#i rate it as FUN and COOL the only ratings that matter <3

[judyalvqrez]

there was something really jim henson-esque and campy about how some of the non-human races were portrayed in the new dnd movie that i really enjoyed. they could’ve easily gone the shitty cgi route or just not shown those races up close at all, but no, they said you want a bird man? we’re gonna get you a bird man

[ennabear]

girlfriend!abby 💫

⋆✦⋆ she always buys you flowers because she thinks it’s a perfect way to show you how much she loves you!!! and she likes going to antique stores to find vases with cool patterns and buying them for you.

⋆✦⋆ every last one of her pennies will be spent on you. no matter how much you protest, she looooves to spoil you and nothing makes her happier than the look on your face when she gets you a surprise gift.

⋆✦⋆ i know i already wrote about this but she loves cuddling you before going to the gym early in the morning. sometimes she’ll get a little bit carried away and smother sleepy kisses all over your face and accidentally wake you up :((( she apologizes so many times but that’s one of your favorite ways to wake up!!!

⋆✦⋆ she likes to wear your clothes because it reminds her of you. especially if you’re a masc too, you’ll never get your clothes back, sorry!! they’re hers now.

⋆✦⋆ some of the pet names she calls you are honey, sweet girl, and babe. but she also frequently calls you dude and bro just to piss you off.

⋆✦⋆ there’s always a book on her nightstand!!! she likes to read before bed or when she wants some time away from her phone. if you ask her for book recs she could write you a whole list of the best books she’s read and an in depth rating without spoilers.

⋆✦⋆ most of the furniture in her house/apartment was built or put together by her, including the bookshelf. she could sit on the floor for hours putting together an ikea coffee table while occasionally stopping to watch whatever music video was playing on the tv.

⋆✦⋆ her gym routine is very specific!!! she has designated days for legs, arms, full body, and two rest days a week. and she makes sure she eats 3 meals a day and a snack, drinks enough water, and gets enough rest.

⋆✦⋆ taking care of herself is super important, but she also loves taking care of you. knowing that she can keep you safe and happy makes her feel so proud!!! and whenever she has a rest day, she’ll spend the whole day cuddling you, cooking for you, doing skincare together, etc. she’s such a sweet gf :((

⋆✦⋆ she loves roadtrips!!!! just driving a few hours out of town to go exploring, she’ll bring her camera and take sooo many pictures of you to get developed later. and she’ll go with you to every shop you want to and she’ll buy you anything you look at!!

⋆✦⋆ lowkey she’s kind of a clean freak. growing up with jerry she was taught how to wash her hands like real doctors do, how to thoroughly clean and disinfect a space, how organization can impact your mood, all that jazz. she gets a lot of her traits from her dad actually, it’s so adorable.

⋆✦⋆ i’m convinced she’s the type of girl to take an edible and then clean the whole house because she suddenly felt super productive. you’ll come home to her cleaning, shirtless because she got too warm, with her music playing. and then she’ll fall asleep right on top of you. <33

⋆✦⋆ taking you to meet jerry would be super fun!! he’s such a sweet guy, and the love he has for his daughter is so adorable. he’s definitely the type of dad to go through an entire photo album of baby/kid/teen abby the first time you meet him.

⋆✦⋆ once she asks you to move in (after only like 6 months of dating) she loves to decorate the space with stuff that represents the two of you. she probably has a pride flag hanging in a window, and she has a hook for her carabiner right next to the door.

⋆✦⋆ she’s super close with her friends!! she’d love to take you on a double date with the two of you, manny, and whoever he was currently seeing. and you can count on her to always show up to leah and jordan’s shitty parties, even though they always end up super boring.

⋆✦⋆ she loves lazy sunday mornings when she gets to cling onto you the whole day and never let you go. she’ll hold you in bed, in the shower, on the couch, in the kitchen, on the porch, in the middle of the grocery store, anywhere!!! she just can’t get enough of you!! ;)

[s0lar-ch3ri]

what if i wanted to make another insane promo post?

yeah, ik, its promo time again. BUT this time around i do wanna add in the post both my cousin and niece

one thing i did get wrong, heartz is my niece, starz is my cousin! this will basically be going over what each of these 2 do (...and im also adding in a bonus competitor/promoed person, well actually 2 because I GOT A CHANNEL YIPPEE)

each channel will be seperated up so yeah lets go!

first channel:

Starzzz.andgalaxy (my actual cousin, lol) is a great yter who absolutely deserves to be celebrating more then just 170 subs! since shes actually here with me, i can let her say a lil something on the matter:

"hello! I would love to reach 200 subscribers at least, I think my hard work should not be for nothing!" <- her typing

shes very very fun (and also with this i hope all the god damn hate comments shut lol) and does very cool things such as:

Roblox videos

(comment is from me lol, we'll get there soon) For right now these are just rating videos of her avatar, but I find them very fun (plus since I play roblox if needed I can help with filming lol)! Not much to say on it cause it's not a common kind of post, so onto the next form, which is:

2. Art

As you can see, she does very cool art, this one in particular is a tutorial on how to draw bodies. Is it the best? No, but the fact she's trying makes it great! (this is also where I've seen a couple hate comments come up, so yeah, I'm trying to be mature enough to not commit violence for her upon them) She does admit this video isn't her best work, but she does A LOT of very very cool drawings! Go check them out and her channel of course! There is one thing she also posts about which I love most of all...

3. Paper Dragons!!

(the first image is her first dragon, second is her most recent i think) I don't get how these things are "paper furries", but I do know THEY ARE SICK AS FUCK. I got to see one in person and they're very cool, all with different stories! I honestly wanna ask for one but right now, I'm gonna stick with watching them.

Channel link can be found here:

(this section was finished on january first of 2024, so at the point of this being posted she wont be over here, but i had her here so yeah :D i love my cousin)

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Second channel:

Heartzzz.❤️ is my niece, and she does similar content, but still does good content! A couple of videos of Starz and Heartz are them promoting each other, so yeah. While she is on vacation and can't be here to give her reasons to subscribe to you, I certainly can!

Memes

One thing I forgot to mention my cousin doing (well, actually my cousin's section is just kinda old because it's from when she last came over, but she's back to help me again, yay!) is making memes like this. Sometimes they do involve a paper dragon, but I think they're pretty funny and/or relatable (also dragons very cool)!

2. Edits (and Undertale related things)

I'm putting these 2 in the same category just because of the example image above. While my cousin has recently started doing edits, Heartz is the only 1 of the 2 to make anything Undertale related. While the Undertale stuff comes once every blue moon it seems, that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

I actually found in her description a run down on what she does post, so here:

Link to her channel can be found right here:

(okay ik this section was really short, again, she posts similar things to my cousin, and i didnt wanna repeat, so yeah, if you want more reason, here's what the cousin herself says: "[Heartz] is really nice, she's a good artist, and she's creative"; time i finished this section was 1/15/2024 lol)

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third channel:

Boli and gang (or as their original user is + the profile picture says, Boli the bear) is the channel belonging to 2 kids I babysit! They're pretty new to making content, but they have a promising start already! Currently, their content consists of...

Animations

One of them has really been getting into animation, posting things like ball loops and such on their account. They're very interesting to watch personally!

2. Cool places

I'm not sure if this is going to be a common theme, but there is around 3-4 videos of places like this one. I have to admit, this has to be the prettiest of them all.

3. Art (+FNAF/Five Nights at Freddy's Content)

This is another one grouped together, but because this is the first drawing related one I've seen. They're very big FNAF fans, of course leading to things like this. Is it the best? No, but they tried very hard of course, and maybe you could leave some tips for them to improve with!

(they also post memes and funny videos, but I'd rather not do repetition; FINISHED THIS ALSO ON THE 15TH LETS GOOOOOOO)

Link to their channel can be found here:

Oh, one final reason, their profile picture is super cool! Can you guess who made it? This actually provides me with the perfect transition into...

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fourth/final channel:

ITS ME!!! FINALLY I CAN STOP DOING PROPER ASS TYPING

yeah, i have a youtube now, and there's like nothing on it minus a couple videos. all of them are made back in like 2021-2022? cant really remember, but i posted them for younger me's sake. i have like a couple more to get through, but afterwards im probs gonna do a bigger variety of content! art videos, jrwi edits, animations, rambles, essays, you name it! (might even stream again on twitch if that seems what the people like lol)

you may want actual reasons to subscribe, but i currently dont have any. i can only make promises of better future content, but right now i can admit theyre shit. i dont post often, its only oc related rn, all very vague, nothing that interests most people on my blog (cause i know a lot of you are here for jrwi content, huh?). this channel, the choice to subscribe is fully up to you, im not gonna sell myself to it, im simply just saying its real.

Link to the channel is found here:

if you at all took the time to read through my part, i appreciate it, but please do actually check out the other 3. after all, you can always find me here, but you cant find the others anywhere else!

(FINISHED THE REST OF THE POST ON 1/15/24 LETS GOOOOOOOOO)

[justanothersquidblog]

Your Neo Three and big buddy are pretty cool, what's their story? I haven't seen much info on them besides their character sheet...

Fantastic question!!! And one I would love to answer!

Neo and Big Buddy met in a fateful dark alley within the bustling city of Splatsville. Big Buddy (then Little Buddy) had snuck into the city after being left behind by his school, and took pity on Neo.

Neo was seven when they ran away to splatsville. She was in the search for a lost sibling but went on the wrong train. Now lost and without his family, they found desperate family in the salmonid.

Despite his original intentions to 'return the stray to its home' He ended up raising her. Evolving faster and faster at a rate unseen by usual salmonids to keep up with Neo and slowly becoming an older brother.

Neo grew to forget their past and original purpose coming to the splatlands and now believes she belonged in the splatlands all along- and grew to also heavily depend on Big Buddy. He couldn't even imagine what a future without their only family would be.

This carries on into Neo's teenagehood aka when Splatoon 3 takes place. Big Buddy is now a full cohock and trying to push a very very stubborn Neo into inkling society.

But Neo, being highly dependent and fearful of what life would be without Big Buddy- refuses to comply to the point of ironically running away.

Neo ended up slipping down into the hero mode cause of this and was found later by Big Buddy in Alterna. Neo found the adventure fun and tolerable but Big Buddy's hopes was that their interactions with the NSS would blossom into Neo seeing them as a new family because... well...

Big Buddy is slowly... dying. It happens to salmon eventually. He's afraid his life will end with a meaningless death and Neo refuses to acknowledge the truth. Denial potent. But Big Buddy's mission is to not leave Neo behind and Alone, so his determination to get Neo in the care of the NSS is a whole thing.

It's when he figures out that Neo is San (Captain 3)'s long lost half-sibling that his request becomes more personal.

However, Neo finds out, and is emotional. She doesn't want Big Buddy to leave and doesn't want to lose their only family. But it'll happen no matter what.

Neo is emotionally wrecked but Big Buddy grows weaker every day in Alterna and so, they all push forward against Grizz's plans...

...the rocket flies outwards, and Big Buddy won't let Neo go up there alone. And surrounded by space and departing from the earth where he planned to give his nutrients back to- Big Buddy says fuck it. To protect Neo. The stress and the dying and the love and the desire to protect Neo and the world they love-

Big Buddy evolves into Huge Fry.

And when the battle is over, he disappears for forever, passing on into the light. Sending Neo home safely, and becoming one with the stars.

Neo grows to become more independent of themself- finding family being a whole thing- and like- always continuing to grow more and more for yourself- that sorta thing.

Never forgetting Big Buddy and what he did for them and how much he worked to make sure Neo had a good future- Neo makes sure not to waste it.

Im emotional thinking about them thank you so much for asking about these two.

[mr2swap]

You're going to pay

-Are you serious? right now? ok boy but that will be another month in your body you fucking pervert!- I couldn't help but smirk when I looked at him he looked like shit, his t-shirt was so soaked with sweat I could see those 2 saggy full tits of fat through his shirt, I still don't understand how he can come to the gym with me every day and not have lost weight.

Anyway, that's not my problem, As long as he's a fagot he keeps paying for all this I don't give a shit, At this rate I'm going to have his life completely in one or two years. Anyway, I don't think he'll mind seeing apartments as long as he lives in the building. Maybe at some point I'll let him move in with me to help me out as a maid.

I own an apartment building that my father left me, it's pretty cool because I don't have to work and I could stay home and play video games or watch TV, well… technically I'm not the owner now But I'm the only one who knows the keys to the bank, maybe next year i'll buy a sporty lamborghini or something, these biceps would look great in one of those.

Jake was a very rude tenant, every weekend he would party with his friends until 3 am, he would leave the garbage outside his apartment hoping that one of the other neighbors would take care of it as if they were his servants or his parents, when Jake he was a month or 2 behind on the rent but when he started completely ignoring me for not paying, I decided to give him one last warning "you're going to pay me one way or another"

And of course he ended up paying, I could have taken anything from his apartment but I decided to take the only thing that really mattered to him, I wouldn't give him a chance to escape from that debt. He should have read the entire lease when he moved out.

Wasting no more of my time I flexed my hot biceps in front of him to show off my hot sweaty pits that he had been waiting so long to worship and lick in front of all the gym patrons, he didn't seem to care that all the gym patrons were watching while like a bitch played with the hairs of my armpit with his tongue.

The feel of her wet tongue moving under my huge arms slightly tickled him even more than the first time I let him do it in the gym bathroom.

He and I had an agreement that I would give him back his body while he trained mine to pay off his debts, at first it was a couple of hours a day I would walk her to the gym so I could have a little fun showing off his muscles while he soaked my shirt in the treadmill, then he was late paying rent again so I took his body back so I could have fun in some hotel fucking some of the girls on his cell phone while he cleaned my apartment, and now I don't think I'm back my body in two weeks or so.

I pushed him away from me and he fell to the ground, he looked so fucked up and disgusting that I could hardly believe I was the one who looked like this some time ago, I tossed my iPhone at his flabby belly, a smile on my face. handsome and perfect face flex my huge arms again to show my armpits that are already completely clean.

Hey folks! if you like bodyswap stories take a look at my patreon, I have a lot of more stories, and you can help me keep creating more stories!

[toxictoxicities]

i wish i could draw anything humanoid so i could draw your iterator designs

A /// I recently gave a handful of drawing tips in my stream! Though it's mostly animation I talked about a few things!

So for some general tips

Don't worry about what everyone is doing

Compare yourself to others (positively). What I mean is don't say "I can't do what they do" but "How do they do this" and try to learn from them, learn what you like from them, the more artist you reference from and compare to the more you'll be able to draw in and create a unique style!

Remember everyone improves at their own rate, we start at different time, have less or more time to practice, different resources- the main thing is that you improve yourself over time- linear improvement or not! You never stop improving, there is no end goal, so enjoy the journey!

Brushes do and don't matter. Try to collect as many, explore them, I've grabbed brushes from some really cool artist and tossed them because I don't understand how they work. The main thing is understanding what brush gives what effect and what brushes fell good to use. Your taste in brushes will always change (mine do always when I find something!) These are my brushes as of now!

Don't worry about what everyone is doing

Program means nothing- the only reason why I have CSP is for animation and nothing more (bc adobe animate sucks and I came from Fire Alpaca so I was lazy to learn Krita) Legit only get CSP if you want to animate

Finally, don't waste time with anatomy. You learn it as you go and with reference you get better, like yes study it if you want to for fun but you don't need to study it to be able to produce art work, just your ability to observe and be critical of you work is a skill required to improve! Also 100% don't if your character has baggy ass clothes, you'll spend 30 minutes drawing out those boxes and making sure it's perfect only to erase a god 80% of it, just get the rough shape out! If they're nude then different story or skin tight clothes but majority of clothes are slightly loose. Practice it yes but, you will improve in all skill sets together as you continue your journey.

Don't worry about what everyone is doing I hope any of these somewhat help, good luck on your artist journey man~! <3

[5eraphim]

Your monster mash au is so cool!! i love when writers go up and beyond n arent afraid to get creative with the canon. Do you have any hcs for how they met their S/O?

i currently have a 3 characters per request limit goin on rn, and i used RNG to pick the characters for this request which wound up being Werewolf Scout (BLU), Satyr Demo (RED) and Bogeyman Spy (BLU) hope thats ok with you! (but i have requests open currently, so if u were hoping to see someone else, here's a link to the monster mash AU. these were pretty fun to write and i'd love to do more!) thank you so much for the request, I hope you enjoy!

Characters: Scout 🐇, Demo 🐏 and Spy 🐍 (Team Fortress 2)

Content Warnings: Yandere, toxic relationship dynamics, possessive behavior, implied sexual relations, somnophilia, reader is gender neutral

Rating: M (MINORS DON'T INTERACT, GO PLAY OUTSIDE)

Word Count: 2.3k

MASTERLIST

TIP JAR

Werewolf Scout (BLU)

Wild, savage, fearsome, and brutal, Scout is the living embodiment of what a proper wolf ought to be. Once the runt of the litter transformed through sheer determination and force of will, Scout would do anything to maintain his position as the leader of the pack.

All his life, Scout's possessed the primal need to be accepted as well as applauded by others by other wolves as well as by other mortals and monsters desperate to convince himself it will somehow be enough to purchase the childhood trauma of being known to all as the weakest of the family.

Consider Scout falling for a friend from childhood who hasn't seen him since his days as a weakling, only to move away and disappear for years and years and return to see a radically different Scout, practically the opposite of what he once was.

Scout always had a soft spot for you but never had the nerve to confess his feelings to you before on account of his certainty you would reject him, as well as generally being much less assured of himself when he was a child. But to meet up with you again now that he's stronger and more dominant than before, it's like getting a second chance too good to be true. If he were to let you go again, he knows he'd never forgive himself.

Initially, Scout's ready to start making moves on you without hesitation. There's no way you'd forget about him or all the time spent together, and he believes with all his heart that just seeing the man he's become would be enough to convince you to start an entirely new life together. And when you inevitably refuse such an outlandish proposition, Scout's left heartbroken, confused, and unable to control his jealousy and wrath.

But he knows if he really wants to impress you to prove he's worthy of becoming your mate, Scout knows who needs to do something drastic to get your attention. Nothing less than taking the life of another in a bloody brawl, where only one will live to see the end of the fight. But not just anyone. It must be someone close to you, so when you see as a protector. Surely, if he were to kill someone close to you, you'd have no choice but to accept him as your lover, your guardian, you're everything.

Scout's never been one for subtlety; he doesn't care if taking you as his lover by force leaves you terrified and resentful. As a leader of the pack, it's his responsibility to handle tough choices like this and watch out for the well-being of the rest. Whether or not you wanted to join in the first place hardly matters to Scout. He did what he had to, and you're his living reward

Satyr Demo (Red)

Like almost all the monsters in the monster mash AU, satyr Demo never really imagined himself with the idea of a single "true love" kind of partner, though not for the same reason as the others. While many of the other monsters view themselves at odds with humanity and, by extension, incompatible with the notion of human monogamous romances. Demo, on the other hand, is more hung up on the monogamous part of these relationships rather than the human part.

Satyr Demo is seldom alone, spending his days leisurely indulging his desires for sex, wines, feasting, partying, and whatever other whims cross his mind. In a realm populated by other satyrs, nymphs, centers, naiads, primordial gods, titans, and other similar creatures in a utopia beyond human perception.

Despite his physically off-putting appearance, drawing in mortals has never been an issue for creatures like Demo. Humans are such easy prey, with fragile minds so easily swayed by temptation and eyes so easy to deceive. All it takes for Demo to get in bed with another mortal is to share a bit of wine of the gods and to only appear late at night, using the cover of darkness to his advantage to hide his inhuman appearance. And the look on the mortal's face after realizing they've given into the ethereal temptation or hypnosis and made love to a half-goat creature is priceless to Demo.

In Demo's leisurely existence, life is nothing but an endless buffet of lovers; to limit himself to one monogamous relationship forever would be self-cruelty. The idea of a mortal retaliating against him for his treatment of them never even crossed his mind, but the day that happens if his entire world shifts.

Consider yourself a mortal living in the world near Demo's realm, where mortals are endlessly tormented and played with by gods and supernatural creatures like pawns. While you can do nothing but keep your head down and try not to invoke their ethereal wrath.

Imagine yourself in a situation where a close family member of yours has just been lured by Demo. Her chastity broken, and left in a compromising position in the woods. What little garments she has left desecrated with his seed, the goat hair left around the scene of the crime, making it obvious to all around town who was the culprit. With her reputation ruined and her family disgraced, she goes catatonic. Unable to leave her own bed, practically dead to the world, unable to cope with the suffering and shame of living as one of Demo's conquests.

Her despondence fuels within you an anger you kept bottled up all your life. You could no longer live in a world where mortals were used and discarded at the discretion of the supernatural creatures. You were willing to do whatever it took to fight back, to get even a fraction of justice for all the harm they'd caused.

Against the wishes of your loved ones, you sought the help of an ostracized spinster at the edge of the town, said to know the ways of witchcraft, and willing to make bargains with mortals for supernatural favors so long as they were willing to pay the price for it.

You came to her asking if there was some way to bind the sexual appetite of the monster who hurt your loved one beyond repair, offering her the still-desecrated clothing of your loved one, knowing some trace of the beast was likely necessary to enact the hex. You wanted to end his predation of the mortals of your town no matter the cost, even if that meant invoking dark magic to do so. Offering as payment everything of value owned put the clothes on your back. While you didn't have much, the old witch smiled, assuring you this was all payment enough and that the prospect of attempting such a powerful curse was enough of an incentive, though she accepted your belongings all the same, asking again if you were really willing to do anything to put an end to Demo's reign of terror. And without a second thought, you replied yes.

The witch held up her end of the bargain, binding Demo's lust and desire, but what she didn't tell you was the actual cost of finding one's heart to perform her ritual, specifically requiring a willing volunteer to bind Demo's lust to. She needed a token of a physical object of significance from the bound one and from another, which you offered as unknowingly as payment to bind in the victim's desires to.

The night you meddled in the affairs of the supernatural, you unknowingly offered up your own soul to the witch, which she bonded with Demo's successfully. And from that night on, cursing you to bear the burden of all Demo's desire.

Demo awoke the following day with a hole in his heart and a mind-numbing need to find another lover in the mortal realm, but not in a way he'd ever felt before. Demo felt like someone was waiting for him, someone he needed to find desperately but had no idea who it could be. In a town as small as yours, it was only a matter of time until you were discovered. And the moment he set his eyes on you, he knew it had to be you.

In the following days, you had to come to your own realization of what it meant to bind someone's heart. To understand it wasn't a hex to do no harm but to force one person alone to endure the entire weight of his desire.

Living as Demo's' sole lover was a paradise, but not from your perspective. Bestowed with eternal youth, food of the gods, orgiastic dances with supernatural creatures, the suffering of humanity far away, and the undying devotion of a god. You had no choice but to comply.

You were given all you could ask for so long as you never long to stray from Demo's side, or god forbid, ever asked to go home.

Bogeyman Spy (BLU)

No one knows the meaning of need like Spy. He's watched the rise and fall of empires, the brutality of war, and the skirmishes between mortal and the supernatural. The only thing he's never found was another creature like himself.

As long as Spy's walked the Earth, and for as long as he's interacted with humans, he's known nothing but hunger for human fear and pain, seeing them as merely a food source.

This life of isolation and callousness is all he's ever known. Perhaps existence is a lonely one, but Spy fails to see the value in a human emotional connection. He never had a heart to hold.

But just because he doesn't believe he has a heart doesn't mean one never existed at all. Despite his years upon years of emotional repression, he too yearns to be understood and cared for like the mortals he claims such dominion over. Still, he refuses to admit it to himself.

He may be immortal, but despite what he would like to believe, Spy is no god. And he was just as susceptible to the strings of fate as any other, and it was only a matter of time before the gods fated his heartstrings to be pulled by another ordinary mortal, the last kind of person Spy would've ever expected to foster sympathy for.

He couldn't even comprehend what was happening the night that finally happened.

It was just another night like any other Spy approaching you while you slept soundly, the optimal time to put you into a deep nightmare. But something about the sight of you, a vision of tranquility made beautiful by the moonlight and mysterious by dark shadows, he couldn't help but hesitate to disturb you.

Nevertheless, Spy was prepared to do what he must to get his nightly fix, but before he could enter your dreams, Spy realized your psyche was already charged with sexual energy, the sign of a dream already in progress. Nothing he hadn't seen before, but in the moment, he was paralyzed and entirely captivated.

More cautiously than ever before, he dared take a taste of the energy flowing through you, and after just one sampling, he was hooked.

Hours stretch on, but Spy can't bring himself to leave your bedside, watching your energy waxing and waning as you fall in and out of a state of deep slumber. Before he realizes it, daylight comes, forcing him to concede he's out of time.

Deep within, Spy feels a different kind of hunger awakening, but something more complex, more akin to a yearning. A hunger that cannot be satisfied with a full stomach.

For the following few days, he couldn't bring himself to feed as he normally would. His hunger was there, as it always was, and he could feel the pain of an empty stomach but couldn't work up an appetite for anything but you.

By day three, he could stay away from you no longer and caved to the desire to feed, finding himself back at your bedside, his hunger for you as strong as ever. 

He will try to convince himself he's better off without you, lying to himself that it's only a matter of time before his obsession fades and what he feels now won't last. After all, you were only a mortal, though it's impossible to ignore the instant panic he feels thinking of you passing away. Not only because this would mean the end of you as a food source but as that pesky yearning perks up, and he can't help but fear you dying before he could properly commune with you.

Being an immortal shapeshifter with immense psychic power meant Spy had more than a few friends in high places, powerful and indebted friends.

It isn't long until he strikes a bargain with a powerful witch, granting you immortality as well as keeping you in a perpetual deep slumber, forcing you to become Spy's own personal little sleeping beauty. Eternally preserved just for him, keeping you alive by nourishing your spirit with safety and fear.

While in this state, it isn't long until the confusion sets in. You feel alone, have no idea where you are, and can't shake the feeling of being watched. You feel like you're trapped in a cage, a comfortable one, but a cage you can't escape from. Stuck in a dream you can awaken from.

Spy knows he could awaken you at any moment and might even understand some level he will have to eventually, but he still intends to keep it like this as long as he can. He's too addicted to the high of his hunger, finally satiated, and too sullen to bring himself to truly meet you in the real world. For the time being, he's content flirting with you in the dream world, stalking from shadows, always watching it, keeping just a step out of reach.

[redfoxwritesstuff]

Sunflower, Book 1, Chapter 19

Tom Hiddleston x OFC Series rated: E Chapter warnings: Flashback- I'm still blueballing you on the smut, it's just getting worse this week. The flashback is sexy but hardly crossing to rated M AN: Special gift for a reader having a bad day- Bonus chapter. This will be the last of the bonus chapters though since running two series at the same time is a bit demanding (and a self made hell). We get to learn a bit about Sally's dad! Also, Mia's baking is wholly based on my attempt to make the same for my sister on a time crunch. My centers didn't set though! I love step dad Tom. Masterlist Kofi

~~~~~<3

Mia felt silly banishing Tom to bedtime duty as she quickly whipped egg yolks and sugar. She was rushing and knew that was a recipe for disaster but she didn’t want to give herself a second to chicken out. 

She hadn’t know what to expect having Tom back and so she hadn’t planned a fancy dinner or a night out. He was scheduled to be in late so it didn’t seem like it would have mattered anyway, she would have had to have been quick to get Sally back home and to sleep.

Tom showing up significantly earlier was a huge weight off her shoulders logistically. She wasn’t very good at being a wife yet, she didn’t even know how to be a girlfriend very well but she wanted to show him her gratitude.

Ray, Sally’s father, had been her last real relationship and the only things he cared about were booze, gambling or sex. If she wanted to thank him, it had to be with one of those three things if not all three.

Tom was like no man she had ever known though and she didn’t know how to show him her gratitude. The best she could come up with was to make the fanciest thing she could think of.

Would it stack up to the vase of flowers on the counter in front of her? She sure as hell hoped so. Doubt ate at her as she mixed the whipped sugar and egg yolks into the hot cream. 

This was a terrible idea. 

It was by far, the worst idea she had had since agreeing to stay married. 

She saw that body- there was no way in hell he ate things like this. He probably would rather a bowl of fruit or something. On the other hand, she had seen the foods he had ordered when they had gone out to eat. 

Again and again she went back and forth on the quality of the idea as Tom crossed the hall from the bathroom with Sally on his back. Giggles filled the apartment and god did it sound good. 

As Mia was filling the two small dishes with the mixture, Tom was leaning against the wall by Sally’s bedroom door. “Having fun?” Mia called to him. 

“Oddly enough, yes.” His chuckle made her smile. She couldn’t help it, it was just such a unique sound. 

~~~~~<3

Mia listened to Tom’s voice reading story after story while she willed the mixt o bake faster. She had managed to get the custards out of the oven before he had finished reading the tenth story. Maybe it was the twelfth?

Who knows anymore? That little girl had Tom wrapped around her finger. Hopefully it would last. This game they were playing, this gamble on forever with a stranger could have shattering results on that little girl. 

Fuck, they were being so selfish trying. 

Cooling the dishes was the most high stakes gambling she had done in at least a year. Okay, maybe staying married was up there too. If she cooled the water bath too quickly, they would shatter. But she needed them cooled to finish setting. 

She didn’t have an extra so she was fucked if one shattered. It felt like she had melted her fingertips off handling the little containers but she got them cooled. The centers had a little more jiggle that she would have liked but she could only hope they would finish setting in the freezer while they finished cooling. 

Mia plopped them in the freezer as Tom starting Fox in Socks. She would have to tell him to limit Sally’s stories eventually so that kid would get to sleep at a decent time but for now she couldn’t bring herself to. Sally hadn’t had a father figure in her life in years and she couldn’t stop her from indulging in it at the moment. 

Plus, she needed all the extra time she could to finish this stupid ass dessert.

~~~~~<3

Mia didn’t have many fancy kitchen trinkets or tools but the one thing she was rather proud of was her kitchen torch. It wasn’t the big fancy ones that burned propane like on the cooking shows but it was good enough. 

Mia toasted the spoonful of sugar she put on each custard as she listened to Tom say goodnight for the fourth time. Maybe it was the sixth time? 

He was so good with Sally. Someday, some woman was going to make him into a really good father. 

It occurred to her that she could be that woman. If things worked out between them during this year, she could be the woman that made him a father. In a way though, hadn’t she already made him a father over night? The thought was so shocking to her that she nearly burned her finger when she forgot to turn the custard. 

Finally, after over an hour bedtime routine that Mia would have accomplished in fifteen minutes, Tom closed Sally’s bedroom door behind him. 

“You escaped the clutches of the small child, congratulations!” Mia cheered.

“It was a long, well fought battle but with dedication, I did come out victorious.” Tom made his way toward her, “What are you making now?” 

“It’s nothing.” Mia said, setting the torch down and looking intently down at the quickly hardening sugar topped custard. “Is she asleep?”

“Out like a light. She’s a lovely little girl.” 

Mia laughed, “Give it a few weeks and you’ll probably be running for the hills.” 

Tom protested and Mia conceded that Sally was indeed a good kid. She was the kind of kid that made people think they could have kids as she sent him to go sit down anywhere but where she was working. 

While she watched melted sugar solidify, she also watched Tom as he lounged on the couch. His long legs stretched from one end to the other and he had a book in his hand. She couldn’t see what he was reading but she knew it was something she probably wouldn’t read. 

She could see the top of the book, his long feet poking over the arm of the couch and the top of his head and little else. It was a view she liked though she couldn’t explain why. He looked like he belonged there, lounging on the admittedly too small couch. 

She should have just sucked it up and got a better couch form somewhere that didn’t require her own assembly.

It was almost nine at night. This time a week ago she was just starting to get really drunk. Over the last two weeks, she had tried hard to remember what had happened but all she could come up with was the bar in the resort she worked out and sitting next to a handsome man who purchased her a drink. And then another. 

It seemed pretty safe to assume that man was Tom, though. It had been a wild two weeks. She had fought, argued, gave in and everything in between. This had been two weeks that had changed her life in so many ways already and it was thanks to that man reading on her couch (their couch) alone. 

Tapping a spoon against the disk of sugar atop the custards, she found them solid.  Crème brûlée was the only really impressive thing Mia thought she could make. It was also something she had an almost total ban on ordering at a restaurant on principle alone. It was offensively easy to make but disturbingly bad for you.

The ceramic ramekins clanked onto the small dining table. Mia stared down at them for a moment and gathered every ounce of courage she could. Tom had again and again shown a good faith effort to build a relationship with her and she had not made it easy.

This last week she had fought him on almost every effort than got upset when he got busy and distant. She needed to make an effort too. He deserved her making an effort. 

If she wanted this to have any chance of becoming something real, something more, then she needed to invest in it too. 

“Okay.” Mia took one last deep breath. “You can look.”

Tom sat up quickly, tossing the book he had been reading on the couch and swinging his legs to the ground. He was up and eagerly making his way to the table as if he had really just been itching for the word. 

“What have you been up to?” Tom was clearly excited. 

Mia picked up one of the ramekins and held it out to Tom. “Happy two week anniversary.” After a pause, she started to panic. “I don’t know if you like these. Or if you can eat them. Or, whatever. I don’t know. It’s fine if you don’t-”

“You made creme brûlée for us?” Tom was shocked. “Out of what?” 

“It’s not healthy, that’s all you need to know.” 

Tom laughed that laugh that was oh so unique to him. “But you just had the stuff to make creme brûlée? Just sitting around casually?” 

“Do you like-”

“Of course.” Tom took a seat at the table and tapped the spoon against the glass like disk of solid sugar. 

“I wasn’t sure if you could have something like that.” Stop talking. She hated how words left her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. Awkward word vomit fueled by every insecurity she had ever had. 

“What do you mean?” Tom cracked the sugar top with a solid whack of his spoon.

“I just-”

Tom scooped a spoonful of custard up, being sure to grab some of the shattered sugar before glancing up at her. He watched her intently as he ate the first bite. Vanilla exploded in his mouth, carried on a current of rich custard. Delicate sugar shards gave the custard texture and carried their own caramel taste along with a touch of bitterness.The center of the custard was just slightly warm still but mercifully, Mia saw that it was set.

“Something you watched or read got into your head. I can always eat dessert, even if I can’t. I would rather put in more work than not eat a sweet. And this is delicious darling. Happy two week anniversary.” 

~~~~~<3 ~~~~~<3

Tom flipped her so that she was on her back and he hovered above her. Gripping the fabric of the dress, he carelessly yanked at it as he stood up, pulling it harshly down her body. 

The dress caught on her hips though. Tom hadn’t ripped it far enough down for it to slip past her waist. Tom didn’t know if the dress was designed to go on from above or if the maze of fastenings simply extended far below where he had torn but he didn’t care. 

Leaning down, he placed soft kisses between her breasts and down her stomach as he grabbed fistfuls of the dress again. With a great effort, he ripped the dress further down. As soon as he had the slack to do so, he pulled the dress down her body and threw it on the ground behind him. 

Her panties were plain, simple and not what one would expect to find under a wedding dress. They hadn’t stopped long enough to worry about shopping for such things. 

Standing over her, he started to work his buttons free after yanking his tie down until it was hanging loose, nearly undone. She was sprawled out before him, naked breasts on full display for his hungry eyes. 

He enjoyed the view. There were little scars and marks on her body showing a life well lived. She had marks where her body and grown quickly at one point. Her belly curved and swelled ever so slightly, soft and inviting to the touch. 

Growing impatient, she leaned up and eagerly assisted with the buttons on his shirt. The way her breasts moved with her body was mesmerizing, distracting to him. His fingers yearned to touch them instead of the buttons of his shirt. He all but ripped the shirt off as soon as it was sagging around his body, eager to feel her flesh against his.

~~~~~~<3

Tag List: @winterisakiller, @alexakeyloveloki, @jennyggggrrr @dangertoozmanykids101, @tilltheendwilliwrite @tinchentitri @wizardcherryblossom @buttercupcookies-blog @violethaze @kats72 @soulpiercing @evedia

[sl-newsie]

I Will Always Love You (Dr. Spencer Reid x OC) *Halloween Special* 🎃

Summary: Rossi throws a Halloween party at his mansion for the team and some close friends, and Reid loves a certain costume a coworker’s wearing… maybe leading him to finally confess his feelings.

“So… what kind of costumes do we wear? Matching? Scary, funny…?” I ask.

“Whatever you feel comfortable with,” Rossi replies. “But I will ask if you can keep it down to PG13. I’m looking at you, Garcia.”

“I can’t believe my costume last year was deemed inappropriate!” The blonde agent complains from across the room.

“It is when you’re dressed as a playboy bunny and pretend-flirt with Morgan even more than usual,” Hotch says dryly.

She huffs. “I was staying in character! Halloween is when you can pretend to be someone else!”

“Yes but in this job we have to maintain somewhat professional, even if it’s at a party. So please follow the guidelines.”

I can’t believe I’m invited to an actual party! Throughout high school and college I was never involved with the popular kids, and had little friends to begin with. But ever since I started working in DC I’ve made lots of connections, with one being the one and only Agent Rossi from the BAU. He’s thrown a few get-togethers for the team, and this year I’ve been invited to an official Halloween party! And what’s best is that I’ll get to hang out with my coworkers outside of the work environment! I’m really looking forward to it, especially since Reid will be there. Call it cliché and pathetic but I’ve grown romantic feelings for the ingenious doctor, but no matter how hard I’ve tried I can’t get rid of them or gain the courage to tell him. It’s best to suppress them and hold onto the steady relationship we already have.

I pack up my things and start walking out, then Rossi calls: “You’re coming tonight, right Rita?”

“I’ll be there!”

I’ve already got a costume in the works, one I’ve been planning since June. It’s a bit of a stretch, but I guess I’ll have to see what happens…

3 hours later…

Reid’s POV

All the costumes so far have been awesome! I wish Halloween was more than once a year. Between the cool decorations and outfits, how can anyone not like it? This year I’ve chosen to go as Sherlock Holmes as a tribute to one of my favorite fictional detectives. 

I keep looking around for Rita, almost disappointed that she isn’t here yet. I’d never say anything, but in the last few months she’s worked with us it’s been near impossible to not notice myself acting strange around her. Of course Morgan teases me about anything awkward I do, but even I have found myself acting strange around Rita. Increased heart rate, scattered thoughts, and the nagging feeling of wanting to make sure she’s doing ok. But isn’t that what any friend would do? Look out for one another? 

I shake the confusing thoughts from my head and continue to look around. And next walks in- oh. Wow. Oh wow! An almost direct clone of Dolly Parton struts into the room, wearing a silver rhinestone suit, heeled boots, and clutching a white guitar. Who on Earth is that…?

“Hiya, darling!” She walks up to where I’m sitting and plops down next to me, and when I get a better look at her face it finally clicks.

“Rita? That’s you?” I gape.

“Sure is, Spencer!” She says in a practiced southern accent. “Dolly’s been a hero to me for a long time and I figured it’d be a fun costume. It took a while to put together, but I found…”

I try to keep up with what she’s saying, but my mind keeps wandering to how accurate her costume is. Her blonde hair is teased and piled into a giant updo, complete with some glitter sprinkled on it. And the suit fits her perfectly… it seems wrong to think like that, but I can’t help looking at how her chest sticks out. Has she always looked that way?

Thankfully Garcia shows up and starts asking the questions I’m too scared to ask.

Rita’s POV

Thank God Reid’s here, because so far I don’t know a single soul here. It’s nice to sit and hide in a corner to chat, and eventually more of the BAU members start to show. When Penelope sees us she makes a beeline over and starts gushing about our costumes.

“I love the Dolly getup! Are- are those real?” Penelope asks and gestures to my chest.

My face flushes red. Of course it would be Garcia to ask something so blunt. I’m not offended in the least, but I’ve always been insecure about my larger than normal bust. But that’s why Dolly’s been so inspirational, because she’s proud to be so outstanding.

“Yes, they’re real. And if you wanna joke about it then please ‘follow the guidelines,’” I mock Hotch’s instructions. “I am as God made me and I ain’t ashamed.”

Garcia smiles again and continues to talk about her costume, which is a giant cupcake. By now more people are starting to arrive and Garcia goes off to greet more guests just as JJ and Emily walk up to us. JJ has chosen a simple pumpkin shirt and top, while Prentiss is wearing a white dress complete with eerie doll makeup.

“You chose Annabelle?” JJ gives her a strange look.

“What can I say? My comfort films are weird.” Prentiss shrugs.

“I’m guessing you’re dressed up as Sherlock Holmes?” I finally ask the genius sitting in the chair behind me.

“Elementary, dear Rita. He’s one of my favorite literary characters.”

It’s strange. Reid keeps looking at me funny, then shifting his gaze to avoid my eyes. He’s normally not this scatterbrained.

“Oh that’s a dork-able, Reid the brainiac is dressed as a brainiac!” Morgan, wearing a skeleton costume, walks up and smirks. When he looks at me Morgan gets a confused look and I can tell he doesn’t recognize me. “And who might you be, Dolly?”

I stifle a laugh and exchange looks with Reid, who seems to wanna laugh just as much as I do.

“I’m surprised you ain’t noticed yet, Agent Morgan,” I say in my southern accent.

Just like Reid, Morgan’s face explodes in bewilderment and he gives me a second look-over.

“Wait, wait. You’re telling me that this gorgeous twin of Dolly Parton is our Rita?” He looks over at JJ and Prentiss, who start laughing. “Tell me I ain’t the only one who’s blown away! Damn, you look good in that! Nice costume!”

He gives me a high-five and goes off to find Garcia, and I notice in the corner of my eye that Reid’s stiffened up a bit, muttering an excuse I can barely hear and striding off before I can speak. What’s wrong with him?

Reid’s POV

When Morgan started praising Rita’s costume it felt as if my chest was being squeezed. I don’t know why. It’s as if every time I think about Rita my brain doesn’t think clearly, and I go through anger phases when I see someone else with her. Isn’t that normal friend behavior?

That’s when I make a new diagnosis: I have a crush on my coworker. 

It’s something I’ve been avoiding, pushing away thinking I’d never have feelings for someone. With my job it’s too dangerous to have relationships, plus the fact that I’m an awkward nerd doesn’t help. Besides, a beautiful girl like Rita probably already has a boyfriend.

After Morgan’s off to find Garcia I quickly excuse myself, going off to the hors d'oeuvre table and finding a cocktail labeled ‘witch's brew.’ I’m not one for drinking, but I need something to clear my head.

“Reid, are you ok? You never drink.” Hotch walks up from behind.

What am I supposed to say? Tell my boss I’m in love with my coworker, something that’s thoroughly discussed as a workplace rule?

I give a shaking nod and put the glass to my lips. It’s not strong, but I can still feel the alcohol sending electricity down my throat. “Y-Yeah. Just a bit tired. Shouldn’t you be trick-or-treating with Jack?”

Hotch shakes his head. “He’s at a party with some friends from his school, so I got the night off. But don’t avoid the subject. You’re not tired. What’s really wrong, Reid?”

There’s no escaping it now.

“IjustfoundoutI’minlovewithRitaandI’mscaredshe’llhatemeandIdon’tlikefeelinglikethis!”

Everything comes out so fast. There’s so much I want to say. At first Hotch looks confused, but after having a minute to translate my gibberish he gets a somewhat amused look on his face.

“I know, Reid. We all do.”

His words leave my mouth gaping. “Y-You do? But- but why didn’t… how- why am I the only one who didn’t?”

“Because when it comes to social cues you’re not much of an expert,” Prentiss says as she joins us. “We’ve all seen how you’ve been acting. It’s cute! You and Rita make a great pair.”

I groan as I hold my head in my hands. “But I hate feeling like this! What if I screw up? What if somehow my job gets her in trouble? You remember what happened with Haley!”

Hotch’s face darkens a split-second, but instead of brooding he puts a hand on my shoulder. “Spencer, just because our job is dangerous doesn’t mean we can’t allow love into our lives. It’s not healthy.”

“And you deserve to have a loving girl like Rita,” Emily adds.

“But doesn’t she already have a boyfriend?” I ask uneasily.

She frowns. “No. Where’d you get that idea? Rita’s incredibly antisocial besides hanging out with us.”

How on Earth does Rita not have guys crawling over themselves just to talk to her? 

By now Morgan and JJ have joined us as well.

“He’s confessed?” Morgan asks Prentiss and she shakes her head. “Reid, will you please just go and tell her? We’ve been waiting for a month! It’ll be a nice change to not have you giving me the murder look whenever I high-five your girl.”

The team ushers me away, so I can already tell there’s no going back now. Even if I don’t say anything, Penelope will tell Rita herself. I at least want this to be done on my terms.

I take a deep breath, then calmly walk back to the living room. I see Rossi chatting with some other guests and he gives me a wink. When I reach the doorway, Penelope passes me with an eye roll and points to the balcony.

“She’s out there. It’s about time! I can only distract her for so long! Now go get her, loverboy! Go go go!”

Ok, this is it.

Rita’s POV

For my first Halloween party I must say it’s… a bit boring. Sure I’ve gotten lots of compliments on my costume and been able to eat some good food. But without Reid the conversation’s shifted to JJ and Emily talking about some random guys that flirted with them at a bar last week, making me wish they’d stop bringing up romantic stuff. I’m not one for lovey-dovey talk, and with me being single it’s adding salt to the wound. Thank goodness they both go off to get a drink, but then Garcia pops over again and starts chatting about a new pair of shoes she found.

“Really? Some new Oxfords? Cool… Um, be right back. I need some air.”

Garcia gives me a wave and I quickly scoot out the side door to the balcony. It’s a chilly night, but my suit and wig keep me warm. There’s a sky full of bright stars and slight mist draping the landscape beneath me. It definitely feels like Halloween. I just wish I didn’t have to spend it the “grown-up” way. Right now I’d rather be back home, eating popcorn and watching Halloween. Anything but avoiding Spencer or having to listen to chats about love stuff.

“Mind some company?” A soft voice asks.

I grip my guitar and spin around, nearly chopping off Reid’s head. “Jesus, Spencer! Don’t sneak up on an FBI agent!” After seeing there’s no big danger I set my guitar down. “Sure, I guess? But why’d you leave?”

He leans over the railing and seems to think over his response. “I had an intention that I was needed elsewhere, and then the team gave me a case.”

My eyes widen. “You mean, like a profile case? Is someone in danger? Are we gonna have to leave-?”

Reid holds a hand up to quiet me, then with the other he takes my own hand. “It’s not a criminal profile. They gave me your case, Rita.” This leaves me even more confused, and almost don’t notice Spencer slowly leaning in closer. “There’s been something I can’t get out of my head, and you need to know. Now, if you don’t agree I’ll forget it but please don’t hate me. I- I…” He takes a deep breath and looks at me. “I’m in love with you, Rita.”

If it weren’t for the railing I think I’d fall, almost having to grab Spencer’s coat to avoid stumbling. This can’t be a joke… can it? Am I bold to assume that Spencer’s feelings mirror mine? What type of probability is that?

“Could’ve said something sooner,” I mutter just loud enough for him to hear.

His head perks up. “So- does that mean…?”

I throw my head back and laugh, nearly losing my wig. “Yes, Spencer! I’m in love with you too, and I could never ever hate you. But why not say anything until now?”

He nods his head side to side. “Well… I didn’t actually figure out I loved you until about 20 minutes ago. I- I’m good at profiling others, but not so good with my own emotions. I always thought that this job wouldn’t be a healthy way to keep a relationship, but the team agrees that we make a good pair- that is, if you want to?” He asks quickly.

I don’t answer right away and instead wrap my arms around him for a soft hug. “I’ve never been more sure of anything, Spencer. No unsub in the world could make me rethink that.”

He leans back with teary eyes. “Really? You’d put up with an awkward geek?”

His cute expression makes my heart melt. “You’re my awkward geek, Spencer. You never have to worry about disappointing me or putting me in danger. You being you is more than plenty. As the Dolly song goes, ‘I will always love you.’”

Spencer chokes back a sob and before he can get any more teary, I harness my courage and kiss his lips. This surprises both of us, but once we get past that we deepen the kiss. Once again I’m thankful for the railing because now we’re both leaning against it, and soon Spencer seems to grow just the tiniest bit desperate. We pull apart and he looks as if he’s about to beg me for more but is too afraid, so I save him the trouble.

“Wanna get outta here? I’ve got Halloween on 4K at home,” I smirk.

Reid grows a thankful smile. “Only if you’ll let me complain about the bad strategy choices the victims make.”

My own smile widens. “You do that too?”

Reid shrugs. “It’s kind of their own fault that they die! I mean, how could they not notice that someone was in the house?”

I take his hand and we make our way to the exit, but not before hearing a big celebration cheer from the team.

Happy Halloween, Spencer.

[finelinevogue]

Blurb idea!!! (Totally ignore if you don't want to do this) So what if y/n does a video where she rates all of the outfits Harry has worn for the 3rd album (like Coachella, interview outfits, any casuals too, etc etc) and maybe she doesn't really like an outfit as much but then H pops his head in and claims that she actually really liked the fabric or smth and wanted to keep it (and he obviously got it for here) but she's like it didn't look as good on you (clearly joking) and he's like you're mean with a pouty face >:( and we see them being really cute on camera (or it could be released as a bts) So yeah! Idk why but I can totally imagine y/n and Harry from your Harry's House universe doing this!!

Also, the stuff you put out so far is AMAZING! Just like I knew it would be, but you definitely exceeded my expectations and I'm already in love with this universe! <3

-cool reader anon

OMG I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS IDEA SO MUCH YOU’RE A FUCKING GENIUS! I LOVE YOU SO BAD FOR SENDING THIS IN:

(stop it right now you know im so bad at taking compliments💔ur too kind)

May 20th 2022

“Hello my lovelies and welcome back for another video of me basically bashing H.”

The camera was set up on your usual tripod, only this time you weren’t in your bedroom but rather the living room. You thought it might be nice to show people a different view; something interesting and new. Also it was a sneaky way of showing people Harry’s living room, which certain furniture would feature on his new album cover.

Harry was sat next to you, because no matter how hard he persuaded you to you were not going to sit on his lap. Everyone knew you were a couple, in fact ‘Glamour’ had labelled you both as the “It” couple of 2022, but you didn’t want to overdo it on the PDA. Plus this was your channel through your own hard work and success, not Harry’s.

“You know someone’s made a complication of all the moments in your videos where you’re mean to me?” Harry said, getting out his phone to pull up the moment he was talking about.

“No way! Really?”

“Yeah, here.” Harry showed you and you made a mental note to add a screenshot of the account when you edited later.

“That makes me look so bad.”

“Good. Y’so mean to me. I’m glad it’s picked up on.”

“You’re just mean to me off camera though, that’s why there’s no video compilation of you being mean to me.”

Harry just evilly smirked and you knew in your head that would be a good place to cut and roll your channels titles. The jingle for your channel was courtesy of Harry playing the piano, which he did without hesitation when you had asked him years ago.

“So, today we will be rating Harry’s outfits from the HS3 era so far. I thought it would be a fun idea, considering I am uploading this on the albums release day.”

“Oh, and we should probably mention that pictures that we’re looking through are coming from costume fittings.”

“So I’m very deeply sorry if you end up seeing H’s bare chest.”

Harry laughed, pretending to lift the bottom of his jumper up and reveal his chest. You got too jealous of your audience seeing his chest though, so you slapped his hands down and told him to behave himself.

You knew it was all banter and Harry’s relationship with his fans was very close and intimate, but sometimes you liked keeping little moments of him to yourself. You were a huge fan of him before this relationship so you totally understood what it was like to be a fan like that, but now you’ve learnt how to respect him and in turn respect yourself.

Harry knew that you got jealous, so tried as much as possible to keep himself and his body reversed just for you. Sometimes though, when you’re pissing him off he will go shirtless just because he knows it will rile you up.

“I’m actually excited for this, y’know?” Harry said, sitting closer to you. You shifted the camera so there would be a space to the left side of the screen for you to edit in a picture of the outfit you were talking about.

“What and you weren’t excited when we filmed all our other videos?”

“I liked the one we did when we did the fake Wired Autocomplete interview.”

“That was funny. I also liked the one where we were handcuffed to each other for 24 hours.”

“I got so mad at you and I really did not like it one bit. You were so upset. Plus I hurt your wrists that day.”

He pouted and you allowed him to swallow you in a huge bear hug. He always felt the need to apologise for those 24 hours, because of his tense it got. You constantly reminded him you still loved him and you were okay now. He would take any opportunity to hug you though for it.

“I’m okay.”

“I know.”

“Y’want to hold me for the rest of this video?” You asked, knowing he wouldn’t really want to let you go now his mind was whirring with bad thoughts over that video.

Harry moved behind you and allowed his legs to spread so you could slide and sit in between them. His arms caged around your waist and squeezed gently, turning you into his person human-sized teddy bear. You let him nuzzle his face into your neck briefly, knowing your scent calmed him down. Once you were comfortable and Harry could nicely peer over your shoulder at your phone, you began.

“Okay. First of all is your ‘As It Was’ red jumpsuit.”

“It was so comfortable, that.” Harry added.

“I really liked it. I thought it was a perfect outfit to celebrate a new single.”

“You’re just being biased.” He teased, pinching your side in a way that tickled.

“Why? Because m’mum made it for you?” You asked and he nodded.

Your mum was always looking for an in to assist Harry’s life in some way. She loved being creative and was a brilliant seamstress, after owning her own dress repair shop for years. You remember her bursting into tears when you and Harry face-timed her to ask her to make the ‘As It Was’ music video outfits. She was told they had to be red and blue, but other than that she had a free hand.

Harry had told her that they were the best costumes that he’d ever worn for a video. You still don’t know whether he was just being polite or actually meant it, but either way it made your mum infinitely smile.

“Honestly, y’mums a bloody legend.” He added, making you blush. You loved how much he loved your mum and family.

“So the outfit out of 10?”

“10.” He spoke very quickly.

“I’ll give you a 10 also mum. Y’d did such a good job.” You looked to the camera when you said that, holding up your hands to create a little heart with them.

Out of all the outfits you’d be showing today the ‘As It Was’ was definitely not your favourite, but it was still worth the 10 points. Your mum was a great seamstress, but you just liked the colours of some other outfits on him better than the red - which was out of your mums control.

“Off to a good start then.” He shuffled a bit to sit up right on the sofa after slouching down.

“Y’okay? Sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable.” You turned your head to see whether there were any signs of discomfort on his face.

“Y’not, shut up you.” He leant in to kiss your lips. He tasted so good and he felt even better.

Unfortunately for the fans you’d have to cut that out because it wasn’t very censored. Harry can get carried away a lot of the time because of how much he likes kissing you and so a sweet kiss can turn into a groping make out session. Like now. You had to pull away as he started kissing down your neck and dangerously close to the place he loved giving you hickeys.

“Oi. Stop it.”

“Y/N!” He whined like a baby, but you weren’t arguing.

“H I can’t be battered and bruised when we’re filming, y’know this.”

“Can’t help myself. You’re too pretty.” You leant in to give him another kiss for his kind compliment and then turned your face around to lessen temptation.

“Okay outfit two. Coachella night one.” You giggled excitedly, because the Coachella outfits were your ultimate favourites.

“I loved how they designed it based off y’mum’s design.” Harry started and it made your heart swoon that he was still finding ways to compliment your mum.

“You looked like a rockstar rainbow dream.”

“I felt like a rockstar actually. I can’t get over that crowd.” He blew out a breathe of air.

“What was it like?” You asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to give your viewers a chance to know too.

“Electrifying. Huge. Exhilarating. I never thought I’d ever be able to achieve something like that. Ever. So to actually to sit here and say that I have done it feels like a dream.”

You smiled at him and leaned in to give him a kiss on his cheek. He deserved so much more, but you were filming right now and you’d give him all the love after.

“So what would you rate your night one outfit?”

“Wait, lets talk about night twos outfit and then compare them.”

“So we get to talk about what we think of night twos outfit now?”

“Yes.”

Before Harry had finished the word, you dramatically moaned and loosened your body to slide off Harry and the sofa and onto the floor. Harry caught your armpits before you could fully slide, worried that you’d bash your head on the coffee table or something.

“That’s how I feel about night two.”

“Oh is it now?” Harry asked, but he already knew.

He knew because as soon as he walked off that stage, on night two, you jumped his bones and wouldn’t let him leave the premises before you fucked him in his pink, leather, Cowboy suit. He looked so good to the point where you were wet the entire of the set, since you hadn’t seen the outfit before he went on stage. You two had nearly been the last ones in the park, because once you’d done one thing to Harry he decided to return to the favour. You fucked, you gave each other head and you came so many times that Harry asked to keep the suit so he could relive that night over and over again.

Harry pulled your back up easily to sit back on his lap, twisting you sideways slightly so he could get a better view of you.

“It’s like my favourite thing you’ve ever worn.”

“Wow. Big claim.” Harry whistled.

“Okay maybe my favourite concert outfit you’ve ever worn.” You adjusted your statement.

“So it was better than night one?”

“Yes.” You said a bit too quickly, feeling slightly bad for the designer of night one. “I still adored night one, but there was something about night two that really… gagged me?”

Harry choked on air when you said that and you couldn’t help but laugh. You patted his back as if that was going to do anything, before he settled.

“How about I wear it tonight?” He leant in to whisper in your ear. All you could do was whimper in return and he used the opportunity to kiss your lips. You let him have you for a few minutes, think that at this rate it will look like you’re filming for OnlyFans rathe than YouTube.

“So rating them both out of 10.” You suggested.

“Night one was an 8 for me. Night two was a 10.”

“I’d say night one was also an 8. Night two was a fucking 11 though.” You claimed and Harry just smirked, knowing he was in for a pretty great evening.

Harry cuddled into you, giving you a big squeeze when all he really wanted to do was take you upstairs and love on you all afternoon.

“Ow you just squashed my boob, y’dickhead.” You shouted as Harry’s hand jabbed into your boob as you two were messing around.

“Shit, m’sorry baby. Harry reached for your boob and cupped his hand over it as his fork of apology.

“I’m fine.”

“Promise?” He asked, kissing your cheek.

“Promise.” You nodded, kissing him on his cheek in return. “Next outfit?”

“Go for it.”

He returned you back to your original positions and you took your phone to look at the next outfits.

You had a look at some street style ones and Harry laughed at how crazy some of the paparazzi were. There were some really odd angles and one that was a really unflattering angle of you. You could’ve cried but Harry reminded you of how beautiful he saw you as and that every one else did too. It didn’t matter that you had double chins or an extra chub roll on your stomach, you were absolutely perfect the way you are.

You even added a few outfits where you and Harry bad spent the day together and he had a good outfit. You loved feeding the fans with unreleased content and they loved you for it. You had such a special bond with the fans, something that no other celebrities partner really had. There was one where he was wearing a kitchen apron and a pair of pink boxers, because you two had been baking a cake together, and you both had a good laugh about how bad a photo it was.

“Baby stop!” Harry laughed some more, hand over his stomach because he couldn’t control himself very well.

“Sorry! It’s just you honestly look like you’re a housewife.” You giggled, stroking his cheek with your hand. “My little bitch.”

“Excuse you!” He gasped, using his free hand to slap your arse. The sound made such a loud noise and you gasped with how hard he hit you.

“Ow y’fucking twat!”

“You have such a bad potty mouth, you.”

You weren’t worried about the swearing, because you always put a disclaimer at the start of your videos that there could be strong language so you should watch at your own risk. You weren’t bothered about profiting off your videos either, so you weren’t worried if the swearing caused YouTube to demonetise your content.

“Yeah. I do when you slap me.”

“Don’t call me y’bitch then.” He argued and you rolled your eyes at him. He knew he was your bitch. He was absolutely whipped for you and there was no denying that, even if he tried.

It took you another few moments of banter before you were back on track.

“So let’s do the Today show outfits?” You suggested.

“Yes let’s.”

“I absolutely love the denim on denim.” You started, “But I don’t like the curly twirly baby grow.”

“Honey!” He exclaimed, sitting up right with shock.

“What? We have to be honest.” You explained.

“Not when it offends me. Can’t believe you’d treat me like this.”

“But I love your denim one. Is that not enough?” You pouted, not wanting him to be actually mad with you.

“Fine. But you owe me a fuck tonne of kisses.”

You leant in to kiss him on his lips, clearing any sadness out of his system. You could feel his lips smiling against yours and it made you pull away to see the beautiful sight.

“Done deal.”

“Can we wrap this up so I can kiss y’now?” He tucked his head into your neck so that he could breathe you in.

“‘Course.”

You both finished up the video, using your normal exit as a way to wrap everything up. You fell into Harry, happy knowing that the video was going to be a success because of how in love you both were with each other.

[sassykinzonline]

What was your Coachella of 2016?

Basically the outfits you wore throughout the years (doesn’t matter if we only see them once) and rate them and why you wore them?!

thank you for elaborating because i have 0 idea what coachella is

i cant be bothered to find an individual picture for all of these so heres a reference and i'll just talk about them in order

kiddo fit : was comfy and matched my brother, 6/10. could be more individual and fun, but was sentimental.

new graduate fit: still comfy, unique colour for the uchiha. i think i chose that shade of blue because it made a statement without being....garish. i wanted to separate myself from my brother. short-sleeves because i run pretty hot. 7/10, still basic but more individual.

genin fit: iconic. form, style, and function, as i mentioned in a different ask, the leg and arm warmers worked to hide ninja tools like my strings. 10/10, i think when most people think of me they think of this.

chunin exam fit: this one was a functional outfit. i spent pretty much all that time training in the middle of nowhere with a technique that was dangerous and painful. the bandages and the braces are to help stabilize my arms for the chidori without being a fire hazard like the arm and leg warmers would've been. i also had a lot of burns and sprains that i needed to treat while still training. 5/10, at least it's useful but i'm not proud of the fact that i chose a romper because rock lee wore a jumpsuit.

otogakure fit: another iconic fit. this is actually a combination of function and a fashion statement. the hakama was open because i didnt want to buy new clothes every time i used my curse mark. the obi and the blue cloth help me carry kusanagi while also maintaining the samurai silhouette. to be brief, i represented myself as a samurai because i was single-mindedly dedicated to the honour of my clan. 10/10, perfect.

renegade fit: this is actually my favourite outfit. it was comfortable both in terms of fabric and movement. i like the colours. i think it's attractive and makes me look dangerous. the bandages were necessary but still look cool, and the ones on my forehead make you wonder "is he reclaiming konoha?" 11/10.

akatsuki fit: my hair was a disaster so i kind of wish i had made more use of the hood. at the same time though, i wanted the fear that my face and the akatsuki cloak combined would inspire. 4/10, the only points here really come from the improvement on the cloak. youre welcome obito.

konoha crush pt 2 fit: i...am ambivalent towards this look. it kept me cool and it looked nice. i think the return to the short sleeves was some sort of reclamation of my youth, but it also feels confused and speaks to my mental state. it made me recognizable but still not exactly the same as before. 8/10.

vote 2 fit: i mean...the silhouette changed to something really similar to my brother's clothes under his cloak. the clothes were torn. im glad i wore short sleeves since i ended up losing an arm. 4/10, somehow the result of a lot of effort and no effort at the same time.

from this point on, i didnt actually wear any of these outfits as they are so i'll just comment on what i like and what i actually wore.

10. ronin fit: so i did wear a headband but i wore it under my bangs, but that was because i used a bow often to hunt for food. i think this outfit is ugly and im annoyed at it. 3/10 for the poncho. i did wear a poncho type thing, but i wore it more like the otogakure outfit--folded down around my waist for access to my weapons but easy to pull back over myself for warmth. i wore a long sleeved mesh shirt for compression to help with the phantom pains in my arm, and a shirt and pants that looked like my brother's but in a darker blue. you can imagine something similar to what gaara wore the first time we met him with the asymmetrical visual of a japanese archery uniform. in my mind i was thinking more artemis/ancient greece.

11. interpol fit: i dont hate this but i dont love it. it doesnt really fit for the purposes i wouldve been using it for because it just stands out a lot and looks like a military outfit. 4/10 because it's not ugly, but the form betrays the function. in actuality i wore something similar to the renegade fit, just in more plain colours and a full haori. think a farmer's outfit in tan with black accents and black pants. dark blue haori over everything to keep warm and look plain. i was trying to blend in with civilians.

12. dad fit: i feel like this is something more like what itachi would wear at that age, but i do like it. the cloak seems cumbersome at this point though, i would overheat fast. 7/10. since im nowhere near this age, i'll comment on what i wear these days for missions. it's pretty similar to the renegade fit as well, but the hakama is left fully open and worn more like a vest. in a kendo uniform, you tie up the sleeves but in my case i tie them up to essentially make the hakama sleeveless. i just wear a somewhat loose tank top under that. picture charasuke. on the bottom i wear athletic shorts that i suppose are similar to the ones i wore as a genin but longer and maybe a bit looser. long shin guards and ninja sandals as well, so it looks a bit similar to the bottom of the otogakure era clothing but more kendo than samurai. colours vary but i tend to keep it all black, grey tank top. if im feeling festive then grey shorts, black tank top, blue hakama. i do own an orange tank top thanks to naruto. naruto also made me a necklace with just one pearl on it. it looks both like the full moon but also his sun mark, so it's nice.

around the village i just wear a dark blue haori with sweats and a t-shirt. nothing too interesting because konoha doesnt deserve that from me.

[garebearandnan]

LOVE ISLAND CHALLENGES

Despite Love Island challenges being fun and games, they can be equally just as savage and cause drama in the Villa. My top 10 favourite are:

Truth Or Dare – Truth or Dare is a popular party game both inside and outside the Villa. 

“Islanders, it’s time to find out who’s hot under the collar, and who’s playing it cool. Head over to the fire pit to play a game of Truth or Dare. #TruthsToBeTold #DareToBeBold”

Taking place in the first few episodes, this challenge serves as an ice breaker, because nothing breaks the ice quite like being dared to make out with other people you've just met.

2. Twitter/ Mean Tweets challenge – The text the islanders never want to receive is:

“Islanders, it’s time to find out what the public really think in today’s challenge. #NoFilter #MeanTweet"

It’s considered the crème de la crème of Love Island challenges.  It's hard to say which would be worse: finding out that a mean tweet was about you or finding out that it wasn't about you but your fellow islanders thought it was. Before this challenge, islanders must trust their gut instincts on whether to trust their fellow islanders. Because of this, the public take matters into their own hands and tweet things that shake up the villa. 

3. Licence To Swill – The rules are simple. An islander hears a quote another contestant has said about them, and they then throw water on the person they think has said it. The sneakiest and muggiest islanders can bank on getting a faceful from everyone, and they won't get any sympathy in return.

4. Raunchy Races – The islanders at the main Villa compete with those at Casa Amor.

"Islanders, this afternoon the Villa will take on Casa Amor in a series of cheeky challenges. The first villa to complete each challenge wins a point. The villa that receives the most points will win a party tonight. #onenildown #upyourgame"

Almost every time, an islander or two can be heard asking a fellow islander afterward if they think their partner kissed another person in the opposing villa. While most of the kisses shared between islanders during the Raunchy Races typically amount to nothing, the competition is the producers' way of exacerbating feelings of insecurity between those in the villa and those in Casa Amor.

5. Snog-a-thon challenge – The challenge involves each set of Islanders kissing blindfolded Islanders, and the blinded Islanders rating the kiss out of ten.

"Islanders, pucker up... it's time to find out which girl and boy is the best kisser! #snogathon #tenoutoften.

Sounds harmless? Wrong. In 2019, Curtis rated a kiss from Arabella (not his partner) a perfect score of 10 because he had a "good connection" with her. He gave his partner, Amy's kiss, only a 7. He tried to defend his ratings by saying that he didn't realise it wasn't Amy that he kissed. Amy responded with: "I scratched your neck like I always do, so you knew it was me." To make it even worse, he gave all the other girls a higher number. Ouch!

6. Heart rate challenge – The producers of Love Island like seeing who can get the other contestants' hearts racing with their own version of a risqué dance routine. The contestants get into character by donning costumes and attempting dance routines that are typically beyond their skill level. The majority of Islanders approach it in a lighthearted manner and consider it to be a bit of fun. As a result, the challenge does not typically result in a great deal of drama. That is until your heart rate gets raised the most by your ex OR in 2020 (UK S6, winter), after the girls are done performing, more music is heard and a new bombshell proceeds to dance for the boys. The results revealed two of the boys' heart rates were raised the most by the newcomer, leading to the following text (and drama, of course):

"Connor and Callum, as your heart rates were raised the most by Rebecca, you will each join her on a date.  Connor please join Rebecca in the hideaway immediately. # sex goddess # hearts don't lie"

7. Movie night – Is a newer challenge that was introduced after Casa Amor in 2021.

“Islanders, it’s time to get glam hit the red carpet and grab some popcorn as tonight it’s Movie Night . #Blockbuster #ThrillerInTheVilla.”

The challenge has the Islanders split into 2 teams based on gender and set up like a pub quiz. Upon scoring a point the team gets to choose from a list of movie titles that are actually clips surrounding an Islander(s) of what the said Islander got up to at CA. The clips typically show all sorts of mischief that they got up to with a newbie and a lot of drama is produced for Love Island viewer’s entertainment.

8. Snog, Marry, Pie – The Islanders face the wrath of the show's other players by getting pies on their faces. The Snog, Marry, Pie challenge produces mostly humorous moments. This task is unique in that it allows the islanders to express their feelings about their friends' partners.

Depending on who gets pied the most, and whose emotions are involved, this challenge is often a source of drama. A classic moment in 2019 (UK S5): One of Anton's many missteps in the Villa. This time he messed up with Belle, his partner, causing a lot of drama. Anton chose Islander Anna as his snog and stated, "I'm going to kiss this person because they were the best kisser in the kissing challenge." After mugging off Belle, he decides to pick her to marry. She stood her ground and said: “You’ve mugged me off, you’ve embarrassed me, you’ve made me feel like sh*t.”

9. Lie detector – In this challenge, the islanders had to take a polygraph test and answer three relationship-related questions from their partners. It’s considered one of the most nerve-wracking challenges since their partners don’t hold back and ask tough questions. The polygraph test caused a lot of drama regardless of its accuracy. In 2017 (UK S3), Marcel asked Gabby if she loved him; she said "yes," but the machine concluded that she was lying. Plenty of tears and drama occurred from the results.

10. Baby challenge – The baby's challenge is without a doubt the most harmless of the challenges that the Islanders will partake in. 

“Islanders, each couple has been given responsibility for their own bundle of joy. You must look after your doll as if it were the real deal for the rest of the day. Whichever couple can keep their doll the most happy and content will win a special prize. #dollsontour #acryingshame”

A iconic moment: In 2018 (UK S4), the girls headed out the villa when the babies arrived, and left the dads setting up daddy day care. They tried some daddy yoga and a race – which ended in Dr. Alex falling over and definitely killing his baby, as it went flying out of the pram and when Josh’s baby’s arm fell off. In 2019 (UK S5), when Molly caught Tommy doing tricks with their fake baby and she said, "Uh Tommy, what the f**k was that?" Same season, Anna and Jordan were forced to co-parent their baby after they broke up. Anna straight up refused to help, telling Jordan: “I don’t know whose baby that is, because it’s not mine. He probably doesn’t even know whose baby it is himself.”

[raplinesmoon]

So The Drama (KSJ x F!Reader)

❃ Festivaled Away: Hope Fest hosted by @bangtanbathhouse​

⤞ Ticket: Elegant Summer Gala

 ⤞Main Event: Bulletproof Vests & Holsters ( bad boys, cops/detectives)   

⤞ Games: edging

pairing: Seokjin x reader genres/au/rating: fluff, angst, action, humor, smut, friends to lovers, Kim Possible!AU, 18+ summary: By day, you look like any other overworked 20-something. By night, you’re an amazing superhero who fights to save the world with your best friend. Caught between the pressures of having a love life and a plot to take over the world, will this summer be a one to remember? warnings: slow burn, PINING, pov switch, physical fights, crime fighting, alcohol, tension!!!, bi!Seokjin (implied), SHEGO, supervillain plots, Seokjin is a damsel in distress, sm*t warnings: dry humping, deep-throating, degradation, n*pple play, fingering, panty ripping, edging, cmnf, protected s*x

word count: 18.3k a/n: LOL I got impatient so please enjoy this cheese fest inspired by everyone’s favorite childhood crime fighting girlboss. This is based mostly on the second KP movie. thank you to Mars @joheunsaram for suggesting the idea of Jin Stoppable in the first place, and another thank you to Kiri @rkivian​ for beta’ing the first part of this. I hope you all enjoy! <3

Prologue:

The piercing screams resound in your ears, the crowd going wild, bathed in a sea of orange as the legions of devoted fans chant passionately, waiting for their favorite group to come on stage. Lightsticks flash everywhere, casting the arena in a dim but stunning glow. The enchantment of the scene transports you back to being a teenager again.

Seokjin rocks back and forth on his heels, bubbling with anticipation. “C’mon ____. Let's find our seats quickly so that the show can begin! Odeng is getting restless!"

At the sound of his name, Seokjin's sugar glider pops up from underneath his flannel, surveying the scene. While Seokjin's bright eyes twinkle with adoration, you furrow your brows in concern, staring up at him.

"You just had to bring him? What if we get caught?" The crowd's noise level only worsens, voice hoarsening whenever you try to have a normal conversation.

"Odengie would never cause trouble on purpose," Seokjin coos, stroking Odeng's head. "He's a good boy!"

You beam at his loving tone. Yup, your best friend was a total marshmallow, nothing but gooey softness packed into his tall, lean frame. He was definitely on the odd side, with his wire-rimmed glasses and penchant for dad jokes. Who would have thought that the strange kid you cornered in the sandbox in pre-K would be one of the closest people in your life? At this point, he was like family to you. And you wouldn't have it any other way.

The two of you take your seats, watching the lights dim. You hear a psst! and pivot to find Seokjin elbowing your shoulder. You look up at him quizzically, investigating the source of the interruption.

"___," he asks, genuine inquisitiveness in his voice. "This is kind of a cool dat–, I mean, outing. You used to be obsessed with DTS back in high school, remember? It was like, a dream of yours to go to a concert one day."

His face is so earnest, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's, and you almost forget you're two 27-year-old dorks at a boyband concert. But you were, in fact, two 27-year-old dorks at a boyband concert.

"Jinnie," you begin, squeezing his arm gently. He lowers his head to listen, gazing down straight into your eyes.

"If we're being honest, I got over DTS years ago. Like freshman year of college. But you bought the tickets and looked so excited, and I couldn't say no, now could I? I'll have fun if you're having fun."

A strange expression crosses his face briefly like he's distressed. But it's gone in a flash, replaced with the beaming smile you've come to know.

"Oh, well, it's okay!" he reassures you. "We'll have fun, no matter what. I, uh-, I gotta go to the bathroom."

"Okay. I'll watch Odengie while you're gone."

"Thanks, ____, I can always count on you."

He walks away with a wave, and you can't help but remark that his shoulders have slumped slightly, the formerly bright light in his eyes turning hollow.

A heavy sigh escapes Jin as he makes his way down to the restrooms from the arena. Another day, another failed attempt to confess his feelings for you. He'd been at it for years. There's no one else he'd make a fresh pot of jjampong for, no one else he'd use his employee discount on to stuff your face with nachos, no one else he'd torture with his dad jokes (some of them were pretty terrible, he'd admit).

The scary thing was that he couldn't pinpoint when his feelings changed from being your best friend to falling for everything about you. The two of you had grown up together but were polar opposites. You were the hard-working, smart, semi-popular one who moonlighted as an ass-kicking crime fighter, and he was your lame sidekick that wore glasses. 

He paces down the hallway, lost deep in his thoughts. It didn't happen on a specific day, or during a particular moment, but over time, your smile began to seem brighter; he noticed the way your hair shimmered in the sun. He felt warm at how you threw 100% of yourself into everything, whether saving the world or taking on a case as a corporate paralegal. Girls like you didn't fall for guys like him, who worked weekends at a shitty, inauthentic Mexican restaurant because their 9-5 didn't pay the bills. Not without a miracle.

He hoped coming here tonight could have been that miracle. The two of you spent hours as teenagers jamming to DTS' songs in your room and learning every dance. Seokjin would even embarrass himself in the school hallway as he walked up to you, belting their newest single at the top of his lungs. But now it seemed like you had moved on, and he scrunches his eyes together, recalling your soft, placating smile underneath his lids.

The setting around him grows unfamiliar, and Seokjin realizes he'd gotten lost in his daze, venturing far away from the bathrooms. Maybe there was one close by. He walks over to the first industrial-looking door he sees, peeking into the room to check. A loud gasp escapes his throat, his palms become sweaty, and Seokjin thinks he might faint. 

Somehow, he'd stumbled into DTS' practice room, graced with the stars' presence. He stares into the eyes of the six heartthrobs: AM, Salt, J-Nope, Chimin, W and Jaegguk. But why were they here and not on stage?

Seokjin's eyes widen when he sees the group bound with rope, constricting their arms and legs. 

"Uh, dude?" AM says, his left dimple making an appearance when he frowns. "No offense, but a little help here?!"

Seokjin freezes. His favorite idols were speaking to him? He was gonna save their lives? ____ would freak out when she heard this. He'd finally be the hero she deserved. 

"이 사람은 쓸모가 없습니다. 그는 여전히 그의 신발에 꼬리표를 달고 있다 (this guy is useless, he still has the tag on his shoes)", Salt quips, face scrunching in displeasure. 

"I can understand Korean, you know," Seokjin retorts. "And you guys don't know about the tag?! It's hip-hop culture!"

"Aish, alright, stop being a weird trend follower and help us out," Jaegguk groans.

"I'll have you know that Kim Seokjin is a trendsetter, not a trend follower," Seokjin mumbles, searching the room for something sharp to cut their bonds. 

With his back turned to the wall, he misses the shadowy visitor at the entrance. Chimin's warning cry is too late, the blindfold already over Seokjin's eyes as he flails uselessly. Well fuck, he was in a bind now.

The crowd was growing restless. The concert was supposed to start half an hour ago. Where was Seokjin? He hadn't returned from the bathroom yet. 

A loud groan erupts when representatives from their record company show up on the stage, claiming unforeseen technical issues. Bullshit. They probably wanted to keep you all here so they could take your money. You hoped Seokjin hadn't blown too much of his salary on these tickets.

Your impatient sighs are interrupted by a series of short beeps coming from your purse, and you freeze. This can't be good. You slip out of the arena towards the concession stands, reaching into your bag to pull out the pager.

"Hey Won-sik, what's the sitch?" you ask, taking in his grim face. The 18-year-old super genius you'd befriended was an expert when it came to computers and gadgets. He and Seokjin loved to crack dorky jokes together, many of which flew over your head.

"It's not looking good," his voice breaks among the static. "We've got word of a new crook on the block. Deez Coups. Apparently, he's a disgruntled former k-pop trainee who didn't get into the band of his dreams, so now he's out for revenge?"

"What kind of revenge?" you scoff. You'd handled more than your fair share of butthurt boys growing up, particularly when they chose to take their negative feelings out on others. 

"He's kidnapped DTS and is holding them hostage in an obscure location in the area! My sources are tracing them to a tiny room on the rafters."

"I'm on it," you declare, slipping off your oversized concert clothes to reveal your spy suit of choice - cargo pants and a black turtleneck. 

"___?" Won-Sik's voice trembles, almost like he's been keeping a secret.

"What's wrong?"

“H-he took Seokjin too. He was trying to rescue them."

Your heart sinks, remembering how Seokjin had excused himself. And now he'd stumbled into trouble. Disgruntled or not, this loser would never lay a hand on your best friend. You tuck Odeng into your pocket and reach back into the purse. 

Pulling out your hairbrush, you press the hidden button on the bump, recoiling as it activates, transforming into a grappling hook. You make your way back inside, keeping yourself confined to the shadows on the outskirts, before finding a good fulcrum and launching yourself up to the rafters. 

"C'mon, Odengie. Time to make a scene."

"FOMO FOMO FOMO YO, FOMO FOMO YO, 탕진잼 탕진잼 탕진잼," Coups screeches at the top of his lungs, ignoring the befuddled looks from the members in front of him. The key to their cage dangles from the garishly neon-colored chain on his pants.

"Even I'm a better singer than this guy," Seokjin groans, slapping his palm onto his forehead. "I had all your singles memorized back in high school."

"Really?" J-Nope asks. "Which one was your favorite?"

"Person with Like, of course! The chartreuse concept was everything."

"Nobi!" W hisses. "Can you and this clown who joined us be serious for once? How the fuck are we gonna get out of here?"

"Oh, don't worry," Seokjin stares at his nails. "I know a girl. Hopefully, she's coming to bust us out."

"설마? 실제로 그녀가 올지 모르니? (hopefully? you don't actually know if she's coming?" Salt seethes, his skepticism evident in his tone.

"걱정하지 마십시오 (don't worry), Salt-ssi. She's my best friend; I know I can rely on her."

"You better be right," Jaegguk sighs. "And to think, all I was looking forward to today was hitting the gym after the concert."

Nearly ten more torturous minutes pass, full of Deez Coups' terrible singing, before any sign of hope. The men's eyes light up when you lower yourself into the room with your grappling hook, approaching Coups from behind.

"Now, Odeng!" you scream, jumping on his back as the two of you hurtle to the ground. Struggling to pin him under you, you exert every bit of force and determination you can muster, buying enough time for Odeng to run past you and grab the keys from the chain.

"Boo-yah!" Seokjin howls in delight. "That's my ___ and my Odengie!"

The sugar glider slips through the bars easily, jumping into Seokjin's palm, allowing him to unlock the cage from the inside.

"You actually did it!" Chimin screams with joy. "That was amazing!!"

"Law enforcement and the label executives should be on their way any second," you inform Seokjin and the band, still pinning Coups' struggling figure to the ground. 

AM approaches you, looking down at his captor. 

"Listen," he says to Coups. "I don't know what you were trying to prove by kidnapping us, but you'll never get the results you want this way. All of us got to where we are through hard work and determination, and I suggest you do the same instead of being a petty crook if you want to live out your dreams."

At the end of his speech, the door is blown wide open, police and the label employees flooding the room. Once they determine that no actual harm had been done to the boys, they inform them that the concert has been canceled.

The whirring of a helicopter creates a strong gale, whipping your hair around. The boys bid you their goodbyes, thanking you and Seokjin for your heroic endeavors. 

"Please reach out to us anytime," AM beams. "We are indebted to you both."

"Wait!" Seokjin interrupts them as they turn. "Can I call in my favor now?"

His plain t-shirt now decorated with the ostentatious signatures of the band members, the two of you watch the helicopter fly away until it's nothing more than a speck in the distance. After the whirring dies down, Seokjin runs up to you, nearly toppling you over in a big hug. 

"Thanks for coming, ___."

"You think I'd actually leave you behind, Kim? You're worth too much to me to even think about that."

A glimmer of hope settles in his chest. Maybe tonight hadn't been so bad after all.

"One flat white and an iced cappuccino, please," you tell the barista. From behind you, you hear a giggle erupt. And then another. Ugh. This was so not the drama.

Rolling your eyes, you turn, mouth gaping, when you see a gaggle of girls surrounding Seokjin, their hands all over his arms, legs, and shoulders. The tips of his ears are a distinctive red that tells you he's embarrassed but also milking the attention.

"You were so brave!" one of them giggles, her laugh sounding less bubbly and more nasally.

"Does this mean you have free DTS tickets for life? I've never been to a concert," another sighs.

"I can't believe Jaegguk called you a trendsetter! He's so hot!"

"Calm down, ladies," Seokjin says coolly, pushing his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. "We have all the time in the world."

Your shoulders tense suddenly, and you feel yourself grow flushed. Would any of them have bothered to pay attention if he hadn't rescued DTS? Probably not. 

You don't even notice that you've stalked your way up to Seokjin, standing next to him. He glances up at you, eyes full of questions.

"Hey, uh, there's an urgent message from Won-sik! We've gotta run home and look at it!"

"Do we have to do it right now?" Seokjin replies through clenched teeth. "Kinda in the middle of something."

"Yup!" you grab his arm, pulling him towards you. "It can't wait. Sorry girls, maybe next time."

Waving a hasty goodbye, you drag Seokjin out with you. Your strange behavior remains an enigma to you both long after you run out of the coffee shop, hand in hand. What had that been all about?

A few weeks later….

The smell of processed cheese and refried beans hits your nostrils, making your mouth water. As much as you (and your stomach) detested Seokjin's other workplace, Nacho Loco, you couldn't deny that you were hungry. The idea of chowing down on some greasy food seemed perfect to you right now.

"Hey, let me just go take this off real quick. I already put in a ticket for us," Seokjin smiles from the counter.

He turns to his manager, asking if he could take a break now. The man looks incredibly sullen today, given the lack of rush in the restaurant, but nods yes.

"Ugh, this week has been shit," you groan as he sits to join you. "So much fucking work. It's like they have me on overtime without actually paying me overtime. I respect the hustling lifestyle, but it's just not for me."

Seokjin guffaws at your statements, sipping loudly on his Diet Coke.

"Pretty sure that's illegal," he grins. "And you're one to comment on hustle culture. I mean, it's not like you have a second job kicking crime's butt, do you?"

"Shhhh," you press a finger to his lips, giggling. "My boss doesn't need to know about that. Pretty sure he'll see that I can handle being sleep deprived and have me look at more documents."

In your time spent complaining, your order has made its way over to you. You're used to the restaurant food not looking super appetizing, but whatever monstrosity is on Seokjin's plate has you reeling.

"Kim Seokjin. What in the name of all that is good and holy is that?"

Seokjin scarfs down a bite of the concoction, beans, and cheese oozing out the sides.

"This, dear ___, is a Naco. My special creation and contribution to the menu. I'm trying to keep it a secret until I can take it mainstream, though."

"I'm sure it'll be a smash hit," you say sarcastically, stomach churning at the bag-like item. "You could use all the extra money from patenting it. As long as you let me co-sign."

"No way! You have your own hustle. By the way, I keep telling you this, but you should start accepting money for everything you do, ___. You work hard, and I never see you enjoy yourself."

There's a wistful look in his eyes, and the conversation goes silent. The fact of the matter was that it was already hard being two young, working professionals in a big city, living on your own. Constantly worrying about expenses and what the next paycheck would cover, but also trying to remain human and not become a machine.

"Yeah, I know," your voice cracks. "Part of me wants to make money. It'd sure make paying my rent easier. But the other part of me is worried."

Seokjin stills, looking up at you. It was rare for you to be so vulnerable in public places. He'd always been the one to take up that mantle: crying at movies, crying at weddings, crying during his mid-day breakdown. Seeing your eyes fill with tears, he wants to pull you into his arms and soothe all your worries, to tell you that it's all going to be okay. But he can't promise that.

"I've spent so much of my life undercover," you continue. "It makes me wonder if doing all this means that I've been missing out on other experiences. I mean, when's the last time I went out? My work even has this stupid gala thing at the end of the summer, and I don't have a dress or a date!"

Seokjin frowns, his lip trembling. He knew the burden you carried on your shoulders was enormous at times, which is why he worked hard to make you laugh, to make the lines on your forehead disappear. As trivial as it was, it was his stupid way of showing the love he had for you.

"Damn, you reserved me a ticket, right? You know I can't resist all that free wine and cheese."

You perk up, flashing the tiniest of smiles, before clapping him on the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"No, duh! You can even bring a guest if you want!"

"Aw shoot, and here I thought we were gonna go together like we did to the 5th-grade dance, Jackson Wang's middle school rager, or prom…"

You're grinning now, eyes crinkling, and Seokjin thinks he's never seen anyone prettier.

"Hey, Jin? You're a great friend, you know that, right?"

And despite his desire to become more, he's happy for now. Because you've got each other's backs.

"I know."

Monday rolls around, and Seokjin finds himself back in the office, his pressed white shirt becoming consistently itchier and suffocating with every day of the summer heat. At least it was almost time for lunch. You had an extended break today, so the two of you would be able to go to town on one of the halal carts by his building.

"Excuse me? Are you Seokjin?" A voice calls from behind him.

Turning around, Seokjin takes in the sight of the interrupter. A guy, around his age or a bit younger, looking painfully awkward. His bright eyes took in the office, taking everything in. A newbie.

"Hey, welcome to the club, dude. You're right; I am Seokjin. Seokjin is me."

The newcomer smiles at him, reaching out for a handshake.

"So nice to meet you! I'm Han, your new desk neighbor!"

He likes this kid already. It was rare for Seokjin to make new friends easily. When he wasn't with you, he’d spent time testing out new recipes, playing Maple Story, or cuddling with Odeng.

"Hey Han, nice to meet you too. Wanna join me for lunch?"

…

You approach the benches outside Seokjin's work, carrying his gyro over rice like its precious cargo. He's waiting for you like he always is. But he's not wiping sweat off his brow and scowling from the summer heat like normal. Instead, he's talking to someone you don't recognize.

"___! There you are," he exclaims. "I have someone I want you to meet."

He moves to the side, revealing his companion, and you feel your heart do a backflip. You haven't felt like this since your tenth-grade crush on Park Jinyoung, the football quarterback. He's cute. Really cute. 

"Hi, I'm Han," he reaches his hand out for you to shake. 

"I'm ___," you say with a blush, accepting his hands. Seokjin's eyes narrow when he watches you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. That was your patented crush move. No way, you were crushing on his new co-worker!

"Tell me more about yourself, ____," Han says. And from there, you spend the whole lunch break talking and sharing details about your lives, utterly oblivious to the world around you, failing to notice when Seokjin gets up and dumps his styrofoam box in the trash, leaving without a goodbye.

"Mom? Dad? I'm hooomeeee," your voice echoes through the house. Strange. Usually, someone was home. Today was pizza night too.

"They're in their office, dweeb," your younger brother appears from the shadows, and you detect a faint glow from the living room. He was on one of his gaming sprees again, and you're glad Seokjin was busy tonight; otherwise, you'd be roped into another Mario Kart tournament where they left you in the dust.

"Look who's calling who a dweeb. Don't you have that robotics competition to worry about?"

His face pales.

"Fuck. Why didn't you bring Seokjin with you?! Or hit up Won-sik?"

Your mom appears at the top of the staircase, shushing him with a stern finger.

"Anwar, mind your language, or you won't get any pizza."

"___, my dear, how are you?" Your dad greets you with a bone-crushing hug. "We haven't seen you in so long!"

"I know, dad," you sigh. "Work's just been kicking my butt."

Dinner is silent for a while, the four of you munching on your pizza.

Your mother bites her lip, eyes full of concern. While both your parents were aware of your alternate career, they often fussed over the toll it took on your mental health. 

"No, not that work! I meant the company! And now we have this silly end-of-summer gala I have to worry about."

"Oh, a gala!" your mother claps her hands in delight. "How exciting? I can't wait to see my baby all dressed up and beautiful."

"I have to find a date first, mom," you groan as your dad ruffles your hair. "Plus-ones are encouraged."

"Why don't you just take Seokjin? "she suggests earnestly. "You guys always go together."

Your heart drops. True, you and Seokjin had always gone to every special event as each other's dates; but things felt different now. You wanted to be able to slow dance with someone you liked, to hold them close and maybe share a kiss at the end of the night. You were in dire need of some romance in your life.

"I don't know, mom," you sigh. “Seokjin is just… well he’s Seokjin. He's just my best friend. I kind of hoped I could bring someone more special."

"Nonsense," your father shuts you down. "Seokjin's been a wonderful date every time you have   gone somewhere. And he's grown into a handsome young man."

He finishes with a wink, and you shift uncomfortably. To you, Seokjin had always been the same, geeky guy with glasses. Maybe he'd grown into his features as he aged, but he was still a friend and nothing more. If it was supposed to happen between you two, it already would have.

Excusing yourself to your room, you flip onto your bed, staring at the canopy littered with stars that remind you of the night sky. The gala was supposed to be an all-out celebration, with music, dancing, swanky outfits, and champagne. For once, it'd be nice to have an actual date.

You unlock your phone, dialing the number of the one person that you know would understand where you were coming from.

"What's up, dawg?" Seokjin snickers over the line, pausing when he hears your heavy sigh. "Hey, you alright?"

"I don't know, Seokjin!" you scream into the line. "I don't know why I'm so stressed about this stupid gala, what I'm gonna wear, and who I'm gonna take. It's so childish, ugh! I feel like I'm back in high school when no one gave me a prom-posal."

Seokjin's heart lurches in his chest. You'd expected Jinyoung to ask you, but he'd gone for Aerin, your rival on the cheerleading squad. Seokjin had abandoned his elaborate scheme of showing up with a boombox outside your window, and instead became your shoulder to cry on. After drying your tears, the two of you still had a night to remember.

"Don't stress, ___! It's not even that big of a deal anyway, just an excuse for us to get drunk and twerk in front of the board of directors!"

"I knowww," you whine. "But lately, it doesn't feel like that anymore. I know we're still young, but everyone around us is getting married. Don't you ever feel like settling down, finding the one?"

"I, uh, I can't honestly say I've thought about that," Seokjin sputters. 

"But I do, Seokjin. I want to finally be with someone, go out on cute dates, buy gifts for each other, and cuddle."

"We already do that, though!"

"It's not the same, and you know it. Let's make a pact, here and now, that we, Kim Seokjin and ___ ___, will take the dating world by storm and show up to the gala with our future spouses in our arms! Are you with me?"

On the other end of the phone line, Seokjin chokes, his lungs burning with all the unspoken confessions of his past. The receiver was silent for a few breaths, and he almost contemplated hanging up.

"Seokjin? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," he says shakily, trying to accept your plan for the summer when in his heart, he wished that he could be that person for you. "I hope this is the summer you find everything you've ever wanted."

He can sense you beaming at him through the phone.

"You too, Jin. You too. Okay, bye, gonna sleep before work tomorrow. Anwar, mom, and dad, say hi!"

The line cuts dead, and Seokjin is left sitting in the oppressive loneliness of his apartment once more, the salt of his tears clogging his throat.

Nearly a third of the way into the summer, and safe to say, your epic plans had not worked out. Instead of scoping out potential dates at the park or gym, you and Seokjin had been overloaded with work. You desperately needed a change of scenery. 

Luckily, Won-Sik's call came at the perfect time.

"Earth to ___. It's been forever! Just letting you know that I detected some suspicious activity around the Bermuda Triangle. It sounds like Darken is up to something."

"Ugh, not him again."

Dr. Darken was, by far, your most annoying and persistent arch-nemesis. No matter how often you defeated him and his villainess sidekick She-Babe, they always kept coming back for more. 

"Can I trust you and Seokjin to be on it?"

"Yup, we've got you, Won-sik."

Hanging up, you dial Seokjin's number, ready to share the good news. He'd seemed a little down lately, so maybe this would cheer him up.

"Hello?"

"I need you to call in sick for the next two days. We're going on a little trip."

…

Miami was booming this time of year, the warm summer sun drawing in hordes of tourists. The perfect place to go undercover, whether you were a hero or a villain.

A loud slurp interrupts your train of thought, Seokjin chugging the last bits of his margarita.

"Ahhh, I needed this. This summer has been meh so far."

"We're looking for Darken, remember? This isn't a vacation."

"Doesn't mean we can't get ice cream," he laughs, pointing to a colorful shop on the pier.

You look at him, brows furrowed, hands on your hips.

"Seokjin…"

"Please ___?"

"Okay fine."

He runs over excitedly, asking for two soft serve twists with rainbow sprinkles for you both. When he makes his way back to you, he proudly presents the cone with a smile.

"A gift."

"Just shut up and eat the ice cream."

The cold treat tastes sweet on your tongue, and you must admit Seokjin was right. Even though this wasn't an official trip, summer was finally starting to feel like summer again.

You don't know how long you've been there, but judging by the imminent sunset, it must have been a while.

"We should keep looking around," you say reluctantly, lifting yourself up. Seokjin's arm shoots out, pulling you back into his embrace. 

"Let's stay for a little while," he says softly, and you nod okay.

Leaning your head on his shoulder, you're surprised when you feel hard muscle underneath you. You'd never noticed he was so built. You sneak a sly glance up at him, marveling at the angles of his face. The wind sweeps through his hair, and suddenly he doesn't look like your dorky best friend who wears glasses anymore. 

At the same time, Seokjin notices you looking at him, his soft gaze lingering on the tiny little details about you: the fluttering of your eyelashes, the curve of your neck, the glistening of your lips. He needs to stop before he does something that he’ll regret later .

“___? You, uh, you have some ice cream on your face."

"Where?" you ask, frantically reaching to rub it off, but you don't feel anything.

"Here," Seokjin leans over, his thumb brushing against the corner of your lips. It lingers there for too long after he's rubbed the splotch off, and he feels you inhale sharply.

beeep-beeep!

The tune of your pager goes off and the two of you separate, the intimate moment being interrupted. 

"Hey Won-sik, what's the sitch?"

"You might want to look behind you."

Suddenly, there's a loud bang, and the crowd erupts into a panic, screams coming from all around you. You and Seokjin jump up, ready for action. 

The malevolent eyes of She-Babe meet yours, green flames glowing from her arms.

"Looking for me, ___?" she drawls. "Why don't you come and play?"

You spring towards her, launching into a flying kick. She dodges you effortlessly, sending back a bolt that nearly misses you but completely decimates a seller's stand.

"Seokjin, I need backup," you scream to him before landing a blow to her right side. She grunts, pushing you off.

"I'm on it," he notifies you, and you watch him run off into the distance. 

You and She-Babe circle around each other, her flames singing a couple of your hairs, while your hook and laser lipstick tear through her clothes, leaving a mark on her arms. 

She growls, lunging for your neck, her arms wrapped around your throat. You sputter, flailing aimlessly, making every attempt to kick and punch, but she overpowers you.

Suddenly, her grip loosens, and you hear her yelp. Odeng looks on proudly, baring his teeth. In the brief moment of distraction, you land a kick to her stomach, knocking her down. 

As you attempt to pin her down, you hear another loud bang, smoke filling the pier, and you erroneously turn your back, looking to see the source of the distraction. Lungs burning, you tearfully look to see She-Babe has escaped. You search through the crowd aimlessly when you spot her on the roof of one of the shops, a helicopter waiting for her.

"Buckle up, babe," she smirks from above. "You have no idea what's coming."

And then she's gone. Your shoulders slump. The mission was a failure. Now Darken would have even more time to perfect his evil plans. 

You hear footsteps come up behind you, Seokjin running your side, panting heavily.

"Did the smoke machine work? Did you get her?"

The defeated slump of your shoulders tells him everything he needs to know, but it doesn't beat the disappointed look in your eyes. He'd fucked up. Big time.

"Let's just go home."

“A flat white for you,” Seokjin slides into the seat across you. You both had a little bit before you had to head into work, and he knew he couldn’t leave his mistake hanging over your head.

You look at him but don’t say anything; he knows you’re still upset with him.

Rubbing at your temples anxiously, you finally decide to speak.

“I’m not mad at you.I’m just upset.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry. I feel like I always ruin things for you.”

His voice breaks a little bit, and you know he’s genuinely sorry, making your heart sink. Seokjin always  made things harder on himself, believing he was never worthy enough. The last thing you wanted was your frustration to make him feel worse

“Please don’t take this out on yourself, Seokjin. It was a mistake. It happens.”

Reaching for his hand, you give it a gentle squeeze. 

“We’ll move on.”

His glassy eyes meet yours, and a crushing realization hits you. You and Seokjin had spent so much of your lives together, becoming close the way most regular friends would, but also through your missions. You’d seen the best and worst parts of each other, but you’d never really been on your own. Maybe to find what you both needed, it was time to leave the safety and comfort of each other’s nest and do things on your own. 

You could find the love you’d been looking for, and maybe Seokjin could learn to love himself.

This summer was the perfect chance for you to spread your wings. 

“I gotta go,” you say gently, letting his hand go. “I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

Seokjin pulls into work on his scooter, still reeling from your encounter this morning. You two had your share of petty fights growing up, but he’d never felt so much disappointment from you. It made his heart ache, and he never wanted to see you like that again. Now, if only he could figure out what to do to fix it.

As he approaches his spot, he notices another person locking up their scooter, and his eyes widen when he realizes it’s the newbie, Han.

“Hey uh, great spot you have there,” Seokjin cracks a joke, hoping it’ll appease him.

“Oh, thanks! It’s under a tree too, so it has lots of shade; I hate when I come out of work and—“

“You get second-degree burns from your scooter handles?” Seokjin finishes his sentence for him.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” 

Because it’s my favourite spot, too, he grumbles in his head.

“Hey Seokjin, I actually had a question for you. It’s about your friend, ___. Is she single by any chance?”

Seokjin feels like the breath has been stolen from his lungs. You’d brought up Han’s name as a potential date before you’d gone on the mission, and it was clear he reciprocated your interest. Where did that leave Seokjin in the equation between you two?

He decides to be honest, not wanting to mess up your chance at getting a date for the gala.

“She is, but she’s a tough cookie. It takes a lot to impress ___. Most guys can’t even get her attention.”

“Well, good thing I’m not most guys. Maybe we can all hang out sometime soon? I heard the new club downtown is pretty fire.”

“Uhm, yeah, sure,” Seokjin says hastily, not wanting to listen to Han talk about you a second longer. He waved a tepid goodbye, disappearing into the building. He doesn’t speak to him for the rest of the day.

“Are you sure I look fine?” you ask, tapping your foot anxiously.

Seokjin gulps, not knowing how to answer your query. Should he go with the friend version, telling you Han won’t know what hit him? Or should he go with his version, where he risks sporting an accidental boner like he did when you were in middle school, and your boobs appeared out of nowhere? If Seokjin had any pull game at all, you’d never make it to the club tonight, Han a distant memory.

All he does is instead is awkwardly give you a thumbs up, adjusting his glasses on his face.

“Wait a second,” you approach his sitting figure on the bed, leaning in so close he can smell the honeysuckle perfume you use. You’re so close, he gets a front-row seat to how good your tits look in the tiny black dress you’ve chosen to wear tonight. He’ll probably have to cover himself with his jacket in the Uber. 

Your fingers sweep through his hair, brushing his bangs off his face and to the side, showing off his forehead.

“There.” Your warm breath fans onto his face. “Now you look hot too. There’ll be a lot of hot people out tonight! Aren’t you excited?”

Seokjin feels his face flush, your nonchalant compliment flustering him, and hopes you can’t see his ears turn red. He sucks his breath, afraid to talk, fearing what might come out. Luckily, your phone buzzes, saving him just in the nick of time.

“Oh! The Uber’s here. Let’s go!”

. . . 

Seokjin follows behind you, the dense crowd making it hard to keep up while you seek out Han. He’s not drunk yet, but his head is already pounding. It was a stupid idea to agree to this. He was basically a discount third wheel.

“You guys made it!” Han shouts, welcoming you into his arms with a hug. 

“Thanks for inviting us,” you say shyly. 

“Can I get you guys anything to drink?” Han asks. You enthusiastically nod your head yes, while Seokjin sullenly nods no.

“Be nice,” you give him a warning, accepting Han’s hand as he leads you to the bar. 

“I am nice,” he mumbles under his breath, shoulders slumping when he sees you walk away.

The next hour that passes is among the most torturous in Seokjin’s life. For most of the years you’d been friends, he’d never really had to see you date someone. All the people you’d crushed on never lasted past a couple of dates. You’d always sigh and say they were missing something, and Seokjin wondered if Han would finally be the one to possess the something you’d always been looking for. 

It seemed that way, the two of you wrapped around each other on the dance floor, bodies moving in sync. Seokjin had done enough goofy dancing with you to know that the way your hips swayed right now was anything but goofy, and clearly, Han seemed to be enjoying it too. Your faces were so close, and Seokjin felt a pang of jealousy strike in his chest, calling the bartender over for another drink.

When he returns to reality, slightly less sober, you and Han are making out, his tongue pushing into your mouth as you lazily grind against him. Seokjin closes his eyes to protect himself from the garish sight. He wasn’t sure whether his dick could deal with another boner or whether his heart could mend the cracks that had begun to form within his chest. 

A drunken haze sets over him, and he resists the urge to go outside and puke. 

“Hey,” a raspy voice drawls. “Are you here with someone?”

Seokjin turns to see who’s joined him at the bar. It’s a guy, one that he’d probably consider hot if his heart wasn’t set on you. He glides through the conversation while dazed, focusing only on the sound of his voice and the flirty touches on his arm. If you moved on, maybe he could too.

That’s how he finds himself in the bathroom ten minutes later, shirt halfway undone and cock grinding furiously against the other man’s body. His moans echo in Seokjin’s ears, the low hum of pleasure doing just enough to soothe his frantic thoughts. His lips roam all over, touching, feeling, savoring the distraction they provide. Until the spells is broken.

“Kiss me,” his partner begs.

That’s when he realizes his mistake.

He steps back, staggering as his chest heaves, crushed under the weight of what he’d done. Underneath the fluorescent lights of the bathroom, Seokjin realizes two crucial things:

He was far beyond the stages of a silly, trivial crush. No, he, Kim Seokjin, was head over heels in love with you, ____ ____. The kind of all-consuming, soul-stirring love that would stay with a person for the rest of their life.

The two of you never kept secrets from one another, but this was a burden he’d have to shoulder alone. You were interested in Han, and just like every other boy before him, that meant that you’d never even consider giving Seokjin the time of day.

Seokjin was utterly and thoroughly fucked.

“Hey,” his hook-up says. “Why’d you stop?”

“This was a mistake,” is all he states before turning on his heels and running out of the bathroom, ignoring his cries of concern. He doesn’t look back.

…

Even as Han kissed and danced with you, there was a nagging feeling in the back of your mind, reminding you to check on Seokjin. He hadn’t seemed like himself tonight, and you panicked when you realized he’d gone AWOL.

“Hey,” you squeeze Han’s hand. “I think I’m gonna head out. Jin doesn’t look too good. I want to get him home.”

“Wow,” he smiles. “So on top of being incredibly smart and gorgeous, you’re also caring as heck? I really lucked out.”

Your cheeks heat and hit with a sudden boost of confidence. You turn to press a kiss on his cheek.

“I had fun tonight,” you whisper. “Maybe we can do this some other time. Just the two of us.”

You can feel him grinning behind you, and you float through the crowd effortlessly on cloud nine. The dream is shattered, however, when you take in Seokjin’s slumped-over figure, looking worse for wear. You’d never seen him this drunk, head lolled to the side. He hears your soft footsteps approach, opening his eyes, red-rimmed like he’s been crying.

“Hey you,” you bend down, stroking his hair. “You look like you’ve had a rough night.”

“S’okay,” he slurs. “Wh-why didn’t ya gooo home with Hal, no Hen, ughhhh, Han? You should go, keep having fun. I, I’ll be fine.”

He stumbles clumsily to his feet, and you blanch at how much alcohol you can smell on his breath.

“It’s okay, Seokjin,” you tell him, throwing his arm around your shoulder. “I can always see him another time. Right now, I wanna go home with you.”

You escort him out, letting him breathe in the fresh air at the entrance to the club while swiftly calling an Uber with two stops: one for your place and one for his. In the background, you can hear him heave and gag as he throws up, and your heart aches for being so oblivious while your best friend suffered.

The Uber ride back is silent, Seokjin resting his head on your shoulder. He doesn’t strike up a conversation and doesn’t make any jokes. Instead, he looks right past you, gazing out the window, the city lights gleaming on his face. The abyss between you is almost painful, running out of words to say now when you’d never struggled with that before. Your arms itch to wrap Seokjin into a tight hug, to let him know he’ll be fine, no matter what he’s struggling with, but you feel stagnant, as though you’ve been weighed down with lead.

The feeling follows you to his front door, where the two of you stand awkwardly, waiting for the other to say something.

It’s Seokjin that caves first.

“Hey ___,” he blurts out, his voice hoarse from disuse. “I have something I want to ask you.”

You’re about to breathe a massive sigh of relief but pause when you see his glassy eyes.

“Of course, Jinnie,” you throw your arms around him, burying yourself into his neck. “You can ask me anything.”

“I wanted to know if,” he manages to choke out, and you feel his pulse quicken under your palm, rising before it slows down again. 

“I wanted to know if we’ll always be friends, even thirty years from now when we’re middle-aged with back pain and meddling kids. Or 50 years from now when we both have cane fights with each other. I hope we are.”

He sighs the last part, and you feel wetness on the side of his jaw. Heart breaking at his confession, you pull him in closer.

“Of course, we will. You’re not just a friend or a sidekick to me, Jinnie. You’re my partner in crime, or should I say crime-fighting? I need you like Batman needs Robin, or like Tony needs Pepper. As long as this is my life, you’ll always have a place in it.”

The tension in his shoulders melts away, and you hear him choke back a sob.

“Thank you.”

With the memories of that night at the club behind you, you launch yourself into a multitude of things: preparing for the gala, reading files at work, spending time with Han, and even managing to text and keep up with Seokjin. Life, as you know it, has always been busy and hectic, which is why it’s such a relief when Won-sik pages you.

“Another mission? I’m down.” 

Things with Seokjin had been weird lately, and the last thing you wanted to do was add to his stress by recruiting him for another mission. He deserved the rest, but the crime-fighting never stopped for you. 

Luckily, he’d agreed to accompany you, acting like everything was fine after his drunken meltdown, and you felt yourself sleep a little easier that night knowing he didn’t hate you.

Turning on the morning news, the headlines immediately allude to what Won-sik had told you. World-famous scientist Shin Ryujin has been captured by an unknown assailant, who claimed they wanted to hold her hostage and use her knowledge for their own evil plans.

While the rest of the world remained oblivious to the identity of her captor, you knew these antics could only be the mark of one man: Darken. It had him and She-Babe written all over. You could only hope they hadn’t put Ryujin into too much trouble before you found her.

Despite being a supervillain, Darken was also, quite frankly, an idiot. While most people who did terrible things tried to conceal their acts, Darken left huge clues. Very incriminating clues.

Although tucked away in a snowy and barren forest, his lair stuck out like a sore thumb. Who else would be stupid enough to build a multilevel, industrial-style building with a “Secret Lair” sign in the middle of nowhere? Lucky for you, that made it easy to break-in. 

“God, it’s freezing out here,” Seokjin chatters through his teeth. “We should have worn coats.”

“Concentrate!” you hush him with a finger to his lips.

The saw watch does its work, cutting quickly through the layers of wood and metal that make up the facade. Bless Won-sik and his super wrinkly brain. His gadgets never failed you.

Tip-toeing down the halls, your suspicion is aroused. Everything in here looks… normal. Typically Darken was fond of the most outrageous, impractical booby traps. A chill runs down your spine. Whatever he had planned this time couldn’t have been good.

You and Seokjin move silently through the shadows until you reach the end of the long corridor. Huh. There were no doors in sight. Maybe you missed somethi–

The floor caves in around you, a black hole opening up underneath your feet, and you’ve hurtled down a chute, slipping and sliding until you land with a thud onto the ground below. That fucker had a trap door now!

“___ ___.” A sinister voice drawls. “We meet again.”

His eyebrows narrow with malevolent glee, clapping his hands together. Darken has you now.

“And you brought along that friend of yours, huh? What was his name again uhhhh… Seokmin? Minseok?”

“SEOKJIN!!” your best friend screams, face turning red. “My name is Kim fucking Seokjin! It’s honestly not that hard!!”

“Sorry,” you threaten him. “I don’t have time to play games because I’m gonna be too busy kicking your ass!”

“Uh uh uh,” Darken waggles a finger in your face. “One wrong move and our little scientist here goes for a nice swim.

You track his finger to the other side of the room, where a woman in a lab coat hangs over a pool, a gag over her mouth. Tension seizes your body when you see a bunch of grey-coloured fins swimming underneath. Sharks.

Darken presses a button, and a series of platforms come up through the floor, housing various robots. Synth drones, all targeted for your destruction. Now things were getting good.

“Seokjin! You go and free Ryujin; I’ll handle these hunks of metal.”

You dodge their laser blasts one by one, moving from side to side with all the agility you’d learned from your martial arts classes. Combine the dodging with a series of sneak attacks, and the drones would never know what hit him. 

You finish off the last one, watching as it disintegrates into a pile of goo.

“Ew….”

“___!” Seokjin calls out to you. “A little help.”

He’s dangling from the same rope as Ryujin, sharks nipping at his heels. Eyes closed, his screams echo through the lair.

“I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna die!”

“Hold on,” you say. “I’ve got you!” 

“Odengie, chewwww!” Seokjin yells, and you smile, knowing he understood your command.

Odeng gnaws through the rope, and they all free-fall, down straight towards the treacherous pool. Moments before they make contact, you release your grappling hook, grabbing them out of harm’s way.

“NOOOOO!” Darken screams. “You may have foiled my plan, but I have another one brewing in my secret lair on the other side of the forest. This won’t be the last you hear of me!”

He presses a button, releasing another trap door to his escape.

“Whew,” Seokjin pants.”That was close. For a moment there, I thought we were canned tuna.”

“Shin Ryujin? I’m ___, and this is Seokjin. We just have a couple of questions for you.”

While Ryujin is thankful to you both for rescuing her, kneeling on the ground in a full bow, she sighs heavily, explaining that she can’t remember anything. 

“Her memory’s wiped,” Seokjin concludes. “You know what that means.”

“Whatever Darken’s planning, it’s big,” your voice wavers. “So big that he must not want anyone finding out about it. We have to be prepared.

The mall was always your favorite place in the world. It was the epicenter of your hangouts with Seokjin growing up, intimate enough that you could talk about all your worries but discreet enough to hide any conversation about your… other pursuits.

You take a step back from the mirror, taking in the green satin dress you picked for the gala. It was daring, a large thigh-high slit creeping up the front and very different from anything else you’d ever worn. Maybe you couldn’t pull it off.

“I don’t know!” you scream out in frustration. “I think it looks good, but what if I just look like a loser playing dress-up.”

“None of that!” Seokjin shuts you down. “I’m the loser playing dress-up, but I’m also the loser who wants to see it!”

The lock to the changing room clicks open, and you step out, suddenly feeling shy in Seokjin’s presence.

His face has gone entirely slack, mouth hanging open at the sight of you in the dress.

“It’s horrible, isn’t it?”

It’s far from it. There are a million things he wants to say, but none of them come out except:

“Holy shit. You’re beautiful ___.”

Freezing, you feel your heart thump loudly in your rib cage. Seokjin always reminded you that you were cute in high school, but he’d never actually called you beautiful before. And never in such a profound way. Butterflies dance in your stomach, and you close your eyes briefly, wishing the gala would be as magical as this moment.

A look of horror crosses your face when you realize you’d completely forgotten to look at Seokjin’s tux. Peering at him through the mirror next to you, you’re rendered speechless.

His glasses are off, and you finally notice how perfect his face is. All sharp angles, framed by a mop of soft honey-coloured hair and the most perfect plush lips. He doesn’t just look good. He looks handsome beyond description, like a modern-day Adonis. 

“Is there a fly in your mouth?” Seokjin chuckles at your blank expression.

“Jin, you look hot. Like really hot.”

Seokjin freezes, shoulders tensing at your compliment, almost like he can’t believe you mean it. But you did mean it. Whoever he brought to the gala would be so lucky, and a small part of your heart aches at the fact that it wouldn’t be you that he’d be twirling around the dance floor, a Prince Charming to your Cinderella.

“Sure you don’t want to reconsider your options?” he whispers in your ear, fingers settling into the curve of your back. His low voice sends a delicious chill up your spine.

Before you can answer, you’re interrupted, the two of you breaking apart guiltily.

“___! Seokjin-hyung! Funny running into you here,”

Han’s smiley face comes into view, and you stumble off the podium, putting some distance between you and Seokjin.

“Hey babe,” Han greets you with a peck. “Wow, you look good.”

Good. Not beautiful.

“Babe?” Seokjin grunts through his teeth, trying to come off light-hearted. “Is there something I’m missing here?”

You don’t know why you can’t find the words to tell Seokjin the truth. Maybe it’s because of the way you can’t stop staring at him, even in Han’s presence. Perhaps it’s because this date pact you were so sure about before doesn’t seem so sure anymore.

“We’re dating hyung! Thanks for setting us up!” Han spills the hard truth out before you can, and you watch Seokjin’s face pale, the rosy color from his cheeks bleeding out to the hue of parchment.

“Oh wow,” Seokjin exclaims. “Oh wow! That’s great news. I’m so happy for you guys.”

“Awww, thank you,” Han beams, taking your hand in his. “You don’t mind if I steal her after this?”

“No,” Seokjin’s words are full of steel. “I have an errand to run for my eomma anyway.”

You remain frozen as Han chatters away, unable to move, unable to speak, unable to stop Seokjin from rushing out of the store with his new suit in tow. This was supposed to be the best summer of your life, so why did you feel so empty?

The city’s skyscrapers look over Seokjin, casting a grim shadow over the walk he decided to take to clear his head. Limbs heavy, he still reels from the conversation with you and Han. The betrayal sinks in. Why hadn’t you told him yourself? You guys always told each other everything.

Instead, it felt like a knife to his gut hearing it from Han’s mouth and to watch you stand there and say nothing. The least he deserved was an explanation before you’d run off together. But it seemed like you didn’t care enough to tell him what was happening with you anymore. Ever since the summer had started, he felt you pulling away from him more and more, the bridge that had once connected you two growing into a vast chasm, where he fell through the cracks.

Walking through his rage, he finds himself on an unfamiliar street, but a glimmer of recognition appears when he sees the street sign. That scientist girl, Ryujin, lived here. She was too shaken up to answer your questions during the rescue, but maybe she was feeling better now. After everything had been settled, she gave both of them her address, telling them they could come and talk to her whenever.

An eternity seems to pass as Seokjin contemplates whether he should reach out before finally deciding to shoot Ryujin a text. Maybe it was time to take matters into his own hands. A team consisted of multiple people, after all. His shoulders slump, an ache beginning to build in his temple, traveling up to his head. He was tired of always being in the shadows, being the sidekick that never got the credit and never got the girl. If he could get something helpful out of Ryujin, maybe all that would change.

A ping from his phone confirms that Ryujin accepted his proposition, inviting him upstairs to her apartment. The posh building isn’t hard to find, the doorman greeting him on his way in as he buzzes Ryujin.

“Send him up, Alfred,” her voice blares through the intercom.

Fifteen or so floors later, he’s in front of her door. Making a fist to knock, Seokjin jumps slightly when the door opens before he can do so, Ryujin’s smiling face on the other side.

“Kim Seokjin, right? Nice to see you again.”

Walking into the space, he’s surprised by how well-put-together everything is. Every piece is impeccable, from the raw leather sofa to the fluffy white rug to the dining table made of unfinished wood. If Ryujin ever wanted to quit the science industry, she’d have a budding career as an interior designer.

“Can I get you anything to drink? Water? Tea? I have a bottle of Chardonnay I haven’t opened yet.”

Seokjin’s throat feels dry, but not because he’s dehydrated. He can’t remember the last time he’s been alone with a woman that wasn’t you. He plops onto the couch, looking around awkwardly at anything he can find – the rug, the trinkets that decorate her side tables, the view of the building across the street.

“Just water is fine.”

Nodding, she walks over to her kitchen, filling up a glass and handing it to him. He’s thankful for the drink; all the questions he had for her still stuck in the back of his throat.

Ryujin breaks the silence, sitting on the couch next to him. “I know you’re here to ask me what I know. Even though I’m better, the memories haven’t fully returned to me. I’m so sorry to disappoint you.”

“You’re not disappointing me,” Seokjin dispels her worry. “Anything you have to say would be valuable information, so we can lock Darken up for good.”

Ryujin hesitates, fidgeting with her fingers. It’s like she wants to say something but can’t. Seokjin places a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and the tension seeps out of her pores.

“I’d been working on this new tech device, I-, I can’t remember what it was, but I was gonna contract it out to a lot of companies across the city. Most of their names are coming up blank, but the one I do remember is Lockhart and Lee.”

Seokjin’s blood turns to ice. That was your firm. Was Darken specifically putting a target on your back? What else could he want to do with your workplace?

Ryujin’s body is shaking, tears filling up her eyes. She rocks back and forth on the balls of her feet, looking like a lost child.

“I-, I’m so sorry! I made a stupid mistake and let him access my mind, and now I can’t even help you defeat him! I should have been stronger.”

If there’s one thing Seokjin can’t stand, it’s people being hard on themselves. He knows the pitfalls of constantly putting yourself down too well. His hand closes over Ryujin’s, gently rubbing his thumb against her knuckles.

“Hey, no big deal. Thanks for telling me; it was still valuable information. You’re doing just fine.”

“R-really?” she blurts out.

“Really.”

“Seokjin,” she breathes, and he notices her expression has changed. The panic and anxiety have melted, making way for an emotion he was familiar with - longing. “I still have that bottle of Chardonnay.”

Seokjin’s head spins. So much had happened today, from shopping with you to finding out you were dating Han. He just wanted to forget the mess he found himself in, let loose, and have fun. 

“I guess one drink wouldn’t hurt.”

One drink turns into many, and before Seokjin knows it, Ryujin is straddling his lap, grinding her core into his hips. The difference now is that Seokjin reciprocates, nipping at her collarbone, where the strap of her tank top slides off her shoulder. The rest of his evening passes in a blur, the alcohol sinking into his veins, rendering him weightless. In no time at all, he’s lulled into a deep sleep.

The following morning, the light filters into the apartment, and Seokjin awakes in a cold sweat. What happened? All he remembered was getting plastered and making out with Ryujin, and his heart sinks with guilt. Using her as a rebound wasn’t fair.

A soft ahem interrupts him, and Seokjin rubs at his eyes, vision finally clearing to see Ryujin sitting on the chair across from the couch, sipping a cup of coffee. An identical steaming mug is placed on the table, and she gestures toward it.

His hesitation in reaching for the cup prompts her to speak up.

“We didn’t sleep together if that’s what you’re thinking.” And Seokjin lets out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. She looks… upset.

“It almost got there, but you were drunk, I think. Kept moaning out weird things. Like ‘___, ____’. I figured a handsome guy like you would already have someone.”

Her confession leaves Seokjin reeling like he’s been kicked in the gut one too many times. Had he really moaned out your name in the middle of hooking up with her? Ryujin looks at him curiously, waiting for his explanation or any type of response.

But Seokjin has no explanation. His only answer is that he’s a heartbroken fool, hung up on his best friend, who’ll never want him the same way he wants her. At that moment, all of it feels stupid. The tiny crush that he’d blown out of proportion. The desire to hold you in his arms, feel your lips on his, and your body underneath his. The dates he’d imagined in his head, the future wedding, the kids. What hurts him most is that he even dared to believe it in the first place. The bright glimmer of hope had carried him through so many years with you, but now the flame was flickering. So Seokjin stamps it out. He needed to get over you.

He rises, with a start, frantically reaching for his wallet and his jacket. He knows he should stay and offer more of an explanation, but he couldn’t right now. Not without bursting into tears.

“I’m sorry.”

. . .

Ryujin watches Seokjin hurry out of the building from her window, his tiny figure rushing through the crowd on the street, bumping into the strangers on their daily commute.

Something is itching on her back. Groaning, she scratches furiously, pulling down the zipper and slipping out of the suit. Goddamn. Did it have to be this scratchy?

Looking into the mirror, she combs through her hair, pursing her lips and checking her face for any blemishes.

The phone rings.

“Hey, boss. It’s me. I lured Kim into the apartment. I didn’t manage to get much out of him, but it seems that something’s going on with him and ___. I believe there’s a tiny rift there we can exploit.”

On the other end, Darken listens in, cackling maniacally. She-Babe smiles. Things were going just as planned.

The static makes your ears ring, your client yelling at you over the phone. Rubbing the skin in between your eyes, you resist the urge not to fall asleep. Work had become even more overbearing lately. Suddenly, your company wanted to try out these new headsets, claiming that they wanted the office to become more “technology-integrated.” You thought it was weird for the admins and staff to be walking around like they were at a silent disco but kept your mouth shut.

Getting off work today was your most exciting prospect. Between dates with Han and the mountain-load of cases you had to review, you were glad things have been relatively quiet on the supervillain front. Unfortunately, that also meant you hadn’t seen Seokjin for a while since that day at the mall. Every time you asked him to hang out, he always made some sort of excuse, telling you he was busy or tired. He still responded to your messages, but his answers were brief and curt. You wondered if something was going on.

Which is why your grand plan was to show up at his apartment today, surprising him after work. You make all the necessary stops to prepare, picking up groceries and a bouquet of flowers for the vase he kept on his counter. Things were never weird between you two, but you had made it weird by not telling him about Han. All you wanted was to let Seokjin know his presence was still valued. You needed your best friend.

Seokjin’s face pales when he sees you standing outside his door that evening, groaning from carrying all the heavy shopping bags up the stairs.

You invite yourself in, setting the groceries down on his counter.

“Is this a bad time?” you ask. “I wanted to make jjajangmyeon together; we haven’t done that in a while.”

His stiff face immediately softens, and you feel the warmth settle back in between the two of you. The way to Seokjin’s heart was always through his stomach.

He taps his chin playfully, pretending to contemplate your proposal. “Hmm, I could be convinced.”

“Great.”

. . .

The normalcy returns in mere moments, you and Seokjin working side by side comfortably in the kitchen. While he was more of the chef between you two, you worked seamlessly as a team. He prepared the sauce and noodles while you chopped the meat and vegetables. 

Seokjin turns on Spotify while you cook, bopping around to a random playlist of pop, hip-hop, and RnB. His crystal clear voice carries through the apartment, singing along enthusiastically. A huge grin lights up your face at seeing him so in his element, and you can’t help but sing and clap along. Soon, he offers you a hand, and you accept it without hesitation, the two of you stumbling throughout the kitchen, limbs tangling in an awkward dance. Your shared laughter punctuates the different beats and rhythms in his apartment, working together with your simple steps to create an unconventional symphony of joy.

The dance finishes with a flourish, Seokjin letting you go in a spin, and you end up right on the couch, two steaming bowls of jjajangmyeon waiting for you.

You take the first bite, the savory sauce hitting your tastebuds. “Mmmh, this tastes better than sex.”

“Don’t let Han hear you say that,” Seokjin snickers, and immediately the awkwardness settles back in.

“Thanks for hanging out with me, Seokjin. I’m sorry things have been so weird lately. I miss you a lot.”

“I’m right here, ___. Life is busy, but if you ever need me, you know where to look.”

Staring up at him, you take him in - his hair is ruffled and slightly fluffy. He must have washed it right before you arrived. His broad shoulders are enormous in the black hoodie he wears, and he looks like a giant teddy bear, just waiting for you to hug.

And that’s what you do. Fork clattering against the plate, you set it to the side, arms wrapping awkwardly around Seokjin’s frame from the side. You rest your head on his shoulder, and he stills, his unfinished plate of noodles long forgotten.

“Do you remember that summer I went away to camp?” His voice wobbles, head still turned to the side. “It was the worst summer of my life.”

You chuckle softly, hands running up and down his back. “We all know why -- no cell service, lots of bugs, you got chased by that bear.”

“That’s not why,” he breathes, and you sit up straight, tilting his head to meet yours.

“It was the worst summer ever,” he continues. “Because I had to spend it being away from you.”

The pained look in his eyes makes your heart drop with guilt – you never wanted to see anything like it on his face again.

“Is everything okay, Jinnie? Tell me what’s wrong.”

His entire demeanor changed in a split second, moving away to put distance in between you on the couch, refusing to look at you again.

The gesture fills you with anger – you were doing your best to hear him out, to be there for him as a friend, and this was how he acted?

“Okay, literally, what the fuck is up with you. You’ve been acting weird all summer. Whenever I try to talk to you, you refuse to let me in! I don’t even recognize you anymore.”

He flushes, face reddening. 

“I’m being fucking weird, huh? That’s me, Kim Seokjin, the weirdo!”

“You’re being childish! Stop it!”

“If you don’t want someone full of weird shit, why don’t you go hang out with your boyfriend?”

The statement feels like a slap to your face. You taste the tang of salt, not realizing tears had begun to stream down your face. Heaving, you wrack your mind for something, anything you could say to remedy the situation. Everything had crashed and burned in a matter of moments, just when you thought it would be alright. But you say something you never meant to, born from the inferno of your anger.

“Grow the fuck up, Seokjin! I’m not your mom – if you can’t handle things changing, then maybe you should do some thinking. I’m done.”

“Leave then.” And it feels like he threw a bucket of cold ice over your head.

His command for you to go isn’t what hurts the most. No, what hurts the most is when you stalk towards his door, rubbing your smudged mascara, and he doesn’t even look at you.

“Earth to ___? You’re zoning out again,” Han smiles at you behind the 4 tier slice of cake you’d decided to share.

You muster a weak smile back, not wanting him to worry. He’d been so sweet to you over the past few weeks, spending lots of time with you. Even though your boyfriend’s kind gestures helped give you a slight semblance of some peace of mind, you’re still left reeling and picking up the pieces from your fight with Seokjin.

Han was wonderful. He was everything you thought you’d ever wanted in someone - cute, kind, considerate. He held open the door for you all the time, and always made sure to compliment you constantly. But he didn’t crack dad jokes, or plan goofy pranks, or have a sugar glider that he was more enamored with than any person he’d dated before. 

You realized he wasn’t Seokjin, nor could he completely fill the void that Seokjin had left in your life. The bond between the two of you had been forged over so many years, but severed in a matter of moments.

Maybe that’s just how life went. You spent so much of your time with someone, and then something happens one day that ends it. The nasty words you’d exchanged in the fight come back to haunt, and you wish you could take them back. But you were afraid. Afraid that he hated you. Maybe this was the sign you needed that things were changing, and that you needed time apart from each other.

In the back of your head, you hear Han’s voice, calling out to you. Blinking, you tune back into the present moment, Han repeating your name with concern.

“Sorry,” you collect yourself, banishing all thoughts of Seokjin from your head. “What did you say again?”

“Do you want to go to the gala? I mean, you have to go, sorry. I meant - do you want to go with me?”

His eyes are bright, shining with hope, and perhaps that’s what you need during this dark summer. A little bit of hope.

“I’d love that.”

“Calling up an 18 year old nerd for girl advice? That’s a new low, even for a dork like you, Seokjin.”

“Shut up Won-sik, or you can kiss our next Mario Kart tournament goodbye,” Seokjin scowls.

Everything had seemed so clear in the moment: Seokjin wanted you to go, so you left. But the gaping hole your departure had left couldn’t be fixed, taking the sun with you. Storm clouds lingered in his mind, and Seokjin could no longer put a Band-aid on his feelings. So he asked for help from the only person he knew would be able to think rationally and logically.

Or so he thought.

“What do you mean just tell her about my feelings?”

Seokjin’s heart is thumping, his hand shaking as he moves to put the receiver down.

“It’s really not that hard man. Just be honest, and whatever happens happens. At least you can put it all out on the line.”

This was not what he wanted to hear. Before he can stop himself, Seokjin blurts out something that was another mistake in the list of growing fuck-ups he’d had recently.

“You don’t know anything Won-sik, you’re just a kid.”

Won-sik’s cry of protest is cut off, the line going dead when Seokjin hangs up. His heavy breathing echoes throughout his room. Then, he calls the only other person he could talk to right now.

“Seokjin!” Ryujin exclaims gleefully. “So nice to hear from you.”

“Listen, are you free the night of the 29th?”

“Depends,” Ryujin giggles. “What is it for?”

“I want to date–, I mean, I want you to be my date, for a gala,” Seokjin sputters. He knows the invitation is uncouth, and not romantic at all, but he can’t bring himself to care anymore. He didn’t want romance. He just wanted this feeling to leave.

“Oooh sounds fun. I’ll be there.”

. . .

“Did you hear that boss? It’s happening on the 29th,” She-Babe smiles through the receiver.

“Perfect,’ Darken rubs his palms together. “I’ve nearly extracted the information I need.”

Looking behind him, the limp figure of the real Shin Ryujin sits, hooked up to his elaborate brain-tap machine. 

“Prepare everything, She-Babe. We’ll be ready to strike soon.”

The day you’d finally been waiting for was here. After waiting for the gala all summer, you were all finally gathered at the fancy venue, decked out in your finest. You had to commend the planning committee - they’d gone all out. Fairy lights decorated the entire ballroom, bringing the outdoors inside with twisting vines and fresh flowers as decorations. It felt like summer had brought its ight inside with it, and it was invigorating. Or maybe that was all the free champagne.

You purse your lips, smiling at your own little contribution to the night’s festivities. Behind all the tables, an extravagant stage was the focal point of the room, and on top of it – the world’s hottest boyband. DTS. AM had been more than eager to help out with the entertainment after you’d called in your favor.

“Call me Namjoon,” he’d grinned over the phone.

The boys crooned a slow, but sultry tone, and you felt yourself heat. A hand wraps around your waist, and you smile up at Han. He’d been ever the gentleman, picking you up and helping you out of the car. The two of you floated around the gala, talking up random coworkers and their guests. He charmed eveyone he’d met, and you were thankful for his bubbly presence for quelling the anxiety you’d had.

Seokjin wasn’t here yet. Maybe he’d decided not to come at all. And despite the night benign everything you’d ever hoped for - the fairytale date of your dreams, it all felt hollow without him here to celebrate with you. You’d been hoping to catch him in a dance, and apologize for your behaviour. You wanted to make things right between you again. You needed to.

But he was nowhere to be found, and you resigned yourself to the emptiness that lingered in your heart. You’d driven him away.

The doors open all of a sudden, welcoming another set of guests into the gala, and you gasp, excusing yourself when you see Seokjin among them. He looks just as handsome as that day in the mall, if not more, the tuxedo highlighting his broad shoulders. But he’s not alone. Your heart drops to your stomach when you realize he’d invited Ryujin as his guest, in an ethereal, floating dress of her own. They look like a celebrity couple.

You can’t stop staring at them, even minutes later, despite Han’s offer to get more drinks for you. Finally giving in, you request a glass of champagne, hoping the fizzy bubbles would soothe the bitter acid that had begun to rise up in your throat. You needed something to take the edge off. 

But the pain doesn’t go away, not even when you see Seokjin approach, Ryujin hanging off his arm.

“Hey,” he says, slightly out of breath when he sees you’d worn the same green dress he’d complimented.

“Hi,” you say meekly, unable to muster the strength to look in his eyes. Instead, you stare absently at his bowtie. “Are you having a good time?”

Ryujin answers for him, clapping a well-manicured hand on his shoulder. “Yes! Everything is stunning. Your firm did the most wonderful job.”

“That’s great,” you stutter, backing away. “You guys have fun, okay? I have to go, Han is waiting for me.”

You accept Han’s hand, letting him lead you into a dance out onto the floor. You’re grateful for the upbeat song, J-Nope’s melodious voice in the background. Then you can shift your focus away from Seokjin, losing yourself in the dance. But you’re as stiff as a board, moving robotically, and you catch a glimpse of Seokjin dancing with Ryujin across the room from you. He pulls her in close, arms wrapping around her waist, and their foreheads touch. 

You trip over Han’s toes when Seokjin presses his lips to Ryujin’s. Suddenly the room feels too hot, like there’s not enough air circulating in your lungs. You’re bent over, heaving, determinedly willing yourself to catch your breath, and stop the fresh tears in your eyes from coming forward.

“You okay?” Han asks, bending over to check on you.

You manage a shaky breath. “Fine. I just need to go to the bathroom.”

Gratefully, he doesn’t question you, instead choosing to let you go. Your feet move on their own, running out of the ballroom, until you’re in the corridor next to the bathrooms, finally able to breathe again. With the breath though, comes the stark reminder of what you’d just seen, and you feel like you’re going to be sick. The bathroom door is flung wide open, your heels clacking on the tile as you run into an empty stall.

Securing the lock, you slump onto the ground, finally giving into the sobs that now wrack your body. Why did it bother you so much? Seeing him with her, dancing and laughing. Seokjin was your best friend, and you wanted that for him, right? Just like you’d wanted a perfect date to the gala in Han.

Except the more and more you thought about it, you realized you didn’t want that for him. No, you were selfish. You wanted your best friend back. You wanted to be the one he smiled at, the one he joked with, the one he danced with. The one he kissed. Lashes fluttering, you close your eyes, lamenting at how you’d never have those things. Han could never make you feel a fraction of the way that Seokjin, and a harsh realization strikes you, one that brings more tears to your eyes.

You were in love with your best friend. You’d probably been in love with him for a long time, and were too stupid to realize it. And now everything was ruined, and he’d found someone else, someone who’d reciprocated his kindness. The ache in your chest grows deeper, and you realize you’d broken your own heart, by missing what had been in front of you this entire time.

…

Ryujin leads Seokjin out into the hallway, their faces flushed from the alcohol and dancing. Seokjin looks around, hoping to catch you out here, but you’d mysteriously disappeared during the dance, leaving Han stranded.

“Sorry, I was getting so warm,” Ryujin giggles, pinning him against the wall. Her lips press against the corner of his mouth. While he was grateful she’d agreed to be his date, he wasn’t sure about the depth of his feelings for her.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Seokjin grunts. “Can we hold on a second?”

“Too late,” she says, reaching behind her back. In seconds, a dagger is at his throat.

“What the fuck?”

“Oh I really had you fooled, didn’t I baby?” She coos menacingly, poking his cheek. “Poor little Seokjinnie, all heartbroken and feeling sorry for himself. Good thing I’m here to take care of you. For good.”

Ryujin reaches behind her dress, and he hears the zzzt of a zipper being undone. Suddenly, Ryujin is gone. And standing in her place is someone far worse.

“Miss me, love?” She-Babe drawls.

. . . 

One moment, the party was swinging, the band dancing on stage and everyone chattering. The next, a high pitched sound pierces the ears of the attendees. A sound wave, powerful enough to knock anyone out. Soon, only one person is left standing.

Dr. Darken looks over the incapacitated crowd. The plan was in motion. For months, he’d been using Ryujin’s computer technology to infiltrate your office with headsets, collecting data on the ins and outs of the office. And now, with the entire staff incapacitated from the soundwave, he would finally have access to all the files at Lockhart and Lee, gaining information on your corporate clients. Incriminating information that would make him a millionaire.

Dagger to his throat and staring down a supervillainess, Seokjin does the only logical thing he can do. But not before sending a silent apology to his mother. His knee darts up, slamming in between She-Babe’s legs, and she howls, loosening her grip enough for him to escape her clutches. And then he runs.

A sequence of apologies would be in order, it seemed. Seokjin picks up the expensive vases on the tables lining the hallway, hurtling them behind him. He hoped the crashing of the splintering glass would create enough of a diversion for She-Babe, putting her out of commission once her feet began to swell. He runs with only one thing in mind: finding you. You’d know what to do.

Until he reaches the exit. A growl sounds around the corner, and he knows She-Babe is approaching. But he also knows what he has to do. 

Fortunately, the gala was being held on the same street as your office, Seokjin spotting the building quickly. The event had led to a momentary lapse in security in the building itself, and Seokjin was quickly able to sneak past the singular night guard, who’d fallen asleep. He makes it to the elevators just in time to see a bolt of green fire blast through the revolving doors in the lobby.

Sifting through his brain, Seokjin remembers a conversation with you on your very first day of work, the two of you sitting outside as you’d pointed out the floor your boss’ office was on. Pulling out his pager, he dials for help.

“Won-sik? I need you to tell me how to prevent someone from accessing a server. Oh, and also maybe how to disable an ultrasonic sound wave?”

Won-sik’s calm voice serves as his guiding presence, and Seokjin’s fingers tap across the keys. The dim computer is the only light source in the room, and he hopes She-Babe tears the whole office apart before she comes looking for him.

“Almost there,” he taps his foot, watching the bar move, little by little. He smells the smoke before seeing it, green flames exploding through the door. The force of it knocks him back, She-Babe’s face the last thing he sees before everything fades to black.

. . . 

Stumbling out of the bathroom, you frown. There’s no one out in the hallway. Weird. Usually, the older crowd would be getting ready to turn in for the night. 

The tune from your pager rings in your ears, and you realize that in the bathroom, you’d missed ten calls from Won-sik.

“What’s the sitc–” you begin, but his frantic voice cuts you off.

“They took him, ___. They took Jin.”

“Who took him?” The call cuts off before you get an answer, and you scream in frustration. This had to be the work of Drakken.

Your ears prick up, hearing someone in the hallway approach you.

“Well, well, we meet again, dear,” She-Babe drawls, a gruesome smirk on her face. “I don’t see your little boy toy here, though. Oh yeah, maybe that’s because he’s out cold on your boss’ floor!”

She cackles, throwing her head back. Her joy is interrupted when you run to her, swinging your leg out to kick her in the stomach.

“Don’t. Hurt. Him.”

Your teeth are clenched, and you land a punch to her face.

“Oh, you’re gonna regret that,” she seethes, a bolt of fire knocking you down.

“Fight me, ____. You’ll never win this time.”

And fight her, you do. The two of you go at it for what seems like forever until you’re broken and bruised and panting with sweat. This was a colossal waste of time. Somewhere out there, Seokjin was hurt. And you needed to get to him, by any means possible.

“Alright, you win.” Slumping to your knees, you kneel in front of her, and her brows raise in surprise.

Pleading, you press your palms together. “You can have whatever you want; just take me to him, please.”

Pressing your cheeks against the cold bars of the cell, you wonder how you’d ever be able to get out. Darken and She-Babe were long gone. She’d taken all your gadgets and locked you up before rushing back to the office building to complete the cyber-attack.

Seokjin sleeps across from you, cuts and bruises littering his handsome face. He looks worse for wear, blood oozing from his split lip. Pushing closer to him, your hands come up, cupping his face, and you gently run your fingers up and down, hoping it’ll soothe him while he sleeps. It was your fault he was in this condition in the first place. You’d dragged him into crime-fighting back in high school. Now the regret of your choice hangs above your head like a weight, waiting to drop. Why couldn’t you just have been his normal best friend? One who didn’t get mixed up into trouble at every trouble.

Maybe then you could’ve been normal teenagers that grew up doing normal things. Maybe then you could’ve had a chance together.

Sadness seeps into your veins, and you hang your head in shame. 

“Maybe I’m not so extraordinary after all,” you confess softly, holding his hand in yours. “I couldn’t save the day this time.”

Seokjin’s eyes flutter as you speak, his breathing returning to normal.

“Not true,” he rasps, pulling you to him. Your foreheads touch, and you suck in a breath. “You’re ___ ___. You are my hero, and you’re far from ordinary.”

Eyes misting, you clutch his hand tightly to your chest. “Seokji–.”

“Shh, let me finish,” he whispers. “A lot of people call me a dork or a dweeb. But they don’t know that I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I’m lucky to have fallen in love with the most extraordinary girl and that I get to see her do all these amazing kickass things. That I get to be by her side.”

He chokes on the last words, and you sob harder. He’d been in love with you this whole time? God, you were a pair of fools, tearfully holding each other in a cell.

“It’s you, Seokjin,” your eyes glimmer with realization, melting into his soft touch. “I love you too. I’ve always loved you.”

His lips surge towards yours, and you meet him halfway. There are no shy brushes, no chaste pecks. You’re kissing your best friend. Like really kissing him, and sparks erupt underneath your skin. The air around you crackles with electricity, but there’s a warmth in your chest. One that feels like you’ve finally come home. 

Seokjin’s fingers dig into your waist, pulling you closer to him. Your airy sigh is the cue he needs to deepen the kiss, tilting his head and slipping his tongue inside, and you let out a small whimper, digging your fingers into the hair at the back of his neck.

A loud clatter breaks you apart with a jolt, and you look to see something has fallen out of Seokjin’s pocket. 

“Where did you get this?”

Seokjin pulls away with a huge grin, his lips red from kissing for so long. “You love me.”

“I do,” you giggle, smoothing his ruffled hair. 

“I’ve had that sitting in my pocket since I got the suit. I went to see Ryujin that day. Turns out it wasn’t Ryujin, but She-Babe in disguise.”

You gape at him. “Are you for real?”

Diving back in, you press a series of tiny pecks to his face, watching the tips of his ears turn red.

“You. Are. A. Genius.”

The cell bars are no match for the lipstick laser, the metal melting away. You and Seokjin step out of the holding, and he looks at you quizzically, silently asking what’s next.

Taking your hand in his, you explain: “We have a gala to save.”

Darken swings around in the office chair, staring gleefully at your boss’ computer. The download was nearly complete, and soon he’d be among the wealthiest men in the world.

“I winnnn,” he says in a sing-song voice. “I win!!!!”

In the corner, She-Babe rolls her eyes. She’d done over half the work.

The door opens with a loud bang, and Darken turns around, looking for the intruder. His face pales in shock when he sees you, Seokjin, and Odeng waiting for him, stern looks on your face,

“Not so fast, Darken.”

“She-Babe, attack!” Darken screams. She sighs heavily before jumping into action.

“You two can’t get enough of me, can you? Say, maybe we should set this all aside, spend time together in some other way….”

“Over my dead body,” you punch her square in the face.

“Have it your way,” she growls.

The office lights up with green flames and bolts from the lipstick laser, the weapons creating a terrifying backdrop to the macabre dance that ensues between you and She-Babe. You wrestle on the ground, taking turns pinning each other down and Darken watches with glee.

Seokjin, on the other hand, is confident he doesn’t have anything to worry about. 

“Boo-yah! That’s my girlfriend,” he cheers you on, jumping up and down. You pause the fight momentarily, looking up at him, your eyes widening in disbelief. He smiles shyly, giving you a thumbs up, but the moment is interrupted by She-Babe clipping the side of your head.

“Love makes me sick,” she groans.

“Funny, you make me sicker.” And with that final declaration, you knock her out, a sucker punch to the throat. But it’s too late. The download is nearly complete, with only fifteen seconds remaining. Not nearly enough time to crack the code.

“Nice try,” Darken taunts, eyes gleaming when he watches the countdown go down.

All of a sudden, the computer screen shuts off, turning black.

“NOOOOOOOO,” Darken yells, falling to his knees. “What happened?”

“You forgot the third member of our team.” Seokjin gives Darken a smug smile, pointing underneath the table. Odeng stands there next to a chewed-up wire.

“You’re finished, Darken.”

“I’ll be back,” he screams, wagging a finger at you. From behind, a helicopter approaches. He drags She-Babe on board.

“This isn’t the last you’ve heard of meeee!”

Eventually, the helicopter disappears, becoming nothing more than a speck in the distance. Seokjin chuckles at the mess surrounding you.

“I sure hope your boss has good insurance ___.”

You beam at him, the giddiness you’d felt earlier during the kiss returning tenfold. He loved you. And you loved him. The hazy air blows around you, the city lights twinkling out the window. The moment is magical, the perfect end to your summer. Until you hear a squeak from behind you.

“Odengie!” You coo. “Good job, baby! You did so well.”

“He’s honestly saved our asses more than I can count,” Seokjin grins.

Odeng continues to squeak, backing away until he runs out the door.

“ODENG!” Seokjin yells, running to catch him. 

“Wait for me!” You rush after the two of them, your laughter echoing into the night air.

After chasing Odeng, the two of you find yourself back at the gala building, breathless and slightly exhausted from tonight’s events.

Your pager goes off, and you look down to see a thumbs-up message from Won-sik. The faint strings of a guitar can be heard, and you smile. The music’s back on, which means that Won-sik succeeded in undoing Darken’s sound waves. Everyone would be alright.

Stepping towards the threshold, you pause. In the midst of everything that had happened, you’d forgotten about one thing. Han. He’d been so kind to you tonight, offering to be your company. You didn’t want to lead him on any longer now that you and Seokjin stood on the same page.

Something interrupts your field of vision, and you turn to see Seokjin offering you his arm. Despite his rough appearance, he looks like a complete gentleman, and you curse yourself for taking so long to realize that he was the one for you, and he’d been right by your side the entire time.

“Won-sik said no one remembers being knocked out,” he whispers. “Which means that if you want, we can restart the night over. The way it should have been in the first place.”

Linking your arm through his, you press a kiss to his cheek. “I’d love that.”

The two of you make your way back into the ballroom, the guests continuing to chatter away and drink their champagne. DTS is still up on the stage, with W taking the mic. He hums the first few notes before launching a slower, more romantic song.

Seokjin gives you a look of anticipation, silently asking if you want to dance, but there’s something else you have to do first. You give him a wave, telling him you’ll be back, and approach the one person you need to talk to, standing alone by the bar.

“Hey,” you say, and Han turns towards you. “How are you?”

“Doing fine,” Han smiles, and it doesn’t reach all the way up to his eyes. That’s when you remember he probably watched you walk in, arm in arm with Seokjin. 

“Han, you’ve been wonderful. Amazing really. I couldn’t have asked for a better date to come to the gala. And I’m saying this because I don’t want to lead you on and because you deserve someone who’ll love you back as much as you love them.”

“Someone like Seokjin-hyung?” he asks, and your face pales. He places a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “I kind of always knew there was something in between you two… I guess I thought I could just change your mind. But I can’t, can I?

Your eyes become cloudy, and you hate yourself for breaking his heart. “I’m so sorry, Han.”

“It’s alright, ___.” Han’s smile is full of nothing but warmth and acceptance. “You should go. He’s waiting for you.”

You follow his finger behind you, a few feet away, where Seokjin stands against a pillar, a worried look on his face.

Wiping your tears, you wish him well and watch as he approaches another girl by the bar, striking up a conversation with her.

Seokjin doesn’t even wait a second before rushing to your side, wrapping his arms around your waist, asking if you’re okay.

“I’ll be fine,” you sigh, nuzzling into the space between his neck and shoulder. “We’ll all be fine.”

Behind you, W slows down, finishing and launching into another slow song, carried by the live band’s instrumentals.

Seokjin knows he doesn’t even have to ask, but he’s been waiting for this moment all summer. “Dance with me?”

Your face lights up again, and he swears he wants to see you smile at him like that for the rest of his life. But right here, and right now, this was enough.

The two of you sway with each other for a while, eyes closed and enjoying the music. You relish the feel of Seokjin’s strong body against yours, holding you tightly. He’d always been a safe place for you. First as your best friend, then as your partner, and now as your boyfriend. The future no longer seemed like it would be full of unfulfilled dreams and regrets but happy memories and smiles, all born from the love between you two.

W croons the last note, bowing and thanking everyone for their time, and your eyes finally open. Seokjin looks down at you fondly, and you realize you weren’t dreaming. This was real, and he was finally yours.

“Let’s get out of here,” he grins.

The Uber ride back to his apartment is full of anticipation, the two of you holding your breath as you watch the lights pass you. The driver says nothing about the way you lean your head against his shoulder or how Seokjin’s arm curves around your waist possessively, instead bidding you good night with a mischievous smile.

“What was that all about?” you mumble against him in the elevator.

“___.” Your name sounds different coming from Seokjin’s lips. His voice is lower, a rasp present, and you shiver, even though it’s warm outside. “You didn’t think the night would be over so soon, did you? I have more planned.”

“Oh yeah,” you challenge him, now wide awake. “Tell me about it.”

“I’d rather show you,” he smirks.

Ignoring your squeak of protest, Seokjin leans in, smashing his lips against yours. The kiss is frenzied, picking back up right where you left off last time, except there’ll be no interruptions this time. The floors go up, up, up, but you fail to notice, focused only on how his tongue slips into your mouth.

Groaning, Seokjin feels for the slit in your dress, pushing your thigh around his waist. The change in position means you feel every solid muscle of his against your body, and your hips move of their own accord, grinding down wherever you can. 

“Fuck,” he groans. “You look so hot in this dress. I could have come in my pants the first time I saw you in it.”

His filthy words tease a whine from your throat, pulling him back towards you. The two of you make out for what seems like hours, even though the elevator up to his floor is only a few short minutes. You separate, and Seokjin looks sin incarnate: hair tousled, flushed skin, and swollen lips. You’re unable to take your eyes off him as he leads you down the hallway, fumbling with the code on his door. 

His flustered antics make you smile but also cause a strange heat to unfurl in your belly; you had some idea of what would happen tonight, but you hadn’t really thought before about what Seokjin was like in bed. The lock finally opens, and Seokjin stumbles in, dragging you behind him.

He reaches into his pocket, and your face pales. “Shit. We forgot about Odengie.”

The two of you burst into quiet laughter, careful not to wake the sleeping sugar glider as Seokjin puts him to bed. He’s so gentle and cautious with Odeng, and you feel love bloom in your chest just looking at the two of them, wondering how you’d gotten so lucky.

“Okay, where were we?”

. . . 

Seokjin thinks he must be dreaming. No, he’s pretty sure tonight is all just one perfect dream that’ll be gone as soon as he wakes up in the morning. Because the Seokjin at the beginning of the summer could never have imagined a situation like this.

Sinking to your knees, you look up at him through heavy-lidded lashes, reaching out to fish out his cock from his briefs. Your eyes widen when it springs forward.

“How the fuck,” you breathe heavily. “Is that supposed to fit inside me?”

You think he’s going to crack another dad joke, expecting to hear his windshield wiper laugh any moment now. But Seokjin’s eyes are dark, dilated with lust. The way he towers over you makes you shrink under his intense gaze, and you feel your core throb with need.

He bends down slightly, roughly turning your face up towards him. His thumb rubs against your swollen lips, smearing your dark lipstick all over your face.

“You’ll take what I give you, baby.” He says stormily. “Every inch of it. Now suck.”

The dominance in his tone has you clenching around nothing, clit pulsing with desire at this newfound side of him. Your lips wrap tentatively around his head, giving small kitten licks as you make your way upwards. 

“Ughhh, that’s it, keep going, baby.” His groans spur you to become bolder, opening to engulf his entire girth in your mouth. You can feel wetness soak your panties underneath your dress, running messily down your thighs. You decide to continue like this for a while, taking more and more of his length each time, until your nose presses against the fine hairs of his happy trail. You moan around his cock, and the vibrations make him curse.

“Holy fuck, ___, you take me so well, babe. If your mouth feels this good, I can’t wait to know what your pussy feels like.”

You pull off his cock with a pop!, wide eyes looking up at him. The desire within you could no longer be contained, and you finally decide to give in, letting go of all your inhibitions. 

“Fuck me, please, Seokjin, want to choke on your cock so bad.”

No sooner than the plea comes out of your mouth, Seokjin shoves his cock back inside, pushing until he feels the muscles of your throat contract around him.

“Fuuuck, you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do this.” His hand comes down to pull at your hair, leaving you limp and at his mercy completely. His hips piston, pushing his cock in and out of your mouth, going deeper every single time until you feel tears prick at the corner of your lids.

“Look at you, my pretty little cockslut. If I had known you loved sucking dick this much, I would have made sure your mouth was full of it every day.”

His taunts make you quiver, your wanton moans edging him to keep going. The need in your core has become overwhelming, and you slip your fingers under your dress, pushing your panties to the side. 

Seokjin notices you falter on his cock, looking down to see you rubbing at your swollen bud, grinding back and forth against your fingers. Cute, he thinks. But it wasn’t gonna fly. The only way he wanted you coming was around his cock.

You can feel yourself coming close, close, close, until Seokjin’s arms wrap around you, pulling you off his cock sharply.

“Noooo,” you beg. “Please, I was so close.”

“Tough luck, babe. Now let me see what’s under that dress.”

The green satin cascades to the floor, revealing you clad in only a pair of black lace panties. 

“On the bed,’ Seokjin commands, hovering over your prone figure.

Leaning back, you melt into his soft pillows, your entire body relaxed and on display for him. His lips ghost over your own, teasing you, before moving to press hungry kisses down your neck and the tops of your breasts. Your nipples ache, begging for his touch, and he reads you immediately, swirling his fingers over the buds before giving the left one a sharp tug. A broken moan leaves your lips.

“More, please. I need more.”

He wastes no time; one hand pulls at your nipple while the other ghosts between your legs, pulling at your panties until you hear a rip!

“Hey!” you protest but are promptly silenced by one of his fingers on your lips and two others shoved into your wet cunt.

“Mmph!” you whine, arousal gushing from you as he thrusts his fingers in and out, curling them inside you to hook against your walls. “I’m gonna come!”

Your back arches when he presses against a specific spot, rubbing circles against your clit at the same time and the familiar burn of your orgasm begins to rise, building in your stomach.

Only to be violently ripped away again. Your eyes are wet, tears streaming down your face from the ruined orgasms, and Seokjin pushes the sweaty strands of hair from your face.

“I’m gonna fuck you now,” he says, and his tone is no longer the same menacing dominant one. It’s petered out to a more gentle one, one that signifies that he’ll take care of you.

You can hear your heart racing, watching him slip away to roll on a condom. When he returns, he pauses, eyes boring into yours, asking for permission to keep going.

You stroke his cheeks, nodding your consent. “I love you.”

“I love you too ___. Always have and always will.”

He pushes into you slowly, groaning when he feels your walls widening to accommodate him. The two of you stay there for a few moments, catching your breath before you tell him it’s okay to move. His hips snap lazily against yours, fucking you slowly and deeply, the wet sounds of your arousal the only thing you can hear.

This time, you don’t feel the same burning need you had the two times before. Instead, your orgasm washes over you gently, like a wave lapping at the shore. You float breathlessly on a high, Seokjin following you not long after.

You remain entangled together, Seokjin’s shallow breaths fanning against your neck until you decide to break the silence.

“Where did that come from? I never knew you were so hot.”

“___, you’re kidding, right? You’re the hottest girl I’ve ever seen.”

“Shut up, Kim.”

“Make me.”

. . .

You wake to cold sheets, Seokjin’s warm presence no longer next to you. Rubbing your eyes, you call out for him but hear nothing. 

Making your way out of bed, you stretch your sore muscles, flushing as you remember last night with Seokjin. When you walk into the living room, he’s nowhere to be found, the TV blaring. Frantic, you look all over for your phone, sighing in relief when you see a text from him.

“Went out to go get breakfast.”

Relieved that he hasn’t abandoned you, you take a seat on his couch, turning on the TV. A news Channel immediately pops up, and much to your surprise, they’re reporting on the events of last night. Nothing is mentioned of Darken or you and Seokjin; instead, it focuses mainly on the break-in and cyber-attack at the office. What does relieve you is the mention of the real Ryujin, who was rescued and returned safe and sound.

The door clicks faintly, Seokjin walking in to see you focused on the screen. 

“You know,” he drawls out. “Maybe it was a relief She-Babe tricked me in the first place, or else Ryujin would be sitting here right now.”

You smirk to yourself, the food’s scent permeating your nostrils and making you hungry.

“Please, there’s no one else who’d spend the weekend with you eating Nacho Loco. Let’s be real.”

Seokjin walks up to you, pressing a kiss into your messy hair.

“Maybe you’re right. So, what else are we going to do on this fine weekend morning besides inhaling greasy breakfast burritos?”

Rolling your eyes, you slap his arm.

“I’m still sore from last night, don’t get any ideas.”

The look on his face is smug, but he pulls you into a hug.

“We can do anything now; we have all the time in the world.”

His declaration is immediately followed by the tune of your pager beeping. The two of you look at each other in mock horror before you open up the pager.

“Hey Won-sik, what’s the sitch?” Seokjin is the one to answer with your signature line.

“Seokjin??? But this is ___’s pager; what’s going on? Ohhhhhh…. Oh! Holy shit! You guys did it; you actually got together!”

His excited screams echo through the receiver, the two of you listening on, knowing another mission awaits.

“There go our plans,” you sigh.

“Wrong! There’s no one else I’d rather save the world with. You ready, ___?”

“Let the first joint team Kim-___ mission begin.”

A/N pt 2: As always, any feedback or comments are much appreciated, but I appreciate you all anyway. Lots of love, Isi 💜

taglist: @yoontaethings​

[oraclekleo]

Cha Eunwoo (ASTRO) - Relationship Role Analysis based on Tarot Cards Reading

Hello and welcome!

I’m Kleo and I’m here to present some k-pop related tarot readings to you.

Disclaimer:

I would like to state that all these readings have a purely entertainment nature and their purpose is to bring some fun into my and hopefully yours lives. I have never ever met any of the idols / actors / celebrities in my readings, I don’t know them personally. Tarot reading isn’t an exact science and I can never guarantee any of it. Most of it is my intuition mixed with fantasy. Don’t take these readings seriously and don’t base any important decisions on tarot readings only, use your common sense.

If you wish to request a tarot reading, please read the pinned post on my profile first to see the instructions on how to request. I only do readings for idols / actors / celebrities of 18 years of age or older. Requests for readings including younger people will be automatically dismissed. If you feel uncomfortable with these tarot readings, do not engage in reading my posts. Thank you for understanding.

Reading Info:

Rating: 18+

Reading Type: Single - Couple

Requested: Yes - No

Deck: E. A. Poe

Spread: Relationship Role

Questions:

Friend

Boyfriend

Lover

Husband

One-Night-Stand

Full Name: Cha Eun Woo

Stage Name: Cha Eunwoo

Group: ASTRO

Cha Eun Woo

Cha Eunwoo - ASTRO

Spread: Relationship Role

Deck: E. A. Poe

Friend - 4 of Swords, XIV Temperance

Friend Cha Eunwoo is the calm and steady anchor in life. He’s the type of friend one can always rely on and count on to keep a cool head and give wise advice. He’s emotionally mature and balanced, a perfect guide and mentor. However he prefers to keep his privacy for himself so hanging in his home is not very likely. Eunwoo is also likely to ask for his personal space to be respected. He’s not cold but he’s probably not going to be the hugging type either.

Boyfriend - XV The Devil, 4 of Cups

It seems like when it comes to dating, Eunwoo can be a handful. It’s likely he has a strong libido and therefore he expects the physical aspect of the dating to come as soon as possible. He might suffer from tension and cravings ever since the first date. It’s likely for him to become possessive and controllable from the very first moment. If his significant other doesn’t feel the same and wants to take the dating slowly, Eunwoo is likely to lose interest and withdraw from the relationship, ignoring his love till the relationship inevitably breaks.

Lover - Ace of Cups, 3 of Cups

While being a bit of a pain when it comes to playing the boyfriend role, Eunwoo is likely to become one of the best lovers in his partner’s life. Once he’s in the bedroom, all the tension drops and he transforms into a sensual, passionate and most loving and caring lover. He’s full of… emotions and desire. Eunwoo is an exceptionally skilled and sensitive lover. Considering how much he always wants it, he truly enjoys love making like if it was a celebration. Prepare for some fireworks.

Husband - I The Magician, XIII The Death

Cha Eunwoo would give a lot of thought to the marriage institution before entering it. For him it’s a very serious matter and he knows that once he becomes a husband, his life changes completely. He would become a very devoted husband, cheating would be out of question. He’s likely to be the breadwinner of the household and the head of the family. Eunwoo sees a marriage as an accomplishment and he will do anything to make it work. When deeply in love, Eunwoo won’t hesitate to bring sacrifice, to transform or to move abroad if it’s necessary.

One-Night-Stand - 3 of Pentacles, VII The Chariot

Eunwoo might go for a one night stand if he’s pushed or hassled. Something like a drunken bet might make him seduce a stranger for a wild night because his pride urges him to win any bet. It’s probably not going to be something he would be particularly proud about but the fact he won the bet is something he might actually be happy about.

Thank you for reading!

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[arino4u]

oh no guys, oh no! my cheeseburger price was once 3 dollars and 95 cents, and now it is 4 dollars and 10 cents. what am I going to do now that it costs 15 extra cents... what am I going to do guys?!?!

So this article obviously exists to play into the whole conservative talking point that "we can't raise the minimum wage because then prices would go through the roof!", which is a point I've always just found really silly.

While it is true that a minimum wage increase would cause prices to go up, pointing that out as if it's unique to this issue is a blatant obfuscation of the truth of how these corporations operate.

These types of arguments force us to imagine a world wherein fast food chains offer us delicious and tasty burgers at very low and affordable prices, and the glue holding this entire operation together are the low wages they pay their employees. After all, they have to cut costs somewhere, and at the end of the day, these jobs are just paid summer camp for teens, right? Who wouldn't want to get paid to flip burgers and have fun with other cool teens!? but this just isn't the case.

The reality is that the relationship between fast food prices and fast food workers isn't nearly as linear as these arguments make them out to be.

If you look at this graph, you can see that fast food prices have skyrocketed over the past decade, outpacing even the rate of inflation by an extremely hefty margin.

Meanwhile, the state average minimum wage from 2014 to 2024, when adjusted for inflation, has only increased from $9.54 to $10.69.

While I'm not trying to make any claims as bold as "10 dollars is not more money than 9 dollars", I do believe it's fair to say that it's not enough more dollars to warrant having to increase your prices by 100%. I uh- I think that's a pretty agreeable thing to say, probably.

So all that is to say that reality just doesn't align with the claims made those who use this talking point, but that leads to the question of if the people who say it really even care?

I can sit here and point out the flaws in these paper thin arguments all day, and I'd have a fantastic time to doing so, but I don't honestly think it would matter to a conservative at all. I think there's a sort of blunt and simple logic to their reasoning that seems really appealing.

"Fast food prices are low because wages are low, and it's ok that wages are low because the people who work at these jobs are high schoolers who don't have to worry about bills. Why do they need a living wage, if they're not even responsible for their own well being?"

It's that gut feeling, that "and that's just how things aught to be" mentality that conservatives revel in, and I'm truly not confident there's any amount of statistical evidence to convince someone who thinks that way to try and look at something in a new light.

[cherry-velvet-skies]

It is time for the finale of the Beatles Era Ratings series ❤ This series was so fun I don't want it to end lol

Episode 4: Paul McCharmly 😁 And as of now all four parts are available in my Masterlist if you haven't seen the others 🥰

Archie Comics Character (Pre-Beatles Era)

Tell me he doesn't look like a 50s/60s cartoon character

Simultaneously looks 18 years old and 8 years old this kid's a fucking wizard

He has the vibe of those people who seem super cool but talk to them for too long and they get real annoying real fast

4/10 his only skill is his seemingly endless inventory of cheesy pickup lines

Petulant Schoolboy (1962)

Resting Pout Face ™️

There is a certain level of entitlement radiating from this image but we don't have time to unpack all of that

Looks the same as practically every other kid his age but still thinks he's the best looking one

5/10 is cute until he opens his mouth

Undercover Ken Doll (1963-66)

His appearance has not changed since the beginning of the Beatles

Looks identical to his Beatles cartoon counterpart and no I'm not wrong

This man is one minor inconvenience away from throwing a full-blown tantrum

6/10 though I'd be lying if I said I didn't find him the least bit adorable

Teen Caught With Fake ID (1967)

Never have I seen a real mustache look so fake in my entire life

When people who work at convenience stores tell stories of underage people who come in trying to buy alcohol, this is the people that come in

He's 25 and he looks 15 I hate it here

3/10 maybe next time don't let your LSD trip determine your facial hair pattern

Understandably Conceited (1968)

Very similar to Undercover Ken Doll but there is something different here. Something...better

Beautiful and he knows it

His eyelashes are longer than mine what the hell am I doing wrong

9/10 he's a 9 but he gatekeeps his skincare routine

McBeardy (1969-70)

Jesus Christ do I even need to say anything

The only other exception to my "I hate beards" rule

The mustache cannot stand on its own it must be accompanied by the beard

1000/10 I want him to fuck me just so I could forget about my problems for a while

No (1971)

How did we go from McBeardy to t h i s

You really thought that having beard hair longer than the hair on your head was a good idea? I think the fuck not, James.

Every time I think about Paul's style evolution I desperately try to delete this one from my memory

0/10 I actively despise this

Hot Dad at a Pool Party (1972)

Well at least the beard is gone

The title is exactly what I mean. I have no other way of describing this look

His hair is a little shorter than I feel is the ideal length for him but it's not bad

7.5/10 it's enough to make me have a crush on him, but it would be nothing more than that

Baby's First Mullet (1973)

Looks cute but also concerningly sexy

I hate that I like this but then again rockstar mullets are different than regular mullets so I have nothing to be embarrassed about

His eyes are so big how does he do that

9.5/10 if I saw him at a club I would definitely wanna sleep with him

The Eighth Circle of Hell (1974)

And we're back here again I am in AGONY

The trainwreck of a mustache ON TOP OF THE MULLET? I am at my fucking limit.

This is the face of a man who has done his fair share of cocaine

12598347/10 I had it at a 2.5/10 at first and the only reason I changed it is because there is some sick twisted part of me that's attracted to this and maybe that's why I'm so angry about it. I thought about my rating overnight and ended up having a dream that we fucked and he looked like this and it was so hot. My affinity for skrunkly men is one that both comforts and deeply disturbs me.

Mullet Yoyo (1975-78)

No matter how long or short the mullet got it never left

At least the mustache is gone I can't take having to face my most embarrassing turn-ons anymore

To be honest he somehow looks more unhinged with just the mullet

7.5/10 my brain doesn't like it as much without the facial hair oh my god Cherry what the FUCK is wrong with you

Intermission (1979-80)

It's not that I don't like this. I just really have nothing much to say about it

Sort of a middle ground in between the chaotic energy from the 70s and the dilf energy of the 80s

He looks handsome I'll give him that

7/10 I certainly have nothing to complain about

Give My Regards to Dilf Street (1981-85)

Oh shit here we go

His hair got longer and none of us knew how to act

When I say I watch the Broad Street movie for the plot, this is the plot

3000/10 this man is a frequent visitor of my sexual fantasies

Warden at Horny Jail (1986)

I'm- 🥴

Nobody talk to me

This is the epitome of dilf energy it's not even a competition

36459871/10 please just fuck me already

Questionable Choices (1987-88)

He cut his hair I am in shambles

Paul why

He doesn't look bad but obviously the long hair is way better

5/10 I don't hate it but my heart belongs to another

The Swan is Gliding (1989-97)

The dilf haircut is back thank god

Paul you have redeemed yourself

He looks unbelievably sexy but for some reason it's missing something that he had in '86 and I don't know what it is- oH MY GOD HE DYED HIS HAIR THAT'S WHAT IT IS

1000000/10 it's still one of my faves but COME ON PAUL YOU'RE A DILF FOR GOD'S SAKE YOU NEED TO EMBRACE YOUR GRAY HAIR YOU'RE A SILVER FOX BABE PLEASE

Time Traveler (1998-2003)

He started looking real old real quick

But of course I will not be harsh with this era because I know it was a super tough one for him

I know all too well that when you're super stressed out, your appearance is the furthest thing from your mind

5/10 honestly he just looks like a typical guy in his sixties so there's nothing to bash anyway 😊❤

Lead Role in a CBS Crime Drama (2004-10)

This pic just gives me NCIS/Criminal Minds cast photo vibes idk

Again I mean this in the best way possible but he looks like just some guy and there's nothing wrong with that

A suit will always be sexy to me though

8/10 I have a certain appreciation for this one

Main Character Energy (2011-16)

This era of Paul was the moment

His hair is longer again and yes I do think he looks very sexy

A majority of the music he released in this era is just *chef's kiss*

10/10 this photo is from the promo for the NEW album which fucking slaps btw it's honestly one of my favorite albums from his solo career

Hey Grandude (2017-19)

I'm sorry I just had to name it that I think him using it for a children's book title is too cute

The gray hair is coming back and I very much do think it suits him

This is not so much "just some guy" but more like "a guy who aged beautifully"

9/10 if you told me he was approaching 80 years old I would not believe you

Eternal Rockstar (2020-Present Day)

Oh my god shUT UP

I have to say dilf. Do I have to say dilf? I feel like I have to say dilf

Don't dye your hair anymore babe you don't need it

10000/10 I had to choose this photo it taunts me too much 🥵