#it took me so much time i just noticed it's like 1am and officially my birthday lmaoooo

[indashadows]

Dracula poster, but it's actually Nandor because he's quoting Dracula far too many times in this last season 👀

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Original

[dearlordsanta]

For Better or For Worse in Sickness

It’s been a while since I posted on here, I think because it’s been helping, so I don’t feel like I need to do it as often. I’m going to commit to doing it more regularly though because on the off chance someone is reading it and it’s helping in any way, shape, or form, I will continue. This is a long one, so buckle up.

First, I want to talk a little about my relationship with my husband. We’ve been together for almost nine years and married for just over four of those years. When I met him, I was two years out of an on-again/off-again relationship and was really struggling with it, so I wasn’t looking for anything serious. He and I worked for the same company, but at different retail locations. One day, I was asked to cover at his location, which is how we met, and we both did something a little quirky that made it easy to joke around and have fun at work that day. We both carried our Nintendo 3DS in our back pockets to collect Street Passes. We were both teased by coworkers about it at our respective locations, so we bonded over the 3DS and this odd little quirk of ours. He also made fun of how I spoke due to the odd colloquialisms I used. He left a lot earlier than I did that night, but I figured since we got along so well, I should see if he has social media so we could stay in touch, so I decided when I got home that night, I would search for him.

When I got home, even though it was very early in the morning (about 1am since the store was far away and it was the holiday season and all that), I booted up my laptop, got on Facebook to search for him, and noticed I already had a friend request from him that he had sent when he got home from work that night. I quickly accepted and sent him a message. To my surprise, he was still awake and responded immediately. 

We spent the next few days messaging back and forth from the time we got up until we went to sleep, and even made plans to hang out in a shared day off we had coming up in about two weeks’ time. We had decided that he would come over and play Mario Kart (he had been bragging about his mad skills and I wasn’t too bad myself), then we were going to see a movie we both wanted to see and go to a popular local diner after to talk about it. The week before this hang out, he said that since we were hitting it off so well, he wanted to make this hang out a date instead. I was really skeptical about this. I wasn’t sure I was ready for a relationship or anything, I had been on a few dates since I had broken up with my previous boyfriend, but never felt ready, so it never went passed date two. I liked this guy and didn’t want to miss out on a really great friend if this dating thing didn’t work out. Plus, this hangout was starting out at my parents’ house playing Mario Kart with my dad and my youngest sister! It felt wrong (lol). So, I told him all that. He said if it didn’t work out, it didn’t work out, but there was no harm in seeing where it went.

I was nervous about it, so I knew he had been a type 1 diabetic his whole life, so I did research and learned as much as I could about it. I figured if we were going to be spending time together, I should know more about it, so I was prepared. (He was very touched when I told him later that this was how I prepared for our date.)

The date went really well, in case you didn’t guess. It took me a few weeks to get on board with making it official, but after two weeks, we were officially ‘dating’. We’ve been together ever since. He’s one of the funniest people I know and we’ve helped each other grow into better people. We had a lot in common, but the best part about our relationship is our communication. It sounds hokey, but it’s true. You can’t have a good relationship with anyone without good communication whether it’s a lover, a friend, a parent, or a sibling, it doesn’t matter. Good communication is always important.

If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know my husband is ill. About a year after we got married, he started to get sick and now he’s been unable to work for several years at this point. Within that first year of diagnosis, he gave me an out. He said that he was in this for the long haul, it wasn’t going to get better and he knew I wanted to have kids and he wanted me to be happy, not to suffer with him. I told him that my vows meant something to me. I married him for a reason and I wasn’t going to leave just because it was going to get harder. This was not an easy decision. I have wanted to be a mom more than I’ve wanted anything in my entire life, but with the way things are, it’s just not feasible. I am still frequently dealing with that part of it, especially as I get into the latter part of my “childbearing years”, but I’ve been working with my therapist on that because, as I said, my vows mean something to me. 

He has Diabetic Gastroparesis which, to put it simply, makes it hard for your digestive system to do its job. Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, a feeling of fullness after eating just a few bites, vomiting undigested food eaten a few hours earlier, acid reflux, changes in blood sugar levels, lack of appetite, weight loss, malnutrition, and fatigue. This has made it very hard to control his blood sugar levels, which has its own side effects, and the weight loss makes it even more difficult because that causes the amount of insulin that he needs to take to fluctuate. 

The worse thing that can happen with chronic diseases, is having one that not many doctors know anything about. For years one of the worse symptoms for my husband has been fatigue. He sometimes sleeps for 14-16 hours a day and is still exhausted. Sometimes he sleeps more, sometimes less. He’s always in pain, but that fluctuates too. On good days, he’s at about a 2 on the pain scale and on the bad days, he can’t even move...I always say those days are a 12 on a scale of 1 to 10. He has been told for the last three years that he needs to get used to it because this is the way life is now and he should be able to manage it enough to work. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Recently, our PC doctor recommended a new gastro doctor who has been wonderful. He is the first doctor that has listened to my husband and agrees that his symptoms are not within the norm and the new doctor is fairly certain that there is something else in play here. This alone has improved the mental health of my husband exponentially. 

During one of his good days last week, he got online and did a ton of research on his elevated fatigue. He found that he has almost every symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are fatigue, problems with memory or concentration, sore throat, headaches, enlarged lymph nodes in your neck or armpits, unexplained muscle or joint pain, dizziness that worsens with moving from lying down or sitting to standing, unrefreshing sleep, and extreme exhaustion after physical or mental exercise. So, he pushed himself and went to our PC doctor one day to talk about it. She agreed that it was possible and ordered bloodwork. Bloodwork came back today and according to those tests, he was right. He was so relieved. 

You may think relief is a weird thing to feel after having a second difficult to handle chronic diagnosis, but what you need to understand is, that when people have an “invisible illness” or “invisible disability” they are constantly having to defend themselves. We get a lot of eye rolls, uneducated advice, and hurtful statements such as “he’s just being lazy” or “he just doesn’t want to work”. We’ve received treatment like this from family, friends, co-workers, and strangers on the internet. Tell us he just needs to go outside and push himself to exercise when he feels like he can’t move and to “just eat” because it’s “not that hard”. Sadly, this is not likely to stop with the new diagnosis.

As hard as this whole journey has been, and will be, I am glad I decided to stay with my husband. Having someone in your corner makes a huge difference. As hard as it’s been going through this together, I can’t imagine how much worse it would be if he was going through this alone. I had to push him for over a year to get a third opinion because all the doctors were saying “this is your life now, get used to it, and get back to work.”

A lot of people ask me why I stay if I am so frustrated and sad all the time. Like I said, my vows mean something to me. I married this man for a reason. I don’t believe in destiny or fate because that would mean there is a reason behind the terrible suffering some people have to go through, and I can’t believe that. 

I love my husband. Part of the reason I write here is that if I vent out how upset, frustrated, angry, or sad I am about all this, it hurts him. He has enough to deal with, he knows how I feel, and it’s not worth putting him in a negative environment. Part of the reason we’ve gotten this far is that I don’t vent my daily frustrations out on him. 

“Rebellions are built on hope.” So, I rebel against the negative feelings and frustrations so that we may have hope that things will get better one day, and he can have a better quality of life.

[jisungsmochi]

i’ve got this friend - mark lee

i’ve got this friend - mark lee 

based on the (unreleased) song by 5SOS 

neighbour & friend! mark + a very oblivious y/n (female)

word count: 1.7k 

summary: after a rumour stirs that you have a secret admirer, your neighbour and friend, mark lee begins to drop some, not so subtle, clues on who it might be. will his mission be a success?

//

mark hated lee haechan more than anything in the world right now. the little menace decided to spread the rumour that you had a secret admirer. mark was in panic mode, wanting nothing more than to roll up in a ball and cry.

“what the hell, man? what if she finds out?” mark groaned, holding the bridge of his nose, as haechan continued to giggle.

“would that be so bad? you’ve been pining over her since you became neighbours. isn’t it time for you to finally tell her how you feel?”

“what if she’s disappointed?” haechan immediately stopped laughing, furrowing his eyebrows at his glum faced friend.

“but what if she’s over the moon? you always look for the bad in these situations. you’re confessing to her, you have to” mark knew inside that he was partially right. it had been almost two years since he developed a friendship with you. although you weren’t attached to the hip, you were both friendly towards eachother and spent a fair amount of time together. haechan claimed he had a fool proof plan to ‘get the girl’ so let the games begin...

“hey! y/n, wait up” mark caught up with you as you exited your house.

“oh goodmorning mark” you smiled as you walked over to him, continuing to walk alongside him on your way to school.

“i gotta tell you something” he looks away from you, eyes drawn to the ground. you silently urge him to continue,

“i heard that someone likes you”

you immediately stop in your tracks, your face contorting into confusion yet also, excitement.

“really? do you know who it is?” you trailed slowly behind him, he didn’t even notice you had stopped briefly.

“uh yeah, i’ve got this friend, he doesn’t really want me to tell you who he is yet” you felt your heart sink, is this all some sick prank?

“mark, you don’t have to feed into these rumours-“

“no i’m being serious, you have an admirer” he softly smiled, making you feel slightly more at ease. mark had never lied to you before, why would he start now? you decided not to pry him anymore, wanting to keep this to yourself for the time being. of course you were curious as to who it was, but maybe keeping their identity hidden is giving them the courage to contact you eventually. you were hopeful, and so was mark. he wanted nothing more than for you to make your way to him.

“so is there anything else you wanna tell me about said admirer? is he tall? do i know him?” you begin to become impatient as you sat across from mark at your usual lunch table.

“um he’s kinda my size? i guess. you might know him, he does go to our school” you begin to turn around, scanning your eyes over the courtyard.

“don’t look now! he might be looking” mark hurriedly spoke, not thinking about his words.

“oh so he’s close to where we are?” you grew even more curious than before. you were going to get mark lee to crack, it was the only way.

‘oh fuck’ he thought to himself. what is he going to do now?

//

“mark, it’s honestly killing me! you really can’t tell me who he is? is he really that shy? or am i just intimidating?” you frown as you sit on mark’s couch in his basement. he invited you over sometimes whenever he was bored and needed someone to go over some of his song ideas with. mark was in a band with some of his close friends, they didn’t really have a proper name yet, and had barely played infront of people.

“you’re not intimidating at all! you’re one of the kindest people i know” he quickly jumps to your defence. he hesitates for a moment before continuing,

“well he plays the bass guitar, and oh! he thinks you would like him better if he had a car, kinda feels like a loser for not having one” your mind begins to wind, who do you know that can play bass and has no car...

well jeno was the official bassist of their band...and you remember him complaining at one of their practices that he was late because he had to take the bus. but really? did lee jeno have a crush on you? that seemed unrealistic. you barely had any interactions with him, only greeting him nicely whenever you tuned in to their practices. was mark trying to set you guys up or something?

“is it someone from your band?” mark froze, not expecting you to catch on so quickly. (not like he was being so discrete either)

“uh maybe, maybe not. i don’t know” he begins to ramble.

“i’m beginning to think you’re playing some weird prank on me, mark lee. i hope whoever this guy is, comes to me soon. the suspense is killing me!” and with that, mark knew he needed to speed up the plan.

//

“you gotta tell her soon, your stupid clues are probably making her stressed. and why the hell do you wanna make her stressed?!” haechan gave the older boy a hard smack on the back of the head.

“look, we need a new plan, asap”

“no shit, you’re lucky i’m the damage control” haechan huffed, putting on his figurative thinking cap.

“aha! you’re going to write her a song” mark raised an eyebrow at the younger boy as if he was insane, he can’t write a song in a day, not even a week sometimes.

“not an actual song! just a little snippet of a song describing your feelings, since you can’t seem to say it to her straight out. it’s a brilliant idea and you should thank me” mark understood where he was coming from. maybe if he sat you down, with his guitar and sang to you, it wouldn’t be as awkward or pressuring. lee haechan was in fact a genius.

//

“mark? it’s like 1am, what do you need me for?” you groan from your side of the phone call.

“i need to get something off my chest, meet me at the park in 10” part of you wanted to hang up and fall back asleep, but another part of you was curious as to why mark lee needed you so late in the night. you dressed yourself in a warm puffer jacket before making your way to the playground across from your and mark’s houses.

you saw him sitting on one of the swings, his guitar tucked close to him, his fingers strumming to a random tune.

“this better be good” you sigh, taking a seat on the swing next to him.

“the reason i asked you to come out here is because i haven’t been completely honest with you. i don’t want you to say anything until the song is done, it would really save me the embarrassment” he warned, making you slightly nervous. he took a deep breath, eyes focused on the strings of the guitar, before he began to play.

[ *cue ‘i’ve got this friend’ by 5sos hehe]

“I've got this friend who's crazy about you

I've got this friend who can't be without you

I've got this friend and I wish I could see

See what you'd say if I told you it was me

I want to tell you to see what you'd say

Before I jump in and I ask for that date

I've been that friend

I've been that friend and I wish I could see

How this would end if you knew it was me?”

your heart melted at each lyric. mark lee had been that ‘friend’ all along. the mark that always waited for you to walk to school together. the mark that always brought you home bubble tea when you were feeling down. the mark that always invited you over just because he enjoyed the company. it was him. it was always him.

you felt tears begin to fill your eyes, causing mark to place his guitar down and stand across from you, holding your shoulders gently.

“d-did i say something wrong? did i mess things up? i’m so sorry, y/n. i should have come clean so-“

“no mark, i’m not mad or sad! i’m just really overwhelmed. here i was thinking that this was all some silly joke when the whole time, you were my admirer” you slightly sniffled at the last part, making mark’s heart swoon. he wiped a tear that fell from your eye, as you leant into his warm palm.

“i don’t need you to say you like me back or anything, i just couldn’t go on with life without you knowing”

“i understand. and trust me, i’ve always seen you as my cute next door neighbour. and honestly, i’d be lying if i said that i haven’t thought about dating you” you felt heat rise to your cheeks, hoping he wouldn’t notice due to the cold.

“but all those clues! it must have been so entertaining to watch me struggle with piecing it all together! everything makes sense now, except for the bass guitar one. i thought you were just the lead guitarist?” you furrowed your eyebrows as mark began to chuckle.

“i kinda slipped up there, i can play both guitar and bass. i was actually the initial bassist of the band until we found jeno” mark explained, making you feel even more stupid.

“gosh, there i was thinking that jeno was my admirer” you saw mark begin to frown, causing you to stand and face him.

“but don’t worry about him, all my attention and focus will be on you now!” you smiled with glee, watching as mark copied your expression. he leaned down close to you, placing a small peck to your cheek, his breath slowly fanning your cheeks.

“so what do you say? go on a date with me?”

“of course, tell your little ‘friend’ he finally got the girl” you pulled him into a warm embrace, feeling him melt in your arms.

it was safe to say that you and mark didn’t remain friends for much longer.

[todorosy]

Dark Academia // Todoroki Shouto

Uhh what if UA was drenched in the dark academia aesthetic? Because I am a filthy whore for turtlenecks.

Todoroki Shouto

It was half past 1AM. You know you should be sleeping, but the old creaking of the house and the constant tapping on your windows from the wind hitting the trees were deafening.

You climb out of bed, barely flinching at the cold wooden floors under your feet. You weren’t quite as familiar with the layout of the house as you were when you were a child, but due to your parent’s busy lives with work, you didn’t want to be left home alone during your winter break. Graciously, Endeavor, a close family friend, had offered his home to you for the next month. Of course you took up the offer. The beautiful high ceiling library, the magnificent grand piano, delicious and expensive tea? How could you say no?

The only downside was Shouto.

You’ve known each other since you were children but you two had always had a “friendly” rivalry as your years in boarding school progressed. You would go head to head in class seminars, sports, the speech and debate team, exams, and etc. You despised him and his prestigious attitude, but yet you two had always remained in each other's circle. Rumors arose, but it was hard to say when others would see yourselves having a screaming match in the hallways and studying together in the library that same evening.

Though your parents were very close to each other and insisted on spending dinners, vacations, and outings together- the banters and childish arguments continued then too.

With the moonlight shearing through the curtains, you were able to make your way towards the library. Your favorite room in the house. You cracked the door just enough to slip in. It was pitch black. You feel around the walls for the light switch before you notice a single lit candle on the table.

You grab a candle holder before making your way in between the bookshelves. You run your fingers along the old leather spines of the books. What were you feeling for tonight? Some Samuel Beckett? Sylvia Plath? Maybe something comedic.

“Looking for something?” A voice breaks the silence from behind you.

You quickly gasp and turn around. The candle in your hand illuminates a familiar face that stood a few inches away from yours.

“Christ, Shouto. Don’t scare me like that.” You quickly compose yourself, adjusting the blanket around your shoulders.

“What are you doing up so late? Shouldn’t someone like you be tucked away to bed already?” He cocks an eyebrow.

You roll your eyes. “Oh don’t patronize me, shit head. I could ask you the same thing.” You brush past him to continue searching the shelves. "A princess like you needs their beauty sleep."

From behind you, you hear his footsteps following you.

“Ah, I missed that. You’ve been avoiding me like the plague since you’ve gotten here. Makes me miss our in-class discussions.”

“You missed me, huh? I wished the feelings were mutual.” You tease. “In fact, I think your presence is quite suffocating.” You say peering over your shoulder at him.

He trails behind you and slithers a hand around your waist and pulls you close with your back to him.

“Now you better watch your words. You are in my home after all, and we are lost in between these bookshelves. It would be a shame if...” He leans over your shoulder and blows out the candle providing the only source of light in the room.

“It would be a shame if I poured this hot candle wax all over you, peabrain. Now it's pitch black and I can't see anything.” You groan.

“You’re telling me you didn’t light anymore out in the main study room? Good job, stupid.” He scoffs and releases you from his grip.

“Well why did you blow out the candle in the first place? This isn’t an erotic scene in Twilight. Get real.” You roll your eyes and turn to face him. "And stop stalking me. I wanted to come down here and escape the overwhelming Todoroki presence.

“I couldn’t help myself, you're just too easy to annoy." His voice suddenly goes low "But anyways, I'm glad I caught you because I've been meaning to discuss some things with you.” His voice suddenly goes low.

“What is it? Can't it wait until the morning or is it that dire?” You cock an eyebrow. 

"Well it could've if you weren't fleeting every room I step into." He rolls his eyes.

You were suddenly less than a feet from each other. You could barely make out his face in the darkness, but he held onto your wrist to make sure you weren’t a fog in the dark.

“But no, it's not as serious as it sounds. I’ve just been wondering a lot lately. We've known each other since we were pretty much born right?"

"Right...?"

"Well, how do you really feel about me? Drop the academic rivalry stuff. Can you actually not stand my presence?"

You almost snorted out a laugh.

“Are you serious? You created this dramatic build up just to ask me that?” You try to suppress your laughter. "How old are you again?

Your eyes adjusted to the darkness and you met his gaze. He looked much more innocent than he did earlier. His hair was disheveled. His eyes were tired. I took you a second to calculate an answer.

“Okay, okay. I won’t tease you." You let out a sigh. "But... I think you’re infuriating at times. Annoying. Prideful.” You begin. “But you’re a good rival. You keep me on my toes. So I don't hate you as much as everyone thinks I do. Only a smidgen I guess." You playfully say.

“Ah okay. Ditto to you. Princess complex. Always have to be so pristine and proper around everyone.” He chuckles under his breath “But you know I don’t hate you either. You keep things interesting over at UA. I like having you around.”

A blush dusted over your cheeks. You’ve never seen Shouto get so into his emotions. He’s usually as serious as ever and keeps conversation casual at most. You had to admit to yourself that you did have an infatuation with him when you were at the ripe age of 13, but that was quickly repressed when you were competing for the entrance to UA.

“Yeah...I’m glad we were both accepted into UA." You awkwardly look down at your feet. "But why'd you ask anyways?”

"I'm not sure. I guess I was just trying to predict how our dynamic would play out after we grow up and part ways onto our own careers."

"I see. I mean if I'm being blunt, we're not exactly bffs. Kinda."

You’ve always seen him in a different light than your peers. They always complimented him and boasted about him and were envious of his intelligence, but you knew him better than that, which is why your relationship was so confusing.

"How has.." You begin "...your father been?"

His breath hitches before he sighs. He then lets out a scoff. You feel his hands fall from your wrist.

"He's been the same guy he's always been. You know how it is." You could hear the sad smile in his voice.

"I do." You reply sadly.

"I want to be a writer. A journalist even. He wants me to take over his company. It's pathetic. There's no chance that I'd be able to run a business and write on the side."

"Hey, don't talk like that." You cut him off. "Who says you can't just drop the business all together and pursue writing? You've got brains in your head and the heart of a lion."

"Now watch yourself. if you keep talking like that, I might risk it all right now." He chuckles.

"I'm serious." You firmly put both your hands on his shoulder now, giving them a hard squeeze. "You don't have to be who your father wants you to be. I support you. Even if I want to rip your face off sometimes, you know I'll always be rooting for you."

There was a moment of silence between you two. He stood there, eyes gazing into your own like a lost child searching for something. You didn't know, but he appreciated your words more than you may think. He's been waiting his whole life for some reassurance and some escape from the path he's been forced upon.

"Thank you Y/N. Really." He pulls you in for a hug and it feels like all of the air from your lungs and is replaced with the soft scent of sweet mint and lemons. You hug him back tighter, smothering your face in his chest.

"No problem. You know, all these years of insults aren't for nothing." You mutter. "I want you to be the best version of yourself."

He moves his hands from your back to cup your face and head. He pulls away just enough to plant a gentle peck on the top of your head. You stayed intertwined like that for a few moments longer. You felt your body overheat under the thick blanket draped over your shoulders, but you didn't move.

"Y/N."

"Uh..yeah?" You muffle out. Your heart was racing.

"I think this is the first time we've hugged. Ever." He chuckles. "A lot of people would be jealous, you know."

"Aaanndddd... you've officially ruined it." You roll your eyes and push him away. "Get a lot of bitches, Shouto? Huh? You're such a hot shot, right?"

"Of course. I am a Todoroki after all." He teases.

"Ah yes. Nothing else to admire other than your family name." You began making your way down the aisle of books back to where you came from, he follows right behind you. "I thought you never cared about romance and all that bullshit."

He ponders the idea for a second.

"I've been around. Relationships are distracting and not many people catch my attention anyways."

You and Shouto make it to the main study where you light more candles around, dimly lighting the room just enough to see each other's faces.

"Oh? You've been around?" You ask with amusement, browsing through many of the books stacked on the table. "I've always thought you were too good for anyone. Might I say, a pure virgin boy?"

"Shut up." He rolls his eyes. "I've had my fair share of flings and dates. Bet you can't say the same can you, prude? Not even a first kiss?"

"As if I have the choice. My father wouldn't let me waste any time with a significant other, and I know for a fact that yours wouldn't either." You scoff. "And I've actually kissed lots of people! And I bet all of them would say I'm decently good too!"

You start to feel your stomach twist. You lied. You've never had your first kiss. You've always ran away from confessions and confrontations. You have your back turned to Shouto, mindlessly flipping through the books to mask your nervousness but your clammy hands could instantly give you away.

You feel a hot breath exhale onto your bare neck, making you instantly turn around to face the tall figure blocking your view. You look up to lock eyes with the boy you grew up learning to despise.

He picks up a strand of your hair and twirls it between his fingers. "You know, after spending so much time with you for all these years, I think I have a pretty good idea of your mannerisms. Especially when you're telling the truth or not."

"You don't know anything about me, Todoroki." You stand your ground and glare up at him.

"You've never had your first kiss. You've never felt someone else's skin on yours." He states, running his fingers down your strand of hair. "Don't lie about it. I know you."

"And if I haven't then why is it any of your business?" You spit back.

"It's not, but just wanted you to admit it. You're not the winner you think you are, Y/N."

Your face erupts in fire, but you keep your composure calm.

"The winner? Sweetheart, I'm the prize" You snarl.

You step forward, making him stumble back.

"You think you're so desired. You think you have everybody wrapped around your finger, but listen here, babe." He eventually hits the wall on the other side of the room. His eyes are wide.

"You can have anyone you want. You can swoon as many as you would like, but you can't have me."

You grab the back of his neck and pull his face close to yours. You're damn near on your tippy toes just to reach him, but you make the effort flawless. His breath hitches as you're just a few inches away from each other. You squeeze your eyes shut and connect your lips together like a hard punch.

He felt frozen, but slowly matched your lips. His hand harshly grips the side of your neck as if he's slipping away.

You were on fire. Your feet were ready to cramp up from holding the position for so long, your eyes were begging to open to see whether or not his were, your hand on the back of his neck was getting even more clammy, and you honestly felt like you could throw up for the bold move you just made.

You ripped away and stumbled a few steps back.

"But I can have you. And that's what makes me the winner."

You turn around and quickly escape, leaving him and your dignity in the study.

At least you left with your pride.

[nyctolovian]

Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Mikotoba Yuujin/Sherlock Holmes | Herlock Sholmes, Mikotoba Yuujin & Sherlock Holmes | Herlock Sholmes, why isn't there a platonic tag for them.... Additional Tags: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Canonical Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Pre-Canon, Regret, Guilt, Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort

Summary: Y'know, just dudes accidentally being dads.

Yuujin apparently didn't have to worry about knocking the door at 1am because he didn’t even have to wait for more than 2 seconds before the door swung open to an already chattering man. Sholmes had a frown on his face as he talked animatedly, "... checked with me! It is incredibly late. There had better be a proper reason why you would require me to open the door for you at this time. What would you do had I been asleep? You most definitely have your key with you so I don't see why you couldn't just…" He trailed off as his eyes travelled downwards to the bundle in Yuujin's arms.

 A small pudgy hand stuck out from the folds of the towels. Sholmes' gaze travelled quickly from Yuujin's arms, to his face, to the large medical bag on the floor and to his hands before sighing. "Hm… I see." Wasting no time at all, he stepped aside for the exhausted Japanese man and closed the door without a single fuss.

 Yuujin supposed that was the good thing about Sholmes, you didn't need to explain too much to him. And Yuujin couldn't be more grateful for this trait of his tonight; he was in no mood for explaining anything.

 Cradling the infant, he sat down on his bed, which creaked under his weight. The baby made a noise as she gazed up at him with wide eyes. For a second, the blue in her eyes shifted to a familiar brown he hadn’t seen in ages, and Yuujin felt a pang in his chest. He tore his eyes away from the child and said, "I- Well, I believe it's, um, her meal time. Herlock, could you make something for her?"

 Sholmes followed Yuujin's gaze to the large bag he came in with. "Where did you get it from?"

 "The… The mother had it prepared at her home. And I simply… took it."

 Sholmes froze mid-bend to look at Yuujin quizzically. "But that would mean…" He caught himself and shook his head.

 Yuujin didn't know what conclusion Sholmes had drawn from that but knowing him, it was probably scarily close to the truth.

 “It pains me to admit, my friend,” Sholmes said, holding up the bottle and the bag of baby food, “but it seems even my brilliance may have its limits when it comes to the art of making infant food without instruction.”

 “Ah,” Yuujin said as he gently placed the child on the bed. “Right. Of course.” After making sure she was nicely settled, he got up with a sigh. God, how much of an old man he was behaving right now, especially when there was an eighteen-year-old around him daily as a direct comparison. He gestured for Sholmes to join him as he prepared the food, describing the process as they went along.

 As he shook the bottle, Sholmes asked, “You are teaching me all this because you intend to leave her in my care, don’t you?”

 Yuujin flinched. “I… Well…”

 To be asked so directly… but that always was the way with Sholmes, was it not?

 After taking in a deep breath, Yuujin admitted, “Truthfully, yes. I presume that Jigoku and I might be deported soon and I can’t take this child with me… I am supposed to only care for her temporarily but…” Yuujin had no idea what Genshin had meant. What on earth did he mean when he said, ‘if something should happen to me’? None of it made sense… God, his head hurt.

 He shook his head, trying to clear it, trying to focus. “Hopefully, it will not come to it but I have to prepare for the worst. I can’t put this child’s future on vague hopes.”

 Sholmes looked back at the infant lying on the mattress and Yuujin recognised the flicker of apprehension in his eyes. His heart squeezed with guilt.

 “I’m sorry. This is a lot to ask of you. You’re the first person I thought of but I know I… I am being incredibly selfish." He shook his head. "Please do forget it, Sholmes. I shall look for alternatives. You needn't worry yourself with this."

 Before Yuujin could say another word, however, the child on the bed began to wail. He snapped into action, rushing to the child. Gently, he cradled her again and rocked her. “Are you hungry? Don’t worry. We have food,” he cooed. He gestured for the bottle and Sholmes handed it to him.

 Carefully, he cocked the bottle to the infant and pressed the nipple to her lips. The crying slowed quickly and the child began to suck at the nipple. She was suckling with such ferocity that Yuujin couldn’t help but laugh at the adorable little face she was making. This baby girl was going to grow up strong, he could already tell.

 He thought of the baby—ah, no… she must be 6 years old by now; no longer the baby he had left in Japan… Thinking about it made him so very tired and guilty. That made it a total of two children.

 Two children whose mothers he could only watch lose their lives to childbirth, unable to do anything as he cried for hours after. Two children who would grow up without fathers because one was killed by the Professor, and the other spent every day on the brink of complete and utter resignation before he was whisked away to a foreign land. Two children he was leaving in the care of others again, because he was incapable. Two children who were supposed to be his responsibility, placed under his care, yet he had abandoned—was going to abandon—them.

 What a useless man he was. He failed at being a caretaker of these children. He was meant to be a father but now it felt like a title he didn't deserve—

 “Can I try?” Sholmes broke Yuujin's train of thought, voice quieter than usual.

 “Ah, of course.” Yuujin shuffled closer to Sholmes, who took the bottle. The infant’s eyes widened and her lips trembled as the nipple slipped out of her mouth for a second. But Sholmes returned the bottle to the infant, who resumed her suckling with what seemed almost like increased fervour.

 “Do not worry,” Sholmes said. “I’m not taking it away from you. You need not react with such sadness and worry!”

 “She’s just an infant,” Yuujin chided lightly. “She wouldn’t know otherwise.”

 “That's right…” Sholmes said. “Your experience of the world is not even 24 hours! There is very much for you to learn, isn't there?”

 Yuujin nodded, but his chest was welling up with worry. Not even 24 hours in the world and, already, her life was looking so… bleak. What on earth was Genshin even going to do?

 No, Yuujin would wait. Genshin looked like he had a plan. Surely, he was needlessly worrying.

 But the next day, Yuujin heard nothing about Genshin other than the news that he had been executed. So he waited for whatever arrangements Genshin might have gotten to pull through. But days stretched to weeks before, as Yuujin had predicted, the exchange was called off officially and all Japanese students were to be deported. And Yuujin was certain that there was no more hope left.

 "It's a bit sad that you still haven't got a name, isn't it?" Sholmes said, lifting the baby up. "After all this while."

 The baby let out a joyful noise.

 "Actually… I've been calling her little Iris for a while. I-In my head," Yuujin admitted. It hadn't felt right for the baby to be completely nameless. But it hadn't felt right to actually name her either.

 "Little Iris?"

 "Yes, Iris. Um… named after my… wife, Ayame. But in English," Yuujin said sheepishly. It felt silly now, but two weeks ago, as he held the child and whispered to her gently, he wondered if giving the baby the name of his dead wife might mean she'd be watching over her too. Perhaps she'd protect the child from any more tragedy and harm. Like some sort of protection charm.

 Yuujin hoped it wasn’t too selfish, asking his wife to watch over two children like this.

 "Iris…" Sholmes repeated. He turned to the child with a smile. "Your Papa has given you a good name, hasn't he?"

 Yuujin felt his ears grow hot.

 "I'm not her Papa, Sholmes," Yuujin said in a mix of exasperation and fondness, shaking his head. "I thought that much was obvious."

 “You worry so much over her, you’re practically her Papa. Don’t pretend like you don’t peer into her cot almost every hour just to smile at her,” Sholmes said.

 Yuujin sputtered in mortification, but he had no leg to stand on in this argument.

 "Besides, as far as I'm concerned, we're Iris' fathers now," he said. "I'll be taking care of her from now on after all."

 Jaw dropping, Yuujin stuttered, "You'll be… what? No, there's no need to do that. I'll search for someone else before I leave. You don't need to do this."

 "It's quite alright, my friend!" Sholmes said. "I, the great detective, am clearly a natural at many things including taking care of infants. You can leave Iris in my very attentive and gentle care!"

 "But that is simply too much to ask of you.” Yuujin’s heart felt heavy, dripping with guilt and distress. “I’ll try—"

 "Nonsense!" Sholmes huffed. "Nothing is too much to ask of me. While I was frankly quite worried at first, time has proven that I have quite a knack for taking care of children. It will be fine."

 "No, it's not right to burden you with this. I shall look for alternatives—"

 "Surely, you won't be so cruel as to separate us!" Sholmes interrupted. "We get on so well after all. Like a house on fire, wouldn't you agree?" He lifted Iris to eye-level, and she gurgled excitedly.

 Yuujin pursed his lips. He sure hoped this was just one of those strange English turn of phrases, rather than something literal. He had been the unfortunate witness to how "on fire" Sholmes could turn a house before.

 Noticing the worry still etched upon Yuujin's face, Sholmes said in a more sombre tone, "Truthfully, that night, I was honoured to be the first person you've consulted about this. It spoke volumes of the faith you have in me. And now, I truly do wish to care for Iris… A part of me also thinks that it would be rather nice if… when you come back, you could come home to me and Iris both. And I know how much you’d worry about her back in Japan." He smiled softly at Yuujin. "What do you say, my dear partner?"

 “I…” Yuujin gazed at Iris, his eyes burning with the threat of tears again. “Thank you so much, Sholmes."

[salandition]

r-raihan carrying a short!reader bridal style pls 😳😳😳

A/N: (sniffs) I smell raihan simps. I smell people who have a height difference kink. WELCOME you’re home now because ME TOO !!

———

Today has been... busy, to put it mildly.

Your job was a unique one. It wasn’t the flashiest job, and most people didn’t even know you existed, but it was a crucial one that you took seriously. More or less, you were the official nurse of Hammerlocke city- the Gym specifically. Not only did you look over all of the Pokémon that were being trained, but you looked over the trainers as well and patched up any injuries they may have sustained on the sidelines while trying to assist their Pokémon.

People getting hurt in the midst of Pokémon battles happens as much as you’d think it would.

Because of your job, you were rather familiar with all of the gym trainers and the leader, Raihan. They were a funny bunch to be honest, and there was never a dull moment.

The fact that there was never a dull moment is exactly why you’re so exhausted at the end of your day. Every day. These trainers run themselves into the ground- and you in the process.

Not to say you don’t love it! Because you do. Today just seemed to be extra draining for everyone. You were on your feet, consistently handing out medicine for Pokémon and bandaids and gauze for trainers, and then rushing back and forth to keep everybody hydrated at the same time. It was busier because of the fact the Gym Challenge was back in full swing this season, and Raihan seemed determined to give the trainers a run for their money this year.

It was always nice to see Raihan so passionate, though.

By the time he’s decided training is over, it’s past your regular hours. Way, way past, because when you sneak a look at your phone, your eyeballs nearly fall out when you see that it’s past 1am.

And your shift isn’t even over yet! You’ve got to help pack up everything and clean the nurse’s area once everyone leaves. But- you won’t complain. Everyone’s just as tired as you are, you can tell by the loud groans everyone gives when Raihan finally gives the signal that they can go home. You don’t complain- instead you bite the inside of your cheek real hard and get to work.

Tired as you are, you don’t even notice that you’re wobbling in your steps as you walk across the gym and start to put things away. Honestly, you don’t even notice that Raihan stayed- his eyes intently watching you as you worked.

You stumble on your own two feet multiple times, stop to take a breath even more times than that, and quite often you find your eyes shifting out of focus. But you’re fine.

Well, until you find yourself being lifted high into the air, that is.

“Wh-“ you immediately gasp as you’re suddenly in Raihan’s arms- your bosses arms- one of them tucked under your knees and the other wrapped around your back.

“You’re tumbling all over the place,” The Gym Leader looks at you, an amused look in his eye as he smiles down at you. You shrink in his arms as he stares- and then you look down.

Arceus, this man is tall. You’re so high up? How is that possible?

“Uhm-“

He doesn’t even let you ask.

“It’s cute to watch you work so hard, but I’d feel cruel to sit and stare until you fall flat on your face,” Raihan says and begins to walk with you in his arms, abandoning the various items scattered on the turf floor as he heads for the locker rooms. “I’ll help you out a bit.”

You realize rather quickly that simply being in Raihan’s arms is already quite a shock- when he actually starts walking around, carrying you, you feel your face light up as your hands quickly wrap around him to stay stable. And then you feel even more hot because now you’re holding your boss- and this is weird, right? Right?

You start to laugh nervously, looking at anywhere but his bright blue eyes. “Um, well, thank you Raihan but that’s- you really don’t need to carry me! I can definitely walk!”

“But what if I want to carry you?” He hums, and you’re shocked enough that you look up into his eyes, which was a mistake.

They’re absolutely sparkling with charm and mischief. You quickly look away.

“That’s. That’s fine, then. I suppose.” You mutter. He laughs at your response but doesn’t say anything else as he carries you with ease into the locker rooms.

You really don’t want to think about just how easily he’s carrying you because even though he’s skinny looking, Raihan is fit and strong and you can really feel it when you’re against him like this- and this is bad bad bad for your small heart.

“Your locker is this one, yeah?” He walks up to one, and when you nod, he doesn’t even ask before he opens it. He shimmies your weight to one arm, the other one letting go as he cradles you against his side and starts to take out your bag and jacket. You can barely blink in surprise before he has your things around his shoulder and he’s back to carrying you with both arms.

How haven’t you exploded yet?

“Are you going to carry me all the way home?” You sputter nervously as he walks again, toward the lobby. You hope to Arceus that everyone there has left so no one sees you like this.

Raihan laughs again. “Nah, mate, but I’ll wait with you until the taxicab gets here.”

You loosen up a bit in his hold, relaxing knowing he won’t be bombarding into your home like he owns the place. “Oh,” you sigh, “thank you...”

“‘Ts no problem,” thankfully no one is in the Lobby, just as you hoped. When he steps outside, you can feel the cool night air on your cheeks, and usually you’d shiver at the chill, but being so close to Raihan you can barely feel the cold. So you suppose that’s nice. “You’re real small and light, anyway.”

Eugh. You hope the night air helps hide your flustered cheeks.

“...Thanks.”

“Getting comfortable?” Raihan looks down at you again as he stands still in the night air. His tone is teasing, but you explode anyway.

“I- I don’t know! Do you want me to?”

His laughter once again rumbles out into the night air as he throws his head back a bit.

“You’re too easy!” He smiles, big and broad. “I can always let you down.”

“Why’d you pick me up in the first place?”

“Told you. You were wobbling around like a newborn Deerling. Partly my fault with how hard I went on everyone today, so.” You feel him shrug his shoulders. “Wanted to help.”

...That’s kind of him. You spare a quick look up at him again, and when you realize he isn’t looking at you, you keep your gaze there. Raihan has always been kind, so you shouldn’t be surprised, but this is the first time you’re on the blunt receiving end of his kindness. Does he carry around everyone like this? Or is it just because you’re small?

Who knows. Raihan is kind of a wild card with his reasoning.

Blue eyes flick down and meet yours with a smug grin, and you quickly look away again. Just because he’s kind doesn’t mean he’s not smug, too!

You hope the taxi gets here soon.

[writesowhatnext]

semaphore but tastier // cedric diggory

Summary: the reader is Cedric’s best friend and they can read him like an open book

Request: hi! can i request a cedric diggory fic where the reader always bakes him smth and he feels better bc of it? 🥺 thank uu

A/N: I really hope this is okay because for some reason I am totally off my rhythm atm and it is also 1am so context also i love ced so more requests for him when i reopen are welcome

Reader: unspecified

Warnings: Triwizard tournament, injury

Anyone would think that you were conditioning him. For what, exactly, you couldn’t say, but you really couldn’t deny how pleased you were to see that handsome smile on his lips. Cedric was your best friend, though, so of course, you wanted to make him happy; it was only natural. And if you found a way to do that via a means as easy as just baking for him, then why for Merlin’s sake wouldn’t you? That was your story, if anyone asked, and that was what you were sticking to. It was nothing to do with any secret, personal, intimate feelings you had for him and that was that.

The first time, really, it’d been an accident; just a happy little coincidence. You just happened to be holding one of your mum’s home-baked Apple Danishes when you saw Ced looking positively tragic in the library, mourning over his Transfiguration essay. All it took to turn his frown upside down was an eye roll and a carefully deposited pastry in his lap - he was clearly a man of simple taste. It’d always been like that with the two of you, actually: you found that you could read him like a children’s book. A very simple children’s book with very few words and lots of very pretty pictures.

It was because of that that you always knew the one thing that never failed to make his day; one of your mum’s freshly-baked sweet treats. It had even worked when he broke up with his girlfriend, something you were not as ‘unnervingly pleased about’ as your friends had teased, thank you very much. Food was your go-to, though, and it always, always worked. Well, mostly always.

Cedric wasn’t upset often. Somehow, it was as if it went against his very nature to be anything but smiling, anything but quietly confident and wonderfully charming. So, when you strolled towards the Great Hall, spotting him and quickening your steps to fall in line with his steady gait, you were surprised to see him scowling.

“Hello,” you grinned, raising your eyebrows as he turned to you, the wrinkle between his eyebrows ironing out slightly at the sight of your smiling face.

You both stopped to wait for the staircase and his brows sunk again, his jaw clenching.

“Hi,” he said, exhaling out of his nose. You smirked, grabbing his chin gently and pushing his cheeks together, making a face. Your fingers lingered on his chiselled jaw.

“Why do you look so cross, Mr Grumpy Pants?” you asked, letting go of him as you started up the stairs.

A reluctant smile tugged at his lips, but you could tell that despite his amusement, there was still something bothering him, creasing his brow.

“Seriously, Ced,” you said, bumping his shoulder as you walked side-by-side down the corridor. “What’s up?”

He stopped short, looking down at the cobblestone floor. You took a moment to trail your eyes down his profile.

“Do you think I should put my name in the Goblet?”

Your eyes darted to meet his grey gaze, your mouth drying up at his words.

“For the Triwizard Tournament?” he said as if he needed to.

You frowned, opening your mouth before closing it again quickly.

“I might need more than a strudel for this one,” you said, trying to make him laugh. Despite your hesitance at the idea, you were glad to see him chuckle, shaking his head at your little joke.

To say you were nervous would be an understatement. The whole concept of Cedric, your Cedric, being part of the deadliest wizard competition in history was throwing you for a loop and he hadn’t even been selected yet. As you sat in the Great Hall, though, at the Halloween Feast with your heart in your throat and your eyes solidly on Cedric, some part of you knew that no one else could be the Hogwarts Champion. Not if he couldn’t.

“Do you think he’ll be picked?” your friend asked, leaning backwards to get a better look at the already selected  Durmstrang and Beauxbatons champions. You didn’t need to ask who she meant.

“Yes,” you said, surprising yourself at how shaky your voice was. “I’m almost certain.”

“Oh, right, because he’s so handsome and brave and smart and kind and wonderful,” she mocked, her voice barely audible over the clapping.

You turned to her, making a face and pretending to mouth what she’d said, earning a slap on the arm. You were too busy squabbling to hear Dumbledore’s preamble, but you sure heard it when he read out the name of the first Hogwarts champion. At the time, though, you weren’t to know there’d be a second. The whole hall erupted at Cedric’s name and despite yourself, you found you were jumping to your feet, cheering and clapping along with everyone else, whistling and finding yourself swept along by the glee of it all, proud actually, of your best friend.

It wasn’t until the dragons that the true fear and nervousness sunk in. You were on autopilot as you crept around the Waiting Tent before the first task, your stomach in knots as you hoped somehow you would find him. Ever since he’d told you that Harry Potter had told him about the dragons, you’d been dreading the day, probably more scared for his safety than he was. You were far too distracted by the thought of something happening to him and the weight of the cream pie heavy in your palm to be completely focused. A rock twisted under your foot and you lost your balance. With a yelp, you ended up pushing through the tent, the fabric separating around your hands as you landed on the floor with a thud. You groaned, officially winded by your own clumsiness.

“Y/N?” a familiar voice said softly, riddled with confusion

You looked up to see Cedric, the man of the hour, with an amused smirk and raised eyebrows.

“You alright, Ced?” you asked casually as if you hadn’t just tripped straight through the wall. Shifting to get up, you were grateful to feel his hands on your arms as he helped you to your feet.

“Better now.”

He grinned at you for a moment, the yellow of his uniform tinting his skin perfectly. You blinked.

“I uh-“ you swallowed, blinking again. “I brought you this.”

You offered him the pastry in your outstretched palm, frowning at how sad it looked, slightly crushed and deformed by your little fall.

Opening your mouth to apologise, you squished the dessert in your grip, surprised as Cedric threw his arms around you, pulling you into him tightly. A grunt left your lips and if you weren’t already disorientated by the hug, the sound of a shutter and a bright camera flash made sure to do the trick. You both pulled away sharply and you would’ve fallen again had Cedric not placed his hand on your back to steady you.

“Wow,” a woman said shrilly. “Isn’t young love beautiful?”

You opened your mouth to correct her, but your words lodged in your throat when you noticed the floating quill beside her head. Your brain connected the dots and you found yourself taking an instant disliking to Rita Skeeter, a journalist Ced had complained about when he first got interviewed.

“That’ll make the front page if today goes poorly,” she mused, pursing her lips and tilting her head to the side. “And what a pretty page that’ll be, a couple like you.”

“Excuse me,” you said indignantly, immediately defensive. You didn’t get to finish before she was accosted by the Durmstrang champion, Krum.

“Sorry about that,” Ced said, his hand leaving your back as you turned to face him, his fingers skimming your arm distracting you entirely.

“Sorry about this,” you replied, lifting up the almost unrecognisable cream pie in your hand, the filling squeezing into the plastic bag around it.

“Don’t be, I think it has a certain charm.”

“I’ll give it to you now in case-“ Your voice broke.

“Hey,” he said, cupping your elbow gently. “I’ll be fine.”

Your vision blurred with tears and even his fingertips brushing your cheek lightly couldn’t salvage the sinking feeling in your stomach.

“Do you not trust me?” he asked a playful grin on his lips. You glared through your tears, pushing against his chest softly.

“You know I do.”

“Then you know that I’ll be fine. It’s just a dragon, what’s the worst that could happen?”

You inhaled, but he’d known you long enough to know the lengthy list of your response and insisted on stopping it in its tracks.

“It’ll be okay. Besides, I have to eat this…” he paused, frowning at the decimated pastry in your hand.

“It was a cream pie.”

“Ah.”

“Champions!” Dumbledore yelled, thundering into the tent and reminding you that you definitely were not supposed to be there. You looked at Cedric as he turned back to you and it was clear that you both reluctantly knew that you had to leave. You stared at him for a moment, brows drawn together, before you shoved the bag you held into his hand and gave it a squeeze. Leaning up, you pecked him on the cheek and immediately stepped away, not quite ready to deal with the aftermath of that particular decision.

“Please be safe, Ced.”

True to his word, he was okay. You’d almost had a heart attack when the Swedish Short-Snout got close to him, but you were beyond happy to see him in the Hufflepuff Common Room, sitting like a king with a mushed-up cream pie in his grasp. You were not at all impressed to see the burn on his face, though, and you were in half a mind to chew him out over it until he spotted you across the room. Immediately, he was stalking over to you and you found yourself doing the same, rushing towards him. You met halfway, throwing your arms around his neck and burrowing your head into his shoulder, breathing in his scent.

“I told you I’d be okay,” he whispered, his free hand rubbing gently up and down your back so lightly you thought you might faint.

He waited until you were there to open the egg and you definitely wished he hadn’t when a horrible screeching noise filled the air. The days that followed as he tried to figure out the contraption, you realised that the Triwizard Tournament had taken over your entire life. For months, what would happen next and more importantly, Ced’s safety had become your first priority and undeniably, that thought scared you. You listened dutifully, as a good friend should when he told you about the advice from Professor Moody to open the golden egg underwater, or when he talked about Harry or the next task, but anyone could tell you were distracted as you tried to imagine what you would do if anything happened to him. Your mind ran away with ideas of something happening to him with you having never told him how you actually felt.

“So,” Cedric said, elbowing you and breaking you out of your reverie one lunchtime. You’d imagined him a lot in the recent days and as you turned to him, your heart stopped a little to see his face in person, as handsome as ever.

“Why are you being strange?”

“I’m not being strange,” you said, though it came out more like a question.

“So, why have you been staring into the distance for the last fifteen minutes, then?” he asked, raising his eyebrows and biting into an apple.

You felt heat rush to your face and you looked down, trying to hide.

“At first I thought you just wanted to let me down gently.”

“Gently about what?”

You shoved the food on your plate around with your fork, desperately unhungry.

“The Yule Ball.”

“What about it?” you asked, frowning as Ced leant over your forearm and placed a strange looking bun on the table in front of you.

“I want you to go with me,” he said softly, his eyes nervous as you made eye contact. Why on Earth would Ced be nervous, you thought, assuming you were mistaken.

“You want to go with me?”

You’d been examining the bun closely when you looked up at him, your fingertips sinking into the delicate white icing as you froze. You couldn’t quite keep up with what was happening and you found yourself blinking far too much, your chest tightening in the process.

“You don’t have to-“

“Don’t you want to go with Cho Chang? Or that Granger girl? Or-“

“Why are trying to talk me out of asking you?”

You looked down, desperately aware of his eyes on you as you peeled your fingers from the sticky icing.

“What’s this?” you asked, nodding to it.

“Something to sweeten the deal,” he said and you could hear the distinct smile in his voice. “Also, you looked sad and you always bake me things with I’m sad.”

“Did you bake this?” you turned to him, frowning, the sound of your heartbeat growing louder in your ears.

“No,” he scoffed, shaking his head and taking another bite of his apple. “I’m just very nice to the house-elves.”

You smiled, huffing a laugh at his pleased expression.

“I don’t think I can go with you, Ced,” you admitted, swallowing gruffly and avoiding his eyes. “To the ball.”

“Why not?”

His voice was small and you wish you hadn’t known him well enough to hear the hurt in it.

“Because to you, it would just be as friends.” You paused, an odd regretful relief flooding through you. “And I like you way more than a friend should.”

“I’m not asking you as a friend,” he said.

You frowned, your eyes lifting up and to the side, before you turned to face him, surprised to see him quietly cocky and not at all like you’d ruined his life by admitting your feelings, as you’d expected you would.

“As a best friend?” you asked, your voice unmistakably hopeful.

You watched a smirk play on his lips and a mischievous glint sparkle in his eye and something you’d never felt before stirred in your chest. He finally broke eye contact, shaking his head and looking down.

“I think you know the answer to that.”

harry potter tag list:

@creator-appreciator​

@loveisblindness​

@xinyourdreamsx​

@brainlesspasta​

@hariosborn​

@staringmoony​

@rexorangecouny​

@alittletoomanyobsessions​

@peachesandpinks​

@yuptha-tsme​

@obsessedwithrandomthings​

@dreamer821​

@iprobablyshipit91​

[heavyarethecrowns]

Forget Wills and Kate - it's Harry who's found love - May 2007

Gazing into the flames of a campfire on the banks of Botswana's Okavango River, a scruffily dressed young man took a sip of his beer and let out a prolonged sigh.

Minutes later, he was pouring his heart out to the three strangers sitting beside him.

"Apparently, he had fallen in love with some girl in Cape Town who was the daughter of a rich businessman in Zimbabwe.

"He seemed really serious about her, saying he couldn't understand how he had fallen head-over-heels only four days after meeting her," one of those fellow travellers later recalled.

The love-sick youth was, of course, Prince Harry, then on holiday in Africa during his gap year. And the girl who made such an impact was Chelsy Davy.

Three years on, almost to the day, Harry is preparing to wave goodbye to his girlfriend and march off to war.

Much has happened to the young prince in the intervening period: officer training at Sandhurst; periodic brawls with the paparazzi; and his father's marriage to the woman Harry once blamed for causing his late mother so much anguish.

But, to the surprise of many observers, one of the few constants in Harry's life has turned out to be the coltish, snub-nosed girl he met in Cape Town.

Indeed, some of his friends believe that an engagement is almost certainly on the cards, though probably not for a few years yet.

Of course, feelings can change. A tour of duty in Iraq, fighting for his country, may accelerate the progression from pampered prince to more mature man of the world: he may want to close the book on his youth, open a new chapter, find a different kind of soulmate.

But maybe not. Even 12 months ago, few could have predicted that Harry's long- distance relationship with the coquettish daughter of a Zimbabwean wheeler-dealer and former Coca-Cola model would outlast William's romance with the eminently proper Kate Middleton.

The truth of the matter, however, is that Harry has always seen himself and Chelsy as better suited and more capable of going the distance.

"And now," said a well-placed source this week, "he's been proved right."

The 22-year- old prince has become increasingly irritated by what he saw as the "hype" surrounding William and Kate's relationship.

A friend of Harry's says: "Harry doesn't want to be subjected to the level of interest people have been taking in William and Kate.

"It's his idea of hell. But he also feels very frustrated at the way people are so dismissive of him and Chelsy.

"They are always portrayed as a pair of poor little rich kids who will burn themselves out sooner rather than later.

"In Harry's mind, there is nothing ridiculous whatsoever in the idea that one day, in the not-too-distant future, Princess Chelsy could be standing on the balcony at Buckingham Palace - even though she would probably be hiding a cigarette and a bottle of Malibu behind her back."

Despite the stream of paparazzi photographs that reveal a fondness for partying and a distinctly beach-chick style, the 21-year-old Zimbabwean has been an "A" student at school and university.

Harry would not want to change anything about her.

While others - including his own father, according to Harry - find themselves transfixed by Chelsy's more obvious charms - the prince has always believed that his girlfriend has some sterling qualities that Kate probably lacked.

"Harry has always been quietly very proud of the fact that Chelsy - or Chedda, as he affectionately calls her - loves him for who he is.

"In fact, she sees the fact that he's royal as more of a hindrance than a help," says a confidante.

"As the hugely popular daughter of a multi-millionaire businessman with homes in at least three different countries, she doesn't really need to take advantage of Harry's birthright."

One source close to the prince suggests that he actually sided with members of William's circle who felt that Kate Middleton had started to take advantage of the relationship.

"Harry had sympathy with those of William's friends who felt Kate had begun to rather enjoy her fame by association a little too much - unlike his own girlfriend, who he thinks is a 'real class act'," the source explains.

'When she first met William, Kate had few friends of her own - but over the years, she carefully assimilated herself into his circle.

"There was a feeling among some of William's friends that Kate had become a little too self-aware - she even had the cheek to bag herself a cut-price Audi, thanks to her royal links - while publicly insisting that she wanted to be treated as an ordinary girl."

Although Chelsy and Kate were photographed together on several occasions, most notably at the Beaufort Polo Club last summer, Harry's girlfriend apparently didn't particularly take to Kate.

"It wasn't that she disliked her - it's just that they had nothing in common. One only has to look at them to see it," says the source.

"Chelsy is a lot sweeter than she looks, but she is still a very outgoing girl who likes a beer and a fag.

Thanks to her rather indulged upbringing, she is incredibly sociable and self-confident - qualities that don't come naturally to Kate."

Others more sympathetic to Miss Middleton's cause, suggest the reality is that Chelsy has been just as keen to turn a royal relationship to her advantage.

She may protest about the attention, but she has not raised objections about her new status as international cover girl.

Last year, the society magazine, Tatler, even bracketed her with the Duchess of Cornwall as one of the most powerful blondes in Britain.

Her brother Shaun, meanwhile, has taken to styling himself as one of Harry's official bodyguards, and has been known to chase after photographers when they try to take the prince's picture.

Yet, in Harry's besotted eyes, Chelsy and her family can do no wrong.

Courtiers who have expressed concern about the Davys' controversial business links to Zimbabwean despot Robert Mugabe, have been told that she is a "non-negotiable" part of his life.

And he is undoubtedly entranced by the relative normality of his girlfriend's close-knit family.

Which is perhaps hardly surprising. By the age of 13, Harry had weathered not only his parents' separation but had also been forced to cope with the tragic - and endlessly raked-over -death of his mother.

Since then, his upbringing has been marked by a lack of parental discipline, thanks to his loving but laissez-faire father.

Even those with reservations about Chelsy concede that she has had a positive effect on the headstrong, devil-may-care young prince.

"It's far from a coincidence that when Harry does slip up - the times when he falls out of nightclubs drunk and brawls with photographers in the streets - Chelsy isn't around," says one who knows them both well.

"Believe it or not, he has matured in recent years - in large part thanks to Chelsy, whom he is incredibly protective of - and really does try to keep his head down.

"They are so besotted with each other - like a couple of lovebirds, really - that when they are together, nothing else really matters.

"Their body language is so different from that of Kate and William, who always used to look more like brother and sister.

"The trouble is that when Chelsy isn't around, Harry is easily led astray."

On their recent jaunt to the Caribbean, the couple barely left their luxury condo in the exclusive Glitter Bay resort in Barbados, preferring to lie, holding hands, by the pool.

And at last Friday's raucous Blues and Royals party to celebrate Harry's deployment to Iraq, it was William who stayed out clubbing until 4am with a bevy of beautiful girls.

Harry and Chelsy quietly sipped cocktails in a private booth before slipping off discreetly at 1am.

Lately, friends have noticed that the relationship seems to be deepening - although that is not to say there haven't been some pretty intense spats.

Unlike William, who was accused of leaving Kate to flounder under the weight of expectation while he forged on with his own life, Harry has been actively encouraging Chelsy to make solid plans for their future.

Bristol University has flatly denied rumours she plans to do a postgraduate degree there in the autumn, but friends say she is definitely planning to spend more time in England, where she has many friends from her days as a boarder at Stowe, a co-educational public school in Buckinghamshire.

She has even cancelled her plans to return to Africa over the summer and will instead wait for Harry to return from Iraq on leave.

"Chelsy hates the weather here, but is desperate to be nearer to her darling Haz. She is willing to make sacrifices if it takes their relationship a step forward," says a friend.

And Harry has already asked Chelsy to attend the memorial concert in July that he and William are organising to mark the tenth anniversary of their mother's death, though they are still discussing whether she should attend the formal church service later that month.

A Clarence House source says: "The problem is that every senior member of the Royal Family will be there, and Harry knows that taking her is tantamount to making a public statement on the future of their relationship.

"He doesn't think that it's fair on her to open the floodgates just yet."

In the immediate future, he knows that he needs to concentrate on leading his men in Iraq.

The highly charged public debate over his deployment to the Gulf has radically increased the pressure on him to make a success of his career - and he wants to show that the Army's confidence in him has not been misplaced.

"After what happened to my mother, I'm not afraid to die - but I am frightened for those around me," he recently confided to one close friend.

Although he did once petulantly threaten to quit if he were not sent to Iraq with his troops, his attitude has changed in the last few months.

"He knows that the situation is bigger than him now, and he'll take whatever he is told to do on the chin," says a royal aide.

Indeed, those who know him well say he is haunted by the fear that one of his men could be captured or even killed because of him.

"That's something he just couldn't bear, and he knows he would be held to account for the rest of his life.

"The men in his troop have tried to reassure him - joking that they will all wear ginger wigs to confuse the enemy, which is typical of Army gallows humour - but he is wracked with guilt," says another friend.

Iraq, however, is also Harry's big opportunity to strike out from under his elder brother's shadow.

For the first time in his life, the spare to William's heir will be taking centre stage.

"Harry loves his brother very much, but he is acutely aware of the way in which he is overshadowed by William.

"He is determined to go to war and make his family proud," says a friend.

But unlike William, he will have a long-term sweetheart to sweep into his arms when he returns.

[becomingdrmommy]

Today I get to celebrate Mother’s Day with the absolute love of my life. I have never in my life felt my heart as full as it is now. My precious baby boy was born last week at 5:47am and I can’t even find the words to describe how I feel. As I lay here watching him nap, I am amazed at not only myself, but at him and this amazing being that he is already. I can’t believe he’s already a week old.

So, birth story. I first noticed contractions around 11pm. They felt similar to the Braxton Hicks, but different at the same time. I went to the bathroom & noticed some bloody discharge. We had sex earlier so I didn’t pay it any mind tbh. It seemed like contractions were increasing in intensity and pretty quickly so I took out my app and decided to time them. Approx. 2 minutes apart and lasting about 1 minute each. Because I live so close to the hospital (and I was in denial I was in labor lol) I labored at home for another 2 hours. My water hadn’t broken so I wasn’t too concerned. But the intensity was not letting up so I finally convinced myself I was in labor. I could barely talk through the contractions when we decided to leave. We got to the hospital and I was 6cm. 100% effaced, 0 station. At this point, I’m begging for pain meds. I had just got to my L&D room. I originally wanted to go natural, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed something to take the edge off. I got checked & found out I was 8cm, 100% & at +3. Too far along for IV or an epidural. It was only about 45 minutes between triage and getting to my L&D room, but I was progressing quickly. Now I’m freaking out. I always said I was going to be controlled, but I was screaming and everything. My nurse was actually a friend which gave me an added comfort. I was begging her to just slide something into my IV. Luckily, I hit transition quickly. I only pushed for like 30 minutes. Once my OB got there, baby was out in 3 pushes. No epidural, no IV meds, no tearing. I’m extremely proud of myself. From the time I noticed contractions to birth, it was about 6 hours total. I got to the hospital around 1am so once I arrived, it was only 4 hours until baby arrived. It was such a surreal experience. I’m amazed at what my body was capable of doing. I’m amazed at my son.

He is so perfect in every single way. 7 pounds, 10 oz. 21 inches of love. All of his vitals were great. He’s eating and voiding like he should. When we went for his check up appt, he had already made it back to his birth weight. The only concern was a bit a jaundice, but his bili levels came back within a normal limit so we’re in the clear. He’s just the sweetest baby. He doesn’t really cry or fuss (unless I’m taking too long to whip my breast out lol) all he does is eat and sleep. His little baby cuddles are the absolute best. I could hold him all day.

I am walking away with an umbilical hernia which were hoping will go away on its own and won’t need surgical repair. It seems to be going down and it’s no longer painful. Keeping it wrapped up until my follow up appt. I’m still sore, but at a manageable pain level. The exhaustion is real. Sleep when the baby sleeps is cute advice, but let’s be real...there is still cleaning to be done, eating, enjoying a moment of stillness lol. Our moms have been “helpful.” I expected them to be helping with cooking and cleaning, but all they do is sit and hold and play with our son. And then get mad when we get up to clean and everything. Talking about, “y’all need to rest.” Well we could rest if you’d help us out. I’m kind of just ready to be alone with our baby. All in all, this week has been absolutely amazing. I’m officially a mom and I’m so in love with this new title that I’ve gained. He means the absolute world to me and it’s hard to imagine a life without him. He’s so perfect. I love him so much.

[someonewhowannadielol]

inevitable love (Yandere!Taehyung x SmolBaby!Reader)

You obviously couldn’t take care of yourself, so Kim Taehyung took matters in his own hands. Literally.

Warning: Harassment, loads of capitalism (kinda ironic that I hate capitalism, considering I’m an Econ student sigh), big dog chase idrk, y/n complains a lot lmao also she’s textbook smart but lowkey dumb,,, like me, I'm literally y/n anywaYS 

CHAPTER ONE (Honestly, its more of a prologue)

P.S Sorry, this one's mostly focused on Y/N, I promise Taehyung will make it in the next chap! 

Word Count: 1.4k

This was ridiculous. You had graduated from one of the finest business schools in the world, yet, here you were, sitting in your shabby studio apartment, listening to another rejection after the countless job interviews while watching the paint peel off the walls. You never really thought life would lead to this, you sitting here on your mattress, eating (probably uncooked) ramen, and crossing another job opportunity. The ramen wasn’t that bad, there were no complaints about it from your side anyways, because you couldn’t cook for shit and any food other than premade food was a waste in this household. You still have nightmares about the incident when you accidentally forgot to take off the plastic packaging off the sliced cheese before making a cheese sandwich in the microwave. Only to watch the microwave - and the cheese – explode in front your eyes. The poor baby.

Glancing at your watch, you realize that you have to head downtown to your job – which was paid under minimum wage, but it did make you better off than the homeless, and the jobless. You could still afford at least one meal a day (Was cup ramen considered a meal?) and the chef at the diner would sneakily give you food, sigh, he was so nice. Sometimes, you look back, and think where things went wrong. You were basically a child genius, always a couple classes ahead of your peers, you got almost got a perfect score on the SAT at the first try (it was a 1560!), you got your bachelor’s degree at the age of 18, instead of the usual 22. You look back and see how you used to think that you could afford a luxurious penthouse apartment in Manhattan and pay off your student loans within a year, while working in one of the best companies in world.

You did have the textbook knowledge, but who was there to teach you about the practical world? The real world? The textbooks didn’t teach you how to pay your water and electricity bills, they didn’t teach you how to hold your tears back when the landlord puts a suggestive hand on your waist, they didn’t teach you how to accept countless rejections, or how to use coupons while grocery shopping, or how to ignore the everyday catcalls, or how to walk through the streets at night. They didn’t teach you how to cope with the fact that your father died but you didn’t have enough money for a flight back to your hometown, they didn’t teach you how to not shout at your mother who got a new family, they didn’t teach you the reality.

So, here you were, two years later, serving disgusting men who harassed you, while wearing a skirt that was too short for your liking and heels that made your feet ache every single day. Somehow, it was worse today. Your hair wouldn’t co-operate, your mascara had officially dried out and no amount of contact solution could revive it from its flaky texture, your manager basically manipulated you to wear red lipstick, and these goddamn heels won’t stop hurting your feet.

At this point, I’m just going to die from the chronic feet pain, you thought.

It was just an endless day of serving, picking up dirty dishes, and of course, ignoring the occasional disgusting words of “endearment” from your customers. You were just picking up the mess of ketchup left by a couple of rowdy boys who sat here 15 minutes earlier, repeatedly asking for your number. Interesting enough, despite all the catcalling, you can only recall four people asking for your number.

The first one had been a wannabe bike rider, he was tall, around 6’4 – give or take – and quite chunky with a full curly beard down to his chest. Despite knowing some people who would dig this vibe, you personally didn’t love the entire ensemble. In fact, you cringed whenever you saw these people perform their tricks on the streets (You cringed even more when you saw them fall and smash their head open. Yikes).

You remember, it was your third day at the newly acquired job, and while you weren’t all that ecstatic to start working here (You were already looking for other, more well paid jobs with more benefits), you still respected the job requirement and went up to the customer and asked, “What would you like to order, sir?” in your sweetest voice possible.

“Well, what’s on the special menu?”

Special menu? You weren’t informed about any special menu, maybe your manager forgot to tell you?

“I’m sorry, I’m quite new here, I’ll go confirm this special menu with my manager,” and just as you tried to go to your manager – who by the way had been keeping an eye on you since you got here, you could say she wasn’t exactly fond of you – scary biker dude grabbed your wrist, a little too tight to be called comfortable, and you couldn’t help but wince.

“Oh sweetheart, you’re the first and only item on the special menu. And I’d like to order that, with a side of Vanilla milkshake,”

Okay, crinnngggeee.

And then, as impossible as it seemed, you were forced to smile and laugh it off, even if it disgusted you to the core. And then, you were manipulated to hand over your phone number.

Just go with the flow, Y/N, just go with the flow. Block it later, no worries.

He was known to be a usual customer, but surprisingly, he didn’t actually ever come to the diner after that, nor did he call you. Now that you notice, no one you gave your number to, actually did call you. Whether it was the biker, or the druggie, or the 50-year-old man who promised to buy you a yacht. Eh, he was so old, he probably died on his way home. So, you never knew whether to take it as an insult, or a blessing.

Well, this day was almost over until 5 minutes before closing down, a bunch of people, who were probably high, because of the unmistakable scent of weed coming from them – came and demanded to be served. Of course, the manager could score any penny she could, so of course, you were forced to work overtime again. Without getting paid.

Finally, a little after 1am, you could take off these horrid heels and slip into the much comfier sketchers. Sure, you had glued them a couple of times, and sure, they kept on breaking because you’ve had them since high school, but it’s okay. You’ll live.

You were halfway down the route to your house, as you tried to rub your fingers together and somehow magically take away the freezing wind this cold night brought. As you walked, you attempted to feel your phone in your back pocket – annddd just when you thought your day couldn’t get any worse. You’d probably left it back in your locker or your apron’s pocket and for a second you contemplated whether it would be worth it to go all the way back at 2am to get you phone. You almost decided against it, but remembered that you would get the confirmation call from the job interview you gave on Thursday, anytime tomorrow. And so, you decided to go back. Well, this was one of the worst decisions of your life. Scratch that, it was the worst decision of your life.

You reached the diner in approximately 10 minutes, but obviously, everything was locked and there was no way you’d sneak in there because, phew, if you got caught you’d lose the only job you have. Just as you turned back, you saw the biggest fucking dog you’ve ever seen. You didn’t know much about dogs, except for the fact that you’re shitless scared of the big, scary ones – and this was definitely a big, scary one. His fur was coated with black, brown and red spots, about half your height, and had teeth that could tear a human in mere seconds.

You didn’t really know whether to run or gently walk away, making it think you weren’t a threat – you took a couple slow steps back while looking at it in the eye, but you’re a dumbass and suddenly decided to run. Somehow along the run you lost the dog. And one of your shoes. And your apartment keys. And your bag which contained this week’s paycheck.

Well, you were fucked.

A/N: Please do give feedback! Also, tell me if you want to be on the taglist for this!

[dalamjisung]

addicted ❁ choi youngjae

word count: 3676

genre: fluff

pairing: reader x choi youngjae

description: you might be three years late, but good things come for those who wait.

You meet through Tinder because that’s how everyone meets nowadays. Or maybe you meet before that; get introduced before, talk before— at the coffee shop he works,— but officially meet through Tinder. Yeah, that’s how you know his name, anyways. Youngjae. At the coffee shop you don’t really talk, but you text and that’s even worse than Tinder; you want to hear his voice. He has a nice voice and it calms you down when he says that everything will be alright, his overwhelmingly fake confidence taking over your overwhelmingly misplaced anxiety. A match made in heaven, really. 

Too bad it took you almost three years to notice. But you know now; oh, boy, how you know. You know from the moment you wake up, when you get dressed and your hand linger on your AC/DC t-shirt, thinking about how he likes the band and how you only know that because you know he’s in charge of the playlist in the coffee shop. You think of him in the afternoon, walking down the hill to the small town, when’re you know that, crossing under the bridge, on the other side of the tracks, he will be, inside the coffee shop, cleaning the table next to the counter, because he always seems to be cleaning that table when you get to the shop– he will smile, make a joke or two, and pull out the chair for your heavy book bag. More than ever, though, you think of him at night, when you are about to leave the shop after a long day of homework and essays, and when he’s not even on shift, but rather just hanging out there, since all his friends work there intermittently, and before you go he hands you a cup– tea, hot chocolate, coffee… whatever he feels you might need for the walk home. You always try to pay, and he always laughs it off, which consequently makes you two start to bicker, annoying and amusing everyone around you at the same time. You haven’t payed for coffee in five months.

For months that’s how it is; the both of you talk, ignoring the whole Tinder thing. Until it happens again. It’s about four or five months later when your roommate, Mina, having one of her usual breakdowns, convince you to download Tinder with her. It happens from time to time– she realizes she feels alone, downloads a dating app, goes out with a guy, and, once it inherently goes bad, vows to never do it again. You on the other hand, never reaches the ‘going out’ stage. You chat with people and it’s all fun and games until they ask you out and you get fed up with this whole thing. It’s just what happens– until Youngjae. You notice his smile before anything else– it’s a picture of him in front of the Koffee Haus, mid-laugh in the sun. Only after you feel a familiar warmth spreading, you realize it’s him. Youngjae. Choi Youngjae. Barista Youngjae. Your Youngjae. 

Three days pass and you refuse to swipe. Not left, nor right; you stay put, in hopes that the app crashes or malfunctions and reloads automatically. As if you were that lucky. His face is the first thing you see when you open the app, time and time again, and you know you have to make a decision and stick by it. You know that if you swipe right, you can’t bail– you’ll have to follow through, for everyone’s sake, your’s included. It takes a two-hour conversation with your roommate and a full afternoon with him to settle it; you’ll swipe right as soon as you get home. 

Saying you ran all the way back to your dorm is downplaying it, but as soon as you get there, finding Mina in the kitchen, you swipe right. The relief is as instant as the ‘It’s a match!’ screen, and the fear comes as quick as Mina’s bodyslam. She is shouting out of excitement after knocking your air out of your lungs and leaving you in the ground as she runs around the small apartment, screaming incoherent things about love and unicorns. 

“You have to text him!” 

You don’t, you want to scream back out of pure stubbornness, but you know she is right. You have to commit to it, that’s the only way you’ll ever be able to do this. Dating has been an issue for you ever since you can remember. The whole things about intimacy and vulnerability just wasn’t your forte… 

“Okay,” You take a deep breath, hand grabbing your phone firmly. “You’re right, I have to text him– I mean, I swiped right! It would only make sense!”

“Exactly,” Mina agrees, breathing harsh like yours. She is nervous for you and that is one of the reasons why you’ve been roommates for almost four years. Your friendship being much more than a simple word and title; she’s been family ever since you’ve known her. “And it’s not weird! You don’t have to worry about that– cause I know you are– because he also swiped on you! It’s like a mutual confession of attraction or something.”

“You’re right,” You repeat. “There is nothing to be embarrassed. And who says the woman can’t make the first move? We’re on the goddamn 21st century, you know? If he wants to make it weird because I texted first–“

“Just do it!”

You scream as you do it– putting your password, looking for the app, and finally opening the chat. 

Hello again. 

Well, you were not expecting that. 

“He texted you,” Mina shouts in your ear. “Oh my god, Y/N, he texted you!”

The night goes like that, filled with screams and giggles and excitement, and you only wished it would last forever. When you see him at the coffee shop the next day, you wave, blushing when he winks back. He is not on shift, and you know. He excitedly chats with his friends about life and you know he’s looking at you– you can feel his gaze heavy on the top of your head. He circles around you like a shy kid, sitting on three different places in thirty minutes. First the stools in front of you, then the ones behind you, and finally the table across the small room from yours. You end up ditching homework and talking to him for hours, once you gather enough courage to invite him to sit with you. 

A joke here, a joke there, and Youngjae is suddenly more and more present in your daily life; talking to you almost everyday for a week. At the coffee shop, in person, and then back at your dorm, through Tinder. It got constant enough that people started to notice– the other baristas, his friends, your friends. Everyone watching, keeping tabs, asking. It got to the point that it freaked you out enough to ask for his phone number, so that everyone wouldn’t always be staring at your phone, waiting for his name to pop up on an app notification. You think you’ve got it all down once he gives it to you, but the despair comes back when his first text comes through. 

Okay, so what are your expectations out of this?

The conversation ends with you crying on your carpet at 1AM, anxiously waiting for a text back. A confirmation, a rejection, anything but silence. 

I like you too. 

“Y/N,” Mina gasps, reading the message out loud, enough to be heard over your crying. “I am so happy for you, babes.”

She joins you on the floor, hugging you as you cry even more, relieved that you haven’t ruined everything.

“What was there to ruin, love?” She asks, holding your hand. 

“I live at the Koffee Haus, Mina,” You sigh, sniffling every now and then. “The people in there are like family to me. Jackson, Bambam, Yugyeom, Jaebeom, Jinyoung, Mark. If I had ruined all of this just because of a boy I don’t think I’d ever forgive myself…” “But he’s not just a boy,” She points out.

“How do you know?” You ask, eyes closing. “I’m the one that likes him, and even I’m not sure.”

“Because I know you,” She shrugs. “Years of living together will do that to you, babes. You are the most calculating person I know– always careful to not hurt or bother anyone, measuring your words to not offend anyone, doing your best to pass unnoticed and not interrupt anyone. You decided to do this, Y/N– you consciously decided to do this. He is not just a boy. He can’t be.”

“I’m scared,” You whisper, squeezing her hand. 

“Of what?”

“Of messing up.”

You wake up on the carpet and late for your morning class. Deciding to skip (for once in your life,) you take a shower and calmly go back to your bed, where your back cracks and relaxes as you fall asleep again. Mina is the one to wake you up once she’s back.

“Y/N,” She giggles. “Babes, it’s already three in the afternoon. Wake up.”

You mumble something and tiredly open your eyes, smiling lightly. 

“I needed this sleep,” You yawn, sitting up.

“I know,” Mina drops her bag in the ground and climbs on your bed with you, sitting with her back against the wall, and you do the same, your shoulders touching. “You are probably tired from studying at the Koffee Haus for hours– sometimes you just need a break.”

“What are you talking about?” You laugh. “I haven’t been at the coffee shop since yesterday. I slept the whole day… Should I email my professor?”

“Does that mean you have been ignoring Youngjae since yesterday?!” Mina shrieks, making your eyes go wide as both of you lunge towards your cellphone. 

“Oh my god, no,” You groan, rapidly clicking on your phone so that the screen lights up. “I put it on silent.”

“Goddamn it,” Mina scrolls through the various notifications. “You and this phone… I think it’s been on silent since day one.”

“There!” You shout, and unlock the screen.

We missed you today… everything okay?

“Okay, it’s not that bad,” You shrug, typing out a response. “How does ‘lol just took a very needed nap’ sounds?”

“Sounds good,” Mina approves and the two of you giggle. “This feels like we are back to being fourteen.”

“I know, right?” You smile. “Feels good…”

“Well, get ready, girl,” Mina winks. “It’s about to get much better.”

Everything that comes next goes by in what feels like a second; you keep going to the Koffee Haus, of course, and Youngjae keeps giving you free coffee, although you insist to pay every time. Homework gets done– even though it takes longer with your distracted stares and his not-so-subtle winks– and drinks are made, and within a week, you have a date, a time, and a place. Friday night, 9PM, at the Tavern. Things are going fast– too fast,– but you like it, because then it doesn’t give you enough time to back down. It is just the pace for you. 

Friday comes in a blink and you are nervous, pacing the room in your underwear as Mina pulls black jeans after black jeans in an effort to put something together. 

“If you want to put some makeup,” She says moving on to your tops drawer. “The time is now; you’re already late.”

“I’m nervous,” You say as you covered some pimples with concealer. “Like, really nervous.”

“It shows,” Mina laughs and her head pops behind you in the mirror. “It’s cute.”

Things are simple, from the way you are dressed to the place Youngjae chose, and you hope things stay like that as you walk down the hill to meet him. You see him through the window a little before he sees you, too distracted chatting with Jackson and Jinyoung and you can’t help but feel more and more nervous. What are they doing there? Are they there do observe the shit show this will eventually be once you mess up? Oh God, what if–

“Hey! Come in,” Youngjae chuckles from the door. “We have a date, remember?”

“How could I forget?” You joke and your voice cracks a little, suddenly feeling light headed and out of air. His smile doesn’t falter, but you see it in his eyes– he noticed. 

Guiding you to a table a little away from the other, you sit down before ordering a drink. Youngjae chuckles and small talk starts– how-are-you-where-are-you-from kind of small talk and you hate it. You absolutely hate it because you knew it all; you knew his hometown, his age, his birthdate. You’ve been through this already when you first met, three years ago. You think he notices, squinting his eyes at you as you finish your drink in three gulps and muttering something. 

“What?” You ask, allowing your uncomfortableness to come out as a low chuckle. 

“Nothing,” He shakes his head.

“No, come on,” You whine. “What were you laughing about?”

“Honestly?” He asks, leaning forward. You nod. “You just look really beautiful and I got distracted.”

What follows is probably something you will never forget, because that is the moment you felt so embarrassed that you allow your head to bang the table. Getting up, you see him laughing and you smile, finally seeing in person that photo of him in the sun. He looks ethereal, even under the purple lights of the dimly lit bar. After that, however, conversation is fluid; it is almost as if by head butting the table, you embarrassed yourself enough to not feel embarrassed by anything else. Anxiety came and went, still, but Youngjae allowed no space for it, simply grabbing your hands and gesturing in between you and him.

“It’s just us,” He’d whisper, getting closer and closer to you. “Don’t worry, everything is alright, yeah? Just you and me, Y/N.”

“Okay,” You’d smile nervously. “Just you and I.”

Turned out it wasn’t just you and him, and that Chaemin, an ex-something of yours– ex-fling, ex-friend, ex-everything,– seemed to quite enjoy going to the Tavern too, arriving in the most loud and obnoxious way possible. He walks in as if he owns the place, and you feel nausea taking over. 

“Oh shit,” Youngjae says when he spots Chaemin. Sighing, he offer a polite smile to the boy that kept staring at you two. “Fucking douchebag. He comes to the Koffee Haus almost everyday…”

“I know,” You gulp. “I see him, too.”

“Hey, your hands are cold as shit,” He frowns. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah!” You exclaim, maybe a little too loud for him to believe you. “It’s just; just– that’s–“

“Hey, what did I say before?” Now his hands is fully on yours, fingers laces, palms together. “You and me, Y/N. I’m having a great time and I won’t let fucking Vanilla Latte there ruin it.”

You smile, chuckling a little.

“Vanilla latte?” You ask, leaning forward enough to meet me him halfway over the table. The tension is so palpable anyone can feel it, and you think you might just kiss, with everyone looking and you don’t even care. But he backs away. You see something flashing in his eyes, but it’s gone in a second and the conversation goes back to its natural flow. His hands never leave yours, though, and you especially loved when he’d squeeze them together, assuring you once again. 

Four hours pass as if they were a few minutes and soon enough you are getting calls and texts about your whereabouts. 

“Sorry,” You smile. “Just have to assure my roommate I’m alive.”

“Nah, it’s alright,” He winks and gets up. “Tell her I only kill after the third date.”

Youngjae goes to bathroom and you take your time in your phone, promising every single friend that texted that you are alive and well. One of the baristas brings another drink and you look at her surprised.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I–“

“It’s on the house, love,” She says and offers you a smile. “I’m Vanessa.”

“Oh, thank you then!” You exclaim happily. “I’m Y/N, nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure’s mine,” Vanessa says. “It’s nice to see Youngjae laughing.”

Before you can say anything, you feel a hand on your lower back. 

“Gossiping about me, girls?” Youngjae laughs.

“Of course,” Vanessa winks at you. “I had to meet the girl that made it here.”

“Alright, alright,” He whines and jokingly pushes her away. “You can have a date with her another day.”

You laugh and you finally realize how relaxed you have been for the past hour or so. Youngjae had that effect on you– he made you feel like being yourself was the only and best option. And that’s when you realize you actually like him– enough to want to ask him out, enough to want to kiss him, enough to want to have him, and give yourself in return. 

“It’s already one in the morning,” You laugh checking your phone. “Guess we’ve been here for a while…”

“Do you have anything important tomorrow?” Youngjae asks, squeezing your hand and caressing it with his thumb. “I can walk you home now, if you want…”

“I guess,” You mumble, suddenly remembering everything you had to do the next day. “But you don’t have to walk me home if that’s not the way you’re going anyways.”

“I’m coming back here after I drop you off,” He shrugs. “I just don’t like the idea of you walking alone at night.”

“You’re coming back?” You say, getting up and gathering your things. “Then you definitely don’t need to walk me all the way back– I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“Nope,” Youngjae smiles. “Let me just pay the bill and we’ll go.”

He’s gone in a second, and you take the chance to slip a ten dollar bill in his discarded jacket’s pocket. Once he’s back, he puts the jacket on and you smile, following him outside. He extends his hand to you and you grab it excitingly, only then realizing you feel for a trap– you pull away laughing, with your ten dollar bill in hand. The walk is filled with whispers and laughter and the back and forth of the ten dollar bill– it’s only when Youngjae manages to put it on your jacket’s pocket that he pulls you close by the waist, nose touching each other, and asks.

“Can I kiss you?”

You can help but giggle as you nod, and he is quick to claim your lips, claiming the rest of you in consequence. He is surprisingly firm for someone that is so gentle otherwise; lips more giving than demanding, and hands possessive and careful. You almost forget that you are in the middle of a sidewalk, if it wasn’t for Chaemin’s laughter coming from a distance. 

“Youngjae,” You mutter, slowing down the kiss. “Let’s go, there are people coming.”

“No,” He groans, hiding his face in your neck. “Fuck them. I want more kisses.”

“Let’s go, you child,” You laugh, and pull him by the hand in a hurry, but it’s too late. Chaemin and his friends see you, and from his face, you know he won’t leave it alone.

“Well, hello there,” Chaemin shouts. “You two look quite… friendly.”

Youngjae looks at you, confused as you take a step back, partially hiding behind him. 

“You were never that friendly with me, Y/N,” He says. “Good to see you’re changing for the better…”

“Is she, though?” One of his friends ask, and you recognize her from the Theater department. “Or is it the free coffee? She is there everyday, after all.”

“Oh, maybe you’re right,” Chaemin teases. “She is addicted, isn’t she?”

“No–“ You try to protest but Youngjae moves and you can’t see anything but the back of his hoodie.

“I don’t think she’s changed,” He says with a smile, very Youngjae like, never showing his irritation. “I just think the company got better. And sure, she is addicted to coffee, unhealthily so, what’s wrong with that?” “Easy now, coffee boy,” Chaemin takes a step forward and you freeze, knowing that either you step in, or things could easily go south. “We’re just making small talk.”

“I’m not your friend, so there’s no need for that, buddy,” Youngjae says and takes your hand, pulling you to his side. “We’ll get going now.”

“Have fun,” Chaemin calls from behind you. “If she lets you.”

“Oh, we will,” Youngjae waves and continues to guide you to your dorm.

The walk is now quiet, and you can feel Youngjae’s irritation, but you also know there’s nothing you can do about it. You are almost at the door when he stops you, pulling you back by the hand and kissing you again– fast, harsh, raw. You break apart panting, eyes searching for his, and you know; you know why he gave you free coffee, why he took you out, why helped you out. He likes you as much as you like him and although he doesn’t say anything in that moment, you feel it. I hope I’m not wrong, you think before kissing him again. You knew he liked you because he said it, but there’s a difference in between saying it, and showing it. He’s finally shown it. 

“Are you going back?” You ask, pecking his lips. 

“Yeah,” He smiles. “I always end up helping Vanessa on her closing shifts.”

You nod. “Can you text me once you’re back?”

“Sure thing,” He kisses you. “Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Goodnight, Youngjae.”

He texts you once you are already tucked in your bed, Mina laying next to you as you tell her all the details.

This was fun! We should do this again!

“God, I hope I’m not wrong,” You mutter, hiding your face in your pillow.

“Nah,” Mina says chuckling. “You’re addicted.”

“What about him?”

“Him too,” She laughs. “Him too, babes.”

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

hello again!!!! it’s been so long and I apologize for that :( online classes are a mess, as I’m sure many of you know. So this is a story I’ve been trying to write for days and although I’ll admit it’s not my best work, it is very dear to me. I hope you all enjoy it! Let me know what you think on the comments, it means a lot when I get your feedback... also, this might have a second part, so it’d be good to know how to make it better ❤️ thank you, love you! stay safe babes!

[haiqyu]

"I've finally found you. "

Kuroo Tetsurou X reader

Soulmate and Reincarnation au! : one gets flashbacks of their past lives when they reach the age of 10

Warning: ancient Chinese history kind of?? angst??? Fluff??? I have no clue

Sorry for the grammar and spelling mistakes! It kinda sucks so-

Edit: Please don't read this- I did this at 1am- im not proud 😭😭

♡♡♡♡

At the age of 9, I've remembered my classmates being so excited to see what kinds of flashbacks they might get. I was no exception. I really wanted to know how my soulmate looks like. Always dreaming about being married to a perfect man and having a perfect life, I was so happy to be reaching the age of 10 soon. Multiple thoughts ran through my small 9 year old brain.

Is his hot? Is he smart? Is he cute? Does he looks cute? Will he love me back? What if something goes wrong?

I sighed as I laid my head on the classroom table. I closed my eyes and continued to day dream about the perfect man that is going to be in my life soon.

♡♡♡♡

Please stop.

Stop.

Please.

I beg of you.

STOP

I woke up from my nightmare. Drenched in sweat, I sat up on my bed and tried to calm my racing heart. I have just reached 10 years old a few hours ago. I've heard from my parents and friends that flashbacks from the past can come in the form of dreams. That was not the sweat dreams that I've expected.

My whole body dirty from being dragged from the ground. My long white gown being drenched with blood, sweat, tears and mud. My legs and hands being bloody from the chains. My torso bloody from being whipped with a thin long stick. My tears ran down my face continuously. I tried to break through the metal chains as I cried for help and forgiveness.

"I didn't do anything wrong! I was framed! Please let me out! I didn't cheat on the emperor! Please... Stop!" I cried out.

My vision blurred from the tears. The metal chains digging into my ankles and wrists. My body being constantly whipped by the stick. Exhaustion ran through my veins. Please stop. I'm tired. It hurts. I beg of you. Stop!

I shut my eyes to stop remembering the flashback but it just continues to run through my eyes. I thought these dreams and flashbacks are suppose to be sweet andthey should give me a hint of who my soul mate will be. Why do I get such horrible and torturous dreams? Why me?

I remembered the pain on my wrists and ankles vividly. It hurts. I didn't care if I was sweaty or not. I curled up on my bed, my forehead resting on knees as I cried myself to sleep. Why me?

♡♡♡♡

I don't want to have a soulmate. I hate it. I hate the feeling. Every day, I had flashbacks and dreams of being tortured. I have enough. My whole body hurts being being tortured even though it's just a flashback.

I was 14 years old. I've always envied my classmates and friends for having such wholesome and cute flashbacks. I've always heard them gushing about their soulmates and their past lives. As they were talking about it, their eyes lit up with happiness and excitement. Some of my schoolmates were lucky as they figured out how their soul mates looked like by the flashbacks. Lucky.

Everytime someone talked about their soulmate, my anger rose. I hated my soulmate. I had enough. Why can't I have nice flashbacks. Why must my flashbacks be about torture and crying? My fist clenched with anger and frustration. I hate this. I was jealous.

I had frequent panic attacks in public due to the stupid flashbacks. I'm embarrassed. Sometimes I feel that my friends and classmates pity me for being like... like that. I don't often speak about my soulmate as Ive literally never seen him in my flashbacks. I hate it. I don't want to have a soulmate anymore.

How do I stop having flashbacks about my soulmate? Do I have to,,, end myself?

♡♡♡♡

I broke out into a cold sweat from a dream again. My heart beat furiously. This is the first time in my 16 years being alive that Ive gotten a sweet and wholesome dream. I'm still in a state of shock. I was expecting to be tortured again in my dreams, as always. However, I dreamt about being in a garden with my soulmate.

Giggling, I smacked his arm playfully. "you're so mean, my king!" I laughed at him.

We were in a flower garden. The place have been decorated with colourful flowered and plants of many species. Butterflies fluttering around the plants and fishes are swimming in the huge pond. Next to the pond was a huge hut. These wooden chairs and tables are crafted out neatly with patterned of flowers and dragons. Having servants around the perimeter to guard us from potential danger, we were sitting together on the huge chair made of the king.

"..., you're so full of shit. Stop teasing me! If you continue teasing me, I'm actually gonna start crying." I smacked his arm once more as he continued to shame me for my height. "Im have an average height, okay. I'm not short! You're just abnormally long!"

"How dare you just insulted the King? I'll put you to the dungeon if you continue to insult me like that," he huffed. "I'm the nicest person in the kingdom."

I rolled my eyes at his comment. "yea but you love me too much to put me into the dungeon. I didn't insult you by the way, I was just speaking the FACTS!" I scoffed.

I took the chance to look at his face, but his face was blurred out. All I notice was his black messy hair that made him look like he just woke up. I reached up to touch his bed hair. I gasped on the inside. "Your hair is so soft. I love it." I smiled and ran my hand through his surprisingly soft hair.

I felt his hands sneak around my waist and he took this chance to pull me even closer to him, if it was possible. "you pull them everytime I ate you out-" He proudly said.

I blushed furiously and tried to cover his mouth to shut him up. "stop!!? Stop!! This is embarrassing! Shhh!!"

He chuckled and I felt my hands being licked. "AHH! STOP! Did you just lick me?? Ew!!!" I wiped my hand on his clothes.

Wait, I didn't notice our clothing. He was wearing some Chinese looking ancient outfit. Ah yes, a 龙袍 (lóng páo: a dragon gown) which had yellow dragon and auspicious patterns embroideries on it. The silk materi made it easier for us to wear in the summer and winter. It kept us cool in the summer and warm the the winter. That so cool. I looked down at myself. I wore loose clothes with long large sleeves. Under the long skirt was a pair of high-heeled clogs with some embroidery on them. There was a scarf wrapped around my arm, which symbolized that I was a noble woman. I ran my hand my my clothed knees. So smooth. For no apparent reason, I felt a sense of nostalgia and my eyes started to water. I felt,,, loved.

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt my hands being grabbed by his rough large hands. I looked up at him with such a loving look on my face. "I love you," I blurted out. I blushed and wondered why did I suddenly say that.

He slowly let go of my hand and gently used that free hand to push my head down on his shoulder. I snuggled closer to him and smelled a faint scent of his cologne. "I love you too, my love." he gave a gentle kiss to my forehead. I really love you, soulmate.

I really enjoyed the dream. I felt like I was 10 again. The daydreams of being loved and touched by my soulmate really made my heart burst with love and happiness. So this is how my friends felt when they have flashbacks. I smiled to myself. I think I don't hate you anymore, soulmate.

I laid back down on my bed. I couldn't sleep. And then I realised that I missed his touch. Just like the chain, I felt his touch on my skin vividly. I craved his love. I want to find him quick. I want to be with him forever. I love him.

I felt my blood rushing towards my face. I covered my face with my hands and rolled around my bed. I was a love sick fool.

♡♡♡♡

I was transferred to Nekoma high school in my second year. I was devastated to move away from my friends in karasuno. I missed the volleyball club. I was their manager for a year and I really enjoyed my time there. They were my true friends. They comforted me when I was having very bad flashbacks and panic attacks. I am going to miss them.

I'm 17 years old and I have a one sided love hate relationship with my soulmate. I continued to have such bad flashbacks most of the time but sometimes I have such wonderful and heart warming flashbacks. I hate him. But I love him too much.

I was looking down at my phone, scrolling through the memes that the volleyball gAnG sent to me on the group chat. I laughed silently and walked past the school gate. I wasn't aware of my surroundings and I bumped into someone tall and hard.

Oh God did I just hit a pole or something?? Why is it so hard??? I looked up and a wave of flashback just went over me.

"you cheated on me. I trusted you. You cheated on me with my trusted buddy!" he screamed at me. His face red from the anger.

My eyes widened from the claim. "excuse me? I didn't! Bokuto was eating so messily and I just wiped my handkerchief onto his mouth to wipe away the rice!" my hands clenched into a fist.

"what the fuck? Then explain why he hugged you on the bridge a few days ago? I had people watching over you two. I should've listened to the concubine. I shouldve trusted what the concubines said. I shouldn't have trusted you, slut." he slapped me across the cheek.

He was strong. I fell of my feet and fell onto the ground, hot tears spilling from my eyes. "I've never cheated on you with him. He caught me from falling into the the pond. Why don't you trust me? I would never cheat on you..." I cried.

"my servant saw you in the room with him two days ago. I knew you two were fucking behind my back. You shouldn't be the queen. You should be executed." he glared at me. He turned his back on me and walked towards the throne. "Officials, strip her off her title. Send her to the dungeon and punish her by whipping. Death by hanging."

"no! Stop! Stop! Im not cheating on you! I love you so much! Stop it! How dare you do this to your soulmate?" I screamed in fear. I would never cheat on him. Please believe me. Please...

The guards come running in, forcefully grabbing my arms and dragging me away. O struggled and tried to twist my arms to escape from them. There was no use. I looked at my soul mate in fear. "help me, Kuroo."

He looked away from me. His expression with hurt written all over his face. He still love me, right?

I was beaten. Whipped. Tortured. My whole body hurts. My eyes felt tired from crying for hours. My lungs sore from the screaming and crying. My body bloodied. I felt light headed. Just kill me already. I want to die. Die. Die. I really want to die. This flashback was worse than any other flash back I had.

Kuroo... Help me... I didn't cheat on you... I love you... Please.... Let me go... I love you... I want to be with you forever... Please stop...

After sunrise, the guards came in. They slapped me awake. "say your last words before you die, bitch." he spat on me.

I couldn't even flinch at his words anymore. I feel so numb. I just want to sleep. I want to go home. I want warmth. I want his warmth. I want Kuroo.

"I,,, didn't cheat on you, kuroo. I was planning our anniversary with Bokuto as a surprise for you. I wanted to have a party...just us... Having fun... I'm really tired. I will miss you, Kuroo. I really love you. But I don't want to be your soulmate anymore. I'm tired. You don't trust me. But I still... Love... You..."

My eyes slowly closed and my muscles all relaxed. Ah I've passed away. How embarrassing. Declaring my love for someone who doesn't even trust me. How pathetic. I hate my soulmate. I hate... Kuroo.

My head hurts. My whole body hurts. My world just spinning around. Tears poured down my eyes. I started hyperventilating. I bumped into someone and started to get a panic attack? My reputation is screwed. I caught a black headed messy hair stranger in front of me. Haha now I'm visioning of my soulmate. What a joke.

"(Y/N)... You're my soulmate...?" when those words come out from his mouth. My eyes snapped open. He is...

The person standing in front of me is the person I hate and I love the most. Kuroo... All those flashbacks come crashing down on me. I'm scared. "stop! Don't come near me! Don't hurt me! I'm sorry! Don't slap me! " I cried out loud, in front of everyone.

He immediately wrapped his arms around me tightly. "stop! (y/n) I won't hurt you! I love you! Please calm down!"

"don't touch me!!" I screamed my lungs out. "you're going to hurt me!"

"no, I won't! (y/n) please trust me!"

"no, stop! I'm scared. You're going to hurt me like the past. I'm scared I'm scared I'm scared."

I pushed him off and stumbled backwards.

"I hate you."

[lovelybunny08]

The Breakup?

♡ Pairing- Jimin X Reader

♡ Genre- Smut and One-Shot 

♡Description- You have been dating Jimin for two years but in the past couple of months you haven’t heard a word from him.

♡ Thank you Sara and Anya for editing this story for me and helping with coming up with the title. Seriously love you guys I dont know what I will do without you both.😭😭 ♡

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You met Jimin through your friend once you moved to Korea to become an English teacher. It was always your dream to live in Korea and when it happened it was the best thing ever.

  One day your friend asked you to go out with her to meet some of her friends and to your surprise Jimin was there. Of course, you knew who he was, he was your bias but the most surprising thing was when he asked you for your kakaotalk at the end of the day.  

Since then the two of you didn’t stop talking every day and went out on dates when he was free. Then one day he officially asked you to be his girlfriend. You were fully aware what that meant. No one could know you were dating him except your close friends and family. You were also aware of his schedule and that there will be days or months you won’t be able to see him. But you were ok with that because when you couldn’t see him, he would try to text you or call you when he was free.

Months has gone by since you two had started dating. In the beginning everything was perfect but now something has changed. You barely had heard from Jimin you knew he was busy with practice and all the shows he was in. But even in his busiest time he still tried to text you once. But it has been almost three months you haven’t heard from him, only seen videos of him online or TV.

You couldn’t take it anymore you couldn’t be dating someone that you haven’t heard from in months as much as you love him. So, you decide to text him tell him that is best for the two of you not to be in a relationship anymore.

After the text you decide to go to sleep you were depressed and didn’t want to think anymore. You went to your room and laid down in bed. You wanted to cry but there was no point to it, it was your decision and you have to live up to it.

You were just about to fell asleep when you heard a banging coming from your door. You were wondering who the hell is banging at your door at almost 1am in the morning. You got up and went to the door and to your surprise it was Jimin.

He looked furious you never seen him so mad the whole 2 years you were dating. Jimin walked in to your apartment while you walked backwards without taking your eye off of him. He slammed the door and took out his phone.

“CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS SHIT TO ME" Jimin shouted at you while showing the text you sent just a couple of hours ago.

“You don’t have to shout Jimin" you told him calmly. “I think we should stop seeing each other, we barely even see each other or even talk to each other anyway. It’s been almost three months and I haven’t even heard from you once.”

Jimin ran his hands through his hair and looked at you in the eye. You can tell he was angry but it was turning you on. You know you shouldn’t be turned on right now. You should be explaining why this is not working but you couldn’t help it. You looked away from Jimin and looked down on the floor.

You can tell Jimin threw his phone at that couch by the noise it made hitting it. Jimin was front of you from looking down at his feet. His hand grabbed your chin and forced you to look up.

“You think you can break up with me over a text?“ Jimin said  

"I” .. that’s all you can say, you had no words. He looked so angry and so hot that your completely lost in words. The next minute you know, he picks you up and throws you onto the bed. He was on his knees with you in between them. Jimin looked down at you and smirked.

“You’re going to pay for that text. I’m going to teach you a lesson on what happens when text ridiculous things.” He looked so hot on top of you, wearing simple black sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt. You couldn’t help but lick your lips seeing this side of him.

“So you like this, don’t you?” Jimin asked you, while touching your pussy over your pj bottoms. You moved your hip over his hands but he moved his hands away before you could do anything.

“Um, please Jimin" you moaned. You need his touch, anything to give you a release. You got up to grab his shirt, trying to pull him in for a kiss but he stopped you. He grabbed your hand and pushed you back down on the bed.  

“No my sweet little bunny, you’re going to pay for that text” Jimin said while ripping off your shirt and using it to tie your arms together above your head. You looked up at him with wide eyes, wondering what he will do next.

Jimin started massaging your breasts and pinching your nipples, making you let out small moans that you couldn’t control. It felt so good and it’s been so long since he had touched you. You didn’t notice that he was talking to you, he pinched your nipple hard making you to open your eyes and look at him.  

“Here’s your punishment” Jimin said. His hands were now caressing your thighs, you wanted him to touch you so bad and give you more but he wouldn’t. “You can’t touch me and you’re not going to able to cum.” You looked at him shocked  

“What do you mean I can’t cum?” Jimin stopped caressing your thighs and was now taking of his shirt. “Like I said my little bunny, this is your punishment.”  

Throwing his shirt to the floor and now unbuckling his belt. “You’re going to beg for a release but you will never get it.”  

He was now fully naked in front of you and you couldn’t help lick your lips when you saw his hard, fat cock. Jimin smirked at you, seeing your reaction. He leaned down and kissed you hard on the lips. He licked your bottom lip for you to open your mouth and that, you gladly did. The two of you kissing each other, both trying to take control of the kiss. Jimin’s hands were slowly running down your body. He stopped to play with your nipples, where you slightly moaned in his mouth.

He started kissing down your neck and sucking that sweet spot under your ear. You started to moan and rub your thighs together to feel some pleasure down there. Jimin noticed what you were doing and the next minute you know, he starting taking off your pants. You never wear underwear when you go to sleep, you hated it so you were completely naked now. Jimin continued to kiss down your body till his mouth was on your nipple sucking on them making moan.  

“God Jimin, please.” He didn’t say nothing just ran his hands down your body till he finally starts rubbing your clit. You felt like you were going crazy with him sucking on your nipple and rubbing your clit at the same time. He switched breasts and suddenly inserted a finger inside you, making you gasp.  He kept pumping you with his finger and then he inserted another one. It was driving you crazy, you lifted your hips to meet each thrust. You were so close to cumming and then he stops. He got on his knees again and looked down at you, while you were breathing heavily. Jimin started licking his finger and then started pumping his dick right front of you. You moaned at the sight. You tried to rub your thighs together but you couldn’t because his knee stopped you.  

“You see what I mean my little bunny? I’m not going to let you cum.” Jimin said

He stopped jerking himself off in front of you and slowly lowered his body. He began teasing you with his dick, rubbing it languidly over your clit. A moan escaped in response as he pushed inside of you slowly. It felt like torture. “Please, Jimin,” you begged.  

He started thrusting slowly, you wanted to run your nails on his back but you couldn’t from your hands being tied.  

“God Jimin please” you couldn’t take him going slow anymore. Jimin smirked and then kissed you and started thrusting harder in you. Going deeper and harder, you were so close.. so very close. You moaned in Jimin’s mouth and then he pulled out. You’re breathing so heavily, looking at him with wide eyes.  

“please Jimin, I’m so close” you begged again. He started jerking off infront of you.  

“That’s what you get my little bunny. You know how frustrating it was seeing that text?” Jimin asked you. You were still so horny, you need some release and him jerking off infront of you didn’t help.  

“I’m sorry, please” you begged.  

“No, this is your punishment.” You try rubbing your thighs together to relieve the tension, but he doesn’t let you, sliding a knee between your legs. You can tell he is close from his facial expression, and not too long after his cum begins spurting across your stomach. He leans over you, bracing himself on the headboard. His eyes find yours and he grins. Soon after he unties you and leaves to the restroom to find something to clean you up.

“If you touch yourself, I won’t let you cum again” Jimin said. He came back with a towel and cleaned you up. He laid next to you.  

“I’m sorry I haven’t texted you, it’s been crazy with work.” he said, hugging you from behind.  “But never text me that again, understand?“  

"I’m sorry and I understand.” You told him, getting closer to him.

“Now can you let me cum?” You were still horny and needed to release.   Jimin just hugged you and kissed you on the shoulder.

“Next time my little bunny.” He replied as you groaned to his response.

[spiderparkerpeterman]

headache

i typed this out after downing a coffee, forgetting i'm very sensitive to caffeine, forgot to save but then my laptop restarted for an update? so now i'm here four hours later bc i gave up on life, not so hopped up on caffeine but with a major headache and also it's 1am. enjoy!

content: stark!reader, fluff n cuddles, peter being a good boyfriend (tm)

warnings: lapslock, i've had to write this twice so i'm angry, post-endgame and yes this follows canon i'm sorry, feels, all the feels, angst and consequences of death, Tension

word count: probably less than my original draft (1528 words)

--

the jet ride back to the newly rebuilt avengers compound was quiet. the mission the reformed avengers had just been on was successful, an infiltration of a loose hydra camp, but there was a big hole in the team that had become apparent as soon as the mission had begun that left everyone in a tense silence.

missions were going to be very, very difficult now.  teamwork-wise and mentally. emotionally. it had been, what, a year or so since your dad had... well, anyway. it seemed like such a long time ago- it was a long time ago- but you had been itching to go back out and do avenger-y things for months. leave it up to the starks to distract themselves from grief and pain by working their asses off. you had been tinkering, toying with your dad's old ideas, doing some minor patrolling stuff for a year, and god was it not enough to keep you distracted.

but then you had actually taken on the mission and then everyone noticed that there were a few missing links that almost cost the team the victory. your dad had been a rock, a point of leadership, an active brain on the team. capsicle had been someone steady, brave, always willing to take on the hard jobs. and nat- nat- she'd take out a room full of men three times her size with ease and still have breath to keep going until every last man was down. sparklefingers was off in space with a rodent, a robot, and a lovesick asshole; that marvel lady had disappeared as soon as she could; the wizard was back at his boys' club; robin hood had officially retired, even leaving his bow behind for the rustic life; and orange slices had said something about "making up for lost time" with his daughter, leaving only you, captain birdman, edgy amnesiac, smart hulk and a handful of ironsuits you'd created over your little break, to regroup and do the mission.

and peter, of course. you could never forget about peter. especially not when he was sitting next to you, your hand in his, jaw clenched, staring at his lap.

the poor kid. you knew your dad was also kind of his dad, the only father figure he'd had since ben. the kid kept losing father figures- probably some kind of curse, you had reasoned with yourself, because this was getting out of hand. you had been by his side when he decided to return to spider-man-ing, a month or two after your dad had... yup. done that thing. he had been by your side when you went into your dad's lab in his lakehouse for the first time since the incident, some four months later. you had his back after the whole mysterio-then-court scenario. he had your back when you had your first major panic attack because you realised that you just couldn't cope. you had each other's backs, you had for three, well, technically eight years now. since just after peter had been taken on by your dad to beat some sense into the others in germany.

coming back from the blip was weird. the entire situation was weird. you had been blipped, dusted, gone, worried and confused about your father being on a giant donut in space with peter, and then you had come back five years later lying on your dusty, unused-for-five-years bed, then the compound was blown to smithereens, you were saved by your suit that you still had on after helping keep the wizard safe, discovered your dad had moved out to the country and had also had another kid- who you loved to bits, of course you did- and also your dad had invented time travel.

and then he was gone, forever.

so yeah. massive hole in the team, everyone was quiet, peter looked like he was going to throw up, you were trying not to cry.

you realised peter was looking at you, and you had been staring at him for a little too long. he squeezed your hand, his eyebrows raised slightly. he looked like a kicked puppy, and oh god, your heart hurt.

"sorry," you mumbled, looking away. sam raised his head but averted his eyes when you accidentally made eye contact. you felt a headache coming on- all this stress about the mission and hole-in-the-team stuff was not good for your physical, emotional or mental health. you rested your head on peter's shoulder, feeling his head rest on yours in return. you closed your eyes, tuning out the sound of the quinjet, just focusing on your breath and peter's soft circles that he was rubbing into your hand.

at some point, you drifted off because you awoke to peter gently nudging your shoulder, the quinjet landing. you blinked blearily at him.

"you okay?" he asked, cupping your cheek. you closed your eyes again and leant into his hand.

"headache," you mumbled, turning your face into his hand and kissing it a light kiss. "i'll be okay."

as soon as you stood up to get out of the quinjet though, a wave of nausea washed over you, forcing you to sit back down.

"or not."

peter rushed to pull you up gently, wrapping an arm around your shoulder as he held both of your bags in his other hand. he helped you out of the quinjet, into the compound and up to your room.

exhausted and sore, your head pounding like nothing else, you collapsed on your bed, absentmindedly taking off your wrist cuffs with your nanosuit in them, kicking off your shoes. peter puttered around, putting his bag down then your bag down then taking off his webshooters, shoes and jacket, pacing the room looking at you worriedly.

"do you need anything? like- like aspirin or water or juice or music? i head whale noises can help with a headache and-"

"peter," you mumbled.

"- but i haven't had a headache since i got my powers so i kind of don't know what to do and-"

"peter," you said, a little louder.

"-  i think i should get you some aspirin, yeah, and i'll close the curtains, and-"

"peter!" you called, regretting it as your head pounded particularly hard. peter stopped pacing, and looked at you. "stop pacing, you're giving me motion sickness. and please- just keep it down, i just need quiet okay? you can go get what you want, some aspirin would be nice, and a gatorade too. but please calm down. it's just a headache, i'm tense and stressed. it'll go away soon."

peter nodded and rushed out of the room. you lay on your back with a small groan, staring up at the plain white ceiling of your room. before the compound had been destroyed, you'd put glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling of your bedroom with your dad, and you could look up and stare at the fake constellation stories you had made, giggling with your dad. now the ceiling was empty, strange, unfamiliar. everything was- you had lost almost everything that night. your eyes burned with tears, which you wiped away, keeping your hand over your eyes, fighting the need to throw up.

a few minutes later, you heard your door swing open as peter reentered. you took your hand away from your face and looked at him, balancing two boxes of aspirin and four bottles of gatorade in different colours. he smiled at you gently as he put the stuff on your bedside table.

"let's get you sitting up, yeah?" he whispered, the look in his eyes oh so tender. he sat behind you, resting your back and head on his side so you didn't have to move too much and took out two small aspirin tablets. "i didn't know which colour gatorade you wanted so i got you all of them."

"i'll have the red one, thanks," you replied, taking the tablets and then the gatorade that peter opened, swallowing the pills with a large mouthful of the drink.

you sighed and moved so that you were lying in his lap and looked up at him. you giggled.

"what?" he asked, and you raised a hand to poke at his jaw.

"how do you not even have a double chin from this angle?" you pouted, "it's not fair."

"spiders," he replied, "they tend to do that to you."

you giggled again and sighed again, closing your eyes.

"i should go," peter whispered, raising your head so he could slip away from under you. "you want quiet, yeah?"

"i never said i didn't want you in here," you muttered. "i'm in pain, comfort me."

peter grinned and obliged, maneuvering you so you were lying under your blankets then slipping in next to you. he lay your head on his chest and wrapped an arm behind your neck so you were secure. you rolled onto your side, an ear to his heart. his heartbeat was so steady, as usual.

"i love you, and want you to know that you did great today," peter mumbled, stroking your hair.

"love you too. you also did really well. thanks for having my back."

"any time."

[hollyxqx]

just business  //  shownu  // 01

↪ PAIRING: Reader / Shownu ↪ SUMMARY: Y/N’s mysterious new neighbour has definitely caught your eye. He’s quiet but the two of strike up an unlikely friendship. He doesn’t speak about his work to you and you don’t ask, but when his job puts your life in danger questions have to be answered once and for all.

↪ WARNINGS: violence | stabbing | mentions of blood | sex

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE 

It was almost midnight when finally reached your apartment building. Your shift was meant to finish at 9, but the bar was so busy you ended up staying late without even meaning to. As the manager it was expected of you after all, but that fact didn't make you any less tired. You parked in your usual spot and grabbed your bag, exiting the car and making your way to the main entrance. It was a large building made up of several contained apartments, filled with people a lot like yourself. Single professionals.

You entered into the main foyer, going to check for some mail. To your surprise there was someone in there already, unusual for this time of night. He was standing with his back to you, a letter in his hand. At the sound of the door closing with a soft click he turned his head over his shoulder, the noise alerting him to your presence. You recognised him, having seen him once or twice before. He was new to the building, you knew that much. And that was where your knowledge on the handsome stranger began and ended.

His dark eyes met yours and you gave a small "Hello," out of politeness, just as you would do with any other neighbour. He didn't say anything, but gave you a small nod of acknowledgement, turning back to the paper he was holding. You said nothing as you walked over to your mailbox, seeing that it was full. For some reason you felt hyper aware of the stranger standing in this small room with you and hoped that he would leave soon. You really didn't feel like an awkward elevator ride with him.

You started flipping through your mail, though it was mostly junk and advertisements. "It's late." His voice startled you. You hadn't expected him to speak. His eyes were on you and you weren't sure how to respond to that...statement. You nodded, mimicking his action from earlier. "I never see anyone in here at this time." He continued and now it's officially the most you've ever heard him speak. His voice is deep and calm, and oddly you liked it.

"I manage a bar," You explained. "So I'm always coming home at strange hours."

"Ah, I see." He said. He turned to his mail box and shut it, locking it up for the night. "You should be careful coming and going this late. You don't know whose out there..." He trailed off.

You were a bit confused but replied anyway. "I am. I'm used to it."

"What's your name?" He asked, taking you by surprise for the second time that night.

"Y/N." You answered. "And you?"

"Shownu." He walked over to the door that led the way to the bank of elevators and pushed. "Stay safe, Y/N." He said, giving you one last look over his shoulder. He excited the mail room leaving you a little baffled at the exchange you just had. At least he's polite you thought to yourself. You took your time closing up your mail box, hoping he'd be long gone from the elevators so you could ride up alone.

***

The next time you and Shownu crossed paths occured a little over a week later from your chat. Again, you'd done over time at the bar, this time staying even later. It was 1am when you pressed the call button for the elevator. You slipped your phone into your pocket after checking the time when suddenly, the door crashed open and in stumbled Shownu.

At first you thought he might be drunk, given the hour, but as you brain quickly processed what it was witnessing you realised that something was wrong. He was breathing heavy, as if he had just ran here, his chest heaving up and down. You noticed that his lip was split open and the blood trickled down his face. As your eyes followed the trail of red liquid something else caught your attention. His black shirt was soaking and although the colour did well to disguise it, you knew that was blood. The metallic smell of it invading your senses.

"Shownu! Are you ok?" Redundent question, and you instantly felt stupid for asking it. He didn't say anything as he slumped against the wall, his head tilted back against the brick. He clutched his abdomen in pain and you wondered what the fuck had happened. "Shownu," You stepped closer to him. "Here, lean on me." You grabbed the arm that wasn't wrapped around his waist and draped it over your shoulder. "Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" You asked, worriedly.

"No!" He shouted, his voice startling you. "No, no hospital. Please."

Although it was weird you didn't ask anymore questions, shocked by his insistence. The elevator dinged, signalling it's arrival, and you started to drag Shownu towards it.

"No," He said weakly. "I'm fine, it's ok." He stumbled a bit as he tried to stand on his own.

"You're really not." You replied. "Just let me help you, ok? If you die in the hallway you'll ruin the carpet." He reluctantly leaned on you again and the two of you fumbled over to the elevator. "What floor?" He shook his head. You were growing frustrated with his inability to accept help. "Ok, my place it is then." You muttered, pressing the number for your floor.

The ride was silent aside from Shownu's heavy breathing. He was heavier than you expected and you were silently willing the elevator to move faster before you collapsed as well. It reached your floor and you dragged him out along with you. "I'm gonna help you ok? I know some first aid."

You reached your apartment and unlocked the door. It was dark inside and you awkwardly fumbled for the light, still trying to support the huge man leaning on you. He was silent and it concerned you, hoping he didn't have a concussion because then he might really need to go to the hospital. You stumbled into the closest room, the kitchen and sat Shownu down on the dining chair. He groaned in pain. "I'll be right back ok?"

He said nothing as you left the room. You walked to the bathroom and got the first aid kit you kept in there. As part of your training at work you had taken a first aid course, someone on staff had to know it and you had volunteered. Although this was not how you expected to use your skills. You returned to Shownu and set up the kit. You washed your hands thoroughly, and put on a pair of gloves.

"What happened?" You said quietly, really not expecting him to answer. You wiped at his lip with a disinfectant wipe and he hissed in response, the alcohol stinging the wound. "Sorry," You said quietly. "I need you to take your shirt off, is that ok?" You felt a bit uncomfortable asking but you needed to know how serious his wounds were.

He nodded and weakly tried to shrug his top off. You gently helped him remove it and once it was off you placed it on the table, eyes running over his now naked torso. He was bruising already but you couldn't help but notice not all of the bruises were fresh. Was this a habit for him? You tried not to think too much about the answer to that question as you located the origin of the bleeding. "Shownu," You whispered, in shock. "Were you stabbed?!" The flesh was split open as if someone had sliced him, the cut running about two inches wide and god knows how deep.

"No," He said, a slight strain in his voice. "They cut me though." He gestured toward the wound on his chest.

"Should we call the police?!" You said, feeling a twinge of panic at the situation being more serious than you thought. You tried to reach for your phone in your pocket but Shownu was quicker, grabbing you tightly on the wrist.

"No police. No hospitals. Ok?" He wasn't asking. He was telling you. There was something so strong and commanding about the way he spoke to you, you couldn't help but nod, obeying him. You turned your attention to the cut on his chest. It would need stitches. Something you had not been trained to do. You started to clean up the blood, trying to be gentle so as not to hurt him anymore.

"I think you might need stitches, and I don't know how to do that." You admitted once you were finished. You'd bandaged up the scrape on his arm and cleaned him but that was about all you could do.

"Do you have super glue?" Shownu asked, strained, and you realised where he was going with this. You nodded. "Fetch it for me?" You walked over to the cupboard you kept odd bits in and fished around for the glue. You retrieved it and passed it to Shownu. "I need you to hold the wound closed for me." He instructed. You did as he said and tore the glue open with his mouth and quickly poured some into the cut, hissing in pain at the sensation. "Hold it until it dries."

"This really works?" You muttered to him.

"An old trick I learned in the army." He said through clenched teeth. You could tell it was hurting him more than he was letting on. "I think it's dry." He said after a few moments. You carefully let go, hoping the glue would hold. It did, thankfully. "Thank you," He mumbled.

"What the hell happened to you?" You asked for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "And you told me to be careful!" You said sarcastically.

"I just got in a fight." He said and you knew there was more to it than that. You saw the old bruises and his insistence of dealing with this alone. You chose not to pry further. He was man of such few words you didn't think it would make a difference if you did.

"But wanted no police, or hospital?" You cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Exactly."

"I wasn't born yesterday Shownu," You mumbled, picking his shirt up. "Do you want to put this back on? It's soaking with blood. Or I might even have something you could wear?"

"If you have something that would be good." He replied, ignoring your first comment.

You walked to your bedroom and opened the bottom drawer where you had some old t-shirts that belonged to your ex boyfriend. You grabbed the first one you saw and headed back to Shownu. "Here," You said and handed him the shirt. He winced a little as he stood up to put it on and you couldn't help but notice his impressive figure, bruises or not.

"Boyfriend's?" He asked, and you realised he was referring to the ownership of the shirt. Most women don't have mens clothes just lying around.

"Ex," You corrected. He nodded in thanks and sat down again. "I can wash that for you if you want." You gestured to the blood soaked shirt still sitting on the table.

"That's ok, I'll do it." He replied. "Thanks for your help Y/N." He added quietly.

"Come on, I'll help you back to your apartment." You suggested.

He shook his head. "I'll be ok." He stood up, a little shaky but much more stable than before. You walked with him slowly to your front door.

"Stay safe, Shownu." You repeated his words back to him and you swore he gave you a small smile before leaving.

***

"Kihyun, you're soooo exaggarating!" You whined, playfully slapping your friend on the arm. He was doing a wildly dramatic impression of you being scared at the movie you two just saw. You laughed and shook your head at him as the two of you walked side by side to your apartment building.

"AH, ah, ah, help me Kihyun!! He mocked, pretending to cover his face with his hands. "You're such a baby when it comes to horror films." He teased.

"I don't like being scared!" You defended.

Kihyun wrapped an arm around your shoulders and pulled you into him. "Coward," He whispered with a laugh into your ear. You just rolled your eyes and pushed him off you. Kihyun worked with you at the bar. Technically you were his boss, but you two always got on well so it wasn't unusual to spend time together outside of work. This particular night he'd begged you to go see a movie and now you both were headed back to your place for a drink. Working in the nightlife industry made you a little tired of bars and clubs, preferring to drink at home with friends.

You made your way into your building, Kihyun close behind. He followed you to the elevator, familiar with the surroundings having been here many times. "What do you have to drink?"Kihyun asked. He was standing behind you and he slipped his arms around your waist, placing his chin on your shoulder. You were close and he was always really affectionate so this behaviour was normal for you.

"I have beer," You offered. "There's a new wine that we might order for the bar. We can try that."

Before Kihyun replied the door swung open. It was Shownu. Your body tensed up immediately in Kihyun's arms, confusing him a little. You hadn't seen Shownu since the night you found him bloody and bruised in this same exact room, which was nearly a month ago. Since then there had been no sign of him at all, and you even found yourself wondering if he had moved out.

He stood there in the doorway, dressed in all black with a matching denim jacket on his broad shoulders, intimidatingly attractive and tall. You didn't miss how his eyes flickered over to Kihyun and realised how this might of looked to him but his expression was as usual, unreadable. "Y/N," Shownu said with a small nod.

"Hi," Was all you managed to get out. You felt stupid at how weak and small your voice sounded. Kihyun stood up straighter, his grip on you slackening as if sensing the weird tension between you and the stranger. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"I was out of town for work." He shrugged. The elevator arrived with a ding.

"You going up?" You asked him. He nodded and Kihyun let go of you so you could enter the lift. Shownu was last in and you noticed he pressed the button for you, easily remembering what floor you lived on. You noticed the one he pressed for himself was the one above yours.

"Floor 7 right?" He asked and you nodded.

The three of you rode in silence and you almost wanted to pass out from the tension. Shownu was half naked in your kitchen a month ago and now he was next to you acting like a stranger. He confused you so much. The elevator ground to a halt at your floor and Kihyun stepped out into the hallway first. "See you around, Shownu." You said, not daring to look at his face.

"Y/N," He said, reaching out to hold the doors open.  You stopped and turned to look at him, halfway out the elevator. "Do you want your shirt back?"

You'd forgotten you'd given him a shirt. "Oh, no that's fine. Keep it." You replied with a dismissive wave of your hand.

"Ok." He said simply. You held his gaze, trying to read his expression but he was a master at keeping up a guard, emotions locked behind it. "I got you something, as a thank you. I'll swing by tomorrow to give it to you?"

"You didn't have to," You said quietly. He shrugged.

"See you later Y/N." He said, letting the doors finally close. You turned to face Kihyun who looked utterly confused.

"What was that about?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at you. "Who was that?"

"It's a long story," You muttered. "I'll tell you inside."

You tugged him along the hallway and to your apartment, ignoring Kihyun's questions on the way. You let both of you into the apartment, immediately making way for the kitchen, desperate for a drink. You grabbed two beers from the fridge and opened them, handing one to Kihyun and then taking a long drink from yours.

"So?" Kihyun pried. "Explain."

You bit your lip, unsure of exactly how much information to reveal to your friend. There was the heavy implication that Shownu did illegal things and you didn't want to create any trouble for you or him. "He was jumped about a month ago." You began. "I ended up bumping into him and just helped him get home safely." Technically not a lie. You just left out some of the details.

"Ok..." Kihyun said slowly. "So why does he have your shirt? You sleeping with him too?" He asked bluntly.

Shit. You'd forgotten about the stupid shirt, again. "He had some blood on his so I loaned him one." You shrugged. "And no, Kihyun I'm not sleeping with him. I barely know the guy. That's basically the most we've ever spoke."

The younger man's brows furrowed a little and you knew he was doubtful of you. "Why didn't you take him to a hospital?"

"He didn't want me to, I tried but he refused point blank." You explained.

"Why?" He inquired.

"I don't know! I told you I barely know the guy." You took another long swig of your beer, hoping Kihyun would leave the subject alone.

"Something doesn't feel right," Kihyun muttered. "He makes me feel uneasy, noona. Gives off a weird vibe." He crossed his arms and leaned against the countertop.

"I think that's just how he is," You suggested, recalling how every time you spoke to Shownu he was stoic and direct. "He's always been polite to me."

"I don't trust him." Kihyun grumbled.

"You don't have to, Ki." You walked over to your friend and wrapped your arms around his neck, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Just trust me."

Kihyun sighed. "I do."

"Thanks for looking out for this old lady," You joked nudging him with your fist, giving him a smile.

"You're only a year older, noona," He mocked. "Not geriatric. Yet."

"Watch it," You warned, pointing a finger at him. "I'm your boss remember?"

He grabbed your finger and pushed it down, with a laugh. "You gonna fire me?"

"Nah, I like you too much," You joked.

"I really like spending time with you Y/N," Kihyun said, the seriousness in his voice taken you aback a little. You looked at him curiously. "Seriously, you're my favourite thing about work." He admitted, blushing a little.

"Kihyun," You smiled with a little laugh. "Are you trying to flirt with your noona?"

"No," He said defensively. Although you suspected it was a lie. "I'm just being honest. Not like your weirdo neighbour."

"You know I always appreciate that." You said. "Shall we try that wine now?"

He nodded and you went to fetch the bottle. Kihyun was always so affectionate with you so why did this time feel a bit different? You tried not to think about that too deeply as you grabbed the wine. He was younger than you, so you never really looked at him in that light. You set it down on the table, opening the cupboard to grab two glasses. "Sauvigon Blanc, South Africa." Kihyun murmured reading the label.

"Apparently it's very nice," You informed him. "I know you don't really drink wine but tell me what you think." You opened the bottle and poured a little in his glass. He took a sip.

"It's nice," He said after a few moments. "I like it."

You poured some in your own glass and took a sip too. "Mmm," You hummed. "Me too."

"What do you think creepy neighbour got for you?" Kihyun asked, his mind still on the topic.

"Ki," You whined. "I don't know, he's so hard to read, it could be a puppy for all I know." You were both silent for a few moments, sipping at the wine.

"You should order it," He said nodding his head towards the wine bottle. "For the bar."

"I will." You hummed in agreement, making a mental note to do it first thing tomorrow. Tomorrow. Your stomach twisted at the anticipation of seeing Shownu and whatever gift he had got for you. You downed the rest of your drink in one, trying to settle your nerves.

***

The next day Shownu came by as promised. You'd be lying if you didn't admit that you had put in extra effort to your appearance, especially since it was a day off for you. Hair freshly washed and blow dried with a little mascara was very unusual for a day without plans. You couldn't help but want to impress him. He'd knocked on your door, with a gift bag in hand and you eyed it curiously, letting him into your apartment.

"For you," He said simply and placed it on the kitchen table. The same table his bloody rag of a shirt had sat. "I didn't thank you properly last time." He trailed off, frowning slightly.

"I told you, you really didn't have to." You said, peering into the bag. Shownu gave a small shrug. You gasped out loud seeing what was inside. "Shownu," You stuttered. "Really, this is too much..." He said nothing keeping a steady gaze on you, watching your reaction.

Inside the bag was a bottle of liquor. Not just any bottle, a $7800 bottle of one of the world's most expensive brands of tequila. A drink you only ever dreamed of trying. "You work in a bar, I figured you'd appreciate it." He said casually.

"I can't accept this," You spluttered, overwhelmed. "I really appreciate the sentiment, but this is so much. Keep it for yourself, enjoy it." You tried to give him back the gift back but he stopped you.

"Y/N, it's a gift." He said lowly. "It's yours now."

You were speechless, once again taken aback by this mysterious man's behaviour. You looked up into his dark eyes, mouth hanging slightly open. "Thank you," You managed to get out. His expression wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm either, and god you wished in that moment he would reveal more of himself to you. "Do you want to try it with me?" You suggested, as a way of thanking him.

"Maybe another time." He said quietly and you couldn't help but feel disappointed. "I've got a meeting to get to I'm afraid." He smiled a little but it didn't reach his eyes. He excused himself to leave and you showed him out, wondering if he meant what he said and there really would be another time.

masterlist

[gossipchii]

Beautiful stranger

FF.net link: Here

Characters: Takenouchi Sora and Ishida Yamato

Pairing: Sorato

Words: 2100+

Notes: It was inspired by Halsey’s song of the same title. I don’t know, it’s a beautiful song.

Enjoy!

Sora knew exactly which day today was, she knew it without looking at her phone, or at the calendar she had hanging at her wall. She knew it the moment she woke up because her chest felt heavy. It had officially been one year since her breakup, she sighed. Sora had done everything she was supposed to do during that long time to get over a breakup: she got a haircut, she exercised a lot, got back to playing tennis! Hung out with friends, even went to a few dates that never succeeded.

Yet, there she was, sitting in her bed with a heavy chest. She decided she needed a few drinks that night, so she texted her friends’ group chat and it was settled. Sora wanted to go to their usual bar, a small place they went to at least twice a month, but Mimi insisted they went to the newest place in the neighborhood, a bar with the coolest view in Odaiba, she assured. All Sora wanted was a drink that night, so she accepted.

She finally got out of her room, to meet both her roommates in the living room, she was surprised by how late it was, she probably had spent an hour staring at the walls in her room.

“Morning, Sora!” Miyako was playing some game in the TV and Hikari was editing the photos they had taken last week, when she had insisted Sora to be her model.

“Morning,” she smiled softly, decided that she wasn’t hungry, but she still needed some food, so a smoothie would do. “Happy anniversary!” The redhead sarcastically exclaimed, lifting her smoothie glass as if she was cheering, both Miyako and Hikari knew exactly what she was talking about.

“How are you feeling?” Hikari, the younger of the trio hugged her, she had always been better with actions than with words.

“Kind of numb, it’s crazy to think it’s been a year already.”

“It will get better,” Miyako had never liked Sora’s ex-boyfriend, she said he used to shut down her light.

“It already has,” Sora’s tone was sincere this time. “In fact, I texted Mimi and the others, we’re going to the hit bar that just opened, you both should come.” She took a sit alongside Hikari, surprised by how good the photoshoot had turned out.

“I don’t think I can, Koushiro and I have a meeting in a few hours, and we’ll have to start working with the project as soon as possible.” Miyako and their mutual friend, Koushiro, had started a software company when they were in freshman year in University, and they had grown incredibly quickly. “He should be getting here soon, actually.”

“Hikari?”

“You know I don’t really like going out…” and Sora knew she was right, so she wouldn’t insist. “Plus, I want to finish editing these, they are crazy good, Sora!” the redhead couldn’t hide her blush, she did look good if she had to accept it herself.

“It’s all because you do magic with the camera,” Sora admitted, it would have been fun if her roommates had joined her night out plan. “This means it’ll be Mimi, Taichi and I all over again.”

“You see my brother more than I do,” Hikari laughed.

“I should start getting ready, considering Koushiro will be here soon and I’m still on my PJ’s.”

The rest of the day went out quicker than Sora was expecting. She wasn’t looking forward to her breakup anniversary because all the feelings she felt back then would go back to being fresh. But having her roommates at home, and Koushiro too had been a nice surprise. It hadn’t been half as bad as she had feared.

“Honey, I’m home! You better be ready, Takenouchi because the reservation is at 9pm sharp and if we get late, I’m…” Sora got out of her room, leaving Mimi speechless, a hard thing to do. “Who are you and what did you do to my Sora?”

“Oh, you’re exaggerating.” First Hikari, now Mimi. Perhaps her inside wasn’t at her best but Sora was glad her exterior didn’t show it. “Where’s Taichi?”

“Waiting for us downstairs, something about him not having the money he owes to Koushiro…”

“I heard that! Ugh, he promised!” Koushiro interrupted their meeting to stare at Mimi, she simply shrugged.

“We´re leaving!” Mimi held Sora’s arm and soon enough the trio were on their way to the bar.

Sora had been close to cancel on Mimi, it felt strange dressing up that much, even wearing heels. But this new place had strict dressing policy and Mimi was so excited to visit it. Plus, Sora needed a drink, just one.

“Was he mad?” Taichi asked Sora once they were on the elevator, if the bar had the best view of Odaiba, it was just obvious that it would be in the twentieth floor.

“So mad! You’ll need to pay him soon.” It was weird to see Taichi all dressed up, even weirder than seeing herself in heels.

“I really was planning to pay him today, but then Mrs. Princess decided to come to this expensive place and…”

Sora got lost in her thoughts, while Mimi and Taichi argued. She had a strange feeling about the night, a good one perhaps. So much had happened in a year, she should be proud of all the growing she had done, right? And she was with two of her best friends, a night out with the Taichi/Mimi duo was always compelling.

Soon enough they were inside the bar, and it would have been silly not to be struck by how dazzling it was. Sora was grateful Mimi was friends with one of the members of the band, otherwise she would be afraid to spend God knows how much money in a single drink.

.

Dancing in high heels should be considered an extreme sport, Sora thought to herself after she had decided she deserved a time out from all the dancing. She sat on the bar and ordered a martini, while she softly laughed at Mimi and Taichi dancing, both brunettes were a show to admire.

But perhaps she should have paid attention to the actual show to admire, the band that was playing in the bar. They had been fantastic, keeping up the mood for the entire night, it had just happened that Sora was having too much fun dancing to pay attention to the ones she should be grateful with.

She immediately regretted looking at them, and she may have been exaggerating but she felt herself getting lost in the singer and bass player’s eyes. They were the kind of blue that only existed in one of Monet’s paintings. She couldn’t decide if they were icy or warm. She got lost in his bad dancing; hips like Jagger but two left feet, an adorable way of attracting everyone in the bar’s attention. He had great stage presence.

But the thing she got lost into the most were his lips, the way they moved. It may be the alcohol she had drank that night, but Sora could swear she had never seen a mouth like his. One she would kill to kiss.

“Thank you so much for this amazing night, our good friend Daisuke Motomiya will take up the gig as DJ. We were Knife of Day, the night is still young!”

The DJ, someone younger than the members of the band, immediately took the stage. Sora was astonished by how free he looked. It was obvious that the DJ was passionate and having fun onstage, she could never be the center of attention like that.

“Is this seat taken?” a male voice took her out of her thoughts, when she noticed who was speaking, she wished the floor would open and she would disappear. She wondered if he had noticed her staring.

“It isn’t,” she sounded chiller than she was expecting, confident even.

“The bar is packed tonight,” it was an open comment, she wasn’t sure if she was meant to reply. She still did.

“It was probably because you guys were playing tonight,” she blushed, he smiled. “You were great.”

“I saw you dancing,” he sounded confident, not a single doubt in his voice. His body language, however, appeared nervous. “Seeing you having fun, made me think we were doing a good job. Ishida Yamato,” he handed out his hand, Sora shook it almost in shook. How old was this guy?

“Takenouchi Sora,” she felt so nervous, she could swear even a giggle came out of her mouth, as if she was fifteen and not a 24-year-old woman. “How did you know it was me dancing? As you said, the bar is packed tonight.”

“Your hair is hard to miss,” Sora grabbed a strand of her hair, embarrassed. “Also, you were with those two who are definitely…”

“Hard to miss, yes.” Sora laughed, loudly, covering her mouth afterwards. It had been a while since she had laughed like that. She wanted to keep talking to Yamato, she had no idea what it was, or who to blame but she wanted to get to know him. However, the music in that place was so loud…

“We can go outside, if you want.”

“Was I that obvious?” Yamato shrugged; Sora smiled. “I wasn’t going to invite you to my place if that is what you were thinking, I mean, both my roommates are home anyway so it would be weird but…” she blushed, deeply. What was going on in her head that night? “What I’m trying to say is, there’s a bar nearby, it is pretty chill, and we could talk…”

“I would like that,” a chuckle. “There’s no rush in meeting your roommates. We can take it slow.” His smile was sincere, Sora thought. She took a sight at Mimi and Taichi to realize they had been staring for who knows how long. With a single look they gave her their blessing.

And so, they went to Sora’s usual bar, they danced the whole night and even played air guitar to one of Yamato’s said favorite songs. Sora was not sure of what she was doing or why she suddenly felt so safe if she had had the lingering feeling that boys only came to do her wrong. But it felt different that night. She was not a kid to believe in love at first sight, in her young adulthood she knew such thing didn’t exist, but she believed in chemistry. And it was palpable between them.

“I can’t believe how late it was,” since around 1AM Sora decided it was fair for her to get rid of her heels, realizing how short she really was next to Yamato. She liked it.

“I didn’t even notice time had passed this fast, to be honest.” They sat in a bench near Sora’s apartment building, eating some random food they had found on a vending machine when they left the low-key bar. “I really had a lot of fun Sora, thank you.”

Sora’s chest felt warm, she looked at Yamato’s eyes, feeling weird to be looking at them so close and confident, compared to when she first saw them earlier that night. She couldn’t believe where the night had taken her.

“Can I be honest with you?” Yamato nodded, she believed him. “I wasn’t expecting to have fun tonight, I was sure the night would be tough for me… but it wasn’t. You turned it into one of the best nights I have ever had, and I appreciate it like you have no idea.” She took a bite to her sandwich to avoid looking at him.

“I don’t know why tonight was supposed to be bad for you, but by all means I’m glad I helped to make it a little brighter.” The sun was starting to rise, and they were both in comfortable silence.

“You can come meet my roommates, I bet Hikari is already awake.”

“I thought we were taking it slow?” Sora playfully hit his arm.

“Don’t get confused, Romeo. We still are.”

.

“Sora? Are you there?” Mimi’s voice took her out of her deep thoughts, as she was shaking her martini sitting in the bar.

“Uh? Yes, of course.”

“I don’t know what you were thinking about, but I wanted to introduce you to my friend in the band, who got us here for free,” she winked at Sora, noticing the blue-eyed singer behind her.

“Ishida Yamato,” he shook her hand, Sora laughed internally.

“Takenouchi Sora.”

It may have been the night of her breakup anniversary, but a feeling inside Sora let her know that maybe, just maybe, it was finally safe for her to fall.