#like spring day is fine but also overdone

[my5hiningstars]

.

[comfortwriting]

Best Friends Boyfriend - G.W

Masterlist, Requesting Rules, Writing Prompts

Part 2 of my slow burn mini-series, inspired by and dedicated to @amourtentiaa , want to be tagged? Let me know!

This chapter is inspired by @amourtentiaa ‘s Owlery which you can learn more about and access here.

Please read Part 1 if you haven't already!

George Weasley x Fem Reader slow burn 

Warnings: Fluff.

You couldn’t get last night out of your head, the sound of George whispering to you, asking you out on a date, how his beautiful face looked from the amber tones coming from the flames that radiated against his face, the way he smiled and licked his lips.

Laying in bed wide awake you kept your hand over your mouth, trying to hold in your giggles so you wouldn’t wake up Hermione and your other dorm mates. You couldn’t believe it - you’re going on a date, with George Weasley, the lad you fancy more than anyone else in the world - the only problem, your best friend, George’s younger brother, Ron, wouldn’t approve and would do anything to make sure the two of you keep well away from one another.

Throughout the whole day, you played it cool when passing George in the common room or the great hall, but as the day moved on and afternoon turned into evening, you couldn’t stop the giggles of excitement from bursting out, and the tint of pink to spread across your cheeks.

You had two hours until you were meeting George, for now, you sat in the common room with Ron and Hermione whilst Harry had Occlumency lessons with Snape.

“What d’you keep giggling about?” Ron hissed at you, scowling “you’ve been at it all day and you’re freaking me out.”

You covered your face with your hands, taking a deep breath and trying to calm the bubbling of nerves and excitement.

“N-Nothing” you replied, “I think I inhaled a dodgy potion somebody was brewing in the second-floor toilets this morning” you lied, avoiding eye contact with your best friend and his crush, Hermione.

Ron gave you an odd look and flashed his eyes to Hermione, who glared at him and shrugged her shoulders.

“Shouldn’t you go to Madame Pomfrey?” she suggested, knitting another hat for the house-elves.

Nodding your head, you got out of your chair and pursed your lips, “yeah, I think I will” you lied again “let me go and get freshened up, she might want to keep me in overnight if the giggles get worse” you smirked, chuckling.

Leaving your friends behind, you hurried off to your dorm room, getting your makeup, clothes, and shoes ready to put on after your shower, placing your clothes and makeup bag on the bed, kicking your shoes on the floor beside it.

“I dunno what's up with her” Ron huffed, slouching in his chair beside the fire.

Hermione continued knitting “Well, hopefully, Madame Pomfrey can sort her out, uncontrollable giggling can get you sent to St. Mungo’s.”

Ron focused on the bobble hat coming together in front of his eyes, trying to make sense of your behaviour today and if there was something else going on after his brother played Hero during the end of your horrific date.

Wearing your best black denim front pocket Pinafore dress over your red and yellow striped turtleneck and black tights, you stared at yourself in the mirror, blushing slightly at the thought of George seeing you dolled up just for him. You pouted, deep in thought and unsure of what hairstyle to do, checking the time you were cutting it close and decided your go-to natural, no school but not overdoing it hairstyle would be best.

“Tomorrow night, where we first met” you reminded yourself, hearing George’s voice inside your head.

Thinking long and hard about when you first met George and where, you closed your eyes and tried to focus, all of your memories whizzing around in your head - you couldn’t help but feel your heart flutter knowing that not only did George remember, but he also perhaps thought of that day often.

Hurrying out of your dorm and back into the common room, Harry now sat down with Hermione and Ron, they all seemed taken aback by your appearance, furrowing their brows at you.

“You’re a bit dressed up for a doctors appointment, aren’t you?” Hermione called out.

Ron looked at you from head to toe “I think you’ve overdone it, mate-”

“See you later!” you giggled, a spring in your step as you left the common room, going through the portrait hole.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione exchanged looks, none of them knowing what to think or say was becoming a reoccurring factor today.

“Something isn’t right at all” Ron muttered “she’s up to something”

Reaching the owlery, you felt your excitement and nervousness compete against one another inside of you, being a few minutes early, you had enough time to admire all of the owls around you who were getting ready to go out hunting. Each of them unique and calming to look at, stroke, and hear a hoot. The memories finally coming back to you more clearly.

Your first week at Hogwarts went more awful than you ever imagined, you had got lost on the way to your classes, got into trouble by Percy - your houses Prefect and due to your terrible potion skills Snape put you in a weeks detention, your parents were so angry you received a Howler before anyone else in your class.

Feeling lost, alone, and in need of a friend, you wrote out your worries, concerns and everything else you were feelings into letters, addressed to your friends attending other Wizarding Schools (like Ilvermorny) across the globe.

Writing about your feelings, life, and anything, in general, helped to make you feel better, heard, and less isolated from the impressive and promising classmates that surrounded you.

Walking up the long and steep steps up to the Owlery, your heart melted at the Owls, some sleeping, some bobbing their heads around, and others appearing to be smiling at you. You felt connected to them in some sort of way, and spending time with them, knowing they didn’t care about your house, or how well you could make a feather float in the air made you feel more at ease.

You stared and smiled at your Tawny owl named Penny, you approached her trying to avoid the owl droppings and rat carcasses and stroked her softly, handing her your letters.

“Please deliver these safely,” you told her, tears filling your eyes again “it’s taken a lot for me to write them”

Penny accepted the letters and understood how important this job was, and how much it would mean to you, she pecked at your cheek, little kisses against your tears before she flapped her gorgeous wings and took flight.

Not wanting to go back down to your Herbology class to be a laughing stock, you stayed in the owlery, falling to the floor and weeping.

“If these reports get sent home mum will kill us” once voice spoke out, panting up the stairs.

“Well” replied a similar voice, also panting “we need to change our grades and get one of these owls to send it to her for us, it's why I made a fake replica”

Their voices and footsteps came closer.

“As long as Errol and Hermes aren’t delivering it, we’ll be fine Georgie.”

Two tall twins with ginger hair walked into the Owlery shiftily, both of them stopping in their tracks, noticing you crying on the floor, drowning in your robes.

George’s face and heart softened, he mouthed to his brother ‘leave it with me, I’ll get it sent, let me see why she’s upset’

Freddie nodded and slowly left the Owlery, trying not to make a sound.

You missed Penny with all your heart, after many trips she became so sick and injured no magic, and no amount of Hagrid’s care and love was enough to fix her wings and bring her back to life. When you lost Penny, you lost part of yourself, the Owlery wasn’t the same without her and each time you visited, you would break down into tears.

“You made it, early” George called out, pulling you out of your trip down memory lane, causing you to jump slightly.

You blinked back the forming tears and turned around to face him, the moonlight illuminating his best features through the open arches. “Didn’t want to be late” you replied, smiling nervously, stroking one of the owls.

“You were so little” George chuckled “but even after growing up so much somethings never change”

You cocked up an eyebrow and smirked, slightly confused “what do you mean?”

“The owls” he replied “your love for them, the time you make for them, it’s beautiful”

You could feel your cheeks heating up, your heart rate elevating.

“They’re special to me” you replied, trying not to come across as too shy.

George blushed too, his cheeks mirroring yours as he stepped closer, so close you could count each individual freckle across his face - something you had only done from across the halls or over the table.

“that’s why I asked for us to meet here,” George said softly, stepping closer to you, his breath brushing against you “because you’re special to me”

George took hold of your hand, tracing stars into your palm with his thumb, his eyes taking in your hair, your makeup, your outfit, and shoes. He started to lean in, as did you, your soft lips brushing against his cinnamon scented ones, but pulled away before you could share a kiss, smirking and winking at you.

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he said nervously “I’ve been trying to give her to you for a while now, but whenever I’ve tried, Ron always got in the way”

You rolled your eyes “he always does” you replied “he doesn’t like the idea of us being together” you frowned, looking away from George and lowering your head, deciding to examine your shoes.

George lifted your chin up with his thumb, smiling at you “he doesn’t have to know” he paused “stay very quiet and follow me” he whispered, still holding your hand.

George walked you over to a very tired looking owl, her wings and body covering something small underneath her. George whispered to the owl “It’s George, she’s ready now”

The tired owl opened her googly eyes, staring at George, slowly and reluctantly moving away from her precious possession underneath her motherly wings. Underneath the wings lay a tiny owlet, its large magnificent eyes opening wide and staring at George, then you.

“I know he’ll never replace Penny” George murmured, wrapping his arm around you “but I want you to have a safe space here, I know how much of that Penny provided for you and I know how much of that changed when she passed away.”

You reached out your hand to stroke the baby, “it’s okay” you reassured his nervous mother “I’m not going to hurt him”

You ran the back of your finger down the Owlets fluffy back, its face showing signs of enjoyment and comfort, something rare amongst owls.

George watched in awe, the memories of you when you were much shorter and quieter flashing before him, now you were a beautiful young woman, with the same heart full of love and nurturing.

Tears of happiness streamed down your cheeks, you leaned into George and cuddled him, your face pressed against his chest, the scent of the burrow engulfing you.

“George - I - thank you, he’s beautiful”

George closed his eyes, taking in your face against his chest, his hand stroking your hair.

“I care for you, Y/N” he spoke out again “I know we were never that close, but you’re not just my little brother's friend to me”

You pulled yourself off his chest, looking up into his gorgeous eyes.

“like these owls, you’re unique, you’re special” he whispered.

“What’s your obsession with these owls anyway?” the tall boy asked, fiddling with his fake report.

“They’re unique” you replied quietly, walking around “they’re special”

George looked down into your eyes, his nose poking yours softly, leaning in, you didn’t pull back and allowed him to pull you gently into him.

His heart and yours racing, as your hand rested upon his chest, and his arm around your waist, your lips grazing against each other, turning into a deep, soft kiss.

Tag list: @amourtentiaa @reeophidian @inglourious-imagines @slutforsebstan @alwaysnforeverfangirl @horrorxweasley @xmalfoyweasleyx @freddiemylovelg 

[vikkates]

Amanda’s Take on the 10 Worst Royal Wedding Dresses

10. Meghan Markle marries Prince Henry of Wales: Givenchy

The dress itself isn’t bad. The veil certainly helps. The problem with this for me is the fit. It’s just awful. It’s so bad that I spent most of the ceremony distracted by it. Maybe my expectations are too high, but if I’m going to order a custom gown from the seamstress down the street, I expect it to fit nicely. If I’m going to pay heaven only knows how much for a custom gown from a French haute couture house, I expect it to fit like a freaking glove. You know, like it was made for me.

9. Mary Donaldson marries Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark: Uffe Frank

I really like the idea of this dress, but I hate the execution. The wrinkles are quite distracting. I feel like maybe a different fabric would have helped. The main thing for me though are the seams down the front and the way they are puckered. While Meghan’s dress wasn’t fitted enough, Mary’s seems too tight. She looks like she can’t breathe which is not a good look on your wedding day.

8. Zara Phillips marries Mike Tindall: Stewart Parvin

This is a fine generic wedding dress mostly. The cap sleeves are weird though, and the whole thing is just not very flattering. Also, it’s just so forgettable. 

7. Mabel Wisse Smit marries Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau: Viktor & Rolf

This dress is different. From the front, it looks like a somewhat unconventional but not horrendous wedding dress. Then you see the back, and it’s like what in the heck was she thinking. The bow thing is just so weird. I maybe could’ve gotten onboard if it had one large bow in the back? Maybe. But this is just...no.

6. Silvia Sommerlath marries King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden: Dior

You can’t really see it in this photo, but Silvia wore a beautiful, intricate lace veil, so I can see going for a simple dress. In some ways though, she has the same problem as Meghan only worse. The gown doesn’t fit. Like at all. Somehow, she also manages to have the same problem as Mary regarding the strange seams with the puckering. 

5. Kelly Rondestvedt  marries Prince Hubertus, The Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha: Unidentified Designer

When I first saw this dress, Kelly was holding her bouquet in front of her, and I really liked it. On further inspection, however, I realized that the lace just covers her chest. The rest of her bodice looks like she’s wearing her girdle/corset on the outside, and not in a good way. This one is a real bummer for me because the pattern of the lace is beautiful, and this had a real chance to be stunning.

4. Rania Al-Yassin marries Prince Abdullah bin Al-Hussein

I’m not a fan of Rania, but her sartorial choices are usually spot on. I just don’t get the idea of this dress. It’s like a business suit on top and a ballgown on the bottom. I’m also not a fan of the gold and silver embroidery. I think it could have been nice, but it’s overdone.

3. Marie-Chantal Miller marries Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece

I mean, I don’t even know where to start. The shape is really blah. The embroidery on the bottom looks incomplete to me. The bodice is extremely unflattering. The turtleneck seems odd for a late spring wedding. My biggest problem with this dress though is the sheer part. It looks like children got ahold of the dress and glued those little arts and crafts pom poms all over the neckline and sleeves. This is just not what I would expect from an American-Brisith heiress who’s marrying a European prince.

2. Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinnerberg marries  Jean-Christophe, Prince Napoléon

 I don’t even have words for this. It is just weird and not in a good way.

1. Lady Diana Spencer marries the Prince of Wales

So I tried to avoid including dresses that were bad because of the era in which they were created, but I had to include this one. It’s bad, even for the 1980′s. This dress is wearing Diana. She is not wearing it. The fabric choice is bad. The sleeves look like they’ve been inflated. The ruffle around the neckline looks like a clown collar. It’s just soooo bad.

[m00nslippers]

Bizarro and Artemis are back, in RHATO Annual #3

I’m back with a review of the RHATO annual #3 and it is so good to see Biz and Artemis again. I think we’ve all missed them. Hopefully this issue heralds their triumphant return in the next arc (after the one this is previewing), but let’s get into this.

We get a preview of the upcoming arc that we know involves Lex Luthor recruiting Jason to teach a bunch of kids how to be villains...or something. I’m sure we’ll figure out more in the new issues coming up. I highly doubt that’s all there is to it. I think it’s pretty obvious that Jason isn’t on the side of villains or creating more villains even if he isn’t strictly a hero. So I’m guessing there is some subterfuge involved in his plan and possibly Lex is trying to influence him a bit, maybe holding the fact that he helped Bizarro over his head, something like that. I think it’s most likely that he’s investigating Lex while pretending to work for him and teach in his villain school while secretly teaching all the kids values and whatnot. That would be cute, anyway.

I have to point out this moment though, because I’m not sure how I feel about it. Basically this kid can sense/contact people who are dead but it’s mentally or physically painful, but Jason asks him to do it anyway. Yeah, he expects that it won’t work and therefore not hurt because he thinks Artemis and Bizarro aren’t dead, and also the pain might be minor and finding out if someone is dead or alive is pretty important, worth some mild discomfort even to a child, but I don’t really like the attitude he has when saying, “I’m not asking.” I think he must be playing up/pretending he’s villainous because otherwise that seems pretty out of character for him. He’s generally straight forward but kind to children, animals and non-normative people (like Biz). So I’m kind of assuming he’s acting this way because of circumstances we are going to find out more about in the next issue. Basically the take away from the interaction is that Biz and Artemis are not dead.

So it picks up 6 months before the events of Jason talking to the kid. What this means is that between issue #25 of RHATO and upcoming issue #37, 6 months have elapsed, which seems reasonable. I’ve head-canoned Jason’s current age at 22 and I think this time frame supports that idea (there is reason to believe he was 21 in the Eternal comics).

Also, Artemis and Bizarro are clearly alive and in an alternate dimension where the Hall of Justice has been defaced and renamed “the Hall of Punishment” and is a ‘museum’, with the Justice League dead and disrespected. Everyone, even Superman.

As it turns out, the world is like this because of some bomb which made regular humans metas and metas regular humans, so most of the Justice League immediately became helpless without their abilities to almost everyone around them who now had meta abilities. What this means for people like Jason and the bats in this world who didn’t have powers to begin with is a real question, but not one we get answered. Basically, humans who now had powers and felt resentful of heroes who had originally had powers, took it out on the former heroes, hunting them down and putting them into camps where they eventually died. Which...okay, people are jerks so it seems reasonable that once they had powers some people would find any and every excuse to beat up on people who made them feel weak before so this isn’t a completely stupid basis for an alternate dystopia.

After it’s established that Artemis doesn’t have access to Mistress (or presumably the Bow of Ra) because she can’t call her weapon across universes--which seems reasonable--we get introduced to a few one-off villains.

And like...the moment I saw these guys I shook my head because they are just classic Lobdell-type villains. Flat, corny, names are puny as hell, your stereotypical comic book villains. I’m not knocking it, they are fine for minor villains that only exist for a one shot, at least they are kind of memorable for being so ridiculous, I’m just mildly amused at their everything. One guy is some kind of discount horror-villain butcher character that you can’t understand called Butcher Block, another is a freaking Pop-Eye-esque Milk Man called DAIRY KING because of course he is, and there’s a pigish cop and a chick in a Carebear shirt who holds her hand like an air phone and goes by the name ‘Air Quote’. And the fiery butterfly chick who looks like the love-child of Firefly and Bumblebee. There are just...no words. I just can’t even, you guys.

Along the way on their adventures they meet a guy calling himself Jack Knife who is part of the resistance against the normal people with super powers who made the world all dystopian and messed-up and didn’t agree with people killing former heroes in camps. Also, he is very clearly this universe’s Joker. I haven’t seen anyone mention this, but I’m not crazy here, right? Like, this is as obvious as I think it is, isn’t it? The guy’s name is Jack Knife, so his name is Jack, like Jack Napier, the Joker’s identity in many iterations of him. He has this long, sharp face with a crazy chin and wide mouth, is a bit of a wise-cracker and he wears a purple waistcoat and a green tie and a yellow shirt and has a flower in his lapel--like the Joker-- and uses pistols and knives, like...this guy is clearly the freaking Joker over here!

I can only assume Jason has not filled Artemis or Biz in on his issues with the Joker--which would be pretty in-character for Jay--or at the very least they have never seen him and don’t recognize him because this team up would have been over before it started if they had. They might still have went along with him, since this is a different guy, but they would have been suspicious.

Also, Jack doesn’t seem to have any powers...meaning he had powers before ‘hero day’ when metas lost their powers and norms gained powers...meaning the Joker is a meta. So that’s a thing. The reason the Joker is so wily and weird and doesn’t seem to die or age is because he’s a meta, you guys. You heard it here.

So we get the ‘6 months later’ flash forward and Artemis and BIzarro are working as part of the resistance along with the Flutterby girl seems to have defected in the time skip. Arty and Biz have gone native with some awesome, in my opinion, costume changes. Biz has a beard and muscle shirt and like...latex pants or something, which I am super into for some reason, and Artemis has your stereotypical punk haircut with the shaved head. It’s kind of an overdone design but I can’t lie, I think it works for her, she rocks it.

But even more importantly there’s this awesome interaction between Biz and Flutterby where Biz shows just how much he listens and values and still remembers Jason even after all this time. Their bond is just so strong, even now. Biz stops the girl from killing someone, remembering Jason’s values, which just drives home the fallacy that Jason just kills all criminals. No, Jason thinks for some people, the cost of leaving them alive outweighs the moral price of killing them. It’s a thing you have to do sometimes, something you are sometimes morally obligated to do in his opinion, but not a first resort. That’s what he taught Biz and Bizarro is teaching Flutterby. But he also taught Biz that sometimes you gotta get even, so he lets her give the guy some revenge knocks too, heh. Oh Biz, you’re a chip off the old block. Jay would be proud.

As this is happening, Jack Knife and Artemis are being held ‘prisoner’ (turns out it’s all part of their plan) by...General Samuel Lane?! Yeah, Lois’s dad. I don’t know much about him, I haven’t read anything with him in it, but I guess he’s kind of an on-the-fence secret-service type usually, like Amanda Waller, but seeing him as an outright villain is a bit surprising to me. There is probably no relation, but Lane has also cropped up in the recent Leviathan Event where everyone, seems to think Jason is Leviathan (I don’t, but we’ll see I guess.) I just thought that was interesting. There’s not mention of Lois but there IS mention of...

Lex-fucking-Luthor. Who is apparently a big, nasty head-brain monster, like MODOK or something now. Apparently the meta bomb was his brain-child (heh) and he’s surprisingly okay with the outcome that he’s a giant head that gets around via fork-lift and the world is messed-up. In fact, he and Lane are itching to drop one on Artemis and BIz’s world too! Which they can do, because Luthor--or more likely some minion, I mean he doesn’t have hands anymore--went around collecting the splinters of the doorway which Bizarro and Artemis originally went through to get to this universe.

As the resistance springs their trap Bizarro calls everyone Outlaws which warms my heart. The Outlaws isn’t the same without Biz and Artemis (or Star and Roy), Red Hood is an outlaw, sure, but the team is what made it special, made it something other than Jason just trying to right the wrongs he thinks the other heroes are letting slide because they won’t get their hands dirty. They are better together.

And so in this comic we see an example of the Outlaws sparing some criminals and them outright killing one when Artemis straight-up murders Lex Luthor, hell yes. The guy was just a nasty psychic brain on a fork-lift anyway, it was probably a mercy kill. And then Biz and Artemis jump through the doorway and hopefully end up...home?

This issue was pretty straight forward, just a one-off side story to explain where Biz and Artemis have been, nothing revolutionary. The art was pretty good, though there are a few panels at the beginning where Artemis has really weird expressions. I really enjoyed Biz and Artemis’s costume change, I hope they stick with something like it when they do meet back up with Jason eventually. Two things stood out to me. One, that Biz and Artemis, despite probably only being with Jason a shorter amount of time than they actually ended up spending apart, clearly hold Jason and the Outlaws very dear and are keeping The Outlaws and everything it stood for alive. It’s so wonderful to see someone in the goddamn DC Universe loves and appreciates Jason like he deserves. They can’t return fast enough, IMO, but I don’t think they will drop back into the story until the very end or just after this upcoming arc with Lex Luthor.

The other thing that stood out to me...was the freaking alt-Joker on the Outlaws team! What?! Like I’m not mad or happy, I’m just...what!? I don’t know how to feel. I like this version of the Joker but that in no way makes me not want to perform intimate torture on the main world’s Joker and see him die a cruel, painful death. I still want that very much. Can’t wait until the next issue, happily we only have to wait about two weeks I think. I so here for it.

[mautadite]

june book round up

18 books this month! this is late because i just couldn’t find the time to sit down and write it but it’s finally here! and i completed my reading challenge! whoo! mostly e-books and audiobooks once again, and also a good few arcs. (i’m still so proud to be able to say that lol.)

the 7 1/2 deaths of evelyn hardcastle - stuart turton ⭐️⭐️⭐️ a murder mystery/thriller that takes place in the midst of a house party. kind of a groundhog day thing; the same day repeats over and over, and one of the guests wakes up in the body of a different guest EVERY day, and will do so until he solves the mystery. this was one of the cleverest books i’ve ever read, seeing everything come together was so good. but the last reveal left me kinda like... was THAT the point of all of this?? also one part of this book is grossly fatphobic.

breeze of a spring evening and other stories - yu dafu ⭐️⭐️⭐️ collection of short stories written and set in 1920s china/japan. there was a lot of examination of men’s desire towards younger women which bored me. but the writing was good, and i really enjoyed when the writer talked about being chinese and living in japan; that feeling of isolation of loss of self and country,

her lady’s honor - renee dahlia ⭐️⭐️ first arc of the month! historical f/f romance set after wwi. one character is a vet (in both senses of the word, she served as an animal doctor during the war) and the other is the daughter of the first character’s old captain. i wanted to like this a lot more than i did but the writing was dull, needed a better edit, and the structure/plot was just all over the place. the characters were fine, but not hugely compelling, and i didn’t fall in love with their romance.

his cocky cellist - cole mccade ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ really good m/m romance about a cellist/masseur and a young billionaire who end up becoming entangled. fictional billionaires are the only good ones. this had really pretty prose (sometimes a liiiiiiiiiiiittle bit purple), great characters, great chemistry, and just a lovely romance overall.

his cocky valet: after story - cole mmcade ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ cute coda to the first book in the series. a HEA in a way that works for these specific characters.

night owls and summer skies - rebecca sullivan ⭐️⭐️ another arc, another book i sadly didn’t enjoy much. this is ya f/f, about a girl who is sent unwillingly to the camp that she attended in childhood. the bare bones of the writing was fine, but it tried to be a romantic comedy in ways that just didn’t work. a lot of the humour was a total miss. and the book dealt a lot with bullying, while also letting the love interest get away with some truly shitty stuff. 

arms wide open - donna jay ⭐️⭐️⭐️ contemporary f/f romance about a married couple going through some rough patches, who decide to try to spice things up by inviting a third person into their bed. it was cute, not spectacular. while i liked the characters a lot, because the book opened with them already in love (having problems, but never OUT of love) this book was missing what i love about most romances: the falling in love bit!

my heart’s in the highlands - amy hoff ⭐️⭐️⭐️ another arc and oh man this is an extremely generous rating for a book that really wasn’t that good, but hit the spot for me in specific ways. it’s historical f/f time travel romance about a woman from the 19th century who travels back to the 13th century and falls in love with a gruff highlander warrior woman. this is not very well written, has so many unexplained plot points, (how did a woman from the 19th century build a time machine? none of our damned business) didn’t seem too concerned with historical fidelity, and had some dubcon, which, bleh. but i still REALLY liked parts of this. i’m just so weak for historical f/f romance.

when all the world sleeps - j.a. rock and lisa henry ⭐️⭐️⭐️ contemporary m/m romance between a chronic sleepwalker who lives in fear of the things he does when he’s sleeping, and a cop. this was fine. sometimes sad and sweet, sometimes weird and overdone. the police character was fine most of the time, but he also reminded me of why i don’t like reading romances with cops. especially In These Times. every tiny abuse of power made me want to snap. the actually romance was good, but i’ve read better.

yellow jessamine - caitlin starling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ another arc! fantasy sort of horror with some f/f leanings. really wonderful prose, AMAZING characters, and really lush, unsettling horror. i don’t read/enjoy a lot of horror but this was great. i adore complicated women so much

where the forest meets the stars - glendy vanderah ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on a genre scale i guess this is contemporary/mystery? a moving novel about a biologist (who’s a breast cancer survivor) who meets a little girl claiming to be an alien who comes from the stars. it didn’t go the way i was kind of expecting it to, and i enjoyed it. it had an m/f romance that i liked... mostly? there were some tropes i coulda done without, and it was really lazy in the way it addressed trauma.

silver ravens - jane fletcher ⭐️⭐️⭐️ yet another arc! i really enjoyed fletcher’s celaeno series so i was excited to be approved for this f/f fantasy/adventure novel. an out-of-work IT professional is swept into fairy world with fae and mystery and intrigues aplenty, and a mercenary captain she falls for. the writing was fine, but some of the world building really bugged me, and there wasn’t enough romance imo.

second nature - jae ⭐️⭐️⭐️ f/f paranormal romance about a writer who’s begun to have strange dreams about a society of animal shifters, and the liger shifter who’s been tasked with finding her, and if need be, killing her. this could have been a great book (i especially really liked the characters and how they were described, and the plot) but the writer did one of the things i really hate: giving us the pov of the villain from the very beginning, letting us know his plans, motivations, EVERYTHING. it felt like we spent the entire book waiting for the protags to catch up, and it just wasn’t entertaining.

dragonoak books 2-3 - sam farren ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the last two books in the dragonoak series, an f/f high fantasy series. they were too long, the plot was shaky, and there were some irksome bits but holy crap, i loved these books so much. SO MUCH. they have some of my very favourite characters and tropes EVER. lots of queer ladies, lots of trans characters, necromancy, batles, found families, friendships, damaged characters, REALLY EXCELLENT ROMANCE.. the book had flaws aplenty but i’m ready to forgive them all. (

when i was you - minka kent ⭐️⭐️⭐️ i don’t usually read thrillers, but i decided to try this out on a whim after seeing the cover and it was... fine. it helped that i didn’t read the blurb, bc that meant i had no idea where it was going. after the first huge twist it did become kinda meh tho.

the hole -  hye-young pyun ⭐️⭐️⭐️ psychological horror about a man who survives the car cash that killed his wife. he ends up paralysed, and is living with his mother in law, and one day he looks out the window and sees her digging holes in the garden. this was an EXTREMELY slow book. it took ages for anything to really happen. there were a lot of flashbacks and internal monologuing. the absolute best part of this book came at almost the end, where there was a big sorta revelation and the writing became really crisp and cutting and just really good. it had a really fitting end.

the silvers - j.a. rock ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ m/m sci-fi romance. humans are in search of water for earth, which is running out. they come across intelligent life on a new planet: a race of people called silvers. the captain of the mission and one of the silvers develop a close relationship... this was really good; i loved what it had to say about humanity and nature and the ways we can and do hurt each other. very interesting, i don’t think i’ve ever read anything like it.

and that’s it for june! i ended up reading a fair few things out of my usual comfort zone. for july, i think i’m going back to a majority romance; i’ve missed that. currently reading to have loved and lost.

[traumantic-a]

                     HOW  TO  INTERACT  WITH  JORDAN                    (  A  PLOTTING  CHEAT-SHEET )

so,  you  want  to  write  your  muse  against  jordan,  but  you  have  no  idea  what  to  do?  have  no  fear!  plotting  can  be  pretty  daunting—I  know  I  always  blank  on  ideas  the  second  I  go  to  approach  someone  about  something,  or  I’m  always  afraid  I’ll  suggest  something  that’s  overdone  or  that  the  mun  isn’t  particularly  interested  in.  hence,  this  guide!  keep  in  mind  everything  here  is  just  a  suggestion,  so  if  you  have  ideas  that  don’t  really  fit  what  I’ve  put  in  this  guide,  that  is  fine!  throw  them  my  way!  and  happy  plotting!

                                       MEET  JORDAN  RILEY                                (  aka  a  really  quick  character  cheat  sheet  )

she’s  a  college  student.  specifically,  she’s  currently  in  her  junior  year  as  a  graphic  design  student  and  is  also  a  resident  assistant,  because  it’s  the  only  way  she  could  afford  to  continue  to  attend  school  ( #justcollegethings ).  like  many  students,  her  preferred  study  method  is  coffee  and  tears,  and  thinking  too  far  into  the  future  freaks  her  out,  so  she  copes  by  screaming  inwardly  and  pushing  on  even  though  she  needs  to  relax  ( whatever  that  means ).

she’s  also  a  resident  assistant.  and  surprisingly,  taking  the  job  wasn’t  all  about  the  money,  though  that  was  a  big  motivator.  jordan  genuinely  enjoys  the  position;  not  so  much  the  paperwork  and  having  to  enforce  rules  all  the  time,  but  getting  to  decorate  her  floor,  help  freshmen  navigate  campus  life  and  academics,  and  plan  fun  programs  and  activities  for  them  is  something  that  makes  her  feel  a  sense  of  accomplishment.  of  course,  the  perks  of  having  a  room  and  bathroom  all  to  herself  make  it  extra  nice.

she’s  very  involved.  if  she’s  not  working  on  projects,  she’s  designing  layouts  for  one  of  the  student-run  magazines;  if  she’s  not  doing  that,  she’s  hosting  a  radio  show  with  one  of  her  friends;  if  she’s  not  doing  that,  she’s  at  improv  practice;  if  she’s  not  there,  she’s  probably  stress  crying  in  the  shower,  tbh.  either  way,  she  likes  keeping  busy  whenever  she  can;  sometimes  to  a  fault.

she  hates  talking  about  ‘it.’  not  the  movie;  no,  she  enjoyed  both  chapters,  even  if  she  hasn’t  made  her  way  through  the  brick  that  is  the  novel  yet.  no,  she  hates  talking  about  her  past  traumas,  she  absolutely  hates  talking  about  the  whole  rothfield  murders  fiasco  and  the  fact  that  she  was  a  target  because  she  spoke  up  about  being  assaulted,  which  is  understandable,  because  all  of  that  is  shitty.  she’s  trying  to  move  on  from  it  all;  she  wishes  the  rest  of  the  world  would,  too.

                              PRE-ESTABLISHED  RELATIONSHIPS                                 (  aka  a  starting  point  for  fleshing  out  dynamics  )

be  a  resident  in  her  building.  this  one  is  especially  great  if  your  muse  is  a  college  student;  rothfield  university  is  a  big  school  and  there  are  roughly  six  thousand  students  living  on  campus;  250  of  those  students  live  in  williams  hall,  split  across  four  floors.  while  williams  hall  tends  to  have  a  mix  of  underclassmen  and  skews  heavily  toward  having  primarily  incoming  freshmen  reside  there,  it  isn’t  unusual  for  juniors  or  seniors  to  stay  in  the  building  because  it’s  cheaper  than  trying  to  rent  an  apartment  on  their  own,  and  they  don’t  have  to  pay  for  a  parking  pass  that  they  rarely  use  because  there’s  never  any  place  to  park.  jordan  has  to  keep  in  contact  with  the  residents  living  on  her  floor,  do  regular  academic  and  wellness  checks,  etc.;  but  beyond  that,  she  genuinely  wants  to  help  them  adjust  to  campus  and  college  life,  and  likes  being  a  mentor.

be  a  fellow  art  student/classmate.  technically  jordan’s  major  of  study  falls  under  the  college  of  communication  and  information,  but  she’s  on  track  to  learn  a  bachelor’s  of  fine  arts  in  graphic  design,  and  she  spends  a  lot  of  her  time  in  the  art  building  attending  studio  classes  and  pouring  over  projects.  she  has  other  courses  she  has  to  take  to  fill  requirements  for  her  core  classes  and  the  like  ( such  as  art  history,  algebra,  sociology,  etc.);  if  your  muse  is  a  college  student,  why  not  make  them  a  classmate  of  jordan’s?  especially  if  they’re  in  different  majors  but  happen  to  be  taking  all  the  same  ‘core’  classes;  it’s  always  great  having  a  note-sharing  buddy,  if  nothing  else.

be  involved  in  a  club/organization  with  jordan.  she’s  an  illustrator  for  a  student-run  general  interest  magazine,  she  has  a  radio  show,  and  she’s  in  an  improv  group,  and  usually  auditions  for  productions  through  the  school  of  theater  and  dance  whenever  she  has  the  time.  make  your  muse  a  member  of  the  editorial  team  on  the  magazine,  or  a  blogger,  or  a  fellow  DJ,  or  someone  who  enjoys  performing;  I’m  sure  they’ll  cross  paths  with  jordan  somehow,  some  way!

be  one  of  her  professors/mentors.  chances  are  there’s  a  bullshit  course  your  muse  could  teach  if  they  don’t  fit  in  ‘traditional’  courses  of  study  like  history,  economics,  etc.;  my  university  offered  two  different  courses  on  glass  blowing;  there’s  no  limit  to  what  can  be  taught  on  a  college  campus  to  fill  credit  hour  requirements.  jordan’s  degree  of  study  requires  a  lot  of  liberal  arts  credits  and  she’s  definitely  the  type  to  take  a  course  on  analyzing  tone  and  message  in  zombie  movies  because,  what  else  is  she  going  to  do  with  $800  dollars  in  grant  money?  she’s  a  good  student,  and  tries  not  to  skip  classes,  and  will  usually  keep  quiet  in  the  back  if  she’s  not  up  to  participating.  she  also  attends  office  hours  when  she’s  not  grasping  something,  and  if  she  likes  a  class  she  took  because  of  the  professor,  she  usually  tries  to  take  more  of  their  classes.

work  at/in  rothfield  in  some  capacity.  be  another  resident  assistant,  work  at  the  coffee  shop  frequented  by  students,  be  part  of  campus  security,  be  an  event  coordinator  with  campus,  be  that  one  lady  who  walks  her  three  rescue  dogs  on  campus  every  evening;  there’s  really  no  limit  here  ( the  lady  with  rescue  dogs  was  a  thing  at  my  school  and  I  ended  up  befriending  her,  and  she  turned  out  to  be  the  dean  of  the  women’s  studies  department  and  is  generally  the  coolest  person  I  know,  ANYWAY );  if  any  of  this  appeals  to  you,  hit  me  up  and  we’ll  flesh  out  the  details.

be  a  townie.  whether  your  muse  is  a  student  who  graduated  and  never  left  rothfield  or  is  a  born-and-bred  local  that  can  spin  a  yarn  about  the  history  of  campus,  or  just  likes  showing  up  at  house  parties  for  the  hell  of  it,  this  is  another  great  way  to  cross  paths  with  jordan  and  strike  up  a  friendship.

                                THINGS  I  WANT  TO  EXPLORE                                  (  aka  a  living  document  of  my  wishlist  tag  )

jordan  opening  up  to  someone.  jordan’s  assault  and  the  trial  from  her  high  school  years  were  pretty  well-publicized;  while  her  name  was  never  printed  in  the  news  stories  surrounding  the  case,  it’s  not  hard  to  put  the  pieces  together  when  people  find  out  where  she’s  from.  this  only  becomes  more  apparent  after  the  rothfield  murders  that  take  place  over  spring  break  2019;  being  the  ‘sole  survivor’  of  a  revenge-murder  rampage  takes  its  toll  in  some  unusual  ways.  it  takes  time  for  the  trauma  of  the  murders  to  fully  sink  in  for  jordan;  initially,  she’s  relieved  that  her  abuser  is  dead  and  gone  and  she  never  has  to  see  him  again,  but  that  relief  is  short-lived.  it  doesn’t  change  the  fact  that  she  hasn’t  fully  healed  from  her  past  traumas  and  that  she  needs  to  be  more  vocal  about  her  feelings  and  emotions;  she  needs  a  support  system,  especially  considering  her  family  is  hours  away  and  the  only  other  person  she’s  confided  in  outside  of  her  parents  and  sister  goes  to  school  in  another  state.  I’d  love  to  develop  some  close  friendships  where  jordan  feels  comfortable  opening  up  to  others  she  knows  she  can  trust  and  lean  on  when  she’s  having  bad  days;  likewise,  she’d  do  the  same  for  those  she  loves  dearly.  she’s  loyal  at  her  core  and  if  she  trusts  you,  she  will always  be  there  for  you.

                             more  to  be  added  as  ideas  come  to  me

                       THINGS  I’M  NOT  INTERESTED  IN                                 (   aka......  it’s  pretty  self-explanatory   )

your  character  ‘fixing’  jordan.  through  love,  through  friendship,  through  whatever;  while  all  of  the  above  can  definitely  help  people  dealing  with  trauma  heal,  it  is  not  the  sole,  solitary  thing  that  will  get  the  job  done.  jordan  will  never  rely  on  one  person  to  be  the  sole  thing  that  makes  her  happy  and  makes  her  feel  whole  again;  it’s  not  realistic  and  it’s  a  harmful  cliche  that  I  don’t  wish  to  perpetuate  here.  she  absolutely  needs  friends  she  can  trust,  and  she  is  capable  of  being  in  a  loving  relationship,  but  those  are  not  going  to  automatically  fix  all  her  problems.

toxic  ships.  I  don’t  really  feel  the  need  to  go  super  in-depth  with  this;  while  I’m  not  opposed  to  exploring  shitty  or  toxic  friendships  or  relationships,  because  those  do  happen,  I’m  not  interested  in  doing  so  in  the  sense  of  “they’re  toxic  because  they  care!”  again;  very  harmful  cliches  and  stereotypes  that  I  do  not  wish  to  perpetuate  here.  if  I  explore  anything  like  this  it’ll  likely  be  with  close  rp  partners  I’ve  had  for  a  while  and  know  I  can  trust.

fetishizing/‘fixing’ demisexual  people.   it’s  a  spectrum,  folks;  jordan  needs  an  emotional  connection  with  someone  deep  enough  before  she  feels  comfortable  with  intimacy.  I’m  not  interested  in  anyone  being  the  ‘exception’  to  this  for  obvious  reasons.  if  you  come  to  me  with  anything  related  to  your  muse  ‘fixing’  jordan’s  demisexuality  ( which  existed  before  her  trauma  and  was  amplified  by  it,  both  of  which  are  valid ),  I  will hard  block  you.

                                      FINAL  THOUGHTS so,  I  didn’t  intend  for  this  to  get  as  long  as  it  did;  as  far  as  the  last  section  goes,  a  lot  of  that  is  common  sense,  but  I’ve  included  it  anyway  because  I’ve  had  similar  experiences  on  blogs  before  with  people  coming  to  me  with  plot  ideas  that  were  inherently  toxic  and  glorified  to  be  something  bigger/better,  and  felt  it  would  be  best  to  address what  I’m  not  comfortable  with  and  why  directly  out  of  the  gate.  keep  in  mind  that  all  of  this  is  a  guideline,  and  if  you  have  ideas  that  expand  outside  of  what  I’ve  placed  here,  I’d  love  to  hear  them!  don’t  hesitate  to  approach  me  to  plot,  especially  if  you  want  to  expand  on  anything  I’ve  listed  in  this  cheat  sheet.  <3

[cloudynames]

The Earth Fell in Love with the Moon

okay the long awaited story is finally here!! jesus christ it took so long i am s o r r y. all that matters is that its finally here and i hope you all enjoy <33 this is one of my favorite pieces ive written in a long time so i hope itll satisfy everyone

Word Count: 6,468

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Sensual themes, swearing

lets get it

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

If there were two things you were good at, it would be creating new gadgets and rejecting opportunities. Every step of your life, carefully crafted, led you to achieve your dream job at NASA. Out of the ordinary, you weren’t actually all too interested in space. You fell in love with rockets and mechanics. The sound of metal clashing and seeing your creation come to life fascinated and drew you in, trapping you within the life of a mechanic. However, you preferred to use your proper title of ‘Head of Maintenance and Mechanics.’ Life was extraordinary with a powerful position, having seen things no ordinary person would. Coming home covered in soot and sweat was fulfilling and you wouldn’t want it any other way nor felt the need to make additions.

As a result, rejecting the continuous romantic advances from a new trainee named Kun forced you to become abnormally professional when it came to denying someone of any desires, work or romance related. He arrived in the spring with an abundance of other rookies and as spring faded into summer, many of his comrades dropped like flies soon realizing the commitment it took to become a master of space.

Everyone left except a few, one of them being Qian Kun. Kun was a flame. No, not like a bonfire flame, ready to devour whoever got in his way of his dreams. Much to his dismay, he resembled a candle, barely burning and a threat to none.

Well, maybe a threat to you.

With a flat screwdriver in one hand and the other in a bag of screws, you started repairing the outside of the newest spacecraft, ready to be launched next season with high hopes for technological advances. You didn’t spend much time working on the rocket yourself due to your position but it seemed like everyone decided to take the day off in your department. Left mostly alone, you were running around to complete daily tasks while putting your foot forward for NCT 2XXX, also known as the pride and joy of your life.

Working with multiple people within the industry, you were one of the lead designers of NCT 2XXX, a marvelous spaceship with an exterior as strong as diamonds and interior just as remarkable. You have been with NASA for over five years and with NCT 2XXX for three. To say you were loyal to both projects was an understatement, you were unbelievably devoted. With a project as spectacular as this under your belt, you were bound to become one of the most famous engineers of all time. Perhaps in the future, historians would print the name with such care and remember the time from when they were a child, seeing the ship shoot off into sky for the first time.

Once the final screw for the plate was tightened into place, you sighed and peeped back at the row. It had only been a few minutes but it felt like forever, hunched over repeating the boring hand movements. Guilt exploded in your stomach. You’ve been assigning newbies to do this for months on end? A mental note was formed in your head, remembering to make sure they have some diversity.

A hand clamping down on your shoulder disturbed you greatly, almost spilling out bolts and screws from your pocket. Without turning around, you yelled, “Qian Kun! How many times must I tell you to leave me alone when I’m working!”

Giggles spill out of the offender as he shuffled closer to you. “Wow, this is what Head of Maintenance does all day? How come you never have time to talk me since you can multitask perfectly fine?”

Starting on a new row, you rolled your eyes dramatically, “Maybe it’s because I don’t want to talk to you?”

“Why are you so mean?!” Kun whines, pathetically stomping in place.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” You snap, turning around and giving yourself a serious case of whiplash.

“I’m on break but I can leave if you really want me to!” He tempts, a mischievous glint lingering in his eyes.

“What’s the condition?” You exhaled heavily, mentally preparing yourself for whatever he decides to shock you with today.

“Go on a date with me!” He pleads, sticking out his bottom lip and giving you puppy eyes. Sweat drops smeared his forehead and his hair was messy from his training. Dark spots soaked through his training uniform and his glowing, honey skin was covered in bruises and scars. As pitiful as he appeared, you clicked your tongue in annoyance and turned around.

“I’m not interested, space boy.”

“But I’m interested.” He counters, frowning and nearly throwing a temper tantrum. Was this man really an adult or a man-baby?

Your mother had taught you that patience would be the greatest virtue in life. She had made sure you expressed it every day, having you write down one thing each day that you had to wait for and the relief following. With a hushed voice, she told you that good things came to those who were patience--especially to those patient with people. Kun was putting this theory to the test today.

“Ah yes, because bothering me every minute of the day will make me fancy a date with your lame ass!”

Before he can respond, his training coach blows a whistle, signalling breaktime was over. He burns holes into the back of your head, observing intently as you rummaged through the wool bag for a knot.

“I’ll be back.”

With that, he left in a flash and leaving you to nearly scream his name.

If Kun said he was going to be back, he was going to be back.

Five hours later and a provided lunch break from a local mom and pop place, you were seated in the meeting room with a water bottle and notepad. Tapping incessantly, you wondered why the higher-ups called you in for today. They never ringed for you, only when they needed to figure out why a rookie was causing trouble.

Suddenly, a click was heard and the shuffling of men and women came herding in, murmurs spreading across the room. Once comfortable in their respective seats, the woman at the head of the table opened, “Ah, (y/n), our most important piece to NASA!”

Rolling your eyes subtly, you give a sickly, sweet grin, “Yes, yes. How may I be of assistance today?”

The projector snapped to life and the lights dimmed. You turned to the screen, waiting for further information.

“Well,” a man with glasses and slicked back hair states, “We have all seen you work on NCT 2XXX and do believe us when we say that it is beyond terrific! That being said, one of our previous correspondences had recently left us due to seeking more and become greedy in his work. We need someone to finish WayV, another rocket for a specialised group of astronauts.”

Biting your tongue, you stared at everyone in amazement. “So I’m supposed to work on two projects?”

“Precisely.”

They left, shaking your hand and thanking you profusely for being so corresponding and helpful. The entire time, your mind was in overdrive. How were you supposed to finish two projects near the same launch date? It was near damn impossible! Of course they were sure to pay you more to compensate, but in such a short amount of time, maybe it was better to reject their advances. NASA had hired more engineers for this exact reason; why did it have to be you?

Staring at the blueprint on top of your wooden, almost broken desk, you reached over for your phone and checked the time. Midnight was plastered on your screen and you groan, extremely close to slamming your head on said desk. Your head was aching and your heart was pounding abnormally. Stress is an important part of life but after living life so plain and planned out, unforeseen problems caused you to lash out in your thoughts.

Marks began to appear on the sheet of paper as you sketched out a very, very rough version of the final product. With a haze clouding your mind and your eyes too focused on the design in front of you, Kun quietly snuck by and leaned down to your ear.

“Boo.”

Nearly falling back in your chair, you pushed yourself backwards with a hand on your chest. Kun, knelt over while dying of laughter exclaimed, “Oh my god! You should’ve seen your reaction!”

A rosy hue graces your cheeks, making you scrunch up your nose and return to your work. Mindlessly drawing hearts and stars and swirls in the corner of the paper, you mutter, “Why are you still here?”

“Aw, are you embarrassed? You never just ask me a question without calling me a name!” He teases, ruffling your hair and using a pointer finger to press deeply into your cheek.

Groaning, you push him away and huff, blowing the hair in front of your face to flip messily to the back. Kun wasn’t going to leave any time soon, especially if he was here already after his training period. You grab the stool which you were using to prop up your feet and slide it to the side of you, patting lightly on the top. He stares and points a finger at himself, asking ‘me?’ within his head. Adding an overdone nod finally connected the dots in his head, placing himself to the right of you.

“Are you going to ask my question or do I have to choke it out of you?” You threaten, playing with the lead in the pencil a little too much for his liking.

“Ah, well to be quite honest, I’m not sure. I guess I didn’t want to go back to the dorms just yet.” He reasons, avoiding your judgemental gaze.

Kun was a man of many talents. On his first day, officially hired as an astronaut, he entertained the conference room with a deck of cards, magically shaking one and flipping it over to reveal a heart. Your superiors were impressed, slowly falling in love with his charisma from day one. Then, a few days after while carrying in a shipment of new parts, you overheard a sugary voice singing in a tongue unfamiliar to you. Perhaps you lingered around the area longer than needed only for Kun to walk out with wet hair and still buttoning up a shirt. He flashed a smirk to you and strolled the opposite way, leaving you to slump against a wall, desperately trying to fan yourself off. From that day forward, his furrowed eyebrows and pushed back hazel locks had you stealing glances at the boy. One would be a fool to reject the attractiveness of Qian Kun. He was charismatic, talented, and handsome.

Although he was practically a Greek man, he was a terrible liar.

Humming in response and letting it pass by you for now, Kun broke the silence, “Why are you here though?”

“Well, I’ve been assigned a new project and unfortunately it won’t be completed during regular work hours, hence why I’m staying here at,” you took a swift glimpse at your phone, “12:17.”

“Do you at least get paid extra?” He asks, stealing a pencil from your desk and twirling it between his fingers.

Rolling your eyes woefully, “Nope.”

“So why do you do it?’ He questions, throwing a fit and muttering about how he’ll take it up to the higher-ups for you not receiving adequate pay.

With an exasperated yawn, you stare with him with stars within your eyes and a drowsy smile painted on your lips, “Because I love my job.”

Kun gawked at you, mouth slightly parted open. A lot of the time, you pushed him away yet here he was, sitting so close to you and conversing with you like close friends would do. With your tousled hair, falling upon your face and framing you beautifully, he gulped. Your doe eyes seemed to look into his soul and he was afraid you might find all his secrets he has casted away. The bags under your eyes and puffy, red cheeks displayed off the delicate side of you that he wasn’t sure you even possessed until tonight. At work, you were always headstrong and devoted. Seeing you in such a way had his heart pumping wildly, so much so that he almost led one of his hands to hold his chest for he felt that his heart was going to burst. You were hardworking, intelligent, and beautiful.

Qian Kun was simply smitten for you.

Increasingly, Kun had started to stay behind longer with you, assisting you as you worked late until dawn. He barely had any time to sleep but sharing secrets and giggling in the dusty work closet made up for all the time lost. Both of you would make fun of your superiors or play silly computer games in one of the research rooms while eating whatever Kun decided to cook that night. It wasn’t all fun however, you made sure of it. He would help you lift objects and hammer out sheets, bringing you closer to completing both WayV and NCT 2XXX.

Even though he stayed with you until ungodly hours almost every day, you questioned his true intentions. Every time you asked him why he stays late, he simply shrugs and answers with a joke. Deep down, you wished for there to be a hidden reason. Spending more time with the Chinese boy had you falling for him harder than before. Your hateful scowls turned into fluttering adorations and fluttering touches. A friendship was developing before your eyes and as you began to know more about Kun, you started to become dependent on the extra company.

For the past two days, you waited patiently near your desk for the boy to come bouncing to your side. Unfortunately, you would receive no call and were left to work in utter silence except for the melodic piano arrangements lulling softly in the background. As a result, this led you to believe Kun was upset at you. Flashbacks occurred in your head as you thought back to what could’ve frustrated the joyful boy. You did spill a sticky, dark soda on his white shirt just a few days before he disappeared. But was Kun one to hold grudges?

On the third night of listening to the same piano arrangement, footsteps emerged from behind you and you shut off your phone, turning your head before facing a sleep-deprived Kun. His face was adorned with purplish undereyes and stress written all over. He moved sluggishly, grabbing his usual stool before slowly setting himself on top. Kun watched with tired eyes, no life found within them at all.

“Are you okay?” You ask, concerned, and place a hand on his shoulder. Rubbing small circles in his back, you hope to comfort him in such a time of distress.

“Yeah, training has just been really… rough.” He trails off, eyes falling to his lap and moving further away from your touch.

Nodding, you resume to your work. You wanted Kun to be here for the past few days, but why is it that when he appears, you wish to be alone? His cold presence disturbed you and your wish to disappear grew. An irritated Kun was not someone anyone would want to spend time with.

“They told me I would never be an astronaut.”

You nearly drop the circuit board as his voice falters, hoarse and defeated. Setting down the piece of technology, you scoot closer to him.

“Don’t listen to them.”

He laughs mockingly, shoving his head in his hands. “I have to. Our test results and training progress came out. My test results are fine; I’m average. Yet, my training scores are the lowest in the group of all the rookies combined. I got yelled at by my teachers and one of them said, very distastefully might I add, that I would never make it to the sky. He mocked me, saying I might have the confidence and cool factor but I would never accomplish anything or become anyone.”

When he lifts his head, his cheeks are stained with waterfalls and his lip quivers for relief. Out of character, you grasp him and pull him into your chest, hugging tightly. Tentatively, he wraps his arms around you and bursts into tears once more. Your skin feels hot and sticky from his hold and your lab coat rapidly becoming soaked from his cries. A hand drifts up to his hair as you curl his locks between your fingers, shushing him as his sobs grow in volume. The once joyful boy was now wailing in your arms about how he’ll never be good enough for anything. Heartache hurts, especially because Kun is so cheerful all the time. Never in a million years you would’ve thought that a day might come where he shows his piled up hidden feelings of stress.

His body gradually stops shaking and he removes himself from you, rubbing his cheeks and eyes. You pass him your water bottle and he laughs, taking a sip. Although he appears better, sorrow hides in his iries and your own tears well up. It’s time to repay Kun for all his charity.

“Kun, you’ve helped me throughout this entire project for Wayv. I think it’s time for me to help you.” You state, flashing him a wide smile.

“No! I’m okay! You don’t need to.” He argues, sulking.

Ah, there it was. His fiery personality made a come back from his recent gloomy demeanor.

“I want to and I will. That is final.”

His pout expands and your grin only grows as you return to the circuit board, knowing you won against Kun.

The next night, with two energy drinks and a haul of textbooks, the two of you laid down in one of the break rooms with the comfiest couches and softest blankets.

You examine one of his test scores, curled up in a blue comforter.

“Hm, your mathematics skills are off the charts good. Did you major in math?”

He nods, looking over terms in his notebook. Kun flips through the words too briskly for your liking. How did he even retain any of that information?

Scrunching your nose distastefully, you start, “You’ll never learn terms with definitions like that. Use flashcards or use an app that’ll repeat the answer and definition multiple times.”

His mouth hangs open, shocked at your abrupt reprimand. “I never had to do that! Math is so easy. You barely have to memorize anything! Only a few theorems but you could practically bullshit that.”

“Well, now you have to. Your biology is good but your physical science and engineering has work to be done.”

He lets out an obnoxious groan, snuggling deeper within the blanket wrapped around him. After a few moments of him complaining, he grabs a pen and a few flashcards, diligently writing down terms to definitions. You scoot closer to him, your head so close to leaning on his shoulder.

“Thank you.” A quiet voice whispers and he turns his head to you, a small smile graced upon his face.

“Of course. If you told me you were struggling earlier, I could’ve helped you more.”

A groan falls out of his mouth, “No, (y/n). You’re too busy with your projects anyway. I don’t want to bother you.”

“You’re not bothering me at all!” You grumble, bumping into him and having his pen spill from a perfect line to a crooked mess. He glares, relining his design.

“I felt like I was though at one point.” He confesses, tapping his pen repeatedly against his book, eyes piercing into yours like daggers. “Why did you try to push me away so much?”

Ah, you should have foreseen this. Kun was a curious man, hence the reason for striving to become an astronaut. He asks questions until he makes you beg to just shut up. All his teachers probably wanted to kill him by now due to his incessant whining. His goal, clear in mind, was to find out the reason behind your fake distaste for the cadet. Red as a ruby, you lifted your head and gazed back, faked your innocence, “What do you mean?”

He shoves his work aside and adjusts his entire body, muscles flaunting off. Has Kun always been so lean?

“Obviously I’m talking about a month ago where you wanted to punt me into space if you ever got the chance.”

“Haha, very funny.” You mock, truly laughing afterwards. “To answer your question, I don’t know what changed.” To take the leap of faith or not might’ve been the hardest decision in your life. Nothing in your life could’ve prepared you for this exact moment in life. Comparing this dangerous moment to everything in college, you rather take every course all over again. If he rejects you, you’re back to the mundane life you’ve always known. Although in the slightest chance he might accept you, life would be a fairytale.

Fuck it.

“Maybe it’s how your eyelashes flutter when you’re almost asleep or how you push your hair back just the way I like it. I don’t know when everything changed. To put it simply, I started noticing things about you that nobody else would ever notice. You like black coffee but if you didn’t have to restrain your calorie intake, you would order the sweetest thing on the menu. Whenever you laugh at something stupid, you throw your head back and hide yourself, embarrassed to be in the moment. But no, it could’ve been when you mumbled translations under your breath as you read instructions or how your fingers ghosted upon my skin late at night. I think I really am whipped for you--”

Kun gently grabs your face and closes the long gap between you two, his tongue licking your bottom one and exploring your mouth. Still focused on you, he unwraps himself from his cocoon and climbs on top of you, hands running through your hair, desperate and longing. He made you experience all this pent up emotion he had towards you and it felt as if you were floating on a cloud. It was dirty. Lying in one of the breakrooms with a boy, who you weren’t even dating, and having his hands roam all over your body.

His hips rolled against yours, making you gasp at the sudden contact. Whether it had been accidental or on purpose, you craved for the motion to happen once more. Kun smelled like vanilla and left your head hazy and light. Hands disappeared from your hair and moved under your shirt, his thumb playing with your waistband. His breath was sweet and tasted like the chocolate shared between the two of you just a few hours ago. He pulls away suddenly, a string of saliva forming and the sight has you heavily breathing. Kun leans down once more and leaves a kiss on your forehead and you reach for one of his hands, intertwining your fingers.

“So, you’re clearly experienced. Have you been kissing any other engineers other than me?”

“Shut up!” He yells, tickling you relentlessly for a minute before brushing your disheveled hair out of your eyes.

“Only you, baby. It’s only ever been you”

Midnight blue nights with Kun was the highlight of your life. Working all night till dawn seeped into Kun’s dorm fulfilled you and you wouldn’t have it any other way. It might’ve been harder to focus due to calculated distractions conducted by the mischievous boy but when it came down to crunch time, both you and Kun worked in perfect harmization. The beginning of summer morphed into a deep heat of August before you even had a chance to blink and walks to the convenience store to buy ice cream became a must to combat the humid heat.

Glancing at your phone, you inwardly groaned seeing the time was only five. It would be so long until you could see Kun again. With your brain being fried from all the hard work from the day, you took a break. Mindlessly, you scrolled through social media and caught up with the recent drama. Your break was cut short as a squeal was shouted directly into your ear and arms wrapped around you.

“What the hell--”

“Baby! I got in! They accepted me for Project WayV! I’m so excited!”

Your boyfriend’s eyes were gleaming with pure, unsaturated happiness. A smile melts onto your face and you envelope him in a embrace just as emotional as his. You had seen how hard Kun had been working for his goal. He would stay up nights on end studying and if he wasn’t studying, he would be assisting you in your projects. Sometimes he would stay at your house and you would do laundry, not forgetting to notice how the size of his uniform changed from an extra small, gradually transforming into a small and finally to a medium. If he wasn’t studying or helping you, he was training. Love filled you and contentment hugged every curve of your body. To say you were proud was an understatement. This had been everything Kun had craved for.

Would it be selfish, however, to hate the future? Yes, Kun had been working hard to become an astronaut but once summer becomes cool and sweltering, fiery red days fade, where would Kun stand? In the sky trapped in a box, gathering research for greedy scientists on the small earth below? Would you be alone once more as you were just a few months ago? Would you despise the blue, crystal region for stealing the one you loved the most?

Mustering all your strength possible into faking a grin, you exclaim, “I’m so proud of you dear, you deserve it!”

A piece of your soul chipped away from that moment and it became difficult to face the future. Kun would be gone. For a long time. The worst case scenario might arise and he might never come back.

You were never the villain in the story. Trying to delay Kun’s dream would make you the monster. No, you’re not the monster. Minoring in theatre in college helped you after all. Fake it till you make it, right?

If it meant you had to lose everything for Qian Kun, you would give everything in a flash.

Motivated, you labored away more than ever. Rarely ever leaving the station, you were hunched over and slaving over numerous tasks every day. A fool you would’ve been if you didn’t think Kun would notice. One thing could contest his love for the mystery of space and that thing was you. If his dear was feeling slowed down, he would pick you up and aid you.

“Let’s go get slushies.” He offered a hand out to you one late night, forehead covered in sweat from being stuck in a poorly air-conditioned room. You accepted his hand, letting him drag you on another summer adventure. Evil thoughts plagued your mind. Surely, this wouldn’t be the last trip?

The walk was mostly quiet, the only noise being made was when Kun nearly tripped over the curb.

(“How was I supposed to know that the curb was there!”

“By looking, sweetheart.”)

He bought you a cherry slushie, leaving him with a blueberry one. With syrupy hands, he grabbed yours and swang them between the two of you.

“Baby, can you enlighten me?”

Confused, “What’s up?”

Ah, Kun never fails to amaze you. He is simply too intelligent and observant for his own good.

“Are… you okay?”

“Nothing, precious.” A lie escapes you before you realize what you’re saying. Had you been so accustomed to lying that it slips out at this point?

Kun drags you to slow down, having you turn around and look at him. In the late summer evening with pink and orange mixing in the azure reflecting off his skin had your heart stop beating for a second. His plump pink lips were stained with blue and the sides of his hair were still wet from sweat. This picture perfect sight had you falling in love all over again. You wouldn’t see this scene again in an undetermined amount of time. If he went up to the beautiful atmosphere, how would you be able to hear his luscious voice? Could you bear to wake up every morning to a cold bed?

“Stop lying, (y/n).”

Another jump of faith this time more daring.

“I’m petrified.” You admit.

“Of what?” His voice is soft and gentle, so familiar and so heart-warming.  

“The future.” A tear falls from your eye and you feebly laugh. Where had it come from? Soon, you were full-on bawling. Kun rushes to your side in an instant, shushing you and hugging you.

Moments in life make us want to pause, rewind, fast forward, and record. In one instant, you wanted to complete all four. You would pause to savor this exact act and scene in life. If you were ever feeling down, you could rewind and relive this moment over again. To fast forward was dangerous, but it would need to be done to see the future for the two of you, something to look forward to. Finally, recording every single happening in this one frame to remember one of the last moments before the sky took away Qian Kun, your space boy.

“Baby, I’m scared too.” He reveals, shakily and nervously. “I don’t want to lose you, dear god I would collapse if I lost you.”

You nod, not able to respond or form a corrhent sentence. He speaks for you.

“You’re my first and last. Without you in my life, I would be so lost. I wouldn’t even be on the project for WayV! You’re my beginning and my end and everything in between. If you say no, I won’t do it. I will deny the project. Of course, NASA will be pissed at me,” he laughs, trembling upon your skin, “but if it’s to make you smile once more, even if it was one last time, I’ll do it.”

Rejection dances on the tip of your tongue. To say yes and have Kun next to you every day and night sounded like a fairytale. Your dream would truly come alive, yet where would Kun’s dream fall? With a heart begging no, ‘please don’t leave me,’ your mind wins once more against a terrible, cruel decision.

“My space boy, you’re so foolish. You have to go up there. No if, ands, or buts. That is final.”

With tears streaming down both of your faces, he tilts your head up and kisses you with more passion than the first night he confessed. It was a battle of love and bitterness. Your tongues fought over dominance, wanting to show the other their passionate feelings.

With blue and red tongues mixing and leaving each other’s lips with purple, bruised lips, you two took the longer route home. You might’ve minored in theatre, but you weren’t sure if majoring would’ve helped you from seeing Kun’s sparkling, chocolate-colored eyes. The entire time felt like you were under a lie detector. Perhaps in some alternate universe, the two of you would’ve never expressed your doubts..

Fall knocked at your door quicker than you had anticipated. Trips to the convenience store dwindled and stops at either Kun’s dorm or your apartment became more popular. Time was ticking away slowly and the two of you tried to spend as much time together. With each fun, spectacular day came with a night full of depression. Kun’s time was slowly draining and his launch date snuck up on you. He would be in space for nine months, one of the longest trips done in recent years. It terrified you but it motivated you to work harder than before. For him.

So that he can come back safe.

October 15, the day that was another page to mark in history and another date to burn in your mind. Waking up in your cold, sad apartment had you crying before you had even stepped into the bathroom. Traces of Kun were left all around. His hoodies, draped over chairs, left a cut in your heart, piercing every vein in your body. Fate was cruel. What was more cruel than fate was free will. If you said pleaded to him to not leave you, he would be next to you right now in the scalding, hot shower, leaving butterfly kisses across your nape.

Today would be another performance; a test of your acting abilities. To fool everyone and make them believe that you were the happy, supportive partner. Your mind drifted away at your workstation, not paying much attention to the world around you. People noticed and caught on fast, offering a hand when you needed an errand run down to Mission Control or a speedy calculation.

Never did anyone say you were good at acting.

Dreadfully, you glanced at the clock and gulped. Take-off is in less than two hours and Kun wouldn’t be able to see anyone in due time. You rush around the building, asking superiors and juniors if they had seen the boy. Following directions from Head of Security, you rapped your fist against the waiting room door.

“Come in.” A soft, possibly tearful, voice whispered, just loud enough to hear on the other side of the door.

Opening the door and closing it gently, a hug greeted you from inside the room. Vanilla overwhelmed your sense and you melted in Kun’s arms, gripping onto him with a strong force.

“Love--” You begin but are cut off abruptly by Kun’s lips crashing into yours. A pattern forms and you both fall into the rhythm, quiet moans slipping from the sinful mouths of both. Kun had this amazing power to make you lose all train of thought when with him and you forgot every dreadful moment leading up to this point until he broke away.

“Where do I start?” He laughs anxiously, a hand pushing away the hair in his face. “God, I’ll miss you so fucking much. It hurts so much thinking about it.” Kun takes your hand, dragging it to his chest and letting you feel his heartbeat. His heart beats rapidly and you clench the protective suit.

“I’ll miss you more.” You murmur, planting kisses upon his neck. He pulls away and chuckles at your sour expression.

“Let me talk for once. Doll, I truly will miss you. I ran to the convenience store to print out every photo I had of you in my phone so I would have it on the trip.” He snickers, a tear falling from his eye and you reach out to wipe it away. If only you could erase every tear he’ll have after he’s gone.“It’ll be hard, but I’ll try to record every day without you so you can watch it once I’m back. You know I don’t like talking about myself, but I’m so afraid of this trip. It’s dangerous as hell and there might be so many complications. Believe me, this world will not take me away without seeing you one last time. Don’t worry, baby. I will be okay.”

You were whimpering at this point and huffed stiffly with each passing second. Everything you wanted to hear was coming out of Kun’s mouth, but knowing that he’ll be gone in just a few hours stings at your skin. He recognizes this and rubs your back, letting you live in this scene. After your weeping slowed down, he requested a wish, something so personal and hopeful.

“You’ll wait for me?”

With a pathetic giggle, “If you bring me back a star.” He bursts out in laughter, doubling over. Always so lighthearted.

“I love you.” He confesses, a sorrowful expression painting his face.

“I love you more, space boy.”

Words left unspoken stopped at your tongue. Kun wouldn’t know that he was your star that night.

And the nights before.

He was the star of your life.

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

A cloud of white exhaust spreads over the sandy field and the whole of NASA erupts into joy. Many are hugging their friends, some are with their lovers. The cameras pan back to the crowd, bouncing around and cheering as the gigantic, white spacecraft launches itself into the sky. The launch was successful, no failures or any worries. You checked every single valve and bolt yourself, of course it would be perfect.

Watching through a glossy window, your hand touched where the earth met the sky. The more you stared into the abyss, the more you appreciated the beauty. It wasn’t a single shade of blue, no. The sky, your sky, mixed with all shades of baby blue and flecks of gold and white shimmered brightly. It was like if someone took a paintbrush and went over the canvas repeatedly until they ran out of paint. If this glistening azure sky was so gorgeous, how did the deep blues of space match up to this competitor?

The clouds earn the sky extra points but with images of stars from past years makes your heart flutter in amazement. Humankind has accomplished so much in such little time and you, scientists and creatives, are leading the battle for improvement. Kun is a pioneer to this philosophy. One of the most brilliant leaders.

All the pieces locked into place as you observed the last gusts of white sputter and disperse. The moon and its gravitational pull kept the earth from getting out of hand and too far away to connect. Kun was the moon and you were earth, constantly being pulled to Kun whenever you wanted to shut down and hide from everyone. The simile makes you smile and you peer up, a tear escaping your duct. Hopefully Kun is viewing you from the oh, so tiny aircraft.

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

Kun eyes the tiny earth, still strapped in his seat but able to obtain a view. He wishfully sighs, a smile breaking out onto his face.

He prays that you know he’s looking down at you, dreaming of a time where you could see something just as beautiful as right now.

Ah, maybe not as beautiful as he thought. He still has you, waiting patiently for his return. Now, you are the most ethereal sight he has ever had the chance to look at.

As soon as he receives the green from Mission Control, he unbuckles himself and moves to the supply room, reaching for one of the cameras and moving to a relatively quiet spot. With a deep breath, Kun turns on the camera.

“Hi baby, it’s your favorite space boy. Welcome to space, day 0!”

[imxthexhandler]

OOC: Why I haven’t been online or replying

OOC: I’m just going to place this under a cut for the details, since it does involve health (especially female health) issues, and not everyone wants to read that.

No, I’m not singling out men here. I have female friends that don’t like discussing certain health issues because it can cause a lot of anxiety for them, or because I’m not super close to them, or...they just don’t like reading people’s health issues. So no “wow can’t make men uncomfortable” comments, please. Thanks.

However, the short of it is (for those who don’t feel like reading), it’s not life-threatening, I’ll be fine, I just have to wait it out basically. That’s the main reason why I haven’t been chatting with people or posting much for this past week and a half.

So, two weeks ago, my best friend came over for one last visit before he starts his new job as a teacher aide in Japan next Spring and because we’ve seen every Avengers movie since AoU together--we had to for Endgame.

That week was...surprisingly hectic and crazy? It was a lot of fun, don’t get me wrong, but not nearly as relaxing as I hoped it would be. Add a couple of very late nights at the courthouse, trying to make my desk no longer a train wreck before my trip on top it, and...yeah.

Anyway, when he left, I felt rather physically ill. I even told my mom that I didn’t know if my battery was just so overdone at this point (because I immediately had to jump back into work) with all the socializing I did or if Drew and I caught something either during the D&D-themed pub crawl or during the opening night of Endgame. (Which, if you want to discuss with me, either message me on Skype, Discord, or through IMs, because I am NOT spoiling it for anyone)

This was last week. Around Wednesday, I physically felt better energy wise, but a new... “problem” arose.

I have ovarian cysts, one in each ovary--yay for symmetry... *sarcasm* Granted, while not as painful as last year (I literally could not stand up from the bathroom floor and I walked like a racist rendition of a geisha), these are still pretty bad. To the extent, I’ve nearly asked to go home early every damn day this week. I’ve also been suffering from extreme fatigue and heavy bleeding. Emphasis on the last part.

So basically, every day this week, I’ve come home, I’ve eaten dinner, and promptly pass out early. Then go to work the next day, trying to muster up some kind of energy to get through the stack of files and cases on my desk... It’s been a bad cycle. The cysts are so small, the doctor really recommended against surgery, which most cases in that scenario, I”m going to listen to the doctor. The best treatment is birth control pills, which I am on, but as the doc said, I was off them for so long, it may take a couple of cycles to get my body regulated again.

This...also hasn’t helped my mood, like at all. So, fluffy things are the best right now.

I’m going to end this here so I can hopefully nap before I have to get ready for work. Good night, everyone. Sorry for the long post.

[birdiethebibliophile]

{fic} Bundle Up

Fandom:  The Adventure Zone: Amnesty Rating:  G Warnings: None Relationship: Dani/Aubrey Little Word Count:  1,178

Here on AO3.

Minor spoilers for episode 12. Alternately titled, “Birdie heard Griffin say Dani was dressed like Randy from A Christmas Story to go skiing and had to go lie down for an hour.”

Tagging @voidfishkid!

Summary:  

After their skiing trip, Aubrey reflects on Dani and how she feels about her. (Spoiler alert: the answer is gay.)

__________________

It wasn’t that Aubrey hadn’t had crushes before.

She’d had plenty of them. Tan in seventh grade. Jenny in ninth. Pietro when she was sixteen, Tucker when she was seventeen, Rashmi when she was eighteen.

Aubrey liked people. Every once in a while she’d take a second to inform someone – whoever was closest, usually Dr. Harris Bonkers – that thank God she was bi, because she loved people. Getting crushes was part of that. Having friends was part of that!

It was just that… well.

There were crushes, and then there was Dani.

How long had they known each other? Not long. Two and a half months, little more. And somehow when Aubrey looked at her –

She knew what a crush felt like. Her face got hot, and she stammered, and her fingers twitched.

When she looked at Dani, it wasn’t like that – not quite. It was the first time (that day she found out she had magic powers), but since then?

Dani had become her best friend.

She looked at her, and warmth blossomed in her heart. She looked at her, and she felt safe.

“Hey.” Dani flicked her ear lightly. They were sitting in the lobby of the Lodge. Dani was curled up in a large armchair with Aubrey at her feet. Barclay had lit a fire, and there was a light snowfall outside. “Whatcha thinkin’ about so hard?”

“Nothing.” Aubrey waited until Dani’s eyes were back on her magazine to look up again.

It wasn’t like she was anything over-the-top, Aubrey thought. She wasn’t drop-dead beautiful or wicked smart or anything. But there was something about her.

She had her feet up on the chair, tucked in like a cat. She was resting her head on the back of the chair as she read, long blonde hair draped over her shoulders in half-tangles. (Dani’s hair was always a little tangled.) She was wearing some of her coziest clothes – sweatpants and a worn flannel over a t-shirt and big fuzzy socks. As Aubrey watched, she scratched her nose where it was sunburnt and freckled from their skiing trip earlier that day. Her hands were a little too big and her eyebrows were a little too bushy and her smile was a little too wide.

Every single one of those things made Aubrey feel that same warmth.

Dani had put on about eighteen layers that morning before they left for the slopes. Snowpants and jackets and a hat with a pom-pom and a big, slightly lopsided scarf that she tucked in and said that Barclay had made for her. She’d pulled on mittens and socks and zipped up everything that needed to be zipped up and then she laughed because she could barely put her arms down and admitted that maybe she’d overdone it, but if she was planning on falling, at least she’d be cushioned.

Aubrey had stared as Dani snapped her ski goggles over her eyes and crinkled her nose.

Looking at Dani, Aubrey thought, was like walking into the lobby of Amnesty Lodge. It was an immediate feeling of home, of safe, of warm. It was a feeling of oh, this is what I’ve been looking for, a feeling of I can leave Dr. Harris Bonkers here and he’ll be fine, a feeling of they’ll understand why I can’t go home.

“Y’sure you don’t have anything on your mind?” Dani asked.

Aubrey laughed awkwardly and stretched. “Just tired, I guess. Skiing took a lot out of me.”

“Same here.” Dani reached down and caught Aubrey’s hand and held it against the chair’s seat in a way that seemed always absentminded. “Jake’s great, I love him to pieces, but that boy loves his powder. I don’t know how he does it all the time.”

“Oh, practice, probably,” Aubrey said, lobbing a fireball into the fire to make it a little brighter, a little warmer. “I did great at all my stunts, though, especially that last one.”

Dani laughed. “Yeah, that last one was real – real impressive. Hey, Aubrey?”

“Yeah?”

“I really liked hangin’ out with you today,” Dani said softly. “I know Jake an’ Barclay were there too, but I see them all the time, we’re buds.”

“We hang out too,” Aubrey said. “Maybe not a lot, but some?”

“I’d like to hang out more,” Dani said.

“Oh.” Aubrey’s heart sped up, and there it was, that old familiar face-warming words-stammering hands-shaking feeling. But also it felt like she’d just chugged an entire mug of Barclay’s tea, that warming-you-from-the-inside-out, someone-cares feeling. That Dani feeling, she thought. “Like… hanging out? Like friends?”

“Well, I was thinkin’ maybe more like a date,” Dani said.

“Yes!” Aubrey said immediately, almost cutting Dani off, then giggled. “Yeah. Yeah, we still haven’t gone to the hot springs. Or maybe we can go to Gino’s?”

“Gino’s sounds good,” Dani said. “You like mushroom and onion pizza?”

“Hell yeah I do,” Aubrey said. “Just you and me? Not anybody else?”

“Not anybody else,” Dani confirmed. She laughed. “Hopefully we won’t get interrupted by Mama toppling in the door or FBI agents bursting in or whatever else keeps happening around here.”

“Yeah.” Aubrey sighed and leaned back against the chair, realizing her hand was still in Dani’s. “I liked hanging out with you today, too.” She paused, then said, in a bit of a rush, “and I thought you were really cute in all your snowclothes.”

Dani laughed so hard she snorted. “I looked ridiculous!”

“You looked cute,” Aubrey said firmly. “You look cute now.”

“You look cute too, Aubrey,” Dani said. “I always kinda wish I could pull off that punk style, but I’m stuck square in country girl territory.”

“You’re a vampire,” Aubrey pointed out. “There is nothing more punk than that.”

“Good point.” Dani’s forehead furrowed slightly. “You’re… okay with that, by the way?”

“Dating a vampire?” Aubrey exclaimed, and then, more quietly a second later, “I mean, going on a date with a vampire? Hell yeah, dude! I think it’s rad as hell!”

“If you really think it’s that rad…” Dani let go of Aubrey’s hand and fiddled with her bracelet, taking it off. Immediately, her skin started glowing slightly, her eyes went from their usual yellow-green to a bright orange the color of a sunset, and her mouth filled with long, sharp teeth.

“So rad,” Aubrey said, sitting up on her knees.

“Still cute?” Dani teased.

“Cuter than ever,” Aubrey said with a grin. “I like your teeth.”

“They’re a little sharp,” Dani said. “I mean, obviously, but, uh.” She paused. “I was gonna say they wouldn’t be too good for kissing, but I really don’t know.”

“What, nobody’s kissed you?” Aubrey said incredulously.

“Not in a dog’s age, at least. And not a human.”

“Well.” Aubrey bit her lip and fidgeted. “We could fix that. If you want.”

“I’d like that, Aubrey,” Dani said, and smiled with every one of her sharp teeth.

When Aubrey kissed her it was awkward and cute and her heart said home, home, home and she hoped Dani’s was saying that as well.

[captainsimagines]

RENT - Part 6

In which eight old friends in dire need move in together for one year. 

Warnings: language; mentions of drug overdose; mentions of drugs; PTSD; Bucky being stupid lol

Word Count: 4,800+

A/N: Is this a late AS FUCK update or what? I'm sorry, but writer’s block is a bitch. Enjoy, babes.

PART SIX

Natasha - “Tango: Natasha”

(5) (7)

TEN YEARS AGO

“I just... need some time for myself.”

Steve shuffled slightly on the hot concrete, head down and face somber. The extra heat this spring made soccer practice that much more difficult. Although, Natasha’s words added a foreign heat within his chest- one that he chose to ignore.

He didn’t want to look Natasha in the eyes because if he knew himself, he would break down sobbing in the middle of the quad. But surprisingly, he held it together and managed to look up for once, taking in her purple highlights mixed in somewhere with all that blonde, just blazing in the spring sunlight. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” he replied, interlocking his fingers with hers for the last time. Natasha stuttered over her next few words, pulling her hand back and giving Steve an equally devastating grin.

“Alone, babe.”

He didn’t want to fight and he didn’t want to pressure her. All he could think about was Sam’s constant blabbering about love and how it never works. ‘If you love something or someone, let it free!’ Sam would cry, making his words even more dramatic with the sound effects he would include. Gunshots, bell noises, yodeling- literally anything you can think of to make Sam even more annoying than he already was.

But Steve ignored his inspirational words, letting go of Natasha physically but not emotionally.

Natasha stood from the playground bench and dusted herself off. “You understand, right?”

No, he didn’t.

“Yeah. Some time apart might do us good.”

With an almost unnoticeable nod, Natasha walked away and left Steve to ponder about what the hell just happened. Two years they had dated and Natasha woke up one morning calling it quits. Steve knew she must have had her reasons, but he forgot to ask what they were.

With a broken heart and a wad of cash in one hand, Natasha sprinted down the alleyway looking for a familiar face. Checking to see if the coast was clear, she jumped up and held onto the balcony railing, pulling herself up and unlocking the bedroom window. On the inside sat a couple men in a circle, each rolling up their own specialty treat.

“Where’s Scott?” Natasha asked, avoiding eye contact at all possible costs.

No one responded, but one man pointed through the doorway and resumed his work. Natasha followed instructions, heading through the wooden, swinging doors. Once in, she saw the man she bargained with almost every week.

“I’ve got his money,” Natasha sighed, holding up the cash and stuffing her free hand in her pocket. Scott looked up from his paperwork and hummed, holding his hand up in the air so Natasha could throw it.

“Think he’ll have the rest ready by next week?” Scott asked, putting the money in a nearby drawer.

“He’d be lucky to have half.”

Scott chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “I’m sorry you have to do this for him.”

Natasha gave a nonchalant shrug, struggling to hide her true feelings about the whole situation. “He’s my dad. If I can’t get him off the needle then the least I can do is make sure he doesn’t go into massive debt.”

Scott opened another drawer and threw Natasha a new iPod, with new headphones and everything. “For all your hard work.”

Natasha rolled the gift over in her hands and sighed deeply, “You don’t have to.”

Scott held his hand up, “Don’t even mention it. You deserve so much more. Now go, before the scum of the operation show up.”

Natasha always took that advice, leaving from the same window she climbed through to get in. And every single time she left Scott to run his business to enter her own reality, Natasha wanted to scream. She wanted to scream and run away, tell you, Sam, Bucky... Steve!- about everything she had to fix and suffer with everyday after school.  

Ironically, the entrance into her own reality allowed her to finally scream once she opened her father’s bedroom door to let him know she got home safely, that she was heartbroken over Steve and wanted to talk, that she had dealt with his debt and would most likely take care of it next month as well. Rolling him over and slapping him repeatedly did nothing- shaking him and yelling did nothing- and when she dragged his limp body from his messy bed and removed his clothing to submerge him in the freezing tub water, it did nothing. So, she called 911 and sat on the closed toilet seat while watching her father’s index finger twitch every so often, his eyeballs brushing alongside his thin blue eyelids as if he were peacefully dreaming.  

TEN YEARS LATER

Steve stumbled out of bed, stretching his sore muscles and cracking almost every bone. Looking over at the clock he noticed it was only six in the morning, December 24th, early as shit.  

He wrapped a blanket around his shoulders before standing from his bed to walk to the bathroom, eyes closed halfway and body sagging. Without thinking twice because let’s face it, he has only had roommates for three days now, he pushed open the bathroom door to take his morning piss. 

 “Oh my god!”  

Steve tumbled to the ground at the sudden yell, scrambling across the floor to find some sort of balance. “I am so sorry!” 

You held the towel close to your wet body, an expression of surprise and absolute mortification etched into your sleepy face. You rushed to the door to close it, to slam it in the pervert’s face, but you were quickly met with another tired individual who rubbed at his eyes in order to make sure he was seeing what he was really seeing. Except this individual- the exact individual responsible for your perplexed state- ran in with a handgun held high.  

“What’s going on?”  Bucky’s yells of confusion and Steve’s cries of “Bucky! Fuck! Bucky, put that shit down!” coupled with your outbursts of curses as well. You shielded your face, as if that was going to stop a bullet, and Steve just held onto the side of the door, looking in between you and the scared veteran.  

“Boy, if you don’t-“ Sam stumbled in, yawning until he noticed Bucky’s current weapon in hand. “Oh, hell!”  

It was a funny scene, a rather comical one, one that neither one of you would ever forget, but it caused mayhem. Two men cowering on the floor, you gripping onto the sink both angry and terrified, and Bucky just being... Bucky? No, he wasn’t in that moment because his sudden approach to the whole situation was a bit overdone and exaggerated. That was saying something- running in with a loaded handgun, and all. 

All of you fiddled with your fingers and knocked your knees together, avoiding eye contact with the one and only Peggy Carter.  

She stood there with her arms crossed, her left foot tapping, and her eyebrows raised in an almost comical sense. “Well?” 

It was silent for a second, just for a bloody second, before Steve spoke and if he had known any better, he would have realized that his input wasn’t really needed. “I didn’t even know Y/N was here...” 

The three of you facepalmed. You could literally feel Peggy’s cheeks redden in absolute anger.  

“Okay... let’s get one thing straight,” Peggy started, pacing slowly from one side of the room to the other. You were sat in between Steve and Sam, normal clothes on now, hiding your face in your hands. “Why is there a gun in the apartment?” 

You all looked at Bucky. He cleared his throat and shrugged. “Ex-vet.”  

Peggy’s face seemed to change dramatically, almost as if she understood the obvious struggle. “I understand... but Bucky, I have to ask- why was your first instinct to pull out your gun?”  

Bucky looked to the floor, “Like you said, it’s an instinct.”  

Steve shuffled slightly, changing the focus for Bucky’s sake. “Why did no one tell me Y/N was here?”  

“Dude, you got home at like... two,” Sam answered. You decided to finally speak up.  

“I needed a place to crash for a couple of nights. Only until I get this creep to stop following me home.”  

Bucky was about ready to pull his gun again, obviously forgetting it was in the hands of the ex-cop. “Some guy is following you?” 

You brushed off his surprise, “It’s fine. Luke’s got it covered.”  

Sam almost flew off the couch, “Ooo! Who’s Luke?”  

Answering for you, Steve waved his hands. “Co-worker who could beat all of ours asses... at once.”  

“Alright,” Bucky fist-bumped. “I trust this, Luke!”  You rolled your eyes and stood from the couch.

“Yeah, and I also have to head to work.”  

“Woah, this early in the morning?” Sam asked.  You sighed and went to grab your backpack. “Lunch time is when we get the most customers. Working during that time is considered a freaking privilege.” 

It was silent again and no one knew what else to say. You pulled on your coat and grabbed your gym bag, looking over the people standing in the below-freezing living room. 

“Um... do you guys want me to pick up dinner?”

With a couple shrugs and slight mumbles, you nodded your head and sighed. Ducking your head to the floor, you quickly left the apartment with a heavy weight on your shoulders- the weight obviously resembling unspoken feelings about everything. It wasn’t love, it wasn’t jealousy- it was just so uncomfortable.

“Get up,” Wanda said, slamming the fluffiest pillow she could find onto Natasha’s back. “You have work, babe!”

Natasha groaned and rolled over, tucking her hornet’s-nest of bed hair underneath the mountain of pillows on the king-sized bed. 

“Babe, if you’re late again I don’t think I could convince your boss to let you keep your job.”

“Okay,” Natasha drawled out, rolling over and over until her leg hung off the side of the bed. “I’ll be right there.”

“Alright.” Wanda scurried across the bedroom, putting on her earrings and stepping into the high heels she had recently bought. “I’ll see you at dinner?”

Natasha finally rolled off the bed, still wrapped in the duvet and warm as a child on Christmas. “Yeah, definitely.”

Multi-tasking. That’s what Natasha does best. With a dead-end job and poor income from her side, Natasha felt as though her love for Wanda was all she had to offer. She loved her, with all her heart, and if that meant suffering while making hundreds of copies of a single sheet of paper and texting Scott about the money she just acquired, then so be it. 

Natasha struggled to leave that part of her life behind but the sudden rush it would give her was just too addicting and every time she brought home a little extra dough, Wanda would smile. And not one those, ‘I haven’t seen you all day, let’s go to bed’ smiles, but the one that clearly illustrates compassion and acknowledgment. She was trying, and Wanda realized that. 

No, Wanda did not know about Natasha’s side business- no one did nor will anyone ever know.  She no longer aided in her father’s downfall, but she did it for herself. Deal with purpose, Natasha would say, sneaking through every dark alley in New York City with her key positioned in between her index and middle finger. 

“Are the copies almost finished?” T’Challa asked, walking into the copy room to check on his new proposal. Natasha hummed her response, handing him the fifty copies she had already piled up. 

“Will you be taking an early lunch break as well, today?”

Natasha shrugged and answered with a quiet ‘sure’, giving T’Challa the last of the copies. 

Lunch breaks for Natasha consisted of two things: actual lunch and a drug deal almost always going right. It was the rarest occurrence for a drug deal to go horribly wrong, the only instance being when Natasha had to stab some guy in the neck to get him to leave her alone. But Scott didn’t mind, he really didn’t- the less of those crooked men buying his drugs, the better. A weird drug dealer Scott was, but that’s what made him the best and it’s what kept Natasha around for so long. 

“Care to join me?” 

Natasha leaned back just a little, surprised by her boss’s question. “Why, may I ask?”

It was T’Challa’s turn to shrug. “I just want some company.” 

So she agreed, quickly returning to her desk to shut down her computer and pick up her purse.  

“I wanted to tell someone. Even a complete stranger...”

Natasha rolled her eyes and sipped her drink casually. “I bring you your coffee everyday.”

T’Challa seemed to shrink, his hands coming to rest on his thighs as he stared at his untouched lunch.

“I’m sorry about that,” he admits, looking around the restaurant, at nothing in particular. 

“It’s not even my job,” Natasha continues, picking at her fries now and debating whether she should challenge her boss even more. “When I made you get my coffee, it was your job. Interns get coffee.”

T’Challa tried his best to hide his smirk, finally lifting his full burger to his mouth. 

“I’m not meant to get your coffee, boss,” Natasha declared, crossing her arms and staring at the man whose mouth was currently full of food. “Interns, I tell ‘ya.”

“I admit I make you get my coffee because you annoyed me with that bowl-cut you once sported.”

Natasha’s face twitched slightly but in an amusing way, allowing T’Challa to label this lunch as friendly and overdue. “My girlfriend was never good with scissors. It was the only style I could manage.” 

T’Challa nodded, “You will no longer get my coffee.”

“Wow, my prayers have been answered.”

“Because I’m quitting.”

Natasha spit out her french fry and watched it land near her boss’s soda. The two were silent for a moment before Natasha reached over and grabbed the potato, wrapping it in a napkin. 

“Quitting?”

“I don’t want to be apart of the mess my father has made. I don’t want my name anywhere near it.”

“So, your plan is to run?”

“Excuse me?”

Natasha no longer sipped her drink but gulped it, nervousness spilling from the sides of her lips. “I mean, you could stay and fix it. But if you want to quit, then quit.”

T’Challa couldn’t remember the last time he spoke to someone who wasn’t trying to sign his name onto a piece of paper. It was sort of comfortable and new, a feeling T’Challa used to be well acquainted with. With a change in position and a whole new outlook on life, it was almost distasteful in the eyes of capitalism. He should be destroying buildings and constructing new and shinier ones, writing checks and stamping the outbox letters, attending gala after gala to bring home the prettiest woman there! All for the cameras, all for the spotlight, and for what exactly? 

“I am not running.”

“I take it back,” Natasha stated, slurping the ice cubes from her empty glass. “But it’s what an intern would do.” 

 “You were met with a what this morning?”

You had to stifle your giggles after telling Luke about your rude awakening. The shower did nothing to freshen you up, but the gun, oh that worked perfectly. You quickly extracted the dollar bills from your clothing to hand them over to Luke for safe keeping. Not many of the girls did it, but everyone trusted Luke. If you didn’t have a break to put the money you earned for that hour in your locker, he would gladly keep it safe in a respected pile. 

“All three of these guys I went to high school with. It was like choir all over again, except with guns instead of horribly practiced piano.”

Luke shook his head in disapproval, sliding a full glass of beer to the man down the isle. “Why does a man suffering with PTSD have a gun, anyway?”

You set down your tray of empty glasses and stared at Luke in confusion. “PTSD?”

“Sounds like a bad case if his first instinct was to kill.”

You sucked in a single ragged breath, focusing on Luke’s chin while you formulated your response to that. Bucky? PTSD? Sure, you knew he was excited to join the army after high school and ‘save the world’, he would say. He definitely wasn’t the same man considering ten years had passed since you last saw him- what, with the full grown beard, muscular build, and constant smoking habit. Oh, you could smell his breaks each time he left his bed in the middle of the night to smoke through the broken window in the living room. But PTSD? How hadn’t you figured that out by just this morning’s encounter?

“You think?”

Luke sighed and nodded, “The guy probably feels safe with that gun under his pillow. That’s enough info.”

You grimaced, “I don’t feel safe knowing it’s even there.”

“Understandable. But what are you going to do? Take it away from him?”

You chuckled slightly, picking the tray back up now that Luke changed the empty glasses to full ones. “It already has been. Steve’s neighbor took it without even asking.”

“You planning to stay there again tonight?”

You groaned, “I’m picking my shit up after my shift.”

Luke opened his mouth to speak but your boss rounded the corner to interrupt. 

“Do I pay you to talk to the whores?”

Luke breathed through his nose and scrunched the napkin in his hand. You ignored your boss’s gruesome remark and instead looked over at your friend, silently begging him not to risk it. Luke resisted, like always, and whispered a small ‘sorry’. You gave Luke a little grin, walking over to the booth with the drinks and your famous hip sway.

“Could you just keep her company for a few minutes while I arrange the paperwork? She came all the way from the upper east-side because she heard my classes were just that good.”

Steve sighed but agreed anyway, because refusing the simplest request from Peggy was near damn impossible. “Sure thing.”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” Peggy cheered, grabbing her phone to head to her small office space. “I won’t be long! She’ll be here any minute!”

“I’ll make sure she enjoys herself.”

“Don’t scare her off, Rogers!” 

“I won’t-!”

“Peggy?”

A small yet shrill voice sounded from the side of the studio. Peggy waved at her new customer.

“Wanda! So glad you could make it. Steve, here, will keep you company while I handle something real quick. I’ll be right back!”

“O-“ Peggy left before she could finish her sentence. “-K.” 

“Um, hi! I’m Steve and I probably can’t teach you tango but I’m good company.”

Wanda set her stuff down and walked toward the middle of the room. “It’s alright.” 

The air was thin for some unknown reason, but Wanda could have sworn she had the right idea. His last name sounded familiar, oh so familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. There was a heavy weight in her stomach and she begged silently for Peggy to come back. “Want to dance anyway?” 

Steve chucked, “I don’t really dance.”

“Why are you here, then?”

Steve released a long “Uhhhhh...” before he crouched down to check if his shoes were neatly tied. 

“You sound familiar,” Wanda verbally admits, walking over to her bag to get her dancing shoes. “Not your voice, obviously, but your name.”

“I’m not really recognizable,” Steve joked, patiently waiting for Wanda to put on her shoes or for Peggy to save this awkward encounter. 

“Did we go to college together?” 

“I went to NYU for like... a year.”

Wanda knew. She knew who Steve was. It took a few seconds, a few quick glances, but she knew who was standing in front of her. There was no way she could miss it considering Steve’s name spilled from Natasha’s lips every single day. Steve used to say this- Steve used to do that!- Steve was my first love!- it would never end. And it never bothered Wanda before because there wasn’t a time in her life where she thought she would ever meet the guy. 

“Nevermind.”

She was going to nudge it out, reveal their similarities in partners, out of spite and a little out of pride. 

“My girlfriend was going to go there but she decided to go to community college instead.” 

“No shame in that,” Steve said, walking over to the stereo to start Peggy’s music and completely oblivious.

Wanda pushed further. “Yeah, Natasha was always destined for great things anyway!”

Steve stumbled a bit, clicking the buttons and blinking repeatedly. It was like he was slapped in the face with her constant, agitating tone. “That’s nice!”

Well, what else could he say? It was only a coincidence, Steve thought. There was no way the world was that small. However, Steve wasn’t stupid and knew there was a catch with this woman. If he ever knew Natasha, then he would understand the reason Wanda had traveled to the depths of fucking Brooklyn to take a dance class with a complete stranger. It was the same feeling Steve experienced when he was dating her- a feeling Wanda, without a doubt, was suffering under.

So he decided to play Wanda’s game for a while longer, nodding along to whatever ‘new’ information Wanda fed him about Natasha- how she dyed her hair red after the blonde completely killed her hair, how she studied in communications, and how she works for a brilliant martial arts studio in the winter. 

Steve wasn’t about to lose this battle no matter how much he wanted to laugh at her silly attempts at picking at his insecurities. He wanted to catch Wanda completely off-guard, and that’s exactly what he did. 

“Natasha sounds so different from when I used to sleep with her.”

It was low. A low blow. An incredibly derogatory, pitiful, but necessary low blow. 

“Excuse me?”

The music sounded lowly, a quiet tango enveloping the two rivals. “I didn’t mean it in-”

“What did you mean, Steve?” Wanda seethed, angry that her attempts at making Steve crumble snapped back at her. The comment wasn’t even directed toward her and Wanda almost begged for it to be, but the comment centered around the love of her life. Steve insulted Natasha and all she wanted was for Steve to insult her.

“You were just going on and on! You obviously knew who I was!” Steve yelled quietly, not wanting to alert Peggy of the commotion.

“No,” Wanda said, reaching for Steve’s hands and interlocking their fingers in a tight stance, their chests resting against each other’s. “You meant something else.”

A rock to hide under sounded so good right about now. “I just wanted to make you mad.”

Wanda didn’t appreciate his response, even if she did egg him on. She was hurt, emitting the emotion throughout the studio to the one person she believed deserved to be on the receiving end. 

“Hey, you’re dating my ex. Small world, but you don’t have to make me jealous about it. It’s been ten years.”

Wanda stuttered when Peggy pulled the door to her office open, both her and Steve standing close in a not-so compromising position. It felt like one, though.

“Hey! You’re dancing! Okay, I’ll only be a few more minutes!”

Then the door shut again, the music seemed to become louder, and the anger radiating from the small girl in front of Steve clogged his brain. 

“This is weird.”

Steve twirled Wanda once, impressed by how quickly she snapped back into his arms, almost as if she was challenging him again with freakin’ tango. “It’s weird.”

Wanda groaned, backing up slightly but still allowing Steve to lead. “Very weird.”

“Fucking weird.”

“I’m so mad that I don’t know what to do,” she admitted, taking the liberty of leading from now on since Steve was so horrible at the simple task. “She skipped dinner and I had reservations! I was freezing while waiting for her outside that damn restaurant and to top it all off I’m with you!”

Steve swayed to the music, studying Wanda’s swirls of madness creeping from the sides of her eyes. It was familiar and from that moment on, Steve used the music and dancing to channel her anger from her. “Oh, I know this act.”

Wanda released her grip from one of Steve’s hands, unraveling and spreading her arms out. “What act?”

“It’s called, the Tango: Natasha.”

Wanda completely untangled herself from Steve, pushing him away to stare in bewilderment. “That sounds so fucking stupid.”

“Yeah,” Steve chuckled, crossing his arms and smirking. “It’s a dark, dizzy merry-go-round where she keeps you dangling and you never know what to expect! She skipped dinner, you said?”

Wanda shuffled uncomfortably, “You’re wrong.”

“She skipped dinner and her excuse was that she simply forgot, right?”

Wanda huffed a loud breath of air, “It’s different with me.”

“But you toss and you turn because her cold eyes can burn, and you’re waking up to the same routine all over again. Right?”

Wanda shook the thoughts from her head. Everything Steve was saying was unbelievably true, so sickeningly true, and her stomach was starting to churn. “Did you swoon when she walked through the door?”

Steve grinned, looking at his feet. “Everytime, so be cautious.”

Wanda rolled her eyes but persisted, “What did you think she was doing every time she skipped out?”

Steve sighed heavily and responded with a shrug. He held his hand out for her to take, eager to start the dance again instead of talking about an ex he hadn’t even spoken to since graduation. “I never assumed the worst of her. I loved her. She was just so secretive that it was slowly killing me.”

Wanda followed Steve around the studio, absentmindedly dancing for a while before she pushed him away again. Steve stumbled back but before he could ask why she did it, Wanda practically screeched, “She cheated!”

“Woah, woah! What makes you think she cheated on me?”

“No, not with you! Even though I see why she would, but she cheated on me!”

Steve stuffed the back-handed compliment deep within his chest. It wasn’t the right time to dissect that proposal. Still, he didn’t feel like comforting his ex-girlfriend’s, new girlfriend- someone he barely met- because it was just so weird. 

“I doubt Natasha would-”

“I’m defeated, I should give up right now,” Wanda sputtered almost incoherently, running over to her bag to pack her things. 

“Hey, don’t just assume-”

“Okay! Let’s dance!”

Steve stood completely still, eyes dramatically landing on Peggy and Wanda, Peggy and Wanda, until he threw his hands up. “Well, that’s my cue! I’ll start fixing the floor tomorrow, Peggy.”

Peggy happily giggled, unaware of the fight and revelations that just sneaked into the hard cracks on her studio floor. 

“Where did you say he was?” Natasha asked, climbing through the all-to-familiar window. 

“Out back.” 

“Thanks.”

The apartment smelled like smoke. Not from a cigarette or a fire, but days old smoke that made even the heaviest drug addict sick to their stomach. Scott didn’t dare stay there for more than two hours. He only sat, received the money his clients made that week, and left. Each client came and went, one after the other with a fifteen minute division between each of them. No one knew each other, no one fought, and no one would even know they were working for Scott unless they stayed at his place for more than requested. 

“Got it all?”

Natasha threw the wad towards him and lifted a single finger.  “Don’t underestimate me.”

“I never do,” Scott smiled, taking out his checkbook to write the monthly allowance. “Still coming to the workshop this week?”

Natasha nodded, gladly accepting her earnings. “Teaching people how to fight? A fun hobby.”

“Well, when I’m not dealing heroin it’s a wonderful pastime!”

Natasha smirked and waved a small goodbye to her second boss. However, her day seemed to tragically rust because there was always that one person who found out- someone who didn’t follow the rules- and could possibly ruin the whole operation. 

“I didn’t know Lang employed women.”

Stepping from the window onto the ground, Natasha clicked her key and shoved it between her fingers. She wanted to kill him, scream at him for pissing on Scott’s brilliant business tactics. 

“You’re fifteen minutes early.” 

The man shrugged and turned his head to chuckle, allowing Natasha to scan his body up and down. His pale skin made the smallest scratches visible, even the noticeable needle marks along his arms. If Natasha took anything away from this type of business, any rule that could follow her for the rest of her life, it would be that no one experiments with the merchandise if you’re actively selling it. 

But Scott wouldn’t argue with it, because the more people he got hooked was just income. 

“I see no problem here. Our little secret,” the man snickered, stepping around Natasha and climbing through that damn window. 

A/N: WOW FUCKING KILL ME! I PROMISE THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE WONDERFUL LMFAO I HATE MYSELF!

TAG LIST: @4theluvofall @ihavemymomentsstill @sumafamouxx @chook007 @shrekssunflowers @seems-sosimple @evyiione @fireflyloki28 @smollyssa 

[sketchysaniwa]

Halfway Saniwa (Ch.3)

{Chapter 3: Welcome to the World}

<Japanese> “English” ‘thoughts’ The next week was a big day, it would be the first time she could step outside of the sterile room.  Dressed in with a simple attire, Kaiita waited with baited breath outside a door which attached to a partition chamber separating her from the outside world. She could see people on the other side of the room, some resembled doctors or something she’d  assume to be so- and the other- was dressed unlike anything she’d been prepared for. 

< Ready Kaiita-san?>

The text dialogue translated the Japanese for her spoken over the intercom, and swallowing any doubt she gave a curt nod in reply. There was a sound of hissing air passing back and forth through a vent as the first pair of doors opened, slid apart for her, and only then did it finally click they were oddly ornate- resembling a technological version of shoji partition doors. Kaiita steps inside the inner chamber and they slide closed behind her with a finality that made her neck break into goosebumps. “I’m detecting an increase in your heartrate Kaiita-sama, please relax, everything will be just fine.” Spoke the four legged companion in her arms. Ever since the Konnosuke arrived, he hadn’t left her side; they patiently acted as a companion and part time stuffed animal with complimentary warmer pads inside their body to curl up next to during the night. Now they accepted role of confidant, held secure against the girls front like a cat but giving off a sense they were anything but a simple PET. “ I-…right, you’re right.”

Another hissing sound reached her ears and she could sense the air moving around her. Instantly she could tell the difference- there was an aroma other than just… nothing reaching her nose. Over time in a perfectly sterile room smells like that which came off her food, and the soaps she was provided for cleansing, were much more pronounced.  But unlike those, this hit her like a wave- and she knew EXACTLY what it was. “..sakura?” she uttered the word and a picture of what they were came to mind- but why would she smell something like that? “Ah yes- it is spring after all! We are on the 2nd floor and this wing is close to the open balcony of the building. Come come-! Let’s go see them Kaiita-sama! I’m sure they will lift your spirits.”

The second doors cracked open and more air flooded in, gliding over her skin, informing her that outside it was much warmer. Standing before her as she exited, were 2 people who she could confirm now were doctors due to their name tags, someone who looked like a secretary or manager- basically they wore a suit and beside them was-

“Hajimemashite- Kaiita-san, watashi wa Keiko desu, mata aete ureshii.” < It’s a pleasure to meet you Kaiita-san, I’m Keiko, I’m happy to see you again.> The translation of what Keiko spoke appeared on a clear tablet plate she was holding and spoke it verbally as well in her own voice. “Amazing…” she breathed, watching as it translated even her reaction back to the woman … making the miko laugh.

Yes, a miko, at least she appeared to be.

Kaiita could recognize the crimson hakama, the clean white haori, and even the patterned outer coat or robe that was tied from shoulder to shoulder in a red cord. “I mean- it’s good to see you face to face Keiko-san, “ she continued, unable to stop herself from analyzing the woman’s attire. This didn’t go unnoticed and Keiko smiled almost knowingly. <Unless your companion has already explained, I am not just a miko, as you will come to understand, I am a saniwa as well. There will be much more to explain but first, tell me- how do you feel?> While she hadn’t had much time to get to know this woman very well, up close Kaiita could get a sense now that this woman was somehow…’ bigger’ than she really looked. Somehow her presence didn’t match the petite figure and demure face. It was like something other than her body heat was pressing up against Kaiita and it make her fidget in place- unable to do anything about it. “I feel good.” She replied, “ It’s nice and warm out here. It smells good too, Konnosuke said there are sakura outside?” <Ah! Yes, I suppose you can smell them couldn’t you, come with me and I’ll show you to the balcony.  However, I must ask you to prepare yourself, while I’m sure you’ve never seen Japan before… this is more than just simple city. > Ah- yes, this was the distant future right? She almost forgot- what? Were their flying ships or space stations in the sky? Kaiita wondered this and more as she followed behind Keiko who walked with a soft sound of a bell in her step. The doctors meanwhile were following, along with that person in a suit. They were talking amongst themselves as they passed little batons and tapped various menus and devices on their own tablet screens. Out of the corner of her eye Kaiita could think she saw an MRI scan of herself, with various other similar charts that overlapped different parts of her body. What stuck out also was an odd fluctuating image of her body that almost reminded her of one of those new age color spectrum maps of the human aura. 

The hall didn’t go for very long, and she noticed a few other rooms of similar fashion to her own but all were empty it seemed. They took a right and the hall became a windowed view, and that’s when Kaiitas breath did catch her throat. 

Keiko touched a section of the window and suddenly it parted- after forming edges seemingly out of nowhere! They too slid aside from one another like a shoji door and Kaiita followed her outside onto the balcony.  There was the city below them, and from this edge she could see their building was done up in a style resembling a castle- but it was far more complex with  several other towering sections with the same ornate tiered roofs. Below a rather modern city sprawled out before her, and it wouldn’t have been so impressive than any other metropolis in the 21th century had it not been for the small details. Many sky trains rode back and forth on tracks that seemed to hover in the air. Cars looked more or less the same if more a bit more stylized, and then she could see projected signs from the second floor on the street across from their building. They changed and animated on their own! Thankfully it wasn’t too overdone- like some sci-fi vegas- but the city gave off a far more automated look than anything she could think of. 

This was okay, it wasn’t too startling for her at all, but it DID hammer in the idea she wasn’t in her own era any longer. Thankfully the future didn’t look too alien that Kaiita couldn’t handle it- for now. Coming closer to the edge of the balcony she could see a heavy tree line of blooming sakura illuminated by floating lanterns. They were attached to nothing, they just hung in mid air with no strings and probably no flame inside. Yet they glowed and flickered with a light unlike any bulb she’d seen. The breeze blew a waft of their flowers perfume up to her and she visibly sighed.

< What do you think?> Keiko was looking at her, and Kaiita thought it over a moment before answering.

“…its…different, but not too much. I think if I saw space ships I might have freaked out. “ < Oh they exist, just…  they are out in space- like satellites would be. And they are certainly not for commercial use.> “Oh…” all the girl could do was blink at the senior saniwa, who proceeded to giggle in amusement. At least someone was finding this funny. Still Keiko was sympathetic, and she reached out to pat Kaiita’s shoulder- albeit..hesitantly, seeing if she was relaxed enough. Kaiita didn’t resist and in that moment of non-verbal consent Keiko smiled more warmly at her. < I understand you’re being very brave right now. There may come a time soon when you may feel overwhelmed, and I would advise you to not bottle that up. Be open as much as you can, it will make your adjustments easier if you can face those emotions directly. For now, you needn’t be too concerned about acclimatizing to an alien world- not where you are going.> This was... comforting but odd, what did Keiko mean by that last part? She conveyed her curiosity with a raised brow at the tiny creature still held in her arms.

“What Keiko-san means is you will be leaving this building and being sent somewhere else. Somewhere… a ‘bit more your pace.’ The arrangements are being made, as it appears the doctors have approved you are ready for transfer.” Konnosuke’s response drew the girl’s attention back to the doctors who indeed seemed to look approving of her and were singing off something with a stylus and mailing it digitally before handing it to the person in a suit. “Where am I being taken now?” she asked Keiko who had followed her line of sight. Before the woman replied she spoke something to the two doctors who would nod and then bow to her before leaving them alone on the balcony. The person in the suit followed as well, but not before looking back once more at Kaiita as they door closed behind them. Keiko turned to her and nods, < Kaiita-san, after the head bureau signs off on your bill of health, you will be assigned a Citadel.>

“A citadel?” Was she hearing this right? “Like-… as in- a citadel, citadel? A big- place? Like castle or-“ Maybe the translation wasn’t working, surely they meant maybe a little apartment or a place to stay. As if reading her mind the Konnosuke nods to confirm there was no mistake. “A citadel is assigned to every participating member of the E.S.C. It acts as their home base and place of residence. The size is expected as well in your line of work, as you will come to understand.”

“So… I’m going to move into a town?”

“Not exactly, it’s rather a large property of land with various specific buildings which come standard to every saniwa’s needs. Each citadel is very special, and will be under your complete control.” The fox continued, tail beginning to swish with excitement, “After all, as Master of the house, it will become your home.” <Konnosuke can explain more, but first, how about we get you something to eat? Outside maybe? There is a nice shop across the street.>  Keiko suggested pointing to something with an animated sign that had a kettle pouring something into a cup. A Café? Despite all the heaviness and gravitas of what was just dumped on her, distracting herself with a familiar concept was a welcome idea. All Kaiita could do was nod, and allow Keiko to lead her away and down stairs.

Master of a Citadel? Yeah she could use a coffee right now, surely she was dreaming.

[stefywirter]

Queen’s affair - Chapter 1 {preview}

This is the story of my sentence. I’ve been here for more than 4 months now, in between these cold, grey brick walls. The only thing that cheers me up are my memories and my hope that my knight will come and save me one day, unless it is already too late or him…

Ever since I was a little girl, I used to like all the creatures that were living among us and I always wanted to get closer to all of them and help them when they got injured. I unfortunately, couldn’t go to school, my parents couldn’t afford it but they had plenty of books in the library and I could read with them all the time. My father thought me how to protect myself and my mother thought me about the magic in me. She helped me learn how to heal and whenever I had the time to roam in the forest to gather supplies for the fire or plants for medicine and there was a hurt creature, I would have helped it.

When I was a teenager, I managed to get closer to one of the velorses. They were these huge creatures that would walk on all four but when I was the time to run, they would get up on the back legs and run as fast as the wind!

They were gracious ferocious animals, hard to tame or get closer to. They were always in packs of 5 at least. They were not particularly aggressive animals, unless provoked, of course! Sometimes I would walk past them while going to the village, through the wide field. I would watch them and they would watch me. I used to look at them, smile and wave before continuing my journey. Some people used to say that there still exist creature whisperers, that can talk with all of these animals, and I wish I was one of them.

Going to the village was a pretty unpleasant trip for me. I was always bullied and made fun of because my family wasn’t rich and my parents never tamed others to use them. From my point of view, that always sounded cruel. My mother always told me stories about how the creatures were always protecting us but my father usually would come with a piece of cruel reality and tell me how this taming system affected the balance and there have been cruel consequences.

Today was one of those days when I was supposed to go to the village and gather some supplies to help mom built up a basket and put inside it, clothes for my father that will soon become a soldier for the king. We didn’t always have money, but we had the perks of knowing the best people that would ask for our handmade clothes or utensils. Some even ask my mother to make them medicine for the ill times. We exchange a lot because the money problem, but we are happy and I can afford to make others just as happy. I entered the first shop and exchanged a pair of shoes on some materials for the basket before going to the wood workers to exchange food for some unused wood that might help me and my mother craft.

On my way back, while walking on the field, I heard noise coming from afar. There were the velorses running away from a tamer. I had to get out of the way before they would come and step on me but I also knew I had to stop teamers so I stood my ground and looked straight ahead, watching as the creatures run towards me and past me but the five men stopped on their tracks. “Move along young lady! And no harm shall come upon you!” I got mad and looked the first one dead in the eyes. “You shall leave the poor creatures alone!” Once I took a better look at them, I noticed that they were also teenagers and in fact, the one I was yelling at was the Second Prince! “And who are you to tell a prince what to do?” He looked down at me with superiority. I gritted my teeth and took a deep breath. “A prince should not run after innocent creatures that once protected us!” I noticed surprise in his features along with interest once a smile appeared on his lips. “Fare well! In that case I shall take another prize that I can bring back to the castle and be admired with!” He got off the velorse and grabbed my arm. “A pretty girl as a prize! I think I overdone my brothers!” I stepped back pulling myself away from him. “I am not a prize!” I turned around to walk away but he grabbed onto my shoulders and turned me around to face him as his taller body was shadowing mine. “You should listen to your prince!” I looked straight into his eyes and got even closer to him. “A boy that chases innocent souls to make them slaves is no prince to me!” He grinned and stepped back. “Until next time my lady! I will show you who I am and what I can do!” He got back on the velorse and run off with his friends besides one that stood behind. “Thank you! For stopping him!” I looked at the boy and smiled softly. “Is okay, I did it for the-” He looked at me making me freeze on spot. His eyes turned green and his magic surrounded me. “I am a whisperer! And I was requested to thank you for them!” He bowed his head before taking off in a hurry.

I walked home reflecting over what happened. And I cannot believe it! The whisperers aren’t dead! They live hidden from others so their powers will not be used against the creatures! I hurried home and prepared everything for my father’s journey. We spent the last hours in family, before he left in the evening, going straight to the palace. We were always uncertain if he is ever going to return or we will never see him ever again. Even though my mother was supporting me, telling me that everything is going to be alright sounded like a daydream. But deep inside, she was just as frightened as I was.

My father sacrificed himself because he knew we needed the money to keep on living. The guards were always taken care of so, most of the time, almost all the money that he made were sent back to us. Me and my mother never spent them all. We crafted a small bag and we saved as much as we could, just in case something happens.

During the winters, we would usually leave outside a patch of dried grass that we have collected over the summer time for the animals that couldn’t get their own food and leave to the village to gather around the main fire, but instead of staying outside with the young people, me and my mother would go to the elderly people and help them. I learned how to sew and knit. They even gave us some balls of yarn in different colors. I usually was put to prepare the tea and the hot baths. I couldn’t say it was the most pleasant thing to do. Some elderly men were always making mean comments over our bodies and would touch us disrespectfully. But we had to do all of that and say nothing because, like that, we didn’t have to use firewood. We could sleep in the helper’s room that was off for the winter period to go back to her family. I guess they were nicer to her than to us.

One day when we were working for the old people, the three princes came to visit and make sure everything was in order. My mother told me that, no matter what will happen, what they will say, we are doing a honorabe work for the ones that no longer can. Helping people is for the soul, earning money is for the body! I never knew what she meant with that until later. We were forced to stand next to the door with our hands clasped in front of us, looking straight ahead or down. I decided to look down instead of straight ahead when the princes walked into our room. ”Look, this one is looking down!” Someone grabbed my chin and forced me to look up and I met the same selfish pair of eyes that I met in the spring. “Well, well, well, who do we have here? The velorses saver! It appears that she is working as a slave! This is more and more exciting. A slave to talk down a prince!” He laughed and I stood my ground clenching my fists. “I am not a slave! I am here to help the people! The ones that you, regality, forgot about!” I snapped back at him. All three brothers were shocked to see me answer back but the Second Prince was smirking in a strange way. “Be my princess! We could use someone of your character in the palace!” I straightened my back even more and looked straight into his eyes. “I would never be your princess, not now, nor ever! Even if would be a life-or-death situation! I would never be able to stand next to someone so cruel and selfish! Now, if you will excuse us, there are people that need our help, for real!” I turned around and grabbed the basket that I was previously holding to go and wash the dirty clothes. “What if I banish the velorses from our land? Only a fine girl will be able to change my mind!” He said proudly. “You do not deserve a fine girl!” I almost singed my words and walked out of the room. Behind the closed door, laughing was heard, as if I have embarrassed the prince. But it is not like he didn’t deserve it.

Now that I think about it, I always stood against him in most situations. I never accepted to obey him and be a silent loving wife. I was making myself heard by everyone and I didn’t let him play with me in his way.

In the spring, after the snow melted away and me and my mother turned back to our house, we noticed velorses in our yard. That was the first time I have ever pet one.

I slowly walked to one of them and it looked down at me. I held my hand out and felt the nuzzle in my palm. “You really are sweethearts, aren’t you?” My mother was still frightened of them but soon, she warmed up to them. I got attached to all of them and soon we built up a feeder in case they are going hungry and we managed to save some food. The trips to town had been less frequent as we were visited at home by the people that needed our help. Some walked to our home, some came on a velorse and they got the chance to interact. It seems that all f them once knew each other and is sad to see them being apart. But they never seemed mad, not even a second. They all seemed to be understanding each other, understanding the good and the bad parts, like they were communicating.

The following weeks, it was a lot of work for my mother and I. We had to go look for a lot of medicinal supplies, such as plants and fruits and craft plenty of baskets and clothes. Everyone in the village knew about us and asked about our products. I never doubted that there were some people who would resell our products but as long as our incoming materials were still going on strongly, it was good for us.

For more, please access: https://www.wattpad.com/989084973-queen%27s-affair-part-1

I do not own any of the pictures, they can all be found here: https://ro.pinterest.com/grigoricaandreeastefania/queens-affair/

[sleeplesswritersaito]

Reckless (Jungkook, you)

"Thank Kronos the weekend is finally here," you said, stretching your arms over your head, bending left and right as you walked, relieving the tension in your back. They had given you Thursday and Friday off to train and prepare so, even though it was only Wednesday, it was the weekend in your book.

The sports festival was just around the corner and everyone had ardently been preparing for it every day now for almost a month. It was a school tradition and a highly anticipated day where a lot of sports and events would take place, and all classes were cancelled. Each program would compete against each other for a department paid three days and two nights outing. The students who weren't participating in the activities would form organisation committees and cheering teams.

Because some departments were smaller than others or had less willing participants, the contemporary dance and architecture departments had wound up together, which allowed both Jimin and you to be on the same team. He would be participating in the archery event, while you had volunteered to do be part of the hurdles team. You had been on the track and field team during your high school years, but had decided joining the university team was too much to handle with your architecture projects. However, you were still active, going for a run twice a week, every weekend and whenever Jimin wanted to. "I think we did a good job," Jimin replied, looking around as he packed his bag, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything on the field. You had just finished your individual practice after helping out your joint departments' decoration committee. They had decided last minute on making a cold drink and snack stand for people to cool off at, except they had to design, assemble and decorate it all in days left before the event. The group had been short on hands so the two of you had joined them for a few hours after class.  

"One last lap and then we go?" You asked once you had both packed your bags. It was a quarter past seven pm but the sun was still up, an advantage of spring arriving.

"How about a race?" He asked, tying his shoe laces in anticipation.

"You're on," you replied, dropping your bag near his, walking up to crouch down beside him, on the right side of the soccer field.

"The first one to the goalpost wins," you said, pointing to the soccer net at the end of the field.

"On three, two, one, go," he counted down and you both started running, building up speed and reaching peak speed near the middle of the field.

As you often did when you ran full speed, you felt like you were flying, the wind brushing against your cheeks, running through your hair. However, that moment was suddenly cut short, sending you stumbling on the track. You went down with a yelp and, ahead of you, you saw Jimin slow down and stop at the noise, coming back towards you when he saw you crouched down.

"What happened?" He asked once he reached you, crouching beside you to have a look at your ankle, which you were currently holding.

"I think I sprained it," you said as you looked down, uncovering it. "I tripped on my laces and my ankle went wayside trying to keep me balanced. It's a pretty stupid way to have an injury."

"And to boot, it happens five days before the sports festival," Jimin said. "Can you stand?" He asked, offering you his arm.

"Yeah, I'm good," you said, standing up as you both started walking. 

"Liar," he said, calling you out on your limp.

"Am not," you said, leaving his side and trying to walk on your own. Two steps and a couple of winces later, he stepped up to you, putting your arm around his shoulder so he could support the most of your body weight.

"Are too."

"It'll be fine after I rest," you defended as he looked at you with a raised eyebrow.

"You know what," he said. "You're exactly like my other friend. Always so stubborn and lying that he's fine when he isn't. I should set you up together so you guys can finally realize how infuriating you both are."

"You know I'm free," you said with a wink. Being close, you often joked about setting each other up, occasionally actually setting each other up, though the resulting relationships weren't always as ideal as imagined.

"I'll make sure to get you guys in contact then," he said with a chuckle. "Don't be surprised if he texts you this weekend. You can even meet after the festival, if you and your ankle are up to it."

"I'll be fine if I rest over the weekend," you said with a light shove. "Don't worry about the festival. I'll make sure to come in first place." ---

"You won't be running," Jimin said decisively, arms crossed over his chest. "I'll tell Wendy to run for you."

"I'm fine," you said, shrugging his comment off. "The race starts in five minutes anyway, and she's part of the cheering squad. We can't just drop a bomb on her like that."

"Sure we can," he replied. "She did some sports before, I'm sure she'll be fine and I'm sure she won't mind." 

"I'll run, Jimin," you said. "Stop worrying. It's not even 100m of hurdling; I'll be fine."

"I don't trust you will," he answered, pointing the ankle brace peaking out from over the top of your running shoe. "When you told me it'd heal over the weekend I didn't believe you and with reason. I'm no doctor but the bruising was already pretty bad by the time I brought you home. I'm not going to let you run on an injured ankle."

"It's fine," you said although you knew it wasn't. You had tested it out yesterday and, while you would walk, jumping strained your ankle and it jammed when you overworked it too much. However, you weren't the type to let yourself be bested by an occasionally aching joint.

"Here, I'll even take it off to run," you said, bending down to take off your shoe and ankle brace. "Just to prove I don't need it to win a medal."

"If you need it don't take it off," Jimin exclaimed in concern as you threw it at him, putting your shoe back on. "If you're going to run injured at least run safely." 

"It was for extra measure," you said. "I don't really need it and I'm not letting you stop me from running my race, Park."

Before he could retort, a pair of students came up to the both of you to tell you that you had to get ready for your respective events. The hurdles athletes had to go warm up and get ready, while the archery team had a practice period of thirty minutes before their competition started. They had trained after school for it and Jimin had been chosen as a member, scoring in the eight to ten points on average.

"See you later," you said, waving as you left him there, your ankle brace in hand, to thoughtlessly follow his fellow student to the designated practice area. "Make sure to win!" 

---

"Hey Kook!" Someone called out to him in a voice he recognized as Taehyung's.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked between pants, wiping the sweat off his brow as he lay in the cool grass, the breeze doing wonders to cool down his burning forehead. He had a headache forming and it was probably due to the empty stomach he was running on. He hadn't had much sleep over the weekend and has trained late into the night yesterday to make sure he was ready for today. Also, he had maybe, just maybe, overdone it by putting in too much effort during his activities today. Plus, he hadn't had any time to eat, not that he was very hungry at the moment. Really, there were probably more reasons to it than he would have liked to admit. 

"I was going to as you a favor, but seeing the state you're in, I think I better thinking twice about it," the brunet said, sitting down beside his friend, who sat up to meet him, blinking away the black spots in his vision.

"I'm good," the younger male replied. "What can I do for you? Run your race?"

"How did you know?" Taehyung asked, face morphing into a mask of surprise. 

"I remember you telling me about your bad knees during class some time ago," he replied. "You said they wouldn't stop you from becoming a firefighter, but that your joints ached from time to time. I’m guessing they blocked after our dance?" 

"Oooh," his friend said, half in awe half teasing. "That's police officer Jeon Jungkook and his amazing memory and deduction skills for you."

"Shove off," he replied with a grin. His upper-classmen, friends and fellow classmates always teased him for it. "When's your race?" 

"Forget about it," Taehyung said. "You aren't in good enough shape to do it. You've probably overworked yourself. Again. What events did you do this morning? Your own sprint followed by our department morning dance event and now you want to run? With no break in between? You're crazy to think I'd let you run. Or more like I was crazy enough to think of asking you. You look like you need to inhale an entire oxygen tank. You're looking pretty pale and you're sweating buckets."

"Come on man, I'll be fine. It's just a little bit of running. I won't allow us to get less than a gold medal for the relay race," Jungkook argued, playfully shoving his friend. "You know our departments are always first. I just need to drink a bit of water and I'll be fine." 

"It's okay to break tradition once in a while," the elder replied, getting up. "I'll ask Hyunsik to run for me." 

"No offense to him," Jungkook said, grabbing his friends' arm to get on his feet, coughing a few times when his breath caught in his chest. "But I'm faster."

---

"I knew this was going to happen," Taehyung said as he jogged alongside the stretcher two ER students were moving. The event managers had asked the medical students to be on standby for injuries or other things gone wrong, like students overestimating themselves. This situation was a prime example of the latter. 

"Hey, are you still alive over there?" He asked over the male students' shoulder, limping along as one of his knees jammed. He was the one closest to him, the girl at the feet of the stretcher in front.

"He's going to be fine in a bit," the student answered as passed through the university's main doors, making a beeline for the closest door to the infirmary.

Taehyung arrived a few minutes later because of his knee, but when he got there, people were already bustling about, a few surrounding his childhood friend. Two were massaging his limbs -arms and legs-, the other was fanning him, another was bringing over an actual metal fan from the other side of the room to cool him down, and the last was feeding Jungkook oxygen through a mask.

"Maybe it'd be better to take some layers off if he's too hot," Taehyung said, taking support at the base of the bed.

His friend had been faint-headed because of the heat and all the moving around, or so he had heard. They also suspected lack of nutrients. Although he had left later than his friend this morning, since they shared a residence, he also knew Jungkook had come back later than he had fallen asleep, which had been pretty late seeing as he had been up playing video games.

When the younger feebly protested to the tug of his clothes, Taehyung said; "I know you have a lava hot body, don't try to hide it. Your date isn't even in the room right now, so fret not, friend. I have you covered. We just need to cool you down."

When his friend kept insisting on keeping his clothes on, Taehyung let the subject go. "Fine, your socks and your shirt are your pride. I get it. I told you not to run," he said more seriously. "I should've insisted more than that."

"We won first though," Jungkook joked, though his voice sounded thin and his breath was labored. 

"Is that really what's important right now?" Taehyung asked, slapping his friends' shin. "You're always overexerting yourself. It's time to rest a bit, look back and reconsider your attitude. I know you always give it your all, but have you ever considered that maybe, sometime's it's better to live life moderately rather than at its fullest?"

"You've become a philosopher now?" Jungkook mocked through the oxygen mask as the med students sat him up, actively massaging his nape to insure good blood circulation to the brain.

"Shut up and rest," Taehyung spat back, massaging his own knee, hoping to alleviate its tension. He looked behind him and sat down at the free bed, so as to not overwork his other knee. "I'm leaving once they tell me you're good. Someone needs to go claim that medal." 

---

Hey, I don't think I'll be able to meet you on time, you typed as you walked, using the wall as support. I've been held back a bit.

You received a message a few seconds later, your phone vibrating in your hand: Same here. I injured myself and I think I might have to rain check. Sorry.

The day after having sprained your ankle, you had woken up to a text message from an unknown number, saying they had gotten your number from a friend that said you would be a good match. Just like Jimin had predicted. You both had kept texting throughout the day, as you went about your daily activities, and had ended up texting late into the night.

You had woken up the next morning, slightly regretful, but had continued to talk like you didn't mind. Because of conflicting schedules, you hadn't been able to meet up, but you had talked every day, answering when you weren't busy. He was nice to talk to, you came to realize.

Is it serious? You texted back, biting your nail anxiously, leaning against the wall. You always had been one to concern yourself more about others than yourself. 

Him: Not really..? I'm resting in the infirmary. My friend just left. 

You: You don't seem sure haha Where are you? I'm on my way

Him: Trying to make up for our missed first date already? ;) 

You snickered at the answer, texting it was because of an injury, before making your way to the nurse's desk. 

"Can I have an ice pack to go please?" You asked. "It's for a sprained ankle." 

"Are you sure you're good to go?" She asked, going in the back room to get one, handing you the bag of ice as she came out. "You came in limping and I heard from a friend that it wasn't an easy fall and that I should keep you here for a while."

"It's alright," you said, scratching the back of your neck in embarrassment. Had news really travelled that fast? 

You knew it hadn't been a good idea to run the race, even more so without your ankle brace, but you had stubbornly thrown that at Jimin and it had been too late to back down and you were too prideful to take it back. You had given the race your all, ignoring the throb in your ankle as you jumped over the hurdles, not once making them topple over. However, your mind and body had different thoughts and, near the end of the race, as you landed after your last hurdle, your ankle gave out from under you, sending you tumbling and ultimately sprawling over the finish line.

As your friends rushed over to you to check up on you and to congratulate you on your miraculous third place, you had scratched your head sheepishly, asking one of them to help you up. After seeing your purple and progressively swelling ankle, one of your friends hurried to give you a piggy back ride and rush you to the infirmary. You had told Jackson to leave you at the elevator door, saying you didn't want to be a more of a bother and had ushered them back out on the field, telling him to claim your medal in your stead and to stop worrying.

"Oh, you must be Jackson's nurse friend. I think he mentioned you a few times. I told him not to make a fuss," you said with a sheepish smile. "Sorry if he was a bother."

"Oh no," she replied. "He's like a little brother to me, its alright. He wasn't more annoying than usual. Still, you should stay around for a while."

"I'll take advantage of one of your beds then. Thanks for the ice pack," you said, slowly inching away as you nodded as thanks.

"It's nothing," she replied with a smile. "The infirmary was supposed to be empty all day, in the best of cases, but a handful of you ended up here. If ever you need something else, don't hesitate to come back to the front desk."

"Will do," you said with a nod, heading towards the spot he had texted you.

"Hello?" You asked cautiously, peeking through the alleys of beds as you limped your way to the south end of the nurse's office.

"I'm here," someone said from behind the curtains. A hand appeared at the end of the bed you were conveniently in front of, pulling the curtain away to reveal a boy your age. He was lying down on the bed, a towel over his forehead, an IV bag hanging overhead on his right. 

"You said it wasn't serious, but you receiving IV fluids says otherwise" you said, putting the bag of ice on the bedside table and then looking for a chair to sit on. You didn't want to selfishly hog an entire bed for a single ankle. 

"It's looks more serious than it actually is," he replied, removing the towel from his forehead and propping himself up on the bed, extending a hand. "Since this is the first time we meet in person, let's properly introduce ourselves. I'm Jungkook Jeon from the police department." 

"Y/N Y/LN, architecture," you said, shaking his hand and then pointing to the right program name of the two embroided on the sleeve of your shirt. The university had made custom shirts for each team, with colors and designs on the back fit for each program, last names printed over the heart. Yours was yellow with a ribbon wrapped cube surrounded by a ring, his was dark blue with a police badge printed on the front, under his name. 

"What's up with the ankle?" He asked as you set your leg up on the foot of his bed, the chair situated near his torso. In the five days you had had to virtually acquaint yourselves to each other, you had mentally become quite close, comfortable even. "Is it the injury you mentioned? No offense, but it looks pretty bad."

"None taken," you said as you dropped the ice bag on your ankle, hissing as the cold dug its way through your skin. "And it looks worse than I thought. My injuries aren't usually this bad."

"You say that as if you usually get injured," he said, wordlessly bending over to put the towel he had kept on his forehead under the ice pack to help counter the cold.

You leaned back into the chair before replying. "Jimin says I push myself too hard and that's why I get injuries. Most of the time it's a few bruises or a sprain that leaves after a good night's sleep, not week long sprains." 

"Shouldn't you be more careful? Ankles are more fragile than you think and they're pretty useful for day to day life. It'd suck to have them permanently injured." 

"You're sounding like Jimin," you teased. "And I don't always injure my ankles. What about you mister IV? What are you here for?" 

"Low blow," he chuckled, though he replied once you raised your eyebrow at him. "Slight dehydration and lack of food."

"And you dare say that isn't serious?" You exclaimed, slapping his arm before crossing them over your chest again. "What kind of policeman doesn't look after himself? I thought you were eating between your training sessions."

"Hey, it just slipped my mind," he tried justifying. "I ate all week, I just forgot to eat breakfast before leaving this morning."

"And then you say I should take better care of myself," you laughed. "Speak for yourself, officer."

“Yes ma’am,” he replied with a laugh that brightened the room.

---

"Hey, is Y/N still in the infirmary?" Jimin asked the nurse breathlessly, hands on his knees as he tried finding his breath again. He had run up the two flights of stairs in a hurry, too impatient to wait for the elevator, and had then sprinted down a hallway, full speed ahead.

"Pardon, who?" She said, looking up from her desk.

"Y/N," he repeated. "I heard she came in with a sprained ankle, something like -he checked his phone- two hours ago."

"Oh, her," the girl said, eyes lighting up in recognition. "Yes, she should still be here. I saw her head towards the South side, near the windows overlooking the field."

"Alright thank you," the blond said, waving her thanks as he headed in the direction she had indicated.

After his own archery event, he had been too busy celebrating his silver medal with his friends that he hadn't checked his phone. It wasn't until he had seen Jackson on stage receiving Y/N's medal beside him that he had known something was wrong. As they had descended the stage, Jackson asked him if he had seen his message yet. When Jimin replied that he hadn't, Jackson had briefed him in a hurry and the shorter male had sprinted to the infirmary.

"I'm so sorry I'm late are you-" he said, the words dying down as he took in the scene.

"Shh," you said, a finger over your lips as you ushered him with the other. "Did Jackson give you my medal?"

"Yeah," he trailed off in a daze, searching through his pockets to hand it to you.

"Nice," you commented as you got it, looking over it on both sides, fingers tracing through the curves and indents of the smooth metal. Although you had held a medal at a race not too long ago, it was nice to feel the weight of one in your hand again.

"Should I be asking questions?" Jimin finally asked, pointing to your other hand as he sat down on the bed beside her.

"You can ask but I wouldn't be able to answer," you replied, also looking down at you and Jungkook's intertwined hands. "I don't know if it's a sleeping habit of his or if this is him being sly, but this happened after he fell asleep."

"I'm sure it did," Jimin said with a knowing look as he sat down beside you, nudging you with his shoulder.

"What are you trying to imply," you asked, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "Are you saying there has to be an ulterior motive to holding hands with someone?"

"I wouldn't dare," he said, raising his arms in mock surrender. " Pretend as though I said nothing"

"Good."

"Here, switch places with me," he told you, motioning for you to take the bed. "Take a nap; I'll even hold his hand if you want. You must be tired from your injury and not having been able to rest."

"It's okay," you declined politely.

Jungkook had fallen asleep during a talking break and you had just let him be, occasionally rearranging the ice pack on your foot, completely discarding it when it had melted too much. Before you had the chance to get up to get another one, his hand had found your wrist and then your hand, tugging it towards him. You had turned back to check if he had woken up, but when you had found his eyes still closed and his chest rising at the same speed as before, you had simply sat back down, taking out your phone to play some games.

"I don't mind holding hands with him. I'll just sleep when I get home later."

"Alright," he said, a smile making his way to his face as he saw, behind you, Jungkook biting down on his lips to keep a neutral face. "I'll let the couple-to-be be lovey dovey."

You hit his bicep with your arm. "Shut up! Don't you have other things to do except spout nonsense. What about your event? How did it go?"

"I won silver," he said, keeping your attention on him as Jungkook opened his eyes to look over you fondly. "As promised."

The End

A/N: And that’s another wrap! I think this is the fastest I’ve ever writing a story so far. It took something like a week? A week and a half? Anyways, that’s really quick for me, so I’m really happy I was able to release a story I’m proud of in such a short amount of time. Anyway, seeing Jungkook in that Burn the Stage episode hurt my heart. I understand where he’s coming from though, since I’m a bit similar, so I projected his ambition and recklessness into a story. I hope you enjoyed :) I also hope he takes better care of his body and health and the six other boys too!

[laceweddingdress89]

Sure, there are occasions when wearing a dress just once fits lace wedding glovesO(876tgs'

Not everyone has a big budget to spend on new clothes. You may want to buy a cheap wedding dresses under 100 that can also be worn at another even. The idea of wearing a dress just once and throwing it away isn’t something the average person can conjure up. The reason for that is because money doesn’t grow on trees. Also, it’s kind of foolish to buy a dress and wear it once. Sure, there are occasions when wearing a dress just once fits lace wedding gloves. Hopefully, you’re not going to have to go out and buy more than one wedding dress.6. Try styles with many different colors will always give you ideas when you lost mind of picking out the right prom dress with the right color to enhance your skirt and hair perfectly. In many ways, it is a fall prom. Homecoming dances could be informal as well just like standard school dances. At high schools, the homecoming dances are sometimes held in the high school gymnasium or outside in a large field best dress for chubby girl. Home coming dance attire is more casual than prom. Women generally wear knee length dresses with their hair down ivory flower girl dresses, and men generally wear a tucked in dress shirt with pants. At prom, women generally wear a more 2 piece homecoming dresses that goes to the ground with hair up, and men wear tuxedos.While the mother of the bride outfits is getting more glamorous and less mumsy, there’s a fine line between rocking a gorgeous gown and looking like you’re vying for a spot at the altar. Brides once prepped for their weddings with an eye out for The One wedding dress—emphasis on “one.” But that search for a single item to wear on the big day is changing: According to The Knot’s annual Wedding Attire Survey flower girl slip petticoat, 11 percent of 2018 brides wore more than one outfit on their wedding day. With the sheer variety of options available, you can see why sticking to a single look is difficult. And now, with the spring 2020 collections making their debuts during Bridal Fashion Week, the choice is getting even harder.Whether you’re planning to go to prom or buy a formal dress for any occasion, Lalamira now has some of the best options, such as beautiful pink lace dresses or yoiuhskj-issj sexy little black dresses. Average wedding cost in the USAWedding planning tips1. Get your wedding pre-filming done locally2. Skip overseas destination weddings3. Choose a smaller, more affordable wedding venue4. Ceremonies and receptions together5. Choose a DIY wedding cake6. Shop online cheap wedding dressThings to find an affordable wedding dress1. Plan to bring your key decision-makers2. Determine your ideal wedding dress budget3. Set the wedding date4. Get your dream wedding dress ealier5. Order your all clothes together More from my siteWe fell in love with the contemporary style of this champagne-colored trend. A smooth crepe white bodice is paired with a layered champagne tulle wedding dress with a beaded belt. Great! Related recommendations: Finding the starboard prepare could have few time plus size a line formal dresses}{_)9iuid your bloodline for decades when it comes to the party day long sleeve v neck wedding dress*&6tygh with these accommodative tips for choosing a consort black ball gown prom dress{P)O(Iuyd the perfect total of activity without hunting overdone ball gown dresses for toddlersOIuyghd

[goodyoific]

“How did you know, with Mama?”

“What?”

Victor hates that he’s sitting here hundreds of miles away struggling to explain himself to his father of all people; his father who has always been a silly, empty-headed Romantic, the man who once decided he could pluck the Mariinsky’s rising star from the sky. There is still that air between his parents of something stolen, of a life his mother could have had if his father hadn’t come crashing into hers. Except Victor no longer thinks she regrets it the way she used to, when he was younger, a child who was too quick to pick up on her sadness. As a choreographer and a teacher she’s wanted the world over now, and anyone can look at Sofia, and see the way only the right decisions were ever made. “You decided you could spend the rest of your life with someone, once. How?”

Sergei exhales, and he’s quiet for so long a time that Victor scowls and checks his phone to see if he’s dropped the call. “Your mother’s very beautiful, and back then —“

“Lots of people are beautiful. Mama is difficult and sour and stubborn. How did you know?”

“I think you think I’m going to have a magical answer for you, Vitenka. Your mother and I would have had fine, lovely lives without each other.”

He needs to know, though. Victor bites the inside of his cheek and waits for an answer while Sergei tries to put his feelings into words. It’s a struggle. He can imagine that his father would much rather reach for a cello and play it. “… I knew all of those things,” Sergei says finally. “I saw in another person the shape of all the problems I was willing to have. I saw that I would not be perfectly happy for every day of my life. I saw that I would have arguments, and I would weather storms. I also saw that there would be mornings where everything would be luminous and clear, and times where my heart felt like it was too big for my chest, and I decided that those were the things I wanted.”

Victor is silent, looks down at his laptop where the video is paused and where several other browser tabs lay open, responsible for things like the airplane ticket he hasn’t quite purchased yet, Japan’s pet policies, and a google search for ‘yuuri katsuki hot springs japan.’

“Vitenka?” His father sounds worried.

Victor pinches the bridge of his nose and laughs. “I’m going to Japan,” he says finally. “People will talk. Tell mama —”

 Tell mama I needed to see about a boy.

 Tell mama I’m in love.

precious things by thehandsingsweapon. 124749 words (complete), not rated.

A very interesting look at what twenty years without ‘Love and Life’ might have looked like for Victor - from his birth to just after the end of season 1. The choices made in this fic are clearly very thoughtful and thought out. There is care and research woven into every facet of Victor’s family life, from his childhood to adolescence, and each detail makes everything feel very real.

The author handles sensitive content with amazing grace, and there’s nothing overdone or overwrought, and instead the tragedy of Victor’s quiet unhappiness can be fully felt and appreciated.

[maternityeveningdresses]

Think cool midi dresses fit to match any wedding style cocktail dress for big tummy(*yghsfs

" Maxi dresses are among our favorite kinds of clothing, no matter the time of year. We busted out fall maxi dresses come autumn, winter maxi dresses come the end of the year, and now we’re onto a more conventional iteration of the trend: spring sexy evening dresses. Because spring is officially right around the corner—and nothing promises to keep us looking great and feeling weather-appropriate quite like spring sexy evening dresses.If you’re a trendy mama, we have plenty for you. Think cool midi dresses fit to match any wedding style cocktail dress for big tummy, patterns that make a statement without being too over the top, and unique silhouettes that will make you pray for at least one more occasion to sport said attire."

"Why bet on a chiffon evening dress ? This is the main question that comes to mind, especially when you don’t really know anything about textiles, or when you’ve never tried a similar model. Well, you should already know that chiffon is one of the main fabrics used in women’s clothing in general, and dresses in particular. Elegant and transparent, this fine fabric is obtained by fine weaving with cotton, wool or even synthetic yarns.If wearing a very fitted dress just isn’t your vibe, there’s a trend to suit you too – the ballgown. This classic A-line silhouette is back in fashion for prom night. Much like a princess-style shape, this gorgeous style will make you feel very formal and dressed-up." "Whether you plan on throwing garters at your reception or not, wedingsohdh-dih13 for tradition’s sake, you may want to make garters one of your bridal accessories and get a souvenir from your big day. It might be a good way to take a family heirloom as your “old thing“or add a little color to your ”blue thing” chiffon mermaid wedding gown. You can also decorate your garter with your favorite sports team logo, your wedding color, or your favorite pattern to have some fun with it prom dress do it yourself bustle.Garden-a garden theme is bringing the outdoors in…and the perfect way is a gorgeous floral prom dress! Use flower embroidery on a transparent skirt to match a leafy background ivory flower girl dresses, a light breeze chiffon style low neck, or a pretty blue and white mermaid silhouette gown." Related recommendations: Do your explore Before passageway out to your appointments short prom dressesP(*7ygd the perfect total of activity without hunting overdone ball gown dresses for toddlersOIuyghd the bride and care of the groom’s to be extremely encumbered wedding dress no trainP)(*y7ghd not beingness fit to hit a turn in second for the big night blue off the shoulder prom dressOI*UYh