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muniimyg · 1 month

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6: the madness // series m.list

note: say u missed me or else i’ll cry 🫵

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Timing.

You’ve never really understood it. Not to mention the whole invisible string theory and how implausible it seems… How is it that you can coexist with the love of your life for years and not be with them until the time is right?

Isn’t that strange?

Love is all-consuming, inevitable, and perfect, but its greatest weakness is a mere concept: time.

Speaking of time, you’re early.

As you enter the restaurant and greet your friends, you can’t help but check your phone every other minute. Waiting for a text from him, checking the time, and wondering when he’ll arrive… It feels exhausting to be in this state of longing.

How is it that you’ve been friends with him for so long and now you need him more than ever?

To hold you and tell you everything is alright.

To smile at you like you’re his favorite person in the entire world.

To just be with him.

Even if today wasn’t life or death, you felt so helpless. It felt like everything was against you.

Yes, it was just about a stupid presentation (that barely scratches the surface of your future), but it was still a tough thing to get through alone. It was unexpected and filled with minor mistakes, making it feel like a complete defeat.

So much happened.

First, you slept through your alarm.

Though you made it right on time, you didn’t have the extra moments to prepare and run through your presentation like you had originally planned.

Then, since there was no time for prep, you encountered technical difficulties. Your notes were missing for some reason…

And your stuttering!

God, you never stuttered so much in your life.

It was truly an off morning.

… And it doesn’t end there.

Nope!

As you texted Jungkook and updated him, you remembered that you had a rescheduled quiz to take… You know, the one that you completely forgot to review last night because your head was all over this stupid presentation.

The quiz went fine but it could’ve been better.

You know you could’ve done better.

That’s probably what annoys you the most. Everything that occurred today wasn’t up to your standard performance level. Humanizing it is difficult because the truth is simple…

Some days just aren’t good.

Some days you just have to take the L.

Some days you just need to breathe through.

And that’s okay.

Because after all the bad, losing, and catching-your-breath moments—there’s him.

The very thought of him eases you. Talking to him makes you feel like you’re bigger than the bad and the losing. Being with him is as easy as breathing.

“Hey ___,” an unfamiliar voice disrupts your thoughts. You turn your head to see who it is. Beside you, a tall man with a broad build offers you a smile. He has short hair and dimples. Even with just his appearance, he’s charming (you can’t deny that).

Politely, you return it but it’s obvious you’re confused.

“… I’m so sorry,” you feel slightly embarrassed to not remember his name. “You are?”

“Mingyu,” he introduces himself, stepping closer and offering his hand. You take it, shaking it slowly and unsure.

He tries again.

“I’m Jungkook’s friend,” Mingyu explains. “You’re Jungkook’s… Uh?”

“O-oh!” you avoid the question and redirect the conversation. “Are you in his friend group with Jaehyun and them?”

He scoffs. “By ‘them’ you mean those guys?”

Mingyu points to a group of tall guys hovering over the menu display. You count them and can’t help but laugh.

Then, you notice one.

“Is that DK? I think Jungkook introduced me to him when we were walking home a few weeks ago!” From where you are, you wave at DK. DK sees you from the corner of his eye and sends you a smile. He gestures for you to come over. For the second time, you smile politely and feel stuck.

What now?

“What’s Jungkook doing introducing you to DK and not me?” Mingyu chuckles, attempting to lighten the mood.

You purse your lips. “Ohh.. I get it.”

“Get what?”

“You’re cheeky,” you observe. “Yup… You’re definitely friends with Jungkook.”

Mingyu puts his hands up in surrender and then on your shoulders. “Guilty as charged.”

You laugh.

He likes your laugh. It’s soft and attractive—especially when you throw your head slightly back. Intrigued, he invites you to sit with them.

“You know the others, right? Hobi and them?”

“Yeah!” you answer him happily. “Hobi and I are actually pretty close—“

Mingyu’s puppy eyes light up with excitement. “Oh, shit really? So you don’t need to get to know them or anything?”

You blink at him.

“I guess?”

“Great!” Mingyu beams. “Good. Cool... Sit with me! I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

You know it’s all friendly nature.

Mingyu is known for being like this.

Goofy, a little deceptive, but a good guy overall. You have nothing to fear! Especially when he’s friends with Jungkook, right? He wouldn’t think of trying to flirt with you… Right?

What are you to Jungkook again?

Before you know it, Mingyu’s hands find yours. As he laces your fingers together, you feel your chest tighten.

This feels weird.

It feels like betrayal even though you know it’s not. Isn’t it ridiculous to be thinking this way?

You run excuses and options in your head.

Do you pull away and laugh it off? Do you just let him hold your hand and lead you to sit with him and the others? You aren’t sure… But the one thing that is clear is the look of annoyance on Jungkook’s face as he steps into the restaurant and his eyes land on your hands.

“Jungkook!”

As cinematic as it can be, that’s what it is. You shake Mingyu’s grasp off and rush to Jungkook. He’s completely taken aback, stumbling as you crash into him. A small laugh escapes his lips, as he finds your tiny charge at him to be the cutest thing you’ve done thus far. He barely walked in and you’re already in his arms.

Heaven, he thinks to himself.

As he wraps his arms around you, he kisses the top of your head. “Wow, look at you. Are you sure you’re my girl? Not shy anymore? Not avoiding me? I’m so proud of you, mi.”

He smells like him. Like his laundry detergent and his skin after his workout—a little sweaty but so addictive.

Is that weird?

Most importantly… Who cares?

He’s here.

You can breathe him in. You can breathe again.

You groan in embarrassment. Pulling away, you keep yourself close enough to rest your chin on his chest. He lowers his gaze at you, eyes softening as his lips curve into a pout.

“Bad day?”

“Better now,” you hum, hugging him tighter. He laughs and gently tickles your sides. Your laughter increases, causing you to let go of him. He takes your bag from your hands and swings it over his shoulder. His fingers brush against yours as you two walk to join your friends who go ahead and get seated.

“Hey, am I crazy or was Mingyu holding your hand—”

“___!” Mingyu calls for you.

You and Jungkook turn your heads and see him patting a place for you. Without a second thought, Jungkook lifts his hand to wave and you hold onto him tighter. Exchanging looks, he then proceeds to guide you towards his circle of friends and away from the ones you’re familiar with. Passing by Hobi, you give him a look.

A ‘help-me-get-out-of-this,’ look.

Hobi sticks his tongue out at you and mouths, “you’ll be fine, bitch.”

By the time you gather your thoughts, Jungkook has already introduced you to his other group of friends. You completely blank out as they respond and introduce themselves. It’s only for a few seconds and you already had an idea of who they all are anyway.

The campus calls them the 97 liners.

They’re known for being…

Boys.

Decent ones at that, but they’re definitely energetic. Amusing almost all the time, competitive and intimidating when they need to be. Through rumors and observations you’ve made from afar, it made sense to you where Jungkook gets his playfulness from.

He’s…

A lot like them.

He’s definitely himself. It’s interesting.

Mingyu scoots over, making enough room for you and Jungkook. He dabs Jungkook up, greeting him as warmly as he greeted you. The others continue their conversations, asking for your input every so often. You quickly realize how charismatic everyone is, and to be completely honest, it overwhelms you.

But with Jungkook beside you, it doesn’t feel like a bad thing. He squeezes your hand under the table every so often when he notices your gaze wander. It’s like he’s gravity to you.

“Okay, so we already ordered… But we can order again if there’s something specific ___ wants,” Mingyu says, rather bubbly. He clears his throat, reaches over the table, grabs the menu and offers it to you.

“Yah, yah, yah,” Jungkook sends a glare to Mingyu, yanking the menu from him. You turn to look at him and find that he doesn't look amused. His eyes are fixed at his friend. With an intimidating tone, he warns; “Mingyu, stop flexing.”

Mingyu shakes his head, not taking it seriously. Jungkook and him have always had a playful friendship anyways. “I don't know what you're talking about... I’m not flexing. ___, feel it! I swear I’m not flexing right now.”

Jungkook tightens his grip on your hands.

Taking a sip of your water, you take your time to swallow and gather your thoughts.

“Don’t you gym with Jungkook?”

Dumb question.

“I gym more than him,” Mingyu corrects you.

Wow.

Stupid answer.

You can't help it. A laugh escapes your lips. “Is that supposed to impress me?”

Jungkook lets out a hearty chuckle, liking the way you answer. He feels proud of you. He feels like he definitely chose the right girl.

Mingyu smirks, leaning back.

He thinks this is fun.

It is fun.

“Ehhh.. I mean, if you ever let me take you on a date, I’ll show you what it means to be impressed.”

Jungkook’s smile drops.

Yours does too.

You shift closer to Jungkook and avoid Mingyu's eyes.

“H-honestly, I’m not feeling picky tonight. I’m sure whatever you guys ordered will be delicious.”

The rest of the conversation is easygoing as everyone patiently waits for the food to arrive. Mingyu’s attention turns back to his friends, as he takes the hint from your avoidant eyes. To him, it was unserious.

Hopefully, it’s also whatever to you.

As the food arrives and is set on the table, Jungkook exchanges a few side comments and whispers context into your ear. You giggle and feel your heart race when he places his hand on your thigh.

“Jungkook…”

“Hm?”

“Your hand,” you warn.

“What about my hand?”

“It’s on my thigh.”

“I know,” he snickers. “Wish it was somewhere else.”

You gasp and can’t resist hitting his chest. He takes the hit like a man. He knows he deserves it.

On the table is a plate of shrimp. You pick one up with your chopsticks and begin to peel it. As Jungkook eats, you place the freshly peeled shrimp on top of his rice. He smiles at you brightly, his heart close to combusting.

“You didn’t have to—”

Jungkook’s words are cut off as you hear Mingyu whine, “Awh, no fair! Peel me one too, please!”

You nod and answer his request. Taking another shrimp and beginning to peel it, you then finish quickly and place it on top of his rice too.

Mingyu eats it happily.

Meanwhile, Jungkook’s chest tightens. Again, it’s such a minor thing to happen… Yet, it irks him so much. He’s no boy, though. This isn’t a perilla leaf tantrum—no, he was much too mature for that.

This was… Clarity.

In between bites, Mingyu brings up a fascinating topic.

“Why are you looking at her like that?” he blurts. Jungkook hadn’t even noticed he was looking at you a certain way. What was it? Was it too revealing of his feelings?

Wait… What even is he feeling?

There’s a sense of jealousy and frustration wrapped around the core of it all; his liking of you.

“I’m not looking at her in any way,” Jungkook responds, taking a sip of water. You continue to chew and look away.

“You totally are,” Mingyu laughs. “Hey, is it because you used to like her?”

Jungkook doesn’t miss a beat. “Where did you hear that?”

“Ohh.. So it’s not true, then?”

“Nah,” Jungkook scoffs. “I just don’t get why it’s a rumor and why it’s in the past tense. It’s true… I like her. She knows it too—wait, you fuck… Do you even read the group chat? I talk about her all the fucking time.”

Mingyu’s eyes light up.

“Oh my god!” he gasps, piecing everything together. “Shit, right. I remember now. God, why’d that take me so long to connect? Of course! This is ___. The ___! Ice skating bullshit, right? Pocky kiss or whatever?”

Your eyes widen as you turn to Jungkook. “You told them?”

Jungkook smiles innocently.

“I have the best kiss of my life and you expect me not to tell my boys?”

He has you there.

Mingyu laughs, murmuring about how down bad Jungkook is. When you feel your cheeks heat up, you quickly bury your face into your hands. You feel so embarrassed… But at the same time flattered.

It’s awful.

To make matters worse, the butterflies keep fluttering as Jungkook tilts his head and smirks at you. He finds your shyness the most precious thing in this entire world. The mere fact that he makes you feel and act like this?

Oh, it’s remarkable.

Jungkook can't help but compare your behavior from earlier to now. How you took initiative and ran into his arms as if they were your safe haven—and now there's this.

You like this, right now.

So utterly his without him much being done or said. It's an understanding. It's simply how it is.

He chuckles, as he wraps his arms around you and squeezes you into a tight hug.

“Ahh... You totally folded."

With his words, your eyes widen. You push him away and roll your eyes at him. He teases you, mocking the way you cling onto his body.

You huff but let him hold onto you. From here on out, you two keep it casual and continue your conversations with everyone. He piles food onto your plate and in exchange you bring the food to his mouth.

Jungkook eats happily.

When the dinner is over, everyone goes their separate ways.

Jungkook’s friends all hug you goodbye (Mingyu takes his sweet time) and leave him to walk you home. Hand in hand, you two wave goodbye and earn a few winks from Hobi. To that, you roll your eyes and brush it off.

The walk with Jungkook is nice.

The conversation between you two is so natural and good. You talk about the presentation mess up in more detail and he listens well. He empathizes with your feelings and understands. He’s so easy to talk to. He gets you. He makes you laugh even when what he’s saying isn’t funny.

Is this how it’s like when you have feelings for someone?

How embarrassing.

When you two reach your front door, he looks at you longingly.

“Feel better?” he asks you. You notice how gentle is tone is. How thoughtful.

“… About everything? The presentation and shit… Bebu, at the end of the day you did what you could. The grade your received is literally still an A—w-what”

Jungkook is startled.

You grasp the fabric of his hoodie and pull him close. Without a second thought, you take a step closer to him and lean in. With urgency, you kiss him.

Deep.

Needy.

Lovingly.

His eyes flutter shut as you deepen the kiss with your tongue. He gives you way, parting his mouth open for you to explore and do as you please. As he kisses you back with the same kind of energy, you smile into the kiss.

When you pull away, Jungkook is in disbelief.

“... Now what?”

You clear your throat, feeling your lips tingling from the kiss.

“S-sorry,” you gulp. “I d-don’t know what came over me… I just—”

“Why are you apologizing?” he blinks at you slowly. “I didn’t ask for an apology. I asked, now what?”

You tighten your lips.

“Now? I… I just need some air.”

Jungkook nods his head, eyebrows furrowed together. He understands you.

Before you can open your mouth to defend or redirect, he beats you to it.

“Yeah? Me too.”

Before you know it, he kisses you.

Jungkook kisses you like a silent plea. Even though he has already confessed; this felt like another.

The way he kisses you feels like a new language. He knows just when you kiss you more and when you to be delicate. He cups your jaw with the palm of his hand, tilting your head so he can kiss you better.

Which is so fucking weird… But it happens like never before.

He kisses you better.

Breaking away from the kiss, you two catch your breaths. As you do so, you clear your throat.

“Wanna come inside?” you ask, taking his hand.

He smirks, unable to stop himself.

“Sure… But I’m gonna need some clarification on that offer… Come inside where?”

In your dimly lit kitchen, you two make yourselves a cup of tea.

Jungkook multitasks by making passes—saying that the water is still cold since you’re hotter than it. He sneaks in a few kisses on your cheeks as you tell him he’s being stupid. You two laugh as he lifts you up to sit on your kitchen island. He makes himself comfortable in between your legs.

There, you caress his hair.

He is so handsome. You love the way his nose just fits his face… How round his eyes are and even the scar on his cheek. It’s so precious.

He’s perfect, you think to yourself.

As you get lost in your thoughts, Jungkook feels so much comfort and freedom with your touch. It feels like rest. For a moment, he shuts his eyes and takes in how much he loves your touch.

Breaking the silence, you tug on his hair. “You need a haircut.”

He shakes his head, eyes still closed.

“Literally got one two weeks ago.”

“Yeah,” you realize he’s right. He did cut his hair two weeks ago. He came over that night just to show it off. “... But I liked Mingyu’s hair! It was so short. I feel like it would suit you too.”

He opens one eye and gives you a weird look.

You mimic it.

“What?”

Jungkook lifts his face.

“So… Was it just me but I definitely caught Mingyu trying to shoot his shot with you, right?” He snickers, tilting his head as he recalls what he saw. "He literally asked you out."

You shrug, explaining Mingyu's attempt to hold your hand as a friendly gesture. "He’s just friendly, right? He also tried to hold my hand to lead me to the table and that was kinda… Unexpected? But he’s like that, right? He’s just friendly. Like a puppy! Golden retriever energy.”

"Maybe," Jungkook responds, his tone betraying a hint of uncertainty. "Y-yeah. I mean, the shrimp thing was worse."

You laugh softly. "What? This is about the shrimp thing? I peeled it for you too… And it’s not like I peeled his because I wanted to. He asked. It was lighthearted."

"I know that," he reassures you, his tone softening. "I’m not that insecure to pick a fight over peeling shrimp. You don’t have to convince me it was nothing. I know it was nothing.”

Confusion flashes across your face at his mixed signals. "Are you upset?"

"Maybe," he admits quietly.

Then he hesitates.

“Actually, I think I’m frustrated. I’m not mad. Sorry if I sounded aggressive—"

"N-no, it’s fine," you reassure him, gently cutting him off. "Why are you frustrated, bebu?"

Jungkook offers you a weak smile. "I don’t get it…"

"Get what?"

"All this shit and we’re still not together.”

Your brows furrow slightly in confusion.

Taken aback, you ask him, “what’s that supposed to mean?"

Gesturing between the two of you, Jungkook expresses his confusion. "This… I mean, what is this? We’re together, aren’t we?"

"Jungkook—"

"I’m just… I don’t get it. Even if you thought he was just being friendly, why didn’t you just say you were my girlfriend? Mingyu would’ve stopped flirting with you."

"So it’s my fault?" you huff, feeling offended at the pitch of this idea. "I thought your friends knew—"

"Well… Yes. I talk about you, and it’s not like I’m ditching parties to study in that stupid library—"

"Can you leave the library out of this?"

"Okay," he sighs, relenting. "Sorry… I just… They know how I feel about you. I guess they don’t know how you feel about me, and… I mean, did you tell him we were together or not? Because if I had to remind him who you were to me, I don’t think you told him that we—"

"Jungkook—"

"No, I’m being serious," he interrupts, his tone becoming more stern. "Why didn’t you just—"

"You never asked me out!" you interject, frustration evident in your voice.

Jungkook stares at you blankly, prompting you to continue. He runs everything back in his mind.

You were right.

With all these moments, he’s been so busy planning how to get reactions out of you and completely missed out on so many perfect opportunities.

“You never asked me to be your girlfriend. All you’ve been doing this entire time is trying to get me to flirt with you, kiss you, or trick me into dates… You want me to act like your girlfriend? Ask me to be. I’m not built for situationships… And honestly? I’ve been waiting—patiently and elegantly at that. There were so many times where I wanted to hold your hand and give in. You talk about how you’ll get me to fold or whatever—fine.”

You take a breath, caving in. “This is it. I’ve folded! God, do you even know how hard it is to study next to you in that stupid library because y-you… You give me butterflies.”

Jungkook reaches for you. You let him touch you but your heart stays still, fighting to get these feelings out. Your voice wavers with emotion.

“A-and it’s so… I don’t know how you do it. At some point, I set them free. Like, fine, okay! Fly high, my butterflies… But for what?"

There’s a sense of urgency that awakens in you. Never in your life have you ever felt the same way for anyone.

It feels like defeat and victory all at once.

It feels like peace and war all at once.

It feels like love.

Oh, the madness.

To love someone this wide and deep… To love someone at all. It is everything beyond you. How it radiates through your body and onto his lips… How everything unfolds and reveals him no matter what.

You can’t decide if the way you’ve fallen is utterly heartbreaking or romantic. Maybe it’s both.

Let’s say it’s both.

All you know is that with glossy eyes and a fragmented understanding of timing, you tell him;

“Jungkook, I set my butterflies free, and they flew to you."

#bts fic #jk scenario #jk imagine #jk x mingyu x oc #jungkook fanfic #bts scenario #jk uni au #jk f2l #bts f2l

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agaypanic · 3 months

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Hey! Could you do Charlie Swan x wife fem!reader where she own a bakery and they first met there (sort of flashback) and their journey through their relationship. And please add Bella (as someone nice & she accept her). Tag me later! Thank :)

Black Coffee and a Bagel (Charlie Swan X Baker!Reader)

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Summary: Chief Swan coming into your bakery for breakfast one day turns into a life full of love, baking, and coffee.

A/N: this took forever to write holy shit. i usually dont add the word count to the actual fic, but i feel like i should tell yall this is over 5k words… when i read the twilight books (its been so hard getting through them bc they’re lowkey boring guys…) i envision charlie as billy burke but with kinda curly hair bc that’s what he has in the books, so that’s how he looks in this lol reader’s age isn’t specified so she can be read as charlie’s age or younger (legal obvi). maybe a bit ooc charlie but idc

***

It was a usual cloudy day in Forks, Washington. Like most other town residents, you didn’t really mind the gloomy weather. As long as your heaters worked and you had a decent jacket, you didn’t really care.

You were always the busiest in the morning. You owned a bakery in the middle of town, the only one open at six in the morning. Almost everyone came through your shop for breakfast or a drink before heading to work or school.

But every now and then, you had a first-time customer.

The bell above your front door jingled, and you heard footsteps enter with a bit of hesitancy. You looked up from the espresso machine you were cleaning to see a man with curly dark hair, a mustache, and a badge.

“Chief Swan,” you smiled, moving to the counter. He was looking around the bakery with mild curiosity. “Haven’t seen you here before.”

“Yeah, I uh… I forgot to grab a coffee before I left the house.” He sounded like he was a bit embarrassed by his mistake. Then he finally looked up, chocolate brown eyes locking with yours. “And a lot of people talk about this place, so I figured it’d be a good opportunity to check it out.”

“Well, I’m glad to have you here. Welcome to Bear Claw Bakery.” You smile at him, maybe a bit too cheerfully for how early in the morning it was, but it was all part of your brand. Seeing such a handsome face also helped. “I can make any coffee you’d like.”

“I can see that.” Chief Swan said, gesturing to the convoluted drink menu on the wall behind you. He seemed a bit intimidated by all the choices.

“How about a black coffee?” He lit up, seemingly relieved by your suggestion.

“Yes, please. Large.”

As you made his coffee, you fell into a comfortable silence. You became focused on his drink, and he decided to peruse your display cases of baked goods. After all, this was a bakery.

“See anything you like?” You ask as you put the lid on his cup, remembering to add a sleeve so he wouldn’t burn his hand.

He hummed, staring at a tray of bagels for a few seconds before looking at you. He straightened up, pointing to the baked goods.

“Could I get a bagel? Plain.”

“Of course!” You slid the glass door open and grabbed a bagel with your tongs, putting it in a goody bag and folding the top a few times. Chief Swan watched you for a small moment before fumbling for his wallet, keeping his eyes on the counter in front of him. You watched him pull out a bill and waved your hand. “Oh, no. On the house.”

“What?” He looked up at you in surprise, and you just smiled at him.

“Think of it as a first-time discount.” You shrug as you push his coffee and bagel towards him.

He folded the bill but didn’t put it back in his wallet. Instead, while maintaining eye contact, he dropped it into the tip jar beside him.

“Thanks, uh…” He said as he pocketed the wallet and grabbed his coffee. It was then that you realized that he didn’t know your name.

“Oh! Y/n.” You stuck your hand out without thinking. But before you could pull it back, he shook your hand with a polite smile. “And you’re obviously Chief Swan.” You said with an airy laugh.

“Please, call me Charlie.” He punctuated his name by squeezing your hand before letting go. There was a softness to his tone that you didn’t suspect, but you enjoyed it.

“Charlie,” you repeated, liking the sound of it. “I hope you like the coffee and the bagel.”

He nodded once, grabbed the goody bag still on the counter, and left with a small wave. You didn’t have much time to think about the interaction because a group of high schoolers soon came in, chattering loudly about different things. One thing you knew for sure, though, was that you hoped he’d be back sometime soon.

***

You were surprised to see Charlie back at the bakery the next day. You were unlocking the front door when he pulled up next to your car in his police cruiser.

“Right on time.” You laughed as he exited the car. “I’m just starting to open.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know your hours,” he said, checking his watch. The sun was barely starting to peek out from the clouds. “I have to go to the station early today, was hoping I could get coffee and a bagel.”

“Of course! Come on in,” you say, holding the door open just long enough for him to catch as you rush to behind the counter.

You started on Charlie’s coffee before going to the back to get a bag of fresh bagels. At the front, he was leaning against the counter, waiting for you.

“So I’m guessing you liked it?” You asked with a smile as you bagged up a bagel for him, putting the rest in the display case. “The coffee and bagel? Since you came back.” You added after a moment of silence.

“Oh, yeah!” He said, sounding as if he was a bit distracted by something. “Both were delicious.”

“I’m glad.” You placed his bagel and coffee on the counter.

“Now I’m hoping to actually pay this time,” Charlie said, raising his brows, and you couldn’t help but giggle. You told him the total, and when you gave him his change, he dropped it into the tip jar. “Thanks again. And sorry for coming so early.”

“It’s no problem, Chief-” You cut yourself off, receiving a knowing look from him. “Charlie. It’s really no problem. Hope you have a good day.”

“Same to you, Y/n.”

Charlie grabbed his things, waved at you, and walked out. After watching him drive away, you continued to open the bakery for the day. As you served the people coming in, you wondered if Charlie’s coming in would become a regular occurrence. Deep down, you hoped so.

***

Charlie Swan coming to the bakery became a daily habit. It pleased you not only because you were proud to have such a loyal customer, but also because the man was handsome and very nice, despite his usual awkward demeanor. He’d be one of the first people to come in, or the first if he had to go to the station early. You always savored the small talk you shared with him, silently begging for no one to come in when he talked because then he’d stay a little longer, no matter how many times he said that he should really be going.

You were really starting to like Charlie Swan, both as a friend and something more. Of course, you kept that part to yourself.

“Black coffee and a bagel.” It was more of a statement than a question as Charlie opened the door. He ordered the same thing every day; honestly, you admired his consistency.

“Yup.” He responded, pulling out his wallet before he even reached the counter. “Oh, by the way, I was wondering if you did like, deliveries? Or something like that?”

“Depends.” You answer. “I do catering and delivery for parties and stuff.”

“Ah,” Charlie clicked his tongue, seeming a little disappointed. “Was just wondering because I’ve been having to work a lot of late nights with all those bear attacks.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard a bit about those,” you sighed. “Poor people.”

“Yeah, I know. And anyways, if I’m being honest, your coffee’s better than the stuff we have at the station. But I get it if you don’t do that sort of thing.”

“I can do it!” You decide before even thinking about it. But when you gave it some thought, you remembered that you were the boss. If you went while one of your employees was working, they could surely hold down the fort for the ten minutes you’d be gone. “I, um, I can do that for you.”

“Really?” Although his expression didn’t change much, you could tell that Charlie’s eyes were lighting up. He must’ve really loved your coffee.

“Yeah! Perks of being your own boss.” You laugh, grabbing a piece of paper and writing down your number. “We don’t have a phone for the bakery yet; I just keep forgetting to do that. So this is my number.” You slid the paper over to Charlie, who grabbed it without letting his eyes leave you. “Just call me, and it’ll probably take me five to ten minutes to get to the station. We close at nine, but I stay way later than that most nights, so feel free to call whenever.”

Charlie pocketed the piece of paper like it was a precious item he didn’t want to get wrinkled or crumpled.

“I’ll do that,” he said, reaching for his breakfast. “I’ll see you later, Y/n.”

“See you later, Charlie.” You watched him leave, and once he was out the door, you finally realized that you had just unabashedly given the cute Chief of Police your phone number. Telling him to call you anytime.

And he did. At around eight that night, you got a call from an unknown number, and a somewhat groggy Charlie was speaking on the other end.

“Y/n?” He asked, as if he was unsure whether or not you had actually given him your number.

“Hey, Charlie!” you responded, clearly more awake than him. “Need a coffee?”

“Please.” He sounded desperate, and you were a bit embarrassed by the fact that his tone needed you to take a moment to recompose yourself. The way he said it was a bit whiny, but his voice was husky, probably from his tiredness. A long sigh came from the phone. “I feel like I’m going crazy over here.”

“Then I’ll be over soon.”

You and Charlie said quick goodbyes to each other, and you went to the counter to make his coffee. You told Maddie, who was working the closing shift with you, that you’d be back soon, but she could lock up without you if needed. Then you were on your way to the police station.

The parking lot was empty except for one cruiser, which you guessed was Charlie’s. Walking into the building to find it empty and dark, aside from an office at the far end, confirmed your suspicions.

“Delivery for Chief Swan.” You say, knocking on his office door, which was cracked open the slightest bit. Charlie looked up at you from his desk, and you wouldn’t be surprised if your presence had awakened him from an unplanned nap. His dark curly locks were a tousled mess, probably the result of his hands constantly running through them, and his eyelids seemed heavy.

“My savior,” Charlie grumbled, sitting up the slightest bit and reaching for the large cup. You stood in silence as you watched him gulp down the hot liquid, wondering how he didn’t immediately stop in pain. You guessed that his fatigue made him immune somehow, or less caring about burning his throat. “Good stuff.”

“Maybe instead of drinking it and scalding yourself, you should head home?” You suggested with a small laugh.

“Too much to do,” Charlie said with a sigh, leaning back in his chair. “Too much going on for me to stop.”

“Well, it’s better to stop before you reach your limit, or you might be stopping for good.”

Charlie thought about what you said with a slight hum. His half-lidded eyes scanned his messy desk, cluttered with reports and other papers. To be completely honest, he was starting to doze off a little by the time you came, and words were starting to jumble together when he tried to read.

“M’kay.” He sighed, taking another sip of coffee, this time wincing a bit at the heat. “You got a point there.”

You watched as Charlie somewhat sluggishly got ready to leave. He threw on his jacket and turned off the lights, gesturing for you to leave the office first. When you got to the station’s front entrance, he held the door open for you.

“Thanks for the coffee.” He said after walking you to your car. “And drive safe.”

“Anytime,” you respond, opening the door and getting in the driver’s seat. “And the same goes for you.”

Charlie smiled, patting the top of your car as a farewell before walking over to his cruiser. Although he had turned on his car before you, he didn’t start driving until you left the parking lot.

***

A few months later, you were at your absolute busiest. Graduation was just around the corner, and almost every senior’s parent in Forks called asking if you could cater or do pick up orders for graduation parties. Although it meant your business would be booming for a while, you were slowly losing your sanity.

“Just a second!” You yelled from the back room after hearing the bell above the door ring. Carefully, you slid a large tray filled with cupcakes into one of your fridges and closed the door.

“Take your time!” Charlie yelled back, making you want to be as quick as possible. You wiped your hands on your apron and ran to the front, where Charlie greeted you with a smile. “Hey, Y/n. You busy?”

“Always am,” you laughed, leaning against the counter. “But I always have time for you, Charlie. Black coffee and a bagel?”

“You know me so well.” Charlie watched as you moved around, making his hot drink and picking out a bagel from the stack you had made this morning. “How are things?”

“Hectic.” You answer, rising from your crouched position to bag up the bagel. “But it’s nothing I can’t handle. Almost every parent has been ordering at least seventy-five cupcakes for their kids’ graduation parties, and there’s at least three parties happening every week.” You grabbed Charlie’s coffee, putting a lid on the cup before handing it to him. Despite it being scalding hot, he took a sip while he listened. “I’m grateful, obviously, but if I have to frost another cupcake, I think I’m gonna get carpal tunnel.”

“I forgot graduation parties were a thing,” Charlie said with a slightly embarrassed laugh. “I don’t know if Bella would want one, though; she kind of hates being the center of attention.”

“Well, if she decides to have one, you know who to call for the baked goods.” You say with a smile, taking Charlie’s cash and watching him put the change in the tip jar. You loved the familiarity and routine that you had with Charlie. Every day, he ordered the same thing without fail, asked how you were doing, used a bill that was anywhere between a few dollars more to over twice the amount needed, and put the change he got into your decorated tip jar.

“I’ll ask her about it.” To most, it looked like Charlie was wearing a straight face. But you could tell that there was a slight upward curve to his lip. “Kinda hoping she says yes. I think it’d be fun.”

“Have a good day, Charlie.”

“Have a good day, Y/n.”

Later in the day, the bakery was crowded. School had just gotten out, and most of the kids came for a little pick-me-up, whether it was some kind of caffeinated drink or a sweet treat. Plus, some parents came by to pick up their party orders.

You didn’t expect to see Charlie in the crowd today, accompanied by a girl who seemed around high school age. You assumed that this was Bella, his daughter.

“Hey, Y/n.” Charlie greeted you once they reached the counter. “Place is packed.”

“Yup! I think finals are just around the corner, so these kids need all the help they can get.” You looked over at the young girl who stood next to Charlie. “Is this your daughter?”

“Yeah. Y/n, this is Bella. Bella, this is Y/n.” You greeted each other before Charlie spoke again. “I asked Bella about the whole graduation party thing, and she said it sounded like fun. So I decided to meet her here on my break so we could set up an order.”

“Awesome!” You grinned, grabbing an order form. Usually, you would be slightly dying on the inside if someone was making an order like this. But there seemed to be something about Charlie that diffused any annoyance or dread you would normally feel. “So, what were you thinking? Cupcakes?”

“Actually, we were thinking of a cake.” This answer made you perk up. Bella nodded, confirming the decision, which you quickly jotted down. While the three of you talked, Charlie’s radio on his shoulder sounded. “I gotta take this, I’ll be right back. Bells, just tell Y/n what you want, and I’ll pay for it. And if you want a drink or something, go ahead and order. Oh! Could I get a-”

“Black coffee?” You finished, giving Charlie a knowing smile. His usually pale cheeks seemed to turn pink, but you just chalked it up to the slightly warm and crowded room. “Of course, now go take your call.”

You waved Charlie away, who fought against the small crowd of students to get out of the building. You asked two of your employees to get on the register and start taking orders before turning back to Bella. As you wrote down what she wanted, she spoke somewhat timidly, as if she was saying something that was supposed to be a secret.

“He talks about you sometimes.” You looked at her with slight confusion. “My dad.”

“Oh?” Your heartbeat quickened at the information. It surprised you that Charlie thought of you outside of the bakery, let alone talked about you. “Really?”

“Yeah.” She bit her lip, trying to keep more from spilling. But it didn’t work. “Half of the time, he’s raving about your coffee.”

“It’s just black coffee,” you said with a shrug, flipping the pen around with your fingers to release your giddy energy.

“Yeah, but you’re the one who makes it. And the other half of the time, he’s talking about how nice you are.”

“He thinks I’m nice?” You were glad your employees were taking care of the other customers because you were now completely distracted from the task at hand. Bella nodded, and you couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “Well, I think he’s nice, too.”

“Who’s nice?” You and Bella jumped at Charlie’s surprise return.

“Uhh, no one.” You brushed off, quickly filling out the rest of the paper before turning it around and handing Charlie your pen. “Sign here, and we can get started on the order. Oh, did you want to do pick up or delivery?”

“Delivery,” Bella answered before Charlie could, eyes darting from you to her father. Neither of you opposed, so when you got the paper back, you marked the delivery option.

“Delivery it is.” You said, putting your pen in one of your apron pockets. “Charlie, I’ll get you your coffee. Bella, did you want anything?”

“No, I’m fine, thanks.” You nodded and quickly made a large black coffee. After checking them out and Charlie putting his change in the jar, you waved goodbye to the two Swans. “See you next week, Bella. And I’ll see you tomorrow, Charlie?”

“Of course.” He said with a smile before guiding Bella out of the shop.

You couldn’t wait to see Charlie Swan again.

***

A week later, you loaded Bella’s finished graduation cake into your car. After telling Maddie you’d be back soon, you got in the driver’s seat and drove to the Swan house. Everyone knew where everyone was in this town, but you still had your eyes glued to your map when they weren’t on the road, too scared to miss a turn.

Soon, you pulled up to a white two-story house. You were confident that it was Charlie’s place when you saw his police cruiser and a red truck, which must have been Bella’s. There were a few cars scattered up and down the street, but you found a free spot right in front of the cop car. When you got out and grabbed the two-tiered cake, Charlie emerged from the front door.

“Y/n! You made it!” He jogged over to you as you closed the car door with a swing of your hip. “Here, lemme get that for ya.”

“You’re sweet, Charlie.” You carefully handed the cake to him and followed him inside. The place seemed to be packed with teens and their parents. Some stood out, and you knew exactly who they were from their pale complexions and beautiful features.

“Did you wanna stay for a bit?” Charlie asked as he set the cake down on a table. He scratched the back of his head, growing a bit shy. “You, uhh, you could taste your masterpiece. Mingle and stuff.”

“I should probably be getting back to the bakery…” You looked down at your watch. You supposed you could spare a few minutes. After all, you were the boss. Maddie was responsible; she would call you if she had any problems. “Well, I think I could stay a few minutes.”

“Great.” Charlie put on a large grin, one that you had probably never seen before. But it suited him nicely. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Charlie laid a hand on the small of your back to guide you through the small crowd. You already knew most of the people here, either regulars of yours or having recently become well acquainted with them because of delivery or pick-up orders. But then Charlie took you to a small group of people that you don’t remember every meeting, but you knew of them well.

“Y/n, these are the Cullens.” Charlie introduced. “Doctor Carlisle, his wife Esme, Bella’s boyfriend Edward, and his sister Alice.”

“It’s nice to meet you all.” You said kindly, shaking each hand that reached out to you. Their hands were cold, but that didn’t bother you. It was actually a bit refreshing after having your hands in and out of ovens for the past few weeks.

“Y/n made Bella’s cake,” Charlie said, proudly pointing to your creation on the table. “She owns Bear Claw Bakery. She’s… pretty amazing, at what she does.”

“I see that,” Carlisle said, looking at the cake. “Amazing detail, I bet it looks even better up close. You’re quite talented.”

“All you need is a steady hand.” You said, not used to compliments or attention like this.

“Well, I know a thing or two about that,” Carlisle said with a laugh. You laughed along, and you couldn’t help but notice Charlie’s hand move to wrap more around your waist.

“Thank you for making Bella’s cake,” Edward said, his voice cool and even. “I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“She will,” Alice said with finality, as if she had already seen Bella’s reaction to the cake.

“Thank you.” You couldn’t help but lean slightly into Charlie; he was just so warm and comfortable. He seemed a bit surprised but didn’t reject your actions. Instead, he welcomed them with a squeeze on your waist. “I was happy to do it, really.”

“Do you want a drink?” Charlie asked, leaning close to you to ask.

“Sure.” As Charlie guided you to the kitchen, you looked over your shoulder at the Cullens. “It was nice to meet you!” They all gave similar and polite responses. And then they were out of view, and you and Charlie were alone in the kitchen.

For a while, you and Charlie stayed in the kitchen, watching people pass by to talk to others or get a refreshment. This was the first time you were around Charlie in a non-professional environment. You were both nervous and ecstatic.

“So, how’d you get into, uh, baking and stuff?” Charlie asked, taking a swig of his beer. You took a sip of your Coke before responding.

“My mom, I think. Every birthday or special occasion, she always insisted on making a giant cake or cupcakes or whatever, instead of buying it from the store. I liked to help her, mainly because she’d let me eat the leftover frosting and pour the batter in the pan.” You leaned on the counter, smiling fondly at the memories that ran through your head. “Even when you’re by yourself, I think it’s really special. I dunno, that’s kind of a sappy answer, but-”

“No, no.” Charlie shook his head before smiling at you. “I think that’s really sweet.”

After a brief moment of eye contact, you both took a sip of your drinks, lifting them to your lips and setting them down simultaneously.

“Are you doing anything this Saturday?” The question surprised you and Charlie, even though Charlie had asked it. But he didn’t take it back. Instead, he waited for a response while anxiously tapping his fingers against his beer bottle.

“Maybe.” You said with a shrug. “Why do you ask?”

“Well…” Charlie’s fingers smoothed over his mustache, which you had noticed to be a habit of his when he was thinking. “I’ve never really baked before, I think. And you make it sound like a lot of fun. So… I dunno, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come over or something, and we could make something?”

“I’d love to.” You said, butterflies filling your stomach.

“Really?” Charlie seemed relieved by your answer, and you nodded swiftly to solidify it. “Great! Maybe this time, I can make you a coffee.”

“I’d like that a lot.” You took a sip of your Coke to contain your growing smile, but it didn’t help much. Your giddiness was infectious, Charlie feeling the exact excitement you were.

***

When Saturday came, you had an extra pep in your step. You made sure to put a slight bit more effort into your appearance before you left. You knew you didn’t have to impress Charlie in any way, but this felt like a sort of milestone. You were going to spend time with him outside of work, doing one of your favorite activities together.

“Bella’s out with Edward,” Charlie said as he let you into the house. “So we’ll have the house to ourselves.”

“Sounds good to me.” You responded, setting your bag on the kitchen counter and pulling out a recipe card.

“So, what are we making?” He asked, clapping his hands and rubbing them together as he looked over your shoulder.

“Black Forest gâteau.” You answered, looking down at the card and then up at Charlie. He seemed slightly confused, but looked like he didn’t want you to know he was confused. You laughed lightly. “Basically, a chocolate cake with cherry filling.”

“Ah.” Charlie nodded in understanding. “Sounds delicious.”

While you started taking ingredients out of your bag, Charlie made a pot of coffee for the both of you. After pouring himself a plain black coffee, he asked you what you wanted in yours. When he was finished, he handed you the warm mug, and you both simultaneously took a sip. You sighed in delight.

“Delicious.” You said, giving him a wink before turning back to your ingredients. Charlie took another gulp of coffee to hide his flusteredness before moving to stand next to you.

You guided Charlie through the recipe, working together to measure ingredients and mix them. While pouring the batter into a few cake pans, you made light conversation about your days since Bella’s party. After the pans were put in the oven to bake, you made the cherry filling to put between the layers.

“This is really nice.” You said, slowly dropping down to sit in front of the oven to watch the cake layers bake for the next few minutes. Charlie dried his hands and walked over to you, looking down at you curiously. “Thanks for having me over.”

Charlie crouched next to you and sighed, probably because he wasn’t used to sitting on the floor. He mirrored your position, legs crisscrossed and elbows resting on his knees.

“No problem.”

The two of you watched the cakes slowly rise through the small oven window. Basking in the quiet and comfortable moment, you couldn’t help but lean over and rest your head on Charlie’s shoulder.

“This is really nice.” You repeated, albeit quieter, even though there was no need to whisper. Charlie’s head tilted to rest on yours, lifting his bent right leg and planting his foot on the floor to be more comfortable.

“Yeah…” Charlie’s hand drifted towards yours, and in a moment of bravery, you grabbed it and intertwined his fingers with yours. “It is.”

***

Over the next two months, you and Charlie grew closer than you ever thought possible. He still came to the bakery every day for his coffee and bagel. But almost every weekend, you’d go to each other’s house to make some kind of treat, and Charlie always insisted on making coffee for both of you.

Getting closer to Charlie meant you also got closer to Bella. She was a bit reserved, spending most of her time with her boyfriend and his family. But you were able to make conversation with her whenever you were both at the Swan house. It was usually only a few minutes, the sweet spot where you had arrived and Bella was about to leave. But it was special to you.

You were a bit shocked when you found out that Bella and Edward were getting married in August, just under two months after they had graduated high school. Bella hadn’t even turned nineteen yet. But you knew love when you saw it, and it wasn’t like you had a say on the matter. Bella was grateful, however, for you being able to calm Charlie down when he found out about it.

When she told you she was getting married, Bella asked if you could make the wedding cake. You didn’t even think before saying yes, feeling honored that she wanted you to do it. After some talking, you both decided on a green triple-tiered cake covered in fondant flowers to resemble a meadow.

“You did amazing.” Charlie had snuck up behind you during the reception, the two of you looking at the cake you had worked so hard on.

“Thank you, bear.” You don’t really remember how Charlie’s nickname came about, but it fit him so well that you started to refer to him with the nickname more than his real name. Although you weren’t together, it was said with all the affection and love you held for him.

Music echoed throughout the Cullens’s backyard, where the wedding and reception were held. It was a beautiful forest, lit by fairy lights strung around tall trees.

“Do you wanna dance?” Charlie asked timidly, looking at the dancefloor littered with people for a moment before returning to you. “I mean, I’m not much of a dancer. But if you want to, I-”

“I’d love to.” You cut him off with a bright smile, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the crowd.

Despite saying he wasn’t a dancer, Charlie moved well. He kept one of your hands in a gentle grip while his other was planted firmly on your waist, radiating warmth. As you listened to the music, you rested your head on his chest, sighing contently.

“I love you, Charlie Swan,” you said softly, too relaxed and in the moment to keep your filter. You felt Charlie stiffen under you briefly before he, too, relaxed. He held your hand tighter, keeping it to his chest.

“I love you too, Y/n L/n.” You lifted your head just enough to look at him. The soft look he gave you made you weak at the knees, but you found the strength to reach up to kiss him.

“Alice,” Bella said softly to her new sister-in-law, the two girls watching you and Charlie closely, unbeknownst to you. “Do you think this’ll last? Them, I mean.”

Alice turned to Bella and smiled before looking back at the two of you. You broke apart from the kiss and continued to dance.

“I’ve had the same vision of them since I met Y/n. They get to grow old together.”

“So Charlie will be happy? And Y/n?” Alice placed a comforting hand on Bella’s shoulder, knowing why she was asking these questions. The Cullens knew what Bella wanted, and Bella knew it would probably kill Charlie when she got what she had been chasing after for so long.

“The happiest. Whatever it is they have, it’s special. You won’t have to worry about either of them.”

Bella sighed in relief, patting Alice’s hand.

“Thanks.”

#agaypanic #charlie swan #charlie swan x reader #twilight x reader #twilight

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subwaysurf45 · 1 year

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Is it possible to do something with Bucky (maybe protective Bucky? Only if you feel it fits well though) learning that you were groomed and gaslit by an abusive ex when he sees how you’re still fighting to trust your own brain and re-learn what’s real and what your ex put in your head? I’m speaking out about my abusive ex after a year and a half of keeping quiet, and I could just use some comfort if that’s okay 🥺

hey love, of course, I can write this for you. it takes a lot of bravery for you to talk about your past experiences, I'm truly in awe. I would love to add some comfort and make a little gift for you and others who are speaking out!

Warnings: mentions of previous abuse, crying, mentinos of grooming, angsty stuff.

You stood behind the corner of the bedroom, and you could see Bucky sitting on the couch on his phone. He was wearing a dress shirt and dress pants, and a few top buttons of his shirt were undone so you could see the silver chain peak through but not the dog tags.

your hands smoothed down the front of your dress but then quickly pulled the top up to cover your chest, not doing anything to change how the dress sat on. your body.

The online order said it would fit your measurements but it was small, most likely it was supposed to be like that but you haven't worn a cocktail dress since before your last boyfriend.

no one, not even your parents, knew about the relationship. it was embarrassing to you that you let yourself fall into the trap of your boss. part of you thought you were smarter than that, but the other part wouldn't stop falling for his sweet words.

Bucky kept his eyes on his phone, "Let me know when you're ready, baby!" he called, not aggressively but loud enough to reach the washroom; that's where you told him you were.

Deep breath.

you walked around the corner and into the living room, standing in front of Bucky and smoothing the dress down again. "is this okay?"

Bucky stayed quiet for a while, "wow," he whispered, "honey, you looked great - you're definitely in the dress code, it's perfect!" he stood up and got an eye full, you let him check you in case he found something he didn't like.

"but is it okay?" you leaned forward, you weren't asking about the resturants dress code.

Bucky's speechless face fell for a moment before reaching out and touching your hips, "yes, babe, it's great," he pulled you into a hug, "you look great, you're not overdressed or underdressed - if that's what you're worried about."

you sighed, "I'm not worried about that dress code, Buck." Your arms wrapped around him.

Bucky leaned back but not too far to break your hold, "honey, if you feel uncomfortable, you can change, don't wear something for me," he smiled, "but if you want to wear that dress, I'll beat up any guy who even looks at you."

"No," you covered your face with your hands, "can you just approve this dress? are you okay with this much skin and this much makeup and this much...everything?" You slapped both hands on your thighs in frustration.

Bucky tilted his head to the side, "approve?" he was aware of your past relationship but you didn't tell him much to protect him, the moment you let your old Boss' name slip he'd be a dead man walking.

"yeah," you shrugged, "do you approve of this dress?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He took your hand, "is this a thing?" he wasn't mocking, he was asking without bringing up any triggering words. the moment you nodded he pulled you into another hug, "baby, I've said it once and I'll say it again: I really think you need to tell me everything or at least a therapist, you've gotten so much better but these little things, I mean, it kills to watch you get so worried and I don't even know what you're feeling." His hand cupped your cheek, trying to get you to look at him but your eyes were casted down.

your lip began to tremble, “sorry,” you whispered, “I know you wanted to go out tonight, I’m just ruining it,” you couldn’t be more quiet as you spoke to the floor.

Bukcy sighed, “don’t let them win, honey,” he cupped your cheek, softly swiping his thumb to collect your tears. “If you’re really not feeling it, I understand and we’ll stay in tonight, let me know.”

you took a deep breath and Bucky copied, part of you liked the feeling of his breath on your face to sooth you. “Okay,” you wiped your tears, “I won’t let them win and we can go, just let me fix my makeup.”

Bucky let your hand slip from his as you scurried off to the bathroom, he stood there and listened to you. his chest hurt from seeing the effects of past boyfriends still cling onto you, he knew you had healed so much but there were little things that never budged.

when you came out you took another deep breath and grabbed Bucky’s hand, walking out of the door and to the streel to hail a cab.

Tag List:

@jackiehollanderr @tylard-blog1 @readingbooksdrinkingtea @linzc-reader @hotleaf-juice @honeybunchesofbucky @munsonettee @seybox @yaszx @happyt0exist @sky0401 @striving4averagegirl @searchf0rtheskyline @aya-fay @emi11ie @wbyss @luvrsbian

hey, I think I figured myt aglist out - this is my greatest enemy I think. Anyways, if you would like to be added to my taglist please send an ask, that is the only way you’ll get there folks!

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tartigglez · 1 year

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HELLO!! the bubble emoji anon here. on pc.. so no emojis for me today [heart breaking emoji]. what do i do without emojis??? die?? yes.

ANYWAYS. saw u in need of fluff. me too.

diluc and reader who r absolutely pining for each other but aren't together. the little things. omg. the long hugs. the quick glances. the denial to coworkers/friends.. "no we are nOT together!!" (pls date me diluc) brushing of the fingers in public. trying to squeeze out every last minute together. SECRET EYE CONTACT AT THE SAME TIME!!! BLUSHING!!!! aaAAAAAHAHAHAHAH

per standard, i went off prompt, forgive me.

"if you need me"

diluc x gn!reader

genre: fluff (ish)

word count: 1.4k

tags: kaeya jumpscare, also venti kajhdjfak, farts (don't ask), diluc probably has problems with his emotions (if i write him, when does he not?), lil kisses cuz why not

tw/cw: alcohol, reader refuses to address their emotions (oops), also reader cries at one point (immediately comforted)

a/n: when will i ever stick to a prompt...

when you discovered that angels share was hiring, you were the first to jump upon the opportunity. after all, who wouldn’t want to work somewhere with decent pay, such a social environment, and under such a handsome boss…

1 day

“you’re the new employee, right?”

“uhm, yeah! that’s me!”

“right… your résumé is… impressive”

“thank you, master diluc”

“just diluc is fine”

“o-okay”

“most of your shifts will be shared with charles, but i will be working alongside you too. remember to wipe down the bar often, check the stock after each shift et cetera, i’m sure charles will keep you right”

“yep, okay!”

as he turned to go out of the bar and back to the winery, he snapped his head back towards you while you were putting your apron on.

“oh and, if a little green man with a lyre comes in here, kick him out by eleven, lest mondstadt experiences some sort of unfortunate wind”

“unfortunate… wind?”

“no it's- not like that”

diluc seemed to turn a little red, having accidentally suggested that lord barbatos had some sort of issue with his bowels.

“haha, no worries. i’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“yes, good luck. if you have any questions, ask charles”

3 days

“y/n, are you settling in well?”

“ah, hi! i've started getting used to the customers, that’s for sure.”

“have you run into any problems with them?”

“no, no, not at all. it can just be rather busy in here sometimes. between the knights and the guild, people really drink like crazy”

“hm, i suppose that’s one thing the knights are good at. if you need me, i’ll be in the back”

2 weeks

this is your fifth shift with diluc. he can be quite tense at times, but once you manage to initiate a good conversation with him about something he’s interested in, he can be quite chatty. you had encountered this the last time you had a shift together, when he began talking about some specialty wine that the winery was producing, it was actually quite pleasant, watching the man talking about this interest of his, although he did get a little embarrassed when he realised he had gone off on a rant.

the events of todays shift however, included…

diluc accidentally making eye contact with you, at least four times (it was not an accident, he was very intentionally looking at you)

the pair of you touching hands multiple times whilst trying to serve customers

and also, for some reason, diluc getting somewhat annoyed at a random knight captain who happened to waltz into the tavern and begin trying to sweet talk you.

4 weeks

by this point you’ve already learned that diluc and kaeya -as you now called him- were brothers, but had some sort of tension between them, which you also figured would be best not to meddle in. they were always at each others throats, but when they were apart, were both quite pleasant to be around. you had even hung out with kaeya once, sharing a meal at good hunter.

this would prove to be a mistake though, because he did nothing the entire time except continually asking if you were “canoodling” his brother. of course you denied it, feeling rather flustered. why on earth would someone date their boss? even though things did seem a little flirty between the two of you, it was a definite that nothing could happen, right? of course diluc made you only seem more suspicious, as he saw you and kaeya at lunch, immediately approached you both, and sat way too close to you, almost as if he was jealous or something! what an awkward meal.

2 months

personal issues were not something you had to deal with often, but when you did, you tended to shut them down, ignore them, and continue with life. you weren’t one to dwell. however, on the particular day in question, you were pretty upset, and this only seemed to get worse the more people asked you how your day was going whilst ordering a drink. you also knew that diluc would be coming in for his shift later, and you really didn't feel like dealing with his stoicism today. of course he’s nice to be around, just… a little awkward? he doesn’t make you uncomfortable or anything, he’s just not very chatty, and wouldn’t be great about distracting you from your feelings.

you could eventually hear some noise in the back, and realised this was diluc, probably sorting stock, or taking inventory, something along those lines. you, however, were still serving customers, taking drink orders, the usual.

of course, the later it got, the drunker customers became, your mood began to slowly get worse. you were exhausted, and honestly just wanted to go home and cry. it's been a rough day. you also happened to notice that the fridge below the counter was running low on bottles, so you’d best go stock it.

as you entered the back room, you saw diluc at the desk, filing paperwork. he’d been there for hours, and still hadn’t gone out front to say hello to you.

“y/n”

“diluc”

gosh, the silence could be cut with a knife.

“y’know, it's common practice to greet your employees when you feel like gracing them with your presence”

“i know, i'm sorry, it's just that i got caught up with something and i- are you okay?”

“huh- what? yeah, yeah, i’m fine”

so it seems that the tears in your eyes were still noticeable after all…

he slowly got up from his seat, coming to stand beside you at the shelf.

“i’ll ask again… are you okay?”

this time, you were choked up. you feared that if you spoke, the lump in your throat might dissipate, and you may just begin spilling tears. so, you opted for shaking your head, thinking this would work better, but it didn’t, you still began crying anyway.

“hey, hey, it’s okay. whatever it is, it's okay, i’m here”

he pulled you towards him, allowing you to sob into his chest. what on earth…?

“you should’ve told me, y/n”

“i know but, i thought maybe i’d get distracted and i-”

“it’s okay. i assure you. do you want to go home?”

you just nodded against his chest, breathing in his scent, because you knew you’d have to let him go.

“alright, you can go out the back”

he somewhat awkwardly let go of you, before sending you on your way. how strange. how is he so nice one minute, then as cold as to send you home the next?

“see you tomorrow, y/n”

“s-see you…”

2 months, 1 day

a ringing of your doorbell woke you up, as opposed to your alarm, which was worrying in itself. you quickly checked the clock in your room. shit! 1pm? late for work... how on earth could you have slept this much? and what did this mysterious person at the door want?

you slothed your way out of bed, hair awry, pyjamas…wrinkled, going to the front door to see what this person could possibly want at this time on a tuesday. approaching the door, you saw a tall figure, clad in a red jacket, with something in hand… it couldn’t be… is it…

“diluc?”

“diluc? hi- yes- diluc- me!”

he sighed at himself, meanwhile you were wondering what he was doing with such a massive bouquet of flowers.

“hi”

“i um… wanted to… bring you flowers… because…”

“because…?”

“uhm… would you like to go to dinner tonight? I mean- we can- just- not... if you don't want to... i mean-”

“i’d love to.”

“oh, um… okay! great. here you go…”

he handed you the flowers gently, looking beyond anxious at this point, a blush to compete with the colour of his hair dashed across his cheeks.

“they’re beautiful, diluc”

“you’re- uhm… never mind”

“hah, see you tonight?”

“see you tonight”

he smiled into the words he spoke, before turning around to depart from your doorstep. this however, was interrupted when you grabbed his wrist, turned him around and pecked him on the cheek. he was about to explode. literally. however, his spontaneous combustion was interrupted by someone yelling across the street…

“i knew it!”

of course, you and diluc responded in sync…

“SHUT UP KAEYA!”

hehe

#cael is talking to 🫧 anon :0 #dilucatdeeznuts #diluc fluff #diluc #diluc ragnvindr #genshin #genshin x reader #diluc x reader #diluc imagines #genshin impact

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football-and-fanfics · 9 months

Text

The Housekeeper - Erling Haaland

Who: Erling Haaland Request: hello, could write something of the plan love / hate. Reader works as a housekeeper in Erling's house and they initially do not have a good relationship. But everyone understands why she is not fired at the same time. Requested by: anonymous Warnings: none

For a few months now, you worked as housekeeper in Erling's house. Several times a week you went over to his place to do the cleaning or run some errands for him.

He was an impressive man, not only by reputation, but surely too in appearance. A big, strong man, and he didn't act overly friendly to you. He wasn't mean or rude, but mostly ignored you or gave you the cold shoulder.

Whenever you spoke to your friends about it, they didn't understand why you didn't quit. But Erling never complained or made comments about the quality of your work, and the pay was surely good, so you stuck to it.

At first, you didn't think much of the way Erling treated you. You had your space to do your job, and if he wasn't in for getting acquainted or small talk, than that was fine by you. But lately you had the strange feeling he was stealing glances at you. It weren't suspicious glances, rather some strange form of fascination. Also, where he usually was away when you worked in his house, Erling now was at home much more often.

For a few more weeks you paid close attention when you worked in his house, and quickly learned that Erling was most definitely checking you out whenever he had the chance. It took at least a week more for you to gather up the courage to speak to him, before you finally did.

"Can I ask you something?" You asked when Erling 'coincidentally' needed to be in the kitchen as you worked there. Erling shortly looked at you, before grunting his approval. "Why are you staring at me?" You blurted out quite bluntly. "You don't speak to me unless you absolutely have to, but I catch you staring at me whenever you have the chance lately. And, frankly, I don't know what to think of it anymore."

The big man in front of you seemed to shrink a few inches. Erling hung his head, but you still caught the furious blush spreading across his cheeks. "I'm sorry." You had never known it would be possible for such a big man to produce such a small voice, and you suddenly felt slightly guilty for confronting him like this. But that blush did confirm your suspicion.

"I--I..." Erling tried his utmost best to get words out, but could only brabble some incoherent nonsense. "Stop," you said quickly, your tone compassionate. "I know. You don't have to say it." Erling's eyes held a mixture of embarrassment and surprise. "You... you know?" "I may only be a housekeeper, but I'm not dumb," you smirked.

A deep exhale deflated his chest as a smile now made its way onto Erling's face. "I handled this all wrong, but... I was so caught off guard by my own feelings that I did some stupid things." You nodded in agreement, but didn't speak. "I fully understand if you don't want anything to do with me," Erling continued, voice a little unsteady. "But, if... if you would give me another chance to do this right and have dinner with me. Or maybe just coffee."

You could easily see the nervousness in Erling in the few seconds it took you to answer. He was clearly contemplating whether or not he had permanently screwed things up with you before any kind of relationship had even begun.

"You would actually have to talk to me." You grinned jokingly. Erling chuckled nervously. "Believe it or not, I've wanted to for a long time." The fact that this man, this big, well-known man, was apparently so swept off his feet by you, suddenly hit you. It made you feel special and the decision ultimately very easy. "Yes," you smiled, "I would love to go on a date with you."

Tags: @stonesyyyy, @footballffbarbiex, @football1921, @laurasstufff1, @ella33

Request an imagine | Add me to the tags list Erling Haaland masterlist | General masterlist

#erling haaland #erling haaland imagine #erling haaland blurb #erling haaland fanfic #erling haaland fanfiction #football imagine #football blurb #football fanfic #football fanfiction #footballer imagine #footballer blurb #footballer fanfic #footballer fanfiction #footballandfanficserlinghaaland

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hederasgarden · 2 years

Text

His Goofy Girl

Summary: You have an entertaining reaction to the anesthesia used for your wisdom tooth extraction, much to Rooster ‘s amusement and embarrassment.

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x F!Reader

Word Count: 630

Rating: 18+ only. Fluff, humor and one sexual comment.

A/N: Based on this request from @loquacious-shari. It's silly and goofy but made me laugh because I am currently sick.

It’s mostly deserted in the waiting room of the dentist office, just him and an elderly man who looks half asleep in his chair. Rooster jiggles his leg and absently scrolls on his phone to kill time, waiting for you to be done with your wisdom tooth extraction. It takes a full hour before the office door opens and he looks up to see the gray-haired nurse who checked you in earlier.

"Lieutenant Bradshaw,” she greets with a kind smile. “The doctor is about to finish up if you want to come back.”

"Thank you, ma'am.”

He follows her back to the exam room where you're currently snoozing in the chair. You look the most relaxed he’s ever seen you despite the fact your cheeks are packed with enough gauze that you resemble a chipmunk. If Rooster didn't think you'd kill him for it, he'd snap a photo of you right now.

"Hun, your boyfriend is here," the nurse says, gently shaking your shoulder.

You blink, nose scrunching adorably as you look around, confused.

"Hey, baby," Rooster says softly.

You turn towards the sound of his voice but stare at him blankly. Then your eyes narrow suspiciously before finally shooting open in recognition.

"Rooster!" You exclaim excitedly.

With the gauze in your mouth, his name comes out sounding more like Roofer than anything else. It makes him grins.

"Hey, come here," you lisp, crooking a finger at him. There's an unusually serious look in your eye as you stare him down. You wait to speak until he's bent down to your level. "You're high so you have to tell me the truth. Do you love me?"

Rooster has to fight the urge to laugh, glancing up at the nurse to share an amused look. “Absolutely, I love you the most,” he tells you solemnly.

You sigh and smile happily, turning to look at the nurse beside you. "This is my boyfriend, Roofer," you tell her.

"That's very nice dear," she says, patting your shoulder. "Now, let's get you to the car and on the way home. I'm sure your couch will be much more comfortable than this chair."

“Couch,” you whisper to yourself happily and this time Rooster does laugh.

You hum or try to at least, grinning up at him with a dopey look when he helps you stand. He loops your arm over his shoulder and the nurse walks on your other side, keeping you steady. You lean heavily against him, rubbing your forehead against his chest like a cat. Even though you’re walking you seem to doze off against his chest, waking up again when they try to get you in the front seat of his car.

"Roofer has a really big rock," you announce to the nurse with absolutely zero context or prompting.

A little part of Rooster dies inside as he closes his eyes, processing what the elderly nurse most certainly heard you say.

"Yes, I love rocks, I have a whole collection of them," Rooster replies after a tremendously awkward pause.

"That's lovely , everyone should collect something," the nurse says, giving him the tiniest sliver of his dignity back.

Together they manage to wrestle you into the front seat of his car and buckle you in without further comment. You wave happily at the nurse as Rooster puts the car in gear and backs out. When he gets you home and settled between his legs on the couch you promptly fall asleep, snoring softly and drooling on his chest. He kisses the crown of your head and relaxes into the couch cushions, arm tucked behind his head.

He’ll give you a day before he recounts your interaction with the nurse, already grinning at the thought of how cute and flustered you’re bound to get.

✥

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#rooster x you #rooster x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw x you #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw x you #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw fic #top gun maverick fanfiction

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wonder-in-wings · 1 year

Text

Hemophilia

TIMING: Present LOCATION: Natural History Museum PARTIES: Inge (@nightmaretist) and Parker (@wonder-in-wings) SUMMARY: Inge goes to the bug exhibit for inspiration on fear. When she gets a cut, however, Parker finds inspiration in her mare blood. CONTENT WARNINGS: None (It's glitter powder blood)

Though Inge certainly preferred museums of art (classical, modern, photography, whatever — no discrimination there), there was something to be said for these types of museums too. There was inspiration to be found here, on top of the information, though Inge cared little for the former. She wanted to see the bugs up close, their leathery wings and shiny scales and whatever teeth-like features they brandished. Google Images just wasn’t the same.

Maybe insects were a cheap trick, in the realm of professional-scare-inducers, but some nights required an easy meal. Humans ordered in when they were too lazy to cook and Inge? Well, she just went the basic route with nightmares sometimes. Hordes of flies. Beetles (insects) crawling over beetles (cars) and then over people. Swirling, squirming maggots. It was easy, effective and still allowed some creativity.

So here she was, at the beginning of the evening, parading the halls of the natural history museum. Inge didn’t read the plaques, most of the time, but she was interested in learning more. It was with that motivation that she approached one of the employees, offering a polite smile and reading his name on his name-plate. “Good evening … Parker, I’ve been really enjoying the things you have out here on display,” she said, waving her leaflet as she spoke. She hadn’t really cracked that open, either. She’d been busy taking close-up pictures. God bless the modern mobile phone camera and its zoom function! “I just had a silly little question, if you don’t mind?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Which of these little critters freaks people out most? Some of them are real-scary looking, so you know … Is it the spiders?” _____________ Parker checked his watch again - normally he had a rather high capacity for patience when it came to answering the same four questions about the same three species of insect people were either interested in or disgusted by (or at least that’s what he thought but then again, he was the curator so they had to deal with his quirks) but today he was eager to get home where a new acquisition to add to his collection was waiting for him to arrange fashionably in a display. He got them last night but was pressed for time, knowing he had another day at this place so he begrudgingly set what he wanted to do aside. Maybe he should get back into selling. He had an excess of certain pieces and it wasn’t particularly hard for him to obtain more - the idiots and the more affluent enjoyed his art and often paid a pretty penny for them. If he sold more, then he wouldn’t have to worry about this job. That was a question for future Parker, however, and today he stood diligently, having paused in front of one of the immaculately-displayed cases when he was approached by a woman. Usually questions were asked by children and sometimes by their parents if the child was too flustered or embarrassed to ask but he supposed it wasn’t out of the ordinary considering they were on the turn of the hour and fewer families came by the museum as the day drew to a close. So when she approached and he heard his strangely-millennial name come out of her mouth (he really did need to get an adjusted name tag that said “Mr. Wright”), Parker instinctively turned his head so he could hear her to the best of his ability. Ah, the tried-and-true question of ‘which one’s the scariest’. The man inhaled as he let the question sit for a few moments before he straightened up and glanced down to regard her with his blue-eyed stare. “Spiders are the most common fear, yes ma’am.” He placed his hands behind his back and he looked around slowly. “Arachnophobia is one of the more commonly known phobias, affecting anywhere from three to about 15 percent of the population.” He explained. “Half the time it’s because of the legs, the other half of the time it’s from the trauma of being bitten. “A less common and often-underrated one is the centipede.” Parker continued, nodding to a passing display that held several of the long, wormlike creatures. “There are ants, people are often afraid of the sting of a wasp or a bee. However,” He stopped in front of a large, glass tank that had very alive beetles in it that seemed to be tearing the flesh from a large bone that sat in the center of the tank. “Any insect in motion has the potential to frighten.” He looked sideways at her. “Dermestidae. Skin beetles.” _____________ There had been a time, once, where Inge had been afraid of spiders. She would screech her husband’s name and demand he show up with any kind of insect-proof weapon (magazine, broom, hoover, his broad hand). Hendrik had liked playing the savior, had liked his wife in a position where she needed her help and Inge? She had been so easily frightened then, as a mortal.

Four decades of undead life had passed, though, and she’d been haunted by nightmares and plagued others with them in return. She had steeled herself, had made herself a creature that didn’t feel afraid any more out of sheer determination to not be afraid. Desentization was easy when you could create terrifying visions beyond most people’s imaginations. Insects were nothing but friendly creatures that crawled and creeped. Mosquitos didn’t even bite her any more these days.

She wondered if he was bored of the questions. Inge didn’t think herself a boring person but maybe there was something dull about fearing insects. Why fear something smaller than you, after all? Still, she couldn’t judge too harshly: she had certainly left a few people with arachnophobia in her insect-era. These days she preferred haunting people with birds, but maybe for nostalgia’s sake this trip could inspire her to return to some of her more vintage dreams. “Such a large percentage for such harmless creatures, don’t you think?”

She hummed in thought, staring at the multi-legged critters with great interest. The way they moved was a bit trippy, wasn’t it? Of course, these dead ones left little to the imagination. But then there were these beetles, eating the flesh off a bone. Inge leaned closer. “Dermestidae …” The term felt a little foreign in her mouth, and the name skin beetles was certainly one she appreciated more. “They eat flesh?” Now that was inspirational. She narrowed her eyes a little, taking in the display, the meal shared between a bunch of tiny creatures. Something about it was quite beautiful. “Gorgeous.” She stepped back, opening her pamphlet to try and find the creatures in there. Lost in thought, she forgot to be careful about it and as she flipped through, the palm of her hand slid over the paper. Surprisingly sharp, it cut down, producing a minor wound that did not produce red blood, but rather a glint of powdery glitter. _____________ “They do.” Parker replied first as he leaned in. “Dead flesh.” He normally included that part in his initial explanation but since she was looking for creepy crawlies, he opted to leave it ambiguous for a moment. “They’re used in forensic entomology and taxidermy since they’re so proficient at cleaning bones. We have them here for taxidermy.” He explained as he continued to stare at the horde of beetles, unaware that they were being admired for something that was programmed into them; it was just nature, fascinating in its simplicity. To have such a purpose and be recognized for it, but not with pride, instead simply because it’s what you do. It took him perhaps a little longer than the average person to consider that usually fully grown women didn’t appreciate things like spiders and flesh-eating beetles and Parker straightened up once more, wrenching his gaze off the beetles and looking over to her when he caught something shimmering in her hand. He raised an eyebrow, his face unamused. “What happened, did you spill your lip gloss?” He asked dryly, assuming she opened something and got the material on her palm. Nonetheless, he sighed and reached into his back pocket, pulling out an embroidered handkerchief and offering it to her. “I don’t recommend getting whatever it is on my display, if you please.”

Only dead flesh. A mild disappointment, but Inge wasn’t bound by the limits of the natural world when she was moving things around in people’s dreams. She didn’t comment on it though, too occupied with the newly gained cut on her hand and the liability her lack of blood was. It was so easy to pass as human most of the time, especially with her memory of being a mere mortal so fresh in her mind. But her flesh split as easily and the glittering substance that pushed through her veins spilled just the same. She clutched her hand close, wincing at the pressure.

“No,” she muttered, feeling the bits of energy push against her fingers. Why she didn’t say yes at his question was beyond her, as it could be a good excuse — but this was a strange moment, and his tone grated her. As if she’d be fixing her lipgloss right here and now, as ants devoured the flesh of a bone! She had more depth than that. “Oh, don’t worry. Nothing to spill or stain anything here. You must’ve just caught a glance of my nailpolish.” Her nails were painted a dark blue, with not a glitter in sight. Inge looked at the handkerchief and she shook her head as she kept her hand tightly wrapped close, “No need, really! Very kind of you though.” _____________ She didn’t take his offer. Parker’s brow furrowed as he tilted his head slightly to examine her nails, which were indeed dark blue and non-glittery. He wasn’t COMPLETELY ignorant to body language, however, and her facial expression mixed with how she kept her hand closed, he wondered if, for a moment, she had accidentally shattered something in her hand. “Did you hurt yourself?” He asked, his tone lacking empathy or even curiosity and it gave the impression that Parker asked out of obligation instead of intrigue. “If you got glass in your skin, you obviously know that’s not good. Let me see.” It was less of an offer and more of an instruction as he held his own hand out to take hers in it after he stowed the handkerchief back in its familiar pocket. _____________ She was usually more careful, but who could have anticipated that a stupid museum pamphlet could have done this kind of damage? It wasn’t a large wound, but it was one all the same and if Inge was to spread her fingers this Parker would see not a mess of blood but something else instead. She looked at him, trying to gauge his tone and how strange it would be for her to simply walk off, turn a corner or two and escape onto the plane.

“No, I’m fine.” His tone was insistent, though, and Inge curled her hand tighter, some bits of glitter spilling through. She pulled it to her chest, where it rested with its knuckles facing him. Curious people were so very annoying sometimes. “Why would there be glass in my skin? Continue telling me about the bugs, please.” _____________ It wasn’t relegated to her hand anymore as he noticed some more of the fine glittery substance sparkling in the light of the display as it floated to the ground. His furrow increased and he found himself starting to get irritated with her display of coyness - either she was trying to elicit further curiosity from him about what she was insistent on hiding away from view or downplaying the severity of something that suddenly transpired when he wasn’t looking. “I don’t know why there’d be glass in your skin unless you did something to warrant glass in your skin.” Parker replied curtly, the answer seeming obvious. He even pushed aside her wanting him to tell her more about his beloved specimens; if she wanted curiosity, he would oblige. Without asking again or for permission and in a highly controlled movement, Parker’s hand reached her arm and his fingers wrapped themselves around her thin wrist. As he did so, he heard his mother scolding him in his head, about how he shouldn’t ever lay his hands on a woman but that’s all it was, a voice in his head. She was hiding something from him and getting glitter on his floor and while it wasn’t his intention to hurt her, his drive for answers (and possibly to override her passing off a potentially serious injury) overrode his chivalry. Firmly but not roughly, he both pulled her hand to him and took a step to close the space between them and his blue eyes scanned her fingers, his other hand gently starting to force the balled fist to open up. “What… is this?” He breathed as her hand was unclenched and he saw a thin line in her flesh where it seemed as though she acquired a laceration of some sort but there wasn’t any blood. Instead was more of the fine, glittery powder that positively covered her hand as though it were blood. Parker stared at the stuff, his expression softening as it was clear that it went from irritated to intrigued, almost enamored. “What is this?” He repeated his question as his eyes danced on her hand. _____________ This took her by surprise. Ingeborg had expected that social rules and conventions would simply keep Parker from pushing further. If she didn’t want to show her hand (both literally and figuratively), he’d surely let it be — that was what normal people did, after all. But here he was, skillfully taking her wrist and pulling her close. She protested, “Hey, what the fuck,” and her eyes widened as she tugged without avail. Not that she tugged especially hard, not wanting to kickstart a fight with a man who was quite obviously stronger than her. Inge fought best by manipulation, putting people to sleep and not-fighting.

“Stop that,” she said, voice as firm as her touch, but he was pigheaded and determined. A typical man, she thought, and she struggled with her blue nails against his own presumably dry fingers. He probably didn’t even moisturize. Despite her resistance her fingers were forced open, the cut on her hand apparent as well as the glitter that fell to the floor. Inge let her hand grow slack and watched his facial expression change. He didn’t respond as a slayer might (which had somewhat become a nagging background fear of hers, the other’s insistence ringing paranoid bells) which was good, but it was strange. Off-putting, if she wasn’t the type to be intrigued by strange things too.

As he stared at her hand, she pulled it from his grasp, pushing forward and pressing her index finger against his chest. “That was very rude,” she snapped, glittery powder sticking to his clothing. “And not at all how one is supposed to treat their patrons.” With that out of the way, Inge considered his question and what answer to give. Most people wouldn’t believe him if she told the truth and any lie would be obvious. She went for condescension and blame, “This is the result of the paper choice of your pamphlets. You need softer paper.” _____________ He had gotten a nice, solid look at whatever it was on the woman’s hand before she pulled away, predictably upset though he didn’t exactly come out of the exchange without some latent annoyance of his own as he glanced down and saw some of the shimmery residue on his neat outfit when she pushed him back, looking like an obnoxious child approached him and rubbed a birthday card across his stomach. “It’s not my choice of paper for the pamphlet.” Parker replied simply, now holding up one of his own hands that had some of the stuff on it, his brow furrowed with questions. “You know what else is rude?” Parker’s gaze snapped back to her, or rather, her hand. “Getting whatever this is on me.” He glanced up at the camera that lingered in the corner of the room for a moment before he casually and expertly took a few steps over so that he was obstructing her from its view. “If you aren’t going to bleed normally, nonhuman, I recommend exercising caution when you do things.” He whispered, his head turning slightly as he spoke to anticipate her response in equal measure of tone. “That’s what this is, right?” He took a guess, considering she had an obvious cut on her palm but if it WAS blood, it was certainly nonstandard and she didn’t seem like a magician, otherwise she would’ve been more showy with her performance. _____________ This was disastrous, but certainly not the most disastrous situation Inge had gotten herself into. As life was lived with whimsy and little consideration for consequence, it happened more often than she liked to admit that she got in some kind of trouble. She’d feed off hunters, mess with people’s dreams so much that they’d figure out who she was in the waking world, show up to a funeral with all her family present without looking like she’d aged a day since her divorce three decades ago. Subtlety was an art for cowards, she found. Besides, most of the time humans were stupid enough to believe that they had misread a situation or seen something wrong — their denial of anything supernatural existing was stronger than some of the proof they were faced with. Not in this case, though, which was disconcerting. Intriguing, if not unsettling.

“It wouldn’t be on you if you hadn’t manhandled me like that,” she bristled in return, not bothering too much now with trying to stop the bleeding. The cut wasn’t too deep, and she was much more focused on this very strange individual. She groaned, clearly annoyed, “Gee thanks, old man. Your obvious advice will be taken into account. Most people would just have left me to my devices, so I was perfectly cautious. I didn’t expect this museum’s staff to be so very inconsiderate of normal human boundaries.” Inge narrowed her eyes, considering her options. “I take offense to you not calling my bleeding normal. But sure. Nonhuman. Sure.” What was he, though, to know that there was even such a thing as nonhuman-yet-human-appearing creatures out there? Inge wasn’t an insect, so she was hardly his field of study. _____________ “You didn’t just show me.” Parker replied, his tone taking that familiar hint of irritability to it, almost as though they were bickering about whose job it was to do the dishes and they weren’t complete strangers, one of which was bleeding glitter and the other admittedly broke the rules and placed his hands on a museum-goer. “If you had just shown me, we might not be in this situation.” He cast a brief glance to the floor. “You’re getting glitter everywhere.” He stared at her once more, his gaze narrowing and he had a thought that went through his mind. He ignored her comments about being old, as well as the comment about his nonstandard treatment of her. “Okay so if it’s normal bleeding then what are you.” Parker rubbed two of his fingers together, feeling the powdery texture of the shimmery solid. He wanted to smell it but even he knew better and instead just examined it closely. “You aren’t fae, that’s for sure. “Actually… I don’t need to know. You don’t have to tell me, though I’d like to know.” He looked down at her past his hand. “I’m willing to compensate you for a vial of this.” It was true; he’d never seen it before but it fascinated him, as did most things he didn’t know about involving the supernatural. Was she one-of-a-kind? She mentioned that it wasn’t abnormal so perhaps it was common with whatever species she was. Either way, he was willing to pay her to obtain some. _____________ “You should really be better at respecting someone’s personal boundaries. Especially when you’re at work. It’s very concerning, you know? What if I went to your manager about it?” She wouldn’t, considering she had just had something exposed herself that she’d rather keep somewhat quiet. Inge glanced down at the steady drizzle of glitter on the floor. She made a point of flexing her fingers so the cut widened, making more glitter drop down. It clearly bothered him and he bothered her, so it seemed only fair. “Oops.”

She wondered what this Parker was, with his seemingly shallow knowledge of the supernatural and his incessant, annoying curiosity. She grimaced at his questions, sending it right back at him, “What are you?” Maybe he was a spellcaster. Ingeborg had encountered one before, who’d been after her blood. But there had been no show of magic, nothing to insinuate that he had any supernatural power to wield over her.

But he was a collector. She looked at him with confused intrigue, raising an eyebrow. “You just want me to give you my blood for money? Sketchy. Really fucking sketchy.” She wasn’t sure if mareblood contained DNA, but if it did she wasn’t going to give it to a stranger. Never mind that she was dripping it all over the floor of the museum he worked at and that if he was really desperate, he could try and sweep it up. Inge pressed the palm of her hand against her side, refusing to offer any more of her blood. “Why? What will you do with it? No, really, what are you?” _____________ She certainly wasn’t afraid of him, despite her empty threats about going to his manager and he pursed his lips as her miniature shower of powder sprinkled down from her hand, like the dust from pixies he’d encountered on more than one occasion before. Mischievous. Messy. She did it to bother him. “I’m a collector,” Parker replied simply at first, now trying to distract himself by looking down at the powder on his jacket once more, studying it, trying to get a feel for its consistency and how difficult it would be to remove from it. The hunter knew that that wasn’t what she was asking though. Her skin wasn’t warm but her existence didn’t instinctively turn his blood over in his veins so either she was incredibly skilled at hiding her being a fae or, the much more likely option, she wasn’t a fae as he initially surmised. Parker then wondered, as he picked flecks of powder off him with a measure of futility though the repetitive action gave him a semblance of control, if he should tell the woman what he was aside from a collector. “I’m a Warden.” He ultimately decided that he wasn’t afraid of her, nor were either of them in a position to make a scene. “And I have no interest in doing anything with your blood aside from putting it in an aesthetically-pleasing bottle and setting it on my shelf.” He raised an eyebrow and slowly looked at her again with his blue-eyed stare. “I understand my request is unusual but I hold respect and admiration for beautiful things and this…” Parker stooped slightly, cupping his hand just under hers and catching some of the glimmery powder in his palm. “Is beautiful.” _____________ A collector. She wanted to open her mouth, ask for more details, but it seemed he was coming to a point. As if the truth was something valuable to give away — and it often was, wasn’t it? It was in this shadowy side of the world, anyway, where people who looked like human weren’t that and had to omit parts of their identities. When the shoe fell and he revealed himself to be a warden, Inge fought the urge to take a step back. Wardens weren’t slayers, but they were hunters all the same. And though she hadn’t deep ties to fae community, there was still the principle of it all. “A fucking hunter.” There were too many here.

But he went on to talk, did not produce a knife or an ax or anything else sharp enough to undo her head from her shoulders. No salt, either. He was so calm, so intrigued, and though Ingeborg would not be caught undead trusting a hunter there seemed to be little maliciousness here. He didn’t even touch her to keep her grounded, an escape route still at her disposal if she wanted to take the coward’s way out. The threat wasn’t high yet. No blades were drawn, and as the papercut on her hand continued to drizzle he just cupped his hand. Called it beautiful.

What a strange man. Inge hadn’t many individuals who considered the nature of a mare beautiful. Sanne and her had reveled in it, watching their skin shine under the bright summer sun, staring in each other’s red glowing eyes, meeting each other in the plane before landing. She thought it beautiful, what she was, but so many disagreed — from the cowering mortals to all those other hunters, the ones with knives and axes and whatnot. “Why collect? I understand the appreciation, but it doesn’t befit a hunter.” Now she was interested too, looking down at the stooping hunter. “I agree. It’s beautiful, but your ilk? Your kind? They’d prefer to spill as much of this as possible. Not put it on their personal display.” Her hand retracted. “So, what’s your deal?” _____________ It was Parker’s turn not to display his fear of her, not knowing what she was but having enough confidence in his own skills that he could probably stave her off if she wanted to attack as he placed himself in a vulnerable position before her. He figured that his behavior was passive enough that she would get the impression that he didn’t want to fight, which wasn’t untrue; indeed, no matter where he went and evidently how he asked for the acquisition of materials and collectibles, he gave people the impression that he was a murderer. “I’d prefer not to be painted with the same brush as other hunters.” He explained as he straightened back up when she pulled her hand away. “I collect because I hold appreciation for beauty.” Parker repeated, answering the question as though it were obvious. He looked down at the powder in his hand, moving lightly as though it were liquid but it was solid and still glittering in the light. It seemed almost as though it were the smoke from liquid nitrogen. “I’ve never encountered someone like you before and you aren’t actively hurting anyone so I’ve no need to stop you.” He tilted his head ever-so-slightly, his blue eyes dancing on the glinting in his palm. “Fighting and violence tend to lessen the quality of the body and its properties.” He paused. “And it’s a waste of blood.” He looked at her again. “And most importantly, I don’t make deals.” He made sure to emphasize this as he finished his miniature explanation. Though he wouldn’t say it and it wasn’t any of his business at the moment, he also hoped she didn’t say that often with other people; deals were dangerous, though she probably didn’t know that. _____________ Why should she extend that kind of courtesy to a hunter when they never did to those they hunted? They got out their weapons and committed their violence compulsively, as if they had nothing else to do in their boring, shitty lives. As Inge stared at the hunter and laughed at his stupid demand, she wondered where she should go next. This town was getting ridiculous. Too many God damned hunters, and here was one more who knew her face. “I hope you get how ironic that request is,” she said, head shaking as if she was amused. She wasn’t, though: she was just really bitter.

While some of the things he was saying were intriguing, there was that typical hunter entitlement — she wasn’t hurting anyone so he didn’t have to hurt her. They, and their damned monopoly on violence! Ingeborg rolled her eyes. “How lucky I am, that you’re not stopping me.” But the fact that he didn’t know what she was might be a good sign, as she thought it lowered the risk he posed. She had no intention of letting him in on what she actually was.

Her head turned, taking him in. A strange little man, but intriguing. “What else do you collect?” He was a warden, so were his shelves lined with the blood of fae? Inge could understand an appreciation for beauty with her background in art. What was beautiful to her was ugly to plenty of others, though, but she had a feeling Parker's tastes weren't conventional either. ”Will you show me? If I'm going to offer my blood to you then I want to know what collection I'll be a part of.” _____________ The woman laughed. He didn’t blame her; he couldn’t hear some of the things she said very well but he could recognize the sense of superiority in her tone - so many of them, especially fae, felt as though they were above humans because of their abilities, their natures, their extended lifespans and habits. The woman who stood before him, bleeding glitter from her palm, didn’t seem to be an exception the way she bristled at his inquiries, refusing to answer his question about what she was even though he said she didn’t have to answer. Parker supposed that was a good thing, that way he was already accustomed to the disappointment of beating around the bush. But her derogatory comments, while not explicitly bothering him, did have him asking questions that he would evidently have to find answers for elsewhere. When she had asked about what else Parker collected, the taller man looked behind him briefly at the camera once more before turning to regard her once more. He inhaled through his nose, deeply, calmly, his unwavering gaze on her as once more he weighed the positives and negatives of being forward with her. He had been so far and the most retaliation he got was comments about hunters as a whole, not him specifically. “I can show you, if you’d like.” He replied first. It was a gamble and he wasn’t sure if he was willing to take the risk but he could certainly go halfway and show her some of his more specific specimens if she was curious. He had photos. “Tell me what you are and I’ll tell you what I collect.” Parker decided that he couldn’t risk that information, not there, not at that moment in time. His assortment of beautifully-arranged fae wings was truly precious to him and he had long since gotten used to the looks of disgust his fascination earned him, whether it was bugs or fae wings or any other strange thing he acquired from the supernatural. “...It’s not bodies.” _____________ “I thought you said you didn’t make deals,” Inge pointed out calmly, raising her eyebrows. “This sounds an awful lot like a deal.” It wasn’t one she wanted to make, at least not on his terms and with his demands. If a hunter didn’t know anything about mares it ought to remain that way, didn’t it? She could already count two hunters in town who did know, one of which had left a nasty incision on her upper arm which was obstructed from view by her summer dress. If she was to remain in Wicked’s Rest for a while longer, then she would prefer that this Parker wasn’t in the know about her nature.

Because if he knew, perhaps he would decide that she was actively hurting people. And though Ingeborg didn’t like to think of the things she did to others as hurting, she recognized the way it looked to others. Small-minded mortals would never quite be able to grasp it though, wouldn’t they? It wasn’t worth explaining. It would be a waste of breath, even if she was a creature that didn’t require breath.

Luckily her nature didn’t keep her from lying. “But fine. You’ve piqued my curiosity.” The corners of her lips twitched as he said it wasn’t bodies he collected. Inge didn’t think he’d be able to kill her anyway, so it wasn’t her prime concern. They probably had their respective body count, though, but it wasn’t worth discussing. “I’m a kind of succubus. There aren’t a lot of us, as far as I’m aware. I don’t age.” Best not to deny the immortality bit. Inge was already wondering if she ought to have opted for something else, but she was fanciful and thought there was something fun about this one. “Have you ever met a demon before, Parker?” _____________ “I don’t.” He replied quickly and with the same level of assertion that he had used before. “I’m proposing an exchange.” Parker didn’t expect that this non-fae would be able to recognize the difference, even if the difference was literal wording. The fae played games, assumed people were too stupid to know better and, of course, tended to take things very literally. Fae word games were never one of Parker’s weaknesses, as he also tended to take things very literally. That was neither here nor there though and as the curator kept glancing down at the powder in his hand when, at long last, she answered his question. Parker’s blue eyes flickered to her face, dancing over her features as though trying to see if there was a nonverbal indicator that she was lying - it had gotten easier over the years to tell when a fae was, as their reactions were immediate and often instinctual. She wasn’t a fae, obviously, but his habit of observation was just that. “I have now.” He wondered if succubus blood was worth the effort he was going through right now. He also wondered if she was benefiting from their interaction right now - as far as meeting any potential demons went, Parker certainly could’ve met a worse vice or sin. “You don’t age. How old are you?” _____________

Inge wasn’t very familiar with fae magic, though she had picked up some things here and there. One of her aliases had been lost at the hands of a clever-tongued creature a decade or two back. No matter. She’d changed it to something else before changing it again, never sticking with one name or town for too long. Parker had to be more of an expert, considering the type of creatures he went after and that had to be what he was getting at. To Inge, in this moment, it mattered little. She wasn’t fae and neither was he.

And he was gullible, because he took her at her word. Fair enough, she supposed: succubi were actually discussed among humans, whereas the existence of mares wasn’t as well-known. Unlike vampires and zombies, they didn’t have a large amount of pop culture ruining their reputation either, unless one was to consider that Sandman something of a mare. Inge hadn’t watched the show out of principle. “Honored to be the first one,” she said, the lie so easily told. Life for Inge was constant fabrication, the same way dreams were.

Her head shook. “No, I’ve looked like this for quite some time.” Now the question was how far she should take this lie. Inge knew a thing or two of the history before her time, but hardly in the same way immortals who had lived through it had. “That’s such a delightfully human question. My body is thirty three years old, and my spirit?” She shrugged. “It feels infinite. But some centuries old. I’ve not always existed on this plane, though.” Inge narrowed her eyes a little. “Your collection?” _____________ Parker would’ve crossed his arms had he not been holding some of the glimmering blood in his hands still; her story was outlandish and while he didn’t exactly find the supposed knowledge that demons existed, the way she spoke definitely had this air of mystique about it. Perhaps she was foolishly proud of what she was but as far as he could tell or care, the only remarkable thing about her was her blood. And she said there weren’t many succubi around so that only increased his desire for it. If she was so old, what was a little blood loss to her? Surely she could simply possess another vessel once hers expired, wasn’t that how demons worked? At least, wasn’t that how they worked according to the books he’d read? He had questions but none of them were questions that burned with such intensity that he was willing to maintain conversation for too much longer. “Specifically, fae wings.” He placed one of his hands behind his back; he would’ve done both of them but at this point, he wasn’t sure if she was going to be giving him any more of the fine shimmery powder so he didn’t want to carelessly dump it onto the ground. “Non-lethally, preferably. As I said, fighting and violence lessen the quality of them.” Parker regarded the succubus with a rather mild expression. “I’d show you but if this is all I’m being offered, I’d rather get it into a bottle.” _____________ She took in the information offered as if it was something precious, considering each and every side of it. Inge had never seen a fae in their true form and it was something that intrigued her. And though she had some principles and a hunter getting wings off creatures that most likely favored them went against them, she had become the type of person who let her personal whims take hold over whatever morals still resided. Besides, she was hardly aiding and abetting whatever fucked up hobbies he had if she were to see it.

Inge was always looking for inspiration after all, as her art imitated life and thus life was lived in the name of art. This could prove to be a bountiful excursion. She wondered what instruments he used to sever the wings off the fae he found. “Is it fair to presume that they don’t often give them to you willingly?” There was no judgment in her tone even if she felt it somewhere deep within her being.

She opened her hand, leveled it between them and watched the not-blood for a moment. It didn’t really tend to scab, but it seemed to have grown a little harder. “Alright. Parker-who-makes-no-deals, you have a deal. When you give me the address of where your collection is, as I assume it’s not here, then I’ll fill a nice, small bottle with my blood for you. Consider the bits I spilled a freebie.” She smiled and extended her bloody hand. “And my name is Inge, for the record.” _____________ He hadn’t realized that he was a little stiffer than he originally thought as he waited for her response. “Sometimes they do.” Parker replied formally not untruthfully - while he had the ability to lie, he oftentimes didn’t, finding some unfortunate similarities with fae in that he simply left information out for the purposes of easing through a conversation. Curiously, he didn’t hear dismissal or judgment in her voice, though from her other behaviors displayed so far he’d have thought that she would’ve been a little more reactionary to the information he just shared with her. Observant blue eyes kept themselves on her figure, especially her hand and he didn’t look back at her face until she held it out for him to shake. Naturally, Parker hesitated at first - with her throwing around words like ‘deal’ and give’, his brain quickly ran through the list of prerequisites and stipulations that had been hammered into him from a young age. She wasn’t fae, he had to keep reminding himself of that so words were just words when it came to exchanges between them. She could hold him to words but she had no power to control him, succubus or no. Eventually though, he did turn the hand that had the blood on it sideways, the dust sprinkling onto the ground like the particles in a shaken snowglobe, and took the woman’s hand. “I shall notify you of the address when I organize the space.” Parker gave a small nod. “I still suggest you not make deals though, Ms. Inge.” He left the advice as it was, his brain now buzzing with new prospects - he would need to allocate a spot for her blood, wondering where he should put it, which specimens to ferret away and wondering if perhaps he should have a gallery on the side specifically for this purpose, if only so he didn’t introduce people to his home or the Bunker. “How else may I assist you today?” _____________ There were plenty of things distasteful about the other, Inge thought, but he offered her something not many others could. Something that might shake her a little, grant her a feeling of horror. Not many things did these days, and though the fear of others was intoxicating she sometimes longed to feel it for herself. And thus, it was easy to overlook his status as hunter, his potentially sadistic methods and even his rude behavior in favor of a shake of their hands. Besides, she was no saint either.

“Sounds good with me. I can be found online,” she said, nodding in return. “In my years I’ve learned a few things about fae, though, but thank you all the same.” Those dangerous words were marked with a wink but Inge was quick to shake her head in dismissal after. “No, I think I’ve got everything I came here for. I’ll want to look after this anyway.” She lifted her marred hand slightly. “But I’ll see you later.” And with that, she turned on her heel, making her way through the halls of the museum and feeling some kind of exhilaration burst through the usual veil of numbness.

#wickedswriting #writing: Hemophilia #writing with // Inge #The Collector // writing

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evanbi-ckley · 1 year

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Oof what a fucking miserable week it was 😅 ngl, I've had some rough few days irl, but participating in these and seeing what my friends post always makes me feel good, so I'm here!

Between Fuck it Friday and Inspiration Saturday, I have tags from @alyxmastershipper @spotsandsocks @ajunerose @rogerzsteven and @shortsighted-owl ✨ I appreciate all of you so much! I'm making progress on chapter 2 of I'm Not Sure How I Was So Blind, so here is my moodboard for the fic as a whole and a new snippet 💚

Eddie's pulled out of the memory and back to the present by a crash behind him. He's out of his seat and moving before he even realizes what he's doing.

There's a sticky trail of orange juice wending its way across the cafeteria floor and a goopy mess of oatmeal next to a cracked bowl lying uselessly at the feet of a nurse who looks like he's ready to either evaporate from embarrassment or cry from exhaustion. His tray hangs limply in his hands, small droplets of leftover orange juice sliding toward the ground.

The nurse is familiar, and Eddie realizes he's one of the many ICU nurses on Buck's team. Victor? Vance? Something like that.

“Hey,” Eddie says, grabbing the empty tray just as - Eddie glances at the ID tag dangling from his lanyard - Vincent lets it go. “Let me help with that.”

Vincent blinks and shakes his head, furrowing his brow in confusion. He sways a bit as he mumbles, “Sorry, man. I don't know where my head is right now.”

Eddie nods and grabs Vincent's elbow, nudging him toward the table Eddie has just vacated. “Here, come sit down for a minute.”

He gets Vincent settled and wonders if he should clean up the spilled food, but when he looks up, he sees it's already been taken care of, a young man waving him off with the handle of a mop.

Eddie pulls his pen light out of his pocket and starts checking Vincent's pupillary response. “How are you feeling today, Vincent? Dizzy at all? Lightheaded?”

Vincent squints. “Aren't you a firefighter?”

“Yes,” Eddie smirks, “but I'm also a trained medic.”

"Oh, great. Hot and competent. Just what I needed."

As soon as the words leave his mouth, Vincent looks horrified. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

Eddie hums. "Are you on any medications? Or have you changed anything in your routine lately?"

"Um," Vincent starts, looking like he really has to concentrate on his answer. "Yes. Yeah, I started a new antidepressant. Do you think that's it?"

"It could be. Are you having any other symptoms?"

“I've got a rash on my chest. And I've felt nauseated most of the day.”

Eddie nods. “Okay, yeah, I think it's safe to say you're experiencing some adverse effects. Is your doctor here in the hospital?”

“Yeah, yeah, she's here. I think she's here today.”

Vincent moves to stand, but Eddie holds out his hands to stop him. “Whoa, hold on. Why don't I walk with you?”

Since I'm so late to this I won't bother anyone with tags, but if you wanted to be tagged and haven't, then consider this your sign 😉

#inspiration saturday #fuck it friday #buddie #buddie wip #jules writes

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jenosjams · 2 years

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love gone wild - h.rj

Pairing: Renjun x fem reader

Genre: enemies to lovers, zookeeper au, smut

synopsis: you get a new job at a zoo, and things go smoother than you could ever ask for - that is, until you’re forced to work with the one co-worker you absolutely abhor. However, one day, love goes wild before you even know it.

warnings: mentions of food, mature content (unprotected sex, coming inside, oral [female receiving])

wc: 19.2k

hey everyone! this is my first official work here, hope you guys enjoy!

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Sailing in through the entrance of the zoo, you make your way to the staffroom, stifling a yawn. Checking your watch, you realise that it's currently 6 in the morning. Way too early for your brain to be functioning.

"Hello, are you the new zookeeper, y/n?" Looking up, you see a tall young male with blond bangs coming just past his brows. He looks at you with his doe eyes, which hold a kind glow to match his equally kind, yet shy tone.

"Yes, I am!" you reply, smiling.

"Okay, you can put your bag down here, and then you can get changed before I show you around the area!" Jisung continues, gesturing to a cupboard. Opening up the door, you see only a few other bags inside. "Most of the zookeepers aren't here yet," he explains. "They mostly come around 6: 30 am, but we're here earlier so that we can tour around the area before work. Oh and, your uniform should be inside too".

You nod, tossing your bag inside and getting a sip of water before seeing your uniform hanging from the rack above you, a name tag pinned on it. Locating the staff restrooms, you quickly make your way into the ladies' and change.

When you get back out, Jisung is in the staff area waiting for you. "Alright, let's go!" He leads you on a tour around the zoo, showing you the different sections of the staff area, secret passages meant only for staff and other areas that were meant only for authorised personnel that you'd need to know existed. Some of the animals are already up and about, while others stay in their dreamland.

When you guys get back to the staff area, you're just in time for the daily team meeting, held by the head zookeeper, Sicheng. "Alright, good morning team, thank you all for being on time this morning," he begins as everyone gathers around him. "First of all, I'd like to begin today by introducing a new zookeeper, who will be joining us starting today. Please welcome y/n! She will be shadowing Jisung, our koala keeper".

Around you, the zookeepers burst into applause, and you even hear a few cheers. You can't help but feel your cheeks heat up in slight embarrassment.

Sicheng continues after the applause dies down. "Next, our veterinarians have some updates for us," he says, gesturing to a few people standing at the side of the circle, dressed in white lab coats. One of them, whom you presume is the head veterinarian, steps up.

"Good morning team. Alright, first up, this is for the parrots. After conducting a check-up on Ringo last week, we have decided to increase the dosage of his medicine to 2 mg. Kun, please take note of this".

"Got it, thanks Taeil," a man wearing round-rimmed glasses speaks up from across you and Jisung.

"And for the snow leopards, how's Snowstar doing?" Taeil continues asking and typing on his phone.

"She's doing a lot better now. She's regained her appetite and energy, and isn't vomiting anymore," a male speaks, giving updates on said animal.

"Alright, that's good. We’ll come and check on her, and if all is well, you can take her off medication and resume feeding as per normal," Taeil recites, typing more notes into his phone. "Thanks Jeno. That's all the updates for today, any of you have any concerns about your animals?" Taeil continues to ask, sweeping a quick glance around the circle of zookeepers. "Then that's all I have, thank you Sicheng," he concludes, and his team steps to the side to make room for Sicheng.

The head zookeeper takes his place in the middle of the circle again. "Alright, then that's about all. Any new information will be disseminated through the group chat we have. All zookeepers, please come get your walkie-talkies. Thank you team, meeting dismissed," he concludes.

After picking up your walkie-talkie, you follow Jisung and another dark-haired male to a communal kitchen. "Hi y/n! I'm Jaemin," the latter introduces himself to you, offering you a handshake while grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"So the first thing we usually do in the morning is prepare breakfast for the animals," Jisung says as you make your way to the area set aside for the koala keepers. "We pick out fresh eucalyptus branches for four of our koalas. The fifth one's still a baby, so he'll just nurse from his mom. After that, if we still have time, we go help other zookeepers in preparing their animals' food".

That being said, three of you proceed to scour the stored pile of eucalyptus branches and pick out the freshest ones. When you're done with that, you each pluck a few leaves out and put them into feeder toys. "Same routine for their lunch and dinner, yeah?" Jaemin prompts, and you and Jisung nod.

You're done preparing the koalas' food fairly quickly, so you and Jisung go help the manatee keepers, Jaehyun, stash fresh vegetables and water plants into special floats, while Jaemin opts to help the birds-of-prey keepers gut the prey their birds will feed on. "Thanks for your help," he says as he gives you and Jisung a grateful smile.

"Now we go ahead and feed these to the koalas,” Jisung instructs. "After they've eaten, check on them and ensure none of them are sick, injured or exhibiting strange behaviour. If any of them seem unwell, do flag it up, I’ll get the vets”. You make your way out to the koala enclosures with the two other zookeepers. He shows you specialised platforms where you can put the branches, and you set the branches down into the holes. Jaemin then leaves the feeder toys around the enclosure.

Looking up, you spot the koalas making their way down from the eucalyptus trees to feed, and three of you go about checking on the animals. Jisung and Jaemin are so familiar with the koalas, they can tell each koala apart just by looking at them. It helped that each koala was able to respond when called by name, or else you’d have a hell of a time trying to tell them all apart. You notice a tiny koala head peering out of one koala's pouch, inquisitive eyes looking left and right. “Oh my gosh, so cute!” you can’t help but exclaim.

“Oh, that’s Kendra and her joey Max! She gave birth a while back,” Jaemin informs.

Meanwhile, Kendra crawls along the length of the tree branch and sidles up next to Jisung, who giggles and lets her clamber onto him. “Go on, pat her! She’s very friendly,” Jisung encourages, and you do so, relishing the feeling of the koala’s fuzzy head leaning against your hand, and the texture of the fluffy koala fur. Another koala, Kyle, clings on to Jaemin, refusing to let go.

After feeding the koalas and ensuring their well-being, it’s cleaning time. You follow Jisung and Jaemin back to the staffroom to get the cleaning supplies, and enter the enclosure with them. Shovelling koala poop into buckets soon gets monotonous though, so you guys engage in conversation again.

“If you guys want, you can go help other keepers out with their cleaning,” Jaemin says when you finish cleaning the area. “But I’ll stay behind to train the koalas. Keep your walkie-talkies with you, yeah".

“Let’s go help the monkey keepers,” Jisung suggests, and you follow him to find the monkey keepers. "Shotaro, do you need any help?" he asks as you pass by a male with small eyes and dark brown hair.

"I'm fine, thanks!" Shotaro answers. "But I think Renjun needs help with the spider monkey exhibit. Oh and, welcome to the team y/n!" he adds, showing you a bright eye smile.

"Thank you!" you reply, and you're soon on your way with Jisung to the spider monkey exhibit.

"Renjun, do you need some help cleaning up here?" Jisung asks the black-haired man, currently using a shovel to dig in the ground, a metal bucket beside him.

"Yes, please!" says Renjun, not looking up.

"Hmm, maybe you can clean out the moat? I'll help clean other areas," Jisung suggests, and you agree. You return to the staff area to get a net, another shovel and two more buckets. Using the net, you fish out pollutants like trash and dead leaves from the moat, and then put it into the bucket, careful not to accidentally scoop up the fish inside. You continue doing your job, scrutinising each area you pass by thoroughly to make sure it is absolutely clean before moving on.

However, what happens next makes you realise - it's probably wise to keep your eyes ahead of you as well.

You move a bit too quickly, colliding with someone else. Next thing you register is a startled yell, someone grabbing your arm, and your head going under water. Fortunately, the moat isn't very deep, and you find your way back up to the surface, spitting out mouthfuls of water that you'd accidentally gulped. Turning to your right, you see Renjun in the moat, coughing and spluttering up water as well.

"What happened?" Jisung splutters, running up to you and Renjun and pulling both of you out. You both looked a very sorry sight at the moment, dripping with moat water.

"Y/n pushed me into the moat!" Renjun huffs, indignance clear in his voice.

"HEY! You pulled me in!" you retort.

"I panicked, ok? You knocked into me, I lost my balance, and I just tried grabbing something to steady myself! It's not my fault that I ended up grabbing your arm!" He argues, not willing to back down.

"Hey, hey, what's happening here?" another voice cuts your ensuing argument with Renjun off. From behind you comes another zookeeper, sporting chin-length brown hair, and following behind him is Shotaro.

"They fell into the moat, Yuta," Jisung hurriedly tries to explain the situation before him – two grumpy-looking zookeepers, completely drenched from head to toe.

"I see. It's alright, go get changed, you'll be fine," Yuta says as Shotaro passes you and Renjun a towel and a spare set of clothes each. "Don't worry about it! Accidents happen," Yuta reassures.

Thanking them, you hurry off in the direction of the female washroom, barely registering Jisung's instructions to look for him at the koala exhibit after you’re done. That idiot, pulling me into the moat and then blaming everything on me! You think as you dry yourself and change quickly.

You hurry to find Jisung back at the koala enclosure. "What happened?" Jaemin asks, seeing you come back with soggy hair and the biggest scowl engraved in your features.

"Long story," you mutter, throwing your damp hair into a bun. No time to tell them now, the zoo was nearing opening time, meaning visitors would soon start streaming in. Plastering a smile onto your face, you turn towards the entrance of the koala exhibit, preparing to receive the first visitors of the day.

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

"Thank you for coming! Enjoy the rest of your visit!" you repeat the same words to yet another batch of guests leaving the koala exhibit.

"Good afternoon everyone. The zoo exhibits will be closing in fifteen minutes for the staff lunch break. In the meantime, you may stop by the nearby eateries for lunch, and come back again at 1 pm. Thank you very much". An announcement comes over the PA system.

"Oh finally!" you sigh in relief. You’d spent about three hours ushering guests in, answering their questions, and stopping children from disturbing the koalas - and you were starving.

"All good?" you hear Sicheng’s kind voice from beside you. As the head zookeeper, Sicheng wasn't in charge of one particular exhibit. Some days, he would station himself at one exhibit and assist the zookeepers there. Other days, like today, he would just supervise all the zookeepers, going from one exhibit to another to check on them.

"We're good!" Jaemin replies.

"That's great! There shouldn't be any more visitors for now, so you can go ahead and close up for lunch," Sicheng informs, and walks off again.

Three of you head back to the staff area. There wouldn't be time to eat out, so you'd buy takeout and return to the staff area to eat.

"I'm gonna get macs, does anyone want anything?" one of the zookeepers asks.

"Yes please!" Jaemin pipes up and gives the other zookeeper his order, Jisung doing the same.

"You want anything, y/n?" the zookeeper directs his question to you.

“Yes, I’d like a cheeseburger meal! Thank you so much, I’ll pay you back later,” you reply, shooting the zookeeper a grateful look as he nods.

"Let's go prepare lunch for our koalas," Jaemin says, and you go back to the kitchen, repeating the same routine you followed in the morning to prepare the koalas' meal.

Not long after you're finished, lunch arrives. “Join us, y/n!” Jisung extends a friendly invitation to you as his usual group of friends sits down around a table.

You accept their invitation, and join them at the table, ready to tuck in. “Let’s do a self-introduction, since y/n probably doesn’t know us yet,” one of them suggests. “I’m Mark, and I’m a pudu keeper,” he adds.

The introductions go on round the circle. Jeno the snow leopard keeper, Haechan the hippo keeper, Sungchan the tapir keeper, Shotaro the tamarin keeper who helped you after you fell into the moat, Chenle the meerkat keeper who so kindly bought lunch for all the zookeepers, but uh oh…who was that at the end of the circle?

“I’m Renjun. I’m usually at the monkey exhibits as well, but I’m mainly in charge of the spider monkey exhibit,” the last zookeeper says, and you don’t miss the unmistakable glare he shoots you.

“Of course Sicheng made you work with monkeys. You’re as troublesome as a monkey, so you'd definitely do well there. I mean, it takes one to know one, right?” You can’t resist the opportunity, and shoot him a sarcastic comment.

"At least monkeys are smart, unlike you!” Renjun retorts, making no attempt to hide his irritation.

“Woah, you guys just met, be nice!” Mark gently chides, although he’s laughing. Embarrassment heats up your cheeks as you feel like a kindergartener being scolded by her teacher.

“Not really. We met this morning. How memorable,” Renjun says, tone dripping with sarcasm.

“What happened?” Jeno asks, and the others lean forward to listen, all curious about what happened.

“I so nicely volunteered to help him clean the spider monkey exhibit, and in return for that, he pulled me into the moat and got me drenched,” you snort, summing up the events of the morning. Well, not the full truth, because it was kind of your fault too - but you weren’t gonna embarrass yourself by saying that in front of your new friends.

“Well what about the part where you pushed me in?” Renjun cuts in.

“It was an accident!”

“I pulled you in by accident too!”

“Enough bickering, y’all. Let’s forgive each other and move on, shall we? Accidents do happen, just be careful next time,” Shotaro’s soft voice cuts the argument off.

You shoot one last dirty look at Renjun, and then focus your attention on the conversation, listening with amusement as Haechan launches into a story of how one of the pudus chewed a hole in his hat that morning.

About forty minutes later, Sicheng interrupts the zookeepers' chatter by announcing that zookeepers should begin preparing for visitors to arrive again.

Following his instructions, three of you do a quick cleanup of the koala exhibit, just to make sure it's presentable for when guests arrive.

"Round two, let's go," Jaemin mutters as his watch strikes one, and you prepare for the next influx of visitors.

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

"Good evening everyone. The zoo will be closing in fifteen minutes, please vacate our premises by 8 pm. Thank you very much". The announcement finally comes over the PA system. Last batch of visitors, and you could go get dinner and then head home!

"Thank you for visiting! Do come again," you repeat again and again like a broken radio, waving all the guests out.

When all the guests have left, three of you bring down fresh eucalyptus leaves for the koalas' dinner, and the fluffy grey creatures approach you three to claim their treasures.

"Guys, smile!" Jaemin says, and you turn around just as he raises his handphone and takes a wefie with you and Jisung. "Nice! I'm uploading this". You guess that he's uploading the pictures onto the zoo's social media platforms.

It's only fifteen more minutes, but it feels like eternity after you finish cleaning up the exhibits and ensuring the animals are safe for the night. Bidding goodbye to your fluffy grey friends, three of you head back to the staff area to claim your bags. "Wanna come with us for dinner?" Jaemin asks you, and you agree, assuming that he was referring to the same group of colleagues you'd met at lunch. "You might have to wait a bit, though".

"That's alright," you reply, turning on your phone.

The group comes back one by one, until only Shotaro is left. He finally arrives twenty minutes later, rushing into the staff area. "I'm sorry! Tamarins make such a mess," he says, panting. It's clear that he's been running, from the sweat on his forehead and his heavy breathing.

"Dude, chill. We understand, we're not gonna leave without you," Mark laughs, giving the other time to catch his breath. "Anyway, where do you guys wanna eat?"

"Wanna eat at Subway? I'm craving that," Haechan suggests.

"Fine by me," Chenle says, shrugging.

"No violent objections? Subway it is then," Mark decides, leading the rest of you out of the zoo. It's then that you catch sight of Renjun in the group, chatting with Chenle, and you roll your eyes in disdain as you recall the events of the morning. God, why’s he everywhere?

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

"So, y/n, how was your first day of work?" Mark inquires once the whole group is settled down with their food.

You take a moment, quickly running over the events of the day in your head. "It was really eventful! I think I'll love it here," you reply, smiling from ear to ear. You weren't lying, you'd enjoyed your first day of work as a zookeeper thoroughly.

"What's your favourite part of the job?" Jaemin asks as he takes a bite of his sandwich.

"Definitely the animals! They're so lovable!" your answer comes naturally, without you needing to think much of it. They were the reason you'd chosen this job, despite being offered others that most would perceive as more attractive.

"Glad to hear you're settling in well," Jeno remarks, his smile radiating a kind glow.

"Any interesting working experiences you guys have had that you'd like to share with our dear y/n?" Haechan poses the question to the guys sitting around the table.

"Oh- yes actually. You know the free-roaming peacocks you see around the zoo?" Jisung says, turning to you, and you nod. You'd chanced upon some of them while getting around the zoo. "They have a knack for bothering visitors. I've lost count of all the times I've had to help visitors reclaim items that were snatched by peacocks, shoo them away when they blocked visitors' paths, or even stop them from randomly attacking visitors". That didn't surprise you. Earlier in the day, you'd watched as Sicheng struggled to pry a peacock's beak open to help a family get their entrance tickets back.

"They might look pretty, but they can be such troublemakers," Sungchan adds, earning emphatic nods and mutters of agreement from the other guys. "Also, they’re terribly dumb. Some wander into the big cat enclosures and get torn up," he finishes.

Okay, that one got you. You're left gawking at Sungchan.

"For real! I witnessed it happen a long time ago," Jeno pipes up from across the table. "I was talking to this huge group of visitors, when one of the peacocks somehow got in - I dunno how either, maybe it got in when one of us opened the gate, and stayed there unnoticed. And then you know Baymax, our adolescent male? He stalked it, and then went in for the kill".

This time, it's Shotaro's jaw that drops. "In front of all the visitors?"

Jeno nods. "Tore it apart in front of the shocked adults and screaming children. Kinda feel bad that so many people saw it happen, but circle of life, y'know".

You feel yourself shudder after hearing Jeno's story. "Gosh, unlucky you. I hope I never witness that in my life".

"Oh! I've got another one. When you clean the parrots' perches, don't look up," Chenle says, bringing in his own story. "They wait for you to look up before taking a dump. That's how you get poop in your mouth. I speak from experience, since I used to be a parrot keeper before the meerkat exhibit opened”.

While you almost choke on your drink, the others guffaw at him. "Seriously? Wasn't that one of the first things Kun warned you about when you came?" Jaemin laughs.

"It was! But I never believed him, until I learnt the hard way. Regrets much," Chenle sighs.

"That's your problem," Renjun says with a smirk.

"Shut up!" Chenle exclaims, punching him on the shoulder. Somehow, you find yourself laughing at the interaction between him and Renjun, despite your dislike for the latter.

"Oh, I've got one too!" Sungchan exclaims. "Don't ever let tapirs turn their backs on you because-"

Before he can finish, he's cut off by exclamations of "that’s disgusting!" and "ew not now!" from the guys.

“It’s not that bad, I swear!” Sungchan protests, trying to get everyone to calm down, while you’re left confused as to what was the story they were so desperately trying to get him to keep quiet about, and whether it was really that bad.

“No, I don’t believe you. I’ve heard it before,” Shotaro disagrees, making a face.

“If you really want to tell y/n, can you not do so while we’re all eating?” Jisung adds, making the same disgusted face as Shotaro. “Plus, it’s her first day working here! Don’t gross her out now!”

“Okay, fine, fine!” Sungchan laughs, raising his hands in surrender.

The rest of dinner goes on well, with the boys telling you all sorts of hilarious stories of the animals they worked with, and lots of laughter. As you engage in conversation with them, you realise that it’s not only the animals that would make this job memorable, it was also the company you meet.

With the exception of one guy, who’d been glaring daggers at you since dinner began. But if hanging out with your newfound friends meant putting up with him, you would gladly do so.

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

It's been about two months since you first stepped foot into the zoo as a new zookeeper. You'd grown from a clumsy, bumbling zookeeper who would ask for clarifications or google for every piece of information, you'd grown into a confident, assured zookeeper who knows her animals inside and out.

You'd also come to grow close to all of your koalas - Kendra, Max, Kyle, Jackie and Jo, and also the vets and other zookeepers outside of your usual friend group.

Your relationship with Renjun though? Still sour as ever - if not worse. Almost every day over the past two months, if you both weren't avoiding each other, you'd both get into spats over trivial matters - even down to where to eat dinner.

Which brings us to this moment. The two of you stand across each other, boring holes into the other’s soul with piercing glares. Arms akimbo and scowls on your faces, you both looked like roosters gearing up for a fight.

“We already had that last week! I’m not eating there again,” Renjun insists, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Then? What else do you want?” You fire back, equally riled up.

“I already told you, Chinese takeout is the most practical option! Then we could head over to Chenle’s house and eat there or something! Everything else is closed at this hour, and as I’ve stated many times, I’m not gonna be eating fast food again!” Renjun argues, trying to make you see things from his point of view.

However, you weren’t so willing to budge. “First of all-” you begin, but you’re cut off by a voice.

“With both of you arguing like crazed aunties at a market, there is no way I’m letting you into my house,” Chenle interjects, holding up his hand.

“Wise choice,” Mark quips, watching the argument from his place on one of the armchairs. "What's up with you both? You keep stirring arguments up between yourselves for no reason-"

"It's okay, Mark. You know what they say – couples fight," Haechan interrupts with a mischievous grin, which you so wished to wipe off his face.

"We are NOT a couple," you hiss, giving Haechan the best death stare you could. "And never will be".

"I meant a work couple! Like work husband and wife, you know," Haechan whines, feeling like your fierce response was uncalled for.

"You-"

Mark sighs, rubbing his temples in frustration. “Okay but seriously, can you guys just be civil with each other for once? You don’t have to like each other, but you’ve gotta stop exchanging blows in every conversation you guys have,” he adds, an imploring look on his face.

“Yeah, it’d be nice to all hang out together peacefully,” Jisung says, voice mousy-quiet.

This causes you and Renjun to stop dead in your tracks. It was evident that your whole friend group was getting tired of all the back-and-forth squabbling between the both of you within work and outside of work. However, part of you still stood resolute, not wishing to apologise.

“Alright, I’m sorry you guys,” Renjun finally says, after what seems like an eternity of silence.

Well, you have to give credit where credit is due – your sworn nemesis was able to be the bigger person and apologise to the whole friend group, which meant that there was no reason you shouldn’t do so too. “Yeah, I’m sorry too,” you half-heartedly manage an apology.

“All’s good. Now, if that’s all, can we go settle dinner now? I’m starving!” Jaemin whines.

“I was gonna say the same,” Mark laughs. “Let’s go! We can eat at my house after we order food”.

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

“Hey y/n, could you come to the staff area for a bit? Over".

It’s just another day at the zoo when Sicheng calls for you out of nowhere through the walkie-talkie. “Yeah, what is it? Over,” you call back into your own walkie-talkie and excuse yourself from Jaemin and Jisung, racing towards the staff area as fast as your legs could carry you, being careful not to bump into any visitors.

“Great! You’re here, thanks for coming so quickly,” Sicheng greets you with his trademark sweet smile, before gesturing for you to take a seat so he could explain. “So another overseas zoo has a rescue giant panda family, and a few red pandas as well. We need a couple of zookeepers to take care of them and help them to settle in. We’ve observed how you’ve grown throughout your two months spent here as a zookeeper and become much more confident and innovative, and we think you’d be a good fit for the job. Are you alright with that?” He confirms with you.

Your heart jumps at the thought of being able to work with new animals. What’s more, pandas were your favourite animals! When you were a child, your family would take frequent trips to the zoo, and you’d never fail to ooh and ahh at the giant pandas in the enclosure. There was just something about them that made you take an instant liking to them. You’d never seen red pandas in real life before, but you’d seen images and videos of them online, and you found them absolutely adorable. “Yes, of course!” you squeal, unable to contain your excitement.

Sicheng chuckles at the sight of how thrilled you are, and hands you a form. “Okay. It’ll take a while for them to arrive, but do fill out this form first,” he says, passing you a pen. You oblige, and begin penning your details onto the form.

“Sicheng, you called me?” A shiver runs down your spine as a dreadingly familiar voice sounds from the doorway. Hesitantly, you turn around, and you’re instantly met with a head of black hair and piercing black eyes, which sharpened their gaze as soon as they landed on you. Lo and behold, it was Renjun.

“Ah yes, I was looking for you!” Sicheng answers, jogging over to Renjun, oblivious to the tension between the both of you. A sense of foreboding rises up in you. Please, please, let the other zookeeper not be him, you silently pray.

However, to your dismay, you listen as Sicheng repeats the information he told you earlier to Renjun, and hands him a form as well. Meanwhile, you hear sounds of “okay,” “I see,” “that’s alright,” and “I understand” from Renjun. Gosh, I never thought this day would come. Having to work so closely with my worst enemy.

“Thank you both for your time! More details will be given in the future. I’ll be helping both of you through the process, so don’t worry,” Sicheng reassures, giving both of you a smile and turning to exit the area. "Also! Don't tell anyone else yet, I'll make an announcement when the time is right," he adds quickly with a wink, before walking off. Both you and Renjun turn to him, giving him a pleasant smile and saying goodbye.

Once Sicheng leaves, the friendly vibe in the room dissipates, and is replaced with an atmosphere so icy-cold that even the penguins in Doyoung’s care would have frozen to death. “So, we’re gonna be seeing a lot more of each other from now on, huh,” you say, icicles in your tone as you glower at him.

“I guess. Not that I’m celebrating that fact, though,” Renjun replies equally coldly, returning your hostile gaze.

“Neither am I. I only accepted the job because I love pandas. Never thought I’d have to work with you of all people,” you hiss, making your disgruntlement clear.

“Same here. If I’d known, maybe I’d have thought twice, but I wouldn’t throw away the chance to work with one of my favourite animals, so you better not mess this up for me,” Renjun warns, a haughty glint in his eye.

“Bold of you to assume I’d screw things up. It’d be my own opportunity I’m ruining. I should be the one giving you that warning,” you shoot. Turning on your heel, you flick your hair and walk out of the room, going back to the koala exhibit to find Jisung and Jaemin. Although there was some time before you’d actually have to take over the new exhibit with him, the mere thought of working with your sworn enemy filled you with so much dread. At least I get to work with some of my favourite animals, you think to yourself, trying to comfort yourself with that thought.

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

A few weeks later, you're preparing the koalas' breakfast again. Because you'd become more well-versed with the process of preparing their food, the three of you finish fairly quickly, so you guys decide to assist other zookeepers with breakfast preparations.

"y/n! thanks for coming to help," Hendery exclaims as soon as you reach the section of the kitchen intended for the nyalas.

"No problem," you answer, giving him the most reassuring smile you could muster. "How can I help?"

Hendery proceeds to explain the process of preparing food for nyalas to you, since you'd never done so before. It was quite a simple process, so you caught on quickly.

You've just finished setting aside yet another giant metal bowl of fruits, grass and flowers when Sicheng comes over to your side of the kitchen. "Sicheng! What's up!" Hendery greets with his usual exuberance.

"Hey," Sicheng greets back, giving Hendery a side hug. "I need to steal y/n, hope that's fine with you".

Your ears prick up at the mention of your name, and you instinctively swivel your head in the direction of where the duo are standing. Hendery clutches his chest, letting out a dramatic gasp and pretending to pass out. "So you only came for y/n? What about me?" he whines.

Sicheng rolls his eyes, and flicks Hendery's forehead. "Don't be dramatic. I need to talk to her and Renjun," he explains.

"I'm joking," Hendery chuckles. "Of course you can''. He waves you off, and you follow Sicheng as he heads to the spider monkey exhibit to look for Renjun.

"Hey! I've been looking for you. Let Yuta and Shotaro know that you're with me," Sicheng shouts to Renjun, but you barely take notice. That is, until said boy emerges from the enclosure, and you both exchange glares as a very friendly form of greeting.

"The animals just arrived. They're here!" Sicheng breaks the unfriendly eye contact between you and Renjun with a snap of his fingers, and gestures for both of you to follow behind him. He leads you both behind the staff area, and opens up a door. You'd taken notice of that door before, but never entered. You wouldn't have been allowed to normally, anyway. That door is the veterinary clinic.

"Before we take another step in, we've gotta put these on," Sicheng stops you and Renjun from walking further into the vet clinic as he slathers hand sanitiser over his hands, and passes a surgical cap, a mask, a special gown and a pair of surgical gloves to you. He hands a similar set to Renjun. "Don't forget to sanitise your hands too," he reminds before any of you put the gloves on.

Having been used to donning your usual work uniform, consisting of just a polo shirt and a pair of khaki shorts, you felt quite strange in the unfamiliar veterinary garb. However, you don’t complain, and make your way into the clinic, curiosity already gnawing at you like a hardworking beaver building a lodge.

The sight you're met with is enough to melt your heart on the spot - two giant pandas in their crates, sporting their characteristic black eye patches. One chews languidly on a stick of bamboo as Taeyong and Xiaojun examine its eyes with an otoscope, while the other lays down with its eyes closed. Beside them are four more sizable crates, each of them containing a red panda. They turn to you, regarding you with bright eyes that remind you of black marbles, curiosity reflecting in their gazes. "Oh my gosh! They're so cute!" before you can control yourself, a squeal escapes your lips as you set eyes on the animals before you.

It seems like Renjun shares your sentiments, because his quiet whisper of "aww" sounds just beside your ear. Whipping your head around, you're surprised to see that his eyes reflect pure adoration and love as he gazes at the animals. Who knew that all that was needed to melt his icy exterior was two panda bears and four red pandas, you think as you chuckle to yourself.

Taeil spots all of you at the door, and he scrambles to lead you all in. "Hi! You're here to meet the pandas, right?" he confirms as he shuts the door, and is met with grunts of confirmation and head nods. "Okay! Right this way!"

You scurry to the crates as Taeil begins introducing the pandas one by one. "The sleeping giant panda is Liang Liang, and the one being examined by Xiaojun and Taeyong is Jing Jing. You can tell them apart by looking at their heads - Liang Liang has a tuft of fur on his head, so he kinda looks like an onion". At that moment, Liang Liang stirs and lifts his head, and that's when all three of you burst into laughter as you see his uncanny resemblance to the pungent vegetable.

"Now the red pandas! This is Tao Tao, Mei Mei, Jun Jun, and Li Li. It might take a while to tell them apart, but don't worry, take your time to learn their personalities. Plus, they're able to respond to their names," Taeil continues, gesturing to each red panda's crate as he speaks.

"So adorable," Sicheng croons, lowering his head to get a good look at the animals, and you notice with amusement that Tao Tao pricks his ears forward and studies Sicheng as well. "How are they? All good and healthy?" Sicheng asks, directing his attention to Taeil as he whips out his phone to take notes.

"So far, we've examined all of them and given them a clean bill of health, except Jing Jing, who is being examined by Taeyong and Xiaojun now," Taeil responds. He casts a glance at the corner, where said vets are hard at work, before lowering his voice and adding, "There is something concerning, though. Her previous vet told me that she's been eating less, sleeping more, and becoming more sensitive to light and sound – all signs that she might be pregnant".

The head zookeeper's expression morphs into one of shock. "Pregnant? No zoo should be sending pregnant animals out on flights!" he whisper-yells, eyes darting to cast a worried glance at Jing Jing.

"Nothing's confirmed yet. It could be a pseudo pregnancy," Taeil answers, putting a hand on Sicheng’s shoulder to calm him down since he’s visibly worried for the panda. "We'll perform an ultrasound scan on her, just to make sure, but other than that she seems healthy. In the meantime, since the others are healthy, you can go and settle them into their new enclosures first. We'll get back to you about Jing Jing as soon as possible," he promises.

Sicheng rests his head on his hand, clearly still concerned, as he lets out a quiet sigh. "Alright then. Thank you so much Taeil," he says, and motions to us. "Come, let's show them their new home," he says, and you and Renjun follow him again.

You'd already seen the panda enclosure once - it was absolutely stunning, with stalks of bamboo growing out from the ground, overhanging branches of bamboo leaves. A few other bushes growing with flowers of every colour a child's mind could conceive sat snugly in corners of the enclosure. Wooden platforms provided spaces for the pandas to lounge on, and a pond at the side proved useful for cooling off on a hot day. To top it all off, the air conditioner made the environment a cool, comfortable place, and you were sure all the animals would love their new living space.

"What we're gonna do now is load one crate onto a trolley, which I'll go get for you guys in a moment, push it to the new enclosure, and then try to get the panda to move in, okay?" Sicheng gives you and Renjun a run-down of the process of moving the animals into the enclosure, and you both nod. "We'll repeat this process for every single one of the pandas, so this might take a while. Wait right here while I fetch the trolley".

Just as Sicheng turns to go to the staff area, a crackling noise emits from his walkie-talkie. He freezes, listening to whatever the other zookeeper is saying on the other end of the device. "Oh no! I'm on my way. Over," Sicheng hurriedly finishes the conversation, worry evident in his tone. "There's been an emergency at the snow leopard enclosure, I've got to go. Do you both think you can handle the pandas yourself?" He explains the situation and asks, gazing at you both imploringly.

You and Renjun exchange glances, before shrugging and turning back to Sicheng. "We can try," Renjun answers, and Sicheng nods.

"Okay, good. If you need anything, call for one of your other friends, because I'll likely be away for a while. But I'll be as quick as I can," he hurriedly explains, and then rushes off.

Renjun pushes past you, running in the direction of the staff area, before turning abruptly and stopping to look at you. "Well? What are you waiting for? Hurry up!" he bosses, before running off again.

"Be more patient!" you shout in annoyance, before rolling your eyes and hurrying off after him.

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

“Push harder, will you? Ugh, damn it!”

It’s been about fifteen minutes since you and Renjun began. You’d successfully moved the red pandas into the enclosure, and they’d immediately begun exploring their new habitat, curiously sniffing here and there. Li Li even jumped into the small pond of water the moment she noticed.

However, the same could not be said about Liang Liang. You and Renjun had huffed and puffed, and tried to move the trolley, but it still wouldn’t budge, and both of you were growing more and more impatient by the minute.

“I’m trying, okay? Just shut up and push!” you snap at Renjun, unable to keep all the pent-up frustration in you any longer. The both of you make another attempt to push the trolley, but to no avail.

“You’re not even putting in any effort!” Renjun scolds, slumping against the trolley after giving one last heave.

“Who’s the one leaning on the trolley huh?” you spit, shooting laser beams at him with your eyes.

“What’s going on?” a familiar voice interrupts, and you turn to see Chenle running up to you, with Johnny, Haechan and Jungwoo in tow. “Sicheng isn’t free now, so he sent us to help you guys out, and we arrive to find you guys bickering like Kun’s noisy parrots”.

"The couple is fighting again, I see,"

“We can’t move the panda ourselves,” you admit, heat blooming in your cheeks as the embarrassment of being caught in another argument sinks in.

“You know you could have asked us for help earlier, right?” Johnny chuckles, eyes sparkling with amusement. “It’s alright, we’re here to help now. Let’s get to it!”

With four other people helping to move the giant panda, it gets a lot easier and you're finally able to heave the trolley along. Finally, Liang Liang's crate arrives safely in the enclosure.

"There's one more panda right?" Jungwoo inquires, and Renjun nods.

"She's still in the vet clinic though," he adds.

"Alright, call us again if you guys need more help," Jungwoo says, walking away with the other three zookeepers. "See you guys later!"

Bidding them goodbye, you both turn your attention back to the panda, still chewing on a bamboo stalk lazily. "Liang Liang, hello," you croon gently, squatting down in front of the cage. "Time to explore your new home".

To your chagrin, the panda lifts his head and regards you briefly, only to return to chewing the bamboo stalk, stretching out nonchalantly. "Hey, don't you want to come out? Your friends are here, you know". You try again to get the panda to come out of the crate, but this time he blatantly ignores you, attention still fixated on the stalk of bamboo.

"You've got to move, you know. You can't live in this plastic crate forever," you try once more to convince the panda to come out, but to no avail. At this point, your patience was already worn thin from previous multiple failed attempts to push the crate, and also from trading verbal blows with Renjun.

You're so wrapped up in your cloud of thoughts that you fail to see Renjun approach you slowly. He comes up from behind you, stepping up to where the panda was. Slowly, he crouches down in front of it, speaking to it in what sounds like Mandarin. As you listened, you secretly marvelled at how fluent his Mandarin was. Though you learnt the language too, you'd never come close to even scoring a B in all your school life, and even now when you spoke it, it came out in broken bits and pieces, and you'd stutter and stammer like a broken engine.

To your amazement, the panda lifts its head and looks at Renjun, seemingly paying attention to what he was saying. Slowly, it rises from the ground, and lumbers out of the crate, sniffing the air.

You have to admit, Renjun had used a smart move – speaking Chinese, the panda's "native language", to get it to cooperate.

Renjun turns to you, only to see you with your mouth open so wide you could catch flies. His lips curve into a smug smirk, sending your blood boiling. "Watch and learn," he sniggers.

"I…I-" you attempt to garble out an intelligent insult to fire back at him, but your mind draws a blank. Luckily, the crackling of your walkie-talkie saves you.

"Y/n, can you come to the vet clinic now, please? Bring Renjun with you. Over," Sicheng's voice emits from the earpiece sitting snugly in your ear.

"On our way. Over," you reply, putting the walkie-talkie back into your pocket. "Sicheng's waiting for us at the vet clinic. Hurry up!" you snap at Renjun, before quickening your steps and heading in the direction of the vet clinic.

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

"We've just run an ultrasound on Jing Jing, and…she's pregnant". Taeil drops a bombshell the moment you guys arrive at the clinic.

At this statement, you gasp in shock, unable to believe your ears. The zoo sent a pregnant panda on a long flight?

Renjun's mouth hangs agape, while Sicheng's eyes glaze over with worry. "How's the baby? And how is she? A pregnant panda might not be able to withstand the stress of a long flight all the way from China!" he rambles, words tumbling over each other.

"She's alright," Xiaojun steps in, trying to reassure all of you (mainly Sicheng, though).

"The foetus looks fine too, so don't worry too much," Taeyong adds with a soft smile.

Hearing this, Sicheng's shoulders relax as he breathes a sigh of relief. You let out one too, after realising that you'd unconsciously held your breath as you nervously waited for the three vets to deliver news, whether good or bad.

Taeil sits down at his computer, makes a few clicks with a mouse, and then turns the screen to you. "These are pictures from the ultrasound scan," he says, drawing up the first picture. "See? This is the foetus," he says and points out a tiny, jelly bean shaped lump on the screen. He continues to show you the pictures one by one, and you look on, awed by what you see. You'd only ever seen pictures of human ultrasound scans, but never ones of a panda's. "Both mama panda and the baby are healthy right now, but keep a close eye on them in the meantime. I'd also like to prescribe her some supplements," Taeil informs three of you, gesturing for you to follow him to a shelf stocked with medicines. He scans the rows of medicines, before picking out two bottles of tablets. After he explains the procedure for administering the medicine, three of you say your thanks and leave.

"I'm kind of concerned for Jing Jing," Sicheng admits as he heads back to the enclosure with both of you. "No – that's an understatement, I'm really concerned".

Sensing that Sicheng was quite tense and anxious, you look up at him and reassure him, "don't worry. The vets have given both of them a clean bill of health, and I'll definitely do my best to look after her well".

Renjun pats Sicheng on the shoulder, trying to comfort him. "I'll do my best too. We all want Jing Jing and her baby to be strong and healthy," he says gently.

For once, you actually agreed with him.

Sicheng smiles back at both of you. "Thanks guys," he says, before a slight frown appears on his face again. "I still want to have a word with the zoo that sent them over, though. It's very dangerous to send a pregnant animal on a flight!" he exclaims.

Renjun nods, humming in agreement. "Wise choice. I'd do the same if I were you," he muses.

Sicheng nods. "Anyway, we'll just let them settle into their new environment for today. They've surely been through a lot," he laughs. "I mean, imagine a trip all the way from China in a plastic crate".

That statement draws giggles from you and Renjun. "So today, both of you just stay here and take care of the pandas, okay? You guys can always call me if you need any help," he instructs, and both of you agree. "Alright, I'll be off now then. See you guys around!"

You and Renjun wave goodbye to him, before sitting down outside the enclosure, maintaining a gap as wide as the Pacific Ocean between both of you. Letting out a huff, you turn away from him and rivet your eyes on the animals in the enclosure. You observe Li Li and Mei Mei frolicking in a tree, Liang Liang attempting to climb a tree, Jun Jun making himself comfy on a wooden platform…

You register a sharp pain as your head hits the glass panel in front of you with a loud thump, and wake with a start. "Ow!" Rubbing your forehead, you whip your head from left to right, trying to figure out where you are. Oh right, you were in the panda enclosure.

To your chagrin, Renjun is looking right at you, biting back a laugh. "Shhh," he hisses, holding a finger to his lips. "Don't knock on the glass," he sneers, still smirking at you as he points at the sign on the glass. His tone was so patronising, it made your blood boil. You were not a child, and would not stand to be treated as such.

"It was an accident!" you return, defensiveness creeping into your tone.

"But you're still not supposed to knock on the glass," Renjun reasons, with the same snobbish tone you detested with all your life.

"I already said it was an accident! For fuck's sake!" you're unable to contain your frustration any longer, and snap at him.

"You can't keep getting into accidents if you want our pandas to grow strong and healthy," he argues. You find your eyes rolling back so far, you swear you can see your brain.

"Accidents happen, and you need to learn to accept that, Huang Renjun. Next time you get into an accident I'm gonna laugh at you too," you huff, exasperation increasing by the second.

"I'm only trying to help! Take a damn comment, y/n!" his voice increases in volume as he says. Arrows seem to shoot from his eyes as he shoots you a vexed glare.

A growl emits from the enclosure, seeming to express displeasure. Jing Jing is now wide awake, looking in Renjun's direction, and you swore that her round, ebony-black eyes held the slightest tinge of vexation as she gazed straight at him.

A snicker emits from your throat, and you seize the opportunity to have a go at him as revenge. "Shhh". Turning to him, you imitate his earlier actions, putting your finger over your lips and sending him the same condescending look he'd eyed you with just minutes ago. "Don't wanna wake Jing Jing up from her beauty sleep, do you?" Your heart swells with glee as his features twist into a disgruntled scowl. “See, you’ve made her upset”.

“Oh, shut the fuck up,” Renjun mutters, turning away in a huff and crossing his arms. “At least I’m not the one who failed miserably at getting Liang Liang to come out of his crate!”

You don’t say anything, but merely stick your tongue out at him. For once, you had the last laugh in your face-off with Renjun.

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

Even though you were an argumentative person by nature, you had to admit that all the bickering was taking its toll on your sanity. You were beginning to go nuts – to the point that you'd begun conversing with your own charges.

Especially Jing Jing, the one you'd grown the closest to.

"Oh, Jing Jing, I'm so frustrated," you complain to the panda in front of you as you caress her head, while she munches on a bamboo shoot, making contented noises from time to time.

Jing Jing looks at you and tilts her head to the side, seemingly confused about what you were saying.

"Your other caretaker gives me so much trouble. So nice to you, yet so nasty to me," you continue to lament as Jing Jing looks on, as if she were listening to your every word. "What do I do? Working with him is awful. Yet, I love you all so much, I don't wanna stop working here".

Jing Jing gives a low rumble, and nudges you slightly with her nose. Peeking in the direction of where she was pointing, you spy Renjun sitting on one of the wooden platforms cross-legged with Tao Tao in his lap. Xiaojun was there to check on the red panda, who'd fallen off a low branch.

"You want me to get along with him–? No, Jing Jing, I can't – he's so difficult," you shake your head in immediate protest, only earning another encouraging rumble from the panda.

Another sigh leaves you. "He's terrible, I swear. There's no way we'll ever be able to get along," you whine, picking at a shoot of bamboo. Then a thought hits you, and you perk up a bit. "But if working with you means I have to bear with him, I'll gladly do so. Get it? Bear with him? Because you're a bear," you giggle quietly at the joke you cracked

Jing Jing takes no heed to your lame joke, returning her attention to the pile of bamboo in front of her. Meanwhile, out of concern for the poor animal, you look back in Renjun's direction.

"He's not hurt, except for that cut. I'll come by to disinfect it every day, so that there's a lower chance of it getting infected," Xiaojun states, preparing his veterinary kit as Renjun nods.

Tao Tao's squeals and whimpers of pain as Xiaojun applies antiseptic to the wound shoot right to your heart, making you want to give him a warm hug and assure him that it'd be over soon. Xiaojun winces at every one of Tao Tao's pitiful cries, and his repeated whispers of "sorry, sorry" drift into your ears.

"Hey, relax, okay?" you catch Renjun saying to Tao Tao in a soothing, pleasant voice, a stark contrast to the jarring, harsh tone you heard so often during your all too frequent squabbles. "I know it hurts, but it's to help you become strong and healthy again so you can go play with your didis and jiejies, okay? It's gonna be over soon. Hang in there". He continues to whisper comforting words to the red panda, all while stroking his head gently. It seems to help, because Tao Tao begins to calm down, only letting out occasional whines from time to time.

Witnessing this tender side of Renjun made your heart melt, and – though you didn't want to admit it, dissolve at least a tiny bit of the hatred you felt towards him. Seeing him treat Tao Tao so lovingly somehow gave you this warm, fuzzy feeling inside, like a cup of peppermint tea on a stormy day.

Xiaojun finishes cleaning the wound as quickly as he started, and is now bandaging it carefully. "He's good to go," Xiaojun confirms, gently placing one more piece of tape over the plaster to hold it in place.

Renjun shoots Xiaojun a look of gratitude, and then returns his attention to Tao Tao. "There. All done. See, no more pain!" he says to Tao Tao, using the same tone one would use to cheer up a young child.

Unknowingly, while watching the whole scene before you, a sliver of a smile had formed on your lips, gradually growing as the sweet scene unfolded before you. Just then, he looks in your direction, and you hastily swivel your head back to Jing Jing, avoiding eye contact with him. Maybe, just maybe, you'd be able to get along with him.

Or would you?

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

The next few weeks spent preparing the panda enclosure for official opening were well…chaotic. Renjun and you got along just as well as a bear and wolf in the same enclosure, and every interaction both of you had seemed to drive a bigger wedge between both of you. Working with him wasn't getting any more pleasurable. The only thing keeping you going was, well, the pandas. Today, things are unusually heated, even for the both of you.

"Y/n! Pass me another shoot of bamboo!" Renjun bellows from one end of the kitchen.

"Get it yourself! Can't you see I'm busy?" you scream in response, busily washing the bamboo leaves in a big basin.

"You're closer to it than I am. Go get it for me!"

"Is it that hard for you to take a few steps and come get it yourself?"

"Is it that hard for you to take one and pass it to me?"

"Ugh! Whatever, here". You finally relent, albeit grudgingly. Picking up a few more bamboo shoots from the nearby pile, you storm over to Renjun's side of the kitchen and unceremoniously plonk them onto his table, earning you a glare of fury.

"Renjun! What are you even doing! There's still a smudge here!" you holler, blood pressure rising at the sight of a smudge of grime on the glass panel of the enclosure while cleaning up the place.

"I know, I know! I'm coming! So fucking impatient," the irked response comes from the other end of the enclosure, the last part purposely being said softer.

"I heard that!" you snap, burning a hole into him with your infuriated glare, which he simply returns.

The rest of the morning goes by with more scuffles between both of you. You'd both cool down in the presence of guests, only to return to fighting like elephant seals as soon as they left. As usual, Sicheng was an unfortunate witness to most of them, but he simply raised an eyebrow at the both of you and didn't scold any of you at any point.

"Oi Renjun! We're having a class of kindergarten children over later, better not fuck up!" you bark, in a sullen mood from earlier events.

"I know what I'm doing! Mind your own business and make sure you don't fuck up," Renjun says brusquely. "Now you better shape up, because they're coming!"

Your eyes slowly make a 180° flip upwards, but you still manage to hastily turn the corners of your mouth upwards as you turn towards the entrance, preparing to receive the class of students. It was your last batch of guests for the day, and you wanted to quickly get it over and done with so you could go get dinner.

"Hi everyone! Welcome to the panda exhibit!" you begin, waving your hands in exuberance and greeting them cheerfully. From the corner of your eye, Sicheng gives you a thumbs up, a smile of approval on his face.

Assurance settles in your chest, and you continue. "I'm y/n, and beside me is Renjun. We're the zookeepers in charge of this exhibit, and we'll be showing you around today. Follow us!"

You lead them around to the other side of the exhibit, where two fluffy, black and white heads soon come into view.

"Aww, so cute!"

"Panda!"

"Which is Liang Liang and which is Jing Jing?"

A hoard of squeals of adoration, along with some questions arises from the crowd of kindergarteners before the both of you, and both of you hurry to calm them down. "Alright, questions one by one!" Renjun yells over the noise. "Raise your hand to ask".

A boy with dark hair puts his hand up. "Who is who?" he asks, head tilted to the side with a quizzical expression.

Renjun looks out into the enclosure, squinting his eyes slightly to make out the pandas. "Oh! The one munching on bamboo is Liang Liang, while the one sleeping next to him is Jing Jing. Liang Liang's head looks a bit like an onion. See? There's a tuft of fur sticking out from the top of his head," Renjun explains to the children. A chorus of "oohs" and "ahhs" come from the children as they continue staring at the pandas, agog with curiosity.

"Did you know that pandas used to be all white?" Renjun quips, distracting the children momentarily.

"Really?" They chorus, and Renjun just gives them a nod.

"This is a legend, from a long, long time ago". From there, he tells them the story of how pandas got their black colouration from – a legend of a shepherdess who'd given her life to save a panda cub from a leopard. The heartbroken pandas attended her funeral, and wore black armbands as a sign of respect. Unable to contain their grief, they hugged each other and sobbed piteously. The cries got so loud that they covered their ears to block out the noise. The black colouration rubbed off onto wherever they touched themselves, and from then on, all pandas carried the black marks.

Your curiosity was piqued, as you'd never heard of such a legend in your entire life. As Renjun continued telling the tale, your heart seemed to shatter into pieces slowly. He told the story as if he had lived to witness the whole thing, and told the story in such a poignant manner that he made you feel as if you were at the shepherdess's funeral yourself.

"And that's how the panda got its black-coloured markings," Renjun concludes with a small smile.

Most of the kindergarteners seem to be fascinated by the story, some even showing mild sadness on their faces. However, a piercing cry comes from one child, startling everyone present.

"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry, don't cry! It's just a legend, it's all pretend," Renjun exclaims, flying into a panic. "It didn't actually happen. It's just a story," he adds, attempting to calm the child down.

The awe you felt over Renjun's storytelling skills quickly becomes converted to rage, and the child's piteous cries only serve to fan the flames of fury in your heart, and you have to hold yourself back from giving Renjun a tight slap. "What the hell, you dumbass! You made a child cry!" you burst.

"How would I have known?" Renjun lashes out at you in defence. "It's literally a story told to kids!"

"You should have thought twice before telling them!" you argue back, not wishing to back down.

"I already apologised, for fuck's sake!"

"So what? You still upset the kid, you dou-"

"Alright, everyone!" Your altercation is broken up by Sicheng, who gently pushes both of you aside, and makes his way in between the both of you while clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. The child has already stopped crying, thanks to the teacher who soothed her, and everyone's attention is now riveted on Sicheng. "Let's do something happier – hopefully this will cheer you all up! Who wants to see the red pandas?" He asks, eyes sparkling as he addresses the children. "Me! Me!" Exhilarated cries resound in the exhibit, and soon they're all jumping up and down in delight.

"Okay, come, This way!" Sicheng says, beaming as he gestures for the kindergarteners to follow him. They follow behind him, still whispering and giggling as they're unable to contain their excitement. Meanwhile, you trail behind, amazed by his expertise with the children.

Fortunately, the remaining segment of their tour goes well, and the whole class leaves the panda exhibit all smiles. You usher them out, uttering the standard phrases.

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

As soon as the last child is out of the enclosure, Sicheng turns to you and your colleague, arms folded across his chest. The once pleasant expression he wore morphs into a livid one, and you could literally feel the anger radiating off him. If looks could kill, both you and Renjun would have died a thousand deaths on the spot. For the first time in your life, you feared your boss – who was usually so mild-tempered and sweet. "We apparently need to talk about how to behave at work," he snarls, voice an octave deeper than usual which drives fear deeper into the crevices of your heart. You watch apprehensively as he draws in a deep breath, before slowly breathing out again. "Arguing on the job? Pushing blame instead of helping one another out? Swearing in front of visitors? Was any of that professional?" He fires question after question like bullets at the two of you, eyeing both of you expectantly. "Well?"

"...no, it wasn't," you reply with a quivering voice, hesitation creeping into your voice. Your heart judders like a jackhammer in your heart as he nods curtly, acknowledging your reply.

"I thought so," he responds. "Then what should you guys have done?"

"...stayed calm, helped each other". This time, the soft, shaky reply comes from Renjun. It drilled the realisation of how terrifying Sicheng could be when angry – so scary that he could even zap the confidence of your arrogant colleague and reduce him to a stuttering bundle of nerves – further into your mind.

Sicheng responds with a grunt of acknowledgement, and then takes a deep breath before saying his piece. "Y/n, it's good that you were concerned about the child, but what wasn't good was your response. You could've helped Renjun to calm the child down as well, instead of lashing out at him".

You nod, unable to speak due to how cowed you felt in his presence. Directing his attention to Renjun, Sicheng begins another admonishment. "Renjun, it's not your fault that the child cried. I didn't expect that reaction from her either. But you should have stayed calm and continued comforting her, instead of blowing up at y/n's comments there and then. In doing so, you upset the child more".

"Yes sir, I understand," Renjun replies meekly, head bowed.

Sicheng sighs heavily again, bringing up his fingers to rub his temple as he speaks. "It's not just today. I've lost count of the number of times you've both started fights between yourselves at work, and it needs to stop. I've said it once, and I'll say it again; quarrelling at work is awfully unprofessional. You're expected to settle your differences amicably, not lash out at each other like that. You guys constantly being at each other's throats is gonna stress the animals out too – and it's not gonna be good for any of them, especially Jing Jing".

Your heart does a nosedive as soon as he mentions Jing Jing. You'd never considered the negative impact the constant arguing would have on her! Your mind flashes back to that "conversation" you'd had with her, and you realised why she wanted so badly for you and Renjun to work peacefully together.

"I'm not saying that both of you have to like each other, but that both of you need to work on getting along better at work, because good communication is key. Is that clear?" Sicheng concludes, shooting both of you with an expectant glare.

"Yes, sir," you echo after Renjun, mind still in a blur.

Sicheng nods, satisfied with the response. "Good. Go on and pack up, after this you can go off for dinner".

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

The clean-up session is muted, a stark contrast to the usual intense squabbling between both of you as you sorted out things in the enclosure. As you wipe down the glass walls, you reflect on your earlier actions, shame and guilt finally settling in like ink on white cloth. You honestly had no idea what drove your unprofessional behaviour back at the guided tour.

And in the first place, you couldn't put your finger on why you hated Renjun so much to begin with.

Caught up in your thoughts, you fail to notice the presence of your colleague beside you. "Hey, I'm sorry," a soft voice comes from beside you, making you jump in shock. It's Renjun who's beside you, averting his gaze from you as he mumbles his apology. "I shouldn't have reacted so aggressively earlier".

His words hit you like a bolt from the blue, leaving you stunned. In that moment, your hatred for Renjun gives way to admiration for him, as you realise how humble he really is at heart. Sure, he was in the wrong too, but you should have been the one to step up and say sorry first, considering that it was you who'd initiated the whole incident.

"No worries," you whisper, giving him a small smile. "I should be apologising. I lashed out at you first and started the whole thing".

"We both were in the wrong," Renjun concedes as he picks up another mop and begins to help with cleaning the glass walls as well, and you hum in agreement.

Another period of silence between both of you follows, only this time, it carries an air of comfort and peace about it and not the usual thick tension. You don't know what drove you to do such a thing, but in the moment that follows, you say something you never dreamed that you'd ever say. "Hey Renjun, I realise that it's not gonna benefit anyone if we stay stuck in this endless volley of arguments. It wouldn't allow us to get things done efficiently, and it'd also stress the pandas out. From now on, can we put our bad blood behind us and get along? At least just at work," you suggest, sticking your hand out to offer him a truce.

Renjun's eyes glaze over thoughtfully as he looks at your outstretched hand, contemplating your offer. It doesn't take him long though, because before you know it, he's taking your hand in his and shaking it firmly. "Truce. I'm honestly tired of arguing with you all the time, and I hope we can get along better from now on," he replies, beaming wider than you'd ever seen from him before.

Wow. His smile is kinda adorable.

You dismiss the fleeting thought from your head, praying that you weren't blushing as you turn away from him, smiling from ear to ear. "Shall we go look for the rest to have dinner?" he suggests as you pick up your tote bag.

As if on cue, your stomach lets out an embarrassingly loud growl. You had forgotten to bring your wallet, ao you didn't eat lunch, only telling your friends that you weren't hungry. However, the painful hunger pangs seemed to be growing minute by minute, and you found yourself in desperate need of some sustenance. "I didn't bring my wallet," you admit, still in disbelief at your absentmindedness. "I'll tag along, but I won't get any food," you decide, choosing to use the time to socialise with your friends.

"You need to eat something. I'll pay for your meal," Renjun offers kindly. "I have more than enough money for myself, so don't worry".

Hearing this, your heart swells with gratitude. "Thank you so much! I'll pay you back tomorrow," you promise, folding your hands together in gratitude.

Renjun waves his hand, dismissing you. "It's alright. My treat," he insists, making his stubbornness clear through his tone.

"I can't accept that, Renjun – just allow me to pay you back," you attempt to reject his offer again, but to no avail.

"It's fine! Take this as my way of making up for being such an asshole to you for so long," he laughs, once again showing his pearly whites.

"Fine then. Thanks so much, Renjun," you stutter, cheeks lighting up red again. "I'll repay your kindness next time".

"It's no problem," Renjun says quietly, the soft, sweet smile still on his face.

You had to admit, it felt nice – refreshing even, to hang around your enemy without the usual atmosphere of animosity, and in your heart of hearts you hoped that your interactions would be more like this from now on.

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

"Y/n, don't forget to add Jing Jing's supplements into her breakfast," Renjun reminds you as you both go about the bustling kitchen, rushing to prepare food for the pandas.

"I'm on it!" you answer, swiping the jar from a shelf in the corner. "Two tablets, right?"

"Yep!" Renjun's distant reply sounds out as he rummages through a cupboard on the far end of the room.

"Alright, thanks!" You proceed to dish out the amount that you had to give her, then crush up the pills and mix them into her food.

It's been about a month since you and Renjun decided to call a truce with each other, and things were going much better than before. Initially, there were some minor scuffles, but you'd both managed to talk things out instead of yelling at each other again. Now, you were both able to have a peaceful working relationship with almost no disagreements. Occasionally, your heart would choose to beat a tad bit faster, or your face would heat up just by the slightest bit as you talked to him, even if it was something just as simple as asking if he would be joining you guys for dinner, or how Tao Tao was doing. Yet, you could never quite pin the reason why down. However, slowly but steadily, you found your friendship with him growing stronger, like a newly-budded flower in the springtime. But as the friendship blossomed…so did those other feelings, which you just brushed aside the best you could.

"The vets are coming later, right?" you fact check with Renjun, who bobs his head in reply.

"Yep, they are. Gonna do another ultrasound on Jing Jing and update us on how she's doing," Renjun says, summarising what you'd heard.

"I'm excited for the arrival of her baby," you comment as you bring the food out.

"Me too!" Renjun agrees. "New animal births are always exciting! I remember when Sarah was pregnant with Cedrick – all of the zookeepers couldn't stop talking about it for weeks," he gushes as he recalls the time a new baby tapir was born. "When Sarah was due, Sungchan stayed overnight with Sicheng and the vets to ensure their well-being".

"Wow, he’s so dedicated," you gasp, feeling a sense of admiration towards your friend, while making a mental note to treat his behaviour as something you should model.

Renjun nods emphatically. "He really is. That's what I admire about him, and I hope to have the same level of commitment towards our pandas," he comments, smiling as he thought of his colleague and friend who'd shown such high levels of dedication to their work.

At that moment, Taeil arrives. After a quick chat, he sets up his equipment and gets to work on Jing Jing. "Her progesterone levels have peaked and are now on a downward trend. This is a sign that she's likely within weeks of giving birth," Taeil informs both you and Renjun, who are waiting anxiously at the side.

Upon hearing the news, you both let out a unanimous gasp, following with a flurry of questions coming from both of you. "How's the baby?" "When's the due date?" "Is Jing Jing healthy too?" "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Taeil chortles and then gets you and Renjun to calm down. "Both Jing Jing and her baby are okay. She seems to be about 3 months pregnant, so the projected due date would be between 28 May to 6 June. As for its gender, we won't be able to tell until about six weeks after it's born". Taeil slowly addresses all the questions you and Renjun bombard him with, patiently explaining everything that you wanted to know.

"Right now, continue to ensure that she eats healthy and gets sufficient sleep. I'll also prescribe her another supplement – she'll have to continue taking this one until a few weeks after her pregnancy, but after she's given birth she can stop the other one".

Taeil leaves after handing you the bottle, and both you and Renjun fly into a frenzy, jumping around the enclosure like excited toddlers who'd just gotten new toys. "She's gonna give birth soon! I can't wait for the cub to arrive!" you squeal, excitement already overflowing out of you.

"Me too! It's gonna be so adorable!" Renjun gushes, eyes sparkling with delight. But while you're both in your state of euphoria, a grumpy, guttural noise emits from the other end of the enclosure.

"Oops. We woke Liang Liang up," you realise, softening your voice.

"Oh yeah. Sorry boss," Renjun turns to face Liang Liang, doing a small bow while apologising. Amused by his actions, you burst into guffaws, and get the same reaction from Liang Liang again. "Shhh!" Renjun quickly quiets you down, while chortling softly to himself.

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

The bunch of you were out at dinner together. Having grown bored of eating the same things over and over again, you all decided to find a different place to eat. A few google searches and a mini-poll had led you guys to a cafe in a nearby shopping mall that sold all sorts of Singaporean dishes.

Throughout the meal, you and Renjun periodically giggled and chatted quietly, just between both of you as you sat next to each other at lunch. You both hadn’t been talking about anything much, mostly about Jing Jing and her cub since the news about her cub had sent you both over the moon.

“Y/n and Renjun, you guys seem to be very thrilled about something today. Care to enlighten us?” Jeno questions, looking up from his chye tau kueh staring in you and Renjun’s direction when you nudge him for the umpteenth time.

Uh oh. Your friends' curiosity had been piqued. You exchange glances with Renjun, his panicked look matching your own. “Should we tell them?” you whisper to Renjun. He takes a moment to think, before responding with a soft smile and a nod.

“What, are both of you dating?” Haechan asks, a teasing smirk forming on his face.

“What the hell, no!” a unanimous exclamation comes from both you and Renjun. “There’s nothing between us!” you add, desperation in your voice. “Anyway…you remember the pandas me and Renjun got assigned to take care of? The female, Jing Jing, has been pregnant for a while, and she’s gonna have her baby soon,” you reveal.

A stunned hush falls over the table. Right after, the excited chatter starts up again, even more intense than earlier. "Wait what? No way! When's the baby due?" Mark asks, his jaw dropping to the floor.

"In about a few weeks," Renjun answers.

"We're gonna welcome a new baby panda soon!" Haechan exclaims, eyes shining with glee.

"I can't wait to see it," Jisung enthuses.

Amidst the mini celebration, Jeno's brow furrows with worry. "Wait, but doesn't that mean that the zoo flew her over while she was pregnant?" he questions.

"Yeah, pregnant animals shouldn't be on flights. Wouldn't they be stressed?" Shotaro adds, sharing his friend's concerns.

"Yeah, it was so irresponsible of them!" Renjun says, incensed.

"Sicheng called the other zoo to talk to them about the panda. I heard they're facing charges for their irresponsibility," you say, putting all their concerns to rest.

"Phew, that's good," Jisung responds. "Also, Jaemin, you good? You’ve been so quiet, I thought you’d be more excited over the baby panda," he asks, turning to his colleague.

“Yeah, it’s just…Haechan has a point,” Jaemin says, the sudden change of topic stunning everyone. Noticing the quizzical expressions on everyone’s face, he explains himself. “I mean c’mon, don’t Renjun and y/n act like work husband and wife to you?”

Hearing that makes you nearly spit out the sip of iced milo you had in your mouth. “Care to explain?” you ask, statement coming out harsher than intended.

That doesn’t faze Jaemin though, and he takes a bite of his chicken rice before continuing. “I mean, they’re so close now, close to the point where they’re having conversations without us? Even at work you guys keep teasing each other and laughing at everything the other says. Kinda sus, is it not?” he explains, glancing around the table. To your shock, a few heads nod, agreeing with the koala keeper.

“But they used to fight all the time!” Shotaro points out, and you nod and point at him in agreement.

“See? There’s no way we could be a couple ever, with the amount of fighting we did in the past.

Sungchan rolls his eyes, sighing dramatically and taking a sip of his teh ping. “Come on, guys. It’s all in the past, is it not? Besides, don’t act like you guys don’t go looking for each other first thing after morning team meeting! ‘Renjun! You ready?’ ‘Give me a while, y/n!’ ‘Alright, take your time!’ ” Sungchan does his best to reenact what a conversation between both of you usually went like, using a sickly-sweet tone to mock both of you.

“Yeah and besides, hasn’t everyone heard the saying ‘couples fight’? Maybe all your fights in the past were just foreshadowing, you know,” Haechan looks up from his nasi lemak, a shit-eating grin on his face.

Renjun rolls his eyes at the hippo keeper, adding a long, exasperated sigh. “There’s really nothing, guys. Just ask y/n,” he replies, glancing over at you as you nod emphatically.

“Renjun, you’re blushing,” Jisung pipes up. Though his tone was quiet, it carried a teasing lilt to it.

“I’m not!” Renjun protests as his hands fly to his cheeks.

“Dude, it’s okay! You’re not alone. Y/n’s cheeks are pink too,” Mark says, doubled over in laughter.

Your own hands come up to your cheeks, and to your horror, there’s heat radiating from them. “It’s because the laksa is too spicy!” you fib, making up a lame excuse.

Chenle’s hand shoots up faster than a rocket. “I call bullshit!” he exclaims, finger pointing at you. “You haven’t taken a sip of iced milo from the moment we arrived here, and plus, it’s well known that you have the best spice tolerance among all the zookeepers!”

You sigh for the umpteenth time again. For once, you wished that you could have dinner alone just so you could enjoy your food in peace. “Really, guys. There’s nothing,” you reply calmly, reiterating your point from earlier.

“Denial is the first stage of acceptance,” Jaemin reminds you with a smirk, and you respond by punching him hard in the shoulder. “Renjun! Your girlfriend hit me!” He says, fake crying and clutching his shoulder.

Renjun shakes his head, totally unimpressed by Jaemin’s performance. “Not gonna help you there. Serves you right,” he replies coolly before going back to his roti prata.

Shotaro’s giggles sound from the other end of the table. “Renjun, you didn’t deny the ‘girlfriend’ part. Is this your way of admitting that you and y/n do have something there?” he teases, eyes turning into half-moons.

This time, Renjun throws his hands up with an even louder sigh. “Oh come on!” he yells, exasperation showing through more.

Just like that, the rest of dinner goes on, with the others teasing you and Renjun while both of you repeatedly denied the “allegations”. Despite your vehement denial of it, your heart fluttered and pounded in your chest like there was no tomorrow, and you somehow didn’t mind the teasing as much as you seemed to.

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

The long-awaited day finally arrived – the day of the panda cub’s birth! Excitement coursed through your veins as you packed your things as fast as you could – including a sleeping bag, a set of pyjamas, and a towel. Yep, you and Renjun had agreed to stay overnight at the zoo to await the birth of the cub. A spring in your step, you make your way through the green metal gates of the zoo entrance.

“Y/n! Ready to welcome Jing Jing’s new child?” Renjun’s voice is the first sound to reach your ears as soon as you enter the staff area.

“YES!” you squeal, bouncing up and down as you toss your bag into the cupboard. “I can barely wait!”

“Me too!” Renjun exclaims, holding your hands and jumping up and down. You feel your heart pause as he takes your hands in his, only for it to resume pounding several times faster than previously as a wave of heat makes its way up your cheeks. However, you pay no heed to the feeling and continue to giggle with him like excited schoolgirls. “You brought your stuff?” he asks, and you nod in earnest. “Sweet! We’re all set!”

An unimpressed sigh resounds in the staff lounge. “Couple’s going on a date huh,” Haechan says, glancing at you and Renjun.

“Goodness sakes, Haechan, it’s not a date! We’re just here to ensure the well-being of Jing Jing and her baby,” you attempt to reason with the brown-haired boy. It’d been a few weeks since your friends began teasing you, and slowly other zookeepers and even vets had joined in, much to your frustration.

“It’s alright, Haechan. Let them deny for as long as they want to. They’ll accept it soon, I’m sure,” Sicheng’s voice sounds from the entrance as he reappears, grinning at the both of you. He makes his way to Haechan and whispers something to him, and the latter erupts into giggles as Sicheng quietly sniggers. “Y/n, Renjun, don’t worry! I’ll help the both of you make an announcement during our team meeting next time,” he says teasingly, earning groans from both of you.

Gosh damn, even your boss had joined in the teasing.

That aside, the rest of the day progresses smoothly, save for teasing from a few other zookeepers. You went about your usual activities – preparing food for the pandas, playing with them and training them, showing guests around, until the day was about to draw to a close and the vets came to check up on Jing Jing again.

“Okay! Looks like the baby’s due tonight as expected, hopefully all goes well tonight!” Taeil chirps, wrapping up his examination of Jing Jing. “You’re both staying behind tonight to check up on her, right?” he inquires, packing up his vet kit.

“Yes, we are! We’ll be around to assist you guys if we can,” Renjun replies, an adorable smile on his face. Wait, did you just call him adorable again-

“Sweet! See you both around later then, enjoy your date,” Taeil finishes off with a grin, then rushes off.

“Gosh, how many times have people joked about us dating already?” Renjun groans, burying his head in his hands.

“I don’t know – I can’t even count anymore,” you admit, attempting to count in your head. “Whatever. Let’s go back to the staff room and get our stuff. Do you wanna go out with the others for dinner?” you ask, opening the door and leading him out.

You shake your head. “I’m feeling really lazy tonight, let’s order in. Since the vets are staying as well, we can order for them too,” Renjun suggests.

“Alright then,” you reply, getting out your phone to order. “Can we order from that Singaporean cafe we ate at the last time? It was so good, I swear. I can still taste that sumptuous laksa on my tongue,” you say, dreamily gazing into space and licking your lips as you think about the delicious bowl of noodles.

Renjun watches, laughing at you. “If it’s what the vets want too, sure thing,” he replies. “I thought it was really good too”.

You take orders from the vets, and soon the food arrives. Everyone gathers in a circle on the floor to have dinner together, and the bunch of you chat away happily. Surprisingly, there’s no teasing from anyone – just talk about Jing Jing and her panda cub.

“Hey y/n, how much was my ban mian? I’m the only person that hasn’t paid you back,” Renjun asks, opening the banking app on his phone after dinner to transfer you money.

“It’s alright. My treat,” you say, winking at him as you gently bring his phone down. “You treated me to dinner last time, let me do the same today”.

“But-”

You shush him. “No buts,” you declare, giving him a look that says “this conversation is over”.

A small sigh leaves him. “Thank you so much,” he whispers.

Just then, Taeyong walks back into the room. “Hey, you guys can chill in here until we call you guys, alright?” he informs.

“Okay, thank you!” Renjun responds back, and Taeyong makes his exit.

Since there was quite a lot of time left, you and Renjun decide to bathe, then meet back in the staff lounge. He’s done before you are, so by the time you emerge, towelling your wet hair, he’s already in his sleeping bag, scrolling through his phone. However, he looks up the moment you walk in. “You look pretty in that,” he says, and you realise that he’s complimenting your pink and white pyjamas set.

“Thank you,” you respond, and you’re sure your cheeks are just as pink as the pyjama blouse you’re donning. “What are you looking at?” you ask, rolling out your own sleeping bag and settling down next to him.

Renjun shrugs. “Just photos of our friend group,” he answers. “You can come take a look too”.

He tilts his phone towards you, and continues swiping through photos on his phone. You’re surprised to see that you were in quite a number of the photos. Though two of you had been in the same friend group for all the time you’d been working at the zoo, you thought that Renjun would have zero photos of you as he’d delete them all. Knowing that he didn’t detest you to the point of erasing all of your photos from his photo album warmed your heart a little, as petty as that would sound.

“Wait, oh my gosh, this one’s hilarious!” Renjun laughs, finger stopping over a particular photo, and you sit up a little straighter to have a better view of the photo. It showed a person in a tiger onesie, curled up on the ground. A net was thrown over the figure, while the vets and several zookeepers – you recognised them to be Sicheng, Kun, Mark, and Jeno – poked and prodded at the figure on the ground.

Recognising the photo, you burst into laughter as well. The photo had been taken during the emergency response drill Sicheng had put all the staff through one day without warning, designed to prepare everyone for dangerous animal escapes. The drill consisted of a zookeeper – you remember that it was Yangyang – running around in a tiger costume, pretending to hurt other staff. Meanwhile, the staff on the emergency response team – namely the vets, Sicheng, Kun, Mark and Jeno had jumped into action, pretended to tranquilise the “tiger” and check that he was completely out before wrapping Yangyang in a net. The rest of you had been tasked with rounding up visitors and evacuating them to either the cafeteria, visitor information centre or one of the activity centres to hide while the emergency response team neutralised the threat. You’d been lucky enough to get a front seat view of the whole thing, having brought the visitors to the visitor information centre, where all of you watched the whole thing from behind the transparent glass doors, agog with curiosity.

“I remember this! Everyone thought it was so funny. Shotaro was in the visitor information centre with me, and he couldn’t stop giggling!” You recall, remembering the number of times you’d had to shush both him and yourself, since you were trying very hard not to burst into laughter yourself.

“Same. Chenle was in the cafeteria with me, and gosh, he wouldn’t stop laughing,” Renjun recounts, looking at you with an expression of disbelief on his face. “I was so done with him”.

As you both continue looking through the photos, you continue to talk about the various memories behind all of them – some happy, others wholesome, and others plain hilarious and nonsensical.

“Honestly, how did we end up hating each other so much in the first place?" Renjun suddenly asks, stopping you in your tracks as you turn to look at him with a stunned expression. “No, I’m serious. What drove us so far apart in the first place?”

The question he’d just asked was a loaded one – one that could possibly bring up many sour memories, and ruin the good relationship between both of you if not answered tactfully. You hesitated, not sure if you wanted to talk about it now.

However, you also knew that if you both didn’t sort out whatever had driven a wedge between both of you in the first place, you’d both never truly be able to be friends. Plus, this was pretty much the only time both of you would be alone together. Bracing yourself for the uncomfortable conversation that was to follow, you suck in a deep breath and answer him. "It was the moat incident, wasn't it? The one that happened the first day I arrived?"

"Oh yeah!" A look of realisation comes onto Renjun’s face at your answer. “That one where we both fell in. Now that I think about it, that was so terribly ridiculous,” he chuckles.

"Can't believe we ended up hating each other just because of one fall into the moat," you answer, giggling yourself. What Renjun had said was right – it truly was absurd and silly how you’d both allowed one small incident to ruin what could possibly have been many months of a positive, memorable relationship between you both.

A hush falls over Renjun, and he stops laughing. "Actually…there's more to it,” he whispers, so quiet that you almost don’t hear him.

"What do you mean?" you ask, genuinely curious now. What else could there be to it?

"It's just…oh my gosh, this is so embarrassing to admit. It's my fault that we hated each other,” Renjun groans, burying his face behind his hands.

"I'm sorry what?" You ask gently, totally bemused now. “Could you explain further? I really don’t get what you mean”.

“Alright, here goes,” Renjun groans, removing his palms from his face and taking a huge breath. “When you first joined, I saw you and thought you were really beautiful. Like, not just outside, inside too. I saw how sweet you were with every other zookeeper, being so willing to help all of them although you'd just joined, and it really amazed me. Honest! I began reflecting on myself when I saw how you gladly assisted all of the staff that needed help to the best of your abilities. Then when you came to help me clean the spider monkey exhibit, I tried to approach you and make conversation. I got terribly nervous, and ended up tripping, though,” he explains, recounting the events of that fateful day.

"Oh yeah, I remember! You pulled me in too,” you reply, patiently waiting for Renjun to continue.

"Yeah, I panicked! I was already feeling embarrassed after falling into the moat in front of you, and the realisation that I'd pulled you in by accident as well only served to increase it. I should have just recovered, apologised, helped you and then introduced myself properly, but I lashed out. I guess ever since then, we've just been horrible to each other. I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have lashed out at you like that," he concludes sheepishly, scratching his head.

The memories of that day came rushing back to you again, and you tried to put yourself in his shoes. Imagine tripping in front of your crush and taking a huge splash into a pool of water – yep, definitely mortifying. Your heart began to ache with sympathy for the boy beside you, realising how humiliated he must have felt then. "No, it's alright. That happened so long ago! I'm sorry, I snapped at you too,” you reassure, adding in the apology that he deserved too.

"If only we didn't let something so trivial drive such a wedge in between us. Maybe we wouldn't have had such a sour relationship for so long,” Renjun sighs, staring at the ceiling with a wistful look in his eyes.

"Yeah…to be honest, I was really nervous to talk to you too. When preparing the koalas’ breakfast, Jaemin and Jisung couldn’t stop talking about you! They kept talking about how you were such a great friend to be around, and how they admired your sense of responsibility, and how funny the jokes you told were – Jaemin even thought we’d get along great!” You felt that Renjun deserved to know your side of the story as well, so you spilled the beans.

“That didn’t turn out too well, did it?” Renjun replies, chuckling in response. “We literally acted like bears with sore heads around each other after we met.

“Also…I thought you were striking too. My heart stopped when I walked into the spider monkey enclosure for the first time that day!" you exclaim. “It was quite a shock when you pulled me into the moat, and then proceeded to yell at me. To have such things happen on the first day of work was really embarrassing, and I took my frustration out on you too,” you practically rap out your explanation and look away, feeling your cheeks heat up again.

Renjun chortles in response to what you said, but the faraway look in his eyes told you that there was something more he had to say. You pause, looking at him, waiting for him to say his piece. A few moments later, he breathes in deeply, and opens his mouth to speak again. "...this is really awkward to admit, but I think even during the time we supposedly hated each other, I'd been harbouring a crush on you. I just thought that too much damage had been done to fix anything, so it would be pointless to try,” he sighs, and you hear the regret in his voice.

You pause, taking what Renjun had just told you in disbelief. It had definitely taken him lots of bravery to say that to you, and you decided that since he’d been brave, you should be too. You take a while to consider your next words carefully. “It’s not, Renjun. I do believe part of me has always liked you more than I wanted to admit,” you respond softly, smiling as said boy turns to face you, mouth agape. “It just became way more obvious to me after we began getting along much better, you know?"

A sliver of a smile forms on Renjun’s lips, and it gradually grows, until he’s smiling from ear to ear. "If that's the case, let's go on a date some time…?” he suggests, his tone slightly timid. “I mean, we shouldn’t rush things due to how we used to have so much bad blood between us, but if you want to give things a try, we could”.

You were now smiling so widely that your cheeks ached, but the euphoria that blossomed in your heart outweighed the mild ache in your cheeks. "Of course!" you exclaim, taking his hands in yours and looking at him, taking in the way his eyes sparkled with jubilance, and the adorable snaggletooth peeking out from between his lips as he smiled. “Gosh, they’re gonna tease us so much when they find out about this,” you chuckle.

Renjun shrugs, way too elated to think about it. “Who cares. We’ve got each other,” he says, drawing circles on the back of your hand with his thumb.

Time seems to freeze in place, as both of you continue to stare into each other’s eyes. However, you don’t know what force possesses you to do so – you grab both his cheeks and hug his mouth with your own. Initially, Renjun’s eyes widen in shock, but he soon reciprocates as well, and when you pull away, you’re stunned to see that his eyes are full of lust. He walks up and shuts the door with a resolute “bam”, and quickly returns to you, pulling you out of your sleeping bag.

“Tell me to stop.” He demands, looking straight into your eyes.

“What?”

“Tell me to stop right now.” He takes a step forward, his eyes full to the brim with lust and his hands shaking with how much he’s holding himself together. You’ve barely been in the room for a minute, but your clothes are already sticking to you from the intense heat.

“I don’t understand,” You reply back as he keeps moving toward you. You take small steps back in return, “I don’t know what I’m stopping you from.” Half of you is playing dumb right now; you know what Renjun wants from you just by the look in his eyes. The other half just wants to hear him say it himself.

“I’ll fuck you the way you deserve. Right here, right now.” Renjun’s voice is too angelic to say such nasty words, but he growls them out like he’s a tainted angel. You’re pressed against the cement wall of the room now, Renjun just a step away. You lean into him slightly.

“Do it.”

It’s all the permission Renjun needs to feverishly connect his lips to yours once more.

The action is so sudden, you don’t remember how Renjun got close to you so quickly. Despite his forcefulness before, his lips melt into you like chocolate melting over a fire, so hot and delicious that you just want more. His hands hold the sides of your face, pushing back your hair and his body pushing you back into the wall.

He sucks on your bottom lip, softly biting afterwards and making you let out a whimper, and then a moan when his thigh pushes between your legs and further presses you against the wall. Amidst the kissing, you pull his pyjama top off and break the kiss while you’re at it.

“I’ve been thinking about you since….” Renjun hums at the thought, his hand sliding up your bare thighs and under your nightgown, then he grips your ass and brings your core down onto his thigh, the friction enough to have you letting out a strangled moan.

“Since the day I first saw you.” He finally whispers and connects your lips once again. His hand on your ass doesn’t move, his other hand is placed on your waist as he helps you ride the rough material of his pants. Renjun can only watch your reactions; the way your head lolls back into the wall and your eyes screw shut, holding onto Renjun’s shoulders tight enough he’s sure there will be marks afterwards.

“Fuck— Renjun, don’t stop, please.” He’s mesmerized, absolutely addicted to how you look and sound right now, and it’s all because of him. The thought spurs him along, he removes your jacket and you blindly help him in removing your top and bra. You must look like a mess right now, especially since you’re coming close to your climax just by Renjun’s touch and his thigh. Not to mention the sweat dripping down both of you, a glistening sheen coating your skin that makes Renjun let out a low growl before he leans down and takes one of your nipples in his mouth.

He sucks and swirls his tongue, and you can’t help but moan his name again, digging your fingers into his blonde hair and tugging. Renjun moves from your chest downward, not letting an inch of your stomach and hips go past him without a kiss and a nibble, leaving you breathing heavily. He makes his way down to his knees and folds your nightgown up, glancing at you from his position.

“You don’t wear anything under here except your panties?” You nod, your head stuttering as Renjun applies pressure with his thumb over your slick hole, a wet spot already there to greet him.

“You’re so fucking dirty, baby.” He groans and leans in to swipe his tongue over your center making you shake as a response. He slides your underwear down and throws it somewhere to the side, catching the sigh of your arousal dripping down your thigh. His intense stare makes you shake him, embarrassment crawling over you at how he’s not reacting.

“Are you shy?” You whine, not really answering his question. “You don’t need to be. You’re beautiful.” The softness from his voice contradicts his more dominating tone from before, but you don’t have time to think about it before he dives in. You sigh in content when the pressure in between your hips caused by Renjun turns into pure pleasure. His tongue laps at your essence and his lips suck on your clit, you can tell he’s trying to find what exactly will make you tick.

When Renjun slides a finger into your hole unexpectedly, you jump and whimper a bit but the feeling of him sliding in and out along with his tongue circling and sucking on your clit makes a knot form in the pit of your stomach, tightening up your muscles and making your eyes roll back.

“Right there. Oh my god, right there…” You keep repeating, praying that Renjun treats you good and let’s you come. He adds another finger and you gasp, starting to move your hips in rhythm to his hand, holding onto his shoulders for more stability. He glances up at you, watching your eyes screw shut and your tits bounce as you use his hand to get yourself off. Renjun hums against you, and you can almost feel the ecstasy of coming undone, until Renjun pulls away. You groan, feeling like crying when your orgasm fades.

“Hey..” You whine, pouting when Renjun stands back up and licks your juices off of his lips. He has some on his chin and you bring your hand up to wipe it away, Renjun stopping your hand and kissing the wetness away, then kissing up your arm and to your shoulder, up your neck and to your ear. He tugs at your earlobe, licking the skin under it and biting some more, his hands sliding up your waist at playing with your nipples, pinching a little to get whimpers out of you and making your hips buck up, ready to continue where Renjun left you at.

That’s when you feel the hardness in his pants; it must be painful. That’s why you understand his next words, whispered into the shell of your ear between kisses: “You’re not coming until I’m in you, got it?”

You nod quickly, attaching your hands to Renjun’s zipper and button, undoing them and sliding down his pants.

“But, you’re gonna need to do something for me…” He says, helping you pull down his boxers, watching his angry, red length swing out. You gasp, feeling a bit bad that you just left Renjun like this to eat you out, but you’re sure you can make up to him now.

“What is it? I’ll do it.” Your hands run over Renjun’s sweaty shoulders, moving away some longer hair in the back of his head that’s sticking against his neck.

“You’re gonna have to yell my name. I need you to let everyone know who’s doing this to you— who’s making you feel good, okay?” Your breath gets caught in your throat as the words tumble out of his lips. He tilts his voice higher at the end of every phrase to make him sound innocent, but you’re not fooled.

“There’s people outside…” You mumble back, sending a glance at the door. You know the vets are still around – they’re probably at the panda enclosure, but they could still hear if you were unlucky. What will they think if they hear you screaming Renjun’s name? Not to talk about what will happen to your job.

Those thoughts melt away when Renjun’s dick slides between your folds slowly, making you turn your gaze back to him and hold on tight as he lubricates himself over your wetness, holding onto your hips so that you don’t move and take anymore than what he’s giving you.

“That’s exactly why I want you to scream. Can you do that for me?” He asks and you nod frantically, doing almost anything to get his dick inside you. You’re not sure what’s going to happen once you step out of this room, but at least you know Renjun is going to give you the best fuck you’ve had in a while, and you know it’ll be worth it for what’s to come after all this.

“Finally…” You moan when Renjun’s length disappears into you inch by inch, going slow as to not hurt you. He sucks in a breath through his teeth as he bottoms out, picking up your thigh to hang it over his hip and wrapping his other arm around your waist to keep you close. You hold onto him, adjusting as he kisses your lips sweetly and carefully, and waits to move his throbbing cock through your velvety walls.

“Go, Renjun, move….” You whisper, and he looks at you confused.

“What was that? I didn’t hear you.” He asks, cocking his head.

“Please, move.” You say louder, but he shakes his head and purses his lips as if he still can’t understand.

“I said, fuck me, Renjun. Please, can you fuck me already?” You all but scream out, your voice almost cracking at how whiny you sound. No doubt, if someone passed by outside they would’ve heard you. The thought makes you tense up, but it feels so good to be able to yell out what you want.

“Your wish, baby.” Renjun mutters before he starts rocking into you. You both groan at the sensation, Renjun’s hips speeding up as he gains more momentum. His lips don’t leave yours, kissing you into oblivion while his dick stuffs you. He has you against the wall, his hips powering away and you don’t dare to disturb him, realizing he’s burning all of his anger away as well.

“Yes, Renjun, fuck me just like that…’’ You moan loudly to spur him on, now not really caring about who’s outside or who hears you, just wanting Renjun to know you love how rough he’s going. He presses you higher up the wall and pulls your legs apart more, hitting a new angle that literally makes you scream out, tears mixing with the sweat on your face as he relentlessly pumps into you.

There are so many things going on at the same time. Your hard nipples and soft breasts rubbing against Renjun’s chest, making goosebumps rise on his arms. Your hot and sweaty bodies are basically sliding against each other. The clapping of his hips against yours no doubt attracts attention from outside along with your screams and Renjun’s grunts continuously get louder as you both get closer to the climax.

“I’m gonna come… Renjun, come in me…” You’re already fucked out, the words barely leaving your lips coherently, but Renjun understands and moves his finger down to find your clit, circling his thumb fast and steady, just like everything else he’s doing.

“C’mon come on my cock, babe. Let it out, I wanna hear it.” And just like that, you unwind and scream his name as your orgasm washes over and takes control, making you claw onto any part of Renjun that you can reach. Renjun feels your walls deliciously convulse around him and with a few more sloppy thrusts, he comes into you and fills you up, staying wrapped up in you as you both calm down.

Renjun presses small kisses wherever he feels like as your breathing settles down, his softness and the caring way he rubs at your sides and hips where he was holding so hard that you’re sure to have bruises makes you smile hazily.

“y/n… I don’t regret any of this.” He whispers into your skin, leaning back to look at you properly. “Do you?”

“No.” You answer truthfully, making his eyes shine and you both smile dumbly, your sticking bodies relaxing. “That sure was...wild,” you breathe out.

“It sure was”. Renjun agrees from beside you.

The happy moment doesn’t last long before there’s a knock on the door to the room. You and Renjun stiffen up as you glance at the door, waiting for whoever it is to announce themselves.

“Hey, Jing Jing’s going into labour,” Taeil’s voice announces. “Come quick!”

Both you and Renjun let out a collective gasp, then hurriedly rush to quickly clean up before you go to the panda enclosure.

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

It takes about two more hours, but soon you’re looking adoringly at a newborn panda cub. The vets get busy monitoring Jing Jing’s vitals, and checking on the cub.

“So, any name suggestions?” Xiaojun asks, smiling at the both of you.

Renjun and you look at each other. “What’s the gender of it?” you ask. That was a key piece of information to know before choosing a name for any animal.

“We won’t be able to check until about six weeks later,” Xiaojun informs both of you, laughing at the way your faces fell. “It’s alright! You can think of potential names, and then name the panda when we find out its gender,” he says, consoling both of you.

As quick as your eyes held this downcast expression, they lit up again. “Renjun! Let’s go think of names for the cub!” you exclaim, tugging on his sleeve.

Renjun laughs, seeing the thrill on your face. “Maybe a bit later? I want to stay here a bit longer. The cub’s so cute,” he says, unable to take his eyes off the tiny cub. It’s now suckling from its mother, as Jing Jing licks it between the ears.

You couldn’t deny it – the cub was absolutely adorable, and you wouldn’t mind staying to observe it a little longer. “Sure thing!” you agree, plopping down beside him to observe the mother and child.

Renjun turns to you, an affectionate smile on his face. “I’m so glad we got to take care of this bunch of animals together. I couldn’t have done it without you,” he whispers.

Who knew that all it’d take to find true love was to bear with the one you’d once swore was your worst enemy – and a family of black and white bears and some red pandas. You return his loving smile, knowing that what he said was completely true. “Me too,” you whisper, holding on to his hand as you both sit beside each other hand in hand, watching the pandas fondly.

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