#it's still a work in progress but i'll improve over time | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

peoniesnro · 1 month

Text

In Another Universe

#3. Perfect Strangers

Synopsis – When you are just another iteration of Park Jimin’s girlfriend in a different universe.

Park Jimin × Reader

Genre – parallel universe (duh)/ kind of fantasy/ strangers to ??/ SMUT/ maybe romance/ angst/ fluff /Infidelity

Warnings – Language/ Grinding- in public/ Alcohol consumption/ Infidelity/ Arousals/ Breast play?

Word count – 11k

a/n - 😩 I'm really sorry that there are around 11k words here. I swear, I'm trying to keep all the chapters unde 10k so nobody would get bored. I got carried away with this one and I'll try my best to keep the word count under 10k for future chapters.

Chapter Index

Previous - Next

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

Nothing you did to take your life back to normal, worked. Even after two weeks, you are still where you started. No progress at all. Every time you sleep in your world, you wake up in Jimin’s. Every time you sleep in Jimin’s world, you wake up in yours. You tried everything you could. Tried your stupid theories you wrote on that paper. Still, it happens. Without a hitch. Like this morning. While you are lying in Jimin’s empty bed where he is nowhere in sight.

You are exhausted at this rate, to be honest. Two weeks of shifting between two worlds doesn’t do you any good after all. You find yourself awake all night on some days to finish your assignments. Just to miss your lectures while you are in another world. Or to miss your deadlines. It’s taking a toll on you.

Only thing that improved is you and Park Jimin. The more you are with him, the more you realize that he is bearable. No scratch that. He is good, in fact. Funny even. Not that you know anything about him yet. No, you don’t. Still have no idea how he affords this kind of place. Don’t know how old he is. His entire life is an unresolved mystery to you. The thing is that he never asked you about your life. You like it that way since your life is pathetic. So, you let him keep his privacy as well.

In the end, however, you don’t have to know someone like the back of your hand to enjoy their company. That’s what Jimin and you have been doing. You don’t know each other, yet banter like you do. You don’t have a single idea what kind of jokes would offend each other or hit a sore spot yet you throw insults like you do. It’s easier that way. Jimin is easy. You found yourself more than once in his kitchen, arguing over silly matters. Insulting him about his lack of a dick to praising him for his cooking skills. Found yourself teaching him how to make pancakes in just ten minutes. It ended up taking fifteen minutes, however. Found yourself learning more and more swear words to use against him when he pissed you off with his ridiculous insults.

On top of everything, you found your heart beating madly when he praised you sometimes. Blushing violently when he came just a little bit closer to you than normal. Found yourself staring at him, enthralled like he was a siren. Decided you are that much sexually deprived and you’ll go to a club soon with Key. Most importantly, after just two weeks, you find you can just casually enter his kitchen and throw a ‘morning Park’ at him wearily.

The good part is he does the same. “Morning Spring roll. Slept well?” Asks you while eating a sandwich, gaping at you across from the kitchen island. His hair sticking out weirdly. Funny, how neither of you care about your appearances.

And the name part is the only other thing that developed. He called you ‘Spring roll’, called you ‘Rollito’, called you ‘Little roll’, called you ‘Lil Roll’ and called you just ‘Lil’ all the time that you forgot your real name.

“That’s not my name Park.” You glare at him as you take seat. With a heavy sigh.

“And do I look like I care?” He shrugs nonchalantly. Speaks through his mouth full sandwich. You don’t reply to him, however. Instead, grab the paper you wrote your theories on. Are exhausted. You and Jimin have gone through this list more than hundreds of times now. Adding things on, scratching things off. All in vain. There’s one thing that you became certain, though. You can take some things with you between two worlds. Your phone as for an example. Your comforter. Jimin’s comforter. Couch blankets. Some silly little things but no beds no couches. Most importantly no humans. You have sneakily tried it with Key. Failed. And then with Jimin, which was quite awkward. Holding onto his hand and trying to sleep. Took so long to fall asleep that day. It was purely for experimental purposes. Eventually, it didn’t work either.

You find the pen next to the paper and start scratching your stupid theories one by one. Clicking your tongue. Exhaustion makes you annoyed. Annoyance makes you irritated.

“All of this is stupid. Wrong. Who came up with these stupid ideas?” You mutter through clenched teeth. Jimin’s snorting makes you even more irritated. You look at him. “It’s your stupid ideas.” You accuse him, pointing the pen at his face. “Mine?” Jimin gasps in disbelief. “Yes. And why the fuck won’t you ask anything from Liya?” The fact that he hasn’t asked anything from Liya makes your skin prickle.

“She doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t remember anything. What do you want me to do? Just ask her if she’s been waking up in a strange world?” Jimin questions. Suddenly his playful expression wiped off. No longer snorting. It’s your fault. You started it.

“Yes.” You easily point out. “That’s what you should exactly do. Ask her where the hell she’s been for….” You stop your venting to start putting your fingers down in counting. “For like five days. How could you not ask her anything?” You get to your feet. Why are you mad at him? You’re so annoyed. Jimin sighs. His sandwich abandoned. “It’s not been five days. It’s few hours. Liya was here the moment you were gone. And if she remembered anything she would’ve already told me.” He looks pretty confident in that.

“Well, what if she doesn’t tell anything because she’s afraid you’ll think she is crazy or something. Just like you do?” You fold your arms under your breasts and raise your brows. Jimin doesn’t answer that question. You make your point in that. Shrug your shoulders. “In that case Jimin, this could be all about Liya you know? This could be on her. Not on me. And as long as you two don’t talk about it, this will keep happening and I’ll be waking up next to you. And fuck! I just want to live normally.” You turn around to leave. This is all because you are tired. Crumple the paper on your hand before tossing it in the garbage can. Ignore the way Jimin finally shouts after you as you leave.

“I want my life back as well you nag. Do you think I enjoy seeing your ugly face every morning.”

You don’t mention the fact that you and his girlfriend have the same face.

……………………………………………………………………................

Jimin watches as you leave. Ignoring his comeback as your hair tousles with each step. He doesn’t think you have an ugly face. Quite the opposite actually. Hell, you have the same face as his girlfriend. Isn’t that fucked up to say you’re ugly. That’s not what’s fucked up anyway. The way he just finds you adorable just because you are you is what’s so fucked up. That has nothing do with Liya. But everything to do with you.

You’ve learnt your lesson apparently. No longer wear skimpy pajamas nor do you wear tank tops. It’s oversized t-shirts and baggy sweats- that you nearly drown in- all the times now. And you wear a bra. Not that Jimin is a lecher, but he couldn’t help but notice it. How? Even he doesn’t know. He just noticed. And it makes perfect sense why you decided to wear clothes that cover every inch of your body.

He gets to his feet slowly. Doesn’t know what he is doing until he retrieves the crumpled piece of paper from the trash. You ruined it. Slowly tries to smooth it out. Groans. What the hell is wrong with him? You’re so right even though he never would want to admit it. He needs to talk about this with Liya. Honestly, he had thought about the possibility of this all being on Liya before you mentioned it. Simply can’t understand why he is hesitant.

In his defense, he tried to talk, at least for a certain extent. Tried to talk to her through the phone after he left you to sleep peacefully in your spring roll state. He had watched you for exactly fifteen minutes before receiving that call from his assistant. You would be furious if you ever knew. He just wanted to see you disappear, after all. Was just curious. But nothing had happened while he was there. Later when he called Liya and when she answered, Jimin knew you were gone. That’s when he had tried talking. Through the phone. It was a simple question. “Are you okay?” And Liya had blamed him for not waking her up in the morning. Ended up in another fight. Haven’t talked to each other since. How is he supposed to ask her anything then?

It's been so long since they’ve actually talked. It’s always fighting and yelling. In the end, the fight resolves itself. Neither he nor Liya would put the effort into mending anything. They both are simply busy. He is definitely busy. There are meetings piling up. He needs to leave for work. He has an empire to build. Then what the fuck is he doing staring into a crumpled paper. Then why the hell does he think, you’re in a bad mood because you’re hungry? Why does he care that you left without eating? He shouldn’t be thinking about that. If anything, he needs to think about a way to make you leave as soon as possible. His girlfriend is missing out on her life.

It's not even been that long since you’ve dropped into his life out of blue. Just two weeks and Jimin finds you this close to him. How weird?

He makes a sandwich anyway. Makes it while drowning in his own thoughts. About how he should not give two shits. Still, takes the plate with a sandwich to the lounge. Finds you on his couch. In a spring roll state, wrapped up in the couch blanket, sitting. Funny. Ridiculous. Adorable.

Jimin has to turn around to hide the amused grin that brakes out on his face the moment his eyes lands on you. He swears he was scowling deeply until he spotted you. Fixes his face into that same scowl before turns back. You are watching him curiously. Brows furrowed. Jimin holds the plate out for you.

“What is it?” You question as you sniff it, while he holds the plate in front of your face. Weird. You can’t take your hands out fast after all. “What do you think? It’s damn sandwich spring roll. Thought you acting like a pissed off momma bear because you’re hungry?” He shouldn’t have said that. But you’re beaming. Nod eagerly as you try to take your hands out from the blanket. Hell, does this mean he read you right? How? He doesn’t even know you. He lets you take the plate from him. “I’ll talk to Liya today.” States as he plops next to you. You only nod. Turn to him and smile. “Looks like you’ve been starving?” He gives up trying to hide his amused grin.

“Yes and no. I’m simply tired Jimin. I think I need to sleep properly. Find a steady sleeping schedule.” You stuff your mouth as you speak. “Huh, makes sense. But you’re happy to see a damn sandwich Lil” He watches you carefully. The way you are genuinely happy. It’s hard not to feel relaxed around you. You are easy. Makes him giddy in a strange way. He shouldn’t feel that way. But you make him feel that way. You roll your eyes.

“Don’t call me that, Park.” Mumble through a mouthful.

“And why not?” Why do you feel familiar. Is that because you’re Liya?

“Because I have a name. A real one.”

“That’s ugly.”

“Ugly is your dick! That is.” You grumble as he snorts.

You’re not Liya. Not at all.

……………………………………………………………..........................

“So, what you want is, for me. To pay. For you. To stay at a hotel room.” Jimin clarifies, pointing his finger at himself. His car idling. “Yeah, I mean, it’s that… it is the deal for today, right? We need to find out this portal or whatever isn’t your apartment.” You answer awkwardly. That was the deal you both agreed upon after all. Hence, your preparation to leave his apartment, this time in a good mood. Not running away but walking away. You’re in Liya’s clothes. Jimin gave them to you. Asked you to take anything from her extravagant walk-in closet. You didn’t do that, of course. You’re not really a thief. Just dirt poor comparing to Jimin and his girlfriend. You managed to find the least expensive looking clothes. Still, feel uneasy, however.

There’s an amused glint in Jimin’s eyes. Makes you embarrassed about your proposition. You don’t know how to make it work any other way though. “Do you have any other idea, Park?” You ask again when he doesn’t say anything. “No, but why would I have to pay?” He asks, pulling out the car from the parking lot. Finally. “Because, I don’t have money.” You point it out. Deeply embarrassed. Turn your head away from him. It’s not like you bring any money here. The only thing you keep in your hand is your mobile. Can’t live without it apparently. Should have brought some money though. It would have saved you from this humiliation.

“And is that my fault?” He asks again, now eyes full on the road as he pulls the car onto the road. You frown. Need to do something about his arrogant ass now. He is belittling you. “It’s not like I’m asking for you to buy me something. I’ll pay you back.” You raise your chin up. He snorts in reply. “Okay. Whatever. So, a room huh? You want to get into a room with me?” Jimin turns his head toward you. Only slightly. Averts his gaze back to the road.

It's your time to snort now. “You wish Park. You wish. I would rather jump into a lake than wanting to do anything, I mean literally anything, with you. And I can’t even swim. Do you get what I mean.” You raise your brow. Look at his side profile. He is in a suit. A fucking suit. White dress shirt underneath his black suit jacket. What you said now is a lie. Not completely but partially. You don’t want to do anything with him because he is taken. That would be such a bitch move. But if you ever met him in a different context. At a bar. At college. At anywhere else. Where he is single. Or a complete stranger who you don’t have access to intimate details. And nothing would be your fault. You would have jumped on his bones within a minute. Now though, you know he is taken by your alternate universe counterpart. A better version of you. All you can do is make his life miserable. Make sure his arrogant ass knows he isn’t that charming even though he is.

“You haven’t been to the paradise Lil. So, you run your mouth.” Jimin scoffs.

“What paradise though? If I could recall correctly, there’s a possibility that you have no dick, and even if you do it’s ugly, or could be teeny tiny.” You show your pinky finger to him. Jimin clicks his tongue.

“Yah! You want me to show you. Is that it?” He gives you an annoyed look.

“Show me what?” You’re clearly playing dumb here.

“My dick. You are very concerned about my dick Lil. You are very curious. I can sate your curiosity if you want.” He keeps glancing at you. Amused. You fake gag. “Eww... no thanks please.” Despite your insulting both of your lips are curving upwards. See, this is how it has been all these time. “You will thank me when I show you.” He halts the car at the red light. Gives you his full attention. You cover your ears with both of your palms. “Jesus Park. Let’s talk about something else can we.” You say, flustered. It was supposed to be a joke. An insult to him. But now you can’t help but imagine it. Wonder how he would look completely naked. Think it’s not fair since he has seen your boobs. You’ve seen him shirtless yes, but that’s not the same. Weird how you two act so normal. Joking about things you should be mortified to talk with a stranger.

Strangers. That’s who you are. Still strangers but have woken up next to each other. Have seen him in a nothing but a towel. Knows he has seen your body and your messy hair in the morning. Your puffy eyes and unpleasant yawns. But you’re strangers. It’s only been just two weeks. And you’re joking about his dick. Weird, aren’t you?

Jimin accelerates the car again. “Are you blushing Rollito?” He is teasing you. “No.” You mutter. But you know you’re blushing. Why are you blushing. “Yes, you totally are.” Jimin chuckles. You don’t answer him. Just make a face at him. He looks back at you. Gasps. Eyes wide. Adorable. “Wait are you imagining me naked?” Asks, practically thriving at you flustered state.

“NO… FUCK NO”

……………………………………………………………..........................

You can’t pay him back. Not unless you find a job here. They call the currency ‘KRW’. But the notes are something you have never seen before. It looks like a kindergartener’s art project gone wrong. They don’t look like actual, legal money. But they are. And you don’t have a single note in your possession. You gape at the golden card Jimin holds out to the receptionist. You guess it’s similar to a black card. You wait patiently as the woman at the reception desk check you in. A pleasant smile on her face. Her cherry lips stretched slightly. “Here you go Sir.” She gives a key card to Jimin, which he grabs somewhat awkwardly. You know how this seems. A couple checking into a hotel room. They might think millions of things about you. Not that you could correct their assumptions anyway. Hence, you say nothing when Jimin puts his hand on the small of your back. Guiding you towards the elevator.

You wanted to kick Jimin’s rich ass when he dragged your poor ass into this resort, which would take your entire college fees for just one night. When you said a hotel room you had meant a cheap motel room. Not this. You whine in complaint as you wait for the elevator to come down. “Don’t nag all the time lady. I’m not gonna leave you in some shady and shitty third-class motel room, that would get you either killed or sick.” Jimin hisses at your ear, making you scowl deeper. “Why would you care if I die or not?” You hiss at his ear in return. “We don’t know what will happen if you die here? I mean... what will happen to Liya?” He says normally, giving up on hissing like a cat. Of course, that’s the concern. Not that you expected him to care about you. Fuck Park Jimin!

The elevator door dings as it opens. Revealing two people inside who are about to get out. A man and a woman. You step away to make room for them to leave first when the man gasps loudly, making your head snap in his direction. At his face. He is gaping at you. “Jiminie.” He exclaims. Both yours and the unknown woman’s eyes dart to Jimin’s face.

“Oh, Fuck my life!” Jimin mutters under his breath as he turns around, showing his back to the stranger. You look back at the stranger. The woman does the same. He is staring at Jimin’s back. Mouth agape. You were about to clear your throat since it’s becoming awkward when the elevator door started to close again. The stranger breaks the stupor he was in as he steps out of the elevator promptly. Woman following him. Jimin turns back slowly to him again. “Tae.” He sighs heavily. Shows his hands in the pockets.

The man, as Jimin called Tae averts his gaze to you. “No fucking way man.” He says before looking at Jimin again. “Are you two fuckers getting a room? This early in the morning?” He checks his phone. Presumably the time. Shakes his head in amusement. “Aren’t you two like live in the same house?” Questions again, eyes jumping between you and Jimin.

Oh! He thinks you’re Liya. No surprise since her own boyfriend got mistaken.

You need to correct him, however. They clearly know each other. Jimin and Tae that is. You don’t want to cause any misunderstandings. You shake your head quickly to deny. A polite smile on your lips. “Oh, I’m sorry. But I’m-“ Your words turn into a yelp when Jimin’s hand slips around your shoulders. Tugs you to his body, so fast. Squeeze you so tight, that you nearly cried. “Yes, we are, but this is an emergency.” Jimin causally states, pulling you even closer. What? You turn your head to look at his face. It’s a weird angle but you can see him. You’re too close to him for your liking. He stares back at you. “Right?” Questions. Does he let this man, Tae or whoever, his friend believes you’re his girlfriend. “Huh?” You question back. Blinking at his face. Dumbfounded. He just raises his eyebrow.

You blink at Tae. About to open your mouth to answer when the woman next to him interrupts you. “Uh. Tae I’m getting late.” She softly mutters, giving a light bow to you and Jimin. Tae nods in understanding. “Oh yeah you should go.” Bends down to kiss her cheek. Oh, how sweet. “I’ll call you, okay?” Wishes her good- bye. She gives you a full bow this time before leave. Tae turns his attention back to you. Eyes precisely on you. Remind you that you need to answer him.

“Uh… yeah. An emergency that is.” You nod slightly. Unsure of what you’re doing. Tae chuckles softly while Jimin nods in approval. “Well, never expected to see you two” Tae points his finger between you and Jimin. “At a fucking hotel room. Especially, in the morning.” There’s a teasing tilt to his voice. “Thought you two were so damn busy to notice each other.” He pokes the inside of his cheek with the tip of his tongue. Teasing. Jimin keeps his hands on your shoulders but loosens his grip slightly. “Ha, very funny Tae. But if I was you, I would be more worried now instead of grinning like a stupid.” Jimin fake laughs. You miss the way he gestures you to Tae but clearly notice the way Tae suddenly freezes. Eyes on you. His smile falters. “Fuck.” He mumbles when Jimin lets out a victorious noise. “Fuck, fuck, fuck. Holy Fuck.” Tae keeps repeating like it is a mantra. You have no single clue about what’s happening right now. So, you look between them. Trying to figure out what on earth is happening. Jimin takes a while before he speaks again. “Don’t worry she won’t tell.” He says at last. Tae looks at you, surprised. Frowns at you. “Sh… She won’t?” Asks Jimin. “No, she won’t. Will you?” Jimin asks you.

Tell what? And to who?

You say you won’t anyway. “Thanks. Fuck I mean good. No, thanks.” Tae stutters, relief visibly washing over him. You simply nod. Hope he would just walk away. But of course, he doesn’t. “Um... wanna join me to breakfast? I’m supposed to meet Seoyeon.” Asks instead of giving you the privacy you want, like a normal person. Still slightly cautious. Feel like he is bribing you or something by inviting you to a breakfast. Give you an urge to narrow your eyes at him.

“Yah! Kim Taehyung” Jimin shouts, making flinch at the sound. His hand is still wrapped around you. “We have a damn meeting at 10 man. And you’re gonna go to breakfast dates?” He points an accusing finger at Tae, or Kim Taehyung as you now know. Taehyung opens his mouth in disbelief. Points an accusatory finger at Jimin too. “And you’re about to fuck your girlfriend. You accuse me? I will be able to attend the meeting no later than 10 minutes. And you’ll never even make it.” He looks at you while he shouts at Jimin. You feel heat rising to your face. Half due to his blunt words and half due to the embarrassment that so many people heard that. “And your girlfriend is fucking weird today and acts like she doesn’t know me.” It’s funny how Taehyung changes the subject so fast and is now gaping at you again.

You give him a tight-lipped smile. “I’m so sorry. It’s just my stomach hurts.” You excuse your rude behavior. What a stupid excuse. It feel like watching a foreign movie without subtitles. You don’t know him. How are you supposed to act like you know him? Taehyung gasps again. Dramatically, this time. Comes closer to Jimin and presses his point finger to Jimin’s chest. “Are you gonna fuck your girlfriend when her tummy hurts, you inconsiderate asshole?” He asks that with a real disbelief in his voice. You can’t help the snort that leaves you. Jimin grimaces at you first. Then at Taehyung. “No…. Okay guess what? Let me just get the refund.” Jimin lets you go. Already making it to the front desk.

……………………………………………………………..........................

When you asked Jimin why he let Taehyung believe that you’re Liya. Why accepted his invitation. Why Taehyung was worried you might say something. While you were on your way to this breakfast. Back in his car. Jimin sighed heavily. For first one. He had said that nobody, not even his best friend, is going to believe about this parallel world shit. For the second one. He had said that he really wants to be in that meeting and if he had walked inside to a room with you, he would have had to stay. Because he is very lucky to meet his best friend there. He couldn’t be able to leave you there (that would raise unnecessary suspicion) and no he won’t walk out within five minutes and give Taehyung a chance to roast him. About his man ego or something. Only taking five minutes shit. Whatever. For the third one. He had said ‘You’ll see’ and asked you to stay out of it.

Now you see why. Sitting in a breakfast spot. In a table for four. Jimin across from you. Taehyung next to him and a woman next to you. A woman who had lost her shit when she saw you enter this café with the two men. Had hugged the life out of you. Apparently is your best friend. Is Taehyungs girlfriend. And certainly not the woman you met few minutes prior.

Taehyung is fucking cheating on his girlfriend. You even fucking thought it was so sweet that he kissed her cheek. Fucking bastard! If a look could set fire, Taehyung would be ashes by now. That’s how hard you’re glaring at him. He, however, doesn’t even notice it. Is engaged in an interesting conversation slash argument with the server about why he would need five shots of espresso. Jimin notices you though. Amused. Eyes glinting. Asshole. You give him a look. Warning. Hard to burn his pretty face down when Seoyeon is animatedly saying something to you.

Taehyung interrupts her talking by gasping aloud. The server has already gone with your orders. Taehyung won’t get five shots in his espresso. “The fucking meeting is canceled.” Taehyung says to Jimin. Furrowing. “Says who?” Jimin demands, peering into Taehyung’s phone. “Says Jin.” Taehyung holds his phone up to Jimin’s face. “He can’t decide that.” Jimin snatches the phone away. “Yes, he can. He is the COO.” Taehyung casually shrugs. Is visibly happy that meeting got canceled. “It’s not canceled dude. It’s postponed. You know? That’s two different things.” Jimin gives the phone back. Nobody asks them why it got canceled. You and Seoyeon watch the two men start arguing over the difference between cancel and postpone.

What do they do for living? Jimin and Taehyung ? You’re pretending to be his girlfriend but don’t know what he is doing. This morning is going to be fun. You want it to end fast.

And it won’t be that easy. Not at all. It doesn’t matter in which universe you are in, universes work against you. Always.

“Listen, listen.” Seoyeon suddenly perks up in her seat, interrupting the two who’s been arguing. Takes a sip from her water. “So does this mean, you guys are free this morning?” She asks very hopefully when both men chants no in unison. You feel bad for her. Taehyung is busy. For his girlfriend. For the other woman, he is not. And you want to slap him. But Jimin is the one who is giving excuses. Saves his friends ass. You want to kick Jimin.

“Oh c’mon…. when did you two last went on a date?” Seoyeon is asking from you. You don’t know when Jimin and Liya went on a date for the last time. You feel dumb. Extremely dumb. So, you gape at Jimin’s face. “Uh... last night.” Jimin states nonchalantly. Shrugs his shoulders. You wonder if that’s true. “Don’t lie please. I know you were with Tae last night Jimin. You go with dates with him.” She points at Taehyung. “Not with her.” She points at you.

You need to be interactive. It’s stupid to sit here like you’re listening to a lecture. Need to play your role effectively. Just don’t know how. Clear your throat a bit. “Yeah. True.” You should have kept your mouth shut. Jimin gives you a look. Wrong answer. So, you open your mouth again. “I mean. Not true. We go on dates all the time. Very lovely actually. Very romantic. Hot. Uh huh.” You nod. Feel like you’re at a stage doing a presentation. In front of the whole college. “He is very good. At everything I mean. Definitely doesn’t have a small dick or something.” You should shut up. Everyone is staring at you, like you have two heads. But no one’s sheepish expressions would match the one on Jimin’s mortified one. You want to die. There’s an awkward silence. You think you need to leave when Taehyung snorts. Very unpleasant. But you’re beyond thankful. He starts laughing and you join him. Jimin chuckles awkwardly and Seoyeon join him.

You keep laughing. Even when Taehyung tries to stop, you start laughing so hard. That is contagious. Or Taehyung is either high or just nervous like you are. In the end, he joins you again. So, you laugh until the server comes. Put food on your plates. Seoyeon is so dumbfounded. Jimin on the other hand is visibly turning red at how hard he is trying not to join you. His fucking arrogant ass. It’s okay to let loose sometime. To laugh so hard. You wonder how he would look like when he does.

You finally calm down and start eating. Back to your silent self. Listening to the conversation flowing around. Nod here and there when someone asks something. Have no idea what they are talking about. Until Seoyeon pays her attention to you again. Asks something about an anniversary. Five year one. Your eyes goes wide. They’ve been together for five years. Jimin and Liya? You watch Jimin pokes his rice. He should be enthusiastic about this conversation, isn’t he? Yet, he looks like he is thinking about failing his exams. Ruminating. Taehyung nudges his hand. “What’s your plans?” He asks when Jimin locks his eyes with you. Jimin shrugs. “I... I don’t know. Maybe it’s a surprise. Stop being nosy you busybodies.” He glares at Taehyung first and then Seoyeon. Looks back at you. You raise your eyebrows at him. He mouths the word ‘what?’. You shake your head.

You don’t know Jimin. There is no way you can read him. But you do. He is lying.

……………………………………………………………..........................

Universes work against you. And universes work against Jimin as well. Maybe against Taehyung too. That’s how you find yourself in an upmarket shopping center. Seoyeon’s idea. Nobody liked it. But here you are. Wandering through expensive shopping items, from attire to perfume. Price tags make your mouth go dry and makes you feel so out of place. Hate it every time Seoyeon pick the most horrendous looking and expensive piece of clothing for you. Are running out of excuses at this rate.

I don’t like the color. Too revealing. Too covered. Too lacy. Too red… too pink… too…too…

That’s when Jimin grabs your hand and drags you away. Thanks, fuck. And now you can breathe. Just peacefully check the price tags and curse the shit out. You don’t care Jimin hearing. You’ve been talking about his dick like it’s about weather. He has seen you in your morning hair. Already knows you’re a broken college student. You’re good.

You stop at a jewelry counter. For no specific reason. Pair of earrings got your attention. They are just pretty. Looks like two rain drops. Crystal clear. You lean down slightly. Take a good look at it. It’s expensive. Not that you have any kind of money to buy anything anyway. Penniless. Even if you have, you can’t afford them.

“You want them?” Jimin’s sudden voice startles you that you straighten in light speed.

“What?” You turn your head to look at him. “I asked you if you want them?” He points his finger at the showcase. Your eyes goes wide. He wants to buy you them. Feel slightly touched at the generosity. And he ruins it. “I mean, I’ll think I helped a homeless person. Like buying food or something.” He further clarifies. Nods to himself. You hiss at him. Turn to face him properly. “I don’t want your charity gifts. I’m no homeless you asshole.” You grit your teeth. Don’t allow yourself to think properly. Let your leg work on its own when the tip of your (Liya’s) ankle boots kick his shin. Not so gentle though. Harsh. Harsh enough he yelps so loud. Curses that two staff women look at him mortified. Bends down to rub his leg. Hobbles a little. “Fucking hell lady. You’re fucking crazy.” Glares at you so hard. You smile sweetly at him. It wasn’t that intense. He is just dramatic.

“This is really boring park.” You change the subject. Ignore his grimace. Pat his head when he finally starts to straighten up. Ignore how he freezes as well. “Let’s do something fun.” Say excitedly.

……………………………………………………………..........................

Only Taehyung agreed to come here. Into a gaming arcade. After all, your fun differs from these people’s fun. You enjoy shopping. You do. But not in a mall where it requires you to sell your kidney to buy a bra. You enjoy clubbing. It’s still broad day light. This is the best idea that popped up to your mind. And Taehyung rooted for it. You don’t like him. He is a cheater. Still, can’t help but feel easy around him. He is fun to be. Doesn’t act like an aristocratic from renaissance. Seoyeon does. Jimin is holding back. Trying so hard to act arrogantly. He is pretending. Lying to himself. Is enjoying belittling you a little too much. Taehyungs better.

You’ve been dragging their asses from one game to another. Initially, it was only you and Taehyung who played. But now when you are at a whack-a-mole game board, Jimin is your opponent. Just because you called him a coward for not participating in anything. Too afraid to lose. And then of course, you bet you’ll defeat him. Silly actually. But fun. At least for you and Taehyung. Seoyeon looks like she saw a ghost. You’re getting too hyped up over a silly arcade game. It’s understandable why she looks embarrassed. Taehyung is on your side. Cheering for you. Jimin says something about Taehyung being a traitor as he gets rid of his suit jacket. Rolls the sleeves up. Unbuttons another button. Looks damn handsome. Stretches up his neck. Rolls the shoulders. Looks you dead in the eye.

You smirk. Do the same. With your jacket sleeves pushed up. Warm-up like he does. It’s a shared board. You have to hit the moles as much as you can. The person with the highest score wins. And in the end, loser has to do whatever the winner says. There aren’t no way you would lose.

You and Jimin both position yourself at the game board. Take the mallets. Taehyung whistles. You grab the mallet tight. Wait for the starting signal after timer goes off. Ready to hammer away the entire world. And when it finally beeps and the first mole pops up, you are the one who reaches it first. Victorious noise leaves your mouth. Feel cocky. Reach for your second poor mole head near the edge. Hit it with full force. Mallet lands on the edge. It’s not your fault the mallet slips from your hand. Swings back toward your face. Smacks you right on the nose. Makes you stumble back. A horrified yelp escapes your mouth as you clutch your nose with your both hands. Trying hard to keep your balance, when Jimin grabs you from your jacket, in light speed. Brings you to your feet back. Abandons the game entirely.

Holds you upright, on your feet for a moment. His own eyes wide. Waits few minutes until the shock subsides and all of you process what’s happened. Only then he tries to move your hands away from your face. Brows furrowing. Very concerned.

“Ow! Fuck I broke my nose.” You cry out in horror. Are convinced there is blood. Both Seoyeon and Taehyung gather around you. Mumbling things. Cursing. Jimin yanks your hand down. Holds on to them tightly as he examines your nose. “Your nose is fine.” He mutters. Peers at your eyes instead of nose. “It’s not broken.” Assures you again. Keep looking at your eyes. Makes you uneasy for some unexplainable reason. So, you look away. Try to free your hands from his vise grip. He doesn’t let you. Keep staring at your face. Amused. You don’t realize you’re pouting. Just trying to ignore his gaze when he softly chuckles. You snap your head toward him. He won’t dare to laugh at you when you nearly broke your nose. But he does.

“See, it’s a bad idea to betting against me. Universe is on my side.” Jimin says, while finally letting your hands go. Has a warmth in his voice despite his words. Slightly cups your cheek while smiling. You feel giddy. Oh, it’s bad. But you feel warm.

Taehyung snorts. Jimin glances at Taehyungs face. Takes his hand back. Then glances at you. He is already grinning from ear to ear. Bites his bottom lip. Tries so hard not to laugh. Fails. It erupts from his throat. Bursts out through his thick lips. And in a second he is crackling up. Laughing so hard, with Taehyung. Doubles down. Holds onto Taehyung for support.

You should feel mad. Annoyed. They are… he is laughing at your misery. But the thing is you’re watching him in awe. Mouth agape. So, that’s how he looks when he crackles up. He laughs with his whole body. Adorable. Mesmerizing. Breathtaking.

……………………………………………………………..........................

It has been long since Jimin felt this relaxed. Long since he laughed that hard. Over something silly, in that case. Still had felt so relieving. As if he had gone for therapy and got better after just one hour.

He keeps his eyes on your figure next to Taehyung. You insisted you and Taehyung will bring the order to the table. Ice cream orders to be precise.

“She is really weird today.” Seoyeon’s sound makes Jimin avert his gaze away from you.

“Huh?” He looks at her face for split second. Then his eyes are back on you. Watching the way you are rolling on your heels. Eyes wandering through the displayed menu.

“ Liya I mean. She is really weird today Jimin. Did something happen?” Seoyeon asks again. Makes Jimin reluctantly tear his eyes away from you. Again. Why does he feel reluctant? “What do you mean?” Oh, he knows what she meant. You’re doing a very terrible job pretending to be his girlfriend. It’s funny how you two are two versions of the same person yet are like sky and the earth.

Seoyeon gapes at Jimin. Blinks. As if she couldn’t believe Jimin. “It’s pretty obvious isn’t it? Why is she so energetic? Like, why is she wearing that? Why on the hell does she look like this is her first life and she was born yesterday?” Seoyeon gestures toward you. Jimin follows. He can’t help but grin. You sure do look like you were born yesterday. Makes sense because this isn’t your world. It’s all new to you. Not that he can tell that to Liya’s best friend.

“I think she is just in a good mood. That’s all.” He mumbles. Eyes never leaving you. “Gosh! Does that mean she was in a bad mood for all her life. That’s very sad.” Seoyeon pulls her phone out. Minds her own business. Leaves Jimin to gape at you to his heart’s extent.

How true Seoyeon is. Not the part Liya’s in a bad mood. No. She lives a normal life. In her own way. It’s simply she is not you. It’s not she isn’t energetic. She is very energetic. Not the way you are. He has no right to compare. He chose Liya after all. And when he did he knew what he gets and was just fine with it. Maybe liked it even. Then why does he feel this content around you. Why does he want this day to be long. Never end. He doesn’t want much. Just sit back and watch you bumbling around is just enough. It’s fun. Feels like living. Even though it’s so wrong he can’t help it. Maybe it’s just fine for one day. He will never get this chance again. No postponed meetings nor days out. With or without you.

He does things for fun. Of course he does. From high end clubs to just hanging around with Taehyung and others. But this is far better. Like he is back in college. Forever young. It’s fine for just a day. Besides it’s not like he’s doing something bad. Just hanging around. Nothing bad at all. Only bad things is that he finds you beautiful in your (Liya’s) corset dress. Knows you found something old. Least expensive. But you’re rocking it.

Jimin has always found you to be adorable. In your oversized clothes and messy updos. This morning though, he found you to be pretty. Pretty when you asked him if it was really fine to take the dress. Pretty when you pout without you knowing it. Pretty when you smile at Taehyung. When you bat your eye lashes at Taehyung. Probably finding your way to something. Makes Jimin feel a pang in his chest. A pang he can’t describe. Like longing. You and his best friend apparently are clicking. Of course you are. Liya never did. Nor does she ever will.

He finds you to be gorgeous when you bite on your lip to keep your pretty giggles inside. Gorgeous when you turn around and narrow your eyes at him. Why you do that? He has no idea. Makes him feel a little blue. For no reason.

This is really bad honestly. Really bad that he keeps starting at you. That he finds he can keep his gaze on you like you’re a starry night with millions of hidden secrets. Still, knowing that very well, Jimin can’t look away. He keeps his eyes on you until you get your orders. Until you turn around and walk back. Until you are back on the table and sitting down.

And if looking at you like that way was bad, Jimin thinks the way his heart stopped. The way his breathing got caught in his throat. Just because you quite innocently pressed your thigh to him. Is an unforgivable sin. Especially now when he can’t stop noticing your bare skin in your thigh. Skirt rides up. Did you always have such beautiful skin? Mouthwatering? Inviting? Makes his blood pumping in double speed?

Holy fuck he needs to stop. ……………………………………………………………..........................

You thought Jimin would take you back home after the mall. But the day ended up stretching. From the mall to an ice cream parlor. From there to a movie. From a movie to a restaurant. From there to a bar. And finally, into a club. Taehyung’s idea after all. You lost Seoyeon somewhere between the movie and restaurant. Said she had another fish to fry. You wanted to say no to the club. Taehyung is after all, a fucking manipulator in addition to a cheater. He finds his way. No matter what. That’s your observation after being with him for a day. Is a social butterfly, however.

Jimin excuses yourselves the moment you step inside the opulent club. Crowded, nonetheless. Surprisingly, Taehyung leaves you alone.

“Okay. Listen. So, since Tae doesn’t know what no means, you’ll have to keep pretending to be Liya in front of everyone got it?” He asks with frown between his black brows. You nod. “And that means, you should already know these people…” He starts again before you interrupt him. “Wait, wait, how am I supposed to know these people when I never met them.” You look around the club. “That’s why I’m trying to tell you everything beforehand. Listen carefully Spring Roll, I need you to do a good job here all right? Especially since normally Liya won’t come here.” He takes a look around as well. You want to ask why Liya wouldn’t come here but he is already speaking again.

“Okay you already know Taehyung; he is my best friend.” You interrupt his very serious ‘me’ speech. Once again. “Oh yeah, your cheating best friend.” You scoff. Jimin scowls. “That shouldn’t bother you. None of your business, Spring Roll” Jimin says, irritable tilt in his voice.

“I know. But that doesn't make it right.” You hiss. “And I know that too. But please stay out of it. Remember you’re not Liya. Taehyung or Seoyeon are not people you know and you’re not even from this world so none of your business.” He sighs as you glare at him. “Just let them handle their own problems. Even I keep my ass out of their issues.” He adds. And you nod again reluctantly. It’s true after all. You’re not part of their life. Have no right to poke your nose at others life. Or ass like Jimin says.

“Okay so back to the point.” Jimin starts again. “You’ll see Seokjin and Hoseok; Jin is the COO and Hobi is the CMO. I’ll make sure you know who is who okay?” He raises one of his eyebrows in question. “Who is Hobi?.” You ask instead of the okay he expects you to give. “I just told you. The CMO?” Jimin looks at you dumbfounded.

“Then who’s Hoseok?”

“What? Fuck that’s the same person. You know what? Just let’s go.” Jimin sighs. Takes your hand in his and turns to walk away. Surprises you slightly. You look at your hands. Connected. That’s not very necessary. He can just walk away and you can fallow. But this is probably him playing the part. The part where he is your boyfriend. Pretending. Makes your heart do that strange flips nonetheless. You don’t like it. Don’t like the way your tummy flutters.

He is just playing the part. Treats you the way he would treat Liya.

On that note, you need to rock that part too. “Wait. First thing first Park. I don’t know what COO or CM... is or what is what... and above all, I don’t know what you do.” You look at him hopefully. You can’t pretend to be his girlfriend when you don’t even know whether he is a part of an organized crime group. “What do you mean I do?” He asks back.

“What do you do for living Park? Kill people? Sell drugs, sell weapons…” You are about make a long list of illegal business’ when he stops you. “I sell games.” There’s a smirk on his face. Looks smug. “Co-owns the RUN. With Tae, Jin, and Hobi. It’s a gaming company and before you ask, I’m the CEO.” And with that he turns around and leaves. Drags you with him.

……………………………………………………………..........................

You learned who is who. Jin is the one with plump lips. And the very moment your eyes landed on him, you betrayed Park Jimin. Jin’s lips are the plumpest. And he looks godly. So does Hobi. You think he looks like a daisy. Makes others feel positive. Jimin has good-looking friends. All of them. You were apparently born on the wrong universe. That thought became certain when Hoseok drags three random people to your booth saying he knows one of them. Two men and a woman. The one Hobi knows introduces himself as Kim Namjoon. Works in a popular magazine.

“Ah yeah makes sense why Hobi knows you, marketing shit.” Jin exclaims as he drowns his second shot. Namjoon just nods and smiles. Has dimples. Turns toward the two people with him. “This is J.” He points the woman. She has purple hair. Daring. “Just J?” Taehyung perks up. “Yes just J.” She raises her brow at Taehyung, sitting next to you. Making herself at home. Jin is the one who chuckles. “And this is Jungkook” Namjoon turns toward the man next to him. Damn. Only if you’re not pretending to be Jimin’s girlfriend. “Hello.” The man names Jungkook smiles goofily. Eyes sparkling. You like him. Politely and shyly takes a seat next to Taehyung when he offers. Just like that, a circle is completed. Fortunately, nobody asks any personal questions from you. You’re safe. Jimin just sits next to you. Talking about some shitty business with Hoseok. J has chatted with you for a bit before abandoning you to join Jin. And just like that you’re just listening to other people talk. Sipping on a cocktail Jimin brought you and it actually tastes good.

That’s when J suddenly interjects. After murmuring something with Jungkook. “Hey” She takes your attention, with the rest of the people on the booth. “Are you a couple?” She gestures between you and Jimin. Jungkook elbows her ribcage. “They are not.” He hisses. “Wanna bet?” J looks at him with confidence. Jung Kook snorts. “No…. Not again kook, J? Don’t start.” Namjoon whines from next to Hoseok. Jung Kook and J, however, ignore his entire existence. “Yeah, how much?” Jungkook is full on the board. “10 000 fucking Won, they are a couple.” J is already holding her palm out for Jungkook. It’s really strange how they talk about you like you and Jimin aren’t here. You know Jimin thinks same by the way he is blinking at them. Jungkook turns to you. Watch you expectantly. So, does J.

Taehyung is the one who chuckles first. Pats Jungkook’s back with pity. “You just lost 10 000 won kook. Should have asked me first. Those two..” Points his finger at you and Jimin. “Are like practically married. And by married I mean can’t stand each other very well.” Smiles wickedly when Jimin asks him to fuck himself. “Let me finish Jiminie. But… still are together and that means one thing. You know what? They are for forever.” Says with a nod when Jungkook makes an adorable whine. “Knew it looser. Gimme my damn ten thousand.” J keeps holding her palm up when Jungkook reluctantly pulls his wallet.

You turn to look at Jimin at the same time he turns to look at you. He isn’t smiling. There’s not even a hint of a smile in his face. Is emotionless. Stony. Isn’t he supposed at least chuckle? Say something. Shouldn’t his face turn red. It’s exactly like the time when Seoyeon brought the anniversary up. Makes you confused. Not your place to think about it though. Everybody has their own problems. No difference for a CEO as well. You can’t ask him what’s the matter.

Gentle reminder, not your place.

So, you avert your gaze from his face. Clear your throat. “Sorry Kook. Shit happens.” It’s the first time you talk to him. And the whole table suddenly goes awfully quiet. Just as the words leave your mouth. You look at them confused. They do the same. Only people who don’t are Namjoon and J. You are about to ask ‘what’ when J speaks again. “Oh, he isn’t sad that he lost the bet. He always loses to me.” She shakes her head. Jungkook is shouting no but is rudely getting ignored. “He is sad that you’re taken.” She gestures to you with a tilt of her chin. Shows the money in her jeans pocket and turns to Jin again. Everybody else, however, are still gaping at you. Jungkook has turned into a deep scarlet. You’re pretty sure you don’t look any different. That’s really unexpected.

……………………………………………………………..........................

Table was pretty awkward for a moment. J was the one who eventually broke the tension. She changed the air back to fun. Chatter. Laughter. Jokes. You aren’t surprised when Jungkook moves his seat next to you. You smile at him.

“Hey. Is it okay if I…” He asks in a timid voice. Kind of voice that makes you want to coo. “Course, it’s okay.” You manage to say without a pout. Pat the empty seat next to you. Your entire attention is on him when you feel the hand on your knee. You visibly shudder as you take a look at Jimin’s hand. He squeezes your knee, making you look at him.

“What are you doing?” Jimin leans toward you. Whispers in your ear. Makes a shiver run through your body. Throat dry. Don’t like it. It’s bad that your body reacts to him that way. So, you scowl.

“What?” Whisper back. He looks at you for a moment. You absolutely hate how you can read him. He doesn’t want Jungkook to sit next to you. And that’s completely irrational. “What is it Jimin?” You pretend you don’t know what he meant. “Nothing.” Jimin finds an answer finally. Looks away but doesn’t take his hand away from your knee. You don’t like it. It feels like your skin burns where his hand is. In a good way. In a way that makes you want to squeeze your thighs together. Makes you distracted when you try to make small talk with Jungkook. Still, endure it anyway. Or not. Maybe you just like it. Love it even when he starts to rub soothing circles. Oh, fuck, this is not good.

“Jimin” You snap your head to him. Hiss in his ear. He hums noncommittally. Doesn’t even look at you. “What are you doing?” Burn holes in his gorgeous face.

“What do you mean?” Finally pays you his attention.

“Your hand Park. What are you doing?”

He doesn’t answer your question. Instead, gapes at your face like only now he realizes what he is doing. Blinks a few times. And retrieves his hand in light speed. Now it’s your turn to blink at his face stupidly. Did he do that by mistake then? Like the time he sucked on your tits. This all happens because you look exactly like his girlfriend. You know that. Very well. Then why do you feel so disappointed? Why do you feel annoyed. Why do you want him to say he just did what he wanted to did. Not a mistake at all. Why do you keep getting hot and bothered around him. The more you are with him. More you are getting closer to the insanity. Yes that’s it. You are going fucking crazy. And you haven’t even started drinking properly yet.

Jimin clears his throat. In an awkward manner. Gets up and asks everyone whether they need more drinks. Listens to each and every person’s drink carefully and disappears.

You watch him retrieve. Disappointment sinking in. Wave of sadness engulfing you. Worst part is that you shouldn’t feel sad or disappointed. Jimin is just Jimin. You don’t even know him. Just because you can mutter ‘morning Park’ every other day. Just because you can saunter around his house. Just because he calls you ‘Spring Roll’. And specifically because you feel your heart is about fly when he is close. It doesn’t mean it’s okay to be like that. Not when you know Liya exist. It’s so wrong to expect anything from Park Jimin. Wrong to feel the way you feel. Whatever it that you feel. It’s good he walked away.

You need to let that go. Enjoy this night since you are already here. So, you pay your attention back to Jungkook. Who’s on his phone now. Smiling to himself. He is fun to be with too. Just like Tae. Doesn’t cheat on anybody though. Is a third-year college student in business. You nearly screamed you’re in the second year, but you caught your tongue at the right time. And he calls you Noona. Stupid. You’re clearly younger than him. But you just let him. Because you’re supposed to be Liya.

“Who are you texting.” You annoyingly butt in to his personal business. Jungkook, however, beams when he looks at you. “No one. It’s a meme, here.” Shows his phone to you. You read it. See he has commented something under the meme. About to post it. His comment is more hilarious than the meme. That’s what got you snorting unpleasantly.

“Funny right?” Jungkook takes his phone back. Shows it inside his pocket back.

“You wanna dance Noona?” Asks suddenly. Again that’s really unexpected. You take your time. Look if Jimin is back. Around. Want to know if it’s fine. Don’t want to break the character. Then again it’s not that much of a deal. Just dancing. Pretty sure Liya would do the same.

“Sure, I would love to."

…………………………………………………………….........................

It’s pretty fun on the dance floor. Shouting over blaring music. It helps to forget Jimin and his awfully addictive warm hand on your knee. Jungkook has charm. Makes you blush with his stupid compliments. Certainly knows how to dance. And how to take any woman with him for the night. Too bad you’re a responsible actress. Too bad you still think of stupid Park Jimin. Even when Jungkook turns you around. Presses you into his front. Snakes his hands around your waist toward your tummy. He doesn’t do anything more. You don’t know if you’re happy or disappointed at that. Turns you around again. Keeps talking to you. Smiles goofily whenever you say something.

You’re probably more than twenty minutes on the dance floor, in your ankle boots with heels. Laughing hard at something he says. Hands placed on his chests. His on your waist. Finally starting to enjoy the night for real. No warm hands and blonde hairs on your mind. That’s when another pair of hands suddenly snakes around you. From behind. You gasps first. Defense mechanism turns on immediately when you recognize the hands. Place on your waist. And like that your night is ruined again, just when you started to enjoy it. Those warm hands, which you were trying to forget so badly, are now on your waist. Blonde hair is tickling your cheek when he grabs you towards him. Jungkook peer at Jimin over your shoulder. Face void of emotions.

“Can I have my lady back Jungkook?” Jimin mumbles next to your ear. Your breath hitches. Heart skips a beat. Stomach flips. As Jimin’s breath grazes your ear. Jungkook smiles. Just doesn’t let you go. Carefully watches at Jimin, as if trying to make sure it’s really Jimin, not an imposter. Funny since you’re the imposter here. You feel Jimin’s grip tightening on your waist. After another second which feel like an eternity Jungkook takes his hands away from you. “Of course.” Says softly before leaving the dance floor. Disappearing through the crowd. Your heart has picked up its phase. It shouldn’t be. Jimin was playing the part. Referring to you as Liya. Then why he doesn’t let you go now.

You gasp when he pulls you back. Into his chest. Snakes his hands around you. Put his chin on your shoulder. You can feel his breath on your cheek. He holds you tight. Sways you into the music. Slow. Hands starting to rub circles on your tummy. Hides his face in the crook of your neck.

What’s happening? Why is he doing this? Why aren’t you stopping him?

You want to ask him what’s happening? Remind him that you are really not Liya. Correct it if there’s any misunderstandings. Is he drunk? To a point he would forget who you are. Your tongue is tied, however. No words leave your mouth when he sighs into your neck.

You shudder at the sensation of his breath tickling your throat. At the sensation of his nose nuzzling your neck. At the sensation of his hair grazing your cheek.

You need to ask him to stop. But you can’t. It simply feels too good. Makes your head spin. He isn’t doing anything really. Just rubbing your tummy and nuzzling your neck. And your legs are already buckling. Your breathing is getting quickened. Shortened. And you nearly moaned when he replaces his nose with his lips. Those fucking thick lips. Presses them on your neck. Softly. Feel lick a feather.

Fuck! He needs to stop.

Starts moving them across your sensitive skin at your neck. Not hard enough. Soft. So soft it’s painful. Moves his lips toward your jaw. Does the same thing he did to your neck. Leaves a groan at your ear. You close your eyes. Trying to make sense. This is so sudden. Confuse your poor brain. You were just fine when you last saw him right? At least he was fine. You were having a hard time with his hands a moment ago. To be honest, you were always having a hard time with him. Even the day you open your eyes next to him and thought he was a kidnapper. From the very beginning you found him attractive. It makes sense why your knees are buckling. What about him though?

He was fine. All the time. Only thing he did that you can count as you being more than mere strangers is giving you a nickname. He always bickered with you. Made fun of you. Just like this morning when he called you a pumpkin when you asked if you look okay, in this dress. He laughed at your misery when you thought you broke your nose. Then what changed? When it changed?

He is probably drunk. Thinks you are Liya. You are certainly not drunk. You need to ask him to stop.

He keeps his ministrations. Lips pressing softly onto your skin over and over again. From your jaw to neck again. Presses his lips onto your shoulder. Then back to neck. Jaw. Hands tightens around you. They travel upward on your body.

Ask him to stop.

You do nothing to stop.

If anything, you are pressing your body more into his. Completely unintentional. You’ve lost control. Jimin presses his body onto yours too. Grabs from your hips to press your ass onto his crotch. Oh, how it feel good. Your heart is about to leap away from your ribcage. You don’t mean to slowly grind. Unintentional. Involuntary. Jimin grunts. Encouragement. So, you do it harder. Grind your plump ass on his crotch harder.

This is so wrong.

Jimin does the same. Grind on your ass harder. Starts kissing your neck like someone pressed a speed up button on him. You can feel his hard on your ass. Makes you crazy. There’s an ache between your thighs. Can feel how your underwear is slowly getting soaked. Makes your clit throb. You can come like this, you’re positive. That’s how good it feels. His hands don’t help your pathetic situation either. Not when they are rubbing under your boobs. Your nipples ache. You want him to touch you. Touch your tits. Squeeze them. Play with them.

No. No this is wrong.

Good thing Jimin can read your mind. No need of words when his hands suddenly grabs your tits. Both tits. You moan this time. Can’t keep the sound inside. Encouragement. So, Jimin squeezes them. Hard. You moan again. He does that again. Keeps squeezing your tits. Keeps kissing your neck. And you pay him back with grinding hard against him. Eyes still closed. Jimin helps you. Grinds his hardened dick on your ass with a same kind of desperation. Breathes heavily in your ear. Still no words. No tongue on your skin either. You want him to do that too. Suck on your skin. Graze his tongue over. You don’t want to ask him for it, however. Just give him more access by turning your head to the side. Jimin can read mind. He certainly can. That’s how he knows to give you what you want. Your legs literally give up when his tongue slightly graze your shoulder. When his teeth join it. When he sucks in the same place.

You nearly moan his name when a sudden sound make you snap your eyes open. A very disgusted Seokjin coming into your blurry vision.

“Yah! Get a damn room you, disgusting animals.” Jin looks beyond disgust when he yells at you. Looks mortified. Starts saying something at double speed that doesn’t reach your ears. You’re coming to earth after all. The spell which has been cast on you finally lifting. Guess the same thing is happening to Jimin when he let you go immediately. Like you burns him. Pushes you away from his body. Jin disappears somewhere after rapping at you.

You slowly turn to Jimin. Heart still beating. Trying to calm down. Trying to forget the discomfort between your thighs. Afraid. Scared. Scared what he will tell. And he tells you the exact thing you don’t want to hear at all. “Sorry. I’m… fuck..sorry. It’s just that you look so…. Got me confused. I’m really sorry Lil.” He blows a breath out. Pushes his hand through his blonde locks. Steps back. His entire face is flushed. “Sorry. That won’t.... Doesn’t… uh... p... please…” Stutters. “Please just forget that happened huh?” Looks desperate. And you know why. He needs you to accept that. Accept the part he said he was confused. And you do. So, you stop him before he starts rambling again. Nod. “Yeah, I know.” You say. Jimin gapes at you. Needs some more reassurance apparently. This is not the best place to have serious conversation. You have to scream loudly to be heard over the blaring music. You do it anyway. “I know Jimin. I know what happened. I mean I look like your girlfriend, and you’re drunk. I am drunk. We are drunk Jimin. It’s okay. Nothing happened really. It’s because we are drunk.” You yells over the music. Jimin finally sighs in relief. Nods. “Thanks” He replies before turning around. Leaves you alone. In a dance floor.

What the fuck just happened?

……………………………………………………………..........................

You sit in your booth. With J and Jungkook. You feel heavy. Both in your heart and body. Both in your mind and head. Have no idea how much you drank. The good thing is that J and Jungkook drank as much as you did. And now you are laughing and slurring your words badly. They are good. Really good. You don’t know where the rest of your friends are. It’s only you three on the booth for a while now. Gulping down shot after shot. You feel embarrassed about earlier. Of course, Jimin was drunk and thought you were Liya. But what’s your excuse.

You were drunk.

The truth is you weren’t. Tipsy? Yes. Drunk? No. If anything, you were drunk on Jimin. You’re sexually deprived. You need to get laid. That’s your excuse. You feel like crying. Are so glad J and Jungkook are here to keep you company. To make you laugh. Hell, you don’t even know them. They are just two strangers. Just like everyone else. Like Taehyung, Jin, and Hoseok are. Like Namjoon is. Like Park Jimin is. None of you know each other. You suspect they don’t know each other as well. But in the end, here you are. With two strangers. They are perfect.

The way they slurs. The way they makes you feel close.

The way you laughed so hard with everybody else in this same booth, just mere hours ago. The way Jin calls you out. Calls you animals. You, a mere stranger to him even though he doesn’t know that. The way Taehyung chose your side in the arcade. The way Jimin worried you broke your nose. Are all just perfect.

You don’t know how you are going to face Jimin again. That would be inevitable anyway. You’ll have to see him every other day. It will be so embarrassing when that happens. You’ll tell him that you were so drunk. Prefer if you can get it done at this moment. Hate that you can’t find him anywhere. You can’t find him.

You look around the club. Turn your drunken gaze back to Jungkook and J. They are apparently betting against each other again.

“Right Noona?” Jungkook asks you innocently. You don’t know what they’ve been talking about. You agree with Jungkook. Make J pout hard, drunkenly. Keep looking for Park Jimin. Think you’re just scared than embarrassed. About something you can’t explain. Sigh. This is fine. You can worry about it when you’re sober. For now you can bask in this drunkenness. Enjoy your night with strangers.

You all are bunch of strangers. But perfect. Jimin is the most perfect stranger amongst perfect strangers.

Perfect strangers. Thats who you are. All of you.

Just perfect strangers.

…………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter Index

Previous - Next

63 notes · View notes

bythepen98 · 2 years

Text

Sry if it looks a bit dark bc I also used it as a lighting study. Plus I finished this while exhausted and stressed out of my mind bc fck caffeine and anxiety

Tododeku 💚❤️

Another dancer!Izuku au (although there isn't any actual dancing drawn here)

The context:

In this scene, Izuku is watching a choreography video that he's about to work on (could be casual or he's doing a solo for an event/comp outside of school). Shouto's there to help him practice: in charge of keeping him steady when he's doing his spins and other maneuvers, turning on/off the music, bringing him a towel or water bottle during breaks, cooling him down when everything's finished.

He's an idiot in love who'll do anything Izuku asks of him, their classmates would say.

And they're absolutely right.

Even if Izuku technically doesn't need any help bc he's practiced on his own many times before, there's nothing wrong with having someone so willing to lessen the load AND keeping him company. He's still rly dense though and never wonders why when, at the corner of his eye, he'd notice Shoto staring at him with that dazed [fond] look on his face but flinch away when he looks back.

And the fleeting touches on his waist or back? Lmao he's gotten so used to physical touches over his years dancing with other people that he doesn't think anything of it. Shoto could probably lift him up (making Izuku instinctively wrap his legs around his waist) or dip him down in a suave move -Mina or Kaminari or good ol youtube taught him that one idk- practically touching nose to nose with the guy with the most obvious, besotted look ever and Izuku would just laugh and pat his head indulgently, completely unfazed.

Shoto isn't too disappointed bc he's just happy to be there and support Izuku in his hobbies. However, Class 1-A continues to give him pitying looks anyway the rest of the day/semester/school year while the teachers, excluding a sleeping Aizawa, are amused and constantly take bets on how things are progressing bc they clearly have nothing better to do than watch over student's love lives like it's a particularly long kdrama. All might is ofc ever supportive and rest assured he's always in the front row with Inko and Shoto in every event Izuku performs in. Katsuki, his platonic soulmate/rival at life also makes it a point to attend as many shows as he can but WILL deny when asked even if you can clearly see his deeply impressed scowl all the way from the stage.

Anyway, that's the limit of my imagination at the moment. I tried my best with this one but looking at it again..... yeah definitely needs more improvement. I'll just have to keep practicing then by drawing more Tododeku and my other loved ships :D

558 notes · View notes

caw4brandon · 3 months

Text

How to End a Story

Stories are often told through two styles. It's either a recollection of something that has already happened. Or, it's an ongoing event happening to the character's life.

The story can be told through just one main character or multiple characters but like all stories. They have to end. Let's discuss the ending of three shows that I recently watched. (I'll try not to get into the spoilers)

- They're Not just Frogs -

< Amphibia > by Matt Braly; follows three girls; Anne, Sasha and Marcy who stole a mysterious music box that transported them into another world of talking frogs, toads, newts and other horrifying monsters.

Our main character is Anne Boonchuy who found her temporary home with the Plantars; Hop Pop, Sprig and Polly. A small family of frogs who took Anne in and helped her better understand the world. The show is good at using little segments to build the world. Such as a mind manipulation sentient spore, the divisions between the main races and the mystery behind the music box.

Story-wise, the show tried to make the flow of events happen at a nicer pace. Season 1 was used on Anne to better understand the world and how things have changed between her friends. Season 2 used that change to add another twist to their relationship. As the seasons progress, the cast slowly expands.

The show eases in the main trio and their new friends. Some episodes foreshadowed what was coming for the characters, and some felt pointless. With a cast that big, it would slow the story down but surprisingly, it felt okay.

You get to spend some time with them, learn what makes them tick, what changed them and how they felt about the current state of the story. As a person who had some regrets in life, I really liked Sasha Waybright's development. She went from someone who took charge to becoming a character who matured into a better person. Giving her time to improve, showed that she improved but is still a work in progress.

As far as the ending goes, I felt a little bittersweet. I liked that it ended and that the big arc of the main trio is resolved but I would really like to see an expansion for how they deal with all the events they went through as it was rather traumatic. Thankfully, we have fan artists for that!

- Eat This Sucka!!! -

It would be impossible to avoid spoilers when < The Owl House > by Dana Terrace was at its peak. Spoilers were happening left and right!

Context, The Owl House follows the outcast teen; Luz Noceda who was meant to go to a summer camp. On the day she was about to go. Luz got distracted by a thief who went through a mysterious door that led Luz into the Demon Realm.

The series takes on a familiar arc where the outsider; Luz learns the ways of the witches but with her own creativity and innovation. Luz also resides under the care of the Owl Lady; Eda Clawthorne, King and Hooty (The house itself)

As the seasons progress, Luz helps the other witches her age improve and come out of their shells. Importantly, she finds new friends she never had in the human realm.

The Owl House is a show of obviously coded Queer characters and individuals that don't fit with the norm. Dana is a genius that never made a big fuss over the fact that some characters are openly Queer. Although the studio; Disney tried to limit the screentime to avoid public outcry.

The show is my first-ever witness to openly Queer characters being completely normal about it instead of being preachy. Perhaps this has to do with the title; Demon Realm.

"Where the general belief of the overzealous conservatives in a so-called Good and Righteous God thinks that's where Queer people and other abnormal people belong."

The main villain; Belos tries his hardest to "purify" the realm by limiting how witches use magic and violently persecute anyone who opposes these new rules. It's a symbolic view of the Puritan tyrant. That their ways are destined to be divine when it was all a ruse to further their own personal agenda.

The show suffered a mess of developments as Disney has a strong Anti-Queer policy with their shows. But Dana, the sneaky bastard that she is. (he says affectionately) Slipped in undeniable proof that the characters are proudly Queer and the Puritian miserably fails.

The ending was pure cinema! The show uses Luz's perspective to show that kids can have their own complexities and what we may think is good may not be what is right for said person. The show also displays good values of being open to change, that it's never too late to right the wrongs and Weirdos Gotta Stick Together.

- The Freaky Friends -

We finally came to my favourite show of this batch. < Hilda > by Luke Pearson is a fun and adventurous show about a young girl who loves adventures living in a world that is brimming with magic. I would like to talk more about it but I've already covered that in [The Beautiful World of Hilda]

For the sake of this post, I'm only focusing on Season 3. The final season of the series. While the show is not as plot-driven as the latter mentions. I think there is much to be said about the breath of fresh air Hilda brings to the table.

Hilda has a special place in my heart for how she managed to bring wonder and joy into my viewing experience. This season, took on a more ominous turn where the adventures get deadlier and the stakes get higher in this little world of the blue-haired adventurer.

Season 3 was commented on by the viewers as "underwhelming and inconclusive" and that it tore its own "fan theories" apart. Personally, I loved that the showrunner revealed everything and also nothing because that's the point.

Hilda is not about a big mystery, it's a pure adventure and curious exploration of the mythology surrounding Trollberg and the rest of the world in Hilda. The feeling of fulfilment but also, melancholy that the series has ended is in my opinion, the best conclusion.

Admittedly, I didn't know how to end the post. I just wanted to get my thoughts out about these three shows and how it ended. It feels like the end of another era. A close to another chapter for animation and the stories it can tell.

These three shows; Amphibia, The Owl House and Hilda proved that animation is still taking new heights but still maintains the charm of what stories are. A good ending where the arc may be over but the adventures will still carry on.

It's been a fun and tear-jerking journey with Hilda, Luz and Anne. Their worlds are unique and brimming with excitement that I haven't felt in years and a desire to catch up more.

I'll miss them dearly but hey, such is the life of an adventurer. Don't be sad that it's over. Be happy that it happened and above all. Go make your own stories!

44 notes · View notes

elleloquently · 2 years

Text

invisible string [4] : ellie williams

part three

| college!ellie x female!reader - thank you guys so much for patiently (and excitedly) waiting for this update! school is absolutely so busy it's sickening, so it's hard to write as often as i want, but i really want to aim for at least one update per week! writing this chapter was so much fun so please let me know what you think... as always thank you for your love, requests are open, and reblogs and comments are always loved and appreciated! love ya <3 (p.s shout out to a creepy owner irl who inspired part of this fic)

| c/w - anxious reader, swearing, mention of weed, alcohol, men!

studying was very dull compared to texting a pretty girl.

ellie entered your life in a whirlwind, notes filling up your once empty walls and endless texts and pictures cluttering up your phone.

the texts came in slowly at first, maybe a few short conversations every other day, mostly complaining about how much homework the professor of your shared class was packing in before finals week hit. then entered stupid memes, random pictures... and suddenly you were staying up until 3am learning about each other, despite your 8am class.

it had only been a few days, and you knew that you were getting too attached.

it was a feeling that made your stomach sink, the realization of how much your mood improved with a simple text. you were happiest in class, sitting next to ellie, even when your hand cramped from filling out pages of study guides.

sighing, you turned your music up louder and crashed back onto your bed, cushioned by a multitude of throw pillows and blankets. you weren't getting much studying done anyway.

the song grew quiet as your phone chimed, music to your ears.

Zero progress.

attached was a photo of the study guide, the amount of completed questions matching those of your own packet.

you quickly typed out a response to ellie, short and to the point.

literally sickening

it was only a few seconds before she replied:

There goes my weekend!

you replied in agreement before forcing yourself back up to glance over your textbook. you've been lingering on the same chapter for over an hour. if you were truly honest with yourself, you probably only read about two paragraphs... you were distracted.

you hardly had time to even daydream due to how busy you were, but it's not like it mattered. you gaze lingered to the collaboration of drawings made by yourself and ellie, still sticking to the wall. your phone sounded once again, pulling you out of a sleepy daze. figuring it was ellie again, you closed your textbook in an act of resignment.

the smile that appeared once you heard the text notification slowly faded upon closer inspection.

it wasn't ellie. it was a friend, one you admittedly haven't spoken to much as of recent. you hadn't really meant to ghost her, but your schedules didn't really align much. this time of year you were so busy with assignments and work, and she was busy with... well, literally anything else.

her message consisted of only two words, call me. it was short and vague so you immediately obliged, worry taking over your senses.

she answered on the second ring, speaking before you had even opened your mouth.

"please tell me you don't have plans tonight," she urged.

you wince, already preparing an excuse. "i'm studying..." you start. it wasn't a complete lie, you really had been making an effort.

her disappointment is obvious by the way she sighs your name into the phone speaker. "i've barely seen you all semester," she argues.

you start to chip your nail polish on your free hand, holding your phone to your ear with the other one. "what's up?" you ask.

"come out with me tonight? please. you've hardly come out this semester and let's be real, once finals start there's no chance i'll be able to convince you to come out," your friend pleads. her desperation is heavy and you rub at your eyes.

you want to immediately tell her no, but you really hadn't seen her in awhile yet the other day you skipped class for a chance to hangout with someone you hardly even knew. granted, it was ellie, but still.

a pit of guilt planted itself in your stomach, forcing your next words.

"what time?"

yelping in excitment, the girl on the other end of the line gushes out all of the information to you. "i'll pick you up around eleven, okay?"

a rushed end to a quick call, with promises to text more and texting outfit options for the night.

you were nervous about the change of pace. it caused you a strange feeling of obligation, to get out of your bubble and do something different every once in awhile. during college, people were promised four years of finding their forever friends and partying, making the memories that will last their entire lifetime.

you tried to partake, but it felt forced.

with a demanding major and even more demanding coursework, it was hard to maintain friendships by finding the time to actually go out. any spare time you had was replaced with shifts at work.

you felt like you were doing college… wrong.

your music resumed, the volume increasing to drown out any anxious thoughts that would prompt you to cancel last minute.

with no new texts from ellie, you decided to give your study guide one last try.

─ ·𖥸· ── ·𖥸· ── ·𖥸· ── ·𖥸· ── ·𖥸· ── ·𖥸· ── ·𖥸· ── ·𖥸· ── ·𖥸· ─

by the time you were supposed to get picked up, you were already yawning. you had dedicated the last hour to getting ready and picking an outfit that was deemed cute enough to make you feel good but still comfortable enough that you felt secure.

though it felt like a sleepy time of year, students were nearly restless. the pressures of exams were relieved on weekends, places around the college town open all night for people to blow off steam.

it happened quickly so you didn't have a moment to reconsider or backtrack, a text of 'here!' and shoving your feet into shoes before dashing to meet your friend in the parking lot.

the car ride was a catch up session, your friend talking about her new friends but you made a quick decision not to tell her about ellie. you weren't exactly sure why, but it was almost like you wanted to keep ellie to yourself. you checked your phone mindlessly and couldn't help but feel let down when nothing new presented on your screen.

the streets were alive and busy, girls huddled together to stay warm despite the lack of coats. the outside was an indication of how busy each bar and club would be, warm with heat and bodies packed inside.

you arrived at your friend's favorite establishment, the environment a stark difference from the comfortable evening you were having in your dorm just a few short hours ago. you pressed your way through a thick crowd, hanging loosely onto the arm of your friend so you wouldn't split up.

drinks were overpriced but you ordered one anyway, something to hold onto but you knew you would probably only finish a little more than half of it if you were dedicated enough.

"i'm gonna meet up with some people, my friends and their friends," your friend explained over the music, quickly resulting in your growing concern.

you wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, you always did, but other people getting involved meant you would be inevitably ditched within the hour. the look on your face gave away your feeling and the girl standing opposite of you had a short patience.

"i wish you would've told me," you tried to reason, not wanting to look or sound pathetic.

"it doesn't matter," she shook her head. "they're nice, it'll be fun."

fun.

'fun' ended up being the act of standing awkwardly in the back because they wouldn't make enough room for you in the circle. 'fun' apparently was listening to them tell the same story over and over, yet talk over you every time you tried to speak too.

forced to be a wallflower, you stood with your back against the wall as you observed other people dancing. you could almost be content like this... the music was loud and the lighting was dark. the combination seemed like it would be an anxiety nightmare, but it was actually the opposite. you could stand there, completely unnoticed, hidden by the atmosphere.

you really could've been okay with it, until your eyes were drawn to your friend pointing at you. you stood up straight, thinking she was beckoning over, until you realized exactly what she was doing. she had been dancing with a guy that night, and that guy seemingly had a friend. she was pointing you out to the friend, pushing him to join you. he started walking in your direction and your stomach filled with dread. you didn't want to be in this situation, and you certainly didn't want to make small talk with some guy.

you tried to look busy, quickly pulling out your phone and looking anywhere else. against your silent praying, the guy stood over you.

"hey," he said, leaning too close to your ear and you ducked your head away. he smelled like alcohol and cologne that was sprayed too many times. you tried a polite smile but it came out like a wince.

"can i buy you a drink?"

you answered his question by holding up your cup, hand tightly covering the opening of the top. you had only taken a few sips of it, not able to stand the taste.

"how many?" he pressed, pointing to your cup.

"what?" your face scrunched in confusion.

"how many drinks have you had?" he clarified with a laugh that you didn't return.

"one. this is my first," you informed him flatly.

he made a face like he was pretending to be let down and your stomach turned. "only one? come on girl, you need more than that."

you outwardly groaned, rolling your eyes as you pushed yourself off of the wall. "i'm going to the bathroom. bye."

"want me to hold your drink?" he called after you, agitated and loud.

you ignored him and stepped carefully through the crowd, not wanting to stand too closely to any men or accidently bump any dancing girls. you were hyper focused on the restroom sign and the way the music pounded in your ears, muttering to yourself when you felt a hand wrap around your arm.

you immediately tensed, your blood running cold but your body feeling hot simultaneously. was this guy seriously grabbing you right now?

short tempered and fuming, you loudly spat "fuck off," as you angrily whipped around, only to be met with horrified green eyes, freckles, and auburn hair.

letting go as quickly as she had reached for you, ellie dropped her hand. "shit, sorry, i-"

you quickly cut her off, apologizing profusely.

"ellie, oh my god, i am so sorry," you stressed, heart sinking when she took a step away from you.

"sorry, i really shouldn't have done that," ellie mumbled, wincing. you nearly didn't hear her, the music was too loud.

she had on a loose flannel, unbuttoned down the middle and her converse. you were sure that her horrified expression matched your own, and you wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor.

"i'm so sorry," you repeated. "i thought you were someone else and-"

"i'm sorry, i called your name but-"

you kept talking over each other, rushing awkward apologies. ellie shifted on her feet, her cheeks red.

"sorry," you mentioned again, defeated. "there was this guy, and..."

"a guy," ellie repeated quietly, her expression unreadable.

"yeah," you pushed on, glancing over ellie's shoulder. he was watching you now, remaining where you left him. gross. "i was trying to get away from him and i didn't hear you, i had no idea, i'm so sorry ellie."

she laughed dryly as she recovered but your face still stung with embarrassment. "it's alright," ellie reassured you, turning her head to briefly spot the guy you had glanced at. "are you here with him?" she asked curiously.

you quickly shook your head, rolling your eyes to express your disgust. "no," you emphasized. "i'm here with my friend but... i don't know," you laughed bitterly, finally taking a moment to let it sink in that you had ran into ellie here.

"i don't know why i'm here," you felt the need to say.

ellie nodded with a short laugh. "tell me about it."

you raised an eyebrow but didn't press it, still feeling like you needed to collect yourself. you could stand and talk with ellie forever, but you seriously needed to regroup.

"hey, um, i'm gonna run to the bathroom," you explained.

"come find me when you're done?" ellie offered, green eyes scanning your face. she pointed to an area by the bar, showing you where you could find her.

your nerves didn't stand a chance, overpowered by the overwhelming desire to be close to her. you nodded, your smile genuine for the first time that night.

before you could return on your path to the bathroom, ellie spoke again. "do you want me to hold onto that for you?" she offered, gesturing to the drink in your hand.

"oh, yeah, thanks ellie." you passed it over and she covered the top with her hand automatically, a simple thing that made your heart swell.

"i'll be there, alright?" she guaranteed, her eyes never leaving yours. you nodded once and parted ways, quickly heading to the bathroom.

you dashed for an empty sink, running cold water over your hands as you stared at your reflection. you couldn't figure out why, but you felt weird about running into ellie here. you suddenly wondered who she was here with, or was she here alone?

pushing out a deep breath, you turned off the water and dried them with a paper towel. you felt dizzy, like you were in a state in between sleeping and being awake.

"this," you mumbled to your reflection, "this is why you don't go out."

once you had worked up the courage, you emerged from the bathroom and scanned your surroundings. the girl you came with was dancing with the guys and her friends. feeling secure in the fact that you wouldn't be missed, you went to look for ellie but you didn't have to search for long.

ellie was exactly where she had said she would be, leaning against the bar with her hand protectively covering your drink. she seemed to be keeping an eye out for you because when your eyes locked, she waved you over.

you didn't bother to try and contain your grin as you made your way over, but your confidence was short lived when a pretty girl with dark hair leaned over, talking in ellie's ear.

oh.

whatever the girl said had made ellie laugh, and you faltered in your step. of course she was here with someone. of course she had other friends, (a girlfriend?) other people that she actively talked to and hung out with. you would've been stupid for thinking otherwise, you just hadn't thought about it much.

you didn't want to interrupt, but ellie caught your eye again. she raised her eyebrows, curiously, waiting. taking a deep breath, you pressed on, slowly coming to her side.

ellie handed your cup over and you accepted, taking a drink for courage.

"welcome back," ellie mused, a small smile gracing her lips.

you glanced at the girl standing on the other side of ellie, the liquid in her cup a vibrant color. ellie followed your eyes and made a face of realization, pulling the girl into the conversation.

almost sounding sheepish, she introduced her. "this is my friend dina, and... jesse," ellie craned her neck around but 'jesse' was elsewhere. you nodded anyway, smiling in dina's direction.

"hi, it's nice to meet you," you said, genuinely, despite your heart pounding in your chest.

"likewise! i've heard so much about you," dina replied, eyes bright and smiling.

ellie's eyes widened and your eyebrows shot up, taken aback by dina's introduction. you glanced at ellie but she was already composed.

"really?" you asked, truly surprised.

dina laughed and changed the subject. "jesse complains about coming but yet it's impossible to keep an eye on him," she expresses in response. "it was so nice meeting you," dina smiles at you once more and quickly squeezes ellie's shoulder before disappearing, presumably to find 'jesse.'

you take another drink and ellie clears her throat, music filling the silence. "where's your friend?" ellie questions.

you hum thoughtfully and scan the faces of all of the dancing people until your eyes land on her group. "there," you nod in their direction, trying not to sound bitter.

"are they all your friends? do you want me to go meet them?" ellie asks, watching them for a moment before gazing at you, eyes flickering over your face.

"no," you reply quickly, flatly.

"okay then," ellie laughs, tilting her head to peer at your expression. she brushes a strand of hair out of her face and it's hard not to watch, to not be entranced by every slight movement and expression she makes.

once again, you're thankful for the lighting, or lack thereof, and for the music. for some reason it feels like less pressure, which you appreciate.

"oh god," ellie mumbles, drawing your attention. she wraps her tattooed arm around your waist, gently pulling you closer to her side. your breath hitches and you tense up, but her arm is then back by her side, the ghost of her touch electrocuting your senses. "watch out," she says, nodding to an older man making his way to the bar.

your eyebrows draw together in confusion as ellie watches the man in disgust, but you're more focused on the fact that her arm was just around you for about three seconds.

you take a slow drink, watching as the man leans down to talk to several girls crowded around the bar. it seems nearly harmless though a little odd, he's definitely the oldest person in the room as everyone else is college aged. you turn to ellie, confused, but she nudges your arm to keep watching.

he puts his arms around the girls, his hands going way too low, signaling the bartender to give them drinks with a flick of his hand.

you face ellie, eyes wide and mouth agape. she nods in disgust, but slightly amused at your expression.

"he's the owner," she explains. "he's so gross... people flirt with him because if he likes you, you're set with free drinks. he's just... gross."

"why are you here?" you question, frowning.

"dina likes to dance," ellie says simply.

"and you?"

"no," ellie laughs quickly.

"i definitely wasn't expecting to run into you here," you admit, running your finger along the rim of your plastic cup.

"yeah? i wasn't expecting you either." ellie watches you carefully, thoughtful in expression but casual in demeanor.

"excuse me ladies," a gruff voice cuts through. you snap your head up and meet the eyes of the owner, chewing your bottom lip nervously as his eyes drag across you and ellie. he contemplates ellie for a moment before setting his gaze on you, frowning.

"aren't you warm in that, sweetheart?" he slurs out, indicating to the sweater you're wearing. ellie places a gentle hand on your shoulder, making a face at the man from over your shoulder.

"i'm just fine," you remark.

he doesn't like your answer, but you didn't say anything rude so he can't lecture you. he stares at you, unmoving, and decides to give you one last chance.

"what're you drinking there?" he questions, shuffling closer to get a better look. he makes like he's expecting you to bat your eyelashes at him, and ellie tugs you backwards into her.

"let's go dance," she murmurs into your ear. your face gets hot and her hands are on your shoulders, walking behind you and guiding you away from the bar. you leave your drink on the counter, unwanted.

once you're far enough away, she gently halts you to a stop. your skin is burning from the contact and you turn to face her, trying to be lighthearted. "i thought you don't like to dance?"

the corners of her mouth turn up and you give in, absolutely folding in her presence. you leave about a foot of space in between your bodies, but loosely and awkwardly wrap your arms around her shoulders. it makes ellie nervously laugh, and she hesitates before carefully placing her hands at your waist. it's your turn to laugh now, fully aware of how ridiculous you must look. you obnoxiously sway to the side, putting your weight onto one foot and then the other, threatening to make each other fall over with the abrupt movements. it's a stark contrast to the way everyone else is moving to the music, but you're both genuinely laughing so you leave it be.

you can see your previous group in the corner of your eye and nerves wash over you again, feeling shy at ellie's playful touch. suddenly you feel guilty for harboring a secret crush on the girl, feeling as if you've crossed some sort of boundary. you steady yourself but it's hard to breathe with ellie so close, staring at your eyes and your lips and your eyes again... or did you imagine it? obviously not, but certainly you're reading into it? making something out of nothing?

ellie coughs, flustered. you both stop 'dancing,' dropping your arms and facing each other straight on.

"hey," you say, your face scrunching in confusion, "i thought you were working on the study guide tonight."

your comment makes ellie recover and she breathes out a laugh in surprise, even though you were being serious.

"i thought you were working on the study guide tonight."

you frown and ellie rolls her eyes, shaking her head at you in pretend disappointment. "work on it with me tomorrow then," she tells you, nearly surprising herself with how quickly it came out.

her voice is like honey, making it impossible to pull away from her, even mentally.

"really?" you eye her suspiciously.

she nods and shrugs, and you promise to think it over. standing this close to ellie felt dangerous to the small amount of confidence you tried to build up. she smelled almost earthy, a warm deep scent, maybe a touch of vanilla and... weed?

a hand brushed your waist but it wasn't ellie's, the body stepping into view. the guy from earlier that your friend had sent over came around to stand next to ellie, his eyelids heavy.

"what the fuck, dude?" ellie questioned sharply.

"i was watching you dance," he mused, glancing at you and then ellie. it was hardly even dancing, you were just making each other laugh, so your skin crawled with the idea of that guy watching with ill intent.

"okay, go watch someone else," ellie shot back, her tongue sharp.

you glanced around, catching sight of your friend from earlier. she was watching the interaction, as if it were encouraged, and gave you a thumbs up. you exhaled in disbelief, turning your attention back to ellie. she was staring the guy down, brows furrowed.

"you ladies wanna dance with me or what?" he was cocky, drunk, and standing way too close.

"fuck off," ellie spat, a lot like how you did earlier when you thought that he was the one who grabbed your arm.

he stood in disbelief, unmoving, so you grabbed ellie's hand and dragged her away.

"they should be banned from public places," you grumble. ellie snorts, features immediately softening as she turns to you.

"this is ridiculous. do you wanna get out of here?"

at her proposition, your heart leaps. you definitely do, but the idea terrifies you nonetheless. despite yourself, you automatically nod.

"let me go find dina and jesse, see if they're gonna leave or stick around longer. wanna come with?"

you almost say yes but shake your head instead. "i should go tell the person i came with that i'm leaving, just in case."

ellie nods in understanding. she starts to turn away but stops short, eyes boring into your own. "meet me right by the entrance, okay? i'll be quick."

it's your turn to signal your understanding now, and you head back through the crowd to find your... friend. it's pretty easy to spot her but not to gain her attention.

"hey. hey, i'm gonna go, alright?"

she whips around at you, confused. "you're leaving?"

"yeah."

"are you gonna be safe?"

despite being ignored and ambushed with a creepy guy, you smile at her concern. it's the bare minimum, really, but it's appreciated.

"yeah," you repeat. "it's... a friend from class. she's good. safe," you express.

you say your goodbyes and head straight for the doors like you agreed with ellie. you’re only waiting alone for a moment before she joins you, car keys in hand. dina and jesse aren’t following, and instantly you feel like an idiot.

“oh my god, ellie, i totally sabotaged your night.”

“what? no you didn’t,” ellie disagrees.

you push through the doors together, greeted by harsh winds. the cold evening air was shocking as it hit your face, self doubt washing over you.

"you were just trying to have a fun night with your friends and i... i'm such an idiot," you mutter.

"whoa, hey, you're alright," ellie presses softly. she stops walking to look at you, but looks as though she has to work up the courage before she continues speaking. "i'm glad you here were, alright? dina and jesse are fine."

your face is burning and she hesitates again, but the worry expressed on your face causes ellie to continue on.

"honestly i was getting ready to leave before i saw you," she admits, looking in any direction away from you.

you beg and plead with yourself not to read into it, but why did she hesitate? why would you be nervous to tell that to someone who's just a friend? are you reading too much into it, or are you friendzoning yourself?

"ellie," you breathe, and she finally brings her attention back to you. the wind howls through the night, whipping your hair across your cheeks. your heart beats quicker but ellie grows reserved, adjusting her weight on her feet.

"i'll drive you to your dorm," she tells you as she beings walking once more. you quickly follow behind, in a trance of wondering and wanting.

it felt different from before, different from sitting next to her in class and different from studying together. what was usually light hearted jokes and easy conversation was replaced by a thick cloud of nerves, a tension that conjured itself out of nowhere and you desperately wanted to crack a joke but you felt shy.

you were texting a lot lately, you had some serious late night conversations about your families, stressors, lives, anything to get to know each other but this was different. ellie seemed almost solemn now, guarded, and you were worried that you had gotten too comfortable too quickly.

you worried as you walked to the car and you worried as she drove. ellie did exactly as she said she would and you arrived safely to your building, but your feet were glued to the ground as you reached the door and you desperately wanted to selfishly stay with her, just a little longer.

"thanks for pretty much saving me tonight," you stated earnestly. "it sucked before you found me, i'm glad you did."

ellie's smile was crooked and sincere and a wave of relief washed over you. "see you tomorrow?" she asked, her eyebrows drawing up to her forehead.

"the study guide will be completed," you affirm, grinning back at the auburn haired girl.

you heave open the door to your building and ellie steps back to the car, but you call after her one final time. "text me when you're home safe," you urge her, and you can't see the smile that graces her face.

"i will," ellie promises, and she did.

after cleaning up you fall into bed, exhausted, but your mind is racing. you turn to your side, facing the wall that is decorated with two sticky notes. you lightly trace ellie's drawings with your finger, willing yourself to go to sleep so you won't be absolutely miserable with a lack of sleep by the morning.

you were seeing her again, tomorrow, and nothing else at that moment mattered.

not your endless piles of homework, or the way you were ditched tonight. not the fact that the weather was getting colder by the day and you still couldn't find your earmuffs, or that one of your finals was going to take place at 7am.

nothing else mattered... just ellie.

[ part five ]

#ellie williams x reader #ellie williams x female reader #ellie williams x you #ellie williams college au #ellie tlou x reader #ellie williams fanfic #tlou x reader

651 notes · View notes

acescorazon · 6 months

Text

Title: Changes

Chapter: 13

Rating: M

Word count: 3614

Warnings: Crocodile and Mihawk are being dicks, ANOTHER damn flashback, language, minor violence.

Chapter Excerpt:

It's been blatantly obvious from the start that Mihawk and Crocodile want nothing to do with him. He doesn't know why he even tried fixing their relationship, they were never going to be three people who got along.

This isn't the Oro Jackson and he's not dealing with someone like Shanks, nor is he dealing with a random stranger or even a member of his own crew. He should have realized all his efforts would go in vain and that Crocodile and Mihawk came to the island with a deep-seated hatred and lack of respect for him embedded in them already. Whatever, it's fine. Buggy's not mad or upset or even disappointed. He's completely fine.

|Ch1|Ch2|Ch3|Ch4|Ch5|Ch6|Ch7|Ch8|Ch9|Ch10|Ch11|Ch12||

At this point, Buggy is unsure of what he can do to improve his relationship with Mihawk and Crocodile. He's tried throwing them a dinner, but that didn't work. He's also tried giving them gifts, but that was another failure and it turns out they're a lot more difficult to please than Buggy thought they'd be. He's at a loss and is unsure what to do at this point to make his two new 'subordinates' like him.

Perhaps his best option is to just be direct and try to talk to them, even though every time Buggy tries to speak to them or do something nice for them, they just push him away or reject him. He can't just leave his relationship with Crocodile and Mihawk as it is though, that'd never work and surely it'd grow tiresome sooner or later.

Buggy decides to make his move the next time Cross Guild has a meeting. He waits patiently for Crocodile to finish going over all his plans as well as announce any progress the newly formed group has already made, remaining silent the entire time so he doesn't annoy Crocodile any. After Crocodile wraps everything up, Buggy quickly clears his throat and speaks up before Mihawk or Crocodile can leave, "Uh," he mutters, his voice trembling slightly, "Can I talk to you guys about something?"

At the sound of his request, Mihawk and Crocodile turn towards Buggy and narrow their eyes at him, giving him a judgmental look. Neither of the two say anything but the look they have on their faces says it all: 'What now, clown?'

Buggy chuckles and finds himself growing uneasy by the other two's hardened glares. He shifts in his spot slightly before continuing, "So, uh... look, guys. I'm just going to come out and say it. I know you're probably thinking I'm being so annoying by constantly trying to be you guy's friend but I want you to know I'm really trying my best here!" He states and afterwards he tries to read Mihawk and Crocodile’s expressions, but there's not much he can decipher about their mood.

They look as irritated as usual.

"I don't want to fight with you guys all the time or have you guys hate me or anything like that!" Buggy explains, "Look, everything has pretty much been out of my control. I don't know why everyone thinks I'm the boss or whatever, but I never wanted that spotlight and I still don't. What I really want is for us all to get along and for Cross Guild to be successful!"

Mihawk and Crocodile continue to stare Buggy down, but they're silent. No bitter insults, no rejections, no fighting. Just silence. The two don't even leave the room immediately or tell Buggy to go away. Perhaps this is them willing to finally give Buggy a chance? "I'll just go ahead and say I'm sorry if I've made you two mad or offended you in the past. I promise I can change and that I can be someone useful to you, so... Uh, can we maybe give being friends a chance?" He asks, giving them both a sheepish grin.

There's a long pause after Buggy finishes speaking, and with every passing second, he can feel his anxiety growing in his body. This is the first time that he's actually been listened to by either men, and this really feels like his one and only chance to make things right.

The three of them don't even have to be best friends, Buggy just doesn't want to be constantly threatened or beaten up, but if they could develop a close relationship that would be perfect because Buggy realizes with his newfound status as emperor of the sea he needs all the allies he can get. "Uh, what do you guys think?" Buggy asks when Mihawk and Crocodile fail to answer him.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Crocodile asks and then afterwards he begins to laugh. His loud, mocking laughter booms throughout the meeting room and Buggy's ears, "I already told you this, but I guess you forgot. I don't need no friends, especially useless ones like you." He tells Buggy, and it's like a stab to the chest. "How would being friends with you benefit me? You're penniless and weak, and you can't do even the simplest task. The only thing that you have going for you is your status as an emperor, but to tell you the truth, I don't care about that."

Buggy's face begins to heat up and he wants to argue. He wants to tell Crocodile that he definitely isn't a useless clown like he's always saying he is. Buggy has done so much in his lifetime and yet everyone always underestimates and belittles him. Buggy isn't weak and useless, there are people out there who actually fear and or admire him.

"Your title really is just for show," Crocodile chuckles, "You're nothing compared to Red-Haired Shanks or Blackbeard. Hell, you're not even on the same level as that brat with the straw hat."

Being compared to the other emperors of the sea makes Buggy want to scream. Okay, but... He's at a loss for words. His pride is telling him to fight back and not let Crocodile put him down like this, but another part of him is saying that Crocodile’s right.

No, no, that's not right. Buggy's accomplished too. He traveled the Grandline as a child, he studied under dark king Rayleigh... He took over Orange Town... he... he almost executed Monkey D. Luffy, the same Monkey D. Luffy Crocodile is comparing him to, in Loguetown... He.... He was in the war...(not that he fought in it.)... He started Buggy's delivery service... He...

Maybe he didn't defeat a previous emperor for their spot and maybe he's not always causing a stir like the other three are, but... Buggy’s done things too, and it's not fair to compare him to the other three...even if his status does seem more or less like a fluke sometimes.

Buggy bites his bottom lip, "You haven't given me a chance to prove myself," he says, but for some reason, he doesn't deny Crocodile’s previous statements...maybe he is right. "I've purposely been lying low and doing my own thing. I-"

Crocodile cuts him off, "Bullshit. You haven't been lying low, you just can't do anything. You're useless both as a leader and as a potential friend. In fact, the only reason why I haven't snapped your neck is because Hawkeye here thinks you're a good little distraction." He snorts, "But the government hasn't tried to attack us yet, so who knows? Maybe you can't even keep a few measly Marines distracted."

Buggy takes a deep breath and tries to remain calm. He should have realized trying to be Crocodile's friend was pointless. He’s such a cruel, foul mouthed man who cares about nobody but himself. He doesn't want a loving supportive friend, he wants someone he can boss around and use for his schemes. If you don't prove your worth to him, you're useless...

Crocodile’s thought process goes against everything Gol D. Roger taught Buggy to believe in. Buggy’s former captain always told him that a friend is someone you should love, appreciate, and support unconditionally. Our friends may not be related to us by blood, but they’re just as important as family and should be cherished as such because life is so short. A friend is someone who you can depend on and won’t judge you or leave you behind during your toughest battles. It doesn’t matter how rich, smart, or powerful your friends are, what’s important is their heart and character.

Eh… Now that he thinks about it, his beloved former captain was always a bit cheesy and sentimental, but that’s besides the point. Buggy wouldn’t treat Crocodile as if he were just some pawn in a scheme or some glorified bodyguard. He doesn’t need Crocodile to prove his worth (but it certainly isn’t bad that he’s a well-known and very powerful pirate), and Crocodile shouldn’t need Buggy to prove his worth either, that’s not how a genuine friendship works. Whatever, though. Buggy’s over trying to be friends with that self centered prick.

Buggy forces himself to look away from Crocodile and turns to Mihawk. He swallows hard, "...Hawkeye," he calls out in a small voice, and, oh, how he hates how vulnerable he sounds right now. "You don't feel the same way, do you?" He asks, clinging onto hope that Mihawk really is the lesser of two evils.

Mihawk remains quiet for another painfully long moment before finally speaking up for the first time since their meeting ended, "More or less." He says in a cold, blunt voice. Oh, of course he feels the same way as Crocodile, Buggy thinks bitterly. "I won't waste my breath belittling you, but I don't need any friends either." Ah, that's Dracule Mihawk for you, he's always so cruel and direct.

"Okay, we don't have to be friends." Buggy states, looking between both of his fellow members of Cross Guild, "But could we at least treat each other with respect?!" He begs, more than willing to settle at this point.

The laugh that Crocodile lets out when Buggy asks him to do something as simple as give him a little respect is disheartening to say the least. "You actually think I'd respect a gutless coward like you?" He mocks.

"I..."

"Get fucking real!"

"I...I…" is all Buggy manages to stammer out because he feels more embarrassed than before. Crocodile treats him like he's nothing but a tacky, piece of gum here for him to chew up and spit out when he's ready.

Somehow Mihawk's reaction is the same as Crocodile’s but different. He raises an eyebrow at Buggy, and if Buggy had to guess he'd say Mihawk's probably thinking something along the lines of: 'ME? Respect you? Respect is something you earn, and you definitely haven't earned my respect.'

"Forget it." Buggy mutters, "I'm just going to get back to work." He tells the other two men before lowering his head and rushing out of the meeting room. As he leaves he can hear Crocodile continue to mock him: "Did you hear that shit, Hawkeye?!"

Okay, Fuck them. Fuck Cross Guild. Fuck Buggy too for being so stupid and for even trying to be on good terms with Mihawk and Crocodile. It's been blatantly obvious from the start that Mihawk and Crocodile want nothing to do with him. He doesn't know why he even tried fixing their relationship, they were never going to be three people who got along.

This isn't the Oro Jackson and he's not dealing with someone like Shanks, nor is he dealing with a random stranger or even a member of his own crew. He should have realized all his efforts would go in vain and that Crocodile and Mihawk came to the island with a deep-seated hatred and lack of respect for Buggy embedded in them already. Whatever, it's fine. Buggy's not mad or upset or even disappointed. He's completely fine.

Why would the great and mighty Captain Buggy The Clown let two assholes like Mihawk and Crocodile determine his worth? Why would he let them get to him? He hasn't, he's fine. He's totally fine and he doesn't care what happens moving on. He'll just try his best to coexist with Mihawk and Crocodile and try not to get on their bad sides or whatever.

He says that he wants to live peacefully among Crocodile and Mihawk, and yet he does the one thing he probably shouldn't. He finds someone to angrily vent to, Cabaji and Mohji always listen to him without judging him and they always offer up the upmost support and advice, but Buggy doesn't need advice. He just needs to rant, and so maybe that's why as soon as he sees his two most trusted crew-mates, he disregards his current location and begins to air all of his grievances about both Mihawk and Crocodile.

Buggy's mouth runs a mile a minute as insults, complaints, and anything you can think of come flying from between his painted lips. He tells the two other men how frustrated he is that Crocodile and Mihawk just can't play nice, and how they think they're the boss of him and can push him around. He tells them that they're both so stuck up and rude that it's unbelievable and that he's never met two people as insufferable as Mihawk and Crocodile. "I really tried!" He complains, throwing his hands up.

At this point his face is beet red and he's more furious than he'd like to be. "But nothing I do makes them happy!" He tells Mohji and Cabaji for what has to be the hundredth time. The two try and calm Buggy down but at this point he's a lost cause. "Can you believe they're acting this way? And for what reason? Because the world government made me an emperor and not them? Because they're stuck in some shitty organization with me? I didn't ask for any of this!" He tells them as his voice continues to steadily rise.

"But whatever. I don't care." Buggy laughs bitterly.

"Capt-"

"No, seriously I don't give a fuck anymore! I'm done trying to be nice to those two assholes. They said they don’t do friends, but is that the real truth? Do they not have friends because they don’t trust anyone and they’re too stuck up, or is it because they're both two insufferable assholes who no one wants to be friends with in the first place? I mean, really, who’d want to be their fucking friend? They’re two extremely bitter old men who can’t hold a conversation let al-"

"Captain Buggy..." Mohji calls out in a shaky voice, but Buggy continues to rant and rave about how much he hates the situation he's in. He hates that the world government takes him seriously and considers him to be a big enough threat to be an emperor of the sea, but that Mihawk and Crocodile think he's some weak, small time pirate. He was fine being just an errand boy before but now he's genuinely frustrated that Mihawk and Crocodile see him as beneath them and won’t treat him as an equal. "What gives those assholes the right?!"

"C..Captain..." Cabaji and Mohji stammer out at the same time. There's an intense look of fear on both of their faces that Buggy failed to realize before. He stops his rant long enough to give them both a confused look, "...What?" He asks, and when his two crew-mates gesture to something behind him with their heads, Buggy realizes just how badly he fucked up in an instant.

Buggy inhales a deep, shaky breath. Please tell me they aren't standing behind me. He thinks, about ten seconds away from pleading with the universe to just cut him some slack for once in his miserable life. Of course, though, Buggy has nothing but worst luck. In fact if he didn't have the most vile, atrocious luck imaginable, he probably wouldn't have any luck at all.

Buggy slowly looks over his shoulder and his stomach drops. He really has no luck at all, but perhaps this has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with the fact that Buggy foolishly trash talked Mihawk and Crocodile as soon as he got the chance to and in public.

Mihawk is the first to speak, "No, don't let us interrupt you. We want to hear more of what you have to say, Buggy The Clown." He tells him in an eerily calm voice, "By all means. Please elaborate why you think that we're insufferable and stuck up some more."

Buggy doesn't even know what he should say at this point. He laughs nervously, "Hawkeye....Crocodile...when did you two get here?" He asks, feeling like he's seconds away from hurling. Actually now that he thinks about it, maybe it's better if he doesn't know when Crocodile and Mihawk came and how much they heard.

Buggy realizes he's in deep shit, but he still takes a step back and raises his arms up in the air, "Oh, you know I didn't mean any of that stuff, you guys. I'm a clown, remember?" He laughs but no one laughs with him, "I like to joke around! I didn't really mean all those things, I was just joking..." he lies, feeling trapped.

"I for one didn't find your little joke amusing." Mihawk says and Buggy can notice the subtle shift in his expression and how irate he looks with him right now. "Did you, Crocodile?" He asks.

Crocodile's expression isn't any better, in fact it's ten times worse because Crocodile never hides his emotions, especially not ones like anger. "Of course i didn't." He replies with another mocking laugh, and it's at this point that Buggy realizes that he probably shouldn't try to talk to them anymore and that he should instead just run away.

So that's what he does, he takes off in a sprint, trying to put as much distance between him and Mihawk and Crocodile as possible even though he knows that it's pointless. He can't outrun Mihawk, the world’s strongest swordsman is too fast, but even if he could, he still has another man after him. Crocodile may not be as fast as Hawkeye, but he’s good at cornering Buggy and trapping him in a cloud of sand, and Buggy knows that he’s no match for either of them no matter how much he runs, ducks, and hides.

They catch Buggy with ease and once they do, they unleash all their anger, frustration, and pure hatred on Buggy. Their assault isn't just physical, it's verbal as well, of course it is. Crocodile and Mihawk’s cold, cruel words hurt a lot more than their fists do sometimes, depending on what’s being said, and Buggy finds himself quickly feeling overwhelmed as tears pour from his eyes.

"I knew you were just spouting a bunch of bullshit in the meeting room." Crocodile hisses as he punches him for what has to be the tenth time, and Buggy wishes he were exaggerating when he says that. Crocodile’s wrong, though, Buggy was being one hundred percent genuine when he said he wanted them all to get along and treat each other with respect, it's just that he grew frustrated with Mihawk and Crocodile’s constant rejection and coldness towards him.

What else was he supposed to do? How else was he supposed to feel? He’s hurt and frustrated, can’t they see that? Buggy tries several times to explain himself, but it’s no use, Mihawk and Crocodile just continue to beat his face in and mock his every cry and scream until they finally get tired and storm away, leaving Buggy to lie on the ground a clobbered mess.

Buggy’s entire soul feels shattered into pieces as he lie there, crying his eyes out. Mohji and Cabaji rush over to his side just as soon as Crocodile and Mihawk leave (He never expected them to intervene and if they did, it’d only cause more pain for him.) “Oh my god, captain, are you okay?” Cabaji asks.

No.

Buggy doesn’t have the heart to respond to the question and the moment he realizes that Cabaji and Mohji are be his side, he tries to hold back all his pain and suffering. They sit him up gently and tell him that they’re going to get him all patched up and softly mutter how much they hate Crocodile and Mihawk just as much as Buggy does, and how Buggy is so brave and strong for putting up with them.

…Is he, though?

Buggy doesn’t feel very brave and strong, he feels like a loser who has no control over his life, but he doesn’t tell Cabaji and Mohji that, how the hell could he?

Things become more hostile between Buggy and Crocodile and Mihawk after that. It seems that his one little slip-up was enough to make Mihawk and Crocodile’s disdain for him grow ten times worse, but then again, maybe it doesn’t matter what Buggy said or did. Maybe things would have always ended up like this, after all Mihawk and Crocodile have absolutely no respect or sympathy for Buggy.

#This isn't proof read uwu #My tummy hurts and i want to d*e #Is this good is this bad idk anymore #anyways this is the last flashback ch i SWEAR #cross guild #changes #my writing #fics

65 notes · View notes