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#friends house has an insanely long hallway with doors only on one side so i think its justified...
teethkid67 · 1 year
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hmmm I saw "send specific art requests" so I think it would be Cool to see the gang in lmanburg and what you sort of visualize lmanburg as as like,,,,a house. also good luck with graduation 👍
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honestly most bp houses originate in my mind as mobile homes. lmanburg is a bit more foundational but it still has that sort of Long Rectangle shape . living room leads into kitchen (with a little table) and then the back of the house is this long hallway, two bedrooms branching off, and a bathroom at the very end . mentally it is similar to my family's old expandable camper in terms of aesthetic ... wooden paneling, cream paint, old stripey upholstery... idk. if yall know the roomhole (heavensinterior) blog a lot of it is similar to that . also heavily inspired by the houses of various extended family members
fundy sleeps in the twin, wilbur and tommy share the queen, tubbo takes the couch . manberg era fundy and & tubbo's sleeping arrangements stay the same but schlatt and q are in the queen now
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this also made me think How would i interpret the lmanburg coat in a modern context... given bps general setting id say theres a lot of Scraping to get by and that includes shitty second-hand clothes... some sort of horrible slogan i think or a logo or something im not sure. probably retcon at some point but i was sitting there thinking how can i get the "white w golden stripes" across without it looking strange?? could also be that after they start getting into little spats with dream they literally make a stupid uniform (tie-dye or acrylic paint or something) but for now it can be a little silly hoodie for chommy maybe stolen from someone else .
bonus misc outfit drawings and tiny pipsqueaks doodle of wil&tommy in a river thumbs up
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strawberryforks · 4 months
Text
extra credit // cole walter x reader
summary: you and cole had a falling out. you’re not friends anymore but you still can’t sit back and watch him fail all of his classes—when you decide to tutor him, things are revealed, and things are fixed.
warnings: swearing, crying (this one has a happy ending don’t worry)
word count: 1730
a/n: requests/asks open and encouraged! <3
you hated cole walter more than was probably healthy. he broke your heart in fifth grade when he destroyed the science fair project you’d spent months working on and telling him about. family dinners were awkward as sin because even though you’d fallen out with the walters, your parents hadn’t… they owned a neighboring ranch and had know the walter family your entire life. so yes, you hated cole walter but you didn’t hate yourself which was the only reason you’d agreed to tutor him. your mom had begged you and your teacher mentioned that it would look good on your transcripts. in class, when you looked over and saw a red ‘f’ circled on the corner of his assignment, you almost felt bad. he’d shook his head and stuffed it into his bag. when the bell rang he was the first one out of his seat—you slung your bag over your shoulder and followed behind him, legs working twice as hard to catch up to his insanely long ones. “walter!” you shouted, “wait up!” he didn’t slow his pace but lee turned and tilted his head to the side. “not you.” you dismissed. “cole!” you tried again. this time he stopped. In the middle of the hallway teeming with teenagers, all in a rush to get home, he stopped. cole turned around and his blue eyes were full of confusion. it made sense, his apprehension, because you hadn’t spoken to him directly in years. yeah, you could hold a grudge. he looked side to side, almost expecting there to be another person with the same name. when there wasn’t, he gulped. “y/n/n?”
it was your turn to gulp. you hadn’t been called that in quite sometime. not by someone who mattered—who had mattered so much to you. “just y/n please.”
cole nodded and muttered his apologies, he could give you that much. “do you need a ride?”
“i need to talk to you, but we can do that in the car if you’ve got room.”
cole nodded and left through the double doors heading out to the student parking lot. He cast glances over his shoulder checking that you were still there and not a figment of his imagination. He opened your door and you scoffed but slid in anyways. “Thought I called shotgun!” Issac yelled, knocking into the passenger door before sliding into the back. cole shot him a look—one that said ‘shut up’ and he did. lee slid in beside him and then alex. the rest of the boys climbed in as well. you peaked over the back of your seat, meeting issac’s gaze. “sorry ise, i had no idea. we can swap spots if you want.”
“he’s fine,” cole said. he reached across you, grabbed your buckle, and plugged it in. “i could’ve done that,” you grumbled. cole didn’t care. he cranked the tunes, you switched the station and because you were talking to him, because you hadn’t in so long and he’d quite literally dreamed of this moment, he let you. he sat and listened to the shitty station you chose with a smile. danny bumped your shoulder on the way in and in the living room, you sat close to alex. your legs touched and though you thought nothing of it, cole was far from happy. alex whispered in your ear, “stay here for a second, i’ve never seen cole so red in the face.” you rolled your eyes, “i don’t need to make your brother jealous, alex. one—you have a girlfriend,” jackie was at one of her friend’s houses, “two, i’m not interested, and three, you guys don’t need another reason to fight. you hit him last time and i bet he’s itching to get even.”
cole passed you a glass of juice—your favorite and when his hand was empty he grabbed your arm and pulled you up. “what did you need to talk about?”
you weren’t stupid, you knew that was his way of getting you away from his brother. you didn’t care, though. you followed him and instead of leading you to his bedroom he took you out to the loft. you two had spent plenty of time together out there and you wondered if that was intentional. you climbed up and sat down, balancing on your favorite beam. cole inched closer, so he could reach you if he needed to. below there was only hay, but still, he was nervous, “i hate it when you sit there.”
“i know,” you said, but didn’t move, and that was that. “what’s up?” he asked softly.
“your hair. the middle part, i don’t like it.”
subconsciously he drug a hand through his blond locks then he saw a smile split your cheeks. you started laughing and he rolled his eyes. “had me ready to ask my mom for a haircut, y/n. not cool, not cool.”
this, you two, it felt too normal. too comfortable. too right. it was hard to remember that you were mad, let alone why.
you coughed a little, cleared your throat. “your grades, cole. they’re bad. i mean they’ve never been good—but you’ve really fallen off.”
cole’s smile flattened but you considered your small verbal assault “even when you were busy with football and with me it was never this bad, so what’s going on?”
“it’s not like i can go to college. football was all i had, it was my way out. when i lost it i had nothing, y/n. the only reason i haven’t dropped out is—“
“is because katherine and i would kill you?”
“i didn’t know you cared.”
“oh my lack of caring is not the problem here. it’s never been so don’t even start.” you take a breath, “ms jacobs said you’re doing bad in everything and worse in english—not in those exact words, so don’t start pouting or anything. i went around and talked to your teachers and got the work you missed, what they’re willing to let you redo, and extra credit assignments. so, get to work. i’m officially your tutor and no one i’m tutoring is getting anything less than an eighty.”
cole groaned when you handed him the pile of work but when you divided it by subject and deadline it was less overwhelming. the two of you worked in tandem for hours. he wrote, you edited. he attempted problems and you corrected them it he was wrong—explaining how to fix things. you went over formulas until he swore they were permanently burned into the backs of his eyelids.
“we’ll call it a night.” you decided when a quarter of the pile was completed. “you write an essay tonight and email it to me—i’ll edit it for you. the rest we can do when we meetup another day.”
“okay.” cole insisted on helping you down, and then when you turned to head out the driveway he grabbed your arm. “where are you going?”
“home.” you said.
“stay the night. you can take my bed and i’ll sleep on the couch. it’s dark and walking alone, especially at night, isn’t something i want you doing.”
“cole.” you warned.
“i don’t want anything to happen to you.” more than anything it was a confession. “stay for dinner at least, if you still want to leave i’ll drive you home. if you’re dead set on walking, i’ll walk with you.”
you couldn’t argue with that, not when kathrene and george were such great cooks. you headed inside and cole pulled an extra seat up to the table for you. “just you tonight, y/n?” george asked.
“yeah. mom and dad are at home, i just came over to help cole with… uh…” you didn’t know if all of his siblings and parents were aware of how he was struggling so you opted to say nothing. “with my truck,” cole supplied when his mother pinned him with a glare full of suspicion. “i love your outfit,” you tell parker when she passed you butter to twirl your corn through. cole passes you the salt before you can think to ask and it’s nice that he remembers these things. a smile tugs at the corner of my lips. small but bright.
after dinner you give in. you agree to sleepover and decide that you’ll take the bed and cole can sleep on the couch. when you’re settled in his room he leaves. you’re about to go to sleep, blankets piled on top of me and a smell that is so uniquely cole all around me when something catches my eye. it’s… it’s your project. you stand quick and cross to the closet, pulling it down carefully. the project he ruined in fifth grade is all there—glued back together. it’s perfect. you cry. it’s like you can’t stop crying. relief, anger, sadness, happiness, the emotions all slam into you with such force. tears trail down your cheeks and the wetness is still there when you find cole staring up at the ceiling, on the couch. he stands up quick—you’re upset, crying and he hates it. he doesn’t know what to do, what happened, how to fix it. you wrap your arms around him and squeeze. with your face buried into his chest you sob, “cole you fixed it,” it’s then that he finally clues in. “i couldn’t fix us so i… i fixed that. i never meant to break it.”
“i’m sorry!” you cried—loud and quiet at the same time. “no i am. i should’ve tried harder to explain myself,”
“i should’ve let you, cole. i never gave you a chance.”
“will you? give me a chance?”
you nodded. having cole back was the best thing that’d happened to you in a long time. family dinners became less awkward, you hungout with the walters more and a few weeks later, when it was time for the semi-formal dance, he asked you. picked you up in his truck (it was fixed and working great), gave you flowers, and spun you around all night. you held onto his arm, chatted, and at the end, you two stood outside under the stars, not quite ready to say goodbye or goodnight.
“i love you.” he said—it suprised you but not too much.
“i think i love you too.”
"you think you love me?" he asked with a teasing smile. “what if I kiss you right now? would that make it fact?"
you nodded, your lips met, and then the night was perfect. the project was fixed and so were you and cole. your best friend was now your boyfriend and you couldn’t be happier.
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rogersevans · 3 years
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Quarantine Wedding
Pairings: Chris Evans x Y/n Downey - Chris Evans x Y/n Evans
Warnings: just fluff, wedding (if they make you emotional), implied smut towards the end
Summary: Y/n never planned her dream wedding, but in their back garden, surrounded by their families, during a global pandemic seems pretty perfect to her. apart of the evans’ series.
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Sunday mornings were Y/n’s and Chris’s favourite day of the week, the only time they got to stay in bed, tangled in the sheets and each other, going undisturbed from the outside world. Chris currently had Y/n lying between his legs, her back against his bare chest as he rested against the head of the bed.  
Y/n was absentmindedly playing with the engagement ring on her finger, something she had started to do since he put it on, twiddling it with her thumb.
Dodger was at their feet, on his back with his legs spread, snoring away.  
“We should get married.” Y/n mumbled like she was thinking something through in her mind, thumb still playing with the ring.
“We are...” Chris reminded her, placing a small kiss to her temple. “That’s what this is for.” Taking her small hand in his, holding it up to show off the ring as it glistened in the Sunday morning sun.  
“No,” she protested with a giggle, getting up onto her knees and wrapping the sheet around her naked body, turning to face her fiancé. “I mean sooner, like tomorrow.”  
“Tomorrow?”
“Or Thursday if you’re too busy.” Rolling her eyes playfully she scooted closer to him, now in his lap, the sheet now being held up by their bodies, closing the gap. Her hands finding his hair, raking her fingers through it and massaging his scalp. “I want to be Mrs Evans, I want to get married in our back garden, with our families... No one else.” Chris hummed in agreement, letting his hands fall to her hips.  
“You don’t want a big wedding?” Licking his lips, his eyes now open and focused on every detail of her, the small freckle that sat just above the curve of her right breast, the thin chain that sat around her neck with a small diamond C resting in the centre he’d bought her on their second anniversary, the butt dimpled in her chin, something she hated but another thing he adored.  
Truthfully, she didn’t, she never envisioned herself surrounded by 300 people as she said ‘I do’, she just wanted a small, intimate wedding, less than 30 people.  
The pair had been engaged for five months and the pandemic had haltered all of their plans to celebrate, they had various zoom celebrations with their families and friends and when they were allowed to travel back home their hallway was filled with presents and balloons.  
They had managed to keep the news out of the press, wanting to bask in the newness of their engagement privately, it had been blissful but Y/n was becoming impatient.  
Silently shaking her head, she dipped her head her lips just a whisper away from Chris’s, “I just want you, as my husband.” She whispered making Chris’s entire body shiver, and in one swift movement Y/n is on her back with Chris lying on his side next to her, propped up on his elbow and tracing shapes on her are stomach.
She doesn’t stop herself from reaching up and cupping his cheek, booping his nose with her thumb, making them both giggle and then running her fingers over his beard, one her favourite features of her fiancé the way it feels against her skin makes her feel alive.  
“Tomorrow.” Was all he replied with, letting his lips fall down to her nose.  
After another hour of being tangled up in one another, the room filled with her soft moans and Chris made love to her, turned on at the thought of her becoming his wife tomorrow. They started organising everything, never leaving the bed unless it was for Dodger, food or toilet breaks.  
They had delivered the news to their families and the cheers or screams (Carly and Shanna) we’re piercing, even though the speaker of their phones.  
Chris booked flights for his family to be able to attend, they were getting in at around 10pm that night. Y/n demanded that everyone be tested before they stepped foot in their home, so she arranged for someone to come out and test everyone. Y/n’s family were due to arrive tomorrow morning, the nerves bubbled in the pit of her stomach at the thought of her mom and dad being in the same room again, something she hadn’t experienced in years.  
“Baby, it’ll be fine.” Giving a chaste kiss to her knuckles, “we’re getting married tomorrow.” He mumbled against them, his voice raspy and tired after a long day of planning, all doubt or anxiety about her parents leaving her body just from his touch, his words settled her completely.  
“I can’t wait to be your wife.” Standing to her tiptoes she nudged her nose with his, their gaze still looked before her eyes fluttered shut, breathing him in and relishing in the moment before his lips found hers.  
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“What are you going to do about a dress?” Scott asked in a hushed tone, not wanting Chris to hear their conversation, closing the door to their bedroom behind him.  
The house was extremely busy downstairs with everyone completing last minute preparations so Scott and Y/n had snuck away for a quiet moment to get ready, knowing Y/n didn’t function when stressed. He could tell she wanted nothing more than to have Chris at her side, one didn’t move without the other.
But Scott demanded, as the self appointed best man/man of honour, that they be apart for the night before and the day of, still up-keeping some form of tradition.
Unknowingly to Scott, Chris had snuck back into their bedroom last night when everyone was asleep, not wanting to be away from one another with the excitement of the next day bubbling. 
Like children on Christmas Eve.  
The busyness of the day had helped keep them both distracted, not giving them much time to sneak off for a moment of privacy. 
“I bought something a few months ago, thinking ahead.” Y/n rummaged through her and Chris’s shared walk-in closet, plucking a black garment bag which was hidden at the very back.  
Unzipping the bag, Y/n revealed the white, embroidered, floor length cami wedding dress. Scott couldn’t contain his gasp as he softly took the dress in his hands, admiring it silently.  
“Where did you find this?” His eyes not leaving the dress, his fingers running over the patterns.
“ASOS,” she started. “I saw it on there and had to have it, I’m going to wear it with these...” Trailing off as she bent down to pick up her pair of all white, high-topped converses, now beaming from ear to ear.
“You’re joking right?”
“Heels aren’t me,” shrugging her shoulders she took the dress from Scott and disappeared into the en-suite to get ready.  
“What about rings?” Scott asked on the other side of the door, he was sitting on the edge of the bed go through the checklist he had created in his mind.
“I think Chris has that sorted.” Was all she replied too focused on not damaging the dress as she slipped it on carefully, not hearing when Scott said something about checking on the decorations and leaving. 
After ten minutes Y/n stepped out of the bathroom to show Scott, her hair now falling freely over her shoulders and the slightest bit of make-up, the dress hugged her figure perfectly as the flowed around her.  
“Wow.” Chris’s voice sounded, making her jump back behind the bathroom door, shutting it, hoping he didn’t see too much. “Baby, what’re you doing?” Walking over to the bathroom door, trying to push it open.
“I thought you were Scott. You’re not supposed to see me!” Y/n cried from behind the door.
“I don’t care, we’re getting married during a pandemic, in our back garden with less than twenty people... So, I think the traditions are out the window.” His hand still on the door knob, letting a breathy chuckle out. “C’mon gorgeous, I wanna see you.” He attempted to persuade her.
Slowly the door started to open to reveal Y/n stood there, holding either side of her dress as she twirled for Chris, giggling as she did.
Well fuck, the sight made Chris’s heart swell, his palms became sweaty as his eyes trailed over her, drinking in her appearance, his smile never leaving his lips.  
Y/n took the opportunity to take in her fiancé's appearance, he was currently in black dress pants, a white shirt tucked into his pants with the top few buttons undone, and a tie hanging around his neck, untied. Her breath hitched in her throat at the sight, butterflies erupting in her stomach.
“Was gonna ask you to do my tie...” He choked out, his eyes now meeting hers.  
Without word she took a step forward and began fastening the last few buttons before making work of his tie, his hands found her hips, rubbing small circles with his thumbs as he watched her intently.  
“You look...” He started, but was cut off by Y/n.
“Handsome, you look insanely handsome. I’m lucky you’re about to become my husband.” Her eyes still fixated on the tie, her tongue dragging across her bottom lip as she concentrated. Once satisfied her fingers smoothed out his collar and tie. “Now go, before Scott sees you in here. Anyone would think he’s the one getting married.” Both chuckling softly.  
With her command Chris didn’t move away, just one step closer to her, closing the gap between them, his hands now cupping her cheeks, both looking into each other's eyes for a few seconds before he dipped his head down to kiss her.  
This kiss wasn’t like all the others he had sneaked in the past twenty four hours, it was different.
Y/n’s mind casting back to the night Chris told her he loved her for the first time, the kiss matching that. It was filled with adoration, passion and love, making her stomach do flips and her heart hammer against her chest.  
“Go,” Y/n mumbled against his lips after a few seconds, pushing his abdomen. “I’ll see you down there handsome.” Giving her one last kiss before walking away, leaving her now by herself as she jumped up and down in their bathroom, the tiniest squeal leaving her lips.  
The next half an hour rushed by so quickly, now the pair were stood at the bottom of their garden in front of their families, their garden littered with fairy lights hung above them, their families stood watching proudly. 
It was simple and perfect, no fuss. 
Scott was ordaining the ceremony something Chris and Y/n weren’t aware he could do until last night. Too scared to know the reason why he decided to become an ordained minister, “you never know when you might need it” was all he said. 
“Y/n,” Chris started, his hands shaking a little. “I can’t imagine my life without you, since you came barging into it 22 years ago. From the very first day of filming back in 2011, I knew you were it for me, even if I didn’t know it.” That caused everyone to laugh, “I love how you’re always there by my side, how you always tie my tie... Even if I know how to do it myself.” Y/n gasped shocked at his admission, laughing along with everyone. “At first it was a tactic to be near you, but the look of concentration you have every time, drives me crazy.” He laughed as she shook her head, beaming from ear to ear. “You make me the happiest man alive every day, even when you’re beating my ass at guitar hero. I love how passionate and impatient you are... Today being an example of that.” Everyone laughed again, he reached for her cheek and wiped the tears away with his thumb. “I can’t believe I get to call you my wife... I love you.”
Y/n was speechless, wiping away the tears that continued to fall, it was like he’d winded her with his words, her body tingled with excitement and love as the feeling of becoming Mrs Evans drew closer.
“Chris,” she started. “You are one of the most amazing, crazy talented, men I’ve ever known, I’m in constant awe of what you’re capable of... Seriously, it's annoying... I will make it my life mission to find something you’re not good at.” Chris’s loud laughter now echoed over your families laughs, his hand falling to his chest. “Your laugh, is my favourite sound of yours and if I could play it on repeat I would, but I’ll just settle for making you laugh with my terribly bad dad jokes-”
“Oh no!” Chris groaned at her statement, making everyone laugh again.
“Our love consumes me, I knew from the moment Lizzie told me you liked me that I had to have you, no matter what. Everyone constantly tells me how intense our love is, but it wasn’t until someone described it perfectly to me that I understood,” Y/n took the opportunity to side eye Scott, recalling the night they had a very drunken conversation about her relationship with Chris, making Scott laugh. “We’re so in sync with one another, you move, I move, we could be in a room filled with people, on opposite ends and we would still find each other without looking. Being with you,” she had to stop to compose herself, not wanting to cry during her vows. “Is like living a dream come true, especially during the simple times, no plans, no noise, just us doing nothing.”
Chris didn’t hide his tears as they freely fell, the sniffles from everyone, including Robert could be heard now.
After a few more words from Scott, once he calmed down, the cheers erupted as their lips connected, their first kiss as husband and wife. Chris pulling her flush against him, deepening the kiss. “I got you, Mrs Evans.” He whispered against her lips, making her giggle.  
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The rest of the night was spent with their families, basking in the events of the day as they ended the night with the fire pit lit, gathered around it. Y/n was still in her dress and converse clad feet, her hair now tied up as she sat on the floor in between her husband's legs. 
She was currently admiring her wedding band, it was rose gold, slim and had diamonds wrapped around it, fitting perfectly against her engagement ring. reaching for the hand that rested on her shoulder, now playing with his wedding band, his band was thick, black and had a thin, rose gold strip around the centre. 
Chris had purchased them the day he bought the engagement ring and had hidden them in his sock drawer in his bedside, his hiding spots were getting better. 
“I’m so happy for you guys.” Robert softly whispered, puling his daughter into his arms holding her tightly against his chest. “I can’t believe you’re married!” 
“I know... I have to live with a boy!” She quipped back and Robert’s body started to vibrate with laughter, her cheek resting on his should as they continued to hug, not wanting to let go.
“My baby...” Now cupping her cheeks, giving his daughter one last look of pride before letting go. “You’ve always been my favourite child.” He whispered, Y/n knew he was joking but she laughed in agreement anyway. Out of her other three siblings they both shared a close relationship, Y/n was his saving grace when he was younger, having her at a young age bonded them. 
“Chris, I can’t believe you’re my son now... How weird.” Chris smiles broadly at the term son, instead of son-in-law, he knew Robert classed him as part of the family and not because he had to. "Welcome to the family, legally.. Let’s face it you’ve always been apart of this family.” Sharing a quick embrace before slipping past the newlyweds to speak to Lisa.
“Do you want to dance?” Chris bent down to whisper in his wife's ear, his hands finding her hips and back pressed against his chest, only to have her hum in response. 
Guiding her to an open spot in the garden, taking his hand in hers and spinning her so she was now facing him. His large hands resting on her hips whilst her hands snaked around his waist, the music that played from the speakers in the house guiding them. “You’re my wife,” stating softly, his lips finding her forehead.
“That’s right Evans,” the nickname now sounding futile with both being Evans’. “You’re stuck with me, no getting out this.” Her index finger was pointing between them before wrapping back around his neck. 
“Never.” 
It was nearing 2am when Chris and Y/n climbed the stairs to their bedroom, once the click of their door shutting was heard she reached behind trying to unzip her dress but struggled due to her tired state, contemplating just sleeping her dress.
Her thoughts were interrupted by her husband as he guided the zip down slowly, leaving slow, wet kisses on shoulder, using his callous fingers to brush the straps of her dress off her shoulders, the dress pooling at her feet, leaving her in nothing but her panties.  
“My wife, you’re stunning.” He said lowly, the only light in the room was the light of the moon streaming through the windows. Y/n turned to face him, starting to unbutton his shirt which was now untucked, tie long gone and the top two buttons already undone, his collar bones and tattoos poking out through his shirt.  
Pushing the shirt off of him, she traced his tattoos with her fingers, a hiss of pleasure escaping from his throat, making him tighten the grip on her hips she didn’t know he had.  
The C necklace glistening in the moonlight.
That’s how they stood for a few minutes, their eyes never breaking from one another, her arms wrapped around his neck, his hands on her hips.  
Y/n guided her new husband to their bed, the back of his legs hitting the edge and he sat down closely followed by her straddling him. “Mr Evans,” her voice laced with arousal. “I do believe, you’re wearing one too many items of clothing.” She tsked, her finger trailing down his abdomen, his muscles twitching when she did, effortlessly flicking the button of his pants open.  
“That can be fixed... Mrs Evans.” He purred in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.  
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bakuhoes-dumbass · 3 years
Text
Aberration - Chapter 1
MHA!Various x Fem!Reader
Thriller/Horror/Drama
Criminal!AU
Words: 2.3k
A/N: Yay, here’s the first chapter of my new AU! It might be a little slower at first but it’ll pick up the further we get into it. So I hope you like this!
Warnings: Yandere Themes, Mentions of murder, blood, felonies, bullying, swearing.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of MHA, just this story. In no way does this reflect the characters, writers or VAs of the show/manga. MINORS DNI.
~~~
Aberration Masterlist/Character profiles
~~~
In this world, mutations, renamed as ‘Quirks’, are abnormal. Only about 5%-8% of the world population are known to have these so called ‘Quirks’. You are a graduate of one of the most prestigious science tech schools in the country. You’ve been selected to work for a secret scientific research facility that houses some of the most notorious criminals in the nation. Besides their crimes, what makes these individuals incredibly dangerous are their mutations. After meeting these individuals, they seem to have taking a liking to you. That should make your research and search for the cure all that much easier…
Right?
~~~
Before you stands one of the largest facilities you have ever seen. You take a deep breath, attempting to calm your rapidly beating heart. Adjusting the strap on your bag, you make your way into the research center.
Upon entering, you gasp in wonder. The inside is huge, tall pure white walls that meet at a double paned glass ceiling. In front of you is a wall of security, stretching to accommodate the vast interior of the lobby. You walk up to the nearest security officer and give them your information. Thankfully, you were on a list and after checking you over, you're granted entrance to the building.
That's where you meet a man and a woman, both dressed in white lab coats and carrying clipboards. You bow your head to the two of them and they return the gesture.
"Ms. Y/N, I presume? My name is Shota Aizawa and this is my assistant, Momo Yaoyorozu." The older of the two speak.
You smile at the two. "Yes, nice to meet you. I'm Y/N, L/N, graduate of UA science tech. I am so happy to be here and look forward to working with the two of you."
The younger girl nods and smiles, gesturing behind the two of them. "If you would kindly follow us, we can get started."
~~~
"Ms. Y/N, here's the list of the inmates you will be working with from this point on."
Momo hands you a clipboard containing pictures and descriptions of each individual. Your eyes scan the information on the page in front of you, your brow raising with each word you read. "There is… quite a bit of information on these individuals."
Aizawa nods. "Considering how dangerous the subjects are, it's best to have every detail we can."
You internally cringed at the term 'subject'. These were criminals, yes, but they were still living breathing people. Noone deserves to be dehumanized, no matter the reason.
Shaking your head of those thoughts, you continue to look over the notes in your hands. One in particular catches your eye. " 'Multiple counts of 3rd degree murder by reason of insanity' and yet he's only deemed as a level 4 danger?"
The doctor looks over your shoulder at the character profile. "Ah, yes. Fumikage Tokoyami. He's an interesting one, to say the least." You wait for him to continue, but seeing as it doesn't seem like he will, you gesture for him to elaborate. "Tokoyami himself is actually fairly harmless and incredibly cooperating, which is why he gets a level 4 only. However…" Aizawa looks down the hall of the facility to a door near the end. "Dark Shadow is deemed a level 9."
Your eyes shoot up in shock. "Dark Shadow? A level 9? Explain."
"Dark Shadow is his mutation. It's a completely sentient being that he harbors inside of him. Highly dangerous, more so if there is darkness." He looks back at you. "I'll let him explain the reason why he was instituted. He always prefers to explain the story himself."
The more Aizawa explains Tokoyami's situation, the more your excitement builds up, wanting desperately to meet this man. This was such an interesting mutation and you couldn't wait to hear everything he had to tell you. You take a breath to calm your childish manner and clear your throat.
"If it's alright with you, sir, I'd like-" You look down at your clipboard once again. "'Inmate 06' to be the first one I meet with."
Aizawa nods and writes something down in his notebook. "Very well. Follow me this way please."
You follow the doctor down the long white hallway, your excitement growing with each step. Along the way, you notice each door on the facility that lines either side of the stretched hall. Each door had a narrow window towards the top and a small number engraved underneath. You don't take too much notice and keep following the doctor to your destination. However, an eerie feeling makes you freeze in your tracks.
You slowly rotate your head and look at the inmate's door you stopped next to. The color drains from your face as you see two ice blue eyes peering right into yours. It felt like your breath was stolen, a hint of fear and anxiety built up within you from this intense gaze. After what felt like hours, you snap your gaze back to Aizawa and Momo, who were standing in front of a door you were also supposed to be at.
"I would highly advise you to keep cautious while you are in this facility. While we keep all inmates in cuffs that neutralize their mutations, the technology has not been 100% perfected yet and parts of their powers may leak out. That is why we have additional precautionary measures in place for each inmate." Aizawa gives you an impartial look as you walk over. "Now. The only special precaution with Inmate 06 is the lights must stay on at all times. There are no light switches in his cell, so nothing should go wrong. But like I said, always stay cautious."
You nod your head at the doctor's words and turn to face the door. Aizawa places a hand onto the keypad next to the door, scanning his prints before buzzing and opening the door. You give the man one last nod before making your way inside the room. The room itself is bare. White floors, white walls and an equally white ceiling. Nothing was in there except a desk with a chair and a bed.
On top of that bed sat a young man with the body of a human and the head of a crow. Your eyes widen in awe at the beautiful being in front of you. Tokoyami tilts his head and gives you a curious look.
"Oh. Hello, there. I've never seen you before."
The deep voice of the man shocks you. You bow your head and give the bird man a smile. "Hello, Tokoyami. My name is Y/N. I'm the new scientist at this facility. I'm here to get to know and observe you all to help further our findings for a cure. I hope we can be friends."
Tokoyami blinks. "You want to be… friends? With us?"
"Yeah, of course. Why not?" Your smile never leaves your face.
"Well, maybe because we're all… felons? The greater majority of us being murderers?"
"I truly believe everyone deserves a second chance." You gesture to the desk chair, silently asking if you could sit. The man nods and you greatly take your seat. "Now, would you ever be so kind as to answer a few questions for me, Tokoyami? I would like to get to know you a little better." You take out your pen and notebook, opening to a fresh page.
Tokoyami nods again and you give him a smile. "Just a few standard questions first. Can you please state your full name, age and date of birth?"
"Fumikage Tokoyami, age 22, October 30th."
"What is the name of your quirk and how does it work?"
Tokoyami fiddles with the quirk-cancelling cuffs around his wrists at the mention of his quirk but answers anyway. "It's called Dark Shadow. It's a fully sentient shadow that resides inside my body. It can come out when I call call it or it can show itself on it's own. But it's always connected to me and cannot be separated. It…" Tokoyami takes a breath. "It gets stronger the darker my surroundings are. So the less light, the less control I have over it. If it gets too dark, it completely takes over me, no longer under my control."
The longer you listen to him, the wider your eyes get and the more they shine in wonder. "That is incredible! To have that kind of quirk is truly fascinating!"
Hearing your words of praise would have made Tokoyami blush, if he could. He clears his throat in embarrassment. "Why, thank you for those kind words. Though, I doubt having this...quirk, as you say, is all to be impressed about."
You shake your head. "You may not think so, but really, I've never seen anything like it." You excitedly write a few things down before making eye contact with him again. "Now onto my final question of the day. Can you please tell me the reason why you are here?"
Tokoyami stays silent for a moment, staring at nothing in particular, residing in his thoughts. You clear your throat and he looks up to you. You give him a small, comforting smile and it causes Tokoyami's heart to beat harder. For some unknown reason, he suddenly feels like he can trust you with anything.
"I've been charged with multiple counts of 3rd degree murder." He sighs, recalling that day. "I was invited to a college party on a date, by someone whom I had grown quite infatuated with. I never really was one to socialize and never really had any friends. But I really liked this person, so I went. At first it was going okay, nothing too out of the ordinary. Then, the host decided that playing truth or dare was the way to go.
 So my date dragged me to sit down and join them. Every time I was asked, I always chose truth. And everytime, their questions were about my appearance, my mutation. Laughing at all my answers, mocking my looks, talking about how unnatural I was. The more they asked, the more my anxiety and anger built up. But my stubbornness didn't want to show any weakness, so I stayed. 
Finally, I decided to just choose dare instead. At that point, I decided that nothing could be more humiliating than what they've already done." His sharp, red eyes flickered to yours. "Oh, how wrong I was. They dared me to go into the closet with my so-called 'date'. We were shut in and from then, they decided to tell me how this whole thing was a set up, just to humiliate me. That anyone with mutations like myself should just disappear because of how disgusting we are." He spits out that word like it was rotten food. "Remember how I said Dark Shadow gains control in the dark? Well, with my anger rising and the fact that it was almost pitch black in that closet, I lost control of myself and Dark Shadow took control of me. Next thing I remember, I was standing in the middle of the college dorm party, blood painting the floors, the walls, and the entirety of my class slaughtered."
You almost dropped your pen in shock but regained your composure. You give the poor young man a sad smile. He sighs and finishes off his explanation. "I was arrested and charged with multiple counts of 3rd degree murder by reason of insanity, considering I was technically not in my right state of mind at the time."
The two of you sit there in silence, basking in all this new-found information. You close your notebook and set your pen down, facing Tokoyami directly. "Listen to me. There is nothing wrong with the way you look or your quirk. Just because it isn't the societal norm, doesn't mean it's disgusting or wrong. Remember that."
Tokoyami blinks in surprise."Um, thank you." Those were the only words he could say, as how shocked he was at what you said.
You tilt your head and stare at him. "If I may ask, would I be able to feel your head? I'm very curious as to what your feathers feel like. It would greatly help my research as well."
"Oh. U-um, yeah. Sure."
You move to gently sit next to Tokoyami, so as to not startle him too much. You slowly lift your hand and place it on his head, eyes lighting up as you card your fingers through his feathers. "Oh wow, they're so soft!"
Tokoyami's heart speeds up, his feathers ruffling at your touch. He gazes at you with something akin to admiration. No one was ever gentle with him like this before. After another few seconds, you retreat your hand, Tokoyami almost whimpering at the absence.
"Well, I better get going. I have quite a few more things to do today before my shift is over." You gather up your things and bow your head at the half bird boy. "I greatly appreciate your time and look forward to our future sessions. Have a good rest of your day!" You smile at Tokoyami before heading back to the door and signaling Aizawa to open it.
"Goodbye, Ms. Y/N. I look forward to meeting with you again." Tokoyami watches you leave his room. Once you're gone, he runs his hand through his feathers, imagining they were your fingers.
As the door closes, you turn to Aizawa who gives you a disappointed look.
"What?"
"You touched the inmate. Why in the hell would you do that?"
You place your hand on your hip and give the doctor a stern look. "I was curious about his mutation and wanted to see how it felt."
He sighs and runs a hand down his face. "We try to avoid any physical contact with any of the inmates, as it may trigger something deep within them. Remember, Y/N. Every single one of these individuals are dangerous and unstable. Any abnormal behavior could result in catastrophic consequences."
You sigh and shake your head, giving him a chaste nod. "Yes, Sir. You're right. I promise to heed your warning and modify how I work."
The doctor looks satisfied as he turns on his heel and walks further down the long hallway. You quickly follow to keep up. "Now, on to your next subject. Inmate 04, Eijiro Kirishima." You flip the page of your inmate profiles to see a picture of a red-haired man. "He is of a higher danger level, so make sure to keep your guard up. And for the love of God, under any circumstances…
Do not touch him."
~~~
Taglist: @theblueslytherin @sterassion @somechick30003 @meena-in-a-nutshell @justtj-andnonumberspls @zombieonna @amajikiwife @yulifee @atexansadventureintokinkandlife @ep-ip-ha-ny @hcneymilkks @pastelmoonwitche @stayarmytinyzenmoa-l @railmeddy @unlimitedfirepheonix @confaegion @drownedbytears @burntcrips @silverqueenie @the-lady-writes-what @awkward-confused 
[If your name is bolded, I was unable to tag you.]
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i-need-air · 3 years
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Hybrid!AU Wolf!Bakugou Katsuki HCs.
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Summary: How would Hybrid!Bakugou would react to being adopted by the reader and their domestic life together. Headcanons and believe me, it's a long one... [2k WORDS OF HCS psjxksdj stop me pls] PLATONIC/ROOMMATES HCS, will do a part two later on with continuation and romance cuz 2kwordsbro...
Notes: I love Hybrid AU!s and I want to indulge myself with this. I barely see these in the fandom, so maybe you guys will like it! Also, depending on how it goes, I'm gonna consider making more for other characters, whachu say? Tell me what you thought and I hope you enjoy!~ ♥
Part 2 here!
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× he's a wolf hybrid, and the workers at the shelter warn you that he's feral as you pass by where he was locked
× it seems he was in an illegal fighting ring and nobody could get close to him even if his living conditions now were much better than the hell hole he lived in before
× he growled, scratched, yelled, overall he needed so much help
× normally that would've been very intimidating to you but while the workers tried to push you towards some bunny or dog hybrids they had around, you just froze because the mf said they were considering sacrificing him
× like wHat the fuck?? he's a human being?????? sure he has a tail but what????????
× and you just foken went crazy for a moment cuz you didn't even see him in his cage, he was hiding somewhere under the bundle of blankets he had, probably asleep
× so you just went mental, demanding an explanation because hybrid shelters do not and should not sacrifice a person
× and your increasing yelling just made all the hybrids anxious
× and Bakugou heard everything [who wouldn't]
× i shit you not, the employee tried to explain why
× legit said cuz he's aggressive
× Bitch I'd be aggressive too! I'd bite your jugular off
× course, security was called but you already prepared to call the police, Hybrid Protection Services, your lawyer, your friends, the president, you name it
× and that's when you said you're adopting whoever was under the blankets. NOW.
× always hated the word adopting, but you were looking to give a hybrid a chance since you finally had a spare bedroom in your new apartment
× so like security and the worker just look at each other cuz who tf is gonna be the brave soul to go inside the cage to retrieve Bakugou Katsuki and get rid of you both already
× you're just staring at them like u srs bro? so you just send them to do the paperwork while you decide to go in yourself because you needed to get out of that place ASAP to still contact HPS on this shelter
× security stayed by the door while you hesitantly walked towards the blanket bundle [not so brave anymore] cuz why did that dude have his gun out??????
× but when you approached the bundle and kneeled in front of it you noticed movement
× a fluffy sand yellow tail suddenly came to view and it was big, slowly moving from side to side
× so with the gentlest voice you could muster [after screaming your lungs out moments ago] you tried to talk to whoever was underneath
× you introduced yourself and said you're here to take them home but got nothing, just casual tail movement
× Big Hunkus Brutus Security Guardus™ was getting impatient so he told you to just "fuckin put the collar and leash on the stupid beast" and you just 🙃 fucking excuse u?? while turning towards him
× it was a delicate time and you needed to take it slow, and anyway you knew you'd get that crap off your [hopefully] new friend as soon as possible
× what you didn't expect was the guard to freeze and raise his gun again, but was pointing above your head, not even looking in your eyes
× so you turn and meet a naked chest, scarred, with recent bruising on and big
× looking up you see Bakugou Katsuki, ruffled blonde hair, wild in all directions, red eyes harsh and staring at the guy behind you, only some pants on his form and tail still waving very slowly behind him
× while Chunkus Brutus trembled in place, gun shaking in hands, you were in the fuckin middle of it all
× what you didn't expect is the hybrid to take the collar in your hands and wrap it around his neck, now looking at you, expression still harsh but this time it didn't scream murder [and then grabbed a shirt, thank the heavens]
× progress? making friends? good first impressions?
× na lol you wish but that's spoilers 👀
× the process of adoption went smoothly, and when I say smoothly I mean Robustus Dumbus Brutus behind both of you with his hand still on his gun while all the workers gathered around to see the crazy insane person that adopted The Devil™, the guy that told you about the sacrificing was actually filing the paperwork as fast as possible under the intense gaze of the wolf
× and Bakugou was standing very close to you, btw, like i can feel your body heat close
× he was compliant at first, when you got in the car you started rambling about your house and how he has a room while trying to take the collar off him but he grabbed your hands
× like insanely fast, one blink and firm grip on your hands
× "i ain't gon be your fuckin pet, understood?" he growled at you but made no movement to bolt and run away
× and you just wanted to roll your eyes cuz ok he can kill you anytime but like didn't he get the message when you screamed back there? [also there was this sense of security you had around him or maybe you were just really dumb]
× so when you said you weren't looking for a pet but to help someone and maybe a friend and roommate, he just narrowed his eyes at you
× suspish human, wild doggo no trust
× anywho he took the collar off himself [like extra fast] but you explained that you are going to get him a bracelet or something less degrading since he still needed something with the information tag to have on himself so police will know he's no stray and he wouldn't end in the same craphole again
× journey home was silent, like eery silent
× he just looked out the window intensely, you noticed how he focused on every sign and turn
× you considered asking him questions but honestly with his past you doubted he would even answer so you just started to ramble about your home, stuff you could do around the city [which caught his attention], items you'd have to go buy for him, like clothes, shampoo, any special food, the bracelet
× he stopped looking out the window and just looked at you
× ok he was intensely staring at your side, basically drilling a hole in your cheek with those crimson eyes and it was making you N e r v o u s because making new friends is hard when you're just vomiting monologs, all while driving
× buying things was awkward to say at least, special hybrid stores were rare and for a guy his size it was even more difficult to find anything, which ended up in getting normal clothes and deciding to adjust them for his tail
× while grocery shopping you discovered he actually knew very well what he wanted after a lot of questioning from you
× he finally sighed at your persistent act and just threw stuff in the shopping cart, a surprising amount of spices too
× now for the bracelet part... you decided to spend more on a code that could be scanned to identify him rather than the distasteful ones with name and who owns him
× good thing you planned ahead a long time ago and saved money but you did notice his sharp eyes on you whenever you paid
× and his grunts and judgemental looks at other people with hybrids
× it's as if he wanted to say something, anything, but was stopping himself, which lowkey worried you because from what you heard Bakugou's supposed to be very vocal
× maybe he was glad to be out of the shelter, you know you'd be
× you get home and he follows you to your house, again giving him another chance to bolt somewhere away from you but c'mon both of you knew he'd outrun you so why force him, just let him take his time
× "So this is your room" shook him to the core, legit he just stood silent in the hallway as you presented your house calmly
× sniffing around
× so much sniffing around, tail low while he checked every corner
× once he did decide to check his bedroom, he closed the door leaving you to set everything up
× what you didn't know is that he looked around, shaking with anger
× this is what normal people have?
× sat on the edge of the most confortable bed he's ever had and hoped the idiots of his friends managed to get something like this too
× and the shitshow began when you called him for dinner
× not enough salt, not enough spices
× he was a pain in the ass and as he let go, little by little you started to see him for who he was
× this, this was Bakugou Katsuki, the guy that started to scold you because of the seasoning of the food
× it formed a bond between you, the start of you seeing his real personality
× a Mom™
× slowly started owning the house, although you found it hilarious
× next day you found him cooking breakfast with such an ease it shocked you to the core
× "The fuck you lookin' at?" as he puts a plate of pancakes in front of your
× you just lowkey uwu when you realize he's waiting for your approval as you ate and I swear to you, best pancakes ever
× chest puffed when you complimented his food and this was the first time he mentioned something about his past; seems he had to cook for everyone at the fighting ring he was at, but he didn't mention more
× talking about his past took forever, putting together bits and pieces he mentioned, yet they were so little
× he'd go silent after mentioning his [what you assumed] friends
× if you asked or pressed too much he'd click his tongue or snap at you
× not everything was dandy though; yes, he was a good roommate, but he did have THE attitude
× but not as the people at the shelter made it to be, like he'd snap at you from time to time but it would get better as he'd start to trust you
× ok, ok, hear me out,,,,
× play with his hair
× it happened by accident; you started to have this tradition after a couple of months of living together: movie nights
× he really liked action stuff but both your dirty secret was watching those shitty horror movies and make fun of everyone in them, so every Friday Night was Movie Night
× he just threw himself on the couch and his hair looked puffy and those adorable wolf ears were twitching, you straightforwardly asked him if you could play with it
× [ask if you don't want your hand bit off]
× he scoffed
× silence
× when he nodded and looked away, you squealed and started scratching, just playing with his hair, mindlessly doing so while snickering at the TV when movement caught your attention
× he was wiggling his tail softly
× you guys never mentioned it but now he sits down on the sofa head close to you on a pillow and wait for them god sent scratches; will 100% roll his eyes and scoff at you when you start, acting like YOU want this
× TERRITORIAL AS FUCK
× seriously glares at whoever comes inside the house
× has a problem with every single soul since they dirty his home
× you don't notice it first but he finally starts calling your house home and that's the ultimate progress
× boy had a lot of hardships in his life so he appreciates what he has
× yet it is very, very hard to gain his trust at first
× when you finally do though? he's a loyal friend forever
× he's thankful to have you
× will never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever tell you
× his actions speak for him
× you're part of his pack now
× but seriously wash the dishes or you'll die.
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bvidzsoo · 3 years
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No one like you
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 Author: bvidzsoo
 Warnings: light swearing, overload of fluff for the light hearted
 Pairing: Kim Mingyu x female reader
 Word count: 15, 074 
 Summary:  On a very important day you get a call from your sister asking you to babysit her daughter. She knows how important the project is for you and wouldn’t have bothered to ask you if it really wasn’t urgent. And you know that, so you reassure her that you’ll babysit Jieun. However, you get a little surprise when Kim Mingyu, your brother-in-law’s best friend, shows up unannounced, did I mention he’s also your ex? 
 A/N: Holy moly what a ride this one shot was writing! I had no idea I had the capacity to write something as fluffy as this bUT! THIS IS KIM MINGYU! and I love Kim Mingyu too much, so this is me channeling my inner love haha. Hope you enjoy it and I would love to read your feedback!
       The studio has been buzzing with people the whole week. The new exposition was going well and I was proud that my works gained so much attention in so little time. I have been painting ever since middle school, a small and innocent passion became the job that allows me to put bread on my table every day. I never imagined that one day I would become a well-known painter, it just seemed surreal. But it happened, in my sophomore year, I painted a little piece for a contest and I won, gaining a lot of attention. Ever since then things changed, but they really only changed after I finished high school. I didn’t go to college, like many of my peers, I downed myself into the world of art and went around Europe, researching and learning as much as I could about the painters. Somewhere along the way, in Switzerland to be exact; I was actually taking a break; is where I met my manager. Hansol Vernon Chwe. He had a fine eye for art, very sophisticated taste and unique views. Through him, I met Xu Minghao, my second-in-hand. Minghao was mesmerizing, his mere presence could capture your whole attention. Everything about him was delicate, his taste was even finer than mine and he was ruthless. He knew what he wanted, always, and wasn’t afraid to demand it. Only wanting the best, always striving to be the best. I’m a perfectionist, I rarely let loose and I’m obsessed with order. Minghao and I clicked instantly, it was love at first sight, in a very platonic way. Ever since Vernon introduced me to him, we’ve been working together. Minghao is a painter as well, his style rigid and very colorful, meanwhile mine is warm and homey. We run the studio together, he’s a few years older. It was his idea to work together, to build the studio together, to give it life together. It was his project of a life time, his very own dream, and when he shared it with me, asked me to join him, I knew I couldn’t refuse him. It was great exposure to the both of us and it wasn’t a big surprise of how well it worked.
I was busy talking to a client when my phone started ringing, cutting my words off. Vernon threw me a displeased look, they were clients from France and they wanted a contract with me, some of my paintings would be exposed in their art gallery if I went through with the deal today, but when my phone rang for the second time, I knew I had to excuse myself. I wouldn’t have to, if it wasn’t my sister calling. She had a different ringtone, on purpose, and she knew I was busy today, so, she wouldn’t have called unless it was something very important.
“I’m so sorry for bothering you!” Were her first words as I picked up, eliciting a chuckle from me.
“Yeah, I’m talking to some very important people, right now, Joohyun. What’s wrong?”
“Wonwoo and I got stuck.” Her sigh was loud and I listened closely, eyebrows furrowing.
“Where?”
“On the highway, we are still three hours away, traffic is insane, again…”
“Okay, what can I do?” I asked, already knowing it involved Jieun, my 4-year-old niece.
“Jieun’s nanny has to leave in an hour, something came up for her…can you go over? Look after her until Wonwoo and I get back?” I bit my lower lip, thinking hard. Can I leave the studio in an hour? The event goes on the whole day and I am supposed to stay. But if Jieun needs me, our parents live on the other side of the country they won’t be able to come in such a short time, I had no choice but to make it work.
“Yeah, sure, don’t worry. I’ll go babysit her.” I reassured Joohyun and she sighed out relieved.
“Thank you, Y/N, you are a life saver!” Came Wonwoo’s deep voice through the speakers, no doubt my sister was using the car’s Bluetooth to speak on the phone.
“Sure thing, Won, see you later. Drive safely, brother-in-law!” After my sister and her husband bid me their goodbye’s I hung up the phone and went to find Minghao and Vernon. Vernon just finished talking to the French clients and as I neared him, he shook his head.
“What could have been more important than this deal?”
“My sister.” I deadpanned and Vernon sighed as he nodded his head.
“Well, I made the deal. So, if you want to back out, we can’t anymore. The paintings we talked about will be shipped off to Lyon next week.”
“That’s alright with me. For how long is the contract?” I let my eyes run over the people inside the studio, eyes falling on Minghao. He was standing next to one of his painting’s, a glass of red wine in his hand as he spoke to three blonde females. They were giving him suggestive smiles but Minghao paid little to no attention to them as gazed at his painting proudly.
“Contract is for two years, Y/N.” Vernon answered me and I nodded with my lips pursed, waving Minghao over once we made eye contact. He excused himself and jogged over, a bright smile on his lips.
“Everything good?” He asked with his honey voice and Vernon nodded.
“So, uhm…” I cleared my throat and looked at them apologetically, “I have to leave in an hour.”
“Oh?” Minghao asked surprised, looking at Vernon to see if he knew about this already, but he didn’t.
“Joohyun called and asked me to babysit Jieun, her babysitter has to leave in an hour.” I explained to the guys and Vernon’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Is there no one else that could go?”
“No, I’m sorry, I really want to stay, but I just—can’t.” I sighed and Vernon nodded in understanding.
Minghao’s eyes lit up in sudden realization as he pointed his glass of wine at me, “Mingyu.”
“Uh…what about Mingyu?” I asked confused, looking at Minghao with furrowed eyebrows.
“Call him and tell him to babysit Jieun instead of you.” He proposed his idea and I took a second to think.
“I’m sure Joohyun and Wonwoo thought of Mingyu first.” Minghao went to cut me off but I raised one finger at him, “Joohyun knows it’s important what we are doing today, she really wouldn’t have called if Mingyu was available, okay?”
“Sure.” Minghao muttered with a sigh and Vernon patted my shoulder reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of everything. Minghao will entertain the guests, no doubt.” A teasing grin came onto Vernon’s lips as he took the glass of wine from Minghao.
“Why can’t you do it, huh?” Minghao snapped back, glaring at Vernon when he took a sip from his glass.
“And this is why I didn’t want to leave…” I muttered with a shake of my head, making Vernon chuckle as Minghao shot me a glare.
“We are very competent of running things on our own, Y/N, thank you very much.” I gave Minghao a look before he returned it, challenging me. Sometimes our personalities would clash together, one more stubborn than the other.
“Chill, guys,” Vernon raised a hand in the air to get our attention, our mediator in tense moments, “Y/N, you should greet Mr. Yoon’s grandmother before you leave, she’s been looking for you.”
“Of course!” My face lit up at the mention of Grandma Yoon, the old lady having been a very loyal customer of mine. I met her through the contest back in high school and ever since we’ve kept in touch. She used to think Yoon Jeonghan, her charming nephew, and I would become a thing. She was really convinced she could make us date, but Jeonghan and I were too different. And to be fairly honest, I’m not someone very interested in relationships. I’m fine on my own, I don’t mind not having a partner. It was long since someone held me in their arms and kissed my forehead softly, but my art required a lot of attention and time that I wasn’t willing to sacrifice for someone else. I’ve been on a few dates since high school, but they never worked out. I blamed them on my atrociously high expectations but those weren’t the reasons for my failed love life. It was a person that I never truly got over, he ruined me in the best way possible, and now I just can’t find anyone that could live up to his level. No one. And it was frustrating until I realized I didn’t actual need someone to feel completed and happy. Excusing myself from Minghao and Vernon, I went around the studio with a smile on my face, searching for Grandma Yoon and Jeonghan.
       The car ride to my sister’s house took a lot longer than usual, traffic at noon was horrible in the city. I was at least fifteen minutes late by the time I pulled in their driveway, quickly getting out of the car, big bag full of supplies almost falling from my hand. I locked my car and rushed to the front door, ringing the bell. It took three seconds and the door was thrown open, a relieved look on the nanny’s face.
“I’m sorry, traffic was really bad today.” I shot an apologetic smile to the nanny and she opened the door wider, to let me step inside.
“I understand, thank you so much for coming!” She bowed her head as she pulled on her coat, stepping outside the door, “It’s really urgent.”
“Hurry, then…” I motioned for her to leave with my head and she bowed a bit before rushing away, leaving me shaking my head. I closed the door and threw my heels off, music coming from the living room. I smiled to myself when a girly voice echoed to the hallway, singing along to the lyrics. I left my green, thin, coat hanging on the hanger and gripping my heavy bag with both hands, I headed towards the living room. My sister’s house was big and beautiful. Her and Wonwoo have a simple yet sophisticated taste. Their house looked a thousand times better than my apartment. As clean as I am, my apartment could be a mess from time to time. Especially my art room, where I paint, that one was always a mess. But for me that mess was order, I always knew where everything was and found whatever I was looking for within seconds. As I walked down the hallway to the living room, I gazed at the pictures in white frames that were hung up on the white walls. The pictures were of Wonwoo, Joohyun and Jieun, mostly. There were a few family portraits from both parties, Wonwoo and Joohyun, and there were even some of me and Mingyu. Actually, the one who took almost every picture was Mingyu. He has had a passion for photography since high school and continued to do it as a side job, even currently. He was borderline an artsy, borderline a jock kind of guy throughout high school, maybe that’s why he attracted all kinds of girls. Myself included.
“What a nice voice you have, Jieun!” I exclaimed as I let my bag fall to the floor once I made it into the living room’s doorway.
Jieun’s head turned away and a big gummy smile, nose scrunched up, spread on her soft face, “Auntie Y/N! You came!”
“Of course, I came, auntie wouldn’t miss any chance of spending time with her favorite girl in this whole world!” Jieun started giggling loudly as I spoke in a funny way, jumping my way towards her.
“I’m really your favorite girl?” She asked with another giggle as I reached her and scooped her up in my arms. Her weight wasn’t something I couldn’t handle; she was only four after all.
“Well…it might be Joohyun, but—”
“Auntie, bad auntie!” Jieun whined with a pout and I grinned at her, kissing her cheek.
“Bad auntie, I know.” I muttered and she pressed a soft kiss to my cheek, so I placed her down, “What were you doing with your nanny?”
“We studied a little bit of numbers, then I wanted to watch cartoons and she promised to make some French fries for me but—she’s gone now.” Jieun’s lips formed a pout and she oddly resembled a little bunny, cheeks puffing up. I laughed and crouched down in front of her.
“So, here’s my plan…” I motioned for her to lean as if I was sharing a secret with her, “Auntie brought some of her painting stuff over…so, after we paint a bit, I will make French fries for you. Cool?”
“Cool!” Jieun exclaimed loudly, clapping her hands together. I winked at her and went to grab my bag from the doorway, dragging it to the coffee table. I glanced at her as I opened the bag, her big eyes shone with excitement; she loved drawing and painting; and her nose scrunched up in the most adorable way as she smiled. She was an oddly mix of both Joohyun and Wonwoo. Sometimes, the two would start bickering about who she looked more like…in those time, of course Mingyu and I would have to interfere, and of course Mingyu would be on Wonwoo’s side meanwhile I was on Joohyun’s, just to balance out everything. But when Jieun smiled, she was the exact replica of Wonwoo, nose scrunching in the same way and eyes disappearing almost. When she was serious or pouting, she looked like Joohyun with her big eyes and delicate lips. Her beautiful dark hair reached her shoulders and she’d always brush her bangs out of her eyes, especially when she was frustrated with something. And oh my God, she was one of the most stubborn kids I’ve ever met. She knew how to manipulate people, even at the age of four, and most of the time got what she wanted. She inherited Joohyun and Wonwoo’s calm natures, never being a hyper child, nor too loud. She could be a little angel but she had her moments when she was hard to deal with.
“So…” I looked at Jieun as she kept smiling at me, “Do you have anything in mind that you’d like to paint?”
She sat on her knees close to the coffee table as she stared down at the smaller white canvas I placed on the table for her. All kinds of brushes and colors lay on the table, Jieun’s eyes running over them eagerly.
“Nothing special, maybe some trees…a blue sky…green grass…something nice.” She mused, more to herself, and I chuckled quietly as I shook my head. One day, my little Jieun, would turn into a big painter herself, making her auntie proud.
“Sounds excellent,” I raised my thumb up at her and she giggled, “Should we start?”
“Yes!” She exclaimed and quickly claimed her brush, asking me to pour some blue paint onto her palette. I did as I was asked and watched as her tongue darted out and eyebrows furrowed as she mentally imagined where she’d place the sky.
“Auntie, will you not paint?” She gave me a quick glance before swiping her brush against the canvas.
“Not today, I’m taking a break.” I answered her as I leaned against the sofa, watching her paint, “Auntie has worked really hard the past three months, I need some rest.”
“Don’t you paint though because it makes you relax?” Her eyebrows rose as she tried to lighten the blue color she placed on her canvas.
“That’s true, but I’m wearing white pants…” I trailed off with a lame excuse, making Jieun throw me an amused glance. I giggled when she shook her head, it made me feel like I was the kid and she was the adult. Jieun, sometimes, would act really mature for her age, saying meaningful things without realizing the weight of her words. Mingyu always blamed it on Wonwoo and Joohyun, who would never fail to remind their daughter certain things that would form her into a decent human being later on in life.
“I’m so excited!” Jieun giggled as she pointed at the yellow paint, and I took and pushed some of it onto her palette.
“Do you like painting so much?” I chuckled and Jieun nodded, “That makes auntie really happy!”
“Yes but no!” She exclaimed and I raised my eyebrows at her as she attempted to paint a big sun onto the blue sky she just painted, “Uncle is coming over too!”
My eyebrows furrowed as I looked surprised at the little girl sitting next to me, Mingyu is coming over?
“Did you speak to mommy and daddy, Jieun?”
“Yes, they said uncle Mingyu couldn’t make it in time so they will ask you to come instead.” She hummed and grinned at me before turning back to her canvas.
“Ah, so Mingyu isn’t really coming over…” I let out a sigh, pleased to hear he wouldn’t show up today. I haven’t seen him in over a month, and meanwhile it was a long time, it was actually refreshing. I didn’t have much time to spend time with my family as I was busy with the studio and the project Minghao and I have been working on. Mingyu was considered family, even though he wasn’t related to anyone. It’s just the way it is, Wonwoo and him grew up together, it was only natural Wonwoo considered him his brother. So that made him, indirectly, Joohyun’s brother-in-law and my…well, brother-in-law? I wasn’t really sure, it didn’t matter, I didn’t consider Mingyu really family either way. It was just weird, to look at him and think ‘oh yeah, he’s like my bro’, because we have dated in high school before, for two years. Two years of bliss and pure happiness, two years I wish I could time travel back to.
“But uncle is still coming over though…” Jieun muttered to herself and my eyebrows furrowed, but I ignored her comment. She just misunderstood what her mom and dad told her. Mingyu couldn’t make it today, so they called me instead. Just like I suspected, I knew Joohyun wouldn’t have bothered me if she had other options.
Painting the canvas went well and in-an-hour Jieun was finished, happy and proud of her work. She asked me to critically asses her painting and so I did, entertaining my little niece furthermore, her giggles filling the living room. She was so loud that I didn’t even hear the front door opening, a mistake on my part as I forgot to lock it, and the deep voice made me jump upon I heard it.
“And what do we have here…” My eyes were wide as my heart beat quickly, a loud squeal leaving Jieun’s lips before he was up on her feet, dashing towards the giant standing in the doorway. Mingyu was grinning down widely at Jieun as he scooped her up in his strong, and well-built, arms, his sharp canines showing off when his smile widened more. His black hair was disheveled, probably because he continuously runs his hand through it, and the sides stuck to his face, still wet. He was wearing black shorts that reached his knees and a sleeveless blue loose tank top, a silver chain dangling from his neck. I quickly caught myself ogling him and huffed as I rose to my feet, arms crossing in front of my chest. Truly, who knew not seeing him for a month would make him look more attractive? Mingyu, no doubt, had an incredible glow up since high school. If he would’ve looked like this during high school too, I’m sure all the girls would’ve lined up in front of his classroom to bring him all sorts of things. But even as handsome as he was now, I found him plain. Maybe because I’ve known him for a long time now, and don’t get me wrong, plain not in a bad way…he was just, plain, transparent.
“Look how excited you are to see uncle!” Mingyu teased Jieun as he poked her stomach, eliciting a loud shriek. I couldn’t help it but smile, having a big weakness for Mingyu and Jieun together. And alone, just…when it came to Mingyu, after all those years, he was still my one and only weakness. It amazed me how I never got over him one hundred percent, I just couldn’t. But I didn’t want to either, not when his flaws seemed perfect too.
“Because I love uncle!” Jieun grinned at Mingyu, nose scrunching up making Mingyu giggle.
“Of course, you love me! I’m the best uncle ever!” Jieun cheered with Mingyu as he started dancing around with her still in his arms, Jieun poking Mingyu’s cheek.
“Finally, uncle and auntie are together!” Jieun cried out as Mingyu started tickling her sides, making her laughter echo loudly in the house. It seemed like realization dawned on him upon he heard Jieun’s words, he seemed to realize that there was another person there with them, standing a few feet away, smiling at them. Mingyu stopped moving and Jieun giggled quietly, trying to catch her breath from being tickled, throwing her arms around Mingyu’s neck to give him a tight hug. Mingyu’s gaze locked with mine and I kept my smile on as he returned it.
“Look who finally showed up!” He teased and put Jieun down, acting as if his muscles were sore from holding her and he earned a light slap from Jieun.
“Well, hello,” I said with a chuckle as Mingyu walked further inside the living room, headed my direction, “Long time no see, old friend.”
“A month, to be exact.” Mingyu said, suddenly serious, as he stopped in front of me, “Are you ignoring us now?”
“As if you don’t know…” I rolled my eyes and undid my arms that were in front of my chest, to turn and walk away, but Mingyu was fast and he was already pulling me in a hug. His body was bigger than mine and whenever he hugged me, I felt like I was melting into him, disappearing from the world. This time wasn’t different, in fact, it felt like his body swallowed mine all up as he gripped me tightly. One month was really that long of a time, huh. I returned the hug, suddenly realizing his tank top was damp and he didn’t smell exactly the most pleasant, at least his usual cologne was less strong, “I was busy with the studio and—are you sweating?”
“Right now?” Mingyu started laughing and his chest rocked against mine, my eyes widened, realization hitting me. He just finished work!
“Ew, Kim Mingyu, get off!” I shrieked and tried to wrestle myself out of his bear hug, but he squeezed harder and started laughing louder and louder, “You’re sweaty, no, stop!”
“Too late, dummy!” He said while laughing and twirled me around, very amused that I couldn’t get away from him.
“Don’t make me kneel you where the sun doesn’t shine!” I threatened with a deadly voice and in two second, he let go of me, “You’re disgusting!”
“That’s not something nice to say to someone, auntie…” We heard Jieun in the background say very lightheartedly.
“That’s right, Jieunie…” Mingyu said with a pout, leaning his face closer to mine. I quickly pushed it back and it made Mingyu snort before he glanced at the canvas on the coffee table.
“Oh! Did you paint this Jieun?” He asked, eyes wide and mouth open.
“Do you like it?” Jieun asked happily, bouncing on her toes.
“Love it! It’s so beautiful!”
“Thank you!” Jieun giggled and I patted her head as she came to stand by my side, grinning at Mingyu, “Next time I could paint you!”
“Oh, uncle would love that!” Mingyu winked at Jieun playfully as he looked back at me, “Missed you, Y/N.”
My heartbeat quickened and I snorted, very unladylike, as I rolled my eyes, “Yeah, sure…Can’t say I missed you very much, I guess—Yeah, kinda? A bit, yeah, I missed you too, idiot.”
“Wow,” Mingyu breathed out, an amused smile on his lips, “That sounded like you got a brain malfunction, glad to see I still make you flustered, Bae.”
“Don’t call me Bae.” I snapped at him, eyes narrowing as Mingyu went to the doorway, picking up his discarded backpack.
“Isn’t that your family name, Bae?” A sneaky smirk crossed his lips, he knew what he was doing. Of course, that is my family name but he is using it knowing it has double meaning.
“Go take a shower Kim, you stink.” I pinched the bridge of my nose with two fingers, making Jieun laugh loudly as she pointed at Mingyu.
“Auntie is making fun of you!”
“Didn’t Wonwoo hyung teach you to not point fingers or make fun of someone, Jieun?” Mingyu’s voice turned stern, but his expression remained light. Jieun, however, knew Mingyu was being serious and scolding her.
“Sorry,” She muttered with a pout and hid her face in my pants as she turned her body into me.
“Go shower, before I cut off the warm water, you dick—” I sucked in a deep breath at the almost slip, it was already bad that I let dick slip, as Mingyu started hollering with laughter.
“Good luck explaining that to Wonwoo and Joohyun later, bae.” He called as he walked down the hallway and towards the bathroom, laughter following him. I cursed in my head as I looked down at Jieun, a big smile on her lips.
“Dick?” She asked with a giggle and my eyes widened in mortification.
“Jieun, no! Never ever say that to anyone, okay?!” I snapped, eyes narrowing at her as I leaned down to be eye level with her, “Auntie will cry if you do, I swear, Jieun.”
“Auntie will be sad if I say…dick?” She giggled again and I glared at her, trying to make her understand she couldn’t say that. How do you make a kid stop from saying a bad word? Help?!
“Auntie will bawl, Jieun, not cry, bawl!” I emphasized the word, knowing how much Jieun hated seeing people cry.
“Okay, I won’t say it at all,” She raised her pinky finger and hooked it with mine, “Pinky promise.”
“Pinky promise.” I echoed after her, biting my lower lip nervously. This will come back and bite me in the ass later, I know it, and that’s when I’ll really be bawling. Especially if Joohyun will be shouting my head off with Wonwoo throwing daggers at me, dear God, what have I done?
       Jieun was beyond excited when I told her that I would have to cook lunch for us now, and she even volunteered to watch some Barbie movie while I do that. She knew I didn’t like other people in the kitchen with me while I was cooking, I always worked better alone. Mingyu was in the shower still, his phone blasting some upbeat song that we could hear clear and loud from the living room, hallway, and even a little bit from the kitchen. I shook my head as I turned on the Barbie movie for Jieun, Rapunzel, and walked to the kitchen while throwing daggers towards the closed and locked bathroom door. Mingyu always had weird habits but ever since we finished high school, he started developing some even weirder and annoying ones, like blasting music while showering. Maybe if it was Mozart or some jazz music it wouldn’t have bothered me, but the kind of music he listened to were men and women screaming and throwing out nasty words while saying them fast, that’s not music in my opinion. But I learned not to question him about many things, his rants would leave me with a headache afterwards, he always spoke too quickly which messed with my brain. He definitely wasn’t a very patient person and it showed in many ways.
I opened the fridge and took out everything I needed for lunch. I promised to make French fries for Jieun so that was the first thing I started working on. I washed the potatoes before peeling them and washing them again, then I placed them in a bowl and started cutting them up into long, thin, sticks. Without realizing, I found myself humming a ballad I heard a while ago while preparing the studio. It was a beautiful song about a man who regretted letting go of its lover, realizing too late what an amazing person this was. I could relate, almost, but it wasn’t me who broke up with Mingyu. He wanted us to break up, so I didn’t have much choice but to move on. Something I actually failed doing, only partially though.
I prepared the oil for the fries, placing it in a pan and putting it on the cooker, waiting for it to boil. I washed some vegetables and started cutting them, preparing a salad with some yoghurt and lemon dressing. I placed the first round of fries into the pan and hissed when some hot oil collided with the skin of my wrist, I always hated cooking with oil, that shit hurt when it burned you. As I moved around the kitchen, trying to find the salt that seemed to always be in a different cupboard, I became aware of the silence coming from the bathroom. Mingyu must have finished washing up, I strained my ears and was able to hear the Barbie movie still playing in the living room. I went back to the fridge and took out the meat that Joohyun placed there last night to defrost and took it to the chopping board. I took out the sharpest knife from the drawer bellow and started slicing up the meat into, somewhat, even pieces. I always found the cleaning and slicing of meat disgusting, nowadays, I didn’t even cook it anymore for myself. But Mingyu and Jieun really liked meat, and it seems like Joohyun had in mind to prepare it today, so I sacrificed myself to cooking it, not that it’s a big deal.
“Mhm, smells good in here,” The male voice made me flinch, I always get scared from the smallest things, “What are we cooking today?”
I heard shuffling from behind as Mingyu walked further inside the kitchen, his big feet thudding loudly against the marble floor.
“I’m cooking today.” I said as I proceeded to cut off the excess fat from the meat.
“You really don’t expect me to sit back and watch you cook?” Mingyu sounded amused and I knew I couldn’t really argue with him. He loved cooking and he was really good at it too.
“I mean, I wouldn’t mind…” I trailed off as I crouched down to open the cupboard and take out a bowl, “You know I don’t like people bothering me when I do something.”
“Yeah, and if it wasn’t for me, your first round of French fries would’ve turned into ashes.” I rolled my eyes as Mingyu took his position at the cooker, taking out the French fries and dumping them into a deep bowl.
“I was about to check it…” I muttered as I proceeded to season the meat, licking the mixture from my palm. It tasted fine but I needed to mix it better so I proceeded to do that.
“From what I can see, you do need an extra pair of hands here…” Mingyu muttered with a chuckle and I felt him passing behind me to wash his hands in the sink, “Not that I wouldn’t mind sitting and watching you move around—those pants really do their justice to your ass—”
“Kim Mingyu.” I snapped and rolled my eyes, refusing to look at him and let him see the redness of my cheeks. I swear to God, he says things like that on purpose just to make me flustered. And they always work.
“What? I’m just giving you a compliment here!” He said defensively and passed again behind my back, coming a lot closer and I clenched my jaw.
“Slap my ass and I will cut off your fingers.” I warned, knowing him well enough, and Mingyu started giggling as he quickly ran past me, coming to a stop in front of the cooker. He placed the second round of potatoes into the boiling oil, no complaints coming, unlike from me. His technique was always better. I licked my finger again and hummed contently, about to wash my hands when Mingyu spoke up.
“Let me taste it!” He whined and I rolled my eyes, heading for the sink.
“When it’s done.” I muttered as I turned on the water, hand almost underneath it, when a large hand gripped my wrist and raised it up.
“Mingyu—” I choked on air when he proceeded to such off the mixture from my middle finger, knocking all air out of my lungs. He hummed with his eyes closed, lips in a pout as he released my finger from his mouth. My heart went crazy and my jaw hung open, I shifted from one leg to the other, saliva pooling in my mouth. What the fuck?!
And then my eyes proceeded to travel lower and now I was definitely turned on, “What the fuck?!”
His eyebrows rose and he looked confused as he followed my eyes, which were currently on his well defined six pack. Jesus Christ, woman, as if you haven’t seen men with six packs before! Yeah, but those men weren’t Kim Mingyu…The hand he was still holding twitched and I snatched out of his hold, mustering up my most frightening glare as my eyes connected with his. It took a lot of power to punch his biceps instead of his, very firm looking and broad, chest.
“Go put on a shirt, Jesus, Jieun doesn’t need to see you shirtless.” I scolded him and quickly turned around and washed off the mixture, before he decided to lick my whole hand clean.
“I don’t see Jieun around though…” I could hear the smirk in Mingyu’s voice and I scoffed as I rolled my eyes aggressively.
“Here or not, go put on a shirt, dickhead, no one is curious of your body. This isn’t the gym, Mingyu.” I muttered aggressively, avoiding to look at him as I reached for the towel to dry my hands, knowing well if I looked at him my eyes would be drawn to his chest instead of his face. I tensed and groaned in annoyance when Mingyu’s front was suddenly pressed up against my back, his warm enveloping mine. I hate how easily he could tease me and how easy it is to make me react; how easy it was for him to play around. I knew he only teased me because he lived for my reactions, but deep down I always hoped it was because there were still some lingering feelings for me. Maybe not, he broke up with me, after all.
“You left the water running, Y/N,” He muttered, voice low as he was so close, his breath tickled my exposed shoulder and I tried not to cover away, “Joohyun and Wonwoo won’t be too happy when their bill comes.”
“Yeah, well, how about you learn what personal space is?!” I snapped as I placed the towel down forcefully, wanting to turn around but knowing I couldn’t resist looking at his toned body, I stayed put instead.
“And miss all the reactions you give me?” He giggled as he placed his chin on my shoulder, making me sigh out loud, “That would be a total waste of my time.”
“And a lot of saving of my energy—your potatoes will turn into ash soon, so how about you move?” I raised my elbow and let it collide with his abdomen, not too harshly though. Mingyu giggled again and suddenly a new voice rang through the kitchen.
“Uncle, you’ve finished showering!” I panicked as I didn’t want Jieun to see us like this, she would tell her mom everything and I didn’t want Joohyun and Wonwoo smirking at us the next time we’ll have dinner together, “Why didn’t you tell me you’re cooking?”
Jieun was pouting and I hissed when Mingyu did nothing to move, looking at Jieun with a smug smile, “I want to help too!”
“Sure, sweetie, uncle was about to make some sandwiches, do you want to help?” Mingyu cooed at Jieun and I elbowed him again, harder this time, to make him step back. He groaned in pain and finally put distance between our bodies, when suddenly I felt teeth sinking into my shoulder.
“What the fuck?!” I couldn’t help but cry out and turn around sharply to slap a smirking Mingyu. I started back at him wide eyed as he started cackling, unphased by my slap to his side this time.
“Uncle will go and put on a shirt if he wants to live.” I said with a forced smile as I gave Mingyu a look, eyebrows raising at him, “Or do I have to make you wear one? Like a little kid?”
“Oh, bae, I can do that fine on my own.” He laughed as he walked to the table, where his grey shirt, with a deep V, was thrown down on.
“What is fuck?” Jieun asked, eyebrows furrowed, and my eyes widened as Mingyu started hollering with laughter again.
“Yeah, auntie, what is fuck?” Mingyu smirked once he was able to speak, hid laughter having died down, “I’m really curious too.”
I glared at both Mingyu and Jieun, placing my arms on my hips as I took a deep breath, “A very ugly word that only adults can use, alright?”
“Well, that’s unfortunate for you, Jieun.” Mingyu said with a shrug as he went to take the bread.
Jieun stuck her tongue out at Mingyu and I smirked as I walked towards the oven to take out the roasting tray, “I said adults, Mingyu.”
Jieun started giggling loudly and Mingyu threw me a glare as he paused slicing up the bread for the sandwiches he planned on making.
“Hand me some ham, cheese, tomatoes and lettuce, Jieunie.” Mingyu asked the little girl, watching me still as I stuck my tongue out at him before I started placing the meat into the roasting tray. Jieun pulled a chair to the fridge, climbed on it and started taking out the items Mingyu asked for.
“Thank you.” He thanked her when she waltzed back to him, grinning at Mingyu as she sat at the table, chin in her palms. I grinned at Jieun, she looked really cute. I quickly remembered the French fries and placed another round into the boiling oil, making me hiss when it went on my skin, again.
“You okay, auntie?” Jieun muttered as she threw me a glance, her eyes going back to Mingyu, who was assembling the sandwiches now.
“Yes, yes, don’t worry.” I smiled towards the girl before turning up the heat in the oven and placing the meat inside. I turned around and leaned against the counter and watched Mingyu work. His back was a bit hunched as he is very tall, his muscles flexing from time to time as he used his hands to make the sandwiches and he kept making faces at Jieun. He beaconed her over and let her place the round tomatoes into each sandwich, poking her nose and praising her once she was done. I sighed and checked on the potatoes again, stirring them a bit around.
“I have an awesome idea,” Mingyu spoke up, canines showing from how big his smile was, “Let’s have a picnic!”
“A picnic!” Jieun exclaimed, jumping up from her seat, “Auntie! We are having a picnic!”
I chuckled and nodded my head, looking at Mingyu with an impressed smile, “Seems like we are having a picnic!”
“I’m having a picnic with my favorite auntie and uncle!” Jieun shouted as she ran out into the hallway, “I will go and change! I want to wear something pretty!”
Mingyu and I laughed quietly as Jieun ran up the stairs, her feet thudding loudly upstairs as she went to her room to get changed. My eyes fell back on Mingyu, he was already looking at me, and he smiled warmly. I returned it and before I turned around, he sent a wink. I winked back and shook my head as I went to open the cupboards, looking for a tablecloth.
“I’ll prepare what we need for the picnic.” I informed Mingyu and he hummed.
“I’ll finish the rest of the potatoes, how long until the meat is done?”
“Forty-five more minutes.” I said after I glanced at my wristwatch, going around the kitchen to get the plates, utensils’ and what we else we needed.
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       When forty-five minutes were up, the three of us went outside in the little garden behind the house. It was a good day, the sun high up in the sky with a few clouds here and there, and it was warm enough that you could wear a tank top and a cardigan over it. Spring was always a season I enjoyed the most. The pleasure of seeing everything bloom to life once again brought great joy for me. Taking walks in parks while the trees and grass turn once again green is a certain satisfaction you understand only if you experience it.
Meanwhile Mingyu prepared a few more dishes with Jieun’s help, I placed a blanket onto the grass and started carrying outside plates, utensils, glasses, apple juice and the food that was prepared, one by one. Jieun bounced around me the whole time, talking loudly and quickly as she told Mingyu to hurry up and bring the meat out so that we could start eating.
“Jieun,” I spoke up, looking up from my kneeling position on the blanket, “Go put on your denim jacket, sweetie, you might catch a cold in a simple t-shirt.”
“Do I have to?” She whined, lips jutting out and eyebrows furrowing.
“Yes, you do.” I gave her a look that she knew she couldn’t argue with, so she rose to her feet and ran back inside almost crashing into Mingyu when he appeared in the doorway.
“Woah, chipmunk!” He exclaimed, clutching the plate close to his chest, “We almost lost the meat!”
I giggled and shook my head at Mingyu, his eyebrows were furrowed as he turned around to shout back inside the house, making sure Jieun heard him. I sat down on the blanket, sighing out as I massaged my sore knees, I kneeled for too long.
“Stop being dramatic and bring that here.” I said when Mingyu turned back around, shaking his head in displeasure, exiting the house, “You hang out too much with Jeonghan.”
“I don’t,” He scoffed as he handed me the plate before taking a seat on the blanket, “I haven’t seen him in three weeks.”
“Oh no, did he finally ditch you?” I teased with a grin and Mingyu rolled his eyes.
“You wish, he’s my most loyal client!” Mingyu exclaimed, a proud smirk on his lips.
“Is he becoming as buff as you are?” I found myself asking absentmindedly, hating that I was confessing to having checked him out many times. It’s not my fault, his body is eye catching. The whole existence of Kim Mingyu is eye catching. You’d be a fool to be in a room and not notice him, his sole presence is powerful and like a magnet.
“Oh, so I’m buff?” I rolled my eyes as Jieun came running out the house.
“Yeah, whatever,” I muttered, smiling when Jieun plopped down next to me, “Ready to have lunch?”
“This is the best day of my life!” Jieun screeched and I chuckled, poking her cute cheek. Mingyu giggled quietly, grabbing a plate and starting to put various foods on it. Jieun watched him eagerly and so did I, failing to notice the fond smile on my lips.
“This one is for the princess,” He deepened his voice and did a little bow as he handed Jieun the plate, “From your loyal servant, Kim Mingyu.”
“No!” Jieun giggled, taking the plate excitedly, “You are uncle Mingyu! Not my servant!”
“Let me spoil you for a second, Jieun…” Mingyu said with a sigh, grabbing another plate. I handed Jieun her fork, she still struggled with her chopsticks, and placed a napkin on her lap.
“Don’t stain your pretty skirt, okay?” I asked and brushed her bangs out of her eyes.
“Don’t pressure her, Y/N,” Mingyu shot me a look, “Don’t worry about that, Jieunie, just eat freely!”
“You really do spoil her too much…” I chuckled, leaning forward to grab a plate but Mingyu slapped my hand away, “No wonder Joohyun complains about you.”
“She does?!” Mingyu made an offended sound and I watched as the, now, plate full of food was handed at me.
“Thank you.” I muttered with a smile, suddenly feeling shy at the look he was giving me. I looked away and turned my head quickly, reaching for my chopsticks. Mingyu remained quiet and I could feel him still looking at me but Jieun spoke up.
“The French fries are so good!” She exclaimed, making a ‘mm’ sound as she stuffed her mouth with more, “You cook better than mommy and daddy!”
“We do?” I asked with a laugh, glancing at Mingyu, who was smiling smugly.
“Of course, we do!” He gave me a look, “You’re sitting next to Korea’s biggest chef!”
“You wish.” I snorted meanwhile Jieun started giggling, shooting finger guns at Mingyu who winked back at her. It was heartwarming to see Mingyu and Jieun interact, their personalities were weirdly quite similar. Except, Mingyu was acting like a child sometimes as an adult and Jieun was still a child, she had an excuse. I liked spending my time with the two, I felt refreshed and full of positive energy afterwards. Even Mingyu’s teasing could feel pleasant after a long and tiring day at the studio.
“How’s the studio going?” My ears perked up when Mingyu spoke up, eyes on me.
“Oh, pretty well,” I said after swallowing, “The exposition is going well, I wish I was there…”
“Yeah, sorry,” Mingyu scratched his chin, shooting me an apologetic smile, “I thought I wouldn’t be able to come look after Jieun today, that’s why I told Joohyun to ask you. I had three more clients that were supposed to come in but Jeonghan is apparently sick, the other pulled a muscle two days ago and can barely walk and well the third one—I forgot.”
“You always forget things, uncle…” Jieun said with a giggle, dipping her French fry into ketchup. I leaned over the bowls placed in front of me on the blanket and grabbed the one with the salad.
“You have to eat vegetables to stay healthy, Jieun, not just junk food.” I said as I pushed a bit of the salad on Jieun’s plate, making her scrunch up her nose in disgust.
“You’re like dad, ew.” She muttered, shooting me a cute glare. I giggled and put the bowl down, turning towards Mingyu.
“I get it, don’t worry…” I reassured him with a smile, eating more of the meat from my plate, “I just worked so hard for this exposition and—you know Vernon and Minghao! They always find something to disagree on and to be honest, I hope they can keep it together at least until the event is over…”
Mingyu’s eyebrows furrowed as he nodded in understanding and he placed his right hand on my thigh, giving it a small squeeze, “Don’t worry, Vernon and Minghao know how much this means to you. And, besides, they would be jeopardizing themselves too if they fuck up, so…maybe that’ll make you sleep better at night—”
I started laughing, loudly, as I squeezed my eyes shut the food still in my mouth. Mingyu paused talking and his eyebrows were raised as he exchanged glances with a confused looking Jieun. It made me laugh more and I had to place my plate down and swallow carefully, my body rocking with laughter.
“Uh—I’m sure what I said wasn’t that funny—” And then Jieun started laughing too and I couldn’t help it but laugh harder. Jieun was clapping her hands excessively as she kept pointing her finger at Mingyu’s face, unable to say much.
“Un—uncle—you—” I tried to take deep breaths and calm down. Mingyu’s confused face turned into an angry expression, plate sitting on his thigh, as he crossed his arms in front of broad chest.
“What.” He snapped, eyes falling on me now that I stopped laughing.
“You—” I took a deep breath, calming my racing heart and clutching my stomach, “Have salad stuck between your front teeth, I’m sorry—”
I started giggling again and Mingyu’s eyes widened as he started chuckling, sticking his finger in his mouth to take care of the stray salad stuck between his teeth.
“Ew, uncle!” Jieun screeched, closing her eyes, “Cover your mouth when you do that!”
“Yeah, did your parents never teach you that’s disgusting?” I threw him a disgusted look and Mingyu grinned once he cleaned his teeth.
“You dared to laugh, at me,” He pointed at himself, straightening his back, “The great, Kim Mingyu?”
“Please…” I rolled my eyes with a scoff and gave Jieun a look, a look she returned with an amused grin.
“You shall face the punishment now!” I scoffed again and Mingyu leaned over the food and started poking Jieun’s sides, making her laugh again. She swatted at his fingers, throwing him a glare when he stopped.
“That’s not funny…” She muttered to herself as she resumed eating and I chuckled about to eat as well, when I felt a jab in my side.
“You don’t want to do this, Kim Mingyu,” I warned him, pointing a chopstick at him, “We both know you are more ticklish…”
“A punishment is a punishment, bae.” I rolled my eyes at the nickname but of course, Mingyu quickly started tickling my side and I started jabbing him with my chopstick wherever I could.
“Fight, fight, fight!” Jieun started chanting playfully and I huffed as I caught Mingyu’s wrist and stopped him.
“Seriously, don’t.” He pouted and pulled his arm back, throwing me a glance.
“You’re no fun.”
“Do you want me to tickle you?” I raised my eyebrows, wriggling my fingers when Mingyu glared.
“No.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Halfway through the meal, Jieun said she had enough and got up and ran to the little swing they had for her in the garden. Mingyu and I remained on the blanket, splitting what Jieun left on her plate and eating that too. Once we were finished, I poured him some apple juice, then for myself, and we drank it quietly while watching Jieun run around. I chuckled when she started playing with a small butterfly flying by, handing my cup to Mingyu when he asked for it. He gathered our plates, the bowls of food and put them on the far end of the blanket, away from us so that it wouldn’t bother us. Mingyu was leaning back on his forearms as his eyes followed Jieun around, a fond smile on his lips. I sighed and glanced at him, my eyes falling on the black camera resting by his thigh.
“How’s that business going?” I spoke, getting Mingyu’s attention. He followed my vision of line and nodded his head lightly.
“Pretty well,” He said, picking up the camera in his hands, “I’m collaborating with a high school currently, so I’m taking graduation pictures of their seniors.”
My lips formed an ‘O’ shape and I gave him a smirk, “You must be pretty famous around that high school.”
Mingyu chuckled and nodded his head, “Can’t say I’m not, Y/N.”
“Right, can’t remember a time you weren’t famous…” I trailed off, the two of us sharing a knowing look. Mingyu nodded solemnly and then raised his camera, turning it on.
“Two weeks ago, I had a wedding, that one was a big hit, made a lot of money!” He said with a grin, looking into his camera as he pointed it up towards the sky. I looked up and saw the sky was covered with more clouds now, but the sun was still shining brightly.
“I wanted to ask you to come to our studio for today, but Vernon and Minghao apparently booked a really famous photographer so, you know…I didn’t want to say no to them…”
“Yeah, that’s fine!” Mingyu shrugged and started grinning as he took pictures of Jieun, “Your events are way too prestigious, I might have turned down your offer either way.”
“No, you wouldn’t have, Mingyu.” I chuckled, raising my eyebrows and making him glance at me.
“You sound so sure…why not?”
“Because it’s me asking.” Mingyu’s finger paused mid-air and he gulped before nodding his head wordlessly. It’s moments like this one that give me hope, hope that he still feels something for me. Even if it’s been five years. It was enough time for us to get over the other, but having to spend so much time together again made me realize that I wasn’t even far from being over him. Maybe it’s the memories we share, the time spent together, the pleasant moments, the hardships or the person I shaped into while being with him, but it was really hard to look at him and not feel something more than just platonic feelings. It came as a shock after we finished high school to find out that Joohyun and Wonwoo have been dating for two years in secret. No one ever saw it coming, they never left any hints for us to pick up on, it just seemed like they got along due to Mingyu and I dating and always being together. Turns out, they were dating too at the same time with us, except their relationship worked out. And I couldn’t have been happier, they were perfect for each other and they blessed us with little Jieun, the sweetest kid. When Jieun turned two, Joohyun and Wonwoo decided to get married and tie the knot for a lifetime. I was a little jealous when we got the news of their marriage, I always thought I’d be the one to get married first as Joohyun was closed off and wasn’t ever interested in dating or having a family. I guess it was just a matter of time and person.
My eyes widened when the camera made a sound, this time directed at me. Mingyu was grinning as he kept snapping picture after picture and I raised my middle finger at him while sticking my tongue out.
“Hey!” He gave me a glare before turning the camera back to Jieun, snapping a picture of her as she was playing with the flowers, making a crown for herself, “Look at this!”
Mingyu’s canines showed again as his grin spread bigger, he scooted closer, “Joohyun will love this shot!”
It was a close up of Jieun, she was crouched down with yellow flowers in her hands, her dark hair falling around her shoulders and lips in a soft pout. I smiled and looked at Mingyu, “Why don’t you drop the gym and turn into a professional photographer? You are so talented.”
“Y/N,” He gave me a grin and a scoff, as if I already knew the answer, “You know photography is just a hobby for me—”
“Doesn’t it pay better than that smelly gym you work at?” I interrupted him with my eyebrows raised. He chuckled and shook his head as he turned around to take more pictures of the nature.
“Smelly or not, I really like working there…” He muttered and Jieun shrieked, alerting us.
“Jieun?” I asked loudly, eyebrows raised when she turned around, she was holding something brown between her fingers.
“It’s a caterpillar!” She exclaimed excitedly, waving the small animal between her fingers.
“Say hi and put it back into the earth, okay?” I called back and Mingyu snorted as he looked up from his camera.
“This one goes for Wonwoo…” He grinned to himself, looking at me, “His daughter ain’t a pussy like your sister—”
“Mingyu!” I threw him a glare and punched his arm, “Irene hates every little insect, you know that. It’s not her fault—”
“It technically is though.” He gave me a pouty look and I snorted and shook my head. I extended my arms over my head and stretched, hearing the camera go off again, before laying down on the blanket. I groaned loudly as the tension eased from my lower back and I relaxed into the earth, closing my eyes to breathe in deeply the warm air. It was tranquil, the moment felt nice, Jieun’s laughter and chatter faded nicely into the background. I let my muscles relax and enjoy the moment of calmness, that is until weight was dumped on me. I yelped loudly, eyes opening and muscles tensing as I went to sit up but Mingyu’s hand pushed me back down.
“Don’t get up!” He exclaimed, eyebrows furrowed, “Why’d you move?!”
I threw him a glare as I watched him whine more, pushing his ass against my pelvis and sitting on me.
“Mingyu, I don’t know if anyone has made you aware of this, but you are heavy!” I exclaimed again, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
“I won’t get off until you give me the same expression you did a few seconds ago—”
“How can I do that when a man is literally crushing me?” I raised my eyebrows and Mingyu scoffed, pushing up onto his knees but still straddling me.
“Happy?”
“Not until you completely get off.” I gave him a sweet smile and Mingyu threw me a glare as Jieun’s loud laughter came from behind him.
“Why are you sitting on auntie?” She asked giggling.
“Good question, Jieun, I think he wants to crush auntie—”
“I was just trying to take a picture of auntie, Jieun, but she’s stubborn and wants to upset me.” Mingyu said pouting, giving Jieun a sad look.
“Well, hurry up auntie then, I want to go inside—I’m tired.” Just as she finished speaking, she yawned and pouted.
“Five more minutes and we go take a nap, okay?” I smiled at Jieun and she nodded before running back to the swing. I looked back up at Mingyu and gulped as I stared into his eyes, the butterflies in my stomach kicking off.
“Make it quick, okay?” I sighed out and closed my eyes, willing my body to relax and let go. Forget that Mingyu is straddling me and dangling his camera in my face like all those times when we were still dating. The camera went off and so did my heart, it started beating faster and faster as all the memories swam in my mind tauntingly.
The basketball court was full of students as everyone was in recess. I was sitting with my friends on a bench underneath a tree to hide from the blazing sun as we all ate our lunch and gazed out onto the field, where the basketball team was shooting around. All guys were tall, the team consisted of mostly juniors and seniors, but Yuto, a guy my age, made it into the team due to his height.
“Ah!” Yuna exclaimed next to me, eyes following a boy, “Look at Wonwoo! He’s so handsome!”
“He’s a good player…” I muttered as I finished up my lunch.
“He could be the worst and I’d still love him!” Yuna mused and the rest of our friends agreed with her. I rolled my eyes when someone from behind us scoffed.
“So, you only watch the basketball team because the players are handsome?” The voice was sharp and I rolled my eyes, turning to face my sister.
“You’re still moody?” I asked her and she shook her head, coming to stand in front of me and blocking my view of the field.
“No, I passed my chemistry test, I’m feeling better.” She gave me a wide grin and extended her arm. She was holding a small cartoon of chocolate milk and my eyes lit up.
“Unnie!” I gave her a big grin and stood up to give her a brief hug, “Thank you!”
“Yeah, mom told me you forgot to pack one.”
“You’re the best.” Joohyun chuckled and pinched my cheek aggressively.
“You only say that when I give you something or do something for you—”
“Joohyun—” My friends shrieked and both Joohyun and I jumped as a ball hit my sister’s back. She hissed and turned sharply, the ball bouncing on the ground.
“Joohyun—” My friends started but Wonwoo running over shut them up quickly.
“Are you okay?” His deep voice was laced with worry and Joohyun glared the boy down. She was a lot shorter but her gaze could always make her seem powerful and scary. She leaned down wordlessly and picked the basketball up.
“Be careful next time, Wonwoo.” Her voice was soft, a contrast to the look on her face.
“Sorry, Joohyun.” Wonwoo bowed his head a bit, hands extending to take the ball from my sister. She glanced down at the ball before handing it over, their hands brushing against each other and small smiles appearing on their faces. The snap of a camera distracted me from throwing a suspicious look at the two in front of me. A tall guy, taller than Wonwoo, was holding up a camera to his left eye as he grinned.
“Yah! Kim Mingyu!” I exclaimed, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
“Yah! Bae Y/N!” He imitated my voice, pushing his lips out into an exaggerated pout.
“I don’t look like that!” I snapped at him with a glare as Mingyu walked closer.
“Yes, you do.” He taunted, the camera hanging at his side. Wonwoo and Joohyun chuckled behind me and I glanced back to see them lost in their own conversation.
“Stop pouting, you’re too cute.” Mingyu cooed and I punched his bicep as he started leaning down.
“Why do you keep taking pictures of me—” My words got muffled when Mingyu pressed a small kiss against my lips, a smile appearing on my lips.
“What were you complaining about?” He whispered as he pulled back just a little bit, making my smile widen.
“Nothing.” I muttered and as I went to press another kiss against his lips, his camera went off again. My eyes snapped open to find Mingyu giggling as he was looking down at the picture he took, cheeks rosy.
“Yah! Kim Mingyu!” I exclaimed and raised my arm to punch his arm again but he suddenly jumped back. He stuck his tongue out and I glared at him.
“You two are so immature.” I heard Wonwoo saying from behind me.
“He won’t stop taking pictures of me!” I snapped, watching as Mingyu was slowly raising his camera up again, “Don’t you dare—”
Snap. Oh, that’s it, he asked for it. I took off running towards him but Mingyu just giggled loudly and took off too, running ahead of me.
“You can’t catch me!” He shouted as he turned his head before running faster.
“Screw your long legs!” I shouted after him as I chased him around the basketball field, underneath the blazing sun.
“I love you!” He shouted while trying to take more pictures of me, almost falling when he tripped on a rock.
“You’re an idiot!” I screamed after him, laughing when he almost fell, “I love you!”
“I know you do!” He winked cockily and slowed his running, making me think I’d finally catch up. But when he was in arms reach, he sped up again while cackling evilly. I let out a frustrated cry and continued chasing him, unphased by the looks the students were giving us.
The click of the camera brought me back to the present and I opened my eyes to find Mingyu with his eyebrows raised and a small smile on his lips. His personality didn’t change much since high school but his looks did. It’s not like that mattered much, I didn’t like him for his looks, it was his personality that drew me in at first. His looks were just a plus.
“I want to go in!” Jieun came running to us, whining loudly.
“We are going.” I smiled at her as she looked down at me with a pout and I looked up at Mingyu with raised eyebrows. He blinked and looked at me for a second before he realized he was straddling me, so he got off and helped me off the blanket as well.
“Can you please clean up? I have a Yoga class in half an hour.” I said after looking at my wrist watch.
“And Jieun?” Mingyu asked as he started gathering the things we gathered on the blanket.
“I’ll put her to sleep, don’t worry about her.” I gave Jieun a smile and crouched down, opening my arms, “Do you want auntie to carry you to your room?”
“Yes!” Jieun exclaimed, her droopy eyes widening as she climbed into my arms quickly. I patted her back and walked inside the house, towards her room upstairs.
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        Jieun took longer than I expected to fall asleep, leaving me ten minutes to get ready for my Yoga class. I closed her door carefully after drawing her curtains closed and raced into the master bedroom, opening Joohyun’s closet. We go to Yoga class twice a week together so I have my clothes here, in case, I don’t have time to go home from the studio. We were supposed to go together today but since I had to be at the studio, we decided to postpone it. Thankfully, our Yoga instructor does online classes in the afternoon for those who couldn’t attend it in the morning. I quickly got dressed in my olive khaki green leggings and matching sports bra, rushing downstairs quietly, to Joohyun’s study room, where we kept our mattresses. She had enough space in her office, so I decided to lay out the Yoga mat underneath the window and quickly turned on her laptop, logging onto the platform of my instructor. In the big rush, I forgot to close the door and I could hear Mingyu coming and going from the garden, bringing everything inside like I asked him to do. I pulled my hair in a low ponytail and took a comfortable seat on the mat as the instructor started the class.
“Good afternoon!” She greeted with a big smile on her lips, her voice raspy but honey-like, “Good to see some familiar faces around; Y/N…”
I smiled and turned on the microphone, “Nice to see you! Joohyun and I couldn’t make it in the morning, we were both busy.”
“Is she not joining us today?” The instructor asked as more cameras got turned on, there was a total of ten people in today’s class.
“No, she’s not at home, at the moment.” I answered her and as the backdoor was closed, loud singing rang through the hallway. Mingyu’s deep voice bounced around the quiet house and my eyes widened as I quickly shut off my microphone, embarrassed when I saw some ladies smiling through their cameras. I glanced out in the hallway as Mingyu passed by the office, unaware that I was inside, as he bobbed his head to his own rhythm while he continued singing. Did he forget I put Jieun to sleep? He’s going to wake her up. But before I could quickly go and shut him up and close the door to the office, our instructor alerted us that we were starting the session.
“I prepared a relaxing Yoga sequence for today, a thirteen-minute-long practice,” She said with a smile as we took a comfortable seat in Lotus pose, “It’s the middle of the week, but we might be feeling burned out a little bit. I know that I do!”
I chuckled as I straightened my back, aligning head over heart, and heart over pelvis, “You can turn on your microphones as we are about to take deep breaths together, let us hear each other.”
I quickly reached over and turned on the microphone, as did the other ladies, whom I were familiar with from other classes, “Good, now let’s take five deep breaths in, tuck your chins, straighten your backs and close your eyes, empty your mind.”
I did as I was told, willing my muscles to relax as everyone took deep five breaths, emptying our lungs out loudly. It was a relaxing motion and it always helped me focus on the task I was about to do, my mind was a buzzing place 24/7. But my tranquil moment ended when Mingyu’s voice rose a few octaves and he started sputtering words after words. I opened one eye to see if the others could hear him as well, but upon seeing no reaction, I quickly closed my eye and took one more deep breath to relax again.
“Let us stretch our side bodies now.” With eyes open, I followed the instructor, breathing deeply still, “This is a great moment to take a step back from your busy lives and reflect on yourselves. Get lost in the silence and the guidance of my voice, trust your bodies and meet me in a tabletop position.”
I smiled and slowly moved into the position, cracking my lower back in the process, “Let’s do three rounds of cat and cow now, everyone following their own rhythm. We are not here to rush today.”
Closing my eyes, I arched my back into a cow position, letting out a quiet sigh when a few vertebras popped, then starting from the tailbone, I curled up into a cat position. I did that two more times while breathing deep, hearing the other ladies do the same calmed my nerves a little bit. I got lost in my own world, finally, blocking out sounds from the outside that didn’t serve me in this moment.
“On your next breath in, bring your big toes together and widen your knees as big as your mat, then meet me in extended child’s pose, with active fingers.” The instructor spoke up, and we followed, “Let’s wake up the muscles in our upper backs while opening our heart space, okay?”
The skin of my lower back and upper back were getting a good stretch as I gently rocked from side to side at the hips, loosening up the tight joints, breathing deeply.
“Make your next inhale the longest breath you’ve taken all day long and, on your exhale, let go of everything that doesn’t serve you by using lion’s breath,” I filled my lungs with air to the brim and paused at the top for three second before sticking my tongue out, eyes looking at my third eye and letting all the air out, similar sighs coming through the laptop.
“Carefully moving, let’s meet in downward dog, but only proceed from a tabletop position.” I raised back into a tabletop position and carefully, knees bent and arms placed at a wide distance on the map, I raised into a downward dog position, heels coming down on the earth.
“Let’s pedal it out,” The instructor said, “Your heels don’t have to come down to the earth straight away, pedal them out first, feel your muscles stretch and when you did all that, grow heavy in your heels and come to a still position for three deep cleansing breaths.”
I moved my legs as if I was walking, in one place, pedaling them out and sighing out when my hamstrings got the stretch they so desperately needed. I ground my heels down and stilled my movements, taking deep breaths. As I took in my last set of deep breath, the floor creaked in the doorway and I opened my eyes, seeing Mingyu upside down from this position, standing in the doorway. His jaw was hung open but when we made eye-contact, a wide smirk spread on his lips.
“Damn,” He muttered as he leaned against the doorframe, “If you only had this ass back in high school too—”
I gasped as my cheeks flushed, the sudden laughter coming from the laptop making Mingyu jump. His eyes widened as he looked towards the screen, and as I lowered from the downward dog, I caught the faint tint of red on his cheeks. The ladies were still giggling, the instructor’s eyebrows raised curiously.
“Uh—I’m really sorry—he didn’t know my microphone was on—”
“Good evening, ladies,” Mingyu smiled charmingly, they could see him well through the camera, “Sorry for interrupting, I’ll quickly head out.”
“Now, now,” The instructor said with a chuckle as Mingyu slowly left, throwing me a smirk that made me glare at him, “We needed that laughter, didn’t we, ladies?”
There was a chorus of agreements and my cheeks flushed again as I chuckled in embarrassment, “Sorry, he’s—”
“A charming young man, indeed,” The instructor interrupted me with a small smile, “let’s try to focus once again though and repeat our downward dog before we proceed with our practice.”
And we did proceed with our relaxing practice, but the problem was I couldn’t relax with Mingyu continuously walking in and out of Irene’s study room and always whispering things at me. At first, he was asking for some books Wonwoo recommended him to read, then he took a seat on Irene’s couch and started reading out loud but in a whisper, meanwhile I kept throwing glares at him. Does he know he’s supposed to leave me alone? By the time the class took an end I wasn’t anywhere relaxed, instead I was angry and irritated. The practice was supposed to make me feel light and relaxed but due to Mingyu bothering me, it didn’t work out. When we were talking leisurely after we finished the practice, Mingyu dangled his head into the camera. The ladies started laughing again and he had a heartful conversation with my Yoga instructor, to which he even got an invitation to her class after he complained about his muscles being stiff after a long day at the gym. When we were saying our goodbye’s, a lady had the audacity to call Mingyu and I, a cute and playful couple, which I wanted to deny but before I could, Mingyu was nodding and thanking her making my heart pump quickly. Once the call was over, Mingyu sat back on the couch and I proceeded to roll up Irene’s mat and placed it back to its place, throwing a glare at a grinning Mingyu. My eyes fell on the book he tormented me with and I took it in my hand and whacked him over the head.
“Hey!” He exclaimed and started rubbing his head, “What are you doing?!”
“What are you doing?!” I snapped, crossing my arms in front of my chest, “I took the Yoga class to relax a little bit but thanks to you I just became more irritated!”
“You did?” He raised his eyebrows and I went to whack him again but he caught my arm and quickly jumped up, “Okay, okay, I get it! Sorry, I won’t do it next time!”
“Of course, you won’t. There’s no next time.” I rolled my eyes and let Mingyu take the book from me and place it back onto the shelf.
“What are you saying?” He asked with a chuckle, becoming amused when I sighed and looked at him expectantly, “I got an invitation to your instructor’s next class and I’m definitely not going to miss it—”
“Hell, no.” I snapped and turned around to leave the office, but not before opening the window to let fresh air in, “So that you torment me there too? No, thank you.”
“Come on! I won’t!” Mingyu whined as he followed after me, closing the door behind me, “I’ll take it seriously!”
“You won’t, I know you too well, Kim Mingyu.” I said with a snort as I started walking up the stairs, Mingyu still following close behind.
“Please?” He looked at me with puppy eyes when I glanced back, “I’ll let you drive me around, okay?”
“As if I want to do that.” I scoffed as I walked to the master bedroom to get my clothes before I head to shower.
“I know you do,” A smirk crossed Mingyu’s lips as he blocked my way, “I heard from Wonwoo you bought a new Mercedes, I just know you’re dying to show it off to me.”
“Am not.” I said with a scoff, biting my lip afterwards. Oh, and how right he is, I can’t wait to pick him up from work and drive him here, in my new light turquoise Mansory S-Class Cabriolet, the next time we are having dinner with Joohyun, Wonwoo, and Jieun.
“You do,” Mingyu cooed and I rolled my eyes as I side stepped him, heading out the bedroom and down the hall to the bathroom.
“Now, stay quiet and don’t wake Jieun, I want to shower.”
“Go, go,” Mingyu ushered me inside the bathroom, gripping the handle, “Relax now, since you couldn’t while doing Yoga.”
“Dickhead—” He cut me off by closing the door in my face and I could hear his giggles as he walked away, his footsteps still loud. I groaned and quickly put my hair in a bun, turning on the warm water in the shower stall. The bathroom upstairs was bigger and it was divided in two in such way that if someone was showering another person could still come in because you wouldn’t see them, as the shower stall was just behind the other wall.
       And there’s a reason why I usually avoid showering upstairs. It’s so big that the person won’t even hear the running water and often times would walk in, it happened with both Joohyun and Wonwoo while I showered, when they newly bought the house. Like I said, they still couldn’t see you, but the thought alone was enough to drive me away from showering upstairs and just using the downstairs shower. And that same thing happened while I was massaging an exfoliating soap onto my skin. The door opened and I heard feet thudding inside loudly.
“Jieun?” I called out, straining my ears to hear the person inside, “Did you have a nightmare and wake up? Mingyu is downstairs sweety, I’m showering, you can go to him—”
“Yeah,” My eyes widened at the male voice and I quickly turned around in the shower stall, making sure he didn’t already approach me, “Mingyu is upstairs, actually.”
“What the hell are you doing inside, Mingyu?!” I exclaimed, frozen as I listened closely, “I’m showering!”
“Uh, yeah, I know, you told me and I hear the water running—”
“What the fuck are you doing inside then?!” I exclaimed again, eyebrows furrowing when Mingyu cursed loudly.
“Fuck, I stubbed my toe!” He hissed and I scoffed as I quickly rinsed off the soap, “And I know, but I was bored downstairs alone…”
“So, you just come and intrude on a woman while she’s showering? Because that’s fine?” I snapped; eyebrows raised even if he couldn’t see me. I heard the toilet making sounds and realized Mingyu closed the lid and sat on top of it.
“Hey, don’t make me sound like a creep!”
“You are being a creep right now, though.” I pointed out as I took my regular, tropical scented, body lotion and spread it on my body.
“Okay, I’m sorry, I can’t even see anything, you know that, I just—” He let out a long sigh and my eyebrows raised as I paused.
“You just, what?” I asked curiously as I let the warm water wash off the body lotion.
“I was wondering, like, I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, actually, you know…” There was a pause as Mingyu cleared his throat before he continued, “Just…after we broke up, you know…did you date anyone else? Like, had a boyfriend, girlfriend, or something…”
My eyebrows furrowed at the odd question, not expecting it from Mingyu, we never talked about relationships or partners. We always stayed away from the topic that involved our personal lives for multiple reasons, so it was a surprise that he finally asked about it, especially when I was showering.
“I mean…” I let out a breath, standing underneath the warm water, “It’s been five years since we…broke up, so…yeah. I had…three…boyfriends.”
“Oh,” Mingyu sounded surprised and I grimaced waiting for him to continue speaking, “Yeah, I had a lot of flings during college, then a serious girlfriend that lasted for a year only, so…”
He chuckled, but I could hear he didn’t take it lightly, it bothered him that it didn’t work out. Something was bothering him still; I could hear it in his voice.
“Well, you know, I don’t know if Joohyun and Wonwoo talked about me and if they did and Wonwoo told you, but…” I took a deep breath and turned off the water, reaching for the long towel, “You pretty much broke my heart, no joke.”
Mingyu remained quiet as I placed the towel around my body and secured it tightly at my breasts, “I don’t blame you now, with this mentality, and I don’t hate you either anymore.”
We both chuckled at the same time and Mingyu sighed as we both stayed put where we were standing, “Honestly, I was a big dick back then. Breaking up with you because I wanted to get the whole college experience—I was a fucking idiot, to be honest.”
“You still are…” I muttered and Mingyu chuckled before he sighed again, “Actually…you know, how I was supposed to come with a plus one to my sister and Wonwoo’s wedding?”
“Yeah, and then you showed up with—”
“Minghao,” We said at the same time.
“Yeah, Minghao, and everyone was fucking confused from your family.” Mingyu continued talking, “Even Wonwoo…I still don’t get what the fuss was about.”
“I was supposed to come with my fiancé—”
“Fiancé?!” Mingyu choked out and I giggled, “You had a fiancé at the age of twenty-one, what the fuck?! And you didn’t tell me?!”
“We met when I was nineteen, actually, but back then I was kinda playing around with two guys, you know…still not over you, dickhead, but then him and I got closer and we got engaged three months before the wedding.” I explained, enjoying when Mingyu gasped.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know?” I asked with a chuckle, leaning my head against the wet tiles of the shower stall, “We realized we were too different? I don’t know, honestly, but I’m glad we broke up. I don’t think we were a good match.”
“Yeah, I’m glad too.” I scoffed and I heard shuffling, meaning Mingyu stood up, “Why did even Vernon show up at the wedding? He wasn’t even invited—”
“Two drunk calls from Minghao and I were enough to bring him around—”
“And then I had to drive the three of you home, yeah, I remember.” Mingyu didn’t sound amused and I started laughing.
“Well, if you were dumb enough to come by car and not with a cab like everyone else…”
“Yeah, whatever,” Mingyu scoffed and he cleared his throat again and hesitated to speak, “So, uhm, I was thinking…let’s go on a date?”
I blinked once and then twice and paused. Kim Mingyu was asking me on a date? Or was I hallucinating?
“I really should have waited after you finished showering, not seeing your face is frustrating.” He groaned to himself and I chuckled.
“To your information, I’m gaping right now,” Mingyu chuckled and I pursed my lips, “You want to go on a date with me?”
“Yeah, I think we are both mature enough to start things over, if we wanted to,” He sighed and I licked my lips, pushing off from the wall, “At least, I want to if you’re not against it.”
“Did spending your day with me make you nostalgic, Kim Mingyu?” I asked with a chuckle and he just hummed. I didn’t know how to feel. Did I still have feelings for him? Yes. Did he hurt me already once? Yes. But as he said, we are adults now, we view things differently now. I’m still unsure however.
“I can’t give you an answer right now,” I decided to be honest with him, he deserved it, “Give me time to think.”
He hummed quietly and I knew he wasn’t expecting that answer and he was disappointed, but he quickly spoke up, “I’ll go wake Jieun so that we can prepare dinner together.”
And he was out of the bathroom, leaving me alone with my conflicting thoughts. Did I want to go on a date with him? Yes. Was I afraid we wouldn’t work out anymore and I’d lose him forever? Yes.
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        After Jieun woke up, the three of us went downstairs and prepared dinner together, spending a good hour in the kitchen. But it still wasn’t dinner time so we snuggled up on the couch in the living room and watched a family movie together, Mingyu bringing us a big blanket to keep us warm. Jieun was snuggled up into his side, putting Mingyu into the middle, and I threw him a curious glance when he kept shifting around, until his arm was around my shoulders and his body was leaning onto mine.
“It’s comfier.” He whispered, keeping his eyes on the TV and I shook my head before looking back towards the TV and feeling my cheeks heat up. It felt nice being snuggled up next to him, his warmth enveloping mine and creating a feeling of calmness and safety. If there was a feeling I missed after Mingyu left me, it was the safety I felt whenever I was with him. His bigger body and the way he carried himself and even interacted when he was with me made it obvious to me that he’d do anything to keep me safe and that I shouldn’t worry. So, in the middle of the movie I cleared my throat and glanced up at him to see him already looking down at me.
“Let’s go on that date.” I whispered quietly at him and instantly Mingyu was grinning from ear to ear, squeezing my shoulder tightly for a few seconds before he sighed out happily. I chuckled and placed a palm against his beating hart, cheeks flushing when I felt his quick pulse. A feeling of fulfilment filled my senses and I couldn’t help the smile spreading onto my own lips.
       After the movie was over, the moon was high up in the sky, and we headed to the kitchen to have dinner. Jieun excitedly told us stories about her encounters with other kids in kindergarten and how she kept tricking her nanny into giving her candy without her mom and dad knowing. Dinner was filled with giggles and Mingyu throwing me glances every few minutes, eyes warm and happy. Jieun even pointed it out at some point, asking us if we were hiding a secret or surprise from her. When we reassured her that no, we weren’t, she pouted and settled on finishing her dinner quietly while Mingyu and I conversed about what we did the one month we didn’t meet up, laughing at the memories we shared in high school when one brought it up randomly. After dinner, Jieun had a warm bubble bath and I braided her hair in two, helping her into her pajamas before Mingyu and I tucked her in bed. We were both sitting on each side of her bed, her bedside lap turned on and we chatted for a little while, until she fell asleep.
“You know,” Jieun muttered sleepily, her eyes already closed, “Uncle and auntie act just like dad and mommy. Will you have babies too? I’ll have someone to play with forever…”
Mingyu and I shared a look as I chuckled and leaned over Jieun, cradling her cheek, “Auntie and uncle aren’t like that, Jieun. There’s men and women who are just friends, who love each other but never make babies, because it’s not that kind of love, you know?”
“Don’t worry, Jieunie,” Mingyu leaned closer too, a devilish smirk crossing his lips, “Uncle will convince auntie to make babies so that you’ll have someone to play with, okay?”
Jieun’s eyes opened and she grinned widely as I threw Mingyu a glare, “Pinky promise?”
“Pinky promise!”
“Hey!” I exclaimed quietly as the two pinky promised in front of me with grins on their lips as if I wasn’t even there, “It’s not that easy to make babies—”
“We’ll figure it out.” Mingyu cut me off with a wink and I scoffed, leaning down and kissing Jieun’s cheek.
“Sweet dreams, angel.”
“Sweet dreams, chipmunk.” Jieun grinned as Mingyu pressed a quick kiss against her forehead and then we got up, turned off her bedside lamp and turned on her fairy lights. Quietly closing her door, we descended down the stairs and I could feel Mingyu smirking next to me, his hand continuously brushing against mine.
“Stop giving Jieun false hope, dickhead.” I snapped finally, making Mingyu giggled. He was expecting my reaction, as we walked back to the living room.
“I was being serious, Bae.” I groaned as Mingyu turned on the TV, putting on some random movie as we sat down on the couch, pulling the blanket over us again. We remained silent during the movie, enjoying the presence of the other, and my heart started racing when Mingyu interlaced his fingers with mine underneath the blanket and placed our hands on his thigh. I didn’t realize I wanted this until it happened, and I couldn’t be gladder. Because in this world, there was no one like Kim Mingyu, and he was mine.
My one and only true love.
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dropsofletters · 3 years
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real or unreal? [pcy]
—summary: her newest romance novel needs a main male character, but no brainstorming is enough to give her the perfect role for the man that swoops the other protagonist off her feet.
finding inspiration in a man she hears of from an old colonel from the army, his existence bleeds onto every page she writes, and yet, she has to get to know him—to see the face behind such gorgeous memories.
lieutenant park, they call him, and he’ll never know he’s the muse behind the one book that will probably make her reach stardom.
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—title: real or unreal? —pairing: park chanyeol x reader —genre: military!au ; writer!au ; muse!au  —type: fluff ; angst ; longing —word count: 8,000 —note: this is a kofi request. if you wanna support me, you can always ask me to write something over there!
Excellent liars make even better writers. They wrap words in the most gorgeous of ways, make the bad guy turn good in the middle of the plot just in the sake of love, and they make every reader eat it up. Chosen ones, real love, spaceships and more—writers have filled their banks with more than one hundred thousand words full of bullshit.
Head thumping, she lets the dinging line in the paragraph she must be writing in eat her alive. The point of writing is so paradoxical that she doesn’t understand it at times. She misses it like a madwoman when her fingers can’t lay on the keyboard, but once she needs to, every ounce of inspiration or will dissipates into the thin air. Not only that, but then there comes the perfectionist in her that reads over that first draft, that first chapter of another book that will probably get denied by agents and publishing houses alike and she hates it.
Because, how many times have people read about the bad boy with shredded abs, a crooked smile, pushed back hair and too much bite, with enough sex and alcohol to last him three lifetimes, and they still love it. She doesn’t, however.
She has fallen for the bad boy. Been with the bad boy. Kissed the bad boy to bits and pieces hoping that he saw her and only her, but then you realize much like love, eyes have peripherals and he can see much more. There is a world out there, why settle for her?
This house had been covered in his scent once. His tall height, his incredible strength, his beaming smile and the typicality of his features. Handsome with a swipe of his hair, a hooded jacket and his hands on his pockets when he neared her, pressed a chaste kiss to her neck while she wrote and begged her to give her inspiration. A month ago, she would’ve melted at the sound of his voice, right now, she is not so sure she can stand the idea of Jaejin coming over.
But she knows he’s about to. In this tidy home, with faux dark green plants and tall ceilings, crafted by his own immaculate job while she chased after a dream that could happen just as it couldn’t, she knows he is one step away from coming over from one of his spectacular, elongated trips to God-knows-where with who-knows-what-kind-of-bitch.
The laptop turns off, her reflection staring back at her. It’s a sight to laugh at, really, much like the nervousness and ache she felt to go through his e-mail, his Twitter, his Instagram, even his Facebook. Look through every friend on the list, every following she could find until she saw it. What she had been looking for all those times Jaejin insisted she could never come to his business trips.
A woman with a profile picture that included him. Hugging him. Head resting on his shoulder as his handsome features came into full view. And she’s gorgeous.
She’s so gorgeous that she almost feels like crying—for the umpteenth time—when she realizes the laptop’s screen is black, and her reflection is staring back at her. Horns of hair stand up on each side of her face, eyes puffy from so much crying, his shirt on her body, covered in some of the sauce that she had with some fried cuisine just a while earlier.
And it’s not her. It has never been about her. These five months have not included her at all—and the bad boy never falls for anyone; they put a ceiling over your head, they make you feel loved, they say you’re the only woman in their eyesight, that they have changed so much you never have to worry or be insecure again. You don’t have to check for other women who flirt with him, because he can only think of you.
So, what did she do when she was told all those lies? She wrote romance books. Erotica. Sweeter than ever. Dramas. Whatever it was—it came to life. All those men with gorgeous features, much like Jaejin, and amazing personalities that switched just for her. Who kissed every insecurity away and fell in love with the dip of the main character’s hips, or the strength of her heart Those who swore they’d never hurt her quite like the people in her past did?
Tell that to the tears that try to stream down her face when she hears the entrance door opening.
Her nostrils make out the scent of him, but before he could arrive and leave that lingering within her, she stands up, placing her hands on her back when she goes over to the main hallway, deep gray walls contrasting with his dark hair, gorgeous smile and the twinkle behind his eyes when he opens his eyes and with his melted-chocolate voice says:
“Come here, gorgeous.” She doesn’t move, but he doesn’t give her the option to doubt. His hands are resting on the back of her thighs in a second, bringing her up until he can rest a full kiss on her lips, his thin ones cold to the couch but warm to the heart when she pulls away. She hates him so much, but this is the man she met in high school; that one impossible guy who reconnected with her years later and changed.
Changed so much he still preferred to have the most gorgeous, hot and spectacular woman in the world but only decided to do it behind her back, because she is one thing…and that’s why she is his girlfriend, she is safe and sound, she is the one that will wait for him at home and that will give him the benefit of thinking he is moving forward, that he’s an adult.
She’s the one he says he loves as someone else jerks it for him.
“Jin…” She trails her voice, looking over to the side when he leans forward to steal another kiss from her lips. “You smell like alcohol.”
That’s what tumbles the house of cards apart. He had gone out to drink before even coming home, and she can’t even start to think who he had gone with—
“Had some drinks with the folks. Nothing special.” Jaejin traces her hair with the tips of his fingers to put the baby hairs down. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a drink since my little dominatrix keeps me on check and tied up.”
With that, her feet fall on the floor with a soft thud because of his lack of hold. Jaejin goes to settle his coat on the hanger, but those words can only be repeated inside her head over and over again.
Tied up.
She keeps him so tied up she had gone insane—green with jealousy as she checked through his social media because he wouldn’t answer to her texts for days.
Tied up.
Tied up enough for him to think he had the power to destroy her, and not even give her a warning.
The one thing tied up is her tongue when she expects him to get closer, to wrap his arms around her waist, grab the skin there and place a kiss on her neck. Make her think that, perhaps, he isn’t as sedated as she knows he is and that he wants her. Desires her like he promised he did that one time they reconnected a year ago; when he said he didn’t even know what he was thinking about when they were younger when she always was there.
He doesn’t.
“What did you make for dinner?” He questions, taking his phone in between his fingers and going to plop himself down on the couch when she calls out for him.
“Jaejin.”
That catches his attention, but he doesn’t look up from the device. “You never call me Jaejin.”
“I need a break.”
That does it. His phone falls on his lap just as he leans his head back on the burgundy couch, expensive and chosen by him, and the first thing she wants to destroy in this fucking place. “A break?” He asks, voice sturdy. “A break from what?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she tries to gain strength to say this, but her voice wavers when she closes her eyes and breathes out: “A break from you.”
Jaejin is silent, and she doesn’t dare see the mess that is about to ensue. Instead, she waits for the clash of emotions. Her boyfriend stands up at that moment, steady steps reaching out to her when he scoffs.
“A break from me? What are you even talking about?”
“I can’t stand being in this relationship anymore. I’m sorry. I don’t want to let go of you,” With that, she opens her eyes, because that man who likes to pretend that he is broken had been the last person on her list when she was younger. He always sounded like trouble, and she had been the nice, good girl that kept away from it all. The night it changed was the night that she should’ve ran away. “But I have to.”
“Have to?” With his questions, he continues. “You’re taking me for a fool here. I’ve given you all. A house. A life. A fucking ring to promise you that this is going somewhere and this is what you pay me with?”
He doesn’t raise his voice, but swords go through her with everything he adds. “You didn’t give me a life, Jaejin. I was given that the moment I was born—”
“You were that one fucking nerd in the bleachers that no one wanted to talk to because you are complicated and insecure and…” He tugs at his hair at that moment, turning around when a groan leaves his lips. “You are too fucking pretty for the trouble that you are and now, you’re running away again. Like you did back then, always hiding, always trying to look at people over your shoulder because you’re so conceited and—”
There comes the explosion, the kind that appears in a book and ends in an apology, but the acids in her stomach churn at what he says. Maybe, first opinions do matter. What would anyone think if they heard from the person that they feel like they love that they are complicated and insecure, much like they were in the past? It burns, too badly.
“Fuck you.” She says, tugging at the edge of his shirt to have him turning around. “You don’t get to say that because you didn’t even give two shits about me back then. How could you even know me?”
“Because I thought you were cute. Of course, I was going to notice you.”
“Don’t try to make yourself sound nice—”
“Well, fuck, sorry for reacting to my girlfriend wanting to take a break from me.” Sarcastically, Jaejin conquers.
“You have other bitches to fuck while you wait for me, don’t you?” She questions, hating the way she sounds, the words she spits out, but the anger can’t stop her from saying what she feels. Jaejin raises his eyebrows at that, a small smile taking over his features.
“Is this what this drama is all about? Honey, I truly have no one—”
“Stop lying.” Her voice cuts through the air when she feels his hands stopping at her arms, clutching softly. “Stop lying because it hurts.”
“I’m not trying to hurt you.”
“Then, why did you go with her?” She opens her eyes then, tears blurring her vision and making him seem too far away. “You said you had changed,” With that, she pushes herself away from him, anger bubbling within her like a volcano ready to explode. “You said you’d wanted me and only me. You said we’d have a future, that you were a better man now and I wouldn’t have to worry ever again. I wouldn’t have to be that fucking insecure little girl I once was with what you had promised me, but here I am, being her again, because you have brought her back.”
Grief takes over his features, pushing his hair away from his face as he follows after her, her steps taking her towards the door. “Who is this her you’re talking about? I don’t—”
The name scalds her tongue when she holds onto the doorknob and breathes out: “Kim Juna.” His breath stops at the mention of such name. “Kim Juna and whoever the fuck she is, but she sure as hell has you displayed over her social media.”
“Shit.” For the first time since he had gotten there, Jaejin did what he did whenever he got home. Sheltered her, kissed her neck and made her…melt—or, not really. She felt repulsed, actually. “She doesn’t mean anything. I—I was just…shit, I have a lot of issues, baby. I think I can have it all and I didn’t realize I can have it all with one woman and that’s—”
“No.” She shakes her head, opening the door to let the freezing breeze bite at her arms and thighs. “You get to have it all, Jin. You deserve it. You just don’t get to have me.”
If she had to describe how an autopsy feels like, she’d compare it to the moment she steps out of the house she shared with Jaejin. Her heart taken out, she takes a few steps forward, part of her wishing for him to go after her, but he doesn’t. He stays in place, paralyzed, locking the door as the swish of the wind bites at her and reminds her where she is.
She’s running away.
Tears cradle her vision, making a child out of her as her shoulders shake unconsciously. Her bare feet patter against damp grass, walking away from the house until she sees it. The lights of a car turned on, directly pointed at her, until she hears a horn and a call of her name.
Whoever pops their head out of their car, parked right in front of her neighbors’ house, seems to be worried about her. Though, when the lights are dimmed down and her eyes can finally concentrate on the figure, she realizes who it is immediately.
Colonel Song has a face that cannot be forgotten. Somewhere in 1983, he must have been the most handsome man of his team, but now, he’s bathed in wrinkles and shy smiles. His wife opens the entrance door, waiting for him, but he’s already getting out of the car and walking towards her, small hands extended out to hold her shoulders.
Small, hooded eyes and thin lips, a bit of a stubble rests on his pale skin, with his hair reaching his earlobes, tall and sturdy to protect his family and his nation once in a lifetime. Salt and pepper hair drapes over his forehead when he looks down at her, questioning.
“Oh no, darlin’, don’t cry.” His thick accent says, reminiscent of the times the Song’s had asked them to tag along for dinner. Their youngest daughter had gotten married somewhere during the latest summer, and they wanted nothing more than to have someone else to take care of. Parents through and through. “What just happened to you? The night’s too cold to be out and about like this.”
She rubs at her eyes, unaware of the ache in her throat and the amount of shame she feels at that moment. “It’s nothing to worry about, Colonel Song.”
“It is!” The old man conquers, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and bringing her along to his front yard. “I’ve had enough daughters to know that seeing a woman with little to no clothing walking away from her boyfriend’s house with tears running down her face is never a good sign.”
Read like a book—like the ones she will never get to write properly, a shudder rakes up her spine, lips trembling when more tears gather in her vision. “You’re wicked observative, Colonel.”
“Something life brings you. Just knowledge.” With that, he reaches his wife, a smile on his face. “I’m guessing we have some extra food for our guest tonight, don’t we?”
“We always have extra food as long as you don’t get your hands on the pan, Hyunsoo.” With dyed brown hair and a small figure, Mrs. Song places one hand on her head and rubs the skin there with a single thumb. “What’s the crying for?”
“I asked her the same thing.” Mrs. Song’s husband adds, pulling her through the door once his wife widens the space to enter and though every portion of her soul begs to be an adult, to find a motel to stay in and simply shut her mouth and not put this old couple through the hassle of understanding her pain, she can’t stop herself from saying the truth.
Because a thing she doesn’t have is many friends. She had locked herself up in the idea of a romance book and Jaejin, loving him like the one man that would last her a lifetime, and the lifetime is over by now.
She tugs at the edge of her—his—t-shirt as embarrassment takes over her. Truth be told, she doesn’t want to leave, for the house is too warm, small yet gorgeous, not modern at all, with wooden counters and creaking stairs. Pictures scattered across the walls, holding memories along with Colonel Song’s medals and recognitions.
“J—Jaejin was cheating on me.” She whispers, voice awfully low when she turns around to look at the couple, whose eyes soften at the sight of her. “And I just asked him for a break.”
“So…” Colonel Song mumbles. “You have nowhere to stay?”
She shakes her head. “Not for the night. I left everything I own at his place and he’s there. B—But, I can find something. I will—”
Mrs. Song shakes her head. “You’ll stay here for as long as you need, honey.” She conquers. “We had four daughters and we won’t care about having a fifth if we need to. We’re not leaving you alone tonight.”
Maybe, fear is what petrifies her and makes her nod, lonesome in a home that exudes everything and romance. Happy endings work for some people, and she happens to be one of those who don’t follow after the rule.
###
For the three weeks she spends at the Song’s house, locked up in fear of coming face to face with Jaejin, she learns a few things. How to avoid writing is one; that Colonel Song likes his eggs in the morning with thinly sliced onions and squared tomatoes, and, how to forget? That Mrs. Song likes to sing to her plants, the ones that she has been watering instead as she searches for freelanced jobs to help around the house.
She had tried to leave the day after her break up with Jaejin, but the Song’s didn’t relent—said something along the lines of needing some fun in their lives and for them to forget their loneliness for a while. In light of this, she finds herself on a Monday morning, whisking eggs to place them on a pan—with onions and tomatoes—at five in the morning just before the Colonel has to go train the newest additions to the army.
The walls send love her way, the cramped kitchen basking her in a warm embrace when she bumps her hips with the counter accidentally, trying to make some space for herself as she waters the plants by the windows. Silent as ever, she takes this time to breathe in the scent of being the only one awake for a while—when she doesn’t see the looks of sorrow and worry in the two old persons’ faces.
Old scars will heal, but for now, she feels like a clown walking around with a warning sign that says ‘on the brink of crying with a smile on her face’.
Just as the water runs down on flowery and thorn-filled plants, the wind passes through the opened windows in the kitchen, flowing and whistling until it knocks something over. What follows is noise, enough to make her close her eyes and turn around to see what had broken or fallen.
Kneeling on the flooring, a crooked picture welcomes her eyesight. A single man stands in the blurry picture, though his smile is memorable. Cheekbones protrude in a welcoming smile, his long fingers cradling his forehead to keep the sun away from his brown, almost caramel-like eyes, rounded and big, ready to unwind all the secrets in the world, with his dark walnut-colored hair swept by the wind, a few strands standing in the air, curling like veins and matching the golden tone of his skin.
What surprises her is the strength of his body, slim yet carved, a white tank top covering his upper body, cladded to his every curve thanks to the thin layer of sweat on his chest, his shirt tied around his tiny waist.
“You okay?” She hears a voice call out for her, worried like a dad, and when she looks to the side, the closest thing she has to that concept comes in full view. Colonel Song rids the sleep away from his eyes with a rub of his fingertips, a yawn interrupting his sentence. “Haerin heard something fall. I was knocked out like a log.”
A smile spreads across her features, turning off the stove just when she puts the picture down on the counter. “Sorry, I was preparing breakfast and the wind knocked this over.” Colonel Song is already going over to the heated coffee machine, pouring some of the black liquid on his preferred cup. It reads ‘In Love With My Five Girls’ and she can’t help but chuckle every time she sees it.
“Oh,” Clicking his tongue after taking his first sip of coffee, he rests one finger on top of the picture. “I never hold up pictures of my men in my house. I like to separate my duty with my life, but Lieutenant Park deserved a spot.”
Though that’s an indicative of his position in the army, it doesn’t give her much to hold onto, and that face is enough to transcend every portion of her brain and bathe her in curiousness.
“A good pal of yours?”
“Saved my life a bunch of times, indeed.” She can’t quite understand how someone so young is over his position, or how he had managed to earn such respect from Colonel Song. “A brave one—competitive as all hell, but it fits him. Park Chanyeol, one sick motherfucker…would always look at the brighter side, in some way or another.”
She doesn’t realize that the Colonel is already pouring his food onto a plate, slicing it in half to leave some for his wife until her hand falls from her cheek and onto the counter.
Watching, she licks her lips before saying: “He looks like a heartbreaker.”
“Oh, he was.” Chuckling, Colonel Song nods at her words. “But I can’t blame women for falling for him. There was something about him…some form of wild, thoughtful yet reckless nature to him. He was the both worlds that people want and need.”
“How did you meet him?” When becoming a writer, or trying to be one, she had learned to grow interested in people just by hearing their stories, and by the way Colonel Song smiles at her, he’s glad to tell her the answer.
“Maybe, you’d like to grab a cup of coffee, too.”
And she does.
###
Park Chanyeol. A name to remember. She recalls perfectly well the moment that she saw him enter the front yard of the Song family, but his features are more of a memory that she’d have to recall before her last breath is given.
Muddy boots and striking hair, accompanied by a perfectly put-together uniform, grasping his wide shoulders and leaving his tiny waist for a memory that she blushes on and on about. He kneels down to do one of his shoelaces, boots spanking against the pavement with expertise.
This is the man Colonel Song had spoken about in his stories, going off until his tongue was dry, she feels like she sees every portion of him when she leans in that kitchen window, with her notebook pressed to the counter and her figure unaware and unseen for him. He’s there, so benevolent, so unreachable and perfectly put-together.
Today, he sports a frown on his features, as if troubled, and she can’t help but wonder if the stories Colonel Song had told her were true—she likes to think of people as walking paradoxes, as plotlines and character sheets that she needs to fill.
Lieutenant Park had been married, as far as Colonel Song had told her. Married to his job, first and foremost, but also married to the woman he had once loved. It lasted a year; a year and a few tries to get their family started, only to fail. His wife felt like less of a woman, succumbing to self-hatred until he couldn’t reach her.
While jotting down his description, her mind wandered, thought of stories behind that frown, each hair contracting to his will, to what he had seen in this world and she hadn’t. Only when she hears a knock on the door, she rushes to the bedroom, starting on a first chapter of a new book.
###
For five years, she has tried being a writer. Think about that—she doesn’t know how many days five years, but if someone can die from one day to the other, then someone can definitely lose a lot of time of their lives just by reaching for a dream that is impossible.
Now, she��s seated in Colonel Song’s office, as his little secretary, sorting papers into folders, giving calls over to him and making sure he eats his eggs in the morning. It’s a job after a month of living with him, and she’s goddamned thankful of how much support she has gotten from that family, but even in this place, with tidy desks in light yellows and too many badges in the walls for her not to feel pressured, she can’t stop writing.
Can’t stop thinking about the story that Colonel Song had told her that morning he got late to work, just because he was so lost in his thoughts, in the way he smiled and cried for him. She did, too, and sometimes, she can’t tell if she sees him or he’s gone, if he’s part of her imagination or he visits Colonel Song each Thursday without avail.
Someone in the office gives her an answer that Friday afternoon, just as she’s arranging the last few folders and giving them over to Colonel Song for him to sign when she sees it, perched in Soldier Byun’s hands as he stares down at his phone, a smile plastered on his face when he speaks to the rest of his team.
“Chanyeol’s finally sent something!” He adds, enchanting in the way he speaks when he waves his phone in the air. She manages to steal a look over his shoulder, of Chanyeol seated on the floor with a smile on his face, his hair longer, in front of some tourism spot that she can’t quite pinpoint. “Having the time of his life while we’re out here suffering.” Though, she knows Soldier Byun doesn’t mean it, much less for the way he seems to be over the moon just by seeing his friend.
One of the smallest of the team gives a step back, chuckling at Baekhyun’s words. “Tell him to get us some women over th—oops, sorry.” He knocks her over, making her folders fall on the flooring just as he kneels down to pick them up. “Shit, sorry. Colonel Song will kill me—”
Instead of looking at said soldier, she looks at Baekhyun, eyes trained on the phone on his hands. “Don’t sweat it. I won’t tell him. It was nothing. I’ll arrange them again…” But her voice drags, distracted, heated ears reminding her of the imagery she has written in the most profound romance book she has written yet. A complicated soul who had spent his life not trying to find love in fear of what could happen, of what he could lose.
Baekhyun seems to understand her, running a hand over his short and dark hair before quirking an eyebrow. “You saw him?”
She hums, but she stands up before he could further question anything. Colonel Song told her Baekhyun can be a bit of an ass. “I did.” She replies.
“Pretty handsome, isn’t he?” Soldier Byun questions just as she’s about to get out of the small offices and into the field. Her feet stop against her will, listening to his voice when he says: “He would’ve taken a liking of you if only he was here, y’know?”
Nostalgia fills his tone without noticing, and she takes this moment to swallow thickly. “What a bummer we didn’t meet at the right time, then.” Remembering what Colonel Song had told her, she turns around, resting one hand on the doorframe. “Have a nice day, Soldier Byun.”
###
Colonel Song had started speaking that one morning when she had taken the first sip of her drink, soft in his approach, pensive in the way his eyes squinted at the food on his plate. “I wasn’t unfamiliar to the Park family. His uncle was my best friend once, the soldier by my side through every event that happened in my life.” He told. “And I lost him. I was the one who couldn’t protect him and from then on, I promised myself I wouldn’t deal with someone from the Park family ever again.”
The man has a way of telling things—straight-on, as if they don’t hurt him, and anyone who would look at him would think that Colonel Song is the imagery of temperance, balance and guarding. What they don’t know is that even the strongest of cards in the deck can lose from time to time.
The coffee is lukewarm by the time he swallows his food and speaks again at the weight of her question. “So, how did Lieutenant Park start working with you?”
“He was crazily stupid. Stubborn, couldn’t get through his head even if you wanted to.” Colonel Song explained at the time. “So, he was in lower rankings of the army and I didn’t see him until he became a Lieutenant. Chosen by someone of higher caliber than I am. I wasn’t excited to see him, and I am sure he wasn’t very pleased to see me either.” With that, he shakes his head, a small smile taking over his face. “The boy was respectful; I’ll give him that. On his first day, he grabbed my hand, shook it like a man and said: ‘You may have not protected my uncle, but I’ll protect you.’ I was angry, as you can tell.”
“Of course,” She said. “He wasn’t the most adoring of subordinates.”
“I knew that.” Colonel Song agreed. “Reason as to why I made every practice he had impossible. I’d scold him, make him work harder than others, he’d break in sweat and sport this deep frown on his face and I think…I think I did it just to feel better. To feel like pushing him away would take the memory of his uncle away.” Shadows bathed over his features at that moment, diving in the rest of his drink before smacking his lips together. “It didn’t, and it definitely made him hate me more.”
“Can see it.”
“Hey, I’m a nice man, you know this!”
“I’m certain.”
“Either way,” He patted a napkin to his lips before sighing. “One day, we were on a mission. It was…well, complicated. Fire raked around me, bubbling, scalding me, I could feel my poor old lungs just dying on me, and guess who came for me?”
She knew the name, could figure out the hero in him when her lips wrap around the syllables: “Park Chanyeol.”
“The devil took over that boy, I tell you. He walked through fire just to get to me, the one motherfucker who made his life miserable while serving…” Colonel Song swallowed thickly, and her heart rose to her throat.
“And what happened to him?”
###
Never had some bled out of the pages quite like the Chanyeol-inspired character did.
It was horrible, terrible, pathetic in every way that the only form she could write was by imagining his story, rewriting the stars as one would think, but it’s what she gets, the only form she can feel ready to face the world. In most occasions, she likes to imagine him to be there, just arriving to the Colonel’s place, once again saving his life. That way, she can take that strength from him and pour it into more mundane tasks.
Eighty thousand words in two months and she feels her fingers draining their softness to more of a harsher skin when she puts that last dot, that wishful end that leaves her throat dry…because, in all honesty, she doesn’t know the end. This alluring, gorgeous, dark yet bright character is not the man that everyone knows in the quarter. If anything, it’s a part of her imagination; it’s the man that has visited her dreams, that leaves the tingle of nonexistent perfume on her skin and on her bed…
He’s part of her imagination, but so real at the same time.
Because Colonel Song talks about him as if he’s the best person he has ever met, and she can’t help but think so as well. Trusting people is a task she’s not ready to go through, but meeting her muse shouldn’t be so difficult…it shouldn’t feel like a sin.
Her name is called just as she opens the door late at night, vision blurry and aching because of her computer’s light.
“Yes, Mrs. Song?”
“I can’t find my daughter’s e-mail, could you help me? It’s in my agenda but I’m doing the laundry!” The words are distant, followed by the rhythmic drum of the washing machine.
Well, it’s one of the few things she can do for living in this place.
“On it!”
Mrs. Song agenda rests on her small coffee table, years old and cladded in brown leather, holding the address, numbers, e-mails of her closest friends and what she sees just as she’s looking for Chaerin’s number—her youngest daughter—, is an address for lettering that she wouldn’t have ever expected.
Park Chanyeol –Vienna.
Vienna, sounds fitting for him. Expensive, recondite, even a bit surprising. It’s the curiousness of having him palpable, within the reach of her hold that has her grasping her phone in between her hands and taking a picture of the complete address underneath that.
Maybe, one day she’ll have the courage to say how much his story inspired her.
###
“A few burns in his arms, inhaled a little too much smoke as he dragged my ass away from that disaster.” Colonel Song’s eyes closed tightly, a small breath shuddering through his nose before he opened them again. The air was dense, her heart contracting against the necessity to know more about the man in the picture. “It lives with me, darlin’. Each time I wake up, I realize that one of the main reasons why Lieutenant Park’s life changed was because of me. His skin was tainted, never the same, but that wasn’t the end. His marriage ended not long after, he left the army, and he told me the day he was leaving…”
The way his face basked in shadows let her know that it hurt him. Not only had he lost Chanyeol’s uncle, but he had to see the younger man lose his will along the way. Maybe, that is what life builds us for—to fall, to lose, to escape.
Her hand extended to hold his own, as if convincing him that this was a nightmare that wanted to twist him from reality, but every portion of what passed his brain was real. There was a hero out there, much like Colonel Song’s best friend, who lost it all to save someone else.
“I’d save you again if I had to, Colonel.” He whispered, eyes twinkling when he looked up at the ceiling. “His voice was so deep…he continued by telling me: ‘I should’ve let you die, you sick bastard, but I’d do it again…because I’d be a changed man if I didn’t.’”
“Shit.” She cursed, pulling away from him to take in the words that Chanyeol had said. He feared becoming someone he could not recognize, but he did along the way.
“But I burned him. In some way or another, I destroyed that will and innocence he had within him. I…I brought a hero to life, but I wanted him to be a guy. I wanted him to just be…carefree for once, just like his uncle.” He covered his face with his hands, pursing his lips to stop anything unnecessary to fly through. “So, I pleaded for him to live. He had saved me, so I needed him to live. Travel. Enjoy the world. I don’t know—just, fuck, he had done so much that I needed to feel like I could do something for him.”
After a few minutes of silence, her throat croaked out a small: “Where did he go?”
“Somewhere in Europe. Playing some gigs. Living his life.” He said, chuckling, rubbing the small tears that had appeared in his eyes. “I sure hope that he fell in love or, I don’t know, managed to heal his wounds…because I haven’t been able to write to him since the last time that I saw him. I’m too chicken.”
###
Riding on a bicycle is, quite possibly, the most childish thing she has done in a while, but with the harsh sun beaming down her face, her hair moving with the wind and some folders resting in her backpack as she prepares to get to work, she knows she has something else to do before she gets to the office.
Three months is a long while to live with someone, and even at this point, just as she’s rummaging through websites to find a place to live in, she can’t give a shit about how destiny had put her in the worst position. Sure, a messy break-up had brought her here, but at what cause? To meet amazing people? To learn a new task? To finish a book that she has now edited and printed to send it to a certain someone in Vienna?
Yeah, that last sentence is the one that makes her fear the most.
For the last few months, she has looked out of the goddamned kitchen window and imagined Chanyeol to come over, meet ends with Colonel Song and for him to get to know her. Part of her wants to hear his voice, understand how deep it was, perhaps dip a toe in getting to know him, in comparing if the character that she based on him—in what she could feel of his presence—was anything like him, but there is something that united Colonel Song and herself…
They were both too scared.
It took her a whole month to write the letter that accompanies the printed, edited version of her last try at romance, until she decided it was perfect. Her thighs ache by the time she gets off the bicycle, lifting her hand to greet one of the workers at the mailing company.
Isn’t his name…Yixing, or something? With adorable dimples and a thoughtful, somewhat lost face, the man grabs the small box in between his fingers, dangling it in the air as if to weight it.
“Not as heavy as your usual packages.” He points out, intelligent in his approach when she leans her weight forward and speaks to him in a quickened manner.
“Shipping is already expensive when sending it to Vienna, so I had to make it light.” Giving enough information, she pats her hand against the counter.
“Should I ask why you’re sending something to Vienna?” Though, he’s already preparing everything, putting a sticker on the package and doing his job to utmost perfection.
Heat fills her face when she stammers out an answer: “J—Just…something for a friend.”
“Sounds nice of you.” Not quite as malicious as anyone else—for example, Soldier Byun—could be, he hums at her answer. “Anything else I can help you with?”
“Not really.” She opens the door then, waving at him before adding: “Have a nice day, Xing.”
“Thanks! You, too!”
She doesn’t know if it’s the sun that makes her feel heated when she gets on the bicycle once again or if she’s overthinking what she just did.
###
I know you don’t know me, but I’ve heard wonders about you.
That’s a weird way to start this letter, but I didn’t want to do the typical ‘Dear Chanyeol, you don’t know who the fuck I am and before you stop reading this letter: Nope, not a creep, not at all’, so I went for this instead. My name is at the end of the letter, just in case you want to learn it…or if you’re calling the police on me, I’ll let you.
Jokes aside…hi. I’m living with Colonel Song since two months ago, or three, almost. You know, the typical trope—boyfriend cheats on girlfriend, girlfriend goes a bit crazy, feels like she loses her heart and she breaks up with him, but he never follows after her but you know who does? Yep, his neighbor. His, quite frankly, old neighbor that rubs your tears and tells you, along with his wife, that you’re so much better than him. For a while, I didn’t believe it…and now, I really think I might.
The wind happened to knock one of your pictures over at Colonel Song’s place. I don’t know if you know this, but the man looks up to you as if you were his own personal hero. Cried as if he was a kid over again when he told me your story. It’s none of my business, but I was curious. One, because I thought you were really handsome and two, because I believe in destiny, and I know just how well Colonel Song hangs his pictures. They don’t move…so why did yours happen to fall?
You may roll your eyes at what I think of you. You, Lieutenant Park or Park Chanyeol or just Chanyeol by now, may think that I’m just some crazy woman who romanticizes the burns, as little or as big, that rest on your arms, or the way you saved Colonel Park…but actually, I couldn’t stop myself.
So, a name, a little bit of a dumb, nerdy introduction and something else you should know about me—I’m a writer and a shitty one at that. Romance, erotica, yeah, that’s what I wrote most of the time…but I happened to listen to your story and make one based on it. Forgetting all the stupid tropes and plots that I had ever created and making something that I am proud of.
So, Park Chanyeol living in Vienna, here’s my book and I hope you like it. It sucks, but it’s my last try before I give up on my dream.
With you, I didn’t know if you were real or unreal…and it’s been a pleasure to just figure that blurring line out.
It was nice to write about you.
###
A new place means a new start.
But the spark of love she ignited four months ago still exists within her. After all, the Song’s had done everything in order to change her life and introduced her to a new portion of herself she didn’t know existed. More mature, given to life and to destiny, breathing in and out in contentedness once she slips inside her almost empty apartment.
The box that Mrs. Song had left on her counter still stands after long hours of working. Her navy coat rests on the floor as she goes towards the kitchen, hoping to find some takeout through the contacts in her phone—or, maybe, Mrs. Song had packed one of those granola bars that she knew she loved to bits and pieces. Her hand rummages through the contents of her little piece of memories until it lands on a piece of paper.
Sure, there are granola bars, but what is the paper for?
A romanticist at heart, Mrs. Song may have tearfully written a letter for her midway adopted daughter these past four months. At the thought, she leans against the counter, breathing out harshly through her nose as she gets ready for the train of feels. The good old kind.
What she didn’t expect was the mess handwriting and the PCY at the beginning of the letter.
He responded.
Park Chanyeol responded a month after.
Fuck no!
Or rather, fuck yes?
“You already know my name, but let me introduce myself again.
I’m the fucking main character of a book. What part of that isn’t awesome?
I read each and every page and laughed my ass out but also thought to myself about how much justice you did to my shitty story. Not only that…but the main character? That dude? Even more awesome than I am. I’m glad my dumb self could serve as inspiration.
I didn’t know what else to tell you this past month…but each and every time, I stopped and thought for a moment: ‘I can’t let this writer stop, well, writing’.
So, keep going. Please, next time I’m over there, I want to go to Colonel Song’s house and ask to meet you and hear him say ‘well, she’s busy, but she’ll definitely catch up with you once she gets out of her book-signing world tour’.
Or, something like that.
I need me a printed copy with your signature, please.
Felt like sending a postal as a thank you while I solve some things here. I’m not quite ready to go there yet, but I hope to meet you one day.”
With shaking fingertips, she takes the postal in between her hands. He’s standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, dated a year ago, with his elbows bent and a small smile to the camera portrayed, sunsets cladding every portion of him, but his body covered in thick Sharpie to emulate abs.
“I’ll have to get as shredded as in the book next time I see you.”
That’s the time she learns she can’t wait to meet Park Chanyeol and feel him as a reality.
161 notes · View notes
bangtangalicious · 3 years
Text
cancelled (1) | myg, jjk
summary: you cheated on your boyfriend, one of the most sought after boys on campus, with the nerd from the back of the lecture hall. that’s not the whole story, but only you know that. now a video has leaked across and everyone is turning against you for hurting such a perfect s/o.
pairing: yoongi x reader, jungkook x reader
wordcount: 3k
genre: yandere!yoongi and nerd!jungkook exyandere!jungkook
established-relationship!au college!au cheating!au
warnings: reader discretion is advised. cheating, mentions of past dubcon activity, yandere behavior, guilt, slight oral (f and m receiving), reverse cowgirl, soft smut in a not so soft situation, manipulation, jungkook calls you his pretty baby, sexual harassment, yoongi is lowkey a creep in this, prostitution i guess but like...its not how you'd think, mentions of rape fantasy but it doesnt happen
twoshot: part 1 | part 2 | masterlist
They say that you let a good thing be. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Well in your almost perfect life, that hand was Min Yoongi. Your boyfriend of 2 years now. You met through family, he was an heir, and you were the daughter of a wealthy associate. He used to spend his spring breaks with your family back in high school. You recall fondly how he sneak out, begging you to cover for him, end up passed out drunk in some alley and calling you, scared for his life.
You saw the way he grew—no, blossomed into the amazing man he is. You both got accepted to the same prestigious university program, and it is here your love story truly began. Straight out of a movie, Yoongi did not realize how much he adored you until he saw you grinding your ass up on some random guy at a frat party. A few months of drama gave way to pure happiness.
Yoongi made quite a name for himself on campus. He was incredibly charming, was impressive in his studies, and was always around for a good time. He treated everyone with respect and had no enemies. You felt proud to be his girlfriend, by his side as he made his mark.
And he was so so good to you. While your start may have been driven by jealousy and rage, he made up for it entirely by taking you on weekend getaways, loving you sweetly, holding you while you cry and buying you food. You two were freakishly domestic, and you loved it. You were ready for the ring whenever he was. So blessed that you could wake up every morning in a pair of arms that held you like you were their whole world.
Unfortunately, paradise tends to be a destination never quite reached. You sat, curled up into your knees, trembling as you watched cruel comments pop up on a video.
ungrateful whore.
Yoongi deserves so much better
#y/nisoverparty
why would you even want to cheat on a catch like yoongi? jfc
You didn’t know what bothered you the most. Was it the comments? Was it your fucked out face in the video? You moans that clearly indicated pleasure? Was it the fact that you hurt a man you loved? Or was it the fact that he was still there, sitting right next to you and kissing your damp cheeks every time he saw a tear, mumbling into your neck that it was okay, that he wasn’t mad. Did you deserve someone so perfect?
“Aw baby” He coos at you, stroking your hair as your sobs got louder. You fell into his embrace, unsure of what to think or do. “Ssh…I’m not mad baby. It’s my fault I wasn’t there”
You didn’t know how true his words were. You didn’t know just how at fault he was.
Yoongi had been doing his work in your shared apartment in his private study which even you weren’t allowed to enter. The security footage of your lecture played on his monitor, but he was barely paying attention. He kept an eye on you, but it was getting unnecessary. You had been together for so long, he could trust you now. He sighed and zoomed into where you sat, whispering something to the person seated next to you. They giggled and slid their hand onto your thigh. Yoongi simply watched, a smirk playing on his lips. The whole campus knew you were his. No one would dare make a move on you. He made sure of it. It was the whole reason he made your relationship so visible. He had people’s respect, and so they would respect that you belonged to him.
The hand trailed up your thin yoga pants, cupping your core. You slapped the hand away and Yoongi grinned wider. He liked to test you every now and then.
Yoongi wired money to that man’s bank account through his phone. Now all you had to do was tell him what happened. There was no room for secrets between you two.
“I’m home babe” He heard you walk in. He popped a Xanax and gulped down a glass of water. He smiled at you sweetly, taking your bag and setting it down before attacking your neck with soft, breathless kisses.
“How was your day?” He asked quietly, “Anything interesting happen?”
“Nah. Pretty uneventful” He raised his eyebrows.
“Oh. Nothing at all?”
“Well” Yoongi’s eyes perked. Tell me someone harassed you baby. Just tell me. “I did try this amazing latte at the cafe in the Literature building.”
Why were you lying to him? Yoongi tilted his head. It wasn’t that big of a deal, it just made him wonder what else you hid from him. The little things. The little things that pile up.
Yoongi realized it had gone too far when he heard you gossiping with a few of your girl friends in the hallway of the Science Institute. “I just can’t believe he won’t fuck you. Doesn’t he know how many people would if they had a chance?”
“He seems so perfect but it’s almost like he’s just lacking the one key thing. Dick” They giggled. You rolled your eyes. You had confessed that you really did want to have sex. Yoongi wanted to save himself for marriage, but it was getting hard for you. When you brought this up with Yoongi he shut you down immediately.
“Baby” He fingered the purity ring on his pinky finger, “You know I can’t”
You had been frequently meeting with someone from one of your lab classes, a certain Jeon Jungkook. Yoongi didn’t love this, but he was acquainted with Jungkook, and knew that he likely was not a threat. The boy was not your type at all—his clunky glasses and sweater vests and his hair long and swept back, unlike Yoongi’s fresh blonde cut. Sometimes you wouldn’t tell him that you were with Jungkook, but he still knew. Nothing happened. But he still got irritated.
Unfortunately it was impossible to truly watch you all the time. After all, Yoongi was a social guy and had to make appearances frequently. He often wondered if you knew he watched you, so you waited to run off fuck yourself on Jungkook when he wasn't looking. He bit his lip until blood came out, raging at the prospect.
He wasn’t entirely wrong about you though. You did always feel pressure of behaving in a way that reflected well on him. So when everyone was looking at Yoongi, you were able to slouch your shoulders and relax. You would go to Jungkook’s house for a drink, with no ulterior motive on either of your end. You loved Yoongi. Jungkook respected him, and you. There was no issue.
So when Yoongi showed up at Jungkook’s doorstep a week later with a bag full of cash asking him to fuck his girlfriend, he was disgusted at first.
“E…excuse me?” He stammered, blushing. Yoongi squinted at him.
“Have sex with y/n the next time she is over.” He put on a show, “I just feel bad I cannot give her what she desires. I don’t want to deprive her of anything. I know she is fond of you so if you wouldn’t mind…she is very beautiful I can tell you that”
“I…that’s not…do you realize how insane this is?”
Yoongi shrugged, “It’s twenty-thousand dollars to fuck a pretty girl. What’s so bad?”
“Does she want this? D…do you have her consent to be asking me this?”
“Of course.” He chuckled giving a charming smile, “In fact, she has a bit of a fantasy that I was hoping you could indulge. I am not sure if she will go through with it but, she might try to resist at first, but really she wants to be used like a whore. She will love it, really.”
Jungkook gave him a skeptical look. “What the fuck? You want me to indulge your girlfriend’s rape fantasy? I’m not a fucking sadist”
“It’s not a rape fantasy. She just likes to struggle a bit but then she will get into it. She will want it”
“I can’t believe I am even entertaining this conversation, you need to leave”
“Forty-thousand.”
“Fuck off Yoongi. First of all, I am not even into y/n…” He paused.
“Oh please, she’s the finest thing in miles of here, you just haven’t considered her as available. That’s how I know I can trust you to do this for me.”
Jungkook gulped. That’s not quite it. He thought to himself. But the thought passed when Yoongi took off his watch and handed it to him.
“This is worth half a million dollars. Are we good?”
Jungkook just gaped at him.
“You have had sex before right?”
Oh yes he had. Once. He nodded slowly.
“Okay good. Please show her a good time and keep this between us”
“She knows right? She knows you’re asking me to do this?”
Yoongi grinned and pat Jungkook’s shoulder, “Oh baby boy, she’s the one who suggested it”
Jungkook found that a bit hard to believe.
What Yoongi didn’t know was that Jungkook already has had sex. With you. You didn’t know it was him, and it was long before you began dating Yoongi.
Jungkook had been obsessed with you as a high schooler, your pictures collaging the back of his bathroom door, a variety of your things—forgotten hoodies, dropped pens— messily shoved into the drawer of his desk.
It was an innocent phase at first. You were just so pretty. He couldn’t help the way his blood would rush between his legs every time you would glance in his general direction. He couldn’t help watching the way you outgrew your uniform skirt, almost breaking down in tears when you replaced it with a larger size. He would sneak out of class when you had PE to watch you run, and the way your breasts bounced in the tight top you wore.
You didn’t know him. Why would you? He was no way near your league. He worked extremely hard, dreaming to get into the same university as you on a full ride because his family could never afford it.
Jungkook would normally follow you home, obviously he just wanted to make sure you reached safe. You had been crying the entire walk home. Jungkook had to gather every ounce of self restraint not to go hug you and kiss you until you smiled again. He hated seeing you cry, and it made him want to die.
He was worried about you. You entered your beautiful home, but no one was there. What if you tried to harm yourself? Who would protect you?
He had snuck in through the back.
If anyone had been around, they may have heard a scream. But more likely the would have heard the cries of pleasure that followed.
That evening you told Yoongi you were going to work on stuff with Jungkook. You dressed modestly, not bothering to freshen up much. He watched through his cameras as you arrived into Jungkook’s tiny apartment. So much smaller than his, probably in more ways than one, he clicked his tongue in amusement.
“Hey Jungkook!” You hugged him lightly. He looked extremely uncomfortable which made Yoongi all the more amused.
Two people fucking who both don’t want to. What do you call that? Yoongi chuckled darkly.
“Listen y/n…I know that…I know I agreed but I just wanna make sure…” Jungkook could barely look you in the eye. As destiny would have it, you chose that moment to pull your hoodie off, giving Jungkook a flash of the underside of your breasts. He gulped. “You really don’t remember me do you…”
“What do you mean?” You were so confused. Jungkook licked his lips and crawled over where you were sitting on his couch, causing you to lay on your back. “What…hey what the fuck are you doing?”
He didn’t like your tone. It awoke a protective instinct in him. He stroked your hair and gazed deeply into your eyes. “How long has it been since you’ve had sex?”
You blushed furiously, face heating up dangerously fast at the sudden question. You shifted your neck away from him uncomfortably. “Um…I guess…3, maybe 4 years?”
“Tsk, poor girl.” He cooed, his finger grazed your cheek, “Alright, I’ll play along. You can let me know if you want me to stop okay?” He lowered himself enough to let his lips trace travel down the veins on your neck. He inhaled you, memories of innocent years coming back to him in floods.
You were frozen. His body radiated heat, his scent was giving you a high you couldn’t quite explain. You shouldn’t feel this way. You had sweet sweet Yoongi waiting for you at home. Sweet Yoongi who loved you, and was saving himself for you like the pure angel he is.
You looked up at the soft dark eyes of the man above you now. You couldn’t help but feel a sense of deja vu.
“Jungkook” You exhaled as his lips began kissing over your shirt, down the valley of your breasts, lifting your shirt so he could kiss your stomach. “I…I have a boyfriend”
“You’re really committed to this huh?” He chuckled, taking some of his fingers and slowly circling under the waistline of your shorts. You blinked a few times to try to react to what was happening but your body was overwhelmed. It had been so long since you were touched like this.
“Please” You said loudly, so loudly that Jungkook barely hears the “don’t do this” that followed in a whisper.
Jungkook thought back to the night you took his virginity. It hadn’t been on his agenda, he was content following you around and jacking off to your social media accounts every night. That night had changed him. He had realized then that he was messed up. He realized he needed help and he sought it out. A few years of therapy had done him good. He felt guilty about it for a while, but eventually had to grow and move on. He would never act like that again.
But here he was.
And there you were. Below him again. Begging for him through your actions and pushing him away with your words.
Emotions overwhelmed you. Your heart wrenched at the bitter guilt that you were doing the unthinkable. They very thing that you would condemn about other couples. How could you? How could you cheat? But your body was whimpering.
“I have a boyfriend. He’s so good to me. He’s so amazing, and I…I love” You let out a sob as he allowed his hips to roll into you, giving you friction you had craved for so long, “Jungkook…please” You knew he was reading between the lines. You knew he heard your consent, and that disgusted you.
“Mmm I know baby. I know you love him” Jungkook sighed as he pulled down your shorts, “Tell me about him baby. Tell me how much you love him” He began kissing your thighs, burying his face into your cunt.
“He’s so—ahhh” Jungkook took his tongue and pushed aside your underwear to lick a long stripe between your legs. “So good. So fucking…mmmmhhh” You squealed as Jungkook shoved his tongue inside you. The sensation was heavy in your core, but the sensation drove you wild. He flicked his tongue around, almost too easily being able to find all the right places to make you twitch and moan his name.
“Do you want my cock pretty baby? Hmm?” He whispered teasingly, his voice muffling against you as he continued to eat you out. You yelped as he sucked on your clit and nodded your head dumbly. “My little girl so desperate for cock she’d cheat on her boyfriend hm?” He came up for air, your juices messily spread across his lips, his eyes shot with lust.
“Don’t…don’t say that” You whined. Jungkook nodded before pulling off his sweater. You traced his muscles with your fingers, so defined and beautifully tan as he shrugged off his jeans. He took his glasses off and folded them carefully but you grabbed his hand.
“Keep them on…your glasses…” Jungkook’s eyes widened in amusement.
“Why” He teased.
“I like them. I like them a lot. You remind me of someone I used to like” Jungkook’s blood ran cold.
Did you remember?
Did you remember the way he had pinned you up against your kitchen wall back then? The way he left hickies all over your body, marking you as his. The way he had entered you for the first time, with you sprawled out across your dining table, then again on the counter tops, then again from behind pressed up against the window.
Did you remember how many times you both came? It was like a sex fest of hours and hours. In your mouth, on your face, on your tits and buried deep in your cunt, the condom barely surviving the pressure of his seed.
Did you remember the way you cried after in his arms, unable to walk? The way he held you and kissed you softly, apologizing.
Did you remember how he had given you pills so you would forget, hoping that you wouldn’t be sad any longer?
Jungkook had been too lost in thought to notice that you had pulled your own shirt off, leaving you in a sports bra, pulling his neck down so you could kiss him.
“Jungkook” You gasped as he finally regained consciousness and dragged his fingers across your pussy.
“Will you ride me baby?” His eyes twinkled in his request and you were more than happy to indulge him. Jungkook switched positions with you. You reverse cowgirled him, unknowingly, the perfect position for Yoongi to see all of you as you fucked yourself silly onto Jungkook’s cock.
You lowered yourself down on him slowly, savoring the stretch that you had almost forgotten you could ever feel. Your fingers could never give you a sensation quite like this. Jungkook shut his eyes and tried to savor the feeling.
“Pretty…pretty baby” He cooed, sitting up so he could nibble your shoulder and hold your hips as he bounced you slowly on his cock.
“Tell me something” He exhaled, feeling himself slowly approaching his orgasm, the feeling of your soft, warm walls around him too much to bear, “Did you want this because of me…or did you just need cock?”
You continued thrusting yourself back into him, the firm hold of his hands on you giving you an arousing sense of comfort. You wiggled your ass, liking the way he would grunt when you did.
“Did you want me baby? Did you do this for me?”
You cried out suddenly, feeling a long awaited orgasm overwhelming your senses. Jungkook’s grip on you tightened as he tried to keep fucking you through it, your body going limp, twitching erraticly.
“So pretty…my sweet sweet girl” He turned your head to kiss your lips, slipping his tongue in and relishing in the love you poured in through your actions. He caressed your breasts and continued to thrust up into you.
“Come inside me” You exhaled softly.
“No y/n…that wouldn’t be right” Jungkook was reminded of the eerily intimidating presence of the man who was paying him to do this. He slowly brought his thrusts to a halt before helping you up off of him, his cock still painfully erect. “I can finish myself”
You pouted, watching him drill his graze into your naked presence, violently stroking his cock. He licked his lips shamelessly.
“I don’t love you anymore y/n” He whispered too softly for you to hear, “I’m over you. I’m over this. This doesn’t mean anything—AAAAhhh” Your mouth was on his cock and that was all it took for him to come harder than he ever had.
He took you into his arms, wrapping them around you and kissing your face over and over again, caressing your hips and trying to relax your muscles so you wouldn’t be sore.
You reached for your phone as Jungkook began to fill the silence.
“Yoongi seems really great. He clearly cares about you a lot. I’m really happy for you, genuinely” He says softly, “I’m honestly really impressed he let this happen”
But you didn’t hear him, all you could hear was your heart drumming loudly in your ears as you saw the stream of notifications on your phone. Your heart dropping like a bomb when you saw the single message you dreaded more than anything.
yoongi: what’s this? <link>
And linked was a live stream of the events that had just transpired.
masterlist                                                       next----->
A/N: im just cackling at #y/nisoverparty HAHA um stream film out! woohoo
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hanniiesuckle17 · 3 years
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Fireworks
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A/n: this is not requested but i needed to write something for me and I always love writing best friend!jisung (this turned out to be hella long btw). Also i just realized this is the 16th jisung fic on my masterlist wtf. Welp happy sweet sixteen jisung. 
Tag List: @mini-meanhoe​ @leggomylino​ @hanstagrams​ @desertofdessert​ @hoes4hoseok​ @yangomangos​ @jeonqqin​ @geminirules​ @crscendoforsung​ @mrsunshine999​ @jisungsjheekies​ @hannie-squirrel00​ @cotccotc​ @kodzu-ken​ @konenichi​ @yangs-jeongin​ @binniebutter​ @skzwriternet​​
Warnings: cussing probably, lil distressed jisung, alcohol consumption
Word Count: 5.2k
Summary: Y/n and Jisung practically grew up together. Y/n always dreamed of getting her fairytale happy ending. So, Jisung is surprised when she is settling for an all but labeled ‘arranged marriage’ to an asshole that Jisung knows doesn’t love her. Not like he does. Can Jisung convince himself to go after what he really wants and take the risks that come with it? Can Y/n face the facts that what she has wanted has been in front of her all along?
Genre: romance, fluff, angst, non-idol!au, bestfriend!au, friends to lovers!au, wedding crasher!au, Fem Reader
“Please, come today!”
Jisung sighed over the phone. “Y/n. I have no knowledge whatsoever about dresses. Especially wedding dresses! They’re all white! What’s the difference?” I could hear the murmurs of Changbin and Chan on the other side of the line. “See. I will be no help at all!” Despite the negative connotation of his words I could hear the tiny smile in his voice.
“So, we’re meeting outside the shop at five.”
“Y/n, I’m not going.”
“2146 Chyeongsong Ave, got it?”
“Yes, I’ve got it.”
Letting out a happy laugh I hung up on my best friend, sure that his attendance could be accounted for. The wedding was three months away. Jiho, my fiancee, had no desire for a big wedding and it seemed the sooner we were married the happier he would be.
But, I had always dreamed of a magical wedding with hundreds of people watching me marry the man of my dreams. So, we compromised. He said I could plan as big I wedding as I wanted as long as I could get it done in three months and he would pay for it.
Jiho was the son of one of Seoul’s big company presidents. His family was very kind and seemed to welcome me with open arms despite my less than formal upbringing. Jiho grew up in a penthouse apartment and went to the best university in Seoul.
I grew up in a tiny house in the rundown suburbs next door my best friend, Jisung, and busted my ass to get scholarships and pay my way through a cheap college. Jisung was beside me in all the big moments in my life. He was my best friend and I loved him more than anything.
“So, what did he say?”
Sooyoung’s head of curly dark hair popped over the cubicle divider separating our two desks. I laughed and gave her a thumbs up. “You doubted my power of Jisung persuation?”
“Never. You could convince that boy to run around Gangnam with his shoes on his ears and screaming at the top of his lungs if you wanted to.” Laughing at the thought, I turned back to my computer, desperately watching the minutes tick by before I would get to start searching for my wedding dress.
A slightly chilling breeze blew across the street. Jisung regardless of his lack of enthusiasm on the phone picked me up from work to walk with me to my dress appointment. My mother, other best friend Yuri, and Jiho’s sister Bo Rim were already waiting outside. Everyone greeted us with a smile as we walked up. My arm was looped with Jisung’s and my hand was stuffed in his jacket pocket since it was cold. 
 My mother smiled and embraced Jisung with a kiss on the cheek before motioning us inside. My entourage and I were quickly greeted by a consultant. “Hi! My name is Hyunsoon, I’ll be your consultant today. You must be the gorgeous bride, Y/n!” She smiled looking me up and down before glancing at my arm linked with the man beside me. “And is this handsome young man your husband-to-be?” 
 Jisung shook his head dark hair falling in his eyes. A tight smile sat on his lips as he answered the woman. “No, I’m just the best friend. I’m not going to stay for the whole appointment.” She nodded looking at Jisung with new eyes. “I want to be surprised. Regardless, Y/n will look radiant in whatever she chooses.”
 After a few questions about my wedding Hyunsoon led me back into a dressing room and my family and friends to a couch with mirrors around it.
 “Are you excited for your wedding?” She asked with a kind smile, placing dressing on the wall of the dressing room for me to see.
 “You could say that,”
 Her brows furrowed. “You don’t sound very excited?” I shrugged and laughed nervously. The dresses she had picked out were very pretty. Sensing I had nothing more to say on the topic she helped me into the first dress. 
It was weird to see myself in the garment. I watched her fix the dress with clips so it would fit as it should before looking over to me. The dress was more of a ball gown style. It poofed out just above my hips and was strapless with a sweetheart neckline.
“Do you want to go out and show them?” I nodded and helped her pick up the many layers of tulle skirt. Hearing fabric brush against the ground as we walked out of the hallway, the heads of my entourage turned. Several smiles were seen from my view in the mirror as I stepped up onto the pedestal.
 I gazed once again at the dress in the mirror. It was a gorgeous gown; there was no doubt. Feeling ready for their opinion, I turned around to face the peanut gallery. “What do you think?” My mother was quick to gush over the skirt. Bo Rim and Yuri both raved over the shiny beading on the bodice. Mrs. Nam, Jiho’s mother seemed to like it just fine. My eyes fell on Jisung who said nothing. He looked at me, arms crossed and fingers brushing over his bottom lip. “Ji?”
 “It’s....nice...”
Struggling not to laugh I replied, “One of the most incredible song writers I know and the only thing he has to say is ‘nice’?” My friend chuckled and his stare raked over the fabric before looking back up at my face.
“It’s not you. You don’t look like you. You look like some frilly puffy marshmallow girl.”
From anyone else the comment would offend but all I could do was laugh. “He’s right this is definitely not me.” Nodding the consultant ushered me back into the dressing room. Five dresses later, nothing felt right and I was beginning to get stressed out. “What do I do, Hyunsoon? Nothing feels right. I’m not feeling those....fireworks.” The beautiful woman looked at me in question. “Sorry, it’s something Jisung and I say to each other. It’s like our wish for the other to find so much happiness that it feels like...actual fireworks.” I explained with a light laugh. 
She sat down on the floor with me, moving the short silk robe further over my thigh, a gentle gesture. “Tell me more about your fiancee,” She kept her hand on my knee and rubbed soothing circles on my skin.
“Ummm....well...his name is Nam Jiho. He’s really nice and very very smart. Like holy fuck, he is insanely smart. He spends most of his time at work and he really likes to run as well.”
She looked at me expectantly. “That’s it?” I nodded, a little unsure of what else she wanted me to say. “And you love him?”
“Of course! What kind of a question is that? I’m getting married aren’t I?” Though I smiled, she could tell there was the smallest bit of insecurity. She thought for a minute tapping her fingers softly on my knee.
I felt somewhat lost among the mountains of white fabric scattered about the room. “Okay then! Whose opinion matters the most to you out of everyone you brought with you today?”
“Oh- Jisung. Of course.”
“Tell me about Jisung,”
A hefty sigh left my lips, but a small happy smile soon replaced it. “Jisung is....he’s like....my person you know? Like anytime I need him- even when I don’t need him- he’s always around. We grew up together. He is my everything. I trust him with more than my life. He’s just....Jisung. He is fully himself and unapologetic about it.” Ilaughed recalling thousands and thousands of memories with him. “He is a total asshole. Way too confident. But, he gets really shy sometimes. He’s also very genuine and has the biggest heart. Without Jisung...I wouldn't be who I am today.”
She smiled and pushed herself off the ground. “I will be right back!” Just as she closed the door, Hyunsoon winked over at me and left me alone in the dressing room.
Jisung’s POV
I was beginning to feel restless. Y/n hadn’t come out in at least thirty minutes. My leg was going to bounce off my body at this point. Unable to sit still any longer I pushed myself off the plush couch. It was getting harder and harder to control my heart seeing Y/n walk out in all these gowns knowing she was going to marry another man.
Wandering through the labyrinth-like rows of white frocks, I found myself thinking once again about Y/n. Not bothering to cage my thoughts they ran wild with daydreams of Y/n choosing dresses imagining what I would think of her walking down the aisle. Her smiling at me instead of that asshat, Jiho. 
Turning down an obviously dead end, my eyes fell on the mannequin standing in the center of the row. A delicate dress hung on the figure.Tattooed lace around the bodice and down the front of the gown to the hips fading like waves on shore. The back was low and open and my mind filled in the gaps, picturing Y/n’s soft skin laying beneath the fabric. My fingers brushed over the long thin sleeves. 
The sound of the a door closing snatched me from the my tantalizing reverie. “Oh- You’re Jisung right?” The woman asked walking closer. I recognized her as the one helping with Y/n’s appointment. I gave her a short nod, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jacket. “I actually need your help.”
“Anything for Y/n.” The beautiful woman’s brow quirked up and a smile slid onto her painted lips. “I mean....anything...for the bride.” 
Her tongue slid over her white teeth. There was so much white around, my head was starting to physically hurt. “Uh huh. Anyway! Y/n basically hates everything not only I have picked, but also everything she’s picked.” I stood waiting for the part where I could possibly help. “She trusts you. She wouldn’t stop talking about you.”
“I’m sorry....I don’t see how-”
“I see you’re looking at dresses. Have you seen one that you like? Maybe....one you would like...on Y/n?” My eyes fell to the floor, glancing over at the mannequin briefly. My quick gaze did not go unnoticed by Y/n’s consultant. “Well...Jisung....don’t you have good taste.” She walked over to dress form and checked the price tag before giving the gown a once over. “Revealing taste too....” She sang with a smirk. 
I looked away rubbing the back of my neck, the area feeling very itchy all of a sudden.  “I-I- uh...the dress just seems like her. It’s very.....mesmeric. Her.” 
“She did say you have a way with words.” Hyunsoon, I think her name was, walked over to one of the racks pushing past dresses until she pulled out one I assumed was in my bestfriend’s size. “Go sit back down! I know she’s going to love this one.” 
My head tilted back and I let out a sigh. As much as it pained me, I knew seeing that dress on Y/n and knowing it was ‘the one’ would be it for me. I’d snap and in front of all her family, soon to be and current, I’d confess how much I loved her and that I didn’t want her to marry that dick. I’d ruin what would be her perfect happy ending. Well...in her words....her ‘Moderatley-Happy-Fiancially-Stable Ending’.
“Actually...I’m gonna head out. I know she’s gonna love it. Tell her I hope she gets her fireworks.”
Willinging myself to start moving, I walked past Hyunsoon and towards the door, only stopping once. A glimpse. I caught only a glimpse. The door of Y/n’s dressing room opened and I saw the bright smile on her lips as she looked at the dress being brought to her. “That’s your last look, Han.” I mumbled under my breath. “Now turn around and walk out.” 
With every ounce of willpower left in my body, I did.
The TV droned in my rundown apartment. My two closest friends, outside the one I was deeply in love with, were half drunkenly lounged in my tiny living room. I scowled at the television, taking another drink from the bottle in my hand. 
“Dude- slow down. That’s like your sixth drink.” The eldest chided, tossing a balled up fast food wrapper at my head. 
Ignoring the fellow musician’s advice, I chugged the rest of the beer shooting Chan a look. “Chan let him be. You know what tomorrow is.” Changbin sighed. Turning, I found him hanging off an armchair upside down, scrolling through his phone. It was silent for a while until the inverted boy spoke up again. “I still don’t get why she’s marrying that douchebag.”
Knowing where this conversation was going I escaped to the kitchen, preoccupying myself with grabbing another beer from the fridge. the other two boys paid me no mind and continued the discussion as if I was invisible. Chan’s attention turned back to me as I plopped down next to him on the dusty old couch. “Han, didn’t you say you caught the guy cheating like....multiple times....” 
It was true. I had caught Jiho not once, not twice, not even three times, but four times I had got him with other women. Jiho liked to go out to clubs. The scumbag would pretend that he was working late so Y/n would be none the wiser, then he would stay out until three in the morning drinking and getting with random girls he met. The bastard didn’t even have the decency to frequent establishments he knew I wouldn’t be at. My music career was in the dumps lately and I had resorted to DJ-ing at downtown clubs.
That fucking asshole even had the audacity to flirt with other girl while Y/n was around. She had invited me out with the two of them for drinks  after a promotion at work. The second she leaves for the bathroom Jiho starts making moves on the waitress. Right in front of me. 
“Yeah....well, there’s nothing I can do about it.” On multiple occasions I had tried to tell Y/n about her terrible fiancee. Every time I tried, all I could see was the look of hope on her face. the look that practically begged for me to tell her that Jiho and I were finally getting along. And....I couldn’t do it. I could never do it. 
“Boo hoo. Horton hears a bitch ass liar!” Changbin slurred from his awkward position. 
“What?”
“That is quite possibly the biggest lie you have ever told.”
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. Chan yanked the beer out of my grip and handed me a water bottle instead. “Oh and what do you suppose I do then?” I managed to get the words out before Chan less than gently shoved the water in my face. 
The man beside me sighed and shifted to face me fully. “You love Y/n. Yes or No?”
“Yes.”
“She needs to know that.” I shook my head. No, she did not need to know that. I was not going to be the reason Y/n ruined her chance at a good life. Looking around my apartment I saw nothing but disappointment. Most months it was hard to make rent and I could barely afford to do anything but the bare necessities. She deserved better than what I could give her. “We all know Y/n is only settling. This is definitely not the fairytale ending she always talked about.”
“Chan, there’s no such thing as fairytales. Even Y/n knows that.” Inwardly, I grimaced at my own words. Had Y/n been around to hear those words I would have been slapped upside the head. 
“How do you know that? Do you have proof?” Changbin mused, a drunk smile on his face. “Let’s say this is a fairytale. You and Y/n have to be the main characters! The prince and the princess always get to together in the end! Duhhh!”
Even in my sour and depressed mood it was easy to laugh as Changbin slid off the armchair and landed on his head. “He does have a point, Ji.” Chan said, listing his head back onto the couch. Two of his fingers pushed the bottom of the bottle back up towards my face. “You’re the leading man in your own life, dude. Stop acting like the best friend. If you want her go get her.”
My thumb brushed over the grooves in the plastic . The alcohol was quickly clearing out of my system. A numbness filled my body as I contemplated the options put in front of me. Maybe it was time for me to be selfish. Maybe it was time for me to get what I wanted. 
Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself off the sofa and headed for the door. 
Thirteen hours. Thirteen hours before my best friend’s wedding and I was walking to her house at two in the morning to confess my feelings for her. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I mumbled under my breath. The view of her parents house was growing closer as I walked down the street. Y/n told me earlier in the week she would be staying there the night before the big day. 
Just like so many nights in our teen-dom, a familiar yellow glow from Y/n’s bedroom window illuminated the street below her house. Through the second story window I could see glimpses of movement. For a moment I just stood, doubting all the decisions I made in the last twenty minutes. I could chicken out here. Turn around and go home. She would never know. 
Just as I was about to turn around, I was caught in daze by the image in the window. Y/n stepped into view, radient like a new morning. From the little I could see from the street, she was wearing the dress I had picked from the boutique. Her hair was messily pushed back and strands fell in front of her eyes. The glint of the standing mirror flashed across from where she stood. Her beautiful E/c eyes trained on her reflection. 
She was breathtaking. My chest got tight just looking at her and a cold sweat was born on my palms. I watched as she rung her hands together, nervously twisting the rings on her fingers; a habit we both shared. Y/n let out a shaky breath before returning her gaze to the looking glass, this time with a smile. 
Her delicate fingers reached up and brushed her cheek before they stretched out as if to shake some invisible person’s hand. Her smile grew brighter as she talked to this imaginary person. She laughed and looked truly the happiest I had seen her in a long time. 
My eyes fell to the road, scuffing my shoe on the asphalt. She was happy. No matter how badly I wanted her.....there was no way I was going to take that away from her. Y/n’s happiness mattered more than mine. I could find comfort in the knowledge that she would be happy. That she would be taken care of. That she got everything she deserved. Everything I could never give her. 
Turning on my heel, the cold air and truth bleeding me sober, I walked back into the city away from my happy ending. 
Y/n’s POV
Thirteen hours. Thirteen hours before my wedding and I was questioning everything for absolutely no reason. The rest of my family was long asleep. Yet, here I sat in my wedding dress feeling like everything I was doing, every decision I made.....was wrong. I felt like crying for no reason, my throat refusing to be anything but tight. 
Coming to my feet, I smoothed out the gorgeous gown and walked with no purpose until I found myself staring at the mirror on the far side of the room. The girl on the other side of the glass looked like a bride. Why wasn’t I happy with that?
Standing up tall like my mother lectured many times in the past few days, I pursed my lips and put on a pained smile. “Hi, I’m Mrs. Nam Jiho,” The name felt unclean coming from my lips. Tilting my head, I rubbed my face before staring back at my reflection. I sighed pushing back the feeling of tears begging to spill over. 
“It’s nice to meet you, my name is Nam Y/n.” I shivered, swallowing the last bit of moisture in my mouth. “Nam....Y/n.....Y/n Nam....Mrs.Nam Y/n.” The more I tried to look at the person who I would become the more I felt like crying. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Mrs. Nam Y/n....” Before I could finish the words I broke into tears. Loud sobs filled my room and all I could do was stare at the hollow shell reflected in my mirror. 
My heart ached. The air in the room around me felt heavy, like a weight on my shoulders, pushing me down into the ground. Pushing past the lump in my throat, my eyes returned to the mirror, this time fixating on the photos framing the glass. Pictures of my friends and family.
 My heart lifted seeing a photo of Jisung and me. It was an old picture from highschool, probably taken on one of those disposable cameras you could get at corner stores. His school uniform was slightly too big for his then thin frame. My skirt was just a little too long and my shoes were never quite the right size. We were seated on the bleachers outside the school. Jisung sat on the row above me and let me rest between his legs. His arm was wrapped around my shoulders, as he leaned around to kiss my cheek. I was caught in the middle of a laugh and Jisung looked so happy right next to me. 
I smiled remembering the day from the printed memory. A friend we both had lost touch with had taken the photo while we weren’t looking. We then got teased for days afterwards. My fingers brushed over the delicate fabric of the dress. The dress that Jisung had chosen. Jisung. Almost every happy moment of my life....was tied to Jisung. Taking a step forward, I looked back in the mirror. Sniffing away the tears, I smiled. 
“I’m please to meet you....I’m Mrs. Han Jisung,” 
The smile on my face grew bigger and my heart swelled. Reaching up I brushed away the tears that spilled over before holding my hand as if meeting one of the guests at my wedding. “Jisung and I are so pleased you could come to our wedding,” 
The feeling in my chest had me wishing to cry all over again but for a different reason. I wanted to jump and scream at the top of my lungs the name ‘Han Y/n’. The more I said it, the more I felt like a teenager again. 
All I could think about was Jisung. His dark hair, dyed one too many times, leaving it slightly damaged but somehow still soft. His big, round, doe eyes. The way he told the stupidest jokes. His voice- not just when he sang, but even simply speaking his voice was one of my favorite sounds. Pressing my hands to my cheeks, I pulled away finding them hot. 
“Fuck...I’m in love with Jisung.”
“Okay, I need everyone to give me some fucking space!” I shouted, effectively silencing my dressing room. One by one, my maid of honor ushered the ladies out. I let slip one time that I am having second thoughts and all hell breaks loose. 
Sitting at the vanity, my head fell into my hands. I was dejected. Confused. And obviously sitting with a pretty big headache. I hadn’t heard from Jisung since the dress appointment and he didn’t answer any of my texts this morning. It was like he was avoiding me. Eyeing the champagne on table I contemplated drinking the whole damn bottle then just going through with the event. As much as I wanted to get married, I didn’t want to do it to someone I didn’t love. 
Standing up, I manuevered the champagne filled vessel away from my body and popped it, the sound letting loose a satisfying echo. The bubbly liquid filled the glass flute I picked up. My first sip was interrupted by a knock on the door. 
“I told you guys I needed space! Just fuck off!”
Downing the glass, I turned to pour another one. Drunk ceremony was looking like my best option right about now. The click of the dressing room door opening caused my ears to prick up. “I said fuck off-”
“That’s not very nice language coming from the bride.” 
Jisung stood in the doorway, hesitant smile on his face. His hair was almost styled, pieces still falling loose over his forehead. A black blazer hung over an untucked slightly wrinkled white dress shirt. His slender hands were shoved in the pockets of his blue jeans. 
“Coming from you that’s rich,” He watched me drink in his appearance. “Jeans, Ji? You come to my wedding in jeans and Doc Martens?” 
My best friend rubbed the back of his neck, eyes trained on the carpeted floor. “To be honest....I wasn’t sure I was coming at all.”
I blinked, trying to process the words just said to me. My best friend....the man I loved more than anything in the world...said he almost didn’t come to my wedding. “Excuse me?”
“Y/n....we need to talk....” 
My chest tightened in anticipation as I watched Jisung close the door. He stayed on the opposite side of the room seemingly nervous or afraid to even look my way. A hint of a smile appeared as I watched Jisung anxiously turn the silver rings around his fingers. “Ji, have you been avoiding me...”
Instead of answering, the man’s eyes fell to the bottle on the vanity. He motioned to it, wordlessly asking for a glass. Stepping away, I allowed him enough room to cross and pour a glass for himself. He downed the flute like a shot almost making me laugh at the similarity between us. “Didn’t you want to get married outside? In a forest if I remember correctly?”
“Don’t change the subject, Jisung.”
“I’m not.” For the first time I felt like Jisung really looked at me. His eyes seemed to soften. Before I could once again appreciate how beguiling his eyes were, they retreated back to their place on the floor. “Y/n....this isn’t you. You deserve a fairytale ending. Your fairytale ending. You don’t deserve a shotgun wedding in some church with nobody watching just waiting for the hour de vours to be passed out.”
“I’m not pregnant. This isn’t a shotgun-”
“Please just let me finish, Y/n....”
Nodding, I leaned against the vanity and watched my friend’s hands brushed through his dark locks. The silver hanging from his ears glinted in the bright fluorescent lighting. “Y/n...Don’t....don’t get married.” He seemed encouraged by my reaction, or lack thereof. “I think about you a little more than I should. A lot more actually. For a long time. Y/n/n, I’ve been in love with you since grade school.”
A familiar lump began to form in my throat and a pit formed in my stomach. Gaining confidence, Jisung’s eyes met mine. “It’s been killing me...seeing you with that asshole. I know you’re happy. I know that you’re better off with him. He can give you everything that I can’t, because you deserve to have a nice house. You deserve to be spoiled with gifts and trips. You deserve to not come home every night and worry whether the rent has been paid.” Jisung stopped and stared at the empty glass in his hands. 
“You always talked about fairytales when we were little. Well...my fairytale would just be us. No magic. No princes and princesses. Cause you’re enough for me. More than enough. Y/n, you’re it for me. You’re my fairytale.”
His eyes widened seeing a single tear rolling down my cheek. Before continuing Jisung watched me with shaking hands carefully set the glass flute on the vanity behind me. 
“I- I want you to be happy. If you’re happy with Jiho then I will go out into that church and clap when you get hitched. Because, that's what friends fucking do and that I can give you. But...if there is any chance....any part of you...that loves me at all....even a little bit....”
He gulped, fingers ferociously twisting the rings on his right hand. Not many would believe it, but Jisung was shy. Introverted. It was rare to see him like this. Jisung wasn’t afraid or nervous, but more timid or demure. I could almost see his heart physically stop beating as I opened my mouth to speak.
“I’m not happy, Ji.” He blinked, big, brown, doe eyes trying to understand what I meant. “I want to be. But, I can’t be happy with someone I don’t love. I don’t care about the money or the gifts. I just.....want my fireworks. I think you can understand that more than anyone.”
Jisung nodded dejectedly, shoving his hands into the pockets of the blazer that seemed to be holding itself together with only a few threads. He seemed to not understand what I was saying. “I do....understand- I mean. That’s all I want for you. If you can’t be happy with Jiho or me then-”
“Fuck, Ji. You really are dense aren’t you?”
“What?”
Reaching forward, I twisted the collar of Jisung’s slightly unbuttoned shirt and pulled him closer. Before our lips even touched I could feel electricity in the air, sparking and making room hotter. Finally feeling my lips against his sent my stomach on a rollercoaster; twisting, turning, loop de loops, and free falls giving me the greatest feeling spreading to the rest of my body. 
The feeling of my fingers sliding up his neck, must have brought Jisung out of whatever shock induced daze he was in. Like second nature his arms wrapped around me, cool hands pressing into the bare skin of my back. There was nothing but fire in my stomach as Jisung dragged his lips over mine at a painstakingly slow pace. The man smiled feeling me pull and tangle my fingers in his soft dark tresses. 
“Fireworks?” I asked, pulling away with my bottom lip snagged between my teeth. 
“Millions.” Jisung’s thumb brushed over my cheek before he leaned back in capturing my lips in another death defying kiss. “Did you drive here? I took the train.” He mumbled between kisses.
I laughed feeling happier than any moment before in my life. “My car is out back. You’re driving.”
Opening my eyes, I saw that signature smirk my best friend was famous for. For the first time I knew why my insides did flips when it was directed at me. Lacing his fingers with mine he dragged me from the dressing room and led me through the halls as fast as we could run with one of us in a wedding dress. As we reached the car, slamming the doors shut, the bells in the chapel started to ring making the both of us grin. Jisung leaned over, fastening my seatbelt before kissing my lips like they were his only source of air.
“You make quite the gorgeous runaway bride,”
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mrsalwayswrite · 3 years
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To Call Forth Love - Chapter 10
I’m sorry its taken me so long to update. I haven't had much time to write lately due to....well, life. But here we are and its long, so hopefully that makes up for the length. 
Side note- the Norwegian used is from Google translate so....
Warnings: swearing, mild sexual content, Lothbrok family dynamics (yes, its a warning), threats of violence
Words: 15,700 (yep, my longest chapter yet. I packed ALOT into this beast)
Tag List: @youbloodymadgenius @evelynshelby @pomegranates-and-blood @heavenly1927 @zuxiezendler @punkrocknpearls @love-all-things-writing @southernbe @ecarroll1978 @breezykpop @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie​
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"Where are we going? I thought we were going to your flat?" 
 Gyda slyly smiled at Kari, sitting in the passenger seat of her bright yellow Porsche. "Change of plans."
 Kari stared at her friend. "I'm scared to ask."
 "Torvi asked for female reinforcement. So, we are going to keep her company."
 "Ok…. But where is that?" 
 "At the brothers' house." The blonde answered nonchalantly as she made a quick right-hand turn. "It's tradition. Kind of a last family summer party before it's too cold to swim anymore. They have a pool in their backyard."
 Kari felt her stomach drop. Ivar had told her he lived with his three other brothers. Gyda had her own flat while Bjorn and Torvi owned a house nearby. Whenever she tried to ask Ivar about his home, he would shrug off the question or ignore it completely. Eventually she just stopped asking. Curiosity certainly reared its head when she wondered what his home was like. For how much money meant nothing to him, she guessed it was massive and expensive. Maybe he knew she would not fit in and that was why he never brought her? Even through his speeches of wanting her to be his girlfriend, he knew she would not fit into his lifestyle. Why else would he keep her away? It was a valid truth that she had come to terms with. Even if she found herself secretly desperate to ease into his life, she never would. 
 "Of course, they do…." Kari rolled her eyes at the notion that obviously, there was a pool in their backyard. It fit the stereotype in her mind. Then she thought about what Gyda just said. "Wait. Do you have a swimsuit with you?"
 Gyda raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow at her while keeping her eyes on the road. "Don't worry, I've got you covered. Torvi brought an extra of hers for you."
 "You had this planned, didn't you? We never were going to your flat, were we?"
 "I don't kiss and tell."
 "Yes, you do. There was that guy you hooked up with two weeks ago that kept sending you dick pics after."
 "That guy was way too proud of his dick. I mean it wasn't even that big."
 "I don't want to hear this again." Kari groaned, tugging on her diamond earring. She enjoyed Gyda but she had learned far more about the woman's sex life than she had any desire to know. 
 "Okay, fine. And yes, Torvi and I planned this. Ivar doesn't know you're coming."
 "Why?"
 Gyda smirked. "Because he's been so secretive and only Hvitserk has seen you two together. Besides, the rest of the brothers want to meet you. We may be at each other's throats most of the time but we do care for one another."
 The brunette let her friend's words sink in. Hvitserk had mentioned the others wanting to meet her, but she had not fully believed it. Sure, she wanted to meet them and was curious after hearing Ivar talk about them, but why would they be interested in her? She glanced down at her clothes, the capri leggings and tank top that were practically a signature look for her. For once, she wished she dressed nicer regularly. "I wish you had said something before."
 "You wouldn't have come then. You'd have created some excuse why you couldn't come." Gyda pointed out the obviously painful truth without remorse. 
 Kari slouched in the passenger seat, butterflies doing somersaults in her belly. Slowly, she pulled her ponytail down, letting her hair hang loose past her shoulders, running her hand through it absent-mindedly in hopes it looked decent. 
 At a red light, Gyda looked over at her with a bright smile. "It'll be fun." 
 "I don't know…. isn’t it supposed to be just family?"
 "Ubbe sometimes brings his girlfriend but yeah, it's usually just family."
 There was another long silence before Kari spoke again, unable to fully conceal her nerves. "You should drop me off and just go. I don't want to intrude."
 "You're not. I'm bringing you because there is always way too much testosterone." Gyda groaned, then reached over and swatted Kari's leg. "What are you so worried about?"
 "What if they don't like me?" She whispered. The weight of her confession hung over her like a dark cloud. 
 "What?"
 She kept her gaze out the window. "The…. the others. What if they don't like me?"
 Gyda laughed. "Kari, don't worry. They will love you. I promise. And if they say anything fucking stupid, I'll slap them or Ivar will stab them. See? Simple."
 A smile grew on Kari's face. "That shouldn't make me feel better…. but for some reason it does." Maybe she had already spent too much time with various Lothbroks if the idea of people resorting to violence made her feel better. 
 "You aren't alone, if anything we'll steal Torvi and Asa away and have a girls' party."
 "Asa? That's her daughter, right?"
 "Right, and Hali is her son. I swear that boy is going to be a miniature version of Bjorn."
 "I've never been around kids much." 
 Gyda chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "They are great, Asa is a sweetie who prefers to cuddle in someone's lap. It's Hali who is a bit wild but all his uncles love to play with him. He'll probably be swimming in the pool the whole time anyway."
 Still staring out the window, Kari thought about everything Gyda had said. Of course, she was still nervous about just showing up to a family event unannounced, even if she was sort of being kidnapped by Gyda. Some of her nerves faded away with the knowledge that Gyda and Torvi both wanted her there. She really would not be alone. She had friends. She had people that wanted to spend time with her. Hopefully Ivar would be pleased to see her. His potential reaction was the only real wrinkle in her fluctuating confidence. 
 "Okay. I can do this." She said aloud, wondering if she was trying to fully convince herself. 
 "Good, cause we're almost there."
 Kari stared out the window as they approached a gated community. Gyda showed her ID to a guard who chatted with her like they were old friends. As the yellow Porsche drove by the houses in the community, Kari just stared in awe. She had seen houses, mansions was a better term, like these before but it always amazed her that people lived in them. What did they do with all that space? All of the homes were set back from the road so Kari only caught glimpses of them but it was enough to remind her how out of her element she was. 
 Finally, they pulled up a long driveway to a massive two-story house. It was white with an insane number of windows, and a huge garage attached on the left side. On the right side looked like an expansive addition that made Kari wonder why they needed more space. The roof was made of some slate gray tiles, with a balcony above the front door and ivy draping elegantly over the corners. There were various sized potted plants and shrubbery around the front of the house and leading down the sides. Several European beech trees were strategically placed in the front yard to block most of the view from the road in an attempt at privacy. Whoever the grounds keeper was, for surely they had one, needed a raise. 
 Kari could only gape for a long moment, unable to move as she took in the immaculate, beautiful house. To think this was where Ivar lived and he always came over to her tiny townhouse. It was a struggle to tamper down the post embarrassment. 
 Gyda started talking as she parked in front of the house. The only other vehicle in sight was a silver four-door Audi, that Kari recognized as Torvi's. "Aslaug chose the house for them. When she isn't traveling for work or staying at their family home in Norway, this is where she stays. So, she insisted on this place. Something about the natural sunlight and old aesthetic blending with the new vibe. Or some other shit. I can't remember."
 "Huh." Kari said as she followed the blonde out of the car. She noticed there was no mention of the father, Ragnar, and wondered where he stayed but knew it was none of her business so she kept her question to herself. Maybe Ivar would explain it to her. 
 Gyda opened the solid, wood front door, waltzing in like she had done this a million times. Kari took two steps in and froze. The vaulted ceiling in the foyer was enough to stare at but it was the large chandelier that caused her to stare. The way it caught the afternoon light through the many windows and gently cast it about was truly gorgeous. This view was worth owning the house for itself, in her opinion. 
 A tugging on her arm made Kari squeak as she found herself suddenly being dragged along like a ragdoll. 
 "You can stare later, Torvi is waiting for us." Gyda stated, a large purse over her shoulder and her heeled boots clicking on the shiny, wood floor with each step. 
 Kari caught glimpses of other rooms as they passed down the long, straight hallway. A living room with a TV that took up most of the wall it was on. A kitchen that would make any celebrity chef drool. Pictures and awards displayed along the walls in the hallway that were obviously put up by their mother.  
 The two finally stepped out into a room with glass walls, where the pool and expansive backyard lay before them. Most likely what used to be a porch before being enclosed. Still being pulled along, Kari followed Gyda through a side door onto the stamped concrete that surrounded the pool and lounge area. A pool in a rectangle shape dominated the area, a diving board on the far end. A quick glance around showed a jacuzzi on the other side, closer to the house, the water bubbling like a cauldron. There was a large grill, several short tables and lounge chairs spread over the stamped concrete. At the far end was an adult size statue of the Buddha with two flowering pots on either side of him and some kind of cheap, plastic crown on his head. 
 The backyard was several acres wide and at least that many in length. Trees and large shrubs blocked the views of the neighbor's properties and made the place feel almost like a hidden oasis. Further down in a corner was a lovely gazebo with a cobbled stone path leading to it and gardens decorating the way. 
 "Gyda! What took you so long?!" A distinctly male voice called out. 
 "I had to pick up a package." She called back, pulling Kari into full view of the others. 
 The brunette gave a small, self-conscious smile at the many pairs of eyes that she could feel land on her. Before she could really get a good look at who was around, a shout of her name startled her. 
 "Kari!" Hvitserk jumped up from his lounge chair, wearing only dark green swim trunks, and walked over to her with a beaming smile. 
 "Hey…. OH!" She started to greet him only to be swallowed into a hug and spun in a circle. Unable to deny him, she hugged him back and laughed. It was funny since last time she saw him, he was in business attire, coming to check on her per Ivar's instructions. Now she could not help but notice his toned body. His form reminded her more of a runner, while she was used to seeing Ivar's muscular torso. A couple tattoos on Hvitserk caught her eye and she wondered if all the brothers had them. 
 When he finally set her back on her feet, he kept his hands on her shoulders, green eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint. "I didn't know you were coming here."
 "Yeah, I didn't know either until Gyda told me on the way."
 He chuckled, glancing over her head to his half-sister. "Yeah, not surprising."
 "Uh huh. Watch yourself, boy. I could still beat your ass if I wanted too." Gyda quipped. 
 "Maybe fifteen years ago. You don't have a chance now."
 "Keep telling yourself that, Hvitty." She teased, then yelled at Torvi. "You got it?"
 As soon as Kari was released by Hvitserk, she could sense a pair of sharp, blue eyes boring into her. Skin prickling under the sensation, she hesitantly looked up and immediately met Ivar's intense gaze right away, as if subconsciously her mind already knew where he was without having to search for him. 
 Reclined back on a cushioned, lounge beach chair, he wore loose black sweatpants, instead of swim trunks, under his leg braces, but without a shirt. His tattoos were a stark contrast on his skin and shamelessly on full display. Her fingers twitched with the urge to trace them again. It was his penetrating gaze though, the lack of emotion on his handsome face, that made her wonder if being here was a bad idea. 
 Before she could make a run for it, Gyda grabbed her arm as if sensing her desire to flee. "C'mon, let's get changed."
 With one last glance at Ivar, she followed behind Gyda and Torvi, who had joined them, back into the massive house. They headed to the kitchen and Gyda pointed out a bathroom across the way. 
 Placing the beach bag on the kitchen counter, Torvi dug in it for a moment before murmuring a quiet "here it is" and handed Kari something. "Here. I bought this forever ago but never wore it. Bjorn said he didn't like the colors."
 Kari took it, guessing it was the promised swimsuit, and peeked down at the two pieces of clothing in her hands. "Um…. where’s the rest of it?"
 Laughing, Gyda rolled her eyes. "Get in there and change or I'll do it for you."
 With a concerned look between the swimsuit in her hands and the two blondes staring at her expectantly, Kari finally conceded defeat and stepped into the bathroom. It was only a half bath, with a toilet and sink, but it was still roomy and felt fancy somehow. The mirror above the sink was large and there was a small, pretty flowering plant on the counter that upon inspection, turned out to be real. 
 Quickly, she changed out of her leggings and tank top and into the swimsuit, figuring it was best that way, like ripping off a band-aid. Plus, if she stopped moving, her nerves would get the better of her and she would somehow find a way to sneak home. Even if she had to crawl through a window. A smile grew on her face remembering Hvitserk's enthusiasm to see her. That had honestly surprised her but she found she did not mind. Hvitserk seemed like a good guy and the little bit of time they had spent together, she felt comfortable with him. He was funny and caring. 
 Then Ivar's blank face came to mind and all of her excitement slipped away like water down a drain. There had been no acknowledgement, not even the hint of a smile, only a hard stare that made her anxious and self-conscious.  
 Taking a deep breath, she tried to remind herself what Gyda said. At least the two Lothbrok women wanted her here, and apparently Hvitserk was happy to see her. That was what she needed to focus on and not Ivar's reaction.
 Once done changing, she finally took stock of what Torvi had leant her and gasped.  
 "Oh no. No, no, no. Hell no."
 She stared down at the wide-band bikini. The top and bottom both had alternating white and light pink stripes, strangely reminding her of cotton candy. The design was certainly something she would never pick out for herself but she did not hate it. The real problem was the way half her ass cheeks hung out of the bottoms and more of her breasts saw the light of day than they ever had before. Never had she been so exposed. Even swimsuits she bought in the past were never this revealing. Her gaze immediately zeroed in on her fuller hips and thighs, fully exposed. Faint whispers that sounded like her mother's taunts echoed in the recesses of her mind as she stared at herself. There was no way she could go out in this. She would rather wear her leggings and tank top than have anyone see her wearing this. They would all laugh at her. 
 "Kari? You done yet?" Torvi called through the door. 
 "I'm…. I’m not coming out in this!" 
 "Let us see it first!" Gyda shot back. 
 "But…." Kari tried once again, unsuccessfully, to tuck her breasts into the bikini top. "It's padded!" 
 "Open this door, Kari." Gyda demanded, suddenly sounding closer. 
 She took one more look at herself, feeling the embarrassed tears welling in her eyes. With a deep breath, knowing she could not escape Gyda just yet, she opened the door. Immediately her blue-green eyes scanned to make sure it was only Gyda and Torvi in the kitchen before she further opened the door so they could see. 
 "Shit, Kari, you look great." Gyda said after giving a wolf whistle. 
 "Half of my butt is hanging out and most of my boobs. I can't wear this out there." She said, almost panicking now. 
 "No, they aren't, you're overexaggerating."
 "Kari," Torvi said kindly, drawing the brunette's frenzied attention, "you're more curvy than I am and let's be honest, your ass and tits are bigger than mine. I'd kill to have a body like yours. You look beautiful. But if you're uncomfortable, I think I have a cover you can wear over it."
 "Please." She replied softly, hating how she sounded like a fearful child.  
 Torvi smiled at her. "I'll be right back."
 Swiftly, Kari stepped back into the bathroom before Gyda could say anything. Her nerves felt alight and not in a good way. Grabbing her phone, she scrolled through her Pinterest, anything to distract herself from this nightmare. If it was just Gyda and Torvi seeing her in this, she might have been uncomfortable but she could tolerate it. Even with Ivar she might have shied away some but he always made her feel so desirable that she doubted her nerves would have lasted long. It was the thought of prancing around in this in front of the other brothers, men she had never met, that made her stomach twist into knots and her breathing quicken painfully. 
 Finally, a gentle knock on the door and a quiet, "It's me," had Kari open it to take the cover from Torvi. It was a solid white oversized V-neck cover with a simple pattern around the neckline. Without wasting a moment, she slipped it on over the bikini, immediately feeling better. The hem of the cover touched the tops of her thighs, higher than she would have liked, but it was better than before. 
 She looked up, running her hands over the cover. "Thank you." 
 Torvi smiled softly with understanding. "I understand. I don't wear swimsuits that show my stomach anymore. Stretch marks." She shrugged casually, moving back to slip onto an island stool. 
 Kari trailed behind her with her bundle of clothes and purse. Without a word, Gyda slipped into the bathroom to change, leaving the other two waiting for her. It was now that Kari really took note of Torvi's swimsuit; it was a classy black and white one piece with thin crisscross straps across the back. The blonde could easily wear a bikini and look amazing in it, but it made Kari feel marginally better that she was not the only one self-conscious about her body. Perhaps that was why Torvi shared about her stretch marks?
 "Is it…." Kari started then stopped, leaning against the black marble countertop. Surveying the grand kitchen for a second, hoping to gather her thoughts, she took a deep breath before continuing. "Is it okay that I'm here? Gyda said this is a family event and I don't want to intrude."
 Torvi turned to face her fully, green eyes gazing at her before she shrugged again. "Normally we try to keep it just family, Ubbe sometimes brings Margrethe, but I doubt anyone will be upset you're here. Honestly, the brothers keep asking about you, so now maybe they will finally shut up and stop teasing Ivar."
 Kari fiddled with the hem of the swimsuit cover. "He didn't seem happy to see me."
 "Ivar?" At Kari's nod, Torvi snorted. "I don't think it's you he's upset with. He's a very private person, as I'm sure you know. If I took a guess, I'd say he was keeping you hidden."
 "But why?"
 "Look, I've known the Lothbroks for about ten years and during that time, I've seen Ivar go through some ups and downs…. well, as much as he lets anyone see. I mostly heard it from Bjorn. Point is, he's allowing you into his inner circle. Hell, you're probably at the center of his inner circle. I saw how he acted with you at the yoga studio. You mean something to him. It's no secret he wants you to be his girlfriend. Maybe he is worried that you'll meet his family and decide we're too much or that you find one of his brothers more attractive or easier to deal with? He pretends to be super confident but it wouldn't be the first time that a woman chose one of the others over him."
 Every time Kari heard that, her heart broke once again for Ivar. How many times had he been overlooked because of his legs? Or his harsh demeanor? Something that she was beginning to realize was just to protect himself, to keep others at arm's length. It made her want to hug him and never let him go, to remind him he was more than just his disability. That he was worth being cared about by more than just family. 
 Kari must have been lost in her thoughts for longer than she realized. Suddenly she was drawn out of her inner musings by Gyda coming out of the bathroom, having changed into a plant print cutout tankini. Of course, looking like she just stepped out of a magazine cover. There had to be something in the Lothbrok blood for everyone to be this damn attractive. 
 "Are we ready?" She asked, her large bag in hand, presumably with her clothes in it. "Kari, you can put your stuff in here for now."
 Torvi touched Kari's shoulder. "Don't worry. If anything, you are here to keep me and Gyda company, okay?"
 Kari smiled, finding herself reassured and grateful for the two women. "Thanks." She slipped her clothes and shoes into Gyda's bottomless bag. They stashed their bags in the glass room and then headed back out into the backyard. 
 Soon as they stepped out, a little girl came running over. Torvi swept her up into her arms gracefully. She turned to Kari with the little blonde girl on her hip. "This is Asa. How old are you, Asa?"
 The little girl stared at her mom before shyly tucking her face into the crook of Torvi's neck, while her blue eyes stayed on Kari. After a moment, she held up two fingers. 
 "You're two?" Kari asked. When the little girl shyly nodded, Kari's smile widened. "I wish I was that old. It's nice to meet you, Asa. I'm Kari."
 Torvi pressed a quick kiss to the top of her daughter's head. "Did daddy let you play in the pool yet?"
 Asa shook her head. 
 "Alright, let's go kick his butt. He did promise, didn't he?"
 That made the little girl giggle and Kari could feel her heart melting slightly. She was just too cute and most likely spoiled by all her uncles. Even her swimsuit was a purple halter top and green bottom with a little skirt that was very The Little Mermaid-esque.  
 A happy scream followed by a splash drew Kari's gaze to the pool. A young boy resurfaced laughing loudly. Bjorn, she recognized, was in the pool also, but turned to look up at Torvi as she approached with Asa on her hip. 
 "Let's go sit down." Gyda slipped her arm through Kari's and pulled her along to where there was a grouping of lounge chairs. Ivar, Hvitserk and a curly-haired blond reclined with beers in hand. 
 Kari could feel Ivar's gaze tracing over her form as she approached, like fingers trailing over her skin leaving a fire in its wake. She sneaked a peek at him, only to find his ardent gaze on her. She blushed and kept her eyes downward. At least he did not look impassive anymore, but she still felt hesitant. 
 "Hey boys. What are we drinking this time?" Gyda questioned. 
 Hvitserk turned the beer bottle to show the label. 
 "Ew. I don't why you drink that shit. I'm going to get some wine. Kari, you want some?"
 "Ah, sure." She murmured.
 "Good. You boys be nice to my friend, especially you Ivar." With that Gyda walked back towards the house but not before giving Kari a subtle wink.
 "Take a seat, Kari." Hvitserk gestured to an open chair next to him. 
 For a split second she considered slinking into the seat, anything for the attention to be taken off her, but realized that was not what she actually wanted. It had been two days since she had seen Ivar and the last time they hung out, it was when he returned from his trip to Italy. He had picked her up the next day to take her out to eat but he ended up spending the majority of the time on his phone, yelling into it in a foreign language and seeming on the verge of throwing his phone or punching a wall. She ended up ordering take-out for them that they ate at her townhouse but he was too wired to really relax and left soon after. The next two days he had been busy with work so they could only text. The one time they managed to Face-Time, she could not help but notice his bruised knuckles and when she asked him about them, he said he did some boxing to release stress. 
 With butterflies doing somersaults in her belly, she took a step closer to stand near Ivar's lounge chair. Tugging on the hem of her cover as she quietly spoke. "Hey, Ivar. Can I sit with you?"
 "Oh, you're acknowledging me now?" He snapped, never removing his severe blue eyes off of her.  
 She blinked owlishly, surprised by his sharp tone. Her stomach dropped to her feet and she could feel an embarrassed flush rising on her cheeks. "Yeah, I'm sorry." She whispered, dropping her chin, unable to meet his eyes anymore. This was all a mistake, she knew it. This only sealed her poor decision. 
 Shifting to look back at the house, she wondered if she should find Gyda and beg to drive her back home, or if she should find the closest bus stop. Before she could take a step away, a calloused hand snatched hers in a firm grip. Startled, she looked down to see Ivar holding her hand. Her eyes jumped up to stare at him in shock, confused by his conflicting actions. In those vivid, expressive eyes she could easily read the regret in them. Without her conscious decision, her heart softened. 
 "Sit." He said quietly, what most likely meant to come out commanding but sounded more as a plea. She nodded and allowed him to guide her onto the wide lounge chair next to him. 
 A furious blush warmed her cheeks when Ivar wrapped an arm around her waist, tucking her into his side and pressing a quick kiss to her temple. What she assumed was his nonverbal apology. 
 "Hey, this is Sigurd." Hvitserk said, gesturing to the unknown blond sitting with them. "I don't think you've met him yet. Ubbe had to take a call, so you'll meet him later."
 "Hi, it's nice to meet you." She said, looking at the other Lothbrok. He had light blond, curly hair in frazzled braids and brown eyes. At first glance she would not have guessed he was one of the brothers, but she figured genetics were always weird. He had a lean body similar to Hvitserk with a tribal tattoo sleeve and a Thor's hammer necklace laying on his bare chest like the other brothers wore.
 He silently raised his beer bottle at her, still stretched out in his chair like a lazy cat in the sun. 
 Thoughtfully she peered up at Ivar, keeping her voice low. "I'm sorry, I didn't know Gyda was bringing me here otherwise I'd have told you. She literally didn't tell me until we were pulling up."
 "It's fine." He murmured evenly, but Kari got the feeling that was not how he truly felt. 
 "Do….do you want me to leave?"
 He sighed, his grip around her tightening for a moment, before he seemed to relax. "No. I'm glad you're here. It won't be boring…." a wolfish grin grew as he slid his hand up her exposed thigh sensually, ".... especially if you take off this cover and let me see what's underneath." 
 "No!" She squeaked, grabbing his roving hand before it could migrate further. 
 He chuckled. "Come on, kitten…. just a peek?"
 "Ivar, no."
 "Why not?"
 "Its…. it’s scandalous."
 Hvitserk raised his hand, a devious smirk on his face. "I want to see."
 She covered her face with her hands, embarrassment flooding her. "Oh gods, this was such a bad idea." Then she had to rapidly grasp Ivar's hand as it slipped under the swimsuit cover to caress her hip and trace her bikini bottom. "Ivar…."
 "Fine." He slipped his hand back out but splayed it over her exposed thigh. "You can show me later."
 Thankfully, Gyda reappeared with a glass of white wine in each hand and another blond male in tow who carried the wine bottle. He had short, cropped hair and a muscular body that spoke of many hours in the gym. Kari wondered if this was the brother that Ivar regularly worked out with. 
 "Why are you sitting with Ivar? I brought you here! I'm even bringing you wine!" Gyda teased, handing a glass to Kari. 
 "You also dragged me here unknowingly. Wine is the least you could do." Kari said without thinking, making the others laugh. 
 "You know damn well you're happy to be here." Gyda winked then took the open lounge chair next to her. "Right, I'm guessing you've been introduced to Sigurd." She flicked a hand in the curly-haired Lothbrok's direction followed by vaguely gesturing to the last unknown brother. "Now this pain in my ass, over here, is Ubbe. Ubbe, this is Kari."
 Sitting between Hvitserk and Gyda, Ubbe rolled his blue eyes but leaned forward to shake Kari's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."
 "Yeah, likewise."
 Ubbe sat back with an impish glint in his eyes. "So, you're Ivar's girl?"
 "Um…. we’re just..." She started, unsure what to say to his family. 
 Ivar broke in, his single word answer almost coming out in a growl. "Yes."
 She whipped her head to look at him, only for him to stare her down as if waiting to see if she could refute his claim. Logically, she knew she should say something, argue that they were only friends. Yet any rebuttal died on her tongue under his fierce gaze. Instead she chose to sip on her wine generously.  
 "Right." Ubbe finally said, watching the two with an amused look. 
 Sigurd scoffed loudly before taking a swig of his beer. 
 "Something you want to say, Sig?" Ivar turned narrowed eyes at his brother.
 The curly-haired brother smirked, seeming to debate saying anything. Finally, he sat up and his gaze zeroed in on Kari. "How much does he pay you to fuck him?"
 The reaction from those around was instantaneous. Next to her, Ivar tensed, ready to spring up and fight his brother. A sharp reprimand of "Sigurd!" came from both Gyda and Ubbe while Hvitserk pinched the bridge of his nose. 
 Something rose up inside Kari though. She understood enough to know about the animosity between Sigurd and Ivar. His comment felt more like a cruel jab at Ivar than her. She was just the pathway to try and cause torment between the brothers. But if no one else was going to stand up and defend the dark-haired Lothbrok, she would. 
 So instead of taking his words personally, she just smiled sweetly at Sigurd, placing a hand on Ivar's thigh as she responded. "He doesn't. I'm happy to do it for free. Besides, he has something you never will."
 "And what's that?"
 "A cock big enough to pleasure someone….is that why you go through girlfriends so quickly?"
 The rising tension evaporated in a flash. Gyda snorted so hard she almost dropped her wine glass. Hvitserk threw his head back laughing while Ubbe tried to cover his smile with his hand. Kari was sure her eyes were comically wide as what she said without thinking sunk in. Her face flushed and she pressed her face against Ivar's shoulder. Sure, she had meant to defend Ivar but she had not meant to be so crass. The statement seemed to fly out of her mouth before her brain could catch up. 
 Next to her, Ivar laughed as he nuzzled her. She squirmed under his onslaught but also at realizing she just insulted one of Ivar's brothers. Even if it was the one he liked least of all. For a fleeting moment, the idea she had just made herself an enemy crossed her mind. 
 When she sneaked a peek, Sigurd quickly drained the rest of his beer and walked away murmuring something about getting another one. 
 "I think you'll fit in, Kari." Ubbe stated, still trying unsuccessfully to hide his amusement. 
 Kari was unsure of that. She quickly took a large sip of the wine to settle her fraying nerves. What had she been thinking? It hurt to hear Ivar's brother being so blatantly cruel to him and if this was a regular occurrence, no wonder Ivar wanted to spend most of their time at her place. 
 "I didn't realize you liked my cock so much, kattungen." Ivar whispered salaciously into her ear, drawing her back to the present. His tongue flicked her earlobe, making her jolt. "I think I'll have to give you a reward later."
 She shivered at his tone, her core clenching without resistance. It was unfair how just at his husky tone alone, her body betrayed her desire. But they were in public though, in front of his family no less, so she willfully attempted to cool the heat warming her veins. With a smile, she tried to nudge him away from her but he was too strong, only tightening his grip on her and laying a quick kiss to her neck. 
 "I can't believe I said that." She whispered, hoping only he heard her. 
 He smirked, an unmistakable fire in his eyes. "It was sexy as fuck."
 Thankfully, Torvi came over to join the group, a welcome distraction for Kari as she was sure the fire in Ivar's gaze was enough to set her ablaze and further stoke her own heat. 
 Torvi settled into Sigurd's now absent spot. "What did I miss?" 
 "Kari said Ivar's cock is bigger than Sigurd's." Hvitserk stated smugly. 
 Torvi stared at Kari with a tilt of her head and an amused grin. "Really? And how did we get on the subject of dicks already?"
 Some of the group laughed as Kari covered her face once again, mortified that she was the center of attention because of what she thoughtlessly said. She had the sneaking suspicion none of them would ever let her live this down. 
 "Alright, enough. Come on, it's girl time now." Gyda grabbed Kari's hand and dragged her to her feet, much to Ivar's obvious chagrin. She scoffed, meeting her half-brother's gaze. "I'll give her back later."
 The three women wandered over to some open chairs further down from the guys and closer to the Buddha statue. Gyda carried the wine bottle and her glass while Kari carefully held her own glass. Torvi snatched a beer from a nearby cooler as they meandered over. Gyda settled on a single, lounge chair adjacent to a cushioned two-person seat which the other two sat on. 
 "Alright, we have a very serious matter to discuss. Your answer may or may not break our friendship." Gyda started, leaning forward as she pointed a single finger at the brunette. 
 Kari found herself straightening in her seat, hand clutching her wine glass tighter. 
 Eyes intent, Gyda's voice dropped conspiringly. "Who is sexier: Steve Rogers or Bucky Barnes?"
 Shock rendered Kari momentarily speechless. At Gyda's serious tone, she had imagined a topic that would involve confessing a secret, not…. not a movie franchise. "Um…. Bucky." She hesitantly answered. 
 "Yes!!" Gyda shouted, throwing her arms up and almost spilling her wine. "I knew I liked you! Ivar, she is mine now!"
 Kari laughed at her enthusiasm; all concern having vanished instantly. "I take it you like him too?"
 "Hell yeah. I would willingly choke on his cock or he could pound my pussy to pulp and I wouldn't complain either way."
 Torvi shook her head, a hint of a smile tilting the corners of her lips up. "Something's wrong with you."
 "You prefer Steve?" Kari inquired, once she recovered from choking on air at Gyda's blunt statement. Her friend always had a way of surprising her, and giving her second-hand embarrassment.
 Torvi shrugged. "A tall, handsome blond. That's my kind of man."
 Peeking over at Bjorn who was still playing in the pool with both kids, Kari hummed thoughtfully. "Huh. Makes sense."
 "No wonder you are with Ivar if you prefer Bucky Barnes."
 "But we aren't…. together." Kari fixed her eyes on her wine, knowing her answer sounded lame even to her own ears. 
 Gyda patted her leg. "You keep telling yourself that."
 "We're just friends."
 "No, you aren't."
 "Kari, it's fine." Torvi shot Gyda a look. "It's between you two, it's not really our business."
 "She's our friend!" Gyda whined, throwing herself back in her seat dramatically. 
 "And she will let us know if something changes. Including telling us if Ivar does something stupid and we need to kick his ass."
 Kari giggled as Torvi tapped her beer bottle against her wine glass. "I promise. Hvitserk already made me swear too."
 "Good. So is Ivar really that good in bed?" 
 "Gyda!" Kari exclaimed but laughed at how shameless her friend was. 
 Torvi thankfully changed the topic of conversation to Ubbe's birthday coming up next month. Asa wandered over, wrapped in a green and brown towel with long ears sticking out that made her look like baby Yoda. When Sigurd eventually appeared, Hali dragged him to the pool where they jumped in together. Not long after, Hvitserk joined them, doing a cannon-ball with the splash almost hitting the ladies. 
 Kari chatted with Torvi and Gyda for some time, enjoying herself immensely. The topics varied, but she never felt unincluded. More than once, she glanced over, only to find Ivar's gaze already on her. After the third time, he tipped his head to the side and patted the spot next to him. A not-so subtle invitation or demand, depending on how you looked at it. 
 A smile teased her lips and she nodded. She started to rise, with her second glass of wine in hand, when the sound of a loud "shit" from Gyda distracted her. 
 "What is she doing here?" Torvi quietly asked with an undertone of frustration. 
 Curious, Kari followed their gazes towards the door leading into the glassed-in porch. She was met with the sight of two blondes emerging in matching, white swimsuits that barely seemed to cover anything. Both strutted as if they were on a runway, while chatting with one another. 
 "Kari, go sit with Ivar." Gyda encouraged, snatching her hand and leading her back without a moment's hesitation towards where Ivar and Ubbe were still sitting. The wine was left forgotten on the side table. 
 "What's going on?" Kari asked in a hushed tone. 
 "Drama. I can't believe that bitch brought her. What was she thinking?"
 "Gyda?"
 She clicked her tongue but hurriedly whispered back. "That's Ivar's ex."
 Surprise made Kari almost stumble but she managed to catch herself at the last second. Further explanations had to wait because they came upon the brothers at the same time the two blondes did. Soon as Kari was close enough, Ivar held out his hand, a sweet gesture, but she could see the tension and anger in the set of his shoulders and the thin line of his lips. Silently, he guided her to sit between his spread legs, arms banding around her waist and pulling her indecently close. For once though, she did not complain. 
 "Hey, baby." One of the blondes said in a sickly-sweet voice as she pressed a kiss to Ubbe's cheek. "Sorry we're late."
 "It's fine." Ubbe slowly answered as he shifted his gaze to the other blonde. "I didn't know you were bringing someone."
 "This is supposed to be family only." Gyda snapped, having dropped into her seat next to Ivar and Kari. 
 The blonde, who stood next to Ubbe still, narrowed her eyes at Kari. "Then why is she here?" 
 "That's Ivar's girlfriend." Ubbe answered.
 "Uh, hi, I'm Kari." She decided to speak up, hoping introductions would somehow break the rising tension. At her words, Ivar momentarily dropped his head to kiss her shoulder. Unsure if his actions were encouraging or reprimanding, she laid her hands over his, which were still wrapped around her. 
 "Hmmm…. Margrethe." She replied flatly, with a pinched look, as if talking to Kari was beneath her. "I'm Ubbe's fiancé."
 The other blonde smiled pleasantly as she looked Kari in the eye. "I'm Freydis. It's lovely to meet you."
 "Yeah, nice to meet you too." Kari managed to say around the suddenly tightened grip around her waist. She would be a liar if she said she was not intimidated by Freydis. While both women were beautiful, something that seemed required to be in the presence of the Lothbrok family, Freydis was a step beyond that. With her doll-like features, lovely blue eyes and flawless skin, she was gorgeous. Kari could feel all her own insecurities screaming at her in the presence of Ivar's ex. How the youngest Lothbrok went from someone as stunning as Freydis to as girl-next-door as Kari, she had no idea….and it made her uncomfortable. 
 "What the fuck is she doing here?" Ivar demanded, ignoring Freydis' presence completely.  
 Margrethe rolled her eyes as her hand slowly stroked across Ubbe's shoulders. "I get bored and wanted to spend time with my best friend, so fuck off." She turned her head to look at Freydis beside her. "Come on, let's get something to drink." 
 After a quick kiss to Ubbe, the two headed back towards the house but not before Freydis glanced back at Ivar and Kari one last time. 
 Once they were far enough away, Gyda rounded on Ubbe, not even bothering to contain her ire. "Fiancé? Really, Ubbe?" She sneered. 
 "Hell no. I haven't proposed. I damn well don't plan to and she knows it."
 "Why are you still with her? She's a greedy bitch."
 "Gyda, I know you don't like her but she's still my girlfriend."
 "Who the fuck knows why." 
 Ubbe turned his attention to Ivar. "I swear I didn't know she was bringing Freydis. I'd have told her not to come then."
 "As long as she stays the fuck away from me, I don't give a shit." The dark-haired Lothbrok growled at his older brother. 
 The residual tension in the air was painful to abide in. It felt like a caged animal, pacing, waiting, ready for the moment to unleash a terrorizing attack. 
 "Hey, I have a question." Kari blurted out, unable to take the way the tension made her skin feel like it was being sunburned. Once Gyda and Ubbe shifted to watch her, she posed her question. "Ah, well, I've been wondering for a while but why don't you guys have bodyguards or something?"
 Ivar snorted, brushing her hair over her shoulder to press his face into the crook of her neck, making her squirm although he did not relent his position. 
 It was Ubbe that answered with a wide grin. "Eh, we don't need them. We can handle ourselves."
 "But you guys have drivers, isn't the next step to have bodyguards?"
 "You worried for us?" Ivar whispered, nipping at her skin, only to soothe the spot with his tongue. 
 "I'm serious."
 "Let's just say we know how to protect ourselves. Besides, no one is stupid enough to come after us." Ubbe concluded, raising his beer in a mock salute.
 Gyda snickered. "This is why I stay out of the family business."
 "You've no issue spending Father's money though." Ubbe retorted in a jovial way. 
 She shrugged and sent Kari a playful wink. 
 A minute later, Bjorn, Torvi and Asa came over, taking open seats with Asa sitting in Torvi's lap. Even though Kari had met Bjorn before, it still shocked her to see how much larger he was compared to the other brothers, both in size and physique. Now sitting next to Torvi, he appeared larger. With his long, braided ponytail and shaved sides, a short beard and sharp, blue eyes, he seemed quite formidable. Kari wondered briefly if that helped with the family business. 
 "See Kari there, she is the one who teaches yoga." Torvi softly said to Asa. 
 Asa peeked over at Kari, shyly smiling, still wrapped in her towel but with a juice box in hand. 
 "I bet if you ask nicely, she might show you something." Torvi said then looked up at Kari. "Lately she loves watching me do yoga at home. It's cute when she tries to do it with me."
 Bjorn chuckled, slinging an arm over the back of his wife's chair. "And usually falls down onto her face."
 "Hey, she's trying!" Torvi defended, elbowing Bjorn in the side.
 Looking at the little girl across the circle of seats, Kari smiled. "Want me to show you something I've been working on? I'm not very good at it though, so if I fall over, you can laugh at me. I'll be laughing at myself too."
 Asa nodded fervently, eyes wide in anticipation. 
 "What do you say?" Torvi tapped her daughter's nose. 
 Asa looked up at her mom then back to Kari. "Please." Even though it came out sounding more like "peas".
 "Sure. I need to stretch some first." Kari stood up and immediately had to slap Ivar's hand away that prowled down the curve of her ass. She tried to glare at him over her shoulder, only to be met with a mock innocence. Overly aware of the eyes on her, she chose a spot nearby in the plush, green grass, trying to keep her nerves to a minimum. Carefully, she warmed up her muscles, doing a few simple stretches so as not to hurt herself. Honestly, she was nervous since she never did advanced poses in front of others. It was not that she was unable to, for she did them frequently at home on her own time. It just felt like she was vying for attention or trying to show off when she did advanced poses in view of others. Conflicting memories of her grandmother's encouraging voice fought with her mother's reprimand in her mind as she stretched. 
 "What are you going to do?" Gyda called over, returning from retrieving her wine glass and bottle. 
 The question pulled her from her mind's internal war, bringing her back to the present. "Um, it's called the super soldier."
 "Oooo, I like it already."
 Once stretched, Kari stood frozen for a moment realizing she was going to need to take her cover off to do the pose. 
 "Kari, you look sexy as hell, now take the damn cover off." Gyda called out. 
 Kari hesitated, fears and insecurities rising afresh within her. 
 "Do it or Ivar will get his ass up and help you. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
 "I hate you." She mumbled but gave in. Slowly, she walked back over to the circle of chairs, pulling the white cover off and dropped it on the lounge chair Ivar still sat on. Her eyes briefly flickered up only to meet Ivar's smoldering gaze. Instantly, she could feel herself flush. Hoping no one noticed, she moved back to her grassy spot. A loud wolf-whistle came from the direction of the pool, most likely from Hvitserk but Kari ignored it, knowing if she thought about it too much, she would make a run for it. Mentally preparing herself, she pulled her hair back into a bun on the nape of her neck, then faced the group but kept her gaze downward, too scared to look at them. 
 After taking a deep breath, she bent over to lay her hands flat on the grass without bending her knees. Next, she hooked her right shoulder behind her knee and extended her left arm for balance. She took a long, deep breath before continuing onward. Then she lifted her left foot and grabbed it with her right hand, still tucked behind her right leg. After another deep breath, she pulled her left leg up until her knee was pointed towards the sky. She held it there for three breaths before slowly releasing her leg back down and carefully straightening back up. 
 A small round of applause greeted her when she straightened. 
 "Another!"
 "You go, Kari!"
 "Do another one!"
 Blushing furiously at the cheers, she leaned forward into downward facing dog. Carefully, she slid her hands forward until her elbows touched the grass with her ass still in the air. Taking a deep breath and hoping she did not make a fool of herself, she engaged her core and kicked her legs up so she was doing a handstand but still on her elbows. Once she felt stable, she pressed her legs together and slowly bent her knees until they were almost parallel with her forearms on the ground. Feeling the burn in her core and arms, she hoped she could finish the pose without falling on her face. Next, she lowered her legs, knees apart now and big toes touching until her feet touched the top of her head. She could not help the smile that stretched across her face as she held the pose for a couple seconds, making sure to breathe slow. Scorpion pose was one she was still trying to master on her own, let alone in front of others. If anything, this felt like a victory for her. Methodically she unfurled, bringing her legs up and then back to the ground. 
 When she finally stood up, brushing the grass off her forearms, it was to another round of applause.
 "That was amazing!" Torvi said. 
 "I was thinking sexy as fuck!" Hvitserk exclaimed, a smile on his face from where he now stood, leaning against Ubbe's chair. 
 Self-consciously, Kari tugged on her swimsuit, making sure everything was tucked into place, as much as it could be, before pulling her hair out of the bun. She walked back over to the lounge chair quickly and yanked the cover back over her body. 
 "I'm going to wash my hands." She said without meeting anyone's eyes, skirting around the group and heading towards the glassed-in porch. 
 Laughter erupted behind her as she approached the door but she ignored it as she walked inside. She padded through the porch, stomach twisting in knots, and turned into the kitchen. Her feet stuttered to a halt as she noticed Margrethe and Freydis standing there with bottles of something in hand. For a split second she thought about turning and heading to the bathroom but it was too late as the two blondes noticed her intrusion. 
 "Hi, I just need to wash my hands." Kari explained. After a moment's hesitation, she walked around the opposite side of the massive island from them and towards the kitchen sink.
 "So, you're Ivar's girlfriend?" Margrethe stated with a mocking undertone. "I didn't think someone like you was his…. type."
 "Margrethe…." Freydis chided. 
 "What? Look at her. I mean she's got tits and an ass, and I guess she could be pretty but that's it."
 "I'm sorry." Freydis apologized kindly. After a long, awkward pause where the kitchen was silent besides Kari washing her hands, she asked, "How long have you and Ivar been together?"
 "Um, we aren't…. we’re just friends." Kari found herself admitting, as she finished drying her hands and turned around to see them both staring at her. Though Freydis had a gentle smile on her face, Margrethe looked nothing less than the cat that caught the canary and planned on lording it over everyone. 
 "Oh?" 
 "See. Told you, Dis. He is still single." Margrethe smugly said, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "He's just playing the game."
 "Game?" Kari muttered aloud. 
 Freydis set her glass down and came around the island to stand in front of Kari. Her blue eyes were bright as they met Kari's. "You seem like a nice girl and clearly the others like you too. So, I'll be honest because I don't want you to get caught up in the Lothbrok drama and get hurt. Okay?"
 "Okay."
 "Ivar and I are getting back together. We're just taking a break right now. Truly, I know we are destined for each other and he agrees. We had a bad fight and needed some space but he loves me just as much as I love him. So, I know he will come back to me when he is ready. I'm so sorry to tell you that you're just the rebound girl. I'm sure he likes you but that's as far as it will ever go. Gyda likes to try and mess with the brothers' love lives so I am sorry if she dragged you into this without telling you the whole truth. It's not your fault. I am sure Gyda lied to you and probably Ivar too. But it's good for you to know now. I don't hold it against you if you've have had sex with him but just know your time with him is limited, okay? How long have you two been 'friends'?"
 "We met last month." Kari whispered, dread and despair a writhing mess of snakes churning in her stomach. Air refused to fill her lungs, leaving her struggling for breath. 
 Freydis sighed. "It probably will be soon then. Just take advantage of the things he purchases for you, so when he leaves, you can have something to sell if you're in a pinch. Yeah?"
 "Ah…. sure."
 "Good. You seem like a nice girl. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this."
 "It's…." Kari choked back a sudden sob. "It's alright. Thank you."
 "Of course, we girls need to look out for each other. Is there anything I can do for you?" She inquired, sounding so genuine in her desire to help, her gaze imploring and lips in a faint, comforting smile. 
 "No…. no. I just need to check my phone. Have you seen Gyda's bag?"
 "I think she left it on the porch." Margrethe helpfully added, never having lost the smug grin on her face as she watched Kari with a hawk-like intensity. 
 "Oh, right. Thank you." Kari shifted back and forth on her feet, body primed to run, to flee before anyone could see the tears that welled pathetically in her eyes. 
 Freydis reached out and squeezed her arm, a brief exchange of understanding, then strutted back around to grab her drink and follow Margrethe to the porch and outside. 
 Once alone, Kari pressed a hand over her mouth to try and stifle the sob that lodged itself in her throat. She knew it. Everything Freydis said made sense. 
 Without a second thought, she rushed around the island and onto the porch, quickly locating Gyda's bag. She scooped her purse and clothes out only to hurry back inside. A quick check of the time and she figured she might be able to catch a bus, but in this gated community, there was no way buses came through so she would end up walking somewhere. Feeling the sting of tears in her eyes, she sniffled, trying desperately to hold them back. She looked up the nearest bus stop on her phone, pleased it was only a few blocks away from the gated community. 
 Once positive she knew where she was going, she stared down at her clothes on the counter, wondering if she should change before leaving. It would certainly look odd for her to be walking down the street in the swimsuit cover and sandals in such an upscale neighborhood. Then she thought about any of the Lothbroks finding her trying to leave and pushed the potential oddity of her attire from her mind. It appeared there was a gas station nearby when she found the bus stop, it would be simple to change there quickly. Somehow she could give the swimsuit and cover back to Torvi…. but not today. Right now, she needed to leave. 
 She tried to shove her clothes into her purse, only succeeding by making it look like an over-inflated balloon but it worked. Lastly, she reached to grab her phone off the kitchen counter but froze. Ivar bought it for her. Freydis' words came back to her about taking advantage of the things he bought for her. Bile burned the back of her throat at the idea. She promised herself she would not be one of those girls to him. Slowly, she retracted her hand, forming it into a fist by her side. Ivar could give the phone to Freydis or throw it in the trash for all she cared. Even with the feeling of her heart being ripped in two, she refused to take advantage of him or his money. She was a better person than that. Or so she hoped. 
 Worried someone would come in soon, she tossed her purse over her shoulder and swiftly headed towards the front door. She passed through the hallway she entered in, but the pictures and awards blurred before her eyes as the repressed tears threatened to make an appearance. Hastily, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand but knew it was ultimately futile. 
 "Kari?" 
 Her stride never faltered towards her escape, even after hearing Hvitserk call her name from what sounded like the porch. 
 "Kari? Where are you going?" His voice came from behind her, probably standing at the entrance of the hallway now. 
 "I have to go." Kari said, not bothering to turn around, unsure if he could even hear her. She could barely hear footsteps behind her over the sound of her sniffles and ragged breathing. It did not matter since she was close to her escape, just a couple more moments. Her hand touched the handle, just beginning to pull the door open when Hvitserk's hand appeared in her direct line of vision and slammed it closed. Although the sound was muffled, it echoed in her mind like a gunshot. 
 "What's going on?" Hvitserk stood directly behind her, his hand still firmly planted on the door as if to prevent her from even considering leaving without permission again. 
 "It's nothing." She murmured, staring down at her feet. 
 "I seriously doubt that if you are trying to sneak away while crying…. what happened?"
 "Nothing. I just…. I just want to go home."
 "Okay." He shifted to lean his shoulder against the door, ducking his head to try and catch her eyes. "Does this have to do with the yoga stuff?"
 "No. Just…. please, Hvitserk."
 "You need to tell me something. Look, I'll give you a ride, we can leave right now but you have to tell me what happened."
 She swallowed thickly, still refusing to look at him. It was taking all of her willpower to keep the tears at bay. At any moment she felt the tears would come forth with all the power of a hurricane, reducing her to a sniveling mess on the floor, nursing a broken heart. It was all her fault though. How could she have believed someone like Ivar Lothbrok would actually be interested in her for more than just a one-night stand. She was just a challenge for him, someone to pass the time. Then once she gave in, once they finally had sex, he would walk out of her life and back into Freydis' arms and bed…. where he apparently belonged. 
 "Kari?" Hvitserk softly prompted. 
 "It's…. I just have a better understanding now…. of where I stand…. of my purpose here."
 "Your purpose?"
 She sniffed, wiping her wet eyes once again before the tears fell. "I'm just a rebound girl….and that's alright. I get it. But I just want to go home now." 
 "Fuck. Freydis said that, didn't she?"
 "It doesn't matter. Can you please just take me to the bus stop, I can get home from there." She knew she was begging but she did not care anymore. 
 "Kari, give me that." He grabbed her purse from her and tossed it onto a wooden side table. His hands held hers in a manner that was comforting verse restraining. His thumbs rubbed along the back of her hands as he softly spoke. "Look at me, you know it's not like that."
 "It doesn't matter." She shook her head, even as her hands gripped his tighter, the feeling being the only thing keeping her from falling apart at the front door. "I shouldn't have let Gyda bring me here. I should have made her drop me off."
 "Kari…." He began but was interrupted. 
 "Hvitty?" Ivar's loud voice boomed from the kitchen. "You better not be trying to fuck Kari!"
 Kari flinched at the sound. The facade of strength she fought to maintain evaporated like smoke. The tears she had been trying so desperately to withhold slipped free, rolling down her cheeks like a cleansing rain.  
 "Over here!" Hvitserk called back, releasing her hands but not moving away. 
 Ivar's measured gait could be heard coming down the hallway like the footsteps of doom. 
 "What the fuck is going on? You disappear to find Kari and then…." His voice trailed off as he entered the foyer, piercing gaze zeroing in on her tear-stained face. What sense of jovial teasing transformed into enraged fury. When he spoke next, it came out in an animalistic growl that bespoke impending violence. "Who fucking hurt you?"
 "I'm fine." She mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. Her chin rested on her chest, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "I just want to go home."
 "Freydis….and I'm betting Margrethe also said something to her." Hvitserk snitched, leaning fully against the door. He watched both Kari and his brother as if ready to intervene at a moment's notice. 
 Ivar snapped, stepping closer. "What did they say?"
 She was unsure who he directed his question to but she still shook her head, refusing to look at either brother. Hearing his wrath, it only made her heart ache more. All of this was a show, it had to be. Why would he truly care? The sound of his heavy gait coming closer brought a fresh wave of silent tears. 
 Moving to her other side, he cupped her cheek. When she resisted looking at him, he shifted his hand to grab the back of her neck, forcing her gaze to meet his. A tempest swirled in his icy blue eyes. "What. Did. They. Say?"
 "Why does it matter?" She questioned, bottom lip trembling as a sob rose from her chest. 
 "Because they hurt you."
 "But I'm no one. I don't matter." She shook her head, pressing a hand over her mouth to contain the cries bound to escape at any moment. "You're just going to get back together with Freydis when you get bored with me."
 His eyes widened as if she had sucker-punched him. His mouth dropped open for a moment before he collected himself, the maelstrom rippling under his skin on the verge of breaking free. "Did they say that?"
 "Freydis said…. she said you two were just taking a break….and I'm the rebound girl."
 "Fuck. Fuck!" Ivar stepped away, running his hands through his loose hair. In an instant, he grabbed the decorative bowl off the entrance table and threw it. The shattering against the wall reverberated in the foyer followed by Ivar's guttural shout. "FUCK!" 
 "Ivar." Hvitserk softly said, warily watching his younger brother. 
 "I'm going to kill her. Fuck! I can't believe she would fucking say that!" Ivar ran his hands through his hair again, looking on the verge of ripping the strands out. The ferocity in his eyes was unmatched as he glanced down the hallway, clearly wanting to go after his ex, then shifted back to Kari, who remained silent and unmoving. "What else did she say?" He barked at her. 
 "You're destined for each other." She confessed after a moment's hesitation. 
 Ivar stormed over to her, devouring the ground beneath his feet as he invaded her space. Standing before her, he cupped her face, eyes imploring her to believe him. "Freydis is a crazy, jealous bitch. She manipulates to get what she wants. Don't believe a word out of her fucking mouth. Fuck! Please, Kari, don't cry. I'm right here, kitten."
 His words seeped into her mind, slipping in through the cracks and delving deep into her soul. His words alone should not have reassured her like they did. Between his pleading eyes and his gentle touch, her few walls surrounding her heart crumbled, unable to fight him. She believed him, even before her mind fully recognized it. 
 She lightly placed her hands on his bare chest, one directly over his heart, feeling the rapid tempo under her fingers. "Promise?" She whispered wetly. "You're not just…. I’m not just a rebound girl?"
 Ivar groaned, pressing his forehead to Kari's. "I swear. I never thought that about you." 
 And she believed him again. The truth falling from his lips resounded in the very core of her being. It made no sense how she knew, but somehow, she did. 
 After a long second, Hvitserk pushed off the door from next to them. "I'm going to head back and keep an eye on them. Kari, if you still want a ride just text me, alright?" 
 "Thank you, Hvitty." She reached out and snagged his hand, giving it a quick squeeze. With a smile, he responded in kind before heading down the hallway towards the backyard. 
 Soon as Hvitserk started walking away, Ivar grabbed her hand and led her in the opposite direction. They hurried through a short hallway to arrive at a closed door. Impatiently, Ivar thrust the door open and pulled her into a room, slamming the door shut behind them. She had a brief moment to scan the new room and notice the two walls with floor to ceiling bookshelves packed full and the couple couches near a large window. 
 Before she could do anything, she shrieked as she found herself suddenly yanked back, her body colliding with the closed door. Immediately Ivar's mouth claimed hers in a hungry, feverish kiss. His body pinned her to the door, hands kneading her hips. It was all she could do to just breathe. Her hands clung to his broad shoulders, desperate to stay above the waves of passion-fueled desire that surged unchecked within her. 
 Ivar withdrew his mouth from hers, but only to place kisses over her cheeks, washing away her tears with his affections. "Don't listen to her. Her and I. We are through. I will never go back to her. She has been sniffing around but that ends tonight. I won't fucking let her talk to you again. I fucking swear it."
 "Ivar…." She whined, tilting her head. An open invitation which he took. 
 He swooped in, continuing to speak between leaving open-mouth kisses on her neck. "It's you. It's you I want. It's you I think about all the time. Fuck, kitten, you have no idea how much I want you. And seeing you do those yoga poses in that swimsuit…. fuck! You looked so goddamn sexy; I got a hard-on just watching." He grabbed her thigh, lifting it up and curling it behind him, pressing himself against her core. At the touch of his hardened length against her, she whimpered. "Do you feel that? That's for you, søte Kari."
 She could not help but roll her hips, grinding against his erection, body automatically seeking friction. 
 "Yes! Fuck." He growled against her neck. "Come here."
 She whined when he released her leg, letting it fall down to the floor. Her breathing was unsteady already, heart hammering away in her chest. A part of her knew she should stop this, open the door behind her and walk out to avoid the temptation. Yet when his hand latched onto hers once again, tugging her towards one of the couches, she followed willingly, unable to deny the sweet sin that was Ivar.
 He dropped onto the couch and settled her into his lap to straddle him. As she settled, he grabbed a handful of the cover over her and yanked it off, tossing it haphazardly onto the floor. Her first instinct was to cover her chest, but as her arms moved to do that, Ivar guided them behind his head. His gaze drunk in the curves of her body, an unashamed starved look in his eyes that made her shudder as it further ignited the fire in her belly. 
 "Kattungen min." He whispered reverently. "Fucking hell, so gorgeous. No one else gets to touch you like I do. Got it? You're mine." He started lavishing her chest and neck with his mouth, alternating between his lips and tongue. 
 She knew she should feel more self-conscious straddling Ivar's lap in only the swimsuit that barely covered all of her assets; but it was as if his touch banished the thoughts away. Instead she felt beautiful and cherished. 
 He palmed one of her breasts and the moan that escaped her was pure wanton. Hands tangled in his long locks as her hips ground harder against his erection in response. His leg braces were only an afterthought that did not impede her actions. 
 "Ivar, please."
 "That's it. Fuck, you're so beautiful. I can't wait to fuck you senseless."
 Suddenly he shifted under her, his hand fumbling between them. Her mind barely took notice as he sucked the skin between her breasts, something that would definitely leave a mark. Next thing she knew, his cock was freed, standing at attention between them. 
 Before she could protest, he spoke up. "I know you're not ready." He slid it under her, pulling her hips back down. At the sensation of his cock rubbing her slit with only the thin barrier of the bikini bottom between them, she threw her head back with a whine. Desire roared through her like a freight train as his cock rubbed against her soaking core. 
 "You like that, kitten?"
 "Yes." She sighed out, head tilted back as she rolled her hips. 
 "Good, my turn." He reached behind her and promptly untied the straps of the bikini top behind her back. 
 "Ivar!" She tried to cover herself but he swatted her hands away. 
 "Trust me."
 Once she relented, he laid a hard kiss to her lips then tugged the top over her head, the band behind her neck without a tie. She desperately wanted to cover herself, now before him feeling on full display. But it was the look on his face that stilled her movements. 
 "Guder. Du er utsøkt. Faen. Den vakreste kvinnen." He murmured with adoration and awe dripping off each word. 
 "What did you say?"
 Instead of answering her, he lowered his face to her chest and captured one of her perky nipples in his mouth. His other hand moved to grab one of her ass cheeks, encouraging her to keep riding him. 
 All breath vanished from her lungs. All thoughts and insecurities fled under his touch. Her hands tangled in his hair, keeping his mouth on her. All she could feel was him. All she wanted to feel was him. Gasps and moans slipped from her as she allowed herself to be overtaken and drawn into an ocean of pleasure. 
 She could feel herself rising higher and higher, riding the wave. Her mind was becoming delirious from fire in her veins and the motion of her hips rocking over his exposed cock. 
 To her surprise, Ivar grabbed a handful of hair at the back of her neck. "That's it, beautiful. Fuck. Let's see what that bendy spine can do." Carefully, he pulled on her hair, not in a painful way but as if to guide her. Willingly submitting herself, she bent her back, following his lead. When her chest was parallel to the ceiling, he stopped pulling, keeping her suspended with her back arched. 
 Ivar groaned loudly, thrusting against her. She met his action, too absorbed in the bliss to care about decency. 
 "All the dirty, fucking things this makes me want to do to you." He licked a scalding line up her sternum, only to swirl his tongue around one of her nipples, making her mewl as she continued to move her hips faster. "Come for me."
 "Yes, yes." She chanted. "Ivar, please."
 "Keep begging, kitten. Let me know how much you want my cock."
 As her climax hit, the tightening coil in her core sprung loose, her mouth dropped open in a silent scream. Wave after wave rolled over her. She could feel Ivar grunt and thrust a few more times beneath her before retracing his cock and spurting onto her exposed stomach. After he released her hair, letting her rise back up to face him. Their eyes fixated on one another, chests heaving as they struggled for breath. 
 Gently, she reached out and touched his cheek, a shy smile on her face. Then, when he made no move to pull away, she leaned forward, uncaring of his cum slipping down her stomach, and drew him into a lazy, slow kiss. He responded, lips melding to hers in a way that was full of softness and contentment. After a moment, she felt him reach behind him for the blanket laying on the back of the couch and wipe her stomach off, all the while never abandoning their kiss. 
 Once she was clean, he dropped the blanket to the floor and somehow managed to keep their lips locked as he guided them to lay down on the couch, their bare chests pressed together and his arm under her head, legs tangled. 
 "Do you believe me now?" He eventually asked, leaning back but only far enough so the tips of their noses almost touched. 
 "Mmmm?"
 "That it's you I want. Freydis and anyone else can go fuck themselves for all I care."
 She bit her bottom lip and dropped her gaze. "I don't understand why."
 "What are you talking about?"
 "I mean…. Margrethe said I'm not your…. type."
 He snorted and muttered under his breath, "fucking bitch".
 "But she's right." Kari pressed onward, her hand running up and down his side as if to ground herself. "I mean, I could never compare to Freydis…. or Torvi or Gyda or any of them. They are all beautiful and….and in perfect shape. I'm not. My thighs and butt are too big and I'm maybe pretty but that's it."
 "You're right. You're not my usual type. But those girls, I'd fuck them and then never look their way again. You though, fuck, I can barely take my eyes off you when you're around. And these," he reached down and grabbed a handful of one of her ass cheeks, making her squeak. "I love them. And these thighs, fucking hell, kitten, I want you to suffocate me with them when I finally eat you out."
 She gasped, a bolt of electricity shooting through her at the image. 
 A devilish grin grew on his face, his hand stroking her ass cheek. "You like that idea? My tongue teasing your folds before slipping inside of you. Your thighs wrapped around my head as I feast on your pussy."
 "Ivar." She whined, unable to stop the sudden roll of her hips. 
 "Soon, sweet Kari." He chuckled darkly, ceasing her movement by melding their hips together. "And your tits, gods, they are perfect. I could stare at them all day."
 She giggled even as she flushed under his praise. "I'm sorry for doubting you. I guess, I'm still just surprised you'd…. well, that you want me."
 "You are mine. You're my woman." He stated resolutely, gazing directly into her eyes so she could see how serious he was. 
 "But we aren't dating…."
 "Doesn't fucking matter. You're mine. And one of these days you'll change your mind and stop playing this game of trying to keep me away."
 She sighed, wishing it would be that easy. Before he could continue with that argument, she changed the subject. "You know, I think we exceeded our kiss quota for the day."
 He snorted. "I didn't see you complaining earlier."
 "That's true. Do you think we should head back out?"
 "If I see Freydis or Margrethe right now…." His voice trailed off, but the fury from earlier lingered in the unspoken threat. 
 "I know. We don't have too. I'm okay right here." 
 A grateful smile on his lips, he kissed her quickly then rolled her onto her back and laid his head on her chest. They relaxed like that for several minutes in silence, her hand running through his hair, just enjoying the feeling of complacency and peace between them now after their fight. If you could even call it that. 
 Finally, she spoke up in a hushed tone, a random question coming to mind. "Do you ever get in the pool?"
 "No."
 "Oh." Was all she could say after his sharp, barbed answer. Clearly it was a subject that was not open for discussion. Her mind wandered, wondering what happened to cause such a response from him. An uncomfortable tension hung over them after his response. Something she was not sure if she should try and dissipate or ignore for now. 
 After a minute of continued silence, he kissed her chest, letting his lips linger there as if using the extra time to mentally prepare himself. Before she could tell him it was none of her business, he spoke. His tone was quiet and, in anyone else, almost shaky. 
 "I…. I used to try when I was younger. They'd put me on one of those stupid floating things and pull me around or someone would hold me. Then, when I was about seven…. Sigurd and I got in a big fight earlier that day. He claimed I broke one of his toys. Fucking asshole. I was sitting by the pool, this in our childhood home in Kattegat, I liked to watch things float on the water. Sigurd walked by me and….and pushed me over the edge."
 She gasped. "Oh Ivar…."
 "Ubbe jumped in and pulled my half-drown ass out." He nuzzled against her skin; his tone having lost the insecurity as he reassured her. "I'm alright, Kari."
 She drew his face up and gave him a long kiss, their mouth connecting with a deeper need and alleviation. "Remind me to thank Ubbe when I see him next."
 He rolled his eyes. "Don't. He's never let me forget the fact."
 "Still."
 They laid there for some more time, wrapped up in one another and content in the peaceful stillness. She could not help but think about the memory Ivar shared with her. How far back did that resentment go between the brothers? Had there ever been a time where they cared for one another? And how bad was the animosity between them if one was willing to kill the other, even as children? If her arms tightened around him, neither one mentioned it as they continued to lay there. 
 A loud knock on the door followed by a yell through the door of "are you two done yet?" disturbed their peace. 
 "Hvits, fuck off!" Ivar called back, burrowing his face between her breasts. 
 "Do you have clothes on at least?!"
 "I do!" 
 Kari swatted the back of Ivar's head at his admission. Leaning up slightly, he gave her a cheeky wink before laying his head back down. 
 "Well cover up, I'm coming in!" Hvitserk yelled through the door. 
 "Ivar, get up." Kari softly said, a panic setting in at the brother coming in and seeing them in this suggestive position and her topless. 
 "No." He mumbled. 
 Before she could shove him off, he snatched the throw blanket off the floor and threw it over his head to cover her chest. As she began to protest, the door cautiously opened. In an instant, she tried to spread out the blanket over them as best as she could, keeping the blanket over her chest and spread it somewhat over their torsos. Although how much good it did was questionable. She peered over to see Hvitserk standing in the doorway with an amused look before shaking his head and stepping in, closing the door behind him. 
 "What the fuck do you want?" Ivar asked, muffled by the blanket and his face still pressed against her skin. 
 Kari raised her gaze to the ceiling for a moment then mouthed to Hvitserk, "I'm sorry."
 Hvitserk winked at her before answering. "Bjorn and Torvi want everyone together before they leave. Sounds like they have an announcement or something."
 "Are the bitches still here?"
 "Yeah." Hvitserk sighed. 
 "Then no."
 "I'll go." Kari softly said. "It must be important."
 "No, you aren't." Ivar nipped at the side of her breast, making her squirm. 
 "Well everyone is waiting on you two." Hvitserk pointed out as he watched, clearly entertained if his broad grin said anything. 
 "I'm coming."
 Ivar pulled the blanket back slightly to stare up at her. "Why the fuck do you want to see them?"
 "Is it….is it terrible I want to show Frey…. her that I'm still here. That no matter what they said, that I'm not going anywhere."
 A positively, feral grin spread over his face. He swooped in and pressed a devastating kiss to her mouth, not letting up until she thought she would suffocate from the intensity of it. "Let's go." 
 He started to rise up but when she squeaked and tried to clutch the blanket to her, he froze. 
 "Hvits, leave."
 "You sure I can't stay?" His smirk grew as he caught Kari's eye and watched her flush deepen. 
 "GO!" Ivar bellowed, glaring at his older brother. 
 "Fine. I'll wait out here for you. If you're not out in three minutes, I'm coming back in." Hvitserk stepped outside and closed the door behind him. 
 Ivar carefully slid off of her, standing up beside the couch, the blanket in hand. His predatory, blue eyes remained trained on her form, raking over her body like a sweet he wanted to devour completely. A familiar warmth awakened in her core, even as she shyly glanced away, covering her naked breasts with her hands. 
 "Fuck, you're gorgeous. On second thought, I think we should stay. I need another taste of you and to hear you moaning my name for everyone to fucking hear."
 She squealed, quickly skirting away from him before he could pounce on her. "Ivar, no!" Yet, miraculously, he managed to snag an arm around her waist and drag her back against his chest. 
 "Should we make an announcement of our own?" He asked, running his nose along the shell of her ear, chuckling under his breath when she shivered against him.
 "What do you mean?"
 "That you're my girlfriend. That this just-friends is shit."
 "I…." She balked, eyes wide and heart beating a painful staccato in her chest. “We…. we can't."
 "Why the fuck not?" He grasped her breasts, rolling her peaked nipples between his fingers. 
 She practically swallowed her tongue, biting back the moan lodged in her throat. When she was positive she could control her voice, she replied. "We've talked about this. I'm just…. I’m not ready."
 "But you'll practically let me fuck you?"
 At his harsh snap, she tried to push out of his embrace, unwilling to have this conversation in their current predicament or maybe have the conversation at all. The innate desire to flee rose up in her but she tried to force it down as she squirmed in his arms. He held her firm, not giving up an inch, her body flush against his own. 
 "Ivar!" 
 "What aren't you telling me?" 
 She hated both herself and him in the moment as she ceased her escape attempts. She hated him for continuously pushing her, for ignoring her words and trying to force her where he wanted her to be. Even more though, she hated herself. If she had kept away from him, however unlikely that was, if she did not have to hide, then none of this would matter. If she could be honest, truly honest, he would most likely reject her. And that was why she hated herself most. Because she was selfish and wanted his attention and affection, even knowing if he knew who she truly was, he would walk away. 
 Carefully, she turned her head to meet his stormy eyes. "I promise one day I will. I just…. can we please just enjoy this? What we have? I just need…. time."
 He stared down at her for a long time. She wondered what he read in her face when he finally gave a resigned sigh. "Fine. I'm telling people you are my girlfriend though."
 "You're unbelievable."
 "I think you like that about me." He matched her smile with his own before letting her go.  
 She quickly found her bikini top, noticing Ivar not-so-subtly adjusting his sweatpants. She slipped it over her head but when she went to tie the straps, a pair of calloused hands covered hers. Without a word, he tied it behind her back. Once done, his hand slowly prowled down her back to lightly smack her ass. 
 "Hey!" She whipped around, only to see a Cheshire grin on his face. 
 "That's my sexy ass."
 "Oh my god. Unbelievable." She muttered to herself as she snatched up the cover and pulled it over. She looked down at the blanket piled on the floor. 
 "Leave it. I'll deal with it later." He took her hand and walked with her towards the door. When they opened it, a still-shirtless Hvitserk stood leaning against the wall across from them. 
 "Took you two long enough. Damn. Almost came in and threw Kari over my shoulder to get you out." 
 Ivar spat something out in their language that made Hvitserk roll his eyes. Before they could move further down the hallway, Hvitserk reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, freezing her in place.  
 "Hey, whatever they said. Just try to ignore it. We all want you here. Hell, all of us would kick them to the damn curb if Ubbe would let us. But Ubbe and Bjorn have already approved of you."
 Ivar scoffed but Hvitserk kept his gaze on hers, letting her know he was serious. 
 "Just know, we're on your side."
 "Thank you, Hvitty." She squeezed his hand, warmth blooming in her chest at his words.  
 "Either one of them tries to talk to her, I'll strangle them." Ivar growled, starting down the hallway, towing Kari behind him. 
 "You can't kill them, Ivar. Mother said murder is wrong."
 Ivar laughed, looking over his shoulder at his brother. "Mother still loves me."
 "Yeah, yeah, we all know you're her favorite."
 "Can you blame her? Look at me. I'm far superior and more interesting than the rest of you."
 "Keep telling yourself that."
 Kari could not help but smile at their teasing, a mock argument that sounded like it had been executed many times before until now it was said out of fondness and mock sibling rivalry. 
 The three walked back outside through the glassed-in porch. On the way, she noticed her purse back next to Gyda's bag and wondered if Hvitserk moved it there for her. Outside, everyone else sat on chairs or lounge chairs that were grouped in a haphazard circle, obviously waiting for the remainder of the group to join.  
 "What took you so long? Thought we'd have to send a search party to find you." Bjorn called out as the three approached. 
 "I got 'em. The library reeks of sex though." Hvitserk said, dodging Kari's swing. 
 Ivar guided her back to the lounge chair they had been sitting in earlier, tucking her into his side with a hand laying possessively on her hip. Hvitserk sat on her other side instead of pulling a new chair over. She tried to ignore Margrethe and Freydis who sat across from them, keeping her eyes trained on her lap, fiddling with the hem of her cover.  
 "Ok, now that we're finally all here." Bjorn said, standing up with Asa in his arms. "We just wanted to tell our family the good news in person."
 "Torvi is pregnant!" Gyda blurted, staring at her sister-in-law in shock. 
 "Fuck! Gyda!" Bjorn groaned. 
 "Daddy said a bad word." Hali looked over at his mother from his spot next to Sigurd. 
 "Yes, he did, thank you, Hali." Torvi replied smiling then addressed the group. "I'm about two months along. So right now, we are only telling family, so please don't share this with anyone else yet."
 "Wow! A third! Congrats!" Ubbe started, others immediately echoing their own congratulations and well-wishes. 
 Kari jumped up and moved to give Torvi a hug after Gyda. "I know we haven't known each other long but I'm so excited for you. You're an amazing mother."
 "Thank you, Kari. Maybe your own time will come soon." She shooting her eyes over to Ivar for a second then meeting Kari's again. 
 "Oh, I don't know." She blushed at the thought. After another brief hug, Kari returned to her seat. 
 "How old are you?" Hvitserk asked suddenly. 
 "Um, I turned twenty-five this summer."
 "Ha! Still the baby of the group." Sigurd laughed, pointing his beer bottle at Ivar.  
 "Hey, nothing is wrong with an older woman. We're in our sexual prime." Gyda defended. 
 "She's not that much older." Ivar retorted, his hand skimming up and down Kari's thigh. "Just a year."
 "And a few months. You're turning twenty-four after the new year." Ubbe helpfully added with a grin. 
 "Fuck off." 
 "Mommy, Uncle Ivar said a bad word now."
 "Yes, he did, Hali. I think it's time for us to go. Say goodbye to everyone." Torvi said. After a round of goodbyes and hugs to all the uncles and aunt, the small family headed back through the house to head to their own home.
 "Did you know Ivar is younger than you?" Hvitserk asked conspiringly, once conversation started around them again. 
 She tilted her head as she looked at him, slowly answering his question. “Yeah…. we talked about this a while ago."
 "Good. Do you want kids?"
 "Hvits, what is this?" Ivar butted in. 
 "Just testing the waters to see how she feels about having my babies. You know they'd be beautiful." Hvitserk chuckled when Ivar glared at him. 
 "Be nice you two or I'm moving." Kari chided. 
 "Yes, mom." Hvitserk said, sneaking a kiss to her cheek before jumping away. He turned around and pointed at her as he walked backwards. "One day you'll have my babies!" 
 She laughed, shaking her head. She could practically feel the smoke coming from Ivar's ears. Before he could burst a vein, she leaned closer to him and laid her head against his shoulder. "He knows I'm yours."
 "He fucking better or I'll beat his ass to remind him." Ivar murmured, nuzzling her temple. 
 She relaxed against him, looking around the backyard. Hvitserk and Ubbe had started some kind of wrestling competition in the pool, both looking like they were trying to drown each other. Gyda and Ivar called insults from their seats. Sigurd was texting on his phone but occasionally looking up and making a comment. At one point he caught her eye and gave her a brief nod, which she smiled back, hoping any animosity between the two of them from her earlier comment was gone. She purposefully ignored the whispering between Margrethe and Freydis, taking a note from Ivar's book and acting as if they did not exist. 
 Looking at the Lothbrok family around her, she smiled at the group, still amazed she found herself in their midst and how welcoming most of them were. For almost two years she had been alone in a new country, thinking that was what she wanted. Now though, she wondered if she had just been missing a group that accepted her without question. 
 She peered up at Ivar, heart swelling with gratitude and affection. Without second guessing herself, she kissed his cheek and leaned back against his shoulder. He hummed, placing his own kiss to the top of her head. 
 She wondered if she should just give up fighting this, whatever this was between them. Maybe it would work out. Maybe everything would not fall apart as soon as the truth fell from her lips. Maybe he could accept her past and who she was. 
 Silently, she shook the thoughts away. It was still too soon to tell and if she was honest, she did not want to lose this. 
 Or lose him. 
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Text
Now and forevermore.
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DIN DJARIN. ┃ THE MANDALORIAN.
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❝ words: about 2.6k
❝ warnings: nsfw, oral sex, unprotected sex, mention of bodily fluids, (spoilers of season 2 finale), softie din and fuck the canon, we love the Razor Crest.
❝ a / n: this work wasn’t supposed to be this long, but well… As always, feedback is appreciated!
Gif credits to the author.
MASTERLIST. ⎢ MULTIFANDOM TAG LIST.
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When you found the Razor Crest at the spaceport this morning, you felt some tickles within your belly inevitably. You met Mando about a year ago in your first shift working for Peli in Tatooine and you could consider him as a friend since then. You have hadn't many talks, but he has spent more time watching you fix some parts of his ship than you can count; even, sometimes, he has brought you some presents from other planets from the Galaxy. Always followed by that little green creature, who usually ends up stealing your cookies. So you have been waiting for them the whole day until the night has fallen over the city.
After getting rid of all the excuses to stay a little more at the workshop, you have to leave to not arouse suspicion, much to your regret. And yet, you make a detour instead of taking the short way back to your home as every day. Walking slowly, eyes traveling all around. But nothing. The tightness in your chest grows as you reach your place, letting out a sigh whilst opening the gate to come in.
The lights switch-on as you walk through the small stoned hallway to the living room, stopping half-way when you notice a strange smoky smell. It doesn't disgust you, but it's not a scent you have smelled before in your house. On a defense posture, you grab the knife from the holster around your right thigh raising it to your eye level. Quietly, you stick your head out through the arched door to the kitchen. Hearing soft snoring coming from the living room, you try to keep calm, securing your fingers around the knife handle somewhat better. Following the noise, step by step, you can glimpse a man lying on the sofa in the middle of the gloom.
A forearm covers his eyes, but you're sure he is sleeping. It's unbelievable that someone breaks into your house to steal and he decides to take a nap. Narrowing your eyes to try to sharpen your vision looking for some weapons, you're almost on him. There's anything that could be a threat to your life, acting quickly to press the edged blade against his neck. The man snaps his eyes open. Two brown orbs that don't show surprise, nor fear. But relief in a fleeting sparkle that wrings your heart.
“If you move, I'll slit your throat”. You hiss nailing a knee on the edge of the sofa. “Who are you?”
He doesn't articulate a word. His face talks for him. As you study his thin lips, traveling your gaze slowly to the convex bridge of his nose, the pressure against his neck by your knife loosens. You are starting to feel as if you had seen this man before, but you don't remember his face, nor his clothes. Licking your teeth as your eyes fall on his, your left-hand lands on his chest.
“Man— Mando?” You ask disconcerted.
His fingers tour your forearm in slow motion to reach the handle of your knife, still close to his throat. He removes it from your hand to throw it somewhere on the floor causing a metallic noise, while his digits continue to your shoulder up to the back of your neck. You are not going to ask why he isn't wearing his helmet or his beskar. You are not going to ask about the little creature. You have heard stories, rumors about a Jedi and the Force.
He makes your lips crash before you can even assimilate his presence in your house, closing your fingers in a fist grabbing the fabric of his shirt among them. You're not disgusted, discovering so many emotions in the way his mouth devours yours. Fury and rage, loneliness and anguish. But hope and love. You can't help but gasp breathlessly when you need to break the kiss for an instant, not being able to open your eyes. You pepper his nose with sweet light touches, finally pressing your lips on his forehead. Just what he needed.
“I am sorry…”
“So am I”. He murmurs sinking his face into your neck, wrapping his arms around your middle-back.
“How can I help you? What can I do for you?” As your voice becomes lower, your tone turns more soothing.
“Could you…?” Feeling the hesitation through his throat, you cup his warm cheeks into your palms to force him to look at you under the gloom. “Could you love me like I do?”
You'd be lying if you say that that question has taken you by surprise. You know a lot about Mandalorians and, definitely, they don't act normally like acts with you. Without taking into account that he'd go anywhere, but he is there, urging you to sit on top of him a second before capturing his lips with yours. His hands start a slow dance down by your backbone, separating themselves to roll your shirt up over your head and toss it somewhere. Your mouths get clung to each other, as soon as he does the same with his, starting to feel anxious for feeling him skin against skin.
Securing your arms around his neck, Mando stands up from the sofa urging you to keep your legs wrapping his waist. Your lungs learn to breathe in sync before you reach your bed, not questioning how he knows where it is. You're too busy tasting his tongue playing with yours, tangling your fingers on his scalp —until you're interrupted when he stumbles, falling over the mattress. You giggle. So does he. And you can swear you haven't heard anything more wonderful in your short life. You could spend your time just hearing him laugh, not worried about if the whole space wants to fall apart.
With him settling himself better between your legs, the heat increases the temperature of your body, biting your bottom lip when Mando trails a path of wet kisses down your clavicle, leaving a soft bite in one of your breasts to steal you a needed moan. You don't know about how relationships work for the Mandalorians, but he knows exactly what to do to put you to beg for his touches. His opened-mouth kisses get concentrated all over your belly, while his hands make their way to unbutton your pants after looking at you to ask you for permission in silence. And you don't have to answer. You want him as much as he wants you. Heel against heel, you remove your boots to make it easy for him to pull down the rough piece of clothing.
Thereupon, Mando gets up from your bed to strip himself from the clothes still covering him. You haven't been with many men, but you can assure that he's the most perfect man ever. As he kneels over the mattress, he leans down to get rid of the thin fabric that covers his most desired treasure. Exposed to him, feeling the same sensation of trusting and loyalty mixed dancing all around your dorm, he lies down between your legs to place them over his shoulders. Spreading sweet short kisses on your inner thighs, weaving from one to the other, until reaching your warm core. As his left-hand stays on your pelvis to pin you to the bed, his two longer digits make their way to your lips. And you welcome them to suck both wet. His brown eyes are enraptured on how you lick and taste them, using them to please you when he knows you're ready.
Curving his digits and sliding them slowly into your soaked cunt, his mouth goes straight to your most sensitive spot. Mando plays with your clit using the tip of his tongue, swirling it masterfully, as his fingers drive you insane with a back and forth dance constantly. Soon, your moans fill the stance, feeling sparkles within your stomach when the pace speeds up. His fingers pound you faster, as he becomes more and more addicted to the pleasing vocals that escape your throat uncontrollably, whilst his lips suck and put some more pressure on your swollen pearl. For him, you taste better than water after a week wandering in the desert. Better than any food he has ever tried.
You can't help but tangle your hands on his smooth curls, trying to push him away the moment you feel you could fall to the edge. You desire him more than anything in this universe and you don't want to be the only one experimenting with such a pleasure. Mando raises his head. His lips shining impregnated in your delicious juices, as he licks them more than delighted, watching you breathless barely moving.
“Tell me what you want”. He hums with a husky tone of voice that could be your perdition, bringing back his mouth to your skin, trailing a path of kisses up through your abdomen.
“I want you”. You beg in an erratic whisper, placing your legs around his waist as he comes closer to lie on top of you. “I want you, Mando, now and forevermore”.
He flashes a smile at you, putting away his huge and anxious hands from your thighs. His left travel among your bodies, whilst the right lands on your throat to hold it tightly. You can feel his hardness dangerously coming to your center, as he urges you to tilt your head to a side so he can peck your jaw with sloppy kisses till reaching your ear.
“I want you to call me Din”. He murmurs causing you to gasp and nod with your chin.
And he doesn't give you time to respond, when —with a sharp blow— he buries deep inside you all his length. You howl his real name from the most recondite place of your guts, feeling fully filled. He's big. More than you could expect. And Din is extremely impatient for marking his territory in your body, for making you his, for showing you all the love and the adoration he has been dealing with since the very first moment he laid his charming brown eyes on you.
“Gar cuyir mesh'la”. Mando repeats once and again into your ear, as he waits for you to adjust to him. The last thing he wants is to hurt you, to feel uncomfortable.
You don't talk Mando'a, but you have heard some words here and there, so you understand what he is uttering with a sweet raspy voice as your nails continue scratching his back; studying every scar that covers his skin, wanting to memorize them, wanting to comfort him somehow. Placing your right on the back of his neck, you look for his lips feeling thirsty for his saliva again and making him know you're more than ready for him.
His free arm surrounds your waist, as his digits continue tangled to your throat, before starting to swing his hips. Din pulls his hard cock almost out of your wetness, just to thrust your body again. He has the imperious urgency for hearing you moaning his name, and you do. You do without the necessity of being asked for, while he digs himself among your legs once and once. At first, both wanted to take your time, enjoy every touch, every kiss (...), but the two of you know it isn't going to be possible as you feel the electrified pleasure running through your bodies like never before. No one —not in this planet, not in the whole Galaxy, nowhere— could make you feel this good.
“Din… Din… Oh, Din!” You cry out digging your fingertips in his skin.
He shoves his full hard length to your soul not showing any mercy to your body, sinking his nose in your skin to bite it, pull it back and suck it strongly. Mando has been craving you for months now, not being able to control his impulses, grunting in the almost forgotten language against your neck. The sparkles within your belly are turning into fireworks, as both can barely breathe submerged in a bubble of heat and satisfaction you can't explain.
Somehow, Din maneuvers your bodies to put you on top of him without breaking the connection. You place your hands on his warm chest, as his hands go to your hips to urge to bounce on him. He's trying to breathe through his parted lips, keeping eye contact, while uttering your name between wrecked roars. And you can't help but swing your body over his, arching your back to find more pleasure every time his twitching dick is dug into your wetness. Not knowing how much you can take without succumbing to the fire growing inside you, your dance skyrocketed.
“That's it, cyar'ika…” Din growls, nailing his fingers in your hips a little tightly, closing his eyelids strongly, focusing on every move you do. “For all the stars… you're going to kill me… You take me so good…”
You can't even form a sentence with sense, leaning down to catch his lips with yours. He devours your mouth eager and hungry of you, tangling a hand on your hair to push you closer as he rocks his body in perfect harmony. Pearls of sweat start to appear on your foreheads, around your necks; the heat continues increasing by leaps and bounds, feeling your cunt clenching around his most sensitive skin almost suffocating him.
“I'm… I'm gon— Oh, Din… please”. You whimper while he nibbles your bottom lip, feeling the same shivers down his chest to concentrate on his lower abdomen.
“I got you, cyar'ika… I got you”. He simply murmurs brushing your lips with his.
With his arms wrapping your body, turning you back down, his thrusts become violent. Mando hits your anatomy ruthless and impatient for making you reach the longed-for orgasm, overstimulating your g-spot as much as he can. In a second, he suddenly steals the air of your lungs. He causes your legs to tremble, as you cry out his name surrendering your soul and body to the purest ecstasy you have ever experienced. Saying that he is satisfied with watching you stirring over the sheets would be insufficient.
Din lies on top of you, not stopping his rough lungs to your cunt, reaching your ear too easily. “I'm going to… make you feel even better”.
That isn't a promise. Is a fact.
He doesn't need much more to demonstrate it to you, spilling his seed inside your guts. Din presses his dick to your limits as strongly as he can, pinning you to the mattress with a wreck howl stuck on his throat feeling your fire burning him down. Reaching perfection. Feeling alive for the first time in too many years. Although he collapses over you, he doesn't lose the hold applied inside you. He needs to be right there for a little more. Connected to you.
While you try to come back to reality, he spreads gentle and exhausted kisses all over your collarbone and over every hickey drawn on your neck.
“Din…” You call him out of energy.
“Uh-huh?”
“How do you say I love you?”
He remains in silence for a second, trying to figure out why you want to know it, even if it is pretty obvious.
Tilting his head enough to lay his eyes on yours, he caresses the tip of your nose with his. “Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum”.
“Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum”. You reply then, doing your best to imitate the strange accent, causing him to chuckle.
“You need to practice”.
“Will you teach me?”
Hearing that question, knowing what you really want to mean, Din pulls his semi-hard cock from you making you moan somewhat low. As he lies on the side, he doesn't lose time cuddling you between his arms in holy silence. He doesn't need to reply, you know the answer.
From now and forevermore he is yours and you are his.
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caramelcal · 3 years
Text
Songwriting and Fake Dating {2}
Word Count: 1.8k
a/n: hello guys! hope you’re having a good day/night so far, thanks for reading my work I really appreciate it. I appreciate every note, comment, repost, request that everyone sends in and I’m so glad that you guys enjoy my silly little pieces of writing lol...
However, I can’t take full credit for this so thank you so much to the kind people that sent me plot ideas, lots of lovee x 
 THIS WILL HAVE MORE PARTS!!! 
Also, how would you guys feel about me making a base Luke Patterson tag? Just an idea though! (sorry for the long a/n)
Tags:
@gia-kerks​ @phantompogues​ @thesweetestsinner​ @honeyheartzz​
disclaimer: i do not condone plagiarism on my work at all, this has not been posted on any other platforms, or on tumblr anywhere else but my account (rosemoonmist) if you see anyone plagiarizing mine (or anyone else’s account) please inform the rightful author ! thank you lovelies x
part 1   masterlist   next
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The deal worked well. Luke kept his promise saying that he would keep everyone off your back, seeing you walk in with Luke Patterson kept guys pretty far away from you. It was like they knew that they shouldn’t mess with you, not only because you guys were together but because of how powerful you were both viewed as was insane. You guys were the school’s new power couple. That felt amazing.
Yet, as amazing as it felt it was still strange; the fact that the power couple wasn’t even really dating, and that you guys didn’t even like or talk to each other in the beginning.
Slowly but surely though, you got to know Luke. You knew there was always a little more to him than met the eye but after three weeks of you guys interacting with each other on a personal basis, you guys got extremely close. Too close for some people’s liking.
Of course, Luke wasn’t the only one that upheld his end of the bargain, you did too. Often, you found yourself thinking about new lyrics in school, jotting down scribbles in the corners of your textbooks and notes. Luke was right when he said you were an amazing songwriter. The rest of Luke’s band, Julie and the Phantoms, had been apprehensive when he got help from you to write songs, but after seeing something you wrote for them they were convinced of your talent and were very eager to have you write more songs for them.
Actually, most people were glad you were writing songs again. But no her, not Carrie. In fact, she was furious that you were writing songs for them, despite knowing of the deal. Instead of encouraging you and praising you for finally getting into writing songs properly and utilizing your talents, she argued with you for ‘helping the rival band’ and saying that you ‘didn’t care about Dirty Candy’. She knew that wasn’t true but the fact she still said it hurt you.
Yet, even though you and your best friend’s relationship was slightly fractured at the moment, you still arrived at her house for practice. New choreography had been introduced that you had to learn, and you heard from another Dirty Candy member, Kayla, that it was super confusing.
Naturally, you ended up at Carrie’s on Tuesday evening, ready for a night full of dancing, learning confusing choreography, and laughing with the other girls. You had been Carrie’s best friend long enough to know just to walk into her house without knocking, knowing that Trevor and Emily weren’t home, Luke would be up in his room, and Carrie too far away in the studio to hear you knock. 
Treading through the house, on your way to go the studio you have your bag slung over your shoulder, subconsciously humming a song. That was until you hear someone call from behind you, “Y/n?”
Turning around, you see Luke there and give him a smile and a wave. He walks up closer to you, jumping down the stairs and landing just in front of you, rocking back on his heels. A smile lights upon his face as he opens his mouth, starting to speak, “I was messing around with the melody a little for this song you wrote, if you quickly came to my room I could show you on my guitar.”
Luke points in the direction that he came from, taking a step backward as you look at him unsure. He holds a hand out to you with a small cheeky smile, almost as if he knows that you’re itching to hear it. You quickly glance back in the direction of the studio before giving in, “Fine, fine, but be quick. I have choreography practice for Dirty Candy I can’t miss.”
Luke gives you a beaming smile as you place your hand in his, which he grasps before pulling you along the hallway, not leaving you too long to dwell on the studio session.
One second you’re just entering Luke’s room, letting him play you the chords on his guitar and giving him a few pointers, seconds later you guys are working on tweaking lyrics and you hear the girl’s chatter from downstairs. Wide eyes meeting Luke’s you realize that the girls are leaving.
Eyes glance over to Luke’s alarm clock and you realize it hasn’t just been a few minutes, it’s been two hours. Two hours of vital practice for Dirty Candy that you blew off for Luke, again. Carrie was not going to be happy if she found out.
However, luck doesn’t seem to be on your or Luke’s side as you hear a knocking sound from Luke’s bedroom door, “Luke?”
It’s Carrie. Eyes darting towards each other, Luke indicates for you to hide, helping you crouch down out of sight. You’re behind Luke’s bed, too scared to even peek over the comforter to stare at Luke’s bedroom door as Luke tells Carrie to come in.
When Carrie comes in, Luke’s bedroom is tidier than normal, fewer clothes splayed on the floor, but bedsheets still ruffled and a wide array of objects splayed on his desk and shelves, along with his bed. When she speaks to Luke, she walks closer to the bed, voice quiet.
“y/n didn’t show up for practice again,” You cringed at that, knowing that you were guilty of getting caught up in writing songs with Luke. However, you had never got caught up writing songs in Carrie’s house, this was a new low for you, “I just wondered if you had heard from her.”
Guilt bubbles in your stomach when you realize that Carrie sounds worried for you. She should be, you hadn’t checked your phone for two hours and the last time you texted her you said that you were on your way over. She expected better from you than to blow her off for her brother, and you should have too.
“No,” Luke dismisses, clearing his throat awkwardly as he shares a tight-lipped smile with his sister, who stares at him strangely.
“Okay...Wait,” Carrie starts to sigh but stops talking, allowing you to hear her feet come further into the room, her eyes catch onto something, “Is that...y/n’s? IS Y/N HERE WITH YOU?”
At the sound of her louder voice, you cringe physically. You can hear the utter betrayal and anger in her voice when she thinks you’re here. You knew that if she found out she would be livid but this sounded worse than you imagined. Much worse. Before you put Luke in an awkward position and make him lie to his sister, you stood up, eyes squinting slightly as you stared at the livid version of your best friend.
Her fists clench at her sides and she puffs her chest out as she looks at you, eyes widening slightly. Nothing is said as Luke looks awkwardly between the two of you. You open your mouth, looking at Carrie before hesitantly speaking, “Carrie, listen-”
However, Carrie wasn’t up for your excuses, storming out of the room. Without even looking over at the boy who stayed on his bed, you rushed out after your best friend, “Carrie, please!”
Grabbing onto her shoulder, you manage to get Carrie to stop walking away from you but instead, she whirls around angrily, eyes widened even further as she rejects your touch. She points a finger towards you and takes a menacing step forward, causing you to step backward, “You know what y/n? I was annoyed when you started writing for our rival band but now you’re blowing off practice to help them?”
Unable to speak, you simply watch carry with your lips slightly apart. You had seen Carrie mad before, but you had never had it directed at you. Her arms retreat from pointing threateningly at you and instead, she crossed her arms over her chest, scoffing at you, “It’s clear to see where your priorities lie. That’s it, you’re done. You’re no longer welcome in Dirty Candy.”
“Carrie please-” You begin to speak, almost pleadingly but she puts a hand in front of her, her palm facing you, like a sign to stop you from talking. 
“I don’t even want to hear it,” She spits out, giving you a distasteful look, “get out of my house. You’re no longer welcome here.”
. . .
You walk with your head ducked when you’re in school the next day, books hugged to your chest. People don’t stare at you like they usually do, because neither Carrie nor Luke was by your side. Not only a sad reminder of what happened yesterday, but of the fact that you were nothing without your best friend. Everything with Luke was fake, Carrie was supposed to be your best friend.
How could you let her down like that?
How could you get caught up in a boy? Right from the beginning you and Carrie had a deal, that you would never let a boy get between the two of you, that you would never prioritize someone else over each other. You broke that, with her stepbrother of all people. You had two deals, one with Carrie and one with Luke, and you knew you had to pick between the two of them.
The only plan of action you could think to get back into Dirty Candy and back to being Carrie’s friend was that you apologized and begged to be in her band again, dropped Luke and hope that she took some sort of pity on your soul.
“Hey! Y/n!” You spun around, eyes looking up to catch onto the hazel eyes that jogged over to you, a book in his hand. He landed right in front of you, giving you a small smile as he indicated to the book in his hands, “You left this in my room yesterday...”
Your eyes glanced down to the notebook in his hand, the one that you were writing songs in, and a bitter taste fills your mouth. Yet another reminder of last night, and all of the mistakes you made. Shaking your head lightly, you took the notebook from the boy without a word.
“I know it’s probably best you don’t see Carrie right now, so how about you come over to Julie’s garage tonight?”
Looking up at him with saddened eyes, you shook your head as you muttered, “We can’t do this anymore.”
“What do you mean, y/n?” Luke asked breathily, eyebrows furrowing as he rocked on his heels. People bustled about the corridors but paid no mind to your conversation, too wrapped up in their own business but all of Luke’s attention was on you.
“This,” You repeated, using your hand to gesture between the two of you. You saw as his eyes fell to your hand, eyebrows raising slightly, “We can’t. Not anymore.”
He leaned closer to you, almost ensuring no one overheard you as he spoke lowly into your ear, “It’s part of the deal, y/n.”
“A deal we never should’ve made,” You started, holding your hand out to Luke’s chest so he couldn’t advance on you.
As you started up into Luke’s eyes, you frowned a little. Luke was a good person, and you guys bonded so well, not only over music, but tv shows, movies, common interests.. You guys just clicked. The past few weeks had been great, but you couldn’t put your best friend on the back burner just because of a few happy days.
“I got kicked out of Dirty Candy for our little deal,” You snapped bitterly, shaking your head wildly. Luke’s eyebrows shot up, mouth opening in shock as he stared down at you, “I lost my best friend. I’m sorry Luke but Carrie comes first. Over everything, especially our stupid little deal.”
With that, you walked away, leaving Luke in the distance. You didn’t even turn back to look at him...
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jacquihyde · 3 years
Text
Nighthawks
It’s a cold winter in Gotham, and the long nights provide a perfect backdrop for mysterious, dangerous occurrences on the campus of Gotham University. Tim Drake believes that the case will be open-and-shut, but combined with the weight of the secrets he is keeping from his family, his boyfriend, and himself, the skeletons in the university’s closet may succeed in drawing him too close.
Part 3: The Only Ones Left In The World
Bernard had his own room at Tim’s apartment, but he had fallen asleep in Tim’s own room the first night that he moved in and hadn’t gone back since. It had gotten to the point that Tim’s bed felt empty without him. 
It was empty now. Bernard was at Gotham University studying while Tim continued to investigate the strange events occurring on campus. Scouring social media had told him that there had been a few more sightings of shadows, strange feelings, even apparitions. At least one person had ended up with a handprint mark like Mikaela’s somewhere on their body.
Tim put a hand to his own neck, imagining it. It was cold, but not frostbite cold. Not leave a lasting scar cold. 
Tim spotted movement at the door and glanced up, seeing Bernard silhouetted in the yellow light spilling out of the hallway. “Hey,” he said.
“You’re home earlier than I thought,” Tim said.
Bernard groaned. “I could not do those readings anymore.” He flopped dramatically onto the bed, and Tim tried not to flinch. “What are you up to?”
Tim shuffled over slightly. “You remember the thing with Mikaela?”
Bernard nodded. “You’re looking into that?”
“Yeah,” Tim said. “Not getting much, though. Have you seen anything weird happening on campus?”
Bernard leaned back against the pillows. “Oh, there were some people LARPing The Princess Bride in front of the library when I was leaving. That was a little strange.”
Tim grinned. “Weird like supernatural weird.”
Bernard shrugged. “I mean, there’s always rumors,” he said. “Some people think there are secret tunnels under the school, but I think that pretty much every college has that rumor. And the frats can get kind of crazy with hazing, they’re always telling stories...oh, speaking of frats.”
“This can’t be good.” 
Bernard laughed. “I got invited to an Omega Chi Omega party on Friday, and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me.”
“Weren’t you telling me that Omega Chi Omega is kind of insane?”
“Yeah, and I want to experience it. Come on, it’s college. I like parties.” Bernard leaned closer to Tim. “And I like you.”
Tim sat up straighter. “You said it was rush week,” he said. “Are you pledging?”
“Fuck no,” Bernard said. “But I think it’s funny that I got invited to this party like they thought I was going to.” He shot a questioning glance at Tim’s laptop. “Hey, don’t you usually work downstairs?”
Tim shrugged. “I’m tired.”
Bernard raised his eyebrows. “Are you?”
Tim was tired. Among other things. “Yes,” he said. He turned back to his laptop. “Um, do you -”
“Hey, what’s that on your shirt?”
Tim knew without having to look that he’d started bleeding again. “Oh,” he said, glancing down anyway. A steadily-growing spot of bright red had appeared on his side, standing out against his light gray shirt. “Um, I was stabbed.”
Bernard was staring at him with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, you were stabbed?”
“Lightly stabbed,” Tim said.
“Oh, lightly stabbed. That’s so much better.” 
“It is, though!” Tim said. “It didn’t hit anything vital. I won’t even need stitches.” 
“Yeah, sure,” Bernard said. “Where do you keep first aid kits, again? I know you have at least twelve stashed around here.”
Tim sighed. He knew when to give up. “There’s one under the bed.” 
Bernard disappeared underneath the bed. “Take your shirt off,” he said, his voice muffled.
“As you wish,” Tim said. He heard Bernard laugh and couldn’t help but smile. It turned into a pained hiss as he twisted to remove his t-shirt.
“Shit,” Bernard said. “Here, let me…” Tim heard a thunk as he tossed the first aid kit onto the bed, then Bernard’s hands were on his skin, helping him take off the shirt. Tim could feel Bernard’s stare at the wound like it was another scar. “Did you even do anything to treat it?”
“I did!” Tim protested weakly.
“Like what? What did you do?”
“Waited for it to stop bleeding and then tried not to move,” Tim admitted.
Bernard glared at him. “Wrong answer.”
“I promise that it had stopped bleeding,” Tim said. “I don’t know what happened.” Bernard took out his phone, typing something. “What are you doing?” Tim asked.
“Googling how to treat a stab wound,” Bernard said.
“Wow,” Tim said. “I’m glad I’m in such safe hands.”
“Sorry that my neuroscience homework didn’t prepare me for treating my boyfriend’s ‘light stab wound’,” Bernard said. “Okay, so this is going to sting a bit.”
Tim braced himself, but still winced at the feeling of antiseptic against his skin. “It’s not that deep,” Bernard said. “And it’s pretty clean, considering...what you do. Who was it, anyway? It wasn’t…”
“It was not one of my brothers,” Tim affirmed. “We’re past that. Um, it was a gang fight that I got in the middle of. Red Hood went after them, B made me go home.” 
“Good,” Bernard said. The cold of the antiseptic was gone, followed by mild pressure. “So you’ve been doing this for how long?” he asked, quieter this time.
“Since I was thirteen,” Tim said. 
“Hm,” Bernard said. “And how many stab wounds have you had?” 
His tone was humorous, but Bernard would have to be a stranger for Tim not to notice the darker tone lurking underneath his words. “Not too many, I promise,” Tim said. 
“I think we might have different definitions of ‘not too many’.” 
Bernard brushed his fingers against another scar on Tim’s abdomen, then another, then another. Tim caught his hand, bringing it up to his lips. “I’m okay,” he murmured. 
Bernard finally finished applying the bandages and sat back up, his lips just a breath away from Tim’s. “I know you are,” he said softly.
Tim leaned in to kiss him, and they didn’t talk for a while after that.
Apparently Bernard was serious about the frat party. Tim didn’t quite believe him until they were on Gotham U’s campus, standing in front of a brightly lit house. Loud music and laughter spilled out of the open windows and door. It looked like something out of a bad movie. He turned to Bernard to tell him that when suddenly the door slammed open, two guys dashing outside. They stopped short upon seeing Bernard and Tim. “Bernard!” one yelled, then turned to his friend. “This is the guy I was telling you about. You know, my chem lab partner. Super cool.”
“Oh, you’re Bernard,” the other dude said. He was taller, a Gotham University cap sitting sideways on his head. “Nice to meet you. My name’s Chad.” Of course it is, Tim thought. 
“Nice to meet you too. And nice seeing you, Zac,” Bernard said. “Um, this is my boyfriend Tim.”
Zac narrowed his eyes at Tim. “Do I know you?” he asked. “You look really familiar.”
“Um,” Tim said. 
“Holy shit, you’re Tim Drake-Wayne,” Chad interrupted. He looked over at Zac. “Did you know he was dating Tim Drake-Wayne?”
“Dude, no,” Zac said. “That’s so cool, bro.”
“Um, thanks,” Bernard said. “I think so too. I think we’re going to head inside -”
“Oh!” Chad said. “Before you go in, just make sure to steer clear of the basement. We’ve locked it up for a reason, you know?”
Bernard raised his eyebrows. “...Okay,” he said. He took Tim’s hand and the two of them headed into the house. They almost immediately met crowds of people — sitting on the stairs, dancing in the living room, drinking in the kitchen. Bernard had told him that Omega Chi Omega threw some of the biggest parties on campus. Tim definitely believed him. 
“They were interesting,” Tim said.
“Who, Zac and Chad?” Bernard said. “Yeah, sorry about them.”
“No, it’s fine,” Tim said. “I’m glad I could boost your popularity.”
Bernard laughed. Tim glanced around at the students surrounding them. That could have been me, he thought. If he had never witnessed Dick’s parents’ deaths. If Jason had never gone to Ethiopia. If Tim hadn’t dropped out of Ivy Town U. If, if, if.
“Hey, are you okay?” Bernard asked.
Tim glanced over at him. To be heard, he would either have to yell or get a whisper’s breath away from Bernard. He much preferred the latter. “It’s kind of a lot,” he said. 
He didn’t explain, but he didn’t need to. “Do you want to leave?" Bernard asked. "Because we can. It's no big deal.”
Tim shook his head. “No, just…” He trailed off, not sure how to put it into words.
Bernard smiled. “Just focus on me, okay?”
Tim couldn’t help but smile back. “Okay.” He wanted to kiss him. It took him a moment to remember that that was something that he could do now, whenever he wanted. And so he did. He felt Bernard’s grin against his lips, his arms wrapping loosely around his neck. They were surrounded by people, and yet Tim felt like they were the only ones in the world.
“Tim?”
The illusion disappeared as instantly as it had taken shape. Tim was suddenly aware of the people surrounding him, the loud music and chatter. And there, standing behind him, was Steph. He couldn’t see her face. He didn’t want to see her face. But he knew exactly who she was, exactly where she was. It would be impossible for him not to.
Tim forced himself to turn around, and sure enough, there she was. He couldn’t read her expression. He could count on one hand the number of times that that had happened. The LED lights lining the room faded from blue to purple. Steph would like that, he thought dimly. 
He realized that she was speaking and forced himself to tune back in. “...don’t think we’ve met,” she was saying to Bernard. Tim unconsciously found himself squeezing Bernard’s hand. He wasn’t sure of when he’d taken hold of it. Part of him wanted to let go, but the rest of him knew that he couldn’t.
Bernard squeezed back. “Um, I’m Bernard.”
Steph smiled slightly. “Oh, I remember Tim talking about you! I’m Stephanie.”
Bernard’s eyes widened. “You’re real? Back in high school I thought that Tim was making you up.”
Steph laughed, and Tim took advantage of her split second distraction to meet Bernard’s gaze. Tim wasn’t sure exactly what emotion was behind his own eyes — something along the lines of panic, probably — but Bernard got the hint. “Um, I’m going to go get drinks,” he said. “Do you want anything?”
Tim shook his head. Bernard squeezed his hand once more and then disappeared into the crowd. Tim turned to Steph, acutely aware of his heartbeat echoing in his ears. He tried to remember some of the grounding techniques that Jaine had taught him. Five things he could see — the purple lights, the car passing by outside the window, the lock on the basement door…
“So are you going to talk, or should I?” Steph said.
Tim wrenched his attention back to her. “I don’t know what to say,” he said weakly. 
Steph shrugged. “I can talk, if you want,” she offered.
“I’m sorry,” Tim blurted out.
Steph frowned. “You’re...sorry,” she repeated. “For what?”
“I…” Tim swallowed hard. “You know.”
“Tim.” Steph took a step closer to him. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m not mad. Seriously.”
“I should have told you.”
Steph shook her head. “You didn’t have to. That was up to you.” She looked off in the direction that Bernard had gone. “I do remember you talking about him in high school, you know,” she said. “You always really liked him.”
“I didn’t know what it was that I was feeling,” Tim said. “I didn’t even register it until...until the whole cult thing.”
Steph let out a breath. “God, of course it was the cult thing. That’s exactly the kind of weird shit you would get into.”
Tim laughed. He could feel the weight sliding off his shoulders as Steph pulled him into a hug. “I did love you, you know,” he whispered. “I still do.”
She held onto him tighter. “I love you too.”
Tim leaned his head against her shoulder, opening his eyes. He caught a glimpse of the basement door behind her. The door was wide open, the padlock hanging uselessly from the doorknob. He barely had time to register it before the world went black.
He stumbled backwards, pulling away from Steph. She kept a hold on his arm amidst the screams from the other partygoers. “What the hell?” she yelled, her mouth close to his ear. “Did a fuse blow or something?”
Tim tried to scan the room, but his eyes hadn’t yet adjusted. “I don’t think…”
The LED lights flashed back on — blue, then purple, then pink. There was a shriek coming from somewhere to Tim’s left, not tinged with laughter or exhilaration as the earlier yells had been, but infused with terror. He didn’t have to say a word. Steph was already moving, pulling him with her.
The crowd had grown too thick to easily maneuver through, but the two of them were smaller enough than most of the frat boys that they could form a path. Even then, Tim could only catch fleeting glimpses of the body lying still on the ground, the guy's skin covered in frost and handprints. His eyes were open, but glazed over, unresponsive. 
Tim had barely managed to process the image in front of him before he was hearing more screaming, this time from another corner of the room. He didn’t even have to look to know that there was another comatose body frozen on the floor. 
He turned to Steph. “Get everyone out,” he said.
She nodded, her eyes wide. “What about you?”
“I need to check something out,” he said. 
“So you’re going to go towards whatever’s causing this?” she said. “Tim Drake, you would be the first to die in a horror movie.”
“I know,” Tim said. Without another word he moved away, shoving through the crowd towards the basement door. Everyone was too distracted to notice him approaching the forbidden location. Some were still gathered around the bodies, but most had figured out that escape was their best option. 
“Tim!” 
Tim turned away from the door, and there was Bernard, barely visible through the fleeing crowds. He made eye contact with him, feeling the screaming, the running footsteps, the heat of the crowd surrounding them fade away. The only ones left in the world. 
Tim stepped backwards, closing the basement door behind him. The last thing he saw was Bernard’s stricken face, a word that Tim never got to hear still hanging on his lips.
It was even darker in the basement. Windows lined the tops of the walls, letting the dim glow of the streetlights outside stream in. Tim kept a hand on the wall as he carefully navigated the stairs. It looked like the room hadn’t been renovated, or even cleaned, in decades. Tim could just barely make out the faded posters lining the room, and, surrounding them, the graffiti. It looked as if everyone who had ever been a part of Omega Chi Omega had signed these walls. Some deep-set instinct told Tim to stop touching them. 
The only furniture was the shelves lining the walls. They were little more than worn-out planks of wood, looking as though they were going to give out at any moment. Most of them were unused, with only a few places throughout the room, seemingly random, having objects placed upon them. He approached the closest, a folded-up Gotham University Nighthawks jersey. He could just barely make out a name and a number — Rivers, 11. Amidst the scramble of words written on the wall, Tim could read one in particular, written deliberately above where the jersey was lying. “Logan Rivers, 2024,” he murmured aloud.
He made his way around the room, investigating each shelf. There was a black ring (David Choi, 2009), a faded and empty journal (Jamie Collins, 1978), a torn red tie (Alec Samuel, 1994). Tim wondered idly if it was some kind of hall of fame or something. It obviously wasn’t just anyone who got to leave an artifact down here.
At the far end of the room, there was a silver locket, so small and unassuming that Tim almost completely missed it. “Sam Kingston, 1985,” he read. His hand hovered above the locket, but he didn’t touch it. Something felt sacred about it, too personal for him to see.
There was a creak from the stairs, and Tim whirled around, his hand flying to his waist for a weapon that didn’t exist. One of the bros — Chad — was standing in the shadows engulfing the last stair. “Hey,” Tim said. “Sorry, I know you said not to come down here, but I got kind of pushed down in the whole chaos upstairs. I’ll leave.”
Chad said nothing, just continued to stare at him. Tim’s heart leaped into his throat. “Chad?”
Tim didn’t even see him move. One moment Chad was on the stairs, the next he was leaping at him, hands outstretched. Tim barely managed to leap aside, and even then, Chad was close enough for him to feel the cold wafting off of his skin. “Shit,” Tim whispered as Chad turned back around to face him. His skin had gone pale, and Tim could see the edges of a frost-encrusted handprint peering out of his collar. “Chad, this isn’t you.”
Chad charged him again. Tim drove him back with an elbow to the stomach, jumping out of the way of his hands. He had no clue how this thing spread, but he could tell that it wasn’t anything he wanted to take any chances on. It affects different people in different ways, he thought, shoving Chad back again. Chad’s back hit the shelves and he stumbled as the wood gave a dangerous creak. Mikaela was fine, just shaken. The people outside were knocked out. Chad… It was like he was possessed. He was faster than before. Much stronger than he should have been. And there was nothing, nothing at all, left behind his eyes.
Tim ran for the stairs. He knew that Chad was right behind him, but if he timed it right…
He vaulted over the railing. Chad was going too fast to stop himself and slammed right into it. Tim watched as he took one step, then two, then collapsed onto the ground, his soulless eyes slowly shutting. 
Tim jumped down off of the stairs, approaching Chad as quietly as possible. The color was slowly returning to his skin, but the handprint still stood out, stark-white and frozen. He could see the fight going out of him. Hopefully, he would be back to normal, if a little disoriented, by the time he woke up.
Tim maneuvered out of one of the basement windows, just wide enough for him to fit through. Someone had called the cops, and the outside of the frat house was bathed in red and blue light. Tim slipped past the crowds onto the sidewalk, away from where the officers were roaming. 
“Tim!” 
He whirled around, and there was Bernard, getting to his feet from where he was sitting on the curb. Tim rushed over to him. “What the hell happened in there?” Bernard asked. 
Tim shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “It was like what happened to Mikaela, but on a whole other level.” He glanced around. “Where did Steph go?”
“She was talking to the cops, last I saw her,” Bernard said. His voice dropped lower. “You didn’t tell me that you dated Spoiler.”
Tim raised his eyebrows. “Did she tell you that?”
“No,” Bernard said. “I figured it out.”
Tim wished he could go back in time and tell his thirteen-year-old self all about the guy he would eventually end up dating. “Well. You were right,” he said. 
Bernard laughed, but it seemed subdued. Tim reached out, grasping his hand again. “Is everything okay?” he asked.
Bernard nodded. “Yeah. It’s just kind of hitting me that I’m dating a vigilante. When you went down to the basement...it kind of freaked me out. Same as when you got stabbed the other day. Not only because I don’t want you to get hurt, but because…” He stopped suddenly. “This is stupid.”
Tim shook his head. “No, what is it?” 
Bernard sighed. “I’m just never going to really know that part of your life, am I?” Tim stared at him, and Bernard begrudgingly continued. “It’s like...you looked right at me after everything went crazy tonight. And you didn’t say anything, you just ran right into danger without saying a word. And the whole stabbing thing, you were going to hide that from me. And I get it. I really do. It’s just a lot to think about.”
Tim swallowed hard. “I’m…” he started to say.
Bernard cut him off. “Don’t say you’re sorry,” he said. “I’m not mad. It was just a weird night and everything’s kind of hitting me all at once.” He looked up over Tim’s head at the dispersing crowds behind them. “We should head home. I don’t want to get caught up in whatever happens here next.”
Tim couldn’t get Bernard’s words out of his head. He couldn’t tell what Bernard was thinking either, and it haunted him, running as a constant undercurrent in his mind. It was only a matter of time before someone noticed, and of course that someone ended up being Jaine.
“You have something to say,” she told him. She couldn’t even see his face — she was at her desk while Tim was turned away from her, giving Batman the axolotl bite-sized pieces of earthworm. “I can always tell with you.”
Tim nodded. “Something happened the other day,” he said, pushing past the reluctance. Batman finished the last piece of earthworm and turned to look at him with unblinking eyes. “That’s all I’ve got,” Tim told him. Batman, predictably, did not respond.
“Was it a Robin thing or a Tim Drake thing?” Jaine asked.
“Sort of both.” Tim sat back down. “Bernard and I were at this party…” He slowly told her about the Omega Chi Omega incident, from the moment that Steph caught him and Bernard to their conversation after Tim left the basement. “And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it,” he finished quietly, barely able to be heard over Batman’s filter bubbling. 
Jaine nodded. “Do you feel guilty about it?”
“Maybe not guilty,” Tim said. “Except…” He sighed. “I want him to be a part of my life,” he said. “Every bit of it. Even the darker parts. But I don’t know how to do that.” 
“What do you mean you don’t know how?” Jaine asked. “You can’t, or you won’t?”
“Both,” Tim said. “I think. I don’t really know how to define it. I’m just not used to opening up to people like that. Even if I want to, the words get stuck in my throat. And mixing that with what I’m letting him into…”
Jaine nodded. “It’s hard,” she said. “He knows Tim, and he knows Robin. But knowing both, that’s different.”
“Yeah,” Tim said. “Different. It feels like it shouldn’t be possible.” 
“But you know that it is,” Jaine pointed out. “And he’d tell you that too.”
Tim nodded. “Yeah,” he said softly. “That and a million other things.” 
“So what are you going to tell him?” Jaine asked. 
Tim thought about it, and then spoke.
At the end of the night, Robin was perched on his own windowsill, peering in through the window. Bernard was in the living room, typing something on his laptop. Light streamed in from the hallway behind him, making him look as if he was made of gold. Tim knocked on the window lightly and Bernard glanced up. He smiled slightly when he saw Tim outside, getting up to unlock the window.
“This is a surprise,” Bernard said as he slid the window open. “There’s a perfectly good entrance downstairs.”
“I needed to talk to you,” Tim said. “And I didn’t want to wait.” Bernard frowned, and Tim instantly felt guilty. “It’s nothing bad, I promise. It’s just about the other day at the party.”
“Oh,” Bernard said. “I told you, I’m not mad about it -”
“I know you’re not,” Tim said. “There are just some things that I want to say.” 
Bernard nodded. “Okay,” he said. Tim was silent, and Bernard raised his eyebrows. “So are you going to talk, or…”
“I am, I just...ugh. I literally rehearsed this. Why is it so hard?” 
“You rehearsed it?” Bernard repeated.
“I don’t want to get this wrong,” Tim said. “I’ve never done this before. Any of this.”
Bernard nodded. “Like, dating a guy?”
“Yes,” Tim said. “No. It’s not just about that. I’ve never dated someone who knows about every side of me who isn’t a vigilante themselves. And I want to say that that’s why I instinctively want to hide things from you. It’s not like the ‘because I love you’ thing -” He realized what he had said and cut himself off, his cheeks flushing bright red. Bernard stared at him, his mouth slightly open. Tim forced himself to keep talking. “That’s not what I want it to be like. But I do want to protect you. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, not again, not ever. But that’s...that’s not the whole truth. I don’t really know how to open up. I’m trying to learn how, but it’s never been something that I’ve ever been good at, not ever. And you deserve better than that, and I’m sorry. I really am.”
Bernard stepped closer to him. When he spoke, their lips almost brushed together. “You know that you can talk to me about anything.”
“I do know that,” Tim replied. “I’m just not great at making myself believe it.”
“You’re getting better,” Bernard said. “You’re talking to me now, right?” He reached up, his hands framing the sides of Tim’s face. “Can I?” he said. Tim nodded, and Bernard gently peeled the mask away from Tim’s eyes. He leaned forwards, their foreheads brushing together.
“What was that for?” Tim asked.
“I wanted to see you,” Bernard said. He moved just enough for their lips to brush together, then pulled away. “I love you too, you know,” he whispered. 
Tim moved his hands up to cover Bernard’s. “Thank you,” he managed to say.
Bernard’s brows knit together. “For...”
Tim shook his head. There were so many things he wanted to say about Bernard, so many words that he could say, and yet his mind kept coming up blank. “Just for existing,” he finally said. It was the closest he could come to containing it all.
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peppusae · 3 years
Text
[semi eita] ambivalence ch. 3 (nsfw)
note: this fanfic has multiple chapters, so please look forward to more!
ambivalence: semi eita x reader (ft. tendou satori x reader)
genre: smut
word count: 2k+ words
>
ambivalence
ch 3: all night
It’s a bit embarrassing to meet eyes with both Semi Eita and Tendou Satori after that night.
Tendou keeps his promise: You can see that he is dying to ask you what happened, but he remembers his promise and does not ask you anything about Yamagata’s frat party.
And you’re glad, because the sober version of you has already felt like that while remembering all the shameless things you’ve told Semi to do.
It’s even worse because it looks like Semi has the intention of being friends with you; he actually gives you a smile when you pass by each other during changing lecture halls, or when he finds you sitting with your friends at campus while he’s going back to his dorm.
The one time he caught you on your own by your locker, he had come to say hello to you, and you dropped your 589-page textbook onto your foot, almost coughed up your lung, and then blasted away to the library, too embarrassed to even respond back.
No wonder Satori looks so worried each time he looks at me… It looks like Semi hasn’t told him anything, and he is worried sick about finding out what was wrong with me.
It’s a good thing the week that followed was so jam-packed. You had 3 assignments back to back, and working on it during every minute besides your lecture hours meant that the week passed by in absolutely no time.
It’s a Saturday evening, and your usual Saturday evenings were ordering in food with Tendou, and the mad crazy adrenaline you two synergized together forcing you two to have sex - and these were the best kind, because it was during occasions like those when Tendou was his roughest - impatient and slamming into you with all his might so that he can fill you up before you’re food arrived.
Today, you’re laying in the middle of the bed, staring at the ceiling and listening to a little funk and soul while you wait for your meal to arrive.
It’s a bit sad to eat your food on your own, so you watch old re-runs of your favourite show while you eat.
Halfway into the second episode, you’re interrupted by a call - from a number you don’t even recognize.
Usually, you would ignore unidentified numbers, but you remember that you one of your lecturers would call to - very annoyingly - give unnecessary feedback on everyone’s reports.
“Hello?”
“Oh, thank God. I’d have killed Satori if he gave me the wrong number.”
It’s weird because it’s crazy how Semi could recognize your voice instantly when all you said was a simple hello.
And It’s even weirder that you recognize Semi’s voice, too - Not when most of the speaking he did was in a very groggy, whiny drunk voice.
Hearing him now, his voice is much deeper than you recalled it to be, and your hands start to shake.
“Semi?!”
“That’s me. I asked for your number. I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”
It’s a bit odd that he would choose you out of everyone he knows and is acquainted with, so when you ask what you can do for him, you can hear a loud sigh from his side of the line.
“Not over the phone, though. Do you know my dorm number?”
Semi Eita is hot. You aren’t going to deny that. You remember everything he’d done and how good his tongue felt as he fingered you as if his life depended on it. The thoughts are embarrassing and it never leaves your head while you finish up the rest of your food, not forgetting to brush your teeth and put your hair up into a bun before you take out your keys and head outside.
Shiratorizawa Academy houses it’s university branch students in dorms divided into two wings of the building. The girls reside in the right wing, and the boys in the left. The academy is actually quite lax about rules, despite this separation; the only rule is that the students were not allowed in the rooms of opposite gender students after dinner at 9 pm.
The gays and lesbians win, for that rule . You think to yourself, finding it a little humorous while you take the lift for the fifth floor. Semi had sent you a text with his dorm room number, and you walk into the hallway, passing by the doors and finally coming across room 514.
Semi opens the door when you give a knock, and he welcomes you in while he gives a little hesitant smile.
No words are exchanged while you enter the room that looks like an exact replica of yours. Honestly, there isn’t much one can do to make their room that much different from another person’s. Because all of the rooms house only one student, the rooms are just big enough to fit a bed, a small cupboard, and a study desk. There’s only so much one can do to decorate.
The bedspreads are neat, and his desk is filled with various textbooks and notebooks, but otherwise, the cramped room is quite clean, for a guy’s place. You glance at Semi, feeling a little awkward all of a sudden, remembering how you avoided him so hard for the week, but you’ve come instantly when he asked for a favour.
“So? What did you wanna ask?”
Semi takes a moment to look at you while he closes the door. The way he takes a step closer to you makes you flinch, eyes going wide and taking a step back instinctively.
“What-”
“Why do you keep avoiding me?”
“Semi, what-”
Your sentence is interrupted when he takes two more steps towards you, and your move back till your back hits the door with a loud smack.
“I’m… not…”
“I didn’t make you go home that night so that you’d avoid me. I just didn’t want to do anything to you while you couldn’t even tell my face from someone else’s.”
“I wasn’t that drunk…” You fib instantly.
“Did you not like it?”
Your jaw drops open. For a moment his upset expression shifts to a little sad one, and it makes your heart race because that was the complete opposite of what your mind was reeling about.
“No! I liked it!” You end up blurting out. “God, I’ve been thinking about you literally every night since.”
While you want to smash your face against the wall in embarrassment, Semi responds with a little blink, tilting his head to the side.
“Then act like it.”
Those are the last words you hear before you feel his body against you, and Semi kisses you in an urgency that makes you moan as soon as you feel his tongue on your lips.
“The way you act in public and the way you do when I touch you are worlds apart.” Semi states in between kisses, his fingers rubbing circles on your skin from underneath your shirt.You’ve never felt so cornered and so embarrassed, your face heating up already because even the way Semi kisses is you insane, like he wishes you to devour you while he has you pinned against the wall.
“Please…”
“Lock the door.” He says, moving away, and as fast as you open your eyes, they shut right away when he begins to kiss your neck. Your entire body is shaking by now, legs feeling so wobbly as you try to keep your little whimpering sounds as quiet as possible and reach a hand out towards the door. Your hands are shaking like crazy while you lock the door, and Semi does not waste a single second, taking a step away from your neck - which instantly makes you frown - and asks you to strip.
You take a few seconds to get over the high.
“What?!”
“I’ve been really, really patient for long enough.” He says, taking your hand and leading you to the bed where you sit down, legs still feeling way too wobbly to keep standing. “So strip.”
The way he runs a hand through his hair is so hot, and you’ve always known that he was really, really good-looking, but it’s the first time you’re actually attracted to him, so your hands are shaking a lot while you unbutton your shirt, undoing your bra and standing up to take off your pants. Semi cups your face, kissing your lips once again and you lose focus a bit while you try to take off your panties.
“Please, please, please. ”
Semi softly makes you sit down, still not breaking the kiss and you can hear him unbuckling his belt, the sound of his jeans dropping down making you feel wetter than you already are. You slowly open your eyes, watching the way his eyes look a little hazy and half closed, biting at his bottom lip while he peels off your panties and throws them away.
He leans in, and you move back, lips meeting once again feeling his tongue once again in your mouth while he gets on the bed, slowly leading you to the head. When you rest your head on one of your pillows, you aren’t able to open your eyes because you can feel two fingers sliding inside you without warning.
That makes you gasp, the sound of his fingers going in and out of your cunt so loud that you find yourself turning red in embarrassment. You open your eyes, barely able to see the way Semi watches your every move, and eyes going a little wide when you grab hold of chunks of his hair from the pleasure.
Instead of adding more fingers, Semi bends down, tongue slowly swirling around your clit and making you arch your back.
You could swear your brain short-circuited for a moment when he softly sucks on your clit right as he inserts two fingers inside your cunt, curling them inside and making your legs come closer together at how different it feels, like he knew your body so well to be curling in right at the place that makes you see white.
When you pull at his hair and moan once again with shaky legs, Semi rubs his lips on your clit, and you’ve never ever felt this way, so much that you come right away, all over Semi’s fingers.
Your head reels, and you open your eyes, wanting nothing more than to kiss him, but Semi...
Semi is surprisingly, agonizingly slow in his actions - much more so than Tendou.
And not just that, but Semi is mad stubborn.
You learn this from the way he glances at you with his face smeared with your juices - and then plunges another two fingers inside you again.
“S-Semi!”
“You finally called my name.”
“S-Semi, don’t-”
“What? I thought someone like you would want another orgasm right away?”
Your eyes go wide at what he said, and before you could say another word, he licks inside your cunt again, his agonizing rubs on your clit making your stomach form yet another knot right away, your legs shaking much, much more than it did the first time.
You feel so good, but you’re so embarrassed that you try to close your legs, calling his name - But Semi holds both your legs tight and apart, tongue never leaving your clit for a single second, pressing kisses and sucking so softly that your legs shake like crazy.
You don't realize just how much he had you under his control, until you come all over his face yet again, your entire body shaking while you have your eyes shut tight at the electrical feeling you’re experiencing.
“[Name]. How do you feel?”
You finally open your eyes while you try to catch your breath, and Semi is hovering over you now, pecking your lips softly before he slowly lies beside you. You extend an arm to the side, and Semi raises an eyebrow, saying nothing but coming closer to you, burying his face into your chest.
“I will never get enough of that, oh my God.” You mumble, wrapping your arm around Semi’s neck, feeling his hot breath on your chest. You think you hear him chuckle, you think you even heard the rustling of clothes, and you think you also heard the door close, but you can’t recall anything while you slip from the little line between consciousness and sleep.
---
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sadlysober · 3 years
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like to watch you suffer
Dream Team roomates x gn!reader Summary: Youre playing a scary game and your roommates come in to laugh at you support you. Warnings: swearing, shitty description of bloody/creepy things. lmk when you find any! A/N: just watched Tommy’s fnaf stream and i died. If you have any tips, requests or ideas, feel free to send them in :)
Starting up Twitch with hesitation as you check your subscriber count one last time to be sure. You reached your subgoal on your last stream and promised the chat to play a spooky game. Playing mostly family friendly games and usually with a group of friends, you weren’t exactly excited to be playing 2017′s Resident Evil 7. Clips from Jack and Felix only made you dread this moment even more. Appearantly your chat loves seeing you scared shitless.
You start your stream as you normally would: greating the chat, answering some dono’s. “I actually hate you guys for making me do this. But we’re gonna try it anyways. I have a slight idea what’s coming and am mentally not prepared, so let’s see how long I will last before crapping my pants.” You force a smile at your camera and start the game.
The first hour was doable, a couple of jumpscares and some bloody stuff. A few of the jumpscares made you squeal, while the disgusting cutscenes made you want to throw up. Losing your focus on the game as you read some of the dono’s. A lot of them were about the game and people wishing you a good stream. A couple of questions about the Dream Team popped up. “What is George up to? I think he might be streaming as well I’m not -” The loud noise in your headphones, accompanied by a bloody faces canabal with a chainsaw made you shriek, followed by a ton of swear words and you taking of your headphones, rolling your chair away from your desk.
As you sit a couple of feet away from your desk you hear a door closing and footsteps in the hallway. You open your door and call out. “Gogy?” Your chat can’t hear the boy answering you. “You busy? No? Want to join my suffering? Yeah ofcourse you do, bring a chair!” The dark haired boy walks into your room rolling his chair in, a tad too excited. Your chat went insane, seeing him come through the door.
“You already died? Damn, N/N.” He teased, sitting down next to you. His legs propped up on his chair, face popping in and out of the frame.
“Would you like to try, Gogy?” You mimicked his accent, causing George to lean back into his chair. “Alright, goodluck not dying.” He said in the saltiest voice he could. You put your headphones back on, plugging in a second pair for George and handing him the headphones. You continue playing the game, almost getting used to the disgustingness of the house.
“N/N, I have to agree with chat, seeing you being a scaredy cat is hilarious.” In the meantime you’re turning into Y/N “I am going to shit myself” Y/L/N. George just laughs at you while hanging out with the chat. Yet he too flinches at the jumpscares. “Guys, the reason you can’t see George right now is because he is a big pussy.” You laugh, recieving a soft punch to your arm in return.
Another half hour of you and George sitting on the edges of your chairs until Nick decides to have some fun. After hearing you yell a couple of times he’d tune into your stream. He waited for the right moment; you had just finished a cut scene and was wandering though the dark house that felt like a maze. The squeaky sound of the door opening made you lean back in your chair a bit more, as if something or someone would jump out of the room behind it.
The door behind you flew open with a loud bang, causing you and George to yielp. Followed by another jumpscare in the game. “Fuck you Sapnap, you little shit cunt fuck you-” You utter under your breath as you try your best not to die in game.
“Sapnap!” George whined. “What? I heard there was a party.” The boy stood in your doorframe, a cheeky grin covering his face. “Can I join?” He somewhat asked, already pulling out a chair to sit down besides you.
“Fine, but no more messing around or I’ll end the fucking stream guys.” Your chat excitedly greated him. Spamming you there will be a savepoint in a bit. “Alright guys I’m just gonna go for one more savepoint, if i don’t die from adrenaline overdose by then.”
The boys on your sides bickered while you were trying to find the way out. “Go left.” Nick hinted. “Don’t listen to him, N/N.” George told you. They were like some twisted kind of devil/angel pair on your shoulders. “Have you played this before Gogy?” Nick spat, looking over to the boy on the other side of you. “No, but they came from-” He tried to defend himself, before getting cut off. “That’s what I thought, leave it to the pro then.” 
Trusting Nick’s gut you followed his instruction and went left. The sound of your footsteps are accompanied by heavy breathing, you look around with the little light you have. When you don’t immediatly die and thank Nick for the advice. A loud noice makes you turn around as you watch some creepy dolls fall down. “The sounds are honestly the creepiest thing about this game.” You say, continuing to walk around the room, looking for clues. Nick watches you, unbothered by the scary sounds as he doesn’t have any headphones on. “Chat why do you keep spamming ‘DEATH’? I’m not dying, I am clearly a pro.” You say proudly, not being as scared and jumpy as you had been. Yet the grin appearing on Nick’s face is telling you you should be. Moments later it became clear why. A loud screech, followed by one of the residents running towards you holding an axe and piercing the weapon through your chest.
The boy next to you dies of laughter, panting as he tries to catch his breath. “Your face- oh my god you face.” You shake your head at the boy. “Why did I even trust you in the first place. I thought you knew where the exit was.” You say, a tiny bit dissapointed in yourself for falling for it, but also laughing as George almost falls out of his chair from laughter. “Oh, but I do know where the exit is.” Nick teases. You look the boy dead in the eye and start debating whether or not to continue the game.
“100 subs and they’ll continue.” George tells your chat. “Guys, no-” It only took a couple of seconds until the counter was halfway there.
dreamwastaken has gifted 50 subs: go until the next savepoint
"Let’s go, N/N, you heard the big man.” You look straight into your camera and sigh. Alt-tabbing to swearword at Clay on Discord before going back to the game. “I hate every single one of those 50 subs and Dream. One more savepoint and that’s it!” 
George nudges your arm, asking if Clay can join your little scary party. “Do I really need more critisism? What do we think chat? Spam 1 if you want Dream here, 2 if you don’t.” The chats start pouring in. “No, you’re supposed to spam 2 guys! Why aren’t you on my side. Argh, fine.” You shut your camera off and wait for Clay to come in. “No face reveal today guys.” George comments on your chat going crazy.
“You can sit on my lap Dream.” Nick said jokingly, tapping his lap. “I’d rather sit on George’s.” “No way.” The boys bicker back and forth. 
“Dream, get out of the frame I’m turning my camera back on.” The tall guy settles on your bed, being able to see your monitor and the two guys next to you.
“Why do you keep dying, N/N?” He teases as you respawn in game.
“Think you can do better?” You ask, taking a right this time.
“I know I can.” You hear him mutter from the bed behind you.
You press pause, taking your hand of the controller. “Alright guys, you're all talk, why don’t you give it a try huh.”
“Cause we like watching you suffer.” Clay answers. You look over to your roommates, each and every one of them grinning at you.
With a loud sigh you continue playing the game, causing a lot of giggles and teasing as you almost have a heart attack. Nick and Clay keep their commentary coming as George mainly focusses on your chat. You get to the savepoint and finally end the stream.
Turning around in your chair so you face Clay. “I really hate you guys, that was the scariest shit I’ve ever played.”
George rests his arm on your shoulder. “No you don’t.”
“You love us.” Nick adds.
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kookiesjoonies · 4 years
Text
come home | myg.
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another collab w/ my platonic soulmate, @ppersonna​, abt bad hookups and how members of bts fix it n make you feel good. it took me awhile to get my part up, so i want to thank lindy for the millionth time for being so patient. i hope u all enjoy. read her part of this collab w/ jin here!
main pairing: min yoongi x reader (exes to lovers)
fic type: one shot
word count: 3.2k
genre: smut
warnings: language, mentions of smoking/nicotine, mentions of penetrative sex, dry humping, light dirty talk, fingering, oral sex (f. receiving), multiple orgasms, angst if you squint?, tiny amount of fluff (if i forgot any warnings, i apologize! i have been working on this over the course of a week or longer. if i missed anything major, let me know pls! xo)
summary: you just want to feel good. and seeing as how no one has been successful in making that happen for you, you go to the one person who never fails to get you off. who just so happens to be your ex boyfriend.
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The last person in the world that Yoongi expected to be knocking on his door at eight o’ clock at night was you. You’d been broken up for over a year now, and sure, the two of you were on good terms. Hell, you even considered yourselves friends, but rarely ever did the two of you hang out or speak more than a few times a week through text messages.
So naturally, his first thought was that something was wrong. He was standing in the doorway, staring straight ahead at you, trying to read your face for any indication as to why you’d shown up at his house unannounced. Your expression was stoic, though, almost bored. Your hair was shorter though, he’d noticed. Had you gained weight? He couldn’t have been sure, but your thighs definitely appeared to be thicker, and your bra fuller than he remembered.
You caught him eyeing your cleavage and you rolled your eyes. Same old Yoongi, same old habits.
“Are you going to invite me inside?” You asked, arms crossed over your chest and effectively pushing your breasts up.
Yoongi was sure he would be drooling any moment now, and he hadn’t even heard a word you’d said. Fuck, he’d missed staring at you like this.
“Yoongi,” you reached a hand forward, pressing a freshly manicured finger underneath his chin and pointing it up toward your face, “my eyes are up here.”
Now it was his turn to roll his eyes, “And?”
You tilted your head to the side, eyebrows pushing together in annoyance, “Would you just move so I can come inside?”
He obliged, stepping away from the door frame and gesturing you, albeit dramatically, inside.
His house hadn’t changed much, but it definitely wasn’t as well kept as it was when you lived with him. The coffee table was cluttered with assorted take out boxes and half empty water bottles, and you never understood why he didn’t drink the entire bottle of water. It annoyed the piss out of you, and you were still convinced that was the only reason he did it.
Blankets and coats littered the sofa, throw pillows pushed off of the couch and onto the floor. You always hated when he did that. He claimed the pillows made the couch uncomfortable and hard to sit on, and you’d called him insane, telling him that the entire purpose of the pillows were to make it comfortable.
You were curious to see what his bedroom looked like. Well, you were mostly curious, and a tad bit frightened at the thought. Yoongi wasn’t a messy person, but he didn’t mind clutter. You, on the other hand, despised it.
Yoongi took note of the way your eyes danced around the room, taking everything surrounding you in.
“Yeah, it’s messy, I know.” His tone of voice shifted to one of nervousness. He was suddenly very aware that you we’re here, in the house the two of you used to share, for the first time in what felt like forever.
You sensed his awkwardness and turned your attention from the living room and into him, placing a hand gently around his bicep. He instantly relaxed under your touch. You always did know exactly what he needed and when he needed it. He still didn’t know how the fuck you managed to do that.
“I don’t care if it’s messy, Yoongi. I don’t live here anymore.”
“No, you don’t. Which brings me to ask, why are you here?”
“Actually,” you began, leaning against the back of his sofa as you slowly raked your eyes up and down his small frame, “I was wondering if you wanted to fuck.”
Your question clearly caught him off guard, his face immediately contorting into one of utter confusion. Eyes slightly widened, mouth agape.
“Hold on,” he shook his head, a poor attempt at collecting his thoughts as he tried to make sense of what you’d just proposed, “are you high?”
Was he serious? You rolled your eyes at him yet again, convinced they were going to get stuck in the back of your head.
“No, Yoongi. I am not high. I’m just horny, and want to fuck. Simple as that.”
He carded his long fingers through his hair, eyes focusing on yours and fully taking in your serious expression.
“You couldn’t find someone on tinder? I mean, not that I’m not flattered that you came all the way here, but. I’m just a bit confused.”
“I could’ve, yeah,” you nodded, “and I have, in the past. But I’m sick of bad hookups, I have to fake it half the time anyway. Nobody knows my body like you do. I just want to feel good, but if you don’t want to, or if it’s too weird then I can leave. No hard feelings.”
Yoongi took a minute to weigh out the pros and cons in his head. On one hand, he’d kill to be inside of you again. He’d had hookups of his own, sure, but none of them even came close to what you felt like. But on the other hand, you’d broken up for a reason. And this could complicate things.
Who was he to deny you, though? He never could, not when you were together, and he wasn’t about to start now. If all you wanted was to feel good, then goddammit, he was going to make sure that you did.
“Yeah, okay. Let’s do it.”
Your eyes grew wider than quarters, and you stared at him in disbelief, “Really?”
“Were you expecting me to say no?”
“I don’t..” you paused, “I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was hoping you’d say yes.”
“Well,” he took a single step forward, hands easily falling down and onto your hips, “I did.”
All it took was the feeling of his hands on you to make your breath catch in your throat. It’d been over a year since he’d last touched you, his hands felt like they were burning your skin through your shirt. You stared up at him, eyes fixated on his as his mouth slowly crept down and onto yours.
It felt like sparks of electricity were coursing through your veins. Your body instantly reacted, legs jumping up and off of the ground to wrap around his waist. He was quick to catch you, hands cupping your ass to hold you up and pressed against him. His lips moved against yours easily, his tongue gliding into your mouth and wrapping around yours perfectly. Kissing you was muscle memory, he knew every crevice of your mouth, which moves of his tongue would have you wrecked.
He took advantage of that, lapping and twirling his tongue against yours in a way that had you moaning into the kiss. The vibrations going straight from his lips and down to his dick, and you could feel him hardening against your thigh. Your hands found their way into the dark hair at the nape of his neck and you twirled it around your fingers, all the while giving a quick swivel of your hips that had Yoongi groaning into your mouth.
He carried you away from the couch and down the hallway into his master bedroom, kicking the door closed with his foot once inside. He had your back pressed up against it instantaneously, grinding his hips up and into yours at a steady pace. You were holding onto his neck for dear life, letting out a whine as he hit your clit perfectly.
“Y-yoongi! Right there, oh my God, do that again.” You pleaded, and he happily obliged by thrusting his hips in the exact same way, causing you to cry out and bite down on your lower lip. If he kept this shit up, you’d be cumming in your pants.
His lips were attached to your neck now, attacking the skin there with sloppy kisses and occasional suction. You knew there would be bruises, but you couldn’t be bothered to give a single fuck. Your body was elated, you felt like you were floating. And all of it was from a fucking make out session and dry humping. You couldn’t even begin to imagine how you were going to feel once he was finally inside of you. The thought of it alone had you soaking wet, and you could feel how damp your panties had gotten, sure that your jeans were soon to follow suit.
His hips never slowed, in fact, they only sped up. You were bouncing against him now, attempting to gather even more friction than what he was giving you. His fingers curled and squeezed your ass, holding you still as he ruthlessly humped against your core.
“Gonna cum for me, huh? Right here? With your clothes still on?” He was nipping at your jawline now, and the sounds you were making sounded like you were trying to speak, but nothing you were saying was coherent.
“What was that?” he rolled his hips hard against your aching cunt, and you immediately saw black, “Words, baby. Or I’ll stop right now.”
You panicked, trying to muster up any sort of response that you could manage, even if you did sound completely fucking pitiful.
“Yes! Oh my god, yes.” You mewled, and one final jolt of his hips had you coming undone.
Your thighs contracted around him, shaking and attempting to pull him closer and keep him trapped between your legs. Your hands were tugging on his hair, burning his scalp and causing him to groan at the sensation. Cries of his name and a slew of fucked out curses made their way past your lips as you came, head knocking back against the wooden door.
Yoongi had pulled away from your neck so that he could watch you, his eyes darkening with want as he witnessed you lose yourself from just grinding alone. He thought you’d never looked sexier than you did right now. And all he could think about was how badly he wanted to clean up the mess he’d just made in between your legs.
“Let me eat you out.” His voice was rough, raspy, and hot. How could you say no to that?
You hadn’t even completely come down from your high yet, stars still circling above your head as you blinked rapidly in an attempt to get them to go away. But still, you nodded.
He was quick to drop to his knees after setting your feet and shaky legs back down onto the ground. Your fingers threaded through his hair, hips pushing forward and toward his mouth. You’d never wanted— no, needed his tongue against you so badly before. But you couldn’t help the breathy laugh that pushed out of your throat.
“What’s so funny?” Yoongi prompted, mumbling against the skin of your lower abdomen as he pressed wet kisses there.
You lightly twirled his hair around your index finger, a small sigh making its way through your lips as you felt him begin to undo the button a zipper on your pants.
The whole situation was fucking hilarious to you. You ever imagined you’d be here again, with Yoongi in general, let alone with his head between your legs. But that was too heavy of a conversation to have at the moment. You knew that if you said such things, he’d want to have a deep, touchy feely talk and all you were interested right now was him making you cum for the second time today.
So, you decided to play your laughter off, sounding as nonchalant as possible.
“Just find it funny that our bed is two feet away from us, yet you’re still going to eat me out while you’re on the floor.”
Yoongi had taken to ridding you of those god forsaken jeans, kissing from your knee up to the tops of your thigh. His actions coming to a still in the middle of your sentence.
“Our? bed?” He cocked an eyebrow, deep irises flickering up to look straight at you.
“Just habit, I guess.” you shrugged it off, but internally, you were kicking your own ass for making such a slip up, “Are you going to go down on me, or not?”
Yoongi couldn’t stop the roll of his eyes. This was so fucking like you, brushing off your true emotions and covering them up with something sexual. Had you forgotten he knew you better than anyone else in the world?
Still, you’d come to him for a reason. You wanted to feel good. He was determined to follow through with your wishes, but made a mental note to get you to tell him how you were feeling afterwards.
“You’re so fucking bossy.” He spat out the words, though they weren’t laced with any real venom. It was too playful, too Yoongi.
You were going to offer him a smart ass remark, a witty comeback on the very tip of your lips. However, the feel of his tongue dragging through your folds had you moaning instead.
His arms linked around the backs of your thighs to hold you in place, keeping your cunt pressed firmly against his face as he nudged your clit with his tongue. A small, barely there flick that had you whining in a high pitched fashion. Your eyes had screwed shut, hand tangled in his hair and pulling it from the root.
One of his hands moved from your legs so that he could hover his index finger over your entrance, circling around it and gathering up your wetness. He groaned at the feeling, at how absolutely fucking soaked you were for him. It was something he never, ever got tired of. And it was definitely something he’d grown to miss.
All at once, he was pulling your clit into his mouth. Teeth lightly grazing it before he took his time suckling on the bud, quick, exasperated whimpers coming out of your lips as he did so.
You offered him fucked out praises, telling him how good it felt, how badly you wanted more. His finger pushed into you, and your walls immediately squeezed around it. Once you’d loosened back up, he added his middle finger and slowly began to fuck into you.
Your mouth was left agape at the feeling, his tongue now swirling at a steady pace against your bundle of nerves. Your nails dug into his scalp, and you’d begun to shamelessly ride his face. He was loving every minute of it, every wanton noise that came out of your mouth.
“I—I need—,” you stuttered, unsure of exactly what it was that you needed from him, “God, Yoongi, please—”
Even when you didn’t know, he always seemed to. His long fingers curled inside of you, arching and pressing against that glorious spot that had you screaming out a line of curses.
He quickened the pace of his tongue up, the speed of it ruthless against your clit now. Your eyes were beginning to well up, and you were sure you’d never felt pleasure like this before. Not even from him. There was something about this time that made it feel like you were floating on cloud nine. And you never, ever wanted to come down. You wanted his head buried between your thighs for an eternity.
One more push of his fingers and lick of his tongue had you bucking your hips against his face, and you weren’t sure how he was managing to breathe. Your lower stomach was knotting, heat spreading from your core throughout your entire body as your orgasm washed over you. Both of your hands were in his hair now, gripping onto the soft strands of it with all of your might. You were squirming, trying to get closer to him, and away from him all at the same time.
Black dots were all that you could see, your head spinning and making you feel like you were floating off of the ground. Your chest was rising and falling rapidly as you attempted to catch your breath and regain your composure.
You groaned at the empty feeling as you felt Yoongi pull his fingers out of you, glancing down at him just in time to watch him insert the digits into his mouth and swallow your release. Your eyes rolled back at the sight, a huff leaving your lips.
“You’re going to be the death of me.” You joked, and he rewarded you with a chuckle as he stood up and pressed his lips to yours, pushing his tongue into your mouth with ease.
You could taste yourself on him, and that alone had you aroused again and ready for orgasm number three. And hopefully four and five. You could feel yourself growing wet again, and took the opportunity to grab one of his hands and bring it down and onto your soaked pussy.
He groaned into the kiss, tongue moving with more fervor, more hunger.
You were pulling back, and he was chasing your lips with his. You giggled at his actions, your fingers toying with the fine strands of his hair.
Without giving it a second thought, he was lifting you off of the ground again and taking quick strides toward the bed.
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It seemed like the two of you had spent the better part of the night fucking. But by your fifth orgasm, you were too fucked out, and way too sensitive to do it again. You could barely walk, your legs the equivalent of Jell-O. Yoongi insisted over and over that you just spent the night with him, offering to take the couch if that would make you more comfortable.
“I just spent the last two hours with your dick buried inside of me,” you pointed out, “I think we can share a bed.”
He laughed as he laid beside of you, still completely naked and on full display for you.
“Touché.”
“I need a cigarette, but I can’t even walk to get them out of my jeans.” You groaned as you stared at your pants lying in front of the door, and you could hear Yoongi sighing beside of you.
“What?” You cocked an eyebrow, rolling onto your side so that you could face him.
“You know how I feel about you smoking. I wish you’d quit that shit.”
“Well,” you started, “at least you don’t have to smell it on a daily basis anymore. You know, since I don’t live here.”
“Eh,” he shrugged, turning over on his side to match your position, “kind of miss it.”
Your eyes slightly widened, and you were left speechless. Because what were you supposed to say to that?
Yoongi sighed, giving you a quick roll of his eyes.
“Come on, Y/n. What are we doing?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” You lied.
“You mean to tell me you don’t feel comfortable right now? Like we never stopped this in the first place? Never stopped.. us?” He studied your face as he waited for your answer, fingers instinctively reaching out to trail along the curve of your bare hip.
“Yoongi..” You sighed, unsure of what else to say. Because he was right. This felt normal. It felt right.
“Just come home.” His voice was sincere, his eyes soft and pleading as he looked at you.
Usually, this was the kind of big decision you’d have to think about, outweigh all of the pros and cons. But this time, you didn’t hesitate to respond. Because this was Yoongi, and he was home.
“Yeah,” you nodded, gently rubbing your thumb along the top of his cheek as you offered him a gentle smile, “okay.”
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