#it might still be raining it's hard to hear it over my AC

[mozart-the-meerkitten]

OH YEAH GOOD NEWS GUYS IT FINALLY RAINED

[s1ater]

boy in the rain.

pairings. matt sturniolo x fem!reader

about. one simple offer of a ride home in the rain turns into an unforgettable relationship and sad ending.

warnings. death, swearing, and unedited

ricky rocks. this might be a hit or miss, so don't dawg on me too hard.

pictures of him were plastered everywhere.

your heart was buried deep in your stomach from the moment you saw it and it only sunk deeper and deeper the more the hours past, the voices that rung through your ears, and the solumn feeling that colored the hallways.

dead. he's dead.

believe it, don't believe it, you still searched for his face as each person passed you, in each class that you entered; looked for any sign of him.

but he was dead.

**

you stood beneath the awning of the gas station, gazing out at the summer rain looking to pour itself onto anything and everything unprotected. you frowned hard as you observed, not expecting your walk for a slushy to be intruded on, especially this abruptly. it was a humid night and therefore even more horrendous that such heavy rainfall came to clash.

you sighed, making a move to go back into the grimy gas station when he called out.

“hey, you need a ride?”

you stopped, turning toward the direction of the only car inhabiting the gas stations parking lot, squinting, and indicating a boy in the front driver's seat. he wore a black sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over his head, squinting back at you due to the rain spitting in his face from his rolled down window.

you knew him.

"are you serious?"

you can barely hear his laugh, but it was there, and you almost melted right there to the cement, "yes. c'mon, I won't leave you stranded."

the ten feet you had to walk to his car was horrible, so you were immediately thankful for the offer the moment you slung yourself into his car. he must have been able to tell too by the way his laugh once again rung through your ears, watching you attempt to catch your breath in his passenger seat.

"I'm matt," he smiled from ear to ear in amusement, offering his hand to you as you clutched your sopping wet body.

"I know," you chattered through your teeth, no longer suffering from the everlasting summer heat from outside, but the air conditioner blasting in matt's car. "sturniolo."

"oh, you know," he was still highly entertained by whatever this situation he put himself in, especially by the way you side eyed his hand still waiting for yours. "you cold?"

"no," you lied through your teeth, still shaking.

he smiles, turning the ac off and switching the heat on low, "right. what's your name?"

you felt a sudden chest pain at the question. you had been going to school with matt since the 7th grade. you had classes with him, had seen him outside of school at parties, hangouts. you knew who he was, so why didn't he know who you were?

your frown was obvious, and he couldn't help but have felt that he fucked up, like his question was preposterous and insulting, "moe."

a lie, again. and just like the first, he could tell it was one, once again.

"you go to mountainview, right?"

"yeah."

he nods, and the previous amused smile is gone and a narrowed stare is there to replace it. he's unsure why you lied and why you were suddenly so upset.

"shit, I'm getting your seats wet," you suddenly became hyperaware of your drenched self pressed into his leather seats.

"you're good," he glanced to your lap suddenly, watching you squirm, as if attempting to reposition yourself in some way where you weren't soaking his seats, but you only made yourself look like a fool. "I wouldn't have asked you in the car if I cared so much about my seats."

you smiled sympathetically.

"so, moe, where to?"

**

his locker was heavily decorated. flowers, hearts, cards, pictures of him with friends, pictures of just him. you stood across from it, staring at each individual item that was taped down to show love and sympathy and hope. you glanced down to the palm of your hand, clutching the necklace you held tightly before bringing it right in front of you.

the necklace, or rather locket, swayed back and forth with the golden heart weighing it down.

it was no longer meant to be yours.

"how'd you get that?"

your head cranked to the left where a boy stared you down, his cheeks flushed but vision narrowed down on you, "huh?" you quickly dropped your arm down, shoving the piece into your pocket.

"where'd you get that?"

your eyes widen, realizing this was an exact replica of matt storming toward you, but with longer hair; chris. you felt your heart push up into your throat, feeling yourself backing on your feet the closer he got.

"answer me."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," you swing around, marching away from him the best you could as he still tried to trail behind you.

"that's matty's."

**

"this rain is going to kill me," you watch his knuckles flex over the railing as he grasped it tightly, leaning over the edge, gazing into the pitch dark. it had been weeks since matt had first picked you up in a rain storm at that gas station, and ironically, once again he had found you.

the two of you now sat in a watchtower in the middle of town that you had taken him to the first night, gazing out at the building lights being blurred by the rain that hadn’t let up in days. matt was impatient by this, you didn’t have to know him well or see him more than a minute to know this.

“why don’t you like the rain?” you laughed silently at him as you watched him grit his teeth, turning back around to face you.

he suddenly looks sad.

you regret asking the question.

"I just lost someone really special to me," his eyes strayed from yours, meeting the wall of rain behind you, "and the day it happened... all it did was rain."

you watch him carefully. his tone was steady but you could tell it took a lot in him to keep it that way.

"I-" his hand reaches for the chain around his neck out of sudden instinct, wrapping his fingers around the golden material. "I can't stand rain, not after that. it makes me feel sick to my stomach. it's all I think about and it's like it's following me."

you feel a sudden push on your body, like a force guiding you to him, "oh, matt-"

"y/n-"

"I'm sorry," you ignore the short sound of protest, finding yourself attaching to him with your arms wrapped around his neck. "I'm sorry."

his body is stiff and cold and you can tell that everything in him is trying to resist the warmth of your own. he wants to not want it, but he fails the resistance and every voice in his head telling him he was fine and the hug was a ridiculous gesture. he fails, allowing the barrier of your warmth to immerse into him, accepting the hug that was really far from ridiculous, but needed.

**

you weren't going to go.

after your small encounter with chris, you were practically setting yourself up by attending matt's funeral. but you couldn't not go, not after everything.

that morning it had rained.

that had been a first since one of the last days of summer. the rain had glistened everything, made everything seem so renewed and bright and so fresh for a november evening.

it took a lot for you to walk through those doors, walk up those stairs, and even sit down to watch the service. you could barely sit there for a second before walking right back out onto the front steps.

you feel suffocated. you claw at your chest, digging your fingers against your skin before they find the locket--looping your fingers against the golden chain out of instinct—like he did. you dip your head backwards, inhaling strongly, trying to breathe the images of matt away from your mind.

bad idea.

especially when you realize you're not the only one on the front steps.

“you’re moe, aren’t you?”

you look down and the feeling in your chest becomes worse.

chris stares up at you from where he sits on the cement steps. you can't tell what the look in his eyes are, but it's nothing you find enjoyment in--especially when they mirror matt's exact pupils, his exact iris', his exact color...

you feel deeply disturbed that he looks at you with something that matt never did.

“yeah…”

he scoffs, running his hand down his mouth, "yeah... great."

"how'd you know?"

"that's our mother's chain, y/n," he looks back around and ahead of him, but still mindlessly points back at the golden locket around your neck. "she gave it to matt before she passed."

oh.

oh. oh. oh god.

"but I'm sure he told you if he gave it to you."

no, he didn't.

"how'd you know I was moe?"

he laughs a little, genuine as he digs the heel of his palm into his eyes, "moe; 'heaven', 'rain', and 'sky' from burmese origins. he knew you were lying the moment you told him that, but he didn't know why or even why 'moe'?" you smiled to yourself. "had us up all night looking up the meaning of 'moe' and decided it had to be that. met in the rain, name means rain."

"clever," you whispered, slowly taking a seat next to chris. "couldn't keep anything anyway from him."

"yeah or you're just shit at lying," he scoffs, glancing at you. "but it's funny you tried."

"funny I tried," you mumbled to yourself, shaking your head, as if laughing at yourself.

you knew about chris and you knew about nick, just like you had known matt before you actually knew him. but getting to know matt, was also like getting to know his two other triplets. he told you everything.

and because of that, he told you about chris.

"I should give this to you," you find yourself reaching behind your neck, unclasping the locket from your neck. "it belongs to you."

he told you how chris never took anything seriously, he told you how chris was really good at brightening a room because of it, and he told you how angry chris was when matt was the one given the locket and not him.

it made a lot more sense now that that friend was actually their mother.

chris glanced at you before doing a double take, realizing what you were doing. his eyes softened fast at the sight of the heart swinging back and forth between the two of you. he didn't take it. you were both sitting there, watching the priceless piece hold there for the taking, and he still didn't take it.

"y/n," his voice is soft and almost sympathetic, but his eyes are still trained tightly on the piece of jewelry. "that's-that's, I can't take that."

but no matter how angry chris was about the locket, he accepted it wasn't his. and what wasn't his, he wouldn't take.

"what do you mean?"

"matty gave that to you. it's yours."

"but I don't deserve it."

"y/n," he shakes his head, pushing the necklace back to you. "it's yours now, okay? there's a reason matt was given that locket and there's a reason it was given to you, okay? I don't need it," he shakes his head, his eyes wide and red. "I don't need it."

you feel your eyes burn. the desperate sound of chris' voice makes you want to burst out into tears. you don't know what to do, and he can tell. he takes the locket, but not for reasons you want.

"here," you watch chris dig into his suit before pulling out an envelope. "before... everything," he coughs a little, beginning to feel his throat closing up. "matt wrote you something."

all icy provision from before has melted. his whole body is turned all the way to face you now, no longer to you as a stranger, but someone he understands.

"take it," he paired the envelope with the necklace before pushing it to you. "read it when it rains."

**

"you ever get sick of me?"

it was a month and half into the school year and what you thought was only going to be a summer friendship, blossomed into something else.

your question made matt arch a brow, questioning if you were being serious, "what?"

"I mean day and night, we're the only people that see each other. how do your friends not hate you?"

it was true. you rarely ever saw matt at school unless in the halls or even on small occasions of going to lunch together, but it was like every time after that, he was at your house. matt valued his time and when it was open and free, he always spent it with you.

you had had this conversation before, multiple times. you were always the one who started them.

"I could never get sick of you."

the only reason you questioned it so often was because of how different you and matt were. the two of you becoming friends and being as close as you were was the most unlikely thing you could ever think of. the two of you had no connections what so ever in friends, hobbies, or even classes. your lives rarely ever crossed beyond in the hallways or parties.

"you act like we're not friends," he crashes onto your living room couch, slightly amused. "you're my best friend."

you feel your face burn at the comment. it paralyzes you more than it should. you also considered matt to be your best friend, but it still catches you off guard hearing the words allowed. you're not sure what to say.

"im not yours?"

"you are."

"I figured," he's grinning now, "just making sure."

it's silent.

"I value our time a lot, you know that," you've heard this a million times, but you could never get sick of it. "we don't know how much time we get with someone, so it's important to me to fill my time with someone I care about."

you finally take a seat next to him, watching him with a ghost of a smile on your face as he speaks.

we don't know how much time we get with someone.

"I want to give you this."

you watch as matt brings his hands behind his neck, unclasping the chain that you had became so accustomed to seeing around his neck.

your mouth slightly opens, "what?"

"I want you to-"

"matt, that's-" you shake your head, cutting yourself off. you couldn't even process this gesture. "I can't take that from you."

"you can."

you really couldn't. the first time you had seen the locket was the first time he had told you about why he didn't like the rain. he had clutched onto it like a safety net. after that, that necklace was all you could see on him half the time. it took him two months for him to tell you what it was and that was exactly why you couldn't take it from him.

"I can't, matty."

"why?"

"because it's yours and I can't take something that was given to you--especially if it was by someone who mattered a lot to you."

he looks as if he thinks about it, his eyes lowering down, looking to the gold heart, before back up to you, "yeah..."

even if you were right, he didn't care. the piece was always significant to him, but there was a point in time where he was ready to let it go--hence why he left it on your kitchen counter without your knowledge.

**

moe,

I know you're already laughing at me, wondering why you're reading something I could easily say over the phone. but I know you eat this up, even if you like to think it's corny.

you were never someone I thought I needed. from the moment I received that locket from my mother, was the moment I was ready to give up. my mother was my best friend and someone who taught me everything that matters.

you remind me of her--in the least weirdest way possible. you made me what I missed, you were exactly what I needed and wanted.

you keep me sane and well structured. I used to hate getting up in the morning, but after that moment, in the watch tower, when you hugged me even as we were strangers, I couldn't wait to wake up to see your face again.

I felt like a fool. I felt like how chris probably feels everyday. it's a feeling I hope I never forget or never leaves me.

you are special. you are worth all the time in the world. the day I forget that or the day I forget my priorities is a day i'm dead.

I hope to never lose you or whatever it is we have, and if I do, moe, my sweet, sweet moe, I'll find you in the rain.

matty.

[loveletterstoeverything]

on smelling the flowers

Walk One

My dog takes great pleasure in our evening walks. I have not always felt the same. Our walks, historically, go like this: she pulls on her leash, and I follow behind doom scrolling social media on my phone. The heat of the evening feels oppressive, the breeze hot and taunting. She is happy, and I think only of getting back inside to lay down in the AC. She insists on smelling every fallen fruit and darts after bugs with joy. I endure.

On one of our very first walks together, Daisy rolls on her back, feet in the air, happier than I have ever seen her. I pull out my phone to take a quick video of her joy, feeling it rise in my chest as well, until my nose catches up with the situation. My dog, finally out of the shy shelter dog phase, has rolled in feces. Any joy I felt is lost in the realization that I will now need to wash a three legged dog who hates bath time and that I might be late to work because of it. Daisy, despite being covered in shit, seems to be even happier. 

I envy my dog for her seemingly natural propensity for joy, especially in the face of hard times. I brought her home 10 days after she lost her hind leg to a car accident, her side still scraped and scarred from the pavement. And yet the first moment we met she came bouncing over, sat in my lap and licked my face. She was sniffing flowers with her entire cone in the bushes, tail wagging like nothing bad had ever happened to her. Could I ever do the same?

In church I grew up hearing that happiness was a feeling, but joy is a choice. To a 17-year-old with severe depression, this sounded like bullshit shared to shift the blame of our pain from God to ourselves. I spent my life with a clenched fist, nails digging into my palm, enduring what the church might claim was God’s plan for my life. Expressing unhappiness was met each time with a smile and a condemnation: happiness is a feeling, joy is a choice; your feelings don’t matter, do a better job at getting rid of them. Truthfully, I still believe that this mantra was shared with the purpose of absolving the Almighty of any hand in our affliction, though I have found meaning of my own in them since.

Walk Two

My favorite time to walk with my dog is right before the sun fully sets, when the heat has started to seep out of the concrete and dissipate into the air but it hasn’t quite become dark yet. We walk along the fence of our complex, where bushes of purple flowers bloom when it rains. My sweet dog, with her flopping ears and wagging tail, has always believed in smelling every single flower for as long as necessary. I, with my allegedly important life, believe in shorter, functional walks. I believed that feeling joy and that noticing the beauty of this world and this life was something I could only achieve through time and medication and luck. 

I want to be clear: medication is for many (and certainly for me) a prerequisite to study and participate in joy. But I thought medicine would be magic. I was disappointed to discover that it functions more as a life jacket than a cruise ship. I wanted joy to happen to me, and I was frustrated to find that all the mood stabilizers and anxiety meds in the world wouldn’t bestow immediate happiness upon me. 

But here was this dog sniffing flowers. 

Why could I make hours of time for things that made me miserable but not take these ten minutes to be present, outside, a spectator to my dog’s delight? Why was I so annoyed when our walks would take longer while she took the time to smell every fallen olive from the trees, as if each would be a brand new scent? Maybe they are to her. Maybe each sniff makes her heart feel lighter, more excited to go to the next, the way I read books when I was young and joy was easy. Maybe if I stood here with her, I could learn her secret to happiness. 

Walk Three

I think Daisy knew what all dogs innately know: to experience joy we must choose to participate in it. Every walk, she knows to smell everything in reach of her nose: pink and purple flowers, a grasshopper before it leaps away, even the occasional snake. I wish I could say it only took one or even a handful of walks for my perspective to change. But it took years of walks (and of therapy, and of finding the right balance of medication) before anything clicked. Walking a dog is consistent; it requires intentionality and participation. Joy is similar. 

We cannot choose the perfect set of conditions to experience joy any more than we can make flowers bloom, but we can choose to seek all those places where the conditions are right for it. And when they do bloom, soft orange petals bursting open to the light, dirt still soft from the rain, we can choose to give into it. When we are consistent in looking for where our heart finds joy, in noticing where that little pull in our chest whispers “pay attention”, we can choose to experience that joy fully. 

Daisy reframed joy and happiness for me. Happiness is a feeling, yes – one of the many across the spectrum I can experience and express fully and with no shame. And joy is a choice; even when I might be covered in shit from my roll on the grass, I can choose to feel joy that I am alive, joy that there is grass to roll in, joy to not have a cone around my neck any longer. Daisy would.

On our walks now, when Daisy smells a flower, I smell one too. The yellow ones make me sneeze, and the purple ones smell a little like feet to me, but each time I breathe in the flowers with my dog I find myself smiling and marveling at what it is to be alive. Daisy rolls in the dirt, and even though a part of me wishes to pull her back to avoid trying to de-mud a 3-legged dog who hates baths, I take off my shoes and jump in puddles with her. I laugh and her tail wags and I realize that this is the way we choose joy. 

[sadinasaphrite]

Whumptober Day 9 - Ace

Blastcycles are basically magic motorcycles, right? Cool, let’s go wreck one. Implied pre-relationship Ace/Deuce.

No. 9 THE VERY NOISY NIGHT

Sleeping in Shifts | Tossing and Turning | Caught in a Storm

Read on AO3!

Fic beneath the cut!

In hindsight, they probably should have checked a weather report before going out. The weather had been perfectly clear that morning, so the thought didn’t cross Ace’s mind. Wasn’t there a saying about that? Clear in the morning, sailors take warning? No wait, that was red in the morning, sailors take warning. Well, he sure as hell wished he’d taken warning now.

Last week, Deuce had mentioned taking him on a blastcycle ride, and Ace thought today would be a good day to go. The storm came out of nowhere, black clouds churning across the sky and bringing wind, rain, and lightning with it.

Ace sat behind Deuce on the blastcycle, arms wrapped tight around his middle and holding on for dear life. Deuce was tense beneath Ace’s arms, his hands gripping the handle bars tight enough to turn his knuckles white. They weaved along the twisting, winding forest road that led back to campus.

Ace shifted his weight with each turn. Between the blastcycle’s engine, the torrential rain, and his thick helmet, he couldn’t hear a damn thing, and really hoped Deuce didn’t need to shout instructions back to him. Rain whipped against him, stinging against his arms, and he wished he’d taken Deuce up on wearing the leather jacket Deuce had offered. At least Deuce had insisted on the helmets for both of them, so Ace didn’t have rain whipping his face, too.

He couldn’t wait to get back to the dorm. He wanted to take a hot shower, get into some nice dry clothes, and a cup of hot cocoa. Wait, shit. It was Saturday. Wasn’t there a rule about hot cocoa on Saturdays? Fuck it. Riddle could eat his entire ass if he thought he could stop him after being out in weather like this.

They hit a turn sharper than the others and the blastcycle tilted hard. Shit, was he supposed to lean into the turn or away from it? What was Deuce doing? What should he—

They hit a patch of water and the blastcycle slid toward the edge of the road. Deuce squeezed the brakes, but it only sent them spinning out of control. Ace shouted and lost his grip on Deuce. He flew from the cycle, skidded across the road, and kept rolling until his head hit a tree with a deafening crack that finally stopped his momentum.

He stared blankly out the visor of his helmet, vision swimming, and didn’t move until he spotted Deuce sprinting for him.

“Ace! Ace!”

Ace groaned and started to sit up, but stopped when his head swam and a burning pain made itself known across his upper arm and shoulder.

“Ung…”

“Ace, say something!”

“What? Hell, Deuce. Chill. Stop yelling. Ow.”

“Sorry, sorry… hey, let me help you.” Deuce dropped to his knees in the mud. “How do you feel?”

“Still sorting that out… My head’s killing me and my arm hurts.”

“Okay. Anything else? Is anything numb? Can you move your neck? Does your chest hurt? Can you breathe okay?” A hand pressed against Ace’s chest, as if Deuce would be able to feel if anything was wrong.

“I… I don’t… Geez, calm down. I don’t know. I think it’s fine? Nothing’s numb, I’m just kinda sore and battered all over.”

“Can you move your arm?”

Ace experimentally moved his arm and grimaced. “Yeah, but it stings. Ugh, get this helmet off, I can’t see anything.”

Deuce pulled Ace’s helmet off along with his own, then carefully helped Ace sit up to lean against the tree. He gently took Ace’s arm, helping him slowly flex and extend it.

“It doesn’t seem broken,” he said, “but you’ve got some ugly road rash. At least, I’m pretty sure. It might just be mud, but—”

Lightning flashed over them, illuminating the area and a crack of thunder followed a moment later.

Deuce grimaced. “Ah… no, that’s definitely road rash.”

“It hurts like a bitch.”

“Yeah, I bet,” Deuce chewed on his lower lip for a moment. “It’s…pretty bad. I don’t think you lost more than skin, but…”

“Don’t say ‘I told you so.’”

“I wasn’t gonna!” Deuce said a little too quickly. “But… that is why it’s good to wear a sturdy jacket while…”

Ace glowered at him and Deuce trailed off.

“I-In any case,” he hastily continued, “I think it’s a good idea to try and keep it clean. Er… at least not let it get it any more dirty than it is, there’s a bunch of mud and grit on the wound already, but it’s good to not get it worse and—”

“Spit it out already, Deuce!”

“I’m gonna put my jacket on you, check to see if the blastcycle still works, and then call Trey.”

“Okay,” Ace sighed, leaning his head back against the tree. “That’s all you had to say. Hell. Fussing like a mother hen. Get over yourself.”

Deuce fell silent and lowered his eyes. He stripped out of his leather jacket and carefully helped Ace slide into it. Ace hissed as the soft lining scraped against his raw wound, but let out a sigh once it was on. Even though the sensation of something touching the injury was uncomfortable, it was better than the wind and rain.

“Okay,” Deuce rose to his feet. “I’ll be right back. Shout if you need me!”

Ace snorted. What a pain in the ass. He rested his head back against the tree and closed his eyes. His head throbbed, and the endless drone of rain wasn’t helping. They never should have driven back in the rain. They should have parked down in town and waited for the storm to pass before trying to head back to campus. Or maybe Deuce should just be a better driver. He was always going on about blastcycles and how good he was with them. If he was so damn good, why did he crash?

He took slow, deep breaths, letting his anger stew for a bit. Stupid Deuce. It was his idea to do this in the first place. He opened his eyes and looked across the road to where Deuce was examining the fallen blastcycle. Hell, even now, he was paying more attention to his stupid cycle than he was to…

Ace’s thoughts stuttered to a stop as he watched Deuce circle the cycle. Deuce was limping. And not just a little bit, either. He really didn’t want to put weight on his left leg.

He hadn’t mentioned he was injured. Then again, Ace hadn’t asked. Guilt churned in his gut. Deuce dropped everything and ran to him on a busted leg to make sure he was alright, while Ace hadn’t even bothered to ask the same of Deuce. His eyes fell to the helmets in front of him. They were both scratched and scuffed all to hell, and the back of Ace’s helmet had a noticeable crack. Ace thought about the tree that had stopped him, and it dawned on him with a sinking horror just how badly he could have been hurt. And here he was, annoyed at Deuce for being worried while not even bothering to see if Deuce was okay.

Deuce was leaning against the cycle now, talking on his phone. He nodded a few times, talked a little more, then hung up the phone and stuffed it back into his pocket before limping back over to Ace.

“Well, the blastcycle’s totaled,” he said. “I just got off the phone with Trey, and he’s arranging for the cycle to be towed and for someone to give us a ride back to campus. We just have to wait it out until they get here.”

He carefully sat down beside Ace, laying his bad leg straight in front of him. They sat in silence, listening to the pouring rain and the crack of thunder.

“Hey,” Ace finally said, “...I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

Deuce was silent for a moment.

“It’s okay,” he finally replied, “you were hurt and lashed out. I get it.”

Ace winced. Hell. Saying it like that, Deuce probably did get it.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m okay.”

“You were limping.”

Deuce looked down at his leg. “After you were thrown off, the blastcycle fell over and took me with it. My leg was trapped under it, and I think I broke some toes. Maybe some other stuff. I dunno. I’ve had worse.”

“You were running right for me after the crash,” Ace said, “on a broken foot?”

Deuce shrugged. “The pain hadn’t hit me yet. And you were just… laying there, and so I thought… I mean… I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Ace’s gut twisted unpleasantly with guilt at the same time his heart fluttered with… something else. Something he wasn’t ready to think about right now.

“Hey,” he leaned into Deuce, gently bumping shoulders with him. “...thanks.”

Deuce didn’t reply for a long moment. Rain dripped off his nose, and his bangs lay plastered against his face. Finally, Deuce leaned back against Ace.

“You’re welcome.”

Together they sat in silence, waiting for help to arrive.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hmm maybe a head canon with a reader and firstyears where the reader has Rapunzels magic healing hair? (From the movie Tangled😂)

Maybe something like one of the first years gets seriously injured and the reader is able to heal them 🧐

Also just wanted say you’re writings is just 🥰❤️💕✨ A M A Z I N G . It’s also my first time requesting so I think I did everything according to the rules but if not feel free to delete this request 😂

Curiouser and Curiouser...

Trust Floyd to get a little too rough with his juniors during a practice match of basketball. As a result of the overzealous eel, Ace sustained a seriously sprained ankle, making it hard for him to play, let alone walk (although it’s more like a limp now).

While he’s midargument with Coach Vargas about whether or not he’ll be good to play at their next match, you kneel by Ace’s injury and volunteer to give some relief to it. Ace scoffs at your suggestion and jokingly tells you to “give it your best shot”, not expecting much of anything to happen.

He jolts back in surprise when you wrap your hair around his sprained ankle and start singing (he thinks you definitely lost your mind or something). Then your hair starts to glow, and Ace’s concern is replaced with confusion. It doesn’t last too long though, as he’s soon pestering you with a ton of comments.

“Oi, since when did you have such a fancy spell up your sleeve? You never told me you could do something like that!!” Ace complains, pouting. “It would’ve been nice to know about earlier, you know! Magic like that’d really come in handy for tight pinches like this.”

The coach calls for him to rejoin the practice match—Ace rolls his eyes, but gets up anyway, helping you up along the way. With a cheeky grin, he whispers to you, “Alright, watch this. As thanks for fixing me up, I’ll get a slam dunk in your honor. Don’t take your eyes off me, ‘kay?”

Deuce tears some muscles in his legs from overexerting himself for track and field training. He’s eager to prove himself to the senpai in his club (which can’t be done with an injury), so he’s relieved to hear that you might have a way to help him out!

He’s curious about your mysterious ability and plays the part of a perfect patient in order to observe it for himself. Deuce sits still and marvels as you go about your work, asking every so often if there’s something he can do to help, or to make the process easier for you.

He audibly “oohs” and “aahs” when the magic begins, filling the space with a golden light. It’s a pretty-looking and soft magic, totally unlike the brute force spells he often opts for—it’s something Deuce can really appreciate!

When the torn muscle has mended, he can barely believe it!! Deuce prods the injured area and inspects it all over? just to make sure it’s not some kind of prank. “Whoa...! The pain’s all gone, and even swelling’s gone down. You’ve got some really amazing healing magic, (Y/N)...!! Thank you so much, I’m eternally in your debt for this!”

Deuce thanks you profusely, shouting his gratitude and bowing his head to you multiple times. He even promises to buy you a chocolate milk from the cafeteria as thanks—but for now, he has to get back to his training! “I promise I’ll be more careful this time! I can’t always have you worrying about me, right?”

Like Deuce, Jack’s been pushing himself a little too hard for Track and Field Club—but unlike Deuce, he’s far more reluctent to ask for and accept help from others. He eyes you suspicously as you approach and offer assistance. Jack only accepts after some pushing from the coach—he doesn’t want to let the team down!

He’s tough, so he doesn’t flinch or shy away when you proceed to wrap your hair around his site of injury. The most Jack does is raise an eyebrow when you start with your song.

Jack doesn’t realize you need to recite the incantation to get the healing to work, so he interrupts you during your first attempt with, “... You don’t need to sing. Life’s not a big musical.” (Surprisingly, your glowing hair doesn’t bother him as much—he thinks of heat and light as necessary byproducts of using magic.)

The first thing he does when you free him is flex and test out his repaired muscles. A few lunges, a few squats... all of which he performs with ease. Jack grunts, a short but simple way of expressing his satisfaction.

Hd gives you a small smile and a firm nod, impressed by your healing powers. “... Thanks for this. I’m back to tip-top shape for the track and field meet. I owe you one.”

Magift is a pretty rough sport—so it’s no surprise when Epel suffers from a nasty collison, leaving him with a broken arm. He tries to be brave through the pain, but it’s clear that he’s having a hard time keeping it together.

He’s a little on guard when you kneel beside him and ask to see his wound, but Epel eventually relents when you promise you’re there to help. He watches you carefully, expecting you to whip out a first aid kit—but when you wrap your hair instead of bandages on his wound, Epel gets a little upset!

Slipping into his country accept, Epel lets loose on you. “Hey, do ya think ah’m some kinda idiot? Are ya makin’ fun of me? ‘Course hair’s not gonna make me right as rain again! Ya might as well spit on it instead, that’d be just as effective as hair!”

But your soft song shushes his worries, and he finds himselc staring in disbelief as your hair gives off a faint light. Epel quietly marvels at the strange magic, even long after you’ve removed your hair from him.

“I... I didn’t know you could do that,” he gasps, gingerly prodding the area where his injury once was. No pain, no tenderness. Epel’s face brightens. “I really am better! I can play Magift again!! Thank you, thank you so much! Ah... um, and about what I said before, please forget that! I might have jumped to conclusions with that...”

Poor Sebek had been partnered with one of the more aggressive equines in the stables for the Horseback Riding Club’s meeting. (His thunderous voice did nothing to help soothe the horse...) His aggressive mare had bucked so hard that she threw Sebek right off of her, causing him to land with a sharp CRACK on the ground.

Of course, you rush over to help right away (despite Sebek’s protests). He makes a fuss as you secure your arm around a broken long bone, demanding to know what an insigificant human such as yourself plans to do to help him. It is not until you begin your healing song that Sebek shuts up.

His jaw drops upon witnessing your magical hair in action. Clearly, he is awestruck by the magnitude of your abilities—but when he is finally able to close his mouth and speak his mind, Sebek’s words do not quite match his physical reaction.

“To think that a mere human is capable of performing such a miraculous feat... I must admit, it is rather impressive,” Sebek confesses—though his voice still carries a tone of arrogance. “However!! As a student of the great Diasomnia dorm, I can assure you that an injury as minor as this could not deter me in my physical activities! There was no need for your intervention, human!”

He returns to his feet, dusts himself off, and marches back to mount his horse. Just as Sebek is atop the aggressive mare again, he casts you a glance over his shoulder. “... Regardless, you have my gratitude. See to it that you continue to put that power of yours to good use.”

[im-not-a-writer]

Assassins Creed Confession List

A preference list! How exciting! So here’s just a few fun prompts of how it think some of the AC characters would confess to you! I hope none of them are too OOC, enjoy!

Altair- 

At first, he sort of just stands there staring down at you from under his hood, you can’t see his eyes but you feel them burning into you. Your face is still red hot from your impassioned confession and right now the only thing you wanted to do was curl up in a ball and pretend this never happened. Of course your mentor didn’t return your feelings, Altair was… Altair. He was practically untouchable and yet you stood your ground. What was the worst thing that could happen? You see his mouth curl in a sideways grin and your heart skips a beat. Slowly he lifts his hands up and removes his hood and you freeze. His amber eyes meet yours and in an instant, you feel arms circle your back and pull you flush to his chest. Warmth spreads across your neck, ears, and cheeks and soon his lips are against yours in a shocking yet powerful kiss. You lose all senses and melt into his arms but he ends the kiss short by leaning into your ear and chucking a soft “Novice.”

Ezio-

You weren’t going to lie, you probably could have confessed in a more relaxed fashion. Something about screaming ‘I love you’ on the top of a roof while in the middle of what was supposed to be a covert mission didn’t seem like the best idea. Ezio practically jumped out of his skin when you did but instead of scolding you for possibly ruining the mission he just looked at you with a lopsided grin and slightly pink cheeks. Your heart started to race as you stared at him in front of you, his smile, his perfect jawline, my god he really is perfect. He shook off his shock and reached out to hold your hands.

“I’m glad to hear that, I’m sure half the guards in the city are glad to hear it too,” 

He kissed you somewhat lightly at first which surprised you but it wasn’t long before he deepened the kiss and had your back against the wall. 

“Why don’t we try to keep quiet from now on, hm bella?’

Connor- 

To be honest he wasn’t even sure he said it. It just sort of happened. One moment he was critiquing you on your archery skills and the next he was holding you tightly and running a hand through your hair. His hand resting on the small of your back and your middles pressed together. You always knew Connor was a man of few words and you always liked him that way, he was much better at showing his feelings than talking about them. His hand cupped your cheek and you smiled and leaned forward before rising up on the tips of your toes and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. You caught him off guard and when you pulled away he just stared down at you with this lost look on his face. 

“So um… is it safe to say… that...  you and I…” He started, blushing and avoiding your gaze. 

“Yes, it is,” You giggled and wrapped your arms around his neck. 

“...good,” He smiled and went in for another kiss, this time with much more confidence. 

Edward- 

The pirate captain himself, the demon of the seven seas, the master assassin Edward Kenway himself just confessed to you… and he was drunk. He was lying on his back on the shore, shirtless and still wet from his impromptu swim and he had the biggest smile on his face. 

“You are just absolutely beautiful… everything about you… you are so wonderful.” He laughed deeply and shook his head in disbelief. 

“I’d wager you aren’t even human, you’re too perfect,” He laughed and looked over at you. 

You were sitting next to him smiling, trying not to take his drunken confession too seriously. 

He beckoned you over and you obliged, walking over and sitting next to him. 

“Are you a Siren?” he asked, reaching his hand up to twirl a lock of your hair. “Trying to lure me to death with your beauty?”

“What do you think?” You replied. 

“I think I love you,” He smiled and cupped your cheek sweetly. 

“I love you too, now come on, it’s bedtime.”

Arno- 

You knew Arno might not be over losing Elise and the last thing you wanted to do was ruin your relationship with your best friend. It was just so hard keeping it quiet. You were pacing around the upstairs of the cafe theatre, your steps heavy as you frantically racked your brain for any sort of action. You knew you couldn’t just let this sit, it wasn’t healthy but what else could you do? You didn’t notice through all of your pacing when Arno walked upstairs and leaned on the banister to stare at you. 

“You know I can think of a few better places to take a walk but I guess this way you won’t get rained on,” he smirked and pulled you from your trance. 

“Hah hah, very funny…” you sighed and looked away, bringing your hand to your temples to rub out what stress you could. 

In just a few steps he was behind you, arms around your waist and head atop yours, “What’s wrong ma cherie?” his voice rumbling in his chest turning your attention to his very close position. 

“It’s really nothing,” you sighed. 

“I wouldn’t say that. love is a very serious emotion.” 

Your eyes widened in shock as you flipped around to face him. 

“Oh was it a secret?” He chuckled, “Don’t worry darling, for the record I love you too,” He laughed before pecking you on the forehead and smirking down at your shocked expression. 

Jacob- 

For a gang leader and a master assassin, Jacob was absolutely terrified of you. You were everything to him and the idea of losing you was too much to think about even for a moment. The moments that you spent together were the most precious in his life even if it was just missions and the occasional meeting in the pub. What he would give just to see you smile or hear you laugh, to have your arms around him and your lips on his. It was the most difficult when you were together. You were talking to him about your day, your eyes rolling with every snide comment, your fingers twirling your hair gently and he was entirely enamored by every movement, every word that fell from your lips. 

“I love you,” he thought. Outloud. shit.

“Ah-” you stopped and blinked a few times before widening your eyes and meeting his gaze, your cheeks flushed bright red. “ Jesus Jacob maybe give me some warning next time!” you gasped and he stared blankly contemplating what was wrong with him. 

“I love you too…. Wanker,” You laughed and swatted him on the arm. 

Evie- 

Evie knows the importance of professionalism. That’s why even when you distracted her to no end she tried her best to keep a level head and carry on with the job. You, on the other hand, felt no shame in love, but you did feel shame in not having the right timing. You were in the middle of training, throwing knives and sword fighting when you and Evie were locked in a ferocious battle. Fists flew through the air as you swung for her face and she went low instead. Luckily you both blocked expertly but unluckily for her, you weren’t going to let her win this. You caught her fist and yanked her towards you, wrapping your arms around her waist and crashing your lips into hers. Her eyes widened but she allowed herself to give into the kiss quickly, kissing back happily. A few passion filled moments passed before her knee flew up and jammed itself into your stomach making you double over in pain. 

“Smart move, won’t work a second time though,” She smirked. 

Kassandra- 

Kassandra was no stranger to passion but you on the other hand were a novice to the world of love. Whereas on the battlefield you were a master, ducking and sweeping, hacking and stabbing, evading and confusing, you were all too clumsy when it came to your feelings. You were sitting together, sharpening your weapons when she caught you staring at her, watching her graceful hands pull her blade across the whetstone. 

“Something wrong friend?” She looked over slightly as she continued to sharpen. 

“With me? Absolutely not, is there something… wrong with… uh is there…. Are you wrong?” You stuttered frantically as you forced your attention away from her and continued to sharpen. 

She stared at you slightly with wide eyes until tilting her head slightly and putting her sword down. 

“Are you? Nervous around me?” A sparkle came to her eyes. 

“What!? Absolutely not, I would absolutely never uh no of course not, you’re just stunning and- well that’s not what I mean to say but you are! Don’t get me wrong you are! It’s just you’re…. Ok now I’m a little nervous….” you stammered putting your blade on the table and shifting uncomfortably. 

Kassandra laughed and stood up, walking over in front of you and forcing your gaze to meet hers. She lowered a hand and pushed your chin up slightly before lowering herself down and straddling your thighs. You felt your entire face go red as you felt her sit on you and as her face was so close. 

“I uh er… I ah” You started but she just laughed and lowered her face to meet yours, saying just before kissing you, “it’s ok, we don’t need words, just actions yes?”

Eivor- 

You were a seer in training in the settlement under the guidance of your aunt Valka and Eivor was your favorite subject to practice on, when he was here of course. His absence gave you plenty of time to long for him and ask the gods for your help. You were out in the garden, praying to Freyja to help you gain the confidence to confess to Eivor but little did you know he had chosen this moment to eavesdrop. 

“Please Freyja, I ask for your help” You sighed and you lay in the grass. “How am I supposed to tell Eivor I love him… What if he doesn’t feel the same?” You looked down in anguish. 

“You could always ask him,” A gruff voice spoke from behind you. 

You flipped around to see the man himself and instantly your face went red. 

“His reply might surprise you,” He laughed as he kneeled down in the grass and took your face in his large hands and pressed a gentle kiss upon your lips. 

You leaned into the kiss and felt your heart melt as he wrapped his arms around your waist to keep you propped up. 

“...so your answer?” You asked sheepishly. 

Eivor laughed and pressed a sweet kiss to your forehead. “I think Freyja has brought me to you, I love you very much,”

[entropical-punch]

A Matter of Convenience

Reader and Levine have some fun at the 24-hour mart they always seem to find each other at.

@rotworld i hope you enjoy my first ever fic lol

Warnings: 18+, semi-public sex, rough sex, degradation, whoever is on shift should probably be fired

The bells tied to the door knob jingle as you push your way into the convenience store. They echo through the shop, full of food, devoid of people. You approach the register, rest your fingers on the countertop, and take a deep breath.

“Is anyone back there? I’d like to buy a lottery ticket,” you call out into the back of the shop.

Your voice sounds too loud and sharp as it bounces off the dingy walls and scuffed linoleum around you. The only response you get is the hum of the AC and the drum of the rain from outside.

Ok. Great. You can be patient.

You bend down, untie and retie your laces. You unzip and rezip your jacket. You count up to ten and then back down to one. You check your watch again.

You turn away to the door, ready to leave, when the bells jingle.

There’s someone standing there in the doorway, water blowing in from outside, splashing onto the tile below.

Speak of the man with eyes like the devil.

Levine stands at the entrance, shaggy black hair plastered to his forehead, soaked and dripping down his face. He’s pinned you there with his gaze, as cold and dark as the storm outside.

“We always seem to find ourself here, huh?”  A small grin creeps along his jaw, barely reaching the rest of his face. He pulls out his wallet, yellow-stained fingers twitching around it.

You nod your head in response and turn back to face the counter. You’re still in shock you’ve managed to run into him, here, again. You can almost hear Rex telling you to “never, ever, talk to that fucker again or I’ll break your fucking legs, you hear me?” and Jay musing that “you must be such a glutton for punishment if you decide to see him again. Are you saying you want to be punished, again?”

You shiver at the threat of what might happen if you stay here.

“What’s wrong? Don’t wanna talk to me?”

You also can’t help but be afraid of what might happen if you leave.

“I gotta get home soon, sorry,” you manage to respond.

He moves closer, shoes squelching in the puddles underneath him.

“Why? Gotta get home to Rex and Jay?”

He must’ve seen you jump at the mention of their names.

“No, I just, look, it’s late. Sorry,” you stutter out, turning back towards the register so he can’t see your face can’t betray your thoughts.

“I’d believe you, but we’ve been out much later,” he muses, reaching a hand out to feel the side of your shirt, press into your hips, just above your jeans. “And it’s already pretty late. The store attendant’s probably asleep in the back, you know.”

His back is now pressing into you; his mouth ghosting over the shell of your ear.

“Besides, didn’t you want to see me again?”

You shiver again, before he pushes you down onto the counter, pressing your face into the glass. His fingers, smelling like tobacco leaves, wrap around your throat.

He chuckles. “Well, you can’t really see me now, but that doesn’t matter to a slut like you, huh?”

You can’t help but grind up a bit into the point where’s he got you pinned, your core brushing against the growing hardness in his pants.

“So you agree, huh? You are such a perfect little slut,” he growls, palming your ass with his other hand. He pulls down your pants, just a little, just enough to leave a smack on your bare skin and see the red mark start to form from it.

“The others hit you like that, right? They probably go a lot harder,” he muses, raising his hand again to hit you. You tremble in anticipating. You’ve been in pain like this before, but with Levine, there’s this stillness that almost makes everything worse.

His hand never comes down.

“But I’m not gonna be like the others, even though that’s what you want, you desperate, cock-hungry, stupid little whore.”

His hand instead finds your entrance, fingers rough and calloused as they draw whimpers and moans from your mouth, breath fogging up the glass underneath you. He scissors you open, carless to whoever might walk through the door next.

“You gonna cum from my fingers? Gonna cum right in this filthy gas station?”

You whimper back, his fist squeezed around your throat so hard that’s all you can manage to say.

He takes the hand away from your neck. From the rustling of fabric and the wet noises you hear behind you, you know he’s stroking his cock to the sight of you bent over the countertop, watching you drool all over it as your eyes roll back into your head.

He fingers work faster, rubbing at your sex in heavy motions. You’re so close, you’re gonna-

“Want Rex and Jay to see what a good little cum dumpster you can be for me?”

That hits you harder than Levine’s earlier spanking, goes right to the pit in your stomach and the heat rising in your core. Everything he’s doing to you comes crashing in, leaving you light-headed and panting.

He grunts, pumps his hand up and down a few times, and paints the small of your back white with his cum.

You did what he said you were going to do: you just came all over his hand in the same place you buy cigarettes and cheap bear. And now you’re lying here, out of breath and sticky all over.

He backs away, grabs a rag off the counter and wipes at your back. He pulls your jeans up and places a kiss on the top of your head, the gentleness of it feeling almost worse than the degradation earlier.

“When you’re ready, I’ll take you back to my place. You can wash up there.”

You mumble back, pulling yourself away from the cool glass and onto your feet. You wobble a bit, trying to not slip on the rain-slick floor.

You grab his outstretched hand and follow him outside. You can’t remember what you need to buy. Couldn’t have been that important anyways.

What you do remember, is that that you’re supposed to kick back with Rex and Jay tomorrow. Guess Levine will have to come too.

[urlocalnctstan]

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙻𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚄𝚗𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 - 𝙹.𝚂𝙶

• Candy Hearts Collab - @127-mile​

Prompt : “I came to say goodbye.”

Genre : Angst, Fluff, kinda Slow-burnish?, Slice of life, highschool + college AU

Pairing : Sungchan X Reader (Ft. Jeno)

Warning(s) : mentions of bullying and injury (like one scene only), unrequited love, mentions of slight anxiety, hormonal shifts, language, minor character death

Writing nets : @kdiarynet​ @k-dinernet​ @kpopscape​ @czennienet​ @neoturtles​

Taglist : @eh-ovo-nctu​

WC : 9.7k

Summary : What people hated the most is the very word ‘goodbye’. However, it’s the very word that becomes something that you yearn to hear from Sungchan for years.

→ Playlist [recommended]

The sound of the rain was supposed to calm you down, not make you even more anxious and sweaty and you sat with your legs firmly pressed against each other, hoping to fill in the lack of company you were feeling amongst the swarm of people who perhaps shared the same dreams, same aim as yours. Public places as trains, trams, bus stops; you always thought they portrayed as the perfect definition for the word ‘sonder.’ Each individual having a life pretty much as complex as yours — sometimes a little less or sometimes a little more. It fascinated you.

“Do you think the trip is worth it?” Lee Jeno, your best friend of quite a few years puffs his cheeks as he stared dubiously at the red and white poster he held. You took a peek at it, the amount of times Jeno had been pestering you if he should really give up the money he had saved for PS5 as a sacrifice for this trip, it was safe enough for you to say that you had every words printed on it memorized. Well, maybe not every words but the main stuff at least.

“Lee Jeno,” You sharply gawked at the male sitting beside you, earning an ugly grimace from him. “Stop it already. I don’t know about you but I ain’t passing this chance.”

“Wah, what a nice friend I got.” You failed to notice the dramatic eye roll he makes before shoving the poster in his backpack, the one he had been using since the first day you had befriended him. Was it 5 years? 6 years?

“Are we five years or six years?” But I met him on that bookstore down my neighborhood, that was like spring of 2017 and now it’s 2021.

The male let out a snort.  “If I am a five year-old then you are definitely still inside the womb.” Even though he was smiling with that ‘innocent eye smile’ the evil smirk sheathed beneath went unnoticed by you. No sooner had he opened his mouth, a fresh harsh smack landed on his arms that were clad in a filmsy material of cotton and thus a silent yelp of pain escaping from him as he grabbed the area which was starting to sting with each passing second. The smack, albeit meant for him, you were unable to ignore the similar stinging pain in your palm, tears pricking in the corners of your eyes. But you made sure to show absolutely no signs of distress; it was somewhat a matter of childish pride for you.

“Change your career aim from a perfumist to an assassinator will you?” If it were the campus grounds, you two would have already been latched at one another throats; both metaphorically and literally.

“I will gladly not.” You huffed at the male whose eyes held a scornful gaze, now even more annoyed or perhaps, as you would think most of the times, he was just exaggerating. You found yourself mindlessly scrolling through your gallery in search of the recent notes from Mr. Kim’s classes. Until you stumble across something you had been long avoiding, a forlorn fragment from the former days of your high school.

“Here lies the proof of my utmost love and affection, always devoted to my only Y/N.”

It was a picture of you smiling way too bright, cheeks and nose flushed red while being squished by the only male in the frame as he pressed a peck against your cheek. His neck was craned to the side, ripe ears clearly visible in the small Polaroid film. As much as you hated to admit, your heart would still make flips and turns whenever you run into something that reminded you of him, your very first love and first heart break—Jung Sungchan.

Jeno was too busy in his dreamland as he dozed off with his head resting peacefully against your shoulder. It was no new news that the lad had been immensely in love with you ever since the first time you saved him from getting bullied back in 9th grade. However, you were always too busy with your academics and extra-curricular activities and thus clearly drawing a line of only being friends. Nothing else. It happened when Jeno had finally mustered up the courage after excelling in his Maths Olympiad, where he made a bet that if he indeed secures a place in the top 5, you have to abide by anything he wishes for. But he wished for your love, something you were not really capable of doing so; especially at that time. You did not have the heart to say no when Jeno jogged up to you, his eyes transforming into crescents as he smiled wide. “I did it!” His words came out rather breathy, possibly because of him running to you, and maybe because how hard he could feel his heart thump against his ribs when he noticed the proud grin on your face. Without wasting any moment further, Jeno lets go of the white banner of achievement he had been holding, his hands now focusing on yours. You could almost feel the slight tremble and the wetness of his sweaty palms, but before you could even say anything he beat to you by saying, “Go out on a date with me. Only one.”

There were numerous times when you felt guilty about turning down Jeno. At times it had you baffled that why a guy like him would ever bother liking you so much. Jeno was incredibly talented; gifted with unfair boon of genius traits in both academics and athletics. His little version of him always demeaned his abilities, often failing to notice that how much more he was rather than just a quiet kid who loved coding and maths. Maybe perhaps that was the very reason for him to face the bullying, at least that’s what you thought when you first noticed him getting cornered by some stupid idiot dipshits from your class during recess. Jeno’s ID card lay discarded on the ground, as Kihyun grabbed its owner by the collar. You could not understand his reason for not fighting back, and thus being a silent spectator was never your thing so you decided to butt in. As much as you equally hated and liked one thing, boys seemed to get kinda wary of your presence. Especially boys like these who were already in the blacklist of the teachers. It did not take them long to pick their asses and run from the site when you glared them with a threatening gaze, a single word from the class president and they would get suspended yet again for the umpteenth time in the year. You crouched down to Jeno’s level, carefully handing him his ID. You did not bother asking him if he was okay, of course he wasn’t. His face showed signs of previous injuries, the purple hues of bruises slightly fading beside his jaws. You still don’t know why but you felt the need to protect him from his solace, thus leading to this inseparable bond of yours.

But that was a version of him that was long forgotten. Jeno had become the star and face of the school in the last years of your highschool. Acing various quiz competitions, Olympiads, getting highest grades, being the captain of the soccer and basketball team; you were sure God really had His favorites.

You were not surprised when Jeno brought you to your usual favourite—candle shop. It was a hidden gem in your hometown, a small secluded shop located just a few miles away from the metropolitan. Not everyone was aware of its existence until that one day you decided to act rebellious for once in your school life. Of course dragging Jeno into this so called rebel act with you. The date was rather casual, just two friends messing around with wax and chemically named perfume essences. The shop was owned by a lady close to your grandma’s age, and it still makes you wonder how on earth was she able to keep up with the hollering you two were making. No matter how much you convinced yourself that maybe you could give the boy a chance, and perhaps feelings might grow on you later on; you could not make yourself cloud your rationality with the uncertain possibilities. You confessed every single thing that had been on your mind and Jeno just calmly listened to everything you uttered. You could clearly see the expression of hurt washing over his face, but he knew you. He knew that once you had made up your mind, there was no going back. The night did not cause any indifference in your friendship; it bloomed with each passing years of your middle school and then highschool. You two had become the infamous bestfriends, the once timid boy then all buff and handsome and the once spotlight lover girl then buried in her textbooks to pass the college entrance exams.

Throughout these years of teen, the candle shop had become a constant place for anything to you both; sadness, comfort or just enjoyable times. Until that one day when you met the grandson of the lady who owned the shop. Make a guess who it was.

When people spoke of their first heartbreak, you always cringed at how they exaggerated. Technically you never experienced one, so it seemed ridiculous to you that how was it possible to a simple break to cause others this much pain. You were shocked, no scratch that. Using fancy words, you were utterly bewildered when you saw the new transfer student—Jung Sungchan was the name, standing on the makeshift podium of your classroom. Thank God the architects decided to stick to keeping the height of the room above eight feet. You had changed drastically, contrasting your previous bubbly persona, you had become more reserved. It was just you being ambitious about something you had grown to like, and after some backstabs from your friends, you did not feel the need to have so many around you. Just Jeno being there for you was more than enough.

It would be a lie if Jeno did not sense the subtle looks you had been sending over to the new guy, but he was in no place to object you. It had only been a few moments of Sungchan’s arrival and Jeno already sensed his position in your life being threatened. He knew you were a saint who always looked out for others, and something about his presence made Jeno feel wary. Jeno did not need any of the privileges he had, all of it he owed to you after all. It was you who brought the best out of him, and in the end if he has them all but not you, it wasn’t clearly worth it to him. You preferred unpredictable things; it was what he learned about you in all your years of friendship. How you would always choose mystery thrillers over typical rom-coms, how you would always vouch for the new dish in the menu every time you both visited the local barbecue house. And he knew it was impossible to be one like that, it was just typical Taurus things (as he would like to blame) that made him too practical, too predictable for you. But, you never thought like that. It was just that even though you wanted to, you couldn’t make yourself grow romantic towards the boy you always shared your oreos and ramen with. He held a dear place in your heart and life.

Sungchan was immediately welcomed to the family, the girls already swooning over his good looks and amazing grades. Plus icing on the top, he was the half-brother of the infamous Jung Yoonoh, the heartthrob of the whole school, from juniors to seniors. While Jaehyun was the typical definition of being that one dude we always see in rom-coms who is loved and admired by all for his too humble personality and ethics, Sungchan on the other hand was more of a quiet one, often too shy properly open up his orginal self around new environment. Despite that, he was naturally amiable just like his brother, a trait that perhaps ran in the Jung household. Unlike Jaehyun who was presumably born with good brains, Sungchan was a hardworking one. Sungchan tried to settle down the queasy feeling he had been feeling ever since he moved back here, now that Jaehyun was always busy in Seoul with his medical degree someone had to look after their aging grandma. Sungchan was never really a part of any group, so leaving behind his school back in the city was not that painful for him. The atmosphere of the whole campus was pretty soothing; the bushes of neatly trimmed trees, big huge playground and the ochre shaded building. He liked all of it, and to top it all the uniform was really his style: solid crème and dark maroon combination.

When Sungchan stood awkwardly in the middle of the classroom, clearly clueless as to where he would be seating since all the seats were occupied, a soft voice called out his name rather eagerly. His eyes scanned for a while until he saw you; dark hair tied up neatly into a ponytail with a pencil in your hand as you waved him to notice the empty seat beside yours. Sungchan smiled at your sweet gesture, his out of place feeling now subsiding into the warmth of the possible blooming friendship.

“Hi there, I am Y/N.” You chirped, wiping your left hand before bringing it out for him to shake. Sungchan froze for a while before he realized what he was supposed to be doing. “Oh! And this is Jeno!” You turned slightly towards your best friend sitting just behind you with his famous eye smile.

“Hello, I am Jung Sungchan.” He returned the gesture shaking both your and Jeno’s hand. Whilst Jeno had the feeling of roughness and athleticism in his, your hands were warm and soft; it felt nice he thought. That was the first impression of yours to him: ball of sunshine. And your impression of him? Reserved and unpredictable; a combination that only meant chaos and imbalance.

Sungchan side-glanced at your fumbling state. Seating next to him you in the front row, you skimmed over your not so pleasant looking notes that you had scribbled anxiously in the prior night. Public speaking had never been a big deal for you once you get adjusted to the audience after going up on stage. However, it is the pre anxiety session that just always riles you up.

“You know,” Your head whipped a bit too fast to your liking at the voice belonging to the only male that sat beside you. “I’ll show you a trick. Here.” Sungchan proceeded to softly place your trembling hands on his, cautiousness apparent with every move he made. Even though you both had been seatmates for the last three months, you never found yourself involved in any sort of skinship with him; something that was really common for you and Jeno. The look of fluster was way too obvious when Sungchan softly rubbed various shapes on the back of your hand with his thumb, you were unsure if he was actually helping you ease from nervousness or just increasing it further. It had quite been a while since you had your hands caged in his, both of you completely unaware of the looks you had been getting from your senior teachers seated in the neighboring row. The moment was cut off when your name was announced from the stage by a senior, requesting your presence to commence your speech. Sungchan slowly lets go of your hands, mumbling a soft ‘best of luck!’ with his hands now fisted as an act of verbal encouragement. You eyes wandered around the crowd for a while before locating your best friend who sat miserably beside the homeroom teacher, really closing to dozing off before noticing your presence and copying Sungchan’s gestures.

The bus paused, Jeno still deep in his slumber despite the harsh jerk of the vehicle stopping in its tracks. You sighed, he must have probably been gaming the whole night with his roommate Donghyuck again. You nudged softly at first, the lack of response later than causing you to shake him vigorously by his toned arms that barely fit in your palms. Jeno instantly sprinted up with wide eyes before softly muttering a curse at your cruel way of waking him up.

“I was definitely right about you being a torturer in your previous life.”

“Sure you were. Get your ass off the bus now.”

You parted your ways with Jeno on the campus ground, him heading to his coding facult while you headed towards the chemistry club room. Apparently a newbie was supposed to come today from the US. It was odd you assumed since US had much better facilities for students majoring in chemistry. You glanced at your figure on your way to the room, wondering if the ripped jeans were a good choice as a first impression. You just disliked the idea of leaving off bad impressions, even if you are never going to meet the person again until your next life. Jaemin, another close friend of both you and Jeno smiled widely at your entrance, waving his hand as he pointed the seat next to him enthusiastically. Jaemin and you were basically clones of each other, the leos inside of you both shinig at its best whenever you two are together.

“I don’t understand why move back here from THE United States.” Jaemin dragged out the word, scoffing silently as he handed you a cup of iced Americano. You were about to sip before pausing. You could not have possibly risked your stomach again after that one fateful day when you tasted ‘his type’ of iced Americano. This dude legit gulped down eight espresso shots with a satisfied hum, horrified looks painted on your and Jeno’s features as you both just stared at him in utter shock.

“Please not the poisonous drink.” You eyed the male suspiciously, who scoffed at the nickname.

“Of couse not little baby.” Jaemin cooed with his lips puckered and an annoying high pitched voice, purposefully pinching your cheeks a bit harder than he usually does.

 “You little moth-”

“Hello guys, I am Sungchan. Nice to meet you all.” Your heart dropped at the familiar tone of voice. He isn’t possibly back again after leaving without any traces, without a single goodbye, is he? You did not dare to look at his figure standing in front of the table, awkwardly shifting in your seat while Jaemin furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“Hello, Sungchan.” Sulli, your senior by 2 years and also the president of the club greeted him warmly. “I hope you like it here because adjusting to a new place might be hard at times. Oh, these are your classmates; Y/N and Jaemin.”

Sungchan immediately looked in your direction at the mention of your name, his eyes equally wide in surprise mirroring your previous reaction.

“Y/N?” He called out in a rather unsure tone, just like his movements the cautiousness was also present there. “It’s been……a while….”

“Yeah, indeed.” You had a visible change in demeanor, Jaemin finally grasping the tense situation before jogging up to the male.

“Hi there, I am Na Jaemin. You can call me Nana if you want.” Jaemin put his hand out as a formality, to which Sungchan politely complied. “There’s a seat there you can sit.” Jaemin was luckily wise enough to occupy the empty seat beside yours without knowing the turn of events. He motioned Sungchan towards the seat diagonal to you, sensing the discomfort in your posture he assumed it was best if Sungchan sat somewhat further.

Concentrating on the yearly planning for the club was harder with his presence; Sungchan unable to hide his obvious lingering gaze on you. Jaemin would cough every now and then, signaling the male to focus on the club president’s instructions instead of you. But as his usual self, Sungchan pretended to not notice the clear hints, continuing keep his eyes locked on yours. You were barely able to note down some important events, knowing that Jaemin certainly cannot be trusted with his short time memory. After that president bids her farewell to everyone present in the room, you take it as your cue to just flee as soon as possible from his reach.

“Y/N, wait!” Sungchan was quick to grab you just as you were about to exit by the door, the sudden halt in movement causing you to stumble back into his embrace awkwardly. You were definitely embarrassed, your back pressed against his chest in a weird manner as you straighten yourself again. You scrunched you nose to hide your embarrassment before asking him.

“What is it now Jung Sungchan?” You were not meaning to snap at him, but the bitter memories of the past seemed to get the best of you.

Sungchan slightly winced at your cold tone, but what else could have expected after all the pain he had caused you. “I…I do..I mean like I..”

“Sungchan, I have my classes. Gather up your thoughts and then talk.” With that you turned on your heels, not even bothering to take your bag that you left on the seat you were prior sitting. Jaemin observed the scene quietly, his minds finally connecting the dots. Jung Sungchan, the boy you would always cry about whenever you got drunk, the boy who left you with nothing but memories of him. Jaemin thought it was best to not let out his inner frustration towards the guy who was now standing motionless in his tracks, lost in his trance as he gaped towards the door you had just left. Jaemin passed by Sungchan without a word, instinctively grabbing your bag as he made his way to his next class.

Sungchan stood dumbfounded, numerous thoughts racing in his mind. Why did I have to be so foolish? He thought. How can I blame her when I was the one who broke the promise first?

 Summer 2017

It was getting pretty boring for you at the library; usually some of the classmates bickering would give you some sort of silent company as you scribble down the notes. But for some unfound reason you seemed to be extremely distracted. You let out a long annoyed huffed, hands stretching in weird directions as you rested your head on the wooden table. It struck your mind there might be butts of nails pointed out and you didn’t want to get yourself a shot of tetanus, so you lazily glided your hands across the surface before returning back to your half laying position. It didn’t take long for you to zone out, mind running through various scenarios of university life, jobs and perhaps marriage? You blushed at the thought, just like any other teen you were also low-key always looking forward to your wedding.

“Are you asleep?” You shot up startled at the sudden voice, eyes immediately widening as you realized the owner. Sungchan had a smile with his lips pressed into a thin line, casually pulling out the empty seat beside yours as he made himself comfortable on it.

“Good to know you’re not. I need your help.” Sungchan wasted no time rummaging out a stack of sheets from his backpack, pressing them against the wood with a loud thump. You slightly winced at the loudness since the library was extra quiet today, the sound thus bouncing off more.

“You know if it’s literature, I suck at it.” Your mind took you back at that one time when you almost got yourself a C on the mentioned subject, chills running down at the memory.

“No, no.” Sungchan waved his hands softly chuckling. “It’s actually chemistry. Judging as a seatmate, I believe it’s your best sport.”

You happily nodded at the male, pleased that you get to help him with something that was under your specialty. Sungchan took a notice of your happy state, equally pleased that it was you that would be helping him.

“Tell me, what can I help you with.” You took the fat book from his hold, skimming over the contents page before highlighting the topics that were extremely important for the semester.

“I think hybridization? I just can’t seem to get how it works!” Sungchan’s voice levitated suddenly out of frustration, momentarily catching you off guard. Sungchan seemed to notice your amused look, shyly rubbing the nape of his neck with a little shrug.

“You know this is the first time I’ve seen you frustrated.” You commented, eyes fixated on the pages even though they were being extremely reluctant to rather focus on the fussy male. “It’s pretty easy you know. Look.” You explained him cautiously and slowly, how the overlapping of the orbitals occurred not realizing the proximity that seemed to lessen drastically. You whipped at his direction to see any signs of confusion, only to be met with a pair of dark orbs that stared at you intently. As embarrassing as it may sound, you gulped loudly. A bit too loud than you had intended to.

Sunghcan took notice of the situation you both blanketed in as a wave of déjà vu washed over him. He cleared his throat loud and awkward, half to lessen the embarrassment you were feeling and to poorly hide his own. You both were looking everywhere but each other, too dumb to maximize the close distance instead of acting like awkward cats.

“What are you both doing?” a deep male voice jerked you back to reality, upon turning you saw it belonged to Jeno. When did he come here?

“She was explaining the hybridization shits.” Sungchan huffed, slowly settling back to his orginal position. “I asked you so many times though…”

“You know chemistry is not my cup of tea.” Jeno shrugged at the male, a lazy smile playing on his face. “You wanna stay for b-ball practice today?”

“Not sure, I’ll see to it mate.” Sungchan did that fist-bump with Jeno, the two casually mingling like old friends as you stared idiotically at the scene unfolding in front of you.

“Since when did you both become Damon and Pythias?”

“Y/N, please not again your alien languages.” Jeno rolled his eyes before taking the seat beside, sandwiching you between both the males. “Since you happen to be tutoring a clown, an addition of another clown won’t do you any harm.” Jeno smiled at you, his doe eyes disappearing in the process.

Sungchan held back his snort, looking over both of you, he was happy. Though he was not as close to you as he had become to Jeno, he still considered you somewhat a close friend of his. Being seatmates with you and Jeno, it was inevitable that he soon became a constant in your life. Did I tell you that the candle shop was owned by his grandma? The shop if anything, had become this secret spot for you three. Study dates, random chills or just lazying around, the candle shop would be the first name that would pop up in your mind. 

With a blink of an eye perhaps junior year passes. Maybe that was how last years of highschool were. At one moment you barely just got promoted to a new class, and at another, you’re yet again getting promoted to higher one. You sat under the dull moonlight, a thin cardigan that was gifted to you by your dearest friend’s grandma. When Sungchan invited you and Jeno at his, his grandma had knitted this cardigan for you and a beanie for Jeno. The gesture was so sweet that it completely melted your heart, she was the living definition of wholesome for you. 

It was maybe that one day when you three decided to stroll the spring fair of your neighborhood, when you both finally came clean to your feelings. Jeno was always the one pointing you out that how you should just be a woman and confess. “It doesn’t always have to be the guy that says I LIKE YOU!” This what we he said before disappearing into the hives of crowds, leaving you waiting for Sungchan at the front of the public toilet he was finishing his business in. Pretty awkward right? Where else does anyone get to see a girl waiting for her crush in front of a public restroom. Sungchan came back outside, shuffling out his handphone before furrowing his brows at the text he just received. You immediately understood it was from Jeno. You had no idea what came over you, it felt like the adrenaline in your system decided to flood your nervous system, not even aware of yourself just launching at the dude with a chaste kiss on his lips. He was completely taken aback by the sudden feeling of your lips on his, it took him a while before responding you back with the same enthusiasm. You broke first from the kiss, not realising your fists crunching his prior perfectly ironed shirt. But he did not mind it all, a shy smile playing on both of your faces. The rest of the night was spent with your hands laced in his, just like another high school sweethearts of the time.

You smiled at the memory. Sungchan had a cigarette lit between the tips of his fingers, the tobacco smoke slowly poking your nose but not strong enough to bother you. With a deep sigh, he took a puff before blowing it own again in the air, a cloud of smog dancing around his figure.

“You should quit it, it’s not healthy.” It had already been a year since you became friends and six months since you became more than it, but there were times like this when you still found yourself nervous and wary whenever you are talking to him. You snuggled yourself into the cardigan, hugging yourself to minimize the tinges of frostbites. Sungchan was considerate of your discomfort, whenever he smoked, he made sure the cigarette was at least 2 feet away from you. 

“Take this.” Sungchan handed you another thick layer of clothing from his bag, his initials “J.SG” written big and bold. Without much thought, you accepted his kindness, and Sungchan had high tolerance to cold anyways unlike you who would shiver to death in the most usual temperatures. You figured Sungchan decided to dodge the topic you brought it, and you figured it would be better to not bring it up for a while.

“Where do you plan on going for college.” Sungchan spoke while rubbing the shortened cigarette on the bricks of the roof, swallowing the remaining water from his bottle throwing a strawberry gum inside his mouth. You figured he was now free from the reek of tobacco as you scoot closer to his form, opening your arms within the jacket for his to snuggle in as well. Just like Jeno, skinship was no new news for you both too, however; it always had your heart racing like crazy. You both remained cozy under the warm embrace of the jacket, and you prayed Sungchan would never listen how your pulse was acting up.

“I don’t know. Perhaps SNU? I mean only if I get accepted...” You trailed off, propping your chin against your bent knees before glancing at the boy. Then it struck you, what made him ask this sudden question, what made him smoke three cigarettes straight despite having yearly break for a whole month. “Will you be going to the US as well?”

“I don’t know...” Sungchan deeply sighed, his lips forming a small pout as he indulged in deep thought. What if he actually happens to leave for America? Your heart clenched at the thought, mimicking his sighs you rested your head against his shoulder. 

“You know,” You stared at the sky, it was dark and clear with no signs of stars. The feeling was unsettling. “Wherever you go, we’ll always be there for you.” Your eyes shifted to the illuminating lights from numerous buildings that replaced the absence of the twinkling stars in the sky. The ominous feeling soon dissipated into relief. It was as if the universe telling you, we just have to look out for the good sides instead of dwelling on the bad. 

“I know.” Sungchan smiled, one that was both happy and sad. He rested his head on yours, joining your company of gazing at the scenery. “I know.”

“Just...” there was hesitation laced in your tone, Sungchan was quick to notice it as he looked at you, nodding for you to continue. “Please don’t leave...not without a goodbye. Promise me that.”

“I promise you.” Sungchan held your cold hands in his warmer ones, a firm assurance making your heart swell in both hurt and adoration as you kissed him again.

You both never really made it official, despite the kiss at the fair. It was perhaps the uncertainty that held you both back. Sungchan’s future was not in his hands but his family’s; just like his brother, he is supposed to make his family shine bright. It was one of the major reasons why his parents let both the brothers two years of freedom on their remaining bits of high school. ‘All parents want the best for their kids,’ that’s what you would always say to him whenever you meet him at his roof; him smoking while you offered his physical comfort.

The senior year passed within a whim, the fright of entering into adulthood descending upon all the students as they remained buried in their textbooks. Maybe it wasn’t the case for everyone, but it did apply to you and your friends. You remained occupied with you daily extra classes for chemistry while Sungchan had biology and Jeno had mathematics. You three would meet up in periodic breaks, catching up with small talks before returning back to your respective schedules. It was nothing but hectic, and soon, the candle shop returned back to being just another isolated shop in your hometown.

Graduation day was filled with smiles and congratulatory phrases from different individuals, throwing your grad caps in the air felt like as if you were throwing away a significant part of your life, ready to embrace a new version of you. All the parents stood their with proud grins, delighted at their children’s achievement to their dreams.

“Congratulations!” You chirped, receiving bone crushing hugs from both your males before an elderly voice called for you.

“Y/N! Jeno! Sungchan!” It was your mom, waving excitedly to grab you and the males’ attention. “Say cheese!”

“Cheese!” You all resonated together, happy and delighted.

A series of furious knocks jolted you awake from your sleep. You figured it might have been your younger brother, probably wanting your help in his homework.

“I swear to god Y/b/n!” You let out an ear piercing shout, groggily rubbing your eyes from deep slumber.

“It’s me. Jeno.” You heard how breathy his voice sounded, it was coated with urgency and hurt. You heart dropped but you prayed to the Heavens and God, you prayed that it should not be the very thing that you had been dreading so much. You shot up from your bed, not even bothering to make yourself look presentable before whipping the door open to meet with an equally dazed and riled Jeno.

“It’s Sungchan. He...” Jeno beathed out a deep sigh, before handing you a lilac envelope, the initials J.SG written in bold. You failed to feel the tears pooling up, threatening to fall anytime. Jeno glanced over you sympathetically, with shaky trembling hands, you took the the paper. 

You don’t bother to closer the door, Jeno soon taking his leave as he thought it would be best to give you some space to absorb it all in. The tears had started to stream uncontrollably when you saw the picture that came with the letter. It was one of the many pictures that you took on the night of the fair; the day you had confessed, the you had your first kiss. It was a polaroid of you holding him lovingly in an embrace, him shyly placing a kiss on your cheeks with the words ‘Here lies the proof of my utmost love and affection, always devoted to my only Y/N’ scribbled on the white frame. Your hands fished for your cellphone, frantically dialing his number as you waited for him to pick up, hoping that he’ll soothe your anxiety by saying he did not leave, that he was still in town and you were just being delusional.

But every time you dialed his contact, you were being forwarded to the monotonous tone saying that the number was currently unreachable. Your chest squeezed in pain, he had promised you. He promised you that he will come for a goodbye at least. He had promised you that he would never leave you clueless and hurting. All you ever asked for him, was just a goodbye; perhaps a source assurance for you to wait for his return. 

You wiped the tears with the edge of your sleeves, opening the the piece of folded paper.

‘Dear lovely Y/N,

You might resent me when you receive this letter, and I certainly don’t blame you for that. I am not the best with words, I am clumsy and unexpressive but I hope that this piece of scribblings makes you understand all my feelings, my thoughts and emotions that have been haunting me from the day I first saw you.

You know I that I am very much aware that I do....hold some handsome genes.’ You couldn’t help but snicker at this. 

‘However, unlike all, as typical as it may sound, you stood out. You lazily laid sprawling across your desk in deep slumber, completely unaware of the chaos of classroom. I wish I was that carefree like you, indulged in her own world and comfort bubble. It attracted me a lot.’ You got up from the floor, eyes still glued to the piece of paper as you shut your door locked. Your hands still went to dial his contact, but only to be forwarded to that damned robotic voice.

‘I wanted to be like you, not bothered by the constant pressures of coming from a prestigious family. Did I ever tell you my dad is the Director of Myeongsu Hospital?’ You gasped at the sudden information. His dad was the director of the one of the most prestigious and renowned hospitals of South Korea. It was too overwhelming for you to process, but you still found yourself continuing. 

‘It was inevitable for me to act like just another teenager, not for me but for my brother too. I always blamed him for being so selfish when he just left me alone when he came to grandma, I failed to realize that it was some sort of comfort gift from our parents so that we’ll devote ourselves to build the family’s name for the rest of our lives. 

Even though I wanna blame them, I don’t think I can because they had the same fate. It comes with a price when you’re born with a silver spoon, and I guess I had to pay mine when I left your doorstep last night. I...I was a coward. I know I should have just come up, hug you and kiss you for the last time. But I just couldn’t. I was too scared.

I was scared that the moment I’ll see you, my guards will crash down. These two days were really hectic for me, I made up excuses when you invited me at yours because I was afraid of losing my balance. I knew that only a glance at you would be enough to make me change my mind and revolt against my parents, my fate. And you have no idea how much I wanted to do so, you have no idea how I’ve spent endless of sleepless night where it is the only thing that would run on my mind. But you tell me, would it be really worth it? I did not want you spending the rest of your lives with swarming paps and reporters, publishing reports and articles of how you managed to tarnish the heir-in-line of the prestigious hospital. No I could never do to that someone I love so dearly. I could never in a thousand years do that. 

You know every time I picture you in your grown-up self, I can only see a strong and confident woman thriving in her career, a woman that is so powerful but still has a heart of gold. I know that you’ll be an amazing person, inside and out. I wasn’t really planning to express my love and admiration for you like this, I hoped to do it in person, but perhaps, maybe that’s how the stars planned it out for us. Fate is extra cruel in my case don’t you think? 

It would be extremely selfish of me to ask you to wait; I am not even sure if I would ever return because my father would be opening another branch in US. And well, I am not sure what plans he has for me.

So please, if you ever find it in your heart, I hope you will forgive me. And even if you don’t, please don’t ever feel guilty about it. You have all the right to do so and I most certainly deserve your hatred. I love you so much, Y/N. You’re my first kiss, my first love, and you’ll  always hold this irreplaceable place in my heart. 

With Love,

Jung Sungchan.

You felt your world crashing down, a part of you wished that this letter never ended. The only remain from him had also come to an end, and you were not sure how you would be able to cope with his absence for the next years of your life.

Present

“Sungchan is back?” Jeno widened his eyes in shock, the information seemingly unbelievable to him. “He really is?”

“Yes.” You monotonously replied, numerous thoughts battling at the back of your head. Jaemin cleared his throat, a sign for Jeno to not bring up the topic for a while. Jeno eyed the male in confusion before finally getting the hint.

“You’re lucky you don’t get to have Mr.Suh’s classes, he’s just hot and it’s frustrating. And that’s coming from a straight dude like me.” Jeno slurped on his smoothie loud and sound, probably to annoy the other male as he was well aware his distaste to people making sounds while eating.

“Y/N.” a voiced called out from behind, and you instantly knew who it belonged to. 

“Sungchan. Oh my god!” Jeno shot up from his seat, immediately embracing the old face from his past. “How have you been man? You just disappeared...”

“I am so sorry.” Sungchan looked at Jeno with pleading eyes. “I know I have absolutely no excuse for my act and I am just so sorry, Jeno and Y/N.” Sungchan looked at Jeno who silently urged him to talk to you.

“Y/N, please talk to me. I don’t expect your forgiveness but please. Atleast curse me, hit me just do anything. Please.”

You whipped your head to find Sungchan crouching down to match your seat level, a sigh escaping from you as you stood straight from your seat. 

“Guys, I’ll be back.” You gripped his hands before dragging him alongside the canteen corridor.

Jaemin looked over his friend who stood staring at the way you just took. And expressionless look was painted on his features, causing Jaemin to shake his head and sigh. “You know man,” Jeno changed his attention to the male speaking, fixing his glasses. “If I were you, I would have just held her back. You’re extremely strong, I could have never done that.” With that Jaemin patted his friend’s back, a silent assurance that if he needed a shoulder to cry or to simply lean on for comfort, he’ll be there for him.

A mixture of feelings were erupting inside you, you were furious but happy. Sad but grateful. You scanned the halls for signs of any empty classroom and upon finding one you just shoved the male inside it.

“What’s so funny about messing with my feelings?” You already tears welling up, your vision blurry as you sharply glance at the male with a frown on his face.

“Y/N, I would nev-”

“You left me,” you utterly hated at how pathetic you sounded at the moment, harshly wiping the tears streaming down your cheeks. “You promised me that you won’t leave without showing up one last time, but you did. You fucking did.” You knew it was not something under his control, but you couldn’t help but pour your bottled feelings.

“Please...Y/N...listen..to me...Please..” Sungchan lost his composure, his voice breaking as he stepped closer to you. Seeing how you did not flinch at his approach, Sungchan captivated you in his embrace, something that he had been yearning for ever since he parted ways. You felt the wetness of his tears on your head, melting in his longing embrace you found yourself hugging him back. You missed him so much, his scent, warmth, presence. Everything about him drove you crazy, you were still dazed to believe if he was actually back for real or is it just one of your numerous daydreams. 

The rest of the days went as usual, but only with the addition of Sungchan back again in your life. Although you had long forgiven him in his heart, you decided to not vocal it out. As heartless as it may sound, you wanted him to make up for the pain he caused you, and he indeed did. Jaemin was skeptical in the beginning at the idea of another person joining you small group, he had come to liking the idea of you guys as trio and was more comfortable like that. But he saw how your eyes lit up every time you about him when you were newly friends with Jaemin, how Jeno would always drunk talk about the times they passed as seatmates bothering the hell out of you. So Jaemin broke his exterior cold composure on the fourth day, finally accepting the banana milk from the new male as a form of bribe for his addition to the group.

Sungchan worked harder than deities; always making sure to get you Americanos before your classes, taking extra notes for you whenever you felt sick, tolerating your extremely drunk self and even dropping you back at your dorms safely. He had mentioned how he finally mustered up the courage to stand up against his fathers, that he wanted to do something else rather than working in the medical field. Even though he had still yet to decided his desired career, Sungchan decided to just follow his intuitions which ended up him taking chemistry as his major and thus landing in the same institution and same class as yours. And not to mention, he was beyond grateful for it.

A month had passed with his arrival, the awkwardness amongst everyone long gone and forgotten. It was as if he never left you. You were never over him, so his all time sweet gestures was making it harder for you to maintain your cold act.

“I happened to attempt making kimbap? But I am not sure if they are edible..” Sungchan trailed off as he hesitantly hands you the small metal box. You almost laughed at how cute but messy they looked, his failed attempt at giving the rolls eyes and lips with sesame seeds and ketchup was beyond adorable. You took the box from his grasp, a smile playing on your face as you looked at him. Sungchan upon noticing your grin, rubbed the nap of his neck shyly, his ears and cheeks mirror the shade the of the ketchup. You took a bite from one of the many rolls he made, a hum of satisfaction escaping your lips as you relished the tangy sweet taste. It was perfect, just how you preferred it.

“It’s pretty good.” You licked the stain of ketchup from your fingers, failing to notice how the male blushed harder at your subtle act. “We have Mr.Lee’s class, so I believe we should hurry up before it’s too late.”

On the night of the annual university carnival, Sungchan confessed to you. At least not in front of a public washroom this time. With the constant aid of Jeno and Jaemin, Sungchan was able to plan out a pretty dramatic confession for you. You were completely surprised when Jaemin called you out of nowhere, frantically asking for your presence to a specific classroom. You feared if the dork had committed some sort of treason explaining how dramatic he sounded, so you rushed without giving any second thoughts. However, when you saw the trail of roses with candles adorning the edges, you froze. It had the same scent both you and Sungchan had invented; the sweet scent of lily with tinges of tangerine to it.

A flustered looking Sungchan steps out from the dark, his hands rest behind his back as you cautiously scanned your face. When he saw no signs of discomfort, Sungchan slowly jogged to where you stood, his hands holding a bouquet of lilies with a small note on top of it.

“I know I have made tons of mistakes, hurt you so many times. But I still want to test my luck.” Sungchan got down on his knees, holding the bouquet with his head hanging low. “Y/L/N, will you allow me to be your man? Will you be my girlfriend?”

A shit eating grin spread on your face, slightly giggling at how adorable he looked. “I thought you’d never ask.” You took the flowers, a soft smile adorning your lips as you lock eyes with an extremely surprised Sungchan. “Of course Sungchan.”

“Of course? For real?” Sungchan couldn’t believe what just happened, he was half expecting you to flat out reject him at how inconsiderate he had been. But you accepted his apology, accepted his love. Sungchan stood up, his heart squeezing in delight and adoration for you. He cupped your face gently, as if you were a porcelain doll that would just break if not handled carefully. You saw how his eyes shone with love, sparkling brightly on the soft light from the lighted candles and you swore you never felt so much before for anyone else as much as you felt for him. Sungchan closed the proximity, his nose slight touching yours as he rested his forehead against yours, the smiling never for once leaving his face. 

The tension was building up with each passing second, the sounds of your heavy breathing being the only silence breaker. You got impatient, the feeling of his lush lips got you being greedy as you closed the distance standing on your tip-toes, momentarily catching him off the grid before receiving the same attention back. You gripped on his shirt, too unbothered to break the kiss despite losing your breath. He paused for a moment, panting before pulling you back under his spell. The bottled feelings and emotions of longing and pining for each other were poured into the this sweet shared moment of yours. You were grateful that the whole building had no signs of any lurking students and professors, what was supposed to be a innocent make-up kiss soon transformed into a heated one as he held you by your waist, pinning you against the wall with his lips still attached to yours.

You pulled back for the heavy make-out session, almost earning a whine from the male before you soothed him with you words that came next. “I love you.”

 Sungchan felt his already beating heart pick up its pace, becoming hastier that he was low-key afraid if he might face a stroke anytime. With a loving grin, he looked back at you who was still caged in his arms. He tucked the stray of hair brushing across the sides of your face from the soft breeze entering the windows, the illuminating yellow hues from the candles making you look like a dream. A dream that seemed unattainable to him until this very moment.

“I love you so so much. Thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance to prove myself, to allow me to show you my feelings, Y/N.” He was breathless, he felt so many emotions at that moment when you glanced at him loving. He was afraid his pulse might stop any moment, so he kissed you back, but now filled with passion and desire. And let’s just say, one of your fantasies were fulfilled that night.

The news of his grandma passing away came after a few months when you both had officially started dating. Both the Jungs were extremely close to her, so when Jaehyun took her back to Myeongsu Hospital where he was currently the chief of neurology, her condition was inevitable. Jaehyun hoped that maybe she might get to spend more time on earth under his care, but he too was victim in the cruel hands of destiny. Sungchan rushed to your dorm, bloodshot eyes as he told you the news. You found yourself sobbing alongside him, tenderly keeping him embraced in your warmth as you shared his pain. You knew her personally as well, all the moments spent with her were a profound favorite part of teen years. 

“I wanted to meet you before I leave for Seoul. I came to say a goodbye.” Sungchan sniffed, his hands wiping away the streams of water rolling down your face. You smiled at his concern, mimicking his actions you brushed his sweaty bangs away from his forehead before placing a soft peck against it.

“It’s okay. Don’t tell me goodbyes anymore...for I know you’ll always come back to me.”

Epilogue

Sungchan fumbled with his tie nervously, bile reaching up his throat as the worst scenarios flooded his brains. His eyes frantically looked around for help, making a bow-tie was just not his cup of his. A breath of relief escapes his lips when his eyes landed on his closest beloved friend Jeno. Jeno stood leaning against the door frame, an amused grin painting his sharp features as he walked to the struggling male.

“Bro...” Sungchan huffed pleadingly, a pout forming his eyes.

“Yes bro.” Jeno flashed him an eye roll, before having the same eye smile again as he fixed his friend’s tie. After all, it was a big event for him.

To say the least, you looked breathtaking in your white laced gown. The simplicity of the dress made you look more elegant, it enhanced your natural beauty and Sungchan couldn’t just tear his eyes away from your form. It was supposed to be the bride’s day, but to him you shone the brightest.

“You know it’s me getting married, but the new comers might assume it’s you considering how you are gaping at y/n shamelessly.” Jaehyun hissed to his best man, earning a scoff from Sungchan.

“Hyung, let me have my moment! Please.” Sungchan whined but was careful to tone it down, only to receive a slight nudge from the groom who chuckled at his antics. 

The wedding was glamorous, elegant, anything that could be named as a dream wedding. Sungchan remained glued beside you the whole night, a proud grin on his face every time he was asked about the lady whose arms laid locked with his. With a smug look, he would rub on their faces that you were his girlfriend, especially exaggerating to the males who seemed to had their eyes on you. You both enjoyed the silent company of each other, the soothing sounds of the wind replacing the absence of music as Sungchan drove you back to your place, hands still intertwined. When he came in front of your shared apartment, he fidgeted in his seat nervously; fishing out something from his coat. 

You figured it was another one of his endless gifts, so you just smiled with your back resting against the cushion seat of the car. 

“Sungchan, you really need to-”

A throat seering stopped you in the midst of speaking, your eyes widening when you realized what the purple velvet box might contain. Sungchan let out breaths of nervousness, blowing out some air out of his lungs to lessen the feeling of anxiety as he looked at you, eyes as genuine as ever.

“Y/N, I don’t believe in fancy proposals as you know. It is an intimate moment for us so I want it to happen in the presence of only us.” Sungchan stuttered in the middle as he opened the box, revealing an extremely gorgeous but simple plated band with a small stone adorning the top perfectly.

“So will you marry me?”

You stared at the male dumbfounded. Your eyes refused to believe the scene in front of you, hearts doing numerous flips and turns and it was just hard to explain all the feelings you were feeling. Sungchan had always been the one for you, and even though not everyone gets to have a happy ending with their first love, you were beyond grateful that you had happened to fall in the rare probability.

“I...OF COURSE. OF COURSE I WILL.” You yelped in delight, shoving your hand in front of his face as he just laughed while placing the ring on your finger. It fit perfectly. You grabbed him by the collar and kissed him with your overpowering passion and love, not realizing how if continued any longer, you guys might have to pay a fine for parking on the wrong side. So without wasting any time further, you both hauled yourselves to your apartment, refusing to break the contact of your lips molded perfectly together on your way. In short, let’s just say ‘sweet innocent kiss transformed into a heated one’ yet again.

© urlocalnctstan 2021

I went completely overboard with this. I am so sorry if it didn’t turn up as you had expected it to, and honestly I am not completely pleased with it either. I felt like it could’ve been better in terms of expressing emotions. However, improvement is a never ending proccess and im still learning. SO TO WHOEVER WHO HAPPENED TO MAKE THIS TILL HERE. I LOVE YOU SODIJMS YOU DONT KNOW HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO ME. 

Feedbacks and criticisms are always appreciated! Please care to leave them as it may help me potentially grow as a writer. Thank you for sparing your time to read my piece of work.

with love,

Hana.

[nejibaby]

Want You Back

Pairings: Portgas D. Ace x Y/N

Song reference/inspiration: Want You Back by 5 Seconds of Summer

Summary: You broke up with Ace a few days before he sets off to become a pirate. You thought that it would probably be the last day you’d ever see him again. But you meet him once again in Alabasta.

Word count: 7k

A/N: This somehow turned out to be too long for my style lol but I just can’t get enough of Ace… Anyway, I hope you have fun reading this as much as I loved writing it. Please let me know your thoughts~

Reposting this because Tumblr $uck$. Please turn a blind eye if you’ve seen this post already last Feb lol

You’re walking down the streets of Nanohana, purchasing water and provisions for your trip when you suddenly stop in your tracks as you see a merchant selling orange roses.

The orange roses don’t intrigue you per se since you’ve long learned that such color could be produced by cross-breeding red roses with yellow roses, however, it’s not often you see such wonderful, healthy flowers in a desert town. That, and well, the sight brought back memories of your past with your first love who you fell in love with too young, too hard, too fast.

You could almost hear the pitter patter of the rain on that eventful day. You could almost see the dark sky on the horizon. You could almost feel the same aching sensation on your heart. The orange roses reminds you of the day you broke up with your first love.

You were both only seventeen then. It was just a few days before his departure; before his journey to fulfill his dream on becoming a pirate. You supported him in his dream, you really did. You believed in him, he’s strong. Reckless, but strong, and determined. He promised he’d come back to you after he’s proven himself, but that’s when you doubted him. That’s the only time you doubted.

While he wanted to be a pirate, you wanted to be a scientist. You have had a curious mind since you were young and it never really went away until now that you’re twenty. When you were younger you’d question, “Why is the sky blue?”or “Why does it rain?” or “How much salt is in the ocean?” But when you grew older, the questions evolved to “What is the mechanism behind this?” or “What would happen to this if certain variables changed?”

He craved for validation while you craved for knowledge.

You thought that it just wouldn’t work out between the two of you. He doesn’t need a scientist and you didn’t need a pirate to achieve your dreams.

Sure, it was possible for a long distance relationship, but you didn’t think you could handle that much distance. It would drive you crazy. You could barely handle the days when you’re at Windmill Village and he’s at Mt. Colubo, living with Dadan Family. And those two places weren’t even that far from each other. It was the trek there that was dangerous so when you were younger, before the two of you even started dating, you always have to come with your aunt Makino, and Woop Slap to get there and visit him, Luffy, and Sabo.

When you were ten years old, you only visited once in three months and then somehow it turned to twice in a month. When you reached thirteen years old, you were finally allowed to go there by yourself wherein you’d visit weekly, sometimes even stay the night. Dadan was actually apprehensive of letting you spend your days there, because she claimed she doesn’t like kids, but you were the only kid on her watch that actually did chores so she eventually relented. Those were the days you loved most, because he was just so close, you didn’t have to worry too much about him.

But soon enough he was leaving. Everyday he promised he’d come back but you doubted. The Grand Line is such a dangerous place. It‘s referred to as the Pirates’ Graveyard by everyone. It was even written in some books you’ve read about the sea. If that wasn’t enough reason to be worried sick, statistics say only a handful of men were able to come out of it alive. While you knew he’s strong, you also knew strength just wasn’t enough.

Truth be told, you wanted to travel the seas too, out of curiosity, of course. There were so many mysteries about the sea, so many unexplained phenomena, so many undiscovered things — things that you wanted to learn about. But you weren’t brave enough nor were you strong so you abandoned that thought.

Orange roses adorned your shirt on that day. You remember the feeling of the raindrops pouring over your body. It was raining in the middle of the night and you were outside Dadan’s house. You were soaked but you didn’t plan on taking cover anytime soon. You just sat outside, wallowing in despair for what you’re about to do.

“Y/N? What are ya doing here? You’re going to get sick!” He called out.

“Why are you still up, Ace?” You asked.

“I wanted to check on you but you weren’t in bed.”

You remember feeling your heart stutter at his words. Ace was rough around the edges but he was always gentle and sweet when it came to you. And you were just about to break his heart.

“Ace, we should break up.”

You remember the way he laughed as if you were telling him a joke. “Oi, don’t joke about things like that.” But he faltered when you didn’t laugh with him.

You couldn’t help but wonder if that was the last time you’d see his face. You stared at his face for a while longer, memorizing his face before saying, “This will never work.”

You expected him to shout, to ask you why, to demand answers. But he just gave you a look of betrayal. Your heart dropped at the sight of that. Your vision became blurry from tears that were threatening to fall. He looked away. Were those tears in his eyes or was that just the fucking rain?

You desperately wished he’d say something, anything. You just wanted to hear his voice again. But there was no response, he just clenched his fists and his jaw, and then he was walking away.

You didn’t have it in you to stay at Dadan’s house after doing such a cruel thing so you left that night after crying a few hours after Ace walked away. You left a note for Dadan though, telling her you were feeling sick and you went home, just so she doesn’t worry about your sudden disappearance.

You really did get sick after that day. Even on the day of his departure you were sick. Makino didn’t allow you to come and see him go but she promised she’d explain why you weren’t there. Despite that, you still did it anyway, you still went there, but you hid behind trees. How could you not? You might never see him ever again. Okay, maybe you’d see him in the newspaper or the wanted posters, but probably never face to face, so you pushed yourself to come. You were glad you did, at least you got to see him smile so radiantly before he left.

A couple of months after he braved the seas, you left Windmill Village too to study science in a different town. But life didn’t really work out the way you wanted it to. In a series of misfortunes, you ended up becoming a pirate too, albeit temporarily, just to finance your dream.

The only thing that you lucked out on was your captain Naguri, an old man who used to be the captain of the doctor you apprenticed to. The doctor who you worked with didn’t want to continue becoming a pirate due to his old age so he recommended you to Naguri as a substitute. Naguri welcomed you to his crew despite you specifically telling him you’d only accompany them for five years and that you were only in it for the treasures. He told you it was fine and that five years was enough so you ended up joining them.

You went from wanting to study science to becoming an apprentice of a pirate doctor to becoming a pirate yourself and having a bounty for your head in a span of three years. If you only knew you’d be a pirate, you wouldn’t have broken things off with Ace. You would’ve just gone with him. But it was too late now.

You sigh as you touch the orange rose. It reminded you of the worst night of your life but you don’t dare to forget it since it was a memory of the last day you got to spend with him.

“Would you like to buy one, miss?” The merchant asks. “It’s—”

You didn’t get to hear the price of the rose because a familiar scream suddenly fills the air. When you whip your head to the direction of the sound, you see a very familiar straw hat on a man running away from Marines. Then it dawns to you that the man is Luffy.

You quickly scramble for your money to buy a single orange rose and then you run towards Luffy. Maybe it wasn’t the right decision to come after him, mainly because he’s being chased by Marines and you’re a wanted pirate too with a 25,000,000 bounty for your head. But he’s your best friend and you haven’t seen him for three years! That, and well, he’s in trouble so it’s not like you’d turn a blind eye on that.

Not a while later, you notice that the marine commander who’s chasing Luffy is Smoker, who is notoriously known for never letting pirates escape from his area of jurisdiction. As far as you know, Smoker is assigned at Loguetown so you wonder why he’s in Alabasta. And then you realize it’s Luffy he’s after. That dumbass could never lie low. You shake your head, Luffy almost always attracts trouble. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed with him yet.

You’re about to step in to save Luffy or at least, to buy him some time to escape when you hear another familiar voice.

“Heat Haze!”

You stop in your tracks as you saw a blast of fire stop the smoke attack and then his figure appears.

Ace.

You watch as he smirks at the Marine Commander, “Give it up. You may be smoke, but I’m fire. With our abilities, a fight would be pointless.”

Ah, Ace is a devil fruit user now. No wonder he’s known as “Fire Fist Ace.”

“Ace!” Luffy says, shocked.

“You never change, Luffy.”

They briefly talk about something, you aren’t able to catch it because your eyes are scanning over Ace. You can’t believe he’s there. You feel your heart beat faster at the sight of him. He’s more muscular now and taller. He looked healthier and stronger too. He’s still as attractive as ever, maybe even more than before. He’s grown into such a fine man.

But this isn’t really the time to be ogling your past lover. You still have Luffy to worry about. So despite the fact that you wanted to stay and watch Ace fight, you sprint off to catch up with Luffy and his friends.

In that instance, you realize that there’s a huge difference between the speed of a person when they’re running away from something (usually from danger), and the speed of a person when they’re running to catch up with someone. While you could see that his friends are running around together in one path, you don’t see Luffy’s straw hat in the group. You may have underestimated his abilities to get lost. With a sigh, you try to look for him in a different route.

You’re awfully tired by the time you find Luffy. And you’re pretty late too because he’s already with Ace and they’re in the middle of another brawl. It’s just like the two of them to get into a fight with a bunch of people. This time it’s with the Billions from Baroque Works.

You want to assist them in their fight even if they don’t seem to have a problem handling thugs like those. After all, you’ve grown to be a great fighter now.

You were pretty much a wimp when you were younger, so you may or may not want to actually show off the fighting skills you learned from your crewmates which led you to have a bounty for your head.

However, your stamina isn’t really that great yet so you still have to catch your breath first. You sit on a stray crate, watching the two fight against the group, just like the old days.

Ace didn’t know what prompted him to look behind him while Luffy stretched his arms to attack a man with a huge sword. But what he sees stuns him. There you are, just a few meters away, casually sitting on a crate with your head tilted slightly to the right and arms crossed over your chest. His breath hitches. He asks himself, were you really there this time or was it just another one of his imaginations?

You’re surprised when Ace snaps his head at your direction. You feel your body involuntarily jolt when you lock your eyes with him. Even after all these years, he still makes your heart flutter.

“Gomu gomu no Bazooka!” Luffy finishes his attack on his opponent.

Ace doesn’t look away from you as if you’d suddenly disappear if he even dared to blink. “Is that…?” He whispers.

“Hmm?” Luffy asks, not really sure what Ace is referring to. Then he follows Ace’s line of sight. When he sees you there, a smile finds his face almost immediately.

Luffy is the first one to approach you. “Oi, Y/N! It’s been a while!”

You grin. “I know right? I haven’t seen you in ages, Luffy! I saw your poster the other week, you’ve gotten yourself a pretty huge bounty.”

Luffy laughs at your statement, you’re pretty sure he’s proud of himself, so unlike you, who panicked after finding out about your own wanted poster.

Ace steps in while Luffy laughs. “Y/N?”

He merely said your name, but it made butterflies erupt in your stomach.

“A-Ace,” you stutter awkwardly, blood rushing to your face as you do so. You internally scold yourself, how dare you act like this when you broke his heart three years ago.

“Isn’t that the pirate Y/N?! The one with a bounty of 25,000,000 beli?”

You and Ace didn’t notice the fear etched on the faces of the other Billions as they stared at your group. You and Ace didn’t notice that Luffy has started walking again. You’re both too focused with each other to the point where you feel like nothing else mattered.

The two of you only snapped back to reality when Luffy turned around and said, “Aren’t you two coming? We still have to find my ship and my friends.”

You give Luffy a sheepish smile and then mumble a soft apology. You get off of the crate and make your way towards Luffy. Ace follows closely behind you.

After walking around the block, Luffy points out, “Ah, the ocean!”

The three of you make your way to the coast. “See your ship?” Ace asks. Luffy looks around to find his ship.

You sigh as the same group of thugs come into view again. “You won’t escape!” One of them says.

“You guys don’t know when to quit,” Ace says rather irritatedly.

You know Ace never backs down from a fight so it was kind of a surprise to you when he didn’t finish off the enemies a while back, but then again, time was of essence considering the Marines were hot on Luffy’s track. Yet, a small part of you reasons that maybe it’s because you’re there that he wants to avoid an all out attack from the group.

Before you could come up with another theory about it though, Luffy declares that he’s found his ship and proceeds on waving at them.

Then without a warning, Luffy grabs you. He loops his arm a few times over your stomach and then uses his other arm to reach for the railing of his ship. The next thing you know, the two of you are zooming towards the ship at an insanely fast speed.

And then you both crash. If that wasn’t bad enough, instead of crashing on the floor, you crash on someone. Luffy only laughs as he stands up, “Sorry about that, Sanji, Chopper, Y/N.”

“Bastard!” says the blonde male who you both crashed into. He grabs Luffy and shakes him, “Don’t you know your own strength?! I oughta throw you overboard!”

It takes a while for you to gather your bearings. By the time you do, the blonde male has released his grip on Luffy and was done on threatening him. Now it’s your turn. You hit him on the head, “Can’t you be any more careful, Luffy?!”

“Ah! It hurts, Y/N! Why does it hurt?” He complains as he rubs on the spot you hit.

You hit him once again, “I’ll have you know Gramps Garp would hit you harder if he learned what you did to me. I’m just simply giving you the gentler version of his Fist of Love.”

Garp is Luffy’s paternal grandfather. While you aren’t related by blood with him, Garp treats you way better than he treats Luffy, mainly because you’re the only friend of Luffy who didn’t really want to be a pirate. Because Garp dotes on you as if you were blood related, you always use his name when trying to reason or argue with Luffy because you know your best friend absolutely hates the Fist of Love.

“I said I’m sorry!”

You only huff in response and then cross your arms. When you turn your head to look away from him, you realize that Luffy’s crew is staring at you.

Once again you feel the blood rushing to your face, but this time from embarrassment. You bow your head, saying, “Sorry for the commotion and for, uh, coming here so suddenly. I’m a friend of this dumbass, please call me Y/N.”

The blonde male is first to react, “Luffy, you didn’t tell me you have such a beautiful friend! Oh, and she’s a belly dancer too!” He exclaims with hearts in his eyes.

Ah, he’s referring to the clothes you’re wearing. “Oh, I’m not. This is kind of a disguise,” you explain. And then you add, “I’m sorry we crashed into you.”

“I’d let you crash into me anytime,” he declares. “I’m Sanji, by the way, but you can always call me yours.”

You chuckled at him. You’ve heard that line so many times before, it’s getting ridiculous. You’re assuming the rest of the crew did too, considering you hear a collective groan from them after hearing Sanji’s words.

After that he clears his throat. All of a sudden his aura changes. “You must have a bounty on you, because those looks can kill,” he says in a rather charismatic way while lighting a cigarette and slowly walking to your direction.

Sanji never reaches you though. He’s just a few steps away from you when your sight of him is blocked by a familiar freckled back with a well known tattoo.

What an odd timing to appear.

“Actually,” Ace starts to say, “she does have a bounty.”

You know Ace isn’t the type to read the newspaper so you’re surprised he knew about your bounty.

“Oh, Ace! These are the nakama I was telling you about,” Luffy interrupts.

Ace tears away his gaze on Sanji and then bows, “Oh, why hello everyone. I trust my little brother has been in your care.”

“Yes, he has,” the crew replies, bowing as well.

“He has no manners, so he’ll probably end up burning your hands a few times…”

“Yes, he has.”

“I’ll entrust him to you.”

You bite your lip to prevent the smile that’s threatening to appear on your face. Ace truly has mastered the art of being polite.

“I thought the guy Luffy described would be some selfish, arrogant jerk…” A guy with a long nose says.

“It’s a lie. Someone this polite can’t be Luffy’s brother,” says the woman with orange hair.

The only person you actually know from this ship aside from Ace and Luffy is Roronoa Zoro, the pirate hunter. He says, “He’s such a better person than his brother!”

“Brotherhood is a wonderful thing,” cries a reindeer.

“It doesn’t make sense. The sea’s a mysterious place,” Sanji notes.

Ah, if they only knew Ace before. You chuckle.

Wait. A talking reindeer?!

You’re usually composed, but every now and then you do get excited when something interests you. From the amount of times you’ve spent with Luffy, you kind of react the same way when he’s excited.

You immediately step aside from Ace’s back and walk towards the talking reindeer. You stop a feet away in front of him, just enough so he doesn’t get too scared.

But the reindeer still gets scared. He tries to hide behind the lady with orange hair, except his body is fully exposed.

You still smile though. “What a cute little talking reindeer!”

Then the reindeer suddenly blushes and smiles, “Don’t think I’ll be happy that you called me cute, you bastard.”

“Y/N, that’s Chopper. He’s our doctor. Isn’t he cool?”

“So cool!” You nod as Chopper continues to dance. “Are you a devil fruit user too? Can I have a blood sample?”

Devil fruits are extremely rare especially in the East Blue and you’ve only ever caught sight of its users on the Grand Line. So when you meet someone who has such abilities, you couldn’t hold yourself back from asking for a blood sample. It’s a trait that your crewmates hate about you because you ask even if the devil fruit user is an opponent. This was actually one of the reasons why they trained you in combat, because that trait often gets you in trouble.

Seeing that you’re a pretty nice person, Chopper agrees.

“You too, Luffy, Ace.” It’s more of an order when it comes to those two. Your excitement about the devil fruit temporarily overpowers your awkwardness with Ace.

The two look at each other and shrug. You didn’t really give them any choice.

Before you can even grab a vial and a syringe, the lady with blue hair interrupts. “Baroque Works! That’s the Billions fleet!” She says, looking over five ships.

“Them again?” Luffy asks.

“Luffy,” Ace calls.

“Hm?”

“I’ll clean them up.” Without saying anything more, he jumps down to his boat and speeds off towards the ships. All five of the ships get destroyed after a single Fire Fist.

Ace truly has become stronger. Your heart swells with pride at his growth. He’s become such a reliable person. If only you didn’t break his heart, you’d be calling him yours and bragging about him.

When everything dies down and Ace settles back into the ship, everyone introduces themselves individually. Then Sanji prepares something to eat for everyone.

Sanji gives the males sake to drink while he gives you and the ladies a special drink. “Y/N-chwaan~” He affectionately calls your name as he hands you a glass of the drink he prepared.

You smile at him as you thank him and he instantly swoons. He walks away happily with hearts on his eyes after the interaction. You have never met a man like him before and that’s saying something because you’ve been to a lot of places and met a bunch of men from the three years of your journey as a pirate. Quite frankly, it’s amusing for you.

But not so much for everyone else. You can tell by the sudden rise in the temperature, and you know right at once it’s because of Ace.

You look over to him only to find him already staring intently at you. You’re not dumb, you know he’s jealous. Still though, his reaction surprised you.

In your years dating him, he never really became jealous. Maybe because the only male persons he’s seen you ever hang out with is him, Luffy, and Sabo. While that much is true, having worked at Party’s bar meant you meet a lot of people and Ace knew that. You’d even tell him about encounters with males but he doesn’t really worry about it, unless they hurt you. You think that maybe he reacts that way back then because you were his but right now, you aren’t.

He only removes his gaze from you when Usopp says, “This is great! Ace and Y/N are our nakama!”

“Kanpai!”

“Who said I’d be your nakama?” Ace raises an eyebrow but he’s ultimately ignored by Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper.

“To delicious drinks,” Usopp toasts.

“Kanpai!”

“Don’t worry about them,” Nami says, “These guys are always looking for a reason to kanpai.”

“Ace, Y/N, are you really going to be our nakama?”

You answer first. “Nah, I’m only here for research and to… Uhm…” you look over quickly to Vivi who apparently was a princess in the kingdom, “…to purchase dance powder.”

It’s funny how you feel bad for purchasing something illegal when you practically do illegal things everyday as a pirate.

Before Vivi could react, you explain. “I only bought a small amount. I just want to identify the content of rainwater from an artificial source. I also wanted to know the composition of the dance powder itself. That’s all.”

“Ehh? That’s it? But why don’t you just come to our crew?” Luffy whines.

“Idiot. Your brother mentioned a while ago that she has a bounty. That means she’s a pirate too,” Zoro says.

“What?! You’re a pirate?! You said you didn’t want to be a pirate!”

“Yeah, well I couldn’t pursue my studies if I didn’t have the money,” you say. “Besides, our captain agreed to have me for five years only. I’ve been with them for three. Ask me again after two years, maybe I’ll reconsider.”

“I don’t want to wait for two years! Join us now!”

You hit Luffy on the head while Usopp scolds him, “You can’t just force her to come.”

“Why not?” Luffy asks. You raise your fist to hit him again. This prompts him to say, “Okay, okay, fine. I’ll ask you again some other time, just don’t hit me anymore!”

Ace looks like he wanted to say something to you but Luffy turns to him and asks if he’s going to join his crew. He looks away from you reluctantly and then focuses on Luffy. “I won’t. I’m in pursuit of a man. He’s known as Blackbeard.”

“Blackbeard?” Usopp repeats.

Vivi asks, “The pirate that sacked the Kingdom of Drum?”

He nods, “He used to be a member of Whitebeard pirates, Second Division. My subordinate. Until he committed the greatest crime you can on a pirate ship… He murdered his nakama and fled the ship. As the Commander, I have to find him and finish him off.”

“So that’s why you’re after him.”

“The only reason I came to this country is because he was reportedly seen in Yuba.”

“Then you’re going to the same place we’re going,” Nami says.

Then Vivi gets a map and explains the route to him.

“I get it. So you’re headed to Yuba too.”

In the background, Sanji says, “Wherever Nami-swan, Vivi-chwan, and Y/N-chwan go, I’ll go~”

“Beat it, Love Cook,” Zoro says.

“What did you say, bastard?”

A fight between the two almost ensues when Nami says, “Anyway, looks like you’ll be travelling with us for a little while.”

Usopp looks the happiest at that. “With you along, this’ll be a cinch!”

“What about you, Y/N? What do you plan on doing?” Nami asks.

You purse your lips, thinking. Isn’t it a little bit selfish of you if you stayed just so you could spend a little more time with Ace?

“Please stay with us a little longer, Y/N-chwan~” Sanji pleads.

While Ace wants you to stay, he didn’t really like seeing another man openly expressing his fondness to you. Unconsciously, he causes the temperature to rise once again, which you’re quick to notice.

You wonder if the rise in the temperature meant that Ace doesn’t want you to stick around. You quickly dismiss the idea though, when he speaks up, “Yeah, Y/N, why don’t you join us for a little while?”

How could you refuse when he personally asks you to stay?

“Do I even have a choice?” You ask nonchalantly, playing it cool as if you didn’t want to stay.

“No!” Luffy grins.

Just like that, you stay.

Later on you find yourself in the kitchen sitting across Luffy and Usopp. They’re playing with their foods when Ace enters the kitchen. He plops down beside you and you instantly feel your heart thump faster. He didn’t even do anything out of the ordinary and yet he makes you feel like this. It’s not fair that Ace looks so relaxed while you’re desperately trying to calm your heart.

Then you jump in surprise as Sanji hits Luffy and Usopp with a frying pan and a wok, scolding them for playing with their food. “If you guys are so bored, go wash some dishes! Jeez, here I am trying to finish our bento before we land—”

“I’ll help!” You volunteer. Ace speaks up at the same time as you did, “Want me to help with anything?”

Sanji looks stunned. Someone wants to offer help? It’s been a while since he’s heard it.

“Y/N-chwan, you’re such a lovely lady~ But don’t worry, just sit back and relax. I’ll do all the work for you~” Sanji singsongs, completely ignoring Ace.

In the corner of your eye, you notice Ace glaring at Sanji while he has his back turned. “Alright…” You say after a moment.

You’re not exactly sure how to proceed after that. Instead of enduring the awkward silence, you whip out your small notebook and start scribbling away. The notebook was more of a logbook where you put in the data you gathered in certain villages or islands— may it be a sighting of an exotic animal or plant, random anomalies about certain places, anything that’s out of the ordinary or just plainly something you’re curious about. Sometimes you just put random questions that pop into your head. It’s rather messy, but it’s one of the things you own that you treasure the most.

This time you write about the devil fruit users you encountered in Alabasta, writing just a short biography of the users and a brief description of the powers they have. Just like that, you’re in your own little bubble. You didn’t even notice that the ship docked for a couple of minutes as per Vivi’s request and that everyone has left you in the kitchen.

By the time you’re done, you realize that the only persons in the kitchen are you and Sanji. The cook is preparing one last meal for everyone to eat in the ship before you all dock. This time when you offered your help, you insisted and left no room for him to refuse. When the table has been set up, he calls for everyone.

You sit at the edge of the table. Not a second later, someone sits beside you. You look up and find that it’s Ace. He has this boyish smile on which prompted you to look away in order to avoid heating up.

Luffy’s crew is boisterous, even more so during eating meals. They’re extremely funny. You feel your worry for your best friend fade away the longer you stay with his crew. But then the rowdy atmosphere instantly quiets down when all of a sudden Ace falls down on his plate. It was only a moment of silence and then they’re all panicking.

“What the hell?!”

“Oi, Luffy, what happened to your brother?”

“Oh no! He’s dead!”

“Someone call a doctor! We need a doctor! Oh, wait I’m the doctor.”

Only you and Luffy are unfazed. Luffy just laughs out loud while Usopp demands him to take the situation more seriously.

You, on the other hand, calmly place your utensils down. You’re pretty much used to Ace and his narcoleptic episodes. You get some napkins and gently grab Ace’s face. You wipe his face from all the food that got stuck on it. Then you carefully maneuver his arm so that it’s resting on the table and place his head on his arm. This is pretty much how you handled him every single time it happened so by now it’s more of an automatic reaction for you.

When you’re done, you realize that everyone’s panic has died down and that they’re all looking at you, except Luffy who continued shoving food down his throat. You feel incredibly shy upon discovering that they caught you tending to Ace.  While the others are aware that you, Luffy, and Ace know each other from the past, they haven’t exactly seen you interact with Ace that much since you both arrived at the ship so they assumed that you and Ace are merely acquaintances.

You notice that Nami and Vivi in particular are smiling. Nami has the “I know something” kind of smile while Vivi has more of a genuine smile on her face. Sanji is sulking, but the others are just blinking at you. Then a few moments later, Ace wakes up. “Ah, sorry. I fell asleep,” he says nonchalantly.

“Eh?!” was the collective response of Luffy’s crew.

His hand automatically comes to his face to wipe off the remnants of food in his face, only to find out that his face is absolutely clean and bare of any dirt. This could only mean one thing, he thinks. You cleaned him off, just like the old days when you were still dating.

Ace’s assumption is further confirmed when he hears Sanji sulking about how he wishes he was the one to receive such a tender act from you.

You continue to eat as if you didn’t do what you just did. You could feel Ace’s eyes on you but you refuse to meet his stare. Unbeknownst to you, a smile has made its way on Ace’s face.

Everyone seems to be watching the interaction unfold — again, except Luffy who has witnessed this all before so he doesn’t think it’s a big deal. Anyone with eyes could now tell that there is or was something going on between the two of you.

The atmosphere only goes back to normal when Luffy stretches his arms to reach for food on their plates. Everyone immediately complains about this and the rowdy air comes back.

After the hearty meal, everyone prepares for the long trip by foot. You change into more suitable clothes, something that Sanji wasn’t really happy about since you, Nami, and Vivi switched from dancer’s clothes to a cloak that covers the entire body. Ace looks way happier now than before though and you aren’t sure why.

Before you could even get down the ship though, a group of Kung Fu Dugongs challenges your group. You’re just about to move when in a blink of an eye, Luffy has defeated each one. What a bum, you know you can definitely take them down too but Luffy beat you to it. You pout, you feel so out of shape now that you aren’t really using your body to fight. Ace chuckles at you. It was so sudden that you almost jumped in surprise at the sound.

“Didn’t think you would be disappointed that you weren’t able to fight them,” Ace says.

“Honestly, what should I expect? Luffy has always been like that,” you mumble.

“Yeah, he’s a handful.”

It’s such a short conversation, but seeing that you aren’t exactly pushing Ace away, he takes it as a sign that you aren’t uncomfortable in his presence. He sticks by your side after that.

He remains silent to the point that you even forgot that he was even walking beside you. You only realize that he’s still around when a sand whirlwind comes and he subtly shifts his position so that he’s standing in front of you, shielding you away from the sand. You’re reminded of the days when he’s always by your side to protect you. You feel the butterflies on your stomach one again. If that wasn’t enough, Ace gives you a lopsided smile when you thank him which makes your heart go haywire.

He doesn’t really leave your mind after that. The thoughts of him fully consumed you once again. But did it really go away in the first place?

Your memories with him have been replaying in your mind since then. You didn’t even notice that the sun has already set down until Vivi says that you guys should set out camp there.

The boys are nice enough to set up the tents for everyone, leaving you, Nami, and Vivi with nothing to do. You take this opportunity to shyly ask them about the Dance Powder as you whip out your notebook. You write down all the information they can give you.

“Ah, so it’s basically like cloud seeding,” you conclude.

“What’s that?” Vivi asks.

“It’s a type of weather modification, a process aiming to make precipitation fall from clouds. It is originally used to prevent areas from destruction brought about by drought. I read researchers use a chemical compound called silver iodide and disperse it to the clouds to produce snow which melts before they hit the ground to produce water.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s a quite similar process,” Nami says. Then she yawns. “Sorry, I’m getting tired.”

“Come on, let’s rest in the tent,” you say, feeling the exhaustion as well. The two girls immediately fall asleep after laying down, but for some reason you couldn’t sleep. You lay there for about two hours but you’re still unable to sleep.

You get up and reach for your bag, looking for your canteen. But then you see the orange rose. You almost forgot you bought it. The familiar aching feeling makes itself known once again. With a sigh, you leave the tent, suddenly feeling that you need a breather.

You move away from the tents and sit down, playing with the orange rose. The night is cold and you’re shivering but you can’t find it in you to care. You’re so preoccupied with your thoughts that you didn’t hear the footsteps of someone behind you.

You tense when you hear an awfully familiar question. “Y/N? What are ya doing here? You’re going to get sick.”

You don’t respond, thinking it was your mind tricking you into hearing the same things on that night.

“You’re shivering,” Ace calls out once again.

That’s when your breath hitched. Ace truly is there. He sits beside you and you instantly feel his warmth.

“Why are you still awake?” You ask.

“Couldn’t sleep,” is all he replies.

Silence ensues after that, but only for a few moments. Ace is the first to speak. “The cook seems to have taken a liking on you,” he says.

“He’s nice.”

“A little too nice to you for my liking.”

For the first time since he sat beside you, you look at him.

Then he speaks up again, “Ya know… You changed over the years. You’re prettier now… I’m not saying you weren’t pretty before. Uhm…” He blushes, “But you’re way prettier now. You caused quite the uproar among the Whitebeard pirates when your wanted poster came. When I saw the poster myself, I couldn’t believe it. You’re… yeah.”

You didn’t know what to say to that but you feel your face heating up at his words.

“I… I don’t know why but there’s this weird feeling I get when that blonde cook gives his attention to you. Even just the thought of him or another man getting close to you like that makes me feel weird,” he confesses.

“Ace… I’m sorry.”

“I know, I know… We’re not—”

“No, I’m sorry… I’m sorry because I had a lot of fears and uncertainties back then… I feared that you wouldn’t come back to me. The books I’ve read all said that the Grand Line was a horrible place and I didn’t know if you’d make it back alive. I was so afraid and I couldn’t tell you because you might not want to leave because of me… I didn’t want to be the reason you couldn’t fulfill your dreams… So I thought it was better to break up with you… At least then, nothing’s going to tie you down…” you cried.

“Y/N… I didn’t know…” He whispers, close to tears.

“Sometimes I wonder if I only knew I’d be a pirate too, should I have just gone away with you? At least then we’d still be together, right? But that would be too selfish of me… Especially when I was so weak back then. I would’ve had nothing to contribute to you. I’d only be a burden to you.

“But you know what, Ace, even if I was the one who decided to let you go, I couldn’t forget about you… Every place I go to, something will always remind me of you. Even when I sleep, I still dream about you. I don’t think I’ll ever get over you,” you look him in the eyes as you pour your heart out to him.

“God, no matter where I go, no matter how long you’re gone, no matter how many faces I meet, it’s always you, it’s always you I want to be with. I think… I think I’m always going to want you back, Ace…” You close your eyes and clench your fists as you say your final words.

You’re so selfish, god, you hate yourself.

It takes you by surprise when Ace hugs you. You melt into him at once. He lets you cry in his arms. “Ace, I’m really really sorry.”

He hums and then says, “Didn’t I promise I’ll come back to you?”

You pull away, vision still blurry from the tears. “What?”

He chuckles and then pecks your lips. “I promised I’ll come back to you.”

You cry harder from his words. His hand rubs your back, consoling you. “You still look beautiful even when you’re crying.”

You look away and bite your lip as you will your tears to stop.

“Y/N.”

“Hmm?”

“Why don’t you join the Whitebeard pirates instead?”

You pout. “That’s not fair, Ace… You know I wouldn’t be able to say no to you.”

“Well then, that’s too bad for Luffy,” he grins.

[oh-my-may]

Nishinoya, Bokuto, Oikawa and Atsumu as your boyfriend hcs

requested by anon: hey hey heyyyy! may i request for 'as a boyfriend' headcannons for nishinoya, boukto, oikawa and atsumu please? thank u if u get around doing this !! xoxo

hello there!^^ at first I thought about splitting this post up into 2 parts because usually the ‘as your boyfriend hcs’ are a bit longer but  I decided against it so enjoy~ (also atsumus and oikawas are a bit longer because they are my faves and uuuh I am weak lol)

Nishinoya Yuu:

one of the most energetic and happiest boyfriends!!

Will literally love and cherish you until you die and probably even after that, I’m being serious his love and affection for you have no end

though in the beginning of your relationship, or even before it, he always gets very shy around you which is unusual for him. That’s how he knows you’re special to him, because you make him doscover a whole new side of him!

The secret admirer type of crush, everyday you’ll find a new small present waiting on your desk. Your favorite drink, a snack, a small cute note, a new pen when he noticed your old one didn’t work anymore, a small bunch of flowers... It’s just so cute!

But it takes forever until he actually asks you out. In reality, it happens a lot different than he imagined. Normally he made sure he was in school waaayyy before you, but that one day he overslept and was in class just a few minutes before you. or so he thought. You just walked in the moment he placed the small package of milk on your desk and you both just stare at each other for several minutes and he’s about to faint until Tanaka saves him and gets him out of class because “he might develop a fever, his face is all red and sweaty”

2 days or so you don’t hear anything from him, until he manages to get over himself and ask you out in the tiniest voice. He has to repeat himself several times until you understand him properly because the poor boy was so nervous he spoke too fast and too quietly

BUT AFTER he finally gets you to be his he’s just the smiliest baby!!

Will never, not ever, let go of your hand. At least not when he can avoid it.

Always wants you to be on his side, like at practice and such. You can be guaranteed to be found at every single game that Karasuno ever has again, even practice games. You’re always there cheering for him and he’s at his 150% every time! The team loves his energy on the field but it’s a biot exhausting everywhere else :’)

ANWAYS definitely a lot of activity dates! I’m not saying that he would say no to a good old cuddle session, but he’s just always bouncing around, so going to the arcade or comign up with fun games at the park is normally what you do after school and practice!

Tanaka is the accepted third-wheel of your relationship. Whenever your over sat Noya’s he ends up showing up, too a lot of times or he joins in on fun dates, but it’s never uncomfortable or weird. You two actually become really good buddies and he always tells you funny stories about Noya! Also him and Kiyoko and you two go on double dates and it’s!! So cute!!

Did I mention that Noya is the king of skinship and PDA?? He really couldn’t care less who’s around you or who might be watching, his eyes are always on you and his hand somehow magically finds his way to your ass lol

No but on a serious note he just can’t live without you and sometimes he can get really anxious if he doesn’t find you in a crowd or your hands don’t intertwine immediately when he reaches for you. He can’t explain it, it just doesn’t feel good about it when you’re not around him.

Protective!! WILL jump on anyone that looks at you the wrong way or makes you feel uncomfortable. he 100% has Tanaka’s support for this.

Did I forget anything?? That should be about it for my little noya rant, he’s just too cute I’ll hug him to death~

Bokuto Kotarou:

chaotic™

When I tell you he did NOT know what he was doing when he asked you out. Just listened to Akaashi’s and Kuroo’s advice and it somehow worked out for him. Several months into the relationship he’s still not entirely sure how he got you, but he doesn’t complain

(psssht, it was his clumsy charm mixed with some kind of natural charisma that got you, but don’t tell him that he will not shut up about it)

When he first saw you he was at practice and he couldn’t help but stare because how can a real human being be so pretty?? and he actually missed a ball, got it slammed to his head and well what can I say? You almost got him passed out the first time he saw you

He got soooo embarrassed afterwards help the poor boy. The brightest blush ever appeared on his cheeks and ears and his hair immediately went emo mode straight down hanging into his face

The whole situation was so chaotic and messy you couldn’t help but turn around and look for the source of all this trouble, just to find the silver-haired boy staring right at you and hitting you someplace special in your chest, literally taking you aback

Afterwards the coach scolds him for being inattentive and you leave the gym in a hurry, because you as well are embarrassed. But it doesn’t take long until Akaashi gets send to get your number and you can’t help but giggle as he tells you about how Bokuto literally won’t stop whining about you being the prettiest human being on earth

That’s how you started texting and bokuto might just be one of the most random texters (is that even a word??) ever. Like yeah, in the beginning he’ll mainly talk about volleyball and send you sweaty pics of him (no, not these ones!) but then again you’ll get a text at 3am on a thursday and it will be like a really bad picture taken of the moon and it will say like “thought about you” and in the next message 3 seconds later he’ll talk about wanting to be a werewolf or so. And you have to laugh so hard you can’t even be mad at him for waking you up

And that’s basically how you’re relationship works, too. A lot of random texts, especially “come over?” ones or “watch me at practice! please???” and you can’t ever get yourself to say no to him, because he’s always so happy when you show up!

Ngl it kinda distracts him too, but he’s in ace mode when you watch him because he feels the need to impress you even when you tell him there’s no need for him to because you’re already impressed by him

Loves hugs! Hugs after a victory or a defeat, hugs after school and practice and hugs as greetings and goodbyes... Just hugs, so he can entirely engulf you in his big and strong arms and you basically vanish somewhere between his arms. Loves pressing you close in the whole process of it, so close that you can barely breathe for a second, but you actually love it because it just shows his love and affection

9/10 times you’re also the cure to his emo mode. Just very rarely even you can’t help him and it’s upon himself to get over it, but with your presence near him and the opportunity to cuddle onto you while reflecting about himself, he’ll get over it eventually

He’s also the biggest cuddler there could possibly be. most of your dates are stay-inside ones because most of the times he’s exhausted from practice and games, so a chill night in with a good movie or series and some nice snacks really do it for him. He can just cuddle onto you however he likes and he especially likes brushing his fingers over your warm, soft skin. It makes him feel very at ease.

Yeah so that’s about it C: Please just love this smol bean to no end, because his love sure as hell also has no limit

Oikawa Tooru:

People might think he’d be very blunt and cocky and all when he has a crush, but I’m telling you - he’s actually the softest boy ever and prefers to keep his distance at fir4st to observe and understand his feelings for you

So what I’m saying is: As soon as he realizes what exactly his feelings are for you, he gets a bit shy and distant but blushes whenever he sees you

At first he thought you were just one of his obsessed fans and he didn’t think much of it, but then his gaze always wandered over to you, no matter if it was during a game or a practice or at school or when he saw you somewhere else... It was like you were haunting him, in like the best possible way, as he soon realized

It takes him forever to get himself to talk to you, because he wants everything to be perfect. He chooses to approach you in school when he found you alone that one day, but oh well, it totally didn’t go as planned. His glasses fell off his nose when he was trying to be smooth, he hopelessly stumbles across his words and his face got so red you thought you were talking to a tomato. Still, it kinda did something to you. You found it endearing, really. So you could just smile and nod when he asked you to got out with him and the biggest sigh of relief ever™ leaves his lips

He’s still hecka nervous for your first date, asks all his friends and team mates about their opinion on what he should wear and do, where should he take you etc... It takes him so long to decide that you just take it in hand and suggest something and he just rolls with it and turns out to be one of his favorite dates ever. A day at the park, though halfway through it got messy because it started raining and neither of you were prepared, so you had to run and share his jacket to go someplace dry and you end up in a library and neither of you can hold in the giggles when the librarians tell you to “tone it down.” It’s also your first kiss between seemingly endless rows of old books and your hearts flutter like crazy afterwards and you’re just speechless because... OIKAWA IS A GREAT KISSER idc what any of y’all think

so it just becomes a regular thing for him to pull you aside in the gym hall or school halls or whatever and kiss you senseless for his entertainment because your reaction is always 10/10

He may act smooth around others, presenting himself as the cool confident boyfriend, but really... He’s just the softest boy for you and a hopeless romantic on top.

Play with his hair and he will never leave your side ever again. The cutest pink hue will spread on his cheeks the first time you do it and with time you learn more about his soft spots, like brushing your lips or fingertips over his neck or the ticklish feeling he gets when you touch his waist.

Loves to pick out movies and series for you to watch. Most of them are alien or conspiracy theory-themes but you don’t mind, Oikawa is happiest when he can connect several things he loves, like you and aliens, or you and volleyball.

You’re also gonna have to accept the fact that he spends a lot of time on volleyball and that he will come home late and not always have time for you on the weekends. He will, however, especially love it when you work your way through his schedules to meet him, like when you come to watch and support him at practice. He will take extra breaks to pull you close and calm himself down in your arms.

Iwaizumi will definitely become one of your closest friends and you’ll both spend time shit talking about Tooru (ofc in a loving way) and Oikawa can’t help but smile seeing as you get close to his best friend~

He’s not exactly the most jealous type of boyfriend. He does trust you a lot and just makes sure that everybody always knows he’s your boyfriend. Trusts you with handling certain situations, though he will keep an eagle eye on strange boys and men near you and won’t lose no time chiming in when he feels like it to safe you

Of course there’s a big decrease in the numbers of his fangirls after everyone finds out you two are official, but Oikawa actually prefers it this way. As long as you are cheering for him, nothing will be able to stop him.

The bestest and softest boyfriend, not to be dramatic but I’d die for him

Miya Atsumu:

Okay now this one is actually smooth. Or so he thinks.

He’s quite obvious about his crush and feelings for you, so like he won’t hide it and use every possible opportunity to talk to you and flirt with you. And when I say flirt I mean he will use every bad pickup line you have ever heard somewhere

At first you’re really really turned off by it, but you do give him credits for being so determined and never giving up. He even takes advice from all his team mates and even though Osamu and Suna are very annoyed by his behaviour, they help because they think it will get better once you two are dating.

So every once in a while he will bring you some self-made delicious food along with a smooth line and one day he catches you off guard so hard you choke on some rice and then blush so hard you run out and you just leave poor Tsumu standing there wondering??? Are you okay? Did he just make you blush?

The next day he comes apologizing with the biggest bouquet of flowers right in front of everybody in your class and you get soooo embarrassed and the way he’s standing there is lowkey just adorable so you have no choice but to say yes. You almost catch him blushing right there, as well, because he really didn’t expect you to say that right then and there

Now when I tell you, he’s the most likely out of these 4 to ditch volleyball practice to sdpernd time with you. Most of the time it isn’t even intended, he just forgets time until he either gets a text from his brother or Suna or Kita OR you realize how late it is being like “Tsumus shouldn’t you be at practice since like 2 hours?” “Oh really? Guess not today. Now come here.”

He gets very used to having you close to him, just like Bokuto, so he will start whining when you can’t make it to a game or you’re busy with school work. Will definitely also make surprise visits at your house, like he’ll just randomly appear in front of your window at 3 am?? Are you spiderman??

Not to be angsty on this fluff post but uuhh fights with him can get very bad because he’s a stubborn child and sometimes you’ll catch him not talking to you 3 days after an argument because he needs time to cool down and reflect. He’s in the wrong 4 out of 5 times and he knows, but just give him time and he’ll be fine again. Shows up with the biggest face of regrets and food he threatened his brother to make and he’ll just blob down into your arms mumbling apologies over and over again. Cute.

Jealousy over 3000. Grows red with anger and balls his hands into the fist the moment some guy makes his way to you. Is on your side in 1 second will make no effort to hide his distrust towards the other guy. Sometimes he’ll get a bit too protective and you just have to tell him that and he’ll let you do your thing, though his gaze will never leave you just to make sure

Biggest show off. Will pull you close or hold your hand in public, grinning like and idiot and constantly placing kisses on your knuckles because you’re his baby and he loves you

Before he serves at games he will look right at you and have the most smug smile one has ever seen on his lips before smashing the ball righ into the opponent‘s field with 0 chance of them to safe the ball. It’s lowkey hot.

Also he gets very pouty and whiny when tired after a long day at school with practice or after exhausting games! Will constantly place his head on top of yours, saying it’s “too heavy” and he literally just covers your body with his.

The type to unconsciously pull you closer while sleeping!! The cutest habit! Always makes you smile when he does it!

A lot of your dates involve either volleyball or playing video games (sometimes Osamu or Suna join) and it’s most of the times just really chill. From time to time though, he’ll get the urge to do something else and next thing you know is you’re wall climbing or on a roller coaster or something. It’s either all or nothing with him concerning dates lmao

Also loves bickering! Will sometimes annoy you on purpose to see your cute face and you’ll have small arguments about who stinks more or whatever and then it always ends with “i love you though”

djsklsl I’m stopping myself now because this was getting too long because I am biased™

[pbandjesse]

Why do I feel like ants are walking on me?? Very itchy. My allergies have been kicking off really bad tonight. But it was not a bad day at all. It was just stupid hot. I was damp all day. But it's fine. I am in the ac now and doing a lot better.

I did have a fun day though! I slept pretty well and didn't toss and turn as much. I got up and got dressed. I felt very cute. I wore my long black skirt today because I thought I could like. Fan myself? But mostly it felt like to much fabric. But I would be okay.

I said goodbye to James and went to get breakfast. Which took almost a half hour. So I am glad I left early.

I got to camp and stopped up by the ground elements area to make sure things were set up and this is when I realized how heavy the air was. I almost thought it might rain but it was just heavy and hot and horrible. Ugh.

And it didn't help that we had to keep walking to the lodge to pick up and drop off our groups. So I had to walk across camp like. 7 times. I was so overheated every time we got up to my program. It sucked.

But thankfully the groups were great. I drove my car down and had a weird thing happen with my parking break and reverse switching?? But I figured it out and parked by the office. I did have to walk back up to the tipi feild to meet with Zay so he could help me set up low ropes. And that was fine with me. And because it worked out Chloe was able to give us all a ride down to the lodge to get our groups. Thank you Chloe!!

And like I said the groups were so great. Like 90% of the kids participated and were a lot of fun. We had a few who did not participate and a couple who actively tried to make their classmates fail? Just complained?? I don't know. It's all good. We had a lot of fun.

I let them know we were doing a challenge by choice model. And that let some sit out of they wanted. And that I encourage them to participate but I won't force them. We started with the tire over wooden stakes thing, and while every group today accomplished it, I think they were overthinking it a lot. But the person who was the speaker/director of each team did a good job and I think the debrief was good? I am bad at the debriefs.

Next we did whale watcher. The first got up could not get it, with a 15 second time, the second group had a lot of complaining and got 60 seconds. And the last group did the best at working together and got 1 minute and 15 seconds!

We would do team wall next. It was my first time doing it and I did my best to encourage but I couldn't help much. Mostly because I can't reach and can barely see over the wall. And everyone was so sweaty that it was hard to pull people up and over. And I slipped on the ladder and was a little shaken up but it was fine. I was just really sweaty and kept running out of breath. Sucked. At least I was having fun.

We did the low ropes next. And that was fun. Lots of laughs. And finally we would do the A frames over in the tipi feild. It was a fun program, though they all took forever to do the first two and I was surprised by that. Ah well.

After the first program I walked them down to go have snack. Took a minute in the ac at the pool house. And then went to the porch to eat my sandwich and chill until the next program. After the second program they had lunch. I walked all the way to the lodge and then they told me we had our lunch at the office. So I walked back. They got me Mac and cheese. Thank you Heather.

While there I got to hear some horse community drama. And then my dad texted me that his amputation has been scheduled. Next Tuesday. I'm not thrilled that there is still another week of waiting. But like emotionally I understand why dad needs time. I just want him to start healing. And this feels like the step. This is it. This is going to help him in a tangible way. Like it sucks. It really does. But I also feel like amputation is one of the oldest surgical things? Trepanation is older probably.

I had one more group and they did a great job. But we were all so stupidly sweaty and I felt so dirty. I finished almost all my water. And then everyone came and helped me put everything away. I felt very loved in that moment.

Heather drove the gater up and helped carry everything up to the shed. And once everything was wrapped up and put in it's place she drove me, Chloe, and Zay back to the office to go home.

I took the walkies inside and refilled my water. My car felt like it was a million degrees so I turned the car on and let it run for a minute before I left.

And it was a good drive once the car cooled off inside. I was super excited to go home.

And when I got back here I was frustrated by the what still. But I got upstairs and James had put the ac on for me. They were in the shower. And once they were done I went and took one myself. I felt a lot better after that but I was still so damp.

I would sit in my studio in front of a fan. And went through all our bath and body products and tossed anything that smelled full and combined things that could be combined and tossed the empty stuff. It felt nice to organize. James helped bring stuff in from the bathroom for me. And I had a nice time sorting.

James went and got pizza for us for dinner. They walked to the pizza shop to get it. I laid in the ac until they got home.

We had pizza in the living room and talked about how to make my book now that the pieces are done. But that ended up being so frustrating. James is going to organize the files but then we looked at the scans and they looked terrible. The scanner just wasn't doing what I was hoping. And so then I set up lights and background paper to photograph the scans. But I only have my phone and they looked terrible.

I was just so bummed. And felt so stupid. Like this should have been finished months ago but camp was a lot and now things are getting so busy again so even though I don't have a real deadline I just wanted to be done already. And so I'm frustred with myself.

It will be okay but I sort of shut down I was so upset. We will figure it out but I am still not having much fun.

James made me a little milkshake. And really I am just ready to go to sleep.

I am driving back up to my parents tomorrow. And my brother is going to be there and then we'll go have lunch. I asked if he wanted to do an activity but he wasn't down. I am only slightly sad about that but I understand. I am going to go hang out with Jess after that. And I will probably sleep over at my parents so I don't have to rush or drive late at night. We will see what I decide but I packed my little backpack regardless.

Now though I'm going to wash my face and get ready to sleep.

I hope you have a fun and safe day tomorrow. Take care of yourself!!! Goodnight!!

[oshbluepacific]

Anxious

Type: Angst/Fluff

Character: Park Chanyeol x Reader

Words Counted: 3k+

questions and request are available / masterlist

You don’t know why you were built like this. Socially, you aren’t active. You don’t like meeting new people. You don’t like being in a social events or even being in the crowd. You don’t like going to the mall because most of the people who goes there are the people who actually have friends to hang out with or work colleague to meet up with. You don’t start the conversation—you don’t like getting into a conversation with people. You avoid going to parties or even joining a club. You would much rather spend time at home, in your room, reading your favourite novel while listening to music and spend time with yourself.

On the other hand,

Park Chanyeol was the complete opposite of you.

He was everyone’s favorite person. The go-to call. The social butterfly, the most popular kid on campus. He could bring a room to life with his presence and personality with a snap of a finger. He could easily get along with people—new people—so fast. He loves to make people smile and laugh, maybe that’s one of the reason why people love him and all the girls would go head over heels for him.

           But out of all the girls has been trying to get to him, all the text messages, all of those confessions, all of those bouquet of flowers and chocolates he received on the daily. He never really lay his attentions to any of it and he choose to date you.

           The first time you actually talked to Chanyeol was because he needed your help with a class he was failing.

“Hey, (Y/N), right?” He asked, walking closer to your locker.

           “Yeah, is something wrong?” You asked him, feeling yoru cheeks getting red as your heart races a marathon.

           “Oh, nothing is wrong… Sorry if I startled you or anything.” He said, sounding cautious.

           “N-no, it’s fine, I guess you just took my by surprise.” You laughed off, and he just gave you a warm smile.

           “So, I’m failing Mr. Sun’s class pretty bad, and I know you’re the ace in the class, so, I was wondering if you could tutor me for a bit, just for like a couple of days until I get it all straight up.” He said.

           You were surprised by his favor and you couldn’t give him an immediate answer, but he knew that he was giving you too much pressure.

           “I’m sorry, if this came so sudden to you, you don’t have to give me the answer today, I’ll let you think about it—or don’t, if you already made up your mind on answering no, is totally fine too.” He said cooly.

           “I’ll do it…” You answered him.          

           “Really?” He asked you, and you nodded your head.

           “I don’t want to see other people fail, so I can hand you some of my notes, and if you have any questions about anything, you can just text me.” You told him. And you can see that light on his face as his smile grew.

           “Really? Woah, that’s great thank you!”

From there, you both exchange phone numbers and he began texting you back on forth until there was a day where he didn’t get anything from your notes or even through your explanation. So you both decided to meet up somewhere.

           You remembered that you were wearing a pair of black pants with a gray knitted cardigan over your white t-shirt. You remembered the sky was grey as if it was going to rain that day. You remembered how happy Chanyeol was to see you. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a black hoodie over his beige coat. You never really pay attention to him, but you found him very attractive that day.

           He slowly try his best to keep you comfortable in the conversation as you both walked the street. Buying coffee on the way, visiting various of places until you both actually got to the place where he had plan on taking you.

           He took you to his favorite place which was also your favorite place; the library. Both of you eventually got to know each other really well during this meeting, and you taught him all the things he had been missing out on, and he was so happy that you’re having a good time with him. When it was time to go home, he insisted on walking you back to your place because it was getting dark and he was worried about you, so you gave in.

”I really had a great time with you Chanyeol, thank you.” You smiled at him.

           “Don’t mention it, I should be the one that thank you.” He winked and you felt your cheeks getting red as you giggled.

           “We should do this again sometimes!” He said, and he saw how surprised you were but you smiled at him.

           “That would be nice.” You told him.

After 4 to 5 more “dates” with Chanyeol, he finally asked you to be his girlfriend. You thought about it long and hard before saying yes to him. You can’t even imagine yourself, someone like Park Chanyeol dating a girl like you. A guy who loves social activity, dating somone who avoids and dread them.

The first first two months of your relationship was rocky, because most of the time you were doubting him, and you were just so insecure about yourself that you thought to yourself, you don’t even deserve to be with Chanyeol. He reminded you that he loves you on the daily, he always make time for you, when people—mostly girls—try to drag you down, he would always make you look the other way, and kept reminding you that they’re just jealous, until eventually you don’t care about what other people say about you or about your relationship with Chanyeol anymore.

He the rock in your life. The living, breathing constant thing, that knows you inside and out.

“Hey, I was wondering…” He said suddenly, shifting his position.

           You were planning on going out to see a movie, but it suddenly rained as you got to Chanyeol’s place, so he decided to stay in and enjoy Netflix instead.

           And you couldn’t complain there.  

           “What?” You asked, turning your attention to his face.

           “So my best friend just opened his new coffee shop in town, I want to go there with you, and you know… Maybe introduce you to my friends.” He said.

           You stared at him for a brief moment before you could draw your eyes back to the TV screen.

           “It’s a small place, so there not going to be a lot of people.” He added in.

           “What if people sees us? I mean, what if someone talks bad about us?” You asked him.

           “Then let them talk, and I know deep down you don’t believe any of the things people say about us… correct?” You nodded your head.                        “Good.” He smiled, kissing your temples. “You’re going to love the place—and the coffee too!” He said excitedly. You can’t help but to smile over his excitement, when really you were pushing all of your anxiety away.

-

“Are you ready?” Chanyeol asked, as he could feel your presence coming out of you room. He was stunned to see you in a pair of black tight jeans and long sleeves turtleneck. Your hair tied into a bun and keeping your make-up to the lightest.  

“I can’t find my jacket, I think I left it at your place the last time—“ “Stop talking right now, because I want to come near you and I want to hug you.” He said, wrapping his arms around you.      

“What…?” You asked confusedly, looking up to him.

“You look beautiful today.” He smiled warmly, and you could feel your smile grew from ear to ear, he leaned down pressing his lips to yours as you wrap your arms around your neck.  

“Thank you…” You thanks him as his lips parted from you.

He pulled away from the hug before taking off his jacket off and putting it on you.  

“Wear mine.” He told you. “You still look beautiful in it.”

Even though his jacket were always too big for you, but you always find them comfortable to wear.

“Okay, now that we got that out of the way…” He clapped his hands together before walking towards the door.

           “Shall we?”

You couldn’t help but to admire the little place. It was small, yet felt warm. The smell of fresh coffee, the sizzle of the steamers and just the sound of distant and small chattering in the room didn’t make you feel bothered at all.

           “Park Chanyeol! I’m glad you could make it!” A tall man wearing  brown apron approached from the bar.

           “Oh Sehun! Of course I came!” Chanyon said happily before they exchange handshakes.

           “Oh right—Sehun, this is my girlfriend (Y/N)!” Chanyeol introduced you as he put his arm around you.  

           You lift your hand, giving Sehun a small, shy smile.

           “Ah… So this is the (Y/N) I’ve heard so much about, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Sehun smiled warmly to you, bowing his head slightly.  

           “Go pick a seat, drinks on me today, what are you having?” He asked.

           “I’ll have Americano.” Chanyeol answered him.

           “For you?” Sehun asked you.

           “I’ll just have a vanilla latte.” You answered him.

           “Right on.” Sehun then went back to the bar before both of you could choose an empty seat next to the window.

           “So… how are you liking the place?” Chanyeol asked as he took a seat.

           “This place is nice, I love it here.” You told him truthfully, and Chanyon was just so happy to hear it.      

           “Glad to hear that.” He smiled.

Minutes later, Sehun came with two drinks on his hand but his apron was off.

           “Ice Americano for Chanyeol, and Iced Vanilla Latte for (Y/N).” He placed the drinks one by one before you thanked him.

           “Mind if I sit with you guys?” He asked.

           Chanyeol nodded your head but he looked to you as you were nodding your head.          

           “No, please join us.” You smiled at Sehun before he could pull up a nearby chair.  

           “So, (Y/N), how are you liking the place?” Sehun asked.

           You sipped on your coffee before you could answer his question. Putting  the glass down.

           “Oh, I love it here—I just told Chanyeol about it, I might come over again if I need some refreshing.” You told him, before taking another sip of your coffee. “And the coffe’s great! What made you want to open your own coffee shop?” You asked him.

You could see the bright smile on Sehun’s face before he excitedly explained.

           Chanyeol listened to Sehun’s story, but his eyes were always distracted by you. He couldn’t help but to feel proud of you and super happy that you can comfortable talk with Sehun. Sehun is one of his closest friend, and so it means a lot for Chanyeol that you’re comfortable with someone he’s close with. He watched you laughed and smiled at something Sehun told you. As you were listening to Sehun, you caught Chanyeol staring at you and you turn your attention to him.

           “Yeol, what are you looking at?” You asked him.

           Chanyeol snapped out of his own thoughts and shook his head. “No, it’s nothing.” He smield at you, and you smiled back before turning your attention back to Sehun.

           “It’s the typical Chanyeol, always dazing in his own mind.” Sehun commented and you just giggled.

           “Okay, I’ll let you both be, I should probably get back to the bar… they need my help I guess…” Sehun said, looking over his shoulder towards the bar.  

           “Okay.” Chanyeol smiled.

           “Okay, if you guys need anything, I’ll be over there—and (Y/N), it was really great talking to you!” Sehun smiled before trotting back towards the bar.

           You turn your eyes towards Chanyeol who’s already smiling ear to ear, looking at you.

           “What?” You asked him.

           “Sehun is one of my closest friend, and seeing you getting along with him, being comfortable here, and of course Sehun being warm towards you and being… Sehun obviously, it just made me really happy.” He said.

           You gave him a small smiled, before reaching your hand for his. He took yoru hand before binging it up, kissing yoru knuckles.

           “I need to go to the bathroom, you good?” He asked, and you respond by nodding your head.  

           “Okay, I’ll be back in a jiff.” He said, leaving the table.

           You looked out the window where you could see the sky was getting grey and you could see people walking by, pulling their jackets tighter. Judging by the looks of the woman’s hair, the wind must be blowing hard outside.

           “(Y/N)?” You heard a woman’s voice.

           You turned your head to see your classmates. A group of girls. And the one that called your name is the one you’ve always try to avoid whenever you’re hanging out.  

           “Can’t believe that you’re actually here, what are you doing here?” She asked, taking a seat where Chanyeol was sitting before the other girls sat down as well. You could feel yoru heart racing, and your palms getting sweaty. You turn your eyes to the bar, and you could see Sheun had his hands full on the bar.

           “You’re here alone?” She asked raising her eyebrow. You shook your head.

           “I’m here with Chanyeol.” You answered her, letting out a heavy breath.

Where is he??You asked, yoru eyes moving to every corner of the room, searching for Chanyeol.

           “I’m still wondering why Chanyeol would want to go out with you, when really—he could have me as a girlfriend.” She said, but you just stayed silent. Holding off every inch of your anxiety.

           You could feel your eyes burning, your breathing started to get heavy.

           “What does he see in you anyway.” She asked, leaning her face closer to you.

           “You’re weird, you don’t socially fit, you’re not as popular as I am.”

           “Have you ever thought that maybe Chanyeol is with you because he’s just using you for his grades? He never truly loves you? do you think he loves you??? you’re kidding right, if you actually believe that he loves you—“

           “JUST STOP!” You suddenly shouted, and before you could say anything else, you suddenly found yourself getting hard to breathe, the room was spinning, and you could feel your heart was just racing like nothing before.

           “Stop… stop, stop, stop!” You repeated, and before you could even break, you could feel familiar pair of arms wrapped around you. You looked up and you could see Chanyeol glaring at the woman’s direction.

           “Come on (Y/N), let’s get ouot of here.”

           You forced your wiggly legs to get up. You stumbled, your way out but Chanyeol caught you.  Everything was a blur, all you could hear was your own heavy breathing, eyes to the ground, focusing on your steps to you won’t trip. You heard Sehun asking something, but you couldn’t make up any words.  

           Chanyeol brought you to his car, getting to the backseat with him.

           “(Y/N), baby, hey, hey focus on me.” You could hear Chanyeol’s voice.  

           “I can’t Yeol, it’s get—it’s getting hard to breathe…” You gasped for air, shutting your eyes, your hands gripping on his shoulder.

           “Baby, hey, hey, look at me… look at me.” He said, cupping your face with his hands.

           Youoepedn yoru eyes, looking at his eyes and you could feel your breathing starts to get stable, your heart slowing.

           “Breathe… inhale…” He inhaled his breath together with you. “Exhale…”

           Chanyeol repeated the steps three times before you could feel yourself getting calm and relaxed.

           “That’s it… Come here…” He pulled you into his embrace and you reflexively wrapped your arms around his stomach.

           “I’m sorry.” You sniffled.

           “Don’t, don’t be sorry… None of us saw them coming, everything was doing great until they came along.” He said.

           “Everytime I see her, I just got a panic attack because—she said that you’re dating me because of your grades, she said that you don’t love me, she said that I don’t deserve you and that i—“

           “Shhh…. Don’t—stop, please, you don’t believe in all of that do you?” Chanyeol asked. Lifting your face up.

           “I mean... I’m a freak Yeol, I don’t fit in the social life, I don’t fit with your crowd—“

           “You’re progressing… Baby, I saw the way you talked with Sehun, and that’s something!” Chanyeol said proudly.

           “I never want to push you to change your social behavior overnight, and I never expected you to do so, for you, it takes time and adjustments.”

           “And to see you having conversations with Sehun, slowly being comfortable in public, that’s a progress I want to see! I’m proud of you!” He said hying the situation, and you chuckled.

           “I want you to change for you, I don’t want you to change for me.” He finally said.  

           “I love you okay? I hope you don’t believe anything—any words that came out of their mouth.” He added and you nod you head, trying to process everything he said to you.

           He kissed the top of your head before he could move down to your nose then you leaned in to press your lips against his. Moving rhythmically, full of love and passion.

           “Thank you Yeol…” You thanked him, and he smiled.

           “Thank you for giving me the chance to be with you.” He smiled.

You heard chatters outside the car, and your attention turns to the coffee shop. You and Chanyeol saw the girls walking out, looking disappointed with Sehun behind them, shaking his head talking about something you can’t hear. Your classmate—the main girl looked so disappointed before he could walk away from the place. Sehun’s eyes caught yours, and he waved his hand to come over.

           “I think Sehun just kicked them out, do you want to go back?”

           You pulled a long breath before exhaling as you pulled away from Chanyeol’s embrace.

           “As long as nobody destrying my vibe again, let’s go!” You told him and Chanyeol smiled, looking at your excitement.

[lichfucker]

i would love to hear about why all of the ted lasso characters would fail survivor but especially rebecca

hhh ALL of them... okay the vast majority of the players can be explained away with just "physical prowess enough to make them a threat in individual challenges but dumb as bricks and would not be able to strategize themselves out of a bad spot"

this is abt to get long lmao so I'm putting individual ppl under the cut

nate is the most obvious first boot I honestly feel bad about it. bumbling, socially awkward, has NO idea how to assert himself without being an asshole about it (in the rare instances when he does assert himself at all), and even if he's smart enough to be a great strategist (which he absolutely IS), he can't convey it well enough to convince his tribe to overlook his (probable) lack of challenge ability. most of the time, people don't want to draw harsh lines in the sand on the very first vote so they can pretend everyone's getting along and still friends, so nate would be a sort of freebie vote that it'd be easy to agree on.

beard is too much of a follower. what ted says to dr sharon abt him is, "that man has had many lives, many masters." he's very comfortable being led by people with stronger personalities, and even when he disagrees with their calls he will still execute them like a perfect little lackey. the thing about beard is that I think he'd go VERY far in a season of survivor! I think he could EASILY make it all the way to the end! but I just don't think he can WIN. he's genius-level intelligent and SO strategically savvy, but more than that he is fiercely loyal. he'll attach himself to the right person (or the wrong person, as it were), and even if he is whispering in that person's ear all the way through, he would be TOO content to let them take all the credit, he wouldn't push back against them if they disagree with his plans and make a lesser move instead (the whole beginning of 'beard after hours' is him berating himself for not standing up and making the hard calls even when he knew they'd be better), he wouldn't turn around and slit that person's throat at the end to further his own game, and he would make himself socially impenetrable to everyone else. nobody could get close to him, nobody could like or understand him, he'd probably be seen as good collateral if the opposition couldn't strike directly at whomever beard works with, and if he DOES make it to final tribal, I think he'd have a very difficult time convincing the jury that he deserves the credit and the limelight. he wants to win, I just don't think he believes he deserves to.

ted and roy actually would have the exact same problem, which is "physically and strategically competent, but so FUCKING ANNOYING to live with that they get booted for the sake of tribal quality of life." roy would isolate himself socially with his aggression, and ted...

ted is the antithesis of what a "good survivor player" ought to be, which I actually think could work to his advantage in a number of ways? like I think more typical players would find him incredibly unpredictable because he's sharp enough to see what the best moves are, but generous and self-sacrificing enough not to make them. like, there's a reason he's a coach and not a player. there's a reason he says that he doesn't measure success in wins and losses. if he could survive the first few votes, his social game would be AMAZING-- the entire first season of the show is about him wearing rebecca down through the sheer magnitude of his friendship! lesser survivor players would be so endeared to him that they couldn't fathom voting him off, but they're the ones who are getting picked off in his stead. moderately savvy survivor players would not trust a single word out of ted lasso's mouth; there's no fucking way a man can be this kind and this sincere, not on survivor, it's just not possible, he must be plotting something MASSIVE, we have to strike first before he gets his chance. and the truly brilliant survivor players would realize that he IS genuine, he IS sincere, he IS loyal and giving to his core, and that's DANGEROUS. you can't let someone like that make it to the end or they'll take your million dollars. best to shut it down at the jump.

and above all that, I just think that ted... ted would thrive in the pre-merge, in the tribal portion of the game, he's SO team-oriented, but post-merge, in the individual game... perhaps if he had a solid alliance he could also feel that way about, then it might suit his temperament, but ultimately I think he just. wouldn't want it badly enough. I just think the significant majority of people would be vastly more self-interested than ted would be, so they'd take the shot first.

higgins is an interesting midpoint between all three of nate, beard, and ted, in that he's a henchman through and through even when he disagrees with his boss, he's a pushover who'd be seen as a liability in physical challenges in the early game, and he's off-puttingly friendly and polite to the point that nobody would trust that he's being sincere even though he absolutely is. early boot, maybe second or third.

maybe it's just because I've got cook islands on the brain, but jamie (esp season 1 jamie but like. season 2 as well lmao) would play A LOT like early ozzy. an arrogant wonder-boy who's good at everything (did you know there's literally a survivor casting archetype called the "amazing ace"?), with a heart-wrenching underdog story (playing for richmond, that is), an absolute beast in challenges, a huge threat but always immune, he'd win his way to the end but ultimately be beaten out in final tribal by someone smart enough to have dragged him along as their meat shield the whole game.

and as for rebecca... g-d. this one I think hurts me the most because she has everything going for her, she doesn't have a single one of the problems I've listed for anyone else, but I do genuinely believe that rebecca still loses. she's strong and she's smart and she's assertive and she's ruthless and she's sociable and she's a great liar and she's ambitious and she's ADAPTIBLE (she immediately bounces back after not getting the sun to run the photo of ted and keeley and comes up with an alternate plan that will still serve her own endgame, and by g-d being able to roll with the punches and change course is the single most important thing a survivor player can do), but rebecca still loses.

even if we set aside the fact that survivor on the whole is not particularly kind to women over 40... season 1 rebecca, especially early season 1 rebecca, is spite-motivated to the point of self-destruction. she will set her sights on one target and she will be relentless in her effort to get that person out and it'll make her so myopic that she won't see her own end coming immediately afterwards. nobody on that tribe wants to be her next victim-- better get rid of her once she's proven what she's capable of.

she's also dreadfully insecure in the wake of her divorce and when her polished veneer cracks enough to let it show (how many days of being rained on do we think it'll take for her to slip? my guess is five), some people will see it as the vulnerability that finally allows them to connect with her on a human level, while others will see it as a threatening endgame storyline and an exploitable weakness.

there are some juries, particularly old-school juries, that wouldn't vote for her in the end purely based on the fact that a million dollars is just a drop in the bucket to a woman like rebecca mannion welton. that would be a real shame, and a disservice to the game she would have had to play just to make it that far.

what's more likely than that, though, in my opinion, is that rebecca... loses the drive to win. I think that somewhere along the way survivor stops being a game that she is playing, stops being a competition, and instead becomes a journey of personal growth through adversity. I think she, like ted, stops measuring her success in wins and losses. I think she proves herself more capable and resilient than she ever thought she could be, and that is worth more to her than the money or the title of sole survivor, and she stops fighting for it. and maybe the jury admires that, and gives it to her anyway, rewards her transformation. or maybe they don't. maybe they view it as a concession, a forfeit. but I'm not certain that that moment of revelation happens at the final tribal council. I think it happens just before. I think it happens after the final immunity challenge, and she tearfully and valiantly allows herself to be voted out just inches from the finish line. I think rebecca is the fallen angel of the season, and she goes off to the jury with her head held high, which is nice, and so very noble of her, and the fans would be DYING to have her play again but she wouldn't, because she'll have gotten everything she could have wanted out of her survivor experience, and she doesn't need the crown on top of it.

I think rebecca COULD win. she just WON'T.

[gra-sonas]

WHAT BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE THE RENEWAL OF ROSWELL NEW MEXICO FOR SEASON 4 THAN WITH A MALEX FIC! 👏

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This is all @prouvaireafterdark​‘s fault btw. Lynne posted the screenshot of a tweet yesterday:

A few weeks ago, I tried to literally bore my 3yo to sleep by telling him everything I knew about nuclear and particle physics. It's a fair bit, it was my speciality once. Every night since then, as he's falling asleep, his little voice pipes up: "tell me about atoms daddy."

And she captioned the post Tell me these aren’t Michael Guerin dad vibes, I dare you

Well, I started writing what I thought would be a short ficlet in reply to the dare during my lunch break, but somehow there were a couple more words left to write.

So here are 2.3K (PG) words of dads!Malex and their son. The fic’s also been posted to AO3. 

~*~

It’s Michael’s turn to go through bedtime routine with Matt. Alex snuggles deeper into the warmth of the colorful throw Rosa gave them for Christmas and listens to his two favorites having a deep discussion about the necessity of flossing in the bathroom.

“Papa said I have milk teeth and that they’ll fall out when I’m older. I don’t need to floss,” Alex hears their three year old argue. He snorts. “They will fall out in about three years, that’s a long time for you to still rely on those milk teeth. Come here, Daddy’s gonna floss with you.” Michael’s reply makes Alex smile. He’s so good with Matt. Always happy to explain things, and answering their son’s million questions with the patience of a saint.

He loves Matt’s intriguing mind and his enthusiastic curiosity, but having to explain the ins and outs of cyber security to a toddler after a long day working on improving other people’s cyber security could be a bit much at times. Alex is just grateful that he gets to relax on the sofa and can leave it to Michael to take care of Matt tonight. He takes a sip from his red wine and closes his eyes. What a beautiful evening, and depending on how fast Matt will fall asleep, he has plans to make out with Michael like in the good old days. Just the two of them, in front of the roaring fire.

When he hears the pitter-patter of tiny naked feet on the hardwood floor, he opens his eyes just in time to see Matt speed around the corner, a huge grin plastered on his face. “Look, Papa, my teeth are clean and Daddy showed me how to floss!” He fletches his teeth at Alex, who leans forward to thoroughly inspect Matt’s teeth.

“Wow, you didn’t miss a spot. Excellent job!” Matt flings himself at Alex and wraps his small arms around Alex’s neck. “Daddy has promised to read me a bedtime story. Do you want to come?” Alex wraps Matt into a tight hug and breathes in his scent. Rain, just like his Daddy. Alex presses a kiss into Matt’s dark curls. “I’m a bit tired tonight, Matt, is it okay if I stay on the couch?”

“You stay on the couch and relax, Papa, Daddy and I can handle bringing me to bed.” Alex has a hard time keeping a straight face. “I’m so glad to hear that. Sweet dreams, sweetheart, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow morning.” Matt plasters a flurry of wet kisses all over Alex’s face. “Me, too, Papa. Goodnight!”

He lets go of Alex, and storms out of the living room, passing Michael on his way out, who’s leaning against the door frame. “I won’t take long, we agreed on one bedtime story and me telling him something about the stars. That should put him to sleep quickly. Prepare to be ravished when I come back.” He throws a kiss at Alex who pretends to catch it. “I’m counting on it. I have plans. Wicked plans. I’m in dire need of a mind-blowing orgasm. You up for that?”

Michael pretends to adjust his jeans. “Not yet, but I’ll be, no worries. I’ll blow your mind, and if you’re asking nicely, also your dick,” he smirks. Alex laughs. “My husband’s a sweet talker. Go, get our kid to sleep, and then come back to me. I love you.”

Michael’s wicked smile turned soft. “I love you, too. I hope it won’t take longer than 20 minutes.” He turns around and leaves, the living room door falling shut behind him without Michael touching it. “Showoff,” Alex murmurs fondly, then he wraps himself up in the blanket again and allows himself to drift off for a nap until Michael’s return.

~*~

“Hey, sleepyhead, you still up for that mind-blowing orgasm?” Michael whispers into Alex’s ear almost an hour later. Alex feels Michael’s lips nibble along the sensitive shell of his ear. “Wh—whaaat? How long was I out? Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”

Michael laughs. “Because we have the most inquisitive kid, who wouldn’t let me drone on about astrophysics as a means to bore him to sleep. Instead he thought it was a lesson and he kept asking questions. Dear god, what did we get ourselves into with him?” Michael rubs at his eyes. “He shouldn’t even be able to understand what I’m talking about, that didn’t keep him from asking questions, though.”

“Don’t look at me, I’m not the one with the genius brain who’s literally from another planet. He can’t have it from me,” Alex jokes. But Michael isn’t having any of it. “You’re the smartest man I know. You’ve hacked into NASA secret servers to get a blue print for me. There are very few people on this planet who’d be able to pull that off, and I’m certainly not one of them. He clearly has it from both of us, his current interest is just focused on asteroids and black holes.”

Alex pulls himself up into a sitting position. “Well, I feel quite refreshed and still very, very horny. What do you think about going to bed and working on those mind-blowing orgasms there? I just really want to fall asleep right after in your arms.”

Michael takes the blanket, folds it and puts it down on the couch. Then he offers Alex his hand and slowly pulls him into a standing position and into his arms. He presses his crotch against Alex’s, his dick already getting hard. “I’m very much up for your suggestion.”

~*~

Three weeks later, Alex returns home late after a meeting with a client that went on much longer than he would’ve preferred. The project will earn him a small fortune, though, so he didn’t feel like cutting things short. He takes off his jacket and washes his hands in the kitchen. He grabs a water bottle from the fridge and guzzles half of it down. The long drive back from Albuquerque’s made him thirsty, but he didn’t want to stop for water on his way home. When he hears voices coming from Matt’s room, he smiles.

Alex places the half-empty water bottle on the dining table on his way to Matt’s room. Matt and Michael look up from the book they’re reading (a story about the Milky Way) when he enters, and his heart grows at least five sizes in that moment. Matt may have his complexion and dark hair, but he has Michael’s curls and nose, and they look so much alike, Alex can barely handle the amount of love flooding him.

“Papa, Papa, you are back. I’ve missed you!” Matt scrambles up from the comfortable position in Michael’s lap to stand up, his arms reaching for Alex. When he’s close enough, Matt flings himself into Alex’s arms, and he’s glad that he expected this to happen, or else he might not have been able to catch Matt without stumbling.

He’s still grateful for the invisible force of Michael’s telekinesis steadying him. He keeps standing and holds Matt in his arms, while Matt tells him everything about the exciting day he had at kindergarten. Michael gets up from the bed and kisses Alex’s temple softly before he joins the family hug.

This, this is how Alex hopes it will always be. The three of them, a loving unit. Matt’s running out of things to tell eventually, that’s when Michael scoops him up in his arms. “Come on, buddy, your Papa had a really long day and he looks like he could use a break.” He turns to Alex. “Have you eaten yet?”

Alex shakes his head. “No, they served coffee and cookies during the meeting, but I could eat something more substantial. Like you said, it’s been a really long day, but I booked the job.” Michael’s face lights up. “Alex, that’s amazing. I knew you’d ace the meeting. I’m so proud of you!”

“I’m proud too, Papa,” Matt crows. Alex smiles. “Thanks, sweetheart. I’ll go to the kitchen and see what I can throw together real quick, I’m not really in the mood for cooking. Are you two good to do the bedtime routine on your own?”

Michael nods. “There’s leftover casserole in the fridge, ready to be warmed up. We’re almost finished here, I’ll join you when Matt’s asleep.” Michael leans forward and kisses Alex. Matt hooks his arms around Alex’s neck from his position and presses a wet kiss to Alex’s cheek. “Goodnight, dearest Papa. You did good today, I love you.”

Alex is ready to melt into a puddle right there and then. “Oh sweetheart, that means so much to me. Thank you. And I know you’ll be a good boy for Daddy and go to sleep without making a fuss now. Goodnight, sleep tight, and—“ “Don’t let the bed bugs bite,” Matt finishes the sentence. He giggles. “Goodnight, Papa.”

Michael kisses Alex. “Go, eat, I’ll join you shortly. Love you.” Alex tousles Matt’s and Michael’s curls. “Love you both so much!” With that he turns around and leaves for the kitchen. The last thing he hears Matt ask is “Tell me about atoms, Daddy."

~*~

20 years later

It’s a beautiful and sunny day in Massachusetts when Matthew Norman Guerin, an athletic young man with a wide smile and unruly dark curls walks up to the podium at MIT to give this year’s graduation speech. He doesn’t have a script (he doesn’t need one, he’s memorized the speech days ago), but his eyes search the front row until his face lights up and he smiles.

There they are, his papa, Alex Guerin, a dark haired man with attractive graying temples, and his dad, Professor Michael Guerin, sporting honey golden curls that look so much like Matt’s. His parents are holding hands and look up to the podium with such love and pride in their eyes, Matt has to swallow around a huge lump in his throat.

He clears his throat. “Before I begin my speech, please allow me to tell you something about myself and the two extraordinary people who raised me. It all started about twenty years ago, when my dad would try to lull me to sleep by telling me fascinating details about space and the universe that should’ve gone way over my head. I was only three years old at the time, and yet there was something about the things he told me, that intrigued and excited me. Instead of falling asleep, I kept asking him questions for almost an hour, and he answered them all.”

Matt runs his hand through his hair, a gesture that is so typical Michael, Alex can’t help but smile. Matt continues. “Both my parents have always answered all my questions. And if they didn’t know the answer, we’d look for an answer online, or call my aunt Liz. My family instilled this huge hunger for knowledge in me, and the excitement to do research. I wouldn’t be standing here in front of you without them, and I certainly wouldn’t have been offered a job with the NASA Deep Space program, if it wasn’t for them.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, Alex notices the tears pooling in Michael’s eyes and he squeezes his hand. Michael squeezes back. “Dad, Papa, I’d like to thank you, for everything you’ve done for me. Thank you for always answering my questions, for giving me access to knowledge, for encouraging me to search for answers. I couldn’t have done most of what I’ve achieved in my life without your love and support. I love you.”

The crowd around Alex and Michael erupts into applause. They both have tears running down their faces now, but they don’t mind. This is such an important day, and their boy is up there, best of his class, a bright future ahead of him. Alex leans over and kisses Michael softly on the cheek.

Later, when all the speeches are over and every student has received their diploma, Matt finds his parents in the crowd. His entire family’s in attendance, his grandma, Liz and Max, Isobel and Greg, and all his cousins. But Matt only has eyes for his fathers. He walks up to them - he’s taller than both of them “he’s got that from me,” Greg likes to claim - and wraps his arms around their shoulders.

Alex and Michael close the circle by hugging each other, and for a long moment it’s only the three of them. “I love you, Dad and Papa. Thanks for everything,” Matt says in a hushed voice. “We love you, too, Matt. And we are so proud of you. Thanks for being the best son we could’ve possibly asked for,” Alex says. One final squeeze, and then Matt’s swept up in hugs and congratulations from the rest of the family.

Alex and Michael stay where they are, arms wrapped around each other. “His existence alone is an absolute miracle, a kid carrying both our genes, but this day is up in my top five moments for sure,” Alex says, keeping his voice low. This is for Michael’s ears only. Michael nods. “Yeah, I think our first time, our wedding, and his birth are higher up on my list of favorite memories, but today’s a great day for sure. We did an amazing job with him.”

“I’m so proud of him, and I’m proud of us, Michael. And I love you more than words can say. Thanks for going on this adventure called life and raising our son with me.” Michael smiles and pulls their clasped hand to his lips and kisses the back of Alex’s hand. “I love you, too,” he whispers. “And I have every intention to show you later in our hotel room.” Alex laughs. “You are impossible, Michael Guerin. But yes, please do, I’ll never get tired of you showing me all the million ways you love me.”

And with that, they join the others in celebrating their son.

[whump-a-la-mode]

Villian-Sicle | Part 4

This ones a little short, as well as being a very good example as to why I don’t write much action. I hope you guys like! (I think I might need to change this story’s title soon, I still have a ton of ideas to write about.)

CW//Superhero whump, villain whumpee, hypothermia, hospital setting, explosions, pulling an IV, blood (a lot of it), restraints, broken glass

Taglist:

@whatwhumpcomments

@sola-whumping

@professional-idiocy

It was hard to tell which came first-- the horrid screech from the heart monitor, or the snap.

Though, Leader was quite certain that, before both of those events, had come a few, blissful seconds of silence. Tense silence, certainly, but silence. A period of silence in which their eyes were locked on those of Villain, and those of Villain on them. The two had had quite the dumbfounded look about them-- two deer mutually looking into the headlights.

Villain was the first to snap out of it. That was when everything else had come.

The sound from the heart monitor hadn’t been loud, in an objective sense, but to the silent room. It had sounded like a gong. The steady, shallow peaks on the screen turned rapidly to jagged spikes, so much so that Leader felt that they could practically hear Villain’s heartbeat from their chest.

The snap had come a moment later.

As soon as Villain had been transferred to the hospital room, Leader had insisted, with all the foot stamping and sternness they could muster, that they be restrained. The doctors had finally relented, securing Villain’s limbs to the bed with fabric restraints, and using a sort of seatbelt-like webbing to secure their head.

The snap had come from the latter of the two restraint methods. With a sharp jerk upwards, Villain raised their head, breaking the strap in what must of been a panicked effort, fueled by adrenaline.

In an instant, their dumbfounded expression was replaced with one of utter, primordial terror. The look of a deer that had convinced itself to fight back against the car speeding towards it.

“Wh- What the hell did you do to me?!”

The words came from a broken voice, as if it was trying to scream, but couldn’t muster the volume.

Leader looked to Medic. Medic looked to Leader. Head Doctor looked terrified.

“You need to calm down.” Leader spoke, keeping their voice as level as they were able. The words came out almost as a growl.

Villain shook. Their trembling gaze moved down to their chest, to the flowing tubes of scarlet.

“Blood...” That came out more as a whisper, like they were talking to themself.

“We’re trying to help your sorry ass. Lay back down!”

Villain’s eyes narrowed, their fear filtering through a sieve, only allowing their fury to pass through its grate.

They didn’t say anything. They didn’t have to.

The screen of the heart monitor exploded outwards, sparks and wires bleeding from its body. A rain of glass shards sprayed outwards-- a rain which Head Doctor only narrowly avoided by diving to the floor.

Leader gulped. Dammit, dammit. Technology powers, right.

Around their head, Villain’s matted hair flowed like an inferno. With thin, pale wrists, they yanked at the fabric restraints holding their limbs down. Rug burn marks scraped themselves into Villain’s skin, but to no avail as of yet.

“Go!” Leader turned, glare momentarily turning from Villain to focus on head Doctor. “Get out of here!”

“Y-”

“Who here has superpowers? We’ll handle it. And lock the door behind you!”

They nodded and, still trembling nearly as much as Villain, the doctor was off like a shot.

Leader turned back to Villain.

“You’re just hurting yourself.” Their tone was level, but their volume was ear-piercing. “Stand the fuck down!”

Leader stood near the door, maybe two paces from it, with Medic on the other side of the room, nearest to the now-destroyed heart monitor. With Villain’s attention so surely fixed on Leader, Medic took their chance.

Fists pounded on the door from the outside.

Medic dove to the bedside, forcing down Villain’s shoulders with their hands. Leader could only watch as Villain’s maw snapped down around their assailant’s neck.

The wound wasn’t very deep-- Villain had barely even found purchase-- but the sight of liquid scarlet trickling down their cheek was enough to make Leader feel sick.

Medic fell back with a scream, narrowly avoiding hitting their head on the tiles. For a few breathless moments, all three combatants gasped for air, exhaustion already taking over.

Voices screamed from outside. Leader tuned them out.

“You are never going to do that again. Got it?” Medic growled, struggling to their feet. Their wound had already stopped bleeding, but it was clearly visibly-- a messy gash in flesh.

“How about you suck my ass instead?” Villain snapped back. With one last, determined yank, the restraint around one of their wrists came loose-- not breaking, but somehow having come undone from the bed frame itself.

Leader knew what was going to happen next-- they just weren’t sure if they wanted to watch or not. In the end, they had been unable to look away in time.

With their now-free hand, Villain grasped the catheter in their chest, pulling it from their flesh in a grotesque flash of flying scarlet. The clear tube in their hand dribbled its contents onto their hospital gown. With a look of disgust, they threw it to the side, leaving the blood to puddle on the floor.

Leader gritted their teeth. Villain grinned.

The hemodialysis machine was the next thing to go-- exploding in a practical fireball of wires, sparks, metal, and gore. A piece of machine sailed past Leader’s face, narrowly missing. Another monitor exploded after that one, then the intercom system, until the hospital room was under assault by wild sparks and metal.

Medic dropped to the floor, covering their head with their hands. That proved to be a mistake a moment later, when they were forced to roll out of the way of a flying metal shard.

“Medic!” Leader shouted, though they were somewhat preoccupied by dodging a piece of what had used to be the room’s AC.

“Fuck!” Medic’s voice came. “We need to sede-”

The last crash was the loudest, somehow, as the sterile lights overhead were turned into a hail of projectile glass. Leader swore as a piece broke itself on the back of their head.

They thought to have fallen unconscious, for a moment, when the onslaught halted. Sparks flew from the remnants of the overhead lights, wires hanging almost too calmly. Medic took the opportunity to scramble back to their feet.

“Leader?” Their voice came from the noir.

“I’m here.” They replied, breathlessly. They expected a petty quip of some nature from Villain, but none was received.

The two of them stood, catching their breath, waiting. Waiting for the next explosion, the next chaotic outburst, but-

But it didn’t come.

It must’ve taken at least a minute for Leader to think to take out their phone, turning on the flashlight. They shone it on Villain, nervous, unsure of what they may find, but not optimistic.

Villain lay on the bed, flat. Unnaturally so. A feeble trail of blood stemmed from their chest, but they did not fight it. Their hair hung limply, though the rest of their body was horribly stiff.

Their eyes were wide open. That was the worst part. Their eyes. Fear wasn’t quite the right word, neither was terror. Resignation, perhaps? But even that was not quite right.

On cautious feet, Leader crept to the stiff Villain’s side. Their chest rose and fell. They blinked, but didn’t seem to register that which their gaze encapsulated.

“What the fuck?” Medic whispered. 

Again, fists slammed on the outside of the door.

“What the hell is going on in there?” One shouted-- Hero. It was muffled, but their tone couldn’t possibly be missed. The door handle shook.

“I guess we should...” Medic started.

“Yeah.” Leader nodded. “Yeah. Let’s... let’s go get them.”

Why couldn’t they stop looking at their eyes?

[fukurokoma]

I said I was going to start working on the tendo x reader x semi shit I’ve got kicking around in my head.. but I’m a fucking liar lol so have a 2.8k preview of bokuto x reader x akaashi smut that I ended up working on instead. warnings: contains mxm oral sex, references to drinking, use of a blindfold, and I think that’s all for now

It’s sticky and warm, sweet liquor lacing your tongue and two light eyed boys peering at you in mirrored cunning. The haze of warmth that dusts across your cheeks stains moonlight and sun in kind, fingers caressing glass rims and condensation coating fingertips. Outside you are sure you departed glumly oncoming rain and grey skies but you feel the warmth of mid-June saturate your skin with a light sheen of sweat at the nape of your neck despite the late December day.

Beneath your fingertips, slick with water that has too quickly grown warm, your skin feels heated, warm blood burning beneath the surface. You lick your lips absently, throat parched no matter how many sips you seem to take of the whiskey lemonade mix that Bokuto continues to pour.

He appraises you with a jovial smile, a gesture so natural on him though it would seem obscene, amplified on anyone else. To his side Akaashi is considerably more restrained, the expression he wears tempered docile yet deceitfully sweet. Affection burns in his eyes, but unsurprisingly there is something more behind it, a low simmering foreshadowing.

Akaashi wears a great many of his intentions on his face like a warning.

You regard them with caution shadowing your expression, a wry and curious smile twisting your lips.

“What are you two planning?” you ask and though you aim for lofty and offhand you miss the mark by some ways, landing within anticipatory and eager. Shame threatens to burn your cheeks hotter still and teeth bite into the plush measure of your mouth to restrain a broad smile.

Akaashi’s lips twitch into an almost shade of his own and he lifts one deft brow, glancing to Bokuto. Fans and flutters of tousled silver sway with the playful tilt of Bokuto’s head and the deep neckline of his shirt slips along his shoulder, exposing more of his sunshine skin. The loose cotton rests temptingly along the slope of his collar, the shadowed line quietly begging for lips and teeth and tongues to adore it.

Your eyes are not the only ones to appraise the artistic sweep of skin pulled taut all the way up his elegant neck. But Akaashi is closer, the orchestrater in most proceedings. As Bokuto sweetly murmurs, “It’s a surprise,” his skin is touched by Akaashi’s mouth of galaxies, his tease of teeth that leave constellations in their wake. When minutes have passed and Bokuto’s fingers are twisted in silken strands of midnight sky the rosy bloom of Akaashi’s mouth will reveal a milky way in lilac and gold, brilliant and branded.

But before such artistry is applied to Bokuto’s throat Akaashi spares a moment to infer low and roguish, “Don’t look away, don’t touch.”

You swallow the last of your drink thickly, a loud gulp that’s distinct and clear in the tense silence of the room.

The hiss of a sharp breath being drawn through gritted teeth cushions the clatter of your glass meeting the cluttered bedside drawer and Bokuto’s eyelashes flutter, resting in soft feathers upon his cheeks, closed. You can see the pearly white point of Akaashi’s teeth dragging across Bokuto’s skin, the wet pink of his tongue soothing red streaks and points. His talented fingers slip beneath striped cotton and map designs of undiscovered universes in the spaces between Bokuto’s ribs, low between his hips.

Bokuto croons hums of content in quiet, dulcet tones.

He is subdued under Akaashi’s careful ministrations, an orchestration that slowly builds, lost in whatever plays behind the shadows of his eyes. He’s all sensation and music, his pulse thrumming in a steady tempo his body already knows the steps to. But Bokuto is pliant, almost entirely still and unequivocally patient but for the hand he slips into Akaashi’s hair. The thread of midnight locks between his golden fingers is tentative, fingertips pressing tight when stardust fingers slip past his button and zipper to delve inside.

You cannot discern Akaashi’s precise actions through the stretch of denim that conceals his hand but Bokuto’s whimpers and groans do little to leave you wondering. His initial gasp, filtering from previously bitten lips at first touch sounds sharp in the silence, piercing through the thickening haze of mounting tension in the atmosphere only to lend itself as accelerando, the first of many small notes and vocal nuances, not all his own.

The softest whimper slips past your teeth and where you had initially not considered the gravity of Akaashi’s instruction earlier the itch you feel in your fingers now to touch has you slipping your hands beneath your thighs to prevent yourself from unintentionally doing so, hoping, hoping, hoping, that the telling sound managed to slip past unnoticed. From where he was once tucked into the crook of Bokuto’s neck Akaashi’s eyes are dark mischief when he smiles saccharine sweet at your reposition.

He does not say a word on the matter, though the angle of his mouth speaks loudly enough in lieu. It is Bokuto who remarks upon your delicate sensibilities, pleasantly singing in a way almost mocking, “You’re in for a long night, baby.” And he does as much with a lopsided smile dripping across his lips, his eyes already heavy. “We’ve barely even started.”

The soft pant of his breaths is a delightful distraction from the increasing thrum of your pulse and you drown in it, focusing on all the little noises that Bokuto makes and suppressing the groan his warning had thus prompted. Each sound Bokuto makes is familiar and evocative, reminding you of times before, enticing you until you realize you are already perching so far forward that it comes as no surprise when Akaashi’s smug chuckle bleeds into the room.

Though with him the small gesture alone says enough the distinct twist of his wrist that has Bokuto whimpering into Akaashi’s hair is a warning. You do not misunderstand the implications of his timing in the slightest though you do not straighten your spine either. Akaashi meets your defiance with an angled frame to his mouth and catches his teeth against the lobe of Bokuto’s ear.

After his tongue has soothed the initial sting Akaashi plays idle with the hair at the nape of his neck, continues to stroke him languidly as he comments, “You like listening to our ace, don’t you?” He keeps his eyes on Bokuto as he speaks, a low simmering affection searing across his features while he grazes his nose along the side of Bokuto’s neck

But then as if to prove his point Akaashi lures a weak moan from Bokuto’s throat, has his hips twitching in their seat with a sly smile. The lazy arch of his brow when he finally does cast his gaze back to you is damning, charmingly so. The blush you had so narrowly avoided earlier takes cue, illustrating your cheeks with a sting of heat, and the warmth adorns Bokuto, too, crawling up his neck in a pretty, pretty pink.

Words momentarily escape you and Akaashi does not wait long for a response before he deems it too late, chuckling darkly to himself. Bokuto joins him with a vaguely looming smile, inadvertently admitting that he is in on the plan and you are not all that surprised when he gathers the presence of mind to untangle his fingers from Akaashi’s hair and retrieve the silk tie in his pocket.

He hands it over with a small smile, the curve of his lips implicit amusement, mirrored in kind in the lazy half stretch of Akaashi’s own. Satisfaction in double doses is tucked away in the solitary quirked corner of his mouth, Akaashi’s hands abandoning Bokuto who pouts in brief dismay, and you nervously pressing teeth into already bruised flesh, waiting for the silk to be drawn over your eyes.

Presumption proven true, once Akaashi approaches he gathers the blind over your eyes, tying a neat and efficient knot in the back. There is a kiss lain atop the crown of your head and then his presence is gone once again, the room little more than peeks of setting sun streaking beneath the smallest gaps of silk and skin.

But then Bokuto’s broken voice fills the room once more and you can see as clearly as if your eyes were open.

You cannot ascertain whether the illustrious plays that come to mind as you tune specifically into each and every nuance of sound are true, but the potential of them does wonders. Every airy little noise Bokuto makes spurs fanciful possibilities behind your eyes and you imagine just how Akaashi might be touching him in order to lure such sounds from his mouth.

It becomes only somewhat easier to discern their actions by the rustle of clothing and the hushing that Akaashi infers after what feels like much, much later. Bokuto does not fall silent, and you acknowledge somewhere in the back of your mind that silence is not what Akaashi would have wanted anyway, but he restrains any pleas or sugar coated requests where he might otherwise not have.

What breaks him is a noise distinctly wet and you realize it to be Akaashi’s mouth as Bokuto’s voice breaks on the most satisfied moan you’ve likely ever heard. It’s not hard to imagine the relief etched into his features, eyes shut and his face blissful while Akaashi works pink lips down his cock in that slow, fluid, manner that he likes to start off with.

This you know for certain, particularly when you hear the pleased rumble that sounds in Akaashi’s chest. You are sure then that Bokuto’s fingers have taken solace in his night sky once more, the sun adoring the stars and the stars doing the same in kind, the push and pull of gravity at its finest in play.

Although your world is limited to darkness as you listen to the ascension of Bokuto’s breathing, from shallow barely audible breaths to short, fast pants and low whines as you hear Akaashi’s execution grow sloppier, wetter, slick, and surely so well paced his jaw must be absolutely aching; the darkness that enshrouds you burns red.

You feel along with it your skin beginning to burn, so gradually at first it’s barely noticeable but fastly becoming a heat you long to cool that scorches along your cheeks, chest, the back of your neck. Beneath your thighs your fingers twitch, teeth worrying your bottom lip as you feel the restlessness crawl into your limbs and unfurl.

Your teeth bite down unashamedly, hard, blunt enamel that is sure to bruise and leave you a reminder of your devil may care boys, but you don’t care for the pain that’s bound to come; you could listen to Bokuto for days.

There’s a stutter in Bokuto’s breath, a low whistle as he exhales and you hear the distinct pop of Akaashi’s lips, the ragged inhale he greedily takes. Even if you can’t see it all unfolding, the sweet torture of it all is damning enough that you can’t quite stop the curse that befalls you, the way it lends itself to further speech, a sweet lilting inquiry of, “Is he taking good care of you, Bo?” escaping before you think better of it.

Bokuto releases an affirming groan and you can just imagine the way Akaashi’s mouth is sliding back down his length as he does so, as he shakily replies, “the best,” in a voice that’s entirely wrecked and breathless. You picture the haze of arousal that Bokuto must have in his eyes, the liquid honey that would be visible only in glimpses between his thick lashes, his eyelids oh so heavy the more Akaashi set to work, coaxing each luxuriant sound from his swollen, needing lips. Bokuto just loves to be kissed, loves making out like he’s still a horny teenager, with his hands grasping everywhere and his god forsaken hips rolling in sinful, tempting teases.

And Akaashi, Akaashi, your sweet, selfless lover, lavishing affection on your shared boyfriend, his lips just must be the richest shade of red, stark contrast to his pretty, golden moonlight skin. Just the thought of his swollen, pouty mouth makes you want to kiss him, lick into his mouth and taste Bokuto on his tongue. But you are under no false illusions here, aren’t about to push your own luck.

Instead you venture a push for Bokuto’s, softly inferring, “I bet you wish you could kiss him right now, hm?” You swallow thickly, envisioning it for yourself, narrating it for the both of them to picture what you’re picturing. “You’d just love to taste yourself on his lips, in his mouth.”

“I can imagine it so clearly, Bo: the way you’d trace our moody boy’s lips with your tongue, the way your fingers would curl into his hair… the way you’d tug it ever so softly so you could get your mouth on his neck. And he’s so sensitive there, isn’t he? He would just melt underneath you, you and your eager hands, stroking, pulling at clothes, drawing him against you, drawing him against your hips. Those hips of yours Bo...”

The quietest of moans escapes you at the thought, you know what sins his hips are capable of and you can hear them, him, getting restless now. You can hear his breathing scatter, the tempo uneven, staccato. Everything sounds frantic now, low whines and rustling fabric, and the wet, wet, sound of Akaashi’s mouth slipping, the muffled sound of him groaning. You realize Bokuto must have tugged on his hair.

A little gleefully your back arches forward even more, longing to be closer to the both of them as you entreat, “You’re close aren’t you, Bo?” You wonder if he’s watching you when you lick your lips, teeth pulling the lower momentarily into your mouth. It doesn’t matter if he is or not ultimately. Even from your place on the sidelines you don’t mind being an inactive player. You just want, want, want. You want so much that you don’t hesitate to ask for it. “Go on Bo, please, I wanna hear you cum. I want to listen to you fall apart.”

Perhaps they’re feeling merciful, or perhaps Bokuto couldn’t hold off any longer. It takes only a handful of moments more for you to hear Bokuto’s downright offensive vocal assault crescendo, the guttural pitch of his voice teetering your flimsy acquiescence. It would be only too easy to work yourself to orgasm after listening to Bokuto moan and groan, and swear, swear so filthily your only regret is not being able to have seen just how Akaashi got him so good that he expels an emphatic ‘fuck.’

He sounds so good, sounds so absolutely ruined that for just a moment going against your orders crosses your mind. But Akaashi catches you just in time, a shift on the mattress alerting you to the approach of one of them, though it's not apparent which of them until there are coarse fingertips along your jaw, Akaashi’s velvet tone instructing, “Open your mouth, kitten.”

Before a smile can fully shape your lips they part acquiescently, your deference subdued effectively, and rewarded with the feeling of Akaashi’s mouth shaping to yours succinctly. His tongue touches your own, the taste salty, inherently Bokuto, and his fingers glide along your jaw, the nape of your neck, to sweep into your hair.

He kisses you breathless, absolutely stupid, tearing his mouth from your greedy own far too soon. He’s gracious enough to expend, “What a good girl you’re being, still sitting pretty on those naughty little hands of yours.”

Bokuto is quick to point out, “Her mouth is worse.” His voice has a playful edge to it, but lacks no audacity.

You smile saccharine sweet, counter, ‘Mine?’ with all the trappings of innocence, spare the contrary arch of your brow, only just visible above the silk blindfold.

Bokuto scoffs, as if he takes offense to your claims. Yet not a moment later do you feel Akaashi’s fingers depart your hair to traverse down your body.

Though he attempts to take his time there is no preamble in the way he traverses the length of your torso, skipping pointed detours he would normally favor to slip his fingers past your waistband.There is no hesitation in the way that Akaashi spreads you open, running his fingers against your dripping cunt while he infers lowly, “Our wee kitten may have a point Bokuto-san.”