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gyuzgrl · 3 months

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her //kmg// pt.3 happy ending

summary- as confusions build to an overbearing crescendo, a sudden visit by Mingyu's sister leads to an unplanned encounter with your ex-husband. will seeing him one last time help you make up your mind?

Things can't possibly get any more confusing.

For Mingyu and for you.

While on one hand, he wants to do right by you and let you go, he can't escape the simple fact that he needs you. Long, hard days filled with thoughts of you are his reality now- they have been for the past week or so. Unable to move, to eat, to sleep, Mingyu finds himself at the lowest he's ever been.

And that message- god, he feels so stupid for contacting you when you clearly didn't want to talk. The tiny letters below his text, marked 'read' feel like little needles moving deeper into his heart every time he clicks on your chat.

That isn't to say he resents you, though. It's quite the opposite. Mingyu's time alone has given him the opportunity to grow a newfound hatred for himself, and he spends every waking moment wishing he was someone else. Someone who didn't hurt you.

You, on the other hand, are confused too, but for a different reason altogether. Although you love him, and long to be with him, the question of your self-respect remains. Letting him back in would mean giving the man who cheated on you a second chance, but staying away would mean losing the man you love, over a mistake he regrets making.

As you sit across from your lawyer, hand trembling with the weight of consequence, your thoughts race around like jolts of electricity- flooding your head with doubt.

"...and this is the last of it, so you can jus-" he trails off, noticing your shaken state.

"ma'am?"

Your head snaps up, eyes widening.

"y-um, yes, I'm listening- sorry-" you mumble, swallowing hard as you blink away the tears welling up in your eyes. Thankful for the opaque, white table separating you, you suck in a deep breath, trying to hide your trembling limbs.

"don't be,"

He offers a gentle smile, eyes filled with pity as if to say- 'oh, you poor thing...', and slides one final paper your way.

"here's the last of it- after this, you'll be free for good,"

For good? As in permanently? There's no going back? You look towards the man before you, helpless and confused. Although this is all your own doing, you can't help but feel a pang of doubt at the last leg of your journey.

"so after this we would have officially separated? he'll no longer be my husband?"

From the slight tremble in your voice, your lawyer gathers that something isn't right. It's the same quiver he detected in Mingyu's words a few days back.

He sighs, retracting the final document.

"ma'am, we can do this on another da-"

"no I just-"

"there's no rush, is there? I can tell your mind isn't completely made up just yet, and the last thing I want is for you to make a decision you aren't 100% sure of."

You feel a tear slip down your cheek, dripping onto the papers below. And then another. And another.

The universe can be so unfair, so cruel, sometimes. What twisted satisfaction do the Gods get from watching you suffer like this? Things could've been so good with Mingyu. He could've treated you so well, been the perfect husband, loved you so truly- but no.

They had to come in and ruin it all.

"you can take your time, I'll be at the front desk if you need"

You barely acknowledge his departure, staring blankly at the table as tears blur your vision. It shouldn't be this hard. It really shouldn't. After all, this was your decision- your choice.

Mingyu fucked up. He broke your heart. He's the reason your self esteem is at the lowest it's ever been.

So why...

Why does this feel wrong? Why does it hurt so bad?

Your breaths grow shallow, each inhale speeding up until your heart thuds against your chest. The rapid rise and fall of your shoulders paints a pitiful picture, and you want nothing more than for the Earth to open up and swallow your sorrow.

That night you spent with Mingyu, opened up a world of possibilities- a world of hope- only to have it all come crashing down in an instant. For one night, you got to lay with him, to love him, to be loved by him and that was it. You saw a faint glimmer of hope, that shining light at the end of a long tunnel, but it slipped away just before you could reach out and grasp it.

Reality shook you awake and now here you are- crying in a cold meeting room, all by yourself, wishing none of this ever happened.

It pains you to say it, but the truth is these past few days have been really hard. You've spent hours scrolling through your phone in search of Mingyu's pictures, spent every night forcing yourself to put your phone away only to have him haunt your sleep- you just can't push him away.

All of a sudden, there's a knock at the door. Your head jerks up, eyes making out a petite frame through the translucent glass doors.

"come- come in," you call, rubbing your eyes furiously, "I was just about to leave"

The door creaks open and a familiar face comes into view.

"oh-"

Mingyu's sister.

Minseo's eyes grow watery at your state and she hurries into the room, pulling you into a tight embrace.

"how did you-"

"word travels fast," she interrupts, cradling your face as she stares sympathetically at your puffy, red eyes. "I thought I'd check in on you both, but neither of you has been answering my calls..."

"sorry I-"

"don't be! I just wanted to see if you're doing okay, y'know?"

Her eyes lock onto yours, asking silently- 'you are doing okay, right?' and you can't help the way your gaze falters. She looks so sincere, so apologetic, you don't want to lie to her.

"y/n,"

"I'm fine"

"y/n."

Her voice is firm.

You meet her stare.

"let me buy you something to drink, hm?" she smiles, veiling her concern. "starbucks?"

"I don't go there anymore,"

"someplace else, then."

You nod, offering her a small smile, and you make your way to a coffee shop nearby. As you find a table and place your orders, Minseo's smile falters ever so slightly.

And then she begins to speak.

"I know this is the last thing I should be asking, but um- you haven't- you haven't heard from Mingyu, have you?"

You sigh, shaking your head.

"oh."

The slight quiver in her voice has you on edge, and your fingers itch to reach out and hold her hand. Before you can stop yourself, a hesitant- "why're you asking?" slips past your lips.

"it's been a little over a week... all of us have tried to call or text or- I don't know, we've tried everything- fuck, I even went to his house, but still, there was no response. I'm a little worried, you know?"

Attentively, you nod along, brows furrowing as she goes on to explain further. A few minutes pass, and her story moves from bad to worse. So far, from what you've gathered, it isn't clear where or how he is.

Minseo's eyes begin to glass over, lips quivering as she speaks on.

"I know what he did is wrong, I would hate him too if I was you, but he's-" she cuts herself off with a trembling sob, "he's my brother, my family- and- and I don't know how to fix him, y/n. I don't know what he's doing in that house, I don't know if he's even in there anymore-"

Before you know it, your own eyes begin to water, and she takes in a breath.

"I don't know what to do, y/n"

"listen- Minseo I, I'm the last person he'd want to see right now- I'm not sure what you've got planned but-"

"no- no he loves you don't you get it? he only wants to see you right now. not me, not his friends, certainly not that other girl- just you."

You stay silent.

"I'm asking for a lot, I understand, but he's- I just need to know he's okay. and- and you're the only person he'll let in"

That's how you find yourself here, standing before the doors to your apartment. The familiar frame floods you with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, and you're almost about to turn around when something catches your eye.

Newspapers, bills, letters- all scattered at the foot of the door, unopened, piled upon each other the way you've seen before at abandoned homes.

Tentatively, you press the doorbell, cringing at how the sound seems to pierce through the still air. The sharp twang echoes all throughout the house, like a bullet ricocheting, and your heartbeat quickens.

For about a minute, there's no response- just silence. Maybe this was a bad idea. He probably isn't even h-

"leave me alone, Minseo." a hoarse voice interrupts suddenly, drawing your attention right away.

He's here.

Right behind this door, he's standing, breathing.

"it's um, it's y/n, actuall-"

Before you can finish your sentence, the door swings open, and to your dismay, Mingyu looks like shit.

Standing before you dressed in the same old pajamas, your ex-husband looks a mess. His eyes are so red and swollen you can't tell if he's slept at all. He's lost weight too... The once proud bulk of muscle he sported has drastically reduced to a much slimmer, skinnier figure.

But this all seems like nothing when you notice something held tight within his grasp-

"is that my-"

"no! no- it's uh, it's" he sputters helplessly, stepping back to let you in, "I was jus-just cleaning up! yeah just um, just cleaning,"

Your heart twists. The iron grip he's got on your t-shirt tells you a completely different story, but for now, you let it be. You don't need to dig up his feelings. Not when you haven't sorted your own out.

"how come you're- why are you here?"

"oh uh, m-my stuff? yeah! all my stuff is here and I need it, so..." you lie, looking around the house as you walk to the living room.

It's colder than before, somehow. Haunted. There's not a light or a lamp in sight, no fire burning in the fireplace- just total darkness. Everything is just as you left it too; your mug of coffee is still on the dinner table, Mingyu's briefcase is still set near the couch, the wall clock still hasn't been wound, now telling the tale of the past.

He notices your wandering gaze and suddenly feels conscious. Scratching the back of his neck, Mingyu ushers you quickly to the couch, blocking your view from the side so you don't see the true mess.

The bedroom.

Your bedroom, rather.

Oh, if you saw the state of that room-

Dark, heavy blinds shut off the outside world, a swirl of your clothes and blankets litter the bed, and the air hangs heavy, with spritzes of your perfume clinging to every surface.

The last thing Mingyu wants is for you to see the state of that room.

"could I-"

"have a seat-"

You both start at the same time, turning to each other awkwardly. He let's his gaze linger on yours for a moment too long, and all hell breaks loose. The air of pretense dissipates within seconds. Mingyu's eyes tell you all you need to know.

You're the first to look away, suddenly overwhelmed by the emotion behind his stare. The longing and guilt and hurt etched deep in the universe of his eyes is too much. If you stared any longer, there's no holding either of you back.

"you first," he urges, "you were saying?"

"nothing really, no I uh, I just wanted to get some of my stuff, so if I could just go ins-"

"I'll do it!" he interjects suspiciously, his body going rigid at the thought of you walking into his pathetic little chamber of secrets. "I'll um. tell me what you need"

Unable to catch on, you insist further, telling him- "no! no really I can do it myself, please-"

A few dozen fruitless protests later, you've won.

Somehow.

Mingyu tried his best, although in vain, and now he's got you sitting on the couch as he scrambles to tidy up to the best of his abilities.

But of course, he should have known.

With your level of patience, it was only a matter of minutes before your curiosity got the better of you and led you straight into the bedroom.

"hey, you really don't have to bother so mu-" you start as you walk in, freezing at the door when your eyes glance over what once was your bedroom.

With a bunch of your t-shirts tucked away under his arm and a couple more scattered over his pillows, Mingyu halts his actions, paralysed.

The air is damp and clammy and it stinks of your perfume- strong enough to give you a headache. It feels as if time itself has stilled, as if it hasn't moved past that night you spent together.

Your bra is still in the corner of the room, your slippers are still at the foot of the bed, your pillow still has tear stains at the edge; it's like you were here just yesterday.

"Mingyu..."

He looks guilty. Like a puppy that got caught red handed with it's little snout burried deep inside a can of treats. You hate to say it, but it tugs at your heart a little more than you would've liked.

"I know how this looks-" he starts, still clutching desperately onto your clothes, "but I promise I'm okay." His voice cracks at the end, a slight quiver making it's way through the tough facade he's put up, and you feel your eyes begin to water.

Your eyes glisten with the saddest tears you've shed- the brightest, most sorrowful stars in Mingyu's galaxy- and suddenly, it doesn't matter to him that he's not yours anymore. Taking long, purposeful strides towards you, he closes in, dropping the clothes in his arms and taking hold of your face instead.

"I'm okay." he whispers, cradling your face, "I promise."

The tears begin to fall, one after another, and soon you're sobbing like a lost child. Your face crumples into the most devastating look Mingyu's ever seen, and before long, a heavy drop cascades down his cheek.

He thumbs away your tears continuously, swiping gently at your skin in distress with an expression that reads- 'but why are you crying? baby, please stop crying-'

It's a pathetic picture you two paint, but the moment means more to you than the he would know. All your thoughts of revenge and rage have cooled and now you see things for what they truly are.

He loves you.

He loves you and he knows he's fucked up so he's letting you go, no matter what becomes of him. To give you a shot at finding someone better, someone who won't hurt you like he did.

"please don't cry-" he begs, "I'll stop! okay? I'll clean up and give you your things ba-"

"you idiot"

The quiver in your voice silences him in an instant.

"you- why are you-" your voice gives way, cracking as you choke back a sob, unable to speak further.

Mingyu's lips tremble watching you. This is all his fault. You don't need to see this. You don't need to feel sorry for him. Yet, here you are, crying terribly for the man who hurt you.

Crying for him. After all he's done.

As if he hasn't given you reason enough to cry, Mingyu seems to have managed to add to the list, albeit unintentionally.

"baby-" His thumbs wipe away your tears and he lowers his face towards yours. "baby, please don't cry,"

He looks defeated. Like the last standing soldier, helplessly outnumbered by the enemy. If he felt like an asshole before, this just took the cake. Despite vowing to himself every night to never hurt you again, never make you cry again, here he is.

"c'mere, we'll go outside, okay? don't- don't stay in here"

Dumbly, you let him lead you to the hall, standing beside him as he grabs a tissue from it's holder. With the most gentle touch, Mingyu dabs at your skin, blotting away your tears, unaware of his own.

The proximity between your faces is dangerous. He's too close. While he's focused on wiping away your tears, you're torn between your thoughts.

His lips are right there, a mere inch away from yours. Technically, kissing him would be the easiest thing in the world- afterall, he's right there,- but somehow, he couldn't feel further away.

"did you stay in there this whole time?"

Finally, your voice finds it's way back.

His fingers halt their movements, and his eyes meet yours.

"yeah." he sighs.

There's an immeasurable guilt in his eyes, one that almost forces you to look away.

Almost.

Screaming from within, your mind urges you to draw your eyes back, but your body doesn't yield. It can't, rather. This was a bad decision to begin with- going to see your now ex-husband, when you yourself aren't certain where you stand. Do you still love him? Are you going to be okay without him? Will you be able to forgive him?

Despite being on shaky ground, you decided to come see him, and now, whatever resolve you've managed to build over the past week, comes crashing down.

One thing sticks out to you.

If there's anything that hurts more than a divorce, it's this- seeing the man you love turn into something unrecognizable, seeing him so struck with guilt and grief he barely seems alive.

As if connected by string, your eyes stay on each other's, neither one of you daring to look away. The pull of a strong magnet draws your bodies closer, and he whispers- "I miss you,".

With the gap between your lips closing soon, your eyes flutter shut, lips trembling ever-so-slightly with a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

Mingyu's breath fans over your face, the heat of his body burning softly against yours, and you lean closer, trying to close the gap between you and him, when all of a sudden, that warmth disappears.

Your eyes snap open, widening when you see that he's backed away.

"what ar-"

"we shouldn't-" he gulps, turning away as he steps back, putting safe distance between you and him. "it didn't uh, didn't end too well last time,"

Oh.

Right.

You hang your head, shoulders drooping- "you're right I shouldn't have forc-"

"no! no, I want to kiss you so bad, god I wanna kiss you- I just, let-let's talk first? before rushing into things, I just, y'know, I think we should talk. and- and I need you to be sure that this is what you want"

Your stomach flips hearing him speak.

'god I wanna kiss you'

"just kiss me, please" you whisper, holding back another wave of tears.

"I don't want you to leave again" Mingyu's brows scrunch together, a look of pain painting his features as he reminds you of what happened. Of how you made love only to part the next morning.

"I-"

"we c-"

You interrupt each other once again, growing tense as the air begins to weigh down on you both. There's a stale, heavy feeling clinging to everything, and it smells distinctly of the past.

"I can't lose you again," he says softly, eyes glossing over. "I won't be able to live with myself if I get to feel you again only to let you go in the end"

Here lies the last step, the final decision.

Mingyu's words mark the end of your dilemma- you have to choose now.

Letting out a shaky sigh, you shake your head, trying to stop the free fall of tears- "I'm so confused-"

"you're confused and I've hurt you and I wish I could change things but-" he winces, running his hands through his hair, "but I- no matter how I think about it, I love you. I love you and I've never stopped loving you. If you want to end things here, I understand, okay? I really do. After what I've done- I don't want to be forgiven I just- just please stop hurting"

He pauses, sniffling.

"and if moving on is what you need, if someone else can help you heal, I'll gladly let you go. so stop caring about me, okay? I'll- I'll be fine, I am fine, see?" he laughs through tears, clenching his fists, "just- I want you to be sure of whatever you decide."

"Mingyu..."

"I love you, okay? I really fucking love you and that's why I'll be alright. just show me that you'll be okay, that you'll find someone better-"

"there is no one better you idiot-" you sniffle, stepping towards him slowly, mind miraculously made up. "I'll find a good man, an honest man, a man who doesn't make me cry but I'll know for every second that I breathe, that he isn't you."

The air stills. The sound of cars and people and the city suddenly disappears as if in a vacuum.

Marching towards you, Mingyu closes the distance between you and him, wrapping his arms around your waist as you throw yours over his shoulder. His palms press down on your lower back, fingers splayed, and he burrows his head in the crook of your neck.

"I love you- I love you I love you I love you," he chants, lips pressed against your skin.

A hand slides up to the nape of your neck, pulling you closer still, and your grasp tightens around him.

It's like a scene straight out a movie- like perfect fiction with it's tear-stained confession and reconciliation- and you swear you hear music. The orchestral build, the grand crescendo that plays when two lovers are finally reunited at long last.

There's violins and cellos and harps and rhythm, and it all feels complete. It all feels right.

A tear wets the skin of your neck, and you pull back, gazing intently at Mingyu. He opens his mouth, taking in a sharp breath.

"I've missed you-"

"I missed you too,"

You reach up briefly, standing on your tip-toes, and press a chaste kiss to his lips, smiling sweetly with tears swelling in your eyes.

He clears his throat.

"what's next?"

You shrug, eyeing him mischievously.

"I've just gotten divorced", a humorous smile lights up your face, "don't I need to find myself a handsome young man now?"

Mingyu matches your grin, pecking your lips quickly before saying-

"how 'bout I take you on a date- say, Saturday, 8 o'clock- and we see where it goes?"

"mm, I'd like that very much"

#seventeen #kim mingyu #mingyu #kim mingyu seventeen #seventeen mingyu #mingyu x reader #her pt 3 #mingyu fanfic #angst with a happy ending #I KNOW HE CHEATED. YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP REMINDING ME GODDAMN

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to---the---ark · 6 months

Text

I'm touch starved, and now I'm thinking about Tim.

He spent all his childhood being terrified by a faceless creature and then locked in his hospital room by doctors. He was a kid who needed to be listened and believe to, but only got drugged up and locked in a damn room.

Then in college he met Brian.

Brian isn't seen much on screen, but all his actions in the serie, and the comic book special "Issue 3.5 - ToTheArk" speak volume: he loves his friends and he loves deeply.

Do you think Tim melted the first time Brian hugged him?

Do you think he realized how touch starved he really was? How burning his skin seemed to be, and how much relief Brian's hug was giving him?

Do you think Tim felt ashamed of that? Do you think he thought of himself as too clingy, or too needy? Do you think about all the times he probably cried alone in his bed, because he was loved for the first time ever but didn't dare to go ask Brian for even an half hug? Just an half hug, a quick one, he could've been happy with some pats on the shoulder, even when he really needed the grounding weight of someone lying on top of him.

Do you think he ever got embarrassed about those thoughts? About those needs?

Do you think Brian managed to make Tim spill the beans? And if so- do you think Brian started to just lay on his best friend whenever Tim got too fidgety, or too anxious?

Do you think Brian learned how to ground Tim with physical touch to help him after an episode, or after a seizure?

When Brian disappeared, do you think Tim got to force himself to ignore his touch starvation like he used to before Brian? Do you think he cried and shook, his skin on fire, his breath irregular, his mind racing?

When he finally understood the truth about The Operator being something real, Tim surely got scared of infecting everyone else.

Do you think he forced himself to keep quiet?

Do you think Hoodie ever tried to hug Masky, to calm him through a gentle touch, only to be smacked away? Do you think the negative emotions and the anger Masky felt were somehow sad too?

When Tim got closer to Jay, do you think he ever got the temptation to hug him?

And Jay, our young man who just wanted to help, got turned into an angry individual, maybe a little lost, and surely scared, but also so courageous or simply too far gone to stop. Do you think he ever wanted the comfort of a friendly hug?

Do you think Tim wished he could hold Jay close and relaxed, before losing him? Do you think Tim felt something familiar while looking for his own things in the pockets of a still Hoodie? When Alex showed him Brian's corpse, do you think Tim wanted to just crawl over there and take his best friend between his arms, squeezing him in a comforting way?

Do you think Tim hallucinated those college night, with those familiar arms wrapped around him?

Edit: I wrote something about it, click here!

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chrrychills · 2 months

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Hiya! Do you think you could do the sbg group with a reader that's been in the phantom dimension much longer than them and has an animal companion, like a K9 dog or something along those line?

Thanks and I hope you have a nice day/night! ☺

who really cares about a little rust ?

main six « reader w/ experience in the phantom realm!

ashlyn banner:

•she takes a little bit to warm up to you, just because she's wary. she'll warm up to you if you prove you're trustworthy, though!

•loves big dogs. your dog is probably one of the reasons she decided to trust you. she trusts animal instincts a lot, plus she wanted to pet it.

•subconsciously looks to you for guidance. she's so used to being a leader, but now you're here and you've been there so much longer than they have.

•she can't think about your situation for too long or she'll get upset. knowing you've been there alone for so long, without no one but your dog to keep you company upsets her.

•once you two are close, she'll open up to you about how stressed she is, and how she feels like she has to protect everyone. she softens a bit when she notices you start to take charge more, so she can have a break.

•does whatever she can to protect your dog. she's just as upset as you are if your pet gets injured.

•she'd never tell you, but she looks up to you. she admires how headstrong you are, and how you're able to keep everyone calm.

aiden clark:

•immediately wants to pet your dog. he doesn't really register you're there until after.

•he has a million questions. how did you get here? how long has it been? where'd the dog come from? what's his– her name?

•he honestly gets attached to your dog before he gets attached to you. he took it upon himself to name her. (he named her lily.)

•really impressed with how confidently you carry yourself, and how calm you are even in stressful situations. it helps him keep a level head, even if you can't tell.

•the more he gets to know you, the more he wishes you two could've met literally anywhere else. he starts to look for you everywhere in the human realm– at his bus stop, in the cafeteria at lunch, the hallways during passing period. tyler has to tell him to cut it out because he thinks it's creepy.

•jumps at the chance to patch you up if you're injured. once everyone trusts you enough, you end up taking care of them. aiden likes switching it up when he can– taking care of you makes him feel better about the weight on your shoulders.

ben clark:

•stood there for a good minute just staring at you when you two first met. you were the first person he'd seen outside of his group in the phantom dimension, and you had a dog!

•he trusted you pretty quickly. he saw how quick you were to protect his friends, even though you had just met them and had no idea who they were or what kind of people they were.

•he spent a good three days debating with himself before he asked to pet your dog (who loves ben, by the way.) your dog got attached to him quick, and ends up at his side if not with you.

•he named your dog dexter. he didn't really ask if he had a name or not, he just kind of started calling him dexter and it stuck.

•is constantly worried about you. since you're the one everyone looks to for guidance and protection, he gets worried you have too much on your plate. he'll help you out/ protect you however he can.

•he's pretty observant, so he noticed you at school in the human realm pretty quickly! now you two are basically inseparable, and he comes over after school every wednesday to see dexter and hang out with you.

tyler hernandez:

•initially, didn't trust you at all. it takes him a while to warm up to people in general, but your whole situation sketched him out. you were in the phantom dimension, alone, with only a dog to keep you company? and you're still alive? he didn't buy it.

•his opinion changed when he saw how selfless you were. you saved him and everyone else more time than he could count, and took the brunt of phantom attacks for them. he started to respect you before he started to like you.

•once he does warm up to you, though, he's basically always by your side. he's super protective of people he cares about, so he does whatever he can to keep you safe.

•he honestly trusts you with his life. he'll listen to all the advice you give him, even if he doesn't seem like he is.

•has major anxiety after the tree incident. if you think you two were inseparable before, it increases tenfold. your calm demeanor helps him stay grounded.

•your dog didn't like him at first, but now she likes him more than you. you have pictures of him cuddled up on a bus seat with your dog that he doesn't know about.

taylor hernandez:

•when you first meet, she's more concerned about you than anything. you're completely alone with a (kinda scary looking) dog. it wasn't until after she made sure you were safe that she had some questions.

•is more curious about you than wary. she respects the strength you must've had to stay alive all this time is admirable.

•your dog loves her, and she loves your dog. he already had a name, but her nickname for him his buddy because she likes it.

•is constantly making sure you know you're not alone anymore. you have her and the rest of the group to lean on now.

•that being said, she looks up to you a lot and is constantly looking to you for help and guidance. she won't really be able to tell if you're overwhelmed, unless you tell her.

•she knows you can handle yourself, but she'll still help in any way she can. she doesn't want you to have to be completely independent anymore.

logan fields:

•your dog kinda freaks him out at first. it's huge and kind of scary looking, which puts him off. he warms up quickly, and soon enough they're basically always together!

•since you've been in the phantom realm for so long, he looks to you for help. it takes him some time because he doesn't want to come off as clingy, but he learns to depend on you.

•you stress him out. he knows you're strong, but watching you protect everyone else and risk hurting yourself is stressful for him. he'll give you the nicest earful you've ever gotten after you do something reckless.

•helps you understand that it's okay to depend on him. you're so used to doing everything yourself, but things are different now.

•he appreciates your level head a lot. the group can get really stressed and tense at times, and having you as a voice of reason helps calm everyone down.

•cried the first time he saw you get seriously injured. he was sitting beside you the entire time ben patched you up and wouldn't leave your side for days after.

lacey's notes: woah guys i wrote this in one sitting and didn't edit. my first week of skl is over (ill pay someone to do my ap physics work for me)

i'm gonna keep doing like 1-2 requests a week maybe i think? idk don't quote me on that

why are my posts flopping be honest

#sbg #sbg x reader #x reader #sbg ashlyn #ashlyn banner x reader #aiden clark x reader #sbg aiden #sbg ben #ben clark x reader #tyler hernandez x reader #sbg tyler #taylor hernandez x reader #logan fields x reader #taylor hernandez #logan fields

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pepperf · 4 days

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Genuinely can't decide if the writers intended the Five and Lila relationship to be toxic, or if that's just their idea of romance - just like Rochester, Heathcliff, Darcy, and that dude from Twilight, right???

Okay, let's have a readmore. Note tags, ppl, and curate your experience.

Lila has a relatively sensible approach to relationships, which is consistent, despite her somewhat Machiavellian approach to getting what she wants out of them - she put Diego in his place about having realistic expectations back in s3. She's pretty clear about who she is and where her lines are drawn, and is "weirdly self-actualised", according to Klaus. And Five - romantically inexperienced, thinks everyone should do what he says at all times - tries to impose his notion of How This Should Go onto her, from nearly the start of their brief romance, but leaning hard into it once it starts going sour - which also checks out: he was alone for 45 years and his previous relationship was all in his head, giving him full control, so that's what he's used to. But I couldn't tell if they genuinely intended to show it as him being incredibly selfish in prioritising his feelings over her wishes, or if they honestly thought it was romantic. I mean, the barbed wire-style bracelet is a little on the nose, and there's some symbolism that I'll get into in a sec. Truthfully, I'm not inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt - I think SB at least thought it was hot, judging by what he's said about identifying with Five, and about how he finally gets to have a romance. This seems to have been his pet project for the season, blergh.

It's that tedious old misogynist chestnut, that all women secretly want A Man to take control. It's frustrating, because they already established that Lila likes to be in charge, she wants to be free to make her own choices, she'd already had twenty-plus years of being told what to think and do. And yet she has to remind Five, who really ought to know her better by now, "You do not get to decide what I do with my life!" It's also very disconnected from reality. It's not actually fun or sexy to be gaslighted, to be lied to by some insecure asshole who thinks they know better about what's good for you, that they have a right to stick their nose into your personal relationships or keep you away from your kids. Not cool, Five, not cool. He's lucky she didn't kick him in the nuts on the way out. But another reason I think they didn't do this consciously is that Five doesn't seem to realise his assholery - there's no hint that he's regretting anything other than being dumped.

Lila was trapped for seven years in an intense, claustrophobic situation with Five - and if they'd continued to exist, she could have worked through the feelings that come out of that. Like Ritu said, of course there's going to be love there: they've spent seven years together, on the run. If nothing else, it would be a matter of survival - either you find a way to get along, or you kill each other. And they went in with a fair amount in common already (although being adopted by the Handler at age four is not at all the same as being recruited by her at age fifty-something). So I'm annoyed that Lila's whole arc this season is one of frustration about having to be the grown up in her relationship, taking a break to reassess, going off to do something a bit crazy and fun - and promptly getting stranded with someone considerably less emotionally competent.

Okay, I'm being somewhat harsh - Lila unexpectedly getting the timeout she wanted could've been a decent storyline, she could have some time to reflect, live the child-free life without consequences, and have some adventures (she actively enjoys danger!). And she and Five got to bond, that had lots of interesting potential, especially with their complicated history. But it tipped over from being a potential opportunity into an immensely over the top punishment for her impulsivity, and took them so far from where they'd started that there's a total emotional disconnect with the main story. Which is a fucking weird choice for one episode in such a short season, ngl.

And then, ugh, she's right back to dealing with the apocalypse, visibly thrown by a Diego who has unexpectedly thought about what she said and is trying to be a better husband, and dealing with a Five who has decided to get territorial. It's deeply uncomfortable, Five is gearing up to start trouble, so wrapped up in his own hurt feelings that he's functionally useless for the actual problem in front of them - leaving Lila to deal with the mess he creates, and then leverage said feelings to get him to put on his big boy pants and help. She still reaches out to him in the end, I think she knows him well enough by this point to understand what makes him tick...and she's having to be the sensible one up to the end of her existence. Can't she have someone who's willing to meet her halfway? The reflecting that Diego did, him making a start on making amends (given that it was only a few hours for him, that's about as much as they could squeeze in) was basically just wasted. They start to reconnect at the end, and mutually apologise for the damage they've done - but that's all they get, and it's a travesty.

Personally I think the whole storyline should have been cut, but if - if - they really felt it added something, they could have given it some time in the real world, see how this shaky new romance holds up against a serious relationship that's been massively fractured. In a different show, that might have been a fine story. But they don't do that. Whatever she might have wanted, Lila doesn't get time to even think about her choices. She gets to stop existing. (Or they could just have not gone there in the first place, god I hate love triangle plotlines, they do no favours for anyone involved!)

Given a continued existence in which to do so, I'm sure Five would have moved on pretty quickly. It's his first romance with a real person, he feels it intensely - but once the dust settled, he'd see that they were in very different emotional places (she wanted to get back to her family, the break from reality is way overdue to end - and he wanted to stay in their little bubble and leave all that behind). The actual romance part was actually pretty brief, and lacking in any deep communication - as Lila says, it wasn't real. They're playing house in an attempt to feel normal - in a greenhouse (a fragile structure, not a real home), eating strawberries (a treat more than real sustenance), like children...hey, maybe I'm wrong and the writers DID intend to do that, bc that's some choice visual metaphors. And they're playing roles: all their normal antagonism - what made them so fun and sparky in previous seasons, and even during the earlier part of their adventure! - disappears. Lila is a chameleon, taking on a character is her happy place - and this was how Five kept himself going, last time he was in this situation, so he's slipping back into that method of survival (although he's not as good as she is at separating reality from fiction). So while all that is totally understandable, it's insubstantial. If Five had the space to do some self-reflection, or if one of his more rational siblings (Luther maybe, or...um...or a friend, if he can make one...or maybe that dude in the Losers Department at the CIA...) sat down with him and explained that you need to treat a partner as an equal, maybe he could do better next time - or double down and keep being an asshole, that's also a strong possibility.

idk - I still don't honestly think the show intended it that way, unfortunately. I think they shoehorned the characters into the scenes they wanted, regardless of sense or even plot requirement. There are a LOT of badly-explained or badly-thought out moments in this season, and this whole mess just adds to the incoherency. Or maybe it's just a consequence of TV - you get multiple creative people involved, and the reasoning gets muddied, especially over time. Maybe it was SB's intention from the start, but he didn't inform the actors until the final season, so they've been playing it straight.

This show has an...interesting tendency to do something that you think is totally unacceptable and just gloss over it at the time, and then address it next season (like Luther apologising to Viktor), as if the writers all brought it up in their respective therapy sessions during the break, and worked through the issues - so maybe if they'd had another season, they would have gone into all that. Maybe. But we're clearly not going to get that, and they're all gone from existence so I can't headcanon that in this universe, they eventually sort it out. So I'm putting it down to one thing:

Break out the dodgy facial hair (I see you're ahead of me, Five) and let's get kicking babies!

#tua s4 #tua #the umbrella academy #five hargreeves #lila pitts #anti-fivela #pepper gets salty #there are currently 3 hours left on that poll but I don't think the result are gonna change #I would've posted this yesterday in fact but then I made myself go watch some of the scenes in question 🤢🤢🤢#and had some edits to make

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spidernuggets · 6 months

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Hi! Im new here. I was wondering if you could maybe write something inspired with "Gorgeous by Taylor Swift"? Jason Todd obviously lol, that's why i am here for.

Thx,

🌵

Jason Todd x Reader

I SHIT YOU NOT, I've been thinking about this song with Jason Todd all week

Note: For the sake of the song, Jason has blue eyes here.

It was once again another Bruce Wayne Gala. You were already on your 3rd drink, less than an hour in. You already promised Bruce that you'd show up, and it seemed rude to not go last minute. Being there would've been easy if that didn't mean trying to avoid Jason all night.

You knew if he found you, he'd try to ask you why you're always avoiding every time, everywhere. So you've been busying yourself at the gala, trying to talk to as many people as you could so Jason wouldn't disturb you. You talked to Dick, Steph, Tim, even Damian!

You're now on your 4th champagne, and your vision was getting a little blurry already.

But Jason, being Jason, he made it his personal mission to find you. You were his friend, and you always accompanied him during Bruce's long, boring galas. Well, except for the previous two. The last two galas were during the period where Jason was dating Artemis. And you couldn't stand being in the same room as them. Of course, you were happy that your best friend loved someone, but damn, you wished that someone was you. You knew for a fact you could've loved Jason better than any person he had clinging to his arm.

Two could play that game.

Did you try and make him jealous by bringing another guy (a significantly older guy at that) to the last gala. You sure as hell fucking did. Did the plan work?

Fuck no.

Jason came up to you, last gala, asking who the guy was. You introduced him as your boyfriend, but really, you just promised a guy a chance to see Bruce Wayne in return for being your date. And all Jason said was, "I'm glad you found someone to spend time with here. I didn't want to leave you alone while I'm with Artemis!" You wanted to strangle yourself.

You spent the rest of that night alone anyway, as the guy was just bothering Bruce the whole night. You had to formally apologise to him.

But this time, you came alone, expecting Jason to be with Artemis again. But you didn't see the tall red head anywhere. She was probably running late, but you would've expected her and Jason to come in hand in hand like the last two times.

"Y/n!" You grumbled at the voice that called out your name. You tried to casually speed walk away, but in a failed attempt, you felt a rough, calloused hand holding yours, preventing you from going away any further.

"Y/n! I've been looking for you all night," Jason says, turning you around. His warm hand embracing yours made your face heat up even more than it needed to. And the dimly lit room didn't help hide it. "Why are you so red?" He asks, placing the back of his hand to your forhead to check if you were feeling ill or such.

"Nothin'..." You murmur. You never really had a high alcohol tolerance. You tried to swat his hand away from your head.

"You sound drunk, sweet thing," he smiles down at you, hand now placed on your shoulder to keep you balanced.

"No, you sound drunk. You always talk nonsense. No one understands shit comin' out of your mouth," you tried to bite back.

"Okay, that means that's enough for tonight. It's barely two hours in, N/n," he says, taking your champagne flute away from you, holding you back as you whine, trying to take it back from him.

You sigh, knowing it was no use trying to fight against him. "Where's red head?" You murmur, leaning into his hold as he tried to keep you upright.

He looks down at you. "Artemis? Did I not tell you? We broke up. Uh.. well, she broke up with me. I don't know. It's complicated."

Well, that's just fantastic! Sure, when he was dating Artemis, you were jealous as hell, but at least it was easier to stay away from Jason and get rid of your feelings for him. Now that he's available, your brain is going to feed into the poor delusion that you actually might have a chance with him. And to top it off, now that you're on the edge of being wasted, your dumb mouth might run on its own an actually confess to Jason.

"And where's your date, Y/n? The old guy," he snickers.

You scoff. "Hardly old... only.." You count with your fingers. "Ten years older," you show your ten fingers to Jason.

"Mm.." He hums in response, combing your hair back with your fingers. "That's old, sweetheart. So, what happened to him?"

You sigh. "I don't know. Clubbing, probably. He's not allowed back here. Annoyed Brucie last time," You mumble.

"So.. Are you going to tell me why you were running away from me all night?" Jason asks.

You shook your head. "Was not.." You pathetically tried to lie. Suddenly, you felt your stomach gurgling. "Mm.. feel sick, Jay," you say, pushing away from him, not wanting to get sick on him, but he immediately pulls you back.

"Aha, okay, sweet thing. Bed time now." He laughs, placing your arms over his shoulder, guiding you out of the ballroom.

"Can go on my own," you mutter, trying to walk faster than him, but his hand remains on your waist, holding you closer to him.

"Yeah, yeah, sure you can. C'mon, up to my room." He says, leading the way to the elevator and up to the bedrooms.

"Want me to help you out of your clothes, or do you want to do it yourself?" He asks after letting you sit on his bed.

"Myself," you were able to sputter, reaching your arms out to take the shirt and sweatpants thathe already fetched from his wardrobe.

He kisses your forhead after giving it to you and heads towards the bathroom. He comes out with makeup wipes and micellar water.

"Eyes up, babe. You got eyeliner smudged all over," he whispers, grabbing hold of your chin to stop you from moving around.

"Up, up," he says, grabbing your hands and pulling you up as he leads you to his bathroom. He throws away the wipes and puts the water back in the cabinet. "You said you feel sick. You need to throw up, yeah?" You only mumbled in response, kneeling in front of the toilet.

Jason lightly rubs your back, waiting for you to throw up as your hand is over the toilet seat, your head leaning on it.

You started to groan, which alarmed Jason that you were ready to hurl. He combs your hair back, away from your face.

"You done?" He lightly asks, grabbing a paper towel and wiping your lips.

"Mm.. water."

"I know, I know, sugar. Come on," he helps you up again, going back to the bedroom. He opens a bottle of water and raises it to your lips, swatting away ypur hands that try to take it off him.

You hum when your thirst has been quenched, and he wipes away any droplets on your lips with his thumb. He then moves a small trash can beside the bed. "Bin is here if you need to get sick again, okay, Y/n?" He pokes your cheek to ensure you are listening.

You nod and hum in response. Jason lays the blanket over you, tucking you in, and you couldn't help but admire his features; His curly, black locks, sharp nose, plump lips, and those annoyingly gorgeous blue eyes that looked so deep that you could drown in them, but you'd still die happy.

"You're pretty, Jay," you mutter, your consciousness at the edge of giving up on you.

He shushes you. "It's bedtime now, sweet thing," he tries to get you to sleep.

"I'm not that bad of a person, am I?" You ask, now staring at the wall behind him.

"No, no. Why would you think that, babe?" He asks, fingers, once again, travelling through your hair.

"I don't think I can be your friend anymore. 't's Too hard," you're now ranting your silly little thoughts. The one thing you prayed wouldn't happen. And Jason stares down at you in hurt and confusion. Before he can ask why, you speak up again. "I don't think I can..mm. be your friend and not be in love with you. Not fair. I can't have you.. you chose.. uhmm.. red head.."

Jason couldn't help but smile. You were so adorable, and he just wanted to kiss all over your face so bad. But he knew you'd forget by morning. He can wait.

He gets up, removes his blazer, and shirt, leaving on the floor, and walks to the other side of the bed. He lifts up the blanket, getting into bed behind you, wrapping an arm around your waist as he shuffled to lay closer to you.

He kisses the back of your head. "Me and Artemis broke up, remember?" You grumbled an "Oh yeah."

"Wanna know why?" He finds your hand, holding it, and caresses your smaller hand. You hum in a questioning tone. He leans in closer, his lips just barely grazing your ear lobe. "She said I couldn't stop talking about you. Everything we did, I'd always find a way to bring you into the topic. She said I was in love with you. I kept denying it because I knew - Well, I thought you didn't, and you'd never feel the same. Guess I was wrong," he also knows you wouldn't remember this in the morning.

He felt you take a breath. "Remind me in the morning? When I'm sober? I wanna remember. And kiss you." You say, voice muffled into the pillow.

He kisses the back of your head one last time. "Of course, sweet thing."

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steddieas-shegoes · 1 year

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Nother Idea: Steve has a really bad migraine when he sees his parents for the first time post spring break from hell. He is still recovering from his injuries & his parsnts don't know how to help him. He is in tears begging his father or mother to get him Rob or Eds. And they have no clue who that is. The other parent finds a note by the main house phone and one by his bedroom phone with the names Robin & Eddie with their numbers. And they watch their adult son get coddled by a lesbian and a metalhead. Bsjsjcjdjd maybe they find out about the UD???

I TOOK A BREAK FROM PLANNING OUR WEDDING FOR THIS MY LOVE!!! You know how I feel about migraine Steve and you know how I feel about some good old hurt/comfort and how I feel about Steve's parents just being shitty always. It's like you wrote this request from MY BRAIN. It's a bit shorter than I could've done, but I am rushing out the door at this point and wanted to have it posted today in case I can't tonight. Hope you love it!!! - Mickala ❤️

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

Luck was never on Steve’s side.

He hadn’t slept more than a few hours in weeks, his brain and body constantly running through checklists of things he had to do and people he needed to check on.

It was catching up with him in the form of the worst migraine he’s had in months.

And now his parents were home.

He could hear them talking downstairs, their voices carrying and making Steve wince against his pillow.

He managed to close his curtains when he got up to use the bathroom this morning, but hadn’t managed to do anything else. Including close his door.

He hadn’t really expected that to be an issue since he was alone all the time.

His parents hadn’t been home in nearly six months. They hadn’t even bothered to call when the “earthquake” hit.

He kept his eyes closed in hopes that they wouldn’t bother him, maybe they’d even close his door for him if they thought he was asleep.

Wishful thinking.

His dad’s booming voice was suddenly right next to him, echoing around his room and his head.

“It’s the middle of the damn day, Anne! He can’t sleep his life away!”

Steve let out a groan, burying his head as far into his pillows as he could to avoid some of the noise.

His father would give up eventually, probably call him something terrible, be disappointed, the usual. But he’d leave, and Steve could bask in the peace and quiet again.

“Do you hear me, Steven? Anne, he’s ignoring me!”

Steve groaned again as he heard his mother’s voice from the doorway.

“Richard, he’s clearly hungover. We should come back later.”

Steve loved that idea. If they left, he could try to sleep this migraine off.

“I’m not just leaving him! He has to act like a responsible adult someday, Anne. We don’t pay for this house for him to spend his days hungover in it.”

“Not hungover.”

Steve’s voice was muffled against the pillow, his head pounding with every movement of his lips, but he knew he had to at least try to stick up for himself.

“So you’re just a useless sack in the middle of the day on a Thursday for no reason, then?”

Steve let out a whine at the sharp pains shooting through his head.

“Eddie. Call?”

Words were hard when your head was trying to implode on itself.

“Who is Eddie? Is that the person who got you drunk? I will not be calling this Eddie person, and I expect you to be up, showered, and dressed by the time we are back from our business dinner. Do you understand?”

“Robin.”

“Isn’t that your girlfriend? Is she responsible for this?”

Steve wanted to scream that the people responsible for this were dead or Russian spies who were hopefully dead and no thanks to either of his parents, he often spent days like this.

Not as often since he practically had Robin and Eddie living with him, but enough.

“No. Eddie.”

“Eddie isn’t your girlfriend.” Anne was closer now. “Do you need medical attention? You’re not making any sense. Oh goodness, Richard, maybe he’s having a stroke.”

His side was pulsing. Eddie said his did too sometimes, a casual reminder that they’d been nearly eaten alive. The pain wasn’t nearly as bad as his head, though.

He needed to get to his phone so he could call Eddie.

Eddie knew what to do to help. He wouldn’t be scared of his parents.

Just as he started to move his head so he could try to roll out of bed, he heard his mom speak again, much lower, probably directly to his dad.

He had extremely sensitive hearing when he had migraines, though, so he could still hear what she was saying.

“This note has those names with phone numbers. Maybe we should call them?”

“It’s just a hangover. He has to man up.”

“It just seems like more than a hangover. He’s in real pain.”

“You do what you want. Coddle him if you must. I have a business dinner to get ready for.”

He heard his father leave the room, but didn’t bother moving.

His mom was suddenly talking into the phone.

“Is this Eddie? Yes, this is Anne Harrington. Steve’s mom, yes. He had your number written down by the phone. He’s asking for you and he seems to be quite hungover. It’s not? Oh. Oh. Okay. Well, could you come keep an eye on him, then? I would appreciate it. I could pay you.” Steve heard yelling on the other end and tried to smirk, but his face was in too much pain. “Okay, see you soon.”

“Steve? Eddie’s coming. He didn’t want any money or anything to sit with you, but I’ll leave some on the counter just in case.”

“Loves me.”

“What was that?”

Steve turned his head to the side so he could say it again, emphasize to his mother that people actually loved him.

“He loves me.”

He was met with silence, but he was happy about it, his head still finding new ways to hurt even after 100 migraines.

His mom left the room, but he knew Eddie was coming, so he rested.

When he woke up, Robin’s hands were in his hair. She was gently combing through it, from scalp to ends, being careful to avoid any tangles that may have been hiding.

“Robs.”

“Hey Dingus,” she whispered, knowing he couldn’t handle normal talking voices when it was this bad. “Gave Eds and I quite a scare having your mom call, you know.”

“Sorry. Couldn’t.”

“I know. It’s okay.”

“Eddie?”

“He’s downstairs giving your parents the riot act while he unloads groceries. He’s pissed.”

“At me?”

“No, never you. He’s got your extra strength pain meds that you were out of though.”

Steve had forgotten to get more last time he went to the store and he admittedly wouldn’t be this bad off if he had them ready to go when he woke up this morning.

But Eddie always took care of him and Robin always took care of him, and he was allowed to not have to do everything for himself anymore.

“It’s like you don’t even care that he’s hurt because of fucking government conspiracies!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Robin’s hand froze as they listened to Eddie and his dad go back and forth.

“The Russians almost killed him! Where were you? Not fucking here! The monsters almost killed him! Where were you? Probably on a business trip or whatever it is you rich fucks like to do with your time that should be spent checking in on your son.”

“Oh boy,” Robin slowly started to get up, causing Steve to whimper. “I’m gonna send him up here to cool off. Just breathe.”

So he did. He breathed in, then out, in, then out.

He did that until he felt Eddie’s hands in his hair, lips on his forehead.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he whispered against his hair. “Brought you some water and meds.”

“Yelling?”

“They deserve it. But don’t worry about that right now. Just take these pills and sleep. I got ya.”

“Got me.”

“Yeah, sweetheart, always got you.”

He could hear Robin yelling downstairs now, but he didn’t focus on it, following Eddie’s advice and sitting up just enough to swallow the pills and half a glass of water.

As he fell asleep, he heard Robin whispering to Eddie.

“He’s got us, at least.”

“Yeah, he does.”

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #robin buckley #platonic stobin #steve's parents suck #migraine steve again i know okay #but it's just so gd good #soft and protective eddie #soft and protective robin #requests

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drugs-and-daddyissues · 6 months

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Hear me out: Johnny Depp who didn't know he had a child

Johnny Depp, who had gotten you pregnant from a one night stand.

Johnny Depp, who you had no way to contact after it happened. You went through all of it alone, giving birth to a healthy baby girl.

Johnny Depp, who 2 years later shows up at your door after you had put your daughter to bed. He looks at you with the most heartbroken expression, "You didn't tell me I had a kid.." He says softly, but his words are coming out almost broken, tears threatening to spill.

Johnny Depp, who after talking with him a bit, you decide to let him be a part of your daughter's life.

Johnny Depp, who's the best damn dad. Plays with your daughter, holds her, feeds her, everything. She wants to play Barbies with him? He's all in. She wants to paint his nails? He'll tell her how beautiful it looks after she's done.

Johnny Depp, who after a few months, watches your daughter for the night while you go out on a date. Who tells you how gorgeous you look before you leave, who doesn't know why he's feeling so jealous at the thought of another man being on a date with you, if he'll hold your hand, if you'll kiss him, if you'll do more with him. You had one night of lust with him, why is he jealous?

Johnny Depp, who's still at your house when you get home. Your daughter's already asleep, and he's asking how your date was, jealousy coursing through his veins. And when you go on about how nice the guy is, how handsome he is, his resolve wears thin.

Johnny Depp, who tells you how he hates the idea of you going on dates with another man, how your one night together was more to him than he let on, especially after spending time with his daughter, and with you. Who you get into a small argument with, because you think he's better off dating models and actresses.

Johnny Depp, who after you cool down from your argument, decides to give you a taste of your own medicine, who taunts the idea of him going out and hooking up with whoever. You, who's feeling that same burn of jealousy in your veins.

Johnny Depp, who takes it too far (because he's stupid), genuinely pissing you off. You, who makes an excuse about going to check up on your daughter to get away from him.

Johnny Depp, who after you're gone for a few minutes, goes to check on you. You, who's sitting on the little sofa in your daughter's room, a softer look on your face. "Are you alright?" He asks quietly, careful not to disturb your daughter, as he sits next to you.

Johnny Depp, who puts his arm around you gently as you talk about how you're scared of how everything is changing. How before it was just you and your daughter, then he showed up. How you're happy that your daughter finally has a father figure, but that your jealous outburst just proved that he's breaking down the walls you'd spent years carefully constructing. "You have that effect on me, and that's terrifying." You whispered to him.

Johnny Depp, who knows that the dynamic between you and him is shifting, and that tonight was just the catalyst.

Johnny Depp, who brushes your hair out of your face, who shifts closer to you, your faces mere inches apart. Who tells you that no other woman has made him feel the way you make him feel, how he wishes he could've been there during your pregnancy, during the birth of your daughter, during all the parenting up until this point, but that now he's here to witness and be apart of every little milestone for the rest of your daughter's life.

Johnny Depp, who presses his lips against yours so softly, so lovingly, that everything just falls into place, that you stop fighting the feelings you knew were already consuming you.

Johnny Depp, who's no longer just the father of your child, but the love of your life.

Johnny Depp, who- after your daughter wishes for a younger sibling for her 4th birthday- wastes absolutely no time in trying for a baby with you that night.

Johnny Depp, who this time around, is fully present. Who doesn't miss a single little milestone in your pregnancy. The first time you can hear your baby's heartbeat, he's there, completely amazed. When you find out it's a boy, he cries a little, overwhelmed by the thought of raising a little boy with you. The first time you can feel the baby move, he's already got his hands on your stomach, gently feeling the soft kicks of your unborn baby.

Johnny Depp, who's fully preparing your daughter to become a good older sister when the baby gets closer to arriving.

Johnny Depp, who's so supportive during labor, who gets you anything you need, who holds your hand and whispers praises while you're pushing his son out.

Johnny Depp, who's unashamedly crying when he gets to hold his son, finally getting the true experience that he didn't get with his daughter.

☆ like what you've read? masterlist

#johnny depp imagine #johnny depp love #johnny depp x reader #johnny depp #dad! johnny depp

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ineffablelara · 4 days

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Loki and his severe self esteem issues

Something I don't think we as a fandom discuss enough is the moment where Loki casually says "my life was a waste of time" to Mobius in s2ep6, I kinda understand that bc the finale was so traumatazing to some people that they only watched it once and tried their best to not think about it for too long

But this moment stuck with me because he says it with such calmness, there's no bite in his words, no sarcasm, no irony, he truly believes that, he thinks his whole life was a waste of time and this is so incredibly heartbreaking, at that point he already spent centuries trying to fix the loom only to learn it was a failsafe, centuries of his life wasted on a mission that lead to nothing, he probably think his life on the sacred timeline was a waste of time too, I'm so sure he'd do everything different if he could go back there, I'm sure he looks at all the things he did with so much shame and regret, a life wasted with jealousy and bitterness and acting out to get attention of others while being desperate for his father's approval and wanting to be Thor's equal

Even though he only acted that way because of his own trauma too, abandoned as a baby, adopted by a man who had a political agenda in mind when he took him and who made Loki feel unfit and inferior his whole life, raised in a society that looked down at all the things that made him him (magic, tricks, preference for diplomacy instead of fist fighting etc), Loki grew up in a hostile enviroment that only made him insecure and alone, he has severe self esteem issues and all he wanted his whole life was to be accepted and loved by his people and most of all by his father, he chased that approval in the wrong ways and now that he's mature and wiser he understands that but it's still so sad to see him talking about himself like that

He dedicated centuries of his life to doing the right thing, to saving the multiverse and making sure everyone would be safe, he made friends, he became kind and selfless and somehow he still thinks his existence was a mistake, his insecurities are so deep and internalized that I'm afraid he'll never truly be free of them, I wish someone hugged him very tight and told him how amazing and important he is, that his mistakes in the past don't define who he is now and that they're proud of how far he came in his journey

Loki's existence was the greatest gift the multiverse could've asked for, without him everyone would still be part of hwr's schemes and the tva would still be taking away people's free will, I hope his mind changed after the making of Yggdrasil and that he starts looking at himself with more compassion and love bc he deserves it more than anyone at this point

#loki #loki laufeyson #loki series #god of stories #loki meta #loki season 2 #loki season two #loki odinson #loki of asgard #tva loki #the way he says that breaks my heart jnto a million pieces omg that episode destroyed me on so many levels #he deserved so much better #someone please hug him #he deserves to know how loved he is #he's my baby I can't take this anymore #odin allfather #odin

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seonghwaddict · 1 year

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★ NEVER SAY NEVER. [ 001 ] over my dead body.

synopsis. something about the eight most well-known boys of your campus just didn't sit right with you, so you never gave any effort to interact with them. but after a series of... interesting incidents, they can't seem to leave you alone. pairing. college students! vampires! ot8! ateez x fem! reader. genre. fluff, angst, eventual smut, college au, vampire au. chapter warnings. suggestive comments, swearing, wooyoung being an annoying piece of shit. word count. 1.1k

　　　　　　　　chapter i // chapter ii

"The groups have already been decided and the list can be found on the bulletin outside. See you all next week." And with that, your professor walked out of the studio and left your classmates scrambling to get out of class and find the list.

All things considered, your day could have been worse. Yes, you'd gone to bed at 5 am and woken up at 7 to your housemate blasting music in the bathroom as she showered. Though, that was a daily occurrence, being mad over it just didn't make sense anymore. Yes, when you got into the shower and turned on the water without paying attention to the heat dial, you pretty much burned off your skin. Yes, on the way to the art department you had dropped one of the paintings you've been working on for over a month, getting mud all over the bottom half of the artwork.

But, nevertheless, it could've been a lot worse.

As you gathered the used paintbrushes next to your easel, you thought about who could be your partner for this collaborative project with the dance majors. Professor Yun just spent about ten minutes informing you and your peers that the art majors were to pair up with a dance major to create an artwork. The specifics—such as whether it'll be a painting or collage or other media—were completely up to the students.

You holstered your bag on your shoulder, finally leaving the art studio to see who you were paired with. Maybe it'll be Suncha, possibly the most beautiful girl you'd ever seen. You could definitely see yourself working with her. She moved with grace and would probably be the best subject you could ever wish for. Maybe Daehyun—you'd always found his face and body aesthetically pleasing.

The crowd in front of the bullet slowly dissipated and people found their partners in the crowd, already making conversation and talking about the project. With a slight sense of dread but a pinch of anticipation, you stepped up to the list and scanned it, quickly finding your name next to-

Oh you've got to be kidding me.

Nevermind, this was definitely one of the worst days you'd ever experienced. Because right next to your name, stood a name associated with one of the eight most sought-after men on your campus.

Jung Wooyoung.

They'd never done anything to you personally, but you just weren't a fan of the way they'd go from girl to girl without being ashamed or being called out. Granted, you weren't sure if all eight of them behaved like that (though this particular Jung Wooyoung did), you still disliked them (except for one of them, but you'd never admit that). Maybe it was how they were practically handed everything they needed at any given moment on a silver tray. Or how ridiculously good looking they were. Either way, something about them just felt... off.

An arm being slung over your shoulder broke you out of your thoughts of just ending your life right then and there. Without even looking at the person, you already had a suspicion of who it could be.

"Hey there, partner," He stepped in front of you, hand lingering on your shoulder for a second longer than you'd like. A mischievous smile graced his features, "I don't think I've ever talked to you. What's your name, pretty?"

"It's on the paper right behind you." You deadpanned, resisting the urge to roll your eyes.

For a second, Wooyoung's eyes hardened before that playful glint returned. "I know, but I'd like to hear you say it. After all, I don't want to be pronouncing it wrong."

With a sigh, you gave him your name and he repeated it, testing the sound of it on his tongue. Seemingly satisfied, he returned to your side with a hum and once again slung his arm over your shoulders, steering you toward the exit of the arts department and practically dragging you with him.

Along the way, you passed multiple clusters of girls and boys, some of them watching Wooyoung with admiration and lust in their eyes while others simply glared at you out of jealousy. Feeling their stares, your head turned to the ground and you screwed your eyes shut, wishing it was Daehyun dragging you. Not this painfully pretty, charming man that you couldn't stand.

"So," Wooyoung started—though he never really stopped talking, "I was thinking, if you don't have any courses or stuff for the rest of the day, you can come over to my place and we can start working on whatever it is we have to do."

"I told my roommate I'd be back early to clean our apartment."

"Oh, then I can come with you, help you and then you can come to my place."

"Why not just do it at my place?"

"That's fine, too. Maybe you can show me to your bedroom?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and you had to hold back the urge to smack him right then and there.

"Over my dead body."

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not really into necrophilia."

It was then that you noticed you were walking towards the campus' parking lot. You stopped in your tracks and waited for Wooyoung to turn.

"Ok, first of all, what the fuck. But I guess I'm glad that's not your thing. Second, what are you doing? Where are you taking me?"

He blinked. Once, twice. "I'm taking you to my car...?"

"Why?"

"To take you to my place so we can work?" He looked behind him and then back to you, his dark hair bouncing around and revealing the bleached layers underneath.

"But I have stuff to do." You crossed your arms over your chest, shifting your weight to your right leg as you looked up at him. He wasn't that much taller, but because of his proximity, it was hard to look him in the eyes without craning your neck just a bit.

A chuckle (though it sounded more like a giggle) escaped him. "The dishes and vacuum can wait. I'm only available for the next two hours, after that you're free to do whatever you want."

You took a second to mull things over before dropping your head and groaning. "Fine but–"

"Great!" Wooyoung grabbed your hand and resumed pulling you across the parking lot. "Let's get going, maybe the food Seonghwa-hyung made will still be warm when we get there and–"

"Wait!" You tugged on the hand that held yours harshly, making him stop to look back at you with a raised brow. "But... no funny business. Please."

He let out another high pitched laugh. "Oh, YN, my dearest darling YN, I don't plan on doing anything like that with you. Today, at least. Though if you'd like-"

"No!" You extended a hand to stop him from finishing that sentence, cheeks blushing dark crimson. "Please just- just lead the way."

That specific mischievous grin returned to his face as he whipped around and practically skipped to his black Mercedes with tinted windows. You didn't stop to appreciate the car, getting into the passengers seat and strapping the seatbelt on.

　　[ lilo's notes ... ] hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter!! any guess as to who the ateez member is that YN likes more than the others? hint: it's not wooyoung. also, i'm basing each of the mebers' looks off of different eras. in case you couldn't tell, we will be dealing with oreo wooyoung here.

　　ଘ(੭˃ᴗ˂)੭ taglist ... @atinytinaa @marievllr-abg @legohwas @moonsangie @kiss-hwa @cqndiedcherries @ateezourstars @r1kitti @sarahleighflora @kyukyustar

　　NEVER SAY NEVER　©　seonghwaddict, 2023

#★ NEVER SAY NEVER — seonghwaddict #ateez #ateez x reader #seonghwa x reader #hongjoong x reader #yunho x reader #yeosang x reader #san x reader #mingi x reader #wooyoung x reader #jongho x reader #vampire au #college au #fluff #eventual smut

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kaeyas-beloved · 11 months

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a shot in the dark

Character: Wanderer

— his fourth and final betrayal…

CWs: gn!reader (no pronouns), ANGST, hurt/no comfort, death/murder, guns, Apocalypse AU, Wanderer is referred to as such and as Kunikuzushi

val’s no sympathy november masterlist

Started laughing like Light Yagami at work just thinking about the pain I’m about to inflict :)

“You promised me!”

Eyes the colour of a midnight sky - the same eyes you've spent the past few years memorizing, learning and getting lost in their depths during sleepless nights - bubble with tears.

At first glance his expression portrays anger, but you’ve known him long enough to know that there’s more to it. He’s angry, yes, but he’s not angry at you, not really. No, if anything he’s cursing out the world more, for doing him wrong once again, for torturing him by ripping you away from him. Everything he’s ever known feels as if it’s crumbling around him, the barely concealed tremble in his irises telling of the turmoil he’s fighting and losing to.

Denial quickly takes over, your body getting shaken by the shoulders. He starts pleading with you to cut the act, that the joke isn’t funny and never was. Ideas and theories cloud his mind; they say if you cut off the infected part of the body in time you can stop the transformation from human to zombie.

Yet, as he grasps your arm in a firm but not bruising grip, all it takes is one look at the bite on your forearm to know there is no saving you, not with how bloody and discolored the skin around it is. This is the end.

A soft sniffle echoes in the quiet night, his voice softer than before, the note of defeat unmistakable, "You… you promised…"

You did, and faced with the reality that you can't keep that promise, you wrap your arms around him. Whispers of hushes and apologies fill his ear; you're sorry for not being more careful, for acting before thinking, for leaving him alone in this shithole of a world. There will never be enough words or sentences in all the languages to convey the agony you feel at what you're putting him through.

Even though you pull away from him you keep a firm hand on his cheek; you have to make sure he's looking at you when you say what has to be said.

A broken smile appears on your face, your eyes darting all over him, committing each detail to memory, "You're not going to like what I have to say next…"

His reaction is immediate, tone all bark and no bite, "then don't say it at all! Fuck, why didn't you ask me to come along!? Then you could've saved that little girl, I would've dealt with the monsters and you'd be fine right now!"

For a moment you remain quiet; there's truth in his outburst, but you were the one in charge of scavaging today. Your group had scouted a particular place for a few days; no one had taken anything and the volume of zombies was near to none, all that was needed was one person to go raid the place, and you were the lucky sucker.

A tear slips down your face; it’s not like you want to say what comes next, it’s more of a need. As much as you hate to think it, everything from that moment on was business.

Pulling back fully, you reach for his limp hand while stretching to unclamp a gun from the holster on your waist. Anyone with a brain knew what you were about to say, and he didn't like it one bit, eyes sharpening into a glare. Retching his hand from you, Wanderer steps back, shaking his head vehemently.

“No.” He’s firm on his stance one the matter, voice deadly serious as he looks at the weapon you hold out to him. He won’t; he can’t. It takes you parroting the words he said to you before for him to even hear you out. all it takes is a second to stand in front of him again, setting the cool, heavy object in his shaking palm.

"You promised me that if this ever happened, you'd end my life before I turned." In one big step you’re in front of him again, setting the cold object in his shaking palm. Suddenly it feels like he’s holding the weight of tons.

“God I wish I could kiss you right now… I want to so, so bad,” you whisper, leaning your forehead against his, your noses brushing. You push the silencer attachment into his other hand, "but I don't want to infect you, so this little contact we have will have to do."

"I love you. I love you so much and I never want you to forget that. My dear Kunikuzushi..." Tears roll down your cheeks freely now as you gently rub under his eyes, “please, do this for me. I don’t want to hurt anyone…”

You’re hurting me, he thinks, but deep down he knows this must be done. It’s what you want.

He doesn’t say much as he nods, grabbing into your wrist again. This time it’s not with the urgency or hope that things could still be salvaged; this time it’s with the deep rooted need to comfort you, “I know you love the stars… I think it’s only right that you get to see them for all they are one last time.”

You’re silent as he drags you to a wide open clearing, the grass reaching just below your knees. The tiny gasp you let out was involuntary, as every time you see the night sky it steals your breath away. Even when you’ve seen them a thousand times in this very spot, they never fail to let you escape from your current reality. How fitting… the perfect place to forget the impending end.

Wanderer is deadly silent beside you as he screws on the silencer, refusing to look at you. He knows if he does he’ll fall in love with your wonder filled gaze all over again and back out in a heartbeat.

While looking around and taking in each twinkle of light, you hear a murmur from beside you, barely intelligible. You hum, asking him to repeat himself.

“I love you too.” He says clearly that time, “I’m sorry for not saying it enough.”

Smiling softly at him, you cup his cheek again, “I know. It’s alright, you didn’t have to say it for me to know you love me.”

In an instant you’re pulled into another hug - your last, you bitterly realize - and you wrap your arms around him without a second thought. God how he wants to kiss you too, he wants to say a proper goodbye.

“Go enjoy that stars…” he whispers to you instead, reluctantly letting you slip away from him.

Kunikuzushi was a sharp shooter, known for always hitting his target. It was a trait he took pride in, but as he aims for the back of your head now… he doesn’t know exactly how to feel, knowing what will happen, able to picture the next few minutes in his mind.

Eyes the colour of a stormy night follow you as you walk into the middle of the field. Silently he counts to thirty, then continues to count. By time he reaches fifty he sees your shoulders ease up, your head tilting this way and that, no doubt looking for constellations.

He chose then to pull the trigger, feeling sick to his stomach as he watches your silhouette fall, knowing that you won’t be rising next to him in bed come tomorrow morning.

Tag list (both regular and event exclusive): @spoopy-fish-writes // @that-enby-alien // @xenuuu // @kaeyaloml // @mariposa666haruka // @quackquackmfs // @kunikuzushiii // @genshin-impact-writings // @ventisweetheart // @lordbugs // @leena-shi // @ari-the-wr1ter // @xiaos-wife // @milkwithspiceyicecubes // @stygianoir // @francisnyx

@kaiserkisser // @multipleshadesofblue // @moloteco-real // @kithewanderingme // @scaramood // @kochothehoe // @ii-lily2 // @esuz

#val’s nsn #wanderer x you #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact #genshin x you #wanderer x reader #genshin impact x you #wanderer x gender neutral reader #scaramouche x reader #scaramouche x you #scaramouche x gender neutral reader #genshin angst #genshin wanderer #genshin fanfic #genshin scaramouche #scaramouche angst #wanderer angst

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cozybells · 1 year

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when I started this pmd journey no one told me I was gonna get so attached to my teams AAARRRGH

so many thoughts... I will leave some of them in case anyone is curious 👉👈

so at first my eos hero was just the character i played as, i wasn't expecting them to be so important for the plot (first pmd game yeah), he's like his own guy so i'm legally changing their name to Cebolla hehe

Pringle takes the offensive in battle while Cebolla has more of a support/annoyer role, so they're usually the one carrying the bags while Pringle tries to keep objects out of the way for agility.

Pringle used to paint his paws with black, waterproof paint, he had to paint and wash them everyday. after Cebolla disappeared, Pringle was just way too tired and unmotivated so he stopped painting them altogether (which just made him feel worse oof). he started using longer lasting dye eventually.

Pringle got pretty close to Dusknoir at first, but Dusknoir started avoiding being alone with him after he discovered who Cebolla was. it took a long time for Pringle to understand why. Cebolla on the other hand clicked with Grovyle instantly and wished they could've spent more time together (future trio does return to visit eventually tho... for my peace of mind).

#my art #get it #sour cream and onion pringles #anyway #figuring out the bags was... omg #a small bulbasaur can only carry so much #pmd #pmd eos #pmd explorers #cebolla/bulbasaur #pringle/shinx #i'm so thankful for this fandom #i haven't felt this free to create and share my art and ideas in years #everyone please keep creating whatever you want i love it

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screamingcrows · 2 months

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Back at it with not 50-word shitposts. I need to learn moderation. Dottore x gn reader, soft and established relationship. 400 words of word vomit.

"You're writing again," the words had slipped your tongue before thought could intervene.

Zandik's hand froze for a moment, stretching the letter a little further than necessary and disrupting the orderly chaos that already inhabited the page. As always, he bore no mask in your shared space, leaving nothing between you and the dark garnets now seeking out every secret you held.

"I am always writing."

His sneer caught you unaware for but a moment until you saw the look in his eyes.

'I have to. I have to write it all down, there's too much in my head. If I don't have it as something tangible I'll forget and it'll all be gone. Wasted'

It had taken years of observation before you were finally able to distinguish what he wanted everyone to see and what was true. For all his obsession with laying bare the truth, he guarded his secrets fiercely.

"That's the notebook I gave you," you knew better than jump to conclusions with him, instead schooling your expression and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"They are private matters."

A smile tugged at your lips, the feeling of his soft cerulean locks tickling your skin. He'd grown so much more used to being touched with care, actively seeking it out even if his pride would never see an admission pass his tongue.

"Private matters best discussed with yourself?"

Time had been a scarce resource as of late. More often than not, Dottore would return in the dead of night, barely waking you with the dip of the mattress. Likewise, Zandik would rouse and leave before your eyes had opened, nothing left but a fleeting feeling and the swiftly cooling sheets.

The light thud as he closed the book had your thoughts returning to the present, to the way his crooked fingers trailed along the leather, his shoulders sagging as if fate rested there alone.

"Perhaps not, but easiest," his voice had lost all previous bite, soft words accompanying the hand that gently took yours.

Chapped lips pressed against soft skin, lingering for a moment before he released it. No words had to pass, not anymore. It took only a moment of thought and a light tug at his shoulders before he stood, joints cracking in protest from how long he'd been hunched over in that chair.

Sleep did not come early that night, instead, you spent hours wrapped up between his legs, back against his chest as he told you everything that had been cluttered in his mind of late. Neither of you could've wished for more.

#I've noticed a funny trend when I write these short things #it's usually reader taking care of Dottore #which is the opposite of what I *think* would be most likely to happen #but I think my brain makes me do it because instead of self inserting as reader; I self insert as Dottore *wheeze*#aaanyway #crow with a pen #il dottore x reader #il dottore x you #il dottore #dottore x reader #dottore x you

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twinklelilstarkey · 1 year

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Tutor: The Talk

Words: 5.6k+ Type: Angst (not Rafe and Y/N) Summary: They're finally going to talk. Warnings: Fem!Reader. Arguing. Slight manipulation. Narcissistic behavior. Lying. Mentions of drug consumption and insults regarding that. Mentions of fighting.

Tutor Masterlist

I do NOT give you permission to repost my work. If you’d like to read my stories on other platforms, you can find them on my Wattpad and AO3.

Your first class of the day is finally over, and all you can do is sigh in relief. With your books held against your chest and bag over your shoulder, you are out of the classroom before you can even think twice.

The air in the hallways is better. And due to how quick you were, you were able to not catch the chaotic crowd that eventually walks these hallways between classes. Unfortunately, you still need to go to your locker before the next class, so it isn’t like you have much time to do quite literally anything.

Alone, you walk yourself through the hallways of the school you will soon say goodbye to, and after squeezing through somewhat crowded areas, you finally get to your locker.

You open the metal box with a small combination of numbers and do it quickly so you can rid yourself of the weight of the books in your hands. After that, you organize it a little better before reaching for the books for the next class, and all of a sudden, you see someone standing beside you.

You jump, absolutely startled by the sudden appearance of said someone and look over at the person, finding Kristy. Your hand is over your chest in a physical attempt to calm down your heart after getting scared due to her proximity, but that is when you notice the look on her face.

The one she has when she needs to talk to you.

It has been, possibly, three weeks since you have grown distant from your friends. Maybe it has to do with the fact that school is almost over, and you will all soon pack things up and go to college. But, except for the first days, you have yet to feel the longing for their disappearing friendship.

You cannot say you don’t miss having fun with your friends. Of course, you do. All of you were friends for the entirety of high school, and Kristy has been your best friend for what feels like so much more time. And, maybe, it had to do with how it happened: from how normal days, when you talked all day through school, turned into days when you practically never see them (nor wish to after a specific lunch).

You swear you can still feel their gazes from that day. Looking at you sideways as if you had infiltrated yourself into their table and were ready to listen to all their secrets and expose them to the world. When, in reality, you were only sitting with your friends. Or who you thought were your friends.

You blamed yourself for the entirety of the first week for what happened since you could've done something and forgotten it. Maybe you hurt one of the girls’ feelings once in a conversation and missed how much that one joke could’ve hurt them. Maybe it was your tone or the content of the joke. Or maybe it just got taken too far.

Whatever it was, you let go of your worry by the time the silence reached a week. You blame that part on your boyfriend and his friends, as the time you once had with your friends outside of school is now spent with him or them. You’re not sure if Rafe did it on purpose, but he had picked you up from that first day of the silence onwards. He listened to you, and maybe that was what made him want to spend more time with you. He didn't want you alone.

Right now, the mentality you have towards all of this is simple: if they have something against you and want you to acknowledge it, they need to speak with you.

You were done with the guessing games of what you could’ve possibly done wrong. Even if the possibility of them finding out about Rafe still hunted you.

Yes, in a way, it doesn’t really matter anymore because they do not seem to be your friends or wish to be so. But you know that any reaction that could come with that would not be positive, and it surely would hurt to hear what they would have to say about that.

After so many warnings regarding Rafe’s antics, you have grown to know if they were true or false or how they ranged from ridiculous to absolutely spot-on, even if you don't want to remember them. And you won't. Rafe has been doing his best, so you will do the same.

Rafe, as promised, has been staying out of fights every time you go out together. Even if that meant that he had to step back from a rather very random confrontation that appeared in front of him out of nowhere at some parties.

You watched him do it. You watched him step away and hold his hands up in a conversation with some guy you didn’t know. Stepping away from a confrontation that rose from a casual conversation. You acted as if you didn’t see it, but you felt proud when looking back at it.

Rafe has also been cautious with other things that could originate his anger or sudden fights at parties. He has never said it to you, but you have noticed how he keeps away from certain tables. He now prefers to spend more time smoking weed at the end of a party with Patty and Topper than any further drugs.

He has been working hard to keep up with his promise, and you don’t want to seem like the girlfriend that only hovers over him to see if he was keeping it in the first place. So, you stayed on your side as you saw all that he did occasionally, yet saved it in your heart too - where it is safely kept and able to make you smile at the most random of times.

And that is why you have decided to be done with the secrecy of the relationship by the time you finish high school, which is just a week away. You haven’t spoken to Rafe about it, but you know he wouldn’t care for that as the secrecy wasn’t kept on going to protect him and his relationships, but yours. (Which happened to crumble all on their own.)

Maybe it had been cowardly for not doing it sooner, but Rafe never pushed you to do it. You knew what could happen if anyone close to you were to find out. Kristy is one of them, but so are your parents. The parents who still expect and think so much out of you yet haven’t noticed how much their daughter has begun to hide from them - all due to the fear of the abandonment that could follow. It would happen. But you want to let it be when you have a place to be, and when you can find a refuge somewhere else, even if that is college.

“Hi,” Kristy says. Her voice is breathy, almost as if she was sighing her words.

“Hello,” You say back to her.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you.” Her eyes move all through your face, scanning every bit of it. She was trying to read you, even when you stood as confused as ever in front of her.

“Okay…”

“It’s about-”

She is suddenly cut off by your phone ringing. She stops talking and looks at your phone as if it is her absolute enemy. You look down at the screen, noticing that it is Rose calling you, which is more than strange. She only calls you about your payments for tutoring, nothing more.

“Sorry, I’ll be quick,” You tell Kristy, and she nods. “Hello?”

“Hi, honey. Look, you don’t have a car, do you?”

You frown at the question and begin to reach into your locker for your books as you talk on the phone, not wanting to lose any time.

“I don’t.”

Rose sighs over the phone.

“And do you have anyone that usually picks you up after class?”

You frown further, pausing your reaching into the locker. Should you tell her that her stepson is usually the one that picks you up from school? He does take you home after tutoring all the time, courtesy of Ward's orders. So, it wouldn’t sound weird, right?

One look at Kristy, and you shut that thought down right away.

“Usually my parents pick me up.” You tell her half a lie, “Sometimes I go home with friends. Why? Is everything alright?”

“I can’t pick up Wheezie from school for your tutoring class, and she needs to be tutored for tomorrow’s final,” Rose says in a rather frustrated and tired tone. “Ward will be in a meeting until late, and I’ll be in a meeting in an hour, right as I’m supposed to pick her up.”

“And Rafe?” You see Kristy tense up beside you, and you clarify more to her than Rose, “Can’t he pick her up?”

“He’s not picking up his phone,” Rose sighs, “Can you try to call him?”

“I can try, of course…” Rose stays quiet after you speak. “Also. I can always walk over to her school, and we can walk home. It’s not too far.”

Kristy perks up beside you, and you look at her, pausing your collecting of the books again.

“I can ride you home,” Kristy says to you with a smile, possibly picking up what is happening from what you said and taking her (right) conclusions.

“I have a friend that can drive me, actually,” You say to Rose before she can say her farewells. “She just told me.”

“Oh, thank god,” Rose exclaims loudly. She sighs after a moment of silence, “Truly, thank you, sweety. Text me when you two get home, please.”

“Of course.”

Rose wishes you a good rest of your day before you end the call, and as you do, Kristy is still beside you, waiting for you to finish the call patiently.

“You wanted to talk to me.”

You close your locker as you say those words, but she gets interrupted again, but, this time, by the ringing of the bell. Kristy closes her eyes as she takes a breath that can only be out of pure frustration, and you continue to look at her, waiting for her to say something.

“You know what? Let’s just talk whenever I take you to pick up Wheezie.” She says, guessing correctly the theme of the conversation on the phone, “We’ll have more time then.”

“Okay,” You tell her with a nod.

“See you after class,” She says before disappearing to get to her classroom. You can’t help but look at her as she walks away. She’s acting strangely, and you can’t exactly understand why.

(...)

“No, it’s fine,” You tell Rafe over the phone, “My friends will drive me.”

“I’m sorry.”

His voice is groggy, and you know for a fact that he just woke up. It was more than obvious that the entire reason why Rafe wouldn’t pick up Rose’s calls was that he was still passed out on his bed. He had told you about how he would hang out with Topper and Kelce the night before. The fact that he didn’t fall asleep on the steps of his home is more surprising than any of his sleeping-ins.

“Don’t be sorry,” You say with a smile, walking down the steps of the school to get to the parking lot. “What time did you get home?”

“I have no idea,” He says sincerely.

You two continue to talk as you walk through some cars in the parking lot. Your eyes are looking through every single one at the front, and since Kristy did not seem to find it reasonable to text you her whereabouts, you are completely lost.

Rafe gets to tell you all about his night (or what he remembers of it) while you look for Kristy’s car. You get to know all about how much he had drank, and how he, Topper, and Kelce had taken the safest route by walking home even though severely drunk. The mental image only makes you smile and wish to be there to see it, but that is wiped away from your mind when you see Kristy's car.

“I gotta go, okay?” You say to Rafe as you begin to walk to the car.

“Yeah,” He tells you, dragging his words with a very sleepy tone.

The call is over by the time you get to the car. You look around to see if Kristy is anywhere to be seen, but that is when she pulls down her window, inviting you to get into the car. You offer a smile as you walk on closer, and your hand reaches for the passenger seat's door. When you get the door open, you force your smile not to fall because another two girls are inside, sitting in the back and silently looking at you.

“Hi,” You say to them, hating yourself for not hiding the surprise in your tone.

They all answer you in different tones, so you face Kristy and the road as she turns the car on.

“Didn’t expect you guys to be in the car too,” You offer the explanation, even though, deep down a voice is telling you that you do not need to justify anything to them.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I should’ve told you,” Kristy says, and she does sound sincere.

“That’s okay,” You nod. “We can have our conversation later, then.”

“Oh no.” Kristy says to you, looking at you as she stops the car to safely drive out of the parking lot, “They can be here during our conversation. They just-” She pauses, “They just needed a ride somewhere else as well.”

The lie could’ve been spotted from miles away, as you know, of course, that one of the girls in the back does own a car and has easy access to any of her parents' cars. But you don’t say anything. You simply strap yourself in with the seatbelt and lean back on your seat. You’ll have Wheezie in the car in no time. Maybe then, the air will stop being so dense.

To your surprise, the entirety of the drive to the Academy in which Wheezie studies is absolutely silent. You expected the girls to, at the very least, exchange words between themselves, but not even that. Silence. Pure and utter silence. Bringing your mind all the way back to that lunch a few weeks ago.

Maybe you should’ve just waited for Rafe to pick up instead.

As you think those words to yourself, the car stops right at the front of the school, where many parents are waiting for their kids. You check the time and notice still have a few minutes of waiting.

In the silent car, you pull out your phone and quickly send Wheezie a text, letting her know that you're at her school and where exactly you are in the parking lot.

“So…” A voice breaks through the silence in the car, “Will you be going to your graduation ceremony, Y/N?”

You lift your eyes off your phone and look over your shoulder at the two girls. It was one of them that made the question.

“Yeah, of course,” you say with a smile.

“And the parties?”

You frown and turn on your seat to face the girls easily. You look over at Kristy to find her looking over at the girls as well. Her face is unreadable as she does so.

“I… I don’t know yet,” You say, sincerely. “Why are you asking?”

“Just wanted to know,” She shrugs, “I also don’t know if I’ll be going to the parties.”

You nod, swallowing the awkwardness in this interaction, and look at Kristy again and then at the other girl. They all exchange glances, and Kristy cuts the silence with a deep breath.

You look at her, knowing that the reason why the girls had stopped acting like your friends will be coming out of her mouth in seconds, but you notice how her face has suddenly become readable. You can see her nerves and anxiety wash over her completely as she begins to speak.

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” She starts. “It all has to do with… The way we have grown a little distant. And I wanted to talk to you about this and be honest with you.”

Your eyes are only on her now, giving her your absolute attention.

“Okay…” You whisper, “You can talk to me.”

She offers the girls another look, but you don’t look at them again, knowing that it will be useless to do so. The conversation is not exactly about them, for the looks of it. They are just here… for some other reason.

“We know about…” Her hand waves around in the air, “About your relationship.”

You hold your breath, but you do not say a thing.

“We have known for quite a while, actually. For how long?” She looks at the girls for help, “A month, more, possibly.” Her eyes come back to you.

You stare at her silently, and even though you don’t know it, your face shows absolutely nothing of what you are feeling. Not the weird sensation of how your heart seems to be beginning to claw up your throat to your mouth, or how your stomach is twisting in cold, cold anxiety.

You feel stupid to ask, but you do so anyway. “What relationship?”

“Yours with Rafe Cameron.”

Reality sets in, and it seems like a weight you could never put into words. Like something you would only hear it ever being described in movies or books as a weird sensation of how the air has grown thicker to breathe, and your mouth has grown to be the driest of all deserts.

“Okay,” you say. Your voice is small and weak, but you aren't able to pick yourself up just yet. “How, uh… How do you know?”

“We saw him picking you up once.” One of the girls in the back says to you, making you look at her, “It was on the day of the blind date.”

The air gets thicker, and your heart speeds up.

“Okay,” you repeat yourself. “I, uhm… I don’t really know what to say.”

Kristy simply stares at you when you bring your eyes back to her. Her face has gone unreadable again, but yours is beginning to open up, beginning to show your confusion and frustration with only your expressions.

“So you truly are dating him?” Kristy asks you, trying to be sure.

“Yeah, I am,” you tell her.

“How long have you two been dating?”

“A few months.”

Silence comes back, and you are left to look at them as they try to hide their surprise. None of their faces has even a glimpse of positivity in it, any of it. It is just negativity and what seems like anger at some point.

“I- I don’t get it,” You say to yourself at first, but their eyes move over to you. “Is that why you stopped talking to me?”

“What?” Kristy asks, confused.

“You said at the beginning that this was about why we grew distant. Is dating Rafe the reason why you wanted to stop being friends with me?” Your tone is defensive, more than defensive. But Kristy doesn’t seem to appreciate it.

“No, I think we’ve grown distant before we began to stop talking to you, actually.”

“When?” Your voice is not as weak anymore.

“When you started canceling on us,” one of the girls from the back answers, which makes some anger rise up your throat. Do you really need to argue against 3 people at once?

“When did I ever do that?”

“You canceled on a few sleepovers,” The same girl says.

“You mean one sleepover.” You correct her without leaving much silence for them to fight further. “Which was the last one I was ever invited to.”

“Why did you cancel on us?” The girl beside her asks.

“Yeah, why? Were you with Rafe?”

“Possibly, yeah,” You say, annoyance beginning to be evident in your tone, “Can we please stop with the one-on-three conversation, please? This whole thing is ridiculous.”

“Why is it ridiculous?” Kristy speaks.

You look at her, and your anger burns further when your request goes ignored. Kristy doesn’t seem angry or frustrated - unlike the other girls -, but your anger is becoming obvious to her.

“Do you really not see it? You put me in a car with two more girls to question me about my boyfriend.” You sigh, “Not only that, all of you are asking me and accusing me of pulling away from our friendship when you know, very well, that it is not true.” You notice how Kristy grows defensive, “You stopped talking to me, not the other way around.”

They stay silent for a bit, and you lean back on your seat in disbelief at what is happening.

“I put you in a car because I am worried about you,” Kristy tells you.

Your eyes find hers again, and you look at her in your silence, but that is before you laugh.

“Worried about me?” You repeat, chuckling, “For having a boyfriend?”

“For your boyfriend being Rafe Cameron,” One of the girls from the back answers.

You’re left in another silence, and you can’t help but let another chuckle escape.

“And the way you show your worry is by… not talking to me?” You ask, incredulous at the information.

“You hid it from us,” the other girl says, defensively.

“Of course, I did. Look at what happened when you found out.” I tell her, facing her as I do, “Not only did you stop talking to me. But now I am inside a car, when I simply meant to pick up my boyfriend's sister, and am being confronted for dating said boyfriend.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Kristy asks.

“Because, Kristy,” Your anger rises. “Not everything that I do has to be reported back to you. If I didn’t see fit in telling you the truth, it means that I didn’t see a good enough reason to do it.”

“So we shouldn’t know when our friend is dating someone?” The girl asks.

“It’s not about whether you ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’,” I tell her. “It was my secret to tell. You don’t like him, I get it. I hesitated on telling you anything because I knew all of you would react badly… That is it. Just do not tell me that you stopped talking to me because you were worried about me. You didn’t even try to have a conversation with me about it.”

“Why are you even dating him?” Kristy asks all of a sudden, and you can’t even hide the confusion on your face, “Seriously. Why did you start dating him, then? You know we don’t like him, yet you still talked to him enough to the point of dating him. You went against all of our warnings, all of them.”

Your dry laugh comes back, “Why are you making this about you? About all of you?” No one answers, “This is my relationship with my boyfriend, who I chose to date. Why are you making this about you?”

“Because we are your friends,” One of the girls in the back says.

“No, you’re not.” You answer, “Not anymore. Not since you stopped talking to me for weeks with absolutely no explanation.”

And with those words, you hit straight on the nail. The girls go silent, and they simply look at you. All of them are conflicted, you can tell from the look on their faces. They don’t know what to say.

“And I am dating Rafe because he treats me well. He cares for me.” You answer the previous question, “There hasn’t been a day in our relationship when I thought otherwise.”

Kristy is the one to laugh now, “Right.”

“Right, what?”

“We’re supposed to believe you?” Kristy asks, her anger rising further, and so is the volume of her voice. Her words come out in a shout, “You’re talking about the guy that beat up your ex-boyfriend not even two weeks ago!!”

“Why the fuck are you screaming at me?!” You scream back at her. “I know Rafe did that. I was there,” You say at a lower volume, but your eyes are still widened with anger, and your heart is still pumping furiously. “I was there when he did it. Aiden called a whore, and Rafe freaking lost it. I wasn’t a fan of how things ended, but I resolved it.” You point to your chest, “I resolved it because he is my boyfriend, and the conflict had to do with me too.”

“Oh, so you’re a fan of all his fighting then?” One of the girls asks in the back.

“When did I ever say that?” I ask her. “I said I resolved it, and I mean it. I am not justifying what Rafe did, but he was drunk, and he defended me, whether I like fighting or not. He knows I don’t, and that is why I moved on from all of this by the time the week ended.” You pause, “Stop acting like he murdered someone in cold blood because he simply wanted to.”

“What more did you get to see, hum?” Kristy asks you, “Did you get to see him nose deep his coke as well? I’m sure you did.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” You shake your head.

“No, Y/N. What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Kristen screams again.

You stare at her, and you watch as her face falls right as she notices how her words have sunk in. You watch as she opens her mouth to talk, but she is interrupted by one of the girls who is less remorseful.

“What do you even see in him, Y/N?” One of the girls in the back says.

You whisper a silent prayer for patience as soon as you hear the question.

“A lot. I see a lot in him. That is why I am dating him.” You sigh, forcing yourself to calm down, “I don’t know why I am even arguing back to you about this. You have never even tried to know him and simply roll with what everyone says-”

“I have talked to him,” The other girl says, “I did. Last Friday.” The girl beside her corrects her posture as her friend speaks, “And he surely wasn’t kind to me.” She laughs dryly.

“Where, last friday?” You ask confused.

“After you all left a party,” she explains. “You were getting food, I suppose, and I tried to go over to talk to you.”

“I don’t remember any of that.”

“So Rafe didn’t tell you?” She asks.

“Tell me what?”

“That he spoke to me.”

“He doesn’t even know you!” You say defensively, hating how she looks at you. Almost as if offended that Rafe hadn’t mentioned her to you. “I was there, how did I not see you, then?”

“You were by a car,” Kristy explains, but you don’t look over at her. “You were talking to someone with a bag in your hands, and Rafe was paying. She,” You can tell from her tone that she is pointing at the girl beside her, “walked over to you to talk. Rafe-”

“Rafe stopped me before I could get to you,” The girl interrupts to be the one to continue the story. “He asked me what I wanted, and when I told him the truth, he told me that you didn’t want to talk to me and that I should just 'fuck off'. So I left.”

Kristy notices the lie in her friend's words, but she does not correct her.

“Why would he even do that?” You don’t believe her. “He doesn’t even know your faces.”

“Which only goes to show how he treats other people, then, Y/N,” the girl says to you. “He is not a good person.”

You don’t say anything. You simply stare at her, which makes her believe that she has begun to get a hold of you and your attention again.

“Come on.” She shakes her head, “You know this better than anyone. You have heard everything that people say about him. How he is, how he treats people, how he is when high or drunk.”

You still don’t say anything.

“It’s an act.”

“What’s an act?” You ask, confused.

“The way he acts with you,” The other says answers, “He’s trying to get you to like him, so you don’t see what is bad in him. He’s manipulating you.”

“You have to be kidding me,” You say to them, shocked by their words.

“He is! He-”

“You have never even met him!” You lift up your voice to shut them up, “How can you make so many things up when you haven’t even had a one minute conversation with him.” You shake your head at them, “This is ridiculous.”

“You think he isn’t manipulating you?”

“Manipulating me to do what?!” You get angry again, “Go off to murder people like Bonnie and Clyde?” You leave the question hanging in the air, “Why are you acting as if I cannot defend myself? Acting as if I am some sort of defenseless victim that will always fall in the hands of evil?” They still don’t answer, “Rafe isn’t evil. Sure, he is not an angel. Nowhere near one, to be exact. But he treats me well. He takes care of me.” You slow down your voice to make sure they hear it, “He is a good boyfriend to me.”

“But-” Kristy begins after moments of silence.

“Just shut up, please!” You turn to her, “What were you even trying to achieve with this conversation? For me to leave Rafe? For me to end things with him and go back into your arms and thank you for saving me from the beast my boyfriend is?” You chuckle, “You are unbelievable.”

There is some silence, but you continue.

“And if by any means, Kristy, if you want to talk about bad people, please take a good look in the fucking mirror.” You emphasize the word, “You were my best friend, and you wanted to protect me so badly that not once did you consider my feelings towards all of this.”

“You’re not being fair.” She shakes her head at you.

“Good, because that’s how unfair this whole conversation was… Interrogating me like I’m some sort of criminal, and all I did was date a person you don’t like.” The words are heavy to Kristy, “Talk about unfair.”

Before anyone could say anything else, the door in the back opens, and Wheezie smiles at everyone inside the car. All the screaming and arguing went unnoticed by every single person outside due to the tinted and closed windows. Poor Wheezie would’ve never guessed what she just got into.

“Hi,” She says sweetly to you.

“Hi, Wheeze.” You say with a small smile back to her.

No one dares to speak as Kristy turns on the car and begins to drive to the Cameron’s household. The silence is deafening to Wheezie, but she can sense the tension, forcing her to not say anything during the whole drive as well.

You only feel like you can breathe as soon as you are past the gates. The words repeat time and time again in your mind, making you think back on what each person said. What even was that about the restaurant? How did they know where you were? It does not make sense. That restaurant is nowhere near their houses.

By the time you get to the front of the large house, Wheezie is the first to jump out of the car and close the door behind her.

“Y/N-” One of the girls at the back starts.

“Shut up.”

She does.

You open the door and jump out of it. Kristy watches you as she bites down her tongue to fight back tears.

By the door of the house, Wheezie waits patiently for the glass door to open. Before it does, a figure steps into the porch and smiles down at the youngest Cameron sibling. Kristy cannot see who it is due to the light hitting the glass.

You close the car door once your bag is over your shoulder, but Kristy doesn’t drive away. She watches as the door opens, and Wheezie sprints inside after saying a few words to her brother. Rafe’s eyes go over to you, making Kristy able to see your forced smile even from where she sits in her car. His frown doesn’t take long to appear.

“This isn't ov-” One of the girls starts.

“Just shut up,” Kristy spits the words to her, making her do so.

You lay your hand on Rafe’s side as you walk through the door, and he looks down at you as you speak. The look on his face changes, and then Kristy watches him lay his hand on your shoulder.

As Rafe closes the door and looks up to find the car still in park, Kristy notices you leaning closer to him for comfort. She watches for a second longer before turning on her car and driving away.

God, I love to write drama.

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