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bellafragolina · 2 years

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[I know you've said you're not Pagan, but I am and I hope you can enjoy this work anyway. Thanks for reading my writing! --Ingo anon]

Darkness met Ingo as he opened the front door, announcing his return from work. As his eyes adjusted, he realized it wasn't true darkness, but rather the dim of candlelight as compared to the usual illumination of light bulbs. “Ah,” he thought, “I had forgotten. Today is Yule.” He commenced with his routine of hanging up his coat and taking off his shoes, albeit slightly slower than usual to account for the decreased amount of light to see by; he didn't want to miss the coat rack or trip on his own feet. “Garnet, my love!” He called, knowing his husband was somewhere in the house. His lips curled slightly up at the edges as he heard a call in reply, followed by the approach of his beloved. Customary kisses were exchanged between the two before a comfortable silence fell. Ingo couldn't help but admire the way the gently flickering candlelight played across his dearest one's face. Garnet felt the same way as he rested his head against Ingo's shoulder. “I had forgotten what day it was until I walked in the door. What's that incense I smell you burning?” Ingo asked, taking Garnet's hand in his own. “Frankincense. For purification,” Garnet responded, a tranquil smile on his face. Ingo's interest and understanding in Garnet's religious practice did his heart good. As he absent-mindedly stroked Ingo's arm, he thought back to years past when the subject of his religion was first discussed. “What are you up to today, my love?” Ingo inquired via text, a part of the couple's daily routine. “I just had an important victory at work!” Garnet replied, followed with emojis depicting excitement. “Bravo! I would expect nothing less from you! What manner of victory have you achieved?” came Ingo's response. Garnet paused, frowning at himself for putting himself in an awkward position via his own exuberance. The victory would be difficult to explain without getting into uncomfortable territory for him. “Well,” he thought, “This is Ingo. At this point, I doubt he'd judge me harshly for it, and he deserves to know.” The thought did not make the concept any less nerve-wracking, however. Garnet took a breath and finally responded. “I got my boss to agree to give me the 21st of December off work. Of course, I had to agree to work on Christmas day in exchange, but since Christmas isn't really my thing I don't mind much. Plus I get extra pay for working on Christmas! More gift money!” He attached more emojis at the end of the text, mostly to cover up his nerves and try to make the conversation more casual. Practically biting his nails, Garnet waited for Ingo's response. He did not have to wait long. “Bravo, again! But I am curious, what is so special about the 21st that you would make such a trade for it?” Garnet sighed. Ingo was so perceptive, it was hard to hide anything from him. It was one of the many things he loved about the man, but it also made white lies and secrets difficult. Still, he made this bed and he was gonna have to lay in it. “The 21st is Yule. A Pagan holiday.” Garnet did not elaborate any further. His religion was a touchy subject and he had suffered through enough experiences of ridicule and people refusing to take him seriously. He used to enjoy talking about it, but he had learned to be more guarded about his faith.

Ingo did not answer right away. He did not answer for a painstakingly long time. Garnet bit his lip with worry as anxious thoughts flew through his head. “He won't understand you,” said one. “He's going to try to change your mind about it.” said another. “He'll leave you. He'll hurt you,” whispered yet another self-sabotaging thought. Garnet let out a groan and got to his feet, bundling up and heading out the door for a walk to clear his head.

Ingo, for his part, gazed down at the text message he'd just received. “Hmm,” he murmured to himself. He saw words he didn't recognize. Ever a curious soul and avid learner, he turned to Smoogle (Smoochum Google) for answers. Articles about Paganism and the holidays associated with it presented themselves before him. His eyes scrolled quickly across his screen, absorbing as much information as he could. Distractible as he could be, Ingo became so engrossed in his newfound education that he entirely forgot to return his partner's text. By the time he remembered, the sun was hovering low in the winter sky. “My apologies for my tardy response, dear. I got caught up in researching this Yule of which you speak. I am glad you were able to acquire the day off work. If you would like, may I come over to visit you on that night if you have no other plans?” Ingo bit his lip, awaiting a response. The two of them were early on in their relationship, only a handful of months in. Any chance to spend time with Garnet was one Ingo would seize, albeit with no small amount of nervousness. Garnet blew back into his home with a gust of snowy wind accompanying him. He shivered as he removed his coat and protective layers. He wasn't terribly tolerant of the cold, but his ruminating thoughts had driven him out. As he settled back in, he let his Vulpix out of her Pokeball and held her close to enjoy her warmth. The man blinked and then laughed as his other five Pokemon all released themselves from their Pokeballs at once, crowding him jealously and vying for his affection. “Alright, alright,” he chuckled. “Pets for Jolteon,” he announced, scratching his friend under the chin and moving on to the next. “Pets for Altaria, for Eevee, for Bulbasaur, for Raichu.”

After all of his Pokemon were satisfied, his Raichu left the room and came back holding Garnet's phone. “Oh, thanks buddy!” He said with a smile, taking it from her. That's how he came to read Ingo's response. His worry gave way to pleasant surprise, which in turn gave way to rapidly deepening affection. Ingo made an effort to understand him. He didn't appear to want to change his mind about his faith. He wasn't going to leave or hurt him. Bolstered by this knowledge, Garnet texted him back right away to invite him to spend Yule together. His heart pounded in his chest. “He might be the one.” Light met Ingo as he was hurried into Garnet's apartment to escape the cold. Candlelight, specifically. Each room had multiple candles of varying sizes, shapes, and colors spread across nearly every surface. Ingo tilted his head. Was this one of Garnet's religious traditions? He turned to his boyfriend to ask, but before he could even open his mouth, Garnet was rambling out an explanation. “It's uh...A Pagan thing. Like, this is the darkest and shortest day of the year, so I like to fill the house with candlelight and leave the electric lights off. It reminds me of how our ancestors lit their homes during the dark part of the year; it keeps me in touch with the cycle of seasons. That's...Something that's important to me...I mean, I don't really like to talk about it with people who aren't Pagan because they seem to not understand and think that there's something wrong with me or that I need to be converted or...” Garnet trailed off, beginning to blush in embarrassment due to his ramblings. He risked a glance at Ingo, worried that he'd think him a fool. Ingo merely peered at his partner, eyebrows furrowed as he digested all the information he had just received. After a lengthy pause, he spoke. “Thank you for sharing this with me, my love. Every new thing I learn about you is a new thing to love. I'm sorry you've been made to feel judged for your religious beliefs, but please do not fear that from me, as I am determined not to treat you that way.” He nodded sagely, eyes closed in thought. When he opened them, he did not expect the sight that greeted him: Garnet in tears. Ingo sucked in a sharp breath and gingerly reached out to grasp his boyfriend by the shoulder, then thought better of it. “I-I'm sorry if I have taken off down a wrong track. I merely meant--” He cut off as Garnet threw himself into Ingo's arms, burying his head in the crook of his neck. “Thank you,” were the only words Garnet could force out as he wept quietly in relief. Ingo wrapped his arms tight around Garnet, whispering soft assurances and rocking him gently to and fro.

As the well of Garnet's tears dried, the two stepped away from each other and regarded one another with love. “So...” Ingo murmured. “Can you tell me more about what this holiday means to you? I did some research, but I would like to hear it from you.” Garnet grinned joyously and began to explain. Ingo's eyes softened as he listened to his boyfriend ramble about a topic he was so passionate about. “He might be the one,” he thought. “Do you need any help lighting candles, or did you get all of them?” Ingo's question broke Garnet out of his reverie. “No thank you, my love, I lit them all,” he responded, treating his husband to a sweet peck on the cheek. “I did my ritual before you got home, so I'm yours for the rest of the evening.” Ingo smiled at that, the words as good as music to his ears. “I'm honored to spend the longest night by your side,” he murmured earnestly in his beloved's ear. “And it will be my honor to wake up next to you tomorrow and greet the growing days,” Garnet grinned and whispered back. The two shared a kiss that spoke volumes of their appreciation, love, and deep understanding as the candlelight flickered playfully across their forms.

🍓

okay, to start aejfaejfaweij smoogle

now that i'm done giggling, this is so sweet!! yule is a beautiful holiday tradition, and even though i'm not pagan myself, i think it's beautiful, and i'm so happy to be able to learn more about paganism through your beautiful work!!

lovely lovely lovely!!

~Renee

#submission #ingo anon #i would die for garnet #OC Garnet

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itsjustmyfantasyroom · 4 years

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Via Text

The lovely @beccabarba requested a follow on from Via Email. Hope this hits the spot x

Thank you @detective-giggles for helping along the way.

Warnings: Bryan Kneef, I repeat Bryan Kneef. He is an ass-hole and slightly rough but reader feels safe. Thigh riding smut. Swearing. Use of Daddy, slut and whore.

WC: 1881

Enjoy x

You had just walked out of your 6th interview in 2 weeks since you had quite your job as Bryan’s assistant and personal sex toy. You had applied for multiple jobs and been to interviews with no luck, and you weren’t really sure why. You were up to date with all training and had more than enough experience but you hadn’t gotten an offer. You were lucky you didn’t have to cut into your savings to live just yet and your parents had told you they would help out as much as they could so you didn’t have to do that.

You walked out of the 6th interview feeling kind of flat, 6 interviews in 2 weeks and it actually hit you that maybe you might have to go back to school and start all over again. You hated yourself for sleeping with your boss and you hated yourself even more for letting him get under your skin. You walked passed a bar and thought ‘fuck it’, it was lunch time and you needed a drink. You walked in sitting at the bar and ordering a pink gin and lemonade and a serving of wedges when your phone buzzed with a new text. You rolled your eyes when you saw the number, and against your better judgement you clicked on it just to see what it said,

6 interviews in 2 weeks, you’ve been busy. Shame none of them have worked out. Let me know when you want your job back.

Bryan

“Prick” you muttered under your breath it all making sense why you hadn’t heard back from any jobs, you had put Bryan as your previous employee and clearly they had all contacted him.

You sat there as your blood boiled, everything running through your head. You had two more drinks before you got down off your stool, throwing a tip on the bar walking out to get a cab. You got to the office building making your way inside, storming past work friends as they said hello actually not hearing them you were so filled with rage. The drinks that you had were enough to give you some courage and make your flitter slip slightly, but not enough that you were intoxicated to the point you didn’t know what you were doing.

You walked up the spiral stair case into your old office space, to Ruth sitting at your desk. Ruth was a floater, a lovely older lady that had been at the firm probably since before you were born,

“Y/N, how is your break dear? What brings you in, I thought you had another week off”

“Wait, what?” You frowned at Ruth.

“Mr Kneef said you were using some of your vacation days”

“Fucking asshole” you muttered “Where is Mr Kneef?”

“He has a meeting, should be done in 20 minutes. You can wait in his office if you like”

“Thanks Ruth”

You walked into Bryan’s office shrugging off your blazer to your navy, short sleeved, v necked aligned dress with a waist belt, black peep toed Mary Janes your hair pulled back in a low lose bun, throwing it over the arm chair followed by your bag and you walked straight over to his bar cart garbing a low ball glass and his best whiskey he hide behind everything else on the top shelf, pouring yourself a glass. You walked over to the large window, the window he pushed you up against too many times starring into the distance while you waited for him to come back. It wasn’t long after when you heard his voice barking orders at Ruth about the meeting,

“I’ll get that done for you straight away Mr Kneef. Y/N is waiting for you in your office.”

“Have you had lunch yet?” Bryan looked down at Ruth and she shook her head no “ Go now, take two hours today”

“But the paper work”

“Don’t worry about it. Two hours, go” he snapped.

Bryan didn’t come in straight away. You heard the main office door close and then you heard his office door close. You spun around on your heels, your cheeks burnt and your tummy filled with butterflies as you looked at him. His grey pinned stripped suit with white shirt and black tie, his hair in place and his salt and pepper beard making your knees weak, the smell of his cologne kicking in your core instantly. You looked at him over the rim of the glass as he made his way over to you with a straight face, shrugging off his jacket throwing it on his desk, rolling up his sleeves. You shot the rest of the amber liquid back slamming the glass down on his desk and his eyes narrowed at you and suddenly rage filled you again,

“You asshole” you snarled “You have been sabotaging my interviews”

“You don’t need a new job”

“The fuck I don’t”

“No Y/N you fucking don’t. I blocked your resignation letter and made it into a personal leave submission. You just needed to cool down”

You raised an eye brow at him, and the room fell silent as he walked to his bar cart poring himself a drink and then walking to his two seater couch sitting down resting one arm along the arm of the chair holding his glass, the other resting along the back and his legs spread open,

“Asshole” you snapped.

“How many did you have before that one?” Bryan said coolly tilting his head to look over at you.

“Excuse you?” you walked over to stand in front of him your face red from anger.

“You don’t talk like that unless you’ve been drinking” he raised his eye brow at you with a smirk “Clearly I sent the text at the right time, pushed the right button” he chuckled.

You scoffed, crossing your arms across your body leaning into your right hip tapping your left foot on the floor,

“What are you trying to achieve here Bryan?”

“I don’t say sorry and I never admit I was in the wrong” he raised both eye brows fast.

Your eyes locked with his, the way he looked deep into yours made you gasp and like a flash he put his glass down on the end table and he was in front of you, his body flush with yours, his body heat seeping through your cloths, one hand on your hip and the other on the side of your neck, you bit your bottom lip,

“You have one week of personal leave left, 3 weeks of full pay all together. You come back Monday and the whole week will be time and a half”

“No” you spat back. Bryan grinned as he ran his hand from your neck up into your hair threading it between your bun and your scalp, his hand balling into a fist tugging your hair and head to the side and he started to kiss the slope of your neck. You moaned as his beard ran along your skin, his lips wet from his drink and you grabbed onto his strong muscly arms, your finger nails digging into the material of his business shirt “I’ am not your whore Bryan”

“No your Daddy’s little slut” Bryan said into your skin, the hand on your hip running down to your ass cheek giving it a slight spank. You whimpered and squeezed your thighs together for some relief.

Common sense kicked in and you pulled away from him, “I’ am not doing this, not while you’re seeing or fucking other people, I’ am no ones fool. And pigs will fly before I work for you again” You pushed your pointer finger into his chest “Don’t fuck up my next interview”

You went to walk away when you felt his long fingers warp around your wrist and he tugged you back roughly, pulling you to the couch, tugging you down to sitting and the down to lay on your back. You were taken aback by his actions, but you didn’t feel unsafe, quite the opposite, he had never turned you on this much before. You trusted Bryan and you knew in his weird asshole way he was trying to mend whatever this was.

Bryan grabbed both wrists pinning them above your head, his long fingers in a tight grip around them, his knee pushing between your legs and you spread them willingly. All common sense you just had was gone the moment he grabbed your wrist. Bryan lent over you, his free hand resting on the back of the couch, and he adjusted his leg so his thigh was resting on your centre and you gasped as he started to moved his leg over you in a fast pace, your back arching off couch from the feeling of your panties rubbing on your hardened pearl as Bryan run his thigh over you. His lips ghosting yours,

“You don’t need another interview because you have a job here” Bryan pushed his thigh deeper into you and you moaned “I’ am not fucking or dating anyone else anymore. Only you”

You could feel your coil winding tight and you started to roll your hips over Bryan’s thigh, he could feel your wet coming through his pants. His own need was straining against his zipper, but today wasn’t about him. Today was about getting you back in and out of work. Your body covered in sweat and you screamed his name breathless as you rode his thigh till you came down from your high. When you stopped moving your hips Bryan lent down his lips landing on yours kissing you deeply. His tongue darting into your mouth toying with your tongue. Bryan broke the kiss so you could catch your breath, sitting up on the couch for a moment and then standing up in front of Bryan, his hands going to your hips again,

“That’s your way of saying sorry?” you smiled.

“You’re complaining?” Bryan smirked with an eye brow raise.

“Of course not” you cupped Bryan’s cheeks running your thumb along his bottom lip, he pouting his lips to kiss the pad of it “Only me?”

“I don’t need to repeat myself Y/N” he looked firmly at you “No titles yet, we work up to that”

“Ok” you smiled giving him a peak on the lips.

“I’ll come past when I’ am done and you can show me how sorry you are” Bryan grinned at you.

“I have nothing to be sorry for” you sassed back, pulling away from him to walk away to get your jacket and bag, Bryan’s hand landing on your ass again with a spank before you were out of reach, you looked over your shoulder and winked “But by all means stop by later Daddy”

Tags: @thatesqcrush @witches-unruly-heart @madamsnape921 @annabelleb49 @prurientpuddlejumper

#bryan kneef #bryan kneef x reader #bryan kneef smut #bryan kneef fic

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ironmandeficiency · 4 years

Text

mr. tin man

pairing: agent whiskey / statesman!reader

word count: 4470

summary: communication is vital in a relationship, and the lack thereof resulted in you breaking up with jack after eight months of dating. when whiskey and bloody mary see each other again, it’s not quite the romantic reunion they deserved.

a/n: apparently writing for a cowboy while wearing a cowboy hat and listening to country music brings out my twang via text. but this song was my inspo, enjoy my first attempt at whiskey

warnings: implied smut, heartbreak, plenty of sad, implied torture, canon-typical violence, hurt/comfort, promise of a happy ending

“so that’s it, you’re not gonna explain yourself?!”

“there’s nothing to explain, jack.”

“that’s bullshit and you know it!”

jack had no idea what had gotten into you. just last night the two of you were making dinner together with his record player singin’ george strait, following dinner with slow dancin’ in the living room. the rest of the night was spent in his bed, in his arms as he made you feel his love for you with every thrust and kiss, every word of praise whispered into your ear.

eight months was a short time to be so confident in his love for you. both of your jobs took you all around the country, sometimes the world, but you had always made it work. you both agreed very early on to not let work get in the way as much as possible, but sometimes it was like champ had it out for you despite not knowing that you were seeing someone.

i’m just- i’m grabbing my stuff and leaving, i can’t be around you right now.” your voice was cold and unyielding, nearly making jack think that the previous night’s lovemaking was all a figment of his wild imagination.

“i’m not letting you leave till you tell me why! what changed from last night to now?!”

“i don’t need to tell you a damned thing, now let me go!”

“sweetheart, don’t be like this!”

his eyes narrowed at you, face scrunching slightly as he continued. “like what, jack? a bitch?” your yelling was met with his silence. this silence only made you angrier with him, even though he had no idea what started this or how to fix it. “go on then,” you egg him on, “tell me what i’m acting like!”

“you’re acting like you don’t love me! you don’t treat someone you love like you’re treating me right now!”

now it was your turn to be silent. jack’s eyes were scrutinizing you and if asked to, he could pinpoint the exact second when your eyes lost the softness he crooned over and into rigid, obstinate stone. what was going on in that head of yours, and why wouldn’t you let him help you? why weren’t you talking things out like rational adults, the way you always did when there was a disagreement?

“well maybe i don’t love you.”

the only thing you heard was the blood rushing through his veins, trying to reach his heart and repair the damage you dealt before it was too late. but the second the words fell from your lips it was too late to save him, your cruelty laced with the venom of a thousand vipers as you spoke with no hesitation.

“tell me you don’t mean it. sugar, tell me you don’t-“

“i do, jack. i mean it. now let. me. go.”

you had no words to describe what you felt right then, the way your throat constricted and eyes blurred from tears and hands trembled as you grabbed what belongings of yours you could carry, choking on your pain but hiding it well. it wasn’t all of your things by any means, but he could do what he wanted with the rest of it. you had no intentions of returning for anything and you had the feeling you wouldn’t be welcomed back after what you’ve just done.

with your arms full and not a single glance over your shoulder, you walked out of the door he held open for you to walk out of. the slam of it reverberated through your body and you felt goosebumps when the breeze of the door blew against your back.

barely managing to open the door to your car, you let your things fall unceremoniously from your arms and clatter to the floorboard. eight months of life with jack had meant there were plenty of memories in the seat next to you and there would be far more waiting in your apartment. you weren’t ready for that, not right now. if you ever would be.

you moved to the driver’s side and got in, resting your head on the steering wheel as you tried to collect yourself. what you needed was a distraction, something to keep you from thinking about what you just did.

then your phone rings. one look at the contact name brings a bitter laugh from your throat, the sound broken and wet. this is the first time you’ve wished for work and unlike nearly every wish you’ve made in your life, you get instant results.

first question out of your mouth is about whether there’s an assignment that’ll keep you gone as long as possible. he says there’s nothing currently that doesn’t already have someone on it, but that there’s plenty of grunt work to be done that, when culminated and done all in a row, will keep you busy for nearly two months.

that sounds like heaven to you right now.

you tell him this and he chuckles, saying it’s not the first time he’s had an agent so desperate to be distracted. coordinates are sent to an airstrip eight hours away and even though you’re happy to drive the distance, you’re curious as to why the pilot couldn’t be assed to land at the one only three hours out. but before you’re able to voice this thought to champ, he’s already hung up.

you don’t want to, can’t find the strength to go back to your apartment. you can just buy the things you’ll need once you get to wherever and be done with it. the apartment was blanketed with landmine memories you didn’t want to go anywhere near right now, not before a mission. the moment one landmine is triggered, it’ll tell the others and send you into a blast that you honestly don’t think you’d recover from.

so with a sigh and a flick of the radio dial, you’ve got the saddest songs you know playing as loud as possible. you start your car and head toward the interstate and to the waiting plane, letting yourself go in favor of embracing bloody mary, the one that could handle pain and dish it back twice as harsh. it was time to forget jack daniels by using everything but.

jack didn’t know how to process what just happened. after eight life-altering, blissful months of being together, you just left. no real explanation except for the lingering “i don’t love you” he’s desperate to forget he heard spill from your mouth. he has no idea if he had done anything to drive you to leaving. if you would just tell him what he did, he’d repent for that and every other wrong thing he’s done in his life, if only it meant holding you in his arms again.

“LIKE A RHINESTONE COWBOY! RIDIN’ OUT ON A HORSE IN A STAR-SPANGLED RODEO!-”

he let it ring for a moment, his heart clenching at the fact you pulled the rhinestone cowboy stunt one last time before you walked out of his life. at this point he was hesitant to change it because then it would mean that you’d never do it again. you knew how much he despised the song and you went out of your way sometimes to remind him of its existence, but he could never grow tired of your wide smile when watching him react.

he barely schooled his voice before greeting the voice on the other line. “whiskey.”

“whiskey! good to hear from ya. listen, i got a job for you. won’t keep you gone for long, just a simple in and out, i know you’ve got places you’d rather be.”

last night he would have loved to hear those words come from his mouth. “give me everything you’ve got, champ. i don’t wanna be back for a while.”

the older man could sense that something was off but had the lick of sense required to not bring it up. instead, he told whiskey of some undercover work he needed someone on right away. two months, possibly more. the silver pony is waiting at the private airstrip three hours away and that he’ll be briefed on the plane. where exactly he’s headed isn’t of any consequence.

he packs a bag of his own clothes and a few of yours to help him sleep at night, preparing to submit himself fully to the agency. it wasn’t like he had someone to come home to anymore, no reason to do anything but work.

this undercover mission was gonna be his salvation.

you have a lot of regrets, a lot of things you’ve done that had you close to repenting. but when two months pass and it feels like you never left his apartment, you want to scream every atrocity you’ve ever committed at the top of your lungs if it meant holding him again.

not a word that came out of your mouth that morning was meant, but his safety was priority. it didn’t matter how your heart was bleeding, begging and pleading for you to not go through with breaking him. selfish is what you were, spending one last night in his arms and able to pretend that you could have something good happen for once in your life. he deserved more than that, he deserved all the love this world has to offer and more.

but that’s not how life goes.

so you kept your nose to the grindstone and worked till you bled and then worked till it scabbed and bled again. champ, thank god for champ, has been keeping jack as busy as he could reasonably ask to be. it kept you from thinking of jack and the way his dark eyes haunted your dreams. the way dream-jack would cry, voice cracking as he begged you to stay and tell him how he could fix whatever broke between you.

but there wasn’t anything jack had the power to fix. someone found his address and knew that he was yours, sending photos and calling you to make threats about getting revenge for their boss you killed on your last mission. you would rather offer yourself to the bastards on a silver platter than let anyone hurt your cowboy. if he was pulled into statesman business because of you, you don’t know what you would have done besides the fact that you could not be held responsible for your actions.

but what could you do, tell your boyfriend that you weren’t really in marketing after eight months together? that you killed people day in and day out, had the blood of hundreds on your hands and smeared that blood on his body when you came home to him?

you could just imagine how well that would go down.

you decided to make him hate you, convince him that you didn’t love him. that he wasn’t the motivation to keep going during missions, to stay safe because you didn’t want him to learn the truth about your work through news of your death.

you were many things, liar being on top of the list these days.

jack didn’t want to be in that house any longer than he needed to be. packing quicker than he had in nearly a year. he decided he’d leave his heart behind, damning the organ to seep into the floorboards, echoes of its beating permeating the air with every thunk of his boots against the hardwood.

if that house wasn’t where you were when “i love you” was spoken for the first time, he’d have sold it. if that bronco parked out front wasn’t the one you’d ride shotgun in, singing loudly to every song that sang through the fm dial, he’d have wrecked it.

jack found himself in a conundrum; he wanted to forget you and everything that made him fall in love with you, but he didn’t want to lose the only pieces of you that he had left.

the clothes you left here lost your smell far sooner than he thought they should have, and seeing every hanger in his closet in use, every garment accounted for, skewered him more than he thought it would.

when you spent the night there was always one hanger empty, and when he’d investigate as to the missing shirt’s whereabouts, it would always be on you. didn’t matter if you wore it buttoned or unbuttoned, or if you simply had it draped around you because it was another way to feel closer to him, even if he were only in the other room.

you were suffocating him in your memory and his heart and brain couldn’t choose whether to fight to breathe or let himself succumb.

it was another two weeks of light work when champ called you with a mission a bit more important than anything you’ve had in a while. a fellow agent sent to the badlands of montana hasn’t been making contact for far too long and it was your job to bring him home.

“mary, he’s one of our best. bring him home in one piece.”

“wouldn’t settle for less, champ. who is it, anyway? i’m hoping to god tequila isn’t who you’re thinking is one of your best.”

he chuckled and you could picture him shaking his head with a smirk. he was well aware of the somewhat friendly competition between the two of you and sometimes it was plenty amusing. other times, not so much. then he cleared his throat the way he only does when he’s dealing a harsh blow and your hair stood on end in preparation for what he was about to say.

“it’s whiskey, mary. we think his cover was blown.”

well, that was anticlimactic. “you say his name as if it’s supposed to mean something to me, champ. i’ve never met him a day in my life.”

he sputters for a second and isn’t sure whether he should call you on your shit or go along with your naivety since, if it were real, would be helpful in keeping you from making any rash decisions in the field.

see, champ caught on real early to the relationship statuses of two of his best agents. in the beginning he debated on whether or not to separate the two of you, but after a few months passed by and the quality of your work didn’t depreciate, he decided against it. let them have the happiness they earned, he figured, it wasn’t getting anyone killed.

for the sake of this productivity, he just pulled strings to keep the two of you from being assigned missions together. since the two of you never brought it up with him, he just assumed that you both agreed with his decision.

now he wasn’t so sure that either of you even knew that you were both statesman. oh fuck, this was gonna be fun, especially when they find out that he’d been knowing about the two of you, oh well, nothing to be done now. you were the only one he could trust with this operation and besides, it’s high time the two of you were completely honest with each other.

one thing jack’s learned during his capture, it’s that time was a social construct. the room he’s been in had no windows and the guard rotations were deliberately sporadic, purposefully switching shifts to fuck with his head. the minutes and hours and days blurred by pain and agony as they used nearly every possible torture method trying to get information from him that he didn’t know, stopping just short of killing him each time.

outside of his own blood pounding in his ears and the voices of his captors when they beat him, it was complete silence until a strained phone call was made outside of the door to his personal hell.

“your boss didn’t say he was statesman! i lost several good men on this operation, you owe me big time!” jack assumed they were talking about him, but wait a minute. didn’t they go after him because he was statesman? didn’t he slip up somehow and that’s what got him in this situation?

he doesn’t remember much from the fight he lost that ended with him in the very chair he was in right then, he just remembers them mentioning what he thought to be a name: bloody mary. he didn’t recognize the name from around the agency, so maybe instead of alluding to the beverage, they were hinting at the ghost that haunted mirrors. he didn’t like either option so he pushed it away, unsure of what this bloody mary had to do with him being here.

they’d been asking him about her ever since he got here, and for the first time he was honest during an interrogation. they still hit him, somehow convinced that he was involved with this mystery woman. what was even stranger was that they didn’t even give him some cockamamey evidence, doctored photos that could “attest” to his involvement.

“no! you send your men to come get him! and bring more to replace the ones your idiocy cost me!” a long silence from the man who’d led his interrogations, and a sigh. “have someone send the photos. he’s still not giving information… it’s been a week and he’s near dead, we push too hard and we lose any chance of getting the information… alright. let me know when they’re close.”

oh, they’re gonna bring photos pretty soon. finally he’ll have some sort of explanation as to why he’s here.

but then he hears gunshots outside of his little prison and his senses are immediately on edge. “secure the prisoner! secure the prisoner secure the-” the frantic shouts of one of the guards was cut off by a gurgling noise jack could only guess was his own blood.

this meant two things: someone was here to take whiskey and he had no idea whether he’d prefer a statesman rescue or for whoever his captors were trying to deliver him to. if the latter happens, maybe he can get a read on what kind of threat this “bloody mary” poses.

he’s never longed more for his whip and lasso and his revolver, to go out there and kill every single one of them that fucked with him. but he could barely stand or move as it was, leaving this room was a death sentence right now. stay put, he decided, and see what life has in store for him now.

he was never one to admire fictional characters all that much, but in that moment his mind wandered to the wizard of oz. he remembers watching it with you one night on your couch, you having won a bet that ended in you choosing the movie for movie night.

the tin man stood out the most to jack. here he was, an impenetrable force that yearned for a heart despite the weaknesses such an organ possessed. hypothetically, if the tin man were real, he would offer the man a bargain: your armor for my heart.

now jack wasn’t a con man. he wouldn’t say he was selling a fully functional heart all in one piece. no, he’d tell the tin man straight, that his heart was in pieces and has been pretty worn down over the years. after all, it isn’t like that armor of his hasn’t seen better days.

yeah, jack would be willing to do far too much to get just a scrap of that armor.

he’s too busy entertaining this idea through his hazy delirium that he doesn’t notice the door opening and one of the men approaching him in haste, hands beginning to grab at him, probably to take him away from whoever is attacking his prison.

they both hear the sound of footsteps from the doorway and whiskey’s vision is blocked by the man that was about to move his aching body from its crumpled position.

“turn around and step away from him. now!” the new voice shouted. it was a woman, he realized. what if this was the bloody mary in question? his broken mind could only imagine the opportunities that are falling at his feet.

the man turns, hands raised and whiskey could faintly make out the rapid breathing of the man scared shitless of the looming figure. “b-bloody mary, i-”

“save it. you’ve made a mistake crossing me, thornton. did you forget what happens to the men that dare fuck with me?”

there we go. this was perfect, exactly the woman he wanted to see. he had no idea what his future held, but getting an escort out of here by a woman who clearly wasn’t planning on leaving here without him (and wouldn’t hesitate to kill to ensure that outcome) was like a gift from god.

there was a silent screaming in the back of his mind that told him to pay more attention to the next time bloody mary spoke, that he was missing out on a critical detail by allowing himself to slip into near comatose.

“b-b-but i was gonna g-give you half the money once i handed him over! i swear it!”

“i don’t want your money, thornton. what i’d like back is the time i wasted tracking your slimy ass, but this will do.”

he hears a thunk and suddenly he’s covered in red and thornton’s body is crumpling to the ground, an arrow between his eyes and blood quickly pooling around him. before he passes out, he risks a look at the face of the crossbow-wielding woman who holds his life in her hands.

it’s you.

he has to be delusional. you can’t be here, splattered in blood and dirt and picking him up in your arms. his angel clad in crimson, one foot pressed to the dead man’s head as you yank the arrow out with force he didn’t think you had. you can’t be the one who asks him where his weapons are, jack lifting a trembling hand towards the trunk in the far corner as you pull out his trusted whip and lasso

you can’t be going back one by one to the men you left alive and ending their lives with barely contained rage as you guide him out of the prison he’s been trapped in for god only knows how long. and what was in the canteen you were emptying as you walked through towards the doors?

there was no way on god’s green earth that you were the one flicking open a zippo before tossing the chrome lighter on top of the puddle of what his brain is now telling him is lighter fluid, carrying him bridal style towards the cherry red ford edsel convertible as his hell went up in flames.

he feels himself be gently laid down in the back of the car, a soft hand coming up to cup his cheek and stroking away a tear jack didn’t realize he shed. it really was you, he realized as he met your eyes, eyebrows wrinkled in fear that he felt guilty for giving you.

“you’ll be alright, jack. we’re gonna get you some help, you’re gonna be okay, i swear it baby,” his heart clenched when your voice cracked at the end, his vision going black before he can say or do anything to soothe the ache he knows you’re feeling.

“you son of a bitch, you knew?!” jack knows that voice.

“of course i did, i wouldn’t be doing my job if i didn’t! and you two weren’t slackin off so i thought-” jack knew that voice too. but why did it seem as if they knew each other?

“so when it became apparent that i didn’t know that jack was a statesman, you didn’t think to tell me?!”

“it could have jeopardized the mission if i told you then!”

a loud slap echoes through the room as you loudly call champ a motherfucker, the insult followed by a demand for privacy.

a door clicks shut and for a second jack’s body is preparing him for another hit from an assailant or sparks of electricity from the car battery they electrocuted him with a time or two. his muscles tense all the same when instead of pain, much to his surprise, the touch is feather light and tender.

“jack… baby i’m so sorry, for everything i did. for leaving, for saying such hateful things,” he hears you sniffle and if he could move his body right then he’d wipe away the tears streaking your dirty face if he could move one. they had him so doped up on muscle relaxers and painkillers and whatnot that he was still unsure of whether you were even here.

“i didn’t mean any of it i swear, fuck i love you jack and-” you cut yourself off with the beginnings of a sob, taking a few heaving breaths before you were able to continue.

that is, until he felt your lips quivering against his in a kiss unlike any you’ve shared in the past. every kiss with whiskey was confident, whether it was the passionate connection of kiss-swollen lips as you made love or the gentle pecks when you were just being, cuddling during movie nights or when swaying around the kitchen while cooking. it was a confidence born of two people who knew they were meant to be together and would continue to be. that confidence was gone now.

the anxiety buried behind this kiss burned worse than the cigarettes his captors put out against his skin. you were scared he’d turn you away, tell you that he didn’t want you anywhere near him after how you broke his heart.

you flinch when he pushes his face closer to yours, trying to tame the way your lips shook because he loves you, he misses you, he forgives you. your eyes widen when he does this and your hands are immediately cupping his face and wiping away the tears that were starting to drop from his eyes.

“hello darlin’,” he chokes out. “it’s nice to see you.”

you let out a wet laugh at his reference. of course jack’ s gonna start singing conway right now. “it’s been a long while, you’re just as lovely as you used to be.” your hands hold his face firmly as you bend lower and let your lips linger on the ones you’ve been without for the past two months.

“will ya lay with me, sweetheart?”

“always, jack.”

you maneuver your body around jack’s in the bed he was laying in, humming in content when he kisses your forehead. there’s a lot of obstacles ahead for the two of you, but it’s not anything two statesman agents can’t handle with their hands intertwined.

jack was never happier to not have traded his heart for armor.

#agent whiskey #agent whiskey x reader #jack daniels x reader #jack whiskey daniels #kingsman golden circle #kingsman: the golden circle #pedro pascal #agent whiskey imagine

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jamielea81 · 5 years

Text

Conversations

Chapter 6

Description: You accompany your friends on a day trip to Animal Kingdom Theme Park where you meet Scott Evans by chance. This one afternoon leads to a year long friendship with both Chris and Scott over text messages and phone calls.

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader

Warning: Cursing, drinking, maybe a little heartache.

Word Count: 7,750

A/N: Comments and reblogs are always appreciated. Italics are internal thoughts. This is strictly for fun. I know nothing about the lives of these two individuals, so this is purely fiction.

Catch up with chapter 5

Scott called about an hour later. The two of you apologizing to each other which neither of you really needed to do.

“Look, I’m sorry about Chris taking my phone. I should have called you when I got home rather than calling you with Chris there,” Scott said.

He sounded down which you hated. None of this mess was Scott’s fault.

“You honestly have nothing to apologize for. I’m sorry that you were even caught in the middle of whatever that was,” you replied and took a deep breath. “I don’t want to fight with Chris. But I don’t think it’s fair that he gets to pick and choose when he wants to be a part of my life. I mean, it’s been about a month of us barely speaking.”

“Completely agree with you there,” Scott said.

“I get it though, he’s with Courtney now. And for as much as he and I were talking before New Year, I can see how that wouldn’t necessarily be something you could carry on doing when in a relationship,” you said.

“Plus, my brother is a flirt.”

“That he is,” you sighed.

“On to more serious topics. So how slutty did you decide to go?” Scott asked.

“You’re impossible,” you replied.

Jana agreed that neither dress would be considered as Scott put it, slutty. One just showed a tiny bit of cleavage and the other showed just a tad more. You decided that the deep purple flattered more, even if it did show a bit of cleavage.

Ethan arrived promptly at six with a bouquet of roses in hand. The varying shades of pink matched the color of his cheeks, which frankly was adorable.

The Capital Grille was a beautiful restaurant with old world charm. Mahogany stained wainscoting and rich red paint covered the walls. Crisp white linens with intimate lamp lighting adorn each of the tables. It’s far nicer restaurant than the last few dates you have been on. You like Chilis as much as the next person, but Ethan was definitely trying to impress and you appreciated the effort.

“I hear congrats are in order,” you said, pleasant smile on your face.

He ducks his face for a second but then offers a strong grin. “Thank you. Thank you. I take it Jana told you the news?” he asked. You nodded, taking a sip of your champagne cocktail, enjoying the flavor of the peach vodka. “I worked hard and it paid off.”

Lifting your glass, you angled it toward him. “Cheers to making partner,” you offered.

He clinked his glass of bourbon against yours, offering you a gentle smile and a muttered thank you.

Dinner was delicious and the ride home not as awkward as you assumed it would be. While you had known Ethan for over a year, each interaction had only been minutes and it was generally him offering you dazzling smiles. This Ethan was sweet and eager to know about you. The cockiness that he generally pushed out was more subdued and a part of you could see this moving on two a second and a third date.

Ethan walked you to your door and you were almost tempted to invite him in, but you did want to push this into a one and done date. Leaning in, you offered him a hug which he fully embraced. The woodsy scent of his cologne enveloped you as your face rested in the crock of his neck. After you hugged a bit too long, your pulled back with flushed cheeks, only to be met with his soft pillowy lips cooling the heat.

You went to bed that night with a smile on your face. Jana and Scott could hear about your evening later.

Ethan sent you a text around lunch the next day. Just a simple check in that kept that smile going.

Ethan: Hi 😊 Hope your day is off to a great start.

On Valentine’s Day, Ethan didn’t send anything or ask to take you out. It was much too early for something like that in your opinion, but he did send you a good morning text and another that afternoon.

Ethan: I know this is short notice, but can I take you to breakfast tomorrow?

Y/N: That sounds great. Do you want to meet somewhere or are you picking me up?

Ethan: I’d like to surprise you. Pick you up at nine?

Y/N: Great! I’ll see you tomorrow.

Ethan: Have a wonderful day beautiful.

Brunch was at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The California Grill not only offered dinner with a spectacular view, but it also offered an upscale brunch on the weekends. On your first date, you told Ethan about your love for the mouse. Even though he was a native Floridian, he confessed he’d only gone to the parks a couple of times as an adult.

“We should go sometime,” you said, pointing at the castle that could be seen from your table.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“I mean, only if you want to. It would be a fun date,” you said shyly.

“You’re going to let me take you on more dates?”

What a flirt.

“Or I could take you. Ever think of that?” you sassed.

“Alright. Yeah, you take me out. As long as you buy me a churro,” Ethan said.

“I’ll even throw in popcorn!”

Ethan stuck out his hand for you to shake. You turned your head to the side and gave him a lopsided grin before extending your own.

“Deal,” he said.

The date ended in a sweet kiss that felt right.

It was a week before Chris makes the first move and reaches out to you. Via text message of course. You’re in the middle writing an article about your brunch with Ethan a couple of days ago. The brunch is not a new offering at the hotel, but it’s the first time you’ve dined there and your boss agreed it could be a nice article for the paper’s online edition. Since you thought an article was a strong possibility, your date humored you as you took several photos of your and Ethan’s entrees, the buffet offerings as well as the Bloody Mary bar with your phone’s camera. You’re happy you did. It’s always nice to be able to use your own pictures to add a personal touch to the article rather than using images Disney supplies.

Chris: “Please forgive me – I know not what I do”

That asshole.

Using your love of soft rock against you was a cheap move. He knew about your obsession with Bryan Adams. It wasn’t something you shouted from rooftops, but you also didn’t hide it which is why you confessed one of your more recent regrets was missing him in concert at Red Rocks. A guy you were seeing at the time suggested the trip to Colorado but you didn’t feel the two of you were at the “vacation together” stage.

Chris: Can I call you? I really want to talk to you.

You slapped your phone face down on your desk.

Nope. Not right now. Work first. Chris drama later. Much later.

A second later you grabbed your phone off the desk and saw that a new message had come in.

Ethan: Hi Beautiful. Can I see you tomorrow night?

Smiling to yourself, you typed out a quick reply.

Y/N: Hello Mister charmer. Yes, I’m free tomorrow night.

Hitting send on the message, you placed the phone in the desk drawer. Out of sight, out of mind.

With the dinner dishes currently drying in the rack, you walked outside to your lanai, sitting down on the cushioned loveseat. Tucking one leg under the other, you got comfy. Despite it being the middle of February, the temperatures were still comfortable in the high sixties at night. You dug your phone out of your pocket and passed it back and forth between your hands. The text from Chris had burned a hole in your brain all afternoon, despite your best effort to forget it. Taking a deep breath, you counted to three before hitting the phone icon on Chris’ contact information. If you two were going to have a conversation, you wanted to have some control.

It rang only twice before he answered.

“Y/N? Hi.” He definitely sounded nervous which slightly put you at ease.

“H-hi, Chris. Is now a good time?” you asked.

“Yeah…Just give me a second,” he replied.

It sounded as though he was moving. You could hear voices in the background getting quieter. Then you heard a door close.

“I can call you back later, if you’re busy,” you offered.

“No. No. Just watching TV with a friend. Not a big deal,” Chris said.

Part of you wondered if the friend was Courtney. Not that it was any of your concern.

“I’m glad you called. I was a little worried when you didn’t reply to my text,” he said almost shyly.

“I was working.” You took a breath. That wasn’t the whole truth. “Too be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to. This has been weird for me,” you said.

“Been weird for me too,” he interrupted. “You’re right. We haven’t been talking, so I shouldn’t have expected you to have told me you had a date. I’m sorry.”

You’re not sure what you expected from the conversation. Chris didn’t really owe you anything. If you guys weren’t as close as you once were, then that’s just the way it is. But you couldn’t help yourself.

“Why haven’t we been talking? I mean…I feel like I’ve put effort into it. Into our friendship. You know what? Never mind. I appreciate you saying sorry. I’ll let you go,” you said.

“What? No. Please. Tell me what you were going to say. Please,” Chris pleaded.

You let out a slow breath and licked your lips. “You really pulled away in January,” you started. “And maybe the last couple of weeks I’ve stopped trying as much, but I started to feel like I was the only one trying. This…this thing between us shouldn’t have to feel like work.”

He slightly groaned. “I’m sorry. I’ve just been busy and I know that’s not fair to you. Sweetheart, I don’t want to lose you. Can we please try again?”

There he goes again making you weak with that nickname. You truly missed talking to Chris and you really hoped the two of you could get back to the way you were. As long as he tried.

“Okay. But only because you said please.”

He chuckled at your response. “Good. Ma did teach me manors, I’ll have you know,” he said.

“Then how do you explain Scott?” you asked.

You’d like to say that your friendship with Chris went back to daily phone calls and constant text messaging, but it didn’t. It was better, but it wasn’t what it once was. You chalked it up to him being with Courtney and you being with Ethan. The two of you texted each other once a day, but it was mainly memes and the occasional, “how’s your day?” Neither of you brought up your partners. But that was probably for the best. Besides, that just seemed…awkward.

That Magic Kingdom date you wanted to take Ethan hadn’t happened yet. The two of you had been seeing each other for just over a month. Two weeks in, he asked if you were exclusive and you said yes. It might have seemed fast to some, but you were seeing each other every other night. He texted you daily with sweet words and charmed you with multiple phone calls. A fresh bundle of various types of flowers in gorgeous hues of red, pink, yellow and creams were given to you weekly. Ethan was great and you were happy. Were you in love? No. But that’s something that came in time.

While you hadn’t gone on a true double date with Jana and Brooks, you had dined with the two of them at dinners with the other partners. Other nights were spent schmoozing Ethan’s clients. It had become a regular thing the last two weeks. You drew the line at three nights a week. Some nights you just wanted time with your boyfriend. And some nights you just wanted time for yourself. On the nights he was out without you, he’d come over when he was finished to spend the night at your place. Often dragging you to bed way earlier than you were used to. Scott did not appreciate your missed late-night phone calls, but you always made sure to touch base with him at some point during the day. You did not want to be accused of being a friend who forgot about everyone else once in a relationship.

“You’re lucky I love you. Taking your calls during the middle of the day like you’re my mother. Am I going to meet this boyfriend of yours?” he asked.

“Am I going to meet yours?” you countered.

“Touché…So, Chris and Courtney broke up,” he said casually like he was discussing the weather.

“Oh.” You’re so caught off guard, you’re not sure how to respond. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah, they do this. He says this is it this time. They just don’t work together,” he replied.

This is none of my business.

You reply with a hum. Since Chris and you don’t discuss your relationships as some sort of unwritten rule, it doesn’t feel right to discuss his breakup.

Scott seems to get the hint.

“What are you guys doing tonight?” he asked.

“Just watching a movie at his place. Nothing too exciting,” you replied.

Ethan knew about Scott, but he didn’t know Scott was an actor or the brother of Captain America. You didn’t hide it, but Ethan just wasn’t invested enough in knowing your friends. He was busy and you understood that.

Jana had taken a late lunch and met you at a strip mall near her office for a quick lunch and some shopping. With all the dinner dates, you needed to add a couple of dresses to your rotation.

“Are you out five nights a week like Ethan? I just feel it’s excessive,” you asked Jana.

“Kind of.” She shrugs. “Maybe three nights. Some weeks, just once,” she said.

“Then why the fuck have I been going three nights a week the last two weeks? I have to encourage him to go without me. Sometimes I just want to watch TV,” you whine.

She lets out a choppy laugh. “Ethan’s a work-aholic. I’m pretty sure I told you that before you two even got together. He’s just trying to prove himself to his new clients and the other partners.”

You had a pile of dresses in your hands and it was getting to the point where you were pretty sure your arm was going numb.

“Come please,” you beckoned Jana with a head nod toward the changing rooms. “I need you to help me decide.”

She followed you, taking a seat just outside your changing room door. Before you even put on the first dress, Ethan was calling you on your phone.

“Is it Ethan?” Jana asked.

“Yep. Hang on,” you told her through the changing room door.

“Hey Eth.”

“Hey Beautiful. How are you? Are you at work?” he asked.

“Good and no, taking a long lunch,” you said while shimming your pants down. Expertly holding your phone between your cheek and shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

“Shopping for some dresses. All these dinners we go on, I’m running out of things to wear. Jana met me, we grabbed lunch before and are headed back to work soon,” you said.

“Oh.” He sounded disappointed “Where are you?” he asked.

“At that strip mall on Citrus near your office,” you replied.

You’ve managed to unbutton the twelve or so buttons on your shirt without dropping your phone. You throw your fist in the air to celebrate, almost dropping your phone in the process.

“Wait, you’re near my office and you didn’t stop by?”

You love that he always wants to see you, but he spent the night at your place last night. But then again, you’ve dated guys that thought two dates a week was a lot.

“Eth, aren’t I seeing you tonight? I just needed some girl time,” you replied.

“Alright, fine. I just miss you,” he mumbles over the phone.

Your cheeks grow hot. This big, bad, scary lawyer is mush for you.

“You’re too sweet. I’ll see you later though,” you said.

“Okay. Bye sweetie,” he said.

“Bye Ethan.”

You slip on the first dress and walk out to show Jana. She immediately shakes her head and you walk right back in.

The next three she’s iffy about, but tells you to put the last of the three in the maybe pile.

You walk out in the fourth and she gasps. “That’s way too nice for a night out with clients, but that looks so good on you.”

You turn around to get a different angle in the mirror. She’s right. The cobalt blue looks great against your skin tone. The cut making your ass look great. You nod and smile, doing a twirl to make her laugh.

Before you make it back in the changing room, she grabs your hand.

“What did Ethan have to say,” she asked.

“He was just checking in,” you say with a shrug. “Wanted to know if I was stopping by when we’re done.”

“He calls a lot, doesn’t he?” she asked hesitantly.

“Jana,” you half chuckle. “Where’s this coming from?”

She lets out a small sigh. “It just seems like you guys spend a lot of time together. Do you ever feel like it’s lot? You were texting him at lunch.”

You’re not sure what’s she getting at. Yes, Ethan checks in quite often, but it’s a new relationship and you like spending time with him. It makes you feel good that someone cares that much about you. And yeah, it’s a lot, but it will probably lessen as time goes by.

“It’s new, Jana. We’re at that stage where we can’t get enough of each other. It’s fine. It’s sweet.”

She gives you a small smile. “Okay. You’re right. I’m just being weird. I am really happy for you,” she adds.

You walk back into the changing room, suddenly feeling a little down. You change out of the dress, opting to put your dark wash jeans and pink button-down back on. You grab the maybe dress and the cobalt blue dress to pay for. There’s a tiny bit of doubt planted in your mind now and you’re not sure what to think.

Ethan’s cut back on the amount of nights he works late in the office, instead opting to work at your place or at his. He’s even trimmed down on the client and partner dinners, only going if you have agreed to go. It’s a lot of time together and it’s really starting to take its toll. At first, you loved all the attention, but you can’t help but think back to that tiny seed of doubt that was planted a few weeks ago. Scott’s even mentioned that you’re more withdrawn, despite your best effort to call or text him often.

It’s a beautiful spring night and you’re on your lanai enjoying the extra hours of sunlight that April brings. The darkness of winter always gets you down; you can’t help but soak up the sun for as long as you can get it. You’re working on an article for Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival for the online edition. The festival has been going on for a month and you’ve already written a preview article for the paper, but this one is more your speed. You’ve been writing more and more for the online edition. Those articles allow you to really insert yourself into the story and write about the event from your personal experience.

The sliding glass door opens and closes behind you. You feel Ethan’s hands on your shoulders as he starts to gently rub them. An hour ago, volumes from The Southern Reporter and The Law of Torts, as well as his laptop were spread out across your kitchen island.

He kisses the top of your head. “Let’s go to bed sweetheart,” he softly says into your hair.

It’s eight o’clock. And the sun hasn’t set. The urge to snap at him is strong, but you bite your tongue.

“Go ahead without me. I want to finish this tonight so it can go up tomorrow,” you replied.

You turn around slightly and give him a small smile. This has become a normal fight between the two of you the last couple of weeks. Ever since he’s cut back on his nights out. You’ve always been a bit of a night owl, going to bed at ten feels like a compromise.

“Sweetie, I’m beat. It’s been a long week. You can finish that up in the morning. Wake up with me, you sleep too late anyway.”

You sigh out loud. “Ethan, this is work. I really need to get it finished and I don’t want to wake up at six and feel like I need to rush to finish. You’re perfectly fine to go to bed without me.”

He comes around the loveseat to stand in front of you.

“Please? For me?” he begs, voice light and sweet that you almost cave.

You shake your head. You’re not even tired. He’ll be passed out in fifteen minutes and you’ll be lying awake for hours.

“Sorry Eth. I’ll see you in there later,” you said.

You offer him a smile again before turning your attention back to your laptop screen.

“It’s like you don’t want to spend time we me anymore.”

Really? This is how this night is going to go?

“That’s not fair. We see each other almost every day. Even yesterday when I was at the park late for work, I still crawled into bed at your place when I was done.”

“My point exactly, I was already in bed.”

“We’re both busy Ethan. You work a lot. I work a lot. I honestly am giving you all my free time. I haven’t seen Jana in forever and she works in the same building as you!”

The two of you have only been together for two months. It’s too much too soon and you feel like you’re going to implode.

“Excuse me for wanting to spend time together with my girlfriend,” he said abruptly.

“If you’re sleeping, we’re not really spending time together either,” you counter. “I have to get back to this.” You point at your laptop.

“You write stories about theme parks, Y/N. It’s not that serious,” he grumbles as he starts to walk back inside.

You hop up, going after him, catching the door before he closes it.

“What a shitty thing to say. This is my career. I don’t care if I am writing about the neighbor’s dog taking a shit in my yard. I’m a writer and a journalist.”

Your face is on fire and you feel like your heart is going to beat out of your chest.

“You’re right. You’re right. You’re right,” he quickly offers. His hands going to your biceps.

“I think you should leave,” you said sternly.

“Y/N, sweetheart. I’m sorry.”

“Ethan, I need space. Please just leave,” you replied.

He nods solemnly, letting go of your arms and walking back in your bedroom to grab his duffle bag.

He walks back out of the room and gives you a sad smile before making his way to your front door. “I really am sorry for what I said.”

You nod your head and follow him to the door, closing it once he’s through the threshold. There’s a pit in your stomach and you’re shaking slightly. Finding the couch, you collapse onto it and as the tears start to flow. You don’t know if your crying because your angry, hurt, or overwhelmed.

Sleep that night is restless. Ethan has been a part of your day for the last two months. It was an odd feeling to sleep without him. What he said about your job was hurtful. Did he really think so low of you? The man that praises you daily with sweet words and gentle kisses found it so easy to cut you down.

The story doesn’t get posted the next day like you had planned. You opted for a sick day, staying in bed and ignoring your phone completely. You needed a day just for you. The relationship was too much way too soon. You’d always had that independent streak and to practically be living with someone suddenly, it was a big change.

You managed to finish your story before going to sleep that night, e-mailing it off so that it could be posted in the morning. Finding your old alarm clock because you still didn’t want to face your cellphone was a struggle. It was buried inside a box of clothes for donation that you’ve been meaning to drop off for the last seven months. Setting the alarm for nine, you fell asleep easy due to the lack of sleep and the crying the night before.

As expected, you had several missed phone calls from Ethan, a call from Jana and a couple of text messages from Scott and Chris. You didn’t talk to Jana or Brooks at all yesterday and you knew Ethan wouldn’t go to her with this, so you knew it was just a normal check in call you missed. It was hard to listen to Ethan’s calls in the morning. You were still pretty angry at him for what he said about your career. You were also angry at yourself for sticking in a relationship you weren’t entirely happy with. You really liked Ethan and cared about him, but you knew you couldn’t go back to the way things had been. The three messages were all the same. Apologizing for how the conversation went. Saying he missed me and hoped I would forgive him. You still needed more time.

Y/N: I need more time. Please understand.

A few minutes later her responded.

Ethan: Of course. Take all the time you need.

You fired off similar texts about having a migraine yesterday to Jana, Scott, and Chris. Since you weren’t sure what was going to happen with you and Ethan, you didn’t want to say anything to Jana or Scott yet.

A few days had passed when you finally called Ethan and asked to meet at the coffee shop the two of you took to visiting on Sunday mornings. You were nervous about seeing him which was such an odd feeling. You had gone from seeing him, kissing him, sleeping with him, to not speaking for several days and your nerves were shot.

When you entered the small shop, you saw Ethan already sitting at your normal table, two cups of coffee already waiting. He spotted you as well and quickly stood up, offering you a nervous smile.

“Hi,” you greeted him.

He leaned in for a hug and you accepted it.

“Hi,” he responded, still holding you.

When the two of you let go, you took a seat, already grasping on to the mug for comfort.

“Thanks,” you said, slightly lifting the warm mug.

“Thanks for meeting me,” he replied, small smile on his lips.

“Of course. Listen. I’m sorry for how I handled our fight that night. I shouldn’t have kicked you out, instead we should have talked. Actually, I think we should have talked a lot sooner than that night,” you said.

“I’m so sorry for how I behaved,” he interrupted. “I didn’t mean what I said about your job. I over reacted and I apologize.”

“Ethan, it’s more than that,” you sighed out. “We aren’t working. I care about you, but I don’t think we fit together as a couple.”

He starts to shake his head slightly. “That’s not true. We get along so well and we feel so right.”

You take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s just too much for me. All this time we spend together, it’s too much too soon for me. I’ve always liked my alone time, and time with friends. I’m not used to spending every night with somebody. I’m sorry.” You pick up the mug and take a few sips. Breaking up with someone is never fun and your thankful this is only your second time. Granted, getting broken up with is no picnic either.

“But-But that doesn’t mean we need to breakup. I can give you space. Start sleeping at my place more. This doesn’t mean we can’t see each other,” he argues.

You take his hand in yours. You truly do care about Ethan, but you let yourself get wrapped up in someone else which you know isn’t healthy. Ethan pretty much planned your days and nights for the last two months and you just let him. Looking back, you wish you wouldn’t have jumped right into the relationship. Maybe things would have been different.

“I care about you, but this isn’t what I want. I’m sorry and as cliché as it sounds, I want to be your friend again,” you replied.

You’d still see Jana; she was your best friend. Neither of you would want the awkwardness that would come from your regular office visits.

He squeezes your hand and then keeps it encompassed in both of his. He takes a couple of breaths before speaking.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t work this out and I’m sorry if I pushed to hard too fast,” solemnly he replied.

You shook your head no. “That’s on me too.”

The two of you part the same way you began, with a hug.

That night you call Jana and then Scott. Jana’s supportive of your decision but she’s also upset for you. She brings up your office visits and you explain that you don’t see a problem with them. Of course, it will be awkward to begin with, but you hope you and Ethan can get to a place where you’re able to have conversations as you are coming and going.

Scott is taken aback that you’re calling him at midnight your time, he’s even maybe a little surprised you are calling at all.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I recognize this number,” he said with such snark.

“Is this Chris Evans? Maybe I have the wrong number,” you sassed back.

“You bitch,” he said before bursting into laughter.

“Yes, it’s me calling, brat. Deal with it,” you said.

“The boyfriend let you have a free night?”

Had you still been dating Ethan, you would have only rolled your eyes at that, but now that you’re broken up, it only shows you that you really were wrapped up in each other.

You let out a small cough, then clear your throat. “Well, actually, um, we broke up.”

“You did? I’m so sorry sweetie. Are you okay?” he asked sincerely.

“Ye-yeah. It was for the best. I think I just need to pledge of celibacy. Apparently, I’m not cut out for a relationship.”

“I doubt that. That’s not what he said is it? I’ll beat him up,” Scott threatened.

“No, no. Not at all,” you chuckled. “I broke up with him. I was beginning to feel suffocated by the amount of time we spent together. And if I wanted to do my own thing, he would make me feel bad about doing so. Plus, he called my job a joke more or less.”

“Well, that’s horseshit and I hope you know that,” Scott said.

“Completely agree. Sure, maybe it’s not something I want to do forever, but I enjoy my job and I do it well. It hurt that he said that, which is what caused me to take time to myself and decide to end it. I just need some me time,” you said.

“You deserve it. But don’t get holed up in that house of yours. Call Jana and some of your work friends to go out. You need to let loose,” he said.

“Yeah. You’re right. Probably this weekend.”

But you didn’t. It was work and then home for the last five days. You did make it to the grocery store over the weekend, but that was the extent of your adventures. You hadn’t gone to Jana’s office yet, but you did meet for lunch a few days prior. It was easier to mope at home. Alone.

Scott: Please tell me you’ve left the house besides going to work.

Y/N: I went to the store on Sunday. Does that count?

Scott: Sassy, you can’t stay home and just be sad. That’s not good for you either.

Y/N: I’m fine. I was with someone almost every day for two months, being home alone is a nice change.

Scott: I’m not disagreeing there. But it’s also therapeutic to socialize with others. Maybe get drunk. Dance on a table.

Y/N: That sounds more like your speed Grumpy.

Yes, it was nearing the end of April, but you still had those twenty or so Christmas movies to get through which is what you were working on Wednesday night when Scott called you at a surprisingly early time.

“Guess what?” he gushed.

“What?” you said with a laugh.

“I’m coming to visit you!” he sing-songed.

“What?! When?” you asked.

“Friday. So, you better call in sick or take the day off.”

“Not that I don’t want you to come, but what’s with the last-minute trip?” you asked.

“What? I can’t just want to visit?” he insisted.

“Scott…”

“When one of my bestie’s is down, I am there for them. You’re one of my bestie’s and you need me. I’ve already booked the flight, so you can’t say no.” he chided.

“Hon, I appreciate it, but I promise you I am fine. Of course, I’d love to see you though.”

“Good. Then it’s settled,” he said.

“Are you renting a car or am I picking you up?”

“You are stuck with me all weekend, so you are picking me up. I’ll text you my flight info,” Scott said.

“Goodnight trouble,” you replied.

“Night Sassy.”

Now you needed to clean your house. Sure, it was clean, but overnight guest clean? Not even close.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was Thursday night and Scott was packing his bag last minute for his trip to Orlando in the morning. Not entirely sure what their plans will be, even though he’s the one that planned the trip, he packs a little bit of everything. A suit for going out, shorts, tees, sandals, boots.

“Sassy has a pool, right?” he said to himself. “I’m sure she does.”

With swim trunks securely packed in his rolling bag, he zips it up, before dropping it to the floor.

His phone starts to ring and he sees that it’s Chris, suddenly remembering he was supposed to call him to cancel.

“Hey,” Scott answered.

“Hey. What time are you coming by?” Chris asked.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, I forgot to call you. I’m flying out early tomorrow so, I’m not coming by.”

“What? Where are you going?” Chris asked.

“To visit Y/N,” Scott said.

“Why are you visiting Y/N?” Chris asked, surprise evident in his voice.

“Because I want to see her. Plus, she needs me.” Scott answered.

“Needs you? What’s going on with Sassy?” Chris asked, growing tired of this game Scott was playing.

“Why? God, do you not talk to Y/N, like ever? She and Ethan broke up.” Scott exclaimed.

“We talk,” Chris scoffed. “Just not about her boyfriend. When did they break up? Is she okay?”

“Like a week or so ago. Maybe call your friend once in a while,” Scott spit out.

“Yeah, you’re right. You’re right.” Chris sighed out.

When the call ended, Chris wiped a hand down his face, leaning back into the couch cushion. Scott was right. He hadn’t been calling Y/N like he should. When they had that long call a couple of months back, he told her he didn’t want to lose her friendship and while they still talked, they were barely friends at this point. If he was being honest with himself, he was a little jealous that Scott was visiting her. He needed to make a change.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After picking up a very excited Scott from the airport, the two of you made a stop at the liquor store per Scott’s request, because, per Scott, “I don’t trust your wine selection.”

Sigh.

After that regretful stop which included picking up a bottle of raspberry flavored vodka, the two of you stopped at a grocery store for breakfast items, frozen pizza, and chips and salsa. The essentials of course.

After a quick tour of your house including a stop in the guest room so that Scott could set his bag down, he immediately ordered you to take a shower.

“I love you like a sister, but you’re looking rough my dear,” he said.

You had showered that morning, but didn’t put any effort into your hair, makeup, or outfit choice.

“Scott, I really don’t want to go out. I rather just hang out with you. Please?” you pleaded.

“We don’t have to go out, but we are getting pretty tonight. Go shower and I’m going to lay out what you are wearing on your bed,” he said.

You stuck out your lower lip to pout, but complied. Scott was here. In your house! Really, you’d go out if he asked. You started toward your bathroom, Scott promptly slapping your ass as you went.

“Brat!” you said, turning around sticking out your tongue.

After a quick shower, you blow-dried your hair, applied some light makeup before walking your towel clad body to your bedroom. Scott laid out the cobalt blue dress you bought with Jana about a month ago but never had the chance to wear. You smiled to yourself, quickly changing into the dress, opting to go barefoot since you weren’t actually leaving.

Walking back into your living room, you were met with a wolf whistle from Scott. He was dressed in a blue suit, the shirt underneath in a slightly lighter color. The two of you almost matching which made you grin.

“Looking pretty good yourself Evans,” you replied.

“Thank you.” He bowed to you. “Thank you,” he said.

“What are we having for dinner?” you asked.

“Let’s start with the chips and salsa. And the vodka. We’ll have the wine tomorrow,” he replied.

It was going to be a long night.

The two of you never did eat anything else. The bag of chips was entirely gone as well as a lot of the raspberry vodka. Scott commandeered your Bluetooth speakers at one point, starting a playlist he had created. The two of you dancing in your fancy clothes and barefoot to Liam Payne’s Strip That Down.

You know I love it when the music's loud But c'mon, strip that down for me, baby Now there's a lot of people in the crowd But only you can dance with me So put your hands on my body And swing that round for me, baby (swing)

“Are you having fun?” Scott yells over the music.

Your body continues to dance to the beat. You offer him a thumbs up, because you’re singing along.

“Oh, strip that down, girl. Love when hit the ground, girl. Oh, strip that down, girl. Love, when you hit ground.”

The song changes to Demi Lovato Confident. Scott starts to sing along and you’re in hysterics.

“I used to hold my freak back. Now I'm letting go. I make my own choice. Bitch, I run this show So leave the lights on. No, you can't make me behave.” Scott sings out.

Scott grabs you so that your back is against his chest. He takes his phone and starts recording the two of you swaying and singing along.

What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being What's wrong with being confident? What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being What's wrong with being confident?

Scott apparently sends the video clip to Chris because a short time later, Chris is facetiming Scott on his phone.

“Chris!” Scott shouts when he sees his brother’s face on the screen.

“Where are you two?” Chris asks.

You kind of duck out of the way of Scott’s camera. Throughout all your phone calls with Chris going back to October, you’ve never once facetimed him before. Even with the amount of raspberry flavored vodka in your blood, it still made you nervous to talk to him face to face.

“We’re at Sassy’s house!” Scott replied.

Chris chuckled at Scott’s response. “I could have sworn you two were at a club. You’re dressed to go out. Sassy, you were lookin’ sexy in that video Scott sent,” Chris said loud enough for you to hear.

You know your cheeks are flushed, from the dancing, drinking, and now, Chris’ comment.

“This is just how we do big brother,” Scott said. “Sassy’s being shy from the camera.”

Scott flips around his phone so that you can see Chris and he can see you. You wave awkwardly at him.

“Hey sweetheart. Good to see you again,” Chris said.

He looks good, but, when doesn’t he? He’s got on a simple gray t-shirt and jeans, but his hair has grown out a bit and his beard is full.

“You-you too,” you said with a smile.

Scott turns the camera back to him. “Don’t give me that pout. Call Y/N on your own time.”

“I was just calling to see how you to were getting along,” Chris offers.

“Smashingly of course. But if you will excuse us, we have a dance party to get back to.”

Scott disconnects the call before you hear Chris respond back. You give him a smile and resume Demi’s song.

You wake up to another hangover. In your defense, Christmas was months ago. You did pretty well with the whole ‘I’m never drinking again’ thing. Despite Scott being shown where his room is this weekend, he’s asleep next to you. You had managed to change into a t-shirt, but Scott had only managed to take his jacket off. Deciding to let him sleep since he is a guest, you make your way to the bathroom, slipping on a pair of sweats first, and then to the kitchen.

You make pancakes and sausage patties because it’s quick and easy and you really need something in your stomach as soon as possible. It’s already after eleven when breakfast is ready.

Walking back into your bedroom, you crawl back into the bed, running your hand through Scott’s hair to gently wake him. He starts to stir and puts on a sleepy smile.

“Breakfast is ready,” you said softly, withdrawing your hand.

“Well, don’t stop,” he said, eyes still closed.

You let out a giggle and resume rubbing his scalp. “It’s going to get cold.”

When that does nothing to get him moving, you speak again. “I made pancakes.”

“Finnnnee. I’m awake.”

You both spend a lazy day in the pool. Scott lounging on a floaty shaped like a piece of pizza and you on a donut. A frozen pizza is baked around three in the afternoon because your stomach starts to growl much to Scott’s delight.

Jana calls to see how Scott’s visit is going, but you think she’s more calling to pry. When Scott hears his own name, he asks who you are talking to. You tell him it’s Jana and he grabs the phone from your hand. You’re only hearing one side of the conversation but he’s asking her and Brooks to dinner and apparently, they agreed because he tells them we’ll meet them at seven.

Dinner is at a bistro near your house that you’ve eaten at several times before. You always get a cup of French onion soup no matter the time of year.

“Is this one driving you to book an early flight tomorrow?” Brooks teases.

“She won’t let me leave! I don’t know how you worked with her for so long.” Scott replied.

You and Jana shake your heads at their teasing.

“The paper offers great benefits. That’s really the only reason.” Brooks said while shrugging his shoulders.

“You two love me. Don’t give me this shit.”

The table erupts in laughter and you find yourself smiling for a second night in a row.

Scott and you opt for more pool time on Sunday. His flight isn’t until six that night, so neither of you are in a hurry.

“How are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m fine. I’m really glad you came out. This was a lot of fun,” you replied.

“It really was. I’ll bring Zach next time.”

“That’d be great,” you said.

“How are you feeling since the breakup?” Scott asked.

“Mostly good. Ethan was a really good guy, but we moved too quickly. He moved too quickly, but I just went along with it. I’m sad it didn’t work out, but I learned what I don’t like.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” he asked.

“Losing myself. While I was still very much me, I caved a lot. Mostly did what he wanted to do. I love being in a relationship and spending time with someone I care about, but I’m also important. My work is important to me. My friends are important to me. I lost a bit of that when I was Ethan.”

Scott offers you a smile. “You’re still very much Sassy to me.”

“Always,” you replied.

With Scott safely in the air, headed back to L.A., you resume your Christmas in April marathon. You’re phone rings with Chris’ name on the screen. He hasn’t called you in months, so you’re a bit surprised. You hit pause on your movie and hit the call accept button.

“Hi, Chris.”

“Hey sweetheart,” he said.

“Scott’s already on his way home if you are looking for him.”

“Yeah, I know. He called me from the airport. I just wanted to call and talk to you, if that’s alright.” He said.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s completely alright. Dork,” you chuckle out.

“Oh, I’m the dork? I’m not quite sure about that.”

And just like that, the two of you started to build up your friendship like it was the first time around.

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Chapter 7

#chris evans #chris evans x reader #chris evans reader insert #scott evans #chris evans x you #chris evans x y/n #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fan fiction #chris evans fan fic #chris evans imagine #chris evans au #conversations

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kerikaaria · 4 years

Text

If I Never Met You: Chapter 18

(??? X Reader) Idol!AU, Manager!Reader

Genre: (PG13) Fluff

WC: 3.2k

Warnings: Slight stalker-ish behavior (It’s there but really it’s not anything super serious or dangerous)

Series Masterlist

Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19

The following days were hectic as ever. They were spent at broadcasting stations for the nightly music shows, going to other short events in between rehearsals for the shows, and the boys squeezing in practice whenever they could. It was like we barely had time to breath.

The fan reception and general reaction to BTS so far wasn’t bad at all, but unsurprisingly their lack of popularity didn’t win them any awards on the music shows. We weren’t disappointed, we had fully expected that in all honesty. Winning the shows wasn’t our goal, but rather getting them more publicity was.

After about two weeks of moving almost nonstop, we finally got a day where we could all rest. Sejin and I worked a little extra on whatever else we needed to do during the times we weren’t as needed at the boys’ schedules, in order to make sure we would be able to take this day to relax with them.

By the time I woke up, it was already 11 am. I looked in disbelief at my phone, wondering how I managed to sleep in that late – even if I was completely exhausted when I went to sleep the night before. While I was eating breakfast, I got a notification from the group chat.

Hobi: Noona~ You’re stopping by today right?

Taetae: You can’t hide in your apartment all day just because you have the day off. 😋

Jimin: Yeah, noona! We haven’t gotten to properly hang out at all since we’ve been so busy 😟

Yoongi: Sorry for them, noona. You do what you want today, don’t mind them.

Kookie: Noooooo. Noona, please? Pretty please come over? 🥺

Jimin: Why isn’t she responding?

Hobi: Noona are you okay?

Jin: She’s probably still sleeping. She was just as exhausted as we were, you know.

Joonie: Yeah guys, stop it. You’re probably going to wake her up from all the messages.

Taetae: Well, you’re texting in the chat too, hyung 😋

Joonie: Only one time.

Jimin: Well now it’s twice.

Jin: Guys, come on. Just leave it be. She’ll reply when she can.

Me: You guys live together and are probably all sitting next to each other. Why on earth are you talking to each other via text?

Taetae: Noona! You’re awake! :D

Me: Yes, I am. You guys sent the messages so fast I couldn’t keep up, haha.

Jin: Did you sleep well, darling? 🤗

Me: Yes I did, sweetie. 😘 How about you guys?

Joonie: Not having an alarm to wake up to was amazing.

Jimin: Noona~ When are you coming over~?

Yoongi: You don’t need to come over, noona. Just relax today.

Me: Oh okay, I see how it is Min Yoongi. You don’t want to see me. I understand. 😔

Yoongi: What? No. That’s not what I meant.

Taetae: HYUNG HOW COULD YOU? YOU’RE SO MEAN! 😭

Kookie: Wow, hyung.

Jimin: Yoongi hyung, why would you hurt noona like that?😟

Yoongi: -_-

Me: Don’t worry, I’m coming over lol. I’ll be there in like half an hour, okay?

Hobi: Yay! See you soon noona! 💓

I chuckled to myself. They were all such dorks and I loved them for it.

I finished breakfast and dressed in something comfy but presentable before walking across the hall and knocking on their door.

Jungkook greeted me with his soft smile as I walked into their house. I sat down in the living room next to Yoongi and Kookie sat next to me.

Suga peeled his eyes off of his phone to glance at me. “Oh, you’re here?”

“Yes, I’m here. Although I’m sure you’re not happy to see me,” I teased.

Yoongi huffed and shook his head, turning his attention back to the device in his hand.

“It’s okay, noona. I want you here,” Jungkook said as he placed his head on my shoulder.

“Thank you Kook-ah, I appreciate that.” I chuckles and placed a hand on his head.

Taehyung walked out from their bedroom. Once he noticed I was there, he rushed over yelling, “Noona!” and forced himself in between me and Yoongi.

Yoongi groaned in annoyance as he moved over so his brother wasn’t sitting on him. “Yah, can’t you sit somewhere else?”

“What?” Tae asked. “It’s not like you wanted to see noona anyway.”

“Why do you guys keep putting words in my mouth?” Yoongi asked. “I never once said that.”

“Whatever,” Tae said as he hugged me from the side.

I returned the embrace as best I could without making Jungkook move. “Why are you guys so excited to see me anyway? We’ve literally been spending entire days together for the past two weeks.”

“Yeah, but we haven’t really been able to talk or just hang out,” Hoseok said as he entered the room, sitting across from us. “Any downtime we had was basically spent catching up on sleep.”

“That is true,” I said with a chuckle.

I wasn’t used to being social before I met BTS. I would spend most of my time on my own, relaxing and just enjoying the quiet. It was a huge change for me once I started to spend most of my time with them rather than by myself, and it took some getting used to. But I had to admit that by now, I was used to the company and spending too much time alone made me actually feel lonely more than anything now.

We sat in silence for a little while, just being content with each other’s company and relaxing. Despite how much energy the boys usually had, they couldn’t run at 100% all day every day so I had a feeling today was going to be calmer than usual. They were completely exhausted but I could see how happy they were as well, being able to start living their dream even if it may not be perfect. I thought about how lucky we were to be here right now, no longer concerned about if they’d be able to debut or not.

When I was called up to Mrs. Choi’s office that day, she was fully honest with me about what had happened. They originally canceled on us because there was another group from a different company that was more promising. They ended up prioritizing them over our boys, which was also why they weren’t budging on giving us a date again at first. But the other group’s company decided to postpone their debut, so the date opened back up. That had happened just a couple days before I sent her the dance video, and with the date being so close her boss decided we would be good enough to fill the spot after all.

Although of course I told Sejin about it later, I hadn’t mentioned that to the boys, worried that it would make them feel worse. They already knew how much of underdogs they were, and I didn’t want one more thing to rub that in their faces.

“Noona,” Jungkook broke me out of me thoughts.

“Yes, Jungkook?” I asked, turning towards him.

“Is it going to be this busy every comeback?” He lifted his head off of my shoulder.

“Hmm, I can’t say for sure,” I said. “But probably. I know it sucks, but you know how busy this industry is. There’s so many other groups, we have to do what we can to help get your guys’ name out there.”

“It’s not like we didn’t know what we were getting into,” Namjoon said. He had entered the room at some point while I was lost in my thoughts.

“I wish I could make it easier on you guys,” I said. “I don’t like making you so busy. I want you to be able to rest more.”

“Don’t worry about it, noona,” Tae chimed in next to me. “Like hyung said, we already knew what we were getting into. Besides, if we work hard now, then hopefully it’ll all pay off later.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook said. “I’d rather work as hard as I can now than regret not having tried my best later.”

I ruffled both boys’ hair. “You guys never cease to amaze me.”

“We love you too, noona,” Jimin suddenly said from behind me, making me jump.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” I said as the boys laughed at my reaction.

“You’re so easy to scare,” Hoseok said, laughing.

“Says the biggest scaredy cat out of all of us,” Jin retorted from the kitchen, earning more laughter from us.

-----

I decided I wanted to cook for everyone today, partially so Seokjin could get a break from being the main chef and relax. But also because I had been practicing my Korean cooking skills over the months and wanted the boys to tell me what they thought. There weren’t too many groceries in our fridges since there hadn’t been much home cooking happening recently, so I ventured out to the grocery store. Jungkook decided to come with me so he can help me carry the bags.

Of course Jungkook had had a mask covering his face to make sure he didn’t draw any attention, but I didn’t bother with one. Face masks were just constricting and hard to breathe through (and I felt so bad for celebrities who needed to wear them all the time), and no one knew me so there really wasn’t a point.

As I was browsing through the different types of noodles to find what I was looking for, Jungkook went to the snack aisle to stock up on their dwindling stash. I found what I needed and went to look for Kook so we could finish up with the shopping and get going back to the house. When I turned into the aisle he was in, I noticed he was rather oblivious to the stares of a few girls who were watching him very closely.

As I walked past them, I heard one of them whisper, “Yeah, I’m sure that’s him. It has to be Jeon Jungkook.”

Great. This is wonderful. I was worried for a moment, but they did seem to be keeping their distance so I pushed it aside, thinking that they seemed like they wouldn’t cause any trouble. All we needed to do was get home.

“Hey,” I said as I approached Kook but made sure not to address him by name, just to be safe. “Almost ready to get going?”

He turned to me, holding a huge armful of snacks to place in my basket. “Yup! I got all the hyungs’ favorites and this should last us a while.” He noticed the girls staring, quickly turning away once he saw them. “Do you think they know me?” he asked me quietly as we walked the opposite direction down the aisle.

“Yeah, I heard them saying they thought it was you as I walked past them,” I responded just as quietly.

“That’s crazy, I’m getting recognized at the store,” he said, partially excited but mostly nervous.

“Not to be rude, but I think it’s better to not intentionally approach them,” I said.

“I know. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” Jungkook assured me.

We made it through the checkout and divided the bags between us to carry back to the dorm. Without making it obvious, I paid attention and listened carefully to see if the girls were going to follow us out of the store.

Unfortunately, they did. We couldn’t go home if they were following us because then they’d find out where we lived and that was the last thing we needed. They stayed probably about 10 feet behind us, and I could hear them giggling. I would feel so much more at ease if they just approached us to ask if he’s Jungkook and maybe for an autograph and just walk away. But it didn’t seem like they were going to.

I grabbed my phone to text one of the other boys to let them know we were running late so they wouldn’t worry. But in the middle of typing the message, my phone died. I cursed at myself for forgetting to charge it earlier today.

“Jungkook, can you let someone know we’re on our way home but running a bit late?” I quietly asked him.

“Okay.” He reached into his pocket, but seemed confused when he didn’t find his phone there. He felt around his other pockets, but was unsuccessful in finding it. He took a moment to think before a look of realization lit his eyes. “I forgot my phone at the dorm.”

“Darn,” I said. “Well I guess we’ll just have some explaining to do when we get back.”

I started to feel more and more nervous as we walked, not necessarily heading towards the dorm but rather just in any direction to wait until they stopped following us. I decided we should cross the street, hoping that if they stayed back far enough we could lose them after the light turned. We jogged across the street when the light was close to changing to make it hard for them to be able to follow.

I subtly glanced back to make sure the attempt to lose them was successful, and luckily they were unable to cross with us. We kept moving quickly, making sure to make a few turns before they could fully catch up to us just in case they kept trying to follow. When I felt sure there was no way they could have kept following us, I finally relaxed.

“Think we lost them, noona?” Jungkook asked.

“I’d be shocked if they were able to keep up with us,” I said. “Come on, let’s actually get home now.”

On top of the time we already spent to throw them off, it took us another extra 15 minutes to get back home. I kept looking behind us to make sure they hadn’t managed to find us again, and luckily it seemed we had shaken them off.

When Jungkook used his key to open the door, we were immediately bombarded with a worried BTS.

“What took you guys so long?” Jin asked, almost yelling. “We were worried something happened to you!” Before I could react, he pulled me into a hug. He must have been really worried because he held me really tight as if he was scared to let me go.

“Are you guys okay?” Namjoon asked as he examined Jungkook, who nodded in response while taking his mask off. “We tried calling you, but noona’s phone went right to voicemail and Jungkook you left your phone here.”

“Sorry guys,” I said. “My phone died.” Jin loosened his grip on me.

“What happened?” Jimin asked. “Grocery shopping shouldn’t take that long.”

“Some girls recognized me,” Jungkook said. “They kept following us and we had to walk around to try to lose them before heading home.”

“Did you take your mask off?” Yoongi asked.

“No, he was careful,” I said. “I have no idea how they could tell so easily.”

“Well, we’re just glad you guys are okay,” Hoseok said as he helped me take the ingredients out of the bags. “Oohhh, you got a lot of stuff, noona. What are you making?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” I teased.

“Can I help?” Tae said, shuffling over to me in the kitchen.

“No!” Jin and I said in unison.

Taehyung was a little taken back at our reaction.

“No, Taehyung,” Seokjin said. “You are not going to be making the kitchen a mess, nor are you going to sabotage the first meal noona is cooking for us.”

“Sabotage?” Tae said with a pout.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Taetae, there are many wonderful things about you. But cooking is not one of your strong points.” He frowned, but nodded in agreement. “Just leave it to me,” I said with a smile.

Everyone left me to my own devices while I worked on our meal, except Jin who occasionally came to see what I was doing. But he didn’t ask to help, knowing I was adamant about doing this on my own for them. While I stood at the stove waiting for the last bit of the food to finish cooking, he came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and leaning down to rest his chin on my shoulder.

“You know, we were all super worried about you guys,” he said.

“I’m sorry, Jinnie,” I apologized sincerely. “I tried to let you know but that’s when my phone died.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “Just don’t do that again. You’re lucky it was just a few fangirls and not someone who wanted to hurt you.”

“It was irresponsible of me to not have my phone charged,” I said. “I’ll be much more careful from now on, I promise.”

“Good,” he said as he let go of me and placed a kiss on top of my head. “Looks like the food’s done. Can I help plate it?”

“Yeah, of course,” I smiled at him.

I watched everyone as they took their first bites of the meal I made for them, anxious of what they’d think.

I saw Jin’s eyes grow big after chewing a piece of meat. “Wow, this is really good, (Y/n)!” he said. “The seasoning is just right!”

“Oh my gosh,” Jimin exclaimed after finishing his bite. “Noona, you really should cook for us more often.”

“I agree!” Taehyung said. “This is up to par with Jin hyung’s cooking.”

“Well, he was my teacher for the most part,” I said while rubbing the back of my neck, shy from the compliments. Everyone seemed to agree that they enjoyed my cooking, which made me really happy. I was nervous with it being a style of food they grew up with but I was new to. “Thanks, guys. I’m glad you like it.” I smiled, watching them enjoy it.

“Noona, aren’t you hungry too?” Jungkook asked. “You haven’t eaten anything yet.”

“Oh yeah.” I was too busy watching everyone else I forgot about eating. I started to dig in, pleasantly surprised with myself for how much I liked the food as well.

By the time everyone was full, there wasn’t a single piece of food left. I didn’t know why I was surprised because despite having cooked a lot of food, there were seven of them and they also tended to have bigger appetites.

We all worked together to get everything cleaned up to make quick work of it.

“Thanks for the meal, noona. It was amazing,” Joon said.

“I’m glad you guys liked it,” I said. I looked at my (now charged) phone and saw that it was getting pretty late. “I’d better get going back home. We don’t want to stay up too late, we all have to get back to work tomorrow.”

As I got ready to leave, Jungkook came up to me, looking nervous.

“Is everything okay, Kook?” I asked. He nodded and then slowly wrapped his arms around me in a hug. “What’s this for?” I asked.

“Thank you for being smart about the situation earlier,” he said. “I would have just thought to go straight home, but that would have been bad.”

“Of course,” I said as I stroked his hair. “It’s my job to be responsible for you guys. That’s what I’m here for.”

He let go of me and smiled. “Good night noona.”

“Good night, Kookie,” I said, ruffling his hair. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Series Masterlist

Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19

Tags: @calling-dips-on-j-hope @misohime @netflix-batman-sleep @smallbaby-cat @leitholdwithlove @ramyagovindraj @leesalts @rjsmochii

Send me a message or ask if you want tagged! And also feel free to leave comments or send asks to just talk to me!

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sunshinejs · 5 years

Text

Hesitate [Part 3 of Be Alright]

A/N: Long overdue but I’m finally done with my thesis so yay for that! This last part is inspired by Hesitate by Jonas Brothers because I had the idea right after I went for their concert I still miss them so much wow my pcd is horrible. Anyways I hope you enjoy this one!

On a totally different note, I hope everyone is doing okay in their isolations! It’s not an easy time for the world right now but I hope there is something we can look forward to soon. Always remember to check in with loved ones and my ask/inbox is always open if you need a friend to talk to. Stay healthy and safe, my loves ❤️

————————————————————

Be Alright [Part 1] | Back to You [Part 2]

Word count: 2.4k

Being on the road was not as easy as Connor thought it would be. The more days he spent working and travelling, the lesser time he had on his phone. The first few months, he tried to check up on you almost every day. Although it consists a lot of saying ‘hey’ and getting a proper reply hours later because of the time zone, he made sure to send you updates and sometimes little snippets of the work he was doing.

You were proud of him. Extremely proud. You were happy that Connor got to live his dreams, get the exposure he was getting while working for Shawn and visiting beautiful places that he would never expect to go to.

But when the Asian leg of the tour kicked in, it became harder for the both of you catch up via Facetime and texts became less frequent. When it was morning for you, Connor was already fast asleep and vice versa.

And you didn’t mind it. You couldn’t keep depending on your best friend who was on the other end of the world. It was just a few months left until he would be back with you, Mike and Sam at UCLA and that was the one thing you would look forward to.

xxx

Connor was in the middle of editing a video backstage, a few hours before the concert started. The past few days has been rough on him and his sleeping schedule was screwed up.

He admits; the past few months have been such an opportunity for him but with a job this big meant the risk that comes along with it was big as well. He needed to follow certain schedules by Andrew, get things done on time, go around backstage filming for their ‘behind the scenes’, adjust his body clock to totally different time zones.

He was really looking forward to head back to LA and spending time with his family, his friends, and especially you. Connor hasn’t spoken to you in over 2 weeks and he felt guilty that he keeps forgetting to send you a text before he’s piled with his work.

Connor shuts his laptop after saving his work and picked up his phone. Checking the world clock to confirm that he wouldn’t be bothering you when he called, he then switched to Facetime.

When you didn’t answer his call, he wanted to send you a text instead just to let you know that he hasn’t been dead for the past 2 weeks. As he opened your chat, he noticed the ‘last seen’ under your name was 3 days ago. Connor became anxious. You weren’t really the type of person to not check your chats daily.

“Hello?”

“Mike?” Connor sighed in relief when his best friend answered “Hey man, how are you?”

“Same old same old, Brash” He chuckled “Why are you calling me? Aren’t you usually working right now?”

“I was but then I realized I haven’t spoken to y/n in a while and I felt bad” Connor admitted “I called her but she didn’t answer and her Whatsapp said she’s been MIA for 3 days. Have you seen her recently?”

When Mike remained silent, Connor grew more and more nervous. He knew there was something that he didn’t know.

“Mike?”

“She didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Connor asked; feeling an uneasy feeling in his stomach “Mike, did something happen? Is she okay?”

“Nothing happened to her, Con” Mike reassured; already feeling that his friend was on the edge of freaking out even more “Con, her grandma passed away a few days ago”

And that, made Connor feel like the worst best friend in the whole world.

“I thought she told you, man…” Mike said with guilt “She headed back home last week because her mom said her grandma was in a critical condition and she wanted to be there for her in case anything happened”

“And you haven’t heard from her since?” Connor asked.

“She told Laila that she wasn’t going to classes for a couple of weeks” He answered “None of us has heard anything from her”

“Why didn’t she tell me?” Connor frowned “I’ve been here, totally oblivious to how she is doing when I should be there with her. I should be comforting her the way she was there for me when I was at my lowest”

“Con, you know this isn’t your fault” Mike insisted “Look, she understands that your job is pretty big right now and if she dropped the news on you, you’re going to want to come home when she knows you can get in trouble for it”

“I can’t sit here, Mike” He shook his head “You know damn well that I can’t continue with my job knowing that she needs me more than ever right now”

“I gotta go… I have to sort things out with my boss”

“Connor,” Mike sighed before Connor could hang up “Just… Don’t get in too much trouble, okay?”

“I don’t know, Mike” He muttered in return “But I guess I’d have to take the risk”

xxx

“No”

“What do you mean no?” Connor gawked. Shawn, who sat next to Andrew, shifted uncomfortably because he knew this was going to end bad.

Andrew sighs as he looks away from his laptop “Connor, look buddy, I get that it’s a difficult thing for you to not be there for her… But I cannot allow you to fly home when we need you around”

“Andrew, we have enough footages!” He reasoned back “Please, man. I just need to go home for a couple of days to make sure she’s fine”

“You signed a contract” Andrew said sternly “That said you would be working unless something happens to an immediate family. Since it’s not you grandma, I can’t let you leave”

“Andrew-,”

“No buts” He cut Connor off “I don’t want to hear it, Connor. A deal is a deal. We made an agreement that you signed to not go against. I can’t do anything about it”

Without another word, Andrew got up from his chair and left the room, leaving Connor angrier than ever.

“Connor” Shawn snapped him out of his thoughts “Go,”

“What?” Connor asked confusingly, looking over at his friend.

“I’ll handle Andrew” He assured “Go home. Take the week off and meet us in Australia, okay?”

“He’s going to be pissed” Connor stated.

“He’s being unreasonable” Shawn shrugged “Listen, I’ve heard you go on and on about this girl of yours so she must be really special. If she needs you, go be there for her”

“Thank you, man” He sighed in relief “Just… Thank you for letting me do this”

xxx

It was a day of long flights for Connor and his body was drained. He sent you a few texts last night but as predicted, the grey ticks didn’t turn to blue ticks.

With his little luggage, he dragged it behind him up to your driveway where 2 cars were parked, which meant you and your mom were home.

It took a few seconds after he rang the doorbell to hear footsteps approaching. When the door opens and your mom saw Connor standing before her, she was taken aback.

“Connor,” She said in a surprised tone.

“Hi Mrs. y/l/n” He greeted politely “Can I come in?”

“Yeah honey, of course” She answered and moved aside. Once they were in, she asked “What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming back until December?”

“I was” Connor nodded “But I also heard what happened”

Your mom could only nod understandingly “She told you?”

“Actually, no” Connor frowned “Found out from Mike but I’m really sorry for your loss. How have you been holding up?”

“I’m alright, honey, thank you” She smiled softly “It’s been a difficult time for us but we know she’s in a better place now”

“I’m more worried for y/n right now” Your mom continued. Connor could see the bags under her eyes and how strained she sounded “It took a toll on us but she’s taking a longer time to process it all”

“Do you mind if I see her?”

“Not at all, Connor” She replied “I know she’s always saying she doesn’t need to depend on anyone but we both know she relies on you a lot and right now, she needs you more than ever”

“I rely on her just as much” Connor chuckled softly “It’s the least I can do for her as well”

xxx

Connor knocks thrice on the door and waited for a response. He waited for another minute before knocking again but still didn’t get an answer. When he found the door was unlocked, he pushed it open; only to be met with a dark room.

Your bed was messy, curtains drawn and the only light entering the room was from the street lights outside. He watched you at your balcony; back facing him with your headphones on, which explained why you didn’t respond.

He slowly walked over to the balcony and stepped out of the room. He didn’t know how he could get your attention without scaring you too much so he rested his hand on your head.

You were startled when you felt something on your head and your heart starting beating faster. You slowly looked up and saw Connor instead, you let out a sigh of relief.

“Con?” You asked with wide eyes as you proceed to take off your headphones “What are you doing here?”

“Hey,” He greeted softly and slide down on the floor next to you “What? No hug?” He asked in a teasing voice.

You rolled your eyes playfully but leaned forward to give him a hug. Connor wraps his arms around you protectively and let you bury your head in the crook of his neck “Mike told me what happened” He said softly “I’m so sorry, sweets”

He hears your shaky breath and felt the tears on his neck. He rubs your back comfortingly, running his hand in an up and down motion “Hey,” He cooed “Let it all out, sweets”

“I just miss her, Con” You sniffled “I miss her so much”

“I know, baby” Connor pressed a kiss to your head “And I’m so sorry she’s not here anymore but she is always going to be looking out for you; no matter what”

There was nothing else he could do except let you cry it out while he holds you.

Out of everyone he knows, you were one of the strongest people he has met. To see you in a fragile state like this broke him. He wished nothing more to take your pain away. He’d take the pain for you if he could.

“You didn’t have to come back home just for me, Con” A few minutes later, you spoke softly.

He pushed you away a little so he could look at you and wiped away your tears “Of course I had to” Connor insisted “You’re my best friend and I would never hesitate for you, ever”

“Did you get in trouble with your work for it?” You frowned.

When he avoided your gaze, you sighed “Connor…”

“Look, don’t worry about it, okay?” Connor insisted “I’ll work through it when the time comes. The important thing is that I need to make sure that you’re okay”

You leaned your head against his shoulder “Thank you” You said softly “For being here with me”

Connor intertwines your finger and brings your hand up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss on the back of your hand “You’ve been there for me through my lows. Let me take care of you now”

xxx

It’s a few days later and Connor was dreading to leave you once again.

“Connor, I’m going to be fine” You reassured him as you both stood near the gates at the airport “Go, dofus” You chuckled softly “You’ll miss your flight”

“That’s a good thing, right?” He asked “I can tell Shawn I missed it and I’ll just have to stay”

“Connor,” You gave him a pointed look “You can’t avoid work forever. Go. I’ll be fine”

“100%?” He asked, biting his lower lips in hesitance.

“110%” You smiled “Now give me a hug and get your ass out of here”

“Bossy”

“Thank you for checking up on me” You muttered against his shoulder “I’ll see you in a month, right?”

“A month” He nods, wrapping his arms around you “Promise me you’ll eat and sleep regularly?”

“Yes, mother” You rolled your eyes playfully and pulled away “Call me when you land”

Connor waves to you one last time before he headed towards the gate. Every step he takes, the more he felt reluctant to leave you. He spun around and saw you in the same spot; watching him.

Connor sighs. Guess it’s now or never.

He rushes towards you, noticing your expression changed to confused.

“Did you forget something?” You asked once he was near to you.

“Can I just do something now that I may or may not regret?” Connor asked nervously.

You raised an eyebrow “That depends. Wait, what are you-,” Connor interrupts you by bringing his hands up to face, and pressing his lips against yours.

It felt like a split second to you. Saying goodbye to Connor, watching him run back to you, him kissing you, you kissing him back.

It felt like there was no one else around you and the world stopped working.

Connor takes a deep breath after he pulls away moments later and rests his forehead against yours with his eyes closed.

“Uhh… Well…That was…”

“If you say awkward, I’m going forget this ever happened and move to Japan” Connor threatened.

You let out a chuckle and shook your head. Your arms wrapped around his neck; fingers playing with the ends of his hair “Unexpected, that’s all” You answered.

“Felt like if I left you again without kissing you… I’ll never really tell you how I feel about us”

“Wow, hey there, Brashier. Don’t get ahead of yourself” You joked “You haven’t even taken me out on a date so there really isn’t an ‘us’ right now”

Connor rolls his eyes playfully “I’ll take you on all the dates when I get back”

“Deal… But for now, I’ll see you in month, okay?”

“It’s going to be the longest month ever”

————————————————————

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x rina

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blurry-fics · 4 years

Text

Two Years

Pairing: Josh Dun x Reader

Warnings: Angst, profanity

Word Count: 2200

Request: hi! if requests are open can I request a josh fic where they were really close friends for years but then he got a really controlling girlfriend and he stopped talking to y/n. after like 2 years he broke up with her and tried to become friends with y/n again but his ex girlfriend was blaming the reader for the break up so y/n got in an argument with josh about the fact that she didn't want to get involved and then he confesses that he's in love with the reader? you're so talented btw

Author’s Note: As promised, here is the fic! I wrote this one a little differently than I normally do, so I hope you enjoy it! :) (picture credit)

Two Years Ago

y/n: josh?

y/n: are you going to tell me why you didn’t show up to lunch yesterday?

y/n: this is the third time you’ve bailed on our plans without telling me

y/n: is something going on that i don’t know about?

…

y/n: ok

Four Months Ago

The sun was shining on your back as you walked through the park, enjoying your Saturday off and getting some fresh air after spending the week in the office. Music playing through your headphones was also helping to block out the world around you. It was a nice way to unwind after a stressful week at work.

There was an empty bench beneath a tree, so you decided to sit down and rest for a little while before you continued your walk. You grabbed your phone from your pocket, deciding that it was as good a time as any to catch up on any notifications you may have missed. Knowing your boss, there was inevitably some side project that he would want you to take on and finish before work on Monday. Even if you didn’t want to do it, it was better to know now and give yourself plenty of time to complete it.

To your surprise, there was a text from an unknown number on your screen, bearing the simple message of “hey”. You weren’t one to typically answer those types of texts, but there had been an influx of new people at work and your boss had been quick to hand out your personal number in case they “needed anything.”

y/n: who is this?

You set your phone down in your lap while you waited for an answer; you didn’t want to sit around staring at your screen. This was still meant to be a relaxing walk, after all.

unknown: you really don’t know?

A chill ran down your spine, but you decided to push forward in the conversation. An old friend, maybe?

y/n: no, sorry.

unknown: it’s josh. josh dun?

Shit.

You shut your phone off, wishing you could pretend that you hadn’t just seen his message. The last time you had spoken to Josh was nearly two years ago, if you could even call it that. He had essentially ghosted you after he started seeing his girlfriend with zero explanation. You had tried to maintain the friendship for a few months, but after all of your texts and calls went unanswered, you finally gave up. The two of you hadn’t spoken since.

josh: this is y/n, right?

Your hands shook as you typed your response.

y/n: yeah

y/n: why are you contacting me?

josh: it’s a long story. can i call you?

y/n: i’m on a walk right now. i’ll call you when i get home.

You got off the bench and started walking in the direction you had come from.

You paced the length of the kitchen with your phone clutched in your hand, occasionally stopping to take a drink of water. Even after spending the entire walk home trying to figure out what you felt about hearing from Josh, you were still conflicted. On one hand, you were excited to hear from the guy you had once considered your best friend. On the other, you were furious that he had disappeared without a trace and decided to randomly come back years later. You had gotten so used to life without him that you weren’t sure that you were ready for a life with him again.

If that was even what he wanted.

You decided to put an end to your worrying and call Josh. The phone only rang a few times before he picked up.

“Hello?” Your heart skipped a beat at hearing his voice again.

“What the fuck, Josh?”

“Well that’s not the reaction I was expecting.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, did you expect me to be all happy and relieved that you finally decided to contact me? You dropped me out of nowhere, with no explanation, and then moved halfway across the country. Who the hell does that?”

“Listen, Y/N, I can explain.”

“Then you better start explaining fast because I really don’t have the patience for this.”

“Ok.” Josh took a deep breath. “You remember my girlfriend?”

“The one you started dating before dropping me? Yeah, I remember,” you snapped.

“Yes, ok, listen. That was the problem. Things were ok for the first couple months and then she got really… controlling. One of the first things she said I had to do was stop talking to you, and I went along with it. I know it’s stupid, but it was easier than trying to fight her on it. I thought it would get better with time. I really did. I never meant to stop talking to you for years, Y/N.”

You took a deep breath. Although Josh’s actions had hurt you, you could understand where he was coming from.

“But you did, Josh.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry. I regret it every single day. That’s why I’m reaching out to you now.”

“Thank you for apologizing.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Is… is she still in the picture?” you asked.

“Yeah. I’ve been trying to put an end to things, but it’s not easy, as you can imagine.”

“Right.”

“Can I ask you something?”

You took a deep breath, “Sure.”

“Do you think that there’s a possibility that we can be friends again?”

You paused, listening to the static of the phone call.

“Yes.”

Two Months Ago

Bad idea.

“Hi,” you smiled as you pulled the front door open. “How are you?”

Josh looked almost surprised to see you. He stared at you for a moment before he finally started to smile, holding his arms out.

“I’m ok, how are you?”

You accepted his hug and pressed your face to his chest. He smelled different than you remembered.

“I’m alright. Come in.”

After spending the last couple months catching up via texts and phone calls, you finally told Josh that you felt ready to see him in person again. He had caught a flight back to Ohio the next day and now he was standing in your entryway.

“Do you want anything to drink?” you asked.

“I’m ok, thank you.”

“Alright.”

The two of you sat down on opposite ends of the couch. Despite your easy conversation over the phone, you felt tongue tied now that Josh was actually sitting in front of you. Had it really been two years since you were in the same room?

“Your house is really nice,” Josh said. He was nervously twisting his fingers.

“You don’t have to make small talk with me, Josh. But thank you.”

He turned to you with a partial smile.

“Two years later and you can still read me like a book.”

“Your facial expressions tell me all I need to know.”

“All of it?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

“All of it.”

“Noted.”

You were unable to stop a smile from creeping across your face. Of course you and Josh would act like you hadn’t ever spent any time apart. Isn’t that how you had always been?

“Hey, what did you tell your girlfriend about going to Ohio?”

“She thinks I’m here to work on the album with Tyler. The only reason she didn’t sneak on her own flight here is because her best friend has a bridal shower tomorrow that she refused to miss, although there were a couple times that she almost bailed to come with me.”

“Yikes, I’m sorry.”

Josh shrugged, “It’s ok. Knowing that things will be over soon makes it easier.”

“What are you going to tell her?”

“The truth.”

“Which is?” you asked.

“I shouldn’t share. It’s kind of personal.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with me, does it?”

“No,” Josh shook his head, “no.”

“Good, because I don’t want to be in the middle of all that. Apparently she already had enough reasons to not like me.”

“I never understood that. How could anybody not like you?”

“No idea,” you laughed, “but they do.”

“I don’t.” You turned towards Josh, expecting him to be laughing, but his face was completely sincere. “Not in the slightest.”

“Thanks, Josh. I appreciate that.”

One Month Ago

Ding.

“What the hell?” you muttered, pulling your attention away from your laptop long enough to check your phone. There were four messages, all from Josh.

josh: i’m sorry

josh: i’m so sorry

josh: i didn’t mean for her to find out

josh: it was an accident

That didn’t sound good.

y/n: slow down, what are you talking about?

josh: [sent a link]

You clicked on the link, which took you to an Instagram post made by Josh’s now-ex girlfriend, as he had informed you last night. The picture was of her, and the caption spanned most of the rest of your screen. Your stomach sunk as you started to read it.

As many of you know, for the last two years, I was dating @joshuadun. I THOUGHT we were meant to be, but apparently he wanted to dump me because he was in love with someone else. Of course, he wouldn’t tell me who that was because he’s a lying, scummy, piece of shit that led me on for absolutely no reason. Since he won’t tell me, I’ll let all of you do my digging for me, starting with @y/n. They were friends before I started dating him and they randomly decided to “reconnect” a few months ago. Suspicious, huh? Anyway, I’m going to be taking a little social media break for my mental health, but feel free to DM me with anything you find. Hugs and kisses xoxo see you soon!

You dialed Josh instantly.

“Hi, Y/N.”

“What is going on?”

“I’m sorry. I was packing up my things this morning and left my phone on the bed while I went into another room to grab something. She snuck in and saw a message from you and started screaming at me, accusing me of cheating on her.”

“Is it true?”

“No, I would never cheat on her,” Josh said, immediately getting defensive.

“Not that part. When you were at my house, you told me that you were going to tell her the truth. She said in her post that you told her you were in love with someone else, and she thinks it’s me. Is that true? Are you in love with me, Josh?”

Your question was met with silence. You had to double check that he hadn’t hung up on you.

“Josh?”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes,” he took a deep breath, “I’m in love with you.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What?”

“What do you mean what?” you snapped. “You stopped talking to me out of nowhere, randomly came back years later claiming you wanted to be friends again, lied to me when I asked if the truth had anything to do with me, and then publicly dragged me into the middle of your breakup! I asked you for one thing, Josh. One. I didn’t want to be in the middle of it, yet here I am.”

“I’m sorry, it was an accident.”

“I just need to go. I’ll talk to you… I don’t know when, but I need a break from all of this. Bye, Josh.”

You hung up before giving him a chance to say anything else.

Present Day

Josh was sitting in front of you.

You were nervously picking at your jeans, trying to find the right words to say. The two of you had been having conversations here and there over the last month, but you still felt bad about the way you had reacted when the drama with his ex happened. There had been more going on than you thought under the surface, and as a result Josh had gotten all of your stress dumped on him.

It was long past time you actually explained that to him.

“Are you going to say anything?” he asked.

“Yes, I just need a second,” you said. “I’m sorry.”

“Take your time.”

You nodded. Josh idly tapped his fingers on his legs.

“Ok. I think I’m ready.”

“I’m listening.”

You looked up at Josh, meeting his eyes. His eyebrows raised slightly.

“First, I just want to apologize again for how I reacted when all the drama happened. I had a lot going on and you were an easy target to take my stress out on. I thought it was just frustration at first, but after some thinking I realized it was a lot more than that.”

You waited for Josh to say something, but he stayed quiet.

“I love you too, Josh.”

“You do?”

“I pushed it down for a long time for a lot of reasons, but the fact of the matter is that I love you. I can’t deny it anymore.”

Josh leaned forward and wrapped his arms around you, burying his face in the crook of your neck. You held onto him tightly.

He smelled just like you remembered.

“I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you too,” you smiled.

#josh dun #josh dun x reader #josh dun angst #twenty one pilots #twenty one pilots angst #josh dun imagine #josh dun drabble #josh dun fanfiction #twenty one pilots x reader #twenty one pilots imagine #twenty one pilots drabble #twenty one pilots fanfiction #angst #skeleton clique #blurry-fics

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davalynbaker · 4 years

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Thirsty as F*ck [Season 1, Ep. 4]

Congratulations, you made it to the end of 2020. And in doing that, you’ve accomplished something that took a lot of willpower and strength to get through—Pat yourselves on the back. And get into this episode.

Now realizing that this entire decade seems to be strife with chaos, ignore that first paragraph. I was so ignorant. And oh, so naive.

This episode is written by Laura Kittrell and directed by Kevin Bray.

The episode opens with Lawrence jogging to “Conflict of a Man” by Erimaj. We get some great scenic shots of South LA that are beyond stunning. As he finishes his jog and heads back home, he passes the stained couch from the previous episode sitting on the curb. Surprisingly, no one has picked it up yet, and it’s there as a harsh but real reminder that their relationship has so much work that they have to accomplish. I’m not sure why they threw out the couch before they purchased another one, but he goes in, and there’s a broken lawn chair in its place. Inside, Issa is taking a shower, but she gets a glimpse of sweaty Lawrence from his jog that initiates awkward shower sex. Shout out to one of the many appearances of Jay Ellis’ little booty.

Whoever tried to sell us on the appeal of shower sex needs to atone for their sins.

Giving in, Issa and Lawrence go shopping for a new couch. You can see from their interactions - compared to the first episode. They are very much revisiting their honeymoon phase. While they are in post-let’s-work-it-out bliss, they watch a married couple fight about lotion dispensers.

Best line of the episode, a disgruntled wife says dryly to her husband: “I hate you.”

Later that day, Molly is on her date with super hot doc, Brandon Bell [Troy Fairbanks, if you watch Dear White People], and they’re having typical date conversations. It gets weird when Molly tells him that he needs to be considerate and let her know where he’s headed via text. We later learn that this is date three so there hasn’t been anything explicitly hinting at them being legitimate. They were still having a “get to know you” conversation, so needing to know someone’s whereabouts is strange, but Dr. Hottie definitely could have made that vocal, too. Anyway, Molly is just going through the dating process. It’s not that deep. Hot men come and go.

The next day she walks past a loud-ass Da Da, noting that “black people stay loud.”

It’s me. I’m black people.

On Issa’s end, she gets a surprise visit from Daniel at work. He is consistently overstepping his boundaries. Literal Kill Bill sirens go off in my head at the very notion of someone showing up at my job without announcement. He apologizes for what happened that night in the car. If you need me to refresh your memories, Issa kissed Daniel after “breaking up” with Lawrence, and she told Daniel she wasn’t sure if she was ready to pursue anything serious. Daniel immediately shuts that down and says that she would be nothing more than a booty call.

It was awkward. It was sad. You know the story.

Issa takes this moment to tell him that she’s back with Lawrence now, and they shuffle through the rest of their conversation in a series of strange little moments. Molly rightfully criticizes her for even entertaining the idea of flirting with Daniel, and Issa agrees, saying that she is now “Bloop-bloop”-ing with Lawrence. ***Bloop-blooping is signifying the elevation of them trying to work through their relationship.

Lawrence goes to work and gets assigned to a section he has no experience in by his boss. Also, something that was very triggering to hear, “You’re smart. You’ll catch on.” Being forced to take on other jobs you lack training on is so common that I knew there was a collective sigh when Lawrence’s boss said that to him. Of course, Lawrence can’t quit the job out of frustration because he needs the money! He’s been depending on Issa for too long. Sometimes, you just have to suck it up and become a corporate servant. And for Lawrence, who has spent well over a year being jobless because pride would not let him give in to a job, it’s pretty damn ironic that he’s now at a job doing every single thing he said he never would do. Welcome to adulthood.

As Freida and Issa bond after work, she suggests that Issa use Daniel for their kids’ career day. Issa texts Daniel instead of telling Freida that she isn’t comfortable doing that? Before I knew what was going to happen in the show, I knew what was going to happen in the show.

Does that make sense?

Molly is now on a date with Jidenna, and they bond over microaggressions and white folks at work. He cheers her up with a round of “black tax” jokes, then the two dance to “Girl,” and the romance begins to bloom between them.

After Issa’s after-work session and bonding with Freida (and her text to Daniel), she comes home to Lawrence, who asks her about work, but she casually forgets to mention that Daniel is coming to the career day they’ve planned for the kids. Alright, so Issa actively possesses guilt about Daniel. She hasn’t told Lawrence about the kiss, and now she’s purposely keeping secrets about Daniel from him. It is fascinating to witness Issa plant these seeds of being a dishonest spouse. What is the point of telling Lawrence you want to make it work when you’re still going to lie to him? Even worse, the next day, Lawrence is not telling Issa about Tasha. Is it common for couples to keep things like this from each other? I feel as though if it’s harmless, then mentioning them should not be an issue.

Nevertheless, Lawrence sits with Tasha and enjoys the praises she gives him up which. At this point, Issa is trying her best to help with his confidence, so I don’t know why he feels like he still needs to hold on to Tasha for this. Because let’s be honest, that’s the only reason he’s holding on to Tasha.

After Molly’s date with Jidenna, she tells her boss that she doesn’t feel comfortable talking to Da Da about her behavior. So the boss decides to do it. Molly later sees all the partners ganging up on Da Da in the conference room, and it’s not looking good. Molly’s conversation with Da Da earlier about assimilating to fit in with the white people has come full circle, but Molly feels more sympathetic than vindicated. Da Da is learning about corporate white folks the hard way. We’ve all been there.

It’s career day, and Daniel is sharing his garbage-ass beats with the kids. After some fun and conversations about his job, he tells the kids how amazing Issa is, and they joke that he has a crush on her. Kids have the best intuition, so they are picking up on the chemistry stirring between the two. After the successful career day, Daniel extends an invitation to a studio session, and Issa doesn’t say yes or no. Because why? She likes making bad decisions.

Now that her head is rightly all messed up about Daniel, she fantasizes about him in the staff mirror. As we all know, it’s her subconscious telling her about her lingering feelings for Daniel. They never really left, and she’s starting to lean in too closely to the chaos. Daniel mentioned earlier that he worked on some beats for Ty Dolla $ign, so of course, Ty Dolla $ign makes an appearance in this fantasy. Lawrence interjects, asking her what she’s doing, but it’s revealed to actually be Molly.

Being the voice of reason.

Again.

Her attempts to keep Issa grounded are not going well.

And to the surprise of no one, the kids at school find Issa’s “Broken Pussy” video and laugh about it. Millennials. I think the most realistic thing about this show is the many L’s Millennials take. Nothing has felt more relatable.

#insecure #issa rae #yvonne orji #jay ellis #lisa joyce #jidenna #troy fairbanks #hbo: insecure #tv: insecure #kevin bray #laura kittrell

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nickburn · 4 years

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Things I Enjoyed in 2020 Despite Everything

Seasons Greetings! This year has felt like an eternity for so many reasons, and before it’s over, I’d like to take a look back on the distractions that got me through it. Along the way, I’ll occasionally point out where I was emotionally at the time and whether I got into a particular thing before or after the pandemic hit in mid March. I hope you enjoy this little retrospective of some of my experience during one of the worst years of human history!

Games & Mods

Might & Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven

When I was making my 2020 resolutions list late last year, one of my goals was to play more old games in my backlog and not buy many new games this year. That goal largely went on hold, because, well, I sought out enjoyment wherever I could find it instead of forcing myself to play one thing or another. But before Covid, I was really enjoying my new playthrough of M&M6. I’d made attempts at it before, but it was really GrayFace’s mod that made the game click for me. Modern features like quick saves and mouselook make the game much more accessible, and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to try an old-school RPG. It’s a great stepping stone into a mostly-dead genre. I’m hoping to get back to it soon. I just jumped ship to simpler ventures like Doom Eternal after the pandemic hit and haven’t looked back since.

Pathologic 2

I learned about the Pathologic series late last year and have since become a little obsessed with it. Hbomberguy’s lengthy video essay on the original game really intrigued me and lead me to trying the sequel/remake in April via Xbox Game Pass. In a weird way, it was cathartic to be a doctor in an even more dire situation than our current one and still see signs of the townsfolk trying to help each other deal with a supernatural plague and little help from their local government. The game helped me express a lot of what I was feeling at the time, when I was still getting used to working from home and wondering just how long this could go on for. I’ve gone back to it recently, and I’m hoping to finish it someday, if I can find a way to stop dying. Above all, Pathologic 2 teaches you how to make choices in no-win scenarios with little information or resources and still persevere, despite the world going to Hell around you. And that’s maybe the most important thing to practice at the moment.

Overwatch

I’ve continued to look forward to weekly Overwatch nights with my friends every Thursday, and it’s really important to have something like that right now. Even if it’s just a new episode of a show airing, a new video from a favorite YouTuber, or a regular Zoom call with coworkers, it helps so much to have something to anticipate from week to week and month to month. Otherwise, it’s really easy to feel like nothing’s going on besides the entropic deterioration of the universe. Overwatch itself helps with this, because it’s such a positive, bright, and optimistic game, as only Blizzard can create. And it’s improved a ton in the past couple of years, in a lot of ways. If you haven’t played in a while, hop in and check out all the new content with your friends; I think you’ll have a great time. It’s looking more and more like Overwatch 2 is right around the corner, and I’m very much looking forward to it.

I learned how to play Go after watching a documentary released this year about AlphaGo, the computer that beat the Go world champion, and I have a huge appreciation for the game now. I think it’s even more beautiful than chess, though even more insidious to learn. If you haven’t played before, start with a 9x9 board, teach yourself the basics, and try playing with another beginner friend. I guarantee you’ll be amazed at the amount of strategy and imagination that a game ostensibly about placing black and white stones on a grid can inspire. Go’s one of several new hobbies I’ve picked up this year, and those new hobbies have really helped me pass the time in a way that feels productive as well as take my mind off whatever depressing news just got blasted across Twitter.

Doom 64

Doom Eternal was fine, but Doom 64′s where my heart lies. The PC port on Steam is great, allowing everyone to easily play the game with mouse and keyboard. Its levels are tight and colorful, often asking the player to backtrack multiple times through the same areas to unlock new ones and take on whatever new twists await down each darkened corridor. It’s a surprisingly fresh experience. Unlike many modern Doom mods that strive to be sprawling marathons, 64′s levels are short but memorable, and the game is a great entry point to the series for newcomers because of that. Retro FPS’s continue to inspire and entertain me, and Doom 64 is one of my new favorites.

Golf With Your Friends

I’m not usually that into party games, but Golf With Your Friends strikes the right balance between casual tone and skill-based gameplay. The maps are vibrant and devious, the different modes are creative and often hilarious, and the pacing is near-perfect. If you’ve got a squad itching to play something together for a few nights, I guarantee you’ll have a lot of laughs trying to knock an opponent off the course or turning them into an acorn just as they’re about to attempt a nasty jump.

Quake 1 Mods

I probably sound like a broken record by now to a lot of you, but I won’t rest until I get more people into retro FPS’s. The outdated graphics and simple gameplay can be off-putting at first, but it doesn’t take long at all to get hooked after you’ve played the likes of excellent mods like Ancient Aliens for Doom 2 or Arcane Dimensions for Quake 1. And it’s only getting better, with this year marking probably the best year for Quake releases ever. The industry even seems to be taking notice again, with many talented mappers getting picked up for highly-anticipated, professional indie projects like Graven and Prodeus. And while the marketing around the retro FPS renaissance as the second coming of “boomer shooters” should be much maligned, the actual craft involved in making mods and brand new games in the genre has never been stronger. I even contributed four levels to the cause this year, but you’ll have to play them yourself to decide if they’re any good: https://www.quaddicted.com/reviews/?filtered=burnham.

Streets of Rage 4

I had not tried Steam Remote Play before this year, but it works surprisingly well if you have a decent internet connection. Because of Remote Play, I was able to complete Streets of Rage 4 with my friends, and it was very close to the experiences I had as a kid playing brawlers like Turtles in Time on the Super Nintendo. The game is just hard enough to make you sweat during the boss fights but just easy enough that the average group of gamers can complete it in a night or two, which is ideal for adults with not a lot of free time.

Hard Lads

Hard Lads is a pure delight of a game by Robert Yang about the beauty of a viral video from 2015 called “British lads hit each other with chair,” which is even more ridiculous than it sounds. It made me smile and laugh for a good half hour, and I think it’ll do the same for you.

Commander MtG

The Commander format for Magic: the Gathering is one of my favorite things, and in 2020, I dug into it more than any other year. More so even than playing or watching it being played, I created decklists for hours and hours, dreaming up new, creative strategies for winning games or just surprising my imaginary opponents. I sincerely believe this little ritual of finding a new legendary creature to build around and spending a few days crafting a brew for it got me through the majority of this summer. I didn’t have a lot of creative energy this year, but I was able to channel the little I did have into this hobby. Especially during the longer, more frustrating or depressing days at work when I had nothing else to do or just needed a break, I could often dive back into card databases and lose myself in the process of picking exactly the cards that best expressed what I wanted to do for any given deck. And it’s nice to know I can always fall back on that.

Yu-Gi-Oh!

I played a lot of Yu-Gi-Oh! growing up but never had the cards or the skill to be particularly good at it. I just knew I enjoyed the game and the 4Kids show, but I quickly them behind when I got to high school. Fast forward to 2020, and the game and franchise have evolved substantially, not always for the better. But I do find it so intriguing, with a skeptical kind of adoration. It’s not nearly as well-supported as Magic, but what it does have are gigantic anime monsters on tiny cards with enough lines of text to make your head spin. And it’s so interesting to me that a franchise like that can continue to thrive alongside more elegant games like the Pokemon TCG and Hearthstone. And the further I’ve delved into how the game has changed since I stopped playing, the more invested I’ve become, going so far as to start buying cards again and looking into possible decks I might enjoy playing. An unequivocal win for Yu-Gi-Oh! is Speed Duel, which seeks to bring old players back to the game with a watered-down, nostalgia-laden format with fewer mechanics and a much smaller card pool. So if all you want to do is pit a Blue Eyes White Dragon against a Dark Magician, that’s 100% still there for you, but the competitive scene is still alive, well, and astoundingly complicated. And I think that’s kind of beautiful.

Black Mesa

I wasn’t expecting to have the tech to play Half Life: Alyx this year, so Black Mesa seemed like the next best thing. And it really is a love letter to the first game, even if it’s far from perfect. I even prefer the original, but I did very much enjoy my time with this modern reimagining. If you’ve never played a Half Life game before, I think it’s a great place to start.

VR via the Oculus Quest

Around halfway through this year, I started to get really stir crazy and yeah, pretty depressed. It seemed like I’d be stuck in the same boring cycle forever, and I know for a lot of people, it still feels like that. So VR seemed like the perfect escape from this dubious reality where you can’t even take a safe vacation trip anymore. And you know, I think it works really well for that purpose. The Oculus Quest is especially effective, doing away with cords or cables so you have as much freedom as you have free real estate in your home. I don’t have a lot of space in my studio apartment, but I have enough to see the potential of the medium, which is completely worth it. Next gen consoles are neat and all, but I’ve got my heart set on picking up the Quest 2 as soon as possible.

* Beat Saber

I was most looking forward to trying Beat Saber on the Quest, and I was not disappointed. You’d think rhythm games had reached their peak with Rock Band and DDR, but the genre keeps on giving with gems like this. It’s hard to convey if you’ve never tried it, but the game succeeds so well in getting your entire body into the rhythm of whatever song you’re slashing through.

* Half Life: Alyx

Again, I really did not expect to be able to experience this game as intended this year, and I still don’t think I really have. The Oculus Link for the Quest is admittedly a little janky, and my PC barely meets the minimum specs to even run the game. And yet, despite that, Alyx is one of my top three games of 2020 and maybe one of my all-time favorites. Even as I was losing frames and feeling the game struggle to keep up with all the AI Combine soldiers running around, I was still having a blast. For me, it is one of the best reasons to seek out and own VR and a pinnacle of game design in its own right.

Hades

For me, Hades has mostly been similar to every other Supergiant Game that I’ve played: fun and well-polished but ultimately not engaging enough to play for very long. And there’s always this sheen of trying to be too clever with their dialogue, narration, and music that rubs me the wrong way. But Hades is certainly their best game, and I can’t deny the effect it’s had on people, much like Bastion’s reception back in 2011. And I’m really hoping Hades gets more people into roguelikes, as a more accessible and story-driven approach to the genre. Timing-wise, I wish it hadn’t come out around the same time as Spelunky, because I think it did make some people choose one over the other, when the best choice is to play both and realize they’re going for very different experiences. The precise, unforgiving, arcade-like style of Spelunky isn’t fun for everyone, though, and Hades is thankfully there to fill in that gap. I’m really glad I found more time to play it this year at least to succeed on one escape attempt; it’s a fun game to think about in a game design context. And I do think the game has a lot of merit and is doing some clever things with difficulty that the studio likely could not have honed nearly so well without the help of Early Access. The most impressive part of the game to me is not the story or the music or the combat but the massive amount of contextual dialogue they somehow found time to program, write, and record at a consistently high level. All of this is just to say, Hades is obviously one of the best games of the year, and you should play it if you have any interest in it at all.

Spelunky 2

I’ve spoken a lot about this game on Twitter, so I’m not going to rehash much of that here. For me, it’s been a journey of over 1,000 attempts to learn the intricacies and secrets of a deep and demanding game that’s been as frustrating as it’s been rewarding. But it remains a constant source of learning and discovery as well as mastery and pride for me, and I still have hopes of reaching the Cosmic Ocean and getting all the trophies someday. It’s been a joy to watch other Spelunky players too, even as some fair worse than me and others fair far better. And the Daily challenge keeps me coming back, because seeing my name high up on the leaderboard just makes me feel so damn good (or at least I’ll get a good laugh out of a hilarious death). At its heart, Spelunky is a community endeavor, and I think it succeeds at that better than almost any other game this side of Dark Souls. I think it is my Game of the Year or at least tied with Alyx, I really can’t decide. If you don’t think you’d enjoy it, all I’ll say is, the frustration and difficulty are integral to the experience of discovery and surprise, and your brain is better at video games than you think.

Chess

Okay, yes, I watched and enjoyed The Queen’s Gambit, but I think 2020 had already primed people to get into chess this year regardless. Like Yu-Gi-Oh!, chess was a childhood pastime of mine that I really enjoyed and then quickly left behind as I discovered things like music and the internet. If I had to assign a theme to my 2020, it would be rediscovering old hobbies to remind myself how good life actually is. And now I’m more committed to chess than I ever was before. I’m watching international masters and grand masters on YouTube (as well as the incomparable Northernlion), I’m playing regularly on Chess.com, and I’m even paying for lessons and probably my own theory books soon. Like most fighting games, chess is a complicated form of dueling a single opponent with zero randomness, so mistakes are always on you. And modern chess platforms offer extremely good analysis tools, showing you exactly how, when, and why you screwed up so you can do better next time. Like Hearthstone, it’s a quick, addicting, tense, and rewarding way to train your brain and have fun. And it seems more popular now than ever, in part due to a certain Netflix original TV show...

The Queen’s Gambit

I think a lot of people want to be Beth Harmon, even if they know they shouldn’t. It must feel so good to be the best at something and know you’re the best, even while under the influence of certain substances. It’s what makes characters like Dr. Gregory House so fun to watch, though you’d never want to work with the guy. For me, anyway, I always wanted to be a prodigy at something, and what little success I’ve had made The Queen’s Gambit very relatable to me. More so, it’s easy to relate to growing up in a conservative environment with few real friends and fewer outlets of expression, only to realize you’ve finally found your thing, and that no one can take it from you. That’s mostly what I’m going to take from The Queen’s Gambit anyway, more than chess or the Cold War commentary or the problematic relationships Beth has with her cadre of rivals/boyfriends. The show gets a strong recommendation from me for fans of chess as well as lovers of optimistic coming-of-age stories.

March Comes in Like a Lion

Similarly, March Comes in Like a Lion features a protagonist who is scarily close to a version of myself from like eight years ago. My best friend has been urging me to watch this show for years, and I’m still only a few episodes in. But I love how it portrays a young person who’s moved to a big city away from home for the first time, with nothing more than some meager possessions and the hopes of becoming the best in the world at something. And Rei is not confident in himself or outgoing at all, he’s extremely depressed despite pursuing his dreams and trying to distance himself from his somewhat toxic family. It’s a great reminder that the smallest kindnesses can often change our entire perspective on the world, and that even the people that seem the most well-equipped to handle life often still need help. I’ve been very fortunate to have people like that despite mistakes I’ve made, and I hope to be that person for others too.

Umbrella Academy

I’m pretty burnt out on superheroes, but UA put a good enough spin on them that they felt brand new. The show is rough in places, but it’s surprising in some really clever ways. And the comics are some of the wildest stories I’ve ever read, like Hitchhiker’s Guide meets Watchmen.

HunterXHunter

I binged about 100 of the 148 episodes of HxH this year, which I recognize is not a significant number in the wider world of long-running shounen anime, but it’s quite an undertaking for me to finish a show of this length. The series goes places I never expected and made me care so strongly for characters I thought I’d hate at first. It’s the smartest and most endearing show about a band of misfits going on crazy adventures and punching people for the good of the world that you’re likely to find.

Hannibal

This is the rare show that’s simultaneously comforting and nightmare-inducing if watched for extended periods. I can remember nights after binging a few episodes where I couldn’t get many of the disturbing images out of my head. Fair to say, Hannibal is not for the faint of heart, nor is it without some low points. But for those who enjoy gory thrillers or gritty detective dramas, it’s a must-watch.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Original Series, English Sub

You can probably imagine my surprise as I discovered this year that the Japanese version of the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime is not only much better than the 4Kids version we got in the States, but it’s actually a decent show. The plot makes much more sense, it’s more interesting, the stakes are higher, the voices are better, and overall it’s just more enjoyable to watch. I don’t know if I’ll stick with it long enough to finish it this time, but this is definitely the way I’d do it and would recommend to others.

Fargo Season 4

It’s a miracle we even got another season of Fargo this year, let alone on time and of the same high quality as the first two seasons. It has a great setting, cast, and conflict. I love Chris Rock, and it was so cool to see him act so well in such a serious role. There’s a Wizard of Oz homage episode that is nearly flawless. And the post-credits scene at the end of the season is just the cherry on top. If you haven’t checked out Fargo by now, you are really missing out on some of the most interesting stuff happening in TV. I can’t wait to see what Noah Hawley does with the Alien franchise.

Movies

Cats

I had to include this one because it was the last full movie I saw in theaters before the pandemic hit. I technically went to Sonic too, but my friends and I walked out after about 30 minutes. The less said about that movie, the better. Cats, though, is a strange and curious beast (pun intended), adapting an already unruly animal (pun intended) to the big screen and yowling to be recognized (pun intended). But for every awkward or embarrassing scene, there’s one of pure joy and magic, like the extended ballet sequence or Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat. The film knows exactly what it is and leans into it hard, like a familiar yet slightly insane feline begging to be stroked, which I imagine is exactly what fans of the musical wanted.

Children of Men

There’s not much I can say about this film that probably hasn’t been said better elsewhere. I was intrigued to watch it when I learned it was one of my friend’s favorite movies. And I have to say, it’s really profound in a prescient way. Clive Owen gives one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. You should watch it, but only when you feel like taking a severe hit to the feels.

Basic Instinct

Vertigo is probably still my favorite film, so when I learned this year that Paul Verhoeven made a bloody, sex romp homage film to it in the 90s with Michael Douglas starring, I simply had to watch it. And you know, it’s not bad. It’s nowhere near as good as Vertigo, and you can see the ending coming a mile away. But what it does have is the immaculate Sharon Stone, who you cannot take your eyes off for the entire movie. And the movie knows it, making her look as alluring and suggestive as her character is to the detective investigating her. You could do worse than to watch it, just don’t expect any of Hitchcock’s subtlety or looming dread to seep into the final product.

Books

Dune

I finally finished Dune this year, and I can genuinely say it lives up to the hype. It’s not the easiest book to get through, but it’s by no means one of the most difficult either. I’m still bummed that the new film was delayed, but it might give me time to read the rest of the original book series.

The Fifth Season

Another fantastic piece of fiction, I cannot recommend this book enough. N.K. Jemisin is one of the best living authors of our time. If you want an original setting with a brilliant magic system and complex, compelling characters, look no further.

Video Content

Northernlion

I’ve been a fan of NL for years, though I’ve never been that into The Binding of Isaac. He just has a charismatic intelligence to him that sets him apart from most “Let’s Play” YouTubers to me, and he’s very funny to boot. I guess I’d say he seems a lot like me or the person I could picture myself being if I were a professional video content creator. So I was really excited for NL’s series of Spelunky 2 videos, and I still watch them every day, months later. And now he’s teaching me how to get better at chess, being a good 600 ELO higher than myself at the moment. His sarcastic and improv-laden banter have withstood the test of years and gave me some much-needed comfort and laughter in 2020. Somehow, the man even found a way to keep up his prolific output this year while raising his firstborn child. There are those who said it couldn’t be done...

The Command Zone - Game Knights

Josh Lee Kwai and the rest of the crew at The Command Zone continue to put out some of the most well-produced tabletop gameplay videos on the internet. It’s perhaps no surprise, seeing as how Lee Kwai created trailers for such blockbuster films as Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World and Jimmy Wong had a supporting role in the live action remake of Disney’s Mulan. But the crew around the two hosts are just as important and talented, and it’s clear that they all share the same singular vision for the channel’s future. They’ve carefully crafted a team of expert editors, animators, cosplayers, and voice actors to deliver one delightful video after the next at a consistently high level. If you’re into Magic: the Gathering at all, you simply need to watch Game Knights.

Cimoooooooo

I found Alex Cimo’s channel shortly after the algorithm learned I was interested in Yu-Gi-Oh! again, and at first, I was less than impressed with him. But it’s clear to me now that he not only loves what he does, he’s an expert Yu-Gi-Oh! player and analyst. Plus, he’s very good at explaining some of the more complex concepts in the game in a way that newcomers can understand. I’ve watched every new episode of The Progression Series and The History of Yu-Gi-Oh! so far, and they’re the best way I’ve found to learn how the game developed and changed over the last 20 years.

Team APS

This is another great Yu-Gi-Oh! channel, focusing more on skits, gimmick videos, and casual games rather than analytical or theoretical content. Mostly, they seem like a really great group of friends that just have a blast playing Yu-Gi-Oh! together, and their love for the game makes me want to play more too.

Tolarian Community College

Somehow, a community college English professor’s channel went from a quirky little deckbox review platform to the most popular Magic: the Gathering channel on YouTube in only a few years. But it’s easy to see why when Brian clearly loves what he’s doing more than most people ever will. He’s not only a fantastic reviewer and MtG scholar, he’s one of the most outspoken voices for positive change in the community and the game. Is he too hard on the Magic team at Wizards of the Coast? Perhaps, but without his measured and well-reasoned takes on all things Magic, I think we’d be much worse off.

IRL

Cooking

Even I get tired of eating the same things every day, so I’ve taken it upon myself to learn how to make more dishes, mostly out of sheer boredom. And I know I’m not alone in that, but I have to say it’s been a rewarding and fun adventure. It’s really surprising what you can throw together with a decent recipe and a little creativity in a modest kitchen when you decide to break away from the microwave for once.

Chinchillin’

Like many people, I felt that I needed a pet to survive this year, and I’ve always wanted a chinchilla. So I took a risk and bought one from a seller on KSL a few months ago, and my life has definitely changed for the better. No longer simply alone with my thoughts all day, I have a furry little companion to commune and bond with. And it’s more difficult to find time to feel sorry for myself when a basically helpless tiny creature depends on me for almost everything. Not to say it’s been a perfect experience however, people don’t say chins are difficult to care for for nothing. And I have learned more about them than perhaps I ever cared to know before, but that’s only made them more interesting to me as a result. Overall, I would recommend them as pets, just be prepared to give them a lot more time and attention than you would to say, a fish or a hamster. I’ve seen the commitment compared to that of a large dog, and I think that’s fair, though chins seem far more difficult to train and are far less cuddly. Basically, imagine a fluffy, super fast squirrel that can jump half your height, shed its fur at will if grabbed too tightly, that sleeps all day and bathes in dust, and that cannot get wet or too hot or eat 99% of human foods without serious complications. And they get lonely, and they all have their own surprisingly distinct personalities, some shy and mischievous, others bright and social, and everything in between. But I’m glad to be part of my little buddy’s life and hope to make it a long and enjoyable one for him. Part of why I wanted a chinchilla so badly is they typically live between 10-20 years, much longer than the average rodent or even many cats and dogs. And they’re sadly endangered in the wild, poached for their incredibly soft fur, which is why I believe it’s critical that we care for and learn more about them now. And above all, I adore my chinchilla’s antics, even when he continually tries to dig up and eat the paper bedding below his cage when I’ve provided perfectly edible hay and pellets for him in much easier to reach locations.

And that’s all, folks...

If you’ve read this far, know that I really appreciate it and hope you learned something new about yourself, art, or the world. And please do let me know what’s kept you going the most this year too, as I suspect I’ll still be searching for new distractions next year, even after I’m able to get a Covid vaccine injection. As Red Green would say, we’re all in this together, and I’m pullin’ for ya. <3

#2020 #hobbies #art #youtube #reviews #entertainment #games #books #film #tv #netflix

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thenoammonster · 5 years

Text

“A Fresh Start” Part I

So I’ve been a long time lurker, very occasional contributor to the Inuyasha fandom for the last zillion years, and due to the whole ‘may never get to leave my apartment again’ thing, I thought it might be fun to try writing again.

Enter this little fic. It’s a modern AU that’s been rolling around in my head forever. Going to aim for a weekly update, but no promises. Enjoy!

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Part I

‘It’s got to be around here somewhere… Maybe I missed the turn?’

Confused grey eyes squinted out the windshield, trying desperately to spot something familiar in the looming twilight. An agitated hand lifted from the battered leather of the steering wheel to drag through messy dark bangs as the young woman grew steadily more frustrated with her situation. Reaching the next narrow intersection, Kagome gave an impatient huff, finally admitting defeat before pulling over to park her small, beat up hatchback on the side of the road. It had been nothing but open countryside and woodland, broken up by the occasional lonely house, for at least 5 or so miles now. She knew she shouldn’t have allowed her mother to talk her into staying for lunch before heading out to her new town two hours out of the city. At this rate she would be moving her things in the late summer heat, getting eaten alive by mosquitos.

``Hopefully Sango doesn’t mind…”

She sighed, reaching down into the cup holder to her right to grab her phone. She absently turned down the radio as the line began to ring. Halfway through the first ring, her friend’s voice cut through the buzzing.

“Kagome? Oh I was just about to call you! It’s almost 8 o’clock, where the hell are you? We were supposed to meet at the clinic at 6!”

Sango’s uncanny ability to always know when she needed her pulled a wry smile to Kagome’s lips as she replied.

“I’m so so sorry Sango. I had a late start driving out and with it starting to get dark I’m having trouble recognizing anything and I… kinda got lost. Data reception sucks out here, by the way.”

“Yeah, well get used to it girl. You’re not living in the big city any more! Now, where are you? Can you at least describe the area a bit?”

“Uh, sure. I can see…” Kagome trailed off, leaning forward to better take in her surroundings, “... trees?” She heard Sango huff on the line, “ And… a little house with a pick up truck? The last street sign I could read was ‘Oak’ I think. And I passed the main shopping strip like… 10 minutes ago?”

“Hmm, sounds like you might have gone too far before turning. The clinic is supposed to be off Main street and then Maple, not Oak. That being said, I’m still not sure where you are. Can you try sending me a pin?”

“Yeah okay, hold on.”

Pulling the phone away from her ear, Kagome began fiddling with her texting app, hitting the ‘send your location’ option and staring hopefully at the screen as it tried to send. She was so focused on the sending attempt, the abrupt knock at her window had her jumping a foot into the air, flinging her phone into the passenger seat.

Whipping around to face the driver side window, Kagome stared wide-eyed at the silhouette that was leaning over to peer in at her. Spooked within an inch of her life, suddenly seeing flashes of the mutilated bodies of every woman from every crime show she’d ever watch in her mind, she reached to roll down the window an inch, just enough to address the shadowed form. There was an awkward silence for a moment while the figure stared in at her, during which Kagome’s panic continued to rise..

“H-Hey, you lost?” a gruff voice finally asked.

“ I-I’m uh…” While her mind whirled with panic, Sango’s screaming into the phone eventually penetrated her daze. Kagome scrambled to pick the phone back up off the seat.

“Kagome? Kagome what happened? Are you there?”

Leaning away from the imposing figure still waiting by her door, Kagome replied, “Sango, I’m here. Sorry I dropped the phone. There’s someone here, a guy I –”

“Guy? What guy? This town’s small, I know everyone.”

“I-I don’t know. I haven’t really –”

“Put him on the phone.” This had Kagome’s jaw dropping in horror.

“What? But he-he could be a serial killer or a–”

“Kagome, I already told you. I know everyone. Now put the guy on the PHONE.”

Biting her lip in concern, but cowing under her friend’s demands, Kagome rolled the window down a bit more, reaching out to offer her phone to the shadow looming above her car.

“My friend wants to talk to you,” she admitted bashfully. After a brief hesitation, a large hand reached out to take the phone. Again, that rough voice sounded, this time talking into the receiver.

“Hello? Sango?” Kagome felt a strong shot of relief to hear the recognition in his voice upon speaking to her friend. “Yeah, yeah it’s Inuyasha. Yeah. Oh, uhuh. Okay. Yeah I’ll take her. Yeah. Okay. We’ll meet you.” Handing the phone back, he waited for her to finish up the call. Again, she lifted the phone to her ear.

“Sango?”

“Kagome, that’s Inuyasha, he’s a friend of Miroku’s. He’s going to show you how to get to the clinic. You somehow managed to get yourself to the other side of town. I’m going to meet you guys there.”

“Okay, sounds good. See you there,” hanging up, Kagome leaned out of her window a bit to address Inuyasha. “I spoke to Sango. Thanks so much for your help. Do you want to hop in?”

He avoided looking at her as he answered, “Nah, I was gonna head into town anyway. Just lemme get my truck and you can follow me.” With that, he turned back into the now complete dark. Turning slightly in her seat, Kagome was able to make out his form as he moved towards the lonely little house she’d spotted earlier, disappearing inside for a moment before emerging once more. Seconds later headlights bloomed to her right and then his pickup truck pulled in front of her, leading the way back into town.

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Fifteen minutes later Kagome was pulling into the long familiar gravel drive behind the clinic, parking behind the pickup she’d followed there. The site of her quaint new home squelched the last of the unease she’d been feeling since Inuyasha’s shadow first appeared beside her car. The place was perfect, a small, 4 exam room clinic in the storefront of the building at ground level, with two little apartments above. The apartments were accessed via the wraparound back porch, which was currently illuminated by the hanging lights on the eaves of the building. The one to the west side of the building belonged to the head doctor of the practice, Kaede, but the east facing one was all hers.

As the cars pulled in, the door to Kaede’s place burst open and Sango came rushing down from the porch to meet her friend, her husband and boss following at a more sedate pace. Spotting her, Kagome burst from the car as well, embracing her friend around her slightly rounded midsection. Inuyasha also emerged from his car, leaning against the hood awkwardly while the women became reacquainted, looking anywhere but at the young woman he’d rescued.

Sango poked her head out from the hug to call over, “Thanks so much for finding her Inuyasah!” Before turning back to her shorter friend, “Trust you to show up almost three hours late to your own move-in party.”

“Yeah well it was dark. And I’m not used to driving, especially in settings like this.” Kagome argued, smiling goodnaturedly, as they came apart.

“Aaand whose fault is it that you’re getting here after dark anyways?”

“Mama’s! She’s the one who held me up earlier, getting me to stay for lunch, trying to convince me to bring Sota along to help with the heavy lifting.”

While the women chatted, Kaede paused by the stairs, and Miroku wandered over to lean against the pick up next to Inuyasha, slapping his friend on the shoulder in greeting. He received a grunted “Hey,” in response.

Kaede smiled gently at all the youthful excitement, sliding her one good eye over to observe Inuyasha’s expression. She had to admit that she pitied the boy a bit, as she herself had been a little startled the first time she had met Kagome, even with fair warning from Sango. The initial resemblance was uncanny. Hopefully the boy wouldn’t be disturbed too much.

Miroku’s voice as he addressed his wife cut through the old woman’s musings. “Sango my dearest, while I am happy to be your pack mule, can we get moving? It’s been a long day, you need rest.”

“Not to mention the hour is growing late for these old bones,” Kaede chimed in.

“Right! Oh, Kaede, it’s so good to see you!” The enthusiastic girl bounded over to wrap the older woman in a quick embrace before turning to pop the trunk of her hatchback and get to unloading. She and Sango would have all day tomorrow to catch up.

“I just wanted to see that you had arrived safely, dear girl. I’m afraid I won’t be much help in the moving.”

“Oh, that’s alright Kaede! Why don’t you go on up and relax! We’ll be fine down here,” Kagome insisted as she rummaged around in her trunk.

“Yeah, the boys will be more than enough help!” Sango agreed, eyeing the two men evil.

“Why don’t I go up and make some tea for everyone while you work?” Kaede offered, already heading towards the stairs.

“Thank you!” the girls chorused after her.

Miroku turned to Inuyasha, pausing in his move to help Kagome gather her things . “So, Inuyasha, would you mind helping us out or are you needed elsewhere this evening?”

This had Kagome stopping mid step on her way towards the stairs, carrying a box labelled ‘kitchen’. “Oh I don’t want to put him out, Miroku. I’ve already inconvenienced him enough by having him show me how to get here. Really, Inuyasha, don’t feel like you have to stick around for our sakes. I only brought a few things anyway.” This was true, he was surprised to note that the only boxes she seemed to have with her were in the little car she’d driven.

“Still,” Miroku insisted, “ It might be fun to -”

“I-I can’t stay. Gotta be somewhere; I’m late as it is.” Inuyasha admitted, sticking his hands in his pockets to avoid fidgeting under Miroku and Sango’s inquisitive gaze.

“What? You have – Oh, it’s Friday night, isn’t it?” Miroku replied knowingly. Sango rolled her eyes, muttering to her husband to leave his friend alone.

Inuyasha growled at the smug look Miroku gave him, choosing not to say anything.

“Oh, see Miroku? He’s busy!” Kagome dropped the box she was carrying on the first step of the porch, dusting her hands on her jeans before sticking it out for him to shake. “Thanks so much for all your help. It was really nice meeting you, Inuyasha.”

Approaching him finally allowed her to get a decent look at the guy in the dark lighting. He was staring down at her hand like she’d offered him something dead, but after a glance in Miroku’s smug direction, he finally extended his own. When their palms met, Kagome was taken aback by the heat of his skin. She followed the large hand that enveloped her own up a toned arm to broad shoulders, high cheekbones framed by long dark tresses pulled back in a low tail. She couldn’t make out the color of his eyes in the inconsistent light of their combined headlights, but she could tell his jaw was strong and his lips full. Realizing she’d been staring, she swallowed hard, and turned to retrieve her box. “Thanks again! And have a great night!” She managed to squeak out before dashing the rest of the way up the stairs. Inuyasha and Miroku blinked after her, before the former cleared his throat, turned to utter a final goodbye to Miroku and Sango. “Tell the old woman I left,” he muttered, before sliding into his truck and backing out the drive.

Once he was gone Kagome peaked out the door, before trotting out to grab more boxes, completely ignoring Sango’s comment of “Smooth” as she went about emptying her car with her friends’ help. When they reached the porch, Kaede had emerged with a tray of tea and some sliced melon for the 20-somethings to munch on as they worked.

It didn’t take long to finish unloading the car and start putting the apartment to rights, even with Sango only being able to help with the lighter stuff. By 11 o’clock Kaede had long since left them for bed, and Miroku was just managing to drag Sango over the threshold. The apartment had come fully furnished, but Sango was insisting she help Kagome unpack as well. The latter woman refused, assuring them she just needed to finish up putting everything away, and wait for the few odds and ends she’d ordered to be delivered.

Sango tried to convince Kagome to come stay with them for the night when she realized the girl still didn’t have a mattress, but Kagome refused. She was excited to spend her first night here, in the place that she was very excited to call home now.

After finally bidding Sango and Miroku a goodnight and safe drive home with a promise to call the former come morning, Kagome stood in the entry of her little apartment, taking the space in. Her’s was the smaller apartment, not that she minded. It was a little studio, with old miss matched windows and well worn, gleaming hardwood floors. From her spot Kagome could see the bathroom door to her right, all the way to the kitchenette, which occupied the middle of the apartment, and the large bookshelf that blocked the view of the bedframe she hoped would soon be accompanied by a mattress. It wasn’t big or fancy, but it was all hers. After 28 years of living with others; first at home with her family, then with friends throughout medical school and residency, it felt so so good to finally be free and independent.

Smiling quietly to herself, Kagome pulled out her pocket knife to slice open the box labelled ‘linens’ and dug around for some sheets. She was thankful it was too warm for real blankets, as by this point she was too tired to bother locating one. Forgoing a change into any real sleep attire, she pulled off her jeans, tossed her bra onto a pile of boxes, and curled up on the couch for the night.

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Inuyasha collapsed back against the pillows at his back and threw an arm over his dampened brow to block out the light from Yura’s bedside lamp. The local hairdresser giggled a bit, stretching from her position straddling his lap. She leaned down to leave yet another lipstick stain on his check, then heaved herself off of him, dragging her long red fingernails through his sidelock as she went. As she sashayed across the dark-stained hardwood, still wearing nothing but that ever-present half smirk, she called over her shoulder, “I’m gonna pop in the shower to clean up.”

At the sound of the black-painted bathroom door shutting behind her, Inuyasha sat up, gingerly pulling the condom off of himself and reaching for the box of tissues on her nightstand to wipe down. He took extra care to avoid sullying her stupid silky sheets, knowing Yura would pitch a fit if he did. Tossing his mess into a nearby waste basket, he tried to decide what to do with himself. Yura would be half expecting him to join her in the shower for round two, but he really wasn’t into it tonight.

Starting this casual thing with the owner of the only hair salon in town had seemed like an okay idea all those months ago, but Inuyasha was beginning to doubt that choice. Sure, she had a great body, all the attention was a welcome distraction from the montomy of his days, and the whole hair fixation wasn’t that off putting but it didn’t feel right. Inuyasha had never been one for casual relationships, part of why he’d had so few in his life. This one was beginning to take its toll. He and Yura were both adults and neither one of them seemed to have any delusions about what they were to each other. There weren’t all that many people in there little town, and the sex was good. That was all. There was no warmth to their relationship – if you could even call it that – just the heat of the act itself which extinguished into nothing the second it was over. He was starting to miss having more. He shook himself at the thought, wondering what had him feeling so sentimental all of a sudden.

“Aw fuck it,” he muttered to himself, finally rising from the bed to pull on his jeans and boxers from off the floor. He tried to tell himself the ghost he’d met earlier had nothing to do with his weird mood. She was just some friend of Sango’s, no one he need concern himself with. He approached the bathroom door as he ripped his shirt over his head, pulling the door open to tell Yura he was going to be heading home.

“Oh okay then, Sugar. See you later,” she called back to him over the pounding of water on tile.

He heaved a big sigh as he shut the door of Yura’s apartment and started down the stairs to get to his truck. Pleasant as their encounters were, he hated Yura’s apartment. All the stark, black, white and red decor made him feel like he couldn’t touch anything, and the dim lighting was a little too theatrical for his taste. The place looked like something out of a fashion district apartment in a big city, not like anything that belonged in a tiny town in upstate nowhere. Leaving there always felt a bit like re-entering reality from someplace surreal and far away. Still, he’d rather have to meet her at her place than let anyone over to his. He didn’t want his meetups with Yura tainting the quiet spaces he’d once shared with her.

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#noamsfics #inukag fics #inuyasha #fanfiction #a fresh start

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tbickle · 4 years

Text

I'm a white 50-something, happily married man with a white collar job at a large company. I've been a closet submissive since childhood and have long fantasized about serving a dominant woman. A number of years ago I sessioned with some pro-domes in my area who introduced me to a range of BDSM activities. However, I soon realized that I had no interest in BDSM or kink of any sort, I was just turned on by the thought of being in a submissive role and serving a dominant woman. I role-played some sessions with pro-dommes where I acted as their slave, but I didn't find it particularly fulfilling because it was just make-believe. I quit seeing pro-dommes and basically went back into the closet.

Fast forward several years, I became acquainted with a young woman that worked for the same company that I do. She was strikingly pretty, but what really drew me to her was her confident and assertive demeanor. We chatted quite often and one day I could tell she was stressed and she told me she was feeling a bit overwhelmed as she had a lot of work dumped on her desk by her boss. I offered to help her with her assignments which surprised her as she couldn’t imagine why I would do that for her. Truthfully it kind of surprised me too, as it certainly was not my job. However I really wanted her to succeed and I guess if I’m being honest I have to admit I had a crush on her. I told her to just relax and give me some of her work. She agreed and handed over a couple small items to me. I took the opportunity to do way more than she expected. I worked the rest of the day and late into the evening doing her work. When I handed her the completed documents the next morning she was really blown away and thanked me profusely. I told her it was no big deal and that I was glad to help. The truth of the matter was that I really had enjoyed doing the work because I was doing it for her. The entire time I was working on her assignment I was feeling that familiar submissive bliss.

After that I would look for opportunities to do things for her at the office whenever I could and would frequently get her to give me tasks to do. She playfully called me her “assistant” which I actually loved. One afternoon she commented that she could really use a caffeine boost. I found out what her favorite kind of coffee was and then after we talked I left the office and went to a nearby Starbucks and purchased one for her. When I brought it to her she was really delighted that I had done that for her, though I was probably even more delighted to do it.

Then one day at the office she mentioned that she had purchased a large wall mirror for her apartment which the delivery truck left on her front porch. She was able to wrestle into her house, but it was much too heavy for her to carry it upstairs where she wanted it to be. I immediately offered to come over after work and carry it upstairs for her. I went to her house that afternoon and had no problem carrying it upstairs and putting it where she wanted. I asked her if there was anything else I could help her with and she mentioned that a sensor light on the refrigerator indicated that a water filter needed to be replaced and wondered if I knew what that was about. I explained how they needed to be replaced from time to time and noted the appropriate model and told her I’d be happy to go to the hardware store and get her a replacement and install it. I came back a couple days later and installed the filter. When she tried to pay me for the cost of the filter I wouldn’t take her money and told her to considerate a “house-warming gift”.

About a week later at the office she mentioned that there was a light bulb that was out in her living room which had a vaulted ceiling so it was super high. I told her the best way to change it was to use a bulb changing pole. I told her I had one (which was a lie) and would be happy to come change her bulb. Afterwork, I went to the hardware store and bought a bulb changer and came to her house and changed out the light bulb. I had noticed that there were quite a lot of weeds sprouting around the edges of her patio and I offered to take care of that for her too. She said that I didn’t need to do that, but insisted and stepped out into her back yard and got to work. While I pulling weeds I could see her inside and could see her talking on her phone. When I came back inside she looked at me kind of strange. Then she told me she was talking to one of her girlfriends about me and her girlfriend told her that I was a submissve and that I probably got off on being her slave. Nina asked me point blank if her friend was right about me. I stammered something to the effect that yeah I guess so. Nina nervously laughed and said she thought that was weird, but she’d let me do tasks for her. I felt an absolute rush of euphoria that my dreams of serving her were being answered.

After that the dynamics of our relationship slowly began to change. Nina started giving me more tasks to do and rather than asking me she just told me to do it, usually via text. Over time I began cleaning her house, detailing her car, maintaining her yard and buying her groceries all on a regular basis. She also had me doing research for her on various things, like finding the best hotels for her upcoming vacation. She also gave me more of her work assignments at the office. I was deliriously happy. The more I did for her the more submissive I felt and the more dominant Nina seemed to become. One time while I was cleaning her house Nina was talking on the phone to her friend that had told her I was submissive. I heard Nina laugh and tell her friend that her slave was here cleaning her house. It felt both humiliating and erotic at the same time to know that the two of them were laughing at me. Nina told her friend to come over and for a drink and she could watch me work. After she hung up the phone Nina told me to go buy some wine, cheese and crackers. By the time I got back from the store Nina and her friend were sitting on the couch. When I walked in Nina introduced me to her friend told me open the wine and pour them a glass. After I poured the wine Nina said “you can go back to cleaning now”, which caused her friend to erupt in laughter. Feeling totally humiliated and turned on at the same time I got back to cleaning.

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ayatakami · 4 years

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♉️(1/2) Hello Honey!🌸✨ I was wondering if I could get a part 4 or 5 jjba matchup please? I'm a straight female, standing at 5’4, ENFP, ♉️, and I wear glasses. I have fair skin and long brown, curly hair. I radiate big musical theatre kid energy. Because of that, I’m incredibly outgoing, being able to make friends really easily, and am usually loud. I also radiate massive mom energy (I’m kind-hearted, patient, and I’m really good with children)

♉️(2/2)Though I'm usually all sunshine, rainbows, and smiles, I also enjoy things like true crime. I enjoy artsy things like drawing, singing, dancing, etc... and am a hopeless romantic who gets attached to people very easily. I’m also a self-titled critic of things ranging from video games to movies (though I love both). I tend to go on long rants on those pre-mentioned things. I dress solely for comfort. Thank you so much and I hope you have a great day!

♉️(3/2) Sorry!! I meant to type "part 4 and part 5 matchup" If you only want to do one, then that's totally ok!! I love your writing and I hope you keep up the amazing work! :)

𝕁𝕁𝔹𝔸 ℙ𝟜 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕦𝕡: ℝ𝕠𝕙𝕒𝕟

𝐻𝑜𝓌 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝓂𝑒𝓉: You and Rohan hung out in a similar friend group, so it wasn’t uncommon that the two of you would meet here and there. Although, that didn’t mean you knew him personally. More like his name and face, thanks to Koichi. Koichi invited you to tag along to Rohan’s house for a bit, and having nothing better to do, you accepted. However, you were starting to regret it as you felt emerald eyes watching your every move. “Koichi, can you grab some supplies for me from my office?” He asked casually, Koichi agreed, and left the room. You shifted every now and then, his eyes still on you. “Do you want to hang out sometime?” You looked up at him. His expression wasn’t his usual hard stare, it was softer. It broke off the defenses you didn’t know you were building up. “You mean... just us or?” He nodded. “Um, yeah sure.” You beamed at him, at least now you would get to know him a lot better. “Rohan, you didn’t have any of those supplies you asked.” Rohan groaned, “I guess I’ll go shopping for them soon.” He sent you a glance.

𝐹𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝒟𝒶𝓉𝑒: A few weeks have passed by since you last spoke to Rohan. You were currently on your way home since you stopped at the mart to buy a few snacks in case any of your friends decided to pop in for no apparent reason. You didn’t hate them for it, you were just extremely used to it by now. “Hey!” Stopping in your tracks, you turned around. Rohan was by your side, “Why haven’t you been answering my messages?” Your brain flatlined for a second. “You’ve been messaging me?’ He pulled out his phone, typing up your contact, and showing you the messages. They were throughout the weeks you haven’t heard from him. “Oh, I’m sorry, you have the wrong number down.” The two of you walked to his house without you even noticing. “Then, we should hang out now,” He stretched his hand out to you, leading you up the stairs and into his office. “I hope you don’t mind, but I used you as my muse.” He uncovered a large canvas, and you gazed in awe at the large portrait of you. “It’s beautiful.” “I know you are.” The two of you spent the rest of the day doodling away on the couch while leaning on each other.

𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒/𝒶𝒹𝓂𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊: To him, you’re the personification of happiness and joy. He loves the little hangout sessions where it’s just the two of you huddled together on the couch, doodling away. He won’t admit it to anyone else, but every drawing that you give him, he keeps with him hung in his office. He loves listening along to your rants, using them as information for his manga.

𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓇𝑒𝓁𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓅 𝓃𝑜𝓌: Since you started dating, you two would almost always be together late at night, watching true crime, painting, or just chatting back and forth. He always spoils you with the newest and latest art supplies (you always thank him and tell him you want to pay him back but he’s like just being with me is enough). Whenever you two hang out with the rest of the group, he always admires your concern for your friends as they deemed you the ‘mom’ of the group. Someway somehow, they ended up making Rohan the ‘dad’ of the group as well, but he can’t say he hates it. Even if he has a dislike towards Josuke at times! He loves doing little things for you, getting you gifts here and there, or just showing up to your door with your favorite bouquet of flowers.

𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒫𝟦 𝐹𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹: You would be best friends with Reimi!

𝕁𝕁𝔹𝔸 ℙ𝟝 𝕄𝕒��𝕔𝕙𝕦𝕡: 𝔾𝕚𝕠𝕣𝕟𝕠

𝐻𝑜𝓌 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝓂𝑒𝓉: You first ran into Giorno while you were studying abroad in Italy. He offered you a ride to which you graciously accepted, not knowing the place at all. He dropped you off in the center of town, hoping to take your luggage and sell them along, or at least your purse. However, his hands remained glued to the steering wheel as he wished you a good day. He later then went to his gang and explained the situation. “You like her!” Mista gawked at him, squealing along with Trish. “No, don’t.” He shrugged them off. Although, it dawned on him that he left you on the territory of his opposing gang. “I’ll be back.” His absence made them glance at each other and shrugged. He found you where he had left you, speaking to the locals in fluent Italian. “Excuse me,” You turned to face him. ‘My cab driver came back for me?’ “You forgot something.” Your eyes widen as you checked all your bags. “I’m so sorry, what was it?” He handed you a bundle of purple and orange roses. “Are you free this Friday?”

𝐹𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝒟𝒶𝓉𝑒: He took you to an art museum on your first date together. He held out a single orange rose for you. “Thank you,” You smiled warmly at him. The entirety of the date was spent by you pulling on his hand around the building, pointing at the paintings, and admiring them. Towards, he took you to a small cafe and let you order whatever you wanted. “So you’re a cab driver?’ He tugged at his collar, “Well in my free time I am.” He replied, not wanting to alarm you with his real occupation. He asked what you were doing in Italy, and you told him how you were studying abroad for the time being. “Would you like to do this again sometime?” You nodded, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek before going inside your temporary apartment.

𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒/𝒶𝒹𝓂𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊: He admires how outgoing and compassionate you are. He loves hearing you sing in his free time, and dancing with you. (Although he’s a bit stiff when it comes to dancing) You still think it’s cute that he tries to learn with you. He also loves hearing your opinion on things, so he purposely sets up movie dates or sends you music to listen to.

𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓇𝑒𝓁𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓅 𝓃𝑜𝓌: When your short trip to Italy was finished, the two of you kept in contact via texting/calling. You told him how you missed Italy and him, so of course, being the boss of the mafia, he bought you plane tickets and arrangements to come to Italy and live with him. Knowing how pricey that would be, you kept telling him that you’ll make it up to him. But you didn’t refuse his offer. He loves surprising you with small gifts as well as giving you roses just like the day the two of you met. “What’s your real job? I didn’t know being a cab driver paid this much?” Eventually, he came forward and told you that he was the mafia boss. Regardless of his occupation, you accepted him for who he was. In time, you also met the rest of the gang, and you got along with them famously. He loves setting up dinner dates for the two of you, or just a casual day for you two to relax.

𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒫𝟧 𝐹𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹: You would be best friends with Trish!

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lantur · 5 years

Text

I haven’t been on tumblr properly in days, and I have News to share.

1: Today is my 27th birthday!

2: I came back from Taiwan on Wednesday night, took Thursday off work to relax, and over the weekend, I had a planned dinner date with Derek as an early birthday present.

We were going to go to a steakhouse nearby, but there was a 2.5 hour wait. So he suggested a nice Italian place also nearby. An hour wait. I put my foot down and said no, I don’t want to wait for food, I want to go to Dino’s Gyros, a fast food Greek place in the neighborhood.

We went to Dino’s, overdressed for the venue, and enjoyed our delicious gyros in an empty restaraunt. We reminisced about how we met, on OKCupid, and we shared a lovely “Little Italy” flavored gelato.

We came home, and Derek said he had a surprise for me. I had to close my eyes while he got it set up. It was a video, on my TV. It was a collage set to music of photos of us together over the past almost two years, combined with a program he used online to create illustrations of us together in the future - buying a house, getting married, growing old and gray together and still having picnics in the park, hiking, and playing board games.

I still didn’t get it. I thought it was really sweet and cute.

I didn’t get it until the last slide, where it said that I was his best friend, he loved me, and he wanted to spend all the rest of our days together.

I was literally like...are you serious. Is this a prank. Is this real life. YES!!!!! But are you sure this is for real? Is this really real life? Is this happening and not just in my head?

It just felt so surreal. I’ve been dreaming of this for so long. We’ve talked about getting married, and in detail about our plans and dreams for the future together, but I still didn’t expect him to propose to me until next year.

So Derek and I are officially ENGAGED!!! We went ring shopping and picked out a beautiful ring with an infinity band, but the band needs to be made with rose gold instead of white gold (rose gold looks best on my skin tone, white gold looks trash on my skin tone) and the ring needs to be sized down to accomodate my tiny fingers.

It’s only sinking in today, now that I told people at work (Elizabeth my cool boss, who was thrilled, and the other ladies in my cubicle area, one of whom got engaged last weekend, one who got engaged a couple months ago, and one who got engaged about 6 months ago and is going to have her baby in December), and my therapist.

It’s incredible. I remember posting about my first date with Derek on here - I literally HAVE the blog post, from January 26, 2018. I posted about our first date, and second date, and third date, where I still called him Tennis Guy since he played tennis in college. I also have my written journals, which I’ve kept since November 2016, and they’ve chronicled our entire relationship - from meeting until now.

I shared the news with friends and family first via text and email, and then posted about it on facebook on Monday morning. The outpouring of congratulations from my family, and his, and basically everyone I have known since I was in high school, has been overwhelming. I was unprepared. I talked to my therapist about this today - I didn’t know that people even noticed me at all, let along being that kind to me.

There’s a pervasive feeling of “Is this real life? This can’t be real life, this is too good to be real life.” and it still hasn’t fully sunk in yet.

I truly thought I’d never find anyone to love me, who I loved. Someone who would accept that I have mental health issues, that I have hair loss, and other health complications arising from polycystic ovarian syndrome. I never thought I’d find someone who accepts me for being an introvert, and pretty independent.

I found someone who not only accepts me for all that I am, but loves me, sees the good in me that I can’t see, supports me completely in all of my goals and desires, and encourages me to do things I never thought I’d be able to do. I am so grateful and lucky.

#lanturing

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daddychims · 6 years

Text

Offside Pt2

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Series Masterlist!

Genre: Smut, Soccer AU, College AU

Pairings: Soccer Player! Jungkook X Sports Trainer! Reader

Word Count: 2k

Other BTS members all make a cameo as well because I’m an OT7 Trash!

You work as a sports trainer, providing basic first aid and injury management for the Hanguk University’s soccer team. Going with your mundane life of caring for the dozen of guys hurting themselves in the soccer game takes a turn when one of the guys catches your eyes. It’s not his breathtakingly good looks or his muscular athletic body usually seducing girls at the campus that catches your eyes. But the action plan in your kit, indicating he is diagnosed with Asthma is what draws your eyes time and time again to the Golden Boy of Hanguk University.

Warning: Slow burn, eventual smut, Taehyung being a freaking tease the whole time, Fuckboy!Jungkook, Asthmatic! Jungkook , mentions of episodes of Asthma, Take your Ventolin kids, Take your medications kids!

A.N. This is unedited so bear with me for now, I’ll probably edit it tomorrow!

“How’s everything going?”

You look up to the source of the voice, a faint smile dancing on your lips as the sight of the young doctor greets your eyes. The doctor’s beauty never fails to brighten up your shifts and tonight is no exception. Kim Seokjin, the sports medicine specialist taking care of Hanguk University’s sports clinic who also happens to be your boss.

“Not too bad!” You reply back in a jolly tone as you quickly jam pack the strips of tape in the bag carefully, hiding your blushing cheeks from the guy.

“Were the guys behaving while I was away?” The young doctor asks in his soft, polite voice as he helps you pack your tools

“Yeah, they’re alright,” you nod reassuringly, “We just had an ankle sprain over the weekend, that’s the most exciting it got.”

“Jung Hoseok?” He asks and you chuckle in response

“The captain is always a bit too passionate,” You elaborate with a smile “I just taped his ankle off and sat him down on the bench for the weekend. He was doing fine tonight so we compromised under one condition. And that is he will take it easy for a while.”

“I think its time for me to retire then,” he laughs as he pushes the last piece of tape in your bag “you’re ready to take over huh?”

“Of course not Dr Kim,” you shake your head with a frown “I won't last a day out here on my own, its the finals in a bit and we’ll see how they all start to fall apart.”

He helps you place the bag full of tapes and gels on the side of the room, before looking around and reaching for the plastic bag containing the Inhaler.

"Not that," you quickly call catching his attention "I have to put that away, It's expiring in a week."

"Oh right," He nods as he quickly looks over at the side of the puffer and checks the date "Are we getting one anytime soon?"

"I placed the order through the office, Mrs Han said it'll be here sometime next week." You explain as you organize the grab a paper towel to clean the table

"How's Jeon doing?" Dr Kim's voice echoes in the room and you pause while doing your cleaning duty, briefly thinking over your earlier observation

"He's alright!" You reply after a moment of hesitation against your real intentions

"That's good, I was wondering if I need to take him in for a review."

Your ears perk at the statement and you quickly stop, glancing up at the young doctor.

"Why?" you asked with a keen tone

"Why what?" Seokjin replies with a dumbfounded expression

"N-Nothing..." you quickly shrug it off, proceeding to dry off the traces of wet water off the chair before pausing again and looking up at the confused doctor "Actually, I dont know!"

"You dont know?" he repeats, his face showing more confusion

"About Jeon, I dont know if he's fine," you state nervously watching Seokjin's questioning eyes for the cue to continue talking "I mean I'm only in my third year and we barely learnt anything about Asthma but-" you quickly shrug off with a chuckle "Its probably foolish assumption of me anyways!"

"No go on," he says furrowing his eyebrows "I'm sure it's worth discussing at least!"

"Well, he was coughing quite roughly in the middle of the game tonight," you explain and Seokjin nods in response

"Was that all you observed?" he asks, his voice suddenly resembling some of your tutors in the classes you attend every day

"He seemed a bit short of breath, I mean he was in the middle of the game so It might be normal but he was hunching over and gasping during his cough," you elaborate your earlier memory of the guy "Which means he was usually extra help from his accessory muscles."

"What's your hypothesis?" He asks softly as he takes the information in

"I'm not sure, I mean I dont know much about his Asthma but I know he shouldn't be feeling so breathless if he's taking his meds." you reply honestly and the doctor nods with a smile

"Well I think someone has been listening to her lectures pretty well," he chuckles placing the plastic bag on the table, " I agree with you. I should probably review his medications. Good call."

"Oh," you respond quite surprised at his reaction "Thanks." you flash a smile before walking across the room to get your bag and leave

"Y/N..." you turn around upon hearing your voice "If you observe anything next time, dont hesitate to tell me," he instructs giving you a reassuring nod "Considering you see those guys more often than me on the field, It doesn't hurt to call things out."

"Sure Dr Kim!" you bow quickly before shifting your bag on your should and leaving the clinic

"These pain science lectures will be the death of me. they are so freaking boring.”

Your friend sighs dropping his forehead on the table, pressing it firmly against the book.

"Calm down Joon, we're in the library, not your living room," you hiss under your breath, grabbing the corner of his MacBook and having a quick look at his screen "hey you're almost done with it."

"Yeah after literally 5 hours," he rolls his eyes at you as he brings his head up "Are you done?"

"Yeah, I was having a look at the Asthma topic-"

"Asthma?" he interrupts, quickly leaning to have a look at your screen “Dont you guys learn that in the second year!?”

"Yeah," you shrug nodding your head "Doesn't hurt to revise you know!"

"Ugh you're so freaking annoying," he whines pursing his lips forward, "I barely get to catch up and you're already revising!"

"The finals are near, you should start too-" you start your mini-lecture for your friend when he quickly stands up

"I think we've done enough," he quickly jams his notebook, pens and papers in the bag "Pack up, we're partying tonight!"

"I can't," you sigh, pressing your bottom to the chair as you rest your back on the backrest "With the final games coming up I'll have to work double shifts soon, It's not time to party!"

"I came all the way from SNU to study in Hanguk’s library with you,” he raises an eyebrow unimpressed “Now you’re sending me off to the party on my own?”

“Well thank you but no one asked you to come here!” you shrug in response

”Woah,” he scoffs in disbelief leaning closer over the table “I get called a traitor by my team for coming here and hang out with you just to be disrespected like this!?”

“Seriously, you and your team are SO overdramatic!” You sigh

“Well, with the final games coming we have to keep our guard up,” he replies determinedly “Which is why we decided to go to Jeon’s party this week!”

”What!?” You shriek with wide eyes, receiving a few hushes and glares from those in the library “You’re attending your opponent’s party to hold your guard up!? Are you guys dumb!?”

“Hey hey,” he hisses furrowing his eyebrows “This is highly professional leadership, I figured it’ll be a good idea for the boys to get to know their opponent. As they say, keep your friends close and your enemy closer.”

”Christ, That sounds even more ridiculous when you put it that way.” You chuckle mocking his way of describing things

“Anyways, I’m going to Jeon’s party and you’re coming with me,” He says as he snaps the top of your laptop to close it down and grabs your bag “And you’re gonna be my wingwoman and introduce me to Jiwoo.”

You start laughing right away, covering your mouth so the sound of your hysterical laugh doesn’t receive any more harsh glares from the library attendants.

”Highly planned leadership my ass,” You mock looking at your friend with an amused look “You wanna get in your opponent’s pants huh!?”

“Well, technically it’d be my opponent’s sister’s pants so ..." he explains defensively

“Hoseok will kill you if he knows!” You warn, tone slightly threatening

”I know,” he rolls his eyes as he unzips your backpack and pushes your books in, “I can handle him on the field, how bad can he be!"

”Pretty bad!" you nod sternly "I’m just saying Jiwoo is my friend and I know how protective Hoseok can get,” you throw your shoulder up defensively "Dont tell me I didn't warn ya!"

You quickly type a text informing Jiwoo that you're in the place. The house is packed with Hanguk University's party animals, youth in their 20s dancing and getting smashed on the hard liquor.

You're not quite used to these places, considering yourself more of a nerd as your friend Namjoon would love to call you. You hate crowded places like this and prefer enjoying your weekend drinks at a more classy bar rather than a house party like this.

But you can't object your friend's request considering how far he's been travelling from his own campus to yours every single week to give you a hand in your studies.

Namjoon is in his final year, studying the same major as you. But instead, he's pursuing it at the Seoul's National University. You still remember how jealous you were when you studied your ass off and still got rejected by SNU while he managed to get in with full scholarship via what you'd consider as "minimum effort".

His high IQ, however, is not the only matter of envy in everyone's eyes. But the fact that he manages to be the captain of the SNU's soccer team labels him as the official cream of the crop.

But nevertheless, he's still you dumbass Joonie who used to play with you in the backyard of your house, putting rocks in the middle of your bicycle path so he can laugh at you stumbling and hurt your butt.

So you have no other choice but to put yourself in a place you'd never voluntarily be just so you can help him out with his love life.

"Jiwoo!" You call getting a sight of your friend who's swaying to the beat with a red cup of booze in his hand.

She turns around and smiles waving at you with her signature bright smile and you walk through the crowd to get to her.

"Look Who's here," she declares with an amused grin on her lips "Did the sun rise from the west today?!" he chuckles teasingly

"I figured I'd be able to finally get a sight of my old friend here!" you hiss looking for a plastic red cup to get some booze yourself

"Hey hey," she crosses her arms across her chest "You're not blaming it on me, I told you I can always be found here."

"Yeah sure," you roll your eyes at her statement "I'll keep in mind your primary method of the meetup is House parties."

"It's fun." she pouts, hooking her hand around yours and placing her chin on your shoulder "Did you hear the SNU boys are coming tonight?" she hesitates before muttering "I wonder how that'll go!"

"I was with Namjoon earlier, he told me he's coming over with the boys," you nod and glance back at her worried expression "why?"

"This a secret, dont tell anyone," she warns as she leans closer to your ear "Jungkook has some kind of history with one of them. He didn't really want them here."

"Jeon?" you repeat and your friend nods to confirm "How come?"

"Not sure!" she purses her lips in uncertainty "I overheard Hoseok talking to him earlier, he didn't look too pleased and kept talking about this guy called Jimin. but Hoseok convinced him its good for the upcoming friendly game they have next week."

"Friendly game?" You ask with furrowed eyebrows, "How come I never heard of that? They should have added it to my schedule!"

"They still haven't confirmed it, they're planning to discuss it tonight."

You nod digesting the new information your friend just gave you. You recent memories with Jungkook flashes through your mind and considering he's such as jerk all the time it's not so unexpected for him to have beef with other people in your mind.

"I'm going to the bathroom." you make an excuse, drifting away from the girl in an attempt to find Namjoon and hopefully do your mission of the night.

Walking through the crowded hallway you find your way to the bathroom with the help of Jiwoo's rough guide. You stop by a wooden door that appears to be very similar to Jiwoo's description of the bathroom when you hear an unusual sound of breathing. It sounds like rough gasps for breath along with occasional coughs in between which all sound to familiar to your ear.

You furrow your eyebrows slowly walking towards the open door at the end of the hallway, peeking through the crack of the half open door. You watch the hunched view of the guy who has his head between his hands, gasping for air while sitting on the edge of his king sized bed.

"Jeon, You alright?" Before you even realize your instincts push you inside his room, ignoring other things such as personal space and privacy that might have been a good idea for you to consider before heading inside the guy's room.

His doe eyes travels up to you, pupils slightly dilated which in your mind reminds you of every lecture you sat through about Fight or Flight response kicking in.

"Hey you alright?" you quickly step closer to him and he winces, body retracting

"G-Get out!" he yells through his gasps, stumbling on his breath to make it to the end of his short words

"Are you sure you're fine?" you ask squinting your eyes at him as you take another step closer

"I said get the fuck out! NOW!" he shouts back in response, firmer this time and thats enough for you to turn around and run.

Before you know, you're running down the hallway in rushed footsteps. You dont even know why you're running away but before you even try and rationalise you're actions, you bump to someone who's walking in the opposite direction towards you and you both stumble on the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" you quickly mutter against the guy's chest who you basically used as a shield against the floor you just fell on

"No, you're alright," he mutters in his quite high pitched sound

You raise your head up to get the sight of your savior just before you attempt to roll off his body. He has a faint smile on his plump lips and his eyes almost disappear as his grins widens upon seeing your face.

"Hey," he greets raising up on his elbows, while still having your body draped over his comfortably. You shiver as he leans closer and his warm, alcohol scented breath hits the side of you neck "You dont look as heavy as you feel," he whispers and your whole body heats up in embarrassment "But you know I always had a thing for girls who have a bit of meat on them."

A.N. Please reblog, comment or send in anons and let me know what you think! Love ya’ll!

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