#i bet dude didn't even blink

[navaleriane]

like a chad you are, Zuko

[rosylix]

chaotic, my heart is off time

a certain dare leads jisung to discover he may not be as straight as he thinks he is or: felix is really pretty and jisung is confused

pairing: jilix (jisung × felix)

wc: 12.2k

content: college au, fluff, smut, a little angst, they are both awkward cuties tbh, alcohol, passing mention of drugged drink. slight inexperience, extremely platonic handjobs between bros, switch!felix kinda?, sub!jisung semi-awakening, jisung has a lot of feelings that scare him, depictions of anxiety/minor panic attack, sexuality crisis, includes texting screenshots (mainly at the end)

[also read on ao3]

—

It's all Hyunjin's fault, really. 

Jisung has nothing else to blame except his innate stupidity and the one too many drinks he had downed that are making him act even more stupid, if that's even possible. 

Stupid, stupid, stupid. This whole thing is just so stupid. 

That's the only thought in his head as he wanders the house of whichever classmate is hosting this party (probably one of Chan's friends, he knows everyone), searching for someone who would be down to let him give them a handjob without it being awkward or weird.

He should've known truth or dare was a terrible idea.

“Hm… I dare you to give someone a handjob,” Hyunjin had said with a smirk. “It can be anyone at the party.”

Jisung blinked. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.”

“But how will you even know, like…”

“I'll know,” he said simply, and gave him an unsettling look like he knew something Jisung didn't.

And that was it. Jisung was pushed out of the room, practically sent to the wolves to complete the dare before midnight. He felt like a fucked up rendition of Cinderella or something.

A handjob? Really, Hyunjin? Jisung doesn't even swing that way and yet he can't find it in himself to back down from the dare. He knows it's a problem, his inability to admit defeat when faced with a challenge. Not to say that the alcohol buzzing through his system isn't playing a part as well. It definitely is.

Jisung lightly slaps himself and mentally tells himself to get a grip, dude. It's just a handjob between bros. A totally chill and normal endeavor! He doesn't know why he's making such a big deal out of it (he's definitely done weirder things before) but something about the idea is making a weird nervous feeling creep through his system.

It's fine. It's literally not a big deal. I'm sure the guys wouldn't even mind getting jerked off, he tells himself as he continues looking around (definitely not stalling) from the corner he's found himself nestled in. Ultimately, he decides that in order to have the least awkward situation possible he should try to find someone he's friends with rather than a random stranger. He goes through his list of friends he's comfortable with.

Chan? No. God, no. Jisung cringes immediately after thinking it. Chan's like a friend, brother, and parental figure all in one to Jisung. Even if he might agree to help, Jisung does not even want to entertain the thought any longer. He shudders.

Changbin? Uh… maybe? He was there at the truth or dare game so he already knows the situation. But he was also giving Hyunjin googly eyes the entire time so maybe not. Blegh.

Minho? Jisung thinks this is probably his best bet. Worst case, his hyung will laugh at his situation and turn him down kindly. But he trusts Minho to not let it become awkward between them either way.

Still, he should probably think through his other options. Obviously not Hyunjin… Jeongin? Even though he knows he's not, Jisung still sees him as a pure, innocent kid, he can't help it. Something about it just inherently feels wrong, he's like his little brother. Absolutely not.

So then, Seungmin? Honestly Jisung isn't totally averse to the idea… but Seungmin is his roommate and he would never be able to escape if things become awkward. So, no.

He doesn't know how long he's been standing there, probably looking pretty creepy he suddenly realizes, when a hand snaps in front of his face.

He blinks. When he looks up he sees a mildly annoyed Seungmin staring at him. Speak of the fucking devil.

"That was my drink, you know."

Oh. Jisung looks down at the drink he's holding—huh, when did he grab that?—and looks back up at Seungmin with an apologetic expression.

"I was wondering where this came from, sorry Min."

Seungmin waves it off. "That's so like you to just pick up any drink. You're lucky it was mine and not, like, some random person's." He pauses. "Or drugged."

Jisung laughs nervously. "Yeah uh, you're right, I'll be more careful." He straightens up. "Thank you for sacrificing your drink for the greater good," he says solemnly with a bow.

Seungmin rolls his eyes. "Yeah sure, anytime." He pauses. "Are.. you alright though? You've been standing here spaced out for a while but you usually love to go around annoying everyone. I would know, unfortunately." Another small roll of his eyes, then tilting his head to the side, he offers a light smile. "If you want we can go home and just watch Netflix or something?"

Of course Seungmin can tell something's up. Jisung isn't always the most comfortable in larger social gatherings with people outside his immediate friend circle. He much prefers to stay in his room and binge watch YouTube videos until he passes out, something his roommate is well aware of. Jisung appreciates the concern even if that isn't the current cause of his worries.

Still, he doesn't really want to bother Seungmin with his current predicament. "Aww, is my little Minnie worried about me~? I knew you cared about meee!" Jisung drawls, draping himself slightly over the taller boy in a messy embrace. 

"Shut up, oh my god you're so annoying." Seungmin pushes him away but Jisung doesn't miss the slight pull at the corners of his mouth. "Anyway, I was serious. I was gonna go bother Old Man Chan but if you wanna leave that's cool too. You seemed really out of it earlier. Just staring at this thing like it would give you life's secrets." He grabs the can from Jisung's hand and grimaces after taking a sip, muttering something about alcohol ruining the perfectly good taste of lemonade before handing it back to Jisung.

While the offer to just bail on the party and his dare is tempting, Jisung doesn't want to give up like that. His pride and dignity are on the line here. "Oh uh, I mean, it's nothing really. Just another one of Hyunjin's weird dares, I can handle it. But thanks Seungie."

He tries to give a reassuring smile but it must have come off a bit nervous anyway because Seungmin gives him a cut-the-crap look. "Okaay, but still, you never get this worked up over his dares. What did he say to do this time? I'm sure it can't be worse than that time you licked—"

Jisung's eyes widen and he immediately slaps a hand over the taller boy's mouth. "Oh my god Seungmin, we don't talk about that. That was quite possibly the worst thing I've ever done." He groans at the memory.

Seungmin laughs and pushes his hand away. "Yeah that was pretty bad. So? It can't be as bad as that right?"

Jisung bites his lip, damn it, he was hoping Seungmin would drop it. He doesn't even know why he's getting so in his head about the dare, he's sure Minho or one of the others will be fine with it once he explains the situation. What's a brojob between bros, right? Right?

Shit, Seungmin is still waiting for an answer. Should he just tell him? He's comfortable enough with him that it wouldn't be that weird. But.. he just can't bring himself to. "Hmm… I don't know. I mean it's a little weird but at least I won't have to do this one in front of other people. No public embarrassment this time if that's what you were hoping for," he says around a grin that thankfully comes naturally.

Seungmin frowns and opens his mouth to say something when he's waved over by a smiling Jeongin. He smiles back, then turns back to Jisung, who doesn't fail to notice the light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Oh? He's definitely gonna tease Seungmin for that later. "Alright, well if you're sure you're okay I'll leave you to it but you're telling me all about this later. And if it's really that bad then don't do it, okay? Hyunjin wouldn't force you to do anything if you really don't want to." 

“I know… thanks,” Jising smiles genuinely. “Uh—completely unrelated—have you seen Minho hyung anywhere?”

Seungmin raises an eyebrow but shakes his head. “I heard from Chan that he left already. Something about his cats he said. Why?”

Jisung's heart sinks. There goes his only real hope. “No reason…” he shakes his head and puts on a smile again. “Um, I think your boyfriend's waiting.” He points to Jeongin with a small smirk.

Seungmin's ears turn scarlet as he sees who Jisung is pointing to. His head snaps back wildly. “My what— we're not—”

Jisung puts his hands up in surrender. “Okay, my bad, my bad… I didn't say anything.”

Seungmin narrows his eyes. “No, you didn't. Bye!” And he runs off in Jeongin's direction, leaving Jisung alone with his—well really Seungmin's—drink.

Jisung leans back into his corner, thoughts going rampant. Minho, his only saving grace, already left. What does he do now!? Obviously he knows Hyunjin would never force him into doing the dare if he's really uncomfortable, but that doesn't mean Jisung wouldn't be embarrassed for not being able to! And it's not that he doesn't want to, he's just… worried. Worried that it'll be too weird and awkward and Jisung really doesn't want to mess up any of his friendships. Not to mention his… limited experience. Sure, he has some experience with girls but with a guy? Obviously not. What if he's like, really, really bad??

Whatever! If Jisung is anything, he's not a coward. In a sudden rush of adrenaline, he tips his head back, downs the rest of Seungmin's drink, and seeing as all his friends are out of the question, he decides to walk over to the first male specimen he lays his eyes on. What could go wrong?

Oh. Of course everything could go wrong. He realizes his grave mistake when he notices the unmistakable head of blond hair in his vision. Felix. Pretty boy and literal innocent ball of sunshine.

Felix had recently transferred from Australia, and while he was super friendly whenever they talked, they weren't incredibly close. Not that Jisung doesn't want to be, it just takes him a while to warm up to new people. And they only share one class together. Still, they do talk a lot in that class, and he probably hasn't gotten comfortable with someone that fast since Minho hyung, Jisung realizes with some surprise.

But that wasn't the issue. From what he could tell (from a few truth or dare rounds from previous parties), Felix became really shy whenever the topic was even slightly sexual. He definitely wouldn't want to go along with Jisung's dare, and would probably be uncomfortable even talking about it. The last thing Jisung wants is to make anyone uncomfortable, least of all Felix.

He moves to turn around but it seems the blond has already noticed him approaching by the way he breaks out into a smile and waves. Jisung silently curses his dumb impulsiveness as he continues making his way to the other boy. It's fine. He can just act normal, talk with Felix for a bit and then go find someone else.

But when he arrives and sees Felix up close, Jisung's mind goes blank. With truly striking timing, the single brain cell he'd been clinging to all night decides to abandon him and he just stares for a few seconds.

Finally, his brain decides to award him a single staggering thought: Oh, he looks really pretty. 

Felix looks back at him, bright smile still reaching his eyes, which are shimmery and lightly lined with eyeliner. And oh, Jisung is just standing here like an idiot, which he is, but god, he's really been acting more idiotic than usual.

"Uh, hey Felix!" he says and cracks a hesitant smile.

"Yo, my twin! What's up?"

Jisung laughs and immediately relaxes a little. They had found out that their birthdays are only one day apart during a lame icebreaker in class. "Just… wanted to say hi. How're you liking the party? It's only, what, your second or third one here? Chan's parties are always the best."

"It's cool! And yeah, Chris—I mean, Chan hyung's like totally awesome. At first I was intimidated by him but when I found out he's a fellow Aussie I almost cried on the spot. I definitely wouldn't have adjusted as well if not for him." Felix looks away and smiles to himself, to Jisung's relief. He was admittedly having a hard time maintaining eye contact with Felix's bright eyes constantly glittering up at him.

“I know what you mean. He's saved my life more than once.” Jisung chuckles. Then he figures he should escape before he inevitably makes a fool of himself. “Uhh, anyway I just wanted to check in and say hi but I guess I'll get going…”

“So soon? I was thinking of checking in with you actually.”

Jisung blinks. “You… sorry?”

“You've just been standing over there for the past twenty minutes or so", Felix points to the corner Jisung was lurking in earlier. "Even I know that's kinda uncharacteristic of you. I was getting worried. And then you just came speeding towards me like a man on a mission."

“You were watching me that whole time!?” Jisung all but shrieks.

“Ah, um…” Felix rubs his neck. “Not the whole time but… yeah.” He shrugs, “Sorry, is that weird? I was just worried about you.”

Jisung feels his heart swell from the kindness of this boy he's not even incredibly close with. He should make an effort to talk to him more often outside of class. “No it's… it's nothing. We were playing truth or dare and Hyunjin gave me a pretty strange dare so I've just been, y'know, thinking about how to get out of it I guess." He laughs and shrugs.

Felix hums. "Is it as bad as when Hyunjin made you lick the—"

Jisung's mouth drops open and he instinctively covers Felix's mouth with his hand. "Oh my god, Felix! How do you even know about that!?"

Felix shrugs. "Your friends seem to love telling embarrassing stories about you." Jisung feels him laugh under his hand, and his face warms when he realizes where that hand still is. He quickly pulls it back and instead uses it to bury his head in, partly to hide the red on his face and partly because he, quite simply, would like the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

The universe wouldn't be so kind as to grant him that though. Jisung would have gladly spent the next thirty minutes reliving embarrassing moments in his life (unfortunately there is no shortage of these) and wanting to die but the sound of Felix giggling tempts him to peek between his fingers.

"Don't worry, they haven't told me much else," Felix says, the teasing smile remaining on his face. "But I do know about when you publicly asked Ryujin out only for her to tell you she's a lesbian—"

"Whoa, hey!" Jisung retorts, his hands now up in the air. "Yeah, that was embarrassing but it wasn't that bad! How was I supposed to know she's not into guys? Well, okay, maybe it's pretty obvious and I'm just a dumbass but still!" Jisung pouts. "Can we not talk about my failed attempts at romance anymore?"

Felix laughs. "Sure, you never told me what crazy dare you got from Hyunjin this time,” he tilts his head curiously.

Damn, Jisung almost forgot about why he's in this situation in the first place: that stupid dare that's making his mind run in circles. “Haha, well, it’s… it's nothing.” He says oh-so eloquently.

Felix pouts. “I'm so curious now. Can’t you tell me, please?”

Jisung's heart stutters a bit at the way the other's lip juts out. Cute. “I-It's just…” he sighs. How is he supposed to say no to that face? “Um.. he dared me to… to give someone here a… a handjob…?” It comes out like a question for some reason.

Felix's eyes widen. “Oh.” He pauses and Jisung feels like he already messed things up. He's just about to change the subject when Felix speaks again. “Were you… gonna ask me..? Is that why you came up to me?” he asks hesitantly.

Jisung waves his hands around frantically. “No! No, I mean—” He cringes. “Kind of..? I kind of wasn't thinking and just went to the first person I saw, but when I recognized you I changed my mind, I swear!” 

For some reason, this only makes Felix look sad. “You didn't want to because it was me..?” he asks quietly.

“I-I mean—it's just, you're—...” 

“I'm what, Jisung..?” Felix looks hurt.

Jisung doesn't know what to do. He thought he was being considerate of Felix by not wanting to do this with him but Felix seems upset?? God, what did he do!? 

“N-No, it's not you, I mean, it's not that I don't like you! I just figured you'd be uncomfortable or something so…” 

“Oh.” Thankfully, Felix seems slightly placated. “W-Well, I'm not, so…”

Jisung blinks. “Um, you're not.. What do you mean…” he laughs nervously.

“I'm not uncomfortable. I'll let you… if you want… I don't, um, mind.”

Jisungs mouth falls open and he gapes at Felix. Surely, he misheard. “A-Are you serious?”

“Mhm…” Felix nods, his face pink.

“Um.” Jisung blinks rapidly as his brain practically short circuits at what Felix is saying. He's okay with it?! Jisung swears he must be losing his mind. This is a dream, right? There's no way he would actually agree to this. His brain suddenly conjures up images of what it would be like to touch Felix in that way. Oh my god. 

Unsure if Felix notices Jisung's brain melting out of his skull, he's snapped back to reality when he hears Felix hesitantly ask, “Do you not want to..?”

“No! I mean, yes? I mean, it's just a little weird, you know? But you'd be doing me a favor I guess, so… yeah. Um, if you're sure you're okay with it?” Jisung swallows.

Felix's lips turn up slightly and he nods, effectively quelling the anxiety that had been bubbling up in Jisung's stomach. And, wow, he must be more tipsy than he thought because suddenly he thinks Felix looks even more beautiful than before.

Jisung's heart stutters inexplicably again. He nods. “Okay, let's um, go somewhere?” He grabs Felix's hand.

—

The two of them find an empty bedroom and Jisung locks the door behind them as they walk in.

Jisung shuffles onto the bed somewhat awkwardly, Felix joining him slowly. They sit like that for a few seconds and Jisung notices Felix fidgeting with his hands slightly.

Jisung decides to break the silence. "Um." Felix lifts his head. "You know you don't have to do this right? Like, really, really don't have to," he laughs nervously.

Felix nods, "Yeah I... I know, thanks." He gives a soft smile. "I guess I'm just a little nervous? I don't know." 

Jisung bites his lip. "Have you ever..?" 

Felix looks back down at his hands. “Um… a few times back in Australia but, like, not that far."

“Oh okay. You always seem so shy about the topic so I thought..”

Felix blushes slightly. “I went to a catholic school, so I'm just.. not used to talking about it so openly I guess,” he shrugs.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I've never done this before,” Jisung admits. Felix looks up in what looks like shock. "I mean—! I mean, never with a guy. I'm uh, y'know, I'm straight."

Felix blinks for a second. He nods slowly.

"Anyway! It's not a big deal right? Are—are you sure you're still okay with this?"

“Um.. if you are.”

“Yeah, well, I'm not really the one with a choice here..” Jisung laughs. 

Felix frowns. “Of course you have a choice. Why would your friend dare you to do this anyway if you're straight?? That's kinda weird.”

“Is it..? I feel like it's… I mean, it's not really a big deal. Just a brojob between bros. It doesn't have to be weird, right?”

“A bro—...” Felix coughs out a laugh. “R-Right. If you're sure.”

Jisung nods. “Yeah. Are you?”

Felix nods as well.

"Okay, should I just, um," Jisung shifts so he's closer to Felix and reaches for the other's thigh. He's kind of at an odd angle though, so, without thinking much about it, he swings a leg over Felix so he's sitting in the other's lap.

Felix just stares up at him with wide eyes. Shit, did he make things too weird? "Uh.. is this okay?" 

Felix blinks and clears his throat. "Yeah. You can, um, start. I'll tell you if I want you to stop," he says quietly.

"Okay," Jisung whispers, afraid to break whatever strange atmosphere has settled around the two of them.

He tried to sound confident earlier but god, he doesn't know what the hell he's doing. Unable to bear looking into Felix's eyes any longer, Jisung looks down and slowly, hesitantly slides his hand up Felix's leg and presses against the front of his jeans.

Felix lets out a huff of air so Jisung does it again, working over Felix's jeans until he's breathing heavily and Jisung can feel a more prominent bulge under his fingers.

"Um should—can I take these off?"

Felix lets out a shaky breath. "Yeah."

Jisung undoes the button and pulls down the zipper almost painstakingly slowly. He can feel the younger's eyes on him but he refuses to meet them. Once it's fully unzipped, Felix shifts and lifts his hips up so Jisung can pull his pants and boxers down.

And oh my god. Jisung didn't think that he would literally ever think this about another guy's dick but it looks almost... pretty? He just stares for a few moments, unsure of how to proceed when his head feels fuzzy with radio static.

Felix shifts nervously under Jisung's gaze. "Jisung..." It's almost a whine and fuck, since when did Felix sound that pretty? He swears his name has never sounded prettier on someone else's lips.

But shit, right, Felix is right in front of him, Jisung is basically on top of him, and he's waiting for Jisung to touch him.

So he does.

As soon as he wraps his fingers around Felix and starts to move, the younger shudders and sighs quietly. Having literally no other experience, Jisung just tries to do what does on himself. He slides his hand up and down slowly, and when he swipes his thumb over the tip, Felix lets out a little moan that prompts Jisung to look at his face for the first time since they started. And oh.

Felix's eyes have fluttered shut and his eyebrows are slightly furrowed. He's flushed, mouth hanging slightly open as he draws in shallow breaths. Jisung doesn't know what to do besides stare and keep moving his hand as he tries to commit the image in front of him to memory.

Felix bites his lip and grips the sheets when Jisung goes over the head again and holy shit, he's leaking so much. Jisung doesn't really know what he's doing but he supposes he's doing it right by the way Felix is breathing heavily through his nose, lips pressed shut. Jisung wishes he wouldn't try to be quiet.

"Felix." He looks up, and fuck, Jisung didn't think this through because now Felix is looking at him, eyes dark and heavy, and Jisung hears static again.

"Yeah? Ahh—" He moans before pressing his lips and eyes shut again.

Fuck.

"Don't—don't cover your noises."

Felix looks at him with an unreadable expression that makes him think he overstepped for a second, but then he slowly nods and complies, letting out more and more of those pretty little sounds that are making Jisung lose his mind.

On one particular stroke Felix tips his head back and cries, "Fuck, Jisung, please.."

Jisung seriously thinks he might pass out. "You're so pretty."

Felix shivers and whimpers, eyes shut tightly and Jisung literally has no clue what possessed him to say that but after seeing Felix's reaction he sure isn't planning on stopping any time soon.

"So pretty." A little noise from the back of Felix's throat. He feels like he's under a spell, words just falling out of his mouth. "S-So beautiful like this, making the prettiest sounds. Baby..."

Felix gasps into Jisung's chest, cock twitching as he lets out an embarrassed keening noise. One of his hands comes up to grasp Jisung's arm for leverage. 

Until now, the hand not on Felix's cock has been just sitting on the bed, so Jisung tentatively brings it to Felix's waist. And holy fuck his waist is so small but at the same time Jisung could feel well defined abs through his shirt and how is Felix even real?

He hesitantly slips his hand under the hem of Felix's shirt, who gasps at the sudden skin contact.

"Is this okay?"

Felix nods and Jisung feels his breath catch when a small hand covers his own, guiding it further along his torso in a silent plea to keep going.

He continues to explore the expanse of Felix's body in awe as the younger drops his hand to grip at Jisung's thigh instead. He's panting heavily and letting soft moans and whimpers slip past his lips with every drag of Jisung's hands along his cock or abdomen. 

Jisung trails the hand on Felix's chest higher until he slowly, experimentally brushes over his nipple. Felix arches his back into Jisung's hand and his head tips back as he moans so fucking low in his throat it really shouldn't be possible. 

Jisung watches Felix shake under him as he rubs his thumb in circles over the nub before moving to the other one. He starts letting out desperate little whines, the stark contrast from his low moans leaving Jisung's head reeling.

"Fuck, fuck, I can't—m'gonna—" 

Jisung takes it as a sign to redouble his efforts, stroking faster until Felix is gasping, "please please, Jisung, please," and it's all Jisung can do to stare dumbly as he moans and cums in streaks of white that slide down Jisung's hand. He works him through it, pulling his hands away once the younger's breathing has calmed down a bit.

For several seconds, they just sit there, sharing heavy breaths. Unable to meet the other's eyes, Jisung stares at his hand, covered in Felix's release. He almost wants to lick it which—okay, what the fuck. He isn't going to think about where that thought came from right now.

He takes a deep breath and grabs a tissue from the nightstand.

Felix does the same. Jisung finishes wiping his hand and looks up to see that Felix is also cleaned up, and after pulling his pants back up he hides his face in his hands. 

Jisung's heart sinks. He ruined everything didn't he? "Um.. are you okay? I'm so sorry if I made you uncomfortable—"

Felix's head lifts up, eyes wide. "No! No, I mean, wouldn't it have been more uncomfortable for you? I'm just embarrassed," he says, cheeks red and looking to the side.

"Huh?? Why are you embarrassed?" Jisung says incredulously. If anyone should be embarrassed, it's Jisung for getting so wrapped up in the dare. Saying all those things to Felix, telling him to not be quiet, calling him baby?? He feels like he's on fire from embarrassment, hot and flushed all over.

"What do you mean? You're not the one who was just begging like a little bitch. Fuck, I'm so sorry." He drops his head back into his hands.

Jisung taps his chin thoughtfully. "You have a praise kink," he says observantly.

Felix flushes and gasps. "I do not! " He lunges forward and Jisung's not entirely sure what happened but suddenly he's on his back and Felix is on top of him and it feels good and he moans when the other boy presses into him, what the fuck?

What the fuck.

Felix stares down at him with wide eyes and Jisung's positive he's bright red right now. What the fuck, he's hard? Just from touching Felix? This was absolutely not part of the plan. What the fuck. He closes his eyes and desperately wishes for the soft bed covers to consume him so he would never have to face Felix or anyone ever again.

Alas, he hesitantly opens his eyes and Felix is still hovering on top of him. Why, why, why hasn't he moved yet? Jisung can't even try to run away. There's truly no escape, he'll just have to face this hell that he created for himself.

Right when he opens his mouth to sputter out an apology or something, he isn't really sure, Felix moves against him again and it just feels so good and Jisung fucking moans again.

Felix inhales sharply. "Sorry, oh my god I shouldn't have— Are you—? Fuck— Do you want me to like… Like I wouldn't mind if— Since y'know... But should I stop?" he stutters.

Jisung doesn't know what stupid sex hormones he's drunk on, or maybe he's still feeling tipsy from the lemonade earlier because he's struck with the vague and inexplicable urge to kiss the boy on top of him.

Or maybe that's just the effect Felix has on him.

"Kiss me..?" He mumbles and subsequently watches Felix's eyes widen along with his own. He slaps his hand over his mouth in horror.

"No wait, fuck, I didn't mean to say that, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so stupid—"

Now Felix's hand is the one to cover Jisung's stupid mouth and he squeezes his eyes shut both in embarrassment and a weird surge of arousal at the feeling of having his mouth covered which he is not going to think about right now.

"I.. can do that… if you really want me to?" Felix says while looking back and forth between Jisung's eyes, like he's searching for something.

Jisung's brain short circuits and he barely registers nodding or saying yes but he must have because it's all too fast how Felix is leaning down and their faces are inches apart and all Jisung can think about is how soft and pretty the other boy's lips look and is it normal to be thinking that—?

Felix kisses him sweetly, almost a little too sweetly considering the situation, and Jisung parts his lips instinctively. The kiss deepens quickly and Jisung gasps against the other's mouth when his thigh presses against the front of Jisung's pants.

"Is this okay still?" Felix asks gently. He looks so fucking ethereal above him like this it makes Jisung want to cry.

He nods. "Please don't stop."

Felix inhales shakily and nods before leaning back down, this time his lips attaching to Jisung's neck as his leg presses back against him.

Jisung can't help the noise that escapes him, he feels floaty already with just being touched through his clothes like this. 

“You can.. pretend I'm a girl or something,” Felix whispers as his mouth travels down his neck. Right. Right, that's probably why Jisung is feeling this way. Felix is so pretty, almost like a girl and he must be getting confused, it's only natural, right? But for some reason Jisung really really doesn't want to imagine Felix as a girl. 

“I-Is that what you did with me?” Jisung asks through a gasp as Felix bites his neck.

“Um, well, I'm bi so..” he looks up bashfully.

“Oh. Right, okay.” So Jisung's the only one who's weird here for enjoying this. Cool. He's not left much time to dwell on it because Felix's hand starts snaking down to press over Jisung's clothed dick, which at this point is embarrassingly hard and straining against his pants.

Felix toys with the button and raises his head, meeting Jisung's eyes to ask for permission. Jisung gives a little nod, nervousness and excitement bubbling together as Felix undoes the button and zipper and finally, finally, touches him for real.

Jisung hadn't realized he'd been waiting for so long.

His head falls back when Felix touches him and he's barely even doing anything yet but it feels unreal. He has the fleeting thought that maybe this is exiting platonic brojob territory and becoming something he's entirely unequipped to deal with. Maybe even since the kiss, or when he called Felix pretty, but he doesn't have the mental capacity to think too hard about it right now or even care. All his thoughts fly out the window when Felix's mouth finds his own again.

"Need you to stay quiet for me, I think I hear people outside," Felix murmurs against his lips, his voice impossibly low. Jisung hadn't even noticed he was making sounds.

"Don't want anyone else hearing you like this," Felix continues, muffling Jisung's moans with his mouth as he keeps moving his hand up and down his length slowly. Where the hell did he learn to talk like that?! The increasingly deep timbre of his voice was not doing Jisung's sanity any favors.

Felix must deem the hallway clear now because he removes his mouth from Jisung's, and Jisung is back to moaning abashedly. 

“D-Does it feel good?” Felix asks, as if he's unsure of himself. Jisung squeezes his eyes shut. Is it not obvious from the way he's reacting?

“I just—wanna make sure I'm doing okay.”

“It feels—oh god—really good.”

Felix grins shyly. “Yeah?”

Jisung brings a hand up to cover his mouth and nods. He can feel himself getting close embarrassingly fast. He starts to whine and his hips stutter a bit into Felix's hand. “Please..”

Felix leans down and presses his lips to Jisung's throat again. He bites down, not enough to leave a mark but it feels dizzyingly good nonetheless. Jisung's never had someone overpower him like this before. He feels completely at Felix's mercy. It makes him shiver.

“Jisungie, you're so…” Felix murmurs into his skin, lips trailing along his collarbone.

Jisungie. His heart wobbles at the nickname and he can't help but whine. Felix is driving him insane. “Felix I think I'm—aahh, Felix, Lix..”

He pulls away from Jisung's neck with a smack. “Yeah, Sungie?”

“C-Can you—..” he looks at Felix's lips pleadingly.

Felix immediately presses his lips to his in a passionate kiss. Jisung moans into it and before he can properly warn Felix or anything, he's cumming with a high pitched keen. If he were more aware of himself he'd be embarrassed by the noise but as it is he can't even feel his legs properly. He shakes as Felix brings him down from his high. Then they just stay there, breathing heavily against each other's mouths.

Felix moves first, taking a deep breath before leaning up and away from Jisung. He peers down at him with bated breath. Jisung just lays there, hair fanning out around him. He feels sluggish, entirely spent and he stares back at Felix like a real angel descended from heaven. He seriously wouldn't be surprised if he actually were.

His trance is broken by Felix's voice, “Are you okay?”

Jisung blinks as he registers the words. He nods and slowly sits up. Felix offers him a small smile.

Once they've cleaned up, the euphoric feeling in Jisung's gut starts slowly transforming into a deep rooted anxiety that crawls its way up his spine. Fuck. What did they just do? What the fuck is happening to him? He feels himself shrinking away from the other boy instinctually, but he catches himself and clears his throat, attempting to straighten up.

“Um.. are we bros now?” He tries to joke, but his laugh sounds forced even to him.

Felix's lip quirks up for a second but he looks at him carefully. “Is that what you want? To be bros?”

Jisung opens his mouth to say something like of course bro or yeah what else? But his throat closes up. A sudden, inexplicable feeling of fear creeps into his gut.

“Jisung?”

He feels like he's suffocating, almost choking on air as he tries to get words out. “I— I don't know what... what I want. I'm so confused right now, I…”

“Hey, it's okay—”

“N-No! No, it's not. I'm sorry, I can't—” He shakes his head and leans away from Felix. He can't shake the sinking feeling that something is very, very wrong with him. How could he let this whole thing happen? Why is he feeling like this? He feels like a fraud of himself. He doesn't know what to do, he can't even process his feelings. He just knows he needs to get away from here, now.

He stands up quickly. Felix reaches for him but he's already crossing the room in long strides. As he twists the doorknob, he glances back to see Felix sitting with a hurt and confused expression before he shuts the door behind him.

Fuck. Jisung still can't breathe. He feels like it's only getting worse now that he's out in the open where people could see him. At least the hallway is currently empty, and he stumbles down it, not sure where he's going but just needing to get away. 

He staggers into an empty room. At least, he thought it was empty, but as he crosses the doorway he's met with a pair of familiar eyes on a head of long blond hair.

“Hyunjin,” he says wobbly.

Hyunjin's eyes go wide when he sees the shaky state Jisung is in. “Jisung? What's wrong?”

That's when Jisung breaks down. Tears start streaming down his cheeks in rivulets. “I h-hate you! Why'd you make me do that??”

“Whoa, hey…” Hyunjin reaches for him and pulls Jisung to sit beside him. “I'm so sorry, Sung… Please calm down and tell me what's going on?”

“The dare, you idiot. I did your stupid dare!”

Understanding and a flash of regret click in Hyunjin's eyes. “...Ah.”

“Everything was fine. Now everything is.. I don't even know.” Jisung cries, pressing his hands into his eyes.

Hyunjin rubs his back soothingly. “Okay, shh, let's calm down first… So you did the dare? Can I ask who you did it with?”

Jisung sniffs as he tries to calm his breathing. “It was F-Felix.”

“Fe-lix?” Hyunjin repeats. “The kid from Australia?” Jisung nods. “Oh, Jisung…”

“I-It's your fault! You dared me, and then you were all like ‘I'll know if you don't do it’. What the hell!”

“God, I'm sorry Jisung. I wasn't thinking… I was just being dramatic, I'm not omniscient. How would I know if you did it or not?”

“I don't know, you just…”

Hyunjin sighs. “Okay, let's relax. First, did he hurt you? I'll kick his beautiful, angelic ass if he did anything to you.”

Jisung cracks a smile in spite of himself and shakes his head.

Hyunjin's face softens. “Then what happened..?”

“I… I don't know, he made me so… confused..”

One of Hyunjin's eyebrows lifts. “...He made you confused,” he deadpans.

“Like… like…” Jisung grips his hair. “God! I don't even know! Am I normal? I don't feel normal. I think something's wrong with me. I.. I don't understand what's happening.”

Hyunjin wipes the tears on his cheeks. “Why do you think something’s wrong with you?” he asks gently.

“Th-there's— I— I think I liked it too much,” Jisung whispers.

“You liked what? …touching Felix?”

Jisung cringes. “Y-Yes, which is so weird already, but then he— you don't understand, he also— touched m-me, and I liked it, so much, like— which is so weird— it scares the shit out of me— I a-asked him to kiss me, like, like a psychopath or something, he probably thought I was so creepy b-but he was so nice and so pretty and… I don't know what to do… Hyunjin I feel like I'm— like this isn't normal.”

Hyunjin just presses his lips together and nods, encouraging Jisung to continue.

“Like… like… he's a guy. Like yeah, he's objectively pretty but he's… he said to pretend he was a girl but I didn't, I don't think I even wanted to, but, like, I'm—I'm straight, right? I mean… I mean, yeah, it's not like I suddenly— I like girls! I know I like girls so why… like I shouldn't enjoy t-touching another guy right? That's…” Jisung shakes his head with wide, teary eyes. “I'm not like, gay.”

Hyunjin winces but he looks at him with something akin to pity. “Ouch dude, you know I'm gay, right? You're not… broken or anything, I promise this is normal Jisung.”

Jisung sighs into his hands. “Fuck. I know. God, I-I’m sorry, I didn't mean it like that… I just mean like.. there's no way I'm… like shouldn't I have known by now? I'm not, like a teenager anymore. I just.. I like… girls… it doesn't make sense, why is this happening now?” 

“It's okay, you can still like girls, you can like both. Even if you don't, that's still okay. Okay? It's not… there's not a predefined time when you realize this stuff. Some people live their whole lives in denial. This is normal. You're normal.”

Jisung nods. “R-Right, of course I can still like girls. So, maybe I'm like… bisexual or something? But honestly I've never—” He presses his fingers against his eyelids. “I mean, I don't think— but maybe? N-No I've never... But it's not like I see Felix as a girl, I mean, I touched his dick a-and he— his voice is like… crazy, I don't even know— B-But I've definitely never liked boys before so how would I suddenly—?”

Hyunjin rubs his shoulders. “It's okay. You don't have to figure it all out right now. Take your time. I'm here for you, okay?”

“I'm scared, Hyunjin,” he whispers.

Hyunjin's face breaks and he sighs. “I know. I'm sorry. I think I gave you that dare so you'd have an awakening or something but that was stupid. I didn't think… I hate seeing you like this.”

“Wha—... huh?? So you knew I'm maybe not super straight even before this?!”

Hyunjin bites his lip. “I didn't really know. I just had a feeling. And honestly, I wasn't expecting you to actually do it.”

Jisung's jaw drops, momentarily forgetting his anxiety. “You weren't expecting me to— Hyunjin! How could you think so low of me!”

“Okay, sorry! I shouldn't have dared you to do that knowing you'd be crazy enough to actually do it.” Jisung hits his arm. “It was more just to get you thinking about it!”

“You're crazy.”

“I'm smart. My gaydar is never wrong,” he taps the side of his head. “And I clocked you the day we met but you said you were straight... I was probably too tipsy earlier and figured I'd test you a little. That's all. I'm really sorry. I feel terrible for causing you this much stress.”

Jisung sighs. “It's okay. I just can't believe— how did you know? None of this makes sense…”

Hyunjin shrugs. “Like I said… I'm smart.” Jisung hits him again. “Okay, okay! But maybe this is good? Learning things about yourself?”

Jisung swallows. “Right… learning things…” he sighs. “I just—I screwed it up with him didn't I? I ran away. I just left him there.”

“You didn't screw it up. You're literally having a full blown identity crisis! He'll understand if you explain it to him.”

“But, what if he doesn't want to listen, or he already hates me, or… you should've seen his face when I left, oh god, I'm a horrible person—”

“Shh. Jisung. Do you like him?”

Jisung's face burns. “T-That's— I don't—”

“I mean, do you care about him? As a friend?”

“Of course,” Jisung pouts.

“Then you should talk to him. I wouldn't be surprised if he's still here. Just explain what happened, that you're going through a lot but you don't hate him. Right?”

Jisung nods. “Right, I—You're right. I don't want him to think that I find him gross or something, oh my god.”

“He's probably just confused too. Don't worry. Do you want me to come with you?”

“No, I… I think I'm okay now. Thanks though.” He stands up and touches his face. “D-Do I look like I've been crying?”

Hyunjin smiles sympathetically. “A little, but he'll understand. Go before he leaves!”

Jisung nods and runs for the door. He pauses there and turns around.

“Hyunjin?”

“Hm?”

“I'm sorry for yelling at you.”

He waves him off. “It's okay, I kind of deserved it I think. We're good, okay? Now, go!”

Jisung doesn't need to be told twice. He's out the door in seconds and practically sprinting his way back to the room he left Felix in.

“...God, it's so hard being right all of the time,” Hyunjin sighs.

—

Felix isn't there.

The room is empty. Felix isn't here.

Oh god. What if he already left and he's avoiding him and Jisung will never be able to talk to him and Felix will think he hates him and—

He takes a deep breath. He shouldn't jump to conclusions. He has Felix's number, he should just text him. He pulls out his phone.

He paces around the room as he waits for his phone to light up. After a few minutes of nothing he sends a couple more messages and sighs. Maybe Felix is still at the party somewhere? Should he look for him?

Yeah, he decides, he needs to talk to Felix and make sure he's okay. Make sure they're okay. He can't stand the thought that Felix might think he hates him. It couldn't be farther from the truth.

Jisung paces out of the room and begins scouring every room for the familiar head of blond hair. But he's nowhere to be seen. Jisung tries not to cry. He's just about to loop around to where he started when he's stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He jumps. Felix?

“Jisung? Are you okay?” No, of course it's not. Jisung turns to face the familiar voice. 

“Seungmin,” he breathes shakily.

Seungmin gently places both hands on Jisung's shoulders. “What happened? You look frantic. What's going on?”

That's it. Jisung breaks down in tears. Again. He hates crying in front of another one of his friends but he can't help himself right now.

Seungmin looks alarmed. “Did someone do something? Are you hurt?” Jisung shakes his head. Seungmin sighs in relief. Then, his eyebrows draw together. “Wait, does this have to do with that dare?” 

Jisung hesitates, before nodding. 

Seungmin exhales. “Okay, we're leaving, okay? You can tell me about it on the way home if you want. Or not, but I don't think this place is very conducive to your wellbeing right now.”

Jisung nods and lets Seungmin guide him through the halls and crowds until they're outside. And he's right. As soon as he steps out of the claustrophobic walls he feels like he can breathe easier again. He sighs and wipes the last of the tears off his face.

Seungmin lets go of his hand. “You feeling better?” he asks.

“Yeah. Thanks, I.. guess I needed to get out of there.”

Oh, right. He should text Felix and let him know he's leaving, just in case he really is still at the party somewhere. He pulls out his phone. Seungmin looks at him, a question clearly painted on his face, but he stays quiet.

Jisung sighs after hitting send and stuffs his phone in his pocket again. Seungmin looks at him searchingly. “What happened…?”

Jisung bites his lip. His immediate instinct is deflect, deflect, deflect, but he really should tell Seungmin. He deserves to know. Jisung explains the whole situation on the way back to their dorm, from the dare to his conversation with Felix, to his panic in the aftermath and talk with Hyunjin. Seungmin listens quietly, intently. Jisung leaves out the details of what actually happened with Felix, but it's hopefully enough for Seungmin to get the picture.

When Jisung finally finishes, Seungmin blows out a long puff of air, his cheeks puffing up. “Wow. I don't even… Damn. That's crazy.”

Jisung leans his head back and groans with his hands over his face. “I know. What do I even do now?”

“Flee the country.” Seungmin says matter of factly. Jisung huffs out a laugh. “Sorry. I'm shit at giving advice. But I know Felix. He doesn't seem like the type of person who wouldn't at least hear you out, you know? Don't stress too much.”

“Then why is he ignoring me??” Jisung frowns.

“There's so many possibilities, dude. He might be feeling equally as overwhelmed right now or his phone could be dead or he might just not have checked yet. It hasn't even been that long. Give him time.” Seungmin, ever the voice of reason.

“Yeah… yeah, you're right. I'm just—I don't know. I don't even know.”

“I'm always right.” Seungmin, ever the voice of arrogance. “It'll be fine, Jisung.”

“Okay… Just know, if you're wrong I will come crying to you.”

Seungmin's lips curl up. “I'm always right. But okay, sure.” He pauses. “Honestly, I'm surprised you even did the dare, I even gave you an easy escape and everything.”

Jisung lets out a loud sigh. “I don't even know, man. Maybe a part of me, like, wanted to… I'm so confused about everything to be honest.”

Seungmin hums. “This is kind of life altering shit you're going through. You're handling it pretty well, all things considered.”

Jisung's looks at him, lips forming an ‘o’. “You think?”

He nods, “I think I'd have broken down or something by now if it were me.”

“I'm—well, I'm trying not to. I guess I went through most of the whole breakdown freakout thing with Hyunjin. I'm just trying not to think about it too hard right now I guess.”

“That's fair. Don't rush it. Uh, and I'm here if you ever wanna... talk or whatever,” Seungmin waves his hand around.

Jisung smiles. “Thanks, Min. Seriously.”

“Yeah, yeah…” he says but he mirrors his smile.

—

The next morning, Jisung wakes up feeling more refreshed than he expected. He doesn't feel great, but at least he doesn't feel like his whole life and everything he thought he knew about himself is turning upside down like yesterday. That's something.

As much as he was glued to his phone last night, waiting for a message from Felix, he doesn't want to check his phone right now, scared of what he might (or might not) see. Everything feels more real now, outside of the illusionary haze of last night, and he's just not ready to face anything yet.

Instead, he busies himself with mindless tasks, like brushing his teeth and pouring a bowl of his favorite hangover cereal. He's not even hungover, he didn't drink that much, but he just needs that extra emotional support right now. It helps, he thinks.

Eventually, he has to face reality. His phone looms at him from his bedside table, facedown but glaring at him. Jisung sighs and reluctantly picks it up. 

He cringes a little when he sees the multiple notifications from his messenger app. There's a text from Seungmin saying he's out studying with a friend but to let him know if he needs anything. Studying the morning after a party? Nerd. But Jisung smiles at the kind gesture and types out a quick reply saying thanks but he'll be fine.

And.. there's a little number by Felix's contact name too. He doesn't even want to open it. He wants to crawl back into bed and hide for the rest of the day. He wishes this had all happened yesterday when he was still in the moment and running on adrenaline.

But this is a good thing! Felix isn't ignoring him. This is good. Jisung takes a deep breath and clicks into the message.

He breathes out slowly. Okay.. Felix doesn't seem angry? He wants to meet up at least. Or what if he's just waiting until they're in person to unleash everything and tell Jisung to never talk to him again? God, he can't tell.

He doesn't want to respond. Okay, no, he needs to respond. He's the one who texted first anyway. Fuck, this is scary though.

He takes another deep breath to steady himself before carefully typing out a reply.

Jisung's heart races when Felix's reply comes in within only a couple minutes. Thank god Felix doesn't seem creeped out at coming over. Jisung quickly agrees to the time and texts Felix his dorm and room number.

Then he waits. After sufficiently freaking out for an hour, stress cleaning and everything, Jisung hears a knock at the front door. Oh fuck. He's so not ready.

Regardless, he trudges over to the door. He takes a deep breath before unlocking and opening the door. 

Felix is standing there, bundled up for the chilly weather in a jacket but also sporting a pair of loose ripped jeans, which Jisung thinks is pretty contradictory. How are you gonna put so many layers on and then just have holes in your pants? How does that make sense? One hole above the knee is large enough that Jisung can literally see the outline of Felix's thigh. 

“Um… hi…” Jisung's eyes snap up. Wait, what was he even doing just now? He wasn't like… checking Felix out or something, right? No, that's absurd. Felix's torn up pants are absurd, and that's all he was thinking. About his pants. His jeans. 

“Hi,” Jisung replies awkwardly. Why is this so awkward? They haven't even said anything yet. God. “Sorry, um, come in?” He gestures and holds the door open.

Felix murmurs a soft “thanks” as he cautiously steps inside and looks around a bit.

“Um, thanks for coming…” Jisung starts. “Seungmin— my roommate isn't here right now. But we can go to my room if you want?”

Felix's eyes suddenly light up. “Seungmin? Kim Seungmin? Tall, funny, braces?”

Jisung blinks. “Yeah, what? You know him? Wait, you think he's funny?” He wrinkles his nose.

“Yeah! Well, maybe at my own expense… We're partners in this cooking class I'm taking.”

Jisung starts walking and leads Felix in the direction of his room as his eyebrows furrow. “A cooking—? No way. Seungmin can't cook.” 

Felix giggles. “Oh, I know. I swear it's actually contagious or something because suddenly I start forgetting basic things like how to use a mixer just by being near him. I think it's a curse.”

Jisung laughs, eternally grateful for the lighthearted shift in the atmosphere, the tense and awkward air dissipating. Talking with Felix is just like that, so easy. “Yeah, I keep him out of our kitchen for his own good. I had no idea he was taking a cooking class though, what the hell?”

Felix hums. “Maybe he's trying to improve?”

“Or he's just trying to cause chaos. And from what you said, it seems like it's working.” Jisung shakes his head as they step into his room.

“Maybe…” Felix mumbles, but his focus has shifted elsewhere. He takes in Jisung's room, seeming to observe every visible corner: anime posters on the wall and an acoustic guitar in the corner and the stuffed animals on his bed. Jisung blushes, suddenly grateful for his stress-induced tidying of every nook and cranny. He hadn't realized how intimate it can be letting someone new into his space like this. This is Felix's first time in his room.

Felix. In his room. Why does it feel weird? 

It doesn't, does it? Jisung is the only one making it weird. It's not weird for friends to hang out in each other's rooms. That's literally extremely normal. But still… Jisung usually waits until he's way closer with people before letting them in his room. He can't place the anxious feeling swirling in his gut.

“I like your room,” Felix says softly. “It's like how I imagined.”

“W-What does that mean??”

“It's a compliment! It's very you.”

“Okay well… thanks,” Jisung mumbles. Has Felix really imagined his room before? How close are they that Felix knows enough about Jisung to think it's very him? He pushes the thoughts aside. 

“So…” He sighs. Here comes the awkward again. But he can't avoid this forever. “Can we talk?” 

Felix nods. “…‘Course,” he says, leaning against the bed slightly. Jisung motions for him to sit down on it and follows suit, since there isn't much else seating in his room. “If you want to!” he stutters out but Felix just smiles and sits down on the bed. On Jisung's bed. Okay, cool, this is fine.

They face each other. “So….” Jisung starts, looking down at his hands in his lap. “I just wanted to apologize. I mean, I feel like we were acting pretty normal just now, and I'm really grateful for that, but you still deserve like, I don't know, an explanation? Or something? So yeah.”

Felix nods silently.

Jisung takes that as his cue to continue. “Right, so, yesterday, it was a dare, right? That wasn't a lie. Me and Hyunjin actually like, talked about it afterwards and we're cool by the way. Just in case you thought—well, I don't know. I don't know what I'm saying. Um…” He takes a deep breath. “I mean, you were really nice about the whole thing and then I just left… kind of suddenly. That was really mean. I… I mean, you looked hurt too. Which, like, fair. That was a dick move. Um…”

Felix's voice is gentle, “Okay, hey, I get it, I'm not actually mad—”

Jisung finally looks up. “But you should be. Y-You're not mad? I would be mad. I mean, maybe not mad but confused? Frustrated? I— I kind of feel like it came across like I was… using you or something. I don't know. But that's not… Honestly I'm just really confused right now because—”

“Stop.”

Jisung blinks. “What?”

“Stop, I… I want to apologize too.”

“For what?!”

“For agreeing to it! I shouldn't have cus I…” He shakes his head. “And I kind of pushed you to tell me about the dare. You didn't seem comfortable. And I definitely should've stopped when you said you're straight... I-I was selfish.”

“Selfish?” Jisung repeats. “What?”

Felix sighs. “I agreed cus I was being selfish… Just, selfish reasons. I shouldn't have.”

“What does that even…? Dude, you're not selfish, if anyone is it's me for basically roping you into doing that for me and then leaving you high and dry like…”

Felix shakes his head. “That's not… you don't get it. I am selfish. Even being here right now… Selfish. Stupid.”

Jisung can't even begin to comprehend how that makes sense. “What…?”

“Jisung… Fuck, fine — I-I like you.”

“You like me?” Jisung mimics.

“…Yeah.”

Then it clicks. “Wait, oh. You like… like, like me?”

“...Well, that's good. I was worried it was super obvious for no reason.”

Jisungs mouth must be hanging open. “I... Are you serious?”

Felix laughs nervously. “Does it seem like I'm joking?”

“N-No but… I don't know. Oh my god. Shut up, I'm freaking out.”

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything, I know you're straight—”

“That's the thing. I'm not— Just, just, wait a second, oh my god. Oh my god.”

“Jisung…” Felix bites his lip. “I'm sorry, we can just pretend I never said that and go back to normal, please, I promise.”

Jisung puts his hands over his face. “No, shut up… shut up, just wait a second, please. Please just wait.”

Jisung can't see him but Felix at least goes quiet and Jisung can think. He breathes for a few seconds. In and out. In and out.

“…I think I like you too. Like, like like you… so much. Like way more than just bros. But I don't know what that fucking means.”

Jisung's heart is beating out of his chest. He hears a catch of breath. Silence. Then a soft whispered, “What do you mean Jisung, are you sure?”

“Yes, I mean, no, but— I feel something, and this isn't normal, so—”

He feels gentle fingers pulling at his wrists. “Jisung, look at me.” He lets Felix pull his hands down off of his face, which he's sure must be burning red. “It's okay. I don't want you to like… pity me or something. I'm really okay even if you don't like me like that.”

Jisung shakes his head. “N-No, I'm not pitying you Felix, I swear. I really, really—” He swallows. “Even like, your hands just on my wrists right now, making me feel like— I- I don't know,” he breathes.

Felix immediately drops his wrists. “I'm sorry,” he says genuinely.

But that's not what Jisung wanted. “No! I liked it.” He reaches for Felix's hands and interlaces his fingers in his, immediately setting off butterflies in his stomach. “I like this..”

Felix swallows and squeezes his hand a little. “But anyone can like holding hands with anyone, that doesn't mean—”

“But it's not just that. We— Felix, we kissed. I… asked you to kiss me. Did you forget that? And we did… m-more obviously. I liked it.” The more Jisung tries to explain to Felix the more he feels like he's understanding and accepting his own feelings. “That's why I ran away. I was so… confused and.. and scared I guess, cus.. I've never felt… with a guy.”

“I didn't forget,” Felix whispers. “I believe you. I know it's scary. I-I went through it too. Just— Are you sure? I really… I don't wanna get my hopes up if…”

“Can I kiss you?” Jisung blurts out. “Then I'll be sure. I… You can definitely say no.”

Felix closes his eyes and looks to be in some kind of mental anguish for a few seconds. “Yes, okay…” he breathes.

Jisung squeezes the other's hand, still interlaced with his own. He leans in a little. “A-Are you sure?” he asks quietly.

“Yes, yes, please…” Felix says under his breath while leaning in a little as well. That's all Jisung needs before he's closing his eyes and swooping in to close the distance between them. 

It's like magic. Right at the moment their lips press Jisung has his answer. His stomach flips and it feels so different from last night where he was letting Felix have control. He keeps it going for a little longer, not really moving his lips but just pressing into the kiss for a few more seconds, relishing in the way it feels.

When he finally pulls away, Felix's eyes are closed, forehead drawn in as if he's the one going through a crisis right now. 

“Felix?”

“What? Please don't say you were wrong. I mean… I mean, of course that's fine but—”

“Felix. I liked it… Oh wait, so I actually like you? Oh my god—”

Felix's eyes fly open. “You really…? You're serious?”

Jisung nods, eyes equally as wide as his.

“Are you sure? Yesterday I can get over, but this feels too real. I don't think I can handle if— I mean, god, sorry, I know you're figuring things out but—”

“Yes. Well, I— I'm still confused about other things but… I'm pretty sure—I mean this feels pretty much exactly like when I have a crush on a girl. So..?” 

“Okay. Okay, sorry. It's not that I don't believe you, I just—I really wasn't prepared for this. But I get it, really.” He takes a deep breath in and out. “So you… you really like me? Really, really?”

Jisung nods shyly. “Um.. really, really. I think more than I realized.”

Felix blushes. “Right, so… I mean, I don't want to be too forward but..? And maybe you're not ready and that's totally okay. But do you wanna..? I mean if we both like each other then… doesn't it make sense if we…”

Jisung squeezes his hand encouragingly. “What are you trying to say?”

“I'm saying—and again, you can say no if this is too fast—but I'm saying… Do you want to… try being my boyfriend…?” He peeks up at Jisung nervously.

Jisung's heart stutters in his chest. He doesn't really have to think about his answer. Even if his brain is telling him it's a little scary, his heart is giving him an answer clear as day. “Yes, y-yes, I want that… to be your… boyfriend.”

Felix flashes a shy, relieved smile. “Yeah?”

“Y-Yeah. Oh my god, a boyfriend. You're my boyfriend? I have a boyfriend?” Jisung presses his hands against the sides of his face, squishing his cheeks.

Felix giggles a little. “Mhm, that's okay right? It feels okay?”

“Yes, I like it, it's a little weird but I really like how that sounds. A boyfriend. My boyfriend.”

Felix blushes. “Ah, stop saying it like that, it's embarrassing…”

Jisung shakes his head. “Can I kiss you again?”

Felix smiles and responds in the form of crashing their lips together. Jisung gasps. It's more intense than the one they previously shared but still very sweet and gentle. Felix's lips are so soft.

Jisung tilts his head to deepen the kiss. “I like you so much,” he mumbles against Felix's mouth between kisses. “Maybe for a while… I always… wanted you to like me… tried to impress you…”

Felix makes a quiet sound and suddenly Jisung feels wetness on his cheeks. “Are you…? Felix?” Jisung pulls away, and sure enough, there are tears pooling under Felix's eyes. Jisung looks at him with concern. “What's wrong?”

Felix ducks his head but smiles, and it's enough to quell Jisung's worries that he did something wrong. “S-Sorry—God, this is embarrassing. I-I don't know why I'm crying. I'm really happy, I promise.”

“Okay. Don't worry about it.” Jisung gently grabs Felix's face and wipes the tears from his cheeks. As he presses the skin below his eyes, an array of tiny dots start appearing, speckling his face. Jisung furrows his eyebrows. “Huh—? Do you have freckles..?”

The skin under his fingers turns pink and Felix squirms his head out of his grasp. “Nooo…”

Jisung gently grabs his face again. “No, let me see, please.” He swipes his thumbs along the other's cheeks, smudging more makeup away.

Felix sighs and seems to relent. “I don't like them…” he mutters.

Jisung is appalled. “Are you serious? Why not?”

Felix shrugs. “I dunno, just looks.. messy? And no one else here has them,” he says with a frown.

Jisung shakes his head. “They're so pretty. You're so pretty. How could you hide these? God, it's like everything little thing about you is so pretty, how is that even possible??”

“Stoooop,” Felix giggles, blushing bright red now. “They're not.. I'm not…”

“You are. You literally turned me gay or something,” he jokes. “That has to count for something.”

Felix laughs, but then his expression turns more serious. “Did I really—? I mean, you think you're gay?”

“Uh—No, I just said that. I don't know. I'm still so fucking confused,” Jisung tries to laugh it off nervously.

Felix nods. “If you wanna talk about it… no pressure of course, but I kind of went through something similar so… just, I'm here for you.”

“Thank you,” Jisung whispers. “Well, I-I think I've been trying not to think about it too much. It's scary,” he admits.

“I know. You're really brave, you know Jisung? It took me like, months—years even?—before I understood and accepted myself.”

“Yeah, but I'm sure that was years ago, right? Why is this happening to me now? Like… I've always liked girls. I don't think that's… yeah, I definitely still like girls. That's all fine. But I've literally never liked boys until now?” Jisung sighs. “Well—maybe—maybe not. I've been thinking, and like, I guess there were guys that I… really admired and… I really wanted them to like me too. To think I'm cool or funny or something. And like, yeah, I felt nervous around them, but I just kind of thought they were intimidating. But maybe…? Is that..? Were those crushes?”

Felix grabs his hand and squeezes it gently. “Maybe. It kind of sounds like it.” He pauses. “Even if they weren't, and I'm the first guy you like, that's okay too. Honestly, that would be hella flattering,” he smiles. “I don't think sexuality is like... It isn't such a rigid thing. It can be more fluid for some people, you know? It's not just black and white. If your feelings are real then that's all that matters, yeah?”

“Y-Yeah. It's just weird. I'm like so past that stage. Why didn't teenage me figure this out?” He huffs out a laugh.

“There's no set timeline for this stuff. It happens differently for everyone, right? And if you don't want to think about it right now you don't have to. You can just like whoever feels natural for you. No need to think about what box you fit into or anything like that.”

“I think I just like you,” Jisung whispers.

Felix's lips quirk up. “Yeah? That's so cute.”

Jisung is sure his face goes red. “Sh-shut up…”

“Never,” Felix grins. “No, but it's okay. You don't have to label yourself, now or ever. You don't have to be gay, or straight, or bi, or... or anything in between. You can just… be, and that's enough.”

Jisung feels tears prick his eyes. He really has no clue why he's getting emotional over this, but somehow Felix is saying exactly what he didn't know he needed to hear. “Okay, but what about Felixsexual?” He jokes.

“Pfft— then I'm Jisungsexual, okay?”

Jisung's heart feels lighter than it's ever been. He giggles. “Okay.”

—

After calming down, and both their tears are wiped away, the two of them spend a couple hours just talking and cuddling, making up for what feels like so much lost time. Seriously, why didn't they become closer friends sooner? Jisung mentally kicks himself for not being more proactive in befriending him. They click so well. Jisung is so glad Felix seems to love skinship as much as he does, they both initiate it easily and it just instantly feels natural. So easy, just like everything between them.

Eventually, they move to the living room to watch something. After only just a few minutes of scrolling through Netflix, the front door opens. Jisung looks up.

“Oh, hey Seungmin. How was your study sesh?”

“Hey. Uh, fine. Is this a bad time…?” Seungmin asks, glancing at Felix and looking at Jisung curiously.

“No, it's a great time. Seungmin, say hi to my, uh, boyfriend..?” Jisung falters saying that to someone else for the first time and it comes out like a question.

Seungmin doesn't seem to notice, or if he does, he doesn't care. “Oh, so you worked it out? I'm glad. Congrats.” He turns to Felix. “I'm Seungmin.”

Felix laughs. “Dude, I'm insulted. I thought we were mates? Does being stove partners mean nothing to people these days?”

Seungmin cracks a smile. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Jisung jumps up in his seat. “Oh yeah! Seungmin, you're taking a freaking cooking class? Who are you??”

Seungmin shrugs. “I had extra space in my schedule.”

Felix sighs. “I wish I had extra space. I would take another class with Jisung.”

“Aww, what?” Jisung looks at him fondly.

“Seriously. Why do we only have one class together? How am I gonna handle that now that we're together?”

Jisung giggles. “If you had extra time wouldn't it be better to just spend time together and not take an extra class, silly?”

“Oh yeah, I guess. Are you sure you'd be okay with that Sungie?” Felix grins and nuzzles his head into Jisung's shoulder, cuddling into him playfully.

Sungie? Oh, Jisung's done for. He giggles again and kicks his feet (like a fucking schoolgirl or something, embarassing). “Only if you promise to binge watch my favorite animes. And make cookies with me!”

Seungmin makes a gagging sound. “...Ugh, I take back everything I said. You two together are more energy than I can reasonably tolerate. Goodbye.” He throws his hand up in a wave and starts walking to his room. He pauses in his doorway and turns around. “Oh and please for the love of god, no funny business when I'm here. I'm happy for you but not that happy.” 

Jisung turns red and he hears Felix choke on air. “Seungmin!” 

“What? You already did stuff and you weren't even dating yet. I can't trust you guys.”

Jisung throws a cushion at him. “Didn't you say bye already? Bye!!”

Seungmin rolls his eyes and throws up a peace sign before turning around and closing his door.

Jisung glances at Felix, who's equally as red-faced. They stare at each other for a few seconds before both breaking out into giggles.

Yeah, Jisung thinks he'll be alright.

—

[4 weeks later]

—

—

a/n: take a shot every time you see the word 'like' (u will die). if u made it this far THANK U SOOO MUCH FOR READING WOW! this is my first fic so any feedback would be super appreciated! i'd love to hear your thoughts (^o^) idk how active i'll be here but i've been in a writing mood recently so keep an eye out maybe? again tysm for reading!! ♡

[sensitive-neuvi-enthusiast]

Day 31: Costume

♤♡-Pairs: Kaveh x male!reader

☆☆-Warnings: male reader, college au, kissing, fingering (kaveh receiving), bathroom sex, nurse costume (kaveh), clothes ripping (kavehs tights), panties (kaveh)

A/N: Super early upload! But I hope yall enjoy and thank you for this amazing first kinktober! Happy Halloween 🎃 👻

WC: 1.7k

"Do I really have to wear this?" Kaveh groaned, eyes casting a disgusted glance towards the pile of white fabric in his hands. 

"You do. That's how bets work." Alhaitham added, lithe fingers working at the button of his cape. Kaveh looked to his other friends; eyes pleading. But they only gave him a sorrowful glance, agreeing with Alhaitham. "Ugh, but what if he's there…" He mumbled, fingers picking at a loose thread. "Then you'll thank me, because he'll want to fuc-"

"Ahh, no more." He shook his head rapidly back and forth. Hanging his head in defeat, he slowly trudged to the bathroom. Slipping on the costume, his face immediately erupted into hot, red heat as he casted a glance in the mirror. White fabric tied in front, just above his belly button. Intended to push up breasts that he didn't have, instead gave the same boob window he had with his normal attire. But now, his tummy was exposed too. His blonde happy trail, peeking just a bit above the band of the skirt. Oh the skirt-he immediately hid his face in his hands. It stopped above mid thigh and he was sure if he turned-yup, you could clearly see the bottom of his ass. Or you would, if Alhaitham hadn't taken pity on him and gave him some tights. This was humiliating. Especially if you saw him. Kaveh nibbled on his bottom lip. Maybe he should just stay-

A harsh knock came to the door. "Come on, we're gonna be late." Kaveh really didn't wanna go. 

Reluctantly, he opened the door and peeked out. All three of his friends waited by the door, faces absorbed in their phones. With a deep breath, he stepped out, all heads swiveled to his direction. Alhaitham gave a hum of approval. "He'll definitely fuc-"

"Stop!" He yelled, waving his hands in front of his face. "Let's just go," he pouted with his arms crossed over his chest.

…

Kaveh had never felt more embarrassed than he did right now. He was hiding from you, it was obvious. As soon as he arrived, you just had to be the first person he saw. Your hair slicked back with gel, plastic fangs tucked in your mouth as you wore a low-cut suit. Who knew he had a thing for vampires? Not that it mattered, as soon as he made eye contact with you, he ran away. And everytime after that. Currently, he had posted up in the bathroom. Staring angrily at himself for being so weak and nervous to talk to you. Or even look at you. It was no secret he'd had a crush on you for a while. Well, you didn't know. 

He needed to put his big boy pants on and face you! With a curt nod to himself in the mirror, he turned to open the door. Coming face to face with you, a beer in your hand that he accidentally made you spill. "Shit," you hissed, the cold liquid seeping into your shirt. 

"I.." kaveh choked, his throat felt dry as he stared at you. This wasn't how it was supposed to go! "I'll help! Paper towels? Um.." he looked around, eyes wavering as he tried to find something. "Don't worry bout it, an accident." You gave a sigh, stepping into the bathroom now, shutting the door. Kaveh blinked, watching as you shrugged off the top layer of your suit, removing the white button up underneath it. He gulped. "Want a picture?" Your eyes glanced at Kaveh's shocked expression before you chuckled. "I'm messing with you dude," your eyes drifted a little lower before coming back up. "Nice costume."

Someone open the ground and swallow him whole please. "T-thanks…" He shifted his feet. "Lost a bet," Kaveh murmured. "Yeah?" You questioned, using your distracting hands to wash the beer stain out of your shirt. "Thank whoever made that bet with you, for me." He blinked. Did he hear you right? 

"What?" You chuckled, giving up on your shirt and set it on the counter, turning to him. "I said, thank whoever made that bet with you." You looked him up and down. "To think I'd see you in a nurse outfit, a sexy one at that." Kaveh's cheeks felt hot, was this really happening? Were you really saying these things to him? 

You stepped closer, hands hovering at your sides. Looking like they itched to touch his body; they did. 

"I know you like me Kaveh." You sighed, a playful smile on your face. "Y-You do? How? I mean-" He rubbed at the back of his neck, accidentally showing more of his slim waist. You felt your cock stir in your slacks. He really did look just too damn hot right now. "It's not hard when you catch someone constantly having eyes glued to you." You stepped even closer, bodies almost touching. "You were so absorbed in it, you didn't even see me looking at you, did you?" 

He swallowed thickly; had he really missed it? Kaveh shook his head. "Thought so," your hands tentatively rested on his hips, causing him to suck in a breath. "Well, now you have no excuse. What do you say we have some fun, hm? It's well overdue, and I have to be honest. This costume?" You licked your lips. "Makes me hard."

Was it possible to feel even hotter? Kaveh pondered that as he felt his head nod, giving you the go ahead. Immediately, you surged forward, pressing your lips against his. And it was a mess of spit, tongues tangling with the other, and teeth knocking against each other. It was hot. Kaveh could already feel his dick spring to life, lifting the front of his skirt a bit. You groaned, hands slipping around to the back. Grabbing handfuls of his ass, squeezing the flesh hard enough to make him squeak against your lips.

You chuckled, pulling back. "Sensitive aren't we? That's fucking hot." You lean back in, claiming his lips again. Kaveh found himself palming at your bare chest, seeking something to ground him from his foggy mind. Unable, still, to comprehend this was actually happening.

"Hop up," you murmur against his lips. Tucking your hands under his thighs, lifting him. Your hands spread across his backside, molding the flesh how you liked. "A shame you didn't wear any pretty panties with this." You mumbled, fingers tugging at the fabric of the tights. "Do you like these?" Kaveh heard you question. He shook his head, "N-Not really-ah!" His body flinched, the obscene sound of ripping fabric echoed in the bathroom. Did you…just rip his tights? Oh fuck, that was hot. "Oh?" You were pleasantly surprised to find, he was in fact, wearing panties. "Fuck-" you groaned, resting your forehead against his cheat. "You're killing me. I won't rip these, I wanna fuck you with them on." 

"Please.." he found himself saying almost immediately. Shivering when he saw how your eyes darkened with his neediness. "Don't worry, I will, gotta prep you first." With one hand around him still, you brought the other to his mouth. And you didn't even have to tell him, he immediately took your fingers into his pretty mouth. 

"God, you really are too fucking hot." Your dick strained painfully against your pants, leaking pre already. 

You pressed your fingers against his tongue while he swirled it around your digits. If he sucked fingers like this-how would he suck cock? The thought was enough to make you groan. As much as you wanted that though, you wanted to be inside him. Needed to be. You slipped your fingers out, sliding his panties to the side and slipping in a finger. His hole twitched, spasming around you as there was slight resistance. "Relax," you spoke softly against his lips. Thinking if you kissed him, maybe it'd help him relax. And you were right. Soon, you were able to get three fingers inside, his body grinding himself on your fingers.

His soft whimpers and whines going straight to your dick. You doubted it would take long for either of you.

"You ready baby?" He nodded his head almost immediately, hot breath puffed against your neck. You moved over towards the sink, slipping your fingers out and setting him on the ground. "Turn around for me. I want you to see. No distractions." He complied, turning towards the sink, laying his front on the counter. His ass pointed upwards as he flipped the back of his skirt up. You rubbed the front of your pants at the sight, "You really are gonna kill me." No more wasting time. You undid your pants, slipping them down your legs. Freeing your cock from its confinements, spitting abruptly into your hand. Stroking up and down its length a few times before slapping the tip against the flesh of his ass. 

His ass wiggled, his pretty mouth begging you to just put it in please. "Need to feel your cock inside me." He didn't have to tell you twice. Grasping the base of your dick, you slowly fed yourself into his greedy hole. Twitching and clenching around you. Even though you prepped him, you were still met with some resistance. You leaned forward, kissing up his back. "Fuck-relax baby, can't move, squeezing me too much." 

Eventually the resistance faded and you were fucking into him. Your balls, full and heavy, slapped against his ass. His blessed out face present in the mirror and you couldn't help but hiss. Tangling your hand in his hair, pulling back enough to make him arch. Allowing you to push deeper inside, the tip of your cock brushing against his prostate.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuck," Kaveh whined. Eyes became misty as the pleasure took over his body. Making his poor nipples harden and brush against the cold surface of the sink. "Gonna cum," he announced. His pretty eyes leaking tears that rolled down his cheeks, flushed a rosy pink. 

"Me too," you grunted, picking up speed. "With me, cum f'me, oh fuck fuck-" 

A flash of white burned behind your eyes as your hips stilled, spilling your sticky cum inside him. Kaveh's dick twitched, spraying his seed on the counter and his tummy. You fell, landing on his back as you panted heavily. 

…

"You owe me twenty bucks," Alhaitham pointed to Cyno. Sipping from his cup, eyes following you and Kaveh walking out of the bathroom.

Masterlist

Prev. ☆

[hirsheyskisses]

Hey, psst! I have a little request, that might be of your interest - it‘s quite fluffy ఌ

So the trope;

„Come on, try one! I sat hours on these!“

„Don’t make me taste the most bread like sweets in existence, idiot.“

You made cinnamon buns, the Heart pirates love your creation, but who is avoiding the kitchen at all costs? Of course - tall, dark and brooding white hat.

Will he eat the infamous cinnamon buns? Is he possibly risking his life for you, because he can’t stand the cute pout you exaggeratedly flash at him?

(You can choose the scenario)

I‘ll leave the fluff expertise to you ✨

Cinnamon Bun Chaos

TRAFALGAR LAW x READER

Summary: Law can't seem to shake the uneasy feeling he's had since he's awoken. Is it the smell? Or perhaps he's sick.. and then.. oh dear. Will he give in to that cute, cute pout of yours?

A/N: help this was so frigging cute to write 😭 @ems-c-lee you know I've gotta do it! AHHHHHH *violent screeching over doc ensues*

The first thing he'd noticed when he'd woken up was an odd, cinnamon and - very sweet smelling thing. Wearily blinking his eyes, body heavy from sleep, Law raised his head off his desk, noting he must've fallen asleep during another study. Limbs stretching, and allowing his mind to wake up, he noted the still hot coffee that had been placed on his desk. Of course, he thought, the slightest of smiles gracing his features, (Name)-ya always anticipates when ill wake. Taking the cup and stealing a quick sip from it, Law pulled on a hoodie and made to exit his room.

However, the moment he did, he was hit with a wave of unease. That smell was turning his stomach, just a bit. Which was odd. Being the ship's cook, he had always loved most of your cooking. Each flavor complimented the other, and while his sleepy mind could only tell cinnamon from the smell, he didn't mind cinnamon. Well, it could be how sweet it smells. He wasn't the largest fan of sweets, but what could possibly go wrong?

Each step increased that slightly uneasy feeling. His mind slipped away from the smell, for it couldn't be that: worry drifting into his mind. Somethings wrong. Something must be. Maybe its with me? Am I sick? This feeling could easily be sickness, and I'm mixing it up with anxiety. Ugh.

Opening the door to the kitchen, Law made a mental note to keep a physical distance from anyone until he did a check-up on himself. He was met with the kitchen to be crowded-

"These are so good, (Name)! Why didn't you make these sooner?!"

"My stomach is.. in heaven."

"Thats weird, dude!"

There you were. Leaning against the counter with a satisfied glint in your eyes, laughing at the crews antics with whatever it was you had made. Yet that feeling, it worsened, but in the moment, Law chose to ignore it, feeling his mind melt when your smile directed at him.

"Captain! You're up early." You greeted, moving over to meet him. Law nodded, taking a quick drink from his coffee. "Had a weird feeling. It's a bit early for breakfast." He glanced at the crew, who'd hadn't noticed him. "I'll get breakfast started in a few, yeah. I decided I'd mess around and make an old favorite though! Cinnabuns!"

Oh. Oh that's why he had a weird feeling.

"...bread." Law stated, raising an eyebrow. He found himself physically withdrawing himself closer to the door, and you laughed, "hardly! Sure it's made from dough but it's delicious! Cinnamon and sugary and gooey goodness!"

Law mentally cringed, and by now, the three others in the kitchen had taken note of Law's presence. Penguin chimed in, "mornin' Captain! She's absolutely right, you should try one!"

Bepo, who was currently looking like his brain had gone to heaven, "they're amazing!" And Sachi, "I bet you might even like it! It's (Name)'s cooking, after all."

"No way. Keep that bread nonsense away from me." Law grumbled, slowly moving towards the door. You chuckled softly at his movements, staring up at him with doe like eyes.

"Captain.. I spent hours on these.. atleast try it! One small bite?"

You pleaded with him, knowing damn well what his weakness was. Puppy eyes. That way you peered up at him, eyes so wide and innocent, a smallest of pouts resting on your face. It didn't help that Bepo was right behind him, staring at Law with that damn adorable fuzzy face. He could barely resist Bepo, let alone you. And with the two of you combined?

"...don't make me try the most breadlike sweets in existence, idiot!"

You had him backed to the wall, still staring at him, and god he was struggling. "Captain.. jist one bite! I promise I won't make you try any other bread thing againnnnn.." honestly, you weren't even aiming to make him try it: but the way he was squirming was absolutely precious, his ears turning pink as he mentally battled the pros and cons.

"...Room."

"Ack! Scatter!" Penguin shouted, laughter filling the kitchen once again as you all scrambled to escape, but it was futile. Atleast it was for you. One second, you were almost out the door, and then-

"-shambles."

You were in Law's. You could never quite get used to his powers moving you around, it was rather disorienting for your mind. Looking back, you saw him: tall, stoic, a shadow over his eyes, ..and a cinnamon bun in his hand.

"Cap- Law," you corrected yourself. In private, he insisted you call him by his first name. In public.. well, the crew wasn't aware the two of you were dating, so you kept it professional with them. Even if you both weren't aware the crew had long since figured out you both were dating. "-you don't actually need to try it, I was just teasing-"

He raised a hand to silence you. "..just.. give me a minute." Law was glaring at the sweet bread treat in his hand, mentally battling if it was worth taking a bite. Even now when you reassured him of that, you still had those expectant, curious doe like eyes and that cute pout on your face.

You watched as he took a bite, slow and cautious. He was expressionless, chewing it for what seemed like hours, before swallowing and setting the treat down on his desk.

Slowly, the man moved towards you. You laughed nervously, stepping away with each step towards you, "..was it good?"

He moved closer until your back was to the wall, and he was right in front of you. Tattooed hands gripped at your shoulders as he lowered his forehead to rest on yours, staring at you intently. "...law?" You questioned, unsure if he was having some sort of allergic reaction, or post cinnabun crisis, but you shied away regardless.

"...." He dropped his head on your shoulder and pulled you close- tighter than usual.

"..if it wasn't bread, it might've been good." He forced out at last, pressing his face into your neck. "But please, dear heavens, never make me eat that again."

A relieved breath escaped you as you laughed, wrapping your arms around your tense boyfriend, "Roger that! ...I'll make not bread Cinnamon buns then! ..somehow."

"I'd like that."

[ghostlspirit]

|| male!Yandere x gender neutral!reader ||

------------------------

tw: yander tendencies (but still pretty tame, this is basically how it all started), awkward moments, embarrassment, low-key stalking (?)

Note: My first ever Story/writing!! hope it's not too long! This is the story on how you met Fabian! You can consider this part 1 and maybe there will be multiple more, depending on how this will work out! Hope you're ready for him ;) Oh, and English is not my first language, so sorry for any spelling mistake or errors! Hope you enjoy ~

Masterlist

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You met him on the train.

Well...not really "met". You see him there nearly every day while going to work. You both were just strangers taking the train, like everyone else. At first, you didn't even notice him, as it was still pretty early in the morning and you just wanted to listen to your music.

You don't really know when it all started. Looking back at it, it all seems so silly...Was it that one day when you randomly just noticed his sloutched form, barely keeping himself awake in his seat, and you thought "hell yeah, same bro."? Was it that one day when he took the last seat available and you cursed him in your mind? Was it that one day when you awkwardly made too much eye contact with him, because you were still salty for the other day?

Or maybe it was the day when you both sat across from eachother, knees barely touching eachother as you try to keep to yourself in your comfort zone. You notice he does it too, trying to make space so his legs doesn't bump into the stranger sitting across from him. "This dude has way too long legs...". Or maybe it was the day you notice his hair, somehow always styled and nearly sitting on his head. "I wonder what shampoo he uses...I want fluffy hair like that..."

Nonetheless, you notice him more. It's not in a creepy way, you say. You're not attracted to him or anything, you just go to the god-awful place you call work and notice him on your way. It's not like you always notice him, just sometimes when you both take the train. Sometimes he's there, sometimes he isn't. He's still a just some stranger after all.

You bet you're not the only one that does this - I mean, it must be pretty common to compliment somones style in your mind, right? When a stranger has a cool backpack, or an aesthetic outfit, or a really cool hair colour - You just appreciate somones style quietly. Nothing wierd about that. It's not like you judge them - they can wear whatever they want - not your problem.

Maybe you're just too shy, too anxious to say anything or strike a conversation. The mere though of complimenting some stranger you never met out loud is making you cringe in embarrassment. You'd rather down a whole soap bottle than embarrass yourself.

So imagine you, and "Train Guy" (you started calling him like that in your mind), sitting across eachother one morning, and he got that one jacked you always wanted. It looks so new and it fits him perfectly. "He could become a model..." you thought, as you feel a little bit jealous that you don't have the money to spoil yourself like that.

Your glances were noticed by him, to your horror. Well, you were pretty obvious, admiring the jacket and looking at it like some gourmand steaky. He thought you were wierd, he felt a little self conscious under your gaze, honestly. He guessed you know the brand and how expensive it is. Still, he felt your staring is a little rude.

As you met eyes, you both kinda...stare? You have a suprised look, brain probably short circuited because it's still too early and you were just cought red handed. He on the other hand has a kind of glare, also too tired to deal with social interaction, trying to read you with his gaze so you stop staring. Yet you both just have a small... staring contest? You both don't blink. You're freaking out on the inside. "What is this situation??? oh god ohgodohgod- this is so embarrassing-" You look away but still feel his gaze on you. You take out your phone to distract yourself but as you glance back up, you see him still staring. "OHGODOHGOD-"

He notices your flustered state, your red face and how you fiddle with your phone. "ah shit" He thought. "Now i was being rude...god damnit" He let's out a yawn as he finally spares you and starts to be on his phone too. "sorry about that" he apologiesing to you in his mind, hoping he didn't look too intimidating. "they were just looking...oops" he thought to himself, he probably traumatized you.

After a minute, you both accidentally look up and made eye contact again, and simultaneously looked away instantly. You both cursed in your minds as you feel embarrassed with yourselfes. This interaction will haunt you for the rest of the week.

You don't even know if you're ready to face him the next morning, the incident still fresh in your mind. You thought, maybe you should skip the train and take the next, but your boss will probably gut you alive if you arrive late one more time. Sighing, you try to grow a backbone and forget the incident. Surely he doesn't remember?? I mean, you just made eye contact, right?? Just a staring contest that lasted nearly a minute with a stranger on the train, nothing too strange, right??? hahahaha....

Wrong.

"Oh, it's that wierdo again", Fabian notices you. You probably haven't seen him yet, maybe you don't even remember him? "Ah, we're talking the same train...? Have they always been there?" He thought.

You check your phone and change the playlist, something to calm your nerves, while looking up to see the sun barely rising. You absentmindedly glance around the other people waiting on the station, hoping, praying, he's not there.

God must hate you in this life.

You met eyes again, and by dear god you needed a goddamn break. "HE'S HEREEEEEE OH GOOOODDDDD, NOOOOOOOO". It took everything in you to not bolt and jump into the fastest driving car available in that moment. "HE DEFINITELY REMEMBERS AAAAAAA" Your social anxiety screams.

Based on your reaction, Fabian guess you do remember, and you do recognise him. He just hopes you don't start to stare at him again, he'd hate for that to become a habit. Yet you didn't. You did the opposite.

He guesses you're the type of person that holds a grudge, or something like that, as the next few weeks it seems like you go out of your way to avoid him.

Yeah, he did start to notice you every time, and yeah, he did start calling you "wierdo" in his mind. (just like you call him "Train guy") He did kind of judge you, you could say. The way he sometimes stares is as if he's trying to read you. You kind of cougt his interested...

especially after you gave up your seat so two little kids could sit with their mom and play with their stuffed dinosaurs. The mother apologized and wanted to make one kid sit on her lap so you could sit down again, yet you reassured her it was fine, even though Fabian notet you looked pretty exhausted. He nearly wanted to offer his seat, instantly scrapping that idea in his mind.

Another time would be where you absentmindedly trapped your leg to the rythym of the song you were listening to. You were looking at your phone and smiling a little bit, probably looking at something that you enjoy. "You're probably in a good mood, huh?" Fabian noticed that day how your hair was a little messy...and there were bags under your eyes.

There was also times you would meet eyes and you would instantly look away. Did he impact you that much?

It got more bearable after some time, you stopped being petty and anxious. After weeks, you kind of moved on from the incident, trying to just forget about it. You still cringe at the memory, but because of the current workload your boss put on you, you have other things to worry about than the Train Guy. For example: your sleep schedule.

The stress got to you, and after a whole all-nighter, you felt like passing out. You only got about one hour of sleep, involuntarily, as your body gave in. Because of that you were about to miss your train. You sprintet to the station as fast as your body allowed, without throwing up your last meal you had from yesterday. Your heart was racing, your legs hurt and you feel a headache incoming.

Right before you, you see the train, it was right there. But you were too late, as the doors start to close. With the last willpower and strength you could muster in you, mostly driven by fear from the wrath of your boss, you try to still catch it, stop the doors from completely closing so you could still hop on.

You didn't made it, but Fabian did, as he held his arm to the doors so the sensor activates and opens up again. The train was stuffed, but you didn't care as you hopped on, taking a much needed breath, and giving the strange that helped you a quick "thank you". It was stuffy and you could barely freely move, having a backpack right in your face to your right. You move yourself to the left, facing the stranger that helped you, as the doors close.

After a few more breaths, you lean yourself onto the door for stability, trying to not pass out as the headache finally kicks in. You kept your gaze down and stare at the ground. "Wait a minute..."

You recognise those expensive shoes!

You look up slowly, dreading the face of the stranger in front of you. But alas, it's him. Train Guy. In all his glory as he too, looked up and made eye contact with you. You actually never were this close to him. You notice a beauty mark and "Blue eyes..."

"What?"

...

Oh.

You said that out loud, didn't you?

Your brain must be as slow as a snail this morning as you still stare at him wide eyes. He thinks you must be crazy or something. Why must you be so cursed? This is the worst morning in your life.

"N-Nothing!" you choke out after a few moments. You look like a mess. And feel like one too. What's even worse is that you got nowhere to hide. "sorry..." is all you could muster.

After your apology he takes in your appearance. He gives you a whole one over before contemplating his choices. You look terrible, to put it midly. You definitely saw better days. He noticed this week, day after day, you seem to be more stressed, more messy. Its not his business though, never was and never will be. So why....

"Are you...okay?"

So why did he ask?

You look up again, even more suprised than before. In Fabian's eyes, you look like a fish right now. Your brain is turning it's gears as you blink multiple times at him. "Is he.. striking conversation?? Seriously?"

"Uh...uhm- Huh?"

"Are you okay?"

He repeats himself, fully doubeling down. He's committed to this, huh?

"Uh...yeah...?" You gulp, wanting this to end, desperately. You're definitely not prepared for this right now.

"Are you sure?"

"God, please spare me!" your mind screams. Why does he care? Do you really look that terrible?? You could cry to be honest.

"...Yeah...? Uh- just...just stressed, I guess? uhm..."

He narrows his gaze as he takes your whole appearance in again. You look down yourself, hoping you didn't accidentally go out in your underwear. Nope, just the same outfit as yesterday.

The train stops at another stop and you go out the door, making space and waiting outside so people can leave. As the last person exists, people start going in the train again. It's a little less crowded, but you still end up in front of Train Guy. Fate really hates you. Atleast you got more space?

There's a silence between you two. You're not really sure if he's gonna say anything again or if you should say something. Is the conversation over? What even was that? After a few moments, you take a breath and collected you last pice of sanity. "If he can play this game, so can I"

"...What about you...?"

"Huh?"

"How...Uhm-How are you? Are you okay?"

Now he's the one flabbergasted, looking at you wide eyed. In your eyes, he looks like a fish right now. Fabian honestly didn't expect you to ask that. He's stunned for a moment, furrowing his brows. "...You care? While looking like...this?"

"Uh- yeah, I guess. Just a little tired."

He gave you a small, confused, and awkward smile. You notice his beauty mark again. You gave him a small, exhausted smile in return, trying to strike the final blow to the painful conversation.

"Glad to hear... And uh, thank you again, for keeping the doors open. And for... asking."

You could say you gave up at this point, giving him a genuine smile while thanking him. Your shoulder relax, as you headache slowly leaves. Only your legs are hurting now, besides maybe your pride.

Fabian feels his worlds move a little slower while looking at you smile. His breath catches in his throat, as he notices how the morning sun wraps around your messy clothes, hair and face, giving you a slight glow, and making you look less terrible than before. "Wow...that smile suits you"

"Y-You're... welcome..."

He can't help but smile too, feeling proud of himself. He hopes he made your day a little bit better. After a nod, you start too look out the window in the door, finally letting yourself rest. Fabian kind of doesn't want to look away, yet he forces himself, as he looks out too, trying to find something to distract him from the strange feelings growing in his stomach.

"Maybe you aren't such a wierdo after all..." he thinks, stealing another glance at you.

------------------------

Part 1 done! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Trust me, this is only the beginning. If you want more, feel free to say so! I would love to make more if people enjoyed this! Have a nice day now!

------------------------

[silent-raven13]

Cosplay Time!

Miles: I'm going with Ganke to another Anime Convention! -to his friends, Gwen and Pav being at his place- I want your guys feedback on my current costume!

Gwen nodded: Sure!

Miles happily went to the bathroom: I'll go change and you can tell me if it's good or not?

Pav: Oh yeah, fashion show! -he claps his hands happily-

Miles went off to change, then Hobie came through the window: Sorry, I'm late, mates. -he looks around to find Miles- Where's Miles?

Gwen pour herself a glass of soda in her cup: He's changing. He's gonna show us his cosplay outfit for the next convention he's going with Ganke.

Pav nodded hugging his stuffed Chopper pillow: Yeah! I bet it's another One Piece cosplay.

Gwen: Ohh, I wonder who he'll be?

Hobie sat on the window seat: Then I'll sit here and wait for him.

Miles: Here I come! -He burst through his room cosplaying as Nico Robin before the time skip, wearing her iconic purple outfit- What do you think? I'm doing a bit cross dressing this time!

Gwen and Pav gasps and awed: Whoooaaa, that outfit is cute!

Miles noticed his boyfriend: Hey bae! Like my outfit for Anime convention? -He smirks doing his posed-

Hobie had a nosebleed. Pav freaks out: Ahh, someone find a tissue!

Then Hobie got two tissues in his nostrils: You look amazing, luv. But you're going with Ganke? -he eyes his Sunflower wearing a short skirt, and revealing chest. All too damn sexy-

Miles posed: Yup! This is the one I'm going with on the first. Me and Ganke planned to do the whole One Piece gang this time! Since last time he did Luffy and I did Zoro!

Gwen asked: Wow, so are ya'll doing all of them?

Miles: Yup!

Pav: What made you wanna cross dress?

Miles: When you're a cosplayer, it's pretty common to dress up as a male or female character. Normally a lot of girls dressed up as boys for their BL ships. Sometimes there's femboys dressing up as cute popular anime girls. I wanted to give it a try! Also me Ganke were betting who would dress up as a girl and I lost, hehehe. -he rubs his neck-

Hobie's eyes darken being jealous: You and Ganke are going together... dressed like that?

Gwen sang: Somebody's jealous!

Miles pouts: Relax, Hobie. We're just cosplaying. Anyway, I got two other ideas. -he went out of the room to change to his other cosplay costumes-

Pav giggles: Miles looks cute! I wish I was bold enough to do that!

Hobie grew jealous: I would prefer if he wore something else.

Gwen giggles: Your just jealous because he's going with Ganke!

Hobie huffs.

Miles pop out wearing an Nami outfit: What do you guys think? I know the wig is cheap, but I met someone that can fix it for me. -He stood wearing Sami's outfit from the Enies Island Arc- I got this one for Nami but another one with her iconic red dress! Ganke is gonna dress up as Sanji.

Pav claps: Ohh, your going for that ship, huh?

Miles: We thought it was a good combo. Though, my thighs rub too much, I might need to wear some biker shorts.

Gwen giggles having a mischievous idea: Wow, you don't want the fans to see your panty shots? I heard a lot of dudes go around looking for cross dressing guys to capture them wearing sexy panties. -Hobie's body stood tensed-

Pav: Ew, people are gross.

Miles pouts: Well, I'm not dressing up to satisfy some weird fetish. I just want to dress up, it's an art form. Cosplaying is about being one with the character you love.

Gwen: Yeah, I get that, but if you wear biker shorts... those guys are gonna be pretty disappointed. -She said a bit persuasive- Imagine all those nerdy perverted weebs wanting their favorite character wearing sexy lace panty, and your just teasing them. They see your skirt and then flips it over to catch a glimpse. Hell, they might even harass you!

Hobie's eyes widen as he stood darkly: That's it. I'm going! -No one gets to fondle his Sunflower-

Miles blinks surprised: HUH! Your going? I thought you didn't like-

Hobie cut him off as he went up to face his boyfriend: No one gets to touch my Sunflower! -His eyes serious- I'm going.

Miles groans: Ohhh, I see. I can take care of myself!

Pav: Oh, I wanna go! I always want to go to a convention!

Gwen: Looks like there's no choice! -She smirks widely- We're going!

Miles: You guys don't even like anime conventions!

Hobie scoffs: So? I'll protect you! I highly doubt Ganke can.

Miles huffs: Fine! But All of you guys are cosplaying as One Piece characters, it's only fair!

Gwen smirks: Ha, I already started watching it so I know who I'm going to be.

Pav nodded: ME TOO!

-At the Anime convention-

Gwen smiles widely dressed as Yamato: Ha! This is gonna be fun! Wow, look at everyone dressing up. -She spotted people dressing up as the Spider Band-

Pavitr dressed up as Chopper: Wow, look at the huge balloon! This is so cool. This convention is different from Anime NYC!

Ganke fixes his glasses dressed up as Sanji: Heh, this convention is new, and much bigger than Anime NYC. Apparently, this one will have many special events and many sponsors.

Gayatri giggles dressed as Deer Mink: I feel so cute! Thanks for inviting me! -She looks at Miles as she wear her own multi-verse watch Hobie made for her-

Miles dressed up as Nico Robin in her purple cowgirl outfit wearing a sparkle purple cowgirl hat: No problem. Luckily I was able to hack and get more tickets without problems. I'm glad the outfit fits you.

Gayatri giggles: I feel cute! -She hugs Pav's arm- Cute couple!

Miles smiles at his boyfriend: What do you think, bae? You like your outfit?

Hobie stood wearing a muted green Kimono with three fake samurai swords dressing up as Zoro. His demeanor really pulled the look off even if he didn't have green short hair. His wicks still bouncy and free forming with light spray dye paint on the tips. HIs punker aesthetics remain on the outfit showing off his edgy style: Hmmm, I should've spray painted this robe.

Miles pouts: Bae, I made that costume! Don't ruin it! Besides, you already look so cool. Everyone is watching you since you enter. Heck, they are taking pictures! -He pointed as people were trying to take photos of Hobie in his Zoro costume- You pulled it off better than me!

One girl came up to Miles: Can we get a photo of you, Robin! You look so cute!

Miles saw his friends: You guys go on ahead! I'll pose a bit.

Gwen: Alright. Come on, guys! Pav wants to see the limited Edition Cat ears!

Pav: Yay! I want the pink one!

Hobie stood with his arms crossed until he noticed another group of people coming up to him: OMG! Can we get pictures! You look so badass!

Hobie: Fine!

The group: HE EVEN ACT SO COOL LIKE ZORO!

Miles stood taking pictures being overwhelmed with so many. It's more people than last time. Cross dressing as Nico Robin had more of popularity that he didn't expect: Heh. Heh. -Nervously posing not sure how long to keep up. He was unaware of a guy behind him-

Hobie's spider sense tingling quickly looking over at a random guy about to get close to Miles: Huh! -His eyes widen-

Miles looks over his shoulder spotting Hobie quickly stopping a random pervert that was about to lift Miles' purple skirt up: Huh, Hobie?

The group gasps: Wow, he even move fast! Dude is actually Zoro!

Hobie tightly grab the guy's hand almost threatening to break it: I would think twice, if I were you, mate?

The guy stood scared and nervous by Hobie's dark glare. Miles turns around being in shock: Ew, what da fuck, man! -He became grossed out by the pervert-

The creep: Hey, let me go!

Miles tug on Hobie's sleeve: Don't hurt him, Hobie. He look like he learns his lesson. Let security handle him.

Hobie scowls: Fine. -he lets go of the creep once a security guard came to take the man away.-

Then the group went to the two to take photos. Miles posed with Hobie: Don't we make a cool duo! -He winks at his punk boyfriend- Do you like cosplaying? -His eyes sparkles knowing Hobie enjoys being Zoro-

Hobie blushes: No. -he lies-

Miles giggles: Awe, well too bad. I like it, it's so much fun cosplaying with you. -He was about to pose by himself until he felt Hobie's hand grabbing his own-

Hobie holds Miles' hand: I don't hate it as long I'm with you. -He let out a small smile at his Sunflower-

Miles smiles widely: I'm glad, bae. -The two hold hands as they continue their day at the convention.-

[jennay]

The Set Up

Humor Me

Master List

AN: let me know your thoughts and if you’d like to see more. I had fun writing this but also wrote it at least 20 times. Be gentle lol

Warnings: Cussing?

"What are you-"

Kieran doesn't bother waiting for you to finish your sentence before pushing past you and making himself comfortable on the living room couch.

"You wouldn't answer your phone. So I came over to talk to you. This could've been a quick call, but no, you wouldn't answer."

You roll your eyes as you sit next to him. "That's because I was trying to sleep! You know like a normal-ish human?" You curl up in the corner of the couch, wrapping yourself in a blanket that lays as decoration on the hotel couch. "What do you need to talk about?"

"Rory." He says with a smile plastered on his lips.

"Rory?" You repeat, hoping he's joking. Kieran turns his head to face you, his expression serious. He drapes his arm behind the sofa and leans in a bit. "Yeah. He's the one."

Kieran didn't seem to get it despite telling him over and over to stop trying to set you up with people. You believed that love would happen when the time was right, and you trusted the universe to lead you in that direction when you were ready.

"Thanks for being concerned about my love life, gossip girl, but I'd rather be single than let you choose another date for me." You firmly say. "Plus, Rory is probably busy with stuff. I mean, he's kinda blowing up right now, and I'm not doing another long-distance relationship. They suck."

Kieran nods, but you can tell he's got more to say. "You know what he doesn't have, though?"

You deeply exhale, begging the gods for patience as you sarcastically say, "A girlfriend?"

"Exactly!"

"You came over here at one in the morning to tell me you think Rory and I should date?" You blink a few times, half asleep; you need to make sure you heard him correctly.

"Come on, he's not some random dude off the street, and he's definitely not a psycho murderer, so that's a plus!"

You groan, feeling a migraine approaching. "I bet there are tons of girls who would be thrilled to go out with your brother. Why don't you let him do his own thing?"

His blue eyes sparkle with joy. "Because I think you guys would be good together. You're two peas in a pod, the next power couple." Kieran chuckles. "I feel dumb I didn't think of this in the first place. Could've saved us all some trouble."

You shake your head, feeling overwhelmed by his enthusiasm. "That doesn't mean it's all sunshine and rainbows. Real life is much more complex than that. Relationships require hard work, dedication, and self-sacrifice. Things neither of us have time for.”

He casually dismisses your concerns with a shrug and wave of his hand. "That's what makes it exciting - the challenge, the growth, and the reward." He softens his expression with a smile. "I remember seeing a spark between you two at Jazz's birthday party last year, and I know you exchanged numbers. Don't even try to deny it." He laughs.

You smack him with a pillow. "We never talked again. Don't you think something would've come out of that? At least like a hey?"

He raises his eyebrows. "Maybe he was too shy to text you. Or maybe he lost your number. Or maybe he was waiting for you to make the first move." He says, grinning.

"And maybe he's secretly a prince from a faraway kingdom who's looking for his true love." You say, sarcastically. “Bullshit!”

He chuckles. "Hey, you never know. Stranger things have happened in this world. Maybe you should give him a call and find out." He says, nudging you.

You shake your head, "Or...maybe he doesn't like me. Did you ever think of that option? Because that's totally an option." You pause to catch your breath. "I know you think I'm special, but not everyone will feel that way."

Kieran’s mouth gaped open, "Oh please. You're amazing, and you know it. What do you have to lose?"

Your eyes shoot up to his, and you sigh heavily before asking, "If I do this, do you promise you'll stop meddling in my personal life?" You've been dealing with Kieran's constant interference in your love life for far too long, and you're at your wit's end.

He nods eagerly, crossing his heart with his finger. "I promise." His expression is sincere, but you've heard this promise before. You're not sure you can trust him.

"And that goes for Jazz too." You add quickly, remembering his partner in crime. You don't want to give Kieran any loopholes to exploit.

Closing your eyes, you sigh, dropping your shoulders with defeat.

"Fine." You say reluctantly, your voice barely above a whisper.

"Fine?" He repeats, sounding surprised. His eyebrows shoot up in shock.

"Fine." You confirm, your tone more forceful this time.

"Hmm," He hums, "I honestly wasn't expecting you to agree on this so quickly. I had so many more reasons and notes I prepared." He sounds slightly disappointed.

"This will be the last time you play cupid and interfere in my love life. Understood?"

Feeling smug, Kieran gets up and yawns, "Because you're going to fall in love and never need a cupid again." He retorts, with a wink.

You snort as he glances at his fancy watch, a shiny Rolex that his agent gifted him for snagging his role. "Well, look at the time. I better skedaddle. We have a big day tomorrow!"

You get up from your seat, following him to the exit. "God, you're a pain in the ass." You open the door and see a shiny black SUV parked outside. "I hope you get abducted by aliens!"

He pretends to be hurt, acting like your words wound him. A smirk forms on his lips, "Three years of friendship wasted." He chuckles while hopping into the car, and as you glimpse his face through the window, you smile while giving him the finger.

Part two

Tags: @milsthouqhts

[markdelonge]

. . . .

title: "never let you go"

req: no

pairing: travis barker x fem!reader

warnings: age gap (not that bad), cussing, she/her prns

blink masterlist

. . . .

track 2: blazed

look at you, love, you are the same. you have a light you cannot hide. yes, you may have a different face, but your soul is the same inside. i don't care who is listening because they be making fun of this on tv. they wouldn't laugh if they were inside my past life with you and they were me

. . . .

nobody .. and i repeat, nobody liked it when your relationship with travis hit the internet.

you weren't famous yourself. you actually lived a pretty normal life. you had just so happened to run into one of the biggest drummers in the world and fell for him.

people didn't like the relationship because of the age gap .. i mean, you were 36, and he was 47. most people assumed that it was a 'sugar daddy' situation or you had only wanted him for his money, which wasn't the truth. you truly loved that man with everything in you.

and for travis .. it was a loss for words when he first met you. for him, it was like looking into a mirror, but the reflection was more vibrant and alive than he ever thought possible. you were almost the same height as him, had many tattoos, and even had the same love for music as he did. it was like he had found his other half.

he loved how you understood him in a way that no one else ever had. you finished each other's sentences, laughed at the same jokes, and shared the same passions. It was like your souls were connected in some way.

when you and him officially started dating, it was like a dream come true. he did everything with you, from writing music to traveling the world. you were each other's best friend and soulmate.

you sat on the bed you shared with travis, scrolling through the comments people had left on your most recent instagram post. you had no idea how they found your account, but God, were they mean.

you had spent almost an hour reading article after article, tweet after tweet, comment after comment. people were not taking the announcement well. the picture travis had posted on his account were filled with comments like:

"i can tell this isn't gonna last long"

"wtf dude she's like 15 years younger than you"

" oh, she's definitely after his money"

how could those people talk badly on you when they don't even know who you are?

you sighed, the feeling of your heart aching bringing your mood down.

"they're so mean, trav" you said as you turned off your phone and threw it somewhere on the bed.

"didn't i tell you not to read the comments?" he asked as he grabbed your phone and unlocked it, reading some of the comments himself.

"it's kinda hard to ignore them when there's literally thousands of them" you whined, laying down on the bed.

"maybe it was a bad idea for us to go public, we should've waited a while longer" you thought out loud

"babe, the media is the media. it wouldn't of mattered if we went public two years from now. they'll always act this way." the drummer explained, sitting next to you.

"and they don't know you the way i know you. i bet if they knew the kind of person you really are, they wouldn't say shit about you. " travis said, looking down at you.

"you just gotta learn how to ignore it, baby" he said

"how though? how do you do it?" you asked

travis shrugged before answering

"i'm kinda just used to it. no matter what i do, there's gonna be someone talking shit about me. i just ignore it" he explained, laying next to you.

"i aspire to be like you." you turned to face him, only halfly-joking

the two of you laid in silence for a few seconds

"i love you" you and him said in sync, which caused you and your boyfriend to share a surprised look.

"jinx." travis spoke soon after

"you owe me a new pair of sticks." he joked

"whatever, travis" you laughed

[aranciafiamma]

Boy in the Ice pt. 3

1:26 p.m.

"Hail, fair maidens!"

Ochako stops mid-stride, sharing a look with her friends. They turn in sync to take in the stranger approaching them. He has light brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a black blazer paired with jeans. Overall, he looks average save for the touch of foreign in his features. Except the definition of foreign gets more and more abstract these days, with all kinds of folk immigrating to Japan, and all the ways a quirk can mutate someone's looks. So maybe this guy is Japanese. Ochako can't say for sure. But he definitely feels out of place.

"Is he talking to us?" Ochako murmurs to Jiro. She gets a clueless shrug for an answer. Biting her lip, Ochako feels her stomach squeeze, as if she was attempting to levitate a heavy load.

School let out early today and with the long weekend starting tomorrow, they now have a chance to go shopping. Everyone is missing some kind of necessity - shampoo, soy sauce, socks, etc. And with all the craziness lately, they agreed that something normal and boring would be nice.

The plan was to head downtown, snag a few snacks, check out any new stores, maybe even play a couple rounds of dress up. Even if they never bought a single shirt, they always had a good laugh trying on new outfits. Ochako had been looking forward to that. But one look at this stranger and she knew that things are about to go sideways.

They're halfway across campus when this guy calls out to them. So he got past the gates somehow, and sure, he could have been invited in by someone. Except it's after school on the eve of a long weekend. There aren't even any makeup classes or club meetings because of the holiday coming up. The campus is deserted except for the handful of staff to supervise the dorm students (and their new guests). If Ochako was a gambling kinda girl, she would bet good money that their guests have something to do with this random dude walking around their campus.

"How goes the day?" The stranger asks, and wow. He sure sounds like an extra from those ancient samurai movies. Seriously, no one talks like that.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Good ol' Yaomomo, always on top of things - they would be a wreck and likely dead without her.

"Pardon me, I have been far too forward. I am Basil, at your service."

"Basil who?" Mina pipes up, hands on her hips.

"I am a friend of Lord Sawada. He is currently enjoying your hospitality."

"Sawada?" Ochako echoes, frowning. "So you're friends with Tsuna-san?"

"Aye."

There it is. She totally called it.

"Pray, may I know if you reside on these grounds?"

"Why you asking?" Jiro lifts her chin and pins Basil with a needle-point glare. "And why are you here? Did Tsuna-san call you? Do the teachers know that you're here?"

"Peace. Peace. I mean not to offend." Basil smiles ruefully, holding up his hands. "I am a stranger in your lands, and I call upon your aid to find my way."

"Okay… That didn't really answer Jiro-chan's questions," Tsu-chan points out. "And do you have to talk like that? It's a little hard to take you seriously."

Basil chuckles, eyes pinching in the corners. "Doubt me not, good lady. I only seek to escort Lord Sawada back to his home."

"Boss isn't here."

Ochako flinches. She whips around and finds Chrome standing a few steps away. Her hands clench into fists as she forcefully calms her startled heart. Someone needs to put a bell on Chrome-san before she induces cardiac arrest. Honestly, Ochako is reluctantly impressed. As a hero-in-training, with considerable experience in combat, her senses are keener compared to most of the general public. But somehow, Chrome-san always manages to spook her. This time, Ochako didn't even hear her coming or see her coming - as if Chrome-san appeared out of thin air. Toru-chan could learn a lot from her.

"Lady Chrome! Good fortune blesses me with your presence."

Chrome-san blinks, slow and almost sleepy. She's hard to read as always, as if her mind is out to sea, as if her body is a wisp of smoke. And okay, Ochaka has an invisible girl for a classmate so the absence of facial cues is not new to her. But it's not about what she sees and more about what she believes. The truth is that Chrome-san stands right in front of her and Ochako can't believe that she's there. Something in her brain is telling her that Chrome-san does not exist even with visual and auditory proof. It's tripping her up.

"Boss left."

"Wait, you guys can do that?" Mina cuts in, scratching her head. "Weren't you guys stuck on campus or something?"

Chrome-san shrugs.

"Would you know where he went?" Basil asks, and he sounds earnest. He must have been looking forward to seeing Tsuna-san.

Huh. Well, it has been six months - that's half a year - since Tsuna-san crash landed in their school. If Ochako had disappeared for that long then miraculously returned, her parents would have been a wreck. Nothing would have kept them away from her.

And now that she's thinking about it… Where are Tsuna-san's parents?

A sigh from Basil drags Ochako out of her head. She must have missed Chrome-san's answer or maybe Chrome-san just didn't answer. Either way, Basil looks none too happy, with his head hanging low and his shoulders slumping. An air of absolute exhaustion seems to envelope him. And oof, maybe Ochako's been getting paranoid from all the stuff that happened recently. She had no good reason to be so weird about Basil. Yeah, sure the guy talks funny but apart from the possible trespassing (which okay, that's a pretty big deal actually), Basil seems pretty polite and soft-spoken. He hasn't made threats or demands or anything to show that he's some kind of danger to her or her friends. Ochako should have been more welcoming, especially since he seems to have missed Tsuna-san terribly.

"We can help you find him, if you'd like." Ochako offers a friendly smile. "You don't know the way around, right? And we were just about to go downtown anyway. Maybe you'll find Tsuna-san there."

Basil shakes his head. "I have depended on your patience for long enough. Please excuse me."

"Are you sure?" Tsu-chan chimes in. "Because we really wouldn't mind, kero."

Basil looks them over, pursing his lips. Then his eyes drift up, locking onto Chrome-san behind them. There's a split second of something, Ochako isn't sure what. It's over before she could really think about it, and then Basil is smiling nice and wide with a lot of teeth.

"You have my sincere gratitude, gentle ladies. I am in your care."

"Sheesh," Jiro snorts. "You talk worse than Fumikage. Let's hope you two never meet."

"Chrome-san, would you like to -" Yaomomo's gasp cuts off her question.

Ochako turns and flinches hard. Chrome-san is glaring at them. For once, emotion colors her face, transforming her delicate features into something sharper, more vicious.

"Chrome-san?" Tsu-chan murmurs softly. "Is something wrong?"

Chrome-san squeezes her eyes shut, breathing in deeply. All at once, her expression flattens out, returning to its usual neutral state. She shakes her head once.

"I am not feeling well. I will be heading back to my room." Chrome-san tells them, speaking more words than Ochako has ever heard from her. "Have a good time… Stay safe."

Then she walks away, never looking back. What just happened? Something happened. Ochako considers chasing after Chrome-san, just to make sure that she's really okay. But a hand drops on her shoulder before she could make a move.

"Let's give her some space," Yaomomo whispers, barely loud enough for Ochako to hear. "We can check on her later."

Ochako bites her lip, pinching her brow. Yaomomo is right - of course, she's right. Chrome-san didn't seem to want any company, the exact opposite actually. Ochako should leave her alone. But… The hero-in-training couldn't shake the dread curdling in her gut.

"Shall we hasten to the market?" Basil asks them. "Daylight is fading and I would not like to burden you for too long."

Ochako sucks in a deep, steadying breath. Then she nods at Yaomomo. Together, they face Basil with polite grins.

"You aren't a burden, Basil-san."

"Yep, yep. C'mon now, let's head on out!"

The group makes their way off campus, strolling down the side streets, making idle chatter. They learn that Basil taught himself Japanese, studying the language through classic Samurai films. He tells them that his boss helped somewhat, but only encouraged his archaic way of phrasing. At this point, Basil is fully aware that he sounds funny but in truth, he prefers old-fashioned speech. He feels more distinguished and sophisticated - completely unlike how he speaks in his native tongue.

Of course, this confession prompts all the girls to ask for a demonstration. A blushing Basil obliges them with several phrases in Italian. To their clueless ears, Basil sounds polite and soft-spoken, nothing unusual. But he assures them that if he had said this to a fellow Italian, they would be throwing punches before the last word left his lips.

Their chatter is cut short when they reach downtown. A thick layer of tension blankets the main street as agitated shoppers skirt around a massive crater embedded in the road. Police tape already surrounds the affected area with a few officers nearby, taking statements and offering assurances. Making note of all that, the girls tug Basil towards their favorite café where their familiar faces encourage the waitress to share all the shocking details.

A fireball fell from the sky. Everyone ran. But before a hero could arrive at the scene, the fire died out, revealing a boy without any clothes. Wisps of smoke rose from his bare skin as he kneeled in the crater. No one dared approach except for a loud, angry blond. Mean sparks danced between his fingers as he yelled at everyone to stay back and mind their own business. He had jumped down and crouched next to the boy, exchanging a few words, before he hauled him over his shoulder like a sack of rice. The two didn't wait for a hero or even police to help, simply walked away and out of sight. A few tried to stop them with well-intentioned queries, but the blond had a glare that could cut through metal. As for everyone else, well… they didn't want to buy trouble, not even in a shopping district. The boys were long gone by the time police showed up.

Ochako squeezes her eyes shut. At her side, Tsu-chan lets out a long, belabored sigh. Yaomomo requests for a table.

Once they were all seated, the girls share a look the way only intimate friends could. Jiro lets out a chuckle. Tsu-chan slips out a giggle. Mina barks out a laugh. When Yaomomo and Ochako join in, they're in full blown hysterics.

Of course! Why wouldn't Bakugou be involved? It just had to be someone from their class. Honestly, 1-B does not find half the bullshit that they seem to crash into on a weekly basis. They're all such problem children, ergo problems keep finding them. If Aizawa-sensei survives this year without losing his sanity, he would accomplish a miraculous feat.

"Um, I beg your pardon." Basil raises his hand, like a student asking a question. "I aim not to shorten your mirth. I simply wish to know about this Bakugou fellow."

"He's a crazy tough guy!" Mina tells him.

"His default volume is loud, and he only gets louder," Jiro adds.

"Bakugou Katsuki is one of our classmates," Yaomomo explains. "He is another hero-in-training and one of the best in our class. He does get angry often but he isn't the dangerous sort. Let's just say that he can be difficult at times."

"Well, he has enough goodwill to aid that other boy," Basil replies. "That is to his credit."

Ochako blinks. "Yeah… What's up with that? I mean, I'm not saying that he wouldn't help some random kid. But I'm also not not saying that he wouldn't help some random kid."

"So then… Bakugou musta known the guy." Jiro drums her fingers on the table. "Right? That's why he went through all that trouble."

"Does Bakugou-chan know anyone with a fireball quirk? I mean, not counting Todoroki-chan, of course," Tsu-chan asks with a tilt of her head.

"Who knows…" Ochako sighs.

"Where would this Bakugou fellow take his friend - if we are to presume that the unknown boy is a friend. It seems hasty of him to leave before peace officers could intervene."

"Yeah… But Bakugou does his own thing, yanno?" Mina replies. "Especially when he thinks that he's right. Which is most of the time, bee-tee-dubs. So… huh. Where would he take the guy?"

"If I was gonna guess," Ochako chimes in. "I'd say that Bakugou would take him back to school. But we didn't see him on the way here, unless he took a different route. Except that wouldn't make much sense, since any other route would just be longer and more inconvenient."

"That is strange…" Basil hums, pursing his lips. "And… I may have the explanation."

"Oh, please share your thoughts." Yaomomo nods at him.

"Kindly note that I only have theories and nothing that can be confirmed without additional evidence. With that said, I believe that your peer came to aid Lord Sawada."

"Tsuna-san?" Ochako frowns, folding her brow. "So, wait… You think that… The guy who fell from the sky - the guy on fire - that was Tsuna-san?"

"That dude's makin' a habit out of falling from the sky." Jiro shakes her head. "This would be what? The second time he's done this?"

"It would be imperative to know Sir Bakugou's location, so that we may confirm if Lord Sawada is in his care."

Ochako studies Basil's heavy frown, the hard-set fold of his brow. She pulls out her phone and starts texting Bakugou.

"Are you messaging him?" Mina asks. "Tell him the teachers are gonna freak when they hear about this."

"Like he'd care," Jiro scoffs.

Ochako doesn't get an immediate reply but that doesn't mean anything. Bakugou isn't very responsive usually, unless he's pissed off then he sends a text every second. If he's not in the mood, he could leave someone on "read" for days. Right now, Ochako can't even tell if Bakugou looked at her message yet. Maybe he's just not on his phone. She'll have to wait a little longer to find out for sure if he's with Tsuna-san.

She tells as much to everyone around her. Mina groans. Jiro rolls her eyes. Tsu-chan shakes her head. Yaomomo orders them a round of drinks.

Basil hums a flat note. "Mayhaps, he has simply gone home."

Ochako perks up. "Oh, you're right! He doesn't live too far from here, just a few train stations away. Back when we weren't living on campus, he and Deku-kun never had so much trouble getting to school."

"He lives up north, right?" Jiro asks, crossing her arms. "He and Midoriya live close to each other. That's how they met, I heard."

"Well, I don't know how close. But they both grew up in the Orudera district and went to the same schools. That's what Deku-kun told me, at least."

"Yanno, rumors say that Bakugou's pretty rich. He's got some fancy, modern-looking house. His dad's a designer or something, right?" Mina adds.

"How do you know that?" Jiro furrows her brow.

"Oh, just gossip. Honestly, you guys should keep your ears more open. We have the biggest busybodies in our class." Mina waves her hand.

"Tooru-chan isn't a busybody!" Tsu-chan protests.

"I was talking about Aoyama," Mina cackles.

"Nevermind that now," Yaomomo speaks up. "We should focus on helping Basil-san."

"But that gives me an idea…" Ochako quickly taps her phone, sending a second message. "Maybe Deku-kun can help."

Mina peers over her shoulder. "Hey, why did you star Midoriya's message thread? Hmm?"

Ochako immediately pulls away from Mina, heat flushing her face. "No, I didn't! Shut up!"

Jiro cackles. "You're so red! You look like a tomato, Ochako-cha~an!"

Ochako balls up her napkin and throws it at Jiro. Her so-called friend dodges, continuing to laugh.

"Do you really like-like Deku-kun?" Tsu-chan asks, tilting her head.

"We will stop if you wish," Yaomomo nods. "Admittedly, teasing you is quite enjoyable. You react so cutely. But we will stop at your request."

Ochako pouts. "No, it's fine. I'm not really bothered. As long as Deku-kun doesn't hear about this, then it's fine. And honestly, I'm not that sure about… you know… feelings. We're good friends, and all that."

"Well, I ship it," Mina says. "You would make a great couple. So when you get your stuff figured out, shoot your shot girl! We're in high school! We're at the height of our hormones! We gotta maximize that teenage experience!"

There's a round of giggling agreement as Yaomomo, Jiro, and Tsu-chan express their support. Basil politely keeps quiet, studying his drink as if cola held the universe's secrets.

Ochako groans, dropping her head on the table. "You guuuuys! Somehow, I'm both incredibly embarrassed and super happy? I can't tell if you're the best or the worst!"

"Why not both?" Ochako can't see Jiro's face but a smug smirk was somehow implied in her words.

"Then what about you, Mina-chan? Do you have any crushes, kero?" Tsu-chan, officially Ochako's best friend, turns everyone's attention on someone else.

Mina clicks her tongue. "I wish! Everyone's my bro. No one has swept me off my feet. But I guess that's too much to ask from a high school boy."

"What about a high school girl?" Jiro asks.

"Same difference."

Ochako lifts her head, just in time to see a devious smile curl Jiro's lips.

"Is that a challenge?"

Inherently incapable of backing down, Mina sits up straight and slams her hands on the table. "What? Are you gonna romance me, bro?"

Jiro leans forward. "What if I did, bro?"

"Just name the time and the place, bro!"

"Tomorrow, 4pm, at that new cafe, bro!"

"Oh it's on, bro!"

"Yeah, bro!"

"Good heavens," Yaomomo murmurs. "Once those two get started, there's no stopping them."

Ochako breathes out a laugh when she hears her phone buzz. She taps the screen and finds Deku-kun's response with Bakugou's address. At her side, she notices Basil shift closer. She turns to look at him but his gaze is firmly on his drink. Again, something twists in her gut.

"-ko-chan!"

Wincing, Ochako whips around to face Tsu-chan. "Whoops, sorry! Did you say my name?"

Tsu-chan nods. "Did you hear back from Deku-kun?"

"Oh, um, yeah! I got the address right here…" The knot in her guts tighten. "But, you know, maybe Bakugou will reply soon. We haven't ordered any food yet. So why don't we eat first and then make our way to his house? I mean, dropping by without letting them know - that's a little rude, right?"

The words rush out of her with all the urgency of a flood. She can't explain the goosebumps dotting her skin, or the way sparks seem to dance down her spine, like she's in combat or taking a practical exam. But she's not. She's sitting at a cafe, surrounded by her friends. They're all her friends, right? Her eyes shift to the left, where Basil sits next to her.

"That… seems like a fine idea," Yaomomo agrees. "It would be unseemly to…"

"Exactly!" Ochako barely restrains herself from yelling. Honestly, Yaomomo is an angel.

"Mmhmm, and that way, we can walk Basil-kun to Bakugou-kun's place," Tsu-chan adds. Bless her. "He's new in town, so he might get lost if we only give him the address."

"I offer gratitude for your generosity." Basil nods with a serene smile, getting to his feet. "Indeed, I wish not to impede our feasting. Please excuse me as I must visit the lavatory. Kindly request delicious fare on my behalf. This will take but a brief moment."

He slides by Ochako and in that second, she notices a hard shape behind his jacket. Nowadays, with quirks so common, hardly anyone carries weaponry of any sort. But as Basil leaves, she could swear on her great-grandmama's grave that he was hiding a gun in his jacket.

But surely not, right? That's ridiculous! Guns are highly regulated in Japan, even if most people don't use firearms anymore. There's no way a visiting foreigner could come into the country with a gun on hand… No legal way at least…

"Ochako?" Mina grabs her shoulder and shakes her gently. "Hey, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"No… No… I'm just - I was seeing - My eyes were playing tricks on me."

"Wait," Jiro holds up a hand. "Did you actually see a ghost?"

"What? No!" Ochako shakes her head, pasting on a smile. "I'm fine! It's fine! Let's just get our orders going, yeah?"

The girls exchange concerned looks. Ochako ignores them, focusing on the menu. It must have been something else - some other L-shaped thing. She's jumping to drastic conclusions. It could have been a square ruler or some kind of hardware tool or hell, it could have been a boomerang! She doesn't know! She's going crazy!

The waitress stops by. She orders on autopilot - fries or whatever. The girls continue to talk, hushed now, clearly concerned about her. She offers single syllable responses, nodding once in awhile. But everyone can tell that she's not really paying attention, and she should. They're her friends! She wants to have a good time with them! But her eyes spot a wall clock on the cafe wall. And she can't stop watching the minutes tick on by and tick on by.

The food comes. Basil doesn't. They begin to eat. Ochako can see everyone is now equally on edge. They take small bites. They chew slowly with great care. Basil's seat remains empty. Ochako feels the familiar sensation of nausea, as if she tried to lift something far too heavy, far too big, far too much. She stands up.

"I'm gonna ask someone to check on Basil-san. I'll be right back."

She doesn't wait for a response. She runs to the counter, nearly tripping over her feet. She finds someone on the staff and asks if they can check the men's restroom.

"You see - um - that is, I have a friend - he's… you know… new in the country. And I'm worried that he… doesn't know the way… toilets work?" Wow. That sounds beyond stupid but she can't think of anything else to say.

The poor, confused cashier wrinkles her forehead, tilting her head to the side. "Ma'am, our restroom has been out of order since yesterday."

In a single, brutal second, Ochako knows - maybe not fully, maybe not truly - but she knows the same way she knows that gravity pulls everything down and down and down. Something terrible has begun.

[eds0up]

𖦹 Mel indóme n- mime tyelde 𖦹

🌾 -° Headcanon: Lindir realizes that he has feelings for a human °- 🌾

𖦹 Love will be my end 𖦹

The day you came to Rivendell was a roller-coaster of emotions for this elf. Listen, he didn't knew what it was but suddenly he couldn't concentrate on any of his duties and he HATED you for it.

Lindir's eyes were practically glued to you everytime you were around. During such a moment he accidentally spilled wine on Elrond once and got rightfully scolded for it, Wich made him dislike you even more. Why did you have to be so mesmerizing?

After you bumped into him in the elven library his grudge against you faded away. Sorting some ancient scrolls he had been studying you asked the ellon if you could borrow one for your own studies.

That had been a pleasant suprise for Lindir and from simple information exchanges you two started to meet up regularly in a cozy corner in his studies. Sometimes he would play something on his harp on days you couldn't focus on the pages.

The first time Lindir felt the need to question his feelings towards you was when you came back from a trip from Lothlórien and wouldn't shut up about the Marchwarden.

In fact it irritated him to no end. Alas he dismissed it quickly and just told himself that he was just appaled by your vulgarity. Typical human behavior. There was NO WAY he wanted your attention soley on him.

Regardless you started to notice that Lindir loved to help you out. For what was normal between friends, Lindir seemed to top it.

Keeping you hydrated? Check. Checking if you haven't forgotten anything before you leave? Check. Keeping you warm on rainy days? Check. Refusing to let you travel too far away from Rivendell or better- his side? Check.

His behavior was suspicious to say the least, alas he didn't noticed when he crossed certain boundaries in his purely friend based actions. No, you didn't needed him to accompany you EVERYWHERE as soon you left your room.

In truth the elf was just worried about you. You were so fragile. He needed to take care of the mortal.

The day he actually realized there was more than friendship in his mind, feelings and actions torwards you was when you came to him crying. Lindir had let you hug him (in privat ofc) and had let you make your anger and sadness air while you ranted about some guy who had seemed to treat you poorly.

His first thought had been that he wanted to fight that dude. Or well- pray that the Valar would take care of it.

His second thought was that he would treat you so much better, couldn't you see? Why wasting your time on some dumb mortal men?

At that point it hit him.

He was in love. Madly in love.

Safe to say that Lindir started to avoid you after that. You didn't knew why but you thought perhaps you broke a boundery while you had spent the evening in the arms of the timid elf.

However Lindir was scared. Terrified even. A human life is an blink of an eye for an elf. You would be gone before he would have the chance to hold on to you. OHHH but there was no going back now. His heart had already chosen you.

But not only that made him so afraid. Dying of grief was a real danger for elves. Not common as usually Elves kept it in there own race and would spend millenia with their partners, but YOU? He would die with you. If he even would get the chance to bury you first. Lindir knew it would come. His love would be his end.

However Lindir's absence from court was noticed rather quickly.

After Lord Elrond had a looooong talk with Lindir and prescribing him strong herbal tea, Lindir was finally "ready" to tell you. In his mind he might as well get it over with, so he could die immediately when you told him he was just a friend.

Yet to Lindir's pleasure you had smiled at him as sweet as honey, it was a suprise for him he actually began to stutter even more before his voice faded away.

But for you he didn't needed to say more as your arms were already pulling the elven men closer till hew was in your tight embrace.

Safe to say Lindir had blushed before remembering that this was "inappropriate" behavior as he wasn't even courting you yet.

After a long pout you suggested to just get married then, earning yourself a dumbfounded Lindir who looked down at you with big eyes, making him look like a deer.

Perhaps there was more then death for Lindir with this little human.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Idk if you've already written this but would you be ok with doing an Eddie Munson and child!ghost!yn where his season four d43th does happen and he's comforted by y/n and they can go to a "better place"?

"My god.."

Finding Eddie all alone, surrounded by the corpses of demobats, was a sight you wish you could erase from your mind.

But as you scrambled to kneel beside him, you can see the bite wounds and blood that covered his entire body. And it made your hands tremble as you took one of his hands into yours.

He looked at you, his smile bloody. "[Y/n].."

"It's okay, Eddie. I'm here. It's alright." You bit back the tears in your eyes.

At this point you knew there was no saving him. It was simple fact. His wounds were countless and too severe, and he didn't try to move.

All you could do was just be here for him.

"I didn't run away this time, right?"

You shook your head. "No. No you didn't. You did great, dude."

"At least...I-I think I'm gonna graduate. I think it’s finally my year.” He struggled to speak, choking on his own blood. Even he knew his time was swiftly running out, yet he was terrified. “I bet I'll be in hell for everything I’ve done.”

“No, no. You aren’t going there. We’ll be together, and we’ll go to a better place.”

Eddie blinked in slight disbelief. “Y-You’ll be with me?”

“Of course. I won't leave your side.” You reassured him with a shaky smile.

“O-Okay..good. [Y/n]?”

“Yeah?”

“Were you..this scared when you died?”

Although silent for a second, you simply shook your head again. “I can’t remember. But you don’t have to be scared, Eddie..it’s okay to let go. I promise they’ll remember you as a hero.”

“They better.” He sniffled, the life gradually leaving his eyes. “I-It hurts so much..”

“Shhh..just let go, Eddie.” You soothed, squeezing his hand in reassurance. “Just let go.”

He soon did as he succumbed to his wounds, and you felt his body going slack. You frowned with heartache that things ended up this way...and with guilt knowing that you weren’t sure what would happen next.

You didn’t know how spirits who died in the Upside Down would act. You’ve only ever met victims of it outside the dimension, but never within it.

What if it changed Eddie?

What if he became part of the Mindflayer?

What if-

“[Y/n]?”

You tensed and jumped to your feet, looking up to see Eddie’s spirit standing nearby. He still had all of his wounds, but his clothes were intact and he wasn’t covered in blood. Tears pooled in his eyes as he stared at his own corpse, and then you.

With a sad smile you rushed over, embracing him as if you haven’t seen him in thousands of years. He was sobbing more than you were, though you reassured him it was gonna be okay.

He died a hero.

He wasn’t going to get some eternal punishment. He was going to be with you, a spirit who could’ve moved on anytime they wished..but stayed on the earth to help him.

Now you were here for him in life and in death.

[shizuokadivision]

The Day of Valentines was almost at it's end, but it still wasn't over. And that proved true for a certain member of the Kito-gumi named Lucille "Lucky Lucy" Takara. Even though it was a holiday, that didn't make her exempt from work, unfortunately. After all, no matter the time or day of the week, there was still money to be made. But that didn't mean she couldn't partake in this festive holiday herself, right? After all, at the end of the day, she was still a person.

...At least, that's how a certain risk-taker saw it as he jumped to and fro throughout the buildings in Shizuoka before finally arriving at the residence of the woman in question. Smiling, he dropped a small gift package on her doorstep, quickly rung the doorbell to her home and disappeared as quickly as he came, though he was watching from her a close distance to see her reaction.

Upon opening the front door, the blonde-hair Japanese woman looked around before noticing the package in front of her. Blinking, she unwrapped the package and looked at what was inside.

It was a charm bracelet with a casino-theme to it, as well as a gold necklace that read 'Aces & Eights' on it. Blinking, the gambler didn't hesitate putting neither piece of jewelry on her person, liking how they felt. Viewing in the box, the woman saw a note at the bottom, which read:

'Roses are red

Violets are blue

You're my favorite gambler

And I'm always betting on you

Happy Valentine's Day.'

“My my, what a lovely set of jewelry, my dear.” Hikaru smiled, taking out his fan and fanning himself. “That Zakari give them to you? He has been treating you right, Lucy? I can go have a “talk” with him if he's not.” 

"Hikaru, while I appreciate the fact you'd kill any man for disrepecting for me. Please don't threaten my boyfriend.” Lucy begged the former prostitute.

“I'm just making sure that you don't get your heart broken, my dear. Love is a fickle thing, much like luck is. Romantic love, especially. Plus, with you and now the Boss in relationships, I imagine things will get pretty interesting soon.” 

“No but I seriously don't know if I should pity the dude that has the Boss’s affection.”

“Actually I think we should pity the Boss more. She's out of her comfort zone here. Remember, she never had an example of a loving relationship before. Plus, she's taking advice from Reika-san from all people for her love life. I’m sure you know why that's possibly a bad idea. By comparison, yours and Zakari's relationship seems like it would be a walk in the park, and you've tried killing him before.” 

“I can't tell if that was a diss against me or the Boss Hikaru.” 

“Who's to say my dear Lucille.”

[darkimpala1897]

Jeff finding a baby part two.

Everyone staring at the baby wondering what to do with it. They were back at Eddie's trailor trying to figure out what to do with it.

Kevin: "What's it's name?"

Jeff shrugs, he wasn't exactly sure he didn't see a note or anything.

Steve: "I named it Vance. But I think I might change it depending on if it becomes a Munson or a Harrington."

Eddie grumbles wishing Steve hadn't done that because they were not keeping it.

Jeff: "Don't you dare that name's badass."

Wayne popping his head over everyone's shoulders looking at the baby.

Wayne: "A baby? Good lord. Well you can drop it off at the fire station that's what Eddie's mother did. Only make sure to hand it to someone, you can't just throw it into any old bin out front. Those are donation bins."

Steve looking towards Wayne, he was bound and determined to keep it.

Steve: "I'm not taking him to the fire station."

Gareth looking up from staring at the baby.

Gareth: "Yeah we don't have the time, we have a Corroded Coffin concert. We have to get ready for remember."

Steve looking at him so confused.

Steve: "I can't go I have a kid now."

Gareth looking offended.

Gareth: "You have to go, your driving the van remember well all of us hold the equipment down."

Steve was not giving in whatsoever.

Steve: "Look, I'm keeping this baby and I appreciate a little support from you guys."

Eddie shaking his head, he crossed his arms not sure what to say.

Eddie: "It's not a puppy Steve, it's a human being."

Wayne points to Eddie because he did have a point for once.

Wayne: "You can't keep it Steve, you still have your entire life ahead of you. A baby will dramatically change everything. What are you gonna feed it? Do you have any clothes for it? I bet you have no idea where to go to get discounted stuff."

Steve grumbles under his breath not wanting to hear this, he believes he can do this.

Steve: "Wayne I will figure this out, just like you did. I just got him, it's been about an hour since Jeff found him."

Wayne stopping for a second, he stared at them questionably wondering how the hell they got it over here.

Wayne: "Wait how did you get him over here. You guys don't have a car seat."

Eddie trying to make Wayne feel better about the whole situation.

Eddie: "We put him in the bean bag in the back of the van. Gareth drove very slowly."

Wayne just blinking at them wondering if they were joking. They were not.

Wayne: "Oh okay because that's responsible."

Kevin having an idea looking at the baby.

Kevin: "Guys what if we took it with us to the concert, we give him a lollipop and say he's a munchkin."

Steve: "No, just no."

Jeff: "Come on dude, we just rescued him let him have some fun."

Steve pinching the bridge of his nose.

Steve: "We have a car seat for him, we just couldn't figure out to put him back in. I'm gonna get a lot of baby stuff I promise."

Wayne: "With what money, your parents cut you from you're credit cards and between all four of you, you have twenty bucks to you're names."

Eddie having an idea because he was sorta getting on board.

Eddie: "We can trade in our stuff possibly, the pawnshops are full of old baby stuff, Nancy might have Holly's old stuff. You still have my old crib. Wayne could you watch him till we figure this out."

Wayne grumbles under his breath, because he was happy being a parent to Eddie and that was it. He didn't want another kid to take care of.

Wayne: "You're not leaving it here with me."

Eddie: "We have to, do you want us driving again with him in the beanbag? We have to get the car seat from Gareth's house because even driving slow that bean bag slid around a lot."

Wayne pinching the bridge of his nose because he really didn't want to be the bad guy.

Wayne: "I'm not helping you guys with this, I already raised a kid I'm old and happy with just you. Maybe me not helping you and your idiot friends will help you realise how stupid this is. Just go drop it off at the fire station, someone who's ready for this will do an amazing job with him I promise."

Wayne looking at the little guy, he smiles at him.

Wayne: "You wanna go see the fire trucks pumpkin? Hmm?"

[kzele]

Voice of Reason

In which Spider-Man arrives earlier than canon to the Gangland fight and subsequently changes EVERYTHING.

It wasn't hard for Peter to find the crime lords, as shooting everything in sight and leaving trails of destruction don't exactly lend themselves to subtlety. Then again, he thought as he swung closer to the source of the carnage, Ock really isn't one for being low-key when he's not planning from afar. Engaging the deranged doctor in person was risky, but manageable considering how easily he loses his cool when faced with quips and insults.

Tombstone would be harder to deal with, given his hand-to-hand skills, cool-headed demeanor, and problematic good public image. With any luck, Peter mused, Tombstone'll be knocked out or something before I have to deal with him. (But knowing the nature of his luck means that that chance is as slim as Rhino knowing Shakespeare by heart. Possible, but highly unlikely.)

And lastly, there was Silvermane. Other than being old, having Silver Sable as his right hand, and being the previous ruler of New York's underworld before Tombstone, Peter really had almost no info to go on here. He'd have to hope for the best and prep for the worst in dealing with-

"We were ALL betrayed! By Hammerhead."

What? What's going on? Peter's thoughts are interrupted by Tombstone's baritone voice as he swings his way to a stop behind a column.

An unknown man shouts out a response, "Hammerhead is a stooge! He doesn't blink without orders."

"Indeed. Your denial lacks sincerity," Ock's more familiar tone oozes in agreement and Peter was left feeling more confused than ever. It was just the three crime lords in the room and yet. . .

Something was off here. So, naturally, it was time for Spider-Man to do what Spider-Man does best: poke his nose in something that didn't really concern him.

"Pardon me for interrupting," all three heads turned in his direction, "but maybe you should hear him out before continuing your semi-public murderfest. I mean, I literally just got here and even I can tell something doesn't add up."

"Arachnid," Doctor Octopus's teeth were bared and his arms raised, "You will-"

"Be happy to punch your ticket at a later time. For now, though, I want to figure out why Tombstone would throw someone who's apparently very loyal to his organization under the bus to people who know of the guy's loyalty."

The dude in some sort of armor, who Peter can safely bet is Silvermane at this point, gives out a snort in response.

"This is the guy that's been giving you both so much trouble? Doesn't look like much to me, considering all he's done so far is talk."

Peter ignores the taunt. If he wants to underestimate him, then that'll make things a little easier in the long run when they actually do fight. Apparently, the other two thought the same as they also made no rebuttal.

Spider-Man turns his gaze towards the calculating gaze of the albino crime lord, "So. Hammy turned traitor. How do you know?"

(POV Change)

Tombstone glared suspiciously at his savior. The vigilante had the habit of being somewhat unpredictable, but this scenario was unexpected even by his standards.

Time to cut to the chase and ask a very important question.

"Why do you care? I would have thought you'd gladly let us tear each other apart. Or at least wait until we're weakened enough to pick us all off."

Spider-Man tilted his head and answered, "What, aside from blowing holes in classy buildings and harming the people here? Something's been bugging me about this whole fight for some reason and if clearing that up means a chance at avoiding a huge, drawn-out battle where there's a chance more people are gonna get hurt, I'll take it. Now, will you three stooges calm down and think for a minute about who's really arranging the set-up here? Why would Tombstone attend a conference with the ones that he's trying to off? Isn't Hammerhead his underling or something? Why not send him in his place?"

Tombstone couldn't believe it. First, Hammerhead betrays him after years of loyal service and now Spider-Man is speaking reason to the other crime lords in his defense? The world really has gone insane, he thought.

Silvermane was unconvinced, "Hammerhead knocked out my daughter and took out Octopus's lieutenant, too! If he wasn't loyal to Tombstone, why go to all that trouble to that and throw his boss a weapon, too?"

"I agree. Your conclusion is erroneous; Hammerhead's devotion is no secret here," Ock sneered.

Spider-Man hummed and asked them, "So then what? Who took him out afterwards?"

The two blinked in confusion and looked at each other.

The armor-clad crime boss spoke mockingly, "We never said that he was taken out. Were you even listening?"

The vigilante straightened up when hearing this and gave his own rhetorical question, "But if Hammerhead is so loyal and he wasn't taken out, why isn't he fighting alongside Tombstone right now? It's two against one against his boss, but he hasn't shown up yet. Shouldn't he have shown up by now?"

Dead silence.

Tombstone could see the realization hit both of their faces as they looked up at the hole and into the room where they last saw his (now former) employee. Doctor Octopus snarled, the man's ego clearly taking a hit over being tricked, and began making his way back up to the second floor.

Silvermane followed shortly and yelled after him, "Hey! You better not leave me outta this, Octopus! I want that flat-topped traitor to be eating his own plating after I rip it from HIS SKULL!"

Spider-Man cringed, "Annnd they're off. I should probably follow them to minimize any damage."

"Probably," the albino remarked dryly.

A sigh and, "Figures."

Just as soon as the younger man prepared to swing after the two murderous crime lords, Tombstone laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you. You may not have done it for my sake, but I need to ask one more favor of you tonight."

Now it was the webslinger's turn to be suspicious, "That being?"

"That you help me find the real orchestrator of these events. You see, I also have a hunch. I believe your assessment is half-right, Hammerhead could very well be a pawn still even after betraying me. Whether he knows it or not however, is something less clear."

"It'll be harder to figure that out if he's dead and I doubt those two'll wait to ask. They've got their revenge goggles on right now, so tag along and explain on the way. Assuming it isn't too late yet."

His unlikely ally proceeds to hold out a hand for him to secure a grip.

"Very well," Tombstone says as he takes the hand offered.

Perhaps down the line this could lead to the more. . .mutually beneficial partnership he had hoped would happen between them when they had originally met. At least allying with Spider-Man guaranteed that he'd survive even if betrayed. Either way, it didn't hurt to side with the only voice of reason Tombstone had found on this day.

[onstrangerthighs]

His Loss

CW: homophobic language (s1 Steve has deep-rooted internalized homophobia fr), referenced/implied child abuse Ship: Jonathan x Billy, aka byergrove/flashwaves Word Count: 1,149 For @billyhargrovebingo

The disgust on Steve's face shocks Billy. Hits him right in his bruised chest. He should be familiar with that look. Neil's worn it since Billy could walk.

He never thought it'd taint Steve's pretty face.

"I don't know what I did to give you the impression that I was a queer," Steve sneers.

Billy opens his mouth. Nothing comes out.

Don't cry, don't cry. This isn't real, this is a nightmare.

"And even if I was…" Steve shudders at the thought, before continuing, "you'd never be my first choice."

"Unless you're joking. You must be."

I wish I was.

Steve whistles loudly. "Holy shit. You're a fucking fa-"

Billy socks him in the mouth before he can finish that ugly sentence. The taller boy blinks in shock, holding his jaw.

Why the fuck does he look so confused? Don't tell me he doesn't know why I hit him.

"You hit like a bitch," Steve spits out, blood and saliva landing on Billy's sneakers.

Billy pushes him on his ass and starts kicking him. Little by little, Steve Harrington disappears, until all Billy sees is Neil. He kicks harder, eyes stinging.

"Are you fucking crying? Jesus Christ, dude. You really fell for me, huh. You're a dumb ass."

"Shut UP!"

"You could beat me into a goddamn coma, but I bet your heart is in a million pieces, right? I broke your fairy heart, didn't I? You could never hurt me like I'm hurting you right now. Isn't that right?"

"STOP! STOP IT!"

"You're insane. You're a fucking basket case! Did you honestly think there was a chance in hell that we would be together?"

As if he's just been slapped, Billy stumbles backwards, his back hitting the wall.

"You said it yourself; I've got girls on their hands and knees for me. Why would I want you?"

Suddenly he's seven years old again, watching his mother speed out of the driveway, her blue car growing smaller and smaller until it's a speck of dust.

Dad was right. No one wants me.

Every dream he's had of a soft, safe life with Harrington is gone. He knew they were just dreams, but still… they were real to him. He finally grew a pair and confessed, only for Harrington to cut off his balls and crush his aching heart.

Jonathan's not usually the type to care about gossip, but Tommy's voice is impossible to ignore. At least, that's what he tells himself as he marches toward the boy, glaring daggers at him.

"You said something about Billy. Do you know where he is?"

"You're messing up my collar!"

Jonathan yanks him closer with a strength neither expects from him. "Where is he?"

"Out in his car. Heard from Steve that he completely lost his marbles. Beat him pretty bad."

Doesn't Billy have a huge crush on Steve? Why would he-

Oh. Fuck.

Jonathan speed-walks out of Mr. Jacobs' classroom, breaking out into a jog as soon as he's out in the parking lot.

Billy is slumped over the wheel. He's not moving. Jonathan's not even sure if he's breathing.

Fuck.

"Billy? It's Jon. Could you give me a sign that you're alive? Just so I know not to break your window?"

Billy slowly raises his head like a scarlet turtle poking out of its shell. "You better fucking not."

Jonathan leans on the car, finally catching his breath. "You're alive."

"Unfortunately. You don't sound disappointed about that. Me being alive."

"Why would I be disappointed?"

Billy shrugs. "Everyone else is."

"You're wrong."

"Oh, yeah? Name one person who-"

"Me. Who else is going to be my study buddy?"

"Nancy."

Jonathan sighs, resting his forehead on the window. "I heard about what happened."

"Of course you did. So what're you still doing here? Aren't you afraid I'm gonna turn you gay?"

"It's a bit too late for that."

"Thought my ears were playing tricks or something."

"That asshole doesn't deserve even a second of your time, you know," Jonathan says.

"I know it was stupid, but I-I really thought he liked me," Billy sobs.

"It's not stupid! He's the idiot. He could've had someone really great, and he fucked it up."

" "Someone really great"? Now I know you're not talking about me."

"And what if I am? You aren't stupid for wanting to be loved."

"Nobody loves me," Billy whispers, sniffling.

"I do. I love you."

Billy stops crying and unlocks the door. He hides his face in his hands, peeking up at Jonathan.

"D-don't say stuff you don't mean. Don't give me h-hope just so you can-"

"I've never meant anything more. You don't have to respond. It's okay. I just… wanted you to know that. I may not be what you want, but you are loved."

"B-but Nancy, I thought?"

"She's dating Barb."

"Oh. Can I… ask you a question?"

"Sure, bub."

"What do you like about me?"

"How much time do you have?"

"I'm serious."

"Me too. We'd be here all day until we're both old and grey."

"Sure." Even though his face is still hidden, Jonathan is sure he just rolled his eyes.

"Thing one: your heart."

"My heart? Jesus Christ."

"You have a really big heart. I remember when you gave a stray dog the last of your cheeseburger."

"Wasn't that your burger, though?"

"I'm retracting my confession," Jonathan deadpans.

"Then you do have some sense of self-preservation. Good."

"Quit it."

"Quit what?"

"Acting like you're a bomb set to go off any minute."

"I could've killed Harrington."

"Who cares? Everyone knows he can't win a fight to save his life. I would've done worse. I'm pretty sure I have, actually. So don't fall into your self-loathing period."

"You would, huh?"

"If I'd been there and heard whatever he said to you, I would have killed him."

"Then you'd be arrested," Billy points out.

"You're such a boy scout."

"Hmph. How about Thing 2?"

"You owe me a burger." Jonathan gets into the passenger seat, knowing full well he's not letting Billy pay a cent.

"Thing 2: your mouth."

"That's kinda slutty, dude."

"Would you let me finish?"

"You should know by now that I can't take compliments." He starts the Camaro up, adding somberly, "Not like I get many. Unless it's about my ass."

"It is a nice ass."

"Do you wanna walk to the diner?"

"You've always got something to say."

Billy glares at him, but then his expression softens once he sees Jonathan's fond smile.

"No one's making you listen to me."

"That's right." Jon whips his hair back and says raspily, "Here I am."

"I don't sound like that!"

I hope I can help you forget Steve. Maybe it'll be easier for you to move on if he were out of the picture. Anything for you. "You didn't deny the hair thing."

"Shut up."

Little by little, they're falling back into place. Your loss, Harrington.

[lollytea]

Random thought, but i kinda want Perry Porter and Mattholomule interaction in the aftermath of the Day of Unity. Perry is distraught looking for Gus, and Matt very awkwardly tries to reassure him, and Perry promises to help Matt find Steve.

I could see Mattholomule getting separated from his parents while all three of them are out looking for Steve. And he's having a difficult time finding anybody because there are people everywhere and it's chaos and he's tiny and keeps getting lost in the crowd.

Mattholomule hasn't seen Steve in person in about a month. He hasn't heard from him since a little after the Hexside Invasion when they had a pensta convo over how the Emperor's Coven kinda sucked honestly.

"Does this mean you're gonna quit now?" Mattholomule had asked.

"Idk what I'm gonna do little man" Steve had responded.

That had been the last message from Steve. Since then? Radio silence.

Their parents are scared half to death. Mattholomule swears that when he finds that idiot he's gonna punch him. Then hug him. Then punch him again.

And at some point Mattholomule happens upon Perry Porter, who's on his hands and knees, desperately trying to piece a shattered crystal ball back together so he can make a broadcast to the Isles and get a message out to his son. He's muttering under his breath in his news anchor voice, practising what he's going to say.

Perry has tried to "text" Augustus several times but has gotten no response. He's even attempted a "live stream" as that's how all the kids are getting their news these days but he couldn't figure out to work the stupid thing. Maybe Augustus was right. Maybe he was too set in his ways. Maybe he should have sat down and paid attention when Augustus offered to teach him how penstagram worked.

There were a lot of cases where he should have paid more attention to Augustus. Maybe if he was a more attentive father he would have noticed his son (who was legally a wanted criminal) sneaking out of the house 24 hours before the Day of Unity. If Perry had just been more alert, his son wouldn't have disappeared without a trace.

"Yeah no offense, Mr. Porter but I don't think there's anything you could've done." Says Mattholomule. He's sat down next to Perry, helping him puzzle out the broken glass. "If Augustus sets his mind to something, nothing is gonna stop him. He's a jerk like that. And I get that you're a good Dad or whatever but he woulda found a way around you."

"How? You really think a thirteen year old boy could outsmart me?" Perry asks.

Mattholomule flushes. He's never been the most polite kid to be around but he's always felt compelled to have some semblance of manners around his only friend's father.

Before he can stutter out a "I didn't mean it like that!" Perry quietly chuckles.

"Because you're correct, he could. Augustus is smarter than the best of us. I raised a genius and I guess I have to deal with the consequences. I can only hope that big brain of his has kept him safe."

"Ehh. Usually does." Matt shrugs dismissively. "That and his stupid illusions. You should see the stuff that kid can do in a fight. Betcha he could make an army of scouts piss their pants."

"Language."

"Oh. Sorry."

"But I hope you're right. Smart as he is, it's only recently that he's learned how to use magic to defend himself. He's never been much for duels."

There's a silence as this sinks in. Sure, Gus can handle himself. Mattholomule has seen him in action.

But...

Sometimes it's just by the skin of his teeth.

"I think Willow is with him." Perry mentions suddenly, as if reading Mattholomule's mind. "Harvey told me she snuck out too. And I hope she's found but....it's a comfort to think she's by his side."

"For what it's worth, it's probably not just her. I bet he's also got the homeless guy with him."

Perry blinks "Homeless guy?"

"Y'know. That one dude. The one Gus spends all his free time with now. Golden Guard turned homeless guy."

"You mean Hunter?"

Mattholomule snaps his fingers. "That's the bitch!"

"Language."

Mattholomule offers to show him how to stream properly to get this message out to Augustus and Perry cannot thank him enough.

After a series of trial and error, Perry realizes that repairing the crystal ball just simply isn't going to happen. Mattholomule could have told him that but felt he should humor him to prevent his mental breakdown from escalating.

He figures that, if anything, the methodical work of puzzle solving at least steadied Perry's anxiety. Now if he wants to make a broadcast, he'll at least have some composure.

"Before we start, could you do me a solid and request that a special man named Steve get his ass home immediately?" Asks Mattholomule peering over his scroll camera.

"Steve..." Mutters Perry, straightening his collar. "That's your brother, isn't it? The Coven Scout?"

"Oh....yeah....how'd you guess?"

"Let's..." He swallows. "Let's start the stream now, okay?"

"Augustus." Perry grins. "You're one of his closest friends. You really think he doesn't talk about you?"

The following silence is palpable. Mattholomule doesn't trust himself to speak for a long moment.

Perry's delivers Mattholomule's request to mention Steve amidst his plea for Augustus to return home. The comments are disheartening. Nobody has seen him. Nobody has seen either of them.

"Guess I gotta keep looking." Mattholomule sighs. "Titan, I can't wait to clobber this freak once I see him again."

"I'll help you." Says Perry.

"What?"

"I'll help you find your brother. It's the least I can do."

Mattholomule shifts uncomfortably. "Oh. Uh. I-I know you're going through a lot right now. Looking for Augustus n' all so it's fine if you don't wanna--aAGH!"

Mattholomule is promptly whisked off his feet and is planted atop Perry Porter's shoulders. "You can see better from up here, right?"

"Uh--I--...yeah I guess I can..."

"Excellent! We should find Steve in no time!"

Perry says nothing but this is nostalgic for him. Augustus used to ride on his shoulders when he was little. It had had stopped not too long ago actually, when Witch Puberty had added too many pounds for Perry to handle.

But Mattholomule is light as a feather. But obviously, no teenage boy wants to be told that so Perry wisely keeps his lips buttoned.

"Hey." Mattholomule says quietly. "After we find Steve and I finish pummelling him, I'm sure he'll help us look for Augustus."

"Sure" was an understatement. Mattholomule was certain that Steve would travel to the ends of the Titan's bones if it meant finding his brother's best friend. Not like his brother had many to spare.

"Thank you, Mattholomule." Says Perry, bracingly squeezing the boy's calves. "I appreciate it."