#i probably didn’t need to tag the band members for this post | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

restlessmaknae · 2 years

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I posted 4,535 times in 2022

120 posts created (3%)

4,415 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@dat-town

@huangintaks

@yeonjune

@restlessmaknae

@hwang-intak

I tagged 4,502 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#queue it like this - 1,150 posts

#moodmaker - 688 posts

#p1harmony - 583 posts

#enhypen - 382 posts

#kdrama - 369 posts

#txt - 318 posts

#kathy knows how to win my heart - 309 posts

#verivery - 281 posts

#oneus - 270 posts

#nct - 230 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#i was also glad about the anxiety awareness and how you highlighted that a lot of people tend to be rather closed off about helping someone

My Top Posts in 2022:

fake it till it’s real [theo]

After kissing Theo whom you haven’t even met before, you don’t expect to become his fake girlfriend the next day, but falling for him seems inevitable nevertheless.

➳ Characters: instrumental band member!Theo x female!reader/you

➳ Genre: comedy, fluff, fake dating au, band au, uni au

➳ Words: 8.1k

➳ Warning: drinking, getting drunk, an ex who doesn’t understand no

Waking up with a headache and feeling nauseous was bad enough.

Waking up in a place you had never been before was worse.

Waking up with a headache, feeling nauseous in a place you had never been before, facing a stranger when you sat up on the couch was the worst possible scenario that you could have imagined.

“Oh my gosh!” You blurted out, your hands flying to your mouth in astonishment. What were you doing in a total stranger’s place when it was bad enough that you had drunk a lot last night, and if you hadn’t dreamed kissing a certain burgundy-haired boy, then you had kissed a stranger, but still ended up at someone else’s place?

“Please, don’t freak out! I’m not God or Jesus, you’re not in heaven, you’re not dead, and we didn’t kidnap you. Any more questions?” The stranger - who had dyed hair too, a bit of silver, so definitely not as vivid as the boy you remembered from the night before - said in one breath, putting on a smile that salesmen put on when they were trying to sell you something.

You didn’t know how to feel about the fact that he had needed to point out that you weren’t kidnapped, but true enough, you weren’t tied to a chair or anything like that.

“Who are you?” You dared to ask as you were trying to blink the sleep - and confusion - out of your eyes. Gosh, sometimes you should really hold yourself back from drinking alcohol! Or at least, you should do it at home, not at a bar where anyone could see you.

“My name is Keeho,” he replied with the giddiest smile possible. At least, someone didn’t seem to find this situation super awkward unlike you.

“But I don’t remember seeing you yesterday.”

“Oh, you didn’t. I’m the best friend and flatmate of the guy you kissed last night,” he broke it down to you, and when he saw how you closed your eyes for a second at the mention of that kiss, cheeks flaring up, his lips curled into an annoying little smile. “Oh, so you remember…” He teased, and if the memories coming back weren’t already enough, he just needed to voice out the obvious.

However, you couldn’t just throw a pillow at him or something, so you bit down on your tongue, holding yourself back from saying anything. Keeho was either oblivious or didn’t care about your reaction, he merely leaned back into the chair that was pushed to the living room table that separated the two of you. It looked suspiciously similar to the chairs beside the dinner table, so you wondered whether someone had been watching you over while you had been sleeping.

“Spill the tea, girl! Taeyang wasn’t really helpful when I asked him what happened,” Keeho admitted, chattering casually as if it had been an everyday thing that someone like you had ended up in their flat after drinking too much and probably blacking out by the end of the night.

You didn’t let yourself dwell on it too much though, you were curious about something else instead.

“Was he really mad?”

“No, I wouldn’t say so. He wasn’t any more judgemental than he usually is,” the guy shrugged his shoulders, and you had no idea whether it was a good thing that his friend wasn’t any more judgemental than usual. No matter how judgemental he was, you didn’t know how to face him again. “Now, tell me. It’s just the two of us. He’s out getting groceries,” Keeho reassured you as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs.

If there was one thing that was more weird than ending up in the flat of the boy you had kissed the night before, it would definitely be telling his best friend/flatmate all about last night. Not that Keeho seemed weirded out, but that didn’t make you feel better. On the other hand, what could you lose though? You had probably lost some face already, there was nothing that could be worse than that, you assumed.

With a resigned sigh, you realised that you couldn’t be any more embarrassing than you had already been, so you started telling him about what had happened.

“So I have this ex, and he kept calling me last night, asking if I had time to meet him. Honestly, I’m kinda fed up with him, so I lied that I was busy. You see, he’s rather clingy…”

“Clingy or he doesn’t understand no? I think there’s a difference,” Keeho chirped in, a worrisome wrinkle stretching between his eyebrows. He seemed rather serious for someone who had seemed like the giddiest person on Earth a minute prior.

“I guess the latter,” you croaked out, not wanting to explain your complicated relationship with your ex. “So I went to this bar, hoping to forget about him, and your friend played there with his band, Seoul Serenade. They were pretty sick though,” you couldn’t help but comment, and Keeho looked like a proud mother with that ‘that’s my boy’ grin on his face. You shook your head, trying to get back to where you had left off even though your headache was killing you. “Anyways, so I was sitting by myself at the bar stool, but when I looked around, I saw my ex coming our way. My ex! So I didn’t really think too much, I just turned to the guy next to me, briefly recognising that it was the guy from the band, told him ‘i’m sorry, my ex is coming’ and I kissed him. And I don’t really remember the rest,” you admitted truthfully, letting out a long, guiltful sigh afterwards. Just what had you gotten yourself into? From one mess to another, you were truly something else.

You looked up at the silver-haired boy with a tentative look, but he didn’t seem that taken aback by the details. His following words explained it all though.

“Yeah, well, Taeyang said that you knocked yourself out by the end of the night. But he also said that the guy who asked him who he was and why were you kissing him was with another girl.”

“What?” You shrieked, trying to retrieve your memories from the night before, more specifically if you had noticed a girl by your ex’s side. You might not have paid too much attention to him since his presence had already been enough to trigger a flight or fight response in you, but could he have been with another girl for real? Then, why had he called you if he had already found a girl for the night?

Deep down, you knew the answer: because he was a piece of trash who only needed to flatter his ego with how many girls liked him.

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119 notes - Posted July 30, 2022

yours truly, karma

Summary: You and Sunoo have been enemies ever since you met each other at a debate competition in freshman year. This year, it seems like you have no choice but to compete alongside him instead of against him. And so all hell breaks loose…

➳ Characters: high school senior!Sunoo x high school senior!reader/you

➳ Genre: fluff, comedy, enemies to lovers, debate club au, high school au

➳ Words: 8.5k

➳ Warning: hints of insecurity; reader and Sunoo hating each other in the beginning, so hate and its synonyms are being thrown around; reader denying any affectionate feelings until almost the very end + two mentions of feeling the need to puke (ironically) and a few uses of the word ‘asshole’

➳ A/N: This is my contribution to @emeraldenha’s Unlikely collab. Please, make sure to check out the other works, too!

➳ Taglist: @dat-town, @lemonqi, @sweetjaemss, @hira127, @hyunjinswife, @studioreader (Click here to be added!)

➳ Check out: my Enhypen masterlist

“Oh my gosh, no way!”

“Yeeees.”

“No, it can’t be possible!”

“I’m telling you, it IS possible.”

Your best friend, Shin Yuna, was nodding so fervently that you were afraid her head would fall off. Meanwhile, you couldn’t stop gaping like a fish out of water, trying to make sense of this situation. It just didn’t make sense. It really didn’t.

“Couldn’t you have mistaken him for someone else?” You quirked an eyebrow, tentative, hoping that Yuna had actually just mistaken the boy for someone else.

“I’ve seen him with my own two eyes, okay? I put my contacts in today,” she justified matter-of-factly, letting out a huff as if you had hurt her by implying that she might have seen it wrong. You really wished she had seen it wrong because dear gosh, how could Kim Sunoo, out of all people, be at your school on the very first day of your senior year?

Kim Sunoo: your archnemesis, your worst enemy, your greatest nightmare… No matter how you wanted to put it, Kim Sunoo was someone you wished to avoid at all costs. Even if you were offered all the money in the world, you wouldn’t want to be in the same room with him. Okay, maybe, if it was about all the money in the world, you would, but still…

Kim Sunoo was someone you desperately wished to avoid, especially apart from the times you were forced to be around him either way. Every year since freshman year of high school, you had met him at the annual national high school debate competition because both your team and his team had made it to the finals. In freshman year, his team had won. In sophomore year, your team had won. Last year, his team had won. Now this year, you were desperately hoping to win with your team. Let’s just say that both of you were a bit too competitive for your own good, both during and outside of the competition when you were bickering to no end, and that had created a tiny bit of tension between you two. (And by tiny, you meant an enormous one.)

“Aaaaaaanyways,” Yuna broke the silence, snapping her fingers in front of your face to regain your attention. “Even if he’s at our school, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he will-”

She was cut off by the squeals around the classroom when the door opened and Mr Bang, your homeroom teacher, walked into the classroom. Not alone, but with someone else. And that someone else just so happened to be Kim Sunoo. He wore your school’s uniform and neat cotton pants, and he was holding onto the straps of his backpack while a giddy smile was playing on his lips.

“Oh my gosh, who is he?”

“Wow, he’s so handsome!”

“Do we have a new classmate?”

Such exclaims could be heard around the classroom, and you felt the need to puke when you saw how lovingly the girls looked at him. As if they were giving him the heart eyes already. If only they knew what kind of a person he was…

“Attention, please!” Mr Bang announced and knocked on the teacher’s desk a few times to quiet down the murmuring students. When everyone finally shut up about the newly arrived student who still looked as if he had been the happiest person on Earth to walk into your classroom, he continued. “We have a new student in our class from today. His name is Kim Sunoo, and he has recently moved from Suwon. Please, welcome him with open arms and a round of applause!”

A few girls started clapping a little too excitedly while some guys started hollering as if they had been watching a football match. You kind of had an idea why, but Hwang Intak just had to confirm it when he exclaimed:

“Yeah, finally! There are more boys than girls!” He shrieked as if he had won a round of his favourite game (a sight too common during breaks when he was immersed in his beloved phone). He boasted a boyish grin that didn’t fade even when Mr Bang warned him to keep his voice down.

Yuna glanced in your way, curious to see your reaction, but you averted your eyes from her face to the newly arrived student, only to catch him already staring at you. He seemed less surprised to see you there, but it wasn’t that weird considering that he knew the school you had come from, so if he was going to be transferred here, he might have already prepared himself for the big reunion. Unlike you who couldn’t believe your luck (or therefore lack of), and wished that he wouldn’t want to continue doing the one thing you loved the most, but-

“And he’s going to join the debate club, but I guess we don’t need to introduce him to you since I’ve heard his team won last year’s competition,” Mr Bang stated, and bamm, there, all hopes of not having to compete alongside him instead of against him lost.

You tore your gaze off the boy’s face, chewing on your lower lip to hold back the curse that was about to fall off your lips. No. You couldn’t lose your cool. The best thing you could do was to show him who was the bigger person here, and act all nonchalant. He deserved silent treatment at best. Yeah, it was best if you tried to ignore him as much as possible.

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123 notes - Posted March 31, 2022

love lockdown

You were on the verge of a break-up with Seungyoun when a pandemic hit, and lockdown happened. It meant that you were actually on the verge of a cliff every single day, and there was no escape.

➳ Characters: Woodz/Seungyoun x reader/you

➳ Genre: angst, slice of life, established relationship

➳ Warning: mentions of depression and a pandemic

➳ Words: 5.6k

➳ A/N: There’s no specific setting for this story, and there’s no specific pandemic mentioned, so I’ll leave the details up to your own imagination. Click here to be added to the TAGLIST and to let me know about your fic preferences.

Seungyoun had always been the one you would walk through fire for, you would fight wars to protect him and keep him away from all the bad in the world, you would travel countries to see him again because you loved him so much, so deeply, so naturally that being beside him felt like breathing, and you felt suffocated whenever you were away from him.

He was the one for whom it didn’t feel like sacrifice when you put him first; when you would stay up late at night to make him lunch for the next day, so he wouldn’t live on takeout constantly; you would check on him despite being exhausted yourself because you knew he tended to stay out late at the studio to work on songs; you would cancel plans just to spend more time with him because being with him (the one who knew you better than anyone else) still meant more than being with anyone else; you kept your worries and problems to yourself, buried them deep under caring words and gentle acts when his depression was resurfacing, and he needed you more than ever.

He was always the one who meant the most to you, and if he had asked, you would have run away with him, no matter the destination, no matter the consequences. You would go with him without question.

Until you wouldn’t.

You loved each other deeply, intimately, unconditionally; two souls of the same heart, two flickers of the same flame, two galaxies colliding, complementing each other perfectly, the darkness and the light finding its perfect balance in the bodies of you two.

Until you weren’t.

You held each other’s hands through thick and thin, through your inner and external demons, through the cruel twists of fate, through loss and grief, through ups and downs of life.

Until you didn’t, and you didn’t know anymore how to reach out to hold each other’s hand, but you weren’t ready to let go yet.

And then, on the verge of a break-up, a pandemic happened, and you were stuck together under the same roof, doubt and uncertainty numbing your pain like the best pain killers would.

You were at work when you heard the news: the government shutting down the borders, the citizens asked to stay at home and avoid leaving their house if not for groceries or exercise, places where people from different households could mingle asked to close including the café where you worked. Everything in the matter of 24 hours. You never knew how little 24 hours could mean if it was about something so life-changing.

Somehow, you managed to keep yourself together throughout the rest of the day, but only because it didn’t feel real. This virus that had been such a distant phenomena so far had just turned your life upside down, and you could do nothing about it. You felt as if it was a stupid joke, and the next day, you would wake up and it would go away. It would all go away, and you could come back to this café, and serve the customers with a smile on your face as you had done so for the past years.

Instead, customers were panicking, employees were panicking, and your boss was making phone calls with the local government to ask about the sudden closure. You were sent home early, the place closing sooner that didn’t seem futile considering the lack of people who would come by after the news.

Yet, just as you were heading home, you realised that a different kind of chaos was waiting for you, and you weren’t sure that you could take it considering the consequences. You secretly hoped that Seungyoun wouldn’t be home, so that you could avoid seeing him first things first, but the world turned its back on you multiple times that day, and it didn’t go easy on you when you arrived at your shared flat with your boyfriend of 5 years.

Seungyoun was in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee when you made your way to the fridge, putting in the last two boxes of milk you could find at the store.

“Have you heard the news?”

He asked as if the world hadn’t turned upside down, and no one had been panicking, but maybe with him spending most of his time at his studio, secluded from the rest of the world, the news of lockdown was a rather recent event for him.

“Yeah,” you kept it brief, not finding it in yourself to pick a fight with him or pour your frustration onto him. The truth is: even if you had wanted to go elsewhere, you had nowhere else to go. Neither of you had. So even if you could feel a possible break-up looming over the two of you, you couldn’t run away from the place where it would probably happen. You were stuck there for god knows how long.

“What did they say at the café?” Seungyoun inquired, his voice raspy yet worrying.

“That they are going to try and figure things out,” just like you should have done so with him. It was killing you inside; the unsaid tension in the air. You could feel it clutching at your neck, squeezing your throat. “How about you?” You asked instead, busying yourself with making a cup of tea. You always preferred tea over coffee, just another difference between you and him.

“I’ll work from home. I’ve picked up my essential equipment, and I’m going to do it from here.” he replied almost monotonically, lacking any enthusiasm. Maybe he was merely trying to be sympathetic, knowing all too well that you - a waitress at a café - couldn’t possibly work from home, but you still felt bitterness twist your stomach. He was so lucky.

“That’s good.”

“Yeah,” he added as if he didn’t want silence to cover the two of you, but his word was drowned by the sound of the water boiler anyway, and then you were left alone in the kitchen with a searing cup of tea and more questions than answers. You didn’t even know who could give you the answers you wanted. Probably no one. And you weren’t ready to face the truth, not yet.

That night, you slept on the couch in the living room, already thinking of using the excuse of sleeping through a movie you watched on TV (a bad habit of yours), and turning in as you turned the TV off.

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137 notes - Posted January 18, 2022

picture perfect

➳ Characters: Heeseung x reader/you

➳ Genre: love alarm au (you don’t need to know the love alarm series to understand the plot), hurt comfort, angst, slice of life, fluff

➳ Words: 8.2k

➳ Warning: low self-esteem, pressuring parents, competitive school life, one mention of falling down because of dizziness and its resulting bruise

➳ Story playlist: picture perfect

➳ Taglist: @dat-town, @sweetjaemss, @hira127, @hyunjinswife, @winterbeartaehyungbestboy

➳ Check out: my Enhypen masterlist

“I’m sorry”, you want to scream, shout and throw a tantrum, but instead, you let him wrap his arms around you, and this time, you don’t protest. And he stays. Being weak beside him doesn’t mean he will leave, and for the first time since seeing him again, you realise why he still likes you.

He hasn’t given up on you, he accepted you with everything that you were and still does so, and that is enough for you to hold onto him as he’s hugging you. To really hold onto him.

Valentine’s Day.

Seems like such a cliché concept in today’s world with Love Alarm being around. When you can have an app that notifies you when someone within your 10 m radius likes you, why would you need a special day to celebrate love? One can receive so much more love each day (such as celebrities) than anyone throughout their entire lives, and if it hasn’t been apparent enough before, now with Love Alarm, the difference is exceptionally striking.

Sure, you know the feeling all too well. The pressure to download the app because everyone else has it and the foolish hope that maybe, just maybe someone who you might not have thought would like you actually likes you, your Love Alarm finally ringing when you two are close enough to each other. You know how you were the same deep down when you were younger; even though you were buried under school and stress and the pressure to do well as the youngest sibling, you were hoping.

Only to realise that you couldn’t like the one who rang your Love Alarm, and no one has ever rung it since then. You haven’t rung his Love Alarm then, and you haven’t rung anyone else’s since then either.

Ironically enough, you haven’t yet deleted the app either because this way, you can prove to yourself that you aren’t lovable enough, and that your heart is closed off, and no one can break through. Love is such an odd phenomena to you; even when you hear the all too familiar ringing sound on the streets, even when you see the ads based on people ringing each other’s alarms, even when you witness just how frequently your older sister’s Love Alarm rings whenever you walk down the streets with her, you feel like it’s the furthest thing from you when love is literally shoved up in your face even more these days than ever before.

You are fine this way though, and the sight of the pink and red balloons by the entrance of the bookstore and the countless heart-shaped decorations hung on the shelves don’t faze you either. Neither does the sound of a few alarms ringing around you, signalling how people around you like each other. You know what you need to pick up from the bookstore, and you know where to find it, so you make your way to the English section, standing by the shelf to scan through the books, holding your phone in your hand to keep checking the exact title of the book.

You don’t even pay much attention to your surroundings, but when you hear the ringing sound from your own phone, your breath is caught in your throat. You look down at the screen, confused, your heart making a silly little turn. Surely, there’s something wrong. The app must be malfunctioning. It can’t be that you meet someone at this bookstore, someone who knows you enough to like you, and they’re just close enough to you to ring your Love Alarm. There isn’t even anyone in this row who could-

Turning your head, you realise that there’s actually someone standing a few steps further from you, looking just as bewildered to see you here as you are. Maybe not just because of the fact that you’re here, but also how you’re here, between rows of books, being the only two students looking for a book.

Just like almost two years. At the library of your high school.

When he rang your Love Alarm, and you didn’t ring his back.

Lee Heeseung.

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185 notes - Posted April 15, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

bf material.pptx

It takes Keeho some time and Taeyang’s advice - aka the voice of reason - to realise that he actually might be in love with you. As expected, he confesses in the most Keeho way possible.

➳ Characters: best friend!Keeho x reader/you

➳ Genre: fluff, comedy, best friends to lovers

➳ Words: 5.4k

➳ Taglist: @dat-town, @tranquilpetrichor

➳ Check out: my masterlist for more stories

It takes Keeho some time and Taeyang’s advice - aka the voice of reason - to realise that he actually might be in love with you. As expected, he confesses in the most Keeho way possible.

You and Keeho have been best friends since day 1. Literally. Your mothers have given birth on the same day at the same hospital, and their hospital rooms were right beside the other’s, so once the rumour that two kids were born almost in the same minute got out, they were destined to meet and become best friends.

With your mothers being best friends, you two were playing together from the very beginning, so it’s no exaggeration when you tell people that you know Keeho ever since you can remember. Really. He’s always been in your memories as someone who was there, who was with you, and now you couldn’t even imagine your life without him and his random memes that he finds at 2am, song obsessions that he begs you to listen to until you finally give in, very unfortunate kitchen accidents (once he burned a tortilla that you asked him to look over while you were off to the bathroom) and just overall iconic moments. He probably started the trend of being the main character because he’s that kind of person, and you’re lucky that he has space in his heart for you (and a special one on top of that!) given how many people he meets and befriends.

You also vibe with his guy best friend (because you are the girl best friend or so he tells you so himself), a guy named Choi Taeyang, who’s also the same age as you (though not exactly the same day like you and Keeho). He’s a great guy and even though they share many similarities, you always find it hilarious when Taeyang gives him such disgusted or judgemental stares. Not that you don’t do so when Keeho can’t chill out for the love of God, but it’s always more fun when you see it from an outsider’s perspective.

You and Keeho also live relatively close to each other (a 20-minute walk is all it takes though you competed when you were younger who could beat the other’s record at running to the other’s house), so you went to the same elementary school, middle school and high school. Having him around has always been fun because even though you don’t hate people, you find it more difficult to socialise, yet having a social butterfly as your best friend guaranteed that you wouldn’t be alone, and soon enough, everyone in your neighbourhood knew who Yoon Keeho was, and that you two were best friends.

Then came university, and you were accepted into different ones, so you don’t meet each other every single day. Which is odd considering that you’ve done so probably for the last 20 years of your lives, but what can you do? You work it out either way, you still frequently meet up, have sleepovers and you never stop sending messages to each other, let it be at 1am crying over an assignment that you just can’t seem to finish because your rock singer neighbour is practising so loud that you can’t concentrate or in the middle of the day, asking the other if you had lunch already.

It’s the usual today as well, so once you discuss that you haven’t eaten lunch and you both have some time to spare before your next class, you decide to meet up halfway between your campuses for a good old Chinese stir-fry.

“Hey, bestie! How have you been?” Keeho literally crushes into the seat on the other side of the table, his beg reaching the ground with a loud thud. His hair is currently blue though it has been green, orange and burgundy before because it’s his way to show his mother that he remembers when she told him that he can only start dying his hair when entering university. Needless to say, Keeho hasn’t stopped dying his hair ever since.

“Been good, nothing much since the text I sent you about 20 minutes ago,” you chuchle at both his grand arrival and the giddy smile on his face. “How about you?”

“You know me. I could set a house on fire, but nothing happened on my way here, thanks for asking,” he emphasises as he runs a hand through his sky blue locks. You look at him fondly, happy to see him in person yet again.

You can’t have this moment to yourself because the waitress is already at your table, asking about your orders. It’s not like you need to think about it, you both go for your usual order, and chit-chat your way through the waiting for the steaming bowls of stir-fry. You talk about your classes and current assignments and weird neighbourhood stories, you get another list of song recommendations and recipes that he wants you to try out (because he would suck at it and he knows), and somewhere along the way you find yourself blurting out:

“There’s this guy in one of my classes and I have a feeling that he likes me.”

You want him to know because 1) he’s your best friend 2) he knows everything about you and you don’t want to leave this one out either 3) maybe, just maybe you have a crush on said best friend and want to see his reaction. On the other hand, you don’t think that he could be so casual about it even though Keeho is one of the most patient people you’ve ever met (he probably exhausts only himself at times).

“What’s the problem with that? Just give him a chance,” he shrugs as he chugs down the rest of his boba tea, and it takes you aback how unbothered he is. You wouldn’t be if he told you that he thinks a girl likes him at uni, but you guess it answers all your unasked questions.

“But I don’t like him, and I feel nothing beside him. I believe you just know if you like someone or there’s a chance you like them, but there’s nothing,” you add, picking at your napkin as if it could help to solve all your problems, but sadly, it doesn’t. It just makes you look pathetic, you assume.

“Well then, don’t. Just say that you have a boyfriend or something. I can cosplay as your boyfriend if he needs convincing,” he offers playfully, but you nearly choke on the rest of your mango juice. Thank god it’s only nearly because that would have been awkward, but you still feel like you croak out the words when you ask:

“How about you? There’s no girl around whom you might like?”

“Noooo. Nope.” Keeho looks so offended as if you asked him if he was the one who managed to punch through your wall at the age of 7 (you know it was your neighbour repairing some stuff, but he was the one who was beside the wall at that time). “How about you?”

You need a second (or maybe two) to pull yourself together before you can answer.

“Well, I guess not then,” you say as you forcefully raise your lips into a smile, but Keeho is busy hunting for the last few boba pearls from his bubble tea, and doesn’t look up to meet your disappointed stare.

You guess you just have to live with your one-sided love for your best friend until the end of your life.

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302 notes - Posted April 27, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #oh my gosh both of my p1h stories are in my top posts?#also two enhypen + one woodz?#i'n flattered *-*

3 notes · View notes

angryschnauzer · 3 years

Text

Undercover Honeymoon

Summary; Having survived a helicopter crash that killed off the gang you and your senior agent had infiltrated, you hide out from the storm that brought the aircraft down by pretending to be Honeymooners at a boutique hotel... but what will 24 hours with August Walker bring you? Trouble, that’s what, and the best possible kind.

Pairing: August Walker x Female Reader (no race or body type specified)

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, Smut, honestly this is entirely smut, its a crack fic too. Sigh, here goes: face slap, murder, August in a hoodie and grey sweatpants, oral sex (female recieving), blowjob, drunken antics, impared judgement, titty fucking, fingering, unprotected sex, anal sex, inappropriate lube, multiple orgasms, dubious consent, choking, dom-vibes, Sugar Daddy arrangement (but no Daddy kink).

I do not run a tag list, but if you go and follow @angryschnauzerwrites and hit notifications, you’ll get an alert to any new stories i post. All previous fics can be found on there or on my Ao3

Undercover Honeymoon

The helicopter spiralled out of control, the tall pines looming through the storm of the century rain, screaming filled your ears, unsure if it was the sound of the engines failing or coming from your own lungs. The aircraft made contact with the trees and everything went black.

“Agent… AGENT!” a slap across your face sprang you from your unconscious state, your vision blurred and you winced at the sharp pain that shot through your temple as the face before you came into focus.

“Walker?” you muttered; “Can’t blow our cover…”

Strong arms gripped your shoulders;

“Wake UP! Everyone else is dead”

The next hour was surreal. Agent Walker - your superior officer - had pulled you from the wreckage of the helicopter, past the lifeless bodies of the gang you’d infiltrated, some of which had injuries that looked suspiciously like gunshot wounds. Either way you were alive and so was the other undercover agent, and having spent the last four days running bank robberies you were relieved to be rid of the brutal gang.

Agent Walker had half dragged half carried you through the forest, and even though it was the middle of the day, the torrential rain and dark storm clouds above made the way feel like you were travelling at twilight. When you stumbled on some roots he caught you, his arm firmly around your waist;

“C’mon Agent, not much further now…” his voice softer than usual, reassuring even.

“Where’re we going?”

“Out of season ski lodge… should be quiet this time of year, just a couple of wildlife watchers no doubt”

What you’d been expecting was a cute little place with checkered curtains and cutesy decor, what you’d arrived at was a luxury boutique hotel. Agent Walker had managed to spin a very convincing tale of your car leaving the highway due to the weather and he’d arrange to get it recovered after the storm so you could continue your ‘honeymoon’. The receptionist had smiled warmly and offered the pair of you the luxury suite, August merrily peeling $100 bills off a stack he’d produced from his pocket, the paper band that held them together from the robbery slyly crumpled up and you quietly picked it up from the floor, a tiny smirk on the corner of his face when he spotted you covering his rare mistake.

Ten minutes later you were settled in your shared room, starting to peel yourself out of your soaked boots and clothing as you eyed the enormous bathroom and ultra fluffy robes that were provided.

“I’m going to go to the gift shop…” he announced, breaking the silence; “They do hoodies and stuff, i’ll grab some dry things to change into…”

“Thanks Agent Walker… I’m going to take a bath…”

He nodded quietly, standing at the door;

“It’s August… call me August”

You must have fallen asleep in the bath, as the next thing you know there is an insistent knocking on the bathroom door;

“Honey? Honey, everything ok in there?”

“Y-yes, Sorry, fell asleep…”

“Ok Honey, just got room service here delivering some lunch”

“Thanks Aug… Augie…”

Augie? Where the hell did that come from? You mentally chastised yourself. An hour ago he was your senior agent and all round grumpy supervisor, now he was ‘Augie’? You actually facepalmed yourself before taking a deep breath and climbing out of the bath. A few moments later once you were dry, wearing the fluffy robe you stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, your breath catching in your throat;

“Augie… we have company?”

Agent Walker was standing in the middle of the room in his shirt, underwear and socks, talking to the room service attendant as he tipped the young man;

“Darling, lunch is here, you must be famished” he let a warm smile spread over his face as he turned to the staff member; “We must have a bite to eat… expending lots of energy, it is our honeymoon after all…”

Once he’d ushered the man out of the room he cleared his throat and his expression dropped, his face serious again;

“I got your new attire… it fits more with the location” he motioned for you to follow him to the bed where there were a number of things laid out, however your feet were rooted to the floor; “What?”

“You’re… you’re in your underwear…”

He looked down, almost in shock to discover he was without his cargo pants;

“Yes? And you’re completely naked beneath that fetching white robe” he motioned to a side of the bed where a bunch of things were sat on the pristine white duvet; “So unless you wish to eat lunch having me know you are naked save for a glorified towel with sleeves - and that would be a delightful thought - you may want to get changed whilst i shower”

Without another word he smirked, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief and grabbed a pile of clothing on the bed, before sauntering into the bathroom, leaving you open jawed at both his sassiness and his tight ass in snug jersey boxers.

Turning back to what was laid on the bed you looked over what he’d managed to get in the hotel’s boutique; a daringly short floral summer dress, a hoodie with the Hotel’s logo on, a pack of novelty thong panties also with bears on, and the highest heeled wedge sandals you’d ever seen. Although none of this surprised you, it was after all the kind of hotel where in good weather, the rich and famous could have cocktails on the deck as they overlooked the Rocky mountains, the fact he’d managed to find your exact size in everything was impressive.

Leaving the heels off for now, you pull the panties and dress on, throwing the hoodie on unzipped to cover up a little, before going to investigate the food, realising that you probably hadn’t eaten for close to 24 hours. You were bent over the service trolley scrutinising the various dishes that had been delivered when you heard his voice;

“Huh, didn’t need to buy you a wallet, those tiny panties show off your silken purse beautifully Princess”

Spinning around you gasped, about to give him a piece of your mind but your train of thought stopped like a record scratch. There before you stood Agent August Walker, grey sweats hanging dangerously low on his hips, chest bare as he pulled a khaki green hoodie over his still damp curls. You noticed how his beard was a little beyond stubble, his mustache curling as a small smile tugged as his lips. Your gaze unashamedly ran down the length of his entire body, emphasis on length as it was clear he was without any underwear, and those rumours that were quietly whispered in the ladies room at the Pentagon were looking to be true as to exactly why they called him ‘The Hammer’.

Still holding a cooling French Fry he sauntered over to you before grabbing a sandwich from the platter;

“My apologies… that was inappropriate” he took a bite, before talking with his mouth full; “Been a crazy 24 hours huh?”

“Y-yeah, you could say that… so, what’s the plan?”

Just at that moment an incredible gust of wind rattled the windows to the point you thought they would blow in, the lights overhead flickered before settling back to bright as he answered;

“Eat, Drink, Sleep. We’re stuck here at least overnight. We don’t have any cells or electronics people can trace, and having checked the map this is not the closest civilisation to the crash site so even if people did come looking for us, this isn’t the first place they’d think of… however in this weather the roads are impassable, at least two rivers have breached their banks, we’re basically cut off from the rest of the world here in our own little bubble” he took a bite of sandwich before grinning at you; “So eat up, the bar downstairs is well stocked, dinner is apparently served in about 4 hours, and there’s a game room if you’re up for a round or two of pool…”

Giggling you both tumbled into your suite, August flicking the light switch up and down before realising the power had gone out at the exact moment he’d unlocked the door;

“Oooh dark… are you afraid of the dark Princess?”

The pair of you stumbled and turned, pushing the door shut and you found yourself pressed between it and August’s body, his lips finding your neck as he pressed kisses along your jugular, his facial hair leaving behind a trail of tingling skin in its wake;

“Depends who i’m in the dark with…”

He was so close, in the faint last traces of daylight as the storm took hold of the night you could see the outline of his face, how his long eyelashes rested against his cheeks as he closed his eyes, his breath warm on your skin as you were surrounded by his scent, pine soap and single malt whiskey;

“A monster…”

“I was never afraid of monsters…”

He dropped to his knees in front of you, pressing a kiss to your clothed stomach before his hands were beneath the skirt and pulling your novelty panties down;

“Hold your dress up Princess, show me that pretty pussy”

Doing as he told you, you gripped the pretty fabric in your hands as he hooked one of your legs over his shoulder, pressing kisses to your inner thighs before his thick fingers parted your folds and he dived in. His mustache and light beard pricked at your sensitive skin, but his tongue and lips soothed your aching core, desperate for attention and dripping with need as he went to town on you. He quickly brought you to orgasm before pushing you on for the next, his fingers now knuckle deep in your velvet walls, curling just right to find that spot that had you dripping, his tongue working against your clit to the point where you had to steady yourself by curling one hand through his soft chestnut curls, riding his face as you cried out his name.

Now over sensitive, you pulled his curls to get him to relent, a grunt of frustration coming from between your thighs;

“Augie… please… too sensitive…”

He quickly stood, lifting you to kiss you roughly, his tongue pushing into your mouth and you could taste yourself on his tongue as he gripped your ass as he carried you across the room before unceremoniously dropping you on the bed;

“Strip” he commanded as he staggered to the bathroom.

You ignored his request, instead reaching for a bottle of water at the side of the bed, taking a drink from he as he returned holding a bottle;

“August… what’s that?”

He looked down at the bottle, almost surprised he was holding something and blinked a few times before looking back at you;

“Baby oil. Its... Baby oil”

“Why do you have Baby oil?” you asked, already knowing the answer but with a sly streak wanting to get him to admit it

“Because they didn’t sell condoms in the gift shop so i cant fuck your pussy because i can’t check to see if you’re on birth control” he blurted out quickly.

Whatever you had been expecting, it hadn’t been that, and as you coughed on the water you had been about to drink, August got distracted and moved to light the candles that sat on the table in the centre of the room now that the only available light was the tiny light over the sink in the bathroom that was battery operated. You watched as he somehow managed to strike the matches and light the candles even though he was visibly drunk, before returning back to the bed and standing over you;

“Why aren’t you naked?” he frowned at you; “Don’t make me rip that pretty little dress off of you Princess”

Shimmying out of your dress you bit your lip as you watched him watching you, the low light dancing over your body and enough for you to see the obscene bulge barely contained by his sweatpants. He stood at the edge of the bed, towering over you before he took hold of your ankles and roughly pulled you to the edge of the bed before he pulled the grey sweats down and you finally got sight of his legendary hammer;

“Fuck…”

“We’ll get to that Princess, but first, suck”

Taking him in your hands he was hot and throbbing at your touch, his thick shaft patterned with veins, heavy and virile. You pumped your fist, your fingers unable to meet as you worked his uncut dick. You felt his hand on the back of your head, pulling you closer until you had no choice but to open your mouth and take him as deep as you could, gagging as he immediately hit the back of your throat and started to fuck your mouth.

Holding your head in place with both hands he rocked his hips back and forth, groaning as he stretched your lips almost uncomfortably. Soon you had spit running down your chin as he rained down a stream of degrading compliments;

“Cock hungry slut, look at you with my dick in your mouth… does it taste good, Jesus christ your tongue is perfect, yeah do that thing again, fuck, i can feel your throat tight around me…” with a gasp he pulled out, a trail of spittle hanging from your lips to his angry red tip, before he grabbed the baby oil and pushed you back until you were laying flat on the bed;

“Push your tits together, i’m gonna fuck them and cum all over your pretty face”

He climbed on the bed, straddling your lower torso as you found yourself pushing your breasts together. The click of a bottle of baby oil and it was being poured in the valley of your chest, before he settled his dick against the slick skin. He dropped the bottle and with a grunt pulled his hoodie over his head, revealing his glorious chest, covered in dark hair and thicker than you had realised.

His dick was heavy against your chest as he took your hands in his and showed you how he wanted you to hold your titties for him, rocking his hips bath and forth as his hot flesh slipped through your soft pillows, the angry tip poking out at your neck with each thrust;

“So fucking pretty, gonna cum all over that face… you wanna taste my cum you little slut? Yeah? Cock hungry slut, can’t get enough of my dick, can you?”

You didn’t answer, the lust in his eyes making you drunk with desire, instead you tipped your head to your chest and opened your mouth, letting August’s dick slide into your mouth, the salty tang of his precum hitting your senses.

His thrusts were becoming rough and violent, his hips squeezing your ribcage as he fought back against the urge to cum, but you wanted it, needed it;

“August, will you cum on my face, pretty please?” you batted your eyelashes at him innocently and it was the final straw, and you watched as he threw his head back and thick ropes of his creamy seed spurted over your mouth and cheeks as he groaned so deliciously. On the last spurt you leaned forwards and took his tip into your mouth, gently laving your tongue over the leaking slit, before releasing him softly. August had eased his gasp on your tits, and using his thick finger he scooped the cum from your cheek;

“Open wide Princess”

Sticking your tongue out you sucked the bitter treat from his finger, before he repeated it with the other cheek. Finally swallowing you grinned at him;

“Thank you August”

His hand paused on your cheek, softly cupping it;

“Anything for you Princess… now scoot up the bed, i wanna eat that pussy again whilst i get you ready for my dick”

He swung his leg over so you could wriggle up the bed, and immediately he was laying between your legs, both of your thighs over his shoulders as he started to sloppily eat you out again, except this time his lubed fingers strayed to your asshole and he already had one knuckle deep in your back entrance. You were writhing against his tongue, and although not as accurate with his targets this time now that the alcohol in his system was taking hold, that wide tongue was driving you to heaven as his fingers pulled you down into the dark pits of depravity that hell could only contain. You were uttering almost incomprehensible gibberish, begging for more which he eagerly gave, a second and soon a third finger stretching your ass as he prepared you for what was yet to come. You came with a scream as his wide tongue tormented your pussy until you had to physically pull him by his curls to stop, breathless as you watched him kneel on the bed and grab the baby oil, pouring some onto his hand to lube his dick before smoothing a considerable amount over your asshole and lined up his now raging hard on with your stretched hole. He paused, looking down at you;

“Final chance to back out… do you want me to fuck your ass?”

“Yes… please August, i want your dick in my ass, i want you to cum in my ass, treat me like a dirty anal slut”

With a groan he pushed forwards, slowly breaching your body and you felt the uncomfortable stretch of having a dick slide into your ass. Even with the prep and the oil it still took a while for your body to relax enough for him to push in, but when he eventually was balls deep in your ass you felt so full you were sure you would burst;

“Oh my god… You’re so big…”

“Taking me like a champ Princess, even with the oil your ass is so fucking tight i’m struggling not to blow my load right here and now”

“Fuck my ass August, do it hard, i wanna feel it in the morning…”

With a roar he started to fuck into you, holding himself up on his massive arms as his hips pistoned into you, filling your barren depths as his pubic bone rubbed against your empty pussy and your juices flooded his crotch;

“So fucking wet Princess, leaking all down your ass, its only adding to the lube so i can fuck you harder. Your poor little battered asshole, you’re barely gonna be able to sit tomorrow… apart from back on my dick as we have breakfast, don’t think this is the only time i’m gonna fuck your ass, i’m gonna use this hole until you’re loose and stretched, so i can just bend you over and slide my dick into your ass. Gonna hide those stupid panties i bought you, i want you walking around bare, my cum dripping down your legs where there’s so much inside you, you can barely keep it inside… shame the gift shop didn’t sell plugs, i woulda’ filled you with my load and have you plugged and ready lubed for me to use whenever i pleased…”

August’s dirty talk had you cumming hard, squeezing him tight and yet he fucked you straight through it. Laying limp as he continued to fill your ass he slowed and moved, kneeling on the bed as he moved your legs from either side of his lips until both your feet were over one of his shoulders, pushing and pulling you until he had one arm firmly wrapped around your knees and he could fuck into your ass as he held you like a rag doll. The new position was tighter, deeper, and as you started to pant out with lust his free hand rested on your throat, squeezing carefully but firmly;

“Harder…” you panted out, your head swimming as your airway was restricted, and as he pounded into your ass you were both getting close.

“Gonna cum in your ass, fill you up with a massive load, you want that Princess?”

You tried to say yes, but all that came out was a tiny croak as his massive hand gripped your throat. Before you could even try again your orgasm hit, your eyes rolling back in their sockets as you squirted, your body gripping him so tight he reached his peak, pushing in as deep as he could as he pumped your ass full of his cum.

August released his grip on your neck, pulling out gently as he softly lay your legs on the bed;

“Did so well Princess, such a good little slut…”

You could only hum out a response, your mind as used as your body was.

You woke to the sound of soft rain falling against the window, peering out from beneath the duvet you could see that the grey light of morning was filling the room, the storm seemingly blown mostly through with just a persistent rain now dampening the earth. Shifting on the bed you winced, everything was sore, but especially your ass. But then a warm body pressed to your back, a large hand smoothed over your stomach and a familiar voice spoke softly in your ear as stubble brushed against your bare shoulders;

“Rise and shine…”

“Hmmmmm no, i don’t wanna get up” you grumbled

“But…”

“Noooo. If we get up then we’ve got to think about things going back to normal, i just wanna pretend i’m able to stay in a hotel as nice as this when i’m not trying to escape a dangerous gang… too many responsibilities, too much stress… i just want another half hour of being treated like a Princess” you grumbled.

A quiet chuckle came from behind you;

“There’s no reason why we can’t do this again”

Turning in his arms, you looked at August;

“How? You’re my superior Agent, the CIA pushes and pushes and pushes, I never get enough time off to do something like this, If i had known i was literally signing my life away i would never have signed up for the academy. What’s the fucking use of earning a good wage if i can never enjoy it… and its not even that good of a wage to be honest…” you paused and narrowed your gaze; “Have you showered?”

“Yes. And i have a proposition for you…”

“Keep talking…”

August started to move, slowly climbing between your legs and you felt his hard dick resting against your folds, your pussy instinctively growing wet, slowly rubbing against you as he smiled down at you;

“As a senior agent i get a considerably better wage than you do, but i don’t have anyone to share it with, anyone to treat like a Princess and spoil with gifts that they deserve… but i also want someone that will be agreeable to my darkest desires…” he rocked his hips back before slowly parting his thighs, and you felt the nudge of his tip at your soaked pussy; “... someone, a woman i can treat like a Princess but will let me fuck them like a whore… can i fuck your pussy like a whore?”

The gentle nudge of his dick just stretching the ring of muscle that granted access to the heaven between your legs had you begging, pleading to be August’s Whore. He let out a sigh of pleasure as he slowly sank into your pussy, bare and unprotected filling you with his virile shaft;

“You’re my Slutty Princess…taking my dick like a pro”

In that hotel room August Walker became your sugar Daddy, and over room service breakfast you agreed the details of your arrangement as you sat on his lap, his dick in your ass as he fed you strawberries, before he grew impatient and bounced you on his dick until he came in your barren depths. Resting back against his chest, his softening dick still inside you he played with your pussy as he discussed the next step, trying to decide if a trip to an adult store or a jewellery store should be the first stop after returning to DC;

“How about a jewelled plug?” you suggested; “That’s the best of both worlds”

Holding your jaw he turned your head so he could kiss you, pulling away and grinning;

“See, that’s why you’re the perfect Princess, smart and sexy…”

You felt him start to harden in your ass again, wriggling and letting out a giggle as you felt him stretch your insides;

“Over the table or out on the balcony in the rain?” you asked

“Oooh lets do the balcony… its check out time so a few other guests will be able to see my little slut have her battered asshole filled with another load”

There on the balcony that overlooked the serene mountains August filled your ass again, your naked bodies soaked with the rain as he gripped your breasts whilst he fucked you from behind.

You couldn’t wait to be August’s play thing.

#august walker #august walker x reader #august walker smut #henry cavill

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yumeyooa · 3 years

Text

revenge is brutally sweet | jeon jungkook

—jeon jungkook’s life so far has been going well. he’s the guitarist of the most famous band in the scene, he’s got the girl of his dreams, and everything he’s ever wished for is in the palm of his hands. what he doesn’t expect though, is to wake up one day in the middle of a controversy. what the controversy is, you may ask? a new band has been hitting the charts, and their lead singer is none other than you, a former member of the band and his ex-girlfriend.

➢ pairing: jeon jungkook x female! reader

➢ word count: 14.6k+

➢ love letter: AH SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG T_T I kinda drowned in midterms AHSHSHs but I hope you enjoy this fic <33 there’s more to this angsty collection to come so stay tuned!!

navigation | collection masterlist

Life couldn’t be any better.

This is what Jeon Jungkook constantly told himself every morning after his short, fifteen-minute shower while messily tousling his hair in an extra-soft towel as he takes in the dreary yet somehow vibrant view from his penthouse apartment, soaking in the sun’s rays.

The city was busy, even though the sun had just risen and bloomed into full glory. The streets were filled with people rushing to get wherever they needed to be, cars driving past with the fervor of a shackled mad man on wheels. If Jungkook looked closer, he would have probably seen the black exhaust drifting in the air from the fumes of those ecologically damaging vehicles or the frantic looks on an office worker’s face as they hurriedly crossed the street obviously late for work.

But alas, Jungkook couldn’t care less about the trials and tribulations of some strangers he didn’t even know. After all, his life was going great. In fact, he was literally walking on cloud nine at this point and felt like nothing had stopped him.

Of course, it wasn’t always this way, which was why Jungkook appreciated his success tenfold.

He, like every other success story, had started from the ground up. Music was something he had always dreamed of doing for the rest of his life. Ever since his grandfather had first shown him how to play the guitar, the melodies had wrapped their whimsical tunes around his heart and made themselves stay. It was fascinating to him how playing a couple of strings could produce such music that could move souls and bring smiles to people’s faces.

And ever since then, he was hooked. Every chance he got, he would play the guitar even if his parents tried to pry him off it.

They wanted him to be a doctor after all, and there was no way in hell he was going to go by their wishes. While being a doctor was great, it didn’t ignite the same spark that music did, and for Jungkook, he would rather die than live a life without his flame running ablaze.

So, against his parent’s wishes, he pursued a career in music. It wasn’t easy, of course. At first, he had no support system for his dream. His friends and teachers ridiculed and discouraged him, saying that the future was bleak and he had no hopes of making it big. But if Jungkook knew anything about himself, it would most likely have to do with the fact that he was extremely stubborn and persistent, much to the disappointment of the adults in his life.

So he continued. He continued reaching his dreams, joining every music-related activity he could at his age until he finally met Mr. Park.

Mr. Park was a bright man who came in one day as a replacement for their music teacher, who was an old lady who stuck to the classics and had a somewhat deceiving grading system. He came into class with disheveled hair, an unkempt tie, and when he turned around to write his name on the board, the whole class laughed as they could see his heart print underpants peeking through.

But despite his clumsiness and seemingly carefree nature, Mr. Park was a master at his craft. He was the epitome of what a music teacher should be; exceptionally skilled, eloquent, and passionate about what he did. But Mr. Park had another talent that not many knew about, which was the eye for potential.

And Mr. Park saw potential in Jungkook.

He had taken Jungkook under his wing and taught him the ropes of music life. The keys of the piano, how notes were read, how symphonies were made. And the more Jungkook learned, the more he yearned for a life surrounding music. When he voiced his wishes to Mr. Park, expecting to receive the same rejection he had always known, he was pleasantly surprised to find out that he had his support.

Mr. Park was the very first person who saw that Jungkook could have a future in music. He was the very first person who showed Jungkook that there was a path for him to take that was far better than the path his parents laid out for him. A rocky path filled with trials and tribulations but ultimately reaped great rewards in the end.

Like a moth drawn to its flame, Jungkook was attracted to the seemingly devastating path because somehow, amid the darkness, there was hope. Hope for a happier future, a future that wasn’t filled with regret and mourning but full of triumph and satisfaction. Jungkook would be a fool not to pursue the latter.

And thus, in hopes of finally seeing the light, Jungkook decided to start his own band.

It didn’t start off right away, though. After all, no kid at his school wanted to be part of a band that, in the eyes of their parents, was a complete waste of time. Jungkook kept his small dream hidden deep within his heart, yet even so, it still burned with an unyielding passion. Even if years passed and no opportunity for him to start a band was in sight, Jungkook didn’t give up, knowing that his persistence would one day reap great rewards.

And finally, his chance came in the form of you.

From the very beginning, Jungkook had always thought you were strange. In a prestigious school known for being the epitome of perfection and class, you were the odd one out, sticking out like a sore thumb with your disheveled appearance and undignified manner of carrying yourself. Almost immediately, you were set to be the outcast, ridiculed by your peers for your looks and mannerisms, even if, in Jungkook’s opinion, you weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary.

Unfortunately, the world is never kind to those who are different.

Jungkook’s phone rings from where it is laid on his bedside table, the alarm blaring loudly, causing a shift in the once serene atmosphere of his apartment. Jungkook pays it no mind at first, choosing to finish drying his hair before finally picking up the phone, voice groggy and slightly annoyed from having his peaceful morning interrupted.

“Who is it?” He hastily asks, not meaning to sound as harsh. But could he really be blamed when it was 7 AM in the morning, and he wasn’t expected to show up to any scheduled event until noon?

“Jungkook!” An exasperated voice exclaims from the other side of his phone. It was Namjoon, his manager, Jungkook, quickly concludes. Although it was rare for him to call so early in the morning, especially in such a panicked state. Perhaps he forgot to inform him of a schedule? Although that was annoying, Jungkook wouldn’t really mind. After all, work made money. But if that were the case, it would have been odd for Namjoon to be so panicked about it. The man was known for being reasonably level-headed even in times of extreme stress, so perhaps it was something else entirely.

“Did you read the news?” Namjoon quickly adds before Jungkook could ask what was wrong. At his question, Jungkook’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, quickly sitting down on the side of his bed and grabbing his iPad from the same bedside desk, unplugging the charger along the way.

“No,” he says as he types up the password into the Home Screen, laying his phone in between the juncture of his shoulder and ear. “Is there something I should be concerned about? I mean, it’s not like I got into a scandal or anything, right?”

Wrong.

Well, partly.

The moment Jungkook opens his Twitter, he’s surprised to see more notifications than usual. Of course, it was a given for him to have a ghastly amount of notifications as a celebrity. He did have a large fan base, after all. But the numbers on his screen far exceeded that of what he was used to, and amongst those notifications tagging his account, one article stood out amongst the rest, and the headline made his blood run cold.

“What the fuck?” He whispers, staring at the article in shock as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. “Am I seeing this right, Namjoon?”

The man on the other side of the phone is silent for a while before Jungkook hears a sigh. “Unfortunately, yes,” Namjoon says, and Jungkook can almost imagine the way he’s probably rubbing his temples together while sipping his cup of black coffee in his office out of stress and frustration

“(Y/N) is back,” he says, causing shivers to run down Jungkook’s spine. “And apparently Jungkook, she wrote a song about you.”

The day Jungkook finally mustered up the courage to talk to you for the first time was an experience, to say the least. For what felt like years, albeit it was only a few days, Jungkook had been observing you from the sidelines, watching as you were berated by his classmates, who apparently had nothing better to do with their time.

A part of Jungkook always felt guilty for never standing up for you. He knew you needed a friend. Someone to confide in this hellish school that made it seem as if it were every man for himself. But he was a coward, raised and molded to never take a step outside the boundaries he had set for himself, like a doll.

Although, with Mr. Park's influence, Jungkook could finally break free from his shell, even if it were just a mere few steps.

"Here," he says nervously, handing you a carton of banana milk that he had picked up from the nearest vending machine the moment he saw you storm out of the classroom in tears. Even then, your classmates had laughed, mocking how sensitive you were, which disgusted Jungkook. Didn't they have any ounce of shame for making a person cry like that?

You look up from where you sat on the school's staircase, eyes puffy from crying so hard, a stream of tears still flowing down your face. You looked like an absolute mess, and the sight only caused Jungkook's heart to clench even more. He sat beside you, albeit a bit distanced because he couldn't help but feel awkward. This was your first conversation, after all.

You stare at him, not entirely understanding why he would extend kindness towards you. Was this a trick of fate? Was he doing this so you would someday do his bidding in the future? The kids of this school were scary, even scarier than the monsters that hid underneath your bed or the creatures that roamed around in the dead of night. Even amidst the light, they scared you, and you were terrified that the man offering you some banana milk would be just the same.

"You don't have to take it if you don't want to," Jungkook says, after realizing you were staring at him warily, cautious over whether or not you would accept his gift. "Sweets always cheered me up whenever I feel down, and I thought maybe it would cheer you up too!"

If anyone were to see your interaction, they would have burst out laughing from how awkward it was. You who were wary and cautious, and Jungkook who was awkward and shy. A stark difference between your usual timid behavior and Jungkook's confident act. In fact, if anyone else were to see this, they would have never believed their eyes.

It was odd, after all. And you knew this very well. Which was why you were so confused at Jungkook's behavior. Why was he approaching you so kindly when everyone else ridiculed and shunned you out? You were different, someone who didn't deserve to be there. An imposter, an intruder. It didn't make sense for him to act friendly.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Jungkook continues, setting down the banana milk in the space between the two of you as he fiddled with his fingers, a habit he had picked up over time. "I'm not doing this to mock you or make fun of you later down the line… I just really don't like the way they're treating you. It's not right."

You're stunned. Rightfully so. This was the first time someone had ever gone against what others did to you, despite him doing so behind the scenes. A weird sensation bubbles up from inside you, one you can't quite place. But what you do know is that amidst it all, there's warmth. Jungkook's words sounded genuine and sincere, not like the usual condescending tone you were used to hearing from the rest of your peers.

He genuinely seemed to care.

Jungkook's eyes widen in surprise when he sees you grab the carton of banana milk, opening the straw in pushing it through, taking a sip. You sheepishly stare down, not even bothering to look Jungkook in the eye before muttering. "I prefer strawberry milk… but this isn't that bad... I guess… Thanks…"

His eyes gleam, happy that you've accepted his offering and watching with a content smile as a small smile of your own forms on your lips, a far cry from the mess you were mere moments ago. He had somehow managed to cheer you up, and that was better than anything Jungkook could ever ask for.

"No problem. Next time I'll buy you a whole box of strawberry milk!" He exclaims, excited for what was about to unfold between the two of you.

But he would have never expected this.

And on this week's celebrity news: Former Vocalist of The 97, (L/N) (Y/N) debuts solo with her new single 'Move On', which fans speculate is a direct message to her ex-boyfriend and former bandmate Jeon Jungkook.

"Fuck!" Jungkook exclaims, overcome with emotion, as he watches the news unfold in the conference room of his label. He had quickly made his way over the moment he saw the headline, confused, devastated, and most of all angry.

What in the world were you thinking, dragging him down like that?

"Jungkook, calm down," Namjoon says from the other side of the room, trying to prevent Jungkook from destroying the room. Jungkook was strong. And if he really wanted to, he could turn the whole conference room upside down in a blink of an eye, and Namjoon really didn't want to deal with whatever consequence would follow should Jungkook actually decide that he'd destroy the conference room.

"How the fuck do you expect me to be calm, Namjoon?" Jungkook asks, exasperated as he walks from one end of the room to the other. "This is going to ruin my fucking reputation. And it's all because that bitch is too bitter about our breakup that she decided to fucking write a song about it."

"Hey." Another voice calls out, stern and ready to scold. Jaehyun, the band's bassist, glares at Jungkook with as much disdain as he could muster, not believing the words that came out of Jungkook's mouth. "No matter how you feel about the situation. I'm not going to stand by and let you call (Y/N) a bitch. She was and still is our friend. Just because you're so caught up in your perfect reputation doesn't mean you have to bring others down in the process, Jeon."

It was rare for Jaehyun to ever call Jungkook by his last name. The two were as close as could be, having been the best of friends for more than ten years and counting. Jungkook knew he could trust Jaehyun with his life and vice versa, so it shocked him to hear that his best friend was defending her.

"But Jungkook has every reason to be mad, Jaehyun!" Another voice pops up, this time a more feminine one that has Jungkook's heart-melting just a bit. Eunha, his current girlfriend, and the one who was there for him when you left him. She was the band's current vocalist, and Jungkook couldn't feel any more grateful to have someone as supportive as her in his life.

"She's using a personal situation to make her more popular, all the while bringing us down in the process! There's nothing else to call her but a bitch when she's hurting the band she started with! Is that how she says thank you when the band's been nothing but good to her?

It's incredible, Jungkook thinks to himself, how he was able to find someone like Eunha. She was the most compassionate and understanding person in the world, a far cry from what you had become. Bitter, selfish, and downright ungrateful. You probably wrote that song out of spite just to get back at him when he did nothing wrong in the first place. You were crazy, and he was glad Eunha allowed him to see through all of your lies.

"Shut the fuck up, will you?" Jungkook's eyes darted in surprise to Yugyeom, the band's drummer, who had just cursed at his girlfriend. He glares at the drummer, mad at the fact that the usual happy-go-lucky man was now acting bitter in front of his girlfriend, who had done nothing wrong. Were his bandmates woven that deep within your cruel lies?

"Excuse me, what did you just say?" Eunha asks, appalled, tears forming from the corners of her eyes, which only causes the anger within Jungkook to grow. How dare they. How dare they make Eunha cry when she was doing nothing but telling the truth?

"You heard me, Eunha," Yugyeom continues, paying no mind to the burning rage that was about to burst within Jungkook. "I said shut the fuck up. So what if (Y/N) wrote a song about Jungkook? Why does it matter? She has every right to. I mean, our next single is literally a song Jungkook wrote after the breakup, so why the fuck are you berating her for doing the same?"

"Because she's hurting our reputation!" Eunha exclaims, clearly frustrated at how Yugyeom and Jaehyun weren't getting her point. "And besides, she was the one in the wrong during the breakup. What right does she have to make a song about it?"

Jaehyun scoffs, glare intensifying, causing Jungkook to clench his fist at their hostility. "And how do you know that when you only heard Jungkook's side of the story and not (Y/N) 's? For all we know, Jungkook could also be in the wro—"

Before Jaehyun could finish his sentence, Jungkook explodes, immediately rushing over to where Jaehyun sat and grabbing him by the collar, causing the rest of the band and Namjoon to panic, trying to break them apart, while Eunha watches, scared.

"You motherfucker," Jungkook curses, hand raised into a fist, ready to punch Jaehyun in the face with all the force he could muster. But before he could do so, Namjoon and Yugyeom immediately held him back, causing Jaehyun to let out shaky breaths as he glared at Jungkook, hurt, confused, and angry. "Why are you defending her? She was the one who hurt me! You're supposed to be my fucking best friend!"

"Maybe if you actually listened to what she had to say and what she was going through, then we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place," Jaehyun screamed back, anger slowly growing as each moment passed by. "You've always been like this Jungkook, self-centered and fucking mean. (Y/N) was right for wanting to leave."

"What did you say, you fucki—"

"Enough!" Namjoon screams, holding his ground. This had gotten out of hand, and it was beginning to stress him out, and clearly, that same stress was spreading through every single person in the room. This wasn't even supposed to be that big of a deal. All they were supposed to do was listen to the song you wrote, and come up with a statement, So why the hell did this turn into a full-blown fight?

Gosh, Namjoon needed a raise.

"Jeon Jungkook calm the fuck down, or I'll have you on probation, you hear? The same goes for all of you. I don't want to hear any bullshit about who's right or wrong in the relationship. All I need is for us to listen to the song and figure out what we're going to tell the higher-ups. So stop acting like you're a bunch of teenagers and sit down."

Usually, Namjoon wasn't this scary. But there was a glint in his eyes that taunted the band. And they knew that in the heat of the moment, the best thing to do was to shut up and listen. Besides, he was right. The way they were going, no progress would have been made, leading to further complications. With a huff, Jungkook sits down, staring grumpily into space. He wasn't comfortable with what had just occurred, a frenzy of emotions bottling up inside him from the outburst.

Luckily for him, Eunha was quick to hold his hand into hers, soothing him enough to calm his nerves and mentally prepare himself for what was about to unfold. Because he knew he wasn't going to like it.

And true to his words, the moment Namjoon pressed play, he didn't like it. Not one bit.

Jungkook couldn't quite pin why your song made his blood boil and heart clench. From an outsider's perspective, it was a good song. A really good song. As a musician himself, Jungkook would never deny that. You had a knack for creating some really great tunes that were out of this world, after all. It was the very thing that made him ask you to start a band with him in the first place.

But there was just something about this piece in particular that seemed different. Your very aura was different, Jungkook concluded as he watched the video, listening to the way you screamed about how good it was that he was able to move on while you haven't. How you laced memories and fragments of your relationship and expertly wove them together to create a masterpiece that echoed into the very depths of his beating heart.

It left a bitter taste in his mouth. Because amidst the chaos, you looked free.

There was something beautiful about the way you were in the middle of a room up in flames, almost to the point where Jungkook knew that it was metaphorical. You liked metaphors. Jungkook remembers how long ago, when the band was just the two of you, you mentioned how metaphors brought out the beauty of the world. They made the ordinary extraordinary. They made the dull come to life. Metaphors were beauty itself, and that's precisely why you loved to play with them so much.

It's funny to see how that part of you hadn't changed, even after how many years.

"Jungkook?" Eunha calls out to him, a concerned look gracing over her face. "You okay?"

Honestly speaking, Jungkook didn't know. The high of his anger had finally settled, and all Jungkook felt was a burning numbness scouring through his veins. It's laughable how mere hours ago, Jungkook was sure that today would be another great day to celebrate how amazing his life was. Yet, here he is, in the middle of a conference room, watching as you submerged yourself underwater at the last scene of your music video, feeling empty.

He doesn't directly answer Eunha, afraid that if he were to say anything, unwanted words would slip from his lips, and he would unleash another round of chaos and hell. And he was too mentally exhausted to go through that again. So he merely nods, clasping Eunha's hand gently and sighing as Namjoon pauses the video, turning towards the group.

"Well," Namjoon says, surveying the room to see the band's reactions. But who was he kidding? He knew damn well that the band wasn't nearly overjoyed seeing and hearing what their old friend had to say, especially Jungkook. The poor kid looked lost. "That's that. It looks too vague to be considered a song catered to Jungkook, so I'll inform the higher-ups that it has nothing to do wi--"

Suddenly, Jungkook stands up, causing a deafening silence to befall once more as everyone watches him with cautious eyes, afraid of what he was about to do.

"I'm going to get a drink," is all he says, moving to head out the door. No one really says anything in protest, Yugyeom and Jaehyun still feeling the aftermath of the previous fight. Only Eunha seemed to be visibly bothered, scoffing at the rest of the team's reactions before quickly latching on to Jungkook's arm.

"Babe, it's still early in the morning. At least let me accompany you?" She asks, that hopeful glint burning brightly in her eyes, to the point that it makes Jaehyun recline back in his seat uncomfortably, not liking the way she seemed so unnatural. You were never like that. And while Jaehyun knew it was wrong to make comparisons, he couldn't help it.

You were his best friend just as much as Jungkook was.

"I'll go alone," is all Jungkook whispers, shrugging Eunha off who is about to protest, but Namjoon is quick to shut her up with a gentle hand on her shoulder, shaking his head when she tries to chase after him. Jungkook needed to settle down and sort his thoughts through if he ever wanted a chance at getting through this situation with you.

And maybe, just maybe, he could finally make amends.

“Do you have a dream?”

This was the question that started it all, Jungkook supposed. He remembers the very day you asked him that one decisive question that, looking back, changed both of your lives. For good or for worse, Jungkook wasn’t sure. But as he reminisces the memories of the past and tries to figure out where everything went wrong, he couldn’t help the gut-wrenching feeling that settles within him. It’s so upsetting, in fact, that the moment Jungkook arrives in the pub across the street, he immediately drowns himself in a bottle of soju.

The two of you were spending the lunch break in the empty stairwell, the same place where the two of you first met and the same place where the two of you gradually started to hang out. It was a quiet space, free from the condescending eyes of the perfection-seeking kids you called classmates. It was a space where you and Jungkook could be free, even for just a little while.

Sipping on his banana milk, Jungkook looks at you curiously. You were staring at the strawberry milk he had bought you, fiddling with it nervously, not even bothering to look him in the eye. He wonders what goes on through your mind, what thoughts dance around within its hollow crevices, shaking you up and causing you to become a nervous wreck. Especially when the question wasn’t as bad as you were probably thinking.

“Hmm, do you want the honest answer or the answer everyone wants to hear?” He asks back, looking up at the ceiling. For an elite school, they didn’t do well to maintain the more hidden areas. Was that a sign that they really didn’t care about things that weren’t relevant to them? Maybe. Maybe not. Jungkook didn’t particularly care. It was just more bearable t stare at the ceiling than sit in awkward silence,

“Honest,” you say after a few moments, much more confident than a few moments ago. After hanging out with you for a few months and observing you within the silence of your conversations, Jungkook somehow knows that no matter what he’d do, you would forever be shy. Regardless if you knew someone well or not, the first moments of conversation would always be parallel to a first meeting. It was a curious thing, honestly. But it was more intriguing once he realized that your confidence grew the more you spoke.

In a way, it was kind of cute.

“I wanna make music,” Jungkook says after snapping himself out of his trance. He once again averts his gaze from yours, but this time it wasn’t to avoid silence, but rather to think, to immerse himself in his thoughts. Because this was the first time, someone had asked him what he truly wanted to do with life. The first time someone wanted an honest answer from him, not a polished response set up to please his parents and peers.

“Not the classical kind, though,” he continues, smiling softly to himself. “Not really fond of it as much as you think.” From the corner of his eyes, Jungkook can see you gaping at him in surprise, and it causes him to chuckle. You were never really expressive beyond the weary walls of the seemingly abandoned stairwell. To the rest of the student body, you were expressionless. Someone who took all the beatings and ridicules with a blank face. As if you were a doll, waiting to be ruined.

But here, you were much more alive. Much more expressive than Jungkook was used to seeing. It was as if the (Y/N) beyond the worn steps of the stairwell was an entirely different person. A mask you placed upon yourself to protect your heart from the cruel reality you had come to face. And Jungkook was more than fascinated at the fact that you had brought that mask down for him.

“If I could, I’d do rock, maybe even some metal If I got enough courage,” he continues, smiling to himself unknowingly giddy at the sight of you. “There’s just something different about it, you know? The music runs through your system and gets you all hyped up; you just can’t resist it. And when the beat drops, it’s as if your emotions are on an all-time high, and it weirdly makes you kind of free. It made me realize that this was what music was supposed to be, I guess.”

“Wow,” you mutter, after staying within the silence of your initial awe. “That’s... poetic.” Jungkook laughs at the look of disbelief in his face, shooting his empty carton of banana milk in the air and watching in satisfaction as it lands straight into the empty trash can just right down the corner before turning to you, a grin high on his lips.

“Oh, come on,” he whines, rolling his eyes playfully. “Why do you sound so surprised? Do I not look like I’d be a good musician?”

“It’s not that!” You quickly exclaim in your defense, flailing your arms in the air to avert Jungkook’s thoughts about the situation. Unbeknownst to you, Jungkook was only joking, highly amused at your reactions, wanting to see more. “I just assumed you’d be more into sports, you know, since you’re so good at it? If you ask me, you kind of look like you’d do well in either football or basketball… so I just kind of assumed that was what you wanted to actually pursue. Not that wanting to pursue music is a bad thing! It’s great, it’s just that rock is kind of unexpected....”

You were beginning to ramble at this point, the shy sheep from within you bursting forth as you fiddled with your thumbs nervously, anxious to see Jungkook’s reaction. Would he be mad at you for assuming things about him off the bat? Probably not, right? You did initiate the conversation by asking him what his dream was, after all. Wait, maybe this was your fault. Gosh, you should have just asked any other question that wasn’t as deep.

This friendship thing was too difficult for your liking.

As you bury yourself in your thoughts, Jungkook couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. It was small at first, almost going unheard by you who was so deeply consumed by the matters of your mind, but the more Jungkook laughed, the louder he got until he was full-on cackling, much to your dismay, confusion, and shock.

“What’s so funny?” You ask frantically, trying to make sense of his actions. Did you say something wrong? As far as you knew, you hadn’t, but what if you had and accidentally crossed the line? You hoped not. You really didn’t want to screw any chance you had at having a real, genuine friend. But to your dismay, your questions remain unanswered as Jungkook continues to laugh, almost as if he wasn’t planning on stopping anytime soon.

“Hey!” You exclaim, pouting. “Stop laughing at me, Jungkook!”

“I-i’m sorry,” He says after a few more laughs, trying to wipe the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes. “I couldn’t help it,” He laughs again, although this time, it seems as if he’s calmed down, sporting a cheeky smile. “Your reactions are just something else!”

Jungkook watches as you become flustered, once more, much to his fascination and amusement. He’s never been the teasing type, or more like, he’s never had the opportunity to become the teasing type, especially with the perfect image he had to curate in front of his peers. But he liked this. He liked being friends with you. It made him all the more free.

“What about you?” He suddenly asks after a while, feeling that it was high time to cut you some slack. You look up at him in confusion as if you had entirely forgotten why this entire conversation had happened in the first place. “Do you have a dream?”

It’s silent, yet this time, Jungkook notes, the silence is uncanny. It’s not the same comfortable silence that Jungkook is used to whenever he was hanging out with you. It was as if the silence had suddenly crashed down and enveloped the cheery atmosphere in its deceitful arms. A trap, if you will.

And Jungkook was unsure whether he wanted to break free from it or stay there with you.

But you take the first step, finally looking up to meet him in the eyes, and Jungkook can feel his heart sink just a tad bit from how empty and solemn they were. “I don’t think so,” is all you say, brushing off the concerned look on Jungkook’s face with a smile. “I’ve never really given it much thought. That’s why I asked,” you chuckle halfheartedly, staring up at the ceiling. “Although I think it would be nice,” you say, smiling a bit more genuinely. “You know, to have a dream?”

Jungkook doesn’t know what to say. How was he supposed to react to that, anyway? No matter how difficult his life was, he had always had a dream. It kept him going, made him push through no matter the difficulty. Dreams were the driving force of life. The hope amidst the darkness. To not have a dream, even just a small one, rattled Jungkook.

It terrified him because now Jungkook realized that he knew nothing about you despite you being his first friend. He didn’t know the reason why you decided to become a living doll in the eyes of others. He didn’t understand why you subjected yourself to such suffering when, from the small talks you and Jungkook had with each other, you seemed to have a loving family.

He wanted to help you, to be there for you. Because he wasn’t sure whether or not you were actually feeling lost. That’s what friends were for, right? Jungkook wasn’t exactly sure on how to do this whole friendship thing, but if there was one thing he did know, it was the fact that friends helped each other.

And Jungkook would be damned if he couldn’t help you in any way that he could.

Soju bottles littered the lone table that Jungkook sat upon. At this point, he wasn’t sure how many bottles he had drunk, but it sure was many, more than he could handle if he were, to be honest, but amidst his drunken state, he just couldn’t find it in himself to care.

Why was he acting like this anyway?

He was supposed to be happy. His band was one of the most successful ones out there. He had thousands, if not millions of fans, who supported him in everything he did. So why, just why was this insignificant matter affecting him so greatly?

Was it because it was you?

“Dear, are you alright?” The old woman, running the pub asks, concerned as she sets down a piping hot bowl of warm hangover soup, which has Jungkook’s mouth watering to the point where drool almost seeps out, mainly because he only had a bite of a sandwich on his way to the office which Eunha forcibly made him eat. But even so, he couldn’t bring himself to eat, especially with the array of emotions that were burning deep within him. “Do you need me to call someone for you?”

Jungkook stays silent, not even bothering to respond to the old lady, who only grows wearier at the lack of response. He didn’t mean to be rude. It was just that he couldn’t find the strength to actually do anything but wallow in his own misery. His thoughts were going on haywire, with no place to land in sight.

What had he done to deserve this? He was sure he had done nothing wrong, so why were you doing this to him when all he had done was, be nothing but nice to you? He had supported you ever since the beginning, and this was how you repaid him?

He doesn’t notice how the old lady leaves to call someone from the company, despite him not saying anything. It was probably for the best anyway. He was too out of it to even ask for help. The old lady was right and kind for going out of her way to do this for him. Although it made sense, after all, this specific pub was where Jungkook had been drinking ever since he had reached adulthood.

Maybe she would call Namjoon? It was likely, but Jungkook hoped not. He was sure that if Namjoon were to see his sorry state, he would scold him until his ears bled out. Although he couldn’t really blame Namjoon, if any manager were to see their client drinking away their woes like he was, they would probably freak out. Primarily since he was known for drinking at most two bottles. Jungkook just really didn’t want to deal with Namjoon right now, especially after what had transpired earlier.

He hoped that she would call Eunha. Sweet, loveable Eunha, who was there for him when the shitshow that was his breakup with you went down. Even until now, Jungkook was still in the dark of why you had left him and the band, but Eunha was the one who stayed by his side. Ever since he had met her two years ago when she first entered the company, they had become the best of friends. And now she was his girlfriend, and he couldn’t be happier.

All of a sudden, a familiar voice wafts through the empty pub. One that has Jungkook’s head whipping everywhere it could to figure out where it was coming from. It was sweet, melodic even. But at the same time, it had a hint of melancholy and freedom? Why was the voice so familiar? Where had he heard it before?

Jungkook’s eyes darted around, trying to see if he could spot the culprit behind his dilemma until they finally landed on the wide TV that sat in the middle of the pub, presumably for their customer’s enjoyment. And lo and behold, in his eyes, he sees you.

It was a local music show where famous stars would often find themselves performing to promote their new music. He assumed you were there to perform your new single, the one song that had him sitting here broken and destroyed with pride in your chest. Did you enjoy this?

Did you enjoy knowing that he was broken because of you?

He hated it. He hated how bright your smile was the moment he caught sight of the camera focusing on you as the hosts began their interview. You were brilliant, cheery, happy. And it sickened Jungkook to the core. Why did it seem like you were doing fine when he was here all bothered? How selfish could you possibly be?

But as much as it hurts him, he can’t find it in himself to look away. It’s a strange sensation that Jungkook couldn’t quite explain. Why couldn’t he avert his eyes from you when all he’s been feeling today was pain? It didn’t make sense. But honestly, Jungkook couldn’t tell what made sense anymore.

He watches you sing, hearing those blasted lyrics that made him rage just mere moments ago. Yet, this time, the lyrics made his heart clench. Perhaps it was the fact that your performance seemed more genuine because you were singing live. But why? Why were you singing those lyrics as if they had genuinely happened to you? Jungkook never caused you any pain, so why did it seem as if you were hurting more than him?

The thoughts were too much. It was driving Jungkook crazy, and all he wanted to do was drown in them. He didn’t want to think. Thinking heightened the pain that brimmed deep within his chest. He just wanted to float in the ocean of his misery and stay there, hoping that someday he would land ashore and the pain would come to an end.

Maybe if he took one more shot, it would help?

He pours down the last remaining soju into his shot glass, not caring if it overflowed and spilled out on the table. Rationality was far out of his mind at this point. All Jungkook wanted to do was do anything that would make him feel numb.

He raises the glass shakily, ready to feel the burning sensation of the alcohol run down his throat, that temporary relief that made him sink deep down into this endless cycle of emptiness. Yet, it doesn’t happen.

A hand shoots down to stop his wrist. It’s a familiar yet unfamiliar hold, something Jungkook can’t quite place. Where has he felt this hold before? He looks up, his eyesight a bit blurry from his drunken state, so he squints, trying to see clearly.

Who was it? Namjoon? Eunha? Heck, Jaehyun?

Turns out it was none of them.

When his sight finally clears, he gasps in shock, breath hitching in his throat as he takes it all in. Because the person, whose hold was familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time, wasn’t his manager, nor was it his girlfriend or best friend.

It was you.

The person, the old lady, had called to get him was you.

Well, Jungkook be damned.

When you got the call from the old lady, you were on your way to your new studio after finishing up a schedule you had prior. The past few weeks have been busy for you. Leaving the band and Jungkook was no easy feat. It was a decision that you knew was a high-risk, high reward yet at the same time had higher chances of failure.

After all, even if you hated to admit it. Without the band, you had nothing.

Sure, there was the fame that came with all of the band’s success. You were the vocalist, after all. It was exhilarating knowing that millions out there would be listening to your voice, singing music you created with people you loved dearly. But in the midst of all of that, there was nothing.

Jungkook, Jaehyun, and Yugyeom had everything going on for them. A backup plan in case the band didn’t succeed. A plan B, if you will. It made sense. They had privilege dripping from the palms of their hand, after all. Even if they had their own troubles and doubts, they didn’t have to worry about finding another way out because there already was a path laid out for them in the beginning.

You went into all of this, risking everything.

It was a choice that you had seemingly made on impulse if an outsider were to look back at the situation. When Jungkook had asked you to start a band with him, it was during another one of your many lunch dates, as you two had jokingly called it. Only this time, the two of you weren’t sitting on the cold and empty stairwell, but instead, you were in the old music room.

“I can’t believe this,” Jungkook mumbles to himself as he cranks the rusted door of the old music room open. People barely used it nowadays, much to his disbelief yet relief at the same time. He couldn’t blame them though, the brand new music room was much more enchanting, filled with top-of-the-grade musical instruments than anyone would drool over.

Well, at least it meant that he could have autonomy over the room (even though that wasn’t really the case). “You’re telling me that you never heard rock or metal before?” He gapes in disbelief as he sits on one of the dusty desks, looking at you with an outraged expression. You sheepishly enter behind him, taking a sip of your drink as you took a seat beside him.

“You never asked,” is all you say, shrugging. Jungkook looks at you once more incredulously, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes and ears. “That’s because I assumed you would have known what rock and metal are! They’re like the greatest music genres of all time. How can you not know it?”

You shrug once more, not really having an answer. Well, you did, but it was probably stupid. After all, if this was his reaction to you not knowing about rock and metal. What would his response be if he were to find out that the only music you’d ever listened to was classical and nursery rhymes? Yeah, probably not a good idea.

“Well, get ready then,” he exclaims, bringing out his phone, much to your surprise. Model student and Mr. Perfect Jeon Jungkook breaking a school rule? Who would have thought that you’d ever lived to see the day? “Because you’re about to experience an awakening, I tell you. A revolution!”

It’s amusing, really. You had never seen Jungkook as passionate as he was at the moment. Was this what it was like to have a dream? His eyes lit up as if sparkles were floating around him. As if he were about to step on cloud nine and enter paradise. He was bouncing his leg lightly in excitement, a goofy smile on his face that kind of reminded you of a bunny.

Maybe having a dream wouldn’t be so bad, after all.

He immediately scoots over to you once he has his phone ready, grabbing his earphones and plugging it into his phone, handing you the other ear. You hold it, a small smile on your face, and hook it unto your ear, not really knowing what to expect but excited all the same. After all, this was the music that made your best friend passionate and hopeful for the future. For sure, it wouldn’t be bad, right?

Well, to say the least, it was an experience. An experience you couldn’t quite tell if you enjoyed or couldn’t fathom. It was entirely different from the music that you were used to. From the bright and soothing tones came ones that were heavy and thundered on your ears. Yet, in a way, it was exhilarating.

You could see why Jungkook was attracted to this style of music. In a way, it was unhinged, a little more rebellious than the traditional types of music you were used to. But that didn’t mean it was worse. In fact, that’s what made it more exciting. Jungkook was right. In those few minutes that he had introduced you to the world of rock, you’ve gone through an array of emotions, from confusion to thrill and excitement of the highest level. The rollercoaster of new sensations was, to say the least, intoxicating,

Because immediately you got hooked.

“Wow,” you mutter, looking up at Jungkook, who was looking back at you with lively eyes. “That was… something else.”

“Right?!” He exclaims, immediately jumping off the desk to grasp your hands in excitement; it was endearing to see. Jungkook rarely got riled up like this. Music truly brought out the best in him, you thought to yourself, watching as he continued to dangle your hands in his. “Isn’t rock just amazing? Oh, what I’d do to pick up an electric guitar and play,” He sighs, and you can tell from the far-away look on his face that he’s daydreaming about something and the sight warms your heart.

“You should,” is all you say, startling Jungkook out of his trance. “I think you’d do absolutely great in music, Jungkook! You should go for it.” Jungkook looks at you, stunned. He blinks, trying to process what you had just said, before clasping your fingers a bit tighter, unsure of himself.

“Really?” He mutters softly, “You really think I can do it?”

“Of course,” you encourage with a bright smile. “If it’s you, then you can do anything!”

It’s silent for a moment, with Jungkook deep in thought. But you don’t necessarily mind, as more than anything, you understood the weight of your words. Being Jungkook’s friend meant that you stuck by him through a lot of undesirable moments, moments that both of you promised to never speak of unless it was absolutely necessary.

You knew how much he longed for his dreams. Ever since that rather inspiring conversation you had around a week ago, you knew just how much Jungkook bottled up his true passions and desires, even though there were moments wherein he would freely let them out.

“Then you have to be there with me,” he says, eyes filled with determination. “I don’t think I can do this without you (Y/N).”

Looking back at it, you chuckle at how swooned you were with Jungkook’s words. It was crazy to think that he had swept you off your feet with a mere ten words that ultimately decided the course of a good chunk of your life. You let him, and for that, you were to blame, But that didn’t necessarily mean that you regretted your decision in its entirety.

Suddenly, your phone rings from beside you, and you grab it from where it lay in your purse, only to see an old number that you hadn’t seen in a while. It’s been a year, you think, as you accept the call, pressing your phone to your ear. “Hello?”

“(Y/N) dear! It’s been such a long time!” You smile at the cheery sound present within the old lady’s voice, although you can’t deny that you hear a twinge of worry within it. You used to go to her pub every so often back when you were still in the band. And the old lady had been such a sweet soul, acting as some sort of parental figure to you and your bandmates through the years.

“It’s good to hear from you again,” you mutter, pleasantly surprised at her sudden call but also a bit suspicious because you had no idea what she was calling for. “May I ask why you’re calling me?”

“Ah!” The old lady exclaims, and suddenly the initial chirp present within her fades into a frantic tone that has your eyebrows furrowing in confusion, not sure what to expect. “Do you mind picking up your boyfriend?”

You blink, confused and startled. “I’m sorry,” you say, still not processing it clearly. “What was that?”

You hear a sigh from the other side of the phone. It sounds tiring, exasperated even, Which shouldn’t be the case since the pub usually opens up later at night. It was only open during the day for company employees. And what sane person would cause trouble with this much sunlight out?

“Your boyfriend dear,” the old lady continues, sounding absolutely done, yet at the same time, the concern was still there, and you swear you hear the sound of glass falling in the back, causing your eyebrows to furrow in worry. “He’s been drinking for hours, and this is more than he’s ever drunk!”

You stay silent, letting it all sink in. The only person she could have possibly been referring to was Jungkook. There was no doubt about that. After all, the old lady’s pub was where you and Jungkook would often find yourselves having late-night rendezvous, drinking the night away as you bonded over whatever life was throwing at you within those moments.

But now, the pub gave you nothing but pain.

“Grandma, I’m sorry to tell you this, but me and Jungkook aren’t—”

“—So you’ll come, yes? Thank you, dear! Truly a lifesaver!”

She hangs up. You stare at your phone in disbelief, shocked at the predicament you had unknowingly gotten yourself into. What were you supposed to do now? The responsible thing to do was to probably phone Namjoon and tell him about the situation. But with what had just transpired earlier today with the release of your single last night and your performance this morning, you’re not so sure he would appreciate any sort of contact from you.

With a sigh, you turn to head towards the pub. No matter how much you hated Jungkook for the way he treated you within the last few stages of your relationship, you couldn’t leave him alone to wallow in his misery (even though there was a part of you that was secretly glad that he was torn because of you). It would be too cruel of you. Especially considering that Jungkook had been a significant part of your life.

Huh, guess you haven’t moved on as much as you thought you had.

Even just reaching the pub brought back memories that you wish wouldn’t resurface. You and Jungkook used to wrestle over who would open the door for the other, and more often than not, Jungkook won. But you weren’t one to lose quickly, even to him.

The familiar jingle that came with opening the door brought a pang of nostalgia to your heart. When you and Jungkook would enter the pub, just ten seconds after the jingle faded away, the old lady would come out of her quaint kitchen and say

“Welcome home— Oh, there you are, dear!”

Not exactly how you remembered it, but it was still familiar all the same.

“Hello grandma, how are you?” You greet with a solemn smile, watching with fond eyes as the old lady comes up to clasp your hands within her own. “Oh dear, I haven’t seen you in forever. Why haven’t you visited in so long?”

You’re not sure what to say. How are you supposed to tell her that you left and broke up with the man she asked you to pick up? That would put her in an awkward position, and you didn’t want to cause stress for the already weary lady.

“Oh, never mind that,” she says, luckily dropping the subject. “Come in, come in, your boyfriend’s over there drinking in the corner. Did something happen? I’ve honestly never seen him drink this much before. At this rate, he’s going to finish my soju supply before I open up for the night!”

You enter the main area, and immediately you’re hit with the familiar, comforting scent of alcohol and home-cooked meals, as odd as it sounds. Although the smell of alcohol was by far heavier in the air, and as you turn to look for the source, your eyes land in Jungkook.

And you’re, for lack of a better word, shocked.

It was almost as if he was drowning in an ocean of soju bottles, with some of the alcohol dripping off the table and into the ground or his clothes. Partly because he was pouring himself another shot, which you know he can’t take.

He could barely handle two bottles when the two of you were dating, so why did it feel like he was drinking more than ten. If he wasn’t stopped now, something majorly damaging could happen to him, and as much as you never wanted to speak to him, you couldn’t just ignore him when he was literally on the brink of life and death.

You stomp on over to where he’s at, hastily quickening your steps as he’s about to down his last shot, and before you can even think about what to do, your instincts act on their own, and your hand reaches out to him, stopping him.

No words are spoken. Rather, you can’t find the words to say as you watch with solemn eyes as Jungkook looks at his hand confused. He tries to shake it, to move his arm so he can bring the shot glass to his lips, but you remain firm in your grip, clasping just a bit harder so he wouldn’t push through with the shot.

He looks around, following the trail left by your grasp until he meets your eyes, and already you can feel the whirlwind of emotions bubbling up inside you. This was the first time you and Jungkook have met after the breakup after leaving the band. You never expected the two of you to meet this way. Although, you supposed life was funny like that. It liked to throw unexpected situations in your face, especially in the most inappropriate times.

You watch as he squints, trying to make sense of who you were before he gasps, arm slacking, falling into the side as the alcohol from the shot glass splatters into the air. He squints once more as if trying to ensure that what he was seeing in front of him was real before stammering.

“(Y/N)?” He whispers, broken, voice breaking. You try not to let your emotions show, knowing that if you do, he’d only lure you back into him, which was something you did not want at all. You were done. After many months, heck years of being torn apart by him, you couldn’t afford any more pain. It would break you even more than it already did,

“Hey,” you whisper back, breath hitching as you watch the way Jungkook’s eyes widen at the sound of your voice, loud and clear for him to hear. Even with his drunken state, he can’t deny the pang of nostalgia that runs through his veins once he finally registers that it’s you standing before him. In the flesh. Not a vision on TV or a picture of you from his memories.

It was you.

“What are you doing here?” He slurs, trying to reach out to you, but you move away, refusing him any form of affection. Because you two were too far gone for that.

“Grandma called,” is all you say, the disappointed look in Jungkook’s eyes not going unnoticed. “Asked me to pick you up. Said you’ve been drinking more than you used to and… I can see that.”

You gesture to the empty soju bottles that littered the table with a grimace, turning back to Jungkook only to hear him scoff and point a finger to you accusingly, although with his drunken state, his posture was way off. “Who do you think’s to blame?” He asks, sarcasm laced within his tone. You raise an eyebrow at that, choosing to let him continue before you could offer back any sarcastic remark of your own.

“It’s you!” He continues, slamming his fist to the table, much to your surprise. “You and your stupid fucking song…. I mean, what the fuck is up that?”

“What the fuck is up with what, Jungkook?” You quip back, eyeing his fist cautiously in the case he would do something dangerous that would either injure him, you, or if worse comes to worst, both.

“Don’t play dumb with me,” He continues, and Jungkook can feel the irritation, frustration, and fatigue build within him now that he’s finally gotten a chance to let all these raging emotions out. “You know what you did! Why’d you do it, huh?” His voice grows louder, causing you to flinch as you move your chair back just a bit.

“Why’d you have to ruin my fucking reputation?”

All of a sudden, it’s like something in you snaps.

You can’t believe it. You can’t believe the audacity Jungkook had to say something as outrageous and stupid as what he just said. The emotions that were already burning up within you finally exploded as you stared at him with all the anger and disbelief you could muster.

And here you thought he was drinking because he had finally realized all the wrongs he had done to you. What a fool you were.

“Excuse me?” You say, exasperated. “What did you just fucking say?”

“I said what I said (Y/N),” Jungkook continued, not noticing the way rage was about to take you into its waiting arms, only to allow you to explode upon him with all the pent-up hurt that you’ve accumulated inside you. “You and your fucking song ruined the band any my reputation. Is this how you repay me after everything I’ve done for you?”

You blink. The words slowly make their way towards you as you try to process them, letting out a chuckle at how ridiculous his words were. “Are you being serious right now?” You say, scoffing at how there wasn’t an inch of regret on Jungkook’s face. “You’ve got to be joking, right?”

You want to give him the benefit of the doubt. You want to give him a chance to prove your ears, mind, and heart wrong. That he wasn’t actually thinking those absurd thoughts that had your gut-wrenching and your heartbreaking after already being broken. This couldn’t be the Jungkook that you knew, right? He wouldn’t be this cruel, right?

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“You piece of shit.” You spat without even realizing it, surprising Jungkook. He’s sobered up just a little from your outburst, looking at you like a deer caught in headlights. For a moment, you regret speaking without any thought. But the more you try to rationalize it, the more the anger burns. This was unacceptable.

“Reputation?” You scoff, looking at him incredulously. “You’re fucking worried about your reputation when there are bigger issues to be addressed here?”

“(Y/N) I—”

“Shut up, Jungkook,” you say, cutting him off coldly. “You don’t get a say in this when all you’re worried about is your reputation over a broken relationship with someone you’ve grown up with for the past thirteen years!”

Wide-eyed, Jungkook gapes at you, and you, in your disgruntled state, take this chance to get back at him, unleashing all the feelings you’ve buried deep inside you.

“You dare ask me why I’m treating you this way when you’ve been nothing but nice to me?” You mock, his words hurting more than they should. “Do you even bother to ask yourself as to why I broke up with you in the first place, Jungkook? Why I left? Did you even bother to listen to my song?”

His silence echoes throughout the pub, further shattering any lingering hope that you had about the situation. “No,” he says after a while, firm in his belief as he stared back at you, although his gaze seemed as if it could easily water away. “Didn’t think it was necessary; after all I did nothing wro—”

“—You treated me like shit for the last two years of our relationship, Jungkook. That’s what you did wrong.” You exclaim, not wanting to hear his excuses. “Are you really this blind to not know? To not see your own faults?”

How could he? You think to yourself, the unbearable pain of this revelation thrumming through every fibre of your being. It was painful. Painful to hear that he hadn’t even thought about the situation through your lens. He was too absorbed with what he had going for himself that he failed to see the world through your eyes, and it frustrated you to no end.

Because that breakup broke you like no other.

Choosing to leave wasn’t an easy decision, by no means. You had risked everything to help support Jungkook in hopes that you would find a dream of your own. You joined the band, knowing that you would put your family’s safety and security at risk instead of pursuing a more stable career like starting a business or becoming a doctor.

You became selfish to follow Jungkook, so of course, you were attached.

Jungkook, in a sense, was your world. You suppose, looking back at it now, that wasn’t the healthiest decision you took for yourself. But at that time, you could not help yourself. He was your first friend, your first love, your first everything. Jungkook showed you the ways of the world and then shattered it without a care. Of course, more than any other breakup, it would tear you apart.

Because to be honest, loving Jungkook made you happy. You remember when he first asked you out. Probably one of the best moments of your entire life. It happened after your band’s first major gig to open up the local summer festival. The two of you were still calming down from the high of the performance, excited, thrilled to have finally been given the opportunity in front of a bigger crowd. It felt surreal seeing the fascinated faces and happy smiles as they listen to your music.

Jungkook was right. This feeling was incredible.

“Holy shit. That was amazing,” Jaehyun laughs, hugging Yugyeom before turning to hug you and Jungkook. “I can’t believe we just did that!”

“Do you think they liked us?” Yugyeom, ever the timid one asks. “I felt like I made a mistake somewhere along the second cho—“

“—Who cares, man?” Jungkook says, cutting Yugyeom off with a playful slap to the back. “We just fucking performed our first major gig. This isn’t time to be wallowing down on our mistakes. This is a time to celebrate!”

You and Jaehyun hollered in agreement, following Jungkook as he dragged Yugyeom backstage where the four of you packed up, took a few commemorative pictures, and made your way towards the nearest convenience store to celebrate the night with some good old ramen, ice cream, and whatever your hearts desired.

It was a fun night, one filled with laughter as the four of you joked about whatever your mind could think of. Jungkook boasted about how he was right about their band getting somewhere, of how Jaehyun and Yugyeom, who were much more hesitant in joining the band, and after months of no progress, we’re beginning to regret it, had nothing to worry about.

Jaehyun and Yugyeom even mustered up the courage to do a speed eating challenge, grabbing about her round of hot piping ramen and racing to see who could eat it the fastest, despite the heat burning their tongues both literally and figuratively.

It was a night where for once, the four of you didn’t have to worry about life outside of the band. Didn’t have to worry about the social pressure from school or home, Didn’t have to worry about stupid tests or becoming the best, for once the four of you could just be yourselves. Unapologetic and free.

When Jaehyun and Yugyeom decided to pack it up and head home, saying that if they didn’t arrive before their dreaded curfew, then their parents would literally send them to the pits of hell, you didn’t notice the way Jungkook grew silent. Maybe you did, but you were too preoccupied with the nauseated looks on Jaehyun and Yugyeom’s faces as they headed towards the public restroom to flush out the ramen in their system.

“Hey (Y/N)?” Jungkook asks once Jaehyun and Yugyeom are nowhere to be seen. You hum in response, turning to look back at him, and immediately your eyes become overwhelmed with worry at the serious look on his face as he gazes up at the night sky, seemingly nervous and scared.

“Will you go out with me?”

It’s unexpected, a bomb to your heart if you could call it. You gasp the moment the words flow out of his mouth, staring at Jungkook in shock. Did he really just ask you out?

You think it’s a joke. A cruel trick of nature. But by the way, Jungkook nervously fidgets from where he sits, and his eyes nervously dart around. Like they usually do during nerve-wracking situations like these, you knew in your heart that his words were true.

And you couldn’t be more overjoyed because you had fallen for Jeon Jungkook too.

Throughout your many years of friendship, you had gotten to know Jungkook inside out. You were there when he threw a mini tantrum over missing first place in the final exam by one point, knowing that his parents would be disappointed in him. You were there when the two of you went out to buy his first-ever electric guitar after months of saving up money secretly. You were there for him when he was convincing Jaehyun and Yugyeom to join the band, even when he was about to get into a fight with Jaehyun over the matter.

And like clockwork, you had fallen.

It wasn’t particularly hard to do so. Jungkook had this certain charm to him, after all. He was an enigma. He could draw people into his rhythm like it was nothing and have them follow to the beat of his own drum. Sometimes you wondered if there was a hidden secret with the way he could so easily attract people, but the more you hung out, the more you realized that wasn’t the case at all. He was genuine in everything he did.

“Yes,” you say without hesitation, causing Jungkook to whip his head to face you in the blink of an eye, mouth slacking in shock. He blinks, you smile, and suddenly a smile of his own is forming on his face, reaching all the way into his eyes.

“For real?” He whispers, not wanting this moment to slip away from his grasp. He was so close to having you in his arms, something he’s wanted for the longest time, that he was afraid that if he spoke any louder, he would ruin any chance he got. But your reassuring gaze and gentle hold immediately calm the raging wave of anxiety within him. “For real,” you affirm, and suddenly you’re in Jungkook’s embrace.

It’s a warm embrace, one that has you returning it back with the same vigor, the same excitement bubbling in your chest. This marked the beginning of a new chapter for you and Jungkook, one where the two of you would walk down the unclear path you have chosen, still remaining by each other’s side, but this time, with hands intertwined.

You just wished it didn’t go up into flames like this.

You blink, snapping out of your trance as you gaze at Jungkook. Once more, seeing the way his lips were pursed into a thin line, his brows furrowed as if he had a lot going on through his mind. Which was only fitting. He had to, or else this wave of hurt and pain would only intensify and turn into something you would never be able to control.

Remembering the happy moments was something you had promised yourself not to do, for it only brought you into another world of pain after looking at how the two of you were faring now. But in the midst of agony staring right at you, you couldn’t help but let yourself reminisce in hopes of relieving some of that anger and hurt so you wouldn’t do anything out of hand.

“Tell me, Jungkook,” you finally say after a moment of silence, and you want to curse yourself for the way your voice cracks at the end. You had to be strong. You had to get through this. Because there was no way, you were going to let Jungkook ruin you once more. “How do you think our relationship was going within the last two years?”

Silence befalls the room for what feels like the millionth time, But this one is heavier than the last. Jungkook looks at you with such a severe gaze that you almost falter, forgetting the fact that he’s drunk with the way his eyes bore into yours.

You dread his answer, not knowing what to expect. With the way, he was acting, and with all the things he’s said and done, you knew that his words would only hurt you even more from here on out. You clutch the fanfic of your sweater tightly, hanging on by a thread.

But he says nothing.

The heavy silence lasts longer, and the more it persists, the more disappointment and disbelief creep into the cracked crevices of your already broken heart. Was he really going to act this way? Saying nothing at all? Did your relationship mean nothing to him in the past 2 years?

“Unbelievable,” you mutter, letting out a scoff as your eyes scan his figure. He’s hunched up as if unsure of what to do, what to think, or what to say. There’s probably a flurry of emotions running through his mind, but you don’t pity him. You hope it continues to weigh heavy, as it did to you for the last three years.

“I was miserable, Jungkook,” you whisper, recounting the memories you had buried deep within, afraid to open them up again at the cost of your already fragile happiness. But to be truly happy, one needs to let go of all the agony locked within. “Ever since Eunha came into our lives, you started treating me like a side character, as if I wasn’t your girlfriend.”

“And no,” you say sternly, already knowing what Jungkook was to say by the way his eyes widened and his mouth slacked, an arm up in protest for your words. “I’m not blaming Eunha entirely, contrary to what you may think. Sure, her arrival started it all. Sure, there were times where she acted so out of line that I wanted to slap her in the face n’s remind her who exactly she was talking to. But I couldn’t. Do you know why, Jungkook?”

His eyebrows furrow in confusion, and you take a deep breath as you gather your thoughts. This was the first time you were finally going to let out all of your frustrations that’s been building up inside you for the past few years. It was a nerve-wracking feat, but a necessary one nonetheless, as even in those few moments of speaking, you were starting to feel just a bit more free.

“Because I didn’t even know who I was anymore.”

Jungkook’s never been this confused in his life.

It’s as if you had dropped a bomb on him without warning, causing him to be in a frenzy. What did you mean? How could you blame Eunha? Eunha was a sweet girl who could do no wrong. She was there for him whenever he needed that extra support, whenever he needed someone to ground him in this cruel, unforgiving world.

She was there when you weren’t and was a constant in his life. How could such a sweet girl like her be the catalyst of this catastrophic situation? It had to be a joke.

“You’re lying,” he mutters, shaking his head in disbelief. The pain in his heart was coming back again, and just when he thought he had finally gotten rid of that after drowning in alcohol moments ago. This was your fault. You and your stupid song, your stupid lies. You were driving me crazy.

“I’m lying?” You ask, and Jungkook looks up to meet your eyes, feeling another burst of pain shoot through him at the agonizing expression on your face. Why did you look so hurt? He did nothing wrong. He didn’t hurt you. He couldn’t have. He had always been there for you. He was the reason you could do what you could in the first place. There was just no way that misery was because of him.

“Jungkook, did you even realize that with how much time you were spending with Eunha, you weren’t spending time with me anymore? Remember how you used to walk me home at midnight after your time at the studio and my radio show? You stopped doing that ever since she appeared.”

Lies.

“For days, I stood outside the company for hours, waiting for you to bring me home because you promised that you’d never miss it for the world. And on the day that I finally decided to check up on you, worried that you might have been overworking yourself? I see you in the studio, laughing with Eunha.”

Jungkook wanted to scream. He was stressed. He had to make music. Why couldn’t you understand that?

“And when I confronted you about it? You shrugged me off, saying I was overly dramatic.”

You are. Jungkook insists in his head, thoughts spiraling. What’s wrong with him not bringing you home. Even if he was your boyfriend, he was not obligated to, right? You were supposed to understand him, right? That’s what lovers are supposed to do.

“I thought to myself, maybe you were right. Maybe I was overdramatic, so I did what you asked and shrugged me off. Yet, with each passing day, it felt like I was a stranger in your eyes. Do you even realize Jungkook that ever since Eunha came into our lives, we’ve only been on three dates?”

You’re too demanding, his mind screams. Three dates? That was plenty for successful stars of your caliber. You had to understand that being under the limelight meant that he couldn’t reserve all the time in the world for you.

His heart clenches painfully again, and Jungkook feels a sob hitch in his throat.

“It hurt.” You cry, letting out the words that Jungkook wanted to say. “It hurt so much watching the love of my life and my best friend toss me to the side. Where was the you that promised that you’d always be there for me? Where was the you that promised to stay?”

You’re crying now, tears streaming down your face as the words you’ve kept hidden for the longest time finally make their way out of your system. Every part of you was screaming in agony and pain, and you can feel the mended parts of your patched-up heart slowly break again.

“Jungkook, I loved you. I loved you so much that I risked it all for you. I joined the band even though I wasn’t sure of our future because I saw how happy you were. You showed me what happiness could be, and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that, but at the same time, you showed me firsthand real pain and heartbreak. And I don’t think I can ever forgive you for doing that.”

No. Why? You had to forgive him. You were his best friend. Stop. Stop speaking. Stop it.

“I left because I wanted to keep what we still had within our memories.” You whisper, remembering the night you finally came to your decision. Remembering all the times you cried and broke down, not knowing what to do or where you should go. All the times where you forced yourself to put on a smile on your face and act as if everything was fine even though it wasn’t.

“And I hoped that in leaving, we could pick up all the broken pieces and create something new with them. Maybe it would not have been a relationship as strong as the one we’ve had before. But at least it was something. And at least I would have still had a connection to you.”

You’re calm now, in a much better headspace than before. But that didn’t mean the ocean of despair that you surrounded yourself in dwindled in the slightest. It was still there, waiting in silence for the moment it could envelop you once more into its treacherous arms and drown you in its suffocating whispers.

“But what the fuck is this?”

You can feel the tides begin to sway, and you will yourself desperately to keep them down. With how the situation was unfolding, you needed to be the bigger person. For your sanity, For Jungkook’s, and for the closure that you both needed, which you weren’t sure would ever peacefully come to an end.

“I never thought that you’d think of us like this Jungkook,” you whisper, and much to your horror, a tear slipped from the crevices of eyes as you hurriedly wiped them, standing up to grab your purse as you stood to leave the pub, not caring one bit if Jungkook got home safely or not, you were too overwhelmed to care.

“I thought you loved me,” You whisper as you turn to look at him one final time, and all of a sudden, Jungkook is hit with wave after wave of sadness, anger, pain, frustration radiating from you. It suffocates him, and the only thought running through his head were questions of him hurting you? Was this really all his fault?

“But I guess you only loved yourself.” A chuckle falls from your lips as you make your first step out of the door. Not paying mind to the old lady who looks at you with a worried gaze, you turn to open the door of the pub, only for someone else to beat you to it.

Lo and Behold, It’s Eunha.

“You,” She gasps as she takes in your disheveled and exhausted state. Although that immediate shock quickly disappears as she catches Jungkook’s equally petrified state from the corner of her eye. She then glares at you, but you honestly can’t find the energy within you to care.

Because this was never about her in the first place, even if in some way she plays a small part.

“What did you do?” Eunha spats as she rushes past you to go to Jungkook, not even bothering to hear you out. You sigh, gathering the last remaining buts of courage within clenched fists, and make your way out of the door, leaving Jungkook, your broken heart, and the memories you two shared behind for good.

Not caring what he would do with those fragments in the end.

“Jungkook!”

Eunha exclaims, immediately hooking her arms around him and hoisting him up into an embrace. “What happened? What did that bitch do?” But Jungkook doesn’t answer, thoroughly overwhelmed by the range of emotions that had just surpassed him from his conversation with you.

Was it truly his fault? Was he the reason why things had turned out this way? There was no way right. He had treated you right, right?

Jungkook tries to convince himself that he’s done nothing wrong, that he was perfectly innocent in this situation. But that nagging feeling deep within his mind and soul screams at him to finally realize the truth. He’s scared. He doesn’t want to know what lies beyond the bubble of happiness he had placed himself in. He doesn’t want to feel the agonizing pain he’s put himself through without realizing it.

But not doing so would kill him more than knowing the truth ever will.

So he opens the door to the truth and wallows in the misery of what he’s done.

To be fair, there was some truth to Jungkook’s words. He had treated you like you were the most precious thing in the universe. And that was because, for the longest time, Jungkook did consider you highly special to him. You were his first friend, the first person he could confide his feelings in, the first person who showed him what love could be like.

You grew up together, cried together, had your first drink together, stood on stage for the first time together. You had done just about everything together, and Jungkook cherished you more than anything in the world.

In everything he did, he always tried to make you a part of it. Whether that meant buying your favorite drink or sending you pictures of whatever he was doing, Jungkook always wanted to help you see the world through his eyes because you deserved that much.

Ice cream dates, sneaking out at night to have some chicken and beer, random dates at the local arcade, a stroll at the beach. You and Jungkook had practically done it all. So, where did it all fall apart? Where did Jungkook go wrong?

“Jungkook?” Eunha calls out, and Jungkook finally musters up the courage to look at Eunha, who was worriedly trying to get him to answer her. Her hold is familiar, something he’s been used to in the past two years, yet at the same time, something was missing within her warmth. An unexplainable feeling he couldn’t quite describe.

And then he realized it wasn’t you.

Just when did he go astray? When did he start treating you like you weren’t the world to him? For sure, it wasn’t a singular moment. It was most definitely a culmination of many events that led up to his demise. But just how did it happen?

He looks at Eunha’s worried eyes, those same eyes that he thought meant the world to him within those two years of your break up. Yet, for some reason, he just couldn’t look at them in the same way anymore. Not when there was this hollow emptiness in his heart that called out for you and only you,

It was like a game of tug and war in his heart. He still loved Eunha; that much was for sure. But he couldn’t deny the love that he had for you as well. He remembered how Eunha was like a breath of fresh air for him. In the midst of all your nagging for him to take care of himself when he was working his ass off making new songs and dealing with management, Eunha was there to simply smile and encourage Jungkook.

Like a fool, he got lured into Eunha’s charm and held onto it, not noticing that he was letting go of you in the process.

His heart wails. It cries in pain and desperation of the love it has lost. Why did it have to be this way? Why was Jungkook such a fool? So consumed by his own selfishness, he abandoned the love you two shared and sought another, and now he was reaping what he had sown.

You were gone. You would never come back. Whatever love you had between the two of you had left and died out. The world was cruel. It had given Jungkook so much hope yet took it away from him the moment he slipped up. Yet, he couldn’t really blame them. He couldn’t really blame you.

Because he knew you had tried, he could see it in the way your eyes still cried out in pain when you see him. He could hear it in the agony of your voice as you sang passionately in your songs. He knew you did your best to pick up the fallen pieces and try to mend them back together. But all Jungkook did was rip them apart all over again.

Life couldn’t have been any better for Jeon Jungkook until suddenly it was not.

And he was the only one to blame.

➢ taglist: @wearenot7withu @nadiaislas @bbydoejk

#bts x reader #bangtan x reader #jungkook x reader #jeon jungkook x reader #jeongguk x reader #jeon jeongguk x reader #bts jungkook x reader #bts fanfiction

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itsallyscorner · 3 years

Note

Hello, i saw that your request are close atm.😌 but can I request in advance? 😂 (mix!reader) where tom is reacting to fan made videos of the reader and he keeps on fanboying or something and ended up having her as his lockscreen🙃 if it make sense haha. (It just went to my head and share it with you🤓🥰) LOVE YOUR STORIES and i KEEP on re-reading them over and over💕 love lots and I’ll keep supporting you and your stories✨ have a great day

I’m pretty sure this is the request that one anon was referring to! Thank you for the love and support on my blog💕 Once again, sorry for the long wait! I hope you like it💖

💌.

Fanboy

I wanted to make this a headcanon because there’s just too many scenarios of Tom being a fanboy in my head that I can go on for days😭

If we haven’t established it enough on this blog: Tom is a hardcore and very proud Mixer.

Especially with you in the band, Tom’s support for the girl group was above and beyond.

We love a supportive boyfriend🥺

Obviously, you are his favorite member in the band.

He’s told you straight up that you were his favorite. It was also no secret because everyone knew of his crush on you even before the two of you dated.

He even exposed himself during interviews when asked who his celebrity crush was.

“My celebrity crush? (Y/n) (L/n) without a doubt.”

“You didn’t even hesitate to answer that.”

“Why would I? She’s always been my celebrity crush, she’s gorgeous and hilarious.”

His friends and family enjoyed taking the piss out of him. They constantly teased him about how whipped he was for you.

They pointed out how he would follow you around like a lost puppy and look at you as if you hung the moon and the stars in the sky.

As much as he hated the teasing, he knew they were all right.

He was absolutely in love with you. You were it for him. (Yes I’m quoting Cherry, leave me alone pls)

“Tom, you’re such a simp for (y/n).” Harrison teased him one day.

“Yes and what about it?” He would immediately answer back. Sassily, might I add.

Although Tom wasn’t that big with PDA, he never hid the way he felt for you.

He posted pictures of you on Instagram and freely talked about you during interviews or to anyone in general.

He would also promote the band’s new album or publicly congratulate you guys after winning an award. He’d be so cute, he’ll praise you guys and write about how proud he is of you and the girls🥺

Everyone knew about your relationship, but you guys weren’t the kind of couple to constantly post about your relationship on social media.

It wasn’t a secret but it was lowkey to the point where your relationship had privacy from the nosy world.

But basically, yes, everyone was aware of how much of a simp and major fanboy Tom was.

Many fans caught him liking fan edits of you on Instagram and Twitter.

There were also edits of you he found on Tiktok, but those likes were never found lmao.

Though you weren’t as aware as the fans of him looking at fan edits of you.

Tom enjoyed watching edits of you. Especially when he was away for filming or when you were on tour.

He literally has a folder on his Instagram to save all of his favorite fan edits of you to.

His favorite edits are the ones that show how cute and wholesome you are, the thirst edits, and his most favorite, the crack head edits.

Tom literally goes to YouTube and searches for these videos.

(Y/n) (L/n) being the baby of Little Mix for 10 minutes.

Funny (Y/n) (L/n) moments that butter my quakson.

(Y/n) (L/n) being clumsy on stage for 15 minutes straight.

(Y/n) (L/n) being unintentionally beautiful.

(Y/n) (L/n) moments that make me question my sexuality

You get the gist.

Sometimes you’ll catch him staring at his phone, smiling or biting his lip, while a song played over and over again.

That was just him watching an edit of you repeatedly but you didn’t know that.

Omg why do I see him saving one of those edits from TikTok as a live wallpaper and making it his lockscreen?

Which would probably be how you found out about his little fanboy secret on his phone.

“Darling, can you pass me my phone please?” He asked you from the kitchen. You took his phone from the coffee table in the living room and went to where he was.

Maybe your thumb was pressing down on the screen making the live wallpaper move. You know how it makes your phone like vibrate or something? Yeah, you felt that.

So you looked down and suddenly his wallpaper turned into clips of you. You stopped midway just to watch it.

There were clips of you from music videos, interviews, performances, and even red carpet events.

It was like one of those “play date” edits that were trending around TikTok.

Tom comes out to check on you only to find you smiling at his phone. His eyes widen when he sees what you’re looking at.

“I—uh, I can explain!”

He thought you would find it weird and creepy of him to have a live wallpaper of you as his lock screen.

But you didn’t find it weird, you thought it was cute and adorable of him. It made you realize how wholesome of a boyfriend he was.

He’s instantly relieved when you tell him that.

You’d ask him where he got it and he would open up TikTok, then open his favorites.

Which exposed him because it’s literally a bunch of edits of you.

“Why do you have so many edits of me?”

He shrugs, “I just like watching them. They also help me when we’re apart. The fans make so many good edits of you, you need to watch them.”

Tom then goes on to show you all the edits he’s saved from TikTok.

You guys cuddle on the couch while going through them.

After you’ve gone through most of the ones from TikTok he would open up Instagram.

“Wait, there’s more?”

“Yes, there’s more. I can make about 5 Marvel length films out of all of them.”

He’d be so adorable and click on specific ones to show you because they were his favorite.

“Ooo, baby let’s watch this one. It’s very cute and my favorite song is in it.”

“Can we please watch the thirst edits?”

“Look, this one’s an edit of us. Aren’t we the cutest couple ever?”

Later on you would admit that you also watch fan edits of him.

“Do you really?”

“Yeah, they always pop up on my feed and I end up going down a rabbit hole of fan edits of you.”

Then you guys would go through your phone and watch fan edits of him.

He’d find a lot of them ‘sick’ and asks you to send them to him.

Now that you both knew about your love for fan edits of each other, you guys would send edits to each other all the time🥺

Sometimes you’ll even share them to your stories.

Tom did this the most with edits of you. When he shared the edits to his story he would add comments like:

“😍😍😍😍”

“My beautiful girl”

“Thank you for making an edit of @yourinstagram just laughing. I’ve been missing her so much and this really made my day x”

*thirst edit of you* “I’m the luckiest man in the world😍”

Tom is just the most supportive boyfriend and your biggest fan.

He could watch fan edits of you all day if he could :)

Tags:

*tags with a cross through them do not work*

Little Mix!reader x Tom Holland Taglist

↪︎ @waxingmoonwrites @slutforsebstan @starslazyandcosy @xkonpinkx @dummiesshort @gypsystuf @kielemarie @wroetospidey @thatgirlangelb @have-aheart @adayasgeorgia @xeniarocks @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @agustdowney @itssmadelyn @tomsirishgirlx @imthebadguyyy @roseke @kaylans-imagines

Tom Holland Taglist

↪︎ @lovableparker @aprettyfleur @sunwardsss @dummiesshort @thotforcriminalminds @cuddlykoala101 @itstaskeen @whoslili @white-wolf1940 @tomsirishgirlx @roseke @kaylans-imagines @spideyspeaches @xxstrangegirlxxx @slutforsebstan

General Taglist

↪︎ @quxxnxfhxll @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @thegirlwiththediary @agustdowney

#marvel #mcu #avengers #Tom Holland #Tom Holland x reader #tom holland imagines #tom holland headcanon #Tom Holland fluff #tom holland one shot #tom holland drabble #tom holland fanfiction #little mix #Peter Parker #Peter Parker x reader #ally’s request

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twopoppies · 3 years

Note

I'm new here so please don't be upset by my question. Why do ppl say that larries ruined their friendship? Did Harry and Louis ever say that? Where did that opinion come from? Also why do ppl say Harry wanted to leave the band so desperately (I read he was distant during MITAM promo bc he hated his time in the band). I haven't been here long but antis/neutrals haven't been nice to me and I don't know any larries to ask my questions irl.

Hi love. I'm not upset by the questions. It's the way people ask those questions that sets some people on edge. I also only have my opinion on this... I'm not some all-knowing oracle.

I know this is going to be long, no matter how short I try to make it, because it's just a super complex situation that's been spread out over 11 years. I'll put it under the cut.

In short, people say larries ruined their friendship because that's what 1DHQ pushed back in the day. 1D's label wanted "Larry" to disappear because it was a big fucking problem for two members of their band to be queer and in love with each other. And they couldn't get the two of them to break up and they couldn't get anyone to believe the ridiculous attempts at denying it, so they insisted that Harry and Louis stay away from each other. Everywhere. Always. And then the media (specifically the Syco mouthpiece, Dan Wootton) started to print stories about how the boys were friends but "fans" took it too far and now they didn't even talk to each other (basically saying they were homophobic dicks who didn't want anyone to think they were gay). They continued to push this narrative in numerous ways, including posting some pretty disgusting tweets on Louis' twitter basically stating that he was straight and that Larry was bullshit. What all of this did was result in one group of fans (at the time, antis, but now it's also spread to various subsets of fandom) thinking they were being better fans by attacking larries. They felt justified because look what larries did!

As for your second question, barely anyone was saying Harry wanted to leave the band in 2015. But there was a concerted effort (IMO, orchestrated by the label) to create a Harry vs OT3 situation that had been going on for a long time. They worked overtime to separate H from the other guys––he always flew separately, he hung out in LA with his famous friends and never saw OT3 unless it was on stage etc etc. The label was essentially building up his solo image long before the band "went on hiatus".

In recent years, people (basically rads/Harry haters) began to say Harry hated the band and had been plotting his world domination since as early as 2013 and they he was actively behind the separation from OT3 and the hiatus and that he kicked all of them to the curb in order to stand on their carcasses to be king of the mountain. I honestly don't have the time or energy to take apart that pile of complete nonsense, but I advise anyone who is agreeing with it to really take some time to look through all of the "proof" because there is so much double talk and distorted reimagining of facts and deluded agenda behind it. I'm not saying Harry was a poor, innocent noob who was manipulated into being a star, but he's not the monster who orchestrated the coup of the century at the expense of his boyfriend and band mates either.

Solo Harry has only spoken positively about his time in the band and only ever acknowledged that he wouldn't be where he is if had hadn't been a part of One Direction. Was he ready to move on from the band by the end of 2015? Sure, probably. But the narrative that was circulated was that Harry sprung it on the other three and they were blindsided by it and they hadn't wanted the break (in particular, it was pushed that Louis felt this way). I just call complete bullshit. That makes no sense to me at all. It's possible they weren't all ready to do it, but they all fucking needed a break because they'd been worked like dogs for 5 years straight. I'm sure there were very complicated things going on, contractually and emotionally, but I just don't believe that the other three cried and begged for the band to stay together and Harry said no, fuck you I want to be A STAR!!!

I think if you really want to understand the answers to the questions you're asking, you need to look through some blogs to really get to the nitty gritty. Look through some larrie blogs like @bulletprooflarry @lornasaurusrex tellmethisisnotlove (the last is archived on the wayback machine) who do a great job of archiving and tagging. Also check some newer blogs who also keep great records like @skepticalarrie @daisiesonafield-blog and really look into things like PR and marketing, bearding, closeting in the music industry, closeting in Hollywood, media manipulation etc etc. Take some time to put the puzzle together. And especially be thoughtful about whose information you take to heart because as I've said before, there are people here who care more about the audience and followers, than they do about telling the truth. Take all the info in and make up your own mind.

I'm sorry this was so long and at the same time I promise you I only told you about 2% of the story. I hope it helps a bit, anyway.

#for newbies

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sadloudandproud · 3 years

Text

Rob Situation Rant:

I’ve seen a lot of people defending rob because “well he came forward and apologized that’s good enough for me” and please let me explain from a business/adult perspective.

1: Taking Away The Victim’s Decision. The victim never posted anything or made anything public. The victim never got to tell their story. Rob took away that power from them by making it public AND tagging their personal instagram account. Which by the way Rob has over 77k Instagram followers the last time I checked and that’s a very large platform. Also we don’t know if the victim was planning on coming forward and posting this outed them to a large fanbase.

2: The Timing: Every is well aware that right now every starkid instagram is being watched like a hawk. Everyone is excited about the new clues that have been going out every day for the past couple of days. Also Rob posted this in the middle of the night. Why? Why post it now? Did the harassment happen yesterday? We don’t know anything about the situation (and we probably shouldn’t) so it just feels really weird that he would post this at this exact time when the fandom is so busy with other things.

3: The Phrasing: The way Rob phrased the post was that he was doing something good by (for lack of a better term) “holding himself accountable” by posting this. However no one ever said any of this publicly. He had nothing to address publicly. He made it public. He made that person’s trauma public to a fanbase that let’s be honest, has a lot of kids in it who may not understand the full severity of these actions. As I have seen, many fans are defending the actions thinking he did the right thing by admitting to it. I want you guys to understand that just because someone admits to something doesn’t mean the thing they did didn’t cause lasting damage.

4: He Has Put His Coworkers In A Bad Position: Due to the timing and the fact that he is a very large part of the Hatchetfield series, Rob has unfairly put his friends (and roommates) in a very difficult place. They now have to decide to either continue working with Rob who admitted to harassing a band member (who I assume they currently work with) and have them working together disregarding any discomfort that person may feel. Or they would have to fire Rob and recast when Nightmare Time is currently being announced and is most likely set to start within the new few weeks. This also affects the business because if they keep Rob some people may not purchase Nightmare Time tickets which is their only production during the year so far that could give them any extra income that actors desperately need during the pandemic.

Conclusion:

Overall I think this is a giant mess. To clarify, I am not asking that other actors or members address it immediately. As I said before, Rob has unfairly put his friends and coworkers in a very tough position they didn’t ask to be put in. Personally, this on top of the other shit robert has done has ruined one of my special interest. I really liked Hidgens and was looking forward to the Working Boys film and seeing more of him in Nightmare Time as well as really looking forward to seeing the long awaited reveal of Hot Chocolate Boy. However, it is incredibly disrespectful and invalidating to the victim and all victims of harassments and sexual abuse to continue to support someone who did all of this.

I’m sure I missed some points because I just woke up and haven’t had coffee yet. If you took the time to read this thank you. I hope that you can see what I’m trying to explain. I posted on reddit and was met with many people accepting his “apology” and moving on. This isn’t a slip up. It’s not an accident. Continuing to pursue someone sexually who has made it clear they are not interested is WRONG

#starkid robertmanion

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alonelysimp · 3 years

Text

Genshin Band Au

Characters: Yanfei, Xinyan, Barbara, Y/N (reader)

WC: 1975

Warnings: No beta we die like hilichurls

Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, No Ships, Headcanons, Bulleted

Spotify Playlist: Pov: you're in a band with Xinyan Yanfei and Barbara

《 𝓘𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓸 𝓻𝓸𝓬𝓴, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓲𝓽𝓼 𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓸 𝓻𝓸𝓵𝓵 》

Once when you were having lunch with Xinyan and Xiangling, Xinyan said something along the lines of “wouldn’t it be cool if i had a band?” and you, of course, jokingly said “if you started a band, then I wanna be the first member to join” and that’s basically how it started

You offered Xiangling if she'd like to join as well but she declined. As tempting as a life like that sounds, she’s set on her dream to be a chef. “I’d rather be your biggest fan!”

Not really knowing where to go at this point, you suggested posting a notice to the bulletin board beside the long-unused alchemy table and the one beside the adventurer’s guild typically reserved for commissions, but Katheryne gave you permission to put it up.

Xinyan had already begun to have the beginnings of a fanbase at this point, but it wasn’t really much of a surprise you hadn’t heard anything in a few days. You had even gone so far as to ask the traveler to keep an eye out.

Thankfully, the traveler was more successful than the both of you, bringing back a letter from both the top legal advisor in Liyue and the Idol and Deconess of Mondstadt. When you asked them how or why they put in so much effort, they just smiled and waved you off. The only payment they wanted were some small shiny rocks you had laying around as paperweights that you got from a hilichurl. Odd, but you insisted they accepted mora as well.

And so, on the agreed date mentioned in both of the letters, courtesy of the traveler setting up, you sat around a table at Wamin with a few assorted dishes of Jueyun Chili Chicken and Crab Roe Tofu. By the end, you were able to convince both of them to join. It was a bit.. really hard in the beginning, with Barbara and Yanfei having jobs. Barbara living in Mond didn’t help much either, but after some work it became manageable. You agree to meet every week at Pop’s Teas, one of the vendors at the stone gate. It would only take half an hour-ish each way.

“What should we call it?” You ask, languidly setting down your tea. Xinyan looks at you, still hunched over a few sheets of paper with her head propped up on her hand. “The band,” you clarify. Barbara hums from across the table, pressing a finger to her lip.

“I have a few ideas.” Xinyan pulls a blank sheet from the pile and scribbles BAND NAMES at the top. “Let’s brainstorm them while we’re all here.” One by one, you begin to throw out ideas.

Firelytical

Rockin Resistance

Wildfires

Illuminated Flames

Inferno

Sudden Freedom

She taps the pen to her lip, thinking of other names to suggest.

“These seem a bit.. fire-centric, even for a pyro-based band,” you comment. Yanfei nods, still deep in thought.

“Oh that’s a good idea, y/n.” You glance over, seeing Xinyan write down “Pyrocentric” on the list.

“Maybe it’d be best if we came up with ideas and shared them next week?” You nod at Barbara’s suggestion.

“I’ll keep a notepad with me in the office…” Xinyan tosses the pencil back on the table, watching Yanfei pull out what you assume to be the notebook and flip to a page, moving on to the next topic of discussion. “Costumes,” she says as her lips twist into a slight frown.

“Oh! I have some ideas for that,” you pull a sketchbook out of your bag, showing them your ideas. “I’m not very good at drawing but.. I wanted to keep some bits of your normal clothing too, I hope it’s not too much.”

“Y/n these look so amazing!” Barbara smiles, moving one to get a better look.

“Aw these are so awesome!” Xinyan slides over the one for her, grinning. Yanfei nods, looking over hers. “I could totally make these.” Her eyes sparkle with interest, radiating in the sunlight. “Oh,” she looks back up at you. “If you don’t mind, that is.” You wave her away, giggling under your breath.

“If Barbra and Yanfei don’t have any adjustments to make, I’d love to see my designs come to life!” You sip your tea, which has long gone cold by now. Barbara turns the paper around, pointing at the skirt on the page. “What if we add another one under it? If we make it a different colour, it’ll pop more.” You nod, pulling out a sheet and writing it down.

“Oh, oh y/n what if we added something here too?” Yanfei points to a slightly emptier spot on the hip. “Like an uhm…” she trails off.

“What if we put something like this from Xinyan’s?” You put your finger on a braided cord. “Like a belt, I guess?”

“Oh yeah yeah and I could put my vision on it–” she unconsciously reaches to touch the pyro vision at her side.

“Y/n?” Barbara sets aside her tea, as if she just found out the hard way that it’s cold. You hum, the pencil in your hand tapping against the page as you note details for Yanfei’s costume. “Thank you for working so hard on this!”

A few other names had come up during the week; BXY, Fiery Vale, and such, but you settled on Fervent Apricity. An odd name, but it’s meaning was able to win everyone over; the intense heat of the sun in the midst of winter. It fit the band well, you thought. Perhaps one day you should be able to live up to the name.

After a few months of dragging Yanfei away from her work to teach her the bass, which she picked up scarily fast (perhaps it's an illuminated beast thing?), you were able to arrange something with the millenith to not crash your debut concert. Yanfei suggested she just continued practicing for a while before she performed with it though.

You agreed that since there were only four of you, it wouldn’t be too much to have all of you as vocalists. Barabra lead vocals and choreography, Xinyan with lead guitar and harsh vocals, Yanfei rapping and eventually bass guitar, and you playing drums.

Tonight was the night. The night that Fervent Apricity would set foot on the stage for the first time. To be completely honest, you were a nervous wreck. Ignoring your worries didn’t make them go away, much to your annoyance.

Xiangling set up a food cart nearby, though she got distracted listening more than she cooked.

You sat in front of the drums, only moments left before you started. This was it. You’ve practiced so many times, it’ll be a breeze. Xinyan counted down, the strums from her guitar filling the summer night air as the concert began.

You would’ve felt bad being this loud so late at night, but by the time you had finished, you attracted not only a good portion of the residents in the harbor, but the wholehearted support of the largest fleet that docks in Liyue. The Crux and her crew! You recognize a lot of people from Xinyan’s previous concerts, loyal fans you assume she’s gained, and a good few handfuls of new faces. Travelers, probably.

You played into the night, without a care in the world for who may be listening. It lasted almost half an hour longer than one of Xinyan’s normal concerts. If you had to put the experience into one word, it was freeing. You were alive. The feeling was… incredible. But, as the adrenaline wore off, you came to realize how undeniably tired you were.

And so, that breathtaking performance marked the day that you would start your, Fervent Apricity’s, journey of becoming one of the most popular bands in Teyvat

For the week after, you had been working out the details of the next large concert. Xinyan carried on with her nightly performances, you caught word of Barbara still performing in Mond, although slightly less than usual, and you had been exchanging ideas with Yanfei. Despite her job and work schedule, she proves to be a great help, almost overwhelmingly so. After the second day, it felt more like her setting it up and running it by you instead of the other way around. Not that you could really complain, just a little less work for you.

After a few months of performing regularly in Liyue Harbor, Barbara suggested that you come to Mond. It’d be a new experience, since you had never really traveled outside of Liyue, but you were concerned it might affect Barbara’s reputation. She insisted. Playing with the band is something she’s proud of and the message your music brings is something she supports.

Was it running away? Finding a new audience that would love your music just as much as you did? No, just the opposite. It was finding a new audience, one that was just as foreign to it, and lighting it up one spark at a time.

You started working out the time with Yanfei and Barbara to fit their schedules and Xinyan started picking out songs she thought would be more… well accepted by the northern people and bouncing some ideas off you. The instruments weren’t much, so you were able to transport it easily. Barbara said to come to the plaza at the top of all the stairs a few days prior.

Xinyan had to tell the sentries you were here to perform with Barbara, to which they let you through with no further difficulties. People stared, and whether it was a good or bad thing, it was almost.. empowering? You met with Barbara and the other sisters, introducing yourselves as the other members of Fervent Apricity.

They were a bit weary of you, a ragtag group of musicians with a vaguely red and black colour scheme with Barbara, who had run off shortly after you arrived to change into her costume.

By the time she had returned, the makeshift stage had already been set up and a crowd began to form. It appears Barbara was quite popular here. You could tell they were a bit cautious though. Perhaps it’s because it’s pretty clear that your music was different from what Barbara usually played. All the better to prove how amazing rock could be.

There was but a few minutes left before you were scheduled to start. All the fireproofing needed was complete; you were ready to light up the city of freedom.

It was just like one of your normal concerts, a handful of songs you had played many times before. The crowd was a bit taken aback by Xinyan’s screaming, you had to hold in a laugh. You made a note to after, bring it up to her to get the crowd more fired up before choosing one that… intense. No matter how many times you performed, it was always just as lively as the first time.

Having mentioned your thought to Xinyan after the show, Yanfei came up to the both of you. She said she wanted to play her instrument in the next concert. Xinyan replied that if she wanted to then that’s a-okay but she shouldn’t feel pressured into it before she was ready

You overheard the “Barbara fan club,” as Barbara had mentioned earlier, crowding her and asking so many questions, it made you want to kick their asses to Inazuma.

“Barbara-sama, are you joining them permanently?”

“Barbara-sama, will you still be performing on your own?”

“Barbara-sama, how long have you been with them?”

“Barbara-sama, is this why you don’t let me join you to the stone gate?”

After a bit of rescuing and creep-yelling-at, Xinyan made a final announcement, mentioning the band’s name and the upcoming concert dates in Liyue.

Oh, how quickly time passes

ohmygod THANK YOU SM FOR 200- SHAWTYS ILYSM- ugh I might actually take this blog seriously soon..

Fervent Apricity Masterlist [ X ]

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hellreads · 3 years

Note

Hello, I just stumble on your blog. Seeing a comment from Wrienne which I also read on AO3, I wanted to ask if you also have AO3 recs..?

hi there darling, of course, I have some recs for you! since you didn’t ask for anything specific let me just share a few faves that you could only read/access on ao3 (I would also recommend you check my ficshelfs and use the ao3 filter to find stories exclusively posted there + i’ll still include wrienne’s works for other readers :3 ) | 🍒

OT7/MULTIPLE MEMBERS

❥ Right of Way by fringesofsanity ➴ Infidelity!AU | Jungkook x Reader x Jimin | Series ➴ In theory, things were simple: your best friend was Jungkook’s girlfriend while your boyfriend, Jimin, was Jungkook’s best friend. In reality, things weren’t always that simple. And mutually exclusive.

❥ The Hills by minlouvre ➴ Vacation/Exes!AU | Yoongi x Reader x Hoseok | Series ➴ A ski trip with old friends sounds like a fun time, right?

when your ex-boyfriend (who you hate but somehow always end up in bed with) and your stepbrother (who you are harboring not-so-secret feelings for) tag along at the last minute, you have a feeling it won’t be an uneventful weekend.

but fun? debatable. that remains to be seen. ❥ A Hundred Percent Human by Wrienne ➴ Hybrid!AU | OT7 x Reader | Series ➴ In which you (reader) are forced to take care of seven hybrids in a twist of fate.

After your estranged mother passes away, you're left with an unwanted will and the heavy burden of responsibility. Although you're desperate not to stray from the familiar path you thought was laid out in front of you with a fully human boyfriend who loves you more than anything, your life is thrown upside down once more after another unfortunate incident (that may or may not have to do with said boyfriend) occurs.

Drunk and down on life, you finally decide to deal with the house and the unsavory business your mother left behind. However, to your shock, you find that seven very different hybrids are included with both the house - and the business. Seven hybrids you never even met before - even less agreed to take care of.

❥ Dead Leaves by Wrienne ➴ Detective/Exes!AU | Yoongi x Reader x Jimin | Series ➴ In which you (reader) are a homicide detective about to face the biggest hurdle both of your career and life.

Married to probably the kindest but most boring man you’ve ever met and living in a town where nothing ever seems to happen means life for you is dull. Dull enough to drive you crazy with boredom and dissatisfaction. However, life changes abruptly when your old boss retires and a new man takes his place - a man you used to love (and sleep very regularly with) more than a decade ago. Especially when your husband comes home smelling of perfume, you’re unable to resist your more carnal urges and dead women start showing up across the city with unnerving frequency. ❥ See Both Sides Like Chanel by minlouvre ➴ FWB/Rich Kids!AU | Namjoon x Reader x Hoseok | One-Shot ➴ You, Namjoon, and Hoseok are inseparable.

Three best friends that grew up together since you were all in diapers.But lately, Namjoon has been drifting away…

So on his birthday, you and Hoseok remind him just how inseparable the three of you really are.

⤷ or alternatively: a little less twenty-one candles, a little more “touch me”

❥ Love Is A Dog From Hell by yourlocalhoney ➴ FWB/Lovers!AU | Yoongi x Reader x Jungkook | Series ➴ You and Yoongi agreed on being good friends, co-workers, and friends who help each other out under the sheets. What you never agreed on was to catch feelings for each other.

Enter, accidental feelings.

Enter, Jeon Jungkook.

❥ The Uncanny by Sinsirella ➴ Arranged Marriage!AU | Jungkook x Reader x Seokjin x Jimin | Series ➴ (Y/N) is a young girl whose Life turns upside down. One day her mother surprises her with news of her arranged husband, forcing her into her new chaotic lifestyle. Join her journey and experience her new life through her eyes. Will she get along with her husband? Or someone else? What are they hiding? ❥ Seven Deadly Sins by mintedmango ➴ Hell!AU | OT7 x Reader | Series ➴ You stood suddenly, chair being pushed away by the backs of your legs, the rest of the sins standing with you as you looked around in panic. All except Sloth who was out cold in the corner.

“Oh, little pet, indeed, I am still hungry.”

❥ Walk Through The Fire by shellflower ➴ Supernatural!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook | Series ➴ In a world of supernatural beings, a normal human like yourself always found attraction and wonder towards these creatures. It was your kind heart that led you to become a doctor to treat such people. And it was your kind heart that led you into the arms of a young Alpha wolf who will accidentally force you down a path you were never meant to follow... ❥ Into Temptation by coconutty ➴ Demon!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook | Two-Shot ➴ It was just a dare...

❥ Won’t Be Nice by coconutty ➴ Lovers/Poly!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Hoseok | One-Shot ➴ A night by the pool just got interesting...

KIM NAMJOON

❥ Covenant by fringesofsanity ➴ Arranged Marriage!AU | Namjoon x Reader | Series ➴ You are betrothed to Kim Namjoon, the heir of a real estate mogul. To say that it was a fairytale romance would be erroneous. You’re instead loped in the sad tale of the rich and melancholy.

❥ Read You Like A Book by coconutty ➴ University!AU | Namjoon x Reader | One-Shot ➴ Come get an attitude adjustment in the library, courtesy of Namjoon.

KIM SEOKJIN

❥ Éffleurer by @sugaurora / sugalights ➴ Office!AU | Seokjin x Reader | Series ➴ There were always whispers in your office about what secrets Seokjin hid behind his clean image. Now, you knew at least one of them. ❥ The City Comes Alive by minlouvre ➴ Musician/S2L!AU | Seokjin x Reader | Series ➴ Seokjin is a street performer who falls for a girl who is always passing him by. ❥ Seaside Sabbatical by dark_muse_iris ➴ Working Man!AU | Seokjin x Reader | One-Shot ➴ After an accountant in your firm is sent to prison, you are assigned to clean up the mess he left behind. Sorting out your clients’ disastrous business records proves beneficial when you meet the fisherman who teaches you the value of taking a break. ❥ Cake by yeyeniejjung ➴ Yandere/Killer!AU | Seokjin x Reader | Series ➴ "I was always hungry for your love. Just once, I wanted to know what is was like to get my fill of it. I wanted to be fed so much love that I couldn't take it anymore, just once." ❥ The Lord Taketh Away by dark_muse_iris ➴ Medieval/Werewolf!AU | Seokjin x Reader | One-Shot ➴ Every autumn, the dwindling harvest summons fears for the impending winter and its promise of scarcity. For Seokjin and his wife, faith lies in God and their local lord’s generosity to provide what their ailing son needs to survive another year. With each season, however, the lord grows cold-hearted and greedy, squeezing the young family to the brink of despair.

MIN YOONGI

❥ Zelus by SugaAconcept ➴ Lovers/Sugar Daddy!AU | Yoongi x Reader | One-Shot ➴ Yoongi becomes jealous when your close friend Jungkook puts his hands all over you right infront of his face. So, Yoongi decides to make sure you know who you really belong to. ❥ Carpe Diem by fringesofsanity ➴ Idol/Lovers!AU | Yoongi x Reader | Series ➴ Working for the UN, you are tasked to handle the poverty reduction campaign of a certain boy band. A certain rapper from the group however decides to mix business with pleasure.

JUNG HOSEOK

❥ Feel You From The Inside by coconutty ➴ Idol/Staff!AU | Hoseok x Reader | One-Shot ➴ You've been watching him for months, little did you know, he's been watching you.

❥ As You Are by fringesofsanity ➴ Lovers!AU | Hoseok x Reader | One-Shot ➴ You're not the girl for Jung Hoseok. Him - who was sunshine and daisies and fireworks. You - who were back-alley darkness and used needles and burnt cigarettes. But he doesn't care. And you fucking hate yourself for it.

❥ The Thin Blue Line by bluesxde ➴ Pregnancy/E2L!AU | Hoseok x Reader | Series ➴ One badly-judged fling with Jung Hoseok, the son of a company-rival, leaves you with a little surprise.

PARK JIMIN

❥ His Throne by hseoks ➴ Royalty!AU | Jimin x Reader | Series ➴ You, a maid for the royal family, have sex with the irresistible Prince Park Jimin on his throne.

❥ Ineffable by fringesofsanity ➴ FWB!AU | Jimin x Reader | One-Shot ➴ You’ve only shared your body to Jimin, mostly silent after the act. The one time you decide to bare so much more, you find yourself baring your soul to him, far more than you bargained for.

❥ Blue Side by hoseokiehopie ➴ Ghost/Lovers!AU | Jimin x Reader | One-Shot ➴ You’re all too familiar with the legend that says the dead can walk freely on Halloween. It’s a secret you hold deeply within yourself. When a classmate starts to break down the walls you built so strongly after your boyfriend’s passing, you have to decide if you’re going to remain in the past with the dead, or live among the living.

KIM TAEHYUNG

❥ Effervescence by fringesofsanity ➴ Idol/Fling!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series ➴ Just like the fizz of a cola on a hot summer’s day, your encounter with Taehyung is short but sparkly sweet.

OR Getting married in three months, you and your girls attend Ultra Miami to cap your single life, a final hurrah of some sort. What you didn’t expect is meeting a beguiling boy with a boxy smile who gives you a festival you’ll forever reminisce.

❥ Minutiae by coconutty ➴ Stalker!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series ➴ Y/N meets a mysterious and alluring photographer and wants to interview him. Along the way things start getting a bit strange. What happens when you draw the attention of someone who always gets what they want?

❥ Flower Arrangements by iq_biased ➴ Pregnancy/Lovers!AU | Taehyung x Reader | One-Shot ➴ From the moment you met Taehyung, his flourish for life drew you in completely. It wasn’t long before you fell head over heals for the tattoo artist who was so wrong for you, it felt right. But your story hasn’t always been an easy one, and just recently it’s become a whole lot more complicated…

❥ Freaks Forever by yeyeniejjung ➴ Criminal/Psych!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series ➴ "So tell me, Mister Kim, what's your ideal evening?"

"Ah..full moon, sex and drugs all night."

You are the psychologist to the world's most dangerous criminal, Kim Taehyung. Kim Taehyung is the man solely responsible for some of the most horrific crimes that the world has ever seen, from burglary, drug possession, sexual assaults, to brutal homicides of a total of 37 victims, though there are suspicions that there are more, that range from children to the elderly; both male and female. The two of you form an odd bond between your weekly sessions, causing you to somehow completely miss his blatant manipulation that soon controlled you in every aspect; resulting in his escape from prison and his bloodthirsty ways and eyes to be immediately turned onto you..but will he spare you in the end of the torturous time he keeps you or will your fate be the same as any other past victim of his?

❥ Slow Burn by fringesofsanity ➴ Idol/F2L!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series ➴ He was just supposed to be one of those clients. But then he gives you a night you’ll never forget. ❥ Noona by yuu14045 ➴ Neighbors/Lovers!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series ➴ Taehyung, Jungkook, and Jimin lives in same apartment building. One day Taehyung received a mail for another Kim. She turned out to be Jimin's new neighbor.

❥ Snapped by Kpopyandere ➴ Yandere!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series ➴ Your relationship with your boyfriend hasn't been going well lately. His twin, Kim Taehyung, decides to take advantage of this.

JEON JUNGKOOK

❥ If You’re Struggling Like I Am by @btssavedmylifeblr / bts_ruined_my_life ➴ Idol/Lovers!AU | Jungkook x Reader | Series ➴ You are hired as a makeup artist for BigHit working with BTS. You are older than all of them, yet, despite your best efforts, you find yourself slowing falling in love with the youngest member.

❥ My Cheating Amnesic Fiancé by Wrienne ➴ Idol/Arranged Marriage!AU | Jungkook x Reader | Series ➴ A series set in our world featuring Reader, the sole heiress of a multibillion-dollar company, and the Bangtan Boys' Golden Maknae - Jeon Jungkook. Mainly a romance, though doused with angst, drama and the twisted ways of fate. ❥ Return by Kpopyandere ➴ Yandere!AU | Jungkook x Reader | Series ➴ As Seokjin's girlfriend, you're off-limits, but Jungkook doesn't see it that way

#answered #tete-a-tete #anon #recs from hell #rfh:ot7 #rfh:knj #rfh:ksj #rfh:myg #rfh:jhs #rfh:pjm #rfh:kth #rfh:jjk #i have more but i don't have the time to browse through my phone maybe i'll share them another day someday sjagfhjgashdfjkas

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nightklok · 3 years

Text

Kloktober Day 1 Prompt

Prompt: Favorite Character and OTP Pairing: Picklegail (Pickles the Drummer/Abigail Remeltindtdrinc) Title: The war is over and we are beginning Characters: Pickles the Drummer, Abigail Remeltindtdrinc, Eclair (cat), band members and charles are only mentioned Trigger Warnings: Very slight angst, very slight mention/discussion of trauma/PTSD. Tags: Some dark humor, mentioned trauma, discussion of trauma, fall, post galagtikon 2, hopeful/happy ending Summary: It's the first fall Pickles has realized he's lived through in years.

Author's Note: Yes this is...6 days late-But i still wanted to publish this anyway so enjoy :')

Read this fic on AO3 or read below!

The first day of fall fell on a Saturday.

And Pickles would realize it was the first time he had actually been aware of fall in years.

He couldn’t remember the last time he saw the leaves change or pumpkin picking or any of the fall activities he sparingly went to as a kid. He simply had no time, family, or desire to do any of those things as he grew older. He had the sudden moment of sadness that he had missed another fall but told himself fall was gonna come back next year and he’d just look at the leaves harder next fall. But he never did.

But now, he had the time. A lot of it. And a fresh perspective on life and just how wonderful living a quiet life was.

Getting to sleep in on a Saturday morning with the person he loved the most and having nothing else to do for the day was one of them. Normally, Abigail was the one who woke up earlier but for the weekend, it got to be the opposite. He could get up in an hour, make some breakfast and they could see about doing something together. Whether it’s going outside or staying in and watching something. But at the moment, he was content enough just sleeping.

But it wouldn’t last long sadly. Despite nothing important needing to be done for the day, he was woken up by the sound of meowing and a cat smacking his face.

Éclair, their beautiful cat they found outside a K-Mart, happened to like going on walks in the morning. And she was very persistent about her walks being exactly at 7:13 AM. It was 7:13 AM.

“C’mon, it’s Saturday,” He murmured as he pulled the blanket closer to his face, hoping that he could sleep for just a few more minutes.

But Éclair had no concept of time and would continue pawing at the sheets and when she began whining, he knew that his time sleeping in was already over. He didn’t want to wake her up and figured she deserved the extra hour of sleeping.

“Okay, okay, I’ll take you on a walk,” Pickles finally answered as he used a hand to gently push her away just so he could sit up. He was careful to not disturb Abigail but he saw her move and murmur something he couldn’t quite hear. He had to assume by the tone that she meant she was gonna do it. She always tried to even when he told her to sleep in on weekends.

“Just go back to sleep, babe, I’ll take care of it.” He answered quickly as he got out of bed but she was already sitting up.

“I’ll come with you.” She answered, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes., “Just give me a few minutes.”

There was no convincing otherwise and he was too tired himself to argue. He quickly snuck in a kiss before he got out of bed, “Alright, take your time.”

By the time he had thrown on some clothes and made himself look presentable enough, Abigail was already by the front door, kneeling down to leash Éclair. Despite them taking the same time to get ready, she looked like she had spent much more time doing it. Then again, she always looked beautiful to him regardless of how much time she spent.

He really did save the world to get to see today huh.

She stood up once she leashed the cat and turned to look at him with that small smile he always loved, “Ready to go?”

“Yeah,” He answered as he made sure he put the house keys in his pocket before opening the door to let her out first before himself. Éclair already began wandering around the front lawn, as far as her leash would go.

They were hit by a cool breeze that gently swayed the trees surrounding them, causing some of the red and orange leaves to fall gracefully onto the ground. The trees weren’t entirely turning their leaves yet but the appearance was showing much more by the day. And each day only meant another normal day. The worst was behind them.

“You sure you don’t wanna get a jacket?” She asked.

“Nah, I’ll be fine. Got my own body heat.” He answered before he pulled her slightly closer enough to feel her skin heat up by the touch, “Besides I know how you can warm me up if I get cold.”

She wanted to mention about the neighbors or anybody seeing them but there was no one around at the moment. It was just them enjoying the early morning fall, the cool breeze and quiet excitement for a new season that just begun.

“Well, are you cold now?” She asked as she pulled him a bit closer.

He didn’t say anything else but reached up to kiss her, feeling her warm lips as they pressed against his. It felt as compassionate as the other thousands of kisses they must’ve shared in their lifetime. Honestly, he could probably find the same feelings he felt kissing her when he got a first kiss; the excitement, anticipation and pure love that he got to kiss someone he loved.

Their kiss was interrupted when she felt her leash getting tugged by Éclair who had grown impatient of them. She sat as far as the leash would let her, looking up at them expectantly. Amused, they walked past their front lawn to the sidewalk but felt the leash being pulled once again. They turned around to find her sitting still, meowing impatiently.

“C’mon, wanna walk a bit more? No? Okay.” Pickles answered with a laugh as Abigail went to pick her up. Almost immediately, she climbed up on her shoulders as she always preferred.

Her idea of walking outside was to walk a few steps and one of them had to pick her up for the rest of the walk. Walking around a block required too much energy. Did they expect her to actually walk alongside them every morning? Yes. Did she never fulfill that dream? No. But they also fed into her routine and nature, it wasn’t just their house anymore after all.

There was no use in arguing with a stubborn cat. She had made her territory in Abigail’s shoulder and they simply had to go along with it. She adjusted the leash so the other end of it would hook onto the inner jacket pocket that had a small sewn in hole meant for earphones. Once she made sure that the leash was secure inside, she reached over to hold his hand who quickly took it.

They took the usual route around the block. Shoes crunched against freshly fallen leaves, the wind picked up slightly again causing the leaves around them to move gently against the wind to a new area. If Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Apple Cider weren’t a symbol that fall was approaching, it was the leaves.

Pickles did try to remember when he last fall. Was it when he was a kid? A teen, maybe? He always fled before fall approached somehow. Always ended up in an area where he could not see the seasons change and everything remained a stagnant season the whole time.

But there was nothing to run from anymore. He could stay and watch the seasons change and turn forever if he wanted to now. Is this what freedom really feels like?

“Do you wanna go grab some coffee at the coffee shop?” She asked, interrupting his thoughts.

He quickly snapped his attention back to her and nodded, “Yeah, actually, the one two blocks from here, right?”

“Yep.”

He knew she knew that something was on his mind but she thankfully didn’t say anything. She already knew enough that he would speak when he was ready and he was always thankful for being able to fill in the gaps when he couldn’t speak. And she would always be thankful when he knew what she meant to say when she could barely get a word. It was a secret language between the two that no one but them knew and it was one they were both incredibly fluent in.

The coffee shop was a mom-and-pop one located on the end of the corner. LGBT friendly (Did he ever find those kind of coffee shops growing up?) and even had a small corner of the area for younger kids to play with. It was one of the places that they always loved frequently going to-if they weren’t well known to the world, they would’ve been known pretty well to the baristas.

“I can take Éclair, you can go order for us.” Pickles said. There were seats outside and given the weather, it wouldn’t be so bad to just sit outside and drink coffee while enjoying nature.

“Alright. The usual?”

“Surprise me.”

Pickles managed to take Éclair off her shoulder and set her down when he found a seat with decent shade. He tied the leash to the pole of the table but she seemed uninterested in exploring and instead jumped on his lap, presumably to take a quick nap.

He checked his phone while he waited, trying to catch up on whatever missed emails and posts from friends he had missed. Admittedly, going from seeing his friends everyday to now once a week at most was one of the toughest things to shift to. From knowing everything that went on in their lives, his knowledge of their whereabouts now came from whatever they posted in the group chat or social media.

Toki’s selfie with Magnus over the Eiffel Tower during their backpacking in Europe route. Nathan’s blurry image of a kid playing with a gator from the alligator rescue/children’s daycare he had started with Rachel. Skwisgaar’s video of one of the songs he was working with Nathan. A prototype rollercoaster blueprint from Murderface for the Dethklok amusement parks he and Knubbler were in charge of. And Charles not sending a photo but reminding him through text about a meeting regarding his solo album.

It was a crazy feeling to have looking at the boys he had lived with for more than a decade suddenly doing their own things. Did he feel left out? Maybe things were moving too fast? Miss the old times? He didn’t really know.

He found himself staring at his screen for far too long until Abigail came back taking a seat in front of him, “They’ll be coming over in a few minutes.”

He set the phone down, “Alright, what’d you get me?”

“You did mention you wanted me to surprise, didn’t you?” She answered with a playful smile that was clear she wouldn’t go easy on him.

“C’mon, I gotta know if I’m allergic to it or not. Could very well be allergic to milk today and might not even know it.”

“Guess it’s up to you to find out then; I’m sure there’s an EpiPen somewhere.”

Of course, she wanted to ask what was wrong but she didn’t want to press him. She knew he would budge eventually, he always did, but it was just a matter of patience and hoping to catch him at the right time.

Eventually, the barista came with the tray of coffees and food she had ordered, including a puppuccino for Éclair who woke up and hopped down to get her treat when Abigail set it down to get everyone’s orders.

She set the pumpkin spiced coffee, cinnamon rolls and a breakfast sandwich in front of him. She had ordered the same pumpkin spice coffee and breakfast sandwich; she always tried to avoid desserts for breakfast but he quickly shoved in a cinnamon roll in her plate anyway, “Here it can be your cheat day.”

“But you made me macrons yesterday.” She pointed out.

“It was sugar-free. And you can’t just pass off on a warm cinnamon roll. It’s bad for the environment I saved.”

She contemplated not even long enough before agreeing. They were pretty good cinnamon rolls…, “Guess I’ll need to pay for your contributions. Alright, I’ll take it.”

Pickles grinned as he took a sip of the coffee. It was still hot but he refused to even express he burnt his tongue for the sake of looking cool, “Great, glad my hard work paid off.”

For as much as he joked around, he didn’t mention anything about what was bothering him for the rest of their breakfast.

He would mention it on the walk back home when it was Pickles’ turn to let Éclair lay on his shoulder and Abigail holding a bag of free treats that the baristas insisted they take home. A few desserts as payment for saving the world. It was well worth it.

“I forgot what fall was like.” Pickles finally said as he looked at her. He didn’t downplay his feelings by joking

“You did?” She asked.

“Yeah. It had been too long since I last saw leaves and everything else and whatever. I guess it’s making me realize how long I missed out on some things, y’know?”

She had to wonder how he even forgot about fall. Or the fact that his hair color always reminded her of it. It was the color of vibrant red autumn leaves, not quite ready to fall yet but when the sun hit it, it showed the intricate details and would even shine as bright as it sometimes. And how could she ever put that into the right words? Maybe it just wasn’t the right moment, “Nostalgia?”

“I-I guess it’s that. Yeah. Nostalgic for the old things I guess. I was too used to that life. And I’m very happy with you, I really am! I’m doing more of the things now than I did before, but it’s hard to just completely let go of the past.”

Of course, he thought she would get offended which is why he didn’t look at her. Here he was clinging to his past again like some spoiled brat. If only he didn’t open his mouth. He probably seemed so ungrateful-

But he was met instead with warm hands taking his and he looked up to a very understanding Abigail, “I understand. There’s some things I miss and feel nostalgic for too. I don’t expect you to not miss those things. These things just end up happening, it’s part of natural life.”

“I guess…it’s just a lot harder to adjust than I thought. I’m sorry if I’m just dumping this on you, though. I know that this hasn’t been easy for you either.”

It wasn’t easy when Abigail could barely sleep without getting horrific nightmares that he had stayed up most nights worrying about. It wasn’t easy when Pickles ended up getting horrific nightmares too when he came back home, and he had yet to tell her all that he dreamt about. Their future kids, grandkids even, and even the current neighborhood kids would ask for stories of their heroism. Do they even dare talk about the price that was paid for it?

It couldn’t even be said that they had overcome it. The nightmares were less frequent, yes, but they were there. All it took was one bad night to ruin a week or month even. The horrors of their past would most likely be there for the rest of their lives, looming over and ready to strike when things seemed to be better.

But they made it so far together too. What’s another mile anyway?

“It hasn’t been easy but we’re both getting there.” She paused her walking to look at him, “We made it so far together, after all. I don’t expect you to be okay the same way you don’t expect me to be okay either, right? I’m not gonna ask you to do anymore than you already are doing and what you’re doing is enough.”

“And if it’s not enough? God, what if I’m just fucking up right now? There’s no way I can just…I don’t even know what. It’s just terrifying to be falling down that dark path again.”

She watched as Éclair looked up to the leaves around them, eyes completely dilated to look at the world around her. A leaf would just brush past her, failed to be caught and it fell to the ground.

Of course the leaves would eventually be raked. Whatever wasn’t thrown out or burned would eventually become mulch for the soil. Would help provide for the soil when spring rolls around. Then everything will grow again. Everything will be okay.

“If we fall again, we start over and flourish.”

—

“What was your last memory with fall if you don’t mind my asking?” Abigail asked that evening. They sat in the living room couch, sharing a blanket as they watched Knives Out. It would quickly become a tradition for them to watch whatever fall-related movies there were just to get in the spirit.

He paused for a moment, before finally coming up with an answer, “I met you, didn’t I? We were at that fall event Cornickelson used to host. It was probably a few years before you became Dethklok’s music producer? But anyway, we were paired at the same table and I was probably awkward as fuck right then and there but you still wanted to talk to me. We went to the garden and we just ended up talking about everything. God, I felt like a teenager with their first crush when I was with you. I never got to say that your hair color reminded me of the leaves.”

#my writing #metalocalypse #abigail remeltindtdrinc #pickles the drummer #kloktober2021 #kloktober

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bringmoreknives · 4 years

Text

HOW TO RECOGNIZE REPOSTED GIFS/EDITS

lately, i’ve been seeing a huge rise in reposts of gifs and edits, and of spreading those reposts. i don’t think it’s a malicious thing at all from people who reblog them, but it’s important to be able to spot them in the future so that we can stop perpetuating this kind of behavior. so without any further ado, here are a few ways to recognize reposted gifs and edits. please keep in mind that it’s usually a combination of a few of these factors, and that one of them being present doesn’t necessarily mean the post is DEFINITELY a repost. be smart, but also be vigilant!

1. non-matching watermarks a watermark is a (usually) small/unobtrusive placing of the gifmaker/editor’s url or username somewhere on the gif. for example, here’s a gif i made; you can see my tumblr url, bringmoreknives, very lightly in the upper left corner.

now, just because you see a post from a blog with a different url than the one in the watermark doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a repost. editors and gifmakers change their urls, just like everyone else does. however, the watermark is a good place to start. you can always go to that original url and see if you can trace them to the blog that posted the post in question. and if you’re an editor, make sure you watermark your shit and leave a clear trail to your new blog -- i have redirect pages set up on all my old urls, all the way back to when i first made this blog in 2013.

2. mismatched gifs or edits being posted together, or media being posted in an awkward way in my opinion, this is the best indicator of reposts. oftentimes, because they don’t make the content themselves, reposters don’t understand the logic of making a cohesive gif or edit set, and so will cram a bunch of random gifs/edits of different sizes, video qualities, and psds/effects together into one post. they also might post gifs that were meant to be side by side on top of each other or vice versa, resulting in a reduction of quality and everything looking super pixel-y.

in a post, this will look like:

dramatically different colorings on gifs being posted side by side (not just, like, one or two black and white gifs in a clear color scheme, but one sepia-toned, one original colored, one extremely lightened, etc)

parts of some images being cut off due to different image dimensions

media from a bunch of different events, appearances, episodes, etc. that isn’t tied together by a common theme

3. use of tumblr mobile “fonts” in the caption this is a super obvious one, imo. again, on its own it’s not necessarily a giveaway, but i don’t know any editor who posts original gifs from their phone, simply because you need photoshop to make them, and therefore the files will be on your computer.

4. captions that comment on the content, or a lack of caption at all lack of a caption is less indicative of a repost than an odd caption is. but reposters often caption their reposted comment with something relatively irrelevant, like “omg he’s so cute” or something. additionally, many original posts will have a link to the video source in the caption -- so if everything else checks out AND there’s a source linked, it’s probably fine. (again, lack of a linked video source is not a marker of a repost: tumblr recently changed the rules where any post with an external link won’t show up in tags, so many creators leave off source links now.) also, worth mentioning that people DO often repost with the caption “not my gif/edit/pic,” and this is a great reminder that that is not an acceptable alternative to simply REBLOGGING POST FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE.

5. lack of a tag to indicate that the work is the poster’s own creators will often have tags for all of their original content. this can be anything from “mine,” “my stuff,” etc. to a series of asterisks or other punctuation marks that aren’t likely to be used for anything else. additionally, many creators will prominently display a link to this somewhere on their blog, if they have a custom theme. if a post doesn’t have some kind of tag indicating ownership that you can click on and browse to see more original content, that can be a major red flag.

6. crosstagging/adding irrelevant tags reposters want to get their posts seen, reblogged, and liked by as many people as possible. they thrive off clout for stuff they didn’t make. therefore, they have a tendency to add a SHITLOAD of tags that don’t really have anything to do with the actual subject matter. for example, if it’s mcr reposts, they might tag all of the band members, even if they’re not all featured, all of the album names, a ton of bands in the same musical circles, and even instagram-esque hashtags like “cute,” “emo,” “scenecore,” etc.

and there you have it -- here are some of the ways i know to spot reposts from seven years as a creator on this site. you get better at it the more time you spend in a fandom, because you’ll recognize content that popularly gets reposted, and also just learn to have a trained eye for this sort of thing. but until you reach that stage, i hope that this helps. please reblog to spread the word, and don’t be afraid to call out reposters, with links to the original post if you can find it, because creators on this site have a hard enough time as it is. and feel free to add anything else you use to spot reposts!

#please reblog this lol it took a while #and im sick of this shit!!!!!#.txt

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cheri-translates · 4 years

Text

[CN] Shaw’s Scorching Waves Date (Eng Translation)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for an S2 date, 炙浪之约, which has not been released in English servers! 🍒

Features S2 Shaw!

[ This date was released in CN on 28 Sep 2020 ]

MC: Mister, this is the place!

After paying the passenger fare, I hurriedly get off the car, but find that the entrance of Live House is already very crowded.

Sweeping my eyes across the area, I receive a shock.

Whether they are male or female, everyone here is donned in punk style: ripped shirts, leather outfits, jackets with rivets on them... A few people even have cool mohawk hairstyles.

At the side, the words “Rock ‘n’ Roll Night” are spray-painted on a wall. Below them is an eye-catching line--

"No entry if your attire doesn’t match the theme”

MC: ...

I look at my surroundings, then lower my head to look at my own officewear... Clearly, under such circumstances, I won’t be able to enter.

With uncertainty in my heart, I take out my phone and make a call.

After a few dial tones, Shaw’s languid voice drifts into my ear.

Shaw: What’s up?

MC: I’m at the entrance of Live House now.

Shaw: You really came?

His sentence ends with an upward lilt, as though a little surprised.

MC: Yeah. Over the phone last night, didn’t you tell me to come over after my meeting? Since it’s a formal invitation from you, and you’re performing a new song, of course I couldn’t miss it.

Probably not expecting that I’d rush over in time, Shaw pauses at the other end of the line for a while.

Shaw: ...you’re pretty punctual. Are there many people outside?

MC: Yeah. But the doors don’t seem to be open yet.

Shaw: Of course. After all, I just reached too. Who knew that Old Man would drag out the lesson...

MC: But what do the words on the wall mean? I didn’t know there was a dress code to watch the performance.

Shaw: You didn’t actually wear business attire over, did you?

Shaw’s laughter of ridicule drifts to my ear. Slightly angry, I grip the phone tightly.

MC: If you keep laughing, I’m leaving!

Shaw: Tch, try to leave if you can. All right, wait where you are.

Shaw pauses, and the soft sound of breathing can be heard from the other end of the line. He seems to be stretching.

Shaw: I’ll pick you up.

Because of the way I’m dressed, a few staff members I walk past along the corridor to the break room can’t help but cast sidelong glances at me.

Entering the break room, I discover that there isn’t a single person inside.

MC: Eh, where are the other band members?

Shaw: They’re still on the way.

Shaw closes the door, then lies down on the sofa lazily. I once again check the time.

MC: But the performance is starting in half an hour. Don’t you guys need to rehearse?

Shaw: We’ve been prepared since a long time ago. Heading straight to the stage afterwards is fine. Come to think of it...

He tilts his head, looking me over.

Shaw: This is the first time I’m seeing someone wear business attire to watch a performance.

MC: The fact that I could rush over already means a lot. Be contented.

Shaw: In that case, prepare yourself to be “saluted” by others later.

I lower my head to look at my outfit. It truly doesn’t suit the crowd.

Also, since there are so many people today, it wouldn’t be convenient to move around later on.

Just as I furrow my brows in vexation, Shaw suddenly speaks.

Shaw: Hey, I have a suggestion.

Meeting his mischievous gaze, a bad feeling arises in my heart.

MC: ...what are you planning to do?

Shaw: Since I didn’t notify you in advance, I thought of an idea.

He suddenly stands up and walks towards the wardrobe at the side.

After rifling through it for a while, Shaw takes out a black coloured leather jacket.

Shaw: Try it.

MC: ...is this yours?

Shaw: Why do you care about so many things? Just try it on.

I take the jacket from him. Skeptical, I bring it to my nose to give it a sniff - it has a faint peppermint scent. Looks like it’s pretty clean.

Watching my actions, Shaw gives me a subtle look, and releases a soft “hmph”.

Shaw: If you don’t want to wear it, forget it.

MC: Who says I’m not wearing it.

I snatch the jacket back. Although there are still some concerns in my heart, I can’t be picky considering the current circumstances.

The jacket is a little large, and hangs on my body loosely. However, it’s able to cover my short shirt.

MC: How’s this?

Shaw: The way you’re dressed...

Shaw pauses, then chuckles softly.

Shaw: Looks pretty punk.

MC: I never thought watching a performance would be so troublesome... Why did you guys suddenly think of having a theme?

Shaw: Because it’s fun.

Shaw responds instantly.

Shaw: People who watch the performances range from working adults to students - all sorts of people. But after changing their outfits, no one will care about their identity. Before music, nobody’s different.

I look at Shaw, a little surprised. I originally thought this activity was just a spur of the moment for them, and didn’t expect that there’d be such a meaning behind it.

Just when I’m about to say something, the lights above my head suddenly flicker.

MC: What happened? Is there a problem with the lights?

With a glance, Shaw answers indifferently.

Shaw: The voltage isn’t stable, that's all.

Before I can probe further, a series of knocks come at the door. A staff member opens the door, and tells Shaw--

Staff: Get ready, the performance is about to begin.

In Live House, there are a mass of bobbing heads as the restless crowd congregate near the stage.

After a short while, I’m pushed to the back.

MC: Do I have to squeeze through the crowd...

Looking at the crowd before me, which is so packed till there isn’t a single crevice, I'm at my wit’s end, and stand in place.

Man A: That bass player is quite interesting. My girlfriend likes him a lot.

Man B: Oh? You’re very magnanimous. Not jealous?

Man A: She just appreciates his musical abilities. He plays really well. See for yourself later.

The conversation between the two man standing in front of me drifts over to my ears. I can’t help but laugh.

If Shaw knew how he was being commented on, I wonder what he’d think of it.

I whip out my phone, taking a few pictures of the scene.

“There are so many people here today! Seems like quite a number of them are here for you.”

After penning my text message, I send it to Shaw along with the photos.

The performance is about to begin. Despite thinking he wouldn’t reply, my phone suddenly vibrates.

A sentence flashes on the screen.

Shaw’s message: Why are you so far behind?

After a few seconds, another message appears.

Shaw’s message: Don’t move around. I’ll look for you later.

I’m just about to reply. At this moment, the lights extinguish. The entire venue dives into pitch darkness, and the background music stops.

Without the hyping up of a host, and along with a flurry of shrieks, the band members enter the stage.

Purple light streams down slowly, shrouding the entire stage together with faint mist.

Shaw walks in last, his steps indolent. But his figure is tall, straight, and proud.

He hangs the bass over himself casually. Exchanging a glance with his bandmates, his fingertips flit across the strings lightly.

Along with the first sound from the drums, the performance officially begins.

Without unnecessary cushioning or embellishments, the music goes straight to the theme. The rapid and fierce melody propels the hearts of everyone to beat along with the rhythm and notes.

I’m standing below the stage, my eyes fixed on the people above it.

Just like the first time I watched him perform, I almost forget to breathe in the midst of the shocking music.

Shaw’s fingers fly back and forth on the strings. He is so skilled in his techniques that even if you were to keep your eyes wide open, you wouldn’t be able to see how he moves his fingers clearly.

The lights and shadows intersperse like an illusion. He sways along with the rhythm, the light in his eyes even fiercer than the swift melody from his fingertips.

I grip the jacket on me. In the crowd - as what Shaw said - I have forgotten my own identity in this very moment.

Just like a normal rock lover, I can’t help but raise my hands in the air.

The climax gradually nears, and the entire crowd waits for the explosive point, their insuppressible shrieks surfacing one after the other.

At this point, the lights hanging on stage suddenly release a “PA” sound, and sparks appear in the air.

The audience in the front row cry out in alarm. The lights continuously flicker, and the buzzing sound of electricity can be heard.

Audience A: !! Did something happen?

Audience B: Seems like a problem with the lights. Could this be a stage malfunction...

People on and off the stage seem to notice this unforeseen event, and chaos erupts in the venue.

Suppressing the panic in my heart, I lift my head to look at Shaw.

In the middle of the flickering lights, I see a bewildered expression on his face too.

After a moment, he seems to think of something. He suddenly lifts his eyes and looks at the audience, his probing glance sweeping across them.

My heart jolts. Subconsciously, I give him a wave.

The surroundings are filled with the clamour of people. After sweeping past numerous profiles, Shaw’s eyes fall on me.

The moment our eyes meet, his frown smoothens out. Under the ever-changing lights and shadows, he reveals a flamboyant smile.

Shaw: Scared?

What’s there to be afraid of? Baffled, I shake my head.

Shaw holds back his smile for a moment, and he seems to be making a soft “tch” sound.

The crowd is still in chaos. Quite a number of them even squeeze towards the entrance, planning to leave the venue.

A staff wearing a name-tag is currently maintaining order in front. My eyes brighten, and I hurriedly squeeze myself over to him.

MC: Hello! The lights have been flickering, and I think it could be because the circuit over there has some issues.

Staff: All right, thank you!

The clamour from the crowd seems to cover the music. I lift my eyes to look at Shaw, and discover that he’s currently staring at the flickering lights, and I can’t tell what he’s thinking about.

Suddenly, he lifts his hand, and a bright light reflects from the pick between his fingers.

Shaw: Hey, catch up!

He steps on the pedal, matching the rhythm of the flickering lights. A few band members start to react.

The drummer raises his drumsticks in the air, tapping them together a few times. The band members exchange glances, cooperating with the rhythm to commence a spontaneous performance.

When the audience notice that the performance is continuing, they start cheering enthusiastically. Without realising it, I also start to cheer.

Shaw pulls out the wire connected to the bass. He walks to the side of the stage, his gaze sweeping across the crowd slowly.

He stretches out his index finger, pointing at the most raucous part of his audience, his eyes burning with fiery light.

The mood of the audience is instantly ignited, and they respond to him with gestures.

Shaw takes two steps back. Then, he turns around fiercely, jumping into the air.

At this moment, the hanging coloured balls open and countless ribbons drift downwards.

The glaring lights stop flickering, and they are all focused on Shaw.

Standing at the back, I see Shaw being lifted by the crowd. Along with the surge of the crowd, he draws closer to me.

The performance on the stage continues. The turbulent music excites every single cell in one’s body in an unparalleled manner.

The performance reaches its peak, and everyone excitedly waves their hands in the air. It’s as though the earlier incident was nothing more than for performance effect.

Shaw and I exchange glances. Even though we’re separated by the crowd, he looks at me with an unbridled smile.

My heartbeat speeds up in my chest along with the sound of the drums.

The thin coat of sweat on his collarbones, his intense gaze, and that hand reaching towards me--

All of them render me unable to avert my gaze.

In the break room, I shut the door, cutting myself off from the merriment outside.

With twenty minutes left for the performance, Shaw suddenly handed his bass to me, and asked me to wait for him in the break room.

I look around my surroundings, but don’t see Shaw.

MC: Why is he always like this - deciding things for himself...

I sigh softly, looking at the bass in my arms. My mind flashes back to images of him performing.

I can't help but raise my hand. Based on the melody in my recollection, I try plucking on the strings, humming the tune softly.

??: Hey, you’re out of tune.

I jolt. Turning around, I meet Shaw’s sly gaze.

MC: ...didn’t you manage to recognise what I was playing? It shows that I’m not lacking in talent.

Lowering my head, I continue strumming the strings in indignation. But my wrist is suddenly grabbed from behind.

Shaw: You can use one finger to pluck the strings. That way, the timbre will be more even.

Before realising it, Shaw is already standing behind me. I feel his breath on my ear, and it carries the same fresh peppermint scent as the jacket on me.

I pause, then follow his advice on how to play the bass, realising that there’s indeed an evident change in the timbre.

Shaw: How is it? Isn’t it much better?

Before I can respond, footsteps are heard at the door.

In the next second, the door is pushed open. A band member enters, teasing him good-naturedly.

??: Shaw, are you able to rush your assignment before the deadline...

His voice suddenly halts. The moment he sees me, a few band members freeze.

When they notice the jacket on me, their expressions abruptly change, looking as though they’ve seen a ghost.

Adam: Isn’t that...

Jensen: All right, let’s not disturb their interaction and studies.

Jensen’s voice is genial. A few of them who tacitly understand his words start laughing.

Jensen: Shaw, catch!

A silver coloured object flies in an arc through the air, and a set of keys fall squarely in Shaw’s hand.

Jensen: We’re off. Remember to lock the doors.

In the blink of an eye, they’re all gone.

MC: Is there something about this jacket?

Shaw rolls his eyes, walking over to the side to tidy up.

Shaw: Don’t bother about them. Let’s go.

There’s nobody in the main hall of Live House - a complete opposite of the lively atmosphere just now.

The loudspeakers and musical instruments on the stage have yet to be kept. A sole spotlight is turned on, and messy electrical cables are on the floor.

Thinking about the nice yet interrupted new song just now, a faint sense of regret surfaces in my heart.

MC: Shaw, could you play the bass again?

Shaw pauses in his footsteps. He turns his head to look at me, his expression baffled.

MC: That new song today - you only played it halfway before having to stop. I want to hear you play the full song.

Shaw: Right now? You really know how to order people around. Forget it, I'm in a good mood today. Wait here.

Shaw: Wait here.

He tosses his bag at me, then takes large strides to the front, hopping up onto the stage.

He picks up the bass casually. Plugging the wire in, he lowers his eyes and sweeps a glance at me.

Shaw: This time, you’ve got to listen carefully.

With this, a melody gradually flows from his fingertips.

Although it’s the same song, it’s different from his performance earlier. He plays every beat unhurriedly, his posture casual and relaxed.

I’m sitting on the floor, quietly listening to the low sounds of the bass, humming along with the music.

The timbre of the bass beneath his fingers is low and unruly. The occasional pauses and increases in speed are reminiscent of himself and how he does things as he pleases.

There’s a strange tugging of my emotions as memories of the past echo--

A very long time ago, underneath similar dim lights, I had watched Shaw’s performance for the first time.

I tug on the jacket over me, immersing myself in my thoughts, not noticing that Shaw has furrowed his brows above the stage, slightly upset.

Shaw places the bass to the side, then suddenly jumps off the stage.

MC: !

The thud of his feet making contact with the ground pulls me back to the present.

Amid the blurry lights and shadows, the image of him hopping off the stage and the image before me overlap.

In the quiet evening without a restless crowd, Shaw walks towards me, every step especially clear.

He stops before me. I lift my head to look at him, but am caught off guard when he flicks my forehead.

MC: Ah!

Shaw: You couldn’t keep your eyes off me when there were many people around. Why do you start losing focus when there are fewer people?

Shaw: Tch, you don’t know how to cherish this.

His face is within reach. My heart beats erratically in my chest once again, just like it did when he was surfing the crowd towards me.

MC: When was I unable to keep my eyes off you...

Shaw arches his brows, his expression reading: “Don’t even think of denying it”.

MC: I was just wondering why you thought of hopping off the stage earlier.

Shaw: What?

MC: Just now, during the performance. If you had waited for the staff to fix the lights, you wouldn’t have needed to go through such trouble, right?

MC: Also, do you like getting off the stage like that? Isn’t it good to use the stairs?

Shaw: But it’s cooler like this.

Shaw’s tone is confident, and the corners of my lips tug upwards involuntarily.

Shaw: Also, this time is different from before.

MC: How so?

Shaw: It isn’t an accident this time.

He takes the bag in my hands, then walks towards the entrance.

Shaw: Why are you still standing there? Let’s go.

The streets in the wee hours of the morning are tranquil and empty. The streetlights outside Live House cast small, round halos.

Shaw doesn’t speak. A lively melody drifts from his earpieces, and he’s humming a certain song from his band softly.

Shaw: Hey, your car’s here.

I nod, my eyes falling on the skateboard beneath his arm.

MC: You don’t plan to ride the skateboard home today?

Shaw: The board needs waxing. Oh yes, remember to share your location with me when you’re in the car.

We bid each other goodbye with a wave, and I enter the car. With the clinking sound of metal buttons, I realise that I’m still wearing that black coloured jacket.

I roll down the window, and exclaim at him.

MC: Shaw, thanks for your jacket!

Shaw appears to pause in his steps. After a while, he lifts his hand and waves it in the air casually. He doesn’t turn around, carrying the bass.

Shaw: Remember to wash it before returning it to me next time.

Moonlight falls on the ends of his hair, coating it with a tender halo. Shaw steps into the tranquil night, and it seems like his footsteps have become slightly lighter.

🎸 MOMENTS 🎸

Shaw’s Post: The first time seeing someone wearing business attire to watch a performance.

MC: You’ve already said it once!

Shaw: Saying it twice isn’t enough to express my surprise.

Shaw’s Post: The first time seeing someone wearing business attire to watch a performance

MC: And with high-heels. My feet were close to giving up when I reached home...

Shaw: You should have mentioned it earlier. I have a pair of shoes in the break room.

Shaw’s Post: The first time seeing someone wearing business attire to watch a performance

MC: Are you touched? To watch your performance, I didn’t even have the time to change my clothes.

Shaw: A little. Hope you can continue in your efforts the next time.

Phone call: here

#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc shaw #there's a reason why shaw once overthrew gavin's top spot in my heart hnghgnhg #charismatic little brat

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stargazing-dreamer-girl · 3 years

Text

My sister’s ghost band and me

In which you sometimes forget that you’re dealing with ghosts and can’t actually touch them.

Platonic!Alex Mercer x reader, platonic!Reggie Peters x reader, platonic!Luke Patterson x reader

Oh, it’s gender neutral reader btw

WC: 6k

A/N: It’s finally finished! I worked really hard on this, so I hope you like it. For some reason I can’t tag the person who commented on my post about the concept for this story, but I hope this finds their way to them :)

Ever since the three ghost boys have appeared in your life nothing has been the same. Your sister Julie who had lost such a big part of herself when your mother died finally had that back and you’ve never been prouder of her. The music she was making with the guys was so beautiful and you would never stop being grateful to them for doing what you couldn’t, bringing music back into her life.

So, it was no wonder that the one song of them that was on YouTube was playing on repeat in your household. You were humming along to ‘Edge of Great’ while preparing dinner when the front door opened and your dad walked in.

“Man, I love that song!” He exclaimed when he noticed what you were listening to. He shrugged off his coat moving his head along to the beat.

“No way! Me too!” You laughed turning the volume down a little, so you could talk to your dad without having to scream over the music. He came over to the kitchen, pressing a small kiss to your temple in greeting before glancing into the pot and letting out a cheer.

“Yes! Your pasta! I love you!” He pulled you into a hug eliciting another laugh from you. When you looked over at him, he was still staring into the pot mesmerized. You lifted up your hand to bop his nose taking him out of that trance.

“Love you, too, papi.” The alarm going off then alerted you that the breadsticks were done, so you moved around your dad to take them out of the oven. “I know you need to take Carlos to practice, so I’ll just set some aside for you guys and you can reheat it when you get back.”

“Yes, right. Thank you!” He called for your little brother right after who came running down the stairs immediately. “Let’s go!” You shouted a quick “Bye!” after them which was left unheard with the door falling shut before you finished talking. The only noise in the kitchen now was the muffled music coming from the studio, the video you had been watching having finished long ago. You shut your laptop and put it in the living room to make some room in the kitchen.

You were about to call Julie in for dinner, before you thought better of it. Instead, you filled two plates with pasta and took some breadsticks, before you left the house and walked over to where your sister’s band was rehearsing. The music got louder the closer you got to the big white doors, a song you didn’t recognize playing.

Pushing one of the doors farther open with your foot while balancing the plates you were greeted with the sight of Julie belting out what had to be the last note of their new song before they noticed you. Luke was the first to look over, exclaiming your name with a smile on his face which prompted the rest of the group to turn towards you as well.

“I brought dinner!” You announced, mostly to Julie since the three boys weren’t capable of eating anything. She moved away from the keyboard to take one of the plates from your hands setting it down on the table. You followed right after her after greeting the boys and went to sit down on the floor, your back leaning against the couch. “That sounded great! Is it a new song?” You asked before taking the first bite.

The guys moved to join Julie and you around the table. Even though they couldn’t eat they still provided great company. When Luke sat down right next to Julie you shared a look with Alex. You were always talking about how obvious the chemistry between the two was on stage and wondered if it would ever transition to off-stage as well.

“Yeah, it’s called ‘Stand Tall’ and it’s definitely an anthem!”

“Well, I’d love to hear the whole thing some time.”

Julie nodded excitedly. “Just come to the next band practice! I don’t even know what you’re always doing huddled up in the house.”

“Gee, thanks! I might be focusing on school work or something equally insignificant.”

“You can just do your work here while you’re listening to us play,” Reggie chimed in, earning approving nods from the group.

Alex plopped out of the studio at some point during dinner saying something about meeting Willie. Julie left shortly after as soon as she was done eating. Flynn had texted her and wanted her to come over. But, being the good sister that she was, she took your plate inside with her before she left. Then it was just you, Reggie and Luke left in the studio although the latter didn’t really count since he was so focused on songwriting that he didn’t react at all to anything you said.

You remained sitting on the ground, but turned to face Reggie. He had made himself comfortable on the couch you had been leaning against. Resting your head on your arm you looked up at him, a small smile on your face.

“What’s up with you?” He asked, an uneasy chuckle escaping him as he realized that your undivided attention was on him.

You bit your lip trying to refrain from breaking out into a huge grin. “I heard the cheerleaders talking about you today,” you told him with a wiggle of your eyebrows.

His face went red in an instant, a stark contrast to his pale skin tone. He started stammering before just smiling wildly over at Luke. “You hear that, dude? The cheerleaders talk about me!” But Luke was still so focused on his notebook that he didn’t notice. He did, however, notice it when Reggie threw his flannel at him to get his attention.

“Hey!” he exclaimed, scrunching up the flannel in his hands before throwing it back at his friend, hitting him right in the head. “What did you do that for?”

“You’re not listening! They just told me some great news and you didn’t even listen!”

“Wait! What news?” Luke shut his book focusing his attention on you as he waited for you to repeat yourself, probably expecting something more exciting than what you have told Reggie. You could see it in his face. When your words sunk in, his face fell, his expression somewhere between boredom and annoyance. “And that’s why you stopped me? Dude, I was working on some killer lyrics!” With that he grabbed his notebook again and teleported out of the garage.

Reggie quickly got over his best friend abruptly leaving and turned back to you. “Well, I hope, you told them that you know me. I’m nothing without my greatest fan.”

“So, I’m your greatest fan now?”

“Well, of course, there can’t be another reason you’re always at our gigs,” he replied smugly, leaning forward in his seat. “And always notice when someone’s talking about me.”

You tried to hide behind your hands as you felt heat rising to your head. “I’m just attentive when it comes to my sister’s band. It’s got nothing to do with you personally.” You shrug, peeking a glance at him from behind your hands. The pout on his face made you reconsider though. “But you’re a pretty great guy.”

He moved off the couch to sit on the floor with you. You had already learned that Reggie could be easily excitable. He was like a puppy, so you couldn’t resist when he watched you with a big smile and sparkling eyes to bop his nose like you always did with your siblings and your dad. What you didn’t factor in was that your finger would go right through his face.

You quickly pulled your hand away and jumped up to bring some distance between yourself and the situation. The pacing you started wasn’t really a conscious choice. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think. It was an impulse and I momentarily forgot. God, that was so awkward. I can’t believe that just happened. I’m so sorry, Reggie.”

When you were met with silence you stopped your pacing to look up at him. He was still on the ground following you with his eyes. But instead of looking horrified or angry he had a smile on his face when he called your name. “It’s fine. I feel honored, really.” The confused look on your face prompted him to explain some more. “I always see how you do that to Julie, Carlos, your dad, even Flynn. You do it to the people you care about and I’m happy I’m one of them, even if it’s not the same and it might be a little weird, ‘cause, like, I can feel something but it’s not quite touch. But I can definitely feel that you have a lot of love in your heart. You mean a lot to me, too. To all of us. I wouldn’t mind if it happened again because I know it means that you love us.”

“That was really sappy.” You tried to play it off but his words meant a lot to you. They were true and having it laid out in front of you like that brought tears to your eyes.

“Oh shit, I didn’t mean to make you cry!” He jumped up and quickly moved over to you. His hands hovered just above your cheeks. He was cursing himself for not being able to wipe your tears now and just wrap you into a hug.

“They’re not sad tears, Reggie. I’m fine. I’m just… grateful to have you guys in my life.” You gave him a small smile before excusing yourself to turn in for the night. The incident replayed in your mind and even though you couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by the fact that you forgot about him being a ghost for a second you appreciated the words he told you.

The incident was soon forgotten. Well, not that soon. You had made the grave mistake of telling Julie about it and she went on to tell it to Flynn. They both kept teasing you because of it. But at some point, even that died down and you didn’t have to constantly think about your slipup. Reggie’s behavior around you didn’t change at all either which calmed you immensely.

When you got home that afternoon the house was unusually quiet and when you shouted out for your family members nobody gave you a reaction.

“Nobody’s home,” sounded from your right, making you jump in surprise. Alex, adorned by his pink sweatshirt, had appeared right next to you. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. But I heard you come home and thought I’d come over. Julie and Luke are working on some lyrics, so they banned us from the garage.”

You calmed down from the shock fairly quickly. A side effect of having ghost friends was that it didn’t freak you out as much anymore when one just appeared out nowhere, or at least you learned to recover fast. “So, where’s Reggie? I can’t imagine he got to stay when you were thrown out.”

“Oh no, he’s down by the beach, I think. He sometimes still goes to where his house used to be and just sits there for a while.” You hadn’t known that. It always seemed like Reggie was faring well with being a ghost, but appearances can be deceiving. That’s nothing new.

“It must be hard for you guys. Knowing that the people you knew now have a completely different life while for you guys it was just such a short period of time. How long did you say it felt like you were in that dark room? An hour? That must be so surreal.”

“An hour, yeah,” he confirmed. “I mean, it’s not like we had the best relationship with our parents to begin with, but not even knowing if they are still alive or where they are, is pretty weird.”

“I could try to find them for you.” It was more of a question than a statement, but you at least wanted to give him the option. “If that’s what you want.” He said nothing for a while, just stared at the floor, at you, at the pictures hanging at the wall. “You don’t have to decide now. I just wanted to let you know that that may be an option, but I get it if that’s not what you want. Just take your time and think about it.”

You picked up your backpack you had dropped when Alex first appeared and moved towards the stairs. “I need to do my homework. Do you want to join me?”

He nodded excitedly. “I’ll see you in your room!” He announced and popped out of the living room. You could just shake your head at the use of teleportation, but hurried to get up to your room yourself.

Alex was already lying on your bed when you got there and set your backpack down by your desk. “That sure seems convenient.”

“What does? Oh! That! It kinda is. Still freaks me out sometimes, too, though.” He rolled to lie on his stomach and watched you sit down at your desk. “Do you have a lot to do?”

“Not really.” You shook your head, grabbing the stuff you needed. “I should be quick.”

So, you did your homework with Alex watching you. From time to time he asked questions about what you were learning in school and you explained it to him to the best of your knowledge. That was one of the reasons you liked doing homework with Alex. Explaining the material to him helped you understand it better as well. And you just liked being around him.

When you were done you didn’t even bother to put the stuff away before you jumped onto the bed next to Alex. “So, what have you and Willie been up to?” You asked. The boy next to you turned onto his back to look up at the ceiling and you followed suit.

“He took me to an empty museum and then we screamed there.” His voice went up at the end, making it sound like a question. He actually just didn’t know how to say it without it sounding completely bizarre. “It was actually really freeing.” He paused to think about his next words. If he spoke about it, it would become a real thing and he didn’t know if he was ready for that. But eventually, he did speak them. “I don’t know. I really like hanging out with him. It’s fun and he gets me to do things I normally wouldn’t. He teaches me about stuff I’ve missed out on. And I think I’m falling for him. Hard. And I don’t know what to do about it. I mean, a ghost romance? That sounds weird to me. Does a thing like that even work?”

You thought about it for a second. You didn’t even know if that question was just rhetorical or if he actually wanted an answer, but it was an interesting thing to think about.

“I mean, you’re both ghosts. You can see and hear and touch each other. It’s not that different from a relationship between living people, I’d say. You just won’t grow old together. Physically, I mean. But what matters most are your feelings. So, if you like him, go for it. He seems like a great guy.”

“He is,” Alex answered absentmindedly, a dreamy smile on his face as he looked off into the distance.

“You’re so cute!” You squealed and lifted your hand to his nose but stopped yourself before actually reaching his face. The moment with Reggie flashed back into your mind before you dropped your hand. The nose bops you gave your family had become second nature for you, so actively stopping yourself felt wrong. Not doing it to show your affection felt wrong. But you didn’t want a repeat of that embarrassing situation. Instead, you laughed it off when Alex tilted his head questioningly. “Anyways, I’m hungry. Would you give me the honor of joining me in the kitchen?” you asked dramatically after standing up from your bed.

He didn’t even answer, but disappeared with a plop. “You coming?” sounded from downstairs right after. You could just shake your head at him but hurried downstairs nonetheless.

“You have to stop doing that! It’s so unfair!” You complained when you reached the kitchen and opened the fridge. Pulling out some ingredients for a sandwich you looked back at your friend. “And you always complain about them too! But then you use them nonetheless. Sounds to me like you don’t appreciate what you have.”

“What is he not appreciating?” sounded a voice behind you which made you scream in surprise. Not your proudest moment.

“Luke!” You scolded the brunet who had appeared in the kitchen as well. “Don’t do that me! You guys are gonna kill me one day!” He gave you a sweet smile as he apologized. You couldn’t stay mad at him if he looked at you like that.

“So, what is Alex not appreciating?”

“His ghost abilities! You guys can teleport and summon your instruments. That’s so cool! And Alex just keeps complaining about stuff. And I get it. To get those abilities you had to die which is not great at all, but you can’t change it, so I say you should just appreciate what you have,” you ranted while preparing your sandwich. Luke watched on, nodding along to what you were saying. His face fell a little when you mentioned their deaths, but he came back around quickly.

“I totally agree. We can do some really cool stuff now. I always tell Alex the same thing, it-“

“Ok, yeah, I see you two are conspiring against me here, so I’m just gonna go and leave you guys to it.” With that he plopped out of the kitchen, disappearing off to who-knows-where.

“As I was saying, isn’t it amazing how we are connected to our instruments, even in death? And that we can summon them! And the teleporting, of course! It’s so easy to get around!” Luke jumped into a monologue telling you all about the upsides of being a ghost while you just stood there and listened.

You could see it in his eyes before he started speaking about it. The bad parts of it all. The fact that he can go see his parents but that they will never know he was there, that they have to live with the fact that their child died before them. It was like that for all the boys. Thinking about their parents, their families, it was painful. Luke didn’t know if his situation, actually being able to visit his parents, was better than what Reggie and Alex had to live with. Their parents had left. They had nothing to go back to. But their family situations also were not that great. Which was another part. None of them would ever have a chance to make things right with their parents. If that would even have been possible when they were alive. It was a big ‘if’, but one that plagued the boys’ minds often.

Hearing him talk about it, you were reminded of your family. Your dad, tia Victoria, Carlos, Julie. Your mom. Even if she wasn’t with you anymore, you were glad you still had the others. You couldn’t begin to imagine what it was like for them. All you wanted to do right now was to give Luke a hug and to let him know that you were there for him.

“Luke.” You finally spoke up after a minute of silence that had occurred after his story. You weren’t quite sure what to say. No words would be right to express your thoughts and feelings in this moment. “We love you, Luke. Reggie, Alex, Julie and I. We all love you. I know we can never be your mom or your dad, but we’re family. You mean so much to us. I know, we haven’t known each other for a long time, but you guys have become such a huge part of our lives. It’s crazy! I just want you to know that you’re not alone. You have people who love you. And your parents love you, too. Even if they can’t see you, even if they don’t know you’re there. They love you.”

Tears started to cloud your vision, mimicking the ones that were already rolling down Luke’s face. His blurry figure moved to stand close to you. You felt a coldness at your nose. Realizing what he did you let out a small chuckle. It was a ritual shared between you and your loved ones, letting you know that your words had reached him, that he understood and felt the same.

Hearing your name spoken from the direction of the front door you were pulled out of the situation. A quiet plopping sound let you know that Luke had left. “Why are you crying in the kitchen?” Carlos asked. Your little brother cautiously moved towards where you were standing as if he was dealing with a scared animal. “Is it a feelings thing? Should I call Julie?”

“I’m fine, Carlos. Don’t worry. But… would you give me a hug?” You opened your arms to lure him in.

“Eww no. Get away from me!” He started running away when you stepped closer. You followed suit with your arms wide open. And that was how your dad found you when he came home from work that day, you chasing Carlos around the living room. Your tears had dried and were replaced with laughter. Especially when your dad took your side and scooped Carlos up in his arms as he tried to run past him.

“Group hug!” you exclaimed and joined the two in a hug with Carlos still complaining even though he didn’t do anything to get out of the situation.

“Can you tell the boys I won’t make it to practice today? Something came up.” Before you could answer her, Julie had already hung up on you. You were left wondering what was so important that she would miss band practice, but soon gave up on actually finding an answer to that.

You had almost been home when you got the call, so instead of going into the house you went straight for the garage to let the boys know Julie wouldn’t be coming. Faint music was coming from there. It seemed like they already started without her anyway.

“Guys! How many times do we have to tell you not to play when neither Julie or I are here? Our dad could hear you! And Carlos is already on that whole ghost hunting trip, so you shouldn’t feed into it anymore than you already did!” You side-eyed Reggie with that last comment, but he kept his eyes on his bass, plucking on the strings.

“Well, hello to you, too, Molina. We are doing great. Thanks for asking.” Luke had stepped up to you, guitar still hanging around his neck. “Nobody’s home and we were playing on volume 1. No one could have heard us,” he justified their behavior.

“Okay, fine.” You relented. It did make sense that they should be allowed to play under those circumstances. “Anyways, Julie won’t make it to practice today, so if you want to work on some stuff without her, I’ll stay out here with you.”

“Well, it won’t really be band practice, if not even the whole band is present,” Alex noted to which the others agreed.

“But you should still stay out here with us!” Reggie exclaimed and if he could, he would’ve pulled you from your spot by the doors to the couch, so you wouldn’t even have a chance to think about leaving. But he couldn’t, so he tried to will you to move with his thoughts. When you walked over to the couch you noticed the astonished look on Reggie’s face, but decided not to comment on it.

“Why do you barely spend time here with us? It feels like we always have to come into the house to spend time with you,” Alex questioned. His hands were fumbling with the hem of his sweatshirt as he made eye contact with you. He realized in that moment there was much more to that question than he had thought.

You hesitated with your answer, not knowing if you should put your innermost thoughts and feelings out there, but after the talk you had with Luke the other day you knew you could trust them. “I don’t know. I guess, it still feels weird being in mom’s studio. Some moments it doesn’t bother me, but other times it just overwhelms me and it reminds me so much of mom that I can’t stay in here. I’m sorry. I love spending time with you guys, but sometimes it’s just too much.” Your gaze moved around the studio, from the floating chairs over to the grand piano and back to the boys in front of you. “Some days are just harder than others.” You shrugged, hoping that the boys wouldn’t stay on that topic.

“But Ju-“ Luke started but was stopped when Alex elbowed him in the side. “Dude, what? Julie ha- ohh. Sorry!” he mumbled, averting his gaze. Comparing people’s grieving progress was not a thing one should do and he just realized after, what he had been doing and regretted it instantly.

“Anyways, you know what I realized?” Reggie decided to change the topic for which you all were grateful. “You have never heard a live performance of a Sunset Curve song! You’ve just heard us play the new songs with Julie.”

“That’s right!” Luke piped up, back in his element. “We can play you something!” He jumped up and grabbed his guitar without even waiting for your answer. The other boys followed suit. Alex got situated behind his drums while Reggie grabbed his bass. Moving up to the mic in the front Luke pointed a finger at you. “This one’s for you! This is Now or Never.”

You recognized the song as the first track on their demo. The song that got them here. It brought back memories of the night they first showed up in the studio. Your dad had asked Julie to go through the stuff in the studio for the move. She had begged you to come with her since she didn’t want to be alone to do it. When you found the demo, you didn’t think anything about it when you put it into the player, but then the boys appeared and turned your whole life upside down. And now you were here, with a ghost band playing you a song, for everyone to hear, but only you to see.

You were the only one who got to see Reggie and Luke sharing a mic, Reggie rocking with Alex in the back, them all just feeling the music. It was indeed what they were born to do. It was obvious for anyone who saw them on stage that that was where they belonged.

When the song came to a close you jumped up and applauded them. They bowed to you, big smiles on their faces at your reaction. “You guys sound great! I loved it! Thank you!”

The song still resonated within you when you sat back down with the boys. Their excited chatter filled your ears as you watched them interact with each other. The short amount it had taken you and Julie to get used to the presence of ghosts was crazy, but you couldn’t think them away anymore. They had become such a big part of your life as if they had always been there. You liked to believe in Flynn’s theory that it had been your mom who had brought them into your life, that she looked out for you and your family even from beyond the grave.

You were pulled out of your thoughts when Alex spoke to you. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“I was asking what you’re thinking about.” He repeated himself.

“Oh, um, you guys, my mom, Julie. Everything that’s happened… You guys are really important to me, you know. It’s… I don’t know. We haven’t known each other for that long, but I wouldn’t want to think you guys out of my life even if that might be selfish of me.”

“Well, good thing we’re not planning on leaving,” Luke commented, sending you a wink. You scoffed but let a smile take over your features. They were idiots, but they were your idiots.

“So, what’s been happening at school?”

You looked at Reggie with a raised eyebrow. “You want to know about school? Really?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I actually kinda miss it.” He looked between Luke and Alex to see if they felt similar but got no reaction from them. “Well, guess I’m the only one. But how is it?”

“Same as usual, I guess. Bunch of work to do, some good teachers, some bad, Carrie starting drama as usual. Did Julie tell you Nick broke up with Carrie?” The boys shook their head no, now intrigued. “Well, he told Julie he broke up with her because she’s “not the nicest person” which is true, obviously. We all know that. But I wonder why he just saw it now? Like, why did he get together with her in the first place? I never knew! Someday they were just together and I have zero clue how it happened,” you let them know, “Oh, and Julie and Nick partnered up in dance class!”

“They did?” Alex exclaims, living for the drama. “Isn’t he the guy Julie likes?”

“He is! She’s been crushing on him for, like, forever! And now that he’s not with Carrie anymore and they spend time together at dance practice…” You let the end of the sentence hang in the air. “So, yeah, that’s what’s been happening at school,” you concluded. With the boys showing up at school sometimes, you didn’t know how up-to-date they actually were with Los Feliz High drama. If you could even call it that.

“So, she’s with him now?” Luke huffed. He frowned as he leaned back against the couch. “Instead of practicing with her band.”

“She might be.” You shrugged. “I actually don’t know where she is or what she’s doing. She’s her own person, you know. She might be my sister, but that doesn’t mean I know every single piece of information about her. I can just assume. And I like to assume that she’s with Nick, practicing their dance. Because, one, they get a grade for it and she shouldn’t fail and two, because I am living for the whole Nick drama.”

“Same,” added Alex in a nonchalant voice which had you do a doubletake.

“Wait! Did you learn that from Willie? You didn’t use ‘same’ that way before, right? That’s not a 90s thing.” You stared at him with big eyes. The confirmation came as a small nod as he turned his head to avoid anyone’s gaze. “That’s cute. I like it. Sometimes I feel like you guys don’t understand me right when I say stuff like that, so that’s awesome that he teaches you stuff like that.”

“Hey! I want to learn that stuff, too!”

“Well, Reggie, Alex can just teach you what he learns from Willie.”

“But what if I want you to teach me?” He asked moving over to your seat. He sat down on the arm rest of your chair looking down at you with big puppy eyes.

“I’d be such a bad teacher. Just tell me if you don’t understand something and I’ll try. I can’t promise you I know all of the references or memes though. You do know what a meme is by now, right?” The boys nodded. “Ok, good. That’s a start. Now, Reggie, may I please have the chair back to myself? It’s not that big to begin with.”

The boy stood up quickly with raised hands, before he motioned for you and the chair. “It wouldn’t really make a difference. I’m basically air.” He flailed his arms around. Luke and Alex just made some agreeing noises. Reggie stopped his wild moments as he saw you watching with a smile and a raised eyebrow. “See.” He knelt down in front of you and lifted a finger to your nose. He gently pressed down, the cold feeling of his finger not going through you this time.

As his finger made contact with your nose it became dead silent in the studio. Luke and Alex were staring at the scenario in front of them, while you and Reggie looked at each other with wide eyes, before you jumped up causing Reggie to quickly move back. “You can touch me!” you exclaimed. “How? Why? What? How is this possible?”

Your mind was racing with just one thought being clear in all the chaos. Reggie had just touched you. You were scared, in a way, as you held out your hand towards him again. Would you be able to do it again? Was it just a one-time thing? But when you felt the ghostly touch of his hand as he interlaced his fingers with yours you knew it was real. It felt different than touching a human. There was no warmth, but you could still feel him. You could feel his hand in yours.

Your other hand was shaking as you covered your mouth in shock, tears threatening to spill from your eyes. “Alex?” You beckoned the blond forth who was just waiting for you to signal him that it would be alright to try. Timidly, he tried to touch your shoulder and when his hand didn’t go through either he wasted no time wrapping his arms around you in a bone-crushing hug. Sobs and laughter escaped your mouth. You hugged him back with one arm while Reggie was still staring at your intertwined hands in awe.

Luke didn’t dare move from his spot by the couch. This might all be a dream, even thought ghosts didn’t sleep and didn’t dream. But this felt so much like a dream come true that he didn’t dare disrupt it. Even when you made eye contact with him, silently asking him to join you, he couldn’t move a muscle.

You let go of Alex and Reggie slowly, their hands falling to their sides. Luke watched you walk around Alex until you stood in front of him raising your hand to the space between the two of you. His gaze wandered between you and your hand before he lifted his as well, but, as your hands were inches apart, he stopped, doubt clouding his mind once again. This couldn’t really be happening. So, you took the decision from him, placing your palm against his and as you had suspected, felt the resistance of his hand.

His face lit up instantly. His arms moved around your waist, picking you up and spinning you around as he let out victorious sounds. As soon as you were put back onto the ground, Alex and Reggie joined into the hug, almost crushing you, but you didn’t stop them. This was what they needed. And you did, too.

You didn’t know how it happened, what had changed, for you to be able to touch the three ghosts, but you were grateful for it. From then on, not a day would go by without a hug from a ghost. They liked touching you. An arm around your shoulder, around your waist, a hand reaching for yours, one of them lying with their head in your lap while you carded your fingers through their hair.

If you had before sometimes forgotten that they were ghosts – the realization coming back when you couldn’t touch them – it got even worse now.

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