his eyes wash over you.

“Did… you just come from campus?” he asks. 

You laugh awkwardly at that. “Yeah, I… I was studying.”

“You study this late at night on campus?”

“I do.” It’s a bit funny admitting that, you don’t know why. “Sorta lost track of time, I guess.” 

Jun keeps a fixed look on you, as if there was some anomaly within your words, but he knows you’re telling the truth. He just can’t believe that anyone would stay on campus so late, plus you look way too tired, like you could pass out any second. Some worry flows down his body. 

“That sounds… exhausting,” he says, concern edging his voice. “Are you sure you’re okay?” 

You glance at him, eyes softening slightly. There’s something about him asking that tugs at your heart. “I’m fine. It’s not unusual for me to be up late studying. I’m used to it.”

Jun feels his fingers twitch around the bag in his grasp. “I see.”

You let your head fall slightly. “Thank you though.”

He faces you curiously. “For what?”

“Just…” For being here? For asking if I’m okay? “I don’t know. Thank you.”

He doesn’t know why you’re thanking him; if anything he should be the one thanking you.

“Oh.” A small smile appears on his lips. “You’re welcome.”

He feels weird. Not in a bad sense𑁋far from that, actually. It’s basically his first time ever interacting with you that isn’t on school grounds, and in a way right now, he isn’t the student and you’re not the TA. He’s simply Jun, and you are… well, you. You’re just two people sharing a late bus ride, and Jun is oddly grateful for the chance to see this side of you𑁋tired, a little vulnerable, but still yourself nonetheless.

The bus rumbles lightly. Silence swirling the air around the two of you. Jun glances at your profile, noticing how your eyes flutter shut for a brief second before snapping open again. His fingers twitch again, wanting to do something more𑁋maybe offer you his jacket, or ask if you need anything𑁋but he holds himself back.

The thought of pushing himself to exhaustion like that feels foreign. But he knows you well enough𑁋or at least, he’s seen you enough𑁋to know you’re driven, always working hard, sometimes too hard. He doesn’t know how to tell you that it’s okay to slow down.

“Y/N?” he calls out quietly.

You face him with a cute, sleepy look. “Hm?”

“You’re falling asleep.”

You giggle lazily at that, the sound unguarded and relaxed. “Sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” he says softly. “You can close your eyes. When’s your stop?”

Gazing at the window for a few moments, you take note of the familiar surroundings that the bus passes by. “It should be the next one.” 

Before you can settle back into the seat, Jun quickly adds, suddenly feeling brave, “You can… lean on my shoulder if you want.”

You hesitate for a moment, then give him a drowsy, grateful smile. “I think I’d like that.”

With a sigh, you allow your head to rest against his shoulder, and Jun could only imagine how uncomfortable his own shoulder might be compared to a pillow, but he doesn’t mind, and neither do you as well𑁋at least he thinks you don’t.

Your eyes are closed when Jun leans down to sneak a glance at your face, your features softened with exhaustion. There’s the faintest sight of a smile to your lips, and it makes his own curve up slightly too. His heart stirs in his chest, all while attempting to fully compose himself so you wouldn’t be disturbed. 

As his eyes drift back outside, he leans his own head on the window, watching the cityscape pass by. There’s fatigue crawling up his body too, but he forces himself to stay awake so that he knows when your stop is approaching. He casts glimpses down to you to make sure you’re still comfortable, but every time he looks at you, his heart seems to do a little jump, a little flutter in his chest. 

Jun knows he shouldn’t hope for anything more than this moment, knows he shouldn’t let himself fall into dreams of what-ifs, but he can’t help it. Admitting to himself that he likes you is bizarre, almost too bold for him to fully accept. Yet here you are, leaning against him, breathing softly in your dazed state as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. 

And maybe, just maybe, he thinks, it could be.

You could tell there was something off about Jun today, and it seems to bother you a little more than you expect. 

He just didn’t seem to be… paying attention. You would explain something to him, and he’d reply with a small hum of acknowledgment before drifting off into a bit of a daydreaming state. Perhaps his mind was clouded and it wasn’t your place to ask, or maybe he was just tired. Regardless, you knew that it wouldn’t get either of you progress through this tutoring session, especially when you’re trying to instruct him about what to expect for the dissections.

“Jun?” You snap your finger in front of his face, and he immediately perks up. “You got all that down?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, the probe…” He trails off, looking a bit lost. “Uh, can you repeat it?”

“The probe is used to explore and identify different anatomical structures,” You explain slowly. “But remember to be careful with it. Tissues are very delicate, so one wrong move could cause damage.” 

You watch quietly as he writes down the notes, his head resting on his as if he’s struggling to keep his eyes open.

“I saw you fall asleep today in class.”

Jun looks back up at you, eyes widening as if what he had done was some sort of crime. He suddenly appears more awake than ever.

“Crap, I… I’m sorry,” he mutters in apology, face flushing with embarrassment. “I knew you were lecturing since Professor Lee wasn’t here today, but I just… I don’t know. I couldn’t keep my eyes open that well. I’m really sorry.”

He could only assume the worst𑁋that you’re mad at him for falling asleep, when in reality he had stayed up late the night before to review over the material the two of you have covered so far during your sessions. But when your face softens into a look of understanding, he seems to relax. Just slightly. 

“Jun, it’s fine, really. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” You reassure him gently. “Trust me, you’re not in trouble and I’m not mad.”

He swallows down the lump in your throat. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Like really sure?”

“One thousand percent.”

“I’m not convinced.” A sly grin spreads across Jun’s face. What a dork.

“Unfunny,” You huff, before taking a seat right next to him and flipping through the pages in your lesson plan. 

Once again, Jun props an elbow on the table and leans his head on his hand, a playful smirk lingering on his face as he watches you. You feel his eyes on you. 

“It sort of gave me a little glimpse into your life, you know.” 

You glance up, intrigued. “Yeah? And what did you take from that?”

“That… I really cannot and will never be on your level of studying,” Jun admits sheepishly. He seems to crawl into himself a bit more as he continues hesitantly, “and, uh, made me admire you a little bit more too.”

You freeze at that, pausing mid-flipping through a page in your planner as his words float through the air. Admire… you? It wasn’t something you ever anticipated hearing from him𑁋ever anticipated to see him this forward𑁋especially not today when he seemed so out of it.

You clear your throat softly, trying to act nonchalant. “You admire me?”

Jun chuckles softly, the sound a little awkward as he tries to ease the tension. “Well, who wouldn’t?”

He’s probably digging himself into a bit of a hole right now, perhaps overstepping a small boundary of what was supposed to be just a casual tutoring session. But really, despite these sessions honestly really helping with understanding the material, he’s mainly here because… well… he gets to spend time with you. 

“Sorry, I-I mean… I made this weird, didn’t I?” Jun swiftly corrects himself, face flushing deeper with each word that leaves him. “I guess I just want to thank you for pushing me to do better. I’ve always… kind of admired that about you for a while now.”

Even you momentarily forget what you wanted to discuss with him for the session, a surge of warmth shooting through your body. The only sounds you could hear right now are the branches outside hitting the window from the wind and the ticking of the clock on the wall. The room was quiet, filled with an awkward, yet comfortable tension that neither of you seemed to know how to break.

“I’m glad to hear that,” You tell him. “It means a lot that you feel that way.” 

Relief and apprehension hugs around Jun, as if unsure whether he should say anything more or go back to tutoring. But he thinks he’s already said enough𑁋at this point his tired brain nearly made him confess his feelings, and that would be utterly stupid of him. 

“But you should really learn how to rest,” he suddenly says firmly.

You laugh that off way too easily. “You know that I can’t𑁋”

“I know, but… come on, just rest for a little bit,” Jun insists. “At least for a few minutes.”

“You’re seriously telling me to rest while I’m here to tutor you?” You lift a brow, almost teasingly.

The way he only nods and gazes at you with pleading eyes almost resembling a cat stretching out for attention makes it almost impossible to resist. And you would hate to admit that yeah, maybe you do push yourself way too much, that all the strenuous effort you put into studying is now starting to take a noticeable toll on you. At the moment, rest does sound really nice.

“My friends and I are planning a hangout this weekend at my place, if you’d like to join us. You… You don’t have to if you don’t want to, or if you’re not into that kind of stuff,” Jun informs you sheepishly. “It’s not a lot of us too, but if you ever want to just… unwind, you know, you could stop by. We aren’t doing anything too wild, just a chill get-together. They’re all cool, I swear.”

You consider his offer. Again, you were never much of a party person nor ever gave a crap about that sort of stuff, but the thought of taking a break from your routine is a bit... enticing, to say the least.

“I’ll think about it. Thank you,” You say with a grateful smile, finally giving in. “Give me a few minutes to tidy up?”

Jun watches for a few moments as you quickly organise through your notes and gather up the loose papers that have accumulated on the table, standing up and heading to the front of the lecture hall to put away the rest of the materials that you won’t need for the session. 

As he waits for you to finish, Jun sets aside his own stuff, folds his arms and places them on the table, slowly guiding his head to rest on top. He closes his eyes, taking advantage of the opportunity to rest as much as his body craves.

By the time you get back, you catch a glimpse of Jun’s relaxed form in his seat, and your heart does a little flip in your chest. The corners of your lips tug up unknowingly into a soft smile as you settle into the seat cautiously next to him, feeling a wave of exhaustion hitting you all at once.

It’s rare that you let yourself go these days, but with Jun here, it seems easier to let your guard down, even for just a few minutes. 

Without much thought you let your head rest gently on your own arms, finding yourself staring at the front lecture hall, before ultimately, moving your head so that you were facing Jun. You’ve never seen him this close before, drawn into his features for a moment or two𑁋over his closed eyes and the small moles that pepper his cheek and one particular spot above his lips, which were curled up slightly. Contentment warms you like a blanket as you let your eyes drift to a close.

Unbeknownst to you, Jun slowly peeks his eyes open, being met with the sight of you resting so peacefully and comfortably beside him. A sense of calm takes over the vast lecture hall as he simply watches you, even feeling brave enough to lightly brush a strand of hair away from your face with his finger, before quickly pulling back when he catches your nose scrunching a little in your sleep. His heart swells even more.

He decides on settling back into his own arms, taking one last glance at you before drifting back into light sleep. 

“You’re way too smiley to be going to a tutoring session,” Chan points out as he catches Jun about to leave. “Isn’t it like your third time alone this week? Last week you went twice…”

Jun snorts annoyedly at that. “Yeah, and?”

“We’re just saying you’re way too happy to be going to tutoring, man,” Soonyoung continues on, an edge of suspicion to his words. “Did you find out the meaning of life? Figure out why our bodies cause us to shit and piss or why the earth goes around the sun?”

“I’d be happy to answer that question if you’re curious,” Jun states wryly. 

Soonyoung scrunches his face and shakes his head. “Please don’t.” 

His roommate only observes as Jun stuffs his feet into his Converse, which looked to be at the end of its life. Minghao comes out moments later, toothbrush in his mouth with bits of foam to the corners of his lips. Along with Soonyoung and Chan, the three of them watch as Jun finishes lacing up his shoes, his good mood unwavering.

“I think I have an answer to that question,” Minghao says, voice somewhat muffled.

Soonyoung faces the younger boy. “The piss or the earth one?”

“He has a crush,” Minghao states flatly, a subtle smirk creeping onto his face despite the toothbrush still dangling from his lips.

“A crush?” Soonyoung’s eyes widen as he exchanges a glance with Chan, the two of them looking like they were about to combust any second. “A crush on that scary TA?”

“They’re not scary!” Jun protests, face reddening hearing his own loud voice, secretly hoping to make some sort of quick escape before his friends could pry any further into his dry love life, but he knows he won’t be able to get them off his ass. “So what if I have a crush on them?”

Soonyoung’s jaw drops to the floor at that, before bursting into laughter. “‘So what’? You’re totally into them!” He starts bouncing on his toes, a grin stretching across his face. “You’re in loooove with the scary TA! This is gold.”

Jun could seriously strangle all of his roommates right now. He runs a hand through his hair and glances at the door, regretting opening his mouth. Was he seriously that obvious? “You guys are blowing this way out of proportion.” 

“Bro, you’re blushing so hard right now,” Chan chimes in with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Don’t even try to deny it.”

Minghao chuckles, finally pulling the toothbrush out of his mouth. “It’s obvious. You don’t study like that for just anyone.”

Jun’s face turns an even deeper shade of red. “I𑁋okay, fine! Maybe I like them a little bit, but it’s not a big deal! I’m just trying to do well in class. Now, can I leave?” 

It takes one last torturous minute of teasing before Jun shoots his roommates with annoyed looks and heads out of the apartment.

Normally at nine o’clock, you would most likely be in the campus library studying until your eyes go dry, or in your own place with textbooks sprawled over your bed. But this time, you find yourself right in front of the address Jun sent you𑁋his address, specifically.

You’d spent the past few days thinking about his invitation, and despite some initial hesitation, you may be looking forward to this little break from your routine. Because according to Jun from a text he sent you the night before along with the address: it’s what you deserve.

Your heart still does a little jump when you think about it still.

[09:08 | y/n] Hey Jun! I’m here by the way

Your phone vibrates right away.

[09:09 | just jun] WHAT omg

[09:09 | just jun] sorry i’m coming out right now!!!

There’s a figure that emerges from a door, waving to you from above. You give out a small wave as you start to make yourself comfortable on the front steps of the building. Jun hurries down the stairs, looking both relieved and a bit flustered as he reaches you.

“Hey, I…” His eyes roam over you from head-to-toe. “I didn’t think you’d actually show up.” 

You offer a tentative smile. “Well, I figured, you know? Thought it would be nice to stop by for a little bit. Plus you live closer than I thought.”

Jun’s face brightens, the relief in his own grin oozing its way into your heart, and he gestures for you to follow him back to his place.

Just as he promised, the gathering was quite small. Jun introduces you to his roommates𑁋Minghao, Soonyoung, and Chan are their names (Soonyoung and Chan look oddly more excited to see you, for some reason)𑁋and two others in his year. You recognise Wonwoo, who is a TA from the English department, and the other is Jihoon, whose name had been tossed around quite frequently during your time in university.

Overall, the vibes have been quite laid-back, and the apartment has been warm and inviting so far.

“Do you want something to drink?” Jun asks as he leads you towards the kitchen, where some food and snacks were sprawled across the counter. “There’s water, soda, and um… some alcohol too.”

Your eyes roam over the assortment on the counter, gaze lingering on the bottles of alcohol. For some reason the idea of relaxing and letting loose feels particularly appealing tonight, and you can hardly remember the last time you had a proper drink of… anything. 

“I’ll take some alcohol,” You answer, suddenly feeling a bit adventurous; it even surprises Jun. 

Jun pulls one of the bottles and pours you a generous amount before handing it to you, the tips of his fingers brushing against yours as you find yourself settling down in a seat near Wonwoo and Jihoon. 

Soonyoung and Chan come into view a few minutes later, and they’re still looking at you as if you’ve come in with a second head.

“You’re not scary,” Chan claims randomly, scanning you up and down with his eyes closely.

You lift a brow and look behind you, thinking he was talking to someone, before turning back to him. 

“Me?” You point to yourself. “Scary?” 

Soonyoung takes a sip of his own drink before saying, “Yeah, dude, I mean… There used to be a lot of rumours spread about you being like, mean and stuff, you know? I’m talking about people saying you were super strict, always serious, and that if anyone messed up in class, you’d roast them alive.”

You almost want to laugh at that. Sure, you’ve heard plenty of those rumours before and never really let it get to you, or had the time to straight up dismiss them, but you didn’t think people were still clinging onto those thoughts nowadays. 

“Did you expect me to show up with devil horns and a pitchfork?" You joke, finally allowing yourself to laugh, shaking your cup in amusement. “Wow, I didn’t realise I was so terrifying. Maybe I should start living up to it now.”

Soonyoung lets out a hearty laugh, almost choking on his drink. “Please, no! We’re all just barely surviving as it is.”

“Nah, you’re good as you are. If anything I’m glad to see that the stuff people have said aren’t true,” Chan adds in.

An exaggerated gasp leaves Soonyoung. “Oh my, God, wait! Does this mean we’re friends now?” His excitement is so over-the-top that you can’t help but laugh too. 

“I don’t know. Maybe,” You tease with a faint smirk, shrugging. “If you behave.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Soonyoung declares, grinning ear to ear as Chan gives him an enthusiastic high five. His face is already turning the slightest bit of red from the alcohol. “Jun, you’re in good hands!”

In the kitchen, you catch Jun gazing over his shoulder and towards his friends. And when his eyes land on you, he shoots you a brief smile before quickly taking his eyes away, but the tips of his ears being red doesn’t go unnoticed when he turns away.

As the night continues, you find yourself letting loose, more than you’ve ever done recently. You find yourself easily getting along with the lively atmosphere of Jun and all of his friends. You don’t really know how many drinks you’ve taken at this point in time, how many refills you’ve been offered, but the buzz you feel is pleasant and warm, your inhibitions slowly but surely melting away. Laughter tumbles out of you as if it was the most natural thing in the world, almost to the point you feel your chest physically ache.

Occasionally, from the side, Jun quietly watches you. He can feel his own mood lifting with every smile that finds its way on your face. It’s almost as if he’s looking at a completely different person𑁋someone entirely the opposite from the studious TA he’s been used to this entire time.

But the second he sees you stumble slightly when you come out from a bathroom break, a pang of worry hits him.

“You okay?” he asks you when you nearly run into him, making him circle his arms around you out of habit in case you might fall. However, you’re somehow so close to him that he can feel the warmth of you through his clothes. Your cheeks are flushed, and you’re grinning lazily up at him, the effects of the alcohol clearly taking their toll.

“Oh, doing lovely, um…” You assure him, voice wobbly as you clear your throat. “The alcohol was awesome. I haven’t… I haven’t drank like this in such a long time. It feels sooooo nice.” 

You nearly stumble into him again as you attempt to move past him, and he’s quick as the Flash to grab you by the shoulders, his hands squeezing tightly around your forearm. 

“I think you should sit down, Y/N.” 

“Bu-But I don’t want to!” 

A playful pout spreads across your face as he carefully leads you back to the quiet kitchen, away from whatever version of charades the others have put on in the middle of the living room.

“You’ve drank too much,” Jun points out worriedly. “Do you want me to take you home? I can walk𑁋”

“What are you? My… my boss or something? I’m supposed to be the one in control here! I’m… I’m the one making the decisions, not you!” You protest, a weak, half-hearted attempt at establishing your authority as you knead the fabric of his shirt into your fists. 

Did you have to be so cute when you’re drunk? Though Jun is fast to shake those thoughts away and focus more on making sure you’re okay, having to bite the bottom of his lip to conceal an incoming, endearing grin at your silly antics. 

“Come on, let me get you some water and then I’ll take you home, okay?” Jun offers, and you give him a tight-lipped smile. 

“But I am home,” You slur lowly, circling a finger in front of his face, close enough you may jab him in the eye. “I’m home here… with you…”

Jun seriously doesn’t know how he would be able to dismiss those words that left your mouth, even in your inebriated state. It doesn’t help that you’re also looking up at him with half-lidded eyes and a dreamy smile, like the world is spinning and yet he’s the only one keeping you steady. 

“Let’s go. I’m taking you home,” Jun says as he snatches up a bottle of water and slowly coaxes you towards the door, not before announcing to his friends as well, who all seem too drunk to even care anyway.

The second the cool air meets your skin and the cold water flows down your throat, you seem a little more lucid, but not entirely. You still clung an arm around Jun’s own arm, which was hanging loosely and awkwardly to the side, your steps a bit uneven as you walk down the street together.

Jun holds his breath every time your body knocks into his side, afraid you might lose balance, but you somehow manage to stay upright𑁋barely. The warmth of your arm wrapped around his doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Hey, Y/N𑁋”

“Shhhhh,” You suddenly hiss, making Jun shut his mouth. “You’re too loud.”

Jun hangs his head down in slight guilt. “Sorry.”

“Hmm, isokay,” You mutter, tightening a grip on his and nearly causing Jun himself to stumble. “You know, you’re always so… nice. It’s kinda weird.” 

Jun tilts his head, somewhat confused by your drunken logic. He glances at you, catching the way your cheeks are shaded with a rosy hue and the warmness to your hazy eyes. 

“Weird?” he repeats curiously.

“Yeah…” You draw out the word clumsily, shifting your eyes towards him, gaze lingering on him a little longer than usual. “It’s like you’re not real sometimes.”

“You’re holding onto me.” Jun shakes his arm, and you still carry a tight grip on his arm, fingers digging lightly into the material of his sleeve. “I think I’m very real.”

“I know,” You mumble, scrunching your nose endearingly, as if you still don't believe him. “But you barely know me.” 

There’s a few moments of contemplation that passes by between the two of you. Your steps have somehow managed to sync with each other, the streetlights above casting down a soft glow on the pavement below, and the quiet night feels oddly… intimate. 

“Maybe.” Jun shrugs, voice low and soft. “But I like what I know so far.” 

Now it’s your turn to grow silent, a wave of realisation cutting through your inebriated thoughts. Your grip goes from loose to tight on Jun’s arm, your chest and heart feeling heavier than it did moments ago, and it certainly was not because of the alcohol.

Your mind is practically aching with all these thoughts, aching with the urge to do something about it, and the way Jun’s side profile is illuminated under the streetlight doesn’t help the situation at all.

“It’s funny, because I… I would see you come into class. And…” You let out a giggle. “I don’t know. My first thought was always that you were cute. Hmm, maybe dreamy too? Yeah, dreamy… That’s a silly word.” 

Before Jun can say anything to that, the words seem to tumble out of you. 

“...I’d see you fall asleep in the back of the class, or come late to lecture, and I’d think you were cute seeing you so panicked… And when you asked me to tutor you, I was so happy. It’s just𑁋I-I don’t know.” A brief pause, before you continue, “Is this what liking someone is?” 

Jun doesn’t notice how much his steps have faltered, his voice and own words getting caught somewhere between his throat and his heart. There’s a mix of panic, disbelief, and excitement flowing through him, almost too much he can’t quite process going from emotion to the other. However, how the hell does he respond when the person he’s been developing feelings for says something like that so openly?

“Shit, I’ve… I’ve made this weird, haven’t I?” You give yourself a light facepalm, before carding a hand through your hair. A yawn starts to leave you. “I’m just all over the place right now, I’m sorry…”

Jun wants to say something, needs to say something, but he stumbles over his words. “I… Y/N, I𑁋”

Before he can finish his sentence, you trip slightly, and he instinctively pulls you closer, catching you with both hands. A wholehearted round of laughter tumbles out of you, resting your head on his shoulder for a brief moment, and for a split second, everything feels still. His heart races faster than ever.

He lets you take the lead on the way back to your apartment complex, feeling as if he had been walking on eggshells the entire time. The buzz of the alcohol running its laps through you has seemed to soften, and if anything, you’re more than ready to sink into your bed for the night. Although there’s comfortable quietness in the air now, Jun can’t stop replaying all the words you’ve said to him tonight alone.

Before he can fully process everything, you come to an abrupt stop just outside your building, turning to look at him.

You stare at him for a moment, eyes roaming over his face as if you’re trying to commit everything to memory. Then, without thinking, you step up to him and press a kiss to his cheek. It’s quick, fleeting, the gesture so unexpected it sends a rush of heat flooding up his neck and straight to the tips of his ears. He’s practically on fire, at this point. 

When you pull back, there’s a bashful smile playing at your lips. “Goodnight, Jun.”

You don’t think you can ever look at Jun in the eyes without wanting to sink into the ground, because each time he comes into view, it reminds you of the absolute idiot you put on show for him last weekend. It’s harder to pay attention when your hands seem to touch every given opportunity. You just have to make it through one last tutoring session before the big dissections later that week.

“So, um, we’ll use the forceps to clamp and separate through the tissues,” Jun explains, pointing towards the dissection guide displayed on the table, still feeling a tad bit queasy at the thought of it, even if the dissection pan was empty. “Then the scalpel will be used to cut on the incision lines we marked.”

“That’s right. You got it,” You say with a small smile, briefly casting a glance towards him, watching the way he adjusts the goggles on his face. 

The two of you decided on running through the dissection for practice, focusing instead on the procedural steps and techniques. It’s been smooth-sailing so far𑁋Jun looks more confident and comfortable as he walks through each step𑁋and you’re positive that the actual lab will go well.

On the other hand, you both can’t deny the awkwardness thickening through the room, drifting within the crevices of even the most subtle interactions. 

“Alright, so once we’ve done that, we’ll… uh, we’ll…” Jun’s voice trails off as he fumbles slightly with the scalpel, trying to decide between placing it on the tray or handing it to you, his gloved fingers brushing against yours again as you grab it from him.

“Sorry,” You both blurt out at the same time, voices mixing into one.

As you both share an embarrassed laugh, a few moments of silence follows. It seems to dissipate the tension in the air. Some of it, at least.

Jun clears his throat. “Y/N, I𑁋”

“It’s fine,” You assure calmly. “Let’s just keep going.” 

“I… Okay.” His shoulders slump in a pit of defeat as he fixes his attention back down towards the task at hand. “Can you, uh… pass me the probe?”

You nod and hand it over to him, trying to attentively listen as he explains the function of the tool and how it would be used for the lab, adding any feedback along the way. You’re surprised at how easily you fall back into a comfortable rhythm, as if the moments from earlier had ceased to exist, as if that night and your stupidity didn’t happen, but only you both know about the unacknowledged elephant in the room.

The rest of the practice goes by without any more mishaps. The next thing you know, you’re pulling off your gloves and taking off your safety goggles as Jun sets the dissection tray away. By the time he returns, he’s surprised to see you already grabbing your belongings like you’re ready to leave.

Jun swallows down the nervous lump lodged in his throat. “Y/N, wait.”

You pause in the middle of stuffing some notebooks inside your backpack, already feeling the apprehension snaking up your spine as you face him.

“Can… Can we talk?” Jun asks hesitantly.

A sigh leaves you. “Look, that was really dumb of me, I get it. I shouldn’t have… kissed you on the cheek like that and said all those weird things. It was impulsive and I was drunk. I’m sorry, I should’ve known my limits, or maybe just have not come at all𑁋”

“I was really happy that you came,” Jun interrupts, a voice almost too loud in the quiet, empty lab room. He rubs his gloved hands together nervously. “And, um, the kiss... I liked it. It was, well… kind of nice.”

You really can’t tell if his words are making you feel any better or worse, if the hesitation on his side makes you want to sink more into the ground or feel a bit of hope. Regardless, it’s hard to ignore the warmth growing in your face as your fingers tighten around the strap of your backpack. 

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I like you too, and I wanted to finally tell you that before you left my place. But then things got a little messy and it was a bit overwhelming, so I wanted to take you home because you looked like you were about to𑁋”

“Jun, just…” You chime in ruefully, clearly not wanting to relive your stupidity. “Go back a little. You like me too?”

Jun takes in a deep, slow breath.

“Yes,” he says firmly. “Holy shit. I can’t believe I said that.” 

The laughs that leave you two sound more freeing in a way, more effortless, like the thick, heavy fog that settled around the room has been lifted, and for the first time in days, everything is more clearer. 

The carefree grin that Jun catches to your features nearly forces him to step up towards you, but he holds back. Instead, he thinks the sight of you looking so naturally happy is something he could cherish for a very, very long time.

“So, uh…” he starts, shooting a sheepish glance down at his shoes before meeting your gaze once more. “We’re okay?”

You only nod.

“We’re okay,” You confirm softly. “Maybe more than that.” 

As you finish getting ready to leave, you turn back to Jun, who nearly drops the dissection pan in his hands. 

“I have a meeting to go to right now,” You tell him. “But afterwards, I could… text you?” 

His face brightens expectantly, attempting to keep the excitement coursing through him at bay.  “Yeah, yeah, of course. Um… have a good meeting.” 

He’s cute. And silly. And weird. But you wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Before you finally leave the lab room, you take a leap of faith and turn back around, heading straight towards Jun. He’s in the middle of taking off his goggles when you find yourself standing back in front of him, and a mischievous grin etches across your face. Jun takes a few steps back, his ass nearly stumbling into the table behind him.

“One more thing.” You reach up and to gently tug the goggles off his face, and the contact of your fingers to his hair has Jun bracing himself for doomsday. Your breath fans against his skin for a moment, and when you pull away, you’re holding up the goggles towards him. “You were wearing these upside down the entire time.”

Jun chokes on air, and you let out a giggle.

Shit.

Jun cannot focus right now.

The goggles feel uncomfortable on his face, the gloves make his skin feel clammy, the uncomfortable, pungent smell of formaldehyde fills the lab room and his nostrils. Not to mention that there’s a goddamn sheep brain sitting on the metal pan in front of him. 

Perhaps he can call it quits now𑁋take the zero for the lab and run for the hills, drop out of university, become a nomad in the countryside and never have to touch any sort of assignment again. In his mind right before the dissection starts, it really doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all…

“Jun?”

He snaps his eyes back at you. You’re wearing your own pair of gloves and goggles, positioning the dissection tools on the table, eyebrows raised in worry. 

“Are you good? We’re about to start,” You tell him. “You look a little pale.”

He blinks a few times, trying to compose and mentally ready himself, acting like he hasn’t just spent the last few minutes imagining an escape plan abandoning all forms of education. “Yeah, I… I’m good.”

“You good to start?” You ask, and the concern he senses in your voice makes his heart soften. “Or do you want me to take over first?’ 

There’s that offer again, the one he knows he should probably accept for the sake of his sanity, but there’s also a part of him that doesn’t want to back out now. Not when he’s finally managed to clear the air between the two of you, when things are more comfortable than they’ve been in weeks. 

Jun exhales, shaking the tenseness out of his body. This is it. Glancing around the room, he notices that other students have already started their dissections with ease. He looks down at the sheep brain again, feeling that queasiness rising, but just your presence right next to him seems to settle down his nerves way more than it should.

He steels himself, trying to cling to that feeling instead of the growing discomfort in his stomach. He can do this. It’s just a brain. A sheep brain, he reminds himself, as if that makes it any better.

Letting out one last breath for good measure, he reaches for the scalpel. 

“I’m good,” he says, more to himself than to you. “Let’s do this.” 

His hand quivers as he leans in towards the sheep brain, its colour slightly pinkish and grey. His nose crinkles the closer he gets to it, and the second he lightly grazes the scalpel along the surface of the brain, he can’t help but wince. At his side, he feels your shoulder make contact with his, and helps ground him a little more. 

Narrowing his eyes, he focuses on making a precise incision straight down the middle of the brain𑁋the medial longitudinal fissure, he recalls𑁋his hand trembling slightly as he draws the scalpel down. The smell of formaldehyde grows stronger as he slices through the tissue, and the somewhat gelatinous texture that the brain has is incredibly off-putting. 

When he finally finishes, you help part the brain in half, and Jun’s eyes widen in awe at how visible the structures are. 

“You did pretty well.” You send an encouraging smile Jun’s way, taking the probe in your hand and motioning towards the exposed structures. “See? Look at that. You can see all the parts clearly.”

Jun takes a leap of faith and points to a particular part. “That’s… the thalamus there, right? And the hypothalamus is right below it.” 

You nod proudly. “You got it. And this section right here?”

“The… pons? And then, uh… Oh! The medulla oblongata. Then the spinal cord starts beneath it.”

“Yep. Here?”

“The cerebellum!” 

Your own heart seems to swell with every step up his confidence goes, whatever discomfort he was initially feeling begins to be melted away under the warmth of your praise. You bring your eyes up from the brain, letting it roam over his side profile, taking in the way the goggles make his hair stick out in odd angles, the curve of his jaw as he tilts his head slightly, brows furrowed in concentration.

As Jun pinpoints another structure on the brain, he faces toward you for confirmation, only to be met with your eyes already on him. He opens his mouth to say something, before slowly shutting it, and for a split second, he forgets about the question he was about to ask, the lab, everything else.

“Did I get it right?” Jun questions, feeling the confidence flowing through him falter under your thoughtful expression. “This is the sulcus? And the gyrus…”

You lower your attention back down to the sheep brain, realising he was pointing to a spot with the probe. 

“Hm, just…” You start, leaning in a bit closer to examine where he’s pointing to. With a sly smirk, you reach over to grasp his wrist lightly, slowly guiding his hand more accurately with the probe. Your warmth slips teasingly under his skin. “The sulcus is the little groove right here, and the gyrus is the ridge surrounding it. See it?”

Jun swears you’re doing this on purpose, and whatever it is, it’s working.

“Got it,” he mumbles, hoping you won’t be able to see the flush to his cheeks under the goggles. His eyes flicker between the brain and your face, noting the playful glint in your pupils that certainly isn’t from the fluorescent lighting of the lab room. “I see it now. Thanks.”

You let go of his wrist, still wearing that mischievous look at your lips, though it fades into something more genuine now. “You’re doing good, you know.”

Relief hits him from your words. He does feel way more comfortable, the entire lab becoming less daunting all because you were simply right here next to him. His mind momentarily flashes back to all what you’ve done for him𑁋from the tutoring, to the way you’ve been nothing but supportive and patient with him, before it all circles back to the mutual fondness blooming its way within the crevices of your hearts together.

He likes you, and you like him back. Jun still has no idea how this came to be, because he used to think he had no such chance with you. Yet now, he has the freedom to think about where he wants to take you on your first date.

The rest of the dissection goes by with ease. Slowly but surely, other students begin to clean up their workspace and submit their lab reports to Professor Lee, their tasks winding down as the lab session comes to a close. The lab starts to empty out as the minutes tick by, and it isn’t long until there’s just a few more students left𑁋you and Jun included.

“Here, I’ll finish up here,” You tell him, taking the brain into your hands without hesitation and placing it into a sealed bag for disposal later on. Then you take the dissection tools into your hands and walk off towards the sink to wash them, leaving Jun hanging in a bit of a daze. 

“I… What can I do then?” he asks, wanting to contribute still.

You turn back to him, humming in contemplation. 

“Let’s see… Disinfect the table, take off your gloves and goggles, and then…” Your lips quirk up again. “Just stand there and look cute. I’ll handle the rest.” 

The tips of his ears flush with heat as you casually sidle away from him and towards the sink. Jun shakes away the flutters in his stomach, though the corners of his lips tugs upwards as he works on cleaning up the table. 

Jun is already waiting by the door with his backpack on his shoulders as you finish up some tasks with Professor Lee. Once you get the signal that you’re free to leave, Jun feels the excitement pool down to his feet, a sense of accomplishment knowing that he was able to get through the one lab he dreaded most, and finished the class with a passing grade.

As you both exit the building, Jun pauses in his place, watching you continue to walk a bit without him.

“I owe you a date, you know,” he calls out to you with determination, though a pinch of nervousness still lingers.

You turn back to him curiously, and the way the sun catches on your face makes you appear more radiant above anything else. “A date, you say?” 

“Yeah, I…” He scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. “Before all of this, I told you I would owe you something for helping me, and well…” He lets his shoulder relax. “I want to take you on a date.” 

Jun watches the way a bunch of emotions seem to morph among your face. Even with knowing how you feel for him, he still braces himself for a different kind of response. 

Biting at the bottom of your lip, you step back up to him, and before he could fully process what’s happening, you answer him with a quick, affectionate kiss to his cheek. Right at the corner of his lips, to be specific. Then you reach down and grip his wrist, tugging him gently towards you.

“You’re on,” You challenge, a playful sparkle to your eyes. “Let’s get going.”

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@ahuiahoe

[lvrstrsh]

jayce would love viktor so good. he'd kiss his moles ever so sweetly. he'd lay him down so gently, kissing every inch of skin, telling viktor how perfect and beautiful he is in between. every sun-warmed morning entailing viktor peacefully asleep in jayce's arms as jayce stared at him in awe. in the winters or particularly bad days, he'd massage viktor's leg and back. he'd make viktor take him to zaun and show him viktor's childhood neighborhood, his favorite places. he'd learn viktor's favorite flower and keep vases of them in the lab. when viktor fell asleep in the lab, he'd be careful in walking him to bed so his back wouldn't hurt so much in the mornings. on days he was especially exhausted though, and absolutely needed undisturbed sleep, he'd make sure viktor was as comfortable as possible: blanket, pillow, sweetmilk ready for him in the morning. viktor withdraws into himself sometimes, and jayce would respect the spaces he needs to himself, but he'd be adamant to ensure that viktor knows he isn't alone, not really, and never will be for as long as he'll have jayce. every time viktor is worried or stressed and starts ranting about how things could go wrong, jayce would pull him into his arms and assure him. he'd make viktor take a breather, murmuring praise and encouragement, before picking up the chalk again and dissecting the problem all over again. constant showers of the affection viktor lacked growing up. he'd bring viktor home to his mother, and she'd absolutely adore him and dote over him and show him the motherly care that he'd long since forgotten feels like. he'd glare at anyone who even looked at viktor wrong. he'd brush the knots out of viktor's hair where he'd tangled it from constantly twirling it. he'd push the stray locks back and kiss the furrow between his brows. he'd hang onto every single one of viktor's words, commiting them to memory. he'd read all of viktor's favorite books to understand him better. he'd cook for viktor, trying his best to follow his mother's recipes as precisely as possible and impressing him. he'd ensure viktor was well fed and taking care of himself. he'd take viktor out to the best spots in piltover to see the sunrise and sunset because he knows he never got to see it growing up in zaun; he'd lay down with viktor on the ground at night as he watched the stars and teach him all the constellations. he'd map those constellations out on viktor's body. his touch would be so adoring, so reverent; every action so coveting. viktor always believed himself to be hard to love, and yet, jayce loved him like it was breathing.

[ v's version !!]

[counterblows]

📂 𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐖 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭.𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞

𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐀/𝐍: I thank @/weltraum-vaquero fics for the inspiration (I would get so gassed if he does end up seeing this oooh)

📄 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞.𝐝𝐨𝐜

If you thought Jayce was attentive during sex, you barely even scratched the surface of how devoted he becomes afterwards. This man treats aftercare like it’s sacred— and in many ways, it is. It’s where the love lingers behind the lust, where everything slows down and the connection truly settles in. Just the two of you basked in the afterglow

He’s not the type to hop straight into the shower right away. The skin-to-skin is everything to him— even if both your bodies are sticky with sweat and the air is still thick with remnants of passion. He finds comfort in the closeness. You’ll often find him bury his face into your neck, chuckling softly at how good he feels after something so intimate— like he’s drunk on the memory of your touch

His voice is low and hoarse when he talks to you after, breathing unevenly. You’ll hear things like, “you were so perfect,” or “you did so well for me.” Quiet praises and you can tell he means every word.

And though he won’t say it out loud, Jayce loves to be pampered too. If you get up before him, he’ll reach for your hand with half-lidded eyes and a reluctant pout, like a puppy that doesn’t want to be left alone

He feeds off of your words of affirmation and melts under your touch. Fingers curling through his hair, a gentle rub along his chest, your soft voice telling him how good you made him feel. He would look at you like you set the stars in the sky. It's the one time he allows himself to just exist in the moment, without exceptions, without any pressure.

Aftercare is just as important as the act itself. A quiet devotion that wraps around you. If sex is the crescendo, aftercare is the echo that stays long after

📄 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭.𝐝𝐨𝐜

Without a doubt, Jayce’s favourite part of you is your waist. Oddly specific, I know. But there’s something about wrapping his arms around you and pulling you close by the waist that just does it for him. Even when you’re kissing, he likes the feel of your waist under his palms— like it grounds him

But what really gets him going is when he pulls you flush against him— letting you feel exactly what you’re doing to him through his pants. He gets a little shy about it, sure, but there’s something thrilling about letting you know just how worked up you make him— he wants to show you the effect you have on him physically.

And when you reach down to feel him in return— that only fuels the pent up arousal he’s been trying to keep in check

As for himself, Jayce's proudest features are definitely his arms. There’s a romantic side to it— holding you close when you’re cuddling, lifting you off your feet, holding your bridal-style.

But even with his strong arms, he’s not afraid to admit that he loves being the little spoon. Being held by you is his favourite part of cuddling.

Beyond the softness, his arms are also tied to the pride of his work. Years spent in the forge. The lab. Swinging that heavy Mercury Hammer (ouff)

He’s strong, and he knows it. Whether it’s trying to fix things in the house, carrying you, or pulling you in for a kiss— he loves putting his strength to use

📄 𝐂𝐮𝐦.𝐝𝐨𝐜

Given Jayce’s high-protein, high-carb diet and stress from long hours in the lab, his semen naturally has a slightly salty taste. It’s not unbearable, but it’s certainly not sweet either— sometimes he’s a little embarrassed if you ever comment on it.

He’s aware that diet affects how you taste (especially if you have a lot of fructose like pineapple juice). While he hasn’t made that switch yet, the thought had definitely crossed his mind

As for the texture, it’s thick, warm, and noticeable viscous— heavy enough to feel it when it spills across your skin or on your tongue. If you ever gather it between your fingers, you’d find it strings and stretch slightly between your forefinger and thumb— sticking more than it runs

Oh, and there’s a lot of it. Jayce is a massive yearner to the core, and all that pent-up desire manifests when he finally climaxes. He’s a heavy finisher— more than most— and he doesn’t always have full control over how much he releases.

Even his precum is abundant, dripping from his tip when he’s especially aroused. Handjobs often gets messy fast, with his slick heat coating your hand and his skin long before he reaches his peak

He prefers to finish inside you, but that doesn’t mean he’s against making a mess if you’re up for it. Still, he tends to get flustered when he sees the sheer volume he leaves behind— especially when it’s sprayed on your chest, stomach, and your face (he’s mortified the one time it nearly got in your eye, he wouldn’t stop apologising)

And if you do give him oral, Jayce is surprisingly cautious for someone so eager. He always makes sure to double check if you’re okay with swallowing beforehand— the last thing he wants is to overwhelm you, or worse, you gagging too much. The first time you actually took all of it and swallowed without hesitation, he completely short-circuited

📄 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭.𝐝𝐨𝐜

One of Jayce’s lesser known secrets is that he keeps a pin-up poster somewhere tucked away in his lab. Something tasteful, suggestive, and easy to hide behind the cabinet or equipment rack. He stumbled upon it during his Academy years and couldn’t bring himself to throw it out

Every now and then, on long, stressful nights when the pressure of inventions or politics weighed too heavily, he’ll glance at it. And sometimes, when no one’s around… he might even get off to it. It’s his private outlet— a guilty pleasure he’d never admit

But after your relationship starts, the poster doesn’t go anywhere, but now it only serves to collect dust. Because all he can think about is you. Maybe he doesn’t throw it out because a part of him likes remembering that version of himself

📄 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.𝐝𝐨𝐜

If your relationship begins during his early Academy years, chances are Jayce is still a virgin. He’s not the type to sleep around or give himself to anyone— he’s reserved in that sense. When he decides to share that part of himself with you, it’s a significant step. One that he doesn’t take lightly

But even with his lack of hands-on experience, his body still knows what it wants. The frustration comes when he doesn’t quite know how to act on those desires— how to please you, or even fully satisfy himself the way he craves. Though he is a fast learner

The first time is a bit nerve-wracking for him. He probably thinks everything needs to be perfect— the lighting, the mood, the pace. He wants to impress, even overcompensate a little so it’ll be as steamy and stimulating. You have to reassure him: this isn’t a performance, he doesn’t have to be anybody himself. That alone eases his nerves more than anything else

When he finally slides inside you, everything else falls away. The only thing he could focus on was the sensation, the heat, the closeness. Feeling the friction from your walls sends him in a trance.

His body reacts before his mind could catch up, and he finishes embarrassingly fast. He gets flustered and apologies, a little ashamed that it ended so soon. But it’s not about how long it lasted— it’s about how much it meant to him. And that was what stayed with you

If you don’t meet until after his councillor era— when Jayce is more socially active— there’s a chance he’s had some experience in the bedroom. Maybe a fleeting romance he hoped to pursue but it never ended well.

But just as likely, he’s remained untouched. His time is consumed up by research, inventions, hours in the labs and political obligations— leaving little space for true intimacy. If that’s the case, he may still be a virgin, quietly insecure about being a late bloomer, yet more emotionally mature. When he finally gives himself to you, it’s with tenderness and reverence that only time and restraint could manifest

📄 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.𝐝𝐨𝐜

Missionary: I know this is a traditional position that’s usually a go-to, especially for newer couples. But everything about this position is just Jayce-coded. Seeing your reaction and maintaining eye contact while he thrusts into you. It also gives him easy access to your lips so he could give you a quick kiss mid-thrust

Flatiron: This usually starts like prone bone before Jayce lowers his full weight on top of you with his chest flushed against your back. This allows him to feel all of you— every inch of skin and warmth pressed tightly together. The deep thrust and intimacy drives him wild

Chair straddle: Pretty self explanatory— you straddled Jayce while he’s seated. This usually takes place in the lab rather than at home. It’s an easier position when you don’t have access to a clear flat surface. He loves having full access to your face, gripping your waist and pulling you flushed against him as you grind him his lap

Face sitting (receiving): I’ll keep reiterating that this man is a pleaser. And a massive giver too. He worships your body, and this position is his version of cloud nine. You on top of his face, your thighs trembling around his head, while he moans shamelessly into you. This is his favourite way to be used— canon behaviour

Spooning: Usually happens more often in the early mornings, when neither of you want to get out of bed. It’s slow, lazy, but still deeply intimate. He loves whispering in your ear as he desperately grinds up against you, before easing himself inside

📄 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐲.𝐝𝐨𝐜

I can’t really imagine Jayce trying to initiate humour into the bedroom— not because he’s uptight, but because he’s too focused on you.

He takes pleasure seriously, so his mind is usually set on making you feel good. That you’re cared for, satisfied, and loved. So you won’t really be getting cheesy pick-up lines or playful banter mid-thrust. That’s just not his style

That being said, there are some goofy moments— most of them unintentional, and he’s almost always the one getting flustered.

One time, you both tried prone bone for the first time. You were on your stomach, waiting patiently for him to ease in. But for whatever reason, he just couldn’t get the angle right.

He kept slipping out or sometimes missing the mark entirely, clearly frustrated with himself while trying not to break the mood. You, on the other hand, couldn’t help but laugh at how adorably determined he was— one hand braced on the bed, while the other trying to hold himself steady.

Eventually, with a little adjustment (and some help from you angling your hips right), he managed to slide in. Your laughter quickly cut off into a moan that made him forget his struggle entirely.

Moments like that don’t ruin the mood— they just remind you how comfortable you are with each other, and how raw the experience feels. It really rounds out his more human, boyish side— which balances out how deeply romantic and attentive he is during sex.

📄 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐫.𝐝𝐨𝐜

Even with his packed schedule and long lab hours, Jayce makes time to keep himself well-groomed. He trims regularly, keeping things neat without going completely bare. And yes— the carpet does match the drapes. His pubic hair is dark, coarse, and curls naturally. It grows quicker than he expects

After some time together, you confesssd how much you liked seeing the happy trail running down his lower abdomen. He didn’t quite get the appeal at first, but when he indulged in you— when you gave him oral and ran your tongue along it during oral— let’s just say he understood after that…

He also has a modest dusting of chest hair— not too dramatic, but enough to catch your eye when he’s shirtless. You’ve made it a habit of dragging your nails over it and lightly scratching the hair follicles, making his heart stutter every time

📄 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲.𝐝𝐨𝐜

Intimacy plays a massive part when it comes to sex with Jayce. I mean, he even calls it ‘love-making’ whenever he talks about it— and he treats it with the same weight and reverence. Each touch, every kiss, every breath is charged with intention (it doesn’t get more romantic than that)

He’s incredibly present in the moment, attentive to you, your needs, your pleasure. He sets the tone with slow kisses trailing over your body. Murmuring soft praises about how good you feel. And of course, holding your hand whenever he can.

And yes, he’s definitely a talker— whispering how close he is, asking if you’re okay, checking in with tender urgency. His favourite place to bury his face is the curve of your neck, drinking in your scent as he chases his release. As if he wants to lose himself in you entirely.

No matter the position, Jayce always finds a way to keep you close. Arms wrapping around your waist. Fingers tangled in yours. Pulling you into his chest after.

Ohhh and don’t get me started on when you start touching him tenderly— stroking his stubble, hands over his broad chest, fingers running over his lips. He would melt into your touch instantly, like he had been craving for someone to handle him gently. (There’s a whole other story there and we’ll get into that under Motivation)

Closeness is everything to him— he needs to feel connected, both physically and emotionally. To Jayce, sex is another way of saying I love you— over and over again

📄 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟𝐟.𝐝𝐨𝐜

Before you got together, Jayce was never the type that jacks off on a regular. I’ve mentioned before that he keeps a pin-up poster hidden in his lab— tucked away where only he knows. He’d only ever get off to it when the pressure built too much to ignore (and even then, it was rare)

After your relationship grew in depth and you’re comfortable with each other, you brought up the idea of JOI. The suggestion alone made him short-circuit. It wasn't just the act— which he wasn’t used to doing anyways— it was you watching, guiding, instructing. That level of vulnerability made his stomach twist in the best way

Once he's stripped bare with his hands on himself, he’s very hesitant and shy. You keep your voice soft, coaxing him through it step by step, easing him into the rhythm

And because he’s a natural giver, having you take control— telling him what to do with your gentle dominance, how to touch himself— leaves him dizzy. He clings to your word like a lifeline

It also talks to his praise kink (and amplifies it in the most intense way). Hearing you say he’s doing well, calling him your good boy while stroking himself for you pleasure— he doesn’t last long and he’ll never forget how it feels

📄 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐤.𝐝𝐨𝐜

Praise Kink: Jayce has a natural confident streak— he’s shown it during his Progress Day speech, and again when he stood up to Heimerdinger. Public recognition feels good, sure, but nothing gets him aching quite like your praise. And not just in bed, either— he thrives on your admiration. But when it is in bed— when you praise his body, his bed skills, or call him your ‘good boy’ in that breathy tone— he melts like putty in your hands. You’d have him undone, clinging to every word. That’s kind of praise fuels him— it’s enough to bring him over the edge and come in seconds

Oral Fixation: While Jayce loves the feeling of your mouth on him, he’s just as— if not more— addicting in tasting you. And that’s not just about giving oral (though he’s devoted to that, too). He craves the feel of your skin on his lip. Kissing down your stomach. Mouthing at your thighs. Running his tongue over the dip of your collarbone. It’s all about closeness, tasting you until he gets high from it

Sensory play: This is stepping into a more risky territory, something introduced only after a deep level of trust had built between you two. Naturally, Jayce was hesitant at first, especially about giving up any sense of control. But when he finally let you blindfold him, the anticipation kicked in. The suspense of your touch drove him wild and his other sense kicked in. Your hands, you mouth, your breath— he never knew what would come next, and he loved the thrill of not-knowing more than he expected

Light bondage: Just like sensory play, this was something that evolved over time. Silk ties around his wrists, a gentle restraint just right enough to keep him in place. Jayce found himself surrendering to the moment. It was always attractive the way he looked up at you with that breathless, slightly nervous look. His lips slightly parted, waiting for your next move. Despite being at your mercy, there’s still a raw heat in the way he submits— trusting you, wanting you, craving you

📄 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.𝐝𝐨𝐜

Jayce’s go-to location will always be the bedroom— especially if it’s a shared one. There’s something grounding and intimate about having a private space that belongs to both of you. Its quiet, safe from interruptions, and allows him to fully focus on your without any distractions

If you don’t live together yet, then it's usually whichever bedroom you’re closest to— his or yours. It might not be as symbolically intimate as sharing a space, but he still likes knowing you’re not going to spend the night alone

Now, if he’s been especially pent-up or you’ve been teasing him mercilessly all day (you know exactly what you’re doing), then he might break his usual rhythm of restraint and pull you into the lab for a quickie

That said, the lab is always the last resort. Jayce is not the type to rush things when it comes to intimacy— he likes to take his time and make sure every second counts. But if the need is intense and the moment calls for it, he’s not above bending the rules a bit for a quick release

📄 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.𝐝𝐨𝐜

We’ve all seen that scene with Mel and Jayce— she was the one that initiated things, and only then did that spark ignite. The scene sequence followed: Mel pushing him down on the bed and Jayce flipping her onto her back.

This shows a telling dynamic— Jayce doesn’t dip easily, but once that door opens he steps in with full intent

Even prior to all that, the tension between the pair was already thick. Long stare. Brush of fingers. Shared silence filled with meaning. Yet, Jayce never made the first move

It shows his restraint. A sense of self-control that makes him feel like a gentleman. But the moment you reach out, the tension that has knotted inside him unravels

He’s the type who’s deeply aroused by being wanted. His partner eagerly stroking his jaw or curling into his shirt. It lights a fire under his skin

Touch is everything to him. Stroking his neck, his face, his chest— he leans into it like he would die without it. Sometimes even covers his face with his hands, trying to conceal how flustered he’s gotten and hiding how much of an effect you have on him

Speaking of touch, he’s definitely got a few weak spots. I heard rumours that his nipples are more sensitive than he cares to admit. Sometimes it’s a pain in the ass, especially under tight shirts. But in bed, it’s a weapon in your arsenal

You’ve learnt how he twitches when your fingers graze across his chest. How a soft brush or a firm squeeze makes him gasp— the way his breath catches tells you everything you need to know

Another thing that gets him going is being teased— not the cruel kind, but the subtle, flirty kind that feels like a game between two lovers. A hand on his thighs under the table during dinner, your fingers brushing just a little too close to the flyer— followed by a completely innocent look tossed his way

Jayce loves that build-up. The longer you drag it out, the more worked up he gets. It turns him into a desperate, flushed mess. The kind that’s ready to pounce the second the door shuts behind you

Foreplay doesn’t just start once your clothes are off, it starts long before that. Even before you step into the bedroom.

Lingering touches, secret glances, the spark of tension in the air. Even brushing past him in the hallway can be enough to leave him flustered. That’s kind of tension is what gets him burning with desire

📄 𝐍𝐨.𝐝𝐨𝐜

One of the few things Jayce draws a line at is inflicting pain— on you or himself. He’s definitely not a sadist, and he doesn’t have a masochist streak either. The thought of hurting you, even consensually, just doesn’t sit right with him

He wants intimacy to be rooted in mutual pleasure and trust, not discomfort. So heavier BDSM elements like spanking, whipping, or anything too physically intense are hard limits for him. Especially when it involves the erogenous zones. To him, those are meant to stimulate pleasure, not create tension or pain.

However, there are some grey areas. He doesn’t mind light choking— but only if you initiate it.

The idea of wrapping his hand around your throat makes him genuinely anxious. He knows his strength, and the last thing he wants is to misjudge pressure or lose control. The idea of accidentally hurting you, even just a little, terrifies him

Jayce also isn’t fond of the whole ‘daddy/mommy’ kink dynamic. Being called “daddy” feels weird and uncomfortable— and calling someone else “mommy” just feels too emotionally complicated, especially given how much he respects and loves his own mother

Overall, Jayce leans more toward soft, affirming intimacy. He wants to make you feel good— not powerless

📄 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐥.𝐝𝐨𝐜

Giving: I’ve said this before and I’ll say it till my tongue goes dry— Jayce Talis is a giver. And that includes going down on you. He doesn’t just do it to please you, he does it because he craves it

Every moan, twitch, and shiver you make under his tongue only spurs him on. It’s practically a devotion. He dives in with eagerness, hands firm on your hips as he guides your pelvic higher, wanting to take every inch of you with his tongue

His stubble scrapes against your inner thighs, leaving a warm sting from how deeply he pressed himself into you. The sound of him moaning against your core is something you’ll never forget

If you have a male anatomy, he starts with slow, deliberate licks— but the moment he feels your cock in his hand, he wraps your lips around it with hesitation. His hunger is evident in the way he moves— needy, precise, and absolutely relentless

He’s like a starved when he goes down on you, swiping his tongue over deliberately, taking more from you, drawing out more moans. You’d even find him whimpering against your core

Receiving: Jayce isn’t shy about receiving either, but he’s not used to it. First time you went down on him, he was speechless— his eyes on you, half-lidded, face flushed, and breathless.

Even before you touched him, you could see him twitching in anticipation. When your hand first wrapped around him, he hissed through his teeth

The moment your mouth closed around him, he jerked— his body instinctively curling forward as he tried not to lose control too soon. He’s loud, no doubt— moaning your name, gasping, occasionally cursing.

One hand tangles through your hair, the other gripping something nearby for stability. It helps when you look up at him, mid-act. It knocks the air out of his lungs real fast

📄 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐞.𝐝𝐨𝐜

It really depends on the mood you’re trying to go for and what the occasion is. If it’s something special— like one of those nights where everything feels emotionally heightened— Jayce slows down, he wants to savour every second of it

Foreplay is just as tender, full of whispered praises, deep kisses, and soft-spoken affection. He takes his time, reading your body like a language only he understands

But when he's pent-up, the pacing shifts. He’s not aggressive or impatient by nature, but desperation brings out a rougher edge. He doesn’t tease for long— he needs you.

In these moments, he drills into you deep and hard, burying himself in a way you make him feel. You’d see the sweat glisten along his forehead, trailing down his chest as he moves with a single-minded focus

Yet even when he’s chasing his high, Jayce never stops checking on you— your comfort, your pleasure. That connection always comes first to him

Afterwards, the aftercare is immediate. He’s especially attentive then, asking if he was too rough, if there’s anything you need. The tenderness doesn’t stop with him

📄 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐞.𝐝𝐨𝐜

I have mentioned before that Jayce isn’t a massive fan of quickies. To him, intimacy is about connection— deep, passionate, and lingering. He enjoys the slow build up, the teasing, and foreplay. Rushing through it feels like skipping the best part

That said, he’s not immune to heat-of-the-moment temptations. If the desire builds up too much and the timing is right, he won't hesitate to indulge. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s just as memorable

As mentioned earlier, the lab is most likely the setting for these rushed encounters. You both have to stay quiet and alert, which only adds to the thrill to the experience— even if Jayce grumbles about how the ‘lack of control’ afterward.

On quieter mornings, when you’re both still wrapped in each other's warmth, spooning quickies are more of his style. Uncomplicated, last, and intimate. It’s a rare kind of quickie that still feels like a slow burn

📄 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤.𝐝𝐨𝐜

Jayce isn’t the type to initiate anything risky off the bat. At his core, he leans more vanilla when it comes to intimacy— nothing too outlandish or chaotic. But that doesn't mean he’s closed off to experimenting. If it’s safe, and something you both agree on, he’s game to try

Exploring kinks becomes something of a shared discovery between you two. It’s a way of deepening your bond and building that trust. Finding out what makes the other tick becomes just as thrilling as the act itself

The riskiest thing you’ve done together would probably be that night at the theatre. I don’t want to take credit for this idea, since I originally saw this in another fanfic, but I can totally see Jayce doing this.

Jayce had secured a private mezzanine box (councillor privileges, of course) and while the performance played below, your attention has started to drift…downwards

At first, Jayce tried to talk you out of it. This wasn’t like a quickie in the lab, where at least you were alone. This was a more public space— high society, murmurs, and velvet seats. If anyone looked up, you were done for. And he knew he wasn’t good at keeping quiet.

But one light stroke up his inner thigh had him giving in too quickly for his own good. You took your time, keeping him on edge. Jayce, on the other hand, was gripping the armrest and bit his lips to keep himself from groaning out loud.

It was tense and risqué, yet, still thrilling. And while Jayce will definitely admit it was a memorable experience, it’s not one he would do again. As far as public escapades go, one was enough…probably

📄 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚.𝐝𝐨𝐜

Jayce is a one-round man— but don’t get discouraged, because that one round is long, intense, and full of tender foreplay. He takes his time, savouring every second with you, making sure it’s more than just about the release

Though, on special occasions— like your anniversary, or after a particularly breakthrough— he gets a little more indulgent. He saves his energy for two or even three rounds, especially if there’s something new to try. A different position. A new toy. Or the thrill of giving you more

His stamina is pretty strong, but he values aftercare just as much as the act itself. Between rounds, there’s always a pause: cuddling, water, or just whisper praises. He doesn’t rush. You always feel taken care of and you make sure he feels the same too— it’s the least he deserves

📄 𝐓𝐨𝐲𝐬.𝐝𝐨𝐜

If I had a quid every time I saw the phrase Hex-strap… Well. I won’t elaborate on that. But since we’re on the topic of Hex(tech), I feel confident saying that Jayce definitely experiments with integrating Hextech into toys (¬‿¬)

Initially, he was a little skeptical about the idea. After all, Hextech's primary purpose was to help people— save lives, solve problems. Though… that does count as a kind of ‘assistance,’ he tells himself. Over and over again.

Deep down, he knows he has the knowledge and resources to create something that not only feels good but is perfectly tailored to you. One he accepts that, he finally gives in to the temptation

One of his go-to devices is a vubrator. With Hextech advancements, it delivers a stronger, more targeted sensation. He gets off on watching you fall apart from it— moaning his name, clenching around nothing, begging for more. Secretly… he wants you to use it on him too. That’s one of his dirtiest secrets

Speaking of secrets— we’ve touched on how sensitive Jayce’s nipples are. So naturally, you use that against him. The first time you introduced a nipple clamp, he looked totally bewildered. Unsure whether to be curious or intimidated.

But after you clicked them into place and he felt the pressure, his demeanor shifted. His whole body shuddered, the sharp jolt of stimulation shooting right to his core— making him a whimpering mess.

There is one strict rule when it comes to toys: they stay in the bedroom.

First, he doesn’t want to risk anyone seeing something he created— especially not Viktor. He’d never hear the end of it

Second, he doesn't mind occasional risky sex, but using toys in public is a hard no. He values intimacy, and the privacy that’s comes with keeping those moments just between you two

📄 𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫.𝐝𝐨𝐜

When you’re both in the moment, Jayce isn’t really the type to draw things out too long just for the sake of teasing. He prioritises your pleasure— eager, focused, borderline desperate to get you to come before he even thinks about his own release

There are some playful moments, however. If he accidentally discovers a spot that drives you wild, his stubble grazing your inner thigh, a brush of his finger, and he notices your reaction, expect a cheeky smirk and a teasing “Oh? You like that?”

Sometimes, especially before you’re even alone together, he might get a little bold. A hand ghosting over your lower back, brushing your thighs under the table— followed by an innocent look like he had no idea what he just did.

It throws you off every time… but you’re not complaining. In fact, you kind of want to see more of that smug little smirk. Even if you’re on the end of the teasing for once

Still, Jayce would never go as far as orgasm denial. He doesn’t have the heart to make you wait, especially when you’re begging. And he definitely wouldn’t want his own pleasure delayed either— it’s not in his book, and it breaks the warmth, mutual rhythm he craves

If anything, he’s the kind to beg you to come while he’s still inside you— voice shaking, panting, holding your hand like he needs it to keep his sanity

📄 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞.𝐝𝐨𝐜

There’s absolutely no way that this man stays quiet in bed— he simply not the type to hold back. Even the smallest moments, like a passionate kiss, draw soft moans from his throat, like it’s a lifeline that he has been searching for. His voice is rich, but when it cracks with need, it gets breathier and whiny

When you’re making love, and especially when you’re the one that’s teasing or taking control, he’s a mess. Moaning openly, gasping when your hands or mouth move to his sensitive spots. He’s very responsive to everything you do

Once he’s inside you, forget any chance of silence. Jayce is completely vocal— praising you, begging for more, moaning your name like a prayer. He talks you through it, too: telling you how good you feel, begging you to come first, and whispering sweet encouragement until you both unravel

He loves when you talk, too. Whether it’s dirty talk, praises, or soft encouragement, your voice in that moment is enough to tip him over the edge. A conversation of desire and he never wants it to end

📄 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝.𝐝𝐨𝐜

One time, Jayce insisted on keeping a blanket over the both of you while making love. You were in missionary, of course, because he wanted to see your face, wanted that full connection. The blanket was his idea of creating a little ‘cocoon’ where it was just the two of you, wrapped up in each other

But then he quickly realised that, practically speaking, it wasn’t the smartest move. Between the shared body heat, the constant movement, and the sheer effort of staying coordinated under the blanket, things got hot fast— too hot under the blanket. And blindly trying to line himself up to your entrance without seeing anything wasn’t his finest hour either

But that didn’t mean he would give up trying— he is a man of science, after all. The first attempt was with a heavy duvet. Definitely a mistake on his end.

With a lighter blanket, it worked a little better… until his thrusts started pushing it off you both anyways. Though it was logically flawed, it was still romantic

📄 𝐗-𝐫𝐚𝐲.𝐝𝐨𝐜

This is my favourite part of the alphabet, we’re going to get anatomical here with Jayce’s length. His height, build, and high testosterone levels absolutely influences his size and weight

Standing at around 6 ‘4 with a muscular frame built from years in the forge and lab, it’s no surprise that Jayce is well-endowed. Both in length and girth. When flaccid, he hangs heavy, roughly around 5 inches. It rests comfortably between his thighs with a little bit of weight to it. And yes— you’ve caught a glimpse of it while he gets dressed, and you’re not so subtle about it either

When he’s aroused and hard, he’s even more impressive— firm and full at around 7 inches. As well as a girth that stretches you open and leaves you gasping. There’s a weight to him when he’s hard, and the pressure alone is enough to leave a lingering ache and throbbing sensation even after he pulls out (ouff)

His tip is dark when he’s fully hard, broad and deliciously flushed with need. Precum beads at the head when he’s especially pent-up. Let’s not forget about the veins that line the shaft and throbs under your touch

📄 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠.𝐝𝐨𝐜

Jayce ‘Yearner’ Talis should honestly be his full name. That man literally radiates want— and not just in the bedroom. Even outside of sex, he’s constantly reaching out for you: your hand, your waist, your cheek. Touch is his primary love language, he needs it like oxygen

Before you even slept together, he already craved your affection. The brush of your fingers over his face. Your hand in his hair. Your warmth curling up beside him.

But after you slept together, that yearning multiplied tenfold. Now it’s your hand on his bare chest, your lips on his cock over every inch of him, and your body beneath his that fuels that hunger

He’ll even confess how hard it is to stay composed around you— especially if you’re purposefully riling him up. There were a few moments where he was supposed to be focused on his work, but his eyes kept drifting back to you. Sometimes he’ll murmur a few words like, “you make it hard to concentrate,” or “you’re very distracting right now.”

And he doesn’t stop there. He continues yearning throughout— even when he’s balls-deep inside you, he whispers things like “I missed this… miss you.” The closeness never feels close enough and he always craves more

So yes, that does mean his sex drive will be considerably high. A man who yearns is a man who earns.

📄 𝐙𝐳𝐳.𝐝𝐨𝐜

This just makes me think about Jayce being the little spoon, while Mel has her arms wrapped around him from behind. And she was smiling against his back too, while he looked knocked out and dazed.

Jayce isn’t the type to just knock out right after sex— especially not after sharing something so intimate and emotionally charged. The act itself means a lot to him, and he wants to hold onto that closeness for as long as possible

Aftercare is always a given (duh), but once that’s done, he’s not ready to let go of you. He’s needs to feel your skin on his, bodies tangled together, sharing each others warmth until the following morning

You’d find him tracing his fingers along your sides, maybe even mumbling something sleepy into your skin. Conversations that lead nowhere just for the sake of hearing your voice— and letting you hear his. He might sound a little hoarse, breath uneven from everything that had happened, but it only adds to the intimacy

He falls asleep slowly, his favourite position will either be his face tucked into your neck or chest, or being spooned with your arms draped over him

[sixxels]

diva

nerd!gojo loves his absolute diva of a girlfriend.

there were a lot of things satoru gojo didn’t understand.

why his professor insisted on giving 7 a.m. lectures when good sleep was scientifically proven to improve cognitive function. why the wifi crashed every time he needed to upload his lab reports. why textbooks cost more than his monthly rent.

but the one thing he understood better than anything? he was in love with his girlfriend. dramatic, high-maintenance, lip gloss shining at 8am, the whole thing was tiring sometimes, sure. but you were his lifeline, his escape.

and what surprised him the most was how much he loved the little, mundane stuff. the small rituals. the shared routines that stitched your days together.

he liked meeting you outside your psych class, where you'd always emerged with a dramatic sigh like the lecture had emotionally wounded you. “he used brain rot memes on the slides, satoru. i can’t keep doing this.” you'd say that, every time, and he’d laugh like it was the first time you'd ever said it.

he especially liked your aesthetic, full-on mcbling throwback fantasy. pink velour, rhinestoned phone cases, bedazzled hair clips, juicy sweats like it was 2004 and you were the star of your own teen drama. you looked like a fever dream from a y2k music video, and he was obsessed. the lip gloss, the glitter, the low-rise jeans with butterfly charms. it all should’ve been too much. but on you? it was perfect.

“you look like a bratz doll,” he told you once, eyes wide like he couldn’t believe you were real. “and i’d die for every version of you.”

you just blew him a kiss and said, “good. you’re supposed to.”

he liked when the two of you grabbed coffee between classes. you ordered like you were reciting a poem—iced vanilla oat milk latte, one pump caramel, light ice, no cold foam. he never even looked at the menu anymore. you'd sip yours and hum in approval while he nursed a plain black coffee like the boring nerd he was. you always wrinkled your nose at it. “you drink that voluntarily? for what? character development?”

he liked when you studied in the library together. you never lasted more than twenty minutes without complaining. “why is econ just… numbers pretending to have feelings? such a drag.” you'd whine, head resting dramatically on his shoulder, perfume hitting him like a truck. he pretended to be annoyed, but secretly, he loved when you did that—like he was her safe little island in a sea of boring lectures and broken printers.

he liked how you always dragged him around like a personal pet. pulling him into stores as you judged products you knew you were never going to buy. “should i get this ‘girlboss’ notebook?” you asked once. “cant tell if it's empowering or a hate crime.” he still didn’t know what that meant, but you looked cute holding it.

he liked the late-night walks after study sessions. you always wore those fuzzy slippers that weren’t meant for outdoors, but insisted they were “serving.” the two of you would walk under the string lights strung across the quad, your perfectly managed hand in his, talking about nothing and everything—professors the both of you hated, dumb memes, the little thoughts you had. "y'know toru, having a hot nerd like you on my arm makes me look 100 times more cunty."

and he especially liked when you'd pull him into empty stairwells just to kiss him, pulling him down to your height and shoving your tongue down his throat as you teasingly grinded your hips against his crotch in a passionate exchange. your lip gloss sticking to his mouth like a brand. “to keep you focused,” she’d tease, before strutting off like she hadn’t just short-circuited his entire brain, he was now faced with a problem in his pants.

it wasn’t just the big gestures or grand declarations that made him love you. it was the daily stuff—the little, ordinary routines that you made feel magical, chaotic, and unmistakably yours.

he didn’t need roses or fireworks.

he had oat milk lattes, sarcastic one-liners, stolen kisses between classes, and you.

and that was more than enough.

m.list !!

[thisgirlisgaythankyouverymuch]

Chapter 1: The Lights Flickering

Neglected! Sung Jinwoo Reader x Yandere Batfamily

TW: Impending Danger (Implied), Foreshadowing of Loss, Mild Child Endangerment (Implied), Emotional Tension, Dark Themes (Its Gotham so of course its dark)

WC: 1.3k

"Flash News: 

A strange phenomenon has been reported near Robinson Park. Witnesses have all described a blue portal that has suddenly appeared today, giving off an unknown energy. The area that had been said to have spawned this portal is currently off limits and is under investigation by members of the Justice League.

However, sources confirm that even with great effort, none of the members have been able to enter the portal, keeping its origin and purpose for appearing unknown.

Authorities urge civilians to stay clear and far away from the area as the Justice League continues their analysis.

In a shocking turn of events, the sudden emergence of different individuals showing supernatural abilities is said to be coincidental to the emergence of the dungeon. Early reports have been filed around the world, with citizens awakening abilities that defy the laws of Science. Although this would have been a shock, only a few hundred have been reported to have been granted this ability. The researchers of STAR labs have been analyzing these individuals and have been testing their abilities near the said portal in Robinson Park.

Although research and reports have been scarce, resources say that the labs will further investigate the situation at hand."

.

.

.

"A new portal crisis, huh? Well, isn't that interesting?" (M/N) says as they pick up their child, who is watching TV, giggling as the little one, no older than four, tries to wriggle out of their grasp, eager to keep watching the news. Holding the child close, (M/N) carries them into the kitchen. Footsteps echo from a nearby room as they begin preparing breakfast.

As the mother begins to serve breakfast, a low grumble from a male could be heard, laced with annoyance and irritation, but also the heavy drag of someone who didn't get enough sleep. The said male then went to give two of the most precious people in his life good morning kisses. One accepted the affection with a hum, eyes still half-lidded but a smile present, while the smaller one gave out an irritated grumble, clearly more interested in the bear pancakes their mom had made.

"Rough night, dear?" (M/N) said, placing down the plate of bacon and eggs as she poured a cup of coffee for her husband. (F/N) nodded and sat down at the table, taking a sip from his mug. "The lab called me last night," he said quietly, the steam from his coffee swirling around his tired eyes. "They said I need to help with the investigation about the portal in the park. Looks like they’re bringing in more researchers for this one." He took a bite of bacon, chewing thoughtfully as he glanced at his wife. "What about you? Did they reach out to you about it?" His brow furrowed a bit. "I hope not, because you’re already busy with this little gremlin." He pointed lightly at the child, smiling at the kid, who was completely focused on their pancakes.

"They did." (M/N) replied, wiping off the syrup smeared on the child's cheek. "But I rejected the offer. I can't carry on more tasks when I've got my hands full, especially with (reader)." She then looked at her husband before looking back at the little gremlin devouring the pancakes, syrup sticking onto the sleeves of the shirt she was wearing. "I tried to find a nanny... didn't work out." The woman then stood up and took the plates from the table before cleaning the dishes near the kitchen sink. "Although Mrs. Wetherby said she’d be more than happy to watch over (Reader)." (M/N) says as she dried her hands with a towel. The man then hummed before he stood up, scooping the child up and going to the bathroom to start the bath for the gremlin.

As the man adjusted the water temperature, waiting for the tub to fill, a quiet thought surfaced.

“Five years old next week, huh?” he murmured to himself, a soft smile tugging at his lips. He reached for the bubble bath and poured a generous amount into the stream, watching the foamy suds rise.

Behind him, the child’s eyes lit up as they realized what was happening.

“Bubbles!” they squealed before darting out of the room at full speed.

The man chuckled, shaking his head. “Guess that means toy reinforcements.”

He knelt by the tub, swirling the water gently as the bubbles grew, the air filling with the scent of lavender and plastic. Despite the early morning stress and the heavy topic lingering just outside the door, for this moment, just this one, everything felt simple. Whole.

.

.

.

"Alright, I'm heading to work now, my love" (F/N) says as he takes his coat and bag near the front door, not before pressing a kiss on the side of his wife's cheek and their child's forehead. "I'll see you at work, alright?" The woman then nodded her head before calling after him, "(F/N)! Can you stop by the cafe for my coffee, please?" (M/N) shouted to him. He then rolled down the window of the driver's side before shooting her a thumbs up and a wink. The mother giggled at his antics before looking over towards her child, waving to their Father, chuckling softly as the child ran towards the car, knocking on the door of the car before hugging (F/N). "Take care, Papa! Please come back safely." the child said as their hair was ruffled by the said father, getting a bit irritated but also laughing gleefully.

As the woman looked at the scene, she couldn't help but feel a little worried. The thing that appeared gave her the feeling of fear and anxiety, fearing for something that she didn't know yet could already feel through her bones. She then looked over again before taking the child and looking towards the car, driving off, watching as she scooped the kid up, walking away when the car was out of sight. She then changed her clothes for work before taking the papers from her desk, stuffing the papers in her bag, and picking up the child and the things they needed before getting dropped off at the sweet old woman's home.

The sweet old woman had insisted on helping, having spotted the dark circles under her eyes days ago. “Even though I’m old, I can still take care of children, you know?” Mrs. Wetherby had said with a wink. “Besides, it’s quite lonely eating apple pie all by myself. I thought I might share some with (Reader), they do have a sweet tooth, don’t they?” laughing softly as she gestured to the mother to enter her home. On the table looked to be a freshly baked pie, the smell of cinnamon, sugar, and apples filling the room, embracing the mother with a comforting feeling as she looked over the table. The pie had looked like it had only been pulled out of the oven, the crust perfectly golden brown and flaky, the apples inside gleaming beneath the soft sunlight that entered the room, sticky-sweet glaze covering the apples as she took a big slice of the pie, wrapping it up before giving it the the mother. "You know you could ask me for help, right, dear?" Mrs. Wetherby told the mother. Although they were in Gotham, a terrifying place, the fear seemed to disappear as the mother looked over to the old woman, who was smiling at her, her hazel brown eyes looking so warm, wrinkles forming at the side of her eyes, and her black hair turning gray, silence enveloped the mother, but not the akward type, It was like a warm blanket hugging her after a long day at work, where you can finally relax after working rigurous hours. With that, the mother agreed, thanking the old woman with a smile as big as hers.

So, with everything they needed, the mother soon took off with her child walking beside her on the sidewalk, heading straight to the woman's home, feeling content with her small family and Mrs. Wetherby, who was also now becoming a part of it as well.

But this contentment would soon disappear, as the Shadows of Gotham would soon sink its bare fangs on her beloved family, a cruel punishment they didn't deserve but was placed on them.

Oh, My Dear Gotham, why must you be so cruel.....

A/N: Heyyo, Everyone! decided to post the first part early as it is rotting in my drafts for weeks now, I had the motivation to finish this today, and felt like I should post it so I could start on other chapters. As usual, this fanfic is for fun and for entertainment only. I do not own any of the characters unless said otherwise. English is NOT my first language.

Taglist: @thelovelymoonlightofthemidnight @snowy-violet @cssammyyarts @the-dumber-scaramouche @bluevenus19

@bunniotomia @iansimpsforeveryone @fortunatelydifferentqueen @noisytoadhoundzipper-blog

[velnoni]

just like the other ask i love love love! ur interpretation of ford. i need more almost religiously. can we have more hcs involving romance and maybe a little nsfw stuff?

Romantic Ford Headcanons

ask and ye shall recieve.

Will absolutely flush if you kiss his hand, especially in public. He finds something like that mischievous, but lowkey will not complain, merely grumble softly to himself. Morning kisses are a bonus and have helped him adjust to a more slow paced life.

Pet names. Perhaps a shortened version of your name if your name is long enough. My dear, honey, handsome/beautiful. In his journal, he'll refer to you as the love of his life.

Head scratches or foot/back massages. Both of you, when overworked, appreciate them so so much. Ford will greatly appreciate it when you coax him out the lab, into your lap, and run your hands through his peppered hair. He makes a noise stuck between a groan and sigh, and in no time, his breathing evens out. When he does it for you, he will often offer it after a crappy day at work. Cue the extra fingers working magic and applying pressure in all the right places.

It could be said he can make edible meals, but he's no Gordan Ramsey. So when he comes home to you making a home cooked meal, he can't help but fall for you harder. To be able to sit down, eat, and not worry if the food is poisonous...it's enough to make a grown man cry. His favorite recipe might be a spaghetti dish.

Get this man some jelly beans, and he'll be a happy lad.

Play any nerd board with him and Dipper, and you will see his eyes turn into hearts, which should be physically impossible. Finds your facial expression cute when you're stuck on something.

Stargazing on the roof of the Mystery Shack is a must, and he never gets tired of speaking of the stars with you. When you told him about the new horoscopes that sparked a new conversation.

Expedition dates are great, but local diner hangouts always feel more intimate with you. Ford may or may not have stolen a french fry if you weren't looking...perhaps Stan is rubbing off on him.

It's not something you know, but once considered, finding out a way to allow you to see colors humans normally can not perceive like Bill once did for him. But ultimately decided against it.

Random gifts from Ford can range from receiving a flower, clothes that don't stain, or a new creature he found in the wild.

*nsft under the cut

Surprisingly quite sensitive. If you rake your nails against his skin, he'll shiver and try to push you off. But keep doing it, and you'll get a whimper out of him.

If you kiss each finger, naming what you like about him or how you'll screw the daylights out him alongside licking them, please expect said fingers inside of you tonight.

He likes grabbing you by the waist and might give a teasing squeeze if feeling brave. He's smug when he does so. On days when you're both alone, you might feel him wrap his arms around you with a little surprise pressing up your backside. Will always ask for permission to go forward.

The kind of person to see you doing something in your natural habitat and get aroused from it. Reading a book? Biting a pen? Covered in mud from helping Mabel with her garden that was raided by suspiciously handsome men with gnomes riding them? He finds it unbecoming of a scientist to fall folly to such primal instincts but will grab your hand when you're alone and stare at you with a slight desperation.

Kiss sessions can go for a good while with some groping. He prefers to be in control, but if you whisper for him to lay beneath you and say his full name, you'll have the old man putty in your hands. Nibble on his ear and that'll earn you six fingered smack on the butt. His ears are really sensitive you've realized...suspiciously so.

If you point that out and keep asking, Ford might one day ask you to stick your tongue in his ear. And if you ever do this while palming his erection in his pants he'll cum early much to his embarrasment. He could never live down the shame but will always come back for more.

He's a fan of blowjobs since they're easy to clean up and really enjoy when you give them to him at a slow pace. He likes the buildup. He doesn't mind returning the deed. He finds your expression and moans quite invigorating.

There's a slight possibility he might be into sounding. Don't ask how he figured that out but he's too shy to bring it up right now.

Praise kink. It's practically endless! Smart, handsome, gorgeous, sexy, silver fox, cutie pie, fantastic, how are you so good at this, good job, keep doing that, etc.

Likes watching/being watched while masturbating. Bonus points if you walked in on him. Once you did and he came like a hormonal teenager, face beet red and glasses cloudy.

Slow and steamy sex is something he prefers because he likes to watch you come undone under his watchful gaze but there are times where he'll feel spontaneous and rile you up throughout the day so you pounce him in privacy. Conniving fella. Have enough stamina to hold you up & hammer you against the wall but prefers a bed.

"Stanford..." You whispered in a low voice as you rearranged yourself behind him. Ford tensed at your voice, feeling his soul jump as your naked arms slide underneath his own, linking together against his chest. "Y-Yes, my dear?" He asks when he remembers to respond to you. He wanted to look at you, kiss your lips, taste you on his own, and have his hands roam every inch of your body. Especially considering your very naked body in question was pressed against his back side. But he didn't.

He steeled himself to your provactice antics and touched the buckle of his belt. He hears you chuckle into his ear, the softness of your lips when it makes contact with his earlobe. Then his cheek and the side of his neck where that wretched tattoo resided. Oh... He couldn't help but sigh and think mentally he was much too old for this. But as if you read his mind, you cupped the pompous bulge that was quite evident through his corduroy pants. You gave it a gentle squeeze and waited.

"More..."

"More what?"

His voice is now a whisper. His Adam apple rises as he swallows his saliva. "More, please." He could feel himself come undone when you call him a good boy. Tonight is going to be one of those nights.

[gay-dorito-dust]

Hello hello! I dunno if you’re taking request but I was thinking if you can write smth silly about reader pulling the “Fellas grab your ladies if your lady fine” trend on Ford :3

You didn’t know how you had gotten put in this predicament where you were standing behind Ford, all the while Mabel was hiding behind the doorway -phone in hand- as she gestured for you to grab Ford by his waist and pull him in close.

Oh wait you did know exactly how you had gotten in this because Mabel came up to you that very same morning, phone in her hand as though it was super glued there, as she shown you this trend couples were doing for public validation and praise; and or to rub their relationship in the publics face.

‘What am I-‘

‘Just watch.’ Mabel exclaimed as she pointed to her phone that she had shoved under your face just as the man grabbed his girlfriend by the waist and pull her in close in tandem with the lyrics; ‘fellas grab your ladies if your ladies fine.’ Just as the video ends and goes back to the beginning.

‘And what was I meant to take away from that exactly?’ You questioned, not understanding the point of anything that was presented to you, especially so early in the morning where all you wanted to do was enjoy your morning drink without having to think so hard. However there’s never been a quiet morning in the Pines household in the history of forever, and each time a member of the Pines Family was usually the source of the unrest.

Ford trying to catch his anomalies that somehow snuck into your room

Stan loudly complaining about his aging body while burning the pancakes because he wasn’t paying attention to it.

Wendy’s loud ass snores. She’s always hanging out at the shack so often you might as well consider her apart of the family as well alongside Soos, Candy and Grenda.

Dipper being Dipper

And now Mabel with this supposedly popular couples trend. You couldn’t catch a break but you loved this family and Ford too much to care about how early it was for their shenanigans.

‘You and Ford should totally do the trend!’ Mable said as she beams at you. ‘The people would love a cute nerdy couple like you two!’

You chuckled as you ruffled the energetic girls’ hair affectingly. ‘I highly doubt your Grunkle Ford would want any part in it, he’s been in the lab all week on a recent discovery. What it is he wouldn’t tell me. He only ran into our room one day to scream THEY’RE PROCREATING and left for the lab.’

‘Please! Please! Please!’ Mabel cried as she clasped her hands together and gave you the cutest pair of puppy eyes ever as you felt your resolve crumble the longer you stared into your niece.

‘Fine.’ You playfully groaned as you allowed the young girl to drag you by your arm and lead you down into the lab where Ford was, only to shove you awkwardly close to Ford while she hide near the doorway, phone in hand.

‘Hello darling.’ Ford greeted without looking up from his work, he claims he could tell apart your footsteps from the rest of his family, but you just assumed that Stan or Dipper or Mabel kept coming down and Ford took the opportunity to learn how each of his family sounded when coming down the stairs through specific things they did.

‘Hello sweetheart.’ You greeted back as you could see Mabel practically on the brink of bursting into confetti with how hard she tried to contain her excitement.

‘Grab him by the waist.’ Mabel mouthed, her eyes becoming comedically large glittery stars. ‘Grab him by the waist!’

You looked back at Ford who was leaned over his desk, looking over his work throughly with his brows furrowed and his glasses slightly drooping off his nose. He looked handsome when he was concentrating but in your eyes Ford was always handsome even when he was explaining to you dungeons, dungeons and even more dungeons.

You looked back at Mabel who had her phone In front of her -most likely recording you- before you took a deep breath and brought your hand to Ford’s waist, quickly pulled him close to you so that his back rested against your chest. Poor Ford was a flustered mess, his cheeks were aflame, his eyes were wide and you could feel how stiff his body was against yours, you couldn’t help but smile at how cute he looked in the moment.

‘What’s the meaning behind this y/n.’ Ford asked as he tried to calm his excepted heart rate and regain composure.

You kissed his cheek before nuzzling it slightly. ‘Did you catch all that Mabel?’ You asked, much to Ford’s confusion. ‘Mabel?’

‘Yes! I caught all of that!’ She cried as she popped out from her hiding spot, ‘this is going on the family group chat!’ She adds as she bolts up the stairs giggling and squealing to herself at how cute you and her grunkle Ford were, leaving you and Ford alone.

‘Sorry sweetheart, her puppy eyes are my weakness.’ You confessed as you rested your head against his shoulder, still holding onto his waist and breathing in his scent that never failed to relive you and any and all stress. Ford chuckled as he moved his head to kiss the top of yours, smiling fondly at your weak spot for his grandniece and nephew. ‘It’s alright darling, just let me know next time before you do something so bold, my old heart can only take so many surprises.’ He joked as he rested his hand atop of your own, rubbing the back of it soothingly.

‘I promise.’ You mumbled softly against his shoulder. ‘But you did look cute all flustered, do you like being grabbed by the waist?’ You then asked, only to receive silence on Ford’s and, which made you life your head from his shoulder to see that he was cover the lower half of his face with his hand.

‘Cute.’ You thought yourself, you might do this more often if this is the response you get, it was a power trip you didn’t know you needed over your cute but extremely smart fordsy.