#i searched this n couldn't find anything helpful so far

[vivwritesfics]

"I Don't Know Anything About Dinosaurs"

Spencer was meant to be at the museum on a blind date, not walking around with a mother and son, listening to him as he spouted off dinosaur facts. But then the kid goes missing and it's Spencer's mission to save him.

Spencer x Single mother! Reader

Spencer Reid hated the thought of a blind date. He didn't know if said blind date being set up by Garcia made things better or worse. At least Garcia was a fellow need. She liked some of the things Spencer was into and hopefully knew people who were also into those things.

Their meeting place being a museum had to be a good sign, he thought as he stared up at the recreation of the Parasaurolophus skeleton. But, so far, there had been no sign of her. He looked around with the knowledge that she'd be wearing a green scarf and carrying a museum tote bag, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, somebody was tugging at his sleeve. Spencer looked down to see a boy with wild, dark curls staring up at him. "Excuse me, Mister," the boy said as he looked up at Spencer. "You're blocking the sign." Spencer looked to his left and saw that he really was blocking the sign.

Not that this little boy would be able to read it from his height. "I'm sorry," Spencer said gently as he stepped to one side.

He couldn't help but watch as this little boy walked over to the sign full of dinosaur facts. Just as Spencer had thought, he'd been too short to read it, but he stood on his tiptoes and really tried.

When the boy gave up, he turned to Spencer. "Hey Mister," he said and put his hands on his hips. "Wanna help a fella out?"

Spencer couldn't help but wonder where this kid had learnt this phrase. He looked around before he crouched down, matching the kids height. "Is your mom anywhere around here?" Spencer asked. The kid shrugged her shoulders and, suddenly, Spencer was trying not to panic. "Do you want help finding her?"

Again, the boy shrugged. "She knows where to find me," he said and turned his attention back to the dinosaur.

Spencer stayed by the kid. He looked around, searching for any sign of his mother. But nobody around him seemed like they were panicked or looking for him.

Suddenly, shouts filled the room. "Jimmy!" Somebody shouted. Spencer looked around until he saw a young woman running towards him and the kid. "Jimmy!" When she got close enough, she grabbed the boy and pulled him into her embrace.

But then she stood up straight and looked at him, her expression stern. "James L/N, you know better than to run off like that!"

Jimmy pouted as he looked at his mother. "I'm sorry, momma," he said. "I just wanted to see the dinosaurs."

Her face dropped and she ruffled his dark curls. "It's okay, baby. We can look at them together," she said softly.

Jimmy took his mothers hand, but he turned towards Spencer. Spencer, who knew everything, but didn't know why he was still standing there, watching them. "This fella was gonna help me read the sign," he said.

His mother suddenly turned to Spencer. She tightened her grip on her sons hand and placed her other on her hip as she stared at him.

Spencer jumped into action. "He, uh, he said his mother knew where to find him. I didn't want to leave him here until someone came to claim him," he explained.

She dropped the hand from her hip. "Well, thank you," she said and lifted her son up. She placed him on her hip so that he could read the sign and turned her attention to Spencer. "Do you like Hadrosaurs?" She asked as she nodded her head to the not entirely real skeleton. (Well, maybe a few bones were real, but not the whole thing.)

Spencer shook his head. "No. I'm more of a science museum guy," he answered. He didn't add that he rarely got time to visit a museum with his job.

"Well, if you wanna know anything about any of the dinosaurs, I'm sure Jimmy would be happy to answer you," she said in reply. Her smile was polite, sweet, one Spencer found he really liked looking at.

Spencer took one last look around the museum, one last look for the blind date that Garcia had set up for him. He'd mentally prepared himself for a date, mentally prepared himself to be confident and out going. He wasn't about to let that go to waste.

"I don't know anything about dinosaurs." A lie. "Do you mind if I joined you?"

That was how Spencer spent his day. If his date eventually showed up to the museum, he didn't much care. He was much happier listening to Jimmy talk about dinosaurs. For the first time in his life, Spencer bit his tongue. Jimmy rarely got any of his facts wrong, and Spencer didn't add to his knowledge base, not when he'd said he didn't know anything about dinosaurs.

Once they got back to the museum entrance, Jimmy dragged his mother to the gift shop, and Spencer was only happy to follow. When Jimmy found two soft toys that he wanted (an Ankylosaurus and a Pachycephalosaurus), Spencer helped him to decide which one he wanted.

Jimmy told Spencer everything he knew about the Ankylosaurus as they walked out of the museum. But, once they were on the steps, his mother squeezed his hand. "We've gotta go, Jim," she said softly to him.

Jimmy pouted, but then he turned to Spencer. "It was nice to meet you, Spencer," he said. "You're a nice fella."

Spencer couldn't help but grin. "Thanks for teaching me all about Dinosaurs, Jimmy," he said as he crouched down to his height. "Take good care of, Anky."

He stood up straight and looked at Jimmy's mother. "He's right," she said. "It really was nice to meet you. Thanks for being so nice to him. I don't know many other people who would walk around and let a six year old talk at them for hours."

Spencer shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. "No, I learnt a lot," he replied. Neither of them had spoken about Jimmy having a father, or his mother having a partner. There had been no ring on her finger, and the profiler could pick up no indications that she had a partner.

So, Spencer took a leap of faith. "Maybe we could do this again sometime."

Her grin only grew. "I'm sure Jimmy will find some more facts for you," she said, her hand on his sons head. But then she went fishing through her bag and pulled out her phone. "Give me your number," she said and handed him her phone.

Spencer put his number into the phone and passed it back. She typed out a text and quickly sent it to him. "Until next time, Doctor Reid," she said and walked Jimmy down the museum steps, leading him to her car.

Spencer couldn't help but watch them go.

***

The case must have been local. JJ had told them not to back an overnight bag and they all rushed to the BAU as quickly as they could.

It had only been a few days since Spencer had met Jimmy and his mother. They'd texted here and there, but they were both pretty busy with their jobs. Still, he couldn't help but think of them as the elevator took him up. After this case was done, he'd make arrangements to see them again. To find out what new dinosaur facts Jimmy had for him.

He and the rest of the team sat around the round table. Within seconds JJ was walking into the room and turning on the monitor. "James L/N has been reported missing by his mother," she said as the rest of the team passed around folders.

Spencer felt his heart stop. James. Jimmy. Reported missing by his mother. Jimmy, the sweet boy who knew so much about dinosaurs, had been reported missing. He suddenly couldn't breathe.

"His mother said she put him to bed and went to clean up the kitchen. When she checked on him before taking herself to bed, he was gone," JJ continued.

"Jimmy." Spencer couldn't stop himself from saying it.

All eyes were suddenly on him. JJ took a step towards him. "What is it, Spence?" She asked softly. She always was soft with him, almost treating him like he was a child. It wasn't what he needed right now, but he was grateful.

"I-I know this boy," he said as he flipped through the folder that was passed to him. "He, uh, his mom calls him Jimmy, not James."

"You know his mother?" Hotch asked him.

Spencer nodded. "They were at the museum last weekend. I walked around the exhibits with them," he said.

Hotch sent them on their way. He, Rossi, Prentiss, and Garcia began looking through all the information they could find on James L/N and his mother, while JJ, Reid and Morgan went to James's house.

Before this, Spencer had been wondering if he could count their time at the museum as a date. It hadn't been, really. But he wanted to take her on one, or at least get to know her better.

He couldn't believe his first time inside of her house was going to be because of a case. Spencer couldn't help but feel a little sick as he, JJ and Morgan walked up the steps to the house. There was an array of flowers in the garden. Some in pots lining the steps, some on the windows, some hanging beside the door.

Spencer raised his fist. The stained glass window panes painted a scene. Water, a clock tower, a bird flying above the ocean. Spencer sucked in a breath and knocked between the window panes.

The door was open within seconds. Jimmy's mother stared at the three ages. Morgan said her name. "We're with the-"

But, before he could finish he sentence, she threw herself at Spencer, wrapping her arms around him. Spencer stood there for a moment, unable to move. But then he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her. "He's gone," she cried against Spencer's chest.

"I know," Spencer whispered, his large hand against her back. "But we're gonna find him."

JJ and Morgan hung back as they watched the interaction. It felt intimate, something they couldn't interrupt. But she let go of Spencer and stepped to the side, letting all three agents into her house.

She wrapped her arms around herself as she shut the door behind them. "I... I didn't touch anything in his room," she said as she led them upstairs. At the very first room she pushed open the door.

Morgan and JJ pulled on gloves as they stepped into the room. But it was perfectly clean. The bed was made, the room had been cleaned up, but there was no sign of a break in. "Reid, take her downstairs," Morgan said as he and JJ began combing through the room.

Spencer did just that. He took her downstairs and sat her on the sofa, sitting himself beside her. She drew in a shaky breath. "He has Anky," she said quietly and wiped at her eyes. "If I had known you were FBI I would have called you before I called the police."

He swallowed. "I'm here now," he said, meeting her teary gaze. "And I need you to tell me everything that happened, starting with when you put Jimmy to bed."

She ran Spencer through her entire evening. Starting with dinner, and then bath time, story time and bed. She told him how she cleaned the kitchen after dinner and took some time, only ten minutes to read. By the time she went up to check on him, by the time she was ready to go to sleep herself, Jimmy was gone.

When she started crying Spencer rubbed her back. There was little else he could do to offer contact as he asked as she had noticed anything or anybody strange recently. He'd already worked out that the unsub must have known her usual schedule to be able to take Jimmy and then clean his room.

Before Spencer could piece together any information from her answers, the phone began ringing. She drew in a sharp gasp as she turned her head towards it.

When she looked at Spencer again, he nodded and she picked up the phone. "H-hello?" She said, voice shaking as she put the phone on speaker.

"Hi mommy!"

Immediately, tears sprang to her eyes. "Jimmy?" She cried. "Is that you, baby?"

"Yeah, mommy," he said. He sounded fine and she had to take comfort in that.

Her hand fell onto Spencer's and she squeezed. Squeezed him to the point of pain. But Spencer didn't say anything. He squeezed her back, trying to be encouraging. "Jimmy, baby, can you tell me where you are? I-It's almost time for lunch and I need to come get you."

"I'm with a friend, mommy," Jimmy answered. "Her name is mommy, too. She said she's gonna make me lunch."

Suddenly, Spencer's brows furrowed. She. The unsub was a woman.

"Mommy, she wants to speak to you," Jimmy said. Spencer watched as her eyes went wide and she began rapidly shaking her head.

But Spencer squeezed her hand and nodded his head. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Okay, Jimmy, But, can you tell me where you are first, baby?"

Jimmy didn't answer her.

There was an indistinguishable noise from the other end and then, "Leave my son and I alone!"

It was a woman's voice, an obviously upset woman's voice. As the rest of the team came down the stairs Spencer pressed his fingers to his lips.

"Please," she said desperately as she looked at Spencer. "Please, just bring Jimmy home. He's all I got."

"His name isn't Jimmy!" The other woman suddenly cried. "He's my son and his name is Robert!" She ended the call after that, cutting off the contact.

Her hands shook as she put the phone down.

"His name is Robert," Spencer repeated. He said it to himself a few times as the rest of the team crowded around her to ask her more questions. Desperately, she looked at Spencer, but he pulled his phone from his pocket and pressed it to his ear.

***

Spencer didn't sleep much on this case. He couldn't, not until he knew that Jimmy was safe at home with his mother.

He had Garcia look into mothers who had lost their children. More specifically, mothers that had lost children called Robert.

The whole team tried several different angles for the case. While Morgan and JJ interviewed mothers that had lost children, Spencer and Garcia desperately searched through records of institutions.

Their lucky break was when the unsub called once again. Spencer had been there, thank god. All she had to do was call and he was running.

Garcia had set things up to trace the call. When the phone began ringing, she held her hand against her chest. "It's okay," Spencer assured her.

He picked up the phone and placed it in her hands. "Hi Mommy!"

"Jimmy!" She sat up straighter. "Jimmy, baby, are you okay?" She asked desperately.

There was a beat of silence, one that had her heartbeat erratic. "I'm okay, Mommy. I've lost Anky, though."

She swallowed. "Well, when you're home, we can go to the museum again and get you another."

"Can Spencer come with us?"

Spencer nodded at her. Of course they could go back to the museum. The moment they got Jimmy home, Spencer would take the both of them.

"Yeah, Jimmy. We can take Spencer."

Suddenly the call was ended. "Jimmy?!" She cried, desperately. But he was gone.

"Garcia, have you got it?" Spencer called down his phone as he stood.

Garcia listed off the address. Immediately Spencer was using his long legs to stride to her front door. "Wait!" She cried, rushing after him. Spencer turned, his eyes soft as he looked at her. "Bring him home."

Hotch didn't want Spencer going with them. He was too close to the case, and they all knew it wouldn't end well. But Jimmy knew him, and he was more likely to actually go with Spencer.

The team entered the house, guns drawn. With noises from the living room and the upstairs, the team split up.

Spencer and JJ headed into the living room. Cartoons played on the television, and Spencer had to hope it was Jimmy.

And Jimmy it was. "Hi Spencer!" He called the moment the FBI agent came into view.

Immediately Spencer felt his heart stop. He put his gun away and crouched down in front of Jimmy. "Hey, Buddy," he said as Jimmy hugged him. "We're gonna get you home to your mom, okay?"

"Okay," Jimmy said as Spencer picked him up.

The rest of the team arrested the unsub, a woman who had lost her child years ago. She fought to get to Jimmy when she was walked towards the police car, cuffs around her wrists.

***

Spencer held Jimmy's hand in the police station. Jimmy told Spencer more dinosaur facts. "I wanna go back to the museum," he said. "And I want you to come."

"Your mom is gonna be happy to take you," Jimmy," he said and handed him a pen. Jimmy began drawing as he waited for his mom to show up.

When she did, she ran through the police station. She ran straight over to her son and pressed kisses all over his face. She pulled away to look at him, to check him over. "Oh baby," she said and hugged him tight. "I missed you."

"Missed you too, Momma," he said and showed her his dinosaur drawings. "Can we go to the museum with Spencer, momma?"

With Spencer standing behind Jimmy, he wore a matching pout. "Can I?" He asked.

"Please Momma!"

How could she say no?

(It wasn't meant to be a first date, but the treated it as such)

[starskq]

FAMILY / J.Y

Pairing ◊ fem!reader x yunho

Genre ◊ VERRYYYY SUGGESTIVE, toe curling fluff, established relationship

Warnings ◊ VERRYY SUGGESTIVE, yunho is a bit of a tease here, dirty talk, softdom!yunho, yunho is just so soft, mention of marriage and kids, mention of family (grandparents, uncles, cousins, siblings, parents, etc.)

Word count ◊ 8,2k

Summary ◊ You and Yunho had been dating for a few years, and it was time for you to introduce him to your family.

a/n: I love yunho with my whole heart, and i kept giggling while writing this huhu. Enjoy!

You sat on the couch, your hands nervously fidgeting with the hem of your sweater. The room was warm, the soft hum of the heater filling the silence. You had been thinking about this moment for days, rehearsing in your head how you would bring it up to Yunho. The invitation to your mom's birthday was tucked away in your purse, a constant reminder of the conversation you needed to have.

Yunho walked into the living room, a cheerful smile lighting up his face as he plopped down beside you. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close. "Hey, babe," he said, his voice as bright and warm as his smile. "What's up? You seem a bit on edge."

You took a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves. "Yunho, I need to talk to you about something."

His eyes sparkled with curiosity as he tilted his head, a puppy-like expression that never failed to make your heart skip a beat. "Sure, anything. What's on your mind, love?"

You reached into your purse, pulled out the invitation, and handed it to him. He took it, glancing down at the elegant script on the front. "An invitation?" he asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"It's for my mom's birthday," you explained, your voice trembling slightly. "She and the rest of my family have invited us to spend the weekend at my childhood house."

Yunho's face lit up with excitement. "That sounds amazing! I'd love to meet your family and see where you grew up." He leaned in closer, his eyes searching yours. "But why do you look so nervous about it, sweetheart?"

You bit your lip, trying to find the right words. "It's just... we’ve been together for a few years now, but I haven't had the chance to introduce you to my family yet. We live so far away; this is the first real opportunity to do it."

Yunho's expression softened, and he cupped your face in his hands, his thumbs gently stroking your cheeks. "Hey, it's okay. I understand. It's a big step, but I'm really excited about it. I want to meet the people who mean so much to you."

You looked into his eyes, finding comfort in his unwavering gaze. "I guess I'm just worried. What if they don't like you? What if it's awkward?"

He chuckled softly, his laughter a soothing balm to your anxious heart. "Babe, your family is going to love me. How could they not? I'm very lovable." He gave you a playful wink, and you couldn't help but laugh.

"I know you are," you said, smiling despite yourself. "But it's still a little scary."

Yunho pulled you into a tight hug, his arms wrapped securely around you. "We'll face it together, okay? And no matter what happens, I'll be right there by your side."

You buried your face in his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart against your cheek. "Thank you, yuyu. I don't know what I'd do without you."

He kissed the top of your head, his lips lingering for a moment. "You don't have to worry about that, my love. I'm not going anywhere."

You stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other's arms, the warmth of his embrace chasing away your fears. When you finally pulled back, Yunho's eyes were bright with excitement. "So, when do we leave for this big family weekend?"

"Next Friday," you said, your voice steadier now. "We'll drive down after work."

He grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Perfect. I've got a whole week to plan how to charm your family."

You laughed again, the sound lighter this time. "You don't need to plan anything, Yunho. Just be yourself. That's more than enough.’’ He kissed you gently, his lips soft against yours. You really had the best boyfriend ever. 

Friday arrived pretty quickly, quicker than you anticipated. You loaded the last of the bags into the trunk of the car, taking a deep breath as you closed it. Yunho was busy adjusting the GPS, and his usual cheerful demeanor made the process seem more fun than it probably was. You climbed into the passenger seat, your nerves still buzzing beneath the surface.

Yunho looked over at you, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Ready to go, sweetheart?" he asked, squeezing your hand.

You nodded, trying to muster a smile. "Yeah, I guess so."

He leaned over and kissed your cheek. "Don't worry. It's going to be great. We'll have a fantastic time."

As he started the car and pulled out of the driveway, you looked out the window, your mind racing. The drive to your childhood home was long, giving you plenty of time to think. Yunho, always perceptive, sensed your anxiety and reached over to hold your hand, his thumb gently rubbing circles on your skin.

"Tell me more about your family," he said, his voice soft and reassuring. "I want to know everything."

You took a deep breath, trying to gather your thoughts. "Well, my mom is amazing. She's warm and caring but can be a bit overprotective sometimes. She's been looking forward to meeting you ever since I told her about us."

Yunho smiled, his eyes focused on the road. "She sounds wonderful. I can't wait to meet her."

"And my dad," you continued, "he's a bit more reserved, but once he warms up to someone, he's really funny and kind. He loves talking about his hobbies, especially fishing and gardening."

"Fishing and gardening got it," Yunho said with a nod. "I'll have to brush up on my knowledge about those."

You laughed, feeling a bit lighter. "He'll appreciate that. Then there's my younger sister, Mia. But you already know her."

‘’Yeah, I remember. The future artist." Yunho said with a playful grin.

You smiled. Your lilttle sister and Yunho already met when she came to visit you during a weekend. You knew they got along great, so you did not worry about that. ‘’And my older brother, Daniel, he's a bit of a jokester. He likes to tease, but it's all in good fun. He's really protective, though, so don't be surprised if he tries to give you a hard time at first."

"I can handle a bit of teasing," Yunho said confidently. 

You felt a warmth spread through your chest at his words. "And then there's my extended family. My Uncle John and Aunt Clara, they practically raised me alongside my parents. Uncle John loves sports, especially baseball, and Aunt Clara is really into cooking and baking."

"Baseball and baking, got it. I think I can manage," Yunho said, his tone light and reassuring.

"And there are my cousins, Sam and Emily. They're twins, a few years younger than me. They're both really outgoing and love to have fun. They might drag you into some of their crazy plans. And my grandparents. They are not that old, but they are old school.’’

Yunho laughed, the sound filling the car with warmth. "I look forward to it. Sounds like a lively bunch."

You squeezed his hand, feeling a bit more at ease. "Yeah, they are. I just hope they all like you as much as I do."

Yunho glanced over at you, his eyes filled with affection. "I think they'll love me, but even if they don't, as long as I have you, that's all that matters."

You couldn’t help but smile. He had this capacity with you to make you smile constantly. The rest of the drive was filled with more stories and laughter as you briefed Yunho on your family dynamics and shared memories from your childhood. The closer you got to your old home, the more your nerves settled, replaced by a growing excitement to share this part of your life with Yunho.

Finally, you turned onto the familiar tree-lined street, the house you grew up in coming into view. It looked just as you remembered, the front yard meticulously maintained, the porch swing swaying gently in the breeze. Yunho parked the car and turned to you with a big smile.

"Ready to do this, babe?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine excitement.

You took a deep breath, feeling a mix of nerves and anticipation. "Yeah, let's do this."

You walked up to the front door with the bags in your hands. It swung open, revealing your mom's warm smile. She stepped out onto the porch, arms wide open. "There you are!" she exclaimed, pulling you into a tight hug. "We were starting to think you'd forgotten the way home."

You laughed, the sound mingling with the nostalgic scent of your mom's favorite lavender perfume. "Hi, Mom. It's good to see you."

She pulled back, her eyes shining with joy. "It's about time you came to visit. We miss you, you know."

Your dad appeared behind her, his expression softer but equally welcoming. "Yeah, kiddo," he said, giving you a hug after your mom let go.

"I know, I know," you replied, feeling a pang of guilt mixed with happiness. "Life's just been so busy."

"Busy enough to forget your old folks?" your dad teased, ruffling your hair affectionately.

You rolled your eyes, laughing. "I could never forget you guys."

Yunho stood behind you, holding a beautifully wrapped gift. He shifted slightly, drawing your parents' attention. "Mom, Dad," you said, stepping aside and gesturing towards him, "this is Yunho."

Yunho took a step forward, a cheerful but slightly nervous smile on his face. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. y/l/n. It's so great to finally meet you."

Your mom's eyes sparkled with curiosity and warmth. "Oh, we've heard so much about you, Yunho. It's lovely to meet you, too."

Yunho extended the gift to her, his hands steady despite the subtle tension in his posture. "I brought this for you, Mrs. y/l/n. I hope you like it."

Your mom's face lit up as she took the gift. "Oh, Yunho, you didn't have to! But thank you so much." She carefully unwrapped it, revealing a beautifully handcrafted vase. "This is gorgeous. Did you pick this out yourself?"

Yunho nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. "Yes, I did. I thought it might go well with the flowers in your garden."

Your dad stepped forward, offering a firm handshake. "Good to meet you, Yunho. And thanks for the gift. It's very thoughtful."

Yunho shook his hand, his grip confident. "It's an honor to meet you, sir. I've heard so many wonderful things about both of you."

Your dad chuckled, glancing at you with a teasing smile. "All good things, I hope?"

Yunho laughed, the sound easing some of the tension. "Absolutely. Y/n always speaks very highly of you."

Your mom looped her arm through yours, leading you both into the house. "Well, we're just glad to finally meet you. And Yunho, please call us by our first names. We're family now."

As you walked through the familiar hallways, the smell of home-cooked food wafting through the air, Yunho leaned closer to you and whispered, "I think that went well, don’t you?"

You squeezed his hand, feeling a rush of affection. "You were perfect," you whispered back.

Your mom placed the vase on the counter in the kitchen, already thinking about which flowers to fill it with. "Yunho, would you like something to drink? We've got lemonade, iced tea, and coffee."

"Lemonade sounds great, thank you," Yunho replied, his smile genuine.

Your dad gestured towards the living room. "Let's sit and chat for a bit before everyone else gets here. I want to hear all about how you two met."

Yunho's eyes met yours, a spark of excitement and slight nervousness in them. "Well, it's a bit of a funny story," he began as you all settled into the comfortable, worn couches.

Your mom handed Yunho a glass of lemonade, and he took a sip before continuing. "We actually met at a coffee shop. Y/n was there with a mutual friend, and I kind of fell in love at first sight."

Your mom's eyes softened as she looked at you. "That sounds just like something out of a movie."

You felt your cheeks warm, embarrassed but happy. "It was pretty special," you admitted.

Your dad leaned back, a thoughtful expression on his face. "And how long have you two been together?"

"Three years now," Yunho said, glancing at you with a look that made your heart flutter. "And they've been the best years of my life."

Your mom reached out to squeeze your hand. "We're so happy for you both. You look so good together."

Yunho beamed, his confidence growing. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you."

Your dad nodded in agreement. "Yes, we're glad to see our y/n so happy. And Yunho, you seem like a great fit for our family.’’

As the afternoon sun descended towards the horizon, the rest of your family started to arrive. The doorbell rang, and you felt a familiar rush of excitement. "That must be Mia," you said, standing up. Yunho followed you to the door, eager to meet everyone else.

You opened the door to find your younger sister, Mia, standing there with a wide grin. "Sis!" she squealed, throwing her arms around you in a tight hug.

"Mia!" you responded, hugging her back just as tightly. "I've missed you so much!"

Yunho stepped forward, smiling warmly. "Hey, Mia! Great to see you again."

Mia let go of you and gave Yunho a big hug. "Yunho! It's been a while. How have you been?"

"I've been great," Yunho said, his cheerful demeanor making Mia laugh. "How about you? Still painting up a storm?"

"Always," Mia replied with a wink. "And I've got a new piece to show you guys. I brought some pictures."

You all moved back into the living room, where Mia showed you her latest artwork on her phone. Yunho admired each piece, genuinely interested and supportive, which made Mia proud.

Just then, the front door opened again, and you heard the unmistakable voice of your older brother, Daniel. "Is that my little sister I hear?"

You stood up, a mix of excitement and apprehension in your chest. "Daniel!" you called out, meeting him halfway for a hug.

"Hey, kiddo," he said, his voice warm but his eyes scanning the room. When he spotted Yunho, his expression grew more serious. "And you must be Yunho."

Yunho stood up, extending a hand. "Yes, nice to meet you, Daniel."

Daniel took his hand, his grip firm. "So, you're the guy who's been taking care of my sister."

"That's right," Yunho said, maintaining eye contact and matching Daniel's firmness. "She's very important to me."

He nodded slowly, his gaze scrutinizing. "Well, it's good to finally meet you. Let's see if you can keep up with our family's shenanigans."

Yunho smiled, the challenge in Daniel's tone not going unnoticed. "I'll do my best."

Your mom called everyone to the kitchen, where snacks and drinks were laid out. As you all gathered around the kitchen island, the atmosphere began to relax. Yunho chatted easily with Uncle John about the latest baseball game, and Aunt Clara was already discussing her favorite recipes with him, thrilled to find someone who appreciated good food as much as she did.

Sam and Emily, your cousins, arrived next. They bounded into the house with infectious energy, their laughter filling the room. "Hey, cuz!" Sam called out, pulling you into a hug. "Long time no see!"

"Emily, Sam, it's great to see you guys!" you said, hugging Emily next.

They turned their attention to Yunho, curiosity in their eyes. "So, this is the famous Yunho?" Emily asked, a teasing smile on her lips.

"That's me," Yunho replied with a grin. "I've heard a lot about you two."

"All good things, I hope," Sam said, shaking Yunho's hand.

"Definitely," Yunho said, laughing.

Emily nudged Yunho playfully. "We might have to put you through a few tests to see if you can keep up with us."

Yunho's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Bring it on. I'm ready."

As the evening progressed, Yunho fit right in with your family. He joined in on the laughter, participated in the friendly teasing, and even helped your mom in the kitchen, much to her delight. At one point, you found yourself standing back, watching him interact with everyone, and you felt a swell of pride and affection.

The house buzzed with conversation and laughter, the air filled with the comforting smells of your mom’s cooking. Emily nudged you playfully, glancing over at Yunho who was deep in conversation with Uncle John about last night's baseball game.

“You didn’t tell me your boyfriend was so handsome,” Emily whispered, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Seriously, where did you find him?”

You chuckled, feeling a bit of pride. “Just lucky, I guess.”

Emily sighed dramatically. “I need to start hanging out at coffee shops more often.”

Before you could respond, the doorbell rang again, signaling the arrival of your grandparents. You excused yourself and walked over to the door, your heart swelling with affection as you opened it to see their familiar faces.

“Grandma, Grandpa!” you exclaimed, hugging them both tightly. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” your grandpa said, his voice gruff but warm. “Now, where’s this young man I’ve been hearing so much about?”

You guided them into the living room, where Yunho was now chatting with your dad. “Grandma, Grandpa, this is Yunho.”

Yunho stood up, a hint of nervousness in his eyes as he extended his hand. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir, ma’am.”

Your grandpa took Yunho’s hand, his grip firm as he sized him up. “So, you’re the one courting my granddaughter, eh?”

Yunho swallowed hard, nodding. “Yes, sir. I care about her very much.”

There was a tense moment of silence before your grandpa’s face broke into a wide grin. “Well, as long as you keep treating her right, we won’t have any problems.” He clapped Yunho on the back, laughing heartily.

Yunho let out a relieved breath, smiling. “I promise, sir. She means everything to me.”

Your grandma stepped forward, her eyes bright with curiosity. “And such a handsome young man,” she said, patting Yunho’s cheek. “You’re just as charming as she said.”

Yunho’s cheeks flushed slightly, and he laughed nervously. “Thank you, ma’am. You’re too kind.”

As everyone settled back into their conversations, you could see Yunho visibly relaxing. He had navigated through your grandpa’s initial test and won over your grandma with his charm. Your heart swelled with affection and pride.

Your mom called everyone to the dining table for dinner. The table was laden with a feast that your mom had spent hours preparing. As everyone found their seats, Yunho helped your grandma to her chair, earning another appreciative smile from her, before pulling out your chair for you before taking his own seat beside you. He gave your hand a reassuring squeeze under the table, and you felt a wave of warmth wash over you.

Your dad started the conversation as your mom brought out the dishes. "So, Yunho," he said, leaning forward with interest, "tell us a bit about what you do for a living."

Yunho smiled, glancing at you before answering. "I work as a software engineer. I develop applications and systems for a tech company."

Your dad raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed. "That sounds like a challenging job. How did you get into that field?"

"I've always been interested in technology," Yunho explained, his enthusiasm evident. "I started learning to code as a teenager and fell in love with it. I went on to study computer science in college, and I've been working in the field ever since."

"That's fantastic," Uncle John said, nodding appreciatively. "Technology is such a big part of our lives now. You must be very talented."

"Thank you," Yunho said, his cheeks tinting slightly pink. "I enjoy what I do, and it's always rewarding to solve problems and create something useful."

Emily leaned forward, a mischievous glint in her eye. "So, Yunho, what's it like dating my cousin? She's always been a bit of a handful."

You shot her a playful glare, but Yunho laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "It's never dull, that's for sure. But in all seriousness, she's the most amazing person I've ever met. I'm very lucky to have her in my life."

You felt your heart swell at his words and squeezed his hand under the table. He turned to you with a soft smile, his eyes full of affection.

Mia chimed in, her voice full of curiosity. "Yunho, do you have any hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time?"

"I enjoy a lot of things," Yunho said, his face lighting up. "I like dancing, playing the guitar, and I dabble in cooking, though I'm nowhere near as good as your mom."

Your mom beamed at the compliment. "That's lovely to hear. Maybe we can have a cooking session together sometime."

"I'd love that," Yunho replied sincerely.

Your dad then asked, "What's the most challenging project you've worked on?"

Yunho thought for a moment. "I once worked on a project to develop a new security system for a large corporation. It involved a lot of complex coding and troubleshooting, but in the end, it was very rewarding to see it all come together."

"That's impressive," Daniel said, a hint of respect in his voice. "Security systems are no joke."

Yunho’s natural charm and humor began to shine through as the conversation flowed. He shared funny anecdotes from work and college, making everyone laugh with his witty comments and endearing stories.

At one point, you reached for the bread basket, but before you could, Yunho had already passed it to you, anticipating your need. Your mom noticed and smiled warmly. "You two make a great team," she said.

Yunho grinned, looking at you with adoration. "I try to keep her happy."

"You're doing a wonderful job," your grandma said, her eyes twinkling. "And I have to say, you're quite the catch, Yunho. Handsome, intelligent, and attentive."

Yunho's cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink. "Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate that."

As the main course was served, Yunho continued to engage with your family, asking questions about their interests and sharing stories of his own. His attentiveness and genuine interest in getting to know everyone were clear, and your family responded warmly to him.

"Do you play any sports, Yunho?" Sam asked between bites of mashed potatoes.

"I enjoy playing soccer," Yunho replied. "I used to play in a league back in college. It’s a great way to stay active and have fun."

"Soccer, huh?" Uncle John said. "We should have a family match sometime. What do you think, y/n?’’

You laughed. "I'd love that, but you know I'm terrible at sports."

"We'll go easy on you," Daniel teased.

As dessert was brought out, your mom's famous apple pie, the conversation took a more relaxed turn. Yunho leaned closer to you, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. "Are you having a good time, love?’’ he whispered.

You nodded, feeling a rush of affection for him. "Yes. Thank you for being so wonderful."

He smiled, his eyes sparkling. He leaned in, kissing your cheek lightly. "Anything for you."

As everyone settled into dessert, your grandpa cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Yunho," he began, his tone serious but with a twinkle in his eye, "there's something I've been wondering about."

Yunho straightened in his chair, giving your grandpa his full attention. "Yes, sir?"

"When are you planning to ask for my granddaughter's hand in marriage?" your grandpa asked, his eyes moving between you and Yunho with a knowing look.

You felt a wave of heat rush to your face, and you quickly took a sip of your drink, trying to compose yourself. Before you could answer that you were still young and didn’t want Yunho to feel pressured, Yunho spoke up, his voice steady and confident.

"Actually, sir," Yunho said, his eyes meeting your grandpa's without hesitation, "that's in my plans very soon."

You choked on your drink, coughing as you tried to process what he had just said. Yunho reached out to pat your back gently, a smirk playing on his lips. "Careful there, sweetheart," he said, his eyes dancing with amusement.

The room went silent for a moment, everyone looking at Yunho with a mix of surprise and anticipation. Your mom's eyes were wide with excitement, and your dad leaned forward, clearly interested in Yunho's response.

"You've thought about this already?" your grandpa asked, his voice softer now, more thoughtful.

"Yes, I have," Yunho replied, his gaze now shifting to you. His eyes were filled with love and certainty. "I love [Your Name] more than anything, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I've been thinking about how to make it special and memorable."

Your heart pounded in your chest, a mix of shock and overwhelming happiness. You looked at Yunho, unable to believe what you were hearing. He gave you a reassuring smile, his hand finding yours under the table and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Your grandma clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Oh, Yunho, that's wonderful to hear! You have our blessing, of course."

Your dad nodded, a proud smile spreading across his face. "It's clear how much you care for her. Just make sure to treat her well, always."

"I promise, sir," Yunho said earnestly. "She means the world to me, and I will do everything in my power to make her happy."

Mia leaned over, her eyes wide with excitement. "This is so romantic! I can't believe this is happening!"

Daniel, who had been watching Yunho closely, finally broke into a grin. "Well, Yunho, it looks like you've got a lot of support here. Just remember, I'm still watching you," he added with a playful wink.

Yunho laughed, his confidence unwavering. "I'll remember that, Daniel."

Your grandpa raised his glass, a gesture that everyone quickly followed. "To Yunho and y/n,’’  he said, his voice filled with warmth. "May your future be filled with love and happiness."

"To Yunho and y/n’’ everyone echoed, raising their glasses in celebration.

You looked at Yunho, your heart bursting with love and gratitude. He leaned in, his lips brushing your ear. "I hope that was okay," he whispered. "I didn't want to put you on the spot, but I wanted your family to know how serious I am about us."

You nodded. "It was perfect," you whispered back. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied, his eyes shining with sincerity.

As everyone resumed their conversations, the atmosphere now even more joyous, you realized how truly lucky you were. Yunho had not only won over your family but had also shown you just how deeply he cared. 

The evening had wound down, and the dining room was a happy mess of empty plates and half-finished desserts. You and your mom had started cleaning up, bringing dishes into the kitchen and loading the dishwasher. The warm glow of the kitchen lights cast a cozy atmosphere, and the sounds of laughter and conversation from the living room drifted in.

You were at the sink, rinsing off a stack of plates, when you felt familiar arms wrap around your waist. Yunho's chest pressed against your back, and he rested his chin on your shoulder. "Hey, beautiful," he murmured, his voice soft and full of affection.

You leaned into his embrace, feeling the tension of the day melt away. "Hey yourself," you replied, smiling. "I didn't realize you were so sneaky."

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest. "I couldn't resist. You looked too cute standing here, working so hard."

You rolled your eyes playfully. "Well, someone has to clean up this mess. And don't think I didn't notice you charming everyone out there."

"Just doing my best to fit in," he said, pressing a kiss to your temple. "Did it work?"

"You know it did," you said, turning your head to catch his eye. "Everyone loves you. Even Grandpa."

"Grandpa's great," Yunho said with a smile. "But I have to say, your Grandma might be my favorite. She wouldn't stop talking about how handsome I am."

You laughed, shaking your head. "She does have a knack for making people feel special."

Yunho's arms tightened around you, and he nuzzled your neck. "Speaking of making people feel special, how are you holding up? It's been a big day."

You sighed, leaning into his warmth. "It's been amazing. I'm so happy everyone got to meet you. And what you said at dinner... I didn't see that coming."

He smirked, his breath tickling your ear. "I like to keep you on your toes."

"You definitely do," you said, feeling a blush creep up your cheeks. "But it was perfect. I love you so much."

"I love you too," he whispered, kissing your neck. "And I meant every word. I'm serious about us."

You turned in his arms, facing him. "I know you are. And that makes me so happy."

He cupped your face in his hands, his thumbs gently stroking your cheeks. "You make me happy, every single day."

You kissed him softly, feeling the world fade away for a moment. You were lost in the moment, it was usual when you and Yunho kissed. His hands cradled your face, and you felt wrapped up in his love and warmth. The sound of the door swinging open barely registered until you heard a familiar, teasing voice.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” your mom said, her voice filled with amusement.

You broke the kiss, stepping back from Yunho, your face heating up with a blush. “Mom!” you exclaimed, trying to sound more composed than you felt.

Mia stepped into the kitchen behind your mom, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Looks like someone’s getting a head start on the honeymoon,” she teased, winking at you.

You felt your cheeks grow even hotter. “Mia! Seriously?”

Yunho, ever the charmer, grinned at them both. “Just making sure your sister knows how much I appreciate her,” he said, his tone playful yet sincere.

Your mom chuckled, shaking her head. “Well, we can see that. But Yunho, could you help Grandma with her luggage? She’s staying in the guest room, and I think she could use a strong pair of hands.”

“Of course, ma’am,” Yunho said, immediately stepping away and heading towards the living room. “I’ll take care of it right away.”

As he left the kitchen, your mom and Mia turned their full attention to you, their faces lit up with matching grins. “You’ve got yourself a keeper there,” your mom said, her voice full of warmth. “He’s tall, handsome, and so intelligent. What a catch!”

Mia nodded enthusiastically. “And did you see how he just swooped in to help Grandma? Total gentleman.”

You couldn’t help but smile, despite the lingering embarrassment. “Yeah, he’s pretty amazing.”

Your mom gave you a knowing look. “Pretty amazing? Honey, he’s more than that. He’s head over heels for you. The way he looks at you… it’s like you’re the only person in the room.”

“And he’s funny, too,” Mia added, leaning against the counter. “He had everyone laughing all through dinner. You’re really lucky.”

You nodded, feeling a swell of gratitude and happiness. “I know. I feel really lucky to have him.”

Your mom patted your arm affectionately. “You deserve someone who treats you well and makes you happy. And Yunho seems like he’s doing just that.”

Mia nudged you playfully. “So, when’s the wedding? I need to plan my outfit.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.’’

Your mom’s eyes softened, a look of pride and happiness on her face. “Just remember to take things at your own pace. We’re all here to support you, no matter what.”

Mia wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “And we’ll be the best wedding planning team ever, when the time comes. No pressure, but I’m really looking forward to it.”

You smiled, feeling the warmth and love from your family surround you. “Thanks, guys. It means a lot to know you’re all here for me.”

The evening had finally quieted down. The house was still, save for the occasional murmur of conversation from inside. You stepped out onto the porch, seeking a moment of peace under the stars. The cool night air was refreshing, and the gentle creak of the porch swing was a comforting sound.

You spotted your grandma, wrapped in a cozy shawl, already seated on the swing. She looked up and smiled as you approached. "There you are, dear. Come sit with me."

You settled onto the swing beside her, the familiar scent of her lavender perfume wrapping around you. "Hi, Grandma. I needed a little break from the chaos."

She chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with understanding. "It’s been quite the evening, hasn’t it? But a wonderful one."

You nodded, feeling a wave of contentment. "It has been. I’m so happy everyone got to meet Yunho. And I’m really glad you like him."

"Like him?" she said, her voice filled with warmth. "Oh, dear, I more than like him. He’s a wonderful young man. You’ve found someone very special."

Your heart swelled with gratitude. "Thank you, Grandma. That means a lot to me. He’s been so amazing, and tonight… it just felt perfect."

She patted your hand gently. "You deserve all the happiness in the world, my dear. Watching you tonight, seeing the way Yunho looks at you… it’s clear how much he loves you."

You blushed, but her words filled you with joy. "I love him too, Grandma. More than I can put into words."

Your grandma smiled, her gaze turning wistful. "Love is a beautiful thing. It’s about finding someone who makes your heart feel at home, who supports you, and who you can share your life with."

You looked at her, feeling a surge of affection. "Like you and Grandpa?"

She nodded, her eyes sparkling with memories. "Exactly like that. We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve always been there for each other. That’s what matters most."

You squeezed her hand, feeling a deep sense of connection. "Thank you, Grandma. For everything."

She smiled, her expression soft. "I’m just so proud of you, my dear. And I’m thrilled to see you so happy."

Just then, the porch door creaked open, and Yunho stepped out, his eyes searching the dimly lit space. When he spotted you, he smiled warmly. "There you are. I’ve been looking for you."

Your grandma caught the hint immediately. "Well, it looks like I should give you two some time alone." She patted your hand one last time before standing up. "Goodnight, Yunho. Thank you for a lovely evening."

"Goodnight, ma’am," Yunho replied, giving her a respectful nod. "It was a pleasure."

As your grandma made her way back into the house, Yunho walked over to the swing, sitting down beside you. "I missed you," he said softly, taking your hand in his.

You leaned into him, resting your head on his shoulder. "I missed you too. It’s been such a wonderful evening."

He wrapped an arm around you, holding you close. "It really has. Your family is amazing. And your grandma… she’s something special."

You smiled, feeling the warmth of his embrace. "She really is. She’s always been a source of wisdom and love for me."

Yunho kissed the top of your head, his voice filled with affection. "I can see where you get it from."

The night air felt cool and refreshing as you nestled against Yunho's shoulder on the porch swing. The stars above sparkled, and the soft hum of crickets filled the silence. Yunho's arm around you provided a comforting warmth, and you felt a sense of contentment wash over you.

Yunho broke the silence first, his voice playful. "So, what do you think? Did I pass the family test?"

You laughed softly, looking up at him. "You passed with flying colors. They absolutely adore you."

He smirked, leaning in closer. "Even your Grandpa? I thought he might have been ready to grill me a bit more."

"You handled him perfectly," you said, smiling. "You handled everyone perfectly."

"Well, I had to impress my future in-laws," he teased, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

You blushed, playfully swatting his arm. "Yunho!"

He laughed, pulling you closer. "What? It’s true. I meant every word I said at dinner. I can’t imagine my life without you. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted."

You gazed up at him, feeling a rush of emotions. "You’re everything I’ve ever wanted too, Yunho."

He grinned, the teasing glint returning to his eyes. "So, when are we setting the date?"

You laughed, shaking your head. "You’re really jumping ahead, aren’t you?"

"Just planning ahead," he said, winking. "I need to make sure everything is perfect for my perfect girl."

You rolled your eyes playfully. "You’re impossible, you know that?"

"And you love me for it," he replied, giving you a quick kiss.

You sighed happily, resting your head back on his shoulder. "I do. I really do."

He chuckled, his voice softening. "Seriously, though. I want to make you happy. And I can’t wait to build a life with you."

You squeezed his hand, feeling a swell of love. "You already make me happy, Yunho. More than you know."

He smiled, looking thoughtful for a moment. "So, have you ever thought about what kind of wedding you’d want?"

You blushed again, caught off guard. "Well, maybe a little. Something simple, I think. Surrounded by family and friends. Nothing too extravagant."

"I can see that," he said, nodding. "Simple, but beautiful. Just like you."

"Flattery will get you everywhere," you teased, poking his side gently.

He laughed, his eyes shining with affection. "Good to know."

There was a comfortable pause, the swing gently swaying as you both enjoyed the peaceful night. Yunho broke the silence again, his voice teasing once more. "And what about kids? Ever thought about that?"

You felt your cheeks heat up. "Wow, you really are planning everything, aren’t you?"

"Just curious," he said, smirking. "I think you’d be an amazing mom."

You smiled, feeling a warm glow inside. "I think you’d be an amazing dad."

His expression softened, and he kissed your forehead. "I hope so. But one step at a time, right?"

"Right," you agreed, feeling the excitement of the future you both envisioned.

Yunho’s teasing grin returned. "But seriously, I can’t wait to see you in a wedding dress. You’re going to look breathtaking."

You laughed, shaking your head. "You’re too much, Yunho."

"Only for you," he said, his eyes filled with love. "Because you’re worth it."

The porch swing swayed gently as you and Yunho continued to talk, the night wrapping around you like a cozy blanket. Yunho’s arm was still around you, holding you close, his warmth a comforting presence. His teasing smile had faded into something softer, more intimate.

He leaned in closer, his lips brushing your ear. “You know,” he began, his voice low and husky, “I’ve been thinking about more than just our future wedding.”

You felt a shiver run down your spine at his tone. “Oh? Like what?”

He chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through you. “Like what I want to do to you tonight.”

Your breath hitched, and you felt your cheeks heat up. “Yunho, my whole family is here.”

He didn’t seem deterred. In fact, his playful grin only widened. “That just makes it more exciting, doesn’t it?” he whispered, his breath hot against your ear.

“Yunho,” you protested weakly, but there was no denying the thrill his words sent through you.

He nuzzled your neck, his lips brushing your skin as he spoke. “I’ve been thinking about how beautiful you looked tonight. How much I wanted to pull you into a room and have my way with you.”

Your heart pounded in your chest, and you squirmed slightly in his embrace. “You’re impossible,” you managed to say, though your voice was shaky.

“Impossible? Or irresistible?” he teased, his hand gently caressing your arm. “I can’t stop thinking about kissing every inch of you. About hearing you say my name when no one else can hear.”

You bit your lip, trying to stay composed. “Yunho, seriously, we can’t do this here.”

He laughed softly, the sound full of mischief. “I’m not doing anything. Just talking. But I love seeing you get all flustered.”

You turned to glare at him, but his playful expression melted your resolve. “You’re a tease, you know that?”

He nodded, his eyes twinkling. “I know. But you love it.”

You sighed, trying to regain some semblance of control. “You’re going to drive me crazy.”

“That’s the plan,” he murmured, his lips brushing your ear again. “I want you thinking about me all night. About what I’m going to do to you when we’re alone.”

“Yunho,” you whispered, feeling a mix of frustration and arousal. “You’re terrible.”

“Terrible? Or amazing?” he countered, his voice filled with playful confidence.

You couldn’t help but laugh softly, despite yourself. “Both.”

He grinned, pressing a kiss to your neck. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

You shook your head, still smiling. “You should behave. My family is just inside.”

“I am behaving,” he said, feigning innocence. “Just having a conversation.”

You rolled your eyes, but the affection in his gaze made your heart swell. “You’re incorrigible.”

‘’I love you too, babe,’’ he said, chuckling ‘’And I love making you blush.”

You looked up at him, your eyes filled with warmth. “You’re lucky I love you.”

He smiled, his eyes sparkling. “I know. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret it.”

You kissed him softly, feeling a deep sense of contentment. Despite his teasing, you knew Yunho was the one for you. And as you pulled back, his playful grin returned, making your heart flutter.

“Now, about those things I want to do to you…” he began, but you cut him off with a laugh.

“Yunho!”

He laughed too, holding you close. “Alright, alright. But just you wait until we’re alone.”

You sighed, smiling despite yourself. “I can’t wait.”

As you sat there together, the night wrapped around you, you knew that no matter how much he teased, Yunho was your perfect match. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

As you and Yunho sat together on the porch, still basking in the playful teasing and warmth of each other's company, you heard the door creak open. Your dad stepped out, his expression a mix of amusement and sternness.

"It's getting late, you two," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "Time to call it a night."

You nodded, feeling a bit sheepish. "Okay, Dad. We'll head up."

Yunho stood up, helping you to your feet. "Goodnight, sir," he said respectfully.

"Goodnight, Yunho. Goodnight, sweetheart," your dad replied, giving you a nod before heading back inside.

You and Yunho made your way upstairs to your childhood bedroom, the familiar creak of the stairs under your feet bringing back memories. As you opened the door, Yunho's eyes widened in delight.

"Wow," he said, looking around the room with a wide grin. "This is amazing."

You rolled your eyes, laughing. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up."

The room was exactly as you had left it, with posters of your favorite bands on the walls, a collection of stuffed animals on the bed, and your old vanity table cluttered with trinkets and makeup from your teenage years.

Yunho walked over to your bookshelf, scanning the titles with interest. "You were always quite the bookworm, huh?"

‘’Yeah, those were some of my favorites growing up.’’ You said, smiling, as you walked up to him. 

He picked up a well-worn copy of a fantasy novel, flipping through the pages. "I can see why. This looks like a great story."

You watched him fondly, feeling a mix of nostalgia and affection. "It is. I used to stay up all night reading that one."

He put the book back, then turned his attention to your old vanity table. "And this... this is quite the collection." He picked up an old bottle of perfume, sniffing it and wrinkling his nose playfully. "Did you actually wear this?"

You laughed, shaking your head. "I did. It was all the rage back then."

Yunho grinned, setting the bottle down. "I can see why. Very... unique."

He moved over to your dresser, opening one of the drawers and pulling out a pair of colorful, frilly underwear. "And what do we have here?" he teased, holding them up with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Did you really wear these?"

Your face turned bright red as you snatched them from his hand. "Yunho! Those are from when I was a teenager!"

He laughed, clearly enjoying your embarrassment. "They're adorable. You must have been quite the fashionista."

You shoved the underwear back into the drawer, closing it firmly. "Okay, that's enough. Stop snooping."

He wrapped his arms around you from behind, pulling you close. "I’m just teasing, sweetheart. It’s cute. Seeing where you grew up, learning more about you... I love it."

You sighed, leaning into his embrace. "You’re impossible, you know that?"

"And you love it," he whispered, his breath warm against your ear.

"I do," you admitted, turning to face him. "But if you keep teasing me, you might end up sleeping on the floor."

He chuckled, kissing your forehead. "I’ll behave. For now."

You smiled, pulling back to look at him. "Good. Now, let's get some sleep."

As you changed into your pajamas, Yunho continued to explore your room, occasionally commenting on the various items he found. "I can't believe you still have this old teddy bear," he said, holding up a well-loved stuffed animal.

"Mr. Snuggles," you said, smiling. "He’s been with me since I was a baby."

Yunho placed the bear back on the bed, then turned to you with a soft smile. "I’m glad I get to share this part of your life with you."

You walked over to him, wrapping your arms around his waist. "Me too. It means a lot to me."

He kissed the top of your head, then gently guided you to the bed. "Come on, let’s get some rest. We’ve got a big day tomorrow."

You climbed into bed, feeling the familiar comfort of your old room. Yunho joined you, pulling the covers over both of you and wrapping his arms around you.

The warmth of his body and the rhythmic sound of his breathing began to lull you into a peaceful state. However, it wasn't long before you felt his lips on your neck, planting soft kisses that made your heart race.

"Yunho," you whispered, your voice barely audible. "We should get some sleep."

He chuckled softly, his breath hot against your skin. "I know," he murmured, his hand sliding up your side, "but you just look so irresistible."

You shivered under his touch, trying to keep your voice steady. "Behave, Yunho. My family is just in the next room."

"I'll behave," he promised, but the mischievous glint in his eyes said otherwise.

His hand continued to explore, slipping under your pajama top, his fingers tracing patterns on your skin. He pressed himself closer to you, and you could feel his growing arousal against your back. "You drive me crazy, you know that?" he whispered, his voice low and husky.

"Yuyu," you said again, more firmly this time, trying to regain control. "We can't do this here."

He chuckled again, his hand moving to cup your breast, his thumb teasing your nipple. "I'm not doing anything," he said innocently. "Just touching you."

You bit your lip, trying to suppress a moan as his touch sent waves of pleasure through your body. "Yunho, please."

He didn't relent. Instead, he continued to whisper filthy things in your ear, his voice filled with a dominant edge that made your breath catch. "I can't stop thinking about how good you feel," he murmured. "How much I want to hear you moan my name."

You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to stay quiet. "Yunho, we can't. My parents—"

"Your parents are asleep," he interrupted, his hand sliding down to your waist. "And even if they weren't, they wouldn't hear a thing if you're quiet."

You felt yourself trembling with desire, torn between wanting him to stop and needing him to continue. "Yunho, please," you whispered, your voice desperate.

He smirked, pressing a kiss to your shoulder. "Please what, baby? Tell me what you want."

You bit your lip harder, your breathing becoming more labored. "Please stop," you managed to say, though your body betrayed you, pressing back against him.

"Stop?" he echoed, his hand slipping lower, fingers brushing against your core. "You don't really want me to stop, do you?"

You let out a shaky breath, your resolve weakening. "We can't make noise."

He grinned against your skin. "Then you'll just have to be very quiet," he whispered, his fingers teasing you through your pajamas.

You stifled a moan, your body aching for more. "Yunho, this isn't fair."

"Life's not fair, baby," he said, his voice filled with dark amusement. "Now, be a good girl and stay quiet."

[unearthly-doting]

the wind will guide you home

a/n: idk idk i just really like the anemo characters soso much. kept it pretty vague i think so you can decide if the reader is willing or unwilling. no faruzan or lynette bc i couldn't think of anything for them :(

includes: aether, lumine, venti, jean, xiao, kazuha, sucrose, heizou, and wanderer.

premise: you wandered a little too far away from your partner for their liking. maybe you were trying to escape, maybe not. but don't worry, they'll find you.

warnings: mdni, yandere content, gn reader, implied/referenced kidnapping, overprotective behavior, possessive behavior, obsessive behavior, implied drugging, stalking, unhealthy relationships, vague mentions of dependency, uh whatever the fuck is happening in wanderer's section.

AETHER — is immediately panicked the moment he realizes you aren't by his side anymore. he never lets you travel with him, it was dangerous and you were safer tucked away in the little area he kept you in, safe from the dangers of this mysterious world. it was his fault, really. he had forgotten to lock the door the last time he visited, having been in such a hurry for one reason or another. you, for some reason, had decided to leave even though he had told you time and time again that it was dangerous. he wouldn't waste any time looking for you, hurrying outside, and using everything he had to his advantage to search for you. if you have a vision, he's definitely using his elemental sight to track you down. and when he does find you, he's immediately latching himself onto you, clinging to you and breathing a sigh of relief. he was completely oblivious to the horrified look on your face, just glad to have you in his arms again. "let's get you home. it's not safe for you out here."

LUMINE — would more than likely notice immediately when you vanish. she keeps you at her side at all times to ensure that she can protect you, so you're rarely ever away from her. the moment she sees that you're gone, she's abandoning whatever it was she was doing to find you. it doesn't matter if it was a commission or some important task that will help her get a better understanding of this world. you were more important than that right now. you needed to be back by her side. her tracking skills were incredibly good, so you wouldn't get far before she had you in her sights again. it doesn't matter if you were trying to escape or if you were just distracted and wandered off, the grip she had on your wrist was tight once she caught up to you, and she refused to let you go until the two of you were back at whatever inn or camp you two were staying at. she'll bind your hands together and tie the end of the rope to her wrist if you try arguing with her. "i can't keep you safe if you refuse to stay by my side."

VENTI — is honestly the only one here that will find you like almost immediately. even if he isn't paying attention to you and instead wowing a crowd with his amazing bard skills, the wind will tell him the moment you're gone. he'll stop midstory at the news, politely excusing himself and promising to be back later with an even better story. he'll let the wind guide him, listening to the whispers as he hurries down the streets of mondstadt, picking up pace when the wind tells him you were heading for the main gate of the city. if he uses his powers as the anemo archon to cause a harsh gust of wind to knock everyone away from the gates of the city just so he can catch up with you, then... well... it's not like anyone will know it was him. other than you, of course. and the moment you recovered from hitting the ground, venti was at your side and helping you up. he let you keep your freedom, most of it at least, but he didn't want you to leave the city if he wasn't at your side. he doesn't let go of your hand as he drags you back, an upbeat smile on his face as he playfully spoke, "you're missing my performance! you know i can't perform without my biggest fan watching me." you miss the tightly concealed desperation in his eyes as he stared at you. you can't leave him. he won't let you.

JEAN — is so busy with work that she rarely has the time to keep track of every little move you make. honestly, she probably won't realize you're gone until kaeya or amber drop by and tell her that they saw you wandering outside the city, seemingly heading in the direction of liyue. she's immediately abandoning whatever paperwork she had been looking through, hurrying out of her office and rushing past the citizens in the city to get to you. her mind was running wild trying to figure out why you would even think about leaving the city, let alone leaving without telling her. she's almost out of breath by the time she finds you, the sun starting to set as she crashes into you in a tight hug while rapid-fire questioning you on why you were leaving mondstadt and if she did something wrong and what she could do to make it better. it isn't hard to calm her down, cutting off her questions and explaining that you were simply going to visit some family in liyue and that you had left a note for her at home because you didn't want to bother her when she was so busy. whether or not that was the truth, she didn't care. she was pulling you back in the direction of the city, shaking her head. "no, i can't focus on anything when you aren't here. i need you."

XIAO — felt a little hurt, finding you gone. he was one of the hardest to get away from, always at your side unless the traveler called him away or something happened that required his attention. he thought you had gotten used to him by now, seeing as you never shied away from him when he was around anymore. so yeah, he was real fucking hurt when he returned to the inn and found your room empty. not even verr knew where you had gone. he isn't the type to immediately panic, but he is tense and will gradually get more agitated the longer it takes to find you. if he finds you quickly, the most you'll get is a cold glare as he drags you back to the inn. if he finds you after searching for hours upon hours, he will cling to you as if you would disappear if he let go. his breathing would be heavy, his face buried in your neck as he grounds himself. you were back in his arms, and either way, he wasn't going to let you leave his sight until he was sure you weren't going to pull a stunt like this again. if you want to wander around, then just ask and he'll go with you. "don't ever do that again. don't... don't ever leave me like that."

KAZUHA — would feel torn. while he understands the need and desire to roam the world and take in all that one can process, he also felt uncomfortable when you weren't around. a sick feeling budding in his chest, wondering if maybe you weren't wandering off but instead trying to leave him. he wants to trust you, and most of the time he does, but... you've tried leaving him before. many times, actually, that he's lost count. so, as much as he would love to leave you to your own devices, he just didn't trust you enough. he would ask other travelers if they'd seen you by chance, and some would point him in your direction while others would shake their heads. no matter, he took any and all help given to him until he finally spotted you. his approach was quiet, and you were startled when you had finally noticed him. he didn't say anything for a moment, just staring at you. there was something about his gaze that felt more intense than normal. it was like he was studying you, deciphering your actions. it didn't last long, because the look was replaced with a soft smile as he held his hand out, beckoning you to take it. "let's walk together."

SUCROSE — also didn't immediately notice. similar to jean, she can get pretty busy with work and gets so invested that she'll often times forget her surroundings. it's only when albedo or noelle make a comment on you not being by her side that she snaps to attention, looking around with a puzzled expression. when had you left? how long had you been gone? when she had last spoken to you, the sun was high in the sky. it was dark now. she would stutter out a quick departure to whichever friend had told her you were gone before scurrying away to try and find you. she would have the hardest time finding you, nervously approaching strangers on the street and asking if they had seen you or not. one person mentioned seeing you at the barbatos statue, and she immediately darted off in that direction without sparing the informant a second glance. and she was damn near tears when she found you. she wouldn't understand why you had left without telling her first, wondering if maybe she had done something to upset you. she'd be apologizing, telling you she was sorry if she made you mad, and begging you to come home. given how you two were in public, you felt a bit out of place so you agreed just to stop having people look at you. she would hug your arm the entire time, refusing to let go until the two of you were back at her home. and then she'd offer you something to drink! as an apology! and, well... if she puts a little something in it to tire you out, then that's too bad. "o-oh, you feel sick? maybe you should try to rest... don't worry, i'll be here to take care of you."

HEIZOU — would be the second one to find you quickly. he's a detective, so obviously he'll be able to track you down with ease! your attempts at trying to cover were tracks were adorable but futile. he had found you probably a mere hour after you had gone off, though he didn't immediately make his presence known. he was curious as to why you had left so abruptly without telling him, wondering if maybe something had happened or if you were, perhaps, trying to leave him. but you wouldn't do that! right? either way, he's following you in secret. some may call this stalking, but he calls it... lovingly admiring from afar. this'll go on for hours, more than likely. he's not in any rush to drag you home, and he gets to partake in his favorite pastime! so, by all means, continue walking. he'll probably do a few things here and there to startle you, making noises by shaking bushes and branches or throwing rocks. he likes seeing you on edge; he thinks you're cute when you're constantly looking around, searching for him. of course, once you get too close to ritou for his liking, he'll bring the fun to an end and finally make his presence known by hugging you from behind, a cheeky smile on his expression as you tense up. "caught you!" he hums, pressing a kiss to the back of your neck as if to prove to you that he was actually there. maybe he'll lock you up at home for a few days just to keep you all to himself. y'know, as his prize for catching you.

WANDERER — thinks it's amusing, honestly, that you think you can sneak off without him noticing. he'll let you go off on your own and let you think you have the freedom of doing so, but only because he has other pressing matters to attend to. he'll take is time too, going about his tasks at a languid pace, not at all worried about where you may be or where you might go. some people may ask about your whereabouts since you're usually almost always with him, and he'll just offer them a smile that... well. it puts them on edge, to be honest, and it makes them drop the topic. he'll even occasionally take breaks, enjoying a drawn-out lunch with nahida and even deciding to indulge the traveler a bit and walk with them through the city. but the moment he finishes all of his tasks for the day, he's going after you. you've had enough freedom today, and he wants you back at his side. it's where you belong, after all. he won't lie, it's exciting, searching for you like this. he wonders if you know whether or not he's after you. maybe you've been looking over your shoulder the entire day, wondering if he'll be right behind you. the thought alone fills him with an almost gleeful joy. and when he does find you, he's not wasting a single second before grabbing you, lips twitching upwards slightly at the startled shout you let out. "did you have fun?" he'll ask, though it would be hard to tell if he wanted a serious answer or not. he doesn't really care, in all honesty. you're back in his arms, right where you belong. his prized possession.

[broken-spirit101]

Douma - Yandere Alphabet

A/N: I'm on my knees for this man 🛐 Yandere alphabets are so fun! I haven't written anything smutty before so some of them might not be too awesome. I thought I might do one for Douma since I couldn't find any lol Original alphabet found here.

Warnings: Yandere themes, blood GIFs, murder, torture (not on the reader), abduction, mentions of NSFW

Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get? Douma would buy tons of gifts for you every single day. If you want a crown, he'd get it for you! Other than that, expect to get showered in tons of kisses. It can get pretty heated, but Douma is a PLEASER when it comes to you. He would want you to enjoy it as well, so he wouldn't take it too far if you don't want him to. That is until his patience runs out.

Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling? He has no limits. A guy has been glancing or talking to you a bit too much? He's getting murdered in a blink of an eye. However, if someone hurts you, they're probably getting tortured the very day you told him about it. His favorite torture method is to throw that person covered in sweet, sticky honey into a room full of insects like caterpillars, cockroaches, spiders, and other disgusting creatures. The person would get eaten alive slowly, getting stripped of their life gradually but definitely.

Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them? This bitch is cocky. He would be so proud of the fact that you're entirely at his mercy. He's sadistic: he would point out that very fact just to get your pissed-off reaction. Other than that, he would give you the PRINCESS TREATMENT™. Want a garden attached to your room? He's got it made for you within a day. Want a crown? He'll get it delivered to your room within an hour. Heck, want the blue spider lily? He's ordering all his minions to go out to search for it and would actually put in the effort HIMSELF to find it for you. Fuck Muzan, you're way more important.

Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will? It wouldn't be Douma if he didn't. Despite being a pleaser, his patience runs thin. He'll coerce you into doing some... special activities with him, even if you don't want to. He's manipulative and would definitely guilt-trip you.

Exposed: How much of their heart do they bear to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling? He would go yandere for you only because you help him feel at least some semblance of emotions, if not more. He's drunk on the feeling of love that only you give him. He wouldn't show his vulnerable emotions like sadness or anger often (which started to sprout after you protested heavily when he initially abducted you). You're his most prized possession.

Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back? Of course, he can be emotionally stupid, despite having observed human emotions for centuries. He would actually not have a clue why you'd protest being abducted despite having all the luxuries he could offer. He would gently try to persuade you to just listen to him and live the lifestyle he offers, telling you that you'd grow to love it. You wouldn't even have to lift a finger! However, if you still oppose him, he will use some force to try to get you to submit to him, starting with just breaking the wrist of your non-dominant hand. See, he's actually considerate!

Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape? Initially, yes. The first couple of attempts of you trying to escape would be amusing to him. It gives prey-predator vibes, and honestly? It turns him on. But not for too long, it would tire him out, because you obviously can't get rid of him. It's pretty cute but annoying.

Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them? The punishments. He's very rough, whether it's breaking your bones or fucking you senseless. It would be torture. He's just showing you the trailer of what would happen if you don't listen to him, at least, that's what he says.

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling? I doubt he'd care too much about getting married to you. After all, you're already his, so what is the sense of going through a wedding? Starting a family wouldn't be his first priority either if you don't want one. As long as you're with him, he doesn't mind. Oh, yeah, he'd definitely turn you into a demon not too late after abducting you if you already aren't one. Can't afford losing his darling due to some stupid illness or age, can he?

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope? Does he ever even try to hold himself back? He'd get jealous every now and then, not as an overwhelming emotion, but as just a twinge that pricks at his mind whenever he sees you interacting with anyone other than him. The person who's making him jealous would disappear without a trace within a day.

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling? He's very sweet and clingy when he's with you, believe it or not. Would pretty much whine for you when you deprive him of physical touch. He'd pepper you with kisses to see you blush. Just the sight of it is eye candy to him.

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling? Love letters? Hell nah. It's just not his thing. Sure, he'd leave you sweet little notes like "I miss you :(" or "You're so pretty, you know that?" in your room every now and then, and it's adorable. His love language consists of physical contact, gifts, and his occasional sweet little gestures.

Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else? Uh, yeah. We all know the answer to that. As I said before, he's going to be whiny and clingy and sweet whenever he's with you, but don't irritate him by doing anything he's forbidden you to do. A different part of his personality would be revealed in that case.

Naughty: How would they punish their darling? :/ don't make me do this. He'd fuck you in the most unholy ways you could think of, like you're some slut or a ragdoll. Would be into exhibitionism. He would fuck you until you're just an incoherently blabbing mess and would gracefully continue to wipe out the followers that would witness the little performance you both put forward for them.

Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling? Your freedom would depend on the ability you have to escape. If you're a demon slayer who can easily overpower his followers to escape, he's caging you in a room with a fucking metal door, him being the only one who's allowed to come in 😭 Expect to be chained even inside your room, if that's the case. If you're an ordinary human, he'd allow some of his trusted followers to let you roam around during the night when he's usually out. Never during the day though, because if you still somehow manage to escape, he wouldn't be able to go after you until the night sets, and by then, you would have covered a fair distance away from him. Other than freedom, he would also control the amount of food you get. If you're being too rebellious, don't expect any meals. He loves the power trip, you being so weak compared to him. A literal asshole.

Patience: How patient are they with their darling? Yeah, don't even get me started on that. Douma would let you off a maximum of 2-3 times if you rebel or just don't consent to the kinky shit he wants to do with you. The 4th time's always the last straw.

Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on? For a considerable time, no. If you manage to escape and he isn't able to find you, he'd cling onto that small string of hope that he would eventually find you. You're always lingering the the backrooms of his mind. If you die, however, he wouldn't be able to move on from you for at least a year or two before he forgets all about the emotions you made him feel that he loved when you were with him.

Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go? He wouldn't regret it at all, no, but he would slightly feel bad about it if you made it clear how much you despise having your freedom taken away. Douma would never return you your freedom until you manage to win his trust fully that you love him and would never expect. The freedom, too, comes with a cost. You'll have a strict curfew like you're some child. If you don't abide by it, don't expect the same amount of freedom for a couple of months.

Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)? Just the feelings that you manage to stem out from somewhere deep within him that's gotten him addicted to you like some drug.

Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves? Confused as fuck. He can't understand why you'd want to go back to your home. He takes good care of you, no? Why would you want to go back to your friends or family? They don't love you like he does. They never can. Just crying or screaming won't get you much of your freedom back. He has a soft spot for you so he'd feel bad, so he gives you some privileges, if possible. However, if you isolate yourself for longer periods, his patience would eventually run out before he'd punish you.

Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere? Not really; his insanity pretty much makes him the perfect definition of a classic yandere, doesn't it?

Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape? It's how stupid he is when it comes to emotions. He's been observing human emotions for centuries, and while he can't connect with them, he can predict how people will react to certain stimuli. However, deeper emotions can't be predicted; they are only understood. Somehow, if you manage to exploit that weakness of his, get him to trust you, and become vulnerable with him using fake emotions, you can regain your freedom after years. It's a long shot, but it could work.

Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling? Yes. Mentally? He's always mentally torturing you in some way. Physically? Only when you piss him off too much.

Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over? He absolutely is down bad. Extremely clingy. He would do anything to make you love him. Just listen to him once, will you? Douma will treat you like the absolute goddess you are.

Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap? He isn't the most patient person ever, as I said before, so about half a year at maximum.

Zenith: Would they ever break their darling? Definitely, if you're protesting a bit too much for his liking. He'll manipulate you to the point where you're begging for his touch. He wants complete control over your mind and body.

Map

[utterlyotterlyx]

Hi!!! I can request a modern!azriel x reader in which he likes her, but all his attempts to get close to her have been thwarted because they got off on the wrong foot. Then someone tells him that she's part of a book club and he starts joining just to get closer to her and the rest is up to you :)

Ooooooo I love this! x

New Pages

Modern!Az x Reader

Warnings - swearing, angst, pining, fluff, cutie Az

I have not proof read this so I apologise in advance for any mistakes x

And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.

The background of your phone screen harmonised with the words inscribed on the flesh of your arm. You were bundled under blankets, pillows cushioning your back, and your eyes scanned the plethora of words in front of you, your tea long forgotten on the window ledge.

Your sorority house was teaming with girlish laughter, the quick padding down the hallways and the dull melodic thump of Nesta's bass told you one thing, the house party Mor had insisted on throwing for Feyre's birthday was going to start soon, and you hadn't even thought about getting ready.

Would they realise if you didn't go? It was completely possible to throw your earbuds in and lock your bedroom door...

That train of thought was interrupted when the said birthday girl sprang through your door, "You're not ready?!" Feyre squeaked, large rollers were pinned in her hair and she stood at the foot of your bed with fake eyelashes in one hand and a small vial of glue in the other.

"I lost track of time," you told her, curling your legs underneath you and laying your book down open on the bed so that you could pick up right where you left off, "Also, have you ever heard of knocking?"

"We don't knock," she quipped, throwing herself down on the bed and sighing, "This doesn't have anything to do with him does it?"

"With who?"

"Oh, come on, Y/N. You know who," she prodded your side and you groaned, folding your arms over your chest whilst Feyre applied glue to the thin onyx lash line, "If it helps, I really don't think he knew you were behind that door," she blew lightly on the lash, party drying the glue and used your mirror to fix it to her right eye.

You winced at the memory, your fingers ghosting over the bridge of your nose that had only days before returned to its normal hue, "I've only just gotten rid of that bruise, all the concealer in the world couldn't hide that mess."

"Still," she blinked, "I really don't think he did it on purpose. Rhys said he felt really bad."

"Like he felt bad after the time he ran over my foot on that stupid motorcycle? I missed the Van Gogh exhibit because of that bullshit."

"Y/N..." Feyre drawled, exasperated with you and your excuses, "Please just get dressed," she had applied the other eyelash to her left eye and pushed them into place before turning to you with a smirk, "Before I let Mor in here."

"Okay, I'm up."

All of the entangled grinding bodies did little to soothe your anxiety.

You'd never been much of a party girl, and you had only joined the sorority because Mor and Feyre had insisted upon it. Lights strobed against the pale pink glittery banners and balloons that Elain had spent all day carefully throwing up whilst Nesta enlisted Cassian to get all of the booze.

The seating area in the centre of the room was brimming with all of the faces that you knew, Rhys with Feyre sat on his lap adorning a pathetic plastic tiara on the crown of her head, Mor wedged next to them with her legs strung over Emerie's thighs, Amren chatting away to Elain and Lucien on the far sofa, Nesta making sex eyes at Cassian, and then there was him.

Azriel.

The lights reflected off his smooth skin, tussled onyx short hair that looked somewhat windswept, hazel eyes and his strong jaw ticking as he searched the room before his eyes landed on you, finding you in the ocean of bodies surrounding where they all sat.

"Y/N!" A voice shouted to you over the crowd, red wine hair and amber eyes, she held her hand out to you and you clutched onto it, allowing her to pull you through into a small clearing by the stairs.

"Thanks, Bryce," she smirked over her shoulder at you, plucking two drinks from Hunt's hands and placing one in your grip.

Bryce was one of Nesta's friends that you had met when she had joined your art history class after a timetable mix up, you'd been pretty close since, you studied with Bryce in the library and Hunt occasionally joined as did Bryce's brother, Ruhn.

"Don't mention it," she clinked her glass against yours and you both downed half of the liquid, clearly you had some catching up to do from taking as long as possible to get ready, only joining the party when Nesta had sent you a snappy text about kicking your ass down the stairs if you didn't show your face in the next five minutes.

"Hey Athalar," he grinned at you, muttering a hello as he gave you a side hug. Hunt liked you a lot, you were good for Bryce, you were gentle and timid, but had a thunderous passion for the things you loved. Bryce was one of those things.

Bryce gave you a once over. A sleek white dress clung to your figure, every curve accentuated perfectly by the clean cut fabric that reached just below you ass, giving a perfect view of your legs. Black heeled boots were laced onto your feet, hair styled into effortless waves, and your makeup was simple and natural, highlighting your cheekbones and lips. Bryce approved.

Bryce smirked, noticing the pair of violet eyes that crept up behind you, they wrapped their arms around your waist and hoisted you in the air, placing you over their shoulder and twirling you around, chuckling as you squeaked in surprise, "Put me down, Ruhn!" With a light tap on your ass, Ruhn obliged and put you back on your feet.

Ruhn always looked good, long hair pulled back into a low messy bun, the sides always shaved, tattoos flowing up and down his arms, tan skin, taut muscle, tank top and cargo jeans. So good.

"Can't help myself," he slid an arm around your shoulder and pressed a kiss to your temple, "You look beautiful."

The elder sibling had always pined after you, he would wait in the courtyard outside of the art building to walk you back to the house, he'd bring you breakfast on a Sunday, he'd even taken you to your first football game.

"Thank you, Ruhn," you leaned into him and smiled, tuning back into the conversation between Bryce and Hunt, and the newly arrived Tristan Flynn, paying little attention to the burning hot hazel gaze that branded into your back.

There had been too many times where Az had fucked up.

Running over your foot was an accident that led to the spiralling mess that was your relationship, and every time he had tried to make up for it, it just kept on getting worse. Chocolates? Turns out you were allergic to nuts and blew up like a balloon. Coffee? He'd spilt the oat chai latte all over your brand new summer dress and ruined it. The movies? He had miscounted the group and forgot to get yours, and by then there were no tickets left. And then the door. That stupid fucking door. Azriel was so busy talking to Feyre about you that he didn't see you on the other side and smashed it right into your face.

Every time Azriel tried to talk to you, to voice how sorry he was and how stupidly in love with you he was, he fucked it up.

So yeah, he didn't blame you for hating him.

"Wanna stare a little harder, Az?"

Azriel turned his head slightly, forcing himself to look away from Ruhn's arm around you and his lips by your ear, whispering who knows what to you. At least the bruises under your eyes and around your nose had cleared, enough that you no longer winced when you smiled.

"She seems a little off today," he said to no one in particular, letting his words float into the air in hope someone would tell him why.

Azriel had spent a good amount of time studying you and your little quips, the face you'd make when you were concentrating, how many cups of tea you'd make after leaving them somewhere and forgetting about them, even your morning routines on your way to class.

Mor threw herself down beside him, the sofa cushion hissing out under her weight, "She missed book club tonight, she loves book club," Mor's eyes were glazed over, a sloppy smirk pulled at her lips.

"Book club?" Azriel asked, he knew you loved reading, but he never knew that you went to an actual book club.

"Yeah, you know, a place where people talk about the books they've been reading?," Nesta scoffed when Azriel flipped her off, she continued, "This week was meant to be the first session about The Perks of Being a Wallflower, it's her favourite," Nesta stirred her drink with her straw, "Just in case you wanted to make a gesture."

Azriel nodded, his eyes finding you again, "Thanks, Nes."

Azriel was fiddling idly with his fingers as people began to file into the room clutching copies of the book you loved so much, the same book that he had rushed out to get the morning after Feyre's party so that he could read it in time to talk to you about it.

Walls of books lined the room, dainty oak tables and arm chairs scattered around in a circle with blankets folded neatly over the arms. Warm fairy lights lit the ceiling, and Azriel understood why you must have been sad to have missed the last session.

He heard your laugh before he saw you, he saw the edges of your skirt that kissed the floorboards and allowed his sight to roam upward until he found your eyes wide and full of surprise, stuck in the doorway. You soon shook off the surprise and took a seat at the other side of the circle, looking to him occasionally with confusion.

"What quote resonated with you the most, Azriel? There are a lot to choose from."

You had looked to him then, really looked at him, not with hatred or any form of disgust, but with pure curiosity, bright shiny curiosity.

"It's much easier to not know things sometimes. Things change and friends leave. And life doesn't stop for anybody. I wanted to laugh. Or maybe get mad. Or maybe shrug at how strange everybody was, especially me. I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and then make the choice to share it with other people. You can't just sit their and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can't. You have to do things. I'm going to do what I want to do. I'm going to be who I really am. And I'm going to figure out what that is. And we could all sit around and wonder and feel bad about each other and blame a lot of people for what they did or didn't do or what they didn't know. I don't know. I guess there could always be someone to blame. It's just different. Maybe it's good to put things in perspective, but sometimes, I think that the only perspective is to really be there. Because it's okay to feel things. I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite. I feel infinite."

Azriel had recited the passage perfectly, he didn't even need to open the book and turn to the page. He just knew it. His voice was so deep and spoke emotion into every word, like he was in a trance.

The session had wrapped up and you had kept your distance during the breaks, seemingly lost in a world of thought, so Azriel thought it would be best to leave you alone. If the baby step in your relationship simply was having you look at him with anything but hatred, then he'd take it, he didn't want to push it.

"Azriel, wait!" Your voice called to him and he froze on the grass outside of the art building, turning slowly to face you as you jogged across the plain toward him, your skirt flowing in the wind behind you.

You looked pretty, you always did, but in the moonlight, with your hair tied back and loose threads falling over your face, with the two sizes too big jumper drowning your figure, he thought you looked ethereal.

"I didn't know you liked reading," you had said once you stopped in front of him, holding your favourite book to your chest.

"I don't talk about it."

"Right, it's just Feyre never mentioned it," you tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear and smiled up at him with a tilted head, examining him.

Azriel took a step toward you, one hand in his pocket and another holding onto his own copy, "Why would Feyre mention it?"

"I, I don't know actually," you mumbled, slightly flustered, you were adorable when you were flustered, "Is that your first time reading it?"

"Yeah, it was great. I see why it's your favourite."

"How do you know that?" A smirk tugged at your lips, ones that he wished he could taste, just once, so that he could tell the devil he had been to heaven without ever stepping foot there.

"Nesta may have said something."

"Ah," you kicked the air, shivering at the cold breeze that brushed past you, "Would you like to borrow my copy? I left notes in the margins that you might like."

Azriel glanced at your outstretched hand, he looked at the book with the dented spine from the countless times it had been explored, the frayed edges and the faint hue of blue ink that peeked out from one of the pages. He took it from you with a smile, "Can I, uh, walk you back?"

A moment of silence beat its heart and you hummed, "I think I'd like that."

"Right, great," he told you as you began to walk off, quickening his pace to fall in line with you.

You smelt of summer rain of freshly cut grass, of jasmine and orchid, a mind altering scent, "You know that I never meant to run over your foot last year right?"

"Or spill coffee over my dress? Or smack my face with that door?"

"Yeah, I haven't been very smooth," you laughed, actually laughed at him, with him, and it was an intoxicating sound, one of pure joy and happiness, "I never meant to hurt you."

"I believe you," the stars shone in the sky and you looked up at them, a smile ghosting at your lips, "I'm ready to turn a new page if you are?"

"I'm all about turning new pages."

You leaned into him, nudging him softly with your elbow, "Let's see what you've got then, Shadowsinger."

Authors Note

I really hope this is what you were wanting!

[vanteguccir]

── ୨୧ !　𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗬 𝗛𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚

　　　　　　　　　𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒚𝒍𝒆𝒔 x reader

SUMMARY: Where the hate that Y/N has been receiving on social media gets her on a path that she couldn't come back alone from.

WARNING: Eating disorder, dysmorphia, self-hatred, comparison. PLEASE read with caution!!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: That is my work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

　　　༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

Y/N was home alone for the second week in a row, and to say that things were easy would be a big lie. Her days were always the same: Spending hours doing different physical exercises and other hours reading the most horrible comments from Harry's fans.

She could never say they were bad people, after all they loved and cared about Harry, but there was something within the fandom against her, and she wondered if it was because she wasn't famous or because she wasn't thin.

Her heart told her that she shouldn't worry about it, there were sweet people who defended her and always presented proof of how much happier Harry seemed to be when with her, but her mind screamed that it was option two.

Hours of sleep were lost with Y/N ​​in front of the mirror, without any clothes and with her hair tied up, her dark eyes with big bags underneath wandering over every part of her body while her brain made records of absolutely all the negative parts.

To say that she wasn't in agony every time she saw an old article about Harry's exes or comments comparing them all to her was an understatement, she could only feel disgusted with herself and her body, while all her past traumas came back with full strength.

With Harry away it made it easier for her to do her fasting and her long hours of physical exercise, in addition to going days without ingesting anything more than one or two leaves of pure lettuce, and lots of water. The feeling of the cold water running through her body and reaching her empty stomach was pleasurable, and all she could think about was how thin she only felt when her stomach was empty.

And without even realizing it, her best friend became her scale, and her greatest partner became her seamstress' measuring tape. Y/N had even printed out some images of the body models she dreamed of having every day, and pasted each one of them in different corners of the house, especially in the kitchen, with strong messages full of triggers that made her think twice before opening the refrigerator or cupboard.

It wasn't surprising that she had an exaggerated reaction when she was told that Harry would have a week without shows, and that in that week he would return home and, consequently, to her. Y/N wasn't prepared to see him again, or rather, she wasn't thin enough to do so. Her weak legs ran around the house, tearing off all the photos and messages stuck to doors and walls, storing them in a far away place, where he wouldn't find.

She tried to take a long shower and brush her teeth repeatedly to get rid of the smell that she got from the lack of food. And then she felt a little ready for what was to come.

It wasn't long before the sound of the key in the main door was heard and the doorknob turned, the tall, dark figure appearing in the doorway with a suitcase in one hand and a big smile on his face, his emerald green eyes searching for her.

Y/N smiled one of her best smiles and ran to meet him, careful not to throw her full weight against him. She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as his large hands encircled her waist, the worry that he would feel the fat on her back regions running through her mind. But what she didn't notice was the confused look on Harry's face as his fingers felt how much smaller she was, and he wondered if she had started some kind of diet.

"I missed you so much, H." Y/N murmured against his shoulder.

"Not as much as I did, lovie. Every day, I just thought about having you with me, encouraging me and loving me, and then rewarding me." Y/N felt her body tense at the mention of the intimacy they both shared, the thought of him seeing her body, even though he had already seen it so many times that he had memorized every detail, made her fear.

"Why don't we take this suitcase to the bedroom and then see what we do?" She interrupted the moment, walking away with a fake smile and taking the suitcase from the taller man's hands, starting to climb the stairs, leaving a confused and worried Harry behind.

　　　　　༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Two days had passed, days full of lies on Y/N's part and worry on Harry's part. Y/N skipped breakfast, using the fact that Harry woke up after her as an excuse, saying that she had already eaten breakfast; At lunch she couldn't just lie or make some excuse, so she simply took a spoonful of the food that the brunette cooked with so much love, and spread it across the plate, trying to give the impression of having a full plate; At dinner she simply said that she wasn't hungry and that she lost the habit of eating dinner after Harry went on tour.

The days went on like this, Harry felt confused about the situation, but it didn't seem like he didn't believe it, so a debate raged between whether to bring up the subject or not.

Until one day. Harry woke up with the morning sun shining through the open curtain, which Y/N ​​opened every day, his body was warm from the duvet and Y/N's scent surrounded it, like Saturn's rings.

The man got up and did his routine, going to the bathroom, taking a quick shower and changing, ready to go down to meet his loved one, who was always waiting for him with a big smile, sitting at the kitchen counter with her cell phone in hand and a cup of coffee, which was just for him.

But today was different, as Harry went down the stairs a muffled sound became clearer, until his brain registered that the sound was of crying, with a frown the man quickened his pace and chased the sound, concern settling in his eyes.

It didn't take long for him to find Y/N in the fetal position on the main sofa in the room, the cell phone in her right hand while her left hand covered her mouth, trying futilely to stifle the sobs that broke from her throat.

Harry ran closer, kneeling on the floor in front of her seat on the sofa and placing his hands on the girl's knees, stroking them lightly.

"Y/N what happened? Who made you cry like this?" His green eyes migrated from her half-covered face and her cell phone.

"H-Harry-" Her voice broke as the taller man's name came out as a whimper.

"I'm here, baby!" He got closer, wrapping his hands around the smaller girl's shoulders, placing his forehead on the top of Y/N's head, breathing in her scent.

"Harry, I don't think I can do this anymore..." Y/N whispered.

"Do what, my love?"

"Us, Harry." The man moved quickly, astonished by his girl's response.

"Did I do something? It was one of those fake news that I'm cheating on you, wasn't it? Baby, I never-"

"No Harry, no. I know you would never do that! And you didn't do anything, I just..." She sighed and looked into his eyes, feeling guilty when she saw the pain in his emerald orbs. "Look at me, Harry, look at this." She pointed to his body, letting a loud sob out.

"What should I be seeing? Besides a beautiful woman."

Y/N laughed in disbelief, shaking her head and feeling a hint of anger start to rise, it was clear he would say something like that just to please her.

"Harry, I'm looking horrible. I don't have visible ribs or a protruding collarbone, I don't have a thigh gap or hip bones, I don't have thin wrists and I don't have well-marked cheekbones, I don't have pointy shoulders and I don't have a defined jaw... I don't have delicate hands or thin fingers, my waist isn't extremely thin and my breasts are too big. Harry, I'm not perfect and I can't give you what you need."

At this point Y/N was crying a desperate cry, with strong sobs that made her body shake and thick tears that ran down her face. Harry had tears welling up in his eyes as his hands balled into fists in anger at whoever had put these thoughts in his beloved's head.

"Y/N, who made you think like that? How can you deduce what I want?"

"Harry..." She closed her eyes tightly, her mind betraying her by bringing up images of Camille, the girl seemed to be kind, but Y/N couldn't help but feel jealous of her perfect body. "I'm not like them, I'm not like her!"

"Who? Baby, please-"

"I'm not like Camille or like Kendall or like Taylor, and I can't give you the pretty, thin image you need, the media hates me and I've lost count of how many times they've told you that you're blind from being with me, and I can't disagree with that."

Harry shook his head in denial, feeling angry at the media and everything they post and say with the intention of always offending someone.

Y/N continued to sob, and the force her body exerted with the act left her weak, the lack of food began to appear again and her eyes saw stars while her head swam. Harry grabbed her arms quickly, steadying her.

"Baby if you keep crying like that you're going to hurt yourself. Take a deep breath for me, hm? I'll get you a glass of water."

The brunette ran to the kitchen, starting to look for the decorated glass that he knew was the girl's favorite. While opening drawers and cabinets, his green eyes found a piece of paper glued to the front of the bottom shelf, where some industrialized sweets were kept. Harry took the paper and pulled it out, seeing a photo of a body exactly as described by Y/N and a note next to it, his eyes widened at the horrible mentions written there and he tried to get up quickly and return to the room, holding the paper firmly in your hands.

"Y/N what is this?" The brown-haired girl looked up quickly, her greatest fear happening right before her eyes. Her mouth opened but nothing came out. "Tell me something, when was the last time you ate anything?" She shook her head, ready to say it was the day before, but Harry interrupted her. "I mean a whole meal with a healthy amount."

Y/N remained silent, her eyes now fixed on the floor covered by the shag carpet, the older man took a deep breath, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat. He walked over to the smallest one and put the photo in his pants pocket, promising himself to look for others like it deep in the house.

"Y/N this is a serious situation, you can't keep something like this to yourself!" He couldn't help but feel frustration, he felt guilty for feeling like that because he knew that it wasn't Y/N's fault, but with the way that all of that came down, it just made his head confused and upset.

"Harry I'm fine, that was just-"

"Baby I bet you haven't eaten in days, do you think this is healthy, that this will get you somewhere other than a hospital bed? Letting this situation compromise you like this because of other people... That's not good for you. You don't need to have the same body as them, you don't need to have bones showing or a flat stomach to be magnificent. Those pants you're wearing were tight until a few weeks ago, and look at them now, they're baggy..."

Y/N kept her gaze down, her eyes were filling with uncontrollable tears that threatened to flow at any second again, her cheeks were heating up and the force she was exerting to contain the tears was starting to generate an unbearable headache. She knew Harry was right.

"I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me everything is okay. Just look into my eyes."

The girl slowly raised her head, her eyes focusing on Harry's beautiful green ones, which now held so much anguish and worry, a tear escaping from the corner of his right eye made her lower lip tremble. She opened her mouth to state that she was fine and that everything was going to get better, but her voice seemed to trail off for a second.

Her body hurt, her legs were wobbly and her arms were shaking slightly, she felt her head feel heavy. It was a horrible feeling, beyond normal.

"I-I... Harry, I think I need help."

She whispered, her tears flowing freely now with the weight of her words. Harry nodded vigorously, relieved that she understood that this situation was not normal, and promising himself that he would be by her side through the entire process, no matter how long it took.

And that night, after his girlfriend fell asleep, Harry cried.

[mmhcs]

Girl Dad! Miguel O'Hara

Warnings: Miguel is an emotional wreck, one use of (Y/N), one mention of reader being pregnant (otherwise can be interpreted as surrogacy, adoption, etcetera)

Miguel was absolutely and utterly in shock when he found out that you guys were having a child. Whether it be through surrogate, adoption, or you carrying the child yourself—once he found out that his greatest dream of starting a family was going to become a reality, he's so happy.

It's very rare that Miguel gets emotional. The vulnerability that he'd been displaying in your relationship was a feat in itself. However, once he hears that he's going to become a dad, Miguel can't help but shed a few tears. It's a bit weird seeing the tears stream down his face but there's a smile that collects them and stops them from staining his shirt.

"Un bebé!" Miguel exclaims, laughing in between his sniffles. He grabs you by your waist, pulling you into him. "Vamos a tener un bebé, querida! Un bebé!"

Again, it's very rare that Miguel is emotional. But when he walked into the Spider Society following the revelation, he couldn't maintain his usual stoic demeanor. He tries his best to keep the news quiet for as long as he can but one day he cracks.

"Miguel, did you need something?" Jessica Drew asked as she entered his laboratory. She glanced up, down, and at each corner of the room, searching for some possible incentives for her summons. Upon failing to find anything, Jess stopped in the center of the room, putting her hands on her hips. She opened her mouth to demand further explanation but was stopped by the sound of the door opening once more. "Hey, Miguel!" Peter B. Parker lifted an arm to send a floppy wave at his self-proclaimed best friend. His other hand moved underneath the baby carrier strapped to his chest, as if his wave would cause the entire thing to collapse. "What's going on?" Jess asked, getting back on track before Peter B. could steer it off-course. "Is something wrong?" Miguel turned to face both Peter B. and Jess. He didn't bother lowering his platform—he liked it this way. This physical distance was about to make up for the emotional olive branch that he was about to extend. "I've summoned you two here because of a very important matter," Miguel started, placing his hands behind his back. "Not only do I hold a certain level of respect for you two, but I feel that you two would be the most qualified and capable to provide me with insight on this matter," Jess and Peter B. exchanged curious and worried glances with one another before returning their focus to Miguel. He sighed, feeling the emotional constipation building within. "(Y/N) and I..." He inhaled a deep breath, "We're having a baby." Jess sputtered while Peter B.'s hands flew to his face, which elongated from how far his jaw was dropping.

When Miguel finds out that you two are having a girl, he is, once again, an emotional mess. Just tears of joy as he stares at the ultrasound photo.

"Mi bebita," he says, tracing his fingers along the white curves of the background. "Ella es hermosa."

As the months pass by, Miguel comes up with different nicknames for the baby. He's one of those soon-to-be-parents that likes to compare the size of the baby to different fruits. (You even catch him shedding a few tears while looking at a mango in the kitchen once).

Miguel's new favorite hobby is decorating your daughter's nursery. He isn't stingy when it comes to the time, money, and effort spent making it a room fit for a princess. Even though she isn't born yet, he makes sure that the room temperature is appropriate for a newborn, that all of her outfits are neatly organized in their rightful place, and that there's books, books, and toys galore for her to play with.

Each and every day, Miguel talks to your daughter. It doesn't matter if her ears haven't developed yet—that's his daughter and he'll be damned if he doesn't ask her how her day was.

"¿Tu estás bien ahí adentro, princesa?" Miguel asks, rubbing his hands along your stomach. "¿No estás cuasando problemas, verdad?" "Miguel," you giggled. It was so cute seeing him like this. "I don't think that she can even hear you yet,"

Miguel doesn't shy away from any milestone activities. Including a baby shower. For the first time, Miguel allows a party to be held at the Spider Society so that everyone may celebrate the impending birth of your baby girl. While the Spiders know better than to acknowledge it, everyone can see and feel the pure joy radiating off of Miguel even if he does keep his stone-faced exterior plastered on for the day.

In addition to enlisting the help of Jess and Peter B., Miguel also turns to parenting books. He reads so much that one would think "advice for first-time parents" is his favorite genre.

The baby books cause Miguel to be prone to bouts of anxiety, which more often than not ends with you comforting and reassuring him, just as he would do for you.

"Hey, hey," you say, stroking his cheek. "Don't worry. This baby is about to have the best dad in the Multiverse."

As the time gets closer, Miguel starts to exhibit nesting behavior. He wakes up every morning, spends some time with you, and then disappears into the nursery until the sky turns dark. Does it matter that there's nothing to do in there? Nope, he's gonna fold and organize and then reorganize anything and everything that he can. Everything can and will be perfect for his baby girl.

When your daughter is born, Miguel is just a mess. An absolute mess of tears and faint chuckles. He rotates between kissing your forehead and thanking you for allowing him this precious gift and admiring your daughter.

"Hey, princesa," he coos softly. "Nice to finally meet you."

Your daughter isn't even a week old when she has Miguel wrapped around her finger.

At the tiniest sound, Miguel is jumping to see what's wrong with her. During her first few nights home, he doesn't leave her side.

"Miguel," you say, leaning in the doorframe of the nursery. "Don't you think you're bothering her? I mean, she just got here; give her some space!"

Bonus:

You stumble awake, extending an arm across the bed, only to find the spot next to you cold. As usual. While you already know where Miguel is (or rather who he's with), you don't have to second-guess yourself as the distant sound of cherubic laughter fills the air. Slowly, you climb out of bed and pad towards your daughter's nursery. You pause in the doorframe, not wanting to disturb whatever moment your daughter and husband were having. Every day was something new, something beautiful and heartwarming, a reminder that you started a family with the best possible man in the Multiverse. This morning's sight was nothing short, Miguel repeatedly holding your daughter up in the air before bringing her back down to kiss her forehead. "Mi hermosa," he says as he lifts her up once more, earning a squeal from her. "Mi princesa," he coos as he brings her back down. "Mi bebita," He brings her back up, this time, gently moving her around as though she is an airplane. "¡Y mi angelita! ¡Papi te ama mucho!"

[fluffylino]

what are your thoughts on primal/chase w Minho? Cause I can't seem to get it to leave my head and you always have such great thoughts so I wanted to share this

Feel free to ignore this tho if if it's not your cup of tea or for any reason rly 💙

hi hi anon

this was really fun to write. honestly ive been wanting to write something like this with minho but never really got any good ideas. hope you like it!

warning- mainly cnc and minho is pretty mean. (but we love it)

-contains mature themes

the hallways seemed like they would never end. would you ever escape him? your legs hurt from how fast you were running.

you could hear him. his footsteps growing louder and louder as he moved in closer.

you looked around. searching for somewhere to hide. anywhere. your eyes scanned the place.

a dressing room. it was far but it was reachable if you ran. so you did it. huffing, your heart racing. you opened the door, it was dark. at any other time you'd be scared of how dark the room was.

but now.

now, you had to hide.

you carefully shut the door. hands moving about to find any switch. a light switched on and you were surprised to see how clean it actually was.

you turned your back to the door. looking down at your feet, only to see a shadow on the floor.

"there you are, kitty"

your heart jumped with a start. how did he get in so fast?

minho shut the door behind him, arms reaching over to shove you firmly against the wall. there was no way you could get away.

"l-let me go" you screamed, trying to move out of his iron grasp. he pushed your head against the wall. your cheek squished and you struggled to even move.

these were the times you realised just how strong he actually was. and if he wanted to he could do anything he liked.

"no s-stop stop i-it" you said, as you felt him lift your skirt up. it was your favourite skirt. not to thick yet not too short.

"shut it. stop fussing" he hissed out, tugging your panties down. his fingers inching down. you wriggled around.

"a-ahh h-hurts it hurts" you cried out as he shoved his fingers deep into you.

so deep you felt a tinge of discomfort. you weren't wet enough to take three of his digits.

you whined, unable to even speak.

"you know you want it. relax kitten."

he mumbled into your ear, pulling his fingers out. you shivered at the loss.

"be a good kitty and get on your fours"

you shook your head. never.

"n-no i don't w-want it"

he let out an exasperated sigh behind you. a noise of surprise leaving you when he manhandled you. forcing you to the ground.

he maneuvered you. keeping your head pressed on the white floor. your back arched and ass up. skirt pushed up to expose you completely. embarassment was what you felt.

minho used his knees to keep your legs apart. you couldn't help it.

your cunt throbbing for something more. something bigger. something wet.

whereas your mind was all over the place. everything was happening so fast you didn't know if you were ready.

no prep. but this is what you and him had discussed much ahead of time.

consensual non consent. he could fuck you whenever he felt like it. regardless of whether you wanted it. and that made you feel some type of way.

his personal playtoy. your body belonging to him. him having complete control over you. the control part is what you loved.

"you say you don't want me but look at you" he let out, you could hear him take his belt of with one hand. his zipper being pulled down.

"arching your back for me, your leaking so much kitten. anyone would think you're a bitch in heat, presenting yourself to me"

you felt your eyes water. desperation.

"i-..i-" you stuttered, his grip on your hair so strong, you couldn't even lift your head up. your face smushed down.

"when are you going to accept it..shut up and take it"

your mouth dropped open. a pained whine escaping you as he entered you.

fuck, he was so big. you'd never get used to his size. and now with no lube, your thighs trembled at the discomfort. a heavy weight.

"ah-h m-minho hurts..p-paining" you cried out, body shaking at how stretched out you were. you were at your max.

"oh does it?" he asked, voice going low and condescending.

"still hurts?" your eyes rolling to the back of your head as he moved his hips. burying himself even deeper. this time not stopping his movements.

"accept it, kitten. you want me to fuck you full. to breed you" minho said, voice cracking as you still tried to adjust to him.

you squirmed as he held your hips, pulling you back to meet his thrusts. choked out noises and whimpers leaving your parted lips.

"d-don't want your c-cum hnghh-"

your eyes shot open as he pulled out completely. you stayed extremely still. not knowing what was going to happen next. he mumbled an annoyed 'fine'.

"crawl." he said out lazily.

"come on im giving you a chance to walk away"

could you really believe him? you hesitated for a entire minute. unsure. until you rose to your elbows and slowly inched ahead.

your speed slowly increasing. that was till you were dragged back. his cock slipping back into your warm cunt with no effort.

"you really thought huh"

"your pussy is begging to be filled. your dripping onto the floor. so quit lying."

tears fell on the ground. everything felt so good. so real. so different.

"i'll make sure to pump you full of my cum until you can't take anymore. you take what im giving you"

his hips ramming into you. getting pushed forward with every animalistic thrust.

"n-no pull o-out...pull out p-please minho not in me" you cried out, shaking in his grasp. you wanted it. you wanted his cum.

"you cunt says otherwise. swallowing me fucking whole like its been starved"

he held you in place.

one particular hard thrust and you could feel him inside you. filling you up to the brim. your own cum mixing with his and leaking outside of your poor abused hole.

"ahhhh keep it all inside"

minho instructed, watching as you clenched. trying your best to keep all of him in. but you couldn't. sitting on his haunches watching how your pussy quivered at just how much had seeped out.

warm.

sticky.

your knees gave in and you fell completely on the floor. your breathing heavy.

minho shuffled around behind you. everything was beginning to set in. but minho was there. you knew he was going to take care of you.

"did so well for me, sweetheart"

[seokmthw]

in the fire | sung hanbin

⇢ pairing: hanbin x reader

⇢ warnings: dystopia au, zombie apolocalypse au, angst, some fluff, slow burn, major character death, vomiting, blood, gore, violence, explicit language, mentions of/implied assisted suicide (this is the best way to describe it)

⇢ synopsis: a deadly virus has broken out and left the world in shambles as everything you once knew gets flipped upside down and you're fighting for your life alongside your best friends. the three of you decide to follow a pair of strangers to a city that supposedly has an entire community of people, but you didn't realize the amount of horrors you would have to endure along the way.

⇢ word count: 19.08k

⇢ note: i am SO proud of how this turned out, it's one of my favorite fics i have written to date. the plot moves kind of fast but i feel like that happens with most zombie apocalypse media, so i hope you guys don't mind. if you want to listen to the playlist i listened to during the making of this while you read, here it is. i hope you enjoy :]

JOIN MY TAGLIST!

i.

“y/n, wake up!” the deep slumber you were in felt as if it didn’t last very long due to the familiar voice of one of your best friends, taerae, shaking you awake.

you groaned, stirring around beneath your covers, swatting his hands away from you, “what, taerae? i was sleeping so good.”

“that’s not really important right now,” his voice was hushed, a hint of anxiety laced within his words. it was extremely unlike him, and within mere seconds you were opening your eyes and staring at him, sitting up from your cocoon, brows furrowed in concern, “what's wrong?” you asked, observing him as he began rummaging through your bags hanging on the back of your bedroom door.

he tossed your largest backpack at you, “we need to go, within the next few minutes, actually. pack only the essentials.”

“why?” you inquired, swinging your legs over the edge of the bed and touching your feet to the chilly hardwood floors. you were greeted with silence, trying to get your tired brain to catch up with taerae’s actions of grabbing some of your personal hygiene products and tossing them on the bed next to you. 

you become frustrated with the boy, snapping, “taerae, what is going on? you can't just barge in here and tell me to pack some of my shit and then not tell me why.”

he stopped dead in his tracks, shoulders tense and a sigh slipping past his lips. he turned to face you, the fear he was feeling clear on his expression now. you searched his face for anything that might be an indicator of what it was, but the words he uttered were something you never expected, “there was just a nationwide announcement broadcasted on the tv that said the most recent round of flu shots contained a nasty string of some virus in it and it's mutating in people’s genes,” he explained, “the people who got it are going crazy and freaking out on everyone around them. biting them, clawing at their skin, swallowing whatever bits of flesh they can get their hands on. it's complete madness. they want everyone to travel to some hospital a few hours north of here.”

you couldn't help the way your jaw fell slack at his gruesome words. people eating other people? there was no way this was happening. you were surely dreaming, or taerae was pulling your leg and taking it a little too far; it wouldn't be the first time he's done something like this during your time being friends with him. you shook your head, balling up one of your shirts and chucking it at him, “stop fucking with me, dude. i can't believe you woke me up for this.”

“i’m being dead serious, y/n,” the bewilderment in his eyes and the nervous bobbing of his adam’s apple was hard to miss, “ask hanbin if you're really that skeptical. you know he would never seriously joke about something like this.” he took your backpack from your hand and began shoving things inside of it, motioning for you to seek out hanbin and find out for yourself. 

you pushed past him and out into the hallway, feet padding gently against the floor into the living room where the television was quietly humming in the background. you focused your attention on that, snagging the remote from the coffee table and turning the volume up. on the screen was your local news channel, an anchor braving what seemed to be utter chaos behind them. 

/reporting to you live from the streets of atlanta. since the news of the virus outbreak, madness has struck the city. people are in a frenzy, desperate to get out and find some sort of safety. it is highly advised you form a group with whoever you are near now and leave as soon as you can. i will provide you with more updates as they com-/

before the reporter could finish her sentence, someone came barreling up behind them, snapping their neck cleanly. you watched in horror as the reporter’s body crumpled to the ground and the culprit followed suit, crawling on his hands and knees to get to the exposed flesh of their neck. the culprit sniffed deeply before he began ripping their throat out, blood pooling near their head and their face quickly becoming unrecognizable. the look in the culprit’s eyes was nothing short of evil and you felt as if you were going to vomit just watching. 

“y/n, there you are!” the sound of hanbin's panicked voice caused a wave of fear to course through your veins. you yelped in surprise, quickly whipping around to face him, taking in his expression, a backpack of his own secured on his back not going unnoticed by you. 

this was real. and it was serious.

you felt tears well up in your eyes at the sight of him, still digesting what you had just witnessed on the television. he glanced over at the screen, catching a look for himself, and was quick to shut it off so you didn't have to see anymore. he approached you gently, but you were quick to cling to him, desperate to be grounded, to have a sense of security after being woken up to such intense news. you felt his arms envelope you in an embrace, his hands cupping the back of your head as you whispered, “i’m terrified, hanbin.”

“i know,” he consoled, trying his best to keep his voice steady, “i am too, but we can't let that control us right now. we have to be logical and level headed. let’s go find taerae and get out of here.”

you nodded, pulling away from him, feeling your heartbeat speed up in your chest at the way he wiped your tears away, the softest of smiles on his face. he tilted his head in the direction of your bedroom, and you followed behind him, shaking your head at yourself. now was /not/ the time for you to be dwelling on the crush you developed on him. at this point, you weren't sure if there would ever be a time, but you were hardly worried about it. 

you entered back into your bedroom, having seen taerae was almost finished with packing your backpack full of things. you thanked him quietly and apologized for freaking out on him a few minutes prior, earning a small smile from him in return, “i understand why you didn't believe me at first, so it's really okay.”

“so what’s the plan?” you asked, now taking the bag from taerae’s grasp and slinging it over your shoulders. 

“i suppose we attempt to get wherever they're saying to go,” hanbin answered. you looked outside of your window, catching a glimpse of the chaos a few streets over, a cynical laugh erupting from your lungs, “looks like that’ll be easier said than done.”

the three of you made a collective decision to at least try, because maybe you'd be guaranteed safety that way. you stayed clustered together tightly upon exiting the house through the front door, every sense on high alert as you kept your eyes peeled out for anyone you suspected might be infected by the virus. you felt as if your heart was in your throat, adrenaline coursing through your veins in a way it never had before. 

you slunk to taerae's suv, opening the doors to get in as quietly as you could muster, though you knew it would be harder to keep its old doors from squeaking too loudly. you hopped in quickly, desperate to get out of there and to a place where you wouldn't have to fear so much, and hopefully live in peace until this entire thing blew over. 

out of habit, taerae shut the door loudly, and the panic that sank to the pits of your stomachs was enough for taerae to kick it into high gear and speed out of your neighborhood as fast as he could. loud, gutteral shrieks from infected chasing after the car could be heard – the sound was unmistakable. you tried your hardest to keep your head down, to not look, because you genuinely felt like you'd throw up at any given moment.

but your efforts were cut short from the sounds of the tires screeching and taerae yelling, your gaze flicking up to see a body toppling over the hood of the car, blood splattering on the windshield and oozing from their mouth from where they'd likely just gotten done devouring someone. silence hung thickly in the air, the three of you processing everything that just happened.

“i just ki-”

taerae’s words were drowned out by the sound of you wretching in the back seat.

ii.

you never made it to the hospital. there was far too much chaos, and by the time you’d made it to a gas station, everyone had used up every last drop trying to top off before they drove up there. the three of you ended up having to completely abandon taerae’s suv, and despite the sheer amount of infected surrounding you, somehow, you survived. 

your new routine had been set in place for quite some time now. find a shelter, scavenge for supplies, and repeat for a couple weeks. then afterward, you would relocate. it was really the most you could do, considering every place you deemed worthy to make a hideout ended up being overtaken by more infected than you could usually handle. you were getting pretty sick of constantly having to move around, having no stability.

you missed life before the outbreak.

it took weeks for you to adjust to seeing so much blood, or having to kill infected who hadn't completely rotted away, some eerily intact despite the virus taking hold. it took an even longer time to adjust to /killing/. it was never something you imagined you would ever have to do in your life, but by now, about a year and a half later since the outbreak, you were immune to it and it didn't bother you anymore. regardless, you still longed for the days where all you did was complain about work and bills. 

having taerae and hanbin around made things a lot easier; especially hanbin. he naturally assumed the role of leader within your small group, and even more so if you had others tagging along with you. but just barely a week ago the last person of a group of about 5 you came across got bit and succumbed to the infection, leading to a huge scare of taerae potentially getting infected himself. thankfully, he wasn't, but the prospect of losing either of them to the virus made you feel nauseous. 

your tasks for each day were split up so none of you experienced extreme amounts of burnout. some days were dedicated solely to rest, though all three of you felt incredibly guilty when you did that. at any given moment, you could be attacked. or not have enough to eat. or even die. one thing you all had learned the hard way was that you were never guaranteed to live through an entire day. 

which led you to your current situation of trying to sneak around a nearby general store in hopes of finding some sort of supplies with taerae while hanbin protected the house you were currently inhabiting. since losing the last of your new group, you often found yourself wishing you could have at least a few more people so nobody was left alone. knowing that hanbin was currently by himself made you uneasy, especially since he couldn’t defend himself against more than two or three infected, or even other people, at once. you shook the thoughts plaguing your mind away; there was no time to think about things like that.

besides, you knew hanbin would be fine. he always was.

you gripped your knife tightly in your hand, allowing your eyes to constantly scan the aisles while you were searching through boxes in hopes of finding anything you could use. you had come to this place a couple of times since settling down a couple weeks ago, but it was nearly empty now. your food supply was running out at an alarming rate and there was only so much you could ration between the three of you before you would inevitably starve. 

the moment you came across anything that was edible, you could have cried. it was the millionth can of beans you had come across since you’d been traveling and you were tired of them being the main component of your diet. it was no wonder it was some of the only food left no matter where you went. people still hated beans, even in the midst of an apocalypse.

you carefully stepped over large chunks of broken glass to avoid making too much noise so you could stand next to taerae, who was dejectedly kicking around some garbage that was of no use to any of you. smiling sadly, you asked, “have you found anything?”

“not really, no,” he answered, “i think another group of people came through here and took a bunch of supplies we had seen when we were fighting that mob last week. bastards.”

you knew how frustrated taerae was getting with unsuccessful supply runs. admittedly, you were feeling the same way. it was hard not to have a temper. but, you were actively trying to make sure you didn’t let it crush your spirits too much. if you did, you knew that it would not only bring your motivation to keep searching down, but it would take a toll on everyone else around you as well. that was the last thing you needed, especially since things were looking more and more grim each day.

“have you found anything?” he asked.

you sighed, “other than a couple cans of beans and a box of cold medicine, i haven’t come across anything worthwhile.”

taerae softly whined, and for a minute, you thought he might throw a tantrum, “why does everyone leave only beans? that’s been our diet for what feels like an eternity.”

“i know, but be glad we find anything at all. it’s better than nothing,” taerae huffed in annoyance, but ultimately agreed with your sentiment.

you followed taerae out of the store, careful not to let the door slam shut behind you. making one loud, uneccessary noise would more than likely lead to your deaths, and that wasn’t particularly something you were looking for by any means. you both refused to leave hanbin on his own. you were doubtful he could survive alone, especially if he were to encounter a lot of infected at one time.

there was nobody who was capable of that.

you set off down the road toward your current hideout. night time was creeping up on the two of you, and while you were sure the you could take on a small group of infected together, you knew you couldn’t handle any more than that. you peered over to your partner, taking note of the sour expression adorning his features, and nudged him playfully, “a little success is better than nothing at all, you know.”

“i do,” he attempted to fight the smile creeping at the corners of his mouth, “maybe you’re just bad luck. every time i go on a run with hanbin, we always find so much.”

“hey!” you exclaimed with a light laugh.

taerae shrugged, a small chuckle emitting from his lungs, “you didn’t deny it.”

you fell into a comfortable silence, the only audible sound being your boots thudding against the pavement. you felt a shiver course down your spine; this would be your second time going through this apocalypse in the winter months. it was hard to ignore the fact that it was starting to get icy out and the wind was cutting right through your thin jacket and down to your bones. you leaned a little closer into taerae, who was practically grinning from ear to ear as you did so.

“i take it you’re cold?” though he was teasing you, his arm instinctively wrapped around your shoulders. you nuzzled closer into the boy’s side, soaking up any bit of warmth he radiated from underneath his hoodie.

“no, i’m sweating buckets,” you sarcastically remarked, completely unable to mask your playful smile, “i’m actually freezing. and i think it’s starting to rain.”

taerae tilted his head up toward the sky, his dark eyes scanning the darkening gray clouds overhead. he audibly sighed, and you took note of the cold droplets of water starting to fall on top of your head and seep into your clothes. he turned to you, “we’re only a couple blocks away from the house, let’s just pick up the pace. we don’t want our asses to get mauled by infected when we’re almost back.”

you nearly stopped dead in your tracks at the sound. it was almost as if taerae was psychic sometimes, and you were hoping like hell you were just hearing things. a deep, throaty growl sounded off behind you once more, and when you turned your head to look, your eyes widened at the sight of a mob forming behind you. you supposed that this was to be expected, especially considering it had grown darker a lot sooner than it normally did, but it still put fear in your heart. 

taerae gently urged you forward, “we need to go, now!”

even if the size of the mob was manageable, it certainly did not mean the two of you should take it on. the moment you were to do that, more were likely to start showing up and you would be doomed. taerae grabbed your hand as the two of you began to sprint, his grip on you preventing you from falling any further behind from your slight lack of speed. the rain had become heavier the closer you got to your hideout, skewing any good amount of vision you were hoping to have between your hair plastering to your skin and the weather limiting how far ahead you could see in front of you.

you cursed the month of december; it had always been one of your least favorite months, even before the outbreak, but now it was definitely taking the top spot for your most hated. ice had already begun to form on the road and sidewalks of the neighborhood and your boots were no longer gripping to anything. an intense jolt of pain shot through your knee the moment you lost your balance and smashed it into the pavement. you inhaled a sharp breath, struggling to regain your footing as taerae stopped to help pull you up. 

“they’re getting closer! come on, y/n, we’re only a few houses away!” 

you pushed your legs to keep going, no matter how much your knee was throbbing or your muscles felt like they were on fire. you desperately searched your surroundings in hopes of finding some sort of familiarity, and the moment you saw hanbin standing in the living room window of your hideout, you felt a wave relief wash over you. 

taerae pulled you up the front steps of the porch, making sure you got inside before he did, and kicking an infected back into the crowd and following you so it couldn’t force its way inside. hanbin slammed the door and locked the deadbolt the moment he was able to. your legs felt like jello and there was no mistaking the heavy breathing of taerae as he was hunched over, tossing his bag onto the ground. 

“did it get you?” hanbin sounded frantic as he shoved taerae’s right pant leg up, eyes scanning every inch of his skin for a mark of any kind left by the infected he had kicked back.

taerae scowled, shoving the older boy away from him with a smirk, “of course not. i would have felt it,” his gaze softened at hanbin’s solemn gaze, “i’m okay, don’t worry.”

hanbin nodded, his eyes flickering over to your hobbling frame as you attempted to make your way to the old couch you had been sleeping on since being in the house. you winced the moment you put any pressure on that knee, though, and within mere seconds hanbin had his arm snaked around your waist to help you get to your destination easier. 

you sat down, exhaling a shaky breath as you rolled up your own pant leg. your entire knee was already beginning to form a deep purple bruise and blood seeped from the small scrape that you figured you would have. you gingerly poked around the wound, mentally cursing yourself for losing your footing in the first place. 

“y/n took a pretty hard fall out there, i’m surprised they didn’t shatter their kneecap,” taerae spoke up.

a look of concern contorted hanbin’s face, “are you going to be able to function okay?” 

“i don’t know,” you truthfully replied, “i think i can as long as i nurse it or have some sort of support. i also think it would be best if we leave and try to find another shelter somewhere, we’ve definitely overstayed our welcome here.”

taerae scoffed, “are you out of your mind? there’s absolutely no way you can travel with your knee like that, let alone fight off any infected.”

“as much as i hate to admit it, i think y/n is right,” hanbin said, “besides, we’ve wiped out everything nearby that could possibly have usable supplies. there’s no way we can survive on what little we have until y/n is fully healed up.”

“not to mention, it seems like more and more infected are showing up around you here,” you added.

your gaze locked with taerae, who looked as if he could explode at any given moment. you knew he had the best of intentions, but it was crucial you left at dawn. sighing, you reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it in reassurance and muttering, “i’ll be okay, i promise. i can hold my own and as long as we wrap my knee up well, i’ll be able to walk normally. you know i wouldn’t say any of this if i didn’t think i could do it.”

taerae finally nodded in agreement, though his expression remained menacing as his eyes flickered between both you and hanbin.

“we better get some rest, we leave the moment the sun rises.”

iii.

it had been a couple of days since the three of you had set out from your hideout. to say you were exhausted was an understatement; you hadn’t found a shelter worthwhile to stay in, so you had to make camp in the most closed off spaces you could, usually in the woods. you hardly slept; it was far too cold to stay asleep for very long at all and if you did manage to get a couple hours in, you felt worse when you woke up.

you had to eat your supply of beans straight from the can because you had no way to cook them. scarfing them down wasn’t exactly ideal, and you dealt with taerae whining about it the most out of all of you. but, food was food, and you were lucky enough to have what you did. 

“if this map is correct,” hanbin interrupted the silence as the three of you continued walking down the same road you had set foot on, “this road should take us to the next town a couple miles out from where we are now.”

you felt a pang of excitement hit you, “maybe we’ll find better food there.”

“and somewhere a little more warm to sleep,” taerae added, the eagerness in his voice hard to ignore.

hanbin nodded, “we could probably make it there today if we keep up the pace we are,” he turned to look at you, “can you do that with your knee?”

truthfully, your knee felt like it was going to give out on you at any given moment. hanbin did the best he could with the little supplies you had to stabilize it enough so it didn’t hurt when you walked. it worked for the first day and half, but ever since your last stop to try and sleep, it’s been in an excruciating amount of pain. 

you still assured the two with a smile anyway, “i’ll be fine, i promise.”

as the three of you continued your journey, you couldn’t help but feel like every inch of your body was going numb. being out in the cold for the amount of time you had been was definitely not good for any of you, especially since the jackets you had were suitable only for autumn-like weather. snow had begun piling up on the first day of traveling, making things even more slick beneath your boots and the chill in the air to cut through every measly layer of clothing you adorned. 

you just hoped that hanbin was right about the town. for everyone’s sake.

— — —

“there’s a stream not too far from here, i’ll go and get some water while you change y/n’s bandages.”

hanbin was currently kneeling on the ground in front of you, teeth gritted together as he tried to keep from shivering too much while he focused on the task at hand, “just hurry back.”

with that, taerae set off into the woods where the stream could be seen from where your spot on a tree stump, his boots crunching the snow beneath them. one of the only perks about winter was being able to see through the usually dense areas a lot easier. 

you sighed, frustrated with yourself, “i’m sorry for setting us back.”

hanbin shook his head, “you don’t have to apologize, i know you wouldn’t ask to stop for the day if you were feeling okay.”

“maybe you should just leave me for the infected, i’m more of a burden right now than anything,” you half-joked, one corner of your mouth raising in a smile.

however, the boy in front of you didn’t find it to be very funny. his frown deepened and he locked his dark eyes with yours and grabbed your hand, his fingers chilled to the bone, and a seriousness radiating from his body, “i will never, ever leave you behind, even if it costs me my life. okay?” 

“the same will always go for you,” you squeezed his hand reassuringly. you would be an idiot if you didn’t admit the small smile he gave in return made your belly do backflips or the feeling of his hand in yours made you warm up just a little bit.

hanbin taped the remaining bandage together the best he could before rolling your pant leg down, careful not to roll his hard work down with the fabric of your jeans. you mumbled a thank you, standing up to make sure it was still secure and once you gave him a thumbs up, hanbin rose to his feet as well. 

by now, taerae made his way back to the two of you, extending the canteen of cool water out to you. taking it graciously, you took a few good sips before passing the object to hanbin. 

“what’s the plan now?” taerae inquired, scanning the brush around you in an attempt to find somewhere to set up camp for the night. 

hanbin shrugged, “maybe we should wait until morning to finish the hike to the convenience store. it’s almost dark now and i would hate to travel and have that be what kills us,” both you and taerae nodded in agreement. 

you parted your lips to speak, “let’s find somewhere to rest then, we have a long night ahead of us.”

— — — 

you desperately clung to hanbin and taerae, craving warmth more than ever. you were to the point now that moving hurt from how cold your entire body was. the small fire you had going earlier in the evening had to be put out before you slept so it didn't attract more infected that you wanted, so it was exponentially more difficult than any of your previous nights on the road or inside an abandoned home. 

morning began to break through the clouds in the sky, your surroundings illuminated by the dim light it provided to you. the snow glimmered all around you, and bad you not been freezing your ass off, you would have found it beautiful.  hanbin began to stir next to you, uttering a quiet, “did you get any sleep?”

“barely,” you mumbled back, taking note of the way taerae was snoring on your other side, sleeping soundly as if he wasn't on the frigid, hard ground in the middle of winter. you envied him, because no matter where you were, he was somehow able to sleep at least a few hours. 

hanbin lowly chuckled, “me either, but i’m glad to see it's going well for him.”

you peered up at hanbin through your lashes, taking in the gash just to the side of his right eye that was still healing from an encounter with a hostile group of survivors a few weeks ago. you reached up to touch it, gently tilting his head sideways to get a better look at it. you informed him, “it’s healing really well, i don't think the scar will be all that noticeable.”

“good, i’m glad,” he replied, and you missed the way his eyes followed you as you flipped around on your other side to begin rustling taerae awake. truthfully, you turned away because you were scared hanbin would catch on to the feelings you still somehow possessed for him, but waking taerae was also just as important. 

taerae grunted as he woke up, surprise evident in his face; almost as if he were worried something bad was happening, but when he realized it was just you, he relaxed almost immediately. “what time is it?” he asked, and you glanced down at the watch you adorned on your wrist, replying, “just barely after six.”

your morning was pretty relaxed after that. you took your time waking up and even managed to get another fire going so you could defrost yourselves before trekking back out into the snow toward your destination. your knee was feeling a lot better since taking a break and you were able to comfortably walk on it without needing some kind of support from either hanbin or taerae. 

your relaxation and bliss of the fire were quickly replaced with dread and hatred toward the cold as you trudged toward the town you were looking for. you still felt better, and your knee was much easier to walk on than previously, so you knew you'd at least be able to make it there while there was still daylight.

a soft gasp erupted from the boy on your right “what’s that up there?” the glee laced in taerae’s voice was hard to ignore upon him catching sight of gas pumps and the building next to them. 

you squinted to catch a better glimpse and couldn’t help the grin tugging at either corner of your mouth, “i think we’re here!”

hanbin chuckled, “you two sound like you’re arriving somewhere for a field trip.”

you nudged him slightly, the three of you unknowingly picking up your paces in pure excitement. you pulled out your weapons upon getting closer to the gas station, eyes and ears fully alert for any potential threats surrounding the area – infected or not. 

taerae extended his arm, quietly pulling the door open and holding his gun up in front of him as he walked inside. you were the next one inside with hanbin following up the rear, and once you were able to see that there was no imminent danger inside any of the rooms, you put your weapons away.

the sight you were greeted with was enough to almost bring the three of you to tears. there was at least four shelves of food and supplies that hadn’t been touched yet, which was extremely rare to come by at the point you were in with the apocalypse. 

“this has been well worth the wait,” taerae piped up, tossing a box of crackers, a package of hot dogs, and a few bottles of water into his backpack, “we finally don’t have to eat stupid fucking beans anymore.” 

“and we don’t have to hear you complain about it,” the eldest boy teased, mimicking the younger’s actions as he got a feel for everything there was to offer. 

you headed toward the back room, flicking the light on only to be greeted with a few makeshift mattresses the people here previously had left. you searched the drawers of the desk off to your right, greeted with a pad of paper and a pen as well as a few other items you found to be useful to the group. 

you tossed everything into your backpack and put it to the side, opting to tidy up the beds so everything was neatly arranged and each of the three of you had a spot to sleep. The padding on the floor was much softer than you expected it to be and you almost screeched in excitement when you stumbled upon a closet filled with thick coats. 

as you finished pulling them out of the closet, the other two were entering the room with grins adorning their faces. taerae saw you struggling to hold all the coats at once and came forward to help you, laughing at your misfortune when you dropped pretty much all of them on the floor. 

without a word, you began going through them and found ones in your sizes or at least close to them, sighing in content at the feeling of warmth they gave you once you slipped them on. you closed the door to the office, settling down onto the mattresses with the other two.

“do we want to stay here for a little bit before we head out again? or do we want to try and find a house?” hanbin asked, finally breaking the silence between the three of you and the analytical part of his brain speaking for him. 

you leaned back against the wall, your eyes trained on the ceiling, “i would be okay with either one. right now we’re at least guaranteed shelter, even if it’s only for a couple of days.”

“maybe we can stay for three or four days and see if we can find a house nearby,” taerae suggested. you all nodded, deciding that was the best plan you could come up with. 

you were just glad to have something go your way for once.

iv.

you stirred around on your spot on the floor, groggily coming out of one of the best sleeps you’ve had in months. you felt deliciously warm, sandwiched in between both taerae and hanbin, who were also just beginning to wake up. 

you smiled to yourself, propping your body up onto your elbow as your eyes scanned the area around you. it almost felt too good to be true, striking the jackpot with so much in one day. it was very rare the group of you ever had more than enough food to survive for a week, especially if there was more people with you, and here you were with everything you could have ever hoped for. you felt extremely grateful.

“why the hell are you up so early?” taerae groaned, flipping his arm over to look at the time on his watch before he covered his head with a pillow.

you chuckled at him, voice a hushed whisper so you didn't wake hanbin, who was still sleeping peacefully, “i don't know, i just couldn't sleep anymore.”

taerae huffed loudly before eventually sitting up, his hair tangled and messy and eyes still shut as he gained his bearings back. finally, he looked at you, playfully annoyed, and said, “i suppose you and i can rummage around for some more stuff while hanbin rests for a little longer. he never gets enough and he seems to actually be into a deep sleep.”

you peered over at the boy fondly, taking note of his soft snores and slightly agape mouth. taerae was right, and you did everything you could to be quiet before you left. you wrote a quick note on the pad of paper you found the previous day and left it where you slept so hanbin could easily find it if he woke up and you were still gone. 

you followed taerae out of the office, careful to not close the door too loudly just in case any infected had wandered in overnight. you seemed to be in the clear, and almost welcomed the crisp morning air as it hit your face and filled your lungs. there were a few other buildings nearby, abandoned cars as well, so you decided to scope them out and see what they had to offer. 

as you rummaged through a bag on the ground near one of the vehicles, taerae’s straightforward question caught you off guard, “are you ever going to tell hanbin that you like him?”

you were baffled, to say the least. you glanced up at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, before you finally managed to spit out, “that is not what i was expecting to talk about while we did this.”

“that's not an answer to my question,” taerae teased.

“no shit, sherlock,” you sarcastically remarked, deciding to keep a box of matches you'd found in that bag. you pondered his question before you answered him as you rose to your feet, avoiding eye contact and feeling yourself begin to blush, “i don't know, i mean, we’re in the middle of an apocalypse, i don't think it's the right time.”

“is there ever going to be a right time?”

his question made your mind start reeling. of course you'd /thought/ about telling hanbin, but you didn't want to ruin your friendship and most certainly didn't want to make things awkward considering you had to be around him until you either died and split off in your own ways. you thought he was way out of your league, anyway. there was no way he would ever like you back. you finally looked at taerae, a smug grin plastered on his face, and you stuck your tongue out, “quit being an ass.”

“y/n has a crush~” he sing-songed, skipping in annoying little circles around you and poking your sides annoyingly. you crossed your arms over your chest, giving taerae a blank stare until he stopped in front of you, his smile even wider now “you're blushing.”

you smacked his arm, earning a yelp from him, and hastily said, “no i’m not, it's just freezing out here.”

the two of you kept rummaging around, and after several minutes, taerae had done eerily quiet. you knew he was probably scheming something, because even amidst hell on earth, he always found a way to pull fast ones on you and hanbin. you shook your head, mentally preparing yourself for whatever it was he decided to do. 

but nothing came, and you were beginning to get worried. you had your upper body inside of another car, legs still dangling outside, after seeing one of the windows rolls down, and you were trying your best to grab onto a bottle of rubbing alcohol in the passenger seat. you desperately lunged for it, but to no avail. you decided to see if you could find taerae and make sure he was still alive and breathing. 

you attempted to shimmy your way backward out of the car, and felt panic set deep in your stomach at the feeling of something grabbing at your ankles. you tried like crazy not scream, but frantically began kicking in an attempt to get the infected off of you. a growl was able to be heard as it pulled you the rest of the way out the car, but you were able to get leverage and fully kick it off of you. turning around, you reached for your knife on your holster, fully prepared to kill it, but stopped with your hand gripping the handle upon seeing taerae standing behind you, mocking an infected far too well. 

“damn it, taerae!” you exclaimed, whacking him on the chest with your hand, “i could have killed you!”

he pointed menacingly, “but you didn't.”

“having fun out there?” the sound of hanbin’s voice broke the two of you out of your bickering, heads turning to see him leaning against the door frame of the gas station convenience store, a small smile curling up the corners of his lips, “looks like he got you good, y/n.”

you groaned in annoyance, “i can't believe you saw that,” you pushed taerae for good measure, “and you thought it was funny.”

hanbin shrugged, laughing along with you, “what can i say, i love a good prank when i see it.”

v.

you continued this little escapade at the gas station for a few days, more because the office was much warmer than outside and less because there was a plethora of supplies. all of the surrounding buildings ended up being a bust, completely ransacked before you even got there. thankfully you had the gas station, but it was only a matter of time before you would have to relocate. again. 

the three of you were sat in the office on the foam pieces you'd been using to sleep on, looking at the map smoothed out in front of you to determine your next route. you pointed to a small town north of where you were, but before you could say anything about it, you were pulled from your thoughts at the sound of voices and rummaging out in the main area of the building. you turned to the other two, eyes wide in panic, “do you hear that?” 

“yeah,” taerae was already moving to get up, his hand reaching for his gun placed on the desk beside him, “it sounds like people are trying to take our shit.”

“taerae, don’t” hanbin attempted to stop the younger boy from leaving the room, but his words went through one ear and out the other. his impulsivity never failed to amaze you. 

you sighed, shaking your head as he opened up the door, completely giving away your location to whatever was out in the main lobby. you rose to your feet as well, quick to follow him out and grab his hand in a futile attempt to pull him back and keep him from going on an unintentional murder spree. 

you were greeted by the bewildered gazes of a couple of boys, both very obviously malnourished and freezing, hands up in the air upon seeing taerae’s gun pointed at them. the boy in front of you two spoke up, subconsciously moving in front of the other one in a means to protect him from any harm.

“we aren't infected, i swear, we’re no threat to you,” his voice held both confidence and fear at the same time. you felt your gaze soften at their petrified expressions. 

you heard a harsh slap. “ow!” taerae exclaimed, turning around to face the eldest in your group, who had a grin on his face. taerae's hand gingerly rubbing the back of his head. 

he looked at the others, “you’ll have to excuse him, he can be a bit of a dickhead at times.”

you shoved taerae’s arm down, preventing him from holding the two at gunpoint any longer. he defeatedly sighed, tucking the weapon away into his pocket. he gave hanbin a scowl before muttering, “sorry.”

“that’s okay,” the taller boy spoke up, “we apologize for intruding, but we haven’t been able to eat for three days now and we were just happy to find supplies.”

“take whatever you want,” hanbin motioned to the shelves in front of them, a kind, gentle smile causing his eyes to take the shape of tiny crescents.

“thank you,” the boy opened up his bag, “i’m gunwook, by the way,” he motioned to the boy standing next to him, ”and this my brother, gyuvin.”

he smiled, giving a small wave, “nice to meet you.”

“nice to meet you too. i’m hanbin, and these are my friends taerae and y/n,” hanbin replied. he seemed almost giddy that you’d come across more people to speak and potentially form a group with. 

you cleared your throat, pointing your thumb at the office, “you guys look like you’re freezing, we found some coats if you want some.”

a wave of relief washed over gyuvin, “yes please, this is all we’ve had since winter started creeping up. i’m surprised we haven’t gotten frostbite yet.”

you led him back into the room you slept in, opening up the closet door to reveal the remaining coats. you helped him find his size, and when he couldn't zip it up from how stiff his fingers were, you did it for him, smiling at him afterward. gyuvin smiled back, but it held a hint of sadness. you didn't want to inquire why, especially since you’d just met them. 

he sifted through them and picked out one for gunwook. “thank you so much, really,” he sounded more grateful than you had felt when you first found them, “i’ve been really worried about what would happen the deeper we get into winter.”

“it’s not a problem. we weren’t going to use them anyway,” you looked at him as you began walking back to the rest of the group, “are you just passing through or finding somewhere to stay?” 

gyuvin made eye contact with his brother, as if he were scared to say anything, but gunwook gave him a nod of approval. he parted his lips to speak, facing the entire group, “we’re actually headed to seattle.”

“for what?” taerae inquired, brows furrowed in thought, “from what i’ve heard, it’s a dead city.”

gunwook chimed in, “a few people we met not too long ago told us they were going out to try and find others to bring back to this community they’ve built and sent us on our way. apparently they have a farm, horses, and a lot more supplies than people like us could ever hope to have,” he seemed so hopeful at the prospect of so many resources. 

“if you want, you guys can come with us. it would probably be a lot more beneficial to travel in a larger group anyway,” gyuvin offered, mainly making eye contact with hanbin since he was the one who appeared to have the most authority in your group.

he looked a bit hesitant, scanning the faces of both you and taerae, “do you guys want to talk about it?”

“yeah,” taerae was quick to answer, pointedly looking at the other two, feigning a fake smile, “we’ll be right back.”

the three of you locked yourselves away into the other room. taerae turned around, the expression on his face unreadable, but his words shocking both you and hanbin, “i think it’s a horrible fucking idea.”

hanbin scoffed, “and why is that?”

“these people literally just showed up not even ten minutes ago and you’re giving up our supplies and considering going with them to some community that we aren’t even sure exists,” taerae exclaimed, “plus, we /just/ lost the last of the other survivors we picked up. i’m sick of losing the people we grow close to.”

“i don’t know, taerae, i think we can trust them,” you told him, “besides, it’s better to have a larger group. you have to admit, traveling and finding supplies has been a lot harder with only three of us,” his shocked gaze met with yours and you did your best to reason with him, “they are extremely malnourished and only came to try and find food and you’re mad about that. what if it was us instead of them?”

he opened his mouth to retort something, but quickly closed it and shook his head, staring down at the floor. you gave hanbin a knowing look, a small smile on your face. 

he nodded, “it’s settled then. we’re going to seattle.”

vi.

as you walked with your newly formed group, you couldn’t help but feel a little giddy. taerae was right; you were still navigating the feelings of your other group mates dying, but you were still less anxious when there was more of you together. you had almost given up hope that there even was anyone else. 

taerae had remained silent almost the entire time you had been traveling. he was still nervous about grouping together with the strangers you had met the previous day, which you understood, but you were confused as to why it was suddenly a problem when you'd done it countless times before. another thing that bothered you was the fact that he was giving both you and hanbin the silent treatment. you scanned the other three in front of you, who were conversing about when they should set up camp for the night, and sighed, grabbing taerae's arm and making him wait until you were a few paces behind. hesitantly, you met your gaze with his, your voice as stern as you could make it when you spoke. 

“what’s your problem?”

taerae looked taken aback by how blunt and straightforward you were with your question. his bewildered gaze almost immediately went back to the scowl he had previously been adorning. he shook his head, his response short as he said, “it’s nothing, y/n.”

“well, you sure aren’t acting like it’s nothing,” you retorted, rolling your eyes at how stubborn the boy was being. however, your gaze softened upon seeing his frown deepen, “talk to me. this isn’t like you.”

taerae pondered your words for a moment before finally admitting his worries to you, “i guess i’m just scared.” “scared about what?”

“getting close to them and losing them like we did the others. they could be selfish, too. we don’t know a single thing about them and if we get in a situation where someone’s life is on the line, i fear they’re going to leave us without much thought,” his voice grew quiet upon his confession. you swore you could feel your heart break in your chest at his next words, “i can’t lose you and hanbin.”

you reached out and laced your fingers with his, squeezing gently in reassurance and forcing him to look at you, “as long as you, hanbin, and i are loyal to each other, that’s all that matters, right? all we have to do is back each other up if the other two happen flake on us.”

taerae’s eyes were glossed over in clear appreciation for your words, his grip tightening on your hand, “thank you.”

“you don’t have to thank me. it’s what i’m here for,” you teased, nudging the boy playfully with your shoulder. the smile on his face was refreshing to see after having him upset the entire day since leaving the gas station. 

the two of you caught back up with the rest of the group, who had come to a halt to scope out the area surrounding you all. the woods appeared to be significantly thicker, which provided more protection from any of the infected that lurked in the shadows at night. it would also be easier to make a shelter to sleep in overnight. 

gunwook turned, asking the two of you, “what do you think?”

taerae was the first to speak, “i think it’s definitely a decent spot for now. it looks like we might be able to have an area for a fire as well.”

to say you were shocked was an understatement. hanbin shared a look with you, a grin threatening to tug at the corners of his mouth. you knew the eldest was worried that taerae was going to stay in his funk for days on end, but the look of relief was enough to cause you to feel it too. the boy winked at you, asking the group, “should we split into shifts to keep watch over everything?”

“i’m not opposed to the idea,” gyuvin piped up, pulling his coat closer to his body. it was clear he was still freezing despite having a lot more warmth than when you first met him, “i can take the first one if you want.”

it was your turn to pitch in, “i’ll join you, it’s best to work in teams of two.”

he gave you a grateful smile. you honestly thought that he’s someone you could wind up being really good friends with. you just wished it didn’t have to be because the apocalypse brought you together.

— — — 

the evening came quickly once camp was set up for the night. hanbin and gunwook had managed to get a pretty decent fire going considering the fact that most of the wood you all found was damp or frozen from the snow. you all had welcomed the warmth with open arms.

since everyone was able to take most of the supplies from the gas station, the thin foam that you had used for mattresses the night before were now neatly laid out on the ground in a dense thicket of trees that had already formed somewhat of a shelter. It was certainly a lot better than what you, hanbin, or taerae had made in the past. 

one thing taerae was particularly happy about was being able to warm up some of the food you guys had. he even accepted the beans with a smile instead of turning up his nose to them, which caused both you and hanbin to giggle at him. 

the five of you sat around the fire, recounting your stories of what happened when the outbreak was first announced. taerae was laughing his head off, stating, “y/n really thought i was joking when i went into their room and told them what was happening.”

you threw a wadded up wrapper at him, “in my defense, he is constantly messing with me,” you looked at gyuvin and gunwook, who were laughing along with you, and joked, “watch out for him, because soon he'll be pranking you guys too.”

“what were you guys doing?” hanbin asked the two of them, and they sat deep in thought for a moment, gyuvin finally telling them, “i’m pretty sure we were staying the night at our brother’s house. if i’m remembering correctly, it was a friday, and we usually did stuff together after school.”

“yeah, it was, i think we were getting ready to go out to dinner,” gunwook added, “and instead of getting in the car normally, it felt like we were the main characters of an action movie or something. ricky drove like a maniac.”

you laughed at the image you had in your head of not only their experience, yours as well, “taerae ran one of our neighbors over when we were trying to get off of our street.” 

gunwook’s eyes widened, his smile stretched from ear to ear as he said, “becoming a murderer early on, i see.”

your laughter began to die down as the sun started to set, and your playful conversation turned into solemn ones. hanbin stared at the dancing flames, quietly asking, “i hope this isn't prying too much, but how did it end up just being the two of you?”

gyuvin sighed. you could tell this was a touchy subject, but he was willing to answer hanbin's question, “he got turned not too long ago. we got ambushed by the biggest mob of infected we’ve ever encountered since the outbreak,” his voice cracked as he said the next part, “he shielded us the entire time we were fighting them.”

“he ended up getting bit and made us tie him to a tree so we would have time to run,” gunwook’s solemn gaze made your heart twinge in sadness for them. you couldn't imagine losing hanbin or taerae like that, if at all, and wondered how your new friends were even managing to push through. 

taerae gave the pair a close-lipped smile, “it sounds like he was an amazing brother to have.”

“yeah,” gyuvin seemed deep in thought, a stray tear racing down his cheek, “he was.”

— — —

as soon as darkness engulfed the woods, gunwook, hanbin, and taerae settled down and drifted off to sleep, which left you and gyuvin sat by the fire to keep watch over the camp. the boy was sat across from you, his knees drawn up to his chest and his gaze fixed on the flickering flames that illuminated his face. he was practically glued to gunwook’s side. 

softly, he questioned, “hey, can i ask you something?”

you glanced at him, confusion painted across your features, “of course, what’s up?” 

he sighed. it looked like he was contemplating even saying something to begin with, but finally, after you assumed he won his internal battle, he asked, “does taerae hate gunwook and i or something? he seemed angry when we first met and i don’t want us to intrude on whatever the three of you were hoping to do.”

“no, he doesn’t hate you at all,” you reassured, which caused his shoulders to visibly relax. you fell silent for a moment, gazing over at the boy who was curled up as close to hanbin as the eldest would allow. he looked so at peace, which you rarely ever saw from him. you turned back to the boy across from you, “he’s just incredibly protective of the two of us. it’s really been only us together since the start of all of this and he doesn’t want to lose either of us, is all.”

“i completely understand that,” gyuvin replied, shifting to now lean back against the tree stump behind him, “i hope you never have to go through what we did, that's for sure.” 

“could i ask you a question now?”

gyuvin nodded, “sure.”

“i noticed this the other day, but you just seem to get sad whenever i’m around, and i wanted to make sure it was nothing i was doing,” you were hoping that you didn't seem like you were accusing him of anything, and he most definitely didn't take it that way. 

he offered a sad smile with his answer, “you just remind me a lot of ricky, is all. you guys are very similar in terms of personality.”

“well, i know i can't ever fill his spot, but i can still be there to support you throughout this entire journey we’re on.”

a small cry escaped gyuvin’s lips as he angrily wiped his tears away from his cheeks, “thank you, it really means a lot to hear that.”

once he collected himself, the two of you fell into a comfortable conversation, telling stories from your childhood and even some crazy ones of times where you thought you were going to die in the midst of the apocalypse. for the first time in a while, you felt content. at peace, even.

you hoped it would happen more often. 

— — —

the woods were serene at night when you didn't have to fear for your life. the soft chirps of the crickets, the occasional hoot of an owl, and even the crackle of the fire brought you a sense of comfort and security you hadn't felt for a very long time; since the start of the apocalypse, really. but for whatever reason, you just couldn't sleep.

maybe it was because you were thinking back on your conversation with taerae and the concerns he expressed about losing you or hanbin. or maybe it was the added stress of gyuvin and gunwook’s story. it could have been something entirely different, but you just couldn't doze off for the life of you. 

you huffed out a frustrated sigh, eventually sitting up from your cocoon on the ground and scanning the areas surrounding the fire. the only one awake was hanbin, taerae having dozed off again shortly after being woken up for his shift. hanbin insisted he didn't mind, especially since everything seemed to be relaxed, but you still felt bad he had to stay awake entirely on his own. 

he glanced over at you, gentle smile quirking up the corners of his mouth as he whispered, “can’t sleep?”

you shook your head as a response, eventually making your way over to his post and plopping down next to him, the fire emitting a slightly warmer flow of air in your direction. hanbin peered down at you, a fond smile ever so slightly on his lips, and you swore the butterflies in your stomach might give your feelings away. instead, you scooted closer to him, resting your head on his shoulder and fixing your gaze on the fire. 

you could feel the pressure of hanbin’s head resting on top of yours, his voice almost inaudible as he asked, “do you think anything will ever return to normal? like sometime in the future, do you think there's a chance things will go back to the way they used to be?”

a heavy silence hung in the air as you pondered his question, absentmindedly beginning to pick at a string hanging down from inside of hanbin’s coat sleeve. you could feel your eyes begin to gloss over as you thought about the nights you'd spend pestering hanbin while he attempted to do his coursework for college, or how you'd always give taerae advice on songs he'd written on his guitar. everything was so much simpler, so much /better./

“i don't think so,” you gave your honest response to him, “i mean, everything is destroyed and gone. it'll take years and years to even get rid of the infected, let alone rebuild the entire country to what it used to be,” a shaky sigh from you followed suit to your words, leaving hanbin to think on them. 

he clicked his tongue, “then i guess we’ll have to make a new normal, right?”

“i suppose so,” you hummed, “but how would we go about that?”

“i don't know, but hopefully we’ll figure it out.”

conversations with hanbin were always something you treasured. he gave you new perspectives on things that you wouldn't have even considered before and logically thought through everything. you admired him for that, and it was one of the many reasons you developed feelings for him in the first place. but you knew, deep down, that you wouldn't be able to live the life you wanted with him. you doubted he even returned your feelings.

besides, there would always be infected in the way.

vii.

having new friends that you actually got along with made a huge difference in your travels. there was a lot more team work, laughs, and supplies that you were able to get your hands on. it was arguably the most productive you'd ever been and the quickest you had gotten to know strangers. it felt like you were friends for your entire life. 

it didn't take gyuvin very long to catch on to your feelings for hanbin, and soon he was teasing you alongside taerae when you weren't in earshot of him. gyuvin’s antics were far less intense, and he asked you lots of questions about why you'd grown so fond of the eldest boy. he listened with open ears and was able to see the mannerisms that hanbin displayed easily after your conversations with him.

it felt nice to just gush to someone who would listen to you. 

you were currently attempting to break into a shed to see if there was any useful weapons inside considering gyuvin’s was starting to give out on him. you lunged forward, hitting your hip into the rotted out door, and it gave way easier than you thought. you coughed as dust and wood chips rained down toward the dilapidated floors. 

there was a lone infected inside, which was fighting for its life to even hobble over toward you, and you swiftly put it out of its misery, watching in disgust as it crumpled to the floor. you stepped over its now limp body, gyuvin's following closely behind, exploring the shed further than just standing in the doorway. you kept your knife out just in case you were to come across anymore, eyes scanning your surroundings in an attempt to fine something that would hold up. 

“i don't think this is a question i asked you yet,” gyuvin broke the silence, “but have you ever considered telling hanbin how you feel?”

you had to hold back from bursting into a fit of laughter, taking a deep breath, before you chuckled, “you and taerae are so similar it's crazy.”

you ducked under a cobweb in front of you, careful not to disrupt it in fear of a spider crawling on you. gyuvin mimicked your actions, inquiring, “why do you say that?”

“he asked me the same exact thing.”

you were now standing in front of a wall of rusted weapons. gyuvin looked slightly defeated, but instead of dwelling on that, he turned his attention back to you, “well, it's not a horrible question. i mean, it's better late than never, right?”

you just giggled at him, crouching down to open up a door on a workbench, “i guess so. maybe i will someday, when we’re in seattle or something. that way if he rejects me, i’ll have a home to go into and sulk.”

gyuvin’s cackle echoed inside the barn. you flared up at him, pulling the machete you found out from the self, pointing it at him jokingly, before you threatened, “keep it up and i’ll cut your head off with this and feed it to an infected.”

“hey!”

you handed your find to gyuvin, who admired it in awe, mouth slightly agape and a plethora of thank you's slipping past his lips. the two of you made your way back outside, meeting up with the other three who were attempting to get a car started, but to no avail. gunwook was turning the key in the ignition but had no success of getting the engine to turn over. 

“i take it this whole car thing is a lost cause?” you inquired, looking at the three of them inquisitively. taerae and hanbin had their heads underneath the hood of the car, inspecting the engine in order to, what you assumed, find out what was wrong with it. 

gunwook attempted to turn the key again, and while the vehicle made sound, it was more along the lines of grinding than anything else. he finally looked at you and gyuvin, “i think so, we’ve been working on it for an hour now and nothing has worked.”

“i mean, we’ve walked this much already. we really can't miss what we never had, right?” gyuvin reasoned as he attached his new machete to is pants. 

gunwook shrugged, “i suppose so,” he looked almost bummed out, “it just would have been nice to take a break from walking.”

hanbin shut the hood of the car, now gaining your attention. his hands were smeared with grease and a fine layer of sweat had broken out across his forehead. you blinked a few times, finally finding it in you to tear your eyes away from him. 

you parted your lips to speak, motioning to the road ahead, “guess we better get moving while it's still light out.”

— — —

you’d volunteered to take the last shift of watch for the night. you knew you wouldn't really be able to sleep anyway, so you didn't mind, and would rather everyone else get some well deserved rest instead. this was a common thing for you now, not being able to sleep. you just couldn't get your mind to ever shut up. usually, it was creating the most morbid scenarios, which would either cause nightmares or for you to be so paranoid you felt you had to stay awake. 

you supposed that's what came with life during an apocalypse, but it didn't make it any easier. you wished so badly that you could just go back to normal, or that this was just some cruel, twisted dream you could wake up from. but it wasn't, and you were stuck here fantasizing about a life you would never have again. 

the fire crackled softly, illuminating the surrounding area in a peaceful orange glow. you could hear the soft breaths of everyone, a slight snore emitting from taerae, and you smiled to yourself. seeing the people you'd grown to care about so still and calm brought a sense of comfort to you, and almost made it feel like you were at a sleepover of some sort. 

you heaved a sigh, drawing your knees up to your chest and resting your chin on your arms. you sat like that for a while, mind reeling with all the opportunities you were missing out on, and a stray tear raced down your face. there was gentle rustling next to you, and soon after, hanbin rose up from his place on the ground, a sleepy smile stretching across the expanse of his face. 

“i feel bad you're not getting any rest,” his voice was raspy with sleep as he spoke. he shifted his body so he could be sitting up next to you. he extended his legs in front of him, a yawn catching him by surprise, “if you want to try and get some before we leave, i can take over watch.”

you pondered it for a moment, finally nodding in defeat, and began to stretch out on the ground yourself. however, he caught you off guard, putting his lap, and murmuring, “you can use me as a pillow if you want, i know not having one isn't the most ideal.”

you could feel your heartbeat in your throat at his offer, silently nodding as you shifted your weight around, finally settling onto the ground and lowering your head onto his thighs, a content sigh slipping past your lips. you had to admit, he was right, and you didn't think you would be doing this when you first woke up that morning. hanbin pulled the blanket over you, enveloping you in a warmth you hadn't felt in a very long time.

delicately, he threaded his fingers through your hair, and your eyes fluttered shut at the contact. you sighed contentedly, mumbling a soft, “thank you,” to which hanbin chuckled quietly.

the feeling of his hand massaging your scalp caused your body to relax much quicker than you thought it would, and you were soon fighting to stay awake and relish in the feeling of it. before you finally succumbed to sleep, you swore you could could hear him barely whisper, “i’ll be here when you wake up, my love.”

viii.

“y/n, hanbin, wake up!” a voice pulled you from the surprisingly deep slumber you had fallen into despite the frigidly cold temperatures. an extremely panicked voice, though, the person’s hands gripping your shoulder and shaking you lightly in an attempt to get you to hurry. 

you shot up from your nest of blankets and hanbin’s legs, body close to taerae the moment you did so. your gaze locked with his, and instantly, you knew something was horribly wrong. he was quick to answer your suspicions, “infected, there’s a lot and we need to get moving,” hanbin cursed quietly under his breath next to you, angry at himself for even dozing back off in the first place. 

quick to get on your feet, you began shoving the blankets into your bag - rather haphazardly, might you add - your hands shaking from the anxiety you felt from the situation. hanbin remained close to you throughout the process, packing away the food you guys had left sitting out through the night. you glanced around, taking note that the other three were still within your line of vision, and you felt slightly relieved knowing everyone was still in a general vicinity of one another. 

a deep, rumbling growl resonated to the left of you. you turned, being greeted by an infected with outstretched arms haphazardly swinging at you, and his jaw hanging slack as he approached you. his flesh was missing in chunks around his cheekbones and his eyes were beginning to sink in from the disease. his hair was in matted, pale blonde tufts on his head. you’d never gotten the chance to actually see an infected’s features in tact like this before, and to say you were shocked was an understatement. he must have been freshly turned. 

you scrambled backwards the closer he approached, pulling your knife out from its holster on your pant leg. however, the pained cry of gyuvin stopped you from killing it right then and there.

“ricky?” 

the walker turned his head quickly at the sound of his name and you felt your heart lurch in your chest. the boy was attempting to run forward, but gunwook was able to wrap his arms around him before he could make it any further, “gyu, you can’t, there’s no saving him. you know that.”

you made eye contact with his brother, desperately searching for what to do, but his solemn and knowing expression told you everything. he turned gyuvin around, pulling him close to his chest, one of his hands holding the back of his head as he sobbed, “don’t look, okay?”

to ensure you didn’t overthink what you were about to do, you swung your knife forward, sinking it deep into the side of ricky’s neck. he sputtered loudly, dark crimson blood spraying out from the wound and onto your hand and sleeve of your jacket, some of it speckling on your face in the process. you twisted the knife and pressed your boot to his chest to shove him away as he fell, throwing your bag onto your back in a haste. 

“come on, there’s more following in behind him,” hanbin grabbed onto your arm the moment you hesitated, realizing just exactly what you had done. 

it wasn’t supposed to be difficult killing infected, yet here you were.

you followed behind him, meeting up with the rest of the group before everyone began to run on the same road you had been following to seattle. none of you really had time to take in everything that had happened in the past five minutes due to the large mob following hot on your trail, their wicked screams echoing through the empty fields that surrounded you. 

your breathing was erratic, legs and lungs both burning from the amount of energy you were putting into getting away from them. the road was slick with thick ice and it made it difficult to get any sort of traction. over the yelling, you were able to make out taerae’s voice, “keep an eye out for any kind of shelter!”

you squinted, scanning for anything up ahead that could prove useful to the group of you. however, gunwook was the first to notice something, “right over there! it looks like an old farmhouse!”

you took a sharp turn onto the gravel driveway that led up to quite a tucked away house, pushing your legs to go faster. the sooner you got there, the better it was for the group overall. the mob behind you was starting to lessen the more you ran, thankfully, and by time you got to the front door the five of you only had to kill a few before you could stop and catch your breath. 

nobody hesitated to go inside, careful to clear each room and make sure infected hadn’t wandered in. taerae rounded the corner of the kitchen, announcing, “i think we’re safe for now. we should probably rest for a minute before we leave again.”

“would it hurt to explore? see what this place has to offer?” gyuvin asked, the tremble in his voice hard to miss as he spoke. tears stained his face, streaked through the layers of dirt caked on his cheeks and revealing the pale skin beneath it. he was suffering, and rightfully upset, so you knew there was no consoling him until he was able to calm down and have some time to just himself. 

hanbin gauged everyone’s reactions, eyes resting on your blood splattered face, gaze softening. he parted his chapped lips, stating, “honestly, depending on what’s here, we could always stay for a few days and actually think of a better plan instead of just winging it and something like this happening again.”

“i’d have to agree on this one,” gunwook replied, “i don't want something like that to ever happen again, really.”

everyone wordlessly began to rummage around in the house, searching for anything that could be useful. you took note of how clean the place was despite the apocalypse occurring in the outside world. you turned into the bathroom, twisting the knob of the faucet on as a joke, only to be pleasantly surprised at the sound of running water. “guys! the water here works!” you called, dipping your finger under the stream, excitement bubbling into the pit of your belly, “and it’s warm!”

“the pantries and fridge are stocked full of food as well,” hanbin piped up, the excitement evident in his voice, “and there’s power? this place is loaded!”

“the people who were here previously must either be out or newly turned,” taerae remarked. 

it only brought you to the harsh reality of what had just happened. 

your gaze snapped up to your reflection in the mirror. ricky’s blood managed to get smeared across your cheek and mixed into the dirt and grime that had made a home on your skin quite some time ago now. your hand was stained red and your sleeve still heavily damp with blood, which you swore you could smell, and it made you feel sick.

you hurriedly shut the door and fell to your knees in front of the toilet, wretching at the stench and realization that you killed someone’s brother, gyuvin and gunwook’s brother, and you had to live with that for the remainder of time you were with them. a soft cry pushed out of your lungs as you vomited again, completely emptying the contents of your stomach, and you felt you couldn't do it another time. you flushed the toilet and sighed, staring at yourself in the mirror once more.

a quiet knock was able to be heard on the bathroom door and you opened it, greeted by hanbin, who’s eyes were concerned and his lips were contorted into a deep frown. “y/n?” hanbin’s voice was soft, “are you okay?”

and you burst into tears. 

hanbin pulled you close, his embrace strong around your body. you were sure you’d collapse onto the ground if he wasn’t holding onto you at that moment. he rocked your bodies slightly, humming into your ear as a means to calm you down in some sort of way, “you did what you had to do. gunwook wouldn’t have told you to do it if he didn’t think it was necessary.” 

you tried like hell to get the butterflies in your stomach to go away as he pressed a quick, comforting kiss to the crown of your head. not when you had just killed gyuvin’s brother and you were reaping the consequences of that. 

you shook your head, getting ready to respond to him, but were stopped by the sound of gyuvin choking on his sobs as he sat on the couch. gunwook’s voice attempted to comfort him, “i know it hurts, but you and i both know ricky would rather be put out of his misery than stay infected.”

“i could have prevented this all, wook, that’s the problem.”

“don’t do that to yourself. he wouldn’t have let you stay with him no matter the circumstances,” gunwook reassured him, “let’s go see about a bath for you and clean up, yeah? maybe that’ll make you feel better.”

their voices faded away as they headed upstairs. you gripped onto hanbin tighter, fists balled into the fabric of his jacket, letting out your own cry. you wouldn't blame gyuvin if he hated you for the rest of your time together. you would be angry if the roles were reversed, so you couldn't even fault him for that.

“y/n, i think maybe we need to do what gyuvin and gunwook are doing and get you cleaned up,” hanbin was gentle with you, pulling away from the hug slightly to get a better look at your face. his thumb came up to wipe the fresh tears away from your eyes, and you found solace in how nicely he was treating you. 

you sat there for a moment, relishing in the feeling, before you pulled out of the hug to avoid getting overwhelmed with any more emotions, shrugging your jacket off to rid yourself of the reminder of what you’d done not even an hour ago. you sat down on the toilet after putting the lid down and allowed hanbin to get a shower started, your entire body going numb in the process.

at this point, you hoped an infected would take you.

viiii.

you felt unusually warm, though you weren’t complaining in the slightest. sighing softly, you shifted around on the mattress beneath you, tired eyes attempting to open but failing miserably. an arm was slung lazily around you, soft breaths of the sleeping boy in front of you the only thing able to be heard other than the rustling of the blankets.

you finally gained the energy to open your eyes, at least halfway, and you were greeted by the sight of a peaceful looking hanbin, his hair sitting beautifully across his forehead and his lips curled up slightly in the corners. 

your heart felt like it was found to beat out of your chest. You had cuddled with both him and taerae a number of times throughout your attempts to survive, but never like this. you were the only one in the room with the dark haired boy, eyes trained on his serene face and your stomach doing backflips.

hanbin took a deep breath, his eyelids fluttering open, and he gazed at you with a quiet chuckle. he parted his lips to speak, voice deep and raspy from having just awoken from his slumber, “good morning, sleepyhead.”

“i don’t think i’m the sleepyhead here,” you giggled, poking your index finger into his chest, “i was awake way before you were.” you paused before asking, “how did i end up in your bed, anyway?”

though he woke up with a slightly playful demeanor, it quickly faded with a frown that tugged harshly at his lips, his brows creased and his eyes searching yours, “i figured you were too out of it to remember. you had a really rough night trying to grasp the fact that you killed ricky. taerae had fallen asleep relatively early and i just offered for you to sleep in here so you didn’t have to be alone.”

you were so caught up in the bliss of feeling safe and warm you almost forgot about ricky. 

hanbin caught on quickly to your mood change and to the fact that tears instantly glossed your eyes over. he reached his hand out, calloused thumb collecting the liquid as it dropped down onto your cheeks.

“you did what you had to,” he reassured.

all you had to offer him was a sad smile, “it definitely doesn’t feel like it. i wouldn’t be surprised if gyuvin doesn’t talk to me at all, i know if the roles were reversed i wouldn’t say a thing to him.”

he opened up his arms for you, inviting you to snuggle deeper into his chest. you obliged, allowing the boy to hold you while soft sobs erupted from your lips. quietly, he said, “once he realizes you did it out of good intentions he’ll come around. i know he will.”

you nodded, trying your best to convince yourself that what he was telling you had some sort of truth to it. you closed your eyes and relished in the boy's embrace, fearing that he would be able to hear how loud your heart was beating while you laid with him like this. you felt his lips graze your forehead, his warm breath fanning across your skin as he said, “i have something i wanted to tell you.”

you opened your eyes back up at his words, looking at him inquisitively, “what's that?”

“i know now might not be a good time, but i just wanted to tell you that i have a c-”

he was interrupted by the sound of knuckles rapping against the door to your shared room, “hanbin?” taerae’s voice called from the other side. 

the door knob twisted and he swung it open, beginning to step into the room before stopping dead in his tracks at the sight of the two of you cuddled up together. his posture was still and something unreadable flashed in his eyes, his tone monotonous as he spoke, “apparently i’m interrupting something, but i just wanted to let you know that gunwook is almost done cooking breakfast for whenever you decide to join us.”

with that, he shut the door rather harshly in his wake, the sound of his heavy footsteps receding down the stairs the only thing filling the silence he left behind. sighing, hanbin was the first to speak, “i assume he’s in one of his moods.”

“probably so,” you agreed with a nod, “i’m going to head down and attempt some sort of damage control. maybe we can finish this conversation later?”

hanbin nodded, “okay, i’m going to change my clothes and i’ll be down after that,” he replied offering you a soft, reassuring smile as you slipped your boots on and opened the door. 

once you reached the dining room, you took note of taerae’s hostile attitude as he shoved scrambled eggs down his throat, his facial features set in a deep scowl. he looked up when you entered, shoving his chair back, the legs scraping harshly against the floor. the boy rose to his feet and stalked past you, spitting, “i’m going on a walk.”

“you can’t go alone, it’s too dangerous,” gunwook called out in an attempt to get taerae to stay within the confines of the farmhouse. 

taerae scoffed, “i don’t think i fucking asked.”

he stepped out onto the front porch and began walking down the gravel driveway, his hands shoved into his pockets as he did so. you heaved a sigh, “i’ll go with him. i think it’s me he’s upset with anyway.”

“just be safe, we can’t afford to lose anyone,” gyuvin’s voice was quiet, but you still gave him an appreciative smile before following taerae out the door. 

you broke into a jog to catch up with his long stride, finally managing to walk beside him. you grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. searching his eyes, you asked, “what’s wrong? did i do something?”

a look of annoyance adorned his face as he shook your hand away, “when i said i was going on a walk, i meant /without you/.” he started walking again, this time his pace much quicker than before in an attempt to get you to go back to the house. however, you were just as stubborn as he was. you stood your ground and continued following him.

“i don’t think it’s very fair for you to be in a pissy mood with everyone and not give a reason as to why,” you snapped, now gaining his full attention as he whipped around to face you, anger evident in his eyes. 

“you’re joking, right? /i’m/ the one being unfair?” he scoffed, “that’s rich coming from you, y/n.”

you gave him a dry laugh, rolling your eyes in the process, “i don’t even know what i did.”

“go ask your new boyfriend, i’m sure he could know.”

“so that’s what you’re upset about? we literally just shared a bed,” your futile attempt to reason with him went in one ear and out the other as he turned his back to you again and trudged onto a path in the woods, his fists balled up beside him. 

he suddenly stopped in a clearing, his shoulders tensing and his head bowed as if he were contemplating something. he sucked in a breath, though you didn’t expect him to raise his voice at you, “i don’t think you’re capable of understanding signs that are put directly in front of you and it’s so fucking frustrating!”

“i genuinely don't know what you're talking about taerae, please just tell me so we can fix it,” you shouted back, “it's not okay to just yell at me and not give a reason why.”

taerae closed his eyes and took a deep breath, almost as if to calm himself down, and in a completely different tone he said, “i just feel like you and hanbin are excluding me. it's obvious you two like each other and i just feel like an outcast now.”

“first of all, i doubt hanbin likes me back,” you started, holding your hand up to hush him when he tried to interrupt you, “and second, i’m sorry if we have made you feel that way. i never want you to feel sad because of something i have done, so i will do better and fix it.” 

taerae nodded, “i’m sorry for yelling at you.”

“it's okay, if you have any other issues just come to me like this instead of getting mad and storming out,” you playfully scolded, beginning to walk back toward the house. hanbin was stood in the doorway watching the two of you, a fond smile on his face. 

taerae leaned over, whispering in your ear, “he's crazy about you, trust me.”

you blushed a deep red, smacking him on the arm, “stop it!”

“just speaking the truth,” he shrugged matter-of-factly, unable to suppress the grin on his face as he bounded up the stairs and greeted hanbin, returning to the dining table to finish up his breakfast.

you stopped outside, locking your gaze with hanbin's, trying like crazy not to blush or make it obvious that you were flustered. he was quick to ask, “is everything okay now?”

“yeah, he just needed calmed down,” you told him, laughing as you said, “i’m shocked we didn't get attacked by infected with how loud he was yelling.”

“maybe he scared them away,” hanbin mused. 

hanbin allowed you to enter the house first, muttering something about how you should have grabbed a jacket because it's freezing out, and you playfully bantered as you sat at the table with the rest of the group. you were across from taerae, who gave you a knowing look, and you had to look away from him.

it was comical to watch him try not to yell because you kicked him under the table.

x.

your group had made the decision to stay at the farmhouse until you ran out of resources. its owners never returned, never fended you away from their property or supplies, and you sure as hell didn't want anyone else to take it from you. besides, if you could be stable there for a bit, it would give ample time to rest and complete your journey to seattle when it was warmer outside.

spring came quicker than you'd hoped, but while the weather was still unpredictable, you didn't plan on going anywhere. instead, you build a functioning garden to at least try and sustain yourselves as much as possible, opting to grow some vegetables. you mainly took care of them, which is where you were currently, your hands deep in the potting soil in an attempt to move a few of your crops around to some bigger pots you'd found in the shed a couple days ago. 

your heart jolted in your chest when a figure crouched down next to you, but soon relaxed upon seeing it was hanbin, offering you a helping hand, “i always feel bad you're out here doing this on your own most days.”

“i don't mind it, really,” you shrugged, scooping up some dirt in your hand and patting it around the plant to stabilize it in its new home, “it brings a little bit of comfort, reminds me of the days before the outbreak.”

he nodded in understanding, helping you finish up what you were doing before he quietly asked, “wanna go for a walk?”

you weren't sure why he was suddenly asking this, but you could use a break to stretch out your legs. you you wiped your hands off on your jeans to shake the excess dirt off, and then ran them under the water spigot to clean them as much as you could. hanbin opened up the gate after you signaled you were ready, allowing you to go first and step down onto the path you used to walk down to the creek in the woods.

a comfortable silence fell between the two of you, the quiet chirps of the birds filling your ears and the cool breeze ruffling through your hair. it was peaceful, and you had to admit, it was bringing you a sense of happiness you hadn't felt in such a long time. 

hanbin stopped once he got to a clearing, settling down on a patch of grass by the water and patting the spot next to him for you. plopping down almost instantly, you quirked an eyebrow up at him, questioning, “is there any particular reason we’re here?”

while you expected him to say he just wanted to make sure you were giving yourself a break, he surprised you by answering, “yeah, actually, there is.”

you cocked your head to the side, silently urging him to go on. he nervously swallowed, finally turning to face you, a sudden confidence dancing in his dark irises, “you know that conversation we were having a couple weeks ago before taerae threw his tantrum?”

“yes?” you answered hesitantly, not entirely sure where he was wanting to go with this. you felt the butterflies in your belly begin to dance when you took note of the way his eyes briefly flickered down to your lips, but it was over as soon as it happened. 

“well, um, i just wanted to finish that conversation, because it's been bothering me for a while and i just need to get this out.”

his burning gaze met yours, a fond smile curling up the corners of his mouth. you could feel your heart begin to beat in your chest, praying to god he couldn't tell how visibly flustered you were. he reached his hand up to brush a strand of your hair out of your face, parting his lips to speak, “i have a crush on you, y/n, i have for a while.”

while it was a simple confession, it was something you would treasure for the rest of your life. it was a breath of fresh air amidst chaos and fear, something that made you feel like you were floating for the first time since the outbreak. you felt stupid smiling so big, but to mask your hint of embarrassment, you told him, “i have a crush on you too, bin. i feel like it's been obvious.”

“not really,” he said, “i could kind of pick up little hints, but it was nothing too major. you honestly held it in well, i was worried you wouldn't return the feelings.”

“well, i promise i do.”

hanbin took your relaxed stance as a sign cup your cheek with his hand, inching closer and closer, finally muttering, “can i?”

you timidly smiled, feeling a blush creep onto your cheeks, “of course.”

without any hesitation, he closed the distance between the two of you, melding your lips together perfectly. you weren't sure if it was because he was hanbin, and he was perfect already, or if it was because this moment had been anticipated for so long by the both of you, but it was everything you could have ever asked for. he filled you with warmth and made you melt into his touch. your eyes fluttered shut, relishing in the moment before he broke away, his forehead pressed against yours, “i can't wait to do that more often.”

“me either,” you smiled, leaning forward again to steal another kiss from him, “i think i could get used to it.”

the two of you decided to scrounge around and look for any useful supplies before you went back to the farmhouse. you found a canteen and a gas lantern by the water, assuming someone had left it there - whether it was on purpose or not, you'll never know - and attempted to find anything else before you began your trek back up the trail to the farmhouse. 

you began laughing the moment you caught sight of taerae on the front porch a “thank fucking god” erupting from

his lips the moment he saw your fingers intertwined with one another. he said something along the lines of it being painful to watch the mutual pining and no one making a move. you nudged him playfully, admitting to him that he was right. 

your group would be leaving out within the next few weeks, and you anticipated everything seattle had to offer you, and you could only hope it would be as good as this.

it was close.

xi.

saying goodbye to the farmhouse was a lot harder than you hoped it would be. while you knew it was for the best, it killed you to leave running water, a thriving garden, and cozy bed to sleep in every single night. you knew you would have those things in seattle, but the remainder of the traveling there was going to be difficult, mainly because you'd all gotten spoiled on the luxury of not worrying about where you'll be staying. 

you set out on the rest of your journey early that morning, backpacks filled to the brim with supplies and plenty of food and water to get you through what you hoped would only be a week. you didn't run into many issues along the way, and had made an agreement to meet on the outskirts of the city if everything went wrong; and you hoped it wouldn't. 

the air was thick with humidity, and the feeling of grime caked on your skin wasn't something you missed by any means. you were filled with hope upon seeing a metal sign on the side of the road, and while it was rusting and filled with holes, you saw the words outlines clearly in white, highly contrasting with the green background.

seattle, 1 mile.

you gave hanbin’s hand a firm squeeze, peering up at him

through your lashes, and feeling tears sting at your eyes. you were finally almost to the place you would call home, where you could get as normal of a life as possible, and you'd be able to do it with your friends and boyfriend. maybe, just maybe, it was finally your time to have something really good happen for you. 

“what kind of food do you think they make there?” gyuvin asked, earning laughs from most of the group, and you all began to make small talk of what was to come, unknowingly picking up your pace. 

the sun was beginning to set, casting a beautiful glow across the horizon, and illuminating the sight in front of you. it was breathtaking, and making you all the more excited to finally get inside the safety of the gates that lie ahead.

but the harsh reality was, in this lifetime, nothing good lasted forever. 

something felt off as you approached the edge of the city. there were no signs of life to be found; you were greeted with empty streets and eerie silence. taerae stopped in his tracks, eyes frantically searching the map, a mantra of “no, no, no” falling from his lips at a million miles a minute.

“what's wrong?” gyuvin inquired, peeking over taerae's shoulder to see if he could figure it out himself, but to no avail. taerae folded up the map in frustration, shoving it in his back locked, and turning to the group to say, “there is no settlement.”

gunwook’s voice held a hint of worry, “why do you say that?”

taerae chuckled frustratedly, spinning around with his arms wide open, motioning to the deserted, crumbling city around you, “we went exactly to the place you said those people told you to, and here we are, with no other person in sight,” he quickly met gazes with you and hanbin, “we're completely doomed.”

“maybe we can try going back to the farmhouse, we were doing so well there,” hanbin suggested, attempting to bring some sort of level headedness to your current situation, but taerae was far from receptive to it. 

he began walking around, his behavior growing a little more irrational. he turned around, pointing at gyuvin and gunwook, who both adorned bewildered looks, and stated through gritted teeth, “this is all your fault, i knew we shouldn't have listened to you.”

“kim taerae!” you intervened, catching the attention of the dark haired boy, a glint of anger evident in his expression, “you are being a little ridiculous, we can figure something out.”

“no, we can't,” he scoffed, “we traveled miles and miles and miles to be greeted with nothing, i feel like my frustration is completely justified,” taerae allowed a yell to rip through his lungs, the sole of his boot loudly stomping on a bent “welcome to seattle” sign that had made its home on the crumbling concrete beneath you. 

before anyone could hush him, or ask if he was stupid, the resonating sound of infected filled your ears, but it was unlike anything you'd ever heard before. it sent panic shooting straight to the pit of your stomach, and it wasn't long before the filled your line of vision completely. 

hundreds of them.

the five of you began to run, desperately trying to stick together, but it was proving to be a lot more difficult than you thought. you heard hanbin holler a “split up” before you headed off into different directions, gyuvin and gunwook together one way, and your original trio the other. you clung to hanbin's hand for dear life, keeping careful watch of taerae to make sure he was keeping up. 

you were all too soon met with a fork in your path, and hanbin was quick to think on his feet, letting go of your hand and pushing you toward taerae with an apologetic smile, quickly telling him, “make sure to keep them safe.”

you let out a cry, “hanbin, no!” but it was too late, because he was taking a pipe and banging it on a dumpster nearby, gaining the attention of the infected that had been hot on your trail, and pushing his legs to move him faster down the alley and out of your line of vision. 

you attempted to run after him, but taerae grabbed your arm and pulled you back. you shook yourself from his grasp, screaming through your tears, “we can't leave him, taerae,” a sob raking over your body, “please!”

“hanbin will be fine, y/n, he always is,” taerae reasoned with you, “he'll make it back to us and you know it.”

before you could argue with him anymore, taerae was grabbing your arm again and dragging you along with him, attempting to find the edge of the city again. your legs were burning with each push you made to keep running, and by time you finally made it to a clearing, your lungs felt like they could collapse at any given moment. 

you desperately looked around, trying to find hanbin, or gyuvin and gunwook, and your eyes finally settled on the trembling figures of the two brothers on the ground up ahead, panting hard and trembling from the realization of the events that just occurred. 

you caught up to them, but before you could say anything, you turned around to face taerae, finally allowing the rage you'd managed to keep at bay during that mess to unleash itself on him, “i cannot believe you would put our whole group on jeopardy like that,” you stepped toward him, palms of your hands meeting his chest and shoving him backwards, “you made hanbin feel like he had no choice but to sacrifice himself so we could live, you know that right?” 

taerae’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, not knowing what at all to say to you. scoffing, you said, “you are so fuckinh selfish.”

with that, you stormed off, ignore everyone’s futile attempts of getting you to calm down. the three ended up following behind you, making sure to keep your remaining group together as night approached, and you eventually stopped and set up camp for the night, but refused to utter a single word to taerae. 

you could only hope hanbin would survive the night.

— — —

you and the other three waited on the outskirts of the city like you planned, anxiously awaiting hanbin’s arrival to your small camp, if it ever came. it had been hours now, and you were still not speaking to taerae, now having graduated to refusing to look at him. his attempts at apologizing to you were futile, because he knew sorry would never be enough to heal the ache in your heart and the constant worrying on your mind.

as the morning sun broke through the sky, you sat in front of the smoldering fire, knees drawn up to your chest and eyes stinging with fresh tears. gyuvin was sat down next to you, his hand rubbing your back in a comforting way, his presence greatly appreciated, but you had a hard time croaking anything out.

a flash of brilliant red came into your vision, causing you to finally tear your gaze away from the ashes before you, seeing a rain of fiery glitter shimmering down from the sky in waves. you blinked a few times, wondering if your mind was playing tricks on you, but gyuvin had stopped rubbing your back in return for staring at the sight before you, mouth agape.

it had to be hanbin.

you began silently packing your things into your backpack, gyuvin closely following suit, but you were interrupted by taerae’s voice piercing the silence, “what are you doing?”

“what's it matter to you?” you snapped, managing to look at him, nostrils flaring in annoyance. he held his hands up in defense. muttering, “i’m just trying to watch out for you, y/n.”

you stepped toward him, teeth gritted and your patience with him wearing dangerously thin. you pointed to the color illuminating the sky, your words assertive, “that could be hanbin, and i’ll be damned if you stop me from going to look when you're the reason this happened in the first place. whether you come or not isn't my problem, but if you want to prove you're worthy of forgiveness, you’ll come with.”

you turned on your heels, back now facing him, and met the determined gazes of gyuvin and gunwook, who signaled they were ready to follow you back into the heart of the city.

you trudged onward, careful not to let the thudding of your boots draw attention to you, and glanced behind your back, taking note of taerae following suit. good.

it wasn't long before you made it through the entrance to the forgotten city, and you slunk against walls to keep a low profile in case a hoard of infected were still nearby. you felt your heart beating in your throat, a layer of sweat now coating your forehead in anticipation for what was to come.

another flare was lit, this time much closer to where you previously were. you dashed across the street from one alley to the next, taking note of the same dumpster that hanbin had hit before he ran on his own path. you figured following it wouldn'td hurt, and led your group onward through the maze of rubble, the stench of the flare smoke now filling your nostrils.

before you could take another step forward, gunwook grabbed your hand and pulled you back down into a crouch, his finger pressed over his lips before he pointed ahead, a bus in the distance, but a crowd of about 15 infected surrounding it. they seemed desperate to get something, and as your eyes trailed up, you realized it was someone.

hanbin.

he looked up, a wave of relief washing over his face upon seeing the four of you few yards away from him, and you fought back your tears as you made a cutthroat motion to the other theee, quietly creeping along the edge of the road, planning to sneak attack the infected.

taerae was the first to leap forward, twisting an infected’s neck with a sickening crack. its body crumpled to the ground, falling entirely lifeless within an instant, and it didn't take long for the rest of you to follow in his footsteps. you swung forward, your motions eerily similar to when you killed ricky months back, blood sputtering out from the infected and soaking through your clothes.

but this time, you didn't care. you continued your actions, the putrid smell of iron and rotting flesh violating your nose, but within a few minutes the crowd was gone, and you were surrounded by bodies on the road. you quickly entered the inside of the bus, noticing there was only a few seats left inside, and a previously made shelter from someone else having been made in the back.

taerae pulled the doors shut to prevent any other infected getting inside, visibly relaxing once he realized your group was safe for now. hanbin slipped down from the top of the bus, his hair disheveled, and exhaustion evident in his expression and body language. you moved forward to give him a hug, but he stepped back, shaking his head at you.

you felt your stomach twist in a knot, “hanbin?”

his next words were ones that would have made you fall to your knees if he wasn't standing directly in front of you, “i got bit.”

it felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the small space, the entire group falling into a dreadful silence.

you blinked back tears for millionth time in the last few hours, swallowing harshly as you met your eyes with his, desperately trying to see if he was pulling some cruel joke. you laughed, “no, no that's not possible! you're fine hanbin, you don't have to pull my leg like that.”

his frown only deepened, and he took a step forward, pulling the sleeve of his jacket up to reveal a gnarly wound on the inside of his forearm, the resemblance of teeth marks deeply penetrating his skin. blood oozed from the gashes, and the flesh surrounding it appeared as though had already begun to rot away.

“what are we going to to do?” taerae asked, and you almost turned around to slap him, but somehow managed to contain yourself.

hanbin’s expression said everything you needed to know. his next sentence was quiet, and had the nobody there been completely still, you wouldn't have been able to hear it, “i’m going to have to take care of it myself, i won’t let the virus take over. i don't want to be one of them.”

“hanbin, no,” taerae said, “we can't just let you kill yourself, there has to be another way.”

“but there's not, taerae,” hanbin’s tone was gentle but firm, “there's no cure, and i won't be able to handle being one of those disgusting creatures,” a tear raced down his cheek, “i have no other choice, unless one of you do it for me, and i would never ask that of you.”

you didn't feel like yourself as the gears turned in your head, before you finally asked, “can we at least say goodbye?”

his eyes softened, and he nodded in return. you let the others go before you, gunwook and gyuvin going first, thanking him for allowing them to tag along, and always making sacrifices to make sure everyone else was taken care of.

you didn't miss the sobs shaking taerae’s body when he went, their hug the tightest one you had ever seen. “i’m so sorry” moving past his lips repeatedly, and hanbin kept reassuring him quietly. the two had a quiet conversation, hanbin’s gaze intensely staring into taerae in what you assumed was advice on how to move forward.

and then it was your turn.

your legs felt like jelly as you collapsed into his embrace, his arms sturdy and the scent of his cologne having barely lingered on his clothes as you burning your face into his chest. you could feel him breaking down, and the two of you cried more than you ever have before. he pulled back a little bit, pressing a deep, loving kiss onto your lips, and you could taste the salt of your tears mixing in between.

he looked at you, adoration in his eyes, as he whispered, “i love you, y/n.”

your bottom lip quivered, and you were barely able to get out an “i love you” in return, relishing in your final moment with him. you shifted a bit, slipping your dagger out from the inside of your sleeve. you pushed it between his ribs, hearing him softly grunt in pain, and a quiet “thank you” coming from him.

he grew weaker by the minute, and you helped him lower to the ground. laying him down on his back and settling down next to him, your hand coated with the warm bloom spilling from his body. your free hand reached up and pushed his hair out of his eyes. thumb moving down to collect his tears as his eyes fluttered shut and the breath left his body.

your pained weeping echoed throughout the barren wasteland around you, and you wanted so badly to turn back time, to do something differently, because if you did, he would still be alive. you'd still be searching for seattle.

but seattle wasn't real, and the boy you loved was taken from you by the very thing you hated the most.

[chaewillriot]

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

RENTING A BEACH HOUSE WITH THE GANG!

(SBG X FEM! READER)

PART 2 / ?

"Why do you keep tossing in sweets? Do you want us to have diabetes?" Tyler scowls as he watches Aiden scavenge for more items; it seems like he's searching for a specific brand. The blonde doesn't look back at him but tells him to shut up with a single hand gesture.

Tyler groans, running a hand across his face. He has to mentally restrain himself from smacking the shit out of the dumbass. "Why are you like this?"

Ben quickly jots down a few words on his notepad before tapping Tyler's shoulder.

"It's for [y/n]. She loves gummies."

Tyler's face seemed to soften for a brief second but he immediately replaces it with another scowl. Damn, just the thought of you munching on some gummies made him feel weak. Your cheeks would look so cute all puffed up and—

He quickly dismisses the thought.

"Fine, whatever. Do what you want." The brunet ultimately sighs. Maybe, just maybe, he could let it slide this one time.

"Oh, but remember to not eat much! Those things aren't healthy." Logan reminds everyone even though he knows those packs of sweets are for you. Everyone just nods in agreement.

Back with the girls, all three of you weren't that happy to have waited an extra forty minutes for the boys to arrive. Although that anger subsides as today's supposed to be a day to have fun. After paying for the snacks and swimsuits, you all head to the van in the parking lot.

"Aiden, what are you doing?" You couldn't help but ask as you see him crawling on the floor. "You look like a caterpillar."

"Shush." He quickly says.

Tyler sees him acting all idiotic again so he calls him out to the driver. "Hey, mister. Someone's not in their proper sea—"

Aiden, hearing this, hits his head on the edge of one of the seats as he tries to get up from the ground. He silently curses and scurries back to his seat in the rear with Ben.

Everyone stifles in a laugh when they see that happening.

"Calling him out? They're acting like children again.." You mutter under your breath and Logan, who's sitting beside you, lets out a small giggle.

"Well, they're just enjoying their youth." He smiles at you. You smile back at him and reach out to fix his glasses so its not hanging off at the edge of his nose.

The trip would take a while, so you take a nap on Logan's shoulder. He didn't mind. He even intertwines both your fingers together. Everyone else saw that happening but tried not to let it get to their heads. There's plenty more time to bond with you at the Beach House.

By the time the bus comes to a stop, everyone was excited to step off the bus. Logan couldn't get his bags because you were still asleep on his shoulder. He got help from Ben, who easily carried you in his arms while you slept. No one had the heart to wake you up. You looked too cute.

You continued to nap while Ben carried you bridal style in his arms and into the resort. Aiden follows closely behind, carrying your bags and his.

Taylor feels really proud for being able to pull this one off with all of you. After all those hangouts that had been canceled.. This one really paid off. "This is it, guys. We're finally here!"

Ashlyn smiles at her excitement. She takes a look around. "Where do we check-in?"

The area was mostly just Beach Houses, and of course, the beach. The hotel shouldn't be that far. Taylor looks back at the group. "Hm, I'll go ahead and find the receptionist. Some of you guys should stay here. I think there's still a few stuff we've left at the van."

She loops an arm around Ashlyn and Logan, dragging the two to walk on the pebbled ground that probably leads to the hotel. "We'll get going then!"

Tyler sighs. He turns around to face Ben, who's still holding you. He'd be lying if he told himself he didn't want to hold you like that too.

"We should check up on the van," Then he turns to Aiden. "And you, moron. Stay here and don't do anything stupid."

Aiden didn't appreciate the nickname but he did appreciate being left alone, cause that would mean..

Ben gently transfers you to his cousin's arms since he didn't want to wake you up if he's going to get the rest of the luggage. Before he turns to leave with Tyler, he makes a little gesture pointing at your sleeping form, as if he's silently reminding the blonde to keep you safe. He's a bit reluctant as he knows Aiden's tiny (huge) crush on you.

Once the two of you are left alone, Aiden looks down at you, still maintaining that goofy grin on his face. He feels like he won the lottery getting to hold you like this.

"Hehehehe..."

It didn't take long for Taylor, Ashlyn, and Logan to come back. They were able to check-in and get the keys for the Beach House all of you will be staying in for the week. What they didn't expect to see is the luggages scattered on the ground and Aiden carrying you to the shore.

"Aiden!" Taylor almost shrieks out. "Don't you dare drop [y/n]!"

Ashlyn wasted no time running after the boy in order to save you incase Aiden drops you into the water, and Logan runs off to the direction where the van's supposed to be.

By the time Ashlyn caught up, Aiden just keeps running with you still in his arms, even laughing his ass off. Unfortunately, it's been long since you've woken up, but you have no idea what the hell's going on.

Taking a peek over Aiden's shoulder, you almost jump. Ashlyn seems pissed and she's sprinting towards the both of you.

Tyler and Ben came running back in a hurry because of Logan telling them about the commotion. Seeing Ashlyn chasing after Aiden, Ben joins in. He's more worried for you right now.

"Hey, dumbass! I'll kill you if you drop her!" Tyler yells. He couldn't do much as knows he can't catch up at this rate. Aiden's running too far now.

In the end, all of you managed to get back to the Beach House unscathed. Luckily, no one got wet. You're squished on the sofa in between Ashlyn and Tyler. It seems like they're shielding you from Aiden. Their glare could kill, no kidding.

"Petition to not let Aiden near [y/n] anymore?" Taylor suggested.

"Agreed." Everyone says (Ben writes it down) in unison, leaving the blonde with no room for arguments.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

[liminal-space-lesbian]

Summer Concussions

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

Summary: You and some nevermore students decide to enjoy the sunny weather at the lake. Your girlfriend Wednesday hates the sun, but agrees to go anyways. While you are swimming Xavier challenges you to jump off a ledge into the water. You agree hesitantly but soon change your mind, and Xavier doesn't allow that.

Warnings: ooc Wednesday, insecure Wednesday, Xavier being a dick, concussions, blood, mentions of drowning, hospitals,

Words: 3,180

a/n Wednesday is kinda mean at the beginning I'm ngl, but it's just bc shes overheated and stressed I swear

You were rather excited for the day, considering it had been rainy and cold for the past few weeks at Nevermore. Enid decided to seize the good weather while it lasted and organized a day at the lake with Yoko, Divina, Ajax, Xavier, Eugene, and Wednesday. You were surprised your girlfriend actually agreed to come along, considering her distaste for the sun and anything considered fun.

Here she was though, sitting beside you under an umbrella and looking mildly displeased, as per usual. She wore a long sleeve swim shirt and knee length shorts, which you thought were far too hot for the level of humidity today. You had offered her one of your short sleeves but she had quickly rejected the idea. She said it was because she didn't want any more of her skin exposed to the "harmful UV rays" than necessary. You knew that was a lie.

Wednesday may always seem perfectly confident and strong and self assured but you knew she was insecure. It took her three months of dating you to feel comfortable enough to wear a tank-top around you, and another two to wear shorts shorter than knee length. You always did your best to reassure her and tell her she was beautiful- perfect even. Your words could only do so much however, when her own self image was so skewed.

"Do you want to go swimming, Wednesday?" You asked her with a grin as you stood up from where you were sitting on your towel in the sun. She glanced at you with an unimpressed look.

"No, I don't feel the need to flail around in the water like an invalid." She snapped, her tone clipped. You wilted under her words, feeling a bit dumb for even asking.

"Oh." You mumble, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry. Well- do you mind if I go swim? Or do you want me to stay here and keep you company?" You ask shyly, shifting on your feet. You really wanted to swim, you were sweating already and Xavier, Ajax, Eugene, and Enid were playing with a beachball in the water, which looked way too fun. If Wednesday wanted you to stay you would stay however, you would much rather keep her company than leave her to sit alone in the shade. Especially since you felt guilty for dragging her along.

"No, I don't mind. Just because I don't find it enjoyable doesn't mean you can't have... fun." She said the word 'fun' like it plagued her. You searched her expression to make sure she was certain, and you couldn't help but smile at the the way her eyes softened as she looked at you. She let out a tiny sigh and you noticed the sweat beading at her brow from the humidity.

"Okay. Well if you want to join me feel free." You say with an inviting smile, leaning down to give Wednesday a kiss before leaving. She leaned slightly away from you before you could, and you pulled away, giving her space. You noticed the way her eyes darted to Yoko and Divina who were sitting a few feet away chatting amicably. When she was sure they weren't looking in your direction she leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on your lips. You couldn't help but giggle.

"Wednesday, they know we're dating, why do you care so much if they see us kiss?" You tease as Wednesday rolls her eyes.

"Public displays of affection are not my forte." Is all she offers as she leans back on her hands and looks up at you with a nonchalant expression. You see through it though and notice the blush tinting the tips of her ears. The truth was Wednesday was a bit shy when it came to openly expressing her affections with you. She did love you, and she has said so many times, but she also found it embarrassing to be so openly vulnerable in a public space. She felt off put by her own feelings, so used to always being stoic and unaffected.

"You never care when Enid sees us kiss." You protest with a smirk, and an exasperated expression crosses Wednesday's face.

"Yes, well. That's just Enid." She replies simply, shrugging slightly. You found it sweet how comfortable Wednesday had grown with her best friend. It made sense, considering how close the two are after the Hyde attack. You still found it adorable how much Wednesday trusted Enid, even with all her reservations about the werewolf.

"Whatever you say baby." You say with a grin before standing up again and skipping down to the water. As soon as you stepped into the waves you tensed. It was cold. You could feel Wednesday's eyes boring into your back so you turned around and gave her a bright smile and a thumbs up. "The water feels great, you should join me!" You shout, trying to convince your girlfriend to swim. She simply offers an unimpressed and dismissive wave, and you shrug, turning back to the water.

You slowly wade into the lake, moving over to Xavier, Ajax, Eugene and Enid. Enid spots you first and excitedly splashes over to you, causing you to flinch as cold droplets of water land on your face.

"(Y/n)! Want to play pass with us?" Enid asks enthusiastically, gripping your shoulders with her cold hands. You shiver under her touch but smile nonetheless.

"Of course!" You reply enthusiastically causing Enid to squeal in delight. You follow her over to the boys and join in the game, laughing as you dive to try and keep the ball in the air. You play for quite a while before the boys decide to climb up a ledge near the water and jump off.

"Come on (Y/n), aren't you gonna jump too? Or are you too scared." Xavier taunts from the ledge as Ajax does a flip into the water. You know Xavier is just trying to goad you, he's been jealous of you ever since you first started dating Wednesday. You're about to say no when Ajax resurfaces with a laugh.

"Come on (Y/n), it's fun I swear!" He insists as he climbs up on the ledge once more, watching as Eugene jumps off next. Xavier is smirking down at you as he thinks you're about to say no, and you feel indignance rise within you. You glance back at the beach to see Wednesday watching the interaction with a bored expression. 'I want to impress her.' The thought is sudden and loud in your mind, and despite your better judgement you begin the climb.

"Alright, you guys ready to see a real splash?" You ask with faux macho as you climb up beside Ajax. He grins and claps you on the shoulder encouragingly.

"Hell yeah! Just try to jump a bit more to the right since there's more rocks to the left. You'll probably be fine, but better safe than sorry right?" He says, smiling at you as he gestures to the deeper part of the pool. You nod, feeling nerves rise within you as you look down at the water. It seems so much farther once you're up here.

"Tsk, come on are you gonna jump or what?" Xavier scoffs, rolling his eyes. You glance at him and clench your jaw in determination.

"Yes! I am! I'm just- psyching myself up for it." You stall, glancing back down at the water. The longer you look at it the more you don't want to jump.

"Hey, you don't have to jump if you don't want to. No shame if you're too scared, it is a pretty big drop." Ajax says gently, his gaze reassuring. You are about to chicken out completely when you hear Xavier scoff once again.

"Oh come on, she just needs a little push-" With those words you feel two strong hands shove hard at the center of your back. You try to catch yourself, to compensate but you are too thrown off balance. Your feet slip off the edge, and your back scrapes painfully against the rock as you slip. You hear Wednesday and Enid shout your name as your head snaps against the rock, the thud sickening.

You're in the water, choking as water flows out of your nose and mouth. You gag and retch, someone is dragging you to shore. There's blood in the water.

"Yoko, go get Weems!" That was Wednesday's voice. You tried to look around for her but everything seemed blurry and dark. Your nose and throat burned from the water, and the back of your head throbbed steadily.

"Oh my God, oh my God- Wednesday is she going to be okay?" Enid's voice frantically filtered into your ears as someone gently laid you back on the grass. Your back stung at the contact with the ground. The sun was beating down on your face and you squeezed your eyes shut. It was too bright.

"(Y/n), can you open your eyes for me?" Wednesday's calm voice soothed the ache in your head. Someone's hand was resting on the back of your head, pressing firmly. It hurt, but Wednesday's voice made it hurt less.

"Wednesday?" You ask in a small voice, feeling confused and scared. You weren't sure what was going on. Your head hurt, you were cold. You were confused.

"Yes, I'm here cara mia, you're going to be okay." Wednesday's steady voice responded and you felt a shadow move over your face. You opened your blurry eyes and saw Wednesday staring down at you. Her expression was so worried it made your heart race with anxiety. What's wrong? Why is Wednesday so upset?

"Wednesday." You whisper again, more pitifully as years burn your eyes. A whimper rises in your throat as you see Enid hovering behind Wednesday looking horrified. What was wrong? Why was everyone so upset?

"Shh, it's okay." Wednesday soothed, her eyes scanning your face. Your eyes were unfocused and you looked deathly pale. She hoped Weems would hurry up.

You noticed water dripping from Wednesday's braids, and realized she must have jumped in the water and dragged you out. You grew more confused at the realization. How had you even ended up in the water? Oh, right Xavier pushed you.

"Move away from her, let me see." Weems voice spoke suddenly, her tone tight with worry. Wednesday moved out of your line of sight and you were met with a worried Weems. Her eyes scanned over you before she hastily scooped you up in her arms. She was speaking more to Wednesday, or somebody else you weren't sure. Her words sounded like gibberish, and her movements felt like they were in slow motion. You shied away from her, feeling afraid as tears streamed down your face.

You felt strange and hazy as you were placed on a bed of some sort. You were in a vehicle, you determined from the way you swayed in the bed, which you were strapped in to. There were strangers who kept shining lights in your eyes and poking you with things. It was scary. You wanted Wednesday.

Then you were some place else. A bed still, but this one was in a room with machines in it. You weren't sure how you got there, or how long it had been. You felt a bit more attentive than before; more awake. You blinked slowly, the throbbing in your head dulled by whatever was in the IV attached to the back of your hand.

"Wednesday?" You mumble, eyes slowly scanning the room. You were alone, aside from a woman fiddling with your IV. She noticed you were awake and smiled warmly at you.

"What was that honey?" She asked sweetly and you shrunk into yourself slightly. Who is that?

"I want Wednesday." You mumbled, your eyes sliding away from the strange woman to scan the room again. The nurse looked confused.

"No, sweetheart it's Saturday the twenty ninth. What day do you think it is?" She asked gently, trying to bring your attention back to her. You were growing increasingly upset. Why didn't this woman understand? You wanted your girlfriend. You needed her.

"No- I want-" Your words were cut off as the door to the room burst open. There she stood in all her glory, looking damp and disgruntled. Her eyes were wide as she stared at you, worry evident in her gaze as she marched up to your bedside.

"What were you thinking." She scolded, her eyes traveling over your face quickly, like she was searching for injuries.

"Miss, I'm sorry but we can't allow visitors at the moment, she's-" The nurse tried but Wednesday silenced her with a glare.

"She's my girlfriend, I'm not leaving her." Wednesday snapped, leaving no room for argument. The nurse let out a resigned sigh before leaving the two of you alone. Silence fell over the two of you like a blanket as you stared up at your girlfriend, smiling at how pretty she looked. Her bangs were still wet and clinging to her forehead, and her braids dripped steadily on the floor.

"Wednesday." You say with a smile, your tone overflowing with admiration. The brunettes eyes meet yours and her expression softens, the tension around her mouth easing as she gently brushed her fingertips along your cheek.

"What is it, mi sol?" She asks, her voice impossible gentle. You melted at her tone, she only ever talked to you like this when you were alone. How you loved when she was tender with you.

"I missed you." You announce with a grin, and Wednesday can't help the smile that curves at her lips. She leans down and kisses your forehead so lightly you hardly feel it.

"I missed you too." She pauses, her expression growing worried once more. "How are you feeling?" She asks, and you find the question peculiar. You felt completely fine. Better than fine actually, you felt incredible. Your body felt fuzzy. Whatever was in that IV was working.

"I feel floaty." You say, and you can't help but giggle. Wednesday sighs, resting her palm on your chest gently. Her brows are pulled together in concern but she keeps her voice smooth as she speaks.

"Then the drugs are working." She pauses, seemingly deep in thought. "I'm going to murder Xavier." She announces, her jaw clenching in anger suddenly. You blink at her in surprise. You know she didn't like Xavier, but what did he do to make her so angry like this?

"Why?" You ask, your tone curious. She blinks down at you and frowns slightly.

"Darling, he pushed you. What do you remember about today?" She asks, sounding reproachful. You blink at her and try to think back. Everything is fuzzy. You remember swimming with Enid. Playing with the beachball. Wanting to impress Wednesday.

"Uhm... I don't know." You murmur lamely as you blink up at her. "Swimming with Enid." You offer with a shrug and she seems more irritated at your words. You feel a flash of guilt and anxiety. What did you say wrong? "Sorry." You apologize hastily.

"No, don't apologize." Wednesday soothes you hastily, gently cupping your face in her hand. "I'm not upset with you." She reassures as she places another kiss on your temple.

"Xavier pushed you off a ledge into the water and you fell and hit your head. You nearly drowned in the water, and I had to drag you out. You were taken to the hospital, which is where we are now. You also suffer from a mild concussion. I am unsurprised you don't remember much." Wednesday explains patiently, her fingers running along the skin of your face and neck absentmindedly. You loved when she did that, she called it the Rivers. She'd gently trace imaginary patters on your skin while you lay together.

"Oh. Yeah I don't remember that." You say simply as you shut your eyes with a smile, enjoying Wednesdays touch. "Am I going to be okay?" You ask hesitantly. You felt alright now. Your head was still woozy and you were still a but confused, but Wednesday was with you and your head didn't hurt so you were okay.

"You'll make a full recovery. You needed seven stitches on the back of your head, and you had various lacerations on your back, but they will heal. Weems said you can take a break from classes for a week while you recover, and I will take notes for you so you don't miss anything important." Wednesday explains, her voice feeling like honey in your ears. She was so sweet, and warm, and perfect. You felt tears well in your eyes as you opened them and stared up at her. Her expression froze at your tears and her shoulders tensed.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her voice thick with worry, which only caused you to cry more.

"I love you so much Wednesday." You sob pitifully as you reach up and grab her hand weakly in yours. "You're so sweet and- and thoughtful." You blubber, and Wednesday looks extremely put off and uncomfortable.

"I- thank you." She clears her throat nervously as she tries to navigate your drug induced breakdown. "I love you too." She offers, trying to placate you. You simply sob harder at her words, messy tears streaming down your face. She looks panicked as she tries to shush you.

"It's okay. You don't need to cry, everything is fine." She attempts at calming you, her voice sounding uncharacteristically uncertain. She gently wipes away your tears, biting her lip nervously. "What- do you need anything from me?" She offers, trying her best to comfort you. You sniffle, blinking up at her.

"Can we cuddle?" You plead, pouting at her sadly. She hesitates and you are about to burst into tears again when she heaves a sigh.

"I am still wet from the lake." She protests lamely, and you simply frown. You reach out and grab her swim shirt, pulling her closer to you.

"I don't care." You say firmly, staring her intently in the eyes. She looks lost, like she wants to protest but after a moment she gives a resigned sigh. She carefully climbs into the hospital bed with you, awkwardly lying beside you. You go to turn on your side so you can spoon her but she presses her hand firmly to your chest and pins you down.

"No." She scolds firmly and you immediately relent, her tone leaving no room for argument. She shifts around, stiff and awkward until she lays beside you, her head resting on your shoulder as her arm drapes across your waist. You smile contentedly as you lace your fingers with hers, your eyes sliding shut as exhaustion tugs at you.

"I love you Wenny." You mumble as you begin to fall asleep. Wednesday doesn't even bother protesting the nickname, simply pressing a kiss to the side of your neck before holding you closer.

"I love you too, cara mia." She whispers, and her voice is the last thing you hear as you slip into sleep.

a/n I've never been concussed so if this is inaccurate that is why 🫶

[elysiaheaven]

𝐈, 𝐉𝐢𝐚𝐨𝐪𝐢𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦-𝟏 The fox's wedding

Words:5207

TW: Mentions of curses, dead people, forced marriage?

Most of the lines are from the Masa works design's onibi series songs! just references since I got this idea from it!

If you think y/n is shitty in the first chapter, get ready to face that it's not true.

Characters that appear in this chapter: Jiaoqiu, Moze, Y/n

The abandoned ship from part of the Luofu which was lost loomed ahead, its dark silhouette against the starry backdrop of the void. Jiaoqiu and Moze approached the vessel, their steps echoing in the silence of the derelict expanse.

Moze, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a mixture of caution and disdain, adjusted his grip on his weapon. "This is a bad idea," he said, his voice a low murmur. "There's a reason this place was abandoned."

Jiaoqiu, ever the optimist despite the grim setting, gave a reassuring smile. "I understand your concern, Moze. But this herb is crucial for General Feixiao's treatment. Her condition is deteriorating, and we need to find it before it's too late."

Moze nodded, though his frown deepened. "If it's that important, then I suppose we have no choice. But if anything goes wrong, remember that I warned you."

As they entered the ship, the musty smell of decay filled the air. The once-magnificent interior was now a maze of twisted metal and debris. Shadows danced ominously across the walls, and the eerie silence was occasionally broken by the distant creaks of the ship's frame.

Their search led them to a chamber filled with a disturbing sight: statues of what appeared to be people, frozen in various poses of agony and despair. The lifelike details of the statues gave them a haunting realism, their eyes wide with a frozen terror that seemed to transcend time.

Moze's gaze lingered on the statues, a shiver running down his spine. "What are these?" he asked, his voice edged with unease.

Jiaoqiu's expression grew somber as he observed the statues. "These statues are a tragic reminder of an old tale," he began, his tone reflective. "It's the story of Y/N L/N, the Goddess of Betrayal. A deity not born from human creation, but from something far more ancient and malevolent."

Moze's curiosity was piqued despite the ominous setting. "Go on," he said, though his eyes remained wary.

Jiaoqiu took a deep breath. "Y/N L/N once aided the Borisin clan during a time of dire need. She provided them with food and sustenance when they were on the brink of starvation. The Borisin people, desperate and grateful, welcomed her aid. But there was a price to be paid."

He paused, looking at the statues with a mixture of sadness and reverence. "The village's guardian deity, a foxian named Eiji, tried to stop her, sensing something sinister behind her gifts. Y/N L/N, driven by her own malevolent desires, killed Eiji and took his place. In doing so, she cursed the people of the village, transforming them into statues as a testament to her betrayal."

Moze's eyes widened slightly. "So these statues are—"

"—the remnants of Eiji's final wish," Jiaoqiu continued, his voice somber. "He wished for everyone, including himself, to be turned into statues and die, hoping to stop Y/N L/N's wrath. But as a spirit, she couldn't die. Instead, she was bound to the human realm through marriage. If someone were to marry her, they would be bound to her forever. If they tried to escape, they would die. The only way to defeat her was through a clever scheme: to trick her into giving up her soul, thus betraying the Goddess of Betrayal herself."

Moze's gaze fell back on the statues, their cursed faces a chilling reminder of the power of betrayal. "I see. And you believe this herb will help Feixiao?"

"Yes," Jiaoqiu affirmed, nodding. "The herb is said to have properties that can counteract the Moon Rage affliction. It's our best hope."

Jiaoqiu and Moze moved deeper into the abandoned ship, their search for the herb proving more challenging with each step. The air grew colder, and the silence seemed to press in on them, broken only by the occasional clatter of debris.

As they entered a large chamber, Jiaoqiu's eyes were drawn to a wall covered in ancient writings and inscriptions. The text, faded and worn, was in a language he recognized from his studies—a mix of old Borisin dialects and forgotten scripts. Despite Moze's warnings, Jiaoqiu was intrigued by the historical significance.

Moze, ever the skeptic, approached with a concerned expression. "This is a bad idea, Jiaoqiu. We're here for the herb, not to play historian. The more time we spend here, the greater the risk."

"I understand," Jiaoqiu replied, his eyes still fixed on the inscriptions. "But knowledge can be as valuable as the herb itself. There might be information here that could aid in understanding more about our current situation."

Ignoring Moze's concerned sigh, Jiaoqiu began to decipher the texts, his fingers tracing the old characters with a mixture of reverence and curiosity. As he read, he stumbled upon a section that described a statue of a girl. The description was both enchanting and tragic—a girl with delicate features, her hands seemingly outstretched in acceptance, yet her eyes filled with sorrow.

Driven by a strange compulsion, Jiaoqiu moved towards a pedestal at the center of the chamber where the statue was displayed. The statue was exquisitely detailed, her features so lifelike that she seemed on the verge of tears. Her hands were poised as if she had accepted an offering, but the sadness in her eyes was palpable.

Jiaoqiu reached out and gently touched the statue. A shiver ran down his spine as he felt an intense pull, a deep yearning to kiss the statue's cold, sculpted lips. He found himself inching closer, drawn by an inexplicable force.

"Jiaoqiu!" Moze's voice cut through the haze. "What are you doing? Snap out of it!"

But Jiaoqiu was beyond hearing. The closer he got, the more overwhelming the sensation became. The statue seemed to come alive with an eerie allure, its sorrowful eyes mesmerizing him.

Suddenly, Moze, sensing the danger, lunged forward. "Get away from that statue!" he shouted, grabbing Jiaoqiu's arm and pulling him back.

The moment Moze's hand made contact, the statue's eyes flashed with a malevolent glow. 

Jiaoqiu, now freed from the statue's grip, staggered back, his mind clearing. "There's a monster, behind it." he said, his voice trembling. 

Moze drew his weapon, his face set in a determined scowl. "We need to fight. Stay sharp!"

The creature let out a guttural roar, its monstrous form shifting and writhing. It charged at them with surprising speed, its eyes still glowing with that hypnotic light. Jiaoqiu, shaking off the lingering effects of the statue's influence, joined Moze in the battle.

Moze moved with precision, his strikes calculated and deadly, while Jiaoqiu used his agility to dodge and counterattack. The ship's dim lighting cast eerie shadows on the walls as the battle raged on, each movement and strike reverberating through the cold, silent chamber.

Jiaoqiu managed to land a solid blow, causing the creature to stagger, but its eyes continued to glow with a hypnotic pull. Moze, sensing the need for a decisive strike, aimed for the creature's core, hoping to end the threat once and for all.

With a final, powerful strike, Moze hit the creature's core, and the monster let out a final, anguished roar before collapsing into a lifeless heap. The hypnotic glow in its eyes faded, and the chamber fell silent once more.

Breathing heavily, Jiaoqiu and Moze stood amidst the remnants of their battle. The statue was now just a broken relic, its enchantment defeated. Jiaoqiu's hands trembled slightly as he looked at the fallen creature.

"Thank you," Jiaoqiu said, his voice shaky. "I almost—"

"Don't mention it," Moze interrupted, his tone firm. "Let's get what we came for and leave this place before there are more surprises."

Jiaoqiu's eyes were drawn back to the statue as he and Moze took a moment to catch their breath. Something nagged at him, a detail he had initially overlooked in the heat of battle. The statue's kimono—

He noticed that the kimono was worn right over left, a clear indication that it was a garment meant for the deceased. In contrast, living people traditionally wore their kimonos left over right. This detail, combined with the kitsune mask that adorned the statue, suddenly clicked in his mind.

"This... this is the Goddess of Betrayal's statue," Jiaoqiu hissed, his voice barely a whisper. The realization sent a chill down his spine. "It's her!"

Before he could say more, the monstrous creature, still lying in wait, let out another guttural roar. The statue's form shifted and writhed, its monstrous nature fully revealed. It charged at them once more, its eyes glowing with that hypnotic allure.

Moze, seeing the danger intensify, made a split-second decision. "Jiaoqiu, get out of here!" he shouted. "I'll hold it off. You need to save Feixiao. Get to the herb and get out!"

"No, Moze, we need to—" Jiaoqiu began, but Moze pushed him back towards the entrance of the chamber.

"Go! I'll handle this. I can't let you both die here," Moze said firmly. With a swift motion, he activated a mechanism on the door, locking Jiaoqiu inside the chamber with the monster.

Jiaoqiu's protests were drowned out by the clamor of the battle. He tried desperately to force the door open, but it was securely locked. He pounded on the door, shouting for Moze, but his cries were met only with the sounds of the struggle beyond.

Then came a scream—a piercing, agonizing sound that cut through the chaos. Jiaoqiu's heart sank as he realized it was Moze's voice. The sounds of the fight grew more desperate, and then suddenly, everything went quiet.

Jiaoqiu's breaths came in short, panicked gasps as he searched for a way out. His eyes darted around the chamber, looking for any possible escape route or a way to help Moze. But the door was firmly locked, and the only other exit seemed to be the way he came in—blocked by the monster now.

He turned back to the statue, his mind racing. The legends had spoken of the Goddess of Betrayal's curse: she could only return to the human realm through marriage, and if someone attempted to escape from her, they would die. The only way to save Moze—and himself—was to somehow appease the goddess, even if it meant sacrificing his own freedom.

Jiaoqiu felt a wave of desperation wash over him. He knew what kind of malevolent spirit Y/N L/N was reputed to be—a being who had betrayed the town. Yet, if he wanted to save his friend and complete their mission, he had to confront this deity.

He approached the statue with trembling steps, his heart pounding in his chest. The goddess's eyes seemed to follow him, their hypnotic glow now more pronounced than ever. Jiaoqiu took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he knew he had to do.

"I'm here," he said, his voice quavering but determined. "I'm willing to make a pact. I'll do whatever it takes."

As he spoke, the air around the statue seemed to shimmer with dark energy. Jiaoqiu could feel the pressure of the goddess's power building, an oppressive force that threatened to overwhelm him. But he remained resolute, focused on saving Moze and fulfilling their mission.

"I'm not afraid," Jiaoqiu declared, his voice growing stronger. "I'll marry you if it means saving my friend and completing our mission. I'll do whatever it takes."

Jiaoqiu's heart raced as he stood before the statue, holding the ancient text that revealed the solution to their dire predicament. The spell was clear—marriage to the kitsune spirit was the only way to save his friend. With a resolute expression, he read the incantation aloud, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him.

As he completed the spell, the statue's eyes began to flicker with life. Jiaoqiu approached, feeling the weight of his decision press heavily upon him. The goddess, a tragic figure bound by her curse, had her eyes closed, her form still and lifeless. He knew what he had to do to seal their pact.

With trembling hands, Jiaoqiu leaned in and pressed his lips gently against the statue's. The kiss was soft, almost tender, yet it carried the weight of his desperation and hope. As his lips met the cold stone, a shiver ran through him. The sensation was like stepping into a dream, where reality blurred with the ethereal. The statue's form began to change, her features softening, and her kimono—a deep, wine-red with black sashes and a grey obi—flowed around her as she transformed.

For a moment, you, the Goddess of Betrayal, felt the warmth of his kiss. Your eyes fluttered open, revealing a deep sadness mingled with an ancient, inscrutable power. You could see Jiaoqiu before you, his features illuminated by the dim light—a young man with pale salmon-colored hair and golden eyes that reflected a mixture of determination and vulnerability. He was almost hypnotized by the act, his gaze locked with yours as he awaited your response.

"You've bound yourself to me," you said, your voice a whisper that echoed with a sadistic edge. "How cute, a foxian marrying me. After all, it was a foxian I once killed with my own hands."

Your eyes softened momentarily as you gazed at him, your lips curving into a dark, melancholic smile. You leaned closer and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, a gesture both affectionate and haunting. "I will be a good wife, haunting you through every step you take."

Jiaoqiu's eyes widened, a mix of fear and awe reflected in them. He didn't fully understand the depth of your power or the true nature of your curse, but he sensed the gravity of his situation.

"Please," Jiaoqiu implored, "save Moze. He's in grave danger."

You nodded, You moved swiftly, your form a blur as you used your powers to navigate the darkened corridors of the temple. Your presence was a haunting shadow, manipulating the very essence of the surroundings to achieve your goal.

The scene was surreal: you, a goddess bound by a curse, moving with a grace that was both unsettling and beautiful. The power you wielded was palpable, shaping the environment around you as you searched for Moze.

Finally, you reached Moze's location, your eyes narrowing as you saw him injured but alive. With a decisive motion, you used your abilities to mend his wounds and transport him out of the locked chamber. The process was swift, the air around you shimmering with the force of your will.

Jiaoqiu, witnessing your actions, felt a mixture of relief and awe. He had bound himself to you in a moment of desperation, but now, as he saw you save his friend, he understood the complexity of his choice. Your presence was both a blessing and a curse, a reminder of the tragic fate that had led you to this moment.

With Moze safe and the immediate danger averted.

Moze's frustration was palpable as he slapped Jiaoqiu across the face, his eyes blazing with anger and confusion. "Why did you sacrifice yourself?" he demanded, his voice a low growl. "Why did you throw away everything for this?"

Jiaoqiu's eyes were red with tears, his face a portrait of anguish and resolve. "Because... because you were my friend," he choked out, his voice trembling. "And Feixiao was like family to me. I couldn't let him suffer, even if it meant enduring this... this fate. I would rather suffer myself than let him down."

Moze's silence was replaced by a fierce, unspoken rage. He raised his hand to slap Jiaoqiu again, his expression a mix of sorrow and fury. But just as his hand was about to connect, you, levitating gracefully above the floor, intervened. Your ethereal presence was both commanding and terrifying as you stopped his hand with a mere flick of your wrist.

"Hold your hand, mortal," you said, your voice echoing through the chamber with a chilling calm. "You're the emi of our lives, I don't wanna hurt you."

Moze pushed against the air with a sense of futile defiance, his frustration evident as he faced you. "You're not welcome here," he growled, his blade grasped tightly in his hand.

You hovered there, a spectral figure of disdain and amusement. "What are you looking at, while grasping that blade in your hand?" you taunted, your voice dripping with mockery. "Shall we speak to him, who can't recover his old self? You mock the very reason why he married me. I find it quite amusing—laughable even—that he chose to bind himself to me."

You floated closer, your gaze sharp and unforgiving. "He chose to sacrifice himself for a cause greater than your understanding. It is because of you that Jiaoqiu married me."

Your laughter was haunting. Moze's anger seemed to falter under the weight of your words, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief as he struggled to comprehend the depth of Jiaoqiu's sacrifice and your own cruel amusement.

You continued to hover, your laughter echoing ominously through the chamber. The sound was both mocking and sorrowful, an unsettling blend that seemed to deepen the shadows around you. Moze, seething with anger and desperation, stepped forward, his voice fierce and filled with an edge of menace.

"The Luofu will see to it that you are beheaded," Moze threatened, his eyes locked onto yours. "You're nothing but a curse upon us. Leave Jiaoqiu alone, and get out of here!"

You looked at him with a cold, unsettling calm, your expression unphased by his fury. "Oh, I am the victim here, Moze," you said with a haunting smile. "I am bound to this curse, and I cannot turn back into a human unless I am married to someone for thirty days. Only then will I be freed from this torment."

Your eyes narrowed, a flicker of anger lighting up your gaze. "And yet, you ask me to leave, to abandon the one who bound himself to me. How quaint. You insist on telling me not to leave. Are you so eager to ensure my suffering continues?"

Jiaoqiu, sensing the growing tension, stepped between you and Moze, his voice urgent yet pleading. "Please, stop haunting Moze. He's already suffering enough."

You turned your gaze to Jiaoqiu, your expression momentarily softening as you regarded him. "And why should I? He is the one who forced this fate upon me. Yet, you plead for his sake. How touching."

Moze's eyes hardened, his tone laced with disdain. "Loyalty for a goddess after betrayal? Is that what you value so highly?"

For a moment, you were taken aback, a flicker of confusion crossing your features. The question struck a chord deep within you, stirring emotions you had long buried under layers of bitterness and rage. But you quickly masked your confusion, a cold smile returning to your lips.

"It seems you misunderstand," you said, your voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "Loyalty is but a tool, a means to an end. Betrayal and loyalty are mere players in the game of fate. I am bound by my curse, and he—Jiaoqiu—has chosen to play his part in this tragic tale."

Your gaze shifted back to Moze, your eyes reflecting a mixture of sorrow and disdain. "But remember, it is not just loyalty or betrayal that defines us. It is the choices we make, the sacrifices we endure, and the consequences of our actions. If you wish for me to leave, then so be it. But know that I will not forget the role each of you plays in this twisted narrative."

As you floated closer to Jiaoqiu, leaving Moze behind, your presence seemed to envelop the room with an eerie calm. Jiaoqiu, sensing the intensity of your gaze, instinctively took a step back, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and resignation.

You hovered gracefully before him, your expression softening into a smile that was both unsettling and strangely tender. Despite your past hatred for the foxians—rooted in deep-seated bitterness and betrayal—you found yourself unable to hate him. There was something about Jiaoqiu's demeanor, his gentle features, and the earnestness in his eyes that disarmed you.

"You know," you said softly, your voice carrying a strange, melodic tone. "Despite everything, I find I cannot hate you. You are so kind, so pretty in your own way. It is a rare thing, to find such sincerity amidst the shadows."

Jiaoqiu's heart pounded as he looked at you, his fear palpable. To him, your kind smile felt more like a haunting specter of doom than a promise of salvation. He closed his eyes, overwhelmed by the weight of the situation, and gave a slow, hesitant nod.

"I will be a good wife to you," you continued, your voice imbued with a gentle assurance that contrasted sharply with the chilling atmosphere. "I will fulfill the role expected of me. Though we are not officially married, this bond we have is undeniable."

As you spoke, Jiaoqiu tried to create some space between you, his hand trembling as he attempted to maintain distance. "We didn't marry officially," he said, his voice strained, trying to maintain his composure.

You chuckled softly, the sound both melodic and unnerving. you floated away, your presence lingered, leaving an unsettling stillness in the chamber. A soft, eerie light began to emanate from the statues, and suddenly, they began to stir. One by one, the statues moved as if guided by invisible strings, their once-stone forms now animated like puppets. The room came alive with a spectral, unsettling energy.

Moze, still bound and struggling, looked on in shock as the statues—now eerily lifelike—took their places around him, their movements synchronized in a macabre dance. His eyes widened as he realized the full extent of your powers and the dire situation he was in.

In a swirl of shimmering light, you transformed into a vision of ethereal beauty. The Kinmokusei blossom petals surrounded you, their sweet fragrance filling the air as you emerged in traditional Japanese wedding attire. The kimono you wore was a stunning array of intricate patterns and colors, the fabric flowing gracefully around you. Your appearance was both enchanting and unsettling, a blend of elegance and menace.

The statues, now fully animated, assumed the roles of your attendants. They moved with a precision that spoke of long practice, preparing the room for the grand event. Their silent, expressionless faces and fluid movements added to the surreal atmosphere.

You giggled softly, the sound a strange mix of joy and malevolence. Your eyes sparkled with a twisted delight as you directed the attendants, arranging the room and ensuring everything was perfect for the occasion.

Jiaoqiu, observing the transformation with a mix of dread and confusion, was soon approached by the attendants, who gently but firmly guided him into a male kimono designed specifically for the wedding. The kimono was elaborate, its fabric rich and luxurious, adorned with intricate embroidery that contrasted sharply with the somber atmosphere.

As Jiaoqiu was dressed in the ceremonial attire, he looked at you with a mixture of fear and resignation. You stood before him, your smile a blend of satisfaction and cold determination.

"Isn't it wonderful, Jiaoqiu?" you said, your voice sweet but carrying an underlying edge. "The ceremony is almost ready. All that remains is for us to finalize our bond."

Jiaoqiu's heart raced as he took in the surreal and haunting scene around him. The once-stone statues now moved with a life of their own, and the atmosphere was thick with the sense of impending doom. The wedding was no longer a mere formality—it had become an eerie, otherworldly ritual that tied him irrevocably to you.

As you approached, your gaze never leaving him, Jiaoqiu knew there was no escape from this twisted ceremony. The realization of his fate, bound by your will and the powers you wielded, left him feeling both trapped and powerless. The room, filled with the soft glow of Kinmokusei petals and the haunting presence of your attendants, seemed to pulse with a life of its own, marking the beginning of a dark and unbreakable bond.

The scene before Jiaoqiu was straight out of a nightmare, a dark and twisted version of a wedding ceremony. The once-stone statues, now animated and lifelike, moved with eerie precision. They formed a haunting procession, their eyes vacant yet filled with an unnatural, ghostly light. The atmosphere was thick with an oppressive silence, broken only by the soft rustling of Kinmokusei petals.

Moze, bound and helpless, watched in grim horror as you, now an embodiment of spectral elegance, took your place at the center of this unholy ceremony. Your mask, a golden fox visage, added to the sinister aura, its eyes glinting with a malevolent light.

With a commanding gesture, you pushed Jiaoqiu forward. He stumbled, his movements shaky, as the procession of animated statues—now disturbingly alive—moved in a perfectly synchronized manner. Each statue seemed to have a purpose, their once-dead eyes turning toward the couple as if they were part of the ceremony.

The statues, their faces twisted into grotesque smiles, began to twist their necks in unison, their bodies contorting in unnatural ways. Their movements were eerily fluid, as though they were performing an intricate, macabre dance. Despite their movements, their expressions remained hollow, a haunting echo of their former selves.

"You see, Jiaoqiu," you said softly, your voice carrying a dark, hypnotic undertone. "This is our wedding. A ceremony that binds us in ways beyond the mortal realm. These are the witnesses and the blessings. They are alive, in a sense, but bound to this realm by my will."

As you spoke, the statues' necks twisted further, their bodies stretching and contorting in a grotesque mimicry of life. They seemed to move with a purpose, their eerie, synchronized motions creating an unsettling harmony. The sight was both mesmerizing and horrifying, a testament to your power and the dark magic you wielded.

You floated gracefully behind Jiaoqiu, your presence both alluring and terrifying. The Kinmokusei petals drifted around you, their fragrance now tinged with an undertone of dread. Your mask, a symbol of your divine but twisted nature, added to the surreal and menacing atmosphere.

Jiaoqiu, his heart pounding and eyes wide with terror, looked around at the grotesque spectacle. He felt a deep sense of dread as he realized the full extent of his predicament. The once-beautiful ceremony had transformed into a dark, demonic ritual, and he was at its center, bound by fate and your will.

The statues, now eerily alive and animated, continued their dance, their movements a haunting echo of a ceremony long forgotten. They were both the audience and the participants in this unholy union, their twisted forms a stark reminder of the price Jiaoqiu had paid for attempting to save his friend.

The atmosphere was thick with anticipation as the ghostly figures completed their macabre dance. The haunting melody of the Kinmokusei blossoms floated around you, casting an ethereal glow on the scene. Jiaoqiu, trembling with fear and resignation, stood at the center of this twisted ceremony.

With a chilling grace, you approached him. The Kinmokusei petals continued to fall gently, their sweet scent now mingling with the oppressive dread in the air. Your attire had shifted to an elaborate Japanese wedding kimono, its intricate patterns and vibrant colors creating a stark contrast to the dark ritual unfolding. The ceremonial clothing was as elegant as it was eerie, a blend of tradition and otherworldly menace.

Jiaoqiu's eyes darted nervously from the animated statues to you. He took in your transformed appearance, the golden fox mask and the flowing kimono adding an otherworldly grace to your already haunting presence. His heart raced as he struggled to process the reality of the situation.

"Jiaoqiu," you said softly, your voice a haunting whisper that seemed to echo through the stillness. "We are bound by fate and ritual. This is our union, sealed by the forces beyond."

You reached out to him, your fingers cold and otherworldly as they brushed against his cheek. Jiaoqiu's breath caught in his throat, the touch both unsettling and strangely intimate. He closed his eyes, trying to brace himself for what was to come.

With a deliberate and practiced motion, you guided Jiaoqiu to the center of the ceremony. The statues, now fully animated, encircled the couple, their eyes fixed on the scene with a mix of eerie devotion and hollow anticipation. Their twisted forms seemed to sway in rhythm with the ceremony, creating an unsettling backdrop for the final act.

The ceremony's focal point was a large, ancient scroll held by one of the statues, its intricate symbols glowing with an unearthly light. You took the scroll and unrolled it, revealing the ancient marriage vows inscribed in a language both arcane and familiar. You began to recite the vows in a low, melodic chant, your voice weaving a spell of binding and enchantment.

Jiaoqiu, still trembling, tried to maintain composure. His heart was heavy with the weight of the situation, but he understood that there was no turning back. He nodded slowly, accepting his fate as you continued to recite the vows.

As the final words of the incantation left your lips, you moved closer to Jiaoqiu. Your eyes locked onto his, and you could see the mixture of fear and determination reflected in his gaze. With a gentle yet firm motion, you tilted his chin upward and leaned in to seal the marriage.

Your lips met Jiaoqiu's in a kiss that was both chilling and profound. The contact was not just physical but also mystical, a connection that seemed to bind your very souls together. Jiaoqiu felt a strange sensation, a mix of warmth and cold, as if he were being enveloped by a force that was both beautiful and terrifying.

As the kiss deepened, Jiaoqiu's mind swirled with a blend of emotions. The kiss was hypnotic, drawing him into a realm where time seemed to stand still. He felt a strange comfort amidst the dread, a bond forming between you both that transcended the ordinary.

When the kiss finally ended, you pulled back slightly, your eyes shining with a mix of satisfaction and cruel delight. The ceremony was complete, and the bond between you and Jiaoqiu was sealed. The statues, now fully animated, seemed to exhale a collective sigh, their movements becoming more fluid and less menacing.

Jiaoqiu, now officially bound to you, looked around at the eerie assembly of figures. His expression was a mix of relief and fear, knowing that he was now a part of this twisted ritual. The haunting beauty of the ceremony was over, but the implications of the union were just beginning to sink in.

You smiled softly, your gaze lingering on Jiaoqiu. "Welcome to our eternal bond, my dear husband," you said, your voice echoing with a sinister undertone. 

Acquired to exchange our lost bodies, Our twofaced thoughts,half dreaming,half awake In the end, I embrace & whisper to you Open it? Open it? Open it? Open it!

"Wake up!"

[mca-attack21]

First Kiss (Jeremiah x Reader)

You could not believe that you guys were all playing truth or dare. It felt a little middle school level to you, but you wouldn’t complain. This was the best day that the group had had in a long time and with everything that was going on with the house, it was refreshing. 

“Y/n, truth or dare?” Taylor asked. 

“Truth,” you answered knowing that with Taylor, it was probably the safer choice. 

“Hmm, who was your first kiss?”

“I -uh- I actually haven’t had my first kiss yet,” you answered. It wasn’t something that you were ashamed of. You were not the kind of girl that needed to kiss a bunch of guys before settling down. As far as you were concerned, there was only one ocean eyed, curly haired boy that you wanted to kiss and you were willing to wait.

“Really?” Belly asked, clearly surprised. 

“Yeah, well the right opportunity hasn’t presented itself.”

The rounds moved on, everyone was laughing, having a good time. And then you were up again, this time Conrad was the one who asked, “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” you decided. 

“I dare you to kiss Jeremiah.” 

Conrad probably thought that he was helping you, since you had earlier told him you had a crush on Jeremiah. Well, crush wasn’t quite the right word. You were pretty sure that your heart beat for Jeremiah Fisher. You honestly can’t remember a time when you didn’t have feelings for him. 

“Come on Y/n!” Taylor whooped.

You glanced up at him, cheeks no doubt cherry red.  He smiled back at you. Of course he would be down for this, he was no stranger to kissing people. It wouldn’t mean anything to him, and that would devastated you. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to kiss Jeremiah, you had wanted to more than anything, just not like this. Besides, you weren’t sure if he was over Belly or not, last summer was messy. 

“What are you waiting for?” Steven asked. 

Seeing you hesitate, Conrad apologized, “That was stupid, I can come up with something better-”

“I actually think I’m done playing,” you decide, “You guys can keep going, I’m going to take a walk.” You missed the hurt look that crossed Jeremiah’s face. 

You walked away from the group, but before you got very far a familiar voice stopped you in you tracks, “Do you think I have bad breath or something?” Jeremiah joked. 

“Jere, I didn’t mean to offend you,” you said, “I’m sure you’re a great kisser.”

“Oh I am, I have references.” He smiled, stepping closer and taking your arms in his. He searched your eyes and you felt like you might melt.

“I just didn’t want to do it like that,” you admitted, “I don’t want a random kiss even if it’s from an incredible guy. I want it to be from someone who actually wants to kiss me. You know?” you say quietly. 

You couldn’t ignore how he was looking at you, it was different. And the two of you were so close together. 

“I’m the one who came up with the idea of daring you to kiss me,” Jeremiah admitted. 

“What? Why?”

“Because I have wanted to kiss you since you got here. But I could never find the right time. So I thought the game might be the perfect excuse.”

“Jeremiah-”

“I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that the perfect girl was right in front of me all along. I want this Y/n,” he gestured in between the two of you, “I want to hold your hand, and dance with you in the kitchen, and take you on dates, I want all of it. If this past year has taught me anything, it's that life is short and unpredictable. And I don’t want to waste any more time.”

He waited for you to respond, but your mind was racing. The butterflies in your stomach felt like they were on crack. Your brain seemed to forget how to form words. So instead, you reached up to his cheek and pulled him into a kiss. It was a small kiss, you started to pull away for an instant, but Jeremiah picked you up and kissed you full force. It was both everything you imagined it would be and more. When he finally pulled away, you were left unable to open your eyes for a few seconds.

"That was-" you couldn't decide on a word. incredible? Stunning? Life altering? Better than anything you ever could have imagined?

"Dangerous" Jeremiah decided for you, "I don't know how I'm ever supposed to stop kissing you."

You both broke out in laughter.

[voxmortuus]

I'm sorry the Hanniheads have been so rude to you. Ironic considering what he dies to the rude lollol. Take your time. There's no rush :)

This is sooooo not self indulgent lmao i was wondering about a yandere Hannibal waking up and his darling is totally gone. Her shoes are still there, all her stuff. He searches every where for her and finally finds her outside, having sleep walked all the way to the edge of the woods.

I sleep walk, I once woke up stirring an empty pot on the stove. Thank God my mom heard the commotion. I was around 12 at the time, now I'm 27 and it's calmed down a lot. I still laugh in my sleep from time to time, bonus points if you could perhaps include the reader laughing in her sleep?

►PAIRING: Yandere!Hannibal X F!Reader ►UNIVERSE: Hannibal ►WORDS: 650 ►SUMMARY/PROMPT: See Above. ►TRIGGER WARNINGS: Panicked Hannibal | Possessive Hannibal | Worried Hannibal | Sleepwalking Reader | Sleep Laughing Reader | Some fluff | Hannibal Watching You Sleep | I may be missing some, but you get a general idea, so please proceed with caution if there is anything in there that is overly triggering please let me know politely and I will make sure it is added to the list. ►NOTE: Thank you for understanding. It has not been a fun experience, some aren't so bad and I appreciate them and others, well, they make me not want to write for the Hannifans. You know what's funny, is my wife and I were talking about that just the other day! Sleep walking can be terrifying! At least you were safe! Anywho, I hope this meets your request and finds you well. Sorry it took so long, it's been a crazy past few weeks! I hope this finds you well and safe. ►IMAGE CREDIT: I found this gif here. It is not mine nor do I claim any ownership. This gif does not belong to me. I found it on an outside source. ►DIVIDER CREDIT: @nyxvuxoa ►My Master Masterlist | Hannibal Masterlist

A void, an empty void. He could feel it, the bed felt cold, like it had been emptied for a long while. Hannibal shoots up looking over to see your side of the bed is empty, and cold.

"Where did you go?" He asked aloud, but low and behold no answer. His brow furrowed. "Y/N!? WHERE ARE YOU?!" He called out, but nothing still.

He looks around the bedroom, and all over the upstairs, you've got to be somewhere. He kept repeating in his head. He didn't like that you weren't here, his heart raced, he panicked a bit, and felt this obsessive need to find you. Where could you have gone, you couldn't have gone far. Calling your phone didn't help, you turned it off, but why? Why did you turn it off tonight? That was slightly unlike you.

Hanibal's brow furrows again, finding your phone on the bathroom sink. He leaves it there before he heads down the stairs. Looking around and sees your things are still here, your bag, your shoes, and the front door wide open. Where did you go?

He feels this deeper panic, did you get taken? Did you run away and leave everything here? He started to worry even more, feeling this deeper need to find you. He steps out of the front door and calls for you, but you do not respond. His jaw clenches and he starts to look around outside, walking the property until he looks in the grass and sees footprints, and he follows them.

The ground was wet from the dew, your feet were covered in blades of grass, some dirt specks, your night shirt hung off your body, swaying in the wind as the bottom of it brushed against your legs. You stood there, just staring into the black void of the woods. What were you looking at? What was it you were seeing? What was calling you? You just stood there, watching, swaying slightly, not aware of the chill of the summer night.

Upon following your footprints Hannibal find you, he knows waking you can be a problematic situation, so he guides you back inside. Blinking a few times, you look over at him and tilt your head.

"Were they not calling you, my Love?" you ask.

Hannibal shakes his head. "No, my Darling, they were not, I'm not as special as you are. Come now, back in bed." He states softly.

"Do you think they'll call for you one day?" You ask.

He smiles and shakes his head. "No, my Darling, I do not." He states softly as he gets you back into bed and covers you up.

The moment your head hits that pillow you're back asleep, but afraid you'll wander off again, he takes a seat in the chair in the corner of the bedroom and watches you. Like hell you're going to leave him. The idea of that happening angered him, but he wasn't going to take it out on you. He just truly didn't like the idea, it made him sick and aggressive and overly possessive.

Watching you, he pays close attention to your motions, maybe he can find a way to fix this, you didn't do it often, but when you did, it scared him each time. It was this little bubble in his chest that grew and grew each time he woke up and you weren't there. You scared him, you scared him deeply, and he didn't like that.

With a small moment of silence, he thought he heard you giggle, so he listened a little closer. Sure enough, you were giggling. A soft tilt of his head, and soft chuckle escaped his lips.

"How adorable." He spoke softly, shaking his head he let out a breath and leaned back in his chair and sat there watching you, making sure you weren't going to leave his side again.

[rynwritesreid]

The Perfect Girl || Spencer Reid.

Summary: You are Spencers dream girl, everything is perfect about you. However, there is something you can’t tell Spencer as it will put his life in danger.

Content: Reader is basically on the run from some bad people. AFAB reader who goes by she/her. It’s kind of angst and full of fluff :) Use of Y/N.

Words: 1.5k

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You were Spencer’s dream girl; all his colleagues and friends knew you were the perfect girl for him. From the moment Spencer saw you, he knew you were the one. You were smart, you could argue your way out of anything and most importantly you always stood up for what you believed in, no matter the consequences you may face. Spencer could not get enough of you. You were a light in a world full of darkness for him.

 

So, when you just disappeared, he was left confused and alone. That wasn’t something you would do; it was totally out of character for him. You would have said goodbye, whether that in person, through a text or on a note. You wouldn’t have just left him like this.

Spencer searched for you everywhere. He looked in all the places he thought you might go, the places you mentioned you loved visiting growing up or places you took him, but you were nowhere to be found. As days turned into weeks, Spencer grew more and more frustrated. He missed your fiery spirit and the way you challenged him to be a better person.

 

He had asked Garcia for help; she could track anyone down. But you were smart. You had left all belongs that could be traced in your old apartment. You didn’t use any bank accounts; you face wasn’t found on any security cameras or systems. You were now just a ghost.

 

Spencer was at his wit's end. He couldn't bear the thought of never seeing you again. He knew he had to do something, anything to find you. He spent every moment of his free time pouring over any information he could find about you. He was determined to find a lead, no matter how small.

 

He would get angry at himself, he worked for the FBI, part of his job was searching for people. So why couldn’t he find you? Then he would get angry at you, why did you leave without saying anything, were you in trouble or did you just get bored? Spencer wanted to give up, you obviously didn’t want to be found, so why should he keep searching.

 

But despite his frustration and anger, Spencer couldn't help but worry about you. He knew that you were capable of taking care of yourself, but he couldn't shake the feeling that you were in trouble. He spent countless nights lying awake, trying to think of any leads or clues that could lead him to you.

 

He knew that there was only one person he knew that could truly help him in this situation. She had disappeared before, and she was able to keep part of her history a secret. Emily Prentiss. She was the only one who could possibly understand why someone would do this, and where they would go to hide.

 

Spencer picked up the phone and dialled Emily's number. It rang a few times before she picked up.

 

"Reid, it's good to hear from you. What's going on?" Emily's voice was warm and comforting.

 

"It's about Y/N. She's disappeared and I can't find her. I've tried everything. I don't know what to do." Spencer's voice was strained, and he could feel himself starting to panic.

 

"Okay, Reid. Take a deep breath. Let's go over everything you've done so far." Emily's calm voice helped steady Spencer. They spent the next few hours going over all of Spencer's attempts to find you.

 

"Okay, I have an idea," Emily finally said. "There's a group of people I used to know. They're kind of like a... rogue organization. They know how to disappear without a trace. If anyone would know where Y/N is, it would be them."

 

Spencer leaned forward; his interest piqued. "What kind of organization?" he asked.

Emily hesitated for a moment before answering. "They're a group of people who specialize in helping individuals disappear. It's not technically legal, but they only help people who are in danger or need to start fresh for whatever reason."

 

Spencer nodded, understanding. "Do you think they'll help me find Y/N?"

 

Emily shrugged. "It's worth a shot. I can make some calls and see if any of my old contacts are still active. But Spencer, you have to understand that this could be dangerous. These people don't mess around."

 

Spencer didn't care. He was willing to do whatever it took to find you. "I'll do whatever it takes," he said firmly.

 

You were safe, you weren’t happy, but you were safe. It took all of your will power to disappear and not tell Spencer anything. You loved him, but this needed to happen.

 

You were now living under a new identity, in a small but quaint town. You had a new job and a new home, but you always had the feeling of someone watching you. You knew your past was eventually going to catch up with you, it was something you had constant nightmares about.

 

One day, you received a phone call from an unknown number. You answered hesitantly, and a voice on the other end spoke.

 

"Is this Y/N?" the voice asked.

 

You froze. How did someone find you? "Who is this?" you asked, trying to keep your voice steady.

 

"My name is Emily Prentiss. I used to work with Spencer at the FBI."

 

You felt your heart racing. Did Spencer send her to find you? "What do you want?" you asked, trying to keep your voice calm.

 

"I know you disappeared for a reason, and I'm not here to judge you for that. Spencer asked for my help in finding you.”

 

You felt a wave of emotions wash over you. You wanted to see Spencer so badly, but you knew that it was dangerous for both of you. "I appreciate the gesture, but I don't want to be found," you said firmly.

 

"Y/N, I know you're scared. But Spencer is so worried about you. He misses you so much, and he just wants to know that you're safe," Emily said gently.

 

Tears welled up in your eyes. You missed Spencer too, but you weren't sure if you were ready to face him just yet. "I need some time to think," you said finally. "Can I call you back?"

 

"Of course. Take all the time you need. But please, consider talking to Spencer," Emily said before hanging up the phone.

You spent the next few days agonizing over what to do. You missed Spencer more than anything, but you were still afraid. Finally, you decided.

You would meet with Spencer, but only once. You knew that seeing him again would only make it harder to stay hidden. But you couldn't bear the thought of him thinking that you didn't care about him at all.

 

You called Emily and told her that you were willing to meet with Spencer, but only under certain conditions. Emily agreed and made the necessary arrangements.

 

The day of the meeting arrived, and you were nervous. You dressed in a plain outfit, nothing that would make you stand out. You arrived at the meeting place and saw Spencer waiting for you.

 

He looked relieved and overjoyed to see you, and it took everything in you not to run into his arms. You sat down across from him, keeping your face hidden as much as possible.

 

"Y/N," he said softly. "I'm so glad you're okay."

 

You nodded, not trusting yourself to speak. Spencer looked at you with concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked.

 

“I’m okay, but I am going to have disappear again after this. Spencer, I love you, and I did this for us. I was putting your life in danger and your career in jeopardy. When I was teenager, I got mixed up things, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. There are people out there who are trying to find me and well kill me.” You paused; you couldn’t let Spencer know everything.

 

Spencer looked at you, his face full of love and concern. "Y/N, I understand that you were trying to protect me, but I can't bear the thought of losing you again. Please, let me help you. We can figure this out together."

 

You shook your head, tears welling up in your eyes. "Spencer, I can't let you do that. You have a life here, a job, a future. I can't let my problems drag you down with me."

 

Spencer reached across the table and took your hand. "Y/N, I love you. I don't care about any of that. All I care about is being with you and keeping you safe. Please, let me help you.”

 

“Spencer, if I do let you help me. You’ve got to promise that you won’t die or put yourself in harm’s way. Because if you do, I won’t ever be able to forgive myself.”

 

Spencer looked at you, his eyes full of determination. "I promise, Y/N. I will do everything in my power to keep us both safe. We can do this together."

 

You looked into his eyes, and you knew that he meant every word. Slowly, you nodded. "Okay, Spencer. I'll let you help me."

 

Spencer smiled; relief evident on his face. "Thank you, Y/N. We'll figure this out together."

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[ashwhowrites]

Eddie Munson x cheerleader! Reader (enemies to lovers) Reader and Eddie got invite to the same party, Eddie for dealing, and reader is popular, but some jock, spiked reader's drink, and Eddie sees it all and he takes her to the hospital, and when she wakes up she realizes that Eddie was the one that took her to the hospital, and her friends didn't do anything of that, and she starts to fall for Eddie, but thinks that Eddie doesn't feel the same, but Eddie feels the same, until, another party, they confess they feelings to each other

I hope this is what you were looking for and you enjoy it. Thank you for requesting <3

⚠️mentions of drugs and being drugged

Party love

Eddie never gave the popular crowd the time of the day, unless they were buying weed from him. He'd show up to the parties, make a few hundred bucks, then leave. He hated the jocks, and he couldn't stand the cheerleaders. He wanted to watch all of them fly off their high horse and suffer.

Another Friday night and another party. Eddie sat at a table outside, near the pool as he watched the cheerleaders yank off their clothes and jump in. He rolled his eyes as some girls screeched at the cold temperature. Eddie sat with his bags of weed as a jock sat across from him.

"Do you sell anything stronger than weed?" A guy asked, Eddie never cared to learn his name but his jacket said Reid.

"Like what?" Eddie asked, he did but not at a high school party where cops could bust down the door any minute. He wasn't that stupid.

"Something to knock you out? Like put someone to sleep?" Reid asked, nervously looking around.

"Not here with me. It's weed or nothing. " Eddie lied, he had something stronger but he wasn't going to sell it.

Eddie finished his deal and pocketed his money, closing his container of drugs as he stood up. Eddie heard his name so he turned, his box out of his sight. Unaware Reid was digging through as Eddie searched for who called his name.

~~~

Y/N was sitting on a couch, trying her best to stay away from the couple making out next to her. She rolled her eyes in disgust as she stood up. Heading to the kitchen to refill her drink.

Eddie was heading out when he stopped in the kitchen to grab a quick drink. He hated the parties, so he might as well wash it down with alcohol he didn't pay for. He hissed at the flavor on his tongue. He smirked as he noticed Reid failing miserably at flirting with one of the girls. She kept brushing him off, but he wouldn't give up. Eddie found it enjoyable until he noticed Reid was pushing it too far. The girl was getting more annoyed as she yelled for him to leave her alone. Eddie wasn't sure why, but he found himself walking over. He stopped when one of her friends called her name. Her attention turned to her as Reid quickly dumped a tiny package into her drink.

Eddie recognized the package, immediately opening his box to find his little bag gone. Eddie cursed at himself as he walked over as fast as he could, but she already took a sip.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Eddie screamed, pushing Reid back as he stood in front of her.

Y/N was thankful for the help but confused as to why Eddie Munson was helping her. She watched as they argued, but then she felt weird. Her body was starting to sweat and everything was spinning.

Eddie chewed Reid out for stealing his drugs and for spiking her drink. The whole party watched as Eddie screamed in his face. Eddie only stopped when he heard screams and gasps. He quickly turned to see the girl crumble to the floor.

"Shit!" He picked her up as the party fled. A bunch of assholes leaving her behind. He wanted to try to find her friends but no one seemed to come looking for her.

He carefully carried her out to his van, setting her in the seat. He rushed to his side and drove as fast as he legally could to the hospital.

~~~

Y/N wasn't sure what was going on. She heard small beeps, and her body ached. Once she opened her eyes she was blinded by bright white lights, groaning as she closed her eyes again.

"Hey! You're awake!" She jumped as she heard a man's voice, snapping her eyes open as she saw Eddie Munson standing near her bed.

"Eddie? What's going on?" Her voice cracked as she spoke. Eddie handed her some water as he explained everything that happened. He felt bad for her when her face fell throughout the explanation.

"All my friends just left?" Eddie hated how sad and betrayed she sounded. He felt guilty and responsible. It was his idiotic idea to not remove the additional drugs and to leave it unattended.

"I'm sorry. It was my drug that Reid stole and I had a bad feeling when I saw him talking with you. I'm sorry this happened to you and that your friends are pricks and left you."

"It's not your fault. You didn't sell it to him and you didn't know he was going to do it. What matters to me is that you helped me and saved me. Thank you for that." She said, smiling up at him.

"You seem to know my name, but I don't know yours," Eddie said, holding out his hand.

"Y/N"

~~~

Y/N spent a few days in the hospital, and to her surprise, Eddie stopped by every day to see her. They talked about random things, watched boring TV, and played card games that the hospital provided. None of her friends ever came, but she didn't care. She found herself getting excited to see Eddie.

Once she was released, she figured Eddie wouldn't talk to her much anymore. Which she hated to admit made her upset. She was starting to fall for him. His funny jokes, his sarcasm, and his dazzling smile. He gave her butterflies that she couldn't ignore.

She stopped seeing her friends. Upset that they never cared to visit her or see how she was doing. She was lonely and she didn't see Eddie much during the school days.

But it was Friday night and another party was being thrown. She almost didn't go, still scared from what happened last time. But she wanted to see if Eddie was there. She missed him.

She didn't try too hard for the party, just jeans and a T-shirt. Embarrassingly enough, something she thought Eddie would like.

She wandered into the party, heading for the backyard as Eddie generally sold his drugs outside. She smiled when she spotted him, walking over to the small table.

"Hi, stranger." She said, a smile still on her face. He looked up. A huge smile on his face.

"Hey! Look at you. You look great." He complimented. He was shocked she came back to another party, but he missed her presence and didn't want to send her away.

"Thank you," she blushed, ranking her brain for something to talk about.

"If you are here for drugs, I'm not sure I'm comfortable selling it to you." He said seriously.

"Oh no! I just wanted to talk to you, it's been a while since I saw you." She explained, shrugging her shoulders like it wasn't a big deal. But a smirk stretched across his face.

"Miss me?" He teased her with a wink, his smirk growing when she shyly looked away with a smile.

"Bad to say that I did?" She asked, looking back at him as she waited for him to respond. His smirk turned into a genuine smile, the smile that made her stomach flip.

"Nope, because I missed you too."

She lost track of time as she sat in the backyard talking to him. The more they talked the more they both leaned closer over the table. Almost nose to nose as they laughed.

He looked down at his watch, "I have a deal right about now, want to sit next to me while I deal?" He asked. He didn't want her to leave but he needed to stick to his deal.

"Oh yeah!" She said excitedly, blushing as she moved to sit next to him. His jeans touched hers as she sat as close as she could. She felt like moaning as she took in his musky scent. The warmth of his body radiated on her. Even his side profile was perfect. His soft nose, and kissable lips. She snapped out of her thoughts when a girl sat across from them.

"Hi, Eddie." She said sweetly, batting her eyelashes as she crossed her arms, pushing her boobs out.

"Brittany." He said smiling, opening his box of drugs.

Y/N felt a twinge of jealousy run through her as she watched the exchange between the two. Brittany was laying her flirting on thick, and Eddie seemed to do it right back. Y/N felt stupid sitting there as she watched Eddie flirt with another girl. At best, they were just friends. She liked him, but there was no sign that he was into her.

"Do I get a pretty girl discount today?" Brittany asked, giggling as she grazed her fingertips over Eddie's hand. Y/N felt sick as Eddie smirked, his voice low as he softly touched the girl's hand.

"Always do, gorgeous."

She paid and he handed her the bag. She leaned over and kissed his cheek then strutted off. Eddie smiled to himself as he closed his box again, turning to face Y/N but she was standing up.

"Hey! Where are you going?" He asked, scooting closer to her as she stood up.

Y/N felt tears welling in her eyes as the shiny red gloss was still on his cheek. But she pushed them back. They were friends, and he was single and free to do as he pleased.

"Just need a drink." She said, turning around fast as she sped into the house. She poured herself a drink, chugging it as she allowed herself to calm down. She wasn't ready to face him yet, punishing herself for being so emotional about it. She filled her cup again and walked around the house.

Eddie kept checking his watch, she was gone for over five minutes and he was getting a little worried. He grabbed his box and went inside. He looked around to see if he could spot her.

He caught a tiny bit of her as she went out the front door, he was quick to follow behind her.

"Y/N WAIT!" she heard her name being yelled, she stopped and turned to see who it was. Once she saw it was Eddie, she panicked.

He rushed up to her, a confused look on his face.

"Hey! Are you leaving?" He asked, and then he noticed she was crying. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing! I'm fine, go enjoy the party. I'm just going to head home." She said, smiling at him as she went to head to her car but Eddie stopped her.

"You're not fine, what's wrong? Did something happen? Are you feeling sick? I can drive you to the hospital" Eddie was worried, what if the same thing happened again

"Nothing like that! I'm truly okay. Just a little emotional, that's all." She tried to shrug it off but Eddie wasn't going to let it go.

"Talk to me." He said, grabbing her hand as he sat down in the grass, waiting for her to join. She sighed and sat next to him, trying to ignore the gloss that lingered on his cheek.

"It's really stupid, Eddie. It's not worth talking about."

"It made you cry and to me, that's worth talking about." He said, still holding her hand as he looked at her.

"I have a crush on you," she said, Eddie blinked as he tried to process what she said. "Which is dumb, I know. I'm no where near your type. And we are friends, or at least I'd like to call us friends. I let my feelings get in the way while you were flirting during the deal and I got upset. It's really nothing."

Eddie was shocked at her confession. Never would he have guessed that a cheerleader would be into him, would be jealous, and admit it. He felt guilty for making her upset.

"I'm sorry for doing that in front of you. I do this thing where I make more money during deals by pretending there's a pretty girl discount. None know that I'm making up fake prices and making them pay the full amount. It's a cheat that I do. But I shouldn't have done it right in front of you and put you in that position." He explained, and she believed him. A smirk on her face as she thought about Brittany getting ripped off.

"And for the crush and friends part, I would also call us friends. I love talking to you and spending time with you. The crush is mutual." He added, a slight blush on his face.

"I accept your apology, even though you didn't know so I'm not upset with you. I'm glad the crush is mutual." She said, smiling as she squeezed his hand.

"Why don't we get out of here and go get some food?" He asked, standing up, she followed his lead.

"Yeah, just one more thing." She said, licking her thumb and then rubbing the gloss off of Eddie's cheek. Smiling when it disappeared.

Eddie laughed as she looked proud of herself, letting go of her hand and wrapping his arm around her.

"I think that turned me on." Eddie joked, laughing as she shoved him shaking her head.

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