#i just want to add i really appreciate everything you guys has done to me for the past 2 years

[miutonium]

I need to constantly remind myself that it's not 2016 and there's actually people that like me and my art 🤧🤧🤧💕

[healer-pop]

hii im here to add to ur ask night LOOL any personal ideas on how venture flirts? like what kind of stuff they say to get you going etc.

okok ok. bare with me but there is so much I want to get into here. there’s differences in Venture’s flirting style depending on a couple of things:

1.) your relationship to them

this is the biggest circumstance that changes most of their style, mainly because they are far too nervous to fuck up any possibility once they’ve gotten too attached, but if they just have a slight crush on you, it’ll be less obvious.

I’m talking about the difference between Venture knocking over everyone’s morning drink while trying to get you yours, stumbling over their words hopelessly, walking into a pit accidentally while talking to you, and just otherwise being a fool while head over heels in love with you, too scared to make a move or confession (especially if you’re a more reserved person!) because they appreciate your time and company more than any romantic motives they might have, even though it’s completely obvious to everyone not the two of you AND being such a goof ball you just have the absolute unbearable urge to kiss their flushed cheeks, even platonically, having inside jokes with you that make you laugh so hard your ribs hurt for days, always knowing your favorite of everything, bursting out dancing with them when some sort of goofy song starts on their playlist, and them inviting you to watch the stars with them.

they’re not mutually exclusive, one can edge into the other easily, but Venture sometimes has a problem catching up with their own emotions when they’re so focused on archeology first and everything else second. it tends to be the latter one first which progresses into the other one, but it can seriously go either way. but either way, they aren’t outright flirting with you because they just don’t seem to be that type *cough, cough* wORKAHOLIC. unless Tracer and D.Va are having a best pickup line competition, then you’ll see a bit more of their witty, smoother side. But again, it’s not serious, until…

you get into a relationship with them

this is where Venture absolutely thrives. and this isn’t a second section because this is dependent on what your status to them is. your partner flirts with you in so many different ways, it’s almost hard to keep track of. they are so loving that it’s seriously all encompassing. before I move on, I’ll just state that they are way more self-assured when your relationship status to them is clear and stable. at the beginning, they’ll be more mild, but as time goes on, they’ll get more openly affectionate to the point that it’s nearly impossible to tell you guys AREN’T together. it’s very ebb and flow, though, because Venture spends a ton of time in the field, and when you guys aren’t together, it tends to come over text/calls, which is obviously more private.

so going down the list:

Venture loves to use cheesy pick up lines on you!!! Humor is a major part of their personality and you’ll catch lines like “Are you a Shambali monk? Because you’re totally transcending my mind.” and “I would never bury our love in a coniferous forest, because the acidity of the soil would ruin any chance of preservation.” they don’t really care who’s around to hear as long as they’ve got you either giggling or hiding your face in embarrassment. definitely to the dismay of the other Wayfinders, lol. they’ll shout it across a field, down from a pit to hear their words of love echo back to you.

They will always carry your favorite snacks and drinks in their pack or pockets! Those cargo pants have huge pockets and Venture puts them to good use, by always having your favorites on hand, when you visit them at their excavation sites! It’s so sweet, and 100% done for your own happiness. They always manage to know just what you’re craving and have it nearby. It’s like a primal thing or something. Being able to always nourish your love.

PHYSICAL TOUCH!!!!!!! Venture is a super, duper touchy person when they are in a relationship with you. Not so much when it’s anyone else. Their compliments may always seem physical, but that’s because it’s their love language. Noticing how soft your hair looks, or how plush your lips are… it’s like a Freudian slip. They’re basically asking to kiss or pet you, whatever they mention at the time is on their mind. Later in the relationship, they’ll end up just doing what they want to do before it comes out, but hugging, kissing, or always having a hand on your waist is second nature to them. It’s also a huge turn on to them, when you reciprocate. Even brushing your hair through their hair has them pulling you off for a quick make-out session. They are completely shameless about your ruffled clothes and tangled hair. The hickies too. Those are like Venture’s personal touches on the masterpiece that is your body.

Finally, their texts and calls. when they aren’t by your side, they crave you. they crave your company and attention. expect flowery, overly emoji-ed, gushy texts, from them whenever they get a chance. prefers video calls so they can see your face. they blow up your phone at lunchtime and fall asleep with you on call.

WOW THIS GOT LONG LOL SORRY I AM SO PASSIONATE ABT MY CHEESY LOML

[kingofbodyrolls]

BTS fic recs: November 2023

I want to thank each and every writer on this list for creating such wonderful stories and art - you are truly amazing ✨ All the fics on this list hold a dear place in my heart 🥹

❗Most of these fics are smutty as hell, so minors dni.❗ 

If you read anything on this list and you like it, please leave a comment to the writer or reblog the original fic’s post to let them know that they’re appreciated 💜 And if you want more fic recs you can follow me to stay updated 🙂

BTS fic rec index → May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep (jjk)(knj) | Oct (pjm) | 💜 (*) | Dec (ksj)(kth) |

Emoji meaning → angst = 🌩️, smut = 🥵, fluff = 🥰, comedy = 😂, yandere = 😈, thriller/dark = 👻, personal favorites = 💯.

Namjoon

⭐Friend or Fuck by @joonsmagicshop [8K] // knj x f.reader // f2l // 🥵

📝 A drunken night leads to a good morning.

🗨️ I really liked this 🥺 Namjoon was just so sweet, caring and gentle with OC. Really loved it 👏🏾 but why, oh why did Jungkook have to cockblock them 😂 I wanted the smut alright! The build up was so good, I was slightly frustrated with the ending 🙈 yes I’m a slut for smut okay 🙈 I’m hoping for a part two ✌🏾🙏🏾💜

⭐Emotions of the Soul 💯by @oddinary4bts [36.6K] // knj x f.reader // idol!au, childhood/teenage lovers to s2l2l // 🥵🌩️🥰

📝 When Namjoon reappears in your life after thirteen years of absence, you find yourself unsure of what he means to you, and of what you mean to him. Anxiety reigns over you, but will it be enough to drag you away from Kim Namjoon?

🗨️ This is another masterpiece from Ella! She is incredible at writing idol!au’s that just feels so goddamn natural and real 👏 The way Namjoon is written is just perfection and OC with her struggles, and they are goddamn human, yes – and that’s one of the beautiful parts in it!!! 😭I also reminded me of my own teenage breakup (gosh I was stupid back then, but not because of the breakup lol 😂). Anyway, please go and read it! As with everything Ella write, this is another to add to my favorites 💜

Seokjin

Nothing this month 😞

Yoongi

⭐Workaholic 💯by @hobiwonder [10K] // myg x f.reader // “‘strangers” to lovers (I don’t want to spoil!) // 🥵😂🥰

📝 Yoongi needs to relax and Hoseok has many tricks up his sleeve to make him. None of them Yoongi thought included hiring a hooker to pay him a visit one stormy night. 

🗨️ Wow okay, this was so freaking great! Like, what??? Incredible! A masterpiece! I really really loved it 🥺 everything was so fucking good, their chemistry, the tense build up ugh, so fucking good! 💯 ✨

⭐Little bit of your Heart by @yoongiofmine [wordcount loading…] // myg x f.reader, jjk x f.reader // exes!au, fwb!au // 🥵

📝 You had everything you could ever dream of; the career of your dreams as a music producer, the best friends you could ever wish for, and a exes-turned-friends-turned-fuck-buddies relationship with Min Yoongi. You knew you and Yoongi would never move past that and you were okay with it. Until a friend from your past comes back into your life, offering to give you everything you deserve, everything Yoongi couldn’t. Will Jungkook show you what you’ve been missing? Or will the new guy threaten Yoongi enough to do something about it? 

🗨️ Yes here we go a new series from Ella! ✨ Yoongi already seems so done with Jungkook and they have barely spoken 😂 looking forward to how that develops 🤭

⭐What the Moon Saw + Stolen Tides 💯by @violetsiren90 // myg x f.reader // non-idol!au, f2l // 🥵🥰🌩️

📝 In the words of the great Stevie Nicks, "Time makes you bolder, even children get older, and I'm getting older too."

🗨️ This is just so fucking beautiful. Everything. About. It. Period. 😭 It is emotional, it is young love, and it is tender and loving - like, Yoongi is just so sweet. Their timing sucks, but thankfully Violet wrote a beautiful drabble to give the couple a lovely ending! 💜 Truly, please go read it, it is so good I was crying and felt so good after, it’s sweet – OKAY I’M SOFT I know.

Hoseok

⭐Flight 18 💯by @noona-la-la-la [9.5K] // jhs x f. reader // flight!au, idol!au // 🥵😂

📝 Korean Air Flight 18 leaves daily from Los Angeles traveling to Seoul.  You’ve taken this flight before, but this time you’ve got an irritating passenger in the neighboring seat.  Little did you know that he would end up giving you the ride of your life.

🗨️ This was just really really amazing; utterly funny (like I was laughing at certain points), so much sexual tension that evolves into satisfying smut 😗

Jimin

⭐The Airport Couple: P[ass]anger from Hell + Drabble 💯by @dovechim & @jimlingss [8K] // pjm x f.reader // e2l, frequent traveler jimin x tsa agent reader // 😂😂😂🥰

📝 As a TSA agent, you expect your job to be relatively easy, most passengers these days follow the rules to the T in order to avoid prolonging their custom checks. But not a certain Park Jimin, who seems to have a problem understanding what 100ml is, or the very simple fact that gadgets must be taken out of the bag, and bomb jokes are strictly off limits. Frequent traveller Park Jimin is your nemesis, but darn is he a cute one.

🗨️ This is just so fucking hilarious, don’t get me started. I laughed from beginning to end 😂 And it’s still as good as I remember, if not even better??? Like ✨ I’ve highlighted a few of my favorite parts from the fic. I don’t want to give too much away, but these lines are just so damn hilarious! Please go read it, it’s one of my faves 💯

⭐The Airport Couple: Park Jimin’s Cock[pit] 💯by @jimlingss & @dovechim [12K] // pjm x f.reader // pilot!au, bf2l, coworkers!au // 😂🥰🥵

📝 Talk about Angry Birds, and most people would immediately think of the mobile game app. But within your circle of friends, it stands for something else. It’s synonymous with Park Jimin, one of the most talented pilots from your batch who also just happens to have anger issues, or in other words, air rage. He is your best friend, but when you get teamed up with him as his co-pilot, you can only pray that things don’t go south… literally. 

🗨️ I remember reading this a few years ago, and I loved it then and I still do ✨ It is incredibly funny, has good banter and dialogue to match. The chemistry between reader and Jimin is just priceless, their friendship is just pure giggles 🥹 It’s also fluffy and will tug on your heartstrings in the best way possible. Just really, really good and definitely also one of my all-time favorites 💯💜

⭐Flowers & Sex by @7deadlysinsfics [4.5K] // pjm x f.reader // fwb, f2l au, pwp // 🥰🥵🌩️

📝 You’re in need of a warm body and a good fuck. who better than your friend park jimin?

🗨️ Just really cute 🥺 Hoseok (readers ex in this) is a douche though, like why did she have to go back to him ugh 🥴 but I like how the story developed and reader realized her feelings after she took her ex back. Loved Jimin and how he gave her flowers 💐 he was so fucking cute 🥺🌸

⭐Heaven with You by @acc3ssdenied [4.7K] // pjm x f.reader // friends to ??? // 🥵

📝 All good things happen after 2 am - at least, that was what you believed. Whoever thought it was a good idea for a group of twelve young adults to play drunk truth or dare obviously agreed with you.

🗨️ Oh this was some filthy smut 🥵 And that kiss with Taehyung was downright slutty – a really good pwp 🥵

⭐Have some Respect by @chim-chimmie [4.2K] // pjm x f.reader // school/college!au, teacher!jimin // 🥵

📝 Your teacher Park Jimin has had enough of you disrespecting him, so he taught you a little lesson.

🗨️ Okay, okay, I know the teacher x student dynamic is a touchy subject, and not always well executed, but hear me out, alright. This was so freaking sinful, like my soul needs to take a shower now??? 🥵

⭐Rush by @bangtanfanfiction [4K] // pjm x f.reader // idol!jimin // 🥵🥰

📝 After not seeing your boyfriend for several weeks, his latest performance definitely made something in you snap. And at a award show of all things.

🗨️ A good pwp with smut that is 🔥

⭐How Long? by @jiminniethemarshmallow [4K] // pjm x f.reader // established relationship // 🥵🥰

📝 No summary!

🗨️ I also remember reading this a few years ago and it’s still so fucking hot and filthy 🥵

⭐Turbulence by @yminie [9.3K] // pjm x f.reader // flight!au // 🥵🥰

📝 On your first flight the cute boy next to you helps to sooth your nerves, and on the second flight he soothes something else.

🗨️ Gosh, I remember reading this a few years back and I’ve actually read it multiple times, it’s just so incredible 👏🏾 the smut is freaking hot, and Jimin is just 🤯 well, he’s being a sweet fluffball, but then a smexy God 🥵 like wtf! The duality is insane! One of my favorites and I’m looking forward to rereading part two ✨💜

⭐Accelerate by @yminie [8.9K] // pjm x f.reader // flight!au // 🥵🥰

📝 Jimin comes to retrieve his jacket on the condition that you then accompany him for dinner, and you can bet he satiates every hunger.

🗨️ I haven’t re-read this yet – but I remember I loved it 💜(I’ll insert my rec here when I have read it again).

Taehyung

Nothing this month 😞

Jungkook

⭐Love à Trois [series; ongoing] by @letjungcoook7 [13.1K] // jjk x f.reader x pjm // slice of life, f2l+s2l, roommates!au, college!au, love triangle // 🥵🌩️

📝 You and Jimin secretly have feelings for each other, you both realize your dream of studying at the same college and sharing an apartment, but when financial issues start to arise, you have to seek a third roommate. and guess who fate sends your way? Jungkook, the same guy who took your virginity back in high school.

🗨️ This is really good! There’s two chapters up so far and they are really good! It’s so interesting to see the love triangle unfold. Really enjoyed this 🌸 It’s just getting better and better ✨ I really loved the backstory of how both Jimin and OC realized they had feelings for each other 🥺 so good and really looking forward to the next chapter 😍

⭐Sweet Obsession by @letjungcoook7 [2.5K] // jjk x f.reader // established relationship, plussize!reader // 🥵🥰

📝 When a coworker starts to show interest in you, your boyfriend becomes jealous.

🗨️ Whaaaaaaaat 🥹This was so incredibly sweet and tender! As a plus-sized curvy girl, this was such a good and lovely read 💖 Another banger from Lua💜

⭐The Wedding Planners 💯by @gukyi [28K] // jjk x f.reader // e2l, wedding!au // 😂🥰🌩️🥵

📝 Jeon jungkook is three things: cocky, terrible, and your worst enemy. then your best friend hoseok gets engaged to the love of his life, and suddenly jeon jungkook is four things: cocky, terrible, your worst enemy, and the man you will be spending the next seven months with in order to plan your best friend’s wedding. 

🗨️ I also remember reading this a few years ago and it was just a very funny and pleasant reread 💜 What I love about this is one, is definitely the slow-burn and the enemies to lovers aspect too. The banter between reader and Jungkook is just so priceless and reading how their relationship slowly unfolds and develops through the months of the wedding planning was just everything 💯 Hoseok and Yoongi’s personality in this also makes this fic truly amazing.

⭐Fragment of the Past (1)(2)(3) [series; completed] 💯by @ctrlsht [28.1K] // jjk x f.reader // patient!jk x psychiatrist!reader // 🌩️😈👻🥵

📝 You are a well-known and respected psychiatrist and author. You start treating Jungkook, who suffers from PTSD after surviving an extremely traumatic incident. As you help him confront his traumatic past, he begins to act strangely, and you start uncovering something about him that will change everything.

🗨️ Another first for me, with the thriller vibes and damn it delivers on that! It’s really, really good 👏 Pacing is really good and how we see more and more of Jungkook’s disturbing traits is just brilliant ✨If you want my full review of it, you can find it here (it does contain spoilers though!). And I really think you shouldn’t spoil it! Just go read it if you’re into the darker stuff, because my heart was racing so damn fast! This is the best thriller yandere au I’ve read to date 💜

⭐Lost on You by @letjungcoook7 [2.1K] // jjk x f.reader // established relationship // 🥵

📝 You're just so obsessed with your boyfriend. you would do anything for him.

🗨️ Ehm excuse me Lua, mirror sex???? 🥵 Fucking hell that was a hot one, like I almost feel like I need to take a shower 😂 another banger from you! And the dirty talking too, aish 🥵 💖

OMG November has truly been an exceptional month! There was my 30th birthday of course, and then I received so my love for my series ‘friendcation’ that I was crying with all the beautiful words and reviews I got 😭 I am so thankful for every one of you, whether you interact with my fic recs or my own – thank you! 💜

Borahae 💜

[sweetcollywobbles]

my yandere!leon headcanons so far MDNI

hello! these are just a few headcanons i had about leon as a yandere and a person in general. there is nsfw below the cut, so MINORS AND AGELESS BIOS FUCK OFF ‼ also feel free to send me your thoughts on yandere!leon and your personal headcanons if you have any!!

xx

sfw

⟢ he's self-aware that what he's done to you is horrible. he knows you have every right to hate him, but that doesn't stop him from wishing you would love him back. he never meant to hurt or deceive you, but he's lost and given too much. leon wants someone to come home to, share a meal with, and feel needed and wanted. to receive a sliver of what he's given out. so forgive him if he's being selfish when it comes to you, but he deserves happiness too. so why not help him play house?

⟢ smells of bergamot and lavender. it’s nice and relaxing, but also musky and woodsy. he read somewhere that lavender calms the nerves, so he just absolutely lathers himself in the scent. Sometimes you swear he smells like sleep personified. unfortunately, he’s still a man, so he uses old spice lavender body wash. for cologne, he uses sauvage by dior. 

⟢ normalcy is hard. how can anyone go back into society as if the amount of  horrors you’ve seen, aren’t there? like you’re fine and everything is fine? so, leon has found a pretty good remedy, company. each friday, a sit down dinner with claire, chris, and jill. pizza, wings, and beer every sunday with chris watching whatever football game is on. sometimes they may not know the current standings of teams, but it’s fun to pretend that they do. yet friends can only fill the void so much, maybe with you, the world won’t feel so lonely. 

⟢ he has a major sweet tooth! likes his coffee with cream and sugar, won’t drink his coffee black unless he really needs it. leon will always have room for dessert lmao. has tried to bake, but he just doesn’t got it 💀something just always goes wrong. a big ice cream/frozen yogurt guy. once a month, leon will make a “everything under the kitchen sink” sundae. he’ll dump whatever pints of ice cream into a large bowl and top it off with whatever candy, syrup, and whip topping he has. leon is usually on a very strict diet, so why not splurge?

⟢ leon on his off time has taught himself how to smoke/grill meat. only knows how to make small side dishes to go with the meat that he’s made. mashed potatoes and grilled veggies are usually his two favorite go-to sides. 

⟢ i'm a firm believer that leon's receiving love languages are quality time and words of affirmation with a hint of acts of service. leon works a lot, whether at the office or away on another mission, this poor, tired man is always working. so when he's home be prepared to be attached at the hip. leon also has a lot of self-doubt and guilt about what he's done to you, so by telling him how much you love and appreciate him, it feeds his growing delusion that what he's done is necessary. you need him just as much as he needs you. it also adds to the reassurance when you do small things for him to show your love and appreciation, whether it’s real or not. like cleaning and folding his laundry, making him a cup of coffee in the morning, back rubs after a long day, or even packing his lunch for the day. 

i’m giggling at the thought of leon keeping all the small notes you add to his lunch, reading them when the day gets tough. or maybe he has one or two in a go-bag when he has to take small out-of-state trips for work. 

⟢ building off the one before, he won't admit it but he's clingy. he prefers showers, but will choose a bath if it means he gets a small intimate moment with you in the morning. not in a sexual sense, more in a “let’s bask in each other’s presence”. never sits across from you at a table or booth, always next to you. same thing for the couch. there could be a thousand pillows on the bed, but he always chooses yours. leon will also never lets you sleep facing any windows/doors for security reasons. there is no such thing as personal space with this man.

⟢ since leon is a yandere his reciprocating love language is all of them. he wants you to stay with him, so he is willing to drown you in his love until it's the only thing you'll ever know. i'm going to break this down a little in sections.  

⟡ leon isn't the best when it comes to choosing the words that relay how he feels. the words feel wrong and it leaves him awkward. so any sort of verbal praise from him is rare. the most you would get from him is a thumbs up and a "sure" or a pat on the back with a nod.

(😀👍🏻 <— leon fr) but, put a piece of paper infront of this man and all of a sudden he's writing words that’ll make shakespear blush. it's words so sickly sweet it gives you a toothache. leon really hates himself for not being able to verbal relay this to you, but maybe you can feel what he wants to say?

⟡ leon is just really good at showing you how he feels than telling you. I KNOW THIS MAN WOULD GIVE THE BEST HUGS BECAUSE HE SO DESPERATELY NEEDS ONE. just imagining leon giving you a bear hug, fully enveloping you, and he can't help but hold you a little closer. maybe even holds your head a little more to him. his eyes are closed, soaking up the loving moment, he might even do a little sigh of relief. because with you, he's safe. with you, he's loved. and he just wants you to feel the love he has for you through every action. to feel what he can't say. (SORRY I GOT OFF TRACK!!) leon also always has to be touching you in some way. his favorite places for kisses; nose, cheek, neck, or hand. every morning, when he's holding you close, he'll leave small repeated kisses on your neck until you wake up giggling. not really into lip kisses, but will sometimes start a lazy make out session. just loves holding you whenever he can and making sure you feel loved at all times.

⟡ leon will also do the most for you. having a hard time sleeping? he's awake with you, lightly scratching your back in small circles or holding you close while he's running his fingers through your hair. leon just can't sleep knowing that you're having a hard time sleeping. hungry but don't want to cook? he's in the kitchen cheffing it up. putting love in every plate that he makes you, even if it isn't restaurant quality. i feel like leon will also leave you small notes around the house in places that you would find, but it's little drawings instead of words. in the slow cooker, a picture of a flower. in between the dryer sheets, a bad stick figure drawing of what you think is of you and him. at some random page of the book you're reading, a simple heart. 

⟡ leon loves spending time with you. it doesn't matter what it is, even if you're doing nothing. he wants to do nothing with you. his favorite thing to do with you is listen to you. whether you’re rambling about the latest tv drama he knows nothing about or it’s late at night and you’re reading whatever book you’ve picked up. he loves being in the kitchen when you’re cooking/baking. he’s your dedicated sous chef, so feel free to boss him around like your gordon ramsay. although, i’m so sorry for the amount of “my name is sue” jokes he’ll make. loves watching movies, putting together legos/ doing diy crafts, and playing mario kart. 

I NOTICED THIS WAS GETTING LONG AND IDK IF I EXPLAINED THIS WELL BUT IM HOPING I DID. THIS WAS SOOOO SELF INDULGENT.

⟢ when it comes to pet names, leon will add a “my” to the start of it. he’s possessive and it shows in his actions. will often say: my girl, my sweetheart, my baby, my angel, etc.

nsfw (i’m not good at smut sorry)

⟢ the praise problem does not equate to what happens in the bedroom. i'm sorry, i just simply refuse. a complete 180, he's a talker. whether it's saying something so outlandishly lewd like he wants the whole world to hear or sickly sweet nothings in your ear, this dude will NOT stfu. (and it makes me giggle and kick my feet) I WILL PUT MY LIFE ON THE LINE AND SAY THAT THIS MAN IS ABSOLUTELY FERAL IN BED. he's always stressed. from his job, from the lack of self care, from the past that just never seems to leave him. he's on edge. he has healthy ways of releasing it, but sometimes the gym or extra training isn't enough. 

⟢ which can lead to leon being a little mean in bed. he’s absolutely degrading the life out of you while also giving you whiplash with the praise that he gives you as well. leon is a lot more aggressive and at some point you’re just a fleshlight to him. spanking, choking, biting, spitting, you name it, it is on the table. also licking whatever drool comes out of his mouth makes him lose his mind fr.

⟢ i'm not good at writing smut, but i do have an idea of what i think leon's favorite sex positions would be. the first one would be mating press. it's extremely intimate and it allows him to be close to your face and neck than the regular missonary position. again, he really gets off knowing that he's the one getting you off. another postition would be cowgirl, it gives him full view of your chest and face, except you're not really riding him. again, he just using you as a fleshlight like giving you the perception that you’re in control. another would be you on your belly and him basically putting you in a headlock. IDK WHAT IT’S CALLED BUT IF YKYK. and leon just saying the most down right atrocious things in your ear would make me go crazy. 

YOU’RE GONNA SIT THERE AND TELL ME YOU DON’T WANT HIS HUGE ARMS AROUND YOUR NECK, YOU’RE INSANE. 

⟢ last but not least, ✨moaning✨. i like to think that he’s a grunter and whiner at the same time. idk if that makes any sense? he’s loud but not obscenely loud. but sometimes when he overstimulates himself, he’s a complete whiner like lovi (again if ykyk).

[variety-fangirl]

Neighbours / Moon Boys x fem!reader

Summary: you're the new neighbour, looking for a change of scenery and people, a fresh start. Your neighbour, Steven, is someone you find yourself trusting easily and quickly. Something about you both draws the other in, enticing each other to explore what this could mean. Yet, you have a secret about why you moved, will you feel comfortable enough to open up to him?

Warnings: 18+ NO MINORS angst but mostly fluffy, mentions of previous toxic and abusive relationship (beginning of physical abuse, manipulation, and emotional abuse), swearing, let me know if I missed anything! Will add more later as the story progresses.

Author's note: Hello! I am back with something quick and lovely that I have been working on for a while. It feels good to get slowly back in to writing 😊 College really had taken so much out of me and my joy for writing when all I was doing for 10 months straight was writing long essays, it was also nice to take these months to relax and come to terms with everything. So much has been happening 😮‍💨 But I hope I will be back more consistently now, fingers crossed! I've been mostly writing to get new and fun ideas, hoping it would entice and inspire me to write. I hope you guys enjoy anyways and feel free to ignore my rant 😅 Feedback, comments, likes and reblogs would be greatly appreciated and lets me know how I'm doing. Thank you for reading and enjoy my loves 💜

Word count: 1.9k

You huff as you place another box on the floor of your new apartment, watching the movers bring in two more. You felt thankful that you had decided to pay extra for the movers to help you bring all your belongings up, far too much to have done on your own.

There were endless stairs, and it would have taken you hours to bring it all up here yourself, especially with your new sofa, bed, and dining room set. All were bought cheaply from a friend second-hand who was more than happy to help you. She was one of the only ones you'd told where you were going, and had left your address and new number with to contact you. Everything new and different, nothing to remind you of the old life that you'd left behind.

You started unpacking the basics whilst they brought the rest up, there were still quite a few boxes because you had to buy most stuff brand new. Luckily you had hidden as much money as possible before leaving, so you had more than enough to buy what you needed. You would work on buying extras and niceties when you had spare money throughout, you'd moved far enough that you were hoping not to have to move again unless you wanted to in the future.

That was at least the hope. Not because you were forced to leave in the middle of the night terrified for your life.

You try to take a deep breath as you subconsciously rub at the scar on your neck, you are safe now. You wanted to distract yourself for as long as possible, so you sorted the boxes out where they needed to go, to their newly allocated rooms.

It would be weird to live on your own again after so long, it had been five years since you'd run away from home and four since you'd started dating and moved in with your now ex, Noah. It was a scary thought once more, to be alone. More alone now than you'd been before, at least you had your best friend, Natalie, at home. Now, she lives four hours away from your new place in London.

You made her promise to conceal your number and hide your address, you knew he'd go to her first to ask where you'd gone. She would lie, she'd always been good at it but he wasn't stupid. He knew you would have told her, you just prayed he wouldn't hurt her. You could never forgive yourself if she got hurt because of you.

She was one of the only people who meant anything to you in this world. She at least had her boyfriend, Tyler, who was like a brother to you. He would protect her, he always hated Noah for how he treated you. Tyler had hated Noah from the moment he met him, made you known of it also but you just chalked it up to a bad first impression and yet it never improved no matter how much time they spent together. It wasn't until three years in that Noah showed his true colours and by that point, it was too late. You were in deep and he was a master manipulator and narcissist, he'd played you well. He almost came between you and Nat but she wouldn't allow it, tried to make you see him for who he really was. It didn't take much convincing when the major problems started in the last year of your relationship together.

The first time he'd hit you was a year before you left him, he apologised and said he was drunk. The typical excuse and blame on anything but himself. Promised he "won't do it again", two months go by and it happens again but this time more frequently. He drank more, went out frequently, and came back later. By the six-month mark, you caught him cheating for the first time (that you knew of).

That was the moment you vowed to leave him, it was as if all the years of manipulation and abuse faded away and you came to your senses. You had to save enough though to leave, so you let Nat and Tyler know of your plans and they helped you to set everything up. It took you six months of planning and saving, and you were finally ready.

The night finally came, you waited and told him before he had a drink, that you were leaving him. He started out crying, begging you not to leave him, you didn't budge. He tried to initiate sex, but you said no and he didn't like that. That night was the worst abuse you had endured the whole of your relationship combined. He threatened you, managed to get you down on the living room floor with a knife in hand, and held it to your neck to the point of blood drawn. You sobbed, pleaded with him, said just about anything to get him to calm down. You would still leave but you would say anything to get him off you. He began slowly slicing your neck open whilst screaming that he loved you, only luckily managing to get an inch before you kicked him in the balls hard enough that he collapsed just to the side of you.

You ran to the bathroom and locked the door, terrified out of your mind. You grabbed the first aid kit to clean and patch up the gash on your neck. Having done this a few times when he threw stuff at you or pushed you into surfaces sharp enough to cut skin. You had a few scars all over your body, it wasn't pretty but you wore them proudly to signify that you were a survivor. He tried to bash down the door before leaving, yelling about going to the bar and he would 'see to you later'. You knew that would be your only open window to leave, he would be at least two hours there. You immediately called your best friend, she and Tyler came over to help you in any way they could.

You packed two suitcases of clothes and shoes, a duffel bag of prized possessions and important bits, a backpack of money and goods to sell, and quickly changed from your bloody clothes into something clean but comfortable. You grabbed the first aid kit too for your neck. Everything was packed into your car in less than an hour, saving you enough time to wipe anything important and any trace of you behind, away. You immediately booked a two-day stay at a cheap hotel an hour away on Natalie's computer for the night so you could figure out your next move. He would come looking for you the second that he realised your stuff was gone and that terrified you, he was not a man who gave up on things he wanted.

It had taken you two months to find this apartment after a lot of rejections and failed apartment searches. It had immediately caught your eye when you saw the ad for it on one of the apartment renting sites. It was perfect for your situation. Multiple floors of tenants would make it far harder to search through unless you knew which floor to look at so you could blend among your new neighbours. A locked front door that had a security number code to be allowed entry and without it you couldn't enter. Security cameras on each floor show all angles of the apartments, which each tenant has access to for their safety and peace of mind through an app you can download on your phone.

You had downloaded and gained access before you'd started moving the boxes in. You were given access a week beforehand, which helped your anxiety and tight chest to ease just an inch. You knew it would take some time for you to feel safe and be able to walk down the street without looking over your shoulder every five minutes or keep your taser on hand in your pocket with your fingers gripping it just in case. You were constantly worried and paranoid that he was watching you from around the corner like he would pop out at any moment and drag you "home".

The police had never given a fuck about you or your situation, Noah's family has money and connections, so it was always swept under the rug. Just another number, another person to suffer in silence, until one day your dead body would have turned up. They would just pretend they didn't know. A murder gone wrong, you imagine they would chalk it up to.

You take a few calming breaths whilst unpacking, listening to the footsteps and quiet chatter from the moving company men. It eased the anxiety when someone was around, it helped you to feel safer and calmer. As if, if someone was with you or near you, you could be protected from the 'big bad wolf'. You were hoping to become friendly with some or all of the neighbours on your floor, not just for safety in case something happens but also because you'd never been allowed to make new friends with your old neighbours. Noah had made sure of that.

So, you were hoping that this move would be the perfect opportunity for you to do so. You loved to bake cakes and savoury treats but hadn't been able to with Noah because he always ruined things you loved, but now he was gone you could finally pick it back up again. You were planning to bake something sweet as a gesture to introduce yourself to your neighbours, hoping it would make a good first impression.

You walked back into the open apartment that was now your own little safe haven and smiled with contentment, this was the start of a happy new beginning for you. No more fearing what mood Noah would be in that day when he woke up, no more being abused daily, no more sobbing silently into your pillow or taking an emotionally broken moment of peace to cry out your feelings in the shower after he'd hit you. Just you, your new clean apartment, and the ability to do as you please without fear.

It didn't take the movers long to bring the remainder of your boxes up between the three of them. They took off just moments ago, and now you were finally alone. It felt strange, not hearing shouting or items smashing. Just pure blissful silence in your home. Your own place to do with as you please. It felt wonderful to have freedom.

You felt tears cloud your vision as you stared out the window you'd opened when you first stepped inside the apartment, feeling the warm Summer air blow in. The overwhelming emotions of freedom and serenity hit you like a punch to the gut, a sob immediately pulled from you as you sank to the ground. You felt the year-long toll of abuse and terror that had been weighing down your shoulders finally crumble and release you while the sun flowed into the room. You fought the battle and came out victoriously on top for the first time in your life and it felt amazing.

Once the sobs quieted down and the tears had stopped, you took a moment for yourself. You opened a bottle of your favourite wine and picked up an empty glass to pour yourself a drink. You took the bottle with you as you sat back down on the floor in front of the open window, feeling the warm breeze kiss your skin gently and watched the sun in peace. It was still early in the day, you would have plenty of time to unpack later on. But for now, you just want to relax without worry for the first time in a long time.

[forever-once-gone]

New Drabble! On The First Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me...

This is a drabble! To read the first part click here! And please I hope you all read this since you guys seem to love this pair.

Pairing: Yandere!Namjoon x Reader x Yandere!Jungkook

Genre: Yandere AU, angst

Word Count: 3.2k

Summary: Before you had gotten kidnapped by your boss and his fiancé, you had to first meet the Mr. Jeon that you heard so much about. So, how exactly did your first meeting with him go? Well, why not reminisce about the last time you were truly free? When you were not yet locked to your unfortunate future of being added into your boss’ relationship.

Content & Warnings: Gender neutral reader, yandere themes, angst, Joon and Kook are in an established relationship, CEO!Joonie, stay-at-home-boyfriend!Kook, assistant!reader, polyamory, reader’s sexuality is nondescript, talks of violence, Jungkook wants to hurt the reader a lot during this, general discomfort, making out, use of pet names, reader being none the wiser to what the two of them are talking about as they continue to type away on their keyboard lol

Author’s Note: Hi hi! It’s been a while. I’ve been swamped with school and just haven’t been able to write anything for you guys lately. But today, I logged into Tumblr and saw some very kind reblogs and asks and I just wanted to write something for you guys! I really appreciate the kind comments and It really does fuel me to write for you guys. So here is a drabble for your guys’ favourite couple! I hope you guys enjoy seeing how Jungkook and the reader’s first encounter went. It’s funny cause Jungkook is like fuming and they’re just like “this guy seems stressed :(” and then they get chosen (kinda) to be pursued by Jungkook and Namjoon lol. I apologize for not having posted part two last Christmas, but I was honestly just really stressed around that time. And then I wanted to have this small inside Easter egg (?) for something in part two but then I realized it was kinda hard to explain without having a previous explanation for it. So this drabble worked out! It was a little incentive to add that little tidbit into this and maybe you’ll have a little “oh!” moment when you read something later on when I post part two (whenever that will be lol, don’t ask me, idk. I’m aiming for this Christmas). Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. I need to stop writing this author’s note, it’s has gotten too long anyways lol. So yeah, enjoy and let me know what you think!

Jungkook was fuming as he tapped his foot impatiently on the floor of the elevator, seething for the elevator to spit him out on Namjoon’s floor. He was gonna figure out what was going on with his boyfriend one way or another.

His dearest Joonie had refused his daily cup of coffee… again. For the past few weeks, Namjoon, the love of his life, had been eating everything during breakfast that Jungkook woke up oh so graciously to make for him each morning. Joon finished everything except his fucking cup of coffee. Some days he’d be kind enough to take a sip or two before leaving the still very full mug standing in its place on the dining room table beside his empty dishes.

Seeing the mug full of the coffee that Namjoon used to always say Jungkook made better than anyone else left Jungkook feeling insecure. Insecure and just a little bit angry. Okay, maybe a bit more than a little bit, he’ll admit. Okay, fine, he was boiling with fury. He hated to imagine that Namjoon was drinking coffee made by someone else. Because he knew for a fact, if Namjoon wasn’t drinking his coffee, then he was getting it from somewhere else ‘cause Joonie was never able to get anything done without his morning coffee. And knowing Joonie’s disdain for store bought coffee, Jungkook knew it had to be someone making it for him, homemade. And if he was drinking someone else's, that must mean that he was falling out of love with him and falling in love with this awful, boyfriend-stealing, shameless person. And Jungkook was gonna stop at nothing until he found who this fucking person was and got even. He was gonna win Namjoon back one way or another.

The ding-ing of the elevator woke him from his murderous thoughts just in time to see the doors open to the empty space that lead to his boyfriend’s office. Or at least, the once-empty area, because now, unlike the last time he’d come here about a month ago, there was a table placed just before the office doors. And behind that table was a person, who upon hearing the elevators open perked up from their computer screen to smile at him. This person had a sweet smile, kind eyes, and the smoothest voice as they asked him what they could do for him.

He walked up to their table, arms crossed over his chest as he analysed the person sitting below him. The person still smiling up at him even throughout the awkward silence as Jungkook left their question unanswered. The person was dressed nicely and they had a kind aura around them. Their workspace was covered in flowers from the flower shop that Jungkook knew Namjoon frequented. Usually, his Joonie brought home flowers only for him, but here was this new person who was now swimming between countless bouquets covering every free inch of their work table.

When they asked him what he wanted for the second time, he finally graced the person with an answer. “I’m here to see Namjoon.”

The person nodded their head, before prodding for more info. “Alright, and who might you be?” the person asked, turning to scroll through their computer, searching to see if they had accidentally double-booked their boss’ time.

“I’m Jungkook,” he began, back straightening in pride when he saw the worker tense up in their seat. “Joon’s boyfriend,” he concluded, mentally doing a mic drop, hoping that those words etched themselves in the worker's skin, the one who was stealing his Namjoon from him. He hoped it hurt.

What he didn’t expect is for the worker to turn back to him after X-ing out of the calendar that they had been frantically scrolling through, before turning to him with a polite smile.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Jeon,” the person began, “I think this is the first time we’re actually meeting in person. I’m Y/n L/n, Mr. Kim’s assistant. I just got shifted up to this floor about a month ago from my previous place a few floors down.” You reached your hand out to him for him to shake, just for him to completely ignore it, not even glancing in your hands direction.

“Yes. I’m sure he’s mentioned me before.” Jungkook was gonna make sure that you knew that Namjoon was his, no matter how nice you pretended to be.

“Yes, he has,” you replied pleasantly. “And of course, I’ve spoken with you before too, if you recall?”

When he thought about it, he had spoken with you before. The few times he’d call Namjoon’s assistant when his boyfriend wasn’t picking up. He would pace in this same area, back when it was still empty and call the number for Namjoon’s assistant to know when he’d be free again. The conversations would be semi-mannerly, at best, as he would ask where his boyfriend was before hanging up as soon as he got his answer. He never expected the assistant, that he never spoke more than a few clipped sentences to, being the one who was stealing his love away from him.

That they would have been moved up to be on the same floor as his boyfriend.

The two of them.

Alone.

And when he saw two cups of steaming coffee on your table corner, one half finished and one still untouched, he knew that you were the one making coffee for his man. He felt deep hatred rise in his chest, bubbling up his throat, ready to let out his rage on the home-breaker in front of him.

But he pushed his feelings down before giving you a pursed smile. “Right. You sound different in person. I didn’t even recognize you.” It was true, he wasn’t expecting your voice to be as sweet as it was, though he could tell it was strictly professional. Even when you were so obviously putting on a kind smile for the sake of your job, your voice was so saccharine. He could only imagine how much more saccharine—sinful—your voice must sound when you were using it for your more devious desires.

Jungkook wondered if you’d ever used that syrupy voice on his boyfriend. Walked into his man’s office with your probably sub-par coffee between your hands. You were attractive, that he will give to you, but he hoped that Namjoon wouldn't think the same way that he did. He hoped that any attempts that you’d made on him were met with bitter rejection.

But seeing you surrounded with all the flowers, making your soft features look even more attractive—though he hated to admit it—he knew that Namjoon must feel at least something for you. Why else would Namjoon have gotten you all these flowers? Flowers that Jungkook indignantly noticed were his favourites.

You were perfect and that’s what made his heart hurt more.

In another life, maybe Jungkook would have fallen for you himself, he thought sorely.

You laughed at his remark about your voice. “I guess no one really sounds the same over the phone though, right?” You asked him. “I mean, you sound pretty different yourself.”

Jungkook felt his eye twitch. Was that a dig at him? Were you implying that he was being rude? Were you saying he was anything less than the kindest, best person in the world? He restrained himself from reaching over your desk and pulling your hair out, telling you how Namjoon always told him that he was the best person in the world. He wanted to tell you that you’d never compare to him in Namjoon’s eyes.

Instead of doing any of that, he decided it was better to just ask for his boyfriend. He had a few choice words that he wanted to have with him.

“So will you please tell me if my boyfriend is available?” he asked you, steering the conversation back to the original topic of conversation.

Your eyes widened. “Oh! I’m so sorry, Mr. Jeon. In my surprise of meeting you for the first time, I forgot to tell you that he’s in a meeting right now. He should be done in…” You turned to check the clock on the wall. “...in just about ten minutes.”

You turned back to the man in front of you who stood there with a small pout that you were sure he didn’t realize was there and you observed the way his eyebrows scrunched slightly together. It was funny to see how his overly expressive face had changed so many times in the little amount of time that he’d come up to you. Clearly something was bothering this poor guy, so you tried to be as nice to him as you could. Though it only seemed to make him look even worse.

“You can wait for him in the sitting area over there or you could wait for Mr. Kim in his office.” You left it up to Mr. Jeon choose what he’d rather do, only for him to scoff slightly.

“I’ll wait for him in his office,” he answered curtly. He began to walk away and you turned back to your computer only for him to step back up to you. He pointed at the mug sitting beside yours. “Is this for Joonie?”

“Uh yeah.”

“I’ll take this to him.” He gave you another half smile and one last glance at your pretty face before finally entering Mr. Kim’s and taking the suffocating aura that was surrounding him with him. You sighed in relief. You hated having to deal with this job, but the paycheque wasn’t anything to scoff at, and so you settled back into your chair and hoped Mr. Kim would get here soon.

Namjoon found Jungkook sitting in his chair when he returned from his meeting on one of the lower floors of the building. His younger boyfriend sipping on a cup of coffee that he recognized was the one that you usually set out for him. He could see Jungkook’s eyebrows furrowed in disgust, as he continuously sipped loudly from his drink.

Namjoon could tell immediately that his beloved was in one of his moods. He knew that he had to get control of the situation, and quickly, especially if he didn’t want you to overhear whatever Kookie was upset about.

“Hi, love. What are you doing here?” Namjoon rounded the table to press a kiss against Jungkook’s temple as he continued to sip from his cup.

“They make some good coffee, huh? I see now why you’ve been rejecting my coffee now.” Jungkook got right to his point. His voice was cold and he refused to look at his boyfriend as he set down the now empty mug.

Namjoon sighed. “Don’t be like that. I was just being kind to them. I didn’t want to upset them by not accepting their coffee.” He pulled Jungkook up from the chair momentarily before sitting down in Jungkook’s place. He then smoothly pulled his boyfriend to sit down sideways on his lap. He rubbed his large hand up and down Jungkook’s back, trying to calm him down.

“Oh really?” Jungkook shoved Namjoon’s arm away from him. “‘Just being kind’? What about all the roses on their desk?! I saw the labels on them, they’re from Sirf Ek Phool! The same place you always get flowers for me!” Jungkook folded his arms against his chest, stopping himself from beating his fists against his boyfriend’s chest like he wanted to.

“Honey, that is just because they take such good care of me—”

Jungkook’s eyes darkened, his mouth dropping open in disbelief. “Take care of you? Excuse me? Taking better care of you than me? Your boyfriend?! In which way is this assistant taking care of my boyfriend, hmm? Do I need to beat their ass?!” He began to push himself off Namjoon’s lap, eyes locked at the door with a barbaric look in his eyes.

Namjoon swiped a hand over his face, before pulling his boyfriend back into his chest, closer than he was before, his arms locking over his waist. “Love, you know that I love you more than anything else in the world. No other person could ever take your place. They are just very kind, I promise I’m not doing anything that would harm our relationship. I promise you.”

He pressed a kiss against Jungkook’s cheek, before pressing another against his jaw. He pulled a content sigh from Jungkook, and Namjoon knew instantly that he’d deescalated the situation. At least enough for Kookie not to go and murder his assistant. At least not right now.

“Why should I trust you?” Kookie let out softly in between whimpers as Namjoon nipped at his neck.

“When have I ever lied to you?” Namjoon said against his Adam's apple.

“Many, many times,” Jungkook replied.

Namjoon let out a half laugh against Jungkook’s shoulder, letting his forehead rest against him. “I guess I should clarify. When have I ever lied to you in a way that was bad for you?”

“Never.” Jungkook pulled Namjoon’s face to face him. “You always know what’s best, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt.”

“Don’t be that way. I’m not asking you to be best friends with them or anything like that. Just give them a chance to be your friend.”

Jungkook thought for a second, thinking back to you sitting at your desk and your friendly nature. You weren’t that bad, and you were rather pretty… Ugh, couldn’t Namjoon just be clear with what he meant? Did he expect… more from you than just an assistant?

Jungkook’s bottom lip was jutted out in sadness, calling out to Namjoon with its plump red appearance. Namjoon was again taken aback by his boyfriend’s beauty and just how amazing he was for him. After all, look at him. Just a second ago, Jungkook was ready to beat up his assistant and now he was clutching Namjoon’s suit jacket’s lapels with a vulnerable look on his face. He looked so worried, waiting for Namjoon’s next words and his next course of action. Fuck, Namjoon loved that man.

He pulled his boyfriend in for a kiss, letting the shorter man melt into his embrace. He could taste your signature coffee on Jungkook’s tongue which only made Namjoon push his tongue more eagerly in his mouth. The taste of your coffee and the love of his life together making his head spin in ecstasy. His brain painted a picture of what could come if he was able to make this whole thing work.

He knew what he wanted, and he knew he’d get it.

Don’t mistake him for being selfish, oh no. He wasn’t doing this just because he wanted you. It’s because he knew that in due time Jungkook will fall for you too. He knew he would. He wouldn’t have to push it, nor would he have to force it. You were perfect for the two of them, he’d figured that out in less than 8 months of you becoming his assistant after the last one quit. You were incredible and he knew that you were just Jungkook’s type. He knew Jungkook and he knew that in less than a month he’d be just as smitten with you as Namjoon was with you now. Actually, Namjoon knows that Jungkook would be even more in love with you than he was now.

And with Jungkook now in his arms, Jungkook’s hands gripping the sides of Namjoon’s neck possessively, his thumbs pushing into Namjoon’s jaw. The way that Jungkook had finished your whole cup of coffee leaving nothing for Namjoon to even get a taste of, and how Jungkook despite his furious expression had the slightest bit of a flush on his face when Namjoon had first walked in, he knew that Jungkook already was falling for you.

Namjoon pressed one final kiss to Jungkook’s lips before pulling away.

Jungkook had a blissed out expression on his face, a soft smile etched on his features as his eyes remained shut in happiness.

“Do you really hate them that much?” Namjoon asked Jungkook, watching him carefully.

Jungkook slowly opened his eyes, a blush slowly making its way up his neck. He turned to look to the side, revealing his bright red ears to Namjoon. Jungkook thought back to your sweet voice, your pretty face, your kind smile, and the coffee you had made that he couldn’t get enough of even as much as he had wanted to hate it. He turned to glance at the empty mug on the table that he wished would refill on its own.

He waited for a minute before: “No.”

“But no more ignoring my coffee, you still have to drink mine! And you have to say that mine's better than theirs” Jungkook added.

Namjoon smiled. Perfect, he knew this would be perfect. He knew just how perfectly you’d fit in with his little family. How you’d fit in Jungkook’s heart. He knew the both of you very well. He was proud.

Namjoon forced Jungkook to turn back to him before attacking him with kisses again.

You turned to see Mr. Jeon skipping out of Mr. Kim’s office. You expected him to go directly to the elevator because of his short attitude with you earlier, but he instead turned to stand in front of your table once again. Smiling down at you genuinely for the first time since he first walked into the room.

You waited for him to say something, but when he didn’t, you figured you should say something instead. “All done?” you asked.

Mr. Jeon just nodded his head, which only made the newly blossoming marks on his neck more visible to you. “I had a sip of the coffee you made Joonie, it was good.”

“Oh thank you,” you replied, a bit taken aback by his sudden change from his previous conduct from before Mr. Kim had shown up. Mr. Kim had given you a small nod in greeting before entering his office when you’d told him Mr. Jeon was waiting for him. Mr. Jeon must really love Mr. Kim for his personality to do such a 180 after seeing him for just half an hour.

Damn, is that what love does to a person?

“I would like to have a proper cup the next time I come visit Joonie.” Mr. Jeon looked down at you expectantly. He seemed to be looking for something deep within you and when you agreed to make him a cup the next time you saw him, he seemed to have found whatever he was looking for.

He smiled at you though a bit hesitant. He pulled a rose from one of the vases of your bouquets, twirling it between his fingers. He seemed to still be a bit stuck thinking of something, but then he was turning away from you. He pressed the button calling the elevator, before turning back at you. “It was nice meeting you, Y/n. I hope we’re able to get to know each other more in the future.”

“Yes, of course!”

He waved the flower at you in goodbye before stepping into the elevator, flashing you one final bunny smile.

What an odd man.

Does 3k still count as a drabble? I have no clue. Anyway, thanks for reading! 💕💕💕

[mint-yooxgi]

{10} - Hotel California - Yandere!Demonic Entities!Ateez X Reader

Yandere AU & Demon AU - Based off of This ask and Hotel California by Eagles

Genre: Mature, Horror, Angst, Fluff, Slight Humor

Pairing: Ateez X Reader

Words: 18,092

Warnings: Whore Knee Thots, discussion of violence, minor bipohobia (not done by any of the guys), I think that’s all. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.

A/n: Here we go!! I seriously contemplated splitting this part into two again, but finally, the mall saga is complete!! Yay!! I’m so excited to start writing the next chapter and a specific scene in particular, so I hope you all look forward to it, too. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Enjoy~

Main Story - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine - Mini Masterlist

Twenty minutes later, and you find yourself in the foodcourt sitting around a table with the eight of them, cups of bubble tea in front of each of you. Again, you had a little pushback when you went to pay for your drinks, but with one stern look from you, they backed off. For now.

You take a sip of your drink, placing it onto the table in front of you as you observe all of them sitting before you. From left to right, you have Jongho, Wooyoung, Yunho, and then Seonghwa and Hongjoong almost both directly across from you, followed by Mingi, Yeosang, and then San to your right.

“I want to know more about you.” Your voice cuts through the small silence that has settled around the nine of you as you sit at the table.

They all cannot help the way that they smile once more in response, the giddiness bubbling in their chests at the thought of finally being able to open up to you, as you have slowly been opening up to them.

“What would you like to know?” Seonghwa meets your gaze, eyes shining as he takes a sip of his own drink.

“Fair warning, some of my questions might be really dumb,” you say, shifting slightly in your seat so that you’re more comfortable.

“My Love, you could never ask us dumb questions.” Hongjoong assures you.

“We’re just grateful that you want to know more about us.” Yunho grins, his hand resting around his drink on top of the table.

“Not to mention unbelievably happy,” San adds, heart warming at the mere thought of the conversation happening right now.

A moment passes in silence where you simply smile at them. Until Wooyoung speaks once more.

“Ask away.” He grins, taking a content sip of his drink as he looks to you with wide eyes.

“Okay,” you nod. “Let’s get some basics out of the way first. How old are all of you?”

Jongho blinks, “I honestly haven’t thought about that in years.”

At the way your brow furrows, Mingi is quick to add, “when you get to be our age, everything tends to blend together.”

“Which is?” You tilt your head forward expectantly.

“We’re all over a few millennia old.” Yeosang tells you, swirling his drink in his hand.

“Okay,” you nod slowly, skeptically. “And I was the first thing in years to peek all of your interests?”

At the way you see them all begin to respond, you raise a hand.

“Don’t answer that one, it was rhetorical.” You place your hand back onto the table before you. “Do you at least remember your birthdays? Or creation days? How does that work?”

“Yes, we were born,” Yunho tells you.

“We remember our birthdays, too.” Mingi adds with a grin.

“Which are?” You look at them expectantly.

It takes them no time at all to tell you, listing them off in age order from eldest to youngest. It takes you only a minute longer to be putting that information in your phone. A fact in which has all of their hearts warming in their chests.

“So, if you were born, that means you can get me pregnant.”

Your statement nearly causes Wooyoung to spit out his drink, coughing in the next second as Yunho comfortingly rubs his back.

“I’m not saying that that’s what’s going to happen any time soon, but I need to know. Just in case.” You reply, eyes briefly glancing at each one of them.

Little do you know of how your words affect them all. However, none are as affected as the eldest is right now, eyes nearly shifting as that all too familiar blackness swirls within. The mental image alone of you, belly swollen and growing his baby inside of you has him shifting in his seat. Not to mention the idea of completely claiming you in such a way, filling you to the brim with his seed so that you can’t help but to get pregnant from him.

Still, the thought of you being open to the possibility of having sex with all of them at some point in the future means more to them than you’ll ever know. It means you’re becoming more and more accepting of this relationship, and more trusting of them every day.

“It’s possible, yes,” Hongjoong replies with a somewhat stiff nod of his head.

“You would have to ingest a specific herbal remedy in order for it to even have the possibility of taking,” Mingi replies. “And you’d have to be on it for a while before it could even work.”

“Built in birth control,” you nod, seemingly impressed. “Not bad. Though, that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop taking mine.”

“Do you-“ San’s voice catches in his throat, clearing it in the next moment, “do you want kids?”

“No.” You shake your head. “I have no desire to have them at this point in time. I hope that’s not an issue for any of you.”

The way you look at them, with narrowed eyes almost daring them to challenge your wishes, has them straightening in their spots.

“Of course not,” Mingi shakes his head almost immediately in the next second.

“We want what you want, Dearest.” Yeosang sends you a soft, reassuring smile.

“Good,” you seemingly relax for the moment.

“It is your body, My Love,” Hongjoong meets your gaze from across the table. “Whether you choose to allow us to indulge in you will always be your choice.”

“I appreciate that.” You let out a soft exhale through your nose. “I want you all to know that if and when the time comes where we are…” you search for the right word, “intimate in that way, the sentiment is shared. I will never expect or force you all into anything you are uncomfortable with. That’s not who I am.”

They all smile, touched by the amount of consideration you already seem to have for them.

“We appreciate that, Dearest,” Yeosang meets your gaze.

“Like I said before,” a heat rises once more to your face as you avert your gaze briefly. “If it’s not mutual, I don’t want it.”

“We feel the exact same.” Jongho’s lips pull upwards softly.

“Good,” you nod. “Okay, next question, cause I am extremely curious after today. Just how powerful are you guys?”

“Well, we’re not Kings of the Realm for nothing,” Seonghwa smirks, leaning back in his seat as he feels your gaze roam over the front of his body. He nearly hums from that fact alone.

“You already know about out mental capabilities.” Wooyoung voices, swirling his straw around his drink.

“Something tells me that there’s more to it than what you’re letting on.” You narrow your eyes at him, shifting your gaze towards Yunho in the next moment. “Especially after what you told me today.”

“If you’re worried if we ever used those sort of mental manipulations against you, we haven’t.” Hongjoong shakes his head slightly as if to emphasize his point.

“I know,” your words shock them, sure you would have had at least some sort of mistrust of them for this particular aspect of their powers.

“How can you be so sure?” Yeosang voices all of their thoughts.

“You wouldn’t allow me to remember certain aspects about the beginning of this whole fiasco if you did.” You reply. “At least, I’m assuming you wouldn’t. The fact that I still have those negative memories from the start, and the fact that we’re sitting here right now talking about it, assures me that you haven’t.”

“You would be correct.” San responds, taking another sip of his drink.

“I need to know, though,” you stare intently at your hand on top of the table before looking up at all of them once more. “Have you thought about it before? Using that specific part of your powers to progress our relationship along in your favour?”

A brief moment of silence settles over all of you, and you find yourself going still. You don’t even need to hear an answer at this point to know what it already is.

“We won’t lie to you,” Seonghwa looks away, shame washing over his features as your gaze becomes locked on him from across the table. “It’s crossed our minds. Even before you came to us, we talked about it. What it would be like to simply give you false memories with all of us so we didn’t have to start immediately from scratch.”

“But you didn’t.” You remark.

“We would never forgive ourselves if we did.” Yunho says, sincerity shining in his eyes as he meets yours for a brief moment before he’s averting his gaze back down to the table.

“We could never hurt you in that way.” Jongho adds, swallowing thickly.

“It wouldn’t, and would never be real if we did something like that.” Wooyoung says, hands shaking as he pulls them into his lap, nervously playing with his fingers. “It would be you, but it wouldn’t at the same time.”

“You want me to want you in the same ways you all want me.” You briefly glance between all of them. “But you want me to do so on my own terms. Not on terms you have instilled within my mind.”

“Yes-” Hongjoong’s breath hitches in his throat, voice raw with his emotions, “more than anything.”

You take moment to observe them all, noticing how they all continue to look down at their hands for the moment. You don’t need to be able to read their minds to know how ashamed of themselves they are for even thinking about essentially brainwashing you to love them. You blink, taking a deep breath in.

“Thank you for your honesty.” You begin, attempting to take what you hope appears to be a calm sip of your drink.

“You’re not mad at us?” Mingi spares a small glance at you out of the corner of his eyes, voice small. 

You take a moment to consider his words before you’re shaking your head, pursing your lips slightly in the next moment, “no.”

“You’re not disgusted?” There are tears lining Wooyoung’s eyes, as he continues to avoid your gaze, and he hopes beyond everything that they do not begin to fall.

“Why would I be disgusted?” You frown, genuinely confused by his words.

“We thought you would be repulsed by us once you knew.” Hongjoong admits, voice soft as he clings onto his drink for dear life.

“Yes, it’s a little unnerving to know that in the blink of an eye, you could essentially tear my mind apart, or alter my memories in your favour, or even make me believe in things that might not necessarily be true.” You reply, picking at the label on the side of your drink to distract yourself for the time being. You do not fail to notice how all of them seem to flinch at your words. “However,” the moment you say that one phrase, they’re all looking towards you with a small gleam of hope shining behind their eyes, “I don’t think you’re giving yourselves enough credit as to what it means to me that you didn’t. Yes, you could do these things, but you haven’t done them to me.”

“Not to you.” Immediately, Hongjoong is shaking his head. “Never to you.”

“Exactly.” You smile softly at him reassuringly. “That simple fact means more to me than any of you will ever know. You chose to let me keep my autonomy. You chose to let me keep my own mind. Sure, it was a bit of a rocky start, but you chose to let me fall for all of you in my own way instead of forcing things between us.” You take the time to meet each and every one of their gazes as you let out a small breath, hand tightening around your drink for support. “And it’s working.”

The tears that Wooyoung had been so desperately trying to hold back begin to fall freely down his face. Pure and utter joy ripples like shockwaves through each of their bodies, and you can see the way tears spring to Mingi’s eyes as well. Even San cannot help the but let the small droplets fall as he reaches his hand over to yours once more that day to begin clinging onto you for dear life.

Slowly, he brings the back of your hand to his lips once more, holding you against him like you’ll disappear as soon as he lets go.

“Thank you.” He nearly chokes on a sob, overcome by his emotions and the significance of this moment here in time with you. Just as he knows that his brothers are as well.

You give his hand a small squeeze as he gently places yours back onto the table, eight pairs of eyes watching you closely.

It’s subtle, but you can feel them all reach out to you with their minds, brushing against your void tenderly as they continue to gaze lovingly at you. You can see the emotions clear in their eyes, even as Wooyoung begins wiping at his own with the back of his hands. 

So, you do what you feel is best in the current situation. You let them all in.

The way they all straighten in their seats is instantaneous, synonymous with the way they all inhale sharply. They can feel every single one of you emotions now pouring freely over them. For the moment, you are comfortable, content, and curious. There’s even a little bit of concern for them washing over your being despite the uncertainty you hold surrounding your future together. However, there’s another emotion there, much softer than the rest, that has their hearts swelling in their chests. For there, beneath all of your other emotions, they can sense a hint of fondness that had never been there before. A fondness that seems to be directed towards them.

Your gaze is soft as you glance around the table once more. “I will do my best to be more open with all of you going forward. I simply ask that you all do the same.”

“Of course, Petal,” Yunho’s reply is soft, voice barely above a whisper as he gazes at you fondly.

“I’m still going to keep my void, though,” you say, a teasing lilt to your voice. “I do like my privacy.”

Then, with a wink, you’re closing your mind off to them once more.

“As long as you’re comfortable,” Seonghwa breathes out with a small nod, bringing his drink up to his lips once more.

“Speaking of that,” you begin, “something tells me that if you wanted to, you’d each have no trouble breaking through to my mind.”

“We more than likely could,” Hongjoong nods. “If we wanted to.”

“But we swore that we would never hurt you.” Mingi reminds you yet again.

“Doing such a thing could potentially shatter your mind,” Yunho tells you. “Especially if you’re not used to it.”

You blink, momentarily caught off guard by that admission.

“What about other demons?” You ask, taking another sip of your own drink.

“What about them?” Wooyoung’s voice is a little rough from his previous emotions, but he clears his throat in the next second, swallowing thickly.

“Is there a possibility that they would try and get into my mind?” You inquire.

“If they tried, they’d be dead on the spot.” San nearly growls at the mere idea of someone attempting to hurt you.

“I get the constantly wanting to protect me,” you give his hand another squeeze seeing as he’s yet to let yours go. “I’m just trying to cover all angles here, considering how you all probably came back drenched in your enemies blood last night. It’s the easiest way to hurt you, I’m guessing. If they go for me.”

“We would never let that happen.” Seonghwa leans forward in his seat, a snarl tugging at his features of the mere thought of someone coming after you.

“I understand that,” you nod, “which is one of the reasons I feel safe with you all. I know you would never do anything to me, let alone allow anything to happen to me.”

“If you are worried about something like that happening, there are added ways of which we could use to protect you.” Hongjoong adds, sending a pointed look at the eldest male beside him.

“While keeping my void intact?” You quirk a brow.

“While keeping your void intact.” He turns back towards you, nodding once.

“Elaborate.” You look at him expectantly, dropping San’s hand for the moment as you pull your own back in front of your body.

“It would be similar to what you did with Seonghwa and I in that jewellery store today.” Hongjoong begins, and immediately six pairs of eyes are on both him and the eldest beside him.

“What did she do in that jewellery store today?” San asks, rather pointedly.

“She brushed her mind against ours.” Seonghwa states, quite proudly as a grin tugs onto his lips.

“You did?” Immediately, Yunho is looking at you with wide eyes, amazement clear on his features. When you nod, he’s grinning proudly, right along with Seonghwa. “That’s my girl.”

You avert your gaze, somewhat shyly, as a soft smile takes over your features. A fact which makes Yunho’s chest rumble in happiness at the effect he’s just had on you.

“I just figured that you guys constantly monitor my thoughts, even with my void up, so I tried something, and it ended up working.” You brush their praise off for the moment.

“Give yourself more credit, Dearest,” Yeosang looks up from his drink for a moment. “It takes some demons years to figure that one out.”

Fuck, could you get anymore perfect?

This time, you cannot prevent the way your cheeks heat from his words, Yeosang nearly letting out a pleased growl of his own at seeing you so bashful because of him.

“I was just trying to calm them down.” You mumble.

“To be fair, David was all over you when you went in there.” Seonghwa says, seemingly nonchalantly as he pushes the ice in his drink around with his straw.

“David,” you tilt your head forward at him in disbelief, quirking a brow all the while, “one of my closest friends.”

“He looked like he was being overtly friendly from where we were standing.” Mingi grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest as he leans back in his chair.

You can’t help it, your jaw drops in shock, a laugh escaping you in the next moment as your hand comes up to cover the lower half of your face.

“What’s so funny?” Wooyoung grumbles, his arms also crossed over his chest.

“Considering you’re the ones that can read minds, I didn’t think I had to spell this one out for you. Or did you all fail to notice how he was subtly checking Hwa out the whole time?” You chuckle once more. “David’s gay. Not to mention the fact that he’s married.”

That immediately shuts them all up, some even having the gall to look sheepish for the moment. Even Seonghwa cannot hide his surprise, though the joy of hearing you call him Hwa, even if you may not have intended for it to mean much, begins to flood his veins. The fact that you noticed someone else checking him out means that you were paying attention to him, too.

“Then why was he checking me out?” The eldest quirks a brow, secretly hoping to get you to compliment him without realizing what you’re doing, much to the other’s discontent.

“Well, in David’s own wise words,” you begin, a knowing look stretching across your features as you repeat what you’ve so ofter heard him tell you, “I can look at the menu, honey, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be ordering anything.”

The way you chuckle fondly has the eldest grumbling in his seat, crossing his arms as he leans back. That is most certainly not what he wanted to hear, especially from you. He knew it was too wishful to be thinking that you would get even the slightest bit jealous over someone else checking him out in front of you. There goes his hopes of hearing you call him handsome again, or sexy. Or even better yet, yours.

“Honestly, I’m surprised you’re not more grumpy about Suzy,” you giggle, and each man swears it’s the most melodic sound they’ve ever heard. “She’s had a crush on me for as long as I can remember knowing her, and she’s not subtle about it, either.”

“I think there were a few more important things on our minds than that when we were in there, if I’m being honest.” Hongjoong’s brows raise as he takes a deep breath in, taking a sip of his drink in the next moment as the tips of his ears begin to turn red, thinking back onto those wondrous few minutes in that jewellery store.

“Knife kink, huh?” Wooyoung wiggles his brows at you suggestively.

Embarrassment floods your veins, shooting him a sharp look as your gaze pierces him, freezing him to his very spot and preventing him from looking away from your intense stare.

“What’s it to you, demon boy?” You quirk a brow, demeanour shifting in an instant as the corner of your lips tugs upwards into a smirk. “You want me to stab you, too?”

A shiver of pleasure runs down Wooyoung’s spine, echoed by the way each male stiffens around the table. Hongjoong shifts in his seat in the next second, body suddenly heating as his thoughts begin to consume him once more.

Yet again, Yeosang comes to the rescue to break the tense silence building between all of you as he takes a sip of his drink. It’s the sound of his obvious slurping with his empty cup, ice crunching together as he shifts his straw around that breaks the rising tension between all of you.

You seemingly relax into your seat.

“This is a conversation for a later time.” You take a sip of your own drink, swirling the remainder of the liquid inside with your free hand. “We’re not there yet.”

She’s not denying it. Seonghwa muses, leaning further back into his seat.

I wish we could know more about this topic, though. San pouts.

We will, Yunho hum. All in due time.

“Anyways, speaking of reading minds, how are you all not overwhelmed by everyone around us right now?” You quickly change the subject. “Are you able to block them out?”

“Yes,” Mingi nods in confirmation. “Quite easily.”

“Huh, neat.” You clearly look impressed as you nod along to his words. “How far does your telepathy, or whatever you want to call it, reach?”

“Our connection allows us to contact each other anywhere in the world at any time, even if we’re in contrasting domains.” Yeosang informs you.

“Connection?” You quirk a brow, clearly interested in this new revelation. “I know you all refer to yourselves as brothers, but something tells me that you’re not blood related.”

“You would be correct,” Hongjoong’s eyes shine as he looks at you, loving how keen your observations always are. “We’ve known each other practically our whole lives, so the bond we share is like brothers.”

“That’s really nice,” you smile softly. “That you have each other.”

“We’ve come close to killing one another a few times, though.” San’s voice is light, even if you know he’s being extremely serious right now.

“As do all siblings,” you laugh, recalling a few instances where your sister has gotten on the better half of your nerves. You’re sure if she was here, she’d say the exact same thing.

“It’s also very easy to tease one another,” Jongho grins, a knowing gleam in his eyes as he looks around the table.

“Now, that, I know,” you giggle again, and they all practically swoon. “Speaking of teasing, I’ve been curious since this morning,” each male tenses ever so slightly, already preparing for the worst, “you two,” you motion to both San beside you and Seonghwa across from you, “why the pink hair? Was it because I said I liked Sukuna?”

The way they both tense in their seats and avert their gazes slightly in answer enough, even if the eldest flat out tries to deny it in the next second.

“Mmhmm,” you hum knowingly, “sure.”

“It wasn’t!” San whines, shaking his head with a pout tugging at his lips. “But if you don’t like it, we can change the colour again.”

“Woah there, I never said I didn’t like it,” you raise a hand slightly to get him to pause, noticing how smug the two males look all of a sudden. “Only do it if it’s something you want to do. I like all of your hairstyles. You two,” you motion to Hongjoong and Wooyoung, “the change looks nice on you as well.”

“Really?” Wooyoung replies eagerly, eyes shining as he leans a little bit forwards in his seat. 

Even Hongjoong cannot suppress the shy smile that graces his features at the way you compliment him for the second time in under twenty-four hours.

“Of course,” you nod, eyes shining as you smile. “You all look nice.”

Soft hums echo around the table as each man’s chest rumbles in content. They cannot help but to feel proud for impressing you in this way, only adding onto the list of things that they’re grateful for happening with you today.

“Thank you, baby,” San grins, nudging your knee with his from beneath the table.

You softly nudge his knee back as you turn your attention to Hongjoong once more. “You still haven’t told me about the mind thing.”

“Ah, right.” To be fair, Hongjoong had a few other things on his mind, especially with the recent reminder of that specific kink you seem to have. Not to mention how you’ve just complimented his appearance, for the second day in a row. “Well, we could essentially attach our minds to yours. That way you’d just have to reach out and brush against one of our links to notify us if you were suddenly in danger, or if you felt threatened. Plus, it would give you an added layer of mental protection against anyone who dared to hurt you in such a way.”

“Which would still allow me to keep my privacy, and autonomy.” You observe, a slight impressed quirk to your lips as you nod your head. “How would it work?”

The feeling is odd, yet not unpleasant, as your void shifts in your mind. Slowly, it’s as if strings attach themselves to the edges of your lake, looking as if they are glowing behind a sort of soft mental fog. They are evenly spaced, encircling you on every side as you watch the water ripple where they’ve attached themselves to the edges of your mind. Additionally, each of these eight strings vary in colour, and somehow you immediately know whose is whose, even without the positioning of these strings in your mind echoing where each male sits around the table.

You don’t realize your eyes have closed until your lids flutter open to see them staring at you softly, each with an expectant look in their eyes.

“So, I just need to reach out to one of you through this, then. If I want or need to.” You observe casually.

“They’ve always been there,” Mingi admits, stabbing at his ice with his straw. “We’ve just now made them visible to you.”

“Since when?” Your brow quirks in pure curiosity, no malcontent in your voice.

They all share a look between them before turning to face you once more.

“Since the day you tried to jump off the balcony,” Mingi says, voice hushed as if he’s recalling the very memory right now. With the way his eyes gleam with that same hint of fear and pain, of which you saw when he caught you, you know that he is. “It was just a safety for us so that we could monitor your heavier emotions.”

“Ah,” you nod slightly in acknowledgement. “I see.”

“The mist is so that others can’t find them easily if they try and invade your mind.” Seonghwa adds, shifting the focus for the moment to cut the thick air that now settles over you all.

“Though, it would take someone almost as skilled as we are to get through to you,” Yunho tells you. “Or even block us out.”

“Or someone hellbent to invade your mind,” San casually says, sipping on his drink.

“Even then, if you can keep us out with something as basic as your mental void,” Jongho comments, drawing your gaze to him on your left, “you won’t have to worry about anyone else getting through.”

“I hope you’re right.” You grab at your drink once more. Then, after taking another sip, you add, “does this also work if I want to let just one of you into my mind?”

Yeosang nods. “If that is what you so wish.”

You hum contently, pursing your lips as you nod your head in understanding.

“What else would you like to know?” Wooyoung asks eagerly, the excitement from earlier rushing through his veins again, considering how well this whole conversation with you seems to be going. Not to mention the entire day.

“More about your powers, honestly.” You reply. “I think it’s incredibly cool how powerful you all are.” Then, as if you’ve decided against your better judgement, you add quietly, “not to mention insanely attractive.”

Pleased hums echo all around the table.

“Thank you, Petal.” Yunho smiles wide, eye crinkling at the sides as he absolutely revels in your praises, just as he knows his brothers are doing so right now.

“Do you even have limits? Can you fight with weapons, too, or do you rely solely on strength and your powers alone? Just how strong are all of you?” You lean forwards in your seat, interest clear on your features. Though, at the way they all share a look, you blink. “What?”

“We’re just surprised that you’re interested in what the more violent aspects of our lives are.” Jongho leans back in his seat, casually slinging his arm around the back of your chair. The way you subtly lean into him has a smirk dancing on his features, much to the discontent of his brothers who either pout or glare at him in response.

“I’m curious.” Comes your simple reply, shrugging your shoulders mildly. “I want to know what you’re all capable of.” At the way you notice a few of them blinking at you in surprise, you’re quirking a brow teasingly, “did you think I only liked Sukuna because he’s drawn nicely?”

“Why do you like Sukuna?” Seonghwa nearly spits out the name like poison on his lips.

“Now, we don’t have enough time to unpack all of that,” you reply with a soft chuckle, grin tugging onto your features. Then, your eyes widen slightly as if you’ve realized a few things in the past few seconds alone. In the next moment, you seemingly calm yourself down. “To put it simply, though…” you trail off, noticing how they all seem to lean in slightly in anticipation, despite most of them attempting to look disinterested. “He’s powerful, has a great voice actor in the anime, and I like his tattoos.”

“Not as powerful as us,” Mingi grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Which is why I’m asking,” you reply, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. At the few side-eyed glances they send your way, you’re letting out a small sigh. “Alright, fine. If I’m being honest, I’ve always had an affinity towards specific characters that are able to fit certain tropes I like.”

Immediately, they all notice the way you sit forward in your seat, almost curling in on yourself as you avert your gaze to your lap in embarrassment. You seem to be nervously playing with your fingers as well - a sight only one of them has truly experienced before.

“What types of tropes?” Yeosang’s voice is soft as he attempts to coax you to look at them all once more.

“I’m a little embarrassed to say.” You mumble, heat rising to your cheeks as you keep your head down.

“My Love, please never feel embarrassed for your desires,” Hongjoong speaks after so long remaining silent.

“Believe me, that’s not the main reason why I’m embarrassed right now.” You smile tensely, a nervous pull to your lips.

They all share another look between each other, all quirking their brows.

Then, you’re letting out a breath to steel your nerves. “I’ve always had an affinity towards characters that could fit tropes like ‘touch them and I’ll kill you’-“ Seonghwa’s actions from earlier briefly flash through your mind and you glance upwards for a split second to see the way he seems to straighten in his spot, “but also, the ‘I hate everybody but you’ trope.”

You squeeze your eyes shut, lowering yourself to rest your forehead on the table in front of you as embarrassment floods your veins. You’ve just essentially admitted to liking what you’ve come to realize are a huge part of their personalities, and from the way you can hear pleased growls echoing lowly around the table, you know that they’ve realized it, too.

You let out a small groan, “please forget I said anything.”

“Why are you ashamed of wanting to feel special?” Wooyoung’s voice manages to pull you out of your shell, head lifting tentatively to look in his direction.

“I guess that’s really what it boils down to, huh?” You let out a puff of air, shifting so that your arms are now crossed beneath your head for support as you continue to lean against the table. “Being that one person someone would do anything and everything for.”

A spark of recognition flashes through your eyes, causing you to hide your face in your arms, feeling as if you’re about to spontaneously combust with how your whole body heats from embarrassment. Of course, it doesn’t help that you feel eight gentle caresses against your void in that very moment in time.

“So,” your voice is small, almost meek as you mumble into the crook of your elbow, “your powers?”

Cautiously, you peek up from your arm to see all eight of them looking at you fondly, a certain smugness shining within their eyes as their lips quirk upwards in the corners. You exhale a loud puff of air through your nose, a pout tugging at your own lips still hidden by your arms.

“Well, Yunho’s already told you about our abilities,” Mingi says, the first to break the tension, of which you could not be more grateful for.

“Yeah, and they’re fucking incredible!” Immediately, you’re perking up, head raising as excitement courses through your veins. “You’re telling me you two-“ you meet his gaze briefly before shifting your eyes to San, “can control the four elements like the avatar? That’s cool as fuck.”

Oh, how each of the other six want to wipe those shit-eating grins right off of both Mingi’s and San’s faces as your say that. Why can’t you talk about their abilities like that first?

“If we weren’t in public, I’d demonstrate for you,” San smirks, eyes hooded as he leans back in his chair proudly.

“Can you also do everything benders can do in Avatar?” You ask eagerly. “Like with blood and stuff?”

“It’s a liquid, isn’t it?” San quirks a brow at you smugly.

“So, you could literally rip someone’s air out of their lungs if you wanted to.” It’s not so much a question, but a statement.

“Quite literally,” Mingi nods, grinning from ear to ear, “yes.”

“Well, aren’t you a little bundle of violence today?” Wooyoung jokes, a teasing lilt to his voice as a pleasant shiver runs up his spine.

“Oh, always.” The grin that stretches across your lips is nothing short of maniacal. A fact of which sends shivers racing down each one of their spines instantly, thoughts overcome by the implication behind your words. “But no, I’m just curious,” you meet his stare with a raised brow, as if challenging his gaze. “Speaking of, I hear you can shift into any creature imaginable.” You look from Wooyoung to Jongho. “Any limits?”

“None that we haven’t been able to overcome throughout the years,” Wooyoung replies smugly, tongue dragging along his suddenly razor sharp top row of teeth as he smirks.

“So, fictional creatures aren’t off of the table?” You tilt your head in inquiry.

“Did you have something in mind?” Jongho grins, a little too eagerly.

“Perhaps.” You look between them, a Cheshire grin stretching across your features which only causes their hearts to race from the way you’re now looking at them. “When you shift, is it a full body transformation, or can you also shift only certain parts of yourself?”

“We can do both.” Jongho confirms.

“Certainly helps in the middle of battle to suddenly have the claws of a griffin, or the tail of a stegosaurus.” Wooyoung adds, nonchalantly.

Immediately, your hand practically slams itself on top of the table, the excitement practically pouring off of you in waves. “You can transform into dinosaurs?”

“Like we said,” Jongho grins at your enthusiasm, “anything and everything you could imagine.”

“And here I was thinking dragons or wyverns were going to be the coolest things you could transform into.” You mutter, eyes wide as you shake your head in disbelief.

“If you ever want us to shift into something for you, all you need to do is ask.” Jongho mentions casually, much to the discontent of his brothers. Well, all except one.

“Noted.” You nod, clearly impressed. Then, you’re shifting your attention to one of the males directly across from you. “How does your control over animals work?” You spare a glance at Yeosang. “Is it like a control over their bodies, or you can manipulate their thoughts into doing what you want them to?”

“A little bit of both,” Yeosang responds. “Honestly, it’s become like second nature to us now, but we can control different animals to tame them, or simply borrow their prowess for battles.”

“Are different animals easier to control than others?” You ask, looking between the two males.

“Some are, and some aren’t. It just depends on their nature.” Seonghwa admits. “Though it’s been a while since we’ve had difficulty taming one.”

“Any type of animal?” You quirk a brow.

“Any type of animal.” Yeosang nods in confirmation, glancing briefly at Yunho across the table as if the male has just said something to him in his mind. “Even dragons.”

“Okay, one of you is taking me to see dragons at some point in time,” you raise your one hand, using a finger to point at each of them that sits around the table.

Wooyoung receives a harsh kick beneath the table from Yeosang before the younger can even think about voicing his thoughts about simply shifting into one for you instead.

“Whatever you want, Dearest,” Yeosang smiles, his heart warming at the eagerness in your tone.

Only, in the next moment, your expression is dropping. Horror paints your features as you come to the realization about something. 

“If there are giant spiders in this word, I do not want to know. And I’m not talking about huntsman spiders or whatever those types of giant ones are. I’m talking, like, Shelob type spiders.” A shudder of disgust runs down your back. “Bleh. No, thank you.”

Seonghwa’s eyebrows quirk upwards in amusement.

“Actually, keep any and all other spiders away from me, too.” You shake your head. “And any giant centipedes.”

Hongjoong chuckles. “Of course, My Love.”

Another shudder runs down your spine as you shake your head once more, clearing your thoughts of the mental image of such creatures. In the next moment, you’re meeting Hongjoong’s gaze from across the table.

“So, you two,” you briefly glance towards Yunho, “can control the weather.”

San lets out a small snort of laughter at such a basic statement.

“At the most basic level, that’s what it could be interpreted as, yes.” Hongjoong nods.

“Any type of extreme natural element you could think of, or catastrophic natural event, we have control over.” Yunho explains.

“Elaborate.” Your eyes narrow slightly, recalling the way he instantly created a storm out of nothing that one day he took you to that clearing.

“We can cause severe natural disasters in the blink of an eye without a second thought,” Hongjoong says, sipping at his drink before beginning to chew on the end of his straw.

“Volcanoes, storms, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes: you name it.” Yunho nods along with his Captain.

“So, different than the two Roku’s over here.” You motion briefly to both San and Mingi.

“Sadly, we can not control magma,” San sighs, a hint of disappointment in his tone.

“Or create storms like they can,” Mingi adds, leaning forward to rest his chin on his open palm.

“But all four of you can manipulate some forms of the same elements?” You inquire, brow furrowed slightly in confusion.

“To a certain extent,” Hongjoong shrugs, a bit nonchalantly. “Like lightning.”

“Though, they have an easier time doing it than we do,” Mingi admits with a bit of a wistful sigh.

“Ah,” your eyebrows raise in understanding, “I see.”

“It’s like how the four of us can all understand animals,” Jongho tells you, “but only Yeosang and Seonghwa can get them to listen to them, even if they’re not necessarily controlling them.”

“You guys can also understand animals?” Your lips part in awe. “That’s amazing!”

“Thank you, Dearest,” Yeosang matches your happy expression with one of his own, lips pulling into a smile as he meets your gaze.

A small silence settles around the nine of you as you take another sip of your drink, seemingly getting lost in your thoughts as your eyes stare at the table before you blankly. A fact which just makes them all curious to know where your mind has went for the moment.

“Where’d you go?” Wooyoung teases, voice light as he manages to pull you out of your thoughts and back to the reality in front of you.

You blink a few times, settling your drink back onto the table. Your lips tug upwards almost teasingly, a lilt to your words, “next time, lead with this stuff. Like I said before, it’s insanely attractive.”

Low growls of content echo all around the table, each male looking exceptionally pleased with themselves for the moment. The fact that such an intrinsic detail of who they are can attract you to them makes them smug beyond belief. If only they knew this sooner.

“What else do you find extremely attractive?” San is the first to voice all their thoughts, looking at you through hooded eyes as you sit beside him.

You take a moment to consider if you want to respond or not, but after a moment, you think ‘to hell with it’ and lean back comfortably in your seat. Your own gaze is calculating as you look around at the eight men around you.

“Intelligence.” You respond, tilting your chin ever so slightly in the air as your sharp eyes practically pierce their very souls. “Kindness, humour, consideration,” you list off, “but more than all of that,” something within your eyes flashes in the next moment, causing each male to hold their breaths in anticipation, “passion.”

You can see the way your words affect them, given how theirs chests rise and fall dramatically, dark gazes fixed on you. You can feel Jongho shift beside you, his arm that is still slung casually around the back of your chair tensing the slightest bit as he, along with the others, attempt to control themselves for the time being.

You want kindness? Intelligence? Passion? Anything you could ever desire they are more than ready and willing to give to you. At any time, each male is more than eager to please you in any and every way they know how, and now that they know what you like, they are more than happy to comply to your wishes.

They will show you a kindness that no one has ever given to you before, reserved for you and only you. A kindness that will never have anyone questioning their love, their loyalty for you.

If you desire, they will spend hours talking with you about the cosmos. About how the world has changed through the ages, and what they saw when they witnessed such things. They will share their knowledge with you, stimulating you in every way they know how to supply your mind with the most interesting and thoughtful topics they can. After all, they are always ready to both provide for and impress you in every and any way they can.

Most importantly of all, though, they are more than ready and willing to drown you in the fires of their passions, which blaze brightly for you and only you. Anything you want. Anything you need. They will provide, willingly and happily. With every word, through every action, they want you to feel their desire for you burning within them. For you to understand that you are the only one for them, and they are the only one for you. 

No one else has made them feel this way. No one else will ever make them feel this way. All that they are, all that they will be, belongs to you. Always and forever, you.

A passion of which they will surround you in, making sure that you never question their desire - their devotion - to you ever again.

“Thank you for your honesty.” It’s the eldest who’s repeating your own words from earlier back to you, that all too familiar blackness swirling within his eyes as he swallows the sudden dryness in his throat.

You raise your drink acknowledgment in his direction before bringing the straw to your lips once more.

“If you want to know something,” you begin to say, placing your drink back onto the table in front of you, “just ask.”

Wooyoung goes to open his mouth, only for a loud ouch to escape him in the next moment, having been both kicked once more by Yeosang beneath the table, and elbowed quite harshly by Yunho in the ribs beside him.

Your brows quirk upwards expectantly, yet none of them let on as to what’s just occurred.

We’re not asking her that. She’s already told us that it’s a topic for a later time. Mingi frowns at the male directly across from him.

Like you guys don’t want to know, too. Wooyoung pouts, crossing his arms as he begins to sulk.

You have no idea how badly I want to know, but there’s a time and place for everything. Hongjoong’s eyes flash as he flicks his gaze over to the younger for a brief moment.

Fine. Wooyoung grumbles. You’re right.

“So,” your voice is drawing their attention to you once more, fondness shining in their eyes at the fact that you still want to know more about them, “you still haven’t answered my question about weapons, and if you’re all skilled at any.”

“We all have specific skill sets that we’ve honed and perfected over the years as our own,” Seonghwa confirms, stretching his legs out beneath the table in order to cross his ankles over one another.

“Which are?” You lean forwards eagerly.

“Jongho is incredible with axes,” Mingi comments. “Battle axes, hatchets, you name it.”

“So, don’t challenge him to an axe throwing competition, got it.” You grin, turning your awe filled gaze onto the youngest beside you whom you notice has a small tint of red creeping up his neck from the praise.

“Yeosang is the archer,” Yunho says, sipping on the final dregs of his drink. “Can hit a bird blindfolded from over one-hundred and fifty feet away.”

“Wow,” your lips part in a gasp, eyes sparkling as your gaze is now fixed on the blond haired male to your right. “I’ve always liked archery, ever since I was small.”

“I’ll teach you sometime,” the words are out of his mouth before any of his brothers can stop him.

“I’d love that.” Your smile is instantaneous, the excitement clear in your voice.

Oh, if only you knew how jealous that one simple phrase has made the other seven males around the table. Why can’t you be as excited about them right now? Why can’t you look at them like that?

Yeosang smiles back, heart fluttering erratically in his chest as he is consumed by your awe-filled gaze looking at him right now. Not even the loud complaining of his brothers in his mind could pull him off of cloud nine.

“Wooyoung is the master of poisons.” San adds with a loud clearing of his throat, drawing your attention to the split-dyed male to your left. A shiver runs down your spine as you feel San lean into you, the ghost of his breath tickling your neck right below your ear. “Also, a master of seduction.”

Your spine straightens, noting the way Wooyoung’s gaze has darkened while keeping his eyes fixed on you. He licks his lips, smirk tugging at the corner in the next second as a sense of smugness settles over him.

“Poisons, you say?” Your eyebrow twitches upwards, a dangerous gleam beginning to shine in your eyes.

“I can’t count the amount I’ve created in the past year alone,” it’s not quite a boast, but you can still hear the way pride laces his tone.

“Dangerous and cunning,” you grin wolfishly, and the expression has a shiver of pleasure running down his spine. “I like it.”

If Wooyoung could roar in happiness, he would. Nothing could have prepared him for your reaction. The way you gaze at him, with that hooded expression, has him shifting in his seat, biting at the inside of his lip to suppress the moan that wants to escape him. In the back of his mind, he begins to wonder if it’s truly him that is the master of seduction, and not you.

It’s Seonghwa’s voice that draws your attention next, somewhat pointed with a hint of bitterness lingering on his tongue as he sits with his arms crossed over his chest. “San is good with spears and poles.”

“Seduction? Poles?” Your quirk a brow in amusement. “You guys are doing wonders to combat the stripper allegations right now.”

Mingi nearly spits out his drink, coughing in the next second as Yeosang pats his back comfortingly. You begin to feel Jongho chuckling from beside you at the wide-eyed looks on his brother’s faces across from him.

“If you want us to strip so badly for you, Darling,” this time, it’s the youngest who leans in to whisper into your ear. “All you have to do is ask.”

Immediately, your spine straightens once more, a heat rushing to your cheeks as you clear your throat. “Moving on.”

San’s eyes flash at the eldest across from him.

“You make it sound so trivial, brother,” San scoffs, discontent on his features. “I’m more than good.”

“You know,” you turn to him, resting an elbow on the table as you prop up your head with your hand, “it’s surprisingly very fitting.”

“What? San as a stripper?” Mingi’s brow furrows in confusion.

“I meant his weapon of choice being a spear,” you clarify, a chuckle escaping you as you shoot a playfully pointed look at Mingi. Out of the corner of your eyes, you notice the tips of San’s ears turning red.

“Spears aren’t all I’m good at using,” his voice is low, and you do not fail to pick up on the suggestive undertones of his words.

Only, you’re not biting.

“Yes, we know you’re good with poles,” you tease. “Really, if you want to be a stripper so badly, I’m not going to judge you. I think it’s a very credible occupation to have.”

“They are always on the grind,” Wooyoung adds, joining in on the fun with a devious grin stretching across his features.

“Working around the clock,” it’s Yeosang who says it, and it catches you so off guard that you can’t help but burst out laughing.

“Okay,” your face reflects the joy you’re feeling at the moment, causing the blond male to absolutely swoon both from knowing he was the cause of your laughter, and this beautiful expression to pull at your features, “that was good.”

“Come on, guys,” Jongho leans forward slightly, a wolfish grin tugging onto his own lips, “it’s not that hard to leave him alone. Let him finish.”

Immediately, the hand that is supporting your head on the table moves to cover the lower half of your face as you eyes slip closed. You cannot help it, for in the next moment, your shoulders start shaking in laughter, even as you attempt to control yourself for the time being. The fact that you can hear Wooyoung’s, Yunho’s, and Mingi’s boisterous laughter isn’t helping, either.

“It’s not funny,” San grumbles, pout tugging at his lips as he crosses his arms in front of his chest, slumping down in his chair.

“Like I said,” you grin, shifting your hand back to supporting the side of your head as you turn your attention back onto the male beside you. “It’s so easy to tease you guys.”

San’s pout deepens at hearing the few chuckles his brothers let out from around the table, his eyebrows drooping as he look back at you.

“Are tridents including in your arsenal of choice?” You ask, the curious gleam in your eyes enough to lessen his pout for the moment.

“Of course,” his lip twitches upwards in the corner.

“Sick.” You nod. “Tridents are cool as fuck.”

Immediately, a vibrant smile paints his lips, eyes crinkling in joy. “Thank you, baby.”

You smile back at him, turning back to the rest of the men sitting at the table with their attention on you. You seem to be making a lot of progress with San today. A fact in which makes the other seven tremendously jealous, fires blazing within their souls and causing snarls to build in their chests. So badly do they want that to be them.

For the second time that day, you attempt to reach out yourself with your mind. Though this time, you follow the direction of that soft pink string tethered to the edge of your void. The one you just know belongs to the man with the bright pink hair sitting beside you.

As soon as he feels you brushing up against his mind, he clings onto that feeling like never before. A shiver runs down his spine as he looks to you out of the corner of his eyes, noting the way you seem to be keeping that mental connection with him open for the moment. Him, and only him. San smirks.

Just us? Your voice, tentative and a bit wary resonates in his mind, free of the prying thoughts of his brothers.

Just us, baby. He confirms, anticipation clawing at his chest at the significance of this moment right here with you. In the back of his mind, he begins to wonder what you want to say to him that you can’t say in front of his brothers. Or perhaps, you don’t want his brothers to know.

Perfect. You respond, and he can hear the way you hum in content. A brief pause in which your eyes are flitting to his as you continue to face front before a smirk daces onto your lips. My Aquaman.

The snarl that tears from San’s throat is unlike anything that you’ve heard before. It’s so loud, that a few heads turn from the surrounding tables, looking around for the sudden sound. Somewhere in the background, you vaguely hear someone muttering about a dog being set loose in the mall again. That is, until your mind is consumed by San’s all too vivid thoughts purposely projecting themselves into your mind.

In the blink of an eye, you see him hovering above you, his lips swollen as if he’s been doing nothing but kiss you like his life depends on it. Then, a shiver is running down your spine as he slides his one hand over your bare pussy, fingers dipping through your folds as he moans.

So wet for me. You hear him groan in this vision of yours, and you watch as this image of him brings his fingers to his lips, sucking at your essence eagerly. 

In the next moment, he’s pushing you down onto the surface of the table you seem to be sitting on top of while parting your legs so that he can sink to his knees between them. He locks eyes with you, and the darkness you see swirling there has your breath hitching in both the vision, and in reality.

Let me swim in your ocean, baby girl. He grins, licking his lips. I want to drown in you.

Just as you see him begin to lean into you, you slam your void down in your mind, blocking him out once more.

You don’t know who’s panting more: you or him. What you do know, is that all eight pairs of eyes are on you, watching your every movement carefully.

San’s lips are parted as he continues to stare at you with hooded eyes. Again, he can practically taste you on his tongue, mouth salivating at the fact that he was able to share such a vivid desire of his with you. The fact that you didn’t immediate pull away, or close your void instantly on him makes him all the more smug in this moment right now. At least none of his brothers can say that they’ve done that.

You swallow thickly, attempting to control your racing heart for the time being as they all continue staring at you with dark eyes. Something tells you that you’re not the only one affected in the exact same ways by this turn of events, especially as you faintly see their chests heaving with silent breaths with each inhale they take.

What did you do? Seonghwa’s voice demands of the younger demon as his eyes pierce San’s own from across the table.

Something I’ve only ever dreamed of before. San replies smugly, that same damn grin tugging at his features.

Seonghwa nearly lets out a snarl in warning at the younger until Hongjoong is shooting them both a sharp look.

Control yourselves. Hongjoong snaps. The both of you.

To be far, the eldest isn’t the only one willing to rip San’s tongue out right now. Yunho rumbles, eyes livid and calling for blood at the glimpses of the vision that had just been projected into your mind.

I’m not happy about it either, but we were having such a lovely day out with our girl. Mingi voices. Let’s not ruin it now.

I’m with Mingi on this one. Wooyoung adds, exhaling a long sigh through his nose.

We’ll have to get used to this sooner or later. Yeosang reminds them all, leaning back in his chair as he runs his fingers through his hair.

Let’s just continue the conversation, now, shall we? Hongjoong shoots each of them a stern look, eyes narrowed in discontent.

With the clearing of his throat, Jongho speaks once more, breaking the tension that had arisen between the nine of you. “Mingi is a dual wielder.”

“Oh, cool!” Immediately, the tension drops from your shoulders as you turn to the male on your right. “What type of blades?”

“Curved blades or katanas, it really just depends on my mood.” Mingi shrugs nonchalantly, a large smile painting his features at the way your excited expression returns to your features.

“What type of curved blade? Like a scimitar or…?” You trail off with your inquiry, looking at him expectantly with wide eyes.

“Again, depends on my mood.” Mingi shrugs. “Though my favourites are my two shorter blades curved like human spines.”

You blink, caught off guard by his admission. “Like spines?”

“You dumbass. Just say they curve like an ’S’,” Jongho rolls his eyes, and if he could kick his elder brother from beneath the table, he would.

“Same thing,” Mingi waves him off, much to the younger’s discontent, the two making faces at the other soon afterwards and causing you to chuckle from their antics.

“Speaking of those of us that use swords,” Yeosang begins. “Seonghwa is a master when it comes to every type of sword there is, but especially the broad sword.”

For a brief moment, you recall how he reacted when you were talking about that bejewelled sword in David’s shop.

Your eyes, widen slightly in realization. So, that’s why he reacted the way he did. A small heat rises to your cheeks, recalling the admission your best friend also let slip while you were in there. As soon as you meet Seonghwa’s gaze from across the table, your breath hitches, and you just know he’s thinking about it, too.

“Fuck,” the curse is out of your mouth before you can stop yourself, nothing more than a breathless exclamation on your lips.

The smirk that tugs onto Seonghwa’s features is deadly, a sense of pride washing over him as he takes in your unfiltered reaction now. Oh, so badly does he wish he could let the roar of happiness that builds in his chest out, allowing the sound to echo around the building and ring in his ears, serving as a reminder to him that this moment here in time is indeed real.

You clear your throat, “that’s really impressive.”

Seonghwa’s features shift into a genuine smile, the pride continuing to swell in his chest and spread outwards until it’s practically warming the very tips of his fingers. So badly does he just want to reach out and pull you into his arms, sharing in this moment with you together as one, but he cannot. At least, not yet.

“I’ll show you my collection some time,” he voices, much to Hongjoong’s displeasure.

A certain Captain of theirs wanted the pleasure of offering you to see his blade collection first. Hongjoong wants nothing more than to share in that intimacy together, but looks like fate has other plans.

“I’d really like that,” you grin excitedly, eyes twinkling at the thought of getting to see more blades.

Before he can lose his nerve, Hongjoong adds, “we can all show you our weapon’s collections, if you’d like.”

“Hell yes!” Your reply is immediate, the eagerness rolling off of your in waves. “You’d all really let me see them?”

“Of course,” Mingi mirrors your expression of joy, wide smile and all.

“Yay!” You grin, the giddiness clear in the way you wiggle slightly in your seat. Then, your gaze is shifting between both Hongjoong and Yunho. “What about you two?”

“Well, Yunho is the best of us mentally,” Wooyoung wraps his arm around the taller man’s shoulders, giving him an affectionate squeeze in the next moment. “His capabilities are unmatched.”

“That is…” you search for the proper words, “also very fitting.” Then, your lips are pursing in interest. “You ever make anyone’s head explode?”

“Quite often,” he admits with a nod, shrugging Wooyoung off of him in the next moment. “Though, shredding through someone’s mind is much more satisfying.”

“Sounds like fun,” you acknowledge with a few nods.

They all blink at you in mild shock, clearly not expecting this type of response.

“What?” You raise a hand in the air slightly. “I’ve thought about a lot more than just dismemberment before.”

“I think you’ll fit right in with us just fine,” Wooyoung grins, along with San, Seonghwa, and even Hongjoong cannot suppress the smirk that pulls at his lips.

“Perhaps,” you hum, giving him a once over which has a pleasant shiver running down his spine. In the blink of an eye, you’re turning your attention to the blue haired man in front of you. “What about you, Captain?”

Hongjoong nearly lets a moan escape past his lips as he hears you call him that for the first time, his whole body twitching eagerly in response. He shifts in his seat, swallowing the sudden dryness in his throat as he stares back at you with an equally dark gaze.

“My specialty is small knives,” his voice is low, rough with the rawness of his desire which he’s barely holding back at this very moment as he meets your hooded eyes. “Particularly daggers.”

Your breath hitches in your throat, momentarily forgetting how to breathe as you stare, transfixed, at the male before you. In an instant, your heart begins racing in your chest, your spine straightening as you sit still as a stone in your seat.

“Daggers.” You repeat, voice somewhat airy.

“Never misses a target, either,” San leans in to whisper in your ear, yet you don’t even react, much to the younger male’s disappointment.

You swallow thickly, blinking a few times as if to pull yourself out of the daze you’re in. Then, a smirk pulls at your features as you recall his own reaction to learning about that specific item in David’s shop.

“Not going to lie,” you don’t bother to look away from Hongjoong as you speak, noticing how he hangs onto your every word with bated breath. “That’s incredibly attractive.”

This time, it’s Hongjoong that cannot suppress the snarl that tears from his throat, causing even more heads to turn at the sudden sound. You vaguely hear that same person complaining about a wild dog being let into the mall again before you feel a familiar brushing against your mind.

Focussing in on the red string that’s practically humming in movement, you open your mind to him for the time being. You don’t even need to ask this time to know that it’s just the two of you.

Daggers. Huh, My Love? He quirks a brow at you, lips curling smugly over pointed teeth. If I’d have know it was this easy to seduce you, I would have told you sooner.

You quirk a brow in response, and in a flash, Hongjoong is privy to your all too vivid thoughts, nearly drawing another moan from the male’s lips.

There he is, kneeling on the ground before you as you tilt his chin upwards to look at you using what he can only assume is the dagger you were so fond of from that jewellery shop. The way you envision gazing down at him, eyes hooded and dark as you practically emanate dominance over him has his cock twitching beneath his jeans.

Now, Captain… he hears your voice drawl throughout his head, the mental image of you speaking in perfect time with the words that resonate through his head. Who’s seducing who?

Hongjoong’s breathing deepens, lips parting as he watches you quirk a brow at him from across the table. All too soon, you’re closing yourself off to him once more, the vision fading before his very eyes as he attempts to cling onto whatever last remnants that he can.

That is most certainly being added to his collection later tonight.

You clear your throat in the next moment, pushing your chair back and standing back to your feet, much to Jongho’s displeasure. You simply chuckle at him as you hear him grumbling under his breath about how he wanted to sit with you longer.

“Well, I still have a few more things to get,” you say, stretching your arms out in front of you while cracking your neck, hearing a few satisfying cracks come of it. “Shall we?”

Instantly, all eight men are back on their feet. Save for Hongjoong who takes slightly longer than the rest, subtly adjusting himself before standing back up. 

You smile, glancing around at all of them as they grab all of your bags once more.

“Where to next?” It’s Wooyoung who asks, immediately stepping up to your side as you go to throw your empty drink cup out with them all following close behind.

“There’s a shop I have in mind, so just follow me.” You reply, tossing the cup in the trash as you pass by, noticing them all do the same.

Soon, you’ve led them all to the music store, albums lining the space on different displays showcasing the various genres scattered throughout the area. Immediately, you find your way to one section in particular, scanning over the titles to see if they have any of the recent comebacks you’ve missed.

You begin to chuckle like a maniac, “excellent.”

“What?” Jongho grumbles, pout tugging at his lips as he sees you excitedly pull a few albums off of the shelf.

“They’ve got all of my favourite group’s recent comebacks.” You wiggle your brows at him in excitement, holding the pile of albums in your arms quite tightly to your chest.

“Come on, let’s go pay,” Seonghwa practically drags you to the front once you begin to make your way to the cash line.

Really, they all can’t wait to get out of this store. Yes, they do all love seeing you happy. However, when that happiness is caused by other men, men of which they know you have desired at some point or other in your life, they cannot help but get jealous. They hate not being some of the only recipients of your affection.

Reaching the cash desk, you place the albums on top of the counter for the worker to begin scanning. You can tell that she’s a fan of some of the groups you’ve selected from the way her eyes light up as she begins to go through each item.

“Are you a Stay?” She asks excitedly, hitting a few keys on the register as she begins bagging your albums.

“Oh, one-hundred percent!” You reply happily. “Are you?”

“Definitely. I still can’t get over this comeback.” She replies, and you nod along with her eagerly. “The unit songs killed me.”

“Oh, yeah? Who’s your bias?” You inquire, a gleam in your eyes.

“I absolutely adore Bang Chan, I think he’s one of the best leaders out there right now.” She tells you, marking off the albums that are being sold in a separate notebook for inventory purposes. “Though, Han and I.N. give me way too much trouble.”

“I get that! Almost all of my friends also bias Chan.” You nod along with her. “They’re all great guys, though.”

You can practically feel Seonghwa bristling beside you, so you nudge him subtly with your arm.

“Who’s your bias?” She asks, eyes wide and shining in excitement.

“Hmm, good question.” You hum, purposely bringing a finger up to tap at your chin. “Sometimes, it’s Changbin. Other times it’s Minho. Yet, I can’t help but get wrecked by both Hyunjin and Felix, but they’re all great, really! ”

“Oh, don’t even get me started on Felix’s voice.” She practically melts in her spot, fake swooning as you share a laugh. “Then you must be absolutely wrecked by dance-racha’s unit song.”

“You have no idea.” You breathe out, and you can practically feel a specific pair of eyes boring into your back from outside of the store. You don’t even have to look to know exactly who it is.

In the next moment, she’s telling you your total, and instinctually, you go to reach for your wallet. Only, Seonghwa already has his card out and ready.

“You’re such a gentleman!” She comments. “I wish my significant other would pay for my albums.”

“Oh, he’s not-“ you don’t even get a chance to protest before he cuts you off with a chuckle.

At her praise, Seonghwa practically lights up, a smugness pulling onto his features as he grins. “As long as she’s happy, that’s all that matters.”

“Oh, you guys are so cute together!” She adds, placing the receipt in the bag before handing it to you from over the counter.

Just as you go to reach for it, Seonghwa beats you to it, only causing the girl to shoot you a subtle knowing look from behind the register.

“Enjoy your albums, I hope you pull your bias!” She cheers, sending you off with a wave. “You two have a lovely day.”

“Thank you,” you give a polite wave back, smiling at her as you both leave the shop.

Stepping outside the store, you walk back over to the other seven waiting in the hallway. All wear looks of discontent on their faces at hearing you praise those idols so openly.

“Dance-racha, huh?” Wooyoung isn’t subtle, leaning into you as you begin to make your way down the hall once more.

“Yes? What about them?” You reply casually.

“You like them.” Yeosang observes, somewhat bitterly.

“I enjoy them, yes.” You confirm with a slight nod of your head.

“And this new song of theirs.” Hongjoong states, glancing at you out of the corner of his eyes.

“I do, indeed.” You breathe, mind already providing the chorus of their newest song, Taste, for you as you smirk to yourself.

Only, before any of them can say anything else, an excited gasp is escaping your lips as you run over to one of the shop windows.

“Guys, look!” You point inside. “Kittens!”

Literally, how can they stay bitter and petty when you’re looking at them with such wide eyes filled with adoration and excitement. So, of course, when you enter the store, Yeosang, Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Mingi, and Yunho all follow you inside. Jongho, San, and Wooyoung are all in charge of bag duty for the moment, but from the way you see them conversing between each other quite eagerly, you don’t think they mind.

Sure enough, when you enter the shop, you’re able to get a closer look at the litter of kittens playing in the front display. 

You begin cooing at the sight, talking to the animals softly as all five males watch you with fond gazes. Even Jongho, San and Wooyoung get a front row seat to how adorable you look making faces at the kittens through the large window. All eight men cannot help but to smile.

Yeosang takes this opportunity to step up beside you, wiggling a finger in front of the glass as a pure black kitten with golden eyes stares transfixed at him. Then, as if reading your mind, it turns to look at you with it’s big, golden orbs, letting out a little mewl in the next second.

“I think Kuroo likes you,” suddenly, a lady is beside you on your opposite side. 

You assume she must be the shop owner, for she wears an apron with the store’s logo on it, a kind smile on her face.

“Kuroo?” Your eyes flash in recognition of the name. “The black cat with the golden eye’s name is Kuroo?”

“Yes,” she chuckles. “My daughter is a big fan of that one sport’s anime, and I let her name a few of the kittens.”

“That’s adorable!” Your lips part in awe as you turn back to the kitten in question, noticing Yeosang staring at you fondly as you do so. “He’s so cute!”

“Would you like to hold him?” She asks, already moving to unlock the little display to grab him out of the case.

“May I?” You ask, excitedly.

“Of course, sweetie,” she smiles, already reaching inside to pull the cat out and place him gently in your arms.

“Oh, aren’t you just the handsomest little thing,” you coo, scratching at his head as he nuzzles into you. “Guys, look!” You turn to the five other males standing off to the side. “Isn’t he adorable?”

Your excitement rubs off on them, all of them not being able to control how lovingly they’re staring at you right now as you continue to coo little things at the kitten held in your arms. If they could freeze this moment right here in time with you, they would. Sadly, that ability is not an aspect of their powers.

The longer you stare at this cat with it’s wide eyed gaze looking back at you, the more you realize that you feel like you’ve seen this exact same expression somewhere before. You blink, shifting your gaze across the store to the back of the tall male with the soft pink hair who is now currently looking at some rabbits on display.

“What are you thinking?” Yeosang notices you continuously glancing down at the cat and back up at the eldest in time.

“Call me crazy, but,” you lean in to whisper, adjusting the kitten in your grip until you’re holding it in the air at eye level, it’s round eyes blinking back at you. “Hey, Seonghwa?”

Said male turns to look at you with the same exact wide-eyed expression that the kitten wears, and you can hear Yeosang let out a chuckle beside you.

“Spot the difference.” You mutter, and he snorts out a laugh. “There is none."

“The resemblance is uncanny.” He adds in a low voice, and you laugh in response.

“These games are getting damn near impossible these days.” You chuckle once more, noticing how the eldest pouts from across the store before turning back around. A soft mewl from your hands has your attention back onto the kitten in front of you, bringing him back to rest against your chest. “What’s the matter, little Tetsurou? Are you sleepy?”

The kitten yawns in response, stretching as much as he can in your arms before his eyes are fluttering shut.

“Oh, big yawn!” You coo, softly petting his head as he curls into you.

Yeosang cannot help but to smile as he steps closer, hand practically brushing against yours as he softly pets the kitten in your arms.

“Do you want him?” He asks gently, eyes glancing upwards from the kitten in your arms to meet your gaze.

“Oh, uh,” you blink, not actually having thought this far ahead. “No.” You shake your head. “No, that’s okay.”

Even though you send him a smile, Yeosang isn’t all that reassured.

Two minutes later and you’ve given the kitten back to the lady with a small thank you and a smile on your lips. She waves you off politely, telling you to come back if you change your mind.

You get a few paces down the hallway before you’re speaking once more. “Okay, there’s really only one more place I need to check out before we can go back home.” 

Each male does not fail to notice how you’ve finally referred to your shared place as your home. Soft smiles tug at their features as they gaze at you with nothing but adoration in their eyes, hearts warming in their chests at that simple fact alone.

“But first,” you stop in front of a separate hallway that leads off to the side. “I’ll be right back.”

In the blink of an eye, you’re scurrying off to the washrooms.

In no time at all, you’re in front of the sink, simply washing your hands when you hear a squeal from behind you. Figuring it’s someone else, you nearly shriek when you feel someone wrap their arms around you from behind, an excited call of your name falling from their lips.

Your eyes widen. You’d recognize that voice anywhere.

“Reina!” A large smile is painted on your features as you turn around in her arms to return her hug just as tightly as she’s squeezing you right now. “Oh my god, how are you? I’ve missed you so much, I haven’t seen you in forever!”

“I know!” She replies, just as enthusiastically. “I’m great! So glad I could run into you today, honestly.”

“It must be fate,” you chuckle.

“What are you doing right now? Are you busy?” She inquires. “I’m meeting my girlfriend in an hour, but I’d love to be able to catch up with you.”

“Girlfriend?” You shoot her an eager look.

“We have so much to catch up on, you don’t even know.” She replies with a wink.

“I’d love that!” You exclaim, nodding eagerly. “I’ll wait for you, then.”

“Great! Amazing! Cool!” She cheers. “I’ll be as quick as I can!”

“Take your time,” you smile at her as she hurriedly enters a stall before you.

Moving off to the side to pull out your phone for the moment, you open your void to the eight males still waiting for you in the hallway.

You’ll never guess who I just ran into. Your ecstatic voice resounds in all of their heads.

Who, My Love? It’s Hongjoong that responds first.

Reina! I haven’t seen her in ages! You reply eagerly. I’m going to spend the next hour with her until she has to meet up with her girlfriend. So, I’ll meet you guys back at the entrance where we first got here at that time.

A moment of silence.

You will do no such thing. The harshness you hear in Seonghwa’s voice has you blinking down at your phone is shock.

Ex-fucking-cuse me? You match his tone. You cannot keep me away from my friends. This is my decision, and I’m choosing to spend the next hour catching up with my friend, who, need I remind you, is the reason you all even know who I am.

We just don’t like being away from you for so long, Dearest. Yeosang attempts to reason with you.

You had no issues with it last night. You retort.

That was different. San states.

Different how? Your frown is prominent on your features. Because I was trapped in a place only you could get to?

Each male doesn’t fail to notice your choice of words.

We don’t want to argue with you, Petal. Yunho’s tone is soft, attempting to both calm you and assure you at the same time.

Then stop making this into a fight! You snap. Trust goes both ways.

That seems to shut them up for a good few seconds.

We just worry we won’t be able to protect you if you go off by yourself. Jongho is the first to break the silence.

Then what are these strings for? You sigh, exasperatedly. I thought the whole purpose of us implementing them was so I could call you when I need you whenever we’re apart.

Well, yes, but-

No ‘but’s! You cut Mingi off. I want to spend time with my friend. I’m going to spend time with my friend. 

Like hell you are. Seonghwa spits out, and again, you’re taken aback by his harsh tone.

I don’t need your permission to do so. You snap back, just as intensely. In the back of your mind, you begin to wonder where the fuck this is all coming from.

We just don’t want something to happen to you. San sighs.

You don’t even have to leave the mall. I don’t care what you choose to do. Go shop on your own for an hour, or something. You say, close to begging at this point. Just please, let me spend some time with my friend.

Only if we can stay with you. Comes Wooyoung’s soft reply, and you notice that this is the first time he’s spoken during this whole fiasco.

That’s not going to work. You sigh audibly.

Then, I’m afraid we’re not leaving your side. Hongjoong replies, tone gentle as if he’s afraid of setting you off again.

Can’t we just, I don’t know, vote on it, or something. You can’t believe you’ve had to resort to this.

If that is what you so wish. Yeosang shares a look with all of his brothers.

Thank you, you reply pointedly. Well, obviously you all know my vote. I want to spend time with my friend.

I think it would be good, too, honestly. All seven of them turn to look at Mingi, who just raises his hands in front of him in surrender.

Thank you, Mingi. They can hear the slightest relief in your voice.

I vote ‘no’. Seonghwa’s tone is firm, and you just know he’s crossing his arms in front of his chest right now.

I’m sorry, My Love, but I’m with Hwa on this one. Hongjoong says, and they can all hear you sigh in response.

I do believe it would be good for us to demonstrate our trust in you since you’ve done nothing but both show and speak of your trust in us today. Yeosang sounds like he’s at least trying to reason with his brothers, for your sake. Go have fun with your friend.

I appreciate that, Yeosang, you smile faintly. Thank you.

I’m sorry, Darling, Jongho begins, and he just hates how he can practically see your expression falling in his mind’s eye. I don’t want to leave you alone right now.

It’s also a ‘no’ from me as well, baby. San says gently, even though his tone doesn’t do anything to soften the blow.

You hold your breath. There’s only two more of them left, and if even one of them goes against you, you won’t be able to spend time with your friend. Alone. 

You don’t even realize it, but tears begin to line the corner of your eyes. You thought today was going so well, but then they went and did this. Why can’t they seem to trust you for an hour by yourself with one of your best friends? Was everything they told you a lie just to try and weave their way into your heart and win you over? Do they even know how frustrating this entire situation is right now? To know that you might have to constantly ask them for basic permissions like hanging out with your friends, or hell, even visiting your family drives you insane.

Why are they so adamant on staying with you? Is there something that they’re not telling you?

Of course, all eight men are privy to your thoughts right now, echoing shamelessly through their minds as shame begins to wash over the four that have just voted against letting you spend an hour alone with your friend. None are as remorseful as San and Hongjoong are, though, tears of frustration lining the younger’s eyes now, as well.

Please, don’t cry, Petal. Yunho aches to run to you. To wrap you in his arms and hold you tight, drying all of your tears as he whispers that everything will be okay into your ear. So badly does he want to explain to you that they’ve caught Miyeon’s scent in the mall earlier, and that they’re just being cautious. However, you don’t even know who she is, and they’d much rather keep it that way for now. They don’t want her to hurt you, or worse. They don’t want to lose you. You can still trust them. He just hopes that after this, you still do. Go have fun with your friend. We can find something to do to entertain ourselves for an hour.

You sniff, wiping at your eyes with the back of your hand. Reina sure is taking a long time.

It’s tied, four-four. Jongho observes.

Wooyoung, you’re the deciding vote. Hongjoong turns to the younger male before him.

You can sense the hesitation coming from him, even if you can’t see him, especially given how long he takes to respond. You have a feeling he was leaning towards saying ‘no’ at first, but what you’ve said about trust has made him slowly begin to change his mind.

After all, he doesn’t want to go back to how things were mere weeks ago when you could barely stand to be in the same room as him without feeling extremely uncomfortable.

It is then that the idea strikes you, though you can’t believe you’re about to use it for this.

Hey, Wooyoung, you don’t even need to see them to know that you’ve caught all of their attention. Do me a favour?

The sudden inhale is sharp, causing his seven other brothers to look at him in mild confusion. None of them know about that bet you two wagered on about a week ago, and what your words truly mean.

Wooyoung sighs. Go have fun with your friend.

Immediately, relief is washing over you. A smile tugs at your features as you dry the rest of your tears for the moment, glancing up at your reflection in the mirror.

Thank you! You cheer.

Just, Hongjoong sighs, be careful, okay?

Of course. You’re all one call away, anyways. You reply, fixing your slightly disheveled appearance for the moment. Oh, and Seonghwa?

Yes, My Divine? He’s quick to respond, a hint of uncertainty in his voice as he can feel your emotions radiating outwards from your mind.

Your eyes flash as you catch your gaze in the mirror, pure fury reflected on your features for the moment which you know he can feel through your thoughts. Don’t you ever fucking speak to me like that again.

The appearance of your void is like the harsh slamming of steel doors in all of their faces. It happens so quickly, that they practically all flinch in response.

I think we’ve just royal fucked up. Jongho voices as they all begin to disperse around the mall before you come back out of the washroom with your friend to see them all still standing there.

You think? San nearly huffs, shaking his head as he and Wooyoung walk back down the hallway together.

She’s right, though. About the trust. Yunho replies, Yeosang humming along in agreement as they both head back to that game store for the moment.

I know she is, Hongjoong sighs, keeping pace with Seonghwa who wears a somewhat remorseful expression as they make their way to one store in particular.

They all know how he’s feeling right now, his emotions of shame projecting themselves throughout their heads at the way he spoke to you. You’re right. He should have never spoken to you that way in the first place. He just couldn’t help but be consumed by worry for the moment. That, and the fact that today had been going so well, he didn’t want to spend a moment of it apart from you. Especially not after what they came home to last night.

She’ll contact us if she needs us, Mingi reasons as he enters a home decor store. We’re always monitoring her thoughts, anyways, while in the same vicinity. It’s not like she’s going anywhere.

That’s true. Wooyoung hums. Just keep your eyes open for Miyeon.

If she tries anything, she’s dead. Yeosang snaps, a rumble building in his chest at the potential threat to you. A sentiment of which they all share.

A brief moment of silence passes by.

How long has it been? San asks.

Not even three minutes. Jongho replies with a deep sigh, receiving groans from all of them in response.

This is going to be a long hour.

Meanwhile, you begin to walk around the mall with Reina falling into step beside you. Smiles are on both of your faces as you start to catch up on all that you’ve missed. Though, you still cannot get what just transpired with her back in the washroom out of your mind.

You had been looking at your phone to pass the time while waiting for her, caught up in your own thoughts about that stupid argument you had just had with the eight of them. Only, when you looked up to check if she was done, she was standing right in front of you. 

You, of course, startled at that, only for her to ask you what’s wrong and subsequently tell you that she had been trying to grab your attention for the past three minutes.

Funny, considering you’ve been glancing up every few seconds to see the door to the stall she had entered still closed and locked.

Either way, you’re just glad to be spending some time with her now.

“What brings you to the mall today?” She inquires casually.

“Doing some shopping,” you reply, and at the way she gives you a once over, noting the lack of bags in your hands, she quirks a brow. “I just have one other place to go to.”

“Where do you need to go?” She shifts her gaze forwards once more.

Conveniently, you point at the store directly ahead of you both on the corner of one of the sections.

“Oh, damn,” her mouth drops. “Me too!”

Which is exactly how you find yourself looking through bras and panties with your best friend within the next five minutes.

“Oh, this would look so cute on you!” She says, holding up a lace singlet in a deep maroon.

“Reina!” A heat rushes to your cheeks as you snatch the item from her hands. “I hate how you’re right.”

“Always,” she giggles, grinning mischievously. “I know you said you just need a few basics for the moment, but don’t you want to get a few sets? You deserve to feel sexy, too.”

You nod softly along with her words, contemplating for the moment. The original retort of not having anyone to wear them for dies in your throat as you envision those coloured strings in your mind once more. Then, you’re nearly scoffing to yourself. There’s no way in hell you’re buying lingerie for them. If anything, you’ll buy it for yourself.

Reina’s right. You deserve to feel sexy. You deserve to feel beautiful.

Which is exactly how you find yourself holding a full bag of new sets, as well as a few other items tucked away in your haul as you exit the store. Even Reina splurged a little, carrying two bags of her own, claiming the exact same as you.

“So,” you begin as you start to walk down the aisle of the mall once more side by side, “tell me about your new girlfriend!”

“Well, she’s really pretty,” Reina begins immediately. “Kind of stubborn, but really smart. She makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”

“Yeah?” You smile softly at your best friend. “That’s good, I’m glad. I’m happy for you!”

“Thank you!” She replies. “I really want you to meet her, so when she gets here I’ll introduce you to her.”

“That sounds lovely!” You reply, mirroring her excited grin. “How did the two of you meet?”

Reina is unusually silent for a moment as her brow furrows. A fact which only makes you tilt your head at her in slight worry.

For as long as you’ve known Reina, she’s always had a perfect memory. A fact which she never fails to remind you of, much to your frustration at times. She’s one of the brightest and nicest people you know, always so open and understanding, especially to new people and discussions. Which is exactly why when she hesitates for as long as she does, you frown.

“If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to.” You’ve never known her to keep secrets. At least, not from you.

“No, no,” she shakes her head as if to clear her thoughts in the next moment. “It’s not that, sorry. We met on the train.”

“The train, huh?” You quirk a brow teasingly at her, expecting her to elaborate. Only, she doesn’t. “What’s her name?”

“Oh, her name is Mimi.” She replies almost instantly.

“She sounds cute!” You reply, and you notice her shoot you a look out of the corner of her eyes. One which you’ve never seen from her before as her eyes reflect nothing but darkness swirling within. 

Your heart skips a beat. You’re probably just imagining things because of how long you’ve spent being cooped up in that house with those eight demonic presences of yours. It’s probably just your mind projecting what you’ve become so used to from them onto her.

“I bet you guys go very well together,” you add after noticing she remains silent.

A hum is all the response you get.

“What does she look like?”

“You’ll see.” Reina replies lowly, and you can only blink at her in response. Then, as if her whole demeanour is flipping back into the person you know and love, she turns to smile at you. “Have you read the new Jujutsu Kaisen chapters?”

“Uh,” you swallow the building dryness in your throat, before shaking your head, “no. No, I haven’t had a chance to read the updates in a while.”

“Girl, what are you doing? I thought you’d be all over that shit!” She jeers, nudging your side playfully.

“What do you mean?” You tilt your head curiously at her.

“He’s back.” She grins wolfishly at you.

“Who’s back- oh. Oh!” Your eyes widen significantly, immediately turning to her as she faces you, your hands coming up to grasp suddenly onto her arms as you both come to a stop in the middle of the hall. A wild gleam is in your eyes. “You better not be fucking with me right now.”

“Why would I fuck with you about Sukuna? I know how much you like him.” She quirks a brow expectantly at you.

“Holy shit!” You let out a squeal of excitement, shaking her slightly in your grip. “He’s back!”

Instantly, you’re letting her go, her hand finding purchase in your own as you begin to skip down the hallway while swinging your intertwined hands between you two. She can only chuckle as she matches your pace, but walking for the moment instead of skipping.

“You know what he’s been called now?” She glances at you briefly as you turn to look at her eagerly. “The disgraced one.”

“Fuck-“ A shudder runs up your spine, and you take a moment to revel in the fact that being able to react in such a way without being surrounded by eight highly jealous men is so freeing. 

“You’re just thinking about him, now, aren’t you?” She teases, a knowing chuckle falling from her lips.

“I’m just thinking about him, I’m just thinking about him, I’m just thinking about him.” Each time that phrase leaves your lips, you shrug your shoulders slightly, as if it’s no big deal.

Reina cannot help the boisterous laugh that escapes her lips. “Someone sounds deprived.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” you turn to her, a wild look in your eyes as she laughs some more.

The two of you continue like this for some time, finding a place to sit at one of the entrances where she’s supposed to meet her girlfriend soon. Before you know it, the hour has almost passed, and you find yourself almost deflating at the thought of having to leave her so soon.

“Do you ever think about that time-” Reina begins, her voice pulling you out of your own thoughts for the moment. “Do you ever think about that time when we read from that summoning book?”

Your eyes widen, caught off guard by her sudden question. Your heart begins racing in your chest.

“You mean when you read from that book?” You tease, hoping to ease the sudden tension in your body by making a joke out of it.

“Yeah, yeah,” she waves you off, a slight puff of laughter escaping her, “whatever.”

“To be honest, I haven’t thought about it in a while,” you reply, the white lie tasting bitter on your lips. “Have you?”

“I think about it all the time,” she replies with a long exhale, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. “I still don’t know how you were so calm about it. There was clearly something going on. I clearly summoned something.”

You nearly purse your lips, becoming severely uncomfortable with this new topic of conversation. She’s never brought it up before. In fact, it was almost as if the subject was one neither of you wanted to bring up or acknowledge again, especially after it had happened. Which is why you find it so strange that she’s bringing it up now.

Maybe you’re just being paranoid.

“You were scared, and I wasn’t going to let anything bad happen to you.” Comes your honest reply. “You know I’ll always protect the ones I care about most.”

“I know.” She turns to smile at you, but the way her lips tug upwards in the corners unsettles you. She looks as if you’ve just told her a piece of information which has condemned you in some way.

You blink, and it’s gone, Reina’s all too familiar soft smile painting her features.

“Well, Mimi should be here any minute now! I can’t wait for you to meet her.” She squeezes your hand happily, a giddy look in her eyes as she looks around the area.

Then, her entire face is lighting up as she spots whom you can only assume is her girlfriend. In a flash, Reina is quick to her feet, dragging you along as the girl in question calls out your friend’s name in greeting.

“Mimi, this is my best friend,” Reina introduces you with a proud smile on her face. Then, she’s turning to face you. “This is Mimi.”

“It’s so nice to meet you, Mimi,” you say, a gentle smile adorning your features as you extend your hand out for her to shake.

“Oh, please, I’m a hugger!” She replies, an eager grin stretching across her lips as she pulls you into her arms. Then, whispering lowly right by your ear, “call me Miyeon.”

A shiver runs down your spine as she pulls away from you, and you swear you feel an unpleasant jolt run through your entire body, almost as if your back has just been scratched harshly in the most unpleasant way. Only, when you send her a polite smile back as she holds you at arm’s length, the feeling is gone as soon as it comes.

Something brushes against you void.

“I’ve heard so much about you,” Miyeon continues, finally pulling her lingering touch away from you. That same unnerving grin that you could have sworn you saw on Reina’s face earlier pulls at Miyeon’s lips now. “I’m so glad to finally meet you.”

“All good things, I hope,” you chuckle, somewhat nervously. You really don’t like the way she’s looking at you, yet Reina seems not to notice. In fact, it’s almost as if your best friend has gone blank, her eyes appearing vacant when you turn to look at her.

“Of course,” she practically purrs, looping her arm around Reina’s waist.

There’s an unease that settles over you the longer that you stare at this picture, but you can’t quite place your finger on it. You scratch the back of you head, feeling a sudden itch spring up in one spot as something brushes against your void once more.

“Well, I should get going. I don’t want to keep you two from your date.” You say, even if you have some mixed feelings currently about leaving Reina alone with Miyeon for some reason unknown to you.

“No, please,” something in Miyeon’s eyes flash, but it’s gone as soon as it comes, “stay.”

Only, the call of your name from behind you draws your attention.

Instantly, you feel an arm around your waist pulling you back a step and into someone’s side. 

Turning your head, you see Yeosang standing to your right, the other seven males flanking you on either side. They no longer seem to be holding any of your bags, so you figure they must have already dropped them back at home for the moment. Though, what you do fail to notice is how all of their sudden harsh gazes seem to be fixated on Miyeon in front of you, snarls pulling at San’s, Seonghwa’s, Wooyoung’s, and Hongjoong’s lips.

“We’re leaving-“ 

Yeosang doesn’t even have a chance to finish his sentence, for it’s as if Reina has come back to life in that moment, a gasp escaping her lips as her eyes shine. “You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend!”

“Uh, well-“

Then, it’s as if her entire demeanour is shifting once more, an irritated look crossing her features. “Finally settled down with a man, huh?”

You blink, caught off guard by her comment as your brow furrows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I always knew it was just a phase,” she scoffs.

“Reina, what are you saying?” You look at her in bewilderment. You don’t even recognize your best friend standing before you anymore.

“Were you ever really in to girls?” The way her lips curl in disgust at you has you physically recoiling.

You’re so focussed on Reina in front of you, that you fail to see the way Miyeon’s face alights with a twisted sense of glee when your own expression falls. However, the eight males standing beside you notice.

Bold move, showing your face in front of us like this. San comments, ready and willing to strike at a moment’s notice.

You do anything to me, and I’ll shred right through her best friend’s mind in a second. Miyeon grins, noting the crazed gleam in both Hongjoong’s and Seonghwa’s eyes.

Before any of them can react, the sound of you taking a deep breath in draws their attention.

“I’m glad we could catch up, Rei,” you steel your nerves for the time being, surprising the female demon across from you. “Enjoy your time with your girlfriend.”

With a final nod, and a tight smile to Miyeon in acknowledgement, you’re turning around and walking away, much to her displeasure. She was hoping to toy with you some more before you left, especially before they showed up.

The eight males don’t even spare Miyeon another glance as they begin walking back to the same entrance you all arrived at today. Yeosang still has his arm wrapped securely around you, Yunho’s one hand coming to settle on your upper back as they guide you safely out of the mall.

A fury ignites behind each of their eyes, but none blaze as intensely as Seonghwa’s own. He knew he shouldn’t have let you go alone. They all knew Miyeon would have shown up sooner or later. They’re just upset that they couldn’t protect you; angry at themselves for letting her slip through the cracks like this. They cannot attack her in public with so many human witnesses, and besides, they do not want to subject you to that type of violence.

They knew something was wrong when you didn’t meet them where you said you would after the hour had passed. You weren’t the type of person to be petty and show up after the fact just to spite them. Still, they gave it a few minutes just in case you lost track of time, brushing against your void to check up on you. Only, when they got no response, even when they did it again after five minutes, they panicked.

It took them less than thirty seconds to find you and be at your side, and it’s a good thing they did, too. Who knows what Miyeon could have done to you if they hadn’t showed up.

Wooyoung, Yunho, Seonghwa, and Hongjoong all nearly lose it when they feel Miyeon attempt to spear your mind as you all walk away. Though, none of them are as furious as Yeosang this very moment.

“I seem to have forgotten something, Dearest,” he says, sounding much calmer than he is at the moment so as not to alert you that something’s wrong. “I’ll catch up with you all back at home.”

“Okay,” your voice is soft, heavy with the emotions you’re attempting to hold back, keeping them from breaking through this very moment.

A little reluctantly, he steps away from you, the ghost of his touch lingering on your back as San steps up to take his place. 

Yeosang watches as you all disappear around the corner, his brothers all encouraging him to tear Miyeon apart in the most vicious and violent ways that he knows how. A fact of which he does not need to be told twice, as his soul begins to call for blood. 

Slowly, he turns around, cracking his neck and flexing the fingers on his hands as his nails sharpen into claws.

By the time he’s done with Miyeon, there will be nothing left.

[campbyler]

the ppl that complain abt updates are actually so bewildering to me bc im literally 2k words into my fic and it has taken SO LONG 😞 not to mention the fact that no matter how long i wait for your updates, i truly never get bored because i js come on your tumblr everyday to see what you guys have been posting on here and it 100% makes up for the long awaited updates (not that you have anything to make up for anyway) you guys are truly SO incredible for what you do bc i could NEVER 😭 i literally talked to my friend abt ur fic and how the waits are usually long (wasn’t complaining abt it) and she was like “oh my god i could never wait that long for a fic” and i immediately came to your defense and was like “yeah but it’s okay bc the long ass chapters always make up for it and the fact that they post on tumblr almost daily”

prefacing my accidental ramble by saying that if we ever seem disproportionately annoyed at something someone said then it’s definitely because it is not disproportionate to Us!! little comments and things like that add up over time, so it’s rarely about just that one thing someone says and absolutely more of an overarching pattern that gets tiring really fast. and not to dredge everything back up again bc it’s rare that we get someone being super weird and rude outright about longer or delayed update times but we get soooo so many asks or comments etc like the one thea answered earlier which just include little remarks that come off as just passive aggressive and just kind of kill the vibe of getting a really nice message?? very much like “oh i miss when we only had to wait a couple weeks for updates but your fic is so good!” or “this was so good but don’t know how im going to wait months for the next chapter :(“ and just stuff like that which gets pretty frustrating over time, especially when they’re coming from people who blew through a 30k update in like 45 minutes lol. we see so much of this over on twt especially, maybe because we’re not as active there and people are not saying it To Us so they think we don’t see it but there’s also a lot of likeeeeee “i want to start acswy but im Traumatized by authors abandoning their fics so im just waiting until they’re done” or “i want to catch up but the update intervals are so long😭” and that sort of thing which is also just kind of frustrating to see come up over and over again, esp bc sometimes people have actually said that to us? like in our inbox??? for some entirely unknown reason??? like why are you telling us on this blog that you don’t want to read our fic until it’s done. good luck getting through 500k in one sitting then idk what to tell you 🤷🏽‍♀️

anyways all that to say thank you so much for your message of support it’s very much appreciated! sometimes the demands (even if they’re said as a joke) and little side comments that are slipped into really nice messages can def make us feel like our readers see as us people who are putting out a product and not people who are just trying to share a passion project with our little corner of the internet, but we also know that most of you are not like that and especially the people who regularly interact w this blog and send in asks and comments are so lovely! thank you for coming to our defense 🫡

[faela404]

i saw your requests were open, and i really liked your dazai with a sibling piece so i offer you this, pm dazai with a little sibling? i wonder what he’d act like

ahhh i’m glad you liked it! i added tachihara, i hope that’s okay! <3

pm! dazai & tachihara x gn! younger sibling! reader (platonic !)

☆ checkmate ☆

☆ pm! osamu dazai ☆

☆ honestly, dazai would be more of a distant yet still protective older brother

☆ he wouldn’t go out of his way to make sure you two have a good relationship, in fact he’d push you away

☆ while you two wouldn’t have much communication with each other, you’d still feel safe telling him about any problems in your life

☆ in fact there was one time, a few months before dazai parted from the port mafia, you had just started college/ university

☆ your roommates have all been pretty cool aside from one, he acts extremely inappropriately towards you and no matter what he won’t stop

☆ so in need of a chance to rant about this to someone, you text your brother

☆ you don’t expect much of a response from him, if any at all

☆ and you really don’t get much, just a simple “that sucks” or “i’m busy y/n tell me about it later” (though he still wouldn’t listen later)

☆ your just happy to have finally got it off of your chest

☆ what a coincidence though, only a day later the guy apologises and doesn’t even look at you again!

☆ why does he look so scared though? and oh! is that a bruise around his throat?? it almost looks like someone strangled him.. how peculiar

☆ all in all, pm! dazai wouldn’t be the best when it comes to communication but, he does care and would do anything for you

☆ tachihara michizō ☆

☆ tachihara would definitely want to be a part of your life, in fact he’d probably be more of your best friend than your brother!

☆ he’d come over whenever he could to check on you, whether it be in the morning before he goes to work, or the middle of the night after a particularly hard mission

☆ he just wants to make sure you’re safe, he knows that with his line of work he’s bound to make enemies with some really dangerous people, people who could easily target you to get to him

☆ so because of this he will run background checks on anyone in your life, friends, classmates, partners, the people you walk past on the street, you name them and he can tell you everything about them and their life

☆ he just wants to make sure you’re being as safe as possible, it’s the most important thing to him

☆ luckily no one has targeted you yet, he’s done a pretty damn good job at making sure no one even knows you exist

☆ however, these extensive background checks do come in handy when someone in your life does try to hurt you

☆ recently you had been getting harassed by this shop vendor on your way to the gym in the morning, at first you thought she was being friendly but, over time the comments she made to you started getting way out of hand

☆ she’d make lewd comments about your body or refer to you as “baby” or “darling” it was starting to make you extremely uncomfortable

☆ one day tachihara had come to check on you in the morning like usual, however he had caught you right before you was about to go to the gym so he figured, “hey i’ll walk ya! it’ll be nice”

☆ so thats what he did, he began walking you to the gym, you had hoped that since tachihara was with you, she wouldn’t say anything today

☆ you was completely wrong

☆ she continued her verbal harassment right infront of tachihara

☆ saying he was pissed would be an understatement

☆ i don’t know just how much she appreciated having her entire life story read back to her by a man she didn’t know

☆ but it didnt matter, because after that moment, she never spoke to you again, in fact she had moved her stall to a whole different street

☆ tachihara is definitely a protective brother but, it’s very much appreciated in those kinda moments

a/n - ahhh this was fun! thanks for the request! i was gonna add chuuya too but tbh i couldn’t think of him as an older brother yk-

anyway i hope you enjoyed this and remember to take care of yourself! <3

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

i think i've mentioned The Magnus Archives before, but i wanted to talk about it again, in connection with Catra's redemption. The Magnus Archives is a fictional horror podcast with an overarching storyline and amazingly written characters.

[spoilers for TMA below]

one of the themes that was briefly explored in the final season was about forgiveness. it was a very brief moment but it really stuck with me so i'll share it with y'all.

this right here was so important. for context, one of the characters, Daisy Tonner, was a cop who frequently engaged in police brutality. there was nuance to this since she was an Avatar of the Hunt but simply put, she thought she was doing the right thing. regardless of her intentions, a lot of people were killed or grievously harmed by her. for similar reasons, she tries to kill Jon, the protagonist.

later after disconnecting from her entity, Daisy realizes her mistakes and feels painfully guilty about everything. she couldn't bring back the dead, she couldn't reverse anything that she had done. all she could do at that point was to just stop engaging in violence and try to be a better person.

she bonds with Jon after some time of mutual awkwardness. Jon, being lonely himself, wasn't entirely opposed to talking to her and they even form a friendship of sorts. for context, Jon has hurt people too and he could relate with Daisy's guilt and her attempts at redemption.

in the transcript i shared above, Jon is discussing her crimes with the other characters. the thing that was so refreshing about Daisy's redemption is that Jon wasn't forced to forgive her. she put him through an extremely traumatizing and agonizing situation that he couldn't forget. his trauma was taken seriously and while he had begun to consider Daisy as his friend, that doesn't mean he forgave her. and she knew that. she understood that she didn't deserve forgiveness, but she still worked on trying to be a better person.

and later on in the series, Jon even expresses his appreciation for her friendship and admits to wanting to say goodbye to her.

i feel like this is the best way to write a redemption arc. of course it's nice seeing the bad guy being forgiven and accepted by the other characters. but sometimes you have to acknowledge that some people go too far and while they deserve a redemption, they don't deserve forgiveness. the other characters can still appreciate and respect their attempts at redemption, and even become their friend but without being forced to forgive them.

contrast this to SPOP where literally all of the characters have to forgive Catra after everything she's done to them. it doesn't matter how much damage she caused, as soon as she expresses the tiniest bit of guilt, she is instantly forgiven. there's no question of how the other characters feel, their trauma is not valid.

also, i have a feeling that if any of the characters refused to forgive Catra, she would have immediately thrown a hissy fit and spiralled right back to square one. i mean, look at her reaction to Frosta punching her.

by the way, i want to add that Daisy was also a traumatized character. she was also a sympathetic antagonist and she was partially controlled by the Hunt (whether the entities controlled their avatars or not was an unanswered question but it was confirmed that the Avatars were at least 80% in control of themselves). but she still did what she did and no amount of tragic backstory could justify her actions. if only the writers of SPOP actually stopped to think this through, instead of just hyperfocusing on getting Catra and Adora together.

anyway, if you like cosmic/existential horror, lots of angst, deep psychological stuff, complex morally grey characters, and queer representation, i highly recommend TMA! it's the whole package.

[aihaitahm]

BLADE IS THE ONLY THING ON MY MIND RN CAN U PLS DO MODERN AU BLADE ON A LATE NIGHT MOTORCYCLE RIDE WITH READER I WOULD ACRUALLY DIE

modern au! various with gn! reader

my anons love blade 🙏ples dont die 😿 but i do not blame you at all i also want to add other chars in it too hope u dont mind anon<3

characters: blade, kafka, alhaitham

cw: suggestive. also im not really a tech person im sorry if i dont kno much abt motorcycles😭

biker! blade

you knew your boyfriend rode motorcycles and are a fan of it. you often bought him equipment during special occassions and he appreciates you for that. you found it really hot whenever he wore his gear and how majestic he looks whenever he removes his helmet, revealing his pretty face. you guys may or may not have done it on his motorbike.

he would try to convince you to ride with him. if youre scared he’d try to calm you down and drive in short distances. he loves the feeling of your fingers hugging his waist and feeling your warmth against him.

if you knew how to ride motorcycles, he would be very impressed and have fun with you. wouldnt be able to stop staring as you remove your helmet from your cute face. you suggested to match equipment and helmets but he was like “thats cringy” as he was picking matching equipment in the store with his cheeks going bright red.

hungry? need a snack or two? well thats when you usually both go out on late nights. its very peaceful and enjoys these rides with you more than anything else in the world. or when he wants to bring you to see the beautiful view of the city for your late night dates, this is a common occurence.

“what snack should we buy? something on your mind bladie?”

“you.”

“s-stop being cheesy. the light went green and focus on the road.”

model! kafka

you are her biggest fan. her only biggest fan!!!! you always go to her runway shows and you support her so much. she enjoys seeing you in the crowd and would maybe wink at you if she had the chance.

loves the privacy between you both. kafka can get easily burnt out if she has to be out for too long and paparazzi always up her ass. she recharges with you and she finds peace in you. would just lay in bed with you all day.

whenever she gets interviews, she always has the habit to mention you and to thank you. she really loves you afterall so you deserve it. she also goes pink when she talks about you and it is very noticeable on tv.

“ah my (name) always supports me and i love them the most.~ you should support them too!”

you are her personal photographer and she loves how you picture her. whether it was a serious picture or funny cute picture of her, she notices how you have multiple background themes just of her. she would return the favor too yk! would model you lingerie in private.

loves to dress you up or put makeup on you. would sit on your lap as she does your eyeshadow properly would kiss you on the nose if you stay still<3

would invite you to go on trips with her and would pay for you if needed. she is your /sugar mommy girlfriend after all and she would buy anything for you. or if you cant go, the type to bring you gifts home.

gamer! alhaitham

sorry… very self indulgent but he would play videogames to pass time or if they have interesting plots or characters. the type to hyperanalyze and make theories about the plots and be absolutely reasonable with them.

since he is known to always have headphones on, he usually would just play videogame music. LOL what a nerdy feeble scholar but anyway, he likes to listen to those while reading sometimes.

the type to play shirtless all the time. he notices you stare and would let you stare. he would tease you a lot too.

“you see something you like?”

“use your words.”

he doesnt rage but he does cuss under his breath and just groan. hes naturally good at everything so why cant he do this puzzle? he would ask for your help because sometimes, he misses on small details focusing only on the obvious ones.

loves when you watch him play or when you play together. he likes spending time with you even if you can be bad at games. he has an excuse to teach you. the type to put his hands over yours when hes trying to demonstrate something to you. (this is so hot i actually squealed >_<)

wouldnt neglect you if you ask him for attention! would pause the game and kiss you then resume. likes to place you on his lap and rest his chin on your head or shoulder while he is playing.

has a schedule with his books, studies/work, gaming and of course you. he does go out when his friends ask him though he’d rather bring you along because he misses you easily.

[sunbloomdew]

Love Confessions in the Baxter DLC

Because i am very unwell, thank you. Part 1/3

After over 70 hours of playing the Baxter DLC – and despairing over that one monochrome guy, you know who – I wanted to take a moment to talk about all the possible love confessions in Baxter's version of Step 4. I find them all lovely and each of them made me squeal and smile like crazy, and i just gotta express my appreciation for them somewhere.

In Step 4 there are three love confessions. Two of them can be initiated by the MC, and the third one will be proclaimed by Baxter, if the MC doesn’t confess first. I tried all of them a couple of times, and they are all very cute (although my personal favourite is the confession the morning after the wedding)!

Before we begin i want to warn y’all that i wasn’t sure about the approach i wanted to take when talking about these moments, and as a result this post might not be a "put together careful game analysis" thingy. It's mostly just my ramblings and feelings that hopefully are a-okay to read haha. Without further delay, let’s begin!

Spoilers for specific moments in Baxter's version of Step 4!

All of the confessions take place after the wedding ceremony, so if you hadn't gotten there and don't wanna spoil those great moments for yourself i don't recommend reading further. I will go quite in depth about each option.

In chronological order, the first feelings declaration is the confession immediately after the wedding has ended.

Or as i've been referring to it in my head, The Wedding Confession!

Everybody is busy cleaning up, and MC hasn’t had a chance to have a one-on-one moment with Baxter since they split off in the morning. Naturally, they want to talk with him after the event is over. There is this underlying fear, that Baxter will leave again and they can't let that happen.

The two talk and Baxter apologises for his actions towards MC, five years ago in Sunset Bird and now, after they met again. I need to add that this apology is very well written and it definitively pulled on my heartstrings. Here the player can choose to confess on their own, accept his friendship hoping for a different type of relationship later on or just become friends.

Since i’m yet to play Baxter’s version of Step 4 with platonic feelings, i don’t know if this option appears if you have him at Fond. If anyone of you has done it, i would love to hear what it looks like! For example, does the player get to confess either way, in case they changed their mind (just how here you can choose to be friends)?

Moving further, if we choose to confess right away we get to pick how we want to do that - with words or by kissing him. Each choice will be preceded with an internal monologue from MC about their and Baxter’s relationship and what he means to them. I really like the way it's written. They go through all of the stages they've been around each other. If you met him at the Cypress in Step 2 Soiree Moment they mention how he was a boy in their memories, becoming real when they meet again by chance during summer of 2016. How he made this summer into everything and more and how he left. The years apart and finally the summer they reunited. I can't explain my feelings well, but i find this monologue very sweet but also full of longing - it makes me smile and it makes my heart ache at the same time.

Depending on when the MC confesses, Baxter has a different reaction to their silence. Since now he is waiting for them to accept him into their life again, he gets nervous the longer MC is lost in their thoughts, which is reflected in the expressions of his character model. It’s described as cracks of anxiety appearing on his face and him slipping back into his professional pleasantness. He chose to be vulnerable, and how MC replies will affect him.

After the character’s musings end the player gets one last chance to reaffirm the decision to confess.

Personally, I really like that we have the option to do so. Not only is it useful in case the player suddenly changed their mind, but also helps create the response you want from your MC.

If you back out then you no longer can confess in that moment. The story progresses the same as in the case of choosing not to confess. You can confess later in the game, or not confess at all and have Baxter do that.

If you pick the option to check if he means it, Baxter will reassure MC about wanting to stay by their side. It’s really adorable - especially since in response to MC he says “I do” (ya know, the famous wedding catchphrase) which he immediately follows up with: “You’ll have to excuse me for using that answer at someone else’s wedding, but I am entirely serious.” What a dork. After picking this option only two of the three are left - you can go further or back out.

And finally, you can confess. MC makes note of how now that the wedding was over, there would be no complications for the newlyweds (although they thought Miranda proposing to Terry at their wedding would be a great idea, so they really wouldn't mind lol). They think that since Baxter asked them out first, five years ago, it’s only fair that they do it now. It's one line, but for some reason i like this sentiment a lot. Like hell yeah, go MC! Ask him out now, make him speechless!

When it comes to spoken confessions, there is an abundance of choices to pick from. But my absolute favourite option is to echo Baxter’s own words from Step 3 Sightseeing Moment back at him: "Could I consider all the time we've spent together a date?". Chef’s kiss, it’s all coming together like a beautiful piece of tapestry. Simply iconic of them.

Confessing with a gesture has less options to choose from, but all are equally cute! If you choose to confess in this way, MC will have a short revelation about how different kissing Baxter now feels to kissing him five years ago. Baxter reacts a bit differently to this type of confession, since MC enters his personal space. My favourite is confessing by kissing Baxter on the forehead. It's absolutely precious.

The way Baxter reacts to MC confessing to him is… very interesting to say the least. He was ready to be friends them again or accept their rejection (there is no option like that in the game, but realistically, you just know he would prep himself up for this possibility) but he was not ready for a love confession. Baxter gives MC a moment to move past this and pretend that nothing happened, but it’s not going to work. I find that a curious thing to do. Baxter isn't hoping that MC doesn't have feelings for him and he himself does for them, but there is still that feeling of insecurity in him, that prevents him from accepting the confession right away.

We have the option to have MC sweep Baxter into a dance, or keep talking without that. I love the former choice and i always pick it for my character haha. It’s especially cute how Baxter stumbles and is so out of his depth. Both because of the unexpected movement and the sudden confession.

You can pick an option to tell him, that MC wanted to be with him even five years ago. His reaction to it is just. He is stunned and he doesn't believe it. But he knows MC isn't lying as well. I can feel the conflicted emotions he must have been experiencing upon hearing that just in one line of dialogue. And i think that's pretty powerful writing.

But then he fires back. He is full of disbelief and he doesn’t understand what could he have possibly done to deserve MC's affections. He doesn’t want to call MC a liar but he can’t accept that outcome either. Baxter’s old ways of dealing with relationships are resurfacing, because he can’t believe that he has the right to form such a deep connection with someone. It’s pretty heartbreaking to witness.

It's... so sad. "What did i do to make you like me?" he asks, because there must be something, because simply being himself is not enough, when Baxter inherently believes that he doesn't contribute anything. And if he doesn't contribute anything to somebody's life, he has no place in it.

MC decides to change tactics. Instead of trying to make Baxter accept their feelings, they ask what they mean to him. Whether they end up together is secondary - their goal is to help him overcome his mindset. I find that a really powerful act of love - helping the person you care about understand that they deserve to be loved without extravagant outings and carefully constructed barriers.

I really love Baxter’s response in this confession because it is very true to his character arc. His hesitance, how he withdraws and tries to appear unaffected. He reciprocates MC’s feelings, but he is too ashamed of himself and afraid. His view on himself makes him think that he can't be in a relationship with someone or friends with them, and that is something i find deeply sad. Still, he answers MC’s questions, with a few prefaces. He cites his inability to do things in the morning, less financial income and his past relationship management as reasons for why MC wouldn’t want to be with him. It’s him giving MC the chance to resign, to take back the love confession while they can. It reminds me of declining a meeting with your friends, because you believe that they will have more fun without you. It's self-preservation of your own feelings and diminishment of your impact on others, which comes from some form of dissatisfaction with the way we are.

But MC doesn't take their feelings back. They assure him that they want to be with him.

And once that is done, they ask him:

(I usually can comment on writing/art, but when i can't that's how you know it's the shit. i sat with my mouth open and my hands flapping around just cause this confession got me that excited <3)

This is the dialogue you get when you have Baxter on Crush. If you pick Love, instead of "I want to be with you" he will say "I'm in love with you".

Just like that, he accepts. I was totally shocked when that happened, but well, it does make sense. It was never a question, and Baxter admits so himself. He never stopped wanting to be with MC. He further expresses that he wasn't happy pushing them away five years ago and when they met again. It's quite sad to hear him admit that he didn't think staying together (in more than a romantic way) was an option until moments ago. But he got there ultimately and that's worth celebrating. Growth isn't linear, and sometimes we fall back to our old habits.

I really adore how openly Baxter expresses his affection for the MC, in the confession and later. Compared to Step 3 it feels more mature (no shit, sherlock) but also self-assured. Because he is finally starting to believe, that this - a relationship with a person who really knows him and chooses to stay - is something he can have.

These two lines of dialogue? Murdered me in my sleep with love and care. Sir, how dare you do that to me.

After that the two sillies finish their dance. Their story has a happy ending, they have been reunited. I adore how warm and happy this situation feels, and the descriptions make it feel so light and cheerful, like the moment with MC failing to catch their breath because they are laughing gleefully or Baxter holding them in a gentle embrace.

I really like this confession. Like i said before, it’s very true to Baxter’s character, and it also shows, that despite having good intentions and doing everything you can to change, people can still slip back into their old habits. But there will be people around you that believe you can learn and do better, and will stay with you and help you through it.

I also adore the overall silliness (after the angst is over, but i do love my fair share of angst as well) and the emotional beats. The characters banter, joke around.

And express how much they care about each other.

Also the fact that Miranda, Terry and Cove just gawked at the pair while they were having this huge emotional event is just hilarious. They are very nosy friends and i love them for that lol. Of course, Baxter is completely unaffected. GB Patch knew that if they made this man blush more than he already does in the game, they would actually kill us.

I'm not kidding, i die every time he blushes and get revived when he snorts. That's just the circle of life.

So yeah, that was one out of the three confessions! It's amazing and i hope i was able to convey what i love about it! Prior to playing the Baxter DLC i had around 50 hours on Steam, and after i got it It turned into 120 hours so... Yeah, Baxter Ward.

I'm splitting my confession ramblings into three posts for convenience. Parts 2 and 3 will be finished soon... Hopefully. Once they are i will place links to all the parts in each post (if i learn how to,,,,). Also wow, this post took me way too long to write, holy shit.

Peace out <3

Part 2!

[rxmqnova]

Lizzie & sister

R is a YouTube er who does pranks. R's new target (by popular demand) is her famous big sister.

- maybe the feather and shaving foam prank. - fake phone calls - fills car full of balloons?

Stuff like that maybe ? ...... THANKS 👍

SURPRISING MY SISTER WITH A BRAND NEW ROOM

NO ONE'S POV "Hey, guys, it's Y/N and welcome back to my YouTube channel" Y/N smiles, greeting all of her subscribers.

"For this week's video… I decided to… pull out a few pranks on my sister Lizzie" She announces, making a mental note to add an applause later.

"You, guys, wanted Lizzie to be in my videos, so I thought that this would be a great opportunity. She won't be really happy about it, but what wouldn't I do for you, guys" Y/N sighs, adding a chuckle at the thought of all those pranks she's prepared.

"Alright. Right now I'm at Lizzie's house. She's still at work and will be for a few more hours, so I thought that it would be such a great idea to wrap her entire bedroom in wrapping paper. So let's start with that" She announces, taking the camera and walking upstairs to her sister's bedroom.

She bought tons of red wrapping paper this morning and already brought it to the room, so now she just needs to wrap everything. Oh boy, Lizzie won't be happy…

After filming a few more scenes, she gets to work, wrapping every single item in Lizzie's bedroom into wrapping paper.

It takes hours, but now it's finally done and to be honest, Y/N is actually pretty proud of her work.

"Well, this is the final product. I think it looks quite awesome. What do you think, guys?" Y/N questions, showing the room from every possible angle on camera.

"I mean… Lizzie's definitely going to kill me, but I really like it. It actually looks so cool. Oh boy, she's definitely going to make me clean this up" She sighs with a chuckle, filming a few more scenes before going back downstairs.

She sits on the couch, thinking what could she entertain herself with until Lizzie arrives. She's planned 2 pranks on her sister.

The first one is wrapping Lizzie's entire room in wrapping paper which she only just finished. And the other one is to fill her sister's car with balloons, but that needs to wait until Lizzie arrives home.

"Oh, hi, Y/N/N" Lizzie smiles, stepping into the living room where Y/N still is. "What you're doing here?"

"Well, I thought I'd come to surprise my sister and guess what. She wasn't home" Y/N says, standing up to give her sister a hug.

"I'm happy to see you. I'll just change real quick and be right back, so we can catch up on everything" Lizzie presses a kiss to her little sister's forehead, earning a smile and a nod from her.

Just in the moment when Lizzie starts walking upstairs to the direction of her bedroom, Y/N grabs her camera and follows her sister.

"Oh. My. God. Y/N! What did you do?!" Lizzie says as soon as she opens the door of her bedroom, her voice filled with anger.

"What? You like it? I think it looks good. I thought your room needs a bit of a color, you know. And red really suits you, so you're welcome" Y/N teases, only to receive a death glare from her sister, her head even tilting slightly. "Oh no, the headtilt. If these are the last few seconds of my life, I just want to say that I love you, guys, and-"

"You better clean that up right now, Y/N. I have a few friends coming over in like 3 hours, so you better hurry up" Lizzie states, patting her sister's shoulder before walking out of the room, forgetting why she went here in the first place.

"Alright, I guess I won't get any appreciation for my work, so let's get into cleaning" Y/N sighs, putting the camera on the nightstand and getting into work.

It takes much less time to clean up than it took to make it and Y/N's now carrying tons of wrapping paper to her car.

And then comes the last prank… filling Lizzie's car with balloons. She has some blowed up balloons in the trunk of her car already, so now she needs to blow up the rest and put them into Lizzie's car without her knowing.

And that successfully happens. She places Lizzie's car keys right at the same spot she took them before, flopping on the couch and waiting for the right opportunity.

"I need to head out to buy some drinks. You want anything in the store?" Lizzie questions, taking her car keys.

"I'm good, thanks" Y/N smiles.

"Alright, I'll be back soon" Lizzie announces, walking out of the door and Y/N's quick to follow with her camera in her hand. "Y/N, I swear to god-"

"Surprise!" Y/N cuts her sister off, receiving just a glare from her.

"Y/N, I need to go to the store" Lizzie sighs. "I'm taking your car, this better be cleaned up until I come back. And don't even think about pulling another prank on me" She warns, raising an eyebrow.

"You're no fun" Y/N sighs, taking her car keys out of her pocket and giving them to her sister.

"I love you too"

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

Elizabeth Olsen masterlist

Masterlist

[zombeebunnie]

Trembling Essence:💙Choice adjustments + Exploration💙

Hi guys and welcome new followers! This update post might be a little short but here's how the game is going so far! Also I was very surprised at how well the endings guide was received so I'll keep that in mind in the future. :,]

Everything started off very slow again and didn't progress much up until a day or two ago. I was able to find the root of this issue so hopefully in the next few days things will return to normal! :]

I also want to talk a little bit deeper about the beginning of the game and what's to come of it.

Summary:

I want this section leading up to the cabin to give you an idea of your surroundings and give an introduction to Noah.

When I went on to redo this part some time around May I got carried away with wanting to add a bunch of adventurous endings. Even though I enjoyed doing this, I understood that it was too much and I was missing the mark I was aiming for. There were a couple of signs but what really made me realize this fully was working on the 'Endings guide'. I want the endings you get at this part to reflect what could possibly happen later on in the game and have symbolic meaning. There will be endings that just 'happen' but I do want to make sure I do that right. :]

With that being said, the start of the game will be reduced from 4 choices back down to 2. No spoilers but again, the pathing won't play out the same from the [Extended Demo] anymore. :]

Exploration:

Before:

After:

I managed to get some CG's done too! For the before and after, I did not like how it looked anymore and the dialog didn't match with what you were seeing on the screen. I wanted this part to look like an actual spooky path you were going down covered in fog. I also added a parallax effect here that really sets the mood! I do plan on fixing up the 'before' image just not right now. :]

This sort of sums up what all has been going on behind the scenes, super close to the cabin. Yay! I fixed up most of what my play testers recommended to me but there's some endings that still need to be seen. :]

If you like what I create, please consider supporting what I do on kofi! All donations and tips help tremendously while I continue to work on the game. Thank you to those that optionally bought the [Extended Demo] and the March 2023 demo on itch.io. :,]

Q&A / Ask box is open:

There's been a sudden influx of questions and I really appreciate it, I'll try and answer some of them when I get the chance! Some did have major spoilers being asked so I can't answer them. :,]

If you have any questions about Trembling Essence/Noah feel free to ask here or on itch.io please. This makes it easier for me to see and answer accordingly! I enjoy hearing from you guys!

This is all I have to share for right now but thank you everyone for the uplifting support and patience, I appreciate it! :]

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

i'm outta my head over you Pt. 6

prologue (Pt. 1) | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | AO3 | playlist

ok, i really love this one; i hope you guys do too!

today's @steddie-week prompts are: together and Hold the Line - TOTO

C’mon, Munson, get your shit together. You’re the music guy here!’ He tells himself. Okay yeah, that’s true, but that doesn’t mean he’s great about expressing feelings. ‘ That’s what the music’s for, dumbass. ’

Eddie spends the rest of the night and into the next morning pouring over what other songs he could add to the B side of Steve’s tape (and what songs he’s gonna use for the Party Tape…he’s gotta have a blank tape around here somewhere…).

He has a couple contenders, he just doesn’t quite know how they fit yet. Steve had a reason or an explanation for each song on his side, so Eddie wants to do the same. Only problem is that the songs that already do remind him of Steve, are ones Steve’s already put onto the A side.

Fuck, has he been telling him his feelings all this time? The first half of Steve’s side of the tape were his go-to songs whenever they’ve hung out together, while Eddie was recovering at his house.

He goes to sleep that morning with a handful of possibilities, but nothing concrete, then is awoken just before lunch by his phone ringing. 

“Shit,” Eddie hops up groggy and disoriented with sleep, but scrabbles down the hall to the phone so Wayne doesn’t wake up.

“Munson residence, the fuck d’ya want?”

“Eddie! Ste– Ok, rude.”

“Rob? What’s up, Birdie?” Eddie scrubs his eyes with the back of his hand.

“Steve’s coming back a day early!” Eddie’s hand freezes. “Do you have the tape done??”

“N-no, no I only have three fuckin songs on it! Damn it, I thought you said he was coming back tomorrow!”

“Hence the call telling you he’s coming back early. He’s landing in Indy at noon, will be here by 3, and somehow Dustin’s already found out so now I’m roping you into ferrying Steve’s children to the arcade with us after he’s back.”

“Hey, they’re my children too!” Wait, what? “Wait, I didn’t say that. Why’d I say that? I don’t even want kids.”

“Nope, too bad. You already said it. You and Steve have joint custody of the shitheads.”

“We’re divorced now?”

“You were married in the first place?” Robin snarks back then mumbles, “Didn’t I just have this conversation?”

“What?”

“Nothing. You coming with or what?”

“No, Buck, I gotta finish his tape now!”

“Too bad, you’re coming. And I’m going to tell Henderson you are so he won’t let you back out.”

“Robin don’t you dare-”

What is with her and hanging up on him??

He’d just gotten back to his bedroom door when the phone rings again. Just barely stopping himself from screaming, he goes back to the handset.

“Hello..?”

“Dude. Would it kill you to sound excited?.”

“Henderson, your sarcasm is not appreciated this early in the morning. And why would I be excited about being volun told to pickup you hellions for the arcade?”

“‘Cause you like spending time with your friends, maybe? Now, do you and Max wanna come pick up me and Lucas? Steve will pick up Will and El at theirs, and pick up Robin and Mike on his way.”

“Sounds like you’ve already got everything planned out, Dusty.”

“Your exasperation is not appreciated this late in the morning.”

“...I don’t have to come, you know.”

“But you know you wanna.”

“Do I?”

“Yes. See you at 2:30.”

Just once , Eddie’d like to be the one hanging up on someone else.

Whatever. Looks like he’s got plans this afternoon.

Eddie looks at the clock on the wall above the fridge. Four hours. Now, does he nap, or does he eat and start getting ready?

They’ll probably grab pizza while they’re at the arcade…nap it is.

Eddie wanders back to his room and is out as soon as his head hits his pillow.

—

Miraculously, he wakes up exactly two and half hours later; just enough time for a shower and to get ready before picking up his half the goblins.

He showers, scrunches a majority of the water out of his curls (Steve’d shown him that little trick, would start on about “Eddie, we went over this! You gotta take care of your curls!" and, "They’re so gorgeous and you’re soooo handsome and hot and I totally wanna pull that hair when I fuc—” OKAY maybe that last part was just wishful thinking, but Steve’d definitely have a conniption if he shows up today with flat hair), and gets dressed.

From the extra spluttering their feeble A/C is doing, and the not-at-all refreshing breeze that crawls through his window when opened, Eddie can confirm that it’s definitely too fuckin’ hot out.

He pulls on his most ripped, well loved pair of black jeans, the holes in the knees long since flayed mid-thigh to mid-shin, a sleeveless cropped Metallica shirt, and his vest.

Grabbing up his rings and chain, he leaves a note for Wayne as to where he’s gone, slides his feet into his reeboks, and heads out the door, keys in hand.

He’s just got the back end of his chain hooked around his hip when he makes it to Max’s door.

“Y’ready Red?”

“Just a minute! It’s unlocked!” she calls back through the door (and slightly cracked window over her sink)

“Need any help?” he asks, closing the front door behind him.

“Nope, just gotta get my other shoe on and I’ll be good. Did you bring the van over?”

“I…did not. That’d probably be a good idea, huh?”

Whoops. He spins back around and jogs back across the street to hop in his van. By time he’s parked outside the Mayfield trailer, Max is hopping her wheels over the threshold onto the tiny step outside the door.

“Whatcha want me to do?” He’d learned real quick not to just start doing things for her, no matter how much he assumes they’d help. Max did not like anyone thinking they have to help her with every little thing, so now they all make sure to ask what it is she’d like them to help with before doing it.

“I just need to lock the door and you can help me into the van. You’ll probably have to come back for the chair though.”

“Of course, your highness.” he gives her a low bow while she locks her front door. “Your hand please, m’lady.” 

She rolls her eyes, but takes his hand. 

Max is able to walk across flat areas pretty well and for an OK amount of distance before getting too tired, but the breaks to her leg really did a number on her. 

She’s got steel pins all through her leg, and has just gotten out of her cast so she wants (and needs) to walk more often to get her strength back up, but has her chair to get around much easier.

So until she gets stronger, she needs help going up and down stairs, and will need help getting up into Eddie’s van, but should be okay for a while once at the arcade.

Once she’s settled, Eddie goes back for her chair, loads it into the back of his van, and they’re off to Henderson’s.

He and Lucas are already waiting out front when he pulls up.

“About time.”

“Dustin. It’s literally 2:31. Calm the fuck down.”

“You guys better get all your swearing out before you see Steve again, you know he’ll go all mom on you.” Lucas laughs. “Here, I’ll start. Hey Max, how the fuck are ya?”

They’re all in so Eddie starts off towards the arcade.

“Hey, show some fuckin’ respect for your mother, Sinclair.”

“Shit Eddie, didn’t know you were our goddamn father.”

“Of course he didn’t fuckin know, Steve hasn’t gotten his shit together enough to propose.”

“Damn, alright, calm down”

“Don’t fuckin’ tell me to calm down! I swear, I’ll put my foot straight up your ass.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuckfuckfuck.”

All four bust out laughing at that, not quite able to catch their breath before one of them is saying some random curse. 

They’re all red in the face from laughing so hard by time they pull into the parking lot between Steve’s beemer and Nancy’s station wagon.

Dustin runs in immediately after the van stops, and Eddie slyly leaves his keys with Lucas so he can lock up after helping Max, heading inside himself

Now, up until the exact moment he saw Steve (2 whole seconds ago), Eddie thought he was taking the whole “Steve Harrington has big sappy feelings for you” thing really well. Perfectly, in fact! 

No freak out, no huge feelings of doubt, just full focus on ‘responding’ to him.

But now, seeing him again after finding this out…It’s a wonder he doesn’t collapse. 

This beautiful, perfect, amazing man standing in front of a whole herd of teens (two of whom are at eye level or taller than he is now) with a scolding glare, hands on his hips, and flanked by the two most badass ladies he knows…wants him.

Eddie Munson.

It still doesn’t seem real.

Eddie immediately wants to be simultaneously on the other side of the planet, and wedged so close to him that they’re basically the same person.

“Pizza in an hour and a half!” Steve yells after the herd as they disperse. Even Robin and Nancy head off toward the skee-ball machines.

“You okay big boy? You look like that trip took a lot outta you.” 

‘Wow, nice one. You just got here and you’re asking him why he looks gross? Great job, Doofus.’ Why does his inner voice sound like Robin?

He looks over, and Eddie sees his face light up. “Eddie!” he breathes, pulling him into a tight hug.

Steve lets him go, and reaches up to rake through his travel-mussed hair. “And yeah, it was fine, always nice to see my grandparents.”

“Yeah, Robin mentioned you needing to go over their will or something? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, they’re—“ he cuts himself off with a half-hearted chuckle, “They wanted to meet with my parents and I to let them know that their estate is being split 50/50 between us when they pass. Like, half to me and half to both of them.”

“Damn. It’s nice to know I’m marrying into money.” Eddie jokes, leaning into Steve’s side to whisper: “Max spilled your secret on the way here; I promise to act surprised when you finally get the guts to propose.” he whispers with a wink.

Steve’s face turns bright red, but he smiles all goofy. Fuck, he’s cute.

“Aw shit, I really wanted it to be a surprise.” He says, his voice getting gravelly with how low he’s speaking. 

It most definitely does not make Eddie flush red himself, nor do his jeans start feeling tighter, thank you.

Steve gently pushes Eddie back, his hand lingering on the back of his arm a moment too long before his fingers trail down and off his elbow. He starts again, back at a normal volume. “But yeah, Richard and Denise were not happy; I was surprised, though. I’m really appreciative that my grandparents would do that for me.”

“Okay, so it was good news! Why the…” Eddie gestures to all of him. “…glum.”

“It was just the plane ride man, I flew from Cali to Indy with a screaming baby next to me. It was hell let me tell you.”

“I bet.” Eddie winces.

“Plus, Robin stole my favorite tape while I was gone so I couldn't even listen to it on the way here. And that’s been like, the soundtrack to my life lately. Felt weird coming home and then not having it in my car already.” he shakes his head “I dunno, it's dumb, but they are my favorite songs.”

“I know what you mean,” Eddie nods, his heart in his throat. “Can't you just like, go get it back from her house?”

“She’s ‘gotta find it’.” He sighs, throwing up air quotes around Robin’s flimsy excuse. “Which for her, is code for ‘I lost it.’. It's no big deal though, it’s just music.”

“Nah man, music is important, you can communicate a lot with it.”

Steve just shrugs again, a good ol’ ‘What can ya do?’ , so Eddie pats Steve’s shoulder sympathetically and walks over to the far wall of machines. He leans up against the one that Max is bashing away at and looks around the side, like he’s watching what she’s doing.

“What’re you doing over here? You’re not gonna beat my score, Munson.” she snarks from her perch on one of the arcade’s few padded stools.

“Huh?” He looks at the cabinet. Dig Dug. “Oh. Wouldn’t dream of it, Mad Max, just came over to try and look cool, scope out the scene,” ‘Scope out the scene’?? WHO ARE YOU?? “Don’t mind me.”

She just rolls her eyes, “For some reason, Steve already thinks you’re like the coolest guy in the world. You don’t need to fake it.”

Eddie blinks down at her. “OK, seriously, how do you know so much?”

“I dunno; something about losing one of my senses? Or maybe my brush with death left me wise beyond my years…” she sighs wistfully.

He snorts, “Oh yeah? Then I should be way smarter.”

“Yeah, you should be.” She fights to keep a straight face after that one. Damn that was slick.

“Good one, Red.” he pats her once on the shoulder, then goes back to watching her play. It’s actually pretty impressive being that she’s got brand new coke-bottle glasses she should be wearing.

“I’m not gonna wear ‘em. I look like a doofus when I do.”

“Aw, I thought you just said I was cool!” he pouts.

Her mouth twitches up at that. “No, I said Steve thinks you’re cool. I think you’re a Doofus.”

“Exactly! And if the big man himself thinks I’m cool, then you’d definitely be cool.” He leans in and looks around conspiratorially, “and I have it on good authority that the rest of these goblins think whatever he thinks is cool, is cool too.”

She smiles, and her game bleeps to an end. “Yeah, they all do think he’s like, the greatest ever.”

“And you don’t?”

Her face blushes a soft pink. “Shut up, Munson. How do you know so much?”

He stands up straight and grabs hold of his vest lapels like some stuffy professor. “I’m smart ‘cause I died,” he says in a haughty tone “...or something.”

A couple of unhinged barks of laughter burst out of her. “I’m gonna go with ‘or something’.”

Eddie spends the next hour trying to mess up the other shitheads’ games. 

Smack a wrong button here, a poke under Dustin’s armpit there, general fuckery. 

And every time he and Steve pass one another, there’s some sort of touch. 

He didn’t notice it the first time, thinking Steve really did need to hold onto him while passing behind him. A classic midwestern “Ope, lemme just sneak by ya” just to get close to him.

When he looked back, there was no one at the cabinet behind him.

So Eddie gave it back tenfold the next time he encountered the party’s beloved babysitter.

Walked behind him on his way to where Mike and Lucas were now trying their hand at DigDug, and gently squeezed his hip.

Steve jumped about five feet, but it was worth it when Steve came up to his side later and wrapped his arm around Eddie’s lower back, settling his large palm briefly on the exposed skin of his hip and stomach where it peeked out from under the cropped shirt.

Eddie immediately felt the need to pull his hair up; Fuck is it hot in here?

Bun secured, and Steve gone off to bother Robin and Nancy at the air hockey table, Eddie knew what he was going to do next. 

He left Wheeler and Sinclair to continue to lose to Max, heading toward the water fountain. 

Steve’s standing with his back to Eddie’s path so when he passes, it’s just too easy to reach out, grab a lock of hair, and pull .

He’s rewarded with the sound of a poorly muffled moan (that he’ll be thinking about forever, thanks), and Steve is gifted an unobstructed view of his ass while he bends over to get a drink.

Eddie stands when he hears Steve’s panicked “Robin, can I talk to you a second?”

He comes back to take Robin’s place next to Nancy where they’d been playing two on one with Steve.

After a beat, Nancy says, “I hope you’re ready to have Robin as a permanent third wheel.” She’s still looking forward at the other end of the table.

Hah! That’s hilarious. “Won’t be as bad since you’re the fourth.” Eddie shrugs, then puts his fist out towards her, also looking off to where he can see Steve panicking at Robin.

Nancy’s knuckles knock into his, and he’s never felt closer to anyone in his life.

Only one half of the Harrington-Buckley twins come back, coming up to her girlfriend and linking their fingers behind the folds of Nancy’s skirt.

“Mama Harrington is getting the pizzas now; we’ll go get some tables pushed together, will you herd the cattle?”

“I feel like they’re more like cats. Especially that Max one, she’s got her claws out like, all the time.” Eddie says, half over his shoulder, as he heads off, hunting down the gremlins.

Mike and the elder Sinclair are still nowhere near Max’s high score, Dustin’s getting berated by baby Sinclair over how bad he’s doing at Donkey Kong, Will and El are together at the Polybius cabinet, Max in her chair now at El’s side.

‘ That’s all of them right? ’ Eddie counts them in his head while he looks around. Yep, that’s all of them.

He heads back to the little arcade pizzeria area, freezing in his tracks as he rounds the corner into the open arched doorway.

Every little thing he’s ever noticed about Steve Harrington over the last however many years feels like they’ve just been building to this moment.

Every damn day spent thinking he was the most beautiful person to ever grace the halls of Hawkins High (he is), every story he never believed about how badass he was from the mouth of his oldest adopted kid, every moment he spent shielding each of these people that have become so beloved in Eddie’s life.

Every painful scar, every dreadful day spent healing with Steve at his side, every. Single. Thing. Has built up to this one.

The most mundane of them all. 

The nine most important people in his life, the biggest family he never wanted but now can’t even think about a life without them, sitting around three tiny tables and clamoring over one another for a slice of the pizzas in the middle of them all, being hovered over by Steeeeeve Harrington.

“Careful Mike, don’t put your elbow in Dustin’s face! That thing’s sharp…Max, do you want me to grab you some? What kind do you want? No, Ellie, sweetie, I’ll hand it to her, no powers needed today, okay? Will, which pop do you want, bud, you gotta speak up so Dustin doesn’t drink all the Vernors. Lucas, will you grab some more napkins—no arguments you little shits, everyone needs napkins. Erica, are you good? Okay, good. Ed—where’s Eddie, he needs to eat too…”

Oh.

Oh.

Part 7 here!

yes, i did have the wonder twins playing Polybius.

also, mayfield/munson sibling vibes are so important to meeeeee.

also also, i love max getting adopted by steddie just as much as dustin BUT you cannot tell me she doesn't also have just a lil' crush on steeb.

tagging the lovelies: @hellomynameismoo, @messrs-weasley, and @manda-panda-monium

[amethystfairy1]

hiya it’s been a hot minute since I sent an ask but I want you to know that I’ve been reading all your stuff for months now, refreshing multiple times a day bc I can’t get enough and I adore everything you write <3<3<3 I think your more recent writing with the darker themes is well done, it adds the perfect amount of angst and stakes to the story, more than vague threats of getting hurt, esp in the under city, but it’s not too much at the same time. Also your newest TT treebark is probs my favorite fic thus far, and treebark isn’t even my favorite ship lmao. It’s so arghhh yesss with Rens acting but Martyn can’t tell nooooo 😭 I REALLY want to know what Ren was thinking that whole time negotiating with the bandits, esp when he finally looked at Martyn bc he could probably hear his cries the whole time and UGH it breaks my heart in a good way. AND MARTYN ACCEPTING THAT REN WOULD DO THIS, AND FORGIVING HIM????? The angst, the FEELS. Stunning. A masterpiece. I start my days checking to see if you’ve posted I’m so obsessed XD. Might have to draw the scene… anyhow. I see you get a lot of requests to write certain ships now bc all the stories r so captivating we just HAVE to know more. But. I hope you don’t feel pressured or stressed about it, make sure to prioritize your own wants first. The quality is worth the wait <3 that said, I’m going insane over Martyn. oH also!!! Ren grabbing the wolf pendant!!!!!! He knows how much it means to Martyn my HEART they’re so AAAaAAaAaaaaA!! And he waited until he was between Martyn and the bandits to attack! To protect him! 🥺🥺🥺 the little details are so sweet I’m dying to know rens thoughts. He probably has the rage of a thousand suns in him after seeing Martyn tied up, hurt, crying, bc they would DARE lay a finger on the only one who protected him, who was nice to him. Just. Tomorrow can’t come fast enough. I’m def gonna draw this. Also side note love the new pfp

Hello!!!! Good to see you!!!!

I'm so glad you're still reading and enjoying my works!

Also very happy to hear you're enjoying the darker themes that have been coming up recently in both TTSBC and TT! You're exactly right, that's exactly the sort of thing I was trying to nail...oh yeah ANGST with Treebark right now!

I mean. If you feel inspired. I would LOVE if you drew this scene. Because like, I have that art you did of Ren asleep on Martyn's shoulder as the cover image to my Treebark fanfic doc 🥹

Thank youuuu I appreciate the thought about not feeling pressured or stressed, I promise I'm not! I know everyone is just excited for their favorite/most compelling storyline to continue! And like I've said elsewhere, I plan to stick to my mantra...when I try to write something I'm not in the mood to write, I burn out and don't feel like writing at all. That's what happened to me the last time I stopped writing, and I didn't post at all for nearly a year. I HATED THAT. So TTSBC and TT is the perfect situation for me! Lots of ships, lots of characters, lots of dynamics, and between the two I can write BASICALLY anything I feel like at any point in time! So yeah! I'll write what I feel like writing in the moment, because that's always when I come up with my best stuff!

THE WOLFS PENDANT YUP GOOD CATCH. Ren's a good guy, he pays attention to that sort of thing 💖

I'm glad you like my new pfp!!! I love it! It's by my same friend who drew my old pfp, but THIS one is of an original character of mine everyone who reads TTSBC is very familiar with and people very scared of, but I assure you, any resemblance to characters previously mentioned is purely coincidental, hypotheticals should be, should be, should be dismissed, and there is no need to be concerned. 😉

Thank you for coming by again!!!