#i hope yall like this because i burnt my dinner because i was distracted with this :(

[princessamericachavez]

Thinking about..

i almost give up, bobby and thank you, for not giving up 

and

you’re the guy who tries to fix things and it comes handy when you’ve got a bunch of holes in your wall 

and

the way they look at me, maddie, through me and I know you wouldn’t

and 

they never wanted another kid, they just had me for parts and no one will ever fight for my son as hard as you, that is what i want for my him

and 

it’s the only thing i’ve ever done that’s important and that mattered and you act like you’re expendable, but you’re wrong

and

love me anyway and you’re stuck with us

and

god you’re so needy and now am i allowed to ask how you are?

and just how Eddie’s love has slowly but surely healed so many of Buck’s wounds simply by being there for him and caring for him and trusting him

[aly-writes]

hey, aly! i would like to request a reader x lee eunhyuk one shot wherein they are in a romantic relationship even before the chaos ensued in the apartment (and the world lmao). reader watches eunhyuk change from being the affectionate, high-spirited s/o to a cold and withdrawn one. maybe with a prompt: “i’m sick of missing you when you’re right here."?

please make it full of angst (with a bit of fluff in the end, up to you hehe).

thank you, lovely aly! 💖

thank you for requesting, nonnie! eunyeok is tied as my favorite character with hyunsu, i love them both so much. this was fun to write! hope it was to your liking. despite angst being my favorite to read, i can never seem to write is as well i'd like to, so i hope it lives up to your standards

yall i got SO carried away with this request, it turned out much longer than i thought it would

word count: 3,149

warnings: angst, arguing, fluff at the end

wilting flowers — lee eunhyeok

He was everything you could’ve asked for. Your shining light in a world full of darkness. Eunhyeok was a perceptive man. A man that wouldn’t let your worries take over you without interrupting your thoughts himself. One doesn’t go into the medical field without naturally caring for humans to some extent, and he showcased that to you in every interaction you had.

You could remember when you first introduced him to your mother. She was a harsh woman. Building a life for the two of you after being abandoned by your father lead her to a distant attitude and tough skin. Even so, you couldn’t ask for more from her. It’s hard for a single woman to support a newborn child with only 30,000 won to her name.

She never verbally said she loved you, nor did she give you comforting hugs. You were envious of the other children at school. The way they talked about their family activities, or walking home with their other siblings. You never even heard a simple ‘congratulations’ for a perfect report card. It was difficult. But…

She loved you in her own type of way. You knew that.

Your mother requested to meet Eunhyeok over dinner after she heard about your boyfriend. She was impressed with his aspirations and even more impressed by his formality around her. You were relieved to see them getting along nicely. Things were going more smoothly than you thought they would.

That was until she turned her attention to you, asking you a simple question that had more meaning than she let on.

“So, Y/N. How are you fairing these days?”

To any other person, the words would’ve slipped by them as a simple conversation starter. A way to check up on someone you haven’t talked to. But you had lived with her for eighteen years of her life, and if those years taught you anything, it was how to read between the lines.

The tone of her voice, the emphasis of her words, all of it was a jab at you. A jab at how you decided you were too burnt out to go to college, a jab at how you were stuck in a low-paying retail job with shitty management. She had a habit of taking out her pent-up frustration on you in the form of words.

Your jaw tensed up a bit, but you quickly hid it behind a gentle smile and began to tell her about your work. You told her about life in the Green Home and how you met Eunhyeok because he helped you pick up the bag of groceries you dropped as you were walking out of the grocery store. You told her every detail you could. Because that was the only way you knew how to distract yourself from the things she would deem as failures.

Before you could go on, an unexpected voice cut through your words. Eunhyeok began to speak, telling her about your accomplishments. Complimenting you now and then. She listened intently, pleasantly surprised at the way he spoke of you. That was the moment you knew you were surely in love with him.

It was only when you got back to the Green Home that he held you tightly in his arms, not leaving your apartment until he confirmed that you were emotionally okay.

After a while, you came over to his apartment so frequently that you could be mistaken for family. It took a few months for Eunyu to warm up to you, but after a conversation about her love for ballet spiraled into something much deeper, she started treating you like the sister she never had.

He would take you out on dates with what little money he had left, he would hold your hand, spend nights on end talking about whatever came to mind, and devote his heart to you. You had high hopes that it would last forever.

But it didn’t.

The world came to an abrupt halt, your relationship going along with it. Monsters roamed the land and there was no telling who was next. For all you knew, you could be the next victim to the intense nosebleeds and skull-crushing headaches.

Eunhyeok had the world resting on his shoulders. Despite being one of the youngest in the crowd, his calm demeanor and quick thinking pushed him into the position of leader among the group. They put an outlandish amount of trust in his decisions. Every single one of them.

You knew why they did this. Being scared out of your mind puts a certain amount of fragility in a person’s thought process. When you see someone so calm and filled with authority, you can’t help but follow them.

But it wasn’t good for him. You had known him long enough to see that. Over the past couple of weeks, he had transformed from the sweet, loving Eunhyeok into someone distant and unknown. It reminded you of your mother.

Your love reminded you of wilting flowers. Something so beautiful when tended to regularly, but could collapse into a tragic end when neglected and ignored.

Now, here you were. Walking to his location with his dinner in your hand. He missed mealtime so often that it almost seemed like this was a nightly routine for you.

“Eunhyeok?” you called out, the words rolling off of your tongue softly. Along with your voice came gentle knocks of the door of the security office, trying to catch his attention. He spent all of his time in that damn room.

He turned his chair around and made eye contact with you. God, you would never get over how gorgeous his eyes were. They were always so warm and filled with love. Whenever he looked at you, it felt like you were getting wrapped in a warm blanket, butterflies dancing around in your chest.

But now… his gaze chilled you to the bone.

“What is it?” he questioned, quickly breaking your stare. You cleared your throat and walked to the desk, placing the plate you held in your free hand down. He looked at you expectantly, raising a brow in your direction.

“Dinner.” You gestured to the food. Watching as he shifted his gaze to the rations, you bit your lip. The tension emitting from his body made your muscles tighten up, nerves beginning to run in and out of your system.

“I’m not hungry,” he answered simply, turning back to the cameras. You pursed your lips, moving closer to him.

You placed a hand on his shoulder, desperately calling out his name. “Eunhyeok, you haven’t eaten anything all day. Please.”

Immediately, you felt his shoulder stiffen and his posture go straight. You gulped down any moisture and felt your mouth go dry. He hesitated a bit, slowly shrugging your hand off of his shoulder.

“I’m busy, Y/N. Sorry.”

You clamped your hands together restlessly, getting slightly uncomfortable with the sternness of his voice. Even still, you were concerned about his health. He barely left the room, only doing so for important meetings and group decisions. It had been like this for the past week or two. You couldn’t imagine the stress he was under thinking he was responsible for such a large amount of lives. So you pressed on.

“I-” You temporarily lost your voice, quickly gathering yourself. “I understand that. I can watch the cameras for you if you want, just please eat something.”

You ended your sentence with a shaky breath, awaiting his response. When you were met with nothing, you felt a weight form in your stomach.

You could walk out of the room right now and leave the situation, just like you’ve done for the past week. Leave him alone, don’t confront the problem. You had always been scared of confrontation.

But at this point, you felt as if you were far too deep to do that. If there was ever a time for you to bring up your concerns, it was now, right? Swallowing down any remaining remnants of cowardice in your throat, you spoke up.

“I know you’re probably stressed, but you can talk to me, Eunhy-”

“Can you just… drop it?” he asked, keeping his eyes trained on the screens. The tone of his voice was icy. It wasn’t too noticeable, but you could tell. You clenched your jaw, shaking your head.

“No,” you said back, voice quiet. “No, I can’t drop it. What’s going on with you lately?” This seemed to catch enough of his attention to make him spin around. He looked up at you, your E/C eyes connecting with his.

“Let’s not talk about this, Y/N,” he replied, once again trying to drag your focus away from the topic. He was about to turn back around once more, but the sudden rise in your voice was enough to make his eyes widen.

“How can I not talk about it? You’re ignoring me every day, am I supposed to be okay with that? Just tell me what’s going on…!” you gasped out, your frustration seeping through the cracks.

“I can’t deal with this—” He stood up quickly, gesturing between the two of you. “—with us, anymore! I can’t deal with everyone here while giving you the attention you need! I’m sick of it! Why does it matter so much to you, anyway?!” he shouted with fire in his voice.

“Because I’m sick of missing you when you’re right here, that’s why!” you retaliated, feeling tears prick your eyes. “Because I’m in love with you, and I miss spending time with the person I love!”

You were now chest to chest with the boy, staring straight into his eyes. Tears were on the verge of spilling past your eyelids, but you held them in as you continued to vent the feelings that had been held in the back of your mind for weeks.

“But it feels like you can’t stand to be around me, so I never know where I stand around you! And now I know why—” your voice cracked, a single tear slipping down your cheek. “—you just don’t love me like you used to…” you ended shakily, voice weak and helpless.

You closed your eyes, letting the tears fall as you turned around and rushed out of the room. Overwhelmed with emotion, you dashed towards the restrooms. Away from people. That is what you needed; to be away from people. To be by yourself for a moment. Leaning against the wall, you slowly slid to the floor. You brought your knees up to your chest and buried your face into your arms. Soft sobs wracked your body.

Did you say too much? Your brain is telling you no; you had a right to say the worries that had been on your mind. Sure, he was stressed, but he shouldn’t have taken it out on you. But your heart, on the other hand, was telling you the complete opposite. If you hadn’t pushed him, the argument wouldn’t have occurred, and you wouldn’t be crying on the dirty bathroom floor. He has a lot going on and he needs space. That includes distance from you.

Your mind was so filled with complicated thoughts that you didn’t even notice a presence sit down next to you, a sigh escaping their lips. You looked up at them due to the sudden noise, surprised to find yourself next to Eunyu. She looked you up and down, turning her gaze away.

“You look like shit,” she declared.

You frowned, burying your head back into the comfort of your arms. She seemed to notice that her words weren’t much help, quickly recoiling.

“Sorry, I mean… what’s going on?”

The invitation to vent lingered in the air. You brought your face out from its hiding spot. It was almost too good of an offer to turn down. Almost. Eunhyeok was her brother, you didn’t want to get her involved with your relationship drama with him. You didn’t want her to gain ill feelings towards her brother because she only got your side of the story, nor did you want her to harness bad feelings towards you for the same situation.

You looked into her eyes. Warm and welcoming, ready to take on any problems that come their way. It was rare to see them like this, a stark contrast to their abrasive nature. Seeing her eyes look at you like this reminded you of her brother. The way he used to look at you. The mere thought brought tears to your eyes once again, and you let out a weak sob.

“I miss him,” you whispered, leaning your head against the wall.

“You miss him? Who?” she interrogated. When met with no answer, she pieced one together on her own. “My brother?”

You nodded, too afraid to speak in fear of another onslaught of tears letting loose. She groaned and let a wave of annoyance come over her.

“What stupid shit did he do this time?”

“Nothing,” you quickly came to his defense, shaking your head. “We just got into an argument.”

“About?” she pressed on, determined to get information out of you. Too tired to protest, you gave in.

“Nothing specific, he’s just… he’s been distant lately. I think he’s sick of me,” you murmured, closing your eyes once more. You were still trying to process what he said to you. He couldn’t deal with the relationship anymore, so why couldn’t you accept that.

“Bullshit!” Eunyu shouted, giving you a light punch on the shoulder. You raised your eyebrows at her, confused at the sudden outburst.

“How stupid can you be?” she continued. “Eunhyeok can be an asshole, but he loves you a lot, you know? He’s constantly worrying about you.”

“Huh?” you mumbled, dumbfounded at the words that just came out of her mouth.

She stood up and brushed the dirt off of her skirt, giving you an expectant look. “Go talk to him in the morning. If you’re taking the fight this hard, he’s probably taking it harder. Trust me.”

With that she walked off, leaving you alone to contemplate her words on the cold tile of the bathroom floor. You weren’t sure how well you would sleep after the harsh words exchanged between the two of you, but for right now, it was the only thing you could do.

And so, when the time came, you followed Eunyu’s advice. Your guesses about your rest were correct. It was hard to sleep peacefully while thinking about everything you said. Add on the things that were said to you and you have yourself a night full of tossing and turning.

You woke up before a good majority of the other residents. One was missing though, and you weren’t surprised to figure out it was Eunhyeok. He was always an early riser. Taking in a nervous breath, you got up and stretched your legs, beginning your walk to find the man of the hour.

You were quite shocked to find the security office empty. It was rare to not see your boyfriend working his day away on plans for the group. How to ration out food, who’s buddying with who, and who stands watch for the day. With no luck, you went to the only other place you could think of.

The grocery store held a small bit of significance in your relationship. After all, it was where you first met. Sure, it wasn’t the most romantic place in the Green Home (but let’s be honest, the apartment complex itself didn’t have the most romantic atmosphere around), but it was special to you and that’s what mattered.

You entered the doorway, taking in a nervous breath as you saw him down the farthest aisle. It was now or never. You slowly stepped in his direction. It was a bit nerve-wracking. You weren’t sure if you should speak up and let him know you’re in the area, or if you should leave it until he noticed you. In the end, you didn’t need to make a decision, as he had already made one for you.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. Even though he hadn’t turned around, it seemed that you weren’t as sneaky as you thought. He had heard your quiet shuffles the entire time. You gave up the muted walking and stepped forward, ending up by his side. It was then you could see what he was staring at.

In front of him sat the small flower selection of the supermarket. All of them had long since wilted, leaving nothing but droopy, dry petals. Something that used to be so full of life, now lie decaying and sad. Without the sunlight and water they needed, they died, too tired to do anything different. It was eye-opening how the loss of love and care could lead to such a sad fate.

You frowned, glancing up at his face.

His expression was as stoic as usual. Though, with further inspection, you saw the hint of regret in his eyes. Before you could examine him any more, he turned his face to you.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. For everything.”

Those words were all you needed to hear. The look in his eyes told the other half of his story, the half he was too afraid to say out loud. Eunhyeok was never one to request for help, and you understood that. He knew the consequences of his actions, and even if he wasn’t going to say them out loud, the way he looked at you told you everything you needed to know.

You lifted your hand up to his face, slowly brushing your thumb against his cheekbone. He leaned into the touch, closing his eyes for a moment.

“I know you’re stressed,” you admitted softly. “But I’m here to support you. You don’t have to push me away.”

“I know.”

He brought his hand up to rest on your own. His palm was much colder than yours and you couldn’t help but feel the urge to bring him into a hug. To share your warmth. You wrapped your arms around his neck, burying your face into his chest. He reciprocated the action, bringing his arms around your waist.

You felt a small kiss being pressed onto your forehead, and in that moment, you knew. Life was rough, and trying to work through a relationship was even harder. But you would be okay, and so you would your love for Eunhyeok.

You were reminded of the many uses for a flower that had been wilted. Gorgeous wall art, pleasant smelling candles… and they could even be composted. Recycled so that new flowers could grow to be just as alluring as the ones before them once were.

Your journey with Eunhyeok had been rough, but it could grow into something strong and delightful with just a little care.

Just like wilted flowers.

[escapewriter]

Lover

pairing : vernon x reader

synopsis : love makes you do crazy things, except this wasn’t really crazy for him. he’s just a man in love who’s willing to do it all for you.

genre : fluff, like a lot of fluff, humor

word count : 3.6k

warnings : none

posted : 2/17/21

a/n : ty ty to @woozisnoots for beta reading. i really needed it or it would’ve sounded so awkward so tysm alex <3 and HAPPY VERNON AND SEOKMIN DAYYYY. tell me why this took me almost a month to write even though its like... eh. neway, I HOPE YALL ENJOY, it has that princess and the frog vibe.

TAGLIST : @vibecheckvernon @beomiebear5 @lightoflife @skylions-den @noniesgirl @woozisnoots

won’t let me tag : @pandora1834

send me an ask/dm if you would like to be on the taglist

pieces of love masterlist // playlist // main masterlist

‘Letter 355’ was written in big letters on the front of the envelope. You sat on the bed as you tore the sealed flap open. Vernon has been writing you small notes ever since your 6th year anniversary. This is the first real letter you’ve gotten because before, it was simple post-it notes, and as your 7th year together approaches, you can’t help but wonder what he has planned this time.

You took out the paper, unfolded it and scanned his messy handwriting. You smiled as your fingertips touched the ink on the paper. You began to read:

Ma Belle,

I hope you will have a wonderful day today. Are you surprised you’re getting a letter instead of a post-it note? You probably are lol. Anyway, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for the messy handwriting, I had to leave early this morning and didn’t have time to write neatly, or spell correctly so if you see some typos, you didn’t (cue the clown emoji).

Also, a heads up, I may be returning home late due to the guys wanting to hang out, so if you need me, call me. And yes, I’ll text you if I have to stay at one of their apartments and I’ll text you when I leave. I know the drill ;)

Please be safe today, and you know MY drill don’t you? It’s the exact same thing I said above, HA! So, text me when you leave the house and when you arrive at work. I can’t wait to see you again (even though we live together). I love you Ma Belle. Just 10 more days!

Love, Vernon

You smiled at the nickname he had given you as you felt the familiar rush of fireworks erupt in your stomach, hugging the letter close to your chest. You couldn’t believe how lucky you were to have a man like Vernon. He took time out of his day for almost a year just to write you a letter every morning so you could wake up happy. He is an absolute crazy man for doing this.

You folded up the letter and carefully placed it back in the envelope. You went to your desk, grabbing the photobook on the shelf and opened it, seeing where you kept all his notes for the past year. You flipped to a page and inserted the letter in an empty slot. You closed the book and placed it on the shelf once more, looking at it as you thought about how he was capable of doing something like this for a whole year, who knows what he has planned for your anniversary.

~

Vernon has a lot planned actually. He is going to keep writing you letters every morning before he goes to work, but on the day of your anniversary, it’s going to be a little different and he couldn’t wait for that day to come.

He walked alone, glancing into the stores that he passed as he waited for the call. He turned around and began to head back to where he came from before, feeling the buzzing of his phone. He looked at the screen and answered.

“Hey Shua, are you guys done?” He bit his lower lip a bit, hoping they got what he had asked for. He heard his friend sigh on the other end of the line.

“Hell yeah we got it.” Letting out a breath of relief, he nodded as he listened to Joshua tell him to return back to the car so they could go and eat. Hanging up, he walked quickly back to meet up with his friends.

He could not wait for the day to come.

//

You saw ‘Letter 360’ taped to the refrigerator when you reached the kitchen to prepare yourself breakfast. You had only received small notes like before ever since ‘Letter 355’, so you were a bit taken aback because you simply thought that he wrote a long letter due to his busy schedule that day. You weren’t sure what to expect of this though as he told you the night prior that he would be home before dinner.

You tore the flap of the envelope and took out the paper, quickly unfolding it as you began to read his messy handwriting:

Ma Belle,

Did you sleep well last night? I hope so because then I’ll feel bad for not being able to be there with you to make you feel better :( But!!! I hope this will make your morning a bit brighter if it wasn’t already. Inside the microwave are some pancakes that I made Mingyu bring for me because I would’ve burnt them. But they’re probably cold so you have to heat it up. There were 4 in total but I was hungry and ate one hehe.

Anyway, I’ll see you in a few hours, Ma Belle. Stay safe at work and text me! I love you!

Love, Vernon

You felt the warmth creep up in your chest as you grinned, rereading the letter again. Although this made you incredibly happy, you couldn’t help but think about what you could do better for Vernon in this relationship. You never want him to feel as if he was the only one putting effort.

After making a quick decision, you put the letter back in the envelope and brought it to your room, placing it in an empty slot of the photobook. You went back out to the kitchen and heated up the pancakes Vernon had mentioned, deciding that you will make a small trip to the store after having breakfast.

~

Unknowingly, you walked down the same path Vernon had the day he went out with his friends secretly without telling you. You passed multiple stores as you racked your brain for some sort of idea on what to get him. You already had your anniversary gift planned out for him, but that’s a secret that you have been keeping from him since day one. You just hope he doesn’t go searching for the photobook.

You walked slowly, glancing into stores to get some sort of idea before stopping in front of a jewelry store. You hesitated knowing that Vernon never wanted you to spend so much money on him, but look at where you are. You decide to tell him it’s an anniversary gift instead of just giving it to him tonight so that way he wouldn’t get mad at you. Yeah, that’s a better plan.

As you enter the store, your eyes immediately go to the locked glass cases of beautiful jewelry. Maybe you should’ve thought this through because you had no idea what to get him. Looks like guessing is the best bet for you.

//

You made it home from work just before Vernon got home. Quickly, you went to your room and took the box out of the bag and placed it behind the photobook. You disposed of the bag, making sure that Vernon wouldn’t spot any evidence of the fact that you spent a lot of money on him.

You were now in the kitchen, looking to prepare something for dinner before the front door opened with your boyfriend coming in with bags in his hand. You smiled and quickly met him at the door, grabbing a few bags before kissing his cheek.

“You bought dinner? I was planning to make something for you.” He smiled warmly and led you to the dining room, placing the bags on the table. He quickly kissed your cheek before holding one of your hands.

“Ma Belle~” The teasing sound of his voice echoed in your ears as you smiled widely, shying away a bit before you felt the tips of his fingers move your head to face his again, “You don’t have to cook for me tonight. Let’s just relax and enjoy the food I bought, how does that sound?” You stared into his hypnotizing eyes, the warmth in your chest rising as you nodded your head with a smile.

“Okay! Let's get some plates!”

//

You woke up to an empty bed, confused as to why Vernon wasn’t next to you. Sitting up straight, you looked at your night stand, searching for the familiar post-it note or envelope. You thought that maybe it was something similar to the letter 5 days ago where you found it taped to the fridge.

You stretched out your arms, yawning in the process as you heard your phone buzz on the table. Unplugging it, you opened your messages and spotted a familiar name. Boo Seungkwan.

‘You home?’ You didn’t know why he was texting you at this time, he was usually asleep. And he knows that it’s your anniversary with Vernon today, so you were confused as to why he was asking if you were home.

‘No. I’m with Vernon.’ Obviously you lied to try and get out of any sort of event he may have planned just so you can eat a small breakfast and get ready for the day. You just have to find Vernon’s note.

‘Bullshit. I’m with Vernon right now.’ Your eyes widened, a scowl appearing on your face as you questioned why Vernon was with Seungkwan instead of you. ‘Why are you with Vernon? Where are you guys?’

On the other side of the phone, Seungkwan was panicking. He knew that you weren’t with Vernon because Vernon was with Joshua setting up everything for your anniversary.

He looked around the room, thinking of an answer to come up with before Chan walked in, “Seungkwan? What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be distracting them for Vernon?” He tossed his phone to the younger, eyes filled with fear and uneasiness. Chan read the messages and laughed, “Vernon will kill you if you don’t pull this off. Good luck!” Seungkwan groaned as he decided to just show up at your home and keep you occupied.

You stared at the messages, expecting him to answer but received nothing. You sighed and just locked your phone, mind now set on looking for the letter. Every step you took to look into a room, your fingers were crossed in hopes that you would find any sort of evidence that Vernon has left for you. Plopping onto the couch, you thought that maybe he just forgot to write today, but it didn’t make sense since he wrote everyday for a whole year without forgetting. Even in previous letters, he would count down the days until it was your anniversary. It just didn’t make any sense.

You heard the doorbell ring, an ounce of hope in your heart as you thought that it could be Vernon. He has a key to the house. You sighed and got up from the couch as you went to the front door, unlocking it with a click and opening it.

Your eyes met Seungkwan’s and it immediately turned into a glare. “I thought you were with Vernon, hm?” He grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck.

“I lied.”

“I can see that.” You stepped to the side, making way for him to enter your house. You watched him sit on the couch as you closed the door and locked it. “What are you doing here, Seungkwan?”

“Uhm— Did you eat breakfast?” You saw his hands wipe down against his jeans, a nervous habit he had that you picked up on throughout your years of friendship.

“No I didn’t. And you avoided my question—”

“You haven’t eaten?” He stood up abruptly, determined to keep you distracted until lunch time, “Come on, lets cook some breakfast for you!” He turned towards the kitchen with you following closely after him after rolling your eyes and just letting it slide, thinking that maybe Vernon put him up to this.

//

Seungkwan sighed in content after finishing up his food, his eyes moving to meet your hard ones. “Seungkwan,” His eyes went to look around the room, just as long as they weren’t at you, “Seungkwan, stop avoiding eye contact.” He looked back at you, his lips pursed and throat feeling dry. “I have so many questions, but I won’t even bother at this point.” You shook your head and took your plate and his, bringing it to the sink and began to wash them.

As you were washing, you heard your name fall from his lips, “I can wash them, you have to go get ready.” Your head shot up, eyes looking to the side but your head staying in place.

“Get ready how? Where are we going?”

Seungkwan got up from his seat and stood next to you, “Don’t play dumb. Do you want your letter or not?” Your eyes lit up, nodding as you turned off the water and quickly went into your room to wash up and get ready.

“Thank you Seungkwan!”

//

You sat in the car with the radio gently playing in the background. A comfortable silence fell upon you and Seungkwan, who was in the driver's seat. You remembered to bring your gift as you looked at the large bag sitting on the floor between your legs. You checked the time on your phone, seeing that it was almost lunch.

“Wow, if Vernon planned a lunch, I’m glad you ate most of the breakfast food.” You out the window, giggling with Seungkwan.

“That was the whole point of me eating all the food. I had to keep you busy for a few more hours.”

You sighed and nodded your head in understanding, turning your head to look at the side of his face, “Where are we headed to anyway?”

He glanced away from the road to look at you for a split second before lifting up his hand, his pointer finger placed on his lips as he made a ‘shh’ sound. “It’s a secret.”

“Well can you tell me if it’s far? I kind of want to take a nap.”

“Go for it, but don’t get mad when I wake you up.”

//

Your eyes fluttered, feeling the cool breeze against your skin as goosebumps rose. You opened your eyes, seeing your boyfriend standing next to you with the car door open. He flashed his gummy smile, holding his hand out for you to take, “Ma Belle~”

You looked down at the floor as you placed your hand in his, stepping out of the car with your bag and present in hand. “Where have you been Vernon Chwe?”

You smiled cheekily at him to which he shrugged with a teasing smile, “I’ve been doing things.”

You began to smile, looking at your interlocked fingers as he led you to a familiar area. You scanned the place, seeing the light of the sun reflect off the little lake that you knew all too well. Your hand tightened in his grasp causing him to stop walking and to turn to look at you, “What’s wrong?” You pouted, puppy eyes boring into his as he smiled softly.

“You took me here? I thought this place became private property and people weren’t allowed to be here.” He laughed softly and brought up his hand, placing his pointer finger against his lips.

“Shhh, we’re not.” Your eyes widened as you hit him with your bag and he laughed, “I’m kidding, I talked to the owner and they were fine with it, come on, let’s go.”

He brought you over to a picnic setup, the tall tree providing you shade that can cool your down from the scorching sun. You both sat down on the blanket, looking out to the lake with the mini table in between. You sighed in content, your eyes never leaving the shining lake, “Vernon this is incredible. I’m so happy you were able to get us in here.” You looked over at your boyfriend, a smirk on his face as he held up the missing letter.

“I know you’ve been wondering where the final letter was but I don’t know if I want to give it to you just yet.” You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms. “You have to eat with me first and then I’ll give you the letter, okay?” You smiled and nodded your head happily, the thought of what could possibly be in the letter consumes your mind.

//

You finished your food with a toss of your napkin to the plate, your eyes immediately going to Vernon who was laughing softly. “I know what you’re going to ask, but first let me open my gift, please?” He pouted in which you rolled your eyes in response.

“Fine.”

You handed over the bag, biting your lip out of a nervous habit, watching him take out the tissue paper and spotting the box and photobook. He took out the photobook, looking at you with an unsure expression before opening it. Raising his eyebrows, he found every note he has written to you, and next to it is a note you have written in response.

He took a deep breath, flipping through all the pages, trying to be as slow as possible just to tease you, but no luck, “Vernon you can read it at home.” You whined next to him as he slightly glared at you,

“Hey, I just want to appreciate you.” Still, he listened and put the photobook back in the bag and then took out the box. He opened the top carefully and stared at the piece of jewelry laying inside.

He head lolled to look at you, another pout on his lips, “I told you not to buy me anything expensive.”

You giggled and nodded your head towards the bracelet, “Dig a little deeper Vernon,” He rolled his eyes at your remark of quoting the song before taking out the chain. He turned the small heart-shaped charm over and found your name next to the words ‘Your Evangeline’ engraved in it.

His grip on the chain loosened as he handed it to you, holding out his arm, “Put it on for me?” Quickly you wrapped it around his wrist and locked it in place, beaming with happiness. “I love this, I just— it’s beautiful.”

“Can I read the letter now?” He sighed in defeat as he failed to stall everything a little while longer.

“Way to ruin the sentimental mood.” He handed you the letter, watching you bounce in excitement as you prepared to rip it open.

“Wait! Read it up there, next to the lake. Pretend I’m not here, like how you would read any letter in the morning, okay?” You nodded standing up and scurried over to the lake, thinking about how weird it was that he asked you to read it at this spot. The thought left your mind the second your eyes scanned ‘Letter 365’. Your heart pounded in your ears as you ripped the flap open and pulled out the paper. You began to read:

Ma Belle,

Happy 7th year Anniversary! Can you believe it has been seven years we’ve been together? It feels so amazing. I’m sorry you had to read this through a letter, but I feel like writing it out conveyed my feelings better than when I just wing it. So, I hope you prepare yourself because this is going to be a ride full of cheese and cringe.

I remember our first date here. It was very cheesy and seemed too extravagant for a first date, but we have known each other for a few months before I asked you out, so I call it a success. Anyway, I’ll never forget the look on your face when you saw the little fairy lights light up just at the snap of my finger. You said it looked like fireflies and reminded you of Princess and the Frog. Anyway, getting back to the point, the point is, this little lake holds a place in my heart because it was all those months of me silently pining after you to finally be able to take you here, it made me realize that I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

Oh! Which reminds me of our first here, when we danced to the soundtrack of the movie. It’s random, I know but I don’t think you remember that. You probably won’t remember me proposing to you either, would you? Turn around Ma Belle :)

You slowly turned around, the blanket and picnic table gone, all that’s left in front of you is Vernon down on one knee holding up a small box displaying a beautiful ring. The arm holding the letter drops, your free hand coming up to slightly cover your mouth now agape. From his shaky hands to his beaming smile, the love you had for the man in front of you intensified.

He cleared his throat and took a deep breath, “So, do you remember now?” The water in your eyes that have been threatening to spill finally let go as you nodded your head, “Ma Belle~” That damn grin on his face made your knees shake, “Will you be my Evangeline and marry me?” Your legs collapsed, your knees hitting the grass as you hugged Vernon tightly, whispering ‘Yes’ into his ear.

The amount of love you felt in your heart took over as you cried silently against him. He pulled away, laughing softly as he wiped your tears and brought your hand up, slipping the ring onto your ring finger. “Hansol Vernon Chwe, no wonder you wanted to open my gift first.”

He shrugged, looking into your eyes with that same teary smile before leaning in and placing a soft yet meaningful kiss on your lips. In that magical moment, you knew that this is all for you; he is all for you and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[jemej3m]

ghosts

this was unprompted but i dont care. all yall want is the wedding and i need an angst pallet cleanser before i can keep going with that. it’s so soft and sweet. blurgh, gross ;D

anyway!

remember in the first part, when neil said that drake spear’s case would forever remain unsolved? 

yeah. this is that.

trigger warnings: implied/referenced sexual assault, i/r torture, i/r csa, i/r self harm/suicide attempts, i/r murder

(normal pre-marital problems, i assume)

*

Neil traversed their kitchen as he threw together a curry Renee had recommended, whistling very poorly with the TV on in the background. An Exy game was always playing, much to Andrew’s dismay. 

They’d been living together for about a year and a half, and engaged for nearly a week now. Neil thought he couldn’t possibly get any happier, which was odd and unfamiliar in his tragic life. As he rinsed the starch off the rice and threw it into the rice cooker (gifted to him by Allison because once he’d served her undercooked, burnt rice and she’d never forgiven him since) he heard the front door unlock and twist open, the familiar shuffle of his fiancé arriving home making Neil smile. 

That sentiment was lost when he turned around to greet him. 

“Andrew,” Neil managed, watching Andrew fall onto the couch. He looked at the television, eyes so distant that they couldn’t register Neil even as he crouched down in front of him. “Andrew?”

His hands were shaking, curled into fists by his sides. Neil had never seen his skin so pale and lifeless. 

“Andrew,” he continued. “Can i sit next to you?” When he didn’t answer, Neil slowly moved to sit on the couch, giving him enough time to shove him back. Neil kept at least a centimetre between them at every point. 

“I’m making dinner,” he said, trying to think of something mundane to draw him out of his head. “Curry, one of Renee’s. You said you tried it and liked it. It has lamb, and I've snuck in some peas, but the sauce tastes good enough that we should be able to ignore them.” His fists relaxed slightly, the longer Neil talked. “You remember that cat shelter that I said was a front? Well, it’s still a cat shelter. Maybe we could check it out, see if there are any hairless ones. I know you like the hairless ones.” 

Andrew reached out for Neil’s hand and closed his eyes. His thumb traced the scars on Neil’s skin. The pattern was familiar and comforting for Andrew: Neil sighed with relief. 

“I’ve got those off-brand icecream sticks you love,” Neil continued, leaning in closer. “There was only one box left that weren’t those coconut-raspberry ones. Pure chocolate, just for you. Maybe we could dip them in sprinkles.” 

Andrew hummed softly. 

“Hey,” Neil said under his breath, leaning closer. He never asked if Andrew was okay, if he was alright, how his day went: not when he was like this. Asking a question meant requiring an answer, and providing a template meant forcing a restricted response. Andrew didn’t need to give Neil falsities. They were past that.

“Drake is being let out on parole.” 

Drake fucking Spear. 

Andrew told Neil the story a year into dating. He was in college, with his cousin and his brother. They’d moved to South Carolina, lived under Betsy’s roof as a reprieve from their biological family, and then congregated at their local college. All was fine until Andrew’s foster-home past caught up with him, the last time they’d gone to visit Nicky’s mother and father. 

Drake had been waiting for Andrew in Nicky’s old bedroom. It was safe to say that when Nicky and Aaron found them, it wasn’t pretty. Andrew had intentionally fucked with his biological mother’s car when he figured out she was treating Aaron like shit: in return, Aaron had wrenched Drake (a marine seal) off his brother and kicked the life out of him. 

Only he didn’t die. He went to jail. Aaron went to trail and claimed self-defence on his brother’s behalf. Everything was meant to be fine. 

Eight years later, Andrew was here, sitting on the couch as he reminisced upon horrid memory after horrid memory, knowing that his old demon was loose once more. 

“I’ll kill him.” Neil murmured. 

Andrew finally looked at him. “Neil.” 

He looked up. “I would kill him a thousand times over, Andrew.” 

Andrew said nothing, his head falling to rest on Neil’s shoulder. By the amount of tension coiled in Andrew’s shoulders, he must have been holding this in all day. 

Neil set his jaw, unwillingly to lie to himself. He was going to commit a self-serving, premeditated murder. 

His father would be so proud. 

*

When it finally happened, Andrew was coming home from dinner at Nicky and Erik’s. Neil was still working, somewhere in the depths of the city, but it was fine. Andrew had been able to distract himself from the weight pressing on his shoulders for a few hours with his cousin. 

A whole month since Drake - no, Spear - had been out on parole, and Andrew hadn’t heard a peep. For a while Andrew had thought that perhaps Spear would go to Aaron instead, the man who’d bashed him but not good enough to avoid jail, but Aaron had heard nothing. Chicago was way too far from South Carolina, where he’d been held for his crimes. 

But Baltimore wasn’t.

He unlocked his front door and felt the way it was loose, too loose, observing the scratches on the bolt’s screws. Andrew grit his teeth, pulling out the knife from his armband and wishing he’d brought home his gun, to swing the door open. 

As expected, the apartment was dark. But not empty. 

“Evening, AJ.” 

“Isn’t this dramatic,” Andrew insisted, though his insides were twisted with fear. Don’t lock up. Don’t lock up. Don’t -

“I was waiting for you. I’ve missed you.” 

Andrew punched the lightswitch hard enough for the wall to buckle: it held, and instead revealed something worse than Drake and his sneer. 

Neil was bound to a dining chair with cuffs Andrew kept, just in case, a tie around his mouth. He looked incredibly woozy. Andrew wanted so desperately to go to him, but Spear himself was sat on the arm of their new couch, elbows braced on his knees. Andrew hated his slick grin and his knowing smile and his soulless fucking eyes. He couldn’t believe he’d almost killed himself over this man, thinking at least he would die knowing what a mother’s love felt like. 

A mother’s love shouldn’t have cost Andrew a thing, let alone nearly everything. Those scars on his arms were warped with time and a long journey to healing, and Drake wasn’t going to take that away from him again. 

“You learned a few tricks in prison,” Andrew acknowledged. 

“You snatched yourself a husband-to-be,” Drake sneered. “How cute. I knew you’d liked it all along.” 

Andrew’s hand twitched. “You’re in violation of your parole, Drake. I’m going to arrest you.” 

“You’re a cop?” Drake spat out a laugh. It was guttural and wrong. Neil winced. “Well, ain’t that just funny.” 

“Funny how I, the boy who’d had nothing and was still taken from, ended up with a fulfilling life, finding family and friends and a purposeful occupation, whilst you, a boy who’d had everything and more, took your life for granted and ended up in the slammer for eight years, with more to come? Hilarious. I agree.” 

“I should’ve crushed your skull eight years ago,” Drake laughed. “No matter: I’ll make up for it now.” 

Neil met Andrew’s eyes as his hands fiddled with the cuffs. Keep talking. 

 “Why, Drake?” Andrew’s voice cracked. “You had Cass. School. Friends. Everyone liked you. What drove you to ruin your own life?” 

“I did have everything I could’ve ever needed,” he said, teeth oily as he grinned. “But what I wanted was something I couldn’t have. Till it occurred to me that I didn’t need to have it. I just needed to take it.” He sneered, putting his hands to the arm of the couch as he readied to stand. “Did it hurt you, little AJ? Because I hope it did. I always liked it best when you bled -” 

“Then I’ll make sure that you get what you’re owed, Drake Spear,” Neil said softly, balancing his knife between his fingertips. Its blade rested against Drake’s throat, Neil free of his cuffs and gag. 

The man froze. 

“Best practise is putting things away after you use them,” Neil advised, lifting a cloth to Drake’s mouth and nose. The man’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he slumped over, falling to the ground with a heavy thud. 

Andrew sucked in a gasp of air, watching as Neil cuffed the man’s wrists behind his back and stood with a boot pressed to his neck, should he wake up. 

From under the couch, Neil drew out a large tarp and his knives. Andrew closed his eyes momentarily. By the time he’d opened them, the coffee table had been flipped as a make-shift torture device, the tarp covering the carpet beneath. Neil was testing the sharpness of his cleaver against the tip of his finger: satisfied, he turned around to look at Andrew. “Help me roll him?”

Andrew looked at the man, hollowed out. “I was going to take him in.“

“What good is that?” Neil demanded, throwing the cleaver back into his pile. “He’ll go back to jail for another four to six months for violation of his parole, unless he tries to -” Neil screwed his eyes shut. “No. No, I won’t let him touch you again. And if you suggest some sort of self-sacrificing bullshit to have him locked up for good, I won’t buy it.” 

“He won’t get out on parole again -” 

“That is not worth a fifteen year sentence that he’ll worm his way out of again, letting the cycle will just repeat itself. No, Andrew. He is never going to touch you again. He will never look at you again.” His fists shook with a quiet fury. “I won’t let it happen.” 

“Neil,” Andrew stepped forward. “You need to let me do my job.” 

His fiancé brandished a knife from god-knows-where. “You need to let me do mine! Leave if you must. If your morals put you above killing a horrid man to keep my family safe, then go. But this man is not leaving here alive and whole. I am not letting the man I love subject himself to ruination via an old demon.” He finally looked Andrew in the eye. “Not if I can help it.” 

Neil bent over to drag Drake’s unconscious body over to where he needed it, locking his ankles and wrists to the four metal legs of their coffee table. The chloroform wasn’t strong enough to keep him asleep for long, but it didn’t matter. He was secure and doomed by the time he blinked his eyes open. 

Andrew watched Neil spin a knife between his fingers. 

“Wh - “ Drake coughed. “What? What happened?” 

“Not much,” Neil said, lightly. “You merely threatened to maim and kill the man I love, right in front of me.” His smile was the most frightening thing about him. “I don’t like that.”

“No,” Drake struggled against his restraints. “No!” 

“For now, I’ll shove this in there,” Neil said, grabbing the tie. “But later I’ll be sure to sever your vocal chords, so you can try and fail to scream, just like you tried to keep him quiet for years. No gag required. Neat, right?” 

“AJ,” Drake panted. “Andrew, get this psycho away from me. AJ -!” 

Neil shoved the tie into Drake’s mouth. “No. Stop looking at him. Look at me. I’m your biggest problem right now, aren’t I?” 

“I’m going to the study,” Andrew muttered, lightheaded. Neil glanced up at him, so he nodded, so minutely that anyone but Neil would’ve missed it. 

Neil’s expression softened slightly around the eyes as clear understanding passed between them, bright as day. 

Thank you for doing what I couldn’t, Andrew said. 

Thank you for letting me, Neil returned. 

With a deep breath, Andrew turned away to put the kettle on as Neil got to work. 

*

WOW okay. twiiiiiisted. i did promise that this would all be fluffy and nice, didn’t I? well, oops. 

i hate drake enough to feel that its warranted tho. srry not srry. 

back to your regularly scheduled program a-next time! 

[viva-la-fangirl]

It’s Not Too Late (It’s Late Part 3)

LOL sorry for taking so long writing this. School got in the way and I’m crying but here yall go :) thank you so much for the positive response!!

IF YOU’RE NOT CAUGHT UP: Part 1   Part 2

Warning: angst, prolly some grammar issues sorry :)

Words: 1.4k

THE NEXT INSTALLMENT WILL BE THE LAST PART SO GET READY SLUTS

It wasn’t Roger.

When you heard the knock, you hoped that Roger had ran after you, hoping for a cliché romantic movie moment where you’d open the door, fall into his arms and everything would be like a fairytale.

But it wasn’t Roger.

Actually, a woman about your age stood in front of you. Obviously tired. Her long black hair was tied in a messy bun. She had a rain jacket on but with sleeping shorts and had on tennis shoes with no socks.

You had no idea who this girl was.

“You’re (Y/N) aren’t you?” she asked quietly.

“Yes?” You answered cautiously. An uncertain but familiar feeling stir in your stomach.

She gave you a soft smile. “I shouldn’t be surprised… Roger did always have a type,”

The realization hit you harder than a freight train. She was the girl in the apartment. Her voice… you had just heard it not even a half hour ago. The woman that you knew had left the hickey near Roger’s belt line. The one who had her lipstick smeared all over his face.

The one Roger loves now.

You stared at her, not having a clue what to say? You couldn’t be angry with her- she was just a girl who fell for the same droopy eyes and cheeky personality that you had fallen for.

“How did you find me?” you mumbled out, staring at the girl.

“Address book,” she shrugged.

“How… how do you even know who I am?” You were stunned.

“Can I come in?” she asked.

You, not knowing what to do, moved to let the girl pass. The boys behind you just stared at her. John had a curious look on his face not truly knowing what she should be feeling. Freddie seemed confused more than anything. And Bri, he had a look of distrust and a hint of anger on his face.

Awkwardly the boys all moved to the couch, including you and the girl sat in your lone seat across the room. She looked so small in it, like a child about to get reprimanded by a teacher.

“Well what’s your name?” Freddie started.

“Cheryl,” she stated.

“Now, how are you with Roger and how do you know (Y/N)?” Bri’s tone was a little aggressive. He sat beside you and leaned in front of you as if he wanted to protect you.

“Well,” she signed. “I mean you and Roger didn’t exactly have the most private relationship, I knew you names from the papers before I actually knew who you were.”

It was true. You and Roger’s love life was in the popular magazines from time to time, especially when a drunken night was involved. Your breakup was a quiet one and while you had been called a few times for an interview about the breakup, the media had been relatively quiet about it.

“Go on,” Deaky pushed.

“Ok, well I met Roger at a bar one night after a show. We talked and… hooked up.” She looked at you as she said that last part.

The words weighed on you. It was his right to sleep with whoever he wanted after the breakup. But still, hearing it and seeing the girl just made it worse. Imagine his body on top of hers, touching her like he used to touch you. It made your stomach shrivel up.

“That was only about two months ago, and I thought that would be it. I was really surprised when he actually called the number I gave him,” she cracked a small smiled, but it quickly vanished with a guilty look. “Anyway, we started seeing each other and automatically I knew it wouldn’t last long…”

Automatically you felt bad. You had been in the situation of going into a relationship knowing it wasn’t going to last.

“He just seemed distracted all the time,” Cheryl continued. “I would be telling a story and he acted like he would be about to chime in with something and the stop. We would be at dinner and look at certain girls hard, probably hoping it was you.” Your face grew hot. Did he really seek you out?

“He even said your name one time in bed.”

Now your face was uncomfortably hot. You heard Freddie subdue a snicker.

“Not that we don’t love hearing about Roger shagging do you mind getting to why you are here?” Bri suggested in a harsh tone.

“Right,” Cheryl sat up a little straighter. “I woke up to a knock and then Roger got out of bed. Then… I heard your name. And I just knew- at that moment he wasn’t supposed to be with me. He came back in all flustered and mumbling to himself.”

You could imagine Roger pacing around mumbling because he did it all the time whenever he was super nervous about something which didn’t happen a whole lot.

“I tried to talk to him but he just went inside the bathroom and shut the door,”

He was about to cry. You thought. You had seen Roger only cry a handful of time in your long relationship and whenever he did, he would go into the bathroom, so no one would see it. The crashing wave of guilt and remorse engulfed you. You could feel bile rise in your throat. How could you do this to someone you love?

“He finally went to sleep but I just couldn’t… lie there knowing that he is in love with someone else.” She admitted. You tensed up. A familiar feeling of hope rose in your chest. Even after all this would Roger still love you?

You remembered the little acts of love he would do all the time, you took it for granted. The feeling of him kissing your forehead or pulling you closer in bed. The nights where he tried his best to cook something for you and it being burnt to hell, so you’d just order some pizza. When he started saying ‘us’ and ‘we’ when talking about future plans. You remembered the drunken nights of sex and making him with him mumbling ‘I love you’ and ‘You’re mine’ to you.

But you also remembered the drunken calls you got for about two weeks after the break up. Roger would call you, drunk as a skunk, slurring his words into the phone. You would stand there on the phone listening to him, trying not to cry.

“I know it’s late,” Roger would say usually, the calls would come past midnight after a party.

“Roger please…” you would beg trying not to let him hear you cry. “Go home and stop calling.”

“(Y/N),” his voice bleeding with heartbreak. “Please,”

“It’s not too late,” Roger promised. “Not for us. You’re my girl. You’re mine.”

“No I’m not, goodnight Roger,” you would slam the phone down.

Now, in this moment, all you could do is question why you did that. You knew you loved him. Why had you been so stupid?

It’s not too late. Roger had told you that once and you prayed it was still true.

The woman Roger was supposed to be in love with was telling you that it wasn’t too late. Could Roger ever forgive you for what you did to him? Could you ever forgive yourself for the pain you caused him?

“Why are you telling me this?” you asked, holding tears back as well as you could.

Cheryl took a long breath before looking at you. “Because as much as I do care about Roger, as much as I want us to work out…. I know that it won’t.” The pair of you shared a look of deep understanding. “Plus, if I was in your position, I would want to know,”

You took a deep breath before standing up.

“I’m going back over there,” you stated. You looked down at Bri. “Don’t try and talk me out of it,”

“I would never,” Bri gave you a soft smile.

A sense of caution lifted up from the room. You were going to do this. Tonight. It had been too long for you to wait any long.

“I drove if you want a ride,” Cheryl offered.

You shook your head surprised. “You’d do that for me?”

Cheryl didn’t answer but gave you a nod in response. She knew her time with Roger was over. And even with the awkwardness that was apparent, she was still a good person.

It’s not too late. You said to yourself again before walking out of the door to see Roger again.

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[yoitssabrinee]

POROUS [03]

So yall got a not so date with Iggy. Yall happy? Because I am.

@hypaalicious @thirdstreetcettin @sayura21 and all my other Iggy thots out there, this for yall.

WARNING: None, probably some angst but not much?

PAIRING: Ignis Scientia/GN!Reader

SETTING: Post-Brotherhood Era; AU of sorts.

A/N: hggdjfsdkasfvjvhsdaj. My muse ran itself, I swear.

PART: 01 | 02 | 03

The first things that greeted Ignis when he went through the door of your apartment were the smell of fresh air wafting through the blinds, and burnt food.

He crinkled his nose at the odor. Were you trying to cook in the sorry state you were in? He couldn’t have that. But just as he slipped off his shoes at the vestibule, you bumbled unsteadily from the kitchen, looking feverish but somewhat well. Or so he hoped.

“Iggy?” your voice was hoarse, croaking at the last syllable of his name. “What are you doing here?”

He smiled. “I told you I’d come, didn’t I?”

You blinked, then slumped at the kitchen door; he quickly sprang up to hold you upright.

You were warm in his hands.

Far too warm for his liking.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, patting away some beading sweat on your temple with a sleeve and testing your body temperature with the back of his hand. “Nauseous? Dizzy? Would you like some water? I have some painkillers with me in case if you—“

But you patted his hand away, fingers wrapped around his wrist as you peered up at him behind sleep-flaked lashes. “You haven’t slept since yesterday.”

He pursed his lips, then smiled. “I will be fine. What I’m worried more about is you. You needed the rest more than I.”

“And I’m worried about you, too,” you said, pulling him into the living room and pushing him onto the couch, then flopped down beside him. “Dinner can wait. Sleep with me?”

Ignis gulped. He hadn’t anticipated this turn of events. Noctis gave him a day off because he thought he needed to get more rest (and probably get his shit together; Noct can order takeout by himself if he wanted and he’d allow it—just for tomorrow). But you were sick; you were in need of company and comfort… he couldn’t find it in himself to simply turn you down.

And tomorrow was another day off for him, too.

It would be fine, wouldn’t it?

“Sleep—“ he breathed in deep, and realized that his eyes were stinging. “—with you?”

Apparently, he could use a bit more work in his interpretation skills.

He noticed, a second too late, how warm his face was, and how red yours was.

“I—“ you were stuttering now, hands flailing around in an attempt to explain yourself. “I don’t—what I mean is—I don’t mean it that way, like—gods, Ignis!”

He didn’t laugh, but you surely noticed the smirk spread across his face—teasing, silently snickering to himself.

And gods, did he want to hold you now.

He couldn’t help but find it endearing

You scowled at him, and now he couldn’t help the soft titters filtering past his lips.

“You’re horrible,” you said.

I am, he thought. I’m horrible, but only for you.

But he didn’t say this.

He did sleep with you.

Sprawled across the couch, his spectacles folded and placed on the coffee table, he let you spread yourself on top of him, holding you protectively in his arms as he wrapped the many layers of blankets on both of you. You folded your arms on his chest, nuzzled a red nose on his neck, breathed just a little slower.

He couldn’t help but shiver from the contact.

And despite being as tired as he was when at Noct’s, he couldn’t get himself to relax—not with you nestled on top of him.

Which was strange, he thought. Exhaustion, worn-out, jaded—those would warrant a good nap, or at least a good night’s sleep if he could make it to his bed in time. Somehow, though, he couldn’t help but open his eyes every time he closed it, only to look down to stare at your already snoozing form.

You were a wonderful weight on him. He could get used to it.

And then he was cursing himself; cursing for letting himself be this vulnerable. He guessed he could let it slide, but seeing you now…

He ran a hand across his face.

He knew he was in too deep, and it was far too late to do anything about it.

Cursing himself for the nth time that day, he willed his eyes to close again, and let his mind be cleared from unnecessary thoughts because gods be damned, were you not too distracting—

“…Ignis…”

--and he was wide awake; exhausted, but awake.

You moaned quietly, but it was enough to snap his eyes wide open as he stared down at you—still asleep, and he was surprised at that. Was he hearing things? Last he checked, his ears was in good condition so it must be—

You groaned, shifted on top of him again, and murmured, “Iggy…”

It took him a long, long time afterwards to really fall asleep.

“So how about some garula steak from that place we talked about?”

Anyone within a five mile radius could practically see how your eyes shone the moment they said those words to you. Of course, your crush, of all people, were addressing you. And they were suggesting to have some kind of food you’ve probably only tasted once in your lifetime. Together, with you.

It should be predictable, shouldn’t it?

“Well, um,” you said; play coy, play coy, you can do this, Y/N, play coy they said. “I’m—not sure, really. I mean, I have so much work to do and-“

“Aw, c’mon, forget ‘bout work for once!” they said, all smiles and teeth and hands spread and an overall enthusiastic body language. “Dinner on me, how ‘bout it? We could do a lil’ chit-chat over some nice steak and potatoes and good wine, y’know, get to know each other…”

If your eyes were shining before, they were now glowing—happiness radiated from you like some kind of nuclear, and every person who passed your desk on that day could actually feel the warmth.

It had been a while, some said. You skirting around them like some kind of bee to its queen; you always putting them foremost in discussions; you engaging them in conversations whenever and wherever possible. You’ve never actually gone to the ‘kiss your crush and let them know’ stage, but that night might be the opportunity you were looking for. It had been a while, after all.

They were smart, they were nice, they looked good—everything everyone ever wanted in a potential partner.

Everybody within the department knew of how big your crush was on them.

“Yeah, uh,” keep playing coy, Y/N, keep playing coy. “If you’re sure, then... I’m in!”

They grinned, all teeth again. “Great! See you there at eight tonight!”

“See you!”

And then you saw yourself, in the rain, not knowing the time because it was probably way past eight, and on the verge of a breakdown after seeing them in the arms of another… when they have promised.

They promised.

They—promised.

When you woke up, Ignis was no longer there.

You sat up, feeling confused and strangely well-rested because, really, when was the last time you’ve slept that good? And warm. It was so warm.

Ignis felt so warm around you…

And then you heard voices.

Words, coming from the balcony, tone familiar but otherwise unidentified. They were low, mostly obstructed by the sound of the breeze that was coming from outside. From the golden lights filtering from the windows and the door itself, you guessed it was almost night time.

Ignis came in from the balcony, phone in hand, and saw you on the couch, still sleep-dazed.

He smiled. “Good evening. Did you rest well?”

You didn’t know if you’ve nodded or shaken your head, but you saw him smile nonetheless. “What time is it?” you asked blearily.

He checked the clock on the wall. “Near seven. Are you feeling alright?”

Slowly, you tested the temperature on your temple; it was no longer warm, and the spiking headaches were long gone, and you felt mostly fine.

“I’m alright,” you said.

He chuckled. “I’m glad,” he said. “Unfortunately, it was way past the time for me to cook you anything for dinner, so would you like it if we go out instead?”

You felt your head clear just a little bit, and you felt more awake now that you’ve processed what he said. “Dinner?” you asked. “Outside?”

He nodded. “I’ve made reservations. The food is exquisite.” Then he stopped and pondered over his next words before he continued, “I’d like to treat you to something nice for once.”

You were silent for a moment, then you looked up at him and said, “But I don’t have anything nice to wear.”

He outright grinned now. “It won’t be needed,” he said. “Just be as you are tonight. Your comfort is top priority. And we have a lot of time to think about it, if you want. Our reservation is at nine.”

[txt; prompto] lmao bro guess what

[txt; prompto] totally did not just see iggs w y/n just now

[txt; prompto] at dat place that served rl xpnsive garula stk

 [txt; noct] lolol

[txt; noct] kinda figured that out already

[txt; noct] he was all pissy af this morn

[txt; noct] figured he needed it

 [txt; prompto] he needa ask already

[txt; prompto] they gonna run if he didnt do shit

 [txt; noct] let him be

[txt; noct] he can ask gladio if he needs help

[txt; noct] just dont bug him bout it would ya

 [txt; prompto] kk roger highness

[txt; prompto] gotta say, u da best wingman eggs could ever hav

 [txt; noct] he owe me a fishing trip

[txt; noct] and sum gud choc cake

 [txt; prompto] u makin him owe u

 [txt; noct] lmao

“Is everything to your liking?”

You didn’t really know what to say.

On one hand, the garula steak was—as they have claimed in advertisements and menus you’ve flipped through for the hundredth time that night—as good as they said.

On the other, the company was just as nice.

Ignis, sat across you cutting into his own steak, was smiling at you. “Does it appeal to your tastes?”

You gulped, swallowed around a dry throat as you downed the wine in your glass. “Uh,” you said. “It was—it was good. Like they said. It was… nice?”

The quirk on the corner of his lips was subtle, barely there, but it was enough to make your face feel hot. “Wasn’t entirely your palate, was it?”

You gestured, and the waitress lounging close by poured you another glass of wine; you downed it in a single gulp. “Well, it was—okay, at best.”

He made a sound from the back of throat—as if he was laughing, but behind closed lips. It was a beautiful sound.

And you find it charming.

Cutting off a piece of your own steak, you heard him say, “I recall someone saying they have been—raving—to go to such a place for a long time. And now they said the food was—okay, at best.”

You frowned, but the corner of your lips still quirked. “You would never let me live that down, would ya?”

He chewed through his own piece, pondered for a second, then said, teasingly: “I certainly will not, rest assured.”

You snorted into your third glass of wine, and he had to bite back a smile of his own to focus on the meal.

It was an entirely pleasant ordeal. You hadn’t expected him to bring you back to the place where your supposed date was—and you’ve surely vowed to yourself to never, ever, come back again, because of the looks you’ve received the night before—but today it was… different. A good sort of different. People were looking still, but now they were mostly along the lines of:

Who is that gentleman?

He is so charming, I wish that was my date…

Isn’t that the person we saw the other night? Was he supposed to be their…?

He’s so handsome…

You couldn’t help but feel smug. Of course, you were sitting at the same table with the Ignis Scientia, royal chamberlain and adviser to the Prince of Lucis himself; who else could have that opportunity?

It helped that Ignis apparently had connections everywhere; the entrance to the restaurant was prepped entirely for his welcome, and even when you were finally seated you were still aweing at all the golden streams and ribbons lining the glass doors. Even the receptionists’ eyes widened when they saw you—they clearly recognized you from yesterday.

The only thing you felt off was your outfit of choice.

Because, really, who would think to wear a simple collared shirt and some pants to go to a fancy place like this? Beside Ignis’ otherwise immaculate outwear, you felt every bit the low-born you were.

But he didn’t seem to mind; he did say you could be as you were, dress in whatever you like, and he’d still take you to this place, anyway.

Not like you’d have any complaints, but he could at least give you a head’s up…

Ignoring another bout of murmurs on the table right next to yours—the women occupying there was clearly ogling Ignis, and clearly sizing you down—you finished up your steak (well, okay, it was a little more than “okay”, at least) and wiped your mouth with a folded napkin, silently hoping that Ignis would finish his soon so you could go home.

As much as you liked the food and the company, the stares and whispers were getting on your nerves.

Much to your dismay, he was taking his time in savoring his meal; gloved fingers moved to cut the steak into cuboid pieces, taking each bite in a calculative manner and chewing every one thoroughly, brows furrowed in thought. After a while, he looked up, caught your eyes, and said, “I dare say I could recreate this when we’re home. It’s got a nice flavor, but I’m guessing the cook missed some important points on marinating the meat.”

“Y-yeah,” you stuttered, not really understanding what he said. “It was okay.”

He turned to his plate, then back at you again, smiling. “I’m guessing you’ve had unpleasant experiences related to this place.”

You still haven’t told him about what had happened the other night, but his inquisitiveness made you swallow around a hard lodge in your throat. Had he guessed?

“Uh,” you rasped. “Kinda…?”

“It’s all right,” he said, still all smiles as he put down his fork, leaving his meal half-eaten, before he gestured to the waitress—even she was ogling him, the sneaky bitch—for the bill. “I wouldn’t want to keep you in a place that made you suffer unsavory.” Then he stood up, bill paid, and made his way round the table to stand next to yours, gesturing his elbow for you to take. “Would you like dessert?”

You felt yourself blush as he led you out—all stares on your back—and to where he had parked his car, still holding him by the crook of his arm.

“Um,” you said, as you wriggled in the passenger’s seat beside him, fidgety as all hell. “Ice cream sounds nice like, right about now…”

He shut the door on you, crossed over to the driver’s seat, sat himself in, then slid the car out of the park before he said,

“Ice cream does sound wonderful. My treat?”