#i guess i feel like complimenting is often a big deal in a sport like this

[skitskatdacat63]

happy vettonso day!!!! I am smooching you back (also I imagine this must be similar to the ref you made that won't see the light of day)

and never apologize for rambling in tags!! I love them every time!! you are so right, fernando's answer is so much more loaded and he gives the game away in the process 😭 seb is so sure of himself, he just speaks his insane mind. COMPLETE? so...he's all you need then? 😏 heh! he was sooooo proud of that answer too.

fernando is obsessed with winning the encounter (I just counted, it took him 6 whole seconds to respond lmao) and seb's just like ??? could you just be for real for once 😒...but also maybe be my friend 🥺??? hahaha. thank you for peddling them, I love them so much

Happy (late) Vettonso day to you again!!!(also yes you are right, it is similar LOL. I'd post it but it makes me feel like a Larry shipper.)

You put it so well!! It's just such a key difference in them. Lmao I am about to read into this so hard, I'm normal I swear. I'm sure they both had answers instantly, but have completely different approachs. Seb, as you said, is so sure of himself! He lays all of his cards out instantly because it really is not that deep to him. Complimenting Fernando this one time is not going to have any negative affect, and he does not really see it as a game. The way he says it so quick, in addition to it already being a pretty good compliment, makes it more meaningful. It feels so honest, and like you said, is a friendly gesture. Maybe Fernando will be genuine too if Seb extends the olive branch?

Meanwhile Fernando has to think about it for six seconds, and you would think that time allowance would make his compliment more meaningful but NOPE. As you said, he has to win, but instead imo he comes off looking worse. You can just read into his answer so much more. Does he genuinely think Seb is fast? Did he want to say something else? Would that something else be more negative or more positive? Also "fast" is such a loaded answer imo in this sport; like it seems like such a non-answer at first. He had to think for six seconds, and imo was trying to think of an answer that would both: not compliment Seb too hard but not look like he's not trying(because he wants to win y'know.) But then it ends up with him basically bitterly admitting Seb is genuine compeition to him. I think if he didn't feel threatened by Seb, he would've answered instantly. He tries to keep his cards to his chest, but it's like he tripped and they all fell onto the floor face-up in front of him.

Fernando is NOT winning the idgaf war. I just find it funny that both of them are pretty terrible hiding their true emotion, but the way Fernando goes about it makes it explode in his face. So in his attempt to win the interaction at any cost, he just trips and lets Seb win by being too much a tryhard LOL. But I really love it about both of them. Seb isn't afraid to compliment and as I said, Fernando's avoidance in itself is a compliment(bcs it shows he sees Seb as a legitimate contender.) Your tag about Seb being passive agressive saying "Oh." is so real haha. He does not understand Fernando's evasiveness at all bcs this is really no big deal. And meanwhile Fernando doesn't understand Seb's openess at all; doesn't he understand the game??? Why isn't he playing along???

[traveler-at-heart]

Game, Set, Match

Summary: Natasha Romanoff is a professional tennis player, struggling to go back to the top and win the US Open. Reluctant at first, she allows a sports journalist into her life... and a bit more.

Natasha Romanoff x Fem!R - Ya know it, fluffy af.

A/N: I love tennis and this was basically written for me. But @canvascoloredin is also a fan and thought, ok well, let's post it, maybe someone else will enjoy :)

“Thirty all”

She’s catching up, do something.

“Forty, thirty”

“Deuce”

“Come on, Natasha” her sister yells from the box.

Advantage, Romanoff.

Game, set, match. Natasha Romanoff.

Everything that happens after is a blur. Natasha feels like she just played the final, but in reality, it’s just the first round.

“Way to go, darling” her mother compliments when she’s back in the locker rooms, but Fury is quickly behind, not holding back.

“Three sets against an amateur and you won because she got nervous and got a double fault. That’s not good” 

“I beat her, didn’t I?” Natasha averts her eyes, putting on her jacket to go to the press room.

“Barely” her trainer mumbles. 

Natasha’s heart beats fast as she sits in front of all the journalists. They were warned about the questions they could ask, but still. Natasha feels all eyes on her, judging her reaction and demeanor.

“Did you worry about losing control at the start of the third set?” a man in the front row asks.

“It was the defining moment of the game, so I felt like I had to push myself harder and control the rhythm of the match. Which obviously happened”

“How was it to go back after your break? Unlike other players, you didn’t participate in any tournaments between Wimbledon and this”

“I’ve been playing tennis all my life, really, so it doesn’t feel like a big deal to me. Just because I wasn’t playing to win titles doesn’t mean I didn’t train” 

Natasha hears Fury cough and has to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

Control your temper, he’s trying to say.

Well, maybe they shouldn’t ask stupid questions.

--

You’re sitting in the middle of the press room, eyes trained on Natasha. She’s looking anywhere but you. 

I guess this means she read my column.

The conference is coming to an end, so you raise your hand and the assistant points at you.

“We have time for one more” he concedes.

“That’s enough for today” Natasha shuts it down before you can ask. 

Yeah, she definitely read the article.

Natasha can’t wait to get out of there, thanking the press before sprinting out of the room. You consider following her, but a text from your boss stops you.

Go to LA Stadium, Wanda Maximoff just bageled some poor girl.

With a bit of luck, you’ll get an exclusive with Wanda.

--

The biggest crime of Shostakov

It was a Tuesday afternoon, well into the second week of Wimbledon, when the news broke out. Alexei Shostakov, retired tennis player, was arrested for fraud and tax evasion. While in custody, it was discovered Shostakov was in possession of drugs.

The famous Red Guardian, who once had won on that very same club, was now dragged away in a patrol car, stripped of his days of glory. For people who are well versed in the history of tennis, this doesn’t come as a complete shock. Shostakov was a notorious trouble maker, often breaking rackets, ripping his shirts open and getting expelled from a total of 15 matches during the entire run of his career.

No one seemed more affected by the news than his protegee and adoptive daughter, Natasha Romanoff. The favorite to win the world’s most important Grand Slam retired amid the breaking news. As a result, Wanda Maximoff’s path to the trophy was an easy one, taking the number 1 from Romanoff while she was at it.

If her career depends on Alexei’s ability to get back on his feet, Natasha Romanoff should retire now.

In her best form, Romanoff is stealthy, precise and absolutely lethal. Her movements reminisce those of a ballerina; one that gracefully dances across the court -doesn’t matter if it’s grass, clay or hard- to deliver blow after blow of brilliance. Natasha has raw talent, pure heart and an unbreakable spirit.

The biggest crime of Shostakov, is that he’s in the way of her greatness. Maybe it’s his ego or a compulsion to attach himself to a woman who has the capacity to break every record from the Open Era.

Whatever the reason, it’s clear she’s better off without him. For those of us who love this sport, and want Natasha to be the champion she was meant to be, this is an unique opportunity to watch her finally emerge from the shadows of the overbearing man.

The proverbial ball is in Romanoff’s court. In all her brilliance, the one thing Natasha rarely does is take risks.

It’s never too late to start.

--

“We’re finishing the second day of the US Open and we have some major upsets. Carol Danvers, number 3 in the world and only American in the top ten lost to Brit Peggy Carter” you say, holding the mic and looking at the camera.

“I understand there was some excitement on the man’s singles” you hear Maria say on your earpiece and you nod.

“Queens had a face off with Brooklyn today. Bucky Barnes defeated amateur Peter Parker, but get this! They played five sets, and Peter won every tiebreak. So it seems like we have some exciting new talent”

“We’ll keep an eye on him, for sure. Thanks for the report, Y/N!”

“A pleasure as usual, Maria. Greetings to everyone back on the studio” 

“And cut” Darcy, your producer says. You remove the earpiece and hand over the mic. As you turn around, you spot Natasha training. It’s obvious you’re staring when Darcy speaks.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, you know? You wrote what a lot of people were thinking”

“Well, seems like she doesn’t wanna hear it”

“It’s fine. I mean, it would be better if we could get a quote from her or an interview but if she hates you that much we can get someone else to do it”

“Or, I could go and try to talk to her?”

“So you have a death wish!”

“Didn’t you just say I did nothing wrong?”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean she’ll listen. I am also legally obligated to tell you that your health insurance doesn’t cover injuries caused by tennis balls. Or rackets”

“Very funny”

--

“Relax your wrist” Fury instructs once again and Natasha ignores him, as usual.

She hates the press, the interviews, the hoops she has to jump through just so she can play tennis. 

None of it is optional and she has to follow the rules, something Natasha is particularly bad at.

“If you want to move to the next round you’re gonna have to listen to me”

Does she really want to move to the next round? Is there a point to all of this? She had lost her number one ranking and people were focusing more on her private life than her career.

Fury spots you across the court and smiles. 

You nod your head towards the man and he sighs, defeated.

“Can you talk some sense into her?” 

“Can anyone?” you say and he pats you on the back, leaving the court. The sun is setting and people are going home, ready to return tomorrow to watch the next round of players. You greet Natasha but she ignores you.

“You owe me a question” you try to joke, as she keeps hitting the ball so hard you think her racket will break in half. 

“I know who you are and I’m not talking to you” 

She looks hot when she’s pissed.

You push those thoughts away.

“Natasha”

“No, you and I are not on a first name basis. Not after you wrote all that crap about me without knowing me” 

“I only spoke the truth” 

“That my career is doomed and I should retire?” she finally stops throwing balls across the court and turns to look at you.

“Oh, my God! You didn’t even read it, did you?”

“I don’t need to. I know what everyone's been saying ever since Alexei was arrested. I know he was unconventional, but he was my trainer. He was beside me through the good and bad” 

“I get it, ok? He’s your family. And your trainer. That’s never easy and I understand how it can be hard to see things objectively. But,  Natasha, you are great in spite of him, not because of him”

That makes her pause.

“Nick Fury came out of retirement to train you. That’s how talented you are!”

The redhead serves a couple of times, staying completely silent.

“I’m not talking to you” she reminds you. 

“You’re the best player out there, Natasha. And right now you’re the only thing getting in the way of your success” 

--

Morning comes and so does the next match. Natasha is looking out the window of the suite, as people come and go around the busy streets of the tennis center.

Fury steps in, immediately aware of her nervous energy. If he asks if she’s ready, she’ll probably rip his head off. So, talking about something different might be the way to go.

“Her father was also a sports journalist,” he says, pouring himself a glass of orange juice.

“Who?” 

“Y/N. Richard was a single parent, so he’d always bring her to the games, even as a baby. She behaved better than most people too” 

“Is he retired?” 

“Nope. Cancer. Four years ago” Fury sits in front of Natasha. “Didn’t expect her to follow his steps, but that girl really knows sports. She’s working with the local station, and also writes for Sports Illustrated”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Never hurts to have a couple of friends around,” he says, sipping from his glass.

“I’m not good at making friends” Natasha looks away.

“Yeah, I know. You’re good at tennis, so…” the man checks his watch and stands up. “Let’s kick some ass”

--

Natasha has to face Kate Bishop, currently ranked 24. Her game is the opposite of aggressive, but she’s famous for her impeccable aim. Natasha has to control the game from the start if she wants to win.

She serves first, and as she bounces the ball, preparing her stance, Fury’s words echo in her head. All the advice he has given her for the past months, advice that she has consistently ignored.

Then, as she throws the ball, her eyes meet yours. You’re sitting in the front row, leaning forward. 

In a split second, she makes a decision.

Natasha is ready to take risks.

She aims for the corner of the service box, hoping it will fall inside. Kate lunges forward, shocked at the speed of the ball.

“Ace” the umpire announces. “Fifteen love” 

Natasha sees you clapping and can hear Fury shouting “That’s it, you can do this, Romanoff”

And boy, does she deliver. Kate is running across the court. Natasha’s unforced errors are incredibly low. While the crowd usually loves long games, the redhead is a legend and they’re excited to see her prowess first hand. 

The game ends in 47 minutes, 6-3, 6-2.

Kate approaches the net and shakes Natasha’s hand.

“That was… incredible, Romanoff”

“Thank you, Kate” 

The kind words and the genuine admiration make Natasha relax instantly.

Of course, the crowd goes wild as the redhead lifts her arms, clapping and waving. 

She’s in such a good mood that she decides she’ll finally take your question. But as she enters the press room, you’re nowhere to be found. 

Still, she chats and even jokes around with the journalists present.

Once again, the entire family celebrates as if Natasha had already won the Grand Slam.

“Seestra, the crowd was going craaaazy, it was like a Taylor Swift concert” Yelena tells her excitedly as they eat. Natasha’s starving, so nervous about today that she didn’t even have breakfast.

They keep chatting, talking about strategy for the next game and wondering who will go against Natasha next. 

“Natalia, your father wants to talk to you” Melina interrupts, holding her phone.

“Why?” Natasha snaps, going back to her stoic self.

“He wants to congratulate you,” the woman insists.

“I’m not in the mood. Excuse me” she stands up, losing her appetite.

Out on the terrace, she watches people passing by, trying to think of anything else but Alexei.

Your words come back to her, and she starts to believe them.

You are great in spite of him.

“Hey, there you are!” you shout from the bottom of the stairs, waving. “Do you have a sec?”

Natasha nods, going down. 

“First of all, wow. Brava”

“You wanted something?” she rolls her eyes, but you notice she blushes lightly.

It’s quite the view, Natasha’s body covered in sweat from the physical exertion, her sculpted arms in full display.

That tennis outfit looks really good on her.

“Oh.. yeah. Do you, uh, have time to meet a fan? She’s a little girl and you’re her favorite player”

“Of course” 

“Awesome, come with me!” you take her by the hand.

Natasha tries to ignore the tingling feeling she gets as she’s dragged around the center. Some people recognise her, but you’re walking fast and they don’t have the chance to stop her for a picture.

“Hey, Ava!” you greet the little girl, who’s holding a big tennis ball and a black marker. “Natasha, meet Ava. She’s your number one fan” 

“Hi,” the girl says shyly. She’s about nine, her mother standing next to her and smiling.

“Hi, Ava. It’s so nice to meet you” Natasha greets. “How are you liking the tournament so far?” 

“Uh, it was great, and you were so awesome today!”

“Thank you, I really appreciate it. Would you like me to sign that?”

“Yes, please!” her arms shoot forward, anxiously. 

“What other players would you like to meet?” Natasha says, as she signs the ball.

“Maybe Peter Parker… We met Carol Danvers, Bucky Barnes and also, Wanda”

Yeah, Natasha didn’t miss the way Maximoff signed the ball. 

From the number 1 player to the number 1 fan. 

So pretentious.

“That’s nice,” Natasha says, handing the ball back.

“Alright, let’s take a picture” you pull out your phone. Natasha kneels to be closer to Ava, and then places her tennis hat on the girl’s head.

“You can have it” Natasha smiles and is surprised when she gets a very enthusiastic hug. Her mother has to practically drag her away from where you’re standing, Ava turning around every couple of steps to wave at Natasha.

“Thank you, Nat,” you say, smiling.

“It’s not a problem. I didn’t see you in today’s press conference”

“That’s because it’s my day off” you say, surprised that she noticed your absence.

“What about that thing?” she points at the badge hanging from your neck that reads Press.

“That’s how I get in for free, duh” 

“Sneaky” 

“I can be” you shrug your shoulders and then turn back to your phone. “Hey, so can I send this to your PR team for them to post it?” 

“You don’t have to” 

“Fine, I’ll post it on my feed and tag you. Alright, gotta go. Have to cheer for Bucky” you say, taking her hand one last time. “Once again, thank you. And congrats. You were fantastic”

“I owe you a question” she calls when you’re walking away.

“I’m saving it for when you win the championship” you wink and she smiles, scratching the side of her neck nervously.

Later that day, her phone is blasting with notifications.

“Almost one million likes, Natasha” Yelena shows her the picture you uploaded of her and Ava.

“Is that good or bad?” the redhead shrugs her shoulders and her sister rolls her eyes.

“You’re so uncool!” 

However, she knows enough about Instagram to find your profile, going through your feed. Most of the pictures are from different games, some hangout with friends, the most frequent ones being Barnes and a pro that plays for the Yankees, Sam Wilson.

She’s about to close the app when two things that are equally horrible happen.

First, she likes one of your pictures from two years ago.

Second, she gets a message.

OfficialWandaMaximoff: Congrats on your win today <3

--

Bucky just lost the second set and is down on the third one. You keep refreshing the feed as you wait next to other journalists for Wanda Maximoff. 

Of course she’s in the quarter finals, that’s hardly a shock. Everyone’s waiting for her to face Natasha in the finals. When it happens, you’re obviously rooting for Nat.

Speaking of which…

@SportsBrooklyn: Good luck tomorrow! 

@NatashaROfficial followed you back

@NatashaROfficial: Do you only use Instagram or can you text like a normal person?

@SportsBrooklyn: Oh, right, text you to the number I don’t have!

Wanda walks in that moment and you lock your phone. Her auburn hair is tied in a high ponytail, and she changed to her signature red windbreaker and black pants.

You’re busy taking notes when your phone pings again. To your surprise, Natasha actually gave you her phone number.

@NatashaROfficial: If you share it with anyone else I’ll choke you

@SportsBrooklyn: Kinky ;)

The press conference ends and you practically sprint out to see if you can catch the rest of Bucky’s game.

You have to settle for the screens on the Champions Bar, comforted by the fact that Bucky seems to be ahead on the third set. As soon as he wins it, you stand up, knowing the break is the perfect time to slip into the player’s box.

“I’m so sorry” you say as you crash into none other than Wanda Maximoff. She grabs your arm to steady herself, smiling to ease you.

“That’s alright. You’re in a hurry?” she says, turning at the screen. 

“A bit, yeah” 

“I wish someone as cute as you was rooting for me” she smiles, placing a strand of hair behind her ear. She’s flirting? Oh boy. “I noticed you looking at your phone during the press conference. Barnes is a lucky guy” 

“Oh, we’re not…” 

“Here I was thinking he was smarter than that”

There’s a sense of urgency to go before the break is over, but you’re also completely confused. Why is Wanda Maximoff taking an interest in a local reporter? You’re vaguely aware that her eyes drift somewhere behind you from time to time, but before you can turn and have a look, she pulls your press badge and smiles.

“If you ever want an exclusive, just let me know, Y/N…” she reads the name from your press badge and walks away, leaving you completely confused.

--

Natasha watches the entire interaction from her small table. She needed a break so she decided to put on a hat and glasses, to get a drink without being recognised.

Wanda was all over you, giggling and looking Natasha’s way as much as she could, to let her know this was entirely to upset her.

All Natasha wanted to do was stand up and take you away from Wanda. You were too good for someone like Maximoff.

Wanda thought she was making Natasha jealous. 

She was right, but not in the way she would have wanted to.

--

“Maybe it’s time I retire” 

“You’re 28” 

“Might as well be 100 in tennis years” 

“Buck” you nudge him.

You’re looking out the Brooklyn Bridge, trying to cheer up your best friend after losing in the round of 16.

“You won the Australian Open this year” 

“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. See? I’m senile” he mumbles, still grumpy.

“You did great, and you’re still in the top five, Grumpa. Ha! See what I did there?” he rolls his eyes and you smile, pulling him back to the street. “Come on, Sam is waiting for us to have some lunch” 

“Ok, but it’s on you because I’ll be broke once I retire” 

“Yeah, yeah” you roll your eyes, looping your arms together and dragging him to your favorite dinner. Sam’s already there, chatting around with everyone that recognises him.

All eyes turn to you as he stands up and practically shouts.

“How’s my favorite girl?” Sam greets you and then slaps Bucky’s shoulder. “Don’t make that face, man. You won the aussie one”

“That’s what I told him” 

Bucky takes his jacket off and orders a beer as soon as the waiter approaches you; even if it’s only noon, you let it slide.

You get a text from Darcy, asking if you’re watching the game.

Your mind instantly goes to Natasha. Did she lose? No, that can’t be. She was playing against Van Dyne, who was only there because of a wild card. You turn to one of the screens and ask the waiter to change the channel. 

“She’s winning” you say, still not understanding what Darcy meant.

“Why does she look so upset, then?” Sam points out.

Natasha is arguing with the umpire. You recognise him immediately.

“I hate that guy,” Bucky says, echoing your thoughts.

“Jarvis… something. Stone?” 

“Yeah, a total asshole. Wouldn’t give me a point I clearly won on Wimbledon because the other player was also a Brit” 

The argument ends and she keeps playing. Her forehand is killer today.

“Wow” Bucky says at the same time as you gasp.

“Man, I feel so dumb right now” Sam is looking between both of you, not knowing what caused your reaction.

“Just now? It’s more like, always” Bucky teases and Sam glares. He rolls his eyes and points at the screen. “Van Dyne hit after a double bounce. That’s not allowed. But Stone clearly doesn’t give a shit. He’s giving her the point”

“Natasha stopped playing because she saw it. He claims he didn’t so in his mind, she lost this one” you keep explaining.

“If Hope had a little bit of integrity, she’d concede the point or play it again”

“Well, she’s losing so she’ll take all the help she can get” you say. 

Natasha’s rage fuels her after this and she ends up winning, the second set a devastating 6-0.

However, the two men on the screen are being unsurprisingly critical of her. Your stomach turns when you hear the words “emotional” and “aggressive” thrown around.

Even if it’s a long shot, you try calling her. Phone’s off.

If you’re lucky, you’ll manage to see her once you get back to the stadium.

--

“Turn it off,” Natasha grumbles. Fury is watching the news in the living room. 

“I wanna see the highlights of other players. Prepare for what’s coming next. If you don’t like it, leave the room” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand.

After the game, Natasha did the mandatory press conference, went back to the lockers, destroyed two rackets, took a shower and then looked out the window for the better part of the day. 

She wasn’t in the mood to do anything and she didn’t want to turn on her phone. The temptation to read what the press and public had to say about her after today’s argument with the umpire was too big.

“Y/N, how are things at the US Open?” Maria Hill says. The screen splits, your image appearing on the right side.

“Exciting names on both sides for the semis. We have Thor against Banner, and T'Challa faces Namor for a spot in the semis. As for the ladies, Maximoff breezed through the match against Jean Gray”

“Well, I understand Romanoff didn’t have it so easy,” Maria says. 

From her seat, Natasha holds her breath. Yelena walks in at that exact moment, watching her sister closely.

“You know, I find it unbelievable that an umpire at the US Open could make such a poor call, not once but twice. First, with the hindrance call against Natasha and then by completely ignoring the double bounce before Van Dyne hit the ball” you say, clearly upset. “We’ve seen time and time again that some umpires are not up to the standards set by Grand Slams. And to my fellow journalists who like to throw around words like emotional, better save that energy for the men that smash their rackets just because they lost a point. As we all saw, Romanoff was in her right to demand fairness and she did it with the utmost respect” 

“Yes, I completely agree with you” Maria nods, clearly regretting even asking about it. “Well, let us chat tomorrow after we have the final for the men” 

“Of course, Maria,” you nod.

Natasha tries really hard, but she can’t help but smile at your words.

Yelena arches her eyebrows.

Well, this is interesting.

--

Natasha refuses to leave her room, arguing she’s not hungry. Melina, Yelena and Fury leave her alone, but the sudden silence becomes too much. There’s no noise to stop her thoughts from spiraling.

With a sigh, she turns on her phone. Two messages come through.

Y/N: Sorry about today. That umpire sucks :( 

Y/N: Bucky hates him too

Next thing she sees is a picture of Bucky and you holding your middle fingers to the screen with Jarvis’ face. Natasha chuckles at that.

She also zooms in, checking that your other hand is very close to Bucky’s. She feels a pang of jealousy that is interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Room service” a strange voice says.

“I didn’t order any..:” she says, but finds you smiling on the other side of the door.

“Gotcha” 

“What are you doing here?” the redhead can’t help but smile. You’re wearing a black leather jacket, a white tee and skin tight jeans. She’s torn between admiring your figure and paying attention to what you say next.

“Little bird told me you were very upset and you might need a distraction” 

“I’m gonna kill Fury” 

“Not Nick. Your sister. And are we gonna find something to eat by standing here or…?”

“I’m not hungry” 

“We’re going, Natasha. Go get changed” you push past her, tired of waiting around in the hallway. She’s taken aback by your forwardness. Her mother and sister would usually let her get away with anything.

“Where are we going?” she asks, hoping you won’t go all the way to her room and pick an outfit for her.

“Something casual will do” 

She changes as fast as she can, taking her phone and some money with her. You nod approvingly and then open the door, peeking around the hallway.

“This little field trip is not Fury approved so let’s be discreet about it” you inform her, taking her hand to lead the way to the elevator.

“Oh, yeah, this is super discreet” Natasha complains as you lead her to an electrical carriage. 

“Have a little fun, why don’t you?” you climb up, offering your hand. She takes and sits next to you. Natasha resists the urge to put a strand of hair behind your ear as you lean forward to give the address.

You feel her eyes on you, so you turn back, smiling and blushing lightly. 

It’s a short ride, and soon after you enter a small diner.

“Hey, Y/N” the owner greets you. “My, this must be a special occasion” she leans towards Natasha and whispers. “She’s never brought a girl over”

“Ok, Pat! Natasha is just a friend” you clarify, blushing in the process. Natasha laughs at you.

“Why? She’s pretty. You need to start dating” Pat says, leaving two menus.

“Don’t bother” you stop Natasha as she starts reading it. “She’ll bring us whatever she wants. But it will be worth it, I promise”

“Do you come here often?”

“My dad couldn’t cook if his life depended on it. But he was always good at finding the best spots to eat. So we came here all the time during the US Open and then later when Bucky started training”

Natasha nods and looks away. 

“So, you’re not dating Barnes either?” she says, looking anywhere but you. It’s embarrassing how much she cares.

“Uh.. no. He’s like a brother to me. His parents worked a lot so he’d tag along to games with us, and we grew up together” you wait until she turns to look at you. “Can I ask now?”

“Is this off the record?”

“Do you see my press badge anywhere?”

“One never knows with you people”

“Ouch, Natasha” the redhead laughs but you ask anyway. “Are you dating anyone? You’ve never been public about it”

“I’m not, no. I just don’t think I’d be able to find the balance. Between tennis and a partner. And my public and private life”

“Fair enough” you say. Pat approaches with milkshakes, cheeseburgers and fries.

“I hope you girls are hungry”

“Starving” 

“Fury’s gonna kill me” Natasha sighs, but then dips a fry in the milkshake and practically moans at the taste.

Your mouth is hanging wide open, and your teeth clash at how fast you shut it when Natasha turns to you.

“You’re right, this is worth it”

The rest of the night is spent eating and talking about everything but tennis. You learn that Natasha likes to bake in her free time, and that Yelena is taking a sabbatical before moving to New York to study at NYU.

After finishing your food, you both agree that walking back will be the best idea. 

“I’m so full” you complain as you enter through the back, too scared to be caught by Fury. Natasha walks in the opposite direction of the foyer. “Uh, what are you doing? I don’t want your coach all over my ass if you’re missing” 

“Have a little fun, why don’t you?” she echoes your words from before and you have no choice but to follow her. You end up on a tennis court, balls scattered around the floor.

“Do you practice here?”

“If I can’t sleep” Natasha picks up a ball and a racket and hands it to you.

“Can I help you?”

“Play with me”

“I can’t even serve, Natasha”

“Well, would you like to learn?” she says with a smirk and you can’t resist it.

“Fine. But after that, you go back to your room”

“Stance first” Natasha instructs. She corrects your posture and movements a couple of times, inching closer until she’s whispering instructions in your ear. The last thing she does is put her hands over yours to make sure your grip is tight. “Show me what you got”

She steps away and you miss her presence instantly. Trying to remember everything she told you, you toss the ball in the air and swing a little too hard. You trip over your own feet, but Natasha moves forward and catches you before you fall.

“You ok?” she says and you nod.

“How did I do, coach?” you steady yourself, holding her close to you. Your eyes travel to her lips, and you’re both out of breath from laughing.

Neither one can tell who leans first, but the fact is that you do and you discover, with great pleasure and no surprise, that Natasha is an excellent kisser. Her lips are soft against yours and she pulls you closer by your waist.

“Is this a new way of interviewing people, Y/L/N?” 

Oh, shit.

You break apart and turn to Fury, who looks very much not impressed.

“The only cardio you’re allowed to do until this slam is over is at the gym, Romanoff. Back to your room, now” 

“I’m not a little girl you can boss around,” Natasha protests.

“Come on, you should rest. We’ll talk later” you don’t want her to start arguing with Fury, not now that she’s finally listening to him. Natasha turns to you and nods, squeezing your hand one last time before going back to the hotel.

“I don’t want her distracted,” Fury says and you nod. 

“I wasn’t trying to… I won’t get in her way, Nick. I want her to win”

“Glad we understand each other. Now go home” 

He turns to leave and you wait for a little bit, trying to calm down after a mindblowing kiss. As you’re about to leave, you spot a yellow bracelet on the ground. You’ve seen Natasha wearing one before, but you’re too scared of Fury to go back now.

Tomorrow will be a new day for all of you.

--

“Keep your leg behind the ball” Fury instructs. Natasha has been listening to every single thing he says.

Yes, she’s nervous about the semis. And Fury’s the only one that can understand the feeling or help her play better.

“I want you focused,” he says as she walks to dry her hands.

“I am”

“You know what I mean” he says and as if on cue, you walk up to the court, waving. Natasha places the racket down and approaches you. “Practice isn’t over, Romanoff!”

“Five minutes” she asks, meeting you on the edge of the court.

“Hi”

“Hi” she says back. Her eyes go down to your lips and your heart flutters.

“Uh, you left… I think this is yours” you remember to speak, showing the yellow bracelet.

“Yes, thank you. Do you mind?” Natasha extends her hand and you put it around her wrist. “Yelena gave it to me before my first match. It’s my lucky charm”

“Well, good thing I saw it”

“Maybe you’ll be my next lucky charm”

“Oh? Am I supposed to be at every game from now on?” you smile, nodding when you’re done with the bracelet.

“I really wanna kiss you” Natasha blurts out and you blush. “But…”

“There are people watching and Fury doesn’t look happy either”

“He never does. Can I call you later?”

“Yes, you definitely can”

You want to kiss her so bad, damn it.

“Come on, go back, before Fury kicks me out of the court”

Natasha nods, squeezing your hand gently.

The way Natasha looks at you makes you all kinds of flustered, so you leave in a hurry before your desire takes over and you end up kissing her in front of all these people.

Once again, you run into Wanda Maximoff, only this time she doesn’t smile at all.

“She’s quite the player, right?” she says with a cold voice, her accent a bit thicker.

“Uh- yes. Natasha is a very talented pro”

“Oh, that’s not what I meant” she takes a step forward and looks you up and down. “Natasha likes to fuck around. But she always comes back to me”

“You’re… together?” your heart drops. Natasha wouldn’t lie to you about this.

Would she?

“Look, of course she wants to get distracted and she’ll use anyone that is dumb enough to fall for it. But don’t forget, she and I have history. And that’s stronger than whatever it is you think you have with Natasha”

No one is around to save you from this horrible conversation. You don’t want to argue with Wanda, because you’re still a journalist and it’s your job to be on the players’ good side.

But the reckless part of you wants to tell her to fuck off.

You sigh and look down. Wanda takes this as a sign of defeat and smiles, leaving you standing there.

It takes a minute for you to snap out of it, and you look around, desperate to walk away from everything that just happened.

—

“You’re seriously telling me you know nothing?” you ask Bucky for the tenth time.

“I don’t pay attention to rumors” he shrugs his shoulders, and you roll your eyes at him.

He’s sitting on your couch, the movie long forgotten. You nudge him with your foot and glare.

“Your best friend is a journalist, you should know better. You’re my insider into this crap”

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I’m just not on the loop of who dates who on the women’s side. But I am not surprised Wanda scared you. Heard she can be batshit crazy”

“She didn’t scare me” you mumble. The both of you sit in silence for a while, until your phones ping simultaneuosly.

Thankfully, it’s not Nat. Right now, you don’t even know what to say to her.

“Sam. Probably to brag about his date in that fancy restaurant” Bucky tells you, but his eyes widen as he reads the message. “Wow. You need to look at this”

He hands you the phone and you read the conversation. It’s your group chat and Sam just sent a picture of Jarvis Stone, who is having dinner with none other than Wanda Maximoff.

“What the actual fu…”

“So that’s why he was being a dick to Natasha” Bucky says. “You’re not telling her about this, are you?”

“No, of course not. She has the semis tomorrow and I don’t want to distract her”

You look at your phone and press send before you chicken out.

Y/N: Can we talk tomorrow?

YBelova: Sure

—

You’re waiting by the entrance to Arthur Ashe, looking around.  Even if Maximoff’s match is later, you are still dreading to spot Wanda.

“Hey” Yelena says and you jump like a coward. “Wow, relax, it’s me”

“I’m sorry to be meeting you like this. I didn’t want to bother Natasha, especially today… she has enough on her plate”

“It’s ok, you can trust me”

“I know I can… it’s not easy to ask this, but do you know if Wanda and Natasha had a… thing? Like a relationship”

“Are you asking as a journalist?” the blonde says, clearly on edge.

“No, it’s not like that! Natasha and I… we kissed. And then Wanda told me yesterday that Natasha is just fooling around because she always comes back to her… and that’s weird but then a friend sent me this. It’s from last night”

“That’s the umpire that was a jerk to Tasha” Yelena takes your phone, looking at it in desbelief. “That bitch is still pulling this shit”

“If it had been only about us, I would have waited until Natasha finished her match. But it seems to me, like Wanda is trying to play dirty here”

Yelena sighs and hands the phone back. She looks around and steps closer, lowering her voice.

“Yes, they dated. Kept it a secret. It was on and off, especially when they were playing against each other. Wanda didn’t like to lose and then, after a while, she began to mess around with Nat. She would have a fight with her before a big match, even if they weren’t playing each other. Made Natasha lose her cool and struggle. They really haven’t spoken since the AO”

“What do we do? I don’t want her to mess with Natasha. I won’t let Wanda get in her way”

“I’ll speak to Fury about this. He knows everything. I’ll let you know what he says”

“Didn’t know you two were friends now”

A voice calls from behind you.

“Seestra, hey!” Yelena steps forward to give you time to recover. “Y/N was just telling me about her time at NYU”

“Is that so?” the redhead looks between you two and you nod.

She stills makes you nervous and flustered.

“Alright, my presence is no longer required” Yelena complains, but still gives you a meaningful look as she walks away.

“I have to warm up, will you stay for the game?” she asks, stepping closer.

“Yes, of course I will. I’ll be screaming your name” you blurt out and then blush. “I mean, rooting for you. Didn’t mean it to sound like that”

“Sounds good to me” she says, coming closer. “Can I have a good luck kiss?”

You look at her smile, her beautiful green eyes. Think about all the times she’s been kind and funny and brave. And you also think about how someone played with her heart just for a stupid title.

So you nod and lean forward, kissing her gently.

Natasha deserves to win, not only because she’s the better player. She’s the better person.

“Go win this thing” you say against her lips and she smiles, pecking your lips one last time.

—

Natasha’s win is not a surprise to you, considering the level of her recent games. You still have to stick around for the Maximoff match, opting to stay far away from the press room once she wins.

So, it’s down to the two of them in the final.

You’ve never wished for Natasha to win something so much until today.

Work keeps you busy enough. Both of the men’s semis take a combined time of eight hours and you end up completely exhausted, seriously considering just sleeping in one of the locker rooms.

You haven’t heard from Natasha but it’s understandable. She’s playing for the championship tomorrow, and knowing Fury, he will be preparing her in every way possible.

As you get a cup of coffee from one of the last stands open, your phone pings again.

Natasha: Are you still here?

Y/N: Yes :(

Natasha: Meet me in court 17?

Y/N: Yes :)

When you finally get there, you find Natasha serving a couple of times, wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

“Is Fury ok with you staying up so late?”

“I did everything he said today. I think I deserve this one thing” she smiles, walking towards you. “You look a bit tired”

“Jeez, thanks”

“I didn’t mean it like that. Ugh, Yelena is right, I have no game off court”

You laugh at that, taking her hands in yours.

“It’s fine, I was just teasing you” you say, looking as her eyes drift towards your lips. You both lean forward, sharing a kiss.

“Thank you” Natasha says.

“Uh, you’re welcome?”

“I don’t mean the kiss, no. Thank you for telling Yelena that thing about… Wanda”

“Oh”

Natasha walks with you to one of the chairs and you sit together.

“I haven’t spoken to her in months. And I don’t want to be with her. I need you to know that”

“But still… you said you’re not sure you want a relationship, right? It would be too much trouble”

“I think it might be worth the effort for you” she confesses and you smile.

“You do have game”

“I do?”

“Tiny bit. We’ll work on it”

She laughs, and you sit in silence for a moment.

“I made my debut in this court”

“I know”

“How…?”

You sigh. Since you’re sharing stories…

“After my dad died, I kinda took distance from the things we did together. That included all kinds of sports. It was a painful reminder. And then, as the USO was starting, I realised he had already bought our tickets. So I came here, walked around a bit. And then I saw you”

Natasha smiles, squeezing your hand.

“Your hair was shorter, and you were wearing a weird orange top with green shorts” you frown as you remember how awful it looked.

“My mom chose it for me!” the redhead buries her face in her hands and you laugh. You take them in yours as you continue the story.

“You were amazing that day. Controlled, precise… I forgot for a little while about how sad I was. And after you won, I came back everyday to watch you play”

“Thank you for telling me that. I wish I could have known your father”

“I would have liked that too”

There’s silence as you both think about your own journies, the things that brought you to this moment.

“Come on, we should go. You need your rest” you stand up, offering your hand to Natasha. She thinks for a moment before taking it, but instead of standing up she pulls you down until you’re sitting on her lap, your legs around her.

“Nat?” you gulp, blushing at how close you are.

“Tell me to stop and I’ll stop” she whispers, kissing your neck and squeezing your ass.

“Holy shit, no, don’t stop” you plead, tangling your fingers in her red hair.

“Locker room?”

“Lead the way” you kiss her frantically, hoping no one sees you.

Once you arrive there, Natasha smiles and your heart stops for a second.

“Ready to scream my name?”

—

There’s warmth. And a nice pressure. Some tingling on your back. Like a soft touch.

You open your eyes in an unknown room, trying to remember where you are. As you turn around you find Natasha fast asleep, her arm around your middle.

“Nat?” you call for her, hoping no one walks in any time soon.

“Five more minutes” she mumbles against your skin.

“Nat, wake up” you plead.

As it turns out, she only reacts when Yelena kicks the door, walking in on you naked under the sheets.

“Happy finals day seestra—-ah! Naked”

“Yelena what is wrong?” to your horror, Melina joins her daughter. “Oh, you two lovebirds!”

“WHY DOESNT ANYONE KNOCK HERE” Natasha screams, putting the sheets above her head.

“Sorry”  Melina says, dragging away Yelena.

“Yeah, sorry” Yelena echoes, sounding anything but.

As you both get dressed, the memories of last night come back to you.

After your rendezvous -and almost getting caught by security- you decided it would be better to continue elsewhere. You blush as images of Natasha moaning, kissing and pleasuring you also come back.

“Hey” she approaches you as you walk to the door. “You ok? You look a little…”

“Flustered?” you say, trying to hide your blush.

“Well, yes. I’m sorry about them walking in”

“Last night was… amazing”

“Yeah?” she circles your waist with her hands and pulls you closer. “How amazing?”

“Like winning all Grand Slams in the same year kind of amazing” your hands go around her neck and you pull her for a kiss.

“Wow, that’s big talk” Natasha comments agains your lips. And as she’s about to kiss you, Fury walks in.

“Romanoff! What did I tell you about that cardio”

“For the love of God, knock!” Natasha says, defeated.

“Don’t worry, Fury, I promise she was laying down for the most part” you wink at the man.

“Stay for breakfast” Melina invites as she’s setting the suite’s table with all the room service.

“This has been sufficiently awkward, thank you. And I also imagine you have stuff to do”

“You need to stay hydrated. How much liquid did you lose?” Fury says, going around the kitchen like a headless chicken.

“Fury, I haven’t seen her this relaxed in months. My sister will be fine” Yelena comments.

“Are you coming to the game?”

“Of course. I’m on press duty”

“Come to the player’s box” Melina says.

“Would that be wise?” you ask and everyone shares a look. “What I mean is, we want to make Wanda think her plan worked, right? If she sees me there she’ll know we are on to her”

“I don’t care what she thinks. I want you there” Natasha takes your hand and you smile.

“Alright. I’ll be there. See you later” you kiss her cheek and smile.

“Byeee” Melina and Yelena say, and you realise that Natasha will have to deal with their questions.

Well, if she can deal with the press, she can deal with her family.

—

The day goes by in a blur, and as the match approaches, you feel more anxious. God, how does Natasha do this? If it were you with the world watching, you’d probably break down the minute you step into the court.

“Hello there” Yelena greets as you meet at the player’s entrance of Arthur Ashe.  “Ever been here?”

“Just once, with Bucky”

It’s hard to forget the luxurious facilities where players can get food, special gifts, some physio or workout before their matches.

“He won last year, right?”

“Yes” you smile at the memory. “How is Natasha doing?”

“She’s done with warmup, she had something light to eat and she seems ready. She’s also been smiling like an idiot all day, even if Fury kept her away from her phone”

“I want her to win, so whatever it takes” you smile at the blonde, and follow her to the lounge, where Natasha is waiting with Melina. The redhead smiles as soon as she spots you and you kiss her on the cheek.

“How do you feel?”

“Like a complete wreck”

“You got this. Remember she prefers short games, she also doesn’t like to volley or come close to the net. And people say her forehand is killer but she goes too far behind her back, so use it against her”

“Y/N?” she interrupts your rambling. “All of that is fine advice, but I already have Nick on my back 24/7”

“Right, sorry”

“You know what he doesn’t provide?”

“Hm?”

“Good luck kisses”

“That’s right, it’s above my paygrade” Fury says. “Say your goodbyes now”

Melina and Yelena hug her, Fury squeezes her shoulder and then they give you some space.

“Go win this thing” you say, leaning forward and kissing her softly.

Natasha leans her forehead against yours and smiles.

She’s ready.

—

Natasha comes out first, and the crowd goes wild.

Wanda is close behind her; you catch her staring at you, clearly shocked that you’re next to Nat’s family.

“Who’s losing focus now?” Yelena says with a cheerful voice and you can’t help but smile.

The game begins and it is very clear that Natasha is playing aggressively. She has an ace on every game and there are hardly any break points for Wanda. It’s been 30 minutes and the score is 5-2.

“She’s cooked,” Fury says, looking at Wanda. You shake your head.

“Maximoff has an insane record after losing the first set, you know that”

And in fact, she does lose the first set. As always, the crowd loves to cheer on the underdog, so they go wild when Wanda wins the first two games of the second set.

“Come on, Tasha” you scream, and she looks your way, smiling. In no time, they’re tied.

“What are the odds on a tiebreak?” Yelena asks.

“It can go either way” you sigh, confirming that it will happen as they reach 6-6.

Natasha is playing fast and hard, giving no time for Wanda to recover.

But as she serves for the match, Wanda challenges the call in the most disruptive way possible.

It was in, but since Nat stopped playing the point goes to Wanda.

“That’s bullshit” Yelena says under her breath and you nod.

Sure enough, Natasha zones out and goes from match point to losing the second set.

“Dear Lord” Fury says, trying to keep a neutral expression.

“Maximoff looks exhausted, Nick. Natasha is doing great. She didn’t give away the second set. She’ll do this”

The third set begins, the first four games a close call. Deuce is called when they’re tied at 2, and you know that whoever wins this point will end up winning the match.

Every time Wanda has an advantage, Natasha comes back and breaks. Even when the Sokovian is serving, it doesn’t stop Natasha from pulling her back to 40-40. The Russian is a wall, and Wanda seems to lose hope as time passes.

And then, it happens.

Wanda has a double fault that gives Natasha the advantage. Followed by a double fault that gives her a break.

“Yes” Fury claps, trying to keep it together.

As the score approaches 5, your heart beats faster. Once again, 5-2.

Natasha serving for the match.

An ace.

The crowd goes wild.

The second ball goes out of the court when Wanda hits it.

Then, a double fault.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

It’s 30-15 and then 30-30. All Natasha needs are two more points to win.

She searches for your face in the crowd and you smile, nodding.

“You’re going to win” you say and she smiles.

Another ace.

The screens show the “championship point” sign.

Wanda doesn’t make it easy for her. She’s like a wounded animal that has nothing to lose, so she runs, she answers every throw with a groan, she comes to the net.

But when Natasha does her signature dropshot, Wanda tries to run, reaches too late and the ball bounces one, two, three times.

“Game, set, match, Romanoff”

“Fuck, YEEES” Yelena screams, standing up and cheering.

It’s all a blur, Natasha falling to the ground and covering her face. Walking to the net to shake Wanda’s hand, and then  the umpire’s.

After, she walks among the crowd, trying to reach her box. Yelena is the first to jump, their mother hugging them both and crying.

Fury looks like he’s about to cry as Natasha hugs him. You’re certainly crying happy tears as you watch them.

And then, she walks past him and picks you up from the ground, kissing you in front of the entire stadium.

“Congrats, Nat” you say against her lips.

“I’ll be right back” she promises when the security guard asks her to come back for the ceremony.

“You owe me a question”

“Save it for the next championship” she says against your lips and you kiss again, in spite of the guard’s insistence and with the crowd cheering you on.

—

It’s been six more slam titles, two years of tours around the world.

Natasha still owes you a question.

You’re saving it for a time when you’re both ready, and you’ll ask her to marry you.

[angeldormante]

Hi!! Im the Leo-withdrawal anon! I didnt ask anything prior to the one you just answered, but I'm so happy you responded! I'd honestly listen to anything you write--I think you have a wonderful way of expressing yourself, and the way you write is just... *chef's kiss* I guess, a question I'd have for you is this: What sort of hobbies do you headcanon our fearless leader to have? Quirks? Both endearing and... less so? I think that'd be a fun start!

hokay.... finally getting around to this!! sorry for the wait and thank you for bearing with me, anon! (ty for the compliment, too -- i'm very flattered jfjflk i just like talking about turtles ok (•̥ ̫ •̥) )

now... lemme talk blue to ya.

if we're talking about hobbies, well. stop me if you think you've heard this before -- leo loves training. for all of the guys, ninjutsu is a way of life; it's how they survive the world, how they connect with themselves and one another; it's their entire culture that the foundations of their family is built upon. and that's super neat. but watch 2k3 for like, one episode, and you'll very quickly see that the only one that fully leans into it is leo. mikey and don have their own interests that they often can't get to quickly enough once the day's training session ends. i think raph actually enjoys training recreationally as well -- but he's more interested in the physical aspect, spending his energy, bulking up, not necessarily focusing on skill or technique. i like to imagine that growing up, leo and raph spent a lot of time in the dojo together doing their own thing, kind of "separate but together"; before casey came along and raph got into hanging out topside with him.

leo, though, he throws himself fully into training. he's incredibly dedicated to it not only because of his sense of responsibility, but because he genuinely enjoys it -- he enjoys improving his technique, his skill. he enjoys the repetition of learning, which helps to calm and center him. he enjoys meditation, which helps him focus and clear his mind. as an introvert, and precisely because his family doesn't hang around the dojo as often as he does, leo's solo training time is his time -- it's his chance to relax and decompress. i think it's exactly why he spiraled harder and harder in season 4 no matter how much training he did: at that point, it was no longer a hobby, but an obsession. leonardo normally uses training as a healthy outlet, but when he channeled his exodus trauma into it, he removed his main method of decompression and replaced it with the intent to fuel that exact trauma. (sidebar, though i've talked about it before: i also feel like this is why fast forward is so excellent at showing leo's character growth. he is extremely zen and such a huge advocate of healthy self-reflection in the way he coaches cody and his clone. my sweet boy, so proud of him in that season.)

now i know what you may be thinking. and you're right. there's more to leo than his life in the dojo... so let's talk about some other hobbies i like to think he has!

so here's the thing, and i think it's something else i've touched on before... but i think leo actually has a very strong bond with donnie. their temperaments are very similar, they feel similar burdens when it comes to protecting the family, etc... and to be honest, i think they bond a lot over the same nerdy hobbies too! i think leo is a huge freaking nerd.

i legit think that donatello has probably absorbed his brother into more than one of his hobbies, both unwillingly and not. some things click for leo, and some things don't. some things he has a hard time getting into until he discovers a certain aspect of it or views it from a different perspective. but he is very often willing to try anything.

for example, i imagine that growing up, leo and don played a lot of chess together. don used to overwhelmingly win, until they got older and older leo got deeper and deeper into the tactical aspect, and soon he was beating don quite soundly more often than he wasn't. don started getting into engineering manuals and physics books, while leo started getting into history texts and military treatises, but both shared a love for novels and would swap their favorites regularly. and they still play chess, of course.

don got into nerdy sci-fi shows. like, really into them. and leo couldn't quite pick up the thread on that one, but he was content to endure every fourth movie night when it was don's turn to pick. and slowly he began getting drawn into it, the same way anyone does -- he enjoyed the campiness of the plot, how absolutely ludicrous the fight choreography was, how sometimes there were actually deep and thoughtful moments. it was both a welcome respite from the intensity of his reality and something he could put to practical use if he had to, like, steal a spaceship one day, though the odds of that happening seemed pretty low⁽ˡᵒˡ⁾. he was never able to quote any of the episodes verbatim like donnie, but it was something they could discuss and lightly bicker about during the times when leo is mindlessly helping out around don's lab. (more on that in a sec.)

also? i can absolutely. totally. easily see leo as a tabletop game enthusiast. i think i'll refrain from getting lost in the weeds on that once, since this is already starting to run long, but i just want to put that in your mind. tmnt dnd gaming nights. let that sit for a second.

okay moving on.

i genuinely think that leo just likes existing in the general vicinity of his family and extended family. not necessarily doing anything; just being there, doing something with his hands. if don is working on a project, leo may drift in, and don will ask him to hand him certain tools or read aloud certain notes on the screen, because he knows the deal. if raph is lifting weights and leo wanders over from his own training session, raph may ask him to spot, or set up the next pair of weights, because he knows how it is. if mikey is sitting in the living room playing video games and leo appears on the couch next to him, he might toss him a controller, or he may just start blabbering about what game he's playing and what level he's on, because he's got it. if april and casey are tidying up her shop for a new shipment of merchandise and leo just randomly appears in the window, feathered duster in hand, april smiles and puts on water for tea and casey teases him and throws him a broom instead without blinking. because that's just how leo is.

the thing is, leo is one of those people who have such a strong presence that -- as long as he's not trying to hide it, of course -- you know he's there because he carries such an atmosphere with him. on the other hand, leonardo is the type of person who is genuinely content to just be in the background. which may sound totally at odds with the whole leader schtick, but i think it's just kind of this duality he has: he can be both at the forefront and in the background, depending on the situation and what is needed from him. does this mean he doesn't have his own hobbies or interests? of course not! but even canonically, throughout the series leo is shown to be just as happy with his hands off the reins so long as there's not a mission in front of him. and i think it's precisely this lack of that constant need for control that shows just how whole and rich leo's inner life is, how he feels full and complete without his leadership/big brother role completely defining him, and how season 4 rips that carpet from under his feet to show the unhealthy side of that particular coin.

so as much as a cop-out answer it may sound like -- i think that leo just enjoys doing things with his brothers. he likes rooftop runs with them. he likes pizza and cards with them. he likes movies, sports, and games with them. but he's also his own person, and he enjoys being in his head, and he has hobbies that help him make his head a healthy place to be; his family absolutely respects that quality, and leonardo is a much more well adjusted person for it.

er.... i didn't really get into quirks or bad habits, but this has run really long already and it's getting late, lmao. so i think i will stop here for now. =w= thank you for letting me ramble again about my blue boy, anon; i know i'm slow, but hopefully i rambled enough to make up for it!

[mvltimagines]

Hello there! I heard you're a new blog on here doing matchups! I find them to be not only fun, but incredibly great practice for writers :D If you could, could you do a BNHA Matchup, particularly for any of the boys? First off, I go by she/they pronouns. I'm 5'9", with shoulder length brown hair with a burgundy-colored balayage that I get dyed every two months, hazel eyes, and I have to switch between contacts and glasses (stupid astigmatism and nearsightedness). I also have a few moles speckled along my cheeks, chin, and all over my body, and have been told I have a coconut round head. I'm 22, and I also have a tattoo on the back of my neck of my family crest (I'm part Japanese :D) I'm an ENFP, and was born on the Taurus-Gemini cusp. I'm incredibly talkative and fun to hang out. I'm empathetic, kind, and often put others before myself constantly. I can be a bit shy at time, but most of the time I'm gushing about my hyperfixations or about something second in common. I love sports and watching then- I get really passionate, especially with my football team. (Go Broncos!) Negative wise.... I can sometimes have a bad temper- nothing near Bakugou's level, but I have my moments. Most of the time, I tend to bottle up my emotions and have difficulty finding ways to vent. I beat myself up emotionally sometimes when I mess things up, and it doesn't help that I have inattentive ADHD (basically means ADD, and it's not fun), so for anyone that I meet, they have to deal with someone who has difficulty paying attention sometimes, feeling sometimes like a burden on others for it. I also have had minor trust issues with others, and sometimes have panic attacks. I tend to use humor as a way to cope with my inadequacies and faults, which I know isn't great, but it helps me sometimes get through the day. Likes: spicy food, sweets, sushi, katsudon, Udon, mochi, curry, any kind of ozoni (Mmmmm, yummy soup) basically any kind of food you give me I ain't picky and I ain't backing down from a challenge 🤣 drawing, writing, singing, sports, comedies, sci-fi/fantasy movies, tHRILLERS 👻, theme parks. Loves being cuddled (touch-starved much 😂), even if it's for a little bit. Never been kissed but ooo bOi kisses would make me blush redder than a tomato. Dislikes: (oof that's a lot to unpack. Gimme a sec-) soooo, manipulation is a big no-no. Lying as well. Combining the two leads to almost Bakugou level of pissed off. Also, harassment ain't gonna fly with me- whether it's with me, someone I'm with, or my family, you talk shit and I promise you that my entire family's coming for your kneecaps. Also, not being listened to- being ignored is the worst, and I get it, sometimes many of us don't have the same interests, but if I'm talking and you yell at me and completely ignore what I gotta say, I'm not gonna react well. I think my love language would be really physical. Sure, getting assurance vocally is fantastic- it gets me all giddy and I love that kind of gentleness from just words, but feeling the one you love wrap their arms around you and hold you close, or even just gently taking your hand into theirs?- God, it sounds so dorky, but I'm a hopeless romantic. And kissing- fuck, if we kiss, I'm goddamn putty in their hands, because just that simple action can mean a thousand words, and I'm here for all of it. I'm not adverse to most of the boys in bnha, but there's a few that I simply cannot be paired up with: Monoma, Mineta (-_- do I rlly gotta explain that one), Dabi, or Shigaraki. Ideal Date: ??? Idk pal, never dated anybody. 😆 Surprise me, I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ And, that's about it! I wish you the best of luck!

Oh my gosh! You sound so fun! Thank you for putting so much detail in this!

Based on your Description, I ship you with:

Keigo Takami!

Absolutely 0 hesitation with this one

I honestly have a feeling he would compliment the energy you give off rather well.

Although Keigo is rather chill and laid-back, he could definitely humor you and match your personality.

A particularly cute moment I can imagine is him noticing your dyed hair and being intrigued by it. So much to a point of asking you if he could re-dye it for you. At least once. 

“Alright, hang tight. I got this. Ohhh shit... I think I might’ve gone too high... you know what? It’s cool, don’t worry about it. I’ll fix it.”

Keigo absolutely loves your height, oh my god. 

He’s not the tallest, but he is used to having to bend down to hug his fans and when you come in his life and is graced by your amazonian beauty, he’s on the floor. 

Keigo isn’t necessarily the type to bug out about his partner being a few inches taller than him. It just means he gets to be more creative with kisses, so he’s not complaining much. 

For example, once he insisted on getting a kiss from you and gently pulled down your collar to steal one, not a problem. 

Speaking of, Keigo would most definitely compensate for your need for physical affection, but don’t expect him not to be the biggest tease about it. 

He’d be the type to lean in for a kiss then pull away right before your lips touch and act like nothing happened afterwards, just to see your adorable, needy expression. It feeds his ego, seeing you crave his affection. 

“What? You look like you want something from me~” 

You both are the most competitive couple in existence. 

He knows all too well of your love for sports, so he will go out of his way to root for the opposite team as you, just to tick you off. 

Acts like the most cocky mf when his team is doing well 🙄

“Yeoch. That touchdown hurt, huh? Yeah, I bet. That must really suck for you.”

Please take his competitive insults with a grain of salt, he doesn’t actually mean them to hurt your feelings. 

Regarding mental health, Keigo is always there to support you. I have a strong feeling he takes the saying “never go to bed mad at each other” to heart, and applies it. 

He’s very attentive, so if you’re upset, don’t bother with bottling it up, he’ll notice a mood change and gently confront you about it. He always wants to communicate and make sure everything’s alright so there’s no unnecessary bad blood between the both of you. 

Panic attacks suck too, he gets that. However, he isn’t really the best with comforting others, so he usually leaves you to your own devices, due to his fear of fucking up too awfully. 

He’ll check in and make sure you’re breathing accordingly along with some tea and cuddles ready to go whenever you’re ready for them. 

“Don’t sweat... You know I got you, right? You got nothing to fear with me around.” 

Prepare for countless movie nights with delivered pizza, ice cream, or popcorn. You and Keigo both love movies so most lazy days are spent on the couch, cuddling with a movie going on. 

Thrillers and comedies are probably his favorite, honestly, so you’re in for a ride for constant references and joking around with his arm wrapped around you. 

Of course, he loves outdoor dates too. 

Showing you off to everyone and getting to hold your hand is absolute euphoria for him. 

Keigo is very interesting, because he always has an idea for a fun time out up his sleeve. 

This includes clubs/dances, restaurants, theme parks, movie theaters, you name it. 

He just loves seeing you have fun with him. You have his attention for that entire night, so take advantage of it. 

Once the night’s over, you now have a love-drunk, exhausted Keigo attached at your hip. 

Good luck sleeping the night after an outdoor date with him. He won’t be able to get his lips away from you, whispering slurred sweet nothings in the crevice of your neck. 

He just constantly wants to make sure you never have one dull moment alongside him. Because he sure as hell doesn’t with you. 

[kpophours]

Haven

➵ Stray Kids: Jisung x fem. reader / one shot, college AU, frenemies to lovers AU / fluff

➵ warnings: slight cursing, mentions of alcohol/drinking, a teeny tiny bit sexual suggestiveness (nothing explicit)

➵ word count: 6k

It’s not even 8am, and your eyes feel as dry as sandpaper while your head is pounding with a slight migraine. You’re currently getting everything ready for the crowd of caffeine addicts that will soon arrive at the café you work at. It’s way too early to deal with the horde of zombies called students, but you got stuck with the worst shift of the day - starting at 7.30am which, in your opinion, is just inhuman. Stupid Minho and his stupid luck whenever it comes to drawing straws. For some reason, you always end up getting the shortest one. At least you’ll be done with work before most people your age have even made it out of bed. Still, right now you’d give almost everything to be back in your blanket burrito. Earning money is hard and annoying. If you’ve ever wondered if working at a café could ruin the beauty of coffee… the answer is yes. Because capitalism destroys everything, leaving no survivors.  

“Good morning, Y/N!”, your co-worker and the other unlucky one having drawn one of the shorter straws chirps when she enters the café, and you grimace - Sana’s voice is way too cheerful so early in the morning. You only give her a curt nod of your head, not in the mood to talk right now. You’re not really in the mood to do anything, if you’re being honest. Ugh, you hate the morning shift. You’re currently 80% tired, but 20% also tired - you don’t even remember what it’s like to not be tired anymore. College is great! 

Sana doesn’t seem to mind your grumpiness though, being the sweetheart that she simply is, and begins to wipe the counter while humming a cheery song under her breath. It’s only her second week at work, but so far she’s proven to be a better and more reliable part-timer than the last three who had worked here. Jun is usually a nice and caring boss, but he has some strict rules - always be on time, no drinking coffee while you’re working, don’t take more breaks than necessary, and don’t give out free drinks to your friends. The last three part-timers had broken at least one of these rules, so Jun had let them go again. Sana is doing well so far, and you think that Jun has maybe even taken a liking to her - not that you can blame him, she’s not only super nice and a general sunshine, but also incredibly beautiful and funny. You’re always happy whenever you work a shift with her. She’s a student like yourself, and wants to become a kindergarten teacher. You’d never let your children near her though, too scared they’d like her more than you - not that you could actually blame them. “Shall I put on some music?”, Sana asks after she’s finished with wiping everything down, and you just nod, finally being done with prepping the giant coffee machines. Just seconds later, smooth lounge music fills the cozy space of the café, and you inhale deeply. 

Maybe you lied earlier. Capitalism did not destroy coffee for you, you still very much love the scent, taste, and especially the effect of it. You check the time, noticing you still have about 15 minutes left before you have to open the café - meaning you have more than enough time to enjoy a nice cup of coffee with Sana. She immediately agrees to drink a cappuccino with you, and just minutes later, you bask in the fresh scent of grounded coffee beans. Sana sighs deeply after having taken the first sip, and gives you a bright smile. “Heavenly. You truly make the best coffee out of all of us, Y/N!”, she compliments you, and you tilt your head to one side. Thanks to the caffeine in your system, you’re finally ready to talk to her now. “Well, if my academic brilliance proves futile, I can always become the best barista in the world, I guess. And by the way, don’t let Minho hear you say that, or he’ll force you to taste all the coffee he makes, resulting in you overdosing on caffeine. You know what he‘s like.”, you answer, and Sana giggles. “Well, I stand with what I said, and I’ll even say it to his face. He needs to learn that he can’t always be the best at everything.” You raise one eyebrow, lips twitching. “No offense, but I don’t think he’s ever been the best at anything so far, he’s just very good at pretending. He basically invented the phrase “fake it till you make it”.” 

Before Sana can reply, there’s a knock against one of the café’s windows. Surprised, you look up, and groan when you see a familiar face staring back at you. “What is he doing here?!”, you grumble, and place your mug on the counter, not moving a single muscle. But Sana, being her nice and angelic self, is already walking towards the door of the café, and before you can protest, she’s already unlocked it. Jisung jumps over the threshold, sporting a bright grin. He greets Sana with a hug, before sliding his giant headphones off his ears. “Moooorning.”, he says, with at least five Os. You’re already annoyed. You’ve known Jisung for… well. For a long time. Too long, some would say (you, for example). Your moms have been close friends since their own college years, and while they thankfully didn’t move into the same neighborhood, they ended up living quite close to each other. Meaning Jisung had been there for pretty much you entire childhood and teenage years - at every single one of your birthday parties, at most Christmases, and sometimes even at Easter (even though neither of your families really celebrated Easter). You’ve also gone on hiking trips together, and on wildlife expeditions, and on holidays by the seaside… In almost all your memories, there’s Jisung. 

“Ugh, why are you so obsessed with me?”, you whine when he leans over the counter to grab your mug and take a sip of your coffee, “There are literally hundreds of colleges and you had to go choose the one I’m attending?!” He grins, puffing out his stupidly adorable hamster cheeks. “I’d never be so cruel and rid you of my pleasant company, my dearest Y/N.”, he answers, dark eyes sparkling with humor. You just huff and turn around. “The usual?”, you ask in a flat voice, and he hums in confirmation. To say you hate Jisung would be a severe overstatement, you just often strongly... dislike him. And feel annoyed whenever he’s around. Mostly because he’s a walking disaster, who kinda thinks the world revolves around him (you blame him being an only child for that). One of your most vivid and probably also traumatic childhood memories is of your sixth birthday party: you had gotten a brand new, soft green bicycle, falling in love with it as soon as you laid eyes on it. Naturally, you had wanted to take it around the block for a little test drive, but all of the sudden, Jisung had thrown a big tantrum until your mom had made you give him the bike first. And being the clumsy child that he simply was (and kinda still is), he had crashed your beautiful new bike into a tree. The tree had won that battle, the handle bar completely bent, same with the front wheel. So you and your bike had been a very short love story with a tragic ending. Romeo and Juliet had nothing on you. And this instance has only been one of many - Jisung had also accidentally sat on your birthday cake once (till this day, you have no idea how he’d even managed to do that). He had also ruined one of your favorite jumpers by dumping ink all over it, had tipped over the canoe when you’d been happily paddling on a lake one summer day, and had given you a black eye when you went mini golfing for your eleventh birthday.

So Han Jisung has always been - and probably will always be - a walking disaster. Being his friend means you have a “Why is he like that” moment at least five times a day. Your biggest fear at the moment is that he’s accidentally going to sit on your brand new laptop and break it, the one you had been saving up for for over two years. And then you’ll just have to kill him which will probably make his very nice mom very sad. But as the bible clearly states: an eye for an eye, a life for a laptop. Or maybe he’s just going to set your whole apartment on fire - he’s truly a mess inside the kitchen, you sadly know that from experience (note to self: never try to bake cookies with Jisung ever again). Your old dorm kitchen will probably never recover from that one particular incident that ended with half the building having to be evacuated. This is one of the reasons why Jisung hasn’t been at your new place yet. The second one being that you also only just moved into it a few weeks ago. Ever since moving, he’s been pestering you though, asking you to have a movie night with him at your new place. Like you said, he’s kinda obsessed with you. He also literally spends every morning at the café you work at - or well, you just assume it’s every morning. As you’re a part timer, you don’t actually have to work every single morning, but he’s definitely always here when you have drawn one of the short straws again.

You quickly busy yourself with making a flat white for Jisung, his preferred drink of choice, while he continues to chat with Sana. They know each other thanks to a mutual friend of theirs, Chan - he’s one of Jisung’s roommates as well as Sana’s best friend. Everyone on campus knows Chan: he’s on the student council, he plays for the baseball team, and he’s one of the most promising music majors you’ve ever seen (or well, heard), already being scouted by different labels even though he’s not even a senior yet. And he’s also just so nice and down to earth, truly a prime example of a man. Jisung should really take a leaf out of Chan’s book. 

“Here you go.”, you say while sliding Jisung’s finished order his way, taking your own mug out of his hands while doing so. You quickly shake your head when he wants to hand you his credit card, and he shoots you a happy smile. Jun would probably fire you instantly if he knew about this, but not once have you let Jisung pay for his coffee - and you’ve been working here for almost four months now. You try to ignore the way your stomach jolts when Jisung locks eyes with you, but fail miserably. So maybe he has the most beautiful smile in the whole world, and maybe his eyes hold entire galaxies in them, but what about it? It’s not like you even really like him, right?

You turn around and pretend to wipe down the coffee machine, but in reality, you just don’t want to look at Jisung’s cute hamster cheeks anymore, because they just make you want to squish them. And you have a reputation to lose. “Well, I’m off to my lecture now - I hope your day will be pleasant, ladies!”, Jisung finally says, and you turn around, catching him giving you a mock salute and mischievous wink. You just wave at him, while Sana wishes him a good day as well. As soon as the door falls close behind him again, you exhale. You really need to get a grip on yourself.

It’s Friday night, and there’s a party at Jisung’s frat house. At first, you don’t want to go, but your roommate Amber basically drags you with her. You know she’s only going because she has the biggest crush on Chan, and you honestly can’t even blame her - half the girls on campus have a crush on him after all, and at least a third of the guys. But while Amber and Chan are good friends, nothing more has ever been going on between them - not yet, that is. Who knows, maybe tonight’s finally the night.

You’re currently sipping on some stale beer Seungmin - one of Jisung’s roommates - had handed you the second you stepped over the threshold of the frat house, scanning the room for people you know. Amber is off to greet some friends from her architecture class, so you’re on your own for now. Which is fine, you don’t really mind just standing in the corner to observe the other guests, it’s actually highly entertaining. For example, there’s one guy twerking like crazy to some Beyoncé song. You think his name is Kevin and he’s in your calc class. A friend of his is currently hyping him up like crazy, while another one with green dyed hair is clearly wishing he was somewhere entirely else. You honestly can’t blame him, the secondhand-embarrassment way too real. A few seconds later, Sana enters the room with a group of girls, and she happily waves at you as soon as she spots you. You simply return her smile, before continuing to watch Kevin. 

“Enjoying the show?”, someone beside you suddenly asks, and you jump, dumping some of your beer over your shirt. “Oh fuck you!”, you yelp, and turn around to glare at Minho’s shit-eating grin, “You definitely scared me on purpose!” “Fuck... me? Absolutely, just name the time and place, babe.”, he answers, and you smack his chest. “Not even in your wildest dreams, Lee.”, you reply, and narrow your eyes at him. He pouts playfully. “I just think we’d make a really great couple.”, he argues, and you shake your head. “Well, society should be able to limit what some people are allowed to think, then.”, you retort, voice flat, and he ruffles your hair. “You know what I love about you? You’re kinda mean and annoying, but unapologetically so.”, he says, and you raise one eyebrow. “I might be kinda mean and annoying, but at least my lock screen isn’t a selfie.” At this, Minho gasps dramatically, and protectively clutches his phone to his chest. “I mean, I could always change it to one of your selfies, you know?”, he then suggests, making you groan. He’s clearly drunk already or else he wouldn’t be flirting like this. If this sad attempt can even be considered flirting, it’s probably just him being his annoying and arrogant Scorpio self. Minho sighs deeply. “When will you finally accept my eternal love for you, Y/N?”, he asks, and tries to grab one of your hands, but you just smack him again. “Maybe when you finally stop cheating at drawing straws! I have the Monday morning shift again!”, you hiss, and he smirks. “You’ll never know my secret.”, he says smugly, and empties his cup in one single gulp. 

You begin to pout and take a sip from your own cup, eyes wandering towards where Kevin is still throwing it back on the dance floor. “If I ever do something remotely like that, just take me out, and instantly.”, you say, an exasperated expression on your face. “On a date or with a sniper?”, a familiar voice on your other side suddenly asks, and you sigh internally. “Han.”, you greet your favorite frenemy, and Jisung grins while wrapping one arm around your shoulder. “Nice to see you accepted my invite.”, he says, and you quickly duck out of his embrace, trying to ignore your racing heart. Minho just wiggles his eyebrows at you, before flashing you a shit-eating grin and disappearing from view. Traitor. 

“I only came because Amber asked me to.”, you explain, and stand on your tiptoes to look for your friend. Seriously, where did she even go?! It’s been at least 15 minutes since she left you on your own. “You can just admit that you missed my handsome face, you know.”, Jisung says, and you snort. “Yeah, whatever you say, hamster boy.” He groans, ruffling his hair with one hand and making it stand on end. You desperately suppress the need to flatten it again, and quickly take another sip of your beer. “Don’t you get tired of using that old nickname? Plus, my cheeks aren’t as chubby anymore! I have finally lost all my baby fat, the glow up we’ve all been desperately waiting for!”, he says, and you suppress a smile, looking him up and down. “I guess some people would agree that you don’t look bad.”, you finally reply, and ignore the way your heart flutters when he shoots you a wide grin. “Aww, you old softie, I knew you actually liked me.”, he says, lovingly punching your shoulder. You grimace, rubbing the spot he hit - you know he and Chan have started to work out recently, and apparently, Jisung doesn’t know his own strength anymore. “Now don’t get all sappy on me, just because I might have erased your name out of my death note.”, you reply, quickly draining your cup to hide your blush, and mumble something about getting a new drink before basically running away from him. When you enter the kitchen, you exhale deeply. Your hands are shaking, your heart is racing and you know the blush is still very prominent on your cheeks. 

So yeah, maybe you’re kinda a bit in love with Han Jisung. He might be a complete mess, but he’s also funny, hard-working, intelligent and something close to a musical genius. And yeah, maybe you absolutely adore his stupid hamster cheeks, bright smile and beautiful dark chocolate eyes. You close your eyes for a few seconds, groaning internally. You don’t want to be in love with Han Jisung! There is literally no other person you want to be less in love with. Okay, except for Lee Minho, simply because you just couldn’t bring yourself to ever date a Scorpio, no offense. But Han Jisung is at least a close second! 

You can’t even say when you first began to develop these kinds of feelings for him. After graduating high school, you had finally realized how much you’d actually miss Jisung’s constant presence once you had to go off to different colleges. You’re almost embarrassed to admit how your heart had leaped when he told you he’d actually be going to the same college as you. Maybe you had truly just always kind of loved him - him and his weird antics. He’s always been himself, and unapologetically so. In the modern world of snapchat filters, snow apps and facetune, he’s always felt real to you.

You shake your head, trying to get rid of these thoughts, and groan again. After you’ve refilled your red party cup, you drown it in a few gulps, repeating the process a few times. Drowning your feelings might not be the responsible thing to do just now, but well, you’re only in your early twenties, so you still have lots of time to become a more responsible adult in the future.

Half an hour later, you have probably drunk way too much beer and are also still trying to figure out where Amber has gone. So you finally decide to go search for her, noticing that for some reason, the floor seems to tilt a bit with every step you take. “Weeeeird.”, you mumble, squinting your eyes, “That’s new.” Just then, you manage to walk into someone, soaking their entire backside with your beer. The person yelps loudly, before turning around to glare at you. Your brain needs a few seconds to recognizes the handsome face, and when it finally does, you give him a bright smile while slurring “Hyunjiiiiiin.”, squishing his face between your hands. The boy turns from annoyed to alarmed, and pries your hands from his face while narrowing his eyes at you. “Okay, what and how much did you drink, Y/N?!” Your smile gets even wider. “Only the best kind of alcohol, which is a lot!” Hyunjin just groans and begins to look around for someone. “Where is Han when you need him?!” With that, he wraps one arm around your waist to pull you with him and through the crowd. You hold onto him like your life depends on it - and the way the floor is swaying from side to side right now, it truly just might. You make a disgusted sound when your hand touches Hyunjin’s soaked shirt. “You’re wet, do you know that?”, you mumble, head lulling around until Hyunjin gently guides it to rest against his shoulder. “Yeah, surprisingly I do.”, he says, but in your current state, his sarcasm gets totally lost on you. “You should change, it’s freezing outside, and we don’t want you to catch a cold!”, you tell him off, and he groans, half amused, half exasperated. “I promise I will change as soon as I’ve found Han.” 

You raise both eyebrows at that. “Why do you need to find Jisung? Does he have clothes for you?” Just then, Hyunjin seems to find the desired person, sighing in relief. “Hey, Han! I think your girlfriend has had a little bit too much to drink tonight.”, he yells over the music, and you frown. “His girlfriend? Since when does Jisung have a girlfriend?! And why hasn’t he told me about her?! I’m his oldest friend! Like, not old in the sense of actually being old, but in the sense of time spent toge-”, before you can ramble on, Hyunjin basically shoves you into Jisung’s outstretched arms. “Here, she’s your responsibility now! Take her home or whatever. I’m gonna go change.”, he says curtly, before turning around and marching off. You wave at his retreating backside, before you look up at Jisung, who sports a very confused expression. “Uh, what exactly happened?”, he asks, taking in your glossy eyes, flushed cheeks and lopsided smile, “Shit, are you drunk?! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drunk!” He actually looks amazed, and you can’t help but ruffle his dark hair. It feels silky when it slips through your fingers, and you giggle to yourself. “Nice.”, you murmur, before you glare at him, “So, you have a girlfriend and didn’t tell me about her?! That’s rather rude, you know? We’re friends, after all! The oldest friends ever! I tell you almost everything.” Jisung just blinks a few times, before he shakes his head in disbelief. “Uh, okay, maybe I should bring you home.”, he murmurs, and wraps his arms even tighter around your waist, “Where’s your stuff?” You shrug while snuggling closer to him to bury your face in the crook of his neck. He yelps, and freezes for a few seconds, before he sighs and drags you towards one of the sofas. “Wait here, okay? I’ll be back in a second.”, he murmurs softly, and tugs some of you hair behind your ear. You lean into his touch, and close your eyes while nodding. The last thing you hear is his low chuckle.

Bright sunlight greets you the second you try to open your eyes. You groan and decide it’s better to just close them again. Seeing is overrated anyway, especially when your head is pounding like crazy. Mh, maybe you did drink a little bit too much yesterday.

“Are you alive? Groan once for yes, twice for no.”

You truly love your roommate, but right now, you’re prepared to throw her out the window as her voice cuts through your hazy state like a knife. Still, you manage to groan once.

“Okay, good. There’s water on your bedside table, and some aspirin. Take it.” 

For the second time this morning (or midday, you honestly have no idea what time it is), you try to open your eyes, just a teeny tiny bit. Still half blind, you carefully fumble for said things on your bedside table. After taking the aspirin and drinking some water, you sigh in relief and fall back into your pillows. “You were really out of it yesterday, huh? Any reason for drinking for at least three people?”, Amber asks, her voice laced with quiet humor. You just grumble something unintelligible, and she chuckles. “Do you remember who brought you home?”

You finally turn around to look at her, raising one eyebrow. “... You?”, you guess, and she presses her lips together to try and stifle her shit-eating grin - she fails though. “Nope. I was kinda busy.”, she just answers, a smug expression on her face. You finally manage to sit up, ruffling your messy bed hair. “Busy doing what? Now that I think of it, I remember you were gone from my side the second we stepped foot inside the frat house. Talk about loyalty.” You try not to sound too offended, but while you don’t remember much from last night, you do remember that you spent some time looking for it, but in vain. “Chan.”, Amber just answers, and you squeal - regretting it a split second later when a sharp pain shoots through your head. “Remind me to never make that noise again while I’m nursing a hangover.”, you say, holding your head between your hands, and Amber giggles. “Noted. But yeah, Chan and I… well. Let’s just say we had a good night.” She wiggles her eyebrows at you, and you return her grin. “Well, congrats, then! You snatched the Bang Chan, props to you.” Her smile softens, and she sighs dreamily. “He even asked me on a date afterwards. So we’re going out to get some pasta tonight.”, she tells you, and your smile gets even bigger. “I’m so happy for you, Amber. He’s a really great guy, and you deserve a really great guy.”, you say gently, and she nods. “Damn right I do. But speaking of a really great guy - Jisung was actually the one to bring you home last night.”, she explains, grinning smugly when she sees your shocked expression. “He did what now?!”, you ask, not ready to believe her, at least not yet. Amber leans back on her elbows, obviously enjoying this way too much. “Well, after you drank about half the alcohol the boys bought for the party, you decided to give Hyunjin a beer shower, who immediately realized it was definitely time to get you home, so he went searching for Jisung who then brought you to our apartment. No idea what happened after you left the frat house though, I only got to know about this because Hyunjin told Chan who told me.”

You bury your face in your pillow and let out a long, miserable noise. You sound a bit like a dying whale which makes Amber laugh. “Ah, come on, it’s not that bad. You and Jisung are friends after all, I’m sure he saw you drunk lots of times already!”

You shake your head.

“Wait, he hasn’t?!”

“Nope. I very rarely get drunk, and it’s not like Jisung and I are actual friends like that - friends who take care of each other and so on, you know?”, you try to explain, and Amber frowns. “What do you mean? Y/N, you and Jisung have known each other since forever, you hang out constantly, and you always talk about him with endless adoration - well, and a bit of annoyance too, to be fair. But what do you mean you’re not friends “like that”?!” You blink at her, surprise written all over your face. “I don’t talk about him with endless adoration!”, you disagree. Amber just gives you a very long, hard look, and you begin gnawing at your lip. “I… do?”, you ask in a small voice, and she nods. “You talk to him every day, Y/N, and you talk about him even more. It would be annoying if it weren’t also extremely cute.”, she replies, and begins filing her nails, lips twitching while she watches you trying to digest what she’s just told you. “I guess… I should at least message him to thank him for bringing me home.”

“And for tucking you into bed.”

You groan and throw your pillow at Amber. She catches it and laughs. “What, you looked very cozy and all snuggled up when I came home! And I doubt you yourself did that, at least if Hyunjin told the truth about the amount of alcohol you consumed yesterday.”

You look yourself up and down, noticing that you’re not wearing your clothes from last night anymore, but your favorite pj’s, the ones with little succulents on it. “Does this mean…”, you whisper, but shake your head, “Nope, not even going there. I’m way too sleep-deprived and hangover to deal with any of that right now.” Amber grins and shrugs. “Just go ask Jisung, I’m sure he can fill you in on everything.” You groan again, and fall back onto your bed. “I’ll have to take a shower first.”, you mumble, and close your eyes again. “Yes, please do, you reek of stale beer.” And with that, your roommate throws your pillow back at you.

It’s already about to get dark again when you arrive at the frat house, nervously bouncing on your feet for a few seconds before you finally gather the courage to knock on the front door. You quickly stuff your hands back into the pockets of your leather jacket, gnawing at your lower lip while waiting for someone to open the door. Just a few minutes later, Hyunjin’s tired face greets you. He raises both eyebrows when he lays eyes on you, immediately noticing your nervous expression. “Hi.”, you say, and give him a small smile. He leans against the doorframe, and crosses both arms over his chest. “Hi yourself. You actually look less zombie-like than expected.” You roll your eyes. “Thanks, today’s look is inspired by sleep deprivation and a mean hangover. Water and aspirin helped though, or else I could have auditioned for The Walking Dead.”, you grumble, “And uh… Thanks for yesterday, by the way. I’m really sorry about your shirt, I heard I dumped beer all over it.” Hyunjin cracks a smile at that, and shrugs. “Yeah, but it’s fine. The washing machine will take care of that. Wanna come in?”, he asks, and you nod, quickly following him inside the warmth of the parlor. 

Surprisingly, the house looks clean and tidy again - the guys must have spent the entire day getting rid of last night’s mess. You’re actually impressed. “Han is in his room.”, Hyunjin says, before you even have the chance to ask, and you gulp nervously. “O-okay…”, you mumble, and are just about to walk up the stairs, when Hyunjin tugs on your sleeve. You turn around to face him again, expression questioning. The boy gnaws at his lip, looking nervous. “Just… Finally tell him, okay? I’m like, literally begging you.”, he then says, and you narrow your eyes at him. “Tell him what, exactly?”, you inquire, but Hyunjin only gives you an exasperated gaze. “You know exactly what. We’re all tired of you guys pining after each other but not actually doing anything about your feelings. Quick reminder: this is not a cheesy rom-com where you have to wait until one of you guys leaves the country so you can finally declare your love at the airport or some big, stupid gesture like that. Just do it now, in his stuffy frat room and get it over with.” Before you’re able to reply, he gives you a mock salute and retreats into the kitchen. You huff, surprised at the audacity of his words, and turn around to finally go up the stairs and towards Jisung’s room. 

You take in a few deep breaths before knocking on his door, trying to steady yourself. Then, you wait - but after a few seconds have passed and the door has not yet been opened, you simply turn the doorknob and let yourself in. Jisung sits at his desk, giant headphones covering his ears while he hums along to the music he’s listening to. Well, that explains why he didn’t hear you knocking. You quickly cross the room, and tap his shoulder. He screams, and whips around, almost ripping his headphones off in the process. You giggle at his shocked expression, dark eyes almost comically big in his face. “When did you arrive!?”, he almost yells, and you slide the headphones off his ears, brushing some of his hair back while doing so. His eyelids flutter for a few seconds, before he raises one eyebrow. “You don’t look that shitty, which is surprising considering the amount of beer you drank last night.”, he says after looking you up and down, and you defensively cross your arms over your chest. “Wow, thanks. Always the charmer, huh?”, you huff in mock offense, and he grins up at you. “No need to charm when I know your heart is already mine.” You almost choke on your own spit, and beg the blush creeping on your cheeks to just not do that right now. Truly not the time nor place. “I came to thank you, actually. For last night - I heard you were the one to bring me home.”, you finally admit, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. 

Jisung just stares at you for a few seconds, before giving you a soft smile. “Well, yeah. I couldn’t just let anyone take you home - and Amber was kinda busy, I heard.” You nod. “True, I’m glad you didn’t interrupt whatever she was doing. So, uh, yeah, thanks, you’re… a good friend, I guess.” Almost immediately, embarrassment washes over you, and you groan at your own words. Jisung’s lips begin to twitch. “A good friend, huh?”, he repeats and crosses both hands behind his head, still looking at you with an unreadable expression on his face. You blink a few times, before slowly beginning to nod. “Y-yeah…?” “For someone so smart, you’re really fucking oblivious sometimes, you know that?”, Jisung suddenly states, and you huff. “Excuse me?! Who do you call obliv-” But before you can tell him off, he pulls you onto his lap and then, his lips are on yours. You yelp, freezing for a few seconds, before basically melting against him. He hums appreciatively, and wraps both arms around you to pull you even closer towards him, deepening the kiss. You bury your hands in his soft hair, gently tugging on it, and he groans against your lips. You use the chance to slide your tongue into his mouth while his hands wander lower to grab your ass. You shift on top of him, and he moans when you brush against his crotch. 

When you draw back to catch your breaths, you simply stare at each other, cheeks flushed and lips swollen. Then, Jisung begins to smile at you, and your heart flutters. Twenty years of seeing his smile, but you’ll apparently never get used to it. “About fucking time.”, he then murmurs against your lips, voice pleased, and you roll your eyes at him. “I’m not oblivious, by the way! You’re the oblivious one - I never give anyone free coffee, because it could literally cost me my job, and yet you always get a flat white on the house!”, you tell him, and he smirks. “Oh, baby, the oblivious one is definitely you - or do you really think I just happen to have a lecture every morning you got the early shift again?”, he replies, a smug expression on his face. You just stare at him. “You-”, but before you can say anything else, Jisung quickly presses his lips against yours again. You immediately lean into his embrace, and close your eyes, losing yourself to his touch - so familiar, yet also so new and exciting.

Yes, maybe you’ve truly always been in love with Han Jisung - but at least he seems to feel the exact same way. 

[masterlist] | [requests] 

[mostlycompetentwriter]

“School Life:” A Hoodie Season AU Prequel

F/M Pairing: Y/N x Hwang Hyunjin (SKZ)

Genre: Married Life AU (Hoodie Season Prequel)

Word Count: 3K

Warnings: Mild Language

Summary: When Y/N is hired as the librarian at her former high school, she isn’t exactly thrilled to return. Of course, there’s also the issue of the persistent dance teacher who seems determined to win her affections.

Here’s a funny story: imagine promising yourself that you’d attend college, nail an awesome degree, and then find a job making six figures on an annual basis, only to return home with a teaching license to work at the same school that you attended when you were 16 while making less than acceptable.

Yeah, life had a funny way of making a joke out of itself, and the punch line is never really that good. 

But there wasn’t time for me to complain about my prospects since I had been unemployed for six months with a lousy degree in literature that led to absolutely nothing. In desperate times, we’re often forced to do things that we hate, and I was certainly disenchanted with the idea of working in a high school library surrounded by horny and immature devils all the time. 

“Good morning, Y/N!”

Oh, and I also had to deal with one of the most annoyingly persistent men on a regular basis. “What do you want, Hyunjin?”

Despite my dismissive tone, Hyunjin still leaned in across the check-out counter, and I could feel his eyes staring at my ass. “It’s my free period.”

“And?”

“And...you should come have coffee with me,” Hyunjin said, and I finally turned around to endure his flirtatious smile. It had only been two months since the start of the semester, and a grand total of two weeks since Hyunjin had first started trying his luck with me. But I was beginning to think that he didn’t know how to take a hint. 

“I’m busy with paperwork,” I said, ignoring his crestfallen expression. However, in my defense, I wasn’t looking for a relationship, and I was far too preoccupied with my own self-loathing to entertain his advances.

“Again?” he pouted, giving me a look that I’m sure won the heart of any girl that he had the chance to impress.

It was too bad that they didn’t work on me. 

“Bye, Hyunjin,” I said, giving him a cheeky smile before disappearing into my office.

The next morning, I noticed that Bang Chan, one of the upperclassman teachers, had arranged to pick up some books for his students. It required some set-up on my end with the computer system, and I was completing the necessary paperwork when Chan walked into the library. “Good morning, Y/N,” he said with a pleasant smile.

“Mr. Bang,” I greeted him in return. “I brought an empty cart for your request.”

“Perfect!” Chan smiled, walking around the counter to pull the cart towards the surrounding bookshelves.

I watched him from the corner of my eye while inputting the final codes for my spreadsheet. “Is this for a class project?”

Chan lifted his head from where he was examining a nearby book display. “Oh! Yeah, the kids like it when we do this kind of stuff. Well, I mean, they don’t like reading so much, but it’s better than tests.”

I nodded my head because I could certainly appreciate that considering some of the more stringent high school examinations that I recalled from my teenage years. “The school wants me to read you this long and boring list of protocols after you check-out something.”

“Yeah...” Chan trailed off with a chuckle. “Do you want to do it now...or?”

I grinned, closing out one of the tabs on my computer screen before joining Chan by the bookshelves. This close, I could appreciate the subtle scent of his cologne and his easygoing smile. “I think we can just skip it,” I said, raising a brow. “I’m sure you’ve heard it before.”

“You’ll let me off easy, Y/N?” Chan asked, turning around with a knowing look and I reveled in our simple flirtation. 

“Since you’ve been so nice,” I said, breaking off when I heard the door to the library open again.

“There you are!” Hyunjin announced his presence, waltzing over to the two of us without a single care in the entire world. “How can I last all day without seeing this smile?”

I sighed when said smile disappeared. “What did you do before I came here?”

“It was a lonely workplace,” Hyunjin said, and I noticed the way that he had positioned himself between me and Chan.

“Anyway,” Chan continued, attempting to speak over Hyunjin despite his unexpected presence. “As a thank you, Y/N, would you like to come to the school’s basketball game this Friday? I coach the men’s team, and we’re undefeated this year.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s basically a tradition,” Hyunjin intervened, sending Chan a look. “The boys love the support from their teachers.”

“But Hyunjin, you don’t even-”

“You’ll come, right?” Hyunjin asked, interrupting Chan’s train of thought. In return, the older man merely shrugged before occupying himself with the task of stacking the books that he required onto the cart. 

I studied Hyunjin’s beaming expression because, in all honesty, it was one of the very last things that I wanted to do, but it seemed unusually important - which meant that a small part of me was quite curious. “I guess I can try and clear some time,” I said with a shrug.

Hyunjin’s smile was impossibly large, and he leaned against Chan’s cart like he wanted to look as cool and laid-back as possible. “You know, Y/N,” he started. “I think you and I share a lot in common.”

“I doubt that,” I said with a tense smile.

“We both care a lot about our students,” Hyunjin said, and I tried not to laugh because Hyunjin couldn’t begin to imagine just how much I didn’t want this particular job on my resume. “We’re also good-looking people.”

The comment was shallow, and I didn’t feel that impressed by his attempt to compliment me. Meanwhile, Chan snorted around a laugh as he pushed his cart back, nearly sending Hyunjin sprawling into the floor. “I have things to do,” Chan said, excusing himself politely while a flustered Hyunjin tried to play off his decidedly uncool moment.

“If only your students were around to see this...” I trailed off with a distracted sigh, leaving Hyunjin behind spluttering out nonsensical words while I returned to the sanctity of my private office.

On Friday night, I parked my car near the back of the school before entering the loud and unusually crowded gymnasium where, for just a split second, I almost considered walking back out the door. It smelled like sweat and dirty laundry, and the bleachers looked uncomfortable, especially since everyone was forced to sit shoulder-to-shoulder. “What fresh hell is this?” I grumbled, shouldering off my jacket since I definitely wouldn’t need it.

I proceeded to walk around the proximity of the gym, searching for familiar faces. I spotted Chan standing on the sidelines with another teacher (Changbin, maybe?) before I realized that someone was calling my name from behind me. I turned around to greet Han Jisung, one of the Freshman English teachers, and he pointed to a section where I recognized several other staff members. “You can join us if you want,” Jisung said and I nodded my agreement.

He led us through the crowd of eager fans, keeping an eye on me as I teetered precariously on the old bleachers wearing high heels that I definitely regretted. But at the very top, I could see some familiar faces, including one that appeared far more eager than the rest. “Oh, Y/N,” Hyunjin said. “I’m glad to see you. It’s nice to have the teachers support our teams.”

“You never come to the basketball games,” Felix said, and Hyunjin shot him a silencing glare.

“What are you talking about, Felix?” Hyunjin asked with wide eyes. “I always support the school.”

“Sure,” Seungmin snorted as if he was simply placating Hyunjin’s obvious fabrication.

“Yeah, I heard it was something else,” I said, taking a seat next to Han before turning my attention to the game.

I wasn’t a big sports fan by any means, and I struggled to make sense of the chaos that included a bunch of teenage boys running up and down the court wearing their brightly-colored uniforms. Sometimes a whistle blew or the shot clock made a truly horrible sound when the buzzer went off to conclude the end of game-time. Otherwise, I felt utterly confused as I sat back and nodded when one of the other teachers surrounding me made a comment that I certainly didn’t understand.

When the game reached halftime, Hyunjin immediately stood up from his seat, starting down the staircase as he chanced a look back over his shoulder. “They have refreshments outside,” he said to me. “My treat?”

I placated him with a nod, following him into the slowly forming crowd attempting to migrate outside of the gymnasium where the smell of pizza and nachos was especially prominent. Hyunjin and I stood at the back of the line, and I swallowed down a feeling of claustrophobia. Meanwhile, I hadn’t noticed that Hyunjin was looking at me until he finally made his voice audible over the white noise of the surrounding crowd. 

“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Hyunjin said, giving me, what I assumed, was his best attempt at a humble expression. “I’m sorry if I’ve done something to offend you...”

“It’s not so much that,” I said. “But it’s tiresome to see you put so much effort into flirting with me.”

“Oh...” Hyunjin said, clearing his throat awkwardly, but he also seemed hurt by my admission. “I’m not, like, some kind of serial dater or something. I genuinely thought you were interesting when we met at the teacher’s conference for the first time.”

“You did?” I asked, studying this vulnerable version of Hyunjin with close scrutiny.

“Yeah.” He nodded, adjusting the beanie hugging the crown of his hairline. “I’m kinda bad at this type of thing, but you’re different from the others. I think you and I both know that’s not always a bad thing, and I was hoping that you might at least give me one tiny little chance at a date.”

I gave him my full attention then, and I found myself taken aback by the look of earnest interest reflecting back at me in warm swirls of brown. “Okay,” I said, deciding that it couldn’t possible hurt to give him an opportunity. “But do me a favor and at least have a better excuse the next time you come into the library,”

Hyunjin had the decency to blush, and I couldn’t help but smile as we took another step forward.

It was Saturday evening when Hyunjin picked me up in front of my small apartment complex. I settled next to him in the front seat, smiling in his direction when he extended a tentative greeting. “How are you, Y/N?” he asked, and I was surprised to hear a hint of nervousness in his tone.

“I’m good,” I said. “But what’s this surprise all about, Hyunjin?”

“No spoilers,” Hyunjin said, and he seemed to regain some semblance of his former confidence as we drove down the crowded city streets in the direction of the main interstate.

“Well, I expect something classy since you made such a big deal about dressing up for the occasion,” I said, reaching down to smooth my hands along the hemline of my skirt.

“I don’t know much about you,” Hyunjin admitted. “But I had a friend give me some advice.”

“Dating advice?” I questioned, smirking in his direction. “You must not go on very many dates.”

“Not really,” Hyunjin remarked. “Despite what you might be thinking, it’s never been a big thing for me.”

I contemplated his words, watching as he drug his bottom lip between his teeth to worry the skin. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Hyunjin said. “I guess I’m not very good at making connections with people. I’ve been told that I can come on too strong.”

I laughed at the honest assessment. “Maybe you just need more practice.”

“Yeah,” Hyunjin agreed. “But is that okay with you? I mean, now that you know that I don’t have any idea about what I’m doing.”

“I think it’s more exciting,” I told him. “It also explains why you’re flirting was so over the top at the beginning of the semester.”

Hyunjin groaned as if embarrassed by the reminder. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” I said, reaching across the console to take his willing hand. “If you were quiet, then we wouldn’t be here right now.”

Hyunjin let out a shaky exhale, studying me for a moment from the corner of his eye. “I want to make a better impression on you, Y/N.”

“Trust me,” I said with a smile. “The impression I already have of you is quite persuasive.”

Hyunjin nodded, and a comfortable silence proceeded before he fumbled with the buttons on the radio to allow some music to accompany the remainder of our drive together. It was something techno and upbeat - the kind of thing that just made sense to me because I knew that he was a dance teacher. But in any case, I only really started to pay attention when I noticed that we had somehow entered the more upscale part of the city. 

Maybe Hyunjin was really doing his best to impress me.

“Here we are,” Hyunjin said, pulling into a parking spot lining the side of a very familiar building.

I realized immediately that it was the opera house which meant that the Hwang Hyunjin had brought me to a pretentious affair that certainly held no appeal to someone like myself. But I tried to keep my smile, nodding at him while he handed our tickets over to the attendant. Meanwhile, at the back of my head, all I could think about was the fact that Hyunjin might’ve been trying too hard with our first date. Especially as I observed the expensive theater.

“I heard it’s a classic,” Hyunjin whispered to me after we found our seats in the middle of the enormous crowd.

“Great,” I murmured back, trying not to feel so out of place.

Instead, I focused on the show in front of me, clapping along with everyone else because I had no idea when it was actually appropriate to do so. In fact, I was forced to laugh even though I couldn’t figure out what was funny, and I shifted uncomfortably when the older gentleman next to me started crying during one of the scenes. Apparently, the gathered crowd of patrons had rehearsed all of this before attending the show, and I was left pretending to understand the social cues that the others had already memorized.

It was actually rather draining, and I forced a smile at Hyunjin when he looked down at me. “You’re not having fun,” Hyunjin finally said during intermission.

“What do you mean?” I asked, but I wasn’t nearly as convincing of an actress as the people on stage.

Hyunjin sighed. “Honestly, Y/N, do you even like this?”

I swallowed hard, struggling under the scrutiny of his gaze. “It’s...alright?”

Hyunjin grinned, but it didn’t seem genuine. “Come on,” he said, rising from his seat. “I don’t think we’ll be missing out by leaving early.”

I reluctantly took Hyunjin’s outstretched hand, allowing him to pull me down the aisle before we trudged through the crowded lobby and into the refreshing night air. The parking lot was still full of cars, and Hyunjin had parked us somewhere near the back since we weren’t aware of the necessity of arriving to these shows several hours before start time. But I didn’t mind the walk because I was trying to think of something to say to a downtrodden Hyunjin who paused next to his car.

“Look,” I finally said with an endeared smile. “You don’t have to try so hard to impress me.”

“I screwed everything up,” Hyunjin said, and I was sad to see that he was genuinely upset as he leaned against the side of his car.

“No, you didn’t, Hyunjin,” I tried to tell him, but he wasn’t having any of it.

“I really like you,” Hyunjin said. “And this felt like my one opportunity to get something right, but I fucked up again.”

I took a deep breath, tilting my head to catch Hyunjin off-guard as I brushed a soft kiss across his lips. “I can tell you have a good heart, and that’s all I care about, okay?”

Hyunjin seemed completely taken aback, and I was worried that I had sent him into some kind of shock, but he allowed one hand to wrap around my waist as he brought us closer. “Thank you, Y/N,” he said, and our second kiss was reciprocated by both sides - a tender exchange of out deepest feelings. “Does this mean that I might get a chance at another date?” he asked, looking at me with sincere brown eyes.

“I think you’re worth it,” I told him despite how cheesy it sounded inside my head.

“This makes us official, right?” Hyunjin asked, and I should’ve known better than to expect something normal with him. Doing things by the book with all the cliches involved didn’t really seem like Hyunjin’s kind of thing - and I liked him even more because of it.

“Yeah, if you want labels or whatever,” I grumbled, but his teasing laugh was the best kind of medicine. Needless to say, our first night together was perfect in every way.

[breaddaerb]

Headcanons for Jett pls?

(Preferably for her backstory or relationships with the agents, if its not too much trouble.)

[ jett headcannons I ]

✎↷: of course, anon! it’s no trouble at all honestly, jett is one of the agents that i first got a soft spot for! apologies for any errors in here. have fun with these:

joon-hee comes from a larger, more populated city like busan or seoul. it makes sense, considering her card, and she’s most definitely taken part in the street food culture of the big cities. she has an older sister and an older brother, as well as her two parents. she gives off youngest kid vibes, so we’re going to go with it.

the age gap between her siblings wasn’t wide, but a gap enough to where joon-hee was equally influenced by her brother and her sister. she had a taste of everything growing up, but their family was happy. she was victim to various tantrums from time to time, back when her feelings were in jeopardy.

most prominently in her life was her dad’s food stall while her mom made a living elsewhere. in her voice line she mentions chopping 달래, which is wild chives in korean. chives are used frequently in 부추전 (chive pancakes), and is a common street food to find when visiting markets and oriental places. joon-hee has always had that culture born into her blood, with talking to the gossipy halmeoni down the street or giving a snack to the passing highschool students.

she’s been at the front of that shop since she can remember. learning how to cook with her appa was always something she looked forward to when she got home from school, eagerly running out from their home to go help him at the store. eventually, they evolved into a small business when she was in middle school, placed at the corner around their house, and made access to the store easier than before.

joon-hee’s home life was centered mostly on her dad. her siblings didn’t carry the same interest she did in the shop, and though they still knew how to help, it wasn’t the same as her own eager hands. her mother had somewhat of a distaste towards her youngest daughter working so much for their store, but she didn’t voice her dissent for it directly to joon-hee herself. it was clear her mother had a preference for her older siblings, though, and hardly gave joon-hee attention.

at this age, she was still as extroverted and rowdy as ever. good manners have been pressed into her, but she couldn’t resist going out to play soccer with her friends or playing tag. her parents didn’t mind mostly, since she could stay in shape that way, and it tamed joon-hee’s endless energy quite a bit.

she wasn’t the most popular in highschool. friendly, but she was incorporated into a mostly guy friend group with a few girls here and there. aside from working at the store, everything about her life was normal.

a fire. there was a fire in the store and jesus, she didn’t know what to do. her father had passed out in the smoke and she watched as it burned and withered around her. her body had moved on its own that time, and her hands shifted and twisted into fists. and then there was wind, soft like cotton yet harsher than steel. it ripped through the fire, building slowly until it grew more and more.

when it exploded, it didn’t take just her out, but her whole family. and the neighbors. and then the whole district.

by now, radiants had been discovered, but joon-hee never thought that she was going to be one herself. never thought that these ‘myths’ she saw on the news were real, encased in blue spirals that licked up her arm. she didn’t know what happened to these people, so she did what she knew best. she ran.

ran like her soccer practices, ran like she wasn’t a sixteen year old girl who barely had a clasp on the world yet. but she had scowered the streets away from her home and swallowed back the thickness in her throat, the one that had developed ever since she watched her family’s bodies get thrown into her own tornado.

kingdom found her like this. hopelessly lost, in search of a home and somewhere to belong. they took her in, raised her and trained her innocent mind. she was taught how to speak english and was forbade from associating herself with korea and her old identity. now, she was hawk, born out of air and sheer force.

it didn’t mean she forgot, though. her heart was as fragile as her, shriveling away from touch with regret feeling bile on her tongue. they told her that she had potential, that her own strength would pull her through out of any situation. all she had to do was let them help her and the deal was done.

joon-hee was stubborn, but desperate. she wanted her abilities gone, to be able to say that her whole existence and the first light had been a mistake to her. instead, they injected her with poisons, fed her powers to where she wasn’t even sure if she knew herself. this body was artificial, nothing like the lithe canvas used for scraping against grass.

with brain wash and evident threats, joon-hee became hawk. she was harsher, unable to help herself from leaping at someone, with her own management issues going unchecked. but she was the star of the show, not overlooked by either of her siblings. where her dad would encourage her and tell her that his ‘little bird was taking flight already!’

joon-hee encountered sabine while she was there. they didn’t see eye to eye and made nasty comments about each other often, but that was a part of life.

— i realized i wrote more than i had intended for the backstory portion that i’m just gonna.. skip over how jett joined protocol and get into relationships —

brimstone: she likes the man! he’s genuinely like a dad to her, which is hard to say when you look at how she grew up. she’s thankful for him swooping into her life, and while it’s fun to prank him and joke around, jett has always taken his affirmations to heart when it comes to self improvement. she still hates doing the stretches he tells her to do, but she still does them. disrespecting her elders is rude. (they help. but only a little.)

breach: breach? oh, he’s hilarious! jett had laughed her ass off when killjoy told her about how breach had broken her arm when they arm wrestled for the first time, and she holds it against her. it also gave breach respect in jett’s eyes, since such a burly man wouldn’t even go easy on the twig nerd. she challenges him to arm wrestles very now and then, and while she does lose, it’s mostly for jett to use as a measurement for how much she needs to improve. they play games together, too, since he’s such a good sport about it.

cypher: a little cryptic, but she likes him. they’re not the closest agents because of their severe differences, but they occasionally share a sneaky retort to one another after a mission or knock elbows together at the bar. jett has also managed to get him into some of her pranks and jokes every now and then, and they team up on phoenix sometimes when things are just too peaceful in headquarters.

killjoy: psh, her? she’s tech support. though, she did teach jett how to make gingerbread, so she guessed that she was okay to be around. jett likes to go to killjoy to find out what she’s working on and if it’s anything for her. usually the answer is a no, but when it isn’t, the two of them actually make up some pretty chaotic ideas together. if this were a highschool au, jett would totally try to bully killjoy into giving her the homework, and the engineer wouldn’t even need the bullying to give it up. she would rather not be harassed.

omen: he’s spooky, but they get along. omen isn’t a fan of jett’s recklessness, but he compliments her when she does something good, and it made her warm up to him just a little more. sometimes, jett will fly up to omen on a higher up position on site and give him a happy wave or a joke that she heard. the man is dull and numb about it, although one time when she actually got a chuckle out of him, it was like the whole world flipped upside down. jett takes pride in the memory specifically.

phoenix: her partner in crime, obviously. she can go from choking him out to talking about how to end the world together, and it’s one of her favorite things about him. jett tends to have no filter around the man and it’s the same the other way around. they have each other’s backs when it comes to being wingmen for each other or backing the other up on the battlefield. their chemistry is amazing, and while it’s dangerous to have them out together, brimstone would begrudgingly admit that they got a lot done,

raze: blow them all up, raze, jett is here for it! her taste for loudness and explosions goes sated because of the brazilian. the two of them talk about soccer together and play on the weekends, or can be seen in the living room tossing balls to each other by their knees. jett goes to raze when it’s something phoenix won’t understand, and the brazilian has provided to be an actually decent therapist. maybe it should start by opening up first..

reyna: scary. jett can keep up with her, but there’s something about the things that the woman says that sends chills down her spine. she never admits it because she’s fearless and doesn’t give a damn about anyone else, but reyna had told her that she could hear her heart racing and wow, that was really creepy and she may or may not be fearing for her life. they still mingle and talk, and jett can’t help feeling small underneath the woman’s presence. it isn’t to say that she won’t do everything in her power to prove otherwise.

sage: tall and pretty. jett likes having the woman help her out a lot, and the korean can often be seen going in and out of the medbay to check in on her. sage had shared her red ginseng tea for jett’s taro boba drink, and both parties ended up more satisfied than they had initially expected. their relationship is mainly jett flitting around her out of admiration, and they get along well in the whole gal-pals aspect of their bond. sage is like an older sister presence to jett, and she appreciates the woman taking care of her.

skye: skye is entertaining, but it always seems like the woman is a step ahead of her. she’s knowledgeable and buddy buddy with jett, and seems to read the korean so perfectly that the duelist has a hard time countering it. she never gives up, but more often than not, it leaves her feeling flustered and confused. skye pulled jett along to one of her morning ones and had to deal with a sluggish and slow assassin, which was much funnier than skye had thought. she does it occasionally just to dote on the younger woman.

sova: he’s a big baby to her, honestly. she’s seen him melt when sage complimented him before, and her view of him has never been the same since then. jett thinks of him like a walking teddy bear, and talking to him is more relaxing than her regular conversation with phoenix. she has a definite appreciation for him, but she wished that he would get himself out of the sky where she belonged. really, his drone freaked her out. when she mentioned it, he had tagged her with the dart in it, and that had hurt like hell.

viper: viper treats her like a young child. she’s not surprised by it, but it still frustrates her when it rubs in a little too hard. sometimes, the scientist notices this, and quietly reassures jett with something like ‘you did well today, regardless’. she’s back to business immediately after that, making the duelist laugh. jett can successfully talk to viper without fearing for her life too much, and her worries go mostly forgotten until she sees the syringe being pulled out from her lab coat. terrifying.

[yaziciyasemin]

❣️gibastian

SEND ME ❣️ + A SHIP AND I’LL TELL YOU…

who is the little spoon? you know it’s gigi, she loves being held and feeling his arms around her.  who sings in the shower? gigi does, she doesn’t really care if anyone is listening or not, she’ll just start humming some song that’s stuck in her head. might do it when they are in the shower together, he’ll have to shut her up.  who plays pranks on the other? sebastian, because gigi falls for it soooo easily.  who is the one who listens to pop music? gigi does and she lowkey makes him listen to it too. sorry, sebastian. who brings the other a random cup of joe? gigi would, more as an excuse to have his attention than anything.  who picks the cheesy movies for date night? she does, but they never finish any movie so it doesn’t really matter. who is more likely to feed the other in public? it would probably be gigi, just asking him to randomly taste her food while they are having dinner in restaurants and shit.  who gives the other random little compliments? gigi does it more often, but then sebastian does it it’s a big deal.. she just goes.. ‘was that.. a coMPLIMENT’ just because she’s annoying.  who is always stealing food from the other’s plate? gigi because she’s dumb, please.  who is more likely to let the other borrow their car? i know that this is not what the question means but gigi has probably taken sebastian’s driver a couple times, after a date or something when she has to go home really late and he gives her his car or even drops her at her place. so, sebastian, i guess? who makes the list before they go grocery shopping? they are both stupid so i think they’d just remember they need to go grocery shopping at midnight and run to the store to get something really quick, never really have a whole list and probably have someone do it for them at some point.  who makes sure the other takes their meds when sick? gigi, because sebastian is a dumbass.  who watches sports and has to teach the other the rules? sebastian? gigi doesn’t care for sports at all but she’ll watch it if he wants. who pulls the other to their feet for a dance in the living room? gigi does it...just randomly tbh. who has to keep reminding the other to hurry or they’ll be late? sebastian, because she takes hours getting ready for literally anything.  who is the one most likely to get a tattoo with the other’s name? honestly? me. 

[viking-raider]

Bound Pt. 2

Summary: You and Henry have been arranged to be married, by each other’s parents, in a month. While You have a crush on Henry, you don’t really love him, and Henry is actually head over heels in love with you. But, with no real other choice, both of you try and make the most out of the situation. Henry’s willing to do anything to earn you, and you are finding yourself falling in love with him, after all.

Pairing: Henry Cavill/Reader

Word Count: 2,995

Rating: G! Fluff, Disappointment, Kal Cuteness, Teasing

Inspiration: This is a second part to Bound Pt.1, that was requested by an anon.

Author’s Note: This is the, obvious, second part of Bound. The first part got a really good reception and reviews, and it’s an interesting plot and idea. There will most likely a few other parts to the story as well. I’m also going to post it on Ao3, if you’re interested in any of the work I have on Ao3, here’s a link to: Dragon_Dweller!

Tag List: @jennylovelyheart, @peakygroupie, @jessevans @MITZWINCHESTER @rosie-loves-things, @ohjules, @mary-ann84, @omgkatinka, @hm-fck, @the-freak-cassie-131, @heelsamizayn, @agniavateira, @cap-barnes, @romyr4, @michelehansel, @katiebriggs004-blog @p3nny4urth0ught5, @severuined, @royallylazy​, @thisisntmyrightera​, @rizeandvibe​, @authentic-bish-face​

You woke up to the smell of food, followed it downstairs and found Henry standing in your kitchen, in just his sweats as he cooked breakfast at stove. You cocked an eyebrow at his broad and muscular back, smirking as you listened to him hum as he cooked.

“Morning.” You greeted him, slipping into the seat at the island.

“Morning.” Henry grinned over his shoulder at you.

“How long have you been awake?” You asked, rubbing at the sleep still in your eyes.

“About two hours.” He answered, moving over to your dish cabinet and pulled down a pair of plates. “I did my fasted cardio run, then went to the store to pick up stuff for breakfast, seeing as you don't have food in the house.” He told you, loading up one of the plates and setting it down in front of you. “One sausage and cheese omelet, for the lovely lady.” He smiled, loading up his own plate next. “Steak and scrambled eggs for me.”

“How do you manage to remember what I like to eat?” You asked, taking the fork he offered you.

“I'm Superman,” Henry laughed, sitting at the island with you. “I have an eidetic memory.”

You laughed around your mouthful of omelet, grinning brightly at him. “Well, Superman.” You said, swallowing. “You make a mean omelet.” You complimented him, shoveling in another bite of your breakfast.

“Thank you.” Henry grinned, proudly. “You know, you kissed me last night.” He said, collecting a bite of steak and egg on his fork, and glancing at you from the corner of his eye.

“I also used you as a body pillow,” You added, finishing off your breakfast. “and allowed you to call me, your wife.” You took Henry's empty plate and fork with yours to the sink.

“So, does that mean you're taking my deal into consideration?” He asked, resting his elbows on the counter and watched you wash the dishes.

“Well,” You sighed, rinsing the plate. “Part of the deal was getting me to kiss you of, my own free well, that was one part of the deal you offered me, was it not?” You asked, moving to wash the other plate.

“It was.” Henry nodded, nervous and excited butterflies in his full stomach.

“And I did.” You told him, looking over your shoulder at him. “So, that means you have the next year to fully woo me, Mr. Cavill.” You grinned, impishly at him, seeing his nervousness.

“And woo you, I will, Mrs. Cavill.” He grinned back, mischievously.

You blushed wildly, giggling nervously and turned back to the dishes. Henry sat at the island and watched you wash, dry and put the dishes away with a deep sense of peace and contentment. It was nice to relax and watch someone you love so much do something so simple and domestic as washing the dishes, it wasn't something Henry had the privilege to witness often, not with his work schedule and relationship luck.

“How's your leg feeling?” He asked, snapping out of his daze, seeing you still limping a bit after the paintball accident the day before.

“A lot better than it was yesterday.” You replied, standing on tip toe to put the last plate away. “I can, at least, walk on it without a whole lot of pain. There's a wicked bruise.” You told him, moving around the island and pulling up the leg of your pants, showing Henry the large, multi-colored bruise on your knee.

“That's nasty.” Henry frowned at it, lightly touching it with the tips of his fingers.

“It's nothing I haven't dealt with before.” You told him, rolling your pant leg back down. “I've had a million times worse, it comes with the action sports life.”

“That worries me.” Henry said, watching you limp into the living room.

“Name of the game, love.” You called out to him. “I'm not changing jobs, and nothing will ever make me, so you'll just have to deal with it.”

“I'd never ask that of you, y/n,” he told you, joining you on the couch. “Your passion for your job goes even beyond my passion for acting, and I'd never want you to give up something that makes you so happy.” He laid his hand gently on your leg, above your injured knee and massaged it.

“You know, if you tell my parents that, they'd probably get rid of the contract.” You laughed, relaxing. “They've tried to get me out of it, since I started.”

“Probably think getting married would make you an obedient, stay at home, wife.” He giggled with you, grinning.

“Stay at home and obedient, have never and will never, be in my list of descriptions.” You told him, giving him a wink.

“Good.” Henry nodded, a bit serious. “I don't want a 1950's house wife, though coming home to a home cooked meal is always nice.”

“Cooking is easy.” You rolled your eyes, playfully. “I just don't bother, since I'm the only one in the house, usually. But, since we'll be together, I can cook for you, if you're a good boy.” You teased him, resting your shoulder against his.

“I'm always a good boy.” Henry grinned back at you, reaching out to brush his hand through your hair, tucking it behind your ear. “What are your plans for today?”

“Um,” You sighed, feeling his fingers brush your cheek and scalp, flustering your brain. “I have my Orthopedic appointment this afternoon, then I just need to do my homework for my Forensic Anthropology class.” You told him, chewing on the inside of your cheek and looking into his blue eyes.

“You mind if, I bring Kal over?” He asked, lifting an eyebrow at you.

You gave him a 'are you kidding' expression. “You think, I'd mind you bringing the big gorgeous Bear over here?” You chided him, lightly, shaking your head. “I swear, it's like you don't know me at all.”

“I'm sure, if you had the chance to marry him, instead of me, you would.” Henry smirked, with only the slightest hint of jealousy.

“I'd have married him, the minute I found out.” You grinned, teasing him about it. “But, I guess, I'll take the next big and gorgeous Bear.” You added, leaning in to kiss Henry on the cheek.

You and Henry talked for a little while longer, agreeing that Kal was more than welcome in your house, and that you were alright with Henry staying with you as well, before you went upstairs to take a shower and get dressed for the day. You worked on your homework, while Henry went out to grab Kal and his clothes, then contently did your homework with Kal curled up on the couch with you, his big head resting on your thigh as your laptop was balanced on your other thigh, typing mindlessly. When your doctor's appointment finally came around, Henry had convinced you into letting him go with you. He sat in the waiting room with you, and stayed there when you were called back.

“Who's the handsome man?” the Nurse asked as she took you back, but you could tell from her expression she was well aware of who Henry was.

“He's...” You started, then paused, what was Henry exactly to you now? “He's my...fiancé.” You told her, feeling the oddity of saying it.

“Oh, congratulations!” She beamed at you, taking your vitals. “When are the two of your getting married?” She asked.

“Very soon.” You answered, not meeting her eye.

She congratulated you again, before leaving you alone in the room, so you could wait for your doctor to come in and see you. When you finished the appointment, the nurse showed you back out to the waiting room, giving you the details on when to make another follow up appointment with them, and congratulated Henry, before going to receive the next patient.

“What was that all about?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at you.

“She asked me, what you were to me.” You told him, cranky.

“And you told her what?”

“The only thing that made any sense at the moment.” You told him, getting into the car. “That you're my fiancé.” You added, as he got into the car with you.

Henry beamed at you, stomach flipping at the word as you said it. “That's cute.” He told you, licking his lips. “Fiancée.” He let it roll off his tongue, still grinning like a bandit.

“Yes, lovely word for you.” You growled at him, staring out the window.

His grinned slowly turned downward, seeing the expression on your face. “What happened, y/n?” He asked, resting his hand, supportively, on your thigh.

“He didn't clear me.” You whispered, sighing and resting your forehead against the window. “So, I'm not going to the Olympics next month.”

“Is it because of what Luke did?” He asked, concerned.

“No, but it didn't help.” You told him, deflated and depressed, you'd worked so hard to get cleared, only to have it ripped away from you. “I have to go back in three months, then, hopefully have him clear me in time for Beijing.”

“You'll get there, y/n.” Henry told you, squeezing your thigh. “I believe in you.” He added in a whisper.

You looked at him, seeing the expression on his face, he really did believe in you. You could see how much he believed in you, the amount of loving support in his eyes, the comforting way he rubbed your thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze every now and then. Henry was just as upset and disappointed you hadn't being cleared and able to go to the X Game, as you were. He knew how much you wanted it, and wanted it just as much for you. He was one of the few people in your life, that wasn't in the same career you were in, that honestly supported your want and love to do it, and it felt nice to have his support. You rested your hand on top of his as he squeezed your thigh again, squeezing his hand back.

“Thank you, Henry.” You whispered back, giving him a small smile.

“You're welcome, my wife.” He grinned back, turning his hand to hold yours.

“Oh, dear lord.” You giggled, shaking your head and blushing. “I'm going to regret letting you call me that.”

“It's very likely.” Henry laughed back. “I'm not going to let you forget, you calling me your fiancé either.” He added, pulling into a store parking lot.

“Just don't say either, in front of my parents, huh.” You warned him, getting out of the car to follow him inside.

“Not until, after the wedding.” He promised, grabbing a shopping cart. “I promise.” he teased you, with a wink.

“Thank you.” You winked back, playfully popping him on the butt and running off before he could return the favor.

Henry had bought enough groceries to keep the house stocked for at least a month, and returned the favor of popping you on the butt, as you stood in the kitchen cooking dinner for you both. You yelped and melted into laughter as he wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his chin on your shoulder, watching you make the curry stir fry, you both had agreed on, on the way back to your place. You looked down feeling Kal brush against you and Henry's legs.

“You two are laying on the charm, thick.” You commented, looking back to the food. “Is that why you wanted to bring him?” You asked, tossing the stir fry in the pan with the curry. “So, you have the add advantage of wooing me?”

“Am I that transparent?” He asked, turning his face into your neck.

“Very.” You nodded, turning your face to look at him. “Don't play Poker.” You added, patting him on the cheek.

“That does explain why I always lose, when I do play.” He chuckled, his arm snaking out to add more curry to the pan.

“That be why, love.” You told him, taking the stir fry off the stove. “Did you make what you were supposed too for dinner, Hen?” You asked, looking over to the rice cooker, where he should have made the brown rice.

“Um...” Henry bit his lip, looking at the island where the brown rice still sat, untouched.

“Such a naughty boy.” You shook your head. “No dessert for you, tonight.” You playfully chided him, patting him on the chest. “You can have it though, Kal.” You told the Akita, who sat patiently in the doorway of the kitchen. “You've been a much gooder boy than your daddy today.”

“I can still make it.” Henry pouted, picking the rice up and going to the cooker. “It'll only take a couple minutes.”

“If you'd made it, Kal,” You kept addressing the Bear, loving the pouty sound in Henry's deep voice. “You'd have had it done, before I even got the curry simmering, huh?” You asked him, bringing yourself down to Kal's level, his curly tail swishing back and forth, excitedly. “I know! That's why you are the goodest, good boy in the house!” You glanced over your shoulder at Henry as he huffed, loading the rice cooker and turning it on.

“I'm the goodest, gooder, good boy in this house!” He protested, turning to you and crossing his arms over his chest, bottom lip puffing out and making you grin even more at him.

“Are you?” You raised an eyebrow at him, then looked at Kal. “Is he?” Kal blinked, tilting his head at you. “Or are you the gooder, goodest, good boy in this house?” Kal barked at that, bouncing on his front paws and licking your face. “The Council as spoken, and you've been out voted, Henry Cavill. You are the least goodest, gooder, good boy in the house, and the weakest link, no dessert for you!”

“That's not fair.” He pouted even more, looking like a wounded puppy.

“Lord, if I was weakest gooder, goodest, good girl in the house, I might actually break at that look and let you have dessert after all,” You told him, your heart fluttering as you stood up. “But, I'm not!” You laughed, pulling out plates, wine glasses and silverware. “But, I'll let you pick the show, we watch tonight, though.”

“How considerate of you.” He whined, not looking at you as he sulked.

You laughed, hearing his tone and the look on his face, but you could see the coltish look in his blue eyes as he check the cooker. “How about this?” You offered, plating the food as Henry took the rice out of the cooker. “If you wash all the dishes after dinner, and pick a decent show for us to watch, I'll give you dessert.”

“Depends on what dessert is.” He replied, serving you some of the rice.

“Hm, what indeed?” You smiled at him. “Perhaps, you should look in the fridge.”

Henry narrowed his eyes at you, turning to pull open the refrigerator door and cooed seeing the fresh strawberries and cream on the shelf. “Ooh, now I'll definitely endeavor to be a good boy.” He grinned at you.

“I'm sure.” You grinned back, picking up your plate and going out to the living room, Kal close at your heels.

Henry joined you on the couch, balancing his plate on his knee as he grabbed the remote and started searching the channels and DVR, for something the both of you would like to watch. Settling on the Prodigal Son on your Hulu account, the two of you settled in, enjoying the dinner you made and making back and forth comments on who you each thought the killer was and why. When the show and dinner was finished, Henry left you to find something else to watch on the tv, while he washed the dishes and prepared dessert, bringing the strawberries and cream to you. He dipped a strawberry into the cream and held it out to you, but pulled it back, when you reached for it. Tilting your head at him, eyes narrowing slightly, you opened your mouth and rolled your eyes as he fed it to you, making you hum at how good it tasted. You returned the gesture, feeding him the next strawberry and cream concoction. The two of you completely forgot about the show playing on the tv as you shared the dessert, Kal attentively watching you feed each other, even passing a strawberry between you, with only your mouths, from his spot on the other side of the coffee table.

“I could get use to this.” Henry murmured, swiping his thumb over a bit of strawberry juice and cream on your bottom lip, and licking it off.

“I have no protest.” You panted back, licking your lips, tasting the strawberries and cream, but importantly, Henry on them. He tasted better than the dessert did, and you felt the tell tale sign of yourself losing the battle of not wanting to fall in love with him, but you weren't going to give in on day one, either. You wanted him to earn you, and you didn't want your parents rubbing their choice to arrange your marriage to Henry, down your throat any more than they already did, either.

“I love you.” He whispered, brushing his thumb over your cheek and jaw.

“I know, you do, Henry.” You whispered back, stomach quivering.

Fuck. You thought as he leaned into kiss you on the lips again. I love you too.

[renaxwrites]

Eleven

.04  -  18

synopsis: the number Eleven had always appeared in milestones of your life. it was a constant, and you didn’t know why. but you would soon find out when you study abroad in japan and meet Him.

pairing: tsukishima kei x fem!reader

warnings: none!

masterlist: here :)

a/n: more introductions! English will be in bold. Hope you enjoy this one <3

      previous || next

We made a start. Be it a false one, I know.

“Oh. It’s you.”

You turn to see the one and only Tsukishima towering over you. But that didn’t shock you.

His jersey number was Eleven?

Why the hell did he have that number? Is this supposed to mean something? I could be safe to call it a coincidence, but there was no way. Your whole life that number had appeared, so it should be a sign of something, right?

But what?

Millions of questions dashed through your mind as you stare each other down. The split second of intense eye contact felt like an eternity of wavelengths flowing between the two of you. That split second was all it took for everyone in the gym to dissect this interaction.

Hinata, always being the one brave enough in awkward situations, spoke up. “Uh...so you guys know each other?”

His inquiry broke the tiny trace between you and Tsukishima. You glance at your feet, the team, the net. Anything but him right now.

“I guess you can say that,” you admit shyly.

Tsukishima grunts. “She’s staying at my house for the time being. Not a big deal.”

Gee, he’s so nonchalant about it. You weren’t sure how to feel about that, but seeing at the confused looks being exchanged between the players, you felt the need to give a quick rundown of what the deal was. Better to prevent any wrong ideas.

You pipe up after Tsukishima, “It’s really not. I’m originally from the United States, but I’m studying over here now. Mizuki, Tsukishima’s mother, generously offered hospitality while I was over here in the country. Nothing more than that.” You smile assuredly, trying to avoid the need for any more pressing questions.

Too bad that didn’t work.

The two boys that high-fived, who you discovered to be Nishinoya and Tanaka, burst out, “So if you’re from America, you know English, right? Say something in that language!”

Not surprised, you ask, “What do you want me to say?”

A dark-haired boy, who quickly introduced himself as Kageyama, had been quietly observing the entire time. However, he was lightning-fast to give his suggestion:

“How do you say, ‘Hinata, you dumbass’ in English?”

“HEY!”

You pivot toward Hinata’s voice and find him staring daggers in Kageyama’s direction.

“Sorry Hinata, but Kageyama thinks you’re a dumbass. Sorry Hinata, but Kageyama thinks you’re a dumbass.”

Nishinoya and Tanaka whisper to themselves, and you only catch phrases like, “Who knew foreign languages could sound hot” “The way she could flawlessly switch between them bro oh my gosh”. You felt like a bug under a microscope. Especially with Tsukishima’s negative vibes rubbing onto you. It’s so weird how just his presence has been taking a toll on you.

A blonde man, probably in his twenties, strides up to the huddle, redirecting the team’s focus to him. He seems a little intimidating, but not too much. This must be the coach then.

He announces, “Alright guys, the ride to Tokyo is in a MONTH. Just some food for thought, so I would suggest you guys get cracking on your drills sooner than later.”

Daichi claps twice. “Alright! Starting with dives! Let’s go!” And with that, the team narrows their attention to the court.

The coach hums and finally acknowledges you, in a warmer tone opposite to the stern voice he just served his team. “Hey there, seems I missed introduction time. I’m Ukai Keishin, coach of this team. You’ll meet our team advisor too. He should be coming in soon, he just went to get something real quick. So, what brings you here?”

You explain the same spiel you gave the team, and he gives a curt nod. “I see. This might actually be perfect timing then. We were actually going to begin to evaluate each player to find their strengths and weaknesses, so we know what to tweak before Tokyo. You know what, think of today as a trial. Maybe you’ll be able to give us a new perspective we could miss.”

Your eyes glisten at the thought of being legitimately helpful for the team. You felt you were meant to be here.

The doors burst open, and in scurries what looks to be the advisor with multiple packets in his arms. You sense his distress, and you dash over to help him, managing to catch one as it fell off the pile.

“Why thank you! Can’t lose that at a time like this!” he smiles in appreciation.

The two of you carry the papers over to the rest of the staff. More introductions were made on your behalf, and soon Ukai and Takeda, the advisor, catch you up on their latest tactic of evaluating the team. They give you an extra copy of their packet, which lists every player’s strength and weakness.

“Your job, (y/n), is to capture their weaknesses in action. This way, they can physically see what they’re doing, and go from there. You can throw in some cool ones of them too, if you want. So their egos can get a little lift,” explains the coach.

You get to work.

                                    ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You only have the essentials of your photography setup with you wherever you went, while your more professional add ons were in your room. This meant you had to get a bit closer to capture the range of certain angles, but you didn’t mind. You’ve been on a football field, basketball court, and a whole bunch of other arenas where you were drowning in a sea of giants. You’ve definitely seen worse situations.

Practice ran pretty smoothly. You were surprisingly able to shoot everything needed within the players’ packet, so once the team was officially done, Ukai had them all line up. One by one, each player would be able to look at their action shots, and the coach would explain to them what was working, or what can be improved. The players were, to say the least, super hyped at seeing themselves in action. (Nishinoya: “SHE GOT MY ROLLING THUNDAAA!” Your ears rang for a couple minutes after how closed he yelled) You weren’t too familiar with the sport itself, but you made sure to slide in a compliment for every player. It really made all the difference in the world to see their face light up, knowing someone else is motivating their hard work.

But a certain someone has been very difficult to read so far.

Tsukishima approaches you for his turn. What if he doesn’t like his photos? What if the angle you shot his blocking wasn’t good enough?

Why are you suddenly self-conscious?

You show him the first photo burst. A simple serve. Shouldn’t be too much.

Ukai begins explaining volleyball gibberish to Tsukishima, and you’re just trying to focus on not doing anything irrational. Just stand. Breathe. Click through photos. Repeat.

Usually, you’re able to tell what a player is thinking once they see their plays in action. But man, this guy was just so monotone! The only ounce of emotion you were able to detect was the tiniest glimmer of awe in his eye when you clicked through one particular block of his. This was the best from his series in your opinion. At least he recognized it. Your chest felt warm for some reason.

Before Tsukishima was dismissed, you slip him a quick confidence booster. “You’re really good at blocking. You look like you manage to catch anything, it’s awesome!”

He half-heartedly turns your way, looks at you dead in the eyes, and hums as a thanks.

So much for interaction.

                                    ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Practice ends, and the gym gets locked up, much to Hinayana and Kageyama’s dismay.

Everyone begins to go their separate ways. Tsukishima was still conversing with Yamaguchi, so you weren’t sure if you should wait for him or not. Playing it safe, you start to walk, but slowly. Eventually, you hear footsteps crunching behind you, signaling him catching up.

“You shouldn’t walk alone in the dark. Can’t have mom’s favorite getting hurt or lost now, can you?”

It seemed more like a rhetorical question than one you should answer, given the way he has his headphones on. You decide to give him the benefit of the doubt, by trying to keep up with his pace. Metaphorically, anyway. Man, he sure walks fast!

“I know the way back! Plus, there’s streetlights, so it’s not that dark,” you muster out.

He sighs, then takes off his headphones. “You’ve been here one day and you know you’re way around? Seems like a stretch.”

You bounce back, “I mean, it’s literally down the street. The only way I would get lost at this point is trying to keep up with your long ass stride. Chill dude!”

He finally looks at you in the eyes.

He smirks.

Then slips his headphones back on.

You couldn’t tell whether or not this was his way of playful banter, or if he was genuinely trying to get a rise out of you. Either way, he had you feel a certain way. Good or bad, who knows?

The rest of the way continues in silence. And all too soon you both arrive at the house.

At dinner, Mizuki is excited to hear how your first day played out. “You came home along with Kei, so is it safe to assume you’ve already found a club or some sort to be in?” she innocently inquires.

You animatedly nod in response. “Actually, I was with his team. Hinata has shown me around the school, so he’s the one who invited me to their practice! One thing led to another, and basically I’m the team’s official photographer!”

Mizuki smiles and grasps your hand in exhilaration. “That’s great (y/n)! It’s a good thing Hinata was your guide then. Maybe it’s fate! I feel good knowing you and Kei will be around each other often. Isn’t this great, Kei?”

He looks up from his bowl. “As long as I don’t have to carry her from a concussion or something.”  He goes back to his dinner.

Even though you retort, “I’ve been surrounded by pleasures of almost every high school sport, including volleyball. So I’ll be fine,” it still didn’t stop the evident blush that was resting on your cheeks. Why were you blushing? Stop blushing!

Once the kitchen was cleaned and you all were in bed, that’s when your thoughts started to stir. What exactly was the universe trying to tell you with his jersey number? Why did everything he did make you feel a certain way? How was he attractive without even trying? He wanted nothing to do with you, so why him?

Little did you know that he was thinking the same about you.

Why you? With the dumb way your face looks, all cute when it’s flustered? How you were able to flawlessly match his sarcasm and comebacks? He hasn’t even known you that long, so why are you making him feel something he hasn’t felt before?

While you both were drowning in each other’s thoughts, you both were staring at the same wall. The one wall separating your rooms.

It was Eleven o’ clock.

Let's split the night wide open. We'll see everything. We can live in love, in slow motion.

taglist: @jiminslonglostjams @fantasymirror @shewastheriot @lukes-princess @iamthepenguinwhosearseisonfire @its-bnha-babe @desi-studys​ @shootooooo​ @noya-senpai-imagines​ @animefan7420 @anpancari​ @tsukkx​

[skepticalcatfrog]

Aurora High School (Introduction Part Two)

Introduction Part One Introduction Part Two Masterpost

Summary: After starting their junior year in high school, the Jones twins find themselves meeting new people, setting them on a track towards new friendships, new romances, new heartbreaks, and many new adventures.

Pairings: (Eventual) Scarlett Jones x Finian de Seel, Tyler Jones x Saedii Gilwraeth, and Aurora O'Malley x Kaliis Gilwraeth

Word count: 2,964

Author's Notes: Part two! This is going to be the last pre-set plot point for a bit, because requests are officially open! I'm going to elaborate on it in a later post, so look out for that!

Important Author's Notes: This story contains a character who uses a wheelchair. I did do some research, but since I don't experience it, it's virtually impossible for me to be an expert on this topic. If you are more knowledgeable about this than I might be, and you notice an inaccuracy, please let me know what it is and I'll try to fix it!

Scarlett and Tyler walked down the street towards the park, looking around at familiar houses and talking as they did.

"So, who did you invite?" Scarlett asked.

"Well, Cat, as always." Tyler told her. "Plus Aurora, and Kal. His sister's coming too, I said it would be fine if she did."

"When did you have time to get Aurora's number?" Scar kicked a pebble that was resting on the sidewalk.

"Turns out, we have the same gym class. I asked her for it there, because I realized that I forgot to when we did that tour." Tyler quickly explained. He looked at the clock on his phone. It was only three o'clock, meaning that they had at least four or five hours until the sun went down. "Did you invite anyone?"

"Of course. I wouldn't have let you pick the entire guest list." Scarlett shook her head. "I'd think that you'd know me better than that by now, it's been 17 years."

"Well then who did you text?"

"Zila and Finian." Scarlett said matter-of-factly. "Oh, and Cat. In case you forgot to."

"Finian is the kid from the principal's office, right?" Tyler's brows drew together.

"That's the one." Scarlett nodded.

"Are you sure he's not…" Tyler trailed off. Scarlett finished the thought for him.

"Am I sure he's not what? Bad news? A troublemaker?" She raised an eyebrow. "You were in the principal's office too, you know. And I don't hear anyone calling you bad news."

Tyler was quiet after that. He knew she was right. That, and he didn't feel like arguing about it right now. Scar was smart, she would be able to deal with things herself. And hey, maybe he shouldn't judge this guy so quickly. He probably hadn't even done anything too bad.

Ten minutes later, they got to the park. It was a wide open space with paved paths crossing through it, all leading to a wooden gazebo in the center. There was a parking lot on the opposite side with a few cars in it. Trees were scattered along the border of the park, as well as a few within the grassy area. It was a little windy, so the warm colored leaves were bristling in the trees, and the fallen ones were tumbling across the ground.

Tyler and Scarlett walked to the gazebo, where Cat was already sitting on a bench waiting for them. She smiled as she saw them approach.

"Told you I'd get here first, Ty." She teased.

"You're on the track team, it's not my fault you're faster than me." Tyler shot back as he and his sister sat across from her.

"That's no excuse, you're on the football team. Running is a big part of that too." She pointed out. "But anyway, moving on from the topic of who's faster even though it's totally me. What are we going to do today?"

"Well first things first, we're going to wait for the rest of the people we invited to get here." Scarlett gestured to the mostly empty table.

"So it's not just us this time?" Cat's smile faltered for a moment before returning.

"Nope, not just us." Tyler shook his head.

Just as he finished speaking, a car pulled into the parking lot. It was sleek, painted black with white accents. It had a certain look, like it was capable of going insanely fast but it was never really used for that. Kal stepped out of the passenger's seat. From the driver's side door came a girl who was very clearly his sister. They had the same dark hair and eyes, and the same tall and elegant stature. The sister's eyes were lined heavily, and she had black lipstick and nail polish on. The pair strolled over to the gazebo, and while Kal sat down, his sister stood by the edge.

"Tyler, Scarlett." Kal greeted them. "This is my sister, Saedii."

"Great to meet you." Tyler smiled at her.

Saedii held up her hand as a way to tell him to shut up. "Save your breath. I'm only here because my brother needed someone to bring him."

Tyler's smile disappeared completely. It wasn't often that he met someone who seemed that firmly set on not liking him. Scarlett could tell by the look in his eyes that he was definitely going to make it his mission to try and become friends with Kal's sister. But it wouldn't be easy.

"So… what do you guys do for fun?" Scarlett asked, trying to spark a conversation.

"My sister and I both take fencing classes." Kal answered.

"Yes, and I am much more skilled with a sword than he is." Saedii said in a way that sounded both like she was bragging and like she was plotting a murder. "I'm on the wrestling team as well."

"Oh, yeah, I think I might've known that already." Cat smiled, surprised to find an interest that she shared with one of these people she'd just met. "I go to the matches sometimes, just for fun."

"Oh." Saedii seemed equally surprised. "And you… you're on the track team, correct?"

"Damn right I am!" Cat nodded proudly. "I'm the fastest one on the team, too."

"I play a sport too, actually. I'm on the football team." Tyler piped up.

"Very proud of yourself, I see. Are you often praised for what you do?" Saedii raised an eyebrow. 

"Yeah, I-"

"Then perhaps you should stop letting the compliments get into your head. There's barely any room for the rest of us in this gazebo alongside you and your ego." Saedii deadpanned.

Tyler frowned. He hadn't even done anything wrong, he'd just mentioned that he was on the football team. Kal had mentioned that his sister didn't like football players, but apparently Tyler had underestimated just how much she hated them. "Well you're one to talk."

The conversation died down and became awkward, slightly hostile silence.

Soon enough, Zila arrived on foot. She was carrying her backpack with her, and how she'd managed to walk all the way to the park with a bunch of heavy school books was a mystery. She stopped in her tracks when she saw how many people were there.

"I was unaware of how big this gathering would be." She muttered.

"Hey, Z." Scarlett waved to her. "You can sit down, if you want."

"I think I will be alright standing." Zila assured her. "I do appreciate the sentiment, though."

Scarlett shrugged. "Okay, if you insist. But there's a spot for you if you change your mind."

A few more awkward minutes of no talking went by. Very few of the people in the gazebo actually knew each other. Maybe it had been a mistake to invite a bunch of complete strangers to hang out with each other, but there wasn't really any time to go back. 

After the long stretch of silence, Aurora got there on her bike. It was colorfully decorated, with hand-painted designs covering the entire frame. She chained it to the bike rack and walked over to where everyone else was sitting. She offered everyone a smile and wave, then sat down next to Tyler.

"Hi, everyone. I'm Aurora, but everyone calls me Auri." She said.

The moment he saw her, Kal was smitten. Aurora was beautiful, seemed very sweet, and was probably very creative based on the designs on her bike. Her eyes were unique, unlike anyone's he'd ever seen before. He was very clearly staring, but somehow, she hadn't noticed. Cat did though.

"Hey." Cat whispered harshly. "Loverboy. Might want to pick your jaw up off the ground, or else you might have to ask her out."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." Kal's posture straightened and he scowled, glancing at Cat.

"Hm. Guess that's just how your face looks then." Cat shrugged. She didn't know him well enough to debate about this. Plus she didn't really care that much. But she'd make sure to keep an eye out.

And finally, the last car arrived. Well, it was actually a van. It was one of those big ones that could fit an entire family in it at once. It went a little bit past 'van' and bordered on 'bus'. Out of the driver's seat stepped a blonde woman, presumably Finian's mother because her features looked nearly exactly like his. Even from far away you would be able to tell that they were related. She went to the back of the car to get Fin's wheelchair, then brought it back around to the passenger's side door and helped him into it. She asked him something, and he replied quickly, but the people in the gazebo couldn't quite hear what they were saying.

Fin said goodbye to his mother and made his way to where the group was sitting. He smiled when he saw how many people were there. "Wow, if I knew I was coming to a party then I would've brought a punch bowl and something to spike it with. Hope I'm not the last one here." He circled around to the other side of the gazebo to use the ramp, then positioned himself at the end of the table and turned on the brakes of his wheelchair.

"Welcome to our little gathering, Finian." Scarlett waved. "This is Cat, Zila, Auri, Kal, and Saedii. Everyone, this is Fin."

"Your hair is so light! It would probably be really easy to dye, have you ever done it before?" Auri asked.

Fin shrugged. "I dyed it black once in 7th grade. Like, fully black, no colors or anything. That was my emo phase."

"Sounds like it could've worked." Cat leaned forward and rested her arms on the table.

"You know, you'd think that it would because my eyes are so dark, but it didn't. I just looked like a vampire. And not even in the hot-and-mysterious way." Fin shook his head. "My cousin dyes his hair black, and it doesn't look very good on him either, but I'd never say that to his face."

"I let these two dye my hair one time." Tyler gestured to Cat and Scarlett. "I had blue streaks in my hair for about a month, but they turned green after a few washes. It took forever to get all the dye out."

"Shampoos that contain sulfates cause hair color to fade." Zila muttered. "That is why color preserving shampoos work, because they don't contain sulfates."

"Huh. I didn't know that." Tyler's brows drew together in thought. "Interesting."

"What, are you planning on dyeing your hair again, Goldenboy?" Fin smirked.

"Never. I'm good." Tyler smiled and held up his hands.

Scarlett bumped shoulders with her brother. "I think that one of us dyeing our hair regularly is enough."

"I don't dye my hair. I have heard that it can be very damaging." Kal offered his input.

"It can be." Zila nodded, speaking louder this time, though her voice was still monotonous. "Because the dye is meant to break down your original hair color, the chemicals in it will dry out the strands."

"Which is another reason why I don't dye my hair anymore." Fin clapped his hands once.

The conversation faded away. For a little while, they'd forgotten that they didn't know each other, and had just been talking like friends. But it had hit like a brick wall that they had been complete strangers up until about 15 minutes ago. Aurora was the first to speak up.

"Anyone want to play a game?" She suggested.

Cat considered the idea for a moment. "I'm down. What were you thinking?"

"We could play truth or dare, except minus the dare part. Basically just asking each other questions, and we have to answer honestly. I'll ask the first question, if that's okay with everyone?" Aurora asked. No one protested, so she continued. "Hm… Fin. What's your favorite animal, and why?"

"I've gotta say that I don't have one. I haven't really thought about it much. But I'll tell you what my least favorite is." Fin made a wide gesture to the whole group. "Fish. My cousin, he's going to college to be a marine biologist. And he doesn't shut up about fish any chance he gets. Knows every single thing there is to know about fish. He could probably list off every single subcategory of fish like they were the damn periodic table song if you asked him to."

"Is this also the cousin who dyes his hair black?" Auri laughed.

"The very same!" Fin grinned. "But, we're officially off topic. Back to the questions. Goldenboy. If you could choose any superpower, what would it be?"

"Super strength." Tyler said as if he'd thought about it before. "It probably wouldn't be allowed in sports, but it would make a lot of other things easier."

"Plus then you wouldn't need to get up at 3 in the morning to do an entire workout routine before school." Scarlett teased.

"No, I'd still do that." Tyler smiled. "Now for a question… Zila?"

Zila looked up from whatever she'd been doing on her phone. "Hm?"

"How long do you think you'd last in a zombie apocalypse?"

"I think that I would die of natural causes in a zombie apocalypse. There is no way of knowing for sure, of course, because my survival would depend on variables such as the running speed of the zombies or how strong they were." Zila explained her thought process. "But in a scenario where they are slow, weak, and unintelligent, I would easily outsmart them."

"Slow, weak, and unintelligent… are we talking about zombies, or the people in my math class?" Cat smirked. That earned a laugh from the group.

The game lasted for a few more hours. They learned things about each other that they might not have thought about before. For example, they learned that Kal and Saedii had been to 63 countries, and after finding that out, Fin encouraged them to go to 6 more so the number would be perfect. They learned that Zila's favorite color was green. That Tyler had broken 10 bones in his lifetime. That Aurora was planning on joining the art club and the track team. That Scarlett had once accidentally downloaded a virus onto Ty's phone, causing him to need a new one. That Fin lived with both of his parents, 6 siblings, 2 aunts, 1 uncle, and 5 cousins, as well as next door to all of his grandparents, 4 uncles, 5 aunts, and 13 cousins. That Cat was already working on a few college applications. All in all, it had been a very interesting game, and before they knew it the sky was turning pink.

"I should probably get going." Fin squinted up at the sky. "My mom doesn't want me to be out past dark, and if I don't text her soon, she's going to come here on her own."

"That's a good idea. Scar and I should head home too." Tyler agreed. "Early to bed, early to rise, as they say."

"Well, if you two are leaving, the rest of us might as well disband too." Cat shrugged.

"How about we exchange numbers?" Aurora suggested, taking her phone out of her pocket. "I'd like to stay in touch with all of you."

Everyone else took out their own phones, and each took turns reading off their numbers. Tyler noticed that Kal's sister hadn't said anything.

"Saedii? Are you going to join the conversation?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No need." Saedii responded coldly, shaking her head. "Why would I need the numbers of my brother's friends?"

"Fine then. If that's really how you're going to think." Tyler waved his hand dismissively.

Aurora made a group chat with all of them in it and sent a quick 'hi', just so it would show up on the others' phones. After that, everyone went their separate ways. Cat and Zila started walking out of the park. Auri went to her bike, Kal and Saedii to their car. Finian texted his mom, then turned off the wheelchair brakes and went back to the parking lot. Scarlett and Tyler began the walk home.

"That went surprisingly well!" Scar said once they were out of earshot. "Usually it isn't the best idea to invite a bunch of people to hang out when they don't know each other, but they seemed to get along great for complete strangers."

"I don't really know if they can be considered strangers anymore, Scar." Tyler pointed out. "I'd even go as far as to say that we've made ourselves some new friends."

"I hope so. It gets so boring not having anyone to wave to in the halls." Scarlett stretched out the 'o' in 'boring'. And as dramatic as she was, Tyler had to admit that she was right.

"Yeah… I'm glad we met these guys."

The sun had set by the time they arrived back home. Adams greeted them when they came through the door, but there wasn't any small talk. Their days had been awfully draining. They figured it would be better to get to bed early, despite the fact that it was officially the weekend. Tyler went to bed early most days anyway, but this was especially rare for Scarlett.

They thought back on how crazy that day had been. First a new kid showed up, then Tyler got into a fight and went to the principal's office, then they'd made friends with a bunch of people they'd never met before. It was only the beginning of the school year. And as Tyler and Scarlett settled into bed in their own respective rooms, they both had the same thought on their minds.

This was going to be an interesting year, for better or for worse.

Taglist: @taco-taco-belle (Ask to be on the taglist!)

[ourplaceinthecosmosphff]

Chapter 4. Him

‘be gentle my little thunderstorm, the world is just not ready.’ a.j. lawless

The day we had tea with the Cambridges ended the same way many before: with Lourdes sending a video of her ice skating routine asking for my opinion; that time I didn’t even pretend to see it. I ignored the text and tried to sleep. 

Louis barged into the room soon after.

“Will you stop ignoring our sister?”, he asked, rudely. “She notices, Maggie. And it’s really unfair.”

“Okay.” I said. “Goodnight.”

I heard him sigh, and nothing else. No steps out of the room, no creaky Clarence House door closing, no light down. Finally, I pushed away the cover and sat up.

“I can’t do this now, Louis. I have a headache.”

I’d come up with the headache excuse in order to skip dinner with the Prince of Wales and his wife, but my brother knew that excuse better than anyone. 

After leaving the Cambridges, we had gone back to Clarence House, where we were hosted for the trip, and changed into black attire for a military ceremony in town where I managed to avoid my brother to try and focus on being less upset. He wasn’t about to make it easy for me, though.

At one point, Harry came to stay in line with us as my father and Prince Charles received the compliments from the officials. He gave me that look of his I was now coming to identify as a signature look, one with more intentions than verbalized; one with more feeling than was allowed. 

“Nice dress.” He said. Leaning in close enough that only I could hear him, close enough that his lips brushed my hair and couldn’t be read by prying reporters, he added, “The person wearing it is prettier.”

It took all in me to contain an eyeroll, but the amused smile in my lips was impossible to hold back. Just as I felt my cheeks redden, Louis joined in.

“It’s probably our mother’s. The shoes definitely are.”

It wasn’t a dig for the untrained ears. My mother, in all ways, was more stylish and beautiful than a woman her age should be allowed to be. But knowing my brother for all the twenty-two years he’d been on this earth, I knew very well how to distinguish his honest compliments to his sarcastic ones.

Still, the moment passed, and I maintained the posture expected of me. Coming home, however, I had to tell my father I had a headache so I could come right upstairs before dinner, or else I might lose it in public. 

I had a nice, warm shower, put on my softest fleece pajamas, and brushed my hair while talking to my friend Constance on the phone about our other friend Stella and her terrible taste in men, allowing it to distract me from my brother and wild, unruly thoughts of Harry. 

After that, I got under the blankets and prepared to stare at funny pictures on pinterest - an app I had a fake, incognito account on - until sleep took over. I promptly ignored my sister’s text, as I was known to do, and not ten minutes later Louis barged into the room.

I finally heard the door close, and was overtaken by a familiar struggle against tears, but before I could decide if I should succumb to it, the mattress dipped as my brother climbed onto bed with me. A few seconds went by in silence before he finally broke it.

“Look. Maggie. I… I was talking to Will earlier.”

“Prince William?”

“Oui. I guess I just… I didn’t realize- of course I knew you were helping a lot back home. I just didn’t think it bothered you so much.”

I took it in; he was… almost apologizing.

“Well, now you know.”

“Yes, I do. And, I don’t know, I just…”

I pushed the blankets down and sat up, still not looking over at him, but allowing myself to be in the moment as well.

“I don’t want to be the reason you’re unhappy.”

I sighed, and finally looked over at him. 

My brother didn’t look too young or old, he had that odd quality of looking precisely his age. He had a light stubble growing around his thin, pointy jaw; it was the same color as his hair, blonde, which was now growing almost to his ears. It waved about, framing his eyes, a nice, dark blue shade just like mine - Lourdes had them too, all three of us had inherited them from our mother. The blonde hair we got from dad’s side of the family, as well as an unwavering determination.

“I’m not unhappy, Lou. I just… I could be happier, I suppose.”

He nodded. “And I want you to be.”

Letting out a long breath, I attempted to also let go of the anger, and focus on what I knew for sure about Louis.

He had the biggest heart of anyone I knew. No matter the signs, or how often he was told of the contrary, Louis was always decided to give people the benefit of the doubt. It was a trait we got from our mother, too, and I wasn’t sure what had made me slightly more cynical than him in this aspect, but I suspected it happened somewhere in Law School.

Louis wanted people to be happy, to excel. He wanted laughter and adventure and success for every person that crossed his path. I knew for a fact there was no way he would ever really wish the contrary, on anyone. I knew something else, too, something much more important.

I knew exactly why he was afraid to come home.

“I know you’re trying to figure things out.” I told him. “I don’t blame you. I know it’s tough.”

He nodded, slowly, and took in a deep breath. When he spoke, his voice was wavering; barely a whisper.

“I’m not, though. Not anymore. I think you know that. I haven’t been figuring things out anymore. I’ve known, really known, for a while now.”

All thoughts of the fight forgotten, I felt my heart tighten on my chest. I looked at my little brother, shrunk down and resolute, sitting by my side in bed. He was staring off into the room, but I knew, somehow, he was perfectly aware of my every move.

“You’re sure?” My whisper matched his. I presumed my fear did too.

He sighed, gulped, and shut his eyes tight, before opening them again and smiling at me, scared.

“I’m in love with him.”

The words were new, but the sentiment wasn’t; Louis was fifteen the first time he told me he thought he might be gay. I remembered the day as if I had been replaying it in my mind at least once a month ever since, because it was accurate. 

It was summer; I was almost eighteen, fresh out of my secondary school graduation, but still a few weeks before my adult future. We had been spending summer with our grandparents at the place they lived after my grandfather abdicated as king, Haydell Castle, in the east coast of Savoy. The Castle sat on a hill overlooking the Atlantic, and Louis, myself and Lourdes would go to the beach most afternoons to play volleyball and tan. One late afternoon, Lourdes was applying finishing touches to a sandcastle she’d spent hours working on. Louis had been helping, but left her to get some water from the cooler near where I was laying, struggling to read a book on the darkening light of the fast approaching sunset. 

He sat down by my side with a thud, drank half a bottle of water as I complained about the sand he’d inadvertently thrown my way, and then, without looking at me, said, “I think I have a crush on a classmate.”

Louis went to an all-boys boarding school. The boy in question was a very handsome senior, with kind eyes and handsome dimples. My brother spent a while telling me about how he liked sports and theater and wanted to backpack through South America after school. Then we spent the rest of the summer brainstorming what this could mean.

Monarchies weren’t built on diversity. The core of the system our family was built on was genetics and catholicism, two elements that were famously not very lenient. The Royal Family of Savoy had branched out from the French Royal Family many generations ago. Though we prided ourselves, then and now, that we were different, we still inherited some very big elements from them. A few tiaras, a few titles, and Catholicism. Though Savoy had freedom of religion, the monarchy’s official creed was still Catholicism. It was involved in most of our protocols and traditions, a king couldn’t even be crowned if he hadn’t been baptised in the church. 

The idea of a gay, catholic King of Savoy was ludicrous even to us, no matter how much we wished it wasn’t.

And then, there was the issue of the line of succession. Say the church and country allowed my brother to reign as an out gay man, say they allowed him to marry a man in the Catholic church, say they allowed him to be crowned as king with a prince consort… It would be his duty to secure the line of succession; a king’s job is to produce a child to be the next king whose child will be next after him, and so on. Though it was the 21st century, there was no precedent to a king’s heir being anything other than his own, biologic child. And even as we tried to consider the idea of my brother having one with an egg donor, using a surrogate, we immediately knew what that would mean: whoever this woman was, her privacy would never be respected. People would want to know everything about her. 

As to adopting, what were his options? In what world would the press not hunt down every possible information about the child’s biological family? Interview every distant relative for money? Come up with every way to embarrass them for clicks on an article? How could that child possibly be raised to be king with that kind of scrutiny surrounding them? 

I thought of it as we sat in silence. He loved Peter. Peter loved him. And yes, they were young and that might change, but Louis being gay wouldn’t. Louis wanting to be a father was unlikely to change. But there was no precedent for a king to have an adopted child as an heir, and having a biological child through surrogate would be too hard on a surrogate and her family, being harassed and forever linked to us. If he sacrificed his own wishes and decided not to have children in order to spare them, then me or my children would have to inherit, which to me was simply unthinkable.

“They’re not going to cut you out.” I told him. “You know mom and dad, they love you. They love us. It might be hard dealing with everyone else, but they’ll always support you.”

He gulped. “The thing is… they might love me, but that’s not enough to change centuries of tradition just so I can-”

“Be who you are!”

He was silent, pulling on a lose thread on the blanket.

“I suppose I could just do what they did back in the day.” He considered. “Marry some poor, naive girl, sleep with her just enough to produce an heir and make Peter my secretary so we can carry out a scandalous and secret affair.”

I gave him a sarcastic look, and he rolled his eyes.

“I’m kidding.” He started biting a nail. “I could just… not have children.”

“You want children.”

“...yeah.”

“We’ll think of something.” I told him, confidently. “It’ll be easier once mom and dad know. They’ll figure something out. They’re good at this. They’re not going to make you keep this a secret, they love you too much.”

He sighed. “It would be easier for me to abdicate.”

“That’s not happening!”

“Why?! Because you can’t fathom the idea of having to inherit?! You think it’s okay to put me or my children through hell so you can hold on to your comfort? Who’s being selfish now?!”

I stared at him, mouth agape.

“That’s not fair.” I wasn’t even sure the words had come out, so low was my volume and so loud my shock.

He reached out and held my hand in his, leaning over to lay his head on my shoulder.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

I laid my cheek against his hair, holding his hand tightly. 

The worst part was knowing he was right. As unfair as it was, the easiest path was for him to come out and simply not have kids. But I didn’t want the headache of figuring out how to raise children to inherit after him, or worse yet, to have to be the heir if he was made to abdicate. It was such a colossal thought I couldn’t even think of it too much without feeling a panic attack creeping in.

He was 22. My little brother shouldn’t even be concerned about children at this age. And yet, because of the backwards traditions we were embroiled in from birth, he had no choice, and all our lives depended on how accepting the world would be of who he was.

“Hey.” I called, and he raised his head to look at me. “We will figure it out. I promise.” 

His smile was so small it broke my heart even more. He didn’t say anything, though. He just nodded, slowly, and stared at his hands.

“I love Peter.” I said, tentatively. I had said it before, but it carried a different weight now. Louis’ smile grew. 

“I want to introduce him to Lou. She didn’t come that time you met him, I think they’ll get along.”

I bumped my shoulder to his. “Just tell him to compliment her skating, she’ll love him.”

He chuckled, then looked at me very seriously. “Speaking of our sister, you could be more patient with her, you know?”

I sighed. “I am.”

“No, you’re not. Patient would be watching her videos and offering useful advice.”

“You’re asking too much.”

“I can do it, so can you! You think I care about ice skating?”

“Kinda.”

“Well… okay, I do. But they wear really sparkly dresses. Honestly, Maggie, she just wants to make you proud.”

“I don’t…!” I sighed, “I don’t really know how to talk to her, sometimes. I only had a couple of years with her before going to boarding school, you at least got to see her more often.”

He fished into his pockets, found his phone and opened the messaging app. I watched him create a group, add both me and Lourdes to it, name it ‘Louis’ Girl Gang’, and send the message, ‘this way it’s easier to chat!’.

“This way you can just watch how I interact with her and mimic.” He said. “Just react like me and soon you’ll be able to do it yourself.”

I opened my phone and replied, ‘this chat name is ridiculous’.

“Ouch.” He said, emotionless.

I gave him a dirty look, and we laughed. Both our phones buzzed at the same time with Lourdes’ reply, the first of many.

‘yay i love this! miss u guys!’

I smiled. She was too sweet for her own good. 

I had no idea what the future held for us, but I knew with one hundred percent certainty I loved every single atom of my siblings.

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

The drive to the polo club the following morning - our last one in Britain - wasn’t long, but we had to leave early enough that I had to do my makeup in the car. Did I need makeup to play polo? No. But would the press comment on how ‘tired’ I looked if I didn’t? Yes, so shaky hands on a tiny mirror it was.

Harry and William were already at the club when we got there; we were introduced to the horses we were using that morning, and the rest of the people who would be playing. There was a small breakfast laid out, with mimosas and champagne flutes, which we ate as we made some small talk and got to know everyone. 

“So,” Harry started, finding me alone by the water jugs.

“So.” I replied.

“I’ve been doing some googling.” 

“Yes?”

He sighed. “And I cannot, for the life of me, figure out when we may have met.”

“Oh.” I smiled.

I had started to think he’d forgotten it, or worse, simply didn’t care. But apparently he did. He cared enough to look it up.

The thought felt… oddly warm.

“I asked my people. And then I asked my people to ask your people, who weren’t able, or willing, to come up with an answer. So I do not know, for the life of me, when we may have met before two days ago.”

I nodded, smiling slightly. “Your efforts are noted.”

“Look, I feel like a jerk.” He sighed. “I’m sure I would remember you if we met before. You have a face a guy would remember.”

I swallowed the electric shock that line sent through me. “Apparently not.”

“Give me a hint. Was it here or in Savoy? Or another country? Day or night? Was it more than a year ago?”

I looked at him, brows raised. “It was in another country, during the day, more than a year ago.”

He nodded, attentive, scratching his beard. Then, he sighed dramatically. “God, I have no idea!”

“So you give up?”

He grinned. “Is that a challenge?”

“No. It’s a question.”

He stared into my eyes for a beat, as his smile grew.

“No, I don’t give up. I’ll figure it out.”

I nodded, silently, holding his stare.

I suddenly realized I didn’t have a plan. I hadn’t planned on making this a big deal, but now when I eventually had to tell him, we would both be faced with a story that wasn’t as interesting or sexy as we had made it sound.

“So, what are we thinking?!” My brother interrupted, joining us with William. “Heirs against spares?”

“What, and lose the chance to massacrate Harry on the field?” I challenged, as the ginger looked at me, mouth agape.

“Nice! I love the sentiment, Margueritte!” William cheered. “She’s on my team, dibs on Margueritte!”

“Excuse me, I believe I already have dibs on Mary.” Harry interjected, making his brother laugh.

The line was so unapologetically flirty I felt my jaw drop as I looked around. We were at a tent in the back, where the players were getting ready before being sorted into teams. There was no press around, but there was a lot of people who hadn’t signed NDAs or anything.

Louis was squinting at Harry with a mischievous grin on his lips. “Excuse me, are you flirting with my sister?”

I felt my stomach twirl in anxiety, and tried to give him a warning look, but before I could, Harry answered.

“I’ve been trying to, for the past three days.”

He was smiling at me now, again so unapologetically it felt as if I had lost all ability to function. William was watching the whole thing with an amused look on his eyes.

Louis’ grin grew into a smile, as he slowly moved his eyes from Harry to me, “Huh.”

“Is that a problem?”, Harry asked my brother.

“For me? No!” He assured him, “For you? Well…”

“She hasn’t exactly made it easy for me.”

“Sounds like her.”

“Louis-Adolphe!” I admonized, earning from him a roll of his eyes.

“Don’t use both my names as if you’re mom.”

William laughed.

“Any tips?” Harry asked Louis, very seriously, but looking at me as if studying an animal on the wild.

“Hm,” my brother considered him, “Patience. Her only relationship was with a family friend we’ve known all our lives, and that took forever.”

“Lou!” I warned, again.

“What?! It’s not like he can’t google you.” He shrugged.

“Okay.” I said, before turning on my heels to exit the tent.

I made myself busy elsewhere, but couldn’t keep my mind straight. My heart was racing and I couldn’t tell if the reason was Louis’ teasing or Harry’s unabashed flirting, or both. Before I knew it, though, we were stretching as a group, and getting our uniforms on; I did stay on William’s team, while Harry and Louis played together. 

He found me as we made our way into the field, while I was busy trying to tie the upper half of my hair on a low ponytail.

“Have I told you you look fantastic today, Mary?”

“No, but I’m sure you’ll remedy that as soon as possible.”

“You look fantastic, Mary. White pants suit you.”

Harry’s eyes hovered down my body over my form-fitting white jeans under the black riding boots.

“Thank you.” I said, curt, and paced faster to my horse, starting to fasten the girth to adjust the saddle.

“...I’m sorry.”

I stopped, and looked back at him, only half surprised he was still there. A little more than half surprised by the genuine fear and sadness in his eyes. 

“Oh. For?”

He grimaced. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable before, when I was talking to your brother. I was just… trying to lighten the mood. Be, you know, funny I guess.”

I gulped; funny?

“Right. It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” I resumed my work on the horse’s saddle.

I even added a short smile to go with the lie, but it didn’t seem to convince him.

“Really, I didn’t want to upset you.”

“Why would I be upset?”

He took a quick step closer and wrapped my hand in his; I felt my breath caught in my throat as I noticed how big they were, his knuckles were protuberant, his veins popped against his pale skin. In a dark corner in my mind I wondered what hands like those might feel like on my body.

“Mary.” He whispered, softly; I gulped, not daring to meet his gaze. 

“Marie.” I whispered back.

He sighed. “Marie. If you want me to stop, and just… be your friend, or even just a polite acquaintance…” 

He allowed the end of his sentence to hang in the air, ominous; It felt horrifying, specially hearing him call me my actual name. It made me look back at him, meeting his eyes a lot closer than I thought they would be.

“...all you gotta do is say so.” He finished, finally. 

The offer sounded awfully simple for a feat that sounded amazingly difficult, though I couldn’t understand why. He was being so annoying, so infuriating for the past three days. It would be so easy to tell him to back off, if only it weren’t for that little part of my heart that was trying to tell me he wasn’t that annoying. And really, wasn’t the only frustrating thing about it that we had had so little time together? After all, his hand was still on mine, and it did feel like my whole body was warmer than the British sun on that morning warranted.

“What’s this?” I asked.

As I looked back to his hands, I noticed once more that he had something written in them. He turned his palm towards me, while the back of his hand still rested in mine.

“This says ‘call Gil’, it’s the manager of my foundation in Lesotho. I have to get back to him about something. And this other line says ‘figure out trip’. It’s my mate’s birthday next month and the lads asked me to figure out how we can organize a hunting trip for him.”

As he explained his little reminder list on his palm, I traced it with the tips of my fingers lightly. After I ran out of the ink to trace, I started tracing the lines in his palm, very slowly.

“Bad memory?” I teased.

He sighed, “The worst. Well, not about important things. I remember important things. But names of people I met only a couple times, but should definitely know? Nope. And the deadline to things I have to do? Even worse. Hence the writing in hand.”

“Have you tried setting alarms on your phone?”

“I barely know how to make calls.” He rolled his eyes.

“Drama queen!”

“I’m serious! We’re not allowed to use social media, so really what’s there to do? I just don’t use it much.”

“God, it’s like you’re 80.”

He chuckled, and his hand closed on reflex over mine. Now it was almost as if we were holding hands. The thought, the warmth of his skin on mine, sent a shock wave through my body.

“Come on, Harry, no flirting with the competition!” Louis called out as he rode by.

We chuckled, timidly.

“Things seem better, with Louis.” He commented. 

I smiled. “We talked.”

“Did he understand?”

I nodded. “Yes. He’s got a good heart. He’s young, but he’d never willingly do something to hurt anyone. It’s just…” I sighed, giving him a side glance. “He’s got… some stuff to figure out. And I wanna help as much as I can. I just… Can’t sacrifice myself for it. And I think he gets it.”

There was a pause, a more comfortable one this time, and next time he spoke, he had a whisper of a smile on his lips.

“You didn’t ask me to stop.” He whispered. I looked at him. 

“I guess I didn’t.”

We exchanged a smile, and just as I felt my cheeks redden at the long pause, his brother rode by already on his horse.

“Stop flirting with my player, Harry, get to your horse!”

We jumped, startled, but chuckled timidly as he rode away.

“So, how confident are you that you’re going to beat me?”, he asked.

“Oh, only about 89%.”

“Oh, is that all?”

“Ninety-six, tops.”

He nodded, amused. “Care to make it interesting?”

“What are you thinking?”

“Loser buys dinner.”

I bit my inner lip to contain a smile. It almost sounded like he was asking me on a date. Was he asking me out on a date?

“I… I have to leave tomorrow morning.”

“Well, Savoy is, what? Four or five hours away by train?”

“Another one and a half to the city where I live.”

He nodded, then shrugged. “I can do that. What do you say?”

I placed a foot on the stirrup, and jumped up to take my seat on the saddle.

“Win first, Your Royal Highness. Then we’ll talk.”

“Game on, Mary.”

--- ---- ---

[A/N: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!!! please let me know if you like it? I’m open to notes, suggestions, all of it =) just liking this chapter would really help me know!

I don’t know how to say this without spoiling a big plot point in the story, but to be fair it is sort of the main premise, so if you’d like not to be spoiled on plot points, maybe come back later? Cool. Let’s get to it.

When I first started writing this story, I hadn’t intended on Margueritte’s brother, Louis, to be such a big character. I expected his time with us would be… well, shorter, after all the main idea for this story starts with his - again, spoiler alert - death. But as I wrote a little of him, I I liked him so much, and I ended up writing more and more and soon it was really heartbreaking killing him. As you’ll soon find, Louis fits into a trope I didn’t intentionally set out to write: the kill your gays trope. I don’t want to go into details because that’s enough spoilers, but suffice to say mea culpa, and also I hope you’ll give me a chance to show I do have a bigger intention with this: one, monarchies are famously heteronormative. They essentially can’t survive otherwise, or so we are told. I have always wandered about this. We’ve all read the historical examples of homosexuality being swiftly repressed for the good of the succession line. As a modern royal, Margueritte will have to look this issue in the eyes, too. She’ll have to realize the role she plays in a system where for her family and its history to survive, some families cannot exist in their purest form, and she will struggle with not being able to tell the world the truth about her brother - since it is not her place - knowing this makes her an accomplice in rewriting history to fit her best purpose. 

Which choices she makes and which path she decided to take in this issue are something I’m excited to explore, as I honestly believe monarchies will have to have a solution for this at one point or another.

TL/DR: though this story adds to the kill your gays trope, which I know it’s problematic, I want to write about the way monarchies perpetuate heteronormativity and how they will have to find a way for all their members, regardless of sexuality or gender identity, to feel at home in the institution, and I intend to add more non-straight characters so delve into this issue.]

[dreaminpeaches]

Humble Pie Concept: Hereau Timeline

Okay so its 4am when I came up with this concept it was too hot for me to sleep so forgive me, if it's sound too weird.

Okay, so what if Beau never met Beau (walk with me to this pier before you throw me off), but instead Beau met Hera...

Hera is character from my other blog , but she exists in Humble Pie, as a famous all star athlete. She's not only know for being a talented athlete but also a beautiful athlete as well. Beau knows of Hera and is a semi fan of hers, her poster was one of the only ones he didn't take down when he was redoing his room. Anyways, Hera is also known be to a very cool and spicy athlete often called the Mona Lisa of sports because she never smiles in pictures and she has a very cool girl, competitive and cocky persona in public. But in actuality, Hera is a nervous wreck whose real dream is to break from her cool girl persona and become a cutesy idol girl.

Where as Bonnie and Beau are interesting as couple for how different they are, Hera and Beau are interesting for how similar they are, both trying to break from personas, that they made for themselves out of protect and want to be a more honest verison of themselves, and I could see them help each other through it.

Beau and Hera's relationship is more mellow than Beau's and Bonnie's chaotic relationship, like for example, Bonnie won't really have the patience to go fishing with Beau--like just watching him fish, but Hera wouldn't be really mind it, she would actually find it really calming, and would enjoy watching Beau along with playing with the cats near by.

Beau is less snarky with Hera and more gentle because Hera can be really hard on herself when she makes the slightest mistakes, and tends to fall into stress loops.

While in Beau and Bonnie's relationship, Bonnie is the one usually to make Beau laugh and cheer him up, in Hera and Beau's relationship, Beau is the one to make Hera laugh and is more goofy with her. Mostly because Hera doesn't rub it in like Bonnie does, like when Beau acts goofy around Beau too much for too long , Bonnie is basically like "You like Krabby Patties don't you, Squidward?" If you know what mean, but Hera is more is more like "Thanks, I need that" and doesn't mention again in mocking or teasing way.

Beau and Hera also have a few more things in common, they both like sports (duh) and they both grew up with fathers who weren't the best dads outside of sports. Hera's father wasn't nearly as physically abusive as Beau's dad, he was more neglectful and ignored Hera anytime she wasn't talking about or practicing some type of sport, Hera's dad secretly wanted a son and kind of was depressed when he found out Hera was a girl, and ever since she could walk he always pushed her to more masculine interest than feminine, he would completely ignore her if she wanted to show her dad and new song and dance she made up in her favorite Ariel dress but she would have his undivided attention if she finally prefected her volleyball serve. Bonnie never knew her father because everytime she would ask her mom what he was like she would say "He was a useless p@#$ who couldn't handle my energy, so I got rid of him", Bonnie's mom would as end the conversation there never really elaborating any further.

How Beau and Hera meet is basically the same how Bonnie and Beau met, but with Hera the meeting has a more 90/80s sitcom feel like "All Star Athlete, Hera Grace? What are you doing here?" But less sitcom y because Hera as a nervous breakdown at the same time her car broke down. So, not only is Beau trying to help fix her car, but is also trying to comfort Hera, while at the same time trying figure out what is All Star Athlete, Hera Grace doing in his small town driving a beat up car.

At first, Hera tells Beau that's she just in town for vacation...

Beau: "So, out of all the places you could go as All Star Athlete, Hera Grace, you chose a small southern town?"

Hera: "I guess I just like the humble aesthetic... heh heh.."

Beau:" Okay.."

Beau (internally): Grandma was right, famous people are weird..

Beau and Hera continue to meet to work on Hera's car, and people don't recognize Hera because (a. Small town folk wouldn't really believe some one THAT famous would just plop into town (b. Using superman logic, Hera wears sunglasses so nobody can recognize her. So yes, Beau and Hera are sunglasses stunting couple 😎😎

Anyways, Beau and Hera start spending more time together and get closer, there is that scene where Hera walks in on Beau playing and being goofy with his siblings, but since Hera isnt as teasing as Bonnie, Beau doesn't feel as embarrassed about it.

There is a moment where Beau walks in on Hera doing a Disney number in one of her cute idol dress, she has another breakdown when she realizes Beau is watching, Beau comforts her again, and that's when Hera reveals that she actually made a deal with her father that if she can at least start her idol career in a year, then she could quit her athlete career and become an idol full time. The reason why she came to Beau's town because all the big city entertainment and music companies literally shut the door in Hera's face, Hera suspect that her dad was behind it and was purposely making harder for her since he wasn't going to help out at all with her idol career, which is why he gave her the best up car, there's a small but ambitious entertainment company in Beau's town looking to start an idol group and since it's not connected to a big company Hera felt like she actually had a chance. Hera begs Beau to keep this a secret and she isn't ready to go public with it.

Hera: "Please, keep this a secret, if-if anyone finds out, I'll--ill--"

Beau: "Hey! hey! It's okay, I know what it's like to keep a secret, but at least yours is actually really cute.."

Hera:" (Blush) heh...heh.. thank you, that really means alot to me, Beau"

While Bonnie's hyperfixation is mascots, Hera are idols, idol culture, Idol anime shows/games, and Disney. She often info dumps about Idol stuff while helping Beau work on the car.

Hera: "Oh! Oh, there's this another idol group I like called Arashi, they're were the first idol group I ever seen, and they have this one song that oozes sparkle energy, and they're still really cute and fun despite being kind of old for idols, and --oh, I'm sorry, rambling again.."

Beau: "No, no, it's fine, you smile for real when you talk about that stuff, I like it.."

Hera: "(blushes) UMMMM!..okay, so where was I-- oh, yeah.."

For money, Hera works at a cat cafe, she was gonna work at the same maid cafe Bonnie did but Hera was still shy about preforming in front others on the spot like that, so she picked the cat cafe that was two stores down, she also coaches softball at the local rec center.

Hera is no where near as flirtatious as Bonnie, since Hera spent most of her life practicing sports, and trying to literally win her dad's affection, she didn't really think about boys in a romantic sense, although she is comfortable around guys platonically, Beau was the first guy to treat Hera like a normal girl, not one of the guys or a sports goddess, just a normal girl, Hera is used to being call Beautiful or Sexy, but when Beau calls her Cute, she considers that flirting.

Since Hera is so used to holding masculine energy and qualities and being praised and recognized for it, it's nice to allow herself to be more feminine and being recognized and complimented for it.

While Beau is more sparing but loving with his kisses with Bonnie . With, Hera he uses his kisses to comfort her and/or to stop her from falling into stress/aniexty loop, usually holding her or hugging her or at least holding her hand and say "It's Okay", "I'm here", "Don't worry about it"

Okay, that's about all I have to say for this timeline/AU, I still love both Beaunnie and Hereau equally, I like Beaunnie for it's chaotic energy, I like Hereau for it's neutral good energy, I like both Bonnie and Hera, we can stan multiple queens in this household thank you very much...

[icarialex]

Discord Threads

Who: Zoey Katz and Kassandra West @kassmeifyoucan​

When: February 12th

Where: Little Icaria, Beach, then Zoey’s doorstep

What: Zoey takes Kassandra out on a date. Before Robin beats Kassandra up and she shows up to Zoey’s a bloody mess.

Zoey

Once they were seated, Zoey decided to reply to some things Kass said as they were walking. “Amaze you? By shapeshifting? It’s not really something I worked hard to obtain. I was just born with it. Comes with the mom being Demeter thing,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. Zoey was happy to talk about her mother. While the two weren’t close, she had a better relationship than many others on the isle. The blonde understood that being a Goddess and a parent didn’t really blend well. Still, she appreciated that her mother seemed to try and check in on her when she could. Quickly getting tired of the idea of sitting across from Kassandra, the blonde moved to sit on her side of the booth and just quickly maneuvered the table settings to accommodate what she wanted. She’d never understood why it was customary for people to sit that way. Dates were supposed to be an intimate affair. Sitting across made conversation easy, but seriously limited touching. She’d rather just turn her body slightly while talking. “Oh,” she asked playfully as she reached for her glass of water that was just placed at their table. “Is that because only you want to see me naked or are you protecting my honor,” she asked over the rim of the glass before taking a sip to hide her smirk slightly. 

.

Now that they were next to each other again, Zoey reached for Kass’ hand and started absentmindedly playing with her fingers. “Me? No, not really,” she said with a shrug. “I stopped by my parents’ house this week for dinner. Even though we literally live less than eight minutes away from each other, they still think me having my own apartment puts me in a whole new world or something.” The illustrator affectionately rolled her eyes as she talked about her dad and step mother. They were such a silly duo, and anyone that met them could see where Zoey got her quirky and affectionate nature from. “I don’t know if I’d call having a woman wrapped in a bedsheet boring, but hey, if that’s your boring I’d hate to see you having a wild time.” She made sure to keep a smile on her face as she made light of the situation. Although it made something stir in her abdomen, she could deal with it more easily now that the two of them weren’t being so odd anymore. 

“Tonight? You seem to give me the lead on most things,” she retorted. Fortunately, she didn’t need to look at the menu really to know what was best on it. She was a big fan of Little Icaria and had been more times than she could count. It was also her dad’s favorite place to take her since it opened. When their waiter returned, she smiled at him as she asked, “Can we get a bottle of the Pinot noir please? Also, I’m going to have the sea bass, and this beautiful woman is going to have the lamb. Lamb medium please, and the sids that they come with is great.” With that put in, she was happy to see him take away their menus. Since she was paying, she didn’t need Kass looking at prices and then getting all unnecessarily self conscious. “I’d order appetizers, but seriously, the plates are such a nice size here that we will not finish our main dishes if I did.”

Kassandra

Kassandra tried not to feel some sort of jealousy at the way Zoey could so easily talk about her Godly parent. Family, really. Not once had Kass ever even mentioned her father to Zoey. Not out of hiding, just out of not really seeing the point. Okay... Maybe a little bit out of hiding. Part of her wanted to say something about her father, give some more common ground to bond over but before she could even say anything, Zoey was doing the unthinkable. The brunette blinked slowly in shock as her friend decided that sitting across from her just wouldn't do. Now she was sitting next to her, their legs touching. As if on instinct, or maybe because she didn't know what to do with it, she moved her right arm so it was laying along the back of the seat. "Hi there." Gods. Who the fuck said that after something as innocent as just sitting closer to someone. Grabbing for her water, she began to drink from it greedily. That is until Zoey asked her if she wanted to see her naked. Kassandra's eyes went wide, almost slamming the cup down as she choked, water going down the wrong pipe for a moment. "The uh... The choice of who sees you naked is uh... Up to you." She  managed to squeak out, clearing her throat with a well-timed cough.

It didn't take long for Zoey to do that thing where she got bored and needed to do something with her hands, Kassandra being brought out of her panic to only fly straight into another wall. The blonde had now acquired her hand and was playing with her fingers causing Kass to bite her lower lip. Instead of thinking about how much her heart was pounding or how ridiculous she was being for getting nervous over absolutely nothing, she tried to focus on Zoey talking so freely about her parents. Once again she wanted to say something about her mother or even Kratos but it was just hard to get the words out. None of them seemed right enough. Or happy enough. Once again, Kass wasn't prepared for the mental whiplash as Zoey talked so nonchalantly about the woman that she'd seen in her room a while back. Clearing her throat once more, she shrugged. "She wasn't boring. That was just... Not memorable." Eyes closed in a wince, ducking her head for a moment. "That sounds awful. I just mean... She wasn't meant to be anything more than a.... Nevermind. I'm just digging myself a deeper hole."

Letting out a deep breath that she didn't realize she'd been holding, Kassandra watched with a slightly shocked expression as Zoey ordered for them both. Sure, she'd offered the idea up to her on a silver platter but Zoey didn't even really look at the damned menu. She must take people out to dinner often. Which, of course meant that this wasn't a special occurrence. This was just something that made Zoey... Zoey. "I'm excited to eat the food. I trust your judgement." For a moment she stayed silent, mind wandering off to other things until she tuned back into the woman sitting next to her. "My uh... My dad likes to joke about how he blessed me with my gifts." She inhaled sharply, pushing past the uncomfortable feeling swirling in her gut. "Honestly, the strength is a pretty nice thing to have as a girl. Especially growing up where I did. My mom never really knew how to deal with the fact that I was super strong. She wanted me to hide it so I did. Wasn't allowed to play sports because she didn't want me hurting the other girls. I snuck them though... Until I broke Spencer's leg and then that kind of stopped." Kassandra looked down at the table, focusing on the napkins and the silverware. "Sorry if I'm not good with talking about my parents. Mom isn't uh... Anyway. And my dad is kind of busy. Ya know... Being a God and all. You might have heard of him? Kratos." Somehow, telling Zoey who her father was didn't feel nearly as scary as it did when she had to tell her boss. "He's kinda cool. Kind of a dick too. Guess that's where I get it from."

Zoey

When Kassandra started nearly coughing, blue eyes went wide as she tried to rub her back. Honestly, she should probably feel bad, but she didn’t. Getting a reaction out of the woman who so often tried to play it cool was fun. She also had no other way of learning if any of the confusing feelings she was feeling were returned. Well, unless Kassandra decided to just broach the subject which she doubted. From what she’d learned of the woman so far, that didn’t seem likely. “Mmm — that it is, and me asking you if you would want to be the one who saw me or just want to defend my honor wouldn’t take away that choice,” she agreed with a nod once she was sure her friend was done choking. “But you mentioned how you might feel which has me curious about what’s going through that pretty head of yours.” Complimenting Kass was becoming easier and easier for Zoey. Words of affirmation were always easy for her in regards to anyone she cared about. 

.

People sleeping around for fun was not an unknown concept to Zoey, and she didn’t judge it. Just because it wasn’t something for her didn’t mean that she thought it was wrong. The blonde just knew herself well. Sex wasn’t something she held in a high regard, and she needed to feel something for someone in order to even contemplate going there. Although, her thoughts towards the act were wavering due to the thoughts plaguing her mind lately were changing, and it had everything to do with the person sitting next to her. “You’re not digging yourself into anything with me,” she said gently as she absentmindedly drew patterns on Kass’ palm. “I don’t judge sleeping around. If that’s something you can do, then awesome. If it makes you happy, then who am I to judge? I just know myself to know I can’t because I am not someone who gets sexual unless I have a connection with someone. Doesn’t make my way of seeing things better than yours or worse. We’re just different.” Zoey hoped that explaining the way she thought about it would stop Kass from thinking it was in any way horrible or shady.

The waiter brought out their bottle of wine quickly and poured them each a glass before disappearing again. “My dad brings me here whenever he wants to go out to dinner. It’s why I’ve tried just about everything,” she said with a light laugh. “His philosophy is that he has to try everything once, so that makes tackling menus a game of sorts until we’ve covered it all. I’ve never ordered for someone though, so hopefully I did okay. We can also just pick at each other’s food since the portions are so big to get a bit of everything if you want.” Zoey didn’t really know the protocol for these things, but she was just going off instinct. Even if Kass didn’t tell her if she didn’t like something, she could rely on her observation skills to figure it out and adjust. “You have enhanced strength,” she asked curiously as she learned more about the woman besides her. “I will officially never feel bad about sitting on your lap or jumping on you.” The illustrator taking leaping jumps to greet people she really cared for wasn’t new. At least she knew with Kass that she wouldn’t have to worry about toppling them both to the floor. “I can’t imagine what it was like growing up in a world where you had to be careful with powers since I grew up here. I’m glad you eventually found your way here though so you can just be yourself. That has to be less stressful.” While her shifting had gotten her trapped in the zoo a few times, that was a very mild consequence in comparison to what could happen outside of Icaria. “School covered a ton of theGods, so yes, I’m familiar with your dad,” she answered with a smile. However, it quickly turned into a frown at Kass’ following words. “You’re not that. You’re sweet, a little awkward, and really silly when you want to show that side of yourself. I really like you, and who you are,” she said with a shrug.

Kassandra

Green eyes found blue as Zoey responded to her with such earnest and honest words. And then her brain melted as she realized that the blonde said that she really liked her. Her mouth went dry and all sensible thought left the damned window as she just held her gaze for a moment that probably stretched on far longer than most would deem acceptable among just friends. "I uh... Thanks, Zoey. It means a lot. I just don't really feel comfortable around people. Not anymore. But with you, I don't know... It's different. You're different." Kassandra's eyes went wide, squeezing Zoey's hand for a moment. "I don't mean that in a bad way! I just meant, like, you make me feel like I can be the me that... That I haven't been able to be in a very, very long time. I actually, uh--I kind of forgot she existed for a while." She wasn't even remotely about to go into how that girl had basically been dead in the water for a decade, not really wanting to ruin this date not date that they were on. Date. Her mind drifted back to the earlier bit of the conversation that had kind of gotten broken away from when Zoey asked about how she felt with her being naked due to her shifting. Everything went blank for a moment, not even realizing she'd started speaking until it was too late.

"I'm pretty sure that if I ever saw you naked, I'd short circuit. Have you seen you?" Her brain slowly caught up with her words, thankful that Zoey couldn't see the hand that was resting on the back of the booth as it was now gripping the material tightly. "I definitely now see what you mean by awkward." She wanted to facepalm but one hand was gripping the booth and the other was currently being held by Zoey, trying to not melt with how she was drawing random shapes and patterns against her skin. "I'm glad I found my way here too. The place is growing on me. And, well...." Kassandra trailed off, her other hand that had been trying to maintain a grip on her sanity moved of its own free-will and found itself placed lightly on Zoey's upper back, gentle circles being rubbed. "You kind of were the reason for all of that. So thank you." She smiled gently, far too gently for her liking, and quickly moved her hand back to its previous positioning. Part of her wanted to down the wine that was on the table and the other part of her wanted to actually give her full and undivided attention to Zoey without anything fogging her mind. The wine remained untouched.

Zoey

Kass’ words had an effect on Zoey, and she was trying very hard to keep it under wraps. Acting on those feelings without even fully understanding what they meant wasn’t smart. Plus, if she did and messed up such a feeling of comfort for her friend, she’d feel terrible. Still, her blue eyes couldn’t help themselves as her eyes looked down towards Kassandra’s lips for a millisecond longer than could be passed as innocent before snapping back up. Words still couldn’t leave her lips which only made the air grow thicker because those green eyes weren’t helping. Never someone to get lost in the physical, Zoey felt herself being drawn further into a space she didn’t understand. Luckily, the waiter chose that moment to bring their food down, and she was thankful. She had no idea how that would have gone, and she needed a moment to catch her breath. After thanking him, she turned towards Kass again. “I’m happy I do that for you, but don’t think this is one sided. You make me very happy. My favorite days lately are the ones where I run into you, or when you find some excuse to come by my shop. You’re different to me, and I guess our different goes together.” Zoey couldn’t even explain it. Could she draw it? Probably, but words? Those weren’t always her best friends.

“Why would you short circuit,” she asked quietly as she spread the napkin out on her lap. She needed to understand if it was just because she was beautiful, or because it was her. That was a large distinction. “I know I’m attractive, but you there are attractive women everywhere, and you’re too smooth typically to short circuit. So, why?” Where her courage was coming from, she didn’t know. It wasn’t like she’d even touched her own glass of wine. She was too busy focusing on the company besides her to even think about it. 

Regrettably, she released the hand she was toying with and moved to work on her fish. There were many bones that needed to be taken out after all if Kass was going to try some. “I find your awkward endearing, if that helps,” she said with a giggle while working on the task at hand. “You don’t have to thank me. You’ve made this place feel even more like home which I didn’t think was possible, so we’re both happy. Now,” she started as she took a piece of fish with her fork before turning towards Kass. “You have to try this. I can’t believe you’ve been in Greece and haven’t tried our seafood. It’s criminal, Kass.”

Kassandra

Did Zoey just... No. No definitely not. She'd clearly seen things. Licking her lips, she was thankful for the waiter showing up at the perfectly imperfect time to bring them their ordered food. As she stared down at her plate, she felt her cheeks heat up, bringing her hands back to her sides in order to grab at the silverware. Part of her began to panic as she looked at the food that was waiting to be eaten, knowing that Zoey would cackle when she told her why she looked so awkward. Luckily for her, the blonde decided to speak up about--Wait. Oh no. Not luckily. Oh Gods. Her cheeks were blushing a deeper shade of crimson once more, fingers tightening on the silverware so much so that she felt them wince beneath her grip. Placing them down as gently as possible on the table, Kass let her hands go to rest in her lap. Like always whenever she got nervous or antsy, she began to play with her fingers, staring down at her lap in thought. She didn't know why this always happened when she was around Zoey. Granted, if she really allowed herself to truly go there, she'd figure it out quick enough. But something in her wasn't ready to admit it, definitely not out loud and certainly not in her own head. Not yet, anyway. So she smiled warmly at Zoey, the facial expression turning into a cocky smirk as she wrapped her hand around Zoey's and leaned over to take the offered fish meat off of the fork. Logically she knew she could have just reached for the fork and taken it into her own hand but this was much more tempting. Pulling away and chewing the food, she looked at Zoey thoughtfully as she swallowed. "I'm sorry that I'm a horrible human being. I will be sure to turn myself into the police under the crime of not ever having seafood in my life." She held up two fingers in a mock 'scout's honor' knowing full well that wasn't the hand signal.

Leaning back so she wasn't invading Zoey's space as much, she took a hold of her glass of wine and almost downed the entire thing. Hopefully Zoey wouldn't notice the absolutely insane move but given the fact that she could feel the heat of her gaze, it was safe to say she'd seen it all. And to make matters worse, just because she couldn't quite put a finger on how she felt towards the blonde didn't mean that her brain wouldn't fuck her over at every little turn. Which is why she started talking. Again. "I realized I never answered your question from earlier. But to answer it now... You're you, Zoey." Her words came out in a smaller voice than she would have expected it to. "There could be a thousand attractive women around and... And none of them would be you." After a moment where everything felt too real and she realized that everything had just stopped in their little pocket of the restaurant did she offer up an awkward chuckle. "Anybody else who didn't think the same is lying." There. Make it seem like some obvious thing that everyone else thought of. Yeah, that's super believable. She could slap herself. For fucks sake. Instead of doing that she chose to focus back on the food that awaited her, picking up at her utensils once more. Her brow furrowed, nose crinkling cutely as she stared down at the dish. "In other news, I regret to inform you but I grew up for the first half of my life being a vegetarian. So uh--I don't exactly know how to eat this." She quickly held up a fork. "I eat meat now! I just, ya know--its always been like. Oh look a burger. Oh look, chicken nuggies. Things that make sense and don't require previous knowledge other than open mouth and chew."

Zoey

If Zoey’s eyes didn’t become a darker blue due to the woman’s actions, she’d be surprised because she felt everything within her become thicker. Perhaps that wasn’t a word many would use in the situation, but it was the only one that made sense. An overwhelming feeling of desire became like a fog that covered the rest of her senses and mind which made it very hard to focus on anything else. Her eyes wanted to drift again, and once again she wasn’t successful at stopping their trajectory, but she did move them up once again quicker. “You’re a tease,” slipped past her lips before she even realized, but she didn’t regret the words when her ears picked up what she had said. How could the woman not see the effect she was having on the illustrator? The deeper breathing, glances, and comments were going to give her away sooner or later. Not to mention the date that she’d somehow manage to slyly get. “I’m glad you’re experiencing it with me then,” she replied honestly once the lust induced fog cleared a bit. “Although, turning yourself in won’t be necessary. I’ll take responsibility for you and correct this atrocity at once.” Playful was always an easier territory for the two of them. It seemed to lead to less trouble. 

Zoey noticed how quickly Kass seemed to drink her wine, but didn’t comment because she went through her own glass a little quickly. She then poured them another. With all the food around them, she knew she wouldn’t feel it too terribly. Thankfully she’d put down the wine bottle before the other woman spoke again because if she hadn’t, she was positive that it would have been dropped. Her food was forgotten for the moment as she shifted her body, so she was almost completely facing Kassandra. “Many people don’t see what you do, and I’m happy they don’t. If they did, what you tried to do would be successful. I’d actually believe your attempt to shrug it off as something less important than it is.” The blonde knew that if she said more, that she would genuinely get emotional or spill her own feelings that she didn’t make sense of herself yet. Zoey almost panicked at the mention of not eating meat until Kass clarified. Then, an endearing smile appeared on her face. “Cut the meat similar to a steak. The big piece that’s like hanging away from the bone is the best. Promise, there isn’t a wrong way to eat it. I won’t even judge if you picked up the bone and ate it like a wing,” she promised with a smile.

Kassandra

"Babe, you haven't experienced the kind of tease I can be." Kassandra muttered under her breath before nodding decisively and looking at the dish. "Alright I'll try. But if I eat it weird... Blame my mother." With a little awkwardness she began to cut the lamb in a slightly horrific manner and grumbled softly to herself. "Damn thing..." Finally after too many painstakingly long seconds, she got a decent size bite and chewed on it thoughtfully. "Well, I have to say that you've really outdone yourself on this whole ordering thing. This is actually really good." For a while she just ate her food in silence, sneaking glances at the other woman. She wasn't too terribly hungry after the day of nerves, trying to get up the gumption to actually talk to Zoey. Of course she'd offered up some of her food for Zoey to take, happy to return the sentiment. Now she was sipping at her water, refusing to go any further down wine lane. She'd just finished pushing the plate away, one hand on her stomach and the other having returned to the back of the booth. She was about to start talking about the rest of their evening when she noticed that Zoey had some wine on her upper lip.

For what wouldn't be the last time that night, Kassandra's body reacted of its own accord. Without even thinking, she turned her body more towards Zoey, her full attention to those lips that she desperately found herself wanting to kiss more and more. The hand that had been resting on her stomach moved toward's the other woman's face. "Hey you uh... You've got..." Kass trailed off, biting her own bottom lip in concentration as she brought the pad of her thumb up to trace along the curve of Zoey's lip, effectively getting the wine. Her breath hitched as she realized what she'd just done, hand frozen just a few inches away from Zoey's face. Someone cleared their throat, snapping her out of her trance. It was the waiter, asking if they wanted anything to go. "O-oh. Uh, yeah that'd be great. Just a second, I can pay for dinner." And just like that, whatever moment had been happening or almost happened was broken as Kass moved away to reach into her back pocket to grab for her wallet, effectively putting space between her and the woman that was causing all reasonable thought to leave her body.

Zoey

At Kass’ words, Zoey felt her body heat up and fill with anticipation all at the same time. “What if I wanted to experience it,” she said in a bit of a challenge. The artist had no idea what was happening, but she wasn’t overthinking it. All she knew was that she wouldn’t regret it since it seemed she wasn’t navigating the confusing waters alone. If she was, Kass would have let her down easily by now. At least, Zoey thought so. As the dinner kept on, she offered up more bits of her fish to the woman beside her. They were comfortable around each other, and it was different. Yes, she and Theo had always been comfortable, but he was more of her best friend. The atmosphere she was in during dinner was one with an undercurrent of wanting which she wasn’t used to and was growing to like. It was exciting, and she liked not feeling bashful as she took in the woman beside her, “I’m glad you like it.” 

When Kass touched her lip, Zoey felt her breathing stop for a moment. Actually, she was positive every part of her froze. Without even thinking, her lips puckered slightly to kiss the finger. Noticing that the hand stopped in midair, the illustrator reached for it and was about to tug it towards her to pull Kass forward when they were interrupted. She didn’t know whether to groan or be thankful that they didn’t share a kiss in the middle of Little Icaria, but she took the moment to regather herself for what felt like the millionth time. A smirk did appear on her face when she heard the waiter say the bill had been taken care of. He thanked her by calling her Ms. Katz as he handed her the receipt to sign. “I handed my card to the hostess when we got here,” she said without looking up as she calculated the tip to answer the silent question. “I asked you out, so I pay. That’s how it goes before you argue, and unless you have a creative way to shut me up, I’m quite stubborn.” Flirting was so easy with Kass which was weird. Zoey was sweet, funny, and caring, but smooth was not an adjective she’d use. Yet, there she was.

When their to go boxes were returned to them, Zoey took the brown bag and stood up from the booth. “Are you ready, darling,” she asked as she offered her hand to the woman she was struggling to continue thinking of as a friend.

Kassandra

'What if I wanted to experience it'. Her mind was a wreck. Zoey just kept saying and doing things that were slowly killing her. And what's worse is that she didn't know how to take it. On one hand, Zoey could just be a really easy-going flirt. And on the other? Zoey could actually be feeling whatever tension there was that had filled up this whole damned restaurant. Either way, Kassandra was trying desperately to find some sort of balance. It was barely possible, since just looking at Zoey made her want to throw all rational thought out the mother-fucking window and just kiss her until she was breathless and whimpering her name. Swallowing thickly, Kassandra tuned back into the present, brought back to her senses by Zoey standing up from the booth and offering her hand. Had... Had she just called her darling? The brunette blinked and took the offered hand as she scooted out of the booth. She was sure she'd missed something else that was important from the conversation but honestly, after what she'd said earlier? Everything else was a blissful blur.

As they began the walk towards the Inn, Kassandra kept quiet for as long as she could manage, just giving small squeezes to Zoey's hand to let her know that she was still mentally present enough to acknowledge her. It wasn't that she couldn't talk. She just was afraid of what she might fucking say if she did decide to open her mouth. Everything inside of her was screaming at her to do two very different things. Part of her wanted to invite Zoey to her room and have her way with her for the rest of the evening. The part of her that was definitely winning wanted to just do something as equally dumb--like hold her hand and just talk to her until the wee hours of the morning. Like some kind of fucking sap. No. Whatever was happening, or trying to happen, she couldn't let it continue. Right? She didn't do getting hurt. And whatever was happening would definitely lead to heartbreak. Be it her own or Zoey's. And she honestly didn't know if she could handle hurting the other girl. The problem with that is that's what she always did. She ruined people.

Once they got to the Inn, Kassandra took the leftovers out of Zoey's hands. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." She teased before doing another unthinkable, leaning down and kissing Zoey on the cheek. As she turned around, her eyes widened. Why the fuck are you doing this to yourself, Kassandra. She's probably just flirty with everyone and this doesn't mean anything. Do not even remotely think about fa--nope. No. She wasn't going to even think that word. No way. As she made her way into her room, she put the food into her mini-fridge and checked on her puppy. He was fast asleep and she didn't have the heart to wake him. It had only been about an hour and a half since she'd left so he'd be fine. Her eyes fell on a hard-case, wondering if this was really a good idea. Without thinking too long about it, Kassandra grabbed her car keys off the dresser and then grabbed the case, quickly exiting her room. Going out the back entrance, she loaded her car with the item and closed the trunk before getting inside and driving out to the front to where Zoey was waiting. "Shall we?"

Zoey

“Oh yes, because I’m just going to bolt on you,” she teased. Anything else that she was thinking of replying with fell dead on her lips due to the kiss on her cheek. Kass so far didn’t initiate affection, which didn’t bother Zoey, but then she did something to take her completely off guard. It left her only being able to follow the woman with her eyes as she went to her room, which only gave her something equally as problematic to focus on. The blonde wasn’t the type of girl to focus on someone’s butt, yet, there she was staring. Fortunately, Kassandra didn’t turn around. That would have caused her to blush profusely. 

The more time she spent around Kass, the more positive she was of her feelings. Emotionally she knew she was drawn, but the physical aspect was new. Then again, it had been a long time since she’d had a crush on anyone. After her break up, she didn’t really allow herself to go there. Not because she didn’t want to or was hurt, but because she wanted to learn more about herself before trying anything with anyone else. Then, whatever was happening decided to slap her in the face. Fortunately, she was taken out of her inner musings when a car pulled up and Kass got her attention. “And you told me not to go anywhere. You have a get away car and everything,” she teased as she opened the passenger door and slipped in.

“You do know we could have walked,” she teased lightly. Zoey herself didn’t even have a car. The island was so small she never needed one. Her father taught her how to drive since it was apparently a right of passage, but other than practicing every so often, she never used the skill. Since they were heading to the beach, the blonde reached for the bottom of her shirt and lifted it up over her head. She shook her hair out of the braid she had it in and relaxed against the seat. “I have a blanket in my bag. I actually am totally one of those girls that has just about everything in her purse.” It was why she carried what looked more like a satchel or knapsack than a traditional purse.

Kassandra

"I know we could have walked but the idea of you walking back to your place after being in the ocean doesn't really sit right with me. Hence, car." She didn't add the fact that it was much easier to lug around a certain item via a car than on her shoulders. Kass put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot, one hand on the gearshift and the other on the steering wheel. She found herself restricting her movement, not allowing herself to reach over and grab the other woman's hand. This was getting far too close into dating territory, or at least a variation of that and well, Kassandra didn't do that anymore.It didn't take long to make it to the beach, after all, they were on a relatively small island. When Kassandra originally thought of Icaria, she had imagined it being much larger. This? This wasn't at all to the scale she'd whipped up in her head. But in all honesty? It was better.

As they pulled up into a parking spot, Kassandra turned off the car and got out to quickly jog over to Zoey's car door, opening it. "It's the least I can do for the girl that wined and dined me. Also... I'm going to get something out of my trunk and you're not gonna look okay? I promise you it'll be worth your while. Just... Stay here..." Kassandra positioned Zoey so she was staring out towards the ocean before going over to the trunk and opening up the case, pulling out the instrument and strapping it to her back. Walking back over to Zoey, Kass gently placed her hands over the blonde's eyes as her torso pressed up against the blonde's back. "So.. While you go out in the ocean and get incredibly wet, I'm going to stay on the sand. Where its dry and isn't an abyss of death." She didn't dare let her mind focus on how exactly she'd started out that sentence.

Removing her hands, she walked around to stand in front of Zoey, curling her finger in a 'come hither' motion. "And don't worry about me getting bored. I've got something to keep me company in the meantime. Besides, I'll start a fire so you'll be nice and warm when you're ready to come out." Kassandra took this time to sling her guitar into view. Green eyes found blue for a moment, a faint blush spreading over her cheeks. "Before you even remotely say something about me being adorable--hush. I learned how to play when I was younger by the principle at my school. Between that and choir, it was pretty much all my mom would let me do." Instead of waiting for Zoey to start towards her, Kassandra reached forward and grabbed onto the blonde's hand. Interlacing their fingers together, she began to walk backwards for a couple steps, pulling Zoey towards her for a moment until she turned to face the ocean.

Zoey

Zoey shook her head playfully as she got out of the car. “If that impresses you, then I need to have a serious talk with the other people who have taken you out on dates,” she said in mock seriousness. What she’d done wasn’t even that big of a deal. Honestly, she was a bit annoyed with her impulsiveness. If she’d thought things through, it could have been better. Although, the two of them always seemed to have fun together, so it didn’t bother her too much. As Kass went to the trunk, Zoey leaned against the hood of the car by holding her wait up against her palms as she gazed at the ocean. She followed orders even though she was very tempted not to. 

When she was guided towards Kass and then felt the woman press into her back, she felt her body temperature skyrocket. Instead of letting herself feel frazzled, she instead reached back slightly just to squeeze the woman’s hips slightly and pull even the slightest bit closer. “Abyss of death is a little dramatic,” she teased lightly. “Also, you think very highly of my self control if you think I will be able to resist making you wet too.” If innuendo was the game they were going to play, then she’d have to keep up. It was exciting and frustrating. While she had no idea if she’d make a fool of herself, for some reason she didn’t worry about that much. She knew any teasing that came from Kass would be playful, or apparently aimed at making her flustered.

When the woman finally moved to stand in front of her and beckoned her over, Zoey just smirked and moved to remove her shorts first. When she was left in just her bikini, she finally obliged and moved towards the woman. Although, blue eyes shined as she caught sight of the guitar. That was not at all what she expected. “Adorable wasn’t the word I was going to go with. Hot is more what came to mind,” she said with a shrug. When Kass turned to look at the water, Zoey moved beside her and bumped her hip lightly. “Do you want me to go in the water so you can warm up? That’s the only reason I’d go instead of staying with you right now. I would be perfectly content just laying beside you on the blanket and being with you.” She had the blanket in the bag and their dessert. It would be perfectly relaxing for Zoey, but she understood nerves, so she’d go in the water if needed.

Kassandra

The fact that Zoey was basically naked save for a bikini was enough for Kassandra to keep her gaze completely forward. She really didn't need to look like a complete and utter perv by checking out her friend. "Zo, you said you were gonna go to the beach and if that involves night swimming then don't let me take you away from that. Besides, you can lay down near me once you're ready to get cozy by a fire." Not to mention that would give just some time alone to her thoughts where she could mentally scream at whatever the hell was going on with this evening. Her train of thought led her back to when Zoey had mentioned how she'd have to have a serious talk about others who had taken her on dates. Did she tell her? Or did she just avoid the subject. It would probably be best to avoid it all together.

"I've uh... Never actually been taken out on a date." If Kassandra could look into a camera like she was on the Office, she would. Her mouth and brain were not in communication it seemed. "I've been on dates!" She quickly clarified, sighing deeply. "I was just the one that took her out on the dates." Her. Singular. Fuck. Stop giving away so much of your shitty, painful past tonight, West. "Oh look! A fire pit. That's nice, just means I get to light it and we'll be good to go!" Kass was thankful for the distraction as they neared the shore. Letting go of Zoey's hand, Kassandra looked around for a moment before spotting what she'd need. Setting her guitar down near the fire-pit, she walked a bit away to a rather large piece of driftwood. With ease, she lifted it up and brought it over to the fire-pit, setting it down with a loud thunk.

Kneeling down in the sand, she pulled out a lighter and began the process of lighting the kindling. Within a few moments the fire began to roar in front of her and she dusted off the sand from her hands. "Alright, I'll be here whenever you're ready to come out of the water. If you need me, call me. I hate the water but if you need me, I'll brave it for you." Kassandra said with a smirk. That was easy. Playful banter was so much easier than admitting that there was truthfully something going on. But Gods, was she finding herself more and more wanting to do something about what she felt every time she saw the blonde. But for now? For now she'd just sit by the fire, play her guitar, and throw her lust out the window. Cause that's all it was. Lust. Mmmmmmmmmhmmmmmm.

Zoey

“Kass,” she said teasingly in response before continuing. “That was before I ran into you, and I’d much rather be with you than burning off steam because I wasn’t seeing you.” She almost scolded herself for letting that out, but saying how she felt for those awkward weeks was a relief. She felt like a weight was lifted. “Also, you better know getting cozy next to a fire includes cuddling you when you aren’t playing. Just laying that expedition down now.” Still, she wouldn’t fight her on going into the water. It looked like a really nice night, and that didn’t mean she had to be gone long. 

“You hadn’t been taken out on a date,” she corrected lightly. Zoey didn’t know how much more clear she had to be about what her intentions were that evening, but she’d repeat it if necessary. “Whoever she was, obviously was an idiot if she didn’t want to treat you to something special every once in a while. I mean, I’d never taken anyone out on a date before until tonight, but I wanted to because you deserve to be taken care of sometimes too.” Zoey was thankful that she’d said that while Kass was busy setting up the fire because she didn’t know if she’d gotten it all out otherwise. Suddenly, she thought that getting a swim in was a good idea to get her emotions in check. “I could just shift into a water animal, but thanks for your courage,” she teased. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”

As the blonde walked towards the water, she stretched lightly. The temperature was perfect since Khione was no longer angry about her son being taken, and she quickly lost herself in the waves. Her mind was running in circles. Zoey was never the person to initiate things or even have thoughts that could lead to innuendo. She’d never felt the urge to go there. Still, with Kass, she felt like she was practically on fire. There was tension in her lower abdomen, and her mouth, Gods, it just seemed to work on it’s own accord. Before she realized it, she’d swam a good mile away from the shore. Not wanting to be gone too long, she turned around and headed back. 

As she walked back towards where Kass was, she couldn’t help but smile as she wrung her hair out over her shoulder. The other woman just looked so beautiful in the glow of the fire out by the water. She’d left her bag with Kass so she could set the blanket up to make herself comfortable. Zoey sat in front of the brunette. The fire was a nice way to dry off. “Are you sure you don’t want to go in? Your bra and underwear is essentially a bikini. Or we could skinny dip instead in a little while. There would be less people out and about,” she said with a shrug. She’d done it late at night and loved it. Although, her getting caught was much less likely when she could just shift into bird or something that made an easy escape. Plus, seeing Kassandra naked was not something she could handle. She’d surely explode from frustration and would not be able to resist touching.

Kassandra

Words escaped her as Zoey spoke to her before taking off into the night to go swim. For several moment she just stared at the flames that licked the air, not sure how to process anything. Had she meant like... A date date? Or like a friend date. She'd been on friend dates before, some of her former friends from academy calling them 'frates'. Biting her lower lip, she looked up from the fire to the water where Zoey was going out rather far. The woman relaxed some at the distance that was between them, worried that Zoey would suddenly develop the ability to read minds. So instead of thinking of that, she picked up her guitar after laying out Zoey's towel for her when she'd get back from her swim. Fingers began to pick gently at strings, chords falling into a rhythm as she leaned back against the drift wood. "I've watched my wild youth disappear in front of my eyes...Moments of magic and wonder, it seems so hard to find...Is it ever coming back again? Is it ever coming back again? Take me back to the feeling when everything was left to find..." Her voice carried out gently into the night, singing to herself. Luckily no one else seemed to be on the beach as she continued. "Cause it comes and goes in waves, it always does... It always does..."

Eventually that song faded out so she began to play another, followed by another and another. After a while, Zoey began to walk back and Kassandra chose to stop her singing. Gentle strumming remained as she took in the sight of the very, very attractive blonde in front of her. Her mouth went dry, trying to form words until she realized that Zoey had said something about skinny dipping. "As uh... Amazing as it sounds getting buck-ass naked and freezing my tits off, I'm good. I'm not really a fan of the ocean. I think going in at night would make it ten thousand times worse. But I'm glad you had fun. Now c'mon and get warm. I laid out the towel for ya." Kass patted the space next to her, giving a warm smile. When Zoey sat down, Kass took her jacket that she had on and wrapped it around the other woman's shoulders. "Before you even think about asking me if I need it, I'm fine. I run hot. And yes, you heard that right." Her grin was cheeky, trying to push past the feelings that bubbled up in her gut every time she flirted with her. For a while she just strummed on her guitar, not really doing any true tune. "We were sixteen," She started, not sure if Zoey would remember the conversation that they'd kind of had before she had gone in the ocean. "When I took her out on our first real date. We went to this abandoned park and I made a picnic for us. I couldn't take us out anywhere because we weren't out yet. Or at least... I wasn't. I paid for everything with my summer job money and it was great. That was the night we..." Kassandra trailed off, clearing her throat.

"After that though... I never went out on another date. Or at least anything that I qualified as a date. I tried in my senior year. This girl that I had kind of a thing for. Took her out to dinner and a movie. And then found out she... Nevermind. Just a bad experience all around. So I haven't really been on one in uh... A decade?" Her head ducked down, biting her lip as chords began to be played once more, a familiar tune drifting into existence. "Until tonight, that is. Do you treat all your friends to dates?" It was mostly a teasing tone but there was a hidden layer of worry that she'd been imagining the charge between them. What she'd do with that information, she didn't know. Either way, she didn't really wait for an answer as she started to sing along to the tune she'd been playing. "Somebody said you got a new friend... Does she love you better than I can?" Green eyes found blue, holding her gaze for a moment as she continued to sing softly. "Big black sky over my town... I know where you're at, I bet she's around... Yeah, I know it's stupid, I just gotta see it for myself..." Her eyes drifted away as she sang the next lyrics unable to look at her anymore out of fear that she'd go breathless. The fire was easy to look at as the shadows danced along her face. "I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, ohhh... I'm right over here, why can't you see me? Ohhh... I'm giving it my all but I'm not the girl you're taking home, ooh..." Kassandra chose this moment to chance a glance up at Zoey, breath hitching slightly as she sang out the last lyric. "I keep dancing on my own..."

Zoey

Without having to think about it, Zoey moved to sit beside Kassandra and stretched her legs in front of her while leaning back on against her palms. She listened as the other woman talked more about her past and tried to imagine what it was like. Her upbringing was so different. The artist knew how lucky she was to grow up in the home she did. Even though her father had zero idea about what he was doing at first, there was never a question about how much he loved or accepted her. “I’ve never had to do the whole coming out thing,” she said with a shrug. “My only relationship was with a guy. Well, Theo,” she said with a roll of her eyes but an affectionate smile was on her lips. “But my father knows that I don’t really care about gender when it comes to attraction or relationships. I go by what I feel. He doesn’t care who I bring home as long as I’m happy. Although, Theo perplexed him. Not because he wasn’t great. We’re actually still best friends. We just — there was no spark there. We love each other but not the way a couple should.” Explaining her and her ex’s relationship was always complicated. So many people had an idea of exs and how they should act, and well, Zoey and Theo could not fall further outside of that idea. “We broke up about a year ago.”

The question was an out if she wanted one, and the blonde knew that. If she wanted to, she could say she treated her friends the same way and be done with all the confusing, all encompassing feelings. Yet, she couldn’t lie. She’d hate herself if she did. Someone needed to take a leap of faith for Kass it seemed, and she’d hate it if she didn’t. “I don’t take people I consider just friends on dates, no,” she started explaining. “I mean, I may go out with friends to dinner, but I won’t call it a date unless I’m interested in something other than friendship.” There, she’d done it. There was absolutely zero grey area left about what she’d said. Kass couldn’t act obtuse about it anymore even if she wanted to. The idea was both thrilling and terrifying. 

The lyrics hit her in a way that made her sad. She’d felt them all too much when she’d seen the other women in Kass’ room. Jealousy. It wasn’t a feeling she was used to, but she was starting to say that a lot when it came to the woman singing beside her. When she finished singing, she took in a breath and let it out slowly. “You really have a beautiful voice,” were the first words out of her mouth. “You’re — you’re kind of a goober.” The blonde couldn’t help but chuckle as she said the words because honestly she was in a bit of disbelief. “For someone who doesn’t do this often, you don’t even realize how good you are at charming someone without even trying.”

Kassandra

Her heart pounded in her ears as she felt herself going into an almost out of body experience as Zoey's words floated around like a damned ping-pong ball in her head. She was interested in something other than friendship? The thought made her chest swell and a blush tinge her cheeks. Was this happiness that she was experiencing? It is. Or at least it was. Because as swiftly as the feelings of euphoria had entered her, they just as quickly were replaced with fear. She didn't let people get close for this very reason. What they had, whatever this was... She'd fuck it up. Just like she always did. First with her mom, then Aurora. Everyone else after that had barely been let in until all Kassandra had done was hollow herself out. No longer did she believe in romance or love. No longer had she thought she was worthy of being something to someone. First loves come and go, she knew that. She learned that lesson well. But when your own mother doesn't even want you.. When your own father doesn't even care until he can make use for you... It was all too much. When had her chest gotten this tight? Was Zoey calling her charming? She couldn't tell, everything around her was fuzzy.

Kassandra's breathing came in soft gasps, eyes wide as the guitar was placed down to the side of her. She blinked in surprise at what was happening, never having experienced this sensation before. Why was her chest so tight? She couldn't... She couldn't breathe. Looking up at Zoey in confusion, she opened her mouth to try to say something but all she did was gasp in air. Oh Gods, that made it worse. Beginning to hyperventilate, Kassandra stood up far too quickly than she should have, not even bothering to dust off her pants from all the sand. Her head swam as she stood tall, not knowing where to go. She was on a beach for Zeus' sake. This wasn't really an ideal place for whatever the hell this was. Her right hand flexed open and closed several times, trembling. "I... I can't... I can't breathe." The brunette managed to choke out, eyes wide and terrified. What the fuck was happening to her?

Zoey

The silence was unnerving, but what happened afterwards was even more. At first she let Kass walk away figuring she needed space after being made to feel uncomfortable, but then the more she looked, the more Zoey saw that she didn’t look okay. Without thinking, she jogged towards her, and it didn’t take long for the blonde to realize that Kassandra was having a panic attack. There wasn’t a lot of time to think about how her vulnerability and feelings had caused it. All she could think about was helping. So, she stood in front of Kass, grabbed her hand, and placed it on her chest. “Breathe with me,” she said as blue eyes locked with green. “Feel my chest go up and down and try to mimic it.”

After a few moments, she noticed Kass’s breathing come more easily. When she was sure that the woman was no longer having such a hard time, she took a step back to give her some space. Now that the major problem was out of the way, Zoey couldn’t help but remember what had caused it in the first place. It was the most obvious she’d been about her feelings and intentions which had led to the girl she felt them for having a panic attack. That was far from reassuring, and she’d be lying if she said that she knew where to go from there. “Are you okay?” That was much easier to focus on than her feelings. Focusing on someone else was always what she was better at anyway. “Do you want to head back? We can always hang out again another time if you’re not feeling great.” Giving Kass an excuse to leave was the nice thing to do. It was the only thing Zoey knew how to do. There wasn’t exactly a how to book for the situation lying around anywhere.

Kassandra

A hand reached out for her own and soon Kassandra's palm was resting on Zoey's chest. Nothing about this gesture was sexual however it was very intimate. More intimate than Kassandra was truly ready for but somehow, someway... It was helping. Zoey breathed for the both of them for several moments until finally her chest didn't hurt, her hands didn't tremble, and she could breathe on her own again. She wanted to thank her for helping her with whatever had just happened but the blonde was moving away from her, her heart sinking like a stone. The look in Zoey's eyes was one she never wanted to see, Gods, those eyes. "No!" Kass quickly spoke, realizing it came out more like a loud plea than the soft tone she wished she would have used. So she tried again. "No... Please. Don't go." Licking her lips, she took the small steps forward towards Zoey, hoping to close the distance that the blonde had put between them. "I'm sorry that I... That that happened. I've never had that happen. Not since my--I'd uh.. I'd forgotten what that had felt like." Another deep breath as she steeled her nerves, closing her eyes for a moment. "The truth is I'm terrified." I'm not good, Zoey. That's what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell her that she was poison. But she couldn't.

Fingers shook for a moment until they made purchase on Zoey's cheek, the backs of her knuckles softy trailing down the skin there until she tilted the other woman's chin up gently. "I wasn't looking for anyone." Those words were probably the most honest thing she'd ever said to Zoey, her chest tightening once more but swiftly deciding to push the panic aside for just one fucking minute. "And then I met you." There. That was simple enough. Right? "I don't know what is happening between us. But you... You scare me. And that's--Gods, that's not on you. That's all on me." She closed her eyes tightly, sighing. "Fuck, I'm not wording this right at all." Kassandra took the last few steps closer to Zoey, eliminating any major distance between their torsos. "I don't know what to do about any of this. I'm... I'm scared to do anything about this. About you. But Gods, I want to." Her forehead rested against Zoey's, unable to look at the other woman. "You make me feel like I'm on fire. You make me... Feel." The older woman could feel just how close they were, could tell that by the sensation of her breath puffing against Zoey's lips as her hand remained cupping her jaw. "Zoey... I... I really want to..." The brunette tipped her head closer, lips wanting desperately to search for the other woman's. She could almost taste--RING.

Whatever spell that had taken over her was broken as soon as her phone started ringing from her pocket. "I..." She rasped, voice low. Lower than Zoey had ever heard it. "I think I need to... To take this." Kassandra regrettably pulled away, grabbing her phone from her pocket as she held it up to her ear. Immediately she winced as someone talked sternly to her for several moments. Eventually she hung up, clearing her throat as she looked at Zoey helplessly. "Nugget woke up and is terrorizing the neighbors. I have to get back. Zoey..." She tried, still in close proximity to the other woman, not quite sure what to do.

Zoey

The blonde was so entranced with the words coming out of the woman’s mouth, and her proximity, that she couldn’t say anything. All she could do was wait with baited breath for Kass to kiss her which was what she thought was going to happen until the blasted phone rang. When Kassandra pulled back, Zoey tilted her head back towards the sky and closed her eyes. She needed to focus on her own breathing so she didn’t scream in frustration. When the phone call ended, the artist looked at her date again and gave a small smile. “Mmm, considering the owner of the Inn had to leave the island and left her sister in charge, who you’re currently with, I’d say you’re safe from too much trouble,” she added lightly to hopefully stop some of the worrying. It was something she’d meant to bring up anyway since she’d be at where Kassandra was staying more often. That was just a fun way to bring it up. 

Zoey stepped forward so they were close again, looped her index fingers in Kass’s belt loops, and tugged the woman forward slightly. “Let’s head back,” she started before leaning forward on her tippy toes and giving the brunette a kiss on the cheek. She lingered for a few seconds to hopefully quell the need she was feeling before pulling back. “This is always going to be scary. Not because it’s me and you, but it would be with anyone. Vulnerability always is. I’d love to promise I’d never hurt you, but that would just put me on a pedestal that wouldn’t be healthy,” she started as she tried to find the right words to give Kassandra some comfort. “You just have to figure out if I’m worth the risk of getting hurt over, and I don’t want you answering that now. Sleep on it. Take your time to figure this out and fight your demons. If you need help, I’m here.” 

With that, she took Kass’ hand, interlaced their fingers, and walked them back to where their belongings were. When they got back to the fire pit, she threw her shirt on again, and worked to get things packed up. “You didn’t ruin anything before you worry,” she said as she worked on folding the blanket. “So don’t let your mind go there.”

Kassandra

"Wait, I'm sorry what?" She was about to press further at the blonde mentioning that she'd be at the Inn more often, mouth feeling like it was full of cotton as she tried to process that. But then Zoey was getting closer again, the brunette feeling a tug on her jeans as she stutter-stepped closer. Her breathing almost stopped as Zoey leaned up on her tippy-toes to kiss her on the cheek. Green eyes fluttered shut from the contact, staying that way for several moments, even after the other woman had pulled back from her. So instead of opening her eyes, she just kept them closed as Zoey talked to her, trying to quell any and all fears from her mind. Whatever was happening between them clearly wasn't one-sided. Kassandra just had to be willing to do something about it. To put whatever this was into words. Fuck. That was a lot to process. Eventually she did open her eyes as a hand slipped into her own, following Zoey back to the firepit. It didn't take long for them to pack up their things, put out the fire and wait for Zoey to get her clothes back on over her beach attire.

The walk back to the car was silent as they walked, fingers still interlaced. Only when she needed to put the guitar up did she finally let go of the blonde's hand, regret filling her instantly. Once she got into the car, she turned on the ignition and took the car out of park, backing up before taking off down the road. The stereo connected to her phone via bluetooth and began to play a song softly through the speakers just in time for Kassandra to get up the guts to do what she hadn't on the ride over; she reached over and interlaced her fingers with Zoey's once more. 'I want you more than I need you and I need you so bad...Are you coming back? Are you coming back? I'm waiting...' Giving a small squeeze to the hand that was in her own, she kept her gaze focused on the road for the remainder of the time it would take for her to get to Zoey's home. When they pulled up, Kass got out of the car again to move around to Zoey's door, opening it up with a small smile. "I believe this is your stop."

Kassandra helped her out of the car despite not needing to, offering her a hand. Sure, it was because she wanted to instigate physical touch, something that she didn't know she craved. Keeping quiet as she walked the short distance to Zoey's doorstep, Kassandra waited until Zoey had reached the step that led into her home. This gave them more of a level-playing height and it honestly was what Kassandra was waiting for. Fingers tugged lightly on Zoey's, getting the girl to turn around to look at her. "You're worth the risk." She breathed out, licking her lips. It was honest and terrifying and she almost shook from the fear of it all. Leaning forward, she pressed a soft kiss to Zoey's forehead, staying there for a moment too long to be considered just a friend. As she pulled back, she gave another smile and began to walk backwards away from Zoey. "And hey," She started, hands quickly being shoved into her jeans pockets. "The next time you see me on your doorstep... I'll finish what I started." Her cheeks were tinged pink at the implication but she gave a small nod despite this, turning around and heading back to her car until eventually she was out of sight.

[razorblade180]

Sunshower 9

Dusk time, the time every resident has been waiting for has returned once again. Decorations start to light up like yesterday and one by one people started to roam the streets yet again; including Neptune. He leaned against a small metal railing that went down to the beach via several steps. His pants were replaced with red shorts and a black, half buttoned up shirt. Perfect casual attire for having fun on the beach. It also was the only place his goggles didn’t stick out.

Even though the festivities had just begun, Neptune had already been patiently waiting for Ilia. Sun had informed them of conversation that took place by the lake and eagerly waiting to hear her interpretation of it. He’d had practiced pretending to be ignorant about it for an hour. Secretly being the friend they both turn towards for this predicament was rather challenging, yet flattering. Not to mention he was kinda living for this type teen drama. It was sure more investing than dealing with grimm.

Neptune:Hmmm, where the hell is she? I hope she didn’t change her mind.

“Freeze Human! You’re under arrest!!!” A voice cried out behind Neptune that made him jump instantly and turn around with his hands up.

Neptune:Officer I swear it was Su- Judy?

Judy:Hahaha! Man I got you good!

The fox officer laughed hysterically while holding their scroll sideways like a gun. Neptune would’ve been furious if he wasn’t busy looking at Judy’s outfit. The uniform from earlier was replaced with some blue daisy dukes that showed off her legs and a red crop top that proved that Judy definitely was the type who took police academy seriously. It was a good thing Judy had warned him earlier about using compliments like foxy because he definitely would’ve said it here.

Neptune:Woah.......

Judy:I could say the same thing. I guess earlier I saw you in standard clothes and not party attire. Not to shabby.

Neptune:Th...thanks. You look....wow.

Judy:Hmmm first woah, now wow. Here I thought you had flirting down packed.

Neptune:I’m...sorry?

Judy:Don’t be. Bumbling is was more adorable. *winks*

Neptune:*red* S..so, you’re definitely not dressed for work hehe. I guess you’re off the clock?

Judy:Yep! But technically an officer never really is. If something pops off and I’m around then you bet your ass I got to do something about it. With parties like these even the best of people can do something crazy with enough liquor in their liver.

Neptune:Hehe, ain’t that the truth?

Judy:Hmm, aren’t you too young to drink?

Neptune:.......

Neptune:Am I about to get a ticket?

Judy:Pfft, that’s not worth the ink; and you won’t just here me say that. When Menagerie parties like this then it’s pretty common for the young adults to end up drinking as well. If we tried to enforce a law like the drinking limit during these then we’d run out of trees to make paper in a day. So we let it slide. It’s a double edged sword though. Anybody who gets arrested for something better not hope they’re illegally intoxicated. We’ll add that to the charge.

Neptune:So I’m guessing you’re what, 21?

Judy:Actually I just turned 22. I don’t drink though. Not really my style.

Neptune:I don’t know many people like you. A badass older woman fox cop. That’s a mouthful.

Judy:.......

Neptune:What?

Judy:*hands on hips smirking* Give it a second.

Neptune:......!!! Shit! I’m sorry! Badass older...person. Was that rude? I didn’t mean to-

Judy:*grabs his shoulder* Neptune, was it?

Neptune:Y..yes.

Judy:I’m just messing with ya. Lighten up; just wondering if you’d catch on.

Neptune:I sort of put two and two together with a bit of Ilia’s help. Sorry, I have a couple of gay friends but non-binary is a new one. I’ll try not to slip up too much.

Judy:*grinning* I appreciate the thought. I’m not sensitive about that sort of thing though. Cops need thick skin and I’ve lived this life long enough to be comfortable with how I’m addressed. Feminine pronouns are no skin off my back. Brownie points though if you do get the hang of it though. It would definitely make you more....appealing.

That last word was said strangely to him. Either he was reading the room wrong or there was a definite vibe sh-they were trying to give him. The boy was definitely out of his league with this one. Judy watched his face get a little redder as he was finally let go of.

Neptune:Good to know.

Judy:That’s enough about. Wanna tell me why you’re standing here all alone? I saw your friend up at the Belladonna estate just a bit ago. Waiting on a date?

Neptune:No, but I wouldn’t mind one honestly.

Judy:*raises eyebrow* How bold.

Neptune:That’s not what I- I mean if you wanna. Wait, I’m doing something important! I’m waiting for Ilia; I’m supposed to meet her here.

Judy:She was looking pretty rough earlier. I didn’t think she’d party two days in a row.

Neptune:She sort of got persuaded. I’m wondering what’s keeping her?

Judy:Why wonder when you can ask? You have her number right? Face time her.

Neptune:Why not just call?

Judy:Trust me, she doesn’t answer regular calls nearly as often. She’s probably just laying around.

xxxx

“I’m going to be the number one hero!”

“Fuck yeah you are!” Ilia shouted at her tv proudly as she put a spoon full of cereal in her mouth. “I wish someone could give me a super power.”

Bzzz!!! Bzzz!!! Incoming call

She looked down at her scroll to see the little goggle icon she gave Neptune shaking side to side Ilia wasn’t stupid. She knew what time it was; she also knew that she still wasn’t feeling in a party mood. ‘Maybe if I ignore it, he won’t call it again? Then again, it’s face time. Why not just call? .....screw it.’ Ilia answers it.

Ilia:H-

Neptune:Where are you!? Party time officially began at least half an hour ago!

Ilia:Uuhhhhh, fashionably late?

Neptune:Is that why you have dried up milk in the corners of your mouth?

Ilia:.....*wipes mouth* Yes? Hehehe.

Neptune:Are you even dressed?

Ilia:...Does a sports bra and basketball shorts count?

Neptune:You wear a bra in the comfort and privacy of your own house?

Ilia:Yeah?

Neptune:Hmmm, you would.

Ilia:W..what does that me-

Neptune:Never mind that! Ilia, put on something party casual and hurry up. Don’t think I won’t drag you out of your house.

Ilia:You don’t know where I live Neptune.

Judy:*offscreen* I do!

Ilia:Judy!? Are you with my parole officer!!? Am I on speaker phone!?

Neptune:...That sounds pretty bad out loud but yes. Say hi Judy. *hands her scroll*

Judy:Hey Spots. You look comfy.

Ilia:I was. Now I’m suspicious.

Judy:Relax, I bumped into your friend and simply asked what he was doing. Apparently he’s waiting for you, so get off your butt and put on your dancing shoes!

Ilia:Shouldn’t my parole officer encourage me to stay in one place?

Judy:All I have to do is recommend you make good choices, which is something I never had to do with you personally because news flash, you’re a good citizen; reformed anyways.

Ilia:Woah, almost a complete compliment.

Judy:You know I find you endearing. Now are you real going to bum out on your couch watching anime.

Ilia:How did you know it was-

Judy:Or are you going to enjoy the night with your friend who keeps jumping every time he hears a wave crash on the shore?

Neptune:Hey!

Ilia:Sigh........uuuugggggghhhhh

Judy:FYI, if I see you out and about tonight then you don’t have to wake up early and report to me tomorrow. You can sleep in.

Ilia:.......

Ilia:Give me fifteen minutes.

Judy:I’ll give you twenty five. I can smell you from here. *hangs up*

Ilia:I don’t-oooohhhh Judy you.....why can’t I have a normal parole officer!?

xxxx

Judy:She’s on her way.

Neptune:You’re good.

Judy:Nah, Ilia is just a big softie. Even if she won’t admit it. I do hope she cuts back on the drinking.

Neptune:Pfft, after yesterday she already said she’s not drinking a single drop of alcohol.

Judy:Whay happened yesterday?

Neptune:(Crap....) Oh you know..... too drunk to actually enjoy herself. I mean you saw her when I had to basically carry her.

Judy:Hmm, you’re definitely holding out on me. I can hear it your voice.

Neptune:What are you a detective? Wait, are you? *eyes widen*

Judy:No, you’re just really bad under pressure. That’s enough of you talking about what you do with females at parties. We have time to kill. *grabs his hand*

Neptune:*red* Where are we going?

Judy:Standing in one spot is boring! We’re going on a little walk on beach. Maybe get our feet a little wet?

Neptune:That’s...you see....bodies of w..water and I don’t exactly go together!

Judy:Yeah right. Your name is Neptune and I can see the goggles on your head.

Neptune:(I’ve made a terrible choice in fashion. Sun, I don’t know how but you owe me for this one.)

xxxx

Yang:Oh, you’re back....

Sun:Yeah, I have a room here....

The two of them stood in the doorway of Blake’s house. Not many people have come to enjoy the festivities inside yet but those who did were treated to uneasy tension the two radiated. Neither of them had changed. In situations like these, you come prepared for the worst.

Yang:I don’t want to argue with you.

Sun:Me either.

Yang:So why does it feel like we’re one bad move away screaming our heads off.

Sun:Because you’re obviously defensive over this. As for me, I’m.....sad.

Yang:*frown* You’re not sad Sun. I know what sad is. What you are is hurt. Badly. Not that I blame you.

Sun:But you still insist on rubbing it in my face knowing how I feel? I thought you were better than that.

Yang:That’s not what- listen, I get it. I started ya off on bad terms and might’ve...deserved some choice words. My bad. Can we at least try to look past that?

Sun:*folds arms*....For Blake.

Yang:For Blake.

Kali:*walks up* Well that was a sorry excuse for an apology. Shouldn’t huntsman be somewhat good with deterring hostile situations. Both of you are scaring guest. Now I may not know the complete ins and outs of your problems but I know Blake cherishes you both; I cherish you both. Ghira might not show it but Sun, he is fond of you.

Something about hearing that made him smile a little. It would’ve been nice for Ghira to say it himself but still, it was nice.

Kali:If one of you is upset then Blake is upset. If both of you are upset with each other then you better believe that Blake will be concerned and I’ll be mad at both of you. So please, actually try and forgive one another; faking it won’t solve the problem. You’ll only end up more hurt.

Yang and Sun:.......Yes ma’am.

Kali:Sun?

Sun:Yes?

Kali:I hope you know that you don’t have to force yourself to okay so soon? As much as I would be thrilled if you were, we all know that’s not how these things work. Take your time. After all, this isn’t some physical injury you got. You’re heart broken.

He was. Sun didn’t really want to give it that label. Him and Blake definitely shared a lot of deep moments together since they met but they weren’t exactly plentiful. Yet somehow Blake....really captivated him. She was special to him. That feeling itself hasn’t changed. there was now simply miserable end layer that followed it; like bitter sweet chocolate. Coming here in the first place was struggle on its own. His chest felt heavy and face slightly warm. It felt wrong to not be completely happy for Blake. It felt selfish....

Yang:You know, Blake is still getting ready. Kali and I can tell her you stopped by to let her know you just weren’t feeling well? If that’s what you wanna do that is.

Sun:..Yeah. That might be for the best right now. *rubs head* Tell her I’m sorry too.

Yang watched him turn around and begin walking down the stairs. Guilt didn’t stop with him. Even she had to admit this isn’t what she wanted. Seeing Sun low spirited was unnatural. Things couldn’t end like that; not completely poor. “Sun!” She called out to him without thinking and ran to him. Sun turned just in time to receive an unexpected hug from the blonde bruiser. It took a moment before he returned it in kind.

Sun:.....

Kali:*smiling*

Yang:Please feel better. I mean that. You’re just not you without a smile. I’m...I’m sorry I took that from you. I didn’t mean to.

Sun:Something was going to be collateral. No way around that. Thanks though; I needed a hug.

Sun spent no time putting distance between himself and that house. The sunset had was finally fading int night and with it brought more active people out and about. Many heading to where he just left, but some preferred to make the streets their dance floor. He wasn’t quite in a mood for it however. Instead he sat alone on a bench near the beach entrance and closed his eyes.

‘I wonder where the other are? They should be around here somewhere. Heh, Ilia is totally gonna be pissed that I didn’t follow through. Well, not exactly. At least Yang and I seem a bit more friendly. Still, so much for a part do over’

“Someone looks pretty gloomy for them to claim that making friends is their so called secret semblance.” The sarcastic tone was all he needed to hear in order to know Ilia was right in front of him.

“Hi Ilia.” No effort was put into making that sound cheery. “Sun, please tell me I didn’t get dressed for nothing?” His eyebrows scrunched at her words in confusion before actually deciding to take a look at the her. Ilia wore a simple white tank top and jean shorts that looked ripped by her own doing. They were faded and stopped halfway down her thighs. The most surprising part about the outfit, other than it being like colors, was her shoes. Sun didn’t expect Ilia to own a pair of high top sneakers. They were so blue with yellow stitching.

Sun:Where are the others?

Ilia:Don’t know; I just got here.

Sun:What? Shouldn’t you have been here like an hour ago?

Ilia:*red* I-I almost bailed. I’m sorry...

Sun:Don’t be. I kinda wished you did. It would make me feel a lot better about not holding up my end of the bargain.

Ilia:Someone looks like they have a story to tell. Or a reason to scream?

Sun:Try both.

Ilia:I just might. After you tell me about it first. Scoot over.

xxxx

Ilia:....

Sun:Well? No comments?

Ilia:Oh I have comments. They’re just mostly I told you so. Seriously, I’m the one who suggested getting space away from this situation in the first place!

Sun:I’m pretty sure you did not phrase it as kind. “Screw Blake Belladonna mentality” was what you said.

Ilia:Same difference. You got the message.

Sun:Yeah. Sorry, you were right. If you wanna go home then I won’t stop you. I’m not in much of a party mood anyways.

Ilia:.....

Ilia:Too bad

Sun:What?

Ilia:I said too bad. I’m already dressed and out here. You’re stuck with me. We decided on three hours right? Plenty of time to turn this night around.

Sun:But-

Ilia:Too bad....*grins* Listen, would you really rather sit here alone and bummed out. At least around me you’ll look cheery by comparison.

Sun:That’s pretty when you think about Ilia.

Ilia:Trust me, I know. So let’s at least try to fix that!

Her words and attitude were picking up steam so to speak. Only a little awhile ago did Sun hear the girl want to do nothing but lay around but now she was at least trying to give him positive vibes to feed off on. He hasn’t seen this much enthusiasm since their race. “You’re a real haggler aren’t ya?”

“You’re one to talk, banana breath.” She folded her arms and smirked with pride. The petty insult managed to put more of a smile on his face. “Look at that, you’re looking better already.” He playfully rolled his eyes; she might’ve been right though. He’d let her have this little victory if it meant her spirits was lifted too. A smile on her face was beginning to be a rare thing.

The two kept trying to read each other’s facial expression in an attempt to get some sort of edge over the other to tease them about. That all stopped however when the same thought came to both of them. ‘How long have I been staring?’ Unknowingly this had been going on for a couple minutes. Not only that, they hadn’t realized how physically close they had gotten in the process. Someway, somehow, Ilia had inched closer to him until there was almost no space between them except for hands that were finger nails apart. Sun was no better. He was so focused on reading her that he actually had leaned in a bit. Their faces only a few inches away. Ilia’s skin flashed pink briefly before her immediate jolt backwards away from him. Sun wondered if she had noticed? He wouldn’t bring it up if she didn’t. Even he could tell his face was probably a bit flushed from the unexpected breach of personal space.

Sun:S..Sorry about-

Ilia:No, it’s fine. My bad. We’re cool......

Sun:Cool. Cool...*rubs head* so uhh, let’s find Neptune I guess?

Ilia:Sounds like a plan!

They hop up from the bench and begin looking too see if they could spot him. “Judy was with him whe he called me. I’m sure they’re on the beach.”

“Let’s go then.” His mind instinctively went to grab her hand. He had caught what he was about to do but before he could backpedal, Ilia’s hand met his halfway and grabbed it. Her own subconscious action startled her. She had seen his hand swing back to her and simply...reached for it. Ilia looked at their hands then at Sun who was more than a little embarrassed by the incident.

Sun:I-

Ilia:Yeah, this crowd is getting pretty big. Wouldn’t want to get split and then have to find each other too.

She couldn’t tell if she was giving him an out, being logical, or rationalizing what happened to herself; and she wasn’t about to linger on it. Now was the time for fun. Anything else can be dealt with another day. Ilia took the lead and lead him to the beach.

Part8

[mostlycompetentwriter]

It’s All About The Game: Part 4

Pairing: OC X Seo Changbin (Stray Kids)

Genre: High School AU, Enemies to Lovers, Sports Fiction

Warnings: Smut and Language

Word Count: 7K

Previous Parts: (Part One), (Part Two), (Part Three)

Summary: After spending the summer with Seo Changbin, Kayda feels strangely confident with their relationship. Yet, that doesn’t stop the school bullies and those jealous girls who are adamant that the two shouldn’t be together. Kayda never asked for this much attention, but when you’ve literally become Changbin’s entire world, you have to learn to deal with it.

August

On nights like this, Changbin liked to sneak into my room so that we could sit together on the balcony and watch the stars as they flooded the darkness. It wasn’t particularly romantic, especially since I knew that his parents might disrupt our star-gazing escapade at any moment. “You’re not sharing a room,” his mother had decreed when Changbin first mentioned the idea before we left for our summer trip in the mountains.

I, of course, respected their wishes, but Changbin liked to test the limits of his parents’ commitment to preventing any scandalous meetings between their son and his girlfriend. Accordingly, I often woke-up with Changbin laying in bed next to me, one arm lazily thrown across my stomach. On other occasions, Changbin brought in a plate of snacks and we watched Netflix until early morning when I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.

It was certainly unlike any of my previous vacations, including the large family trips we used to take with my cousins. However, the comparison wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, and I was feeling rather despondent now that it was almost over. “Did you have fun, Reynolds?” Changbin asked, eyes closed as we enjoyed the warm, summer breeze. Tonight marked the final evening of our vacation getaway and I was actually quite disappointed by the idea of returning to the real world.

“I loved everything,” I said, and it was an honest assessment of the peaceful trip with his parents. Despite my fear that it would be awkward, Changbin went out of his way to make me feel comfortable and welcomed.

“I’m glad you came,” he said. “My parents are grateful too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they like the fact that I have a smart girlfriend.”

I snickered at the comment. “What kinds of girls did you date before? I know for a fact that Lisa wasn’t enthralled with Academics.”

“Nothing ever really happened with the other girls,” Changbin admitted. “They weren’t like you.”

“Sometimes, I’m not sure if that’s meant to be a compliment.”

“What else could it be?” Changbin asked, but I didn’t respond to his question.

“I’ll miss these nights.”

“Well, the city isn’t as glamorous,” Changbin chuckled. “It’s hard to see the stars.”

It was true and I absolutely despised pollution. “Are you tired?”

“I’ll stay up with you,” Changbin said. “I don’t think my parents really care at this point.”

He was probably right, especially considering his mother’s knowing look when we had prepared a tray of snacks in the kitchen earlier. “Do you want to go inside? We can just pretend to be asleep.”

“And tell each other secrets?”

I glared in his direction before choosing to ignore Changbin’s look of self-satisfaction. Instead, I abandoned the quiet sanctuary of the balcony in exchange for the cooler, air-conditioned bedroom that had been my temporary home for the summer. I threw back the sheets on the massive queen-sized bed at the center of the room, stretching my limbs like a cat when I finally relieved the pressure of standing for far too long after our afternoon hike along the trails. 

It was Changbin who turned off the lights before slowly joining me on the bed. It didn’t take long for him to find me from across the space between our bodies, allowing very little distance as he released a tired sigh. For several long moments, we were both perfectly quiet, savoring the temporary silence with only the sounds of the crickets outside to serenade us with an orchestral chorus of music.

“Reynolds?” Changbin finally whispered into the darkness. “Are you still awake?”

I was quiet for a moment. “Yes.”

“You looked beautiful tonight,” he said.

“Are you really flirting with me?”

My answer came in the form of his hands smoothing across my hips. “I’m still not tired.”

I swallowed hard when his fingers dug into the waistband of my panties. “What are you doing?”

It was an unnecessary question because Changbin answered with a meaningful slide of his hand against the silky material, guiding the fabric with a teasing touch to my pulsing sex. I felt him move closer, legs curling themselves through mine, and he pressed soothing kisses to my exposed skin. “I hope this isn’t the last night I can have you like this,” Changbin whispered, quickening the pace of his movements.

I closed my eyes, inadvertently rolling my hips against his powerful touches. His lips were warm against the back of my neck, creating a dueling heat with the fingers rapidly working themselves across the front of my panties, pressing down hard against my wet heat. It was a seductive friction that I could feel all the way down to the very tips of my toes which curled in pleasure. 

It wasn’t anything more than the masturbation techniques I discovered for myself after reading countless online blog articles. However, with Changbin in control, everything was suddenly different---heightened to an extreme that brought me closer to the edge in record time.

“Does it feel good?” he grunted, and I could feel his erection against my ass.

“It’s nice,” I replied, voice catching around a moan when he disregarded the barrier of my panties, rough and calloused fingers catching beneath the fabric.

He was increasing the speed of his efforts, trading long and languid strokes for rapid circles around my clitoris. “Are you close?” he asked, and I nodded quickly, chasing the high from a moment’s pleasure, shaking against his hold when I finally resurfaced. Meanwhile, Changbin’s fingers worked through the strands of my hair, whispering sweet-nothings into my ears. “Thank you for coming here with me, Reynolds.”

I fought to stay awake, but the lingering effects of my orgasm encouraged me to succumb to the awaiting darkness.

My Senior year of high school equated to the culmination of four years’ worth of efforts to find the very best University before graduation. It was slowly starting to drive me insane, especially when it involved the tiring process of online applications. Thankfully, I could always use school as a distraction during the day when I needed to focus on passing the remainder of my classes. 

Occasionally, I also joined Jeongin and Seungmin at lunch since the two younger boys were insanely entertaining when it came to their endless debates. Currently, Jeongin was passionately defending the idea of pouring his milk before the cereal while Seungmin remained adamantly opposed. “It doesn’t make sense,” he complained.

“Why not?” Jeongin frowned. “Who wants to eat soggy cereal?”

“That’s the point,” Seungmin argued. “Kayda!”

I shrugged my shoulders, mindlessly flipping through one of my textbooks. “I need more convincing.”

The two boys launched themselves into another passionate defense. “The milk will spill everywhere if you pour it on top of the cereal!”

“But how much will you know to use!”

I grinned, wondering if Changbin had ever fallen victim to one of these pointless debates. In the meantime, I was surprised when I realized that someone else had joined our company.  “Kayda,” Lisa smiled. “Do you mind if I sit next to you?”

“Of course not,” I said, ignoring the way Jeongin and Seungmin paused their argument only to glare in Lisa’s direction. I imagined it had something to do with the fact that Changbin’s ex-girlfriend had suddenly decided to play the part of a friendly classmate. I knew very little about Lisa, other than her past relationship with my boyfriend, but she never seemed that interesting to me.

“How are you?” Lisa asked casually.

I looked between Jeongin and Seungmin before offering a reply. “I’m feeling a little stressed from college applications.”

“They’re dreadful, aren’t they?” Lisa sighed, offering me a sympathetic smile. “I spent all weekend working on mine.”

“Really?” I asked. “Most people think it’s too early.”

“I guess we’re a lot alike then,” Lisa nodded. “I think we’d make good friends.”

“Is that so?” I questioned. “We’ve never really talked before.”

“Well, let’s fix that right now,” Lisa said. “What do you think?”

“I mean, I don’t really understand-”

“How are you and Changbin?” she interrupted, and I couldn’t tell if she was genuinely curious or just looking for good gossip.

“We’re fine,” I said, hoping she'd drop the subject if I dismissed her invasive questions.

“Well, it’s just that everyone’s surprised,” Lisa said. “That you two have managed to make it this long together.”

“It’s really none of your business,” Seungmin glowered with an uncharacteristic amount of hostility as if he knew something that I didn’t.

But Lisa seemed indifferent. “I have something to work on with my classmates. I’ll see you later, Kayda.”

I watched her go without another word.

September

When the weather started to grow cooler, I decided it was an opportune time to visit Jisung’s new campus for the start of his semester. I was incredibly excited to see him again after a summer apart, especially since we no longer had the advantage of attending the same school together. In any case, I knew it was also an opportunity to expose myself to the idea of a college campus because it was going to be an important part of my life in the near future.

“It’s so big,” I marveled, holding tightly to Jisung’s hand as we walked along the sidewalk.

“This is the main part of campus,” Jisung explained. “Most of my lecture classrooms are in the same building.”

“That makes sense,” I said. “Do you like it here?”

“I think it works for me,” Jisung said. “It’s everything I need right now, but I still plan to transfer before my Junior year.”

I nodded vacantly, too busy imagining myself in the places of the mature, responsible college students diligently carrying their textbooks between classes. “It must be exciting.”

“I think it’ll wear off,” Jisung chuckled. “My coursework is hard. Midterm exams will kick my ass.”

“Have you met anyone interesting?” I asked, slightly afraid that Jisung would describe his new best friend as my replacement.

“A few people in class, but they’re really only good for studying,” he chuckled.

“What about your roommate?”

“He spends way too much time with his girlfriend,” Jisung said. “Reminds me of someone I know.”

I rolled my eyes. “Changbin and I have been busy with school.”

“I believe you,” Jisung said. “But I’d imagine that Changbin isn’t happy.”

“He understands,” I said. “College is very important to me. I want the best when I graduate.”

“I’m not surprised,” Jisung sighed. “I was hoping to follow you after my Junior year. But how the hell can I transfer into Harvard?”

I smirked. “You know me too well.”

“Well, let’s sit down for a second,” Jisung said, directing me to one of the benches. “Be honest, Kayda. Have you and Changbin talked about college?”

I was unable to meet his inquisitive gaze. “Not really.”

“Don’t you think that’s important?” Jisung asked. “If you end up at different places, then you’ll have to work harder at a long distance relationship.”

“I don’t want to think about it,” I quietly protested. “We don’t have to worry about something like that right now.”

“Yeah? But I think you really need to consider the possibility,” Jisung said, resting one of his hands over mine in an exchange of silent comfort. But it did nothing to stop the sudden pounding of my heart against the center of my chest.

With early deadlines approaching, I was starting to spend my study hall in the library, hunched over the computer as I perfected my online applications. As such, it wasn’t always surprising when Changbin showed up with a snack or drink in hand to join me. His excuse was often something about how irresistible I looked in my element.

“Kayda,” Changbin said softly, leaning down for a kiss. “What are you doing?”

“College applications,” I said, returning his chaste kiss before glancing back at the online application form. “For the early deadline.”

“That’s right,” he said, clearing his throat as he sat down next to me. “Who are you thinking about?”

“The Ivy Leagues,” I said. “Harvard, Yale, Columbia...” I trailed off when I realized Changbin had grown unusually silent. “Is something wrong?”

“Of course not,” he said, feigning a smile that would look forced even to a random stranger on the streets.

“You don’t look happy.”

My accusation hung heavy between us. “It’s nothing to worry about,” he said quietly.

I pursed my lips, but decided to leave the subject. “What are you doing after school?”

“Hopefully, I’m taking my girlfriend home with me,” he said, smirking over his can of soda.

“It depends on how much work I have,” I sighed. “But I really want to.”

“Then just take a break this one time, Reynolds,” Changbin pouted. “I really miss you.”

“I’m right here!”

“That’s not what I meant,” Changbin said, lowering his gaze. “It feels like you never have time for me these days, and I’m worried that it’ll only get worse, especially when basketball starts again.”

I swallowed hard, hating the look of despair on his face. “You matter a lot to me. I’ll always make time for you.”

“Kayda,” Changbin grinned, ignoring my protests when he leaned in closer to press teasing kisses across any available skin he could access.

November

Despite the passing deadline for early applications, basketball try-outs managed to contribute to my rising stress levels. Instead of feeling relieved after completing my forms, I had to worry about the additional pressure of afternoon workouts and the unexpected announcement of my coach declaring me as the new team captain. An honor that I would usually accept with pride, but it was hard to dismiss the glares from my other teammates.

“Congratulations, Captain,” my coach smiled, completely oblivious to the mounting tension.

“Thanks,” I said, unable to share her sentiment when the rest of my teammates seemed less than enthused. Based on the rumors spreading throughout the entire school, there was a popular consensus that I was stealing Changbin away from the rest of my classmates and they clearly disapproved.

Thankfully, I could always rely on the man in question after arduous practice sessions when I needed a moment away from my daily routine. On most evenings, Changbin parked his car down the street at an acceptable distance from my house. It was an arrangement that we both decided was necessary after my father discovered the two of us in a rather uncompromising position on top of my bed. Thereafter, my father never allowed Changbin alone with me when he came over, so we agreed to meet in his car instead for some semblance of privacy.

In these moments, Changbin liked to hold me close, lips smooth and gentle. My hands found purchase on his broad shoulders, digging my nails into the fabric of his band t-shirts. His hips floundered against mine, desperately searching for the necessary friction to give his cock some attention. Of course, we never tried anything too outrageous given the limited space in his fancy sports car, but our heavy petting sessions often ended with swollen lips and heavy breaths while we talked about whatever random subject Changbin thought was appropriate.

“I heard they made you team captain,” he said, finally pulling away after another long and passionate kiss.

I tried to restore oxygen into my lungs, studying the solitude of the night. “I can add it to my applications.”

Changbin chuckled. “I’m not surprised.”

“What about you?” I asked. 

“My coach decided to name two captains,” he grumbled. “I think he just feels bad for the other guy because he never played very much.”

“I think it’s nice,” I said. “You’ll have someone who can help you manage the burden of that responsibility.”

“Oh, Reynolds,” Changbin smirked. “You always have a way with words.”

“It’s part of my charming personality,” I scoffed, returning my attention to the warm juncture between his neck and shoulder. “I don’t think my teammates are happy that I’m captain.”

“Why?”

“I guess it’s because I’m not very sociable,” I lied, distracting him with a gentle kiss to the soft skin of his jugular.

“They’re lucky to have you as a leader,” Changbin said. “You always know what to do.”

“That’s not exactly true,” I argued. “But I know you’re just trying to make me feel better.”

Changbin’s arms tightened their hold around my waist. “Isn’t that my job?”

“I guess, but I’m not worried about what other people think.”

“I know,” Changbin sighed, “I already do that for you.”

“I’m telling you to worry less,” I instructed him firmly, rubbing my hand against the front of his chest.

“Well, I’ll just have to keep you closer, then,” Changbin said. “What are you doing on Christmas Eve this year?”

“Hot chocolate and a movie?”

“You can do those things at my house,” Changbin grinned. “My mother invited you to our family party.”

“Those are always thrilling.”

“Don’t hurt my feelings, Reynolds.”

I snickered at his tone. “I’ll make room for you in my schedule.”

December

Changbin’s parents were perfectly amiable, managing to include me in their conversations as I savored the warmth from the nearby fireplace. Surprisingly, I received more attention from his family and their friends in comparison to the previous year. Perhaps Changbin had been right when he told me that I had left a meaningful impression.

“I hope he’ll go to the same school as his father,” his mother said, glancing at her son with obvious pride.

“We’ve been touring so many schools lately,” his father agreed. “But I think he already knows.”

“What about you, Kayda?” his mother asked. “Where are you planning to apply?”

Changbin tensed from next to me and I swallowed hard. “I’m still considering a lot of options.”

“Well, that’s not surprising,” his mother smiled. “I don’t think Changbin has mentioned your choices. What are you considering?”

“Harvard,” I managed, suddenly uncomfortable with the conversation. “It was my first application.”

“You can’t possibly get any more impressive, Kayda,” she smiled. “But don’t let us keep you all night, please enjoy the party!”

“Thank you,” I bowed my head politely, trailing behind Changbin as he led me through the maze of his relatives.

“Let’s go upstairs, Reynolds,” he said in a tone that told me he just wanted to forget the previous discussion, and I was happy to oblige.

Changbin’s bedroom had undergone a dramatic transformation since my first visit during Sophomore year. Instead of a carpet of clothes, he managed to maintain a regular laundry schedule, and he tried to minimize the mess on his bed and comfortable gaming chairs. “Reynolds,” Changbin sighed. “I think we need to talk.”

I looked down at the collection of his video games, deciding that they were far more interesting. “What about?”

Changbin scoffed. “We’ve avoided it for long enough.”

“I don’t know,” I shrugged, sitting down next to him on the bed. “I have something else in mind.”

I leaned in closer, practically tasting the overpowering smell of his cologne. It was the perfect distraction because Changbin was suddenly pressing his lips against mine in a chaste kiss. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“What were you thinking?”

“The stuff my mom brought up downstairs...”

“Let’s not worry about that right now,” I said, running my fingers along the sharp profile of his jawline before gently guiding him back against the bed.

Changbin’s eyes widened as if finally catching on to my implications. “You want to?”

I nodded eagerly, pressing gentle kisses across his chest. “Is that okay?”

“You don’t even need to ask me, Reynolds,” Changbin said, reversing our positions so that my back was against the mattress. “I’ve wanted this for a long time.”

“Kiss me,” I requested quietly, losing myself in the chaotic layers of his gorgeous eyes. Changbin was more than happy to oblige, tossing aside his t-shirt in the process so that I could feel his skin beneath my hands. It was always better this way, when I was touching him to feel the steady pounding of his heart against the front of his sternum.

“Can I, Reynolds?” he asked, reaching for the hem of the elegant dress I had chosen for tonight’s occasion.

I nodded furiously, skating my fingers against his as I helped him guide the hem to my waist, trembling when he made quick work of the simple barrier of my panties. “Changbin,” I sighed, finding an anchor in the soft curls of his hair, playing with the edges. 

It was suddenly hot in his bedroom, despite the frigid, December cold outside. I was wrapped in his scent and taste, overwhelmed by the unexpected closeness of our skin brushing together while he attempted to explore every hidden surface exposed to his intimidating gaze. “Kayda,” he groaned, one hand pressing down against the stiffness in his dress pants. 

“Please,” I whispered, watching through lidded eyes as he pulled back to quickly remove the belt from around his waist, fumbling his jeans down his legs before kicking them messily into the floor with barely concealed enthusiasm.

I studied him while he reached into his nightstand, admiring the strength in his arms and the delicate lines of his muscles. He looked positively debauched in the light, desperation evident in his features as he searched through the drawer next to his bed. In the end, he pulled out a silver package, holding it in one hand while he reclaimed my lips with a frantic kiss.

He rolled on the condom with a practiced skill I decided not to acknowledge because I already knew about his past relationships. Instead, I wrapped my legs around his hips to encourage him closer. “You have to tell me,” Changbin said, gripping his cock at the base. “I won’t know if it’s hurting you.”

I nodded in response because he was already pushing inside and it was impossible to form words when faced with such unexpected pain. Still, I tried not to react, even if it was obvious that my expression gave me away. “Reynolds,” Changbin growled.

“It’s not bad,” I quickly reassured him, and I wasn’t being completely dishonest because the pain was starting to slowly fade away, but it wasn’t exactly what I expected.

“I’ll move slow,” he said, allowing more of his erection to stretch my insides.

“Oh,” I remarked, gripping a handful of the sheets. It wasn’t exactly painful anymore, but it was strangely uncomfortable. 

“Is it too much?” Changbin asked.

“I don’t know,” I told him truthfully. “It feels...full?”

“You’ve never done this before,” Changbin replied, seemingly unconcerned by my honest assessment. “I’ll be gentle.”

I trusted Changbin to keep his promise, feeling him start to generate a steady rocking sensation, moving back and forth with careful strokes. It was starting to feel better and I could feel myself relaxing around him, focusing on the way he felt between my legs. Actually, I started to understand why everyone at school always talked about this because it was nothing short of intimate, especially with Changbin’s eyes looking directly into mine.

My body trembled when his skilled fingers found my clit, providing another distraction when his hips started to increase their pace against mine. It was a slow ascent from there, unable to comprehend the unexpected pleasure from so many different sensations. Everything was finally converging together, and I could practically feel my heart leap into my throat when his cock was sliding back and forth with a relentless pressure.

I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head, losing every shred of rational sanity, but Changbin was there to bring me back to Earth with feather-like kisses across my collar bones. He was grunting from above me, hammering his hips in several, deep consecutive thrusts before the heat from his cock was gone and I was left clenching around nothing. His arms held me close, and I returned the gesture with a tight grip. “I love you, Kayda,” Changbin whispered and, if it was even possible, I melted into the mattress at his solemn declaration.

January

There was a small part of me that sometimes wondered if there was a reality out there somewhere in which Changbin and I had never met. For example, I stayed up late at night sometimes thinking about the car collision from Freshman year because it was the start of everything. But thinking that way made me also wonder if it was just the right time for everything to happen? 

I’d like to think of it that way, even if everyone else seemed determined to prove me wrong. For example, I noticed that Lisa and her friends were starting to become a problem. Despite her desire for friendship, Lisa was doing decidedly unfriendly things whenever the opportunity arose and it usually happened when Changbin wasn’t paying attention. They left mean notes in my locker, teased my appearance in the hallways, and engaged in petty acts of vengeance that I chose to ignore because I could handle their jealousy

However, when their harmless pranks evolved into something more aggressive, they should’ve known better than to try something so bold. I just wish Changbin hadn’t been around to witness their cruelty because he was certainly less accepting. It was actually an accident, having him accompany me to my car in the school’s parking lot because I had called him earlier when my parents asked me to get an inspection. At the exact moment of discovery, time slowed down in a long, futile moment in which I desperately tried to distract his attention. I had been trying to hide their abuse from the one person who would completely break-down, but I guess that was their intention all along. 

Changbin was unsurprisingly furious, glaring at the degrading word spray painted along my door with a terrifying expression. “It's okay,” I whispered, but Changbin shook his head.

“Leave the car with me,” Changbin demanded with a tone that left no room for argument. “Ask Jisung to take you home.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked with slight trepidation, reaching out for his arm, but Changbin jerked away from my touch.

“I’ll take care of it,” he said, leaving no further room for argument, and I watched him speed down the road without any disregard for the school zone warning.

Thereafter, I sent a message to Jisung before sitting on the edge of the sidewalk. It didn’t take long for Jisung’s familiar car to pull into the parking lot. He stopped next to me, rolling down the window to catch my attention. “Did someone call for a ride?”

I tried to smile, but I knew it failed the moment I joined Jisung in the passenger’s seat. “What happened?”

“I hate it here,” I said, ignoring the look of concern on his expression. 

“Kayda, you need to tell me everything.”

“Some of the girls decided to be cute,” I snapped. “They pulled a stupid prank and vandalized my car.”

“What?” Jisung growled, unintentionally breaking hard at a stoplight. “That’s not a prank, Kayda. You need to tell the school, and you have to call your parents if it’s your car!”

“Changbin will handle it.”

“Kayda,” Jisung sighed. “I just drove for twenty minutes to pick you up at school because someone thought it was okay to hurt you.”

“It’s just words,” I said. “I have thick skin, and I’ve spent years ignoring their stupid comments.”

“Yeah? Well, I know that sometimes words can have a bigger effect than what you might think,” Jisung said. “It never gets easier.”

“I understand my limits,” I said. “Their approval doesn’t matter to me.”

“What happens when it changes from words to something worse?”

I shivered at his warning. “I’ll handle it.”

“Kayda,” Jisung sighed. “You don’t have to be brave all the time.”

“It’s not about being brave,” I argued. “I want to stand up for myself, and I can’t rely on you or Changbin all the time.”

“We’ll always be there for you,” Jisung said. “You can depend on us.”

He still refused to see reason, but I guess that was just a part of Jisung’s nature to be overly caring. “I know I can trust you,” I said. “I’ll tell you if I can’t handle it.”

“Don’t let them win, Kayda,” Jisung said, glancing at me with a worried expression. “You’re stronger than they think.”

I was surprised to hear such a request. “I’ve never backed down from them.”

“You also have Changbin,” Jisung said. “Remember that for me.”

I knew what he was trying to say, and I resisted the urge to remind him that it was almost impossible for Changbin to be around all the time.

February

It was still instinctual for me to dread the idea of Valentine's day, but Changbin was determined to change my perception of the romantic holiday. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help myself when I grew irritated with the Rose stems littered throughout the hallways and random boxes of candy discarded in the most random of places. The cliche of flowers on February 14th made me wonder if it was possible for girls to still giggle at that sort of thing even when they were finally married with children.

“Reynolds,” Changbin grinned, pausing next to my locker. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Really?” I groaned. “Let’s get it over with.”

Changbin rolled his eyes. “You have to wait until after-school. I want it to be special.”

I was now even more hesitant to face Changbin’s endearing expression. “It’s never a good thing when you talk that way.”

“I think you’ll really like it,” he continued. I guess he had become a master of filtering out the stuff he didn’t want to hear.

“We both have practice.”

“Well, I’ll just wait for you,” Changbin said. “I’ve been planning this for months, Reynolds. Just humor me.”

“Fine,” I grumbled. “But if you’re planning on taking me somewhere...”

“It’s nothing like that,” he assured me. “However, since it is Valentine's Day, I expect lots of kisses.”

“Lower your expectations,” I informed him with a smirk.

I followed Changbin to his car, noticing that most of the other students had already found their way home. “Why are we waiting so late?” I asked.

“Privacy,” Changbin offered as a response.

He helped me inside the passenger’s seat of his fancy car before quickly joining me on the other side. “This is romantic,” I remarked, glancing around the empty parking lot.

Changbin rolled his eyes. “I had to work with our limited options.”

“Well?” I questioned, turning to him expectantly. “I’ve been waiting for this all day.”

“Lose the sarcasm, Reynolds,” Changbin scoffed, reaching into the backseat.

I closed my eyes, holding out my hand expectantly. “I’m ready for my reward.”

“You just can’t resist,” Changbin said, but I curled my fingers around the velvety texture of the small object he placed into my open palm. “I hope you like it.”

I blinked rapidly, glancing down at the tiny box with a frown. “What is it?”

“I think you know how to figure that out, Reynolds,” Changbin teased, but his tone was strangely nervous.

I carefully opened the delicate lid, widening my eyes in surprise when I discovered the tiny piece of beautiful silver inside. “Binnie.”

“It’s not what you think it is,” Changbin said, chuckling at my expression. “They call it a promise ring.”

“I’ve heard about that,” I said, admiring the way the light reflected against the diamond in the middle. 

“Try it on!” he requested with an enthusiasm that was impossible to resist. 

I obliged him, holding out my hand to display the beautiful piece of jewelry. “It’s gorgeous.”

“You like it?” he asked, looking like an overeager puppy desperate to please its master.

“I think it’s amazing,” I told him honestly. “Thank you, Changbin.”

“It suits you, Reynolds,” Changbin smiled, but he quietly chuckled when he tapped the side of his cheek. “Well?”

I rolled my eyes, but accommodated his request, pecking him sweetly before he turned his head to meet my lips in the space between our seats. It was long and lazy, a careful pressure that bordered between deep intimacy and the tender way Changbin always treated me. “I love you, Kayda,” he whispered just to fill the silence with much-needed sentiment.

March

If there was ever a reason to hate Mondays more than I already did, then the flood of garbage that fell from my locker would definitely top the list. The hallway was filled with the sounds of my classmates’ laughter, and nobody offered their assistance while I resisted the urge to bang my head against the harsh metal of my locker door. “Kayda,” a small voice whispered from next to me. “Do you need help?”

I tried to smile at Seungmin, but I knew I failed. “Thank you.”

We were both quiet as we worked against the clock to clean up the mess on the floor. The warning bell offered deterrence, and I encouraged Seungmin to leave for his first class. “Don’t tell Changbin,” I said, but the younger boy gave me a look that said my boyfriend would know regardless because gossip often spread like a wildfire throughout the hallways.

Accordingly, I wasn’t surprised to find Changbin in the parking lot that afternoon hunched over the steering wheel. I wordlessly joined him inside his car, shutting the door to block out the noises of our inconsiderate classmates. “I don’t know why they’re doing that to you,” Changbin finally sniffled. 

“I think they’re just jealous,” I said, finding a strange contradiction that I should be the one comforting someone else when I was the target of such blatant bullying.

“I don’t want that for you,” Changbin said. “It’s all my fault.”

“Why? Because you’re popular?”

“I made myself seem unattainable, and now I’m paying the price.”

“I don’t think that’s why,” I said quietly. “Please don’t blame yourself. It’s hard enough dealing with everyone else.”

“But it’s hurting you,” Changbin insisted.

“I’m fine, Changbin,” I said firmly. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“The things they say about you,” Changbin continued. “I think they should be punished.”

“The year is almost over,” I said. “I can tolerate them for a few more months.”

“I just don’t want them to send you away from me,” Changbin said, and I felt my heart break at the raw vulnerability in his words.

“At this point, nothing can send me away,” I whispered into the tense silence, wrapping my arms around Changbin to quietly soothe away his tears.

The next morning at school, I found Changbin before our first period class, pleased to see him in good spirits. The letter in my hand was practically burning my skin, and I was desperate to tell him the good news. “Reynolds,” he grinned, leaning down to press his lips against my forehead. “I’m surprised to see you.”

“Look,” I encouraged him with a gentle tone, holding out the letter for him to take.

He accepted it with wide eyes, offering me a curious look before studying the envelope. I heard his breath hitch when he saw the logo in the top corner. I smiled because I had anticipated Changbin’s overwhelming excitement when he finally realized what I was implying. However, he continued to surprise me. “It wasn’t your first choice.”

I blinked twice before responding. “Yeah, but I think I prefer the mountains.”

“You really want to go here?” Changbin asked. “Kayda, I need you to be honest with me.”

“It’s a wonderful private school,” I said, offering him a bright smile. “I want to stay with you.”

“But...you talked about Harvard and Yale and...”

“Binnie,” I interrupted him sternly. “I know what I want.”

Changbin sighed, looking at me with dark eyes. “You’re more than capable, Reynolds, but I’m still worried.”

“I’ll just have to convince you then,” I said with a smile, surprising him with a soft kiss against the corner of his mouth.

April

For the first time since my acceptance, I finally had the opportunity to tour the main campus of my future University. It was a gorgeous spring afternoon, and arranging our schedules for the weekend meant that there were less students hustling to make it to their lectures on time. Likewise, I found myself in Changbin’s company, swinging our hands loosely together while we walked along the sidewalk to the undergraduate library.

“What do you think?” Changbin asked, looking at me with a fierce expression.

“I think it’s beautiful.”

“Do you really mean that?”

I nodded, ignoring the intensity of his gaze to admire the sprawling, well-manicured lawn of the immense library. “This will be my favorite spot on campus.”

“It does have convenient access,” Changbin smirked. “I guess I should get used to coming here.”

“Why? So you can distract me?” I teased him.

“I can concentrate,” Changbin retorted. “Honestly, Reynolds, I plan on turning a new leaf at this place.”

“Is that so?” I grinned. “Have you decided on a major?”

“It’s too soon,” Changbin insisted. “I want to explore my interests!”

“You mean, other than basketball?”

“Reynolds, you understand me too well,” Changbin nodded, offering me a chaste kiss in return.

“What about your dorm arrangements?”

“I’ve already finished the application.”

“And your new class schedule?”

“Finalized,” Changbin smirked, wrapping his arms around my waist to pull me flush against his chest. 

“I guess this is your way of being serious,” I said, even as I made no complaints about the familiar comfort of his embrace. “Where to next?”

“Let’s just relax here,” Changbin said, pulling me down next to him on the manicured grass. “We’ll have plenty of time to memorize the campus.”

“I could use the fresh air,” I teased, running my hand soothingly against his stomach before resting my head on his shoulder. In the meantime, his fingers found their ways into my soft curls, working through the strands with lazy movements. If my future was going to involve numerous afternoons like this, curled up next to Changbin’s side, then I was more than prepared for the next adventure.

“Reynolds,” Changbin whispered softly. “This is still what you want?”

I lifted my head to meet his gaze. “You know that I applied here because it was something I wanted.”

“Yeah,” Changbin sighed. “But college is really important to you.”

“Changbin, I know you still think that I gave up on my dreams or whatever,” I said with a dramatic roll of my eyes to let him know just how ridiculous that sounded. “Actually, it’s called a compromise, and I would never settle for anything less than what I think is best.”

Changbin swallowed hard, and I could tell that he wasn’t completely sold. “I trust you to make the right decisions for yourself, Reynolds,” he said. “But this only makes me love you even more.”

I returned his display of affection, allowing a lingering kiss that seemed to melt away into the afternoon sun. “Thank you, Binnie.”

May

On a quiet summer’s evening, I visited Jisung on his campus to silently walk together along the trails in the university gardens. It was remarkably peaceful, and I was content with Jisung’s mindless chatter concerning his final exams and the dreaded topic of moving back home. However, I knew it wouldn’t take him long to turn the topic of our conversation to my impending college plans.

“You’re going so far away,” Jisung whined. “I’ll never get to see you.”

I grinned at his tone. “I’ll always come home to visit you. We have breaks every now and then.”

“Maybe I’ll transfer to your school,” Jisung insisted. “I don’t want you completely out of my life.”

“I don’t want that either,” I said. “But I also want you to be happy.”

“Who says I can’t be happy at that rich, prep school,” Jisung pouted. “I’d fit in with the other nerds.”

“I just meant that you need to do the best for yourself,” I said. 

“Well, no matter what I decide, I hope we’ll both do our best to make it work,” he said, pausing next to one of the flower displays.

“I think everything will work out,” I nodded, completely assured as I leaned most of my weight into Jisung’s comfortable embrace.

“Kayda Reynolds,” Jisung murmured. “Thank you for being my friend.”

Thereafter, no more words were needed to secure the strong bond between a special kind of relationship.

At a certain point during the year, most of my classmates had finally resigned themselves to the inevitably. Whenever possible, I found myself in the company of my boyfriend or his friends, constantly surrounded by those who cared about me the most. In return, everyone else chose to ignore me, abandoning their fruitless campaign against Kayda Reynolds. Although, I still suspected Changbin had something to do with their silence, especially since I rarely saw Lisa between classes anymore as if she was doing everything in her power to stay out of my way.

Regardless, it was easy to count down the remaining days of school with a far more peaceful atmosphere. Graduation was looming on the horizon, and this summer promised another exciting adventure with Changbin because we planned to spend a great deal of time at the beach with our friends. Everything was working out in my life, and I couldn’t help but feel like I owed Changbin for the dramatic transformation.

Despite my initial desire for a boring four years of high school, I wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything else in the world. 

“Felix’s grandfather owns a beach house,” Changbin said, leaning against his car while we talked together in the parking lot after school. “I don’t think he’ll mind if we take over.”

“He’s surely gracious,” I snorted. “I suspect that your dearest friends will make quite the mess over the summer.”

“What are saying?” Changbin smirked. “We know how to behave.”

“I’m sure you do,” I agreed, offering no protest when he pulled me closer, fingers curling into my belt loops.

“You seem really happy these days, Reynolds.”

“Well, you make me happy.”

Changbin cringed, wrinkling nose as he shook his head. “What happened? You usually hate saying those things.”

I rolled my eyes, throwing my arms around his neck to bring him down to my height. “I love you, Changbin,” I finally whispered, feeling his entire body tremble at my solemn declaration.

“Thank you for staying with me, Kayda,” Changbin whispered. “You’ve done more for me than you could ever know.”

I smiled, gripping him tighter. “Changbin, there’s no way I can ever leave you now.”

Our lips met somewhere in the middle and I couldn’t think of a better way to start our next journey.