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stae-yong · 4 years

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a dream in a bottle [j.jh]

genre: fluff, romance, fantasy word count: 11.4k

Year 2059.

Everyone has lost their minds finding solace in a world full of chaos. Dreams in a bottle are now being used like a drug in order to fulfill their wildest fantasies. Have you ever dreamt so good, you never wanted to wake up?

“You’re the dream I go to, every time I close my eyes.”

a/n: this is my first jaehyun fic, and the first fic i’ve written :> please understand if i’ve made any errors. i wanted to write this since i started stanning nct and i hope you guys enjoy!! oh and listen to this, it inspired me to write this story. hopefully it could set the mood as well.

“Happy birthday to me,” y/n said dully as she blew her candle. The smoke from her two and three candles went to her eyes which made her squint. For the past week, all she ever did was cry herself to sleep thinking how miserable she would spend her birthday this week ever since her boyfriend left her for ‘his future’ which she snorted at as she remembered how his arms were wrapped around her waist as he kissed this new girl and who just enrolled in his arts class.

She then started to arrange her gifts which mostly consisted of plain old birthday cards which her so called friends just gave to her at the last minute since her existence was forgotten due to the busy days of work. As she went through her gifts, she noticed another postcard from her parents that are probably touring around Europe. She scrunched her nose in disappointment, “What a good way to start my 23rd year of living on this planet,” she muttered. Y/N stood up pushing around all the teared pieces of gift wrap as she tried to navigate herself around the living room. As she moved, she accidentally kicked a box tas was buried under piles of garbage.

A white box with pink hearts decorated around it. On the side of a box, a sticky note was attached with a letter with handwriting that was too familiar.

Dear y/n

Happy Birthday! I’m sorry we can’t spend it together this year, you know how hard life is. But I do hope you enjoy the following days with my gift. I gave this to you to spice up your birthday. It’s definitely one of a kind, I hope you could forget your dickhead of a boyfriend with this. Call me once you try it ;)

Love,

Mei.

“If this is a box of lingerie or condoms, Mei can rot in hell,” Y/N grumbled. This definitely should be worth it. She peeled the sticky note, as a remembrance of the gift as she carefully opened the box. Inside were three small bottles of iridescent liquid that seemed like it had been mixed by a 10 year old playing with glitters and water. A small card was placed above the bottles with a note saying “The best dreams happen when you are wide awake,” with several instructions to only drink one bottle every night for good results. Y/N contemplated if she should drink from it now considering that its nearly 10pm. She spent her whole day moping around her room munching on junk food while thinking about how lonely and boring her life was. Maybe this potion is worth the try, and maybe, like what Mei said, it could spice up her life.

She took the bottle in her hands shaking it a bit as she watched the small pieces of glitter swirl around as if it was luring her to drink it. At first she tasted like vanilla, smooth and milky then suddenly it turned to taste like strawberry mixed with different other fruits. Soon after, Y/N fell on her bed as she drifted off.

��———

Y/N felt as if she was thrown into a whirlpool as her head continued to spin. Bright light hit her face making her squint as she tried to slowly adjust to what she was seeing. Suddenly, people started to bump her as they made their way around the city. Y/N tried to make sense of where she was, it was a city that looked like it existed way back in the 1900s with the way people dressed. Women and men of all ages walked around the street as they clung unto their loved ones. Women were dressed in puffed blouses and below the knee skirts as they topped it with a trench coat to warm them from the cold. Men, on the other hand, were wearing top hand sand white button up with suspenders that were too old-fashioned for her liking as they paired it with trousers. As Y/N continued to make sense of what was happening, she passed by a shop where she saw her reflection, she was wearing the same thing everyone was wearing.

Great, how on Earth am I supposed to figure out what to do in this dream.

As she walked around, she noticed a long queue that led to a movie theater. Everyone seemed excited to watch this new ‘musical’ that only happens once every year and that is during the 23rd of Christmas, ‘The Impossible Dream’ was its title. She noticed that every poster posted on the streets had the same title written in cursive with a time, date, and location set. As she adjusted her coat that was wrapped around her, she noticed a ticket on her right pocket. “The Impossible Dream, 6pm,” she muttered. “I drink a stupid bottle of dream and now I have to watch a boring musical,” she added as she pouted remembering to message Mei that she won’t be drinking anymore of her gift. Her eyes wandered from the people around her to the buildings, she knew no one in this dream and the faces she see are not even close to familiar. The place itself looks like a 90s movie setting with all the broadway and lampposts hanging around.

“Excuse me, this is the end of the line, right?” Y/N turned to look around at a man around her age with caramel brown hair and smiling as his dimples poked out. She stared at him longer as she admired his features, okay, this is definitely a dream because no one else in the real world would look as good as this fine man standing behind her. “U-um, yeah,” she cleared her throat as she gave tight smile embarrassed as she was caught staring.

“Come on, you gonna pretend like you don’t know me now?” He said as he pouted. Y/N looked at him confused, never in her life did she encounter him, maybe this is a preset of the dream but she decided to play dumb instead. “Hmmm, I don’t think I remember,” she said as she tried to think of a name that matches his face.

“It’s Jaehyun,” he said as he poked her cheek with his index finger as he shook his head disappointingly. “Are you my boyfriend?” Y/N blurted out as she felt her cheeks heat up at her sudden question. Jaehyun felt flustered as his ears turned red. “Um, well, I don’t know,” he said nervously chuckling. Y/N nodded as she turned to the front once again, boyfriend or not it doesn’t matter but for sure the handsome guy standing behind her played an important role in her dream. She tried to remember if she knew any Jaehyun in the real world but no one came close. Heck, no one even looks like him. Was she really that desperate on moving on, she literally dreamed of having a boyfriend way better than her ex? Okay, maybe.

The line started moving as people made their way towards the entrance of the theater. “I didn’t know you were interested in watching musicals,” Jaehyun said as he stood beside her as they both made their way in.

“Well, maybe you don’t know a lot about me then,” she shrugged as she gave him a teasing smile. “We’ve known each other for four years and you forget my name?” He teased back as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder to move her from the people that were constantly passing by to get to their seats. Y/N felt her heartbeat speed up at the intimacy feeling his chest pressed against her shoulder as she muttered apologies to those passing by.

“Watch where you’re going,” he muttered under his breath as he looked at her. Y/N blushed as she looked up to him. The lighting in the room giving his visuals more justice as it surrounded her head making him look like he has a built in halo.

As she made her way to her seat, Jaehyun followed closely behind as they both sat together. The play started as the lights dim but Y/N couldn’t care less about what was happening in the play as she felt bothered by Jaehyun’s presence. How did he have this effect on her when he doesn’t even exist? It was also their first time meeting. She slowly shifted on her seat to face Jaehyun in a discreet way as she tried to steal a glance at him. Jaehyun noticed her shifting taking it as a sign of uncomfortableness, placing a hand gently on the area above her knee squeezing it lightly and giving her a look of concern.

Y/N froze in her seat as she looked back at Jaehyun who was staring at her worriedly, eyebrows furrowed. She looked away quickly as she cleared her throat, nudging Jaehyun’s hand away by accident as she shifted to face forward. Jaehyun chuckled as he continued to watch the musical smiling to himself. “What’s so funny?” Y/N said as she crossed her arms trying to concentrate on the show but finding it difficult with Jaehyun seated right beside her. “You should take a picture, it would last longer,” he whispered in her ear as she felt his warm breath brush against her cheeks making it heat up. Thankfully, the lights were dim and Jaehyun wouldn’t be able to see how red her cheeks were from the constant display of affection he was showing to her. She wasn’t staring, she was just trying to capture his face on her mind so that when she wakes up from this dream she could finally move on from her ex.

“I still haven’t forgiven you for what you’ve done,” Jaehyun whispers again, Y/N looks at him in confusion to see him leaning slightly to her side with eyes still focused on the show. “What have I done?” She said raising a brow. She has only been inside her dream for 20min, she barely got to do anything except stare at the piece of art seated right beside her.

Jaehyun looked at her in disbelief as he flicked her forehead earning a smack on the shoulder. “You left me in the rain, I told you to call me but you didn’t,” he said as he looked at her again. Y/N frowned, not really knowing what to say. “Sorry, I was busy,” At this point, making up stories would only be the solution to questions as it was only a dream that she may forget when she wakes up. Jaehyun continues to stare at her with an unreadable expression. He nods anyway and she gives him a small smile.

“Are you really watching this?” Y/N asks bored out of her mind as the main lead in the musical continues to cry as she longs for her love one who she only meets inside her dream.

“No, I’m just here because I like sitting beside you,” Jaehyun replies shooting her a smile, his dimples making an appearance as they always seem present when she looks at him. She scrunched her nose in disapproval, definitely too good to be true. Prince Charming likes her in her dream, her love life must definitely be fucked up for her to be dreaming about these things.

“We can get out of here if you’re bored,” Jaehyun shrugs as he took her hand gently. He jutted his chin toward the exit raising a brow, “Okay fine, but I’m not spending any money,” she muttered making Jaehyun laugh as he pulled her from her seat. She didn’t even know how she would able to live in this dream.

As they walked around the streets, Y/N tried to ask more about herself so that she wouldn’t have to lie all the time she entered this dream. Never in her life did she experience a dream so realistic, lately, she had troubles sleeping and if she ever got to dream, it would be long forgotten the moment she woke up. A warm hand wrapped around her cold one pulling her out of her thoughts, her gaze shifted from the street to Jaehyun who was grinning at her.

“Do you remember how we met?” She asked as he swayed their hands playfully while walking. “Of course, it was definitely my favorite day,” he chuckled as he recalled how they first met. It was the first day of university and Jaehyun was late. It definitely wasn’t a good first impression to his professors considering how he got into the university because of a basketball scholarship, he used to be a star player back in high school which led him to many offers from big schools that wanted him as the ‘face’ of their team. Although, Jaehyun chose the one closest to his home as he didn’t want to stray farther away from his family, at the same time, his friends attended the same university as him. He tried to discreetly make his way inside the classroom as his professor continued to scribble on the board. Sitting down on the farthest seat as possible, he tried to catch up on the lesson they were having

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” He heard a small voice say as he shifted his gaze. There she stood in front of him, wearing a yellow dress with her brown hair softly framing her small face accentuating her brown eyes that seem to hold the stars. Jaehyun gulped nervously as he shifted on his seat.

“No, you can sit here whenever you want,” he said a bit too excitedly as he continued to stare at her. The girl gave him a small smile as she sat slid on the seat beside him taking out her notebook and pen.

“I’m Y/N, by the way,” she whispered extending her arm which Jaehyun stared at a bit for too long, “Not that it matte-“ before she could put down her hand Jaehyun grabbed her hand firmly with a smile. “Jaehyun,” he said smiling which made her flustered. “Care to share why you’re late?” He whispered as he tried to start a conversation without getting caught by the professor. He didn’t even understand what was being taught anymore as all his attention was occupied by the girl seated beside him. “The traffic was too bad, why are you late?” She shrugged as she leaned closer to him with a teasing smile. Jaehyun snorted as he slightly bumped his shoulder with hers. They were close already despite the small amount of time they knew each other, “You’re watching me?” He teased as he raised an amused brow at her. Her nose scrunched as she bopped his nose with her pen. “No, I saw you make your way through the door earlier and decided to seat beside you,” she chirped making Jaehyun’s heart flutter. “If I knew better, I would say you stalk me,” he replied trying to brush off the tremble in his voice caused by the amount of flips his heart was making. “Just interested,” she beamed and diverted her attention back to the board. Jaehyun took a glance at her shaking his head at their exchange, silently taking note that he should definitely get her number after this class.

Y/N looked at Jaehyun with an unamused expression as he shrugged, “It’s true though! You tried to hit on me on the first day,” he said earning a punch on the shoulder. “I don’t think that’s how it went though!” She retorted blushing as she didn’t even know if Jaehyun made everything up. It was her first time meeting him, yet in this dream it seems that she’s been in it for years already. She did, however, like how straight forward she was based on Jaehyun’s story, maybe she did like herself better in this dream.

“You asked for my number, so basically, you hit on me,” she stucked her tongue out as she harshly tugged Jaehyun in what she feels like the direction of her house is. Jaehyun pulled her back as they stopped under a lamp post with the light illuminating his face in all the right angles. He leaned close until they were eye-contact level as Y/N tried to keep a blank expression even if her heart was basically going to burst from how close Jaehyun’s face was from hers as she tried to remember all the small details of his face. “You said you were interested first, so I guess I win this argument,” he said smiling at her. Y/N brushed it off as he pushed his face away with her index finger. Jaehyun then wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer making her grab his forearms for support at the sudden action. “What are you doing?” She said nervously as he started to sway from side to side as he looked at her making her blush at the sudden attention he was giving her. There was no way he couldn’t see how red she was right now. “Dancing, we used to do this all the time,” he said as he continued to sway to some tune he was humming. “I don’t know how to dance,” she muttered as she looked down trying her hardest not to step on his feet. “It’s fine, I can lead,” he said confidently as he continued to stare down at her making her stare at his chest as she couldn’t meet his eyes.

“Hey Y/N,” he mentions when he noticed how quiet she has gone. “Hmmm?” She replies looking up to him as she stared at the area between his brows, his eyes too much for her to take, afraid that if she looks at him she might as well just kiss him there. “I really like dancing here with you but do you mind?” He says as he looked down. Y/N followed his gaze and saw her shoe lace untied itself probably because she kept stepping on them as they danced.

“Oh, let me-“ as she tried to bend down to tie it, Jaehyun pulled her up lightly by the arm as he kneeled before her making her flustered she looked around for people as he basically looked like he was proposing to her. “I can’t have you fall for anyone else,” he grinned as he tried to stifle a laugh. Y/N huffed as she nudged him strong enough for him to fall backwards catching himself with his arms as he tried to stand up.

She walked quickly as she tried to go to what seemed like her house, with Jaehyun following closely behind her as he jogged trying to keep up with her speed. “You’re welcome,” he winked making her flustered once again as she crossed her arms. “I’m home now, aren’t you going?” She said though she really didn’t want him to go yet. She didn’t even know if that was her house but it seemed like it, somehow it just felt right to be there at that moment. Jaehyun chuckled as he took a step back putting his hands in his pockets.

“I hope you had fun today,” he smiled as he ruffled her hair. Y/N nodded as she entered her ‘house’. “Stay safe, Jaehyun,” she said softly as she took one last look at him. Before she could close the door, she felt Jaehyun stop it.

“Wait, before you go,” he held the door with one hand and the other finding the back of her head as his lips lightly touched her forehead. Y/N felt her heartbeat speed up as she closed her eyes at the feeling of his soft lips on her forehead.

“Meet me in your dreams,” he said as he smiled at her before finally closing the door.

——

Y/N jolted awake as she heaved heavy breaths. She felt as if she ran a marathon with how fast her heart was beating. She was back in her bedroom as she looked around. Nothing seemed to change, except the small box that was on top of her bedside table with now only two bottles of dreams. She sighed as she checked the time, she was out for about twelve hours already, although, in her dream only a small amount of time has passed. As she made her way out her apartment, she received a call from Mei.

“So how was it?” Mei asked enthusiastically as y/n could feel her interest on the other end of the line. Sighing she continued to walk down the streets in boredom, wasting time on finding something that would catch her eye.

“I didn’t know a dream could be realistic,” she muttered back. “And there’s this guy,” she added as she thought of this is really a great time to mention a character from her dream, especially to Mei, she woulld probably think she’s gone crazy. “What guy? Are you seeing someone?” The other responded, desperate to know if her friend has finally moved on. “What? No, I mean yes,” Y/N defended.

“It’s not about my ex, actually, there was someone in my dream.” She said. “I don’t really know if I met him before, but his features are very new to me. And you know what they say, that our minds can’t make up images, and everyone in our dream is someone we have met or saw before,” she added. There was no way she saw Jaehyun, if she did then she would probably remember him judging by how good looking he was. “Really? Well, you probably saw him in streets before,” Mei reasoned as y/n could only nod in response even if Mei couldn’t see her. “Anyway, you should really make that worth it. I heard the manufacturer of the shop closed down,” she mentioned as you made your way into a small coffee shop you saw across the street which seemed quite popular judging by the amount of female customers in there.

“Well, I only have two bottles left. I’ll call you when I finish it. Thanks for the gift by the way,” y/n replied as she ended the call

The cafe she entered was small, yet had a homely feeling to it. There was an amount of middle schoolers who look like they just finished school lining up as they perked their heads towards the counter. Y/N squinted as she saw the cute cashier and barista taking their orders. The cashier with white hair that for some reason seemed to match his big intimidating eyes and sharp nose and jawline. He wasn’t as big as the barista, but his body complimented his features as he smiled towards the group of girls who tried to catch his attention. The barista, on the other hand, was tall and had broad shoulders. His hair was dyed black, but he seemed really friendly despite his strong aura.

When it was her turn to order, she now understood why a lot of women in this city practically visited this shop everyday. From afar, she noticed how good-looking the staff were in the cafe, but now looking at them up close made her throat dry.

“I would like one iced latte,” she said shyly as the cashier smiled at her. She squinted her eyes at his name tag, Taeyong. Cute. “Are you new here?” Taeyong said as he pressed numbers on his screen for her order.

“Umm, I live around here. But it’s my first time in this cafe,” she mentioned as she looked around trying to distract herself from meeting his eyes.

“Cool, may I have your name?” He chirped as he smiled again towards her raising his brow. Y/N furrowed her brows as she stared back at him, “A-are you trying to ask me out?” She stuttered bewildered at the sudden question. Taeyong laughed as the barista behind him accidentally knocked a cup off as he turned around to look at her stifling a laugh as well. “What? Um, you’re cute but I need it for the cup,” he gestured raising a cup in his hand making y/n embarrassed as she heard the girls from behind whisper about how assuming she was.

“Oh, sorry,” she said lowly as she muttered her name quickly and paying as she moved to get her order.

——

Y/N sat on her bed holding the box of two bottles. Taking one, she shook it again as she saw the swirl of iridescent liquid calling her in. The whole time she mentally prepared herself for what was to come. To say she was excited to meet Jaehyun again was an understatement, she wanted to take the bottle again as soon as she stepped home but she remembered that there was only two left.

She took one bottle out deeply breathing in and out as she downed it all feeling the familiar taste touch her lips as she entered her dream once again.

When she woke up again she was in a garden, sitting up right as she felt something on her lap shift. Looking around, she noticed she was still in the same setting as before only, it was day and everything seemed bright as people continued to walk around minding their own business.

“You look beautiful from this angle down here, but I would appreciate it if you would look at me too,” a voice says as she looked down only to see Jaehyun lying down on her lap staring up at her with a small smile on his face. She blushed once again when she saw him, last night she thought he was breathtaking under the lamp post but under the sun he looked so much better with freckles scattered on his cheeks his eyes a lighter shade of brown and his dimples, ever so present, poking out.

“You were saying?” She says as Jaehyun stood up from her lap. “I’m starting to think you don’t pay attention to anything I say,” he complained as he dusted himself. Y/N stared right at him, wondering what they would do next.

“I need you to accompany me. I have this project going on and Johnny’s too busy to go with me,” he said as he took her hand. She wasn’t sure who Johnny was but she assumed he was his friend. Though she didn’t mind what his character would mean in her dream as he hasn’t showed up yet. She noted to herself that later on she would figure out who Johnny was and probably make the most of the second bottle she took. As they neared a building that look somewhat like a huge library, Jaehyun pulled her in a hurry as they made their way through old books.

Y/N groaned as she watched Jaehyun scan through the book once again trying to find the right thing. It was her dream, why is nothing interesting happening. “Jaehyun, what am I to you?” She asked as Jaehyun’s attention quickly went to her. His ears reddened as he rubbed the back of his neck shyly, “You said you weren’t my boyfriend. And you kissed me on my forehead, so who are you?” She asked as she hesitated mentioning that kiss as she felt herself become shy as she remembered how she woke up right after. Jaehyun nervously chuckled, to be honest, he himself did not know what their stand was. All he knew was that he wanted to protect her, and that he wanted to be with her always. It was all he ever knew since he met her, it was as if it was a role given to him by the gods to stand by her side no matter what.

“I’m not sure y/n, what do you want us to be?” He asks unsurely afraid of the rejection he might receive. Silently praying she won’t say ‘friends’. Y/N was taken aback as the question was thrown back at her. She didn’t know what they were supposed to be, nor did she know Jaehyun as much as he claims to know her.

Seeing the hesitation on her face, Jaehyun felt disappointed but decided to brush off the thought. “It’s okay, you don’t have to think about it.” He said as he gave her a pained smile which wasn’t unnoticed by y/n. “I can wait,” he said under his breath as he looked at her. Y/N looked at him in surprise, it was her dream. She could say whatever she wants, “I like you,” she blurted out as she waited for his reaction. Jaehyun’s ears, if possible, became more red as he heard her confession. He tried to stop the smile forming on his lips as he put back the book on the shelf.

“Well, that’s great because,” he said taking a step near her as he held both of her hands in his. “I am absolutely smitten by you,” he added ash he wrapped his arms around her shoulders pulling her into a hug. Y/N smiled as her cheeks hurt. She hugged him back, now this is definitely one of her best dreams ever. “Does that mean we can go on dates now?” She said as she pulled back. If she could live in a dream, then she would want to live in this dream forever.

Jaehyun grinned, “Lucky for you I booked us a date,” he said as he winked.

“Okay, maybe I don’t like you anymore,” y/n said as she made her way out of the library with Jaehyun laughing a bit too loud behind her.

————

As they made their way out of the library, Y/N found her hand once again wrapped around Jaehyun as he intertwined their fingers together. She smiled at Jaehyun’s affection. It was as if his hand automatically finds hers wherever they go.

As you both walked hand in hand, Jaehyun led you to a planetarium. “Have you ever been?” Jaehyun asks as he navigates his way through the streets. Constantly pulling you aside as you try to avoid people walking the opposite direction.

“I’ve never been to one actually,” you say wondering if you’ve ever been to one with your ex. To think of it, you really didn’t have enough time in the real world to explore the city during your past relationship. You were either curled up in your apartment or burrying your head in books. The dates you had previously were just last minute decisions as if he was just forced to take you out because you were together. But this time, with Jaehyun, it seems as if you actually got what you deserve. It may seem cheesy, but your heart fluttered when Jaehyun mentioned that he actually planned this date. It could be a preset in the dream, but that didn’t matter to y/n, all that mattered was that someone took the time to care for her and remind her how special she is. Even if that someone doesn’t really exist, she chose to ignore the thought. If there was a person who would break your heart again, you would be honored to have your heart broken by Jaehyun. And even with a broken heart, you would choose to love Jaehyun with all those little pieces.

“You should see the stars, they shine as bright as you,” Jaehyun added as they made their way through the planetarium. There wasn’t much people walking through, and everyone was speaking in hushed voices. As they walked through the planetarium, they entered a dark room with only the ceiling illuminated by galaxies and small celestial beings. Jaehyun looked at you with a small smile playing on his lips. He was fascinated by the way your eyes seem to shine even in the dark, like your eyes held the most beautiful stars as you admired the projected ceiling of light. Y/N then looked at Jaehyun who was still staring at her in awe. “You should take a picture, it would last longer,” she beamed as he scoffed lightly.

“So you steal lines now?” he said with an amused brow lightly applauding her sarcastically as you shoved him on his shoulder. “What else do I steal?” she said as they made their way around the room. “Probably my heart,” Jaehyun shrugged as he felt his ears turn red. He quickly looked up inspecting the ceiling as Y/N shot him a look of disapproval.

“If I wish on that star,” Y/N said pointing to a projected shooting star, “will my wish count?” you asked as you stared at Jaehyun whose eyes are still trained towards the ceiling as he looked at the constellations.

Jaehyun laughed as he put his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “Maybe,” he said as he looked up. Y/N closed her eyes as she clasped her hands together. She knew it was pathetic, to be making a wish in this dream. But her pleas and prayers didn’t seem enough to calm her desperate heart.

I wish I could live in this dream a little longer.

They both sat down in the middle as they continued to enjoy each other’s presence. No one was around anymore as it seemed like the whole planetarium closed. Y/N already lost track of time, she didn’t know what has already happened to her in the real world, but for sure she was sleeping for the whole day already. Jaehyun, on the other hand, was still deep in thought as he slowly laid down on the floor with an arm tucked behind his head as a pillow, the other resting on his stomach.

“Do you ever feel like somewhere out there, there’s another version of us doing the exact same thing we are doing now?” he mentions as he continues to stare into space. Y/N glances at him and copies his position as she adjusted herself to be laying down beside him. Not really knowing what to say, Jaehyun took it as a sign to continue.

“I feel like I’ve been living in a cycle. It sucks really cause everyone I know either forget me, or they space out. Or it was as if I never really know them to begin with,” he says, frustration clear in his voice. His eyebrows furrowed as he continued to stare into the black space displayed on the ceiling. “You know, the other day, Johnny acted as if he didn’t really know me. I don’t even know if he was playing with me but it was like it was his first time seeing me,” he added as he turned to meet your eyes that were just focused on him. “It’s like how we saw each other back in the theater, you both acted the same way,” he pushed himself up as he supported himself with his arms.

“It’s the same every fucking time. I meet someone knew, we get to know each other, then all of a sudden they forget who I am,”

“I feel like I’m a character in someone’s dream,” Y/N gulped nervously as she slowly sat up. Jaehyun still confused as he blankly stared at his lap. Y/N didn’t know what to say, she didn’t know how to tell him that he was right and he was just a figment of her imagination and that all of this was from a stupid bottle her friend gave her for her birthday. You were scared to say something, afraid that revealing the truth would mean that you would wake up and that meant that you only had one bottle left to be with Jaehyun. Y/N grabbed his hand and gave it a light squeeze with a smile, hopefully, assuring him that everything will be alright.

“Promise me one thing,” he says as he faced her seriously. You nodded in response as you waited. “Don’t forget me,” he says carefully watching her reaction. Y/N chuckled as she shook her head, “That’s easy to do, Jae,” she laughed as she shaked their intertwined hands playfully. “Promise me you’ll also stay,” he added seriously. Y/N froze when she heard his words. To forget him was hard, she could remember him everyday when she woke up. But to stay was another thing, how could she stay when she only had one bottle left? How could she stay when he was just a character in her dream? How could she stay with someone who only exists in her memory?

She looked back at him, and the moment she did, she quickly regretted her actions. He was looking at her with so much hope in his eyes. Noticing her silence, the hope in his eyes turned into grim acceptance as he felt her hesitation. Y/N squeezed his hand making him look back at her. She had no idea what came in her, but she decided if its for Jaehyun, she would try.

“I promise,” she said firmly, eyes burning with determination. After all, a broken promise is better than none at all.

——

Y/N felt dizzy as she tried to get up from her bed as she leaned towards the bed stand to get her phone. Her mouth fell dry, remembering the promise she made Jaehyun as she dialed Mei’s number. “Help, I need to do something,” she said as soon as the line was answered.

“What is it this time? Did you finish the bottles already?” Mei asked groaning in response as you called too early for her liking. “No, tell me where you bought the bottles,” she said as she tried to balance her phone between her shoulder and ear as she wore pants. “I need to find who made those bottles,” she added disappointed at the lack of response from the latter. “I’ll send them to you, but I don’t think they’re open,” Mei replied, y/n sighed. She didn’t know why she made that promise, or how she would fulfill it. Back in her dream, everything seemed possible but now, all that was left was empty words that she regrets saying. She didn’t even know why she had a need to keep the promise to Jaehyun, he didn’t even exist to her disappointment.

After she received Mei’s message, she quickly headed out to go to the said shop. Her heart pounded nervously as she drove to the address. It was in a secluded part of town, there was no residential area near it and it seemed like a place that no one frequented to judging by the lack of public transportation that went to the area. She had to take a cab, and the look the driver gave her meant that it wasn’t a place to be in in the first place. As she stared at the shop in front of her, she suddenly felt so alone as the cab quickly left blowing a gust of wind. The small bells tingled when she walked in. The store was small and cramped with only a small counter near the end as she tried her best not to step on any of the antique items that were for display. Ringing the small bell on the table, she tried to inspect the place a bit more.

Her eyes squinted as she spotted a familiar poster hanging on the wall between two large dream catchers. ‘The Impossible Dream’ it read as small details were printed around. Her eyes widened in shock. It was the same poster from her dream, could it be that the musical actually existed? Would that mean Jaehyun existed? Before she tried to move further to get a closer look a stern voice spoke from behind the counter.

“What brings you here? We are closed,” her head whipped to the direction of the voice. There stood an old woman who was smaller than her with her white hair tied neatly up in a bun, eyes narrowing towards Y/N.

“That poster, where did you get it?” You said pointing in the direction of it as you tried your best not to falter in front of her gaze that seemed too strong for you to handle.

“That poster was made years ago by my ancestors, does it look familiar to you?” The old lady replied. Y/N nodded in response still debating whether the possibility of Jaehyun existing was real or not. “You took the bottles, didn’t you?” The old lady pressed on as Y/N muttered a small yes. “That was a mistake, you should have never taken it in the first place. I suggest you go home and continue on with your life, dark magic is not to be played with,” she said as she made her way towards the door behind the counter.

“No! Wait, I have some questions,” Y/N protested as she tried to block the old lady from disappearing.

“Forget about it now, what you experienced is not real,” the old lady said as she tried to make her way around you. Y/N continued to block her way which made the old lady sigh. You really didn’t want to give her a hard time considering her age, but you didn’t want to leave without unanswered questions.

“You say the dream I had wasn’t real, but why does that poster exist?” Y/N said as she moved to grab the poster that was hanging on the wall. It was designed exactly like what she saw on her dream. “What is this? What is in those bottles?” She gestured desperately waiting for an answer. The old lady sighed, grabbing a small stool and sitting down. “Those are bottles of dreams, my grandmother and my mother used to make it when I was still a child, telling me that one day it would change the world and that people would go crazy to get a sip of what was in it,”

“These bottles allow people to live in their deepest desires, everything you see in your dream is just a figment of your imagination. The potion lets you have what you want,” she added as she gestured towards the poster. “Luckily for you, what you desire isn’t that bad. But for others, it became too much. I stopped selling the bottles because things could get out of hand,” she said sadly. Y/N felt like the weight of her promise was crashing down on her. There was too much information for her to handle, the fact that Jaehyun did not exist made her sick. “I know you’re sad, everyone does once they find out they can’t have what they desire. But if it makes you feel any better, I can tell you one secret,” the old lady says hesitating as she finds the hope in your eyes glint at her words. “This poster, I am guessing you have seen it before in one of your dreams?” She questions as she holds it up in the light. Y/N nodded, “I want to know if the person I see in my dreams is true, or perhaps, I am holding on to this impossibility that he is true,” she mutters as she remembers Jaehyun. She only had one bottle left, meaning it would be the last time she would see him.

“This poster appeared here two days ago, I don’t know how it got here but I assume it is something from a dream. Just like everything in this shop,” the old lady said gesturing towards the other antique items. Everything was so random, as if it was just dumped with whatever things people could find.

“I am not sure if your dreams are real, and if the people do exist. But judging from how everything keeps appearing in random, they might be somewhere out there,” she added. Y/N breathed deeply, there was no assurance of Jaehyun existing in this world, but the existence of the poster means that he would probably appear in this shop if he were to be created. The poster alone ignited her desire to find him. If he did exist, where was he?

“Thank you, if you see anyone appear here around my age. Tall, white, handsome, basically looks like a prince, please let me know,” Y/N says as she leaves her phone number. The old lady chuckled, “Isn’t that too childish for a woman like you?” She says amused at your desperation to find this boy. “He’s a dream come true, can’t let anyone get to him,” y/n replies as she made her way out.

When Y/N returned home, she felt exhausted. She didn’t want to take her last bottle just yet. It could be her last chance of seeing Jaehyun, if what the old lady said was false. But seeing how the poster showed up, as well as other things that were in the shop, it gave her hope that Jaehyun existed somewhere out there. Another thing that bothered her was the fact that if he was out there, where was he? She didn’t even know where to start finding him. She hoped that he lived in the same country for her, she didn’t have enough money to find him if he were abroad. Nor did she think she was willing to find a man who basically existed based on her imagination. Even if he did live under the same skies, it was still to difficult task to do.

What’s the most you would be willing to do for the person you love?

Y/N took the last bottle of dreams, determined to keep her promise to Jaehyun. Adjusting once again to the bright light, when she woke up, she was seated on a chair in what seems like her room in her dream. She was wearing a white maxi dress that hugged her figure in all the right places, long enough to pool on the floor while she sat down. Her hair flowed down her back with curls toward the ends as her face was dolled with light make up.

Taking a good look of herself, she was satisfied with how she looked. If this was the last thing Jaehyun would see, then she was happy that he would see her at her best. When the doorbell rang, she made her way towards the door with a heavy heart as she reminded herself that this was her last bottle. When she opened the door, she smiled as she took in the sight of Jaehyun infront of her. His hair was gelled back with a fringe curled infront of his forehead. He was wearing a plain black suit and tie with a white dress shirt under. He held up a bouquet of fresh daisies as his cheeks were lightly pink from the cold (he tried to convince himself). “For you,” he shyly said, dimples making an appearance once again, he handed over the daisies as he stared down on his feet shuffling as he felt flustered by your presence.

Y/N pouted, he was the man of her dreams. Literally. She hoped she only drank half of the bottle now, because she definitely wanted to see Jaehyun dressed up like this for the rest of her life.

“What’s the matter?” Jaehyun said worried as he saw your lack of response. Taking your hand lightly, he rubbed small circles in the back of your hand as his other took your chin beneath his thumb and point finger. “Stop frowning, you look beautiful in that dress,” he complimented.

“You’re too good looking, I don’t think I can go with you anymore,” you reply trying to play off the somber mood as you give him a reassuring smile. Jaehyun chuckled, “You should see yourself,”

Both entered the venue, to say that it was extravagant was an understatement. It looked like a greek god threw a party, out of a sudden, Y/N felt out of place with all the people passing by looking like they were raised with a golden spoon. Feeling Jaehyun’s arm snake around her waist pulling her closer towards him, she glance at him sending him a small smile as she tries to gain confidence. “It’s fine, we can leave once you feel uncomfortable,” he says as he guides her towards the entrance. “Who has the money to throw this party? It looks ethereal,” Y/N loudly whispers shooting a fake smile to the guards who welcome both of you. “Moon Taeil, he’s a friend of mine,” Jaehyun replies as he inspects the place. Y/N looks around as she admires the gold chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and tall white pillars around the place with gold vines wrapped around it.

“By the way, you look ethereal,” Jaehyun whispers close to her ear, his lips brushing against her earlobe making her flush. He leads her to their table and leaves to get the drinks which makes y/n snap back to her plan. Honestly, she really did not have a plan. She didn’t know how she should spend her last bottle, but for sure she had to act quickly. She thought of hugging Jaehyun or at least holding his hand tight enough for her to bring him to reality, but everything seems pathetic at this point. Looking around, she decided to go to the restroom to at least settle with a final plan. As she made her way through the hallways, she looks at the pictures hanging on the wall. It all looked like some portrait of a royal family, but one picture has caught her eye. Narrowing her gaze, she inspects a picture of a woman probably around her 20s with eyes set forward as if it was staring at her back.

“Where did I see this before?” Y/N mutters under her breath as she stared longer at the woman. Shit, it was the same woman from the shop, only a younger version. Her eyes widened, as she tried to find more pictures of the woman. Y/N slowly tried to reach for the frame, carefully touching it as she tried to find a trace of anything that could help her to bring Jaehyun to reality. Biting on her lip, she continues down the hall in desperation to find hints. As she neared the end, she felt a gust of wind blow towards her.

Turning around, she finds herself in the middle of the street. It was the same street where she met Jaehyun, the first time she appeared in her dream. She looks around and notices the same poster hanging around. Breathing deeply she turns around once again, “What the fuck is going on?” She asks herself.

“Excuse me, where am I?” She asked as she grabbed an arm of a woman who was walking down the street. The girl ignored her like a ghost as she shook her arm of and continued to walk as if nothing happened. Y/N tried asking different people but they all pretended as if they couldn’t hear her. She continued to walk down the streets, noticing a familiar building. The shop she visited, the one with the old lady. Y/N tried opening the door, continuously pounding on it with her fists. “Hello! I need some help, I’m the girl from awhile ago!,” she pleaded as she continued to pound the door with her fists. “Please help me,” she cried out as she shook the door handle. After numerous attempts of trying to open the door, she decided to go back.

“Jaehyun, where are you,” she said feeling her eyes water as she ran around trying to find him in the crowd. Closing her eyes, she tried to control her dream. “I am in the party, I am with Jaehyun,” she chanted, eyes tightly shut as she clenched her fists. Her cheeks wet with streaks of tears that have escaped her eye.

Opening her eyes again, she finds herself in a bathroom. Heaving deep breaths, she looks around her cautiously, afraid that she would lose herself in her dream. After wiping her tears, she made her way towards the party. She finds Jaehyun in the corner talking to a woman around her age her hair long and straight. She looked smaller next to his bigger frame and her eyes were sparkling, y/n was not sure if it was from the light or was it just really her. The woman laughed lightly at what Jaehyun says as she gives him a charming smile. She matched the princess in fairy tales looking as regal as Jaehyun could be. This made y/n sad, it was her dream all along, but if she couldn’t bring Jaehyun to reality then he might as well just live his happily ever after with this woman.

But she might be able to bring him with her, and she wasn’t going to back down without a fight. Y/N clenched her fists, I was gone for a while and this idiot didn’t even try to find me, feeling the green monster in her heart rise she huffed out loud stomping over to the both of them.

“What happened to drinks?” She said making Jaehyun jolt at her sudden presence. “I was just about to get it,” Jaehyun answers as he glances at Y/N. “This is Naeun, a friend of mine, and this is Y/N,” he says gesturing to the both of you. Naeun gives her a small smile raising a hand, while Y/N continued to stare at her blankly.

“His girlfriend,” you scoff as you glared at Jaehyun. “I didn’t know it could take you fifteen minutes to get a drink,” she mocked as Jaehyun looked at her with an amused smile. “I just got here, what are you talking about?” He replied. Y/N raised her brow, “I went to the bathroom,” she argued back. Naeun looked at the two, excusing herself as she didn’t want to get caught up between them. “I just sat you down though,” Jaehyun pouted at her response not liking that she was upset with him. Y/N was confused, didn’t she just get lost in her dream? Or did time just stop and everything continued to flow for her? She decided to drop the topic, sitting down on the stool next to him.

“Doesn’t matter, who is she?” She questioned jutting her chin towards Naeun’s direction as she took a sip from the Andy Player Jaehyun ordered from her directing her attention towards the front avoiding his teasing eyes. “Just a friend from high school,” he said taking a seat as well as he took a sip of his drink, his smiling growing wider at her reaction. Y/N rolled her eyes as she played with the liquid in her glass, “Sure, you seem happy to be reunited,” she mocked, jealousy coating her words. “Hmmm, are you jealous?” Jaehyun asked as he leaned one arm on the counter looking at her with a teasing smile she would like to wipe off his face because not only did he irritatingly looked too good to be true, the veins in his arms were also distracting. Fuck Jaehyun and his rolled up sleeves, Y/N found it unfair, he looked like God’s favorite.

“No, why would I be jealous?” She said defensively taking another sip of her drink. “I don’t care who you mingle with,” she dragged on with a tone as she stuck her tongue out. Jaehyun laughed, “Really? Cause I don’t remember asking me to be your boyfriend,” he added. Y/N chocked on her spit at his statement as she glared at him, “Forget I said that,” though she secretly liked how he seemed to be fine with that title. “To be honest, I really don’t want to,” he retorted. Y/N flushed as she felt herself shrink on her seat.

“I want to dance with my girlfriend, may I?” Jaehyun stated as he offered her a hand, smiling as he raised his brows making Y/N scoff. She really wanted him to stop, it wasn’t good for her heart that probably did a thousand of flips at every word he says.

She took his hand as they made their way towards the dance floor, Jaehyun’s arms wrapped around her waist as he pulled her closer, his other arm guarding each of her hand to wrap around his neck as they found themselves back to her waist. Y/N felt bittersweet, remembering the first time they saw each other and how they were in the exact same position just in a different setting. Jaehyun hummed with the slow song that was playing, lightly mumbling the lyrics with his baritone voice, as his smile never left his face, “This feels familiar,” he says lightly chuckling as he guided her once again through their dance. Y/N this time, only looked at him, no longer looking at her feet. “I think I could get used to this,” she replies making Jaehyun’s smile grow wider, his ears turning red.

“I may have not told you this earlier, but you look beautiful tonight,” he said face serious as they continued to sway to the music. “I mean, you look beautiful everyday, but you look extra pretty now,” he added. Y/N’s face scrunched up in disapproval, never fond of compliments but ever so receiving when it comes to Jaehyun.

“You look handsome as always, Jae,” she said sincerely, lips quirking up slightly at the new nickname she gave him.

Y/N glanced at Jaehyun once more as he continued to guide her carefully through the dance, her heart heavy as it seems that the thought of him not existing in reality would not leave her alone. Hesitating, she looks one more at the smile he has on his face, she really doesn’t want to hurt him. I don’t think I have it in me to hurt you, ever.

“I lo-“

“Jaehyun, I have to tell you something,” she says cutting him off as he was about to say something. Jaehyun looked at her surprise but smiled understandingly, this can wait, I can wait, l just a little bit more, he thought.

They went to the garden, there were still people walking around but less compared to those inside. Y/N’s heart was beating too loud she could hear it in her dream, she has to risk it. She needed to tell him, she had to tell him. “Just let me speak, and I’ll answer all your questions later,” she says as he looked at her curiously. Jaehyun nodded in response, encouraging her to continue as he grabbed both her hands to help her calm down.

“You don’t exist, you’re a part of my dream,” she said as she looked at Jaehyun whose eyebrows just furrowed, pursing his lips as to stop him from asking questions.

“It was my 23rd birthday two days ago, my friend gave me a gift of bottles that contained dreams. I thought it was bullshit at first, but the moment I drank the first bottle, I met you. And I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re just a part of my imagination. It pains me to say it, but I don’t think I could hide the truth from you anymore. The next time I met you, it was when we were at the park, I remember you asking me how I spaced out and how I seem not to pay attention. It was because I wasn’t mentally present when you were speaking to me. All those times I met you, I fell in love with you because you were all I ever wanted, and it hurts me to think that I can’t even have you in my life,”

Y/N’s tears continued to roll down her face as she sobbed trying to gather her thoughts as Jaehyun looked at her with a mix of confusion and frustration. “This night, I drank my last bottle,” she says voice shaking as she felt Jaehyun’s hands stiffen under her hold.

“Remember when we made our wishes? I wished to live longer in this dream,” she says as he hugged her. Her tears drenching his suit, but that didn’t matter. This maybe her last moments with him, and her heart was hurting too much for her to take.

“Jaehyun, I love you,” she sobbed. She said it, without hesitation as she looked at Jaehyun with teary eyes. Jaehyun bit his lip, he didn’t even know where to start asking. He hugged her tightly as he felt his tears touch his lips, the taste salty as it continued to flow down his face. “I won’t tell you mine, because it won’t come true if I do,” he says as he puts a hand on his shoulder his face bending down to meet her eyes. His other hand brushed the stray strands against her face as she continued to cry.

“I shouldn’t be crying like this, we shouldn’t be doing this,” she said as she wiped her tears away trying to think of happy thoughts.

“Y/N, look at me,” Jaehyun said seriously. His hands with a firm grip on his shoulder. Y/N tried to hold back her tears as she saw the pain on his eyes, long gone the smiles he gave her earlier.

“Promise me, you’ll try,” Y/N nodded as she grabbed his face and pressed a firm kiss on his lips.

“Don’t leave me, please,”

“I won’t, I swear,”

—————

Y/N woke up, her cheeks still wet as she felt tears stream down her face. Everything felt so real, the kiss, the confession, the promises. Jaehyun’s words still echoing in her mind as if she could hear his deep voice whispering beside her.

The moment she got up she tried contacting the old woman, and going back to the shop only to find that it was closed already and was going to be demolished soon. It has been a week since she last saw Jaehyun, a week since she has drank her last dream in a bottle. However, the heartache she went through was still as fresh as it was when she woke up. She tried her best to find him. She visited different libraries, reading on books about what happened to her and if there was a way to reverse it. She even tried going to a planetarium in hopes of finding Jaehyun there, but all found nothing. Some people thought she was crazy, and that she was hallucinating everything, but they didn’t know her story.

She even found the same venue where they had the ball, but to her disappointment, she never found anything that could lead her to Jaehyun or vice versa. It was if he was just a memory she was to forget. But that was the problem, she couldn’t forget him. She promised him she would try, and she didn’t want to let him down. Sometimes, she wondered what he was doing. Was he also trying to escape her mind? Was he with Naeun now that she was gone? Does she get those cheesy pickup lines he tells her? What was he doing now? Did he love her?

There were times when she tried to dream of him, but it wasn’t real. All she got was an image of him, but it didn’t feel like how she dreamt of him when she had the bottle. She tried to widen her imagination, and picture him with her. But it was too tiring for her, after all, she only had three nights of dreams.

As she made her way down the busy streets, she walked quickly as she navigated her way towards the central park as she continued to avoid the people bumping her while they were walking the opposite direction. She stopped in front of the cafe, heaving deep breaths. As she made her way in she walked towards the table in the corner, her lips forming into a smile as she saw the familiar face.

“It’s been a while,” she said hugging Mei. Mei grinned back at her and gestured her to sit down.

“So, how’s life so far?” Mei asked enthusiastically as she sipped on her tea, crossing her legs as she leaned forward. Y/N shrugged as she took a bite of her banana cake, “Nothing much, it’s been boring lately,” she said as she stabbed the banana cake and stuffing another piece into her mouth. “You know you never called me after the second bottle,” Mei huffed.

“Nothing happened, I tried to find the manufacturer because I needed more but the building was demolished,” she replied bitterly. “Ohh yeah, but the dreams were good right?” Mei responded.

“Yeah, too good to be true,” Y/N replied dejectedly. “Do you ever like, want your dreams to come true?” She asked Mei curiously as she bit her fork. “Of course, why the sudden question?” Mei retorted. “I dreamt about this guy, and he’s wonderful. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and I just wished he was true,” she replies sighing remembering Jaehyun once again which made her feel bittersweet. It was like she was the only one who knew him inside out, he literally was the man of her dreams.

“I don’t know what you dreamt about but whatever it is, I guess those bottles really work then,” Mei shrugged. “Besides, attachment is the root of suffering,” she adds taking a bite of the banana cake and wiggling her brows.

As she navigated her way home, Y/N sighs once again. Was it really that hard to forget Jaehyun? He didn’t even exist yet here she is feeling broken hearted as if she was cheated on once again by her ex boyfriend. Moving towards a crowd she felt people bump against her making her scrunch up her nose in irritation, “Damn, can’t people watch where they’re going?” She muttered under her breath as she made hurried strides towards her apartment.

Before she could take a turn, she felt a body bump against her as she fell on her butt looking up squinting. Pair of hands helped her stand up as she dusted herself, flustered that she caused a scene in public.

“Thank you,” she muttered quietly to the stranger who didn’t seem to budge as she tried to make her way.

“You should really watch where you’re going,” a deep voice said. Looking up, her jaw slacked. There he stood in front of her, with a light smile in his face his hair still swept back as he was dressed in a plain white tee with denim jeans and white sneakers. Jaehyun. If he looked ethereal in her dream, then she didn’t even know how to describe how he looked as he stood in front of her as she continued to stare at him in awe.

“I didn’t know you were this clumsy, I think you need to get used to me guiding you everywhere,” he added shaking his head as he took her hand in his as his smile radiated. He chuckled at her noticing her lack of response. He placed a small kiss on her forehead as his arm wrapped around her shoulder as he pulled her towards the direction of her apartment.

“How did you find me? How are you here? Are you real?” Y/N asked hurriedly as she stared at him in shock. Everyone was looking at Jaehyun, who wouldn’t really? The girls around continued to stare at him with heart eyes but they didn’t matter to him as his arm tightly wrapped around your shoulder. They didn’t matter cause they weren’t you. Y/N was too bewildered to even glare at those girls as her mind started thinking of all the possibilities on how he appeared.

“My wish came true,” Jaehyun stated as he faced her grinning at her amazed state. “What did you wish for?” Y/N asked curiously as she looked at Jaehyun who was still smiling at her softly.

“I wished I could spend the rest of my life loving you,”

Y/N stopped walking as Jaehyun grabbed her shoulders and faced her towards him. “Why did you say that? Now it won’t come true,” she scolded him as she pouted. Jaehyun laughed at her response. “I’m not going anywhere though, you got me, you got me good,” he winked making her blush just like in her dream.

“Oh and Y/N,” he added as he bent down meeting her eyes as she looked at him with flushed cheeks and bright eyes.

“I love you too,”

#jaehyun fic #jaehyun scenarios #jaehyun au #nct fic #jaehyun imagines #jung jaehyun #jaehyun fluff #jaehyun fanfic

202 notes · View notes

merihn · 4 years

Note

For the One Liner Prompts: 4 for Willex please? :D (I mean, 10 screams Luke and or Willie with Alex but I'm gonna let somebody else ask that ^^)

I didn't actually intend on posting this prompt list just yet, but I must have accidentally hit queue instead of draft, so here it is. I'm still working through some kiss prompts, and there's a few physical affection prompts I haven't done if anyone wants one, otherwise you can request from this list.

Prompt me!

“So, do you feel better now?” Willie asked, as the wind blew his hair over his face. He swept it away and tucked it behind his ear.

“Hmm?” Alex hummed. He’d been too busy staring at Willie to hear what he’d actually said, and could feel his face heating.

Willie smiled, his eyes crinkling adorably. “I asked if you felt better now.”

“Feel… better?” Alex was going to go back to the garage after this and find a way to kill himself all over again. Everytime he thought he was getting used to Willie, he did something adorable and Alex lost all his brain cells all over again.

Willie raised his eyebrows. “After the screaming session?”

“Oh! Um, yeah. I kinda do.” Alex stuffed his hands in his pockets and clenched them into fists. He needed to pay closer attention otherwise Willie was going to think he was an absolute idiot and stop hanging out with him.

Then Willie bumped their shoulders together and slipped his hand around Alex’s elbow as they continued down the promenade. Alex hoped he wouldn’t speak for a few minutes because he was going to need some time to adjust. The warmth of Willie’s hand bled through his jacket, and every few steps their hips bumped and Alex’s brain was on a loop of he’s touching me he’s touching me. He’s. Touching. Me.

He glanced at Willie out of the corner of his eye as Willie dipped his head and almost smashed his nose on Alex’s shoulder.

Not that Willie was ever sparing with his touches. Alex felt like he’d barely had a coherent thought since he’d met Willie, and wasn’t even sure how he’d made it through their conversations when his brain alternated between he’s so pretty and he’s touching me.

“... Did you just sniff me?” he asked slowly, not quite believing the words were coming out of his mouth.

Willie looked up, smile as bright as always, not a trace of embarrassment in his warm brown eyes.

“You smell nice. I was trying to work out what you smell like.”

“Probably washing detergent and 25 years of storage.”

“Hmm,” Willie pulled Alex to a stop and this time, he actually pressed his nose to Alex’s jacket. “Whatever it is, I like it.”

Alex’s belly swooped, but not unpleasantly, and his heart kicked up. What did he even say to that? Willie was the most confusing person he’d ever met. Was he actually flirting with Alex, or was he just naturally friendly and Alex was reading it all wrong?

Without thinking, Alex leaned down and sniffed Willie’s hair. When he pulled back, Willie was staring at him, eyes wide.

“I thought I’d return the favour.”

Willie bit his lip and smiled, and Alex clutched at his last shred of confidence, and reached up to tuck the hair that had escaped again back into place. His fingers lingered on the shell of Willie’s ear, and Willie looked up at him, his eyes like a magnetic pull tugging Alex in. He leaned down slowly, eyes focused on Willie's mouth, giving him time to pull away. He hoped Willie wouldn't, but if he did, he hoped they could laugh it off.

Willie didn't move, just tilted his chin up as Alex got closer, and then their lips were touching, so lightly, but to Alex it felt like an electrical pulse zapped between their mouths.

He slid his hand around the back of Willie's neck and pulled him closer, opening his mouth just enough to kiss Willie's lower lip, tugging at it gently with his teeth. Willie let out a breath and grabbed at Alex's hips, clutching too tight, but the dull pain centred Alex, focused him.

They kissed, long and slow, until Alex felt like he was going to float away, high on Willie's mouth.

Willie pressed their foreheads together as they caught their breath, and Alex tried to reorganise his brain into something that could handle being outside the sweet little bubble they'd created.

"That was nice," he said stupidly, meeting Willie's eyes, even though they were so close they were a blur. Willie chuckled and squeezed his hips again.

"Yeah, it was, hotdog."

"I really don't like that nickname. It's how I died!"

"So you keep saying. You'll get used to it."

" Oh yeah?" Alex stood up straight, still holding the back of Willie's neck. He didn't want to let him go.

"Yeah," Willie wriggled his eyebrows, and Alex laughed.

"Ugh, you're not allowed to be so cute. It's not fair."

Willie laughed, loudly this time, and Alex could listen to him forever.

"As long as you keep kissing me, I'll be as cute as I like."

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #ooh i love the idea of luke and willie messing with alexs clothes #luke cutting the sleeves off and willie tie dyeing/cropping them #anyway i hope you like this my darling Yeo #its all those gifs of willie touching alex (and i rewatched the museum scene for inspiration) that inspired this #i love how touchy willie is #😍😍😍#my fic #one liner prompts

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cheri-translates · 4 years

Text

[CN] Gavin’s Misunderstandings Date (Eng Translation)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date which has not been released in English servers! 🍒

Edit: It has been released in EN as of 13 October!

This is only the second time since they reunited that Gavin and MC are meeting for non-work purposes.

While MC is on her way to meet Gavin at the park, she notes how scorching the heat is, and that if she had known that the weather would be this hot, she would have picked an indoor activity instead.

However, since they’re already at the park and there are periodic gusts of wind, she feels it’s a suitable day for boat rowing. At the same time, she’s worried that Gavin wouldn't find boat rowing interesting.

She sees Gavin in the distance and hurries over to him:

Before she says anything:

Gavin: You want to do that? We can do it together.

Even though the intimidating aura around him has lessened, I’m still at a loss and don’t know how to get close to him.

I want to try understanding what interests him, but he doesn’t speak much.

Seeing that I haven’t given him an answer, he repeats the question, once again leaving the choice to me.

Gavin: Do you want to do this, or look around?

MC: It just brings back a sense of nostalgia. When I was young, I would do this with my father. I think I haven’t done it ever since I got older.

Looking towards the little boats, Gavin hesitates for a moment. It’s clear that he is about to say something, but he swallows it, shutting his lips.

If it wasn’t for his odd behaviour, I wouldn’t have realized that the topic I brought up had struck a nerve…

Gavin seems to have a tense relationship with his family, and I rarely hear him bring them up.

I hurriedly rack my brains, thinking of ways to salvage the situation. Surprisingly, Gavin is the one who breaks the silence.

Gavin: You have such a good relationship with your family. My family usually doesn’t go out, maybe once a year to the park.

MC: I see… Then again, it’s rare to bring boys out for such activities.

Gavin: Really? I’m not so sure. I just wanted to try doing it with you.

Hearing this and thinking about how I’ve never seen him react to trying something completely new, I start to feel excited. I begin imagining his reaction to stepping on a boat for the first time – would he still remain as stoic as usual?

MC agrees, but the queue for the tickets is incredibly long so tells her to find a place to sit while he gets the tickets. After a long wait, Gavin returns… with fishing equipment.

It turns out Gavin and MC had misunderstood each other:

Gavin: I misunderstood. I noticed you looking towards the lake, so I thought you were interested in fishing.

The laughter of the surroundings float towards us, a stark contrast to Gavin’s awkward solemnness. Tickled by the look of embarrassment on his face, I can’t help but let out a laugh. The more he confusedly asks me what happened, the more I laugh, to the point where I begin tearing up.

Gavin: What happened? Is it really that funny?

MC: No, nothing, haha. I just find this misunderstanding amusing.

With this, he lets out a breath, a smile in his eyes.

Gavin: While I was in the queue, I even pictured how you looked like fishing as a child.

MC: How can children have the patience to fish?

Gavin: If it were a normal child, that would be true. But you shouldn’t have a problem with it.

MC: Are you saying that I have the mentality of an old person?

Gavin: No, that’s not what I meant. In high school, you…

Upon bringing up high school, he immediately shuts his mouth, stiffly changing the topic.

Gavin: It’s fine, I’ll go back to get the correct tickets.

MC tells him that since the tickets have already been purchased, they should just try fishing. Since they rarely come here, they should create special memories:

Gavin: Even through fishing?

MC: Of course! This is the first time we’re both fishing, so it’s a worthwhile memory! Let’s set this day to be our “Fishing Anniversary” every year.

Gavin: Fishing Anniversary? Sounds good.

MC: I just spouted it randomly…

To hide the blush that is slowly creeping up my cheeks, I lower my face, snatching the fishing rod and bucket from him.

MC: All right all right, if we wait any longer, all the good spots near the lake would be taken!

Gavin: Okay. Give the things to me, you can pick the spot?

Out of nowhere, his fingertips brush the back of my hand. Warm, refreshing and dry, just like a summer wind. We both retract our hands at the same time, as though shocked by an electric current. After hesitating for a few seconds, he takes the fishing equipment from me.

Gavin: Oh right, the path to the lake is a little slippery, so hold onto me.

Looking at his outstretched palm, I nod my head and place my hand atop his. With my hand in his, he clasps our hands together a little tighter.

He follows my pace, and at certain points specially turns around to give me directions on which areas are safer to step on.

Since we’re at the lake and sheltered by shadows cast by the trees, logically speaking, the temperature here should be cooler than other places. Yet, I only feel my face heating up unnaturally, perhaps even hotter than being under the sun.

Although this is their first fishing experience, Gavin is surprisingly adept. He patiently shows MC what to do and warns her to be careful not to cut herself on the fishing line.

Without realizing it, I move closer and closer, until I hear a light cough from above my head.

Gavin: …If you can’t see it clearly, I can go even slower.

It is only now that I notice that I’m as good as glued to Gavin’s arm. Upon this realisation, the skin that made contact with his became even hotter than my head which has been under the blazing sun. Even my face starts to feel warm. My deafeningly loud heart beats block out all the sounds from my surroundings and even his voice.

Gavin: Are you feeling unwell? Your face is very red.

MC: No, not at all! The weather is just a little warm.

With exaggerated movements, I fan myself with my hand in an attempt to hide the redness of my face brought about by shyness.

Unexpectedly, he lifts the back of his hand to my face, checking if I am running a fever.

His drooping eyelashes soften his gaze, and his gentleness is comparable to the peaceful stirring of the lake, creating ripples on my heart. All hopes of calming down are gone, and I feel like I am going to explode amid the heat.

Gavin continues being blissfully unaware that he is the culprit of my plight.

He stretches out his palm in front of me. The originally stagnant air starts moving under his direction, brushing past the trees, brushing past his tidy short hair, and brushing past my crimson cheeks.

The heat is no longer unbearable.

Through this whole process, Gavin’s amber eyes remain fixed on my dazed face, his expression worried and serious.

Gavin: How is it? Feeling better?

MC: Much better. Thanks to that gust of wind!

Right after the words leave my mouth, the originally gentle wind suddenly shifts chaotically in all directions, like a beast with the lock of its cage removed. My hair ends up splayed all over my face. Through my messy hair, I can see Gavin looking frantic.

The chaotic wind stills, and he hurriedly and carefully helps me tidy my hair.

Gavin: I’m sorry, I lost control for a while.

MC: It’s not your fault, it was the wind after all.

Gavin: So… it is my fault.

They start picking up the fishing equipment that got splayed around, and Gavin seems to be searching for something in particular. Suddenly, they find themselves within nose-touching distance:

Our breaths are mixed together with the heat waves of summer, causing our faces to feel hot. I unconsciously shrink backwards, but his hand wraps around my back, holding me tightly in his arms.

Gavin: Wait, don’t move.

Nervous to the point where my eyes forgot how to blink, I watch as he moves forward.

He gazes at the side of my face, both hands hooking something onto my earlobe. I can feel his fingertips on my earlobe, and heart threatens to leap out of my chest.

The wind has become stagnant, the air completely still. His movements seem to be in slow motion and crystal clear.

After a relatively long time, he shifts some stray hair behind my ear, and opens the front camera of his phone towards me.

Gavin: It’s supposed to be worn like that, right?

MC: What is it?

Gavin: Ear cuffs. They were blown away just now.

Half of Gavin’s face appears in the phone screen, a serious expression on his face as he points to the ear cuff on my ear.

Clumsily, I accidentally pressed a button on his phone, and my dazed face is immediately saved in Gavin’s phone.

MC: Ah! Wait! Let me delete that photo!

Gavin: It’s fine to keep it. It’s cute. You look good with those ear cuffs.

Even though I can’t tell if he is complimenting the ear cuffs or me, it doesn’t stop my face from heating up several degrees.

They continue fishing, with him giving her tips on what to take note of. MC ends up catching three fishes while Gavin catches none. MC thinks that the fish can probably sense Gavin’s intimidating aura, which is why no fishes have come near.

After a while, MC can’t help but pat his shoulder and comfort him. Just as she finishes talking, Gavin’s fishing rod finally latches onto something heavy – a big tortoise. As he retrieves the tortoise from the hook, blood starts running onto Gavin’s arm.

While MC panics, Gavin calmly washes his hand in the lake.

Gavin: The one who got hurt isn’t me, it’s the tortoise.

I turn my attention to the tortoise which has hid inside its shell. Sure enough, its front leg has been cut.

MC: It looks like it’s in a lot of pain…

Gavin: I’m not sure how to stop the bleeding. Let’s bring it to the park helpers.

While he speaks, he takes off his white jacket without a moment’s hesitation and wraps the tortoise in it.

MC: Your jacket! Wouldn’t using a towel be enough?

Gavin: It’s all right, let’s bring it to the park helpers quickly.

His tenderness is so selfless, whether towards humans or animals.

They bring the tortoise to the park helpers, who assure them that it would be fine. They head to the washroom to clean up, and MC sees Gavin at the water cooler:

The crystal-like column of water sprays onto his lips, and the sweat dripping off the side of his neck shines in the sunlight. In a moment, his clean and cool breath is carried by the breeze into my heart.

There is a small patch of mud on his face, but he doesn’t seem to notice. I straighten my hand to wipe the stain off him. He immediately turns around, eyes filled with consternation.

Perhaps it is just the red flowers of the trees above, but I think I see a crimson flash on his face. I feel slightly embarrassed.

MC: Erm… Your face is dirty, let me help you wipe it off.

Gavin: Oh, so that’s what you were doing… Thank you.

MC: It feels like we keep misunderstanding each other today…

Gavin: Yeah. I’ll do my best to prevent it as much as possible next time.

MC: Huh?

Gavin: Although I don’t really understand the hearts of women, yours is the only one I don’t want to get wrong. So give me some time to figure it out, is that okay?

Even though it is meant to be a question, he says it with complete resolution, accompanied with a tone and gaze that cannot be denied.

It is so endearing that it stirs one’s heart.

MC: Of course you can!

No matter how much time you take, it’s fine with me.

No matter how long you need, I am willing...

[Note] In Chinese it‘s phrased like she’s accepting a marriage proposal

The date concludes with Gavin and MC back at the park after a year. Gavin notices that MC is deep in thought.

Gavin: Seeing that you’ve been trying to suppress a smile… Are you thinking of something happy?

MC: Yes, it’s something that makes me incredibly, incredibly happy. It is the thing that makes me happiest on earth.

🐟

Calls: First // Second

#mlqc #mlqc gavin #love and producer #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers

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13-reasons-ideas · 4 years

Text

Can’t Go Back Part 12

A/N: Thank you for being patient. This chapter gave me a lot of trouble. I decided not to add smut to this chapter in detail but it is implied due to them being underage at this point. I tried to keep it as tame as I felt was necessary. Due to Christmas being on Friday, I will post part 13-properly this time thank you Tumblr queue-on Wednesday. I will also post a bonus Christmas chapter on Friday. As always, feedback is more than welcome. Thanks and much love. -Em

I awoke Saturday morning to the tickle of gentle kisses being pressed to the back of my neck. I smiled as I rolled over to face my boyfriend. “G’morning.” I mumbled.

“Morning Bookworm.” He whispered back, between kisses. I sighed as he ran over a particularly sensitive spot. Bringing my hand around to play with the back of his hair, I tugged slightly to move his ministrations towards my face. Morning breath be damned. He peeked up at me, feigning timidity, before pressing a gentle kiss to my cheek. I giggled softly, still drifting in and out of sleep slightly. When I blinked a couple of times to really try to wake myself up, I grunted softly and pulled him in for a kiss. Rolling onto my back, he followed on top of me and kissed my nose and then he placed a gentle kiss on my lips. I snaked my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss slightly. Monty smiled softly against my lips and I ran my fingers against the back of his neck. He groaned quietly and pulled me with him as he began to sit up.

Once seated, he snuck his hand underneath the bottom of my hair, gathering some in his grip as he held my head. I sighed into our kiss happily. Monty moved his kisses to my neck again. I felt the gentle sting of his teeth when he nipped lightly. Then, he surprised me slightly when he slid his other hand underneath my-his-shirt and slowly dragged his fingers along my stomach. I was still rubbing the back of his neck until the realization of where this was going hit me. “Wait.” I spoke, breathlessly. It was really quiet so I wasn’t surprised that he didn’t hear me. “Wait.” I said again, slightly more audibly. His fingers and kisses stopped but he left his hand nestled underneath my shirt. He looked at me with dark eyes. It was obvious the cloud of arousal hadn’t lifted yet. I could tell my eyes were probably just as dark too.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m okay. Can we just slow down a bit for a minute?”

“Of course. Can I kiss you again?” I nodded eagerly but just before he could connect our lips together, my stomach grumbled. Loudly. He seemed to find that hilarious and burst out laughing so hard he fell and laid sideways across my bed.

“Oh hush. It’s not that funny. It’s breakfast time.” I couldn’t help but laugh along as I scolded him. I climbed off the bed and grabbed a cardigan from my closet. When I turned around, Monty was still laying on my bed, watching me. “Come on. Breakfast.” He still didn’t get up so went and climbed back on the bed. He made no effort to move, aside from pulling me over to him. “No no. Food time.”

“But your bed is so comfy Addy.”

“I know it is. But I’m hungry.” He still didn’t move but his stomach also grumbled. “And apparently so are you.” I stuck my tongue out and grabbed my pillow. His eyes widened just before I hit him with it playfully.

“You little shit.” He laughed and reached out to grab me. I shook my head and stood up again. Reaching out, I made grabby hands motion and he lifted his arms, allowing me to take his hands in mine. I didn’t think anything of the smirk that was plastered across his face. That is, until I attempted to pull him up. He didn’t move an inch. I took a deep breath and tried again. Still no movement. I tried again, huffing and groaning to make him move. I had no luck, so I let go of his hands and crossed my arms, pouting. “You’re cute.”

“Get up please?” I asked him, giving him my best puppy dog eyes. He smiled at me and finallymoved to get up. Together, we made our way downstairs to the kitchen. “Coffee?”

“Sure.”

“Black?”

“Yeah.”

“Coming right up. How do you feel about pancakes?”

“Delicious.”

“Okay, can you go into that cabinet and get the flour and stuff please?” I asked, pointing to the pantry while I got our coffees made.

After we were caffeinated and therefore, humans, we set about making pancakes. At least, I did. Montgomery spent more time ‘accidentally’ bumping into me and hip checking me than he did actually helping me cook. I caught him eyeing a wooden spoon out of the corner of my eye. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Think about what?” He asked innocently.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. And enough with the hip checks. Cooking isn’t a contact sport.”

“It could be.” He murmured in my ear before biting it gently.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Well Casanova, you play your cards right and we can see what else we can make a contact sport later.”

“Casanova, hey? Might need to find another nickname for me Babydoll. I only have eyes for you.”

“It sounds hot so just go with it?” I felt my cheeks flare at the nickname.

“Fine, fine.” Once again, his stomach grumbled, and I laughed at the impeccably timed tension breaker.

“Breakfast will be done in a few minutes. I think I could get more done with you in the other room baby.”

“Sure. Is there anything you would be opposed to me watching on tv?”

“Pay per view porn.” I joked, somewhat seriously.

“Damn. There goes that plan.” He joked back and kissed the top of my head.

All day we had danced around the obviously growing sexual tension and innuendos. He had grabbed my butt a few times when I was getting up or we were doing something, I had accidentally placed my hand on his lap while we watched a movie. He made comments about me not squirming too much while we were laying on the couch. I commented on his height and how that might relate to… other things when I took advantage of his reaching abilities. There may have been some backtalking on my end and some raised brows that said keep this up and see where it gets you on his end.

By the time dinner rolled around and finished, I was feeling about four hundred degrees warmer than I had in the morning. Monty shot me coy glances all through dinner that made it very hard to want to eat food. “I’m full.” I muttered, pushing my plate away.

“Me too. Did you want to clean up now or later?”

“Later.” I replied quickly.

“Okay. What did you have in mind in the meantime?”

“I don’t know….” I stood and made my way around the table and perched myself in his lap. He placed one hand on my lower back and the other on my thigh.

“I think I have an idea or two.” He muttered, rubbing his hand on my thigh and leaning in to kiss me. I grabbed the front of his t-shirt and pulled him in closer, bridging the space between us. Our kisses turned heated almost instantly. The tension was beginning to crest as he pulled away. “None of the ideas involve you on your parent’s dining table Babydoll.” His voice was low and gravelly. My eyes widened and my cheeks flushed a deep red hue.

In one motion, I stood and bounded for the stairs. He was hot on my tail as I rushed for my room. He slammed my door upon entering. I forgot how strong he was. I stood in the middle of my room watching him watch me. It was as though he was a wolf stalking his prey. I bit my lip teasingly and suddenly he was on me again. Monty cupped my face in his hands as he kissed me. His tongue ran across my bottom lip and I granted him entrance as I thrust my hands into his hair. He broke our kiss again and began kissing and nipping his way down my neck to my clavicle. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the rest of our last night alone for the foreseeable future.

The following morning, I woke up pressed against Montgomery’s bare chest. He had his arm wrapped around me tightly like I was a very large stuffed animal. Smiling, I placed my hand on top of his and tried to go back to sleep for at least a few minutes. My body had other ideas, so I attempted to shimmy out of his grasp. All that did was make him pull me closer and nuzzle his face in my neck. So cute but so inconvenient. “Babe.” I whispered. He didn’t hear me and snored softly in my ear. I poked his arm gently, but he didn’t move. I tried shimmying out of his grasp again, but he still didn’t wake up. Sighing softly, I lifted his arm as carefully and slowly as I could. I rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up before setting his arm back on the bed. He proceeded to roll over onto his stomach and into my spot. It was slightly uncomfortable standing up and I hobbled to the bathroom on my tiptoes with light steps. I wasn’t concerned given our activities last night.

Back in my room after I had gone about my business, Monty was still snoring softly. He looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to bother him. Instead, I grabbed a sweater from my closet and crept downstairs to clean up the mess that we had… forgotten… about last night. I was scrolling through my phone when I heard footsteps come down the stairs. “Morning. There’s coffee ready if you want.”

“Morning Bookworm.” He came over and kissed my head and patted it gently. Odd but okay. I looked up and choked when I saw the picture on his back. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. Your back isn’t though.”

“You have sharp nails.”

“How’re you going to explain that one to the boys?”

“What do you mean?” He asked, acting innocent.

“Monty. Justin Foley is my best friend. I know you guys talk about sex. Also, that will be hard to hide in the locker room.”

“Right, keep forgetting you aren’t this innocent little princess.”

“You shouldn’t forget anymore.” I smirked. He blinked at me and raised his brows, shaking his head.

“Addison. We don’t have time for you to be all… feisty.”

“Sorry. But seriously, how are you going to get out of this one?”

“Bare minimum of truth?” I shrugged, accepting the answer, and stood to get a bowl of cereal. He must have noticed my stilted gate. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Hmm? Oh. I’m good, just a little sore. I should be fine tomorrow or Tuesday.” His brows furrowed. “Baby, I’m fine. If I need to take some Advil I can.”

“Okay….” He dropped the subject.

Before long, it was time for him to leave. He packed up his bag and I bid him goodbye. I watched him drive away and sighed against the door. Luckily, I had just enough time to tidy up the house a bit and make it look like I was the only one home all weekend, before mom was due to arrive home. We chatted for a bit and hung out before dad got home. If she noticed my walking, she didn’t comment on it. Dad on the other hand, was a different story.

“Why are you walking funny Addison?” He asked, accusatorily.

“I’m not?” I replied, feigning confusion and furrowing my brows.

“You are. You’re waddling.”

“It’s not that bad and it’s probably because I slept funny or something.”

“Mhmm sure. It looks like the way a girl walks after having sex.” He muttered and glared at me. I stopped and blinked at him. Did he really just say that?

“Who exactly would I be having sex with? I doubt that you’ve noticed, but I haven’t brought anyone home recently.”

“I don’t know what you and Justin do when he spends the night.”

I made a show of dry heaving at the implication. “No. Justin and I have nothing romantic or sexual going on. He is basically my brother at this point Dad. He’s into someone else anyway. I have reading to do for Government. If you need me, I’ll be in my room.” I ignored any other comments he may have made and spent the rest of my night in my room.

At school the next day, Justin surprised me and grabbed me from behind. “Good weekend I take it?” I asked.

“It was okay. Mom was out so I had the place to myself. Seth is gone again.”

“That’s good. Why the grabbing then?”

“I can’t be excited to see my best friend once in a while?”

“You can. You just seem different today.”

“Could just be that I slept decently in my own bed for a change. How was yours?”

“It was… great okay. I watched some tv, caught up on some writing. Nothing too crazy.”

“Didn’t text me all weekend.” He smirked.

“I thought you were going to Bryce’s or something. Didn’t want to interrupt guy time.”

He finally noticed how I was walking. The soreness was still there but it was duller by now. “Did you9 get hurt or something? You’re kind of walking funny.”

“No. Lady things Justin.” He made a face and nodded.

“Say no more.” He raised his hands to stop an explanation that wasn’t going to come. I laughed and ran off to class. But not before a discreet nod to Monty as we passed his locker.

#montgomery de la cruz #monty de la cruz #monty de la Cruz fanfic #monty imagine #monty x reader #montgomery de la cruz x oc #montgomery de la cruz imagine #montgomery de la cruz x reader #Justin Foley #can't go back

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jising-jisang-jisung · 5 years

Text

Waiting Game | Lee Jeno

Word count: 1.5k

A/n: wow I used a lot off lil faces in here for no reason other than self amusement so sorry¿? also hi I might have accidentally fallen in love with Jeno while writing this uwu his smile

Genre: floof ofc

Is it even possible that you liked the same boy for 11 years? You met Jeno in kindergarten and immediately fell for him. When you two were kids, you'd always tease each other and talk. "Ladies first." "oh then go ahead, Jeno." But as you two grew up, you both became too shy and quiet to talk to one another. 乁║ ˙ 益 ˙ ║ㄏ

Nevertheless, you liked the boy and you reckoned somehow you always would. Any time you imagined your future, he was there. If you were picturing your wedding, he was the groom. Your kids: had his eyes and hair. Future house: idk but he'd be there. You get the point. Jeno was always on your mind and you were worried that you might never get over him.

Now, half way through your junior year, you realize that you dont have much time left before you'll both move off to college and never see each other again *sad uwu*. So what do you do? You find his social media! How you two don't follow each other already, I dont know. A little while after he follows you back you send a meme. He sends one back, cute right? But then next day when you see him, you two act the same: borderline ignoring one another.

Frustrated at everything, mainly yourself, you decide to just risk it to get the biscuit. The next morning, you check your phone to see yet another meme from Jeno. Instead of sending one back you send:

Roses are red

You're pretty cute

Do you want to be my date to prom uwu?

And homeboy frickin responds to you with that:

Violets are blue

You're pretty cute too

I'd love to go to prom with you uwu

And you were like asdfjkan I did that on a whim and what?!?!? Queue your heart: bOom boOm!! -`ღ´- But now you are super anxious because you have barely had adequate conversations with this boy and now you are going to prom together. Little did you know that Jeno was also panicking.

So basically you have already gotten a dress at this point and are trying to track homeboy down to show him for color coordination purposes and not just because you want to talk to him. You finally find Jeno during lunch and show him pics of your dress and ask what he planned on wearing. You turn to face him and he just kinda (❁´◡`❁)... you wave your hand in front of his face a few times and he returns back to Earth. "Oh right sorry- uh you look nice. I'll just find a tie that will match" he says as his face turns hues of red. As you walk away you heard the rest of the boys laughing at Jeno's table, oblivious to the teasing comments about Jeno being in loooove with you.

Now at least you have an excuse to talk to Jeno which is cool because it leads to more conversations and meme sharing. One day in class you sent him some funny post and he looked up at you and smiled and your heart!! just!! boOm!! bOom!! -`ღ´- You would die for his eye smile holy crap. You absentmindedly smile back and now you two are just looking at each other and smiling like idiots for a few minutes <(▰˘◡˘▰)> . That is until the teacher calls your name.

"I'm sorry, what?" "I asked if what you got for number 7. Please pay attention y/n." "Yes, sorry." And you glanced back to Jeno to see that he was no longer looking at you but he did still have that stupid smile on his face. "24.9" "correct." You could feel your face blushing brightly just as Jeno's had before.

The day of prom finally came and to say you were really frickin anxious would be an understatement. The dance started at 7, so you were meeting Jeno at 5 to get pictures and dinner beforehand. You had hoped that when he came to pick you up you two would just leave. Of course, your parents had other plans, taking a millioooon pictures of you two together. After 1395820 years you finally head out to dinner with a few of your mutual friends and their dates.

Around a large table sat you, Jeno, and 8 others. You knew Jaemin, Renjun, and Donghyuck who were also in your class in addition to being Jeno's best friends, but you didnt know the last boy, Chenle. Apparently, he was a year younger than you, but you think it may be a bit more than one year. Coincidentally, their dates were some of your friends: let's call them Ryn why not we got a good thing going here, Elle, Sarah, and Rosie. After 2 hours of mindless staring, blushing, laughing, and eating a bunch of food, it was actually time for prom!

You entered the venue that was decorated to look like an enchanted forest, but to you it looked like Barbie Swan Lake. but whatevs. For the majority of the dance, you all had danced together in a large group, occasionally taking breaks for water and to cool down. But this time Jeno and you had decided to take a break while the others continued to bust a move. (´▽｀)ノ♪

"Tonight has been really fun so far, y/n, thank you for asking me to prom. I would've asked you but I didn't have the balls to do it." Not knowing what to say, you looked at him kinda like (。♡‿♡。) and without even realizing your actions, you left a smol smooch on his already tinted cheeks before grabbing his hand as you make your way back to the group.

It was nearing the end of the dance and, to your luck, the DJ put on a slow song. Before you could even open your mouth to speak, Jeno already had his hands around your waist, slowly drifting back and forth. Once again, he had the darned smile on his face that made you melt. You wrapped your arms around his neck in return and began to move as well. This got a lot of winks and hollers from your friends. You glared at Elle when you noticed she was filming everything. Pretty soon they started dancing too, leaving you and Jeno to yourselves.

You two had always been semi-awkward when you locked eyes for minutes on end, but it felt different now. The awkwardness and lack of talking was killing you. You tried to initiate conversation in hopes of eliminating some of the tension. "So-" but you were immediately cut off by Jeno's lips crashing abruptly against yours. You looked at him with your eyes wide from shock (⊙＿⊙) . "No need to talk" he replied, leaning in again. You closed your eyes and kissed him back.

Before you knew it, the song was over along with prom and students were leaving in crowds. You said bye to your friends before getting in Jeno's car for him to drive you home. At least, you thought he was taking you back to your house until you realized that he was in fact not doing that. "Um, this isnt the way to my house." "oh I know." "so where are we going?" "You'll see." You pouted (╯︵╰) wanting to know what was going on. When Jeno saw this he did what Jeno would do and pecked your lips again. "Dont worry y/n." And truthfully you couldn't worry. You really couldn't think at all. *swoons* (◕﹏◕✿)

He pulled up to a wendy's drive thru and began to order some food. "What would you like y/n?" After getting the bag of food he parked his car and began to munch eat his fries. After consuming the total of your meals and the fries that were in the bottom of the bag you were both just kinda :|. So you decided you might as well just kinda sorta maybe makeout with Jeno. And thus, that is what you did. His lips were really soft and tasted a little salty from all the fries, but you didnt mind.

You continued to smoochy smoochy makeout with Jeno for who knows how long when your phone vibrated, signaling a message from your mother. "She wants to know when I'll be home." "I suppose I should probably take you home now. It's getting late."

As he pulled up in your driveway and you thanked him for driving you, he grabbed your hand to stop you from getting out of his car. "Hey so, uh, about tonight- so are we-" he trailed off, not knowing how to finish his sentence properly without sounding like a doofus. "Jeno, would you like to be my boyfriend?" "YES! I mean, yeah sure that's cool." With that same dumb smile on your faces, you pressed your lips to his once more before heading into your house. When your mom asked you how it went, all you could do was smile. Even if it took 11 years to realize just how much you both liked each other, it was well worth the wait.

#nct #nct dream #lee jeno #jeno nct #nct jeno #nct fluff #jeno fluff #nct imagines #nct scenarios #jeno imagines #jeno #nct dream fluff #lee jeno fluff #nct dream imagines

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hydrus · 5 years

Text

Version 381

youtube

windows

zip

exe

macOS

app

linux

tar.gz

source

tar.gz

I had a good week with a couple of challenges. MPV is now ready for all windows users and is turned on by default.

MPV

Thank you to the advanced users who tested and gave feedback on MPV. I have eliminated the crashes, tightened up the jank, and am now rolling it out to all Windows users by default for video, audio, and gif/apng. All media view settings under options->media will be reset this week.

MPV is a good free media viewer. One of the core benefits of moving hydrus to Qt was being able to plug it into our media player, enabling hardware-accelerated video playback and audio. It looks just like the native player, with the seek bar beneath, but it works much faster, able to play 1080p or 4k videos at 60fps at full or unusual zooms. And of course, it makes noise!

This is early days. I have only just started plugging into MPV, so many features are basic or not yet available. The global volume and mute controls are currently some very ugly controls in the top media hover panel. Slideshows will not move forward on an MPV window (hydrus doesn't know when an MPV player has 'played once through' yet), and some processes like the archive/delete filter will need some extra workflow options now that more users will be playing videos at high res (left-click on the player pauses the video, so to set 'keep' on archive/delete, you'll have to click on some whitespace, of which there is so much less when the video is so big). Please let me know what your top priorities for improvement are, and of course, if you encounter errors or crashes, let me know. I'll keep working.

Even though it was a lot of difficult work, I am overall really pleased with how this has gone. The only big remaining bug that I need to nail down is an unusual thing where after multiple mpv viewings in a preview window, that page will stutter some query/thumbnail loading unless the mouse is moving. This is a slightly frustrating bug, but the benefits of MPV are enough that I am happy to live with it. I will also get it going for Linux and macOS, which I did not have time for this week.

the rest

Assuming that users will want to set/unset MPV and other view/zoom options for filetypes in the coming weeks, I have reworked how all of that works under ''options->media''. By default, you now set view and zoom options for 'all video files' and 'all images', and then if you have specific options for just webms or pngs, you can set those specific options to override the group default. Every user will be reset to the new defaults on update. Please have a play with this this week.

Similarly, I have reworked the UI for system:filetype. The growing list of individual filetypes are now hidden from view when not needed, and the 'group' types have tristate checkboxes for better review. It takes up less space and just feels better.

Also, I have pulled gifs and apngs out of the 'image' group and created a specific 'animation' group for them. This doesn't change much, but it makes it easier to search for or manage settings for static images vs little animations.

I fixed a bunch of the weird layouts that were accidentally introduced last week. Please report any more you find--I am still fighting to convert old wx layout code to Qt's system, so this could happen again in a place I do not notice.

full list

mpv:

mpv is now available and the default for all windows users

I believed I have eliminated the final reported mpv crash

mpv load and unload delays are greatly reduced. initial load still takes about half a second, but subsequent loads are now as quick as native renderers

mpv seems to work well for gif and apng

added a very simple global volume slider and audio mute checkbox to the media viewer top hover window. this was a quick patch--much better controls and shortcuts will come in future

mpv windows now properly re-show the cursor on mouse movement

unified mpv mouse press/release handling with native animation--click down now does pause/play and starts a drag event

unfortunately, in some cases embedding mpv requires overriding local OS number rendering (e.g. 1,234 vs 1.234). hydrus number rendering is now coerced to the english style with commas until we can figure out a better solution--sorry!

cleared up an issue where simple clicks on page tabs would trigger micro-page drags that were immediately cancelled. this situation was exacerbated when the page being left had an active mpv window. the flicker of page drag cursor is now gone, and some weird situations where static clicks during busy time could move a tab should be fixed

eliminated the recent issue in the media viewer where transitioning from one media type to another through navigation, particularly mpv->other, would flicker a single frame of the last 'other' media shown(!)

fixed a bug where repeated mpv views in the preview viewer could disable client file drag and drop

the bug where thumbnails may not waterfall in unless the mouse is moving after some mpv videos are loaded for a page is relieved but not completely fixed

if the preview window is collapsed and hidden, media will no longer ever load into it

fixed an edge-case bug where the mpv window would not like being told to show nothing when it was already showing nothing

wrapped mpv load errors in a basic graceful catch

fixed an issue some users had with loading mpv's dll

file types:

a new file metatype, 'animation', is added, for gif and apng. these are no longer considered 'image' for a variety of purposes

the filetype selection panel, which is used in system:filetype and import folder UI, has had an overhaul--it now has tristate 'mime group' checkboxes to represent a half-filled group and expand/collapse buttons to hide the tall filetype lists. individual filetype lists will start hidden unless their default value is a partially filled group

the media view options have a similar overhaul: they are now collapsed to general filetypes by default. you set view and zoom options for the generalised 'video' type under options->media, and if you want to set specific options for webm or anything else, you can add/delete those types to override the general default

the new default options for a fresh client are just for these general types. if mpv is available, video, animations, and audio now start with mpv as the default viewer. video and animation zoom is now flexible (not fixed to 50%, 100%, 200%) and will fill the media canvas

all media view options will be reset to this simple default on update! if you have specific zoom or display preferences, please reset them after the update--but you might like to play with mpv a bit first, as it renders at large and smooth zooms very well

the rest:

the new thumbnail right-click file selection routine will now only focus and scroll to the first member of the selection if no other members of the new selection are already in view

fixed some caching code and sped up the new select/remove menu count generation (which can lag for very large pages) by two to six times

sped up file filter counting code by about ten percent

fixed weird layout on: migrate database panel, duplicates page (left and right), edit shortcuts, edit import folder, and the filename tagging panel

fixed an issue where the media viewer's hover windows might flicker into view for one frame when the mouse moved over the center of the media viewer for the first time

fixed a media viewer shutdown issue that would sometimes lead to the first file in the list being opened in the shutting-down viewer for an instant or highlighted as the new thumb focus

the file maintenance system that queues up missing/broken files' urls for redownload will no longer re-select the download page on every new url

fixed an issue where a downloader's tag blacklist was not being applied on the child files of certain kinds of multiple-file post (such as with pixiv)

deleting a very long tag should no longer create a very wide confirmation dialog in the manage tags dialog

fixed some 'the panel grew a bit, but the parent window didn't grow quite enough and now it has scrollbars for two pixels of extra content' sizing issues

fixed some dialog sizing calculations when the parent window was borderless fullscreen

maybe fixed a rare event processing bug

improved quality of some misc data comparison code across the program

did some significant backend event/pubsub code cleanup, mostly related to getting mpv working a bit cleaner

improved thumbnail rendering time

improved smoothness of thumbnail fade animations (at least for when they are working right, ha ha!)

misc fixes

next week

Unfortunately, I believe that I burned out over the past four to eight weeks. I have been pushing too hard, trying and failing to keep up with my promises, and along with some IRL stuff it nuked my schedule and energy and mood. It hit a breaking point this week, and I realised I was working non-sustainably. I will fix this situation in the coming weeks by altering my schedule. I expect to scale back on overall work hours and hydrus changelog work specifically, focusing instead on keeping myself healthy first so I can face other work (like keeping up with messages and maintaining a productive workspace) and not go nuts. I will also try to promise less when it comes to timeframes so I do not feel bound to stay up late working. I apologise if you have been waiting on me for something--I lost where I was.

I would like to do some more mpv work next week, and do some code cleaning. I will also be taking a bit of time off, so it will be a light week. Thanks everyone!

EDIT: If you have trouble loading mpv, please use the new easy settings under options->media to go back to the native viewer for the main filetypes, and let me know your situation. Some users with millions of files over a network share seem to have very slow startup.

#release

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facethroughthemirror · 5 years

Text

Not The Setting For Anything Illicit, And Yet...

Characters: Donald Doyle, Sarge, Dr. Grey Relationships: Doyle/Sarge

Modern AU, implied cheating, praise kink, lewd content. It’s absolutely illicit, so be warned! This isn't nearly as good as my one other smutty piece I've posted, but whatever, I had a goal in mind. Stay tuned for the surprise.

Sarge’s first name (as well as some of his dialogue) were provided by @airrichan !

For day one of @rvbrarepairweek, and crossposted on ao3!

The secluded little house is mostly quiet at this time of day, the mid-morning sun up and shining in through the windows. The cat’s asleep in a windowsill someplace in the house, and the dog’s very graciously wandered off to rest somewhere in the kitchen. Close enough to do his job if he’s needed, but far enough away that he was truly on a break. There’s a documentary about the dangers of residential living in the Victorian era playing on the television, they’re currently talking about how the metal eyelet turned the corset into a more dangerous garment by allowing them to be laced tighter.

It’s certainly not the setting for anything illicit, and yet…

“I-I… a- ah ! Oh goodness… mmn…!”

There’s a small pile of clothing on the floor, discarded rather carelessly, as two bodies move against each other on the sofa. They’ve actually long since lost track of the documentary they’ve been watching, which would actually disappoint one of them if he hadn’t already seen it. Instead, he’s squirming underneath the solid weight of his current partner, right hand grasping at the cushions beneath him while his left presses against his mouth, the smooth surface of his wedding ring cool against the heated skin of his face.

“Don’t be shy now, darlin’. Ain’t nobody around to hear you.”

A much more calloused hand grips his wrist to pull his hand away from his mouth, drawing another gasp, this time followed by a whimper as his partner drops his wrist and twists fingers firmly into ginger hair, giving a less-than-gentle tug. It pulls his head back just enough to allow easier access to his neck, but his partner doesn’t quite utilize that yet. Instead, it just serves to coax hazy blue eyes up find to gray ones.

“You make such pretty sounds, Don. Be a shame to keep ‘em all to yourself.”

“Ah… y-you… ah! ” He yelps against a roll of his partner’s hips. Good lord, the man sounds just like his wife. … oh goodness gracious, is it awkward to compare someone to your wife while you’re being intimate with them during her very noticeable absence? Well, yes, it’s certainly awkward, why did he even think that was a question...

His partner, suddenly, finally seems to take advantage of the access to his neck, and bites at it before he speaks. “... I know that look. You’re thinking about something too hard. Let’s see if I can’t get you to refocus--” Another roll of those hips, and his partner grins. “--Right here.”

He howls as the other man brushes a particularly sensitive spot inside of him, and he flails, planting a hand against the red undershirt shielding his partner’s chest from open air while his free hand scrabbles uselessly against the cushions. He grabs at whatever he can get ahold of, but while his partner keeps up his pace, he’s really not getting a very tight grip on anything. But damn it if he isn’t trying.

The other man chuckles, adjusts his angle to keep his attention on that spot. “That’s better.”

“O- Oh , Aaron--!”

They continue on like that for some time, in no particular hurry, even as the documentary on the screen ends and the next one queues up to play. It’s slow, leisurely. Almost lazy, even. There’s no frenzy, nothing driving them to speed up the pace and rush toward a finish.

“Hello?”

Neither of them, it seems, had heard the door open two rooms over, nor did they hear the new arrival setting her things down and taking off her shoes and jacket. They do notice, however, when she appears in the doorway into the living room. And when the redheaded partner finally turns his head and notices his wife standing there, he does give a startled, panicked yelp. He jumps, though he can’t go anywhere with it, considering that his lover is still solidly on top of him. Her hand is pressed to her own mouth, eyes wide with surprise as she glances between the men currently defiling her sofa. Well, the slipcover on top of it, anyway. But she’s strangely silent, especially for her.

“D-Darling! Y-You’re h-home early…” He swallows, tries to weakly push his current lover off, but it does absolutely nothing, and he settles back onto his elbows in defeat. He can’t formulate a further response, or even think to start trying.

Finally, however, she drops her hand, and reveals the bright smile behind it. Her eyes find the man on top of her husband, and she cheerfully greets him. “I didn’t realize you’d be over today, Aaron!”

“Can’t say I planned it. Figured it’d be a surprise.”

“Well, it certainly is! Although…” The woman breezes over, settling herself cross-legged on the coffee table beside them. Her smile is less serene and a bit more predatory as she reaches over to bat Aaron’s hand out of her husband’s hair, and replaces it with her own, twisting ginger locks around pale fingers. “I believe I told you to behave yourself before I left, precious thing!”

“I-I… n-now, Emily, that’s… th-that isn’t--” He has no words. His mouth works mostly in silence, only a few half-formed squeaks escaping him as his face goes redder and redder. This is all happening, he registers, not only while their boyfriend is still inside of him, but while he himself still has quite a noticeable erection. This doesn’t make it worse, but it certainly does not make it any better.

However, the man above him just chuckles, addressing their newly-arrived audience. “Care to join us, little lady? Maybe let Don make up for not listenin’ to ya.”

“M-Me?! Y-Y- You --”

Emily simply laughs, and releases her grip on her husband’s hair in order to pet at it instead. “It does take two to get into this sort of trouble, dear!”

“Well, you didn’t tell me to behave.”

“... mm, he’s quite right, darling!”

“W- What ?!” He sputters uselessly for a moment more, then slumps down off his elbows almost miserably and covers his face. They’re both the worst. He loves them so, so much, but they are, objectively, the worst. “Th-This is entirely unfair. I-I’m… I-I’m being unfairly punished.”

“Aww, my poor little thing.” Emily leans over, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “We’re being so mean to you, aren’t we?”

“Mmn… y-you certainly are.” He peeks through his fingers at her, just enough to confirm that she’s seen him doing it, before he lowers his hands entirely and lets his head fall back, turning his eyes upward toward the ceiling. “J-Just a-awful.”

“My poor, pitiful thing!” She clicks her tongue sympathetically, flowing up from the coffee table into a standing position in order to start pulling her scrub top over her head. She discards it onto the floor, well away from the men’s clothes, works on the bottoms as she continues to speak. “Now, really, you know we’re expecting company this evening, and you’re absolutely defiling my slipcover!”

“Just toss it in the wash. Clean it right up. Who’s comin’ over?” Aaron inquires conversationally, leaning back slightly in order to finally discard his undershirt. “Didn’t realize you were havin’ company.”

“Oh, Vanessa and Carolina are dropping by for dinner! It’s been so long since we’ve seen them!” She finally discards her scrubs entirely, unhooks her bra one-handed and pulls it off to drop into her pile. “I’d say you’re more than welcome to join us, but, well. My poor, poor slipcover.”

“Got group tonight anyhow. Pickin’ up Grif on the way.”

“Oh, it’s just so lovely to see you two getting along, you know!” While they’re speaking, their partner shifts against the sofa cushions. He accidentally lets out a needy-sounding little whine, prompting them to look down at him, before Emily reaches to pet him again. “Are we ignoring you, treasure?”

“Y’did sorta interrupt us,” Aaron points out. “Bet he’s real eager to finish.”

“Hmm, I think you might be right~” Emily toes the larger pile of discarded clothing out of the way in order to settle on the floor beside the sofa, leaning back in to pepper kisses across her husband’s chest while reaching down to wrap a hand around the more sadly-neglected part of his anatomy. His reaction is immediate, and he sets to squirming again. She giggles brightly, peering up at him. “Aw, there we are!”

“E-Emily…!”

Above them, Aaron starts moving again, and the squirming worsens, the whines and soft cries starting back up as sensation starts to overwhelm him again. He’ll start babbling any moment at this rate, and he knows that that amuses both of them to no end. He’s subjected to their torment for what seems like hours, with Aaron keeping that rough, steady pace and Emily smiling a little brighter each time another pleading little sound escapes him. When he starts to tremble, whether from his quickly-approaching climax or from the overstimulation sure to follow, he isn’t sure, he registers the sound of Emily speaking.

“You’re such a good boy, precious thing. You’re doing so well for us, aren’t you? Such a good little thing for us.”

He can’t resist it when she does that. He knows it, she knows it, and he knows she knows it. Aaron’s not much for saying things like that, not when Emily’s there to do it. So at least he’s being spared on that front: he’s not sure he would be able to handle it if they both started in on him like that.

“Would you like to finish for us, little thing?” she coos, slowing her hand and giving him a possessive little squeeze. “You’re so pretty when you let yourself go, you know. I want to watch. Do you want to let me see?”

He nods, almost frantically, and he hears Aaron chuckling above them, though at the moment, he pays that no mind. Emily’s laughing too, and she leans up to kiss him, as possessive as ever as her hand speeds back up. When she breaks it off, she leans in close to his ear and purrs, “Come for us, little thing.”

Her voice shoots a jolt of pleasure down his spine, sending him tumbling and flailing over the edge as his mind stutters to a halt. He doesn’t notice Aaron finding his own end above him, or Emily letting him go, or even Aaron climbing off of him to go dispose of his condom and clean up. When he comes back to his senses, Emily’s still settled beside him on the floor, patting at his stomach with a warm, damp towel, cleaning up the mess he’d made. He can’t see Aaron anymore, but he also can’t really think too critically at the moment, so he doesn’t really question it yet.

“Are you back with me, darling?” Emily chirps brightly, reaching up with her free hand to brush his hair off of his forehead for him. “You were quite out of it for a little while! Poor thing, you really needed that, didn’t you?”

He nods, tired and foggy, and she giggles, popping up to give him a soft kiss on the forehead. He feels her petting his hair gently, and leans his head into her touch. It helps to clear his head just that little bit more, and he’s able to focus on what she’s telling him. “Aaron’s taking a quick shower. And we still have plenty of time to wash our poor, abused slipcover before dinner! But after we get you taken care of and cleaned up.”

“... I-I’m… a-alright,” he manages, focusing on her and nodding. “I-I’m fine.”

“Well, let me get you some water anyway. Maybe a snack? Definitely a snack!” Two fingers pressed less-than-gently against his throat. “Your heart’s racing like a hummingbird , darling, you don’t feel faint, do you?”

“N-No…” Does he? He just feels foggy still, he’s not terribly sure.

“Good! But we’ll keep an eye on you for the moment, I think, sweetheart. Come on, let’s sit up, I’ll get you some water and… maybe a chocolate bar?”

He just nods, and sits up while she breezes off toward the kitchen, still entirely naked, he notices. He won’t argue with chocolate, and besides, Emily knows what she’s doing when it comes to aftercare: she takes it quite seriously. And he knows that she’s likely going to be checking in with Aaron until he leaves, probably for the rest of the evening. When she returns, she pulls the throw blanket down to cover him, and presses a kiss to the top of his head while she helps him start on his water and chocolate bar. He notices, for the first time since he and Aaron had started, that the documentary series has long-since ended. The television’s been turned off entirely. But he doesn’t mind: he can watch it later. For now, however, he just settles in and lets her help him recover.

#rvbrarepairweek #Red vs Blue #rvb #sarge #sarge rvb #Doyle #general doyle #donald doyle #doyle rvb #rvb fanfiction #rvb fanfic #red vs blue fanfic #red vs blue fanfiction #not for kiddos #malarkey #my shitty writing

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justaramblingromantic · 6 years

Note

Hello~~, hopping you had a wonderful holidays, I'd like ask RyoAli for the ship meme, if that's okay with you (and you're still accepting requests, that's it, hehe~), thank you so much in advance😊🤗

~ send me a ship and i’ll tell you who ~

Ello!! Happy holis to you, too! Sorry for the wait, and thanks for the ask! :)

EiRin here

SouEri here

IshiNene here

RyoAli

curses like a sailor

He cusses with the spitting intensity and burning fervor of an unstoppable machine gun once he really gets going and he doesn’t care too much about what other people think about it, either, and neither does she. She smiles sweetly and easily beside him even when he’s deep in his ‘mad dog’ persona, even when the people around them flinch away with prejudice and cowering fear at his wild, rough-around-the-edges demeanor. They don’t know him like she does and it is amusing the way they label him even before trying to get to know what he is really like. But of course Ryou makes that hard too, with his fierce visage and unapproachable demeanor and that bored thousand yard stare (he is just sleepy as usual). She reaches up and pets him happily on the bicep in the aftermath of one of his episodes - he has emerged victorious, as always, ‘My Ryou is the cutest~’

does the chores voluntarily

Sometimes he looks at himself and wonders what the hell happened - he has become so domesticated it is horrifying. Once, she was nothing more than an irritating rich brat always getting in his way and causing no end of trouble for him, but these days, he has turned into a manservant, a butler, a bodyguard and a nanny rolled into one convenient package, loyally dedicated to the service of said aforementioned rich brat whose never-ending demands he can never quite seem to say ‘no’ to, and even when he does, she pesters him into doing whatever she wants, anyway. He trains his body even more aggressively as if to make up for that self-perceived weakness in character; but she is only all the more delighted with his strength and tag teams with her mother often to praise and tease him until he is flustered and harried and confused by their easy affection and familial warmth. Too late does he realize that they have caught and tamed him with their loving ways; now she bosses him around all the time and he comes to heel willingly like an faithful hound ready to fulfill her every desire. There is an innate, automatic compulsion for him to guard and take care of her that stumps him at first, but eventually he figures it all out -some bonds, once forged, are for life.

wants to marry their bed

She has to be literally carried out of bed some mornings, all the while whining to have five more minutes of shuteye (it is never just five more minutes, that much he knows by now). She alternates between kicking her legs at him in childish pique and clinging to him for warmth, her grimacing face pushed into the crook of his neck and her eyes squeezed shut as she tries obstinately to resist all his attempts to wake her up, but he is unsympathetic and plants her upright like a turnip on the seat cover of the toilet bowl. Her toothbrush is pressed into her hand and a placidly delivered threat to put her in the shower stall next and switch on the cold water finally has her attention, and she pouts all the way through her morning ablutions. He does not even blink when her pajamas falls to the floor and she flounces out of the bathroom to find her change of clothes; he has seen her in skimpier swimsuits, and more importantly, must she always leave a mess everywhere she goes?

gets awkward about romantic gestures

Perhaps it’s the fact that they grew up together, but the blithe exchange of casual, demonstrative gestures comes easily and naturally to them, long before they made things official. Even after that subtle change in relationship status, nothing seems too different or entirely new or something strange that either feel that they had to struggle to adjust to. Alice is even touchier than ever, gleefully groping Ryou in places she has always wanted to grope (she has unrestricted special VIP access now), and Ryou puts up with her amorous affection up till the point where he abruptly reaches his limit. His self-control snaps like a proverbial twig then and he drags her off to somewhere quiet so he can mark her back until her legs shake and her voice comes out of her in unsteady, uncontrollable gasps-

stays in the shower for what seems like hours

Ryou enjoys a long, hot shower after a hard, satisfying workout, the kind with temperatures high enough to peel skin.The shower facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art, high pressure, ionising spray jets that Alice has specifically custom ordered for him - supposedly, they have revitalizing and de-stressing effects and can also help to improve blood circulation, particularly effective for soothing sore muscles.They also have a private sauna which they use often, a standard practice derived from their years living in Scandinavia. It is one of the things that Ryou appreciates when it comes to Japan; how the bathing traditions here in this land of the East are so similar to those back home, in the far Nordic North. The Japanese don’t practice winter ice swimming with as much zeal, though, but Alice and Leonora are always in for a treat every end of the year, when Ryou and Soe gamely don snug swim trunks after a nice, long session in the sauna and brave the freezing winter conditions for a few invigorating laps in the freshwater mountain lake that borders the Nakiri winter lodge.

would adopt a million cats if given the chance

She comes home with a box of squirming kittens one day, fat tears rolling down her puffy face and her reddened nose dribbling like a leaky faucet in reaction to the mewling felines in her arms. He cannot tell if her sorry appearance is due to being moved by the little strays’ sad, abandoned predicament or more due to the fact that the tiny mewling fluffballs are making her body go haywire in allergic reaction - probably a fair mix of both. ‘Ryou!’ she warbles his name with dramatic woe even as he is already rising from his seat and padding towards her. ‘Help; they were crying on the roadside and I couldn’t just leave th- achoo!!’

fixes stuff around the house / apartment

Alice is forbidden from fixing anything in the house, because more often than not, anything she attempts to save eventually ends up damaged beyond repair. Not that Ryou is exactly some miracle fix-it-all/DIY-er himself either; he does well enough when it comes to simple home repairs and improvements and is very knowledgeable with all the workings of his kitchen equipment, and most importantly, at least he hasn’t accidentally almost burned down the house…unlike a certain somebody whose name he shall refrain from mentioning.

watches too many Disney movies

‘We’re like Beauty and the Beast,’ she tells him with a grin, and he just eyes her with his usual sleepy apathy, not even surprised by her random whimsy. ‘Do you know why? Because Beauty always saves Beast in the end!’

gets drunk off of champagne

She is the most ridiculous drunk person ever - one moment, she’s trying to pick a fight with a street post and the next she has somehow teleported across the road one block down, marching into the conbini for a random shopping binge. She runs off again, cackling into the night, while sticking him with the bill for her purchases and his face is deadpan as ever (his forehead is starting to twitch, though) as the convenience store worker blanches at his blandly murderous visage and nervously rings up the haphazard pile of candy, small mountain of junk food, as well as what looks like the conbini’s entire display of condoms even as the three other customers in queue behind him try not to gawk at the impressive hoard of prophylactics in flustered embarrassment. He catches up to her before she can get into any more trouble, herds her loudly singing self around several exposed manholes before she can dance and twirl right into them, scares off three different groups of hoodlums trying to pick her up (by then that look of pure homicide has been permanently etched onto his face, very convenient that) and manages to drag her troublesome behind home before she can pull another Houdini on him again. She throws herself into his arms when they’re in the backseat of the cab, and he is exasperated and pissed after an entire night of running after his ojou and putting up with her shenanigans; anyone would have taken one look at that dark scowl on his face, promptly do an about turn and run for the hills, but of course she climbs onto his lap instead and demands affection. ‘My Ryou is the best~!’ she brags to him looking like someone’s ridiculously proud grandma, and just like that, he feels his aggravation subside a little at her obvious recognition of his worth and ability. That special feeling is quick to disappear, however, when she reaches up to ruffle his hair and coos, ‘Who’s a good boy? My Ryou’s the goodest boy-”

cries when the ASPCA commercials come on

She quivers and her eyes fill up like she’s going through an allergic episode again, and he fixes half his gaze on her in case she starts to swell up like previously. She does not puff up this time, but she’s…leaky, presumably a side effect of the short video they had been watching. He suffers through her sniffs, snorts and snuffles in silence - and he is very silent and very still, because she seems to have momentarily forgotten about his presence and he wants to keep it that way- but alas his good fortune does not last long. She turns to him with that piteous expression that reminds him very much of Leonora-san when she’s pouting with all her might at Soe-san, and Ryou feels something like doom encroach him at the familiar scenario. His stoic apathy falters before her mien of misery, and he wants to sigh in a very put upon manner. He opens his arms to her instead, and she shuffles into his side. ‘Ryou?’ ‘Yes, milady?’ ‘Let’s adopt a million cats.’ ‘…No.’

#Food Wars: Shokugeki no Souma #Shokugeki no Soma #Kurokiba Ryou #Nakiri Alice #RyoAli #harumaki03 #[ there's a certain someone I need to blame now for automatically thinking of Beauty and the Beast when it comes to RyoAli! XD ]

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talesofzero · 8 years

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Happy Birthday Gen!!

@genesisnx Here’s a drabble about Harpy Manabu and Naga Bulge for u. You’re precious and I hope you have a good birthday.

And now I just want to write GR things. (EDIT: I accidentally hit post instead of queue so you get it early because I’m dumb!!)

Something blocked out the sun overhead. The shadow cast onto me moved like some furious swarm, warped and ever-changing. I should have hidden automatically at a sight like that, considering how close I was to bird territory, but curiosity led my gaze up just in time to see whatever it was getting closer.

Again, I should have moved, but it was still moving in a flurry, and the nearing cries of “no, no, no!” made me raise a brow as I squinted through the treetops. It hit the balcony with a crash and a cry, and by that point, I could tell it was small. It fit easily in my arms when I reached out to catch it. A hail of drifting feathers followed like an odd snowstorm.

Its own feathers were ruffled, sticking out every which-way. And its – or rather his – eyes were wide and dazed.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

“Uh,” he answered, blinking a few times. He was the oddest bird I’d ever seen. Couldn’t have been more than seven years-old and tiny as anything. His ruffled hair was the same brown as his eyes, but his wings were a shimmering green. They were also thin and sharp like blades. Around his throat was a ruff of blue feathers which looked puffy and soft.

Finally, his eyes found mine. He looked as though he’d just noticed me there. “Can you stand?” I asked.

“I think so,” he said.

I settled him down on his taloned feet, which seemed much too big for him, and he leaned his weight between them as a test. “Yeah,” he decided. “I’m okay.”

“That’s good.”

He looked back toward me, still puzzled. He was just tall enough to reach my hip, though he was quick to trail his eyes down, following my tail all the way to its tip. “Oh, you’re a snake,” he said.

“We prefer Naga.”

His eyes were wide again as they returned to mine. “Are you going to eat me?”

“No.”

“Oh, okay. I’m Manabu Yuuki.” All anxieties gone, he stuck out his hand with a big grin. One of his teeth was missing, but I assumed that had happened before the fall. He must have hit his head pretty hard though.

Out of politeness, I took his small hand in mine and shook. “My name is Schwanhelt Bulge.”

A moment’s confusion crossed through his eyes as he tried to make sense of my name, but he shook it off. “Nice to meet you!”

“Yes, it’s a pleasure, but what are you doing down here? Ground-level isn’t safe for young birds. Did you fall?”

Well, clearly he’d fallen, but he was quick to shake his head. “No, I meant to come down here,” he lied, crossing his arms. They were littered with cuts from the branches overhead, like his cheeks. “Where is your shirt?” he asked to divert the conversation.

“I don’t usually wear shirts in the summer.”

“Why?”

“I’m cold blooded, so I’m plenty warm if the sun is out.” Plus, I couldn’t afford them.

“I bet you never wear pants.”

“That would be correct.”

He started giggling, and I couldn’t help but smile along. He seemed good-natured, even if he was likely also trouble. He was lucky I’d been the one to find him and not some of the others of my kind. The wolves and cats down here could be trouble as well.

“Where are you off to, Manabu?” I asked, hoping to speed him along.

“Oh!” His eyes darted off to their corners. It was all too obvious I’d caught him in his lie. “I was just going back home.”

“Then you should be getting back. It won’t be light out much longer, and trouble always comes out at night.”

“Right, I can fly back!”

I wasn’t so sure, but his wings shot up from his side. At least, one of them did. The other seemed to catch, bent at an odd angle. Manabu made a strangled sound, and his eyes rolled back behind fluttering lids. I had to swoop down to catch him before he could fall to his knees.

“Manabu,” I called. “Can you hear me?”

His head lolled for a moment as he struggled to pull his chin up. “M’okay, Swan,” he mumbled, near incoherence. “Hurts…”

I wasn’t sure why I always put myself in these situations, but with a sigh, I picked him back up like a fragile piece of glass. “Climb on my back,” I said, worried about putting any pressure on his wings. “And stay awake.”

Of course, as soon as he had his arms around my neck, he rested his forehead against my shoulder.

“No falling asleep,” I said. “I need you to show me where you live.”

A trembling hand reached out, pointing up above the trees toward the cliff-side that hung over the forest. “There,” he said.

Why…why did I always put myself in these situations?

The bottom of the cliff wasn’t far off. In fact, I made my home there in a cozy alcove. I’d seen the shadows of birds flying overhead before, but I’d always imagined them living in the trees. I thought of the caves as safer, more troublesome for the birds to reach. If I survived this, I would need to look into a change in address.

“Do you know where your home is from here?” I asked once we’d reached the cliff side

He squinted at the sky with a hum. “Yeah, up there where the rocks poke out.”

It was twice as high as the treetops. I was going to die. With a deep breath, I released his legs and reached up for the towering wall. At the same time, I brought my tail up and curled it around his middle.

“Do you squeeze people to death?” he asked.

“No.”

“Do you bite people to death?”

“No. I don’t kill people.”

“Oh. Daddy does.”

That made my hands freeze against the rocks. “Why’s that?”

“It’s his job. He’s uh captain.”

He must have been part of the Guard for the area. They were supposed to be neutral, only killing when necessary, so I hoped he would recognize me as harmless. Then again…

“Would your father be able to carry you back home?” I asked, though I began climbing anyway.

“Yeah, he’s real strong, but he won’t get home ‘til night. Big brother gets home late too. Mom was out getting dinner.”

“So there was no one around when you tried to fly off?”

“No,” he said, only to catch himself. “I wasn’t flyin’ off!”

Scolding him wasn’t my job, so I let it go. I had to focus on climbing anyway. Despite my upper body strength, climbing was one of those rare occasions where legs would have come in handy. My tail was too wide to rest on any small ledges, so I was left to dangle.

Not even a fourth of the way up, my arms were already burning. Letting go wasn’t an option, though. I was just going to have to suck it up.

“You’re very strong,” Manabu called.

“I do my best,” I said.

“We’re getting up.”

“Yep.” Edges on rocks bit at my fingers, and my sweaty palms made the dirt cling. I was sure I wouldn’t be able to move for days after this. I also wasn’t too sure how I was going to get down.

“Are you afraid of heights?” Manabu asked.

“I’m not used to going much higher than the trees, so I’m not sure,” I answered through gritted teeth. “Are you?”

He laughed at that. “I like being up high. I almost never touch the ground.”

Of course, stupid question. But that didn’t explain why he trusted me so much. If I fell, he did too. He should have been more concerned about that, but at least one of us had faith in me.

As I dragged myself up one ledge, I found it wider than the rest, though not by much. Still, I let out a sigh of relief and took a moment to rest my weight on it. Though Manabu still hung over the edge in my grasp, he didn’t seem to mind. He kicked his feet as I dusted off my hands.

“How’s your wing?” I asked.

“It’s fine.” He ran his hands down my scales, refusing to look up at me. He really was a terrible liar.

“How is it really?” I pressed.

He puffed his cheeks. “It kinda hurts when you move, but it’s okay if I don’t move it. It’s fine.”

I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign. Bird anatomy wasn’t a strong suit of mine. “It sounds like it’ll heal fine,” I said anyway.

He nodded, and I returned to the wall in front of me. Manabu continued to chatter as I climbed the rest of the way. My short answers didn’t put him off in the slightest.

“Your tail’s pretty,” he said as I neared our goal. “I didn’t know there were blue snakes. Blue’s my favorite color.”

I answered with a huff as the ledge cut into my gut. Once I’d dragged my top half up, my upper body was done moving, so I lay there and curled my tail up alongside me. I was careful to set him down on his knees before unfurling my tail.

“There-there,” he said, patting my back. “You made it!”

“Mm-hm,” I returned. The air up here was nice and cool, rolling over my back. I let my eyes fall shut until I felt Manabu kiss my cheek. He didn’t seem concerned by the startled look I gave him.

“Thank you,” he said. “Do you want some water? You can come inside.”

I peered around him to see a massive, round door at the mouth of the cave. Having a door must have been nice, probably kept the drafts out.

“I think you’d have to drag me inside,” I said with a weak laugh. “I’ll just lie here a minute. I’d appreciate the water though. Be careful of your wing.”

“I got it!” He popped up and rushed into his home. Such an odd little bird. I knew they weren’t all like that. The scars across my face proved it. He must not have been a predatory bird, didn’t have the wings for it, though he did have a good set of claws on those feet. He was a bit too fluffy looking to come off as threatening.

That was not the case for the guy who slammed down next to me. I saw his feet first, bigger than my head with talons sharp enough to take out my eyes with one quick movement. Pain and fatigue vanished from my mind as I shot up to face the new bird.

He was tall, as tall as I could be when I pulled up as much as my tail would allow. With my heart hammering and my vision narrowing, I could only see his burning blue eyes. “What are you doing here?” he snarled. “How did you get up here?”

My stammering didn’t help matters. “Manabu- I had to carry-”

“Manabu!?” he screeched. “Did you touch my brother!? I’ll kill you!” His wings shot out, massive compared to Manabu’s. Those were true predator wings. He had none of the fluff Manabu did. With one strong flap of his wings, he was off the ground, his talons out in front of him.

My only thought was to get away. He was prepared to gut me. Tossing all my weight to the side, I was quick to realize my mistake when the ground dropped out from beneath me.

I heard a howl from Manabu, a loud, terrified scream of “No!” He was the last thing I saw before dropping off the edge. He stood in the doorway clutching a glass of water with his eyes wide.

I knew this was a bad idea.

There was nothing to catch my fall but the ground, so I shut my eyes and waited for it. My back did slam into something, along with the spine of my tail. It did hurt but just enough to bruise. The thundering roar of flapping wings surrounded me, and I opened my eyes into slits.

A man with calm eyes and sleek black wings held me. His hair was much like Manabu’s, the same curls of brown, but his jaw was firm, his shoulders wide. Had he not looked so relaxed, he would have been more terrifying than Manabu’s brother. His neck also had a ruffle of feathers, but they were a bloody red and smoothed down.

“Are you alright?” he asked as he settled into a landing.

“Yes?” I croaked.

“Swan!” Manabu called from up above. He sounded terrified. “Are you okay? Big brother, you almost killed him!”

The brother said something that I couldn’t hear, but it was clearly a bad call because Manabu started yelling at him.

“Boys,” the man sighed. He turned back to me with a weary smile. “My apologies. Mamoru can be testy. My name is Wataru Yuuki.”

“I-I’m Schwanhelt Bulge,” I said.

“May I ask what you were doing at my home? Actually, more importantly, how did you get up there?”

“I climbed. I had to get Manabu back up.”

“Back up?” Wataru frowned. Without asking if I was prepared or alright with it, he bent his knees and flexed his wings.

“Wait-” I began, but he shot up into the sky. He must have been as strong as he looked to be able to carry me. With the weight of my tail, I was heavier than any creature with two legs.

Still, he settled us back on the ledge as though he’d been carrying a child. The boys silenced at his arrival. “Manabu, what happened?” he asked. “Are you alright?”

Manabu must have forgiven his brother because he was quick to hide behind him. “M’okay,” he mumbled. “I just fell.”

“You fell!?” his father and brother echoed.

The brother, who must have been testy Mamoru, looked little like either of them. His wings were more like his father’s, stained dark unlike his neat blond hair. The feathers of his throat were red like Wataru’s but flat and shimmering like Manabu’s wings. Mamoru and Wataru wore the same navy uniform, with the crest of the Guard, but Mamoru must have been about my age, somewhere in his late teens.

Manabu hid farther behind him, burying his face in his brother’s slacks. It was clear from the anxious yet firm look in Wataru’s eyes that he wouldn’t allow Manabu to hide anything from him. “You’re home early,” Manabu mumbled.

“Sir, could you put me down?” I asked as he tried to bore a hole in his sons to figure out what was wrong.

“Oh, certainly. Let’s go inside for this.”

That wasn’t what I meant, but who was I to argue with the man whose feet could crush my skull with ease?

The inside of the Yuuki home must have been through some portal because it looked nothing like a cave. Everything was decorated and smooth. It was cozy. Wataru set me down to lie across their couch. I was far from fitting.

I was starting to understand where Manabu got his socializing habits from because Wataru didn’t seem too concerned about me. Though he had little explanation as to why I was there, he seemed to trust me. With his back to me, he knelt in front of his smaller son. “Alright, Manabu, I want an explanation. We should get this sorted before your mother gets home. You know she’ll be upset.”

“I tried to fly,” Manabu mumbled, still trying to hide behind his brother. “But I couldn’t.”

Wataru heaved a sigh. “So you fell?”

“Yeah. Swan caught me though.”

Wataru looked back at me with relief, but I had to speak up in case Manabu didn’t. “Check his wings,” I said. “The trees caught him first.”

Manabu shrunk back from his father’s hands, “Manabu,” Wataru warned. “Let me see your wings. Stretch them out.”

“I can’t,” Manabu whimpered. “It hurts.”

Wataru heaved a sigh. “Son, come here. Let me see.”

Manabu tiptoed over and turned so his father could prod at the thin wings. “Swan carried me back up,” Manabu said. “He’s very strong.”

“He must be,” Wataru said. “We’re very grateful to him. We weren’t expecting to come home early, so it’s good to know that he was willing to go out of his way to take care of you.”

“It was nothing,” I attempted.

Wataru threw me a smile over his shoulder. “No need to be modest. You really saved him. There’s definitely at least a fracture, so we’ll have to take him to a doctor.”

“Can Swan come?” Manabu asked.

“Swan has his own things to get back to,” Wataru said.

He seemed to want me to back him up on that, but I had nothing for him. “I, uh, I do need to find some food.”

Wataru blinked. “You don’t have a job?”

Scavengers like myself were a rare breed now. Most had converted to the human system with jobs and stores. “Few are willing to hire Naga, sir,” I said.

“Well, you’ve got the formalities down, so you can join my platoon if you’d like.”

“What?” Mamoru squawked. “Dad, he can’t possibly-”

“He save Manabu’s life. We owe him. Besides, he’s shown himself to be selfless. He would make a fantastic addition to the platoon once we train him. Of course, it’s up to you, Bulge.”

I didn’t feel like I had a choice. Saying no to him seemed impossible, not that I ever would have. The Guard was the elite, the most loved group in the forest. I sealed my fate with a nod.

Mamoru was trouble, but he grew on me. I wasn’t sure if I ever grew on him. Manabu was bigger trouble, always trouble. He only got worse as he grew, but it was impossible not to adore him. He always demanded attention with the brightest smile. Like his father, it was impossible to say no to him.

I wasn’t sure why I tried.

When Wataru slammed down outside my cave and said I was coming to Manabu’s 18th birthday, I should have known better than to suggest I needed to get ready first. Wataru scooped me up in his arms against my protests and shot back up toward their ledge. My stomach found my throat.

“Please stop doing that so fast, Captain,” I wheezed as he set me back down. “One of these days, I’m going to puke.”

“Don’t get sick. There’s cake.” He was kind enough to straighten my uniform. I hadn’t gotten the chance to change since getting home, but it was one of the only shirts to fit me well. The rest were hand-me-downs from him.

“Isn’t there always cake?” I asked. “This is Manabu we’re talking about.”

Wataru cracked one of his rare grins. “I hope you’ve gotten to like sugar water.”

“Then I really will puke.”

Inside was filled with the warm, sweet smell of baked goods. Manabu’s hummingbird mother greeted me with her wings buzzing. “Bulge!” she cooed. “So glad you could make it.”

“Swan is here?” Manabu called from the hallway. I heard the click of his talons and the buzz of his wings before he crashed into the doorframe, his eyes bright as usual. “Swan!”

He’d never grown out of the nickname. In fact, he may have thought it was my actual name. “Evening, Manabu,” I greeted. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you!” He didn’t appear to need more sugar, hovering in place thanks to his rapid wings, but he took the water his mother gave him, no doubt laced with sugar. I’d always wondered if the glass he’d fetched me when we first met was sugary as well.

“Calm down,” his mother said. “You’ll knock something over.”

Dropping to the floor, he blew bubbles in his water, his cheeks shaded pink.

Luckily for me, Wataru and Mamoru also ate meat, so there was something edible for me. Kanna actually had the skill to cook just about anything, even if she didn’t eat it. Manabu’s entire dinner was cake, his talons kicking under the table. I couldn’t quite sit like them, so I did without a chair, curling my tail up under me.

It was far from the first time they’d had me over for dinner. In fact, they tended to pull me up at least once a week. I’d never understood why they’d always been so kind to me. I owed them far more than they’d ever imagined they owed me.

It wasn’t until Mamoru pulled a gift wrapped in pretty blue paper from the coat closet that I recalled the small one back at my home. “Ahh, I left mine,” I hissed.

“We can go get it later,” Wataru said with a soft laugh. “That was my fault.”

Manabu seemed to vibrate as he opened the gift, his smile getting wider and wider. His wings started to flick. He was awfully cute.

When the paper fell away, it was the same navy coat that I wore. Wataru had talked over adding him to the platoon for the past few years. The captain always looked anxious at the idea, but it looked as though Manabu’s pleading had finally won out. My gift wouldn’t look like much in comparison. I’d never seen Manabu quite so happy.

“You’ll still have to complete training,” Wataru tried to say over all Manabu’s eager thank you’s. Manabu managed to quiet him by tackling him with a hug. Despite Wataru’s best attempts to look stern, he broke with a smile as he hugged his son in return.

“I helped talk him into it,” Mamoru said just to ensure Manabu would turn and hug him as well. “It’ll be good to have you on the team, little brother,” Mamoru hummed. He was such a softie when it came to his brother.

“Bulge did aid in your argument as well,” the captain said.

That was true, but… “Captain, you don’t need to-“

“Really!?” Manabu turned on me as though he saw stars. He started hovering again, and shot over to me.

I wasn’t sure what I expected, but it wasn’t a kiss. His lips met mine, sweet as all that sugar thrived on. I wasn’t usually one for sweets, but it was nice when it was him.

At least, it would have been nice had it not been in front of his whole family. Manabu broke away red-faced. He looked as startled as I did, his eyes wide. “Whoops,” he said airily.

“I’ll kill him,” Mamoru said.

“Mamoru, no,” Kanna scolded as she stepped forward the shield me. She was tiny standing in front of her son, but her presence was enough to wear him down.

Wataru was the one I really feared, but he blinked, looking as calm as ever. “Looks like you won’t need to go fetch that gift then,” he said. “Manabu already stole his present from you.”

Manabu’s face turned red as blood. “Dad, hush.”

“I believe I raised you to be polite and ask permission before invading someone’s personal space.”

Manabu buried his face in his hands. “Dad, no.”

I still felt like I’d taken a blow to the head. “Um…welcome to the platoon,” I offered. “It’ll be nice to have you with us.”

Manabu nodded. “Sorry about that.”

“Uh, it’s alright. I didn’t mind.” Wait, no, that wasn’t what I’d meant. Well, I did mean it, but…

I was sweating as all eyes turned on me. Manabu peered between his fingers curiously, Wataru looked like he was trying not to laugh, Kanna grinned, and Mamoru looked ready to tear my throat out.

Why did I always put myself in these situations?

#Galaxy Railways #genesisnx #Manabu fic #Mamoru fic #Wataru fic #bulge fic #Kanna fic #AU fic #I have a request to write some Bruce/Manabu so Imma do that soon

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oliverwvvd · 8 years

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something brewing: part i

The moral of this story is that I need to not do the stupid thing and accidentally press save draft instead of queue, since this was supposed to be posted at least a week ago. Oops. Anyway, this is part I of the previously discussed barista au, because I toyed with the idea for a while and it stuck around. Yes, I recognise the title is a horrible pun, but I couldn’t resist. I hope that everyone who liked the idea of this isn’t disappointed.

Premise: Oliver is a sports science student who has to maintain his grades in order to retain his scholarship and has a good chance of playing football professionally. Despite that, he’s serious about wanting to do well. His flatmates spend more time drunk than they do sober, so he’s given up trying to work at home and finds a little coffee shop to study in. What he doesn’t expect is to develop a painful, near-instantaneous, utterly inconvenient crush on one of the baristas.

i: marcus.

It was just past 5pm, and Marcus was comfortably settled into work for the evening. There was a lazy hum of guitar as his background noise of preference, the coffee shop wasn’t too crowded and that gave him time to open his textbook underneath the counter in between making drinks while Susan handled the customers and sorted out any food orders. The page was marked with the casual ease of someone who was used to reading in what spare moments he had, and ain’t that the truth? Honestly, he had trouble absorbing it all at once, so taking information in bit by bit while he did other tasks always worked far better for him, letting him actually retain it instead of forgetting it immediately after reading.

While he turned the pages, humming softly under his breath, dark hair clustered at his temples in slight, tousled waves made worse by the steam from the coffee machine. The scent of freshly ground coffee filled his nose, underscored by the lesser hints of different types of tea, and you’d think he’d be sick of it by now, but the fact was he found it comforting. It smoothed out all the rough edges of his day and helped him to concentrate.

Leaning across, Susan stuck a receipt in front of him. “Large latte with an extra shot for the tall drink of water down at the end there.” There was a mischievous note to her voice that he’d heard before, usually when a customer was particularly easy on the eyes, and he shot her a look back as he got down to making the drink, a grudging half-smile playing about his lips. She mouthed, “Eleven out of ten,” at him, her petite frame safely hiding her behind the coffee machine, and he lifted an eyebrow, because only once in a blue moon did Susan make that sort of assessment. Working in a coffee shop this close to the university, they both got to see a lot of different people walk in and out when they were on shift. One thing he had learned, however, was that he and his fellow barista had different ideas of what was visually appealing. Maybe it’s because she’s an art student, they find the weirdest things interesting. In Susan’s case, that often extended to people, too.

The latte was done in a matter of moments, his hands moving in a familiar rhythm that was as old as time itself to him now. Flicking a quick glance to the receipt to get the name, he walked down to the end and asked, “Large latte with an extra shot for Oliver?” before sliding the drink across the counter, a slight curve of his mouth because customer service meant you were supposed to smile and be courteous. Since he’d never really mastered smiling on command because other people thought he should, this was the nearest thing that he could manage.

When he glanced up to identify the customer, though, he didn’t expect to find someone looking directly back at him, and he certainly didn’t expect to recognise the face, even dimly. Oh. It took effort not to do a double-take, because he knew he’d seen this one around somewhere and couldn’t quite place where. But everything else apart, Susan had, for once, been exactly right. High cheekbones, gloriously messy brown hair, and as he took the drink, a warm, seemingly shy smile that didn’t match with the slight cheekiness of the friendly wink he paired with it. “Thanks,” he said, and as he walked away, Marcus got a wonderfully prolonged look at exactly how long his legs were. It took actual concentration not to let his eyes wander further. Not at work. He ignored Susan, who was trying not to laugh and failing, and instead opened his textbook again.

“Well. If he meets even your impossibly high standards…” Thankfully, her voice is naturally low-pitched anyway and the boy, Oliver, had long since vacated the immediate area for a table over in the far corner, or he might actually have stepped on her foot to silence her.

“Don’t start, Susan,” Marcus warned, attention momentarily drawn from the pages in front of him, a loose scattering of diagrams and pencils notations visible. “I’ve got to get this stuff into my head before the next class if it kills me. I don’t need distractions.”

He felt rather than saw her pout. “Well, if you don’t feel like being distracted, mind if I do? Honestly, he’d make a wonderful model, I might see if I can convince him to sit for me.”

With an impatient gesture that said be my guest quite clearly, Marcus went back to his book while Susan wandered out onto the main floor of the coffee shop. Ostensibly, she’d gone to clean up, but the odds were good that she’d find an excuse to be distracted, as she put it, while she was there.

ii: oliver.

Oliver was absolutely knackered. So knackered, in fact, that the only thing stopping him from going back to his flat and murdering his flatmate in cold blood, or falling asleep in the chair he’d just sat down in was the steaming cup of coffee in his hands. When he took the first sip, his eyes actually closed for a moment because thank Christ, caffeine. On the second sip, the warmth seeped through him and took away the fact that it was freezing outside. On the third, he was recovered enough to sneak another glance up at the counter and the dark head of hair tilted downwards over what looked like a book. They’d barely exchanged words, really, but Oliver knew himself, enough to know that he definitely liked what he’d seen when the barista had handed him his coffee. Sharp jawline, faint hint of dark stubble that managed to be attractive without being scruffy, broad shoulders clad in a long-sleeved navy-blue shirt rolled back at the elbows, and that maddening hint of a smile. Another sip of the coffee, and it was enough for him to tell that it was good, definitely good enough to keep him coming back. The odds were that he was going to be spending a lot of time here, and the reason why could be summed up very succinctly. “Drunken bastards,” he muttered under his breath, opening his backpack and pulling out his notes, wincing at the state of his handwriting. Right. Best neaten these up.

“Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

Startled, Oliver looked up, not realising that his commentary had been quite so audible. However, when he realised it was the redheaded girl from behind the counter, he relaxed. “She’d wash my mouth out if she heard me,” he said, amused. “Because like every mother, she’s convinced that I’m still five and won’t believe it until I prove otherwise. That was relatively mild.”

“Aye, I figured, you being very obviously from Glasgow and all.” The impish grin that accompanied the girl’s words left him confused, until she introduced herself. “I’m Susan. Barista by whatever hours I’m designated to work, art student by trade who couldn’t help but notice you’ve been gifted with the kind of bone structure that begs to be drawn.”

The words flustered him, left him wondering how the hell to answer, so he settled on an easy smile and deflection. “Honestly, I think your counterpart might be the better candidate for that,” he said, nodding in the direction of the other barista. When he caught the playful gleam in Susan’s eyes, he kicked himself. Why do I talk? “But I’m never opposed to a new friend. I’m Oliver,” he said, offering his hand outwards. “Which you know, because I gave you my name about five minutes ago when I ordered,” he added, cringing slightly at himself. And this is why I shouldn’t try to be social when I’m tired. “Sorry, bit braindead, the coffee was necessary.”

When Susan laughed and shook his hand, he couldn’t help but be a bit relieved. Usually, he had no problem navigating new interactions, but right now he was operating on far less sleep than he actually required. When her expression took a turn for the mischievous, Oliver became sharply aware that he’d probably said something he shouldn’t have. “He’s so used to me drawing him in between taking orders at this point that he’d probably be thankful for me practicing on someone else,” she said with a theatrical sigh. “And honestly, can you blame me?”

Watching the dark-haired barista move with the kind of controlled grace that made him look almost alien when placed behind somewhere as commonplace as a coffee shop counter, Oliver couldn’t argue with her and therefore, he didn’t. Instead, he spent a few seconds mulling over the boy, wondering what his name might be and why he felt like he’d seen him before. Probably around the university or something. Fortunately, he didn’t have to answer because she switched subjects a moment later. “So what brings you to our little hole around the corner from the campus? Besides the coffee, of course. I’m guessing you weren’t cursing just now for effect.”

Oliver sighed. “I ended up with an absolute dobber for a flatmate this year. Spends more time drunk than sober, and doesn’t know when to shut it. I like a drink now and then, but not when it means I can’t get any sleep because the eejit and his mates won’t shut it at four in the morning.” He rolled his eyes, pointed at the cup. “Hence the extra shot. Eight o’clock football practice this morning, class in the afternoon and I’m done for, and still got to do some work.”

The wince of sympathy was gratifying, as were Susan’s next words. “Well, that definitely explains the swear words. Should I get our resident coffee genius to make it stronger next time?”

Oliver didn’t even pause in response. “God, yes. If he can possibly add any more caffeine without giving me the shakes or making me ill, yes.”

“He can make anything that involves coffee and tea taste palatable, it’s a gift. Do you trust me?”

“I’ve just met you.”

“I’m a barista. Trust me. Give him free rein on what he makes you next.”

Oliver was too tired to make sense of the conversation, even after the first (excellent) cup of coffee, and his notes were swimming in front of his eyes anyway. “All right. Tell him that if he can make me something that’ll keep me on my feet for the rest of the evening and tastes as good as the first one did, he’s got a guaranteed customer for life.”

iii: marcus.

Marcus was somewhat expecting the cat that’s got the cream smile on Susan’s face when she practically sashayed back behind the counter. He’d looked up only once, seen that she was talking to the attractive boy from earlier (Oliver, his brain helpfully supplied) and snorted to himself, deciding to leave her to it. If there had been a slight pang of disappointment, well, he only had himself to blame, didn’t he? And this, this was why he didn’t do distractions.

“Hey, hotshot. Pretty boy over there says he’ll drink anything you make so long as it tastes palatable and doesn’t give him the shakes. Up to the challenge?”

So much for no distractions. Of all the things he’d anticipated her saying, that hadn’t been one of them. Against his own will, Marcus found his eyes unwittingly drawn towards the boy, suddenly becoming very aware that he had dark circles beneath his eyes and actually looked outright worn out, the more so as he sifted through what looked like pages of notes spread out on the table in front of him. “Hard partier with a hangover?” he asked, rather hoping that wasn’t the case.

“Footballer with early practices, late afternoon classes and a selfish gobby prick for a housemate who thinks four in the morning is an acceptable time to be pissed as a newt,” Susan amended, only managing to further pique Marcus’ interest, while simultaneously making him wonder how exactly she managed to inveigle information out of people the way she did. “He’s had a long day. Make him something good.”

“Your wish is my command,” Marcus drawled, abandoning his textbook and turning his attention to the coffee machine. “Did you get his number already? I figured it’d take you at least ten minutes to work up to it, and that was barely five.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Susan unsuccessfully attempt to hide a smile, resolved to get her back for it later. “No, I don’t think I’m his type, though he didn’t seem to have trouble acknowledging that he finds you good-looking.”

Marcus didn’t bother restraining himself; he rolled his eyes at her quite plainly, and chose not to acknowledge the remark. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her raise her hands in surrender. “Just passing it on, even if you don’t believe me.”

“Stop bothering me, woman, if you want me to make the damned drink,” he snapped, not meaning to sound quite as snippy as he did. Thankfully, Susan had known him long enough to know the difference between him wanting to focus and him actually being annoyed, and simply stuck her tongue out at him before heading out to the storeroom to go and obtain more takeaway cups. Left in peace, Marcus spent five minutes concocting something that would tick the boxes specified with the ingredients that he had to hand. The result ended up being a monstrous latte that only just fitted in the largest takeaway cup. It looked relatively ordinary, but he was confident that it would fit the bill. “Order for Oliver?” he called.

And if he wanted to watch the other boy walk towards him, well, he didn’t have to admit it to anyone but himself. Even if his rule was no distractions, he didn’t see any harm in appreciating the view, and there was a lot about the view to appreciate. When Marcus set the takeaway cup down in front of him, there was a shy smile playing about his mouth again and God, he wished he didn’t find it as attractive as he did. When the other went to reach into his pocket, obviously intending to extract his wallet, Marcus shook his head. “Try it first,” he said, leaning elbows against the counter and not quite able to help his curiosity. He didn’t often get to see the first reaction to a new drink, so this was a rare opportunity.

When the other boy inclined his head, raised the cup in his direction and took a long drink from it, Marcus watched his reaction move from neutral to enjoyment with a slight half-smile. He didn’t get the chance to ask the question, because Oliver (don’t pretend like you don’t know his name, Flint) had a much wider smile on his face now before he spoke. “I can taste the caramel, and…apple pie? And at least a double shot in there.” It was less of a guess when he had another long drink, and damn if that response didn’t make Marcus’ day in less than ten seconds. “God, that’s exactly what I needed, and I never would have ordered it on my own. How much do I owe you?”

Marcus shook his head again. “Nothing. You just helped test out a new special for the menu,” he said, wanting to outright grin, not quite comfortable enough to let himself do it. Finding the other attractive was one thing, but actually doing something about it was another. Probably has someone, anyhow. The fact that he was even considering the matter was more than he wanted to think about, shoved it away with a nod of his head as Susan emerged from the storeroom. “Get that down your neck, you’ll feel better,” he said, before disappearing into the storeroom himself, under the pretext of checking whether or not they’d received the new blend that was supposed to be arriving. They hadn’t, but he found a mess, like he always did. With a faintly exasperated sigh, he started to tidy up, ignoring the fact that he’d just bolted in the opposite direction to the first person he’d genuinely been attracted to in almost a year. Well, I always did have a knack for self-sabotage. Or maybe I just don’t want to waste my attention on a lost cause.

iv: oliver.

Oliver had been coming to the coffee shop for a few weeks at this point, for a multitude of reasons; the first being that waking up with a hot drink in his hand before his first tutorial or before practice was infinitely preferable to staying at his flat. The second being that his flatmate hadn’t proven to be any less of an idiot as time had progressed, and while the atmosphere between them wasn’t hostile as such, it might easily go in that direction if Oliver was around the flat more often. The final reason, and the one that he was all too aware of, was the fact that the coffee shop came with the added bonus of the dark-haired barista, whose name he’d discovered only four days prior. Susan had called back to what was presumably the storeroom while Oliver had been waiting for his usual morning order (a flat white). “Marcus, are you done in there yet?” For reasons he couldn’t understand, everything seemed to click into place at that point. The name was fitting, but that was also the point where he couldn’t entirely ignore the fact that not only had he liked what he saw when he first laid eyes on the other; he’d liked it enough for the interest to continue past the initial meeting.

So the combination of irritating flatmate, burgeoning caffeine addiction, and a need to work undisturbed also happened to coincide with the fact that he was developing a small, inconvenient crush on the barista, on Marcus. They hadn’t exchanged words much, nothing more than polite conversation really, but in that time, a comfortable routine had developed. In the mornings, Oliver had his flat white. In the afternoons and evenings, Marcus often had free rein on what to make for him, and he’d never yet gotten it wrong. With a glance, dark eyes seemed able to assess what kind of day he’d had and make the drink that fitted the bill. Susan hadn’t been wrong: the other had a gift for it.

It was late one evening when Oliver approached the counter with a textbook in hand, around 8pm, and was met with the half-smile that never quite made it to something more. It held mystery, that look, and he’d rapidly learned that he didn’t mind a little mystery. “Same again?” The question, ready when he reached the counter, made him smile ruefully. “Yeah, please. This thing’s making life difficult for me.” He raised his textbook, an analysis of sport psychology that was interesting enough, but not easy to translate to the project that his professor had given him. If he hadn’t been watching, he wouldn’t have seen the flicker of surprise, however slight, that crossed Marcus’ expression when he saw the textbook. That was nothing, however, to Oliver’s reaction when the barista responded, “Yeah, that one’s not fun. Been having a bit of a wrangle with it too.”

It took a few seconds for Oliver to click. Really? So maybe that’s where I recognised you from, even if dimly. “I didn’t realise you were in there too,” he said with a smile. “How come I’ve never seen you?”

“It’s a big lecture theatre. I sit up at the back and the lecturer’s usually turned the lights down for the projectors by the time I get there. I didn’t know you were in there either, to be fair.” That was when the usual half-smile that he’d become strangely used to widened, and oh, Oliver wasn’t prepared for that, because if the effect of the half-smile was bad, the full smile was absolutely devastating by comparison. He was sure that he was staring like a fool, and he didn’t have the will to sort it out. Pull yourself together.

“I’m aiming for physiotherapist eventually,” Marcus continued, seemingly not registering Oliver’s reaction. “But I’ve not seen you in any of my other classes, which are somewhat smaller, so I’m guessing you’re taking a slightly different direction.”

It took Oliver a few seconds to form a coherent sentence, and under other circumstances, he would have been really bloody well embarrassed about that, but Christ, he’s only human and that smile was like attacking the unarmed. “Yeah, I…I’ve been scouted for football, so most of what I’m doing is geared towards being able to coach and help other athletes if that doesn’t pan out,” he said. Though he knew that he was good at what he did, he wasn’t naturally a braggart. He felt the weight of Marcus’ scrutiny when the other looked at him more closely, and Jesus, he did the exact opposite of handling it well when the appraisal seemed to run past his face to the spread of his shoulders. Don’t blush, for the love of God.

“What position?”

The question caught Oliver off-guard, because his mind immediately went to places that it quite definitely wasn’t supposed to go while he was in public (I can think of lots of those), and the dark-haired barista (and incipient physiotherapist, apparently) could have easily chosen a better way of wording that. Was that deliberate? He couldn’t tell. Marcus’ expression was unreadable besides the smile and the tilted head. It was impossible to work out whether the other had spotted his preoccupation and decided to mess with him. If he did, game on. “Any number of positions, really, but I’m currently playing keeper,” he said, opting to accompany the words with a grin of his own, daring to put just a little flirtation behind the remark. When he heard a slight spluttering sound from further down the counter, he didn’t need to look to know that Susan had caught the gist of what he was implying, and he cringed because he’d honestly forgotten she was there at all. However, it was Marcus that sent her on the retreat with a truly impressive glare that made her disappear back into the stockroom, while Oliver wished for the ground to swallow him up as promptly as possible.

“I play striker, sometimes.” The conversation had turned back to football, and Oliver was thankful for it. Plays and strategies, he could discuss until light turned to dark, even if he was meant to be wrangling his way through the textbook still in his hands. Apparently Marcus’ attention span was much better than his, because in the time that they’d been talking, he’d still managed to make Oliver’s drink and mark the current page in his own textbook, tucked covertly beneath the counter as it generally was. To Oliver’s surprise, he smiled again, but this time there was an obvious edge of embarrassment to it. “Just realised I’m being a bit of an idiot, by the way. I’m Marcus; don’t recall ever telling you that.” When he came out from behind the counter, Oliver then got his first good look, up close, at exactly how the other dressed. A faded band t-shirt and a pair of dark, rumpled jeans that clung to all the right places. When the other offered his hand out awkwardly and Oliver closed fingers around his for the handshake, he grinned again. “Good to meet you properly. I’ll see you in our lecture, I guess. I’d better get back to work.” When he met the other’s eyes as they released grip, however, the brush of their fingers lingered and he wasn’t immune to the spark of that touch, far from it. Whoa. The other didn’t need to know that he’d already been fully aware of his name before now. “Yeah, you too. See you later.” And with that, they parted ways, Marcus back behind the counter, Oliver returning to his usual seat with coffee in one hand, textbook in the other, and quite probably a really stupid smile on his face like he’d just been hit between the eyes.

What Marcus also didn’t need to know was that his small, ridiculous crush had gone from mildly out of hand to completely insane in the span of about ten minutes, if that.

This is really not a good thing. What am I going to do about this?

#flintwood #flintwoodnet #something brewing #coffee shop au #ol writes things

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