#hey i just walked around outside in a snowstorm

[msafterhours]

Two Hands

Male Reader x woo!ah! & EL7Z UP Nana (Nayeon)

~25k words

“We should do this more often,” Nayeon murmurs into your chest.

“I mean, sure, I’d be happy to come support your group any time I’m not—”

“No, not that!” she exclaims, giggling slightly as she pulls away just enough to look up at you.  “I mean this.”

And she pulls you in even tighter, leaving you short of breath in more ways than one.

Nights like this make you wish the world was a bit kinder to you.  You’re bundled under multitudes of layers of thick clothes, thin mask and scarf completing your near head to toe coverage, yet you still can’t seem to keep your teeth from chattering incessantly.  Your efforts manage to preserve some of your warmth, but another shiver reminds you of the urgent need to get inside and get some food inside of you.  It’s really, really cold outside.

Thus, you swear the gleaming gates of heaven themselves stand before you when you catch a glimpse of the bright lights of your favorite little ramen shop.  Fighting against the harsh winter air, you trudge through the icy slush, cursing the severity of the snowstorm and the stupidity of your decision to splurge on a new pair of casual shoes instead of investing in more functional footwear.  It’s really, really cold outside.

A sigh of relief escapes your lips as you open the door and feel the warm embrace of the heated air, but your solace is swiftly supplanted by dread as you look around and notice that the shop’s well over full capacity, with little if any seating room available.

"Whatever, let's just get in line and hope for the best," you think to yourself as you take your place in line behind a pair of old ladies.

“I swear, it was a rabbit that ran past us!” one exclaims.

“Absolutely not, I know a squirrel when I see one!” the other insists, stomping her foot in frustration.

tick...

tock...

After a few surprisingly entertaining minutes, you finally make it to the front of the line and the familiar face behind the counter.

"The same as the last hundred or so times?" the old lady asks with a wry smile.

"Hey hey hey, ninety-two times, thank you very much!" you answer with mock indignation.  "But yes, I’m well aware how much of my budget goes to your shop, Aunt Kim."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she fires back, tapping away at the screen as she yells your order to the kitchen.  "Would you?"

"Absolutely not," you answer without hesitation as you leave a generous tip.  "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna attempt the impossible and try to find somewhere to sit in your stupidly crowded shop."

"Good luck!" she calls out as you turn and walk away.  "You're going to need it!"

You sweep the room once, twice.  Neither survey produces anything but depressing results.  A third time, just in case.  Nothing’s changed.  A heavy, dramatic sigh escapes you as you ready yourself to accept your seemingly inevitable fate.  But before you can concede, a bright glint in the corner of your vision offers hope, causing you to turn and find what you've been desperately looking for.

A girl, seemingly around your age, with glowing golden hair that shines brilliantly, reflecting the warm yellow lights scattered around the shop, sits alone.  Your heart leaps for joy as you see, most importantly, an unutilized chair across from her.  You cling to that shred of hope, quickly making your way over before coming to a stop in front of her table.

A few moments more than you can endure pass as she continues to tap away her phone, either not noticing your presence or choosing to ignore it.  Eventually, you clear your throat and wave your hand in front of her, causing her to jump slightly and finally look up at you.  Your eyes meet, and you feel the words escape your mind in the moment you hold her gaze.  It takes a second, then another, but you finally remember your goal and cease your staring.

"Um, sorry to bother you, but … there are no other seats available, and I really, really, don't want to have to go outside again yet," you hurriedly explain, praying to whoever’s listening that this random, empyrean being you just met might miraculously take pity upon you.  "Would it be alright if I sat here with you?"

She regards you for many moments, each feeling like an eternity as you stand there awkwardly.  She stares, deep into your eyes then deeper still, hunting an ulterior motive.  Her eyes flash and dart, scanning the singular you as if you’re an entire crowd.  You know not what she searches for, but whatever test of virtue you’re subjected to, she seems satisfied with the result as she nods and gestures to the seat across from her.

You finally release the breath you hadn't realized you were holding, thanking her profusely as you join her at the table.

Your display finally earns a crack in the ice, shifting her skeptical expression to one of sick amusement as she comments, "If you’re this scared of the cold, why are you out so late?  Surely you didn’t forget to go shopping before the snowstorm … right?  Surely."

You feel your ears burning with a warmth from deep, deep within as your embarrassment flares up.  Your initial response tells truths, but her smug expression leads your words elsewhere.  "Would you believe I just really wanted ramen from my favorite shop and was willing to suffer the consequences to do so?"

Her sinister smile widens as she leans in and counters, "I just might … if you didn't sound like a guilty schoolboy who got caught trying to copy someone's test answers."

She holds your gaze once again, deep brown eyes delving into the depths of your soul, trapping you within a pocket of agonizing silence amongst the shop’s raucous atmosphere.

"Well?" she whispers breathlessly.  "Are you gonna use your words?  Or are you just gonna let those firetruck red ears do the talking?"

You exhale heavily, feeling your faux hubris exit your body as you confess, "Alright, fine.  You got me.  No more lies.  I might've sorta ruined up my planning for the week and ran out of food last night, alright?  Now, please, I beg you, stop looking at me like that."

Your response catches her off guard, but you’re quick to join her in shock as she bursts into a quiet fit of laughter.  Her mirth immediately entrances you; each note a part of the chorus that dances on your eardrums and seals itself deep into your heart.

You wrack your brain for a proper retort, hoping to turn the tides of this war of words, but your rebuttal is prevented by the arrival of Aunt Kim with your meal.  You thank her profusely as she sets it down, earning a smile before she turns to address your companion.

"Would you like me to take your bowl, Nayeon?" she asks, smiling at your companion in a way you’d believed was reserved for only you.

"Yes please, thank you, ma'am," Nayeon responds, picking up the bowl and handing it to her.

"Bah, you and your stubbornness," Aunt Kim grumbles.  "With how often you come here, the formality just feels stuffy.  Just call me Aunt Kim like this other addict does."

“I could probably do that.  You could also agree to call me Nana like all my other friends do,” Nayeon answers back, a genuine smile gracing her features for the first time you’ve seen.

Aunt Kim rolls her eyes dramatically as she pats your head affectionately in the way she knows you hate, then walks away with that same warm smile that you’d thought was saved exclusively for you, but now know is also shared with the girl sitting across from you.

"Oh, you’re a regular too?" you ask as you begin to enjoy your meal.  "I'm surprised I haven't seen you before."

"I'm usually here later," Nayeon responds as she idly taps away on her phone again.  "Not huge on coming here when it's so busy."

"I totally get that.  I'm usually here earlier, before the big rush, but this week has been crazy.  Add the storm on top of that, and I guess that leaves me here, forced to settle for getting swept up in the dinner surge."

"Oh, so you're settling for my company, huh?  I see how it is," Nayeon replies, feigning indignation as she crosses her arms and huffs in disbelief.  "I guess next time a popsicle wants to share a table, I'll make sure to send him back to the freezer."

"Hey hey hey, easy now," you reply, raising your hands in surrender.  "I'm not a huge fan of this chaos either, but I am eternally grateful for your company and your great sacrifice of existing in my vicinity."

"You're very welcome," Nayeon offhandedly remarks.  "Your expression mid-head pat was almost hilarious enough to justify my continued tolerance of your presence."

And just like that, you feel the conversation derail, coming to a screeching halt as hints of embarrassment creep up your neck and render your face even more flush.  With a grumble and a rather undignified pout, you let your eyes fall to the far warmer bowl of ramen that awaits you and begin enjoying your meal, causing Nayeon to hum in amused satisfaction at your surrender as she returns to her phone and resumes tapping away at what sounds like a game.

While you'd begrudgingly admit that you’ve enjoyed the conversation thus far, you’re pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to simply enjoy the serene feeling of sharing Nayeon's company.  In fact, the silence grants you a brief chance to study the countenance of your dining companion, and you’re more than happy to seize the opportunity.

It seems that the only thing sharper than her words is her jawline, which is itself a sharp contrast from her other, softer features.  As much as you wish you could stare back into her eyes once more, her downward gaze and focus on her phone makes doing so impossible, "forcing" you instead to focus on her lips, which she occasionally bites in frustration, causing your heart to swell in a way that feels unsafe yet anything but unnatural.

"Enjoying the view?"

Well shit.

Your eyes barely have to drift upwards to meet her gaze, where her eyes await you once more with a scrutinizing yet intrigued twinkle.  While only moments ago you were wishing you could stare into her eyes once more, the combination of the intensity of her stare and your embarrassment forces you to look down in shame as you meekly mutter a quiet apology.

"Nah, you're not getting off that easily," Nayeon says, setting aside her phone and leaning in.  "What'd you think?  And please do be honest.  You wouldn’t want to break your promise, would you?"

After only a moment's hesitation, you stare back into her eyes and open the floodgates.

"Well, it's only been a couple minutes, but I've decided that I love the way your hair glows like golden honey in this light, I'm pretty sure your jawline is sharp enough to cut through diamond, and I'm definitely sure that if you keep biting your lip the way you do whenever you're focused or frustrated or whatever that I'm going to be too dizzy to walk home."

“...”

“...”

tick...

“Oh.”

tock...

The raucous atmosphere of the shop seems to once again fade away as you intently hold the gaze of the girl you recently met but feel like you’ve known forever.  You can’t shake this odd sense of familiarity, like you had seen her before somewhere, but can’t quite put your finger on where.

Regardless, by this point, the silence between you has stretched to an uncomfortable length of time.  After bearing it a moment longer as you attempt to gather your resolve, you ask, "So, uh, what do you think?  I mean, I'd also prefer it if you were honest, but I don't have a promise to hold you to, so I guess I'll just have to settle for asking nicely and hoping for the best?"

Your follow-up seems to finally shock Nayeon out of her reverie, leading her to finally pick her jaw up off the floor and respond, "I mean, okay, good to know.  A little much, not gonna lie, but keep talking like that and I might have to let you keep doing what you're doing.  Can’t say I hate the attention."

She pauses for a moment, allowing her eyes to run across your upper body before meeting your gaze once more and adding, "And hey, you're not too rough on the eyes either."

tick...

Only a single serene second slips by as you hold each other's gaze before you see inspiration flash across her visage.  The glimmer in her eyes is quickly joined by a familiar smirk as she glances down to your lips before returning to look you in the eyes.

Then she steals your heart.

Again.

With that unreasonably sultry lip bite.

Again.

"And I thought the cold was going to be the reason I died tonight," you whisper, quietly enough that only she could hear.

Just in case she hadn't yet properly staked her claim on your heart, Nayeon responds with potentially the only thing more charming than her lip bites; her laughter, which once again resonates across the table directly through your eardrums, across your inner bridge, and into your heart.

You open your mouth, hoping to continue the conversation further, but find yourself abruptly cut off by a sudden series of discordant cacophonies as her phone vibrates harshly against the wooden table.  You watch on in poorly hidden dismay as she checks it and her mirthful expression transforms into a grimace at the messages' contents.

"Ugh, I need to get back to my place," she explains as she begins to gather her things.

"Oh, okay," you sigh.  "Thanks again for letting me sit with you and for the … mostly pleasant conversation."

Her frown fades, revealing hints of the smile hidden within.  "Sure, no problem.  I'm sure Ms. Kim would have wanted me dead if she heard I mistreated her other major source of income."

You can’t help but chuckle at her words, though the laughter feels cheerless in the face of more pressing concerns.  "Am I going to see you again?"

Her eyes stare into your own once more, piercing through to your core.  "Who knows?  We've been coming to this shop as frequently as we have for as long as we have for who knows how long and haven't run into each other until now.  Who's to say it won't take another couple of years until our paths cross again?"

And with that sobering perspective, the girl you’ve come to know as Nayeon stands, giving you only the slightest nod in farewell before stepping away from the table.  You watch her as she takes her first few steps, feeling your heart sink lower and lower as the distance between you grows larger and larger.

tock...

But suddenly, you almost swear you can see a lightbulb go off above her head, causing her to turn and walk back to the table.

"You know, I never did catch your name," Nayeon remarks casually.

Despite the exhilaration of your heart soaring at her return, you try to maintain a neutral expression as you reply, "Perfect, now we both have a reason to meet again."

While it might just be your imagination, you dare to hope that it’s your words that transform her sly smirk into a genuine smile that reaches her eyes.

"Oh yeah?  What's your reason?"

"Who said I only have one?"

With her curiosity sated and ego sufficiently inflated, Nayeon gives you a small smile as a farewell, then turns and walks out of the ramen shop.  And as the clock ticks ever onward and you sit alone at the table, pondering what impact this night might have on the rest of your life, you can only hope that she hasn’t walked away for the final time.

tick...

tock...

tick...

tock...

It really was bearable the first couple of days.

But the days turned to weeks and the weeks turned to months and the months began to feel like years.  And as time mercilessly continues to pass by, you unsurprisingly find yourself increasingly affected by the thought of her.

You realized something was seriously wrong when entire weeks began to blur together and each visit to the ramen shop left you feeling colder and lonelier than your previous visit.  It isn’t long before the intrusive thoughts remodel your mind and claim it as their own, leaving you wondering if you had lost your love for your favorite restaurant and your best chance at love in a single night.  Despite the depressing potential of those dramatic notions, you attempt to cast them aside, instead focusing your efforts on maintaining your previous routine and, more importantly, meeting Nayeon again.

Since you assume Aunt Kim will rat you out to Nayeon if you’re too desperate in your attempts, you choose a more subtle approach.  Instead of showing up every night, you alter your schedule to better fit hers.  The awkward “middle” shifts at your work are rarely prioritized, so you’re easily able to make the change and justify your abnormally late arrivals to the shop.

However, your efforts fall short, leaving you wanting, craving even a glimpse of the radiant smile that graces your dreams far more often than you’d readily admit.  And even though you desperately want to ask Aunt Kim if she’s even seen Nayeon, you’re well aware that outside assistance would break the unspoken rules of the game.  So, even as your heart yearns for her, you choose to continue playing.  Even in the face of defeat, you persevere.

All the while, a nagging feeling remains in the back of your mind.  Though you can’t figure out why, you’re sure you know her from somewhere.  The passage of time allows that nagging to fester, growing exponentially until it becomes all you can think about.

It’s not long before the pressure becomes unbearable, forcing you to cave.  Nayeon’s a fairly popular name, but luckily, you’re able to fall back on her nickname of “Nana”.  Thus, on a day that’s become your new norm, you dedicate part of your shift to searching through Naver pages, eventually finding what you’ve been looking for.  Kind of.

You find that she’s the main dancer and leader of a girl group named woo!ah!, one of the seemingly endless number of new K-Pop groups that’ve slipped under your radar.  As you scroll through the pages and watch video after video, you unsurprisingly enjoy their music, yet feel a sense of unease grow with each passing video.  You’d expected feelings of excitement and joy to burst forth with each of Nayeon’s appearances, but instead you’re met by dread, trepidation, and a plethora of other unpleasant emotions that you can’t identify amidst the maelstrom rampaging in your heart.

You finish their MV playlist depressingly quickly, finding far more questions than answers at the end of this rainbow.  Unfortunately, before you can reach a satisfying conclusion, the clock strikes twelve and begins to sing, signaling the end of your shift.  After packing up your things, you depart, and, following a short bus ride, you arrive at the intersection where you turn right to visit the noodle shop once again.

And an hour later, after you’ve stood in line, placed your order, found somewhere to sit, enjoyed your meal, and looked over every square millimeter of the room, you find yourself alone.

Once.

Again.

tick...

tock...

Seemingly a moment later, you’re surprised to find yourself at home.  You rationalize that your body must have moved on its own and your brain must not have cared to encode the memory of walking this familiar path, but even this explanation leaves you with serious concerns.  As you reach into your pocket and feel the warmth from your fingers being sapped by the key’s cold metal, you simply feel … tired.

What’s the point of changing your routine if your days are bound to end the same as always?

What’s the point of searching for warmth if you continue to be left alone in the cold?

What’s the point of listening to your heart if all it leads you to is the deafening silence of your empty apartment?

You can feel it in the air as you turn the key, open the door, and enter the suffocating silence of your apartment.  The air’s cold.  Heavy.  The room’s dark.  Empty.  And you’re sure.  Ready.  As much as your heart yearns to chase Nayeon, your mind is telling you that it’s time.  Time to return to the routine you’ve relied on for so, so long.  You begin by sending a quick email to your supervisor, requesting a change back to your previous schedule.  Then, after a few more hours that won’t be worth remembering, you willingly wade into the darkness.

You mourn the loss of what could have been.  You allow the clouds to roll in, allow the falling rain to drown out the sounds of your heart beating against its cage and its cries for freedom.  You pray that the storm will wash away the memories of that night.  You hope, as desperately as ever, that you’ll find her.  But if your heart can’t have what it wants, you’ll ask your mind to forget her.

tick…..

tock.

tick…..

tock.

Is it eight days later?  Nine days?  Ten?  Your memory might have failed you again, but routine provides you necessary stability once more, helping you through the motions of working the once familiar morning shift before guiding you through the short bus ride to your stop and the subsequent walk to an always familiar intersection and a newly unwelcome decision.

If you simply continue forwards, you’ll arrive at your apartment, where you know that leftovers and loneliness amidst the silence of solitude awaits.  However, if routine truly is still in the driver’s seat, you’ll turn to your right, towards Aunt Kim’s, where you know that ramen and loneliness amidst the voices of others awaits.

Thus, despite the clear blue sky and the bright sun that signaled the early signs of winter’s departure, decision paralysis sets in.  The light flashes yellow, yet you need to decide, now.  Then, it flashes red, yet you know you need to go.  Finally, the indicator flashes green, yet you remain motionless as the crowd begins to surge past you.

It’s there, in that moment, where you stop fighting anxiety’s powerful pull, allowing it to drag you under, away from your routine.  It’s there, in that moment, where you give up, instead electing to return home.  Yet, it’s there, in that moment, where you feel a gentle tug on your arm and see a flash of warm golden light in your periphery.

"Come on, you gotta get there before it gets busy," Nayeon whispers, mock urgency masking her features and veiling her words.  "Otherwise, you might have to ask some weirdo if you can share a table with them."

You’re all too eager to allow yourself to be dragged along, heart nearly bursting out of your chest as you loudly exclaim, “Nayeon!  I—”

Your words are a jumbled mess, bouncing around the inside of your skull, desperately trying to escape all at once, but you hold them all back as the other pedestrians turn, glaring at you as they judge your sudden outburst.  Once you finish offering meek smiles and apologetic waves, you whisper back, “You’re right, that sounds terrible!  Let’s go!”

As she continues to drag you along, you take the opportunity to study the beaming visage of your guide once more.  The passage of time allows you to view the literal girl of your dreams in a new light, and you find Nayeon’s just as radiant in today’s pleasant sunshine as she was so many weeks ago, hidden away from the harsh snowfalls of the early Korean winter.

"What should I say?" you wonder to yourself as you allow her to lead you down the busy sidewalk.  "Would it be too forward to say I missed her after only meeting her once before?"

A familiar cadence, the ringing of a very particular bell, cuts your internal musings short, shunting you back into reality as Nayeon opens the door to Aunt Kim's ramen shop.  Nayeon finally detaches from your arm, leaving you feeling cold and empty.  Not unlike your freezer that fateful night, so many months ago.

After shaking off the last remnants of your reverie, you step forward and join her in line.  Despite being a fair bit taller than her, you can’t seem to make out what exactly she’s doing on her phone as you both wait to place your order.

It only takes a few moments of snooping before a wave of guilt washes over you as you realize your invasion of her privacy, causing you to shift your gaze elsewhere, to other areas of the shop.  Areas such as the table where you had sat the previous time, which currently sits unoccupied.

"Another missed opportunity," you think to yourself as you grieve the lost potential and come to another realization.  "Not to mention the fact that she held the door for me because I was so lost in thought!  Ugh, you're blowing it!  Stop overthinking everything."

After a few short minutes idly spent looking anywhere except towards Nayeon, all of the customers in line in front of you finish placing their orders and go to find a seat.  You aren’t surprised as Nayeon needs mere moments to recite her clearly well-practiced offer, but you are caught off guard when Aunt Kim leans close to Nayeon, whispering something you can’t make out amidst the low murmur of the crowd inhabiting your second home.

The rational part of your brain informs you that, at most, a few seconds pass.  Your emotions tell a far different story, flooding your overwrought mind with a deluge of disquieting dangers and forcing you to consider each of the painful possibilities and worst-case scenarios that comprise the tsunami attempting to drag you into the depths of self-doubt.  Eventually, the two part, and as Nayeon turns to face you, her mischievous expression and gleaming smile ignites a flame in you, burning away any frost that’s formed since you left her embrace.

Her eyes flick over towards Aunt Kim, seemingly challenging you to approach the elderly woman who stands behind the counter with crossed arms and a dangerously amused expression.  This time, however, Nayeon doesn’t even give your words enough time to get caught in your throat, instead simply walking past you and allowing the silky strands of her hair to brush your shoulder and convey all the intent she needs to.

As you gather what little cognitive function remains, you’re especially grateful for the familiarity of this place as Aunt Kim enters your order with well-practiced quickness.  You’re uncharacteristically afraid of meeting her eyes as you sign your name and begin to enter the same generous tip you’ve always given, but her scoff of indignation as you meekly hold out your hand for your order number forces you to do so.

"So." she says bluntly, withholding the plastic indicator as she awaits your response.

"Yes ma’am?” you ask, voice laced with saccharine innocence.

“Oh gods, don’t tell me that that girl’s stubbornness has infected you too,” Aunt Kim responds exasperatedly.  “You finally managed to meet up with her again, eh?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you respond as you delete your previous number, instead entering an extra-large tip before braving Aunt Kim’s gaze once more, silently conveying your plea for mercy as you literally attempt to buy her silence.

Aunt Kim’s eyes flash down briefly, widening for a moment before a deep, jovial laugh echoes out from her, reverberating throughout the room as she holds your gaze once more.

“All right, act sly all you like.  I'm just tired of seeing someone come in alone fifty times in a row just to spend their time here hoping and searching for a certain someone.”

The banter is unique, odd, and comfortably routine as you ease into its familiar warmth.  Your brow arches dramatically as you declare, “Why Aunt Kim, I can’t stand these accusations!  It’s only been forty-six times since then!”

You watch as Aunt Kim’s smile fades, shifting from a display of mirth to a thin obfuscation of sadness as she responds, “You’re not the only one who’s been sitting alone at a table for two.  Now go!”

And as she pushes your number into your hands and sends your mind into a tailspin, you’re left with no other option but to turn and allow the next customer to set up.  Your body’s autopilot takes over, turning you further until you face the table where this all started, only to find it occupied.

By none other than Nayeon herself.

You lock eyes for the briefest of moments before she avoids your gaze, poorly pretending to be enthralled by the black screen of her phone.  As the slightest hints of confidence begin to emerge from within, you walk up to the table, acting as casually as you can, pulling out a chair and taking a seat across from her.

After offering up a prayer to whoever’s listening, desperately hoping that you wouldn’t blow this chance, you look straight at her and ask, “So, how have you been?”

“Oh, so we’re just getting right into it, huh?” Nayeon asks, already crafting the thin veneer of the haughtiness she’d used to shield herself before.  “Not even going to thank me for saving you a seat?  I know you’ve had issues finding them before.”

You raise your hands up in mock surrender as you admit, “Alright, fair enough.  I am very grateful for your act of charity once again, and I’ll be sure to make it up to you.”

“I’m glad to see you’ve come to your senses,” she declares, obvious satisfaction in her smirk as she nods in approval.  “To answer your question, I’ve been fortunate enough to be busy, so that’s always good.  Aside from work, I guess it’s mostly just been working out, spending time with those I’m closest to, and coming here.  What about you?”

“I’ve …” your voice trails off for a moment, granting you silence as you meticulously craft your next line.  “I’ve had better months, but I honestly can’t complain too much.  Work’s been consistent, so like you said, that’s always good.  Plus, I always have this place to come back to, so that’s a big plus.”

“So, you come here often?” Nayeon asks, waggling her eyebrows in the most tropey, dramatic way possible.  It’s clearly meant to be humorous, and you’re all too eager to reward her efforts with a smile.  You just also hope it buys you time to reclaim the breath she steals so easily.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," you say, chuckling slightly as you struggle against all the unwelcome thoughts and emotions that continuously threaten to boil over.  "Especially the past couple of months, I'm fairly sure I've made a sizeable contribution to the 'Kim Family College Fund'.  What about you, have you also been a generous donor?"

And there it is.  For the first time since that night a lifetime ago, your words strike a chord, and your just reward is the melodious laughter that bursts free from the alluring lips of Nayeon before gently drifting across the table and imprinting itself once again upon your soul.  And all you can wonder is why you’d ever choose to stop chasing her.

After the briefest of stanzas, her mirthful song quiets and her words shift to a whisper.  "Listen, if my friends ever find out just how often I've been coming here and how much I've spent, it’ll be the last day I see the sun!  So shhh!"

The quiet laugh that resonates out straight from your heart may not be planned or voluntary, but anyone paying a modicum of attention can easily tell it’s genuine.  You feel free, weightless even, to an extent you haven’t felt since a certain night so many weeks ago.  And as you savor this moment of warmth, of dethawing even, you’re glad to see that same joy mirrored in the eyes and smile of Nayeon too.

"Alright, fair enough.  Not a word to your friends, and you won't rat me out to mine?  Deal?"

"Deal!" she responds eagerly, extending her hand out to shake yours.

Without hesitation, you reach out and seal the pact, cherishing the influx of warmth generated by even the swiftest second of your fingertips grazing the soft skin of her palm.

But then, just like that, it’s gone.  The briefest moment of contact ends all too soon, and you find yourself in silence once more.

Fortunately, this time it doesn’t last, as Nayeon speaks up once more.

"So … any particular reason you've been around more often recently?" she asks as she looks around in a familiar pattern, seemingly fascinated by the decorations of the place she must have visited hundreds of times.

"I might have a reason," you respond suavely as you lean back in your chair.  "Maybe even a couple."

"Oh yeah?" she asks, ending her search as she reaches her destination: your eyes.  "Pardon my vanity, but is there any chance … I’m one of those reasons?"

In this moment, this secular moment of confession, this seductress needs no lip bites nor any promises of sweet nothings to ensnare your heart even further.  All you need is to look into her eyes, where you see the same earnest anticipation mirrored within your own soul.

So, in this moment, you give yourself no time to second guess yourself, acting on pure instinct as you take out your heart, affix it to your sleeve in full view of everyone within the restaurant, and admit, "Yeah, I mean, you’re the only reason that mattered.  I guess … I was scared of the thought of never seeing you again.  I really missed you."

tick...

Another moment passes.  But this stretch of silence is far shorter than the last and her response is far quicker than last time you’d shared a confession.  This time, it’s her words that shock you.

"Thanks, I … uh, really missed you too," she whispers softly, perhaps trying to preserve the serenity of this moment between the two of you.

tock...

Milliseconds begin to feel like minutes as you desperately rack your brain, searching for an adequate continuation to the conversation.  Fortunately, just as desperation tips over into despair, none other than Aunt Kim comes to your rescue, carrying a pair of bowls in her hands and a complicated collection of emotions across her countenance.

First, she offers Nayeon her warm bowl with an even warmer smile, which Nayeon is happy to return in kind.  Then, just as you recover from being blinded by Nayeon’s radiance, Aunt Kim turns to you, deliberately holding back your bowl as she offers nothing but a quirked eyebrow and an expectant expression.

You raise your hands in surrender once more, internally cursing the developing trend as you ask, “What, Miss Aunt Kim, could you possibly be expecting from me?  Ma’am.”

You aren’t sure if it’s your sheepish expression or Aunt Kim’s sigh of exasperation that sparks it, but whatever semblance of a train of thought you’d begun crafting is sent careening off the rails by the return of that same singsong laughter that’s lifted your spirits up from the depths they’d plummeted to.

While Nayeon continues her chorus of joy, you watch as Aunt Kim’s frosty exterior thaws, causing her to gently place the bowl in your hands before pulling away just the slightest bit.

“I’m just glad things finally lined up,” Aunt Kim says with a knowing smile and another ruffling of your hair that earns another round of laughter from Nayeon.

Finally, that last embarrassment inflicted, Aunt Kim elects to leave you in peace.

After months of waiting, the culmination of all your fantasies is … a conversation.  About nothing.  About everything.  About your job as an editor at a K-Pop news / blog site and how the recent schedule change left you saddled with a writer who’d recently gotten in trouble for “not including all the members when describing a group’s latest comeback” or something.  About her job as an idol and the years of struggle and the stress of debuting and her relationships with her members and fan interactions and on and on and on.

It’s the most mundane human experience you’ve ever had, but it’s warm.  It lasts from your usual arrival time until Nayeon’s usual time of departure, yet time seems to pass by in an instant.  It’s nothing you would have expected yet everything you could possibly ask for, like a waking dream.  It’s almost unfathomable how much you enjoy yourself.

It also has to end.

“Hey,” Nayeon says suddenly, allowing her voice to soften.  “The shop’s closing soon.”

“Oh, right,” you say, feeling your smile fade for the first time in hours.

“We should, uh …”

“Yeah, let’s—”

“Yeah.”

The dusty old chairs creak against the stained floorboards of the shop as you both slowly slide them back, hoping that your sluggish movements will elongate this experience.  Each of you bids farewell to Aunt Kim in your own special way, then turn to depart.  And as you open the door for her and the brisk evening wind leaves you scrambling for the right words, it’s Nayeon who finds her courage first.

“We’ll be performing next Saturday,” she begins, speaking just loud enough for her words to reach your ears before the cruel winds can whisk them away.  “I understand if you’re busy, but—”

“I’ll be there.”

And just as the door closes and you put forth your promise, the jingle of the bells and Nayeon’s relieved laughter join in harmony, creating a melody that wraps itself around you and promises to protect you from the cold.

“I haven’t even told you where it is yet!” she exclaims, meeting your eyes once more.

“Then I should probably give you my number, no?” you counter, holding her gaze as she looks back with the softest eyes and warmest smile.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Nayeon says, eagerly pulling out her phone and handing it to you.

You quickly punch in the digits and hand it back to her, earning a frown in response.

“What is it?”

“You still haven’t told me your name.”

So, you tell her.  And she repeats it back to you.  And it’s no surprise that the sound of your name in her mouth is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever heard.  And you’re still reeling from that when she texts you, “Hi it’s me!🐇”.  And when you finally manage to tear your eyes from the screen, you’re met with the sight of her meekly looking down at the sidewalk below.

“Hey,” you say softly, giving her a moment to meet your eyes before opening your arms.  “You—”

Your words don’t even have a chance to be whisked away by the cruel winds before Nayeon darts over and crashes into your chest, driving the air from your lungs as she wraps her arms around you.  Instinctually, you wrap your own arms around her, holding her close and refusing to let go.

“Stay warm, okay?” you whisper, only for her ears.

“I think I’ll be just fine,” she whispers back, just as softly.

And it’s hard when you two untangle yourselves.  And it’s harder to say goodbye.  And it’s nearly impossible to turn away.  But it’s easy to turn back and look at her.  And you see Nayeon walking, no, almost skipping away down the sidewalk.  And you know that the months-long wait was worth it.  And the next ten days will feel like a decade.

But that’ll be worth the wait too.

tick…

tock…

tick…

tock…

This time, you know exactly how long it’s been.  You’ve checked the clock every hour of the past ten days, desperately awaiting the chance to see her again.  Absolutely dreading the thought of seeing her again.

Your anxiety certainly isn’t helped by the sea of lightsticks and legions of chanting fans wielding them.  Amidst this squall of rabid passion, you can’t help but feel underprepared.  You can’t help but feel nervous.  You can’t help but feel insignificant.

Fortunately, by the time you’re able to make your way up closer to the front, the performances have started and begun to wash away some of that negativity.  You lose yourself in the stages, showing support to these young adults, these kids, who’re giving everything they have to try and achieve their dreams.  It really is an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

Yet your throat still dries up when you hear them announce who’s performing next.  All of a sudden, the room floods, dragging you under; the blood rushes in, waves deafening you.

tick…

They come out on stage.

tock…

Your eyes can’t look anywhere else.

tick… tock…

“Nana” says something that you can’t hear.

tick…tock…

They get in position. tick..tock..tick.. They begin. ticktockticktockticktocktick

And then, just like that, it’s over.  The performance ends and the group bids the crowd farewell, leaving you with far fewer thoughts than you anticipated but far more emotions than you’re prepared for.  At the forefront of your mind, a singular idea, the catalyst of the storm, reverberates incessantly with a single realization.

Nayeon’s eyes didn't meet yours a single time throughout the whole performance, yet she spent the entire time smiling brighter than you’ve ever seen.

You somehow manage to stumble through the crowd, moving towards an exit as they roar in excitement at the announcement of the next performers, a group you’ve followed since debut and one you like quite a lot.  A group that doesn’t matter.

It’s only once you get outside, once you’re able to take a moment amidst the early evening air, that your breathing begins to slow.  It’s there that the blood pumping in your ears begins to settle.  It’s there that the vibration on your leg nearly makes you jump out of your skin.  But once you nail the three-point landing, you pull out your phone and read the new message:

Nayeon 🐇 (6:02pm):  Hey, were you able to make it?  I just peeked my head out but couldn’t find you anywhere.

You (6:03pm):  I did!  Sorry, I just stepped outside after watching your performance, needed some air

You (6:03pm):  You guys were great!

Nayeon🐇 (6:03pm):  Awww, thanks so much!!

Nayeon🐇 (6:03pm):  You should come around the back, I wanna introduce you to everyone!

Nayeon🐇 (6:04pm):  Meet me at door E35, I’ll let you in

You (6:06pm):  Sure, I’m on my way

You hit send, finally responding after needing a minute to calm the upswell of sanguine tides that continue to thrash within.  Your steps are heavy, echoing loudly throughout the packed parking lot and even louder in your mind as you begin discerning which feelings surround this storm’s catalyst.  

The unfamiliar feeling doesn’t remind you of the anxiety you’ve faced before, nor does it remind you of the self-doubt you’ve suffered in your past.  No, when you round the corner to see Nayeon’s head poking out the door, looking for you, and you hear the crowd’s thunderous applause, you know exactly which ugly emotion torments you.  And despite having no right to feel the way you do, you know that jealousy gnaws at your core.

So, when Nayeon turns and locks eyes with you, you hope your smile shows delight, not despair.  And while you don’t quite match the radiance of her reaction, you’re inviting enough for her to throw open the door and begin dashing towards you.  Fortunately, your limbs seem to have higher priorities than jealousy, as you too begin closing the distance and opening your arms, meeting her halfway and tightly wrapping your arms around her as she does the same to you.

Your ability to string together sentences escapes you as you hold her close, feeling her heartbeat hammer against your chest at as rapid a pace as your own.

“We should do this more often,” Nayeon murmurs into your chest.

“I mean, sure, I’d be happy to come support your group any time I’m not—”

“No, not that!” she exclaims, giggling slightly as she pulls away just enough to look up at you.  “I mean this.”

And she pulls you in even tighter, leaving you short of breath in more ways than one.

“But also, thank you for coming to see us perform.  You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”

“Of course,” you say, heart penning your words before your brain can intervene.  “Anything for you.”

“Anything?” Nayeon asks incredulously, finally breaking the hug as the mischievous glint in her eye returns.  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I stand by my word,” you respond, acting far more confidently than you truly feel.  “Besides, how dangerous could you possibly be?”

“Are you looking to find out?” she asks, smiling deviously as you see the turning gears in her head shift into overdrive.

“Maybe one day,” you say with a shrug.  “Must admit, it’s not high on my list of priorities though.”

“Oh yeah?  What’s number one?”

“Why spoil the surprise?  Gotta keep you coming back somehow.”

Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise as Nayeon scoffs in response.  “Yeah, like that’s a concern.”

“I, uh, thanks?” you sputter, unable to do anything further as the mechanisms of your mind malfunction.

“Oh!” she exclaims, face alight with merriment and mischief alike.  “You are in danger.”

All you can do is shrug.  Why try to hide what you both know to be true?  Why not join her in laughter instead?

“Hey,” you say a few seconds later as you catch a brief glimpse of your breath in the air.  “We should get you inside, it's too cold for you to be out here in a sleeveless top and those ‘shorts’.”

“What do you mean?” Nayeon asks incredulously.  “I think my stylist absolutely nailed it today.”

“Yeah, like anything you wear could look bad,” you scoff.  “I'm just worried about you turning into a popsicle.”

“Oh?  I guess I'll just have to find someone to keep me warm,” she drawls as she walks back to the door.  “You wouldn't mind, would you?”

“Of course not.”

“Of course not,” she repeats, flashing the smallest of smirks your way before turning back and stepping up to the door.  “Anything for me, right?”

“I mean …” you begin to say.  Unfortunately, your train of thought is brought to a screeching halt by the rather rude sound of the unmoving door handle within Nayeon’s grasp.

“Wonderful,” Nayeon says, exasperation coating her words as she runs her fingers through her hair.  “And on the one day I forgot to charge my phone too.”

“You can borrow mine,” you offer, reaching into your pocket and holding it out to her.  “Can you call someone inside who can open it?”

“Yes, I can!” she says, eagerly accepting your offer and taking your phone.  “Give me a second, I'll see if Wooyeon's willing to help.”

A few moments later, after she's punched in the numbers and the phone's begun to ring, she looks up with that same cheeky smile she wears so frequently around you.

“Guess you're stuck with me a bit longer,” she dramatically declares.

“Woe is me,” you respond in kind, pressing the back of your hand to your forehead like you're about to faint.

Nayeon opens her mouth to fire back, but her reply is superseded by a muffled, vaguely familiar voice emanating out from the speaker.

“Hey, it's me,” she remarks casually, as if calling someone from a random number is a totally normal thing to do.  “I need—”

She stops mid-sentence, seemingly allowing the person on the other end to voice their apparently substantial list of frustrations at Nayeon. 

“Yeah, I, uh, sorry about slipping away like that,” Nayeon replies sheepishly as her cheeks flare in an entirely new way.  “It's a very long story that I very much don't want to get into tonight, but can you please come open door E35?  I might have locked myself out.”

It's a tense few moments of silence before Nayeon gets a response.  What you assume to merely be a few words at most still manages to shock Nayeon, leaving her wide eyed as she responds, “That's a lot to ask for just—”

Her words are suddenly cut off by what you assume to be Wooyeon's response, causing Nayeon to roll her eyes in resignation before responding, “Okay!  Sure, fine.  Both rooms, before the performance on Wednesday.  Got it.”

“Alright, see you soon,” she continues.  “And Wooyeon?  Thank you.”

“Here, thanks for letting me borrow that,” Nayeon says, handing you back your phone.

“Of course,” you respond.  “What were you two arguing about?”

“Honestly it was more bargaining than arguing,” Nayeon groans, throwing her head back in frustration.  “A trade I horribly lost, mind you.   Apparently in her mind, a three-minute walk is worth me having to clean both bedrooms at the dorms.”

“That seems … harsh,” you say, earning a shrug in response.

The silence goes unbroken for a minute.  Then another.  But when it's finally broken, it's not by words, but the chattering of teeth.  Hers.

Fortunately, your movements are so instinctual that by the time your brain has even begun to consider overthinking things, you've already taken off your jacket and wrapped it around her.  Nayeon’s shivering swiftly slows, but you leave your arm wrapped around her.  Just in case.

tick…

tock…

It ends up being ten minutes, not three, that you share in silence.  Not that either of you notice or care.

As soon as you hear the handle begin to turn, you immediately pull away, earning the smallest of whines from Nayeon before she too hears the door opening and turns towards it.

“There you are!” both girls exclaim as you see one of the other members from the earlier performance poke her head out.

“What took you so long?” Nayeon asks.  “I thought it'd take four minutes max to find us.”

“Listen, we can discuss whether or not I got lost once you get inside,” Wooyeon huffs in response.  “Come on, it's freezing out here!”

“You're telling me,” you mutter, causing Nayeon to quietly chuckle as she looks up at you with wide, apology-filled eyes.

You both follow Wooyeon inside, where Nayeon introduces you to one another and informs Wooyeon that she had invited you.  After an exchange of slightly awkward bows, Wooyeon speaks up.

“Okay, so this story involves you and a guy, alone, in the middle of a parking lot on a dark and stormy evening?  I don't care how long it is, you're telling me everything.”

“I … fine.  We can talk on the drive back,” Nayeon begrudgingly accepts.

“Good.  Speaking of, we should head back.  Now, preferably.  They're probably waiting on us,” Wooyeon says, shooting you a sympathetic glance.

“Hey, it's alright,” you tell Nayeon as she turns to look at you.  “I'm just glad I got to see you.  The performance and everything else were just icing on the cake.”

“Everything else, huh?” Wooyeon asks, seemingly more invested suddenly.  “How late is this story going to keep me up?”

“Oh relax,” Nayeon scoffs, shaking her head at Wooyeon's instigation attempts.

“But seriously,” she says to you.  “Thanks for being understanding.”

“Also, thanks for this,” Nayeon continues, smirking at you as she points to your jacket.

“Of course,” you immediately respond.  “Anything for you.”

You watch as Nayeon’s cheeky expression morphs into confusion, like your response was outside the rules of the game you’re both playing.

“I, uh, thanks?” she sputters.  But that confusion doesn't last, and a warm smile is quick to replace it.

“Here then,” she murmurs, closing the distance between you two quicker than you're able to respond.  “This is for you.”

And there's a lot of small details that you'll forget in hindsight.  Like the way Nayeon stands up on her tiptoes, or how she tilts her head just the slightest bit, or even the glittery eyeshadow that gleams in the light.  But there's one detail you'll remember.  Because you'll never forget the feeling of her soft lips against your cheek.

You can't help but hate the moment she pulls away.  But when she locks eyes with you, you're brave enough to hope that you'll feel that sensation again.

“Bye,” she whispers.

“Bye.”

“...”

“...”

“Bye?” Wooyeon says, offering you a slightly awkward wave as you turn to face her.

You look back to Nayeon, and neither of you can help but laugh at Wooyeon's shell-shocked expression.  One theatrical sigh and an eye roll later, Wooyeon turns and begins to walk away.

“Bye Wooyeon!” you call out at the retreating form.  “Hopefully next time we meet, it'll be a little more normal!”

“Hard not to be!” she calls back, earning another duet of laughter from you and Nayeon.

“I should probably follow her,” Nayeon says.  “We're performing Wednesday night, so I guess I'll see you at the shop on Thursday?  Unless you—”

“I'll be there,” you say, fighting back the jealous feelings that surge up at the thought of her performing again.

“You're the best,” she says, throwing her arms around you for the briefest of moments before turning and hurriedly following Wooyeon.  “I'll text you the location!”

“Sounds good, see you there!” you call out in response.  You can't help but feel glued to the floor as you watch her walk away, remaining motionless until she rounds a corner and leaves you alone in the hallway.

An odd mix of emotions twirls around your mind as you depart the building.  Many of them, the vast majority even, are undeniably positive.  But voices, ones eerily similar to those found in the fanchants from earlier, echo in the back of your mind and entrench those unshakable feelings of jealousy.

But even as the bus takes you away and you pray to reach home before the rain begins to fall, you know that this inner storm isn't one you can outrun.

tick…

tock…

tick…

tock…

You hope that you’re as good at hiding your emotions as you think you are.  Because the way you feel when you’re with Nayeon, your friend, when you’re both excitedly talking a little louder than you should be and occasionally have to pause the conversation to apologize to the other customers nearby, it’s euphoric.  It’s exhilarating.  It’s everything you could have ever dreamed of and more.

And it could not be more different than the way you feel when you’re with “Nana”, the idol.  Because you should still feel that euphoria, that elation.  You have no reason not to, especially since Nayeon acts the same way, even going so far as to find time somewhere in her crazy schedule when you two can meet.  The joy you find in those moments should be enough.  But your jealousy proves gluttonous, leaving you with an awful feeling in the pit of your stomach that grows harder to ignore.  It’s inescapable.  It’s everything you can’t control threatening to take away everything you hold dear.

And you haven’t the slightest fucking clue what to do.

Unfortunately, the tempest doesn’t give you much time to find a solution before boiling over.  It’s only a couple of weeks and a handful of performances later when Nayeon pulls you into a small alcove hidden amongst the towers of sound equipment and piles of wires.  Almost immediately, she begins sharing a story about a fan interaction, further fanning the flames of the ugly side of your emotions.

It’s not long before you’re overwhelmed by the turbulent emotions within.  Nayeon’s in the middle of a sentence when you lean in, cupping her cheek in one hand as you press your lips against hers.  You kiss her gently at first, but after her initial shock, she begins to kiss you back.  Firmly.  Insistently.  You let the sounds of the nearby stage abate, allowing yourself to instead lose yourself in the only senses that matter right now.

Like how the smell of her conditioner reminds you of coconuts and cherry blossoms.  Or how she tastes sweeter than honey.  Or how her lips are somehow softer than clouds.

You pull away only once oxygen deprivation forces you to, leaving you both staring at each other as you desperately attempt to catch your breath.

“I’m so sorry,” you say as soon as you’re able to.  “I shouldn’t have—”

“Don’t you dare apologize,” Nayeon interjects.  “Shut up and kiss me again.”

This time, she catches you off-guard as she leans in, pulling your head down slightly as she kisses you with as much intensity as before, if not more.  You’re more than willing to match her zeal, eliciting murmurs of satisfaction and small gasps for air from her as you battle back and forth.

It’s intense.  It’s electrifying.  It’s everything you’ve ever wanted and—

“There you are—oh!”

You and Nayeon hastily separate and turn to face the unexpected spectator, finding none other than poor Wooyeon and her shell-shocked expression awaiting you once again.

“Wooyeon?!  I, you, we, uh …” Nana says, trailing off mid-sentence as she steps away from you and attempts the futile task of trying to return her hair to some semblance of normalcy.

“We have to figure out a better way for you to introduce me to your friends,” you tell Nana, earning a stare of disbelief from her and an unexpected bit of melodious laughter from Wooyeon.

“You seriously do!” Wooyeon exclaims, fanning her face in an attempt to disperse the crimson flooding her cheeks.  “Honestly, I hate that they keep sending me to find you two, why can't it be Sora getting traumatized for once?”

“Because they know you're way too good at finding things for your own good, especially us apparently,” Nayeon says, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

“Oh, don't worry!  I won't tell …” Wooyeon trails off for a moment, looking at Nayeon slyly.  “Too many people.”

“Hey!” Nayeon exclaims.  “Be careful what you wish for, I'm sure plenty of people would be interested in my stories about you.”

“That wasn't what I'd hoped to hear, but you can write me an apology later,” Wooyeon fires back, turning her head away from Nayeon to hide the red that refuses to leave her cheeks.  “I hate to do this again, but we really do need to get going.”

Nayeon's indignation seems to flare even further as she steps closer to Wooyeon, but you can't help but chuckle at the image of the shorter Nayeon attempting to intimidate the much taller Wooyeon.  Nayeon spares a moment to glare at you before turning back to Wooyeon and saying, “Listen, I'm sure we can—”

“Hey, hey, it’s alright,” you interject.  “I’m sure we’ll have time to talk later, right Nayeon?”

“Oh sure, I’m positive that she’ll have plenty of time for a lovely conversation later,” Wooyeon comments, earning a glare from Nayeon that’d likely be scathing if not for the obvious embarrassment coloring her countenance.

“Hey, not so loud!” you jest, smiling just as wide as Wooyeon.  “Seriously though, I really am sorry Wooyeon.   I’ll make it up to you sometime, hopefully next time I see you.  Surely next time we meet it’ll be more normal, right?  Surely?”

“Suuurrrelyyyy,” Wooyeon responds, stringing out the single word just long enough to fit every emotion other than sincerity into its delivery.  She takes the opportunity to step away from Nayeon, who seems temporarily frozen between states of frustration, embarrassment, and something else entirely.

“Hey, no worries,” you gently tell Nayeon, taking her hands in your own and turning her to face you.  “Your members need you.”

“Besides, you should probably go willingly before Wooyeon drags you back, kicking and screaming the whole way,” you joke, smiling as Wooyeon grins and hums in agreement.

“Surely you wouldn't do that to me, right Wooyeon?” Nayeon asks, turning and pouting at her in an exaggeratedly cute manner.

“The option's never been more tempting,” Wooyeon replies, sticking out her tongue in response.

“Okay okay fine, I surrender,” Nayeon tells her, raising her hands in a manner all too familiar to you before turning back to you.  “I'll see you Saturday?”

“Wouldn't miss it for anything,” you tell Nayeon, pulling her into a tight hug that finally dispels the vast amount of tension she'd built up in such a short time.

“Neither would I,” Nayeon murmurs back before pulling away just enough to capture your lips one final time.

“Alright, let's go,” Nayeon tells Wooyeon, interlocking arms with her as they begin to walk away.

“So, for the first part of my apology, I want …” Wooyeon's voice trails off as they walk out of earshot.  But you remain in place, watching their retreating forms until they leave your field of view.  And then perhaps a minute longer, just in case.

But eventually, you also turn away and begin your departure.  The only topic on your mind as you walk, ride the bus, and then walk again on your journey to reach your home is the storm of emotions within.  On the one hand, it gave you the confidence to act in a way you wouldn't have been willing to normally, leading to an amazing and memorable moment.  But on the other hand, you can't shake the feeling that this upswell wasn't the final manifestation of these detrimental feelings.  All you can do is hope that if they do flare again, that night won’t be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

tick…

tock…

As you walk alongside Nayeon, you can’t help but marvel at how normal this new norm feels.  Even just a few weeks ago, you would have desperately lunged at the chance to see Nayeon a single time, but now, seeing her multiple times a week feels routine.  Normal.  Unremarkable?

Definitely not unremarkable, as the memory of your arms wrapped around her waist and her lips pressed against your own is just as vivid as it felt in that moment a few nights ago.  Even the restlessness of flaking on the group’s performance for the first time last night feels insignificant in comparison to the contentment you feel right now.

Which is why it’s so jarring when you’re met by a “CLOSED” sign on the shop’s door for the first time ever.

“‘Apologies for the sudden closure’,” you read aloud.  “‘We’re visiting family this weekend and will be closed for the next couple of days.’”

“‘We’ll be open once again on Monday.  We hope to see you then!’” Nana concludes.  “I mean, I hope she has a nice time, but what do we do now?”

“I mean, I’m sure we can find somewhere else that sounds good.  There are a couple places nearby that I usually order delivery from,” you offer.

“Wait, isn’t your place nearby?” she asks, earning a nod in response.  “Why don’t we just pick something up on the way and eat there?  We could watch a movie too, it’ll be fun!”

“Wait wait wait,” you say, mind reeling at the implications.  “Did you just invite yourself into my apartment?”

“Yep!” Nayeon announces, shame nowhere to be found within that radiant smile.  “Now figure out which chicken place you want to order from and let’s go!”

All you can do is laugh at the absurdity of the situation as you pull out your phone and do as she asks.  After a few minutes of walking and a quick stop to pick up food, you arrive at your apartment.  Your one-bedroom apartment might pale in comparison to some of the more upscale living areas in Seoul, but you genuinely appreciate the place you call your home, and you show it to Nayeon with pride.  After a brief tour, you both unpack the large assortment of dishes that usually accompany any Korean meal and begin your dinner.

“How was your performance last night?” you ask her, forcing yourself to smile even as the initial hints of your jealousy begin to stir.

“It went well, thank you!” Nayeon responds, smiling softly at you.  “The fan turnout was amazing, so it was super easy to enjoy performing for them.  What about you, how was your night?”

“Pretty good, thank you for asking,” you say, attempting to match the warmth of her smile but unable to due to the ice in your heart.  “It was a pretty unremarkable evening in general, but I did appreciate the chance to catch up on some much-needed sleep.”

“That’s good to hear!  I missed having you there, but I’m glad you were able to rest.”

“Thank you.  I’m sorry for not being there to support you, but at least Wooyeon got to enjoy a night where she didn’t have to hunt us down.”

“She actually told me that she was sad you weren’t there!  She said on the ride over that she was sure last night was going to be your guys’ first ‘normal’ conversation.”

“Really?  That’s unfortunate, hopefully it’ll happen next time I see her.”

“Hopefully!” Nayeon agrees, and you both go back to enjoying your dinner.  

A few minutes later, once you’ve both finished and cleared away the table, you pull out your favorite oversized blanket and lounge on the couch, inviting Nayeon to join you.  She’s more than happy to oblige, taking the remote from you and immediately pulling up some recently released horror sequel.  You can’t help but voice your surprise, but your concerns are swiftly and eagerly shut down as she gets up and begins messing with the light switches, trying different combinations in an attempt to properly set the mood.  Once she finally achieves her desired lighting, she hops back onto the couch, pulling the blanket over herself and laying against your side.

As she snuggles in closer, you do your best to relax and simply enjoy the experience.  And, if nothing else, the experience is certainly entertaining, as Nayeon seems to be terrified of the jump scares that seem to occur every couple of minutes.  Yet despite her screams, she refuses every time you ask if she wants to watch something else, insisting that she’s having a great time.  Well, for the first hour at least.

“Can I ask you something?” Nayeon says suddenly as she pauses the movie.

“Of course,” you say, your mind flooding with concerns and thoughts of worst-case outcomes.

“Is everything alright?” she asks, sitting up and turning to face you.

“Like, right now?  Couldn’t be better,” you respond, fighting through your concern as you offer a strained smile.

“Mostly just in general, but you don’t seem relaxed even now, despite the fact that we’re under this stupidly soft blanket on this insanely comfy couch,” Nayeon says, smiling for a moment before her expression shifts back to seriousness.  “But honestly, you’ve seemed kinda off for a while.  It's not all the time, but often enough for me to be concerned.  Is there something you want to talk about?”

“No, it’s okay, I—” You stop yourself, searching through the dark and finding nothing but obvious care and trust in her eyes.  So, knowing you can do better, you start over.

“I’m not going to lie to you.  I promise I won’t.  So, yeah, there’s something that’s bothering me, but it’s … hard to explain.  I don’t want to hide anything from you—and I promise I will tell you, but I don’t know the words to tell you what I want to say right now.  Can I ask you to be patient with me, just for a little bit?”

“Okay,” she says, visible concern on her face as she nods.  “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you, I really appreciate it,” you say, awkwardly turning back to the TV.

You’re unable to focus on the rest of the movie, deafened by the silence between you two and shivering from a coldness unrelated to the setting sun.  Even once it’s over and Nayeon gets ready to leave, neither of you are able to put on a convincing enough performance to hide your emotions.  You exchange awkward goodbyes, waving farewell instead of hugging like you’ve always done as she walks away.

Thus, it’s anything but surprising when, mere hours later, the girl of your dreams becomes the subject of your nightmares.  Spectral visions of her pained expression haunt you as the thoughts of causing her stress, pain, and suffering bind and isolate you.  You swear you can hear the haunted cackling of the manifestations of anxiety and jealousy in your mind as they cast a spotlight on your inability to quell the storm.  And as the nightmare begins to fade and you feel yourself being dragged away from her, you finally get it.

As soon as you awaken, unsurprisingly covered in sweat, you immediately grab your phone and begin composing a series of messages.  Because you refuse to let your selfishness hurt someone else, especially Nayeon.

You (5:01am): Hey, I’m so, so sorry about last night, especially how it ended

You (5:01am):  There’s somewhere I’d love to show you, it’s a private place where we should be able to spend some time together and talk

You (5:01am):  If you have an afternoon free sometime soon, please let me know

You (5:02am):  Thanks so much

Between the restless night and the anxiety of hoping for a response, the miserable day you end up having is anything but a surprise.  You check your phone at every available opportunity, but the response you're hoping for never arrives.

It isn't until after you return home, when you're sitting alone in the stale air of your frigid, empty apartment that Nayeon answers.

Nayeon🐇 (5:01pm): Hey, I'm so sorry for taking so long to respond, there were a lot of things I ended up needing to take care of today

Nayeon🐇 (5:01pm): Does tomorrow work?  I'm sorry if it's sooner than you were expecting …

You (5:02pm): No, that would actually be perfect!  Thank you so much, I'll send you the address

You press send, feeling a great weight lifted off your shoulders as you confirm the location and time with her.  Unfortunately, just as you feel yourself begin to relax, your mind begins compiling a list of the things you’ll need for tomorrow.

So, once again, you bundle up and step outside to face the harsh winds.  But this time, as the grocery store comes into view, you're eager to brave the storm.  Because you know what's waiting for you on the other side.

tick…

tock…

Noon.  The brightest point of the day.  A time of warmth.  An important part of any day for a multitude of reasons.  Specifically, the most important part of today because it's when you plan to meet Nayeon.

You scramble onto the bus just in time, sighing in relief as you check the clock and see that you’re scheduled to arrive a bit early, just as you’d hoped.  So, with a bit of free time during the thirty-eight-minute journey awaiting you, you first check all your belongings, happily confirming that nothing's been lost in transit.  You look out the window, frowning slightly at the clouds slowly rolling across the sky, blocking out the clear sky you'd hoped would be the backdrop to this crucial day.  You cast that aside, choosing instead to focus on what you can control.  Like what exactly you want to say to her.  How you want to convey your feelings to her.

Is this a confession?  A request?  An invitation?  A farewell?  No, you know it's definitely not a farewell.  But you still don't know what exactly you want to tell her.

Actually, that's not entirely true either, because when you’re with her, you can't help but want to talk to her about anything and everything.  But just for today, you hope that you can be greedy.  You hope that you'll somehow find the exact words you need to convey how you feel.  The exact words she needs to hear.  The exact words that'll help you solve this problem.  The exact words she wants to hear.  The exact words that'll steal her heart.

A familiar little robotic voice echoes throughout the bus, informing you that you’ve arrived.  You gather up your blanket, basket, and jacket, then exit the bus and turn to walk towards your destination.

As you slip your sunglasses on, you look around, smiling slightly at the memories resurfacing at the sight of so many familiar shops from your past.  You see the pet store where you cried because your mom wouldn't buy you a chinchilla for your fifth birthday.  You see the small ice cream shop where you celebrated your first soccer tournament victory with your friends.  You see the hair salon where the stylist always teased you for growing out your hair over your ears as a teenager.

And when you turn the corner, you see the bridge where you had your first kiss.  There, standing alone, a familiar flash of gold hides beneath a cap and scarf, and the sight of her finally makes you see the truth.  Waiting for you atop that bridge, you see your first love.

“Of course.”

Your knuckles whiten as they tightly grip the wooden handle of the basket.  You feel your legs attempt to lock up, but you force yourself to break free of anxiety's cold grip and begin to close the distance.  You barely make it onto the small bridge before she perks up at the sound of your footsteps and turns to face you.

“Hey, I'm so sorry for making you wait, I tried to be here as soon as—”

“No, no, don’t worry about it,” Nayeon says, lips upturned in a hint of a smile.  “I’m used to being the first one to arrive and I only got here a couple minutes ago.”

You both pause for a moment, an uncharacteristically awkward silence filling the air between you two as you both search for the right thing to say.

“Thanks for inviting me here,” Nayeon says after a few moments.  “I've never been to this neighborhood before.”

“No, thank you for being willing to come, especially so soon!” you quickly respond.  “I’m sorry for being vague about it earlier, but this is actually where I grew up.”

“Oh really?” Nayeon asks, looking around with a renewed interest.  “I'm sure you have so many stories to tell about this place!”

“Something like that,” you say meekly, looking down at the sidewalk.  Where you remember standing as you kissed your first crush so many years ago.  Where you remember standing as your tears hit the pavement when that same girl said goodbye for the last time.  Where you stand now, hoping that you can convince the best thing that's ever happened to you to stay.

“Well then, where are we going?” Nayeon asks.  “Don't tell me you're going to ask me to cheat on Aunt Kim by going to another noodle shop!”

“Of course not!” you exclaim, feeling your vigor return as you laugh with her.

“That's probably for the best.  I don't suppose it's that ice cream store either?” Nayeon asks excitedly.

“Maybe after,” you say, chuckling at her dramatic pout.

“I did come with a plan for lunch,” you continue, holding up the basket and showing it to her.

“Oh, that's amazing!” Nayeon exclaims, finally closing the distance between you two and hugging you tightly.  “You're the cutest!”

You're initially baffled by Nayeon, who's so much shorter than you, calling you cute, but you're more than willing to bite back your response and simply hold her close.  After a minute or so, you force yourself to pull away.

“Alright, so where are we going?” Nayeon asks as her eyes eagerly explore the area.

“It's about a fifteen-minute walk from here, maybe twenty if you want me to act as a tour guide.”

“I'm in no rush when I'm with you,” Nayeon immediately responds.  “Tell me everything.”

After taking a second to make sure your heart hasn’t overloaded, you extend your hand to her.  “Alright, but only because it's you.  Follow me.”

Nayeon happily obliges, and with her hand in yours, you begin the journey upstream through the sands of time.  You spend the first few minutes of the walk pointing out the local stores and restaurants that you fondly remember, initially avoiding any mention of places associated with less flattering memories.  But as you continue on and grow more comfortable, you begin to share all of the most memorable pieces of your past, much to the delight of Nayeon, who's happy to laugh with and at you as you tell her about the defining moments of your childhood.

After roughly ten minutes, you come to a stop, staring up at one tall, gray building in particular amongst the half-dozen duplicates in the area.

“What about this place?” Nayeon asks, noticing your hesitation.

“This is … the place I grew up,” you explain.  “My parents and I lived in this apartment building until I graduated high school and went off to college.”

“Oh, so this was your home?”

“You could say that, but I don't think of it that way.  This is the place where I lived, but it isn't the place where I made the most memories.”

“Hmm, I think I understand.  Did you have a place you'd call your home instead?”

“I did,” you confirm, gripping her hand tighter.  “We're going there now.”

You continue on, allowing the air to grow quiet as you walk under the canopy of trees hanging over the path between two streets.  After a few minutes of this comfortable contemplation, you speak up.

“I know this is gonna sound weird but hear me out.”

“That's certainly one way to start a conversation,” Nayeon jokes, squeezing your hand slightly.  “But sure, I'm listening.”

“I really appreciate how easy it is to just … enjoy being with you,” you explain.  “How you make me feel comfortable even when we're being quiet, because just being together is enough.”

“Uh huh.  And you wanted to convey this to me by breaking the silence to do so?”

“Listen, I … yeah, I guess so.  I just wanted to let you know how you make me feel.  I'm far from the best with words, as I'm sure you've noticed.”

“I might have,” she jokes, pulling herself closer against your side.  “But I don't think you give yourself enough credit.”

“Oh?  Why do you say that?”

“Because I already knew you felt that way,” Nayeon says, looking up at you with bright eyes and a brighter smile.  “And because I feel the same way too.”

You share a few more minutes of soft silence as you walk along the road, traveling under the canopy until it parts and you see the clouds above.  A couple of streets and turns later, you arrive at your destination.

“This is the park where I used to play soccer,” you explain.  “To your right is where I scored a goal to win a tournament match, and if you look wayyy in the back left, you can see where I made an opponent so angry, he shoved me to the ground and nearly broke my wrist.”

“Oh wow!” Nayeon exclaims, covering her mouth as a snippet of laughter threatens to escape.  “You must have a lot of fond memories of this place.”

“Yeah …” you say, trailing off as you cast your mind back to those times ten, fifteen years ago.  “I made a lot of friends—and enemies—on these fields.”

“Do you still keep in touch with many of them?  Your friends, not your enemies,” she clarifies.

“No, almost none of either group actually,” you admit.  “It gets hard when people move away and college or work takes over your life.  I make sure to stay in contact with one, my best friend from those times, but even that’s a bit of a struggle.  I haven’t seen him in who knows how many years, just talked with him online.”

“I—wow…” Nayeon says, eyes sweeping the empty grass that you’ll always remember as full of life.  “I can’t even imagine being separated from Wooyeon.”

“Well, it’s probably different when you see each other, what, 350 days out of the year?” you point out.

“That’s fair,” she admits, finally releasing that pent-up chuckle.  “Thank you for showing me this, I’m sure it means a lot to you.”

“Of course,” you say, offering her a smile.  “Now I want to show you the place that became my home.”

“Then let’s go!” Nayeon announces, returning your smile and allowing you to lead her across the expanse that seemed endless when you were younger.

Eventually, you reach a small chain link fence, which you follow until you’re met with the familiar sight of a rusted gate with a faded combination lock.

“Let’s hope they haven’t changed this,” you say, mostly to yourself, as you input the code: 090301.

To your great joy—and mild surprise—it unlatches, allowing you to open the gate and lead Nayeon inside.  Within, you easily navigate through the branches and brush, memories coming back in a rush as you delve deeper and deeper.  After about a minute, you arrive, pulling back a branch and allowing Nayeon to pass by you into the small clearing.  Surrounded on all sides by trees, a pair of smooth, plateau-like rocks sit a couple meters from a softly flowing creek, granting you both the solitude that this private sanctum had always blessed you with.

“This is it,” you explain, nearly whispering the words as Nayeon takes in the scene.  “This was … everything, really.  This is where I came when I needed to think, needed to decompress, or … needed to know what I needed, I guess.”

“This is incredible!” Nayeon says, eyes wide as she frenetically scours every centimeter of the area, committing it to memory.  “How did you even find this place?”

“Everyone I’ve ever brought here has asked me that exact question,” you say, a sentimental smile spreading across your face.  “But I’ll tell you the same thing I told the other two; I feel like it honestly found me.  I just … went out looking for a sign of something on a night where I needed direction and found myself here.”

“This is actually the first time I’ve come here since moving away for college,” you continue.  “It’s crazy how as much as things change, they stay the same.”

“I guess so …” Nayeon says, trailing off before turning and meeting your eyes.  “Thank you for bringing me here.  I can tell this place holds a special place in your heart and I deeply appreciate you sharing it with me.”

“Of course,” you say after a moment, struggling to formulate words under the intensity of her gaze.  “You hold a special place in my heart too, so I appreciate you trusting me and coming here with me.”

Nayeon is content to let her smile be her response, so you lay out the blanket across the smooth rocks and take a seat on one, gesturing towards the other.  “Come on, let’s talk.”

“Talk?” she asks, implication obvious in her voice as her eyes harden.

“Talk,” you confirm with a nod.

“Okay,” Nayeon whispers, barely loud enough for you to hear above your pounding heartbeat as she takes a seat beside you.  She shakes her hands like they’ve gone numb, then continues, “Please, tell me what’s going on.  Everything that’s going on.”

“Nayeon, I want to make sure you know something, something very important,” you tell her, earning a nod in response.  “I care about you.  So much.  Maybe too much.  I know I haven’t been returning the warmth that you’ve shared with me, and for that, I am so sorry.”

You pause, release the breath you didn’t realize you were holding, and deeply inhale before continuing, “It’s just—sometimes when I’m with you, negative emotions start building up inside me that feel like a storm threatening to pull me under.  Sometimes, I can’t help but feel jealous when I see you on stage or when you talk about your fans, because it feels like there’s so many of them and I’m just … me.  I feel like they’ve known you longer, seen more of you, and that you can’t help but prioritize them because your job depends on it.  I know I shouldn’t feel this way, and I know that it’s selfish.”

You force yourself to stop and look at her.  She sits patiently, listening attentively as she nods once again, waiting for you to continue.  So, you do.  “I want you to know, more than anything else, that none of this is your fault.  And I am so, so sorry for putting you in this position.  But after you asked me if everything was alright, I knew that I couldn’t hide it from you any longer.  I knew that if I kept this inside, it would boil over and end up hurting you in the process.  And I can’t allow that to happen—I can’t let you get hurt because of how I feel—but I can’t walk away without telling you the truth.  And I know I have no right to do this to you and I understand if you’re upset and if you want me to leave I—”

“Hey, hey, listen to me,” Nayeon says softly, cupping your face in her ever so delicate hands.  “Thank you, so much, for telling me this.  I don’t and won’t ever blame you for feeling those kinds of feelings. I wish I could tell you that I understand and that everything will be alright, but I can't.  Honestly, I probably won’t ever truly be able to.”

“But I need you to trust me when I tell you that you mean everything to me,” she continues.  “And I need you to trust me when I tell you I’m willing to face this problem as long as it’s by your side.  And when I say that we can get through this, together, I mean it with every fiber of my being and all of my heart.  All I can ask is that you put your faith in me, in yourself, and most importantly, in us.  Can you do that for me?”

“Just like that?” you ask, dumbfounded.  “I’m being completely unfair, presenting you with this problem, and you’re somehow still willing to give me more support?”

“For you?  Absolutely,” she responds resolutely.  “I don’t know if I’d ever be able to piece my heart back together if you broke it by leaving.”

“Then yes, I—Yes,” you declare, placing your hands on hers and holding them tightly.  “Absolutely, I can.  I will.  I promise.”

She beams with joy, immediately responding, “Anything for me, right?”

You gently pull her hands away from your face, interweaving your fingers with hers as you tell her, “Of course Nana, it’s always been you.  You’ve been the only thing that matters to me since the moment I saw you.  It’s always been you and always will be.”

You watch as her eyes go wide.  “You’ve never called me that before.”

“I guess so …” you say, trailing off as the realization hits you too.  “I’m sorry if you’d—“

You stop yourself as Nana untangles her fingers from yours in an instant, wrapping her arms around you and squeezing you so tightly that it’s nearly impossible to continue.

“Please say something,” you manage to get out, chuckling awkwardly.  “I kinda just poured my heart and soul out to you and I’d really appreciate you sharing your thoughts.”

“My arms are getting tired from how tightly I’m hugging you and you still need me to tell you what I’m thinking?” Nana scoffs, nuzzling into your chest and refusing to let go.

“Fair point,” you admit, contentedly wrapping your arms around her, though nowhere near as tightly as she’s hugging you.  “Thank you, Nana.”

“For what?  The hug?” she asks, somehow squeezing you even tighter.

“I mean, yes, the hug is amazing, but that isn’t what I meant,” you choke out.  “For being so good to me.  From that first day we met all the way until today, I feel like I’ve been the one with the problem and you’ve been the one with the solution.”

“Maybe, but that won’t always be the case,” Nana responds, loosening her hold on you just enough to allow you to breathe again.  “And if a storm comes and attempts to drag me under, I like to believe you’ll be there, holding on for dear life and refusing to let go.”

You don’t even try to respond verbally, instead releasing your hold on her and using your newly free hand to cup her chin.  As your thumb slowly traces patterns across the soft skin of her cheek, the rest of your body closes what little distance remains between you, allowing you to brush the faintest of kisses onto her lips.  You kiss her gently, tenderly, barely making any contact as your lips land on hers and then depart before she can kiss you back.  You repeat these featherlight flits over and over again, attempting to convey all the feelings you’ve left unsaid.  And finally, when she tightens her hold on you and mewls in frustration, you fervently capture her lips and refuse to be the one who pulls away.

Your conviction ends up just barely lasting long enough for Nana to pull away first, but the light-headedness and dizziness that blocks your view of the only thing you want to be seeing right now is a powerful reminder that oxygen is, in fact, important.  For a short while, the sound of both of you panting is the only sensation that keeps you tethered to consciousness.  But eventually, when you manage to part the darkness and open your eyes, you’re met with the sight of Nana, her chest expanding and contracting just as rapidly as yours as you both amend your oxygen deficits.  And if her smudged lipstick, flushed face, and wild, wide eyes staring into yours are any indication, you’re fairly confident she’s satisfied with your response.

“So … lunch?”

“Just like that?” she asks, dumbfounded.  “You literally take my breath away and that’s all you have to say?”

“Oh, I did have something else!” you remark, acting far more nonchalantly than you feel.  “I love you, Nana.”

It can’t be instantaneous.  But you don’t quite know how it happens either.  Your heart skips a beat when you see a blur of motion in your periphery, then you blink and you’re on the ground with Nana holding you down.  Somewhere around the second or third second of Nana kissing you, it finally connects in your mind.  She actually just tackled you off the rock.

“I—love—you—too,” Nana tells you, whispering each word into your ear in the moments between her own featherlight kisses.  Your heart soars at her reciprocation of your feelings, and as soon as she decides the time for words is over, you’re more than happy to oblige.  She melts into you as you wrap your arms around her back and return her kiss, matching her fervor and maybe even exceeding it.  You both know to pull away much sooner than you did last time, respecting the harsh lesson your bodies had given you.

“You know, a little warning would be nice,” you tease, smiling up at her.

“You’re one to talk!” Nana exclaims, hitting your chest with one small hand as she fans her crimson visage with the other.  “Don’t you know that it’s downright irresponsible to just drop something on me like that?”

“To be fair, I was under the impression that we both expected you to be the responsible one here,” you say, bringing out your puppy eyes and painting faux innocence across every centimeter of your face.

“I … you … ugh!” she grumbles, a rainbow of emotions flashing across her face before she finally leans away from you.  “Yes dear, lunch sounds wonderful.”

It’s right then when you realize another thing that makes Nana special.  She makes your cheeks hurt with how much you smile around her.  And even minutes later, after you’ve both gotten up, unpacked the basket, and you’ve both begun to eat the home cooked meals out of the little plastic containers they’re stored in, the smile she so easily coaxes out of you hasn’t left your face.

“I didn’t get to say it earlier after you blindsided me, but thank you too,” Nana says midway through your meal.

“Blindsided is a bit rich coming from you, the only person here who literally tackled the other, but I digress,” you respond, smiling warmly at her amused smirk.  “What for?”

“For being my friend,” she says, turning away from you and staring into the woods.  “It’s … hard to make friends as an idol.  There are so many expectations for how we’re meant to behave and we’re often too busy to really spend time with others.  I really appreciate your willingness to be flexible and even come to our performances, especially now that I know how it was affecting you …”

“Of course, I’m always happy to be flexible, it’s for you,” you tell her, taking her hand in yours.  “Even if you’re only able to spare a few minutes after each performance, I’m sure we could make it work.”

“But it doesn’t have to only be then, that’s not fair to either of us,” she says, squeezing your hand back.  “Days like this are worth clearing my schedule for.”

“Wait, you cleared your schedule for today?  To see me?  Yesterday?  Before you even knew if I was available?” you ask, receiving a quartet of nods in response.

“That’s why I took so long to respond yesterday, I was running around taking care of all my responsibilities in the dorm and doing the choreography practice I’d planned to do today,” Nana explains.  “I trusted that you’d make it work.  When I saw your text that early in the morning, I figured that you hadn’t been able to sleep either.”

“Wow … I … didn’t even realize … thank you for doing so much for me,” you say, idly tracing circles against the back of her hand.  “But truly, I am always happy to see you, regardless of time or circumstance.  I’m really looking forward to seeing you perform in the future; it’ll be nice to be able to really enjoy you doing what you love without jealousy blinding me.”

“That’s great to hear!” she responds, turning back and smiling at you.  “You taking the time to come see us means so much to me … the first thing I do whenever I get on stage is find you in the crowd.”

“Oh, I—oh.  Thank you,” you say, grateful that you manage to reply before those words join the rest in vacating your mind.

“Of course!” Nana responds, smiling warmly at you before you both return to your lunch.  After you both finish your meals, you look up to the sky, grimacing as you see the consolidation of the clouds as they blot out the sun.

“Hey, Nana,” you say, pointing up to the sky as she turns to you.  “We should definitely get going before we end up stuck in the rain.”

“Okay,” she says, nodding resolutely.  “Let’s get packed up and go.”

You both work together in harmony, loading the containers back into the basket in a fraction of the time it took to unload them.  You take her hand once more, hastily leading her along the trails and roads you've traversed alone countless times.

“We might have to skip the ice cream today,” you tell Nana as you both quickly walk down the streets that house so many memories.

“Oh no!  I guess you'll just have to make it up to me later …” Nana responds, smiling in understanding.

A minute or so later, just as the first few drops of rain begin to fall like your tears that night on the bridge, you arrive at the bus stop.

“This is where I need to get on the bus,” you say to Nana.  “Where are you going, can I call you a taxi?  Were you intending on someone picking you up?  What's the plan?”

Nana smiles in a very particular way, the same way she always seems to smile whenever she realizes that she knows something you don't.  “I'm going wherever you're going.  That's been my plan for a long, long time now.”

You're grateful for the rain, as the sounds of its fall are the only sounds to be found in the seconds that pass before you're able to respond.  You wrap your jacket around her shoulders, sheltering her from the cold as you stare directly into her eyes and tell her, “I … I don't know what I did to deserve the trust you put in me, but I'm incredibly grateful for it.  I promise you that I will never take it for granted.  I promise you, with every fiber of my being and all of my heart, that I will never break that trust.”

“I know,” Nana responds, her whispered words bouncing between the raindrops before barely reaching your ears.  “You showed me your heart today, the least I can do is give you mine.”

You pull Nana close and gently rest your forehead against hers.  Each falling raindrop and each flowing teardrop helps you paint the picture, telling her the thousands of words you can’t verbalize but need her to know.  In this shared moment, as echoes of your past remind you of those sorrowful tears shed so many years ago, your joyful ones return you to the present and the gift in your arms.  So, at least in this moment, you hold Nana tight, vowing to never let her go.

You pull away only when the bus arrives a few minutes later but remain hand in hand as you walk forward.  After stepping on, paying for both of your fares, and finding a pair of seats, you pull out a pair of earbuds and offer Nana one.  She's more than happy to accept, and as she rests her head on your shoulder and you queue up a series of serene love songs from your favorite artists, you hope their words can do a better job of telling Nana how much you love her.

tick…

tock…

“We're here,” you whisper to Nana, gently shaking her awake.  “Just take my hand, I'll lead you home.”

“Okay,” she murmurs, interweaving her fingers with yours and following you through the bus, down the steps, and into the monsoon that immediately jolts her back into consciousness.

“Oookaaayyyy, I'm up!” Nana declares, pulling your jacket tight against her small frame.  “Lead the way, I don't think these pants are gonna do much against a storm like this!”

You take off immediately, leading her as quickly as you can down the sidewalks before eventually stopping at an interaction where you ask her, “But really, why does it always seem like your outfits are in no way at all suited to the weather?”

“Because my outfit looks cute!” Nana exclaims indignantly.  “And you of all people should be glad that’s my priority!”

“Of course, you're right,” you respond, kissing her on the nose in apology.  “Then again, I'm convinced you'd make anything look good, but I do genuinely appreciate that you care and that you put thought into your outfits.  It makes me feel special.”

The crosswalk finally flashes green, and you take off once again, leading Nana towards your apartment as she scolds you.  “Seriously, you can't just keep saying things like that so casually!  There are at least four heartwarming things in that statement that make me want to kiss you, but your question was so stupid that I still kinda want to slap you!  And this stupid rain isn’t helping anything at all!  And I’m cold!  Ugh!”

You're grateful that you're ahead of Nana, because you know that if she sees the goofy smile on your face, you'll be in big trouble.  “Okay dear, I'm sorry I made you feel that way,”  you respond, speaking in the most soothing tone possible.  “We’re almost to my apartment, where it’ll be n-nice and warm, and w-we’ll make everything better.  I p-promise.”

Neither of you speak another word for the remainder of your mad dash, too busy fighting off the shivers to do so.  After a few more minutes, you arrive back at your home, where you tear the key from your pocket, hurriedly unlock the door, and shepherd her inside.

“O-Okay, I’m g-going to start the sh-shower f-for you and g-grab a dry set of clothes for y-you to change into, please f-feel free to d-discard that j-jacket l-literally anywhere,” you manage to tell Nana, taking off as she begins to do as you request.

You fight off the shivers as you quickly dash around your apartment, flipping the shower on and grabbing yourself a towel before darting into your bedroom and grabbing some dry clothes for both of you, then returning to Nana.

“Okay, t-the shower should b-b-be nice and h-hot, and there’s a c-clean towel in t-t-there y-you can u-use,” you stammer as you round the corner.  “H-Here’s something t-to … change … into …”

Your voice escapes you as you see her, back turned as she watches the rain mercilessly paint the cobblestone.  You first see the soaked cotton of her top and how it shakes as her small figure shivers in the cold.  But that isn’t what catches your eye and leaves you dizzy.  It’s the way her pants have tightened, showcasing the sculpted definition of her thighs and how they flow upwards to display the perfectly round curve of her ass.

As she turns, you force yourself to pull your gaze upwards, feeling your face flush as your pulse continues to quicken.  You drag your eyes up her body, past her toned stomach that hides beneath the sopping garments, past her pert breasts and stiff nipples that strain against the soaked fabric, past her shaking shoulders and kissable neck and diamond jawline and roseate lips and adorable nose until finally you meet those chocolate eyes that stare back at you.

“T-Thank you s-s-soooo m-much,” Nana responds, fighting off her own shivers as she takes the clothes from you, then darts off towards the warmth awaiting her, leaving you frozen in more ways than one.

You do your best to ignore how difficult it is to remove your soaked pants, especially as they cling to your skin and especially because of your hardening erection that’s impossible to miss.  After removing all of your drenched attire and placing the dripping bundle alongside the jacket you loaned Nana, you attempt to dry yourself off, saturating the towel with frigid water far quicker than you’d hoped you would.  Once you’re sure that you’ve gotten your money’s worth, you add the towel to the pile in the sink, then put on the pajamas you’d grabbed and turn up the thermostat to its highest setting.

Once you're confident that you’ve done all you can, you collapse, couch creaking in protest at the impact.  In this moment to breathe, the events of the day begin to hit you, flashing across your mind in sync with the droplets of rain against your window.  You think of all the places that defined your childhood.  You think of faces long forgotten.  You think of faces you’ll never forget.  You think of echoes.  You think of her atop that bridge.  You think of her atop that bridge.  You think of all the words that escaped your lips.  You think of Nana’s small hands lifting the weight of the world off your shoulders.  You think of her body on top of yours as she pinned you down with kisses.  You think of her body.  You think of the cold.  You think of heat.  You think of your soaked clothes clinging to your skin.  You think of Nana’s soaked clothes clinging to her skin.  You think of Nana, dripping wet.  You think of Nana, dripping wet.

As you stare out the window, your mind vaguely registers the sound of a hair dryer.  But soon even that sense joins the others, consumed with the thoughts of Nana.  One storm for another.  You’re not even sure if the words escape your lips.

The door opens, and you get up to face Nana.  She’s radiant, each strand of gold and each centimeter of porcelain glowing in the dim light of your apartment.  She’s wearing glasses.  She’s wearing your favorite shirt.  She’s wearing nothing else.

“Hey,” she whispers, somehow slotting seventy emotions into that single syllable as it floats over to you.

You've always viewed Nana as pretty.  She's always been cute.  She'll never not be beautiful.  But as you fight off the arctic chill that permeates your bones, you realize you've never looked at her this way.  You can't help but notice how hot she is.  You see Nana as sexy for the first time.

“Hey,” she calls again, tilting her head and leaning to the side.  It’s unfair, the way she sinks against the doorframe.  It’s immoral, the way she makes herself look even smaller as she hides in the folds of your shirt.  It’s incomprehensible, the way the wide rims of her glasses make her pleading eyes look even bigger.  It’s criminal, the way she hides her intent behind that innocent smile.

“Are you just gonna sit there with your jaw on the floor for the rest of the night, or are you going to say something?”

“N-Nana, if you could s-see what I see, y-you’d be speechless t-too,” you manage to get out, unable to suppress the shivers as you respond.

“Well, you could walk into the bathroom that I might have sorta turned into a sauna,” Nana offers, the smallest of smiles beginning to show.

“Or …” she continues, taking her time as she closes the distance between you two.  “I could warm you up …”

Your arms wrap around her instinctually as she presses her body against you.  You can feel the sculpted frame hidden beneath the oversized shirt.  You can feel the tension.  You can feel the heat.  And as your eyes drift down to her lips, you can feel your reservations flying out the window to join the falling rain.

You kiss her.  Gently.  Delicately.  And she shoves you backwards onto the couch.

“Absolutely not,” Nana declares, climbing into your lap.  She wraps her arms around your neck, licking her lips hungrily before pulling you close.  Within a second of her claiming your lips with her own and beginning to grind against your lower half, any questions you might have had join your reservations on the pavement outside.  You match her intensity, running your tongue along her lips patiently, then expectantly, and claim her mouth as soon as she lets you in.  Your hands roam, dragging your fingers like ice cubes across her hips and down her thighs as she hisses into your mouth.

You work your way up her body, past her waistline and under your her shirt.  You travel further, past the lean abs she’s worked so hard to sculpt, across the ridges and valleys of her expanding and contracting rib cage, all the way until the tips of your fingers brush the sensitive underside of her breasts.  The whimper that escapes her mouth into yours is immediate.  It’s needy.  It’s pathetic.  It’s the hottest sound you’ve ever heard.

The soft, malleable skin becomes a pair of perfect handfuls as you explore the fringes of Nana’s breasts, sending sparks through her synapses and shockwaves down her spine.  You break away from her kiss, just for a moment, just long enough to watch her collapse onto you as you finally knead her swollen nipples between your fingers.  You take the opportunity to access the curve of her neck, mentally noting where earns the loudest moans as you suck, kiss, and nip the sensitive skin.

“Look at you, so desperate,” you whisper into her ear, grinding your hips against hers and forcing her to moan.  “I’ve barely even touched you, but somehow you’re even more drenched than earlier.”

“And you know what’s the worst part?” you murmur, stretching a single second across the tension before continuing.  “That’s nothing compared to what you’re doing to me.  I’ve never been so hard in my fucking life.”

“You—you’re—OH!!!”

You know what you’re doing when you latch onto that particular spot on the base of her neck; that her response is going to be lost, lost in the sound of her moan echoing against your walls.  But you also know what she wanted to verbalize, what her body has been telling you as it tenses up even further.  So, when you feel her shaking, on the precipice, you’re more than willing to lend a hand.  You’re happy to detach from her breast, brushing against her sensitive folds with the back of your hand.  And so, when you’re kind enough to simply graze her clit with an icy fingernail, you also make sure to hold her as she comes undone.

The first orgasm you give Nana is a cinematic experience, with a soundtrack of the most ungodly of moans alongside her quivering limbs and the deathly grip on your shoulders as if you’re the only thing keeping her afloat.  You gently trace circles along her back, whispering sweet nothings into her ear and holding her as she rides out the high.  You wait, long after the quivering has ceased and she’s unclenched her hands, long enough for her to meet your eyes and show you that the fog has lifted.

“Hey,” you murmur, goofy grin growing wider as you see her eyes flash with outrage.

“You can’t keep doing this!” Nana exclaims, huffing in frustration when all you have to offer is your gleaming smile.  “You can’t just blow my mind and change my life and end it with a ‘Hey’!”

“Who said that was the end?” you ask, humor discarded as your tone drops.  “You did what you said you would, now we’re both hot and bothered.”  You look into her eyes, see the recognition and excitement.  Then, you see the desire reignite as you thrust upwards, teasing her sex with only a bit of friction.  “What are you going to do about it?”

Nana meets the challenge with equal passion, whispering into your ear, “I’m going to show you a side of me that no one has ever seen before.”

Having adequately spiked your blood pressure, Nana climbs off you, moving with idol-like grace as she sashays towards your bedroom door.  Having reached the end of the runway, she turns, throwing off her shirt and modeling her pristine form for you.  She’s divine.  You somehow tear your eyes away from her flawless figure, staring instead into her molten eyes.  She captures her bottom lip between her teeth, slowly dragging them across the soft, pink skin before twisting her innocuous expression into one of sinister glee.  She’s sin incarnate.

Then, she’s gone, retreated back into your bedroom.  You’re off the couch in a blur, flinging off your shirt and pajama bottoms, discarding the soaked pieces of clothing as they join the rest.  You round the corner, entering your bedroom, and you have to pinch yourself to make sure you aren’t dreaming.

You’ve seen Nana dozens of times at this point, seen her in outfits ranging from luxury goods to school uniforms to casual attire to athletic wear.  You’ve seen her when doted on by professional stylists, just after a dance practice, and everywhere in-between.  But when you see her here, in your bed, wearing nothing but a smile and absolutely glistening in anticipation, you swear your heart stops.

You climb onto the bed; you climb on top of her.  You kiss her.  Not lightly, not lustfully, but lovingly.  And when she kisses you back, you feel that exact same longing.  Despite the sincerity in the kiss, you don’t feel the heat in the room diminish at all.  No, you just realize it’s everburning.

You pull away.  Barely.  Just enough room for words.  Just far enough to see her eyes.

“No interruptions this time, it's just you and me,” you murmur, causing her to shudder in anticipation right up until a thunderclap echoes throughout the apartment and makes you both jump.

“We really need to work on our timing, don’t we?” Nana jokes, harmonious laughter escaping her as you see her anticipation, affection, and arousal merge, forming the euphoric expression she wears earnestly.

“Yeah, so maybe one interruption,” you say, laughing along with her until her mess of giggles comes to an end.  

“But you are mine, Nana,” you whisper, your hot breath inflaming her senses as each syllable reaches her ears.  “I am yours, and tonight belongs to no one else.  Just us.  Tonight is ours.”

“Perfect,” she whispers back, that single word a lit match she drops directly into your heart.  “What now?”

“Show me,” you say, rolling you both and flipping your positions so she’s atop you.  You give her control.  Earnestly.  You give her your trust.  Easily.  You give her your all.  You give her everything.

When she takes your length in her hand, giving you your first hints of pleasure, you groan in relief.  When she lines you up with her entrance and drips arousal onto your tip, you inhale through your teeth, hissing as if you’d been burned.  And when she lowers herself onto you and takes you inside her, it literally takes your breath away.

“Fuuuck…” Nana hisses, sending your heart rate into the stratosphere.  “It feels … so … fucking … amazing …”

“You’re incredible Nana,” you growl through gritted teeth, hands latching onto her hips and gripping tighter than you probably should.  But any expectation of you being perfectly in control of yourself is entirely unreasonable when she’s moving like this, taking you deeper and deeper into her warmth at an agonizingly slow pace.  You can’t help it; her face, her body, the way she quivers - you can’t tear your eyes away, not when you see the beads of sweat splattered across her furrowed brow.  Not when you can practically hear the grinding of her tensed jaw.  And certainly not when her closed eyelids hide those rich chocolate eyes.

“Take your time,” you whisper soothingly.  “No need to rush, I’ll stay here forever as long as it’s with you.”  You see some of the tension evaporate from her shoulders, but that does nothing for the vice grip she still has around your cock.  Her progress accelerates slightly, taking on more and more of you with each passing moment before finally, finally your hips collide.

“There we go,” Nana mumbles, reopening her eyes and regaining a bit of that hubris you’ve come to know and … like.  Having finally reached her destination, you can see the gears turning in Nana’s head as she starts to experiment, rolling her hips against yours and exploring all the possible sensations she can experience.  One particular angle catches you off guard, causes you to moan even louder than before.  You see it in her eyes, see how they immediately ignite.  She repeats the motion, ripping another of those moans from deep within your chest as you see that gleefully sinister smile return.

The image of Nana bouncing up and down on your cock is obscene yet puts all other art to shame with its beauty.  You simultaneously appreciate and despise her dancing background as she moves with unyielding precision.  She places her hands on your shoulders as she continues exploring, utilizing her flexibility and strength to adjust her position and flex her muscles in ways you’d never thought possible, much less experienced.

“Oh my god Nana …” Your words trail off, lost to the pleasures of her latest findings, but they fan the flames all the same.

“Tell me how good that feels,” Nana purrs, punctuating her point by sliding herself back down onto the base of your cock.  Then again.  And again.  And again.

“It feels so—FUCK!—ing good,” you manage to choke out, throwing your head back in pleasure.  Almost instantly, Nana grabs you by the chin, pulling you forward and making it impossible to look anywhere else.

“Don’t you dare look anywhere else,” she growls, sending a new sensation down your spine as her ceaseless riding continues to chip away at your sanity.  “Tell me how I make you feel.”

“You—ugh!” Words escape you, your mind unable to comprehend things other than pleasure and pain and Nana.  Your grip tightens, tight enough to bruise, as you desperately try to cling to something, anything.  “You feel amazing.”

“What else?” Nana asks, picking up the pace.

“You drive me insane,” you tell her, sparing her hips further punishment as you focus on her breasts once again.

“Tell me more,” she demands, riding you even faster.

“You’re unbelievable!” you yell, mustering what little oxygen remains as you match her volume.

“More.”  Even faster.

“You’re perfect,” you say, voice dropping as her pitch rises.

“More!”  Faster.

“I love how you make me feel.”  Even quieter.

“More, more!!” she demands greedily, hips bouncing at a delirious pace as her face tenses once more.

“I love you Nana,” you whisper sweetly.  But you refuse to let the sentiment disrupt the moment, following her hips up as you thrust into her and throw off her rhythm.  “Cum for me.”

“FUCK—”

Nana somehow manages the impossible, staring through you with misty eyes as she succumbs to pleasure, drenching your lower half and the sheets below in her nectar as her orgasm violently overtakes her.  It takes everything you have to remain motionless, cock painfully throbbing as you try not to overwhelm her.  Each of you experiences the seconds as if they were lifetimes, you on the verge of pleasure and her well over the edge of it.

“You didn’t cum?” Nana asks, shifting slightly in your lap and forcing you to bite the inside of your cheek to keep from exploding inside her right then.  She raises herself off of you, maintaining eye contact the entire time she moves away and positions herself between your legs.  As she leans forward, opening her mouth and letting her warm breaths torment your torturously erect shaft further, she has the audacity to wink at you.

“Time to change that.”

The sight of her fucking tongue teasing the sensitive skin of your cock all the way from base to head is ungodly, and you know immediately, no camera flash required, that this image will be burned into your mind for all eternity.  It’s almost demeaning how casually she destroys you, idly wrapping her fingers around your shaft as her tongue begins to swirl around the head of your cock.  “Fucking hell Nana …”

If your words affect her, she’s doing a damned good job hiding it, drooling unapologetically all over the fingers that twist and pump your shaft, priming it as her mouth continues to work its way further and further down.  And all the while, the entire time she molds you to her desires like putty in her hands, she holds your eyes.  Lovingly.  Expectantly.  Enticingly.  

“I’m close …” You try to warn her, but her hum in response sends an all-new type of shock all the way down your shaft, cutting off any further waste of oxygen.  Your hands tangle into your sheets, threatening to shred them in your grip as you fight to keep the desire to let loose and absolutely defile her throat.  “I’m gonna—”

Nana ignores your words, listening to the signs of your body as she delicately unwraps her small hand from around your shaft.  The faintest flicker of disappointment flashes in the back of your mind, but it’s immediately eradicated as Nana forces herself downwards, catching you completely off-guard as she takes you into her throat, consuming you entirely.

“NANA!!”  She rips her name out from deep within you, sending you soaring over the edge of orgasm as you are unmade by pleasure.  Your body tenses and contracts, overwhelming pleasure pulsating from head to toe and every centimeter in between.  Wave after wave after wave after wave of your cum fires into her mouth, but you’re unable to bear witness as your eyelids shield you from the unholy sight.  It’s so much, so fast, that it drives you to the perfect intersection of pain and pleasure, leaving you unable to do anything but feel.

Eventually, your orgasm comes to an end, as all things must.  The first thing you do is open your eyes to see Nana, mouth still snugly around your cock as she swallows the last of drops of your deluge.  The second thing you do is remember to breathe.  You watch as she detaches herself from your cock, then joins you, for the second time today, in an agonizing minute of shaking shoulders and heaving chests as you both attempt to force enough oxygen into your lungs to be able to speak.  Fortunately, you’re both able to.  You just happen to do so first.

“So … dinner?  Or are you good … after …”

“I’m actually going to murder you,” she mutters, and you don’t even try to stop the laughter that forces its way out.

“You know, I was going to be upset at you for the whole ‘not maintaining eye contact’ thing,” Nana says with a smile of her own, climbing up the bed to lay against your side.  “But considering I’m the one that made you nearly black out, I’ll give you a pass this time.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” you offer, smiling sheepishly as you wrap an arm around her.  “But you were—”

“Yeah, uh …” she interjects, trailing off as her rapid pulse quickly delivers a crimson flush to her cheeks.  “I don’t know … it was just really nice—and really hot—to hear you say those things about me.”

“Any time,” you say as you lean in, gently kissing her on the crown of her head.  “By the way, did you … I didn’t really see …”

“Oh, this?” Nana asks, opening her mouth wide to show you the tongue and walls, unbesmirched by white.  “I’m sure you agree that was pretty hot, but I guess that means you don’t wanna—”

You roll over slightly, propping yourself up on your elbows as you climb over her once more, leaning down and cutting her sentence short as you capture her lips.  A small squeak of surprise escapes before she matches your passion, wrapping her arms around your neck as your tongues begin to dance.  As the intensity rises your heartbeat follows suit, sending blood all throughout your body and especially one place in particular.

“Not done, huh?” Nana murmurs, capturing your bottom lip between her teeth and gently sucking on it as she looks at you with her seductress’ gaze.

“For you?  Never,” you murmur back, intent and invitation clear in your eyes.

“We’ll have to test that sometime …” Nana responds, mirth and mischief manifesting in her smile as she releases your lip.  “For now though … show me.”

The kiss you leave on her lips is fleeting, acting more as a palate cleanser than any declaration or escalation.  You grab a pillow with one hand, lifting Nana up with the other and placing it under the small of her back as you set the stage.  With a bit of additional leverage gained and anticipation built, you line yourself up with her entrance, looking to Nana who nods in confirmation as you enter her once again.

You push further into her slowly, eager to reach the previous round’s intensity but mindful of her pleasure as her tightness suffocates your shaft.  Ravenous for more, you lean in, greeted by the mixed scents of coconuts and cherry blossoms and sweat and everything else about her that makes your head spin.  You’re quick to attack her neck again, latching onto one of the many spots you noted earlier and sucking relentlessly.

“Wait wait wait, no marks!” Nana exclaims, placing her hands on your shoulders and pushing you away from your target.

“I’m so sorry, I should have—” Your apology grinds to a halt as Nana, sinful gaze meeting your own, delicately lays a single finger against your lips.

“No … visible marks,” she clarifies, smirking seductively as she lowers her arms and offers you free reign once more.

You’re more than happy to seize the opportunity, capturing one of her nipples between your teeth and beginning your oral assault as you suck, swirl, and tease her with your tongue.  One hand begins exploring her body, creating only the tiniest bit of contact as it glides over each area of her flawless skin, searching for unexpected pleasure points anywhere you can reach.

“Be vocal,” you murmur, breath rolling like fog over her breast.  “I want nothing more than to know every single spot on your body that drives you wild.”

You see out of the corner of your eyes Nana opening her mouth, as if to respond, but as your hips collide once more and you fully bury your length inside of her, a deep, heady moan bulldozes through her best laid plans and tears free instead.  As you begin to thrust faster, deeper, you sink your other hand below her waistline, searching only a moment before finding the sensitive bud of her clit and adding it to your list of ministrations.

“Tell me Nana, tell me what feels good,” you say, soothing voice a stark contrast to the frenetic pace at which you chase her pleasure.

“Your fucking mouth, I love how you suck on my—ugh!” Another day, you’d feel cruel for cutting her off so rudely, but honestly, who could blame you for doing what she asks?  “And the way you feel inside me, thrusting in so deep …”  This time, it’s a sharp intake of air, but you’re happy to earn another moan as you thrust deep inside her again.  Then again, for good measure.  One more time.  “And I love the way you … with your hand … on my thigh … yesssss …”  You’ll have to make a special note for that one, apparently figure eights are the best pattern to trace along the inside of her thighs.  Who knew?

You get lost in the perfection that is Nana, thrusting wildly as you ride the high all the way up to the summit.  You mar her flawless skin with marks of desire, leave little reminders of pleasure where no one else will see them.  You feast on her skin, attempting to satiate a hunger you both know will never be sated.  Your hands roam as well, acting with a mind of their own as one roams every uncharted inch of her skin while the other stays glued between her thighs, toying mercilessly with her most sensitive area.  It’s plenty for you to keep track of, but if Nana’s reactions are anything to go by, it’s bordering on too much for her to handle.

Time’s a relative thing in general, but here, in the bedroom with Nana, there’s no eternity better spent.  You chase your pleasures together, call and response, back and forth, her and you, united as one.  You cherish the opportunity to care for Nana for once, bringing her pleasure in as many ways as possible.  “Fuck!”  You seek those profanities.  “Oh god—”  You crave those indecencies.  “You’re gonna make me …”  You hunt her peaks, and as she thrashes, shakes, quivers, and cries in your arms, you’re there to hold her the whole way down.

“Nana, I’m getting close,” you tell her, growing delirious as pleasure begins to overwhelm you.  “Where—”

“I swear to god if you cum anywhere other than inside of me …” Nana threatens, though her glassy eyes and lolled tongue diminish the impact a bit.

You feel Nana’s legs wrap around your waist, pulling you in as her arms do the same.  Her lips claim yours, capturing any senses that weren’t already completely overwhelmed by her and her alone.  As you lean into her, tongues dancing as your body disconnects from your mind, pleasure shoots through your veins like a shot or seventy of adrenaline.  If you were any more coherent, you might’ve been able to enjoy the details, like the way your cock’s twitching or the way Nana shudders slightly each time you fire another shot into her or the way you keep pumping, refusing to let any of your cum go anywhere but as deep as you can fuck it inside her.  Unfortunately, all you experience is the taste of Nana on your lips and the red, foggy haze of rapture that permeates your fucking soul.  Unlucky, really.

Your orgasm ends, eventually.  You force yourself to pull away, force yourself to focus so that you can see the elated expression of a well-fucked Nana.  There’s the faintest hint of tears in the corners of her eyes, each one earned at her own apex of pleasure.  You withdraw further, pulling out of her fully, then lay beside her and pull her into your arms.

“Hey there beautiful, you alright?”

“Not the word I would use,” Nana murmurs into your chest.  “We should get caught in the rain more often …”

Once again, quiet laughter escapes you, as it always seems to when you’re with Nana.  “I’ll keep that in mind,” you promise.  “In the meantime, we should probably get cleaned up and showered.”

“Not yet …” Nana groans, lightly smacking you like you’re an alarm clock disrupting her beauty sleep.

“Okay okay, no rush,” you respond, pulling her close and allowing the sounds of the gentle rain to fill the room.  You treasure the tranquility, basking in the simple sensations of her hands in yours and her soft breaths against your chest.  Many stanzas later, the storm’s song softens, then slowly comes to a close, but you stay there together, finding solace in each other’s embrace.  Eventually, once Nana’s fully recovered, you get up to turn the shower on and begin grabbing things, giving her everything she needs: tissues, wipes, water, hugs, kisses, and your undivided attention.

“I know this is an incredibly egotistical question, but can you walk?” you ask, smiling sheepishly as she rolls her eyes.  “Or do you want me to carry you?”

“Yes, I can, but carry me anyways,” Nana declares, throwing open her arms and waiting expectantly.

“As you wish,” you declare with a flourish, bowing deeply before scooping Nana into your arms and carrying her bridal style into the bathroom.

“Showering together?” she asks suggestively and shamelessly.

“Showering together,” you reply warmly, setting her down and testing the water.  “Let me spoil you for a bit, no need to rush.”

“Very well,” she accepts, stepping into the shower.  “Now hurry and get in here so I don’t have to warm you up all over again.”

“Yes ma’am,” you respond, climbing in after her.  You’ve never been more grateful for your replacement shower head and its absurd water pressure, though you make sure to get close to Nana just in case.

Even as you two rinse yourselves off, you can’t help but be mesmerized by the water flowing down Nana’s perfect figure.  You watch as the many drops coat each long strand of her flowing golden locks, run down each beautiful feature that comprises her face, then finally succumbs to gravity after tracing every last millimeter of her jawline.  From there, you follow their journey as they land on her collarbone and continue on into sacred territory.  Thousands of individual droplets gently caress the curvature of her breasts as they pass by, while thousands more race down the soft skin of the arms and hands that inspire so many fans to dream of their embrace.  For those droplets lucky enough to remain attached after traveling past her abs and below her waist, a pair of gently toned legs defined by years upon years of dance await.  Finally, between the pale skin of her inner thighs, the perfectly shaven holy place of indecent desires and fantasies awaits a lucky few.  Lucky you.

“You’re staring again,” Nana says, breaking you out of your reverie as she smiles shyly.

“Nana, I absolutely am,” you admit freely, shamelessly.  “You’re right here in front of me and I still can’t believe you’re real.”

“Oh, um … thanks,” Nana mumbles, turning away from you just as you see a familiar splash of crimson.

“You’re welcome, now hold still,” you tell her, grabbing a bottle of conditioner and squeezing some into your hand.  “Let me wash your hair.”

“Oh!  I mean, okay …”

You spread the viscous liquid across your hands, then begin massaging it into the many, many strands of gold that flow together and form her hair.  “This conditioner worked wonderfully back when I had lighter highlights, so hopefully it should be fine for you too.”

You trail off, focusing on the task at hand and the silk between your fingertips, but you can’t help but add, “But I wouldn’t mind buying some of whatever you normally use and keeping it here … just in case.”

Nana turns back, glaring at you for a moment before allowing you to continue.  “That’s a sentence with a whole lot of implications, but you’re cute so I’ll let you get away with it.”

“Good to know!  I promise to not use that information responsibly,” you jest, grinning uncontrollably as Nana huffs in indignation.  “Okay, let that sit for a couple minutes before rinsing it out.”

Nana turns, stepping closer to you and keeping her hair out of the waterflow as she does so.  “Can I wash yours?”

“Of course,” you tell her, handing her the bottle before closing your eyes and leaning down to allow her easier access.

“Thank you …” she murmurs.  After a few anticipatory moments in the dark, you feel her hands start working their way across your head, massaging you and coating your own strands in that same liquid that you apply on a daily basis, but have never experienced like this.

A whine slips past your lips as she finishes and pulls away, causing a score of giggles to emerge as you open your eyes to see the adorable, joyous expression of Nana’s smiling face.  “So, what’s next?”

“I’m going to wash my body with this,” you tell her, holding up a bottle of body wash as you hand her a different one.  “And you can wash yourself with that, because if I end up putting my hands all over your body, we’re never getting out of here.”

“You’re probably right,” Nana admits, mischief taking over her smile.  “However …”

“You’re not the one paying the water bill, shush!” you exclaim, turning away and beginning to lather yourself up.  Nana’s laughter rings out once more, reverberating off the tight walls of your shower as she too begins to wash herself of the improprieties that cover every centimeter of each of your bodies.

Somehow, you both manage to behave, rinsing yourselves off before getting out and toweling yourselves dry.  Nana sits as you brush her hair like Rapunzel, blow drying it slowly as you meticulously work your way through her golden mane.  It isn’t easy to find a comfortable set of clothes for her to wear, but with a pair of rolled pant legs and a hair-tied shirt, you’re able to make do.  Together, you eagerly order delivery from your favorite chicken restaurant, and while you’re waiting, begin the process of cleaning up.

Nana helps you strip your sheets, the most traumatized victims of your shared endeavors, off your bed, then assists you in wrangling a new set onto the mattress.  Your heart glows with warmth at how right it feels to perform such a mundane household activity with her, even as the fitted sheet snaps up once again and nearly hits you in the face.  Nana’s laughter rings out first, but yours is close behind, warding off any frustration as you enjoy the little simplicities of spending time with her.  You both clean up your kitchen, sending your soaked clothes to join your laundry as hers go into the wash, cleansing them of the rain’s influence as you both settle on the couch.

“I think that’s everything we needed to take care of,” you say, just as a thought crosses your mind.  “Do we need to get you some—”

“Don’t worry, I’ve been taking precautions for a bit.  You know, just in case,” Nana tells you, tone relaxed but eyes alight with mischief.

“You—what—just in case?!” you sputter.  “Since when?!”

“That night Wooyeon walked in on us,” Nana remarks casually.  “I wasn’t gonna let you kiss me like that without finishing the job.”

You’re frozen in silence, unsure whether to follow-up with confusion, accusations, questions, gratitude, or something else entirely, but the familiar cadence of the delivery man’s knocks on the door saves you from needing an answer.  After enjoying your meals and making some light conversation, you both end up on your insanely comfy couch, curled up together under your stupidly soft blanket as Nana selects another movie, this time opting for a cheesy romance flick that she swears is different from the rest.  Ultimately, she’s not wrong, as any experience shared with Nana ends up being far more enjoyable than the alternatives, and you end up enjoying yourself quite a bit.  You lay with her, laugh with her, and hold her close as you wipe away her tears.

Enthralled by Nana and her investment in the movie, you barely even notice as the hours pass, the clouds dissipate, and the sun shines bright for a fleeting flash before disappearing below the skyline.  It’s not until the movie finishes, fading to black for the final time, that you note the darkness that’s overtaken the world outside your little corner of paradise.  After confirming with her other members that she’s free tomorrow, Nana joins you getting ready for bed.

“Here, this has barely been used,” you tell her, handing her a toothbrush and smiling as a thought enters your mind.  “I guess I’ll just have to get you one of those too.”

“You just might have to,” Nana says, wide grin mirroring your own as you both begin your nightly routines.

A short while later, after locking up and killing all the lights, you join Nana in bed.  It’s an odd sensation as you turn off your alarm clock, something you haven’t done in months, maybe even years, but when you see the weary eyes Nana’s fighting to keep open, you decide it’s for the best.  You turn to her, exchanging good night’s and I love you’s before she closes in, kissing you tenderly before turning away and snuggling close against your body.  You two form a perfect fit as you hold her, refusing to let go even as sleep overtakes you.  Tonight, you have neither prayers nor requests, simply gratitude for the blessing in your arms.  Tonight, you dream of neither girl nor ghost, simply a warm silence that wraps itself around you in a familiar embrace.

tick…

tock…

For once, for the first time in a long, long while, your awakening is not sudden, but serene.  Your eyes slowly open, witnessing the twin golden glows that illuminate the tranquil space in their soft, mellow light.  You’re forced to squint slightly at the brightness of the rays of light filtering through the window, but even the rising sun pales in comparison to the radiance resting within your embrace.  Nana’s resting expression is one of bliss, subtle curves of a smile hidden at the edges of her lips even as she leisurely draws breath.

Somehow, sometime in the middle of the night, she seems to have interwoven your hand with hers, clutching it tightly against her breast as she lies dormant.  You can’t help but feel, in this moment, it seems almost too perfect to be a dream.  Like your mind wouldn’t even entertain this as achievable in a best-case scenario.  Yet here you are, blessed beyond imagination.

You get an idea, hoping to surprise her with breakfast.  You slowly, delicately attempt to remove your hand from hers, but are stopped suddenly as her grip tightens.  “Stopppp …”

“You’re awake?” you ask in surprise.

“Of course, since before you woke up,” Nana murmurs, pulling you closer.  “I just wanted you to hold me longer.”

“Nana, I …”  Your words trail off, your mind unable to even form words as you try to comprehend how you could possibly deserve something this perfect.  “Thank you … Are you hungry?  I was going to go make breakfast—”

“Breakfast can wait,” Nana interjects, flipping over to face you as she snuggles in even closer.  “Just stay with me, like this.  Please.”

This time, at least, you know exactly what to say.  “Of course, Nana.  Anything for you.”

She remains silent, but the pounding of her heart tells you everything you’d ever need to know.  You do as she asks, pulling the covers back over you as you wrap your arm around Nana, pulling her closer as you plant a gentle kiss atop her head.  Somewhere, deep in the back of your mind, you know that the clock ticks ever onwards.  But as you look down and see the little smile that only you seem to bring out of Nana, you realize there’s no better way to spend an eternity than moments like this with the one you love.  You’ll stay.  Forever, if she wants.  And with the way she clings to you, like you’re the only thing keeping her on Earth instead of up with the other angels, you trust that she’ll stay too.  Maybe even forever.

tick…

tock…

tick…

tock…

“So, is hugging a common thing with you?  Like, do you greet everyone you meet by trying to break their ribs?”

“Are you complaining about my hugs?!” Nana gasps, unwrapping her arms from around you and pulling away.

“No, absolutely not!” you exclaim, nearly tripping over your words as they leave your mouth at the speed of light.  “I’m just curious, okay?  It seems like a big thing with you.”

“Fine, I’ll answer your ridiculous question,” Nana says, retaking your arm.  “I occasionally give hugs to people I’m close to.  I often hug those I care about most.  I always hug you.”

“Oh,” you manage to say.  Your curiosity sated; you allow the comfortable silence to return.  As you two walk together, you marvel at the vibrant streets, delighted in the changing of the seasons as spring brings its warmth to what was a desolate Korean winter wasteland.

Unfortunately, a single dark shop stands out amongst the rows of brightly lit stores that litter both sides of the street.  Your destination, Aunt Kim’s noodle shop, seems empty.

“Oh no, it’s closed!  If only someone had an apartment nearby where we could spend the evening instead,” Nana announces dramatically, looking up at you and waggling her eyebrows shamelessly.

“If only,” you say, tugging her along.  “Let’s go see if she left a note saying when she’ll be back.”

“‘Closed this evening for a special occasion’,” Nana reads aloud.  “‘Will return to normal business tomorrow.’  That’s strange, I wonder what’s so important that she was willing to close the shop.”

“Strange indeed,” you agree, searching around in your pocket for a moment before pulling out a key.  “Wanna find out?”

Before she even has the chance to respond, you unlock the door, pushing it open and holding it for her as you invite her in.

“Give me a sec!” you call out, venturing into the darkness as she follows you inside.

“What?  How did you …” Nana trails off, covering her eyes as you flip the switch and restore light to the establishment.  Within, two steaming bowls wait upon a small table near the left corner of the store; upon “your” table, the one where you two have always sat over the past couple of months, the one with the edge broken off, the one that’s imperfect, but that’s okay, because nothing is.  Well, except Nana.

“No but really, what is going on?” Nana asks, walking as if in a daze as she joins you at the table.

“I wanted to do something nice for you for your birthday,” you explain, pulling out the chair for her.  “I thought it’d be nice to have the place to ourselves for once, and Aunt Kim was kind enough to agree.  She seemed more than willing to help out, probably because of our … ahem, ‘generous contributions’ to the store.”

“Ah, I see,” Nana chuckles, smiling brightly.  “Thank you, but you really didn’t have to do all this …”

“Maybe,” you admit with a shrug.  “But for you, I’d do anything.  This is the first time I’ve gotten to do something sweet for you, just let me spoil you for one night.”

“Alright, fine,” Nana says, huffing in mock exasperation.  “Then let’s eat!”

You both eagerly dig in, savoring the familiar tastes of your favorite meals.  Unsurprisingly, even as the flavors dance along your tastebuds, the sight of Nana in front of you is all that matters.  Even with her golden color replaced by a dark chocolate brown, her radiant visage shines under the warm amber glow of the Edison bulbs above.  You lose yourself in the sight of her, food long forgotten until her voice brings you back to reality.

“This is soooooooooo good, did you make this?”

“Oh, gods no,” you exclaim, earning a laugh from each of you.  “Aunt Kim was kind enough to make it just before we arrived.”

“Okay good,” Nana replies, wry smirk locked and loaded as she continues to fire shots.  “I don’t think I would have ever been able to forgive you if you brought me here just to subject me to your cooking.”

“Oh, come on,” you say, rolling your eyes and turning away to hide the smile you can’t contain.  “You know you love me.”

“Obviously.”

That single word has no right to hit as hard as it does, but you can’t help but whip back around to face her.  You pause, allowing the smile to slip as your voice drops.  “I love you.”

“Believe it or not, even more obvious,” she responds, still attempting to hide behind levity.  But you see it in the faint glimmer of her eyes, in the way her lips part slightly, in the way she leans in just the slightest bit closer.

You don’t have to move far to close the distance, leaning in and gently pressing your lips against hers.  The combination of the dishes’ flavors explodes across your senses, adding a new type of spice to one of your favorite activities.  Even more than usual, it drives you crazy, amplifying your hunger as you greedily up the intensity, wrapping your hand around the back of her neck and—

“Honestly, at this point, I’m not even surprised.”

Nana immediately breaks away from the kiss, turning to see Wooyeon walking in, a box in one hand and her forehead in the other.

“Seriously, we just keep having the worst timing,” you say, laughing warmly as you stand to greet her.  “Thanks again for picking this up, I really appreciate it.”

“You’re very welcome,” Wooyeon responds, taking a seat next to Nana.  “Your place is nice by the way.”

“Wait, you’re telling me Wooyeon got a key to your place before I did?” Nana asks indignantly.  “Unbelievable, really.”

Your laughter follows you as you retreat to the kitchen, where you grab Wooyeon’s meal and return to the table.  “That is a good point, I should be careful who I give those out to.”

“Indeed,” Wooyeon says, smirking sinisterly.  “I might just invite myself in some time.”

“Alright alright, enough,” Nana declares as you burst into a quiet fit of laughter.  “Please, can we try to have a normal dinner?  It’d be nice to have an interaction between my two closest friends that isn’t awkward or cut short for once.”

The two of you agree and all three of you dive back into your dinners, casually conversing about your days, how good the food is, and basically anything at all.  You happily join in, enjoying the chance to get to know Wooyeon better and seeing a new side of Nana that only her friend and fellow idol can bring out.  A month ago, you never could have imagined seamlessly going from conversations about your work to stories about their backstage adventures to what movies they’d watched recently.  Yet, on this especially significant day, you’re happy to join Nana at the intersection between her personal and professional life.  You’re happy to make a joke and be blessed by the harmonization of Nana and Wooyeon laughing together.  It’s musical, it’s magical, it’s meant to be.

“Now, will you tell me what’s in the box?” Nana eventually asks.

Wooyeon looks to you for confirmation, then reaches down and opens it, revealing an overly frosted, downright cartoonish-looking piece of cake that looks like it was taken right out of a Kirby game.

“Oh my god it’s perfect!” Nana exclaims, eagerly grabbing for her phone as you take a finger and run it through the icing.  “Hey!  I was gonna take a picture of that!!”

A devious smile creeps across your face as you lean forward, booping Nana on the nose and getting frosting everywhere.  “HEY!”

You immediately lean away, desperately attempting her wild assault as Nana attempts to return the favor.  Within a minute, you’re out of breath from laughing so hard, and from the corner of your eye you can see Wooyeon not faring much better.  Nana catches you, of course, and you’re forced to suffer the consequences of your actions as bits of frosting are smeared all across your face.

Eventually, the commotion settles and you’re all able to enjoy the piece in peace, savoring the wonderful flavors as you share it together.  Well after the sun sets, well after the streets outside go dark and the clock ticks past the shop’s normal closing time, the three of you remain, sharing stories, telling tales, and enjoying each other’s company.  As always, a small part of you rues the passage of time, knowing that this too must come to an end.  But for as long as you possibly can, you preserve this moment, refusing to take it for granted as you treasure the memory being made.  Because you know that you’ll remember this night for the rest of your life.  Because nights like this make you realize you’ve been gifted everything you could have ever wished for.

(My sincerest gratitude to @braaan and @majorblinks for reviewing this fic, I can’t thank you enough for how much your insights improved it and how much your love & support meant to me.  This fic is dedicated to @capslocked, a known believer, and @okaylikesmomo, the newest member of the cult.  I hope you enjoyed reading this story about hugs that happened to feature smut; the next story idea I intend to finish features far more snark and smut, with no hugs in sight.  Anticipate it at your own risk.)

[seattlesellie]

anything but me; part 1 ♡

pairings: abby anderson x reader, ellie williams x reader

warnings: smut, angst!, mentions of marijuana, secret relationship

synopsis: you, abby, ellie and friends are in a cabin in the middle of a snowstorm. what could possibly ever go wrong?

The landscape, once familiar and inviting, transforms into a hostile and treacherous terrain.

It’s rapid, forming deep, unyielding drifts. it was a relentless onslaught, a tempestuous manifestation of nature's fury.

A snowstorm.

And then a warm, messy kiss, tongue pressing right on the pulse of your neck.

“We can’t-“ You whispered. Shallow breaths, your heart was racing like a runaway train. Pounding rhythm echoed in your ears, palms grew clammy, and beads of sweat formed on your forehead.

It was snowing outside.

And you felt like the middle of August.

“Why?” the blonde whispered, her minty breath caressing your temple. Her heart was beating just as fast, you could feel it against your chest. Her arms were wrapped tightly around your waist, pulling you closer and closer with every kiss. You had to break it off.

“Because-“ you whispered erratically. Fuck. She sucked the skin on your neck, suctioning it in between her plump lips. Your cunt was pulsing, she would have mocked you if she knew. “Already?” she’d say, a soft smile creeping on her face.

“Abby-“ you whimpered, as she brought her large hand to cup your clothed cunt. Did she just read your mind? She parted two of her fingers on the delicate spot, just like she spread you wide before divulging in with her tongue. Puffy pussy lips spread open, her favorite.

There was no time for teasing, or for mocking. She needed to fuck you right now.

“Ca- I cant- I cant” you whispered. You almost screeched when she softly patted your clothed cunt. You were ready for a slap.

“Yeah you can…” She grabbed your hair and pulled. “My best girl” she whispered, a glint of cockiness in her eyes. She knew what she was doing. Her praises always paralyzed you completely, completely fucking your brain’s capacity of understanding the outer world out of you. Her needy, nasty girl.

But you really couldn’t. Not right now.

It almost hurt when you had to peel her off of you, to slap her hand away from where you needed her the most.

She pouted. Abby pouted.

“I’m sorry… I- Ellie wanted to talk, she practically begged me to. I told her id come to her room at 10, It’s 10:05” you apologized, eyebrows furrowing in anguish.

“No- No-“ Abby kissed your cheek, trying to catch her breath.

“Don’t apologize, It’s okay, I promise.” She gave you a look, a look that said, I trust you. And you’re mine. And I know how bad you need me. Chivalry was alive and thriving. Ellie should take a masterclass, taught by Abby Anderson herself.

“I’ll be right here, yeah?” She whispered softly, planting a soft kiss on the tip of your nose. It drove you truly crazy sometimes, how a rough kiss was followed by a delicate one, a slap by a caress. Her good girl, and then her slut, her princess, and then her bitch.

“Mhm” you nodded, doe eyed. She hypnotized you. Dragging your feet, forcing them to walk away from her seemed like the worst thing you could ever imagine doing.

But you weren’t an asshole. You weren’t Ellie.

The cabin stood tall and sturdy, nestled amidst a winter wonderland, with its wooden exterior contrasting against the pristine white surroundings. You were dragging your feet, and god, the stickiness in your panties didn’t help.

You hesitated before reaching for the doorknob. With a creak, the door swung open.

“Hey” the auburn haired girl said dryly, as if she didn’t fidget with her fingernails while drawing aggressively just five minutes ago. She was trying to contain herself. Be normal. Just talk to her.

She was wearing a white tank top. It was snowing outside.

“Youre not… cold?” you asked, without even greeting her. You, the thoughtful person that you are.

“M’fine, I turned on the heater” She sniffed. She wasn’t fine, and the heater was definitely off. Her nose was red, eyes puffy, and god, that room smelled like Ellie. Your Ellie.

Was your Ellie.

Before entering her room, you decided you weren’t going to let her win this. See, Ellie had a habit of… dancing around important subjects. She was a master of distraction, knew exactly what to tell you, where to touch you, how to get you to crumble beneath her. She wasn’t evil, she never did it on purpose. The weight of her inner demons pressing upon her were a suffocating presence. They suffocated her, at first. Then, they creeped up on you too. She would yell, and demand you to stay quiet, to shut up. She would argue, and then ignore you, and then argue some more. She would scream at you to leave, and then beg you to let her in. You couldn’t do it anymore.

Thats why you left.

You didn’t know whether to sit or not, so you balanced your weight between your feet. You scratched your chin with your shoulder. Abby. Her scent lingered upon your skin. The cologne, like a silent caress, delicate pine, left an indelible mark upon your being. Your face flushed. Maybe Ellie’s room really was hot. Maybe she was right to wear that top.

You fixed your hair. Focus.

“What did you wanna talk to me about?” You questioned. Ellie was stood in front of you, avoiding your gaze. If she looked - she didnt know what she’d do.

“I don’t know” She said dryly, voice raspier than usual. It smelled like weed. She must have smoked before you entered.

“You don’t know?” you questioned. You tried to avoid rolling your eyes. It was so typical, so Ellie. Of course she didn’t know, she never fucking does.

“I- Can you sit down? Why are you acting like you don’t know me?” Ellie's voice sliced through the air with a tinge of annoyance, her words dripping with frustration. Every syllable carried a distinct edge, as if each letter resented being uttered.

She signaled you to sit on the bed.

You obliged.

She sat next to you, keeping the distance. Funny, how just a month ago, she would have begged you to sit on her lap. She would have pampered you with kisses. That was then, and this is now.

2 strangers.

You felt a lump forming down your throat. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

Ellie stared at the floor. She glanced over to you, and then shifted on the bed. The forrest green duvet emitted a soft rustle, like a gentle sigh escaping its fabric embrace.

She took a deep breath.

Thats what those Youtube videos taught her. “Meditation for beginners” was probably the worst one. “How to deal with anger issues”, yeah, she binge watched 7 of those videos.

“I wanted to ask you…”

You glanced at her. She was biting the inside of her lips, blood was forming. The taste of metal washed over her tongue.

“Fuck-“ She whispered.

“I need you to explain. I need to know why you left.”

your gaze froze, breath catching in your throat. Ellie's question pierced through your defenses, demanding an answer.

“I’m not doing this right now” you said, ready to get up and leave. It’s not like you didn’t expect it, but for some reason, you just couldn’t.

Ellie looked at you with disbelief. As you got up, halfway there, Ellie grabbed your hand forcefully. Before you knew it, you were sat back down on the bed. Your breath hitched. You should have walked away.

“I said I’m not doing this with you.” You made eye contact with her for the first time. Her eyebrows were scrunched, jaw clenched. Your Ellie.

“Are you not even going to apologize? I mean, fuck-“ Ellie's eyes narrowed, frustration burning within her. Her gaze intensified, her pupils dilated.

Apologize?

“Fuck- Apologize?” you laughed in disbelief.

“Holy fucking shit- Wow” you glared at her.

“You are un-fucking believable”

[romantichomicide95]

Hey congrats on 1K!!! You deserve every follower, I love your writing style and I think you write everyone so well! Especially the JJK stuff!

I’m gunna order an oatmeal cookie, with a s’mores cupcake and an Iced macchiato!!!

Hiya! Thanks :). Excited I got to do a Yuji one!

Yuji Itadori

“I’ll keep you warm”

The snowstorm outside rages on, its icy winds battering against the windows of Yuji’s dorm room. The room is dimly lit and you find yourself sitting at Yuji's desk, going through a box of snacks. Glancing over to where Yuji stands at the window, the raging snowstorm catches your attention.

“Wow. It’s coming down so hard out there! Tonight’s going to be so cold.” You say walking over to the window, a small frown on your face. Yuji wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you into a comforting hug.

"You're right," he responds, “This storm is no joke, and it looks like it's going to be a freezing night." He rests his head on your shoulder. “But don’t worry...I'll keep you warm," he declares.

A smile creeps onto your face as you lean into his embrace, his warmth already protecting you from the winter storm. Yuji's hands rub your arms gently, his touch bringing comfort and reassurance.

"We'll make it through this," he continues, his voice always filled with the determination you know him for. "We'll stay here, wrapped up in blankets, cuddled together. It’ll be perfect."

You let out a soft giggle as your lips curl into a big smile. “Baby you’re so sweet. That does sound perfect. You’re the best at cuddles.”

Yuji sits down in his bed, pulling you onto his lap, ensuring that every inch of your body is wrapped up in his strong arms and shielded from the cold. The softness of the blankets beneath you adds an extra layer of coziness.

"Is it working?," Yuji asks after awhile, his voice hopeful. "Are you warm enough?”

“Mhmm, you’re so warm.” You mumble, as you rest your head against his chest. You can hear the steady rhythm of his heart, a steady lullaby that puts your mind at ease.

Feeling his strong arms around you, you let out a contented sigh. The combination of his warmth and the softness of the blankets creates a cocoon of comfort, erasing any trace of the bitter cold.

"Good I’m glad princess," Yuji whispers, his voice filled with affection. “I’m here to be your knight in shining armor.” He jokes.

You let out a soft laugh. “You’re so cheesy…You are my knight in shining armor baby. You always know how to take care of me," you reply softly.

Yuji's grip tightens, as if reinforcing his commitment to protect you. His hand softly traces circles on your back. “Of course I take care of you. I’ve always got your back. Even if it’s just as your personal heater.” He chuckles.

“Well how lucky am I to have you oh personal heater.” you tease, “But seriously, I really do appreciate you.”

Yuji places a soft kiss to the top of your head, as his hands continue to draw those soothing circles against your skin. “I appreciate you to love.”

As the snow continues on outside you spend the night in Yujis arms, exchanging playful banter and finding comfort in the warmth of each other.

[clangenrising]

Content Warning: This piece includes content that may be triggering to some viewers. A description of that content can be found here.

Month 11 - Leafbare

The snowstorm lasted for longer than expected. Scorch and Mystique had been planning to get her Name Charm interpreted the day it started but the intensity of the snowfall had caused them to bury their plans until further notice.

On the second day of snowfall, Scorch had tried to slip away. The snowstorm likely wouldn’t be pleasant to walk through but she thought there was a chance that it would cover her escape. Unfortunately, the plan had quickly fallen apart when she discovered the snow piled two feet high, blocking her flap completely. She had tried to tunnel through it but her Folk had pulled her away and tried to entice her into a game and she had reluctantly agreed that it probably wasn’t the best idea to go wading through snow deeper than she was tall. The third day was mostly the same.

On the fourth day, with the snow having melted to a more manageable depth, she carefully ventured outside. As she picked her way through the yard, she began to hold her breath. Each new step was the furthest she had walked without an escort in weeks. 

Her mind began to buzz, flicking over the layout of the neighborhood she had memorized while walking with Mystique. The woods were North of her, across a few blocks of houses and a small stretch of city. If she was quick and quiet, maybe she could make it! She leapt onto the fence and winced as it rattled. 

Hurry, she thought. Not much time. 

She stepped quickly, paw over paw, down the thin line of the fence. Every sense was on high alert. Every sound made her feel sick to her stomach. A dog barked nearby. A car door slammed down the street. A door flap fluttered noisily to her left. 

“Hey!” Mystique’s voice sounded, like a collar tightening around her throat. Scorch stopped in her tracks and put on a smile even as her hopes shriveled and died. 

She turned to look at Mystique and said, “Oh! Hello, there. I hope you’re having a good morning.” Mystique bounded casually across her yard and sprang neatly onto the fence beside her.

“It’s not bad,” she smiled. “Are you heading out? I’d love to keep you company.” 

Scorch sighed, desperation squirming in her stomach. “Can’t I just go out on my own for once? I’m going to go crazy with all these escorts.” 

“I’m sorry,” Mystique grimaced sympathetically. “If I let you go alone and something happened Razor would kill me.” She meant it hyperbolically but Scorch swallowed tightly nonetheless. “And I’d be pretty upset too. I like you, ya’know?”  

Scorch laughed with a coy look away. “Oh, please.” 

“Really!” Mystique pressed, swiping lightly at Scorch’s ear. “You’re fun company! And I need more girl friends.” 

“That’s very sweet of you,” Scorch said, looking over again. She made the smile genuine but underneath she fell into despair. 

“So where are we going?” Mystique asked. 

“I don’t know,” Scorch admitted. “I was just going to explore.” 

“We could go see Portia,” offered Mystique. 

“Oh, yes,” Scorch said, resigned to whatever they were going to do. “I’d forgotten about that.”

“Yeah!” grinned Mystique, “It’s not far. This way!” 

And they went off. Scorch kept up the conversation when Mystique addressed her but her heart wasn’t in it. Her heart was twisting inside her and choking up her throat. She had no idea what she was going to do. She only knew she had to be gone before Razor returned. 

Eventually, they came up to a fancy looking stone house crawling in ivy. It was definitely one of the older houses in the area, Scorch could tell just by the smell of it. Mystique led her to the back garden through a wrought iron fence and a snowbound flower bed. 

“Obviously, you know,” Mystique said over her shoulder, “we’ll need to be on our best behavior when we talk to the Interpreter. We’ll show her your collar and she’ll tell us what name the Folk have given you.” 

“It’s that simple, is it?” Scorch asked. 

“From what I’ve seen, yes,” said Mystique, “but I’m sure it's more complicated from Portia’s point of view.” Scorch hummed thoughtfully.

Ahead of them stood a stately structure attached to the back window. Its bones were wooden but there was wire mesh stretched across it like a transparent skin in such a way that the other side was only accessible through the small tunnel that led to a flap in the window pane. 

Lounging on the other side of the window sat Portia, her creamy white and tortoiseshell fur lit up by the morning sun streaming through the glass. Scorch had met Portia once or twice when shadowing Razor but she had never spoken to her. Only the exalted were permitted to engage her in conversation except in emergencies. She took a deep breath, smoothed over her chest fur, and followed behind Mystique who approached the window. 

“Good morning, your grace,” she said and Portia opened one of her sharp green eyes. 

“Ah, good morning, Mystique. What brings you to my garden?” Her eyes flickered over to Scorch’s face, narrowing briefly, but then widened with interest at the sight of her collar.

“We seek your wisdom, your grace,” Scorch purred with a bow. “I’ve recently been Exalted and would be deeply honored if you could interpret my Name Charm.” She stood from the bow and lifted her chin to better show off the little trinket. 

“Of course,” Portia said, then yawned. She stood with an indulgent stretch of her spine, and padded through the flap and into the tunnel. “I live to interpret the will of the Folk. Please, approach my domain.” 

She dropped down from the tunnel and onto the tiled stones that made up the floor of the structure, beckoning gracefully with her tail. Scorch glanced at Mystique, who gave her an encouraging jerk of her head, and approached. 

“Sit,” Portia purred, flicking her one speckled ear. Scorch did. “Now let me see.” Portia opened her mouth to drink in Scorch’s scent. She closed her eyes and leaned in, sniffing lightly, then opened them and looked Scorch up and down. Scorch couldn’t help but wonder what that all had to do with interpreting her charm. She concluded that it was mostly for show. Portia’s eyes eventually came to rest on the charm and Scorch watched them dance sideways across it. 

“Oh, the Folk have blessed you with a fiery name,” Portia nodded sagely, “one that speaks to your wit and passion while also inviting you to explore the more feminine side you ignore. Your name evokes the image of a home, warm and gentle but ready to support and protect the cats relying on it for shelter.” 

Scorch smiled, thinking, tooth and claw, just get on with it already!

“Scorch is no more,” Portia continued, her voice as gentle as a blossom. “A new cat stands in her place, a cat with a duty to her Folk and to her mate.” Scorch swallowed through a wave of nausea. “The Folk have given you a name befitting this role. That name… is Gingersnap.” 

“Gingersnap?” Scorchplume said, somewhat surprised. She couldn’t help but recognize how Clan-like it sounded, although the pieces put together didn’t convey any meaning she could comprehend. How did those words evoke the image of a home? 

“Yes,” purred Portia. “It’s lovely, isn’t it?” 

“Yes, it is,” Scorchplume lied, looking down to try and catch a glimpse of the Name Charm itself. 

“It really suits you,” Mystique agreed. 

“Of course it does,” said Portia. “The Folk do not give Name Charms thoughtlessly.” 

“Oh, of course not,” Mystique said, wincing in embarrassment. 

“Portia,” Scorch said, then quickly added, “your grace. May I ask a question?” 

Portia smiled. “Absolutely, Gingersnap. What is your question?” 

“I hope it isn’t… blasphemous,” Scorch said with a coy glance at her own paws, “but I’m so intensely curious; how do you know what the Name Charms mean? Is it just… a sense or… is it something I could learn to do?” She hoped that the phrasing she had chosen would be the most disarming way to put it. She wasn’t skeptical, no, of course not. She wanted to be like Portia! 

“It can be taught,” Portia nodded, to Scorch’s surprise. “Although many do not have the knack for it like I do.” 

“Really?” Scorch tried to fluff up with a hopeful expression. 

“Yes,” chuckled Portia sweetly. “I have a few Pages who are learning to interpret as I do. I won’t be around forever, after all, and there are some cats who are confined to their own homes and can’t visit me here for their readings. My Pages visit them where they are and then return to me if the cat seeks further insight into the gifts the Folk have given them.”

“I see,” Scorch hummed. “Could I be one of those Pages?” 

“Perhaps,” hummed Portia. 

Across the yard, a deep voice called, “I think that’s a great idea.” 

Scorch’s blood suddenly ran cold. No, she thought, no, it can’t be him! Paw pads slick with sweat, she turned slowly to face the voice, or at least, slower than her pounding heart would have liked. Careful, she warned herself, he has to think you’re happy to see him or you’ll lose everything! 

Forcing her fur to lie flat and her smile to stay in place, she looked out across the yard. Striding through the snow was Razor, his tail raised above his back warmly. She had known his house was next to Portia’s but she had assumed he was still at the front! How hadn’t she sensed him coming?! Whiskers twitching, she realized with sinking dread that the wind had been blowing in his favor. Silently, she cursed the wind and him and herself and all the world.

“Razor,” she managed, hoping the tearful edge to her voice sounded loving instead of fearful. 

“How are you, my little bird?” he rumbled, stepping into her space.

“Better now,” she lied, rising to rub her head against his shoulder. She even managed to purr. His scent was smothering and when he curled around her to nose the fur on the back of her neck, her stomach flipped, like the flash of a sickening memory. No! she screamed internally. Being around him never made me feel this sick in the past! What is wrong with me? 

After a moment they stepped back from each other and he looked her over in a way that made her feel utterly exposed. 

“Tell me,” he said, “what’s your new name, dear?” Portia opened her mouth but without looking at her, his tail twitched to stop her and she fell silent. He wanted Scorch to say it.

“Gingersnap,” she said. “Isn’t it lovely?” 

“It’s got a kick to it,” he purred with a suggestive grin. “Very you.” She laughed and looked down at her paws to avoid another second staring at that face. 

“How goes the front?” Mystique asked. 

Razor’s expression darkened. “Not well. Apparently the savages attacked during the snowstorm and they killed Sycamore.” 

“Woah, seriously?” Mystique said, her casual demeanor turning grim. 

“That’s horrible!” Portia gasped. Scorch looked back at Razor in stunned silence. 

“Yeah,” he said, the storm of his anger building underneath the surface. “There were at least twenty according to the survivors - way more than we had originally thought.” So they had united the Clans to fight Razor. Scorch felt a flash of hope for a moment before another realization hit her.

“Did they at least manage to kill any of the savages?” she asked. 

“No, I don’t think so,” Razor said. “The chaff there were not fighters, it seems. We’ll have to be more careful about who we send next time.” Scorch nodded quietly, trying not to be obvious in her relief. 

“Yeah, no kidding,” Mystique frowned. 

“But enough about that,” Razor flicked one ear. “You girls shouldn’t trouble yourselves too much with that kind of thing. You said you were thinking of becoming a Page?” He turned his focus back to Scorch, ears perked with interest. 

“Yes,” she nodded, “if Portia will have me. I’d love to help interpret the will of the Folk.” 

“There is no higher calling for a molly,” Portia said. “If you’re truly interested, I’d be happy to teach you.” 

“I’m happy for any excuse to have you in this neck of the woods,” Razor grinned. Scorch laughed and gave him a girlish shove. Get away from me! she thought. 

“Did you need me for anything, your excellence?” Portia asked. 

Razor glanced in her direction and then shook his head. “Not right now.” 

“Then I’ll excuse myself,” she said with a little dip of her head. “Gingersnap, please feel free to visit sometime and we can start your training.” 

“I will,” Scorch said, stifling a wince when Razor stepped even closer and wrapped his tail around her. “Thank you, your grace.” 

“It was my pleasure,” Portia purred. Then, she turned and slipped back inside. 

Mystique shifted to focus on the remaining cats. “Should I… leave you two alone?” She grimaced in a very sisterly way.

No! Scorch thought.

“I think so,” chuckled Razor. “I’ll make sure Gingersnap get’s home safely.” 

“Alright,” Mystique nodded and stood with a swish of her tail. “See you around, Gingersnap.” 

“Yes, see you around,” was all Scorch could say. Mystique frowned a little, her eyes narrowing for a split second, but then she nodded and turned to leave through the wrought iron fence. Scorch felt like she might faint.

“Well, now,” Razor rumbled lowly, turning his attention fully onto Scorch. “I’ve missed you, little bird.” His tail brushed up her leg. “Where have you been all this time?” 

“I went exploring,” Scorch laughed as if it were a trivial little thing. “You know, my time with you was the longest I’ve ever stayed in one place. I wanted to see the sights.” 

“Without a word of goodbye?” he asked, shifting his weight ominously. This was a dangerous line of questioning and Scorch realized she needed to do something quickly if she wanted to keep up appearances.

“I’m sorry,” she pouted cutely. Her next words took tremendous effort to say. “Let me make it up to you?” 

Razor’s lips split into a toothy grin. “Make it up to me? Now how would you do that?” He looked her up and down again, practically smirking.

“I’m sure I can think of something,” she murmured with a sultry look, stretching up on her toes to look him in the eyes. She was going to have to placate him sooner or later. She might as well make it her decision. This way she stayed in control. This way she wasn’t helpless. 

“Why don’t we find somewhere quiet,” Razor said and Scorch purred. 

“Lead the way.”

[kining-the-evil]

can I please request a Billy Loomis and a Younger Sister please? maybe a snowstorm happens and the power goes out and they are all alone and the reader knows about the ghostface killing so she is scared that he is going to get them but billy promises that he will never hurt her and is just all sweet and comforting. please and it is all your choice

sorry i am like a minute late

Warnings: The murders are happening; Stu and Billy are killers but it's fluffy.

AN: Don't worry about sending it in late. Reader is around five years old in this story

"Jesus fuck..." Billy cursed to himself as he yanked the jiffy pop off of the stove, the bag smoking slightly.

"Thats a bad word." Your voice came from the table where you were coloring.

"God dam- sorry. You're right." Billy apologized, digging in his pocket for a quarter to drop into the small jar on the window seal. After Billy heard you say a swear word after Stu had been over for the weakened, he convinced your dad to start a swear jar.

"When will the popcorn be ready?" You looked over at your brother as he waved away the smoke from the bag.

"I almost lit the bag on fire, what do you think?" Billy threw the bag onto the counter. "Besides, we have to wait for Stu anyways-" Billy's words were cut off when the lights suddenly cut off, cause a scream to leave your mouth. "Y/n-"

"Billy!" you screamed as you jumped up, running over to your brother and throwing your arms around his leg. "The monster!" you sobbed against his leg, and Billy was scoop you up.

"Hey, what's gotten into you? What monster?"

"The monster on the news! They're gonna get us!" You fisted Billy's shirt while crying into his chest. Billy felt his heart stop as he listened to your words. He knew what 'monster' you were talking about. The killings he and Stu were committing were all over the news, and clearly you had seen it.

"No monsters are coming." Billy calmly assured you, but you shook your head. "Look," Billy walked over to a window, pointing outside. “It’s the snow, it made the power go out.”

You turned your head slightly to look out the window, seeing the heavy snow falling from the sky. “But the news-“

“It doesn’t matter what the news says. Would I ever let you get hurt?”

“No…”

“Exactly. I promise you, no one’s going to hurt you. I’ll always protect you, okay?” You looked up at Billy, tears still sliding down your face.

“Pinky promise?” You sniffled while holding your pinky up. Billy smiled slightly and linked his pinky with yours.

“Pinky promise.” You smiled slightly as you shook your pinkies together. “Now, come on.” Billy started walking towards the stairs.

“Where are we going?” You questioned as he started walking up the stairs.

“To make a fort. Obviously, we have to make a fort if the powers out.” Billy stated as though it was fact. “And when Stu gets heat we can make him sleep in it too.” You cheered at his words, letting Billy set you down so you could run into your room to collect stuff, your worries completely forgotten.

[lilypadlys]

Domestic December Day 29 - Power Outage

I started this one thinking, aww it's gonna be so cute. Ghoul cuddles as they keep each other warm. And then my brain was like, but what if we give Rain frostbite. Wouldn't that be fun? I’m sorry Rainy. (Don't worry he ends up being fine!)

Notes: Prompt list by comp-lady. See prompt list here

Ghoul popsicles below the cut or on AO3

Pop. There’s an audible fizzle as the power goes out. Dew stops mid guitar solo and glares at the overhead light of his room as if that would make it spring back to life. When to no avail it stays stubbornly dim, he sighs and puts his guitar away. No sense in practicing if he can’t see, much less the amp not working.

This was just perfect timing. A snowstorm was on the way and the power was out. The abbey doesn’t have the greatest insulation or central heating at the best of times. Dew can already feel the cold air seeping through gaps in stone to rob what little heat had been maintained.

Luckily, nearly every room meant for residence possesses a fireplace. Dew heads out into the hall knowing that soon he and the other fire ghouls will be tapped to set fires and make sure the abbey’s inhabitants don't freeze to death. He meets Aether in the hallway.

“Hey Dew. The power’s out and the fire places need-”

“Yeah, I’m on it.” Dew interrupts, not unkindly and more to speed things along. “Go find Alpha, Ifrit and Sunny and get them to help too.”

“Thanks Firefly.”

They part, the quintessence ghoul in search of the other fire ghouls as Dew makes his rounds to his packmate’s rooms to get their fireplaces running. Sunny has already gotten a magical fire set in Cumulus’ room and all the girls are curled up there. Dew gets fires going in his own room as well as Aether and Mountain’s. Along the way he finds Swiss in Aether’s room and Phantom and Mountain in the earth ghoul’s nest. He pokes his head in Rain’s room to drag the no doubt freezing water ghoul to his own bed but there’s no sign of him.

He doubles back to Mountain’s room.

“Have you guys seen Rain?”

Phantom shakes his head but Mountain’s eyes get huge.

“Shit.” He’s already leaping out of bed.

“Wha-no. He didn’t…” Dew doesn’t wait for an answer, already heading to the door. He mutters a trail of curses under his breath.

“What’s going on?” Phantom asks, still ensconced in blankets.

“That idiot decided to go swimming in the middle of a snowstorm and now the power is out.” Dew grumbles, tapping his foot impatiently as Mountain scrambles to put his jacket on and grab a warm blanket.

“Stay here.” Mountain points at Phantom. “We’ll be right back.”

Dew forgoes his jacket, just amplifying his body temperature instead, as he and the earth ghoul race outside and to the lake. The snow is already beginning to fall, collecting in rapidly growing drifts. Dew curses again and picks up the pace. About halfway to the dock they see a blurry figure, obscured by the whirling snow. When they get closer they both breath a sigh of relief when they recognize Rain’s twisted seaglass horns.

Rain stumbles forward hazily, hunched over as he walks into the wind. His arms wrapped tightly around himself as if to block out the cold. He’s shivering like a leaf and soaked to the bone, only clad in his sopping tee and swim shorts. His trail of footprints leading towards the lake are already being filled with snow. He makes no indication that he sees his rescuers.

Dew runs to him immediately, shouting. “You fucking idiot! What the Hell do you think you’re doing going for a swim in this weather?!” He yells, already wrapping the water ghoul in a warm embrace.

Rain looks up wearily, eyes having trouble focusing. “I-I’m s-sorry.” He manages despite his chattering teeth. He looks about ready to cry.

“We need to get him dried off so he doesn’t get frostbite.” Mountain says, already tugging down Rain’s shorts. When Rain weakly protests Mountain adds apologetically. “I’m sorry but these are soaked. They’re just going to make you feel colder.” Rain nods, letting Mountain pull them the rest of the way off, too weak to help much. Mountain helps him ditch his shirt as well.

Now freed of his wet clothing, Dew can see just how bad off Rain is. His face, hands, and feet are an angry red, bitten by the fierce cold and his shoulders shake with every shiver. His eyelids droop in a cold induced fatigue and he sways on his feet.

“Inside. Now!” Dew commands.

Mountain wraps the thick blanket around Rain to block some of the wind. Then he scoops up the trembling water ghoul and trudges his way back up the path. Dew brings up the rear, stepping in Mountain’s tracks rather than fighting to forge his own way through the quickly accumulating snow. The return trip to the abbey takes twice as long, now fighting the wind rather than moving with it.

Dew fights not to spew curses the whole way back. He wants to rage at the weather. Rain’s poor decision making skills. Himself. What if he hadn't noticed Rain was missing? What if Mountain hadn’t known where to look? What if…?

They finally make it back though. Dew runs ahead the last few yards to haul the door open and usher Mountain inside. Both ghouls sprint back to the pack’s den where Aether, with Phantom and Sunny in tow, is ready waiting with a lukewarm bath prepared in his tub. Mountain eases Rain into the tub murmuring apologies as the water hits Rain’s cold numb skin; the temperature difference jarring. Both Mountain and Aether begin to massage Rain’s hands and feet to help warm them and increase blood flow.

“What the fuck were you thinking?! You stupid fucking idiot! You could have gotten hurt. You could’ve d-” Dew chokes unable to vocalize the thought. He looks away.

Dew and Sunny gradually warm the water temperature. Slowly but surely the angry red becomes a soft pink as Rain warms up. He’s thankfully stopped shivering, no longer in danger of frostbite. Aether, Phantom, and Sunny retreat while Rain soaks, letting the other’s know he’s okay. Mountain excuses himself too to go make tea for Rain.

Now alone with the water ghoul, Dew breaks down.

“I’m so sorry Dew.” Rain looks down, eyes damp. “I didn’t realize it was going to snow and…Dew?”

Tracks of water leak down the fire ghoul’s face that can’t be attributed to the snow melting in his hair. Dew swallows a sniffle, face still downturned. “Don’t scare me like that.” He says much quieter. He can’t hide the way his voice wavers.

“I’m sorry.” Rain reaches for Dew’s hand and squeezes it. Dew squeezes back and doesn’t let go.

“You’re feeling better right?” Dew looks back, his grumpy facade slipping back into place.

“Uh huh, I'm fine now.” Rain assures.

“Never do that again.” Dew says it like a threat.

“I promise.” Rain squeaks. Rain leans over to nuzzle and plant a kiss to Dew’s forehead. “Thank you for coming to get me.”

Dew ruffles Rain’s hair with his free hand.

After a little while, Mountain returns. After making sure Rain has warmed up enough, Mountain scoops him up again and bundles him in a towel before bringing him to the common room, setting him directly in front of the fireplace.

Dew stokes the fire to life before curling up next to Rain, pulling him into his arms. He reaches for Rain’s hand again and they interlace their fingers. It’s Dew that squeezes first, three times in rapid succession. Rain returns the gesture. A silent, I love you.

Mountain gives Rain a mug of tea before retrieving the others. They all curl around Dew and Rain, doting over both of them. Mountain rubs Rain’s head and Aether presses himself to Dew’s back. Phantom, Swiss, and the ghoulettes wrap themselves around them, cocooning them in warmth. They all just lay in front of the fire for a while, enjoying each other’s soothing presence. They’re all thankful that their packmate is safe and sound and right where he belongs; in their arms.

[cuttergauthier]

Snowstorm

Female reader x Cole McWard

Warning: against, fluff, Cussing

word count: 2.3k

let me know what you guys think🤍

I’m a senior at Ohio State, my younger brother Tyler plays on the hockey, while my twin brother Dylan plays for our rivals the Michigan Wolverines.

The boys decided to rent out a big ski cabin for the week since it was spring break, and they didn’t have any games. Since i was close with my brother and some of the guys, I was invited.

The house is only 4 hours away from Ohio everyone had already left earlier this morning, I told my brother I would meet them there since I had one exam left before spring break.

It was now noon, and I was finally done with my exam, it’s snowing outside there’s supposed to be a snowstorm starting later today, but I guess it started earlier.

I made the walk from the building to my car, I put my backpack in the trunk before getting in the driver-seat. When I tried starting my car, it wouldn’t start.

“No no no, not now” I mumbled to myself, why couldn’t this happen yesterday, so I could have asked one of the guys for a drive.

“for fuck sakes”

I took my phone and called Tyler. It rang twice before he answered.

“Hey sis, are you on the way?”He asked

I sighed

“Sorry Ty, I’m not going to be able to make it” i said sadly.

“What do you mean, you aren’t going to be able to make it?”

“I’m still on campus and my car won’t start, plus it’s already snowing pretty bad right now, so i’m just going to go order an uber and go to my apartment”

“I’m putting you on speaker”

“Y/n, i’m pretty sure Cole is still on campus, he also had an exam this morning, i can text him and ask, you guys could ride together “ Davis said

“Burnsy, you know Cole and I do not get along, he not going to want to give me a ride” i said seriously.

The first time i met him last year, he was an ass to me, yet he’s nice to everyone else, nothing changed, he’d insult me, tease me, make fun of me, you name it. I tried being nice to him, but what he says hurts so i gave up and started hating him.

“I can tell Cap to threaten him, so he won’t have a choice but to drive you, we all want you here” davis said

“Even if he says yes, it’s going to be hell being stuck in a car with him for 4 hours, especially when it’s snowing so it might take longer” i argued

“Look if you don’t want to that’s fine, but Davis is calling him right now” my brother said

“Fine” i sighed

“I told him where you were, he said he’d be there in like five minutes” davis said

“Thank you, i’ll see you guys soon” i said

“bye, love you sis” tyler said

“Love you to Ty” i said before hanging up. I put my phone in my pocket and waiting for Cole to get here.

A few minutes later he pulled up in the parking spot next to me.

I got out of my car and walked to the trunk to get my suitcase along with my backpack. Cole got out of his car and made his way to me, before he took my suitcase.

“Your car just had to stop working today didn’t it?” He said annoyed. I rolled my eyes before taking my backpack and making my way to the passenger door.

I locked my car, and a few seconds later cole got in the driver’s seat.

“Do you have everything? I’m not turning around once we get on the road” he said looking at me

“I have everything” i said before turning my head and looking at the snow falling.

Cole sighed before backing out of the parking space and started to drive to the location Jake Wise the captain had sent everyone.

It was awkward and silence, neither of us were talking, the only sound was the music playing softly in the background. The snowstorm was getting worse and i was worried we might not make it there.

I started getting nervous the road are getting pretty bad and were only an hour in the 4 hour drive. I couldn’t stop shaking my leg, it usually happens when i get nervous.

“Can you stop that?” Cole asked annoyed, i turned to look at him confused.

“Stop what? I’m not doing anything”

“Stop shaking your leg, it’s annoying” he snapped.

“I’m sorry okay the roads are getting pretty bad right now and it’s stressing me out” i snapped back.

“What, you don’t trust my driving?” He teased

“That’s not it, the roads are already bad, and were only 1 hours in, it’s only going to get worse”

“Well it’s to late to turn around now”

“Can we stop somewhere?” I asked looking at him, i really don’t want to stay on the road when there’s a chance we could get in an accident.

“No”

“Cole please? The road aren’t going to get any better and i don’t want us to get in an accident” i pleaded.

“ we aren’t going to get in an accident” he said sending me an annoyed look before looking back at the road.

I stayed quiet until i saw a sign saying there was a hotel at the next exit, i really didn’t want to stay the night alone with him, but it’s better than driving in a storm.

“Look, there’s a hotel at the next exit, can we please stop for the night? Staying on the road is starting to scare me.” I begged and he looked at me for a second before looking back at the road.

“For fuck sakes, fine” he sighed he said before taking the exit, he turned into the hotel’s parking lot, found a spot and parked. I hope there’s more than one room available i don’t want to be stuck in the same room all night with him and the parking lot was packed of cars.

We took off our seat belts and got out of the car, Cole opened the trunk and handed me my suitcase before taking his and closing the trunk.

The snow was pretty bad, and it was freezing.

“They better have a lot of rooms left, there’s no way i’m going to be stuck in the same room as you.” He said

“The feelings mutual” i said rolling my eyes.

We made our way inside and to the front desk. The lady at the desk smiled at us.

“Hey, are you guys here to check in?” She asked

“No, we were on our way out of town but the roads are pretty bad so we thought it would be safer to stop for the night, is there any chance there’s two rooms available?” Cole said nicely.

He’s always nice to anyone but me.

“Let me check” she answered before typing in the computer.

“I’m sorry but it looks like we only have one room left with a king bed, there is also a couch, were pretty busy since spring break is starting” she said

“That’s fine we’ll take it” Cole said.

She nodded before taking his information and giving us the keys to the room.

“Enjoy your stay” she smiled

“Thank you” we both said before making our way to the elevator.

It was quiet until we got to our room, once we got in Cole turned to look at me “ you’re sleeping on the couch” he said and i rolled my eyes.

I’m not surprised.

“Yeah whatever, i’m going to call my brother and tell him we won’t be there today” i sighed annoyed.

Tyler answered after the first ring.

“Hey, where are you guys now?” He asked

“We stopped at a hotel, the roads were pretty bad, so we’ll get back on the road tomorrow once the storm clears” i told him

“Okay, i’m glad, i want you to be safe, call me tomorrow before you get back on the road, and let me know if Cole is being an ass to you, i’ll tell Jake” he said making me chuckle

“I will, love you”

“Love you to sis”

Once i hung up i saw cole was already laying in bed searching for something to watch on the tv. I made my way to the closet to see if there was any spare blankets that i can use to sleep on the couch tonight.

Thankfully there’s a pillow and a small blanket, so I hope i’m not freezing, it’s already cold.

I got them out and put them on the couch. And went to my suitcase so i could grab my ohio state hoodie and some legging, i usually sleep in shorts but it’s to cold to do that here plus I wanted to get comfy since it was only 3 p.m.

I made my way to the bathroom to change out of my top and jeans. Once i was done, i got out and put my stuff in my suitcase before sitting down on the couch and going on my phone.

Cole had found some hockey highlights on the tv , so he was watching that.

I texter my brother Dylan, Michigan has a game tonight so i thought i would wish him luck before i forgot.

I was starving so I grabbed the room key and put on my shoes, Cole looked at me confused.

“Where are you going?” He asked.

“Downstairs to the restaurant, I’m starving” i said

“I’m coming to, i could eat” he said before he put on his shoes and met me at the door.

I rolled my eyes and we made our way to the restaurant.

There was already a bunch of people here so we thought we would order and eat in our room.

Thankfully our food didn’t take long so we made our way back to our room.

I sat back down on the couch while Cole went to the bed.

I started eating, the food is really good.

Once i was done i went to throw out the rest and went back to sitting on the couch. I looked up at Cole to see him watching the hockey highlights again.

“Hey um, thanks for stopping here for the night, it really didn’t feel safe to stay on the road” i said shyly, i really didn’t want him to argue with me.

All he did was nod. The reste of the night was pretty much the same, it was quiet, we weren’t talking to each other so at around 10 we both went to sleep, except i couldn’t fall asleep since it was so cold and the couch wasn’t comfy, my teeth are grinding together and i was practically shaking as i was wrapped up in the blanket.

“Why the hell aren’t you sleeping? I’m exhausted & i won’t be able to sleep if you keep grinding your teeth” Cole asked annoyed

“It’s not my fault it’s freezing in here”

He turned the lamp on and got out of bed to check the thermostat.

“It’s 76 in here, it shouldn’t be cold” he said

“What?” I got up and checked it myself and he wasn’t lying.

“For fuck sakes, it’s probably broken” i said, cole looked at me.

“Jeez you’re literally shaking” he said

“Yeah, well I’m literally freezing”

“Get in the bed, if you stay on the couch you might actually get hypothermia, and i don’t want to have to explain that to your brother” he said

I made my way to the other side of the bed and got under the covers and faced the wall. The other side of the bed dipped, cole got under the covers turned to face my back, next thing i know he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to his chest.

“What are you doing?” I asked confused

“You’re freezing, just shut up and let me help okay?” He said

I started to feel the warmth of his body making me stop shivering.

“Thank you” i whispered

“Don’t mention it” he whispered back.

Now i couldn’t sleep because the guy that doesn’t like me is so close to me. I always thought he was good looking and had a crush on him, but i think this is the first time he’s been nice to me since the 2 years i’ve known him.

“I can feel the wheels turning in your head” he said softly.

“Why do you hate me?” I asked

i felt him go steady. I turned around in his arms, my cheek was now against his chest.

It took him a minute before he started talking.

“I don’t hate you, when i first met you, i thought you were the prettiest girl i’d ever seen, but i never thought you go for me, so it was easier for me to pretend i didn’t like you at all”

“Do you still think i’m pretty?”

“You’re even prettier now” he said making me chuckle.

“I’ve always had a crush on you to, but i thought you didn’t like me so i never told anyone, even thought my brother and davis usually tease me about having a crush on you”

“Really?”

“Yeah”

“So if i ask you out, would you say yes? Even now after i was mean to you?” He asked

“Yeah, everyone deserves a second chance.” I said softly. He smiled and kissed my forehead.

“get some sleep, well talk more in the morning, i promise.” He whispered and i nodded and closed my eyes.

Before i fell asleep I heard Cole whisper “you’re always going to be the prettiest girl in the world to me, I really hope you give me a chance”

[pink-sparkly-witch]

Blizzard

Summary: A snowstorm forces Y/N to sleep over at her friend and co-star, Jensen’s apartment in Toronto. Seeing Y/N in his clothes (and in his bed) makes Jensen determined to finally tell her how he feels about her.

Pairing: Jensen Ackles x Female Reader

Bingo Square: Jensen’s Bed

Warnings: Fluff, language, previous cheating, friends-to-lovers, kissing.

Word Count: 4.7k

A/N: This is written as a submission for Tell Me A Story Bingo hosted by @supernatural-jackles. The square filled is Jensen’s Bed. As always, this hasn’t been beta’d, and your thoughts or feedback would be gratefully appreciated! 💖

My Masterlist     AO3     Ko-Fi

Y/N was a breath of fresh air. It’d been a long time since Jensen felt such an instant connection to another person. They’d become friends as soon as she walked into the makeup trailer and joked about his hobo beard. It’d been strange coming onto a new set where no one knew you. Everyone else had been on The Boys since the beginning and were already friends. They were welcoming, but he and Y/N bonded over being the newbies.

They were both lonely, too; living in a new city far away from friends and family wasn’t easy. Jensen’s divorce was only finalised the day before he came here, and Y/N had been single for a long time, finding it hard to keep a relationship in this industry.

Their friendship began after his first week of filming. It was Friday, and he was returning his supe suit to wardrobe when he bumped into her on her way to do the same thing.

“Hey, Y/N, how are ya?” Jensen smiled softly at her.

“Jensen, hey! I’m good, thanks. You?” she smiled widely, her face lighting up and radiating pure happiness at bumping into him. Shit, did it feel good that someone actually looked happy to see him at the end of the day. It’d been years since his ex-wife looked at him with so much joy and excitement.

“Not gonna lie. I’m glad it’s Friday!” Jensen chuckled. Y/N giggled and nodded in agreement. “What are your plans for the weekend?” he asked as they fell into step with one another across the lot.

“Uhm, catch up on some sleep, read next week’s script and do a little more unpacking. Nothing exciting,” Y/N smiled, but Jensen noticed it didn’t reach her eyes. “What about you?”

“Same. You know, we could go over the script together if you want. No pressure or anything, but you could come to my apartment, and we could get takeout and run lines?” Jensen asked, trying not to sound too hopeful at the thought of some company.

“I’d love that!” The smile that broke out was beautiful, and that was the exact moment Jensen knew he was in trouble.

Since that weekend, they tried to get together outside of work twice a week when their schedules allowed, once at her place and once at his. After several visits to Jensen’s apartment, Y/N noticed a distinct lack of dinner food in his refrigerator. When she’d asked about it, he’d just shrugged and said he didn’t see the point of cooking when it was just him. It was easier to order in. And so, the night in Y/N’s apartment with home-cooked food began.

Tonight though, it was TV night at Jensen’s. They’d decided on Thai food, and she gave him her order before leaving set so he could place it while she picked up snacks and drinks from the store on her way over.

Knocking on his door, Y/N shifted from foot to foot, hugging her arms around her body to try and stay warm. It had turned unseasonably cold, and light snow showers were expected in the small hours of the morning.

“Hey, sweetheart. Come on in. Food just got here,” Jensen said as he stood aside to let her into his apartment.

“Thanks. It’s getting cold out,” Y/N stepped through the door, and Jensen held his hand out to take her tote shopping bag filled with snacks and drinks. She handed it over willingly, glad to be rid of its weight.

“Jeez, what the hell is in this thing? Did you buy the whole store?” Jensen joked at its heaviness.

“Sorry!” she giggled. “I couldn’t decide what I wanted, so I bought-”

“Everything?” Jensen chuckled.

“Hey! I’ve had a really shitty week on set, as you know, and it’s almost that time of the month, and I’m hormonal, so I got a little of everything I could think of that makes me feel better.”

“I got heat packs somewhere if you need them, Tylenol too,” Jensen told her with a soft smile. He was far too adorable for his own good sometimes.

“Thank you, I’ll be fine, though. It’s still a few days away, but damn, the PMS is strong this month!” she chuckled.

“If there’s anything I can do, just ask, alright?” Jensen fixed his gaze on her until she looked up and met his kind green eyes.

“How about a beer and some of that delicious-smelling food?” she grinned.

“Why?” Y/N whined, trying not to cry.

“He left to get a Head of Department job,” Jensen chuckled at the utter heartbreak on her face.

“But… but… but he loves her! And he didn’t tell her, and now he’ll never know that she loves him too, and it’s just so sad!” A few tears rolled down her cheeks, and she tried to wipe them away before he noticed.

“Are you crying?” Jensen smirked.

“Yes! Hormonal, remember?” she deadpanned. “Pass me that cake, will you?”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Jensen chuckled, picking up the plate from the coffee table and handing it to her. “You know as well as I do that on next week’s episode, one of them is going to confess their feelings, and all will be right in the world again,” he soothed her, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side, chuckling as she picked up a slice of cake and shoved it carelessly in her mouth.

“I know. I’m sorry,” Y/N sniffed, and Jensen tried to hide his chuckle.

“Don’t be. You never have to hide how you feel with me, alright? I’ll always be here to make you laugh, smile, or wipe away your tears,” he spoke softly into her hair, pressing his lips against it gently. He tried not to smell her hair, no one wanted to be that guy, but with his face practically buried in the silky strands, he couldn’t help himself. Jensen inhaled deeply through his nose, closing his eyes as the scent of her shampoo made him shiver, and he felt himself relax with his slow exhale. He really needed to get a grip on his feelings. He knew she didn’t see him that way.

Y/N sat up and wiped her eyes after staying curled into his body for a few minutes. Jensen reluctantly dropped his arm from her shoulders. “Come on, let’s watch that Desperate Housewives shit you like to watch,” Jensen huffed, but she knew it was for show. He loved that show. Maybe even more than she did.

“You mean Real Housewives, and I’ve told you how many times, Jensen? I can watch this one on my own at the weekend. You don’t need to subject yourself to all the rich people's drama!” she laughed.

“But I wanna see what happens at the dinner par-” Jensen stopped short when he noticed her smirk and raised an eyebrow. “Alright, you got me! That show is annoyingly addictive, and I kinda like it!” Jensen said, lowering his head in defeat.

“Right? It’s not usually my kind of thing either, but damn if I don’t love that bunch of rich bitches and their petty rich bitch dramas!” Y/N laughed. “But I have to use the bathroom first,” she said, standing from the couch.

“Uh, Jensen?” Her slightly panicked tone made him look up at her, worry etched on his brow. “I thought the forecast was for light snow in the early hours?” she tilted her head, staring out the window with a frown.

“Yeah, that’s what they’ve been saying for the last few days,” he said as he looked out the window. “Holy shit!” he exclaimed as he took in the heavy blizzard battering the streets of Toronto. It looked like it had been on for a while, and the fat, fluffy flakes didn’t look like they would stop anytime soon.

Jensen turned on the local news channel to see what they said about the unexpected snowstorm as Y/N headed to the bathroom. The news anchor was reporting that traffic was disrupted all over town, there was the potential for power outages due to the storm’s severity, and it wasn’t expected to stop anytime soon.

His phone chimed with an email from Eric saying filming was postponed due to the weather for at least tomorrow and further updates would be sent as the situation unfolded. Jensen stared out the window again, watching everything turn white as far as the eye could see.

“Sweetheart, I don’t want you driving home in that,” Jensen spoke at the sound of her feet padding across his hardwood floors. He was still facing the window and smiled softly as he felt her presence behind him. “I want you to stay here tonight. You can have the bed, and I’ll take the couch. I can give you clothes to change into. Make you more comfortable.”

“I will not kick you out of your bed, Jay. I’ll take the couch-”

“No. You are my guest, and you’ll take the bed.”

“You know we’re both adults here. I’m pretty sure we can share the bed,” Y/N giggled.

“I, uh, I couldn’t…”

“Yes, you can. I’m more than happy to share. Just stick to your side, Ackles!” she laughed.

“Alright then. We’ll share, and I promise to stay on my side. Scouts honour!” Jensen winked. “Boss emailed, and they’ve shut down the set until this blows over. So, uh, you want that change of clothes now?” he asked. “Since we’ve got nowhere to go and no work tomorrow, I thought we could start one of these box sets we’re always talking about. You could also open the wine since you won’t be driving home.”

“After Housewives?” Y/N grinned.

“After Housewives.” Jensen laughed.

“You’re sure it’s okay to share? My couch is comfortable. I don’t mind sleeping there,” Jensen asked as Y/N cleared up his beer bottles, her wine glass, and an embarrassing amount of junk food wrappers from the coffee table. He insisted she didn’t have to because she was his guest but argued it was the least she could do. 

“I’m fine with it, but I won’t force you if you're uncomfortable. But that blanket over the couch won’t give you much warmth in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows when there’s a blizzard outside,” Y/N replied, and Jensen had to admit she had a point.

“Okay then,” he nodded. “What side of the bed do you usually sleep on?”

“Uhm, I don’t really have a side, but I like to sleep closest to the window,” Y/N said, nervously pulling on the hem of his oversized shirt.

“Well, that works out perfectly because my side is right, leaving the window side all yours,” Jensen smiled. “And you can take a new toothbrush from the cabinet.”

“Thanks,” she shuffled on her feet for a few seconds before busying herself with the last tidying up. She watched him slowly walk towards the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Jensen was already under the covers when Y/N entered his room, and her heart flopped to her stomach at the sight. This wasn’t something she’d ever expected to see; Jensen in bed, lowering the covers and patting the empty side of the mattress in invitation.

And damn, did Jensen wish she’d change her mind about them sharing his bed because seeing her drowning in his clothes gave him sinful ideas and inappropriate thoughts about his friend and co-star.

Y/N smiled and walked around the bed, crawling in next to him. Settling herself on her back and snuggling into the soft covers, she sighed contentedly. “This is the most comfortable mattress and sheets I’ve ever laid on,” she smiled tiredly. “I’ve not gone to sleep yet, and I don’t wanna get up!”

Jensen laughed and rolled to his side to face her. “Well, at least we don’t have to get up for work, so we can sleep as long as we like,” he grinned.

“Mhm,” she hummed tiredly before yawning loudly.

“Good night, Y/N.” Jensen smiled.

“Night, Jensen.”

Jensen couldn’t sleep knowing she was so close, and he couldn’t reach out and touch or hold her. What he wouldn’t give to snuggle up behind her, wrap his arms around her waist, and pull her tight to his chest.

Y/N was curled on her side, facing away from him, still and silent. Sleeping deeply and, he hoped, having sweet dreams. She was an enigma to him. She is beautiful, intelligent, and funny, the least Hollywood you could get, and completely down to earth for someone as well-known as her. She was the most humble and gracious person he’d ever met in this industry.

Even using his ex-wife as an example, she didn’t even have a quarter of the fame Y/N had, but you’d think from her behaviour and attitude she was an Oscar-winning actress. The truth was, she had a pretty face but no real talent. Well, other than manipulation and getting her way.

Jensen struggled now to see why he’d married her in the first place. He remembered that he had asked her on a date because he’d just heard his best friend was getting married, and he was now the only single one in his friend group from his early L.A. days.

He settled. Pure and simple. He knows he could’ve done better, but she was the “safe” choice, the girl next door - at least on the outside. They had a good relationship in the beginning. He genuinely cared about her, liked her even, but he never loved her. Not like a boyfriend should love his girlfriend.

She didn’t show her true colours until they were married. Jensen had seen glimpses of them, heard the stories, but never experienced them in full effect until they’d said: “I do”.

It started with her suggesting he leave Supernatural because he was away for nine months of the year, and she missed him and hated being alone. He’d suggested she try and find work on a show, but the only places that considered her were the daytime soaps, and she’d made her position on those very clear; they were for those starting out, too old, or without enough talent to do anything else.

Jensen then asked her if they could start a family. Firstly, so she wasn’t alone and second, he wanted kids, and she did too, or at least that’s what she told him when they were dating. She put him off for a while, saying she didn’t want to have a newborn while he was in Vancouver and they’d try soon. They never did. It was always one excuse after another.

So, he left her to do what she’d always wanted to; fashion design, and he encouraged her every step of the way. Her clothing line was successful and put her in touch with a lot of people in the fashion world. It was there she met Greg.

Greg was one of the models she hired for her menswear collection, and they worked well as a team. Jensen always thought he was a good guy and got on well with him. It was a complete surprise to him when he came home early one Friday afternoon to find a Greg in his bed. Naked. With his wife.

“I want a divorce. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer on Monday. I’m flying back to Vancouver tonight. I’ll send someone to pack up my stuff next week. After that, the house is yours to do whatever you want with. That’s all you’ll be getting from me, which considering the stipulation in our prenup for infidelity, is way more than you deserve.”

And that was it. The end of a twelve-year marriage. Jensen had later found out she’d been having a full-fledged affair with Greg for months. He was even more hurt that the male model had been living in his home, only leaving whenever Jensen came home.

Jensen’s attention was brought back to the here and now when, with a sigh, Y/N rolled in her sleep, curled her body into his and rested her hand on his chest. He froze for a moment, his mind wondering what he should do next. Stay where he is or wrap his arms around her and hug her into his body.

Slowly turning to lay on his side, Jensen faced her, slid one arm under her neck, and the other snaked around her waist. He chuckled softly as she shuffled closer to him and hummed in her sleep. And man was that the cutest sound he had ever heard.

Y/N didn’t know what woke her, but when her eyes fluttered open in the dark room, she was too hot and felt a weight around her stomach. She tried to move, but a heavy block was at her back, and the weight around her core tightened. Turning her head, she finally realised that it was Jensen behind her.

He was spooning her, trapping her body with his, and the heat he radiated made her too hot. Despite all that, she smiled and snuggled further into the unbelievably comfy mattress. Then, she also noticed her neck was using his other arm as a pillow, and it was the best goddamn pillow she’d ever used.

Y/N scooted further back into his body, leaving no space between them and settled into Jensen’s arms, a contented grin across her face as she drifted back asleep.

Jensen had woken with her startling awake. He instinctively tightened his hold on her when he thought she was pulling away from him, not wanting this little paradise to be over yet. He hadn’t slept this well in months. Years, maybe. He hoped with everything in him that she’d settle down and go back to sleep. The sun wasn’t even up yet, not even a hint of it on the horizon, so it was still early. Yeah, it might’ve been selfish of him, but he just wanted to sleep for a few more hours with her in his arms before she went home, leaving him to sleep alone in this big ass bed again.

When she’d stopped shifting around, and her breathing evened out again, he smiled, grateful beyond words that he got her like this for a few more hours. He made an important decision before he fell back into a deep, dreamless sleep.

In the morning, he was going to ask her out. Ask her to be his girl.

When Y/N next woke, she was alone. Rolling to her back, she stretched her body like a cat, waking her muscles up. Relaxing back into the bed, she marvelled again about the comfiest bed she’d ever slept in. She reckoned the Egyptian cotton sheets helped with that too.

Jensen’s scent surrounded her, making her smile as she remembered waking in the darkness with his arms around her. It felt good. She couldn’t lie about that, and not just sharing a bed with anyone—although that was nice—it was sharing a bed with the man she’d been falling for ever since she first laid eyes on him. It had been magical, and it might have been greedy or selfish of her, but she wanted more of that. More of him.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee reached her senses, and she pulled the thick comforter from her well-rested body. Climbing out of bed, she walked to his window and saw the blanket of white covering the city. Y/N felt giddy for just a second at the thought she might need to stay at Jensen’s apartment again tonight if the snow didn’t clear.

Shuffling down the hall, she grinned as Jensen’s voice floated down to meet her. He was singing along to some old Garth Brooks song, and his voice made her feel weak in the knees. He was an incredibly talented singer. He was insanely gifted at whatever he put his hand to, which was only a little frustrating.

Leaning against the wall, she folded her arms and smiled as she watched him mix pancake batter whilst swaying his hips and singing quietly. “You just gonna stand there and stare, sweetheart?” He smirked, looked up at her for the first time, and his jaw dropped.

His clothes were rumpled and creased on her small frame, his shirt hung off one of her bare shoulders, and her face was still soft from sleep. The messy bun she’d come to bed in was barely hanging on, and the delicate strands of hair that had fallen out of its elastic confines were wildly framing her face. He’d never seen a woman look more beautiful than she did at this moment.

“Good morning,” Y/N smiled, her voice slightly deeper and a little more gravelly than he was used to, making him gulp.

“Morning. Coffee?” Jensen didn’t know why his voice was higher in pitch than usual or why his palms were sweating, but he did know that he hadn’t felt like this with a girl in a long time. Maybe ever.

“Mmm, yes, please,” she grinned as she walked over to the kitchen island, climbed up on one of the stools, and hummed her thanks when he placed a mug of steaming hot coffee. “You know,” Y/N spoke after her first sip. “I’ll never understand how you always make my coffee better than I can!” she giggled as she watched the tips of his ears go pink.

“Pancakes okay for breakfast?” Jensen asked.

“Sure, sounds good. What can I help with?”

“Nothing, sweetheart. You just enjoy your coffee. I got this under control,” Jensen winked and turned to the stove, busying himself with pouring batter into the pan. “There’s strawberries in the fridge if you want some with your pancakes?”

“Sure. I’ll get those.” Y/N hopped off the stool before he could protest and headed over to the fridge.

“Uh, you know, the news is saying the temperature will stay below freezing today, meaning that snow,” he pointed the spatula out the window, “isn’t going anywhere. And there might be more snow showers throughout the day.” 

She closed the fridge and stared out the window. “Damn. You think set will stay closed?” Y/N asked, throwing a strawberry in her mouth. She really doesn’t know how adorable she is, Jensen thought.

“Probably,” he stated, flipping cooked pancakes onto a plate. “And, uh, I’d feel much better about this whole thing if you’d stay here again. I don’t want you driving on those roads.”

Y/N grinned, “Aww, look at you all worried about me! Anyone would think you’re my boyfriend the way you’re behaving,” she teased.

“Wouldn’t be so bad, would it?” Jensen asked, his cheeks flushing to match the tips of his ears. “You and me? I mean, you’re beautiful, kind, smart, funny, and I like you. A lot.” He wasn’t sure where this was coming from, but once he started, it seemed like he couldn’t stop the word vomit. Knowing it was out there now, he sighed and had to let the cards fall.

“You, uh,” Y/N huffed a breath, trying to control her rapidly beating heart. “You like me?” she frowned in confusion.

“Yeah, I do,” Jensen smiled and put a plate before her. “I understand you might not feel the same, but I thought you should know. I wanted to get it out there, and you know, if you think you might like me too, that’d be awesome, and if you want to, I’ll take you on a date, and we can-”

“Jensen!” she chuckled. “Stop. Take a breath. You’re rambling!”

“Uh, sorry. ‘M nervous,” he chuckled and rubbed his hand over his neck. 

“I like you too, Jensen.” she smiled shyly.

“You do?” His voice was high-pitched and shocked, making her throw her head back and laugh.

“Yes! Don’t sound so surprised!” Y/N scolded playfully.

“Sorry, I just- really? You like me?” he checked, and she nodded her head. “This isn’t… you’re not messing with me, are you?” Jensen asked, and she shook her head.

“I like like you, Jensen. Always have. Ever since I met you and even before that, truth be told, but once I met you, it grew from a celebrity crush to me like liking you.”

Jensen’s phone ringing interrupted her confession, and although his first instinct was to throw the damn thing across the room, he looked down to see his mom FaceTiming him.

“Hold that thought, sweetheart,” he smiled softly. “Hey, Ma. How are you?”

“We’re fine, son. How are you? Are you safe? Warm? They’re saying the cold snap up there is supposed to stay another few days.” The questions his mom fired at him made him chuckle.

“We’re fine, Mom. Set is closed until further notice, and I did a full grocery shop two days ago. We’re just gonna hunker down until the worst is over,” Jensen said without thinking.

“We?” His mom asked with a hint of excitement in her voice.

“Uh, yeah. Y/N’s here. We were-”

“Oh my God!” His mom screamed excitedly through the phone. “Honey? Honey! Oh, there you are! Jensen finally asked Y/N out! She’s at his apartment right now!”

The glee was evident in her tone, and Y/N could hear the excited muffled voice of another male, his dad, she assumed and giggled as Jensen’s face became redder and redder with every second.

“Ma? I haven’t asked her out yet,” Jensen said with a nervous chuckle, his eyes flicking to hers briefly before they focused back on his phone screen. “I was just going to when you called-”

“She’s there? Right now? Next to you?” his mom’s joy quickly turned to panic, and Y/N couldn’t stop the loud laugh that escaped. Jensen grinned at his mom and turned his phone around so his mom could see her.

“Hey, Mrs Ackles!” she waved, still laughing.

“Oh, Y/N sweetie, so nice to finally meet you! I don’t mean to cut this short, but my son has been talking about asking you out since you met, so I’m gonna go, and I hope I get to meet you in person soon,” his mom smiled at her, and she instantly knew where Jensen got his kind smile from.

“I hope so, Mrs Ackles!” Y/N said, feeling the heat rise from her neck. Jensen turned his phone back towards him, and Y/N failed to hold in her laughter as his mom continued as if she wasn’t on speaker.

“Jensen! You said she was beautiful, but you didn’t tell me she was that beautiful! Not even a stitch of makeup on, and she’s gorgeous-”

“Mom!” Jensen scolded with a laugh. “She can hear you!” 

“Oh shoot! I’ll just… call you later. Oh, but text me if she says ye-”

“Bye, Mom!” Jensen shook his head in exasperation as he ended the call. “I’m sorry about her, she uh,” Jensen chuckled nervously again, running a hand over his neck. “She’s heard a lot about you, and is really hoping-” Jensen didn’t finish his ramble as her soft lips pressed to his.

It took him by surprise at first, but when his brain finally caught up with what was happening, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body flush with his. Her arms wound around his neck, her hands playing with his long hair.

Jensen felt her grin against him when he licked at her lips, asking for entrance. She obliged and opened her mouth, grinning wider at the groan rumbling from his chest when their tongues met.

This is what kisses should be like. The goosebumps over his whole body, the butterflies swarming in his stomach, feeling completely and utterly at peace with himself and the world.

Reluctantly, he pulled away, placing his forehead on hers. “So, uh,” he said, chewing his bottom lip. “When all this snow is gone, can I take you to dinner?”

“Are you asking me out?” she giggled teasingly. Jensen only chuckled in response. “I would love to go to dinner with you.”

Y/N’s smile was brighter than the snow outside, and Jensen felt bad—for a split second—to be covering it with his lips.

Jensen / Dean Tags: @akshi8278 @deanwanddamons @deans-baby-momma @siospins2 @sexyvixen7 @leigh70 @stoneyggirl2 @hobby27 @candy-coated-misery0731 @im-totally-not-dezi

[scarisd3ad]

‘Baby it’s cold outside’ - promptmas day 3

Pairing - Joel miller x fem!reader

warnings - age gap, cursing, no outbreak au, mentions of parents disapproving of relationship, drinking.

Promptmas ‘23 masterlist

Main masterlist

Taglist

The fire blazed away in the fireplace as I sighed, leaning my head against Joel's shoulder. It was one of those winters in Texas where we got unannounced snow. which happens every 5 or 6 years. Our date night had gotten snowed in, which led to all our plans being canceled and both of us snuggled up on his couch all dressed up. I utter a quiet "I should go," he groans, muttering "Baby, it's cold outside," before whispering, "Stay." I still lived with my parents and if I didn't show up at home, especially after a snowstorm like this, I'd never hear the end of it.

"Baby," As I manage to remove myself from his embrace, I let out a low murmur. Slowly, I rise to my feet, feeling his gaze fixed on me. His eyes, which had been tightly shut, snap open, revealing a glint of surprise. "c'mon it's cold outside. Don' need ya out there on yer own," he says as his hand reaches out and wraps itself around my wrist, subsequently stopping me from moving any further. "My mom's gonna get worried Joel, and y'know, Daddy already doesn't like you. If he finds out I stayed here, he's going to throw a fit Joel. " He rolls his eyes. My dad had never liked Joel. always going on about how he was way too old for me, and how I could find a man who was more appropriate for me to date while momma always muttered for him to 'hush' knowing that they had a 15-year age gap themselves. "Why not just one more drink, huh? Then I'll drive ya home. " I roll my eyes as I let out a reluctant sigh. "fine, just hurry," I whisper. He smirks as he stands up and walks off.

He hands me a small glass filled with what looks like whiskey, and something I can't distinguish. I take a small sip, letting its bitter taste sit on my tongue before looking up at him. "what's in this drink?" he ignores my question immediately, beginning to go on about it being too cold outside again. "You really should stay here tonight, don' wanna risk getting stuck out there." I can't say the thought of staying the night wasn't beginning to burrow into my mind. Maybe it was the best idea to stay the night. I should say no, that my mother and father are waiting up, but it is cold, and I don't feel like putting my coat on, or my shoes, or my hat.

I hear the repetitive ringing as Joel's landline presses against my ear. "Hello?" I hear my mother's voice on the other side. "Hey momma I'm going to stay the night at Joel's alright, so don't wait up."

-

Taglist

@nezukos-number1fan @thatemophoenixgirl @gleefuleve @narryl0ver @syynnaaah

[buckys-wintersoldier]

Prince Bucky | Stucky

Pairing -> Prince!Bucky Barnes x VacationApartmentOwner!Steve Rogers

Summary -> A snowstorm is coming and Bucky has no other opportunity to go to the vacation apartment which is the only building nearby. The owner of the apartment wanted to check all and is stuck in it as well. So one small apartment, two man, and a snowstorm leads to a wonderful night for both of them.

Warnings -> (G) none, just fluff

Wordcount -> 2.k

Prompt -> Sweet & Spicy Bingo | B2 | snowstorm | @sweetspicybingo | Sebastian Stan Bingo | N2 | “Just because it’s cliche it doesn’t mean it’s not romantic.” | @sebastianstanbingo | 500 Follower Special | “You did all this for me?” “I would be hornored to be your first kiss.” | @jessybarnes

A/N -> This is the special oneshot for the 25th December and then we are finished with the Fluffcember event. I hope you all enjoy reading it.

Divider made by @firefly-graphics

Masterlist | Fluffcember | Sweet & Spicy Bingo | Sebastian Stan Bingo | Stucky Masterlist

Cold wind, a lot of snow, and in the middle of both a James Buchanan Barnes, the prince of the state. He was on a gala, and when he managed to escape there, he made his way home. But to be inconspicuous, he walks home, no car, no bus, and no horse.

He mumbles something into his jacket, his hands covered in his sleeves and a scarf wrapped around his neck. He wears a suit underneath his jacket and black leather shoes. James hair is in a tight bun, except for a few strands that are hanging in his face.

All around him is forest, and because he doesn't want to get lost, he walks on the street. But even there, it gets harder to see something around him. The winter this year is freezing, and the coming snowstorm doesn’t make it better.

For a moment, he thinks of walking back to the gala. There are a lot of people, but it’s also warm there; he could drink hot tea and wouldn't walk straight into a snowstorm.

James phone is buzzing, and he looks annoyed down to his pocket before he frees his hand out of his sleeves. Reaching for his phone and picking up the call.

“James? Where are you?” His bodyguard asks, and he gets a sarcastic chuckle from the brown-haired prince.

“I’m in the middle of nowhere,” he replies and looks around. He really doesn’t know where he is or how he could describe where he is. Everywhere there is snow and a lot of trees, so even when there would be a village a few meters away, he couldn’t see them because of the fog.

“Tell me what you see, and I will pick you up there. The snowstorm will be worse,” Joe, one of his bodyguards, says.

“I see…“ James spins around before he continues talking. "...Trees, a lot of snow, and the street, but just like two meters around me,” he says, walking through the snow, slowly freezing.

Joe sighs and is quiet for a moment before he clears his throat. “They told us we couldn’t go out for the next few hours. Do you have any places around you where you can go right now?” The bodyguard asks, slightly scared.

“When I’m not completely wrong, there will be a little vacation apartment in a few meters or kilometers,” James laughs, and they hang up.

The brown-haired young man hides his hands in his sleeves again and walks a bit faster. He knows there has to be a vacation apartment.

After around five hundred meters, he finally sees the house he is looking for. Completely freezing and hurting bones, he walks to the door, hoping it’s open.

Some lights are shining from the inside, and he smiles slightly. No matter how many pictures they want, how many signatures, or whatever, he will ask if he can stay there until the snowstorm is over.

James knocks at the door and takes a step back; just a moment later, another man opens the door. He is James's age but has short, blond hair.

“Hey,” James says with a soft smile, and the other man nods. He scans the man in front of him and takes a step to the side. “Hey, want to come in? Its cold outside,” he offers, and James walks into the apartment.

He is immediately greeted by the warmth, and he feels his hurting body even more. But at the same time, he feels the warmth around him slowly warming him. When he inhales deeply, he can smell the hot chocolate somewhere in the apartment.

“Could I wait here until the snowstorm is over?” The brown-haired man asks and opens his jacket. “Of course, take off your shoes and jacket and come with me. I made hot chocolate; do you want some too?” The blond-haired man asks, and James nods.

He takes off his shoes and jacket before he follows the other into the kitchen. “I’m Steve. And I’m the owner of that vacation apartment,” he says, looking for two cups. “I’m James, but you can call me Bucky,” he says, winking at Steve.

For a moment, he looks at Steve, but when the blond-haired man gives him the cup, he smiles and takes it before both of them walk to the couch.

Steve looks like he doesn’t know Bucky, or does he only act like that? Maybe he doesn’t want to be weird or he really doesn’t know the prince, and Bucky is oke with that, so he doesn’t have to take photos or give him hundreds of signatures he can sell later.

The two sit down, with Steve next to Bucky. In front of the couch is a small table, and behind it is a small fireplace with a small fire. “It’s really comfortable here, like those romantic movies where they are stuck in a house because of a snowstorm,” Bucky says, laughing.

For a moment, Steve is just side-eyeing the man next to him, fascinated by his laugh and the way his nose is scrunching. Which is definitely something he finds adorable. Steve could look at Bucky the whole time, the lips and eyes, his soft hair, and the way he leans his head slightly back when he laughs.

“Yes, but they can be really good; want to see one?” Steve asks and points to the tablet on the table. “It’s small, but if you don’t mind us cuddling,” he adds, and Bucky smiles at him. “I don’t mind; it’s an honor to cuddle with such a beautiful and kind man,” Bucky says with a chuckle.

Steve blushes immediately and reaches for the tablet. While he is looking for a movie, Bucky has an idea. He looks around. “Can I borrow the pillows behind you?” He asks nicely, and when the other man nods, he grips them and a few others, as well as some blankets.

Bucky walks to the fireplace and places the pillows and blankets in front of it. Making it comfortable for both of them. “Do you have some chips or something?” He turns to Steve, patiently waiting until he looks up from the tablet.

With a thoughtful expression on his face, he nods. “Yes, in the kitchen next to the fridge, there should be some chips,” he tells Bucky, who is already on his way to the kitchen.

Steve looks at Bucky in the way he walks, and when the brown-haired man turns around and shows the chips, he catches Steve looking at him. “Those?” He asks, and Steve nods, tuning his attention back to the tablet and the movies.

When he has a movie he wants to see and Bucky agrees while he lays in his stomach in front of the fireplace, Steve gets up and places the tablet in front of Bucky before he lays next to him.

Bucky feels Steve touching him softly, and a small smile appears on his lips. They both enjoy the movie together, the slight touches, and, of course, the chips.

“This was a great one; I love it. The way those both kiss in front of a fireplace with the mistletoe above their heads,” Steve sighs and sits up. Bucky does the same, looking up for a second before he looks at Steve again. “We have no mistletoe, but we could do the other things you said,” Bucky whispers, looking into Steve’s eyes, and the other man blushes again.

Bucky manages to make him blush whenever he looks at him or talks at him. He can almost just think about Bucky, and he feels the warmth rushing through his body and the goosebumps when they accidentally touch. But he likes the feeling he has with the other man, the warmth and comfort.

Steve smiles at Bucky. “That’s like a cliche, and it would be my first kiss,” he laughs softly and is a bit ashamed. The brown-haired man shrugs and leans closer; his hands find their way to capture Steve’s face, and when his lips are just a few inches away from Steve, he chuckles. “Just because it’s cliche doesn't mean it’s not romantic,” Bucky says, leaning a bit closer. “I would be honored to be your first kiss,” he whispers, kissing Steve.

They move their lips slowly, and Steve’s hands find their home on Bucky’s thighs. He had already imagined his first kiss, but this is way better than he ever expected. And he is glad that Bucky is the one he can share his first kiss with and the one who makes him feel the way he does right now: happy and comfortable.

When they pull away, they look into each other's eyes, smiling wide and catching their breath. “Thank you; this was perfect,” Steve mumbles against Bucky's lips, and Bucky chuckles. “I think so too. What about another movie and some more cuddles and kisses?” He asks, and Steve nods, laying down and snuggling into Bucky's side.

The brown-haired man lays down too and wraps his arm around Steve. They look for another movie, and they both can’t keep their eyes off the other person.

They spent the night together with a lot of kisses and even more cuddles. Steve is the first one who is awake, looking at the man next to him who is sleeping and snoring softly. The blond-haired man giggles lightly before he stands up and looks for his t-shirt.

When he looks out of the window, he sees a lot of snow, maybe one and a half meters high. He makes his way to the kitchen, looking for something he can prepare for breakfast.

Every now and then he looks at Bucky; he can’t get enough of that man, and even when he sleeps, he looks cute. The hair was messy, his legs were spreading, and they made up the space where Steve lay a few minutes ago. Bucky’s arms are wrapped around the pillow, which he pulled on top of him when Steve stood up to make breakfast.

The smell of hot chocolate and pancakes finds its way to Bucky, and he mumbles something while he is half asleep. Steve places everything on the table and walks to Bucky, kissing his face softly until the brown-haired man wraps his arms around him and pulls him closer.

“You’re mine,” Bucky mumbles and looks at Steve. “I’m yours, but can we eat breakfast?” He asks, and Bucky laughs, nodding softly and letting Steve stand up before he does the same. Looking for his shirt.

Steve is already at the table, and when Bucky walks towards him, his eyes widen. “That’s-“ he interrupts himself and sits down as well. “You did all this for me?” He asks when Steve places a plate with a pancake and a heart made with chocolate sprinkles in front of him. “Yes, because I really like you, Bucky,” he says, blushing slightly.

“I like you too, but I need to tell you something,” Bucky says. He bites into his pancake and looks at Steve. “You have a boyfriend? You don’t like boys in that way?” Steve asks, but Bucky shakes his head.

He inhales deeply, smiling at Steve, and then he runs his fingers through his hair. A light chuckle escapes his lips before he bites into the pancake again. “I’m the prince, and I should have told you earlier. But it felt so good that you liked me because I am the person who I am and not because I’m the prince,” he admits, looking at the other man.

Steve's gaze is soft. “Do I need to act differently now? Do you want me to call you sir?” He asks, laughing. “Because when you say yes, then I don't do it. You could have told me, but I’m not mad. It’s understandable that you want people to like you because you’re adorable and lovely, not because you're a prince and rich. As long as you don’t mind that I’m not a prince, I don’t mind that you’re one, my prince,” Steve adds, and Bucky rolls his eyes.

“I don’t mind, but you’re going to be my king,” Bucky says, and he captures Steve’s face with his hands. Then he leans closer and kisses him, feeling the warm, plump lips on his.

Taglist: @nicoline1998enilocin @sergeantbarnessdoll @kandis-mom @identity2212 @km-ffluv @felicitylemon @sweater-bee

[heavenlyakin]

it’s comin’ down - Chigari Hyoma x Fem!Reader 

WC: 630

Warnings: fem!reader, established relationship, fluff, suggestive actions/comments, domestic bliss, barely edited/proofed

Description: A snowed-in day with Hyoma. 

A/n: Thank you @somelattes for the idea!! Hope you enjoy this! MINORS DNI

The white flakes start coming down harder than before. Looking out the window, you see there’s at least six inches of snow accumulated on the ground. You walk away from the kitchen window, heading towards your bedroom and bathroom, hearing the faint sound of Hyoma’s hair dryer. 

“Babe,” you say louder than the blow dryer. 

He looks at you through the mirror, mouthing something, you suppose is yeah. 

“Turn that off,” you laugh, unplugging it and ending the dreadful sound. “It’s a snowstorm out there, I doubt you’ll be able to make it to the practice facility safely.” 

“Is it?” He frowns, moving over to the window, pulling the curtain away from it and peeking out. “Damn,” he scoffs, letting the curtain go and fall back into place. 

“Guess you’re stuck with me today,” you smile, wrapping your arms around his waist and pressing a kiss to his nose. 

He smiles, pulling you in closer, his hands resting on your ass. “Oh no, what will I ever do?” He kisses you, his tongue teasing your bottom lip. You smile against his lips and then pull away. 

“You’ll be pissed if you don’t finish drying your hair if we do anything.” You tease, twirling a piece of his damp red hair between your fingers.

“You’re right, as always,” he rolls his eyes, but smiles. “Finish it for me?” 

“If you insist,” you take the brush and blowdryer from the bathroom vanity. “Sit,” you point to the toilet. 

He puts the lid down and straddles it, so you can work from behind him. Plugging the blow dryer back in, you use the brush to take some of his damp hair and start working on drying his hair to the best of your ability. You don’t take care of you hair at the same level of Hyoma, so you worry he won’t be happy with the way you do things. However, he doesn’t complain. 

“All done,’ you announce after testing the last few strands with your fingers. You put the dryer back in it’s place along with Hyoma’s brush on his side of the vanity. 

You watch as he gets up, inspecting your work and fluffing up his hair. It’s quite cute. “Very good job, baby,” he presses a kiss to your forehead. “Almost as good as I do it.” 

You slap his arm gently, laughing. “Shut up, or I’ll never do it again.” 

“Hey!” He dramatcally rubs his arm. 

“Oh you drama queen, I barely touched you. Plus you don’t even need your arms for your career,” you tease, kissing him quickly. He smiles against your lips and pulls you close again. 

“You’re feisty today.” He whispers against your lips, tilting your chin up with his fringers to make you look him in his pretty eyes. 

“Something about the snow, I guess,” you tease. “We could go play outside.” 

“We could play inside,” he teases, squeezing your ass with his other hand. 

“Only if you beat me in a snowball fight.” You smack his hands away and giggle. “Fair and square. Not like last time.” 

Last time, he’d texted Isagi and Bachira to meet him outside since they live closest to you. You were ambushed the second you walked outside. 

“Fine, I won’t call for backup.” He sighs, pulling away and going to change into warmer clothes to meet you outside. You wait until he’s done before changing, following him out the door. The snow is the the perfect consistency for packing into snowballs. 

In the end, Chigiri absolutely destroyed you, not that you expected much more. He’s just too quick to catch and before the snowballs you threw hit the ground, you’re pounded by two from him. And of course, he makes jokes about pounding you in other ways all the while.

[m-jelly]

Hi there :) If this is good please consider it?: I was thinking pregnant s/o who is full term and the due date is 3 weeks away where there is. Snow storm and Levi is home so reader gives birth at home ? (Hange being the doctor 😫)

Snowstorm

Pairing: Levi x Reader

Genre and tags: Romance, fluff, married couple, Dr Hange, pregnant reader, snow storm, birth, sheriff Levi, country living.

Concept: You're three weeks away from having your baby boy and a snow storm hits your town. You and Levi hope it blows over, but the storm stays and the snow won't stop. You go into labour a few days from your due date and can't get to the hospital. Levi calls Hange to help deliver the baby. Levi rushes into the snow and helps bring Hange and their things over to you. You bring your son into the world with a close friend at your side and your husband.

Tag list: @ladycheesington @levisbrat25 @skittlelover69 @strawberrybunny123 @nyxiieluna @li-anne @galactict3a @notgoodforlife @demonsimp6

You waddled like a penguin into the living room as the weather report came on. You placed the tray of snacks and drinks down on the coffee table as you watched the report. "Damn, a snowstorm huh?"

Levi opened the front door in his winter sheriff things. He kicked off the small amount of snow on his boots. "Honey, I'm home."

"Hey, bear."

He slipped his boots off and hooked up his jacket. "How are you and Evan?"

"We're good." You looked over at him as he walked into the living room. "Snowstorm is coming. I'm worried about having the baby." You rubbed your bump. "What if we can't make it to the hospital?"

Levi hugged you from behind. "We'll be okay, I promise. I'll call up Dr Hange and their wife Nurse Alyssa to see if they can help if we get snowed in."

You relaxed in his arms. "You're right, they both will look after us if we do."

Levi helped you sit on the sofa. "Rest, relax and enjoy yourself. I'm home now, so let me look after you."

You smiled at him. "Thank you. Was work okay?"

"Yeah, I was just helping farmers prepare for the snow." He sat between your legs before putting your legs over his shoulders. He hummed and massaged your feet. "Tch shit it's going to be bad."

"You think Hange and Alyssa will help us?"

"Yes." He pulled his phone out and texted Hange. "They're in if the storm is bad."

You sighed. "I feel a lot better now."

Levi kissed your leg. "I'm glad." He picked up a chocolate muffin and ate it. "Mm, there's banana in this."

"I'm honoured you noticed."

He nipped your leg making you giggle. You hummed as Levi touched you more before you both went to bed together and had a little fun. The next few days the snow got worse and worse. Levi would go out and deal with it around the house and the road outside your home.

Levi shovelled snow and stopped when he saw the storm clouds getting closer. "Tch, too late." He looked back at the house to see you in the window looking pained and worried. He hurried inside. "Honey?"

You nibbled your lip. "I need the hospital."

He looked at your trousers to see you'd changed them. "Your water break?"

You nodded. "And I've been timing the pain. Our son is coming today."

Levi looked down the street at the storm. "Honey, I don't think we can get to the hospital. The storm is coming."

You stepped out and looked. "Oh, you're right. Shit." You nibbled your lip. "What do we do?"

He ushered you into the house. "I'll call Hange and their wife."

"Thank you."

He cupped your face and wiped your tears. "It's going to be okay."

You nodded. "Yes, yes it is." You grabbed Levi's coat and groaned in pain. "Levi."

He closed the door and put his coat up. He moved you to the living you. "Wait here. Let me set up some towels."

You started your breathing exercises and watched as it got dark. "Levi?"

He lay everything out for you. "I'm off to go collect them now." He helped you sit on the blankets. "I'll be quick, I swear."

You rubbed your belly. "Go." You smiled at him. "Thank you for getting them. Thank you for doing this for me and the baby."

He smiled. "I love you both."

You pushed him. "Now go!" You giggled. "Go."

He ran to the door and pulled on his snow things. He went out into the snow and walked from his home to Hange's. He banged on their door. "Hange! Alyssa!"

Alyssa opened the door for Levi. "Oh, hey Levi."

"My wife is going into labour and the storm is coming in. Please, help."

Hange ran up behind their wife. "Bag is all ready! Let's bring a life into this world! Alyssa? Get my special bags!"

Levi hugged himself. "Can we hurry? The storm is coming and if we don't leave soon, we won't be able to get back to my wife!"

Hange ran out with bags. "Ready!"

Levi sighed as he watched Alyssa run after locking the door. "Both too hyper. Tch, you both better tone it down when we get to my place!"

Alyssa grinned. "Can't believe you're having a baby with my dear friend."

"Hm."

Hange nodded. "It's shocking, right? A cute thing like her ending up with a grumpy man like him."

Levi groaned. "I'm going to regret this..." He led both to his house just as the snow started. He unlocked the door to hear your scream of pain. He shouted your name and ran to you. "I'm here!"

You huffed and puffed. "You made it!" You smiled as sweat poured off you. "I'm so glad."

Hange slammed the front door. "Let's make a baby!"

Alyssa laughed. "Babe? The baby has already been made."

"Oh yeah..."

You groaned a little in pain. "Guys? Little help here!"

Hange hurried over and step up their things. "Alright, I'm going to put my fingers up there to check."

You blushed. "Sure."

Hange pulled on gloves and checked. "We're on our way to delivery. Alyssa? I need warm water please."

Alyssa winked. "On it!"

"We're gonna stay kneeling for the birth, okay? Gravity will help us out."

You held Levi's arms. "Perfect."

Levi held your arms and smiled. "You're doing wonderful."

You smiled at him. "I love you."

He kissed you. "Love you too." He helped you put your hair up. "There. Do we need to change her clothes?"

Hange hummed. "Possibly. Just a long shirt will do."

Alyssa ran upstairs. "On it!" She ran back down with a bedshirt. "This one?"

You smiled. "Thank you."

She handed it to Levi. "I'll be back with that water!"

Levi helped you out of your clothes and into the shirt. "There."

You laughed. "Can't believe two close friends have seen me half naked and one is touching my insides." You let out a long sigh. "Should I call the mayor Erwin's wife and to come see?"

Alyssa placed the water down. "She'd love to be here. Us three girls together, it'll be nice."

Levi shook his head. "Having a baby is not the right time for a girl's night."

"I dunno, it'll be fun."

You laughed. "Love the thought, but I'm good for now." You gripped Levi hard and cried out. "Shit."

Alyssa looked out the window. "Storm is here."

Hange glanced outside. "Oh pretty!"

Levi growled. "Would you two focus!?"

Hange checked. "Oh! Oh we're ready! Alyssa? Water!"

Levi watched in awe as his two hyper friends suddenly become laser focused and helped you out. You were cleaned, given support, helped with breathing techniques and guided perfectly through the birth. He held your arms and let you squeeze him so tightly as you worked through the pain. He showered you in praise as you smiled at him when you weren't hurting.

You gasped when you felt your son come out. You laughed when you heard his sobs. "I did it!"

Levi cupped your face. "You're fucking incredible. I love you."

You laughed as he showered your sweaty face in kisses. "I love you too."

"I'm so proud of you."

Hange moved your son and handed him to their wife. "I need you to push the afterbirth and then we'll start cleaning you up."

Levi held you as you did and lay you back when you were done. "Good girl."

Alyssa cradled your son and carefully cleaned him. "He's perfectly healthy, breathing well and has all his toes. There are no extra surprises!"

Hange smiled and checked the little one over. "You're right, he's perfect and very chunky." They picked up your son and handed him over. "There you go, mummy."

You welled up and cried happy tears as you held your son. "Look at him."

Levi sat next to you and put his arm around you. "He's perfect." He looked over at his friends. "Thank you. I owe you."

Alyssa opened her arms. "Bebe then."

Hange laughed. "No babe, we're not having their baby. Don't joke around with them, okay? Joke later, for now let them bask in being parents."

"Got it."

"But it has got me thinking. You looked good holding him."

Alyssa blushed. "Yeah...so did you."

Levi sighed. "This is cute and all, but we need to focus on staying warm, keeping the house powered and making sure my wife doesn't have complications."

Hange checked you over and dressed you with Alyssa's help. "All clean and sorted. She just needs rest."

"Got it." Levi helped you up and moved you to the bedroom. "Rest, my love."

You lay on your side with your son lying next to you. "He's so perfect. I can't thank the Zoe's enough."

"We'll get them something." He lay on the other side and smiled at you as he placed his hand on his son. "You were incredible."

"Thank you."

Hange peeked around the door. "Hey, mummy and daddy, we doing alright in here?"

You gave a thumbs up. "Good. Everything is numb right now, but I'll pester you for drugs later. Oh, and Hange? Thank you to you and your wife. You're both incredible. I am blessed to have friends like you."

Hange grinned. "Anything for you two. Get some rest, okay?"

"Take our guest room. You and Alyssa need sleep."

"Thank you! We will!"

Levi sighed when Hange closed the door. "It's like having two toddlers full of sugar."

You giggled. "They're sweet."

[softstraykidshours]

stray kids fic-mas: day 3

pairing: jeongin x gn!reader

genre: fluff

summary: while visiting your family for the holidays, jeongin discovers something magical.

length: 508

warnings: none

ficmas 2022 masterlist

"wooooooooah," jeongin says in amazement as he stares out the window of the bedroom.

you sleepily roll over, not even realizing he had woken up. you blink your eyes slowly to get adjusted to the light streaming in the room. once you're a little more awake, you glance over to where he stands in the window.

"whatcha looking at, love?" you ask, voice grumbly from sleep.

"all the snow," he replies without even looking away.

you and jeongin are staying at your parent's house for the holidays, and your hometown happens to get a lot more snow than jeongin's. you told him last night before going to bed that there was going to be a snowstorm overnight, but he didn't realize it would mean this much.

you lazily walk over to the window and wrap your arms around him to gaze outside with him. it had snowed easily over 15 inches.

you look up at him, and you can't help but fondly laugh to yourself. he looks like a kid in a candy store with the way his pupils are dilated, and his mouth hangs open in awe at the white landscape outside.

"hey," you nudge him a little bit to get his attention, and he finally looks at you for the first time since you woke up. "how about we eat some breakfast and then we can go outside and play in the snow?"

jeongin's face lights up with a wide grin. "let's do it!"

you swear you've never seen jeongin eat a meal faster in his life. he's so excited to go outside in the snow. he's like a little kid all over again, and it just warms your heart. he's always so stressed from work, so you're thankful that he's actually able to enjoy himself and have fun on this trip.

you both get all bundled up in the appropriate snow gear before making your way outside. the first thing he does is flop down onto the snow. you join him soon after and the next thing you know, you're both making snow angels. you spend the rest of they day teaching him how to make snowmen, having snowball fights, and making snow forts. before you even know, it's starting to get dark outside.

"we should probably go inside, i promised my dad i would help with dinner," you finally say, making your way over to where jeongin is standing in the yard. "plus i'm getting a little chilly, some hot cocoa sounds nice right now."

you wrap you arms around him and stare up at him as he looks down at you, both of your noses have turned a bright shade of red from the cold air.

"did you have fun today?" you ask with a soft smile.

he leans down to kiss the tip of your nose, his warm lips feeling tingly against your cold skin. "i did, thank you so much."

he takes your hand in his as he pulls you inside the house into the warmth.

[nian-7]

Maki Kuwana x gn!reader

✧December 19th - Snowed In

✧christmas event

" Aw, man! " Maki slumped into the couch as she looked at her phone. " Classes are cancelled today because of the snow! " She sighed, showing you the email from TUA that stated classes would be cancelled because the snow was so thick outside. You hummed for a moment, scrolling down to read the rest of the email.

" Man.. sucks since you can't just work on your sculptures at home, " You leaned back into the couch again, groaning as the realization then hit you. " I left my piece in the classroom so I can't even work on mine either... " You both sighed, staring at the colorful tv screen, flashing as Maki flipped through a few of the channel.

" Nothing good is on either! " She stood up, dragging you up by the arm and dragged you with her as she walked down the hall towards her room. " Might as well chill here till we gotta get up then. " She smiled at you before laying on the bed and pulling you down next to her.

She laid her head on you, beginning to scroll on her Instagram feed, occasionally taking your attention away from your own phone to look at the reel she was showing to you. It was certainly peaceful even with the window shining brightly with the sparkly white snow that didn't seem like it was going to stop soon.

You felt Maki stretch and cuddle up to you more, her phone tossed to the edge of the bed as she had now decided to watch the game you were playing on your own phone. A yawn left her mouth soon after as she got comfortable.

" Hey, Maki- Oh, what's up, (name)? I didn't know you came over, " Yuki poked her head in, greeting you when she saw you laying with Maki on the bed.

" Yeah, I've been here since before the snow started but now I can't get back home so.. " You gave an awkward laugh, trying to sound apologetic.

" No worries, I wouldn't want to go back home in that snowstorm anyways. Either way, what'd you guys want for lunch? " Yuki looked at the two of you, waiting for an answer as Maki rubbed her eyes.

" Whatever's fine, I don't mind.. " She wrapped her arms around you, her eyelids getting heavy.

" Mmk. I'll go get something then. " She nodded and waved a goodbye to you as she slipped back out of the room.

" You tired? "

" Yes, I'm tired! " You hummed, a smile coming to your face as you looked over at her tired expression as her eyes closed.

" I'll wake you when lunch is ready then. " She gave a tired grumble in response, hopefully acknowledging the statement.

please do not repost any of my work without my permission, thank you for reading.

[idatenjumpfanatic]

Hot Chocolate (Gabu x Makoto)

Aight, as the poll dictates, here's a Gabu x Makoto oneshot I wrote back in 2020, now posted here in Tumblr!

As per my old A/N, the two are 15 y/o

Also, I'm not taking more requests, sorry! I just saw a long discussion about this ship so I figured I would bring this here too for those interested

Word count: 3.7k

=================

"I'll be out in a bit!"

Makoto ran downstairs, throwing a scarf around her neck while putting on her mittens. "Where are you going?" Kyoichi asked concernedly as he walked out of the kitchen. Makoto didn't even look at him as she rushed to put on her boots.

"The new candy store just opened yesterday, and Sho told me they're selling my favorites, so I have to go," Makoto explained.

"The dagashiya from the next block?" Kyoichi asked.

"Yup!"

Makoto stood up, putting on her sling bag over her shoulders. "All right, but hurry back, the snowstorm's about to hit anytime soon," Kyoichi advised. Makoto bade farewell once more before heading to the garage to take her MTB. Years may have passed, but her love for MTB never faltered, and the feeling was mutual for her brother and friends. Quickly she rode off, plunging herself into the chilly winter world outside.

It was Christmas break, and everyone in the neighborhood seemed to be enjoying the calm afternoon. It had snowed for quite some time already, so it was the opportunity for the people of all ages to unleash their creativity in the white snow all around them... or simply avoid the cold outdoors and stay inside.

After a few minutes, Makoto stopped in front of a store. It was evident that it was new, seen from the balloons that framed the entrance and the large speakers that blared nostalgic music. Without a doubt, she was there, and surprisingly enough the dagashiya was much larger than a typical neighborhood candy store.

She put her Neptune in the bike parking before heading in, grateful to have her face be greeted with literal warmth. Inside was much bigger than it looked, with a sign of an arcade leading to the stairway at the side. "Can you even call this a dagashiya?" Makoto wondered. There were children of all ages swarming the place, overwhelmed by the practically limitless choices of snacks to decide on.

However, tempting as it was, Makoto brushed these other options aside and began searching for the ones she was familiar with; she knew well enough that a lot of people, especially those within her age range, would flock into dagashiyas im search of their childhood candies, so she didn't want to waste time on exploring before the nostalgic ones ran out.

As she went through the store, she found some of the sweets that were on her mental list and took them, and she was quite happy with this. Though, her satisfaction was not met until her eyes fell on a particular chocolate-strawberry bar, and it was the last one, too. Makoto stared at it in awe, before she broke into a gleeful grin; if she were to rank sweets, this one would surely top on her list.

"Nope."

Just as Makoto was about to have that blissful moment of having such a beloved candy wrapped around her fingers, someone else had managed to snatch it before her. She retracted in surprise before whipping her head at the culprit that separated her from the chocolate.

"Hey, that's mine!"

Gabu gave her a scoff. "Yours?" he questioned mockingly. He waved the bar in front of Makoto like a flag of victory. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm the one who got it first, so it's mine," he stated proudly. He gave the candy another good look before stashing it in his basket. Makoto growled, mentally cursing the redhead before her.

"You don't even like chocolate strawberry," she grumbled angrily under her breath.

Gabu smirked, enjoying the sight of the fuming girl. Dare he even say that he found it... cute. "So what? I take whatever I want since I can, so deal with it," he shot back, pushing back the last though he just had. No way would he admit that! He turned around and left to scour through what else the dagashiya had to offer. Makoto huffed as she crossed her arms, disappointed to have failed to get the candy bar.

While Gabu walked around, he spotted a particular blue box that stood alone in a shelf. His eyes widened in surprise, for it was none other than a a pack summer-special orange flavor pocky sticks. "It's not even summer," Gabu breathed. The idea of getting a rare seasonal candy was appealing for him, though.

He quickly reached for the box, but before he could get his hands on it a purple gloved hand managed to take it before he could. "Oh wow, it's the limited-edition Brazilian orange pocky!" Makoto gasped. She then shot her head up, giving Gabu a teasing close-eyed smile as she tucked the box in her own basket.

"Sorry, but this is mine," she said, "thank you for showing me, though!"

"I found it first!" Gabu complained.

Makoto opened her eyes and readily put out her hand. "Then, let's trade," she offered. Gabu clicked his tongue, annoyed to have fallen for the girl's schemes. If anything, he refused to succumb to any of what was happening. "The choco strawberry for the orange pocky," Makoto insisted, her smile never leaving.

She was aware that she had the upper hand as she knew Gabu had a taste for both minty and tangy sweets, just like how he knew that chocolate strawberry was her absolute favorite. How they found out, it was through a long and heated argument about candies that they had years ago, and since then neither of them had forgotten.

"I'm not playing your games," Gabu denied, his voice hinted with a bit of bitterness. "You can have that damn box of sticks."

Makoto frowned, a bit taken aback by the refusal. "Well, I'm not going to stop bugging you until you agree," she pointed out. There was a visible drop of sweat that rolled at the side of Gabu's face as the boy gave her a half-lidded stare.

"You must really want this chocolate," he muttered.

Gabu then whirled around, shocking Makoto even more. "Then suffer," he told her plainly. He then began to walk away, but Makoto followed close behind to continue proposing her offer. After a few minutes of being stalked, Gabu was starting to get annoyed by the constant tail that he had been ignoring the whole time. With a groan, he gave in.

"Fine."

He stopped and took out the candy bar. Makoto lit up like an excited puppy at the sight of the chocolate finally being handed to her, but just as she was about to take it Gabu pulled it away. "The pocky," he demanded in a monotone. Makoto let her expression drop before rummaging through her basket and taking out the box of pocky.

"Same time."

At a mental count of three, the two simultaneously put out the candies for trade, and with their free hand, grabed a hold of the other sweet. Having satisfied to get his favored snack, Gabu went off to the counter. However, he caught Makoto still following him.

"What are you doing?"

"To go to the cashier, duh."

Gabu flinched a bit, catching up to his own thoughts. He assumed that Makoto wanted something else from him, when really they were just coincidentally heading at the same direction. Flustered, he looked away and hurried to the cashier without a word. Makoto wasn't numb to this and noticed Gabu's sudden freeze, but she brushed it aside.

"Oh dear, the storm's coming."

Both Gabu and Makoto's ears perked at the clerk's comment. "Let me finish this up quickly, so you kids can go home before you get stranded," the clerk told them worriedly. She scanned the items in quick succession, and as soon as Gabu paid she began to scan Makoto's. Deciding it was a faster way, Gabu bagged up his goods on his own, to which the clerk was visibly relieved at.

"But what about you?" Makoto asked.

"I still have to close up the store, but I'll be fine sweetie don't worry."

While the clerk was punching in the payment, Makoto felt her phone ring in her bag. She quickly answered it, and she was immediately greeted by her brother's worried voice.

"Makoto, are you not done yet?"

"Just paid," she reported. "I ran into a little problem earlier..."

At that note, she lightly glared at Gabu, who raised a brow at her in return. "Has the storm hit there?" Kyoichi asked. Makoto looked outside through the glass doors, where she could see the snowfall slowly getting stronger. "Not yet," Makoto told him.

"Well it has here."

"Already?!"

"And I'm not quite sure how far in the storm is here. I would advise you to head home now, but..."

Kyoichi's voice trailed off, hesitancy clear as a sunny day. Noticing the worry in Makoto's face, Gabu decided to speak up. "What's the hold up? Expecting me to bag your food, too?" he quipped. Makoto shot him another glare, but answered anyways.

"The storm reached my block, so Kyoichi isn't sure if I should head back now."

"Well I just practically live across the street so you can stay with me and Taiga for the time being."

As soon as he finished his statement, Gabu froze up. The words just slipped out of his mouth that he didn't even realize what he was saying until he said it. He couldn't find an excuse to take back his words when he really meant it. Fortunately though, Makoto was too wrapped up with her own worries that she didn't see Gabu's reaction.

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yeah..."

Makoto gave him a quick hopeful smile, and the sight of it was enough to tug at his heartstrings. He wouldn't dare confess to such feelings, but it would seem that he was too obvious that he noticed the clerk giving him a knowing look.

"Yes, he said he lives here... okay, I will... of course, I love you."

Makoto ended the call, letting out a sigh of relief. "Kyoichi said it's fine, and I'll call him as soon as the storm stops," she announced. "Aight, get your bag and let's get out of here," Gabu instructed. Makoto did so, waving the clerk goodbye as she exited. Once they were outside, the two teens were slapped by the harsh cold winds.

"Hurry up."

Gabu led the way, and not even a minute after they stopped at the gates of a house. He opened the gate and let Makoto inside. He led her to the garage, and at the push of a button the door slowly slid up.

"Gabu, you didn't even bring your MTB, why are you--oh."

Taiga, who was inside the garage tuning his MTB, stopped himself from his nagging when he saw that his brother was not alone. "She's stranded with us for the meantime," Gabu explained flatly, pointing at Makoto behind him with a thumb. "Well, since you're here you handle her right now. I'm heading to the kitchen," he followed, and without waiting for a response he entered the house, much to Taiga's dismay.

"Hello, Makoto. Please, come inside."

Makoto greeted him with a bow before entering. Taiga stood up from his work and closed the garage door with the button inside, keeping any more warmth of the home from seeping out. "I take it you were at the dagashiya?" he guessed, and Makoto nodded. He then ushered her inside, where it was even warmer. While Makoto took off her boots, they talked.

"I'll get you a blanket."

"Thank you Taiga, but that isn't necessary."

"Then, how about staying at the kotatsu?"

"No way, you have those?!"

Taiga chuckled at Makoto's response. "Since Gabu practically ditched you, that makes you my guest," he reasoned out. "So, would you like to?" He didn't have to ask again before Makoto eagerly agreed. He led her to the living room, where a kotatsu was set up in replacement of the usual coffee table. There were cushions around it that served as something to lean on.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll just go get something."

Makoto didn't wait another second and took off her mittens, coat and scarf, which were all starting to turn sticky due to the snow melting off on it. She folded them neatly and set them at the edge of the kotatsu before tucking herself under the table. She immediately felt the warmth of the futon, sliding her freezing arms underneath it as well.

"That's my spot."

Makoto looked up from relishing the hotness of the kotatsu and saw Gabu giving her an annoyed look. In one hand was a can and two mugs with a spoon each, and in the other was a kettle. "I'd apologize, but you leaving me in the cold like that makes me not want to," Makoto pointed out. Gabu's scowl only deepened, but the redhead didn't bother to reply and instead placed the items he held on the table before settling in adjacent to Makoto.

As Gabu popped the can open to prepare his hot chocolate, he noticed that Makoto was staring at him, perhaps since the moment he set the can down. "What are you looking at?" he asked. Makoto jolted, her face flushing once she realized what she was doing. "I was wondering what kind of chocolate that is," she admitted, pointing to the can. Gabu gawked at her, as if he heard the most sacrilegious thing in the world.

"Don't mess with me," Gabu huffed. "You, of all people, would not know the existence of hot chocolate drops?"

Makoto narrowed her eyes at him, seeming more offended by the accusation. "Excuse me, but not knowing one thing doesn't make me an abomination of the candies," she shot back. Gabu rolled his eyes, tipping the can and letting two packs of drops spill out. "So much for a chocolate enthusiast," he murmured.

Makoto was about to open her mouth to retort, but decided against it as she figured she wouldn't go through another lengthy debate about sweets with Gabu; the last one they had lasted for a week. That's how passionate they were with candies, and equally determined to prove their points right as well.

...and perhaps the only way they could find an actual reason to talk to each other.

As kids, neither had any real purpose of interacting. Questions about MTBs? Sho, Kakeru, and Kyoichi would provide for Makoto. Schoolworks? Gabu couldn't care less about it, in contrast to Makoto. Sweets? Now that's the common ground they had.

Ever since their first debate on it, they got that reason. They would bump into each other in just about every place there'd be something sweet; cafes, ice cream parlors, candy stores. Name it, they've met there once or twice, and it would either lead to them arguing which is better or having a discussion without being at each others' throats. Since a time neither could pinpoint, feelings began to creep its way to their chests at the mere sight of each other, but even it was obvious, neither dare admit.

"So is this one for me?"

Makoto pointed to the mug that Gabu wasn't bothering. "Well, duh. You're my guest," Gabu replied as if he was stating the most obvious thing. Makoto could feel her cheeks suddenly warm up, but she hid it away by not so subtly lifting the futon over half of her face. Gabu watched her in amusement, seeing how dumbly was trying to cover her blush. Now, he could tell the obvious reasons for her face turning red, but he'd rather pretend it was from the cold... even if they were already inside.

"Hey, let that go. I'm going to educate you how to make hot chocolate using this."

Gabu hastily pried off the blanket from Makoto's face. With one hand he held hers, while he took one of the drop packs with the other. He placed the pack on Makoto's hand that he held before finally letting go.

"Her hands are freezing," he thought.

In contrast, Makoto felt that Gabu's hand was freakishly warm, like a moving hot compress. It was only for a short moment, but the feeling of Gabu's hand on hers was something she found quite indulging. Gabu was talking about something, most likely about the proper way of melting the chocolate, but Makoto was too absorbed in her own thoughts to actually listen.

Dare she admit, she want to touch his hands again.

"I don't think I have to explain why the milk shouldn't come to a boiling point, but-"

Gabu stopped from his explanation, noticing that Makoto was clearly lost in thought with her distant eyes. "You... weren't listening..." he trailed off, sweatdropping. He was disappointed that Makoto wasn't listening, so he figured to just make the drinks. He poured the hot milk from the kettle and into the two mugs, which already contained the hot chocolate drops.

"Here."

Makoto blinked at the sudden contact of the mug to her fingers, feeling the nearly burning sensation that seemingly thawed her freezing hand. "You'll be fine here, it's not like I'm going to imprison you," Gabu huffed. There was an underlying tone of concern in his voice, and a bit that showed on his face, but he was more of annoyed by the fact he was ignored throughout his explanation.

"That... uh, wasn't what I was thinking about."

Gabu raised a brow at her, unconvinced, as he stirred his drink. "Whatever, just try out the hot chocolate," he replied. "This is one of the best, so I reckon you'd find any bad critic of this." Makoto hummed, feeling challenged by the statement. She picked up the spoon and stirred her own drink, watching as the rich brown chocolate swirled in with the milk.

She then rose the mug to taste the hot chocolate, but then suddenly stopped before her lips touched the rim. "This isn't a trick, is it?" She accused, lowering her mug. Gabu immediately stopped drinking to give her an offended look.

"Last time you made me taste a chocolate you bought, you made me pay for it, literally!"

Gabu opened his mouth to deny, but he slowly closed it as he tried to recall such memory. His face scrunched for a while, and then his lips drew to a flat line as he remembered the instance Makoto mentioned.

"Well, you can rest easy, I didn't plan to do that this time."

"Oh, really?"

"I planned to give you one of these, just didn't expect it to be now."

Makoto's eyes widened in shock. Gabu returned to his drink, but turning away at the same time to hide his tinted cheeks. "Oh... thank you," Makoto breathed, smiling widely. She looked down on her mug, and as she began to drink she savored in the luscious smell of chocolate that overpowered the milk.

As soon as she took a sip, her eyes lit up with surprise. "This is good!" she exclaimed happily. Gabu smirked upon seeing her reaction. "See? And here I thought you'd force yourself to fight against it," he noted quietly.

"Hey, if it's good, I'll admit it's good," Makoto admitted proudly.

After a long silence, Gabu dared to give a glance at the girl beside him. Makoto was evidently enjoying the new kind of hot chocolate, and after a bit she looked over to the window. Her joyous expression suddenly faded, changing to a more dejected one as she watched the storm ensue violently outside.

"Still worried, huh?"

Makoto tore her gaze away when she felt something warm envelope her hand that laid on the table. She looked down at her hand, then up to Gabu. The boy had his eyes closed, and from the way he held her hand she knew that he was unusually tense. "Look, we have no clue how long this storm will last, but Taiga contacted Kyoichi already, so he knows you're safe here."

"I'll make sure of it."

Makoto stared at him, at a loss of words. She was touched by such a sincere assurance, but her silence was only making Gabu more anxious. "That's... well, if it's you, then I'm not that worried at all," she finally mustered to say. Gabu, with his ever growing blush, willed himself to open his eyes, and what greeted him was something he could only call enchanting.

Makoto was smiling warmly, her brown eyes gleaming with such softness. She gently placed her other hand on top of Gabu's, and the reassuring act was enough to put the both of them at ease. Gabu let out a breath, relieved that he didn't embarrass himself. Though, with his nervousness gone, he realized that he made such a direct move.

Having no excuse to break contact, Gabu opted for the best choice he could think of at the moment and immediately yanked his hand away. He coughed through his fist and awkwardly looked away. Makoto, although taken aback by the sudden action, couldn't help but giggle at his fiddly behavior.

"While you're here, and since we just came from the dagashiya, I wanna see what you got from there. Definitely nothing better than what I got, that's for sure."

Recovering from the sweet moment earlier, Makoto narrowed her eyes as her lips curled to a challenging smirk. "Oh, I'm confident with my candies, that's for sure," she declared proudly. Gabu returned the grin.

"We'll see."

As the two started their debate, Taiga chuckled silently, for he'd been watching them from the staircase the whole time. "I'm glad to see your attempts have become successful, brother," he laughed quietly before standing up. He knew Gabu had been purposely going to the same places that Makoto went ever since he started to have a liking for her, but heavens forbid him to be honest with himself from the very beginning.

[1rsoldiersince2012]

Bound by Law (Matt Murdock x reader)

Words: 2354 (chapter 12)

Summary:

You and Matt met in the courtroom. Now, you may think that Matt was a knight in shining armour and defended you in the name of all United States laws, but that was not the case. Matt was totally destroying your client, and you wanted to tear him into pieces right then and right there, because with Murdock as your rival, your head is on the firm's plate with each case. Did Matt care? No, he only cared about bringing justice, he was a human-machine, driven by the need to bring righteousness no matter the cost. Or was he just that? What happens when you get involved in Fisk's business and Daredevil's lies against your will?

UPDATES EVERY FRIDAY

Find my other accounts on ao3 and wattpad under the same name <3

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1rSoldierSince2012

wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/1rsoldierSince2012

12. Coffee Delusions

"Yes?" Wesley asks, putting down his briefcase on the empty seat next to him.

"Hey, it's me." You say, getting in your car.

"Hello, y/n." Wesley's voice immediately softens. Fisk takes a notice of it, trying to listen as much of you speaking on the other side as he can.

"I'll be quick, just you know, wanted to give you a heads up that I'm quite free this week, for all I know now..." suddenly you get embarrassed for even calling him.

"Oh, that sounds amazing. You want to meet some time then?" Wesley asks, looking at Fisk in front of him, and the latter nods.

"That would be great. If you're not busy, of course."

"I am... A little. But for you, I can find some free time, when is good for you?" Wesley looks outside the window, possibly for the first time feeling like he couldn't hold Fisk's stare.

"Clear your schedule for tonight?" You ask, looking back at the firm's building, feeling like the place suddenly gave you a cold shoulder.

"Absolutely."

"I'll text you the address then." You say and wait a bit for him to say something else.

"Great. Can't wait to see you again."

"Yeah, me too. Bye, James."

"See you later." He ends the phone call, daring to look at Fisk.

"You'll manage the business?" Fisk asks.

"It's not the first time I multi-task." Wesley leans back in the seat, closing his eyes for a moment, and not seeing the raised eyebrow on Fisk's face.

*** Foggy and Matt were busy trying to make things for Healy better, although there was not much hope. Karen almost got bribed for the absolute silence; Hogarth made another shady deal, Benowitz was busy fucking that newbie lawyer from the 1st floor, and Fisk went to the gallery to look at the Rabbit in a Snowstorm painting again, finding it hard to forget Vanessa's pretty face. Fisk thought that he understood Wesley more than anyone else in the world, he thought of him as a friend, partner, sometimes even as a son, and today he felt like he saw a totally different man in front of him in that car. Usually, Fisk would order to get rid of any possible distractions, yet now that he started to feel something other than constant hatred, and it was directed towards a beautiful woman, Fisk dared to risk his best man and companion and let him get involved with something else than business.

You? You were trying to put up a look for the date. It wasn't really a date, although you considered it to be one, so you could make yourself look as good as you could. Dresses were not an option, since in the afternoon it got quite chilly, skirts were crossed out too, and that left you in dark blue suit pants and jacket again, but this time you decided to wear a warmer blouse underneath.

Wesley entered the Café precisely a minute before seven, but already found you sitting in the corner seat. His outfit was the same as he wore in the morning, just the suit went darker by three shades. Hand behind his back, he was walking confidently, looking around until he noticed you and a smirk escaped his lips. Getting at your table, he stopped, and pulled out a single red rose. "A beautiful flower for a beautiful woman."

You hated roses.

"Thank you." You blush slightly, feeling not ready to return to the dating world after all those years, and pretending that you liked the flower. After all, it was a nice gesture, especially in times like these, when men didn't care about bringing flowers to dates.

"I hope I didn't make you wait." He sits down, and you notice that he's not wearing a tie, few buttons of his shirt, unbutonned.

"No, not at all."

"Have you ordered anything yet? Coffee?" He puts his phone on the table, although he planned on leaving business out of his life this evening.

"Not yet, but I was thinking about it."

Wesley waves for the waiter and quickly orders, "black coffee for me and for the lady..."

"A latte. Thank you." you smile at the young woman, and she leaves your table just as fast as she came. "So, James, how was your day?" You put the rose in the middle of the table, as if dividing the table in two, and lean forward a bit.

"Quite... Adventurous. How was yours?" He leans forward too, smiling warmly, eyes not leaving yours.

"Interesting, I might say."

"I uh... Watched your court yesterday." He begins, only to be interrupted by your heavy sigh.

"No, not you too."

"I gotta say, you were amazing." Wesley laughs, complimenting you. "Truly, you deserve that spot on the billboard."

"God, I'm reminded of it every day."

"I'm sorry if this offended you in some way, y/n."

"No, it's all right, don't work yourself over it." You quickly change the topic from yourself. "So, did you buy that naked lady painting? Is it hanging in your bedroom?" You smirk, and Wesley quickly catches up with your thoughts.

"Why, would you like to see it?"

"I wasn't particularly fond of it at the gallery, so I would have to think twice about that." You say, biting the corner of your lip.

"What if I told you that I didn't buy it?" Wesley steps up his game.

"Then I would say, with a great sorrow in my heart, that you are an idiot." You put your hand on your heart for a theatrical exaggeration, and Wesley's eyes wander to your chest, and your hand, adorned with a ring. How he wished to hold your hand in that moment--

"I guess it's entirely up to you to find out whether I am an idiot or not." He smirks instead, thanking the waiter for the coffee that she just put down on the table.

"You don't look like a man who would trouble a lady with such responsibility."

"What do I look like then?" He asks, genuinely interested of what women thought of him, yet your answer would differ from the others, because after all, you were no ordinary woman, so different from everyone he has met.

"You look like you handle your business yourself... And enjoy it very much." Taking a sip of your latte, you answer mysteriously.

"I see you're very insightful." Wesley fixes his glasses, there was something about you so similar to him, and it wasn't the thing you called 'accident', of which he knew, obviously, but he felt something else. Maybe it was the way you presented yourself, or maybe your remarks, that you were saying so naturally. Maybe, just maybe, Wesley was affected by your beauty.

"I blame this on my job. As a lawyer, I just can't let things slide past me." You sip again, "speaking of jobs, what do you do at Confed Global?"

Wesley knew you'd ask this. It was a natural question, part of every simple conversation. "I... Take care of investments, and regulate company's purchases."

"Hm, important job."

"Yes," he laughs shortly, "indeed. How long have you worked as a lawyer?" He knew that already. Year and a half.

"Almost two years." You say proudly, although your company was nothing to be proud of.

"Why did you decide to become a lawyer? I mean, it's such a difficult job, and the studies, the clients... I wouldn't even think about it." He knew why.

"Some things just come to you. But I guess I wanted a change, and to prove that some good things still exist in the world." You lie. Partially.

He knows why you are who you are right now, and it wasn't because of proving goodness in the world, it was because you wanted to run away from yourself, from what you did, setting your job as a constant punishment for your deed. "Spoken like a true poet." He smiles instead, because after all, who was he to judge you, when he was made out of the same clay, perhaps even worse one.

"I hated literature in school." You admit.

"What did you like then?" Wesley raises his eyebrows from behind the cup.

"History. Facts. Not something you create while in the state of delirium. What was your go-to thing in high school?"

He thinks for a moment. No one's actually asked him this in a long time, "History is just a past, I like to make things for the future. I liked maths."

"You know how freaky you look now? No one likes math." You whisper, and then laugh, Wesley breaks into a smile as well. Who would've thought that you were actually fun to hang out with? Aside from your image of a woman who knows what she wants and gets exactly that, and the image of a hard-to-reach woman, combined into one, you were totally different when you opened yourself up to others. But the thing was... You never opened up to others. Not to anyone.

"That didn't seem to scare you off." He raises an eyebrow.

"Please, I've sat with cold-blooded murderers side by side, one math geek doesn't scare me." It's true. Life of a lawyer.

"Two would?" Wesley asks. You didn't know yet that he was indeed a cold-blooded killer. Maybe you won't live up to learn that. For some reason he hoped to hide his criminal activity from you for as long as possible, but that was impossible.

"I don't think you guys are walking in pairs." You say, smiling behind the cup.

"That's true." He answers, not sure how to keep the talk going. After all, he didn't go on dates since... forever. "You got any cases now?"

"For the time being, no. But they'll call me."

"You work on a call now?" Wesley furrows his eyebrows, clearly some things changed without him knowing.

"Something like that, yeah." You didn't look happy when you said it.

"You... Uh, know those new lawyers in town, Nelson and Murdock?" He asks suddenly.

"Yes, why?" You look at him with slight suspicion, gently putting your cup on the plate.

"I had some business with them today, are they as good as people talk?"

"Business? As in getting a legal advice?"

"More of a helping to a friend of a friend." He waits for your reaction.

"You could've called me." You furrow your eyebrows slightly. "I am a lawyer too."

"Didn't want to bother you much, besides, I didn't want it to seem that I was using you for my own needs." He saw how you got interested, maybe you'll give them a call tonight, get your hands dirty with Healy's case. Wesley didn't want that, of course, yet he had orders.

"Oh, stop it, James. I'm available most of the time, just, you know, just give me a call, and we can talk... About business and whatnot."

There it was. And whatnot. You wanted to meet with him again. You wanted to talk to him. To call him. To be called to... This was going as smoothly as he expected it to go. "I'll keep that in mind, y/n."

"Great." You chirp, finishing your latte.

"This is nice. I don't remember the last time I went out just for fun." Wesley admits.

"Really? Then I can congratulate all the lawyers, myself included, and say that we are higher than businessmen in terms of going out." You lean back, crossing your legs under the small table, and accidentaly touching his.

"Well, you have what to celebrate, or drown your sorrows. Either way, there's more time for you to relax." Wesley pretends he didn't feel the slight kick, but deep down, something shook inside of him.

"If you call 'drinking at home with case papers scattered on the floor' relaxation, then I'm the most relaxed person on Earth."

Wesley smiles, "still better than for us, business people."

"It's never too late to change your profession, James." You say mysteriously. He was not used to people calling him by his name, of course, except Fisk, but he wasn't mad that you were constantly doing exactly that.

"I believe my workaholism has put me in a tight spot, so no way out for me." The tight smile betrayed him. You understood that he likes that place too much and has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders in that company. Suspiciously too much for a guy who deals with investments and purchases.

"You don't want a way out, do you?"

Wesley feels something inside of him, but maintains his perfect poker face, "when one finds a desirable job, it would be foolish to waste that opportunity, am I right?" He laughs, hoping to throw you off the path you've taken.

"Yes." You smile kindly, mentally taking a note of this piece of dialogue. "Of course. You smoke?" You ask after a moment of mutual silence.

"On occasion."

"Will this be that occasion?" You raise an eyebrow and stand up to get your coat.

"Only if I pay the bill." He says when the waitress brings the bill to your table.

"Fine." You roll your eyes slightly.

***

Healy's case was a dead end and a swamp of lies to Nelson and Murdock. Matt was losing his mind while trying to find at least a crumb of explanation, something reasonable and helpful, but it was pointless. Foggy, on the other hand, was keen on getting Healy away from jail, despite understanding that he was guilty, yet that cheque that Wesley promised has seeped into his mind, and the hope for better future of their office is what kept him going. Karen found nothing on Confed Global. Possibly it was hiding something way bigger, but it was too early for them to understand it. While boys were losing their minds in the office, Karen, determined to expose Union Allied, paid a visit to Ben Urich, hoping that public attention will change things for the better.

***

Wesley thought that he already had you wrapped up like a gift for Fisk, yet, he couldn't have been more wrong about it. He knew where you lived, because Vanessa lived there too, for now. After Fisk met her in the gallery, he asked couple of men to watch her flat. Yours too. But Wesley gave them orders of his own, and asked not to do it, since you might find it all suspicious.

Second date in his pocket, Wesley returned to the hotel room, feeling something inside his chest. Sure, he blamed it on the smoking, because he didn't smoke since he started working for Fisk, but sacrifices had to be made.