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xxsp3llb0undxx · 2 years

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Blast from the past

Tommy Miller x Lost Lover!Reader [5.2k]

Disclaimer: Please do not repost my work to other sites or claim as your own, this is purely written from my imagination and from the help of the series. All rights of the main storyline goes to the writers and producers of The Last Of Us.

Summary: Tommy and reader were together way before the apocalypse, they were high-school sweethearts. When the cordyceps had begun to spread through the world, Y/n was on her way back to Texas after being gone for a few years, only to face the hard reality of the world turning upside down. Never knowing if Tommy ever came home or even looked for her.

WARNING: GORE ,, BLOOD ,, INFECTED ,, LOSS ,, MENTIONS OF DEATH ,, HEARTBREAK ,, SWEARING ,, PANIC ATTACK ,, MAJOR FLUFF

A/N - Listened to my 60s-70s playlist while writing this, highly recommend doing that when you're writing something set around an apocalyptic event, for some reason the music always pairs well with dystopian fics ??

MASTERLIST TLOU

Tommy, Joel and Y/n had all grown up together, went to the same schools and even lived a couple houses away from each other. Once Y/n and Tommy had hit high-school, they started to change; growing more mature. They were in sophomore year when Tommy had found the courage to ask Y/n to be his, he knew she was the one for him but the fear of never being enough always stopped him from telling her but then he did and it was the best decision Tommy ever made. Their relationship was the best it could be at their age, until Tommy left for the Army once they had finished high-school.

Y/n was alone for awhile, Joel checked up on her from time to time but he couldn't do it as often as he was a new dad and all that. Y/n had left Texas when Sarah had turned 4, two years after Tommy had been drafted, she thought it was for the best to leave this life behind and start anew. So off she went to Kansas City, she put herself through college, juggling 2 jobs just to keep herself afloat. Joel would send her pictures of Sarah every month, sharing the memories of their father-daughter bonding, what hurt Y/n the most was - there was no mention of Tommy in the couple years of her moving to another state, it was like he vanished. She wondered if he was doing well, if he had found someone who made him happy, if he ever thought of her.

It had been 12 years since Y/n had seen Tommy, no letters from him or even a fucking call. She tried to push away every memory she had of him, every joke he told her, every kiss they had shared. She wanted to forget about him because if she didn't, she would lose herself completely and that wasn't an option. Everyday was the same - wake up, shower, eat, work, sleep and repeat. It was infuriatingly boring. Y/n missed the light in her life, the enjoyment. So she went back home to Texas, maybe visiting Joel and Sarah would satisfy the loneliness following her around. She had packed her bags and put them in the trunk, it was around 12 in the afternoon when she headed off to Texas. When she had reached the state border checkpoint into Texas, it was blocked off by military trucks; the soldiers shouted out to those trying to cross - "Please get back in your vehicles and turn around, it is not safe here."

It all happened in a instant, the sky looked as if it were ablaze. Cars and trucks turned over, half blown up, smoke coming out of every crevice. There was chaos everywhere, the roads were jam-packed with abandoned cars, infected ripping apart anything with a pulse. Screams and cries all around, the noise making everything more nightmarish. The streetlights flickered, as if they were sending a message through Morse code - a plea for help. The streets of downtown Texas were dark, there was no one left for the cordyceps to infect; they had either ran off and tried to find shelter from this never-ending doom or they had met the same fate as those sprawled on the floor, lying in pools of their own blood and guts.

Y/n had finally made her way to the Miller house, the front door slightly ajar; something was terribly wrong. She had her way up the steps and walked into the dark home, it was eerily quiet as she walked around trying to find anything to help her find Joel and Sarah. Y/n had went to the kitchen and looked around for something to drink, she was dehydrated and probably suffering the effects of sleep deprivation, she finally found bottled water and stuffed them into a bag from beside the front door. Y/n put as much food and water in the bag as she could carry, picking it up and sliding it on to her back to carry. She picked up one of the kitchen knives that had fallen on the floor, hoping it'll protect her enough to get out of this fucked up place. A picture on the fridge, held up by a magnet, caught Y/n's eye; it was Sarah and Joel, they were smiling wide, eyes sparkling in the sun. She took the picture and folded it up, putting it into the front pocket of her jeans. Then she left, going somewhere she didn't know.

19 years later, June 15th 2023 - Omaha, Nebraska

It had been 19 years, 9 months and 11 days since the outbreak - not like anyone was keeping count though. The clocks had stopped, sewer systems barely working; even in the QZ's. The world had given up, let the infection win the war. Buildings now covered in vines and leaves, mother nature coming back to claim what was rightfully hers. Y/n had left the QZ in Lincoln about a year ago, sick of shovelling the ashes of those unfortunate enough to become subjected to the cordyceps. Omaha wasn't great, it was mostly populated by clickers and runners but it was big enough to keep distance from their colonies. Y/n still had her fair share of run ins with a group of clickers a few times, barely making it out alive.

The older woman had now set up camp in an abandoned subway station, the only place the infected never entered; though she could never understand why. It was dark when Y/n woke up after scavenging the surrounding areas, around 3am or at least she thought it was but no one could ever truly be sure anymore. The sound of rain hitting the steps of the subway station filled the air, it hadn't rained in what felt like years. Taking the opportunity to get more water, Y/n placed empty cans, that had been cleaned out, and bottles from her previous water, out to collect as much of the rain water possible. She had sat on the cold tiled floor for an hour or so before she heard a noise - footsteps. She could decipher two separate pairs but she wasn't entirely sure, all Y/n knew was they were coming straight for her.

With her back against the wall of one of the stone columns, gun drawn and held tightly in her hands. She was on high alert, trying to stay encased in the shadows to give her the upper hand. Once the two people had come down the steps and into view, she noticed it was a man and a younger girl, probably his daughter. The girl walked over to Y/n's sleeping area, rooting through her things; taking what was needed. The sound of a trigger being pulled ricocheted off the walls of the station, drawing the attention of the two strangers. Y/n crouched, moving along the tiled floor keeping distance between her and the two intruders. "Put my shit down or I swear, I will shoot you both and leave you as chow for the clickers." The threat made the girl put down what she had taken, backing away from Y/n's stash.

"Stop hiding in the shadows, if you wanted to kill us you would've done it already." The sound of a rough voice called out, he had an accent of some sort but Y/n couldn't put her finger on it. With her gun held tightly in her hands, she slowly walked out from where she had been hiding, aiming the barrel at the two people in front of her. The older male had deep brown eyes, his brown hair had flecks of grey running through it, same as his beard. Y/n thought he looked familiar, like she had known him in a past life. The girl, who was close to his side, had long brown hair pulled into a ponytail, brown eyes that held so much fear. She couldn't have been more than 15. The salt and pepper haired man wearily stepped forward, his hands in front of him in an attempt to calm the situation and not get himself shot.

"Hey. Hey, aim at me. She's just a kid, point the gun at me." Y/n diverted her attention from the young girl, now completely focused on the man in front of her. Half of his face hidden behind a shadow from his flashlight reflecting off one of the walls, casting dark shapes around the room. She noticed a small scar on the side of his face, grazing across his temple. His skin was tanned, slight wrinkles adorned his face. Y/n was in a trance, unable to process being slammed to the floor by the older male, her gun now being pointed at her head. She was scared but she knew better than to let it show, her eyes narrowed at the man above her; the more she looked at him the more he resembled someone she once loved. Tommy fucking Miller. But he was gone, and she knew it wasn't him but he looked so much like the man threatening to blow her head off.

The two intruders had tied Y/n's hands behind one of the stations columns, her gun now in the lap of the man who pinned her to the floor not to long ago. The young girl kept sneaking small glances at Y/n, her dark brown eyes wide with distrust. "Can you get your kid to stop staring at me, it's fucking creepy." Her voice came out hoarse, the man looked her way debating whether to acknowledge her or not. "She's not my kid. And Ellie leave the goddamn woman alone, you don't need to stare." His accent was becoming more noticeable, he had a southern drawl.

Y/n's eyes looked between the pair, trying to figure out why such a young kid would be with some man that wasn't related to her in anyway. Before she could voice her concern, Ellie started rummaging through her bag, pulling everything out. A picture fell out, the one of Sarah and Joel that she took the day everything went to shit. "Hey. Put that back, you don't get to fucking touch that." Her voice was raised, she thrashed about trying to get loose from the restraints. Ellie ignored her and spoke to the older male beside her and handed him the picture. He took it from her and stared at it with tear filled eyes, he hadn't see that picture in years, he had almost forgotten what his daughter looked like.

His head snapped up at Y/n, anger bubbled in the pit of his stomach. He needed to know how she had this picture. He took long strides over to her figure against the column, crouching in front of her; the picture now laying in her lap. "How do you have this picture? Now don't fucking lie to me either." He was ready to shoot Y/n and leave her here to rot or maybe even feed her to the infected lurking around. "Sarah.." Y/n whispered, her voice on the point of breaking. Soft cries wracked her body, hiccups getting caught in her throat. Then everything clicked in Joel's head, he finally knew who this woman was - Y/n, his annoying best friend, but also Tommy's ex.

Ellie noticed Joel's demeanour change in an instant, she didn't understand why he was acting like his world had just crumbled around him when he had been treating Y/n like shit 10 minutes prior, he was unpredictable. Ellie sat there watching the whole scene unfold in front of her eyes, it started with Joel undoing Y/n's restraints and bringing her into him, holding her close. Then were the tears, Joel fucking Miller was crying; Ellie was stunned, who was this man and what happened to the stubborn ass that never joked around? Joel and Y/n held each other for 20 minutes, just sat there clinging onto each other. Once everything had died down, Joel had turned to Ellie and waved her over, he wanted her to meet the woman that he cared dearly for.

Ellie and Y/n had fallen asleep a couple hours ago, Joel told them he'd keep watch even though Y/n had told him no infected ever step foot in the station. He was sat by himself, far enough from the two sleeping figures for them to not hear him finally let out his emotions as he cradled the picture of Sarah. He finally had a piece of her again, something to keep him going. The sound of rustling fabric broke him away from his little moment, he looked over to see Y/n walking over to him. "You need some rest, Joel. I'll keep watch, I wont let anything happen to you or Ellie." He shook his head at the young woman beside him, he didn't want to fall asleep in case everyone disappeared and he would be alone again.

The two sat in silence for awhile until the rays of the sun beamed through the cracks of the station, creating streaks of white and yellow throughout the building. Y/n turned to Joel noticing his hunched over figure still clutching the picture, she moved his head to lay on her shoulder hoping he would be more comfortable. A content sigh left his lips as he slumped more into the woman, his weight leaning against her smaller frame. Ellie had woken up a little while after, Y/n put her finger to her lips signally for the girl to stay quiet in fear she would wake Joel up. Ellie only nodded and pulled out a book from her bag and began reading it, stifled giggles broke through the quiet room Y/n look at the girl once more; she noticed Ellie reading 'No Pun Intended: Volume Too' by Will Livingston, a faint smile appeared on Y/n's face.

Joel woke up to the smell of coffee brewing, it reminded him of the past, the good ol' days. He opened his eyes, squinting slightly at the sun rays seeping into the room. "Ugh! The fuck is that?" Ellie's voice broke through the air, Y/n broke into laughter "You don't like coffee?" The question making Ellie look at her in disbelief. Joel grumbled before getting up and walking over to the pot, checking if the coffee was brewed. Y/n threw a granola bar at Joel, which he barely caught, telling him to eat up. "So, where you guys heading?" Ellie was the one to answer - "We're going to Wyoming, Joel said his brother was there." Y/n looked at Joel, he avoided eye contact afraid of her shouting at him for not telling her about Tommy. All she did was huff and filled up her flask with coffee, screwing the lid on tight.

One week later, June 22th 2023 - Jackson, Wyoming

Joel, Ellie and Y/n had left Omaha a week ago, carrying their lives in their bags. The trek across states was tiring, always having to look over their backs in case of any surprise attacks from infected or worse - people. The sun had gone down a couple hours ago, the sky littered with stars dancing around, it was a beautiful sight. The trio set up camp in a little cave by the riverbend, snow blanketed the ground all around. It was bitterly cold, puffs of smoke entering the frosty air whenever they let out a breath of oxygen. Ellie was stood on a small ledge beside the cave, Joel would never admit it but he saw a lot of Sarah in Ellie; the witty comments, the sarcasm, always wanting to be older. It was a bittersweet feeling.

"Come down from there. You're gonna break your neck." Joel's voice called out to Ellie, earning a sigh from the young girl before hopping down. A fire had been started to try and provide the group more warmth, Joel took out a flask and started drinking from it. He passed it to Y/n, in which she took a gulp, the liqueur burning her throat slightly. "Can I have some?" - "No." Joel didn't hesitate to shut her down, she was a kid for god sake. "What? Just to warm up. C'mon." Joel gave in, nodding his head at Y/n, motioning for her to hand the flask over to Ellie. The young girl took a sip and pulled a face of disgust, earning a laugh from Y/n. "Yep.. still gross."

Everything was quiet for awhile, the sound of birds calling out from above was the only noise in the dark forest. Ellie was the one to break the silence, asking a question about what they would all do after she saved the world. Joel told her he wanted to have a farmhouse, own a ranch full of sheep; the thought made Y/n smile, she knew he always wanted a peaceful life away from the rest of the world, even before the whole cordyceps world domination. Ellie was the next to answer her own question "It's probably because I grew up in the QZ. Behind you, there's ocean, and ahead of you, there's a wall." She paused before continuing "Nowhere else to look but up. I read everything I could in the school library. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell.. But you know who my favourite is?" - "Sally Ride" A smile had grew on Ellie's face "Sally fucking Ride, best astronaut name ever."

Y/n never answered the question, she didn't know what she wanted really. She knew she wanted to find Tommy but she never took into account, what if he didn't want her anymore? What if he was happy with someone else, with a family of his own? The thought broke her heart, she knew it was a possibility but the thought of it would always shatter the only thing that held onto her life before all of this.

Joel and Ellie were still passed out, Y/n hadn't slept all night; exhaustion settling into her bones as she lent up against the stone wall behind her, Joel's rifle held close to her chest as she looked around her surroundings. The sound of joints clicking drew her attention to Joel, he was stretching his arms above his head, probably trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling from laying on the stone floor. "Don't give me that look, Joel. You needed to sleep, I can handle whatever comes at us, I'm not a baby anymore." He shook his head, he would never get used to Y/n being all grown up; he still remembers her and Tommy being kids running around on the front lawn as his mother shouted for them to come inside. Those were the memories that kept him going, kept him fighting for something better.

"You know, Tommy was heartbroken when he came home after serving. He kept asking me where you were, why someone else was living in your house." Y/n's eyes glazed over, she wanted to talk - say anything but her voice was caught in her throat. Joel placed his much larger hand into her smaller one, holding it as gently as he could; afraid he would hurt her if he was anything but careful. The gesture made Y/n look over at him, he looked tired, like the world had given up on him - which in some cases, it did. "I.. I never said thank you, so um - thank you for taking care of me all those years ago, Joel. You saved me from losing myself." That struck deep, he thought he was never enough, always fucking up and losing people closest to him. But looking at Y/n, he could still see the light in her eyes - though it had dimmed slightly. A ghost of a smile played on his lips, he felt like he finally done right.

Ellie had woken up shortly after Joel and Y/n's conversation, her hair now out of her usual ponytail, eyes wide open. "Hope I didn't interrupt your little moment." And there it was, her snarky comments. "Listen up, zombie child. Me and Joel didn't have a moment, we're not like that." Ellie stared at Y/n, stunned by what she had said. Then she had laughed, a cackle if you please, flipping the older woman off. "Okay, that was a good one. Joel take notes, be more funny like Y/n." Joel grumbled at her, a scowl replacing his once lovestruck features.

An hour and a half later - The river of death

The trio had made it past what they had originally thought was the 'river of death', relief washing over them. Then the sound of horses and people shouting disrupted the quiet atmosphere, Joel grabbed Ellie's wrist running back to where they had just come from but it was too late, the trio was surrounded by twelve or more riders all carrying guns. One of them hopped down and walked a little in front of the rest. "We ain't lookin' for trouble, we're just passin' through." - "Drop your guns." Nothing Joel could say would change this situation, they were fucked. "You.." The rider pointed at Ellie "Take five steps back." Ellie looked between Joel and Y/n, her eyes begging for help. Y/n had to think of something to help her, the kid needed someone with her right now so Y/n could only do one thing. "Hey, excuse me. She's my daughter, please let me stay with her, I'm all she has left." Y/n forced her voice to break at the end of her sentence, tears pricking at her eyes.

The woman on one of the horses nodded her head at Y/n, letting her walk over to Ellie; engulfing her in a warm embrace. Joel looked over at them, his eyes told the words he couldn't - I'm sorry for everything. "You been near infected?" the man had said, panic set in the pit of Y/n's stomach as she held Ellie closer. "There ain't no infected out here." Joel stated bluntly, trying to find a way to get out of this situation. "The hell there ain't." the man whistled, a dog running up behind him. "Last chance for a bullet. If you've been infected, he will smell it, and he will rip you up." Ellie whimpered, Joel turned his head towards them and mouthed - You will be okay, I swear. The dog, ran up to Joel, sniffing him; his paws placed against Joel's stomach as the dog checked for the smell of infection. He was clean, the dog turned his attention to Y/n and Ellie; his growls ripping through the air as he stalked towards them. Joel shut his eyes tight, scared to see anything happen to them. But all that was heard next was giggles and happy barks, the dog was licking Ellie's hands as Y/n pet him "Who's a good boy?" The dog barked in return before turning around and speeding off to his owner.

"You just bought yourself 10 more seconds. What are you doing out here?" The man was getting impatient, bored by the whole interaction. "I'm just lookin' for my brother. That's all, nothin' more." The woman on the horse perked up at this, like she was a mix between happy and surprised. "What's your name?" Her voice was as smooth as honey "Joel."

The group of riders had allowed Joel, Ellie and Y/n to ride their horses back to their settlement. Joel was on his own as Ellie clung to Y/n, arms wrapped tightly around her waist. They rode for half an hour or so, until they saw big wooden gates about 1/2 a mile in front of them, the words - Jackson - painted on a sign above it. Once they had made it to the settlement, they were met with masses of people walking around, buildings looking like they did before the outbreak. Then Joel noticed someone on a step ladder helping another citizen with something. "Tommy!" the name caught Y/n's attention, her head snapping in the direction of Joel running over to a younger male. Then it hit her, Tommy Miller was alive and he was a few feet in front of her. His hair was much longer now, he had sun kissed skin, freckles dancing across his face. "Hey, Tommy, listen.. I have someone you're gonna want to see." Joel walked over to the horse Y/n and Ellie were sat on, his brother trailing behind. Y/n wasn't ready, she couldn't face him yet, so she did was she does best - run.

Joel called out her name as she ran, looking for a place to hide. She found herself in the stables, pushed into the furthest corner of the building. Tears falling down her cheeks, her chest tightening as she tried to control her breathing. A sharp pain stabbed at her lungs, her breathing rugged and uneven. A hand placed on Y/n's back made her jump, she looked beside her and saw the man she had fallen in love with all those years ago, he was still oh so beautiful. "Hey, doll. You need to calm down, I'm here now." Tommy placed her hand on his heart, she could feel the hammering beating of the muscle, it calmed her down enough for her to breathe; though it still came out in sharp waves. They sat together for what felt like hours, his hand combing through her hair trying his best to calm her down as much as possible.

"I'm, I'm sorry for leaving. I- I didn't know if you were ever going to come back." Y/n tried her best to speak, hiccups breaking through every so often. Tommy shook his head, bringing her closer to him. If he knew she would've showed up in his settlement one day, he would've chosen his life a little differently. It broke him knowing he was going to have to tell Y/n he was no longer hers, how was he going to break the news? It wasn't his fault, him and Maria kinda just happened; it wasn't planned. But right now, all Tommy wanted to do was relish in this moment; memorise every bit of it and lock it away in his mind for safe keeping. He would always love Y/n but he was married now, about to have a kid; something he was too young to do with her back then. "Why did you leave me? Was I not enough for you?" Now that had shattered the remaining pieces of his heart, Tommy hesitated for a moment, thinking over what he wanted to say. "I didn't want to leave you, darling. I just.. I didn't feel like I belonged, I needed to escape from it all.. I'm sorry, doll. You were more than enough, I promise." Tommy's voice broke, it had betrayed him for the first time in years.

Their little moment was interrupted when Maria and Ellie entered the stables, the older woman glaring daggers at Y/n - who was still clinging to Tommy. She turned to Ellie and asked if she wanted to pet the pony, Shimmer. With Ellie now distracted, Maria walked over to Tommy and Y/n, forcing the younger Miller to stand up and pulling him away from the stables. Y/n's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she watch the love of her life being ripped away from her, once again.

Joel, Ellie and Y/n were housed across from Tommy and Maria, who Y/n had found out to be Tommy's wife. The house reminded her of the past, the good ol' days. Memories of Y/n, Tommy and Joel as kids running around the Miller household flooded her head. Mrs. Miller calling out to the trio, telling them to hurry inside before it started raining, baking cookies with her, dancing around the kitchen while Abba was playing on a cassette Tommy had found in his parents room. Joel teaching Y/n to play the guitar, growing up with the both of them. Those were the times Y/n longed for, the times when everything felt right. She wanted everything to go back to normal, she would give up everything just to go back in time to relive those special moments.

A knock on the door sounded throughout the house, shaking Y/n out of her daze. She went to go answer it but Ellie had beat her to it. The door opened and there stood Tommy, he looked rough; eyes red and puffy, his skin flushed. "Ellie, Maria asked for you. Could you give me and Y/n a moment please?" His voice was broken, the last time Y/n had ever heard him sound like this was when his parents passed away. He went off the rails that day, Joel had to haul his ass all the way to Y/n's house because he didn't trust him enough to be at home on his own. Ellie nodded her head and sneaked past the pair, heading across the street to Maria's home.

"Tommy? What-" Y/n was cut off by Tommy placing his hands on her face and kissing her, it was gentle; something she had missed. He pulled away before she could kiss him back. "Tommy, baby.. what happened?" Y/n brought Tommy into the living room, making him sit on one of the sofa's. His hands were shaking, his eyes looked around the room refusing to meet with her gaze. "We- we broke up.. Maria told me to leave and- and never come back." His voice wavered, sobs wracked his body as he tried to remain calm. Arms wrapped around his frame, the soft scent of soap filling his senses. Her skin was delicate, faint scars littering her hands and arms. "It's okay, Tom. She didn't mean it, she loves you." Y/n forced herself to not breakdown, Tommy wasn't hers anymore and she just had to be okay with it.

Tommy turned to look at her, his eyes scanning her face; she hadn't changed much, hair longer, skin tanned but she was still the Y/n he loved, still the woman he longed to have a life with. "But I love you, doll. I always will and I can't push myself to live a life without you.." Those three little words struck at her heart, it felt like she could finally breathe again. But she remembered Tommy was married and she couldn't ruin what Maria and Tommy had made for themselves. Y/n pulled herself away from him, her head in her hands as she tried to think over everything that has happened in the last few hours. Tommy reached out for her hand and place it on his chest, like he had done earlier that day. "You feel that? My heart beats for you, no one else. It belongs to you, darlin'." Then he kissed her again, this time it was filled with pure love, the need to be with each other. He wasn't giving up on her this time, he couldn't lose her for the second time. He would follow her to the ends of the earth if he had to, she was his home.

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fizzing-imagines · 1 year

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Neighbourly Love | Billy Hargrove x Army! Reader

Notes: This is based on an idea that @billyssillywilly gave me. I had a fun time writing and researching for this, it's one of my favourites so far!! Please note that reader is female, muscular and has long-enoigh hair ro put into a military bun in this. For my readers who know Call Of Duty: I might have added some people for y'all 😚 Enjoy!

Warnings: Mention of war, mention of sex

Word Count: 5.5k

You regretted not agreeing to a gated community now more than ever. While you were on deployment in Iraq for almost a year, a new neighbour moved in next door. You didn't think about it much at first, all you wanted to do was catch up on months of lost sleep. And you knew a lot of young couples or singles who liked to party lived on your street, but at least they kept it on the down low so you were actually able to get some good rest. After three days in hibernation you wanted to sit in your backyard with your K-9, Missy, and drink a Mojito but you didn't have any produce for obvious reasons. So it was time for a trip to Target. And while walking to your car that's when you saw him, your new neighbour, for the first time. He was fixing something on his tires, shirtless and in a pair of jeans. "Billy?", you yelled over.

You've lived in California all your life, originally in Los Angeles but then you moved to San Diego for your job. Your entire childhood was spend in Los Angeles, always in the same house with the same neighbours: The Hargroves. Their son, Billy, used to be your friend until he started bullying you after his mother left LA. Ever since then, he has been your sworn enemy, and Billy thought the same of you. Not only did you two insult each other at any chance you got, you also tried to one-up each other academically all the time. Then, he suddenly moved away in October 1984. That was seven years ago, and now he was back.

"(Y/N)?" He looked up at you while walking over to his fence. "Shit, what are you doing here?" He looked you up and down and so did you with him. "I live here. What are you doing here? Didn't you move?" Your eyes fell on a big scar on his chest, then you noticed multiple others on the sides of his torso. "Yeah, I was in Indiana.", he answered. To not be rude, you looked back into his eyes. "Some shithole town called Hawkins. Came back to LA three years ago, moved to San Diego six months ago." Was he all by himself? Well, his father has always been a piece of shit so you couldn't blame him if that was the case. Either that, or he miraculously found a wife in 'some shithole town called Hawkins'. "Still as charming as ever.", you scoffed at his lingo. "Yeah, well, what are you gonna do about it?" He laughed in a dismissing manner, checking you out once more. "You still on your military trip?" Coming from a family with war veterans, you've been wanting to join the airforce since you were a child. Even back when you and Billy were still friends you did. "My 'military trip'" you put those words in air quotes "is my career now. I'm an army EOD." Billy was quiet for a bit, clearly thinking about something, before saying "EOD where the explosive-guys, right?" He should remember all this, you talked about nothing else as a kid. "Explosive ordnance disposal, yes.", you said. "Well, I have to go. See you around." You turned around to walk to your car, which made Billy check out your butt before you hopped into your red Ford F250.

Three hours later and with a full trunk of Target bags, you pulled back into your driveway. As you went to unload your groceries (and the homeware you couldn't say no to), loud music came from the house next door. As you expected, it was Billy. Light was coming out of his garage with half his car parked into it. You didn't pay attention for now, but even after you unloaded and unpacked you heard his music blasting from his garage. He didn't change, after all. "Come on, Missy.", you cooed while getting your german shepherd on her leash. It was time for a walk anyways, so you might as well drop by and ask him to turn down the music. As you left your front door and started walking down the street with your dog on your right. "Hargrove!", you yelled while walking up his driveway. "Hey, Hargrove!", you yelled once again while somehow letting your drill sergeant voice come out. He peaked up from underneath his car, and grinned in a mischievous manner when he saw you approaching. "Already missing me, sergeant?", he asked while getting up and walking towards you. You noticed that he now wore a white tanktop that was smeared with motor oil. "Could you turn the music down?", you asked him as nicely as you could. "What was that?", he asked while looking at you like he didn't hear you - you knew he did. "Can you turn the music down?", you repeated. "What?", he repeated, leaning towards to you. "Can you please turn your music down?", you finally said in a frustrated tone. Billy grinned, said "Sure thing, sergeant." He walked over to his radio, turning down Puppet Master by Metallica. "Didn't know you were such a party pooper, sarge. Saw you at so many party's in our high school days." You rolled your eyes at him. "I'm not a sergeant, I'm an officer.", you said. Missy, who was next to you, kept looking at Billy. She could feel how tense you were and would snap at him if you gave her the command. "Sorry for stepping on your toes, officer.", Billy said with a malicious grin. "Is that all?" You nodded and gave Missy a non-verbal command to stand back up. "That's all. See you around." You turned on your heel and went your way for your walk. As you went down the street, you could hear him turning up the music again.

And he did it for weeks. It drove you insane. You couldn't sleep properly anymore, not even nap during the day, Missy was irritated, and not even you inviting your army friends over helped. "Alex, I swear to god, he's driving me fucking insane.", you said while mixing your third mojito of the night. "He keeps blasting his fucking music, and now he's started inviting the neighbours to his house for partying." Your colleague and friend Alex Keller listened to you rant about Billy while silently drinking his beer. "Every time I ask him, he just says Yes Sergeant and does the complete opposite." Alex handed you a new plastic straw, still not saying a single word, which you used to drink your cocktail. "And when I do finally sleep, I see nothing but the bombs and I can't even get a good night's rest." Now he was finally talking. "Should I go talk to him?", Alex asked. Just as he said that, Metallica could be heard from next door. You thought about his offer while sipping on your mojito, and did agree. Maybe actually talking would help. So Alex went over.

Billy always provoked you with intentions. After noticing how much you came over to ask him to turn it down, he blasted his music regularly. Sure, it wasn't why he wished you'd come over but after your decade-long rivalry he couldn't exactly find another way to get your attention. But what he knew is that raging jealousy came over him every time he saw Alex, who he nicknamed Your Buddy, pull up to your house. He suspected that something was going on between you two, so naturally he turned his music even louder when he saw his jeep in your driveway. And now, as he saw your buddy approach his property, he could barely contain his anger. Thanks to Neil, he swallowed it down and got up from the tires he was fixing.

"Hey, uhm, Billy, wasn't it?", Alex said to him. Billy nodded and reached his hand out for a handshake. "That's me.", he answered while the two shook each others hands. "Can I help you?". It took everything inside Billy to pull himself together. "Actually, there's something you can help (Y/N) with.", Alex said as he leaned against his garage. "Listen man, she's having a really hard time sleeping. And we got back from Iraq just a week ago, (Y/N) needs all the sleep she can get to deal with what we went through." Billy didn't know this, and some form of guilt hit him right in the gut. "Shit, well, I didn't know that." He truly didn't, but he wouldn't admit to turning his music up all the way just to mess with you. So he turned around to quiet down his radio. "I was actually in an accident a few years ago, it really messed with my hearing so I don't notice when something might be too loud." Alex gave him an understanding nod. He was very oblivious for an officer, because while the accident part was true he lied about his hearing. The mindflayer didn't affect his hearing in the slightest. "While I got you here, I have a question.", Billy then added. "Sure, what is it?", your colleague asked him. It was scary how easy it was for Billy to win people over. "Are you, like, (Y/N)'s boyfriend or something?" He needed to know. That was an information he needed for his peace of mind. Although he wouldn't know what to do it the answer was yes. "Oh no, man. I'm just her colleague. I just check on her so she gets help with working through with what she saw in Iraq. Felt like I was the best one to do that after I left my leg in Borjomi." Alex lifted part of his left pant leg up so reveal a good look at his titanium prosthetic leg. Billy, honestly, didn't care. Even though that guy was probably a war hero who saved thousands of lives, all he cared about was the fact that you weren't dating him. But he couldn't say that. "Well, thank you for your service.", he said to him. Alex gave him a smile and a nod before reaching out his hand again. They shook hands, this time as a goodbye, and your friend said: "Always a pleasure, have a good one." He walked back over to your house, where he told you about the encounter.

Billy did actually stay quiet for the most part. Sure, he threw a party here and there, but in comparison to the hours of blasting music that was absolutely fine. However, now he kept complaining about your dog. While Missy wasn't a sweet dog, she was calm enough. You trained her twice a day, even off-duty, to keep her senses sharp and play-wrestled with her to get her energy out. Of course she'd bark from time-to-time, especially while training. But she was really calm besides that. "Does she ever shut up?", he said over the fence as you were playing on the ground with her. "More than you, at least.", you replied while still playing with her over who gets the rope. Secretly, Billy thought it was adorable. Especially now, where you were in shorts and a tank top he could clearly see all the muscles you've build up since he was gone - you've changed so much. The way the muscles in your arm flexed when you tugged on the rope made him feel things he didn't know he had in him, and seeing yout thighs flex as you dug your heels into the ground gave him a big mental boner. "Come on Missy, are you a K-9 or a mouse?", you said while laughing, to which she finally tugged the rope out of your hands. "Good girl, Missy!" You gave her a treat before dusting yourself off. "Why did you name her Missy anyways?" You didn't even notice that Billy was still watching you until he asked that question. "I wanted to name her Missile at first.", you said while looking at your K-9 chewing on a pig ear. "But then I thought that calling for Missile in the middle of potential war ground wasn't the best idea. So I named her Missy, as a short version of Missile." Billy made a humming sound as a response, to acknowledge that he listened to you. "Well, anyways, if I turned down my music for you I'd appreciate if you kept your Missile under controll." You rolled your eyes at him and went back to paying attention to Missy while Billy went back to whatever he was doing before. But that normal, calm question made your heart ache.

You had a crush on Billy in your childhood, until he started bullying you. It was that little child puppylove, but those feelings were real. And if he hadn't changed so much over the years you'd probably be in love with him right now. So that conversations, a normal conversation, stung like a wasp. Missy noticed and went to lick your hand. "You'll always be with me, won't you.", you cooed at her before petting her head.

After two weeks back in San Diego, you went to work at base again. Mostly paperwork about what you did in Iraq, while simulation looking at possible new deployment options. Being away from Billy was also good for you, you didn't have to see him all day or listen to his bullshit. Because ever since that conversation your feelings for him came back in some weird, twisted way. You tried your best to shove them away, even trying to get over them by hooking up with your fellow soldiers.

It was Simon Riley today who followed you home. "Third guy this week, new record.", Billy yelled over while you and Simon stepped out of the cars. "Fuck off, Hargrove!", you yelled back before getting inside with your colleague.

While you and Simon were going at it, the mood was ruined by Billy blasting Metallica once again. He couldn't contain his jealousy, being so angry at your fellow soldier that he somehow wanted to make him go away. There was no way he could physically get into your house, so he did what he does best; annoying you with his music. "Fuckin' hell.", Simon sighted, still inside you. "Told you I had an annoying neighbour.", you said while being out of breath. "Not lettin' this go to waste.", he simply said before continuing.

But he did it so well that Billy could hear you. And the rage inside of him just grew and grew more, it was almost unbearable to him. He let it out by working out, but even that didn't help the way it normally does. And christ, once he saw Simon walking out of your house he could barely contain himself. Knowing that Simon was also a soldier, and twice his size, he went back inside to not do anything irrational.

Weeks passed, but your feelings didn't. They were still very present, and only grew during any semi-normal conversation. So when he stood in front of your door, asking to stay for three days, you were floored. A pipe in his house bursted and flooded most of the ground floor. He got a few clothes out, but had to leave so it could be repaired. Stupidly enough, you agreed against better judgement. "What is that, your trophy wall?", Billy asked when he saw your living room wall; the formal picture of you in army uniform, the badges you earned, pictures of you and Missy in different countries. The one that struck him the most was the one in the middle: You on your graduation day, with your veteran grandfathers and veteran dad, all in uniform. "Your dad was in the military?", Billy asked. You stood next to him and looked at the picture with him. "Dad was in Vietnam from '69 'til '73. Was never quite the same afterwards." He had to be honest with himself, he did not remember that piece of information from your childhood even though the two of you were still friends back then. Actually, he didn't remember much good things from him childhood to begin with. "And your grandpa's?", he continued asking. "Geez Billy, do you not remember any rant I gave you as a child?", you jokingly asked while nudging his shoulder. "World war two, both of them. Gramps and Pawpaw were in Northern Ireland, the 'Red Bull' division." Billy gave an understanding hum before his eyes went to the most recent picture of you and Missy. "Well, uhm, I have a guest bedroom you can stay in. Come on." You guided him upstairs to the room right next to yours. The guest room was much smaller than yours, but had all the necessities; a bed, a closet, a small table with a chair, spare toothbrushes and toothpaste in a cupboard and a bookshelf with some of your old books. "I was gonna make dinner, hope you like deli style sandwiches." With those words, you left him alone in the guest room. He didn't see a point in unpacking his clothes much, so he just left them on the table inside his bag. Next, he checked out the door to the bathroom - just to realise it's connected to your bedroom and the two of you will have to share it. With impure thoughts, he went downstairs into the kitchen.

"Here's yours." You pushed a plate with two sandwiches on ot towards him while already eating a sandwich yourself. With your legs dangling in the air, you were sitting on the kitchen counter while Billy stood next to you. "You always eat like this?", he asked you while taking something from his plate. "In the kitchen or the food?", you asked him. "In the kitchen, on the counter.", he specified. "Oh." You laughed. "I do, yeah. Don't you remember how my mum always let us snack on the kitchen island?" He did remember that. "Kept that habit, yeah?", he asked with a slight smile. You nodded in response and took another bite of your sandwich while feeling your heart beating faster. Most of dinner was spend in silence, until Missy came in the kitchen. A check on your clock told you that it was time for her dinner, so you jumped off of the counter to fill her bowl.

"She won't start begging for food now, no?", Billy asked while finishing up his sandwich. You rolled your eyes at him "Jesus, Billy, stop trying to find shit to complain about." The clinking of the kibble hit the bowl while you continued scolding him. "She's a K-9, trained to sniff for explosives and you seriously think that she's one to actively beg for food?" He didn't say anything, just continued eating while watching you give the food to Missy. You, now a bit pissed, put your dishes in the dishwasher while talking to Billy. "I leave for work at 5, I'll put a spare key on the kitchen counter for you. Don't know when you start working, so if you wanna eat something just grab something from the fridge." You took his now-empty plate from him and also put it in the dishwasher. "I come back at 6, so you need to make lunch yourself. But please, for the love of god" You closed the dishwasher. "Clean up after yourself." Billy just gave a hum, showing he understood. "I'll get ready for bed, just be quiet please." You went upstairs to wash your face, brush out the hairgel from your military bun and whipe down the dirt from your work day. Billy didn't stay downstairs for long, he came into the bathroom as you were brushing your hair. He started washing down with a wet cloth as well. "Do you always work 12 hour shifts?", he asked after a while. You already moved on to applying your moisturiser. "For four days, then I get four days off.", you replied.

"Why the army and not the airforce?", you stopped in your track for a second. He did actually remember what you told him. "Well, I didn't pass for flying planes. Then I thought of being a marine, but they honestly have shit working hours. So I decided on a career in the army. Then I got into the whole EOD stuff.", you simply replied. He nodded while putting toothpaste on his toothbrush. "Isn't it dangerous to detonate bombs?", Billy asked before putting the toothbrush into his mouth. You smiled, gave him a small laugh and he could feel his heart skip a beat. "You ask a lot of questions today.", you said. "It is actually one of the most dangerous jobs you could have. But the mortality rate is only at 2%, so we're pretty damn good." You put your hair into braids for sleeping. "Well, I'll be off to bed. Good night, Billy." You gave him another smile before going into your bedroom. He couldn't get the image of you smiling out if his head, it burned into his eyelids. Even when he went to bed and closed his eyes, he still saw it. His imagination ran wild, from pinning you against a wall to laying next to you while slowly kissing you. He couldn't stop thinking about it. It stayed in his mind so much that he even dreamed about walking along the beach with you, hand in hand.

Next morning, he could hear some clinking from the bathroom and soft music playing. When he got up to brush his teeth, he saw you doing your hair in the bathroom. It was an extremely tight bun that you slathered hair gel on to keep every little hair in place. You were already partially in uniform, your camo pants and shirt with your last name on it. Billy then realised that he has never seen you in uniform ever since he found out you were his neighbour. Every time you came home, you were in civilian clothes. But, oh, did his heart start beating. He thought you were the most beautiful girl he ever saw.

"Morning.", you said to him with a small smile. "Mornin'.", he replied while getting his toothbrush. Billy didn't wear a shirt yet, he was only in sweatpants that hung a bit too low. You had to admit, you did give him a look through the mirror. Meanwhile, ABBA's Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! was playing from the radio in your bathroom. He brushed his teeth while sometimes sneaking a glance at you through the mirror. Billy saw the small smile that was on your lips while silently lip-syncing the song, he saw every freckle, every mole and thought you were the most perfect being ever. The feelingin his chest and stomach became overwhelming to him.

"(Y/N)?", Billy said while putting his toothbrush into the toothbrush cup you set out for him. You turned around to face him while putting your hairbrush on the counter, and before you could react Billy leaned towards to kiss you. It all happened so quickly that you didn't have time to react. "Have fun at work.", he said afterwards before walking back into his room.

"And it all happened so quick, I didn't even have time to react.", you finished up your story to your coworker Johnny. "Fuckin' hell, you're in the army and have the reaction time of a sloth." He laughed before eating again. Todays lunch was chicken with egg noodles and vegetables. "I don't exactly have combat reaction when I'm at home.", you said to him before eating another fork-full yourself. "Always have to be ready lass, especially when it's your bitch of a neighbour who you have a crush on." Johnny laughed at his own words, to which you punched him in the arm. "I do not have a crush on him, Johnny MacTavish!" He rolled his eyes at you. "Fuck off, (L/N), I know fucking for compensation when I see it." Guilty as charged.

You wasted time after work by stopping at Target to originally buy some food, but you couldn't help to get a new fluffy blanket. On the way back, you picked up two sandwiches at Subway for Billy and you. So you walked through your front door at 8, just to see Billy in the hallway looking at your military wall. You didn't say a word, wanting to avoid him, and walked straight into your kitchen to unpack. Missy followed you by the heel, not paying and attention to Billy who gave her a side eye. As quickly as humanely possible you unpacked your groceries, threw the blanket on the couch and grabbed your sandwich to go eat in your room. "There's food in the kitchen for you.", you said to him before disappearing upstairs. Missy stayed in the living room and got comfortable in her basket next to the couch. Billy took his food, sat down on the living room couch and started eating.

"Any idea how I can win her over?", he asked Missy after a while. She looked at him and tilted her head. "Oh don't give me that, you know she intimidates me." Once Billy finished his food, he sat down next to Missys basket. "I know I should be nicer, but I can't help it, you know?" She put her head on his leg, to which he started scratching her behind her ear. "I just get so angry when I'm jealous. Really need to work on that." He continued talking to your K-9 about you, how he could make it up to you, how he needs to get less angry, that he doesn't mean it when he acts like he doesn't like Missy. Meanwhile, you left your room to bring some dishes downstairs but stopped in your tracks when you heard him talk. At first, you thought he was on the phone, then you heard that he was talking about you. "Can't you tell her, Missy?" was what made everything click in your brain. He was talking to your dog about you. That confused you so much that you went back into your room and left the dishes on your nightstand for a few more hours.

You didn't see Billy until the next day, when you came back from your last day of work for the week. But the kiss didn't leave your mind. When you walked upstairs to shower, the door of the guest bedroom was half-opened. Your curiosity got the best of you and you took a peek inside the room. Billy was sitting on the bed with books scattered around him, you soon realized that those were the photo albums you kept in the bookshelf. The one in his hand right now was one of the oldest, that also included pictures of you and Billy as children. You could tell by the color of the album. "Are you watching me, creepy lady?", Billy said while still looking at the pictures. You chuckled, then went into the room. "Found our pictures, huh?", you said as you sat down next to him. He hummed in response while flipping onto the next page. There were four pictures, all of which were taken on the same day when the two of you were 8. On the first one, Billy and you were petting a goat. "That was our trip to the zoo.", he said to you. The second picture had the two of you eating ice cream on it. On the third picture were you, Billy and his mother looking at a monkey behind the glas. And on the fourth one, Billy kissed you on the cheek for the picture. The feeling in your chest came back when you saw that picture.

"We were best friends, Billy.", you said while he flipped to the next page. There were pictures from a photo booth of the two of you. "What happened?" He didn't have a good response for that - Billy knew it was because his mother left, but that's about it. Him being alone with Neil didn't help. He was already a bully in school, but was always your friend. "I don't wanna talk about it, (Y/N).", he finally responded. That made you angry, very angry in fact. "You started bullying me overnight for six years and now don't want to talk about it?!", you loudly said while getting up. "Oh fuck you, Hargrove. We see each other again after seven years, you act like a cunt, kiss me and now you don't wanna talk about it." The last five words were spoken in a mocking tone. Angrily, you left the guest room and slammed the door on your way out.

You got a towel and your bathrobe before hopping into the shower. The radio was playing in the background, a bit louder than you usually have it on, with Tina Turner playing from it. You were singing along while shampooing your hair throughoutly, having to get all the hairgel and hairspray out, so concentrated on it that you didn't hear the bathroom door opening. "(Y/N)?", you flinked at first and already raised your hand to the showerhead as a makeshift-weapon, until you realized it was Billy. Thank god you decided to have shower curtains that weren't see-through. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Billy?!", you yelled over the sound of the water. "Get out!"

"Said you wanted to talk, so let's talk.", he replied, just loud enough for you to understand. Billy leaned against the bathroom counter, arms crossed in front of his chest, looking at the shower curtain that separated the two of you. "Oh, really? Are you that much of a perv that you have to do that while I'm showering?", you yelled. Billy was stubborn, he wouldn't move - and you couldn't force him outside without being naked in front of him. "Appreciate it, I usually don't change my mind easily.", he replied. "Look, (Y/N), I'm sorry okay?" You continued showering, since you couldn't do anything anyways, and started applying conditioner to your hair. "I know I was a dick to you when we were teenagers, I didn't know what to do with myself." You scrubbed yourself off with a loofah and shower gel while talking "Then why do you still do it? If anyone should hold a grudge, it's me and not you." Billy didn't know what to say. He can't really be honest with you now, can he? Just tell you that he has feelings for you and either wanted to get your attention or was jealous. What would happen if he did? Billy didn't know if he could deal with more rejection in his life. "You still there?", you asked when he didn't reply. "I'm just...thinking of an answer." You washed off the foam on your skin and the conditioner in your hair while an idea hit you so hard that it almost swept you off your feet. With your feelings for Billy back, so came some fantasies about him. "I think it's easier to talk face-to-face. Wanna come in?" There was silence, then you heard the unbuckling of a belt. A minute later, Billy came into the shower with you. You were turned to him with your back and couldn't see what he was doing, but you felt his hands hold onto your hips. "I still do it because I get angry when I'm jealous.", he said while slowly pulling you towards him. You turned around towards him, soon enough for your chest to squeeze against him. "Why do you get jealous?", you asked him while looking into his eyes. The water fully drenched his hair now, some strands fell into his face. "Because I want you to be only mine.", he said. His eyes starred back into yours. They looked even more blue now, at least that's what it looked like to you. Your hands cupped his cheeks before leaning forwards and kissing him. You were in the shower for another hour.

Billy slept in your bed that night. While getting comfortable next to him, you noticed his scars once more. "Billy?", you asked while leaning down on your arm next to him instead of laying down. "What happened there?" You let your fingers run across the biggest scar on his chest, tracing the white colouring on it. "Long story, you won't believe me if I went into detail.", he said while wrapping one of his arms around your shoulders and suddenly pulled you into his chest. "C'mon, tell me.", you said with a pout. Billy kissed the top of your head before saying: "You know what, when you take some days off, I will take you to the shithole town named Hawkins and have my sister and her friends explain it to you." You nodded in agreement while getting comfortable on him.

"Now I have a question for you.", he said. His hand was resting on your head, making it not possible to look up to him. So you kept listening to his heartbeat. "What is it?", you asked. He thought about what to say for a bit. "So, we've somehow made up in one way or another." You hummed in response. "And we've established that we both have feelings for each other." You let out a slight laught, knowing what he was gonna ask. "Yes, Billy, I'll be your girlfriend.", you said. He kissed the top of your head once again before pulling the covers over you and drifting off to sleep together.

Maybe not living in a gated community wasn't too bad.

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove x reader #billy hargrove imagine

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cazzyf1 · 4 months

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Quotes I wrote down for my dissertation from the book 'Mon Ami Mate' by Chris Nixon

"When Mike phoned he was asked if he was going to England to see his father. Mike said 'No I am going to Le Mans. Why should I go to England?' Then the Reuters man told him that his father had crashed and was badly hurt. Naturally, Mike was in a terrible state, but I took him to orly and the journalist Bernard Cahier managed to get him a seat on the last plane for London. While we were waiting, Mike called the garage at Farnham and was told that his father had died." - p87

"He had a tube up his old man, draining into a bottle and he told me it was very painful 'because every time you walk into the room I get an erection. It's agony!"' - p104 (this had no relevance to my dissertation I just found it funny)

'Mike was never short of visitors and Moi (partner at the time) was one of the most frequent. "I had long hair in these days and Mike would spend hours brushing it while I sat beside his bed'" - p104

'"He was tottering'", Macklin told Mark Kahn, 'He stood behind me at the table, put his arms on my shoulder and said, 'oh my god Lance, I'm terribly sorry. I bloody near killed you and I killed all those people. I'm really sorry. I'm certainly never going to race again." - p127

'Mike was, indeed, taken to the caravan, where he was looked after by Rob Walker and Tony Rolt's wife, Lois. Rob's memory of Mike's arrival is still vivid. "His first words - and I'll never forget them - were 'It's all my fault, It was all my fault! I wanted to get into the pits before Fangio went by!" Lois and I said "Don't talk such nonsense!" And we put a large brandy down him." - p127

"Mike returned to England and appeared on BBC-TV to talk about he disaster with Rudolf Whlenhaut of Daimler-Benz, the telecast was an unhappy experience for Mike. As Moi Kenward recalls - 'He had to face the music. He came round to my flat afterwards and he was really in a terrible state - he was in floods of tears' - p131

'Leslie Hawthorn blamed himself for all of Mike's National Service troubles. "Will you help me about Mike?" He asked Cardew. "The boy is miserable and pretty bitter. He is never really happy abroad and we have got to settle this call-up trouble, will you write an article in the daily express and let people know the whole story. Blame me for this mess, I advised Mike all along from the time he was sixteen. The boy was always keen to do his national service but I have spent my life in racing - motorcycles in the TT and sports car races - and I thought his future lay in that direction, rather than driving lorries for the army" - p203

"At London Airport he bravely faced the press and TV cameras and gave his eye-witness account, tears running down his face, as the Daily Mail recorded. 'There was a dip' he said, 'we went into that. There was a sharp, short right-hand bend and Peter took it a little too wide and didn't turn into it soon enough. I don't know how fast he was driving. There was just a bunch of us. Tony Brooks was in front. Peter was second. As a driver he was the best, definitely. As a friend...he was my best friend, and that is that." - p227

"Hawthorn could hardly speak. He was asked 'Will you race again?' 'If Ferrari wants me to I will. I am due to race in the Portuguese GP in two weeks, but personally I am not very intrested' Massive, fair-haired Hawthorn crammed a handkerchief against his mouth, 'Dam silly of me' he said, 'So sorry...' He walked blindly along the corridor, took Louise Collins by the hand and drove away." - p228

"The doctor pulled back the sheet and there was Peter, like he was asleep. Mike took one look, turned and went out into the corridor, where he leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. He just sat there, saying nothing." - p336

"For the man who had just become world champion, Mike was decidedly lacking in excitement immediately after the race 'He was quite strange - he didn't want to know anyone,'" - p348

In the future I will either buy this book or rent it from the library again and copy up more quotes because this book is a gold mine for information on Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins. But for now I am going to try and reread some of my Mike Hawthorn books and copy up quotes from them.

#classic f1 #f1 #formula one #formula 1 #vintage f1 #mike hawthorn #peter collins

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eternallyblight · 1 year

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Highlights from Appetite for Distortion Podcast with Brendon Small

Listen to the podcast here

The tour, movie, and album being released around the same time was a deliberate decision. When Brendon started getting this project together around three years ago, he knew he's be putting together a record, a soundtrack, a movie, and a tour all within the same week.

How Brendon approaches writing the Dethalbum IV and creating Army of the Doomstar:

It's not him working. It's Dethklok literally telling him what to do. He's just a jerk with a guitar doing what Skwisgaar tells him to do. For vocals, he's doing what Nathan's telling him to do. When he's voicing them in the movie, those characters are taking over. He'll do the dialogue but they'll surprise him with improve.

Since Brendon's the scriptwriter and director, he's like an Angry God. He'll be like throwing them into ceiling fans or into a fire to see how they get out.

About Guns n'Roses and Snakes n'Barrels.

Slash has been on the show. Twice. (Birthdayface and Tributeklok) He's one of Brendon's favorite guitar players of all time.

Learning about heavy metal happens at an important age. For Brendon, he was around 13/14. He bought two distinct albums. Def Leppard's Hysteria and Guns N'Roses Appetite for Destruction. He was blown away to the astral plane of the music and aggressive guitar playing. It's still one of his favorite albums to this day. He'll take long walks listening to album front to back, top to bottom.

He thought that Pickles was like Dave Grohl. Like in a band like Guns n'Roses and Aerosmith like rock band before he was in Dethklok. There would be songs where Brendon used a top box to play.

One day, Slash was working on an animation at the same company Brendon worked at. There was a package that came with pedals from MXR Dunlop. Slash was there when that box came and they opened the box together and went through all these pedals. Slash looked at the pedals and pointed to Brendon which was one cool, which one he has and uses. Brendon even shows Slash's wall pedal that he also used on the record.

Now some fan questions.

Will Brendon ever release a studio version of Water Horsey Blues from Snakes n'Barrels I?

Brendon was surprised to hear the question. He's glad that people still listen to it all these years later. He wishes he had the time and resources to make music for these kinds of bands in the Metalocalypse universe. Like a Snakes n'Barrels record, a Dr. Rockzo record, even Toki's whimsical dream songs. But there's no plan as of yet.

Will Brendon ever plan on releasing the songs from Metalocalypse that didn't make it to the Dethklok albums. (please Brendon I'm on my knees.) Same answer. :,) He has no plan as of yet.

About the movie under the cut. Not spoiler heavy and mainly about the music.

Brendon does have a lot on his plate at the moment. He's got not one but two albums: Dethalbum IV and Army of the Doomstar Soundtrack.

To Brendon, the soundtrack album is really such an important storytelling part of the movie. As you watch the movie you'll hear the orchestra and synthesizer. (He got the Budapest Orchestra to play this score).

The movie, the narrative, the characters is one thing.

The Dethalbum IV, that's the brutality and the mystical.

Army of the Doomstar Soundtrack, the score, is the emotional center of the movie.

All three go together. If you plan on getting one, Brendon thinks you should get them all (the movie, ost, and album). They all do something completely different but they all come from the same central DNA.

Brendon is thankful to be able to complete the story. He's basically living the dream as the interviewer puts it.

Brendon's last words: It's fun to be creative on your own and make music for yourself to listen to. But the fact that this [Metalocalypse and Dethklok] came together in the way that it did, is because there's a fanbase out there. Without them, none of this would have happened. Thanks [for] everyone for being so vocal over the years and I'm excited for you to check it out.

#oh brendon ;-;#i never stopped believing in you #even after all these years #i knew you'd give us our ending #brendon small #dethklok #metalocalypse

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thewritersaddictions · 2 years

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Prom Night ‘86: Eddie Munson- My Queen

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Pov: Reader

Warnings: Smut/Fluff, Prom night, Crowns, Ego, Shyness, D&D.

Summary: Your prom night is cut short when you and Eddie are called up to be crowned Queen, and King of the '86 prom. What everyone doesn't notice is when the two of you disappear.

WC- 3.4k

A/n- fireflygraphics for the amazing dividers

Stranger Things Master List // The Adults Master List // Series Master List // Prom Night '86 Master List

The music in the gym was loud. It was giving me a headache, but dancing here with Eddie I couldn’t care less about the headache or the ache in my feet from the two-inch heels that only gave me so much height on Eddie’s 5’9 inches.

I had forced him to wear a suit, a black and white suit. But of course, to my own stupidity Eddie had modified his suit to fit his own personality. I loved him for doing that though. The suit which was just an easy buy from the local salvation army. Eddie had tailored to fit more like the DM he was. The ends were tailored to flare out, with small embroider pieces added.

Regardless of that Eddie had put his hair into a large puffy bun.

My dress was long and red with strikes of black that were hidden by the large glitter of the red. Eddie had helped me pick out the dress nearly five months before our prom. He picked me up in the van, standing at my front door flattening out his shirt and dress pants that he looked awfully uncomfy for him. He smiled as I came up to the door, opening it and letting him view the fullness of the dress. Eddies eyes grazed over the fabric and then landed on my face. Rosey cheeks. “You look... amazing. Not that you don’t always look good but you know what I mean? Don’t you?” He said stumbling over words.

I smiled and pulled him into the foyer of my house. My parents weren’t in town and wouldn’t be for the next months. When I pulled him in, he stumbled over his feet and landed awkwardly. But nothing stopped that man from kissing me any chance he got even if he was in an awkward position.

My makeup was minimal not wanting to take away from the dress. Eddie pulled out from behind his back as we walked further into the house, a tiny box. “You said red and black right?” He asked, I hummed and reached down the couch for my clutch. When I came back up the box was open and inside was a tiny black and red rose corsage alongside was a black and red rose that looked like a pin.

“May I?” Eddie asked, I gave him my wrist. Wrapping the corsage around my wrist the intimate nature of his fingers grazing softly over my skin and giving me a tingling down the center of my back. “The other one?” I asked. “For me, if you don’t mind?” Eddie said. I went through the motion of undoing the pin and connecting it to the lapel of his jacket. He took the moment to kiss my forehead ever so lightly.

When we finally arrived at the Hawkins gym the carpool line was long, and Eddies van puttered away. Prom was going to be the best night even if the kiddos weren’t here, all the others were though. Robin, Nancy, and even Steve. All having gotten dressed up and made it prom just like Eddie and I had.

He parked the van, and I gathered my gown but was stopped as Eddie rounded the corner to open the passenger door for me. “My lady.” Eddie said in a cheeky voice. “My knight is shining armor.” I said letting Eddie take my hand to help me out of the van. The fabric of my dress bunched up at my ankles, and I swore under my breathe wishing I had gone with something else.

“It’ll be alright.” Eddie said, I giggled and took another step forward getting my balance on the gravel ground with my heels. “You look beautiful even if you get annoyed with your dress Y/n.” Eddie said as we walked into the gym hallways. The music began to fill our ears as we made it closer into the gym.

When we finally did make it to the gym, it was adorned with streamers and silver balloons. Sparkling lights lite our ways towards what had been created into a dance floor. The sounds of music began to pump me up, and I let Eddie guided me towards the floor. “Let’s dance.” He spoke.

The music began a new song, and it felt like heaven starting to dance. My ankles ached but I let the pain subside. Eddies hands grazing over the sides of my waist. I wasn’t the best of a dancer, but with Eddie there I had someone to rest my head on. Slow dances were the best, just resting my head on Eddies shoulder, him humming along even though Eddie didn’t enjoy the pop music. Eddie Murphy's ‘Party all the time’ was the hit of the ‘86 year. Hairspray smell lingered around the gym and the hallways around.

The vibrations from Eddies humming were almost lulling me to sleep. That was until the music was stopped and the mic sent sound waves through the whole building. Eddie and I were taken by surprise by the stopping music, and the suddenness that people around us had stopped dancing too. All of the sudden I felt the light tap of someone touching my shoulder. “They plan on calling king and queen Ya know.” Said Nancy behind me. “Jeez Nance Ya scared me.” I said praising to the gods that I was still holding hands with Eddie I hadn’t taken a tumble when she startled me. Eddie squeezed me hand at my startled state. “Really? It hasn’t been that long though.” I said continued the quiet conversation we were having with Nancy. “Well, it’s already been an hour since prom started so it’s around the correct time to have to lucky seniors be crowned prom King and Queen.” Nancy said as we watched a older women and man that I was pretty sure worked at Hawkins High climb up the stairs to the stage where the DJ was standing.

The mic had horrible feedback as it changed hands from the DJ to the older women. “So, this is our class of “1986’s prom, and we are now going to crown our prom king and queen, but we do want to call to the stage the 2nd and 3rd place winners from this classes list.” The lady said, her voice is thick with a southern voice it almost lulls me to sleep. “Oh, I can’t wait, I’ll have to write this for the schools paper.” I hear Nance say as she gets exciting.

“This year's 3rd place king and queen are, Robin Buckley and Billy Hargrove.” The crowd of seniors goes quiet watching the two from climbs the stage. “Those two don’t even each other.” I hear someone say in the crowd. “Billy’s an asshole.” Another voice rings out. The two stand together but nearly as close as a couple would have. “2nd place winners for the king and queen of ‘86 is, Jason Carver and Chrissy Cunningham.” Now the crowd goes wild for the two perfect match that climb the stairs. “Yeahs, fuck yeah.” Can be heard around the entire gym.

“Now the true king and queen of this year's 1986 prom are, Eddie Munson, and Y/n L/n.” The southern lady says. Eddie and I just stood there. Looking at each other before shrugging our shoulders. “Go up you two.” Nancy says. “No, it’s most likely not even true. That’s probably just a prank that the rest of the kids are playing on the two of us.” I speak. “Eddie Munson and Y/n L/n, you two need to come up here for your prom crowns.” The women say in a harsher and louder voice the before. “Come on love we might as well go up there.” The walk is incredibly awkward, with many jocks staring us down along with the nerd groups focusing in on the pair of us. When we make it up to the stage Eddie doesn’t let go of my hand, the two older teachers put one crown on me and another on Eddie. We stand, and the crowd is forced to clap for us.

“Come now let's get out of the spotlight.” Eddie said as the mic gets handed back to the DJ. Nobody says anything as we reach down the stairs, or as we walk into the crowd of people. The only ones that do are our mutual friends. Eddie’s bow towards him as we pass, and Nancy alongside Robin give me a tight squeeze when we finally stop in the back of the gym. The music gets turned back on and everyone goes back to dance moves and to their life's.

We only stand there for a few moments before I can’t help but feel like I’m being suffocated by the room, by the people, and just everything. I need some place that isn’t here right now. I can feel Eddies hand as it lays on my hip. I look up at him pleading eyes to get me out of here. “Eds. Can we go … go somewhere else?” I asked. Concerned was etched into his face, and he did the only thing a gentleman would do. Whisking me away from the large crowd and loud music towards the only calming place Eddie knew of.

Wandering though the quiet and dark halls of the school we ended up far from the loud music and right into his D&D room. The throne was still in its place, but the table was cleaned off. “Take a seat in my spot okay doll.” He says closing the door as I take a seat. I take a deep cold breath in, and then out calming my anxiety I then only started to feel better. Eddie came back to me, take a seat just in front of me. His hands coming out, “Are you starting to feel better?” He questions me. I don’t answer right away instead taking is outreached hands. “Better baby, much better. Your chair is so comfy, did you know that?” I say enjoying the way that the chair almost sinks me into it. “Do you enjoy my throne, Doll?” Eddie asks, a seductive tone falling behind his words The crown on his head falls ever so slightly to the side. It makes me giggle even though his words are circling through my head.

“You look so pretty in a crown baby.” Eddie says sweetly scooting a little closer to me. I hadn’t realized that I still was wearing the crown that had been placed on my head just a few moments ago. “How does it look?” I asked, trying to take it off but getting stopped by Eddie and my own hair that was pinned up. “You look the most beautiful queen I’ve ever seen.” Eddie said getting up from the chair. Bending down to meet my lips, he kisses me with a deep purpose behind them. Lips, then teeth, and then finally tongue.

All in one kiss with Eddie.

“Eds.” I whispered against his lips. “Hmm?” He hums looking at me behind lust intense eyes. “I asked you a question baby. How does my crown look?” I asked again. “Hm, it’s beautiful. Rose gold with green gems.” He said looking between the crown on my head and my eyes. “Can I show you something?” He asks me, it’s the arch in my brow that I can’t help.

When he picked me up and took me from the comfort of the throne to the coldness of the cleared table in front of us. My ass landed on the table with a jiggle, all while Eddie’s hands stayed planted on my hips. “Eds what are you goanna do?” I asked drunk on his action already. If I knew anything about Eddie over the years that I had been friends with him, and now dating him. When Eddie started something, he always finished it. “Oh.. I just plan on claiming what is mine.” He said with a huff before his lips meet mine again. Rough still, but not unforgiving as I took a second to settle myself into my spot. “

And nobody noticed that we disappeared from the prom. Now I most definitely hated my chose in dress. Eddies hands making their way towards the back of my dress. The zipper slides down and the coldness of the basement room hit my warm skin. “Eds.” I whined under my breath. “Cold Y/n, that’s okay I’ll warm you up.” He said kissing me quickly before his nimble finger worked on getting my strapless bra from my shoulders.

The dress had bunched around my waist, “Lift your ass for me.” He said sliding he dress down the rest of the way. He threw onto his throne. My lace panties stayed on a little longer as I could help but force the lapels of Eddies outer jacket into my hands. Sliding them down his long arms. His white button up was more than annoying as I tried to undo the first couple of buttons as Eddie pulled at his bowtie. Undo the fabric was easy enough for him. But watching me struggle must had only frustrated him. I was forced to lay back down. Watching as my boyfriend lifted his shirt from the inside of my dress pants undoing the last few buttons.

Now here I was my breasts out nearly all naked and my boyfriend with his slacks on and a tank top on. “Eds” I whined. “Oh sweetie, it’s okay I’ll get there, but I wanna taste you first. ” He said with a wink before kneeling to the ground. Nimble fingers tickling my inner thighs, grazing over my flesh. My panties were already soaking through the black fabric giving me away for Eddie to see as he peeled the black lace panties away from my pussy. Pocketing my panties in slacks. Dirty fucker.

“All of this for me baby?” He questions me, but doesn’t want an answer. As he blows a strip of cold air against my pussy. It gives me shiver down my spine, and makes me shriek. As if I wasn’t already cold all over. I whine at Eddie, wanting nothing more than to have him all the way between my thighs. I want his hair tickling at my plush thighs. I want his tongue on my pussy and clit teasing tonguing me and pushing me over the edge, but before all that can happen, he has to put his delicious lips on my pussy. “Please Eds.” I plead with him, reaching an open hand towards Eddie’s hair. “Come now please eat me out Eds.” I plead as I try to push his head closer to my pussy. I’m soaked and I revel in the feeling of his lips against my pussy. Wet and rough all at the same time. His hands coming to push my thighs down, keep them down while he ate me out. “Eddie, please don’t... don’t tease me.” I whined as he continued his small ministrations against my soaked core. He hums against my pussy, finally prodding my tongue into me. A hand coming around and a thumb being used to play with my clit. I tried to stay still, but his movement were getting me to riled up that I couldn’t stay still. My hips bucking up to meet Eddies tongue, and at the same time trying to get away from his teasing motion on my clit. My vision went white as I mumbled out a mixture of curses and Eddies name as I came down hard from my sweet high.

When Eddie came up his chin was wet, and his eyes were blown out with lust. Cheeks red, and breathing hard. His cock was pressing hard into his slacks, the pressure of making you, and then watching you cum all on his tongue had gotten his just riled up. When I was released down from high, I arched up putting my weight on elbows. Looking at the mess of a man that Eddie had become all while eating me out. I let my eyes wonder down the man's slick frame. “You want me to help you baby?” I asked. Staring at his cock without shame. “No baby, I just wanna fuck you now.” He said a straight face, his hands coming u to strip himself of the rest of his clothes. My heels still resting on my feet. Maybe for comfort's sake I should take them off, but was stop again by Eddie. “No leave them.” He said, his slacks were now off and no matter how many times Eddie and I had sex I always wondered if he’d fit all the way.

“No worry doll, you know I’ll fit. And If I don’t, I’ll make it fit.” He said, before giving his shaft a few sloppy rubs before he stepping forward rubbing the tip of his redden cock against my soaked pussy. Our bodies finally mixing together. Our bodies juices slicking him up, and he slapped his tip to my clit. Causing me to buck and shriek at the sudden and aggressive touch. Eddie winked and pushed himself to the hilt. His cock reaching a part of my pussy that I’d never be able to reach on my own.

His first few thrusts were soft and calm, but then something always changed. Maybe it was my half-closed eyes, soft moans, or the sound of our skin slapping together with each of our thrusts. “Come on Y/n, squeeze around me baby.” He said through gritted teeth. I did as I was told and grip at Eddie cock. Making it nearly impossible for him to pull himself out of my pussy and then back in. He groaned at the way my pussy kept his cock deep within me. He always did love that fact that he could grab at any part of my body using it to his advantage.

His hands making their way to grab at one part of my waist to be able to pull me against him, and the other landing softly around my throat. I moaned as Eddie fingers clenched around my throat. “Eds.” I moaned around Eddie fingers that were sitting on top of my lips. Sucking at them, even nibling a little at the edges. Eddie grunted as his thrusts began to falter, and that hand that made it way to my waist disappeared back down to my spent clit. A mixture of thrusts from Eddie and teasing at my clit had caused my moans to become breathy nearly gasping for air, as Eddie continued to thrust deeply into me. “You gonna cum with me Y/n?” He grunted through thrusts. “I... I’mmma cum EDDIE!” I screamed at the top of my lungs as Eddie kept his thrusts up as best as he could. “You ready baby. I want... I want you to cream all over my cock, baby!” Eddie said a few better deep thrust later I was covering Eddies cock with my cum, as Eddie came deep within my pussy.

Hard breathing was the only thing I could hear beside my own heartbeat within my ears. “Fuck me Y/n.” Eddie whimpered out as he slipped out of my pussy. Our cum mixing together and pouring of my redden lips. I whined at the loss of him in me. He chuckled and grabbed at his white tank top to wipe clean my thighs, but not at my core rather grabbing my panties and slipping on my legs. “You get to keep that right there.” He said lightly slapping my core after slipping my panties on me. I yelped at the friction. My arm falling over my head hitting the crown that was still sitting on my head. I smile to myself, Eddie catches it. “What are you smiling about pretty girl?” He asks, “My crown.” I said simply. “Your crown. It’s still there.” He said pulling me up, slipping my bra back on my breasts, and then asking me to stand. MY heels hitting the ground first. Eddie helped me slip into my prom dress, zipping me into the fabric. He took my hand once again. “Home sweet home, so I can show you some more.” Eddie said, I blushed against his shoulder.

Prom King and Queen had disappeared and nobody seemed to care as the music continued to play, and dancing still was happening. The next day of school Nancy sat in the news room putting together her front page. A picture of Eddie and Y/n had been taken as the two of you linked arms walking out of the back of the high school. The title was perfect.

“HAWKINS DISAPPEARING KING AND QUEEN ‘86”

Completed on: 11/12/22

Posted on: 11/13/22

The Adults-

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multifandomworldsposts · 2 years

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We Met in Tampa PT 5

A/N: the Elvis movie plot but Y/N version!!

pairing: austin!elvis x reader

Warning: fluff, america burning to the ground, the colonel being an asshole ONCE AGAIN

Y/N POV

When Elvis came back from the Army he got in a movie and he wanted to get married so I invited my family to come up to Las Vegas, we had a hell of a time! Our wedding was perfect! I never seen my parents so happy for me in my life, they wanted my wedding day to be the best day that they can witness! Several months later, our beautiful daughter, Evelyn Presley came in to the world! My family would come up to Memphis to visit her and they would stay at Graceland when Elvis would do a movie.

Elvis got a lot of movie roles and he wanted me to go to the sets but I kinda got scared to because maybe the producers didn’t want me there because I’m too ‘distracting’ to Elvis.

His friends also known as, Memphis Mafia, they’re really nice but we would kinda get along sometimes. They always do dumb things when they would be at Graceland or at a movie set.

‘Dr. Martin Luther King jr., the apostle of non-violence in the Civil Rights movement, has been shot to death in Memphis, Tennessee.’

I already know that Elvis is crushed by this, I am as well, we watched his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and it was inspiring, we support the Civil Rights Movement.

I hold Evelyn in my arms while Vernon is saying, “With the sale of the ranch and the horses, that’s gonna cover the payroll, but as for the security at graceland…” I look at Evelyn, looking sleepy as ever.

I listen to the radio hearing MLK news, Elvis walks up with Evelyn, I turn the volume up and I get closer to the both of them and says, “Memphis is burning.”

Elvis hands me Eve and I rock her gently and see John F. Kennedy talking about MLK. Elvis walks off to talk to the Colonel and I set Evelyn down in her little crib and walk up to Elvis and wrapped my left arm around him.

“We’ve seen “Elvis the Rebel, we’ve seen “Elvis the Movie Star.”

Now we will see “Elvis the Family Entertainer.” I look at him then hear Jerry say, “And appliance salesman?” Elvis, the Colonel, and I look at Jerry and Elvis says, “What did you say? Listen, Jerry, I don’t need you to question me about how I support my family and every goddamn person here you understand stand me?” I look at Elvis walking away hearing, “Laugh it up, assholes.” He slams the door to his trailer.

I walk in the trailer to find Elvis and I see him with a radio, I lean on a wall to look at him, “Hi.” I said.

He turns the radio off. “Can I watch the memorial with you?”

“Yeah, baby.” He puts his right hand out for me to sit next to him.

“I’m so tired of playing Elvis Presley. Too many people rely on me.” I sigh, “I love you and your daughter loves you.” I whimper to him.

“We don’t care about the money or anything else. We just want you to be happy. You’re only really happy when you sing the music you love.” I kiss his forehead.

I look at the TV and hear “Mahalia Jackson, I used to hear her sing at East Street Church.” I look at him.

“That’s the music that makes me happy.” Elvis points at the TV, I keep on watching the memorial.

Elvis meets up with a guy name, Steve Binder, about his Christmas Special. Elvis tells me about what he’s going to do, and it’s not a christmas special, it’s something different.

I wait for Elvis to get ready for the small stage, he looks good in a leather suit. He comes up to me and gives me a kiss, I kiss him back. I hope this goes well for him. The audience starts to clap when he went up on the stage. Jerry took me to esclusive area to see Elvis better.

‘Well, it’s down at the end Of Lonely Town’

He’s like a new Elvis but the same Elvis like I saw him at Russwood Park. He starts to sing Hound Dog and I get the feeling I had back when we met. He’s still the amazing guy. Jailhouse Rock comes on, he does new moves I haven’t seen before.

“Bobby Kennedy has been shot!” We run in the green room to see the TV and everyone is silent. I start to shake a little. What’s happening in America? Elvis holds me close, I hug him. Steve turns the TV volume down and says, “Listen, I, uh…. I just want to say that…” I can tell he want to cry.

“We have to say something. You…” He looks at Elvis, “have to make a statement, E.P.”

“Mr. Presley doesn’t make statements, he sings ‘Here Comes Santa Claus.’ and wishes everyone, ‘Merry Christmas and good night.’ I hate the Colonel. He rubs me the wrong way. The Colonel shuts off the TV.

Jerry and I hear music so we go in the sounding room, it’s Elvis singing a new song, it sounds amazing.

‘Still, I am sure that the answer’s answer’s gonna come somehow’

I continue to watch, I’m in awe.

‘While I can talk while I can stand while walk while I can dream oh, please let my dream come true, oh right now’

I clap a little but I can see the Colonel looking pissed. I can tell that, that song is going to be huge.

#fanfic #austin butler #elvis presley #elvis the movie #baz luhrmann elvis #austin!elvis fluff #austin butler fluff #austin butler fanfiction #austin!elvis x reader #elvis 2022 #elvis presley fanfiction #elvis presley x reader #fanfaction #fanfiction #memphis mafia #elvis the pelvis

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snoople-boop · 2 months

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Fandom Oneshots: But I Still Want You (Jikook)

Screams were echoing the entire building as ARMY was waving Bangtan bombs around. The members were backstage getting ready for their performance. Everyone was hyped and ready, but two members, Jungkook and Jimin, were stealing glances at each other. They had been friends for years but never really thought that they could be anything more...

Sure they've harmonized, kept each other happy, the more they hung out the more they connected... But this... This was something new they never had! As the cue came for the members to head to the stage, the two boys exchanged a subtle look filled with a mixture of anticipation and something more. They took their places on stage, the crowd roaring in excitement. The concert continued smoothly, the members giving their all to put on the best performance they could. Jimin and Jungkook occasionally glanced at each other, their gazes lingering just a bit longer than necessary. But every time they looked at each other, they immediately looked away, afraid to be caught staring.

As the night progressed, ARMY's cheers and screams filled the air, and the members were feeding off of their energy. During a break between songs, Jimin and Jungkook found themselves next to each other once again, their shoulders nearly touching. Without even realizing it, their hands brushed against each other. Both of them shivered at the contact, their senses heightened. But just as quickly as the touch came, it was gone, leaving a lingering feeling between the two. The concert went on, and the duo continued to steal glances at each other, unable to help themselves. Their voices blended smoothly during the harmonization, and their chemistry on stage was undeniable. The fans were enjoying the performance immensely, but they were blissfully unaware of the sparks flying between Jimin and Jungkook.

As the final part of the concert approached, Jimin and Jungkook were filled with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. This was their chance to put on a showstopper. The music started and the other members took their positions on the stage, but Jimin and Jungkook couldn't help but look at each other one last time before the spotlight was on them. They both smiled at each other before facing away, The song started and they began to sing, their voices in perfect harmony. The crowd was ecstatic and were waving their ARMY bombs in time with the rhythm. Jimin and Jungkook's eyes darted towards each other once again, their gazes catching for a brief moment before they looked back at the audience, their hearts pounding in their chests.

Jimin was supposed to be the only one to sing the last part

It felt like time froze, Jungkook looked at Jimin for a couple seconds. Jungkook changed the lyrics last minute... Both of them had butterflies in their stomachs as they shared another glance. As the two looked at each other, the world around them seemed to disappear. The cheers of the audience and the beat of the music faded into the background, their focus entirely on each other. Jungkook's heart was pounding in his chest as he held Jimin's gaze, the air between them crackling with an unspoken tension. The moment was intense and yet oddly comfortable, as if they were the only two people in the world. Jimin felt a rush of emotions wash over him as he stared into Jungkook's eyes. He felt his heart yearning for something he had never allowed himself to want but, for a brief moment, he let himself fantasize about what could be.

But in that moment on stage, with the spotlight on them and their eyes locked together, they both knew that they couldn't ignore it any longer. And they didn't want to. The rest of the song was a blur. Both Jimin and Jungkook were lost in their own world, their emotions on the verge of spilling over. The rest of the members noticed their unusually intense focus on each other, but they refrained from commenting, not wanting to ruin the show. The audience was blissfully unaware of the chemistry between Jimin and Jungkook, completely caught up in the music. The two, however, were in a world of their own - lost in each other and the emotions that were bubbling just below the surface.

"But I still want, you!"

Jimin and Jungkook's gazes remained locked for a few more seconds before reality slowly crept back in. The cheers of the crowd flooded their ears once again, and they quickly diverted their attention to the audience, trying to maintain composure. The performance had come to an end, but the charged atmosphere between them lingered on.

****

"Jimin-sii"

Jimin turned when he heard his name. "Hm?" he responded, his heart still racing from the performance and the lingering tension between him and Jungkook. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Jungkook asked, his voice low and serious. Jimin nodded, trying to keep his cool but feeling a flutter in his stomach. The two of them stepped off to the side, away from the other members who were busy talking amongst themselves. They stood facing each other, the space between them filled with expectation. Jungkook suddenly felt a wave of nervousness wash over him as he looked into Jimin's eyes. He had prepared himself to speak, but now that the moment was here, he was unsure of where to start. "I..." he hesitated, trying to find the right words to express the jumble of emotions swirling inside of him. Jimin seemed to sense his turmoil and stepped closer, silently encouraging him to continue. "I, um..." Jungkook swallowed, his heart beating faster than it had when he was on stage. Jimin's proximity was making it even harder for him to concentrate. "I have... something I need to say. Something I've been wanting to say for a really long time." Jimin's expression softened as he saw the vulnerability in Jungkook's eyes. He had a feeling he knew what Jungkook was about to say, but he waited patiently for him to continue, his heart rate picking up in anticipation. Jungkook took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. "Okay, here goes..." he said, more to himself than to Jimin. He met Jimin's gaze, the intensity in his eyes making it hard for Jimin to look away. "I... I have feelings for you," he said, the words coming out in a rush. "I have for a long time." Jungkook's heart was racing as he waited for Jimin's response, mentally preparing himself for any outcome. He was surprised when he saw Jimin's reaction. Jimin's face softened, a warm smile spreading across his features.

"I do too," Jimin said, his voice gentle and filled with sincerity. "I have feelings for you too, Jungkook." Jungkook's eyes widened in surprise, his heart skipping a beat. He had hoped, but he hadn't expected Jimin to feel the same way. He felt a mix of relief and happiness flood through him. "Really?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He needed to hear it again, to make sure it was real and not a figment of his imagination.

Jimin laughed softly and closed the remaining distance between them. They were standing so close now, the air around them charged with something more than just friendship.

"Yes, really," he reassured Jungkook. "I've been wanting to tell you for so long. But I was afraid."

"Why were you afraid?" Jungkook asked, his heart racing as he looked into Jimin's eyes. He wanted to understand what had held Jimin back all this time. "I didn't want to ruin our friendship," Jimin admitted, his tone sincere. "Or the group dynamics. I was afraid of the consequences if things didn't work out." Jungkook nodded in understanding. "I was worried about the same thing," he confessed. "I didn't want to lose you as a friend or jeopardize the group. But the more time I spent with you, the more I realized that my feelings for you were getting stronger."

They stood there, looking into each other's eyes, both feeling a wave of relief now that their feelings were out in the open. The moment was heavy with emotion, but it also felt like a weight had been lifted. "So," Jungkook said with a soft smile, "what now?" Jimin smiled back, his eyes softening. "I think we should take things slow and see where this goes," he suggested. "This is new for both of us." They shared a quiet moment, the world around them fading into the background. Jungkook reached for Jimin's hand, intertwining their fingers gently. "I want to do this right," Jungkook said, his thumb caressing Jimin's hand. "I don't want to rush things and risk messing up what we have."Jimin's eyes twinkled with understanding. "Me either," he agreed. "It might be hard sometimes, because of our schedules and the spotlight. But I'm willing to try if you are."Jungkook smiled, squeezing Jimin's hand reassuringly. "I'm willing. I don't want to hide my feelings anymore." "We'll figure it out," Jimin reassured him. "Together."

The world around them resumed its usual rhythm, but inside their hearts, a new chapter had just begun. The journey ahead was uncertain, but with their feelings now acknowledged, they were ready to face whatever challenges came next, hand in hand. For this moment, that was all that mattered. As Jimin and Jungkook stood there, the moment heavy with emotion, they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. They turned to find the members, who had been silently observing from a distance, now approaching them. "Finally" Jin said. Jimin and Jungkook exchanged bashful smiles, both slightly embarrassed that they had been caught in such an intimate moment. But the members were not surprised; they had seen the glances and smiles the two had shared throughout the performance and had their suspicions.

"So, you two finally admitted it, huh?" Namjoon said, a proud grin on his face. Jimin and Jungkook nodded, their hands still tightly holding onto each other's. The members gathered around, offering their support and congratulations. "We knew all along," Taehyung said, his eyes glinting with a knowing glint. "We just waited for you to figure it out." Yoongi chimed in with a gentle smile. "We're happy for you both. Just remember, this won't change anything between us. We're still a team."

Hoseok nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We'll always be here for you both, no matter what." Jimin and Jungkook exchanged grateful looks, feeling a surge of love and warmth for their members. The support they received from their bandmates only solidified the fact that they belonged to something special - a family that would always be there for them, both onstage and off. As they stepped out of the venue, they were greeted by a frenzy of flashing lights and yelling from a horde of photographers and reporters. They had been discovered! The members exchanged concerned looks, but Jimin and Jungkook maintained their composure. They were not ashamed of their feelings for each other, and they were not going to hide it any longer. However, they were aware of the challenges that this revelation would bring. As they made their way through the crowd, photographers and reporters were trying to get a comment from them, shouting questions left and right.

"Jimin and Jungkook, is it true that you're dating?"

"What does the rest of the group think about your relationship?"

The members did their best to shield their bandmates from the onslaught, forming a protective circle around them. Namjoon stepped up, addressing the crowd in a firm but gentle tone. "We appreciate your interest in our personal lives, but please respect Jimin and Jungkook's privacy. As their bandmates and friends, we support them fully and ask that you do the same."

The fans and reporters quieted down momentarily, their respect for Namjoon undeniable. However, the interest in Jimin and Jungkook's relationship did not wane; if anything, it intensified.

"Jimin and Jungkook, we love you!"

"Jikook forever!"

"We support you no matter what!"

The outpouring of support from ARMYs was immense, and it warmed Jimin and Jungkook's hearts. They truly had the most dedicated and loving fans. However, a few fans were more vocal and demanding, expressing disappointment or disapproval of their relationship. Taehyung took command of the situation, his gentle yet commanding voice silencing the crowd. "Listen, ARMYs, we understand that you all have opinions, and we respect that. But let's remember that Jimin and Jungkook are our brothers, and we should love and support them just as we always have. This is their life and their choices, and it doesn't change how we feel about the group or them as individuals. Remember, love and respect are the foundation of our fandom. Let's maintain that in all situations." ARMYs listened to his words, reflecting on what they were witnessing. The members' heartfelt plea had an impact, and the vast majority of the fans resumed their supportive stance. Though some were disappointed, they had heard the members' message loud and clear. They would continue to love and support BTS and Jimin and Jungkook unconditionally. "Thank you," Jungkook whispered to Taehyung, grateful for the older member's intervention.

Taehyung smiled softly. "We've always got each other's backs," he replied, ruffling Jungkook's hair affectionately.

Hoseok stepped in, addressing the crowd again. "We truly appreciate your understanding and support, ARMY. We'll be holding a joint press conference tomorrow to address all your questions and concerns. Until then, give us some space, alright?"

The crowd nodded in agreement, albeit somewhat reluctantly. They were eager for more details, but they understood that patience was necessary. Security escorted the members into their vehicle, ensuring that they were safely inside before closing the doors. The cameras continued to flash, the crowd still calling after them, but security had created a shield around them, shielding them from the most intrusive demands. As the car pulled away from the chaos, Jimin and Jungkook let out a collective sigh of relief.

"I can't believe we just got discovered," Jimin said, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips.

Jungkook squeezed his hand again, offering a comforting smile. "It was going to happen sooner or later. But we're strong. We can handle it, together." "Not to ruin the mood but uh... We're trapped" Namjoon said The members looked around, realizing that they were surrounded by paparazzi and fans outside the venue, creating a barricade of sorts. The car could not move forward or backward.

"What do we do?" Yoongi asked, concern etched on his face.

The members exchanged worried glances, unsure of how to navigate out of this situation. Namjoon was quick to devise a plan. "We can't stay here," he said, his leader instincts kicking in. "We need to find another way out."

The members nodded in agreement, their gazes shifting to the surrounding scene. Fans and paparazzi were pressing up against the windows, trying to get a glimpse or a snapshot of the members inside the car. "Jimin, Jungkook, stay low," Namjoon instructed, his voice steady despite the chaos around them. "Yoongi, Hoseok, Taehyung, and I will distract the crowd. Jimin and Jungkook, you need to discreetly exit the car through the back seat entrance."

Jimin and Jungkook nodded in understanding, readying themselves to follow the plan. The other members steeled themselves, preparing to navigate the throng of fans and paparazzi. "On my count," Namjoon whispered, his gaze focused. "Three... two... one... go!"

The trio of rappers and two lead dancers swiftly exited the car, catching the attention of everyone surrounding them. The diversion worked perfectly, giving Jimin and Jungkook the window of opportunity they needed. The pair deftly climbed over the back seat, slipping out through the rear entrance unnoticed. The fans and paparazzi were too engrossed by the other members to pay attention to the two.

Namjoon, Yoongi, Hoseok, and Taehyung continued to interact with the crowd, answering questions and signing autographs, buying time for Jimin and Jungkook to escape. A few sharp-eyed fans had spotted Jimin and Jungkook making their escape. Their excited shrieks and screams alerted the others, and soon, a section of the group started moving towards the escapees. Namjoon's plan was on the verge of falling apart as a section of the crowd broke away from the main group and started chasing after Jimin and Jungkook. The remaining three members, still engaging the majority of the fans, realized the situation was spiraling out of control. They had to act quickly. Namjoon, Taehyung, and Hoseok began sprinting after the pair, trying to reach them before the fans did. Jungkook, without a second thought, swept Jimin off his feet and carried him bridal style. Jimin wrapped his arms around Jungkook's neck, trusting him completely. The younger man's strong legs propelled them forward, but the weight of Jimin in his arms slowed him down. The paparazzi and fans were still in hot pursuit.

"Is there a chance security might yell at us!" Jin yelled as they tried to catch up to Jungkook and Jimin. Jin was visibly winded, panting heavily as they ran. Yoongi, who was also lagging behind a bit, chimed in while trying to keep up, "Security might not be thrilled, but we're more worried about Jungkook and Jimin's safety!"

"Do any of you remember what hotel were staying at?!" Namjoon said

....

"Really?!"

Jin couldn't help but laugh, despite his ragged breaths. "You're lucky you're a great leader, Namjoon, otherwise we might be stuck wandering around Seoul all night," he joked, still running. Taehyung, with his exceptional memory, interjected, "It's the Grand Inter-Continental Seoul Parnas!" Yoongi, still trying to keep pace, shot Taehyung a grin. "How on earth do you remember that, Tae?" he asked, genuinely impressed. "Your brain is a mystery to me."

Hoseok chimed in, managing to speak and run at the same time. "Don't question it. Just be glad one of us remembers." Namjoon, the leader, took charge once again, his voice firm and reassuring. "Alright, let's focus on getting to the hotel. Taehyung, guide us. Everyone, keep your eyes on Jimin and Jungkook. We can't lose contact with them."

The group surged forward, spurred on by a mix of adrenaline and concern for their friends. Namjoon, acutely aware of Taehyung's struggle, wasted no time in swooping in to help his bandmate. Without missing a beat, he reached out and wrapped a firm arm around Taehyung's shoulder, providing support and keeping him upright.

"You good, Tae?" Namjoon asked, concern etched across his face. Taehyung nodded, his breaths labored but filled with determination. "I'll be alright, thanks to you, Namjoon," he replied, a hint of gratitude in his voice."We're almost there," Yoongi encouraged, using a more encouraging tone. "Just a little further." "I say we spit up" Jin said, Jungkook and Jimin had reached a dead end, their path blocked by a tall fence. They exchanged a worried glance, wondering what to do next. Their hearts pounded with each passing second.

Back with the other members, Namjoon considered Jin's suggestion. Splitting up had pros and cons, but time was of the essence. He took a moment to weigh their options before making a decision.

"Okay, we'll split up," Namjoon said, his voice calm but resolute. "Taehyung you're with me, the rest of you split up!" Namjoon said, Namjoon split off with Taehyung, while Yoongi, Hoseok, and Jin headed off in a different direction. Jin, however, made a daring move. While Yoongi and Hoseok stuck to the ground, he scaled a nearby wall, leaping onto a roof. From there, he could offer a bird's eye view of the area, assisting his bandmates and ensuring they stayed on track towards the hotel.

"I've got eyes above!" Jin called out, his gaze darting around, helping the members navigate the city streets "Is that safe?" Suga said Jin grinned as he secured his footing on the rooftop. "Don't worry, I've got this," he assured Yoongi and Hoseok, who were looking a bit nervous. "I won't fall, and this view is invaluable. I'll guide us to the hotel!" Yoongi and Hoseok exchanged a look, both knowing that any potential mishap involving Jin could lead to financial consequences. So, they decided to settle their worries in the most logical way possible: a game of rock, paper, scissors.

"Ready?" Yoongi asked, his hand balled up, ready to play.

Hoseok mirrored his stance. "As ready as I'll ever be," he replied with a small grin. "Are you seriously playing rock, paper, scissors for my medical bills?!" Yoongi and Hoseok chuckled sheepishly, their hands still poised in their game. They shot Jin a look from below, unapologetic but amused. "Really?!" Hoseok joined in, his hand forming paper. "Hey, we're just being practical," he reasoned with a playful smile. "Someone needs to be ready to foot the bill if you decide to take a dive from that roof."

"It's the best way to decide who's potentially paying your hospital bills, Jin," Yoongi joked, his hand still formed into a scissors shape. Yoongi shrugged, mischief in his eyes. "Preparedness is key, my friend."

Hoseok continued with their jest, his hand still in the shape of paper. "Besides, we can't just let you go around risking your neck without considering the consequences. Someone has to be financially responsible." After Yoongi and Hoseok left, still bantering about the potential bills and responsibility, Jin was left alone on the roof. He shook his head, a smile still playing at the corners of his lips. Suddenly, a sharp gust of wind caught him off balance, and before he knew it, he lost his footing. With a surprised gasp, Jin stumbled and fell from the roof.

****

Taehyung and Namjoon ducked into a nearby alleyway, seeking a moment of respite and a place to strategize. The sounds of the city were muffled, and the alleys provided a sense of security, at least for the moment. Alone in the secluded alleyway, Taehyung and Namjoon took a moment to catch their breaths and assess their surroundings. The adrenaline from the chase was still coursing through their veins, and the proximity of their bodies in the cramped space added an undercurrent of something more.

Taehyung leaned against the brick wall, his gaze meeting Namjoon's. The air felt charged, and a million unspoken words seemed to hang in the air.The silence between them was heavy with tension, and Namjoon took a step closer to Taehyung, his eyes locked with the other man's. The alleyway was quiet, save for the faint sounds of the city outside.

"You alright?" Namjoon asked, his voice a soft whisper in the dimly lit space. "I don't think running in a suit was a good idea" Namjoon chuckled, a sound that was deep and comforting. He leaned against the wall next to Taehyung, his arm brushing ever so slightly against the other man's.

"Yeah, I'd say you're right about that," Namjoon agreed, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Suits aren't really made for sprints down alleys." Taehyung smiled, the adrenaline and closeness creating a strange mixture of excitement and calmness.

"I must look like a mess," he said, running a hand through his hair, which was slightly disheveled from the chase. "Good thing we have no fans around to witness this." "Please don't jinx it" Namjoon laughed softly, his eyes sparkling with a mix of fondness and playfulness. "I won't jinx it, I promise," he replied, his tone lighthearted. "We don't need any more excitement tonight. But..."

He paused, studying Taehyung closely. "You don't look like a mess to me." "We ran from a paparazzi and a bunch of reporters, we both look like a mess" Namjoon chuckled, his gaze still fixed on Taehyung. "Fair enough," he admitted, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "We've certainly been through the wringer tonight. But mess or not, you're still as handsome as always." Taehyung's heart skipped a beat as he heard the compliment. He felt his cheeks heat up slightly, and a small smile tugged at his lips.

"You're just saying that to be kind," he said, a hint of teasing in his voice. Namjoon shook his head, his eyes still locked with Taehyung's. "I'm saying it because it's true," he replied, his tone serious but gently. "You always look handsome, Tae. Suit and messy hair included." Just as Namjoon and Taehyung were about to gravitate closer, the moment was shattered by the appearance of Jungkook. The younger man rounded the corner, his phone raised, capturing the two in a perfect photo. "Jin and Yoongi betted on the both of you" Namjoon and Taehyung exchanged a bemused look, both surprised and slightly embarrassed to learn that their friends were betting on them. The rest of the members found them "was there a dead end for all of you?" Hobi said,

"They what?" Taehyung asked, a mix of disbelief and amusement on his face. Hobi's voice broke through the previous moment, causing Namjoon and Taehyung to step apart. They turned to see the rest of the group approaching, Hobi included.

"Yeah, there was," Namjoon replied. "Thankfully, we weren't stuck for too long." "Hey where's Jin?" Namjoon said

****

Namjoon looked down at Jin, concern etched on his face. "Is he okay? Wake up, Jin."

As they waited for any sign of movement, Hoseok awkwardly shifted on his feet, glancing at the others and anticipating their reactions. They had joked about who would pay for Jin's potential medical bills, and the truth was going to come out sooner or later.

Yoongi finally broke the silence, his voice flat but firm. "We played rock, paper, scissors. Hoseok lost." The members shifted their attention from Jin to Hoseok, who stood awkwardly under their gaze. They had engaged in a lighthearted game of rock, paper, scissors to determine who would have to pay Jin's potential medical bills, and Hoseok had been the unlucky loser.

Hobi, feeling the weight of their gazes, sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. "I... I guess I lost," he admitted, unable to look any of them in the eye. Jimin, who had found a long stick, was cautiously poking Jin with it, testing for any signs of life. Meanwhile, Namjoon's voice echoed through the air as he scolded Yoongi and Hoseok for their rock, paper, scissors gamble.

"You two did what?!" Namjoon exclaimed, stunned by their revelation.

Before either Yoongi or Hoseok could answer, Namjoon's attention was drawn to the stick in Jimin's hand. "Wait, where did you get that stick?" Jimin's response was nonchalant, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "I found it where we had the dead end earlier," he explained, gesturing towards the fence.

Namjoon blinked, still baffled by their situation. "You found it on the ground and just decided to poke Jin with it?" Namjoon turned to Taehyung, his attention shifting to the fence where the younger man was intently studying.

"What'd you find, Tae?" Namjoon asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

Taehyung looked up from the fence, a small smile on his face. "Come look at this. I think Jimin accidentally saved us."

Namjoon approached the fence, joining Taehyung, and his eyes widened as he saw the massive hole in the fence. "Whoa," Namjoon exclaimed, taking in the sight of the large hole in the fence. He looked at Jimin and the stick in his hand, then back at the fence. "You did this, Jimin?"

Jimin smiled sheepishly, acknowledging the accidental feat. "Looks like I did."

Taehyung chuckled, patting Jimin on the back. "Looks like we owe you one, Jimin." The others had been gathered around Jimin and the fence, but their attention was drawn to Jin as he began to stir. Jin's eyes fluttered open, and he groggily pushed himself up, rubbing his head.

Namjoon quickly moved to his side, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you okay, Jin?" Jin blinked, trying to orient himself after his unexpected nap. "I... I feel like I just got hit by a bus," he muttered, wincing as he tried to sit up completely.

The other members gathered around him, their expressions a mix of concern and amusement. Hoseok looked sheepish, knowing he was the one who was going to pay if Jin had any major injuries. "We're all good? Good, don't make any-" before Namjoon could finish Jungkook kicked the fence and it went down "-noise" Hoseok burst into laughter, unable to contain himself at the irony of Namjoon's sentence being cut off by Jungkook's actions.

Namjoon let out a resigned sigh, shaking his head. "I was going to say, 'don't make any sudden movements or loud noises,'" he said, his voice filled with a mix of annoyance and amusement.

Jimin, still amused, couldn't resist teasing Jungkook. "Great job, maknae." "Does anyone else hear screams?" Jimin said. Jimin's comment caught the attention of the others as they all fell silent, listening intently. Sure enough, faintly in the distance, the sound of terrified screams reached their ears.

Namjoon's expression turned serious. "I hear them too."

Yoongi's eyes narrowed. "That doesn't sound good." The screams grew louder as the source of the noise became clearer - a mob of both paparazzi and overexcited ARMY members. The chaotic mix of their voices filled the air, creating a frenzy that felt like an impending explosion.

The members tensed, their eyes wide as the mob stormed towards them. Without a moment's hesitation, Namjoon took charge, shouting out the command. "Go! Go! Go!"

Everyone reacted instantly, adrenaline coursing through their veins. They darted in different directions, each of them desperate to find their own route to escape the approaching chaos.

Taehyung, Hoseok, and Jimin veered off to the left, ducking into an alleyway. Namjoon and Yoongi went right, disappearing behind a corner. Jungkook, quick as ever, darted straight across the street, deftly dodging a few reporters in the process.

Jin, however, had a delayed reaction, still dazed from earlier. He stumbled to his feet, and just as he began to run, a group of excited fans spotted him. The fans' faces lit up, and they eagerly headed towards Jin, their screams of excitement filling the air. Before he could react, Jin found himself surrounded by a small horde of Army members, all vying for his attention. "Jin-oppa!" one of the fans shouted, waving a hand in his face.

Another fan chimed in, her voice rising in pitch as she called out, "Can I get a picture? Please, oppa?"

Jin felt overwhelmed as the fans pressed in closer, their phones and cameras raised, capturing every angle of him.

Desperate to escape the excited fans, Jin quickly blurted out anything that came to mind. "Wait! I think I saw Jungkook run that way!" The fans' focus immediately shifted, their eyes searching for the maknae's distinctive presence. "Jungkook? Where?!" one of them exclaimed, peering down the street. Seeing the fans' momentary distraction, Jin seized the chance to slip away. While the fans continued to scan the area, searching for a sign of Jungkook, Jin quickly darted in the opposite direction, ducking behind a nearby building.

The fans, easily distracted, immediately turned their attention towards the direction Jin pointed. Seeing the fans' momentary distraction, Jin seized the chance to slip away. While the fans continued to scan the area, searching for a sign of Jungkook, Jin quickly darted in the opposite direction, ducking behind a nearby building. Just as Jin thought he had gotten away, he heard Namjoon's voice behind him. Turning around, he found himself face to face with Namjoon, who was glowering at him with a mix of irritation and disbelief.

"Really, Jin? That's the excuse you went with?" Namjoon questioned, shaking his head in disbelief. Jin attempted an apologetic shrug, feigning innocence. "Sorry, I had to say something to get away," he said, a sheepish smile on his face.

Yoongi, who was standing beside Namjoon, rolled his eyes. "And now you've got a mob of fans searching for the maknae. Great job, hyung." Namjoon rubbed his temples, feeling the beginning of a headache forming. "And now Jungkook's being swarmed by fans. You didn't think this through, did you, Jin?"

Jin shrugged again, still unapologetic. "Well, it worked, didn't it? I got away, didn't I?" Namjoon and Yoongi exchanged a frustrated glance. "Yeah, but at what cost? Jungkook's now dealing with a mess that you inadvertently caused." Yoongi pointed out. As Namjoon and Yoongi scolded Jin, Jungkook casually strolled up behind them, munching on a granola bar and enjoying the spectacle in front of him.

"What's going on?" he asked after swallowing a mouthful. "Where did you get that granola bar?" Jin said, Jungkook pointed to a gas station that was in front of them. Namjoon and Yoongi's gazes followed Jungkook's pointing finger, and their eyes landed on the gas station sitting unabashedly in front of them. They couldn't believe they had been standing right in front of it the entire time.

"Are you serious?" Yoongi asked, a mixture of frustration and amusement in his voice. Namjoon pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the headache worsening. "You're telling me there's been a gas station right here the whole time, and none of us noticed?"

Jungkook shrugged, taking another bite of his granola bar, clearly enjoying their reactions. "I bought 20, you want one?" Jungkook nonchalantly offered them a granola bar from the pack he had bought. Namjoon and Yoongi stared at him in disbelief, the absurdity of the situation sinking in.

"You bought twenty granola bars?" Namjoon asked, trying to wrap his head around the unnecessary number. "I mean there's seven of us" Yoongi said, Yoongi's point was valid. With the group counting seven members, having twenty granola bars wasn't entirely unreasonable.

Namjoon let out a resigned sigh, his headache momentarily forgotten. "Fair point," he admitted, reaching for a granola bar. As Namjoon accepted a granola bar, Yoongi shrugged and grabbed one for himself. Jungkook, with his mouth full, watched the exchange with a satisfied smirk.

Hoseok suddenly reappeared, panting slightly as he approached the group.

"Hey, guys, we've got a situation-" Hoseok began, but stopped short as he saw the group munching on granola bars. Hoseok stared at the group, taking in the sight of them all simultaneously snacking on granola bars. A mix of confusion and amusement crossed his face as he tried to make sense of what was going.

"What's going on here?" Hoseok questioned, his eyes darting between Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jungkook, who was still munching away. Namjoon swallowed a mouthful of granola bar before responding to Hoseok. "Jungkook just casually informed us that there's been a gas station right here the whole time," he explained, gesturing to the gas station behind them.

Hoseok's gaze followed Namjoon's gesture, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise at the sight of the gas station. Hoseok blinked, clearly astonished that they had been standing in front of the gas station all along. "You're telling me we didn't notice this giant building right here?"

Yoongi nodded, his expression a mix of annoyance and disbelief. "Yeah, apparently we were all too distracted to pay attention to our surroundings." Hoseok shook his head, chuckling at the situation. "Well, that's just typical us, isn't it? We manage to overlook the obvious at the most convenient times."

Jungkook, now finished with his granola bar, chimed in. "Hey, at least we have snacks now." "Anyways.... how did did you two started dating Jimin and Taehyung?" Jin said to Jungkook and Namjoon, Jungkook and Namjoon, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, exchanged a brief look before answering.

Namjoon raised an eyebrow at Jin, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "A bit random, don't you think?"

Jungkook smirked, clearly enjoying the conversation shift. "Yeah, what's with the sudden question?" "Wait a minute how do any of you know about me and Taehyung dating?" Namjoon said Namjoon's words hung in the air, causing a momentary pause in the conversation. The rest of the group exchanged glances, realizing that the secret romance between Namjoon and Taehyung hadn't been as well-hidden as they had thought.

Yoongi crossed his arms, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. "Oh, we've known for a while," he admitted casually. "Which translates to Jungkook sent the photo to all of us" Hobi said. Jungkook chuckled sheepishly, not denying the accusation. "You caught me," he confessed with a grin.

Namjoon let out a resigned sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Seriously, Jungkook?"

Jungkook shrugged, nonchalant. "What? It was just too good not to share." "Yeah we all kind of betted on you and Taehyung ending up together" Jin said. Namjoon facepalmed, simultaneously amused and exasperated by the revelation. "You guys placed bets? Really?"

Hoseok nodded, a sly smile on his face. "Yep, and let's just say Jungkook won the pot."

Jungkook grinned triumphantly, enjoying his victory. Yoongi chimed in, a hint of amused affection in his voice. "We had a hunch you two would end up together, eventually. Just couldn't resist a little friendly wager."

Namjoon shook his head, trying to feign annoyance but unable to hide his smile.

"You guys are unbelievable, you know that?" he said, though his tone lacked any real animosity. "So what's the situation?" Jin said Namjoon, recalling Hoseok's initial interruption, suddenly remembered the situation at hand. "Right, the situation," he said, refocusing.

Hoseok, who had been quietly enjoying the banter, now spoke up. "Yeah, there's a problem." The group's attention turned to Hoseok, anticipation and curiosity evident on their faces. "Jimin is in trouble" The moment Hoseok uttered those words, a hush fell over the group. Concern and worry immediately overshadowed the lightheartedness of the previous moment. Namjoon's expression tightened, his leader instincts kicking in. "Trouble? What kind of trouble?" he asked, his voice grave. Hoseok grimaced, his face betraying his own concern for Jimin. "When we got separated, we encountered a group of sasaengs."

The group collectively bristled at the mention of sasaengs. Sasaeng fans were notorious for their extreme behavior and lack of boundaries. Their presence always brought with it a sense of unease and potential danger. aehyung, clearly worried, spoke up. "Are they following him?" Hoseok nodded, a mix of worry and frustration in his eyes. "Yeah, they've been tailing him ever since we split up. We've been doing our best to shake them off, but they're persistent." Jin's expression morphed into one of genuine concern. "What are we going to do? We need to find Jimin and make sure he's safe," he said, his voice laced with urgency.

Namjoon, deep in thought, clenched his jaw. "We need a plan to find him and get him away from those sasaengs. We can't let anything happen to him." Yoongi nodded in agreement, a scowl on his face. "We have to be careful. These sasaengs have proven they don't respect boundaries. We can't put Jimin at risk." Jungkook, uncharacteristically serious. "I agree. We need to find him quickly, but also make sure not to lead the sasaengs straight to him." Yoongi, ever the strategist, chimed in. "We need to create a distraction. Draw the sasaengs' attention away from Jimin and give us a chance to find him without them catching on."

Namjoon nodded, agreeing with the suggestion. "That's a good idea. Any ideas on how to create a distraction?"

"I say we throw the granola bars at the Sasaengs, they'll collect them like candy" Yoongi said, the group, caught off guard by Yoongi's proposal, stared at him for a moment in startled silence. Then, almost as if on cue, Jungkook burst into laughter, unable to contain himself.

"Did you just suggest we throw granola bars at the sasaengs like it's a game of candy tossing?" Jungkook said between laughs. Yoongi shrugged, a smirk on his face. "Did you just suggest we throw granola bars at the sasaengs like it's a game of candy tossing?" Jungkook said between laughs. Yoongi shrugged, a smirk on his face. "Hey, it could work. Sasaengs love anything connected to us. I bet they'd chase after these granola bars like they're the last food on Earth."

Namjoon, though amused by the idea, still couldn't let go of his role as the responsible leader.

"While that's a creative idea, I think we should consider something less chaotic and more... discreet," Namjoon said, trying to maintain some semblance of seriousness.

Hoseok, despite his own amusement, couldn't help but agree with Namjoon. "Yeah, tossing granola bars at them might not exactly scream 'discretion.' We need something that won't draw unnecessary attention to us and still draw the sasaengs away from Jimin." The group fell into thoughtful silence once again, mulling over possible ideas. Amidst the brainstorming, Taehyung suddenly spoke up, a determined look on his face.

"What if we create a false sighting?" he suggested. Namjoon, intrigued, turned his attention to Hobi. Namjoon racked his brain, trying to come up with a viable plan. "We need something that would immediately grab their attention and make them move away from Jimin's location..." he mused, pondering the possibilities. Jungkook suddenly perked up, a thought sparking in his mind. "Hey, I've got an idea!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up with excitement.

The group turned their attention to him, curious to hear his suggestion.

Yoongi gestured for Jungkook to share his idea. "Alright, little maknae, let's hear it. What's your genius plan?" "I hope it's better than Yoongi's plan" Namjoon said, Yoongi shot Namjoon a playful glare, feigning offense. "Hey, my plan wasn't that bad. It could have worked."

The group chuckled, enjoying the momentary lightheartedness in contrast to the seriousness of the situation. Namjoon nodded, a small smirk on his face. "Well, let's see if Jungkook's idea is any better."

Jungkook, savoring the attention, proudly presented his plan. "We could lead the sasaengs on a wild goose chase. We send a bunch of different tips about our whereabouts, scattered all over the city. They'll have to split up to follow all the leads, giving us a chance to get to Jimin without them on our tail." The group considered Jungkook's plan, weighing the pros and cons. Jin spoke up, a hint of skepticism in his tone. "It's a good idea, but won't they catch on when they realize that all the tips are fake?" Hoseok nodded, echoing Jin's concern. "Yeah, sasaengs can be surprisingly perceptive, especially when they think they're close to us. If they suspect our tips are fake, they might double down and tighten their search for Jimin instead." With a plan somewhat in place, the group steeled themselves for the task at hand. They agreed to spread out and send various fake tips to throw off the sasaengs, creating a distraction to buy them time to reach Jimin.

While the plan carried an element of risk, they had no time to waste. The safety of Jimin was all that mattered. Namjoon, assuming the role of the leader, organized the group. "Okay, everyone knows what to do. We'll split up and send the fake tips, making sure to create as much chaos as possible. Our main priority is to get to Jimin and keep him safe."

The group nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. Their faces were set with determination.

"And Yoongi, do not throw granola bars at them!" Namjoon said, Yoongi raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I got it! No granola bar missiles, I promise," he assured Namjoon.

The group chuckled at the repeated warning, their tension slightly eased by the light-hearted remark. Even in the face of the seriousness of the situation, the group couldn't resist some levity. Yoongi's repeated assurance, coupled with the rest of the group's laughter, briefly lightened the mood.

Namjoon, despite the gravity of the situation, couldn't help but smile at their banter. "Alright, let's move. Jimin is counting on us." With their plan in place and the lighthearted moment set aside, the group prepared to execute their plan. Namjoon gave one last look of determination and nodded at the rest of the group. "We all know what to do. Stay safe, and let's get Jimin back unharmed."

Hoseok nodded, a steely look in his eyes. "Agreed. Let's go." As the group dispersed to start their mission, Yoongi, ever the rule-breaker, casually slipped the bag of granola bars discreetly into his pocket. He smirked to himself, amused by his act of defiance.

He knew the others wouldn't approve of his secret plan, but the temptation to throw the granola bars at the sasaengs was too strong to resist.

Namjoon, deep in the midst of the chaos they were trying to create, heard Yoongi's voice and the sound of a granola bar being tossed. He shook his head and muttered under his breath, "Remind me to strangle Yoongi myself when we get back." While the others were busy creating distractions and trying to find Jimin, the group couldn't help but be amused by the antics of their mischievous member.

"Did Yoongi seriously just throw a granola bar at the sasaengs?" Jin asked, equal parts horrified and entertained. Hoseok couldn't help but laugh at the image of sasaengs chasing after a flying granola bar. "Oh my god, he actually did it. He's going to be the cause of a stampede," he chuckled, still focused on sending fake tips. Jungkook, ever the adventurous one, found the whole situation hilarious. "I gotta hand it to Yoongi, he's a chaos generator. Imagine seeing a bunch of sasaengs running after a granola bar. It's crazy, but also kind of brilliant in a weird way." Jungkook's heart skipped a beat as he heard the ding. He quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw Jimin's name on the screen.

Excitement and urgency coursed through him as he opened the message, hoping for any sign from Jimin that would give them a clue to his whereabouts. "Guys, Jimin texted," he announced, his voice tinged with anticipation. Jungkook read aloud the message from Jimin, his eyes widening with both hope and concern at the words on the screen. "He says he's in a warehouse, but he's not sure," he repeated to the others.

The group collectively held their breath, processing the new information.

Hoseok, relief in his voice, spoke up, "At least we know where he might be." Namjoon, his mind already working in overdrive, began brainstorming their next move. "If he's in a warehouse, that narrows down the search area. We need to be careful though. It could be a trap."

Jin, still worried, voiced his concern. "What if he's hurt or in danger? We can't let anything happen to him." Without a second thought, Jungkook sprinted off in the direction they believed the warehouse to be, determined to rescue Jimin from whatever danger he was in.

The others, taken aback by his suddenly charge, exchanged worried glances before quickly rushing after him, following in his footsteps. "Jungkook!" Namjoon called but a couple fans found them and separated them from Jungkook. Namjoon, alarmed by the sudden separation, shouted for Jungkook, but it was too late. The fans had already closed in on them, effectively dividing the group.

"Dang it," Namjoon muttered under his breath. He tried to push through the crowd, but the fans were relentless, swarming them like bees to honey.

****

Jimin, hiding behind a wall, pressed himself against the cool concrete, trying to stay as hidden as possible. His heart raced with a mixture of fear and determination.

He had managed to sneak his phone and send a message to the others, but now he was trapped. He could hear the sounds of the sasaengs' voices echoing through the large warehouse, the chaos they caused was almost deafening. Jimin took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He knew he had to stay quiet and motionless. Any movement or sound could betray his location and put him in further danger.

He peeked around the corner, surveying the situation. The warehouse was filled with the sasaengs, some searching for him diligently, while others were busy taking pictures and videos, completely absorbed in their obsession. Jimin quietly assessed the situation, his mind racing. The sasaengs were everywhere, their presence making it nearly impossible for him to move without being noticed. He knew he had to find a safe exit point to escape the warehouse, but doing so unnoticed seemed like an impossible task.

He leaned against the wall, struggling to keep his breathing slow and quiet. He couldn't risk being discovered by the sasaengs. Jimin took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He knew he had to stay quiet and motionless. Any movement or sound could betray his location and put him in further danger.

He peeked around the corner, surveying the situation. The warehouse was filled with the sasaengs, some searching for him diligently, while others were busy taking pictures and videos, completely absorbed in their obsession. Jimin watched as the sasaengs divided themselves into small groups. Some were searching every corner and crevice of the warehouse, while others were arguing and planning, seemingly trying to outdo each other.

Jimin remained hidden, his heart beating furiously with each passing moment. He knew the longer he stayed in this state, the higher the chances of being discovered. Jimin's eyes widened as he heard the sound of his own voice echoing through the empty warehouse, bouncing off the walls and filling the space with an eerie atmosphere.

The sasaengs' footsteps and voices began to fade, and Jimin realized they had left the building. A sense of relief washed over him... until he heard the sound of a door locking.

Jimin froze, realizing he was not alone. Someone else was in the building with him. Fear and anxiety clawed at Jimin's chest as he heard the door lock click, cutting off his escape route. He listened intently, trying to discern any clue as to who or what was with him.

The silence was deafening. Jimin could only hear his own heartbeat, drumming loudly in his ears. He pressed himself against the wall, praying that the darkness would cloak him from whatever had entered the building. Jimin flattened himself against the wall, his heart pounding in his ears. He held his breath, straining to hear any sound that could reveal the presence of the stranger in the warehouse.

His mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. Should he try to make a run for it? The door was locked, but there had to be another escape route, right? Or should he stay put, praying that whoever was in the warehouse wouldn't notice him?

Jimin clutched his phone tighter, knowing he had to take a risk if he wanted to be found. He quickly typed out another message to Jungkook, his fingers trembling slightly as he hit send.

The phone chimed in response, the sound ringing out in the empty warehouse like a loud alarm. Jimin froze, his heart in his throat, listening for any clues as to the other person's reaction. Jimin's heart rate quickened as he realized that whoever he was dealing with could have access to Jungkook's phone. His mind raced, trying to process this new possibility.

Jimin clenched his jaw, frustration and fear mixing inside him. Was the person closing in on him also one of the sasaengs? Was he playing some sort of twisted game? He had to be careful, but he couldn't just stay hidden forever. Jimin's breath caught in his throat as he saw Jungkook in front of him, their foreheads almost touching as they moved in perfect unison. The song they sang, their voices blended together like a soothing balm, enveloped them in a cocoon of comfort and familiarity.

The warehouse, filled with shadows and uncertainty, felt less intimidating with Jungkook by his side. They moved as one, their steps slow and deliberate, as if the world had slowed down just for them.

They stayed like that for a couple minutes while smiling "Jimin-sii" As Jungkook and Jimin stood there, foreheads nearly touching and their voices joining in harmony, a sense of tranquility washed over them. Time seemed to slow down, and even the shadows in the warehouse softened as they reveled in each other's presence. Their steps were unhurried, their movements perfectly synchronized like two parts of a whole.

The world around them faded away, leaving only the sound of their voices mixing together. Their eyes met, filled with a quiet understanding, before they both smiled, relishing the moment. Jungkook and Jimin's foreheads stayed pressed together, their breaths mingling, creating a moment of intimacy amidst the dimly lit warehouse. After what felt like a small eternity, they closed the tiny gap between them. Their lips met in a soft, lingering kiss. It was gentle, but filled with a myriad of emotions; tenderness, reassurance, relief, and perhaps something more, something that went unspoken between them. Both Jimin and Jungkook snapped out of their moment, their attention drawn to the sudden sound of a breaking window. Their eyes widened as they realized what was on the floor; a granola bar, thrown in through the broken window like a miniature missile from an unseen assailant.

Confusion and then realization washed over Jungkook's faces as he connected the dots. "Yoongi," Jungkook said, knowing that only their mischievous bandmate would have the audacity to throw a granola bar like that. Jimin and Jungkook made their way to the broken window, peering out to see a comical scene playing out on the roof. Sure enough, there was Yoongi, chucking granola bars at the sasaengs with reckless abandon while the other members watched in a mix of awe and annoyance.

Jungkook's face fell as he realized that Yoongi had raided the secret stash of granola bars that he had just acquired for the group. Jimin, standing next to Jungkook by the broken window, couldn't help but marvel at the sight of Yoongi on the roof. However, a puzzled expression crossed his face as he saw the granola bars being thrown. "Wait, what? Why does he have granola bars?" he asked, turning to Jungkook for clarification. Jungkook's brow furrowed slightly as he watched Yoongi continue his chaotic snack attack. "I bought twenty granola bars for the group," he repeated, a hint of frustration in his voice. "And, of course, Yoongi found them and is now using them to cause ruckus." As Yoongi tossed another granola bar, Jungkook reached into his pocket and pulled out two bars. He offered them to Jimin with a small smile, the initial anger momentarily forgotten in the midst of the chaotic scene unfolding. "Here," he said, holding out the granola bars. "At least you can have these before Yoongi wastes them all." As Jimin reached out and took the granola bars from Jungkook, he glanced at the packaging and noticed the flavor: strawberry. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Strawberry," he murmured, unwrapping one and taking a bite. The sweet and fruity taste seemed like a small token of comfort amidst the chaos around them. Mid-bite, their peaceful moment was suddenly interrupted by the sound of another window breaking. Startled, Jimin and Jungkook whipped their heads around, looking for the source of the noise. The room fell silent, their hearts beating rapidly in their chests. Jimin and Jungkook exchanged a worried glance; could it be more sasaengs? They cautiously approached the broken window, keeping their voices low and their movements careful. Peering out, they prepared for the worst. Namjoon, looking slightly frustrated at the sight of broken windows and the potential damage, glanced inside and spotted Jungkook and Jimin standing near the broken window. His annoyance gave way to relief at seeing them both unharmed. He hurried inside, approaching them while keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings. "Thank god you two are alright," he said, his voice filled with concern. "What happened? Are you hurt?" Jungkook and Jimin's faces were a mix of relief and anxiety as they saw Namjoon approaching. They quickly tried to explain the situation. "We're okay, Namjoon," Jimin said, his voice a bit shaky. "But we've been stuck in here for quite a while." Jungkook chimed in, "Yoongi...he started throwing granola bars at the sasaengs..." Namjoon gave a tired sigh and helped Jimin and Jungkook up from their crouching positions. "Remind me to give Yoongi an earful later," he muttered, shaking his head slightly as the situation dawned upon him. As they began making their way out of the warehouse, Namjoon shot a stern look toward the roof, aiming it at the still-chucking Yoongi. Jimin and Jungkook followed Namjoon as they made their way through the warehouse. With each step, the sound of their footsteps echoed in the empty space, an eerie contrast to the chaos that had just unfolded.

As they reached the ladder leading to the roof, Namjoon ascended first, checking to ensure it was safe. Once he gave the signal, Jimin and Jungkook followed, careful not to lose their footing. Namjoon approached Yoongi with a stern look on his face. Without a word, he plucked the bag of granola bars from his hands, effectively cutting off his snack-chucking spree. Yoongi, caught off guard, protested, "Hyung! I was in the middle of something here!" As Namjoon snatched the bag from Yoongi, he quickly glanced inside. His irritation grew as he realized that there were only five granola bars left in the bag. He turned to Yoongi, his voice stern. "Seriously, Yoongi? This is all we have left?" Jungkook watched the exchange between Yoongi and Namjoon in disbelief, his eyes widening as the situation unfolded. He couldn't believe that Yoongi had already gone through twenty granola bars, not to mention the audacity to use them in such a way. As Yoongi began to protest, Jungkook interjected. "Seriously, Hyung? I bought those! And you're just wasting them like this?" Yoongi gave Jungkook a casual shrug, completely unapologetic. "Hey, they were just sitting there. I figured I'd put them to good use," he said with a smirk. Jungkook's jaw tightened, a mix of frustration and irritation crossing his face. "You could have saved those for the rest of us," he stated, the annoyance clear in his voice. Taehyung, noticing the sasaengs surrounding the building, looked around and voiced his question. "Hey, how do we get down?" Namjoon's face grew serious as he assessed the situation. The sasaengs had gathered around the building like a persistent swarm, making a simple exit impossible. They needed a plan, and fast. Jin's face scrunched up in mock offense as he remembered the past incident. "And, let's not forget," he chimed in, "you and Hoseok played rock, paper, scissors to decide who would pay my hospital bill!"

Yoongi's smirk widened, clearly enjoying the memory. "Well, I won that bet fair and square," he replied, a hint of pride in his voice. "Were getting side tracked" Namjoon said as he looked down Jimin spoke up, his voice firm as he offered to stay behind. "Me and Jungkook can stay up here. The rest of you can find a way down first." Namjoon's eyes widened in surprise at Jimin's offer, but before he could respond, Jungkook interjected. "Yeah, we can hold our own, hyung. You guys just need to find a safe exit." Jin's voice rose in protest, his fear apparent in his words. "We just found the both of you again! Who knows what could happen if we leave you here alone?" Namjoon placed a hand on Jin's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "I get it, hyung. But we don't have many options right now. We need to split up and find a way out." Jungkook, standing beside Jimin, met Jin's worried gaze with determination. "We'll be okay, hyung. We can handle ourselves," he said, his voice firm. Jimin nodded in agreement, a resolute expression on his face. "Yeah, we'll be fine. Just focus on getting yourselves out of here safely." The rest of the members looked between each other, torn between their worry for Jimin and Jungkook and the need to escape the situation. After a few tense moments, they collectively let out a sigh. "Fine," Namjoon relented, his voice laced with resignation. "You two stay here. We'll find a way out and come back for you." Namjoon shot a stern look at Jimin and Jungkook, making sure they understood. "But you two better stay safe and don't do anything reckless." Jimin and Jungkook nodded, their faces a mix of determination and a hint of anticipation. "We will," Jimin assured, his voice unwavering. Jungkook leaned closer to Jimin, his voice lowered to a whisper. "I think we could last forever," he murmured. Jimin's voice was just as soft as he responded, "I'm afraid that everything will disappear." Jungkook met Jimin's eyes and smiled gently. "Just trust me," he said, his voice filled with certainty. Jungkook bowed slightly, his heart pounding with anticipation. He stretched out his hand, reaching out to Jimin. He was silently asking for Jimin to take his hand, to link their fingers together. Jimin looked at Jungkook, a mix of excitement and nerves visible on his face. With a small smile, he took hold of Jungkook's outstretched hand, their palms pressing together. Jungkook, still holding Jimin's hand, suddenly spun him around before dipping him gracefully. As Jimin's body leaned backward, the world seemed to slow down for a moment.

He had a clear view, albeit upside down, of the surrounding area, checking to see if the others had safely exited the building. Jungkook's voice came to Jimin's ear in a hushed whisper, "Do you see them?" Jimin looked around, his view disoriented but still clear enough to spot the members. He nodded as much as he could in his current position, his heart fluttering. "Yeah... I think they made it out," he responded, relief in his tone. Jungkook's relief was evident in his voice as he echoed, "Good," and they continued their impromptu dance. As they moved together, the chaos around them faded into the background, replaced by the comfortable rhythm of their movements and the closeness of their bodies. Despite the precarious situation and the worries lingering in the back of their minds, Jimin and Jungkook found solace in each other's company. They continued dancing, their hands still intertwined, their bodies moving in sync. As the moments passed, they became immersed in their own little world, shutting out the outside noise and focusing only on the connection between them. A silence settled over them as they let the music of the moment fill the air. No words needed to be spoken; their bodies, their gazes, and their clasped hands were enough to convey all they wanted to say. They continued to move together, every step, every twirl, and every touch whispering a silent language known only to them. As Jimin and Jungkook continued to dance, a soft hum escaped their lips as they began to sing in unison. Their voices intertwined, creating a soothing harmony that floated through the air. With each note, the chaos around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the comforting sound of their voices and the gentle rhythm of their dance steps.

Namjoon glanced back at Jimin and Jungkook, a hint of a smile on his face as he watched them dancing and singing together. However, as Hoseok pulled out his phone to record the scene, Namjoon quickly stopped him. "No," he said firmly, shaking his head. "Let them have this moment without a camera in their faces." Yoongi, after witnessing the moment between Jimin and Jungkook, turned to the others and voiced a question that was on everyone's mind. "Yeah, what's the plan for finding security?" The group fell silent for a moment, each one turning over different possibilities. Their situation was precarious, and finding security was a crucial step towards ensuring their safety. "We need to think quickly," Namjoon said, his expression serious. "Any ideas?" Yoongi spoke up with a suggestion that seemed simple yet effective, "What if we use the flashlight on our phones as morse code?" Namjoon thought for a moment, considering Yoongi's idea. He nodded, appreciating the ingenuity. "That... could work," he said, a glimmer of approval in his eyes. "But who knows morse code?" Hoseok asked, his gaze darting between the group. The group fell silent again, each member realizing the challenge posed by Yoongi's idea. They were all proficient in various skills but knowing morse code wasn't one of them. Jin broke the silence, his voice laced with a hint of disappointment. "Damn, none of us know morse code, do we?" The realization that none of them knew morse code cast a shadow of uncertainty over the group. Time was of the essence, and they needed a solution that didn't require knowledge of a specific code. Taehyung spoke up, his voice filled with concern. "What do we do now? There's no way we can just send out random flashes and hope someone will understand." The group fell into a silent contemplation, each one racking their brains for any other solution. They needed a way to signal for help without relying on morse code, and they needed it fast. Namjoon ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. "This is just great," he muttered, frustration starting to creep into his voice. "We need a new plan, and quickly." The group continued to brainstorm, tossing out ideas and discarding them just as quickly. Nothing seemed to quite fit the urgency of the situation. Suddenly, Hoseok's face lit up with an idea. "Wait, I've got it!" he exclaimed, his voice betraying his excitement. Hoseok's sudden exclamation drew the group's attention to him. They all turned to him, anticipation hanging in the air. "What is it?" Namjoon asked, leaning forward slightly as he waited for Hoseok to share his idea. Hoseok's eyes glinted with excitement as he revealed his idea. "What if we create smoke signals? The suggestion hung in the air for a brief moment, as the others processed his words. Smoke signals? It was a simple yet unconventional approach, one that they hadn't considered before. But the idea did come with a risk. Smoke signals were often a cry for help, one that could attract both attention and potential danger. Namjoon, ever the leader, quickly spoke up. "Smoke signals might work, but we risk drawing both good and bad attention," he warned, his voice measured. The group fell silent again as they weighed the pros and cons of using smoke signals. On one hand, it could potentially attract the attention of security or emergency services. On the other hand, it could also alert the sasaengs to their whereabouts.

Jin voiced his concern, "What if we end up making things worse?" Namjoon nodded, a hint of determination in his eyes. "There's always a risk, but we don't have many options here," he stated and looked at each member, his gaze serious. "We need to act fast and choose the best possible option." The others exchanged looks, each one contemplating the danger and the necessity of taking a calculated risk. Finally, a collective nod signaled a consensus. The decision to use smoke signals was not made lightly, but it was the best plan they had. Namjoon spoke up again, his voice firm. "Alright," he said, his determination clear. "We'll go with the smoke signals. We'll need to find something to use as fuel." Jin's suggestion of the sketchy gas station caught everyone's attention. It was a viable place to find something to use as fuel, but it came with its own set of risks. "The gas station?" Namjoon repeated, weighing the pros and cons of that location. "It's not the safest place to go, but we might find something there to use for the smoke signal." As they discussed the idea of going to the gas station, Yoongi spoke up, his voice filled with concern. "And what if there are sasaengs hanging around?" The question hung in the air, casting a shadow of doubt over their decision. Going to a gas station meant exposing themselves to potential danger. Namjoon nodded, acknowledging the risk but also recognizing the necessity to have courage. "We have to take the risk," he stated firmly. "We can't just stay here and hope for the best. We need a way out, and the gas station might be our best bet." The others looked at one another, their eyes filled with a mix of trepidation and determination. They knew the risks, but they also saw no other viable option. "We'll need to stick together and be careful," Hoseok said, his voice firm. "We can't let our guard down for even a moment." The group reached the gas station, and to their surprise, they found that it wasn't as sketchy as they had expected. Instead, it was surprisingly clean and well-maintained. They looked around, their guard still up despite the unexpected cleanliness. "Looks like this place isn't as bad as we thought," Namjoon murmured, his eyes scanning the area for any potential dangers. The unexpected greeting startled the group, and they quickly turned towards the source of the voice. A woman stood there, bowing politely.

While they were still processing her presence, Taehyung's attention was caught by a rack of clothes nearby. Taehyung couldn't help but be drawn to the rack of clothes. He moved over to it, his eyes scanning the various items. "Hey, these actually look decent," he said, holding up a shirt to check the quality. Taehyung was still holding up the shirt, contemplating the quality, when Namjoon broke the silence with a revelation. "I think, Taehyung, you just gave us an idea." All eyes turned towards Namjoon, intrigued by his statement. What idea could Taehyung have unwittingly inspired? "We can use the clothes as a disguise and blend in with everyone" Namjoon's words sent a ripple of understanding through the group. The clothes they had found could serve as a perfect disguise. It was a simple yet effective idea. Hoseok spoke up, his tone filled with both excitement and agreement. "That's genius. We can change into these clothes and blend in with the public. The sasaengs won't be able to recognize us that easily." Namjoon nodded, his eyes darting between each member, evaluating the plan. "That's true. It could work," he mused, his mind racing with different scenarios. Yoongi, ever the practical one, spoke up, his tone cautious yet hopeful. "What about our faces? They're all over the news. Someone's bound to recognize us, no matter what we wear." Yoongi's words brought up a valid concern. Their faces were well-known, and even in disguises, there was a risk of being recognized. "He's right," Jin chimed in, his voice laced with concern. "Our faces are pretty recognizable. How do we deal with that?" The group fell silent as they considered different options. Namjoon was deep in thought when Hoseok spoke up, a spark in his eyes. "Masks!" he exclaimed. "We can wear masks to cover our faces. That way, no one will recognize us even if they look closely." "Cheap hair dye that doesn't require bleach?" Jin said, Jin's suggestion of hair dye caught everyone's attention. It was a drastic change, but it could help them alter their appearances even further. Yoongi thought for a moment before speaking, his voice skeptical. "Temporary hair dye, eh? That might work, but how do we know which ones are safe and won't fry our hair?" Namjoon nodded, acknowledging Yoongi's concern about the safety of hair dye. "You've got a point. We can't risk messing up our hair too much." Taehyung's eyes suddenly widened, an idea sparking in his mind. "Wait, what about spray-on color? It's temporary and should be safer for our hair." Taehyung's suggestion caught everyone's attention again. Spray-on color could be a perfect solution. It was temporary and wouldn't damage their hair. Namjoon looked at the others, contemplating the idea. "Spray-on color... That's not a bad idea. We could easily wash it out when we're done." With the decision made, the group began searching through the aisles of the gas station. It was a unique place to find various items, and they hoped they could find spray-on color as well.

After a few minutes of searching, Namjoon's voice called out from an aisle. "Hey, I think I found it!" The others quickly made their way towards Namjoon, their eyes falling on the shelf he was standing next to. Sure enough, there it was-a small section of spray-on color. Hoseok picked up a can, a smile creeping onto his face. "Looks like we're in luck," he said, as he read the label. Namjoon's suggestion of natural colors made sense, as they were aiming to blend in with the crowd. Everyone nodded in agreement, realizing the wisdom in the leader's words. "Natural colors it is," Yoongi echoed, his voice filled with agreement. "We don't want to stick out like sore thumbs." With the decision made, the group set about choosing their colors. They wanted something that would look natural on them yet still serve as an effective disguise. Each member picked up a can, examining the different shades. They talked amongst themselves, making sure that their choices wouldn't look too outlandish once applied. Namjoon spoke up, his voice steady. "Okay, let's get this done and get out of here as quickly as possible." Yoongi's question was interrupted by the unexpected sound of the spray can being activated. As he tried to speak, a jet of vibrant color shot into his mouth, causing him to cough and splutter. The others rushed over to see what had happened, their eyes widening in a mixture of shock and amusement as they saw the dye in Yoongi's mouth. The bathroom echoed with the sound of laughter as the group couldn't help but chuckle at the unintentional act. Seeing Yoongi sprayed in the mouth with hair dye was a hilarious sight. They all tried to compose themselves, but the sight of Yoongi's surprised expression just made them laugh harder. The others couldn't hold back their laughter. Namjoon chuckled and tried to speak through his laughs. "Well, Yoongi, you didn't need to taste-test the dye for us." Hoseok's eyes were tearing up from laughing, and he had to catch his breath before speaking. "I never thought we'd witness Yoongi eating hair dye today." The others couldn't hold back their laughter. Namjoon chuckled and tried to speak through his laughs. "Well, Yoongi, you didn't need to taste-test the dye for us." Hoseok's eyes were tearing up from laughing, and he had to catch his breath before speaking. "I never thought we'd witness Yoongi eating hair dye today." Right in the middle of their laughter-filled banter, Namjoon tried to bring the group back to the task at hand. "Alright, guys, we should get back on track-" but before he could even finish his sentence, he caught sight of Yoongi. His eyes widened, and Namjoon couldn't help but be distracted by the funny scene before him.

Jungkook and Jimin were still on the roof, and the intense heat had left them feeling sweaty. Jungkook took the initiative, removing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. Jimin followed suit, with Jungkook's help, as they both tried to cool down. "These suits are killing me in this heat," Jimin complained as he rolled up his sleeves. Jungkook nodded, wiping away a bead of sweat on his forehead. "Yeah, it's like we're being cooked alive up here." The cool breeze felt a little better against their exposed skin, but it was still a struggle to stay cool in the intense heat. Taking a moment to catch his breath. Wiping sweat from his forehead. "How long do we have to stay up here?" Jimin's eyes followed Jungkook's finger, his gaze falling upon the escape route that had been pointed out.

A glimmer of hope appeared on Jimin's face. "You think that might lead us down from here?" In a quick, unexpected move, Jungkook gathered up their extraneous items and tossed them off the roof. Jimin followed closely behind, a hint of surprise and anticipation in his eyes.

Together, they made their way to the ladder leading down from the roof. With adrenaline pumping through their veins, they started climbing down, their hearts racing with the thrill of their impromptu escape. As they continued to run, Jimin's voice echoed with concern. "Where are they right now?"

Jungkook, his breath coming in quick short gasps, replied, "Jin just texted me. He said they're at a sketchy gas station." Jimin's fear grew, a flicker of worry crossing his face. "A sketchy gas station? Why in the world would they go there?" Jungkook and Jimin continued their run, their minds filled with confusion and worry about their friends' decision to go to a sketchy gas station.

"Why would they go there of all places?" Jimin panted, his voice filled with concern. "That doesn't seem like the safest place to be in this situation." As they arrived at the gas station, they were both taken aback. It wasn't the sketchy, run-down place they had expected, but quite the contrary. The gas station seemed surprisingly clean and well-maintained.

Jimin looked around, surprise etched on his face. "This isn't what I expected. It's actually... pretty clean." Opening the bathroom door, Jungkook and Jimin entered to find the other members still laughing uncontrollably. Yoongi stood in front of the mirror, his face a mix of bemusement and annoyance.

They looked around the room, still panting lightly from their run, and Jimin couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "What in the world happened here?" The laughter died down, replaced by expressions of relief and happiness. The members hurried towards them, their eyes filled with relief.

"Thank God you're okay," Namjoon said, his voice filled with worry. "We were so worried about you two."

They gathered around Jungkook and Jimin, a mix of concern and excitement in their voices. Hoseok approached them first, his eyes scanning their bodies for any signs of injury.

"Are you two alright?" he asked, his tone filled with worry. "Did you get hurt in the escape?" "No but uh, what is Yoongi's mouth covered with?" Jimin said. The members snickered, their attention shifting to Yoongi, who stood in front of the mirror with his mouth covered in various hues of spray-on hair dye.

Jimin's question made everyone chuckle, and Namjoon responded, "Well, apparently, Yoongi here thought it would be a good idea to taste-test the hair dye." Yoongi protested, his voice slightly muffled by the hair dye on his mouth. "It was an accident! I was trying to say something, and it just... happened."

The others couldn't hold back their laughter, the situation still funny despite the circumstances. Hoseok teased, "Sure, an accident. We believe you, Yoongi." Yoongi turned on the faucet, attempting to wash away the vibrant streaks of dye that stained his face and mouth. He splashed water on himself, trying to rinse off the color.

The others watched, still laughing, as Yoongi continued his futile attempt to clean up the mess he had made. Namjoon's voice cut through the laughter, redirecting the attention towards a more pressing issue. "Alright, guys, let's move on from the joke for a moment. We should help Yoongi clean up."

The others nodded, realizing that it was time to be serious again. They gathered around Yoongi, ready to assist him in getting the hair dye off his face and mouth. "What's with the spray hair dye and clothes?" Jungkook said, In between trying to help Yoongi clean his face, Jungkook spoke up, pointing out the spray-on hair dye and their changed clothes.

Namjoon responded, "We thought it would be a smart idea to alter our looks a bit more. The spray-on hair dye is temporary, and the new clothes help us blend in better." Jin's voice cut in, acknowledging Taehyung's accidental contribution to their plan. "Yeah, we owe this idea to Taehyung. It was kind of an unintentional suggestion, but it worked out well." Taehyung sheepishly admitted, "Uh, yeah... it was an accident, but I guess it was a pretty good idea, huh?" Namjoon, taking charge, passed extra clothes and can of spray-on hair dye to Jungkook and Jimin. As he handed it over, he spoke, "You two should change your looks as well. We need to blend in, and this will make it harder for people to recognize us."

As they waited for Jimin and Jungkook to finish changing their looks, a playful mood took over the group. Yoongi suggested placing bets on what the two were doing in the bathroom. Everyone except Namjoon raised their hands, clearly interested in the harmless game.

Jin chuckled and asked, "Alright, what's the stake?" Jin's jokingly suggestion of "making out" set off a chain reaction of even more outrageous bets. Hoseok played along, saying, "Oh, we're going there, huh? Alright then..." Suddenly, Taehyung joined in, his voice full of mischief. "Well, if we're going there, I've got an even more wild guess." Taehyung's remark caught everyone's attention, and they turned to him, waiting to hear what outrageous guess he had in mind. He paused for dramatic effect before speaking, a sly smile on his face. "I bet they're doing a... drumroll please... dramatic fashion show in there." As the laughter continued, the bets grew even more absurd. Jin added to the list of possibilities, suggesting, "I'll bet they're having a dance battle in there."

The others laughed heartily, clearly enjoying the ridiculous speculation. As the laughter grew and the bets became increasingly outlandish, the others turned to Namjoon with expectant grins on their faces. They started chanting, "Make a bet! Make a bet!" wanting him to join in on the fun.

Namjoon chuckled, resisting the peer pressure initially, but the group's insistence won out. Namjoon relented, unable to resist the group's insistence. He rolled his eyes and smiled, then said, "Alright, alright. I'll play your game. Here's my bet: I bet that they're having a karaoke battle in there." As Namjoon announced his bet, the others erupted in cheers and laughter. They were happy that he had finally joined in on the playful game.

Hoseok chuckled, "Namjoon, finally joining the club of wild guesses. I like it." As soon as Jin mentioned the possibility of Jimin and Jungkook overhearing their playful bets, the group fell into an unexpected silence. They all exchanged glances, realizing that the quiet moment might indeed mean that their voices were carrying through the bathroom door. Hoseok chuckled nervously, breaking the silence. "Oops, you think they can actually hear us?" Yoongi resumed the guessing game, suggesting "they're kissing" and placed a 5 on the floor, adding a fun wager to his guess.

The others chuckled, enjoying the silliness of it all. Jin responded with an exaggerated surprise, "Oh, Yoongi's going all in on that one, huh?" Namjoon's eyes widened as he realized they were betting money. Before he could protest, Hoseok dropped his entire wallet on the floor. Taehyung burst into laughter, "Oh no, Hoseok has just made this bet all or nothing. This is getting interesting." As Namjoon watched in disbelief, the money pile continued to grow. Yoongi joined in, dumping his wallet onto the floor as well, adding more coins to the pot.

Jin, unable to resist, chuckled and also placed his wallet on the floor, saying, "Welp, seems like we're all-in now." The money pile grew larger with each wallet added, and the stakes had suddenly become much higher. Hoseok chuckled nervously, looking at the growing amount. "Well, this escalated quickly."

Taehyung chimed in, "I hope Jimin and Jungkook appreciate how much we're betting on their mystery activity." Taehyung raised a question that none of them had considered yet: "What if none of us wins the bet? We've all thrown in quite a bit of money, but what happens if Jimin and Jungkook weren't actually doing any of the things we guessed?" Namjoon, always the pragmatic one, responded to Taehyung's question with a calm demeanor. "In that case, we divide the money among ourselves. It's only fair if no one guesses correctly." Jin looked around at the group, a mischievous grin on his face as he asked, "Alright, any final bets before Jimin and Jungkook emerge from the bathroom?"

The others chuckled and looked at each other, thinking for a moment. Hoseok chimed in, "I've got one last wild guess. I bet they're having a sing-off in there." Yoongi, always unpredictable, placed a final bet with a completely absurd guess. He said, "My last bet is that they're summoning a demon in there."

The others laughed heartily, clearly amused and impressed by the sheer craziness of Yoongi's guess. Jin's statement about a sasaeng demon being a possibility had the group laughing even harder. Namjoon chuckled, "Okay, let's not add a supernatural, stalking fan into the mix. Let's stick to the realm of reality here." The laughter subsided, and once again, they all fell silent, waiting for Jimin and Jungkook to emerge from the bathroom. The atmosphere was filled with anticipation, each imagining the outrageous scenarios they had suggested.

Hoseok broke the silence, "Seriously, though, what are they doing in there?" Jimin and Jungkook stepped out of the bathroom, looking completely transformed with their newly sprayed hair. As they emerged, they immediately noticed the large pile of money and wallets on the floor.

Jungkook chuckled, a puzzled expression on his face, "Guys, what's up with all the money on the floor? Did we miss something?" The others chuckled, realizing they had been caught red-handed. Namjoon explained, "Well, we were having a little game while you guys were in there. We were placing bets on what you were doing in the bathroom." Jimin and Jungkook exchanged a glance, clearly intrigued by the game they had unwittingly become the center of. Jimin picked up one of the wallets and peeked inside, his curiosity piqued.

Jungkook chuckled, "So, you guys were placing bets on us? What were the guesses?" Hoseok chimed in, listing the outlandish guesses they had made. "Oh, we had some wild ones. From making out to summoning a demon."

Jimin raised an eyebrow, amused by the array of guesses. "Summoning a demon? Really?" Taehyung interjected with new information about a potential route to the hotel. The group's attention turned to him, their interest piqued.

Namjoon asked, "You have a route? How'd you get it?" Taehyung displayed his phone and showed the group Google Maps open on the screen. The others gathered around, peering at the map.

Hoseok chuckled, "Ah, I should have thought of that sooner. Why didn't we use Google Maps from the beginning?" Jin's comment about their recent pursuit by sasaengs and the paparazzi brought everyone back to reality. It was a stark reminder of why they had forgotten about the simple solution. Yoongi sighed, "Right, that little escape from the madness made us forget we had our phones with us."

Namjoon instructed the group to follow Taehyung's guidance, and they all nodded in agreement. They bowed to the lady behind the counter in the gas station, thankful for her help.

With Taehyung leading the way, they left the gas station, relieved to have a route to the hotel and a plan in place. As they walked along the route, they accidentally crossed paths with a couple of fans. Fortunately, luck was on their side, and the fans didn't seem to recognize them.

Taehyung chuckled, whispering to the others, "Looks like our new looks are working." The group breathed a collective sigh of relief, the disguises successfully aiding them in avoiding recognition.

Namjoon nodded, still vigilant and cautious. "We shouldn't get complacent. Let's keep moving and stay vigilant until we reach the hotel." The group continued their journey, following Taehyung and the directions on his phone. They kept their heads down, hoping to keep their cover and not attract any attention from fans or paparazzi.

Along the way, they remained cautiously optimistic, thankful that they now had a proper route and a destination in sight. As they ventured further, the group spotted the hotel in the distance. Relieved, they quickened their pace, their energy revived.

Jimin clapped his hands together, a wide smile on his face. "Guys, look! The hotel is right there!" Just as they spotted the hotel in the distance, they were unexpectedly confronted by a large group of fans. The fans, having finally recognized them, began cheering and getting excited.

Yoongi looked around, surprised at the sudden encounter. "Well, so much for our disguises working all the way." Namjoon's urgent order echoed through the group, "Just run to the hotel!"

Instantly, they all broke into a sprint, their hearts pounding as the fans gave chase, trying to get closer to them. Amid the chaos and adrenaline, Jin managed to find a positive aspect to the situation. He quipped, "Well, at least we're not in our tight suits this time. That would've been even worse!"

The others chuckled, despite the panic, appreciating the lightheartedness in Jin's words. Jimin's excited shout out drew the group's attention to the security guards stationed in front of the hotel entrance. The sight of the security gave the group a burst of hope.

Yoongi yelled, "The security! We can reach them!" As they neared the hotel entrance, Namjoon noticed Taehyung starting to lag a bit. Without hesitation, he scooped up Taehyung in his arms and carried him as they ran. Meanwhile, Jungkook grabbed Jimin, lifting him to help him move faster.

The fans were still in pursuit, their cheers and shouts growing louder. The security guards at the hotel entrance looked alarmed but recognized the situation. As the group reached the hotel entrance, the security guards reacted quickly. They immediately ushered the group into the hotel, creating a barrier between them and the fans to prevent any further intrusion.

The guards formed a wall, keeping the fans outside. Some fans still attempted to push closer, but the security stood firm, determined to protect the group.

The group, now safely inside the hotel, collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily and catching their breaths.

As the exhaustion hit them, Yoongi simply stated, "Tired," as they all panted to catch their breaths. Meanwhile, Jin inquired about their next steps, asking, "Do we still need to go through the check-in process? And can someone please tell me what time it is?" Jungkook checked his watch and replied breathlessly, "It's 2:00 AM."

The group groaned collectively at the realization of how late it had gotten. Namjoon, still somewhat winded, let out a sigh and muttered, "We've been chased all this time, and it's already 2 AM? This day has been ridiculous." The staff and security that had been with them throughout the chaos continued to support the group. They helped the exhausted members to their respective rooms, ensuring that everyone made it safely inside.

Yoongi grumbled, "I swear our staff doesn't get paid enough for the trouble we put them through." Jin chuckled, replying, "They probably do. Our company better pay them well, considering the trouble we put them through."

Taehyung, now walking on his own, chimed in, "Yeah, they're definitely earning those overtime hours tonight." Yoongi's comment echoed the group's collective astonishment. He mused, "I can't believe this whole chaotic night began just because some fans were so nosy about Jungkook and Jimin's relationship. Who would've thought it would turn out like this?" Taehyung added a point though, "And if those fans hadn't been around our car trapping us, we'd probably be in the hotel right now, sleeping peacefully."

Jimin, sitting on his bed, chimed in, "Yeah, imagine if this had all been avoided. We could've had a normal night, but here we are, exhausted and having just run miles from fans." As Taehyung planted a kiss on Namjoon, the group erupted into laughter and playful cheers. Yoongi, quick with a joke, exclaimed, "When's the wedding, huh?" which made everyone burst into even louder laughter.

Jin chuckled, joining in the jest, "Well, someone better start planning the reception!" Yoongi held up the ring pops in a dramatic fashion, as if presenting the most priceless gemstone jewelry. With a proud grin, he declared, "Gentlemen, behold – the perfect engagement rings!"

The group burst into laughter, finding Yoongi's playful antics utterly amusing. Jimin couldn't help but join in on the joke, holding up a ring pop and pretending to admire it. "Wow, Yoongi, these are truly stunning!" As the group continued their lighthearted banter and joked about their "perfect rings," Jin, always the food enthusiast, chimed in, "Seriously, what flavor are those ring pops?"

Hoseok took a closer look at the ring pops. "Looks like we got a mix here – strawberry, grape, and... blue raspberry, I think?" Jungkook decided to take the jest a step further, opening one of the ring pops and pretending to give an exaggerated, mock-romantic speech. Holding the ring pop up for all to see, he said dramatically, "With this ring pop, I thee wed..."

He then placed the ring pop on Jimin's finger, causing the group to erupt into laughter and applause. Jimin, playing along, feigned excitement, pretending to swoon and exclaim, "Oh, Jungkook, you're such a romantic!" Following Jungkook's lead, Namjoon opened one of the ring pops and continued the jest. With a mock-serious expression, he began a playful speech. "Dearest Taehyung, with this ring pop, I promise to always love you, even if you constantly steal my snacks and hog the blankets..."

As Namjoon placed the ring pop on Taehyung's finger, the group chuckled and cheered even louder, enjoying the silly and lighthearted moment. As the jokes and laughter gradually subsided, Jimin and Jungkook exchanged warm smiles. The exhaustion from the long day was evident in their eyes, but there was also a sense of comfort and familiarity in sharing a bed once again.

Jimin jokingly whispered to Jungkook, "I guess we're not getting our own rooms tonight, huh?"

Jungkook chuckled, pulling the covers over them. "It's not like we haven't shared a bed before anyway."

Jimin and Jungkook leaned closer, their faces inches apart. Their eyes met, filled with a mixture of exhaustion and affection. Jimin smiled softly, gently placing a kiss on Jungkook's forehead, then his cheek, and finally, their lips met in a tender, gentle kiss.

Pulling back, Jimin whispered, "Goodnight, Kookie."

Jungkook smiled, wrapping his arms around Jimin's waist, pulling him closer. "Goodnight, Min."

#jikook #taejoon #minkook #kookmin #vmon

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much-obliged-timothy · 2 years

Text

Winter Whumperland #9

Devil May Cry - #9 - Baking

I completely forgot I used the comfort prompt for this day but I guess I needed to give the Sparda boys a break from suffering

“This is ridiculous,” Vergil said.

“It’ll mean a lot to the kid,” Dante said, knocking on the front door.

“It’s still ridiculous,” Vergil said. “And a complete waste of time.”

“Oh, don’t be such a grinch!” Dante said.

The door opened and Kyrie smiled at them. She had an apron on, and it was thoroughly covered in flour and melted chocolate. Delicious scents wafted out of the open door, making Dante grin.

“Ready to taste test,” he said, saluting her.

“The kids won’t let you get away with just that,” she said, gesturing them in. “They will definitely be excited to have someone with your appetite, though.”

Cheerful music played inside the house and the sound of laughter and clanking utensils accompanied it. Vergil made a face as they entered the kitchen.

The children were rolling dough with their bare hands. Filthy little creatures.

But then one of them picked something up off the floor. Nero nudged him and pointed to the sink, and the child obediently went and washed his hands, humming to himself as he did so.

“Nero! Nero!” a boy said, holding an orange up to Nero. “Make the chocolate better.”

Nero took it from him, then hoisted the boy up into his arms and handed it back. “Here, I’ll hold you over the chocolate, and you do it.”

The boy began to carefully zest an orange over a bowl of chocolate. He got a mischievous look and quickly held the orange over Nero’s head, shaking some of the orange bits off on his hair and laughing.

“Hey!” Nero said, but he was grinning. He took the orange from the boy’s hand and flipped the child upside down, easily holding him by his ankles and swinging him playfully. The boy was laughing harder, struggling futilely. “I’m gonna zest you next if you do that again, brat.”

“Lemme down!” the boy said through his laughter. “Nero! I’m gonna tell Kyrie!”

“Were you also going to tell me he was torturing you because you were picking on him again, Julio?” Kyrie said.

“Kyrie! Help!” he squealed.

Vergil hung back, but Dante went right into the kitchen and snatched the kid up, setting him on his feet. “C’mon, kid, I can help you take him down. Think he’d look better wearing some flour?”

Vergil watched them laugh and throw little handfuls of flour at each other, making a disastrous mess of the kitchen as the other children joined in. He could not possibly comprehend how they found this fun when they were making such a mess to clean.

Kyrie stood next to him, smiling fondly at the scene. “It’ll be a pain to clean, but the memories are worth it. They’ll always remember how much fun they had baking with him. Nero never gets mad, even when they make a mess. He just plays right along.”

Vergil didn’t respond. Nero had finally spotted him.

A child tugged at Nero’s shirt, so Nero lifted the kid into his arms. He came over to Vergil.

“You actually came,” he said.

“Dante wouldn’t leave me alone until I agreed to,” Vergil said.

“Well, come on. The cookies actually taste good,” Nero said. “Even when Carlo puts too much brown sugar.”

The boy in his arms swatted at Nero’s arm in retaliation for the comment. Nero ruffled his hair affectionately.

“Who’s he?” Julio asked as Vergil reluctantly followed Nero towards the counter.

“He’s…my father,” Nero said, the words clumsy on his tongue, and followed by an unsure glance at Vergil. “His name is Vergil.”

Vergil stiffened, expecting the children to make a fuss about his status as Nero’s father. Instead, they were staring from Vergil to Dante.

“They look the same!” the littlest of the boys cried.

“You take that back. I’m way more handsome,” Dante said.

It sent the boys giggling and broke the awkwardness. They got back to bustling about the kitchen, now with Kyrie back to direct them and bring a little order to the chaos.

There were only three boys in the kitchen, but it felt like an army of them with how they moved about and how messy they were. Vergil felt like there was no safe space to stand, but was relieved they were drawn to Dante and his childish playfulness. They continuously begged him to try their cookies or to help them reach some ingredient too high up for them.

But then one wandered over to Vergil, looking up at him. “Aren’t you gonna bake? You should help Nero.”

“Nero is doing fine on his own,” Vergil said.

The child frowned. Despite how often their names were called, Vergil could not remember which boy was which. All he knew was that this one was not the oldest of them.

“But…he helps us,” the child said.

Vergil could not stand children’s inability to have a coherent conversation. “That does not mean he needs help.”

The child pouted, as if equally irritated with Vergil’s inability to follow his very nonlinear thought process. “He helps us! And you’re his dad, so you should help him! That’s how it works.” He didn’t outright say “duh”, but his voice strongly implied the presence of it.

Vergil looked over at Nero as Nero helped one of the children drizzle chocolate over cookies freshly pulled from the oven. He had a large, genuine smile on his face, something Vergil had not seen much from him.

How could Vergil go over there? He would not help. He would only wipe the smile from Nero’s face.

But the child was stubborn, if nothing else. He grabbed Vergil’s hand and yanked him forward. Only the surprise of some bold small boy grabbing him without fear got Vergil following him.

The boy pushed him at Nero. Nero glanced up at Vergil, cracking a little smile.

“I see you’ve discovered the kids are a little ballsy,” he said. “Mind helping? We’re pretty slow at this.”

He handed Vergil a plastic bag filled with chocolate, the corner snipped off. Vergil slowly squeezed the bag, watching the chocolate drizzle over the cookie.

He had a sudden flash of memory; his mother, guiding his hands gently as he frosted a cookie. Her laughter filling the room because Dante had gotten the frosting all over his face trying to hastily sneak a cookie while she helped Vergil. That quiet joy in his heart.

He looked over at his son, gently guiding the child’s hands as Eva had guided Vergil’s so long ago. Nero had her smile. The revelation made his breath stutter a little.

“Uh, Vergil? You’re doing a great job drizzling over the pan, but our goal is the cookie,” Nero said. The child giggled, earning another smile from Nero.

Vergil shook himself. “Right. No need to add to the mess.”

“Mess is half the fun,” Nero said, hugging the kid to himself. “Right?”

“Right!” the kid echoed gleefully. He picked up a cookie and held it out to Vergil. “Try it! Try it!”

Vergil did. And he tried every cookie the children offered him after that. His own discomfort did not fully evaporate, but baking with Nero and his children, watching Dante chase them around, watching Kyrie and Nero work so easily together to manage the children…it brought a quiet peace he had not known for years back into his heart.

#amow winter whumperland 2022 #baking #devil may cry #Nero Sparda #Vergil Sparda #Dante Sparda #dmc nero #dmc vergil #dmc dante #dmc kyrie

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trinity-mia · 8 months

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a story as endless as the ocean

the sea of monsters

1.9 red sky in morning

warnings : none ( lmk if that isn't actually true )

word count : 2.5k

1.9 The King of the Titans Installs His Back-Up Plan Just in Case He Can't Manipulate Me or I Die (Whichever Comes First)

That afternoon was one of the happiest I'd ever spent at camp, which probably goes to show, you never know when your world is about to be rocked to pieces.

Grover announced that he'd be able to spend the rest of the summer with us before resuming his quest for Pan. His bosses at the Council of Cloven Elders were so impressed that he hadn't gotten himself killed and had cleared the way for future searchers, that they granted him a two-month furlough and a new set of reed pipes.

The only bad news: Grover insisted on playing those pipes all afternoon long, and his musical skills hadn't improved much. He played "YMCA," and the strawberry plants started going crazy, wrapping around our feet like they were trying to strangle us. I guess I couldn't blame them, seeing as I wanted to strangle his 'music' too. However illogically that was phrased. But, because I was a good friend, I managed to restrain myself and not break them. Though, I wasn't about to make any promises if he started on Hilary Duff again.

Grover told me he could dissolve the empathy link between us, now that we were face to face, but I had simply rolled my eyes and told him not to be an idiot. He put down his reed pipes and stared at me. "But, if I get in trouble again, you'll be in danger, Allie! You could die!"

"I'm a demigod, Grover," I scoffed back. "Dying's in the job description." I gave him a stern, unyielding look that said I wasn't going to back down on this. "If you get in trouble again, I want to know about it. And I'll come to help you again, Grover. I wouldn't have it any other way."

In the end, he agreed not to break the link. He went back to playing "YMCA" for the strawberry plants. I didn't need an empathy link with the plants to know how they felt about it. I suspect I did everyone a favor when I confiscated the reeds and rapped him around the head with them.

As for Tyson, the campers treated him like a hero. I would've been happy to have him as my cabin mate forever, but that evening, as we were sitting on a sand dune overlooking the Long Island Sound, he made an announcement that completely took me by surprise.

"Dream came from Daddy last night," he said. "He wants me to visit."

I wondered if he was kidding, but Tyson really didn't know how to kid. "Poseidon sent you a dream message?"

Tyson nodded. "Wants me to go underwater for the rest of the summer. Learn to work at Cyclopes' forges. He called it an inter— an intern—"

"An internship?"

"Yes." I let that sink in. I'll admit, I felt a little bitter. Poseidon did seem to actually care about Tyson. But me? He said to my face that I was a mistake. Who wouldn't feel a bit resentful at hearing their parent say that, no matter how they felt about the parent themselves? Then I realized, Tyson was going? Just like that?

"When would you leave?" I asked.

"Now."

"Now. Like... right now?"

"Now."

"Oh." I stared out at the waves of Long Island Sound. The water was glistening red in the sunset. I could feel tears pricking my eyelids. "I'm happy for you, bub," I managed. "Seriously."

"Hard to leave my new sister," he said with a tremble in his voice. "But I want to make things. Weapons for the camp. You will need them."

Unfortunately, I knew he was right. The Fleece hadn't solved all the camp's problems. Annabeth and Cody were both still out there, gathering an army aboard the Princess Andromeda. Kronos was still re-forming in his golden coffin. Eventually, we would have to fight them. War was inevitable, and the Great Prophecy loomed over my head like a Sword of Damocles. I would turn nineteen in a little over three weeks, meaning I would be exactly two years away from my much-dreaded twenty-first birthday.

"You'll make the best weapons ever," I told Tyson. I held up my bracelet proudly. "The best. No contest."

Tyson sniffled. "Brothers and sisters help each other."

"You're my brother," I vowed. "No doubt about it."

He patted me on the back so hard he almost knocked me down the sand dune. Then he wiped a tear from his cheek and stood to go. "Use the shield well."

"I will, bub."

"Save your life someday."

The way he said it, so matter-of-fact, I wondered if that Cyclops eye of his could see into the future.

"Just like its creator," I answered softly as he headed down to the beach and whistled, the way I'd taught him. Rainbow, the hippocampus, burst out of the waves. I watched the two of them ride off together into the realm of Poseidon.

Once they were gone, I looked down at my new bracelet. I pressed the sapphire and the shield spiraled out to full size. Hammered into the bronze were pictures in Ancient Greek style, scenes from our adventures this summer. There was me slaying a Laistrygonian dodgeball player, Luke fighting the bronze bulls on Half-Blood Hill, Tyson riding Rainbow toward the Princess Andromeda, the CSS Birmingham blasting its cannons at Charybdis. I ran my hand across a picture of Tyson, battling the Hydra as he held aloft a box of Monster Donuts.

I couldn't help feeling sad. I knew Tyson would have a fantastic time under the ocean. He would love his internship, of that I had no doubt, not to mention seeing Poseidon, whom he idolized. But I would miss everything about him— his fascination with horses, the way he could fix chariots or crumple metal with his bare hands, or tie our enemies into knots. I'd even miss him snoring like an earthquake in the next bunk all night.

"Hey, Allie."

I turned.

Luke and Grover were standing at the top of the sand dune. I wiped a few stay tears from my eyes.

"Tyson..." I told them. "He had to..."

"We know," Luke replied softly, his expression gentle as he reached out to smooth down my curls. "Chiron told us."

"Cyclops forges." Grover shuddered. "I hear the cafeteria food there is terrible! Like, no enchiladas at all."

I let out a watery laugh, and he gained a pleased expression. Luke wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Come on, Angel. Time for dinner."

We walked back toward the dining pavilion together, just the three of us together, almost like old times.

A storm raged that night, but it parted around Camp Half-Blood as storms usually did (Thank Olympus for weather wards).

Lightning flashed against the horizon, waves pounded the shore, but not a drop fell in our valley. We were protected again, thanks to the Fleece, safely sealed inside our magical borders.

Still, my dreams were restless. I heard Kronos taunting me from the depths of Tartarus.

Polyphemus sits blindly in his cave, young heroine, believing he has won a great victory. Are you any less deluded? The Titan's cold laughter filled the darkness of the cavern.

Then my dream changed. I was following Tyson to the bottom of the sea, into the court of Poseidon. It was a radiant hall filled with blue light, the floor cobbled with pearls. And there, on a throne of coral, sat my father, dressed like a simple fisherman in khaki shorts and a sun-bleached T-shirt. I looked up into his tan weathered face and sea-green eyes, all older, but still looking just like me, and he spoke two words: Brace yourself.

I woke with a start.

There was a banging on the door. Grover flew inside without waiting for permission. "Allie!" he stammered. "Luke... on the hill... he..."

The look in his eyes told me something was terribly wrong. Luke had been on guard duty that night, protecting the Fleece. If something had happened— I ripped off the covers, my blood like ice water in my veins. I grabbed a piece of Ambrosia from my secret stash, then threw on a hoodie over my sports bra and pajama pants and shoved on the closest pair of slip-on shoes (which happened to be Gucci slides), while Grover tried to make a complete sentence, but he was too stunned, too out of breath. He wasn't making any sense.

"She's lying there... just lying there..."

Who was she? The only thing I could think was that a new camper must have arrived, deathly injured by the sounds of it.

I ran outside and raced across the central yard, Grover right behind me. Dawn was just breaking, but the whole camp seemed to be stirring. Word was spreading. Something huge had happened. A few campers were already making their way toward the hill as fast as they could, satyrs and nymphs and heroes in a weird mix of armor and pajamas. I spotted Will and his younger sister Kayla Knowles, gripping a box of medical supplies and a quiver of arrows between them as they struggled up the slope.

I heard the clop of horse hooves, and Chiron galloped up behind us, looking grim.

"Is it true?" he asked Grover.

Grover could only nod, his expression dazed.

I tried to ask what was going on, but Chiron grabbed me by the arm and effortlessly lifted me onto his back. Together we thundered up Half-Blood Hill, where a small crowd had started to gather.

I expected to see the Fleece missing from the pine tree, but it was still there, glittering in the first light of dawn. The storm had broken and the sky was bloodred from the rising sun. The color made me queasy, as I remembered an old phrase one of my directors had often spouted. Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailor's warning.

"Curse the titan lord," Chiron said. "He's tricked us again, given himself another chance to control the prophecy. He's given himself a backup plan."

"What do you mean?" I asked fearfully.

"The Fleece," he answered me in a grim tone of voice. "The Fleece did its work too well."

That was, as you may have guessed, completely unhelpful. We galloped forward, everyone moving out of our way. There at the base of the tree, a girl was lying unconscious. Luke was pale-faced and dressed in Greek armor as he knelt next to her. He didn't glance back as we cantered up to the group.

"My gods," he was muttering repeatedly. "My gods. My gods."

My instinctual fear caused blood to roar in my ears. I couldn't think straight. What had happened? Was Luke hurt? Was the Fleece still there? Still undamaged?

The tree itself looked perfectly fine, whole and healthy, suffused with the essence of the Golden Fleece.

"It healed the tree," Chiron said, his voice ragged. "And poison was not the only thing it purged."

Luke finally looked away from the girl at the sound of Chiron's voice. When he saw us, he ran to Chiron. "It... she... just suddenly there..."

His eyes were streaming with tears uncharacteristically, but I still didn't understand. I was too freaked out to make sense of it all. I leaped off Chiron's back and ran toward the unconscious girl. Chiron said: "Allie, wait!"

I knelt by her side. She had short black hair and freckles across her nose. She was built like a long-distance runner, lithe and strong, and she wore clothes that were somewhere between punk and Goth— a black T-shirt, black tattered jeans, and a leather jacket with buttons from a bunch of different bands.

She wasn't a camper. I didn't recognize her from any of the cabins. And yet I had the strangest feeling I'd seen her before...

"It's true," Grover said, panting from his run up the hill. "I can't believe..."

Nobody else came close to the girl.

I put my hand on her forehead, trying to use my rudimentary first-aid skills to assess her. Her skin was cold, but my fingertips tingled as if they were burning.

"She needs nectar and ambrosia," I said. She was clearly a half-blood, whether she was a camper or not. I could sense that just from one touch. I didn't understand why everyone was acting so scared. I shot a scathing look at the medics, who were as frozen as everyone else.

Breakdowns are for later people. Not when there's someone in desperate need of medical aid lying unconscious in front of you. Gods! Well, if none of them were going to help, I would.

I took her by the shoulders and lifted her into a sitting position, resting her head on my shoulder. Then I pulled out the small piece of ambrosia from my pocket. I pinched her nose to make her open her mouth, popped in the ambrosia, and massaged her throat to make her swallow. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the girl took a shaky breath. She coughed and opened her eyes.

Her irises were startlingly blue— electric blue.

The girl stared at me in bewilderment, shivering and wild-eyed. "Who—"

"I'm Allie," I said, keeping my tone soothing like I was talking to Nessa's little half-brother, or one of the camp's younger kids (usually about five to seven, but there was a four-year-old son of Apollo who had come after his mother's death. I'll give Apollo this, he made certain that none of his children ended up in the foster system). "You're safe now."

"Strangest dream..."

"It's okay."

"Dying."

"No," I assured her. "You're okay. What's your name?" That's when I knew. Even before she said it. I had seen those eyes before, not just in a picture and I had heard that voice before too. "Wait."

The girl's blue eyes stared into mine, and I understood what the Golden Fleece quest had been about. The poisoning of the tree. Everything. Kronos had done it to bring another chess piece into play— another chance to control the prophecy. If I died or he couldn't find a way to control me, he had a backup plan.

Even Chiron, Luke, and Grover, who should've been celebrating this moment, were too shocked, thinking about what it might mean for the future, and the war. And I was holding someone who was supposed to have died seven years ago in my arms.

"I am Thalia," she said, unaware of the turmoil she was about to cause the world. "Daughter of Zeus."

* * *

previous | next

SERIES M.LIST | MAIN M.LIST | TIPS

#asaeato #a story as endless as the ocean #alliejackson #female percy jackson #lukecastellan #lullie #trinitymia

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gisellelx · 2 years

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Twilight Advent, Day 12

Masterpost/prompts

Dec. 12 - Tell us some headcanons about a Twilight character you don't usually post about.

I had to ask for this one. There are so many and I generally have some semblance of something for most characters that any of the characters I write more often interact with. @bellalaine and and anon had some great suggestions though and they are characters I think about infrequently, Victoria and Sarah Black.

Victoria is one of the reasons I don't care for the Illustrated Guide. Above all else, I am interested in motivation. And while her very thorough backstory there suggests a more interesting story, it didn't actually impact the story in any meaningful way suggesting it was made up out of whole cloth after the fact, rather than taking bits of the character and fleshing them out.

But her backstory there and what is presented in canon is at least consistent with how I've thought about her in the times I've needed to, which is that going after the Cullens/Edward wasn't about avenging her mate; it was about proving to herself that she was powerful. This stems from the fact that there was absolutely no reason for her to have rolled up on the Cullens with an entire newborn army (and TIG has to jump through several hoops to explain this!) when she easily could've lured Edward and killed him during the timeline of New Moon, seeing as he was alone, if it really was about "a mate for a mate." Prior to meeting James, she was self-sufficient. She wasn't looking for a mate; she was content. She was interested in keeping undercover, the trait she learned as a human. In some ways, James's need for flashy hunts and kills grated on her, especially coupled with his lack of devotion to her. And then he tries to kill this girl, and the girl's vampire entourage takes out James.

She didn't go mad. Building up an army isn't what madness looks like. Learning enough about Alice's gift to evade it isn't what madness looks like. She went after the Cullens because she needed to prove to herself that she could. The backstory she's given in the guide would suggest that this could very easily be "little sister" syndrome and that would track.

Sarah Black was perfectly content to only have girls. Billy wanted a boy, but only sort of—he was worried about what would happen if vampires ever came back to Quileute lands. So they were actually not particularly trying for Jacob, but they weren't trying to avoid him, either.

Sarah doted on Jacob when he was a baby; it felt easy after having had twins. She sung him the oldies music she heard from her own mother growing up. When the twins were asleep and Jacob was awake, she would put him in a cradleboard and tell him the story of when he was born.

She, more than Billy, worried for her kids getting off the reservation. This was an internal struggle for her: she desperately wanted her children to revere and love their background as members of the Quileute peoples, but she also was not willing to look away from the poverty and difficulties of life on the Rez, especially after Billy developed diabetes. She wouldn't have fully approved of how Rachel and Rebecca did it, but she had always instilled in them that they should keep their heritage and it would protect them, but then that they should go into the world. She told them, even though Billy disagreed, that it would be okay if they married white men, as long as the white men were good.

Sarah was the pusher of the children's educations. She read them things they didn't get in school: though the tribal school augmented the typical grade school curriculum with Salish texts, she read them things like Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and Bud, Not Buddy and later so much Sherman Alexie. She wanted them to be able to contextualize the world off the Rez. They couldn't afford to send the girls to a private boarding school, but she was already trying to consider what things they would need to know to go to college. After she died, Billy found two neat, identical piles of books tucked away in the closet where Sarah kept her paints: two copies per title of Romeo and Juliet, Brave New World, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, Jane Eyre, The Bluest Eye, The Great Gatsby, Julius Caesar, Hamlet—all the books that every high schooler not in a tribal school would be reading. But after they were tainted by their mothers' death, the girls never did read them.

Finally, her frybread was well and truly the bomb. These days, Sue sometimes makes a dark joke that the only reason Billy likes hers is because Sarah got out of the way. And they laugh, a little, and then tell the old stories.

#my headcanons #twilightadvent22 #victoria #sarah black #the enrollment at the tribal school has doubled since 2016 I learned while doing a quick google #I am pleased

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annwayne · 2 years

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The Red Logs: Return to the Temple Ch. 10

Chapter 10: Down Time

Last Chapter <- -> Next Chapter

Fem!OC X Crosshair

Word Count: 3194

Fic Summary:

There are benefits to owning a clone bar. Underworld lords don’t threaten you to pay for protection. Clones are great company. And the drinks taste great. However, there are also risks to owning a clone bar. Like, for example, becoming the fuck buddy of a special clone task force member so your life gets threatened when a Separatist puts out a bounty for your capture in order to use you as blackmail. Also your sleep schedule get’s wrecked. But Anya Tougt is a little more capable than an average bar owner.

Ao3 Link Here

Warnings apply to whole fic:

Canon typical violence, descriptions of panic attacks, alcohol, swearing, 18+ themes (eventual smut), trauma, religious trauma parallels, mild gore

Authors Note:

man it’s been a long time but progress, tiny tiny progress has been made. Gif is mine.

28 BBY. A huge temple and I still can’t avoid Obi-Wan. That terror of a youngling he brought back convinced an R2 unit to let him into the speeder bay and onto one of the speeders for a joy ride. I just happened to be in that speeder bay when they peeled off, so I got the luxury of telling Obi-Wan himself where the kid went. The temple still hasn’t calmed down.

Bustling noise was the first thing I noticed about The Negotiator. The massive ship hummed with life as we stepped out of the Marauder. Clones, more clones than I had ever seen in one place, rushed to prepare everything for the battles yet to come. Speeders and Bombers lined the long bay. Tech and I pushed crates of supplies into the Marauders loading dock. Hunter chatted with Cody, occasionally glancing my way. Crosshair sat in the loading dock glaring at any reg who dared look his way. And hopefully, Wrecker was peacefully asleep in his bed.

“I believe that is everything. Thank you for your help, Annie.” Tech dusted his hands after deactivating the last anti-grav plate. “Once Hunter is finished talking with Cody we’ll be on our way.”

“Of course. I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing and watch you work.” I tilted my head towards Crosshair who shot me a narrow glance.

“Tech’s a big boy, Commander.” He snipped with a glint in his eye.

Ever since my comment refusing to accept any titles, Crosshair added them to his bag of ammo and he wasn’t shy about using those words against me. That was on me, I should have expected the little shit to push my limits. It’s all he ever did back at the bar, just with different tools. “What’s taking Hunter anyways?” I peaked my head around the docking bay walls. Now Obi-Wan had joined the conversation.

“You, likely.” Tech stood beside me tapping away at his datapad. All the information we downloaded was a mess of different languages, encryption, and codes. He had been working to untangle the mess since we set out to intercept The Negotiator. “A brand new Padawan joining our mission with their Jedi Master is one thing, but now you’ll be left alone with us. There are certain regulations that need to be observed.”

I struggled to hold in a massive scoff. Regulations? This was the last squad in all of the Grand Army of the Republic to care for regulations. Precautions sounded more apt. “New to the GAR, not to being a Padawan. I was one solar cycle away from being Knighted before my previous Master was murdered.” Flashes of my true Master came to mind. Tali, what would you think of me now? Even back then I knew I was a shit Padawan. Yet Tali put up with my questions, my rebellious nature, and even those nights where I refused to leave the temple gardens. Those nights she would sit silently beside me and we’d watch the lightning bugs dance to the music of the city-planet.

Wearing a helmet made daydreaming way too easy, as Tech had to pull my shoulder to get my attention back to the present day. “Annie, could you look at this?” He brought the datapad up between us so I could read. A message in a language I didn’t understand took up most of the screen, but at the very bottom there was a name.

“No kriffing way.” Quickly I looked back up at Tech. “What’s the message say?” A few clicks later the text translated itself into Basic. Slowly I read the message.

“Meet me at the coords below. Bring double my normal price and come alone. You’ll be glad I came to you.”

-Lyn Parreva

“She couldn’t…” Deep sorrow pulled my shoulders down. Rage snapped my head up. Flashes of the young twi'lek only added fuel to the mess of emotions I was feeling. Betrayal, regret, and pain forced me forward. “Who was this sent to?” The genius clone couldn’t see the rage in my eyes, but he could hear it on my lips.

“It appears we have identified your bounty’s sponsor, Annie.” Tech adjusted his goggles. “Their name is Vekek, Miyaeli Vekek.” That name meant nothing to me.

“So then where are we headed?” Plastoid boots thudded against the ship’s ramp as Hunter boarded. Once he was clear, the sergeant slammed the button to close the Marauder back up.

Without missing a beat Tech answered. “Ryloth. From what I’ve read Vekek was the lead scientist behind the serum we saw in action.” Hunter kept walking down the gangway. Tech matched his pace as he explained. “There are records suggesting they were planning to introduce the serum to the population of Doashim on their home planet. Hunter,” Tech’s call turned his brother’s head. “This was recorded only two cycles ago.”

Crosshair hopped down from his perch atop stacked crates. “We barely took out one of those monsters.” He followed his brothers through the doorway separating the docking bay to the midship. I stayed a step behind, listening but adding nothing.

“Exactly,” Tech opened the door to the cockpit. “We will need to eliminate any Doashim injected with the serum and destroy everything pertaining to the formula.” He slid into his seat and began flipping toggles and pressing buttons to bring the Marauder to life.

Hunter sat in the co-pilot’s seat, but turned to look back at Crosshair and I. “Annie, the general requested I keep one of us with you during battle. In fact, he recommended Crosshair stay at your side in combat.” Murder. I was planning a murder now. “So, I want you two to train together, get familiar with each other’s fighting techniques. As much as you can, we have a cycle and half of hyperspace before we reach Ryloth.”

“He did, did he?” I hissed between my clenched jaw. Surprisingly, the voice modulator still managed to catch my words. Crosshair cocked an eyebrow at my reaction, but said nothing.

And then, we were banished from the cockpit. Together we returned to the docking bay, just about the only place with enough space to practice any close combat on the ship. After I stacked a few crates higher than regulation standard with the force, we had a decent sparring area. Crosshair held his helmet against his hip as he started talking.

“So, Annie, what is your combat training and experience?” He watched as I stretched my limbs in preparation.

“Well,” Of course there was the training I received while living at the temple, but how was I supposed to explain the random street fighting I had picked up from Jayas? “My previous Master focused on teaching me stealth and using an opponent's momentum against them. However, I do know some less refined styles of hand to hand combat.”

Crosshair barely crooked his head at my words. A grin I couldn’t pin between entertained or surprised grew on his lips. Maybe it was both. “Alright, let’s see what that looks like.” The clone donned his helmet and stepped forward.

Immediately, he threw the first punch. In response I threw up an arm to block him and pushed against his forearm to force his fist towards the ground. He retaliated with a cross that I deflected again. Then he threw up his knee that forced me back and off balance to avoid the hit. He took advantage of my opening and landed a hook into the side of my helmet. My vision danced. Crosshair continued with the offense. He threw punches aimed for my gut this time that again, I deflected. Our heavy breathing and plastoid armor clanking filled the cargo hold.

“Come on, Commander,” He said between quick breaths. “You’ve got to know some offensive moves.”

He grabbed my shoulder and sent a knee towards my helmet. I twisted out of his grasp and landed behind him, then returned the favor. In fluid movements I hooked his elbow with mine and flung him forward. The momentum sent him hurtling backwards till he regained his footing. Then I closed the distance between us and threw my forearm towards his helmet. Just as I thought he was surprised, he deflected my attack with the same technique I had been using all this fight.

“Good.”

Like a dance, we circled each other around the room. Punches, grapples, and kicks were thrown and usually deflected. Occasionally the marksman would land a blow against my helmet or gut, but I had yet to land a punch on him. I caught him off balance, swept his legs out from under him so he fell forward, and even managed to flip him when he attempted to restrain me, but not a single punch met its destination.

Eventually, I was a second too slow and landed square on my back. Before I could stand back up, Crosshair’s hand was on my collarbone and his knees at either side of my legs. Fucking hell. This was not a good time to get turned on. Maker, this helmet was putting in work.

“My win.” His grin was audible. He hopped up, then offered a gloved hand my way. I took it.

“Yeah, yeah, you likely have more hand-to-hand combat experience. Jedi tend to focus on saber techniques.” I gestured towards the hilt on my hip. “Not that it’s useless, but droids don’t exactly have the mobility to move like this, so why start here?”

Crosshair removed his helmet and ran a hand through his gray hair. “Some can, commando droids. Besides,” He smirked. “Hunter wanted us to get familiar. There’s no better way to learn how the other moves.”

I could think of one, but that was not battle friendly. “Right.”

“Now, how do you move with that?” He stared at the weapon on my hip.

“My lightsaber?” I grabbed it and turned the hilt over in my hand. Silver metal caught the bright ship lights. “Nothing special, but I hope you aren’t suggesting shooting at me. Those bolts have to go somewhere.”

The sniper chuckled and shook his head. “Nah, Hunter would have my head if I made a mess of the Marauder.” He crossed his arms and leaned back against the ship hull. “What about your forms?”

“What are you getting at?”

“If we get in a tight situation I’d like to know where that,” He glanced down at my lightsaber hilt. “Tends to end up.”

That… actually made sense. I pressed the button on my lightsaber and watched as the blue glow filled the room. With a deep breath in, I started moving.

Tech leaned back in his seat with datapad in hand, swiping through loads of information. He had identified the coordinates on Ryloth where Vekek would most likely be, and confirmed the information with a call from Rex, who was currently stationed on the planet with the 501st. They would be alone in their efforts to prevent disaster from genetically altered Doashim, however, as Rex explained they were in the middle of another siege.

“Why do you think she reacted that way?” Tech had nearly forgotten Hunter was still sitting in the chair beside him. He had been so quiet for so long.

“Considering their tense relationship, I suspect General Obi-Wan suggested Crosshair in order to get a rise of some kind from Annie.” His voice was followed by a few taps at his datapad.

Hunter held his chin and narrowed his eyes. Her heart rate jumped when he asked them to train together. In fact, that happened a lot with her. When Obi-Wan first told her she would be on watch with Cross, he had felt her heart pump a little faster than everyone else’s. “A rise?” Hunter mused more to himself, but Tech was here so his question would be answered.

“It’s likely she’s physically attracted to him.”

Tech’s eyes locked with Hunters. “Should I be worried about that?”

A mischievous smile crossed Tech’s face. “Only if Cross finds her attractive too.”

Hunter let out a long exasperated sigh. “I’m going to check on Wrecker. I can hear him stirring.”

Hunter had offered his CO room to me again. Something I suspected wasn't solely motivated by politeness. Kenobi had said something. Dank farrik, why didn’t he let me tell my own lies? But this was useful. I could sleep and shower with less worry than if I was staying in the squad’s sleeping quarters. The room was tiny, just large enough to fit a desk, chair, and the connected refresher. A single bed was built into the wall.

I stepped out of the refresher and began toweling off my hair. Wearing a helmet was starting to feel normal. Being able to touch my face felt odd. Carefully, I started weaving my hair into three tight braids. The flatter my hair was the more comfortable the helmet sat. Once I tied off each braid I met my cloudy reflection in the small mirror. With the towel I used to dry off, I wiped a streak of steam away. Now a little less fuzzy, I could see my face.

Wearing the helmet constantly, I forgot how much I was used to seeing myself in reflections. In mirrors, shot glasses, the clean bar top. Technically nothing had changed. Yet everything felt different. These eyes held secrets I thought were long buried. My lips carried new lies to bury those secrets again. When this was all done, would the cost outweigh the success?

Knocking. Knocking against the door and then a voice interrupted my thoughts. “Annie, could I come in?”

Tech. “Just a minute!” I called back, rushing to throw on my clothes. With one final glance at my reflection, I lowered my helmet over my head. Then I walked to the door. “Yeah?”

“May I come in?”

Right, I was blocking the doorway. “Oh, um, yeah.” I stepped to the side and watched the clone enter. Behind him the door shut automatically. “What’s up?”

“Annie,” The worry in Tech’s voice caught my attention, but his expression is what threw me off guard. “We need to talk about what happened after you saved me from the collapsing building.” Under my helmet, my brows furrowed. So much happened in such a short time I didn’t know what Tech was referencing. Either he guessed or wasn’t done speaking. “You nearly blacked out. Considering the feat of strength you demonstrated to save Wrecker, it was not from exhaustion.”

My head slowly lifted as the memory became clear. “The anxiety attack! I had forgotten it completely.” Apparently my reaction was not predicted because Tech’s lips parted, but no words came out. So I continued. “Looking back on it, I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner.”

As Tech processed this new information his brows furrowed. Behind those eyes I could see thoughts flying in hyperspace. Finally, he settled on what to say. “Let me see if I understand correctly.” He held his hands clasped together and pointed towards me. “You already knew you were prone to anxiety attacks and you expected one while we were on mission?

“Well, not exactly.” I walked towards the bed and sat down. Tech leaned against the desk across from me. “Sure, I’ve had a few anxiety attacks in the past but I didn’t expect one.” My gloved hand gestured loosely.

“Do you know what triggered it?”

If he could see my expression that would have answered him. Instead, I took a moment before saying, “The force. Things got messy after-” I clenched my jaw. Before I had talked so easily about her death. But now… After regaining my voice I continued. “After Master Tali was murdered I had some trouble connecting with the force.”

Tech furrowed his brows even more. One hand adjusted his goggles. “Yet you had no issues catching me, dragging debris out of the way or saving Wrecker.”

A tired sigh rang through my helmet at a low tone. “Anxiety doesn’t exactly make sense, Tech.” After a moment with no response I stood up again. “Was there anything else?”

That snapped the clone from his deep thoughts. His head lifted up and recognition filled his eyes. “Yes, actually. I wish to know why Vekek placed a bounty on you.”

This was not at all what I expected after that conversation. My hips shifted and I crossed my arms. “Like I told Hunter back on Coruscant, I don't know.”

His top eyelids lowered and a clear expression of annoyance unfolded. “Maybe back on Coruscant that was the truth, but now?” Tech shook his head. “That name filled the gaps in your knowledge.”

There was a pause before I spoke again. “I can't answer that, Tech. You know I can't answer that.” Even the voice modulator managed to accurately portray the gravity of my voice.

In this tiny, dimly lit room, Tech began pacing. “Annie,” Plastoid boots met metal as he talked. “I need to know the consequences if you are captured.” He brought up his hands to aid in his reasoning.

That determination in his furrowed brow and quick gestures told me he would not leave until I gave a satisfactory answer. My eyes glazed over as I imagined different lies and their outcomes. Nothing felt real enough. Then, it hit me. “Alright, fine. But this is as much as I’m willing to tell.” Technically there was no harm in telling him the reason, only the name. He stopped his pacing and turned all attention on me. “You’re right, the name confirmed a possibility I hadn’t taken seriously.” It was true enough. “I have… connections,” My word choice was important here. “With someone important. Someone that would react poorly if my life were threatened for their compliance.”

Tech narrowed his eyes. “Blackmail? Why wouldn’t you think of this connection sooner?”

“I did,” This was true. “But the few who knew, I trusted completely.” Those words hurt coming out.

His expression softened, but there were still questions in those eyes. “What kind of connection are you talking about, Annie?”

A short laugh buzzed through my modulator. “The kind Jedi are forbidden from. The kind that clones are discouraged against.”

At some point I must have sat down, because I was gripping the bed sheets. My head dropped slightly as the implications of Lyn’s name settled. Before I was angry. Now, I was thinking. Thinking about the early morning hours we spent chatting after closing the bar. Thinking about the many clones who complimented Lyn’s listening skills. Thinking about how it was all a means to an end.

“Annie?” Tech was seated beside me. One of his gloved hands rested on my back in an attempt to comfort me. It was working. “I’m sorry that you found out this way. That someone…” His voice fell as that brilliant mind struggled to find the correct words. But there were no correct words for this.

My breathing slowed as I came down from the frenzied thoughts of before. That grip on the bed sheets released. “I know.” The hum of a hyperdrive engine rattled between us.

Dividers by Djarrex

#The Red Logs: Return to the Temple #star wars #star wars fanfic #sw fanfic #sw tcw fanfic #the bad batch fanfiction #tbb fanfic #crosshair x oc #crosshair x fem oc #oc x crosshair #tbb fanfiction

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