#i want to stress that everyone else in the gym has been there as long as me if not longer

[fingertipsmp3]

I’ve got a pokemon that’s been in a gym for over three weeks and one of the three people defending the gym with me has fed it so many berries that it’s at 3/4 health again. Why are you prolonging my suffering???

[buckysdollbarnes]

you are in love series - part one

one look, dark room

PAIRING: tfawts!bucky x grad student!reader

Summary: Moving to NYC to go to grad school, your friend's dad has a connection with the owner of a rental building in Brooklyn where you can live on your own, for cheaper than you could get anywhere else. On a student's budget, you strive to still make your place your own by thrifting as much decor as possible. Meeting your quiet and somewhat secretive neighbor, James, you gain some free labor to help you move the random stuff you buy, and with that he may be growing to love parts of the modern world he has been missing. With you in a big, new city feeling alone for the first time and Bucky wanting to make a connection with someone other than Sam and his therapist, maybe online marketplaces and a turntable will bring you both what you need most.

warnings: mild language

word count: 4.7k

a/n: this is my first time EVER writing fiction, usually I only ever write academic papers so this is fun. :) I read over and revised this chapter so many times, so I hope you enjoy it! Feedback is always welcomed and I'm excited to start on the next chapter.

a/n: also!! sorry for it being so long genuinely just so much had to happen in this chapter for it to be set up the way I wanted, which I think I did well enough. lmk what you think <3

Why did I think carrying this by myself was a good idea? It might be cute and a great deal, but I don’t think I'll be able to feel my arms tomorrow. I might need to hit the gym again before I find more bargains like this. Hell, maybe I'll even invest in a neck towel, because this heat is unbearable. I’ve been searching for some larger pieces to fill my apartment, and this vintage bar cart should fit perfectly. Just five more blocks to go.

Moving here alone has certainly come with its challenges: being on my own in such a big city, dealing with a lot of stress, and managing on a tight budget. But I’m determined to make it work though and prove everyone wrong. Growing up, you see so many romcoms where the heroine leaves everything behind to chase her dreams in NYC, landing a job at a magazine or fashion house, living in a gorgeous high-rise, and meeting the perfect guy. It’s a beautiful fantasy really, but the reality is much tougher. New York isn’t a movie set; it’s a real city with real people, and you have to work just as hard, if not harder, to be here. I know that, but it feels like a majority of my people back home DON’T know that I know that.

I came here for school. In about two months, I’ll be starting my Master’s program at NYU. I don’t think I’ve ever been as proud as when I received my acceptance email. I worked my ass off in undergrad to earn strong recommendations and good academic standing, and seeing it all come together was a huge relief—until the reality of the cost hit me.

Luckily, a friend's dad has a connection with a landlord in Brooklyn and got me a good deal on a place of my own. It’s incredible not to have a roommate in this market, especially in a place where your bed doesn’t touch your stove, though it can be a bit lonely.

Finally, reaching the stoop, out of breath, you set the cart down on the pavement. Wiping your brow, you notice the street is unusually quiet for this time of day. The city never truly sleeps, but the residential streets seem to take occasional naps. A little breath of air somewhere where it feels like oxygen is running out sometimes. Light filters through the trees, momentarily blinding you, and you turn back toward the building.

“How on earth am I going to get this up to my floor?”

Carrying it down the street was one thing, but hauling it up the stairs is a whole different challenge. Plus, who knows when the building's maintenance has last been here, the steps might not hold up under the cart’s weight. They usually feel like they could give away holding one person.

Deciding that falling to your death and being crushed isn’t really how you want to go, you open the double doors and drag the cart into the lobby, using the wheels on one side. Passing the main desk where the worker, who looks completely uninterested, engrossed in a crossword puzzle, you make your way to the end of the hall and start pulling the cart backwards up the incline of the stairwell.

“Nah, I can’t,” you say aloud, after struggling up two floors, letting the cart rest on the landing. There’s still three more floors to go, but your body is clearly telling you the cart belongs right here. Maybe the universe wants it to stay here—who knows, maybe the entire second floor needs a communal bar more than you do.

“Excuse me,” a quiet but rough male voice comes from behind me. You turn around to see him—a guy you’ve seen around your floor a few times, though you’ve never talked. One of the neighbors. You quickly realize you’re blocking the entire staircase.

“Sorry! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I’ll move this um — just give me a second.”

You shove the cart closer to the wall to make some space for him to pass, but he stays put, his gloved hands in his pockets. He’s definitely handsome—tall and solid, but not intimidating. His furrowed brow and tight-lipped expression don’t exactly scream “welcome,” but he’s still got a certain charm.

He shifts a bit, clearly wanting to say something but hesitating. Feeling a bit awkward under his gaze, you decide to try talking to him again.

“You can just squeeze by if you want. It’s just really heavy, so I’m taking a quick break before I try lifting it up again.”

After a moment, he seems to make up his mind and asks, “Do you need help?”

Looking back at him, you consider saying no. You pride yourself on being independent and capable, and part of you wants to insist you can handle it. But then you think about the struggle of getting the cart up the last two flights of stairs—only this time, it's three—and decide against it.

“You wouldn’t mind? You’re headed down, I’m sure you’ve got somewhere else to be.”

He gives a little smirk that makes you feel a bit dizzy.

“Well, I’m already here so.”

You nod slowly, a small smile appearing on your face.

“Sure, you can take this end, and I’ll get this o—” you start to say, but before you can finish, he’s already in front of you, lifting the cart with ease and starting up the stairs without breaking a sweat.

“Hey! Be careful, uh—,” you pause, realizing you don’t know his name.

He picks up on your hesitation and hesitates himself, considering whether to give his name. He’s wary of how others might perceive him, potentially recognizing his name from past news broadcasts or papers, still dealing with the shadows of his past despite his efforts to make amends. Not wanting to be dishonest, he chooses the safe option.

“James.”

“Be careful, James. I don’t want you tripping and falling on my account.”

“Won’t happen, doll.”

“What-,” you start, caught off guard by the pet name, “what if it does?”

“It won’t, see?” With the last few steps, you and James arrive at your floor. “Already here.”

He must have seen you around before too, to know where you live.

He gives you a quick look and then carries the cart to your door.

“This is yours, right?” He turns and looks at you expectantly. You rush over, fumbling for your keys to unlock the door. If he’s willing to move it all the way, who are you to turn him down?

You lead James into your apartment, wondering if it looks anything like his. The layout can’t be that different; it’s not exactly a luxury building.

He strolls further into the room.

“You can set it right here,” you say quickly. “Thank you for bringing it up for me. I was honestly thinking about giving up when you showed up.”

Setting the cart where you indicated, he straightens up, rolls his shoulders back, and gives you a look that feels intense.

“It’s no problem.”

His gaze wanders around your apartment, taking in the mix of vintage furniture and eclectic decor. On a student’s budget, you’ve filled your space with secondhand finds. It’s more affordable and personal that way. The place might not be filled with new things, but it’s entirely curated by you. Finding beauty in the mix of old and new is something you do well, and now, thanks to James, you have one more piece to add.

James’s eyes land on your turntable setup. He seems intrigued by your collection of records but doesn’t say anything, turning his attention back to you.

“I have to go.”

Your eyebrows lift at his abruptness. Sensing your surprise, he quickly adds, “I’ve got an appointment.”

You nod vigorously, urging him to go and thanking him again for his kindness. Feeling a bit sad that this chance encounter with your new neighbor is ending so quickly, you call out as he heads for the door.

“I’ll see you around then? Since you live here too.”

He turns on his heel, giving you one last smirk.

“Yeah, you’ll see me.”

As he heads down the stairs, you shut your door and lock it behind you. Wandering over to where James’s gaze lingered, you pull an album from the shelf, lift the acrylic cover on your turntable, and set the record down. You close the cover, push play, and let the needle softly drop onto the vinyl. As the music starts, your mind drifts back to James.

Embarrassingly, you find yourself hoping this isn’t a one-time encounter. You don’t know much about him beyond his name, but there’s something about him that makes you want to see him again.

“Two hundred bucks for this is crazy,” you mutter to yourself, staring in disbelief at the sofa you’re eyeing on Facebook Marketplace.

“People are practically giving this stuff away.”

Not wanting to miss out on such a good deal, you message the seller to check if it’s still available.

Since you got the bar cart about a week and a half ago, you haven’t picked up anything else. With the July heat blasting, just thinking about moving a sofa in this weather makes you want to rip off your skin to cool down.

You can’t help but think of James, who you’ve seen briefly in the hallway since your last encounter. He just nodded as he passed by, and that was it.

Your phone dings, snapping you out of your thoughts. The seller confirms the sofa is still available and offers to deliver it since they have a truck.

Excited, you reply with a yes, and they let you know they’ll head your way soon.

You get up to rearrange your furniture, making space for the new sofa. You don’t have much to move since you’ve been slowly collecting things. As you shift the pieces around, your turntable stops, signaling it’s time to flip the record. After you do, you take a moment to picture how the sofa will fit in the space.

Then it hits you—moving a sofa is way heavier than the bar cart. If you struggled with that, how on earth will you manage this?

“Independent woman, my ass.”

With the delivery imminent, you decide on the only solution you can think of. Without hesitation, you head to the apartment across the hall and knock softly on the door. You wait, hoping James will answer. After a moment of shuffling and then silence, you start to wonder if you should just try something else.

Just then, the door cracks open, revealing half of James’s face. He looks curious but not annoyed—no one usually visits him.

“Hey! James! Great to see you again! I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I was wondering if you could help me out a bit? I just bought a sofa from this marketplace deal, and the seller’s coming to drop it off right now. He said he’d deliver it, but didn’t offer to help get it up to my apartment. I realized a sofa is way heavier than a bar cart, and you saw me struggle with that, so I was kinda sorta hoping you could help me bring it up here?”

After your rambling, you offer him a hopeful smile, waiting for his response.

A few moments of silence later, that smirk you’ve been missing appears on his face. Opening the door wider, he comments with a grin.

“You bought another thing you knew you couldn’t get up the stairs?”

“I honestly didn’t think it through. The deal was too good to pass up. I’m really sorry for bothering you. I can try to find someone else if you’re busy.”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t help, doll.”

The smile that blooms on your face is unavoidable.

As the delivery guy drives away, James shows you where to grab the sofa and effortlessly lifts the other end. He encourages you to take the lead, making sure the weight is on him as you both navigate the stairs. With minimal effort, you get the sofa up to your place.

After some awkward maneuvering, you finally get the sofa into your apartment through the thin door and set it down. You put your hands on your hips and exhale deeply, only to find James already looking at you with that same intense gaze from before. It makes you a little nervous.

You can’t help but feel grateful—there’s no way you would have managed this on your own.

“I could have handled the bar cart,” you say, nodding toward the cart now adorned with bottles in the corner, “but this? No chance. Thanks so much for your help.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he replies. “I wasn’t busy.”

As you look at him, you start to feel like you know him from somewhere beyond being just a neighbor. Maybe you’ve seen him around the city before you moved?

Brushing off the thought, you offer, “You’ve helped me out twice now, and it doesn’t feel right not to return the favor. If your whole evening consists of not being busy, why not stay for dinner? I promise I’ll cook something totally good and not poisonous.”

James looks surprised by your offer but quickly hides it.

“You don’t need to do that. You don’t owe me anything,” he says, not wanting you to feel obligated or uncomfortable. He worries that his presence might not be enjoyable.

He wishes he could be as charming as he was back in the 40s. Being friendly used to come easily, and if he were still the same person he was at 26, he wouldn’t have left so quickly after helping you on the stairs the first time. He wouldn’t have had a therapists appointment to go to and he wouldn’t have a hidden arm made of metal. He’d have asked you to dinner or for you to let him take you dancing instead in return for his brawn. Now, he struggles to make new connections beyond a few familiar faces, like Sam, and asking someone for a dance feels out of reach.

“No, no! Stay, I insist! It gets kind of lonely around here, doesn’t it? Why not have a friend dinner?” you press, hoping he’ll take you up on the offer.

Seeing your sincerity, though still feeling a bit miffed, he finally agrees.

“Yeah, sure. I can stay.”

James settles onto the sofa while you work in the kitchen. You’ve decided on making some stuffed ravioli and garlic bread—easy, delicious, hard to mess up.

Before getting into cooking, you switch out the record, letting new music drift softly through the space. Unbeknownst to you, James watches closely, paying attention to how you handle the records and the turntable. The care you take when putting a record back in its slip, taking a new one out of its dust cover, and gently putting it on.

Seeing you focused on cooking, James gets up and strolls over to your setup. He runs his fingers lightly across the spines of the record sleeves, feeling a surprising sense of comfort. He hadn’t realized people still used record players so often.

The setup looks quite familiar to him, with many aspects reminiscent of the record players he used back in his earlier days. In his life before this one.

As you finish preparing the pasta and pull the bread from the oven, you call out, “Hey, food’s ready!”

You glance back to see James hovering by the turntable. He quickly moves to the table and sits down.

Over dinner, the conversation flows comfortably. James seems to be relaxing a bit, his initial reserve fading. He’s still somewhat guarded, but what he does share is genuinely interesting. You sense that opening up is challenging for him, so you respect his pace and take whatever he is willing to give. Laughing with each other a few times and getting through some odd topics, he mentions that he hasn’t had a home-cooked meal in quite a while and thanks you with a smile.

After a pleasant dinner, you decide to bring up something you’d been curious about.

“You like records?”

Caught off guard by the question, James tries to answer without revealing too much about himself. It feels strange to be here, knowing you don’t really know who he is, but he worries that being too open might scare you away. He decides to keep his secrets for now, selfishly hoping to get to know you better before revealing more.

“Yeah, I used to have quite a few records as a kid. My ma would play them too, especially when she was cooking, just like you. I didn’t realize they were still so popular.”

Excited by this glimpse into his past, you push further.

“Oh, there’s definitely a huge market for vinyl. Lots of people who think it makes them superior, but also a lot who just love the physical aspect of it.”

“So which one are you?” he asks.

You laugh and reply, “Maybe a bit of both.”

You glance up at him from beneath your lashes, catching his rare smile.

“But really, I just like having it. There’s something different about the listening experience. It requires more effort than just hitting play on a playlist. It’s about choosing a full album and actually sitting down to listen. That feels more intentional to me, and that’s why I do it.”

James seems to ponder your answer, his expression softer than before. He then turns his gaze back to the turntable.

“So, since you mentioned you had records as a kid, do you not have any now?” you ask.

He shakes his head.

“Haven’t had any for a long time. Talking about it makes me miss them. Everything these days feels so complicated. I like simple things like that.”

Watching him as he looks away, you hesitate but notice the nostalgic shine in his eyes. You sense he might appreciate physical music even more than you do.

“If you ever get any and don’t have a place to play them, you’re welcome to use mine.”

He turns to face you, his expression unreadable.

“I mean, I know it’s not the most convenient offer, but it’s there. One record lover to another,” you add with a smile.

He returns your smile, saying, “Okay… thank you. I’ll keep that in mind, Doll.”

That night, Bucky lies on his makeshift bed on the floor, staring up at the ceiling and replaying the events of the day. You knocking on his door for help with the couch, inviting him over for dinner, and all the easygoing conversation you shared. It was such a stark contrast to his usual rigidity. He'd let his guard down just a little—letting himself smile or flirt ever so slightly.

He wishes he were better at this. It used to come so naturally. Hell, before he left for war, he’d gone dancing with both his own date and Steve’s at the same time. Now, he finds himself listening to you talk while struggling to share anything of his own.

He doesn’t want to pass up your invitation, especially since you’re inviting him into your space again. Clearly, his reserve hasn’t put you off too much.

“What would I even bring?” he wonders aloud.

All he’s ever listened to is 40’s music and big band. He doubts that’s readily available these days.

Rolling onto his side, he grabs the cell phone Steve had insisted he get before he went back in time to live his real life, without Bucky.

“You can do anything on here, Buck!”

Scrolling through the three contacts he has, he taps on the name of the guy who’s been trying to reach him for weeks.

“So, is there a valid reason why you haven’t picked up my damn calls?” Sam’s voice comes through.

“Sam, hi.”

“Did you finally learn how to click the screen? Is that why I’m hearing from you now, old man?”

“Look, I’m sorry. I just don’t like the thing. Too confusing,” Bucky says, grimacing as he fiddles with the phone.

“Okay, okay, what’s going on, man? You doing alright?”

“I’m fine. I just have a question and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t harass me about it.”

“Is it about wizards?”

“What?”

“Wizards. Is the question about wizards?”

“No, what the hell. Look, I had dinner with one of my neighbors tonight—”

“Was it a girl?”

“Does it matter?”

“Hell yes, it matters. And from that response, I KNOW it was a girl, so—”

“It doesn’t matter. She has a record player, which I didn’t know people still used, and she offered to let me use it, but I don’t have anything to play on it.”

“I’m not getting the problem.”

“I only like the stuff from the 40’s and—”

“Did you listen to that Marvin Gaye playlist I sent you?”

“Not interested.”

“C’mon, man, it’s good stuff. Give it a listen.”

“Not feeling it.”

“Alright, your loss, I guess. Still not seeing the problem though.”

“What do I bring? I can’t just bring around the stuff I know because where would I even get it?”

“Whoa, man, what do you mean, where would you get it? Just go to a record store and hit up the vintage section or something.”

Bucky pauses, mulling over Sam’s words.

“They have that?”

“Duh. You know, you could answer these questions a lot easier if you just looked them up on your phone—”

“Thanks, Sam. Talk to you later.”

Lying back down, Bucky decides that the next time he’s out to see his therapist, he’ll first stop by a record store to find something to bring over to your place.

Your easygoing presence was so comforting, and he found himself longing for it as he drifted off to sleep. He’d see you again soon enough.

Later in the week, as you wind down from a busy day, you focus on making your space as calming as possible.

You light some candles and turn on an orange floor lamp, the soft glow wrapping around you and setting the perfect mood to sink into your sofa with the book you’ve been neglecting.

You’ve just started settling into your reading when you’re jolted out of your half-nap by the sound of someone knocking on your door.

You get up and peer through the peephole, and there’s your dinner guest from earlier in the week.

Opening the door with a smile, you greet him.

“Hey James, unexpected visit! What’s up?”

His eyes linger on you for a moment before he speaks. You glance down and realize your outfit—shorts that really lived up to their name and a tank top—might not be the most guest-appropriate.

Brushing off your embarrassment, you look back up at him.

“I’ve got something I’d like to play, if that’s alright?”

Bucky’s mind races. Standing at your door, he worries maybe you only offered your place to be nice, and now he’s making a fool of himself. Of course, you didn’t want him there—he could barely talk.

Just as he’s about to get lost in his own head, your bright smile pulls him out of it.

“Oh my gosh, please, come in. What do you have?”

His doubt fades away as he sees your genuine excitement.

“Brought some Sinatra. Not sure if you’re into that, but I used to like his stuff when I was younger.”

You spin around abruptly, staring at him in disbelief.

“There’s no way you think I don’t know who Frank Sinatra is…”

Bucky stumbles over his words.

“Well, I mean, it’s not exactly new stuff so—”

“You think I wouldn’t know ‘Fly Me to the Moon’? ‘Singin’ in the Rain’? ‘New York, New York’? I mean, I even moved to New York—I had to get the romanticism from somewhere.”

“What are those?”

You pause, confused.

“Like, the most iconic Frank Sinatra songs. You are talking about Frank Sinatra, right? Not some other Sinatra I’ve never heard of?”

“No, you’re right, it’s Frank.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“I guess I don’t know those ones.” He admits.

“So, what era are we talking about?” You ask, reaching for the record.

As you grasp the sleeve, you notice a glint of light catching James’s bare hand. Realizing he’s not wearing gloves, confusion sets in before it clicks. You HAD seen James before.

Looking up at him, he seems frozen, obviously panicking. He planned to tell you eventually, but not like this. Not when you weren’t close enough yet.

He thought there is no way you are going to want anything to do with him now.

You thought there is no way was there's an actual Avenger in your apartment right now.

You’re frozen, just like him, but more in shock rather than fear.

“Do you… usually go by James?” you ask cautiously.

Hesitating, he shakes his head.

“What do you usually go by then?”

Bucky feels anxiety creeping up his back. You’re both still holding the record, and he can’t tell if you’re scared or just surprised.

“Bucky.”

You stay silent for a moment while Bucky’s nerves are on edge.

“So… metal hand…”

Clenching his jaw, he replies, “Arm.”

“You’re that Bucky.”

“Yes.”

After a long pause, you start again.

“You’re an Avenger and you didn’t tell me?”

Bucky hesitates, his discomfort visible. “I’m— I’m not an Avenger.”

“What do you mean? You’re totally an Avenger! Why wouldn’t you tell me? How did I not recognize you before?” you ask, laughing in disbelief.

Bucky’s taken aback. You really thought he was an Avenger? You’re not scared of him at all, which surprises him. You must not know much about his past if you’re still standing this close.

“No wonder you don’t know ‘New York, New York,’” you say, almost to yourself. “It’s from after your time! This is crazy, I—”

You’re interrupted by his response.

“Are you not scared?”

“Of course not.”

Bucky closes in on himself, panic evident. “If you really knew me, you’d want nothing to do with me. I’ve—”

“I might not know the version of you you’re talking about, but I’ve met James, who helped me not once, but twice  carry stuff he definitely didn’t have to up the stairs, stayed for dinner, has been very polite to me, and has given me zero reasons to be scared of him.”

He looks at you, his piercing blue eyes revealing an internal struggle. That one look holds more weight than his words. You can see the battle within him, torn between his past and the present moment.

“Listen,” you say, finally letting go of the record, “if you don’t want to stay, you don’t have to. But I’m not scared of you, and I actually like your company. So, regardless of whether you’re James, Bucky, or whoever, you’re still welcome here.”

You pause, adding, “And we can still play this if you’d like.”

Bucky struggles with his inner turmoil. The idea that you know who he is but still want him around is foreign to him. He doesn’t feel worthy of the kindness you’re offering, but it’s been so long since he’s received such warmth that it’s almost impossible to turn it down.

He’s not comfortable with his identity or his past, but in this moment, he wants to push it aside. If you don’t care, maybe he can allow himself not to care, even if just for a bit. Maybe he can prove something to himself, or even his therapist.

Handing you the record, he relaxes his face slightly. You’ve always thought him handsome, but in the dim light of the dark room, he looks almost ethereal.

You’re hoping he believes you because your excitement for his company tonight feels more significant than it probably should, but you’re okay with that.

“I’m Bucky.”

You smile warmly at this change. “Alright, Bucky. What do you want to do?”

He gazes at you deeply, his look sending a shiver down your spine and warming your chest. “Play it.”

a/n: well, hope this was alright. as I mentioned before, ive never wrote fiction before, but ive definitely read enough to get the gist.

[samantha-chicago]

Proposal

Request: Hi there! Would love to put in an eddie diaz request please! Eddie proposes to reader. Eddie knows he wants to do it and has a ring ready and a plan or he has the ring but just sees a perfect opportunity and takes it? Then they maybe celebrate after?? Thanks 😊

Pairing : Eddie Diaz x Reader

It had been a horrible call, and the whole station knew about it. Everyone felt it in different ways. Many just stayed quiet, some going to the gym, but Eddie walked to his locker and stared at the little velvet box on the inside. Buck walked up behind him, placing his hands on Eddie’s shoulders. 

“You’ve still got that thing?” Buck 6 over his shoulder, and Eddie nodded

“I’ve just never found the right time to do it” He sighed, sitting on the bench and shutting the door to hide the ring box again. 

“Eddie. Do it now. God knows both you and Y/N, and well, everyone else in this station needs a little cheering up. You’re perfect for each other. You’ll never find a perfect time if you keep waiting” Buck shook his head, and Eddie looked over with a nod getting up. 

Meanwhile, you were sitting upstairs sipping on a cup of coffee to relieve the stress from the call. Hen, Chimney, and Bobby sat off to the side. Eddie rushed up the stairs and over to you. You looked over as he took the coffee cup out of your hands, exciting a whine from your lips. 

“You can get your coffee back in a minute, baby. I promise I just need to borrow you for a minute” He smiled, and you nodded, getting up and following him back down the stairs. Eddie walked you both to a hidden space behind the firetrucks where not a single person could see you no matter how busy it got. 

“Why are you down here? You’re not planning on killing me, are you?” You joked, and he shook his head.

“I’ve been fighting about this for ages. Buck finally talked some sense into me, and I figured no time like the present” You frowned, looking at him

“It definitely sounds like you’re about to kill me” Eddie held your hands, looking into your eyes. He gently placed a kiss to your knuckles before getting down on one knee. Your frown deepened as he dropped one of your hands and reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out the small velvet box. 

“Eddie, what are you doing?” You asked as he looked up at you, his hands shaking as he did. 

“Of course I will” You smiled as he slid the ring on your finger. He stood up, hugging you tightly as your lips pressed together for a long kiss. 

“I love you so much, Y/N. You’re the love of my life, and Christopher loves you, which also pushed my decision towards doing this because Christopher is everything to me. Well, joint number one because no one can ever beat Christopher. Now I’m blabbering” You smiled watching him.

“As I was saying. You’re the love of my life, and there’s no one else I would ever want to spend every day of my life with, and today after that call just helped me realise that even more. Y/N L/N I want to spend every day of my life with you, and I love you so much. Will you marry me?” He asked, and your hands covered your mouth as you started to tear up. You always proud yourself for not crying on shift 

✰✰✰

Later that night, everyone was gathered into Bobby’s house. Bobby cooking on the grill, May, Harry, Denny, and Christopher running about and playing with each other as you sat on Eddie’s lap. His hand wrapped around your waist and head resting on your shoulder as everyone talked. Music quietly played in the background as everyone sat talking. Your hands played with Eddie’s hands as you spoke to Maddie, who was cuddling Jee-Yun, who was happily falling asleep in your arms. 

Sat imagining how that could be you and Eddie in a few years. Christopher is off playing while you’re sitting cuddling your baby and Eddie at the same time. 

“Are you okay, baby? You’ve gone quiet?” Eddie asked quietly, pressing a kiss to your neck just under your ear. You nodded quietly, turning your head to place a kiss to his lips 

“Just imagining our future together” you whispered against his lips, and he smiled 

“Oh yeah? What does that look like?” He asked 

“Christopher off playing, us sat cuddling each other and our little baby” You smiled 

“You want a baby?” He asked, and you nodded 

“Of course I do. Do you?” You asked now just realising that the topic had never come up before

“I’d love to give Christopher a sibling” He smiled, pressing yet another kiss to your lips. Your hands wrapped around his neck and softly played with the hair at the nape of his neck. The perfect way to end the day. 

Taglist

@halsteadbrasil @marvelmenarebeautiful @certifiedwootiny @oliviah-25 @Dreamsingr @Scaramou @tringeorge

[inevitably-johnlocked]

hey, steph! how are you, like, genuinely? not the small talk. i wanna listen

Hey Lovely 💜🖤

I want to apologize for putting this off for so long... which should be a clue as to how I am actually doing.

Honestly? Not good, but I'm trying my best. It's been... a time. Will put under a cut for those who don't want to read about the tagged items.

TL;DR – my real life is a bit chaotic, and I hide a lot from y'all because I REALLY try not to be negative here since my blog is where I come to be happy AND because I am a very private person, but I try my best to just keep going day to day as the chaos settles down slowly.

I've got some good things coming though, so I hope a week's rest next week when I'm off (and will probably take a break from here too) will reset my brain.

Work has been insane, and is most of the cause of my mental distress for the past few months. From Easter until Canada Day Weekend at my job is lovingly referred to as "Silly Season" simply because of how on-the-fly, balls-to-the-wall our workload is until summertime downtime officially begins for us. Without disclosing too much, it's basically non-stop, long hours for me until one of the 3 break weeks we get during the this long stretch happens where, incidentally because of the nature of my job and the team I work on, it actually gets BUSIER for us.

It actually ended earlier than we expected this year (yesterday) and we'll be "quieter" until the end of September now. See an opportunity, I actually took next week off between the two long weekends because my mental health has taken a severe hit and I'm having trouble just... enjoying things? I'm haven't gamed or drew in a few weeks, and blogging and writing feels like a chore. I literally just come home, file this blog, reply to one or two asks, and then go to bed, and do it all over again the next day. Day in and day out, for 3 months. On weekends I have to force myself out of my apartment because I KNOW I will sink lower if I don't leave.

On top of that, my brain has convinced me that literally everyone hates me: friends, coworkers, family, you guys, my damned plants. I just feel very alone these days and... I'll be real here, I've almost abandoned this blog a few times in the past few months. I feel like I make fic lists that no one reblogs or likes and tell me they're all shit. I post my art and I barely break 20 notes. I write something and I get maybe 2 likes. I can't really answer any thoughtful asks because my mental state's been in the shitter for months. I desperately want to reply to the few sexuality asks I have and I physically can't. Being on my computer – after working ON a computer for my day job for 12 hour days everyday – feels like too much, so I try to limit my time on the blog now too.

I just try to keep carrying on, encouraged by the once-in-a-blue-moon testimonial ask I get thanking me for still being here. I thank YOU guys for reminding me that people still like coming here.

Stressed about money and food and rent just like everyone else, and just getting frustrated at other things.

And finally, my uncle (my dad's brother and my godfather) hasn't been doing well health-wise, and he's being moved to assisted living next week. His health has been declining since Easter, so it's been a bit of worrying time for relatives.

Having my therapist helps a lot. She talks me through a lot of my complicated feelings, my sense of self and ways to cope with my anxiety and stress. I'm talking to her again next week, so no worries, gang. As I said, I just keep on keeping on.

Some positivity though:

I booked next week off to try to just... recenter myself. To forget about everything and TRY to get back to doing the things I love. I will probably take a break from this blog as well during that time to limit my social-media time. It's not ideal but I need a break from my computer, I think.

I go to the gym a lot more these days, which has helped with the seething annoyance I constantly have at work. Usually feel better after it.

And because of the gym and getting out more, I've been slowly feeling better physically, better than I have since before 2019. The break from work is for the mental health, LOL.

I'm getting my hair recoloured next week. Can't afford it, really, but I just REALLY need to feel better about myself again, and I always feel so different when I colour my hair. I was doing so good for awhile. I want that again.

Anyway, I'm sorry to bombard y'all with my complicated mess of a brain. I really do appreciate you asking, so THANK YOU. I rarely get asked in real life if I am okay because I keep very private due to past people betraying my trust. And I don't like seeing people unhappy, so I feel if I tell people about my problems, then I feel I am a burden, so I just... continue existing.

Thank you for letting me be a burden just this once.

[smolwritingchick]

The Bangtan Gal Chapter 93- Our First Time

Summary: Jennie celebrates her birthday in Japan and Jungkook makes it a memorable one.

Genre: Jungkook fluff! And smut! (A for effort on the smut! I'm sorry if you're a bit disappointed with the smut writing but I'll continue to get better. Practice makes perfect!)

Words: 15,000+ 

Author's Note: It's been a while! I missed writing this story, I'm happy to be back at it. I missed you all dearly! I have been overthinking the HECK out of this chapter. Like ideas kept coming but then I was worried cause it was like ah...is this too much or not that realistic? I had a vision but I kept going back and forth regarding realism and contemplated deleting stuff but then I wanted to keep it. So, I hope you enjoy this and it was worth the wait. I wanted to make it romantic, fluffy, intimate, and a bit vulnerable in a way. I mean this is a critical point in their relationship and I didn't want to screw it up.

I just feel like these two will be comfortable with each other and certain about their love. Everyone especially black women should be loved on and cherished by their significant other and I thought a lot about how Jungkook would feel in this moment with Jennie in the story after pinning for her for so long. 

I'd say Summer Walker's Nobody Else and Best Part by Daniel Caesar & H.E.R is super relatable to JenKook. Loveeee these song so much. Both are so beautiful and always get me in my feelings.

Also: context on Booker T and his Spinaroonie which will be mentioned in the story. Black wrestlers mean a lot to me and he has been a huge part of my childhood.

Soon after chilling for a bit, and celebrating my birthday on May 10th, I will be working on my wrestling story next to update that and then I will be back writing the next chapters for Bangtan Gal. There will be two chapters updated for this one, the Muster chapter which will have Jin and Jennie's wrestling match, and then the next story chapter :)

So, bear with me for the slow updates. It may take a bit but I will try my best to not take forever. Again, thanks for sticking with me and I hope this was ok. Lemme know what you think! Until next time!!

Currently me after uploading:

--------

A loud sigh escaped Jennie's lips as she sat down in the middle of a wrestling ring. Here she was alone at Big Hit, in one of their rooms which had a standard sized wrestling ring for her and Jin to practice for their next match. Lately, it had been used as a private room for Bangtan's Oldest and Youngest members and held a lot of gym equipment as well. 

For a while now, Big Hit proposed for Jennie and Jin to get professional wrestling lessons. Jin stuck with learning the basics but Jennie wanted to learn more and asked for extra lessons as wrestling had started to become a new hobby for her. Despite the soreness and occasional bruising she'd endure while training, wrestling was fun and stress relieving. Their professional lessons were a few days a week as they learned the basics and prepared for their choreographed match to make sure things went well. Juggling dance practice, recording music, events, and wrestling lessons took a while to adjust but the two members remained dedicated and wanted to put on a great video for ARMY when it was time to record their match.

Big Hit wanted to ensure their safety as well and thought professional wrestling lessons would help. Because at the end of the day, Jin and Jennie were still idols and the last thing the company needed was two of their artists injured off of wrestling. And Jennie knows from watching WWE that those wrestling injuries are no joke. She was grateful every day for not suffering a serious injury and hoped to keep it that way. 

Since her hair was dyed red, Jennie wanted to portray WWE's Lita for their next match while Jin was still researching which wrestler to portray. Since the matches are predetermined, Big Hit wanted Jin to win which made sense to Jennie and she was all for it. For the past week, Jin and Jennie would go over what they wanted to do for the match and their trainers were extremely helpful in making their vision come to life while assisting in producing the match.

With it being evening time and everyone had left for the day, Jennie stayed behind to practice while wearing some shorts, knee pads, and a tank top. She wanted to get a few moves down and hoped to perform them better as she kept jumping off the top rope safely onto a padded mat to pretend it was her opponent.

After drinking water, she stood on her feet and stretched.

"There you are!" Jungkook's bright voice filled her ears as she turned around and smiled.

"Hey! Sorry, Jungkook, I should have texted you. I wasn't ready to go, yet. I wanted to train a little bit more,"

"It's all good, honey. What are you working on?" he strolled over to the ring and went in, wearing a hoodie with the hood over his head and sweatpants.

"My moonsault. You know the move where you backflip off the top rope and onto your opponent lying on the mat?"

"Yeah! I know the move," he reached out for her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I'm sweaty," she giggled and tried to pull away but he wouldn't budge.

"I don't care," 

He smiled and leaned down to give her multiple kisses on her lips which she immediately returned, smiling into the kisses. 

"Show me what you got with the moonsault. I can help you," he said while she looked at him in surprise as they pulled away.

Jungkook even learned a bit of wrestling just in case he wanted to participate in future matches. He was still trying to convince the rest of the members to join but so far no luck. But hopefully one day.

"A-are you sure? I should practice more on the big mat first," she said with a hint of nervousness.

"I'm the Golden Maknae, I got this," he flashed a big grin. "Where do you want me, Jagi?"

"O-okay. Um, let me move the mat and you can take its place," she pulled the mat to the other side of the ring while Jungkook got on his back.

"All set! Let me know when you're ready, Jennie,"

Nervousness continued to overwhelm her as she replied, "Kookie, are you sure this is a good idea? I don't think I'm ready to perform it on someone just yet,"

"You never know unless you try! Come at me. Let me see what you got,"

"Fine, fine. Stay still," she got up the top rope, trying to remember everything she could for the move. "Three...two...one...go!"

She backflipped off the top rope gracefully and landed right on him. However, a loud groan escaped his lips as her knees landed on his stomach instead of her torso, which made her freak out.

"Ah! Oh my God! Are you okay!? Why am I such a klutz!?" she got off of him to see him clenching his stomach with his face twisted in discomfort. 

Oh, this was so bad. She knew she shouldn't have decided to practice on him. All that training went out the window as she saw her man in pain. 

She cupped his face while he continued to clench his stomach. "Kookie, I'm sorry! Are you okay!?"

"Yeah..." he grunted, '"We'll work on it,"

"I am SO sorry!" she exclaimed after releasing him. "I did so much better, earlier! I promise, I did! I just miscalculated! I can do it, better! But I'm not quite ready to do the move on someone! Ah...why did I agree to this!? My knees were on your stomach! God, I know that had to hurt. And I got my knee pads on, too? Sheesh!"

As he watched her ramble, Jungkook couldn't help but laugh and stopped clenching his stomach, sitting up.

"You're cute when you freak out like this," he giggled.

"You're not hurt!?" she exclaimed.

"I am a little. My stomach hurts but I was exaggerating the pain. It doesn't hurt that bad," 

"I-you idiot! Don't do that!" she smacked his arm, making him laugh again. "You had me thinking I injured you! I was about to freak out and cry to Bang PD!"

"Wow, you were going to do that? I should have kept up the act,"

"Shut up!" she giggled as they both stood up. "You're a piece of work, you know that?"

"So, I've been told," he smiled and placed a warm hand on her cheek, brushing his thumb against it. "You did good, babe. You just gotta work more on the delivery of your moonsault. I say Jin stands no chance against you in the high flying department,"

"Thank you. I'll keep practicing on the mat, for now," she kissed his cheek and placed the mat where it was before.

"How are you and hyung coming along with the match?" he asked as he stood across in a corner, leaning against the top turnbuckle with his arms crossed.

"It's going so well! Jin still gotta figure out who he wants to be. I gave him some suggestions, so he's researching to get one of their personas down. And once he does choose the wrestler, then the trainers can try to teach him some of their moves to add to the match. I lowkey want him to be Booker T from WWE. I told him earlier as a suggestion and he said he'll think about it. But yo, if he chooses him that would make my day. To watch Jin do the spin-a-roonie though...that will have me crying," she laughed at the idea with Jungkook.

"Can you dig it, SUCKA~!" Jungkook said Booker T's wrestling catchphrase in English with Jennie as the two laughed again.

"Yeah, hyung would be so extra with his persona. I can't wait to see who he decides to be. And I'm looking forward to being front row to watch it this time instead of on video,"

"Haha, you're in for a treat. Man, all this makes me want to go to a WWE event one of these days. If we're back in America and they're doing a show close to where we are, I want to go!"

"I hope so too, so you can go. I'll come with you,"

"It's a date!"

"Speaking of dates, we still need to go to a rock concert together like you wanted,"

"Yeah! I gotta research that too whenever we are free. I have no idea who will be on tour but no matter what we have to do GA! And we must crowd surf! It's gonna be fun, I promise!"

The lovers could see the date now. She was on top of his shoulders, singing the lyrics to whatever song was playing from one of her favorite bands while he vibed and smiled at her having the time of her life. It needed to happen soon. 

As she continued to practice her wrestling, Jungkook's eyes began to roam down her body, as he pondered about his self control. Her dark skin glistened in the lighting of the room from the sweat of her workout and her hair was in a messy bun. Every day the want for her increased and her birthday couldn't come fast enough with the way his body reacted to her. He wondered if she felt the same.

As her birthday drew near, Jungkook's anticipation and nervousness kicked in tenfold. It was a huge step and he hoped everything would go well and he could make her feel how wanted and loved she is. 

"Did you hear me?"

"Do what?" Jungkook snapped out of his trance and looked into her eyes.

"I asked, since you're here do you want to train with me, too?" she repeated.

"Yeah, why not. I could use a workout before we go back," he took off his hoodie to show his tank top, revealing his muscular arms as her eyes eagerly checked them out.

Now this was a little dangerous. Jennie was already trying to keep herself in check to not let her dirty thoughts get to her. Shaking the thoughts away, the two trained back and forth, practicing moves. She was grateful for it and it was nice to have a partner to assist. But as time went on, she began losing focus because, in the back of her mind, her desire to be intimate with her man had gotten stronger, these days. But maybe...just maybe...

Jungkook currently had his arms around her from behind in a waist lock while she struggled to get out of it. With him breathing down her neck and his firm arms holding her, she seemed to have completely lost focus. 

Abruptly, she pushed back against him to grind, making him sharply inhale.

"You know that should be a disqualification," he said in her ear as his hands began to roam down her body.

"Hm, well, there is no referee in sight. So, what now?" she turned in his arms. 

Before he could reply, she pulled him by his shirt to smooch him as he groaned softly against her mouth. Their kissing became needy and his hands traveled down to her ass, squeezing it. She gasped at the sudden action which led him to slide his tongue into her mouth and lift her up as she wrapped her legs around him. As he proceeded to walk forward to press her up against a corner, Jennie cupped his face and held onto him.

She wanted him so badly. She was ready and felt herself getting aroused that she didn't even care where it was as long as it was with him. With Jungkook, as much as he wanted to touch her and lose control, he didn't want it to be abrupt like this. With every last restraint, he set her down and reluctantly pulled away, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked, catching her breath from their passionate kissing.

"No, of course not. I want this and I want you. Believe me when I say I've been wanting to touch you and make you feel amazing for a long time, now. But you deserve a bed, Jennie,"

Her heart fluttered at how serious he sounded about that.

He stepped forward and placed his hands on the top rope, connected to the top turnbuckle, trapping her in the corner. "And I want to take my time and kiss every inch of you...and I want to hear you say my name again when I make you feel things no one else can because you're mine...but not now. Not here. It'll be on a bed. And soon. I promise,"

"You say that and expect me not to pounce on you? You're giving me images that I want to become a reality, now,"

"You do the same to me,"

"And I was only going to ask for you to come to my studio. I mean...there is a couch,"

He chuckled at the suggestive thought. "And a bed for your first is even more inviting,"

"Touché,"

"Wait a little longer for it, okay?"

She smiled and nodded. "Okay. I know it'll be worth the wait,"

He returned her smile and leaned back in to kiss her passionately, not ready to let her go just yet. However, their making out was cut short when they failed to realize the door opening. A loud clearing of someone's throat was heard, making the couple quickly back away and turn to who was there.

Of all people...it was Bang PD. 

'This would be my luck...' Jennie thought to herself as she bowed with Jungkook apologetically. 

She was mortified while Jungkook blushed out of embarrassment. 

Jennie thought everyone left but then she realized she had forgotten Bang PD had told her he would also stay late to finish up some work. He must have come by to say goodbye to her since he was done.

"Jennie..." Bang PD let out a sigh, shaking his head as he looked at the couple.

These kids...boy was he amused at the scene. 

"Y-yes, sir?" she answered, flustered.

"When you told me you would be staying late to practice, I didn't mean making out in the ring with Jungkook. You two should be working," he replied with his arms crossed.

He scolded them for not focusing on training and then laughed about it in the end, wishing them a good night and to next time focus on work. After he left, Jennie and Jungkook glanced at each other and ended up laughing at the embarrassment.

"Oh my God...I can't believe that just happened," she got out of the ring with him. "We are NEVER telling the boys about this. This is going to the grave,"

"I second that. Do you think he's going to mention this to anyone?" he feared.

"Oh, fuck outta here, I hope not!"

----------

"I cannot believe this..." Jennie grumbled with her arms crossed as she sat in the van with the members, on their way to the airport.

She had her fair share of goofy moments but this right here was currently number one. The boys were struggling not to laugh as they snuck glances at her wearing a large Pikachu Onesie. The reason? Losing a bet with Jungkook on who could beat who in Smash Bros, last night. She tried her hardest but he prevailed in a best out of 5.

"You look adorable," Jungkook giggled.

"Be quiet," she snapped at him in a playful tone, earning another giggle from him. "I can't believe I have to walk out in public with this on. Why? You know Dispatch is going to be there taking photos."

"You did bring it on yourself. You should have beat him in the game," Yoongi chuckled.

"Wow." she shook her head. "I am loving the support, right now,"

Bangtan had some fan events in Japan just before their 3rd Muster in Seoul and were headed to the airport to get on their flight. Once they arrived at the airport, fans and reporters were already there to take videos and photos. Jennie watched as the members and staff made their way out of the vehicle as she tried to mentally prepare herself to be seen with the onesie.

About to get out of the car, Jin turned back to her and chuckled. "Are you coming?"

Seated next to him by the window, she groaned. "Yes..."

With a smile, Jin helped her out of the car and surprised sounds from the crowd were heard when they saw her in the onesie, along with giggling and various comments on how cute she looked. Being a good sport, Jennie grinned and waved at the cameras, walking inside the airport with everyone else.

She laughed, forgetting about the embarrassment, and began to pose, with the members. Miss Bangtan even started playing the part of Pikachu, while reporters ate it up. After photos, the group started going to the destination of where their flight was as the large group of fans and reporters followed them.

"Jennie-ah, why are you wearing a Pikachu onesie?" she heard a fan ask who was recording her with their phone.

"I lost a video game bet against Jungkook," she grinned sheepishly, earning giggles in response.

Safe to say, her look went viral and became an instant classic BTS moment for ARMY as they tweeted their thoughts:

'Look at Jen-kachu!'

'The fact that she agreed to this lmfaooo.'

'Jungkook was the cause of this!? LOL the Golden Duo never has a dull moment!'

'Wait I thought this was photoshopped! WHAT!?'

'Jennie blessing us with her cuteness!'

'I deadass thought it was a joke but Jennie is actually at the airport as Pikachu!'

'Hahahaha not Jennie getting caught in the mix of losing bets!'

'I LOVE cute Jennie! This made my day!'

--------

Because of her birthday, the staff treated Jennie to have her own suite in the hotel BTS stayed while the rest of the members roomed with each other. The room was huge as it even held a kitchen, which Jungkook was currently using to his advantage while Jennie was out eating with the Hyung Line for her birthday. Jungkook's birthday plans for Jennie were in motion as he and the rest of the Maknae Line decorated her suite with balloons and other birthday accessories. 

"She is going to freak!" Jimin beamed.

"Yeah, this looks like it's going to be her best birthday, yet! You gotta tell us her reaction when she sees the room," Taehyung added.

Jungkook grinned as he decorated. "I will! You two okay continuing to decorate? I want to start the cake,"

"Yeah, go ahead! I still can't believe you're going to bake for her. This is adorable," Jimin giggled.

Jungkook wanted to go all out for her birthday and thought of baking for her. She always baked for him and the rest of the boys. It would be sweet to have her receive a cake that was made from the heart. The Golden Maknae researched some good birthday cake recipes and chose to bake a small red velvet cake for her. 

He whipped out all the ingredients he purchased the night before and placed them all on the counter to begin while the oven was preheating. Getting right to work, Jungkook was diligent in making sure he followed the directions and mixed the ingredients while checking to see if the measurements were fine.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Taehyung teased while walking over to him, trying to throw him off as he mixed everything in the bowl.

"Go away!" Jungkook playfully shouted at him, turning away.

"You sure you don't need help?" Jimin added to the teasing.

"No!" Jungkook exclaimed. "You two just continue decorating and stop messing with me,"

However, Jimin and Taehyung decided to continue messing with him by playfully hitting him and throwing some decorations his way, which resulted in Jungkook setting the nicely mixed bowl down and running around the suite to chase them. It didn't take too long for him to beat them up before going back to working on the cake. Once in the oven, Jungkook put a timer on his phone and continued to decorate with the guys.

"What do you plan to do with Ennie when she returns?" Taehyung asked.

The question caused Jungkook to smile to himself as his heart leaped. To spend the day with the girl he had fallen for and was proud to call his girlfriend was something he'll cherish forever. He wanted everything to be perfect because she deserved the world. For her birthday, Jungkook convinced his hyungs to let him and Jennie have the entire day together. He was happy they all agreed and that he'd have some sweet alone time with her. He thought long and hard about how he wanted to spend the day and hoped she loved what he had planned.

"I have it all planned out but don't want to jinx myself and give it away. I just hope to make it as special as possible," Jungkook answered with joy. 

"No matter what you do, she'll love it. I mean it's Ennie. She appreciates everything we do for her,"

"And we're happy to see you be the best boyfriend for her. Our ship is still sailing strong, isn't it Tae?" Jimin praised.

"Indeed!" Taehyung high fived him with enthusiasm.

Jungkook chuckled and blushed at the kind words. "I sometimes still can't believe she's mine. I'm really happy I told her my feelings, that day,"

"Us too, Jungkookie," Jimin patted his back. 

After Jimin and Taehyung left, Jungkook went to where the bedroom was to start decorating it. She had told him she was ready and he hoped that tonight would be special for the both of them for that first time. To take that next step in the relationship. 

Later, his phone began to buzz and he took it out of his pocket to see a text from Jin.

Jin: We're back at the hotel! Meet us in the lobby.

JK: On my way!

--------

To Jennie, she was with the rest of Bangtan and patiently waited for Jungkook. Her tummy was full from the delicious breakfast and she had a big smile on her face. Her birthday had been filled with great vibes so far and she couldn't wait to see what else was planned today. 

"Jennie~!" Jimin ran up to her with Taehyung to embrace her. "Happy birthday!"

She giggled and returned the hug enthusiastically. "Thank you~! I feel so loved! First, it was the breakfast, and now the hugs from you and Taehyung!"

"I'm glad you're enjoying your day so far. It's only going to get better,"

"Ooh? More surprises? I wonder what's next. That breakfast hit the spot. Japan has some amazing food,"

As they all chatted, Jungkook finally came down on the elevator to see Jennie chatting with the guys. Sensing his presence, she turned and grinned. 

"Kookie!" she waved as he strolled over to her.

"Happy birthday!" he grinned and embraced her tightly, spinning her around as he lifted her in his arms.

"Thank you!"

"We'll leave you two, to it," Namjoon smiled and began walking to the elevator.

"Yes and please just stay safe. And no, I will not blow up your phones to get updates. I promise," Jin chuckled and waved, following Namjoon.

"Have fun, today! We'll see you, eventually," Jimin giggled and left with the rest of the members.

"Oh? They're all leaving? Even Jin? What a surprise," she said in wonder. "So, it's just us?"

"Yeah, you're with me for the rest of the day," Jungkook proudly said.

"What?! Oh, that's perfect! How'd you get them to agree? Especially Jin?"

"I am the Golden Maknae," he grinned.

"You always say that shit, give me the details! I want a proper answer," she playfully hit him.

"Haha, I told them I'd treat them to Korean beef when we return to Seoul. So, they were fine with that. They eagerly agreed once I mentioned food,"

"I like that. So, where to?"

"You'll see. Let's go,"

As they were en route to their destination, Jennie continued to scroll on Twitter to see the sweet messages from fans for her birthday. And then she smiled when ARMY began to notice that Nike and a Nike PR followed her Instagram. She was excited to announce her being sponsored by Nike and was just waiting for the OK.

As soon as they made it to the destination, Jennie looked around in awe.

They were at Universal!

"Universal Japan!? Oh, hell yes! We about to have a TIME, today!" she cheered and put a black mask on with him as Jungkook laughed at her enthusiasm, agreeing.

After they checked in, they walked inside the park while Jennie looked around, amazed. She always wanted to check out amusement parks in other countries. She can check this off her bucket list.

"Follow me," he said as she walked closely with him.

"Oh, wait! I wanna take a photo with Hello Kitty!" she pointed out the mascot taking photos with the children.

Jen waited patiently for her turn, smiling under her mask at the adorable kids. Then, she kept her mask on and posed with the peace sign while Jungkook snapped the photo. She'll be sure to tweet it on Twitter, later.

Walking inside one of the stores, the large variety of headbands caught her attention.

"Soooo many options! Look at all these headbands," she looked through them.

After looking around, the two decided to get matching headbands. Once they put them on, they took cute selfies together and even some silly ones. As they walked further into the park at Universal Japan, Jennie began to hear the Harry Potter theme song, taking her by surprise.

"Wait a damn minute...are we-are we going to Harry Potter World!?" she exclaimed. Once she turned to Jungkook and saw him nod happily, she jumped and squealed excitedly. "What!? Oh my gosh! Wait, you took the test!?"

"I did. I'm a Ravenclaw,"

"Ahhhh! It suits you! So much to do! Okay! We gotta get wands! We gotta do the whole thing. We gotta go on the rides, we gotta get butterbeer, get the outfits, everything! You ready?" she giggled excitedly as he smiled, thinking it was the cutest thing.

"Lead the way,"

"That's what I'm talking about!" she grabbed his hand as they wandered around.

Jungkook had brought a camera with him and had been filming her since their arrival. Smiling as he filmed, he observed as she looked around the area, geeking out. This was so going towards a future GCF for their relationship reveal.

"Ah~! It's just like the movies! I feel like I'm actually in the movies!" she beamed.

After picking up their wands and robes, they check out Three Broomsticks to eat lunch.

"Here we go! Butterbeer! Let's see..." Jennie checked out the options they had.

"Should we get cold or hot butterbeer?" Jungkook pondered.

"Let's get both and try it together,"

After ordering food and two cold and two hot butterbeer beverages, the couple sat together and ate while discussing how much fun they were having so far.

"Okay, the moment of truth. You filming?" she grinned as she watched him with his camera.

"Yes, milady," 

"Okay! Let's see if butterbeer tastes as good as everyone says! I'm going to try the cold one first," she presented the cup and began to take a big sip.

"And the results are...?" he asked with anticipation.

"This SLAPS!" she praised and took another sip, enjoying the delicious taste and cream on top.

After watching her praising the cold drink, Jungkook filmed himself trying the drink and nodded in approval, enjoying it as well. Turning the camera back to her to film, she presented the hot butterbeer next. 

"Okay! Now for the hot one!" she announced and began to take a careful sip. "Oh, I like this, too. Very rich taste. And I feel all warm and cozy. It's warming me up nicely,"

Jungkook filmed himself trying the hot one and enjoyed the taste as well but not as much as the cold one.

"It's good. But I like the cold one, more," he said, still enjoying the hot drink as he took more sips.

"It's hard to choose. I like the hot version just a little bit more. Both are amazing. Well, butterbeer is worth the hype. I'm glad we finally tried it!"

The rest of the day was spent all over Harry Potter world, enjoying the rides and shopping in the stores. They even got to check out some other areas of Universal while taking lots of photos. After a fun filled day, the couple began to leave the park and Jungkook gave her his jacket to wear so she wouldn't be too cold.

"Enjoyed yourself?" He asked.

Enjoying the warmth of his jacket while holding his hand, she said, "One of the best birthdays ever! We gotta go back again, soon. Thanks for today. I had an amazing time,"

"I'm glad you did. Now, onto your next surprise," 

"Wait, there's more?"

-------

Making it back to the hotel, Jungkook guided Jennie back to her room, having her close her eyes as she walked in.

"And...open," he smiled after closing the door behind him.

Once she opened her eyes, she looked around in shock.

"No way!" she grinned and walked around. 

A large happy birthday banner was on display, tons of gifts were placed in the living room area and even cute balloons and decorations were scattered all around the room.

"Jungkook...this is incredible!"

"You deserve it," he grinned. "Jimin and Taehyung helped out,"

"They're the best. You're the best. Everyone is the best. This is too sweet, what?" 

"I'm glad you like everything. And...these are for you," he presented her with a vase full of a dozen red roses and she placed a hand over her chest, appreciative of the gesture.

"Aw...thank you!" she gave him a big kiss and set the vase down on the dining room table. "Wow...these are gorgeous! And they smell great!"

"Nike sent you something as well," he pointed to the living room couch as he made his way over.

"What!? A whole custom birthday box from Nike? What!? Oh, I am about to lose my mind!" she shouted happily and ran over to the large Orange box, sitting on the couch with him.

It held a card wishing her a happy birthday and that they were excited about her working with them. When she opened the box, there were tons of Nike goods in her size and custom made items just for her which made her heart soar.

"Wow...I sound like a broken record but...I...I feel so loved. And I'm so grateful to have you and everyone else in my life. Like really...thank you for always showing me how special I am," she said and kissed him again.

"Always. You mean a lot to me and you deserve all of this and more,"

"Kook...you mean a lot to me, too," 

After the two checked out everything from the Nike box, Jungkook spoke, "I made something for you,"

"Oh? What is it?" she looked on in anticipation.

"Close your eyes, first,"

"Okay," she closed her eyes with a smile, awaiting the surprise.

Getting up from the couch, Jungkook made his way to the fridge to grab the small red velvet cake that he had made for her. Despite the constant teasing from Jimin and Taehyung on whether he knew what he was doing, the cake turned out quite well and was decorated nicely with the icing. After grabbing a few paper plates, plastic forks, and a plastic knife, Jungkook set everything down on the coffee table in front of the couch as Jennie continued to wait patiently.

He placed a 1 candle and a 9 candle on the cutely decorated cake and presented it to her with a smile.

"Open," he softly said.

Opening her eyes, she looked at the cake in surprise, covering her mouth. She glanced up at him, back at the cake, and then back at him, uncovering her mouth to reveal a grin.

"What? You baked for me?"

"You bake for everyone. I wanted this birthday to be memorable so I decided to try to make you something,"

"Jungkook, today has been way more than memorable. This is so sweet, thank you. It smells so good. And it looks good, too,"

"I hope you like it. But before digging in..." he lit the candles and then began to sing Happy Birthday angelically which made her heart leap.

"Make a wish," he happily said. 

After a moment of thinking of a wish, she blew out the candles and they both cheered.

"Let's try the cake together," she requested.

Once Jungkook cut a big slice and put it on a paper plate to share, he placed it on the table. The two picked up a forkful and decided to feed each other. Jennie expected Jungkook's cake to taste delicious and she was correct, enjoying every bite as they continued to feed each other.

"How do you like it? I think it's pretty good," he said.

"You've outdone yourself, this tastes great!" she complimented.

"Better than you?" he teased in a hopeful voice.

"Alright now," she deadpanned before breaking out into giggles with him. 

After finishing the slice, Jungkook put the rest of the cake in the fridge.

"Ah, I'm so spoiled. Today has been magical! Like, look at this! I don't even know where to continue for the gifts," she said, looking at all the gifts scattered around from friends and family.

"Do you want to open your gifts now or see your last gift of the evening?"

"Last gift?" she looked at him curiously.

He smiled softly and nodded. 

The curiosity took over her. "Show me the last gift,"

"Follow me," he grabbed her hand and led her to the bedroom door.

Once he opened it, they walked in and saw that the room was decorated romantically. Cute electric candles lit up the dark room along with rose petals scattered around the floor and bed.

She gasped lightly as her heart fluttered. "Jungkook..."

After closing the door, he watched as she stood in front of him, looking around in awe. Slowly walking over to her from behind, he saw her turn around. No words needed to be said at the moment as they smiled at each other. They both knew they wanted this and felt secure in their feelings.

He gazed at her lovingly as he reached out to pull her into his arms, leaning down to capture her lips tenderly. She held onto him as they kissed and their stomachs leaped with joy and anticipation of what was about to happen. Pulling away she smiled and grabbed his hands, walking back until she was closer to the bed. Turning him around, she made him sit on the edge of the bed as the butterflies increased in her stomach. Straddling him, she wrapped her arms around his neck while feeling his hands rest on her hips.

'Wow...we're really about to do this,' she thought as she held his gaze.

"Nervous?" he asked softly.

"A little," she admitted.

"I'm nervous too but whatever we do it'll feel right," he responded while she ran a hand through his soft hair and cupped his cheek. "We have all night and I plan to take advantage of it. We'll go slow, okay?" 

"Okay," she smiled and explored his mouth again, tasting the red velvet cake from his lips.

Once she pulled away, he guided her soft hands to his firm chest and she slowly began to undo the buttons of his dress shirt. Unbuttoning the last button, she took it off him eagerly and got a good look at his toned torso, admiring the view which did not go unnoticed by him. She kissed him again, having her hands all over his body as the warmth of his skin radiated onto her. Jungkook smiled into the kiss, loving how her hands roamed, making him feel satisfied with his body. He had been getting slightly bigger in muscle and had been working out even more these days. 

She didn't know how much time had passed as she kept touching and kissing him but she loved how patient he was. He didn't rush her. He let her set the pace and let her do whatever she wanted.

As her soft, full lips trailed down to his chin and his neck, she began to slowly grind into him, making him groan softly which caused her stomach to leap at the pleasant sound. The grip on her hips tightened as he moved with her to create more friction. He sighed out her name when she nipped softly on his neck. Trailing kisses up his neck and capturing his lips again, she could feel him through his jeans as he pushed his hips into hers again, making her moan softly.

She felt his warm hands on her waist as he met her eyes, asking if it was OK to continue. Once she nodded, she felt her sweatshirt ride up and helped him take it off, tossing it on the floor. Jungkook swallowed hard, looking at her chest with desire as it was covered in a red bra.

"You can touch me, you know," she reminded with a smile and grabbed his hands, guiding them to her chest.

"I-I know...just...wow..." he said breathlessly.

He was in a trance and felt himself getting harder, enjoying the view up close like this. She sighed into his touch when he squeezed lightly and had his lips travel around her neck.

"You are so beautiful..." he murmured against her skin while his hands caressed her, making her squirm and whimper softly.

He was pleased to hear the sounds coming from her as she moved her neck to give him better access, feeling his sweet kisses all over. Suddenly, he easily stood up with her legs wrapped around his waist. Spinning around a little, she giggled, making him smile and capture her lips as she cupped his cheeks. Not breaking the kiss, he gently laid her down on the bed, crawling on top of her as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Everything he was doing to her so far made her body feel warm all over as her heart pounded. The way he kissed her and continued to caress her body had her intoxicated by his touch. As they both sat up a little, Jungkook glanced at her to see if she was ready to continue and she nodded. Reaching out to the back of her bra, he attempted to unclasp it but began to struggle. The sight made Jen look amused as she thought it was cute how concentrated yet confused he was at trying to do such a simple task.

"Need help?" she teased.

"I got this," he said but continued to struggle.

As she watched him fumble with the bra, a giggle escaped her lips, making his ears twitch and glance back up at her.

"Are you laughing at me?" he chuckled.

"A little~. Here, let me help," she helped him unclasp it and take it off as she tossed it somewhere on the floor.

"Wow..." he breathed, drinking her in.

He gently laid her down and grabbed her right breast in his palm. Feeling him place kisses over her chest, she let out soft moans and writhed under his touch while he gave her left breast attention. While he sucked and swirled his tongue around her hard left nipple, her back arched as a wave of heat surged down between her legs. This felt too good as she continued to let out sounds of pleasure, enjoying what his mouth was doing. As he brushed her right nipple with his thumb, he continued to suck and nip on her left one, before moving over to give her right breast the same attention.

"Can I?" he breathed as his hands moved down to the button of her jeans.

"Yes," she breathed with want.

Unbuttoning her jeans and zipping down the fly, he helped her out of them, along with her red underwear, and tossed them off the bed. Moving back up, he kissed her again passionately. She then began to whimper against his mouth and squirmed when she felt one of his hands traveling down to her thigh. 

"Still sensitive here, I see," he murmured, pleased to have remembered one of her sensitive spots.

He kissed her hungrily as his hand traveled down to rub against her core, causing her to moan loudly into his mouth and hold onto him. 

"Jungkook..." she gasped.

Proud to feel her getting so wet for him and being so responsive to his touch, he kissed up her neck and whispered in her ear, "I'm right here,"

They've been here before. They have done this a handful of times since Prom Weekend and each time felt amazing as he knew how to make her feel good with his hands and tongue. 

As he kissed every inch of her body, being vocal about how beautiful she was and how beautiful her black skin was which continued to make her dizzy, Jungkook began to kiss down her body. While he kissed down her stomach, she let out a gasp and began breathing heavily once his lips kissed around her hips and inner thighs. Finally, he was face to face with her entrance. He was pleased to see how wet she had become and it was all for him as she was anticipating what he would do next.

His mouth got to work, kissing her thighs and landing right to her core as her heavy pants were heard throughout the bedroom, which was music to his ears. Jungkook felt her grip fistfuls of his silky hair as he swirled his tongue around her folds, starting at a slow pace since he wanted to take his time to enjoy her. His tongue felt warm and soft against her as he licked his way up to her clit.

"Ah, Jungkook!" she cried out as her hips jolted at the sudden sensation.

As he continued, picking up the pace to lick and suck her clit, he felt her remove her hands from his hair and try to move away because the pleasure was beginning to make her feel like she wouldn't be able to handle it. However, Jungkook was having none of it and pulled her back to his mouth and kept her firmly in place, digging right back in.

"I-I can't—fuck!" she moaned, squeezing her eyes shut as she threw her head back into the soft mattress. 

She wasn't going to be able to take much more of this as she felt vibrations against her from his chuckle, sending shivers up her spine. Meanwhile, Jungkook looked up with lustful eyes, enjoying the view of her looking disheveled with her mouth open.

"Yes, you can," he encouraged. "You're taking it so well like you always do,"

He felt a sense of pride. No one else was able to make her feel the way he made her feel. And he enjoyed the fact that he caused this reaction from her and only him. He continued to devour her, paying attention to her cries of pleasure. Instantly after that, her entire body tensed up as she shuddered and cried out his name. Smiling to himself, he kept his head buried between her thighs as his mouth was slick with saliva and her juices. Pulling away, with his mouth glistening, he licked his lips.

"You all right?" he asked with a soft smirk, feeling a bit smug that he left her in shambles.

As she steadied her breathing, she finally was able to speak, "Hm-hm...it's like...every time you do this you get better,"

He smiled at her praise. "The motivation is you,"

She smiled at his reply. They truly loved each other. And now they were expressing it on a whole new level. She felt so safe with him and felt amazing so far. Deep in her thoughts, her eyes began to roam down to his physique, admiring the view. Those arms...those thighs...everything. He looked beautiful and she felt so lucky to call him hers. 

"Normally, I'm the one caught in a trance. Like what you see?" he raised a brow in a teasing manner, making her look back up at his doe eyes.

She giggled. "Caught red-handed,"

Reaching out for him, she pulled him to hover over her as she crashed her lips against his.

"Are you okay to continue or do you need a break?" he murmured against her lips.

"I can continue," she replied, helping him take his jeans off.

As he tossed the jeans off the bed, Jennie noticed the bulge in his underwear and reached out, wanting to pleasure him but he gently stopped her. 

"I want to focus on you, tonight," he said softly. "Another time, okay? Let me take care of you. I've been dreaming about this moment for a long time...tell me what you want and I'll give it to you. I'll give you anything and everything, Jennie..."

Her heart pounded at his words as she cupped his left cheek, thumb caressing the little scar on his cheek. 

"Jungkook, please...I need you," she begged, making his dick throb while he sweetly kissed her body again. 

It took every ounce of strength from him to not let her wish be granted just yet. He still wanted to make sure she was well prepared for him.

"I know...I know...just a little longer," he murmured against her skin. "I love you like this...I love your beautiful skin...your lips...your shoulders...your arms...your hands..." 

As he called out each body part, he moved to kiss them as he continued to take his time with the foreplay which began to drive her crazy with her need for him increasing tenfold. He kissed every inch of her body once again and made mental notes of all her sweet spots. Even though he also had lube to assist, he meant what he said when he wanted to take his time and make her feel beautiful as he whispered sweet nothings to her.

When he finally felt like she was ready, he slipped out of his boxers and she finally got a look at all of him as she laid on her back. From his broad shoulders, strong arms, and thick thighs, to his hard length slick from anticipation, she loved everything about him as she bit her bottom lip softly, enjoying the view. He was so captivatingly handsome and no longer the little boy she met at Big Hit when they were younger. He was a man whom she fell in love with and is proud to call hers. A man who has made her feel desired and gorgeous all night. A man who she's giving herself to.

A man she loves deeply.

Watching him put a condom on along with putting a generous amount of lube, her stomach flipped with anticipation. Lining himself up at her entrance, he met her gaze and they both smiled.

"You ready?" he breathed.

"Yes. I love you," 

"I love you, too," he immediately replied.

He hovered over her and gave her a deep, passionate kiss as he pushed his tip in slowly and entered her. As she felt him push all the way in, she moaned into his mouth and held onto him tightly. The stretch felt good and it didn't hurt as much as she anticipated. Honestly, the way he prepared her was a great thing as she felt more pleasure all around.

"Fuck...you feel amazing," he groaned.

He felt like he was in heaven at how good she felt around him while his head was on the crook of her neck. He kept himself still for a moment to allow them both to adjust to this new feeling as he breathed heavily with her. It felt like a big stretch and she felt full. But damn did he feel good and he didn't even move yet.

"Are you ok?" he whispered.

"Hm hm," she breathed.

"Let me know when to move. I'll try not to cum too quick...you feel so good," he sounded a bit strained as he tried to control himself. 

They remained still for a while and Jungkook lifted his head to take a good look at her with love in his eyes. This was another sight he'd never get tired of and wanted to experience over and over again with her under him like this. 

She reached out and cupped his cheek. "You can move,"

"Okay. I'll go slow,"

Their bodies pressed together heatedly with Jungkook slowly thrusting into her with ease as he grunted along with her gasps and whimpers. It felt so good. Better than she ever imagined. 

So this was how it felt to be intimate with someone you love. She felt euphoric.

He kept the pace slow, careful not to hurt her, and found a sensual rhythm after a few thrusts. Picking up his head, he watched her with adoration while maintaining eye contact with her.

"I love you so much...you feel so good. Better than I ever imagined..." he moaned.

He noticed she was trying not to be loud and was keeping a lot of sounds to herself. But he wanted to encourage her to break out of that and it was all for his ears only. He kissed her sloppily and pressed his body against hers again with his head on the crook of her neck.

Grunting in her ear, he spoke, "It's okay, Jennie. Let it out. It's just us. I want to hear you,"

He began to pick up the pace a little, causing her to cry out and lightly scratch his back. She held onto him tight as her panting and moans increased in volume. When he heard her beginning to moan out his name, he smiled to himself.

"That's it...good girl," he praised with a huff. 

She involuntarily clenched around him, causing him to moan. That nickname was going to be dangerous in the future she could already tell from the way she reacted positively every time he called her that. Because of her sudden reaction to it, his confidence continued to boost.

Grabbing her hands, he pinned them to the bed on each side of her head and intertwined his fingers with hers as he continued to thrust into her.

Feeling her release, Jennie cried out his name with her body stuttering. As she rode out her high, Jungkook soon followed as he groaned out her name. His body shook violently as he filled up the condom and collapsed on top of her, panting heavily.

He rolled off of her, removed the condom, and placed it in the wastebasket next to the bed. Immediately he pulled her into his arms and held her as they came down from their high.

"Wow..." he sighed deeply with a big smile.

She giggled and looked up at him.

"Wow..." she replied breathlessly.

Wow...they just took the next step in their relationship and it was something they were always going to remember. Jennie had a dull ache between her thighs but she felt amazing. She felt treasured and she felt important. He took his time with her and made her feel beautiful. They both were sweaty from their physical activities and tangled in the sheets as they smooched again, soaking in the euphoria. 

"Are you all right?" Jungkook asked in a gentle voice with a smile as she looked at him.

He admired the afterglow on her face as he thought she was the most beautiful person he ever laid eyes on.

She cupped the side of his face and beamed. "I feel amazing. Thank you."

"I'm glad you do. Did I do ok?" he hoped as she moved strands of hair sticking on his forehead.

"Of course. It was everything I wanted and more,"

"Good. I'm glad. Does anything hurt?"

"Not really. You prepared me, well. And the lube was a bonus, too. A few friends of mine told me how it hurt them for their first time so I was trying to mentally prepare for the pain but...with you, I was in bliss,"

He smiled at that as his heart pounded. "I was in bliss with you, too,"

Jennie truly was in a state of utter bliss, right now. She felt so good and relaxed. Jungkook had been so loving and attentive for their first time.

"Honestly, I love it when you praise me, in bed. And I really love the things you do to me...how you make me feel. Physically and emotionally,"

She could sense his confidence boosting even more from her compliment as a big grin came across his face. 

"That makes me very happy. So, I can keep calling you my good girl in bed?"

She giggled. "Yes. It makes me feel good and makes me feel like I'm doing a good job,"

"You're always doing a good job. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to us. I like it when you're vocal and the way you hold onto me. Don't be timid about it, okay?"

"Okay, I'll do my best,"

"We need to work on you not running from me when I'm trying to give you head," he teased.

"I...listen...it's..." she couldn't find the right words as he laughed, making her chuckle. "You do it so right, I can get overwhelmed with the pleasure. I didn't think I was going to be able to handle it,"

"You handled yourself, well. And you'll continue to. Also, I think you scratched my back a little,"

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry. I hope it's not too bad,"

"I liked the feeling, it's okay. It did have me thinking about the future. If I'm able to get this reaction out of you now then...what about the other things I want to try with you because there are a lot of things I want to try...a lot,"

She felt her stomach flip at the way his gaze intensified when he said that. "Me too. I kind of...want to see how it is in front of a mirror, one day,"

"Thinking ahead, too, huh?" he smirked softly at the thought. "I'm curious, as well,"

She decided to lay on her back, looking at the ceiling while he chose to lay on his side and propped his head in his hand as he watched her.

"Wow...I remember when I first saw you..." she said with a smile as he listened attentively. "I walked past you a few times when I was still training. You didn't notice me but I'd see you from time to time at Big Hit. You were so focused on your training. And it was always a treat to catch a glimpse of your smile. I always loved seeing you smile. I was closer with Tae at the time since he was the only BTS member I knew but he'd talk about you and the rest of the members and I was just praying...just hoping that I'd get chosen as Miss Bangtan when I auditioned,"

"And here we are," he spoke up.

Turning her head to him, she chuckled. "And here we are. Over the years...being your best friend and learning and growing up with you have been some of the best moments of my life. And being here in this moment with you...being your girlfriend...is when I'm the happiest,"

Jungkook's eyes softened as he listened to her. "And I'm the happiest with you. Always. You taught me a lot of things and you're still teaching me. You taught me how to love. And how to express myself,"

She smiled at that. "I'm glad. Thank you. I'm happy you made me wait. This was perfect. Wow..."

Jungkook watched her with heart eyes as she rambled. He couldn't help himself and blurted his thoughts out loud, "You're so beautiful,"

Hearing him say that caused her to stop talking, feeling flushed at the sudden compliment. She giggled as he looked at her lovingly. Hiding her face in his chest made him chuckle as his heart leaped.

"I'm serious, Jennie. I'm happy. I'm happy to be here with you in this moment,"

Looking up at him, she responded, "Keep it up and you're gonna make me fall in love with you harder,"

He grinned and leaned down to kiss her, wrapping an arm around her. Jennie was already down bad. She couldn't get enough of him and didn't want this to end. She wanted to stay here forever if she could.

As they cuddled and rested in bed in a comfortable silence, Jennie spoke, "What are you thinking about, Jungkook?"

"What you said earlier. I remember my first thoughts when I first laid eyes on you at Big Hit," he brought up as his fingers began to trace over her curves. "I caught a few glimpses of you during the trainee days. Before we officially met when you were declared Miss Bangtan. I always thought you were so pretty. Me and my shyness prevented me from trying to approach you to say hi but whenever I saw you train, I'd stop for a moment to watch you work. You worked so hard and there was a unique fire in you that made you stand out from the other girls. And I had hoped you'd be the one to become Miss Bangtan,"

"And here we are,"

He chuckled at her response since he had said that earlier. "Here we are. I was so happy. And then I got to know you and asked you to be my Golden Best Friend. We confirmed it with friendship rings and did everything together. And I couldn't help but start to fall in love with you and that scared me because I didn't want to ruin our friendship. But as we got older and I finally had that confidence to tell you how I felt...it became one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I'm really happy that you're mine,"

"Jungkook..." she cupped his face and smiled. "I'm really happy that you're mine, too. We'll be together for a year in a few months. Time flew, huh?"

"Yeah, it did. Wow...a year already?"

"Seems like just yesterday I told you I loved you, too in your room. And since then, every day has been an adventure,"

"A fun one at that. I just want to be the best boyfriend, ever. Your first and last,"

"You will be my first, last, and always," she said as he played with her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.

"Are you ready for our reveal?" he asked, since later this year they'll be revealing their relationship to the public.

"Yeah. I am. I'm going to miss this. Miss the privacy and everyone not knowing anything but I know Dispatch knows we're dating. But at least we can beat them to it and say our truth. I'm mentally prepared for it. I know you'll be by my side through it all. I have nothing to worry about when I'm with you,"

"I'm happy you know that. We'll be fine. Just like what I told you when I confessed. I meant every word. No one is going to take you away from me so easily. I'll stand next to you through it all,"

Time passed as they continued to be in each other's arms to talk. Angelina was right, pillow talk was definitely the best.

While Jungkook listened to her talk, he thought about how connected he felt with her after everything. He was never going to let her go. Not after all this. Jennie noticed his expression change which caused her to stop talking. The way he stared deeply into her eyes with deep longing made her stomach flip.

"A-are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah...I just can't get enough of you," he leaned down to start kissing her lips again, slowly turning them over as he hovered over her.

She gasped and held onto him when she felt him grind into her.

"A-again?" she asked keenly, melting into his touch as his hands roamed over her body.

"Again. I'm not done," he responded as she giggled. 

Jennie was happy that they were on the same page with this. She wanted to ask to go again and wondered how to bring it up. His dick felt nice and introduced her to a whole world of pleasure and she couldn't wait to try different positions. Also, who knows when they will have alone time like this, again? Especially for the whole day. So they should take advantage of this moment.

Jungkook wasn't expecting himself to be hard again so suddenly but this was Jennie who he had in his arms. Who he kissed over and over again and made love to. Who he had longed for since he could remember. He wanted to do everything with her and his desires began to take over.

"Are you still flexible?" he suddenly asked.

Flexible? Just what did he have in mind? The question weighed in her mind as she thought of how she should answer.

Feeling playful, she replied in a teasing manner, as her hand went down to his hard length, "Hm...why don't you find out?" 

Groaning from her touch, Jungkook's ears perked up when she asked that enticing question.

Was that...a challenge?

"Challenge accepted," he said huskily in her ear, making her shiver.

It didn't take long for them both to be ready for the next round as he went to grab another condom to put on. On his knees, he heard her let out a surprised yelp when he quickly grabbed her ankles and swiftly pulled her to him as his pupils dilated.

"I always wanted to do this to you," he grabbed her legs and placed them over his shoulders.

He kissed her right ankle softly and looked down at her while placing a warm and firm grip on her hips. She felt even more vulnerable and excited to be in this new position as she tried to prepare for what was about to happen.

"Just tell me if it's too much or if this hurts, okay? I'll go slow, first," he reassured.

Once she confirmed that she would do as she was told, Jennie cried out when he pushed in and began to move at a slow pace to get her used to the new position. Now this position felt even deeper and had her louder as she gripped the sheets and let out a series of curses from how good it felt. Pants left Jungkook's lips as he kept his eyes locked on her while Jennie's eyes were closed, overwhelmed with pleasure.

"Look at me," he demanded.

Managing to open them to meet his ardent gaze, short, ragged gasps left her.

"W-wait—Oh my God!" she cried when he began to pick up the pace, leaning forward, bringing her knees to her chest as he placed his palms on the mattress, on either side of her head.

She tried to grab onto anything she could. The sheets, his torso, his hair, anything as she kept her eyes on him, watching his face contort in pleasure. His eyes were as dangerous as that sultry stare he kept on her and he was using all of it to his advantage to make her tremble underneath him. When she told him to find out if she was still flexible, she wasn't expecting him to bend her this early on as his hips snapped faster.

Her release hit her in waves as she screamed with her body shaking. With one last powerful thrust, his body twitched and he released into the condom. Both were shaking and breathing heavily as they stayed in the position with him looking down, enthralled by her.

"Shit...Where did you learn that!?" she exclaimed, catching her breath, feeling the after effects of her high.

He chuckled and leaned down to lock lips with hers as his tongue brushed against hers. Pulling away, he smiled. "Ah...I hope you won't get mad but I've been asking Namjoon Hyung for some advice,"

"Me? Mad? After what you just did to me, are you crazy? I need to thank him,"

He laughed as she giggled.

Jungkook felt like Namjoon was the best to have serious discussions on topics regarding taking that next step in the relationship. He loved all his hyungs and trusted them. And with Namjoon, he felt like he could confide in him the best about being an attentive boyfriend in the bedroom. And overall, the best to go to for any advice. He was a great leader and a great friend.

"I am not complaining whatsoever...oh my God..." she sighed deeply. "That was amazing,"

As they continued to catch their breath, Jungkook hadn't pulled out yet.

"Just let me...let me stay inside you just a little longer. You feel too good," he told her as she enjoyed the sensation.

He relished the feeling of being inside her. The warmth of her around him. He was happy to be vulnerable with her and be able to express himself like this. After a while, he slowly pulled out of her to remove the condom and throw it in the trash.

"Stay right there, I'll be back," he said and got out of bed.

Turning on her side to watch him, she spoke, "Nice butt,"

He chuckled and raised an eyebrow suggestively at her before leaving the room. Moments later, he came back with two bottles of water and a wet washcloth. Handing her a bottle while setting the other on the nightstand, he got back in bed.

"Thank you," she smiled and opened it to gulp some water. 

The cool drink quenched her dry throat and she was grateful. Especially due to the amount of yelling and screaming she had been doing because of him.

"Let me clean you up a bit," he said and used the washcloth to gently wipe her down. 

They both were sweaty and spent from their activities as sleep was heavy on their minds. After he wiped her down nicely, he turned off all the electric candles in the room and got under the covers with her. Pulling her into his arms, she laid on his chest with her chest flushed against his as he put the covers over them. 

"You all right?" he asked, sleepily.

"Hm-hm...I love you..." she murmured sleepily as she snuggled into his chest.

"I love you, too," he kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes.

----------

In the morning, the bedroom was brightened with the sun peeking out. Still under the sheets and lying on her own side of the comfortable bed instead of on top of Jungkook, Jennie began to stir in her slumber.

Opening her eyes, she stretched and laid on her back. Her body felt a little sore from last night's physical activities and her face flushed, remembering what had happened. A smile tugged on her mouth as she thought about how good Jungkook made her feel. Was this what it was like to be with someone you truly love? She felt like she was on a high. Warm and fuzzy feelings filled her heart as she was elated.

Turning around, she was greeted by the beautiful view of a naked Jungkook still sleeping. His hair was messy and the bed sheet was covering his lower body, showing off his toned chest and abs. His face exuded calmness as she watched him with a smile and looked at him with a deeper love. After last night, their love for each other amplified and they were even more affirmed in their feelings.

She kissed his nose and turned her back to him to grab her phone off the nightstand. She focused on answering birthday messages from yesterday and thanked friends, family, and fans for all the love. 

Feeling the bed move, she set her phone down on the mattress and felt Jungkook wrap an arm around her, pulling her to his firm chest.

"Mm...good morning," he greeted in her ear, making her shiver.

Oh...his morning voice was a whole new level of sexy. His voice was rough and deeper and she even heard a bit of his Busan Satoori accent. 

Before she could speak, he gently moved her onto her stomach and began to place soft, sensual kisses on her shoulder and down her back, making her breath hitch. His lips traveled down her spine as she trembled and he found himself going lower.

"Ah! Stop!" she laughed and squirmed when he went to gently bite her left ass cheek, feeling playful this morning.

She felt him chuckle against her body as he kissed back up her spine with his length hardened. Pulling her back against his chest, as they began to lay on their sides, she looked back and crashed her lips against his deeply.

The both of them were all over each other, unable to get enough as they kissed and touched each other like they did the night before. Both ready for round 3, Jungkook slipped on another condom as they laid on their sides, spooning. Sliding in smoothly, she gasped as he held her close, with her leg over his, thrusting in and out at a luscious pace while she pushed back with each thrust. 

They can get used to this. Being able to love each other this much without any interruptions. Their moans and heavy breathing filled the room as they made love once again. After they came down from their sweet release, with Jungkook pulling out and throwing the condom away, Jennie snuggled into his arms.

"Good morning. Can't keep your hands off me, huh?" she giggled after kissing him tenderly.

"Not after last night. And I just wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming that last night happened. I'm happy this is real. How are you feeling?"

"Me too. I feel good. Just a little sore but I'm fine,"

"Did I do too much?"

"No, you're fine, Kook. You made me feel special," she answered while he kissed her temple.

They stayed in bed for another hour, enjoying each other's company, and proceeded to get ready for the day. Jennie put her hair in a high bun and planned her outfit for the day, setting it out on the dresser of the bedroom. Putting on her shower playlist to play on a small speaker in the bathroom, the two began to shower together. This was a whole new level of intimacy as they smiled at each other and reminisced on last night.

They showered but before they could turn off the water, the two found themselves all over each other once again. This time it was Jennie who had initiated it, pulling him to her wet body as the warm water rushed down Jungkook's back. Her heavy breathing and moans mixed with the running water as she writhed under his touch.

"You want to do this in the shower?" he grunted against her ear as her hands released his length.

"Wait...condoms. We don't have any," 

"We do. I put one condom and a specific type of lube that'll work in the shower for it. Right here," he pointed to one of the shelves of the shower.

As he said, there was a packaged condom and lube to assist with the shower. She was surprised. He really thought of everything.

"Wow, you really had this all planned out for me, huh?" 

"Just in case," he grinned sheepishly. "There are a lot of places I imagined us in...this is one of them. So, we could try it here. See if we like it, if you're up for it. I don't want to overdo it or anything if you're tired,"

"Overdo it? Nah, come here. I'm never going to get enough of you. I can handle another round," she pulled him back, backing up against the cold tile which made her shiver slightly.

He smirked. "Your wish is my command. I'm never going to get enough of you, either,"

As they kissed repeatedly, the shower water ran down his back while they were all over each other. They didn't know how much time had passed as they explored their bodies in this new environment for lovemaking but all that was on their minds was each other. After grabbing the condom to put it on himself, he used a generous amount of lube.

"Hold onto me," he instructed after lifting her to hold her securely in his arms while she was pressed against the shower wall.

He slid right in, slow and sensual as they both gasped at the feeling. The two became lost in each other once again as Jungkook began to move at an agonizingly slow pace, to try to tease her. It began to work as she whined and held onto him tighter.

"Faster..." she murmured in his ear while his face was buried in the crook of her neck.

He heard her and chuckled as she felt the vibration against her wet body. He knew what she wanted but wanted to hear her say it louder.

"Speak up, Jennie. What do you want?"

Oh, this little shit...How could he have the strength to tease her like this? This wasn't fair.

Unable to handle the slow pace, she finally relented as she let out another curse and spoke up as requested as she begged, "Please...go faster!"

Giving her what she wanted, he immediately picked up the pace, making her cry out and hold onto him tighter. Moving his head he smooched her sloppily as she moaned and whimpered against his mouth. There was no way she was going to be able to survive this with the way he snapped his hips against hers. God...her head was spinning with the way he had her yelling out for him. She knew for a fact her legs were going to feel like jelly after this with the way he was making her feel. He felt so good and felt better every time they were intimate. 

She moaned his name loudly and clenched around him as she had her release. His hips snapped into her faster with his movements getting sloppier, groaning out her name as he followed her, both riding out their high together.

Still catching their breaths, they looked at each other with satisfied smiles and kissed again as he remained inside her, enjoying the feeling. After their shower, Jennie's legs felt weak and she almost fell until he caught her.

"Easy," he soothed. "You all right?"

"I am but my legs feel like jelly," she admitted.

"Yeah...I overdid it," he chuckled.

"And it was so worth it," she responded tiredly with a chuckle.

Turning off the shower, and grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around her body and carried her bridal style out of the shower. Gently laying her on her bed, he went back to the bathroom to dry off and wrap a towel around himself, walking back in the bedroom.

"I'll take care of you. Relax. I'm going to lotion you up and help put on your outfit. Then you'll rest up, all right?"

"Mm-hm," she responded tiredly again.

Her body was spent.

To pamper her like this even though her birthday was over was sweet. He lotioned her body and even massaged her while he did it to help with the soreness. Especially for her legs. He then helped her put on her sports bra, sweatpants, and a hoodie. After she was squared away, she immediately fell asleep as he chuckled at the cute sight. Readjusting her on the bed, he gently placed a pillow under her and placed the covers over her.

Kissing her cheek, he watched her sleep, feeling satisfied. He made love to her how many times, now? Made her say his name with ecstasy in her voice, how many times? She was his and he was hers. They were 100% locked in.

After she was taken care of, he grabbed his bag to put on his new outfit for the day, consisting of a similar outfit of a hoodie and sweatpants. He then gathered their scattered clothes from last night and straightened up the bedroom.

Gently closing the bedroom door, he let her sleep. While he waited for her to wake up, he brought his Wii U and played it in the living room. After an hour passed his phone buzzed on the coffee table and he saw Namjoon calling.

"Morning, hyung," Jungkook greeted happily.

"Good morning. Are you two getting ready for breakfast?" he asked.

Breakfast?? Jungkook had forgotten that the group planned to go out to eat for breakfast. But he planned to make Jennie breakfast.

Jungkook rubbed the back of his neck as he got up to check on Jennie still sleeping and went back to the couch. "You mind if we both do a rain check? We'll be ready for dinner, later. She's still sleeping and I plan to make her breakfast in her room,"

Namjoon laughed at his response, having an understanding of what was up while Jungkook began to blush.

"Ah...Hyung, can you keep this between us?"

"Of course. I'm happy you two are happy and affirming your love for each other,"

"Thank you,"

"Is that Jungkook? Are they getting ready?" Jin asked in the background.

"It's him. They're going to eat breakfast together. They won't be joining us," Namjoon informed.

"What!? I wanted to see Jennie and spend more time with her after he hogged her all day,"

"We ate breakfast with her yesterday,"

"And I'd like to spend more time with my daughter, thank you,"

"Our daughter,"

Jungkook laughed at their banter and ignored Jin's complaining as he hung up the phone. He proceeded to make Jennie a Japanese breakfast. He planned out making her breakfast a few days before her birthday and went grocery shopping in advance. Once he finished making everything for them both, he set the dishes up on the coffee table while the TV was showing the news and how the weather was going to be today. 

Heading into her room to see her awake and scrolling her phone, he smiled. 

"Hey," he greeted softly.

Her face lit up when she turned to see him. "Hi...something smells good," 

She sat up and stretched, feeling refreshed as the soreness had felt more dull now and her legs didn't feel as weak as before. 

"Call it brunch. It's waiting for us," he proudly announced. 

"Brunch with you? How cute. What time is it?"

"It's past 1 now,"

"There is no way," she looked at the clock on her phone.

She was so fixated on continuing to reply to birthday messages and seeing the nice tweets from ARMY that she failed to acknowledge the time. It was truly past 1 pm.

"Jungkook!? Why didn't you wake me earlier? We were going to hang with Jimin and Tae, I just remembered,"

"Trust me, you needed the rest after what I did to you these past 24 hours," he reminded, causing her face to flush. "And it's a good thing we don't have a schedule today and you get to rest. So, it all worked out," 

"Okay, you got me there," she chuckled with him.

Reaching out to gently grab her, he easily lifted her in his arms to carry her to the living room and sat her down on the couch where their food was waiting for them.

"I already let them know we'll hang out with them, later. They're still here at the hotel. We'll meet them when ready," 

"Okay, cool. Wow, this looks delicious. Spoiling me, still?"

"Always. Let's eat,"

She took a bite of her steamed rice and praised him for his cooking as he felt great about himself. He loved hearing her praise him and thank him for the little things. Jennie was always vocal about the things he did for her and he appreciated that. 

As they ate, Jennie found a channel that showed a familiar anime that she remembered Taehyung mentioning. The two chatted about what they planned to do for the rest of the day and as they ate with Jungkook focused on the TV, she observed him in contentment.

So valued...so secure...she wanted this relationship to last forever. She truly believed she found the one. A walking green flag, he is. Someone so open and patient in loving her. Someone who truly sees her and is not afraid to love her, even in public. 

"What?" he grinned, sensing her looking at his face as he got lost in her eyes. 

"I love you, Jungkook," she said with a smile.

His bunny smile got wider as he leaned over to kiss her deeply. "I love you, too,"

After eating breakfast together, Jennie continued to open up her gifts and made sure to send texts and tweets to shout out everyone who had gifted her something. The two lovers continued to get ready for the day and made sure to cover up any marks from their physical activities since last night with concealer. 

Making sure she had everything, she left her room with Jungkook and placed a white cap on her head. "Okay! Let's meet up with Jimin and Taehyung,"

"Onward!" Jungkook smacked her butt and walked beside her as she giggled.

----------

The couple met up with the other half of the Maknae line so they could do some sightseeing for the day. Meeting them outside, the four of them began walking. Jimin and Taehyung began to notice Jennie and Jungkook acting closer than before and peeped at how Jungkook seemed to act clingier in a way. And there was a sudden glow about Jennie that could not be ignored as she smiled happily. Curiosity popped up between the two as they wondered what happened.

"Ennie! So, how was your birthday? It's been all day and now we see you? Are you all right?" Taehyung asked with a grin.

"Yeah! It was so much fun! We went to Universal and we got to see Harry Potter World! Butterbeer is SO good! And yeah, I'm fine. I was catching up on sleep. I was up all night," 

A low chuckle escaped Jungkook's lips as he thought about the context of her statement and smirked to himself. All the memories of her under him came back as he thought about how crazy they were about each other. Catching the reaction, Jennie locked eyes with her lover and felt her face warm up as she chuckled softly. 

Jimin and Taehyung glanced at each other as they watched closely at the couple's body language and reactions to her statement.

"Jeon Jungkook...Jennifer Walker." Jimin called them out.

"Yeah? What is it?" she asked, reluctantly turning away from Jungkook to look at him.

"What, hyung?" Jungkook asked as his lingering gaze on her stayed. After a moment, he finally turned to Jimin to see what he wanted.

Jimin narrowed his eyes, observing them suspiciously while the couple raised an eyebrow.

"Mm-hm." Jimin nodded to himself and glanced at Taehyung.

"Mm-hm?" Taehyung glanced back and Jimin nodded in response. 

"Mm-hm..." they both said and gave each other knowing looks, chuckling to themselves.

"So, Jennie, was Jungkook golden in lovemaking, too?" Jimin teased with a grin.

Jungkook let out a cough, looking shooked while Jennie widened her eyes and turned away.

"He was! Oh my God! You two finally did it!? It took you both long enough! And why didn't you tell us this, earlier!? Our ship has sailed to NEW heights!" Taehyung cheered.

"Why would we do that!?" Jungkook exclaimed.

Jennie groaned. "This isn't something the whole world should know."

"But we're the Maknae Line! We tell each other everything!" Jimin whined.

"Oh my God..." Jennie sighed.

"Oh my gosh, do your sisters know that their baby sister is-"

"NO!" she cut Jimin off.

"Does Jin know!? His reaction will be priceless!" Taehyung laughed.

"NO! And we'd like to keep it that way!" Jungkook exclaimed.

"So, this is why she was walking a little funny," Jimin laughed loudly while Taehyung giggled.

Jennie pushed her cap down to hide her embarrassment as she looked down. Her face was on fire from their constant teasing while Jungkook went to hit them both.

"Hyung!" Jungkook shouted, face getting pink.

"What? We think it's adorable! If you need any alone time, we can help!"

"Yeah! It's nice to see our Golden Couple so close as of late," Taehyung added with a boxy smile.

"So, Jennie, was Jungkookie manly?" Jimin teased, raising his eyebrows.

"Chill!" Jennie whined, covering her face.

"Let's go!" Jungkook grabbed her hand and walked away while the 95 Liners continued to laugh out loud and ran after them.

--------

Later in the evening, all of Bangtan went out to eat in a private area for dinner to catch up. Jennie sat in between Jungkook and Hobi as they all ate their food happily. Jen settled for ramen and devoured the noodles with delight.

"Well, it's finally good to see you, Jennie. Where have you been all day? We tried to get a hold of you for breakfast but Jungkook said you were still sleeping," Jin brought up. 

"We ate breakfast together," she answered with a smile.

"He hogged you all day yesterday and even all morning. It's good to see you, now," Yoongi added.

"Haha, it's good to see you guys, too! I just had a long night and slept in. But my birthday was fun!" she replied, smiling brightly.

"What did you do? I saw your tweets at Universal! I want to go next time,"

"We all gotta make a trip there, it was a blast! The rides were lit," she enthused as she recapped her time with Jungkook at Universal.

"Butterbeer, huh? I'm curious," Hobi added.

Dinner was filled with good vibes and silliness like always as everyone laughed at whatever jokes were said or silly acts were performed. Amused at Hobi and Taehyung's silliness, Jennie and Jungkook began clapping their hands while laughing, throwing their heads back.

Jimin and Taehyung glanced at each other and grinned. Now they were doing the same mannerisms as each other? This was too cute.

"You two laugh the same!" Taehyung giggled.

"Yeah! And you moved the same!" Jin pointed out.

"Lately it's like you two are starting to act the same, sometimes," Hobi added.

"We are?" the couple asked in unison which caused the guys to chuckle at their point being made.

"Usually Jungkook claps and laughs. Jen, it seems like you picked up on his habit. It's cute," Yoongi observed.

"Really? I didn't even notice," she giggled, glancing at Jungkook with a smile.

After eating, Jennie decided to do some last minute grocery shopping because she wanted to try to make a Japanese cake after coming across so many bakeries in Japan. She wanted to learn more about baking different types of sweets and decided to try to make herself a Japanese Strawberry Shortcake. She had tried one before and loved it and wanted to create her own version.

Wanting to keep her company, the Hyung Line decided to join her while the Maknae Line went to hang out somewhere else. Finding a grocery store that didn't have that many people, they began to shop while wearing their masks.

"What do you plan to make?" Jin asked while Hobi pushed Jen's shopping cart for her.

"Oh, so you know the Japanese strawberry shortcake? I've been researching how people make it and their techniques. I want to try to create my own," she answered happily.

"You sharing?" Namjoon immediately asked.

"I want a slice," Yoongi spoke up.

"Me too~!" Hobi cheered.

"If there is anyone who deserves a slice, it's me! You are sharing, right, Jennie?" Jin asked, hopeful. 

She giggled at their enthusiasm. "Yes, I'm sharing. I'll let you guys know when I finish making it,"

The boys cheered at that, yelling happily as she laughed.

"Do you have the list of ingredients?" Yoongi asked.

"Mm hm. I have it on my phone," she answered while checking out the fruit section.

While they shopped, Yoongi began to research the Japanese Strawberry Shortcake on his phone and wandered off to grab recommended ingredients. Finding his group after a few minutes, he placed the ingredients in the cart.

"What's this?" she asked him.

"I read that these specific brands are the best for making the cake. Try it out, see if it'll enhance it," 

"Aw, thanks, Yoongi! I'll try it out,"

Yoongi smiled under his mask, happy that she accepted his suggestion. 

As they were finishing up their shopping with the boys carrying the bags for her, they began walking back to their hotel. But then, Jen's phone crashed onto the ground, being protected by her phone case after it slipped out her hands.

"Ahhhhhh~! Her phone dropped!" Hobi yelled while the guys began freaking out with him which startled her.

"Miss Bangtan dropped her phone! Holy shit!" Yoongi dramatically yelled.

"She dropped her phone! Her phone is down!" Jin cried.

"Her phone is on the ground!" Namjoon shouted as he and the rest of the boys gathered around the phone, looking down at it.

Jennie watched in amusement as they pretended to be a referee for a boxing match and began counting like it was a knockout.

"1!"

"2!"

"3!"

"4!"

"You guys are so dramatic! What the hell?" she laughed as she bent down to pick up the phone while they laughed with her. 

Once making it back to the hotel, she stayed in her room alone to work on her cake while Jungkook was still out. Looking back at the recipe and videos to make sure she followed the directions, she felt confident in having the cake turn out well. She worked hard as she followed every tip and direction, making the cake with love and putting her spin on it.

After a while, she heard a series of knocks on her door and Jen washed her hands and opened it to let Jungkook in.

"Hey! Welcome back," she gave him a sweet kiss after shutting the door.

"Hey, I missed you. How was shopping?"

"It was fun. I just finished the cake. You want to be my taste tester?"

"Hell yeah! How did it go baking it?" he asked as they walked over to the kitchen to see the delicious shortcake. 

It looked mouthwatering. The soft, fluffy sponge cake sat on a platter, decorated nicely with strawberries and whipped cream.

"I think it went all right. I didn't have any trouble when making it. I had some good references. I want to start trying new recipes to expand my baking skills,"

"So, I get to be your taste tester before you give it to the guys?" he asked happily.

She giggled. "Yes. They're eager to try it but I wanted you to try it first. I like hearing your opinions. Your feedback means a lot to me as well as your suggestions with everything,"

Jungkook smiled at that and kissed her temple. "How lucky am I? I'm glad to hear that,"

"Moment of truth. Let me know what you think," she cut a slice and placed it on a paper plate along with a plastic fork for him.

His doe eyes looked at the slice with delight as he picked up the fork to take a big bite. His expectations for her baking were always reasonably high because he was confident in how talented she was with her baking. No matter what she does, it always turns out well.

The Golden Maknae's eyebrows furrowed immediately as he continued to eat it. The cake was moist and light as the strawberries tasted sweet. Jungkook felt like he just bit into a cloud and whatever she had done for the whipped cream enhanced the cake even more. Meanwhile, Jennie watched him chew as nervousness was at the pit of her stomach. She was her worst critic when it came to baking new recipes and hoped she did it justice. 

As she observed him he looked...angry? Did it taste nasty?

'Damn, this is good. How did I get so lucky to have a girlfriend who bakes this well?' he happily thought.

Jungkook immediately ate another forkful, chewing it vigorously as he enjoyed every bite. He kept chewing while Jennie assumed it was a negative reaction and he just wanted to keep eating to not hurt her feelings.

"U-um...Kook? You good?" she asked with some nervousness in her voice.

Swallowing the sweet bite, he looked up at her as if nothing was wrong. "Yeah, why?"

"Why? You tearing that shit up but you look mad," she giggled. "Is it good or bad? You're making me a little nervous,"

He laughed at her concerns and reassured her, "It's amazing! And this is your first time making this, too? You did a great job. The right amount of sweetness and the cream is the best part. I want another slice!"

Relief washed over her as she smiled widely and kissed his cheek. So, if something tastes really good, Jungkook looks angry when eating it. Jennie made a mental note to remember that. 

[forestshadow-wolf]

Headcanon time!!! [I'm actually projecting!!!]

Everyones' got their gimmick for dealing with stress and anger. Ghost hit the gym, gaz found someone to talk to, price did.. god knows what with nik, and soap...

Soap didn't really know. Not anymore anyway. Not after being told "you can't keep running from all your problems" time after time. He'd trained it out of himself long ago, forced himself to learn how to root himself to one spot.

He supposed he could consider filling page after page of his journal could be considered an outlet. But it just never worked the same. Or at all. Only serving to let him stew in his own thoughts. Allowed all that reckless energy bleed into sleepless night instead of mile of track.

He's tried talking. His parents tried to get him to talk through his feelings. But it never felt right to him. It made him clam up. He had to force words through his teeth, and it made tears of frustration spring to his eyes, which only served to make him madder.

One small tick in a nice moment could set him on edge for days. And it's not like he didn't know it was irrational. He did his best to tamp it down, and put on the happy smile. And for the most part it worked... for the most part. On the days it didn't he'd seclude himself to more solitary tasks, actively avoid as many people as possible to avoid snapping at some poor undeserving soul.

Sometimes when they came back to base after an unsuccessful mission that left everyone exhausted and frustrated, they'd all spit up. He knew ghost would likely be found in the gym, but he also knew ghost like his own time to work off his anger. Gaz would be hangout with price in his office or commandeering some other poor sod. If price wasn't with gaz he was probably with nik, doing stuff soap didn't even want to think about.

Instead soap usually locked himself in his room for the rest of the day, foregoing meals if it was being served, in favor of nibbling on protein bars (not that he had much of an appetite usually). One time he actually had run off. He'd been exceptionally mad that time (about what? He can't remember) but he'd purposely left his devices in his room, and ghost had had to find him for either a debrief or a meeting on an upcoming mission. Sure it helped a hell of a lot more that sitting in his room did, but delaying a meeting for two and a half hours was a hell of a lot more inconvenient for everyone else. So instead he sat and he drew and he stewed.

Ghost has definitely caught onto soap's behavior. It worries him. He knows what it's like to not have an outlet, for years he himself didn't have one, and it's not healthy.

On one of the days where soap makes himself scarce ghost seeks him out. Finds him doing the boringest of jobs- restocking empty mags, counting inventory- he can tell its not helping. He drags soap out, takes him to the gym with him, sets him to work. Soap is drawn to the treadmills, hops on, starts it up. But it isn't the same. And ghost can see that even that's not working.

It takes more than a few of those days to figure out what soap really needs- for ghost and soap. It's not just the working or the movement or the release of energy. It's everything and it's the changes in scenery and terrain. It works his mind and his muscles and gets him fresh air. It gets him away.

Eventually, with ghost's help, he learns to deal with is stress. It's not uncommon to see him lapping the track, or unning the obstacle course. On certain bad days ghost will take him out to the wooded area, they'll run trails through it, he developed a habit for climbing the trees oddly enough (or maybe it's not so odd seeing as how ghost found him up a tree that first time). He still leaves his devices in his room, which is why ghost follows... and to keep him company, he doesn't mind the workout either. And soap seems to enjoy his presence

This got way out of hand and went in a different direction that I thought it would??

[sandinthemachine]

König Workout HC

@itsagrimm and I were having a lot of fun the other day talking about gym König and this is the result, it definitely got away from me. Probably gonna turn it into a drabble or two at some point

When He's Alone

The gym is definitely a safe space for him. He's had to work out pretty intensely as long as he's been in the military, so the pain and pushing his body is second nature to him. He puts on his heaviest metal playlist and immediately enters his own little world

Find him headbanging and bouncing his leg between sets

When he's really into it he'll even make very quiet humming and growling sounds deep in his throat as he's rocking out. He doesn't notice. Do Not Point It Out, he would never recover from the embarrassment

Man does not spend much money on himself, but he DID invest in really nice noise-canceling earbuds that play the bass tones in his music perfectly

Going off of that point, it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get his attention once he's into the workout. He's taller than everyone else so he can already completely miss people way shorter than him, add that to the fact that he cannot hear anything with the earbuds in, he is barely aware he is in public anymore. You basically have to physically run into him or he will NOT notice you

He can huff a little when his weights get really heavy, but he doesn't tend to grunt or make many sounds

He gets really hyped and energetic, always pushing himself to lift just a little more and do just one more rep. He absolutely LOVES the burn when his body is protesting and enjoys the soreness after almost as much, it's a reminder of what his body can do and he's intensely proud of that

He never asks people to spot him, if he chooses a weight too heavy he just suffers in silence, usually he's stubborn enough to push through it though

Absolutely TERRIBLE at cooling down and stretching afterwards, when he's done he's done and just wants to move to the next thing. He always tells himself he'll stretch at home and then immediately forgets

When You Work Out Together

When you first start getting close the two of you can't STAND working out together. He likes being a lone wolf and doing his own thing while ignoring everything around him, so he's a bit grumpy at first, and then he tries to be supportive of you but turns into more of a drill sergeant, stressing you out even more than when he'd ignore you

But as you two get closer you decide to try again

And this time it's much better

You realize that everyone gives you plenty of space, even the annoying gym bros give you a wide berth and you get to use any machines or weights you want no matter how busy the gym is. You love it.

He's still very intense, but he's gotten better at being supportive about it.

He spots you and encourages you to add just a little more weight or do just one more rep, even if you're telling him you can't he's arguing right back, stubborn as all hell until you try again and

You do it

And he gets REALLY excited

He might even yell out in the middle of the gym

"Yes! I knew you could do it!" "That's MY girl/guy/partner/friend/etc!"

He isn't usually very verbal but you get all the praise every time you push yourself, he gets very bouncy and keeps smiling at you saying how proud he is

When you take breaks he's making sure you're drinking water and checking if you need anything else, he has a horde of all kinds of workout snacks and makes sure to always bring your favorites

And when you're between sets you get to spot him

You usually don't have to do much work but he makes you do it anyway. He secretly likes watching you eye his muscles or touch them as they flex, he worked his ass off for them and loves when you admire them.

On cardio days you assume the two of you can go for a run or maybe a bike ride together, only to find out he's one of those batshit insane people who loves suicide runs. He convinces you to join him once. Never again. You're happy to watch, though. Even if it terrifies you just a little, especially when he gives you a big toothy smile after every lap even as he gets flushed bright red and struggles to breathe.

He is definitely one of those people that gets even more energy after working out, you'll be walking on jelly legs and he'll be all !!! "Let's go for a hike!" but when you're too tired he's just as happy to go for a drive around town getting all the best food (his appetite is IMMENSE esp. after a hard workout), and while he's on that post-workout adrenaline he's almost a different person, bouncing on his heels and getting really excited at everything, grinning at you and getting you to grin and laugh back until both of your cheeks are sore

After you've both showered you like to sit on the couch together doing your own thing, maybe put a movie on in the background. He tends to still have a lot of energy, stimming and tapping his leg with his hands or bouncing in his seat, very content and happy

Eventually, EVENTUALLY, he'll settle down and crash on the couch, sometimes with his head in your lap, sometimes with you climbing into his

When you both wake up sore he'll be grinning at you all over again, hiding his chuckles behind his hand

[gemini-sensei]

What if Alexopoulos!Reader doesn't tell anyone who her baby daddy is?

Part One | Part Three Coming Soon

Because I feel like it, I'm going with cottagecore!Alexopoulos for this. @sensei-venus

Reader was relieved when her brother and mother weren't upset that she was pregnant. She didn't wait too long to tell them, but didn't want to do that alone. Luckily, Moon was by her side the whole time. She held Reader's hand through the whole time, rubbing her back when she needed to take a deep breath and helped her keep her head up.

As soon as she heard the news, Sophie Alexopoulos went to her daughters other side and hugged her. Reader cried on her shoulder as she apologized, knowing this wasn't easy for her single mother to hear. But Sophie just shushed her and told her not to be sorry, but Reader still cried because she was so uncertain.

Demetri was speechless. Of all the people he thought would have a teenage pregnancy, it wasn't his little sister. He was a mix of emotions in the moment; confusion mostly.

He was the one to ask who the father was and watched his sister burst into wailing sobs. As their mom and Moon had to calm her down from almost hyperventilating. His confusion soon turned to anger, understanding that someone had seriously hurt his sister and from that moment forward, he knew better than to ever ask again.

That's how things started, eventually leading to Moon joining her for appointments and shopping trips. She stays close to Reader at school and keeps her away from any karate drama happening, keeping her best interest in mind. Demetri becomes far more protective over his sister, and as they tell their friends about the pregnancy, so do they.

With them, so close, they notice things, like how she never wants to go out. It's never because she sick, she never gives them that excuse. "I just don't feel like it," she'll tell them and they're apprehensive to leave her at home.

When at school, she avoids certain hallways altogether. She doesn't want to eat in the cafeteria anymore. She's excused from gym class, but has the option to go outside with her class on nice days and won't. She tucks herself away in the library and hopes to not be found, but Sam or Robby or Moon always end up finding her.

Her big sweaters hide her growing belly. No one expects the bumb under the pale and creamy colors, behind the mushroom embroidery and charming overall dresses or long skirts.

The more she hangs out with Moon, the more their styles compliment each other. Moon takes her out shopping for maternity clothes as that time draws nearer, but Reader doesn't like any of the typical stuff. So they shop around at thrift stores until they find some things within her style that are just bigger and just right for a baby bump.

Reader doesn't talk a lot, which is odd when she's with her friends. Around new people, sure, but even with her own brother, she's quiet. They're usually so close, but ever since this started, she's been a little distant with everyone.

One day, the coach tells Reader she can't sit inside anymore, that the sun will be good for her and the baby. She makes Reader dress in her gym uniform and it's the first time her belly has been put on full display. Her shirt is tight around her whole torso, her belly peeking out at the bottom.

So when she walks outside, Hawk sees her. He sees the way her shirt is pulled taut over her belly, thinking about how she looks so different than he's used to seeing her. It's so obvious to him and everyone else there that she's pregnant. And as she takes a seat, he knows it's his baby growing in her belly.

He forgets everything and starts walking over to her, but she spots him and tenses up. Her hand goes to her belly and she starts breathing hard. Moon, who is close by, sees and hears her stressing out. She rushes over and sits beside Reader, trying to calm her down.

"Hey, whats wrong? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"

Hawk stops, frozen in his tracks. He's bot far from the pair, able to hear Moon's gentle voice as she simultaneously rubs Reader's back and belly. She's nurturing and calm, but Reader is staring Hawk down, but only until Moon follows her gaze and sees him. She puts her head down and Hawk feels ashamed, thinking that he's done something very wrong if the girl having his baby doesn't want to see him or talk to him or even be near him.

And he knows the baby is his. He just knows it because Reader is loyal and kind and only has a few close friends.

He's heartbroken as he watches Moon stand with Reader and walk her away from him, the look on her face cross and rather unfriendly. It's odd coming from her, but it's obvious him her first priory is Reader and getting her away from him.

Moon doesn't ask what happened again. So long as Reader and the baby are okay, that's all she cares about. She just assumed Hawk's edge and attitude are threatening to Reader. After all, it isn't a far fetched idea given his rivalry with Demetri. So she doesn't talk about it, instead focusing on soothing her mind, using breathing exercises.

As Hawk watches them from afar, he can't help but feel jealous. That should be him either Reader, holding her hand as they sit in the grass field and talk aoftly to each other. Instead, he's yards away made to watch because he knows he's fucked everything up.

After school, Moon takes Reader to her next appointment. They're going to find out if the baby is a boy or girl, so she treats Reader to a little afternoon lunch to satisfy her cravings, then they're off to the doctor's office.

As they're sitting in the waiting room, Moon is gushing and fussing over Reader's belly. She has one hand on her belly the whole time, feeling the baby squirm around. She talks to the baby in a cutesy voice, which makes Reader smile as she watches. Reader just stays quiet and holds her belly, but greets the nurse that calls her back.

She's a excited to find out what the baby is, bjt a little nervous too. She doesn't know what she wants it to be, but knows she'll be happy with whatever her squirmy little baby is. So when she's up on the table with her belly slathered with gel and Moon holding her hand, she's antsy. She can't seem to sit very still and she wants to know already, a little more than a little impatient.

When they learn she's having a little girl, Moon squeals and hugs Reader. The technician thinks they're a couple and congratulates them, making the girls become a little flustered. They don't correct her for calling them a "happy couple" and she leaves. Moon helps clean Reader up, then they leave and they go to the baby store for clothes.

"Go crazy," Moon tells Reader as she grabs a basket. "It's on me."

Reader doesn't want to spend too much money, but as they go through the store, she finds cute dresses and shirts and onesies. Flower patterned dresses and little frilly socks, daisies and snails on top of sage green and cream colored clothes. Before she knows it, she and Moon have filled up two shopping baskets. They have everything imaginable in their hands and as they're checking out, Moon can't help watching the way Reader smiles.

She takes Reader home and helps her put away the clothes, folding them and putting them into the little dresser she has for the baby. Reader has split her bedroom in half to share with the baby, a little crib set up opposite of her bed, a bassinet right beside her bed for the first few months of her baby's life, and a new dresser that's perfect for all the baby clothes. It's not a lot, but it's a good start, and for the room that she has to work with, it's great.

Read and Moon are sitting on her bed, just talking about how cute the baby will be wearing the new onesies they brought. It's lots of giggles and sweet whispers, as if they're hiding a secret from anyone else around. As the baby starts to squirm again, Moon rubs Reader's bump and talks soothingly to the baby.

"Getting your daily exercise in, huh? Are you trying out yoga in there or is it a dance party?" she asks with a giggle.

It makes Reader laugh and it's the happiest anyone has seen her in weeks. She leans onto Moon, resting her head on the other girl's shoulder as they rub her belly in small circles.

"She's gonna be a cutie, just like her mama," Moon says softly.

Reader's cheeks turn hot and she hides her face in Moon's shoulder. "I'm not all that pretty..."

Moon lifts Reader's head with a gentle motion, holding her chin sweetly. "You're very beautiful, Reader, whether you see it or not. Inside and out."

Reader feeling her heart start hammering in her chest. It's the first time in months someone has ever said such lovely things to her and she can't deny that she also thinks Moon is beautiful. She takes a quick glance at her lips before looking back into her pretty eyes. Moon's smile widens and she leans into Reader, pressing a sweet and simple kiss to Reader's lips.

When she pulls away, Reader leans in to follow, but leans back again shyly. Moon laughs softly and it's like listening to an angel. She kisses Reader again, longer this time but still as sweet. Their arms come to wrap around watch other and they moan softly into one another's mouths. Then they're laying on the comfortable bed and just holding each other while making out. Moon rubs Reader's bump gently, showing her she likes all of her no matter what.

It's tender and sweet, beautiful, and for the first time in a long time, Reader truly feels wanted.

[eisa-core]

Episode 1 - Ready to time off

SEVENTEEN visits the forest in the middle of a hectic tour around the world!

Can the woods offer them a refreshing retreat?

15 october 2022

It's only been a day since Seventeen landed in Korea from Singapore for a leg of the Be The Sun Tour, and without unpacking their bags, they were ready to film the second season of In The Soop. They felt the stress and consequently also the pressure of not being able to deliver entertaining content but once they boarded the bus in the direction of their residence, their eyes closed on their own without giving too much thought to what to do or say, but only to total relaxation.

2:00 pm

«Hyejin-ah, wake up, we're here we have to get off» - Jeonghan's soft voice shook her from her dream. All along the journey she had managed to sleep, and she wasn't the only one: Jun, Minghao, Mingyu and Joshua had also fallen asleep on the way.

When she looked up, she noticed a breathtaking landscape outside; lots of trees and clean water reflecting the sunlight. It was a really healing atmosphere.

«I'll take that» - Minghao took the bag from her hands to hold it, and she thanked him with a smile. «Wow! Looks like we're the only ones here»

[ We did all of this for you Seventeen! ]

«Where should we go first? Shall we look at the rooms?» - Seungcheol took a stance gathering everyone beside him and all 13 nodded, following him to the entrance of the sleeping area. «Daisy, this room only has one bed, you can take it!» - Seungcheol saw the first room and immediately thought of the only girl in the group, who was still too tired and gave a thumbs up in response.

Half an hour later they were all already doing something else: Seungkwan and Minghao taking pictures of the sky; Woozi, Joshua, Hoshi and Dino in the gym and the rest in the dining room waiting for the chef par excellence to cook something.

«Mingyu, are you making fried dumplings?» - Vernon asked him setting plates and chopsticks on the table, «Alright, anything else?» - Without complaining Mingyu was already in the kitchen catering to the members' needs. «Whatever you want! I could eat the table too» - Daisy licked the tip of her chopsticks feeling her belly growl.

«I brought some sauce too» - Junhui entered the kitchen with something he had already prepared, and memories of when he brought the hot pots in the first season came back to everyone's mind. «Where are the others?»- «I know they're at the gym, Woozi wants to get paid as a personal trainer»- Dokyeom laughed but it was all true. «I'd rather dance Hit 10 times in a row than have a gym session with Woozi» - Seungcheol replied imagining the effort the others were making. «Oh and Jeonghan is having Japanese lessons» - he continued «Huh??? I thought I was your favourite Japanese teacher, I feel betrayed» - Daisy spoke «To me you always will be, aishiteru» - Dokyeom sent her a heart with his fingers making her giggle.

5:00 pm

«Who wants to go to the lake with me?» - Minghao asked once they finished eating and cleaning the table. «Me!» - Seungkwan and Daisy raised their hands at the same time and a few minutes later they were sitting by the lake playing with rocks, precisely creating a tower with them.

In the back, Seungcheol and Mingyu could be heard arguing over who scared away the fish they had caught.

«The sky is so beautiful» - Seungkwan couldn't stop taking pictures «So are you Kwanie» - Daisy complimented him knowing how much she enjoyed Seungkwan's embarrassed reaction to such comments «Mhh I don't think so. I think I was trained too much on how others might see me. I wasn't like this when I was young.» - Kwan spoke, not taking his eyes off the sky as Minghao and Daisy listened attentively. « I used to goof off before I was a trainee, then I started to hear a lot of 'you don't look cool enough's”»- Minghao took a long breath «You've been worrying about pictures ever since. Like coming out looking good, being cool and all. You do it to get good reactions from the fans but you shouldn't care so much. Why do you need others' acceptance? Seungkwan-ah, it's OK for you to do what you like, without having to please someone because you feel like it's your duty.» - He finished by going to put an arm behind his shoulder. «Minghao is right, as always» - Daisy added and stood up to hug Seungkwan as well. «We love you.»

ー☆ ͏

taglist: @cinnamon-falls ; @allthings-fandoms ; @taestrwbrry ; @illusionocnet

in the soop mlist

-> oc masterlist

[sunstone-smiles]

I have been struck with a great idea! What if Iono has a donation event on her livestream, when the donations reach a certain goal, she will get Larry to smile. Iono, of course, does not tell Larry how she will get him to smile. She succeeds and needless to say, he does feel a little less stressed by the end :)

Anon, you absolute genius! Lol! I had so much fun writing for Iono and her ecstatic personality in contrast with Larry, so I hope you enjoy the fic!

Smile, Larry! You're On Stream!

Series: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Characters: Iono and Larry

Word count: 1,540

Summary: Iono and Larry host a donation livestream with fun incentive goals, including one that has a secondary goal to get Larry smiling. Enjoy!

—

“‘Ello, ‘ello, hola! Ciao and Bonjour!” Iono takes up the whole screen in front of the camera, waving her arms with her long yellow sleeves to all the viewers just tuning in. “Welcome to the Iono Zone!”

She plops back into her pink gaming chair, revealing not only the neon star lights behind her on the colorful set, but also fellow gym leader Larry sitting beside her in a black gaming chair of his own, attired in the white dress shirt and sky-colored tie he usually has on under his suit.

“Today we have a special guest!” Iono gestures to Larry with both of her arms, “Iiiiit’s the leader of the Medali Gym, Larryyyyyyy!” 

“Hello, everyone,” Larry responds in a monotonic voice, unfazed by Iono’s energetic enthusiasm. His eyes momentarily peek at the camera before quickly glancing away.

“We have somethin’ extra special planned for this stream!” Iono smiles with her little shark teeth. “As you probably know, the Treasure Eatery is holdin’ an event of sorts soon and they need donations to make it grand! Hence why we’re both here to help earn some sweet, sweet Pokédollars for a good cause!” Iono smirks into her sleeve and whispers to herself, “It doesn’t hurt to get those subscriber numbers up either!” She raises her voice. “Anywho! Larry and I have incentives for each donation goal we hit, which you can see on the screen, so make sure to donate! Right Larry?”

“Agreed,” the man says with a rigid posture and a small, stiff nod.

“Wowzah! We hit our next goal!” Iono exclaims.

“Then, let’s officially start the stream!” Iono cheers and begins her intro. “Your eyeballs are MINE—caught in my Electroweb! Whosawhatsit? Iono!” She motions towards her fellow gym leader again. “Aaaand Larry! Let’s go!”

***

In the middle of guessing pokemon names just by a picture of their silhouettes, Iono and Larry hear the donation alert go off with a celebratory ring, followed by the audio of a joyous pikachu cry. The streamer looks back at her screen to view the numbers. 

“That was quite fast.”

“Well, the viewers really want to see the next incentive! Which is…da da da!” Iono checks her computer monitor on the side to remind herself of what’s next on the list. She giggles. “Oooh! I’m super excited for this one! Iiiit’s ‘Getting Larry to Smile!’”

“What?” Larry tilts his head to the side, more confused if anything. “Why would people want to see me smile?”

“Because you always got on that same brooding expression. We need to brighten your face up like a lightbulb!” She turns to the camera. “Isn’t that right, loyal viewers?”

Iono’s stream chat flies with excitement. It seems they want to see this as much as she does.

“Nyhohoho! That’s what I thought! So how should we go about makin’ him smile?” Iono ends her sentence with a grin towards Larry. The normal type gym leader simply sits back with tense shoulders and follows along with whatever the girl has planned.

One comment in the chat goes by saying: “Jokes!”

“Oooo, I like your thinking, Electro King!” Iono responds to the chat.

Another says: “Funny videos!”

“Yeah! Solid answers! But I’m thinkin’ of something a liiiittle different. You all want to see what I’m thinking?” Iono’s shark toothed grin grows even wider. The chat floods with yeses and “Show us!”

Larry cuts in, “Hm? What else could make someone smile other than jokes or funny videos?”

“Oh, you’ll see my dear Larry! In fact, I’ll make it a surprise! Close your eyes!”

“What?”

“C’mon! Close ‘em! You don’t want to keep all the fans waiting!”

“Alright then.” Larry does as she asks and closes his eyes.

“Coolio! So on the count of three we’re all going to surprise Larry! Ready everyone?” she says to the audience, then twists her chair to the side to face her fellow gym leader. 

“One…Two…” Iono’s smile beams. She lifts her hands up and wiggles her fingers in the air so they're visible to the camera, snickering as she does so. “Three!” she launches her hands towards his sides.

“Ack!” Larry jumps in his chair and shoots his eyes open. “Iono! What are you—” After the initial shock wears off, Larry shuts his mouth closed as a wobbly smile suddenly forms on his face. Small, huffy, but still audible giggles start to slip out of him.

“I’m tickling you silly!” Iono exclaims as her fingers wiggle into his sides through the fabric of his dress shirt. Larry wraps his arms around his middle and turns his head into his shoulder to try and hide his silly expression from view, but Iono catches a glimpse of it. “And look at that! You’re smiling! It’s a wobbly one, but you’re smiling!”

Larry buries his head deeper into his shoulder, his twitching smile only growing. “Ionohoho!”

“Buuut, I bet that smile can be even bigger!” the streamer exclaims while Larry tries to slightly twist from side to side in his chair. “Let’s play a game! It’s called ‘Find the Tickle Spot!’ Everyone watching at home can play along too!”

“Nohoho! Dohohon’t!” Larry’s giggles slowly become more audible the higher the girl climbs her hand up his sides.

“Let’s see…” Iono lightheartedly ignores his request. “How about the stomach?” The streamer moves one of her hands to his belly and Larry lets out a squeak of giggles, leaning forward in his chair to curl up his middle.

“Not bad, not bad. Now how about the armpits?” Iono shoots her hands to his underarms and Larry yelps through his giggles, clamping his arms down and rolling back in his chair a little when he kicks his legs out in reflex.

“Ooo, we’re getting close! But where else should we try?” Iono teases. She glances over at the chat, seeing a comment that says: “Try his ribs!”

“His ribs? You got it!”

“Wait! Not the—AH!” Larry bursts into deep laughter when Iono dives her hands into the bones of his ribs. The joyful sounds that were being held back now spilled through the broken barrier of his smile for everyone to hear. He falls back in his seat while squeezing his arms to his sides, squirming around in his chair and swinging his legs at the air above the ground. 

“Ha ha! We got ‘im!” Iono then scribbles around his torso at the other places she tried before, now getting larger reactions. “And it looks like that activated these other spots too!”

“Ionohohohoho!” Larry curls himself up in an attempt to avoid the girl’s hands that were like magnets to his metallic ticklish spots. Wherever he wiggled, Iono would still find a place to get him to giggle.

“You know, for someone who also hangs out with flying types, you would think that he would adapt to his ticklishness! Imagine being around all those feathers!” Iono entertains her audience with commentary while Larry continues giggling from under her fingers.

“Thehehey dohohon’t try to tihihickle mehehe ohohon puhuhuhurpose!” Larry exclaims.

“Ah, true true. Unlike me. An electric type trainer! Bzzzt!” Iono vibrates her clawed fingers into his ribs like they were thunderbolts producing tickly shocks. Larry’s laughter immediately rises in pitch and he tosses his head back into his chair.

Iono giggles at his reaction. “Zap! It’s super effective!”

“Ionohohohoho!” Larry nearly leans halfway off his seat to escape the girl's playful tickles, “I cahahan’t tahahake anymohohore! Plehehease!”

The electric gym leader chuckles. “Okay, okay. You got it friendo!” She removes her hands away and the man slumps forward. He wraps his arms around his rising and falling chest while leftover giggles still trickle out of him, before he drops back in his chair to relax.

“Sooo, how do you feel?” Iono asks with an excited lean.

Larry takes a moment to regain his breath. “Tingly…”

“No no no, not that silly! How do you feel?”

Larry glances at the girl. “Huh?”

“Well, I saw that you were a little stiff and tense being on your first stream and all, so I thought to loosen you up!” Iono explains with a grin. “So, do you feel less stressed? We need to know if the Iono secret remedy works!”

Larry blinks at the girl. He slowly sits himself up in his chair and removes his hands from his middle. His back and shoulders are less tense and his breathing becomes still. He takes a moment to examine the rest of the muscles in his body, feeling that they’re no longer ridgid. He  glances at the other gym leader, dumbfounded at how well it did the trick. “I suppose I do feel less stressed.”

“Then the donation goal, ‘Get Larry to Smile’ is complete!” Iono throws her hands up in the air. Larry huffs out a small laugh, his way of showing amusement and thanks for his fellow gym leader.

“Alright then! Are you ready to have some more stress-free fun?” Iono asks with energetic glee.

The man lifts up his head. A faint, but cheerful smile still lingers on his face. “Ready,” he nods.

Iono grins back. Her electrifying energy surges through the room, reaching to those watching from afar, and to those right beside her. “Now that’s what I like to hear!”

[ferniliciousness]

7 snippets 7 people

I was tagged by the absolutely amazing @omniblades-and-stars Now, I'm not sure I have 7 snippets, or even 7 people to tag 😅Its been a rough year so far so I haven't had much motivation in writing but I will do my best. Completly stress free tags. (I'm mostly just showing love lmao. I know not everyone draws or writes) @nowandthane ❤ (Esmea teaser) @milkywayes @lag-train @zenstrike @lilmissnatcat24

Queen of Chaos (Esmea) "you know, as much as I... Huh... Loved watching you... Ugh... Fall and make a fool of yourself, you could have at least waited till we weren't about to die." Esmea had known turians were heavy, but she hadn't expected to learn firsthand just how hard it was to lift one. "God, I need to start going to the gym." Her small 125-pound frame was no match to even get the dazed alien sitting upright, let alone somehow manage to drag him over to her car. She quietly panted for breath, looking up at the building behind them. Garrus had barely made it 20 feet before passing out, idiot probably had a concussion. I have no idea what this is The wards were dark tonight, dark and quiet, with most of the level already settled in for the night. One of the perks of Garrus' apartment complex, it was almost always still, a rare sight on the Citadel. Garrus had insisted they all just stay put for the night, no use leaving when it's this late and they're all tired. Chellick sat at the end of the couch, squished up next to the arm rest, trying to make as much room for Esmea as possible in the tiny apartment. But it was a losing battle especially when Esmea sat with her legs folded underneath her. Resting her head in one hand and her arm on the back of the couch she shifted her weight towards Garrus who sat at the other end. It was a tight fit but after the month they all had no one seemed to mind, not even Chellick when Esmeas foot grazed his leg. He didn't even so much as raise a brow plate when her head went to rest on Garrus' shoulder.

Bloody Sunshine Pain. Sharp pain, red and hot beats at her skull. Weary eyes open to a blurry landscape that looks no different than the pain inside her skull. Fire and ash, mixed with scents of sulfur and smoke. But worse were the memories, or lack of them. Her head throbbed even as she simply tried to recall how she came here. Her vision blurred once more, pulsing red around her eyes, beating on her bones. A mindflayer, a worm, distorted, fractured, and then no more. Nothing else lived in her brain but the pain, and, is that her name? Zeerith. Is that who she was?

When I Die Will You Be My Valentine? Maybe... Maybe if I was different... maybe if I hadn't been born this way... Maybe if my mind hadn't been torn up by my own emotions... By this curse of blue that runs through my veins and burns through my brain. But what use are maybes. Maybe's don't change anything. Not that I want to change, it's far too late for that. I enjoy the games I play, I enjoy the way I am, and I hate all the same. It's because of the way that I am that you will forever be out of reach. Your bright blue eyes and your awkward charms. The mystery that is your mind, will always remain a mystery, because this game has gone on for too long. You make me.... Want to be better. You make me want to change. When I'm with you I believe that maybe, just maybe, I can actually be what you need. That we can actually be happy. That somehow we can make whatever the fuck this is work out. But then, I see you in your uniform, and I'm afraid. Afraid that one day that uniform will be staring back at me through the sights of my pistol, afraid that your blue blood will be coating my knife, or my next contract will have your name... The name I want to have.

[orionsangel86]

About the twinklify the twink? That's why I don't go full Dreamling. I have nothing against it, but they way they get twisted 90% of the times is just "uhh that not my Dream" for me. And same with all the Dark Morpheus x f/m reader. "That's not my Morpheus" and it's ok, because a) fanfiction keeps the media alive until the next piece we can get and b) fanfiction keeps people alive too, no matter what they picture. So, it's ok to feel like this, I guess.

I think that's the main takeaway from this. YKINMK after all. I'm a firm believer of "do what you want always" though of course, that doesn't mean you should be free from criticism, it just means maybe don't take criticism to heart ya know? This doesn't mean people should go onto others posts and fanfics and complain! God no! But people should be allowed to complain in their own posts - so long as anything particularly harsh isn't put in the main tags or is tagged accordingly. Like of course people aren't always gonna love everything you do, and sometimes when certain headcanons and ideas get bastardised by fanon echo chambers they become so far removed from canon that you are basically writing an OC with your fave characters face, but that's okay if it brings you joy. Just don't expect everyone to love and adore it ya know?

The problem I have with the extra twinkification of characters in ship dynamics is that I have a problem with m/m ships being twisted so far away from their canon counterparts that one party becomes obviously "feminine" and the other obviously "masculine". By which I mean one character is made extra skinny frail and delicate, submissive, virginal, pure, and always ALWAYS the bottom. The other character becomes huge and muscular and hairy and masculine, and take the role of protector and dominating and experienced and is ALWAYS the top.

Do you see what I mean? This has been prevailent in fandom culture since day 1 of course, and its a huge pet peeve of mine. I do view it as somewhat problematic because it feels like trying to fit a mlm ship into a heternormative box. Its a layered mess of misogyny and homophobia wrapped up in a fandom bow. It was worse years ago, during the SuperWhoLock days, and I will forever be grateful to Misha Collins for beefing up so much he enabled Cas to beat the effeminate twink allegations (knowing Mollins he probably came across a particularly bad fanfic or fanart and then spent several hours staring at himself in a mirror before throwing himself into an intensive gym routine).

I don't think its too prevailent in Dreamling fics, though I guess when you have a whole episode devoted to showing how Dream is pale, thin, beautiful, ethereal, completely hairless, and trapped, its easy to see why fandoms minds went to "twink" and then to "we need to find him a saviour". But I do wish the power dynamic would be a bit more balanced. Dream is no wilting flower. He is all pure lean muscle. He is no frail delicate thing. He has the body of a long distance marathon runner. He is power and self righteousness and fury and control. Yeah, he may be submissive with his lovers, but he's hardly inexperienced.

Hob is also in no way a macho man. He's hairy sure, but that's basically it. He actually isn't all that more muscular than Dream, he's only slightly broader, and he's not taller - I think they are the same height? Again, to stress, people can do what they want always. But please do take time to branch outside of the fandom echo chambers and refamiliarise yourself with canon once in a while. Especially when those echo chambers are leaning towards problematic dynamics like those mentioned above.

This is by no means a dig at any individuals, at any creative works I have come across or anything else of the sort. I just sometimes find the fanon echo chambers and widely accepted headcanons a bit irritating, especially when they don't fit with canon. It's fine on a small scale. I am not the person who is gonna comment "he would not fucking say that" because its mean and those posts are mean. It's when the whole fandom seems to adopt certain ideas, and suddenly any deviation from those ideas seems wrong to fandom at large. It becomes difficult to counter those ideas without suddenly being labelled a hater. Look at all the ridiculous discourse in Good Omens fandom because of how deeply far removed from the original source material the fandom took the characters over the 4 year gap between seasons? They were literally going into Neil Gaimans inbox complaining when season 2 deviated from widely accepted fanon headcanons! To the point that Neil had to clarify that what they were complaining about was never canon to begin with!!

Anyway, this post is probably controversial enough without me prattling on any further. Let me stress one last time that you can do what you want always, and everyone should be able to play in the sandbox however they want - just please check yourselves and your prejudices and do consider if the tropes you are encouraging have any harmful implications before throwing yourself into them.

[themadlostgirl]

Under Streetlights

*I don't know how to not write multi-chapter fics for my Marvel crushes. Anyhoo! This is the first chapter of my Bucky x Reader fic. Updates will be available to read on AO3!*

Read on AO3

---

This had to be the fault of aliens.

That’s the only thing you could think of as you woke up to get ready for your day. All the strange shit that had started happening in the world over a decade ago, that had to have contributed to where you were now.

Aliens. Wizards. Killer robots. Literal gods. All of them disturbing what was already a nonsensical planet full of greedy assholes and stressed out meatbags.

How else would life have gotten to be like this? How else would you have ended up in the criminal island Madripoor of all places, living this life?

You swung out of bed and started getting ready for the day. It was strange to get ready for work when it was already pretty dark out. That’s what you get for working a night job though.

You wandered out into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge. A small plate of food wrapped in plastic wrap with your name written on top was set inside amongst the chilled sodas and eleven different condiments. You popped it in the microwave and grabbed a soda while you waited, you were going to need the caffeine.

As you sat down at the rickety table to eat the door opened and one of your roommates walked in, a Korean girl with short black hair and a drawstring gym bag over her shoulders. “Hey,” she said as she passed you and pulled out a similar plate of food to yours. “Rekha make curry again?”

“Hey Ha-rin, and yeah.” you yawned. “How was work?”

“Same old.” she put her food in to heat. “Glad to go to sleep now though. You excited for another fun night of work?”

“Always.” the sarcasm drenched your words, “How are the streets?”

Ha-rin frowned slightly. “Not great, actually. Franks is back on his shit so probably try to stay out of the neon district on your way to work. Do you want me to walk with you? Strength in numbers?”

“No. I’ll be fine.” you told her. You didn’t want her to have to go out after she just got back, not when you could defend yourself just fine. “So Franks is back to trying to recruit girls for his club? Why doesn’t he just give it up? He has to know that no one is going to willingly work for him after what happened with Doozie and Ditzy.”

“I know. I think his new game is to get them to come in as guests, drug them, and then get them to rack up a big bill they need to pay off by working. The other girls from work are trying to spread the info as best we can so everyone knows to stay away from his place.”

“God, he’s such a fucking creep.” you finished the last of your food. “I gotta get ready for my shift. You get some sleep, I’ll see you after work.”

“Be safe.” she waved you off as she sat down to scarf down her reheated leftovers.

You were really appreciative of your other roommate, Rekha. Because all of your schedules were so chaotic it made getting together in any capacity hard. But Rekha always made portions enough of dinner for you and Ha-rin before or after a long day at work. In exchange you and Ha-rin endeavored to keep the apartment as clean as possible as means of showing gratitude. That meant doing the gross stuff like unclogging the shower drain and replacing the roach traps around the apartment.

You went back to your room and started getting dressed, styling your hair and putting on your makeup. You needed to look pretty for work but then you also had to put on a shirt over your work clothes so you had less chance of being accosted in the street. You tied on some tennis shoes, packed your heels in your bag and set off into the dilapidated underbelly of Madripoor that was Lowtown.

You kept a wide berth of the neon district like Ha-rin suggested and cut through the fighting ring district to make up the time. In any normal situation you would have been terrified to walk around the city like this. But you were in no normal situation, far from it.

There was a can lying in the street that you unwittingly gave a light kick to and it went flying, just narrowly missing someone’s window. Yep. You had definitely left normal a long time ago.

You made it to work and used the employee entrance to the locker room. You changed out of the street shirt you had worn and kicked off your comfortable tennis shoes. You pulled on your heels, gave yourself a once over in the mirror and plastered on a bright smile that you knew you were going to be fighting to keep in place after an hour.

For as shitty as your life was living in Lowtown, you had managed to land a pretty nice job as a server in one of the Hightown clubs. The hours were long and the heels you needed to wear killed your feet but it paid the rent and there was less chance of you getting hurt here than somewhere else. Of course, less chance didn’t mean zero chance.

You went about the usual routine, pulling bottles and serving cocktails to the numerous patrons crowding the club. About three hours into your shift your manager called you over. “Queenie, I need you to cover one of the private rooms.”

“But I thought I was off private rooms.” you told them. You really hated private room service, even more than general club work. People were already handsy when it came to being in public but they always ended up leaving any decency behind when they thought they were alone.

“You were requested. Now go.”

You sighed and took a moment to breathe before entering the fray again. You went back to the private room you were directed towards and entered. There was a whole group here, four men and two women. So at least you weren’t being left for one-on-one service like you had feared.

“Hello, what may I get you?” you asked.

“You can get over here and settle something for us.” one of the men said. “We hear that you are the undefeated arm wrestling champion of the club.”

Oh, this again.

“I am indeed. The reigning queen bee at your service, or everyone just calls me queenie.” you gave a little mock curtsy.

“Queenie,” one of the other men, who had a full on waxed mustache with the curly ends, scoffed, “It’s some kind of joke or a trick or something. You don’t look as if there’s much to you in the way of strength.”

“Well, you know what they say, arm wrestling isn’t about brute strength, it’s about leverage.” you came to the table. “Did someone want to play?”

“I will.” curly mustache said and put his arm on the table. “I’m not going to humor whatever stupid trick you have either.”

“Of course, sir.” you were going to enjoy this at least. You knelt across the table from him and put out your arm. He grabbed your hand, you waited for one of the other guests to say go, and then you focused intently to not slam his arm down as soon as possible.

You went through your whole act, letting your arm stay still as he tried to push against yours, watching the confusion build in his eyes, then letting your arm fall a bit to the side to make him think he had the upper hand, before then slowly pushing back and slamming his arm down in victory. The moment his arm went down the others in the room gave little cheers and claps. You stood up again, gave another mock curtsy to the room and pulled out your notepad. “Thank you. So, what may I get for you to drink? Any appetizers for the room?”

Curly mustache was still knelt by the table staring at his hand in bewilderment. “How did you do that?” he demanded. “What sort of cheating trick did you pull?”

“No trick and no cheating, sir. I told you, it is all a matter of leverage.” you responded with syrupy sweetness in hopes that he would drop it.

“But--but--”

“Delano, the girl beat you. Let it go and let us get some drinks.” one of the women said with a roll of her eyes.

Delano huffed and sat back down but his glare followed you as you took the order and left. God, what you wouldn’t give to be able to punch assholes like that right in the face. He was going to be a problem tonight, you could just tell.

You returned to the room with the drinks and the food they had ordered. Delano was still glaring at you and had requested a rematch. You indulged him but put on a quicker show so you could move on. You knew you could just let him win. It would probably end all the glaring and demands for rematches but you had very little and fuck if you were going to give up your arm wrestling title to save this asshole’s ego.

The night continued on and you were still working the private room. You had hoped that they would do some club hopping but they seemed more than content to stay here. Normally you would have been a little excited cause it meant that you were more likely to get a bigger tip. Outside of Delano everyone else in the party seemed to like you. But Delano was still there and still glaring and huffing and muttering “bitch” under his breath along with some other choice words in what sounded to be French.

You just had to get through the night.

As the night and your shift was coming to an end the muttered comments from Delano had turned into drunken threats. His friends chided him and told you that there was nothing for you to fear from him, he was all bark and no bite. You didn’t trust them though. You had seen that look before, it was one worn by men who felt their pride wounded and had no other way to face it than with anger. There would be one more trick from him before the night was out. You’d bet money on it.

You had cleared away some of the empty glasses from the room and were about to return when you felt a presence at your back. You turned to see that Delano had left the room and was leering at you from the corner. It was happening now was it? Fine. Get it over with.

You turned to face him, plastering on a smile. “Hello sir, did you need something? Directions to the restroom perhaps?”

“There’s something not right about you.” he said, his words wavered as badly as he did.

“How about we get you back to your friends? Something tells me that you could use a glass of water.” you tried to scoot past him but he lashed out and grabbed your arm in a vice like grip. Damn it all.

He pulled you so you hit the wall. “Not so strong now, aren’t you?”

“Apparently.” you wrenched your arm away from him. “Now, if you are satisfied, I have to get back to work.”

“Get back here you cheating bitch!” he grabbed your arm again.

“Get off me!” you shoved him off and he fell to the floor, skidding quite a ways across the shining linoleum as he went. Shit. Too much.

Security came over to see what was happening. Before you could explain that Delano was at fault he scrambled to his feet and started shouting. “That fucking bitch shoved me! Is this how your club treats its highest paying members! I want her fucking head!”

“Now sir--” the security tried to reason but Delano was far past words.

“Her head! I want her stupid bitch head!” he pulled a switchblade out from his pocket and charged at you.

You didn’t mean to. You really didn’t. But when you saw the knife your body moved on instinct. You grabbed Delano’s wrist and you could feel the bones crack as you squeezed and made him drop the knife. He cried out in pain and tried to wrestle himself away from you. He kicked but you were faster. Your shoe collided with his shin and there was an unmistakable snapping sound. He collapsed to the floor, his leg now bent at an awkward angle.

All eyes went to you. People were crowding around, starting to whisper. Security stared at you baffled by the show of effortless strength you exhibited. “How did you--”

“I didn’t.” you said. “I just kicked him. I think he’s just lacking calcium. Weak bones and all that.”

Their eyes narrowed. “Queenie, I think the boss is gonna want to talk to you.”

“Oh no, there’s really no need to bother them.” you dodged out of the grab they made for you. “Come on Terry, this was just an isolated incident. Never to happen again.”

“You shattered his shin with one kick. We both know that’s not normal.” both of the security guards went to grab you this time. “The boss is definitely going to want to know how you did it.”

No. No! Not the boss! Anyone but the boss!

Your heart was hammering in your ears and you realized you had a choice. Go quietly and you would most certainly become some sort of prisoner and science experiment, or you could do something incredibly stupid.

As their grip latched around your arms you sighed as your mind was made up. Something stupid it was.

You planted your feet and with all the strength you had fought to keep under control, you slammed your elbow’s into the guts of the security officers. They immediately doubled over, gasping for breath at the sudden blow. They looked up at you through the pain and you knew that they had just gotten confirmation on what was going on. What you really were.

So, you did what you did best. You turned and ran for it. You were shoving people out of your way as you rushed through the club. You kicked off your heels and started sprinting down the stairs as fast as you could. The echo of feet thundered after you in the stairwell.

If they were smart someone would be waiting on the ground floor for you. You ducked through one of the doors leading out onto a different floor and kept running. There wasn’t a lot on this floor outside of storing miscellaneous stuff like cleaning supplies and office materials. You wove through the boxes as you made your way to the other end of the room. There were different ways to get in and out of the building. One was the main entrance, the other was the employee entrance, and then there was the freight elevator. It was mainly used to move large art pieces and furniture. It wasn’t the quietest but hopefully it could get you down to the ground floor without having to take another twenty flight of stairs.

You got inside and hit the bottommost floor. The doors creaked shut and with a shudder the elevator started to go down.

What were you going to do? Everyone back there saw what you did. Word would have gotten back to the boss too. You were screwed. All you had to do was keep your strength in check! Almost eight years you had been able to keep this under wraps and because of one drunk asshole it all went up in smoke! Where were you going to go? The apartment would be the first place they checked.

Oh no. Ha-rin and Rekha. You had to at least warn them that some people may be barging in. You still had your phone. You quickly dialed Rekha since she was the one most likely to be awake at this hour. “Hello?” she answered with a yawn. “What’s up?”

“I’m so sorry.” you said, “But some people may be coming by the apartment later. They’re looking for me. I did something and its not safe for me here anymore. If they ask where I am or if you know anything just tell them the truth. No need to get on their bad side.”

“What are you talking about?” Rekha sounded more awake. “What did you do? What’s going on?”

“The less you know the better. I’m so sorry. I wish I wasn’t leaving you guys with this mess. I have to go now. I’m sorry.”

“Wait, you just can’t--” you hung up, tears welling in your eyes.

The elevator came to a halt. You dropped the phone on the floor and kept running. You would have liked to have grabbed your shoes from the locker room but that wasn’t an option now. You just had to pray that you didn’t step on something now.

As you had guessed, the ground floor was swarming with security. There was an emergency exit not too far from you but there was someone standing guard. Damn it. You had hoped to be more covert but looks like you were getting out of here the guns a blazing approach. You snuck as far as you could until sneaking was no longer an option.

You took a deep breath and ran straight at the security guard. They pulled a gun but you were faster and had the element of surprise. You grabbed the barrel of the gun and felt the metal bend in your hand as your other hand swung to punch him in the face. You saw an honest to god tooth fly out of his mouth as he careened sideways and fell to the ground.

He was down though, the door was open, and you had attracted the attention of the rest of the security. You ran out, bare feet pounding the pavement as the sound of shouting and gunshots rang behind you. You saw a cab ahead and pulled the driver out. You started driving, weaving through traffic, your heart beating a million miles a second.

Where to go? Where to go!

You saw a bridge in the distance, the lights of the city glittering on the ocean. You could get out the same way you got in. You hated it but wherever they would take you was better than staying here.

You drove to the docks and parked the car. There was no telling who was coming in and out of port but you had a pretty good memory. You could remember where you were when you were brought here at least. That was as good a lead as any to find one of the trafficking ships.

You crept through the docks. Your feet were starting to numb from the cold. With some luck though, you found what you were looking for. There was a ship being loaded. It looked to be like they were dealing in knockoff handbags but that was just the cover. The real cargo was lined up by a shipping container. There had to have been over a dozen girls scared and shivering on the dock.

This wasn’t going to be fun.

You made your way towards the group and purposely made a lot of noise as you got closer. Heads turned towards you and weapons raised. You gave them a lazy smile. “Hey!” you said, trying to slur your words, “What are we all doing over here? We going sailing?”

The men looked confused and you saw one of them do a headcount of the girls. “She’s not one of ours.” one of them said.

“Probably a hooker someone left alone and drunk.” another shrugged. “I mean, she’s not bad looking. No reason we couldn’t add her to the cargo.”

“Okay, grab her.” one of the guards grabbed you and put you with the rest of the girls.

You waited and followed the girls onto the boat when it was your turn. You were taken into a space down below decks. You sat down and braced yourself for the long journey to a destination you knew not.

---

“Hey Buck,” Sam said, “We got a location for where the trafficking ring is going to be docking. They should be arriving in L.A. at 0600 tomorrow. If we want to get there in time we gotta get to the airport now.”

“Alright.” Bucky sighed. “I’ll drive.”

[charlesjosephwrites]

Get To Know My OC Tag - Ms. Psychic Edition

Jumping in on my own open tag because I really like this method of introducing characters. Also, I figured it was about time I talk about the other title character for The Magician and Ms. Psychic. Check out April's character intro HERE.

First, since this got pretty long, I'd like to leave this as an open tag for whoever else wants to introduce one of their characters. Don't be shy about tagging me! I love hearing about people's characters!

Now, without any further ado, here's Ms. Psychic!

We are experiencing technical difficulties. Please come back later!

The bold text fades from the screen to reveal the news anchor, slightly disheveled, but otherwise fine.

"Thank you for sticking with us, everybody," he addresses the camera with his usual made-for-tv smile. "I'm pleased to announce that the Magician has been taken care of, all thanks to our extra special surprise guest, Ms. Psychic!"

Ms. Psychic enters on cue, her brink pink cape billowing behind her in the non-existent wind and her long black hair floating up in the air as though she was underwater. Her movements are stiff and awkward as she shuffles forwards, and she regards the camera with the same sort of suspicious squint she might give to a misbehaving supervillain. Gravity seemingly takes a hold of her as she sinks into the seat next to the news anchor, and she has to brush a few rogue strands of hair away from her face.

"Um... hi." She gives the camera a hesitant little wave.

"Ms. Psychic has agreed to answer a few questions for us tonight!" The new anchor announces gleefully. "Are we ready to get started?"

"Sure." She nods slowly. "Let's..." Her voice catches in her throat. "Let's make this quick, please."

"Of course." The news anchor flashes her a smile. "Onto the first question."

1. Are you named after anyone?

"My mom was a small time superhero. She... well..." Ms. Psychic exhales sharply. "She died in action when I was a kid, and I took on her name as a way to honor her."

2. When was the last time you cried?

"I guess it was pretty recently. I mean... I try not to dwell on it too much, but fighting supervillains is dangerous, and... well..." She hesitates. "You can't always save everyone, you know? It's just... kind of hard to deal with that sometimes."

3. Do you have kids?

"No. I'm... not sure I should, either. I'd be risking some supervillain finding out about them and putting them in danger."

4. Do you use sarcasm?

"Sometimes, I guess."

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

"Their voice. You can tell a lot about someone by the way they speak."

6. What's your eye color?

"They're dark brown."

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

"Happy endings, definitely. I especially love those campy old sci-fi movies."

8. Any special talents?

She has to think about this question for a moment. "Um... I can bench press a hundred and forty pounds."

9. Where were you born?

"I was born and raised right here in Metrovale."

10. What are your hobbies?

"I don't have that much free time for hobbies. I guess I like going to the gym? It's good for stress relief, and I've got to stay in shape somehow."

11. Have you any pets?

"No. Like I said, I don't have much free time to devote to something like taking care of a pet."

12. What sports do you play/have played?

"I played softball when I was a kid. I really liked it, but I had to stop when my powers started manifesting. I was upset at the time, but it wouldn't have been fair to the other kids with the whole telekinesis thing, so..." Ms. Psychic shrugs. "It was for the best."

13. How tall are you?

"I'm five foot two."

14. Favorite subject in school?

"I always liked science class. I think my favorite was biology."

15. Dream job?

"I've wanted to be a superhero ever since I was a kid. It doesn't exactly pay the bills, but I don't mind the side gig."

"And that was the last question," the news anchor says. "Thank you so much for joining us here tonight."

"N... no problem. Now, if you'll excuse me-" Ms. Psychic rises to her feet, her chair carefully pushing itself in as she takes a step back - "I've got some business to attend to."

[notasapleasure]

a meme!

Thanks for tagging me, @grimm-lynn :)

1. Are you named after anyone?

I think the intention was to name me after my dad's mum (who died when he was very little), but to spell it in a more modern way. Inadvertantly, it's also a portmanteau of my parents' first names.

2. When was the last time you cried?

I was very sick and very tired and very frustrated when the removal guys broke it to me midway through emptying the house that they absolutely couldn't take any of my garden plants over the Irish Sea because of fucking BREXIT. I was also very angry with my husband, who was meant to have checked this. In the end, we managed to palm the plants off on friends and family and we'll try to bring them over later, once we've looked at the paperwork involved.

3. Do you have kids?

No!! I have known for a very long time that I never wanted them and do not have even an iota of maternal interest let along instinct.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

It has its uses.

5. What sports do you play/have you played?

My weekend hobbies as a kid were horse-riding and karate, and I played field hockey at school, did long jump and 200m sprint. But then, y’know. Everyone else got taller and I didn’t really. I dabbled in rowing at uni, because it was kind of expected that you'd try it, but my late-night carousing rather interfered with the early mornings. Also, as mentioned, I am short. Since then I haven't really done anything regularly except about a year where I got into weights. I'd like to get back into picking up heavy things and putting them down again, but I resent the cost of gyms and I need to have a structured class where someone tells me what to do, I don't have the willpower or imagination for solo training.

6. What’s the first thing you notice about other people?

Hm, it's tough to describe (my mum would say 'their energy') but like...whether they're engaging with me, like really with me and curious about what we're talking about, or if there's that feeling that you're on the clock to prove you're interesting or whatever before they get bored.

7. What’s your eye colour?

Blue

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Weird things to compare?? But uh. Happy endings probably? Not in my scary movies though. I like scary movies with bittersweet endings. Though the more I think about this choice the more confused I get.

9. Any special talents?

I'm so bad at answering these things, my mind just goes blank and I'm like 'oh pffff I don't do anything special, there's always going to be someone who's better than I am'. Assigned Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none. There are lots of things I like to do and I try to do them well. I guess I will say that you probably want me around in a stressful situation - I'm calm and I love coming up with solutions to things.

10. Where were you born?

In a county hospital in a large and rural county of England.

11. What are your hobbies?

Ok, well. Writing, obvs. Fic and poetry now and again. There's an original idea that's been rattling round my head for a few years that I keep saying *this* NaNoWriMo I'll do it! And then don't. Art used to be much higher up the list but I'm so rusty. I haven't painted in years (...has it been over a decade?). Gardening (I miss my garden so much SO MUCH rn). Baking and cooking. I go through phases of manic knitting interspersed with a little crochet, but I want to improve my sewing - I have my granny-in-law's sewing machine I need to learn how to use. If we get this amazing house we’re looking at I’m going to have to get good at DIY, too.

12. Do you have any pets?

Two greyhounds and six (yes. six.) ferrets.

13. How tall are you?

5'1"

14. Favorite subject in school?

Art and English lit.

15. Dream job?

Not to be all 'I don't dream of labour' but I for sure don't dream of working for other people/companies. As you can see from the hobbies section, I like to DO stuff and be busy, but I like to work on my own terms and I like project work. So my freelance editing and proofing stuff suits me fairly well right now, though I dream more of a UBI that would let me do more with my time that wasn't just about earning, but could encompass more volunteering and community stuff. Being on furlough during lockdown suited me so well - I did so much and recovered so much energy that I was much more willing to engage with strangers as well as friends through video chat etc.

Tag fifteen mutuals - FIFTEEN?! huh ok, I’m tagging y’all but no obligation, right? And Idk who’s already been tagged, sorry if you’ve done this already and I didn’t see! @stripedroseandsketchpads @notfromcold @erinaceina @bellaroles @batri-jopa @donnaimmaculata @notabuddhist @kheldara @blxcksqvadron @boogerwookiesugarcookie @elwenyere @thatonelemontreeiforgorabout @jimtheviking @weirdsociology @rapidashmascot

[brighteyes-things]

Batboys and TMNT 💕

Summary: basically a pairing of which batboys and TMNT would be best buddies, inspired by the TMNT and Batman crossover movie

Note: some of the TMNT characters will also include Venus (idw), jennika (idw), and April o Neil. These are head cannons so if you don't like something that's fine no big deal.

Please enjoy, also sorry it's been a while since I last written something lots of family drama happened 💕

Dick Grayson 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

I pair him well with Michelangelo

Now hear me out on this one first okay

Like yes him and Leo are both leaders but dick and Mikey would VIBE on sight

Both are big goofballs and rays of sunshine that struggle with trying to help out their team

They're both the glue of the family that always wears a smile to keep everyone happy

I feel like they also play video games together at like 5 in the morning and have the strangest food for breakfast

They talk about their crushes together too

Prank wars all week long

Overall I feel like they'd learn something from each other too

Like dick would learn how important it is to let loose and have fun with his brothers and how to let his stress out in healthy ways

And Mikey would have more respect for his big brothers after watching dick take charge and struggle to get the mission to be a success

They love their brothers to death and will do anything for them

Both hide emotions from siblings too

They vent to each other over pizza

Ice cream kitty and bite-wing get along great

Jason Todd ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

This was probably expected but Jay and raph are best friends your honor

Both have anger issues they refuse are there

Both have beef with the blue themed brother (aka dick and Leo)

They'd be gym bros and challenge each other to weight lifting competition

Both have badass girlfriends they simp over (monalisa and Artemis)

Now to the serious life lessons

I feel like together they'd figure out how to handle their anger and channel it into something else

Raph would learn how to be careful from watching Jason strategize everything on missions

Jason would learn that it's ok to let out emotions from raph because his friends will be there for him

Would call each other "bro" unironically

Both have a love for motorcycles and playing vigilante

Overall I think raph and Jason would be each other's biggest supporter

Tim Drake 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

Donatello and Tim are lab besties

Both have insomnia and a unhealthy addiction to coffee

They are also the brains of both groups

Tech geniuses

Donnie being impressed with Tim's detective skills

Tim being impressed with what Donnie made out of scrap he found in the trash

Both of them being very close to snapping on whoever walks in the room next

Neat freaks with everything else except their work area

I feel like Tim lets loose more around Donnie because he doesn't have to put up a act due to Donnie being too smart and knowing what a fake smile is

Donnie coming out of his shell (pun intended) around Tim and his friends and learning to be more social

They speak geek to confuse the others

They stay up all night plotting on how to build real life star trek equipment

Them both questioning how Bruce has so much in his utility belt

Damian Wayne 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

Him and Leonardo would be a duo

Damian and Leo both struggle with a lot of pressure to be perfect

Leo struggling to be the perfect leader and protect everyone

Dami struggling with learning how to be good and trying to be perfect and bury his assassin past

I feel like Leo would take him in as a little brother immediately

Damian respecting Leo and his skills and wanting to know how he did it

Leo telling Damian about how he made a lot of mistakes and that it's ok to make them especially as a kid

Long meaningful conversations over tea parties

Damian actually calling Leo by his first name and not "turtle" like he does the others

Damian learning how to be a kid by watching Leo goof off with the other turtles

They have big brother and little brother energy

Both happy they use swords and will spar each other

Leo calls Damian "little guy"

Damian secretly doesn't mind the nickname

BONUS CONTENT

Barbara Gordon 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Her and April o Neil are girl besties

But specifically April from 2003 TMNT show

Both are the first girls in the group of boys

They're the only ones with common sense and more than two brain cells

Are like the big sisters of the group

Both completely rock the color purple in my personal opinion

I feel like they talk about they're crushes as well and have girl talk when the guys are on patrol

Babs learns how to be more girly and laid back from watching April because it's the first friend she's had that is a girl and doesn't try to kill her

April learning self defense from Babs and being more of a badass

Both being mother figures to Damian and Mikey

Are always picking up after the boys

Sleepovers every single day complete with romance movies and gossip

Just let them be girls together and have fun being bff's

Overall they need to meet ASAP

Stephanie Brown 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

Steph and Venus de Milo

But like specifically Venus from next mutation (I know she's hated) and from the many many head canon stories I read as a kid on Wattpad but this works for idw comics Venus too

They're both the most forgotten about female characters that are actually really badass

Both are dated or shipped with the brainiac of the group (Donnie and Tim)

Have a somewhat child like personality and just want to have fun

Everyone kinda hates them for being the first at something.

Venus being the first female ninja turtle

And Steph being the first girl robin and taking Tim's spot

Steph would be amazed by Venus and inspired because she wouldn't feel so alone about being a girl in action

Sure Steph has Babs and Cassandra but her and Venus went through similar experiences

Venus being glad to have another girl to talk to and help her understand earth lingo and catchphrases

Gossip to each other about the boys

Both feeling like they have to earn their spot on the team even after already proving such

Low self esteem besties

But they'd also be chaotic besties on missions no doubt

Cassandra 🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶🩶

Her and jennika would tramma bond

Both are badasses that need hugs

Started off on the wrong side at first but ended up being heros

Jennika being her big sister figure

Cass showing jennika her dance skills from ballet

Jennika playing drums for Cass

They both went through similar things and experiences

Both were trained to be killing machines and lost someone close to them and found the path they needed to go on after fighting for their lives

Jennika teaching cass about meditation and how to read emotions and what to say if someone is sad or angry

Cass showing Jenny that she's more than just her mutation and scars

Both of them hanging out on rooftops and eating fast food while they talk about life

They need each other your honor

I just really want them to bond