#it's about keep knocking on your childhood friend's door even when you haven't seen him for 4 years bc he will move away

[kanene-yaaay]

Thinking about,,,, them,,,,,

Kel and Sunny,,,,

[amournoir]

play toy 🧸

characters: f!reader x innocent!rafe cameron

warning: does implied smut count?

count: 1k

note: okay so i decided to do a thing. it’s a very short blurb but please lmk what you think!?

It was a random day in the middle of the week but when the Camerons throw a party, attendance is not a question. I had been friends with the kooks since childhood although I was something of a hybrid, kook mother and pogue father, I still fit in both world. Sarah, a few of her friends, and I had been in her room enjoying the party from there. After a while, they left but I remained, there was a knock on the door then her brother walked in. Rafe noticed me sitting on her bed and immediately walked up to me, “Who are you and why are you in my sister's room?"

“I’m Sarah’s best friend, Y/N.”

He eyes you up and down, “Best friend eh? You two been 'best friends'?”

I smirked and replied, “Yeah, I like having fun with her if you know what I mean.” It’s not as though Rafe had never met me, he had dozens of times but majority of those were in public settings or when he wasn’t drunk out of his mind.

“Oh I bet you have. How long have you two been 'best friends'?”

“Almost two years now.”

“Two years and I haven't seen you? I would have thought you two would have been inseparable, have you spent the night with her?”

Rafe was suspicious of me and my intentions with his sister but it felt less like him being a caring big brother and more of him just being nosy with a hint of jealousy. So of course I was going to play along.

“Why do you care who I’ve spent the night with?” I ask with a slight raise of my brow. “And you have seen me, you’d remember if only you weren’t an alcoholic frat boy.”

“I just don't think my sister should be hanging around such a...” He glances my way with a slight look of disdain. “Type of person.”

“Oh I get it. You’re just jealous I’ve never spent the night with you.”

“Why would I be interested in you? You're too trashy for anyone to want to be with including your supposed best friend who should have much better priorities.”

“Your mouth says trashy but that bulge in your pants says otherwise and so do your eyes.” I smile playfully at him, “Have you been watching me Cameron?”

He is taken aback by the remark, a slight blush rising to his cheeks and his heart starts racing. He crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the dresser. Rafe doesn’t respond, he just glares at me quietly.

“You know, I think I might spend the night with Sarah tonight. But don’t worry, I promise we won’t be too loud.” I wink at him knowing full well it’d get under his skin.

“You fucking—” Rafe tries to keep it together but is becoming more enraged by the minute. “I swear if you so much as even touch her.”

“Oh I’ve done far more than touch her. Your little sis is such a freak, don’t you know? She loves going down on me.”

“No. She wouldn't.” He shakes his head, either to deny it or erase the image from his head, who knows. His face is becoming more red with anger the more I continue to talk. “She's...my sister!”

“Yes and she’s my special girl. And just for that I’ll be sure you hear how loud I make her.”

“N...No. You—” Rafe is trying his absolute best to remain calm, but the thought of his sweet little sister with another girl is far too much for him to bear.

“She’s such a good girl when she’s tearing up especially when she begs me to keep going.” I honestly can’t stop. Who knew all I had to do to get under his skin was tease him about his sister’s sluttiness.

I can see the effect my crude comments have on him, they are making him feel sick to his stomach. His chest is quickly rising and falling, getting tighter as his breathing becomes heavy and quick. “STOP! Just stop!”

I smirk and ask, “Why don’t you make me Cameron?”

He glares at me, uncrossing his arms from his chest and clenches his fists. “I could.”

I pull myself to the edge of her bed and let my feet dangle off the side. I look at him and simply say, “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll stop playing with your sweet Sarah if you become my play toy.”

He is speechless but his eyes narrow. “You're serious? You would really leave my sister alone if I did...that…for you?”

I shrug nonchalantly and add, “I might screw her one more time for old times sake but yeah, I will.”

I can see the internal battle going on just by reading his face. Rafe’s body is filled with a mix of rage and excitement but he can't decide which emotion he is feeling more. My interest is slightly piqued just by watching him actually consider my offer.

“Five seconds Rafe before she returns and I bend her pretty firm ass over this bed as you watch.”

He unclenches his fist and lets out a heavy sigh before nodding his head in agreement.

“Say it.”

There's a long pause. Rafe's eyes water and he is visibly shaking but eventually he is able to respond, “I— I…will be your play toy.”

“Good boy.” I smile in satisfaction just as Sarah walks in. She’s in a short black skirt and a white tube top with the first two buttons open. I look over at Rafe and instruct Sarah whilst keeping my eyes on him, “Be a good girl and get on your hands and knees on the bed for me.”

His eyes instantly widen. I couldn’t believe that he would actually agree to being my play thing. I could just see the rage-filled thoughts running through his mind and the helplessness coursing through him as he watches his precious little sister obey. Still locking my eyes with Rafe’s, I flip over Sarah’s skirt, exposing her thong and slap her ass.

“Good. Now let’s get started.”

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[bestiesenpai]

princess reader x rival prince getou brought to you by my covid fatigue and the rabbit hole that is POV Youtube shorts made by a girl named Andrea

pt 2

"Give it back, Suguru!" You wailed, running after the boy a few years older than you. In his gross little hands was your favorite doll, something that he loved to steal from you whenever your family came across the mountains to visit.

"Come get it, princess!" He sneered, turning around just long enough to stick his tongue out at you before running even faster through his family garden. Frustration built up in you and you had to fight to keep the angry tears at bay, you didn't want to give him another thing to tease you about.

"Ow!" Tripping over a gnarled tree branch sticking up from the ground, you made contact with the dirt and grass before you knew what was happening. You could feel the freshly watered grass seep in through your playsuit, staining your tights and the light blue fabric.

Suguru quickly skid to a halt upon hearing your cry of pain, nearly slipping himself from the force. Seeing you let out a exasperated sigh and plopping onto your butt, he relented and went to you.

"Here. You're such a baby." Dropping your doll into your lap, Suguru crouched down and grabbed your hands, wiping them off with his own and giving you a once over.

"Jerk!" Shoving him away, watching him fall flat brought a wide smile to your face. "That's what you get." As he stood up, you saw the stain of mud on the seat of his pants.

"Whatever."

"(Y/N)!" The bellowing call of your name brought you out of your daydream. Snapping back to reality, you were brought back to the sensation of your maid brushing your hair back and fixing your crown on your head.

"I'm coming!" Rolling your eyes at how impatient your father was, you took a look in the mirror. The dress that had been made for you for this night was stunning, a beautiful off the shoulder ballgown with every jewel in the kingdom sewn into it, dangling and catching the light magnificently.

Standing as soon as you were done, you made your way to the hall. This was the first time your kingdom was hosting a ball in a very long time; since you were a child. There had been a war raging oversees, something you weren't directly involved with, but all your allies were. It had caused your father to lose hair and sleep, and this was the way he made up for it.

"There she is." He beamed at you as you made your way down the stairs, having you take his arm as soon as you made it to him. "The most gorgeous girl at the party. Second only to your mother." Shooting her a sly wink, he guided you to the doors of the ballroom. The noise from the other side was raucous and it filled every nerve with excitement.

Your father gave a slight knock on the door, there was a shout and everything fell silent. One of the court attendants cleared their throat, and as the doors opened in front of you, you were announced to the crowd and welcomed with a round of applause.

"(Y/N)!" As soon as you could, you broke away from your father and the people trying to welcome you and ran to your friends, erupting in a fit of giggles and gushing over each others dresses.

"Did you hear? Tell me, did you?" One of them excitedly jumped up and down, looking over her shoulder a few times.

"What?" Your attention was captured immediately.

"Getou and Gojo are here!" That made your excitement dim and your shoulders fell.

"Just what I need, the two boys that teased me my whole childhood." If your fathers weren't as close as brothers you'd have nothing to do with them. Crossing your arms over your chest, you sighed.

"Oh get over it, (Y/N)!" Slapping you lightly on the shoulder, you were soon being led to the refreshments table. "Haven't you seen them recently?"

"No." Grabbing your first of many drinks, you winced slightly at the alcohol tinging your throat. "Last I saw of them was when they were both ten and trying to cut my hair." The memory of being chased with scissors by them was still fresh.

"Well, they're totally hot now." Clinking her glass with yours, your friend attempted to find them in the crowd. "Darn, where are they?"

"Probably in my fathers war room." Rolling your eyes, you just knew that they were probably making up stories of how they helped in the war.

"We'll find them later, let's go dance!" And just like that you were swept away into the crowd, surrounded by a gaggle of other princesses in their fancy partyware dancing the night away.

Every so often, one of them would point and tell you to look, that there's Getou, I can't believe you missed him! It was hard to believe that they fawned over him when it felt like just yesterday you were having tea parties and complaining about cooties.

Somehow, one drink at the beginning of the party led to five, ten - too many to count. The party was beginning to blur, all the whirling and twirling you did as you danced with anyone that you laid eyes on. Sure, you ate and drank water as your mother told you to, but you couldn't be stopped from letting loose just like your father had.

After having quite an energetic dance with one of the earls of your land, you found yourself out of breath. Stumbling out to the balcony, you leaned against the stone railing and embraced the cool air.

"You put on quite a show, princess." A voice said from behind you.

"Isn't it grand?" You replied, still riding the high from the dancing that had just taken place. Your eyes were fixed on the stars, and when the voice laughed, that's when you turned.

You could blame the drop of your jaw on the alcohol running through your system as you made eye contact with the stranger before you. Dressed in a deep purple kimono with flashes of gold striking through, was the most beautiful man you'd ever seen. Inky black hair in a bun, held together with a ribbon the same purple shade, strategic pieces of hair framing his face; large stretched ear lobes and a sharp jawline, you didn't notice when his hand came out.

"If you'd be so kind, princess." The slight flick of his chin was your only cue and you swiftly brought up your hand. He grasped it firmly in his, and you made eye contact as his lips made contact. Your body erupted in a hot flush, a violent swirl of emotions ripping inside you. "What a lovely expression." Fixing you with a smirk and flashing his canines, the man slowly let go of your hand, hooking your fingers together for a minute before letting go.

"I-I-I-" Struggling to form words, you gripped the stone behind you, it being the only thing keeping you tethered to this moment. Laughing softly behind his hand, the man offered you his hand again.

"Why don't we sit?" Nodding dumbly, you followed him to a stone bench. Trying not to fall as you sat down, you caught a whiff of his cologne.

"You smell amazing." With your inhibitions gone, you weren't afraid to say such a thing.

"I wore your favorite cologne, just to get you alone."

"How do you know my favorite cologne?" Giggling slightly, you turned to him.

"Well, I do now." Bumping your shoulder, the man smiled back at you. More giggles came from you as you slightly leaned against him, pushing your chest out just a bit more.

"What's your name?" Just as the question left your lips, you heard your mother call for you inside. Like a puppet on strings, you shot up on unsteady feet and called back to her that you were coming. You knew better than to keep your mother waiting.

Shooting the man a sympathetic smile, you bolted and went back to the party, where you were paraded around for your mothers friends to see how you'd grown up.

Meeting back up with your friends, you resumed drinking and dancing. The man you'd just left was still in the back of your mind, but the infectious energy of the party was too much and it overwhelmed you easily.

Hours passed and you had the best night of your life, dancing and showing off parlor tricks you'd learned throughout the years. It felt good to entertain again, you wanted to be remembered.

It took ages for the party to begin to wind down, it was well past midnight when the first few guests started to leave. The people closest to your family were invited to stay at your massive villa for two weeks to catch up, and each family had their own private wing.

"(Y/N)! Lets go take this makeup off, my feet are killing me!" Most of your friends were nearly passed out drunk in the couches and chairs dotting the edges of the ballroom, and they were trying to get you to leave.

"Just a moment!" You'd been looking everywhere for the man from the balcony, and you finally found him at the edges of the room, talking with a bunch of high brow military men from a kingdom you couldn't remember. Stumbling over, you not so gently tapped on his shoulder.

"Why, hello princess." All attention was turned to you as the man addressed you. He seemed to loom over you, his height and piercing gaze intimidating in any other circumstance.

"D-do you..." Worrying your lip, the tips of your fingers brushed against his kimono. "Do you mind if I steal a kiss?" Looking up at him with innocent eyes, you ignored the chorus of snickers behind him. "A little...souvenir? Can I steal it from you?"

"(Y/N)!" You could hear the scandalized gasps from a few friends just a few chairs away. One got up and tugged on your shoulder, attempting to get you away.

"Of course, princess." It was almost painful how softly he grabbed your hand and thread your fingers together. Taking a quick glance at your friends behind you, he began to lean down.

"(Y/N), no!" Pulling you hard enough to make you stumble back, your friends grabbed hold of you. No way would they be the ones to explain to your mother why you were kissing princes, especially at such an extravagant function as this.

"Do you not recognize who that is?!" Patting your cheeks, they pointed at the man you yearned to kiss.

"What's the issue?!" Growing agitated, you finally looked around at who the man had been talking to. You caught sight of a pink haired man with tattoos all over his face and another who looked just like him and a few nondescript generals. What truly caught your eyes was the lanky man just a few steps behind him, with bright blue eyes and wild white hair.

"Satoru?" Your eyes widened, and when Satoru gave you a wave in response, your heart stopped for the millionth time that night. "Then this is..."

"Nice to see you again, (Y/N)." Suguru grinned, winking at you.

"Oh god..." Reality came and hit you hard; the fact that you were so openly flirtatious with a man that you could only describe as a pestering older brother when you were younger and the fact that you were going to kiss him was all too much and your knees buckled.

"Lets go." Stopping you from tumbling to the ground, your friends gathered around you like a flock of birds and began to usher you away.

"Do you still want that kiss, (Y/N)?" Suguru called out, teasingly trying to grab your hand.

"Well-" You couldn't even get the thought out before you were whisked away and out of the ballroom. As you were escorted through the halls, your group couldn't stop from chattering.

"I can't believe you were so flirty with him!" Was a sentiment echoed back and forth.

"Since when did Suguru get so..." Trailing off, there was a swirl of emotions in your stomach. "So hot."

[lasenbyphoenix]

Unshakable Faith (2023)

Episode 26 Breakdown

Nurse Shanshan asks Officer Hongmei not to tell anyone about her and Officer Tongbin. She admits even Nurse Bai doesn't know, that since becoming head nurse she's been distant and friends with Nurse Zhang Ling instead.

Ji Danyang discusses the next blueprints with Master Welder Niu while Officer Hongmei takes the chance to question to Assistant Welder Rui about his childhood. As they leave the factory, Officer Hongmei tells Ji Danyang to keep the blueprint confidential and leaves him wondering why she's angry at him again. The police team narrow down the suspect's for the stabiliser sabotage to Assistant Welder Rui, finding an unexplained 3 year gap in his history, but no evidence yet to arrest him with.

Electrician Liu Simao breaks protocol and meets the herb seller at her seamstress shop to discuss the worry over Ghost Owl following them at the night market, and that Snow Wolf has new instructions.

The KMT proceed with planting an undercover agent as Li Qiuchen - sending a letter to his cousin, Expert Lei Peizhang. The letter causes the police team to investigate the family's loyalty and Lei Peizhang is isolated from the expert team in the meantime. Ji Danyang visits Lei Peizhang in the riveting workshop and offers his support. The investigation comes up clear, finding only that Li Qiuchen is a patriotic man wanting to return to China and that the cousin's haven't met since childhood. Lei Peizhang is reinstated and the experts continue with their model testing.

Nurse Bai receives another coded note to meet at the seamstress shop that evening and Secretary Lu invites her to the movies.

Dr Bai is visited again by the herb seller/seamstress who tells him that Snow Wolf will meet him that night at 7 pm and gives him an envelope with Nurse Bai's new hairpin in it. He rushes to the hospital to check on her, but she assures him that nothing happened on the way to work and she's not sure where she lost the hairpin. Still worried, he insists she come home straight from work. Leaving, Dr Bai runs into Nurse Leader Ge and asks her to keep an eye out for Nurse Bai.

Nurse Bai leaves work early, getting a ride from Secretary Lu, causing Nurse Zhang Ling to gossip with Nurse Shanshan about who Nurse Bai likes. She goes to the seamstress shop where Liu Simao tells her she will need to be blindfolded to meet Snow Wolf. She agrees but is surprised when they tie her hands and feet too. Customers come to knock on the shop door so they stash her under a table and let them in. She tries to gain attention by putting her feet out from under the table but Liu Simao and his assistant hide her efforts.

When Nurse Bai hasn't come home, Dr Bai goes to the hospital again and Nurse Shanshan tells him that Nurse Bai left at 4.30 due to a family reason, and remarks to Officer Tongbin that it's the second time Dr Bai showed up at hospital.

Dr Bai prepares for his meeting by sharpening his scalpel.

..................................................

Dr Bai is getting more and more worried, the herb seller/seamstress seems to scare him a lot more than Lai Guangrun did.

Did Assistant Rui go to kiddie spy school with Nurse Bai too? It's very much pointing towards him being "Earthworm" and the cable saboteur.

Surely decoding your secret messages at work is risky, Nurse Bai. And she doesn't seem fazed at all by being blindfolded or even tied up, you gotta wonder what kiddie spy school lessons were like, and how much of the shy and scared Nurse Bai we'd seen up until now was an act.

Ahh, it seems like they're tying up Nurse Bai so that Dr Bai can see her when he meets Snow Wolf and scare him into complying. This will reveal if Nurse Bai knows about her father's affiliation.

On the lighter side, our math man is busy asking Captain Chen the big questions in life.

[fics-n-stuff]

Home

Pairing: Kaz Brekker × Reader

Summary: Y/N and Kaz were once childhood friends, later reunited in the Barrel. After a business dealing went awry, Y/N has been in hiding for almost a year and the time apart has brought up a lot of feelings for Kaz.

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings: touch aversion, alcohol consumption

A/N: I haven't actually read SoC yet but I have done my research so I really hope I wrote Kaz accurately enough 🤞🏽 Let me know!! I left the reader gender neutral so all parties can enjoy 😁

Update: Pt 2 here!

You stared out of the window, watching the nightlife of the Barrel in full swing below you. It had been almost a year since you had been able to be a part of it all and, even though you had lived in Ketterdam all your life, you felt like an outsider now.

There was a knock on the door and you froze, head tilting to listen out for any threat. After a moment there was another knock, loud and heavy – certainly not the result of somebody’s knuckle hitting the wood. With a sigh, you stood up from the window ledge and crossed the room to the door.

Kaz was waiting on the other side, looking unamused as ever, and you waved him inside quickly and hurriedly shut the door behind him.

“I am one of three people that knock on your door, Y/N.” He said flatly, removing his hat and placing it atop your desk.

“I can’t be too careful, never know when someone might come sniffing around here.” You replied with a shrug. Kaz hummed shortly in acknowledgment before producing a small stack of envelopes from his coat. You snatched them from him eagerly, but careful to ensure that your fingers made no contact with his gloved ones.

“I’m getting tired of being your courier.”

“Well, I’m getting tired of being in hiding.” You huffed, leafing through your letters. “But I’d rather not walk around in a city where I’m actively being hunted.”

“You shouldn’t have gotten caught then.” Your head snapped towards Kaz at that, and you raised your eyebrows challengingly.

“I should slap you for that.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Kaz’s face remained largely unchanged but you could see the shine of amusement in his eyes.

You had first met Kaz as a child, while visiting family in the village where his family lived. He was a sweet child, and you had struck up a fast friendship in the few months you spent there. You had even written letters back and forth for a couple of years until one time you never got a reply.

When you met again years later, entirely by chance, Kaz was a changed person. Your family’s fortune had taken a steep downturn and you found yourself alone, living in a tiny room in a boarding house in the Barrel, when Kaz came across you pickpocketing outside the Crow Club. He had recognised you, but you hadn’t recognised him at first. Everything about him was so departed from the sweet boy that you had known as a child.

He refused to tell you what had happened to change him in this way. He never gave you a cause for the ruthless person he had become to climb the ranks of the Dregs and earn the name Dirtyhands, never even told you what had brought him to Ketterdam at all other than that his father had died. He never pushed you away though. Kept you at arms length, yes, but he never tried to dissuade you from sticking around.

The longer you knew him the more you realised that he wasn’t as cold as his demeanour portrayed. He was fiercely loyal, you could see it in the way that he was with his Crows, and you were certain that he would do anything to protect those he cared about most. You admired that about him.

“You don’t have to come, you know. You could send Inej with my letters, she already delivers me food.” You said, turning away at the realisation that you had been looking at each other in silence for a few seconds too long. You went to sit down, picking up the envelope from the top of the pile and pulling up the wax seal. Kaz didn’t respond for a long while. You tried to read your letter but found yourself distracted with anticipation of what he would say, if he said anything at all.

“I commend your commitment to your business.” He said finally, and you smiled at the compliment. “Eleven months trapped in this apartment and you’re still keeping up with it all.”

“Being in hiding is no excuse to get lazy. If anything, it gives me more of a reason to keep on top of things. Work keeps me sane and keeps coin in my pocket.”

“And how long do you intend to keep conducting your business through letters and underlings?”

“For as long as I have to, Kaz. You know that.” You answered with a quiet sigh, setting down the letter that you definitely hadn’t been reading and turning your head to face him again. You saw his jaw tense and the grip on his cane tighten, but you didn’t know what it meant. You were worried that somehow you had done or said something to upset him.

You had learned, in the few years since your reunion, that sometimes even the most seemingly innocuous things could put Kaz in a black mood. You had caught on quickly to the way that he avoided touch at all costs, and adapted your behaviour accordingly. He had still never told you why being touched triggered such a strong reaction in him, but he knew that you would always respect that fact.

It didn’t matter to you what traumas Kaz had suffered to create these traits in him, only that you knew how to navigate being in his space without violating his boundaries, because deep down you knew that Kaz was the most important person in your life. He took you in and offered you support when you needed it, given you structure and taught you skills to survive without even necessitating that you use those skills to serve his gang, all because of the friendship that you had shared as children. It didn’t matter how heartless people said the Bastard of the Barrel was, you knew that Kaz cared; perhaps not in the same way that you had come to care for him, but he did care.

“Maybe you should go, I’m sure you have work of your own to do.” You mumbled, your eyes drifting downwards anxiously. “And anyway, I have letters to read.”

“I could protect you.” He blurted. His voice was a little louder than usual, his tone less flat, and your brow furrowed in confusion and curiosity. “We could. The Crows, and the Dregs.”

“I don’t need your protection.”

“But you’d have it.”

You turned fully in your chair, straddling it with one leg either side of the backrest, and leant your forearms on the top of it. There was something in Kaz’s eyes that you’d never seen before and, although you prided yourself on being able to tell how Kaz was feeling and what he might be thinking about, you couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Do you know something that I don’t?” You questioned.

“Of course not.”

“Do you suddenly not trust my ability to keep myself safe?”

“Nothing like that, Y/N.”

“Then what?” You rested your chin on your arms, looking up at him expectantly. He held your gaze, but you could see the cogs turning in his brain as he calculated his next sentence. You were preparing for an argument to start, so you certainly didn’t expect the words that came from him next.

“I’m concerned about how long you’ve been alone here.” He answered. You blinked.

“Concerned?” Your voice cracked a little with your surprise, and Kaz clenched his jaw as he averted his eyes from you.

“I just thought that maybe all this time on your own might have had some affect on you. And I... hold a certain sense of responsibility.” His voice never wavered or faltered, other than the one pause there was no suggestion in his speech that the words held any significance to him, but you could see the tension in his shoulders and the tight grip that he maintained on his cane.

You narrowed your eyes, taking a moment to examine his face and his demeanour. Everything about him was wound tight, like he was making a particularly tricky deal rather than talking to a friend – you hoped that he considered you a friend – and though he was looking in your general direction you noted his avoidance of eye contact.

“If I didn’t know better I’d think you were saying that you miss me, Mr Brekker.” You said, your mouth turning in a small smirk. You saw Kaz’s chest tighten as he silently took in a sharp breath, and you chuckled lightly. “I’m fine, Kaz. Inej visits often enough, and I’m happy to see you when you deliver my letters. I will say though, I miss drinking with your Crows.”

Truthfully, you did feel rather trapped in your tiny apartment. For almost a whole year your entire world had consisted of only three rooms, and even if you didn’t admit it you were going slightly mad. Not being able to leave was frustrating, and living your whole life in one room (because really, who spends that much of their day in the bathroom or kitchen?) made you feel like a caged animal.

He didn’t reply. He also didn’t move. You watched him, standing straight and stiff as ever in the middle of the room, for a few moments. Usually he would have said something or made a move to leave, so you knew that he was deep in thought about something. You slouched further down against the backrest of your chair.

“If you’re planning on sticking around then you should at least sit down.” You sighed. “I have some kvas, or whisky if you’d prefer.” Kaz shook his head no to the drink but made a move towards the window seat. You watched him cross the room and sit down, his grip remaining on his cane as he placed it between his knees. “What’s on your mind, Kaz?”

“It’s not important.”

“That can’t be true.”

“And why is that?” He questioned dully.

“Because you’re still here, with me, staring into space like you’re waiting for the wind to tell you a secret.” He looked at you then, and you could see a conflict swirling behind his eyes. You resisted the urge to furrow your brow in worry. He still didn’t say anything, and that didn’t do anything to ease your concern because Kaz Brekker was not often one to be at a loss for words. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes.” He murmured, his head nodding slightly.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” You asked softly. He looked into your eyes for a few seconds before turning his head away, clearly deciding not to answer. You were almost expecting him to get up and leave the apartment right then, remove himself from the uncomfortable situation like he had been known to do before, but he made no move to stand.

You stood instead, abruptly moving through to the tiny kitchen and pouring a glass of whisky for yourself. You took a long sip as you came back out into the living space, picking up a wooden staff on your way. You kept up your combat training while in hiding, though it wasn’t often that you got an opponent.

“Humour me, will you?” You smiled, spinning the staff in your hand and setting your drink down.

“There’s not much space in here.” Kaz commented.

“Then we’ll be careful. Get up and fight me, coward.” You goaded. He gave you an incredulous look but stood anyway, tossing his cane up and grabbing it at it’s middle as he came towards you. Your grin broadened, and you waited just until the was in your range before you swung at him.

Your staff collided with his cane, moved up just in time to block your attack, and he watched you with challenging amusement. You let him make the next attack, knocking his cane away when he swung it towards you.

You exchanged blows, each of you managing to block all of the other’s attacks but you were starting to corner him. It seemed like you were about to get the upper hand when he swiped his cane towards your middle, making you jump back, and before you could move to swing on him he had pushed the crow’s head handle into your chest, not so hard that it was painful but with enough force to knock you backwards.

You landed on the edge of your bed with a groan, letting the staff drop from your hand in defeat.

“No fair, your cane is basically an extension of your arm.” You grumbled. Kaz let out a short breath, the closest thing to a laugh that anyone could get from him.

“You picked the fight.” He shrugged, lowering his cane and righting it at his hip. “I could have told you that you wouldn’t win it.”

“Mean!” You exclaimed in exaggerated offense, sitting up. When you looked at Kaz his expression was soft, the worry behind his eyes seemingly eased, and you smiled. “I could beat you if it was hand to hand.”

“I don’t doubt that.” He replied, the almost compliment catching you by surprise once again.

It had been a while since you and Kaz had spent any significant amount of time together. He was a busy man, particularly so over the last few months it seemed, so other than his brief drop-ins to deliver your letters you hadn’t seen him. It was nice to have his company again, even if he was a little off.

“Do you remember those drawings of Ketterdam that I used to send you with my letters?” You questioned softly, tucking your knees up to your chest. “I used to walk around the city looking for spots to sketch. I’d spend hours sitting on the street with my pencils trying to get the picture perfect to show you what it was like. I think, now, you probably know the city better than I do.” You smiled wistfully, resting your head on your knees as you looked up at Kaz. You saw his Adam’s apple bob with a swallow.

“You miss it, don’t you?” He asked.

“Of course.”

“You could go out there, stop hiding. You know I would look out for you.”

“I can’t put that burden on you, Kaz.” You chuckled lightly. “Enough people want you dead already, you don’t need to be looking after me while I’m being actively hunted.”

“How long do you plan on staying locked in here then?”

“As long as it takes, we went through this earlier. I have a big deal coming up, with the money from that I’d be able to smooth over some edges and maybe I could come out of hiding in a few months.” You theorised. “I’d still have to watch over my shoulder all the time but it would be an improvement.” Kaz’s jaw tightened again, and he bristled with agitation.

You hugged your knees tighter, doubt and worry overcoming you. Was Kaz not okay with coming to see you here anymore? Was he trying to get you out of hiding to lighten the burden it had put on him, getting your letters delivered to the Crow Club and having to bring them to you? The thought of not being able to rely on his short visits was enough to fill your chest with a mixture of dread and guilt.

“Like I said before, you don’t have to keep coming if that’s the problem.” You added, hiding the dejection in your voice. “Inej can-"

“No.” He interrupted bluntly. You blinked, pressing your lips together in contemplation. Was he upset that Inej was bringing supplies for you? Or worse, had something happened to her? Was that what was bothering him so much tonight?

“Why not?”

“Because I-" He cut himself off. He took a step back as if regaining his balance, his gaze falling to the floor, and you watched him flex his fingers around his cane as he organised his words. “Do you remember how you got sick while you were visiting your family?”

“Kaz.” You murmured tentatively, craning your neck to try and get a better look at his face that was turned away from you. Kaz didn’t like to talk about the past. Even bringing up the letters that you sent each other had been pushing it, but for him to choose to talk about your childhood was something he had never done before. Still now, it looked like the mention of the past was making him nauseous as he moved to sit down in the window once again. Your curiosity was growing by the second.

“You got sick and you could hardly get out of bed for almost a fortnight.” He continued, dismissing your concern. “I went to visit you every day. I picked flowers for you to make you feel better, and your mother baked oatmeal cookies but I refused to have any unless you did because you weren’t eating enough.”

“I remember.” You nodded. “You never let my glass of water get empty. It was sweet. But why does it matter now?”

“I can’t... I can’t stop worrying about you. But unlike when we were kids, I can’t just walk up the street and check on you every day.”

You felt as if all the air had been knocked out of your lungs and for a second you genuinely wondered if you had made that up in your head. Kaz very rarely expressed any emotion – the mask he wore hardly ever slipped – but here he was telling you that he worried about you. For Kaz, that was practically him baring his soul for you to see.

“You don’t have to worry about me.” You said shakily. “I’ve been fine so far, haven’t I?”

“But what if you’re not fine for much longer? As long as you’re holed up here I can’t keep you safe, and I can’t come to check on you because if I come here too often people might notice. Honestly, it’s a miracle that they haven’t already.”

“I didn’t think you believed in miracles.” You mumbled. Kaz glanced up at you, and the vulnerability on his face was unlike anything you’d seen before. It struck you in the heart and made you feel a need to comfort him, to put him at ease. “I can take care of myself, Kaz. I promise."

He was silent for a moment, his gaze downcast once again, then he took a deep breath and spoke.

“I think I’ll take that drink now.”

You watched him for just a second before you got up, crossing over to your desk and picking up the glass of whiskey that you had left there. The glass was half full since you had admittedly poured a little too generously.

You held it out to Kaz, who reached for it without looking. Although you were careful to hold the glass at the very top, his gloved fingers still brushed slightly over yours as he took a hold of it. He immediately stiffened, and you were quick to pull your hand away, taking a step back to give him space. He downed the drink in one, his face scrunching just slightly at the burn it left in his throat as he set the glass down by his feet.

“I just want to be able to watch over you.” He said, his voice barely more than a whisper, and you could practically see how difficult it was for him to verbalise his feelings.

“I think... I understand what you mean, Kaz. But I’m safer staying here than being out there, even with the Dregs protecting me. You have to know that, right?”

Kaz pushed a peice of hair out of his face, his gloved hand smoothing over his head as he let out a long and quiet sigh. Finally, he looked up at you.

“I know.” He answered.

“I appreciate your concern though.” You smiled. “Honestly, I didn’t think you cared about me that much. Or, well, I knew you cared but I just didn’t think... nevermind.”

“You didn’t think what?” Kaz’s question made you pause, anxiety pooling in your chest as you contemplated coming clean about your feelings. You thought about lying, about keeping your secrets to yourself, but Kaz had been so sincere it only felt right to return his honesty. With a deep breath, you worked up the courage to finally tell him the truth.

“I didn’t think that you cared as much as I do.” You replied. The sentence hung in the air for a moment as you moved back to sit in your desk chair, heart pounding in your chest. “I’ve kind of found myself caring a lot, actually. I think it’s only fair, really. I mean, I kind of owe you my life and all so it makes sense that I care. That’s not to say that it’s sensible but it is at least understandable, I guess.”

You bit your lip to stop your rambling, dropping your head so that you didn’t have to look at Kaz. There was a long stretch of silence.

“I care more than I might show.” He spoke softly, much more softly than you think you’d ever heard his voice. When you looked up Kaz was gazing right back at you, your eyes locking and his stare going deep into your soul. He didn’t need to say more, that simple sentence and the look in his eyes were enough to tell you what he was confessing. A smile pulled at your lips.

“Be careful what you admit, Brekker, or I might think that you’re going soft.” You joked, and he shook his head lightly in amusement. You leaned forward with your elbows on your knees, letting go of the anxiety that had been coursing through you.

“I'm serious, Y/N."

“I know. You don’t make a habit of saying things that you don’t mean.” You nodded. You glanced up at the clock on your wall with a sigh. “You really should get going, it’s dangerous for us both for you to stay too long.”

“Yes, I suppose so.” He muttered.

He stood after a moment, his hand flexing over the crow’s head handle of his cane. You reached back to pick his hat up from the desk, and he held a hand out for it, but instead of passing it to him you placed atop your own head. It was too big, and you had to push it back on your head so it didn’t slide over your face.

“You know, I rather like you without the hat.” You smiled.

“Is that so?”

“Yep. I can see your face better this way so I can tell when your emotions manage to break through.” Kaz’s lips quirked upwards a little as he took the hat from your head and put it on his own. You jutted your lip out in an exaggerated pout and he let out a huff that seemed suspiciously close to a laugh.

“Do you have any letters you need me to send out?”

“No, not this time.”

“Alright, then I’ll be on my way.” He gave a quick nod and turned towards the door. He had only taken a couple of steps when you twisted in your chair and called after him .

“Kaz.” He stopped and turned back to you. “I’m doing what I can to get out of this apartment, I promise.”

“That’s not something that you owe me, Y/N. It’s your freedom and your safety. But I await the day that you come waltzing into the Crow Club ready to make Jesper lose all the coin in his pocket.” He replied lightly, making you smile. “And if you need anything then I’m here, all you have to do is ask.”

“Thank you, not just for this but for everything. Everything that you’ve given me since that night outside the Crow Club. I might be dead if it weren’t for you.” You let sentiment out freely, finally feeling able to show your heart to Kaz now that you knew that your affections weren’t one sided. His expression softened, and he seemed to contemplate something deeply, before he took a single step back towards you and held out one gloved hand.

You hesitated, unsure if he was initiating what you were thinking, but he maintained eye contact. He gave a small nod, a mix of permission and encouragement, and you tentatively reached for his outstretched hand.

Kaz took in a deep breath when your hand made contact with his, and you watched him carefully ready to pull your hand away. After a moment he released the breath, wrapping his fingers lightly around yours and running his thumb over your knuckles.

“You’re the closest thing to home that I have.” He croaked. “I didn’t want to lose that.”

“You won’t.” You affirmed. Kaz released your hand, and you found yourself missing the feeling of the leather glove. He took a small step back, trying to hide the shake in his breathing.

“I’ll come back soon, as soon as it’s safe to.”

“Okay.” You smiled. “I’ll see you then.”

Kaz left the apartment without another word between you, he paused before closing the door after himself just to look at you for a moment longer. You watched out of the window to see him leave the building and start off through the street, a broad smile on your face.

[laskyy]

Hey guys! So today (October 6th) is my bestie's (@newkyumilk) bday! And since it's already the 7th of October (Jiung's bday) in korea I decided to post this imagine as a present for my bestie and as a birthday special to Jiung! I really hope you enjoy this 💖💖💖

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Memories

Tw: Kissing, crying, mentions of trains (let me know if I missed something)

Genre: fluff

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Friends come and go, was what everyone always said and you didn't really believe them until you completely lost touch with your childhood best friend, Jiung.

You and Jiung had met when you were both only 5, your parents were good friends so it was only natural for you two to hang out when they hung out.

Jiung had seen all of your awkward phases, and he stuck with you through all of them, well that is until he moved cities without even telling you and that always made you think if you did something wrong or if he didn't want to hurt you.

That was 3 years ago, now you were a college student and you were very focused on your future, wanting to excell so you could have the life you always wanted.

You were very tired from all of the assignements, but you could finally rest as your college would give students a small two week break, and honestly it was just what you needed to relax.

You and your parents had planned to visit some friends in another city, but you didn't bother asking who they were, you just wanted a little get away.

"Honey, do you have everything packed?" Your mom asked as you went down the stairs of your house into the living room where your parents were waiting.

"Yes, I double checked everything!" You said as you reached the living room and sighed.

"You're gonna love these few days I promise!" Your dad said as opened the door for you and your mom.

"I'm sure I will, I really need to rest! I hope your friends are calm people!" But instead of answering, your parents just stared at each other with knowing smiles as they exited your house and locked the door.

You guys headed for the train station and in your mind was only the thought of how th house was gonna be and who were the friends you were gonna be visiting.

All those thought came to a halt when your mom called you to get on the train as it had already arrived.

You got on the train and let your mind run wild. Train rides brought you a certain nostalgia, because you used to ride the train with your childhood bestriend Jiung all the time.

But well, now that he wasn't here you couldn't hope for it to happen again. And besides that he just left you with no trace.

"Honey, hey, sorry to interrupt your thought, but I just wanted to tell you that we're almost there!" Your dad said as he gave you a small smile.

"Ok dad, thanks for telling me." You answered as you looked out the window and saw a field of flower. More specifically one that reminded you of your childhood with Jiung.

Flashback

You and Jiung were 10 years old and were just playing hide and seek in a field of flowers, somewhere you'd go to after school every friday.

"I'm coming!" Jiung said as he tried to look for you as you were hidden behind a bush. You were hoping he'd take longer finding you but he found you with no time.

"Got you!" He said as he laughed cutely and you looked at him laughing as well. "How are you so good at this?" You asked as you both sat down in the grass.

"I played a lot with my cousin last summer, so you better watch out." He said as he tried to look scary, but you just laughed.

You stood there looking at the field when you spotted a beautiful sunflower. "Look Jiung, how beautiful is that?" "It's very pretty! Wait a little bit!" He said as he stood up and disappeared for a few minutes, and when you were about to look for him he appeared with a flower crown made of sunflower and put it on top of your head. "There, now the flower is wearing flowers!" Jiung said as he giggled and booped your nose.

End of flashback

You were already tearing up at the sweet memory when you mom tapped your shoulder for you to exit the train with your parents.

This place looked oddly familiar, but you couldn't wrap your head around where you've seen it, so you decided to wait until you reached the house you were staying at to try and ask someone.

You arrived at the house and as soon as your parents knocked the door opened revealing a couple around your parents' age who welcomed you sweetly.

"And you must be their Child! You're so pretty!" The lady said as she pulled you in a hug.

"I'm sure you'd love to meet my son! He's around your age! TAEYANG!" She yelled with full force. And Taeyang? You were sure you knew someone named like that, but who?

The boy came down stairs and immediately recognized you as he hugged you and told his and your parents that he was going with you to his room.

"Hey! You remember me right? I'm Taeyang, Jiung's cousin!" So that's why you knew him.

"Oh! I do remember you! How are you? I haven't seen you in so long!" You said as you tried to get the conversation going.

"I'm great! Even better now that I'm seeing you! You've grown!" He said with a smile. You both kept talking for a while until he mention Jiung.

"So you're probably wondering why Jiung hasn't beeb talking to you or why he didn't tell you anything about the reason he was moving right?" He asked as he looked at you with his doe eyes.

"Well, yeah, but he probably wanted to cut me off no?" You asked as if it was obvious.

"Do you really think he'd do that? No, he's not like that, he didn't tell you anything, because he knew he wouldn't be strong enough to not break down when he saw you! It wasn't his best decision, but well it's done right?" He said with a conforting smile.

"I appreciate the information Tae, but why are you telling me all of this?" You asked as you were genuinely curious about this random outburst about his cousin.

"Well, I knew you were coming and I also knew about his situation, so I may or may not have invited him over for you guys to talk." He said so fast that if you weren't so invested in this you wouldn't have caught a word he said.

"You what? I haven't talked to him in over 3 years! Tae it's going to be awkward!" You said sounding desperate.

"Calm down! Everything is going to go well! And he hasn't changed! He's still the same as he was when he lived near you! The only difference is that he lives near me now!" Taeyang said in hopes to comfort you.

A few hours had passed and you heard the doorbell ring.

"Oh my god, Tae it's him!" You said as you nervously paced around the room.

"Calm down things are going to go well I promise! And he's gonna come up stairs. If you need anything shout, I'm going to be in the living room!" Tae said as he exited the room to invite Jiung inside.

You were a nervous wreck, but you were still curious about how Jiung would look now, probably more mature was your guess, and as he entered the room you realized your guess was absolutely right.

"Y/n" Jiung said as he ran in your direction and picked you up in his arms. You were so overwhelmed you started crying and you didn't miss the fact that Jiung also shed a few tears of his own.

"I missed you so much!" Jiung said as he let you down on the floor to look at you.

"I missed you too, but why did you avoid me? Why did you hide everything from me?" Although Taeyang had already given you the answer you still wanted to hear the answer from him.

"I was stupid and I didn't tell you because I knew that if I told you I wouldn't be strong enough to actually move, it would be harder so I thought it would be the best for the both of us, But I was so wrong! I missed you everyday!" He said with glossy eyes.

"Oh Jiung I missed you too!" You said as you teared up again and wrapped you arms around him.

When you guys both calmed down you went to the living room where Taeyang was staying.

"So are you guys ok? Are you friends again? Something more?" Taeyang asked as he said the last part softly so only Jiung would hear.

"Yes we're good now! But Me and Y/n are going for a walk, we'll be back before dinner." Jiung announced as you both went out of the door.

You were just catching up while walking until Jiung stopped at the flower field you'd seen while in the train.

"Wanna know something? I came here everytime I missed you badly, because this flower field really looks like the one next to your house!" Jiung admitted as he mitioned for you to come with him.

"Actually, when I was in train I saw this field through the window and I thought back to us playing hide and seek and that one time you made that flower crown for me." You said shyly as you weren't playing attention to Jiung's actions, but when you saw him again you noticed him walking towards you with a sunflower crown.

"Jiung, that's so cute!" You said as he put it on your head the same way he did when you were kids.

"Now the flower is wearing flowers!" He said just like before as he booped you nose.

"Oh my god, I miss when we were kids!" You said as Jiung sat down next to you.

"Yeah, I also miss living next to you! I was so sad my mom got a promotion, I just wanted to live near you!" He said as he scooted closer to you.

"Maybe in the future we'll be able to live close!" You said as the both of you moved backwards to rest your backs against a tree.

"Yeah maybe!" Jiung said as he gave you a knowing smile.

"Ok, I've been keeping this in for like 5 years so I need to let it out!" Jiung exclaimed.

"Go ahead Ji!" You said calmly.

"I like you, well, that's a lie. I love you in a romantic way. And honestly it's okay if you don't feel the same I just needed to tell you!" Jiung said as he was now blushing furiously and you think you were too.

"I actually love you too Jiung. I have since a few years now. And when you left I was so heartbroken, because I thought I'd never see you again." You confessed while looking straight in his eyes.

"But now I'm here and we could do something about these feelings, that is if you want to of course." He said shyly.

"I'd love to, but we're gonna have to do a long distance relationship." You said sadly.

"And what if I tell you we don't?" He said in a questioning way.

"What do you mean? We live quite far from each other." You said while confusion was written all over your face.

"I'm moving again! My mom found a stable job back in your city! We're gonna be able to meet everyday almost all the time!" He said and as he finished his sentence you threw yourself in his arms.

"Jiung that's literally the best thing you could've told me! I love you so much!" You said as you hugged him tighter and felt him kiss your head gently.

"I love you too, so much, you have no idea." He said as he looked deep in your eyes, grabbed your cheek gently and leaned in to kiss you, but before he could reach your lips he lifted his eyebrows as a way to ask for permission to which you granted by nodding and Jiung then kissed you softly.

You guys broke apart after a few seconds to make eye contact and you smiled sweetly at each other, a smile that showed your feelings for one another completely.

"I love you." You said as you smiled at Jiung.

"I love you too." Jiung said as he smiled and leaned in to kiss you again.

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I hope you guys enjoyed it! Specially my bestie, my first Tumblr friend @newkyumilk! Everyone go wish her a happy birthday! And In Korea it's already Jiung day, so happy birthday to our hardworking Jiung 💖💖💖

Have a great day/afternoon/night! I love you 💖💖💖

[angellesword]

MAGIC SHOP | JJK (09)

Description: You and Jungkook were best friends who were in love with each other. What would happen when Soojin, your half sister who you’re trying to impress, told you she’s in love with Jungkook too?

Where did you stand after this? What choices did you have?

Alternatively:

“Would you believe me if I said that I was scared of everything too?”

Pairing: Architect!Jungkook x Architect!Reader (side pairing: Taehyung x Yoongi)

Genre: childhood best friends to lovers, family drama, angst, fluff, idiots to lovers, pining, slice of life au.

Warnings: Building collapse, resulting to death and injuries. Homophobia, cursing, and drinking alcohol on a plane, physical abuse (Sin-ae slapped OC)

Note: Texts like this = lyrics from this chapter’s OST which is It’s You by Henry

Word Count: 3.6k

Series: CHAPTER 8 | CHAPTER 10

When Jungkook claimed that 'the whole family needs you,' what he really meant was that the Kims needed you to convince Taehyung to go back to Seoul.

"No. I'd rather die than go back there." Your brother's face was scarlet, obviously fuming.

You sighed. Defeat was already knocking on your door, telling you to give it up. Taehyung was stubborn, no one could make him do something he proclaimed he hated.

"B-But..." You couldn't give up, so desperately, you looked at him and said "our family needs us—"

"Our family needs us?" He cut you off, voice laced with so much fury it made you flinch.

You hadn't seen him this enraged. Regret washed over you. Perhaps you should've waited for the sun to come up first before dropping the bad news to him. Taehyung woke up with a sour mood since you banged on your bedroom door, forcing him to come out and talk to you.

He had a frown on his face when he opened the door, eyes squinting, he asked you what you could possibly want in the middle of the night.

You told him your concern at once, not minding that Jimin was awake now, calling your name softly like he wasn't sure what was happening or why you're suddenly disturbing everyone's sleep.

Yoongi was awake too. He stood behind Taehyung as he scratched the back of his head, frowning at you.

You ruined their sleep while Jungkook ruined your peace.

He told you that your father and Soojin got into an accident. Apparently, the building which was being constructed by Castle Architectural Firm collapsed. Some construction workers, your father, and Soojin were injured.

Admittedly, you didn't know all the details because your mind had gone haywire the second you heard Jungkook associated your family's names with the word accident.

You could say though that between you and Taehyung, the latter was calmer. When you told him the same thing Jungkook had said to you, all your brother asked was this: "they're...still alive, right?"

You nodded your head, lips pressing into a grim line when he shrugged.

Nonchalantly.

Taehyung shrugged nonchalantly.

"Good. I'll just send them a text message later." He attempted to shut the door.

"Wait!" You stopped him, saying that you two needed to plan your trip back home.

It's his turn to smack his lips together, as if he found your statement ridiculous.

Taehyung told you he would never go back to Seoul. You still insisted on going though, prompting him to say things both of you knew he's gonna regret.

"Why are you forcing me to go back to that shithole?" He snapped at you. "Did you forget what I've been through because of him?"

You could see it in his eyes. He wanted to scream everything—he lost everything because of Taemin.

"B-But..." You were too frightened to think of a proper explanation so you just repeated what you said a few breaths ago, "they need us..." Your voice was actually low, like you weren't sure if what you said was valid.

Taehyung proved that it was bull by cackling. His tongue was prodding at the insides of his mouth.

"Bull fucking shit." You took a step back upon hearing his snarl. Taehyung was glaring daggers at you.

"Taehyung-ah..." Yoongi interrupted before his boyfriend could hurt you with his words. It was to no avail. Your brother didn't stop sputtering things. He was directing his frustration to you.

"What? I'm right, Yoongi." He also glared at his hyung before casting his gaze back at you. "We chose to leave but they pushed us to do it. Our father can't accept me. My mother barely tolerated me. Seokjin and Namjoon-hyung are the only ones who defended me, but where are they now? They stopped talking to me too—" He sounded bitter.

You couldn't blame him. None of them reached out to talk to you and your brother. It had been almost two years since you contacted them. They didn't spare you even a simple greeting no matter how many holidays had passed, no matter how long your messages were.

The Kims never replied.

"Consider leaving Seoul as a sign of you turning your back on us." This was what Taemin said to Taehyung.

And to you?

Nothing.

They never cared about you. As a matter of fact, you felt like you had done them a favor when you left. Even Soojin didn't bother to stop you. She only said you're old enough to decide for yourself, that she got a lot on her plate right now and that she didn't have time for your drama or whatever you're going through.

Taehyung said you were stupid. Why did you keep insisting yourself to them? Wasn't it obvious to you that they didn't want you in their circle? You were an outsider they would never let in.

"—and now you're saying they need us? For what?" He answered his own question after swallowing his spit. "For support? That's rich coming from them, don't you think? How dare they ask something they never gave us when we needed it the most?"

"I don't want to end up like them, oppa." Your voice was barely audible as you trained your eyes on the floor. "You and I both know how painful it is not to have the support we craved. Do you really want to pass that pain to someone else?"

Taehyung cackled, forcing you to cast your eyes back to him.

"That's where we're different, little sister." He licked his lower lip, thunder and lightning were brewing in his eyes. "I don't care about the pain of the people who hurt me. I don't want to be the bigger person here. What? Am I supposed to just forget everything I went through just because my father is in pain? He's hurt for a reason. He deserves it."

Taehyung knew he was being mean. He couldn't help it. Why must he allow toxic people back in his life again? He managed to pull himself from a very dark place. It was difficult. It was shitty. It was heartbreaking. But he did it.

He did it and just because he could didn't mean he'd allow himself to go back to that dark place. Taehyung wouldn't. He would never be sorry for how he protected his peace.

Not going back to Seoul was how he did it.

"But Soojin..." If Taehyung couldn't forgive his father, then he should go back home for the sake of his other sister.

"Ah," your brother smirked. "Kim Soojin. The person who stole the love of your life. Am I right?" He crossed his arms, not waiting for you to reply.

"Sometimes I don't understand you. Are you a martyr or an idiot? Why would you want to help Soojin? You suffered greatly because of her, did you not?"

You were once again lost for words.

Taehyung continued speaking.

"She's mean to you. She's the reason why you're far away from home." He stroked his chin, squinting his eyes at you. "I know now. You're not a martyr. You're stupid. You enjoy loving the people who hurt you, and then you hurt people who love you."

Yoongi grabbed his boyfriend's wrist vigorously. Taehyung ignored his first warning so Yoongi wouldn't allow him to talk to you any further. He was upset and he was starting to hurt you. It's not right.

Taehyung was unstoppable though.

"You love everyone except Jungkook. Is that the reason why you wanna go back home, huh? Guilt finally caught up with you? Do you really want to be there for our family, or is this the only excuse you can think of because you want to see Jungkook again? You haven't moved on from him, have you?"

The storm in his eyes reached you. The thunder was like a booming pain in your head. The lightning electrified your heart that couldn't be revived.

You felt sick, like you were going to faint. Jimin was suddenly beside you. He dug his fingers into your hips, keeping you from falling.

"Kim Taehyung." Jimin growled at his best friend.

"It's okay," you clamped your eyes shut and after a few seconds, you opened them again, staring into your brother's remorseful eyes.

Funny how people instantly pulled themselves together right after lashing out.

"I'll fly back home tomorrow, even without you."

You were true to your words. You booked a flight going back to Seoul while Yoongi pulled Taehyung back to bed, urging him to rest for a while before deciding what he wanted to do with the information you told him.

Morning came and he still didn't change his mind. You had to go home alone.

"I'm going to miss you," but Jimin dropped you off to the airport. Yoongi wanted to go with you, sadly you told him to just stay with his boyfriend.

"Me too." You unbuckled your seat belt and then you turned to your roommate, giving him your sincerest smile. "Thank you, Jimin. For everything."

He was the sweetest and kindest boy you knew. Jimin paid for your plane ticket since you didn't have enough money for it. You told him you would pay him back soon, but he simply brushed you off, saying that it didn't matter to him if you couldn't pay.

"Just be safe, okay?" He ruffled your hair while you studied his face. You could see it in his eyes, he wanted to say more. You could almost feel these words leaving his mouth: and please come back to me.

He didn't say it though. He couldn't ask for that knowing that Taehyung was probably right. You were not over Jungkook.

You dreaded seeing him. What were you supposed to do after pretending like he didn't exist for almost two years?

Taehyung hated you for sending long holiday messages to the Kims despite not getting a response.

You, on the other hand, hated yourself for ignoring Jungkook's handwritten holiday messages for you—well, actually, it wasn't just holiday letters. Your best friend sent you letters from time to time.

He sent two letters a week. This went on for a year but then one day, Jungkook just...stopped.

You thought he got tired of you and it broke your heart and made you hate yourself even more. You were the one who left. He was the one who begged you to stay.

You didn't deserve anything from him, not even his anger. The question was, could you take it? Could you bear seeing indifference in his eyes after getting used to the love always dancing in his eyes?

Probably not. This was why you were trying to calm your nerves by taking advantage of the free wine on the plane. Jimin was the one who booked your flight, choosing business class.

You didn't deserve it. You didn't deserve these good men in your life. Taehyung was right. You always ended up hurting the people who loved you.

You drank the pain and bitterness away. You lost count on how many glasses of wine you had, all you knew was that your head was spinning and you felt like shit when you got off the plane.

"I didn't know you drink."

You groaned upon hearing Seokjin's remark. You didn't feel like shit anymore.

You felt shittier.

Abashed, you smiled apologetically at your older brother, suddenly regretting his offer to pick you up from the airport.

"Long time no see, oppa..." Two years and he still looked the same: like a deity. Seokjin aged like a fine wine.

"I'm sorry I can't convince Taehyung-oppa to come home with me." Your face was hot and you weren't sure if it was because of wine or embarrassment.

Seokjin noticed your sheepishness as he took your suitcase and handbag, carrying them for you.

"I didn't expect him to come. But at least you're here. Father is expecting you." He started walking so you followed.

"H-How's he and Soojin?" You were stammering since you weren't used to conversing with him. This was probably the longest conversation you had with your eldest brother.

Seokjin had always acted indifferent towards you.

"Jungkook didn't tell you?" He enquired while loading the boot of his car with your luggage.

"He...just told me they're injured."

Your brother sucked in a breath. He closed the trunk of his car loudly before turning to you. Too many emotions were painted on his face, but the most apparent was...exhaustion? Or was it sympathy for your naivety?

"I envy you..." The corner of his mouth turned up as he eyed you from head to toe. You fought the urge to step back. He was making you feel intimidated ."You got to drink. I didn't." He walked towards the driver's seat of his car, opening its door. "The situation is getting worse, sister. You should've drunk more when you still had the chance."

You didn't understand what Seokjin said to you at first, but the moment he turned on the radio in his car, your world crumpled and you wished you had drunk more wine.

"SPD has confirmed that at least four people died in a commercial building collapse Wednesday afternoon in—"

Your stomach flipped, your brain no longer able to listen to the sickening news.

Baffled, your head snapped to look at your brother who was clenching his jaw, his grip on the steering wheel was tight.

"I thought no one died!" You whimpered, chest recoiling.

"That's fifteen hours ago."

Fuck.

"B-But...you said Soojin and father are okay, right? They're not..." You trailed off, it was physically painful for you to continue your statement.

Seokjin sucked in a deep breath as he realized it was better to tell you the truth now. He said that your father was still unconscious, something big and hard fell on his head.

Soojin was in a wheelchair but at least she's conscious. There were cuts and bruises all over her body because of the fallen debris.

"Can we go straight to the hospital now, oppa? I..." You licked your lower lip. "I want to see Soojin and father."

Seokjin didn't answer but he nodded his head. The rest of the ride was filled with silence. The older man turned off the radio when he realized you were breathing heavily.

You tried to calm down. You really did, howbeit everything was too much for you. The alcohol in your system was making you feel hot even though you're literally covered in cold sweat.

What about those people who had died? Do their family know? How could Castle help them? Who was taking charge?

You whimpered again. When you left two years ago, the situation was already bad. The construction workers were protesting every Friday, demanding to be treated right—to be treated fairly. They didn't have the same benefits as regular employees. They didn't have social insurance. Their daily wage wasn't even enough to get them by.

"Hey..." Seokjin slowed down, glancing at you when he heard you whine for the umpteenth time. "Your head hurts? We can buy coffee if you want..."

Was he worried thinking that you had too much wine?

"I'm okay, oppa. Just thinking about those who..." You swallowed thickly. "d-died."

Seokjin's eyes softened.

"Namjoonie is taking care of it," he exhaled slowly. "Don't worry about it."

It was easier said than done. You thought about this as you headed to the VIP floor of the hospital. Taemin was confined in one of the rooms on that floor.

You were going to see your father in a few and admittedly, you were nervous. Seokjin's words were echoing inside your head: don't worry about it. How could you stop worrying about those workers who had died when there's a possibility that your father might end up just like them?

"Where's Taehyung?" You heard Sin-ae before you saw her. She was guarding the door of Taemin's room, like she had no intention to let you in.

Of course. You expected this day to be difficult. Nothing much had changed in the past two years. Sin-ae still treated with strong contempt.

You noticed the change in her eyes though. Back then, she threw daggers at you, but right now, she looked like she didn't have the energy to do that. Her eyes were...hollow.

"I...couldn't convince him to go home—"

It was sudden.

Not your answer. You had thought so many times while you were on plane the things you would tell Sin-ae and your entire family as to why Taehyung couldn't come home.

He's busy with work, but he's sad he can't come.

He's flying back home in days. Let's just wait for him.

He said he's sorry. He'll call later. Don't worry.

Your excuses were thought thoroughly. You practiced saying it. Hell, you even imagine what they'd say or how they'd react.

You expected them to scowl, to cry...Sin-ae cried.

She cried after slapping you right across the face. She's angry. She's sad. She's frustrated. She's directing these ugly feelings twisting in her gut to you.

"He couldn't come?" She hissed, her eyes were red and tears kept on rolling down her cheeks. She was shaking.

"Jungkook told you to convince my son to go home! You had one job! One fucking job! Why can't you do it, huh?"

"I'm sorry," you were guilty. You avoided her gaze. "I just..." And then you bit your tongue before you said "want to see my father..."

You tried to get past her, but she blocked the way.

"No!" She spread her arms to cover the door. "You are not allowed to see my husband, bastard!"

You shook your head, ignoring her and still insisting to go inside the room. Seokjin said Taemin wanted to see you.

He requested your presence.

"Please." You pleaded. Your voice was shaky too, your blood running cold. Something was wrong. Something was telling you you had to see your father.

The beat of your heart wasn't normal.

"He wants me here..."

"No!" Sin-ae pushed your chest. "We want Taehyung here. Not you! So get lost!"

No.

You pushed her too, making her more aggressive. Sin-ae scratched your skin, screaming. She wanted you to go away.

"What is happening here?" Seokjin arrived. He was so startled to see his mom in this feral state.

"I want her out, Seokjin! Make her go away!" Sin-ae wailed in her son's arm.

Your older brother embraced her tight. He was looking at you using those puppy eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he shook his head at you and then he mumbled "please leave..."

Off you go.

You were defeated anyway. Two versus one. How could you fight your family?

You were exhausted. Both from your long flight and dealing with Sin-ae. Your head hurt too.

You needed coffee to help you sober up. Fuck wine. Fuck Sin-ae. Fuck this stupid vending machine.

Why couldn't you have your coffee?

It was fucking stuck.

You breathed heavily while massaging your temple.

You hadn't recovered from your throbbing head when a new wave of pain engulfed you.

Someone called your name.

Not just someone.

You knew that voice well.

You turned your head to the side slowly.

You saw the person who called you.

"Soojin..." It was Jungkook who called your name, but what you uttered was your sister's name.

He was with her. Jungkook was standing behind Soojin's wheelchair.

Baby I'm falling head over heels

Your breathing hitched while looking at the both of them.

It was just like in movies. You know, when your eyes sparkled when you saw someone you loved after a very long time.

Looking for ways to let you know just how I feel

You called Soojin yet your eyes were focused on your best friend. The friend you hadn't seen in years.

I wish I was holding you by my side

His voice was soft when he uttered your name. But just like Sin-ae, his eyes changed too.

Indifference.

He was no longer looking at you with fire in his eyes.

I wouldn't change a thing 'cause finally it's real

It was like he's a completely different person. It hurt looking at him like this, like he didn't recognize you, like he was debating if you were real or not.

Were you really here? Or were you just a fragment of his imagination?

You walked towards them, causing Jungkook to flinch.

His chest felt heavy. He gripped the push handle of Soojin's wheelchair with force.

You were standing near them now.

Jungkook blinked.

He wasn't hesitating anymore.

You were definitely here.

I'm tryin' to hold back, you ought to know that

"Hi..." You said to Soojin, voice wavering. It hurt seeing her like this. She had a cervical collar on. It was difficult for her to speak.

You crouched down as you smiled softly at your sister.

Jungkook watched you. He was holding himself back. It wasn't the right time to hold you in his arms.

You're the one that's on my mind

He missed you though. More than so much. Two years and you were still running inside his mind.

I'm falling too fast deeply in love

Everything was dawning to him too fast.

Two years and he still loved you.

Time was irrelevant.

It went slow when you weren't around. He thought those painfully long moments without you by his side were enough to forget his feelings for you.

Finding the magic in the colors of you

Apparently, it wasn't enough. He stared hard at you, like he was looking for something.

Love? Affection? Anger? Longing?

He would take anything you could offer, because after all this time, he was still in love with you.

Little did he know, you felt the same way too.

For Jungkook, you're the right time at the right moment

But as you straighten your back and met his gaze, you realized something:

For you, he was the wrong time at the wrong moment.

A/N: my mom asked me if i was planning to write fics tonight or workout. i chose the former because MAN my body is so sore i don’t think i’ll be able to move properly. 😩 standing workout IS NOT easier than sitting workouts!!!!! ANYWAY i know there aren’t many jk x oc moments in the past chapters....so ✌️

[aynanasstuff]

Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar// Sam Wilson x Desi!Reader.

Summary: Sam and y/n are childhood friends who drift apart as life gets in the way. However, in that moment,it's like no time has passed.

__

(Okay quick A/N:i've mentioned y/n is desi but just to further clarify, in this scenario y/n is indian desi. since the word desi encapsulates a lot of people from a lot of countries, i just thought id mention that y/n is indian here. thanks! hope you enjoy it!)

__

Sam's phone call was a surprise, to say the least. The man was off saving the world, being a hero, making headlines. It didn't make sense for him to be calling you out of the blue.

_____

Growing up in Louisiana wasn't easy as a dark skinned desi girl. The red that some people adorned their values with bled through a lot, some of their beliefs didn't align with the red bindi your mom adorned. It was difficult finding a community, let alone one you could truly say were your friends. Sam Wilson, however, was more than eager to be a part of your colorful life. You lived right next door when you were kids and he seemed more like a blessing than a neighbor. You absolutely loved dancing and Navratri was a time where loud garba music was blasting in your house all the time. Curious little Sam couldn't help but wonder what was happening and walked up to your door, knocking on your door impatiently. You opened the door, looking at the little boy who seemed to be about your age, maybe older by a year or two. "Hey, um, what's up? I live next door, my name's Sam." "Y/n", you say as you extend your hand out to the boy, waiting for him to shake it but his eyes were stuck on you. You thought it was because something was wrong with you while he thought you were the most beautiful 8 year old in the world, in your little chaniya choli and a dainty maang teeka in your parted black bob and payals around your ankles.

"Beta,kya kar rahi hai? Bola hai na darwaza akele mummy ke bina mat kholna?!"(what are you doing,kid? Haven't I told you not to open the door without mommy?!) ,your mom yelled as she ran to the door, halting beside you. "Mummy, yeh Sam hai. He said he lives next door. Aur yeh mujhe khade khade bas ghoore ja raha hai".(this is Sam,he's standing here staring at me)

Sam, realizing he's been really impolite begins talking,instantly kicking in his southern manners, "Ma'am, I'm Sam, i live next door!" "Hi Sam, what can we do for you?", your mom asks the boy with a smile, her annoyance melting away. "Well, I heard really loud music and it's nothing like what the folks around here play, um not to say you're not a part of the neighborhood, I mean you are and I'm not here to talk badly about the music because I really like the music that's why I'm here and yeah I was wondering why you're playing the loud music, it's not that I have a problem with it or anything,like I said,"he finally finishes rambling, "I really like the music." Sam takes a huge breath in as he stops. You giggle in response and your mom smiles at him. "Well Sam, today is a very special day! We're going to be celebrating a festival called Navratri!", your mom replies, "It lasts for nine whole days! We dance a lot, we eat a lot, we pray to Goddess Durga and have a lot of fun,isn't that right,baccha?," she turns to you responding with a nod. "The music playing is called garba music, isn't it fun to listen to?" "Yes, ma'am, it is!," Sam replies excitedly.

"Sam! Where are you, boy?!" Sam perks up, realization hitting him. He was late for dinner and will now have to listen to his mom set him straight. "Well ma'am, I guess I'll leave now, my ma's calling for me, it was nice meeting y'all!" He does a little hat tip, smiling sheepishly. "Sam, come over sometime if you want! You can listen to as much garba music as you like!", your mom calls out to him. "Yeah Sam, I'll teach you how to dance!", you say, confident in your ability to make him your friend. Sam smiles, "Yes ma'am, I will! Oh and y/n, I really hope you do!" He almost has to hold in his excitement so as not to skip and give it away. That fortunate day paved the way for a beautiful, nurturing friendship. Your families became acquainted with each other and they, too, loved each other's company.

The friendship you shared with the boy with the toothy grin sooned turned into something more. You were both too scared to admit it, knowing that if it was unrequited, you'd both lose something that was far too precious to take a chance on. The day before Sam left for his first tour, the two of you spent a few choice hours in each other's presence by the dock, under the stars. "Abhi na jao chhod kar, ke dil abhi bhara nahi," you hummed under your breath as you fought tears knowing the distance would probably not sustain your friendship. It wasn't out of fear that you'd lose him, it was out of the fear that maybe losing him would be better than having to be so close and yet miles away from his heart. "What's that you're singing?", Sam asked, his warm brown eyes making you feel protected against the cold breeze over the water. You reply, with a twinkle of melancholy in your dark eyes, "Just a song."

But the both of you knew it was more than that.

_____

The tours, the avenging, the war, the blip ; Sam Wilson still hadn't forgotten about you. You hadn't forgotten about him either.

You both had a way of staying with each other without having to be there in your form. You lived in each other's minds and hearts and mended each other's cracks with those parts of yourselves.

This didn't mean you had actually seen each other since that night by the dock. The both of you only had a couple phone calls keeping you connected after. But time did as time does and you felt yourselves drifting away.Neither of you tried to reconnect either. Sam felt it was the right thing to do, to spare himself some heartache; so did you. Your lives were vastly different after he left for his tour and the two of you wanted to disturb the balance in your lives after.

So as you sat on the sofa in your childhood home in Louisiana as the sun shone brightly, Sam's name on your phone made your heart drop to your stomach. What could he possibly be calling about?

_____

So much had happened, in your lives, your friendship, the world in general, even the universe if you will. You couldn't help but wish he wanted to build the spark that always was a part of your friendship into a fire that gave you some much needed warmth.

"Hello?," you answer, picking up the phone. "Hey y/n, " you hear Sam on the other end and you find yourself letting out a sharp breath you didn't know you'd held in, " how you doin'? ". " I'm good, Sam. How are you? "you respond. He answers in a single word, "Good ". As much as this small talk felt like it was sucking the life out of you especially because you guys were once inseparable , you were okay with just hearing his voice after all this time. However, you couldn't just pretend this attempt at conversation by Sam and you was exactly normal between the two of you. So, you decided to tell him exactly how it is. "Sam, I-", he cuts you off" Open the door, y/n", "What?", "Open the damn door, y/n", you can almost hear his smile through the phone.

You walk towards the door, almost too fast, nearly tripping over your teapoy and you open the door, hands shaking with nervous hope. "Hey, you," Sam smiles at you with that same toothy smile you'd seen all those years ago during Navratri, "miss me?" You couldn't help but tackle him in a hug, distance and longing and silent innocent grudges be damned and in that moment all you could do was thank Durga Ma for bringing him to your door all those years ago.

___________________________________

Wow, that was a doozy and a half to right. This was my first ever fic y'all!! I'm so excited to publish it here! I really hope y'all liked it, this one means a lot to me! So enjoy it, like it, do whatever but DON'T PLAGIARIZE IT BECAUSE THAT JUST MAKES YOU PATHETIC!

Also tagging the besties:

@lil-stark @jacquessouvenier heyyyy

That's all! Byeee y'all <3

[alloftheimaginess]

Trust

Quick authors note. I made a discord group for supernatural fans because I want friends and I think it’ll be super cool to meet people that love supernatural as much as I do so if you want to join just click here to join the chat.

"There are just some things out there that you can't control, we did pretty good but it went cold" I say as we're all sat around in the jet after not being able to find the unsub.

"Maybe he's actually done" Penelope says shrugging.

"We can only hope, or at least hope he goes into hiding for a very long time. But I'm feeling confident that it's the end of his killings" I say knowing that he's not going to be killing anymore but it's not like I can exactly tell them that.

"How are you so optimistic?" Spencer asks.

"Because all of you gloomy people aren't, so someone has to hold out on some kind of hope" I say smiling at them.

A day earlier

"Be careful" JJ says as I'm walking out the hotel room.

"Will do" I say letting the door close behind me and I pull on my jacket and I go to the elevator so I can head to get some dinner.

"Yeah dad, I'm know that if I need you to call you, I've been your daughter for my whole life" I say laughing and he laughs with me.

"I'm headed back to the hotel, I'm almost there so I'm going to call you when I get settled in and explain everything to you" I say.

"Love you too" I say hanging up and I take the back way back to the hotel and I smile at people who smile at me and someone bumps into me, knocking me to the ground.

"I am so sorry" he says.

"It's okay, no problem" I say and he helps me up and when I go to pull away he pulls me into his chest and he smells me and a chill runs down my back because I'm pretty sure I just found our unsub.

"Let me go" I say and he shakes his head.

"You're that FBI chick" he says and before I can respond I'm knocked out.

I wake up and I'm tied up and I try to get free and someone opens the door and I scream and they run over and the taller one unties me looking around and the shorter one runs off "what's your name?" He asks.

"I'm Yn. I'm with the fbi and we're here investigating and I'm going to assume that the person that kidnapped me is the guy we are looking for" I say and the shorter one laughs and I get a better look at them and it clicks into place.

"Trust me this is not a problem for the fbi so just pack up and go home" Dean says.

"Dean" Sam says.

"What? Do you want to tell her about the monsters out there Sammy?" Dean asks and I smile at them and Sam looks at me, staring for a minute and I can see the moment he realizes.

"Wait Yn Ln as in Dn Ln?" He asks and I nod.

"I remember you" Sam says still working on my hands as Dean says unties my legs.

"So you became an FBI agent?" Dean asks and I nod.

"Yeah, I wanted to help people in a human way, you know. I grew up hunting and I hunted until I went to college and I was glad to finally settle down and be able to help people but with a team. It got hard, all of the people I couldn’t save, all of the people I let down. I had to try to put that behind me" I say and I stand up when I’m free and I pop my shoulder back into place, hissing at the pain and I shake it out.

"So we think we're going after a shifter" Sam says and I nod.

"Yeah it took the shape of me and left me here to die and now it's with my team and we need a way to lure it out" I say thinking and it clicks.

"I use to have this ex named Adam if we text my number and ask to meet up because it's an emergency, something about his mom or something, fake me has my memories of how I drop everything for him and if I were to want to keep the act up I would meet up with him" I say.

"What's your number?" Dean asks and I give it to him and he hands me the phone and I quickly type the message in, pressing send.

"Okay, I sent the address and now we wait and see if he res-" I get cut off by the sound of the response.

"Alright let's go" I say handing him the phone.

"Okay that was totally badass" I say after we kill the shifter.

"I haven't hunted in like 12 years" I say cleaning the knife off.

"You were pretty good out there to have not done it in 10 years" Sam says and I smile at him feeling extremely giddy.

"How does it feel?" Dean asks and I nod.

"It felt amazing, almost enough for me to go back but I have a whole life here" I say and they both nod.

"Remember when we stayed in that motel?" Sam asks.

"For like 3 months together" Dean says and I nod.

"Of course I remember that" I say laughing.

"I remember you taught me how to get more out the vending machine than what we payed for" Dean says and I smile at him.

"Yes, I still know and use that trick to this day" I say laughing and they laugh with me.

"That's when I fell in love with you" Dean says and he quickly back peddles.

"I mean not-" I cut him off by laughing.

"It's okay" I say shaking my head.

"That was the best summer of my life, and that's saying something because I've had amazing summers in my adulthood. Young me was sure that we would end up together and have a family but then I was slapped by reality" I say smiling at him.

"I'm going to go get the car" Sam says and I nod and he walks out.

"Hey" I say and Dean looks at me.

"Maybe we can grab dinner the next time we see each other" I say.

"That would be nice" he says and I smile at him.

"If you guys ever need a place to crash I'm hardly ever home so just let me know and you can use my place if you're ever in Virginia" I say and he nods and Sam comes back in.

"Ready?" He asks.

"So ready, I need to get back to my room and wait for the trail to go cold" I say.

"It's crazy, you're actually an FBI agent when we pretend to be one, let's hope our paths cross when we really need you" Sam says and I smile at him.

"How about a drink before I turn in" I say and they both nod and I smile at them.

"Let's go then" I say.

"Hey thank you" I say as we pull up to the hotel I'm staying at.

"For what?" Dean asks.

"Saving me, I probably would have died if you guys weren't on his trail already and a shapeshifter is not a cool way to go at all when I’ve experienced way more things" I say and Sam laughs.

"No problem" he says.

“Oh yeah, there’s been a pop up of things no one has ever seen before” Dean says and I laugh.

“And I would love to hear nothing about that” I say and they both laugh.

“That’s fair” Sam says and I smile at them.

"Get out, let me hug you one last time" I say and Sam is the first one out and I hug him in a big hug rubbing his back.

"You've gotten so big, I wouldn't even have assumed it was you" I say laughing and he smiles at me.

"I know, one day I just had a growth spurt" he says laughing.

"Yeah, but you’ll always be my little Sammy" I say and he pulls away and Dean comes over and he wraps me in a hug before I can hug him.

"It's good to have you back in my life" I say.

"I agree, we'll definitely have to meet back up" he says and I smile at him.

"You know it's not fair how you've managed to get even more handsome while I turned into a literal rat" I say laughing.

"You did not turn into a rat" he says and I laugh even harder.

"Whatever" I say and I hear the hotel door open and I turn around to see Spencer.

"Hey are you okay?" He asks and I nod.

"Yeah I'm good" I say.

"Penelope said you just ran out and you haven't been answering your phone. We were on the way to look for you" he says.

"Yeah, sorry I got a message and I had to handle some business" I say and he nods.

"Spencer these are my childhood friends" I say.

"They were here looking for the unsub and I ran into them" I say.

"This is agent Frehley and Criss" I say introducing them and he shakes hands with them.

“Dr Reid” he says.

“It’s nice to meet you” Sam says.

“I’m going to go let everyone know you’re alive” he says and I nod smiling at him and Sam hugs me one last time before heading to the car and I smile at Dean.

“You have my number, don’t be afraid to use it” I say kissing him and I pull away and I head into the hotel.

[spencers-dria]

Completely Fantastic

Someone To Stay Ch. 8

Spencer x fem reader

The next morning you wake up and start packing as you prepare for the drive back home. You take your hair out of the bun you had slept in, leaving it with some long loose waves. You throw on a long, flowing navy and white maxi skirt with a navy tank top and some strappy sandals. You are feeling particularly in touch with your bohemian side after a weekend spent in the great outdoors.

After filling up on a quick breakfast, you grab your bags and head out to the car. You look to Spencer. "Is it okay if I drive?"

He appreciates you asking. No one ever does. They just assume.

"Sounds good!" He tosses his keys over to you. After filling the trunk with both of your bags, you scoot into the driver's side and adjust the seat and mirrors. You may be tall, but Spencer was much taller.

As you pull out of the driveway and make your way down the road, Spencer looks towards you.

"I'm guessing you want music. I don't really have much. If you hand me your phone I can put on whatever you like."

You unlock your phone and hand it to him, smiling at the kind gesture. Seems like he catches on quick.

"Hmm" you think out loud. "Well, I know you haven't listened to quite as much as me so we have a lot of genres to cover on this car ride. We'll start with the 70's and go from there. Just put it my 70's playslist on shuffle. We'll let my phone pick for us."

Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac comes on. A smile of content spreads across your face. You reach into the compartment above your rear view mirror and grab what you liked to call your "John Lennon Sunglasses". They're rosy and oversized and perfect for your current mood. You roll the windows down and let the wind whip through your hair, resting your elbow out the window. Sunshine warms your skin as you listen to the incredibly talented Stevie Nicks.

After a few more songs you ask him to flip to the 80's playlist on shuffle. As Forever Young by Alphaville comes on, you see a look of recognition on Spencer's face.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you were an 80's baby! 80's pop is some of my very favorite."

He smiles and nods. You get it. There's something oddly comforting about nostalgic music from your childhood. You let the rest of the 80's playlist finish, since you both seem to enjoy it.

Eventually Spencer turns in his seat to face you.

"I had a lot of fun this weekend." He states this with a fairly serious look on his face.

"Yeah me too! Is everything okay though? You look like you have more to say?"

He continues, while fiddling with his hands and hair and staring down at his lap. He's clearly nervous.

"It's uh j-just...would you...well would you want to be friends? I know that's p-probably an odd question I just, well I enjoy hanging out with you. Since I don't see you at my uh place of work I wasn't really sure the c-correct protocol for..."

You reach over and squeeze his hand to cut him off, since you can see he's clearly only making himself more anxious.

"Hey" you give him a reassuring smile.

"We're already friends. I think we have no choice but to continue hanging out. I mean, we just get along to well, it's not really up to me" you joke.

The both of you laugh and he seems to relax again. He squeezes your hand back as a thank you. Before you return it to the steering wheel.

"How do you feel about a weekly movie night?"

His eyes light up at the idea before clouded over, clearly thinking it through.

"My job..." he starts before you cut him off.

"I know, Spencer. Don't stress. My job schedule is inconsistent too. I mean, I get my schedule given to me six weeks at a time but, I work different sets of days each week. It's completely random. But that means I have four days off a week so I like our chances. And if some weeks it doesn't happen, that's ok too. You go save lives, and I'll help heal them. It's what we do."

He raises his eyebrows in surprise before responding.

"Oh well you've thought of everything, huh?"

You shrug, trying to conceal a smirk. "Maybe."

He looks to you. "Ok so what will be watching first?"

"Hmm, I'll let you pick first. And we can trade off?"

"Well I don't know how into fandoms you are but... would you mind if we watched some of Harry Potter?"

Usually your face is a huge giveaway to what you were thinking, and not just to FBI profilers. In this instance, you were incredibly determined to keep a straight face and not let on a single thing.

You just give a small nod as you keep your eyes on the road, expressionless.

"Sure, we can do that."

"Ok, so when and where? Or do you have that planned too?"

"Well..." you think for a minute before extending the offer. You don't want to scare off your newest friend.

"I'm free tonight if you'd like. We can unpack and maybe sneak in a nap first?" You glance over to gauge his reaction.

He smiles and nods, on board with the idea.

"Yeah, and I can meet back at your place at 5? Want me to bring anything? The DVD's?"

"Oh no it's fine! I'm pretty sure I saw them on Amazon or YouTube TV..." you respond, still trying to control your face. You really wanted to fool the genius profiler.

Spencer asks to borrow your blanket before curling up in the passenger seat and taking a nap the rest of the way home. It was too adorable. You couldn't help yourself. As you pulled up to a red light, you snap a quick picture of him. You also take a selfie with you making goofy faces, Spencer sleeping in the background.

You gently shake him awake after parking outside of your building. You grab your bags out of the back and wave to him as he backs the car out.

Once in the apartment, you take Juneau out for a quick walk. The dog sitter had given you detailed  updates while you'd been away. You throw your weekend bags in the closet and hop in the shower. After drying your hair, you throw on a Black Borgin and Burke's T shirt and some black leggings and get to work.

It's September which, for you, meant the Halloween decor was abundant. You plug in all of your purple, green, and orange string lights placed all around your living room and kitchen. You light several candles you have scattered amongst your Halloween decor. Your shelves are lined with pumpkins, potion bottles, and various skeleton items.

You pop in your guest room to make sure it looks presentable. You're fairly sure he won't be expecting anything like what he's walking into tonight. On one hand, if it scares him off then it was bound to happen eventually. But if he doesn't mind...well maybe this friend is in it for the long haul.

You grab two butterbeer mugs and set them on the counter next to an assortment of flavored hot chocolate packets. You also set out microwave popcorn and a bowl of Halloween candy.

You decide to do one last thing, really hoping Spencer won't think you're completely insane. It's not long before you hear a knock at the door.

You open it, wearing your Ravenclaw robe and your glasses which just so happen to look a bit like Harry Potter's.

Spencer's brow wrinkles in confusion before he starts laughing.

"So I'm guessing you've seen Harry Potter before!" He says after finally catching his breath.

"Ummm..." you smile and just take his hand pulling him through your apartment till you reach your guest bedroom.

His eyes widen as he looks around at all your Halloween decorations. Before he can comment he's standing speechless in the doorway.

He looks around to see a completely Harry Potter themed guest bedroom, filled with creatures, books, wands, and more.

"Yeah Spencer, I've seen the movies" you finally say, letting out a laugh you've been holding back.

He looks stunned. "How did I... but you..."

"Yeah I'm usually pretty bad at hiding things so I have no idea how I pulled this one over on you. Aren't you supposed to read people for your job?" You joke with him, nudging his side with your elbow.

He's still just standing there, eyes wide, taking it all in. He walks over to the book shelf to flip through what you have.

"You have the potions book?...the maurader's map?...even the Quibbler?"

You just shrug, smiling as you watch him look around.

"So you don't think I'm completely crazy?"

"I think you're completely fantastic!" He blurts out, blushing a bit after he says it.

You bite your lip as you say " I may or may not also have the movies on DVD in 4K...to watch on my new TV."

He steps back into the living room to see where the two of you will be spending the rest of the night.

"Oh, this is going to be perfect!"

He takes a moment to finally take in the complete explosion of Halloween across your home.

"I hired Jack Skellington as my decorator" you snicker, making fun of yourself a bit.

He turns to you, eyes wide once again. "You like Halloween too?" He reminds you of an eager little kid with the look on his face.

You answer him with an eager nod and a grin.

"Y/N, I think it's pretty clear that we were meant to be friends! Where have you been all my life?" He laughs.

You don't know why, but you feel yourself turning red at hearing this comment.

You prepare some hot chocolate and popcorn for the two of you while Spencer sets up the Sorcerer's Stone.

"Oh I almost forgot, I brought something!" Spencer pulls something out of his sweater pocket. He has handfuls of Ghirardelli chocolates.

"Are those Rossi's? From the trip?"

"I have know idea what you're talking about." He states with a smirk as he plops down onto the couch, tossing you one. You lean back against the opposite end, leaving you room to both stretch your legs out and share a blanket.

You try your best not to quote the movie that you know by heart, but you just can't help it. Then you look over and see Spencer mouthing along with the lines. You give him a small kick under the blanket.

"I bet you could do a one man show of these movies, Mr. eidetic memory." You giggle.

"From the looks of it, so could you. We could take our show on the road. We'd make millions."

The two of you burst into a fit of laughter. With Spencer, you're always smiling.

[starlit-serenade]

Along the Red Thread | Chapter 5

🧣 Summary: It is said that a red thread connects people who are soulmates and destined to be lovers, regardless of place and circumstances. What makes this difficult is that you stopped believing in love a long time ago. OR. You go to Korea to visit your father after several years. There, a mysterious red thread that seemingly only you can see shows up when you least expect it, and you meet a childhood friend you’d never thought you would see again.

🧣 Chapter 5: 2,552 words

🧣 Pairing: Reader x Kim Geonhak (Leedo) / Characters: GenderNeutral!Reader; Kim Geonhak (Leedo); Kim Youngjo (Ravn); Lee Seoho (Seoho); Lee Keonhee (Keonhee); Yeo Hwanwoong (Hwanwoong); Son Dongju/Xion; a couple of OCs;

🧣 Rated: T / Warnings: Mentions of divorce (Y/N’s parents); Mentions of abuse (physical); Instances of abuse (non-physical); Mentions of child abuse; Swearing / Genre: Angst; Fluff; Soulmate!AU (Red Thread of Fate); ChildhoodBestFriends!AU; Happy Ending;

《 Boy Group Masterlist // ONEUS Masterlist // Series Masterlist 》

It's been about a week and a half since Geonhak first joined you to take Sunho to school. Since then, Geonhak has been accompanying you both almost every school day, waking up early to meet you outside of the apartment and ride the bus with you and Sunho. Sunho loves it. He tells Geonhak about the games he plays, the books he's read, the stuff he's learning in class. 

Some days, after dropping off Sunho with you, Geonhak will head to his dorm or to his practice. But on those days where you didn't want to return to your father's apartment, Geonhak would take you wherever you wanted to go, for as long as you wanted to be out. Whether it was just for some drinks, or to hang out at his dorm with him and his members. Seoho has, indeed, told you many embarrassing stories about Geonhak. Which provoked Geonhak to chase him around. Sometimes, you even get to watch them practice at their studio.

You and Sunho sit next to each other at the dinner table. Your father sits across from you, and Sooyeon sits across from Sunho. All of your plates are mostly empty from a filling dinner made by Sooyeon.

"Today, we practiced multiplication," Sunho says to you. "Areum helped me with it. She's better at it than me."

"Really?" you ask, grinning. "You can ask me if you need help. I know a bit about multiplication."

Sunho taps his feet excitedly. "Does Mr. Kim know multiplication?"

You pretend to think about it. "Hm. He should. Do you want him to help you practice?" Sunho nods, and you grin. "If you ask me, it seems like you like Mr. Kim more than you like me," you say, tickling him. He giggles.

"No! You're the one who reads to me every night."

"Who's Mr. Kim?" your father asks, interrupting. You look at him, and he asks again. "Who's Mr. Kim?"

"Oh, uh . . ."

You hesitate. You don't know why you don't want to tell him. Maybe it's because you want to separate your life at home from your time with Geonhak. Maybe it's because after all of this time you've spent with Geonhak and his group members, they've become almost a second family, your home, a safe place. And when you're with them, your father and Sooyeon vanish. Just for a moment. And you want to keep that safe. You don't want your father asking Geonhak to join a family dinner, and make you face the reality that you only really have one family.

"No one," you say. "Just a friend."

Your father tilts his head curiously. He looks at Sooyeon. "Clean the dishes, won't you?" he asks her. Sooyeon nods, standing up, and takes all of the dishes from the table. You hear the sound of the running water of the sink, as your father leans forward over the table.

Besides. You're an adult, and haven't seen your father properly in years. It's not like you owe him an explanation for anything. 

"He's just a friend," you say.

"And how did you meet this friend here? You've only been here for a month and a half."

You shake your head. You don't have the energy to explain it. And you don't need to explain it to him.

"I need some space." You get up from the table and head for your room, and you can hear the sound of your father's chair being pushed backward as he stands up to follow you.

"Y/N, you're supposed to be able to tell me everything. I'm your father."

If you weren't so busy trying to get some distance between you and your father, you'd roll your eyes. Ideally, you'd be able to tell your father everything and everything. But you haven't spent real quality time with him since the start of high school. And he isn't exactly close to you fatherly-wise.

You push open your door and try to slam it shut behind you. But just before the door closes, the door swings back twice as hard, the handle hitting you right in the hip and the edge of the door itself slamming into your lower arm and knocking you back, and you wince in pain, holding onto your arm.

"Fuck," you mumble.

That's gonna bruise.

You step back and place your hand on the bed to maintain balance. You glare at your father. He's staring at you in a way that makes you feel so small. You don't speak a word, as his eyes fall onto your arm. His expression changes.

"Ah, shit. Y/N, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"

"Just go," you say. You move to sit on your bed before lying down, not looking at him. "I'm tired. Please just go."

There's silence. Then, you hear the door close, and you relax, shutting your eyes tight. You just want to fall asleep. Maybe in the morning, you'll wake up and realize that it was you who was being unreasonable, or you overreacting.

Today, you and Geonhak are sitting at a table at the back of the library, after having taken Sunho to school. You two are pouring over a comic book together, snickering at the funny parts between sips of the cold drinks before you.

You two have been sitting there for the past three hours already. Time really flies when you spend time with him. He makes you so happy. Even when you two are walking in silence, not talking, you feel satisfied.

You know that you don't see him as just a friend now. He makes you so happy. Whenever you see him at the beginning of the day, when he shows up to take Sunho to school with you, you feel the butterflies burst in your stomach. You've never felt as safe with anyone as you do with Geonhak.

As your book comes to an end, you place it aside and check your phone. It's about 11:30AM.

"We should get ready to go," you say. "I have some readings to finish before I go back home."

"Maybe you could come over to the dorm?" Geonhak suggests. "I could make you some lunch. And you could do your studies at my dorm. If you want."

You grin. "Sure. I'd like that."

Geonhak sits next to you as you work on your computer on the couch. Two windows are open on your screen, one with your reading and one to take notes on. Your sandwich lays half eaten on a plate on the table in front of you.

"Sunho was talking, yesterday, about wanting you to help him with subtraction," you say to Geonhak.

"Oh, really? I'd love to."

"I know." You glance at Geonhak. While you've been looking at your computer screen, you've been somewhat aware of Geonhak's eyes on you the entire time. You don't know why he's been watching you this whole time,and you don't want to ask.

You reach over your computer for your sandwich, and your arm bumps the top of the screen, right where the door had hit you last night after your father threw it open. It did end up bruising, as did the spot on your hip. But the one on your hip wasn't as bad.

You wince and lift your arm a bit, and instead reach around your computer instead of over. You don't want to worry Geonhak, and pray that he didn't see or notice. But you weren't so lucky.

"Huh?" Geonhak looks at you. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah. I just . . . I hurt my arm yesterday is all."

Geonhak carefully takes your hand in his, watching you to make sure you're okay with it. When you don't stop him, he slides your sleeve up your arm and inspects the purple bruise carefully.

"You did this to yourself?" he asks, looking up at you with concern, his fingers gently tracing the outline of the bruise. You can't lie to him. You don't want to. And, to be honest, you don't think your brain or mouth will let you.

"Well . . . no, not exactly," you say, shaking your head.

"Who did this?"

You hesitate.

You don't want Geonhak to think you're friends with him just because you still need help coping with your family problems. And you definitely don't want to be a burden.

Your mouth doesn't let you lie.

"My dad hit me with the door yesterday," you admit.

Geonhak looks furious. "He did what? Y/N, I thought--"

"I don't think he meant to do it," you blurt out. "I mean--I don't think he meant to hurt me. He was just mad."

"That's the case every time," Geonhak says, staring into your eyes. "It's always that 'he was just mad.' But that's not an excuse for him to hurt you."

You stare back at Geonhak, and nod. You know he's right. That your father is hurting you, and at this point, it doesn't matter if he means to or not.

"You're right."

After a second, he takes your hands in his reassuringly, and looks you right in the eyes. "Hey. Y/Nie. Do you want to stay here tonight? I don't want you going back there, if you aren't going to be safe."

You look up at him. You almost want to say yes. But you also don't want to. On one hand, you want to spend more time with him. He makes you happy. You trust Geonhak more than anyone else.

But on the other hand, you don't trust him completely. Or anyone. You've given up on that. When the person you were supposed to trust most, your own parent, broke your trust, how can you trust anyone else like that?

You smile, pulling your hands away from him, and you shake your head.

"It's alright," you say. "Thank you for the offer, Hak, really. But like I said earlier, I'd like to give him one more chance. And I don't want to be a bother to you or your members, so if something happens, I'll just get a hotel room someplace," you say.

He tilts his head curiously and frowns. "You won't be a bother, Y/N. The members love you, trust me. Seoho definitely loves telling you about my embarrassing moments," he says grinning. 

You smile,  but shake your head. "Thank you, Geonhak. But really, I think I'll stay at a hotel if something happens."

Geonhak sighs, then nods,  pulling his hand away from yours, and you feel yourself deflate a bit. "I'm always here if you need me, okay Y/Nie?"

"Of course."

You two continue to hang out a bit longer, until it's time for you to pick up Sunho from his school and for Geonhak to head to his work. You wish him a good day of practice, and leave to walk to Sunho's school on your own.

You have no idea where your mind is as you walk. It seems to be wandering everywhere, so much that you're barely aware of where you're going. You're on autopilot as you walk to Sunho's school. It's a wonder you don't accidentally walk into a lamp post

You know that you like Geonhak. You know that you have romantic feelings for him, however small. But right now, the last thing you want to do is act on them.

Growing up as a small kid, you had looked up to your parents. At first, you'd thought they were the best couple ever--seeing that parents are supposed to be their kids' role model.

But naturally, as your parents' marriage fell apart, so did your idea of love. How could you trust anyone with your heart when one of the people you were supposed to trust the most--your own father--already had broken your trust? You don't know if you're able to trust anyone like that. At least, for now. For you, you're happier just being friends with someone who you want to be more with.

But you also don't want to spend so much time close to Geonhak that you fall deeper in your feelings. Spending another night with him will make you want to spend another, and another. And you're too worried that that'll lead to you two being more than friends. Which you're not ready for.

You look up and realize you're at your destination. The gates leading to the school are there before you, standing a little taller than you are.

You stand, waiting outside of the gates in front of Sunho's school, like a parent waiting for their kid. You're a couple minutes early, so you're waiting, listening to your music while staring in the direction of the school while you think about how you like Geonhak but don't want to like Geonhak.

Your thoughts are interrupted by a small ring! from your phone. You look down, frowning, and you see that you just received a text from Geonhak. You click the message to see what he said.

Geonhak 🐥: The members were asking about you. They say hi and they hope you're doing well!

Above the text is a selfie Geonhak took. You can see Youngjo, Seoho and Dongju beside him, as well as Keonhee and Hwanwoong reflected in the mirror behind him. They're all smiling brightly, waving, making peace signs or hearts and silly faces. You can't help but smile. He and his members are all so sweet, and you can't help but smile dumbly as you type a text back.

You: Aww! Tell them thank you for me! 💕

You: And thank you for spending time with me today.

Just after you send the second text, you can hear the bell ring in the distance, signaling the end of Sunho's school day. A couple minutes pass as some students start exiting. They run to their waiting older parents or siblings. As you continue looking over the kids, you spot him.

Sunho is talking to two friends next to him. One little girl, who you recognize as his best friend Areum, and another kid who you don't know the name of. Sunho sees you, waves goodbye to his friend, and runs over to you.

"Hi Y/Nie!" he says, running over to grab your hand. "I can't wait to tell you about what I learned today! And Mr. Kim!"

You smile as you lead him to the bus stop. "I can't wait to hear it. And I'm sure Mr. Kim will be happy to hear it tomorrow before school, too!"

"Yeah!" He grins widely. "Can I show you at home?"

You grin. "Of course. Sunho," you say. You look up at the sky. The sun is bearing down on you. It's hot as hell today. You look down at Sunho. "How about we go and get you some ice cream. Does that sound good?"

"Yes please!"

You smile, leading the way toward the ice cream place you've gone once with Geonhak and Sunho.

You don't know what it is, but you find so much joy in pampering and treating Sunho. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you didn't get enough affection from your father, and you've seen that your father doesn't give Sunho any attention either. You want to give Sunho everything you lacked as a child.

You smile softly down at Sunho. 

[etlunainmorte]

~ 1st May, 1884 ~

Sous le dome epais ou le blanc jasmin,

A la rose s'assemble,

Sur la rive en fleurs riant au matin,

Doucement glissons De son flot charmant,

Suivons le courant fuyant,

Dans l'onde fremissante,

D'une main nonchalante,

Viens, gagnons le bord,

Ou la source dort et,

L'oiseau, l'oiseau chante.

So, this was the song that everyone was talking about. The Flower Duet from Lakme. It does sound enchanting. It calmed your mind and filled your head with happy thoughts. And everyone seemed to think so, as well. You could clearly see the elated expressions on their faces from one of the upper boxes you and your companions were watching the play from. Act One in and you're fully taken in! The grandeur, the bright lights, and the flowers! Yes, the flowers! Everything was so enchantingly beautiful,...

Apparently, focusing hard on Lakme was the only thing you could do that one evening in May. Why?

You carefully peeled your (E/C) eyes off the flowery stage without putting down your Galilean binoculars and gave a sideways glance to the man sitting right next to you on your left. And, surely, for the third time that evening, you caught the man gazing at you, his cold eyes seemingly giving your senses the opposite effect and making your head spin.

You suppressed your little cough, shrugged your shoulders a bit, and pretended to sit up straight as you focused your sight back to the stage. And still, you could feel the man's gaze boring into you.

There was,... something truly different about the Duke and you noticed it the moment he arrived from London to visit you here in Paris. It's as if an intimidating kind of aura surrounded him with the way he carried himself. You swore you even felt smaller than ever before when you stood next to him to greet him. Or maybe it was just your imagination playing tricks on you? After all, you haven't seen the man in ten years. You remembered him telling you that he had some urgent matters to attend to with regards to the land ( far too massive ) and the titles ( far too great ) that his father has left him ( his younger brother inherited the lesser title of Earl from their late uncle, as customary ) and that he needed to go to London for them. 

Of course, your friendship thrived despite the long distance. The two of you continued to exchange letters, lengthy, in fact, about your daily lives, your etiquette lessons, his thriving businesses, your passion in the arts, the expansion of his father's land, your fondness of your family's little garden, and his hobby in music. And in these letters, he promised to bring you to London one day, to see his humble home, to attend both the Season and the Little Season with him, to bask in the rustic countryside, and to wander about the garden he claimed he has built just for you.

Oh, how your heart fluttered when you read those words from the man! And from that point onward, you waited for the day of his return. Everyday, you hoped to see him in your doorstep, smiling at you and sweetly calling your name,...

And after ten long years of waiting, he has finally arrived! But, there was something truly different about him. It seemed that London has morphed him into a different kind of person.

Gone was the boy who always skipped his Latin lessons just to play pirates with you. Gone was the little trouble maker who often has to dress up like his younger twin to escape his duties as the eldest son. Gone was the little man who always read William Blake's poems for you.

For, standing before you that one sunny morning, was none other than the man, himself. The intimidating, the tall one,...

... The Duke of Red Grave, himself.

Vergil Sparda.

As your sight jumped back and forth from Lakme to Millika, your mind went over everything that occurred the moment Vergil returned. During the last fortnight of his stay, he has graciously sent you gifts, taken you to Balls, has sent you flowers every morning, and has sent you poetry every evening.

However, despite all this attention you were receiving from him, you could not help but wonder why he still felt somehow absent. Yes, he has given you gifts. Yes, he has sent you letters. Yes, he has engaged with you but, somehow, it felt as if the Vergil you have known has disappeared. It's as if, suddenly, there was this man who barely actually spent time with you. To actually talk with you, to laugh with you, to exchange stories like how you used to. Simply put, he was always very busy. And now he seemed,... cold. Distant.

The Vergil you came to know,... was gone. That even though he was around, you felt empty.

You were still thinking deeply about it when you came out of the Grecian house of the theatre arts that you barely noticed it when the man took your hand and led you towards his own lacquered carriage bearing his symbol. And when you finally came to your senses, you found yourself sitting comfortably across the long - legged Duke, feeling your bottom sink deliciously amidst the deep blue velvet cushions of his luxurious vehicle.

"Y - your Grace?" You mumbled in confusion as you looked into his unfathomable eyes. "Where are the others?"

The Duke didn't even smile. Instead, he gave you a curt nod and gestured at the window to his left. "Dante and his lady are on their way to Morrison's. It's,... getting quite late. I must keep my word to your father that I would bring you home as early as I could."

"Oh."

Vergil didn't say anything else. Instead, he looked away from you and gazed at the streets of Paris outside the window as the carriage started to move.

As if those same, stoic eyes didn't stare at you for the whole duration of the play.

The thirty - minute ride back home was spent as unimaginably quiet as possible. Not that either of you don't want to speak to the other, no. It just felt like starting a conversation somehow felt awkward between the two of you. The silence even went so far that you could already feel your neck aching with the way you're forcefully focusing on the window to your left.

And, just then, when the carriage finally entered your family's estate, you heard the man clear his throat, making you turn towards him.

"Did you enjoy the play, my lady?" He asked all of a sudden.

Surprised at the question, you answered, "Why, yes! Yes, of course, Your Grace."

Vergil cleared his throat once more as he looked back outside. "Good."

When the Duke's vehicle came to a halt just in front of your house, the man swiftly opened the door, went outside, and opened the door for you. He took your hand and gently helped you step out of the carriage. By this time, the household has already settled down for the evening, with only the Head Butler left awake to open the door for you.

Then, as you were expecting him to lead you straight to the door, he turned to the right, forcing you to quicken your pace due to his wide strides.

Your dainty hand still on the crook of his left arm and the other lifting your long, (F/C) chiffon skirt to prevent yourself from tripping, you looked up at the man and saw,... something strange in his eyes.

Strange, and yet,...

... it felt really familiar, somehow. And exciting.

"Your Grace? I - is there something wrong?"

The man's eyes widened. He looked down at you and gave you a slightly awkward smile.

"Nothing! Nothing, dearest."

"Where are we - ?"

"Do you still remember? I used to escape my Latin tutor to spend time with you on your little garden."

Wha - ? "Y - your Grace?"

"Then we pretended we were pirates. I let you be the Captain for one day and we played and played, until the sun went down and my mother came looking for me."

"I,... ah,... well, yes! Of course. How could I forget?"

"Then, father gave me an earful. And Dante was so jealous when he found out I spent the whole day with you! I remember he sulked all day and didn't talk to me for a week. Did you know he has such a huge crush on you back then?"

You gave out a little laugh at the reminder. "Yes, I remember that huge crush but, I didn't know he ignored you like that for a week!"

Vergil chuckled. What's,... going on? "Then, when I heard you were sick, I borrowed Dante's clothes and knocked on your window."

"Yes, and nobody noticed it was you and not your brother. But, I did."

"My lady, how did you recognize me again?"

"You were carrying around your book of poems. Dante would never do that."

"Why, yes. Indeed, you are right." The man nodded.

"And I let you in because I was scared that someone would see you outside my window." You added. "It was,... such a huge breach of etiquette. Inviting a boy inside a girl’s room."

"It was such an experience."

"Yes. And it was,... actually quite nice. Being read poetry to you when you're sick."

"And I did that a couple of times. Even when you're not sick. The Garden Of Love was your most absolute favorite.”

“Why, yes, it still is.”

“Hmm.”

"You were such a naughty boy, Your Grace."

Vergil's eyes lit up, and when he looked at you, despite his facial features staying a little bit stoic and awkward, you felt something really warm within them.

Could it be,... ?

But, no. You decided to not let your hopes up.

Then again, the way he talked to you just now. It's as if the old Vergil you knew slipped through the very small kink of his intimidating armor and said hello to you once more.

It's as if somehow, deep within the shell of this cold man, lie still the soul of an old friend that you spent most of your childhood with.

And the way he looked at you,...

... it felt as if this old Vergil really wanted to be set free.

"Vergil."

Huh? "Your Grace?"

"I'm just Vergil." The man quietly said when you two finally arrived at the garden. "Please, call me Vergil." He spoke, not taking his eyes off you as he led you towards that old stone bench.

"Isn't it wrong to call you just by your name?" You asked him, the sweet scent of the white roses before you drifting to your nostrils.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Is it?"

"Yes,..." You answered uncertainly, helplessly watching as the man settled next to you and took both of your hands.

"Not in my book, my dearest." He said, raising both of your hands and giving each one a chaste peck.

Just now,...

Did you feel your heart skip a beat just now?

The way he's gazing at you, his eyes not leaving yours. The way he held your hands, his own, big ones gently rubbing them. The way he sat next to you, his closeness giving you more warmth than you could handle on a summer evening,...

What,... is going on?!

"Your Grace - "

"Vergil."

"Vergil." You repeated. "Is there something wrong? Something you wanted to say?"

"Is it wrong to stay like this for a while?"

God! This is getting really uncomfortable,... "W - what I mean is - "

"Come with me to London, (Y/N)."

All of a sudden, your tongue decided not to cooperate with you. Yes, you were excited when the man promised you in those long letters that he would bring you to London one day.

But, now that he's asking you, why did it feel so,... different?

"I'm sorry but - "

"So, you will not go with me?"

"I will! I mean,..."

"Yes, (Y/N)?" The Duke asked, not a hint of amusement in his tone. "I told you in my letters. I promised to take you there with me. You said, yes. And, here I' am, fulfilling that promise to you. So, I will ask once more: will you go to London with me?"

You felt your heart doing flips, and you even had an urge to pry your trembling hands from him but, his grasp was just too tight.

"Is it just - ?" You nervously asked, fearing you might be wrong in your assumption. "Just the two of us?"

"Yes."

Oh, my God,... "T - then, I should tell my parents that - "

"Let me make this clear for the both of us." The man interrupted you. "Marry me, (Y/N)."

Were your ears deceiving you,... ? Just now, did he just ask you,... ? "Y - yes? I mean - !"

"What is it? What's the matter, my dearest?" Vergil asked, closing the gap between the two of you and leaving you no choice but to face him head on. "I couldn't help it. I have loved you ever since I've known you. And my feelings for you only became deeper when I went to London. When I was separated from you. You don’t have a single idea how much I’ve dreamed of this very moment. I want to be with you. Always.”

"Your Grace, I - "

Were your senses deceiving you? Or did he just press his incredibly soft lips against yours? Did your eyeballs just roll up your eyelids at the incredible sensation of his mouth moving gently and yet firmly against yours, urging you to reciprocate? Did that same mouth, which rarely blessed anyone with a smile, render you totally useless right before him? Did those same hands, that held yours a moment ago, and which started to move up and down your back in a soothing rhythm, hypnotize you? Did that deep voice of his, which softly moaned your name, just make you forget everything else as you finally held onto him for dear life? Did the way he uttered those three words finally move you to the point of surrender?

You never knew, and you never wished to find out. For there was only one thing in your mind at that moment,...

You awfully missed this man. This fiercely loving, unbelievably caring, and absolutely adoring man, who was mysteriously hiding behind his cold, cynic, and intimidating shell for some reason you wish to find out. You missed him too much for your own good.

And now that he's holding you, and loving you, and caressing you this way, you wished this sweet moment would last longer. You fervently wished for this contact to not end. Your heart longed for this man to stay with you forevermore.

However, as the popular belief went, all good things must come to an end, for just when the rhythm of his caresses started to change, he decided to stop. And this earned him a little, almost unnoticeable whine from you.

The corner of the man's lips went up in an unmistakable smirk, and just when you felt the heat creep up to your ears, he tipped your chin up to make you look straight into his darkened eyes and said, "I'll take that as a yes."

Once again, your own words failed you as you tried to let out a comprehensible argument. After what happened, how could anyone just say no to this handsome devil, anyway?!

"And now, I must make my preparations." The man said as he gave you a chaste peck on the forehead. "I will go back to London this instant."

"Wait! I thought you said - ?"

"I know." The man interrupted as he cupped your cheeks. "And I will be back before you even know it. As a matter of fact, you will never notice me coming towards you."

You helplessly shook your head as laid your hands on his, feeling the joy and mirth go back to your system after such a long time of this man's absence. "That's so Vergil of you, I guess. You creeping up on me and surprising me like that."

"For your information, my dearest, I don't creep." The man answered, clearly frowning at what you just labeled him as, but still not letting you go. "You should leave the creeping up to Dante, for I would only sweep you off your feet. Ouch! That hurt!"

And how could you not pinch him?! How could any stoic man such as him stay calm and serious and collected as he tell jokes?! It was so,... Vergil of him!

Oh, God! How you missed this side of him!

"You're so unfair, Vergil." You told him as you shamelessly wrapped your arms around his neck. "Leaving me for ten years, then going back just to propose to me out of the blue like that? You know you could've done that before going to London in the first place, and I would say yes. I would always say yes to you, Vergil."

"Forgive this fool for not doing it earlier, then." He answered as he held you, wrapping you in his embrace and pressing your body closer to his.

You hummed in satisfaction as you basked in his embrace. Burying your face in his fragrant shirt, you said, "You're so unfair. And mesmerizing."

"Well! We'll see about that."

"About what?" You asked as you looked up at him. "About you being unfair, or you being mesmerizing?"

Vergil smirked and inched closer to your ear. And with a voice that sent your senses to oblivion, he whispered, "Both. But I'm afraid we'll both have to wait until our wedding night to find out."

Even before his meaning sank, the man swiftly stood up and offered you his hand. "It is really getting late. You must go to bed now, my dearest. I insist."

"And you, My Lord?" You asked in a playful voice, matching the same degree of mischief that he has a while ago.

Vergil gave out a theatrical sigh. A very rare sight, indeed. "I'm your Lord now?" He asked, his eyebrow raised skeptically once more. "Anyway, to answer your question, as I've said, I would immediately go back to London. Probably to wake up the whole household with the good news. And make my preparations."

The little walk back to your house was enjoyable but, the parting proved to be really difficult. The man bid you good night and sweet dreams, and you bade him farewell for now with a forlorn wave of the hand. You don't know how long you'd wait for him this time around, however, he has assured you that he would be back before you even know it. And you trusted him, for he never broke his promises.

Until then, you would eagerly wait for his return. But, right now, you must go to sleep,...

... and dream of this one evening in May,...

... when the man of your dreams, your childhood love, the man you adored and waited for for ten years,...

... has finally declared his love for you.

***

🌸 I hope you still remember this little prize of mine for you, @harlot-of-oblivion . Thank you so much for supporting my work! 🌸

***

🌸🌸🌸

***

[bumblesimagines]

Casanova

Request: Yes or No

Sickick is amazing, you guys should check him out!

Ooo I love control

Bitch I'm a tsunami, Imma be your Casanova

Yeah you know you want it, 100 grand for a show

Pay me all my money cuz I'm S!CK to my soul

Ooo I love control

Ooo I love control

Bitch I'm a tsunami, Imma be your Casanova

Yeah you know you want it, 100 grand for a show

Pay me all my money cuz I'm S!CK to my soul

Ooo I love control

(Y/N) chewed on his gum, texting his friend. Someone snatched his phone out of his hands.

"Why haven't you responded to my texts?" Carla asked, studying his phone.

"Never got them." (Y/N) replied casually. Carla raised a brow, showing him the texts.

"Never got the notifications."

"You left me on read, (Y/N)." Carla shoved the phone into his hands.

"Sorry, babe, I was helping Guzman." (Y/N) said with a shrug, blowing a bubble afterward. Carla scoffed, knowing Guzman would back (Y/N) up even if it wasn't the truth.

"You can make it up to me at the party tonight." Carla said. (Y/N) nodded, stucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I like your hair like this.. Keep it down." (Y/N) said before pushing himself off the wall and walking away.

Imma do my bidness, bring the bitches when it's over

S!CK droppin' notes, antidotes in October

We way over limit uh uh we way overload

Molly and codeine we gon' blow supernovas

Henny in your hand bruh it gon put you in a coma

You just seen a ghost, got you trippin' all over

I don't really care what you're going through

Fuck all of your plans bitch I'm rollin' thru

(Y/N) watched Guzman take the cocaine and leave the stall.

"Shitty idea, Val." (Y/N) said, lighting his blunt. Valerio shrugged.

"Yolo, (Y/N)! You only live once so you might as well live it happy, high or not." Valerio replied, doing a line. (Y/N) rolled his eyes, filling the room with smoke. Valerio patted his shoulder roughly.

"Your girl is waiting." Valerio motioned to Carla who stood by the door. (Y/N) sighed, butting the blunt out and approaching her.

"Christian is gonna go to the cops. I just saw him speeding off." Carla said, obviously panicked.

"Did you call your dad?" Carla nodded. (Y/N) hummed.

"Then your problem is solved. Christian probably won't make it out alive." (Y/N) shrugged lightly. Carla stared at him dumbfounded.

"He knows that Polo did it. He knows that you know. You could be seen as an accomplice." Carla whispered harshly.

"I won't go to prison, Carla, and neither will you or Polo. Our parents have money and connections. It's called privilege, look it up, babe." (Y/N) rubbed her cheek before walking away.

Ooo I love control

Bitch I'm a tsunami, Imma be your Casanova

Yeah you know you want it, 100 grand for a show

Pay me all my money cuz I'm S!CK to my soul

Ooo I love control

Ooo I love control

Bitch I'm a tsunami, Imma-Casanova

Yeah you know you want it, 100 grand for a show

Pay me all my money cuz I'm S!CK to my soul

Ooo I love control

(Y/N) sent Rebeka a grin, earning a playful eyeroll in return. He chuckled and finished his champagne, about to walk over but Carla got in front of him.

"Not a chance." She hissed quietly.

"What? You have Sammy all over you." (Y/N) crossed his arms. Carla narrowed her eyes.

"Samuel only wants me to get answers. Why do you think I'm ignoring him?" Carla glanced around. (Y/N) sighed, pulling Carla away. He pulled her into the restroom and into the largest stall.

"You need to relax, babe. Have fun, get drunk, sleep around."

"Not everyone is like you, (Y/N)." Carla reminded, going to the mirror and fixing her hair. (Y/N) walked up behind her, watching her. He gently spun her around and leaned in, kissing her. Carla melted against him and sighed softly.

"You're right. It's a party, not business."

Oh-oh-oh gangsta bwoy you wanna push ya guns high

Come up to me you nah go see the sunrise

Oh gangsta bwoy you wanna see ya guns high ya

Come from a city where the yungy yung die

Just another night in Miami

You fallin' for me, and your man can't stand it

But you actin' like you not...

Ooo baby where you Emmy at?

Push you to your limits I go harder than a Hemi yeah

"What's the deal with you and Carla?" Samuel asked, getting in (Y/N)'s way.

"What?"

"You two are always with each other but everyone says that you're just friends." Samuel shrugged.

"We're friends, friends with benefits." (Y/N) replied.

"Do you... Do you think that she had something to do with Marina's murder?" He asked quietly. (Y/N) shook his head.

"They were childhood friends. I don't think she would ever try to hurt her." (Y/N) said. Samuel hummed, nodding slowly.

"I'll see you in class." Samuel walked away. (Y/N) turned his head, looking at Polo. The two had been good friends but then (Y/N) started sleeping around with Carla after the two broke up. He still kept the Marina secret. Mostly to avoid the drama.

We go we go hard, like the clubs in Atlanta

She bringin' a friend, then you know Imma let her

Got them seein' stars when we fuckin' in the phantom

You my movie star, I control you on camera

(Y/N) glanced at Carla when she stepped out of the bathroom, a towel on her head. Carla untangled the towel and dried her hair. She sat on the bed, watching him.

"We were never meant be, were we?" Carla asked. (Y/N) chuckled, rolling onto his back.

"You just realized that?" He questioned. Carla gently hit his leg.

"Can you at least try to make us work?" Carla asked, crossing her arms. (Y/N) shrugged. Carla huffed, standing up.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me." Carla said, walking away. (Y/N) slid up of bed and headed over to the bathroom, entering and grabbing his toothbrush. He knocked the toothpaste off the counter accidentally and reached down, picking it up. He noticed something in the trash can. A positive pregnancy test.

Ooo I love control

Bitch I'm a tsunami, Imma be your Casanova

Yeah you know you want it, 100 grand for a show

Pay me all my money cuz I'm S!CK to my soul

...Casanova!

Ooo I love control

Bitch I'm a tsunami, Imma-Casanova

Yeah you know you want it, Imma-Casanova

Pay me all my money, Imma-Casanova

Ooo I love control

Imma-Casanova

Bitch I'm a tsunami, Imma-Casanova

Yeah you know you want it, Imma-Casanova

Pay me all my money cuz I'm S!CK to my soul

Ooo I love control

[sweets-fanfics]

Honeymoon [RE] 3

Title: Party time

Wordcount: 2413

warnings: meh

Tags: *cricket sounds*

________________

7 Years ago

“Go on a date with me Rogers.” You smiled at him across the kitchen counter. He was doing the dishes which were actually really fun to watch because he kept spraying himself with the backsplash whenever he tried to rinse the spoons off. Also, a muscled guy with a towel on his shoulder and his sleeves rolled up was funny too.

Steve chuckled, “I think I’m a bit old for you don’t you think?”

“Oh come on.” You pouted.

“What about your brother?” Steve looked up at you and turned the water off.

“What about him?”

“Is he going to be okay with it?” 

You perked up and smiled, “Are you saying yes?”

He took a long sigh and smiled. “It looks like I am.”

Present

“Y/N.” Wade bumped your shoulder and made you look up. He had placed a small glass of champagne in your hand. When? You didn’t remember you had just kept spacing out since you two had arrived at the party. You hadn’t seen Tony yet which was a good sign and bad sign. “Aren’t you here to give me moral support not the other way around?”

“I apologize. I’m not feeling a hundred percent.”

“Well get drunk and feel better. Unless you are underage and I was right the entire time.”

“I’m over 21.” You said sipping your champagne. 

“Okay, okay. I’ll figure out your secret one day.” You rolled your eyes and turned around coming face to face with Rohdey from across the room. 

The two of you locked eyes with each other silently. You shook your head no. He nodded yes. You shook your head no again and put a finger up to your lips.

“You see someone you know?” Wade asked as he ate some shrimp snack thing.

“Huh?” You looked at him. “No, I thought I did.” You looked back to Rhodey only to see he was no missing. Shit. “I’m going to find a bathroom.”

Wade started to say something but people came up and started talking to him so you used that as your cue to walk off. You tried to pretend you didn’t know where the bathroom was. That was very difficult.

You didn’t even get to the bathroom because two strong arms grabbed you on each side and led you to another room. As the door shut behind you the two guys grips didn’t loosen even when you saw Tony’s back to you. 

“Hey, Y/N. I’ve been looking for you.” Tony turned and smiled. 

You smiled back sweetly and shocked the two hands holding you. You looked back at Rhodey and Vision, “Hi Tony. How are you?”

“Let’s keep the powers to a minimum,” Tony said sitting down at his desk.

“I won’t do anything. I would appreciate it if you didn’t blow my cover. I’m on a mission.”

“Still working I see.” 

“Gotta pay off the wedding I had.”

“Married?” Tony nodded. “Rogers I take it.”

“Y/N Rogers.” You said proudly.

“Congrats. Get out of my tower.”

“I’m on a miss-” Your phone went off making you look down at it. “Sorry, give me a second.” You pressed the answer. “Honey, What’s wrong?”

“Honey?” A voice said.

“Uh, who’s this?” You asked.

“Depends on who this is?” The voice asked.

“This is Y/N, his wife.”

“You married him?” The voice was now more recognizable.

“Bruce?” Tony shot up in his chair. “Where have you been? Why do you have Steve’s phone?”

“Can you pick me up and then we can talk?”

You peaked over your shoulder at Tony as Bruce told you where he was. “I’ll be right there.” You hung up and froze Tony’s feet to the floor. “Stay here.” 

4 years ago

Steve placed the bowl of ice cream in front of me. He smiled at you and sat next to you on the couch. “Enjoy.”

“Thanks for walking to the store for me.” He rubbed your leg, “I could have gone.”

“No. A twisted ankle needs to stay elevated.”

There was a knock at your apartment door. “It’s unlocked come in.”

Bruce opened the door and Steve’s hand instantly left your leg. “Oh shit. Tony wasn’t lying.” He placed his stuff down and walked up to you. “What happened?”

You looked at Steve. “She tripped.” Steve answered.

“On what?”

“The Shield.” 

Bruce looked at you. “How?”

“I tried to throw it and when I went to look for it I tripped on it.” You smiled. 

Bruce sighed and put his hand on your head. “Well at least you weren’t actually training to fight.” He looked at you and Steve and saw you two grinning like you were hiding something. “I have told both of you multiple times…” 

“I know.” You sighed.

“No more training.” 

Present

You pulled up to an old run-down gas station somewhere outside of New York. You had told Wade there was a family emergency which wasn't a lie, you just left out the part that your older brother has serious anger issues and turns green. 

You looked at the anxious-looking scientist sitting on the bus seat. He looked scared and tired. 

You rolled the window down and honked the horn. Bruce jumped a bit but then got up and got in the car. 

He looked at you silently as you sat in your chair fiddling with the radio until you found the fifties channel. “I sent you an invite. The first one actually. But it just got sent back every time I tried another address.” 

Bruce sighed and looked at you. “It's a long story. But I was in Asgard.”

“With Thor?” 

“As I said, it's a long story for another time. I'm sorry I missed your wedding. Let me guess you played oldies.”

“It is my favorite type of music, and mainly the only music Steve likes. My dress was white with soft lavender accents.” 

“Sounds very pretty.”

You both smiled at each other. “So, why do you have Steve’s phone?”

“I stayed at a motel last night and when I went to check out the receptionist said someone dropped it off for me.” While he spoke you turned the ignition back on and started for your apartment. 

“Then why doesn't my husband have his phone?” 

“I have to talk to all of you about something important.” Bruce said looking around worried, “It’s a matter of life and death.”

You sigh, still not really understanding, “Everything is now days.”

---

You almost couldn't unlock the door because you were so nervous. Once you finally got it open you ran inside. “Steve!” You could hear the shower going which made you relax a little bit but you still wanted to be sure. 

You slowly crept into the bathroom being sure that if it wasn't Steve you would take them down. Once in front of the shower, you pulled back the curtain quickly And made a ball of fire ready to throw. 

“Jesus! Y/N!” Steve jumped.

“Oh, thank god. You're okay.” You took a long breath completely forgetting he was naked. 

“Uh Y/N..?” Steve tried to say. 

“Steve, why didn't you have your phone?”

“I misplaced it. You know how I am with all that tech stuff. But Y/N…”

“What?”

“We can talk after… but can I finish my shower?”

Your face turned bright red as you peaked down and realized what was going on. “Shit! I'm sorry!” You pulled the curtain shut. “Hurry up and finish we have company.”

You sat on the couch next to your brother. “Does he walk in on you like that?”

“N-no…. not yet.” You could feel your brother eyeing you. “We are married.”

“I take it by how red your face is, the two of you haven't….”

“Bruce!” 

“Sorry.”

“I mean. We have but only once. I got called on assignment during our honeymoon.”

“Oh, ew I didn't actually want you to tell me.”

“Don't ask then.” 

You heard your bedroom door open. “Bruce?” Steve asked, walking into the room. 

“Rogers. Good to see you. Sorry I've been a little MIA.” The two shook hands.

You pulled Steve’s phone from your bag and handed it to him. “Bruce had this. Said someone dropped it off at the motel he was at.”

Steve looked at it confused and looked at you. “You look nice. I take it you weren't able to change?” You looked down at your form-fitting black dress that went to your knees. 

“No. I got the call while I was getting interrogated by Tony.”

“He interrogated you?” Both asked.

“Yeah, had Vision and Rhodes literally drag me away. So embarrassing. I hope Wade didn't see.”

“I think I missed something important,” Bruce mumbled to himself.

“Did he hurt you?” Steve asked as he looked you over quickly. 

“No, I'm fine.” You looked at your older brother. “You see, there was a bit of a disagreement and we no longer work with Tony, Rhodes, vision, and Nat is taking some leave time.”

Bruce looked at you, “Nat?”

“I'm not sure where she is. She helped Steve and Bucky escape. So I think she's hiding right now.”

“Bucky?” Bruce asked even more confused.

“Steve's childhood friend.”

“He's not the Winter Soldier anymore?”

“It's a really long story.” You and Steve said in unison.

Steve looked at the phone in his hand. “Where did you lose it?” You asked him.

“I placed it on the kitchen table yesterday and when I went back to grab it, it was gone.”

“Someone broke into our house? Just to take a phone?” Steve was scrolling through the phone when he stopped suddenly and he looked very angry.  “What's wrong?” You peaked over his arm and saw a picture of you sleeping on the screen. “Well... that's... creepy.” 

“Y/N, I didn't take this.”

Bruce looked at the photo. “Whoever this is,” you could see him trying to keep his temper under control, “They wanted to show that they can do whatever they want.”

“That's terrifying.” You whispered.

“That's disgusting,” Steve said angrily. “I'm going to call Sam I'll be back.” Steve walked out huffing and puffing. 

You looked at your phone at the time. Three am… “I should call Wanda, maybe she can find something. I still don't really understand all she can do.” 

You could still feel Bruce becoming angrier next to you. You grabbed his hand and smiled at him. “Hey, if I'm not too worried you shouldn't be either.”

“But they were able to get that close to you while you were completely defenseless.” You squeezed your grip on him.

“It's all good.” You sighed, “I'll text her tomorrow. I should get to sleep. I have work in the morning.” You pointed to the couch, “It folds out. I want you to stay here tonight.”

“I don't have a choice do I?” He smiled at you. 

“Nope.” You smirked and kissed his cheek. “Goodnight.”

-----

You were completely happy the next morning. Steve was snuggled up behind you holding you close to him. You completely forgot your brother was there. Heck, you forgot some creepy stalker type person took a sleeping shot of you. It wasn’t until your phone wouldn’t stop vibrating that you knew it was time to get up. 

Still, in the safety of Steve’s arms, you slowly reached for your phone. As you grabbed it Steve pulled you back to him putting you in a bit of an uncomfortable spot but you didn’t really mind. You hit the answer as you moved around so you were facing Steve. “Hello?”

“Y/N.” Wade groaned. 

“Hungover?” You asked poking Steve on the tip of his nose softly. 

“What happened to you last night? You just disappeared. Like magic…”

“Are you still drunk?” Steve, half asleep still, tried to take the phone and hang up. He was not a morning person like everyone thinks Captain America would be.

“A bit, but I’m mostly hungover. But we have work to do?”

“Starting fights with Al or those two X-men is not really considered work.”

“It’s not that kinda work.” He stopped and let out an ugly blech, “It’s like, I’m going to need your sniper thingy, work.”

That woke you up a bit more. “What happened?”

“That group you were telling me about. They sent me this creepy borderline stalker photo of you and some other chicks.” 

You smacked Steve’s chest waking him up, “What other chicks?”

“Uh… I dunno. Chick with short red hair and one looks like that Avenger lady. The one that wears red.”

“Wanda?”

“Sure?”

“Okay, Wade. Suit up I’m going to be there soon just be ready.” You hung up and started dialing another number. You jumped out of bed and went straight for your Avenger outfit slipping it on as the phone rang.

“What?” Clint yelled still asleep. 

“Where’s Wanda? Is she still at your family's farm?”

“Uh duh, Want to talk to her?”

“Just make sure she’s okay.”

You could hear him shuffling down the hall and knocking on her door calling for her. “Uh... She’s not here.” Clint said, sounding worried.

“That’s what I thought. Contact everyone and the director. Then go check on Nat since I know you know where she is.”

“What’s going on?”

“I think Hydra is trying to take us.” You said so Steve wouldn’t hear. “Let’s not freak Steve out. He’s about to have more than enough to worry about.” You walked into the living room to grab your keys. Bruce was sitting on the couch sipping tea. “By the way, tell the team; I’m bringing in the big guy.”

“Good. Good to have him back. We could have used him, back then. Make sure he knows.”

You hung up and started going for the door. “Where are you going?” Bruce asked.

You turned to him and smiled. “Work. I’ll be back around lunch to pick you and Steve up.”

----

You probably only got a couple of blocks when the car stopped. “Damn it. I told Steve we need a new car.”

You got out so you could jump-start the engine. That’s when you were knocked out.

-----

You sat up slowly rubbing the back of your head. “Ow. That’ll leave a bump.”

“Y/N?” Wanda asked softly, “You okay?”

You looked up and saw three other giant clear containers. Inside each of them was one person. One with Wanda, the other with Nat who was still knocked out and the last one shocked you the most. “Bucky?”

[shawnpetermuffins]

She's gone. (Part 2 of Were You Going to Tell Me?)

A/n: here is part 2, it went in a slightly different direction than I originally intended, but I think I like it.

Summary: Shawn isn't coping well with y/n being gone. (Told in both POVs)

Word count: still a lot

Warning: angst with a fluff ending oops

***

She left and I'm well beyond sad. I feel empty. If there's a way to feel something worse than that, then that's what I feel. It's like my heart has been ripped from my chest and it's infinitely harder to breathe through that aching pain.

I stayed in bed, crying like a baby, clutching her pillow like it was her. Morning came and my throat was raw from screaming into the sheets while hiccupped sobs wracked my body. I didn't bother to answer my phone that hasn't stopped ringing since seven. I couldn't even get out of bed to brush my teeth. Amy little thing that I did felt impossible. How could I go on living without her? She made everything in my life worth living. It was fun and organized with her in it, and I took her for granted. I made her move across the continent just to be with me and I couldn't even spare her a passing glance, a quick kiss before leaving for the studio.

I'm the worst boyfriend ever. How she put up with me for seven years is beyond me. I would have dropped my ass the first time I forgot our anniversary. And her birthday! God I forgot her birthday! But she didn't break up with me and I did it again. I'm the worst. The absolute worst.

“Shawn, are you in here?”

I now regret giving Andrew a spare key to my place. I stifled my sobs into her pillow, it smelled like her, this was torture. He barged into our room - fuck, I didn't even know if it was still our room.

“Shawn, what the hell? You were supposed to be in the studio two hours - wait, what's going on? Why aren't you dressed?"

“She's gone, Andrew. I lost her.” I choked on the words and buried my head further into her side of the bed.

“What are you talking about?”

“Y/n left.” The cried that escaped my throat were embarrassing and loud.

“Like she left? Why on earth would she leave?”

“Because I suck. I'm a horrible boyfriend. I was more focused on the album than I was spending time with her.” I sniffled, “I royally fucked up; I don't even know what to do. I can't go on without her.”

Andrew sighed, “Shawn, I know it feels like the end of the world right now, but-”

“I'm not going in, Andrew! I might have just lost my girlfriend of seven years, the love of my life, the reason for my existence! Fuck the studio! I don't have my girl here, so I can't make music!”

“You're being unreasonable.” He started typing on his phone. “Get up. Get dressed. You have to be there. People are waiting.”

“Well then tell them to stop waiting because I'm not going.”

“How long are you gonna do this?” He punched the bridge of his nose.

“Until she's back in my arms.”

☆

Ten minutes later, after Andrew had finally left and stopped yelling at me, my door opened again. I really need to stop giving my friends a key. “Shawny boy, are you here?”

I didn't answer. They'd find me eventually.

“What are doing here?” Brian came into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

“She left.”

“Not for good. She couldn't.”

“She told me she wasn't happy anymore. That I wasn't making her happy.”

“You've been busy,” he sympathized, “she'll cool down.”

“She's in y/h/t, Brian. It's not like she's just roaming around the city and she'll come back when she gets bored.”

“Shawn, y/n loves you. The entire world knows that. Just like they know you love her. She'll come back.”

“And what if she doesn't?”

He didn't answer because he knew there was a chance she wouldn't.

“I've fucked everything up. I don't know what to do.”

“What's your heart telling you to do?”

I sighed and sat up, pulling my knees to my chest. “My heart is telling me that I should have proposed to her a long time ago.”

“What?”

I got out of bed and walked on foreign legs to our closet. I had hidden a velvet box in a pair of my shoes on the top shelf. Where I knew she couldn't reach. I tossed it at him and he fumbled to catch it. “I bought it for her right after she moved in. But I was scared that she'd think it was too much at one time if I asked her then. But then everything else started piling up and I couldn't find an opening, and then I guess I just forgot.”

“Does she know you were planning on proposing? Because if she did, I don't think she would have run away.”

“Well we've talked about it. But I guess within the past year, we haven't done much talking. It seems like we're always in a screaming match.”

“You need to do this,” he stood from the bed, closing the box in his hand before tossing it back to me. “Get on a plane and go find her.”

“She doesn't want to see me.”

“Shawn, I'm scared that if you don't go to her now she really isn't coming back. Because you're right, you've fucked up. A lot. I don't know how many times I've comforted her after you guys fight.”

“Wait, what?”

Brian sighed, “She's come to me a few times.”

“Why didn't I know that?”

“Because you haven't been paying attention. But you're paying attention now, so go. Get your girl back before it's too late.”

“I will, but we need to talk about the fact that you knew how she was feeling and you didn't tell me.”

“They weren't my feelings to share! She trusts me, and I can't break that trust. She's a hard person to get in good with and I don't want go be on her bad side. Because from what you look like right now, it's not looking too hot.”

I scoffed and started packing some clothes. I didn't know how long I would be gone, so I just threw some shit in a bag and booked my ticket. “She's my girlfriend, He is .  And you're my best friend, don't you think you have some sort of obligation to tell me when my girlfriend things we don't work?"

“Don't you think you have an obligation as her boyfriend to make sure she's happy? Look, I love you to death, man, but you've been pulling away from her for so long I'm surprised she's stayed as long as she has.”

“You're a dick.”

“No, Shawn.” he shook his head. “I'm just telling you the truth. And I'm not the only one who's noticed. The guys see it too. The band. Everyone except you.”

“And no one's told me a goddamn thing,” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Because we knew you'd react this way. But let me tell you this: that girl has loved you despite all the hell you've put her through. She moved here away from all she's ever known for you, and you're rarely ever here. She put her dreams on hold so you could continue following yours. Do you think she likes what she does? No, but she does it because that's what keeps her close to you. You've taken her for granted and she doesn't deserve that.”

I sighed, “You're right,” I said defeated. “She doesn't, and I know that after everything I've done I don't deserve her. I know. But I love her more than anything.”

“Don't tell me that. Tell her.”

☆

My palms were sweaty as I stood in front of her childhood home. Her dad's truck was in the driveway, y/n's wasn't. I knocked on the door and waited. Her dad stood before me. “Can we talk?” I asked, my hands in my pockets.

He nodded and motioned for me to come inside. “Sit down,” he pointed to the couch nearest to the kitchen. He sat opposite of me.

I took in a deep breath and rubbed my palms on my jeans. “Has she said anything to you?”

He shook his head, “Not to me. Her sister, probably.”

I cleared my throat, “Well, I'm going to apologize anyway. Things haven't been going great for us for quite some time now and that's completely on me. I've taken her for granted and that was never my intention. I love her and I never meant to hurt her, you need to know that.”

“I do, Shawn.”

“I'm in love with her, sir. I have been for seven years, and I will be for the rest of my life. I hadn't known pure heartache until she left the other day. I couldn't even get out of bed, and none of this is your problem, but I just want you to know that I love her and I never want to see her hurt like this again. I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to her. So… May I have your blessing to ask her go marry me?”

He was silent for a while and then he chuckled. “I'll give you my blessing, Shawn. You've taken good care of her, whether you think you have or not. But ultimately the decision is hers.”

“Yes, sir.” I nodded. “Thank you,” I stood and shook his hand; he brought me into a hug.

“You take good care of her, okay?”

“Of course.”

The waiting was torture. I stood in the middle of her old bedroom with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and the ring in the other, behind my back. She stopped short when she saw me. “Glad you're back,” I said.

“Shawn. What are you - What are you doing here?”

“I came to apologize. And to completely beg you to come home with me.”

***

I thought I was imagining things when I saw that beautiful head of hair. But then he spoke in the voice of my dreams and I startled slightly. I rubbed my forehead, “I said I needed time.”

“I know, pumpkin, I know. But if you could just hear me out.” He set the flowers he was holding on my old desk. “No yelling, I promise.” He reached his hands out for me. “Do you trust me?”

I sighed. Of course I did. So I placed my hands in his and he led me outside. We stood in the middle of the circle drive. “Seven years ago,” he started, “I was standing right here when you came running up to me and you wrapped your entire body around me. You were wearing mg pink Lost in Japan hoodie, with yoga shorts, no makeup, and your hair in a messy bun. I swore to myself that day that I had never seen anyone or anything look as beautiful as you did in that moment.”

“Shawn,” I tried to pull my hands back, but he brought them to his chest, near his heart.

“I'm not done,” he sighed. “I’d been in love with you for months already, by that point, but that day did it for me. That's when I really knew that you were the girl I was gonna spend my life with. I've never not believed that.” He let go of my hands and reached into his back pocket, then he took my left hand again.

Oh no.

“Y/n, my beautiful cherry blossom, my pumpkin, my love. I am so tremendously sorry. I know I've fucked up immensely these last few years, and if I could go back in time, I would. I would love you harder. I would kiss you more. I would take you on more dates because I love you. I have since the day I met you and I will until the day I die.” He got down on one knee and the tears blurred my vision.

“Shawn, no. No, no, no. Get up, bubba.” my hand flew to my mouth, this isn't how I thought it would go down. After a big fight.

“I can't take back what I've done, but I can try to make it up to you every day for the rest of my life if you'll let me.” He took in a deep breath, “Y/f/n, will you let me spend the rest of my life loving you unconditionally? Will you marry me?” He popped open the velvet box and even through my clouded eyes, I could see how big the ring was. But that's not what this was about. This was about the man in front of me, who I've spent nearly a decade of my life with. He was here in my hometown, begging for forgiveness, asking me to marry him. And it killed me that even though he'd been the worst the last two years, I still wanted him.

“Y/n,” he said, his voice shaking. “Will you marry me?” He asked again.

I took in a deep breath. He needed an answer. I closed my eyes tight and let the last few years fall before I said, “Yes.”

“Yes?”

I nodded and laughed through the tears that were now resurfacing. “You said yes. Oh my god!” He picked me up and twirled me around again and again. Once back on the ground, he put the ring on my finger with his shaking hand. “I was scared you'd say no because I messed up too much.”

I pulled him down and rested my forehead against his. “You have the rest of your life to make it up to me.” I played with the tufts of hair on the back of his neck. “I love you.”

He smiled and then he kissed me. And this kiss, it was enough to keep me grounded forever. I knew in this second that I would never regret my choice to marry him.

***

That's it, guys! I hope you enjoyed it!

@ashwarren32 @youcanttakemyyouth

@darkwolfpeanutskeleton

[fics-n-stuff]

Empty Castle

Pairing: JJ x reader

Summary: Three weeks after John B and Sarah Cameron were lost at sea, Kildare is still reeling from the dramatic events surrounding the death of its sheriff. JJ in particular has been struggling to get back to normal, so Y/N goes to try and help him get back on his feet. Sequel to Holding Cell.

Warnings: tiny bit of swearing, v sad JJ

Word Count: 4.2k (about double what I originally intended)

A/N: This took way longer than expected and I didn't mean for this to be so sad but it got real sad, so there isn't really anything beyond platonic until towards the end. I would highly suggest that you read Holding Cell first (perhaps because I worked hard on it and I want people to read it) but if you really don't want to then all you really need to know is that JJ and Y/N were childhood friends but hadn't spoken for two years until they both got arrested on the same day and they decided to be friends again. Cool, enjoy! :)

The bell for the end of school rang and the crowd of teenagers swarmed out, and you made your way to the bike rack along with your friends.

"So, my house for movie night?" Jess said, and the rest of your friends chorused in agreement.

"Actually, I have something else to do." You replied, fastening your helmet. "I'll come by after if I finish up in time."

"What are you doing?"

"I need to go see someone." You replied, quickly getting on your bike before any further questions could be asked. "Later guys."

You cycled out to the house that you knew was where John B lived - basically the entire island knew where he lived after everything that had happened - and left your bike on the porch. The front door was open.

"JJ?" You called tentatively. "Are you here?" You heard movement from one of the rooms and turned towards it, seeing JJ walk out a few moments later. He looked disheveled, shirtless and with messy hair.

"Y/N?" He asked, surprised. His voice was slightly gravelly, like he'd woken up not long ago. "Why are you here?"

"I came to find you, JJ. School started on Monday, you've missed the whole week."

"School started?" His question made you frown in worry. "Wait, how did know I'd be here?"

"Because you're not anywhere else." You answered, putting down your school bag. "Nobody's really seen you. I stopped by at your house and your dad said-"

"You did what?"

"Relax, JJ, it's not as if he has any idea who I am. And he told me that you haven't been home in two weeks."

"I'm surprised he's kept track." JJ muttered.

"Clearly you haven't." The comment made JJ pause. He ruffled his hair and let out a long sigh, looking down at his own appearance. "What have you been doing these past weeks?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "It's kinda blurred. I go to work, I go fishing, I smoke. I really didn't realise that school had started." He crossed the room to the sofa and grabbed a tank top off of the back of it, throwing it on before making his way to the kitchen.

"So I take it you've just been living here." You stated, looking around the mess that had accumulated in the house.

"Yeah. Pope and Lie have been staying away from the place ever since, uh..." He trailed off, pushing his tongue against his cheek and clearing his throat. "But me, I'm here basically all the time. They use Heyward's boat so I've got the HMS Pogue all to myself; they use Kie's car, I get that busted up van." He laughed, but there was a real sadness behind it.

You watched JJ as he made himself a sandwich, and even from a distance you could tell that there was barely any food in that kitchen. A few seconds passed and you spun on your heel, starting to collect empty food packages from around the room.

"What are you doing?"

"Cleaning." You answered matter-of-factly. "If you insist on staying here, I insist that you keep it clean."

"Why do you even care?"

When you turned around to face him JJ was leaning against the kitchen door frame. He wasn't looking at you, rather he was staring at the floor. His body language was relaxed but you knew that that wasn't how he was feeling.

"What happened to the 'giving to whole friendship thing another try' deal?" You replied. "I'm just trying to live up to my side of the agreement."

"Maybe that wasn't such a great idea."

"Okay." You muttered after a stretch of silence. "Let's try this again later. You go off back to your bedroom or whatever, I'll clean up here and we can reconvene at a later time." You pushed past him into the kitchen to look through the cabinets for trash bags, and when you found them you pushed past him back to the living room.

"Y/N-"

"I'm not leaving, JJ, so don't even try it." You interrupted, throwing empty bottles and cans into a trash bag. You heard him mutter something under his breath and disappear down the hall, slamming the door shut behind him. You scoffed and continued clearing the house.

You got rid of all of the trash from the living room and the kitchen before knocking on the door to the room JJ had shut himself in. By now he'd had about half an hour of preparation for a civil conversation.

When you opened the door he was lying on his back on the bed with a hat covering his face, but you knew he was awake because he kept fiddling with his fingers and tensing and untensing his jaw.

"You ready to talk about it?" You asked softly, taking a seat at the foot of the bed.

"No." He mumbled, his response muffled by the hat over his face.

"Want a hug?" He didn't answer, so you took his silence to mean 'yes but I don't want to say it out loud'. You kicked off your shoes and shuffled up the bed so that you were lying beside JJ, draping an arm over his body and resting your head on his chest. He let out a long sigh and slowly wrapped his arm around your body, pulling you in closer.

You stayed like that for a long time, just listening to yourselves breathe while you waited for JJ to be ready to talk to you.

"We really ran off a cliff, didn't we?" He finally broke the silence, his voice quiet and full of emotion as he removed the hat from over his face. "Pope lost his scholarship, I've become a complete pothead, John B and Sarah are missing. We don't even have the gold."

"Gold?" You questioned.

"We found the wreck of the Merchant, Y/N." He whispered, staring up at the ceiling. "And we found the gold, underneath the Craine house, and Ward Cameron took the whole lot out from under us while the town was on a manhunt for John B."

"Oh my god, JJ!" You exclaimed, sitting up. "You seriously found the Merchant gold?"

"Yep. To finish what Big John started. But it doesn't matter now, it's gone. Just like John B." His voice broke as he said his best friend's name, and you lay back down beside him.

"I'm sorry."

"They could still be out there, right?" JJ murmured. "I mean, they found the Phantom but they didn't find John B and Sarah. Maybe they got picked up by a ship."

"Yeah of course, that's totally possible." You nodded. The silence stretched out again, JJ sniffling every now and then as if holding back from crying.

After a while you sat up, getting JJ's attention and he turned his head to look at you.

"Let's go grocery shopping." You said. "There's barely any food in this house, you need some supplies."

"I haven't really got the money, Y/N."

"My parents just left town and I never spend all of the money that they leave so we can use that." You replied adamantly. "You need to get some human contact, okay? So let's go."

You climbed off of the bed and put your shoes back on before pulling JJ up as well. Reluctantly, he put on some shoes and grabbed the keys to John B's van.

+++

The two of you were out for about an hour. You stopped off at your house to grab the cash before going to the grocery store, where you ended up leading the shopping trip because JJ apparently had basically no knowledge of nutrition. Being with another person seemed to bring JJ out of the haze that he had been presumably for the past few weeks; he even smiled at a joke you made while you were at the checkout.

"I didn't expect you to have enough money for a full grocery shop." JJ said as the two of you packed the food away in the kitchen.

"Well, because my parents don't talk to each other they also don't coordinate their trips out of town which most often results in them both leaving money for me." You explained. "I never tell them, I just keep the extra cash as compensation for the neglect." You smiled, closing the cabinet you had been packing things into and turning around to take a seat on the counter. JJ finished putting away the last of the groceries and leant against the wall opposite you, folding his arms over his chest.

"Why'd you really come find me?" He asked.

"Well, after John B and Sarah got lost in the storm it was obvious that you weren't going to be doing the best." You answered, watching him carefully to gauge how he was feeling. "And when you didn't show up for school all of this week, I figured that you might need a friend to bring you back to reality."

"I, uh, I appreciate that." He nodded, his lips turning upwards into a small smile.

"Happy to help." A silence settled between you again, as it had many times throughout the evening, but it felt a little different this time; slightly more tense, but not in a bad way.

"Do you wanna go out on the boat?" JJ suggested. "The sun's about to set."

"Sure. Sounds nice." You replied, hopping off of the counter. His smile grew and he kicked off the wall, adjusting his hat on his head as he headed back to the front door, you following after.

You took a seat on the bow of the boat while JJ got it going, and you stayed in silence as he drove you out into the marsh. The sky was orange and violet when he anchored the Pogue, and he came to take a seat beside you.

"It's nice, isn't it?" He said quietly, looking out at the sun setting over the water. "I come out here most nights if I'm not still at work."

"Yeah, it's beautiful." You nodded. "What's your job?"

"Busboy in a hotel restaurant. You got a job?"

"Nah, I've got my absent parent money." You looked over at JJ and you could see sympathy in his eyes. "Don't feel bad for me, it's really not so terrible." You chuckled. You didn't need sympathy; certainly not from JJ, who was in a far more difficult situation than you.

You talked idly as you watched the sunset and when the sky turned dark you had settled into silence and lay back on the boat to look up at the stars. The two of you were lying with your hands on your stomachs, your elbows touching with the proximity in the small boat.

"What if they're not out there?" JJ whispered, barely audible.

"Then... we learn to keep going." You answered, turning your head to look at him. "Look, JJ, I was never as close to John B as you were, and I have no idea how you guys became friends with Sarah Cameron, but whether they're out or not, and whether they cane back, you'll always have them with you."

He turned to look at you too, tears shining in his eyes, and you reached a hand out to grab his and interlocked your fingers.

"I know it's cliché, but it's true." You smiled reassuringly. "They left you a piece of themselves to keep in your heart, and nothing can ever take that from you." He held onto your hand tightly, a single tear escaping his eye as he tensed his jaw to try and hold back any more.

"I really miss him, Y/N." He sniffled. "He was my brother, you know." You quickly moved to hug JJ, your body half on top of his as he wrapped his arms around you tightly and buried his face in your shoulder as he started to break down.

You maneuvered the two of you into a sitting position so that you could wrap your arms around him properly, cradling his head in your hand. He held onto you tightly, his tears soaking through your t-shirt and his body shaking with his sobs.

Minutes passed before JJ calmed down, and you held onto his shoulders as you broke away from the hug.

"You'll be alright. Okay?" You said softly, and he nodded. "I'll drive us back." You wiped away the tears on his face with your thumbs with a smile, before getting up to bring up the anchor.

JJ stayed where he was sat while you drove the boat back to John B's house. You docked the boat and went inside, the atmosphere heavy. He took a seat on the sofa while you flicked on the lights.

"Can I tell you something, Y/N?" He asked.

"Yeah, of course."

"I used to have the biggest crush on you when we were kids." The confession left you a little shocked, but you didn't show it, and JJ continued. "John B used to tease me about it all the time. When we were thirteen, after, like, four years of pining after you, he told me that I just needed to man up and tell you... but I never did, and then our friendship kind of just fell apart."

"Why are you telling me this now?" You questioned, and JJ let out a sigh before shrugging.

"I don't know. With John B missing and you suddenly back in my life... it just feels weird." He answered. "But I'm glad that you're here. I think I really need it."

"I think you do too." You chuckled. "Now, I'm gonna make us something to eat."

"Us?"

"What, you don't want me to stay?"

"No!" He defended himself loudly, making you laugh. "No, that's not it at all. I just wasn't expecting you to."

"Well, I have nowhere else to be." You smiled before disappearing into the kitchen.

You busied yourself in cooking, cutting up some chicken and vegetables and throwing them into a stir fry. You were completely absorbed in what you were doing, humming to yourself while you pushed the food around the pan with a wooden spatula, so when you felt a hand on your shoulder it made you jump.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." JJ apologised quickly, taking a small step back. "I said your name but you didn't hear me."

"Oh, really? Sorry." You chuckled. "What did you want?"

"Just... You weren't weirded out that I used to have a crush on you?" He asked tentatively.

"No, of course not." You shrugged turning back to the pan. "I'll admit it was a little surprising, but we were kids and we were super close. Jess used to tease me about that all the time."

"About us being close?"

"Yeah. I remember one time she totally freaked out because you called me pretty. Can you get a couple of plates out for me please?" You heard JJ open a cupboard and take out a couple of plates.

"For what it's worth," He said, setting the plates down on the counter beside you and taking out some cutlery. "I still think you're pretty."

"Aw, thanks JJ." You smiled. "You're not too bad yourself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He countered, feigning offense, and you laughed.

"Nothing. You're a good looking guy; not at all like the chubby cheeked little kid that I used to know."

You dished up your meals and you and JJ went back to the living room to eat. You kicked you legs up onto the sofa with your plate on your lap and tucked in. It was later in the evening than you would usually eat, so you were eager to get some food into your stomach. Even still, JJ practically vaccumed in the food and finished before you did. He took the plates back through to kitchen when you finished.

"You gonna head home any time soon?" He asked.

"I'm not in a rush." You shrugged. "I'll just be going back to an empty house." JJ hummed in acknowledgement. He lifted your legs up to sit on the couch beside you, putting them back down on his lap once he'd gotten himself situated. Maybe him being in such a vulnerable situation earlier had accelerated your connection, but it was like those two years that you didn't talk at all never even happened; you were just as close as ever, if not more somehow.

"You're gonna stick around, right?" He said, turning to look at you. You tilted your head slightly.

"Of course." You reassured, smiling. "I'm not gonna leave you now, of all times. Besides, I missed you and we were supposed to be trying the friendship thing again anyway."

"Yeah, the friendship thing." He muttered, downcatsing his gaze, and you frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"JJ, you can tell me." You took your legs off of his lap and crossed them under you, shuffling forwards towards JJ and lowering your head to try and catch his gaze.

"I..." He began but trailed off immediately. He let out a loud sigh, running a hand over his face and through his hair before taking a deep breath. "I know that I might just be saying this because I'm kinda fucked up in the head with my friends being lost at sea and all, but I think I still like you Y/N. As more than a friend." He rambled.

"JJ, we didn't speak to each other for two years." You replied, taken aback by what he was saying and trying to introduce some reason into the conversation.

"I know- I know that, Y/N, but... it doesn't feel like anything has changed for me." He explained, mirroring your body language and crossing his legs under himself to face you. "I get it, it's stupid, but I can't help that. I mean, I know that we were literally twelve years old but when we were friends before I think that there was something there. Maybe I'm biased because I liked you, but maybe..."

He looked at you, his eyes searching for any tell of what you were thinking, and there was a long pause while you thought.

"Even if there was something." You started slowly. "We were kids, JJ."

"We still are kids. We're sixteen." He argued. "When we were at the sheriff's station I felt something there, even though we hadn't spoken for two years. Tell me you didn't feel it too."

You looked away from him and took a deep breath. You would be lying if you said that you never had any feelings for JJ - he was probably the first real crush that you had - and it was probably your feelings for him that made you react so strongly when he would get himself into trouble. And you did think that being with JJ again felt much the same as it had done back then; plus, you hadn't been lying when you said that he'd grown up to be pretty handsome. Even still, he was going through an incredibly difficult time and you didn't think it would be a good idea to start any kind of relationship.

"Maybe... Maybe there might be something." You mumbled. "But right now really isn't the time to try it."

"Why not?"

"Because... well, you..." You struggled to articulate what you wanted to say.

"Y/N, I know it's a really messed up time, okay? Two of my best friends are lost at sea and I haven't spoken to the other two in weeks. I have lost all of the people closest to me and I feel completely alone, so maybe the fact that you're literally the only person that I have right now is making my feelings more extreme - I recognise that - but that doesn't mean that they're not real."

"JJ, I can't in good conscience agree to pursuing anything with you right now." You replied softly, shaking your head. It hurt you to have to say no.

"Don't you want to try?" He asked, voice a little weak as he looked into your eyes. "It doesn't need to be a huge commitment, we can just give it a try."

You looked over his face, the cogs turning in your mind as you thought through the situation. You really did want to give it a try, you were just worried that it might do JJ more harm than good. But the longer you ĺooked and him and the more you thought about the possibility, the more you wanted to pursue it.

"No promises, no big commitments... but I'll stick around." You smiled slightly, and you put a hand gently against JJ's cheek when he smiled back. "I just don't want you to get into something that's not good for you." He chuckled, taking your hand from his face and holding it in both of his.

"You've always been looking out for me." He mumbled, brushing his thumb over your knuckles. "Where would I be without you?"

"Somewhere messy I'm sure." You smiled.

"Definitely."

You sat in silence for a minute. You were watching JJ's face while he fiddled with your fingers. He let out puffs of air every once in a while like he had just remembered something funny, and it made you smile. You yawned, suddenly realising that you were actually really tired.

"Since I'd be going home to an empty house anyway," you began, breaking the short silence. "Would you be alright with me maybe staying here for the night?" JJ looked up from your hands with an amused smile.

"Of course." He answered happily. "I could use the company."

"Great."

He stood up from the sofa and gently pulled you up after him. Your hands remained connected as he walked you through to the same bedroom as earlier and flicked on the lights.

"This is where I've been crashing." He said, quickly scratching the back of his neck. "You can stay here with me if you want, or you can stay in the other bedroom if you'd rather do that." He became noticeably more tense at the mention of the other bedroom, and you just knew that it was because that was John B's room even though you'd never been there before.

"I'll stay here." You smiled, giving his hand a comforting squeeze. "Can I borrow a t-shirt?"

"Yeah, sure." He let go of your hand and crossed the room to a duffel bag in the corner. "There's stuff in all the drawers so I've kinda just been living out of this thing." He pulled out a t-shirt and handed it to you.

"Thank you." You smiled as you took it. JJ nodded awkwardly and shuffled past you out of the room, pulling the door shut after himself.

You quickly rid yourself of your school clothes and put on the t-shirt that JJ gave you - which was long and baggy on your body - before hopping onto the bed and covering your legs with the covers. He came back in not long later carrying two glasses of water.

"I figured you might want a drink at some point." He mumbled, setting the glass down on the bedside table. You gave a grateful smile and quiet thanks as he turned on the bedside lamp and then went to turn off the main light.

"We used to have sleepovers sometimes when we were kids." You mumbled as he walked around the bed and climbed in beside you. "Do you remember?"

"Yeah, of course I do." He smiled, lying down. "We used to stay up until midnight thinking that it was a big deal."

"It was back then. Midnight is really late when you're ten years old."

"I miss when little things like that could be so exciting." He sighed, staring up at the ceiling. You looked down at him thoughtfully, absentmindedly reaching out to brush a piece of hair out of his face.

"Well, anything can be exciting with the right company." You said softly. His eyes shifted to connect with yours and he smiled ever so slightly. "We have the whole weekend ahead of us, maybe we could do something fun. Go surfing, like old times, maybe?"

"That sounds nice." He murmured.

You shuffled down the bed to rest your head on the pillows and reached over to flick off the table lamp. You lay on your side facing JJ as he remained looking up at the ceiling. With the moonlight coming through the window you could just see the silhouette of his face and a slight shine where the light reflected off his eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" You whispered after a while.

"Lots of stuff."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Maybe tomorrow." He answered with a sigh, turning his head to look at you. "But thanks."

"No problem." You smiled. "We'll talk tomorrow." You shuffled towards JJ and curled into his chest as he wrapped an arm around you. You felt him press a very light kiss to the top of your head and it made you smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He replied, holding you a little tighter, and you fell asleep in each other's arms. For the first time since John B and Sarah went missing, JJ had some comfort and you were happy to be the person to provide that for him.