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#ft. talia
jawbrkrs · 1 year
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" what are you doing here? I thought we both agreed it was better if we took a break? " the vibrant colors adorning his hands were a good indication on the time he had spent painting the last few days. when things were rough or confusing he did the one thing, that cleared his mind .. painting. but here she was in his studio, standing in front of him, causing every part of him to go numb. | @wintxrx
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ruthiesalenger · 2 years
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September 2, 1923 3:56am Falls Inn
Wet.
Rainwater splashed off her shoulders and onto the wide planks of the porch floor. Little rivulets cascaded down her cheeks, aided by plastered tendrils of honey-blonde hair. Even her eyelashes held water -- not delicately, like gems, but heavily, with weight. Peeling her cardigan off, Ruthie wrung it out as the rain clattered on the porch roof.
Opening the ledger exuded a puff of dust -- or smoke, more accurately. Ruthie reached for the peregrine quill and inscribed her name, along with a check-in time. Three-fifty-seven in the morning.
Talia looked like an angry white rat, her tiny brow in a scowl as she shivered past.
Ruthie sighed, and knelt to feed her an edge of plum tart. With a sniff and an edge of scorn, Talia rejected it and trotted into the parlor, edging as close to the hearth as she could without catching an ember. Ruthie’s gaze focused upon her palm, sugar melting into damp skin.
“If it makes you feel better,” she murmured, casting a look over her shoulder. Her handkerchief was damp without being thoroughly soaked, and she used it to clean her fingers.
Coming around the corner, the key rack shimmered as though touched by an unnatural glimmer. The tiniest of breezes swept through the otherwise-still hallway. She paused. Water collected along the line of her jaw, trembling.
Rosemary seemed nice. Soothing. Predictable. Or the moon, with its smile. Ruthie swallowed. Was it a wicked smile?
Her gaze kept tracking back to one, ornate. The head of a wolf with two faces, staring to-and-fro. One bared its teeth, the other stared solemnly. She did not like the teeth.
Snatching it off the rack, Ruthie turned to find Talia already trotting up the staircase.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” she called into the shadows. “I’m taking a bath first.”
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spellbcok · 1 month
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a closed starter for yoon chiwoo ( @youllalwaysbemyporcelain )
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"what in the living hell is that?" talia asked after barely choking down the wine she'd been offered. "no way you think this abomination even compares to drinking straight from the tap."
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modelcitizentomorrow · 7 months
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rate your friends from least to most annoying
Vidia's always raining on my parade, so she has to be number one. Sorry, Vid. Talia... I love you, Talia, but you're so stubborn. Rosetta's only annoying because she refuses to get her hands a little dirty, so she gets third place. Dessa's a sweetheart, but she worries so much I'd have to put her before Sylvie. And Sylvie... is perfect, actually, she's never done anything wrong in her life. But, come on, we all know I'm the most annoying of them all, bringing owls home and going on and on about how important worms are to the eco-system all the time.
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@faiirytalcs, @rosettafleur, @dewdr0psx
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woodsfae · 2 years
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Babylon 5 S01E06: Mind War
First
Previous
ToC
Space chase!
Catherine must enjoy her job, because she’s a very wealthy woman from that quantium from the planet she previously surveyed. Or it’s a very convenient way to get her offscreen whenever the plot demands. edit: or, as it happened, a convenient way to get on ON screen when the plot demands! I am pleasantly surprised!
Michael Garibaldi don’t be a creep, also you’re not in love. My girl Talia is going to marry my girl Susan and you’re going to watch Daffy Duck and be chill.
WALTER KOENIG?! That’s Pavel Chekov! My guy! Mr Bester, fine. But he’s Chekov in my heart.
I’m ready for some serious dirt on this seriously dystopian Psi Corps. And ready to find out why this rogue telepath appears to also be using telekinesis!
Who watches the watchmen, indeed, Ivanova?
So Talia is a level 5 telepath, which burns out or kills 50% of telepaths who attempt the rank. (if I recall what she said to Sinclair correctly) The rogue telepath is level 10, as all instructors are. And these psi cops are level 12. How many telepaths do they burn through to get others trained adequately? And do they actually burn out, or are they being disposed of and the testing dangers are exaggerated to cover it up?
Hah, and Jason immediately comes to Talia after she’s passed her scan.
G’Kar is being weird to Catherine. Polite. Eloquent. He hasn’t put forward this much effort at being polite and agreeable to anyone for the entire show so far. His “no seriously, this is in good faith,” argument here reminds me very much of Garak from Deep Space 9.
Let me pass on to you the one thing I’ve learned about this place. No one here is exactly what he appears. Not Mollari, not Delenn, not Sinclair, and not me. My warning is sincere. Ignore it at your own peril.
Power boosting in the psi corps and it’s an arms race. And there’s experiments, and Jason was experimented on. That never goes well, historically speaking. I wonder if some inspiration for River in Firefly was taken from this episode.
So, telekinesis is actually a thing in this universe, but they’re insanely rare, and half of them are insane. And Jason got telekinesis as well as highly boosted telepathy from the experiments - the former of which was actually, secretly, the goal.
Walter Koenig is so delightfully terrifying in this!
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I can’t imagine G’Kar is going to be so seemingly straightforward as to take send this heavily armed cruiser to attack Catherine.
Yeah, telekinetics controlled by the CIA sounds absolutely horrifying, and that’s basically what Jason is describing here. Also, a space station is a horrible place to have a telekinetic mind quake.
I’m not kidding at all when I say these special effects delight me. Apparently I’ve been craving a sci fi show of a certain age. But they’ve mostly been space explosions and lightning - not that I’m complaining! They’re lovely space explosions and lightning. But I freaking love this force field.
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Some jump point info I’ve been craving - for this jump, Catherine leaves from and also arrives at a jump point structure. Do they have to send the physical infrastructure at sublight speeds to each new location?
Poor Jason. This is very River Tam without a Simon Tam.
“Good old Psi Corps. You guys never cease to amaze me. All the moral fiber of Jack the Ripper. What do you do in your spare time? Juggle babies over a fire pit? Oops, there goes another calculated risk.” “You’re not helping the situation.” “Lady, you are the situation.”
You tell them, Ivanova! Ms Kelsey looks delighted at the prospect of handling-or-murdering Jason, while Walter Koenig looks ominous as hell. They’re a good horror duo. I’m horrified.
Jason, no. You’re still Jason. It’s OK. You can be becoming but also be yourself. This is a trauma reaction called depersonalization, it’s normal bby. He needs a weighted blanket and an EMDR therapist. Instead he’s got Psi Cops who are absolutely killing the unnerving vibe. Immaculate villain presentation. Not so good for the case of PTSD Jason is rapidly developing.
More special effects! I am delighted. Psi Corps dirt and 90s CGI. I’m in heaven.
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Talia, earnestly: “He wants to see you [...] I know it’s asking you to take a terrible chance, but it’s the only one we’ve got.” Sinclair, confidently: “All right. Where and when.”
😭The trust for his crew! and maybe also a smidge of that death wish from the war. Also, telepath sex sounds both terrifying and extremely hot. But mostly terrifying. Like, that’s a little extra. Eye contact is a little much for me sometimes, but go ahead and make your soul a mirror, Talia. You do you babe. I bet Susan will be into it.
What in the fuck is Catherine gotten into. Seems like G’Kar was not kidding about weird, dangerous shit floating around this area. Good thing he’s gonna turn up before she crashes.
Jason’s bit about Psi Corps’ control fixation reminds me of Terry Pratchet’s bit about evil being when you treat people as things to be controlled instead of persons. Believe him, Sinclair! He’s been 1000% more polite than Walter Koenig and Ms Murder.
Secret ops! Secret ops! They’re definitely going to be able to keep it secret from the two, level 12 telepaths hanging around looking for secrecy in general.
“Please. No, don’t make me do this. You cannot harm me. You cannot harm one who dreamed a dream like mine.”
OH SHIT he really can vaporize people. (and get harmed a little by that utterly delightful ray gun. How is it that it looked ten times more fake than the phasers in Star Trek TOS from the 60s? Amazing. And again - not a complaint.)
He supernova’ed! This is amazing. This is the best episode.
Sinclair and Garibaldi are a little too good at blackmailing people and covering up evidence.
*whispers* telekinetic Talia. Telekinetic Talia! Telekinetic Talia?
I like this strange relationship G’Kar seems to be cultivating with Catherine. He’s not like this with anyone else.
Eldritch beings hanging out in the universe, cool!
“They are a mystery and I am both terrified and reassured that there are still wonders in the universe and we have not yet explained everything. [...] They must walk there alone.”
This episode delighted me in every way.
Next!
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angelwithshotgn · 1 year
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𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍  &  𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒 :  hazel cafe ( closed / @xdivinve​ ) 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 :  EMRE DEMIRCI
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emre had been in town for two months, and yet hadn’t traveled into town unless it was for supplies. the owners of the bed & breakfast had told him to head into town and get to know the people in town, not just those who come to the family business. he walked into the coffee shop, hands tucked into his coat pocket before looking at the menu board to figure out what to drink. he hasn’t drank coffee in five years so he didn’t really know where to start. he didn’t know what he liked anymore. brown eyes focused on the board until he felt someone bump into him before instinct set in and he grabbed the other’s arms to steady them. ❝ i’m sorry. i shouldn’t have stopped in the middle of the walkway. ❞ he stated before looking up at the person he caught. his eyes stayed on her, on his ex wife, as he froze in his place at the sight of the woman he hasn’t seen in five years.
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allvalley · 1 year
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@karatetaught / ft. miguel and talia.
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"did  I  bored  you  out  there?"  talia  is  aware  that  football  is  not  exactly  the  same  type  of  competitive  sport  as  karate  but,  in  a  way,  it's  just  as  ruthless,  specially  how  her  team  works  to  get  to  the  top  of  the  chart.  freshly  bathed  and  clean,  she  allows  herself  to  lean  over  and  wrap  her  arms  around  his  shoulders,  lips  finding  his  own  for  a  kiss.  "I  do  have  a  badass  kick,  just  not  a  tornado  one,  don't  i?"  the  young  promising  football  star  laughs,  a  smile  on  her  lips,  relaxing  at  last  despite  the  gentle  pleasing  ache  of  her  legs  after  90  minutes  of  pure  adrenaline.
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Closed: @gvldntrbl – Hanging about and around the Secret Garden at Alden's Bachelor Party.
"Thank you for inviting me, Talia. I didn't know you had a talent for hosting events," he smiled at the brunette. Sebastian had a great time out on the water with her a few weeks ago, so he gladly accepted the invitation to celebrate Alden. "Still reeling from beating me out on the water?"
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monarhrh · 11 months
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tag dump for talia
*˖ ⊹       talia sultana      ☆゚       (  thread  )
*˖ ⊹       talia sultana      ☆゚      (  musings  )
*˖ ⊹       talia sultana      ☆゚      (  mirror  )
*˖ ⊹       talia sultana      ☆゚       (  answered  )
*˖ ⊹       talia sultana      ☆゚      (  ft.  )
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heylosers06 · 5 days
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EEEE ok so Violinist Damian (because he can canonically play.) playing at a school show with Duke as his Accompanist.
White suit for Duke courtesy from my friends beautiful brain. Ft. Talia earrings on Damian and Bruce with his boys.
Also I have to draw Damian as a chipmunk every time because it’s so funny
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jawbrkrs · 11 months
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based off our im’s lol ..
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“ i already told you nothing happened.. do you seriously not trust me? ” the city of angels was full of temptation. the constant urge to resist, throwing a hurdle into their relationship neither one of them anticipated. " and you're one to talk. you think i don't see the instagram comments. the way your co-star looks at you? " he had never been the jealous type but the situation was clear as day. | @sirxnx
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sirenlulls · 7 months
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bad idea, right? → theburntchip
pairing , theburntchip x youtuber!reader
summary , where the much-mourned couple of the uk youtube scene reconnect
note , this is in aid of my wifey @whoetoshaw who sends the chip lovers in her inbox my way 🤭🫶
part two (get him back!)
yes, i know that he’s my ex, but can’t two people reconnect?!
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[tagged: ynapparel , model1 , model2 , model3]
❤️ liked by theburntchip, freyanightingale, and 92,787 others
yourusername EEEE!!!! so happy to announce the launch of my clothing brand, y/n apparel (so original ik 😩💋) the official site will launch on the 21st of september & will bring you a wide variety of styles, from loungewear, to club dresses, to athleisure. i’ve been working on this for little over two and a half years now with my beautiful, creative, incredible, and innovative team. i love love love u all my fashion family @ ynapparel. and i love U!!!! for supporting me 🫶💗 looking forward to seeing u on the apparel account’s insta live as we greet and interview your fav influencers at the launch party x 🥰🥰
user the post hasn’t even been up a minute and chip liked ☹️😭
faithlouisak so so proud of you my babe. actually bawling 🥹🥹
yourusername luv u sm beautiful mama 🫶🫶🫶
thefellasstudios ayyyy! we better see some fire fits on the 21st 😮‍💨
calfreezy now i’m off the professional account, so proud and let’s hope you still remember how to throw a party because i cannot be seen at a stinker
yourusername won’t let u down calfreezy sir 🫡
taliamar baby’s all grown up 🥺 so proud of you my love i can’t wait to see the art you make 🫶
user talia are you crying be honest
georgeclarkeey can you get me a stylist i’m scared to be judged
yourusername i’ll get u set up in a gorg pink bodycon x
maxbalegde @ yourusername i reckon he’d pull it off
maxbalegde THATS MY GIRL!!! 😭😭😭 buzzing for you babes xx
gkbarry_ UGH! i’ll bawl i’m so proud of u girl ❤️
bambinobecky better be seeing you fashion week 2024
yourusername go big or go home ig 🤷‍♀️
user i wanna buy to support but i’m broke so what are the prices gonna be like?
yourusername me and the team tried to keep prices as low as possible but to make sure we were using ethical and durable means of production, we have to keep them pretty middle-ground. around £35/50 quid for the dresses but everything else is pretty diverse in price 💗
user just in time for me to get my winter wardrobe 🤭🥰
model2 loved working with you!! you’re such an angel 💗
yourusername awh my stunning girl!! you’re the sweetest thing & i look forward to working with you again 🫶🫶
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[tagged: ynapparel , arthurtv , freyanightingale , zerkaa , gkbarry_ , faithlouisak , calfreezy , chrismd , stephentries , theobaker]
❤️ liked by geenelly, angryginge13, and 97,863 others
yourusername so so so honoured to have the chance to spend a night celebrating my passion project with the people i care the most about. i love u all a million more times than u could ever know. (ft. some very distinguished, very sloshed gentlemen in the last two slides 🥰)
ksi 🖤🔥
freynightingale that pic omg i’ll cry 😭 it was such an amazing night for such an amazing brand and such an amazing woman!! you deserve all the greatness you get ❤️❤️❤️
user mother is motheringgggggg
ynapparel 🩷🩷🩷
gkbarry_ you looked so gorg babe i wanted to take a bite out of you x
yourusername who’s saying you can’t 😩😩
stephentries you know it’s a good night when chrisMD gets his tits out
user losing my mind ur so beautiful
calfreezy NAHHH WHY DID YOU DO THEO LIKE THAT
miaxmon had an absolute ball!!! you looked incredible babe 🫶💋
arthurnfhill it was all fun and games until the karaoke came out to play
yourusername pretending it didn’t happen
user THEY INTERVIEWED CHIP ON THE IG LIVE
user OMG WHY DID HE SAY
user he looked like he was tryna keep it brief but he said he was so proud of y/n because he’s seen how hard she’s worked for this & she deserves it all 🥹🥹🥹 & he also called cal a bellend because he crashed the interview by slapping chip’s bum
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[tagged: theburntchip]
❤️ liked by wroetoshaw, willne, and 1,021,363 others
yourusername can’t two people reconnect?
comments on this post have been restricted.
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spellbcok · 2 months
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a closed starter for zash ( @mischiefxmuses )
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talia watched as the bartender, with clenched fists, moved quickly to the opposite side of the bar after dropping off their drinks in a huff. "wow, so that really is how you talk to everyone," talia comments with a chuckle. "i thought you were just in a bad mood last time."
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ghostbsuter · 8 months
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Ghostbsuter's Masterlist!
Every prompt and idea (outside of the multiple parts: section) is free to use! Have fun. Feel free to credit me as well when you do.
Hey, want to support/commission art? See my etsy shop!
Want different content? Look at this !
・゜-: ✧ :-
Multiple parts:
Batclan and Catband
Selina is Danny's mom, recently got engaged to Bruce, and now they're meeting!
[ part 1 | part 2 | part 3 ]
The house of Nightingale & Constantine | #the house of Constantine and Nightingale have infinite beef
Batman called for help.
Now, with Phantom's help and Constantines, they might have a chance. If only he knew those two were rivals and enemies in terms of dark houses.
[ chapters: 1 | ] [ao3] (soon!)
[ snippets: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 ]
[ chap 1 snap-shot ]
Wonder MOM
Danny is a godling, born from the stars and son of Diana. Batman rescued him from abduction, and that's how the JL finds out about the son of WW.
[ part 1 ]
Twins, minus the Demon
Demon Twins Au, Damian and Danyal are the sons of the bat, demon and cat.
Implied and referenced past/current Bruce/Selina/Talia throuple.
[ part 1 ]
Magicians way
Danny is the son of Zatanna and John, member of the Young Just us and well... sometimes things don't go as planned.
[ part 1 | 1/4 ]
Team effort
Danny is a member of the Teen Titans!
[ part 1 | part 2 soon! ]
.・゜-: ✧ :-
Stand alones:
Birthday present (read the reposts!) | (Martian appreciation)
High on fear (read the reposts!) | (ghosts really like emotions)
Joker's Jr. or not? | (danny being the son of joker and harley)
He's Danny | (Joker's Jr. or not? continuation)
Titan missing! | (phantom is teen titans member and amity got kidnapped)
Wingman | (steph x sam)
Dog-napped | (cujo at it again ft. baby assassin)
One way to crush | (Dani crushing on Lian)
Speed running romance | (Dick x Jazz x Babs)
The Fries | (Nora going ghost)
Arson and consequences | (Roy!!)
Babysitting trouble | (baby yeti outside!)
Visitation | (Sam and young justice)
Syn eclipse | (being chased)
Elephant | (beast boy trolling)
Sibling rivalry | (just dan and danny things)
Team Bonding!!! | (JL + Danny get kidnapped)
Halloween skull | (supersons)
Young Justice Dark | (JLD + their own Jr.)
.・゜-: ✧ :-
Bats!!
Prompts and snippets of adventures Danny has with various Bats.
College student shaped stray | (dami befriends teen dad danny)
Mom!cass | (time shenanigans end with conspiracy theories)
Calico (read the reposts!) | (nighttime activities as family bonding)
Paranoia | (bonding activity between Duke and Danny)
Harsh truth | (the plans start the moment Ra's fell)
Meta-child | (dick centric)
Villain magnet | (just danny being danny)
Sweet revenge | (danny and bruce)
Diplomatic immunity | (danny in gotham)
Little Brother | (Danny is a drake)
Another Cain | (Danny Cain)
Buying your own mercenary! | (Danny in his deadpool arc)
Grayson's stray | (one police officer picks up a kid)
Robin manifestation!Danny | (child of gotham)
Governmental shit that is (read the Reblogs!) | (dead tired)
1 (+3) new child | (scooby doo but its Danny-Johnny-Kitty-Ember and shadow)
Cell buddies | (Dami and Danny)
Its not a habit | (Tim and danny)
Keeping up with the waynes | (wes theories and denial)
Straying Twins | (demon twins)
Bat plans | (robin needs a new buddy)
Mantles | (cass prepares)
How to spot | (night shift bats)
.・゜-: ✧ :-
WONDER W
Prompts and snippets with the one and only! Wonder Woman!
Spiderman meme | (featuring Dani and Diana)
.・゜-: ✧ :-
SUPERS
Prompts and snippets with the local superfam
Metropolis | (hiding)
Twitter beef | (ft. Superman)
Super representative | (confused Clark kent)
New kid dropped | (they're so confused)
Fake it till u make it | (Jon dug his grave)
Civilian life | (danny is just trying to live)
School way | (Jon and Danny meet!)
.・゜-: ✧ :-
SPEEDSTERS!!!
Prompts and snippets of adventures Danny has with various Speedsters.
Bart & Danny | timetraveler & immortal (read the reposts!)
Bart & Danny | playdates
Barry & Danny | Found family via Villain
Bart/Danny | Crushing
Bart & Danny | displaced
.・゜-: ✧ :-
Godly shenanigans | #Billy and Danny are brothers in crime and losers in costumes
Prompts and snippets of Billy and Danny trying to survive in the world of adults.
JL's own trouble kids
Double the trouble
Pranksters in disguises
Grounded
Challenge
.・゜-: ✧ :-
Anything with Connie
Prompts and snippets of various ways of Danny interacting with John Constantine.
Troubled and Dad shaped
Imprisoned but not dead?
Breaking in
Hell adventures
Zones
Rush hour
He when (head wanted, not alive)
Haunted menace
Nail polish
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dead-sane-stuff · 1 year
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Just Batfam tingz ft. Batsis part 1
Damian: your ugly when you lie Tim
Tim: I'm not lying
Damian: then why are you ugly
Source: invader Zim
_________________
Jason: Never stop believing Y/N, and all your dreams will come true!
Young!batsis: even them scary ones 🥺?
Jason: Hahahaha!😅
Jason: yes
Source: the misadventures of flapjack
_________________
*explaining to Bruce how they lost/can't find Jason after a mission*
Y/N: And after that, we haven't seen jason since
Tim: We also didn't look that hard
Source: the grim adventures of Billy and Mandy
________________
Y/N: After all, 'unstoppable' is just another kind of 'stoppable'
Tim: No, that's not really right
Y/N: yeah, it made more sense in my head
Source: the dragon prince
__________________
Batman: Spoiler , do you remember what I told you at the batcave?
Spoiler: probably not , I'm not to good with history.
Y/N: I'm good with history but I have trouble in math
Source: bob's burgers
_________________
Y/n: Dinosaurs aren't extinct. I mean your Grandfather just entered the room!
Talia: ......
Ra's: ....
Damian: .....I'm going to exit this room now.
Source: unknown
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sensitively-taken · 9 months
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what's with your kisses? — park sunghoon
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synopsis. Park Sunghoon has never had much time or even a slight care for dating, romance, love, or anything of that sort. so, when you kiss him at a rowdy party one night, as his first kiss ever, he’s surprised to find that he wants more. what he thought was going to be a one-time thing, he finds evolving into something he never wants to end—even if you two aren’t meant to be more than a summer fling.
pairing. park sunghoon x gender-neutral!reader ft. jake sim
genres. fluff, strangers to lovers au, summer (fling) au
warnings. underage drinking & all that implies! please let me know if i've missed any :)
word count. 10.7k (10737)
taglist. @soobin-chois @my5colors @kflixnet @jaeyunverse @heejojo @tbzloonar @odxrilove @aizzon
listen to! strangers, sigrid ⭑ i'll be down, talia goddess ⭑ lovestained, hope tala ⭑ yuck, charli xcx ⭑ feature me, flo ⭑ summer's over, tv girl ft. jordana ⭑ yellow cab, dpr live (click on the listen to for the spotify playlist, which i recommend listening to unshuffled)
notes. ermmm..... after more than a year and (almost) radio silence on this blog, here she is!! i'm rlly sorry ab how long it took for me to post this (esp when it was sitting in my drafts for a whole year..) 😭😭 but SHE'S HERE and that's all that matters!! since this was originally an entry for @/prettywon's soul symphonies collab, this song is based on yellow cab by dpr live, as you can probably tell by the title & playlist. i was rlly trying to reflect that boyish infatuation he's singing ab so if u cringe a bit i understand 😪 i did too tysm lola @ijhyo for beta reading this for me! (pls pardon me for tagging u a few hours late 🙏🏾) but enough rambling from me!! enjoy! ❤️
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I – K is for Kiss
There was no such thing as the perfect first kiss.
Park Sunghoon, a nineteen-year-old boy who’d never been kissed, had accepted this fact long ago. A lucky few got to have their first kiss with their first love or a longtime crush, while a lot more people had embarrassing stories they’d share on drunken nights. He knew a first kiss wasn’t something out of a fairytale. But, he felt that, at the very least, he should have an adequate first kiss–preferably with someone he had some sort of feelings for.
So, he’d never predicted that he’d end up losing his lip virginity to a stranger at the summer party his best friend, Jake, was throwing.
Or that he’d like it. (Sunghoon wasn’t sure he could even admit that.)
He could admit this though: you were a good kisser. A very, very good kisser–at least, according to his standards. Even he–the nineteen-year-old who’d never even held hands with someone, let alone kissed someone–was able to realise you’d done this a dozen times before when you cupped his cheek–not aggressively, but softly, gently–whispered the question in his ear, and pulled him into a chaste, soft kiss as soon as he’d nodded awkwardly.
Then, moving your hand from his cheek to his neck and smirking slightly, you deepened the kiss.
That’s when he started wondering why he’d never done this before.
You didn’t move too fast, or too slow. It was almost like you knew exactly what he was thinking, what he was feeling, because the second it would start feeling a bit too much for him and his head would start swimming, you would pull back and rest your forehead against his. But, when he started missing the feel of your lips on his, your eyes would flicker to his, the question on the tip of your tongue, and lean in again.
He would never say it out loud, not to you or anyone else, but he was glad you’d taken the lead. Because with the way his hands were trembling to wrap themselves around your waist, and how he’d avoid your gaze every time you pulled back, he wasn’t so sure you two would’ve even been here if you’d left the initiating to him.
All of a sudden, you pulled back–the first time you didn’t do what he wanted–and Sunghoon chased your lips for a bit, cheeks reddening when he realised you weren’t leaning back in.
He stepped back, which was hard to do in a cramped shed but he managed and cleared his throat. Suddenly, he was very interested in inspecting the design of said shed. “Um… is something wrong? Did I, I don’t know, did I do something wrong?”
“No,” you smiled coyly and licked your lips (Sunghoon’s eyes may have flickered back up in time to catch the moment and linger on it), “the seven minutes are up.”
Oh. Right. That–a very silly round of seven minutes in heaven–was how he’d got here. Stuck in a shed. Kissing a complete, random stranger. Y’know, the daily, run-of-the-mill stuff for Sunghoon.
He nodded slowly, flicking away the few dark hairs that fell in front of his eyes. “Right, right. After you.”
“After you?” You laughed, a warm sound he found himself melting to (on the inside. On the outside, he was biting his lip so hard he could taste your chapstick on his tongue), “This whole time you haven’t done anything, but now you want to be a gentleman?”
His face reddened and he crossed his arms over his chest. “No one said gentlemen have to be good at kissing!”
“You do have a point, kind sir.” He rolled his eyes at your jab. “I’d just think it’d be much more gentlemanly of you to look me in the eyes, instead of, dunno, glaring at my lips.”
At this rate, Sunghoon was sure someone’s face couldn’t be as red as his was.
He made a point to look into your eyes for a good ten seconds, breath held, before looking at his flip flops and murmuring, “I wasn’t glaring… I think. Like, I’m not mad at your lips or anything.”
You laughed again, a deeper sound he was sure came from the depths of your heart, and with a small grin on his face, Sunghoon decided he liked the sound.
“I wasn’t saying you were mad.” You stepped closer to him and Sunghoon’s breath hitched. You reached out to him, and for a second Sunghoon thought you were going to cup his face and kiss him again–he wanted you to–but then you reached up and smoothed his eyebrows and the space between them. “Just relax these big boys a bit. They can get a day off glaring, don’t you think, cutie?”
You didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, you smiled and reached behind Sunghoon for the shed door, stepping out to hear a chorus of cheers from some other partygoers and leaving the boy dumbfounded and red.
It was only when Sunghoon moved to leave the shed that he realised he’d never caught your name.
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II – I is for Infatuation
Sunghoon was not thinking about the kiss. Well. Kisses.
At least, that was what he toldhimself.
But, ever since he’d woken up at Jake’s place the morning after, with a head so heavy he wasn’t sure he could even lift it, it was the only thing on his mind.
First thing in the morning, when he couldn’t even remember what his name was, he thought about it. Late at night, hours past when he’d told himself he’d go to sleep, he thought about it. Even in his dreams, he couldn’t get the thought of you and your stupid lips out of his head. (Jake had called him obsessed, but he preferred to think of it as a little infatuation.)
He was sure he was going insane when he saw someone perusing the chapstick section in the grocery store and immediately thought of you, only for him to find out it was you when your hands landed on the same pack.
Sunghoon drew his hand back like he was stung, while you simply took the balm and murmured an apology without sparing him a glance.
He wasn’t sure whether to breathe a sigh of relief or disappointment. On one hand, it was you–the only person in the entire world who’d kissed Park Sunghoon on his very chapped, very dry lips (which was the reason he told himself he was in the lip balm section in the first place and not because he couldn’t get your lips out of his head). On the other hand, it was you–the only person in the entire world who’d kissed Park Sunghoon on his very chapped, very dry lips.
Sunghoon didn’t have much time to think about it though, because you suddenly looked back and raised your eyebrows at him.
He bit his lip in anticipation of what you were going to say, but he could’ve never imagined you’d say, “Nice jammies, cutie.”
Sunghoon was beginning to think you had a thing for embarrassing him, as his cheeks turned the shade of some of the chapsticks on display. He rubbed at the nape of his neck, murmuring, “Thanks, my grandma crocheted them for me.”
“Really?” Your eyes shone with actual interest, and Sunghoon’s blush spread across his cheeks. “Do you think you could send me her number or something? I’ve been trying to get the hang of crocheting recently, but it’s just not been working.”
“I would, totally, a hundred percent, but I don’t have your number yet, so…” He went silent, as he realised what he’d said and your eyebrows climbed further up your head.
Sunghoon wished the ground would open up. Pronto.
“Wow, cutie, I have to say, I’m kinda impressed.” You stretched out your hand, which made Sunghoon’s brows furrow, until you gestured for the phone in his pyjama pocket. “I never thought you’d be the type of gentleman to muster up the balls to ask for my number, but here we are.”
He groaned as he passed you his phone, a slight flush to his face. “Could we not rehash the whole gentleman bit? That was kinda embarrassing for me.”
“What?” You grinned, eyes flickering between his phone screen and him. “Do you mean the part where you didn’t know how to kiss back or the part where you stared at my lips the whole time after, cutie?”
If Sunghoon wasn’t sure before, he definitely was now. You had a thing for embarrassing him–and calling him cutie. He’d never admit it, but he was finding that he didn’t really seem to mind either.
He avoided your gaze and toyed with the hem of his sweater, the ghost of a smile on his lips. “Um, both?”
“’ Kay, got it.” You passed his phone back to him and watched him redden at what you’d saved yourself as.
“Couldn’t your name have sufficed? Why did you—” he groaned and buried his face behind his hands, his voice coming through as muffled— “Why did you have to save yourself as ‘seven minutes hottie?’ Isn’t that too conceited of you... and corny?”
You shrugged. “It’s not wrong, is it?”
Even though you couldn’t see his face redden, he figured you’d imagined it as you let out a small snort. “What? Are you gonna tell me I’m not hot?”
“... No,” came his reluctant reply, as he finally removed his hands from his face and went to change your contact name to your actual name, only to remember he’d never got it. “Ah, wait, what’s your name?”
“My name?” You hummed quietly, like you were considering something, and Sunghoon felt a certain type of anticipation grow in his stomach. “If I tell you my name, do I get a kiss, cutie?”
He scoffed, though he could still feel some blood rush to his cheeks. You were really something. “I thought you said I was a bad kisser.”
“Uh-uh,” you corrected, leaning in slowly, “I said you don’t know how to kiss. But, once you do, well… who knows?”
For the second time in a week, Sunghoon felt the distance between you two close and desperately wished you were going to kiss him. Yes, he was in a grocery store and yes, anyone could walk past at any moment, but when you leaned in so close to him–with your soft lips pursed and your eyes staring into his soul–he couldn’t help but fall victim to the pull you had on him. He was weak–so weak–to you.
But, just like before, you didn’t.
You simply brushed his bed hair out of his face and snorted a bit at his spaced-out expression, before stepping back into a space where Sunghoon could finally breathe and think of something else other than your lips on his.
“Yeah,” he murmured, so low that you had to lean back in to hear him.
Sunghoon had always thought of himself as a reasonable, patient person. He knew if he wanted quality things in his life, he’d have to get used to waiting often–at least, that’s what his parents had taught him. But, every time you came into his orbit, his usually thick line of patience wore thin with a simple glance or smile from you.
What were you doing to him?
“Sorry,” your tongue flicked back over your lips, “what was that?”
His line snapped.
“Yeah, you do get a kiss.”
And the words were gone before he could take them back. But, blood rushing in his ears and heart pounding out of his chest, Sunghoon found he didn’t want to take them back–even though, in the back of his mind, part of him was blushing and squirming at his wording.
“Oh?” you said, looking straight into his eyes–unwavering, for once. A certain tension filled the air, as you two stared at each other for a moment, the night of the party probably replaying in both your heads. Careful not to disturb the atmosphere between you two, you whispered, “_____. My name’s _____.”
The tension wasn’t cut, but simply deflated like a balloon as Sunghoon let out a long breath, cheeks painted a dark red, and asked, “But not here, right? I’m not saying we’re doing anything too scandalous, but my mum’s good friends with the manager here, so… Yeah. I kinda, um–maybe I, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”
There was a moment of silence, as you stared incredulously at the blushing boy, before you burst out into full-fledged laughter. You hugged your sides a bit and smiled so wide that any passerby would’ve thought Sunghoon was a comedic genius.
Before he could get the wrong idea, you cupped Sunghoon’s face and said, “You’re just too cute, cutie.”
And he smiled a little, slowly as his eyes traced your face, his brows finally relaxed.
You wiped an imaginary tear from your eye, sobering up, and asked, “So. Where's your car?”
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III – S is for Scrapbook
You and Sunghoon had ended up kissing in his car.
When he’d told Jake about it later, he’d said you guys had made out–to embarrass Sunghoon, he assumed–but the kisses had been soft and chaste, where you’d been more focused on getting Sunghoon to reciprocate than just kissing him. He had, albeit slowly, and by the time he’d dropped you off at your house, he was able to proudly say that he had initiated a kiss between you two.
It had built his confidence incredibly, being able to say that he’d kissed you and not the other way around–not that he was saying it to anyone, besides Jake really–so much so that he’d texted you just a few minutes after he’d gotten home. He’d panicked then, wondering if you’d think it weird he’d texted you so quickly, but you’d responded just as fast that his nerves had calmed and he’d found himself laughing at your texts.
While talking to you face to face was something he didn’t think he’d ever get used to, texting you was something he could do with ease–well, somewhat.
In the late afternoons, when he woke up with messy bed hair and mucus still in his eyes, he’d check his phone to see if you’d sent anything–which you almost always had. Whether it was a quick picture of something you'd seen on a walk, your poor attempts at making breakfast, or even just a morning selfie.
On some days, he’d feel too flustered and musty to send anything in return–Like, what if you realised he was wearing the same shirt he’d sent a picture in yesterday?—and on others, he had to shut off his phone to take deep breaths after sending something as simple as him brushing his teeth.
Okay, so he was still struggling to talk to you, but at least he didn’t stutter over text and go red every few seconds.
With his awkwardness out of the way, he could actually learn things about you. Like your favourite colour, your favourite spots in town, and your hobbies. He even learned you liked to scrapbook and every summer, you’d make a scrapbook of all your highlights. Polaroids, film stills, movie tickets, coupons, and more would go into the scrapbook and at the end of summer, you’d post little snippets on it on your Instagram page. He’d told you it was cute and jokingly asked if he’d be featured in this summer’s scrapbook, to which you’d responded with ‘we’d have to go out for u to be included wouldnt we?’
Which is what led to this moment. He had thought you were joking about the whole going out thing because it’d been late at night and you two had just been talking about the trips you’d been going on with your families in the next couple of days, but then the next morning–that morning–you’d sent two tickets to a film showing that evening–this evening. Right now–and a short, little ‘wanna go see this? my scrapbook’s feeling a little hoon-less rn :(’.
Evidently, he hadn’t said no, because he was now parked outside your house, trying to calm himself down as he waited for you to come out.
His hands were sweating a bit, and he kept checking his reflection in his rearview mirror, anxiously biting his lower lip and running a hand through his hair. Surprisingly, it wasn’t even the fact that he was going to see you that was stressing him out, it was more the fact that he didn’t know what this was. Were you guys just going out to see a late-night movie as friends? Was it a date? Should he have shown up with flowers or a gift? Were you guys just friends? Were you something more? Did you always ask your friends to see movies late at night so impromptu? Did he even see you as more than a friend?
All the questions made his head swim and his palms sweat, but he couldn’t stop thinking about them. He hadn’t been thinking of this the few weeks you guys had been texting, but now he felt like a broken record, gaze bouncing between his reflection and your house.
And then all his thoughts slowed to a stop.
You walked out of your house with a slight smile and a twinkle in your eye, and his brain turned to mush. You looked… good. That was all he was capable of thinking, as you walked the short distance to his car, waving, and slid into the passenger seat.
Sunghoon stared at you for a second, as you put on your seatbelt and said hi, his mind completely blank. Then, your touch on his shoulder and a furrow between your brows brought him back to the present and he spat out a jumbled mess of, “Good, yeah, yeah. I’m good, you’re good, so good.”
It was your turn to stare, confusion clear in your eyes, and panic rose within him.
“Wait, I mean you look good!” he said, gesturing at you, “I mean, not that you don’t look good all the time, but, like, you look really good right now. Like, wow, I–I should stop talking.”
You blinked at him for a second and then laughed that same laugh that melted his insides. He noticed, as you threw your head back slightly, that you hadn’t removed your hand from his shoulder, and Sunghoon found himself relishing your touch.
“Stop it, cutie, you’re gonna make me blush,” you said playfully, rolling your eyes and hitting his chest lightly. You sobered up slightly, but the smile was still wide on your face as you said, “You look good, too. Very suave, very cool. I can’t lie though, I miss the bedhead and your grandma’s sweater a bit.”
With your easy words lightening the mood, he found himself relaxing a bit–enough to pull away from the curb and start driving. “Really? Maybe I’ll wear it next time.”
You didn’t blink at his mention of a next time, though Sunghoon searched your face for any sign of discomfort or surprise. Instead, your smile grew slightly and you asked, “What type of date are you thinking? Like, an early morning IHOP or Waffle House thing? Or, more of an early-morning pancake date at home?”
If it weren’t for the fact that he’d stopped at a red light, Sunghoon was sure he would’ve crashed his car right at that moment. He gulped loudly and spared your expectant eyes a glance, as he could feel his blood rush in his ears and hear his heart pound out of his chest.
The light turned green and he cleared his throat. “Uh, so, does that mean this is a date?”
He was glad he couldn’t see your reaction to his question–you probably thought he was silly–but was also nervous because you went quiet for a  bit. Sunghoon considered turning on the radio and moving on from the topic, if that could dispel the momentary awkwardness between you two, but he wanted to hear your answer.
You laughed slightly, but he could hear the nervous undertones. “Do you not want it to be one? I’m sorry, I just assumed because, well, we kissed at the party and we’ve been talking and stuff since then, so… I thought you were more of a dating type of guy, but–”
“Wait, what?” he interrupted, a crease in his forehead as he spared you a glance. Something within him shattered at the sight of the uncertainty on your face. Had he done that? “What other type of guy would I be?”
“Well, you know…” You paused, shifting slightly in your seat. “There are some guys that just wanna have fun. Mess around, you know? I didn’t think you were one of those guys, but if that’s what you wanna do, then–”
“No,” he said fiercely, only realising how angry he sounded when you glanced at him in surprise. “I want to date you. I really do. I just… I thought you didn’t and I didn’t know if we were just friends, and I’ve never done this before so, I just–”
“You’ve never done this before?” you cut him off, visible shock in your eyes. “There’s no way, Hoon. You’re joking, right?”
And with that, the awkwardness dissipated, as his cheeks flamed and he avoided your wide eyes.
“I know, it’s weird–”
“No, no!” You smiled a bit at his flustered state. “It’s not weird. I’ve only dated once before and, even then, it wasn’t that serious, so we’re kind of in the same boat.”
It was his turn to glance at you with incredulous eyes. “Wait, really? I thought you had so much dating experience cause, like, you’re such a good kisser and you’re so confident and forward, y’know?”
You shrugged. “Like I said, some guys just wanna mess around. Sometimes, I do too.”
“And that’s not what you want with me, right? You actually want to date, right?” You’d already told him you considered this a date, and he’d already told you he wanted to date you–which you hadn’t objected to–but he just had to make sure that was real, and his mind hadn’t made that up.
“Yeah, Hoon,” you started softly, a shy smile on your lips–something he thought he’d never see on you.  “I actually want to date you.”
Immediately, his eyes flickered back to the road and his cheeks flushed, a wide grin slowly stretching on his lips. You laughed at his smile, loud and warm, and he closed his eyes in bliss and only opened them again to smile at you.
“So, this is a date? For sure?” he asked, one hand on the wheel and the other on the console as he flickered through the channels for a song.
“Mhm,” you hummed, your hand brushing his as you turned up the volume on a specific channel, smiling at the way his flush deepened. You held his hand, intertwining your fingers with his, and nodded. “This is a date.”
Sunghoon couldn’t even remember why he’d been so nervous, and why his palms–one of which was currently touching yours–had been so sweaty, as he gazed into your eyes and leaned in for a chaste kiss. He smiled into it and rolled his eyes to himself, all of his questions answered. Especially the one he’d been too worried to even ask himself.
If he’d had any doubt about it before, he was sure of it now.
He liked you. Maybe even too much for a summer fling.
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IV – S is for Sorry
Over the next few days, Sunghoon found himself wishing you guys were more than just a summer fling.
It was wistful thinking, he knew that already. Just a few months prior, you guys hadn’t even been aware of the other's existence. Now, to him, it felt like you took up every inch of his thoughts, dreams, and being. And, in just a couple of weeks, you’d be off to your respective universities, leaving the short fling between you just that–a short, summer fling.
You two were avoiding talking about it, despite the palpable tension it added to your conversations when you brought up the future. You would mention how you were going to look into photography courses at your uni on a video call and Sunghoon would smile outwardly, while inwardly he’d wonder if you’d find someone else to call your muse–as he’d gotten used to you calling him.
He would mention how he was going to do a double major since he wasn’t completely sure what he wanted to do, and he’d notice the way you’d bite your lip like you were stopping yourself from asking him where. And, just now, moments ago on your video call, you had mentioned how you wanted to go on another date with him after you both got back from your hometowns, but before… (well, you hadn’t continued but he knew you meant before you two had to part.)
He knew you two were only prolonging your pain, and he was only wounding himself deeper by thinking so wistfully, but you two were happy at this exact moment. And, it wasn’t enough, but he’d make it be enough if that was what you two needed.
At least, that’s what he’d been thinking till his sister barged into his childhood room and said his grandma wanted to see him.
Now, legs tucked under himself and head lowered, Sunghoon sat opposite her, with a long table between them, and a tense silence filled the room.
He wasn’t sure what his grandma “seeing him” meant. She wasn’t very old, just in her early sixties, but she was a calm, wise woman who’d lived to see and experience a lot, so she may as well have had the wisdom of someone a century old. If she wanted to “see him,” that most likely meant she had a piece of advice for him that he wouldn’t like.
For once, he was right.
“So, your mum told me you’ve been seeing someone?”
Sunghoon coughed abruptly, patting his chest as a deep flush flooded his cheeks. “I’m sorry?”
“Sorry?” Sunghoon’s grandma scoffed and eyed him slowly. “What are you sorry for? Not calling to consult me first? Or, for trying to hide it from me? Or, is there something else, hm?”
He raised his eyes to meet his grandma’s eyes, but immediately lowered them at the fierce scowl on her face. He bowed deeply, palms flat before him. “I’m sorry, Grandma.”
She eyed his form for a second, before scoffing again and gesturing toward him. “Sit, sit. I didn’t call you here to hear you apologise all day.”
Sunghoon sat again and raised his head but still didn’t look his grandma in the eye. His mind was too preoccupied with wondering how his mum had figured it out, considering you guys had gone on your first date just a couple of days ago.
He jolted a bit when his grandma asked, “You’re not going to ask me why I called you?”
“Sorry,” he began and cleared his throat at his grandma’s glare.  “Why did you call me, Grandma?”
She continued eyeing him with the same, wary gaze she’d been eyeing him with since he’d entered her room for a few moments, before she suddenly became sombre. Without the glint in her eyes, Sunghoon could see how deep the pools in her eyes were and the lines surrounding them. He released a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding.
“Well, what’s your plan? Hm?” Her eyes bore deep into his like her question was just a formality and she already knew the answer. Sunghoon wouldn’t be surprised if she already did. “Are you two going to be a campus couple?”
He knew her question was mostly rhetorical, but he couldn’t help but imagine it. Walking you to and from lectures; studying together in a library or a cosy coffee shop; going to endless parties with you; proofreading each other’s papers; you wearing his clothes in his dorm. Sunghoon felt himself grow warm.
Then, even warmer as his grandma cleared her throat and raised a knowing brow in his direction. She didn’t have to say anything for him to realise she was expecting an answer.
“I…” He faltered for a moment, remembering the hesitancy in your eyes every time a hint of the topic was brought up. “I don’t know, Grandma. I… well, there’s nothing I can really do, I guess. We’re probably not even going to the same universities, so I don’t know what the plan is.”
“Have you guys talked about it?”
A pause settled between the two of them, as Sunghoon lowered his eyes again and prepared himself to bow again.
His grandma scoffed, the loudest of all her scoffs so far, and sighed exasperatedly. “You two haven’t even discussed anything? And you’re here talking like you’re some handsome lead in a drama and _____’s life will be in danger if you two continue dating?”
“Ah, Grandma, are you saying I’m not hands–Wait, wait? How do you know _____’s name?”
She paused slightly and carefully schooled her features. “Is that important right now?”
“I mean,” Sunghoon’s brows furrowed, then he remembered your touch against them and he relaxed them a bit, “considering that I’ve never told Mum _____’s name or even the fact that we’ve been on one date, yes? Kinda?”
“I’m your grandma, am I not?” was her only response, with the ghost of a smile on her lips. He grimaced slightly, but his grandma continued without any regard for his reaction. “I know you guys are kids, but you didn’t even think of discussing anything? You were just going to kiss and say ‘bye bye’ and continue with your lives?”
“I mean,” Sunghoon started, trying to fight the blush climbing up his body. There wasn’t any point, though, because the apples of his cheeks were already shining. “_____’s not even my partner or anything, so it isn’t my place…”
“But isn’t that the end goal?”
His grandma stared at him, but he couldn’t hold the weight of her stare. Because deep down inside, Sunghoon knew she was right. And he knew he wanted nothing more than to be able to be called yours.
To see more pictures of the scenery from your morning walks and even join you on them too. To cuddle up in bed and watch some of your favourite animes together, only pausing to snuggle further into the blanket. To finally go on that early morning date at a Waffle House, eating your orders in his car where his passenger seat would be perfectly adjusted to seat you. To have a home, a space, with you.
But, he thought. There was always a ‘but’.
Before, that ‘but’ had been that he wasn’t even sure if that was what you wanted as well, if he even really wanted it. Now, that ‘but’ was the inevitable space and distance that would grow between you two. The space that would grow so large that you two wouldn’t be able to have any space for each other.
Sunghoon’s stomach sank as his thoughts spiralled, but he summed them up to his grandma with a simple shrug.
“Why are you, why are you so dramatic?” she asked, rolling her eyes at her grandson’s face. A fierce scowl was back on her face and, if it weren’t for the table between the two of them, she looked like she was about ready to pull on Sunghoon’s ear. “Why are you sitting here in my house moping and frowning like everything’s decided? Who knows? Maybe _____ is willing to make it work, to even travel to another city just to see you and your dramatic self. But how would you know when you’re busy here moping?”
He’d considered it. Judging from the talks you’d had and the sheer amount of hours you talked every day, Sunghoon was sure that you liked him as well (not as much as he did, he was sure–that wasn’t even remotely possible when he could barely get you off his mind–but enough to deal with his “dramatic self,” as his grandma had put it). But, there it was again, he just couldn’t get rid of that ‘but.’ It was festering in the back of his mind whenever he even thought of bringing it up to you.
“Sunghoon.” There was a note of finality in his grandma’s voice as she said his name. “Discuss things with _____ first. I understand sometimes we experience heartbreak, but I won’t let you break your own heart over foolishness.”
“But Grandma–”
“No ‘buts.’” His grandma folded her arms in her lap and glanced at the door of her room. “No more ‘buts’, Sunghoon.”
Despite the lingering worry settled in his system, he sighed and stood up slowly. Sunghoon bowed deeply, glanced at his hands, and left his grandma’s room with her words in mind.
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V – E is for End
Sunghoon wasn’t too sure he’d be able to follow his grandma’s instructions.
He was back now from his hometown, back in the comfort of his familiar Seoul bedroom, but you weren’t here. He’d known you two wouldn’t get back at the same time, yet that didn’t stop him from feeling slightly lonely without you to go on dates with. It was a numbing feeling, that left him feeling empty if he dwelled on it too long, and he worried he’d go completely numb if you two truly didn’t end up working out.
The thought sent a chill down his spine every time Sunghoon’s mind strayed to it and Jake’s feeble comforts did little to quell his worries.
To make matters worse, you unexpectedly postponed your return date and said you couldn’t go to a pool party Jake was throwing anymore. You were very vague about the reason why when he asked and Sunghoon began worrying once again. He even brought up not going to the party to Jake, but his best friend wouldn’t have it and threatened to drag him to the party himself.
So, there he was. Standing at the edge of a crowd of strangers, nursing his second beer of the night, and completely alone. Well, he wasn’t completely alone. Jake and some of Sunghoon’s other friends had passed by him and invited him to the dance floor, but he couldn’t get himself to get out there and dance with someone who wasn’t you. The most they’d been able to get him to do was drink a little, even if the drinks only fuelled his moping.
A couple of people sent him inviting looks and winks, dancing in a way that made him avert his eyes immediately, but he didn’t budge an inch from where he was standing. Maybe if you were here, he would. No, definitely, if you were here he would. His mind wandered to grasp at the edges of the first night you’d met, trying to remember if you’d been dancing that night, but he couldn’t pull up a single image of you dancing.
If you were here, how would you dance? Would you dance with a lot of energy, completely letting yourself loose? Or, would you take your time to flow with the music, swinging your hips and smiling at him in that way that just drove him crazy?
Sunghoon smiled a bit at the thought and felt his hips move along to the beat, frowning once he realised what he was doing.
He missed you.
Just a few months ago, he hadn’t known he could miss someone the way he was missing you, but he was and he couldn’t do anything about it.
As if his best friend could read his thoughts, Jake danced off the dance floor to Sunghoon’s side, running a hand through his unruly, blond hair. Sunghoon could smell the booze coming off him, and he watched as his friend nearly lost his footing trying to lean on Sunghoon. Jake barely noticed, though, as he just kept smiling up at Sunghoon. Sunghoon made a point to look anywhere, except in the blond’s direction.
After a while of just trying to ignore his drunk friend, Sunghoon eventually rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow in Jake’s direction. “What?”
“I can’t, I can’t just look at you now?” Jake asked, his wide smile never leaving his face.
“No, it’s not that. It’s the way you’re looking at me.”
“How am I looking at you?” His friend leaned in close, stretching an arm around Sunghoon’s shoulders. “Hm? I’m just looking at you with my normal eyeballs, my very normal eyeballs, actually just like you, you too.”
“You’re looking at me like, I don’t fucking know, you’re hiding some type of secret from me,” Sunghoon said, pushing Jake off his frame. “And I don’t like that look because the last time you looked at me like that I ended up kissing _____ in a shed for seven minutes.”
Jake’s wide smile grew into a slight, smug smirk. “And look how well that turned out for you. Someone’s not so bitchless anymore.”
Sunghoon rolled his eyes and took a swig of his drink but couldn’t hide the dusting of pink on his cheeks. (If he were to consider things between the two of you, you would be the one who wasn’t so bitchless anymore, considering he was more of your bitch than you were his with the way he was nursing a beer in the corner of a party like a loser just because he missed you. He didn’t need to tell Jake all that though.)
Instead, he feigned an annoyed scowl and crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you want, Jake?”
“I thought you would never ever ever ask.” His friend grinned. “Can you please get out the other floaties from the shed? Some people ripped these and, well, turns out not everyone at a pool party can actually swim. A bit crazy, I know.”
“Why can’t you? The shed was closer to where you were standing.”
“Um…” his friend trailed off, shaking his head incredulously, “I’m obviously inebriated, you know! Everything weighs a shitton of bricks right now.”
Sunghoon’s feigned scowl deepened into a real one, as he rolled his eyes and put his beer down on the ground. It was getting warm anyway and the alcohol wasn’t doing much for him, except make him miss you more. He shot Jake a look, before shouldering past him and making his way towards Jake’s shed.
It was surprisingly chilly for a summer night out, chilly enough at least that Sunghoon could feel some of the hairs on his arms raise as he stalked towards the shed. But, he welcomed the chill because his alternative was thinking about what had happened the last time he’d walked towards this shed. And once he started thinking about that, he’d start missing the feel of your lips on his, your arms around his neck, your eyes staring into his.
He cursed under his breath at his thoughts, wondering if, for even one second, he could think of something other than you.
Sunghoon immediately answered his question with a ‘no’ when he walked into the shed and he thought he smelled your signature fragrance. He would’ve recognised it anywhere (not because he was obsessed like Jake had once said, but because you’d borrowed his sweater on your date and your scent still lingered even after he’d washed it), so he was sure he wasn’t picking up someone else’s perfume or cologne, but he wouldn’t rule out him imagining your fragrance there as a result of him missing you so much.
So, he ignored the smell filling the shed and clambered around for the light switch. He’d been so sure it was by the wall, but he must’ve been more buzzed than he realised because his fingers kept grazing the air. By the time he finally felt the grooves of the light switch under his fingers and was going to turn it on, Sunghoon was so ready to grab the floaties Jake had asked for and get back to the party, or maybe even go home because–
Sunghoon froze.
He couldn’t think, speak, or do anything as the lights flickered on to reveal… well, you.
Sunghoon was going crazy.
He was so sure you were a figment of his imagination, brought about by how much he missed you, and he immediately frowned at the thought. Missing you was fine, maybe overkill when he thought about how often he thought about you, but creating images of you? That was a bit too much, even for him.
Despite his thoughts, though, Sunghoon couldn’t shake the nagging hope that maybe this was real. It didn’t help that “you”—or you–were smiling at him in a way that made his stomach flip, especially after being away from you for so long.
He felt ridiculous for even bothering, like when a horror film character asks who’s there after hearing a noise in the dark, but he cleared his throat slowly and whispered, “_____?”
You giggled softly and raised your eyebrows at what Sunghoon was sure was an incredulous look on his face. “Yes, Hoon?”
“Oh, my God,” Sunghoon started, feet still locked in place, “Oh, my God.”
You took a step closer to him and your grin only grew wider as he blinked slowly at you. Another step and he gulped slowly. Yet another and his eyes grew wide.
He put a hand up before you could take another step and close the distance between you two. “Wait, wait, wait!”
A small frown lit up your face, but you stayed where you were and slightly cocked your head.
“You’re real?” Sunghoon felt stupid asking, but he still had to check.
The feeling only doubled when your brows furrowed and you asked, “Am I real? … Hoon, is everything okay?”
He felt so warm at the familiar nickname that he could almost ignore the rest of what you said, but the growing concern on your face made him clarify himself.
“I just, I’ve had a bit to drink so I thought that my brain tricked me into thinking you were there.” Sunghoon paused at the bemusement on your face and he suddenly felt a whole lot warmer, despite the chilly air. “Actually, um, now that I say it out loud I do realise how ridiculous it sounds. Sorry.”
“Well,” you smiled at him with a sly glint in your eye, finally closing the gap between you two so your breath was fanning out on his face, “if you want to check, you always can.”
Sunghoon, being the guy he was, immediately thought of how he’d pinch himself in a shocking situation and went to do just that. It was only when you laughed at his actions, an incredulous look in your eyes, that he realised what you’d meant and blushed.
“Oh, I, I–”
“Hoon?” you asked, cutting him off and waiting until he nodded, “You’re so cute sometimes, y’know?”
“Just sometimes?” Sunghoon recovered quickly, sliding his arms around your waist and grinning slightly. He’d missed this too much. “So, what am I the other times?”
“Oh?” You raised an eyebrow. “Someone’s gotten a little bolder, hasn’t he?”
“I’d say it’s your influence. You were bound to rub off on me after sticking around me so much.”
He grinned at the way your brows shot up.
“Sticking around you? Hoon, who was the one that–”
“_____?” It was Sunghoon’s turn to cut you off and his grin grew so wide at the realisation on your face. It felt good to finally flip the tables. “You talk so much sometimes, y’know?”
You rolled your eyes, but there was a slight tug on your lips. “Wow, you’re so original. What, first you’re gonna steal my line, next you’re gonna pull some cheesy rom-com line on me and kiss me?”
“So you’re telling me you wouldn’t like it?” he asked, as one of his hands slowly travelled up your side and settled on cupping your jaw. He didn’t miss the way you sagged into his touch. Sunghoon was going to explode.
The tug on your lips grew into a full grin and you wrapped your hands around his neck. “Now, who said anything about that? C’mere, Hoon.”
He didn’t need to hear it twice. Sunghoon tilted your jaw towards him and leaned in for a soft kiss. It wasn’t intense or desperate, unlike what he’d imagined it be like after being away from you for so long, but he preferred it this way. He could savour the taste of your familiar lip balm against his lips and take his time pecking small, chaste kisses on and around your lips.
He sighed out loud and felt his cheeks flush when you pulled back to laugh. “You really missed me, huh?”
Sunghoon wasn’t sure if it was because of the little alcohol in his system or how much he’d missed you, but he gazed into your eyes and whispered, “I did. I really did.”
And, just like that, the tension was back. The obvious hesitancy. The ‘buts.’ He could feel your hold on his neck loosen slightly and he wanted nothing more than to take his words back and rewind to before he fell too deep, but it was too late. All that was left was for him to either avoid everything or finally face it, despite the worries that built up in his mind.
“_____,” he started gently, like you would run away at any second (but he knew you too well to know that you wouldn’t–he would), “we… we should talk.”
“About what?” you tried, a burst of nervous laughter escaping your lips.
You were avoiding his serious gaze, choosing instead to focus on where your hands met his neck. Sunghoon couldn’t tell much of what you were thinking, but, knowing you, he knew you were only postponing the conversation. Maybe it was because this was supposed to be a fun night for you two–after all, you’d probably sacrificed some more nights with your family to get here. Or, maybe it was because you weren’t ready to discuss it. Either way, it was as much your decision as his.
Sunghoon lowered his hands to your lower back and squeezed lightly. “I mean, we don’t have to if you don’t want to… It’d just be a good idea because soon everyone’s gonna start leaving for uni and well, we don’t even know what’s gonna happen between us then, and it’d probably be best if–”
“Hoon.” You were looking into his eyes now, your brows drawn together. “You’re shaking.”
His eyes grew wide and left your face to glance at his fingers, which were trembling around your waist. He tried laughing, shaking the nerves off, but the sound came out choked and he winced. Without a word, he gestured towards the floor of the shed and slumped against the back wall. You followed shortly after, sitting with your knees bunched up to your chest, one of your shoulders brushing against his. At your touch, Sunghoon wanted to reach out and squeeze one of your hands, but they were balled up on top of your knees, a hard look on your face. He sighed.
“You’re right, Hoon,” you started, staring ahead through the open shed door. The party was still going on outside, the music and noise muted from where you two were, but it might’ve as well not been with the way you two were wrapped up in your own bubble. A tense bubble. “We should talk… about us.”
He nodded, crossing his legs and laying his trembling hands in his lap.
Despite what you said, a short lapse of silence settled between you two and, for a moment, Sunghoon was worried this wasn’t going to go anywhere and he’d made a mistake.
But then you swivelled your head towards him and whispered, “What do you want us to be?”
What does he want you two to be? He’d thought about that question one too many times. It’d only ever hurt, thinking of so many domestic scenes and possibilities with you two when he wasn’t even sure if there could be a ‘you two.’
“What do I want us to be?” he repeated, gazing out the shed. “I want us to be together. I want… I want to keep waking up to your pictures on my phone and to go on spontaneous, little dates with you and finally go for that Waffle House date and… just be with you. I want you.”
With his last words, he slowly looked at you and already found you looking at him. There was a little smile tugging at your lips, that was both sad and happy at the same time, and you just nodded slowly.
As his gaze lingered, you cleared your throat and averted your eyes. “I want that too. Really, I do. You don’t understand how many times I’ve wondered what it’d be like if, I don’t know, we’d met a little earlier. If we could’ve gotten to know each other during high school.
“You know Jake told me you were your school’s drama club star?” You smiled slightly and Sunghoon felt a small smile pull at his lips as well. “I would’ve loved to be in the crowds, cheering you on. Or, even maybe get up on stage with you. Jake told me your school never did Romeo and Juliet, but you’d make a pretty good Juliet, don’t you think?”
Sunghoon chuckled and you did too, your shoulders brushing against each other’s for a moment, till your laughter ebbed away. You stared straight ahead again, frowning.
“And then I wondered why I kept thinking of the past. I mean, it’d just make more sense for me to hope that we could stay together, you know? But instead, I keep wishing we’d known each other longer.” You smiled again, that smile from before, but Sunghoon was sure it was only sad this time. “And I realised that I, I felt like we were running out of time. That, I don’t know, when summer ends, we end. Like the changing of weather is some type of timer.”
You whispered the last part more to yourself, but Sunghoon heard it and the self-loathing in it. You loathed yourself for the way you’d been thinking. Sunghoon couldn’t help but relate.
Crossing your arms over your chest, you looked at Sunghoon, a flicker of uncertainty in your eyes. “Do you ever feel like that? Like this is all the time we’ll ever have? Like even thinking of a future where we’re together is… I don’t know, like, wrong?”
That familiar hurt Sunghoon felt or anticipated, whenever he thought of the two of you together on campus came to mind and he nodded slowly. The ‘buts were popping up in his mind again, filling him with growing dread and he was starting to regret his decision. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything, shouldn’t have brought it up, and let you guys live in oblivious bliss for a little longer. But, deep down, he knew that wouldn’t be true bliss. Like his grandma had said, you would only end up hurting yourselves because of your foolishness.
“But that’s not true, is it?” he started, glancing down at his hands which had started trembling again, “I don’t even know, like, what even made us think we only have the summer? Just because we met in summer? When you think of it like that, you feel ridiculous don’t you? We could literally be going to the same uni and we’re here, too anxious to even tell each other where we’re going.”
You snorted, glancing at Sunghoon out of the corner of your eye. “You’re right.” Straightening, you turned your whole body to face him. “You know considering we’re going in a few weeks, we’ve probably put more effort into not mentioning uni in our conversations because it should’ve popped up in our conversations, at least, once before.”
“Exactly. We should just tell each other. Now. Before we, we lose our nerve or something.”
You nodded and bit your lip, while Sunghoon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt your hand brush against his, so he opened his eyes and took your hands in his. Your hands were, surprisingly, clammy. He was going to say something about it, but, glancing at your face, he spotted the way your eyes were darting all around the room.
Instead of commenting on it, Sunghoon took another deep breath. “Ready?”
You nodded once. “Ready.”
A short silence ensued between the two of you, as neither of you said anything or even made a move to say anything. Your eyes finally landed on his and a nervous smile tugged at the edge of your lips. You were nervous, Sunghoon realised belatedly and squeezed your hand instinctively.
“On three?” he offered.
“On three.”
“One, two, three–University of Seoul.”
“Kyunghee University–wait, what the fuck?”
Sunghoon furrowed his brows at the shocked look on your face and your exclamation. He couldn’t even focus on the name of the university you’d said. All the anxieties that’d been bothering him were beginning to boil up and over at the simple lack of happiness on your face. He was almost sure he was the one with the clammy hands now and he moved to remove his hand from yours when you gripped his tightly and began to smile lightly.
“What the fuck,” you repeated, still as shocked, but with the beginnings of a grin on your face.
Sunghoon only looked at you with his brows still furrowed. He frowned slightly when you began laughing. “I’m confused.”
“I can’t believe I was so stressed about this,” you muttered, mostly to yourself, but still smiling directly at him. “Hoon, we’re so dumb. So fucking dumb.”
“I agree… I think? But, why, I–”
“What neighbourhood is the University of Seoul in?”
“_____, what? I–”
You placed a finger on his lips and shook your head. “Don’t overthink it. Just answer my question.”
He glanced between your finger on his lips and your face. “Dongdaemun-gu.”
“Dongdaemun-gu,” you repeated, your small smile growing into a full one now, “Guess where Kyunghee is?”
“Uh.” He looked away from your face, trying to picture a map of Seoul in his head, but he drew short (he’d always been bad at geography anyway). “Myeongnyun? Daehakno?”
He didn’t think it was possible, but your smile grew even wider. “Not even close. It’s in Hoegi-Dong.”
Sunghoon nodded slowly, while you just looked at him with an expectant look on your face. He shook his head sheepishly and you just rolled your eyes.
“Hoon, they’re like five minutes away from each other.” You paused to let it sink in and laughed as Sunghoon’s brows finally relaxed and his eyes widened. “This is fucking stupid. We’re so fucking stupid.”
Sunghoon could only blink dumbly at you, while you just laughed at his dumbfounded shock. Immediately, his grandma’s words returned to him and a huge sense of embarrassment washed over him as he realised he’d proven her right. But, glancing between your intertwined hands and your wide smile, he found that he didn’t mind the embarrassment if it meant he still had a space with you.
(He’d do nearly anything to have that with you, he realised.)
You broke him out of his stupor by wrapping your arms around his neck and whispering, “So, Hoon, how do you feel now knowing that we’ll be, like, five minutes away from each other?”
“Want me to be honest?” he asked, placing his hands back on your waist (where they just seemed to fit perfectly, he noticed) and grinning softly when you nodded. “I feel really fucking embarrassed. Like, for weeks I’ve just been thinking of how much I’d miss you and wondering if I should even ask you out since we might not even see each other ever again. And, in the back of my head, I knew it was dumb because, if we wanted to make it work, we could make it work for sure. But, it was hard to remember that and–”
“Hoon, hoon,” you interrupted, giggling slightly and tightening your grip on his neck, “now, you’re the one talking too much.”
Sunghoon paused, taking a second to process what was going on. You were in front of him, hands wrapped around his neck, and smiling widely like he made you the happiest person in the world. He was in front of you, hands wrapped around your waist, and still trying to wrap his head around the fact that you two would be five minutes away from each other nearly every day–the closest to a campus couple he could ever ask for. He didn’t believe in fate (the same way he hadn’t believed in perfect first kisses, but he’d seen just how well that’d worked out for him), but the more he thought about it, the more he was sure that something more than luck had landed you two in this situation.
He sighed out loud and rested his head against yours. ”God, I feel like I aged twenty years worrying about all of this. It feels a bit silly now, doesn’t it?”
“A bit is an understatement, don’t you think?” you replied, settling yourself in his lap. He froze a bit, and you moved to get up, but he shook his head and brought you closer. You smiled. “Besides, you’d probably still look good as a thirty-nine-year-old.”
“Oh, gross.” He scrunched up his nose as he moved closer to you, his hands running up and down your sides. “I don’t even want to imagine myself over thirty yet.”
“Really?” you raised a brow, arms locking around his neck and eyes flickering to his lips. “You’d be a hot DILF though.”
He snorted. “God, shut up.”
Your smile widened, a knowing glint in your eye. “Don’t make me say the cheesy rom-com line, Hoon.”
“Alright, alright,” he murmured, lips a breadth away from yours, before he kissed you.
Now, this was the desperate, intense kiss he’d been imagining earlier. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the anticipation you’d both been harbouring before or the elation at what you’d just found out, but you both pulled out the works with teeth, tongue–everything. Sunghoon couldn’t begin to describe how he felt, what you were making him feel, but all he knew was he didn’t want it to end.
And when you kissed him on his cheek, tugged on his hand, and pulled him out into the chaos of the party, smiling at him all the while like he was the only guy in the world, he knew it never would.
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Epilogue – S is for Summer Fling
You two had decided on the early-morning pancake at-home date.
Evidently so, as you were in nothing but a hoodie of his and his old gym shorts (a fact that Sunghoon had known since yesterday, when you’d slept over at his after Jake’s party, but he was still struggling to grasp), he was in another one of his hoodies and sweatpants, and you were both still rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. The rich smell of butter wafted all around Sunghoon’s kitchen, accompanied by the sizzling sound of him pouring pancake batter on the greasy pan. Besides the sizzles, and the occasional yawn from you, it was a completely silent morning, as Sunghoon concentrated all his efforts into impressing you with his cooking skills.
“So does this mean you’re my boyfriend now?” you asked, breaking the silence and Sunghoon’s focus.
He blinked, glad he was facing the stove and not where you sitting behind the kitchen island, and found that he couldn’t stop blinking. Was he your boyfriend? It was like you read his mind because that’s all he’d been thinking of since the moment he woke up with you in his arms. He’d fallen asleep on many hot summer nights, but he’d never woken up as warm as he had that morning. It was a feeling he’d spent minutes basking in, tracing every one of your resting features with his eyes and wondering how he’d function as your boyfriend, waking up nearly every morning with this same warmth in his chest. It almost seemed too good to be his reality. And if he was your boyfriend, he thought, that meant you were his and–
“Hoon! The pancakes!” you yelled and Sunghoon cursed loudly.
He moved the pan off the stove and turned on the kitchen hood, but it was too late. The pancake was charred beyond recognition and, looking down at it, he wondered how he hadn’t smelt the tinging scent of the burnt pancake.
Sunghoon sighed as he chucked away the pancakes. “I’m sorry, _____, that was the last bit of pancake batter we had. If you don’t mind, I can quickly run to the store and–”
“Don’t worry about it, Hoon,” you said, cutting him off as you slid off the island seat. He couldn’t see where you were, or where you were going, so he stifled his breath a bit when you slid up beside him and thrust your phone in his face. “Besides, we can order in.”
He spared a glance at your face, preparing himself for any signs of disappointment or irritation, but you were just smiling at him with a soft look in your eyes.
His brows furrowed. “Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yeah, I guess,” you started, shrugging, “but I can wait a couple of minutes.”
Sunghoon bit his lip, a protest and another apology on the tip of his tongue, and furrowed his brows further. Your eyes traced his movements, and you placed two gentle fingers on the fold between his brows, smoothing them out. He didn’t say anything as you did. He just lowered his head and frowned slightly at the smoking scent reminding him of his failed attempt at breakfast. You simply grinned at the obvious frustration and disappointment on his face, a look rising in your eyes that he didn’t catch as he chewed on his lower lip.
“Hoon,” you called out softly, waiting for him to raise his head. When he did, you took a step closer to him, a coy look in your eyes. “You didn’t answer my question.”
He was about to furrow his brows again in confusion, but your words from earlier replayed in his head as your smile only grew more teasing, and Sunghoon was sure he was turning as red as the strawberries on the counter behind him.
The boy averted his gaze from you, murmuring, “Well, I was hoping to ask if I could have the honour of being your boyfriend after, you know, we had food that I’d made in our stomachs and proper clothes on our bodies, but I guess so.”
“The honour?” you repeated, raising an eyebrow and muffling a laugh. Sunghoon glared at you lightly when you let a giggle slip, at which you apologised. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I promise I’ll bestow you with the honour of being my boyfriend after we run to the grocery store so you can fix up some pancakes and ask me out already.”
You almost laughed again at how quickly he perked up at your words and, this time, he rolled your eyes and smiled slightly at your teasing grin.
As he grabbed his keys, held your hand, and slipped out the door, the same warmth he’d felt that morning bloomed from where your hands met to every other bit of his body. He’d never imagined this, kissing his soon-to-be something in his car before a grocery run, was where he’d find himself after he’d had his first kiss on a night that felt like years ago. He couldn’t even imagine where he’d be with you in a couple of years. All he knew was he was glad you’d ended up as more than a summer fling.
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