#had the strangest freaking dream last night about this....

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

POV: You marry a clone trooper

[uhhhhhh-might-stick-around]

Asks cause I'm bored and horny!

1:When did you lose your virginity?

2: Rough sex or soft sex?

3: Do you have any unusual kinks/fetishes?

4: Weirdest place you’ve had sex?

5: Favourite sex position?

6: Do you like to be dominant or submissive?

7: Have you ever had any one night stands?

8: Sex on the bed, couch or the floor?

9: Have you ever had sex in a public place?

10: Have you ever been caught masturbating?

11: What does your favourite sexy underwear look like?

12: How often do you have sex?

13: Is there anybody right now you’d like to have sex with?

14: Do you prefer giving or receiving oral sex?

15: Most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you during sex?

16: A song you’d listen to during hard/rough/kinky sex?

17: A song you’d listen to during soft/slow/passionate sex?

18: Are you into dressing up for sex?

19: Would you prefer sex in the bath or sex in the shower?

20: If you could have sex with anyone right now, who would it be?

21: Have you ever had a threesome? If not, would you?

22: Do you/would you use sex toys?

23: Have you ever sent someone a dirty text/picture?

24: Would you have sex with your best friend?

25: Is there anything you do after sex? (for example, smoke, eat, drink)

26: Something that will never fail to get you horny?

27: Early morning sex or late night sex?

28: Favourite body part on the opposite sex?

29: Favourite body part on the same sex?

30: Something that you have hidden in your room that you don’t want anyone to find:

31: Weirdest sexual act some has performed [or tried to perform] on/with you:

32: Have you ever tasted yourself? [If no, would you?] [If yes, what did you think?]

33: Is it ever okay to not use a condom:

34: A food that you would like to use during a sexual experience:

35: Worst possible time to get horny:

36: Do you like it when your sexual partner moans?

37: How much fapping is too much fapping:

38: Best sexual complement you ever got:

39: Favorite foreplay activities:

40: What do you wear to bed?

41: When was the first time you masturbated:

42: Do you have any nude/masturbating pictures/video of yourself?

43: Have you ever/when was the last time you had sex outside?

44: Have/would you ever have sex in public?

45: Have/would you ever had a threesome?

46: What is one random object you’ve used to masturbate?

47: Do you watch gay/lesbian porn? why/why not?

48: Do you like oral sex? (why/why not)

49: How do you feel about tattoos on someone you are interested in?

50: How would you feel about taking someones virginity?

51: Is there any food you would NOT recommend using during a sexual encounter?

52: Would you rather be a pornstar or a prostitute?

53: Do you watch porn?

54: Have you ever been called a freak? Why?

55: Do you feel comfortable going “commando”?

56: Would you have a problem with going down on someone if they hadn’t shaved their pubic hair?

57: If you could give yourself head, would you?

58: Booty or Boobs?

59: Have you ever cheated on someone? (Why?)

60: If you were the other sex for a day, what are five things you would do?

61: have you ever watched someone masturbate?

62: has anyone ever watched you masturbate?

63. Have you ever had an erection and someone noticed?

64. What is your method of masturbation? (ie. toys, clitorial, prostate)

65. What is your bra/penis size?

66. What is the strangest thing you have ever put up your vagina/anus?

67. When was the last time you masturbated?

68. When was the last time you had sex?

69. When was the last time you watched porn?

70. Have you ever bought a sex toy? If so, which one did you buy last? First sex toy? If not, which one do you plan on buying when you do?

71. Guys:Circumsized?

72. Which not-genital part of your body do you like being touched?

73. Which genital part of your body do you like being touched?

74. Girls:Are you able to achieve orgasm just through breast stimulation?

75. Have you anonymously sent a sexual ask to someone on tumblr?

76. When was the last time you have had a wet dream?

77. Which wet dream was your favorite?

78. Is there a friend you would willingly have sex with?

79. Is there a celebrity/character you would willingly have sex with?

80. Favorite sexual position?

81. Do you like being called a slut or whore in bed?

82. Are you into any BDSM?

83. Have you ever wanted to have sex with someone but knew you couldnt for any reason? Why?

84. Do you like dirty talk?

85. Are you loud or quiet during sex? Masturbation?

86. Have you ever been inturrepted during sex or masturbation? Who/what?

87. What kind of porn do you like to watch?

88. Have you ever confessed to someone that you got an erection over them? What about masturbated to them?

89. Have you ever masturbated because your sexual partner wasn’t there when you needed them?

90. Have you ever had a one night stand? Do you still keep in contact with them?

91. Have you ever had a friends with benefits? Are they still beneficial?

92. Ask whatever you want

[criminalskies]

Hey Rome! 👋🏽

What do you think about a Multiverse of Hotch’s? Like I have a pipe dream where maybe Aaron and reader aren’t together yet but maybe Haley from another universe shows Aaron what happens in other universes where they’re together and when they’re not? And it prompts Hotch to action to ask out and confess his feelings to his universe’s reader?

oh my god you're really appealing to the portion of my brain that was completely consumed by miles morales across the multiverse.

I can just see this, maybe Hotch is having a really fitful sleep one night and he takes something to help him sleep a little better, some melatonin or something, but then he finds himself in the strangest dream.

Suddenly he's staring at Haley, from four years ago, the last time they were happy together, and she's giving him a knowing look, AHH LIKE THE BARBIE SCENE, he walks over to her wanting to talk and the lighting is shifting colours around them in a big empty space, and she says "take my hand" and asks him why he's choosing not to be happy? he's so confused, he just doesn't understand what she's asking him.

She asks him what he thinks a soulmate is. He finds his answer easier than he had expected to, somebody who makes you feel whole. Somebody you can't imagine yourself without. Your hearts and your souls find themselves inextricably intertwined one day and then your whole view of the world shifts. They're the person who makes your world turn. He's thinking of Haley but she makes him close his eyes, and think about his life right now.

Who's the one person you want to run to when you're afraid, Aaron?

He knows his answer, Y/N. But he holds it back. It was supposed to be Haley, he thinks.

Who's the one person who can see right through your frowns and your guarded exterior, who can see the real Aaron no matter what?

Y/N, he thinks again. He feels bad this time, thinking about how even at their best, Haley could only see him the way he was when they had met, as they both grew up, she stopped being able to see him for who he was now. It freaks him out sometimes, actually, how the very moment in a social situation he realises nobody's asked him for his input in a while, your head will spin, take one brief look at him and ask him the exact question that flew through his mind mere moments before. You sweep him off of his feet with it, sometimes, he wonders at what point a person goes from profiler to psychic.

Aaron. Why aren't you letting yourself be happy with them, then?

Aaron can't help but think now that Haley was meant to be his soulmate, that was his chance at true love and he failed her. He's not sure he deserves another chance, and wouldn't it be wrong of him to love you without all of him in it? The pieces of him that died with Haley are holding him back. He doesn't want to offer you only the parts of him that remain.

"Close your eyes, Aaron." He obeys. His vision swims with a face much like Y/N's, only they're wearing a military uniform, muddied frags and dirt under their fingernails, but their smile is the same, bright, sunny sight he recognises from his sweetest dreams and from his warmest days at work, when he gets to spend time with you. You're growing smaller in his vision as the picture gets further away, he can now see you smiling at another uniformed officer, only this one... looks like him?

'He begins to wonder why Haley has brought him here when the image warps again, this time he can see you down at the beach, wearing a wetsuit with a surfboard under your arm, your hair is lighter here, and the uninterrupted sunshine makes your eyes sparkle even more. You throw your board down on the sand, turning to Aaron and motioning him to come closer. confused, he takes a step, but another surfer runs right by him, full speed towards the ocean, board under his arm. He turns as he runs past Y/N, smiling and calling out 'I'm gonna beat you!' It's him. Again. Your bubbly laugh erupts in his ears as you stagger to your feet, running after surfer aaron towards the crashing waves.

The next moment, Aaron finds himself standing in a quiet Parisian cafe, you're donning an apron and a frown as you sweep, picking up chairs as you go. Aaron wonders why you seem so sullen in this scene when he notices a man seated in the corner, even under a hat and thick framed glasses, aaron can see himself. He looks longingly at the server as he taps his fingers against the table, shaking his head and turning his attention back to his laptop, trying to go back to work. Aaron thinks he might be starting to see what's going on here as his vision changes again.

Now he sees himself, from just last week, when he came to visit Haley's grave, having felt guilty for not visiting in so long, he brought fresh cut flowers to replace the dried old ones left in the holder. Aaron can't help but notice the bags under his eyes, the slump of his shoulders. Every other Aaron he's seen today looked so full of hope or joy, but this one seems so plagued by guilt, weighed down by the shadows of his past.

Aaron's vision swims once more as he finds himself back where this dream began, his large hands are in haley's smaller ones as tears gather in his eyes, he looks around the previously empty space, seeing dozens of happy couples, some swinging a small boy between their interlaced hands as they walk, others are just basking in each other's embrace, quietly enjoying the others' company. Every couple looks like a slightly altered version of himself and Y/N. In some, aaron is younger, some older. One of the couples looks to be 95, a blanket draped over their legs as they both share the warmth of one armchair, a photo album in their laps. Even they look so happy.

"Aaron." Haley brings his attention back to her. he blinks away tears, looking at her.

"Soulmates will find one another in every universe, every time. Whether you take the leap to be with them, is up to you. But I wish you'd let yourself be happy, honey. I know there's obstacles, there always are, but obstacles are frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. So keep your eyes on Y/N. Don't lose sight of what makes you happy."

A loud buzzing wakes Aaron up, he sees the tiniest sliver of sunlight rising over the horizon and entering his bedroom as he turns off his alarm. His chest is heaving and his eyes are still pooling with tears as he realises he's been holding himself back from you all this time. He's spent all of his time considering the past and none of it contemplating the fact that he can have a future.

That changes today. Today he's going to make the leap.

anon! I actually want to kiss you on the lips for giving me this idea! and i'm so willing to make it into a full fic if you wish me to but I just had to throw down my thoughts on this now bc my mind is spilling over with thoughts about this. I love those 'in every universe' posts i'm such a sap for destiny.

[gingerbeardmansim]

The Ultimate Relationship Tag – Ace & Beck

Thanks @rebouks for the reblog to us!! I thought this would be a perfect way to understand this couple.

Disagreements:

Who is more likely to raise their voice? Beck

Who threatens to leave but never actually does? Beck

Who keeps their word and leaves? Ace, but he always comes back.

Who trashes the house? They are both neat freaks. Both are a little OCD, Beck more than Ace.

Do either of them get physical? no

How often do they argue/disagree? At least once a week, mostly small stuff

Who is the first to apologize? Beck

Sex:

Who is on top? Beck

Who is on the bottom? Ace

Who has the strangest desires? Ace

Any kinks? Beck likes domination at times.

Who’s dominant in bed? Beck

Is head ever in the equation? Definitely

If so, who is better at performing it? Ace

Ever had sex in public? Yes

Who moans the most? Ace

Who leaves the most marks? Beck

Who screams the loudest? Ace

Who is the more experienced of the two? Flip a coin

Do they ‘fuck’ or ‘make love’? Both, depends on the mood.

Rough or soft? Again, depends on the mood.

How long do they usually last? Ace lasts longer most of the time, but Beck cane come multiple times, so 15 minutes to 2 hours.

Is protection used? no

Does it ever get boring? rare

Where is the strangest place they’d have sex? Under the bridge in San Myshuno

Affection:

Who likes to cuddle? Ace

Who is the little spoon? Ace

Who gets naughty in the most inappropriate of places? Ace

Who struggles to keep their hands to themself?  Ace

How long can they cuddle until one becomes uncomfortable? About twenty minutes, then Beck has to stop.

Who gives the most kisses? Ace

What is their favorite non-sexual activity? Massages

Where is their favorite place to cuddle? On the sofa watching TV

Who is more likely to playfully grope the other? Ace

How often do they get time to themselves? They always seem to make time!

Sleeping:

Who snores? Beck, Ace rarely, only when he has a cold.

If both do, who snores the loudest? Ace when he has a cold.

Do they share a bed or sleep separately? Share a bed.

If they sleep together, do they cozy up together or lay far apart? When they first lay down, they cuddle, but Beck is the first to turn over

Who talks in their sleep? Ace

What do they wear to bed? Beck- briefs / Ace - Nada

Are either of your muses insomniacs? Occasionally Ace has bouts of insomnia.

Can sleeping pills be found by the bedside? no

Do they wrap their limbs around each other or just lay side by side? limbs

Who wakes up with bed hair? Beck, Ace has kept his buzzed short

Who wakes up first? Beck

Who prepares breakfast in bed for the other? Beck

What is their favorite sleeping position? Beck, on his left side / Ace on his stomach

Who hogs the sheets? Ace

Do they set an alarm each night? Yes

Can a television be found in their bedroom? Yes

Who has nightmares? Ace

Who has ridiculous dreams? Ace

Who sprawls out and takes up most of the bed? Ace

Who makes the bed? Generally, whoever gets up last, which is Ace

What time is bedtime? Midnight, most nights

Any routines/rituals before bed? Ace must shower before bed and as soon as he gets up.

Who’s the grumpiest when they wake up? Ace

Work:

Who is the busiest? Beck

Who rakes in the highest income? Beck

Are any of your muses unemployed? No

Who takes the most sick days? Not an issue, both love their jobs.

Who is more likely to turn up late to work? Both work from home

Who sucks up to their boss? Beck, as Ace is self-employed/Freelance

What are their jobs? Beck is CFO / Ace Freelance photographer, and they both flip houses.

Who stresses the most? Beck

Do your muses enjoy or despise their careers/occupations? Both love their jobs, but Beck sometimes becomes aggravated the most.

Are your muses financially stable? Yes

Home:

Who does the washing? Ace

Who takes out the trash? Beck

Who does the ironing? They send out to the dry cleaners for that.

Who does the cooking? Share that responsibility, but mostly Beck.

Who is more likely to burn the house down just trying? Not an issue

Who is messier?  Neither they both have ODC, but Beck says it is Ace

Who leaves the toilet roll empty? Again, OCD

Who leaves their dirty clothes on the floor? Neither

Who forgets to flush the toilet? Neither

Who is the prankster around the house? Ace

Who loses the car keys when it comes time to go somewhere? Beck

Who mows the lawn? Hired out

Who answers the telephone? No home phone, only cell phones

Who does the vacuuming? They have a housekeeper that comes three twice a week.

Who does the groceries? They do it together or have the housekeeper do it if they are busy.

Who takes the longest shower? Ace

Who spends the most time in the bathroom? Ace

Miscellaneous:

Is money a problem? No

How many cars do they own? Each has their car, and they have a jeep

Do they own their home or do they rent? Own

Do they live near the coast or deep in the countryside? The Pinnacles in DSV

Do they live in the city or in the country? City

Do they enjoy their surroundings? Love it!!

What’s their song? Million Reasons – Lady Gaga

What do they do when they’re away from each other? Work

Where did they first meet? At a bar

How did they first meet? Ace was bartending at the club FLUX and he hit on Beck.

Who spends the most money when out shopping? Ace

Who’s more likely to flash their assets? Beck

Who finds it amusing when the other trips over? Ace

Any mental issues? Hmmm, OCD both

Who’s terrified of bugs? Ace

Who kills the spiders around the house? Beck

Their favorite place? Home

Who pays the bills? Beck or their accountant

Do they have any fears for their future? Ace, being alone / Beck, losing all their Money

Who’s more likely to surprise the other with a fancy dinner? Beck

Who uses up all of the hot water? Ace

Who’s the tallest? Beck

Who’s more likely to just randomly hop into the shower with the other? Beck

Who wanders around in their underwear? Ace

Who sings the loudest when singing along to the radio? Ace

What do they tease each other about? Who is more like their mother or father

Who is more likely to cringe at the other’s fashion sense at times? Beck, well the lack of clothing, period

Do they have mutual friends? Yes

Who crushed first? Ace

Any alcohol or substance related problems? None

Who is more likely to stumble home, drunk, at 3am? Neither

Who swears the most? Ace

[lustman07]

Do you have an answer to these ?

1:When did you lose your virginity?

2: Rough sex or soft sex?

3: Do you have any unusual kinks/fetishes?

4: Weirdest place you’ve had sex?

5: Favourite sex position?

6: Do you like to be dominant or submissive?

7: Have you ever had any one night stands?

8: Sex on the bed, couch or the floor?

9: Have you ever had sex in a public place?

10: Have you ever been caught masturbating?

11: What does your favourite sexy underwear look like?

12: How often do you have sex?

13: Is there anybody right now you’d like to have sex with?

14: Do you prefer giving or receiving oral sex?

15: Most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you during sex?

16: A song you’d listen to during hard/rough/kinky sex?

17: A song you’d listen to during soft/slow/passionate sex?

18: Are you into dressing up for sex?

19: Would you prefer sex in the bath or sex in the shower?

20: If you could have sex with anyone right now, who would it be?

21: Have you ever had a threesome? If not, would you?

22: Do you/would you use sex toys?

23: Have you ever sent someone a dirty text/picture?

24: Would you have sex with your best friend?

25: Is there anything you do after sex? (for example, smoke, eat, drink)

26: Something that will never fail to get you horny?

27: Early morning sex or late night sex?

28: Favourite body part on the opposite sex?

29: Favourite body part on the same sex?

30: Something that you have hidden in your room that you don’t want anyone to find:

31: Weirdest sexual act some has performed [or tried to perform] on/with you:

32: Have you ever tasted yourself? [If no, would you?] [If yes, what did you think?]

33: Is it ever okay to not use a condom:

34: A food that you would like to use during a sexual experience:

35: Worst possible time to get horny:

36: Do you like it when your sexual partner moans?

37: How much fapping is too much fapping:

38: Best sexual complement you ever got:

39: Favorite foreplay activities:

40: What do you wear to bed?

41: When was the first time you masturbated:

42: Do you have any nude/masturbating pictures/video of yourself?

43: Have you ever/when was the last time you had sex outside?

44: Have/would you ever have sex in public?

45: Have/would you ever had a threesome?

46: What is one random object you’ve used to masturbate?

47: Do you watch gay/lesbian porn? why/why not?

48: Do you like oral sex? (why/why not)

49: How do you feel about tattoos on someone you are interested in?

50: How would you feel about taking someones virginity?

51: Is there any food you would NOT recommend using during a sexual encounter?

52: Would you rather be a pornstar or a prostitute?

53: Do you watch porn?

54: Have you ever been called a freak? Why?

55: Do you feel comfortable going “commando”?

56: Would you have a problem with going down on someone if they hadn’t shaved their pubic hair?

57: If you could give yourself head, would you?

58: Booty or Boobs?

59: Have you ever cheated on someone? (Why?)

60: If you were the other sex for a day, what are five things you would do?

61: have you ever watched someone masturbate?

62: has anyone ever watched you masturbate?

63. Have you ever had an erection and someone noticed?

64. What is your method of masturbation? (ie. toys, clitorial, prostate)

65. What is your bra/penis size?

66. What is the strangest thing you have ever put up your vagina/anus?

67. When was the last time you masturbated?

68. When was the last time you had sex?

69. When was the last time you watched porn?

70. Have you ever bought a sex toy? If so, which one did you buy last? First sex toy? If not, which one do you plan on buying when you do?

71. Guys:Circumsized?

72. Which not-genital part of your body do you like being touched?

73. Which genital part of your body do you like being touched?

74. Girls:Are you able to achieve orgasm just through breast stimulation?

75. Have you anonymously sent a sexual ask to someone on tumblr?

76. When was the last time you have had a wet dream?

77. Which wet dream was your favorite?

78. Is there a friend you would willingly have sex with?

79. Is there a celebrity/character you would willingly have sex with?

80. Favorite sexual position?

81. Do you like being called a slut or whore in bed?

82. Are you into any BDSM?

83. Have you ever wanted to have sex with someone but knew you couldnt for any reason? Why?

84. Do you like dirty talk?

85. Are you loud or quiet during sex? Masturbation?

86. Have you ever been inturrepted during sex or masturbation? Who/what?

87. What kind of porn do you like to watch?

88. Have you ever confessed to someone that you got an erection over them? What about masturbated to them?

89. Have you ever masturbated because your sexual partner wasn’t there when you needed them?

90. Have you ever had a one night stand? Do you still keep in contact with them?

91. Have you ever had a friends with benefits? Are they still beneficial?

92. Ask whatever you want.

[helenafatale]

NSFW ASKS

SEND ME A NUMBER

1: When did you lose your virginity?

2: Rough sex or soft sex?

3: Do you have any unusual kinks/fetishes?

4: Weirdest place you’ve had sex?

5: Favourite sex position?

6: Do you like to be dominant or submissive?

7: Have you ever had any one night stands?

8: Sex on the bed, couch or the floor?

9: Have you ever had sex in a public place?

10: Have you ever been caught masturbating?

11: What does your favourite sexy underwear look like?

12: How often do you have sex?

13: Is there anybody right now you’d like to have sex with?

14: Do you prefer giving or receiving oral sex?

15: Most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you during sex?

16: A song you’d listen to during hard/rough/kinky sex?

17: A song you’d listen to during soft/slow/passionate sex?

18: Are you into dressing up for sex?

19: Would you prefer sex in the bath or sex in the shower?

20: If you could have sex with anyone right now, who would it be?

21: Have you ever had a threesome? If not, would you?

22: Do you/would you use sex toys?

23: Have you ever sent someone a dirty text/picture?

24: Would you have sex with your best friend?

25: Is there anything you do after sex? (for example, smoke, eat, drink)

26: Something that will never fail to get you horny?

27: Early morning sex or late night sex?

28: Favourite body part on the opposite sex?

29: Favourite body part on the same sex?

30: Something that you have hidden in your room that you don’t want anyone to find:

31: Weirdest sexual act some has performed [or tried to perform] on/with you:

32: Have you ever tasted yourself? [If no, would you?] [If yes, what did you think?]

33: Is it ever okay to not use a condom:

34: A food that you would like to use during a sexual experience:

35: Worst possible time to get horny:

36: Do you like it when your sexual partner moans?

37: How much fapping is too much fapping:

38: Best sexual complement you ever got:

39: Favorite foreplay activities:

40: What do you wear to bed?

41: When was the first time you masturbated:

42: Do you have any nude/masturbating pictures/video of yourself?

43: Have you ever/when was the last time you had sex outside?

44: Have/would you ever have sex in public?

45: Have/would you ever had a threesome?

46: What is one random object you’ve used to masturbate?

47: Do you watch gay/lesbian porn? why/why not?

48: Do you like oral sex? (why/why not)

49: How do you feel about tattoos on someone you are interested in?

50: How would you feel about taking someones virginity?

51: Is there any food you would NOT recommend using during a sexual encounter?

52: Would you rather be a pornstar or a prostitute?

53: Do you watch porn?

54: Have you ever been called a freak? Why?

55: Do you feel comfortable going “commando”?

56: Would you have a problem with going down on someone if they hadn’t shaved their pubic hair?

57: If you could give yourself head, would you?

58: Booty or Boobs?

59: Have you ever cheated on someone? (Why?)

60: If you were the other sex for a day, what are five things you would do?

61: have you ever watched someone masturbate?

62: has anyone ever watched you masturbate?

63. Have you ever had an erection and someone noticed?

64. What is your method of masturbation? (ie. toys, clitorial, prostate)

65. What is your bra/penis size?

66. What is the strangest thing you have ever put up your vagina/anus?

67. When was the last time you masturbated?

68. When was the last time you had sex?

69. When was the last time you watched porn?

70. Have you ever bought a sex toy? If so, which one did you buy last? First sex toy? If not, which one do you plan on buying when you do?

71. Guys:Circumsized?

72. Which not-genital part of your body do you like being touched?

73. Which genital part of your body do you like being touched?

74. Girls:Are you able to achieve orgasm just through breast stimulation?

75. Have you anonymously sent a sexual ask to someone on tumblr?

76. When was the last time you have had a wet dream?

77. Which wet dream was your favorite?

78. Is there a friend you would willingly have sex with?

79. Is there a celebrity/character you would willingly have sex with?

80. Favorite sexual position?

81. Do you like being called a slut or whore in bed?

82. Are you into any BDSM?

83. Have you ever wanted to have sex with someone but knew you couldnt for any reason? Why?

84. Do you like dirty talk?

85. Are you loud or quiet during sex? Masturbation?

86. Have you ever been inturrepted during sex or masturbation? Who/what?

87. What kind of porn do you like to watch?

88. Have you ever confessed to someone that you got an erection over them? What about masturbated to them?

89. Have you ever masturbated because your sexual partner wasn’t there when you needed them?

90. Have you ever had a one night stand? Do you still keep in contact with them?

91. Have you ever had a friends with benefits? Are they still beneficial?

92. Ask whatever you want

[m0n0-t0n3]

Okay I had the strangest dream last night and I'm freaking out about it. I was in a relationship with my ex best friend (the one who just stopped talking to me) and like yeah I had a small crush on her but it's been years. It like opened up some repressed feelings and now I like idk how to feel about it. Should I text her? Help please

[disdaidal]

I just had the strangest dream last night.

I was going to travel/had already traveled to Germany for some reason. At first, I was all alone and I entered this huge, tall apartment building with a narrow, scary-looking elevator (you know those see-through elevators with cages). I could barely fit into that thing and when it started moving through different levels, I quickly began to feel like a caged animal that could see itself falling to its death at any given time.

First I made it into some kind of a cafeteria/restaurant kind of room and I had something to eat there. Nothing really memorable even happened there but the next thing I knew, I was already in my hotel room. I had no idea how I'd even gotten there or what my room number was. But I made a call from there - I called my uncle I guess - to inform him that I had already arrived.

I recall I soon left outside again to maybe look around or pick up some groceries and I finally hit the streets. It was dark out there everywhere - but not too dark so I couldn't see anything - and for some reason, there were suddenly wild animals crawling everywhere on the streets. At first, there were alligators (wtf), and the further I walked, I started seeing more snakes (vipera berus mostly) that were hissing at me and I had to watch out for them so I wouldn't actually step on them. And then there were little rodents and rabbits trying to escape those snakes.

The further I went everything started to make even less sense to me and I was getting further away from the hotel and already getting a little lost, soon forgetting where I even came from. So I fumbled for my phone and checked Google Maps and I was informed that I was actually somewhere in California. How the hell had I even managed to get there when I was supposed to be in Germany!? I don't know but I was so freaked out.

So in my dream, I knew that I have some relatives living in California (I actually have!), so I tried going through my contacts to see if I have any of their numbers (ofc I don't and why would I huh). So then I ended up calling my uncle again and I was getting desperate because I was lost and I couldn't remember the name of the hotel either so I could look it up. My uncle had finally answered his phone but then he told me that he couldn't remember the name of the hotel and that he was tired and wanted to go to sleep. And I burst into tears in that dream and screamed at him that 'I'm lost somewhere in 'freaking California and my phone's about to die, please help me!' (my phone's battery was at 8% and fading).

After that, I either woke up or then I forgot what happened next. So I don't know what happened after that. But phew, it was so strange. Kinda creepy too.

[femdomliterature]

FemLit 0417 - NSFW Asks

NSFW ASKS. 1:When did you lose your virginity? 2: Rough sex or soft sex? 3: Do you have any unusual kinks/fetishes? 4: Weirdest place you’ve had sex? 5: Favourite sex position?

6: Do you like to be dominant or submissive? 7: Have you ever had any one night stands? 8: Sex on the bed, couch or the floor? 9: Have you ever had sex in a public place? 10: Have you ever been caught masturbating? 11: What does your favourite sexy underwear look like? 12: How often do you have sex? 13: Is there anybody right now you’d like to have sex with? 14: Do you prefer giving or receiving oral sex? 15: Most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you during sex? 16: A song you’d listen to during hard/rough/kinky sex? 17: A song you’d listen to during soft/slow/passionate sex? 18: Are you into dressing up for sex? 19: Would you prefer sex in the bath or sex in the shower? 20: If you could have sex with anyone right now, who would it be? 21: Have you ever had a threesome? If not, would you? 22: Do you/would you use sex toys? 23: Have you ever sent someone a dirty text/picture? 24: Would you have sex with your best friend? 25: Is there anything you do after sex? (for example, smoke, eat, drink) 26: Something that will never fail to get you horny? 27: Early morning sex or late night sex? 28: Favourite body part on the opposite sex? 29: Favourite body part on the same sex? 30: Something that you have hidden in your room that you don’t want anyone to find: 31: Weirdest sexual act some has performed [or tried to perform] on/with you: 32: Have you ever tasted yourself? [If no, would you?] [If yes, what did you think?] 33: Is it ever okay to not use a condom: 34: A food that you would like to use during a sexual experience: 35: Worst possible time to get horny: 36: Do you like it when your sexual partner moans? 37: How much fapping is too much fapping: 38: Best sexual complement you ever got: 39: Favorite foreplay activities: 40: What do you wear to bed? 41: When was the first time you masturbated: 42: Do you have any nude/masturbating pictures/video of yourself? 43: Have you ever/when was the last time you had sex outside? 44: Have/would you ever have sex in public? 45: Have/would you ever had a threesome? 46: What is one random object you’ve used to masturbate? 47: Do you watch gay/lesbian porn? why/why not? 48: Do you like oral sex? (why/why not) 49: How do you feel about tattoos on someone you are interested in? 50: How would you feel about taking someones virginity? 51: Is there any food you would NOT recommend using during a sexual encounter? 52: Would you rather be a pornstar or a prostitute? 53: Do you watch porn? 54: Have you ever been called a freak? Why? 55: Do you feel comfortable going “commando”? 56: Would you have a problem with going down on someone if they hadn’t shaved their pubic hair? 57: If you could give yourself head, would you? 58: Booty or Boobs? 59: Have you ever cheated on someone? (Why?) 60: If you were the other sex for a day, what are five things you would do? 61: have you ever watched someone masturbate? 62: has anyone ever watched you masturbate?

Have you ever had an erection and someone noticed?

What is your method of masturbation? (ie. toys, clitorial, prostate)

What is your bra/penis size?

What is the strangest thing you have ever put up your vagina/anus?

When was the last time you masturbated?

When was the last time you had sex?

When was the last time you watched porn?

Have you ever bought a sex toy? If so, which one did you buy last? First sex toy? If not, which one do you plan on buying when you do?

Guys:Circumsized?

Which not-genital part of your body do you like being touched?

Which genital part of your body do you like being touched?

Girls:Are you able to achieve orgasm just through breast stimulation?

Have you anonymously sent a sexual ask to someone on tumblr?

When was the last time you have had a wet dream?

Which wet dream was your favorite?

Is there a friend you would willingly have sex with?

Is there a celebrity/character you would willingly have sex with?

Favorite sexual position?

Do you like being called a slut or whore in bed?

Are you into any BDSM?

Have you ever wanted to have sex with someone but knew you couldnt for any reason? Why?

Do you like dirty talk?

Are you loud or quiet during sex? Masturbation?

Have you ever been inturrepted during sex or masturbation? Who/what?

What kind of porn do you like to watch?

Have you ever confessed to someone that you got an erection over them? What about masturbated to them?

Have you ever masturbated because your sexual partner wasn’t there when you needed them?

Have you ever had a one night stand? Do you still keep in contact with them?

Have you ever had a friends with benefits? Are they still beneficial?

Ask whatever you want

[lowtaxsa]

A Night on the Town

Let me tell you, folks, last night was one for the books, or maybe for the trash, who knows? So there I was, at my favorite dive bar, the one that smells like a hobo's armpit and serves beer as flat as the Earth – according to those flat-earther nutjobs. And then, bam! The bartender, the almighty gatekeeper of booze, cuts me off! Me, of all people! Like I'm some kind of degenerate, when really, I'm a staple of this fine city, a cornerstone of cultural decay.

Now, I don't take that sorta thing sitting down, no sir. I let him have it, served him a heaping plate of Lowtax's wrath, which tastes a bit like stale nachos and desperation, if you're wondering. But then, whaddaya know, he tosses me out on my ass like I'm yesterday's garbage! The gall of that man!

So, screw that guy and his high horse, or high barstool, or whatever. I stumble, wobble, and saunter my way to the next dump, and it's full of fancy drinks with ingredients you can't even pronounce. I mean, who needs a Smoked Hibiscus Elderberry Sazerac anyway? Not me, that's for sure!

I was sitting there, lost in a haze of booze and self-indulgence, the bitter stench of spilled alcohol permeating the air as the bar seemed to sway with each resounding note of "Piano Man." It was one of those nights, where reality and delusion collide in a cacophony of Hunter S. Thompson-esque debauchery. A night where I could almost see the good doctor himself, perched on a barstool in the corner, clad in aviator sunglasses and chewing on a cigarette holder, muttering something about the American Dream and the cruel mistress of intoxication.

And then, like some deranged fairy tale, I meet the strangest cast of characters. There's the guy with the raccoon, trying to sell me the freaking "Mona Lisa," or some crap like that. Then, Mr. Pretentious Poet, spewing nonsense about the moon and the stars and other stuff nobody really cares about. Well, one thing leads to another, and I'm trading blows with this wordsmith – turns out I'm a poet with my fists, who knew?

Anyway, so I'm stumbling around like a drunk marionette, and I meet this other guy, a regular Indiana Jones, talking about hidden treasure in an old warehouse. Treasure, you say? Sounds like a terrible idea, sign me up! Off we go, into the night, or maybe it was daytime, who can even tell anymore?

And there it was, the warehouse of legend, filled with gold, or rats, or, uh, moldy newspapers. It's hard to say. I don't know how it happened, really, one minute we're playing detective, the next minute we're amateur arsonists. Accidental, I swear! My lighter must've been possessed by some fire demon, or maybe it was just faulty, who can say?

So there I stood, watching this beautiful inferno, a veritable symphony of destruction, with the flames licking at the sky like the Devil's own tongue. It was a sight to behold, like a twisted work of art, or maybe it was just an old warehouse burning down, who can even tell?

But hey, no harm, no foul, right? Just a bunch of rats and pigeons out of a home, and it's not like they were paying rent or anything. Maybe they can file for insurance, or get a nice little nest egg from FEMA. Yeah, that's it. It's all part of the circle of life, or the circle of property damage, whichever comes first.

So that's my story of a night gone haywire, all because some self-righteous bartender thought I'd had enough. Well, joke's on him, 'cause I've got a hangover that could slay a dragon, and memories that'll last me 'til the next bender. And you know what they say, when life hands you lemons, just burn down a warehouse and call it a day. Or something like that.

[amadnessofwords]

so I had the strangest dream last night.

I was on a hike and came across this wired western town but it was on the water, i decided to take a break there. the town was almost like one of those out of the way side road attractions.

 I sat down at one point by these odd tropical looking plants and there was this green viper with yellow eyes. I think I told someone in the dream about it and they said to leave it alone but the viper had already decided to wrap itself around my left arm and rest it's head by my hand, it stared at me.

I freaked out a little and told someone what the snake had done. that person was like, “we'll be there in a minute.” while the whole time this viper kept tightening its hold on my arm. 

There was this strange message/feeling to it like it was claiming me. I think it said mine at one point. So I freaked out even more and slowly went to put my other hand by its head with the intent to lock it's head and pull it off.

Someone warned me not to do that but of course i'm an idiot and tried to do it anyways. the viper struck hard on my hand and became very angry. it really dug it's fangs into my hand leaving a huge gash before it bit into my arm. i think i screamed in the dream and people rushed around me and someone said, “i told you to leave it alone. it would have gone away on its own eventually.”

that's when i passed out in the dream. I woke up to actual pain in my hand. like my hand felt like it was burning.

I could really use a dream interpretation on this one. 

[midnightmisadventures]

Had the strangest little dream about RYAN BEATTY

Like i can’t even......

It was like we were in florida in a fancy group christmas house for christmas 

and we were in this basement like room, watching an adult cartoon. Like something Family guy/rick and morty/robot chicken esq. But it wasn’t one that i recognize. Either i didnt know it or it wa American Dad lol

Anyway, they were clowning Ryan BEatty the whole episode. Like the whole episode was about trashing him and making fun of his “story” There were details that were specific to ryan but im hesitant to focus on them because i think this could ultimately represent a broader message on Liam. 

(Im manic sorry bare with me) 1:44

But basically they were like “oh he was supposed to be the next justin bieber but then he disappeared for 7 years and now he’s gay” just like bullshit that i knew wasnt true. And i couldnt wrap my head around why they had chosen ryan to make fun of, like no one knows him?? And it felt personal like what vendetta did they have to him? And they were so inaccurate, so to have a whole episode on it?

And i was freaking out!! Like telling everyone im the biggest ryan fan to exist. i know this stuff is wrong, this is insane, he’s so niche. So im like rewinding a bunch of times to explain things to people, and even then in my head i was like “im gonna hav4e to find this episode and anaylze it fully when i get home”

They were literally playing powerslide, and like......god in jeans in the show it was WILD.

Just so weird. 

Then we were dort of drinking and smoking. On a house that was virtually one the water. OH YEA, we were at Fripp Island?/

And our house, like the basement room was connected to a back patio, that was basically a dock. And there was a hottub and a bar right by the water. 

So at one point in the dream. I was dressed to the nines, so hot but very drunk. It was the end of the night and i was trying to get all my things, get changed, shower maybe, and just go to bed.

Like i was like, im way drunker than i should be. And for some reason there were a significant amount of people who werent our family?? in the house. Or like DISTANT family. And like “family of family” like for example. Jennifer V and her husband and HER 7 little kid cousins from her other side thats not related to us. Like just random and people we didnt know like that, but it was a mansion. 

Anyway i was insecure about being sloppy. SO i was trying my very best to not be a mess and pretend to be sober but i was struggling and ofc im trying to grab all my things by the hottub and outdoor bar. And there are these guys out there and i could tell they were not only sexualizing me, but seeing me as like a *hot* drunk messy slut. Like idk how to describe it, like judging me in a misogynisic guy way but wanted to fuck. 

Not important, it was just hard because i was around the bar and was so scared i was gonna fall into the water because i had such little control of my bearings.....because it was a dream. 

Last weird thing.....

I was walking around the mansion and i saw a guy from highschool....like Co**** F***g***** 

And it was so random and weird??? Like why the FUCK am i in Fripp Island on my family christmas vacation and fucking CF is just like walked past me in the kitchen. Like i was like what the FUCK is going on, just in a funny way. Like how odd. I havent been friends with him since 6th grade?? Like i just know of him. I didnt even talk to him in highschool. Such an odd choice. 

And AA was who “knew” him and the one person he was with. And she was letting him stay in our house. So she came to my room and was like “Arie do you know CF, he told me he knows you and that he’s super proud of you for graduating psu” and im like WHAT CF SAID HE WAS PROUD OF ME????

Yesss i know him but this is so random. Then she was like “oh lemme bring him to the room” and i was like oh brother

[supernaturalgirl20]

Moonchild

Part 2 of 3

Pairings: werewolf Marcus Pike x f!reader

Warnings: Smut 18+, explicit, unprotected sex, monster fucking, oral (female receiving), fluff and more fluff.

Summary: Marcus has been a werewolf all his life, something that is both a blessing and a curse. He desperately want to be a husband and a father but anyone he’s dated runs when they learn about his ‘condition’, that is until you!

A/N: the last part will release on Halloween 🎃 again I took some inspiration from @hopelikethemoon moonbeam series. Her writing of Ezra as a beast is just out of this world. It inspired the monster fucking in this part 😈

Previous

Comments and reblogs are really appreciated 🥰

“You’re a what?”

“I’m a werewolf. I know it’s crazy right, I’m crazy, but it’s the truth.”

“Have you been one all your life?”

“Yeah since I….wait, you believe me? You’re not freaked out?”

“Well are you going to hurt me?”

“No! Never.”

“Well then, why would I. You are who you are, and honestly it’s not the strangest thing I’ve heard. Have you ever heard of the Winchester brothers? No! Well let’s just say there are things way worse out there.”

Marcus is in disbelief, no one, absolutely no one stays after the learn the truth. Yet here you are accepting all of him. His father told him when he was young that he would find that someone special, the one who would love the man and the beast equally. That when he found her, never to let her go. He hadn’t, and he was happily married to his mother.

“You really don’t care?”

“No I don’t. Since your being so honest with me I, I want to tell you something. Marcus I love you. I know we don’t know each other that long and we’re not even technically dating but I do, I love you. I’ve never felt like this before.”

Marcus could feel his heart beating fast, this felt like a dream come true.

“I love you to, I have since you started here.” Your lips crash into his, your hands on either side of his face. You pull away resting your forehead against his.

“I should go.”

“Stay, please!”

You convinced him to stay the night, spending it and many nights after discussing his life as a werewolf. You learned that it was a genetic condition passed down through the generations. On the full moon he transformed into a wolf, on those night he liked to run free through the woods. He could change at any time of course but during a full moon the wolf took over him completely.

Now a month in, and officially dating, Marcus has organised a weekend trip away to his cabin. You couldn’t wait to spend a full weekend with him uninterrupted by work calls and emails. He said to pack warm, comfortable clothing, and on the way there you both stopped off are the supermarket to buy supplies for the weekend. The premise of this trip was for Marcus to fully reveal himself to you. It was a full moon and this was where he usually came to be free. The wolf had ulterior motives, wanting so badly to make you his, to make you its mate and breed you. It was a desire that Marcus has had to quench since he met you and it grows stronger every day. Marcus shared this sentiment but the human part of him has been hurt in the past and doesn’t want to rush this.

“Ok so I think we have everything, do you need me to do anything, get you anything? When do you shift? Should I stay away, maybe in the bedroom?”

You stop unpacking, worried you’ve said something wrong. Marcus was too quiet. Looking up at him you find his gaze already on you, a look of awe on his face. He walks towards you, wrapping his arm around your waist pulling you close.

“God you’re perfect baby.” He brushes a piece of hair from your face and leans in, placing his lips on yours softly.

“It will happen when it starts to get dark and the moon is at its brightest. The wolf loves you too, you’ll be safe. I have to warn you though it’s painful, a lot of bone breaking and stuff, but I’ll be ok, just don’t touch me while I’m changing.”

“Ok. How about I cook us dinner?”

“Sounds good, I’ll work on lighting the fire.”

It was cosy, sitting by the fire eating dinner. You could easily picture this in your future with Marcus. Maybe a few kids running around. No stop too soon. You don’t even know if he wants kids.

“Hey your thinking too loudly. Everything ok?”

“Hmm, yeah I….never mind.”

“Hey come on you can tell me anything.”

“I was just picturing a future with you, maybe coming here on trips and then my mind thought we could bring our kids here too, but I don’t even know if you want children. Maybe you don’t I..”

Marcus is shook, he had wanted a family for so long and after everything he’s been through he had convinced himself is was off the table for him. Then you came along and god it’s all he can think about.

“I want children, I want marriage, I want it all. I want it all with you.”

You don’t say anything else just kiss him passionately.

“I love you Marcus Pike.”

“I love you too, so much.”

When he pulls back his eyes are glowing that golden colour.

“It’s time, just remember what I said don’t touch me while I’m changing and everything will be fine.”

You don’t think you could bare to watch this every month, the man you love in agony. It’s a mash of clothes ripping and bones braking and skin tearing. You want to reach out and help in some way but Marcus’s word echo in the back of your mind, ‘don’t touch me while I’m changing.’

Suddenly it’s over as quick as it started and your staring into the eyes of a beast, and yet they seem familiar in their warmth towards you. You sit very still, unsure of how to proceed, so you wait until he makes a move. As if the beast can sense what your thinking as it approaches you slowly, sniffing the air around you. You won’t lie, you are a little scared, scared that Marcus was wrong and the wolf doesn’t want you. He moves up beside you, crowding you on the bed, his nose sniffing every part of you. He pushes you so your laying on your back, he licks your face and along your neck and you release a breath you didn’t know you were holding in. He’s looking you in the eyes now and he lets out a low growl. He’s trying to tell you something, what exactly you don’t know.

He begins to claw at your clothes and you finally realise what he wants, you. Your cheeks heat up at the thought. Is it even possible. You strip out of your clothes slowly, the beasts gaze on you the whole time. He pulls you to the edge of the bed, nudging your thighs apart before burying his snout in your curls. He begins licking at your folds, shoving his tongue into you and your slightly ashamed to admit he’s better at this as a beast than a man. Your back arches off the bed, your hands clinging to his dark fur making him growl into your core. You close your eyes as your body shakes in ecstasy. He looks at you, blissed out beneath him and he licks around his lips, soaking up your juices. You finally open your eyes and look at him wondering how this is going to work but you don’t get time to contemplate as he flips you over onto all fours, licking a strip up your back. You let out a laugh, of course he would do you doggy style. His huge claws push you into the bed and he’s inside you in one thrust.

“Oh fuck!”

He’s huge, Marcus is well endowed but as the wolf, Jesus, and unlike Marcus he doesn’t give you time to adjust. It’s rough and he’s pounding into you, hitting that spot just right. You come again, your hands clinging to the sheets.

“Marcus!”

He’s not far behind you, coming with a low growl as he coats your womb in his seed. You collapse onto the bed, exhausted. You just pull the duvet over yourself and he slides in beside you, his fur covers claw wrapping around you, the heat he’s giving off lulling you to sleep. When you eventually wake, it’s to Marcus’s human arm wrapped around you. He has you pulled close, his face buried in your hair. You felt loved, Marcus felt like home. You stir in his arms and he grumbles a little.

“Morning.”

“Hmm, morning baby.”

“Do you remember what happened last night?”

He nuzzles into your neck. “Hmm Hmm.”

“I, I didn’t know we could…you could…ya know, as a wolf.”

“He liked it, very much.”

“Oh that’s good.”

“I liked it very much.”

“I’m glad baby.”

“I love you so much baby.”

“I love you too, all of you.”

“Marry me?”

“What?!”

He moves from behind you and reaches into the drawer in his bedside table. He pulls out a small velvet box.

“I know we’re not together long but I can’t imagine my life without you. You’ve accepted me, all of me and I’m not letting you go. I love you Y/N, will you marry me and become Mrs. Pike?!”

“I…yes!”

Part 3

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[neoculturetravesty]

We met in online class - Part 7

Image adapted from here.

Pairing: Renjun x Reader Genre: College AU, romance, angst, fluff Warnings: Strong language, descriptions of a shiner, a character gets Covid-19 Word Count: 7.3k

Navigation: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | You are on Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Last Part

A/N: I’m sorry for all the angst, you guys.

You only stop walking when you’re out of the apartment building. Eyebrows scrunched, face scowled like you were trying to hold onto the anger. But the more you had walked, the more you had realized that you couldn’t hold onto something that wasn’t there in the first place. It would be like holding onto smoke: futile and baseless. You weren’t angry. You stop moving to just breathe for a moment. And as the cool night air hits your face, you get a little more clarity in your thoughts. No, you weren’t angry. Not really.

Suddenly, you find yourself smiling to the sky and scoffing. Oh, how stupid. How stupid and how typical. This was classic you. Only this time, you couldn’t believe you had fallen for the broody artsy boy type. The kind of boy that blew hot and cold. The kind of boy that would keep you on edge and never like you as much as you liked him. God, you were such a cliché. Fuck, how embarrassing. So no, you weren’t angry. You were embarrassed. You had spent the last few weeks simping over a boy that never really liked you. God, you were so stupid.

‘The only reason I’ve kept you around for so long is because I wanted to get to your brother.’ His voice echoes in your head. 

Your friends had told you that you were doing way too much for a boy you weren’t even official with yet. You had literally spent the past couple of weeks running to him to dote on him. Bringing him food and checking up on him even though you were drowned in work, and making sure he was okay. And all this time, he had been using you. Oh, God. You were like the embarrassing second female lead in every drama ever. The kind that would bring cartons of milk to her crush in the hopes that he would like her back. Only you had actually believed that he liked you back. Oh, how embarrassing. 

‘Y/N, you are not my girlfriend. So stop acting like it.’

Oh, how freaking embarrassing. You had been acting like the girlfriend. But you had been the second female lead all along. 

You groan and make yourself keep walking. You didn’t want to be near his building anymore. Not where he could step out any moment and humiliate you some more for reading the signs all wrong. You keep walking as your phone keeps ringing. You don’t pick up. You wanted to put as much space between yourself and the building as possible. You walk and you walk till you reach the bus stop. And then you finally sit and take your phone out.

There are around 8 missed calls from Haechan as well as a string of texts. You sigh and hail a cab from an app before you get the spirit to read his messages.

‘Y/N, please pick up.’

‘Where are you???’

‘I can’t find you. Where are you???’

‘Pick uppppp’

‘Can you at least tell me where you are?’

‘I’m calling Yeri.’

That’s Haechan’s last message and you let out another groan. Why did he have to call Yeri? She was going to be worried for no reason. She was already under so much stress with her thesis. You didn’t want her to sit in the apartment and have all sorts of thoughts going through her head about what happened to you. So you text him back.

‘I’m just going home. Don’t worry.’ you write back. Not even ten seconds pass by before he replies.

‘How? You don’t even have your car! And you’ve been drinking.’

‘I called a cab. Don’t worry.’

‘Y/N, please tell me where you are? Let me take you home.’

‘The cab’s already here, Haechan. It’s fine. I’ll text you when I get home.’ you say as you get into the car.

‘No way. Share your location.’

‘The cab’s already moving.’

‘Okay, but share your live location so I know you’ve safely gotten home.’

You sigh and give into his wish. ‘Happy?’

‘I’ve shared it with Yeri as well.’

You groan again, making the cab driver give you a quizzical look through the mirror. ‘Haechan, please don’t bother Yeri.’

‘Text me as soon as you get home. I’m coming over first thing in the morning.’ 

‘Okay.’ you reply and sigh again, resting your head against the window because it felt like the sort of thing to do in this situation. But it only makes your temple awkwardly rattle against the glass as the car moves. How did people do this in dramas? Look so elegant as they pensively looked out the window? Because right now, you neither felt elegant, nor pensive. You just felt stupid. You feel your phone buzz again and see another text from Haechan.

‘You’re my best friend and I love you to the moon and back. Nothing changes that, okay?’ the message reads and suddenly, you feel tears brimming in your eyes. That’s the first time he had called you that. What a stupid boy he was, Lee Donghyuck. Why did he have to attack you like that with all the feels? Silly boy. Well, at least there was something that came out of this mess. 

How had you been so stupid? Renjun had practically told you of his motives on the very first date. He had told you that his lifelong wish was to get into Midnight fucking Arthouse. And instead of staying away, you had run to your brother the very same day to fulfil that wish. The thought chases away the tears that Haechan’s text had brought. You were so stupid. Even your brother had warned you.

“Y/N, I don’t trust his eyes.” Doyoung had told you that afternoon at the party. And you had laughed at him.

“What does that even mean?” you had rolled your own eyes at him, because really, you were watching Renjun into the distance as he talked to another artist. God, he looked so handsome, you had thought as you ogled.

“He just seems like he’s hiding something. He just seems like a guy who would have something to hide.” your brother had warned you and you had just laughed and joked it away.

“I mean, sorry to break it to you like this, big brother, but he’s a serial killer by night. The art student stuff is just for show because when people aren’t looking, his ass goes full Joe Goldberg in You.” you had teased your brother who had exhaled long and put his arm around you.

“Fine, fine. Don’t trust your big brother. Do what you want. I just don’t like him for you.” Doyoung had cut it out for your sake and you had cuddled into him happily because you were so giddy that day. Nothing could’ve spoiled your mood then because the boy you liked had just kissed you. He had held your hand and held your face and kissed you and kissed you and kissed you.

“Of course you don’t like him for me. You won’t like anyone for me because you’re my big brother.” you had baby-talked at Doyoung and cuddled him till he had ruffled your hair and pushed you away.

God, you were so stupid. Did everyone know but you? Could everyone see how he’d been using you? Had your crush on him really been so bad that it blinded you? Oh, how embarrassing. How fucking embarrassing. Well, at least the two of you weren’t official yet. That was a plus. Otherwise, there would’ve been a break up involved. Then again, that would mean that Renjun liked you enough to make you his girlfriend. Or that he would have gone so far as to exploit you like that. Would he have done it? You don’t even want to think about it.

You were fine, really. This was okay. It’s good that he cleared that you weren’t his girlfriend. This whole situation would’ve been sillier if the two of you were official. You chuckle as you enter the elevator of your building. You were fine. Everything that had happened was just a silly misunderstanding. You had just read the signals all wrong. You knock your knuckles on your head. Silly you. It was just a silly crush. You had just chased a boy you had a crush on and it hadn’t worked out. There was nothing wrong with that. These sorts of things happened all the time. You were fine. 

But Renjun hadn’t been just a boy.

He had been the boy of your dreams. He had been the boy that had smiled at you over his coffee cup on your first date and you had felt that he looked into your soul. He had been the boy who would wait outside your lecture hall with the most hopeful look in his eyes and you would melt because he wore that look for you. He had been the boy who had laid his head on your shoulder and opened his heart to you and you had thought that you would do everything it takes to give him the world. He had been the boy that had held your hand and made you feel so incredibly safe that day at your parent’s house that you had found yourself falling. He had been the boy who had taken you in his arms and kissed you so sweet that you had felt like flying. He had been the boy who would lay out in the sun next to you and you’d think that everything was alright. 

Renjun hadn’t been just some boy you had chased. You couldn’t lie to yourself like that anymore, even though you were trying. He had been the boy you had given your heart to. 

You don’t realize that your feet had carried you all the way home till you look up to the door opening on it’s own. And Yeri is standing there like she was expecting you.

“Haechan called me.” she says and you have no idea what she sees on your face because she says “Baby…” in the softest voice before she grabs her Lysol concoction and starts spraying you carefully.

You stand there in the doorway, watching her as she sprays at your feet and takes your shoes off for you with so much love. You don’t know what it was about seeing her face. But anytime you did, all your walls came tumbling down. You could never hide from her.

She looks up at you and whatever she sees makes her speed up her sanitizing ritual. And you realize your shoulders are shaking. You feel the wetness on the tops of your cheeks. You feel the scrunching between your brows. You hear your breath coming out in sniffles. It probably looks like the strangest scene in the world. You, standing there unmoving, looking at her as you crumble in the doorway. And her looking back at you worried, and hurriedly soaking you in Lysol.

Yeri takes your hands in hers and sanitizes them, then takes your purse from you while you do nothing but just stand there, looking at her. She takes your jacket off and then your mask and then finally kisses your cheek and pulls you into her arms. She holds you and kisses your forehead and strokes your hair.

“You will always have me, okay?” she tells you and this time, you’re fully aware that you’re sobbing. Because she puts an arm around you and walks you to your room. She lets you cry as she takes your makeup off for you and brushes your hair. And you watch her attending to you with so much love in her eyes, that for a moment, you’re not sure what’s making you cry. Your broken heart, or her pure, unadulterated love for you.

For as long as you could remember, this girl had been there for you through all your highs and lows. She hadn’t just been a friend. She had been more like a sister. Come to think of it, she had been more a parent to you than your actual parents. You could never hide from her. So when she puts you to bed, you cuddle into her and cry when you tell her,

“I really liked him, Yeri.” Because what was the use of lying to yourself or anyone else? You liked him. You had unabashedly, completely and without any sort of a restraint given him your whole entire heart. And he had broken it. This was something that had happened. So why would you deny it? You had been hurt so you were going to cry to your heart’s content. That’s what people do when they have been hurt.

“I know, baby girl.” she strokes your hair and holds you and kisses the top of your head and your eyes go to your nightstand. You see things that would look like trash to other people. But to you they were the most important treasures.

A paper napkin folded up into an origami crane. Renjun had made it on your very first date.

A can of coke, flattened and leaned against your nightlight. Renjun had drunk from it the first time he came over to your apartment.

A scrap of paper taken from a notebook in a photo frame. Renjun had doodled on it one day as you two had waited for class to begin.

A daisy, pressed and preserved in a little glass disc. Renjun had randomly plucked it from the grass and given it to you as you two had lazed about. It was the first flower he had given you.

God, you were such a sentimental hoe. This boy had broken your heart and you had kept his trash in your room, right on your nightstand so his would be the last thought on your mind as you went to sleep. Realizing that just makes you cry more.

“It’s okay, baby. Your heart’s been broken so you’re going to cry. It’s okay to cry.” Yeri coos at you, echoing your own thoughts. But somehow hearing it from her makes it more soothing. She was right. You had liked a boy and he had broken your heart. It had happened. You were going to cry. 

So you laid in Yeri’s arms and let her comfort you. Even Galbi the asshole had joined your pity party as he sat on top of your head and purred, as if he realized you needed comforting and all the purring was going to heal whatever hurt you were feeling. You laid and you cried and you cried till you were all cried out and sleep was taking you.

“That is a shiner.” you say, eyes wide.

“Mhmm. It’s my mark of honor.” Haechan smiles his smug, annoying smile as he leans back in his chair.

The library was emptier than usual, because really, exams were over for most students. So people that lived in and around campus were basically using it as a common room.

“I mean, it’s a shiner as big as I’ve ever seen.” you say, leaning over and lightly tracing the hues of red, purple and black under your friend’s eye. And he just sits there, chin jutting out, smiling broad, proudly allowing it to be touched like a trophy.

“It’s the outcome of me being the biggest little shit, so it goes with the vibe.” Haechan says and you make a face at him.

“Honestly, I’m surprised it took someone so long. Lowkey impressed that you’ve avoided these so far, despite being that professional little shit.” you lightly press the pad of your index on a particularly discolored area and watch as he moves away.

“Guess I’d just been looking for the right reason to get one.” he says, still wearing the smug look on his face. But he must have noticed a change in your expression because he gives you a look of disapproval. 

“Hey, stop that.” he snaps at you.

“Stop what?” you retort defensively.

“Stop it with those sad puppy eyes. I don’t like it.” he almost scolds.

“I’m only sad because it’s making you look uglier than usual.” you reply pouting.

“Please. It’s making me look sexier than usual.”

“If ugly was the new sexy, then sure.”

“Yo, he’s not ugly, he’s just not in his moment right now.” he pouts and nothing on Haechan’s face says that he’s joking which somehow makes it funnier.

“What’s that even supposed to mean?” you wanna smack him on the head.

“It means that you need to give it till tomorrow to finally see it in it’s full bloom.” he says with the most satisfied look on his face but it deflates you. Shit. This wasn’t even the worst of it. He was probably going to look worse in the next couple of days.

Haechan sighs because you figure he finally sees that this conversation isn’t exactly making you feel any better. So he addresses the elephant in the room.

“He’s an asshole.” he says simply.

“Haechan…” you stop him because honestly, you didn’t really want to talk about it anymore, especially not with him. You didn’t want to be that person that makes mutual friends pick a side. Besides, Renjun had been right. They were technically his friends. But they were also your friends. This was a hot mess already and you didn’t want to add to it.

“I’m only saying it because it’s true. But, also, Y/N…” he’s taken your nickname and his voice has suddenly gone small and so apologetic that you look up, just to check if he’s the one talking. Your stupid friend had a way of never reading the room and keeping up his joking antics no matter the circumstance. So hearing his voice do that got your attention to say the least.

“I, uh…” he goes on and he looks like he’s uncomfortable, like he’s trying to find the words to break some bad news. “He’s an asshole and all, but… I’m kind of the one that put that idea in his head in the first place.” he fesses up and finally meets your eyes.

You jump a bit as you see a strong arm reach over your shoulder and set down a coffee cup on the table with a resounding thud. Jeno has appeared as if on cue and he now has those arms crossed over his chest as he pins Haechan down with a death stare.

Haechan looks up at his audience of two and decides to address the boy that stands there looking like he would most likely complete his shiner set. “I just told him Y/N was Kim Doyoung’s sister! You know he had been dying to get into Midnight Arthouse! And Y/N was the one that asked him out! Didn’t you, Y/N?” he looks at you with eyes that plead for help “I only told him he should accept her date, I promise. But yes, it was my stupid idea and fuck, I wish I could take it back. I’m an idiot and I deserve whatever you want to do to me, Y/N.” he holds his hands up as if in surrender as he watches Jeno’s cold expression and your unreadable one. 

You reach your hand over towards him and watch as he closes his eyes and braces to perhaps be punched in the face again. But you don’t punch him. You ruffle his hair.

“Don’t do it again, okay?” you scrunch your nose at him and give him a smile to put him out of his misery.

Heachan lets out a long, dramatic exhale that finally matches his true personality. “Cross my heart and hope to die.” he says, actually crossing his heart over his chest and he looks up at Jeno to seek his forgiveness as well. 

Jeno’s expression has softened and he’s smiling, almost as if he had expected this confession and its outcome. He was always more perceptive than he let on. Although his arms are still intimidatingly crossed over his chest as he says

“Follow me to the rooftop, Lee Donghyuck.” 

“Yes, yes, I know I deserve it, because I know she’s your childhood friend. But she’s my best friend now and if she’s forgiven me, then--”

“--you’re a piece of shit.” Jeno declares and takes a seat next to you, laying out the rest of the breakfast he got. You snigger and hug onto his arm, as if to thank him for... everything. You and Jeno had never been one to talk things out, but an advantage of being friends for so long was that you didn’t have you. He would understand what you mean, even though all you’d done was held and leaned into his arm.

Haechan looks at the two of you fondly and waits a couple of beats. His voice is soft and empathetic when he says, “He probably didn’t mean those things he said, you know? He was drunk.”

“We were all drunk.” you agree, tracing your finger over your coffee cup.

“He’s an asshole, but… he likes you, you know?” Haechan says and suddenly, you can’t look anybody in the eye anymore. You don’t want to say anything either, because you’re afraid your voice would give you away. 

So you purse your lips and take a deep breath before you say “Yeah, well… it doesn’t really matter now, does it?”

“I’m going to kick his stupid ass.” Haechan mutters but it only makes Jeno chuckle.

“You mean when you’re not too busy getting your ass kicked by him?” he pokes fun while he feeds you a bit of his croissant. And despite everything, you find yourself laughing out loud.

“Hey! I could totally take him down if I wanted to. I was just holding back.” Haechan puffs his chest and Jeno smiles wider, shaking his head.

“Ugh, you know what. We’re on semester break. We’ve literally been waiting for this time. Let’s just chill before I have to leave.” you declare.

Haechan snaps and points his finger at you. “That is the right attitude, Y/N L/N.”

After that, he goes on and on, talking nonstop about everything you could do while you didn’t have classes, doing the most to make it up to you. You listen to him fondly as you happily enjoy breakfast with your friends.

Down the rows, Renjun had walked into the hall, hoping the library could be his sanctuary for the day. How very wrong he was. Because now, he just watched into the distance as you reach out to ruffle Donghyuck’s hair and Jeno smiles down at the two of you. Unbelievable. Renjun turns on his heel right away and leaves. Because this was unbelievable. 

How come Lee Donghyuck came out of this situation unscathed? It was his stupid idea to begin with. Renjun had been happy living his life normally till Donghyuck encouraged him to date you. So how come neither you nor Jeno were mad at him? Renjun was the only one that came out of this as the bad guy. And everyone else just continued on to be one big happy fucking family.

Last night, Jisung had left to stay over at Chenle’s, and Renjun assumed it was so he didn’t have to be in the same room as him. He hadn’t seen Jeno, and it was probably because he had woken early morning to have breakfast with you. The only one of his friends that Renjun saw this morning was Jaemin. But the only thing he had said before he walked out the door was that he was spending the day with his girlfriend and won’t be home either. 

It seemed like everyone around him was doing their best to avoid him. He felt like a dementor. Like he was putting out lights wherever he went. Like he was draining hope, peace and happiness out of everyone that came in contact with him. That’s perhaps why his friends wanted to stay away from him.

There was maybe some advantage to that. Renjun wanted to be alone. You had pretty much stolen all his friends. It was clear that they had taken your side in all of this. No one had wanted to know what Renjun was going through. But they were all too concerned about the poor little rich girl. It’s why they were with you this morning and not him. Poor little rich girl that got her heart broken by Renjun the asshole. Of course, no one would want to know the other side of the story, Renjun thinks bitterly.

What was the other side of the story, anyway? That you had been too kind to him? That you had been thoughtful and understanding? That you made so much effort to be a part of his life, and he had made none? That you had put a word in with your brother right after you had first met Renjun, before your relationship had even begun? 

You had done everything in your power to make Renjun look like the bad guy. And he realizes that this was precisely the reason he never wanted to look at you ever again. Renjun feels nothing but bitterness in his heart. He had spent all those weeks exploiting your feelings for him. Making you believe that he was interested in you so he could get close enough that you would introduce him to your brother. But all of it had been for naught. Because you didn’t need a relationship or a reason to be kind to people. You had just heard Renjun’s dream and fulfilled it that very same day you had met him. You had granted him his biggest wish whilst wanting nothing in return, expecting nothing back. You had put him in your debt. And he hated you for it.

Renjun needed a break. Because his life seemed to be throwing him more curveballs than he could possibly manage. He wanted to reverse it all. Go back to the time when he hadn’t met you. He should’ve turned you down during that ill-fated online class. Then none of this would’ve happened. 

But almost as if the heavens wanted to give him a cruel reminder that all of it, in fact, had happened and he, in fact, had exploited you, he gets a phone call. Whilst he can barely make out the number through his cracked screen, he recognizes the voice right away.

“Huang Renjun!”

“Kim Doyoung.” Renjun replies automatically, because his mind is still processing the irony of it all.

“I have a proposition for you.” Doyoung goes straight to the point and Renjun realizes that he’s not talking to him as your brother right now. He’s talking to him as the owner of Midnight fucking Arthouse.

“Uh, okay?” Renjun says and almost instantly regrets it. He should’ve said something more professional, but he has to admit he has been caught off guard.

“Can you come meet me at the studio in an hour?” he states more than he asks. And Renjun gets the feeling that this man hasn’t been told ‘no’ enough. At least not in this context.

“I… I can.” Dammit. Why wasn’t Renjun able to put more than two words together today?

“Great. Let’s have a lunch meeting at my studio.” Doyoung once again states. Renjun would usually be annoyed when someone was this imposing with him. But for some reason, Kim Doyoung’s boss voice is working on him. 

“Okay, see you in an hour.” Renjun says and he’s glad he’s spoken a full sentence this time.

“Great. Oh, and Renjun?”

“Yes?”

“Bring your portfolio along.”

Renjun doesn’t know how long he sits there. The steak that was served to him in a pretentiously off-centered plate remains mostly untouched. Because Renjun couldn’t keep more than two bites down. Not when Kim fucking Doyoung was standing up and flipping through his portfolio without a sound. 

This portfolio was Renjun’s lifelong work. Who knows how long he had spent on each piece. Some day, when he had the time, he was going to calculate the number of man hours he spent on building the whole damn thing. And then calculate how many days, weeks or months it amounted to in total. Because the way Kim Doyoung was flipping through it without much care minimized his life’s worth to mere seconds. He had spent hours and hours on each work and Kim Doyoung didn’t even spare more than half an eyeful on each piece.

And not a single word. 

Doyoung seemed to be a different person at work than he had been at the party at his parent’s home. Here, he was the Kim Doyoung, and for a moment, Renjun could finally see how he might have risen all the way up to the top. Because every single minute of his life was accounted for. From the moment Renjun had walked in, all he could see was how his assistant kept pushing him from one task to the other. He hadn’t even spent too long on pleasantries before he took Renjun to his office for lunch. And if he thought that lunch for Doyoung would be a time of peace, he was wrong. Because he ate quickly and Renjun couldn’t possibly meet his speed. He supposed that’s how successful people ate. Because every minute they ate was every minute they were not making money. Renjun was only halfway through his lunch when Doyoung had gotten up and started going through his portfolio.

And Renjun hadn’t been able to take a single bite since. His stomach was in knots. He felt small, sitting here in this grand old office in one of the biggest arthouses of the country. Weirdly, Renjun finds himself internally smiling at the fact that Doyoung had called this place a studio. Because, no way. The place that Renjun interned at was a studio. This was a fucking art museum and nothing less. 

A finalizing shut of the portfolio is what breaks Renjun out of his thoughts.

“Okay, Huang Renjun, I’m going to cut to the chase.” Doyoung says and Renjun sits up straighter, his eyes and ears attentive and open. “I need new artists for the 2021 Midnight Arthouse Annuale. Every artist that I’ve ever introduced in spring has gone on to become a best seller by winter.”

Of course he knew that. Renjun could name every single artist that had gotten that exposure. But hearing it straight from the man that gave it to them was making goosebumps run down his spine.

“I’ve got two spots to debut artists that no one has ever heard of. And someone put in a very convincing word for you.” he says and Renjun feels his stomach do a flip before it drowns in guilt, because he knows that the both of them know who that someone is. “But I’m going to be honest with you. Nothing I see in here is worthy of the Annuale.” he says plainly. Renjun looks up. His heart drops.

“Um… nothing?” Renjun asks stupidly. Suddenly, he doesn’t feel like the big man that had punched someone in the face from an inflated ego the night before. He feels like the little fish in a sea of big fishes. He feels like someone is finally showing him the mirror and telling him exactly what he’s worth in the context of big names and big opportunities. And it’s a humbling and sobering experience. Because Renjun feels his hangover dissipating. 

“This is basically an art student’s portfolio. What you’ve shown me is essentially a series of assignments you’ve made for your professors. Nothing is inspired. Nothing has vision. Nothing in here jumps out at me and tells me who Huang Renjun is.” Doyoung is speaking to him straight up. No niceties. No filters. He’s speaking to him like the owner of a huge motherfucking company and nothing less.

And maybe someone had to speak to Renjun this way and deflate his ego, so he could finally open his eyes to the real world. Because Renjun doesn’t feel angry or broody or venomous over these words. He feels like he has been sobered. He finds himself agreeing with everything that has been said. Like he’s opened his eyes for the first time and finally seen what he’s actually like without his ego or conceit filtering his vision. He was absolutely right. Kim Doyoung had been the one to tell him this before. But sitting here in his huge fucking office, in a building where he was surrounded by art that was in every way better than his… it puts everything in context, and Renjun finally realizes that he had been right all along.

“So, here’s my proposition.” Doyoung begins. “Make me something worthy of the Annuale. And I’ll help you make your debut.”

Renjun’s eyes widen. His mind races. He didn’t have much time. And the stakes were too high. How could he possibly make the best work of his life, the work that would help him launch his dream in a span of two weeks? It wasn’t enough time.

Then again, this was the opportunity of a lifetime. This was make or break. So Renjun doesn’t even think much before he replies “I’ll do it. I’ll show you.”

Doyoung smiles. “I had a feeling you’d say that. In that case, I have another meeting to go to. But my assistant will help you sort out the details. I’m sure you’ll understand.” he says, already getting up and putting his jacket on. 

Renjun stands with him. He doesn’t believe it. Suddenly, this opportunity feels too big for his breaches. But it’s there for the grabbing. And he could only ever miss the shot he never shoots. 

Yet somehow, Renjun also feels like he’s about to make a deal with the devil. Is this how the unassuming hero feels in movies when he’s made an agreement with the mob boss? Renjun reckons it comes close. He’s not sure whether to shake hands or to bow in these situations. So he stands there awkwardly and does neither as Doyoung walks to his door.

“My assistant will be in contact with you. I look forward to seeing your masterpiece.” he smiles a loaded smile and in that moment, Renjun decides that your brother was nothing like you. 

“Oh, and Renjun. The theme is ‘The Past Year’ but don’t tell anybody that.” he smiles and Renjun nods as Doyoung takes his leave. He’s not sure why he’s been given that extra bit of information. He’s not sure if that pointer has come from Kim Doyoung of Midnight Arthouse or Y/N L/N’s older brother. It is a bit of a mindfuck, but Renjun tries not to dwell on it too much. He had to leave his intellectual capacities free for his bigger purpose.

Renjun looks up to see Doyoung’s assistant smiling professionally at him. “Would you like a tour, Mr. Huang?” she says and Renjun once again gets the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory feels he always got around your family’s grandeur. But this was more than riches. This was art from people Renjun had admired and closely followed. Maybe this would give him some inspiration and put him in the right headspace.

“Yes, please.” Renjun says a bit too eagerly before he is led outside.

It is once again, a humbling experience. Renjun had already seen most of the work displayed here in one form or the other. But watching it with the naked eye and up close was a different experience altogether. The art here was in a different league and now Renjun starts to understand what Kim Doyoung had meant. None of Renjun’s existing works came close to what he was seeing displayed right here. He had thought Midnight Arthouse was some sort of a viral launcher. The kind of company that only looked for social media sensations rather than trailblazers and actual talent. But Renjun realizes that he had been massively underestimating them. Kim Doyoung knew what he was doing. Renjun did not. 

All this time, Renjun had walked the earth with a chip on his shoulder. He had been envious of everyone who ever did better than him. He had resented every artist that had risen to fame for reasons Renjun could not understand. He had judged every person ever who was well connected enough to rise to the top. 

And now, standing here in the majesty of Midnight Arthouse’s proud displays, all Renjun feels is small. Like he’s been served a slice of humble pie. For the first time in a long time, Renjun feels inspired, but not from a place of envy or jealousy or bitterness or vengeance. He feels inspired to make the most out of the opportunity that his life had given him. Because who was he to judge anyone that used connections when he was standing here doing the same? The mere fact that he, a junior in college had gotten a meeting with Kim Doyoung over lunch in his office while his assistant was personally showing him around… that was proof that Renjun had become one of those well-connected people.

Renjun’s initial feeling had been right. This was a deal with the devil. Because Renjun had paid a pretty big price for it. His stomach feels queasy. Was it only last night that he was going around throwing punches and being a general asshole? He doesn’t want to think about it. Because then he’d be forced to remember the faces of all his friends, and he didn’t want to revisit that memory through the lens of a deflated ego and a dissolving hangover. So Renjun is almost thankful when Doyoung’s assistant speaks to him.

“Are you ready for some paperwork? Just some general entry applications and agreements.” she says, still smiling that strictly professional smile.

Renjun takes a deep breath in. He feels unprepared, yet ready. He was going to take this opportunity. Or everything he had done this past year would have been for naught. 

“Let’s do it.” Renjun says, nodding.

“Great. Follow me.” she says and Renjun starts walking. Each step forward feels like a heavy, purposeful and loaded step towards his future. Here it was, a few strides away from his grabbing. Forget the past year. His whole life had been amounting to this moment. 

Every stroke of his brush had led him here. Every drop of his sweat. Every sleepless night. Every decision he had made. Every heart he had broken. Every friend he had lost. 

Renjun was walking towards his goal a man with nothing left to lose. And he had heard that they made the most dangerous men. His future was two strides away now. Two more strides and he’d be one step closer to achieving his life goal.

But when he’s about to make the final stride, Renjun receives a phone call that shatters his entire world as he knows it. 

And in that moment, he turns on his heel and runs faster than he ever had in his entire life. The future that was so close that he could almost taste it, now becomes smaller and smaller as it fades into the background behind him. Because Renjun had run in the opposite direction and left it in his dust.

Renjun pushes through the doors and doesn’t even absorb the pain he should be feeling in his shoulder from the force of the contact. 

“Where is she!” he yells. He doesn’t feel like a person. Because how much could one person take, anyway? How many times could he be beaten down by the universe before he would fall to his knees and beg to be spared?

He looks around and finally spots the man he calls his father standing near a watercooler, talking to someone he doesn’t recognize. So he has no care about rushing up and getting in his face. Because what more was there left to lose?

“Where is she?” he yells at his face. His father nods a farewell at the unassuming man before he turns to his son.

“In the isolation ward, Renjun. Where else would she be?” his father says and his voice is so calm that Renjun wants to grab at his collar. But he takes in a deep shaky breath to calm himself. It doesn’t happen. So he finds himself yelling again.

“How did this even happen! She hasn’t even been outside her house this entire time!” Renjun is trying so hard to hold back the tears of rage. But they’re threatening to explode any minute now.

“What does it matter how she got the virus? It’s a global pandemic. She has it now, like thousands of people around the world. The doctors are doing all they can.” his father says and if Renjun had been in his right mind, he would’ve realized that this was the first time he had spoken to him in over a year. But all he could think of right now was so what if others had it? So what if every fucking person in the world had it? How dare his father say that? 

“How are they doing all they can when she’s on fucking life support?!” Renjun growls through his teeth and he’s inhaling sharp breaths to keep himself from breaking.

“Your mother is with her, Renjun. The best you can do now is pray.” he replies and Renjun wants to hit him. He wants to punch that holier than thou look off his face. His grandmother was probably on her last breath and his father had the audacity to ask him to pray.

“I have to go see her. I have to take care of her.” Renjun turns and looks around, breathing heavily before he begins to move. But his father grabs at his arm.

“You can’t see her, Renjun. Are you even listening to me? Your grandmother is in the isolation ward. There’s only one family member allowed and your mother is it.” he has raised his voice at him.

“She doesn’t know! She doesn’t fucking care about her! I’m the only one who knows! I have to be there with her!” Renjun shouts at him and he’s only acutely aware that he’s sobbing because his words are loud but inchoate. 

“Renjun. Son. There’s nothing we can do.” his father shakes his head at him and watches with his mouth open as his son sobs and barges to the door like a madman. Because Renjun will find a way to get to her. No one cared about her like he did. No one loved her like he did. It had always been him and his grandmother against the world. He needed to be there for her. But the hospital staff is grabbing at him and pushing him out while his father watches from a distance like a helpless man. 

Renjun is barely aware that he’s doubling over because his tears are blinding him or that he’s been led outside because the cool air is hitting him. He gets up to charge back in but his resolve is so much weaker now and he feels another hold around him, keeping him back. 

"Renjun I'm so sorry. Your mother called me. I don't think she knows about us." Yoo Jimin whispers softly as he falls to his knees. She crouches next to him and puts her arms around him.

And in this strange, awful moment, Renjun finds himself realizing that the arms that are holding him aren't the arms that he wanted. The arms that are soothing him and holding him while he cries into the ground are not the arms he craved.

He wanted the arms that had held him that one night while Renjun had laid his head on their shoulder and bared his heart for the very first time. He wants the arms that had enveloped him and had, for at least a moment, made everything alright. He wanted the arms of the person whose heart he had cruelly broken.

Copyright © 2021 NeoCultureTravesty. All rights reserved.

[dat-town]

wish you were here

Characters: Mark Lee & you

Setting: wish dragon au (and a bit of aladdin because mark even has a tiger in their garden like jasmine did. don’t ask why, just blame the regular mv), childhood best friends to lovers (at least there’s potential?)

Genre: fluff and humour

Warnings: mentions of a sick animal and a wild animal kept as a pet in a huge garden (just like jasmine’s tiger, it’s very tamed)

Summary: A magical teapot, a dragon that wants everyone to be happy and an old friendship being revived. Oh yeah, have I told you that you have 3 wishes?

Words: 6.4k

For @restlessmaknae​ 💕

When your mother told you you got delivery to your childhood home, you certainly did not expect this: a brown box as big as a small watermelon with your old Canadian address and MARK LEE scrabbled next to your name as another recipient but no sender. Not to mention, the first stamp on the thing was dating back to the early 2010s. Where the hell was this package for 10 years? And what would you and your old neighbour slash best friend have gotten together?

Okay, first things first:

You and this clumsy, kind of cute kid, Mark had been quite tight while growing up. You were born in the same year, only a month apart, and his family lived in the house next to yours in the suburbs of Vancouver, so it was kind of natural. You two might have been against the world kind of comrades, playing hide and seek when you were six and wondering about whether time travelling was possible through black holes at twelve. But no matter how close you used to be, you fell out of touch when Mark's family moved to the other end of the world, back to Korea, their roots when you were fourteen. You slowly forgot about him, and started university in the city, moving away from home, so nothing really reminded you of him ⎼ and your stupid, big fat crush on him that you had no courage to tell him about in middle school ⎼, nothing until this box.

You put the delivered package on your kitchen table while you make some dinner for yourself out of what you have gotten during grocery shopping earlier just before you picked up the mysterious stuff at the post office. You eye it suspiciously over your pasta, really not wrapping your mind about what it could be but instead of annoying yourself with this pointless curiosity, you put your fork down and stand up to open it. It’s a struggle at first, the box being secured with multiple adhesive tapes over the years but when you finally get rid of all that and can look inside of it, an intense feeling rushes through you… immerse disappointment.

“A teapot? For real? What were we thinking?” you furrow your brows taking the small, green and pretty old teapot into your hands. It looks like a piece of a traditional Asian set with its jade colour and dragon pattern. It couldn’t have been in a much better shape 10 years ago either seeing how wayworn it is but still, you expected something more… exciting? Something funny that might or might not give you an excuse to look up Mark Lee on the internet and message him for the sake of old times. But how lame it would be to befriend him on Facebook only to tell him that you got delivered a teapot under both your names. Hah, you would rather not embarrass yourself like that.

You shoot one last glance at the teapot before leaving it on your counter and going back to your food, you successfully forget about the whole ordeal. You carry your life on with only one small difference: Mark Lee back on your mind after long, long years.

It was just a small crush, you tell yourself, sighing as you look into the mirror, absentmindedly wondering how he’s doing. Does he think of you sometimes as well? Did he go to music college like he has always wanted? Is he happy? You wish he was even if he’s half a world away and with that thought you think it’s time to go to sleep despite the upcoming weekend days. You don’t want to mess up your sleep schedule over some boy but as soon as you pull the blanket over your chest and close your eyes, something explodes in your kitchen.

You jump out of bed faster than lightning, in slight panic over the fact that your neighbours will hate you for bothering them late at night and your landlord would kill you if you managed to blow up your microwave. But the sight that welcomes you is like no other that you imagined. The whole room is covered in thick pink glittery smoke. Like your worst Barbie nightmare.

“What the⎼” you cough, waving your hands to clear the air and once it dissolves into nothingness with its weirdly cotton candy smell, there’s a boy in the middle of it all, sitting cross legged on your kitchen counter so casually as if he owned the place. His pink-ish purple hair hangs into his eyes and he seems to find your coffee machine strangely interesting. You grab the first thing you can ⎼ a blender ⎼ and hold it up in defensive before yelling at the boy: “Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my apartment?”

The stranger’s mouth pulls up in a charming smile, his eyes sparkle as he turns his attention to you, hopping off the counter. He’s all thin and long limbs, so you hate how you hate to look up at him as he walks towards you before bowing ceremoniously.

“Hello, sorry for the sudden appearance, I just couldn’t wait any longer! I’ve been stuck in that teapot waaay too long. I didn’t mean to be rude or anything. My name is Taeyong, I’m a wish dragon and you’re my new owner,” he smiles and what he says makes absolutely no sense.

“A wish dragon?” you mumble in shock, looking around to see if this is just another prank of Johnny. You wouldn’t be surprised to see him jump out from under one of the cupboards. Or maybe you just fell asleep and you’re dreaming. Yeah, that seems like a realistic scenario.

“Ah, yes! I know I don’t look like it but modern times require modern solutions. Most people freak out because of my dragon form, so human it is,” the boy who seems only a few years older than you grins as he’s chatting and you have to give it to him, he takes this role pretty seriously. “You have three wishes as my owner. You can ask for anything as long as it’s not about death or love.”

So you got yourself someone who thinks he’s basically a genie? Oh gosh, is he that drunk?

“Aha, very funny. I’m too tired for this prank, so I would appreciate it if you left the same way you came...” you point towards your window because there’s no way he came through the door. Putting down your blender because the guy looks pretty harmless despite his crazy blabbering, you move to go back to your bedroom.

“No, no, no, I can’t do that,” the boy, Taeyong as he introduced himself, appears in front of you within a second and grabs your shoulder as if he could shake some sense into you. He looks pretty desperate. “I can only get a new owner if I fulfill all wishes of yours. It was super stuffy in that box the last decade, you know.”

At that excuse you let out a laugh.

“You don’t even fit it the⎼”

“You were saying?” Taeyong is suddenly nowhere near ahead of you but instead a small creature, supposedly a dragon, in the size of your palm flies in front of your eye level. “It’s magic!”

Okay, now that sight makes you feel like it’s you who is drunk. Or worse.

“Am I dead?” you have to ask in a small, uncertain voice, trying to think back what could have happened. Maybe that explosion literally blew your apartment up? But it hurts when you pinch your arm and turning back into his human form, Taeyong wants to prove the very same thing. Not the hurting but the not dead part, obviously.

“No, you’re very much alive and a happy owner of a wish dragon. Not permanently, of course, but still,” he tells you as he drags you onto your couch in the living room. As if sitting down could help processing all this.

So you have a wish dragon in your home, a magical creature that can casually switch between its dragon and human form and he says you should wish for three things, so he could leave and you could go back to your old, boring life without magic and things that scare you to death at 11PM.

“Can I ask… why? Why me? I’m not really owner-material,” you whisper because heck yeah, you even managed to kill your cactus before. Taeyong purses his lips as he sits down, a hand at his chin.

“Well, it’s unusual indeed to have a peasant girl, no offence, as my owner but as far as I know, you and your friend asked for a sign that magic was real.”

Oh, you remember that, being so obsessed with shooting stars and other stuff like that, you two used Mark’s brother’s computer to browse the internet, trying to find evidence about all that. You were kids wanting to believe in a world beyond the one you knew. But...

“That was like 10 years ago,” you furrow your eyebrows, not getting the timing.

“Well, sorry, you weren’t put on the top of the Heaven wish list and the shipping from Shanghai to Vancouver isn’t the fastest either,” Taeyong shrugs as if it was supposed to be natural. As if that was the most unbelievable thing. Well, delivery services are sometimes a pain in the ass, that’s true but getting a wish delivered by Heaven was something you would have never thought of and it all drains down on you. Strangest realisation of your life.

“So… it’s all real,” you whisper ahead of yourself: magic, dragons and all that. You could basically see your old best friend’s I told you so smile and let out a soft chuckle. “I wish Mark could meet with you, too.”

At that the guy ahead of you claps his hands and rubs them together, creating the same purple smoke from before. You look at him alarmed.

“Your wish, my command,” Taeyong grins and lifts his hands and before you could make a sound of protest because gosh, you didn’t mean it literally, you feel the ground move under your feet and you’re falling, into the darkness but despite shutting your eyes automatically, fearing the impact of the crash, nothing comes. Only the smell of soy sauce in the air and warm sunshine on your skin… Wait, what?

Your eyelids fly open and you notice in shock that you’re not in your flat anymore, ready to sleep. Instead, you stand in the middle of a goddamn street somewhere in Korea based on the signs still in your PJ shorts and tee. Oh my gosh! You hide in an alley right away and yank the seemingly proud Taeyong with you.

“I didn’t tell you that I meant right now! I can’t meet Mark in my PJs and I need my phone and wallet to function anyways. Not to mention, I don’t speak Korean at all...” you ramble panicking, the realisation that you’re indeed on the other side of the Earth due to some magic is yet to register. But the awkwardness from the stares you have just gotten has already turned you bashful.

Listening to you, the wish dragon seems sheepish and slightly embarrassed as he scratched his nape, his colourful hair falling into his cast down eyes.

“Oh… sorry. I got so excited over the wish that I didn’t think about it! It’s been a while since I did teleport magic but hey, I still have it in me. Anyways, sorry. Phone and wallet, you said? Here you go,” he pulls out something from his pants which magically seems to be indeed your belongings. That definitely makes things earlier.

“Uhm, thanks. Where are we exactly?”

“Ah, well you mentioned your friend Mark Lee, so we’re here. Well, one bell away because I did remember that it’s rude to intrude other’s houses without permission first,” oh now, you know, you snicker internally and gulp because hell, even if you wanted to see Mark, you wouldn’t have thought that the meeting would come so soon. You didn’t have enough time to prepare yourself mentally.

“So… you’re telling me that this… is where Mark lives?” you point at the impressive apartment complex on the corner of the street but Taeyong shakes his head.

“Nope, This is where your Mark lives,” he says and before you could object about the ‘your’ part, the dragon points at the other side of the road at a luxurious house with a huge garden, basically a palace. Seeing the beautiful fountain, the modern and yet traditional Korean style building beyond the fences makes your jaw drop.

“Hahaha, alright for a magic dragon you must have made a mistake. There’s no way the Mark Lee I know lives here,” you look back at Taeyong finding it funny that the kid who used to wore his favourite tees until his mother basically threw them out would live at such a place.

“Mark Lee, korean name Minhyung, supposed to be 22 years old internationally soon. Bad eyesight, contagious laugh, clumsy but has surprisingly good reflexes, gets embarrassed easily. Sound familiar?” Taeyong crooks a brow at you as he reads the information off from a parchment he just took out of his pants. Everything he listed is just so Mark that you’re left in disbelief.

“Uuh… that sounds about right.”

“His father hit it big in 2016 with a tech company, their net worth has too many zeros to count,” Taeyong explains, seeing how surprised you were over the fact that he lived a lavish life like this. Not that he doesn’t deserve it! Mark is such a sweetheart, so of course, you would only want the best for him but as if half the world wasn’t enough, now you have another huge gap between you.

“Gosh, I really can’t believe this. How am I supposed to just ring the bell and say hello after so much time?” you sighed with your head in your hands. “Argh, I need to buy some clothes and change.”

Taeyong approves the idea based on how enthusiastically he hollers, you wonder why nobody on the street seems to pay no attention to him. Maybe only you see him, just more reason for you to be crazy.

“Good idea because we’re having dinner with Mark!”

“What?” you look up in shock, not following through. Taeyong grins down at you, flashing a giddy smile and with a twirl he’s changed from his baggy, casual clothes to something more chic but still laidback.

“Your wish was him meeting me, so I arranged everything. I can't meet him without you and the teapot there, you know,” he explains as if it was supposed to be obvious. You aren't ready yet though.

“You just want to eat all the fancy delicious food he has,” you squint at him suspiciously and the dragon stays silent, so you must be right. He laughs nervously.

“Maybe, but can you blame me? I haven’t had a feast since a literal decade!” he hollers and somehow you really cannot find it in yourself to be angry at him. You are in Seoul for god's sake after all and magic is real, you can put up with the inconvenience of buying clothes and making yourself look decent before dumping all this surprise on Mark.

An hour later you stand in front of the gates of the Lee mansion and nervously you wipe your sweating hands into your dress. You can totally do this, you just say hi to an old friend, it's not like you're afraid he wouldn't remember you, hah, of course not–

"Y/N!" 

You whip your head at the call of your name to the source of that all too familiar voice. Sure it's deeper than you remember but there's no mistake in whose it is. Plus, who else would call your name in South Korea of all places.

"Mark, hey!" you wave the boy who just got out of one of the fanciest cars you've ever seen in your life. And yet, despite the Prada suit and expensive shoes, styled hair and Swiss watch on wrist, Mark Lee still has that goofy little smile and the doe eyes that used to make you weak in the knees. Hah, who are you kidding? They still do.

"Oh my god, dude, you… you got pretty," Mark jogs up to you and having no filter like always he blabbers immediately only to stutter as his ears turn red. It was so him talking before thinking, so you didn’t really mean to dwell on his words. Although you felt your cheeks dusted with pink soon enough. "I mean, it's really good to see you! I was so surprised to see your name in my calendar for today's dinner! You should have told me you were coming to Korea, I would have picked you up at the airport."

His calendar? Ah, of course, he must have been busy and all that. You wouldn’t have been surprised to see an assistant run after him at this point, so you wonder how your wish dragon magically put you onto his list of important people to meet. Gosh, it was so weird.

"Ah, I have a funny story about that…" you chuckled to yourself but before you could have get out anything, even a please, can we go to a more private place? Mark’s eyes zero on the guy next to you and his eyes grow comically wide.

"And uhm, who is your friend?" he points at Taeyong who waves him in exchange with a kilowatt smile. He looks back at you with his mouth agapé. "Oh my god, you came to invite me to your wedding?"

He says oh my god way too many times for an eloquent rich kid, he really is the Mark Lee you knew.

"No, never! I mean, of course, I would invite you but Taeyong and I– I literally met him on my way here," you explain hastily cursing yourself for the silly lie. You came to tell him the news not to try to make it believable. 

“I heard there’s food,” the wish dragon pipes in very helpful and you shoot him a disapproving glance he doesn’t notice. Luckily, Mark doesn’t seem to mind.

“Oh, yeah, of course, dinner! Come on in, let’s get you two settled,” he grins albeit a bit awkwardly as he leads you through the gate after opening it with his card.

On the way through the very, very, very big garden, he’s chattering about how he misses the Vancouver weather, especially on humid, hot days like this and talks about how he thinks the fountain in their yard is a bit too much but his mom loved it and then before you know it, you sit by a huge dining table with fine food in front of you. Suddenly you can’t decide whether you're grateful for Taeyong’s shameless presence – he digs into the jjigae right away – because at least the situation isn’t awkward because of your silence or you’re annoyed by it because you must seem like a weirdo because of him. That’s why you decide to rip off the bandage and tell Mark as soon as the last maid has disappeared too.

“Okay, so actually I came here because I have a surprise,” you speak up, probably too serious because the boy almost chokes on his food due to how fast he turns his head towards you.

“More surprise?” he coughs out and you offer him a glass of water which he takes with a smile.

“You literally won’t believe this one!” you assure him and wait until he gulps down the drink. Only then you point to Taeyong and tell him that your childhood wish has come true. 

Mark almost falls off his chair this time.

Not after you tell him that though. He laughs at that with that wheezing laugh of his as if you told the joke of the century then pats you on the shoulder murmuring That was a good one, bro and turning back to his food. But then you look at the magic dragon pointedly and Taeyong puts down his chopsticks with an exaggerated sign. Then he flexes his magic: turning into his dragon form among additional sparkles and Mark suddenly looks like he’s about to faint. He reaches out to tap on your shoulder while not taking his eyes off the wish dragon.

“Am I dreaming?” he whispers and honestly, you totally get his reaction while Taeyong mumbles something about ‘people these days not believing in dragons’ as he shows off all the things he could do: gift riches, make one stronger than they are, giving skills of whatever one wants. He starts rambling about how this one Chinese emperor became wealthy thanks to this, how that one actor in martial arts and all this before changing back to his human form and he continues eating his pasta like nothing ever happened.

“I can do this all day,” he shrugs as if he didn’t just perform the coolest magic tricks.

“This… this is the best thing ever!” Mark exclaims with those sparkles in his eyes you missed so much. He was always so excited about new things and it automatically makes you smile how he bombards Taeyong with million questions like: ‘So you are the wish dragon that grants wishes?’ or asking him about his scales, his unique color, how it feels to live in such a small teapot, how old he is and the dragon glows under all the attention. Can’t blame him but Mark has always been so curious about the world, it’s endearing.

“So your first wish was to meet me?” he turns to you after long minutes of interrogating Taeyong and suddenly, under the spotlight you don’t know what to do with yourself. You can feel yourself blushing because you didn’t necessarily mean to wish for that but it’s not like you’re regretting it, it’s just… you don’t want him to misunderstand.

“I thought you should meet him, too, after all the package was delivered for the two of us,” you look down, trying to sound nonchalant while picking your food, avoiding Mark’s gaze. No matter how open armed he welcomed you, you still aren’t convinced that it’s okay to be here because the more time you spend with him, the more you would like to stay a part of his life. “It’s just… I wasn’t really sure we could ever meet again. We didn’t keep contact after you left.”

With dropped shoulders, you try not to sound too downhearted because of what happened because you know all too well, it wasn’t his fault, it was a family decision and look at him, it did good for him! He seems happy, they live in a practically mansion but most importantly, he didn’t seem to change with the wealth. He might wear expensive clothes but under it all he’s still the boy with the most loveable smile.

“I… I was thinking about you a lot, I just thought you forgot about me,” Mark admits with a sheepish smile, tucking his hair behind his ear shyly. He really still is the same and it’s playing silly little games with your heart. If this was a cheesy Disney movie, a slow bgm would start to play as you look into each other but your moment is broken when Taeyong accidentally kicks into his chair as he stands up. At first he looks alarmed but then giggles.

“I will just… go. Don’t mind me,” he disappears like smoke with a wink, leaving you two alone at which Mark lets out a woah. You chuckle at his cute reaction, heart doing somersaults in your chest.

You thought it would be awkward, just the two of you alone after long years but Mark has this thing that he makes people feel comfortable around him, so it’s actually quite nice. You catch up on everything and anything that comes to your mind: old neighbours, studies, friends, what are you doing now and what would you like to do, too.

After finishing the delicious dinner, Mark offers a home tour which you would never refuse and you jaw drops at the huge crystal chandelier in their living room as well as their swimming pool but your favourite place in the whole mansion is Mark’s room because it’s just so him. You can’t describe it well but the moment you step inside, it feels like home. It’s cozy to the point it makes you want to cuddle a pillow. It has colours of pastels, a synthesizer here, a guitar there, posters of singers framed on his wall and vinyl records hanging down. His window has a view of sunset and Namsan above their green garden and although you haven’t been in Seoul before, you’re pretty sure it’s your favourite place in the whole damn city, too.

“Wait, there’s someone I would like you to meet,” Mark suddenly exclaims while you’re looking through his pictures and he pulls you out of his room, out of the house, into the garden: You giggle all the way as he’s being so secretive about it but then your steps halt unexpectedly and the hand you have in Mark’s yanks him back.

“Mark… why is there a tiger in your garden in the middle of Seoul?” you ask as quietly and as immobile as you can. You don’t want to attract the sleeping animal’s attention to yourself. But to your biggest surprise, the boy just laughs, his thumb caressing your skin soothingly.

“She’s Jasmine and she won’t hurt you,” he reassures you but needless to say, you’re not too calm and you’re pulled close to the wild animal that lifts its huge head towards you lazily. “She was abandoned by her mother as a cub and she was outcast in the zoo because she’s a bit sick, so she has always been weaker than her siblings. Dad made a donation and we have raised her since she was young.”

You hiss when Mark reaches out without fear but the tiger basically purrs as he strokes down his fur at the neck. You watch in awe as this big wild animal becomes a soft cat under the hands of Mark Lee. When the boy encourages you to pat her too, you hesitate but he promises you that it’s gonna be alright and you take a leap of faith. 

“What’s her sickness?” you wonder aloud as your fingers get lost in the soft fur of the tiger. You hope she’s not in a lot of pain.

“It’s an immune system thing, not sure what exactly but she wouldn’t have survived this long in the wild,” the boy tells you and his mouth curls up in a smile when Jasmine licks your hand. It seems like you’re tiger-approved. You look into its warm brown eyes and your heart churns at the thought of her condition.

Mark tells you stories of Jasmine, about that one time she crashed his birthday cake or how much she likes to swim with him in their pool during summer and gosh, you could listen to him go on and on forever. You’re only reminded of the reality, that all this is just a possible one-time thing, a weekend getaway with magic when Taeyong shows up in swimwear, ready to crash in said pool.

“I guess he might have been bored in that teapot,” Mark laughs, not minding at all. He even offers you to join but you have a better idea.

“Taeyong, I have my second wish!” you call out for the wish dragon who’s suddenly much more excited about that than the water. He’s beside you in a moment, beaming and curious. You glance at Mark with a soft smile before looking at your personal genie confidently.

“I wish Jasmine would be healthy,” you whisper, playing with the tiger’s furry ears which she seems to enjoy. You were a little bit afraid the dragon would say it’s not possible, that he can’t cure sickness but to your relief, he just grins.

“Your wish, my command,” he nods and puts a hand over the animal. Nothing but a smoke of purple signals the magic being done but you believe in it and so does Mark by the looks of it. He reaches out for your hand and squeezes it gently. 

“Thank you,” he smiles and you smile back. He used to be your best friend after all, it’s the least you can do for him.

Mark convinces you to stay the weekend and there’s no way you could tell no to him, not when he clears his schedule just for you. He never complains about how busy he must be working for his father’s business while being a music major at a local university. All he ever talks about is the places he wishes to show you and he takes you around Seoul as if he was your certificated tour guide. It’s lovely how enthusiastic he is about it while what really matters to you is the time you spend together. He makes sure you two take a million photos to remember by, Taeyong posing on half of them since he joins you on your little trips and sometimes it’s just the two of you watching the wish dragon being genuinely in awe by modern technology, 10 years is a long time after all.

On the last day before you have to go back to Vancouver (thanks to Taeyong’s kind offer to take you the same way you came back since he misunderstood you, you don’t have to sit through a 10+ hours flight and you have more time), Mark not only tries to make you breakfast despite having an in-house chef (his eggs are ugly as heck but you appreciate his efforts and can’t help but coo at his dreamy smile under that grey hoodie when you tell him it tastes yummy) but he also introduces you to his friends in Korea. Of course, they tease you (mostly Mark) about where he has been hiding you but it’s all chill and fun you’re not quite ready to say goodbye. But you should go because the more you stay, the more you don’t want to leave. You’re lucky enough for this chance to reunite with Mark but all good things end eventually.

“Let’s not disappear from each other’s life again, okay?” the boy grins at you as you’re ready to go, Taeyong already working on his magic.

“Yeah, let’s not,” you agree easily, looking forward to your video chatting and constant texting even if it’s from the two opposite ends of the Earth with a terrible time zone difference.

You glance at the wish dragon who’s drumming with his fingers while pursing his lips as if he was waiting for something and you let out a huff before working up the courage to actually do something about these feelings inside of you. You might have regretted not confessing in middle school, you have spent years wondering about the what ifs, so you don’t want to make the same mistake twice but still, you want to give Mark a chance to ignore it all if he wants to. So you step forward and wrap your hands around him as you hug him close. It’s obvious that your action takes him aback, he suddenly doesn’t know what to do with his hands and his body tenses under you but it all melts as you say those words that have been threatening to fall from your lips all this time:

“I have missed you.” you confess, honest and based on the hitch in his breathing, Mark must be surprised. You can’t blame him though, you just wanted him to know. You step back with a weary smile, his big Bambi eyes on you but before he could say anything you nod at Taeyong and you feel yourself falling, purple fog pulling you in. A few moments later you’re back in Vancouver, in your apartment, without him.

The first few days pass in a blurr, you can still barely believe what just happened. Your weekend with Mark feels like a too good dream but Mark kept his side of promise and texted you almost immediately as you left. He sends you selfies, songs that remind him of you and you talk about your days like you never did before. Still, it feels like you’re dancing around certain topics which are basically the elephant in the room and maybe that’s why Taeyong tries to cheer you up in his own way. Though, he soon realizes that you not being happy isn’t the problem, you are happy, you just… miss Mark more than you ever did.

“Enough of moping, you still have a wish left!” Taeyong exclaims, throwing himself onto your bed. “Come on, close your eyes, imagine what you want the most in the world and make a wish!" he singsongs. However, before you could even just indulge him, your phone pings with a new notification.

fullsun00 tagged you in their post!

You click on it right away, wondering what Mark’s friend Donghyuck is doing online at 1AM. The uploaded post turns out to be a photo of you and Mark when you all hang out near Han river. You were too busy at the time laughing at how the boy almost lost his whole scoop of ice cream before he could have had a single bite to notice his smile while looking at you. Based on his caption Donghyuck apparently wasn’t.

fullsun00: just old friends, they say. friends my ass @buttercupyn @onyourm__ark

You click your tongue wondering what Mark thinks of the callout but you press like on the post anyways. You put your phone aside before you could see how his other friends join the teasing in the comment section.

“Actually, I do have my third wish,” you speak up as you turn to Taeyong before he could make a remark on your tinted cheeks.

You’ve been thinking a lot about it during the past days. You could wish for anything but you’re at a point of your life where no riches or fame would make you happier because you’re happy enough just the way it is. It might not be perfect but you don’t want to be selfish and you want to make decisions you won’t regret: like catching up with Mark, curing his tiger and bringing happiness into the life of somebody who only ever served other people in his life.

“Ooh, what is it?” Taeyong claps, giddy as if he was waiting for this to happen. He probably did.

“I wish you would go on a vacation and enjoy life,” you tell him but unlike his usual reaction, this time the dragon’s smile fades and he blinks at you, confused.

“You could ask for anything in the world and that’s what you want? Are you sure?” he furrows his brows, not quite believing your words but you just smile, knowingly.

“Yes, Taeyong, I’m sure.”

“Your wish, my command,” he bows with his hands put together and with a twirl suddenly he’s in a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses, looking as ready for a holiday as one can be. You chuckle and tell him to just go, you’ll be fine.

You’re fine, you really are. Life goes on, you study and work, you laugh with your friends, you video call with Mark regularly and his friends are regulars on your social media, too. It’s just sometimes the feeling of missing something hits you harder than other days. Especially when you’re looking through the pictures you have from your Seoul weekend.

“I wish you were here,” you whisper ahead of you at one particularly good photo of Mark and the sunset, smiling at you behind the camera. You miss his smile, the cute wrinkles around his eyes when he crunches his nose, the sound of his laughter, his hand on your wrist… you miss him.

Ding-dong.

You stand up startled at the sound of your flat’s bell, running to the door to open it even though you have no idea who it could be so early on a Saturday morning. Not having a better idea, you expect it to be either a neighbour of your landlord but on the other side of your doorstep stands a boy who you thought was a continent away. He’s dressed semi-casually this time, his shirt tucked in his jeans, hair lightly falling onto his forehead and a nervous smile on his thin lips.

“Mark! But I⎼ I don’t even have more wishes,” you blink, taken aback, looking around to look for Taeyong in case he came back. But your behaviour just manages to confuse Mark instead.

“What?”

“I just wished you were here,” you blurt out without thinking, your words only processing later in your brain and it’s then when heat creeps onto your cheeks. Mark tries to but can’t really hide his growing smile at that.

“Really? I’m glad then. I just took my new private plane on a test drive,” he says bashfully, a silly excuse for real.

“All the way to Vancouver?” you tease, watching Mark fumble with the hem of his shirt. Your heart beats overtime just because of the fact that he’s there. 

“Well, what can I say? I did miss the weather here,” he plays along with a shrug but he’s more serious when he looks deep into your eye and adds: “And you left without letting me answer.”

Oh yes, you did. You were kind of afraid of his reaction but seeing how he was ready to travel across the world just to see you, maybe there’s no reason for you to be so afraid. It feels like deja vu but a reversed one in a way as Mark gently pulls you into a hug, his lips grazing your hair with a whisper that makes your heart skip a beat: “I have missed you too.”

You really wouldn’t wish for anything more.

[misohelps]

((  LYRIC PROMPTS from WATERPARKS’ compilation album GREATEST HITS. part 1/2. cw/tw for foul language and allusions to stalking and suicidal ideation ))

01 GREATEST HITS

“ last night i had the strangest dream ” “ nothing will ever be the same ” “ the world is yours if you want it ”

02 FUZZY

“ my demons drive a limo ” “ i don’t know just what they want ” “ everything gets fuzzy when you come around ” “ i’m really not a bad guy ” “ you know what i mean, man ” “ i’ll be waiting ” “ i really had a good time ” “ i’m running and i can’t stay here ” “ we can’t leave you here ” “ i hear them getting close ”

03 LOWKEY AS HELL

“ i just cried into a shirt i could never afford last year ” “ it’s really how i’m feeling here ” “ i guess at least my work is working, right ? ” “ i think people like me better when i’m hurt inside ” “ they say it’s not true , and they hope i’m alright ” “ i think i’m halfway there , but my heart feels off ” “ what’s the point of being great if i’m great alone ? ” “ if you need me now , i’ll be there somehow ” “ i’ll pick you up , we can ride ” “ i promise i’m being really honest ” “ i should call my parents more ” “ i want a brain that doesn’t hate me ” “ i want to see my stupid fucking friends daily ”

04 NUMB

“ how can i be a black hole and your favorite constellation ? ” “ you’re either dying or you’re playing ” “ you only like me when i’m numb ” “  all I know is that this isn't fun ” “ the more i wrap myself up, the more i come undone ” “ now i’m mad about . . . i don’t know what ” “ we’re like coldplay that’s allowed to say the fuck word ” “ you’re like the biggest scummy bummy dummy ugly motherfucker ” “ you hate to laugh ” “ you’re too cool for me ” “ motherfucker , i look good today ”

05 VIOLET! 

“ you freak me out ” “ do you see me now ? ” “ do you have my PIN ? ” “ i don’t know how you’ll show up, or when ” “ i’m not a stalker ” “ i watch you while you’re walking ” “ you call all kinds of people who aren’t me ” “ you love me in such weird ways ” “ don’t you worry ‘cause i heard everything ” “ my panic’s at the ceiling ” “ i know you’re in there ” “ i’d break your knees to keep you here with me ” “ it’s like i’m watching you, but it’s about me ”

06 SNOWGLOBE

“  why'd you wake me when i haven't slept much lately ? ” “ i was having the same old dream again ” “ all i hear is i love you so much ” “ i’ve been living in the dark ” “ it’s 3am and everybody goes home alone ” “ everybody hates you ” “ people miss the old you ” “ they hate everything that they all changed you into ” “ i’ve been dead since 2016 ″ “ good morning, can you fix me ? ” “ my tiny little world is in your hands ” “ shake it like a snow globe, fuck my plans ” “ fuck my plans ” “ it starts to mean nothing when my heart is shut from you ” “ i don’t have sympathy ” “ i think that you need more from me ”

07 JUST KIDDING

“ i wish i was dead sometimes so i didn’t have to check my phone ” “ i wish i was dead sometimes so i could spend a day alone ” “ ah-ha, i’m just kidding ” “ remember i’m still hurting ” “ you can’t kill what you can’t see ” “ i like your apartment ” “ i like how your hair smells ” “ that’s all i can talk about without hurting your feelings ”

08 THE SECRET LIFE OF ME

“ i wish my brain could sneak away ” “ first i’d find my evil twin ” “ we complete each others’ lines ” “ i think i need a life or maybe nine ” “ i’m feeling like i’m running out of time ” “ i can sit and sunbathe ” “ i could run away like that ” “ i’m feelin like i’m running out of time ” “ we’ve got the same sunglasses ” “ maybe paradise is somewhere deep inside ” “ real life never feels like it’s mine ”

09 AMERICAN GRAFFITI

“ maybe the world was made in six days, but i could ruin mine by monday ” “ if you read this, it’s your fault ” “ maybe i should try to live one normal day ” “ you’ve been reading all about me ” “ yeah, write it down ” “ if you need me, i’m here now ” “ nothing in this world can make me think straight ” “ i’m not leaving bed ‘til friday ” “ i had therapy on wednesdays, but i haven’t been in months ” “ usually i’m all i’ve got ” “ lucky for me i don’t need a lot ”

10 YOUD BE PARANOID TOO

“ you’d be paranoid too if everyone you knew was out to get you ” “ people treat me like i’m an asshole ” “ i can’t say they’re all wrong ” “ i haven’t slept in days, but who’s counting ? ” “ might just rent a hotel room, light a few candles ” “ whoops, i got a little dark ” “ things get a little hard ” “ yeah, i’m a little bit of a little bitch . ” “ i might turn around and say some stupid shit ”

11 FRUIT ROLL UPS

“ i got some fruit by the foot if you wanna come over ? ” “ i’m sorry in advance for that shit ” “ the way you talk, it’s like cursive to me ” “ it’s like that shit was written in gel pen ” “ all you gotta do is stop texting me ” “ i bought these really sick lights if you wanna come over ” “ they tried to scam me twice ”

12 LIKE IT

“ i don't tell you how to wake up and be a dumb bitch every day ” “ how about you stay out of my lane ” “ how the hell did i end up right next to you ? ” “ what the fuck is up ? ” “ you deserve a couple bad hair days ” “ i hope that your car’s ac breaks ” “ i’d like it if you cracked your phone screen ” “ i’d like it even more if you called me ” “ do i do this for a living or a death ? ” “ it’s like, i wanna get away but i’m put in these situations ” “ instead of being creative, i’m making business decisions ” “ if they’re mad about this, you can tell them i wasn’t sober ” “ i’m gonna shave my fucking head ”

13 GLADIATOR (INTERLUDE)

“ what it comes back to is gladiators ” “ he wasn’t fighting because he liked fighting ” “ he was fighting completely for survival ” “ that’s what the media is like- they just wanna see you and that fucking other guy fight ”

14 MAGNETIC

“ i’ve spent today winning arguments against no one in my head ” “ i did great, you should’ve been there ” “ that was a joke ” “ see, no one ever leaves when they’re company ” “ the world revolves around me ” “ i got home last night on a red-eye  “ i’m the last one left ” “ fuck the past ” “ i’m magnetic to the things i hate the most ” “ is it me you’re looking for ? ” “ you’re all i want and more ” “ i’m recording it ” “ yeah i see the posts, i see the tweets ” “ i see his fucking face, but he’s not me ”

15 CRYING OVER IT ALL

“ violins like this make me feel crazy ” “ it’s nice to daydream about a daydream ” “ practice your passion on me ” “ soon everything will be gone ” “ i hope you’ll be here when it’s done ” “ i hope you’ll be here when it’s done and i’m crying over it all ” “ all i think about is where you might be ” “ i want the fireworks ” “ i want the softest words ” “ i want what you deserve ” “ i guess i’ve got the time to lose my mind ”

16 ICE BATH

“ i pray for more shit, like that would help me ” “ the world is free now ” “ i’m fucking freaking out ” “ endorse the truth and fuck the rest ” “ need a place to breathe and the sun is setting ” “ knowing that won’t make letting you down hurt less ” “ all i need is more time right now ”

17 SEE YOU IN THE FUTURE

“ why am i lying when i say i feel content ? ” “ i don’t wanna say too much ” “ what’s a meltdown between friends ? ” “ maybe i could use a couple yes men ” “ my self-esteem could use some obsession ” “ fuck it, i don’t even care ” “ i’ll see you in the future ” “ i’m a ray of sunshine, look at me ” “ hey, let me talk to elon musk, man ” “ where’s my flying truck, man ? ”  “ i put down a hundred bucks, shit never showed up ” “ if i’m the guy from castaway, that makes you wilson ” “ everything i know is gonna kill me in the end ” “ we’ll get there when we get there ” “ dudes with beards online like to say shit ”