#ling x reader

[roxxiies]

DYRROTH, LING, YIN; Your sibling caught you making out w their friend!

no full smut, fem reader, men tasting you like some candy, kissing, just kissing, little suggestive hwhw, her as in Karina btw, nothing more, enjoyy

MINORS DON'T INTERACT!

DYRROTH

You were sat on the table where the maps formerly were and now are scattered on the floor. You didn't mind, you were too busy holding back the Abyss Prince's need to deepen the kiss and the tight pull of his hands on your hips to his own.

You shortly gasped for air and Dyrroth whined at the sudden lost contact of your lips, "Dy.. slow dow-" Before you could finish your sentence, he leaned in for another kiss, this time making sure to place one hand behind the back of your head and slipping his tongue in, now you wouldn't think of escaping anymore.

He continued on savouring your taste, but the double door of his office burst open, revealing a smiling, beautiful dark elf lady waving papers in her hand. She looked at the scene before her and gasped so loudly that before the both of you could react, she rushed over you and pulled you away from the prince as she then yelled, "Dyrroth, what the fxck— what do you think you're doing?!"

The Prince of the Abyss glared down towards Selena, akin to a predator that had taken its favourite food away. He tried to get you back by reaching for you, but Selena pulled you back right away, failing his attempts. Dyrroth groaned, "Who asked your presence here?!" "You did! I was supposed to help you finish detailing the maps! Yet here you are fooling with my sister of all?!"

Dyrroth tries to calm down, remembering what you had told him before, "I'm not fooling—ugh, that's it, if you don't leave us now, I'll be sure to never let her see you again."

Selena's hold on you tightened, "You wouldn't dare." "Try me." Your sister scoffed at the prince and turned towards you, her eyes softening, "Sister, if something terrible happens, be sure to call for me," You were entirely oblivious to their conversation, huh? who's her? You nodded still.

When Selena was at the door, she turned around and saw Dyrroth already pouncing on you as he ignored the deadly stares your sister gave. As she was about to leave, you barely heard your sister say something to him but man in front of you rolled his eyes, "It's not like I'd devour you or something," ah

Now that your sister was out of the room, Dyrroth's attention was solely on you again. His eyes darkened, he looked like he'd actually devour you now. You were caged between his arms as he licked his lips, "Where were we, princess?"

× LING

Wanwan burst into laughter, she finally managed to convince Ling to put on a skirt, a pink skirt. Ling's schedule at night wasn't that busy, so he let himself be led into a trap by Wanwan... and said person was still laughing while she pulled you into the room where he was, and then there his pride began to diminish as you didn't react like he wanted to. You see, he has a crush on you, and seeing you not reacting in the slightest made him so weak. Though when Wanwan was disappointed by your reaction, she took off to find Zilong, maybe he would actually laugh his ass off, leaving you and Ling the only ones left in the room.

Ling's embarrassing thoughts still plauged his mind. Both of you were never this close with each other, let alone be in the same room with each other. You, however, ignite something in you—something about Ling in a flimsy skirt. You slowly stalked towards Ling and lifted his chin with your hand to meet your eyes, which had a glint of mischief evident in them. You pulled him into your lips, and he groaned into the feeling, surprised by your action. You placed your wondering hands on his arm that was pulling you even closer by the waist. You moaned as he began to become sloppier by the second, his little humps becoming unbearable for him. Both of you gasped to breathe, his lips were already red from your intrusion. You stared at him, how could your best friend hide this side of him from you? He groaned, Ling was an impatient guy and didn't want to waste anymore time, he cupped your cheeks and pulled you back for another kiss.

The two of you were busy lapping at each other that you didn't notice your mad brother heading towards the two of you. Zilong had softly moved you away from Ling while your brother held him by his collar, "What are you doing, Ling?" your eyes widened, you held back Zilong from doing anything worse as he wasn't this hostile at all. Ling only hissed from the tight grip he had on him, then you panicked, "Brother, stop- hey! This is my fault! I... I initiated it," your brother looked at you, a bit unhappy with your advances with his companion, seriously with Ling?

Zilong had let him go, he rubbed the reddened area by his neck as he watched your brother scold you, Ling was a dangerous person after all. But ah, now that Ling had a taste of you, he for sure won't let you go now... he's night schedule might change from now on.

× YIN

Yin had always been carefree and reckless, climbing to your windowsill at night and coming unannounced to your room just to tell you something that had recently interested him. Maybe wondering as to how bees pollinate the flowers or how they make honey taste so sweet... to eventually wonder would you taste sweet as well?

Yin had known you so well—to the point of knowing that your brother is out for groceries and that he has you for himself today. He ushered you to sit with him on the bed as the thought plagued his mind, and you did as he said. He pulled you into his lap, and with his right thumb, he rubbed your lips, waiting for your consent. You picked it up, of course, and knowing Yin for quite some time, you leaned in for him to confirm his thoughts. He pressed his lips against yours, and for a little while, he pulled away—yes, you are sweet.

Yin kissed you back again, and your hands rested on his shoulders as your tongues played with each other. His hands went to rest on your waist, now he would go further down just to please you more, but he feared he would mess up and let his other thoughts get out of hand. His grip on your waist tightened, as if keeping you still, you didn't know you were rubbing yourself on him for a while now, "Don't do that," he whined between the kisses. You can't seem to stop, he sounded heavenly.

"Yin!" both of you jolted at the sudden yell and looked at the door, your brother's figure standing there, fuming. Yin even had the time to gently lift you off of his lap to the bed and ran towards the window as your brother chased him. Once he was outside the window, he yelled, "I'll be back next time, Y/n! I promise!" your brother, Xavier, rushed to the window and looked outside where Yin was running and shouted back, "There won't be any next time!" he closed the window harshly and you laughed at Yin's antics. Your brother glared towards you, you're in a lot of trouble again.

roxxiies © likes and reblogs are appreciated ♡

[kikiwooo]

having a brainot of Ling/any assassin being yandere 😋‼️ like they will force us to be their little healer, and will got mad if we heal anyone (yes the classic mlbb couple heroes)

HOHOHO❗❗❗THAT'S SOME QUALITY SHIT

❇ Ling gives you the cold shoulder, literally mf has no regrets. Mostly trys to keep it to himself but the fact that he's obsessive as fuck his jealousy and madness is as clear as daylight. Hmp's and tch's. Ignores you(trys to) whenever you try to talk to him or even come to him. Death glares at the person you ultimated, will threaten them when he finds them alone. Ling gets you into troubles occasionally then saves you in the most critical minute. He really be watching you suffer with a smirk.. He wants to show you that he's the one who's most worthy of your ultimate and attention. Plays the cold and charming prince. He doesn't give two fucks about whoever says something bad about him but will go apeshit if someone curses you out.

❇ I think you exactly know why I needed to include Gusion. He's obsessive, narcissistic, possessive and who's ego is too much for his ass to handle. He WON'T tolerate any excuses. You had to ult the exp laner cuz their HP was so little? It's their problem in the first place to get their own HP that low. Let them die. Adc fight and your adc required your ult? Unnecessary, absolutely unnecessary, a waste of your precious ultimate that he can make a good use of it. Let them die. Oh come on (Name)...he's not bad.., he's winning ?matches see? He's carrying you! You will win...only if you continue to stay by his side.

❇ Dyrroth and Aamon can also be added. Dyrroth would just straight up confront you after, after literally ultimating someone else one time. No that just won't do! You have to save your ult to him and only him! On the other hand Aamon is like Ling, the only difference is he'll tie you to himself, literally.

[staarcrxssed]

//fandom: mobile legends: bang bang

//pairing: ling x reader

hsjdjjs something something first kiss with ling.

his lips are gentle but wanting, pressing deeper and deeper. his hands are calloused from years of outdoor work, mapping your face with his fingers. his vibrant eyes are shut, a humming desire melting through his veins like lava.

only the moon and her heavenly handmaidens hear your whispered confessions; passionate, giggled "i love you"s under starry, moonlit sky.

[drama--universe]

Five Chickens

Requested by anonymous: Hey Hey! How about our 4 juniors boys from The Untamed, joined by a junior girl from the Nie clan (I think she could be Nie Huaisang's younger sister), when she saves their lives from a demon, but turns ugly during the fight. She is stubborn and so refuses their help, without realizing herself that the weapon that hit her was poisoned and she was in agony after a few days. But they manage to save her, repaying her for her earlier help. THX, have a nice day!❣️❣️❣️

Pairing: Untamed Juniors x fem!reader

Word Count: 2.0k words

Part 2

"She'll do great, she knows what she's doing." Wuxian was teasing Huaisang, with a stupid grin as he watched you and all other younglings march out into the fields. Huaisang's eyes remained trained on you and he didn't even react to Wuxian's comment, much to the man's dismay. He was right, Huaisang knew that much, and yet he couldn't help but worry about you.

This would be your first official hunt, dressed in the dark grey robes that represented your clan and a large saber in hand. Unlike him, you were much more interested in fighting and swords. If anything, you were a carbon copy of your oldest brother, Mingjue. Only differences that you were a bit less aggressive, but in now way should you be angered. You had been hunting since you were 10 years old, a talent for tracking and killing demons that gained you the title of 'the little demon of Nie'. Yet, Huaisang was worried. He didn't want to lose another on of his family members.

"It went this way!" Jing Ling's voice was booming loud, anyone near could hear it and in turn also creatures. Sizhui and Zizhen were trying to shush the boy, but getting Jingyi quiet was another task.

"I know it went this way, I'm not blind! But can you see anything here, stupid?" Jingyi screamed back before all of them froze when something loud growled behind them. With a turn of their heads, the cause of this became clear.

They supposed it was a man, but it's body was disfigured and broken. Black smoke surrounded it, pulling attention away from the obvious dangling arm and broken leg.

"Uh... demon?" Zizhen stuttered and the others nodded before jumping when the creature let out a loud roar. They ran in an instance, avoiding trees as they were chased.

"I thought there were only bunnies!" Jingyi screamed loudly as he jumped over some fallen trees, daring to look back and only screaming when he noticed how close the demon was to him. Curses flew from his mouth, which made Sizhui frown at the breaking of the rules. With another roar, they all dared to look back before slowing down. Someone had jumped on the demon, sword slashing away at the enemy as they avoided the attacks. The quartet slowed down, staring at their savior as they fought. Then, with a final blow, the demon crashed to the ground, smoke completely gone and a girl straddling the body with the sword impaled into it's chest.

"You guys run like chickens." The comment was unexpected, so much so that Sizhui couldn't help but laugh while others stared in shock. You got up, pulling your saber out of the demon's body and watching as it turned to ashes before you walked closer to the quartet. It was then that they realized that you were Nie (Y/n), if not for the saber it was for the smirk you wore that sent shivers down their spines and reminded them of Nie Mingjue. You walked closer before pausing right in front of them, saber now thrown over your shoulder as you placed your other hand on your hip.

'You're hurt." Sizhui noticed the long scratch on your leg, cutting through your robes and revealing your leg along with the wound. You followed his gaze, looking at your leg with confusion before sighing softly as you tore a lower part of your robes before lifting the robes up to your hip.

"Cover up!" Jin Ling and Jingyi yelled in sync, all of them turning away from seeing you practically naked or at least like they believed. You paused for a few seconds before rolling your eyes, continuing to wrapping your leg to keep the blood loss to a minimum. Then you lowered your robes once again and looking back at the boys.

"Let's find something else to hunt, you chickens." You spoke as you brushed past them, walk turning into a sprint as you got sight of another creature. The four boys couldn't help but follow, although it was with slight hesitance in their steps.

"Oi, chickens!" There rang a collective groan from the group as they noticed you approaching, or more specifically from Jin Ling and Jingyi as they all turned to face your approaching figure.

"Stop calling us that!" Jingyi called out, clearly annoyed as he glared at you. You didn't react to the glare, instead you just smiled at Sizhui as he greeted you. He was probably the only once that didn't mind the nickname too much, he was used to worse kind of nicknames at this point (Wuxian being the cause of this).

You stopped once you were next to the group, sighing loudly before looking at the object in Sizhui's hands. It was a child's toy, yet he held it with such care and you couldn't help but wonder why.

"Did you buy that here?" You asked, pointing at the object and Sizhui looked down before nodding. He opened his hands fully to reveal the toy, which now was clearly shown to be a butterfly. It was pretty and reminded you of the toys that you had as a child, not that you cared much for those when you were young as you preferred to play with the swords of your brother.

"Did you go to the doctor for your wounds?" Zizhen asked and you smiled at the boy, but shook your head nonetheless. You didn't see the point, it was a simple flesh wound and you were used to those.

"Are you sure that's okay?" "Yeah, I cleaned and wrapped it. It'll be fine, nothing I haven't had before." You said with another smile, not flinching in the slightest as you prodded at the wound before shrugging it off.

"What about you? You sprained your ankle, no?" You turned to Jin Ling and he looked surprised that you knew that before nodding at you, yet not speaking up besides a thank you. Right when you were about to say something else, you heard a loud shout from behind you as a man walked by with a cart full of snacks. With wide eyes, you carefully watched the sugar covered fruits and your hand was quick to move to your money pouch. You raced to the man, buying five sugar covered fruit skewers before handing the vendor his money. Then you made your way back to the group.

"Here you go, enjoy!" You smiled as you handed out the skewers to the quartet, who all took it with slight hesitation before all taking a bite. In a second, all their faces lit up as they continued to eat to the treat. You followed, carefully biting into the fruit and listening to the small crack of the sugar. With a small, you chewed on the candy with a happy sigh. It was nice to eat some sugar once in a while, even if it was super unhealthy for you. Only halfway through the apple, you suddenly felt a pain in your abdomen that tore right through your whole body. The apple clattered to the ground, shattering on impact while you held your stomach in pain as your vision blurred before turning dark.

Sizhui was the first to react as he watched you go down, his own treat joining yours on the ground as he gently laid you down. You were unconscious, but clearly still in pain as your brows furrowed. Black lines were rising above your collar, stopping right underneath your jawline and the lines were slightly raised up.

"She needs a doctor." Sizhui said and Jing Ling, surprisingly, was first to lift you up on his back, making sure that your arms were wrapped around his shoulders and that he had a firm grasp on your legs before he turned his head to the group. Zizhen was the first to speak again, leading the way to the closest doctor. Surely the doctor must've been shocked to see them run in, all of you from rather major clans, but he was quick to move as he noticed your state.

Your skin had turned pale, the black marks had grown more noticeable and your eyes were flickering open and closed every few seconds. When you were laid down on the bed, the doctor was quick to check your state as the others watched patiently for whatever was happening. The doctor was quick to start treatment, not saying a single thing as he treated you with various things like liquid medicines or cream. It took only a couple of minutes before he finished, sighing loudly before making his way over to the quartet.

"How long has she been like that?" "We don't know, we only saw her today. Before today it has been two weeks or so." Sizhui answered and the doctor nodded, jotting it down before handing them a bottle with medicine pills.

"She needs this every day, one in the morning and one in the evening." He then said, looking at them with a stern gaze while Jingyi took ahold of the medicine.

"She also needs a lot of rest for the poison to get out of her system, I even recommend helping her by making her spiritual energy circulate faster. How you do that is your and her choice." The doctor continued before turning away and continuing his previous work while Jin Ling walked back to you. You were lifted again, once again laying on his back as he made sure that you wouldn't fall.

Then all of you made your way back to the hotel, where they could hopefully warn some of the adults of your condition.

"I am not a child..." You spoke as your medicine was handed to you along with a cup of water by Jingyi, who almost looked like he didn't really want to be here. Nonetheless, you took the pill and swallowed it with a heavy sigh. Being bedridden was not your style, you hated being stuck in the same room from sunrise to sundown. The quartet visited every day to take care of you and Xichen came along every two to three days to help you to help you with your spiritual energy. Right now, the black veins had gone back down, now only near your wound like any normal infection, and it didn't hurt anymore thanks to the faster healing rate due to your spiritual energy.

"Then you would've gone to the doctor when needed. Besides, you're fourteen." Jingyi said and you pouted at him before laying back down. You pulled your blanket up before looking back towards Jingyi, patting the spot beside you. Jingyi gave you a short glare, turning around with a huff and you sighed.

"Chicken." You whispered, to which Jingyi gave you another glare before laying down anyway. You smiled at your victory, leaning your head against his shoulder before sighing again.

"Thank you for the help. You and the other boys, of course." You whispered again, but Jingyi didn't answer you and it just remained quiet in the room. Until the other three appeared, all pausing as they saw Jingyi lay beside you. You lifted your head, patting the bed softly again and causing the three to join you by sitting down near your legs while Zizhen moved to sit against the wall on your other side.

"How are you?" "Well, I'm bored. So, did you bring something to eat?" You asked, staring at Sizhui with curious eyes. He reacted by simply pulling out a pouch and opening it to reveal some hard candies that you had asked for. You sat back up, happily grabbing one and popping it into your mouth with a happy smile.

"You're the best!" You laid back down and chewed happily, laying your head against Jingyi's shoulder once again. The boys talked and you just listened to them with a smile, laughing at the comments they made. It was under weird circumstances, but you were glad you had met them and became friends.

With those thoughts, you drifted to sleep with a smile on your face.

[auliisflower]

Siren eyes

“C’mon, don’t look at me like that, Baby”

JAM REPUBLIC! KIRSTEN DODGEN

X

FEM! IDOL READER

A wild heartstealer idol named Yang Y/N and a globally famous dancer named Kirsten Dodgen is a pretty good duo for a power couple, don’t you think? One can only wonder how the korean public will take the news that a dancer from New Zealand can tame the all-famous idol Yang Y/n. Will life let them have their way or will the public eye force another idol between the two who they think will fit Y/n better?

･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ START…

The sound of keys clanging down on a desk could be heard throughout the cold, quiet apartment soon after Y/n had turned on the light in the dim hallway. It was pitch black, maybe 1 am? Y/n wasn’t sure…How much had she drunk at that party? She wondered if her girlfriend was still up.

Oh shit.

Her girlfriend. Y/n had sent her a text earlier promising that she would get home early. Her friends got her too drunk, that promise completely slipped out of her head. Now here she was stumbling around the apartment, trying not to make any noise just in case Kirsten woke up.

She downed a glass of water and went into the bathroom to wash up for bed. Oh god, she looked terrible, when did her cheeks go that red? It almost looked like someone’s lipstick….

“No, don’t think that..oh fuck” Y/n’s head pulsed, she could barely remember the wild night at her brother’s house.

She hurried up and brushed her teeth, took off her make up, and got into her pajamas. “I wonder what time Kirsten went to sleep…I’m so fucked tomorrow morning” Y/n muttered to herself as she climbed the stairs towards her and her girlfriend’s shared bedroom.

She slowly pushed the door open to find Kirsten completely covered, almost drowning in the sheets. Y/n chuckled to herself, finding her girlfriend adorable. She wouldn’t be so adorable tomorrow though, as soon as she found out what time Y/n got home. Ugh, it scares Y/n just thinking about it. Well, there’s nothing she could do about it now.

Y/n didn’t even bother checking her friends’ messages at that point, she just placed her phone down on the bedside table, without another thought. There were only two things on her dizzy mind at that point, the warm bed and her warm, cozy girlfriend.

The next morning

…8:37 am…

Y/n woke with a start, finding her peaceful sleep interrupted by a pillow to her face…

“Ugh…” she groaned as a hangover headache made its presence known. She opened her eyes to her girlfriend who wore Y/n’s old grey shirt and little black shorts. “…Hi, Kirs” she smiled meekly at her girlfriend who just glared at her.

After a few awkward seconds of silence Kirsten finally voiced out, “I’m just disappointed”. Y/n sat up from the comfy duvet and rubbed her sleepy eyes, “I’m sorry, baby, my friends got me too drunk and I couldn’t think straight.” She just rolled her eyes at you and stormed out the room. Y/n could hear Kirsten’s thundering footsteps down the stairs and groaned.

She fucked up.

Big time.

Y/n quickly got up from the bed and made the covers and pillows tidy. She stepped down the staircase quietly in order to not set her girlfriend off even more. She looked around the apartment and found the bathroom locked, she could hear the sink running and…crying? Oh fuck, “No, no, no” Y/n thought, panicking, “what the fuck happened last night?” She remembered her phone in the bedroom and ran up to go get it.

She unlocked her phone and immediately opened instagram to a horde of messages from her friends last night. She viewed some stories, including two from one of her close friends, Ishiriki Yangxi, an idol who the public thinks should be with Y/n as their visuals fit with each other. The first part of the story was a group picture with Y/n and their circle of friends, The second picture was..

“Oh my fucking god” Y/n’s eyes widened at the image. It was a picture of her and Yangxi, the girl was placing a kiss on Y/n’s cheek, leaving red lipstick marks all over Y/n’s face, as sweaty bodies jumped and danced around them.

“No fucking way she posted this.” Y/n immediately sent a message to Yangxi,

“ISHIRIKI LIAN YANGXI, WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU POST THAT ON YOUR STORY? KIRSTEN FUCKING SAW IT AND NOW SHE’S CRYING. WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU. YOU KNEW I WAS TOTALLY WASTED AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME.“

After sending the message with her head pulsing even harder than last night, she left her phone on the bed and ran down the stairs.

Kirsten was nowhere to be found. “Oh fuck me” Y/n gritted her teeth together. Where was she? Oh god, she had to apologize, right this instant. She needed to explain that it wasn’t what she thought.

Y/n sent a few messages to Kirsten apologizing for the story and explaining the situation. She called her girlfriend’s number, no answer…Shit. “God where is she?” Y/n thought, stressed over this. Y/n asked around Kirsten’s friends, Ling, Latrice, Emma, and Audrey.

Ling, Emma, and Audrey all answered pretty quick, all responding with replies like they didn’t know or Kirsten hasn’t talked to them.

Latrice answered last, “She’s with me in the studio, we’re working on a choreo piece” Y/n read her reply quickly as she saw Latrice’s chat bubble typing again.

“Kirs told me that she wanted some space for a couple hours to cool down and think about things” she added

Y/n replied to Latrice, “Oh…okay, could you please tell her I’m incredibly sorry and if she’ll let me I’ll explain to her what happened, please.”

Latrice replied instantly, “Okay sure, don’t worry about it, I’m sure she’ll feel better after a few hours of dancing to cool off”

･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･

Y/n decided to leave her alone, deciding it would be better for her to think about that

for a while before Y/n explains herself. She figured Kirsten would come back somewhere near lunch time, she usually takes a nap at noon…

It was now 9:15 and Y/n decided to get some stuff to make up for last night. She went out and got a bouquet of yellow and white tulips, yellow was Kirsten’s favorite, because she loves the sun. She hurried home and made lunch for the two of them.

…10:04 am…

Y/n cleaned her self up and put on something comfy to not look like a mess. She went up to the bedroom and opened her phone.

There was a message from Yangxi.

“Oh. I thought you were in your right mind…Everyone told me I should go for it, I’m sorry.” Her reply said.

“Well, Sorry doesn’t cut it. I was completely drunk last night, that should’ve never happened, I’m sorry but this friendship cannot go on if it hurts my girlfriend” Y/n replied back coldly, still fuming from Yangxi’s actions. She blocked her, just to make sure it never happened again, she didn’t care if the public wanted them to date, Y/n wanted Kirsten, and Kirsten only.

Y/n cleaned up the house a bit more before Kirsten came back to take her mind of Yangxi for a bit. She went up to the bedroom again to touch up her makeup, after a few minutes she heard the door unlocking and a few light footsteps.

･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･

She grabbed the bouquet from the bed and listened for a few minutes. Once she heard the bathroom door opening and closing shut, she crept down the stairs quietly and hid in the living room for a bit.

After the bathroom door opens once more, Y/n peeked through the living room door to see Kirsten looking for something in her bag with her back to Y/n. Slowly and quietly, Y/n made her way to her girlfriend and gently slid her arms around Kirsten’s waist.

With the bouquet in one hand and the other going lower to hook her fingers through the belt loops of Kirsten’s pants, Y/n gently laid her chin on Kirsten’s shoulder as Kirsten let out a soft sigh.

“Kirsten please…I’m sorry, let me explain what happened” Y/n begged her quietly, hugging her tightly as if afraid if she let go, it’d be the last time. Kirsten let a few seconds of silence slip as she felt Y/n’s hot breath on her neck and her warm hands on her waist.

“Fine…what the hell did I see on Yangxi’s story this morning?” Kirsten muttered quietly as she placed her hands gently on the kitchen counter, the item in her bag completely forgotten.

Y/n heaved a sigh, “It was my fault, I’m so sorry, my love. My brother gave me too much to drink but I never thought Yangxi would’ve taken advantage of that. Trust me, Kirsten, I would never willingly let her do that.” Y/n quietly let out.

“Please believe me on this, Kirsten, I’ve already asked my company and Yangxi to separate us, I never want to work with her anymore now that she hurt you.” Y/n begged her, her eyes shined with tears because seeing Kirsten hurt broke her heart into a million pieces.

Kirsten stayed silent for a bit, Y/n could feel her breathing more heavily now. “it's okay... you go on ahead and cry. I've got you...” Y/n let out worriedly as tears slid down Kirsten’s cheeks. Y/n let go of her and set the bouquet on the table quickly, she turned back to Kirsten who was looking down at the floor, her tears steadily flowing.

Y/n wiped her tears gently, “You know you’re mine right?” Kirsten let out quietly as she let Y/n wipe her tears away. “Of course, my love” Y/n breathed out, clearly relieved, “I’m all yours, Kirs” Y/n grabbed her hand gently and placed a gentle kiss on her palm.

Y/n giggled lightly at the shorter woman, "What are you laughing at? i don't see anything funny." Kirsten questioned her, Y/n giggled in response “You’re cute when you’re jealous”

“Sorry how am I not supposed to be jealous when you’re supposed to be fucking mine, Y/n?” Kirsten rolled her eyes, Y/n grinned at her as she wrapped her arms around Kirsten’s waist again, finally letting out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding.

“You're so fucking hot when you're mad." Y/n muttered in Kirsten’s ear as she giggled finally relieving the tension that hung in the air for the past couple of minutes. Kirsten broke the hug as she held both of Y/n’s hands in her own,

“Yeah, yeah. You're cute. Just stop smiling at me like that." She giggled back in response.

Kirsten took Y/n’s hand and led her into the living room, “Oh?, you just can't help yourself, can you?" Y/n giggled at the shorter woman, loving this side of Kirsten she rarely got to see. They stumbled into the room, as Kirsten pulled Y/n’s collar to bring her into a heated kiss, Y/n didn’t resist, she’ll let Kirsten have her fun this one time.

Y/n just let it happen as Kirsten pushed her onto the couch, “Don’t you have to go back to the studio later?” Y/n questioned her girlfriend as she sat in her lap. “That doesn’t really matter to me right now, I’m sure Latrice can finish the piece by herself” Kirsten mumbled as she pulled Y/n into a slow, sweet kiss which morphed into a rough, eager make out session that left Y/n whimpering for more.

As Kirsten let Y/n catch her breath, she said “You look good like this, with my lipstick all smeared around your face and your neck marked by me.” Kirsten grinned smugly at the woman below her. She pushed Y/n so that the taller woman was lying down with Kirsten still comfortably seated in her lap.

Y/n was panting achingly at Kirsten, completely overwhelmed by her dominating behavior. She was all over you. She looked at you with those beautiful, captivating eyes of hers and you just found her irresistible. That was a look Y/n could never get tired of.

“C’mon, don’t look at me like that, Baby”

Let’s just say Y/n’s bouquet and the lunch she prepared were long forgotten after that.

･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ END…

HIIIII!!!! SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG HELP, ANYWAYS I HOPED THIS LIVED UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS 😭😭 SORRY IF IT SUCKS BUT I DID MY BEST OK😭 BUT IF YOU WANT MORE FEEL FREE TO SEND ME REQUESTS FOR ANY SWF2 DANCER <333 THATS ALL ILY GUYS MWA

(girl this was not my best, at all)

[hirokari]

aestival, c.xs

pairing :: cheng xiaoshi x gender neutral!reader

word count :: 18.7k

genre :: high school!au, senior!au, popular boy!xiaoshi, lovesick!xiaoshi, mutual pining from the start (like he's absolutely smitten for you i swear)

warnings :: explicit language, mentions of wounds, mentions of medical supplies (band aid, antibiotic), eating food truck food

author's note :: i got this fic idea in class and just . threw up words HAHA anyways i love cheng xiaoshi our bbg pls enjoy pure mutual pining!!

masterlist. navigation.

i. meet.

Cheng Xiaoshi's backpack is severely under-packed for senior year. It even seems deflated to Lu Guang as they walk into the school campus.

"I'm surprised you weren't held back a year." Says the younger boy, though his tone does not hold any hint of jest. Nevertheless, Xiaoshi laughs at the comment.

There's a small jump in each of his steps. Breathing in, Xiaoshi looks around and takes note of how… different it seems this year.

The grass is greener, the sky is clearer, the students are chattier. As the sun shines its warm rays against the skin of his arms and cheeks, he beams.

"Y'know, I have a hunch."

"Shoot me." Replies Lu Guang, his face already resembling one of amusement. Whatever Xiaoshi has to say always humors him. "I've got a feeling senior year has something in store for me." Hums the boy, shaking a hand through his raven locks. His friend, in return, deadpans.

"What makes you think that?" Of course: the standard logical Lu Guang response.

Xiaoshi smiles, "I've got a funny feeling in my bones."

"A funny feeling?" Lu Guang repeats in a laugh. "You're basing a statement for the year off of your funny bones?"

Xiaoshi's mouth hangs open as he's about to retort back with something that would not help his case at all— but a grunt escapes his lips instead as something comes crashing against his abdomen.

"Shit- sorry!"

In front of him is a scrambling student, apologizing profusely. He freezes.

As you gather yourself and apologize to the boy, he leans down and grasps the spine of your chem textbook, lifting and handling it towards your direction.

"Oh, thank you. Sorry, again," You sigh, taking the thick textbook from him. The tip of your finger grazes his and Xiaoshi's sense of time stops. He takes a good look at you within a split second– the warm sun and cold morning air hitting your cheeks makes you look absolutely ethereal.

Cheng Xiaoshi had gone to this school for the past 6 years of his life– but not once had he met anyone that looked as pretty as you do right in this moment. You send him a small, tight-lipped smile that seems grateful and still a little apologetic. Your chin scrunches and your cheeks puff out when you do, and he likes the sight of it.

The whole ordeal happened quick. Too quick. You stand up and pat off the material of your uniform, adjusting your hold on your textbook. Xiaoshi stares. After noticing you shift and tilt your head at the gawking boy, Lu Guang nudges and pushes against his friend’s elbow, sending you a quick ‘goodbye’ and dragging Xiaoshi away.

Xiaoshi doesn’t want to leave. In fact, he refuses to. But what’s the use, you had already left, the only remnants of you being your warm floral scent in the summer morning breeze. He breathes deeply, feet planted firm on the ground and feeling a little strange when his nose tingles at your smell.

“That was the most beautiful, pretty, breathtaking person I’ve ever spoken to.” He sighs. “You’re acting like you’ve never spoken to a human before in your life, Xiaoshi,” Comments Lu Guang as he starts treading away.

“I haven’t spoken to a human that looks as if the sun and the moon shared a hug and a million stars danced with each other and everything in the milky way was perfect and not one person on earth had lactose intolerance!”

“What the hell are you even saying? Are you okay?” Lu Guang is starting to grow genuinely worried. The last time he’d seen Xiaoshi act like this was when he had a full-on obsession over Angelina Jolie for a solid 3 hours.

Xiaoshi feverishly shakes his head, cheeks flamed.“No! Do you know who that was?”

“No.”

“That makes things worse,” Groans Xiaoshi into the palm of his hands. He can feel how hot his skin had turned just remembering how pretty you looked.

 “What if I never see them ever again? Do you know how bad I potentially just fumbled the bag here?”

“You’re saying that as if they’d like you back.” Lu Guang can’t help but let his eyes roll. Xiaoshi cries something along the lines of ‘harsh, much?’ and proceeds to whine about having just let you walk away as he stumbles his way to class, Lu Guang directioning him the whole way for the most part.

Cheng Xiaoshi, though he doesn’t seem it, is a hopeless romantic. As his feet drag against the tiled floor almost automatically, Xiaoshi wonders if whoever you were could have been more to him. He’d let fate decide: An acquaintance, a friend, an enemy, a lover. Maybe all of those in that order. Maybe you could be, somewhere in the future.

But he doesn’t really like the idea of waiting for fate. Not when he’s so eager to run into you again– why hadn’t he met you earlier? In sophomore or junior year? Had the universe intended to keep you cooped up away from him until you swept and escaped from its grasp to get back to him?

He knows he’s getting ahead of himself. Nonetheless, he hopes you bump into him again, maybe holding an extra book or two so he could retrieve them for you. Or maybe, if the universe was kind enough to him for a second time (the first was meeting you.), he’d bump into you.

The soccer field is on a large strangely elevated patch of grass. Xiaoshi doesn’t like the extra flight of stairs he has to travel up on in order to enter it. It was originally a large hill, he heard from Lu Guang, but the school thought it’d be of better use if it were a soccer field.

The summer sun is blaring too hot, the boy thinks, as he wipes his sweat off of his brow.

“I’m open!” Yells Xiaoshi, waving his arms.

Far too much movement out in the open sun.

The senior feels sticky and his feet feel like jelly. He doesn’t know how long he’d been playing at this point. Frankly, Xiaoshi doesn’t know why he’d called out for the ball. Instinctual, he supposes.

The ball comes flying at him, and being the basketball-loving goof he is, reaches out to grab it with his hands. Within the last split second, and Lu Guang shouting at him to take it to the chest instead, he forces his arms down, taking the impact to his face instead.

Xiaoshi is wordless as he grasps at his face, feeling extremely dazed.

“Shoot, sorry! Are you good, man?” Shouts a fellow player, though it sounds warped in his ears.

As he waves the concerned murmurs off, he lets his feet lead him to the bleachers, calling for a quick break. It is too damn hot out today, he thinks, heaving at the thick warm afternoon air. Xiaoshi still holds his palm to his face, shielding his eyes from the bright sun that seemed to burn.

Reaching out, Xiaoshi expects to feel the cold metal of the railings that stand in front of the bleachers, but is met with nothing but the air his fingers cut through as he sweeps his hand around. “Wh-?”

Uncovering his eyes, his feet travel forward before he could process where he’d been walking into.

The yelp Xiaoshi lets out embarrasses him and he blushes a little, though none of that really mattered anymore when he realizes he’s tumbling down the other side of the hill, stray twigs and leaves pricking him as he rolls down the grass. He doesn’t let out one noise, the whole situation happening too quick for him to react properly to.

Before he realized it, he’d stopped rolling. Probably for a good few seconds already, but his head needed time to stop swaying.

“Ugh,” Groans Xiaoshi, gripping his hair as his vision seems to keep spinning.

It takes him a solid moment to fully absorb what had happened and where he is. He first looks at the grass around him. Unlike the field he’d just been playing in, these were shaded by tall canopies of trees– the ones on the opposite side of the field, facing the bleachers from at least 100 meters away.

The second thing he notices are the pair of crossed legs in front of his, tensed and pressed up against a chest. Xiaoshi makes an effort to tilt his head up— as much as it made him nauseous— and face the owner of said pair of legs.

There you sit, your book discarded and arms length to the side, eyes blown wide as you scrutinize the boy. “Are you- are you okay?”

Xiaoshi’s mouth hangs open dangerously wide as he meets eyes with you. His skin burns– and he can’t tell if its from 

spending so much time in the sun and overheating, or because you just witnessed what might be the most embarrassing moment of his life.

“I’m… fine.” Is all he’s able to say. A little bit of everywhere stings. His elbows, his knees, his head especially. But it’s alright because Xiaoshi thinks you look absolutely ethereal with bits and patches of sunlight peeking through the leaves of the trees standing above you two, as if shielding you both from the reality of the world. The sunrays frame your face in a kind and soft way, lighting up your nose and cheeks when you lean over to check up on him.

Xiaoshi admires you (almost shamelessly) but you can’t care to notice because you’re busy fussing about him. 

“You’re- bleeding! You need help!”

“It’s fine,” Scoffs Xiaoshi. “It’s barely anything.”

But as you carefully fish a handkerchief out of your pocket (of course you’d have one, thinks Xiaoshi, it’s also bear-patterned!) and slowly press it against his shin, the boy winces, flinching his leg away with a whine as his hand instinctively flies up to grip at your wrist.

“I’m sorry,” You apologize. “Could you hold that for me there? I promise it’ll just be a moment.” Your fingers grace over his knuckles as you instruct him, and Xiaoshi doesn’t even think once about protesting, immediately following and holding the cloth in place. 

He can feel the pads of your fingers linger for a little longer, and although he’s already overheated from the hot summer sun, your fingers radiate a different kind of warmth– a friendly, homely warmth that reminds him of all his favorite things. A kind of warmth that feels like a ladybug crawling across his arm, but he lets it be for the good luck.

“I’ve got an antibiotic in here somewhere,” Rummaging through your bag, you briefly look up to send the boy an assuring and calm smile. His chest thumps violently. Your sheer persistence to help out someone you’d only talked to once— though Xiaoshi doubts you even remember that encounter— moves him.

As you search, the raven-haired boy lets his free hand travel down the grass he sits on, relishing in the chill contrast of it compared to the blazing hot field. He picks at a weed, then a daisy that grows right by his thigh, and threads them together, creating a braid long enough to circle around his pinky finger. He binds them together with a knot and slips it onto his pinky finger, a small, boyish ingenuous grin spreading across his lips.

“Here,” Tenderly lifting his fingers, Xiaoshi lets you pry his hand off his leg, watching as you dab a small amount of antibiotic cream on the cloth. 

“Could you press this in place again? I have to find you a bandaid,”

“Yeah, of course,”

Dazed, Xiaoshi doesn’t react at the first contact the rag makes with his wound. And a moment later, after having enough of his fill of watching you, he returns to wincing, wearing a sour grimace on his face as he refuses to take the cloth off just because you ordered him not to.

“Here.” Taking Xiaoshi’s free hand, you place the bandaid into his palm and take hold of your handkerchief again. With an open palm, the boy looks at it, the corner of his lip twitching upwards at its animal pattern.

“Thank you,” Says Xiaoshi in a small voice. You nod, “It’s alright, I’m just glad you’re fine. Although,” Pausing, you lean forward, face nearing his as you press the back of your hand against his cheek. He inhales sharply, eyes widening at the feeling of your soft fingers against the skin of his face.

“You’re burning up.” You conclude. “You did put on sunscreen before playing, right?”

Xiaoshi’s silence answers your question, but the guilty glance towards the field tells you more than you need to know.

You shake your head, “Wear a hat next time; that’s the least thing you could do. Sunburns are no pretty thing.” You pause, tilting your head to the side with a teasing look in your eyes. “But red’s a good shade on you.”

It’s until now when Xiaoshi realizes how close you’d been, his breath hitting the peach fuzz on your face. “Shut up,” He groans, pushing at your shoulder. Letting out a quick chuckle, you let him push you back into your original position and watch as he applies the band aid across his wound.

“You’re… the guy I bumped into a few weeks ago, aren’t you?”

Oh. He hadn’t expected you to remember that, considering how fast the whole thing had happened.

“Yeah,” Replies Xiaoshi with a nod. “I forgot to ask… for your name,” He says, fidgeting and looking to the side, discovering a shy part of him he hadn’t known existed.

“It’s Y/N L/N.”

“Y/N L/N,” He repeats. It rolls off his tongue nicely, he thinks, and he wants to say it again. “I’m Xiaoshi. Cheng Xiaoshi.”

“Cheng Xiaoshi.” You say, repeating his name like he did yours. You say it again under your breath and at the sound of it, he thinks everything is right and beautiful in the world.

“We’ve got to go,” You mention, checking the time on your phone as you stuff your bag with your belongings you’d taken out. “We’ve got seven minutes ‘till class.”

Xiaoshi watches as you rush to your feet, patting against your legs and uniform. You offer to help him up, but he shakes his head politely, picking up the novel you’d been reading and wiping off the little dirt that had gotten on the cover with his slender fingers.

“Will I see you again?” Asks Xiaoshi, though he hadn’t thought before he let the question slip past his lips. You look back at him, offering a smile, “I’m not sure… but we’ll see, I guess. Bye, Cheng Xiaoshi.”

“Bye, Y/N L/N.”

His cheeks burn, this time not because of a near-sunburn he’d gotten playing soccer in nothing but his uniform.

ii. cheng xiaoshi!

You hadn’t realized you’d lost your book until after arriving home from school a few days ago. Now here you are, sitting next to your upperclassman and lab partner, Qiao Ling, legs leaning against the bleacher in front of you. Even under the shades of the thin metal ceiling the bleachers came with, you felt like you were being boiled alive.

The two of you watch a mix of seniors and juniors play a friendly match of soccer, and you can’t help but wonder where Xiaoshi had been since the last time you’d seen him.

After him stumbling into you— almost literally— you hadn’t seen him all week. Not like he’d been looking for you either.

Fun fact: he actually was.

Xiaoshi sits in the spot he’d last met you in, fingers grazing across the title etched onto the hardcover of your novel that you’d forgotten with him. Wearing a small pout, the boy heaves a childish sigh, letting his back fall onto the fresh grass under him, admiring the canopies towering over him.

It’s definitely a peaceful and sound place, but there was a sense of beauty knowing it was exclusively yours. He can see remnants of you everywhere: a dented patch of grass that he imagines happened because you’d sat there every time, several traces of plucked weeds and flowers, your initials you’d scratched onto a tree because you’d been bored one day.

Xiaoshi’s fingers travel up to the rough, textured bark that spelled out your initials, inhaling its earthy scent of oak. He imagines you, with a pen or a pocket knife, etching the letters onto the dark and dull bark with the same concentrated look you’d worn a few days ago.

His phone suddenly vibrates in the pocket of his uniform. Still staring at the engraved letters, Xiaoshi takes his device out and unlocks it, finally turning to his screen.

Lu Guang

| Where are you?

| Sociology starts in 10 minutes.

Cheng Xiaoshi

| im omw

Standing by himself in the deserted hall in front of the library, Lu Guang scoffs to himself, knowing very well his friend is not in fact on his way.

Lu Guang

| Please hurry

| Those popular douchebags are here and I can’t stand putting up with your nonsense, let alone theirs.

Cheng Xiaoshi

| those “douchebags” are my friends, Guang :l

Lu Guang doesn’t respond, having gone offline, and Xiaoshi takes that as his cue to get to class.

He hadn’t realized it, but when he looks down, he can make out the faint trail you’d made with your frequenting visits here, a beeline of thinning grass and hardening soil leading him towards the campus. It seemed like a little portal between the calm of the forest and the bustle of high school.

Finally, Xiaoshi arrives at the bottom of the hill, staring up at the flight of stairs leading into the bleachers. The air feels extremely more humid from where he stands, letting the sun hit his skin (but he’d worn sunscreen this morning, just because you’d told him too, of course.)

The first step up feels somewhat like a struggle. A feeling like something in between refusing and complaining. But he’s just being dramatic, really. Xiaoshi walks up the rest of the stairs like it was nothing.

Finally on the top of the stairs and shielded from the sun under the ceiling of the bleachers, Cheng Xiaoshi feels like his stomach tightens at the sight of you talking with Qiao Ling and lets his mouth hang open, eyes wide like buttons.

“Y/N L/N!”

Your shoulders shrug up at the sudden yell of your name, and it seems like everyone has stopped talking, just as startled. Turning around, your eyes widen when they meet with Xiaoshi’s, your mouth parting slightly, though you’re not sure what to say.

“Cheng… Xiaoshi?”

Qiao Ling, who hadn’t bothered to look (because things like this had happened too often to her, though she should’ve known it was Xiaoshi), whips her head towards his direction, ridiculed.

There’s a moment when you both look at each other and everyone else goes back to minding their own business. Xiaoshi’s cheeks are dusted pink from both the walk in the sun and meeting you here coincidentally. He holds your book up, his fingers wrapped around the spine of it, giving you a grin.

Charming, you think. His smile is charming. And teethy.

“I’ve… got your book.” He says. Brows raising, you let out an exasperated breath. That was, in fact, the book you’d been searching for during the past few days. “Oh,” You can’t resist the small smile growing across your lips as he offers it to you. You take it with nimble fingers, brushing against the cover, then looking up at him. “Thank you.”

What followed was another moment of silence.

Was this going to be a usual thing between you two?

“Hold on, you know him?” Qiao Ling, who had been ogling at your interaction the whole time speechless, plants a hand on your shoulder, completely disregarding the enthusiastic “yeah!” Xiaoshi replies with.

“Yeah, met him on our first day this year. I bumped into him, actually…” Although the whole ordeal has passed, you still wear a shameful smile. Qiao Ling narrows her eyes at Xiaoshi, “Oh you’re the golden boy they talked about?”

“Golden boy? Talked about?”

“Um,” You hiss before he could question any more, giving Qiao Ling an embarrassed and pointed look. A realization settles into her and she apologizes quietly, though she seems more teasing than anything. “Class is like, pretty soon, is it not?” You chuckle nervously, two fingers fiddling and pinching the cover of your book.

“Right, yeah, I was on my way to sociology.” Says Xiaoshi, though it seems like he’d just remember himself. “Oh, I’ve got advanced math— which is like, right down the hall to your class.”

“I can walk you there!”

“That’d be cool, yeah,”

Qiao Ling wants to interject. Remind you two of her presence. But she’s completely dumbfounded at the fact that she knows very well that if she did, neither of you would acknowledge it, too lost in the small talk and shared glances.

“Right, well, while you two do that, I’ll be here, I guess.”

“You’re not going to class?” You ask. “Nope.” Her ‘P’ pops against her lips as she leans back against the bleacher. “I’ve got a free period. Pros of being a future valedictorian, eh?”

“Shouldn’t you be using that time to study?”

“Oh, you’re one to talk, Xiaoshi. Go, shoo, before you’re late. As far as I know, Mr. Lee doesn’t like tardiness.”

“Shit, that’s my class.” Groans Xiaoshi, wiping a hand against his sweaty face. “Let’s go, Y/N L/N.” As you tread after him and wave goodbye to QIao Ling, you can’t help but laugh at the boy. “You could just call me Y/N.”

“But I like saying Y/N L/N. It rolls off nice on the tongue.”

“So does Cheng Xiaoshi.”

Shit. Is this flirting? Is Cheng Xiaoshi really flirting with the prettiest person he’s ever met? Xiaoshi seems to sweat even more, despite already entering the air-conditioned campus building. Your finger brushes against his lightly while you walk next to him, but he doesn’t think you noticed. You’re still complaining about taking advanced math with Mrs. Wang.

“I don’t get it,” Xiaoshi interjects. “Why did you pick it in the first place?” Your cheeks dust red. “Er, well,” You sigh. “I thought I’d look smart if I took the class. Turns out absolutely none of her students understand the material and we’re all left to fend for ourselves with youtube tutors and a really, really thick textbook that amounts to nothing but yet another droning lecturer.”

“Isn’t Lu Guang taking that class?”

“Lu Guang?” You hum, tilting your head. “Your friend?” Xiaoshi nods, “Yeah, the one with the white hair. People absolutely fawn over him.”

“He’s taking the class on Wednesday, then, I’m assuming.” You shrug. The both of you turned the corner and there Xiaoshi’s class was. The big metal door stands heavily in all its glory, declaring itself an entrance and separation from you. You look beyond the hallway, and spot the familiar graffitied door of Mr. Huang’s class (so many students had failed his class that they’d graffiti on his door in a feat of protest. The old man never minded it, though, it just reminded him more of his streak in paining high school kids).

“I’ll see you later,” You pause, looking up at him. “Cheng Xiaoshi.”

“You too,” He smiles. “Y/N L/N.”

The next time Xiaoshi sees you, you’re typing away at your laptop on a lunch table out in the courtyard, shaded by a generously thick tree. You’re completely neglecting your food, absolutely focused on your task at hand.

“Ahoy there, Y/N L/N.”

Cheng Xiaoshi greeting you boldly and loudly out of the blue does not faze you anymore. Not when he’s been doing it for weeks on end. Sipping on your soda with a straw stuck into the can, you swallow with a fresh sigh.

“Hello, Cheng Xiaoshi.”

“What’re you writing there?” Asks the boy as he plops down next to you, comfortably keeping a knee pressed against his chest as he plants his lunch next to yours. “It’s my English report. I planned on pulling an all-nighter last night, but,” You sigh, having been cut off when Xiaoshi offers half of his sandwich to you. You eye it, then lean down to smell it with a heavy whiff.

“You think I’d poison you, Y/N? And here I thought we were friends!” Xiaoshi mimics an arrow shooting straight through his chest, leaning against the table and dramatically hanging his head as if he’d just lost consciousness.

You laugh.

God, your laugh, Xiaoshi could live off of it alone. Your cheeks when you smile, the teeth you bare to him when you chuckle. He wishes to see it everyday.

“You called me Y/N. Like, Y/N only, Y/N.”

“Yeah, yeah, I guess you came around. Anyways, eat up.” Xiaoshi taps the bread of his sandwich against your mouth and you roll your eyes, taking a bite and wiping the crumbs off the corner of your lips.

“Thanksh.” You murmur through a mouthful. You push your lunch towards him. “I made fried rishe. Pleash try it out fohr me.”

Xiaoshi’s lip quips up at your strange, mouthful accent. “Of courshe.” He says obnoxiously at you, laughing when you push his cheek away with your hand. Picking up the stainless steel spoon you’d packed, Xiaoshi eats a spoonful of your cooking, smacking his lips as he chews obnoxiously.

You’re very aware he’s trying to cheer you up. You can’t imagine how grumpy you looked typing and frowning when he approached you.

“Well?” You say, finally swallowing down the little bit of his sandwich you’d eaten. “Is it any good?”

“Is it any good?” Repeats Xiaoshi. “Do fish live in the sea?”

“No,” You spit playfully, hands hovering back over your laptop keyboard. But before you could start working again, Xiaoshi smacks your hands and you gasp, looking at him wide-eyed as he closes your laptop shut.

“You did not just do that.” You hiss. Xiaoshi sticks a tongue out at you. “I just did. Anyways, give your little laptop a break would you? And yourself, too, of course.”

You suppose he’s right. A part of you appreciates Xiaoshi a little more (if that were possible) now as he munches on food, and another part wants to smack him in the face when you realize it’s your food he’s munching on.

“Cheng Xiaoshi! You just ate, like, half of my lunch, you goof!”

“It’s your fault you cooked it so good, Y/N L/N.”

You take Xiaoshi’s ham sandwich sourly, wanting to get back at him as you take a big bite right in front of his face. And although you think he’s as upset as you are for eating his lunch, Xiaoshi’s chest warms at the sight of you eating the rest of his lunch, and when he offers yours back, you snatch it and devour it quickly. His smile grows each spoonful of food you eat.

“Hey,” He says, leaning his head against his fist as he watches you eat. You hum in response through full cheeks. “I’m gonna buy a milkshake. Want one?”

You mouth something along the lines of Hannah montana and a strangely structured word. 

“...what?”

You roll your eyes at him, swallowing and finally telling him: “banana, please.” Xiaoshi’s mouth forms an ���o’ and he nods at you. “Don’t you mean ‘banana, pleash’?”

“I hate you. Like genuinely. Like I’m going to be friends with Lu Guang now instead.” You huff, and he juts his bottom lip out at you. 

The milkshake stand in the small nook of the canteen is run by two freshman girls. You and Xiaoshi are in fact their first and top customers… and their only customers during this season. Xiaoshi offers them both a wide smile and orders one strawberry and one banana. As one scurries off to whip up their orders, Jia, the younger of the two, leans against the counter of their property (they have a cooking and selling permit from the principal herself until lunch hour ends) with a suggestive smile.

“So? How’s Y/N? How’re your kids?”

“Holy shit,” Groans Xiaoshi. This was the only reason he hadn’t asked for you to come along. Both Jia and Yanyu know about the senior’s harboring feelings for you. They also know about your harboring feelings for him.

You both had admitted to your feelings to them individually, unable to decipher their devious, knowing smile.

“Language!” Yells Yanyu over the blender. “Sorry,” Replies Xiaoshi, monotone. “But really, I don’t want to talk about it, Jia.”

“Uh oh. Trouble in paradise?” Says Jia, crossing her arms, her braided hair shifting against her shoulder. The boy scoffs, “Stop acting like we’re married.”

“You two may as well be. Quick, tell me, my therapist hours are open.”

Xiaoshi can’t believe he’s about to spill his heart’s heavy doubts to a 14 year old.

“They’re… not interested.” He sighs. Jia, wide-eyed, leans closer. “They told you that?”

“Well, no.” She deadpans. “You can’t just assume they aren’t. Communication. Is. Key.” She says, clapping her hands to corresponding syllables she speaks. Xiaoshi shrugs, “I’ve been trying to drop hints, but they’ve either been ignoring it or they’re really, really, blind.”

“It’s the latter.” Says Yanyu as she hands him his drinks. They both know too much about how you both can be ridiculously blind to dropped hints. She grimaces at the thought of you both prancing and dancing around a bush, Xiaoshi’s pathetic attempts to earn your heart when he doesn’t know it’s in his hands. “Definitely the latter.”

“Well, I just bought them a banana smoothie. Think that’ll be eye-opening enough?”

“Are you crazy?” Groans Jia, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You do that for each other all the time! Do something nice out of the blue or norm, like…”

“Tell ‘em you think they look pretty today!” Interjects Yanyu. Xiaoshi tilts his head, “But I think they look pretty everyday?”

Aw. Yanyu and Jia share a knowing look. “Well, do you tell them?”

“No, I guess not…” He hums. “Then this is your chance! Flatter them. Everyone loves that. Tell them you love their eyes, their lips, their hair– the way they part their hair.” Jia pauses, smiling cheekily as she watches his cheeks heat up. “In fact, tell them you love all their parts.”

“I can’t say that!”

“Sure, you can!” Sings Yanyu, planting her hands against his shoulders and directing him towards the table you sit in.

In the distance, the three of them can spot you, having finished both yours and Xiaoshi’s lunch. You write down in your notebook, scribbling almost aggressively, but he still thinks you look heavenly.

“Well, see ya, lover boy!” Jia pushes against his back lightly, nudging him as he takes a step forward. “And tell Y/N we said hi! And that we miss them!”

Yanyu tells him a few encouraging words but he can’t process them when he’s trying to figure out how to tell you how damn pretty he thinks you look everyday. The condensation of both your cold smoothies mix with the sweat of his palms– either from the humidity or just the thought of you– and he sits down next to you, eyes trained on you.

“Thanks, Xiaoshi,” You say, accepting the banana smoothie he’d handed to you subconsciously. But quicker than he’d wanted, you notice his intense gaze and gulp thickly.

“Is there… anything on my face?” You ask, wiping the back of your hand against your cheek self-consciously.

“Yeah,” Says Xiaoshi slowly. “Pretty… ness.”

What. Was that. So much for golden boy.

You give him a questioning look, taking a sip of the smoothie he’d just bought you. “Are you okay? Are you having a heat stroke? I told you to put on some sunscreen.”

“You look really pretty today.” Xiaoshi finally says in a blunt tone. “Oh,” You mumble, surprised. “Thanks.”

You hope you sound calm, because you definitely aren’t. Cheng Xiaoshi had just gone to buy you a smoothie and came back to tell you that you’re pretty. Totally not something the universe had personally hand-picked out of your delusional brain filled with fantasies.

“I think you look pretty, too.” You say in a small, breathy and shaky voice. “Thank you,” Replies Xiaoshi with a small smile. 

“Wanna try some of my milkshake? You haven’t tried the strawberry one, right?”

“Oh, sure. Thanks.”

“Also, Jia and Yanyu miss you.”

Xiaoshi thinks this is a mission success. Your cheeks red from the sun (and from Xiaoshi complimenting you, but he denies that) as you try his smoothie, and he takes a sip of your banana flavored one. He told you he thought you looked pretty and you think he’s pretty too; definitely mission success. 

You don't expect Xiaoshi to coincidentally have the same free period as you– let alone have him sit with you in the library as you highlight keywords and statements in your textbook.

"It's so weird that we've got the same free period," You mumble with half the effort, focused on skimming through your material. Xiaoshi lets out a 'pshh' sound with his breath: "Nah. I skipped class."

"You skipped class?" You repeat, dropping your book and highlighter as you furrow your brows at him. Though a little surprised at your reaction, the boy nods slowly. “No, one does not just ‘skip class’.” You cough. “You’ve gotta go through the paperwork and give the teacher a dismissal note for whatever reason you made up. And then have your classmates make an alibi for you as you’re out.”

“...or you could just walk out the door and never return.”

“No, Cheng Xiaoshi, you can’t just do that.” You laugh, though it's the kind of laugh where you’re in disbelief and somewhat in denial. “Holy shit.” Says Xiaoshi, leaning closer with a teasing smile. “You, Y/N L/N, have never skipped a class.”

“I have!” You say a little too loud for your liking, earning looks from the students at the table next over. Mumbling a small sorry, you clasp your hands together in a makeshift apology before rummaging your head into your open textbook.

“I have never skipped a class.” You admit, sullen.

Xiaoshi can’t help but chuckle lightly at your current state, and he can’t help but laugh even more when you look up at him with a frown. “You’re really laughing at me right now!? I’m never going to live a fun and rebellious high school life and you’re laughing at me!”

“I-I’m not,” Xiaoshi pauses to collect himself. He eases his chuckles as he pats on his chest with his hand, which makes you more upset at him. “Alright, I’m sorry. It’s all the more better that you’ve never skipped a class, really. There’s no hype to it or anything like that.”

“I don’t know,” You huff, watching your breath turn over a page of your textbook. “I don’t really want to graduate high school knowing I’ve never skipped a class. It’s unfulfilling, or something like that.” Your expression turns sour. “Winning perfect absence sounds cool, though,”

“You wanna win that?” Asks Xiaoshi, leaning down and pressing his cheek to the cold hardwood of the table, facing you. You look at him, at his squished cheek and his intent gaze. Something in you whirrs– tingles.

“...no.”

Xiaoshi laughs. “It’s not too late, you know. You’ve still got, like, a semester to go.”

You whine, squeezing your eyes shut as you groan and let your forehead hit the cover of your textbook. “It’s too late, Xiaoshi, I’m already too deep in. I’m going to receive that award with some half-assed smile and so many regrets. Imagine how many bobas I could have had if I did have the strength to skip a class. Or fried rice. Or food truck burritos! God, imagine how many burritos.”

“So many burritos.” Xiaoshi lets out a melancholic sigh, and it somewhat humors you and comforts you as you turn to face him. You meet eyes with him, both your faces pressed against the table and you give him a small laugh when he repeats more and more foods you could have enjoyed if you’d ever skipped a class.

If you ever could.

iii. 3.27 PM

The fact that Cheng Xiaoshi stands at the door frame of your math advanced class doesn’t surprise you. Neither is the fact that he’s looking at your teacher with a bitter look. Though, the fact that those two don’t surprise you is just a bit concerning. Just a bit.

“Hello,” You say, pushing at his chest as you both exit your classroom.

“You’re so right,” Says Xiaosh a little too loud for your comfort, pausing to take another good look at your professor over your shoulder. “She does look divorced.”

“Holy shit.” You cough when her head whips to the both of you. “Great, now my advanced math teacher hates me. How could I ever repay you?” You groan sarcastically, bumping your knee to his. “Actually!” Beams Xiaoshi. “There is. You were called to the office.”

“Me? Called to the office?” You repeat, suspicious. “Should Mrs. Wang kno-”

“Nuh-uh! They told me it was urgent. Involves the both of us, apparently.” Xiaoshi is quick– almost too quick, too eager– to cut you off, grabbing a hold of your wrist. The action alone makes the ends of your fingers tingle and your chest to swell, and you hope Xiaoshi can’t tell your elevating heartbeat from the beating spot of skin in your wrist.

“Did you just say nuh-uh?” You say in a small snicker, letting him drag you down the hall and several flights of stairs. “Shut up.” Laughs Xiaoshi, his stomach caving in at the sound of your enjoyment.

Though Xiaoshi mentioned the office, for some ridiculous reason, you both end up walking up to the front gates, still hand in hand. You look back, the earthy scent of autumn enveloping you as you stare at the old, wet campus building.

“Why are you taking me outside.” You ask, though it sounds more like a demand. Xiaoshi’s mouth opens, but nothing comes out. He pauses for a moment, looks back at you, then looks back at the front gates you’d just walked out of, and then turns back around.

“I’ll tell you in a minute.”

Something in you wonders why you’re letting him drag you away from the school grounds, and to the opposite direction of where you’re supposed to be right now. But the answer is clearly obvious:

You have the biggest fattest crush on this boy.

You’re not sure when it happened, but it happened, alright. You’d realized when you were talking to him as he took a break from playing basketball, and when he’d confessed that he hadn’t put sunscreen on, you immediately whipped yours out and applied it to his skin yourself. As your fingers traveled and graced across the milky, plush skin of his face, you found yourself fawning over how he just sat there, eyes shut closed, and let you.

In the end, he retreated back to his teammates with a childish smile, with his cap on your head.

“In return for the facial!”

“It was sunscreen.”

But as you clutched the hat to your chest where your heart bloomed, you realized how much he’d grown on you.

“Okay.” Says Xiaoshi, letting your hand go to adjust his jean jacket, then the thick sweater layered under it. It’s until now when you realize you’re severely underdressed for this rainy weather, but with clutched and crossed arms, you let him speak.

“Congratulations Y/N L/N! You’ve just skipped your first class!”

What. The fuck. You can’t help but think. Wordless, you stare at him blankly, waiting for a punchline or a big reveal that this had been a silly prank. But as Xiaoshi pats both your shoulders and puffs his chest out as he tells you how proud of you he is, you grimace.

“There’s no fucking way I just fell for that.” Your hand travels up to clutch the side of your face. “You just dragged me out of class! Just like that!”

“I did!” Cheers Xiaoshi. He’s too cute to be mad at, really, but you just can’t believe he did that. “Xiaoshi! This is not something to be happy about!” You declare, though you’re trying to hold back a laugh when your best friend starts wiggling his arms and shaking his hips in what you think is a celebratory dance.

“In legal terms, you just kidnapped me. You’ve kidnapped me, Cheng Xiaoshi.” You say in a dramatic voice, flailing your arms at him. “Do you realize I left my jacket in class? I’m so underdressed for this.”

Xiaoshi takes a good look at you. Scans you up and down. Then frantic, he gingerly throws his jean jacket off and ties it around his waist, rushing to escape the warm binds of his sweater. The bottom hem of his uniform lifts as he tries to get his sweater off and you pull on it, laughing when you hear a muffled thanks through his multiple layers of clothes.

Finally, he’s rid of his green sweater— it's the type of green you like, and he very well knows that— and hands it to you with a toothy grin.

Like a puppy… You think when he seems to shake like a wagging tail.

“Thank you.” Is the only thing you can say as you accept the sweater. As you bow to put it on, you’re completely engulfed in his scent. He smells warm and earthy. Like fresh blades of grass after a light rain. He smells like the sun shines– not too hot, but warm enough for a good rest under the rays of light.

There’s a hint of AXE body spray, too. A very subtle hint of it.

The feeling of personally wearing a sweater that belongs to Cheng Xiaoshi is frankly… surreal to you. The sleeves are too long for you and you bunch the extra bit of it up until it reaches the palm of your hands, breathing into them for extra warmth.

Though he’s not wearing a jacket, Xiaoshi thinks seeing you in his sweater is enough to heat him up. There’s a shiver that descends from the top of his head down his spine and he thinks he likes it– or maybe it's the cold finally getting to him.

As he throws his jean jacket back on, Xiaoshi bumps his hip into yours, “Where do you want to go now, you class-skipping menace?”

You take no time to ponder:

“We’re going to have burritos. All the burritos.”

“So many burritos.”

It’s odd how warm you suddenly feel as soon as you take the first bite into your burrito. Maybe because it’s freshly made because they just opened, maybe it’s because Xiaoshi insisted on paying for it when you realized you left your wallet in class.

You frankly left everything in there, save for yourself and your phone.

Xiaoshi hums when he finally gets a taste of his burrito, wiping at the sauce that spilled on the corner of his lips with the back of his hand. After swallowing your bite, you nod at him with a knowing, smug smirk.

“Good, huh?”

The boy nods eagerly in response, which humors you a little. You pull the thick sleeves of Xiaoshi’s sweater up to your elbows so as to not get it dirty or spilled on, but it’s evident that you’re growing cold without the extra layer (and the pits of your elbows start to sweat a little too much). Xiaoshi, noticing the thoughtful gesture, assures you to keep your forearms covered with a full mouth.

“But I’m gonna get ‘em dirty!”

“It’sh foine!” He says through the several ingredients of his burrito (which consists of: a flour tortilla, beef, baked beans and several veggies).

“Are you shore?” You mimic him, pulling your sleeves down. Despite his eyes rolling at your antics, Xiaoshi sets his food down to help you with it, the warmth of his fingers alone radiating off of your skin that he begins to help cover.

Your stomach churns as you look down at the action. His gentle fingers help unbunch the material of his sweater and they wrap around your wrist for the second time today, his thumb rubbing across the bottom of your palm.

Chest wavering, your eyes cast up and they unexpectedly meet Xiaoshi’s (though he was staring at you the whole time). There’s a moment– he gives you a moment to make up something to say to him in return– but he’s really expecting a quiet, shy thank you and a full-blown confession. “Thanksh.” You say, cracking into a smile when he groans.

“You won’t let that live down?”

“You didn’t in the summer.”

Xiaoshi ignores your response with a pout, his hands fishing for his burrito and grabbing hold of it to take another dangerously obnoxious bite into it. Boy likes his beef and baked beans.

 You watch him, watch as more and more crumbs build up onto his chin until he wipes it off with a napkin and shoots it at an absurdly small trash can that sits a few feet away from you two, laughing at him when it hits the rim and misses.

“I’m bored.” You mention out of the blue when you’re finished with your burrito, crumpling the thin paper you’d used to hold your burrito with and used tissues into a big ball, handing it to Xiaoshi when he asks to have another shot into the bin. He misses.

“How the hell am I on the basketball team,” he laughs. You freeze, fingers playing with the plastic fork you were given as you ask: “you’re in the basketball team?”

“Hell yeah, I am.” Answers Xiaoshi with pride. And then a realization hits you. You’ve known Cheng Xiaoshi for nearly half a year and you barely know anything about him aside from the fact that he’s a big (maybe the biggest) goofball and he’s purely a golden retriever.

“Let’s play 21 questions.”

“All of a sudden?” He hums, swiping his hair up away from his forehead. Your head spins a little at how charming the action alone had made him. “Mhm. I barely know anything about you, and I doubt you know me more than I know you. So,”

“What I’m getting here,” Xiaoshi pauses, his face leaning closer to yours as he plants his elbow against the table. He wears a boyish smile and it makes your head buzz. “You wanna get to know me better, huh?”

“Exactly.” You say in a whisper, the ends of your fingers tingling when his smile grows at your response alone.

“Alright, I’ll go first: what’s your shoe size?”

You can’t help but let out a loud chuckle, “You’re so weird!”

“21 questions are 21 questions! Answer me.” Defends Xiaoshi, though he’s laughing with you.

“Alright, I’m like a decent size 40.”

“Only? I’m like, 43. I win.”

You’re about to comment on the fact that Xiaoshi just considered comparing shoe sizes for competition, but you don’t think you want to when he tells you not to be sour in a coo, patting your arm. He teases you in a sweet way, and you know he means no ill intent.

“Opinion on pineapple on pizza?”

“I’m neutral.” You shrug. Nodding, Xiaoshi wears a contemplating look, “I, for one, am all for it. You can never go bad with sweet and savory. In my opinion,” He pauses to press a hand against his chest. “I think they make a great pair. Soulmates, even.”

“Oh, yeah?” You hum. “That’s an interesting way to think of it. Between the two of us, who would you think is the sweet and who’s the savory?”

Oh. Xiaoshi looks at you, a light in his eyes as he wonders. You think he’s pondering for the answer, but he’s already got that figured out. You were the sweet to his savory. What he really was wondering was: were you regarding him as your soulmate when you asked that? He can’t tell. You’d said it in such a naive, innocent, genuine tone that makes him fold.

“You,” He starts, tapping his heel against the pavement of the street floor. “are a sweet cutie patootie sugar booger honey bun-”

“Oh my god, shut up.” You laugh loudly, leaning over to lightly press your hand against the direct front of his face that he teases nearer you. “Your turn, savory.”

“It’s your turn, sweets. Don’t you know how taking turns works?” Jests Xiaoshi, his cheek still pressed against your outstretched hand. You shake your head, "I took it already– I just asked you which of us were sweet and savory– don't you know how questions work?"

“Very well,” He replies, removing his face from your taunting grasp. “Favorite Pringles flavor?”

“Sour cream and onion.”

“I thought you were sweet,”

You roll your eyes, ignoring his quip, “Go-to takeout?”

“Pizza. And boba. Favorite movie?”

“It has to be any of Wes Anderson’s movies. Oh wait! Ghibli, too,” You nod your head momentarily. “You?”

“Say Something for sure. A classic.” Answers Xiaoshi with his whole chest, nodding with a proud smile. You stay quiet, lips thinned and fingers retreating to play with the sleeve of his sweater. It takes the boy a moment to fully digest the look you wear: one of a little embarrassment and guilt.

“No.” He gasps. “You’ve never watched Say Something?” There’s a shock and what sounds to you a small bit of hurt (feigned, of course). Wordless, you answer with a shake of your head. He presses the back of his palm against his forehead, faking a faint as he falls back against his chair.

“You’ve wounded me, Y/N. Look at me, a dead man!” You scoff, nudging his knee with yours under the table, and it sends a little electricity through him. “Stop being so dramatic! You’ll get over it.”

“Anyways, what’s the daily agenda of the oh-so-popular golden boy, hm?” You ask. Xiaoshi, still slouched back into his chair, gives you a questioning look, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you have a lot of friends. A lot of friends mean a lot of plans. A lot of basketball games, a lot of karaoke runs, a lot of parties. Am I right?”

The look the boy gives you says you’re absolutely wrong. He stays silent for a moment, spending his time to think as he watches your expression fall from a smile to one of a lost thought. “I don’t have a lot of friends, Y/N,” He admits. “I just know a lot of people. I don’t take anyone out to a food truck burrito run.”

Your stomach caves in at the way he regards you. Or rather, the fact that he emphasized the fact that he treated you differently.

“And I don’t party. Well- okay, I’ve been to a few, but it’s not my type of genre, you feel me?” Xiaoshi’s hands press together and he looks at you a certain way as if waiting for your verdict.

“Oh.” Is all you can say. You’re surprised. But something in you tells you that you shouldn’t be, because he’s literally eating burritos with you right now. Why on earth would he hang out with you if he had other friends to spend time with?

“You seem disappointed.” He deadpans. Immediately, you shake your hands and head at him, denying fervently. “No, no, no, not like that! It just seemed like you were a big party person.” You confess with a certain tone in your voice, one of slight remorse. “It’s… surprising you’d hang out with me, actually. But it’s nice of you to. I like spending time with you.”

You bloom a certain warmth in Xiaoshi’s chest. It swirls and spirals, accumulating enough to just burst out of his abdomen. He feels as if he’s about to float. All the fall cold that had been itching its way past his layers and onto his skin had just melted away merely by the heat he radiated after hearing you say that you’d enjoyed spending time with him. He feels like he could fly and fall at the same time, but he thinks he prefers falling if you’re there to catch him in the end.

Oh. This is bad. This is really, really bad. Here, in the cold hour of 3.27 PM, on a table that you’d just shared burritos with, the realization that Cheng Xiaoshi had fallen in love with you just hit him.

Though, it doesn’t really seem bad anymore. Falling in love in front of a food truck could be romantic, right? It doesn’t really matter to him. Not when his mouth parts, voice lumped and stuck in his throat as he attempts to tell you how sudden and how hard you’d just made him fall in love with you. He wants to tell you in the form of words; in the form of touch; in the form of mingling breaths and intertwined fingers; in the form of his palm pressed against the skin of your jaw, drawing you closer as his whispers fan the lobe of your ear.

But, no. All that comes out is a quiet, shaky:

“I like spending time with you. Too.”

You wear a smile. Then you give him a small, but bashful and shy laugh. He thinks he might die at the sight. Cheng Xiaoshi wants nothing in the world right now but to hold you in his arms– or be held in your arms. Either way, as long as his skin is pressed against yours, he’s all for it. He wants you to run your fingers through his hair, for his head to rest on the soft flesh of your thighs or arms or frankly any limb you’d be willing to offer to him because god your touch looks just too good to waste.

But he knows he can’t. Not now. Not when you’re telling him to ask you a question and when he does, it’s a dumb, shallow, vague one that you answer with heart and mind anyway because you care about this game. You care about getting to know him. That’s what makes you worth every bit of love this universe has to offer, he thinks.

“That’s enough,” You groan, staring into a street light– which you really shouldn’t, because it’s illuminating light shines and blinds directly into your eyes, and you groan everytime that happens.

“One more,” Pants Xiaoshi, picking up the round and faded basketball, dribbling it past the 3-point indicator line. He repositions himself, his knees bending just slightly as he adjusts his aim. With a jump, he stretches his arms out, the ball flying out of his hand and traveling right through the center of the ring.

Xiaoshi sings a little ‘whoop!’ as he jogs over to you.

You’re laid out on the court floor, bored out of your mind as you start staring straight at the streetlight just to feel a little entertained. You fiddle with the boy’s bottle in both your hands, and he lends down to pick it out of your hands, sounding a thank you, though you don’t respond.

Xiaoshi sits by your feet, tilting his head at your lack of response. “Sweets? You good?”

That damned nickname. Ever since he’d forced you to bail and went to get burritos with you, it was all he ever called you. Not like you’re complaining, but how could he frankly expect you to return a verbal, sane response after what’s practically a couple’s pet name?

But you do respond, of course, throwing a thumbs up his way as you nudge him with your shoe.

“You know,” Xiaoshi starts, setting his bottle down to lay down next to you. This doesn’t help your case at all, your body tingling when his hand brushes against yours during the action. “You can just go home. You don’t have to stay with me while I practice.”

“Nuh-uh,” You reply, shaking a finger at him. “I’m like, officially your number one fan. Who else would be your fanclub president if not me?”

“I’m just saying, a fan doesn’t spend hours with their idols. They always say: ‘never meet your idols.’” Xiaoshi shrugs, and you can feel his arm brushing up against your uniform. It makes you nervous. Nevertheless, you face him, stomach churning when he mimics you, your noses nearly touching at the close proximity.

“You’re not so bad to meet.”

Xiaoshi doesn’t think you know just how crazy you make him feel. His heart beats faster and more rapidly than when he was shooting hoops and doing drills. He lets a moment pass by, the air settling as he counts how many times he can feel your breath brush his chin.

“Neither are you.”

You smile. He can see your teeth a little. Your cheeks puff out and your lips stretch in a nice way that makes him want to kiss you until you can’t breathe.

But he can’t do that.

Not when you’re sitting up and patting his thigh and urging him to walk you home. Not when you hand him his bottle and brush the dirt off his sweater that you still haven’t returned (but he doesn’t mind because it just means in the ultimate time you do, it’ll smell like you). Not when he carries both your backpacks and pats a beat against yours that he has pressed to his chest.

But he really wants to, though.

There’s a little bounce in your step as you walk a few feet ahead of him, cooing at how much faster at walking you are than a basketball player, but he’s really just staying behind because he likes watching you walk.

Suddenly, there’s a lump in his throat. He attempts to swallow it down. It doesn’t work. He wonders what it is, but he doesn’t think he cares because you rub your hands together with the sleeves of his hoodie and he likes the sight of it. But whatever it is, it’s bubbling and rising and it tastes weird in the back of his mouth.

Suddenly it spills out. The words spill out.

You’d stopped in your tracks, turning around slowly at him with a shocked expression.

Shit! What had he said?

“What?” It seems you don’t know either, because you tilt your head at him (and he thinks it's adorable) and ask him to repeat what he’d said. Xiaoshi shakes his head, “Wait, I blanked out. What did I say?” 

“You screamed something along the lines of ‘date and say something.’”

Oh shit. Cheng Xiaoshi had asked you out on a date unconsciously.

“Oh, there’s, uh, a showing of Say Something in the local theater. They like to rerun old films. No one really goes there, anymore, so we don’t have to if you don’t want to-”

“No!” You suddenly yell, and for some reason, you both jump. “I’d really, really like to see Say Something with you. Y’know, since you were so hurt by the fact that I haven’t watched it.”

There it is again. The blooming in his chest. It’s crazy he hasn’t fallen into a cardiac arrest yet. You smile at him, and he finds it contagious, smiling back even harder. You tell him something about you having to hurry home and telling him to hurry, and he does. He runs with you, the two backpacks that had just weighed him down now feeling weightless as they bounce against his back and chest because he’s jogging down a hill towards your house.

iv. unsaid.

Cheng Xiaoshi is dressed in his best pair of jeans and his favorite bomber jacket layered with a sweater underneath– he hopes you aren’t wearing anything thick enough so he could lend this one to you too, as stupid as the idea is.

He spends a solid five minutes in front of the mirror, telling himself many things:

“You got this.”

“Don’t screw up.”

“Act cool.”

“Do not screw it up.”

He takes one last good look at himself, huffing as he smooths the collar of his sweater, unable to rest at the thought of spending a night alone with you in what will most likely be a deserted theater. Nothing to screw up there.

Grabbing the house keys– because both Qiao Ling and Lu Guang had better plans to do rather than stay at home and help Xiaoshi get ready after he begged the both of them to– and stuffing them into the pocket of his bomber jacket, he repeats the three crucial words to himself over and over: “Don’t screw up.”

There’s not one thought running through his mind that’s not about you as he twists at the doorknob, mindlessly stepping out and turning around to lock the front door. Completely disregarding the fact that his teammates are pulled up in a red camaro in front of his house, Xiaoshi doesn’t think twice about immediately turning to the direction of the theater.

“Hey, Cheng Xiaoshi!”

Shocked, the said boy’s shoulders shrug up as he turns around, feet almost stumbling against the small bit of ice that had frozen on the pavement overnight. “Oh- hey! What are you doing here?”

“Giving you a ride to Hu’s, what else?”

Oh shit. Cheng Xiaoshi had completely forgotten about the pregame party he’d been invited to. Of course, he had no intention to go. But his teammates are stubborn, too stubborn.

“Sorry, guys, I can’t make it tonight.” Replies Xiaoshi, trying his best to sound guilty. One of them tilts his head, looks him up and down and asks: “Where else are you going, dressed like that?”

“I’ve… got a date.”

“Ah, come on!” His teammate scoffs, waving his hand in the air. “You can’t win yourself plenty of dates at the party. What’s one?”

One is with you. He can’t really afford to miss it, not for the world. Xiaoshi shrugs, turning around as he tells them: “Sorry, I can’t just stand someone up like that.”

“How do you know they’re not at the party? Can’t you just invite them there, whoever you’re going out with?”

Jesus. It’s not that easy, is it? Xiaoshi isn’t the golden boy they make him out to be. Their Xiaoshi was hand crafted and molded by their standards of a tall, charming basketball player that had many admirers. A porcelain that’s hollow inside. Hollow and filled with echoes of what they claim him to be. A player, a charmer, and MVP.

Almost all his life, Xiaoshi had been living to fit what everyone wants and expects him to be. And though he really, really wants to break through that porcelain and completely deny what they demand, he doesn’t think he has the strength to do that. Not even now, as his mind races with thoughts about you: how you look waiting for him in front of the theater, how you smell of cinnamon and gingerbread because you’d been making cookies with your mother at home, how warm you feel as you sit next to him, your arm pressed up against his. 

Xiaoshi can hear his teammates begging him to come, and he absolutely despises it. Despises how his chest aches with guilt because his friends just want him to have fun with them.

He turns around, gives them a serious, pointed look, “Ten minutes, and then you drive me to the theater. Got it?”

“Got it! You’re the best, Cheng Xiaoshi!”

The tip of your nose is numb and you rub it in hopes that its sense will return. The theater is open and its warmth lures you in to welcome you, but you don’t want to enter before meeting with Xiaoshi.

You bring the collar of the hoodie you wear up to your chin, closing your eyes shut as if it’d help. It doesn’t. Taking out your phone from your pocket, on its screen projects the fact that Xiaoshi is ten minutes late. Your stomach drops, but you scold yourself for it, refusing to think lowly of Xiaoshi.

He’s going to show up any second now, sweating although it’s extremely cold out, nearly slipping on ice as he spits a spew of feverish apologies, cheeks dusted pink because of the cold. And you’re going to lean up, swipe a few snowflakes out of his hair and reassure him that you hadn’t been waiting too long. He’s going to lead you inside, take you by the arm and sit you right next to him in the warm seats of the theater, and whisper a few words in your ear; something along the lines of “you’ll love this movie, I promise you” or “you’re going to see what I was dying about, sweets.”

And he’s going to call you that name. That god-forbidden name that shouldn’t make you absolutely melt into an icky, thick puddle because it’s generic and commonly used in western movies. But it does. He does. Cheng Xiaoshi makes you melt as if you’re stuck in the summer, when you first met him, the electricity he sent when he’d handed you your book and your fingers brushed still humming through your fingers until now.

But he doesn’t.

You wait another ten minutes, then twenty, then thirty. A solid hour had passed and you’re still left outside in the cold, shaking and jittering as you constantly check your phone for any sign of him.

The old janitor had spotted you and called you to enter many times, but every time you informed him: “I’m waiting for someone.”

And he responds: “I hope this someone is worth waiting in the cold for.”

And typically, you’d completely agree with the statement. But now, as nearly all your limbs are frozen from either the cold or from standing for a solid hour, you don’t think you can agree with it. Not when your hopes had been so incredibly high. Not when you’d spent the whole day getting ready both mentally and physically. Not when your mother kissed the crown of your head and reassured you of the fact that this night was going to be as warm and as welcoming and as safe as it was in every other season.

No. The cold bites at your skin and you grow bitter and tired and cold.

“You promised me you would drive me to the theater.”

“Do I look like I’m in the condition to drive?”

Xiaoshi wants to punch this guy. Square in the jaw, or nose, or frankly anywhere. With the way he’s slurring his words and swinging his drink around in his hand makes himself practically a target with a big red circle in his face. But he knows better. Especially when he knows something as worth it as you awaits for him later.

“Okay,” Replies Xiaoshi, holding back the urge to roll his eyes as he sets his friend down on the couch. “You take it easy, alright cap? I gotta head out.”

“What? No! If this is about your stupid date, I swear to god we can find you one here that’s probably better than wherever you originally planned to be tonight.”

Okay, this guy was really testing his limits. Xiaoshi’s hands fist at his sides and he gives him a look, a dangerous one that no one had ever seen him wear. After a moment of contemplation, his teammate finally groans, waving with his hand, “Fine, bye. Go have fun on that super fun date.”

Xiaoshi doesn’t spare anyone one second to greet them goodbye, he grabs his bomber jacket that had been hung up on a coat hanger and immediately sprints out of the house, nearly tripping over the ice and the snow because Hu hadn’t shoveled his damn driveway and he can barely see because the sun had already disappeared.

“Shit, shit, shit.” The one thing Xiaoshi had to do was to not screw it up. What had happened? He screwed it up, because he’s such a damn people pleaser he can’t make one decision for himself.

The theater is a solid half an hour away on foot from Hu’s, but Xiaoshi made it in 10. His stomach drops and his head spins when he suddenly stops to a halt, his heels skidding against the ice against the pavement. You’re not here. You don’t stand in front of the theater like he’d imagined, and he thinks he wants to scream.

He rushes inside, breathless, searching frantically everywhere and calling out your name.

“If yer the fella that lovely one’s been waitin’ for,” An elderly suddenly speaks, his voice seemingly echoing and ricocheting against the walls of the theater, though it was built to be soundproof. “They’ve just gone. Probably still a block or two away.”

Xiaoshi mutters a quick thank you and wastes absolutely no time in sprinting, nearly falling to his knees when he takes a sharp turn to the left. And there you were, walking with a sullen face underneath a streetlamp.

This part of town was one of the first sections to be built, so many of the antique streetlights are either too dim to see, or have completely died. But the one you stand under illuminates brightly, showing your breath dissipating in the air as you heave a sigh.

His feet act before he thinks. He runs through the snow, the crunch against ice alerting you when he’s nearly a few feet away from you. You don’t want to look. Not when there are tears brimming your eyes.

“Y/N, I’m-” Xiaoshi is completely winded– not because he’d just sprinted nearly across town, but because he can see he had clearly hurt you. He can’t tell how long you’d been waiting for him, but considering the sour look you give him, he assumes you’d been waiting a long time, and he aches inside.

“I’m sorry.”

That’s all he can say. All that he’s willing to say. He’s afraid that if he let out any more, it’d escalate and he’d be going on and on about how deep in love he is with you and how much remorse in him there is right now and how much self poison is boiling in his stomach, bubbling and popping nearly out of his throat.

You look at him dead in the eye. Though he’d made you wait all that time, you don’t think you can look at him as if he had done you wrong. You look at him as if you try to understand him and what he’s going through– because you want to. You want to look at him like you hate him, and you want to say it too, but you can’t help but do the opposite.

“I love you, Cheng Xiaoshi.” You let out, and the boy twitches, as if you’d snapped something in him. But he’s still wordless, and you think you hate that.

“I love you, like a lot. And I’m not going to let one mishap get in the way of our friendship over these months. But waiting for you, out there, in the cold and in the snow, I felt embarrassed. Like I was throwing away my time– and maybe I was.” Tears flow down from the rims of your eyes and trail down your cheeks. Though it’s nearly a negative temperature out, your tears are hot against your skin. They’re hot and boiling and filled with both love and hatred.

Suddenly, you step forward and hit him in the chest. He lets you. You do it again, a sound escaping you. “Where were you? You better tell me the damn truth.” You spit.

“I was at a party.” Answers Xiaoshi with no hesitation. It just came out. He wants to explain about how his asshole teammates that he can’t believe he’d called his friends forced him into coming and refused to let him go anywhere else, but his body doesn’t let him.

You let out a laugh, one of disbelief. “You are the school’s golden boy, aren’t you? You are every little stereotype they call you. You’re charming, you’re handsome. You’re friendly.” You pause, letting out a shaky breath. “You’re a liar.”

“No,” Whispers Xiaoshi, though strained. You shake your head at him. “You’re a liar and a thief.” He’d stolen your heart, afterall, “You’re the golden boy. And I hate that I’ve learned to love every part of you, even the ones that hurt me.”

You want to turn around a walk away, but a part of you forces you to stay. Forces you to look him in the eye, forces a little bit of hope into your chest as he looks back at you. His mouth parts, and something in you jumps.

"I'm... sorry."

You don't know what he's sorry for: leaving you to wait for him in the snow for an hour, or you loving him. You don't want to find out, nodding as you bite the flesh on the inside of your cheek, resisting the tears that urge to fall from your eyes.

You’re walking away now. He hadn’t fully processed it, but as you're walking away, he can make out the crunch of the snow under your feet, and the sounds of your sniffles traveling away, further and further. His fingers twitch.

He screwed up. He always screws up. 

But he can’t believe he’d screwed up in telling you how much he loved you. How much he’d wanted to reach out and caress you, whisper apologies in his ear in every form he has to offer. How much he was willing to bet he loved you more than anyone could love him.

Cheng Xiaoshi is always one to leave things unsaid, because in most cases it’s better if he does. But he’s become so conditioned to it that in times like this, his body is not his own anymore, and what he wants to say doesn’t come out, and what he wants to do doesn’t happen.

He can still see your silhouette under another streetlight shining, or maybe it’s just a light that follows you. And as much as he hated it, Xiaoshi had noticed that even when you beat at his chest, crying and overflowing with tears, you still felt warm. He doesn’t think he deserves to feel that warmth anymore.

v. winner, winner, chicken dinner!

You don’t know what you’re doing. Legs pressed up against your chest, you bite at your nails as your free hand hovers over the spacebar key of your laptop. The opening scene of the wretched movie ‘Say Something’ is projected across your screen and you fully intend on watching it, as much as it hurts you. A film or a memory to hold on to because Cheng Xiaoshi will not be wanting to see you anymore.

And as the film introduces its main character, Lloyd Dobler, you hate the fact that he reminds you so much of him. Just a big and strong guy that doesn’t stop chasing this girl that he likes– though you don’t think you could play the role of Diane. Not in this story.

Cheng Xiaoshi is like Lloyd Dobler in many ways. He’s not the brightest, but he’s loyal. He loves his family. He can’t keep still. In some cases, you even think he can box, too. He’s supportive of those he keeps close to him. He’d rather live in the moment, and can barely think about the future without letting his mouth run about what he thinks of his future.

And you hate that you know all this, because you still love him. You know you shouldn’t, because he practically rejected you with that last apology, but god, was it hard to hate someone like him.

He’s the golden boy. Shiny and untouchable.

You’re honestly surprised you let your feelings brew this much before realizing that he is untouchable. And it’ll always remain that way.

You’ve reached the part of the movie where Diane and Lloyd kiss after she’d led him to nearly break his nose, whispering apologies and reasons why she loves him and needs him. You ache inside. Bitter, you huff and close your laptop shut (a little too harshly) and bury your face into the covers of your bed, wanting nothing but to scream. And you do, and it creates this wet spot on your pillow but you’re too miserable to feel disgusted and wipe it away.

As much as Xiaoshi reminded you of Lloyd, he was Diane in this situation. He’d hurt you and left you to fend for yourself.

It is officially spring and a solid week before Xiaoshi plays against what might be the nation’s best high school basketball team, and he’s worried completely about something else. His arms stretch up and he shoots the firm basketball out of his palms, grimacing when it all but just bounces off the rim of the ring.

Shit.

This is not good. Why the hell was he here, anyway? He should be jogging to your house, knocking on every crevice because you’d refuse to open the front door for him. He should be climbing up to your window, looking at you with desperate eyes and tell you how much he loves you and how much he doesn’t deserve to be loved by you.

As it happens, he doesn’t believe you in fact love him. Not as much as he adores you, at least, because he finds himself utterly unlovable yet that’s the one thing he asks of you. To be loved, to be held, to be comforted and appreciated.

Xiaoshi can’t make his mind up and he’s extremely furious at himself for it. This is no love or hate situation, but he can’t help the latter. The hate. Not towards you, but towards himself. There’s no way in this world anyone could convince him he could be loved as much as he loved– and yet, you did. You convinced him one winter night, where the first snowfall had happened.

Something so sweet and innocent, ruined by tragedy and his stupidity.

“Hey.” Xiaoshi is startled out of his inattentive state with a firm hand smacked to his shoulder. “You alright, man? You aren’t looking good these days.” Though his teammate voices clear concern, it’s obvious he only cares because of an upcoming game that Xiaoshi really needs his head in the game for.

“I’m good,” Answers Xiaoshi, brushing his hand off with a hollow smile. “Just bad sleep.”

Bad sleep, his ass. Bad sleep, anyone's ass! He couldn’t get a wink of sleep because he’s always up thinking about you, about what he should have said to you on that winter night.

Cheng Xiaoshi’s chest beats erratically in his chest, and he can’t tell if it's pre-game shivers or the fact that you’re sitting on a bleacher next to Lu Guang and Qiao Ling, clad in the sweater you still haven’t returned since autumn. He hadn’t seen or talked to you since the day he tried to apologize. He was convinced you’d hate his guts– but here you were. He knows you’re not the type of person to hold an argument like that to heart, but you’d still avoided him the whole half month he tried to reach out to you in the halls or through your number.

Frankly, you don’t even know why you’re here, either. Xiaoshi had rejected you (though he really doesn’t realize you think so): shouldn’t that be enough of a hint for you to back off?

“There he is,” Qiao Ling mentions as the basketball team makes their way onto the court. As you turn to watch said team, Xiaoshi’s eyes meet yours for a brief second, and you can clearly read the surprise in them, but ignore it with thinned lips as you tear your gaze from him, electing that striking up a conversation with Lu Guang would ease the harsh thumping against your chest.

“I don’t get it; why didn’t you join the team?” You ask Lu Guang, his lowly-lidded eyes examining the opposing team. “Sure, I’m good,” He says, blunt. “But I play purely for fun. Plus, I don’t like getting too sweaty.”

“Please, don’t you know how many more people would fawn over you if they knew you were smart and skilled in sports?”

“I am not skilled in sports. Plus, that’s just more of a reason for me not to join. I don’t like people.”

Wow. A very Lu Guang thing to say coming from the boy himself.

“Aren’t they the team that made it to nationals last year?” Gasps Qiao Ling as she swings an arm around your shoulder, urging you to look with her. With your shoulder pressed against hers, you do in fact recognize the logo and jerseys from the sports channel you’d distinctly watched last year– your classmate had made you watch it with him.

Qiao Ling mutters a small, quiet curse under her breath, “You think he can beat them?”

Without a beat or a second of hesitation, you answer firmly: “Yeah.”

The older girl turns and gives you a look, and you roll your eyes at her, “I’ve seen the boy play. Surely you have, too,”

“Yeah, but, you answered in like, a heartbeat.”

“He’s like, a basketball god, Qiao Ling. He’s not the golden boy for no reason.”

You hate the fact that you admit it, even though you’ve said it nearly a million times before. Qiao Ling is about to say something, but the two, very bold, student commentators cut her sentence short with a brief introduction to the match and each team player.

Your mind blanks. You can hear cheering from both the students of your school and the opposing school. The commentators introduce their MVP first: Xiaoshi. He wears a shy smile as he jogs to the center of the court, bowing politely. You can’t help but smile a little at his bashful behavior. And for a moment, you think he looks at you. You can’t tell by the students’ waving arms in front of you nearly blocking your vision. But even if he did or not, your heart nearly pauses for a second, and your hearing becomes faded and warped– as if you were underwater. 

All you can hear now is your slow breathing, your heartbeat; all you can feel is the warmth you relish in as you wear his sweater, even though it’s spring and unnecessary.

And then he takes a look at the other side of the bleachers, smiling brightly when his friends from sociology cheer his name like fanboys.

Qiao Ling comments something about the biggest player on the opposing team and you nod, though you didn’t really fully comprehend what she’d said.

Xiaoshi is completely short of breath and he hadn’t even started playing. He tries to convince himself it’s because nearly the whole crowd had cheered him on, but he knows better. The one fleeting second he had stolen just to look at you left him dazed and he doesn’t think he can play if you’re going to be looking at him like that the whole time.

Standing in the center, the match begins with a loudd whistle from the referee, andd suddenly everything around him is moving rapidly. The muscles of his legs force him to move and suddenly he’s jogging past an opponent, his arm stretching out and waving for the ball.

Every part of his body that functions right now is running off of pure adrenaline and muscle memory, his mind still in a fuzzy haze that clears slowly. He suddenly feels the rough edge of the ball in his hand. His fingers trace and grip along the leather material of the basketball, and in pure instinct, his knees bend low and his hands dribble the ball like it was as easy as breathing.

Swift and nearly too quick to miss, Xiaoshi races across the court with the ball bouncing in his hand, and he runs up to the ring, jumping and scoring a point for his team with a right hand layup.

The crowd screams. The haze that had clouded Xiaoshi’s mind fades and clears, and with a bright, toothy grin, he turns immediately to your side of the bleachers, meeting eyes with you. 

You, who’s stunned and hands cover your mouth because the whole thing had happened so fast and so early within the game. You, who doesn’t look away this time, but instead cups your hands around your mouth as you shout: “Go, Cheng Xiaoshi!” You, who can’t help but let out a joyous laugh when he throws two thumbs up in the air, winking. The crowd goes wild over the sight, chanting his name over and over.

For the remainder of the match, Xiaoshi scores and scores and scores, and everytime he spins to look at you. And when you cheer for him, he feels like the energy he had just exerted throughout the game was recharged and even doubled. You look at him with a toothy grin, throwing a thumb-up at him, and he literally thinks the whole world revolves around him and the fact that you just gave him one.

There’s one last minute left of the game. The entire gymnasium is quiet, save for the players’ quick pants and sneakers squeaking under the polished wood. Your breath is bated, and you don’t know whether to watch the ball, the opponents, or Xiaoshi. The ball flies from one teammate’s grasp to another and every time it does

 your fingers stretch and flinch a little and even muscle and bone in your body pauses. It’s frankly killing you.

The ball travels between at least every player on the team, until it eventually falls into the hands of Cheng Xiaoshi.

With 10 seconds to his name, the boy aims, his breath cutting short in his throat, his knees bending naturally as he prepares himself to shoot. And then his fingers flex, and the ball flies out of his hands, traveling gracefully yet painstakingly in the air. It bounces against the rim once. Then twice.

You think it’s going to bounce again one more time, but you’re wrong because Lu Guang exhales just a split second the orange leathery ball rolls through the ring. He’d known. He could tell already.

You’re shocked.

But you don’t have time to be, because after at least 5 seconds worth of silence, the entire gymnasium erupts in cheers and everyone around you is standing up, save for Lu Guang who wears a rare smile.

Qiao Ling grabs onto your arm and shakes it, jumping with her eyes shut as she yells: “Holy shit- we won!”

Holy shit. They won. We won. He won.

Grabbing onto her two hands with your own, you jump up and down with her, at some point grabbing onto Lu Guang’s hand and nearly forcing him to bounce with the both of you.

Xiaoshi, from below, watches as the three of you celebrate, his face warming when he sees you mouth the words: “Oh my god” over and over again. Although the entire team and nearly the entire student body that had come to watch rushed down to him, he had zero intentions with anyone else. All he wanted to do right now was be with you, letting you hold his hand as you tell him how crazy his last shot had been.

But he can’t, because his legs turn jelly and the adrenaline that had been piloting him the whole time is suddenly shut off. The team captain swings his arm around Xiaoshi’s shoulders, yelling, “To our MVP!” But everything feels and sounds warped to the said boy.

“Don’t miss out on the post-game party!”

Great, thinks Xiaoshi. Another party to get mad at my friends at. Though, he’s convinced even you might be there, so he might just go.

“Post-game party?” You repeat, turning to both your friends. “Are you guys going?”

“Obviously not.”

“Yeah, I am.”

Lu Guang and Qiao Ling both give each other looks due to the difference in answers, and it almost cracks you up. The girl turns to you, her expression hopeful, but you almost immediately shake your head at her, “Sorry, you know I’m not a party person.”

“But come for me!”

“I already attended this game for you!”

“Okay, fair,” Hums Qiao Ling, her finger tapping against her cheek before she sighs with a click of her tongue. “Fine, have fun, you cozy homebodies!”

“We will.” Answers Lu Guang as you both watch her walk away with a friend that had called her over. The boy turns to you, “You,” he plants his hand to your shoulder, and you almost shiver. You’d never seen this look on his face. It almost seems… conflicted. “You’d better make things right with Xiaoshi. Please. He keeps whining about trying to think of ways to make it up to you.”

“To make it up to me? I’m in the wrong here, am I not?”

“You think so?” Lu Guang’s voice is graced with slight sarcasm, and you think you like it that way. You nod, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

“...this is a conversation you should be having with Xiaoshi.”

After sending you an encouraging squeeze to the shoulder and a gentle , tight-lipped smile, Lu Guang descends from the bleachers, swiping through the crowd almost too easily. You watch him, chest growing heavier yet lighter at the same time at the mere thought of talking to Xiaoshi again after months of avoiding each other and exams and basketball.

You don’t think you can bear it, frankly, but you feel like it’s a tide. It’s slow but inevitable. As you step down from the bleachers, you look back at the center of the court, where the basketball team has a brief talk with the coach, and through the many figures of his teammates, Xiaoshi still somehow meets eyes with you, his shining in something you can’t figure out yet.

You let yourself linger, counting as your heart skips a beat or two, before tearing away, heaving a sigh you hadn’t meant to hold in.

Xiaoshi’s knee jumps up and down as he can barely watch you exit the court hall, holding back a whine because his coach is taking too long in debriefing and congratulating. He wipes at his browline, looking to the ceiling lights and squinting, attempting to ease the eagerness in him to just run after you.

And then he realizes: he’d been resisting to this whole half semester, why should he now? He’s earned it.

“And don’t forget your defense transitio-”

“Hey, coach?”

Xiaoshi interjects with a finger stuck up in the air, pulling his hair back with his other palm. His teacher, a little stunned, replies with a quiet ‘yes?’ and it takes nearly everything in the boy not to jump up from his spot on the polished floors.

“I need to go to the bathroom. Like, really, really bad.”

“...right now?”

“Yes, right now. I can’t hold it in, teach,”

Well, that’s half true. The coach looks at him, slightly humored as he waves a sign of permission with the back of his palm.

Immediately, he springs up to his feet, wasting no time in sprinting straight through the door and narrowly passing students taking their time in the hall.

Xiaoshi never realized how fast you walked, because within that minute of holding back in the court, you’d made it to the gates by the time he spotted you. The place is strangely deserted, but that’s probably because everyone is taking the way behind the school to get to the post-game party in the woods. Your hands are jammed into the pouch of his hoodie and you watch your feet as you move, and anyone could tell there was something troubling you just by looking at you.

Your name is stuck in his throat. He wants to yell for you, call out to you and just grab and engulf you in his arms, but he doesn’t want to scare you. It’s 8PM and he knows how jumpy you get when you’re out at night.

Instead, he lightly jogs behind you, nimble fingers stretching out to just barely graze his hoodie you wear. Though he’d barely touched anything, you stop almost promptly, feet planted right next to each other as you listen to the sound of the soles of Xiaoshi’s shoes scraping to a stop against the pavement ground.

“...Y/N.”

The sound of your name escaping his lips makes you inhale sharply, and you’re hesitant to turn around. But you do anyway, because there’s a pulling force gravitating you towards him, like the moon and the earth. The first part of him you see are his pair of jordans, slightly worn out with a loose yarn by the tongue of the shoe. Then you spot his knees, taking notice of how they’re a little darker than the rest of his legs, littered by a scab or two. His fingers clench and unclench in fists, and his elbows nearly lift towards you, and you’d let full heartedly let him hug you– you think you want him to right now.

“Xiaoshi.” You finally breathe back, nearly everything in you shivering once you meet his gaze. He looks at you as if full of remorse and want, and it shakes something in you.

“I missed you, sweets.” He says, voice hoarse and quiet. You nearly erupt in butterflies or honey bees or whatever bug invades your stomach that he never fails to elicit in you. His fingers stretch and pause in the air for a brief moment, before they settle, your sleeve pinched between his grip. He tugs a little, just a little, and yet it feels as if that alone had brought everything pieced together– his words to you, your feelings for him, his breath fanning your forehead as he breathes out a sigh.

“I’m sorry, too.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry.” You say, but this time you look at him and you mean it and it hurts him. “I’m sorry I told you how I felt about you with no regard to how you would feel. And for calling you a liar. And a thief.” The last parts come out in a guilty whisper, like a child confessing to their wrongdoing. “You have every right to tell me to get out of your face– and your life– and to not want to speak to me ever again.”

The air is thick when you finish, but Xiaoshi doesn’t let go of your sleeve. In fact, you think he grips it tighter, now in all five fingers instead of just the two.

“Actually,” You cough. “Frankly, I’m a liar. I-I said I wasted my time waiting for you. But I was wrong. Actually, I can’t believe I ever said that. You are worth… everything. Everything this universe— and I have to offer. You give so much to this world, you’re changing lives! And nothing, and I mean nothing can ever amount to waste when it comes to you.” You look up at him, your fingers tracing around and holding his wrist.

“I’m sorry.” And though you’d already said it earlier, the sound of your voice and the look in your eyes portray the exact same kind of apology Xiaoshi had given you that night. “You are a thief, though,” You laugh through bitterness, the confused tilt of his head far too adorable for you to hate it. “You’re a dirty thief for stealing the stupid, little thing in my chest that beats only when you’re around.”

Xiaoshi’s head might just explode at the load you’d just chucked at him with your own bare fist. The feeling of your fingers loosely hanging around his wrist that grips at your hoodie prickles and gives him a small shockwave– the nice one you always give him when your skin touches his.

“...you really don’t expect me to take without giving back, do you?”

“Huh?”

Suddenly you’re wrapped in Xiaoshi’s firm grip, his arms gripping around your waist and his chin tucked right on top of the crown of your head. “You’re so stupid sometimes, Y/N.” He sighs, the vibrations of his chest as he speaks ricocheting through you like echoes.

“What is that supposed to mean?” You can’t help but argue into his clothed shoulder, drooping your arms around his chest. “That’s rich coming from Mr. 50 points on his last math quiz.”

Xiaoshi pinches your sides lightly at your quick retort and you jump with a gasp, smacking his shoulder when he laughs. His scent, his warmth, his touch. you’re so relieved to feel all again. He sways you slowly from side to side, breath steadying but his heart still beating as fast as a racer’s– and you can feel it faintly when your cheek presses up against him.

There’s nothing to stop the both of you as you hold each other close. The rays of the sun become cooler as it sets, painting the skies several hues of pink and orange. Your shoes are pressed against his, his two feet planted on either side of yours, nearly completely engulfing you in him.

“I’m so madly in love with you, Y/N,” Xiaoshi finally says, though it really just… escaped him. You freeze against him and it forces him to slow the swaying to a halt, and it scares him. Your fingers bunch into the material of his jersey and you pull away, something unreadable swimming and wavering in your eyes as you ask him, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“You’re not telling me this because you feel like you need to like me back?”

“No, not at all.”

You want to say something, be firm with him, but your throat betrays you as you let out a broken whisper:

“You better not be playing with me right now, Cheng Xiaoshi.”

The boy’s hands, leaving your sides, trail up your neck and rest at both sides of your face, fingers pressed against the base of your jaw. His thumb swipes at your cheekbones, then the outer lines of your eyes, and then they follow the lengths of your eyebrows. His right thumb traces down your nose bridge, then presses firmly against the button of your nose, wiggling and eliciting a small breathy laugh out of you.

Then, slowly– almost too slowly–, he lets the pad of his thumb feel down the underside of your nose, then the crease above your lips. He looks at your mouth, a burning feeling of want brewing in him as he presses his lips together.

Your lips part just a little, to let out an expecting breath, then they close as you gaze up at him, your eyes watching how his scrutinizes your face.

“I love you.”

“What?”

“I love you.” Xiaoshi says again, firm this time. You give him a smile, shaking your head. “No, what?” And then it clicks. He grins, chest puffing out a little at the reference you make.

The fact that you’d still watched Say Something meant a lot to him. It proved how much of an impact your little gestures make in his life.

“I love you. How many times do I have to say it?”

“One more time would be nice.” You hum, and he laughs, pressing his forehead against yours. “I love you.” He whispers, his voice little as he relishes the feeling of your skin pressed on his.

“You’re so incredibly pretty, Y/ L/N, I could just kiss you right now.”

“You’re so incredibly pretty, Cheng Xioashi, that I might just let you.”

Oh. Xiaoshi can’t seem to believe you’d just said that. “Wh- are you- are you sure? I mean, after all I’ve done– I stood you up! I ghosted you for half a semester. I don’t think it’s right. For me. To have the pleasure of planting my lips to yours. Frankly, I wouldn’t even want to kiss a guy who- oh!”

Seemingly growing tired of his rambling, your hand presses against his cheek and you stand on the tips of your toes to give him a gentle kiss, his lips molding to yours almost immediately. He smiles and when you pull away, he’s quick to pull you close by the neck, kissing you again, then again, then again.

His lips, though you’d imagined they’d be scorched and hot, are warm. Not temperature wise, but warm in an inviting way, like toasted marshmallows in hot chocolate. Or like fresh burritos in autumn. Or like the summer sun where you share a milkshake in the outdoor canteen. Like home.

Xiaoshi hums when he manages to steal you with a kiss again, and you can’t help but grin against him, murmuring against his lips, “You’re so stupid.”

“I’m your stupid.” He shoots back, lips chasing yours when you finally part from him. You bring a hand up to his mouth and it’s moist and warm, “Give me a break! We need to breathe, Xiaoshi,”

In response, he breathes out a heavy sigh, the weight on his back he’d carried for two months vanishing as he melts into your shoulder. “You don’t understand how lucky I am to be with you right now.”

“I’m not all that special-”

“You are! It may not seem like it to you, but to me, you’re everything. My energy, my breath, my best friend. Or, maybe, a little more than that, if you wanted to…?” He trails off nervously, facing down and planting his lips on your shoulder, which you find endearing. “I’m sorry I didn’t show up that night. I was forced to go to this party and I ended up pissing some of my friends and to add to all of that I pissed you off. And- and all I had to say to your confession was ‘I’m sorry’. ‘I’m sorry’!?” He pulls away, hands grabbing yours tightly.

“Who even says that!? Frankly, I’m surprised you didn’t punch me right then and there. I’m- I’m such an ass when it comes to stuff like this, ‘m sorry.”

“Hey!” You gasp, interlacing your fingers with his. “That’s my boyfriend you’re talking about!” You cough, “That is, uh, if you want to be my boyfriend.”

Xiaoshi, now beaming, flushes a bright pink, but he can’t bring himself to care when his arms wrap around you and you laugh into his chest as he squeezes you almost inhumanly tight. “‘M sorry, sweets, I’m so difficult.” He mumbles in your hair. “I’ve never really done anything like this.”

“Neither have I, big guy.” You let out a shaky sigh. “But I have faith in us. We’ll figure it out, right?”

Xiaoshi leans back and presses his forehead to yours, your nose brushing up against his affectionately. “Right.”

Summertime is a time of new opportunities. New year, new experiences, new companions. And though the warmth of summer doesn’t seem to stay all year long, it’ll always come back, just as fresh and welcoming. The fleeting moments of your first encounter with Xiaoshi will forever hold a place in your heart, as will the season of summer.

And as debatable as it is, the best moments in your life are aestival. Born and belonging in the summer.

© hirokari, 2023.

to all the link click readers out there, and to boba bub.

[caramel1mochi]

One Hazy Winter [Iso x F! Reader] [5]

[ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 ]

Genre: Angst, fluff ‎ 

TW: Heavy depression ‎ ‎ 

Words: 4k ‎ 

Synopsis: One winter before his disappearance, you told your boyfriend Yu about a question you’ve had for so long; one even he could hardly respond to. It took many more hopeless winters for you to finally have your answer.‎ 

Note: Please don't copy or steal my work and pass it off as your own! If you'd like to use one of my headcanons or something, I'd love it if you tagged or asked. SIDENOTE did anyone see how Clove speaks? Who would've thought vehemently studying Irish slang 8 months ago would come back to help me like this??? Writing them is gonna be such a breeze fr hint wink wink nudge nudge nudge

‎

。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·

Winter, present day

‎ ‎

You wanted to call yourself stupid for not catching on. How wasn’t it obvious?

There was a gun in his bedroom and a medallion with a symbol that you've never seen before, even after relentlessly googling around. Purple eyes, mysterious disappearances, owning a house with undisclosed memories that he was just willing to abandon for your apartment, and… other than his grandma? Yeah, no family.

You sighed and pushed open the wooden doors to the café, allowing the bell above to announce your arrival on this boring and slow Monday. Yesterday was spent entirely at Yu’s house. Not only to tend to the trees you planted a winter ago, but to also keep searching for that gun. And, alas, there was nothing. Maybe he took it before he disappeared. Maybe he… 

Ugh. 

‎ ‎

You stepped behind the counter and pocketed your headphones. Only now did you hear Ying’s muffled voice way behind you inside her room, drowned out by the music. You were sure that she was speaking to someone on the phone, considering your co-worker called out at the last minute. Who, however, would remain a mystery. Not that you cared.

Then, the door swung open, and you heard the clicks of her shoes as she walked down the corridor, phone in hand.

‎ ‎

“I made sure to check it before I left.” She explained. “Around March, last I heard. That’s the only day– Y/N!”

‎ ‎

Ying’s previously quiet voice shot up a few decibels upon noticing you. But before you even realised it, your mind had prepared itself for the sudden incoming hug it really didn’t want.

‎ ‎

“Oh my God, I was so worried!”

‎ ‎

Her arms found their place tightly wrapped around you, completely ignoring the seemingly important call, as she had tossed her phone on the counter behind her in favour of this embrace. You placed one hand on her back in a weak attempt to reciprocate it. However, all you could notice was how cold her silky black ponytail was as it fell on her back. ‎ ‎

“I missed one day, Ying.”

‎ ‎

“I thought something happened to you!” She pulled away, her hands still on your shoulders. “You should’ve told me– where were you?”

‎ ‎

“At Yu’s.”

‎ ‎

Her posture immediately relaxed with that answer, and a wide grin painted her features.

‎ ‎

“Ah, is that so? And how are the lemons? I trust they’re in excellent condition.”

‎ ‎

You would’ve groaned at how she referred to a bunch of seeds underground as if they were babies being taken care of. But after that tangent, maybe that comparison was… Well, apt wasn’t the word, but, you know. Something like that.

‎ ‎

“Still acclimating. They require less maintenance in the winter, but…” 

‎ ‎

Your words were lodged in your throat, and you were rendered unable to tell her exactly what you were thinking. But Ying somehow didn’t notice. Instead, she began taking a few steps back to close the call she’d abandoned, another idea popping up in her mind.

‎ ‎

“How large was his backyard again? Why don’t you plant more seeds there? Something that can withstand this weather?”

‎ ‎

“When’s the last time you’ve been to his house, Ying?”

‎ ‎

She placed one hand on her hip.

‎ ‎

“I visited Iso’s house a few times before, Y/N. I even recall mentioning the absurd size of his backyard. Ah, I think I used the word ridiculous, too… That might’ve offended him.”

‎ ‎

Ying explained thoughtfully with a finger on her chin. And from her dreamy tone, it was easy for you to infer that she was just about to go off on another tangent should you let her keep talking.

She promptly moved towards the register with this memory in mind. But before she could say anything, you interrupted her.

‎ ‎

“Who’s Iso?”

‎ ‎

…

‎ ‎

“Iso?” 

‎ ‎

Ying stayed silent for a moment. 

Then, she tittered, 

‎ ‎

“I– I must’ve misspoken; I meant to say Yu.”

‎ ‎

You crossed your arms.

‎ ‎

“Who’s Iso, Ying?”

��� ‎

“Ah, it– it’s just a character from a book I’m currently reading. It’s not anything important.” Ying fanned herself with her hand as she spoke, presumably from a bout of anxiety. “Anywho, as I was saying– would you like me to come along with you? We’ll find new spots for you to plant in!”

‎ ‎

…

You ran your fingers through your hair, leaning on the counter behind you.

Ying only had two Meyer lemons that day, and you managed to scoop out a combined amount of nine seeds. A lot, but compared to a normal lemon that had at least ten–fifteen seeds in one fruit, it was nothing. And what worried you was the prospect of you failing or only managing to get a few trees out of those.

It couldn’t hurt to have a few… backup fruits, right? If the lemons failed, you’d maybe have… something else. Besides, the cashier from that one shop seemed fond of you when you bought the garden ready passion fruit. You could purchase another orange and strike up a conversation with her. Besides, you needed to work on mentally desensitising yourself to being in his house.

‎ ‎

“I'll take care of it myself, I could use some alone time.”

‎ ‎

Even though every second of your life was composed of ‘alone time’ to the point that it was concerning. But Ying didn’t really want to mention that. Not when your mood seemed to be substantially improving with it.

She flashed you her familiar grin in response.

‎ ‎

“Well, if you’d like any help, I’m one–”

‎ ‎

“One text away, got it. Weren’t you talking to someone?”

‎ ‎

You gestured at the phone she set on the counter a while ago, referencing the call she’d abandoned in favour of this conversation. And you swore you could see buffering in her eyes before she caught on.

‎ ‎

“Oh! Right, thank you, I’d almost forgotten about her.”

‎ ‎

She quickly grabbed the phone and waved goodbye before disappearing into her office for the day. And by then, you had already known that customers made their way inside. You didn’t even need to look back to know. Not when that repetitive jingle gave it away, and the sounds of them snickering and gossiping to each other.

You sighed and ran your fingers through your hair, preparing to serve the group.

‎ ‎

❤ฺ·。

‎ ‎

You were still thinking about that gun even after it’d been a whole year since you visited his house. However, when you passed by his bedroom, the thoughts took over your mind like a virus. The urge to peer through his drawers once more grew unbearable, even after you’d done it a few dozen times. And each time, it wouldn’t change; there was simply no gun anymore. This weapon only raised more questions in your mind. None of them were new, except for one:

Was Yu dead? 

Was that the reason for his disappearance? Maybe the hourglass medallion was related to it. Maybe they were a… an organisation? A group, something like that. Maybe he’d gotten into a fight with these people, or maybe they sent someone out to kill him. But why?

You thought of at least a hundred possibilities as to how he would’ve died, but none of it made sense because of one thing, how did someone like Yu get involved with people like this? The only reason you entertained it was because of his eyes, his nonexistent parents, and the bloody house you were in. There’s no way a barista with the same salary as you would be able to buy all of this.

But you never doubted him; you trusted him. You trusted his decision to keep it all vague. You trusted that, one day, he would tell you.

Maybe that was a mistake.

‎ ‎

Oh, screw it, you thought as you pushed the doors to his backyard open. Ignoring the familiar cold sensation that wrapped itself around your exposed face and neck was an easy task, especially when you were finally taking in the sight before you.

Six trees. But you already saw that before. What grabbed your attention were the white flowers scattered around the deep green leaves, like fairies that had sprinkled dust during the night. Once you’d reached it, you meticulously cupped one flower in your gloved hands and observed the shape, but all of it was healthy. All it needed was one more year to finally bear fruit.

The pearly white tint of the flower beautifully stood out against your black gloves; its thin petals curving in a manner so purposeful, you swore it was sculpted by the gods. They also needed pruning, you mused before going back to grab a tool you left behind. But you’d get to it after you watered them.

Incidentally, it was February; Winter was finally coming to an end. And this meant that the snow that coated the ground was starting to melt off, patches of dull grass sneaking through any opening they could in an effort to get some air. This made the shovel you were about to use somewhat redundant when it came to shovelling the snow.

Nevertheless, once you’d picked an empty spot in his spacious backyard, you slid the blade of your shovel under the thin mound of melting snow. Then, once you scooped up most of it, you tossed it aside and cleared the area.

‎ ‎

‘Why do you plant things in the winter? Why not summer?’

‎ ‎

Yu suddenly questioned from behind as he rested on the staircase after he’d done shovelling all of the snow. Since he’d volunteered and successfully done most of the gruelling work for you, you had enough space to finally plant the germinated lemon seeds once you were done spacing them out.

And to him, his inquiry made sense. Winter was the season of death, and even his optimism wouldn’t stop him from admitting that. So why would you pursue a hobby that sprouted life at that time?

You continued shovelling the snow out of the way as you remembered what you told him that dreadful day. And this time, you didn’t block your brain from pulling these annoying conversations from the depths of your mind – not when you wanted to remember the answer.

‎ ‎

‘Planting things in the winter helps them bear fruit faster. Moreover, the seeds I'm planting are winter fruit.’

‎ ‎

Despite sitting behind you, you could easily tell that Yu immediately perked up at the foreign term.

‎ ‎

‘Winter fruit?’

‎ ‎

‘Yes. It's exactly what it sounds like.’

‎ ‎

Whenever he learned something new from you, he would just have the cutest look on his face. If only you could see it now, you mulled. But that privilege was revoked years ago, and you weren’t in the mood to mourn right now. Not after all of your impressive progress so far.

‎ ‎

‘Lemons are a winter fruit?’

‎ ‎

You nodded.

‎ ‎

‘...What about oranges?’

‎ ‎

He noted the abundance of oranges you had at the time, and your silent plans to have them planted, if only it didn’t take years for the blasted trees to bear fruit. This question, however, made you pause at the time.

‎ ‎

‘They... are.’

‎ ‎

‘I see. And why oranges specifically?’

‎ ‎

Seemingly oblivious to the pause in your answer, Yu continued pressing on, unaware of the consequences of asking such a question.

Once the snow was out of the way and you’d cleared the grass, you moved back towards the doors and grabbed the nearby rake, ready to make space for your orange trees.

‎ ‎

‘They were my dad's favourite.’

‎ ‎

The answer came solemnly; the shift in topic immediately souring both his and your mood. And Yu quickly caught on to his mistake since he immediately rushed to apologise,

‎ ‎

‘Oh, I'm- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…’

‎ ‎

You pushed a plentiful amount of dirt out of the way with only a few repetitive movements. And though they were few, you still felt the sweat form. The thick jacket you wore started to weigh heavily on you. That, and just about everything else, but were you really going to work in a tank top out here?

‎ ‎

‘No, it's okay.’

‎ ‎

Yu watched you stand up once you were done, dusting off your hands. Yet he noted how weak your movements were. How much hesitance was involved in just getting the dirt off of your fingers, or even holding yourself up.

How easily upset you were at the mention of your deceased parents. 

At the time.

‎ ‎

‘Can we leave? I'll... I'll check on the trees afterwards.’

‎ ‎

He immediately stood up and took off his glove to pull you closer to him.

‎ ‎

‘Of course. You deserve a break, after all. Where would you like to go?’

‎ ‎

‘Do you remember the bridge I told you about? I heard it looks better in the spring; but we should go tomorrow.’

‎ ‎

Yu beamed at this, his fingers interlocking with yours, and his thumb had already begun outlining the lines on your palm. It sounded like an innocent suggestion.

‎ ‎

‘Tomorrow? Okay, but you'll have to send me the location in advance.’

‎ ‎

You remembered both of you leaving for the bridge that day and what came afterwards. You remembered the dread that followed you throughout the entire trip. Not to mention the gloom, all because you remembered your father. And it’s not like any of it was to be missed. You didn’t miss having your whole day ruined at the mention of one person.

You stood back and stared at the hole you’d dug with the shovel, measuring its width compared to the tree you were about to put in its place.

Perfect, you thought. It was all perfect.

‎ ‎

❤ฺ·。

‎ ‎

Summer passed by like a breeze, and Ying was beyond delighted at the harvest you brought back and immediately got to work with the others to turn them into delicious treats to sell. Luckily for you (or her), they sold like hotcakes, and today, once winter finally arrived, the moment you walked through the doors and heard the jingle from above, you already saw the results of your hard work.

Ying stood deep within the dining area in front of the wall that used to be empty for so long; now, however, it carried the large, expensive painting she had yearned for the past few years. And just like she predicted, it looked absolutely stunning. The colours perfectly complemented the warm colour palette of the general area, and the ladies and their surroundings bounced off of the previously dull flora she’d decorated the area with. That, and, you know, it was just a pretty painting to look at.

You approached and pocketed your headphones, but Ying needn’t look back to know you were there. The crunch of the ice under your boots was loud enough. All thanks to the strong snowfall outside.

‎ ‎

“Isn’t this amazing? It feels like I renovated the whole area, Y/N!”

‎ ‎

She said excitedly as she clasped her hands together, meeting your gaze. Did you even want to ask how long she spent staring at the painting? Not that it was a bad thing.

‎ ‎

“I admit. It does look impressive.”

‎ ‎

“And I couldn’t have done it without you! Speaking of which, you look happy today. Did something happen?”

‎ ‎

Ying asked with a tilt of her head, and your smile only widened at this despite your futile attempts to keep a straight face.

‎ ‎

“The lady at the nursery suggested I sell some of my plants there with her. I’m still considering it.”

‎ ‎

She didn’t know who she was, so you didn’t really bother telling Ying the name of this new friend you made. But her face still beamed at this.

‎ ‎

“Why not? You mentioned your apartment being cramped a while ago. Is that still the case?”

‎ ‎

“It is.”

‎ ‎

Of course she’d remember an off-handed comment from months ago. Besides, all anyone needed to know something like this was to simply glance at any of your windows, and they’d see the potted trees pressed up against them.

‎ ‎

“I’ll still have to wait until the weather clears up.”

‎ ‎

“I see. Good call.”

‎ ‎

She didn’t need to look out the windows to see the thick fog outside. The way to work was difficult enough for her since she had to avoid the black ice and check the weather for any potential storms. Nevertheless, despite how subtle it was, Ying immediately picked up on the wistfulness that bled into your previously content tone.

‎ ‎

“Is… something wrong?”

‎ ‎

Your smile slowly fell as you carefully leaned on the table behind you.

Don’t quote me on this comparison, I hate Chemistry. But despite solitude being bound to you like protons to a nucleus at this point, and vice versa, you’d been keeping this question to yourself, and it felt like it was driving you mad. For once, you needed to ask someone, and who better than Ying? And you weren’t in the mood to be subtle or to ease her into it. 

Might as well lay it all out.

‎ ‎

“Is Yu dead?”

‎ ‎

She seemed incredibly caught off guard by the question.

‎ ‎

“Dead? That– that’s a… ah, a bold assumption… Why would you ever say that?”

‎ ‎

Should you even tell her about the gun and the hourglass medallion? Even though you were still pissed at Yu for keeping so many things hidden from you, you still felt it disrespectful to air out his laundry behind his back. Well, if he was alive, that is.

Besides, it’s not like she was innocent either. She had a mysteriously large sum of money herself, despite being a humble café owner. Speaking of… why didn’t she just buy the painting with that instead of waiting for your harvest? Maybe you shouldn’t ask everything.

You sighed and ran your fingers through your hair.

‎ ‎

“Just a thought.”

‎ ‎

“No, don’t say that. You’re doing so well, Y/N; don’t let the pessimism get to you!”

‎ ‎

You smiled in amusement at her words. Was the change in your appearance and attitude that drastic? You could’ve sworn one of the positive things about your genes was the lack of dark circles under your eyes. Ying, however, only kept going.

‎ ‎

“How about we visit his grandmother? I know both of you used to do that a lot. Are those lemons done growing?”

‎ ‎

“They are. I should be able to harvest them on Sunday if the weather gets better.”

‎ ‎

It’s been a while since you visited her. And honestly, you may or may not have missed her delighted smile and hug whenever she’d see you come in with freshly baked goods for her to enjoy. Shame this all stopped when Yu disappeared. If you took it this horribly, you couldn’t even imagine what she was going through.

‎ ‎

“Sunday? That’s great! Would you like me to come with you? I’ll bring the baskets!”

‎ ‎

For once, the offer sounded enticing. Hauling baskets around in a bus also sounded like a terrible idea. So… 

You nodded.

‎ ‎

“I don’t mind.”

‎ ‎

“Wonderful! So, what do you always bring her? Was it lemon bars, or…”

‎ ‎

Ying started spitballing ideas as she walked you to the counter, attempting to come up with a list of lemon desserts for you both to bring. Sweets and baking weren’t her forte, but it was really fun to watch her ramble on about something she really enjoyed. It wasn’t that hard to tell that she never got to have a casual conversation with someone outside of work, anyway.

And so you let her talk, instead opting to listen to her in silence and only chiming in when she was out of words.

‎ ‎

❤ฺ·。

‎ ‎

Both of you settled on lemon pie. It was a nice change compared to the usual pound cakes you’d always bring her. And besides, you needed to bring something special after not visiting her for years, or however long it’s been. Not like you were one to keep track of time.

Nevertheless, a week had passed since that conversation, and things only continued to improve. Mentally, that is.

You were way too exhausted from tending to what felt like a few hundred trees all day. The work felt like it was never ending. It’s not like you were able to go outside anyway; the fog never let up since then. Even the buses were starting to reroute, and your path to work was getting more and more hazy.

Thankfully for you, it was Saturday; you’ve been up since the crack of dawn, and you’ve just finished your housework at two in the afternoon. Pruning, fertilising, watering and fending off fungal infections and diseases. Even though it was winter, an abundance of dormant plants still equaled a considerable amount of work. Sure, as Ying said, the air was fresher in here, but you needed to sell all of these plants. It was quite literally a forest at this point. That wasn’t to mention the ones at Yu’s house that you still haven’t tended to, the ones you were going to harvest tomorrow had the weather improved.

Once you set down your shears and gave your fingers the relief of rest after spending the past hour pruning your kiwi tree, it felt like they were just one wrong move away from falling off your body. And maybe that was the time for you to actually stop working.

‎ ‎

You walked back inside to your hotter bedroom and slammed the door to the balcony shut, taking a deep breath of the fresh air to isolate a specific scent. And it didn’t take long for you to spot it – the scent of hot chocolate. You’d just made it for breakfast and had completely forgotten about it whilst waiting for it to cool off.

Huh. Instead of drinking it in bed, maybe you should try something Ying would probably do.

You ran your stiff fingers through your hair and moved towards the kitchen, grabbed the lukewarm cup and headed for the living room. Once you sat down on the couch, the remote immediately made its way into your hand and the television was turned on. Yu’s blankets were still there. You washed and tossed them back there, since there was no reason for you to move them. Not like you felt ill when you looked at them. They were pretty warm. 

Besides, you were more concerned with the television and whether or not it would work after being unused for so long.

And… Yeah. It was kind of boring. Scratch that; it was very boring. Ying was probably just way too old-fashioned for you.

You surfed through the channels for a few more minutes. And with every channel you passed, you were only further reminded as to why this blasted thing was never used. You surfed and surfed and surfed, eventually landing on whatever channel it was once you’d gotten bored enough and instead picked up the phone to scroll through social media. Maybe you really should hit up your landlord and stop funding this useless thing mounted on your wall, you mused.

Your train of thought, however, was immediately derailed once your ringtone blasted in your ears. Ying had suddenly called you. And despite your annoyance, you accepted it without thought, holding the phone up to your ear.

‎ ‎

“Y/N! Good afternoon, how are you?”

‎ ‎

“Hi. Do you need something?” 

‎ ‎

She tittered, and you could feel her anxiously fan herself from the other side of the phone.

‎ ‎

“What if I just wanted to check in on my friend?”

‎ ‎

“So you… don’t need anything.”

‎ ‎

“No, I do. Are you free this March?”

‎ ‎

You sighed and instead looked out the window, your eyes locking on the rapid snowfall that only helped further coat the ground in tonnes of snow. Sidewalks, houses, dead trees, balconies… Well, the uncovered ones, of course. Your balcony was safe.

‎ ‎

“Possibly. Why?”

‎ ‎

This question was weird to ask, to say the least. Especially to someone who lived their life with no planning and went with the flow. But you did understand why she’d ask since she planned months and months ahead.

‎ ‎

“There’s something I must do, but it’s highly likely that I’d end up needing your assistance with it. Do you recall a few years ago, when you…”

‎ ‎

Then, the word ‘storm’ caught your attention, your eyes immediately darted back to the television as your brain tuned out Ying’s words. Turns out that the channel you’d stopped at was the weather forecast, and the woman was explaining an incoming catastrophic storm headed towards…

Crap. 

‎ ‎

“I– I have to go; I need to leave.”

‎ ‎

“Where? What’s happening?” 

‎ ‎

Without thought, you stood up and rushed towards the thick jacket you had hung up on the coat rack right next to the door.

‎ ‎

“Ying, there’s a blizzard. It’s headed right around the neighbourhood where Yu’s house is!”

‎ ‎

You slipped on your boots and grabbed your keys, stuffing whatever remaining essentials there were in your pocket.

‎ ‎

“What?! Y/N, wait, don’t tell me you’re–”

‎ ‎

“I’m going, Ying!”

‎ ‎

“Don’t! Don’t, just wait for me, I–”

‎ ‎

You slammed the door shut, haphazardly holding the scarf over your nose, and rushed down the flight of stairs.

‎ ‎

Ying failed to convince you not to go before you closed the phone and shifted all of your focus back on your path, and she especially failed to get you to understand what was truly happening through your skull. To her, you either didn’t notice the magnitude of the situation, or you just outright didn’t care. Rushing into a blizzard just to keep a few trees safe was something no sane person would do, even with how much those trees meant to you.

And despite the thick haze that blocked you from seeing only a few feet in front of you, the people rushing to get home as soon as possible, and the rapid snowfall, none of it mattered. You clutched the ice-cold pole inside the bus and leaned your head against it, its temperature seeping through your thick black gloves and stinging your skin.

Your eyes locked on the windows as you watched the driver struggle to make his way through the fog, and your heart raced fast enough that it nearly constituted a heart attack. People around you were scared. The children huddled with their parents like scared birds, and you swore you could hear a few of them reassure their kids that they were going to make it home just fine. But you tuned it all out in favour of what was important to you.

All you needed to do was get to his house. Get to his house at the very least, and it’ll all be okay. 

Those trees will be okay. You’ll make sure of it.

[ladydostoevsky]

can i request some dating hcs w lingwen :D??

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐞𝐧

𝐿𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑊𝑒𝑛 𝑥 𝑔𝑛/𝑓𝑒𝑚!𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟

We all know what happened with the last boy that liked her😶

Don't worry she is a changed woman

It doesn't really matter if you are mortal, ghost or heavenly official. She loves you eather way.

Spending time togather is kinda hard. She is the top 1 civil god who is holding the whole heaven from collapsing. She has SO MUCH responsibilities. But when you get to be togather, she makes the lost time up.

Now, if you were heavenly official things would be kinda easier. You work and live in the same realm after all. You can visit her in her palace, help her with her paperwork, sleep togather in one bed (if she even can get some sleep) and so on. She helps you out when Pei Ming tries to seduce you into his bed. She knows you can take care of yourself but she likes to protect you. She LOVES to listen to you talking about your past life as a mortal, before you ascended. You, talking about how your parents and friends would have loved her, how your home looked like made her heart warm. She wondered, have you made any crimes to get where you are now. But looking at you, being so carefree, she wouldn’t dare to think that again. It's not her business she is just lucky to have you and happy that you help her❤️

If you were a Ghost, things would be harder, but it wouldn’t change anything between you two. Love is love and you can't choose who you love. Heaven doesn't like ghosts, so the relationship has to be a secret. If someone finds you two hanging around she pulls hualian and tells them that you are 'just friends' or 'sisters. She doesn't care for your true form, for her you look wonderful which ever form you take. When you tell her how you died, what a tragic life you lived, she comforts you and tells you how you have her and that she would NEVER leave you. Sometimes when she gets some free time she comes to the Ghost realm to see you. You go the gambler's den, ghost city salon, baking at your place or just cuddling and being in each other's embrace❤️

Last time a mortal loved her it didn't end well. You are different. If you were a mortal the relationship would be easier. At night she would appear in your dreams, sometimes in her female form, sometimes in male form. You have a whole table as an altar for her where you worship her every day. You give her offerings, burn incense stiks and light candles. You never pray to her. You know how much work she has, how many other believers, you don't want to put more work on her shoulders. You know you can get and say anything you want when she descends to you again. You wait for her everyday, talking and speaking with her through your dreams isn't enough. But when she comes down twice in a month, she gives you the day and night you would never forget❤️

Ling Wen is a romantic and gentle Lover. She would never harm you or your loved ones. But let's not forget she also has a darker side. She is VERY smart and cunning, we know she can be manipulative and gaslighting. She won't hesitate to use these traits to protect you or get what she wants.

[nyctophiliq]

Hiii moss :D can we get some fluffy morning cuddles with jett, reyna or sage? love your work sm ur very talented <3

✮ ┆ morning cuddles w/ sage, reyna, and jett !

a/n                         this took so long, purely because I was getting too deep into the horny shit LMAO but I hope despite the months of wait this is something to you ppl’s liking :)

cw for               sfw content, gn reader, cuddling

✮ jett ;

you move around under the covers slightly, stretching your legs before rolling onto your side as you came to. there was hardly any muscle in your body that woke up in time with your brain, still feeling the heaviness of the sleep in your legs and arms as you turn your head up slightly, glancing up at sunwoo.

“did I wake you?” she whispers as she pushes one side of her headphones behind her ear, her other hand fumbling around with the turn off button on the side of her phone. you shake your head, blinking a few times with a big yawn that has your jaw aching while trying to scoot closer to her.

“no, you didn’t.” you hum into her arm that you wrap yourself around it, pushing your head into her shoulder as your fingers intertwine with hers. jett gives your hand a squeeze before offering you to watch whatever she was watching together if you were interested. you gave her a little nod, telling her you’ll listen in because you are not sure if you can keep your eyes open.

“alright then, I’ll make sure you it’s not too bright.” she chuckles, leaning to put her head on top of yours as her free hand managed to turn the phone’s brightness down and disconnect her headphones. jett nuzzled her nose into your hair, laughing as you shake her a little to get her to stop.

✮ sage ;

the sound of the sheets rustling around stirred you from your sleep, making you reach over to the other side of the bed as you took a deep breath in before yawning. through the thick fog of sleep in your eyes you try to make out the silhouette that is just getting up from the bed. you groan, reaching for its hand but you only manage to bump your fingers against its skin.

“it’s still early, go back to sleep.” you hear ling whisper, her hand stroking the top of your hand while the other is pulling the covers back up on your chest. you shake your head, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her back next to you.

“five more minutes...” it comes out as a mumble from your mouth as you pull her closer, laying your head on her chest and essentially pinning her to the bed with your arms wrapped around her shoulder. sage chuckles as you lay on top of her, giving your back a few rubs before enveloping you in her embrace.

“I guess five more minutes can’t hurt.” she says, a smile plastering on her lips as she lets herself get comfortable once again, breathing in her hand cream’s and your hair’s scent. she brings her hand up to the nape of your neck, dragging her fingernails gently over your skin, caressing your shoulders as she listens to your calm breathing.

✮ reyna ;

waking up at this moment was the bane of your existence, you could have used a little more sleep as you felt the dull ache settling into your muscles from yesterday’s mission. you toss and turn a few times, trying to find a comfortable position while also looking for your girlfriend’s body to cling to.

“a little less moving around, carino.” reyna groaned as she turned on her side, shuffling a little closer before you felt her hand on your thigh, pulling your leg on top of her body before wrapping her arms around you. opening your eyes for a bare second to glance at her, a low chuckle coming from your throat as you see her eyebrows furrowed with small wrinkles on her forehead, her nose scrunched up.

“just couldn’t find you…” you sigh, wrapping your hands around the middle of her torso, fingers getting caught up in the creases of the loose tank top she was wearing for sleep. closing your eyes, pushing your head into her chest before fisting her shirt in your palm.

“don’t worry, I’d never leave without telling you.” she brings you a little closer to herself, taking a deep breath and slowly running her hand up and down your side. you nod your head, yawning before positioning yourself like a little kid clinging to their teddy break, expect you had a whole girlfriend to cling to without having to hug the blanket for extra body.

[luneariaa]

Hi, I would like a headcanon of what Lee chaolan x fem's wedding would be like! reader

hii-!! 💜 i love the idea so much,, and i apologize if there's any mistakes since this is my first time writing for Lee!

(o´▽`o) 💜💐 ( and the amount of fics + hcs of him here is criminally low ).

. dividers by @/saradika-graphics and @/cafekitsune ! 🦄

-`✧´- wedding headcanons.

you know you won in life when lee decided to marry and take you as his wife, since marriage is quite a serious and a big thing to him. he is ready to fully commit himself to you.

that's when you know how sincere he is regarding that specific topic.

he would be SUPER loyal to you and change some of his ways FOR YOU.

not his charm and playfulness though like never- it stays.

he'll treat you like his only queen 10000%.

you knew that he's going to be the one for you since he decided to take a step forward with you-- especially when proposing for marriage.

anyway, i just know for sure that the wedding day would be SOOO grand! like the guests list would be endless, and he's not afraid to flaunt everything off ( in a good way perhaps! )

he would pick the BEST wedding dress for you, which obviously would be pricey as heck; made by a well-known designer and brand of your choice if you have any.

he wouldn't mind spending lots of money and possibly going broke for you ( which means never, cuz he got that unlimited money bank going on so he would happily spend lots on you lmao ).

also omg let's talk about the meals-- they would def be those high, first class type of meals being prepared there.

and i personally think that lee would want the wedding to be held with a whole grand hall being rented on, or just within his already large, luxurious mansion.

atp knowing how he is, he probably would want to do the whole wedding venue two times-- bc he's THAT guy.

also, alisa and xiaoyu gonna be your bridesmaids bc the idea is just too cute to me <33

lars and jin gonna be his ( jin mainly joins bc of xiaoyu's convincing lmao ).

claudio might be one of those chefs and waiters ( just wanna add him hh- )

overall, lee is gonna admire and cherish you a LOT nonetheless of where you both decided to marry. he's just happy to be able to properly claim you and finally call you his wife to the whole world <33 !!

and and i just thought that he probably would rent a whole island or like, take you to travel other countries during your honeymoon phase with him; entirely your pick, he wouldn't mind.

i got carried away hhh i hope you liked this! <333

@luneariaa. do not repost; reblogs are alright. all rights reserved.

[thecowboykatsuki-anon]

Bakugou’s first love who’s temper and passion matches, no, exceeds his, because you had to fight twice as hard to earn things he was given, had to fight twice as hard to get a seat at a table he was born to. His first love, who’s outcast by hero society for carrying too much anger, for being too rough, too much. 

For being Quirkless.

He never said it was love, but it was. He could feel it, knew you could too. Or at least, he hopes you could. 

So after you disappear, there’s not a single day that goes by where he doesn’t think of you, well into adulthood. Little things like the flowers in the florist shop window that are the exact color of your old car, the way the city glows after a rainstorm.

He thinks it would be easier to forget you, to not have to carry the weight around with him all the time, and he hates himself for thinking it at all. Hates that he feels burdened by your memory instead of thankful he could tell someone exactly where every mole and birthmark sat on your skin, the different colors in your eyes.

It’s that perfect memory that confirms his worst suspicion when history begins to repeat himself, a new group of villains unhappy with society rising from the ashes of the last.

You’re clearly different, but he knows you. Knows the way you move, the tilt to your voice when you’re hiding that you’re wounded.

It’s the first time that his heart is at war with his sense of duty, but he keeps quiet about his suspicion regardless, needing to confirm everything for himself before he spoke up.

It’s a thin line he’s walking, but he assures himself he won’t cross it, no matter what.

And yet, when he finally catches you, unmasked and pinned beneath him, bloody teeth bared, he finds himself lifting enough for you to escape. He wants desperately to give chase, to catch you again, but he knows it’s not so he can bring you in.

It’s that realization that wakes him up, makes him take extended leave so he can track you down. Except he doesn’t have to.

You show up at his apartment one night, covered in shadows near the open window as he comes in, absently listening to Kiri worry about him over the phone. It takes everything in him not to hang up on his friend immediately when he sees you, freezing in place.

He should be angry, should be insulted that you, a wanted villain, had the audacity to show up in his home and silently watch him, but he’s not.

Part of him believes he’s finally lost it, chasing ghosts, so he calls out your name quietly, more of a breath than real words, but he can see the way your body reacts to it immediately, and all he can feel is relief crash around him.

There’s a heavy silence for a while, and then he takes a step forward. You stiffen, and in a blink, you’re gone, the only sign you were real to begin with a note telling him to stay away.

But he doesn’t. And neither do you. He knows you follow him, can feel watchful eyes on him, even if he can’t see you right away.

And then you show up in his apartment once more, clearly ready for a fight in the middle of his kitchen. There’s a glint of a knife in your hand, and he’s careful to move slowly as he sets down his groceries, hands splayed to show you he’s unarmed, as if he couldn’t kill you with one flick of his wrist. He calls out your name again, softly, like he’s talking to a wounded animal, and you can’t help the way your heart begs you to respond, even after so many years.

You shift, hesitate, and he straightens, takes a chance, and takes a step towards you. Your hand twitches, but you don’t raise it, don’t charge him. So he takes another. And then another. And then he’s within striking range, and your eyes are hard, angry in warning, but wide, like you’re lost. 

So he steps closer. And you step back, knife falling from your hand and clattering to the floor. He presses forward until your back hits his kitchen island, and he’s leaning over you, knuckles white with the way they grip the marble. 

You look panicked, fear brewing in your gaze when he raises a hand, eyes squeezing shut so you don’t see the blow coming. 

Instead, he brushes your hair away from your face, and your eyes fly open in surprise, the large pro drinking you in, his eyes flicking over your form. 

“I thought you were dead,” 

His voice is softer than anything you’ve ever heard, rolling over you and bringing back memories long since repressed. He cups your cheek, thumb sliding over your skin as if to make sure you’re real, and you hate how good it feels, how much you’ve missed him, and then his gaze dips lower and he freezes. 

Now that’s he’s able to be close to you, breathe you in, he sees what he’s missed before, hidden under stealth suits and large hoodies. From beneath your top curl ragged scars, curving and licking up along your throat and across your shoulders, more abundant than unmarred skin.

Your breath hitches as his fingers leave your face to trace over the scars on your collarbone, his face filled with anguish. His searching takes him lower, to the collar of your shirt where he pulls away, shaky hands falling to the hem as he begins to lift it slowly. 

Your hands circle his wrist in warning, and he spares you a glance, his pretty eyes filled with silent pleas, and you give in to him, as powerless to him as you were when you were stupid kids believing you were in love. Your fingers fall away from his skin slowly to let him continue, heart hammering as you let the man you came to kill undress you. 

He hesitates, inhaling deeply, steeling himself for what he might see before he tugs the cotton upwards once more. 

His stomach twists in knots as you’re revealed to him, arching scars covering most of your torso, some clearly old, but far too many new, deep, and he can only imagine what you went through to earn such markings across your skin. 

He can hardly find those moles and beauty marks he used to be able to map perfectly, now replaced with thick and jagged lines. He looks tortured, struggling not to let it show, but you see it anyways.

You can’t help the noise that bubbles from your throat when you lift your arms for him, a fresh wound beneath your left breast pulling painfully tight with the movement, and he clenches his jaw at the sound of your whimper, brows drawn low over his eyes. 

When his palm lays flat against your stomach, measuring the expanse of your scars to his hand, the former reaching out far further, you squeeze your eyes shut and tilt your head back. 

You never wanted him to see you like this, and in that very moment, you wished you were dead like he’d assumed, rather than a broken shell of who he used to love. 

He’s silent as his hands wander, their warmth seeping into your skin and settling on your hips, fingers splayed wide. He lets out a shaky huff and you finally peel open your eyes as he drops to his knees, his breath warm over your skin, moments before his mouth presses over your flaws.

He doesn’t miss the way you inhale sharply, hazy eyes focused down at him kneeling at your feet, mouth ghosting across your body. 

He traces a path upwards, his hands keeping you grounded as you arch against him, goosebumps rising in the wake of his ministrations. He deviates from his path only once, to press a feather soft kiss against your newest wound, and you hiss, fingers flying to tangle in his hair. 

It shouldn’t hurt so much, but his mouth feels like a brand, his nose brushing along the underside of your breast, lighting a fire within you that you had assumed died long ago. He murmurs out something you don’t quite catch against your skin before he returns the drag of his mouth between your breasts, up until he’s pressing kisses against your jaw, his forehead bumping against your cheek as he shakes his head. 

He exhales shakily again, and you tilt your head ever so slightly, needing to see him, needing to see the disgust, the pity in his eyes. You need him to give you a reason to push him away, a reason to hate him so neither of you start something you can’t finish. 

But all you see is a quiet fury buried in those crimson eyes, smothered by a emotion you’ve only ever seen in those very eyes the last time you’d seen him. You’re not ready to admit what it is yet, denial flooding you even as your mind supplies the word. 

Love. 

It’s like all the air rushes from your lungs, and you’re sure in that very moment, if it wasn't for his firm grip, that you’d simply crumple under the weight of your realization. 

He draws you back to him, nose bumping yours when one of his hands cups the back of your head, fingers burying themselves in your hair. He opens his mouth and immediately closes it again, breathing in sharply through his nose before he speaks again, eyes shutting. 

“I’m sorry I wasn't there to protect you.” 

And just like that, you can’t resist his pull anymore, closing the distance as the first tear rolls down your cheek. 

[kikiwooo]

an mlbb writer omg ilysm ily and also i need some ling x f! reader smut in my life something gentle to rough would be heavenly. thank you and keep up the great work 🫶🖤

© @/ kikiwooo

notes: fem reader, smut

| reblogs and comments are appreciated|

don't heart the post, I want fucking reblogs idc that I'm being rude, it's what I deserve.

Ling is a passionate lover, even though he seems like a closed-off and no hands person. He would want to feel your body against his, to be able to hold you and feel you calms him. Ling is like a baby kitten to your touch, leaning and nuzzling into it.

Coming to something like this is a big step for him. As much as he's unexperienced he doesn't want his first with you to be ruined. He'll start gently as much as possible. Softly touching your body with his fingertips is his favorite.

" A-are you sure this is alright..? This is so embarrassing... "

Ling will start slow, he wants to be slow with everything. The moment the tip goes in, his eyes falls back of his head. He..needs a moment or two, he can't think straight right now. If you ask him why he's stopped all of sudden, he'll quickly and a bit messy excuse himself and focus on pushing his heat.

However, he'll quickly adapt to the feeling and start to be more faster, the pleasure is too much for him. The way his body burns, the tightness around his dick, the way your walls squeeze him, your chest..bouching from the thrusts, and- your noises. Inside him, Ling will become a beast. Thrusting way harder and faster before, your- squeaks, startled noises.

" H-ah, this feeliNG- Nnh-! i don't w-want it to stop.. "

In the end, his actions will leave both of you breatheless, Ling will try his hardest to not fall on top of you, though no promises.

[justxiao]

Link Click duo with a mysterious reader

Cheng Xiaoshi x reader x Lu Guang

"...and then, I finished him off. Hah! Nobody escapes from the great Cheng Xiaoshi."

He turned to his friends who he thought were listening to him, they were eating the food you made without him.

"Yeah. You slay, bro." you said while eating the meat on your plate. Lu Guang already finished his food, he was hanging around on social media.

"Were you guys even listening?!" Xiaoshi shouted while sitting next to you and shaking your shoulders. "You promised you would listen, Y/N!" he whined, you looked at him with a bored face and fed him some food to shut him up.

"Y/N works to buy our needs, leave them alone. They're probably tired." Lu Guang said while glaring at Xiaoshi who was resting his head on your shoulder.

"Come on! Y/N was not around lately! And didn't you say you missed them the other day?" Xiaoshi said while grinning. You looked at Lu Guang who was blushing, you were tired. Really. But you missed them too, they were worth another sleepless night.

"I guess I can catch up with you guys, I finished my work for the week anyway." you smiled at them, Xiaoshi kissed you cheek with excitement and let out a 'muah!' while doing so.

"You know you can go and rest, Y/N. We can wait until tomorrow." Guang said, looking at you with concern in his eyes. "Man, don't treat me like I'm a 80 year old woman." you grinned at Lu Guang, took his hand and brought it to your lips. You kissed his hand as if you were touching a delicate piece of glass. "Thanks for the concern though." you grinned at Lu Guang who was blushing.

"What were you doing before you met us, Y/N?" Xiaoshi asked you, who was still looking at his blushing white haired friend.

"Hm? I would sleep, go to work, workout, eat then repeat. Nothing much like your life." you chuckled after talking. Xiaoshi pouted "No, like..Uh....How was your life with your family and friends? You didn't really introduce anyone to us from your family." Xiaoshi said, Lu Guang was listening too.

Your face fell, you looked at Xiaoshi with a frown on you face. He flinched a little but didn't show any visible fear on his face. Your eyes were looking at the table, being silent was never a 'you' thing, normally you would leave some jokes to lighten up the mood or roast someone while you're bored.

This was strange.

"Sorry. I don't talk about my past." you said, "I know you guys want to know but...I really don't think you guys should know." you talked. Your voice didn't came out like crying or anything, but you voice came...empty. As if there was nothing inside, devoid of any emotion.

It was silent for a moment, both Guang an Xiaoshi looking at you with concern. You didn't want their pity, why did this conversation came up anyway?

"Oh right, I bought ice cream. We should eat it while watching a movie!" you said to lighten up the mood. You stood up to get the icecream, leaving the partners on their own.

"This is the first time I've seen them like this." Guang said, a hum came from Xiaoshi. "Y/N can come off mean to any person but...they showed us nothing but care and kindness so...it was..strange..to see them like this." Xiaoshi said, he couldn't find the right words.

"Maybe we really shouldn't have asked about their past—" Guang started talking but was cut of by Xiaoshi. "We need to find about their past." He said "We just have to." Guang looked at him and thinked for a moment, then nodded his head.

"I'm back you morons, open up a horror movie." You said as you sat in the middle of them. "Do we have to watch a horror movie?" Xiaoshi said.

You looked at Xiaoshi and raised your left arm. He immediately understood this and snuggled close to your body. After Guang finished opening the movie, he sat on your right side and rested his head on your shoulder.

They fell asleep after 1 hour, you were still awake. The movie had ended a while ago and both Xiaoshi and Guang were asleep on you.

"I guess I have to carry you guys huh?" You smiled at their sleeping face, kissing both of them on the forehead.

__________________________________________________

[drama--universe]

Five Chickens (Part 2)

Pairing: Untamed Juniors x fem!reader

Word Count: 1.5k words

Part 1

Taglist: @bryonyashleysworld, @yuki-snow-cry & @harrystylesfan2686.

A/N Not really a story, more like some compilation of moments with them. Hope it's to everyone's liking :)

"How about your uncle?" "You're crazy." Jin Ling scoffed at you and you whined as you let your head fall back against the wooden frame before leaning it sideways to lay on Jingyi's leg instead.

"Wuxian-ge would say yes..." Sizhui commented as he looked up from his book and slid back slightly, making Zizhen jump slightly as he was leaning against Sizhui's legs. You nodded in acknowledgement before turning around and whacking Jin Ling, who flinched before whacking you back.

"Him and my brother would totally love it!" You laughed softly before looking at Zizhen interrupted the conversation. "I honestly don't think this is a good idea..." He said and you sighed before nodding, leaning your head back and shrugging.

"Alright then... Chicken~" You teased and Zizhen turned red before crossing his arms with a pout while Sizhui tried to calm the atmosphere slightly.

"So you want to move my murder to my other uncle? Because that I can kind of agree to..." "That's my brother, kind of like him." You stated and Jin Ling groaned at you, cursing softly at the disagreement.

"Does your family not have problems?" He continued and you scoffed at him, looking up from Jingyi's leg.

"Oh, we have many problems... I mean, parents dead, Mingjue-ge dead and the Huaisang-ge is barely holding our clan together when he can do so much better. Honestly, not that different from you, huh?" You gave him a wink and Jin Ling rolled his eyes, pillow thrown your way that you skillfully dodged.

"Same here." Sizhui commented and Jingyi quickly thew in a word as well with a smile, which made all of you turn to Zizhen. His eyes widened and he quickly shook his head at you.

"Mine's fine." "Eh, you'll get there." You commented, which earned you a hit to your head from Jingyi. "Don't curse him." You giggled at him before picking at your skirt.

"So... I'll ask?"

"What on earth is that?" The shock was clear in Zizhen's voice and the rest was seemingly just as shocked. You looked at the animal beside you before looking back at the rest.

"I have no clue! But look how cute!" You crouched down and took ahold of the beast's head and smushing it together with a large grin on your face.

"That is a predator." Sizhui commented as he got closer, pulling you away from the animal. You whined, making grabbing hands towards the animal and it was quick to follow you with careful steps. Sizhui paused and let go of you, letting you sit on the ground while the large animal came closer to you and sat down in front of you.

"Where did you find that tiger?" Jin Ling asked, making you turn your head before turning back to the supposed tiger. "So you're just a big kitty, huh?" You smiled as the cat purred at you while Jin Ling rolled his eyes, sighing loudly at you.

"How do you not know what a tiger is?" "I didn't study animals, I studied sabers and murder cases." You answered as you scratched the top of the tigers head.

"What's a good name for-" Leaning down slightly to check before continuing. "-guy?" You asked, looking back to the rest.

"Pudding!" Jingyi jumped in as he got closer, kneeling down and petting the animal as well. He was delighted when the animal purred again, pushing his head closer before flinching when he heard someone else approach.

"Oh, kitty~" Wuxian's voice rang out as he ran over, leaving a shocked Lan Zhan and Jiang Cheng. You just greeted the man with a happy smile before introducing him to Pudding, choosing that the name was just perfect for the tiger.

"So dogs are a no for that guy, but a murderous tiger is okay?" Jiang Cheng commented and you could hear someone laugh, assuming it was Jin Ling.

The library was empty except for the five of you, supposedly studying and yet failing so miserably. Well, you were anyway, the rest was doing fine. Instead you were staring at Sizhui, who was reading his work again while chewing on his fingernails. As if he sensed your gaze, he looked up at you before pulling his hand down with wide eyes.

"Is something wrong?" He asked and you chuckled, placing your chin in your hands with a grin.

"You're so cute it's distracting me." You laughed as you watched Sizhui go red, something that you a so loved to see.

"That's a good one." Jingyi commented and you scoffed. "What, going to use it on a Lan? They'll have a stroke." You joked and Jingyi shrugged as he closed the scroll that he was reading.

"Would be funny to watch." "You'd get whipped for that." Jin Ling pointed out with a raise of his eyebrows and you shook your hand at that statement. "They stopped that, remember? It's writing now." "That's so much worse." Jin Ling commented and you shrugged at him before looking at Sizhui again, who had opted to hide his face in his hands.

"Now that nobody's studying! I have an idea!" You said and everyone looked at you before Zizhen spoke up.

"That's dangerous." He said and you scoffed at him, throwing your pencil at him.

"Oh, shush."

"I can believe you just walked off!" Sizhui and Zizhen were shocked, Jin Ling disappointed and Jingyi was cackling. You were just confused.

"Yes? I walked away mid-conversation, so what? They were boring me to death and my survival instincts kicked in." You gave a shrug as you bit off the last piece from the fruit skewer before chewing on the stick itself out of habit.

"She's the mother of the sect leader! She's more important than you think?!" "I have Pudding." You smiled as you entered your room, the four boys pilling in after you. You sat yourself down and giggled again.

"I think she had smoke coming out of her ears, heh." You giggled to yourself as Jingyi sat next to you and Jin Ling on your other side. Jingyi leaned in slightly to whisper in your ear.

"You're the first who dared to do that." He said and you turned your head with a surprised look before smiling proudly. "Yeah, survival instinct my ass. It was nice knowing you." Jin Ling said and you laid your head down on his shoulder.

"Make sure everyone cries on my funeral?" You ask and Jin Ling nods, patting your hand that rested on his lap. You smiled and closed your eyes before sighing softly.

"Do you think she'll actually kill me?" You opened your eyes again to look at Sizhui, who shrugged.

"I think you're doomed."

Walking around, you tried to ignore the whispers as you held on to Jingyi's and Sizhui's arms, the other two not present at the moment. You didn't feel like talking, not after everything that went down at the temple. Someone you trusted and regarded as a brother killed your biological brother and your second brother had know this for years. Who would feel okay after all that, because you definitely didn't.

"Is she dating them or something?" A voice rang through as you walked to your room, but everyone ignored the comment as you continued. You barely registered entering your room or sitting down, not even when you were being wrapped in your sheets did it register. You felt numb, but that comment kept ringing in your head.

"Now, I know I should be in shock and all... but does everyone think that I'm dating you?" You asked, which made both boys freeze in their spots before bursting into laughter.

"Now that's a problem we can't avoid." Jingyi commented and you shrugged at him, not really minding it.

"You call it a problem. I call it a solution. Guess who won't get marriage proposals?" You gave a tired smile and Jingyi scoffed before sitting down beside you on the bed, pulling you down to lay down. Sizhui soon joined you and it was then that your walls broke down. Tears started streaming down your face as you clung to both of them, not being able to stop the waterfalls. They didn't seem to care for the wet spot on their clothes as they comforted you and when the two others arrived, Jin Ling just as teary as you, they just joined into the pile. You felt slightly better when you were not the only one crying, but even if you were it would be okay with your friends around you.

The adults later found you all huddled up together, clinging to each other while you slept. Their little chicks.

[auliisflower]

Kirsten Dodgen x F!Reader

MOOD BOARD

🆂🅸🆁🅴🅽 🅴🆈🅴🆂

“C’mon, don’t look at me like that, Baby.”

A wild heartstealer idol named Yang Y/N and a globally famous dancer named Kirsten Dodgen is a pretty good duo for a power couple, don’t you think? One can only wonder how the korean public will take the news that a dancer from New Zealand can tame the all-famous idol Yang Y/n. Will life let them have their way or will the public eye force another idol between the two who they think will fit Y/n better?

STARRING :

IDOL! YANG Y/N

JAM REPUBLIC! KIRSTEN DODGEN

IDOL! ISHIRIKI YANGXI

ENHYPEN! YANG JUNG-WON

JAM REPUBLIC! LING ZHANG

JAM REPUBLIC! LATRICE KABAMBA

JAM REPUBLIC! EMMA HUCH

JAM REPUBLIC! AUDREY LANE

(HELLOOOOO!!!! I’ll be posting this soon, I promise 😭🫶🏻 But for now, let’s keep you on the edge of your seat because that’s more fun HEHEHSHSB BUT ANYWAYS I’LL HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS I’LL POST THE FULL THING MAYBE ON TUESDAY)

[poisonioushearts]

Self aware Li Ling?

Yes

That's all I have to say about that

Gender neutral reader

Warnings: not proofread, probably some grammatical errors

Self aware Li Ling(and being the players favorite)

When I tell you that this man is smug

Everyone can tell he feels special for being "the chosen one"

Calm down my guy 🧍‍♀️

TREMBLE AT MY POWERRRRRRRRoh my god all the enemies had turned to dust

He does the hair flip

Like the one where he puts his hair behind with with his hand(it's very dramatic)

He thinks he's so cool

When you give him those nice relics he guards them with his life

It's because they help him be strongernot because they were from the dear player of course

At first he was skeptical, like, why would he need these things to make him be stronger?

He sees his power numbers before and after and he's just like: 🥲

He thought he was strong before lmao

Once you fully level this guy and keep him on your team he's proud

He really did achieve what he wanted to

If you have to occasionally replace him he's just like...oh

but you'll still use him, right?

Deep down inside he believes that if he's not strong he's useless, and in the world of a video game he is right-

yeah okay I'm done with the angst(for now)

If you pair him with shadow decree members his eyebrow is twitching

But whatever you think is best...

Pair him with his best friend(Tang Xuan)and you've got world chaos and peace maker

Excited that he gets to destroy the world and help people

Well not 'destroy the world' but like show off his power to you

He wants to meet you irl because you are like his second mentor

RESPECT x1000

Thank you for reading! Reblogs are greatly appreciated.