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weichei-stubentiger · 2 years

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Silver Moon Ch. 9

Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS Relationship: Jeon Jungkook/OC

Words: 6,390 Chapters: 9/__ Language: English Rating: Explicit Warnings: Past trauma, oc is an orphan, violence, slow burn but the smut will hit hard, corny hybrid tropes, masturbation, explicit sexual language, mutual pining, messy (I will probably add to this list as I write) Category: M/F

author: Weichei Stubentiger

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37537594/chapters/93691681

Story Summary: Hybrids are hardly the biggest part of Alina’s life. In fact, she tries her best to ignore anything hybrid-related. She is content to study for her entrance exam to grad school and try to live as innocuously as possible. But the events of her past will com back to haunt her when she becomes indebted to a hybrid named Jungkook. Their lives have become inextricably intertwined, but will they be able to trust each other? Will they be able to stand with each other in order to survive?

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Note: SMUT. See end notes for more details. Enjoy!

Chapter 9

Jungkook had been acting oddly for a few days. Half the time it felt like he was avoiding her, the other half he was on her side like glue. He’d been increasingly quiet, too, which was what worried her the most.

After a while Alina had asked him if everything was ok, but he’d just told her he was fine and avoided her for a few hours. She didn’t want to make him feel cornered or interrogated, so she didn’t press him. But the behavior continued all week. If anything it had gotten worse, so Alina had decided she’d call Jimin and see if he knew anything. She didn’t like going behind Jungkook’s back, but he was really starting to worry her.

She figured the best time to do it would be on her way home from work, since Jungkook wouldn’t be around to hear her checking up on him.

She stepped off her train and onto the platform, getting out her phone and selecting Jimin’s contact.

It only rang twice before he picked up.

“Hey Alina, what’s up?”

She could hear his smile through the phone, which put her slightly at ease. That meant there probably hadn’t been a falling out between Jungkook and any of the guys, which had seemed very unlikely anyway.

“Nothing really,” Alina said, “I’m just calling to ask you - I’m a little worried about Jungkook. Has he been acting differently to you?”

“I saw him the other day and he seemed fine. A little quiet maybe.”

“Yeah…it’s probably nothing.”

“Has he been doing anything else around you?” Jimin asked.

“I don’t know. He’ll kind of avoid me, or at least that’s how it feels. I thought maybe he just wanted space. We live in pretty close quarters. But then he’ll want to be right with me. He’s been sleeping badly, too. He’ll ask for my spare blanket before we go to bed, then he’ll push everything off of himself throughout the night.”

The line was quit for a second, and Alina was about to ask him if he was still there when Jimin said, “I’m not sure…do you want me to come by later tonight to check on him?”

“Maybe that’s a good idea. I don’t want him to feel like he’s doing something wrong or anything, he’s not. But maybe you can get him to tell you if everything’s ok.”

“Alright, no problem. I won’t be able to get there for a while, though. I’m teaching a beginner class for the next hour.”

“Ok, don’t rush. I’m close to home, anyway. See you later.”

It was almost five o’clock when Alina stepped through her front door. She knew Mina and Courtney were both working late tonight, so she and Jungkook were on their own for dinner.

She walked into the kitchen, but she didn’t see Jungkook. He wasn’t in the living room either.

“Jungkook?” She called out, wondering if he’d gone out.

Maybe he was taking a nap. He didn’t usually do that, but it was possible. She headed towards her room and opened the door quietly, just in case.

Whatever she’d expected, it wasn’t what she saw.

Jungkook was curled up in her bed instead of his own, sweating and flushed.

“Jungkook! Are you okay?” She asked, rushing over to him and crouching next to the bed, shocked at his state. He didn’t acknowledge her, only deepening his frown and scrunching his eyebrows. She gently put a hand to his forehead. She felt that he was badly burning up before he pushed her hand away, groaning.

“Jungkook please talk to me. I think you have a fever. We should go to the doctor or the hospital or something.”

His eyes flew open at that, “No! I don’t need to go anywhere. I’m - I’m not - I just don’t feel very good. ok?” he said, burying his head into her pillow.

“If you have such a high fever, we should at least call-”

“I’m in rut,” Jungkook interrupted, keeping his eyes squeezed shut. “It’s normal for hybrids to run hot. I don’t know why it’s hitting me so hard,” he said, voice strained.

She didn’t know what to say. She generally knew what a rut was, but she’d never been around a hybrid in rut. She knew for a fact, though, that ruts could be very painful if a hybrid didn’t have a companion to help them.

“Should - is there anyone I should call to help you? I know that the city has rut rooms -”

“No! Please Alina don’t make me leave. I promise I won’t do anything bad,” Jungkook pleaded, distress clear in his voice.

“Jungkook,” Alina said, tears springing to her eyes. “I won’t make you go anywhere. I didn’t mean to say that I didn’t trust you. Not at all. I just want you to be comfortable. If that means staying where you are then that’s what I want you to do.”

Jungkook just nodded and curled into the blankets on her bed.

“I’m going to get you some water to keep in here, ok? And I’ll bring some food in case you get hungry and don’t want to leave the room.”

Alina got up and quickly gathered all the supplies she thought he might need. When she came back in the room he was in the same position as before. She set everything down by the bed and hovered there for a second, unsure of what else she could do.

“I’m gonna give you some privacy, ok? Just call for me if you need anything.” When she saw him nod, she turned around and quietly left the room, closing the door the behind her.

She got out her phone and dialed Jimin. It went straight to voice mail. She cursed under her breath, remembering that he must still be in class. She couldn’t decide whether she should call someone else. It seemed like intimate information, talking about someone’s rut, and Jungkook probably wouldn’t appreciate her calling all his friends about it. That ruled out calling her friends, too. Fortunately she didn’t have to feel torn for long, because Jimin called her back.

“Alina?” He sounded little out of breath. “Is everything ok?”

“Jungkook’s in rut,” Alina blurted out. “It seems like he’s running a pretty high fever, but he doesn’t want to leave the room. I don’t know what to do.”

“Are you ok with him staying in there?”

“Yes of course. Is he safe though? Are there any risks we need to worry about? High fever in humans can cause really bad sicknesses -“

“Alina, I’m sorry to interrupt you. Just let me say, he should be safe. It sounds like it might be a difficult rut, but if he has access to some water and maybe a little food he’ll be fine.”

“He said he won’t let anybody come help him.”

“That’s ok. If he wants to go it alone, that’s fine. I will come by right after my class and stay with you and make sure he’s ok. How does that sound?”

Alina felt calmer with the reassurance that Jungkook was safe. She was still worried, but she wasn’t going to make Jimin drop everything for something that wasn’t an emergency.

“Ok. Thank you, Jimin, for your help.”

“No problem. I’ll see you later.”

Alina hung up and put her phone on the counter, breathing deeply. It was ok. This was normal. It was just the first time that she was around anything like this. All she could do is try to make Jungkook feel as safe and comfortable as possible.

*****

Jungkook grimaced, gritting his teeth. He was so embarrassed that Alina had seen him like this. Even worse was that she’d caught him in her bed. But he couldn’t bring him self to move. It smelled like her. That’s what he needed. It had taken everything in him not to grab her and pull her to him when she’d come in here. She’d been so worried, so gentle when she’d touched his head, her hand cool against his sweating skin.

He felt guilty about asking her to let him stay here. Ruts were messy to say the least. And she probably wouldn’t be able to come in here much for the next few days. And he didn’t know how he’d face her when his rut was over. But the idea of going away to a heat room had nearly sent him into a panic. He wouldn’t be safe anywhere else. His smells were here. Her smells were here. This was his nest.

He gripped Alina’s bedding tighter as another wave of heat and cramps overtook his body. He ground his hips into the mattress, trying to get some relief from the friction.

He buried his nose into her pillow. Was she going to be thinking about what he was doing in here? Would she imagine him gripping his cock, bringing himself to completion over and over. He rocked his hips into the bed at the thought. Would she be disgusted with him?

He’d already torn off his shirt and pants, but he’d left his boxers on when he’d crawled into her bed. He supposed it was some sort of last ditch effort at decency. Now he reached into them, barley able to touch himself at first because of the sensitivity.

On occasion he’d been remote enough that he felt safe going through his rut in his wolf form. That was what he preferred, as it was easier on him that way. But that was no longer an option. Even if he could sneak away, the collar made it impossible to shift. His wolf’s neck was a lot bigger than it was in human form, so the collar would suffocate him. A distant part of himself wondered what Alina would think if she knew he could shift, or had once been able to. Most hybrids had had collars all their lives and never learned how to turn. Either way, shifting was no lower an option. On other occasions he’d had a female hybrid around who was willing to help, although it was more frequent that he went through it alone. But he’d never had a rut this bad. And the idea of anyone but Alina helping him made him feel sick. She was all he could think about.

It had gotten bad in the weeks leading up to his rut. He wanted to be around her all the time, yet the thoughts he was having about her embarrassed him. He’d been attracted to her for a while, but he was able to remain in denial about it. Then his pre-rut snuck up on him. There was one morning he’d woken up from a dream about her, sleepily humping into his mattress. As soon as he was conscious of what he was doing he’d frozen, sure Alina must be watching on with horror. He’d slowly turned his head to her bed and saw that she was thankfully still asleep. He’d collapsed back into his mattress, boneless with relief, groin still throbbing painfully.

After that morning, he’d slept poorly, both because of his pre-rut and because of the stress that she might see him doing something offensive.

She didn’t need to know, he thought as he slowly pumped his member, eyes squeezed shut. She was kind enough to let him stay here, so he had to assume she’d forgive him or the mess he’d make. But she’d never need to know that he was thinking about her like this. He’d allow himself, out of desperation, to have her in his mind for now, and after his rut he’d figure something out. He’d get over whatever crush he’d developed for her and make sure he could be the respectful friend she deserved. **

With that mental arrangement in place, he let his mind wander back to her. He let himself imagine that it was her hand slowly pumping up and down his cock. She’d probably be gentle, a little unsure of herself. He wondered if she’d be experienced or if she’d need direction from him. She didn’t seem to date much…he let out an involuntary growl at the thought of her with someone else. All of a sudden his gut burned with the need to bite her, to mark her, tell everyone that she was his and that she always had been.

He came at the imagined feeling of his teeth sinking into her shoulder, dick pressed as deep as it would go inside her. The imagery would probably trouble him later, but not now. Cum shot messily into his boxers, but he looked down in shock when he felt his knot begin to form. It ripped a groan from him as cum continued to seep steadily from his tip. If he was knotting then it wouldn’t stop any time soon. It was weird that he was knotting. That usually didn’t happen when he was touching himself. But it would probably bring him slightly longer relief after, so that was good.

He turned and fell onto his back, breathing heavily, keeping his hand wrapped around himself, grunting every so often at the after shocks.

What would Alina look like when she came, he wondered. She always kept such good control over herself, even when she drank. Jungkook wanted to see her lost to pleasure, pleasure that he and he alone could deliver. His cock jumped painfully.

Please think about something else, he thought to himself. So instead he wondered how she’d take care of him right now, if she was here and wasn’t revolted by what she saw. She’d probably make him get out of his soiled boxers. Then maybe she’d lick him clean until he couldn’t take the overstimulation. She’d probably make him drink water. He found himself smiling at the thought, which he quickly let drop.

The flow of cum had slowed by now, but his knot would stay for at least 10 minutes. Well he really didn’t know what would happen, he couldn’t remember this ever happening before in his solitary ruts. He lay there for a while, trying not to think of anything that would get him too riled up. He took Alina’s blanket and brought it up to his nose for comfort.

He’d been selfish in his fantasizing, he realized. If Alina had really been here, he would have taken care of her, too. He would have made her feel good, better than she’d ever felt. He’d ask her if she was ok, if he was hurting her. He’d clean her up afterwards, either with his tongue or a warm cloth. He’d tell her how beautiful she was. He breathed deeply into the blanket. He would make sure she knew she could trust him, that he wouldn’t do anything she didn’t like, that he’d always listen to her.

He loved her.

NO. He didn’t love her. That was the rut talking. But he liked her. A lot. That wouldn’t change. And that’s what would get him through after the rut was over - figuring out the best way to be in her life.

*****

Alina was pacing in the living room when Jimin finally showed up. She’d felt better after talking to him on the phone, but she was still feeling antsy and useless. She felt guilty, too; JK wasn’t doing anything wrong. He could’t control when or how he got his rut, and he hadn’t done anything to make her feel in danger. In fact, the thought hand’t even crossed her mind, but she had still made him feel like she didn’t want him here, even if it was by accident. He’d looked so hurt when he thought she’d make him leave.

When she heard the knocks at the door, she’d practically run over to answer it. Jimin was still in his workout gear, bag slung over his shoulder.

“Hey,” he said with a sympathetic smile. “Are you guys doing ok?”

“I think so,” she said, offering a smile back, albeit a bit strained.

“I know it probably seems a little scary right now,” Jimin said as he came in, shutting the door behind him, “but everything will be ok. What you described on the phone didn’t seem too out of the ordinary.” He followed Alina into the living and put his bag down on the couch. “Honestly, I had a suspicion when we talked earlier that this might be the problem. I wanted to try and talk to Jungkook first, but here we are. Can you tell me anything else about his condition before I go check on him?”

“I haven’t gone in since before I called you. I assumed he’d want privacy, since… you know,” she faltered. “He was feverish, kind of stressed out, generally in distress. I brought him water and some food and stuff, but he didn’t really seem to notice. Do you know how long all it will last - his rut,” she asked.

Jimin nodded his head at all the information. “Usually ruts can last anywhere from a couple of days to a whole week.” Alina looked alarmed, so he explained. “Don’t worry, Jungkook’s rut shouldn’t last that long. It only takes a week when a hybrid has a partner, and moreover only when that parter is in a breeding window."

Alina felt herself blush, which she knew was totally inappropriate. Jimin was being kind enough to explain things to her, the least she could do was be mature about it. She knew Jimin was watching her, too, which didn’t help things.

He seemed to take pity on her, though, saying, “Don’t worry. It’s normal to feel embarrassed about this stuff when you’re not used to it. You’re doing everything right, so don’t be hard on yourself.”

Alina nodded, appreciating Jimin’s efforts to make her feel better. She took a seat on the couch, letting her head rest in her hands. “I hope he doesn’t mind that I called you,” she said.

Jimin came over and sat beside her. “I’m sure he won’t mind. This is new for you. It makes sense that you’d need some reassurance, and he’s not really in a position to give that to you right now,” Jimin said, smiling gently. “You can ask me other questions, if you want.”

Alina paused. “Is he in pain?” She finally asked. “He looked like he was, when I went in there.”

“Ah - well I’ll go in and check on him in a second and get a better idea. Typically it’s not as enjoyable when you don’t have a partner. But it’s not excruciating or anything like that. He was probably - he probably looked worse than he feels. Pleasure and pain, it can be a thin line, especially during a rut. And he was probably trying to hold back while you in there, which is harder when you’re rutting.”

Alina’s face turned bright red again. She was going to burst a blood vessel at this rate. But suddenly she was thinking about what Jungkook was probably doing before she’d gone in the room. Just the idea made blood rush between her legs. What is wrong with you, she thought to herself. “I - I understand,” she stammered. “Thank you. I know it’s not helpful - me stressing out like this.”

“It’s perfectly fine,” Jimin said. “I’m gonna go see how he’s doing. Then maybe we can order some dinner? I’m famished.”

“There’s a pizza place that delivers fast. How does that sound?”

“Wonderful,” Jimin said, getting up.

*****

Jungkook didn’t know how much time had passed, but it was dark outside. He must have passed out after his knot. It was almost gone now, but he was still very sensitive. He gingerly removed his boxers, which were leaking cum at this point, and threw them on the ground, making sure they landed on his other cloths to contain the mess. He should get a towel. He sat up and looked around groggily, hair sticking to his sweaty forehead.

He was about to get out of bed to retrieve his towel from the door when he spotted a pile of towels, water, crackers, and clean sheets and boxers sitting next to the bed. Alina must have brought those in. He would owe her a lot for this, more than she knew. The little pile of supplies made him feel even more guilty for the idea he had next.

Her smell was already being smothered by his own, which made him anxious. He needed to find something else saturated with her scent, which led his eyes to her laundry basket. He cleaned himself off with a towel and tugged on one of the fresh pairs of boxers, being careful not to jostle himself too much. Then he went over to the basket, thinking he’d just take a shirt or sweater or something. But then he’d found himself looking at a pair of pink underwear. He knelt there for who knows how long, battling with himself. In the end, there was no contest. He grabbed two shirts and the panties and brought all of them over to the bed, tossing them up by the pillow. He drank some of the water and kicked off the boxers before climbing into bed, resting his face in the clothes.

The shirt smelled so good, he pressed it against his nose and cheeks. Her scent gave him heady relief form the cramping he felt. If this is what her shirt could do…

He opened his eyes and turns his head, staring at the panties laying beside him.

She never needed to know.

He brought them to his face, breathing deeply. He felt all the blood in his body rush to his head and his groin at the same time. He curled up on his side, savoring the feeling. He was surrounded by her blankets, her sheets, her clothes, and now her underwear, yet his nest still felt empty. A whine escaped him.

Later he’d tell himself the desperation made him crazy, that he didn’t know why he did what he did next. But he couldn’t help himself in the moment. He took the panties and brought them down, pressing them against his cock. He knew he’d ruin them if he did this, but he couldn’t stop. He rubbed himself with the flimsy, soft cotton. His pre-cum made slippery wet spots along the inside of the panties. He imagined it was from her. He thought about her wearing them all day, only to have them end up being rubbed up and down his prick, about to be filled with his cum.

It made him want to spill onto her stomach. He could see it so clearly in his mind. She’d be all fucked out, gazing at him with those eyes. He’d pump himself just above her stomach, letting his cock lay on her belly for a minute, just to see how far up it went. She’d be breathing hard and fast from orgasm, waiting for his load. When he’d finally give one last squeeze, the pearly liquid would shoot out in ribbons across her stomach, reaching to the underside of her breasts.

He felt his balls draw up at the image, and he had just enough time to move the panties away and spurt his cum directly onto the comforter. All he could do for a couple of minutes was try to catch his breath. After, he brought the panties back up and tucked them under the pillow.

He turned the comforter so that the mess was as far from him as possible, reaching down to grab a towel for next time. The refractory period would probably get worse before it got better. Even now his cock was still semi hard. Her scent was stronger now, though, and that comforted him. He brought the two shirts close to him, clutching them to his chest but keeping them close enough to his face that he could burry his nose in them.

*****

This was the scene that Jimin walk in on. He’d knocked twice and received no answer. When he opened the door, he was relived to see Jungkook huddled safely in bed, but new unease quickly bloomed in his stomach.

Jungkook was acting like he had a mate. More specifically, he was acting like Alina was his mate. It wasn’t hard to see. He was nesting, heavily, with her belongings, choosing the safest space most related to her. Frankly, he and a few of the other guys had a suspicion this might happen.

It made Jimin frown; it would be a very long few days for Jungkook if this was the case. Rutting alone when you had a mate that was supposed to help you was much worse than rutting unattached. Whatever bond that had formed between Jungkook and Alina would demand that he have Alina or the closest thing to her and nothing else. No one else would do. The last day of the rut would probably be the hardest. The sexual desire would have lessened, but Jungkook would desperately need re-assurance and comfort from his “mate,” or whatever Alina was to him. It would be complicated when his rut ended, too. These feelings would ease for a little while, but they wouldn’t go away. They would only get worse. And as far as he could tell, Alina and Jungkook didn’t have that kind of relationship. Jimin wasn’t even sure how Alina felt about relationships with hybrids.

He closed the door quietly and cautiously approached the nest. “Jungkook? It’s Jimin,” he called out gently.

Jungkook shot up, already defensive. He was hostile, but there was not outward aggression, which was good.

The haze seemed to clear for a moment, and Jungkook’s posture relaxed a little. “Jimin? What are you doing here?”

Jimin grabbed one of the water bottles from the floor and handed it to Jungkook. “You made Alina pretty worried about you,” he said.

Jungkook involuntarily looked towards the pillow that secretly housed the pair of underwear. He hoped he didn’t look as guilty as he felt.

“Is she mad at me?” Jungkook asked.

“No no of course not. She just wants you to be as comfortable and safe as possible. Is it true that you don’t want anyone to help you?” Jimin asked.

Jungkook nodded his head.

“Ok, that’s ok. Me and Alina will take care of you and give you the space you need.”

Jungkook let out a growl, turning his face into the pillow. Jimin realized he probably shouldn’t be reminding JK that Alina would be sitting in the other room with another hybrid. When all this was over, he knew Jungkook would be grateful for all their help, and would probably be pretty embarrassed by how he was acting. For now though, they needed to be careful. He didn’t want Jungkook to feel anymore rejection than he already felt.

The problem was, Jimin didn’t feel at liberty to tell Alina his theory that Jungkook had bonded with her. It was too invasive, and it didn’t seem like she had any idea that Jungkook may have developed these feelings for her. Jimin would just need to continue being cautious with how he explained things to her.

“I’ll go soon so you can rest, but can you tell me if anything doesn’t feel right, or if you have any symptoms you haven’t had before?” Jimin asked.

“It’s worse than usual, but I don’t think anything’s wrong,” Jungkook said. Then he opened his eyes, seeming to remember something. “I knotted. That never happens when I’m on my own. I’m not sure what happened.”

Jimin had a pretty good idea. Jungkook had probably never bonded to someone before. But he couldn’t tell if Jungkook was aware of the nature of his feelings, or if he was purposefully not telling Jimin about them. Either way, he didn’t want to push, especially right now.

“Don’t worry too much about it. Sometimes that happens, and sometimes we have worse ruts than usual. Just tell us if there is anything we can do to help you, ok?”

“Thank you, hyung.”

“That’s more like it,” Jimin said, happy to see some of the usual Jungkook peak through. He patted Jungkook affectionately on the arm before getting up and making to leave.

“Jimin,” Jungkook called.

Jimin quickly turned, “yeah?”

“Can you tell Alina thank you? For letting me stay?” Jungkook asked sleepily, seemingly worn out from the interaction.

Jimin bowed his head a little. “Of course Jungkookie. Just focus on feeling better.” With that, he exited the room.

He walked into the living room where Alina was waiting for him on the couch. “I think he’ll be fine, it’s just a hard rut. He might be a little clingy near the end of it, but you can decide how comfortable you are helping with that kind of emotional support,” Jimin said, keeping things vague. “Oh, and he asked me to thank you for letting him stay in your room.”

Alina scoffed and shook her head. “I wish he wouldn’t thank me for that.”

Jimin smiled, “all the same, he appreciates what you’re doing for him, you should know that.” It looked like she was feeling more relaxed, which he was happy about. It was honestly endearing how worried she was for him.

Alina pursed her lips but returned his smile. “I ordered the food by the way. It should be here soon. How long can you stay?”

“I mean I can stay for however long you want me to, but I think you guys should be fine. He might not want…sometimes we can get territorial during a rut and he might now want another hybrid sleeping here.”

“I want to make sure he feels his space is being respected, so I guess you staying over isn’t a good idea. And you probably have a busy day tomorrow, anyway.”

“Ok, I’m not in any rush, though. How about we eat, maybe we can catch something good on TV, then I can head out?”

She smiled, “that’s perfect. Thank you Jimin, for all the help.”

The two of them found a reality show they both liked and tried to keep their voices down as they laughed at each other’s commentary. The pizza arrived shortly after the show started and they dug in quickly.

“I kind of feel like I’m cheating on Jin when I eat at other restaurants now,” Alina said.

“It’s the curse of knowing someone who cooks for a living,” Jimin laughed. “And what’s worse is he would agree with you, so I recommend we keep this tryst a secret.”

She was folding her slice in half when she remembered. “Should I bring some into Jungkook now? Or just leave it by the door?”

“He was pretty tired when I left him. I would let him rest for now and bring him some later. But you should probably respect it if he doesn’t want you to see him like this.”

Alina nodded, plating three slices and setting them aside. She and Jimin enjoyed their night together, finishing off their portion of the pizza and breaking out ice cream for dessert. Alina had turned down the heat a little to try and help with Jungkook’s temperature. Jimin also said it could help if it were cool enough for Jungkook to use blankets to nest.

Jimin hung around a little after the food was finished. By that time, Mina and Courtney had gotten home, and Jimin helped Alina explain what was going on with Jungkook.

“I’m just gonna camp out on the couch while he’s not feeling good. It should only be for a couple of days,” Alina told them.

“That’s no problem,” Courtney said. “Are you sure he’ll be ok by himself, though?”

“Yeah he should be fine. Like I told Alina, he might get a little clingy near the end of it, but mostly you should probably give him space.”

“Whatever he needs,” Mina said, nodding. Turning to Alina, she said, “if you need to borrow cloths or anything from my room, help yourself. Actually let me go grab you some sheets and a pillow for the couch.”

“Same here Alina, anything you and JK need, just let me know,” Courtney said.

Jimin seemed pleased with how things were settled and decided to get going. “Just call me if anything comes up, ok? I won’t mind. And if you want me to come back, that’s ok, too. I liked hanging out here, anyway,” he said, smiling.

“I really can’t thank you enough, Jimin,” Alina said, grabbing his bag for him

“Don’t mention it. I’ll let Namjoon know the JK will need a few days off work,” Jimin added.

After he left, Mina and Courtney headed to bed relatively quickly, both having had busy days. Alina made up the couch for herself and about to settle down for the night when she remembered the food she’d saved for Jungkook.

She headed down the hall, pausing in front of her door. She set the food down to the side of the door frame and wondered if she should knock to alert him to the food. No, he was probably in the thick if it, or sleeping. Instead, she covered the pizza with a napkin and left it for him. She’d knock tomorrow if she saw he hadn’t brought it in.

She brushed her teeth and got ready for bed, finally laying down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and tried to not think about what Jungkook might be doing in their room. She wasn’t very successful, but she supposed he never needed to know.

*****

Jimin drove towards home, thinking about everything that had happened that night. He knew the rut wouldn’t hurt Jungkook too badly. But he was concerned about what would happen with Jungkook and Alina’s relationship. Even if the rut went smoothly, neither of them seemed to really know how they felt, and there was certainly no communication on the subject between the two of them.

It was easy to imagine one or both of them getting hurt the way things were going. But if anything made Jimin feel better, it was that both Alina and JK seemed to care about each other, putting each other’s well-being before anything else. It was a rare thing, that kind of dedication. Jimin supposed that’s just who they were, and that they were lucky enough to find each other.

Nevertheless, the situation felt a little unstable, not to mention the complication that the collar added. That was a whole other can of worms. Namjoon had called an emergency pack meeting just a few days ago to discuss the possibility of removing Jungkook’s collar, disclosing the details of a conversation he’d had with Alina on the matter. Jimin hadn’t hesitated with his answer: bring both Alina and Jungkook in on what they were doing and remove Jungkook’s collar as soon as possible. That seemed to be Namjoon’s preference, as well. But Yoongi was more reserved in his decision. He’d proposed a counter solution, saying they should offer the collar removal to Jungkook in secret, keeping Alina out of it.

Yoongi had figured out a way of disabling the shock and lock functions on the collars, allowing the hybrid to keep the collar on but safe from any of its mechanisms. It wasn’t total freedom, but it was freedom in secret, so to speak. Jimin unconsciously brought a hand up to his own collar. This was how all the hybrids in their pack lived, Jimin included, of course, and it was all thanks to Yoongi. Well, it was due to the pack as a whole, Jimin supposed, but it would be impossible without Yoongi. He had always been good at tinkering growing up, but none of them foresaw what he’d be able to do. He had emerged as a quiet leader within their pack, Namjoon emerging as another. They balanced each other well, but perhaps that was because they'd known each other the longest. Yoongi had been Namjoon’s first hybrid, gifted to him by his father when they were boys. Yoongi didn’t talk much about his life before Namjoon, but Jimin got the sense that it was filled with pain and abuse, and he knew that it was one of the many reasons Yoongi was so distrustful. Hell, it had taken Jin years to win the hybrid over.

According to Yoongi’s characteristically cautious plan, Jungkook could wear the collar and Alina could be none the wiser - if she was as trustworthy as Jungkook thought, she’d never need to know the collar no longer worked. If not, they could smuggle Jungkook out and cover their tracks as best they could. It was a good plan, a safer plan. The fewer people that knew about their activities and Yoongi’s technical abilities the better. But Jimin believed Alina had earned their trust, and he predicted Jungkook would resent the pack’s efforts to exclude her. He’d expressed this, and while Namjoon seemed to agree, the rest of the pack seemed more tempted by the lower risk option, no matter how much they liked Alina. Hobi had pointed out that they could tell her at any time - more importantly that Jungkook could tell her at any time. They could move forward with prudence for now and bring her in later.

Yes, Jimin decided, he would need to bring up the events of Jungkook’s rut to the rest of the pack. It may change some of their minds about bringing Alina in. If anything, he wanted Yoongi and Namjoon to be aware that Jungkook may be prone to unpredictable behavior, which was likely if a bond was indeed growing between him and Alina, especially if not all of his feelings were returned. That wasn’t to say that Alina was in danger, if Jimin believed that he would act immediately. He was more concerned that Jungkook may try to run, with or without the collar removal, if he started to feel burdensome or rejected by Alina.

Jimin shook his head. He knew would be breaking both Alina and Jungkook’s trust, talking behind their backs like this, but he wasn’t sure what else to do. The pack needed to know. There was too much at stake to make any decisions without as much information as possible.

*****

End notes: Finally some smut! It’s my first time writing it so I hope its not too cringe lol. I have to admit it was fun. I don’t think there are any triggers/tags I need to say that aren’t mentioned in the warnings, but let me know if I missed anything.

Other bits of business:

Just in case anyone needs a reminder - Jimin, Yoongi, Hobi, (and JK of course) are hybrids. RM, Jin and Tae are all human, but they are all part of the same pack - this will be discussed more later.

Also, in case anyone is interested, I’m might be floating around some ideas for a second story on my tumbler soon (weichei-stubentiger.tumblr.com), so if you want to be a part of that, you can check me out there. Feel free to message me - anonymously or not, anything is fine — any opinions/thoughts you have on my next story or on this one! I’m no where near done with Silver Moon, and it is not in any danger of abandonment, but I have a couple of other ideas I’m excited about.

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peppersonironi · 3 years

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Sambucky Fic Recs #2

Part One |

Today's Theme: Soulmate Au's

Welcome to this today's theme! I happen to really enjoy these types of fics and thankfully there's a decent selection in the sambucky tag! Here are Ten fics for your enjoyment! (more under the cut)

1. A Touch of Pain by TowardTheStars

Sam had just turned seven when his world first exploded into pain.

Or, Sam feels his soulmate's pain and wishes to save them from their torment.

Quick warning before we get into things: This is currently a WIP. But I'm finding it great so far! This fic is more Sam-focused with great angst. Also some past Sam/Riley, which I'm always a sucker for!

2. Bright Colors Of Love by Yoursaltness_and_TheMemeQueen

The first time soulmates had skin to skin touch you’d be able to see the colors, that whenever you touched you’d be able to see the world in color, and that the first kiss made colors permanent.

When Sam Wilson is 20 he meets Riley, he falls in love. He takes a risk and holds his hand, the world stays black and white, and he thinks he understands why his aunt says that you don’t need a soulmate to be happy. When Riley dies, there is a bitter part of him that thanks the universe for not making them soulmates. - The first time James “Bucky” Barnes heard about soulmates was through the TV.

He reaches out to hold Steves hand and wonders if the universe can make mistakes.

He decides at about 17 that maybe soulmates are overrated, that the universe is too mysterious to trust. As he’s falling and hears Steve’s cry, he decided the universe is a bitch that knows too much and probably hates his guts. - Flash forward, Bucky knows they're soulmates, Sam doesn't.

Secret Santa Gift for Max!!

This has just the right amount of angst, and I was amazed by how well written it was! I love this fic so much!

3. Reach Out and Hold the Sun by Aluxra

When you touch your soulmate skin to skin, you leave a colour unique to you on them. 106 years and Bucky never received a mark.

Until Now.

Oh my gosh the mutual pining! The uncertainty! The fear of rejection! The utter relief and love that comes at the end! I was grinning ear to ear the whole time reading this!

4. redefining in every way what love is by lovelypenguins1717

On the non-dominant wrist of every person lays a soulmark. A unique mark that appears whenever their soulmate is born. It is the true north to their other half.

Bucky never had a mark and now he’ll never know.

Sam had found his, but the soulmark is meaningless now that Riley’s dead.

But sometimes soulmates are chosen.

*COMPLETE*

Now this is an interesting twist on soulmate aus! I usually love the ones where the people are destined for each other, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed the idea of choosing each other. It was so sweet!

5. Exactly What You're Looking For by @snarky-drabbles

When you lose something, it might appear beside your soulmate in the morning.

Sam never found anything from his soulmate until after Bucky Barnes dragged Steve from the Potomac.

Bucky grew up never finding a thing either, but after he finally gets free from Hydra, he starts finding things beside him the morning.

This is the story of them coming together.

now with a chapter of outtakes and alternate ending

I'll be honest, this fic is hilarious!! The romance aspect and yearning is great, but that ending is just on another level!

More Fics Under the Cut

6. I keep closing my eyes (but I can't blink you out) by @lesbianhozier

Bucky avoids eye contact as much as possible. He can hold a conversation without so much as looking at your face, the only exception to this being Steve. Sam definitely knows why and has seen it a few times before; soulmates. A brief moment of eye contact can change your entire life if it’s with the right person; your soulmate.

canon divergence in Civil War fic. I'll be honest this isn't necessarily my favorite, and it feels a touch weird near the end, but I still enjoyed it! The premise was fascinating and the writing was pretty good.

7. adored by @capnwinghead

The marks were legend - your soulmate's name on one wrist and your enemy's on the other. Most people spent their lives trying to decipher them. Bucky Barnes spent most of his life avoiding them.

Oh the angst in this one!!! So good!!

8. gunmetal grey by Someone_aka_Me

Soulmates wear the same mask, and only your soulmate can remove it.

Sam isn't expecting to find his mask in a history book, worn by a man who's been dead for decades.

I literally cannot sing the praises of this fic enough!!! Holy crap it's so good!!!! It takes place in ca:tws and continues afterwards, but it ignores AoU/ca:cw. I don't read to many fics from this era (working on more of them, though! I got a request for some fic recs, and my research is so much fun!), but I'm honestly adoring this so much. And the writing is so good too! And the whole premise of soulmate masks was fascinating to me! I've never read a fic like this before. BUT I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!!

9. there is a sweetness in you by Someone_aka_Me

AU: Your soulmate is the only person who cannot hurt you.

Sam gets kicked off a helicarrier — yet he can't help but notice the boot to the chest doesn't hurt like it should.

Yeah, yet another of this kind of au. They seem to be semi-popular for sambucky (Kinda? there aren't too many soulmate au fics though). But I'm a sucker for them, alright? And this one is so cute too! :-D

10. Fortune Tellers And Falling & Fortune Tellers And Falling: Part 2 by @jeffersonshattricks

Prompt: During a “game” Sam is told that is soulmate will be the next person to do “X” to him and it happens to be Bucky. Sam is in denial but destiny cannot be stopped.

The is Bucky's POV for the first part of this. It explains how he knew they were soul mates, and shows a bit of what he went through while waiting for Sam to catch up.

A Two-Parter right here, guys! So fun! I love fics that show both POV's, they just add a new dimension, alright? Also, the pining and uncertainty in these are super good!

And that's it for today folks! I really hope you enjoy these! Once again, feel free to hop into my asks and request any trope or theme you'd like! I already got one that I'm currently working on, so that'll be fun! I also have a coupole other themes that I'm working on right now too, and I'm really excited about them!

Also, let me know if you want to be tagged for these!

#sambucky #fic recs #sambucky fanfiction #sam wilson x bucky barnes #tfatws #caatws #bucky barnes x sam wilson #soulmate au #sambucky fic recs #sam wilson #bucky barnes #captain america #the winter solider #fanfic reccomendation

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teatimecrumpetsandsugar · 3 years

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ethereal (voltron fantasy/royalty AU) (set up; part zero)

Heyo! It’s your friendly neighborhood Voltron fanfic aficionado- now your friendly neighborhood Klance writer but that’s honestly besides the point I don’t even know why you’d bring up my increasing obsession with them in this Klance fanfic that I swear everyone else will be in, too-

Today, I’ll be writing from a fantasy royalty AU with my favorite show cast ever, even though it may or may not be solely because I want to put water elemental!king!Lance in pretty dresses and makeup and just go crazy with my descriptions of gowns and other things.

I imagine, here, Lance would be from a kingdom with strong ties to Pidge’s kingdom, who has strong ties with Hunk’s kingdom, making them a powerful trifecta. I also imagine that Keith and Lance’s kingdoms are on very thin ice with one another, so Pidge encourages Lance to sit down with fire elemental!king!Keith.

I also imagine that Pidge’s kingdom is closely allied with Allura’s and that the two of them grew up together, while she didn’t meet Hunk or Lance until she became queen. Also, I’d like to have my beloved Ruler Pidge go by she/they pronouns, simply because I see a lot of myself in the way she dresses and carries herself and I actually believe that these pronouns would fit her, alongside all pronouns.

Hunk and Lance likely grew up together in a very close ally ship and continue to be close friends well into adulthood because that’s just how they are. I can imagine Lance is very vaguely aware of Allura’s kingdom and would never dream of picking a fight with hers since, by default, allying with Pidge made him allies with Allura, but he probably doesn’t know her very well pre the canon timeline because I kind of want to build that relationship from the ground up to make up for what the show did to me-

Keith is definitely allied with Shiro, and Pidge and Shiro were always friends through her older brother, who, along with her father, abdicated from the throne and joined an adventurer’s guild instead (because they believed that Pidge would be a better fit for a ruler and decided that, given how they are, reconnaissance and exploration fit them better. She agreed with this insight, deciding to rule the kingdom the best way she knew how). Shiro, being a much more experienced king and friends with their brother, likely prepared them for the role as they grew into it; the two are on friendly terms, but allied isn’t exactly the right term as none of the people in their alliance knew Keith, so they weren’t sure they could ally with him.

Lance met Keith at a gala years into his reign; they did not get along.

The system of Magic here will likely be dictated by what element one is born in the kingdom of, (i.e., Lance’s kingdom being the Aqua Kingdom, Pidge’s being the Spiritus Kingdom) and the strength of it in each person will be chosen based on a random set of variables that usually depends on the mood of the Gods corresponding to each element.

Lance- Water (Aqua Kingdom)

Keith- Fire (Ignis Kingdom)

Pidge- Life (Spiritus Kingdom)

Hunk- Earth (Terra Kingdom)

Shiro- Moon (Luna Kingdom)

Allura- Light (Lux Kingdom)

I imagine the reason an alliance is called for with Keith and Shiro’s kingdoms is because a traitor to Allura’s kingdom, either Lotor is planning on starting an entire mutiny with the ranks he’s managed to gather and then, consequently, conquer all of the rest of the kingdoms by force in the name of a long-dead kingdom- the Tenebris kingdom. His parents having died in the midst of a total economic crash caused by a codependent relationship with Allura’s kingdom whilst it was under her father’s rule, he was taken in by the state of Lux by Allura’s request, since they grew up together; unfortunately Lotor held lingering feelings of resentment- towards Lux, for causing the destruction of the only thing he could’ve ever considered his own by right, and towards his parents for always making him feel as if he was of no worth. He wants to conquer the entire world just to prove to himself that he is worth something, though, unfortunately, he’s on a path straight to death.

Might redeem him, might kill him off, might exile him- who knows at this point?

Hunk, I imagine, was a commoner who won the title of king through a series of magic-based trials (upon the death of the last ruler) and now keeps his entire family in the palace with him, using his title to take care of his family and citizens as a benevolent ruler. This likely happened when he was quite young- likely when he was 9 or 10, since magic is an innate thing and, in this kingdom, it’s tested in the youngest members of the kingdom in order to deem who is the most connected to their Goddess Terra.

Allura inherited her title when her own father died in the conflict with Tenebris- he went to battle with the people they’d unintentionally doomed in order to protect his daughter and his people, and died in the process; similar to her story in Voltron except her kingdom survives and Lotor and a select few survivors of the Galra become refugees.

Keith became king by beating the previous king’s son in a battle- his mother, being one of the higher ups in the government, sent word to him that the prince didn’t want to be king, so Keith wound up challenging him for the title. He won, successfully making his way into the world of prestige and getting closer to his mother. The prince left the kingdom shortly after- it’s believed that he ran away to be with someone, but no one is quite sure. All anyone knows is that he’s happy.

Lance wound up being king at a really young age- I’m imagining that, prior to his reign, his kingdom was incredibly strictly patriarchal. The previous king likely only had daughters, and the day of his death, Lance was born with incredibly powerful water magic. As a result, at the age of 6 years old, he was forcibly taken from his poor family and raised strictly to be a perfect king- however, he still saw his sister Veronica frequently in secret, the two of them sneaking around to eat baked goods and try on dresses together. When the palace staff found out, they tightened security and warned Veronica that she was no longer allowed to see him unless she wanted to be publicly executed. After his coronation (at age 8), however, he started making drastic changes to the laws that made the laws against commoners interacting with royalty more lax, and, once allowed to dress himself, started wearing dresses and makeup because it reminded him of home and made him feel as beautiful as he knew he was. He gets quite homesick quite often, and he’s still battling to get his family into the palace with him- he has, however, stripped the kingdom of its strict patriarchy. He constantly tells the kingdom that he hopes to one day pass the throne down to his own future daughter and still keeps the three princesses as his trusted advisors because he believes what happened to them was horribly unjust. The story will be told primarily from his perspective.

Shiro became ruler of his kingdom by fighting his way through gladiator ranks when he was only thirteen, winning the entire kingdom by brute force alone and leaving him with a lot more experience and trauma than he’d have liked. Being the oldest of the current generation of rulers and having inherited a kingdom that was closely related to Pidge’s and Keith’s, he guided them both through the process of becoming a ruler and the process of ruling, no matter how difficult it gets. It’s taken far longer with Keith than it has Pidge, since Pidge was raised a royal and has an innate sense of leadership and Keith is... interesting at the whole being a royal thing. Shiro, having grown up with Keith’s mother on the streets of the kingdom of Tenebris, was more than happy to take Keith under his wing- it helps the both of them come out of their shells more, so they have a mutual appreciation for one another.

I imagine this world will be vaguely futuristic and medieval at the same time- they’ll be able to have video conferences and reach other via communicators, holographic calls, things of that nature; but they’ll also be pretty old-fashioned in their manners of dress, their social systems, their currencies, and the vast majority of their laws. I hope that makes sense.

I wonder if it’s visible here that I spent three hours winging this and started getting more and more into it as I went, or if it’s obvious that I spend most of my time working with really obscure fantasy concepts.

BAHDHAAHAHA I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THIS-

If you’ve got any suggestions for relationship dynamics (platonic, romantic, or otherwise), any pitches for traits you think the characters may have based on their slightly altered backstories, or any feedback in general, feel free to share- I hope you all find this as fascinating as I did while I was writing it!

Also, @keefsteefs It’s happening, I’m doing it, it’s gonna be so fricking awesome-

#voltron #voltron au #voltron alternate universe #VLD #Voltron legendary defender #klance #voltron klance #vld klance #voltron keith #voltron lance #voltron hunk #voltron pidge #voltron allura #voltron shiro #voltron lotor

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royallyprincesslilly · 4 years

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Title: Kismet {7}

Henry Cavill x Famous OFC Aliya Taylor

Warning: Plot, Slow Burn, Mild Cursing

Words: 5.1k

Summary: Aliya is a singer turned model turned actress. Since she was fifteen, she’s been creating her empire in the entertainment world. As the daughter of a famous fashion model/designer and Hollywood director, you’d think life is easy for her, but her past has been anything but easy. Due to past trauma, she’s forever changed and no longer trusts any man that is not in her family and a select few in her team. She’s sworn off love and serious relationships and has planned never to fall again, but love isn’t something that can be planned. It just happens when it’s meant to. Can Aliya outrun a love that seems hellbent on holding tight to her, a love that is Kismet?

If you enjoyed this please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG!! 😘

As always, thank you so much for reading. ❤️❤️

***Loosely Edited/Proofread***

***Interactive***

Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

-Henry-

He tossed from his right.

“This has been fun. You seem like a really good person on top of being uber-talented. I wish you nothing but continued success in your career and life, but for anything here, I don’t think it’s going to happen,”

He turned to his left.

“I don’t do drama or messy, and your situation screams drama and mess.”

He rolled from his back.

“The bottom line is I’ve broken three rules already when it comes to you, and I will not break this one.”

He flipped to his stomach.

“Goodbye, Henry.”

That was always when he leaped up, sweating, panting, and wide awake. It was always the same time. Two in the morning and he always had the same feelings. Regret. Resentment. Emptiness. He hated those words when put together. Every night for the last two days, it was the same thing. He’d go about his business, work, fulfill his obligations, meet family and friends to catch up, all the while thinking he saw you at the most inopportune times. He remembered the first time he thought he saw you. He was having lunch with his brothers, their wives, girlfriends, and nephews. In the middle of his conversation, from clear across the restaurant, he thought he saw you. The woman didn’t even look a lot like you. The only thing you shared in resemblance was the complexion of your skin and your hair color. He knew then he’d lost his mind and was acting out of character.

Usually, if he were in this situation, he would have already moved on. He never dwelled on situations that didn’t serve a purpose for him. He was straightforward and preferred those he spent his time with to be the same. If a woman didn’t seem interested and went as far as to tell him goodbye at every chance she got, he would fade away. That is what he should do; instead, he continuously thought about you.

He went back and forth in his head about where you were getting your assumptions and why were you so quick to think the worst of him. It was apparent to deduce that you probably had a bad past experience with someone to have become so standoffish. There was no way someone would give off such conflicting vibes if they hadn’t been burned before.

If he didn’t imagine you throughout his day, he was dreaming of you coming up with words he should have or could have said when you were in front of him. When he thought to call you, he always turned against it. What was the point? You’d made your decision and come up with your assumptions on who he was. He wasn’t in the practice of pleading with women to give him a second chance or even a true first one.

By day three, he found himself ignoring his wounded pride and ego. By no means was it easy to do. In truth, it had been years since he’d ever felt this way—rejected. It was humbling. Since the years when his star had officially risen so far in the Hollywood stratosphere, every woman he’d ever either approached or been approached by never rejected him. In no way was he cocky enough to think women couldn’t reject him. He just thought he felt something and that something was mutual.

“Another beer?”

“Uh—no, a glass of water, please.”

“Tap, sparkling, flavored sparkling?”

Scoffing, he shrugged then said the first that that came to mind. “Sparkling lemon is fine. Thank you.”

The waitress nodded and walked back the way she came with his empty beer glass in hand. Today was necessary. It was long overdue. Glancing at his watch, he noted it was ten minutes past when he suggested the meetup. He also noted that he was annoyed with this lateness but not with yours. Groaning, he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to rub out the tension that rested there.

“Hey, honey.”

Snapping his eyes open, he saw Abby’s cheerfully smiling face. Her blonde hair was styled with bouncy curls that framed her blue-eyed face. She leaned closer as if she intended to kiss him, tilting his face to the side, her lips landed on his cheek.

“Oh,” Abby said, voice filled with disappointment.

“Sit, join me,” he said, hoping to distract from the slight he’d just shown her.

Abby sat on the stool across from him after placing her purse to hand on the side of it. When she leaned forward, his eyes dropped to her top's cleavage before they instantly came right back up to her face.

“How are you, babe?”

“Good.

“I missed you so much. You have no idea. There were so many things I wanted to tell you,” Abby began before he could start the conversation.

He listened and nodded along as she went on and on about the things that were going on in her life. She talked for so long that he was able to drink the entire glass of water the waitress brought over. When the waitress came back to take their orders, he had to step in.

“Uh, can you give us a few moments?”

“Sure.”

Abby’s eyebrows knitted, showing her confusion.

“I wanted to talk, Abby.”

“About what, Henners?”

Taking a deep breath, he slowly released it. “A while ago, we talked, and I thought it was clear where my head was when I said we need space and to distance ourselves from each other. I thought we both understood what that meant, but—I can see I wasn’t clear.”

He could see the worry in her eyes, and he hated to do this, but it had to be done. “I think you should move on…we both should. I didn’t mean to give the impression that there was hope for reconciliation or even that this would turn into a fling of some sort. I’m sorry for not being clear. However, I think I have to be crystal now. You have to stop calling and texting and allow yourself to move on.”

She didn’t speak for a full two minutes.

“Really?”

“Yes, I’m sorry. I just--.”

“—No, no, I get it. I really do. I--,” Abby stuttered without making any eye contact. She stood, reached for her purse, and schlepped it onto her shoulder.

“Abby, I’m--,” He began begore she cut him off.

“Don’t worry about it. You were clear before I just thought—guess I hoped if I showed you I was serious and willing to try that you’d come back.”

He felt like a world-class wanker. As he opened his mouth to say something, Abby held her hand up, smirked, and turned to walk out of the restaurant. Sighing, he made eye contact with the waitress and raised his hand for the check. One down, one more to go. By the time dinner rolled around, his FaceTime call with Francesca went a lot better. Though he could tell her defiance and reluctance to accept his wishes, she eventually did, eventually being the operative word. It took nearly twenty minutes.

As he sat with his glass of red wine and his pasta dinner with Kal at his feet with his bowl filled with his gourmet feast and a new bone for dessert, he noted everything was quiet. His home was silent, and his thoughts were even more so. It dawned on him then. This was the first time in three years he was absolutely free with no attachments to anyone. It was something that made him pause. His life was a busy one, and he’d seen the inside of a movie trailer more than he’d seen the inside of his own home. With him traveling so much, dating was hard and more a nuisance.

That was how Abby and Francesca came into the picture. He’d dated Francesca on and off for years before she ended things believing he didn’t want anything stable only to come back into the picture. Abby was a one-night thing that kept happening whenever he was home. Both required so little besides some attention here or there. It was probably what he gravitated to. It was low stress and a low chance of any emotional entanglement that he didn’t want--until he met you.

After dinner and a quick walk for Kal, he found himself in for the night with one thing on his mind. You.

“Bollocks! Just call her. Call her. It’s no big deal,” he said, trying to hype himself up.

Feeling brave, he quickly grabbed his phone and tapped your number in his contacts. By the time the first ring began, he’d changed his mind and promptly ended the call.

“You’re an idiot, mate!”

He knew he was in for another sleepless night.

~~~~~~~~~~

-Aliya-

Chewing your bottom lip, you stared at his name on your phone. It could have been seen as a little bit of divine intervention. For the last week, you’d gone back and forth, up and down, and around your decision to walk away from him and end things. Part of you knew it was the right thing to do. He was clearly tangled up in some sort of drama, some sort of playboy lifestyle that you didn’t want any part of. There were even times you felt like a hypocrite. You were dating two men at once. Yes, they both knew about each other, but still, it was technically the same thing. Your life was drama free because you worked hard to keep it that way, and that included exchanges between Jesse and Liam.

In the beginning, six months ago, you’d made it crystal clear to both of them that you didn’t want any serious commitments. You told them that your career, businesses, and workload kept you plenty busy and gave you enough headaches, and you expected none from them. You set out the rules; they followed them and kept the drama to themselves. Did they like each other? Maybe not. Did they like the idea of sharing you? Maybe not. Did you care? Eh, not really. You mainly entertained them when you had some free time and wanted to de-stress. As said before, you liked drama free.

“Why’re you staring so hard at your phone?”

Jumping, you tried to hide it, but you weren’t quick enough. Amaya was the one to grab it from you to see Henry’s name. The sound she made said she disapproved.

“Still can’t believe you did that man like that.”

Kissing your teeth, you snatched your device back and sat on one of the stools around the kitchen island.

“What else was I supposed to do? Join the equation and become part of a square?

“The only fun shapes are triangles because they equal threesomes,” Amaya began, making you and Alicia stare at her as if she’d lost her mind. “However, squares can be fun.”

“You’ve lost your mind. In no situation is three women duking it out for one man fun. A quick departure was the only move,” you defended.

“Honestly if, and I say if with hella contingencies, if, if, if he were actually sleeping with two other women, then yes, you did the right thing. There is no sharing unless it’s with another man for my attention,” Amaya announced.

“The problem is, though, we don’t know if he was sleeping with these women. You made an assumption, didn’t really allow him to explain,” Alicia countered.

“What! He had the entire discussion on the corner.”

“After you’d accused him of being a cheat and fuckboi? After you’d probably offended him by taking strikes on his character? There are plenty of things that are different between Americans and Brits. What was you asserting your position could be disrespect to them,” Alicia, the voice of reason, theorized.

You knew she was right on some level. You’d spent enough time in England to know the etiquette and social differences. From his cold demeanor, before you walked away, you knew you’d either injured his pride or pissed him off. Hell, both were very possible.

“Look, I’m not saying don’t stand up for yourself with letting someone know what you will or won’t accept. I’m saying maybe there was a better way. Maybe one that didn’t leave you second-guessing yourself and thinking about him.”

You hated when she saw right through you, hated when she was right, and hated even more when she called you out rather than letting you rock. Groaning, you shut your phone off and placed it face down, deciding to do what you did best—ignore everything.

You’d thought about him a lot over the last week, and within the last week, you’d come across more Henry Cavill content than you had in the entire year. There were InStyle interviews, promos, magazine articles, Instagram posts that were now on your feed because of one time you tapped on a picture to get a closer look. There were even YouTube videos of him reading thirsty tweets. Lord have mercy. He was everywhere, and the more you saw of him, the more you thought of him.

One thing you didn’t see regarding him were any tabloid pictures of him out and out with any woman. He was always pictured with family, his dog, friends, or by himself. That tidbit had you wondering if you’d been wrong about things. You hated second-guessing; it always left you in this weird hyper anxious state. You usually got a lot done when you were like this, but it left you exhausted.

“Have you thought of your two boyfriends as much as you’ve thought about this never was one?”

Why was she like this? She’d always been this way. She held nothing back, but where Alicia was the same, they differed in that Alicia had a way of being blunt but also being gentle. Amaya didn’t give a shit. She said what she meant with no care if the recipient felt offended.

“I’m gonna take your silence as a no. when was the last time you’ve actually spent any time with them? Bored?”

“I’m hungry, let’s eat,” you said, walking out of the kitchen making your way to the home cinema room. You knew how to flip a subject if you no longer wanted to talk about it.

The two of them followed behind you, then dropped into one of the large relaxing couches. Knowing you didn’t want to talk about it anymore, the two focused on figuring out a movie for tonight’s movie cinema. It had been weeks since the three of you had been able to do this, and it was long overdue.

Once you’d found something, the rest of the night was spent laughing, gossiping, being extra, eating and drinking while watching movie after movie. Thankfully the conversation remained off of you and on the two of them. Alicia spoke about her recent date while Amaya let you in on the status of her latest situationship. While the focus didn’t return to you and yours, your mind was sure focused on one thing. Henry.

Two days later, while you were locked in your office trying to make something of the mess of work before you, you got a notification from Instagram. Deciding you needed a break, you opened up the app and scrolled through your feed. After a minute or so, you came across a post on some gossip site. It was a picture of Henry’s smiling face with a caption that read, “Happy Birthday to Henry Cavill. This hunk of a man is celebrating a birthday today across the pond, and many women wish they could ring it in with him. From your fans on this side of the pond, Happy birthday!”

Your jaw dropped. It was Henry’s birthday.

“Is it really?”

That began a dive into the internet, which led you to the first site, IMDB. Sure enough, according to his fans, it was his birthday, May fifth.

“Wow.” Jumping back to Instagram, you typed his name in for a tag search and scrolled through the plethora of birthday wishes and fan page tributes. It was plain as day to see that his fans sure loved them some Henry Cavill. It was cute. After almost twenty minutes of scrolling, you began to debate if you should send him a birthday message. You wondered if it was appropriate.

“Is it appropriate to send a birthday wish to a man that wasn’t really yours to begin with but knew what your mouth tasted like?”

Closing your eyes for a few moments, you decided it wasn’t.

“Not appropriate, especially considering you were the one to end things. However, there was really nothing to end. We were never a we.”

Sitting in silence for another few minutes, you rolled your eyes.

“It is rude, though, if I don’t send something,” you finalized, admonishing the British etiquette coursing through your blood.

You dropped your head to the desk and groaned. This was ridiculous, you thought. It shouldn’t be this complicated.

“You’re making it complicated, dummy. Just send the message.”

Taking a few moments to gather your thoughts, you sat up again as if nothing had happened for the last fifteen minutes of indecisiveness and began your text. You typed a few beginnings and deleted them. You didn’t know how to begin. Did you just jump in and ignore the massive elephant in the room? Did you address the elephant but get right to the birthday wish? Your etiquette training said to address the elephant but in a ladylike manner then proceed to the birthday wish. That’s what you should have done. Your real-world girl living said to ignore that elephant and get right to it, then bury your head and see how he takes it.

MSG: It’s your birthday, well, according to IMDB and all your Cavillry fans. Did you know your fans call themselves the Cavillry? That’s pretty insane and hilarious. Anyway, I wanted to wish you a happy birthday. I know you never told me when it was but the wonders of the internet. Yes, I might have googled you. Anyway, I hope your birthday is filled with laughter, fun, happiness, and wonder because you just might deserve all three. Be safe and live like it’s your last.

Yeah, you ignored the fuck out of that elephant and took it to a whole other level. Full-on avoidance. As you looked over the message, you chewed your bottom lip, a nervous tick you never got rid of. When three or four minutes passed by with no response, your anxiousness picked up. That was when you slid it away and got back to work, determined not to obsesses over it.

~~~~~~~

-Henry-

Shocked could have summed up what he felt when he saw your message. Shocked and stunned silent. It happened at the weirdest time too. He was in the middle of a get together with his family for his birthday. With his Guinness in hand, he just happened to glance at his phone as he was going to snap a picture of something funny Simon was doing.

“What’s the matter with you?”

Shaking his head, he spun around to face Piers on his right. “Nothing. I’m good,” he lied.

“No, you’re not,” Simon said, coming up on his left to sit at the table. “Which one is it, Francesca or Abby?”

He rolled his eyes at Simon, not finding any humor in his words. His brothers laughed at him because they all knew the story there.

“You have the worst taste in women,” Nik began slapping him hard on his shoulder. “You either choose the ones who have ulterior motives hence Abby, or the ones who want different things than you, Francesca,” he finished.

“At least the women I get are beautiful,” he compensated quite pathetically. It was a horrible comeback, but it was all he had. He hated not having some sort of comeback when his brothers ganged up on him. It took him back to being a child.

“Francesca was beautiful, Abby—was adorable a little immature though,” Piers added with a shrug to the end.

He couldn’t deny that. “She was,” he said with a nod. “Very jealous too.”

“So, who was the message from?”

“No one.”

It was a blatant lie.

“Oh, it’s someone all right,” Piers called out.

He groaned, knowing they wouldn't let it go until he’d told them. Sighing, he gulped his beer before he began.

“Remember the woman I told you about?”

The three of them looked confused as if he'd never mentioned you before.

“The one who had your phone?”

“Yes. Turns out, she saw the messages for and from Abby and Francesca.”

They all looked confused again. “So what?”

Simon shook his head before he spoke. “He’s interested in her.”

“Who is this woman, anyway?”

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied to Nik’s curiosity. He wanted to keep some privacy, especially now that you’d decided he was some male gigolo.

“We went out on three dates. The second date goes well--.”

“—How well?”

He couldn’t help but smile at Simon’s inquiry. His memory was still fresh from what he was classifying as the best second date he’d ever had. When his chuckle broke through, his brothers’ interest piqued.

“Really well, I see,” Nik professed.

“Not like that. It was just a kiss, or three kisses, three incredible kisses. Anyway, she ignores me for a few days; then I see her in New York about a week ago. We had dinner with her friends, then breakfast the next day. Everything seemed fine, after she tells me that nothing is going to happen between us.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. She said she saw the messages, and she doesn’t do drama or messy, and she thinks I’m juggling two women, and she has rules she’s broken and won’t break the drama rule,” he informed. As he said the words, his annoyance rose again.

“Woah. A lot going on there,” Simon began before he gulped his beer.

“What rules?”

“I don’t know. She said she wished me success in the future, but we were done,” he finished.

“To be fair, you are juggling two women. You and Francesca have this weird relationship where she wants more from you, but you’re not willing to give it to her, so she tries to see if it’s enough, and it’s not. That’s the back and forth,” Piers summed up. He finished his beer then continued. “With Abby, I don’t know your problem. You know you need to end it, but maybe the shag is too good.”

“Hey!”

Their laughter rang out again.

“Honestly, my world gets lonely, and it’s nice to have someone that wants you around instead of being all work,” he divulged.

“Even if you don’t feel anything for that someone?”

Simon hit the nail right on the head. Sighing, he shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I cut ties with them both.”

“Whatever,” Nik scoffed.

“I’m serious. It was last week. It was like breaking up with them all over again.” He shuddered, thinking back to the experience.

“So, they’re gone?”

“Gone and done,” he confirmed.

“And things with this woman?”

“I don’t know what to do. She doesn’t seem that interested. It seems as if she’s being friendly, but that’s it.”

“Did she kiss you back?”

Nodding to Piers, he replied. “She did.”

“Does she give you eye contact, or do you catch her watching you sometimes?”

It was an odd question, but he briefly thought it over before he answered Simon's inquiry.

“Yes.”

“She’s into you,” Piers, Simon, and Nik said in unison.

“Then why brush me off? She just seems—unattainable.”

“Be careful with those types of women,” Nik warned.

“I’ve heard nothing for a little over a week, and now she sends me this message.”

“Read it.”

Opening the message back up, he read your text to his curious brothers. As he read, he glanced at each of their faces trying to gauge what they were thinking. They each looked to be thinking different things, though. Once he finished, he looked at all of them.

“That was nice of her,” Simon expressed.

“Sounds like she’s being friendly,” Piers added.

“That’s good and well. What do I say?”

“Nothing.”

“No. Thanks,” Piers suggested conflicting with Nik’s advice.

“Thanks? That’s it?”

“That’s it. Guarantee it’ll drive her crazy.”

He looked between them again, and seeing them nodding together; he decided what the hell.

MSG Henry: Thanks.

“Good. Now forget her, and let’s get out of here to enjoy your birthday!”

Five minutes later, they were on their way to one of the city's exclusive gentlemen's clubs. While this establishment wasn’t a traditional strip club, there were women in cages and frames throughout the club. It was a popular location among Londoners and one he’d been to once or twice already.

Once they walked into the club through the VIP entrance, they were led to one of the private sections for celebrities. After almost ten minutes inside, he noticed the eyes on him, but he did his best to ignore it. It was his birthday, after all, and he intended to enjoy it to the fullest.

Fifteen minutes later, he’d had two more beers and was now surrounded by a few women who eagerly tried to gain his favor. They each talked about something different, making it difficult to focus on anyone. When one of the women pulled him up to dance, the other sandwiched him making him the prime meat between them all. When his brothers glanced over, they all released an uproar of cheers. It was absolute lunacy, and the longer he remained there, the crazier things became. Though he partied and enjoyed the night, you weren’t far from his mind.

By the time they staggered out of the club, the paps were there to catch the women's desperateness as they exited the club. Though they tried, he got into the taxi with only his brothers as his company. He wasn’t the kind of man to have a string of one night affairs. It was too reckless for him.

~~~~~~~~~

-Aliya-

Thanks. That’s what he chose to reply with thirty minutes from when I sent the message. Thanks. Not thank you, but thanks. Not I appreciate you taking the time. Thanks. Not you’re so sweet to think of me. Just thanks. It boiled your blood. You were confused by, annoyed with, and dissatisfied with the message. Couldn’t he have mustered up another reply? Anything. You tried to have work be enough, but you gave up an hour after receiving the message. Instead, you relieved your annoyance in the kitchen. When you were angry, you always had to chop things. You had no intention of cooking. You just wanted to chop.

Thanks to the near hour of your obsessing, you had Ziploc bags of diced onions, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, and carrots. You doubted you’d be able to go through it within the week, but that wasn’t the point. By the time one in the morning rolled around, you were still anxious and annoyed. You couldn’t believe this. You hadn’t had a reaction like this to someone in a long time—if ever.

That was when your phone rang. Grabbing it off of the nightstand, you saw Henry’s name illuminate the screen. Your nerves shot up like a rocket, and no matter how many deep breaths you took, they remained sky-high. After a few rings, you answered.

“Hello?”

A sigh echoed on the other end before Henry spoke. “I honestly didn’t think you were going to answer. I was hoping to leave a message.”

“Well, I answered. What message were you going to leave?”

The deepness of his voice sounded deeper from what you remembered, and it had goosebumps prickling your skin.

“One so you’d realize what you’re missing,” Henry replied. Your eyes bugged.

Did he really just say that? Your mouth gaped open as you wondered incredulously while sitting up in your bed to rest against the cushioned headboard.

“It’s dawned on me that you must think you’re not missing anything when it comes to me. So let me assure you you’re missing out on plenty.”

Pinching your lips, you tried to stifle your snicker. “Oh, really?”

“Really,” Henry confidently confirmed. The way he said it had your back straightening and any amusement quickly fading. The tone of his voice spoke to you, making your belly flutter.

“Like what?” It was barely above a whisper.

“You’re missing out on my kindness, my sensitivity. You’re missing out on flowers just because, surprise handwritten notes just to show I care. You’re missing out on romance women only dream about. You’re missing out on all the captivating intellectual conversations we could have about the stars, Rome, Greece, Egypt, and why we’re all descendants of black kings and queens. You’re missing out on someone being there for you unconditionally because they want to be because fate has led them to you. You’re missing out on lazy days of playing video games, eating pizza and drinking beer, missing out on a man who doesn’t care if you’re in sweatpants and messy hair, or all dolled up in makeup and heels. You’re missing out on me, my passion, my strength, my heart. You’re missing out on the chance never to cry again, missing out on the chance to feel more complete than you have ever felt in your life. You’re missing out on being able to stare in my eyes whenever you want, missing out on these hands to hold you, these lips to kiss you—missing out on us.”

If a gentle breeze somehow blew through your house right now, you’d be knocked off your bed. You were hanging on that little. You were so rattled you were speechless and actually physically shaking. The conviction and raw emotion in his voice was something that shook you to your core and left you raw, wanting, and on the verge of tears. The pounding of your heart was so loud that it was all you could here for a few moments. Trying to use your breathing to slow it you realized it was impossible.

“Are you—drunk?”

“I’ve had a lot to drink, yes, but I’ve never been more clear-headed in my life. You're not only missing out, but you’re also making me miss out on all of that as well. Goodbye, Aliya.”

Your phone beeped, signaling the end of the call. You sat there speechless, motionless, rattled to the bone, and completely wrecked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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biot08 · 3 years

Text

Preaching to the choir

*long, long before the events of the ARR, before her adventuring career:*

Rayford Portier was reaching the end of recounting the things that he wished to bring to Ser Vauban’s attention regarding the current state of everything he had felt affected the little fort in Coerthas. There was much; despite the lack of importance of the family’s name, the fort was still a critical outpost in the Dragonsong war, and the patrol routes that left it regularly covered a large area. He had mentioned the need for certain supplies, had brought in letters that would need to be distributed, and the skywatcher’s early reports for the upcoming season. But at last, he found he could finally no longer avoid the news he was not looking forward to relaying. “…and, ah, your father sends word of one last bit of business.”

He did not continue talking. Zoissette had spent much of the meeting busying herself with the watch schedule, her pen scribbling names into slots. She was paying attention, and the break in the flow of Rayford’s speech did not go unnoticed. Her writing slowed as she finished writing one last name for now, and she gently stuck the feathers of her quill into her mouth before slowly looking up with a head tilt. Rayford simply fixed her with a steady gaze. She reached over, and placed the pen back into its ink pot, and she sat up.

“The Inquisition intends to make an appearance at the closing of the next moon.”

The two looked at each other. Zoissette drew a long breath in and then let it out slow. She leaned forward, and clasped her hands tightly together on the desk. She had been at the fort for a bit over five seasons. During that time, she had seen and participated in several skirmishes. She had taken care of her people as best as she was able with the meager budget a lesser house could spare. The fort was important enough to be manned, but not at all glamourous. It was sticks duty. There would be no chance for young up and comings to make their name out here, mostly rebuffing scouting parties. It was a duty that was tolerated as necessary, but not celebrated, and gaining the trust of the soldiers and support staff had required simply showing up and doing the work. No speeches. No lectures. No preaching. Just showing up, and showing that she was simply there to do the job. And certainly no delusions of power (she didn’t have), delusions of holiness (she didn’t feel), nor displays of extravagance (she wouldn’t waste precious resources on).

She could feel it all fraying and coming apart under the heavy hand of the Holy See.

When she spoke, she drew out her words, enunciating fully, as though care of word indicated holiness of intent. “Have they said what cause of heresy they suspect?”

“None, ser. They claim this to be a routine visit. It has been some time since they have come out this way. Apparently, to hear your father retell it, they merely think now to be an opportune time. The astrologians believe this to be a point of a longer lull than usual in the fighting. The Holy See wishes to make an appearance. Do a few interviews. Make sure all is well, and when they find that it is, take the opportunity to… remind the soldiers who they fight for, and what they fight against.”

Rayford’s tone was politely neutral. It always was. A skill he practiced as he lived. Zoissette was pretty sure his idea of raising his voice was inflecting his syllables differently.

“I… see. Well, I doubt they will find anything here,” Zoissette said. There was an unspoken ‘I hope’ there. She was new yet, but not stupid. Heretics, if they were present, would certainly go to pains to keep themselves hidden.

“May I be free with my words, ser?”

“Always, Rayford. Always and particularly now.”

“The men and women will need to be told, but you should be careful with how you handle them in the coming weeks. This will be a delicate time. Many of them have had run ins with the Inquisition over their lives. All of them will have seen the Inquistion’s work at a distance. The work may be necessary, but it is often brutal, and even the most innocent and pious sort of man may see a hollow shadow behind him in the mirror when he hears that the inquisitors will be calling.”

Zoissette buried her face in her hands. “I know.”

~~~

The Sergeant at Arms stood over the practice pit, watching lancers and archers coordinate their attacks on the training dummies at the far end of the area. He was an old hyur, with gray grizzled hair and a scar on half his face. He had lost an ear and his good looks to a dragon early in his career, and like as not would be at the fort supervising others rather than being out on patrol. He did not care for that, but his experience was valuable, and he had the rare enough knack of teaching.

Zoissette liked him. He tolerated her. She knew that, and appreciated it for what it was.

He was now frowning at the news. Zoissette often would just stop in long enough to do turnover with him and then be on her way without getting in his, but this time, she lingered, watching him mull over the news, and wanting to be present should he have something to say about it.

He looked over at her, expression dark, and lowered his voice.

“Do they suspect heresy here, madam?”

She hated being called madam, but she let him get away with it. Again. Good teacher. Rare knack. And he didn’t let the others do it, so a minor loss for a better gain.

“No. Routine visit, they say. Just want to conduct interviews and remind us of our duties.”

The man’s scowl deepened, and he pointed at a pair of trainees that had slowed their advance. Once they were startled back into action, he turned to Zoissette.

“Ill news. Almost be easier if they had announced they had found heretics and were performing their investigation. Then my soldiers would have focus. They would not trust each other for a bit, sure, but I can work with that. As it is, they will be jumping at every shadow, jumping over each other to ‘prove’ their piousness. Discipline’ll improve, sure. Moral, though? It’s going to plummet. The next month is going to be hell.”

Zoissette sighed, and nodded. “I know.”

The two continued to discuss the realities of the situation and how to try to work through it, and then both returned their attention to their respective duties.

~~~

Zoissette was in the fort’s library. The fort was small, but it did have its library, and a reasonable selection of books. She was hoping to find a treatise on pole arm tactics.

Instead, as she turned away from the shelves empty-handed, she found one of the maids standing there, eyes downcast and hands folded in front of her. The woman was obviously in distress.

Odd. Usually the house staff would go to Rayford if they needed something.

“Esmerelda?”

“Y-yes madam. Knight! Knight ser. Ser. Yes, yes ser,” the woman stammered.

“Hey hey hey. Deep breath in, let it out slow, you’re okay, we’re okay.”

“Yes. Of course, ser. Yes ser. Begging your pardon, ser…”

The woman’s voice trailed off, becoming small. Zoissette clasped her hands behind her, and gave the woman her full attention. She suspected.

She was right.

“Ser, do we… do we have heretics, here, ser?”

Zoissette shook her head. “Not that I know. Look, it’s… it’s just a routine visit. Nothing to worry about. They say they just-“

The woman swallowed, hard, and stared at the floor. Zoissette fell silent, to let the woman have space to speak.

“My… my apologies, ser. This is hard for me. I … I am a good and pious woman, ser. I know I have nothing to fear from the Inquisition, ser. I know it. I … I KNOW it, ser. But… I want you to know it too, ser.”

Zoissette inwardly had to admit, that usually Rayford was the bridge between her and the staff, much as the Sergeant at Arms was the bridge between her and the non-noble soldiers. But this woman was clearly in distress, and it fell to her to be present. Zoissette nodded, and put a hand on the maid’s shoulder.

“Of course. I have never had cause to suspect.”

“I… I apologize, ser.. I just… it’s just… I came to House Vauban because I could no longer stand to stay at my previous house, ser. They found… they found heretics among the staff, ser. They… they chose to make an example of them, ser.”

The woman took several deep breaths, steadying her nerves, and then all of a sudden, her expression went dead, and her body seemed to fold in on itself.

“They put them to the sword in the courtyard, ser. I thought several of them my friends, ser. They ended it quickly, thank the Fury for small mercies, but… I am no soldier, ser. I am just house staff. I had seen death before of course. We all have. But this was different. I did not handle it gracefully. In the days and moons afterward, I could not see the courtyard without seeing … them. So I left, ser. Your family was kind enough to take me on, ser. It can be hard for a commoner to find good work if they leave their priors like I did, but yours took me on, and I am grateful, but…”

The woman’s voice trailed off. Zoissette tried a smile she hoped was reassuring and squeezed the maid’s shoulder. The maid looked up at Zoissette’s hand, and reached her own up, to touch it.

“I know I am out of line, ser. And I know the Inquisition is necessary ser. But I cannot forget that day, ser. I am a good and pious woman, I promise ser. I just… I just need you to know that.”

“I know,” said Zoissette.

~~~

“We’ve got a problem,” said Ser Jervoix.

Vauban was a minor house, and the fort was not an important one, but sometimes the other minor houses would pass around their knights, both as a show of mutual support and a way to expand the experience of their officer corps. The fort was not a prestigious outpost, and the work was not exactly easy, but it still had to be done. And that was how Zoissette had come to have another visiting noble who helped her. She had only been there for a season, and would only stay for another. She had been surly at first, but had steadily grown used to the situation, and while she was not a friend, she was at least reasonable to work with. So while Zoissette handled matters closer to the fort, being the face of the family, Gilda Jervoix had been leading patrols and managing the remote camp.

That she had come back early said much. That her first sentence was that said more. Zoissette nodded and gestured to the table nearby. The two sat, and Zoissette poured them both a cup of the customary mulled wine.

“One of our men spooked at the news of the Inquisition coming,” said Gilda. “When he went, several others abandoned their posts also.”

Zoissette groaned. “Heretics after all?”

“I am sure the Inquisition will suspect so, but no. I don’t think so. I spoke with the men. It took some asking around, and a bribe or two, but I learned much. The man who first ran was in a village that had unknowingly harbored heretics. They were apparently sneaking into an abandoned house using a tunnel system of some sort.”

“I think I recall hearing this news from my father. It’s one of those inspiring stories they like to tell. The heretics were found out because they were stealing from the villagers under cover of night. When the villagers investigated, they stumbled upon the heretics’ stash, finding both their stolen items and some draconic artifacts. Rather than handle the situation themselves, they pretended to ignore it. Notified the Inquisition.”

“I heard the same story, right. The Inquisition swept in, burned the heretics, and held the people of the town up as model citizens.”

“I feel like that story must be at least ten years old. What’s that have to do with our missing man?”

“That story is a just a little older than your guess. Older than I remembered, to be honest. Sixteen years ago, it made quite an impression on a certain eight year old who watched the house next to his get burned to the ground… with the people still inside.”

Zoissette sat back in her chair and stared at the ceiling, and groaned.

“As for the others, I think they were already skittish. If a man who was declared such a holy example from his youth feared the inquisition…”

“…what hope could they have. Yeah.”

Gilda looked at her drink.

“I know the work the Inquisition does is necessary. There are those who would tear down Ishgard, and do the same to us, if not worse. But should we not be better than them? Should we not be so… brutal?”

“I know,” said Zoissette.

“More may flee in the coming weeks. Maybe not permanently - I got news from one of the other holdings, in fact, that our man had been spotted on the road -to- Ishgard. I think he was merely hoping to not be here while the Inquisition is. Hard to say. But with him and the others gone… our patrols are thinner now. It’s going to be hard to fill out schedules. Like I said… we’ve got a problem.”

“I know,” Zoissette repeated, feeling a sinking weight in her chest.

~~~

Zoissette greeted the Inquistor at the door with a salute.

“Greetings, with all due respect from House Vauban. It is our privilege to host you at our holdings. Please, come in.”

The inquisitor walked into the fort, looking around, taking stock of his surroundings. He wore a coat, lined thick with sumptuous fabrics. Gold chains littered the outside of it, and various rosaries and other symbols of his holy office. His presence was unmistakeable, and he seemed fit to try to fill the space with himself.

He smiled warmly at Zoissette.

“Ah, Madam Vauban, Ser Knight. Thank you for receiving me.”

“Of course. We have prepared a meal for you, of course, that you may have at your leisure. If you are tired after your journey, our house servant, Rayford Portier, has already prepared a room for you. He is at your disposal for the duration of your stay, as, of course, am I.”

The inquisitor nodded, a faint smile on his face. “Of course, of course. Thank you, Madam Vauban. I trust that you, of course, understand the importance of our work out here. I will need to see your books, of course, so that I can schedule interviews with the people. I do not think I will find anything, but often you can find hidden truths that point, if not at a person, at least elsewhere. Diligence is the price we pay, and we will pay it in full.”

“I know,” said Vauban.

“And it is the hope of the Holy See that the men will find the site of one of us visiting even such a distant outpost will be inspiring. We care for them, after all, one and all. They will surely look upon this as a momentous occasion, as their purity is seen for the truth of itself, and be bolstered by knowing their own holiness demonstrated. Our purpose is for the glory of Ishgard, you know.”

“I know,” said Vauban.

“Good, good. Of course you do. All is well for now, then. I think I shall retire for the evening. I have been traveling all day, and we can start our work early, and fresh, tomorrow morning. This is good work that we will do, Madam Vauban,” the inquisitor said, offering Vauban a smile.

Zoissette returned the smile, but her eyes were cold, and her smile was brittle.

“I know,” she said.

#202109-12 #ffxivwrite2021 #preaching to the choir #zoissette vauban #content warning: fire #content warning: violence

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wardens-stew · 3 years

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my review of The Mask Falling - an ode to Arcturus and Paige

For me, the soul of this series has always been the relationship between Paige and Arcturus. It’s apt that this book, the exact middle of the series and as @sshannonauthor describes it, its heart, spends so much time with this pair. The intensity and uniqueness of their bond really emerges as the shining jewel of this series.

It’s clear that Samantha Shannon was intentional about putting Arcturus and Paige on equal footing for the first time in The Mask Falling. She manages the power dynamic between them with such attention and nuance, reversing their roles often and fluidly escaping gender roles. The protector role comes naturally to Arcturus, given his immortal strength and anxiety about losing Paige (it’s even part of the etymology of their names), but for much of The Mask Falling he is her silent shadow, trailing being her and supporting her quietly. They negotiate their differences with refreshing candor and in good faith, their arguments free from ego. “My fear is not your cage,” Arcturus tells her. “I will never ask you to mold yourself to it.” His affection for her is empowering, supportive, never constrictive or diminishing. Paige herself is markedly independent, doing the bulk of her fighting and plotting on her own. When she does seek support from Arcturus, there is no sense of her own strength being diminished, and as often as he rescues her, she turns around and rescues him just as easily.

Indeed, while Arcturus is the immortal god, it is Paige’s power that really shines in this book. Her incredible ingenuity and strength is on full display, getting her out of certain-death scenarios at such a gripping pace I had to cover the pages with my hands to avoid glancing ahead. She couples her incredible powers with extraordinary mental fortitude and an acute conscience; each of her escapades has a satisfying emotional resonance that enlivens her broader quest. Whereas many YA heroines possessed of supernatural power oscillate between immobilizing moral anxiety and moral bankruptcy, Paige tempers her impulsiveness with reason (most of the time) and a powerful motive for justice. It’s clear that she has yet to access the full extent of her abilities, and I’m eager to see what roles she’ll play in the fight to take down Scion.

While previous installments show Arcturus/Warden on various levels of guardedness, The Mask Falling gives us time and space in excess to see his true character. I was struck by his compassion, his hopefulness despite all that he has endured. He is often reassuring and comforting Paige, his optimism clear-eyed and measured. The contrast is especially stark with his persona in The Bone Season, where he appears cold and calculating, morally gray at best. In this book, he is almost unbearably kind, devastatingly sweet and thoughtful. As Paige remarks, “there was nothing terrible before me now.” The almost unimaginable beauty of his character is achieved with such a soft touch; the books are not about Arcturus being the the epitome of goodness - he simply is.

A central thread of tension of this book follows Paige and Arcturus negotiating their relationship and coming to terms with their mutual attraction. Samantha Shannon manages this tension beautifully, carrying it forward constantly with poignant moments of intimacy interspersed with Paige’s honest internal dialogue. The smallest interactions and gestures between them felt so heightened. There are all the classic scenes - getting drunk and saying too much, jealousy spirals about past relationships, almost-kiss scenes interrupted, near-death confessions - all building up to a beautiful and satisfying climax.

Samantha Shannon writes intimacy incredibly well. The love scenes feel specific to the characters, managing to be both meaningful and erotic. Romances between an immortal man and a mortal woman in particular tend to translate the man’s primal instincts and extreme physical strength into a voracious sexual appetite that leaves little room for gentleness and consideration. Arcturus really breaks the mold in this respect. He is so reverent, so sincere, so generous with Paige in a way few male characters with female partners approximate. Rather than relying on an imbalance of power in order to convey eroticism, the sexiness of Arcturus and Paige’s dynamic derives from the equality of their relationship. It’s so difficult to create a heterosexual romance unsullied by patriarchy, and Samantha Shannon gets close to that here.

I wonder if it is Arcturus’ immortal nature that makes him such a uniquely engaging character. Samantha Shannon really commits to that aspect of him - he’s not just a hot teenager. The best word I can think of to describe him is mature. He is so beyond the petty concerns of YA love interests, so ego-less and self-reliant. One of my favorite ways he diverges from human men - and traditional male love interests - is his lack of fixation on Paige’s physical appearance. This book has several of the classic moments that would typically elicit a remark or a look from the love interest on the heroine’s appearance, often framed as a cute romantic moment. Yet when Paige dresses up, or dyes her hair - even when she asks him outright - he never comments on the way she looks. “A human might have whispered in my ear, told me I was beautiful or perfect, but not him.” I love that. I’ve never found that lustful, almost predatory demeanor in male love interests nearly as sexy as the author would like it to be, and it always rubs me the wrong way when the man telling the woman she’s beautiful is framed as the epitome of romance. It strikes me as a very lazy way to convey attraction, for one thing, and it reeks of benevolent sexism. Arcturus never plays into those supposedly romantic tropes of disparaging other women in favor of the heroine or being selectively kind. His love for Paige is so pure.

I continue to be impressed by the sheer scale of worldbuilding in this series. Many books attempt to create fictional tyrannical governments, but few succeed in building one as convincing and elaborate as Scion. The Mask Falling peels back even more layers of this complex world, bringing to fruition seeds planted in the very first book. Although the basic plot leans on some familiar tropes, Samantha Shannon always manages to add an additional twist of the screw. The complexity of this series is truly extraordinary, drawing on etymology and mythology, dropping mysteries and complicating loyalties with incredible dexterity.

SPOILERS!!!!! --> I am still struggling with Arcturus’s possession and Paige’s failure to connect the dots and realize the reality of his situation. I see Samantha Shannon has pointed out on Twitter that Paige’s trauma and illness may have affected her judgment and decision-making. She says, “There's a particular scene where Paige reacts to an event in a way that is so deeply rooted in her PTSD and past experiences.” (I assume this is the scene she’s referring to.) I think that’s fair - Paige has been so inundated with the Rephaite aversion to humans that it’s almost as if she only needed one piece of evidence to confirm her doubts and destroy her trust in Arcturus. And it’s not as if she just takes it at face value, either - she does question him and try to convince him otherwise. But I still can’t help feeling that it’s a stretch. The Mask Falling makes Arcturus’ character so clear that the prospect that he would be loyal to Nashira the whole time is just ludicrous. Not to mention the fact that Paige somehow overlooked the obvious signs that he was being possessed. His eyes were such a dead giveaway - Paige had already seen that same thing happen when she possessed him! And when he moved to strike her and then suddenly stopped and his eyes flared - come on! That’s a classic mind-control trope. Paige is usually so perceptive, and they had built such a strong foundation… it feels unrealistic that she wouldn’t have connected the dots just because she hadn’t thought there could be another dreamwalker.

If I had to find fault with this book, and it is difficult, I would say that it leans a little too heavily on some YA dystopian fantasy tropes towards the end - the mind-controlled love interest, for example, instantly made me think of Divergent, The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments, etc. Likewise, the forced memory loss is a fairly common fantasy trope that tends to be really frustrating to read. I have faith that Samantha Shannon will keep it from sliding into those tropes, and of course there remains so much mystery still to be untangled from those final 100 pages. /END SPOILERS :)

This was the kind of book that captivated me immediately, left me lying awake at night and had me eating energy bars for dinner so I could keep reading. It was such a visceral, immersive experience, the kind where returning to the physical reality is almost physically disorienting. It’s been two days since I finished it and I’m still clinging to that fictional world, wishing I didn’t have to leave. Books like these are rare for me, and I’m still marveling at the miracle of finding that book that in Arcturus’ words, exists for everyone: “a book that will sing to them.”

#the mask falling #the bone season #arcturus and paige #warden and paige #the mask falling spoilers #spoilers #review #otp #Samantha Shannon

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currywaifu · 4 years

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𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: mutuals 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: miyoshi kazunari/reader 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: sfw 𝐰𝐜: 1.9k words, 2 images

𝐚𝐧: me? back w/ fluff? it’s expected at this point! his speech is hard for me to replicate, but I rly do love Kazunari so I hope I did this scenario justice! I, uh, got too excited at the prospect of “insta mutuals” oops~ hope you don’t mind the additional media TT

The Insta notification that popped up on the top of your screen distracted you from the game you were playing. Normally you’d flick the notif away, but as soon as you realised what it was about, you rushed to finish the rest of the stage.

You and Kazunari have been Insta Mutuals for nearly a year now, ever since he hit you with a follow and you proceeded to stalk his readily-available socials.

The two of you had been liking and commenting on each others’ posts for weeks on end, starting off with you praising his most recent graphic design work to him sending a paragraph of heart emojis on the most recent fan art you drew.

Somewhere in between following each others’ spam accounts to tagging each other on Insta story games, he finally slid into your DMs and the rest was history. Sort of.

You knew what people said about online dating, or even just long distance relationships in general, but try as you might it was hard not to fall for Kazunari.

The more you talked to him, the less he stayed as your “funny artist mutual” and soon enough he progressed into the “still funny but also really sweet and cute artist online friend, 10/10 would date if asked” category.

You didn’t bother stifling your laugh as you looked at the message he sent you, immediately liking his selfie before saving it on your phone.

Okay, no. He can’t just hit you with an “I do wanna meet u already” and then take it back but not fully commit to it!

You waited for him to respond through text, but instead got hit by your ringtone blaring loudly at such an ungodly hour. At the sight of your contact nickname for him, you eagerly answered his call. You rushed to get the first word in, him doing the same unbeknownst to you.

“Kazu-“

“Babe, I-“

The both of you paused, his eventual laughter easing up your tension as you let out a giggle of your own. You mentally told yourself not to be so nervous— Kazunari and you would have this conversation eventually anyway; besides, it wasn’t as if you didn’t want to see him in person. It was quite the opposite, actually. You just figured that conversations like this needed to happen in call, at least.

“Shoot, should probs shut up so Mukkun doesn’t wake up,” Kazunari commented, his voice volume already lowered, “do you wanna go first?” He asked.

“Yeah,” you replied with resolve. You gathered up your thoughts, formulating the next set of sentences that would leave your mouth, before ultimately deciding on one question. “I just need to know first… how serious were you about meeting up irl?”

“I mean, that wasn’t what I meant when I sent the message? But like, it’s still valid, you know?” he paused, but when you didn’t say anything he decided to continue, “it’s not the first time I’ve thought about meeting you. I think about it a lot, actually.”

It was a bit of a shame the two of you chose to voice call instead of video call. You would’ve loved to see your boyfriend’s face just about now, though you supposed it wouldn’t be a good idea to have a heart attack a quarter to 4 in the morning.

Plus, you weren’t sure you could handle him teasing and throwing compliments at you due to your clearly visible elation, if the upwards stretch of your lips was anything to go by.

“Babe? You still there? Did you pass out, or…” In reality it had only been a few seconds, but still you didn’t want to leave him hanging. Not when the two of you were talking about something that meant taking the next step in your relationship.

“I’m still here, Kazu,” you reassured him. Your voice shook slightly, a sliver of your excitement slipping through the cracks. “I’m the same. Like, no lie I was shocked we brought it up like this, but, um… I’m ready, and if you’re ready, too, I want to meet up with you.”

“Wait, wait, wait— hol’ up! So we’re finally going—“ he laughed for the second time tonight, a fuzzy-wuzzy warmth escaping as its sound equivalent. “Wahh! Of course I’m ready! Can’t wait to finally see what a cutie you are irl♪ Hngg, how am I supposed to sleep now? I’m too hyped up!”

You rolled your eyes, despite understanding exactly how he felt. His infectious cheerfulness amplified the blossoming commotion occurring inside your brain. Despite not making any official plans yet, the prospect of finally meeting up had you frenzied.

Still, one of you had to be at least slightly responsible. While you wouldn’t claim to know his daily schedule, if Veludo Arts was anything like your university, he should be as swamped with workload as you were. Actually, maybe that was the reason he was up so late? That’s how it was for you, anyway excluding the fact that you took a break to stamina clear.

“It’s nearly 4 am… do you wanna continue planning this tomorrow? Err, rather, in a couple hours? After our lectures end, maybe?” You asked, though by the tiny whine Kazunari let out you had a feeling he wasn’t going to agree so quickly.

“Ehh? Why don’t we do it now? I have so many ideas about where we could go, and what we could do… oh! I could introduce you to everyone in Mankai! I’m sure they’d love-“

“I’d love to meet them too,” you cut him off, tone as firm as you could manage at this time, “and I want to hear your ideas, really, but I just know if I let you keep talking the sun will rise before we’ve even decided on a date.”

You chuckled as Kazunari let out a sound of protest, though you had a feeling he knew you weren’t wrong about your assessment. “Zuzu~ Let’s go to sleep now, okay?”

His phone microphone picked up on an audible gasp. “Ehh, how come you rarely call me Zuzu? It’s cute when you say it!”

“Because it sounds like a nickname you’d give to a Pokemon!”

“Uwu, maybe I’ll get Itarun to lend me a copy? Then I’ll catch the cutest Pokemon and name it after you~” you nearly groaned at how fluffy he was being. Seriously, he was distracting you from your agenda of going to sleep!

“Kazu! Stop flirting with me at 4 am or we might not fall asleep!”

Though you couldn’t see him, you were 200% sure he had a wide grin plastered on his face right now. “Me? Using tactics to get you to keep talking with me? Never,” he claimed, professing his false innocence.

“Well, I’m not falling for it! I may not be able to physically tuck you in bed right now, but I can in spirit!”

“Oh!? Then can you give me a goodnight kiss in spirit, too?”

At this point, you were sure that even with just a poke on the cheek you’d be able to feel the heat beginning to envelop your face.

As Kazunari finished laughing, you let the quiet lull of the night seep in the conversation for a few moments before gently breaking it.

“I’d rather give you a kiss irl, though.”

And just like that, you claimed victory over the game he started. With how Kazunari sputtered, a part of you worried that he’d disturb his roommate’s slumber. Still, an even bigger part of you was smug to have him speechless for that much of a duration.

“Babeeeee,” he drawled, “you’re so, so, so unfair… I, like, really want to hold you tight right now…” he murmured, the rustle of his bedsheets discernible through the call. You found yourself nestling onto your bed, too, snuggling up to a soft pillow.

“Soon,” you suddenly yawned, your tiredness seeming to have settled in the comfier you got on the bed. “We’ll have a lot of time to plan tomorrow and the days after, yeah?”

Kazunari let out a hum in agreement, a comfortable silence following suit.

“Kazu?” You muttered quietly, careful not to disturb your peaceful atmosphere.

“Yeah?”

“I love you. Good night,” you said, heart aflutter as you heard his response.

“I love you, too, cutie~ sweet dreams♪” he said in an unbelievably soft tone, before ending the call.

After quickly connecting your phone to a charger, you fell back atop your bed and hugged your pillow tight, already anticipating the day you’d be able to hold Kazunari in your arms, and you in his.

…

Morning come, you hastily prepared for class as you always did. You fell into your usual routine— as soon as you were out of the bathroom, you selected an outfit and went over the things you needed to bring to uni today.

You stopped for a minute; taking a quick selfie to post on your story and emphasise your exhaustion to your close friends, before making yourself some breakfast. Within less than 5 minutes, your phone pinged— a recorded message from one of your favourite people this early in the morning.

"Mornin' piko☆ You're looking cute as always today♪”

There was no way you would admit to how many times you replayed it to Kazunari, but even so it was a good way to keep you positive for the rest of the day.

You don’t remember Veludo Way being this rowdy, though it was hard to trust your memory when it’s probably been years since you’ve last visited. Somehow, it was not tough to imagine Kazunari walking around and performing here— the liveliness of the streets difficult to not associate with one of the liveliest people you knew.

While the original plan was to meet up at a cute and trendy cafe you saw all over people’s SNS, the two of you agreed to meet up somewhere less crowded and more meaningful to him— the theatre which he’d performed at multiple times in the past.

As you saw the building from a distance, you wondered when you’d be able to see him on stage, too.

A shout of your name pulled you out of your thoughts, and you couldn’t help yourself from running over to meet up faster with the figure that was jumping and waving around in your direction.

Had you any sense left, you probably would have told him that you didn’t want him embarrassing himself in public, but in reality it was quite apparent that you were just as excited to finally see him in person.

“Kazunari!” you can’t help the little shriek you let out as you finally embrace him, only joyous laughter and each others’ names escaping the both of your lips. When you finally got a good look at Kazunari, you nearly wanted to bury yourself into his shirt again.

Everything still seemed so unbelievable. That this was real. That it was finally happening. It almost felt like the dreams you’ve had of this moment many times before.

“How are you so beautiful in person, too?! It’s totes like I’m falling in love with you again♪” Kazunari exclaimed, squeezing you one more time before finally settling on holding hands with you. “Ahh! I super, duper love you!”

Except it wasn’t. There was nothing imaginary about his warmth, and the way his words made you feel, and the beaming sunshine of a smile he aimed at you.

“I love you, too!”

want to order again?

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mrsparknamjoon · 3 years

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02. family matters | reliability • kth

previous | index | next

pairing: taehyung x reader word count: 2.155 genre: drama, light angst rating: pg-13 warnings: none au: ceo/office trope: enemies to friends to lovers tags: ceo!taehyung, office!au, best friend!yoongi, unresolved emotional tension, mutual pining, slow burn crosspost: ao3

summary: let’s go back a few years to see how tae and Y/N’s relationship started and also get a glimpse into the kim family

A/N: it was important for me to start the series with a flasback so that the reader would be familiar with the kim family dynamics and the tension with Y/N right off the bat

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

10 years before

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

“There has to be someone else” I said, staring at the Seoul skyline in front of me as I pondered all the possibilities with hands in my pockets. I'm taking over the family business and the only thing that scares me is making a mistake when hiring people. Well, my dad scares me, and getting a complaint call from him questioning how I managed to ruin Vante Enterprises in less than 6 months of his long-awaited retirement is not in my plans.

“Why?” asked the woman sitting on the large and comfortable couch behind me. Her thin face and dark hair complemented her porcelain skin very well and she was, at all times, the most beautiful person in any room.

“She’s inadequate” I replied, making her roll her eyes.

“Nonsense, Tae Hyung. Y/N graduated at the top of her class, in front of you much less, and did an MBA abroad” the woman said nonchalantly while taking a sip of her tea.

“I meant in regards to the company's culture” I sat down next to her, leaning sideways on the back of the couch and resting my head on my hand.

“Oh right” she set the cup down on the coffee table, “I forgot that you Kims only hire who you can control”

“Mom!”

“Honey, this is your opportunity to differentiate yourself from your father” she continued, “Having someone you know in a position like this is important in the long run”

At least in one thing my mom and I could agree on: I would, without a doubt, run the company in a new way. I had already started by choosing people who were suitable for the positions and not because I knew them or my family had some kind of connection with theirs. If, by chance, these two factors intersected, great, otherwise, the best resume wins.

“Known is not the same as reliable” I observed.

Still not satisfied with my answer, my mom got philosophical. “Trust comes with time” she started in a tone as if she wanted to pass for a spiritual being of great wisdom, but I knew she was just trying to be a good mom despite not knowing the exact details of what the family business required.

“I still have six more resumes appointed by someone I know” I leaned over to the coffee table and picked up the papers. “Two of them are former classmates too. How about that?” I waved them back and forth.

“If I remember correctly, neither of them made you stutter for the first time in an academic debate” my mom made a pose like she was thinking, crossing her arms and bringing one hand to her chin. How dramatic... and a liar. I didn't stutter.

“Yup, I think it's time for you to go” I exhaled, slapping my hands on my thighs and standing up. “Thank you very much for coming and giving your input on a subject I did not ask for” I continued in an amusing tone, but low-key serious, taking her by the hand and guiding her towards the door.

“Tae Hyung, you know that Y/N is the right choice” she moved the bag handle over her shoulder. “Be smart” and caressed my face.

“Okay” I sighed, “I love you” and kissed her forehead.

“I love you too” she smirked and left.

I went back to the couch and grabbed the resumes intending to read them one more time to be absolutely sure that I had not missed any relevant information. Very conveniently the first one was Y/N’s.

“She did it on purpose” I thought out loud when I realized my mom had deliberately put it there so I couldn't ignore it.

Very well then, I started reading Y/N’s resume with legitimate attention, trying to ignore the name and photo at the top. I needed to be objective and impartial, a lot was at stake, but to be completely honest, at first, it was difficult because she has some striking physical features, which most men would find attractive but that was not my case. And even if it was, her personality overshadowed everything else to the point of making me lose any interest. After my common sense settled in, I continued reading, paying close attention to her previous work experiences.

“Hmm, this is interesting” I mumbled to myself.

Unlike the other candidates, Y/N had interned at one of the largest financial institutions in the country during college - something I had no idea, by the way, but not that we were friends back then, of course, because why would she tell me something like that? I really had no way of knowing - and I'm looking for people with experience in acquisitions. Convenient coincidence, I like it.

Moving on, I analyzed two letters of recommendation along with her resume and I must agree that on paper she is the right person. Damn it, I hate it when my mom is right! Still, the matter of company culture is real and I think that a person like her wouldn’t do well here. She is opinionated, impulsive, and hates being told ‘no’. At the same time, she was praised for the exact opposite in the letters, and that made me curious. An interview wouldn't hurt, would it?

I got up, went over to my desk, and pressed the button that put me in direct contact with the secretary.

“Yes, Mr. Kim?” Eun Ae answered promptly.

“I need to schedule some interviews next week” I said while fiddling through the resumes and selecting three, “I’ll email you the information”

“Yes, sir”

“Ah, Mrs. Gwa?” I almost forgot. It was better to hide my identity, otherwise, they’ll try sucking up to me thinking it would affect my final decision. And by 'they' I mean two of the three people because Y/N most likely wouldn't even accept the invitation if she knew that I was in charge of the company. “When contacting the candidates, I ask you not to divulge that I'll be the one conducting the interview”

“Okay” she wrote down and I could hear the sound of her keyboard. “Anything else?”

“No, that's all. Thank you”

Between today and the day of the interview, I had to prepare myself for the different reactions I might receive. My position as CEO has not yet been announced in the media and only shareholders know that a new person will take over at the end of the year. They suspect it will be my older brother, or rather, they expect it to be him but to the general dismay it will be me.

Ye Jun is a lawyer and has been involved in the family business since he started reading. However, two years ago in the middle of Christmas dinner, he had a breakdown when my uncles pressured him about some specific problem happening inside the company and he totally lost his composure (with a little help from alcohol, of course). He made a scene screaming that he didn't want that life anymore or even see any of those people again. Then he went on about how much he hated their meetings and the way everyone was fake in front of my father and in private would even criticize the color of the tie he wore. From the corner of the living room, I watched the whole thing go down without a hint of shock on my face because I always knew that moment would come. Ye Jun wasn’t born to be a leader.

The next day, he and my father were locked in the office for almost three hours. When the heavy wooden doors finally opened, dad left looking tired and announced without looking me in the eye, “Now it's up to you, Tae Hyung.” Confused by that statement, I went in and saw Ye Jun with his head between his hands, sitting in the armchair by the window.

“What the hell did you say to him?” I pointed my thumb back at the door.

“That I’m not doing it” Ye Jun replied, lifting his head and interlacing his hands. His posture seemed relaxed as if he were finally comfortable, although there was an uncertainty in his eyes that made me wonder if he was having second thoughts about the decision.

“Do what?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

Ye Jun looked at me and smiled.

“Give in to the pressure, complying with expectations, sacrificing my profession, not being myself”

He paused, standing up and holding me by the shoulders.

“I also told him that the best person for the position is you” Ye Jun's voice was full of affection, “It has to be you, Tae” he patted me on the side and I looked at him stunned.

“Dad will never put me ahead of Vante, Jun” I blurted as soon as I managed to assimilate what my brother had just said.

“Didn't you hear what he said to you as soon as he left?” Ye Jun looked confused for a second “Now it's up to you. You are the next CEO” he said in a firm tone.

I suddenly got embarrassed because it felt like I had just stolen my brother's job. “It doesn't make sense, we have opposite views on how to run a business” I looked away and stared at the floor.

“True, you do, but lately he started to realize that the world is changing and that Vante could be much better off if it started to adapt” Ye Jun stated by squeezing my shoulders and bringing me back to reality. “Of course, there is still a certain traditionalism in our field, but every now and then dad finds himself negotiating with foreign companies where the mindset is what sets them apart and he feels conflicted. Do you continue as you are and please national companies or do you adapt and gain visibility abroad? He wants Vante to remain as the leader in the segment but he is stuck in his own beliefs and he knows it”

After this conversation with my brother, things changed and I started to accept more confidently the responsibility that was placed upon me. However, regardless of how I felt, the criticism would come in full force. Many powerful people will question my father's decision and I wouldn’t be surprised if boycotts took place in the first year.

It was with all these possibilities in mind that my first act as CEO was to completely renew the staff, starting with the most strategic positions and closest to me. One of them was the operations manager, who would act as my right hand, valuing Vante's financial success and setting in motion the vision, strategic plan, and goals I set.

In theory, Y/N was perfect for it, but I wouldn't make it easier just because we knew each other. She was very smart and I was sure that the moment she walked through that door and came face to face with me, her demeanor would change and we would start playing a game of chess.

******

I dedicated the entire day Wednesday for the interviews and the first two had gone very well, exactly as I had planned and prepared — what a relief! It was almost 4:30 pm, Y/N’s appointment was the last one and I was extremely curious about her reaction, I don't know why. Maybe I wanted to prove something to her, like ‘Ha, look who’s running things now’ or ‘I bet you never thought you would see me sitting here'.

Y/N was always better at everything and I couldn't stand it. I had an obligation to excel at something. She was not perfect as everyone liked to think and, frankly, to worship. But, even if it bothered me to admit, we had things in common and she was qualified.

“Yes?” I said coming out of my reverie when the phone rang.

“Ms. Y/LN is here, Mr. Kim” Eun Ae announced.

“Let her in”

I heard a light knock on the door, followed by its closing and a few clicks of high heels on the floor coming towards me. I looked up and Y/N was dressed in a black midi-length v-neck dress with a stand-up collar that made her look formal but not old. Matter of fact, if I was actually paying attention I could even say that this specific fabric was made for her body type and hugged her in all the right places, but I wasn’t.

“Hello, Y/N” I said getting up from my chair, “Long time no see!” I smiled and took off my glasses, placing them in front of me next to the tablet I had been holding moments before.

Y/N shook her head holding a laugh as she bit her lip and stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world: “You’re so predictable. I’m amused”

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 ❤ 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝗸! 𝗶 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵��𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ revised version: 09.25.2021

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adenei · 4 years

Note

Yay yay yay platonic Rarry! I want more. A lot more! I love friendship fics between Ron and Harry ❤️

Hi anon! Here’s some more platonic Rarry for you (with side Romione and Hinny because I couldn’t resist.) Hope you enjoy!

*************************

Taking the next step

“Want to take the afternoon off if we get through all this paperwork?” Ron asked Harry. They were both sitting at their desks in the Auror office, having gotten a brief reprieve from being in the field.

Harry looked up from what he was doing. “What’d you have in mind?” he asked.

“I could use your help with something,” Ron said noncommittally.

Harry stared at him before saying, “Okay…”

“You’re not opposed to using glamour charms and disguising ourselves, are you?” Ron asked.

“No. Mate, do you have some secret Auror mission you’re trying to investigate or something?” Harry asked.

“What? No, ‘course not! I just think it’d be best if we weren’t seen by anyone who would recognize us. I’ll explain when we’re out of the Ministry.”

“Alright,” Harry said as he went back to his work. He trusted Ron, and was sure he had a good reason for whatever he had planned. The afternoon came faster than he’d expected, and the pile on both of their desks had become significantly less.

“Ready?” Ron asked.

“Sure. Are you going to send a note to Hermione letting her know that you’re leaving?” Harry asked.

“Er, no, she doesn’t need to know. I’ll send a patronus if we end up being later than expected.” Ron said. “Lunch in muggle London first?”

Harry was surprised that Ron wasn’t telling Hermione, but tried to hide it. “Alright.”

They stopped at a quiet cafe a few blocks into Muggle London that had a good selection of sandwiches. After they placed their order, Harry looked at Ron.

“Alright, what’s really going on that you’re being all secretive about?”

“I want to look for a ring,” Ron told him.

Harry stared at him, processing his words. He wasn’t surprised in the least. The girls had just finished at Hogwarts a few months prior.

“Wow, really? That’s great, mate! How’d you know?” Harry was genuinely interested, since he’d been thinking about how long he should wait before he started shopping for one for Ginny.

“Honestly? I’ve known it for so long, and things are finally starting to settle into some normalcy in our lives, and it just feels right.”

Harry nodded. “That makes sense. But why not just shop in Muggle London? There are plenty of jewelers, and then you can avoid the prying eyes of people in Diagon Alley.”

“Magical jewelry is different, mate.” He shook his head and rolled his eyes, “Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised when you ask questions like that anymore, and yet here we are.” Ron laughed at himself.

“How?” Harry asked interestedly, pretending he didn’t hear Ron’s jab about Harry’s continued lack of magical knowledge.

“Well, it’s kind of like shopping for a wand, isn’t it? It’s not that the ring chooses the person like a wand does, but there’s magic embedded in the ring that’s drawn to certain dynamics of couples, and the right choice will help strengthen the bond between them. So like, the ring I’d choose for Hermione would be different from the one you’d choose for Ginny...if that’s something you decide to do, too, of course. There’s really more to it than just style and diamond cut and band, and all that other rubbish I’ve been trying to read up on in secret,” Ron explained.

Harry nodded, “So, have you guys talked at all about it or is this going to be a complete surprise?”

“What do you mean? We’ve talked about our future together, but Hermione’s not really the type to gush over a princess cut, or side stones, or the difference between white gold and silver…” Ron droned on.

Harry snorted, “ I think you need to lay off the research. Are you hearing yourself right now?”

“Oi! How much thought have you given it?”

“Enough to figure that I’d just know what would suit Ginny when I see it? She’s not exactly the ‘froo froo’ type either,”

Ron nodded in agreement. “See? That’s exactly my point!”

Harry looked at him as if he’d grown two heads. “So has Hermione ever actually talked about what kind of ring she wants?”

Ron stared blankly back at him. “Er, no. That’s why I asked you to come along. We’ve only ever talked about the future in relation to being married and how many kids and where we’re going to live...we’ve never really discussed the engagement part of it..”

They were interrupted by the arrival of their food. “Ah, so you proposing is nowhere near on her radar,” Harry said.

“Hopefully not, but I’d like her to be bloody surprised for once in her life. She’s got everything too planned out.”

“That she does. So what are you thinking?”

“Well, you know how we were talking a while back about taking a holiday together? I thought it might be perfect to set that up and plan for it, then. It can still be a private proposal, but we’d also have you and Ginny to celebrate with, and we could enjoy it before having Mum go crazy at the announcement.”

“Oh, excellent idea! When are you thinking?” Harry asked. “I could use a break.”

“Ginny’s got a gap in her season coming up next month, yeah? We could go then?”

“Sounds brilliant, but how are you going to pry Hermione away from work? She’s barely getting started, so you know how she’s going to react to taking a vacation so soon.”

“Well, luckily she’s got to use some of her paid time off before the end of the year. Only half of it will carry over.”

“Brilliant, really brilliant mate. Maybe we should go book the trip this afternoon, too so they can’t talk us out of it,” Harry suggested.

Ron looked up from his sandwich excitedly. “See, I knew I could count on bringing you along! I might have to send that patronus to Hermione after all.”

*********************

After they finished their lunch, they paid and left the cafe, heading for a dark alleyway just down the street. They altered their appearances using glamour charms so no one would recognize them when they returned to Diagon Alley. As they made their way to the jeweler, they brainstormed different locations for the trip, and ultimately decided on southern Italy. They both agreed that that would be the most memorable and romantic for Hermione when it came to the proposal.

They walked into the jewelry shop and began looking as the shopkeeper was helping another customer. Ron was browsing along the glass cases when he saw one that caught his eye. It was a yellow gold vintage band with a round brilliant diamond cut in a cathedral setting. There were four single cut accent diamonds on either side of the center stone. The ring was unlike anything he’d ever seen.

“Ah, yes, the brilliant cathedral in traditional gold. This one is rather rare when it comes to browsing patrons,” the jeweler said to Ron. “It signifies the test of time, and is best suited for a couple that is deeply devoted to each other. I haven’t seen a pairing for one of these in quite some time.”

“Oh? Should I, er look at something else?” Ron asked awkwardly.

“No, no, I meant that as a compliment. The ring is sensing the love and devotion you have for your other half. It absolutely suits you.” Harry walked over to see what Ron had found. “I should warn you though, if you choose this one, it’s best not to wait too long. You may lose the strength in the bond it feels.”

Harry tried to stifle a laugh. “Hear that, mate? Don’t wait another seven years to pop the question.”

“Bugger off, Barry.” Ron said (they’d agreed that code names would be best as well, just in case). “I’ll take it,” he said without hesitation.

“Excellent! And might I show your friend a particular piece that I can sense pulling towards him?”

Harry shrugged as Ron eyed him curiously. The shopkeeper let them over to another class case and pulled out a silver band that held a solitaire diamond. “A simple white gold band with a radiant cut diamond. Fit for an easygoing couple that understands balance in an ever busy life.”

Despite Harry’s high profile life, this did fit them well. He and Ginny had always had a mutual understanding of the hardships they’d been through since the war had ended, and they’d worked hard to be more open and candid with each other as a result. The ring certainly suited Ginny’s personality well.

Harry gave Ron a tentative look. “If it feels right, go for it, mate.”

“But this is about you and Helena,” Harry made up a fake name on the spot for Hermione.

“Yeah, but if that’s really what you want with Minnie then go for it. Just, don’t hijack my plans.”

Harry thought for a moment, and knew deep down that ultimately this was the direction he wanted to go in with Ginny. He hadn’t been happier since they were able to pick their relationship back up, and he couldn’t see himself with anyone else. “Yeah, alright, I’ll take it,” Harry said as he broke out into a huge grin.

“Look at us, growing up and thinking about next steps,” Ron said.

“Yeah, who knew we’d even be here to see the day,” he said quietly.

They took turns checking out, setting up transfers to be made from their Gringotts accounts, and once their true identities were revealed, Ron pulled out nondisclosure agreements to ensure their anonymity from the press. This wasn’t something he was going to chance being ruined because of one person.

“That was brilliant thinking, mate,” Harry said as they walked out of the store, still in disguise. “Ready to head over to Globus Mundi?”

“Let’s go. I think we can ditch the disguises there, but let’s transfigure the bags just in case.”

“Good thinking.”

“So when are you thinking of popping the question?” Ron asked him eagerly.

“Well, I’m not going to do it too close to you guys. Was thinking maybe around the holidays. That’ll give Hermione enough time in the spotlight.”

Ron nodded. “Thanks, mate. You’ll be my best man, yeah?”

Harry laughed and said, “Isn’t it a little early to ask? She might not say yes.”

“Very funny, Harry.” Though a look of worry creased Ron’s brows.

“I’m just kidding! Of course, I will, as long as you’ll do the same for me.”

“I don’t know...for a specky git like you? I wouldn’t want to overshadow you with my handsome looks, after all,” Ron said with a smirk.

Harry rolled his eyes. “Yeah, alright, I deserved that.” They both laughed some more.

“Come on, we’ve got a vacation to plan!” as Ron picked up the pace.

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contrabandhothead · 3 years

Note

bob ship pls?? I'm 5'6, I've curly brown hair and brown eyes. I love writing, I've been acting for over four years . I'm the mom friend (I'll take care of you but scold you too if needed). I'm curious, sensitive and a good listener but I can be very reserved and selective with the people. I've a big strive to succeed, even if I'm not set to what I want yet because I'm very indecisive. I'm an introvert and sadly an early bird, since I always go to bed late but somewhat I wake up so early

- DON MALARKEY -

- general -

oh my god this is such a good ship okay i’m going to shut up now and get in it

he will literally watch anything you’re acting in, even if it’s a shitty TV show or a musical he doesn’t understand the basic plot line of. if you can look out into the crowd while on stage, you’ll always find Don’s face smiling back at you

Don will explain every reason why your writing is the best in the world to basically anyone that will listen, he’s not ashamed to promote you in any way

i’m not even joking he’ll compare you to famous writers like Shakespeare and Hemingway. he’s still like “..... yeah that writer is okay but have you read my partner’s work? it’s the best”

Don will not hesitate to use you as an armrest because you’re smaller than him. if you’re standing next to him, he will put his elbow on your head (it’s not even comfortable because he’s only a few inches taller than you but he’ll do it regardless)

he teases you for being short a lot, but in reality he loves the slight height difference because it makes it easy for him to kiss you without having to bend down too much or look up at you

Don is hyper aware of you being sensitive, and tries his best to make sure to never offend you or cause any problems. he always makes sure that his joke never went too far, and is always watching for your reaction to make sure that you’re not upset

Don loves that you listen, he always has some sort of story to tell you each day, and he really appreciates that you pay attention to what he has to say

he’s also a fairly good listener himself, so whenever you are talking about something you’re passionate about he just sits there, silently nodding along and smiling at you as you rant

if you were selective at first when it came to meeting Don, he would spend all of his time trying to earn your trust. he really wants you to trust him, and when you finally do, he won’t stop bragging to Muck and Penkala about it

Don admires your ambition, he’s awed by the fact that you always seem to have direction in life, and often turns to you for advice when he’s struggling or just needs someone to comfort him

he is not indicisive, so whenever you struggle to make a decision he’s more than willing to make one for you. he’ll even order for you at a restaurant if you can’t decide because he knows what you’ll enjoy

he h a t e s waking up early, and often tries to pull you back into bed whenever you wake up in the morning. don’t even think about trying to get up to make him coffee, he’d rather just spend the rest of the morning in bed with you wrapped up in his arms

he gives so many sleepy kisses when he’s dragging you back into bed

he’s not an introvert, but he will leave whatever social gathering you’re both at early if he can tell that you’re getting tired or just want to be alone

- how you two met -

Don met you way back in the states, and was attending the show that you were acting in

to be completely honest, he was enamored with you the moment he laid eyes on you, and you didn’t even know he existed at the time

thankfully though, when he asked his friends who had joined him what your name was, they eagerly told him that they had the ability to set you two up because they were mutual friends with you

Don was so anxious even saying hello to you that night, and to be honest it took him a while to even gather the courage to hang out with you alone

he just didn’t want to mess up his chances, and it was honestly something that he worried over constantly, especially since all of his friends spent 90% of their time teasing him for crushing on you

after several pep talks and thousands of stolen glances, he finally worked up the nerve to ask you out on a proper date. you two were fairly close at this point, so it honestly just felt as if it was how the relationship should have naturally progressed

after taking you out for dinner, he had intertwined your fingers while taking you home, smiling at you as he did it

as you reached the door to go inside, he didn’t let go of your hand, but instead smiled at you and squeezed your hand

“Don?” you questioned

but he didn’t respond, he merely pulled you closer by the waist, kissing you gently

a soft press of his lips had you weak at the knees, and you were practically gasping for breath by the time he pulled away

Don’s face broke into a grin, and he pecked your lips once more, mumbling “I’ll see you tomorrow”

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gingersimasnaps · 4 years

Text

True Colors (Vera Stone/Hamish Duke)

Title: True colors Word count: 4601 Summary: Vera Stone needs to paint her living room. Hamish Duke is ready to help. fluff&smut; OOC Vera; AU - law office

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

„Mr. Duke, don’t you really have better things to do than watching me?“ CEO of Blue Rose Law Office Vera Stone was standing with her back turned to him, reading through some documents she pulled out of a shelf.

Hamish blinked. Was he really that obvious, or did she just… know? Because that was exactly what she was doing. She knew things. She knew that Angus, complete idiot from analytic department, smoked a cigarette on the toilets at the opposite end of the building, even though no smoking was rule number one in the office. She knew who hacked his colleague Nicole’s phone and sent photos of her and her girlfriend to almost everyone, though the evidence didn’t exist, and police IT specialists came empty handed. She knew when some employee wanted to call in sick, hours before the employee even thought about this idea.

„Hmmm… Actually no, I don’t think so,“ answered Hamish. Vera turned to him with rigid expression on her face, but when he smirked, she just rolled her eyes. If it was someone else, she would probably just wipe them out of the face of the Earth. It was more than obvious she had a soft spot for Hamish.

Blue Rose Law Office was well known across the whole city of Belgrave. For its quality too, of course, but mainly for the fact it was almost hermetically closed for ordinary people. Unless you were a spoiled descendant of some high-ranking snob, you didn't have a chance to get into the Blue Rose. But about a year and a half ago, it was discovered that CEO Edward Coventry, who was also high seated in the city council, was tunneling Blue Rose for his own enrichment. He had been doing so systematically and successfully for several years, with the help of influential clients who owed him for saving them from justice. After the truth came out, he was removed from management. No one was too surprised when he ran away. It has been speculated that he‘s been hiding on his private island Vade Maecum in the southern Caribbean.

Vera was selected to be the new head of the office. It was a logical step. Surprisingly, as the newest member of the Gnostic council (seriously, this company was so snobbish, that their managing board was named Gnostic, and even people had their rankings – Hamish was currently a Magistratus, which was pretty high for a newcomer), she exposed Coventry's unfair practices and helped to break his entire plan. Her promotion was the reward. And simply because she was Vera Stone, she drastically changed established practices. She hired a whole bunch of young, relatively ordinary people to join the company. Some left after a shorter or longer time, but otherwise it turned out that Vera really knew where to reach - most of the new staff had proven to be very capable and useful to the office. Everyone got an assigned person, something like a tutor. Hamish had no idea how he ended up under the leadership of Vera Stone herself, but although his friends from the office either teased him mercilessly about that or pitied him, he was happy with the outcome. He had always been able to appreciate a strong person in leadership. And Vera was definitely such a person.

They’d been working together for a little over a year, during which time they built a working relationship based on trust in each other's decisions, on the fact that they both excelled in something different and complemented each other perfectly, on the long nights they spent over documents and contracts… And also on the tension that was between them. Not hostile, definitely not. He had once thought it came from Vera's reluctance, or perhaps outright inability to trust anyone, but now, for some time now, he had been sure that what was literally sparkling the air between them was a mutual attraction that the two were trying to fiercely suppress. But it was precisely these moments - when Hamish made some cheeky remark and she didn‘t kill him for it - that proved that they may not be as strong as they seem at first glance.

"Okay," Vera sighed, snapping the file closed and putting it back in its place. "I think we should call it a night. It's late, and I have work tomorrow. "

"Here?" Hamish asked, and dug his heels on the ground to pull his body into a slightly more upright position. He sat in a comfortable office chair, and during the evening he had made himself even more comfortable by sliding down.

"No," the blackhaired woman replied, walking back in her awfully high heels to the table where she sat on her own chair. "I need to paint the living room. I have a day off tomorrow for the first time in ages, so it‘s the right time. "

"Paint? Will you paint — like by yourself? ”Hamish said this before he could stop himself, and this time Vera really gave him a hard look.

"There's something surprising about that, Mr. Duke? ”

"Of course not," Hamish replied. "I was just wondering if you wouldn‘t want to… help."

And here it was again. He really meant it as just an offer of help, but for some reason it sounded like he was offering her help with something completely different. Vera looked at him.

"Hm," she said, resting her chin on her index finger, "it's true that I could probably appreciate a… man's hand." He didn‘t believe she wasn't flirting with him now. He leaned in a little.

"So what time?" God, it really sounded like they were arranging some secret rendezvous at a hotel.

"Eight o‘clock," Vera replied. "Sharp." She got up, picked up her purse, and headed for the door.

"Are you going to spend the night in my office?" She asked him as she had her coat draped over her arm, and Hamish still showed no signs of getting up.

"Not today," he told her, as if he intended to any other night. She rolled her eyes at him again and let him pass so she could lock her office. Together they went to the underground garages. There was silence on the elevator ride, and Hamish wondered what she was thinking about.

"Good night, Grand Magus," he told her as she unlocked her car and was about to get in it. The Grand Magus was a nickname given to her by one of the newcomers. Hamish would bet anything it was his friend Randall. Of course, the nickname reached her, but probably no one had dared to use it right in front of her yet.

Vera narrowed her eyes and gave him a slightly ironic smile. "I hope you haven't forgotten what I said. Sharp. ”She got into her luxury SUV and started the car. Hamish smiled and opened the door to his car. Vera was already leaving when he took off. He noticed that she was watching him in the rearview mirror. The prospect of painting had never been more interesting, he thought, and he also drove home to get a good night's sleep before tomorrow's work.

The next morning, at exactly eight o'clock, he rang the bell at Vera's house. When she opened the door for him, he was quite surprised. He only knew her as the leading person of the office in her ‚CEO's uniform‘, which included a dress or nice costume, and high heels. But now she stood before him barefoot, in leggings and a plain white T-shirt, her hair tied in a messy knot.

"Did you swallow your tongue along with your breakfast?" Vera asked, pulling him out of his contemplation of her outfit.

"No," he replied. "But when someone needs to start painting at eight in the morning, even if they have the whole day off, they have to count with the fact that not everyone is a morning bird." Vera rolled her eyes at him again – that was slowly becoming their sign - and let him go inside. Hamish took off his shoes and coat and handed her a box. She looked at him questioningly.

"Those are doughnuts. No tarantula is going out of it, ”he grinned, watching in astonishment as Vera shuddered with disgust.

"Don't talk about spiders in front of me. Never."

“Arachnophobia? I wouldn't tip you on that. ”He followed her into the living room, which was connected to the kitchen. "I wouldn't tip you on orange, either," he added when he saw the kitchen walls.

"It's apricot," she corrected him immediately. "Did you come to solve my phobias or paint?"

"Depends on the situation," Hamish replied nonchalantly. He went to the living area. Vera had already managed to cover the floor with plastic and move all the things that weren’t too heavy for her to be picked up by herself. Together with Hamish, they set out to push the heavy, massive furniture away from the walls to access them.

"Really, is such furniture necessary at all?" Hamish snorted. "If you don't want it to fall apart after five days of use, it is," Vera snapped, almost out of breath. Fortunately, they had the last chest of drawers left. Hamish went to her to take down the photos of her. There were two. In one was Vera with some young, redhead girl. They seemed to be related. He had probably never seen his boss laughing so cheerfully as in the picture.

"That's my niece," Vera said, suddenly appearing beside him. "Laura."

"I didn't know you have a niece."

"That’s pretty logical," she told him. "Theoretically, you shouldn’t be bothered with my personal life, especially considering that most employees think I don't even have any, but if you're already holding the photo…" she shrugged.

"Are you close?" Hamish asked. "And I don't think you don‘t have a personal life."

"Um, I suppose yes, we are. She lived here with me for a few years, but then she decided to attend Yale and moved there." Hamish decided not to ask why Laura didn't live with her parents.

"What is she studying?"

"Law." It was Vera who grinned now for a change, and Hamish chuckled.

"Runs in the family, apparently."

"Yeah, sort of."

He set the frame behind him in the prepared box, and took another, a little smaller, in his hand. "Is this Laura, too?" He asked another question, showing the photo to Vera. He saw her features stiffen.

"No. Katharine. My daughter, " she replied in a tone that made it clear she would not answer the next question about the baby in the picture, and snatched it from his hand. Hamish understood, of course, but that didn't mean it didn't ignite his curiosity. He didn't need to extract evidently painful memories from her. But he wanted to get to know Vera. Not CEO Stone, but Vera. The woman who painted the walls herself, had a niece studying law at Yale and who had just played a music CD from ABBA.

"Can we get started?" She threw a paint roller at him.

"Sure, Magus. What color? ”

"White first, to make the color brighter. Then red. "

"I didn't expect anything else." After half an hour of painting, he realized that Vera was humming in a low voice along with the CD. He stopped and listened. His parents insisted on a music education, so as a child he was attending piano classes. He had never felt any great love for it, but right now he wished he could play the piano along with her singing, which sounded very good. Voulez-vous song ended, and – of course - Does Your Mother Know came next. Hamish began to hum, too. As soon as Vera heard that, she raised her voice a little. You're not gonna win this one, the blonde thought, and also added to the volume. Before long, they both sang as if they were at a concert, while the original tape of ABBA was barely audible. When the song ended, the two laughed. More, Hamish thought again. More of this sweet laughter.

After the white paint dried, they dug their rollers into the red color, but halfway through the walls, Vera let out a huff.

"That looks awful," she said, expressing the thought Hamish had had in his head from the beginning.

"I agree," he nodded. "We need to repaint it white again."

"Are you sure?"

"It can't get any worse."

"Cheeky," she told him with a smirk. As it was almost 4PM, they decided to take a break, and eat the dougnuts-not-tarantulas he brought. Then they went to work again.

Taking advantage of Vera's good mood, Hamish decided to tease her. He grabbed a brush, dipped it in paint, crept up behind her, and ran it over her nose during her unguarded moment.

"HEY!" Vera shouted, turning sharply to see Hamish's perfectly satisfied expression. "You’re so gonna pay for this,“ she growled with a sly smile, turning her back on him.

"I want to see that," he replied, turning back to his part of wall. He was alert, but probably not enough. At one point he bent down to dip the roller in the paint - and at that moment Vera's hand, soaked in white paint they were using, landed on his black T-shirt.

He looked at her, and suddenly an immense desire to kiss the triumphant grin on her face seized him. But then something better occurred to him. He grabbed her in his arms, making her yelp in surprise, and in one smooth motion he pressed her against the freshly painted wall. „So who won?“ he said, face centimeters from hers. It looked like she would want to fight and get out of his grip, so he pushed his knee inbetween her legs, to hold her in place. Vera gasped.

„This is not a… game, Mr. Duke,“ she said under her breath.

„Oh yeah? I had a feeling we could be a little playful since it’s our free day.“ Hamish let go one of her hips, only to pull the rubber band out of her vantablack hair, to let them fall freely all over the white, wet wall. His palm brushed a few strands out of her face, and when he shifted a little, his knee rubbed against Vera’s leggins, close to her center. Vera almost closed her eyes and arched against him a little, and that was all he needed.

He kissed her so heatedly and passionately, that he earned another whimper from her. Vera wounded her arms around his neck and when he pulled his leg from between her legs and gripped her butt instead, she wrapped her legs around him. Hamish finally detached her from the wall and backed off to where he suspected the couch was. Vera took his bottom lip between her teeth. His strong hands on her ass were driving her mad. She was coming home aroused almost regularly since they started working together, and first thing she would do when she got back to her house was to touch herself. Hamish and his damned smile, kind eyes, and the oh so intoxicating smell… She always ended up imagining it was his hand carresing her down there. And now, it was going to be finally, finally, finally true.

The blonde guy eventually opted to lay her on the fluffy white rug, not the couch, not letting go of her lips for one second. Vera closed her eyes when those lips touched that sensitive spot on her neck for the first time, and a soft moan escaped her. She tangled her hand in his hair and arched her back again a little. When she opened her eyes again, Hamish’s t-shirt was gone, and she had no idea how he did it. She forgot about it though, as soon as his hands gripped the hem of her own t-shirt, and took it off, along with her sport bra.

"So beautiful," whispered Hamish, his breath hot against her skin, and it sent a wave of arousal all the way down to her already wet slit.

„Gosh,“ she panted, when Hamish took one of her nipples into his mouth, and began sucking on it. Hamish smiled at her cunningly, and gently bit the nipple. Vera felt small pain, immediately soothed out by his tongue, and if she ever experienced heaven, it was right now. She heard some sounds of pleasure, and realized it was her own voice. God, what was this man doing to her… He could be literally just casually standing somewhere, wearing his smile, and she would consider it a turn on. But the only thing standing now was his cock, which was visible through his pants. Vera wanted to reach down and palm his bulge, but right just as she was raising her hand, Hamish decided to lick her stomach all the way down, right to the waist of her leggins.

"Oh God!" Vera dug her nails into his shoulders, feeling everything inside her twist with desire. Hamish bit the skin on her belly, and then, very impatiently, just ripped her pants and panties away.

"I should probably require a compensation for this," Vera panted. Hamish’s face appeared abover hers.

"Shut up, Magus," he growled, and kissed her so deeply that her brain just stopped for a while. Her hands were working on their own, clawing his back and leaving long red marks on it, soothing it right after with tender palm caresses. His kiss didn’t last long, though, and before she even tried to make her brain work, she felt Hamish’s tongue circling her pussy, but not touching her where she wanted him the most.

When the almost painful pleasure became too much for her to bear and Vera was literally trembilng with desire, she was torn between loving him and wanting to kill him.

"Hamish, please, please, stop teasing me," she almost sobbed, and in the way his lips moved upward against her sensitive flesh, she understood this was what he wanted her to do the whole time. The tip of his tongue touched her clit and she jerked her hips to him. He was unbelievable. Unbelievably goo-

"Jesus fuck!" Vera cried out loud, when Hamish put his whole mouth on her pussy and his tongue began attacking her swollen clit. She was dripping wet, good God, he was making her wetter than she ever been in her whole life - and she had had some good sex before.

She held his head close to her center with her thighs, almost as if afraid he will pull back, and leave her alone with this unbearable desire. But Hamish had no intentions to do so. Her mound had the most intoxicating smell, and it felt like silk, hot silk, and tasting her was already his favorite thing to do.

Vera bucked her hips to him, being so painfully, breathtakingly close… And then Hamish slid two of his fingers into her, curled them slightly, and started fucking her, excrutiatingly slowly. When he sucked her whole clit into his mouth and thrusted his fingers‘ full length into her, it sent her over the edge. She cried out with pure exctasy, eyes closed, back arched, ankles crossed behind his back, wishing for this feeling to never end.

Hamish was kissing his way back up, and when he captured Vera’s mouth once again, she could taste herself in his honey-like kisses, and it felt better than any other thing she had ever tasted. He slipped one arm under her back and then spun them around abruptly. Vera let out a surprised yelp, because she was suddenly sitting on him, and Hamish had to steady her by holding her hips.

"Easy, lady," he smiled. Vera felt like she could fly, but he was still so hard against her right thigh, and she thought it would be fair to give him release too. Who cares about painting, after all.

She kneeled beside him and took his pants down. At first, she only caressed him through his boxers - Calvin Klein, apparently he had some style - but he tried to prey her hand off.

"You don't have to-"

She cut him off with a finger on his lips. "I want to. And you definitely don't want to open a dispute with your boss.” With that, she pulled his underwear down, and took him in her soft, warm hand. Hamish supressed a moan. This woman is really one of a kind, he thought, when her hand moved up and down on his cock. When she bent her head down and took him in her deliciously hot mouth, teasing the tip of him with her tongue, another moan worked its way out of him. Even the plain sight of her head between his legs was almost too much, and her mouth felt so good and right… It didn’t took her more than a few minutes to make him come. The last thing he did before his seed spurted was to pull her back. For some reason he didn’t feel comfortable by the image of Vera swallowing his sperm - she was too precious for such thing.

They both needed a while to steady their breaths. Two piles of their clothes laid around them and half red, half white walls were waiting for them, but the two couldn’t care less. Hamish was first to stand up, and he pulled Vera with him, only to take her into his arms again. Vera wrapped her legs around his waist again, but this time, she took his face in her hands, and kissed him. Her long hair blocked him the view, so after a few steps, he stubbed his toe and fell forward. Fortunately, it was her couch. Vera squeaked, when her back hit the pillows, and he fell face first on her chest. She started laughing.

"Oh my God, this is like D grade category movie," she said between giggles. Hamish couldn’t help himself, and joined her in the laughter. He kissed the vale between her breasts.

"I think we need a shower."

“Definitely. We don't want to be sticky, “ Vera nodded. "Come." She got up from the couch, took his hand, and led him upstairs, to her big bathroom with an enormous bathtub.

„Of course,“ Hamish muttered with amusement. "Wouldn't expect anything less."

"Well, I like my comfort," she shrugged, and bent over the rim of the tub to turn the water on. Hamish felt himself twitch again at the sight of her beautifully shaped ass. Again, he couldn't help himself. He let his fingers travel lightly along her spine and over her butt. Then he lifted her and put her into the tub.

"Impatient, are we?" Said Vera with the tiniest of smiles.

"You are the one who will be profitting from it," Hamish answered, and pushed her to the corner of the tub, where she could sit. She watched him, intrigued. The man kneeled in the water, and pulled her legs apart. Vera felt her breath quickening already, and when he attacked her mound with his tongue and fingers again, she literally saw stars. If she expected something from their… painting job today, it was quick sex, at most. But of course, this was Hamish Duke, the most extraordinary man she ever met in her whole life. She should've known it won’t be just fucking. Not now, not ever.

Soon, her moans and grunts and "there, yes, like that, yes," filled the bathroom. After a while, when she was already close, Hamish's mouth left her pussy, and she felt a flash of anger, but then he brought their foreheads together and instead of his tongue, he pressed his thumb against her clit - and it gifted her with another orgasm, way more bigger than the first one. He didn't stop, though, and another huge wave soon ripped through her.

Hamish was watching her as she was slowly coming from heights back to him, and wondered if he would ever get enough of this sight. His boss‘ cheeks were tinted from the arousal, blue eyes were staring nowhere, and her legs were slightly shaking. God, he wanted to be inside her so badly… He quickly pulled her down to him, as she was still supple, leaned her against hir chest, and soaped her body.

Vera let him to do to whatever he wanted to her. She felt like she was under some spell. Maybe he was some kind of a magic practitioner, because she never felt like this around any man. But again, Hamish was different than all the men she met. So when he rinsed the soap from her, pulled her out of the tub and wrapped her in a bathrobe, she found his face with her hands.

"I want you," she whispered, lips pressed against his ear. And Hamish, being Hamish, bowed a little. For some reason, it turned her on even more than she already was, because who wouldn’t be after three amazing orgasms? They went to her bedroom together.

This time, both of them wanted it to be slow. Hamish was covering her whole body with kisses, Vera was caressing his torso. "Now," she whispered after a few minutes, or maybe hours?, but he already knew. Slowly, tenderly, his slid his member into her wet, silky, hot entrance, stayed still for a while, and then they moved simultaneously. Like they were made for each other, no matter how much it sounded like a cliché.

Even though Vera had never believed in such staged movie bullshit, they found their release together. When her walls started clenching around him a little, Hamish took one of her insanely long legs, and put it on his shoulder, so he could go deeper. Vera threw her head back, and in the very moment when her fourth orgasm of the day hit her and she came with his name on her lips, she felt Hamish spill himself deep into her, whispering "Vera“ several times over.

Hamish slid out from her, fell on his back, and Vera laid her head on his shoulder. She was completely worn out and her core and thighs ached, but it was the most beautiful kind of pain.

“Am I good? Painter? ”Hamish asked, still little out of breath, and Vera couldn’t supress a giggle.

"The best," she answered, and placed a tiny kiss on his chin. "We both are. We should quit being advocates and start a painting company. "

"Speaking of being advocates, how am I supposed to work with you now? Not happening. "

"Well, I can always shift you to someone else."

Hamish dragged his nails down her arm. "Also not happening."

"Thought so," Vera smirked. "I have to clean up the mess downstairs," she sighed after a while.

“Let it be for now. I will come tomorrow to help, “offered Hamish. Vera propped herself on one elbow and stared at his face.

"What?" He asked, clearly confused. "Did I say something wrong?"

Vera slowly shook her head. "No. I just… Stay the night." She didn’t exactly believe herself, because she never let anyone stay with her, no matter if it was after fucking or not. But when Hamish’s smile grew wider, she knew she made the right choice.

"As you wish, Grand Magus,“ he said, laughed when she again rolled eyes on him, and sat up, but just to pull the blanket over them. Vera hesitated for a heartbeat, but then just decided to give up and snuggled against him. Hamish dropped a kiss on her hair and protectively put his arm around her stomach.

It was the first night in ages without a single nightmare for her.

#fanfiction #vera stone #hamish duke #vera/hamish #vermish #theorder #alternateuniverse #smut #fluff #OOC #I really don't know how to write a proper fanfic in English

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mgares · 3 years

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HOW TO BUY A HOUSE - IN 3 EASY STEPS

There is a lot of confusion out there about how to become a Homeowner so I thought I would take a moment and put it into Average Joe speak. That, and in my experience, some people go about it totally backwards which is counter productive to the end goal.

STEP 1. - ASSESS YOUR FINANCES

This is fairly simple. Eliminate non-essentials from your spending budget and stick it in the piggy bank. Modify spending habits to generate savings. Make short-term lifestyle changes.

It's just temporary and if canceling monthly memberships (Netflix, Gyms, Any Subscriptions), adjusting your shopping habits [I got some great tips for this], or eliminating other non-essential spending allows you to keep more money in your pocket to get a home versus flushing rent dollars down the proverbial toilet? Bit of a no-brainer if you ask me.

Bottom line is you have to have money ready-to-hand for the transaction. Even with the "zero down" options like VA and some USDA loans; just to name a couple.

There are inspections, appraisals, escrow funds, repairs, home warranty policies, property taxes, closing costs, and other such considerations that must be paid in order to get a home of your own.

"Do Not Save What Is Left After Spending; Instead Spend What is Left After Saving" - Warren Buffett

Figure out what kind of a down payment your financial situation will allow for. The more, the better, but very few people I know got 20% of the purchase price [a.k.a. - conventional/bank loan] sitting around collecting dust. Good news is you don't necessarily have to have that much.

One of the most common loans is a FHA that only asks for 3-5% down AND there are down payment assistance programs out there if you are really Stuck Like Chuck when it comes to finances. NOTE: This does NOT mean they are going to give you ALL of your down payment; you gotta have some chips in that poker game too.

I like to recommend that people shoot for at least 6-8% of the purchase price of the "kind of home they want" just to make sure all the bases are covered - down payment AND cost(s) of the transaction. Folks, that's a lesser down payment than Owner Finance options for the same "kind of home" as Owners generally ask for 10-15% down.

This total can be a combination of self-savings, down payment assistance, assets that can be used as collateral against the loan, monetary or tangible gifts from friends/family members in some few cases, and more.

Each person is unique and different in how that 6-8% manifests and lenders can vary in what form(s) of down payment they will accept.

EXAMPLE:

Purchase Price: $150k

FHA Down Pymt (3-5%): $4,500 - $7,500

Other Cost(s): (3% +/-): $4,500

Total Savings Needed: $9,000 - $12,000

Kill some bills, sell your "junk" - we all got crap laying around the house we don't use worth money in various amounts - and modify spending habits in a positive manner.

If you are a two car family... can you get by with just one vehicle on a temporary basis [turn that car, and its bills, "into" a house]? Perhaps you have a skill set or piece of equipment that can earn you extra cash here and there on your terms? What changes to your lifestyle can you make that will put another dime or dollar into that kitty bucket?

Finally, do whatever it is you need to do to put those greenbacks into a savings method you can stick with. Whether that is a traditional banking institution or an old shoe box under the bed; you do you. If this means you have to ask someone in a position of trust to hold it so you don't spend it? Guess what you should consider doing?

STEP 2. - TALK TO LENDERS

Let's talk about the "When" of contacting a lender. The only true answer to "When" is... When You Are Ready and only you know how Ready you feel.

I've had clients express the sheer dread they felt about reaching out to a lender and it's an understandable fear. One of my people even said that they felt applying to lenders and having them see their credit condition was akin to stripping naked in front of a total stranger.

But, and as I told my client... think of it like going to the doctor for a full physical exam. Hospital gown over your birthday suit and all. Lenders are professionals there to do a job. They do NOT judge or speculate just because they have intimate knowledge of or about you.

If you suspect you may have some homework to do, credit wise, then it's better to contact a lender sooner rather than later. This allows you to get a game plan together and knock out credit related targets while you are saving funds for your down payment goal. Once completed, you are able to resume your application with confidence moving forward.

"Everything You Want Is On The Other Side of Fear" - Jack Canefield

However, if you are one of the few who feel their credit profile will be a "non-issue" then my suggestion becomes waiting to speak to lenders until you have most, if not all, of your down payment goal met.

When applying to a lender always ask if they perform a Soft or Hard inquiry against your credit report. Most of the lenders I know [and I will list two of my favorites for you here in a second] will execute a Soft Credit Inquiry to determine credit worthiness. This Soft Inquiry does not impact or affect your credit score - should such be a matter of concern to you.

Something else I've noticed is that people don't seem to understand shopping for lender is very much like shopping for an automobile. The overall requirements of any one particular lender (or dealership) can be totally different from a fellow lender's (or dealership's).

Just because one says "No" does not mean they will all will say "No". And even if the first lender tells you "Yes"... I would still encourage you to apply to more than one who does Soft Inquiries. Compare apples to oranges to find the best fit for your home purchasing needs by reviewing interest rates, terms of repayment, mutual rights and remedies, and so on and so forth.

Only after you have secured lender approval (which may be conditional based on various factors) and they have given you the green light to shop up to the amount of $X.00 do you move on to Step 3.

STEP 3 - FIND YOUR REALTOR

The vast majority of the population feels the path to homeownership is "finding the home and then buying it" - through a Real Estate agent. This is NOT the case.

Selecting an agent to help navigate you through the complexities of The Offer and Purchase process is the absolute LAST step to be taken.

What Happens When You Do It Backwards:

You shop for, and find, that PERFECT place and then reach out to an an agent or contact the website that is listing that property. The agent involved determines you haven't spoken with a lender and may now recommend one to get the process started.

Just to let you know... most of us agents are unable to do much of anything at this point without your having secured a lender first. There are some agents out there who are also qualified mortgage consultants but I, personally, haven't met one yet so I don't know how they work.

At this point the agent may also put you on an e-mailer list that scouts the MLS's and regularly sends you properties "matching" the ideal home that you originally asked about.

Why?

Because "that home may not still be there when you are in a position to buy". That's agent speak for... this is gonna take a bit of second and that property will most likely have sold by the time we get you lender approved.

I can't emphasize enough the fact that we agents don't "GET" you that house - the lender does that by providing the loan to pay for it. Us agents help you shop for a home and protect your best interests when buying it.

We deal with the butt-ton of technical paperwork coming/going from every which-a-way at all hours of the day, manage the contract negotiations, handle scheduling and execution of services by professional providers involved in the transaction, are your personal defacto counselor/moral support during the stress mess of buying, and more. None of which can be done until a lender gives us the green light to begin.

Well, most folks aren't mentally or emotionally prepared to reach out to said lender on the fly like this. Fears of "what that lender will see" or personal misgivings about "not qualifying" due to credit condition can halt the whole process at this point. Perhaps leaving you with negative emotions about the whole experience thus far.

But, for the sake of argument let's say you muster up the courage to reach out to a lender anyway. You'll discover that they are people too - most with a generous heart and helpful personality.

You might even discover that your credit was nowhere near as bad as you had built it up in your mind to be. Or, the lender may come back with a little homework for you. Take care of This and That and we'll be able to get you into a home.

The "whammy" of doing it in reverse order like this is that the lender will also share that you will need X thousands of dollars as a down payment to make that happen. Talk about a case of sticker shock!

Obviously, this can be discouraging and disheartening. To overcome one obstacle only run smack dab into another you weren't prepared to tackle? It may start to feel like you are looking up the side of a mountain, the goal of owning a home clearly in your line of sight, but you lack the climbing equipment (not to mention the funds to acquire such) to reach the summit.

It may feel like "that's it, game over" at this point. I know because I, too, approached home ownership azz-backwards like this before I became a Realtor. Felt like someone had ripped a bit of my soul away and left me frustrated and crying inside my heart and mind.

DON'T give up on yourself or your dream of home ownership. Back up, regroup, and attack that goal again. This time, in the correct sequence of events.

"You May Have To Fight A Battle More Than Once To Win It" - Margaret Thatcher

Do this and I promise you that there will be no better feeling in the world than those you experience at the closing table when you are finally handed the keys to your very own home.

Disclaimer: Opinion Editorial for educational and/or informational purposes. Content presented is deemed accurate and/or reliable at the time of authorship. Any errors or omissions present in material(s) are unintentional. You are encouraged to execute your own research.

#MGARES #VirtualPropertyRealty.com #homegoals #househunting #homebuying #realestate #realestateagent

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beca-mitchell · 4 years

Text

i took your matches before fire could catch me (1/1)

Summary: Beca and Chloe will always cross paths—the first year after the USO tour. Beca-centric. Rated M for like...one huge smut scene in the second half.

Word count: 8325

A/N: Title from Taylor Swift’s “Dear John”. This was a very different story when I first started working on it at the beginning of this year. I'm not sure I like where it ended up going, but I wanted to share it anyway.

All mistakes are mine.

Happy NYE!

Read below or on AO3.

January

The first time they see each other again, Chloe is in Los Angeles for a weekend and Beca had agreed to meet for coffee.

The first few months after the USO tour, they had been busy with moving, with starting school, with starting a new album, so it had been easier to avoid each other.

But Beca misses Chloe and she knows Chloe feels some of the same emptiness or she wouldn’t have agreed to meet Beca for coffee. Or so Beca tells herself.

It had been awkward at the beginning, but Beca found herself becoming more comfortable as the hours passed and before she knew it, she was standing quickly as Chloe gathered her bag and phone, looking ready to leave.

Chloe smiles at Beca then. It is not quite forced, but Beca sees some strain in it—some desperation. “I hope we stay friends,” she says softly. Beca feels sick and her throat tightens around the emotions that well up inside her. And to make it worse, Chloe continues: “I care about you.”

Heat and moisture spike alarmingly quick beneath Beca’s eyelids. “Friends,” she repeats, tasting the word on her tongue.

(Friends, like how she and Chloe had started; friends, like how they had been just before the depth of their feelings for each other slipped into something more; friends, like they had been when Beca had grabbed Chloe’s jacket and kissed her with everything she had.)

“Yeah, obviously,” Beca says quickly when she realizes Chloe is still staring at her. “Of course. Why couldn’t we be? Friends, I mean. We were before. We still are.”

It is uncommonly cool in Los Angeles, even for January standards, so Beca attributes the shiver that rushes through her body when Chloe’s hand brushes her own to the weather and nothing more.

— — — — — — — — — —

(So they should probably talk about that kiss. The kiss that shouldn’t have happened, but Beca, in a fit of possession and jealousy upon seeing Chicago smiling at Chloe, had grabbed Chloe’s jacket and pulled her in for a kiss.

The shock in Chloe’s eyes had been reflected in Beca’s, but neither of them knew what else to do or say.

Not many more words were exchanged, even when Beca had led Chloe back up to her hotel room and the door had clicked shut behind them.)

— — — — — — — — — —

February

Beca isn't a jealous person. Not at all. Not one bit.

Besides, she really shouldn't be, she tells herself derisively. They were never really friends, even when they technically were. Even when they were co-captains. Even when they shared a house for three years. There was always some complicated underlying attraction to each other and the pressure to perform and put on a show—both in their personal lives and on stage—which translated into a consistently-strained relationship.

And God, it’s Valentine’s Day for fuck’s sake. Beca hadn’t been expecting to see Chloe in Los Angeles of all places, considering how hard it seemed for Chloe to have made the trip in the past few weeks whenever Beca had suggested a visit.

Beca attempts to let some bitterness seep out of her.

Chloe looks...beautiful. Stunning. Radiant. All the things Beca loves about Chloe shine through tonight. Beca spots her nearly immediately when she walks in and tunes out of the company she held within her perch in the VIP booth. Chloe is wearing her favourite ripped jeans and a pretty white top that just screams for something to be spilt on it. And yet, she dances without a care in the world. Her right palm is open, dying to be held. Her left hand clutches a wine glass, liquid precariously licking up the edges. Wine, of all things, in an upscale club in downtown Los Angeles.

Chloe spots her fairly quickly. The surprise in her eyes must be reflected in Beca’s own, but Beca makes no move to get out of her booth for the time being. It’s then that she notices Chloe can’t stop staring at her. It is only a product of the way Beca can’t keep her eyes off Chloe, but the way Chloe’s piercing blue gaze always seems to meet her gaze in return indicates that it’s a mutual sensation.

Finally, it is Chloe who musters up the courage to say hello first. Soft and quiet, unexpectedly appearing by Beca’s shoulder as she stands by the bar, finally escaping the sanctuary of her cordoned-off area.

“Hey,” Chloe’s voice sounds excitedly near her ear. "Beca, hi!"

Beca startles, nearly dropping her drink. “Chloe. Hey.”

“Letting loose tonight?”

Beca laughs, short and mildly acerbic. It is both comforting and unsettling how easy it is to fall into old habits with Chloe—how easy it is to want to open up to Chloe and trust her and love her all at once. “No,” she responds. “Just kind of scoping out the venue.” She takes a quick gulp of her drink for courage. “Are you here alone? Why are you here?”

“There was a conference in town,” Chloe explains, quicker than Beca expects. “A bunch of us took the night off.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Beca says. Or at least, she tries to say because she is cut off by an excited voice calling Chloe’s name and a large, male body appearing by her side. Beca swallows and tries to look anywhere else but the way his hand curls around Chloe’s hip with familiarity.

“Beca,” Chloe says questioningly when she notices that Beca is trying to inch away.

“It was nice to see you, Chloe.” I’m so glad we’re friends , Beca adds as an afterthought in her mind. She swallows back the sharp taste of her drink and looks instead for the closest pair of interested eyes.

“Hey, wait a second,” Chloe calls and before Beca realizes what is happening and before she can really dwell on anybody, Chloe’s hand is wrapping gently around her wrist. “Can we talk?”

“We’re talking now.”

Chloe scowls and shoots a glance over her shoulder at Nondescript Jock #5 before she is pushing Beca towards the women’s bathroom.

“What are you doing?” Beca demands.

“Why are you being like this?”

“Like what?”

Chloe frowns. “Extra Beca-like.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“Of course you don’t—you never do, do you?”

“I really don’t know what that means.”

They’re breathing heavily, both of them standing toe to toe. Around them, the bass pounds and the percussion line is strong, but Beca only feels the pounding of her own heart. This feels too raw—too much like how they had separated after Europe, only this is just a continuation of that ugliness.

(“So you’re just walking away. Again.”

“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Chloe.”

“I’m not the one being difficult. You’re the one who’s afraid.” )

She hates how much she wants to kiss Chloe.

Beca sighs, some of the fight leaving her. “I just wasn’t expecting to see you. Here. When you’re supposed to be in Philadelphia.”

“I honestly wasn’t expecting to see you here either. I'm not trying to...” Chloe's mouth twists unhappily. "Not trying to stalk you or anything. I'm just happy we ran into each other because we need to—"

“—maybe we should just pretend we never saw each other.”

Hurt flashes across Chloe’s eyes.

“Beca, wait—”

— — — — — — — — — —

March

i didn't mean it, i'm sorry, Beca writes and rewrites in her phone. Over and over. It's like a ritual.

Nothing really works anymore.

When Beca falls asleep, it’s the same dream, the one she had almost every night for months after she moved to L.A.. Chloe is waiting for her when she gets in the door.

She smiles.

She kisses Beca.

She says, “Welcome home.”

Beca shakes off the fantasy, anger and hurt coursing through her. Screw you, Mitchell.

They haven’t really spoken for weeks. Beca is more comfortable at this distance, content on muting Chloe’s social media profiles and pretending like Chloe isn’t totally seeing that guy that she claims to not be seeing.

And the thing is, there isn't really a reason for Chloe to lie to her (even if Beca hasn't really given any concrete reason for Chloe to stay), but the sting of seeing Chloe flirt with Chicago incessantly is still sharp in Beca's memory, so she does the completely grown-up thing and rage-likes a bunch of Chloe’s Instagram and Facebook posts and sends petty emoji-reactions to some of Chloe’s Instagram stories. She hates the flash of vindication that rushes through her when Chloe texts her not too long after.

Hey, how are you?

It’s what she wanted, but she feels gross and petty and not at all like the adult her legal documents claim she is. Beca groans at the still unanswered text message. It’s dumb how jealous she is—how upset she is over something that might or might not be true. She’s trying her best to move on and to stay friends with Chloe because it’s what Chloe wanted .

It’s what they both wanted.

Before Beca has a chance to say anything, bubbles appear again, indicating that Chloe is typing.

i’m sorry if things are weird, the text reads. is everything okay with us?

Then, beca, please

Beca slowly blinks at the series of words. She feels nothing but tiredness within her. Her eyes are dry.

She falls asleep with her phone in her hand.

— — — — — — — — — —

Aubrey is an unexpected confidante. It does feel a little self-sabotaging considering Aubrey’s relationship with Chloe.

“For what it’s worth, Chloe has told me some things,” Aubrey says carefully. “So I’m not completely in the dark, even if it surprises me that you’re calling me at all.”

“I think that we can be friends,” Beca replies. “We just need some time. Everything is too raw right now.”

Aubrey sighs. “You’re both fools.”

“It’s just...hard to get over her,” Beca admits.

“Why do you have to do that at all?”

The truth is, she doesn't. She's just so used to running—all her life, she only ever ran. Only a select handful of people were willing to give chase.

— — — — — — — — — —

She gives it another week—just a few more days to gather her wits.

Chloe sounds so relieved to hear her voice. It makes Beca feel all kinds of horrible, but Chloe never dwells on that.

And like her body is enjoying playing cruel tricks on her, she dreams of Chloe that night—dreams and remembers what it had been like to hold Chloe close, to kiss her that fateful night before her mind and her heart decided to do the stupid thing and fall in love.

(But that happened long ago, nothing Beca could really do about it now.)

— — — — — — — — — —

April

Being in frequent contact with Chloe again means that Beca knows she’s not really dating anybody even if there is some guy who hangs around her a lot. It’s “super casual” (Chloe’s words) but apparently, he’s a “complete buffoon” (Aubrey’s words), so Beca isn’t quite sure whether she ought to be more supportive or discouraging. In the same vein, through similar channels, Beca knows when the guy isn't really in the picture anymore and she hates how easy it is for her to breathe again.

But Chloe seems happy in general. And coming to terms with the fact that she will always have some unresolved feelings for Chloe Beale...it’s kind of a difficult predicament to be in.

It's not that Beca hasn't been casually seeing people too—she's been on a few dates and only one real hook-up in the past few months, but she hadn't felt much for that person. For any of them really. And she hadn't told Chloe about them, only Amy in passing. Not even Aubrey whom she knows would just pass it on to Chloe.

A part of her almost wants to let Chloe know that she's happy to move on, but it was never really communicated between them that there was anything really to hold on to—at least, not verbally, Beca tells herself.

Beca is just so used to people leaving, it's almost easier to let people realize that she's not worth the trouble than to have them realize it when she's grown too attached. It's fucking depressing, in all honesty, but Beca hates the thought of being left behind. She hates distance and pining and all those things attached to relationships that never end up working out.

Like her parents.

She clenches her fist and attempts to refocus on the track she's meant to be listening to. It's not much of a lead single if it sucks.

"Well?" Jason, her favorite sound engineer asks. "Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?"

Beca glances down at her phone, seeing that a new notification from Chloe is waiting for her.

She forces her thoughts away and shoves her phone into her bag. "Again," she requests. "Play it back."

— — — — — — — — — —

Thought of you today, she writes to Chloe later. This new artist on my label wouldn't shut up about acapella. really took me back.

Chloe's reply is quick. i can be pretty unforgettable like that.

Beca can just see the smile on her face.

— — — — — — — — — —

May

“Are we okay?” Chloe asks.

Phone calls are more regular now. Hearing Chloe's voice is less painful, but it only makes Beca fall for Chloe more with each interaction.

Beca heaves a sigh. “We are,” she answers honestly. “I promise, Chlo.”

"Well, then tell me about your day."

"Tell me about yours," Beca challenges.

And just like that, they're okay again.

It's not the easiest, talking to Chloe like everything's okay, but relearning how to be Chloe's friend above all is Beca's priority and she finds that being in love with Chloe and being her friend don't necessarily have to be at odds with each other.

"I'm happy for you," Beca tells her when Chloe finishes a story. She means it.

— — — — — — — — — —

June

It is amidst a small rant about koalas that Chloe casually drops her birthday plans over the phone to Beca.

“You’re throwing a party?”

“A gathering,” Chloe explains. “For my birthday.”

“So a party.”

“Beca,” Chloe whines.

“Chloe, that’s-” great, wonderful, exciting .

“I was hoping you’d come,” Chloe says before Beca can say anything else like she’s afraid Beca will decline pre-emptively. It’s almost frightening how well Chloe knows Beca, but Beca is a little hurt that Chloe immediately would have jumped to that conclusion.

“Chloe.”

“It would mean a lot to me if you were there,” Chloe continues. Her voice is strained, but soft around the edges.

“Of course I’ll come,” Beca says with a small smile, even if Chloe can’t see it. “Where will it be?”

Chloe clears her throat. “New York. Because it’s easier for me and the girls are pretty close by. And Amy already offered her space.”

Beca tries not to think about what happened the last time she and Chloe were in New York. “That sounds nice.” She hates how it’s not a complete lie. “Send me the details.”

Chloe makes some kind of excited squealing sound that nearly deafens Beca, but she can't help but smile.

— — — — — — — — — —

Her hands are pushed against Chloe’s chest, desperate to hold onto something—similar to how she had kissed Chloe in France. Chloe’s arms are around Beca’s waist and she thinks maybe Chloe has picked her up off the floor, just slightly, but Beca cannot feel much else than the sensation of Chloe’s lips moving against hers and how tightly she is pressed against Chloe's body.

But that is only for a moment. Hands start pulling at Beca’s shirt and suddenly Chloe’s fingers are tracing the skin of her lower back. She whimpers against Chloe’s mouth.

They were supposed to be cleaning up.

This feeling is painfully familiar: Chloe’s kisses send surges of electricity and passion through Beca’s whole body.

It is as if every interaction they’ve had the past year has been leading to this. This—this is everything and Beca feels as if every fragmented piece of her being can finally relax; like every piece of her soul is where it’s meant to be.

“Beca,” Chloe breathes out. She is still kissing her, so it suddenly tastes like tears between their lips and Beca’s not sure which one of them has started to cry, but she can’t stop kissing, can’t stop pulling Chloe closer, always closer.

"I don't know how to be without you," Chloe whispers. "Stop pushing me away." That alone causes a surge of emotion to rise up in Beca's chest and she pushes forward again, this time almost capturing Chloe's mouth, unable to resist even if they're both somehow still crying amidst a small pile of solo cups and garbage bags.

"We're drunk," Beca whispers back. They're not.

"We're not," Chloe murmurs, but she steps back anyway, respectful of Beca's space.

It is when Chloe turns back around, clearly intent on finishing their task that Beca grabs her wrist and pulls her, reminiscent of how Chloe had pulled her all those years ago, into her orbit; how Chloe had pulled her all those months ago into the bathroom into the club.

Chloe's mouth is opening against her own before Beca realizes what she's doing, but she is too powerless to resist.

"I'll stop if you want to stop," Chloe murmurs, her hands already dipping beneath the waistband of Beca's pants.

"We should stop," Beca admits with a broken tone.

— — — — — — — — — —

Chloe has to catch a fairly early train back to Philadelphia, so Beca feigns sleep for a bit, even though she knows it is a fruitless attempt at avoidance. Still, they spent the night together—totally innocent—and Beca didn't combust on the spot, so she considers that a success.

"You're not allowed to avoid me," Chloe whispers, pressing a kiss to Beca's forehead. "I'm calling you the moment I reach my dorm."

— — — — — — — — — —

July

Fourth of July in New York—it is Aubrey’s bright idea and Amy willingly hosts. She somehow now owns two apartments in a nice walk-up. Beca is only mildly envious.

She isn’t really expecting Chloe to gravitate right towards her, but she has been thinking of that kiss (and almost-something-more) at Chloe’s birthday party for the past month . And she’s sure Chloe has as well if the furtive glances she continues to shoot towards Beca are any indication.

(Their phone conversations have been strained, but Chloe is an attentive friend and cares about Beca's wellbeing above all, so she never pushes—has never pushed since they last had a hard conversation after the tour.)

But still, neither makes a move. Beca can see Aubrey glaring at her from across the room.

It isn’t that she and Chloe have been totally distant from each other. Their texts have become more frequent and increasingly flirty in ways that Beca had missed. After the USO tour, she wasn’t sure she’d ever interact like that with Chloe again.

But their lives have kind of evened out. Chloe is pretty much done with the first year of veterinary school and Beca’s almost done with her album. It’s weird to see her face on magazine covers and to have to engage in interviews, but it’s pretty worthwhile having Chloe send her excited text messages and photos of magazines whenever she spots Beca’s face.

The miss yous and heart emojis are a nice touch.

Beca nearly drops her phone when she hears the unmistakable clang of somebody climbing down the fire-escape steps. Glancing up, she catches the barest hint of familiar red hair and torn jeans.

Briefly, Beca wonders who she pissed off in a past life.

“There you are,” Chloe says brightly, once her feet touch the ground. She sways a little and Beca immediately stands to help her right herself, lest she topple right over the edge of the railing. Chloe heaves a breath and smiles gratefully at Beca.

Beca frowns, taking in the flush on Chloe’s face and the way her eyes shine brightly.

“Can you just...be careful? What if you hurt yourself?” Beca asks before she can stop herself. She sighs, running her hand over her face as Chloe makes herself comfortable.

“I was looking for you,” Chloe replies, a little petulantly. She pushes her forehead against Beca’s shoulder in an attempt to nudge her. The touch alone makes Beca nearly recoil completely. “Why have you been avoiding me?” Chloe continues, voice muffled against Beca’s jacket. Whether she means over the past few hours or over the past four weeks, she doesn’t clarify, so Beca doesn’t offer a response.

Beca wants to laugh, however. Her brain isn’t working quite at full speed at the moment, because of the double hit of intoxication - both alcohol and Chloe Beale have similar effects on her. Willing herself not to snap at Chloe, she inhales sharply, trying to ignore the way Chloe’s breath feels against her neck. How Chloe’s breath smells a little like her favourite red wine.

Speaking of–

Beca glances at the wine bottle in Chloe’s hand. “You swiped that from the party?”

Chloe seems to brighten upon noticing that Beca is engaging with her in conversation. “Yeah! Want some?”

It is somehow so familiar and so devastatingly Chloe that Beca’s chest aches for a few moments as she takes in the graceful tilt of Chloe’s neck and the high flush on her cheeks.

The attraction reverberates through Beca like a persistent ache.

She isn’t sure what she is meant to say to Chloe. Not when all this air hangs in between them. The air is thick, rife with all the things that remain unspoken.

This uncharted territory is anxiety-inducing for Beca – perhaps for them both. Chloe for all her confidence and charm is surprisingly shy and insecure – a fact Beca came to know with time during their romance and even further back, their friendship. So now, Beca is keenly aware of how Chloe’s foot taps out a nervous little rhythm from where she sits beside Beca, both of them leaning back as comfortably as they can.

“Why have you been avoiding me?” Chloe asks again, softer and less accusatory. “And not just now . Since—” her voice wavers. “Since Europe. The tour. Since my birthday. Since always.”

“Chloe,” Beca says, sharper than she originally intends. She leans back, resting her head against brick. Good, she thinks, hoping against hope that her brain connects with her mouth and leaves her heart out of the equation. Beca takes the chance to look at Chloe then, wondering if there are parts of Chloe that she doesn’t know—if there are things that Chloe holds close to herself, like secrets that Beca will never get the chance to know.

Chloe looks like she might say something, so Beca holds her breath, waiting for the onslaught of ash and tainted air. Instead, Chloe’s brow furrows and she takes another swig of wine straight from the bottle—a long one—before she offers the bottle to Beca, eyebrow raised expectantly.

Beca accepts.

— — — — — — — — — —

It doesn’t take long at all. Chloe’s is hot against her neck, from where Chloe has turned her face and her lips brush ever so slightly against Beca’s skin. July in New York means the weather is hot, but that is nothing compared to the heat that spreads from the wet, open-mouthed kiss Chloe places against Beca’s neck.

Beca turns more fully to face Chloe—to question her, really—but she finds her own body automatically reacting to Chloe’s proximity. Her hands are cupping Chloe’s cheeks before she realizes what is happening.

“Please,” Chloe murmurs against her mouth.

Beca was always rotten at saying no to Chloe.

And like clockwork, Beca’s heart pounds erratically when Chloe’s eyes fix on her—when Chloe locks her gaze on Beca with intent and purpose.

“Fuck it,” Beca mumbles.

— — — — — — — — — —

Beca thinks she whispers “I love you” into Chloe’s ear.

She thinks it might be between orgasms - between their attempt to move to the bed and Chloe shoving her against the door of Amy's guest bedroom. Together, they maneuvered past countless bodies, ignoring anybody who tried to speak to them. Give me this one night, Beca thinks desperately.

She feels it so deeply and knows it to be so true and honest - the fact that she loves Chloe Beale with everything in her even if the way they’re fucking each other might kill them both.

She loves Chloe and she can’t hide it because it hurts too much. She never should have tried to hide it.

All at once, memories from the year before come crashing back, slamming down walls Beca thought she fortified.

— — — — — — — — — —

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted this?” Beca asks. Demands. She feels hot and angry and upset all at once, watching Chloe make her way slowly across the room. Away from her. Defensiveness is her go-to in moments like this because it feels like too much at once.

At that, Chloe turns around, her own eyes alight with something almost unrecognizable. “Do you know how long I wanted this from you, Beca? How long I waited and waited until it—”

Beca’s heart pounds. “Until what,” she repeats, a little hollowly. “You waited until the last possible second?”

“Ask me to stay,” Chloe says instead. “Tell me you want me to stay and you want me. That you’ll still want me while you’re in L.A. and I’m holed up in Philly. I’ll stay with you. Wherever you go.”

“You can’t stay,” Beca says weakly even though what Chloe asks of her isn't completely off-base. “Chloe, what the fu—Chlo,” she tries desperately. “I would never ask you to stay. I would never stop you from…” she gestures vaguely. “Vet school,” she says half-heartedly.

“That’s crap and you know it. Tell me to stay.”

She doesn't. She can't.

— — — — — — — — — —

She doesn't tell Chloe to stay, but it isn't her fault, not entirely. It's kind of hard with Aubrey banging on the door and demanding that they make themselves available for fireworks.

Beca catches a hint of a smile on Chloe's face.

(It ends up being the inspiration she needs to really finish up her album. She doesn't want to dwell on the past.)

— — — — — — — — — —

August

It’s Amy’s birthday (supposedly), so Beca can’t really find an excuse not to come. She’s trying to be a better friend and all.

And Chloe is Chloe, so she’s one of the first people to hit “attending”.

It is inevitable that their paths would cross again, sharing the same friend group. It takes everything in Beca to muster up the willpower to drag herself out of her temporary New York apartment—her new summer digs and all—and over to Amy’s apartment, which happens to be in the same building. Walking up a couple flights of stairs has never been a more nerve-wracking activity.

Beca immediately makes her way over to the laptop in the corner, taking in the songs Amy has lined up on her playlist. She fiddles with the order a little, glancing up a few times to take stock of the room.

“She’s not here yet,” comes Amy’s clear voice.

Beca jumps, nearly knocking the laptop clean off the shelf. “Amy,” she greets. “I was uh…looking for you. Happy birthday!” she exclaims, injecting real cheer in her voice before pulling Amy in for a hug.

“Thank you,” Amy replies brightly, though her tone does nothing to belie the suspicion. Beca tries to ignore the suspicion in Amy’s eyes. Most of the Bellas know that Beca and Chloe had a falling out, but they don’t know the extent, which, well…Beca supposes that’s the whole point of a secret fling.

Beca swallows and steadies herself before she manages to lift her eyes to look at Amy once more. “Drinks?” she requests finally, hoping the rasp in her voice stays out.

“Sure, right this way, my little DJ.” Amy wraps a firm arm around her and suddenly Beca is being very nearly hoisted through the crowd. “You got the playlist I sent you right?”

“Yes, I’m confused as to why you sent to me though.”

“Aren’t you DJ-ing my party?” Amy asks, mild confusion coloring her tone.

“I guess I am now,” Beca says after a moment. She’s not exactly going to pass up the opportunity to drink in the corner while staring at a long list of music and shuffling songs out of order.

“Not too famous yet, huh?” Amy jokes.

“Nope,” Beca says quickly, refocusing on Amy’s laptop.

Especially when the alternative is to stare at a certain somebody from across the room with incomparable longing.

— — — — — — — — — —

Chloe’s eyes meet hers from across the room and like a sharp bolt of lightning, Beca finds herself as stiff as a board because Chloe still has that effect on her. Especially with the sharp, vivid memory of Chloe’s lips against her own; Chloe’s hands on her body. Her body tenses even more when she realizes Chloe is making her way towards her. Beca attempts to pretend as if she hadn’t been staring at Chloe for the better part of the evening.

Beca has zero idea how Chloe plans to manage their newfound friendship now with all their history between them. Even now, with Chloe looking at her with bright blue eyes—open and filled with emotion—Beca can’t help but have very…decidedly not friendly thoughts about the woman standing in front of her. Philadelphia has evidently been kind to Chloe, kinder than Chloe’s social media posts have let on. Her hair is longer and her cheeks are just a bit rosier, but eyes are the brightest Beca has ever seen.

So she makes her way out onto the fire escape and climbs down to her own apartment, breathing a sigh of relief at the instant solitude she feels.

“Hi,” Chloe greets from above, having followed Beca like she anticipated.

Beca glances up quickly. "Hey," she replies, willing her racing heart to calm down. Chloe makes quick work of the steps and is soon standing next to Beca.

Chloe looks like she is about to step forward into Beca’s space for a quick moment—a quick moment like so many before—and Beca’s body just reacts . Her skin starts to tingle, her lips part and her mouth dries, and every single body seems to light aflame. Her hands twitch by her sides because every last instinct wants her to move forward; wants her to push into Chloe’s body; wants her to put their lips together.

It feels like a craving at least—a desperate need to fill something that has remained empty for too long. Her emotional reserves are plentiful and her body aches to remind both herself and Chloe of what they had.

(One month apart is entirely too long.)

From the way Chloe continues to gaze at her as the silence expands between them, Beca thinks maybe kissing her wouldn’t be a completely horrible idea.

The clang of the bottle against the fire escape startles Beca but before she can say anything or ask Chloe anything, Chloe all but has her pressed against the hard brick exterior of the building and her lips are sliding sloppily against Beca’s like the last few weeks never happened—like they spent no time apart at all.

Beca’s hands automatically grip Chloe’s hips as best as she can, twisting her body to face Chloe more fully. Chloe hums quietly into their kiss - a sound Beca has missed so terribly. It sends both a jolt of sadness and arousal through Beca, forcing her to tighten her grip in the fabric of Chloe’s shirt.

A part of her desperately believes they should stop—that this is wholly inappropriate considering the delicate balance of emotions they’ve struck up between them since that last night in France. Since that last night in June. All the months before.

(But in France, that first time will always remain a pivotal moment—Beca slides her hand down Chloe’s side reverently, wonder in her eyes. She memorizes and memorizes, in awe of each touch and each sound. Everything is new and passionate, burning brightly like the embers of what could be a new love.

And she knows Chloe feels the same.)

But Beca craves this from Chloe - the affection, the touch - the passion.

Leaning further into the kiss, Beca can taste the alcohol on Chloe’s tongue - a hint of tequila and lime, red wine, and perhaps more. Beca wonders what her own tongue tastes like - wonders if Chloe likes the way she tastes still.

Assaulted by the myriad of thoughts that threaten to overtake her, Beca is overwhelmed simultaneously by Chloe’s tongue and her hands roaming freely across Beca’s body.

It’s quick, the way Chloe’s fingers deftly unbutton Beca’s jeans. Beca is suddenly conscious with the rough brick behind her head.

“Should we…” Beca clears her throat and tries to focus because Chloe’s lips are molten against her skin.

“Should we…” Chloe echoes softly, tilting her head back up to press her nose against Beca’s jaw. “I want you,” she whispers, reassurance in her voice, like she worried briefly that Beca was concerned at all about whether Chloe still desired her.

...she had been a little concerned, maybe.

Beca can only nod against the onslaught of feelings and sensation, opting to chase Chloe’s mouth with her own. She soaks through her underwear at the feeling of Chloe’s fingers skimming along the skin of her hip.

Chloe touches her surely and boldly, even though Beca thinks they absolutely shouldn’t be doing this in full view of a public street. Yet, for once, the streets are quiet and only the sounds of Amy’s party echo from above them. Everybody is involved in their own lives—their their own parties. Nobody is looking up. All Beca knows—all she can feel is the sure, steady glide of Chloe’s fingers against the front of her underwear. She barely resists from taking Chloe’s hand and shoving it straight into her underwear, but even if she wanted to do so, her body is rendered immobile for the time being.

Chloe has that effect on her: the effect of being rendered completely helpless because all she wants to do is give herself to Chloe over and over again, even if her heart cries out for some relief.

Beca thinks she curses or at least that something escapes her, but Chloe’s fingers are persistently rubbing at her clit through her underwear and her mouth is latched onto Beca’s jaw.

It’s hard to think, not while Chloe’s fingers hold no rhythm of their own. They bump and push at Beca’s clit in time with the hot pulse between her legs – like Chloe knows enough about Beca’s body to intuitively feel out how close Beca is to her orgasm already.

(Kissing Chloe always was enough to bring her simultaneous ecstasy and joy.)

Chloe’s breath catches occasionally, when her fingers slip down – down to slowly rub and drag Beca’s ruined underwear between her distinctly swollen folds. Her hips buck up and she briefly wonders what would happen if they happened to fall to their death.

She can’t process much else because she’s clamping her own hand between her legs, stilling Chloe’s hand. She just needs Chloe to stay – to stop for a moment because it feels too good and she wants it to last –

Beca’s not sure how long the ache between her legs lasts, but before long she’s coming apart in Chloe’s arms, eyes nearly crossing from the white-hot pleasure that rushes through her. Her clit throbs and licks against the fabric of her now embarrassingly damp underwear.

“I— fuck ,” she breathes out, trying to get something articulate to leave her lips, but Chloe’s hand, still warm and wet, finds its way to her jaw and grips it tightly enough that Beca’s eyes fly open, only to see the fresh desire in Chloe’s eyes.

“I want you,” Chloe mumbles again, leaning in to kiss Beca so thoroughly and steadily that Beca almost forgets they’re drunk. Almost forgets that they’re on the fire escape of her shoddy rented New York apartment because she lives there (because she had jumped at the chance to live there because it brought her thousands of miles closer to Chloe Beale) with her pants partway down her thighs. Almost forgets how uncomfortably wet her underwear is. She jolts, her thigh brushing against the cold leather of couch. “So much,” Chloe continues, voice strained and desperate.

“I want you, too,” Beca chokes out, between kisses. Chloe’s death grip on her jaw loosens and they’re collapsing back into each other, a collision of alcohol-warmed bodies, fuelled by the pain of missing each other to the point of devastating heartbreak.

It’s not a lie. She wants Chloe to the point of frustration. Frustration with herself, frustration with everything about their situation.

And yet, she can’t help herself from sinking into Chloe’s kiss, her familiar touch, her familiar nips and bites across her skin.

“In-inside,” Beca manages to say between Chloe’s increasingly frenzied kisses. “We should go-“ She barely manages to halt Chloe’s hand from sliding back between her legs. Instead, she intertwines their fingers, tries to slow down. “We should go inside,” she manages to clarify.

Chloe pants out against her mouth and nods so slightly that Beca almost misses it. She only feels the barest brush of Chloe’s lips against her own - the marker of Chloe’s nod - before she’s drunkenly pulling Chloe inside the room. Chloe has the sense of mind to grab the mostly empty wine bottle. She drops it on one of Beca’s side tables and they barely make it over the couch before they’re a mess of limbs and badly-aimed kisses. Beca’s back hits the couch, but only barely and they’re both kind of collapsing onto the ground with soft thumps.

Beca fumbles with Chloe’s hair and clothes in a scramble to push up off the ground. “Bed,” she tries to say, but Chloe’s lips are forceful and passionate. Instead, Beca’s sure she only manages to make some kind of garbled moan because Chloe’s fingers are pinching insistently at her nipple and Chloe’s lips are latched onto her neck.

Before Beca can do much else, Chloe is pushing herself off Beca’s upper body, breathing heavily. Beca can make out the desire in Chloe’s eyes. She can also make out the smudge of Chloe’s lipstick and the swell of her lips. She opens her mouth to tell Chloe how pretty she is, but she halts, watching Chloe’s hands tremble as they pull her pretty blue shirt over her head. Beca swallows, leaning up on her elbow to watch Chloe’s progress. Chloe pulls her jeans down, lifting off Beca momentarily to do so. It’s less graceful than either of them anticipates because she very nearly rolls off Beca to do so, kicking at her legs in a desperate attempt to remove her clothing.

Beca reaches (eagerly) for the elastic of Chloe’s underwear, desperate to see all of her again - desperate to relearn Chloe’s body. To her surprise, Chloe bats her hands away and moves to pull down Beca’s already unbuttoned pants all the way. Beca bites her lip and sits up further to help Chloe by pulling off her own t-shirt, tossing it somewhere behind her. She doesn’t remember taking off her jacket, but she’s sure she had it on earlier. Nothing matters, however, because Chloe is draping herself back over Beca’s body, tangling one hand firmly into Beca’s hair and letting the other grip Beca’s hip with almost bruising pressure.

Beca wonders if there’s anything new about Chloe’s body – if there’s anything new about the curves and lines and everything in between – based on the time they’ve spent apart.

Beca moans into the kiss, desperate to feel more of Chloe. She fumbles under Chloe’s bra, trying to find purchase on Chloe’s breasts, squeezing the flesh as best as she can. Chloe’s nipples are hard against her palm and she presses, almost giddy of the familiar feeling (and of the knowledge that she fully manages to incite this reaction in Chloe Beale, still. She craves the feeling of skin against skin, but before she can do anything (not that she could say anything with Chloe’s tongue in her mouth), Chloe is grabbing her wrists and unceremoniously shoving her arms above her head.

“Me first,” Chloe mumbles, eyes nearly crossing as she leans back down towards Beca’s face. Their eyes meet; their breaths intertwine.

Beca can only nod.

— — — — — — — — — —

The rest of the night passes in a series of heated, passionate moments.

Chloe’s thumb is perfectly pressed against Beca’s clit through her underwear, while the rest of her hand is splayed out against the front of the lace. Occasionally her nails scratch at the lace, but Beca can barely feel all of that compared to the sensation of how wet Chloe is against her thigh. Chloe bites her lip, grinding down hard against Beca’s thigh while also using her own thigh to press against Beca through her underwear. With her other hand holding Beca’s thigh up and helping her leg wrap around her hip, Beca can very nearly almost feel Chloe’s pussy grinding against hers, with each upwards brush.

“Please,” she chokes out. “Chlo-”

Chloe’s eyes flash and suddenly she disappears. Beca cries out at the loss and tries to sit up.

In her haze—her Chloe-induced haze—she briefly registers the loss of warmth, before her legs are being pushed apart and suddenly Chloe is staring back at her from between her legs. The sight makes Beca collapse back and she only just drapes her arm over her eyes when Chloe licks her right through the goddamned ruined lace.

It’s a special brand of torture, feeling Chloe’s tongue nudge and prod at her through the lace. She’s soaking through the underwear anyway - she’s sure it clings to her like a second skin. The lace is rough against her – so rough and persistent. She swells with pleasure, trying to squirm up against Chloe’s mouth. Trying to get Chloe to slip beneath her underwear.

She just wants Chloe’s tongue inside her - she just wants Chloe to fuck her like she did before, that night when everything screamed of potential and before Beca had been too scared and wasted it all away.

Instead, Chloe is sucking her clit through the lace, the duality of how wet the material feels and yet how distinct it feels makes Beca’s entire body buck up and into Chloe’s face again . Every sensation renews the sheer lust she feels, building and building until she can’t stand it any longer. She immediately yanks on Chloe’s hair, unsure of when her hands even found their way into Chloe’s hair.

Chloe concedes and lifts herself back up. Her body covers Beca with heat and endlessly soft skin while Beca awaits the return of Chloe’s lips to her own.

When presented with Chloe’s mouth, she holds Chloe’s face close and licks her tongue into Chloe’s mouth as best as she can, tasting the bits of herself that she left behind.

In her haze – somewhere between alcohol and lust – she thinks she hears Chloe’s moan; she thinks she feels the way it reverberates through her body and settles somewhere at the back of her mind. She desperately tries to cling on to each memory as it passes through her with each swipe of Chloe’s tongue; with each harsh suck.

Then, a sigh against her inner thigh and Chloe's ministrations are slowing to stop. "I love you," she whispers, so softly that Beca nearly misses it.

But then she can't do much else than gasp for breath and stare at the plain, white ceiling.

I love you, too.

— — — — — — — — — —

"Stay," Beca murmurs, pulling Chloe's arm as she moves to leave the warmth of her bed. "You can stay for one more night, right?"

Chloe pauses and turns, her eyes the softest Beca has ever seen them. "I can stay as long as you want me to."

Beca smiles, her vision blurry with unexpected tears. "I've only ever wanted you to stay with me. I was just stupid about it for too long."

"I can do that," Chloe promises. She cups Beca's cheek, but makes no move to wipe away her tears. "I'll do that for as long as you need."

And that means the world, for there was a time where Beca thought she had exhausted all of Chloe's time. But, as with most things, Beca learns how wrong she was.

— — — — — — — — — —

September

Beca is mildly uncomfortable when she wakes up.

...For many reasons, though she assesses that the primary reason appears to be that she’s sleeping on a cheap mattress and her arm is trapped under Chloe’s body. Grimacing, she attempts to roll her shoulders a bit, but winces when that action causes a twinge of pain.

Twisting her head, she catches sight of a tangle of red curls and the smooth, gently freckled back she had come to know so intimately.

Her heart thuds in her chest, as she twists her body in an attempt to gently extricate her arm from under Chloe’s side. Chloe is breathing steadily and slowly, an indication that she is still asleep.

She wonders if Chloe dreams of her still, like Beca does; if Chloe dreams of all the things they could do in the future–

(How close that all came to being could have done; how close that came to being would have done. )

Beca pauses in her maneuvering to reach out with her free hand to trace the gentle red lines across Chloe’s back - the remaining marks of Beca’s fingers scratching down the smooth expanse of skin the previous night. The echo of Chloe’s breath hot against her ear and the grip she had maintained on Beca’s thighs rise to the surface, but Beca tamps them down, almost lazily.

She just wants to be.

Sighing, Beca turns to cuddle into Chloe’s back fully, basking in the warmth she receives from how close she feels to Chloe at that moment. She tucks herself close, brings her arms up against the smooth skin of Chloe’s back.

Warmth finally fills her chest.

— — — — — — — — — —

When Beca wakes up again, her lips are pressed loosely to Chloe’s shoulder, both of them still in the same position, though this time Chloe has Beca’s hand in a death-grip and pressed tightly against her chest as she slumbers.

Tentatively, Beca curls her fingers, blinking awake when their fingers neatly intertwine, settling against each other neatly and perfectly.

Without thinking, she kisses a trail up Chloe’s shoulder and leans up so she can press a gentle kiss against Chloe’s neck, warm from the ray of sunshine that comes through Beca’s window. It must be mid-day or at least late morning.

Chloe’s body stiffens as she awakens, but Beca isn’t afraid. “Mm,” Chloe moans out. “It’s too early, baby. Go back to sleep and stay in bed with me.”

Beca smiles into the curve of Chloe’s shoulder. “Gladly.”

— — — — — — — — — —

October

“Do we need to book a ticket for your girlfriend?” Theo asks her offhandedly while they’re planning her agenda for the next few months until the end of the year.

Beca is startled. “Girlfriend,” she echoes.

“Yeah. Chloe, right? Red hair. Taller than you, but not by much.”

“Yeah, no—that’s her. It’s just.” A slow smile spreads across Beca’s face. “She is my girlfriend, huh?”

Theo doesn’t bother responding to that. “Okay so I’m just gonna set aside a ticket for her and she can call me to set up flight details if she wants. You can call me later.”

Beca hangs up with a smile on her face.

Chloe exists her ensuite bathroom, drying her hair. “Who was that?”

Beca stands, reaching out to take Chloe’s towel so she can dry her hair for her. “Just Theo being nosy and asking questions about my girlfriend.”

Chloe grins. "And who might that be?"

"Maybe the person who bought these ridiculous matching costumes for a party we really don't have to go to."

— — — — — — — — — —

November

"My dad's like...super happy I'm dating you," Beca says, going for casual. "So would you like to spend Thanksgiving with my family this year?"

The way Chloe tears up and nods enthusiastically is anything but casual.

— — — — — — — — — —

December

They’re snowed in, but Beca isn’t complaining.

“What if you’d met somebody last year?” Chloe asks. “And then we tried that whole being friends thing. Which totally didn’t work, by the way.” She kisses Beca’s neck. “You’re still one of my best friends though.”

"There was like one person," Beca murmurs. "But nothing."

Beca had thought about from time to time. There would be people who caught her eye during that period when she and Chloe weren’t really anything. Before they’d kissed again. She imagined having to tell Chloe she was seeing somebody, the same way Chloe had kind of told her about that kind-of-sort-of-not fling. She wondered what it would have felt like—to be able to have another option. “I guess you wouldn’t have been trying to kiss me all the time,” Beca sighs.

Chloe sighs as well, with some amount of exaggeration. “Bummer.”

“I'd feel bad for them, though,” Beca says, keeping a straight face.

Chloe looks up, alarmed. “Why?”

“Because they’d have to compete with you,” Beca says and she finally cracks a smile. But she isn't laughing or making light of the situation. Just amazed that she's there at all, with Chloe tucked into her side.

Chloe doesn’t reply, but she does gently tilt her head up and kiss Beca’s chin, before maneuvering ever so slightly so she can reach Beca’s lips.

It relaxes all the muscles in Beca’s body and she lets herself get pushed back into their pillows, the solid weight of Chloe’s body gently covering her own.

Beca relishes in the strong pull of Chloe’s fingers and the confidence of her lips as they work their way down Beca’s body with stark familiarity.

Their conversation is forgotten as together, they ring in the new year.

fin.

#bechloe #pitch perfect #fanfiction #beca mitchell #chloe beale #my fanfic #mine #queue

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tmhcharlie · 4 years

Text

another traitor theory post

Alright, I know by now that the traitor theory is old news in this fandom, but I don’t believe we’ve seen the last of this plot point. I was discussing this theory with a mutual last night, and I decided to compile my evidence and my thoughts into one post. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

For starters, let’s talk about the reason why Present Mic brought up the theory to begin with, and what can be deduced from that. Present Mic presents his theory of a traitor among those at UA after Bakugou is taken from the summer training camp, a camp only select staff and students knew the location of. From there, we can obviously gather that the traitor had to be either in Class 1-A or 1-B, or among the staff who were privy to this location. However, the League didn’t only attack at the summer camp; they also attacked at the USJ, precisely when Class 1-A was in the building. Now, it’d be one thing to attack randomly in the middle of training, but the League arrived exactly when Class 1-A showed up. From here, we can glean that the traitor can only be a member of Class 1-A or Aizawa, since the League had such intimate knowledge of their arrival and planned lesson at the USJ.

Furthermore, the League seemed to know about Yaoyorozu’s Noumu tracker, which only certain members of Class 1-A and one member of Class 1-B knew about, as well as the pro heroes involved in the hideout raid. However, only a very select amount of teachers and pro heroes knew the location of the training camp, as well as the schedule the students kept to during the camp. The fact that the Vanguard Action Squad attacked on the one night students would be spread thin throughout the forest doesn’t indicate a coincidence; it seems more likely that the traitor told the squad when to strike. This indicates that the traitor, if it’s a pro hero, can only be Aizawa, Vlad King, or one of the Wild, Wild Pussycats. As stated previously, the traitor can’t be Vlad King or one of the Pussycats because of the timing of the USJ attack. However, it’s highly unlikely that the traitor is Aizawa, as he almost died during the USJ attack and it would be unwise for the League to risk killing its informant. Thus, we can narrow down the suspect list to a much smaller pool: the traitor can only be one of the students present in Midoriya’s hospital room when Yaoyorozu confessed to planting the tracker.

This automatically eliminates Bakugou, Hagakure, and Jirou, as the girls were unconscious at the time of the confession and Bakugou was with the League by this point. This also further cements the fact that the traitor can’t be another staff member or pro hero, as all of them were too busy plotting Bakugou’s rescue to possibly listen in on what the students were discussing.

This finally leaves us with: Aoyama, Ashido, Asui, Iida, Kaminari, Kirishima, Kouda, Midoriya, Mineta, Ojiro, Satou, Sero, Shouji, Todoroki, Tokoyami, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu.

If we’re looking at this from a narrative standpoint, we can easily rule out several characters, including Ashido, Kaminari, Kouda, Mineta, Ojiro, Satou, Sero, and Shouji. These characters can be ruled out because all of them are side characters at best, and therefore do not have enough development or significance to play such a large role in this plot point. They’re also not close enough to Midoriya, our protagonist, to truly be considered important characters. The traitor, from a narrative standpoint, must have a significant connection with not only the main character but the readers as well, and therefore must be a well-developed and well-rounded character. However, all of the characters I’ve just listed are not nearly as developed as other characters like Uraraka or Todoroki, and therefore aren’t as easy to connect with for the reader. This can also be applied to all of the pro heroes, excluding Aizawa and All Might.

Also coming from a narrative standpoint, we can rule out Midoriya. When Midoriya started this story, he started it by declaring that this is the story of how he became the #1 hero, already aligning himself with the good side for the duration of the storyline. Not to mention, we spend too much time operating through Midoriya’s point of view for Horikoshi to be able to hide the fact that Midoriya is in cahoots with the League of Villains.

Now back to the in-world evidence. The League knew about the summer camp’s location, and they knew about the tracker, demonstrating that whoever the informant is, they have an easy means of communication, as all of the events happened in a fairly short time span. However, one thing the League didn’t seem to account for was the group of five who staged a rescue for Bakugou: Todoroki, Iida, Midoriya, Kirishima, and Yaoyorozu. This indicates that the traitor is not among this group, as we’ve already seen that the traitor does have an easy way to communicate with the League and would’ve been able to discreetly tip them off about the rescue attempt.

Now our list is getting much smaller . The only possible suspects for the traitor at this point are: Aoyama, Asui, Tokoyami, or Uraraka.

Aoyama is almost definitely not the traitor, and for proof I will once again cite the summer training camp arc. When the attack has come to a head and Compress and Dabi have Bakugou and Tokoyami while the students are helpless, Aoyama is disguised in the bushes. So disguised, in fact, that nobody actually knows he’s there. Not the students, not the villains. But still, Aoyama overcomes his fear and shoots a laser at Compress, temporarily delaying the mission’s success. Tell me: If Aoyama was the traitor, and nobody knew he was there, why would he reveal himself only to jeopardize a mission he undoubtedly helped to orchestrate?

I believe Asui can be ruled out as well, simply because while she is one of Midoriya’s closer friends and she is frequently shown in the manga and anime, she’s never truly been given her own arc or time to develop. There’s also no real evidence supporting the fact that she’s the traitor; she has no clear motive, and there’s nothing in the story to indicate this is even a possibility for her character. From a narrative standpoint, this would make her a poor culprit, as it just wouldn’t make sense. A reveal as heavy as a traitor among Midoriya’s friends and classmates would take seeds sown far in advance (as in, before Present Mic even said that there might be a traitor) in order for it to be a quality reveal and pay-off.

Finally, this leaves us with only two possibilities: Uraraka and Tokoyami.

First, let’s talk about reasons why Uraraka being the traitor makes sense. The biggest reason is that she has motive. During the Sports Festival, Uraraka revealed that the whole reason she wants to be a hero is for money, so that she can support her parents. However, being a hero is not the only way to make money, and I’d imagine that a school as high-end as UA would have a costly tuition, thanks to all of the included amenities (hero costumes, shuttle service to places like the USJ, extravagant training grounds on campus, and cafeteria food, just to name a few). It’s not impossible to believe that young Uraraka met up with a villain who promised her money, if she only infiltrated the heroes for them. From a narrative standpoint, Uraraka makes the most sense as being the traitor, as it’s undeniable that she is Midoriya’s best friend. Even if she doesn’t get as much screen time as Todoroki or Bakugou, she’s still a very important character. Hell, without her, Midoriya would’ve died during the entrance exam and this whole story wouldn’t exist. An important, central character like Uraraka who isn’t necessarily always in the spotlight and under scrutiny would make for the perfect traitor.

The final character to discuss is Tokoyami. While Tokoyami isn’t as central as Uraraka and doesn’t have quite as much development, he does come into the spotlight every once in a while, despite not being incredibly close to Midoriya. In addition, while he doesn’t have a clear motive, there is at least one instance in the story that might point to him being the traitor. Allow me to paint you a picture: The League of Villains has an informant who’s been helping them all year long in their goal to defeat All Might and take down hero society. The informant knows that UA staff and pro heroes aren’t naive, and will start to make connections and suspect a traitor among UA. Class 1-A will immediately be under scrutiny, as they are the newest batch of people and haven’t earned everyone’s trust yet, and it’s undeniable that the League always seems to arrive when Class 1-A is present. Thus, the informant plans with the League for the Vanguard Action Squad to take not one but two “victims” from the summer training camp, providing the informant with the perfect escape without anyone every finding out the truth. And isn’t it odd that Compress seemingly randomly decides to take Tokoyami as well? If the Vanguard Action Squad is supposedly so prepared, why would Compress (arguably one of the most level-headed members of the squad) so randomly risk the mission by taking another student? Unless, of course, it was never random at all, and Tokoyami had always been the informant.

In the end, we won’t know for sure until Horikoshi reveals it himself, but it’s fun to theorize! Personally, I believe the traitor to be either Uraraka or Tokoyami.

#bnha traitor theory #bnha #boku no hero academia #mha #my hero academia #tokoyami fumikage #uraraka ochako

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pinkestwrites · 4 years

Text

A Wolf For Christmas

Jinyoung wolf AU

Jinyoung is used to funny smells. As a werewolf, it's common for him to pick up on strong scents throughout the day. But this—this is overpowering. It surrounds him, leaving him no room to breathe anything else. He has to leave his spot in the back aisle and see just what is producing this harassing smell. He frowns, realizing it's a little girl. The child is squatting in the kid's area of his section of the store, reading the Little Red Riding Hood all by herself.

"Are you supposed to be alone?" he questions, trying to be firm but not scare her.

The little girl looks guilty as she stares up at him. "No," she sighs in defeat. "Please don't call my mom!" she shouts at him, pouting extra hard to help her case.

Jinyoung smiles to himself. Any other day and he would have caved. This was the book section of the store and he was definitely adamant about children needing to read more, but that scent was driving him crazy. It's not coming from her, just lingering around her, so he has to meet the parents of whoever this kid is.

"Sorry," he tells her, extending his hand out to help her to her feet. "You can't just wander around alone."

She takes his hand, but sends him a glare. He admired how adorably fierce she was. "Don't look so gloomy," he counters. "if your mom allows it, you can stay here." Her face lights up at his words and she practically drags him in the correct direction.

Jinyoung should have expected to be brought to women's clothing. At least once every few hours someone loses their child from not paying attention. While the department store wasn't known for much, they did have a large selection of trendy clothes they were known for carrying.

Upon entering the section, he hears his shift manager scolding someone in the distance. "Mom!" the little girl shouts as she drops Jinyoung's hand. His eyes widen when he realizes it's her mom who's being scolded. Jaebum, looks annoyed, but leaves without saying another word.

The smell stops him in his tracks. It's sweet, but not sickly so. It's soft and teasing, even at full force. He's drawn back to reality when the little girl is pointing at him, dragging her mother his way.

"I'm so sorry," the mother immediately apologizes. "I only had my back to her for a second!"

He shakes his head—both to clear his mind and dismiss her apology. "It's fine," he gets out, voice shaking. "I know how sneaky little ones sometimes get."

She snorts. "Sometimes?"

Jinyoung lets out a nervous laugh, not sure how to follow. His eyes instead take in her form, it's then he notices she's dressed in the required uniform. "You work here?"

She nods, "Women's wear."

It all makes sense then. While working, of course she would easily lose her kid. He wants to question further, but if Jaebum had no problem with her bringing her kid to work, he wouldn't question it.

For now, his mind is telling him to get away. He still had to finish his shift, it wouldn't go well if he continued to linger around in this scent. Distracted didn't quite cover how he felt. He gives her a little nod before turning on his heel.

"Wait!"

Startled by her sudden shout, he whips around.

"You forgot this book," she tells him, pulling the book out her daughter's hand, despite the fight she put up. Just from that action alone he knew the little girl would not be visiting him again.

He puts up a hand to stop her. "She can keep it," he tells her.

The mother shakes her head, and bits her lip, hesitating. "I can't afford it."

Jinyoung solemnly nods. "It's on me."

** "Go on break," Jaebum barks at him as he's passing through. Jinyoung sighs, Jaebum's ever the cold leader, but he doesn't need to be told twice.

Grabbing his lunch from the staff lounge, he heads outside to find a quiet spot to eat. He doesn't get very far when he catches that scent again. He hates how his eyes snap to the direction of the mother and daughter from earlier with such ease. Figuring he can't escape, he might as well join them.

"Hello again," he greets them as he plops down on the bench opposite them.

"Hi!" the daughter easily greets him, but the mom, rightfully so, looks at him suspiciously. After, he assumed, she'd determined he was okay, she says hello back.

He sees they are eating as well, though the daughter still seems absorbed in the book. "Enjoying your book?" he questions.

The mother blushes and can't quite look him in the eye. "Thank you for that," she admits. "and yes, she's obsessed with this story."

"Nothing wrong with that." The wolf in him even feels proud.

She stopped mid-motion to give him a look that says 'what’s wrong with you'. "It's too morbid for her age."

Jinyoung shoots her a skeptical look back. "Morbid? Little Red Riding Hood gets saved in the end."

The mother just shakes her head like it's a lost cause trying to further talk to him. "But it talks about the wolf eating everyone."

Jinyoung rolls his eyes now. It's s child's book, not like they go into detail. "Should I have given her The Three Little Pigs instead?" he sarcastically replies.

Despite having just taken a bite the mom says, "Yes!" and nods ever vigorously.

Finally it's the daughter's turn to voice her opinion. "Mom, you're so boring."

** As he's waiting for the start of his shift, Jinyoung brightens at the sight of Hyunjin and Hyemi walking in (the mother and daughter, he totally asked for their names at lunch yesterday). Hyemi is talking a mile a minute and he's proud to hear she's still on the subject of wolves. Hyunjin just rolls her eyes and puts a finger to her lip. Hyemi pouts and closes her mouth, but once she spots him, she instantly waves in his direction. Just as he's returning the gesture, Hyunjin sees him as well and nods.

Jaebum walks in a few minutes before the start of the hour and clears his throat, catching every employee's attention. "As you all know," he starts, pointing to a giant tree in the back of the room. "This time of year we host our annual Staff Secret Santa. I've randomly placed everyone's name on the tree, please pick one and only one. If you get yourself, just put it back and grab another." He explains as a low buzz erupts around the room. "I trust that I don't have to babysit you on this, right? Grab one and let's go to work." He finishes as he exits the staff break room.

Jinyoung groans, he hears the feeling is mutual as he glances over to Hyunjin. Hyemi is jumping up and down, excited at the word Santa, but clearly Hyunjin is not. "Mom, what's a Secret Santa?" she eagerly questions.

"Shh, I'll explain later," Hyunjin replies as she slips in line to grab her pick.

Jinyoung slips in behind her and Hyemi grins back at him.

"Excited?" he teases, clearly Hyemi seems like she'll burst any minute from excitement.

"Please don't encourage her," Hyunjin scolds.

Jinyoung can't help himself. "Your daughter's right, you are boring."

Hyunjin's jaw drops open. Before she can retaliate, Jinyoung points ahead. "Your turn." She huffs as Hyemi giggles and grabs a name before she can.

"Who's—" Hyunjin is quick to cover her mouth. "It's a secret," she grits out.

Jinyoung ignores them and picks one as well. His eyes light up and he can't believe his luck. He got Hyunjin. He secretly grins to himself, about to pocket his pick when Hyunjin steals it out of his hand.

"Oh thank god you got me," she tells him, crumbling up the little piece of paper with her name on it. He's about to question her when she continues. "Please do not buy me anything. We don't celebrate Christmas." Having said what she needed to, she turns on her heel and heads off in the direction of her department.

** Jinyoung can feel his wolf flaring up at his anger. Since Hyunjin had snapped at him, he'd been uncontrollably angry. Jaebum even sensed it and told him to take a five minute break to cool off. Of course, the break didn't help.

Honestly, he's not sure why he's so mad. Was it because she ordered him not to? That seemed a little silly, but he didn't want to let it go. Hyunjin and her daughter were very interesting to him, he was certain it would be fun shopping for them. He decides right then and there to ignore her request.

Just as he's pondering what would be a good gift, he picks up Hyunjin's scent heading his way. He feels a little bummed when he sees it's just Hyemi. She looks guilty as she makes her way to him.

"Hello," Jinyoung puts on his best smile and greets her anyway.

Hyemi mumbles a hello back and awkwardly stands with him. For someone who's always so bubbly, Jinyoung knows something is wrong with her.

"You OK?" he questions, squatting down to her eye level.

Hyemi doesn't say anything, just throws herself at him for a hug. Jinyoung is surprised by the action but slowly returns it. Hyemi beams up at him as she pulls away.

"Mom's mad at me. She said I should leave you alone."

Ah, the weird behavior makes sense. Hyunjin must have scolded her. He feels a sting of hurt at the fact that she'd ordered her daughter to do such a thing. Jinyoung had never done anything to warrant such a reaction. "I'm sure she's not mad at you, she's just trying to protect you," he reasons.

She glares at the bookcase in front of them and he can't help the laugh that escapes him. "It's not funny!" she huffs at him.

He puts up his hands in surrender. "Sorry." He gets serious as he tells her, "Tell your mom, I said you and her are not a bother, OK?"

Hyemi smiles at his words and runs off back to tell her mom the good news.

** Hyemi took his word seriously and immediately came back after telling her mom. Jinyoung smiled and told her to read whatever she liked. Of course she went straight for The Little Red Riding Hood again.

"Do you like wolves?" she questioned as she turned a page.

Jinyoung had to fight back the grin. He cleared his throat to answer seriously. "Yes, I do."

Hyemi's head snapped up at his words and she shut the book in front of her. "They're so pretty. And fast. And scary. And I want one!"

He smiled fondly at her words. Scary, but still wanted one as a pet? She was certainly braver than most people.

"I wish there were more wolf books," she commented, looking gloomily down at the book in her lap.

Jinyoung understood that. Their selection wasn't the best, just filled with the classics or what was currently popular. Even their children's section was lacking. An idea hits him then. "Would you like to hear a story?"

Her whole being lights up at his suggestion. "Yes!"

"OK," he tells her as he takes a seat down on the floor beside her. "There once was a beautiful little girl, just like you," he taps her nose and she giggles, already enthralled by his story. "She lived in the countryside with her mother and sister. The little girl's health was very bad and she was sick. One day she discovers a wild wolf boy living in the woods surrounding her home."

Suddenly Hyemi frowns. "Hey, I've seen that movie!"

He gets flustered at being caught. Of course she would have seen a movie like that. He stares at her little angry face, trying to think of something else.

"So you like werewolves too?" he questioned.

"Any wolf!" she eagerly replied.

"OK, I know just the story."

** "There was a little werewolf boy—" he caught himself before blurting out his own name. "Nyeongie. Nyeongie lived in the forest with his mother and father. Every day he would run around and play with all the other animals in the woods. They were his only friends since he didn't know anyone else.

One day it was time for him to return home for dinner, but he got lost. Despite being very good at smelling, he couldn't pick up the scent of his home. Instead he stumbled upon some humans. Scared, he tried to run from them and hurt his leg."

"Poor baby," Hyemi interrupted, which made him smile.

"It was OK though, these humans didn't hurt him. It turned out they were werewolves just like him. And they had two sons. The younger one was Bummie. And the other one, Lark."

"Lark?" Hyemi questioned.

"They wanted to give him a unique name."

"Ah! OK! Finish!"

"They took him in for a few days as his leg healed. Werewolves heal very quick, you know?" She nodded at his question. "Once he was all better, they helped him return home. What waited for him was not what he expected. Both his parents had been murdered. Lark and Bummie's parents helped him properly bury his family, but he was devastated. Now he had no one."

He abruptly stopped his story when Hyemi burst into tears.

"I didn't mean to make you cry." He tried consoling her. It wasn't working so he pulled her into his lap to rub her back. This worked and she quickly stopped sobbing. "All better?" he asked. "I have to finish my story, it's not all sad," he teased.

"OK," Hyemi said as she wiped one last tear away.

"He thought he had no one," Jinyoung clarified this time. "But in reality he had made really good friends with Lark and Bummie. Without any hesitation, Lark and Bummie's parents took him in and accepted him as their own son."

Hyemi comments a mile a minute, but he doesn't hear it. Instead his brain locks in on the scent heading his way. He makes eye contact with Hyunjin once she's in sight and, boy, does she look unhappy.

"Hello?" Hyemi waves a tiny hand in his face to catch his attention.

"Huh?" he questions, focusing back on her. He'd completely missed everything she'd said.

"I said—"

"Wait," he cuts her off. "Your mother doesn't look too happy."

Hyemi freezes at his words and guiltily waves at Hyunjin. "Gotta go," she tells him as she runs off.

He shakes his head, but a smile appears on his face and he gets off the floor. Never was there a dull moment with those two.

"Should you be telling her your own story?"

Jinyoung almost jumped out of his skin. He didn't know how Jaebum managed to sneak up on him like that. He glares at the manager as he calms his heart.

"It's fine. She'll never know that it's real."

** "Mom's mad at me again."

Jinyoung grins. He has a feeling it's because she keeps sneaking off to him, begging to hear more about Nyeongie. It's actually quite therapeutic telling her his life story. He didn't realize how lonely he felt only talking with Jaebum and Mark.

"She's not mad at you, she just worries a lot about you. You gotta be a good girl and listen to everything she says, OK?"

Hyemi nods, "OK!" she pauses, quietly thinking to herself. "I wish dad would help mommy. I hate him!"

Jinyoung is intrigued by this new piece of information. He didn't realize she had a dad. Of course she had one, but this was the first time he was hearing about him. "You don't mean that," he defends.

"I do!" she doesn't budge.

"He's doing his best."

Hyemi gives him the coldest look he's ever seen a little kid give. "Mom says something happened and he can't be with us but I just think he doesn't love us." With her last words, she stands up and runs off.

Jinyoung feels bad, he hit a sore spot without meaning to.

Jaebum's legs come into view and he stops staring after Hyemi to look up at him.

"You're get weirder and weirder by the day," Jaebum tells him.

He rolls his eyes, "You just have bad timing."

"Sure, lover boy," Jaebum teases and pats him on the head. "Go on break," he orders and leaves him still sitting there.

** At break, despite seeing Hyunjin is still visibly upset at him, he plops down at the table again. "Hey," he greets and gets out his lunch.

Hyunjin is eating her lunch as well, but Hyemi is adorably crawling around on all fours, howling at the sky. She barks at Jinyoung in what he assumes is a greeting. He waves before turning back to Hyunjin, there's a faint trace of pink lining her cheeks and he can't help but think it's cute that she's letting Hyemi be.

Hyunjin grabs his attention when she lets out a sigh. "Look," she starts, finally meeting his eyes. "I'm sorry about snapping at you earlier," she admits. "I do mean what I said though."

Jinyoung nods at her explanation, trying to play it cool. "Rules are rules though."

Her eyes narrow at him now. "We can just pretend, yeah?"

"No. At least let me get her a gift instead?"

Hyunjin looks conflicted at this, but she stays firm. "No," she answers. "I know it seems absurd, but money's tight right now and I just don't want her expecting gifts from now on."

The guilty look on his face crushes his heart. "Then you should let me, I'll give her something every year."

Hyunjin gives him a look that says he can't be serious. He hopes the look he's giving back says he is. Because he would.

With a shake of her head, she finally breaks eye contact and crosses her arms to rest her head on. Tiredly, she silently continues to watch Hyemi run around. Jinyoung gets the hint and drops the subject.

He's just taken his last bite, when Hyunjin turns to him. "I hope you don't think I'm a bad mother for not wanting to celebrate Christmas."

He's surprised she's addressing him and is not quite sure how to respond. "No, of course not." he finally gets out. "Just confused is all."

"I want to, you know?" she turns back to looking at Hyemi. "She deserves it, she's the world's sweetest girl."

That he would agree with, she was all smiles and sunshine all the time. "I don't mean to intrude, but she mentioned her dad," he stops cold when he sees Hyunjin's shocked reaction.

Her eyes suddenly get teary, but Hyunjin blinks them away before they can form. "He's not in the picture. I was waiting for her to get older to explain to her. I think she's still too young to understand."

Jinyoung nods.

"Someone at school told her that her father abandoned her the other day." Her eyes got teary again as she looked over at Hyemi. "Why do people have to be so cruel?"

Jinyoung doesn't get the chance to reply as Hyemi runs over. She's out of breath, but even he knows she's ready to eat. Hyunjin is quick to get out food for her and Hyemi silently eats beside Jinyoung, only looking back and forth between them. Deciding it's OK to speak, Hyemi starts telling them what she was doing.

Jinyoung got so engrossed in listening and replying to Hyemi that when he glanced over at Hyunjin, he realized she fell asleep. He grins to himself, thinking how cute she looked when Hyemi also noticed. She looked shocked and opened her mouth to wake her but Jinyoung put his index finger up to his lips. "Your mom's really tired, we should let her rest for a few minutes, OK?" Hyemi eagerly nods at this and smiles at him as she continues eating.

Jinyoung takes this moment to unapologetically observe Hyunjin. Without a scowl on her face, he notices she's actually quite pretty. Some of her hair had fallen across her face, and he stops himself, arm already stretched out to move it out of the way. Hyemi is giving him a weird look as well and he flushes. Way to look like a creeper, he scolds himself. Awkwardly, he coughs and glances at his watch. Realizing it's time to go, he lets out a sigh and reaches out to wake Hyunjin.

"Hey sleeping beauty, time to go back to work."

** As he's clocking in the next day, Hyemi comes bounding over, a blushing Hyunjin following loosely behind. Hyemi instantly gives him a single cookie in a ziplock bag.

"We made cookies!" she tells him, proudly displaying her work for him to see. "This is for you."

"Cookies?" he questions, taking the bag in his hand. "But this is only one?"

Hyunjin gives Hyemi a look but explains, "I told her to bring you more, but she wanted to eat most of them. Sorry."

He grins, feeling weirdly special even with only one cookie. "Thank you," he tells the both of them. "Even if it's only one, I'll still enjoy it."

The first person he notices is Mark. Mark's standing off to the side of the room, grinning at him. He rolls his eyes in return, positive that he was going to hear a teasing from the other male once work was over, but he didn't care. Now when he notices all the weird looks from the rest of the staff, that's when he gets a bit shy.

He tucks the cookie safely away in his pocket, deciding to eat it once he got to his section.

** After giving him the cookie, he's sure Hyemi will pop by like she normally does. So when she doesn't, he gets a little concerned. He figures Hyunjin made her stay put, as already this morning might have been too much. What he doesn't expect is to see Mark stalking after Hyemi and her running right at him. She clamps onto his right leg as she hides behind him.

"Save me!" she shouts at him, ducking behind him as Mark comes to a stop.

Mark scowls at him as he points at Hyemi. "Tell your girlfriend's kid to give that back! You know Jaebum is gonna kill me if he sees her with it."

He's shocked, only registering the word 'girlfriend'. "What?"

"Mark, what are you doing over here?" Jaebum scares the both of them in his usual fashion, appearing without notice. Honestly, it doesn't surprise him why Jaebum had instantly been promoted to manager when all three of them were hired at the same time. As the leader of the pack, he was too good at everything.

"Going back to work," Mark says, turning on his heel.

Jaebum just shakes his head, ignores Hyemi's odd position and keeps going. Seeing the coast is clear, Hyemi runs off as well.

It makes sense when she returns a few minutes later. Hyunjin is holding Hyemi's hand and she has the biggest pout on her face. In her other arm is a little grey wolf, he'd missed the first time she was over here. Hyunjin must be mistaken, thinking he was the one to give it to her.

"But mom—" Hyemi starts to object, only to receive a warning look from Hyunjin. "OK," she deflates as she hands the wolf over to Jinyoung.

He accepts, now understanding what Mark was talking about. Great with kids, he was put in charge of the toy section.

"Boy, I'm popular today," he tells the little wolf as he heads over to return the guy to his rightful place.

Jinyoung has just put the last book in its spot when he stands, finding Jaebum hovering by the checkout desk. In his hand is a little pink backpack and he can't help but give a questioning look.

"Hyunjin left this behind earlier, I figured you'd be the most appropriate person to give it to."

Jinyoung takes it, but opens his mouth to decline. No matter what they thought, he didn't even know where the two lived, what was he supposed to do with it? Jaebum beats him to the question and materializes a post-it note, address scribbled on it. "You can return it," he orders.

"OK," he gives in and slings the little pink bag over his shoulder. He gives his section one last look over before heading off on his mission.

The apartment on the post-it note isn't that far from the store. There's a broken security gate that he goes right through and his inner wolf begins to flare up as it appears extremely unsafe for two women to be living there alone. He tells himself to relax, he was sure Hyunjin wouldn't like him trying to exert any dominance over her. Despite the run down appearance of the place, majority of the windows have a string of Christmas lights hanging in the front window or some kind of other decoration, it gives him hope that it's not so bad after all. He knows he's reached her place when everything is plain as if it were not holiday season.

He rings the bell and hopes Hyunjin is glad to see him.

"Hyemi!" he hears Hyunjin shout from somewhere in the apartment. He understands why, when Hyemi pops the door open. A breathless Hyunjin pulls her out of the way a second later. "Oh," she comments when she sees it's just Jinyoung standing at the door. "Thank god it's just you."

"Here," he quickly hands over the bag. "Jaebum sent me to return it."

Hyunjin looks even more relieved at his offering. "Oh my god, thank you! You're a lifesaver, I was going to have to go get it in a few minutes."

"Well invite the boy in if you're so thankful," Jinyoung flushes at the response, he's sure it's not meant in the way he's thinking, but his inner wolf isn't thinking very nicely.

"Mom," Hyunjin groans. "He probably has to go, we shouldn't bother him."

"Actually," he tries to fight the grin at the pleading look Hyunjin starts to give him. "I was just going to go home and eat dinner all alone."

"It's a crime for someone to eat alone!" her mother declares. "Come on in," she tells him as she appears at the door and ushers Hyunjin out of the way.

"Thank you," he tells her mother, noticing that one of her arms was in a sling.

Jinyoung feels a bit guilty at the embarrassed look that Hyunjin begins to spot, but it's not like he planned to do this for the rest of his life. He was curious and one night would satisfy that curiosity.

Hyemi on the other hand is super excited to see him. She runs right up and hugs him.

"Jinyoung, right?" Hyunjin's mother asks as she leads him into their kitchen. Hyunjin just silently set off to prepare a plate for him.

"Yes," he politely responds, pleasantly surprised that she knew his name.

"It's nice to finally meet the young man that my girls won't stop talking about."

Jinyoung had been in a great mood all day. It was finally his day off, which he felt a bit sad over at first. He hadn't realized how much he looked forward to work, he was sure a certain woman and her daughter were the cause of this, but he wasn't completely bummed.

Tonight was the annual staff holiday party. Last year he'd spent majority of the party idly wandering with Mark and Jaebum, but this year he was hoping for a change. He knew not to get his hopes up, he could feel it in his soul that Hyunjin was more than likely going to skip given her situation.

Jinyoung was thankful for Hyunjin's mom. Getting answers from Hyunjin was like pulling teeth, but her mother was the opposite. For such a closed off person, he wondered how Hyunjin had gotten that way. Her mother had no problems opening their life up to him. Her mother explained that she'd tore her shoulder at work and was fired from her own job, putting a huge weight on Hyunjin to deal with everything alone.

Suddenly the world went silent to him and he caught onto that lovely scent. Being surrounded by her and her scent last night muffled his brain because she'd been the only thing on his mind all day. He knew this was not normal, but he just went with it.

Hyunjin instantly spotted him and made her way over. He couldn't help but notice the fact that Hyunjin was in a dress, a very tight dress that did nothing to hide her figure. "Oh thank god you're here," she broke his attention. She blushed when she belatedly noticed Mark and Jaebum standing with him. "H-hello," she shyly greets him.

"You know Jaebum and Mark, right?" he sends them a look, hoping they'd disappear.

"Yes!" Hyunjin nervously brushed away a strand of hair that fell out of place. "I'm sorry Hyemi was bothering you the other day," she tells Mark.

Mark just shrugs it off. "It's OK, she's not that bad to be around." He yelps, startled when Jaebum grabbed him by the elbow. "Excuse us," Jaebum tells Hyunjin and steers a complaining Mark away.

Hyunjin finally turns back to Jinyoung, guilty look on her face. "I made your friends leave, sorry."

Jinyoung snorts, "No worries, they're boring anyway."

Hyunjin looks annoyed now. "That's only because you now know all my secrets!"

A grin spreads across his face at her words. They were true, Hyunjin's mom had definitely overshared. He didn't mind though, he shared just as much, only leaving out his one obvious secret.

"Honestly, I hate Christmas," she sighs, looking around at all the decoration hung around their tiny break room.

Jinyoung's shocked at her confession. "No one hates Christmas," he states.

"Well I do."

Suddenly, Jinyoung wants to make it his mission to change her opinion.

** Instead of lazying around watching whatever random movie he could find online, Jinyoung received a frantic call earlier in the day. Hyunjin was at her first job—he didn't even realize she had another job, no wonder she was falling asleep at random—and couldn't get off in time to pick up Hyemi. Jinyoung knew to trust his wolf instinct when it told him to force his number on her, telling her to call if she ever needed anything.

He stands out in the sea of moms in their leggings and t-shirts. He's got on a button up top and some dress slacks, which looking back, he knows is a silly choice to wear. Why am I dressing up for a kid? he scolds himself. But it's too late now, Hyemi's class gets out in two minutes and he would never make it to his apartment and back before then.

He also notices he's the only male and much younger than most. Even Hyunjin seems younger than most. He guessed she was a few years older than him, but it only leaves him wondering how old she really was. To think she already had a kid and was taking care of it on her own made him feel so useless. Most days it was a struggle for him just to get to work on time.

As soon as kids start pouring out of the room, he immediately looks for Hyemi. She's one of the last few and she frantically searches for her mom. When her eyes land on him, she lights up and runs right at him. "Jinyoung!" she yells as she throws herself at him. The impact almost knocks him over, but he quickly rights himself.

"Hello to you too," he laughs as she crushes him in a hug.

"Where's mom?" she questions as she looks behind him, like she'd missed Hyunjin.

"She's at work, she asked me to come get you. Is that OK?" he asks when he sees her get sad. It's brief before she's smiling again. "OK!" she answers.

By now, the two have caught the attention of the rest of the class. Jinyoung scans the class wondering which one told her she was abandoned by her dad, scowling at them all for good measure. "Do you want to say goodbye to your friends before we go?"

Hyemi doesn't spare anyone a second glance and starts tugging on his hand. "Nope."

He's relieved when she waves at a couple of girls in another class a few doors down.

** Jinyoung tightly holds her hand anytime they come to a crosswalk and makes sure he's the closest to the street as they walk. It's all so stressful to him and it's only been a few minutes.

"Can we get ice cream?" Hyemi breaks his concentration.

He glances up at where she's pointing and sees a man selling ice cream cones at the park across the street from them.

"Sure."

The man is scooping out their ice cream when Jinyoung's phone rings and he's surprised to see it's Hyunjin.

"Hello?" he answers as he watches Hyemi delicately take her cone.

"Where are you?" Hyunjin immediately questions. "It's already fifteen after and it only takes about five minutes to walk—"

"Stop. Take a deep breath," Jinyoung interrupts. When she complies, he continues. "We stopped at the park for ice cream."

"Ice cream? Jinyoung I told you I don't like spoiling her."

Jinyoung gasps, "since when is ice cream spoiling her?"

"Jinyoung," Hyunjin warns.

"OK, I promise no more after this. I'll take her straight home now."

"Can we play in the park after this?" Hyemi's little voice asks from beside him.

"Tell her I said no," Hyunjin answers through the phone.

Jinyoung stares down at her hopeful face and he hates to be the bearer of bad news.

"Only a few minutes wouldn't hurt, would it?" he asks instead. "Besides, your mom's shoulder is pretty bad. Maybe you should have someone else watch Hyemi while it's hurt."

Hyunjin lets out a sigh at this. "You know I know no one else."

"See, a break for one day won't kill anything will it?"

Hyunjin takes a deep breath, he can tell she's trying not to snap at him. "Fine. But you let her get hurt and I'll hurt you, got it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"OK, I'll check up on you again."

"Got it!" he tells her, hanging up before she can change her mind. He gives Hyemi the OK and she takes off.

"Wolves live here!" she yells, ice cream dripping all over as she runs off into the trees.

Jinyoung laughs, watching her eat and search around as he eats his own cone.

** After Hyemi tired herself out, Jinyoung proceeded to carry her home. When he showed up at his apartment he cursed himself, he'd forgotten to take her home. It felt so natural bringing her to his own place that he didn't even think twice about it.

Mark and Jaebum sat on the couch as he entered the living room. He raised a finger to his lips to quiet them. In return they gave him questioning looks, seeing Hyemi passed out on his shoulder. He gently laid her down on the empty couch so not to wake her and motioned for them to follow him into the kitchen.

"Is there something you need to tell us," Mark starts. "Like when did you suddenly become a dad?"

Jinyoung shoots him a glare. "Hyunjin needed someone to watch her."

"So you brought her here." Jaebum answers for him.

"I forgot to take her back home, OK?" he puts his hands up in defeat. "Hyunjin's mother normally watches her but her arm's in a sling."

Mark and Jaebum share looks of concern.

"You're not going to be having her over all the time are you?" Jaebum questions, looking horrified at the thought.

"Of course not," Mark answers for him. "He'll have to move out because we don't have enough room for a family here."

Jinyoung sends Mark a nasty glare. The thought didn't seem that bad, but it wasn't like that with Hyunjin. He wasn't sure what they were yet honestly.

Suddenly he remembers an advertisement at the park. It had been awhile since the three did anything and they were having a light show at the park later in the night. Since Christmas was right around the corner, the show was Christmas themed and Jinyoung thought it would be a fun idea to see it.

"Hey, you guys doing anything later?" he asks to change the subject.

"I'm going to the movies with Jackson," Mark looks sheepish.

"Youngjae wants me to look over one of his assignments," Jaebum also turns him down.

Jinyoung huffs, crossing his arms in disappointment. "You two never have time for me anymore."

Jaebum waves over to the couch. "Take them."

Jinyoung knows he's already in trouble, he doubts Hyunjin would be up for it. He stands there and ponders the thought for a moment. It wouldn't hurt to try since he had his heart so set on seeing the silly little light show.

"I'll see," he tells them and rushes off to his bedroom.

Phone already in his hand, he calls up Hyunjin, nervous for some reason. When she answers he almost loses all nerve.

"Before you yell at me, Hyemi's OK."

"I wasn't going to yell at you." Hyunjin sighs into the phone. "I trust you. Plus I thought it over and you're right. Maybe a little treat now and then isn't so bad."

He grins, feeling like a puppy that just got rewarded for doing a good job.

He lets out a nervous laugh. "Speaking of that, there's this little light show in the park, would you be interested in seeing it? I figured me and Hyemi could meet up with you and the three of us could see it."

The line goes silent. "Hello?" he asks, thinking the call dropped.

"Sounds good, I gotta go!" she hurriedly replies before hanging up on him.

Relief courses through him.

** The light show isn't as silly as he thought it would be. It was actually well thought out and fun. Clearly Hyemi enjoyed herself but Hyunjin was different. She remained blank faced throughout the show, he knew because he kept glancing over, trying to gauge her reaction to everything.

"That was fun," she finally breaks the silence after the last song played. "We haven't done anything like this since she was a little kid."

"Really?"

"Yeah, since—" she glances down at Hyemi and gives Jinyoung a knowing look. Since Hyemi's father left, Jinyoung fills in the gap.

"Glad I could bring some fun back into your life then," Jinyoung teases, hoping to lift the mood.

"Mom, that was awesome," Hyemi interjects, continuing on about the show and all her favorite parts.

"Don't tell me," Hyunjin stops her and pats Jinyoung on the back. "Tell him."

"OK!" Hyemi yells out before turning to crush Jinyoung's leg in a hug.

Hyunjin laughs at the gesture, shaking her head in a fond sort of way.

"Thanks Jinyoung," Hyemi whispers out. "Oh, there's our house," she shouts out, noticing the little apartment complex just down the street.

"Yep," Hyunjin replies. "You have to get ready for bed as soon as we're there."

Hyemi lets out a groan, but doesn't say more. Jinyoung finds it odd that she's actually quiet. Only as they're walking through the complex to the apartment does she decide to speak up.

"Mom?" she questions, turning to look up at Hyunjin. "Why can't Jinyoung be my dad?"

The question stops Hyunjin in her tracks. "Go inside now," she orders once she opens the door for Hyemi. As Hyemi disappears through the door, Hyunjin slams it shut behind the girl and turns to Jinyoung.

Jinyoung suddenly feels awkward. Hyunjin's reaction isn't a good one, he can already tell he won't like what she's about to say.

"I'm sorry for that," Hyunjin instantly blurts out.

"It's fine, I don't mind." Jinyoung shrugs. It was just a curious question, he understood that.

"No, it's not." Hyunjin crosses her arms in defense. "I knew her hanging around you so much was a bad idea."

"What?" Jinyoung scoffs, feeling offended. He'd been nothing but nice to that little girl.

"You're a good guy, I know," she pauses thinking over the right words. "But it's not right. She's too young to understand relationships so I want to end this before she gets anymore attached to you."

Jinyoung is so floored, he's lost all words.

"Thank you for tonight. For everything, really. I'll make sure she doesn't bother you anymore."

** If Jaebum or Mark passed by to check up on him one more time—Jinyoung was sure he was going to lose it. After Hyunjin told him off, he had went straight home and hadn't left his room for anything. Since then, they'd been tiptoeing around him, probably well aware of how pissed he was.

He understood what Hyunjin had meant. Hyemi has already lost one father figure, Hyunjin was just trying to protect her child from another heartbreak. What really got to him was the fact that Hyunjin assumed he was just the same. Had he not proved he wasn't even remotely like that?

Just as another pang of hurt coursed through him, Mark came into view. He hoped he was sending Mark the deadliest look he could muster. It must have worked, seeing the look on Jinyoung's face, Mark immediately spun on his heel and headed back to his own section.

Jaebum, too, also came into view, but he didn't run off like Mark. "Stop looking like you're about to kill everyone," Jaebum scolded as he leaned up against the register. "You're scaring off customers."

Jinyoung scoffed, there hadn't been a single person through. There was no one to scare off.

"Are you mute, suddenly?" Jaebum asks seriously this time.

Jinyoung shakes his head in answer which Jaebum rolls his eyes to.

"Just don't bite anyone's head off, OK?" He leaves without hearing Jinyoung's answer.

He can't make any promises, especially when he can now hear Hyemi's voice off in the distance. Mark's talking to her and he suddenly feels his wolf flaring up again. Break seems like a good idea now.

And it works, being out in the cool air calms him down. He picked a spot where he normally doesn't rest at so he knows he's safe.

Safe until he catches wind of Hyunjin's scent, she pops out of the doors right beside him, Hyemi in toe, chattering about some wolf thing like normal. His wolf, bruised but not beaten, begs for him to go confront the woman. He can't though, it would only result in him spitting out something he didn't mean.

"Jinyoung!" Hyemi announces once she spots him. Like usual, he softens and returns her wave.

"Come on," Hyunjin grabs Hyemi's hand in her own and drags her away.

"But mom, why can't we sit with him?" he hears the child ask.

"I told you, you can't bother him anymore."

"But mom," Hyemi whines again.

Jinyoung's not sure what yet, but he wants to do something just to spite Hyunjin.

** Jinyoung knows just what to do when he spots Hyemi talking to Mark again. She was excited, rapidly talking about wolves as usual. The only difference is the little wolf doll clutched in her arms. She's hugging it to herself and he knows he has to get it. Before closing time, he sneaks over to Mark's section and picks up the little doll.

"What are you doing?" Jaebum questions when he sees Jinyoung in line.

"Purchasing an item," Jinyoung snarkily replies.

Jaebum glares at him. "What are you doing with that?"

Jiyoung doesn't reply. It's obvious who he's buying it for.

"Considering Hyunjin has been telling Hyemi to stop bothering you for the last two days, I don't think that's appropriate right now."

He continues to ignore Jaebum as it's finally his turn in line. The girl behind the register is clearly nervous at the fact that the store manager is watching her like a hawk.

"Are you going to let me pay or should I move to another isle?" He snaps at the girl. When she looks frightened, he feels bad. But doesn't she know, the customer is always right.

She finally comes to her senses and rings up the doll. He hands her the money and snatches the bag from her hand, still ignoring Jaebum the whole time.

It's only when he's outside that Jaebum stops him. "Will you please just talk to me?"

His hurt wolf tells him not to say a word but it's Jaebum. No matter how angry he is, Jaebum has always been a good brother to him. Never guiding him wrong. He's shaking, just thinking of what happened, but he tells him anyway.

"She told me that she didn't want me to hurt Hyemi just like her ex."

Jaebum hums out in understanding. "To hurt her."

Jinyoung hadn't even thought of it that way. His wolf suddenly feels relieved. She must have felt something to be scared.

Before his wolf starts running around in circles of joy, Jaebum manages to kill his mood again.

"Maybe you should give her some space, I don't think pressing the point is a good idea right now."

He knows he's right, but Jinyoung sneers at him.

"I'm just saying, I'm sure she'll come around."

Jinyoung sighs, Hyunjin's really stubborn. "I don't think so."

** Despite feeling like there's no hope to fix their relationship, Jinyoung wraps the little wolf doll. It proves to be more difficult than he thought, but he manages to make it turn out pretty decent. It doesn't look professional, but it's not horrible either.

He's nervous as he goes into work that night. His stomach does a flip when he doesn't see Hyunjin before his shift. He dejectedly carries it with him back to his section. Knowing Hyemi, he's sure he'll hear her pestering Mark and give it to her then. When he doesn't hear her, he gets a little panicked.

He throws open the door to Jaebum's office after his shift is over. Worry written all over his face, he doesn't have time to feel sorry for bursting in.

"You better have a damn good reason for that," Jaebum barks at him as he gets up to pick up the pieces of paper Jinyoung scattered all over the floor.

"I do," he at least has the decency to help pick up the papers as well. "Did Hyunjin not come into work?"

Jaebum rolls his eyes and makes a noise of disapproval.

"She called out for the day, didn't say why."

Jinyoung sighs in disappointment, he was hoping to give it to her before he lost all courage.

"I told you to give her some space," Jaebum scolds.

Jinyoung doesn't want to listen to his advice, but he agrees. He knew she'd be back tomorrow and he'd just try again then.

Until she doesn't show up the next day. This alarms Jinyoung. Jaebum has no answer, only says she sounded distressed so he couldn't deny her. He asked for a reason why, knowing Jinyoung would want to know, but she wouldn't explain. Jinyoung's heart drops to the pit of his stomach, knowing how much responsibility weighed on her shoulders, he knew it had to be something major.

It's probably not the best idea, but he decides to drop by and see if everything is OK anyway.

It's not, Hyunjin answers the door in tears, a look of hope on her face. When she sees it's just him, she burst into tears. Too grief stricken to reply, she almost shuts the door in his face. Her mom stops her, once she realizes it's him at the door.

"Honey, go sit down," she orders.

"Is everything OK?" he tries to calmly ask. He feels dumb as hell for showing up now. Not to mention, his wolf is going crazy wanting to comfort her. It breaks his heart seeing Hyunjin so broken.

Hyunjin's mom takes a deep breath and shakes her head, she finally tears up as well. "Hyemi's missing," her voice shakes.

If he didn't know any better, he'd thought the word had stopped around him. He doesn't say anymore, just turns and runs out of the complex.

** Jinyoung barely made it to an alley to strip off his clothes before the transformation took over. He knew this was bad, it was rare that he couldn't control his wolf. The sight of Hyunjin broken, and the thought of Hyemi lost and all alone, put him over the edge.

As a wolf, he had to take several deep breaths to calm himself. The last thing he needed to do was to go on a murderous rampage and get himself in trouble. Instead, he hoped to use his heightened senses to his advantage.

He scoops his clothes in his mouth before peeking out at the street around him. It's empty, much to his fortune. He takes off up the street to try and figure out where Hyemi might have gone.

Starting at the apartment proves to be a good idea. He catches her scent out on the sidewalk in front. It's faint, but it's just enough. He follows it to the park where the three of them watched the light show. Still following the scent, it leads him right to the small patch of trees in the middle of the park.

In the line of trees, Jinyoung easily spots Hyemi curled up into a ball on the floor. She appears to be asleep, but her head perks up at the sight of him. "Wolf," she squeals and starts to stand.

He knew now was not the time to be thinking like this, but he had to admit, she had more balls than adults three times her age.

Before she runs over to him, he disappears back out of her sight. Maybe one day in the future he would let her pet him, but now was not the time. Hyunjin was worried sick over her, his only thoughts were to bring Hyemi home. He circled around to the opposite end of the trees and shifted back to his human form to get dressed.

Fully dressed, he peeked out around the tree he stood behind. Hyemi was still standing in place, looking after the way he ran off. She's clearly dejected. He steps out of the trees now. "Hyemi?" he sternly calls out.

The sudden calling of her name startles her. She whips around, eyes wide as saucers and greets him. "Jinyoung!" she yells out as she runs over to him.

He lifts her up into his arms, glad that she’s safe. She's freezing though, with only her mandatory school uniform to keep her warm.

"Have you been here the whole time?" he questions, frowning at her.

"I'm sorry," she says instead and buries her head in his shoulder.

He softens at the action and starts back to her home.

Hyunjin lets out a gasping sob when she opens the door. Her mom runs over and also bursts into tears. The two of them stand there, crushing both Hyemi and Jinyoung in a hug as they cry. When they calm down, Hyunjin's mom takes Hyemi from him and leaves the two to speak in private.

Hyunjin immediately grabs him into another hug, Jinyoung knows it's to say thanks as she can hardly speak. But she lets him go and clears her throat. "Thank you," she gets out as she wipes away her tears. "I don't know how you found her, but thank you."

He opens his mouth to reply, but is stunned to silence when instead she stands on her tiptoes to kiss him right on the cheek.

"Even though I don't want you to, you're always coming to my rescue."

** Jinyoung knew he should feel happy—Hyunjin kissed him! Only on the cheek, but it was still better than nothing. He didn't understand why he felt like shit. Maybe because despite such an amazing moment, that still didn't change anything. Hyunjin returned to work like nothing had happened, keeping Hyemi at bay as well. For now, it seemed his days were doomed to being miserable at work and then locking himself up in his room once he got home.

Leaning on the cash register, he knew it wasn't good to keep staring at the spot Hyemi used to sit and read, it would only make him more depressed, but he couldn't get himself to stop.

Someone clearing his throat, brought him back to reality. He opened his mouth to greet the customer, but he quickly realized it was Jaebum. "Oh, what do you want?" he snipped, returning to his previous position.

Jaebum sighed. "Why don't you just tell her she's your mate and get it over with. This—"

Jinyoung's whole world spun at the word mate. "What?" he interrupted.

"What do you mean 'what', you know what a mate is."

"No—I mean—" he couldn't think straight, so he took a deep breath. "How do you know Hyunjin's my mate?"

Jaebum gave him a look that read 'are you stupid?'.

"I'm being serious," he responded.

Jaebum sighed. "Enticing smell, only thing you can focus on, life suddenly revolves around her?"

"Oh," Jinyoung dumbly answered.

"How could you not know, we used to talk all the time about mates as a kid."

Jinyoung frowned. "Yeah, but I gave up that hope for us a long time ago."

Jaebum chuckled at this. "It never happens when you want it to. Besides, do you know how long ago I would have fired her if not for you?"

"What?" Jinyoung glares at him over those words.

"Since you obviously don't know, she can't keep bringing her kid to work. If one of the region managers catches her, we're both done."

Jinyoung calms down at this. "Thank you."

"No need, just tell her and get it over with," Jaebum orders and pats him on the shoulder as he leaves.

The fact that Hyunjin is his mate is all he can think of for the rest of his shift.

And when he sees her, struggling to carry a sleepy Hyemi out of the store after work, he goes to her rescue without thinking twice.

** Jinyoung's stomach flips the next day when he runs into her before work. She's all alone for once, Hyemi nowhere in sight. He decides to gather all his courage and speak to her.

"Hey," he greets.

"Hello," Hyunjin shyly greets back, not quite able to meet his eyes. Suddenly something dawns on her and she grabs his shoulder. "Oh, can I get your opinion on something?"

"Sure," he doesn't hesitate.

"OK," Hyunjin nods and tightens her hold on him as she drags him to the store's jewelry department. His brows furrow in worry, wondering why she would be taking him there, but he silently follows.

Hyunjin stops at a glass counter and peers down, pointing at a little gold necklace with a wolf pendant.

"What do you think?"

He looks down, confused why she's asking his opinion about it.

"It's cute?" he offers.

"I thought so too," she nods, taking his answer seriously.

When she notices the confused look on his face, she answers, "It's for Hyemi. I'm getting her a Christmas present after all."

The look of shock on his face must say it all.

"I know," Hyunjin puts her hands up in defeat. "It's a miracle, right?" He laughs, but doesn't answer. "Actually, it's because of you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you spoil her without any hesitation and I want to do that as well." she looks at him softly, a hint of adoration in her eyes. "I guess you can say you influenced me."

He feels warm all over and figures, just maybe, there was still hope for them.

** The department store is closed for Christmas day. In usual tradition, Jinyoung, along with Jaebum and Mark get up bright and early to go back to Jaebum's parent's house. They spend most of the day catching his mom up, she's always so happy to see the three of them and be filled in on their lives.

"What has my little Jinyoung so distracted?" he hears Jaebum's mom ask.

"Hm?" he questions, finally zoning in on the conversation. It's after dinner and they are just sitting around the table, casually talking about life, but he wasn't listening. He was thinking about Hyunjin and Hyemi, of course, and missed what they were talking about completely.

"Jinyoung found his mate," Mark blurts out.

Jinyoung glares at Mark. He was hoping to get by without having to actually talk about her. Although not completely over, it was disappointing.

"Tell me all about her," of course his mom demands.

"Well... there's not much to say," he nervously answers. It was true, Hyunjin and him hadn't gone anywhere in their relationship.

Jaebum's mom reaches across the table and swats him on the arm. "You should have invited her over."

From the look of concern that washes over her features, Jinyoung's sure he must look miserable.

"You haven't told her, have you?" she immediately catches on.

He swallows the lump in his throat, not sure why he suddenly wants to cry. "Not yet."

Jaebum's mom gets to her feet and comes around the table to hug him. She lets out a defeated sigh, but makes him stand. "What?" he questions before she silences him.

"Go get her, you're basically not here anyway!"

He makes a noise of objection, but everyone is giving him looks that says to go.

"Don't worry, we've already had dinner. It's fine," his mom encourages.

He feels guilty, but grabs his coat anyway. He doesn't need to be told twice. If anything he would just dump all his feelings on Hyunjin and leave it up to her to decide.

** Before heading straight to Hyunjin's, Jinyoung made sure to drop by and grab his gift for Hyemi. He feels a little silly for not getting Hyunjin something, but he's certain she'd probably chew his head off if he did actually get her a gift. The thought makes him feel better as he heads to her apartment.

At her apartment, Hyemi answers the door. There's no Hyunjin to scold, just Hyunjin's mom. Hyunjin's mom is surprised to see him, but ushers him in quickly.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, showing him into their living room.

"What's that?" Hyemi busters out, only concerned with the gift in his hand.

Jinyoung grins down at the little girl and hands it to her. "Actually, it's for you."

Hyemi takes the gift and instantly starts to rip it.

"Wait!" both him and Hyunjin's mom stop her.

"Why?" she angrily shouts back.

Hyunjin's mom beats him to answering. "Wait for your mom to get home before you open it, silly. Don't you think she's want to see?"

"Right!" Hyemi caves, disappointment all over her face.

Hyunjin's mom turns to him now. She gives him a confused look. "She said she was heading to your place, had something to talk with you about."

His heart wants to burst out of his chest, she wanted to talk to him by her own choice?

"I was just there, I didn't see her," he answers instead.

"Must have just missed her."

Jinyoung nods at this and points at the door. "I'm going to go see if I can catch her."

Hyunjin's mom nods and waves him off, more concerned with Hyemi, who's taken their distraction as a chance to try and 'accidentally' open her gift.

"Put that under the tree and don't touch it," is the last thing he hears before he's off running out the door.

He makes it to his apartment in a few minutes, panting and probably looking a mess. He takes a second to fix himself, he'd hate to look awful when he finally confessed his feelings to Hyunjin. Once he was confident in himself, he heads to his apartment.

The smell of Hyunjin hits him as he gets to his hallway. She's leaned up against his apartment door, looking bored out of her mind.

"Hey," he greets, breaking her concentration.

"Hey," she squeaks, looking nervous now that they're face to face.

"What are you doing here?" he asks.

"Um," Hyunjin stumbled, suddenly wide eyed like she had no idea either. "This!" she exclaimed, pulling out a gold watch.

He gives her a confused look.

"You dropped it at my place the night you found Hyemi," she softened. "I noticed it was broken and had it repaired for you."

He carefully takes the watch in his hand, expecting it and seeing that it looked perfectly as he remembered. He hadn't even noticed it was missing. Running his hand over the face of it, he instantly puts it back on, feeling completely touched that she went out of her way to get it fixed for him.

"Thank you," he tells her.

"No, thank you," she tells him back. "I can't say it enough."

He smiles, shaking off her gratitude. "No need, I'd do anything for you."

He's not sure if she says anything else, he's only able to hear his wolf going crazy. Kiss her, you fool, it chants. So he does. He leans right in and kisses her.

He hears a squeal of excitement and quickly breaks off the kiss. Scowling, he sees it's Mark and Jaebum. They're standing at the other end of the hall, gawking at him like they've just witnessed a miracle. "Hey, how about we go..." Jaebum trails off feeling the awkward tension. "Let's just go anywhere else, OK?" he orders Mark, taking the older boy by the arm.

"Wait," Hyunjin stops them. "I was just leaving actually."

She gives Jinyoung a shy look before rushing past him.

Jinyoung lets out the biggest sigh. Now how is he supposed to calm down his wolf?

** Jinyoung was feeling very satisfied the next day. He went into work confident, after having finally made a move. It felt even better when him and Hyunjin began texting throughout the day. He was just replying back to her latest text when the scent of her hit him. Looking up from his phone, she shyly waved at him as she walked over.

"Hey," she greeted, as she casually leaned on his register. "I'm on break," she offered.

"Oh?" he feigns surprise, making sure to tease her. "Glad I'm your first thought."

She rolls her eyes, but the smile doesn't fall off her face. "I wanted to tell you something face to face."

Sensing she wasn't in the joking mood, Jinyoung gets serious as well. "OK."

Hyunjin takes a deep breath and avoids his eyes, instead choosing to focus on his hands which she takes one in her own. "This morning, I got a raise."

"That's great, isn't it?"

"Yeah, you know I can definitely use the pay raise."

"But?" he questions.

"Well, now I can afford to quit this job."

His heart sinks hearing this. He looked forward to seeing her everyday and now she was going to leave?

"My mom got the OK to stop wearing her sling and she starts therapy, so she can't really watch Hyemi anymore. It's all really working out for the better, you know?" She doesn't say it, but he can read it in her eyes. It's all working out, except for him.

"So when do you quit?"

"Today."

Disappointment hits him like a wall and he can't hold back the frown that crosses his face.

"I mean it's not like we won't see each other again, right?" she looks hopefully at him.

In his usual perfect timing, Jaebum pops up. "You, breaks over," he tells Hyunjin and practically barks at him, "Jinyoung, go on break."

Jinyoung lets out a sigh as Hyunjin nods a goodbye to him and leaves back to her station. With Jaebum nowhere in sight, Jinyoung decides to run after Hyunjin. He wasn't quite finished with their conversation.

"You're right, there's no reason we shouldn't see each other again."

Hyunjin brightens up at his words and shyly smiles at him. "Right."

"How about tomorrow? After I get off work? Do you think your mom can watch Hyemi for just a little bit?"

She doesn't even hesitate. "Yeah, of course!"

"Great. It's a date."

"A date," Hyunjin agrees.

They've reached her section and Jinyoung knows he should probably go. No use getting her in trouble on her last day, but his feet won't move. They stay planted, letting him stare into her eyes.

And just as he leans over to kiss Hyunjin, Jaebum walks by. He doesn't stop, just leaves them with his words.

"Employees aren't allowed to kiss during work hours."

** Jinyoung wished that when he got to retell the story of his first date with his mate that it would be amazing. Something for people to envy. Something that was not a disaster. It's like his brain wouldn't calm down and think, it refused to let him act like a normal human. He knocked his drink over onto, not just him, but Hyunjin as well. Then when he tried to help clean it up, he knocked over hers as well. The embarrassment didn't stop there, of course. He stood to go to the men's room and ran right into a waiter, creating an even bigger scene.

After all the commotion, luckily Hyunjin was OK with leaving. He was so upset with himself, he couldn't bring himself to talk with her on the walk home. It was awkward and silent, only Hyunjin glancing at him in concern. When her apartment came into view, he was never more happy to see it.

Hyunjin stopped at her door and turned to him. "Don't be so hard on yourself, OK?" she told him, trying to look him in the eye.

"You don't have to sugar coat it, I know I ruined it." He finally answered, looking sadly down at her.

Hyunjin laughed. "Honestly it was cute. You're always so perfect, it was nice seeing you normal for once."

Her confession made his face heat up. "What?"

"Oh, come on," she rolled her eyes at him. "You walk around dressed very neatly, and you're perfect at everything. You're unreal sometimes."

He scoffed at this. "No, I'm very normal."

"It's part of your charm, don't take it as an insult. I don't care what you say, I still enjoyed myself."

Jinyoung clucked his tongue at this. "There's no way you could."

Hyunjin let out a sigh and said no more, just pulled him in for a hug.

"I'll make it up to you," he promised, finally hugging her back.

But he doesn't get the chance, he spends the next month over at Hyunjin's house helping out in any way he can. It's fun, never a dull moment in their household, but he would kill for some alone time with her. He mopes around at work and if he has to hear Jaebum complain about him one more time—he might just flip out.

Luckily none of that is necessary. Hyunjin suggests they do something one night, and he feels like his prayers have been answered.

** Hyunjin suggested they stay in for their next date, which he couldn't agree with more. He invited her over, making sure to throw out both Mark and Jaebum. Last thing he needed was those two hovering around, making him more nervous than he already was. The beauty about having a movie night was there was for sure no way for him to screw it up. All they had to do was watch a movie, talk, eat. Simple things.

Hyunjin sat curled up on the couch as he went in the kitchen to get them drinks. "Do you know Hyemi is still talking about wolves?" Hyunjin brings up. When he returns from the kitchen, he sees why. The TV is muted, but there is a rerun of A Werewolf Boy playing on screen. He thinks fondly back on how he tried to tell her the plot of it and got caught.

"Maybe she's destined to be a wolf's mate," he casually responded. His eyes widened when he realized he'd slipped up. Luckily, Hyunjin didn't take it seriously, instead smiled at the idea.

"That would be so cute and romantic. Having a soulmate seems nice."

He cocks a brow at this, surprised she'd actually said that.

"Not that I want to be someone's soulmate, you know?" she clarifies, suddenly speaking very fast. "I have you, I don't need a soulmate." Now she looks scared. "Not that we aren't soulmates, I think we match very well."

He puts his hand on her thigh to calm her down. "I didn't realize you believed in werewolves," he skirts around the topic of soulmates, already knowing the truth.

"I'm not saying they're real, but you never know. The world is too much a mystery for me to rule anything out."

His heart fluttered at her answer. Fate sure did have a funny way of working. How amazing was it that his mate not only thought his kind was a possibility, she was open for such an idea too. His wolf stirred, telling him to just tell her everything. No delay. Now or never.

But her phone rang, Hyemi's face appeared on the screen and he wanted to cry. So much for his perfect opportunity.

** Jinyoung really had to thank Hyunjin's mom. She'd nagged Hyunjin to take a break so much, they'd actually had a few more dates. All like their second date. Nights in, where he couldn't mess up. And he had to hand it to himself, he was getting less and less nervous around her.

Especially tonight where more than anything he wanted to pounce on her. His wolf was going crazy. He had Hyunjin tucked warmly by his side, the two opting for snuggling rather than a movie like usual. When he showed up at her door to walk with her to his place, he realized she was just too tired for anything else. Happy just to have her alone, he would have agreed to anything really.

She threw her leg over his and tried to snuggle even further into his side, like that was possible. "You're really warm," she commented as she let out a sigh of relaxation.

"Oh?" he feigned ignorance. He was on fire. Every part of him wanted to just push her back and take her right then. But he couldn't. He'd promised himself he wouldn't make a move until he told her the truth. He hated himself for agreeing to such a condition, but he knew it was right. It was better to get it out before progressing any further.

"Yeah, I like it," she commented. "You remind me of a dog."

He broke out into a laugh. "What?" he questioned, sitting up to look at her. That comment was out of left field.

"I'm so sorry," she nervously covered her mouth. "I didn't mean that. It's just that as a kid, I had a pet dog and he was always like a little heater."

He dropped the smile off his face, this was the moment he was waiting for!

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to compare you to a dog!" Hyunjin blurted out, taking his serious look for offense.

"It's fine, I don't care," he told her, taking her hands into his own. "I have to tell you something."

A nervous look crossed Hyunjin's face. "Is everything OK?" she questioned.

"Yeah, of course," he smiled at her. She smiled back, friendly, encouraging him to continue then.

"Remember how I said maybe Hyemi was a wolf's mate?"

"Yeah," she let out a laugh.

"Well, it's not Hyemi. It's you."

Hyunjin cocked her head in confusion. "What?"

"It's you. You're the wolf mate. You're my mate."

He let the words hang in the air, waiting for them to register with Hyunjin. For her to laugh it off or call him crazy.

"So you mean you're a werewolf?"

"Yes," he quietly answered.

Hyunjin nodded. "That explains a lot."

"Um," he looked thoroughly confused now. "What?"

"Well, it's winter and you never wear a jacket. Somehow you miraculously found Hyemi when she went missing," she answered seriously. "I said you were unreal and I meant it."

"Oh," he was stunned that she caught onto so much.

"Plus Hyemi told me that little story you told her about Nyeongie. That's you, isn't it?"

He felt his face heat up. Honestly he should have known better. With how obsessed Hyemi was over wolves, he should have expected her to share the story with Hyunjin.

"It doesn't change how I feel for you."

The words surprise him and before he can reply, Hyunjin leans in and kisses him. It's more aggressive than he's used to, like she wants to show him just how much she feels. He falls back onto the bed, not breaking the kiss and accepts it all eagerly. When her hands travel farther down his body then she's ever allowed, he knows it's a sign.

Jinyoung breaks the kiss, taking a moment to stare into her face. She's beautiful, more beautiful than anyone he's ever known. She was strong and independent and probably everything he could ask for in a mate. He wondered how he'd gotten so lucky.

"Can I make love to you?" he's nervous, not quite sure if he'll be good enough, but he wants to try. The fire in him has been burning for so long, he's ready to put it out now. And when she answers a quiet of course, he loses it.

He flips their position so he's hovering over her, hands going to her waist to remove her shirt, but she sits up and, much to his dismay, helps him remove it herself. He wanted to put in all the work, but she's in a hurry. Once shed of her own, he's quick to strip off his clothes, her hands greedily helping him in the progress.

Free of no barrier, she wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him in to another kiss. Jinyoung can't help the laugh that bubbles out. "Slow down, hm?" he questions. "There's no need to rush."

Hyunjin lets out a sigh. "I know," her voice comes out low, strained. "I just want you so badly."

Her anticipation gives him courage. He drops his face into the crook of her neck, her smell even more enticing than usual. He's too embarrassed to tell her he can't hurry, his brain too fuzzy with her to quickly process his next moves. Even his wolf is disappointed in him. It's chanting for him to get it on already, but Hyunjin's worth more than that to him.

He grabs her by the hips and she wraps her legs around him as he lowers them both back down to the bed. He kisses her, this time slow and gentle, like their kisses usually go. While normally he can barely move his hands, too much in fear of going too far, this time he explores. He starts at her neck and travels down the line of her body, only stopping at her hips when she lets out a whimper.

"Feel good?" he grins.

"Yes," she sighs out. She moans when he slips his hand in between her legs. "Better," she breathes out when he starts to slowly circle her clit. "Much better."

He chuckles, but doesn't stop. Just takes in the image of her face flushed, eyes closed, enjoying his lazy hand movements. By now his dick is hard and dying to be in her, but he tries to remain calm. Her before himself, he reminds. When she moans, he quickens the pace, ready to get her to her peak. She rolls her hips in sync with him and lets out a cry when she finally reaches her orgasm.

"Ready for me?" he asks, still wanting to be sure.

"I've been ready," she replies and he loses it.

He presses into her, hissing as he glides in with ease. She was right, she was beyond wet and ready. He goes in deeper. He imagined she'd felt good, but not this much. He can't think of anything, just the need to fill her up as he thrusts in and out. He lets out a groan when he finally cums as well.

Hyunjin pulls him in for a kiss before he collapses on top of her. "I love you," he blurts out without thinking, still breathless and panting on top of her.

He tenses, wondering if she heard him or maybe fallen asleep because she doesn't answer right away like he expects. Much to his own relief, he feels her smile.

"Good because I love you too."

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