#maybe i will do that tomorrow. brain schedule is full up for today sorry

[obsob]

here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud!!

✷(print shop)✷

[norrisreads]

better than revenge #PG10

PAIRING: pierre gasly x reader! Charles leclerc x reader! Platonic

SUMMARY: a part 2 of set fire to the rain, what happens when pierre gasly comes back running in to your life after all the heart break that he caused you? will you take him back?

WARNING: angst & fluff

FC: roses_are_rose on ig

you pointed to where kika was standing, both kika and your eyes were wide, taken aback from pierre’s statement.

Charles, was steps behind from pierre and approached you making sure you’re okay not knowing the current situation were super tense.

you broke the silence, “pierre, let’s talk”

Charles walked away with kika, while you dragged pierre into your hotel room that was shared with Lissie.

You offered him a glass of water, “room’s a mess, but we need to talk about what happened. Kika told me the situation between both of you, care to explain?”

“I missed you, when you left, charles and i had a talk about our relationship, and i have slowly started to regret how i was neglecting you during our relationship.

Kika’s and I relationship were never meant to be serious, but eventually it had and every night i was still thinking about us. How we would have been right now, if i didn’t neglect our relationship.”

both of you sat side by side, and you had failed to noticed how pierre was tearing up until u felt drops of tears fell on to the back of your palm, that was caressing his hands (to be fair you were trying to calm him down)

Lissie had told you multiple times that you were just too kind for anyone in this world, and this gesture speaks a-lot because no women on this earth would be in this situation with their nasty ex-boyfriend

you were out of words because you’ve never realised you would be encountering this experience that was usually seen in televisions.

To be fair, pierre made you realise that your life was much more worthy. 70% of the moments that was spend with him was what made you the women you are today.

you had remembered times when you were close to giving up on your education but pierre took his time off schedule, he would face-time after the weekend races to accompany you pull an all nighter, you’ll wake up with breakfast in bed, assurance were given to you without being asked.

eventually, you let out a huge sigh

“Pierre, there’s a saying that ‘your first love is hard to forget because it leaves an 'imprint' on the sensory areas of your brain’ and i’ve always thought of you, i tried going on dates after our separate ways, but i couldn’t just give it a try because you’re always there, do you know that?”

you looked up at him, pierre wanted to say something but you weren’t finished

“i’ll think, oh pierre would have done this for me? oh pierre would have loved this? every single time a guy tried to do moves on me. Eventually, i got rid of that thought after 7 months. Well yeah, still no boyfriend but i’m happy that you were my first love. You’ve taught me so much and that so much was things that i could’ve only known because i was with you.”

you felt a tear roll down your cheeks, maybe tomorrow when you’re awake you’ll regret opening up your heart to someone who once had it.

“I’m sorry, y/n, i really am, but let’s just try for the second time and if this really does not work out, i’ll leave you alone”

that was real selfish of him, because here he is begging you to take him back but kika’s out there suffering the same heartbreak you were in 7 months ago.

“solve things out with kika, pierre. You both were in love too, special memories were made too, assure her and let her know what you’re really feeling and maybe get back to me?”

you smiled at pierre and he nodded his head, while walking himself out of your hotel room

You’ve finally reached the imola grand prix, and here you are with Lissie and charles in charles driving room. With you always being around Charles, ferrari allowed you full access.

“have you thought on what you’re gonna say to pierre?” charles asked you while you were pacing back and forth in his driver room

“no, charles! i’m scared what if he had the talk with kika, and suddenly wants me back in his life? i can’t just drop the 7 months that i was suffering because of him, just because i loved him too much”

your head was in your hand because it has been on your mind ever-since the conversation with pierre happened

charles knew how in love with pierre you were, when both of you had freshly broken up you’ll get drunk most of the time and would lead to you drunk calling him, most of the time crying.

Pierre came to charles multiple times regarding this exact situation, as much as charles hates that pierre was the cause of your huge heart break but pierre and you was his closest friends and he knew the impact pierre had on you.

“Well, just accept him back in to your life then”

Lissie added on, “if you’re thinking about it, that speaks alot. You clearly want him back, as much as i disliked him, if he makes you happy, we’re happy with it”

“Or you could just find another driver to date….?” now this was a voice you would not expect to join the conversation you’re having

“Carlos…? How much did you heard?”

“Not much, but walls are thin here, i didn’t know you ended things with pierre that way, but what i was saying is, there are other people here who would die to be with you and would treat you much better than how pierre treated you, but why do you care anyways? i’m pretty sure the pierre’s impact is still on to you”

Carlos and Charles laughs, which made you rolled your eyes

“i don’t know guys, will it be healthy for me? that’s the question i’ve been asking”

“not all relationships are supposed to be healthy for you. yeah there may be ups and downs, but that’s the purpose of a relationship isn’t it? Loving each other even through tough times”

Lissie sat up and assured you, with charles and carlos agreeing Lissie’s statement

Maybe you’ve already made up your mind, but you just needed extra assurance from your closest friends

“Okay that’s all for the sappy talk, we need to go now, they’re finding for us charles, drivers meeting happens in 5 minutes and we need to be there” Carlos said his greetings and pulled charles along with him not giving him a chance to give his goodbyes to Lissie and i

While waiting for Lissie to finish her interview session with the redbull drivers, you were just walking to a nearby bar to get a drink, because it sure as hell is a hot day, and a drink right now would sound so fucking good.

what makes it worse, is the choice of clothing you’re wearing, you’re really not a fan of revealing clothes but Lissie had decided to dress you up, as after the qualifying rounds, she had made plans for both of you to go to a nearby club with some other friends.

Normally you’d have a blazer or a thin jacket as a cover-up but you had forgotten to picked up ur blazer from charles drivers room and you can’t access it without him being beside you as you didn’t really had a pass.

“here” as soon as you spoke about your blazer, you were handed a black blazer by someone

“than- pierre..?” you were slightly confused because he weren’t supposed to be here knowing there’ll be a debrief anytime in 15 mins, but here he is sitting beside you.

“charles handed me your blazer and told me you’d b here, he kinda send me away to talk to you” he shrugged, while ordering a drink.

you just gave him a smile, because you weren’t sure if you should bring up the conversation about him and kika knowing it’ll tensed up both of you.

“kika and i had the talk, i know you’re really curious about that” his seat was turned to face you, and he did the same to you, rotating your seat.

“I’ll just let you know how it goes and how i truly feel, it’ll be your choice if you are willing to accept me back into your life. I know how hard it is for you and i’m not rushing you to give me an answer, y/n.”

“go on” you gave him a nod

“kika was the one that knocked some sense into me, she told me that she could still see that i still had my heart reserved for you. Honestly, I’ve never notice it. I apologised to her that even-though we were in a relationship my heart didn’t belong to her. I felt bad of course, because at first i truly liked her but the constant reminders of you were just so hard to shrugged it off. When u came to Miami Grand Prix, i didn’t expect you’ll be there because charles told me you were busy and you guys barely communicated. I kinda bribed him to get regular updates about you” pierre laughed

“what did u bribe him with..?” you were as confused as ever, if charles needed anything he would have just gotten it, because this man has got to be the richest one in your friendship.

“advice on his fashion sense” well this clicked so well because lately Charles have been asking fashion advices from you, online shopping regularly, even having packages shipped to you just in case fans found out about his home address

“from you? i’m amazed, pierre. I was the one who had to pick your clothes for our dates, i’m glad you’ve upgraded that wardrobe of yours”

we both had more conversations but i had a question that i was much more curious

“did she went home?” changing the topic

“no, she’s still here, her friends are here so she went with them instead. I have asked her to keep the paddock passes because i felt bad”

you nodded ur head, it’s great that she’s still here, i wouldn’t want things to be awkward especially after the elevator incident

“We’ll start slow, we’ll then see how it goes” you said softly, you were honestly scared of how this will go because if pierre had done this to you once, what is stopping him to do it twice?

“That’s fine to me, y/n. I’ll prove to you that im worthy of getting the second chance” he hugged you

The hug still felt awkward and tense because it’s been quite a while since Pierre and you shared a hug

“You’re not interviewing anyone? I’ll probably have to be back soon in 10 minutes? Wanna walk back together?”

you shook your head, signalling him that you did not have any interviews today but agreed on walking back to the paddock together

“Lissie’s in-charge today, i’m interviewing aston martin’s team, mclaren’s team and your team though tomorrow, before and after the race. Guess you’ll need to see my face again, hope you don’t get sick of me!”

both of you shared a laugh, “i would never get sick of your face” pierre mumbled softly, which led to you not hearing anything

when both of you reached your respective destination, you gave your goodbyes and proceed to assist Lissie and the team to pack things up

Lissie noticed your existence, “everything alright?”

you gave her a thumbs up and continued your task.

you were drunk.

Things escalated so quickly, it’s not even 3 hours in and you were drunk.

It wasn’t drunk drunk but DRUNK DRUNK.

What’s crazy is you were never a light weight, but for some reason the empty stomach really made you feel like a light weight, because here you are seated on your table while the others were on the dance floor

You’ve never noticed your driver friends walking in to the exact same club in the next booth, because whenever you are drinking, all thoughts are only on you

Other than being drunk, you’re stubborn, because here you are chugging 4 shots of vodka and walking straight to the dance floor

“What’s gotten her, isn’t she the strongest amongst us?” Amanda, Lissie’s friend shouted through the music

Lissie signaled her a love sign which made the whole group did an “OOH”.

“hey pretty girl, slow down on those shots, will you?” You felt someone slid their arms on your wrist but was too confused on who it was with the blurred vision you had

But you do recognise this accent and voice

“Chaaaaaarles, what ar you doooing here?” holding on to him for stability

“What you’re here for too, how much did she drank?” Charles asked Lissie

Lissie didn’t know if she should be lying to Charles with the alcohol intake you had or tell the truth, so she chose the latter option because charles was one scary man when he’s angry

“More than you can imagine”

Charles rolled his eyes and walked you back to the booth, except this wasn’t the girls booth but it’s the guys and they were shocked seeing you here drunk

Obviously not a common sight for them

“y/n?” pierre stood up walking to both you and charles

“hey hahahahaha, fuck i’m so light headed right now” head in your hands, whining which made the guys laughed

“not the strongest soldier anymore?” george snickered

“shut the fuck up, i think the dude did something to the drink it’s so fucking strong, it’s so insane” you leaned your head back not knowing it landed on Lance’s shoulder

“What did you ask for?” Carlos questioned you

“the stongest in the house and i did a lot a LOT of shots, fuck i have an interview too, with YOU” you gave carlos his answer and pointed to Lance signifying that you’re doing an interview with him tomorrow probably hangover.

“well that’s probably why you’re like this, sherlock holmes” Lando added on

“drink up” pierre handed you a glass of water, which you gulped down in a second

“easy” Lance soothed your back, and this action made Pierre tensed which charles happened to notice and can’t help but to smile

“thaaaanks sweet boy, other girls would die to be me right now” you laughed, half conscious half drunk

“drinking more?” george asked

you nodded your head while charles and pierre shouted a hard NO

“unfair, i’m doing great right now, i think…?” you gave them a pout which led them to laugh loudly

“you’re crazy y/n, just don’t turn up to the paddock with those huge shades of yours that you used to do back then” Lando commented which made you rolled your eyes

“They made me feel like a bad bitch, maybe you need a pair too so you’re able to feel the bad bitch vibes”

“I don’t like drunk y/n, she’s snarky as hell” pierre taken aback by the comment you gave to lando

“that’s on you babes, honesty is the best policy!!!!!!!! Oh deaaaaaaaaaar, i need to fucking puke, i’m never drinking” you stood up and dragged pierre along with you because right now, he’s just standing in front of you

“Lovebirds” carlos rolled his eyes, but deep down it kinda warmed the other guys because they knew both of you were each other end games

you wake up in a hotel bed, but you are unsure if you made it home safely, until you heard songs from the kitchen area.

now it clicked you, this isn’t your hotel room, hell nah, you refuse to believe you had just done a one night stand but when you got out of bed you’ve realise, you were clothed head to toe

an oversize black tee with basketball shorts that was clearly to long and big for your small size.

Oh my god, how drunk were you to be in a strangers bed

You walked slowly to the kitchen area only to recognise the guy’s back view and it slowly made your heart warm because you have never thought you’ll face this back view again

Pierre heard your footsteps, “awake? any hangovers?”

you shook, well this was the best part because no matter how much you drink, hangover weren’t really your thing

“feeling anything?” he stood in-front of you hands on your head which made your head lean on to his torso

pierre felt so full knowing you’re here in front of him, the view he has been dying to wake up to

“just hungry, how did i end up here?”

“charles a room away, but he’s sharing with Arthur and you’re quite noisy when you are drunk so i opted to bring you in my room instead.

We couldn’t find Lissie anywhere, apparently she went home at 6AM because she knocked charles door frantically thinking you were lost, she’s dead asleep though in your room. Must be a great night for both of you”

he chuckled playing with your hair

“great night, yes? for me and lissie? maybe. Did you cook? Something smells good, i don’t know if it’s you or the food”

“it’s the food, it might be me too, you’re the stinky one here” pierre guided you to the kitchen, seeing the pancakes and omelette placed right in-front of you

“i don’t mind having a taste of both but the pancakes are screaming out to me more, sorry pierre”

this was an out of pocket comment, because to Pierre you were someone shy but through out the night, he realised that you were getting super bold with everything

“this isn’t very friends of us, huh” you commented

“so why not let’s give it a try?” you added

pierre stood up in shocked and walked right over to kiss you there and that

“oh i fucking miss this, miss everything about you baby”

y/nviews just posted

tagged charles_leclerc , pierregasly and lissiemackintosh

liked by pierregasly, lissiemackintosh and others

y/nviews they droved off without me, I’m literally steve in the relationship

charles_leclerc YOU WERE WITH LISSIE

y/nviews could’ve offered?????????? smh and you call me your best friend? im offended

pierregasly there wasn’t any space, did u wanted to sit on my lap, dearest steve?

y/nviews that wasn’t a problem last night

georgerussell63 timeout stop ruining this child pierregasly y/nviews

gaslaaaayed wait…. R they back together??????? FINALLY?

tsunoday i’ve been waiting for this 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

pgaslighter landonorris they’re a quadrant right now, watch out they’re coming for your spot 🫵🏻

landonorris oh hell no lissiemackintosh GET OUT! That was my spot originally 🤗

pierregasly just posted

tagged y/nviews

liked by y/nviews, carlossainz55 and others

pierregasly she refused to get a license just so she’ll be my passenger princess forever, i’m loving it though

charles_leclerc she’s lying, she has one but don’t risk yourself

y/nviews this is false information, i’ve failed it at least 2 times

carlossainz55 i’ll teach you, i think im a great driver 🤭

pierregasly no one’s teaching my gf except me

y/nviews naw that shucks, i was srs about it though carlossainz55

lance_stroll was about to give a like until i saw your face, I’m taking it back y/nviews

y/nviews i love my fans 😓

y/nviews i love you forever my baguette 🥖

pierregasly …..

a/n: well that’s all for this series! i hope it’s a great ending bcause i was unsure on how i should’ve ended this :0

[heeseung-min]

[04:20]

You stared at the screen for few minutes before groaning sadly at the not so good exam result. You were pissed. Pissed at how you have done so many revision but still couldn't get the result you want. Fuck education.

"I wish I can get Albert's brain."

Jake stared at you with pity. He really wished he can hug you and comfort you now but too bad what he can do only staring at you from your laptop camera he hacked.

Later that night, Jake got an idea. He wrote notes for the subject that you got worse result and planning to ask you to be your tutor tomorrow.

---

Jake waited for your class to be over. Thank god he doesn't have any class today so he doesn't need to be rush over something. He knew your schedule and where your classes might be.

See, Jake's friends has been calling him a creep for doing those things but Jake swear he is not! He just loves you and really cares about your future. Although he wishes you both to get married and you will be the housewife and he will going to work to bring money and spoil you with everything. He smile at the thought. Maybe one day it will happen. His daydream stopped when he heard someone was calling your name.

"Miss Y/n."

"Yes, professor?"

"We need to have a talk. About your result."

The poor girl just follow her lecturer to his room. She can predict what will be he nagging to her. Jake slowly follow them from behind and stopped at the door. It's a grateful when the room is far from the hallway so it gets a little privacy and he also can heard the conversation very well.

"I believe you have seen your result yesterday, right?"

"Yes."

"In the class, everyone got good result especially on my subject which is physics. But you aren't."

Okay. That kinda hurts your pride. But, it's okay. It's for the better future.

"I'm so sorry professor. I already did many revisions but luck is just not on my side."

Your lecturer lowkey staring judgingly from up to down when heard those. The old man must not believe what you said.

"That's good. However, I have another solution for you which is getting a tutor especially from the senior."

He then took a list that has names, pictures and number phones. There are some of the pictures you recognized but some aren't.

"Here is the contacts of some seniors that you can refer to, they are doing really good on this subjects. Or do you want me to arrange it?"

"Yeah, I want that. Also, can you arrange Park Jongseong for me? He is my friend so it is easier to learn from him."

Your professor nodded and dismissed you after that. You can't wait to have tutor session with Jongseong aka Jay. He is your crush actually and that what makes him become your first choice for the tutoring. Since you guys know each other already, you can spend more time with him.

You walked to the gate happily thinking about your crush not knowing someone was watching you with jealousy and furious inside their heart.

-----

It's the day for the tutoring. Your professor had informed you that your tutor will be at the library so you quickly ran to the place not wanting to make him wait for too long.

When you reached there, it was only a library staff in it and no other students so you went to take a sit and for Jay to come. However, after 10 minutes of waiting, you became worried when there is no his presence until a guy talked to you.

"You are Y/N, right? The one who needs Physics tutoring?"

"Umm yeah, and who are you?"

"Oh! great. I'm Sim Jaeyun but just call me Jake. I am your tutor for this subject. Nice to meet you. You look beautiful by the way."

You blushed at the sudden compliment and thanked him too but at the same time you are a bit disappointed that it was not Jay. You ignored it and proceed to the tutoring.

Jake kinda having hard time to teach you because he always got distracted by your expression when listening to him. He gets to wonder what expression would it be when he says that he loves you, when he shows his room that its wall full of your pictures and even in his drawer there are some of your clothes he had stolen too. He wonder how would you react to it.

You guys must feel weird how Jake is the tutor and not Jay? Jake has his own way to make sure everything is his.

-----

"Oh, Jake! What a surprise to see you here. May I know what is your curiousity?"

"Can I be y/n's tutor?"

"What?"

The old man was shocked at the sudden request. He became agitated when Jake's expression became serious.

"Umm, sorry Jake but Y/N actually request Jay not you. I already told him few minutes ago."

Jake let out his breath. He walked slowly towards the professor. The silence was really loud and made the old man became really uncomfortable. But, before he can say something Jake already choked his neck tightly.

"Ja-ja-jake...."

"Yes, you still want to live, right? You still love your wife and kids,right?"

The poor lecturer tried to nod even though it is difficult. Jake watched him with a big smile on his face.

"Cancel Jay. Put me as her tutor and if she asks just say that Jay is not interested. If you say something else, you will meet dead bodies at home."

"I- i wi-will."

"Good."

Jake let his hold go and pat his professor cheek letting him know to not forget what he said. He walked out from there with big smile on his face same like when you did but it's different because you thought about spending time with Jay but he thought about slowly getting you in his arms.

"What a nice day."

--

So,this is the right one for the jake yandere request😌😌😌so sorry for the mistake, hope you guys enjoy this

taglist: @stacey-stonem @duolingofanaccount

[amethystunarmed]

Somebody's Gotta Do It

Word Count: 925 AO3 Link Part 2 Ted Spankoffski visits Duke Keane with an important request.

It had been a long day. Duke had gotten back to his office an hour after he was supposed to leave for the day. He is exhausted; the last visit he went on ended with a call to the police. Despite his insistent recommendations, they had sent Officer Sweetly as well, which had only escalated the situation. It had gotten so stressful, Duke somehow managed to dial a number he knew could help him, only to forget it halfway through. Maybe Miss Holiday at the high school is right, and he needs an assistant to help lighten the road. Ever since Miss Holloway died, he has been scattered, his memory full of holes. An extra hand around the office wouldn’t be remiss.

Unfortunately, today he does not have that extra hand. Instead he has a headache, a mountain of paperwork to fill out, and apparently, someone pacing on his office porch. 

Duke recognizes him. In a town like Hatchetfield, everyone knows everyone, to an extent, but Ted Spankoffski has a reputation that supersedes even small town familiarity. Duke knows the rumors are true firsthand. Ted had been a patron at Miss Retro’s a couple times, until his flirting with both Miss Holloway and Duke himself had gone from annoying to downright infuriating. 

The look on Ted’s face when Miss Holloway had-

Duke shakes his head, clearing it.

It had culminated, somehow. Like most things surrounding Miss Holloway, Duke can’t remember a lot, just that they had laughed about it. The gap in his memory feels warm, like the space on a counter where a cup of coffee had just been sitting. There is no sign of what was once there, only the impression of something pleasant.

Duke has a lot of pleasant impressions to look back on these days. Miss Holiday says it's natural, that the grieving brain will protect itself, and Duke knows that. He is missing entire years of his childhood centralized around the time when his dad died. But still, he feels guilty, forgetting her like that. Apparently he had found her body, and didn’t have the decency to remember until the police had shown up at his door for a second round of questioning. 

It makes him want to scream and tear his hair out and pound his fists against his head until she gives him his memories back-

The reminiscing means he’s more than a little frustrated when he gets out of his car. Ted perks up like a dog at the sound of the car door. 

“Fucking finally!” He says, like he isn’t loitering outside the building well after business hours are over. “I thought you would never show.” 

Duke shoots him a smile that he hopes looks less like a grimace than it feels. “I’m sorry, business hours are closed. If you like, I will be open tomorrow morning.”

“What, no! I’ve been waiting here since before your hours ended, you can check the cameras!”

Duke takes a deep breath, and prays to every deity he can think of for patience. “I had other commitments today, which you would know if you had tried to make an appointment. I have availability tomorrow?”

Ted frowns, thick eyebrows furrowing. He has nice features, if a little oily. Duke would almost call him handsome if it wasn’t for the terrible attitude. “No, no, tomorrow won’t work, can’t you just-”

“Later in the week then, if you need. On my website, you can schedule an appointment in any of the open slots-”

“No, that’s too late, you don’t understand-”

Duke is cutting this off before it can even begin. “No, you don’t seem to understand. I have set a boundary that you seem incapable of respecting,” Duke says as neutrally as he can. His jaw is tight with frustration, and it only makes his head pound harder. Flickers of memory worm through his brain, and Duke is getting the distinct feeling this isn’t the first time he’s said this to Ted. “Not that it has ever stopped you before. Have a good night.”

He brushes past Ted, eager to get inside and lock the door when a hand clamps on his wrist. Duke takes another deep breath. He doesn’t want to give the police another call tonight, particularly not after he cold-cocks Ted for not being able to keep his hands to himself.

(Not that I condone violence.)

But when he looks up at Ted, he finds himself at a loss. Any of the previous frustration on Ted’s face has melted away. He is gazing at Duke with wide, desperate eyes. His fingers are tight around Duke’s wrist, keeping him locked in place, like an anchor in a storm. Duke hasn’t seen someone this desperate since-

Rose.

He doesn’t know when.

“Wait. Please wait,” Ted gasps. “I’m sorry, but it’s for a kid. You like helping kids, right?” Duke gives a reluctant nod, and Ted breathes easier. He still doesn’t let go of Duke’s wrist, like he is afraid Duke will dash away if Ted gives him the chance. 

Ted runs his free hand through his hair, and for the first time, Duke takes note of the bags under his eyes. He wonders when the last time Ted slept was, because he gets the feeling it wasn’t last night. Ted bites his lip, then clicks his tongue. He bounces on his heels, then nods to himself, clearly coming to a decision Duke wasn’t privy to. He looks Duke straight in the eyes.

“I need your help getting custody of my little brother.”

[heyiwrotesomethings]

Reunion

ShinoMitsu Week 2023 Day Four

A/N: I had more I could have added to this one, but as I’m writing this, I still have none of day five done so… maybe I could add another part later if enough people are interested? Day six is 2/3 done and day seven is just going to be a doodle cause I’ve got no ideas for the free day, nor time. Anyway, thanks for reading! Word Count: 2,317

Shinobu was exhausted. Having just got off of her shift at the hospital, all she wanted to do was collapse into her bed, but on her way home her mind wandered and she remembered that she had next to nothing in terms of food. That would teach her to keep putting off grocery shopping all week. If she wanted to make the most of her day off tomorrow, er, well, today, she supposed as she caught sight of the time, she had better stock up so she wouldn’t have to leave her apartment.

She parked her car in the twenty-four hour grocery lot, got a cart with an aggravatingly squeaky wheel, and then beelined for the pre-made frozen meals. Would she prefer a home cooked meal? Of course, but she didn’t have the time or energy to prep and cook for herself these days.

She rubbed at her eyes after tossing a couple instant ramen packages into her cart as well. Then she yawned so deeply that it shook her whole body. Maybe she should get some coffee and caffeinated tea while she was at it.

She rolled her cart down the aisle, head nodding. Her eyes drooped shut for but a moment…

Crrsshhh!

Shinobu’s eyes shot open and her head snapped up. She had just full on crashed into another shopper’s cart! Maybe she should call a driving service if she couldn’t even steer a cart without falling asleep.

“I am so sorry! My brain has totally left me it seems.”

“Oh, don’t worry it’s… Shinobu? Is that you?”

Shinobu rubbed her bleary eyes, blinking a couple times before her cart of junk came into focus. Then she looked to the cart she had run into, piled high with all manner of fresh vegetables and fruits, baking goods, a little bit of everything. Like a mini pantry of what you’d see on those cooking competition shows.

Then she finally brought her eyes to the woman on the other side of the vastly different carts. The pink-green hair was a dead giveaway and it hit Shinobu like a quadruple shot of espresso.

“Mitsuri?”

Mitsuri lit up, “Oh wow, I can’t believe it! I haven’t seen you since high school. How have you been?”

“Ah,” Shinobu stammered, still waking up apparently, “Mhm, yeah, I’ve been alright. I finished my internship abroad last year. Now I’m starting my residency at the local hospital. As you can probably tell, they’ve been raking me over the coals.” She chuckled uncomfortably, suddenly acutely aware of how disheveled she was. “But enough about me, what have you been up to?”

“I own a diner a couple streets down. Twenty-four hour breakfast and all manner of sugary treats!” Mitsuri beamed.

“That’s wonderful. I recall that owning your own restaurant was the goal after you finished culinary school. Congratulations.”

“Thank you! You should totally come by sometime. I’d love to catch up.“

“Yeah?” Shinobu tried to slow her thumping heart, “That sounds nice. I’d love that too.”

Mitsuri was as bright and cheerful as ever, even in a grocery store at almost two in the morning. Shinobu had thought she had finally gotten over her after all this time, but now she felt like she had been hit by Cupid’s grocery cart all over again. There had been a reason they had fallen out of touch beyond different time zones and busy, ever-shifting schedules. Shinobu just couldn’t take the heartache of falling for someone she couldn’t have and slipped away.

“So,” Shinobu cleared her throat, “Is that what you’re up to now, topping off your ingredients for the diner?”

“Uh, nope! These groceries are for personal use.” Mitsuri gave an awkward laugh. “Maybe I went a little overboard.”

“Not at all.” Shinobu quickly corrected. “When you’re cooking from scratch, you’re naturally going to have a fuller cart. It’s better than what I’ve got going on over here.” She gestured to her own cart and Mitsuri gasped when she saw the stack of cardboard boxes and instant ramen.

“Shinobu!” Mitsuri squeaked, “What do you think your doing with all of those?!”

“I don’t really have time to cook a whole meal for myself. Any time I can save for sleeping is worth it to me.” She replied a bit defensively.

“Even so!” Mitsuri huffed, “There’s no love in there! When was the last time you had a proper home cooked meal?”

“I don’t know,” Shinobu rubbed the back of her neck as she wracked her brain, “maybe when I visited my parents five or six months ago.”

“That’s half a year Shinobu!” Mitsuri blanched. “You’ve been eating like this non stop for half a year?!”

Actually, Shinobu had been eating like this ever since she finished her undergrad. Medical school and internships had left little room for spending extra time on making her own meals. Given the way Mitsuri was looking at her at the moment, she didn’t think it wise to tell her this.

“I get take-out sometimes too.” She shared instead.

“Okay, nononono,” Mitsuri shook her head and stepped around her cart to take Shinobu’s out of her slack hands, “Come on, we’re putting these back.”

“Mitsuri—“

“There are plenty of filling recipes that take about as much time to make as it takes to heat this junk up. I’ll steer you right, Shinobu!”

And Shinobu was powerless to stop her. She trailed after Mitsuri like a lost child as all of her go-to meals were shoved back into the freezers and replaced with ingredients that struck a surprising amount of fear into her. How long had it been since she cut and cooked an onion even? The level of intimidation she was feeling in this moment was palpable.

“Uh, Mitsuri, I don’t know if I’m suited for whatever you have in mind…”

“Hm? What do you mean, Shinobu? We used to cook together all the time when we were growing up, remember?”

“Yes, it’s just been awhile…” A very long while, “In all honesty, I’m not sure what you expect me to make with all of this.”

“That’s why I’m going to help you. You should really come over and crash at my place anyway since you’re already sleeping at the wheel so to speak.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, I was going to call a ride share, I swear.” Shinobu unexpectedly felt a flutter of panic in her chest. “Besides, it’s so late and Obanai wouldn’t be expecting company, right?”

“Ah, you don’t have to be concerned about him.” Mitsuri said, suddenly drumming and dancing her fingers over the handlebar of Shinobu’s grocery cart as they walked back down the aisle to her abandoned cart, “We broke up a couple years ago. It’s just me and my cats now and they won’t mind a visitor.”

Choosing to ignore the mention of cats, Shinobu chose to focus on the surprising news of the high school sweethearts falling out of love, how did that happen?

“I didn’t know. I’m sorry I brought him up.”

“It’s okay,” Mitsuri assured, “It wasn’t an easy choice at the time, but I think we made the right call. We just sorta… grew apart. Wanted different things. We’re still best friends though.”

“I’m glad you still get along at least.” And she meant it too, even though a big part of her was rejoicing on the inside. She was acutely aware at how close they had been. She pretty much had a front row seat all throughout high school and having had a crush on Mitsuri since seventh grade, she really couldn’t blame herself for choosing to slowly fade out of Mitsuri’s life in the years that followed.

“Me too. So, any special someone in your life?”

“Nope.” There had been some dates, even one night stands, but romance and vulnerability came difficultly to Shinobu, especially when her heart still belonged to someone else who didn’t even know she had it.

“Geez, Shinobu, you really need a better work life balance.” Mitsuri shook her head disapprovingly, then smiled, touching Shinobu’s hand, “But I guess it’s a good thing. I don’t have to worry about stealing you away from someone waiting for you at home.”

“I suppose that is convenient.” She really wished her heart wasn’t threatening to beat out of her chest because of Mitsuri’s casual choice of words, but what could she do?

“Come on, let’s go check out. Hey, does your car have enough room for a bicycle?”

Shinobu often got a lot of teasing from her co-workers for driving a minivan when she had no spouse, kids or big pets that would justify such a big vehicle for one person. It suited her just fine, however. With how often she had to move around to further her education, the van was basically her second home and it made moving so much easier.

“Yeah, I’ve got room.”

They checked out their groceries and piled them into Shinobu’s van, along with Mitsuri’s bicycle. How Mitsuri was going to make it home with that many groceries on a bike of all things, Shinobu didn’t have to wonder. Mitsuri had always been incredibly strong, so she didn’t doubt that Mitsuri had done so several times before.

Mitsuri driving her car however, let’s just say Shinobu was not in danger of falling asleep with her behind the wheel.

“Sorry about the jerkiness. I pretty much bike everywhere. My driver’s license is still valid though, don’t worry!”

Fortunately Mitsuri didn’t live terribly far from the grocery store. She lived on the third floor of a cute little townhouse. The whole apartment smelled like baked apples and cinnamon sugar. It was so warm and cozy too. Just like that, Shinobu was in danger of falling asleep again.

“Home sweet home,” Mitsuri sighed pleasantly, sliding off her shoes, “please make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you.” Shinobu kicked off her shoes and hung her jacket beside Mitsuri’s on the rack.

“Mew.”

“Mroow.”

Oh no, Shinobu had forgotten what Mitsuri had said about cats. She stood awkwardly in the door way as the fluffiest cats she had ever seen slunk over. One white, one black.

“Hi kitties! Sorry for coming home so late. Let’s get you a snack too, shall we? You’ll be eating in my bedroom tonight.” She opened a cupboard in the kitchen that had the cats go from curiously sniffing at Shinobu to pawing Mitsuri’s legs in a matter of seconds. “The white one is Love Fluff and the Black one is Mr. Sooty Pants,” Mitsuri told Shinobu from over her shoulder. What dignified names. “I’ll make sure they leave you alone. You’re still allergic, right?”

“Yeah. Sorry for the trouble.”

“No trouble at all. I sometimes have to put them away when I’m in the kitchen anyway. They are sooo nosey. You should be safe sleeping in the guest room. I always keep the door closed unless I have company over or I’m cleaning.”

Ever so considerate. Shinobu could just melt. If this became a regular thing, she would definitely invest in some allergy medication.

“Okay, kitties are set up. Now a very, very early morning snack for us.” Mitsuri rolled up her sleeves and begin washing her hands.

Shinobu asked how she could help and Mitsuri directed her to put the groceries away. By the time she was done, Mitsuri had two yogurt and fruit parfaits sprinkled with granola and oats at the ready. Shinobu took one bite and visibly sunk into her chair. She had never taken recreational drugs, but she imagined this single bite of parfait was definitely comparable. The fresh berries paired with the smooth and creamy yogurt and the added crunch of the granola and oats was absolutely heavenly.

“Is it good?” Mitsuri giggled.

“Extremely.”

“Your poor tastebuds. I won’t rest until I’m sure they’ll never be neglected again!” Mitsuri nodded resolutely.

They spent a little more time talking as they ate, but soon retired for the night. Shinobu didn’t think she ever fell asleep as fast as she did in Mitsuri’s guest room. Not only that, but her slumber was restful too. When she woke up a later in the afternoon, she felt energized by the smells wafting from the kitchen.

“Good morning! Oh, wait, good afternoon!” Mitsuri greeted when she noticed Shinobu enter the kitchen, “I’m almost finished here. Take a seat and help yourself.”

“Wow, thank you Mitsuri, this all looks amazing.”

The counter was filled with hash browns, eggs, sweet and savory crepes, waffles, fruits, coffee and tea. Shinobu quickly filled her plate with a bit of everything.

“I hope you like it. Breakfast is kind of my specialty after all.” Mitsuri joined Shinobu at the table and began filling her own plate.

“It’s all very good, Mitsuri, really. Thank you so much for this.”

“You’re welcome! Eat up!”

Shinobu ate until she was fit to burst and then set to work on the dishes. She thought it was the least she could do far all the work Mitsuri had done. When the kitchen was cleaned, they moved to the living room to talk, catching up on all the goings on of the last decade. The more they talked, it was almost like no time had passed at all. Shinobu wished the day would never end, but it steadily grew later and after dinner, she forced herself to broach the subject of going home.

Mitsuri was disappointed that she had to leave, but after getting Shinobu’s phone number she seemed a lot happier.

“I’ll make sure we meet up again soon, Dr. Busy Bee,” she promised, “And I’ll send you all the recipes I had in mind when we picked your groceries. They’re super easy, I swear.”

“I trust you. Thank you again for today.” Shinobu really couldn’t thank Mitsuri enough. She accepted the taller girl’s hug and blushed when she received a kiss on the cheek for good measure.

[cats-mayhem]

I-It’s that late already?!

Jack just can’t seem to sleep at night, and when Ruggie asks Jack to wake Leona up in the morning, the Lion takes advantage of that.

(Ao3 link)

Tags: Platonic relationships & fluff. Word count: 1,769

Jack tossed and turned during the night. It wasn't a particularly eventful day for him, he followed his normal schedule, waking up at around 5:30 for his morning run with Vil, attend classes, attend the track and field meeting, he did everything he would normally do for a Wednesday, so why was he so restless? He didn't feel this last night, or any nights before that even. He'd always be fast asleep at 10 P.M, so why was he having trouble sleeping? Was he hungry? ...No, can't be it, he had a large dinner and felt quite full. Was he forgetting something? ...No, he has a good memory, he didn't forget to do anything today from what he can recall. It wasn't because he was physically active and had his blood pumping since he spent the last two hours doing his homework, studying, and working on projects. So what was disturbing his normally very easy to follow schedule? It wasn't a sleeping position because no matter how much he tossed and turned, he couldn't fall asleep. He was tired, but just couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard he tried.

He didn't know how long he had been tossing and turning, but it felt long enough for him to stop. He begrudgingly got out of his bed and changed from his pajamas into his dorm uniform. Maybe going for a walk or something would clear his mind enough to get into a sleepy mood. He left his room, shutting the door behind him quietly and he stealthily made his way into the lounge. There was no one around, or, so he thought. How late was it? He didn't even check his phone or alarm clock. Must be pretty late.

"Th'fuck you doin' up so late?"

Jack nearly jumped out of his skin as his eyes darted towards the source of the voice. It was a tired looking Leona with messy hair without braids, and wearing nothing but the jeans of his dorm uniform because of course Leona would look that messy when it was bedtime for everyone.

"Uh... I couldn't sleep, so I uh... Decided to walk around for a bit."

"It's 2 A.M and yer still awake?"

"I-It's that late?!" Jack said, shocked. He knew it must've been late, but 2 A.M? Insane.

"Keep yer fuckin' voice down. If someone wakes up for you yellin' n' shit I'm gonna be pissed."

"S-Sorry, sir. But, what are you doing up so late?"

"Getin' a snack. Anyways, I'm goin' to bed."

"Good night, sir." Jack said as he watched his dorm leader walk off.

Jack took a walk outside around the Savannaclaw dorm. He heard that the dorm room dimensions were really big, or, at least Sacrabia's was big, but if Sacrabia's is big then it's safe to assume that all the dorms were big. Jack had always been curious to what the end of the Savannaclaw dorm looks like, but he's never had the time to do something like that. He can hardly handle the intense heat, and he needed to keep his sleep schedule at night, so there was no way Jack was going to find the end of it. Even though it's very late and his sleep schedule for the upcoming Thursday was going to be in for a loop, he was too tired to really do it now. He's lucky wolves have great night vision, since if he didn't he probably would've tripped several times by now and maybe would've woken someone up. The walk was uneventful, just mundane thoughts flowing into his tired brain. He did, however, appreciate how quiet the dorm was at night, it was almost ethereal. Just dead silence, nothing to disturb it other than the soft rustling of grass he walked in and his own breathing and heartbeat. It was absolutely mind-numbing, but in a good way. The dorm has more charm to it than he thought.

After his walk, he headed back to his dorm room to try and get some sleep for the school day tomorrow. He checked his alarm though, and it was 3 A.M in the morning. He sighed as he changed back into his pajamas and tried to get some sleep. But it didn't work, he kept tossing and turning, it was making him unbelievably upset that he couldn't sleep, and now his anger kept him up, and he tried to tone it down but he still just couldn't sleep. It felt like ages of him tossing and turning before his alarm went off.

It was 5:30, time for him to 'wake up' and go on his morning run. He didn't get a single wink of sleep tonight and he was absolutely furious, but that was probably because he had very little sleep. Vil would probably give him a lecture about how no sleep can ruin skin and that Jack should take better care of himself and take a sleeping pill or something. He knew Vil would be nice but stern about it since it's something important to the model. Jack liked and respected Vil a lot, he really did, but knowing what would be ahead of him made him dread his morning run. Still, despite no sleep to fuel his day, he was going to go through with his day anyway so as to not completely ruin his schedule. He'll just have a hard day, nothing he can't deal with. He got ready for school, changing into his gym uniform for his morning run. Then, there was a knock on the door. He went over and opened it only to see a very familiar blonde hyena.

"Hey Jack, I was wondering if you could wake up Leona today?"

"Why?"

"Azul called me last minute to take up the morning shift at the Monstro Lounge. So, could you fill in for my Leona duty? Just for the morning, I'll do everything else for the rest of the day."

Jack sighed, he'd be late for his run if he did that, but he couldn't turn down the hyena. "Fine."

"You're a life-saver Jack! Thanks!" Ruggie said as he bolted off, in a hurry as usual.

Well, normally Leona gets up at 6 A.M. He only knows this because he's woken up Leona a few times to cover up for Ruggie. Jack however, always woke Leona up as early as he could as to not interfere with his schedule, which gave him some nasty scowls from the lion. Jack felt way too tired to deal with morning Leona complaining, but he wasn't going to fail his senior. He hiked up the stairs to the dorm leaders room, and opened the door. The room was messy, but not too messy, Ruggie probably cleaned it up recently. He walked over to the bed and lo-and-behold, a sleeping Lion. Jack had never felt so jealous of his dorm leaders ability to sleep on command more than now.

Jack gave one final sigh before he ripped the covers off of Leona. Ruggie personally drags Leona by the leg to get him out of bed, but Jack prefers a more verbal approach. "Sir, it's time to wake up." Jack said, only to get nothing in response. So, he placed a hand on Leona's shoulder, and shook him a little. "Sir, wake up."

Leona groaned, opening one eye slightly to see Jack's tired face looking at him. "Why th'fuck you wakin' me up?"

"Ruggie had something to do this morning, so he asked me to wake you up. He said he'd do your daily tasks later."

Leona just groaned, he hated it when Jack woke him up from a nap. "Well, I ain't wakin' up."

"Sir, please-"

"Did you even get any sleep last night?"

Jack paused for a moment. "No." He said, shamefully. He'd always been the person to keep a healthy sleep schedule, and now here he is, tired as fuck.

A grin formed on the lion's face as Jack said that. Without a word, Leona grabbed the arm that was placed on his shoulder, and tugged it hard, making Jack fall onto the bed. "Leona-?!" Was all Jack could say as the Lion made swift movements with just his arms, forcefully laying Jack down on his bed, and with an iron grip, held Jack into his chest.

"Then sleep." The lion yawned as he quickly dozed back off, leaving Jack to comprehend what just happened.

He was impressed by his dorm leaders swift movements to catch Jack completely off guard, but he was also confused as to why Leona did what he did. Jack was now laying side by side Leona with Leona's arm wrapped around him holding him into his chest. The grip was tight, even if Leona was asleep, but Jack could probably fight it off, and he was going to, but then it set in. The comfy bed sheets, the slight sounds of people getting up and walking around in the hallway below, the slight rays of sunshine, it all just made Jack all that more tired. He could shut his eyes for a few more minutes, right? His dorm leader said he could. He'll just, take a short nap, ten minutes maybe. Just ten minutes the wolf thought as he shut his eyes and went into a deep dreamless sleep.

.

.

.

"What the fuck?!" was what Jack woke up to. He was still in the arms of his dorm leader. He quickly broke out of the grasp that wasn't as tight anymore, and looked behind him only to see Ruggie's confused face.

Ah, this was embarrassing, he didn't take this into account. His face flushed. "R-Ruggie, I can explain."

"Jack I told you to wake him up, not sleep with him!"

"Oi, keep it down." Leona groaned.

"Leona, what the fuck happened."

"The wolf was tired so I invited him to take a nap with me."

"What do you mean? Jack's never tired."

Jack sat up in the bed. "...Sorry Ruggie, he's right. I couldn't sleep at all last night."

Ruggied just let out an angry sigh. "So Leona got you to take a nap with him so he didn't have to wake up."

"N' it worked, now go away, I'm tired."

"Leona it's the middle of the day!"

"I-It's that late?!"

Jack was panicked. His schedule for the day was ruined! He missed his morning run and half of his classes! This could not have gone more wrong than it already has.

But at least he feels more energized thanks to that nap and Leona's determination to never wake up.

[fakeloveaskblog]

(Hi, me again. Sorry about the wait the notification didn’t go through so I only saw the notification for the drawing and not the ask.)

Hi Remus, I’m sure I could find his address for you. One sec… done! It’s *insert address*. If you want I could keep an eye on him while you go there, and stall him if he comes home early.

I could make every traffic light go red if he’s driving? Or make it take ages for the green man to appear if he’s walking? I could even teleport him to Australia for a few hours if necessary? Just let me know what you need.

Glow Eyes

(I am very tired so I am posting this without proofreading fyi)

Remus stopped you right before you were able to say the address "I don't wanna know yet. As soon as Remy gets out then tell me. I'm kinda scared that if I know the adress now some stupid part of my brain will take over and I'll go over there all alone"

He listened to the rest of your message before trying on a smile.

"Apreciated if you would stall him yeah. I don't- I don't want him to know so like no" He waved his hands around while searching for words "No obvious teleportation magic shit"

"I suggest a sudden bout of intense migranes" Janus said.

"Oh yeah maybe some diareha" Remus immediately shot back. A nervous laugh suddenly tickled out from his lips as he combed his hand through his hair "Or I mean- Who am I kidding- He doesn't...I don't think he even thinks about me anymore. I- He wouldn't think I would- He doesn't"

Remus' eyes staggered and he stared out into air for a few slow seconds before he let out another more shrill laugh and rubbed his eyes so agressivly his skin turned a bit red.

"I think I gotta go for today. I got lots of like evil planning. Torture. Stuff to do"

He gave Remy a quick hug goodbye and kissed their cheek before leaving just as suddenly as he had gotten there.

"You think we should like follow him?" Remy asked.

Janus started to shuffle the playing cards again while replying "He'll tell us if space isn't what he wants"

--

With a few well placed lies Janus had managed to get out of work an hour earlier so he could visit Remy before the visiting time stopped for the day. They were leaving rehab tomorrow so he wanted to help them back.

The blinds were down, all of the lights and the roommate was nowhere to be seen when Janus got to the room. He made sure to quiet his steps as he walked up to the bed. Remy was laying in a crooked position on their stomach with a heating pad placed between their shoulder blade.

One of their eyes half opened and they shone up into a slight smile when they saw their partner "Hi babe"

Janus took a step over a half packed bag to get down under the covers next to them. Remy buried their head against the crook of his neck almost instantly.

"Think the therapy session triggered like some stupid shit fibro flair up. Spine pain time" They muttered out.

"Your spine is as strong as a cigarette in the rain deary" Janus replied dryly.

"Tell me bout your like day"

"I quite literally just went to work"

"I still wanna hear" Remy closed their eyes and let their arm move around his waist.

--

Remus was absolutely adamant that he would carry Remy's bags for them. He and Janus patiently waited as both of their's partner signed off all of the papers with the doctors and got the schedule for their therapy sessions.

As they took their first steps out of the rehab center they didn't stop to take in the moment, nor did they take a deep breathe or any sort of indication of relief. They simply looked up at the sun while putting on their sunglasses before continuing with the other two towards the closest busstop.

According to Remus his place was kind of a mess right now. Full of paint fumes and instalation testings and he had already stained half of his clothes so Remy had decided to stay with Janus for the time being.

Remy kissed Remus goodbye and Janus hugged him before the two of them jumped off the bus. Right before they got to his apartment Jan made some snarky comment about carrying them over the doorstep. He'd made sure move any alcohol he had over to Logan's place a few days ago.

"Hiiii Ms. Carl. Looking great as always girlie" Remy said while holding their hnd against the snake's vivarium.

Janus moved his arms around them from behind and leant on his toes so he could kiss their cheek. They laid their cold hands on top of his and looked up to the ceiling. The sound of a washer going on full speed came from an apartment over.

"The walls are thin as hell" Remy muttered out.

"It's alright as long as they're not watching sports"

A shudder went along Remy's spine finalizing in a shaky breathe. Even though the knew it was Janus they could practically feel Virgil's breathe against their cheek. The snarled out words to stay quiet or else the neighbors would hear. Stop complaining like some crybaby or they would get chewed out by the lady next door again.

"Sorry- I tink I gotta like lay down- Another flair up" They stuttered out.

Janus gave them another soft kiss before letting go "Any suggestions for dinner? I had been thinking something like a salad"

--

The next morning Remy woke up smothered in what felt like an entire ocean of a bed. A pillow had fallen on top of their head and when they moved it away they noticed that the sheets had gotten all wrinkled from having two people on it. There was a dull pain in their joints but it wasn't anything above normal.

They reached out and felt Janus' skin against their fingertips which made their brain feel all warm and fuzzy.

"Shhh. My alarm hasn't gone yet" Janus whispered out with their eyes still closed.

Remy stayed quiet but their legs kicked back and forth under the blanket. They noticed a smile creeping up on Janus' lips which made them break out into giggles that they quickly tried to supress.

"Shh shh we're sleeping" He murmured in a fake serious tone before quickly leaning in to kiss them.

"Oooh yeahh girl sorry. Gotta get my ZZZZs on"

They exchanged kisses between laughter like sharing ghost stories under a blanket. Until they were making out and fingers became intertwined with hair and a hand coylu searched for the wamth of a thigh.

The alarm rang cutting their kissing off. Janus muttered out some snarky comment under their breathe while rolling their eyes before reaching out and turning it off. They moved to the edge of the bed while rubbing their eyes.

Remy stayed in bed and streatched out their aching wrists while Janus left the room. They came back with a glass of water and their partner's meds. Both the E pills and the ones for the fibro.

"Thanks babe"

"I think your skin has gotten a bit softer" Janus said casually while holding out the glass of water.

Remy stared down into the glass while their feet began to tap aggresivly "oH rEALLY!!? You think it's cause' of the like hormones?"

"It would be fascinating if it was because of something else"

"You- You don't think it's like a bad change right?"

"No" They replied bluntly.

Remy smiled to themself while taking the meds "I was thinking of going to some coffee shop to like work on Rowan's tailoring. It's to like get out of the house y'know"

"Could you go and buy some eggs as well? If you have the spoons?"

"'Course babe"

The two of them held hands on the bus while Janus read the newspaper and Remy checked a gossip site. Jan got off a few stops before them. They wanted to go to a coffee shop they'd never been to with Virgil before. They didn't even order any of their usual drinks. They ordered a random one just because the name slightly reminded them of some silly vocal stim Remus would do.

They listened to some podcast episode that their boyfriend had recommended to them because it was about creating horror garments for film while working away on the tailoring.

Every time someone with a black hoodie or crooked posture walked past them they flinched and had to stop because their heart was racing. A few times they had to go outside and smoke just to be able to calm their racing thoughts.

It wasn't pleasant. The thoughts weren't. The paranoia. The panic. Their whole body being so on edge it made the pain even worse. They tried not to think it but they missed being high.

They tried to remind themself that they hadn't been able to be with Janus like this when they were high out of their mind all of the time. Not this calm. For once when they looked at Janus they hadn't seen any glimpse of worry reflect back on them.

Remy tapped the end of their lighter against the table while glancing around. They made themself smaller and lowered their voice to a whisper as they said.

"Anyone here?" Out towards you "I know you got like crazy ass like ghost powers and shit and I just I just wanna like make sure you like promise me you never summon any of That stuff for me even if I'm like begging" They glanced around the coffee shop again to see that no one had heard them talking to the wall "I don't wanna like hurt anyone else by hurting myself"

[chatonne-rousse]

Be Bold, Be Kind, Be Brave

This is one akuma whose intentions are good. After all, who couldn't use an extra dose of courage to overcome fear?

A superhero whose identity will be immediately revealed in the process, for one.

When an akuma causes several secrets to come to light all at once, our heroes will need to drum up some courage to face their fears - and each other.

But what's waiting after that looks like it might be a dream come true. It'll just take a bit of bravery and a lot of heart. Piece of cake.

***

Only eight days late and several dollars short, I’m wishing @jennagrinsoverml a happy belated birthday with this gift, written just for her.  ILY, my friend!  

Read it on Ao3 here.

***

Ladybug has to give Courageous some credit: she's a rarity, an akuma born of selfless means. A teenager who hadn't mustered the courage to stand up for a younger student being bullied at school, she'd been so ashamed, so angry with herself, that Hawkmoth had found an easy target to ply with honeyed words and promises.

Her power isn't even a terrible one. The beam of light she shoots from her right hand simply causes the person it strikes to relive the last encounter they had when their bravery failed them, this time with courage aplenty. It's admirable, really.

Admirable, but terrifying nonethless.

(The fear of Chat Noir finding out her identity is deep and dark and often floats to the surface of her nightmares with blue eyes and white hair and a drowned, ruined world. He cannot know. The cost is too high.)

"Whatever you do," she calls to her partner, frantic and scared, "don't let her hit you! Please, Chat!"

She hears the desperation in her own voice, and the look on his face conveys that he certainly does. He nods solemnly.

"I'll do my best, My Lady."

She nods back, and off they go into the fray.

For well over an hour, they fight Courageous through parks and plazas, sidewalks and thoroughfares. All around them, the people of Paris have squared their shoulders, lifted their chins, and braved conversations big and small with people only they could see.

Ladybug has to smile as she hears a young man confidently ask for a raise and watches his eyes light up at the response.

That smile fades when she remembers once again that the last time her courage had failed her was just as they were dismissed for lunch break, when she'd tried to invite Adrien to a movie that weekend. His eyes had been so kind as he'd waited for her to gather her words properly, and somehow that had just made it harder.

Then Lila had "accidentally" tripped and knocked into her, sending her to the floor. The memory of Adrien's hand reaching out to her to help her up, those same kind, patient eyes locked on hers, makes Ladybug's cheeks heat even now. But after she was upright again, after Lila had stalked off because no one seemed to care that she "probably would need surgery now because her arthritis would flare", Nino had reminded Adrien about the gig he was DJing on Friday and Alya had led her away to show her something on her phone.

Just like that, her opportunity was gone.

And that would be fine, honestly. Marinette was used to moments of stuttering and botched declarations when it came to Adrien.

But if she's hit by Courageous, Chat Noir - plus the citizens of Paris, Hawkmoth, everyone - will hear Ladybug try to ask Adrien Agreste on a date, and that will be a disaster of epic proportions.

"Ladybug, look out!"

Chat's body slams into hers, sending them rolling on the sidewalk just as a beam of magical light zips over their heads. In a flash, Chat Noir bundles her in his arms and vaults them to the rooftop above, making sure she's steady on her feet once they land.

"Thank you, Ki-" The words die in her throat when she sees over her partner's shoulder that Courageous has followed them.

Chat turns, his baton at the ready, while Ladybug reaches for her yo-yo, but neither is quick enough to stop the akuma's beam from finally finding one of its main targets.

"I'm sorry, Bug," he murmurs as his eyes glaze over.

Using her yo-yo as a spinning shield, Ladybug drags her partner behind the nearest chimney stack just as he begins to speak.

Panic sets in as her mind screams at her over the hum of her yo-yo, the akuma's laughter, her partner's voice.

I can't just leave him!

"Father, may I come in?"

Oh no, oh no, oh no. I can't hear this!

"Yes, Nathalie said she penciled me into your schedule for noon."

Nathalie?

Ladybug's gaze snaps to her partner, yo-yo still spinning to deflect beams of light. She's surprised to find Chat Noir's head bowed in deference, though his eyes shine with a confident gleam.

"I requested this appointment to ask you again if I could attend the event with my friends tomorrow evening. I've already completed my assignments for school and the homework from my Mandarin tutor."

Mandarin tutor? What?!

"Yes, Father, I'm aware that you don't care for Nino, but..."

The panicked scream in her mind gives up any attempt at coherence; by this point, it's no more than a muddled loop of Nathalie, Mandarin, Nino, Father.

Ladybug feints to the left to avoid being hit by the akuma as a mix of terror and adrenaline floods her system. She leaps forward, leaving Chat behind the chimney in the hope that she can engage the akuma just long enough to get her partner back and finally, finally finish this off.

She knows too much already. The cat has bolted straight out of the bag and is running loose on this rooftop beneath her feet, a distraction she can't handle right now.

On hero autopilot, she hurdles one beam after another, then tucks and rolls and pops up to roundhouse kick Courageous in the chest, sending her flying.

She hears the akuma's "oof" just as Chat Noir's jubilant voice rings out from behind the chimney.

"Thank you, Father! Thank you so much!"

She can hear his grin in those simple words, the sheer joy in being given permission to leave the house. Everyone in their class knows what a tight leash Gabriel Agreste keeps on his son. It breaks her heart every time she thinks of it. In fact, she's successfully fought for his release from that marble prison on more than one occasion! So yes, she'd already known with all the clues in place, but there was truly no mistaking it now: that was Adrien talking to his father.

Because Adrien is Chat Noir.

Her heart cracks. Oh, Chaton.

Suddenly, the akuma's progress in clambering to her feet is impeded by the whoosh and subsequent metallic thunk of Chat's overhand swing with his baton.

Relief floods her heart at the return of her partner. No matter who he is, Chat Noir is her other half, and Ladybug is never quite herself without him.

"Maybe we could use a little extra luck, My Lady!" Chat winks at her over his shoulder before facing the akuma again.

"Yes! Right! You bet!"

Get it together, Marinette, she thinks. Her face heats and she scampers away to the safety of the chimney stack where Chat was hidden to call for her lucky charm.

A red and black spotted can opener drops into her hands and she looks at it in confusion. "What am I supposed to do with this?" she grumbles, looking around frantically but seeing nothing to help her decipher how to use the lucky charm.

She takes a deep breath, peeks out from behind the bricks, and promptly takes a light beam to the face.

No, no, no, no!

It feels vaguely like having a water balloon popped on her head, a chill of sensation dripping down her spine and rippling through her nerves. It's a small mercy that being hit by an akuma rarely hurts physically. Her vision swims like a mirage in the desert, the familiar courtyard at school coalescing from vapor around her.

The last thing she sees is her partner's stricken face.

The last thing she hears is the akuma cackling.

"Heylo! Who! I mean," she takes a deep breath, a rush of confidence tingling along her nerves. "Hey, Adrien!" She smiles and gives him a little wave.

His grin takes her breath away. "Hi, Marinette! How are you?"

"I'm great!"

You can do it, you can do it!, her heart sings, and miraculously, her brain listens. Her smile turns coy. She taps her lip with her index finger. Her pulse pounds a bolstering tattoo in her ears. Go for it, girl!

"But I could be better."

Adrien's smile drops a fraction. "Are you okay? Is there something I can do?"

With another deep breath, she squares her shoulders and looks him in the eyes, her very cells imbued with a courage unparalleled even when she's wearing spots. She could do anything, anything, right now, but she has her mind set on accomplishing one thing and one thing only.

"You could join me for a movie on Saturday."

"I could...?" His brows furrow, but his grin grows slowly, bright but incredulous. "Are you asking me....?" He blinks, takes two shallow breaths. "Do you mean just the two of us?"

She nods decisively. "A date."

You did it. You did it! A veritable party erupts in the back of her mind, radiant relief spreading to her fingertips. It feels so good to finally break through her anxiety and fear and ask him that simple question that felt like an impossible task just a few hours ago.

Thankfully, he doesn't keep her waiting. The answer is in his eyes, anyway. "I would love to," he breathes, cheeks pink and smile dazzling.

"Really?" Marinette squeaks, and now it's his turn to nod.

"I'll be there even if I have to sneak out." Adrien reaches for her hand and gives it a little squeeze. "We'll talk about it later today, okay?"

She nods again, her chest so full of emotion she can barely breathe. Not only did she ask him, but he said yes!

Suddenly, blue sky fills her vision and she regains awareness to the sound of a scuffle on the other side of the chimney stack. Ladybug tentatively gets to her feet, reaching for her yo-yo and setting it spinning immediately. This time there's no peeking around the corner; she bursts from behind the bricks on the offensive, ready to finish the fight.

What she finds is Courageous struggling under Chat's baton, twisted up like a pretzel and unable to move for the steel-toed boot resting across her shoulders.

"Just in time, LB!" Chat crows triumphantly. He tosses her a bracelet emblazoned with the words Be Bold, Be Kind, Be Brave that currently pulses with Hawkmoth's dark energy.

In moments, the bracelet is broken, the akuma is freed and purified, and a confused teenager sits where Courageous was restrained a moment ago.

Chat docks his baton at his back and looks at his partner with the softest eyes she's ever seen, a tiny, equally soft smile playing at his lips.

Her heart sighs. Adrien. That's Adrien, and he knows.

The lucky charm sits heavy in her palm. Abject fear makes her hope against hope that she won't remember his identity when she casts her miraculous cure, just as her heart longs to hold on to the knowledge that her precious partner is the boy of her deepest desires, and maybe, maybe they really can have it all.

With a deep breath, she throws the unused can opener into the air, watching magical ladybugs and healing light burst forth and spread throughout the city. She waits, holding her breath, but when pink light swirls around them, the only affect it has is the healing of the twinge in her ankle from when she fell mid-fight.

She looks up, and her partner's eyes say it all.

He remembers, too.

Even as fear grips her heart, radiant joy shines from his face as his grin spreads. It scrunches his eyes behind the mask and pinkens his cheeks, delight seeming to glow from his pores. Ladybug has never seen her partner so happy. That elation is a balm to her soul, and she can't help but smile right along with him.

Ladybug turns to the akuma victim and holds out her hand, offering the bracelet back to her. "I really like that inscription" she says, pointing at the now-silver bracelet as the girl fixes it back on her wrist.

She smiles shyly at the two heroes. "I wish I had the courage to do more. I wish I was brave like you."

"We get scared sometimes, too. Everyone does," Ladybug starts, before her partner nudges her shoulder with his elbow.

"Speak for yourself, Bugaboo. This cat has no fear." Chat Noir throws her an exaggerated wink, and the girl laughs. "But real talk, anyone can be a hero in their own way. Little things, big stuff...you're stronger than you think, I promise. Cat's honor."

She nods. "Thank you for, you know, saving me and everything." Glancing at the street below, she gestures toward the edge of the roof. "Would it be too much trouble to get me back down there?"

"Not at all," Ladybug replies with a smile. Calling on her own courage, she looks at her partner and takes a deep breath. Here goes nothing, she thinks. "The usual spot in five? Or less, I guess, since it...doesn't matter now," she says with a shrug that she hopes looks nonchalant.

And there's that smile that shines like the summer sun. He gives her a jaunty salute. "I'll be there with bells on," he says, tapping the bell at his throat and making it jingle.

Ladybug just shakes her head and giggles.

A few minutes later, when she lands beside Chat Noir on their familiar rooftop, her earrings are beeping a frantic rhythm, signaling mere seconds before she detransforms. Instinct has her looking around the roof, ready to dart behind anything she can use to hide.

Before she can move, Chat steps toward her and quietly asks, "Marinette?"

Her transformation dissolves in a wave of pink light, and she hears him gasp as she catches Tikki gently in her palms. Marinette takes her time retrieving a macaron from her purse to feed her kwami, deliberately moving slowly in an attempt to get herself under control before she looks up at her partner. He knows, and he's thrilled, and that's amazing, but it feels like the entire world will change when their gazes finally meet, and she's just not ready yet.

"I, um...I didn't use my cataclysm, so I can stay transformed if you'd prefer, but..." he trails off.

There's something in his voice that finally makes her look at him. Just like when he talked to his father under the akuma's control, his head is bowed slightly, but instead of confidence, this time his eyes are bright with nervous hope.

Marinette understands both the nerves and the hope, and she'll joke with her partner until the end of time about who's in charge, but it feels wrong for either Chat or Adrien to look at her with uneasy deference.

And that's what she thinks of as courage wells in her chest. Her brave, steadfast partner, the other half of their unstoppable team, the boy with terrible timing who can still make her laugh, her best friend whom she loves so fiercely, should never feel he has to approach her in fear.

"Oh, Minou," she breathes. "Of course, go ahead. I...I already know."

He nods and stands a little straighter, and with a whisper and a flash of green, Chat's magical leather is replaced with denim and cotton poplin.

Predictably, her brain is short-circuiting, hollering in panic and terror, but even as her heart pounds wildly in her chest, it whispers quietly, gently, that this is her partner. Her silly kitty. Her dearest friend. He just happens to look like Adrien Agreste at the moment.

(Okay, this is going to take some getting used to.)

Tikki flies off to join Plagg nearby, while Marinette sits down on the roof with her knees pulled to her chest. She pats the space to her right and Adrien settles in cross-legged next to her.

He's the first to break the silence. "I'm sorry, Marinette. I shouldn't have gotten hit. I shouldn't have let you get hit. I know this wasn't what you wanted, and-"

"No, no, don't apologize," she interrupts, shaking her head. "It happens. It's...not the first time." Marinette sighs and closes her eyes, suddenly feeling a lot less courageous in the face of this world-bending change now that they're in their civilian clothes and it's Adrien apologizing to her. She presses her forehead to her knees and tries to imagine the boy beside her in magical leather and cat ears. It only helps a little, but it's enough. "We, um-" she pauses, licks her lips. "We have a lot to talk about. I just don't know if I'm ready for...all of it."

Adrien is silent for an uncomfortably long moment. "Yeah. We do." She hears him take a deep breath that shakes a bit on the exhale and turns her head a fraction to peek at him. His eyes are on the distant horizon. "I...think I understand some things now."

Abruptly, he turns toward her, a little smile tilting the corners of his mouth when he his eyes meet hers. Fear tells her to look away, but she tamps it down and holds his gaze. His smile widens.

"May I ask you something, Marinette?"

She nods.

"When you came up to me at lunch today, were you...planning to ask me on a date?"

Her pulse pounds in her ears. She could give in to fear, say no and brush it off like Chat had misheard her when she was under the akuma's spell. But suddenly her heartbeat seems to drum, "be bold, be kind, be brave," over and over again, and just as the smile begins to slip from his face, she finds the nerve to nod again.

Just like on the other rooftop a few minutes ago, his face lights up like the first rays of sun after a week of rain, shining splendid even in the early afternoon light.

"Am I--" he whispers, his breath hitching though his joy never dims, "Am I the boy?"

Be bold, be kind, be brave.

She calls on her Ladybug courage and nods once more.

His breath catches again and his eyes fill with tears that he brushes away quickly.

Clarity dawns all of a sudden, sweeping her fears to the corners of her mind to be dealt with later. She understood Chat Noir being happy to know his partner's identity, his excitement in finding out his Lady was his friend, too. But this is so much more. Beside her sits Adrien, wiping tears of joy from his eyes at the knowledge that Marinette is in love with him. This might just be a dream coming true on a random rooftop on a random Thursday afternoon.

"Chaton," she breathes, stretching her legs in front of her and placing a hand on his knee.

His hand covers hers, and she meets his gaze, words caught in her throat at the intensity in his eyes.

"I have a confession to make." He rubs the back of his neck with his free hand and takes a deep breath. "I think everyone in Paris knows that Chat Noir is in love with Ladybug. I...know you know." He shrugs as his smile turns a little helpless. "But no one knows that I might have a little tiny bit of a huge crush on Marinette Dupain-Cheng, too."

"Kid, don't lie to your girlfriend. You know very well that I knew, because I've been telling you forever!" Plagg calls from somewhere behind them. Tikki hushes him loudly.

"Okay, he's not wrong," Adrien says, huffing out a combination of a laugh and a sigh. I'm just very stupid, apparently."

"Hey, don't talk that way about my partner." Marinette bumps his shoulder with hers. "I have a teeny, tiny, huge crush on him, too, you know, and I don't appreciate your tone."

Adrien's surprised laugh rings out across the rooftop, filling her heart with so much love she can barely breathe with the force of it. She could listen to that laugh for the rest of her life. She hopes she'll have that chance.

He brushes tears from his eyes again as his laughter subsides, his grin still shining bright. "I'm so happy it's you, Marinette. Beyond happy." He turns her hand beneath his and threads his fingers through hers. "Honestly, there's no one else I would rather have as my partner."

"Me too, Minou," she murmurs, squeezing his hand lightly as incredulous joy sings through her veins.

Tikki's little voice pipes up nearby. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's almost time to go back to class."

Adrien lets go of her hand to fish for his phone and curses under his breath when he sees the time. "She's right, My Lady. Could we meet up this evening? I know we have, um...a lot of things to talk about."

Marinette nods. It feels like she's done a lot of that in the last few minutes.

When Adrien stands, he offers his hand to help her up. Just like in the courtyard at lunch, his eyes are patient and kind, but now they shine with something more. She lets him pull her to her feet, then wraps her arms around his waist in a tight hug.

His soft exhale at her ear as he melts against her makes her smile, scrunching up his white overshirt under her cheek. Her senses are filled with him, and she's surprised to realize that it's a feeling of comfort and safety instead of the usual panic.

Maybe loving Adrien and being loved in return will be easier than it seemed all this time. Her fears seem so silly when his arms are wrapped around her shoulders and his head rests on top of hers - a perfect fit.

Even the nightmarish terror of Chat Blanc is diminished. Adrien never told anyone her identity; he knew because he himself was Chat Noir, and there's no way in the world that Chat would hurt his Lady, nor would Adrien ever harm Marinette on purpose. She must have misunderstood. He must have misunderstood. He was an akuma, after all. She sighs into Adrien's shirt. She can never allow that terrible timeline to occur, but whatever happens after this, they'll face it together. Stronger. She'll make sure of it.

"Do you think my father will let me go to Nino's gig in real life?" he asks quietly.

The sad note in his voice breaks her heart. She squeezes him tighter.

"I don't know, Kitty. Do you think we'll be having a movie date on Saturday?"

He leans back abruptly, though his hands still grip her shoulders. "Of course! I'll be there if I have to sneak out!"

Marinette boops his nose, laughing when his eyes cross. "I think that's your answer for Friday night, too."

Suddenly she's in his arms again, this time lifted off the ground and spinning. She can't help but giggle.

"I knew I was in love with a genius!" he cries, jubilant. He sets her down and plants a kiss in the middle of her forehead before calling for Plagg to transform him.

When he turns his masked face back to her, it's like the world is different. She can easily see the brilliant green of Adrien's eyes in Chat's glowing sclerae. The blending of two of her favorite people into one extraordinary boy who - oh my goodness - just said he loves her gives her a shot of courage even before she suits up again.

"You missed, beau gosse."

His eyes widen comically. "I....what?"

Marinette smiles and calls for her transformation, then taps her lips with her gloved fingers. "You kissed me, but you missed."

The sly gleam in his eyes makes her breathing speed up.

"First of all, I would ask before I did that," Chat says, sticking out his thumb before raising his clawed index finger. "Second, I thought I'd save our first kiss for Saturday. Seems like a great way to end our first date, doesn't it?"

Our first date. A tingle runs down her spine. She likes the sound of that.

"I guess I can wait." Her smile turns cheeky. "But it'll be our third--"

"Ah, ah, ah," Chat cuts her off with a grin. He extends his thumb again. "First of all, I don't remember either of those."

Ladybug rolls her eyes, still smiling.

"And second," he says, his voice pitching lower and making her heart skip a beat, "it will be Marinette and Adrien's first kiss."

Oh, this boy, she thinks as her heart soars.

She bites her lip to keep from giggling. "I suppose you're right, even though we both know we're the same people."

Chat gives her a deadpan look. "Just let me have this, Bug."

She bursts into laughter and reaches for her yo-yo, delighting in watching a grin light her partner's face.

"I really am looking forward to Saturday," he says, unhooking his baton from his back. He reaches for her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. "We'll talk about it later today, okay?"

She nods and watches him vault off toward home.

The wind against her face is exhilarating as she swings back to the bakery. It's amazing how one revelation seems to have changed everything. Even the zip of her yo-yo through the air sounds different to her ears now that she knows, now that he knows.

Marinette detransforms as she touches down on the terrace and sinks into her pink-striped chair while Tikki phases through the hatch into her room in search of food. A quick check of her phone tells her that she has ten minutes before she has to go back to school.

School. One more thing that's going to be different.

Before nerves can creep in, she thinks of Chat Noir and his beaming joy at learning the identity of his beloved partner. That was Adrien. She thinks of the comfort of being wrapped in Adrien's arms, his scent, his warmth. That was Chat Noir.

And when she sits down in class behind him in a few short minutes, that boy with the soft smile and shining eyes will look like Adrien, but now he's so much more.

Marinette stands up from her chair with a lighter heart than she can remember having in a long, long time. She's suddenly looking forward to the second half of the day, even more excited for Nino's event tomorrow night, and positively thrilled that she has a date with Adrien - who is Chat Noir! - on Saturday.

There's so much to experience, so many memories to be made. It feels a bit like a dream. It feels more than a bit scary. But it's going to be great.

It's just going to take a little courage.

She's got this.

[atinydise]

Ateez reacting to another member being in love with their s/o (re-uploaded)

❦ Genre: Fluff & Kinda Angst (Idk)

❦ Pairing: OT8.

❦ Word count: 3k5.

HONGJOONG (& San)

The leader was curious and suspicious. His member San was a little bit too much affective with you. All the other members were treating you as a friend or even as an older sister, nothing too much alarming. While with San it was the opposite. Hongjoong isn’t the jealous type, even not at all but the behavior of his closest friend sent him over his limits. San was inviting you at least 2 times per week, just to “see someone else than the group member”. Hongjoong believed this excuse at first until San became more and more clingy with you. Every time he could, he would rest his head on your laps and wait for you to run your fingers in his blond hair. Even if it was bothering you, a bit, you never told him or your boyfriend neither. In any case you want to create a conflict or a discomfort.

Tonight, when the leader found you washing San’s hair in the bathroom sink, he decided to stop this little game. Without saying a word, he gripped your hand, still full of shampoo, and wrapped it in a towel. The other boy cracked an eye when he didn’t feel your soft digits anymore. “Oh! You are back!” You smiled at your boyfriend, ignoring that he was boiling inside. “What are you doing?” He asked, grabbing your hand tighter. “She’s helping me to wash my hair since my shoulder is still sensible.” Replied San happily. “Is it normal for you?” Asked Hongjoong, straight looking at your eyes without paying attention to San. At this moment, you knew that Hongjoong realized that San had a crush on you. “Seems like you knew huh?” He raised a brow. “I was just being nice.” “Okay.” He started. “Be nice but don’t be stupid.” San lifted his head, water dripping from his ears to the floor. “Hyung, don’t talk to her like this.” “I’m not mean to her. In fact, it’s the opposite. I’m trying to help her.” “Help her? What are you talking about?” “She’s too nice to say ‘no’ to you. She can’t refuse you anything, because it’s her nature.” He started, trying to calm down. “Hongjoong…” you tried to stop him before he says something he regrets. “Stop loving her San.” He said abruptly. “She’s my girlfriend and won’t be yours. Never.” You noticed how pissed he was, so you kept it quiet. Before the leader exit the bathroom, he stared at San who was still speechless and obviously sad about the whole situation. “Wooyoung can you help San?” He yelled in the dorm. “If you pay me!” He yelled back from his bedroom.

SEONGHWA (& Wooyoung)

Seonghwa ignored once again and finally sat down in his bed. It was 3AM and he still couldn’t fall asleep. Even though he tried his best to, his brain was non-stop waking him up. Your voice was resonating in his head. Today, you refused to go at the dorm to spend a game night as every week. Of course, when their schedule could allow it. When your boyfriend asked you why, you couldn’t help but to be sad. “I think Wooyoung hates me or something.” You sighed. “Why would he hate you? This is stupid.” Replied Seonghwa, not caring about his rude words. “If I knew I would tell you idiot.” You rolled your eyes. “Throw away this idea and come tomorrow, we will ask him.” “I really don’t want to come this week. I’ll calmly have a good time by myself at home.” Seonghwa accepted even though he was disappointed. But no matter what, he would respect your choice. At the game night, he was secretly staring at Wooyoung. He was so happy and enthusiastic, as every other day. Even when you were here.

Out of nowhere Seonghwa asked, “Wooyoung, do you hate Y/N?” Yeosang next to him, puffed at this word. “Hate? Hate! This is the complete opposite! He loves Y/N!” Wooyoung blushed hardly and hid himself behind his monopoly cash. “You love Y/N?” Repeated Seonghwa, not believing this at all. “Well, the night is over… let’s go to sleep.” Said Jongho, trying to escape this awkward atmosphere. All the other boys threw their cards on the coffee table and left one by one. Leaving Seonghwa and Wooyoung alone. Not wanting to piss his Hyung, the youngest boy started. “Listen, I crushed on Y/N well before you both start to date. I was just too much focused on the group. But finally, one day I couldn’t handle being far away from her, so I went to see her and-” “You saw us kissing. It was you right? I knew I saw a shadow behind her.” Wooyoung nodded. “Wooyoung… I’m really sorry. I would never-” “It’s okay, it was very hard at first but I’m starting to erase or suppress my feelings for her.” Seonghwa smiled lightly. “You are trying so hard that she thinks you hate her.” “Huh?!” He stood up, making the chair behind him fall. The eldest member was surprised. This big reaction coming from Wooyoung made both realize that there’s a long way before he forgets you. He bites his lips and picked the chair back. “I’m really trying Hyung. Just be patient with me because… it’s hard.” He sighed. “I won’t lie to you.” “Take your time. I’m really happy that you are trying at least.” Smiled Seonghwa sadly.

YUNHO (& Hongjoong)

“Are you sure it won’t bother Hongjoong if I come to the studio with you?” Yunho shook his head. “Don’t worry, he really doesn’t care at least that I do what he asks me to do.” “Well okay.” You replied, not really convinced. You ignored why but going to Hongjoong’s studio was really stressing for you. He seemed so focused and serious there. “Relax Y/N.” Stated your BF. “Why are you so tense?” He held your hand. “The atmosphere is tense.” You growled. “How can you work like this?” “It’s like my… 4th home. It doesn’t feel like a stressful place.” “4th home? What’s the others one?” You curiously asked. “Hum… the 1st one is the dorm, the 2nd one my parents one and the 3rd… your apartment.” “Oh really?” Yunho winked. “That’s probably my favorite place between these four.” “Because you can get all the food you want to?” You pinched his forearm. “If by mean ‘food’ you mean yourself than yeah.” He kissed your palm. “Ahem…” coughed the leader behind both of you. “I didn’t know you were this kinky Jeong Yunho.” “That was supposed to be a secret.” He replied embarrassed. Not saying anything, you stayed next to your boyfriend. Hongjoong bowed a bit to greet you. “It’s been a while Y/N.” “Yes.” You smiled shyly. “Well, I forgot my laptop in Eden sunbaenim’s studio so wait for me in mine.” The leader handed his key to Yunho and let both of you there.

When you entered, you were amazed by how clean this was. Not like their dorm. “His studio is always so clean.” You stated. “The trash is a little bit too full though.” Replied Yunho, picking unconsciously a sheet of paper on the floor. “Still better than your own room.” You giggled, anticipating his reaction. You waited for 10 longs seconds and still nothing from him. “Babe.” You stood up, realizing his eyes were glued on his paper. “What’s going on?” “Hongjoong wrote few lyrics.” “Yes, and? He does this aaaall the time. He’s a whole producer.” You raised a brow. At this moment, the leader entered the studio. He immediately saw the pinkish sheet of paper. As fast as possible, he ripped the paper out of Yunho’s hand. “What is this Hyung?” “Nothing, just a shitty work.” Yunho blocked the way to his leader before he could escape from this situation. “I wrote it a long time ago.” “That’s not what the date at the top said.” He cut him straight. “Do you have feelings for Y/N?” “Yunho!” You tried to stop your boyfriend, embarrassed. “This is stupid.” “I had a feeling for her. But I’m over it now.” You were speechless. All this time, you hung out with them, you never realized that Hongjoong had feelings for you. “Can you promise me that all your feelings for my girlfriend is vanished?” He asked seriously. The leader stayed quiet, even though he wanted to prove the opposite. “That’s what I thought.” He sighed. “Yunho.” You tried to get his attention back. “Y/N can you go back home? I think I need to talk with Hongjoong Hyung.”

YEOSANG (& Mingi)

“Yeosang.” You shook your boyfriend’s shoulder. “Y/N, it’s still dark outside… it means you should go back to sleep.” You rolled your eyes. “We need to talk.” Yeosang immediately cracked an eye. “What do you want to talk about?” “Mingi is weird with me.” You sighed, sitting against the headboard. “What do you mean by that?” He glared at the clock in his phone before putting it back under his pillow. “It might be strange but… I feel like he’s having a crush on me.” You facepalmed. As expected, your boyfriend puffed and immediately turned back to sleep. “Just sleep and stop thinking that.” “I’m serious. He asks me to hang out with him at least 3 times a week.” “Y/N.” He called you, quietly telling you to be quiet and sleep. Annoyed, you laid down in the bed and stared at the ceiling. For sure, you wouldn’t sleep tonight or maybe 30 minutes.

As expected, the next morning, you woke up hardly. You could imagine these dark circles under your eyes. When you sleepily got up, you noticed that Yeosang was already awake, probably eating in the kitchen. Lazily, you removed your pajama shrort and threw it on the chair next to you. “Good morning Y/N!” Yelled Mingi without knocking to let you know his presence. “MINGI!” You hid yourself behind the hoodie you were holding. “What the fuck are you doing?!” “I’m sorry!” He turned back to face the wall. “I wanted to wake you up!” “Get out!” “What is going on here?” Rushed Yeosang when he heard both of you. “This is not what you think it is!” Stopped Mingi, still facing the wall, not daring to look any of you. “Mingi you better give me a good reason to be in here in front of my ‘almost’ naked girlfriend.” “I wanted to ask her to hang out with me!” “Again? You went to the theater yesterday.” He stated. Just after asking this, he realized the little conversation you had this night. “By any chance… Do you… have a crush on Y/N?” Mingi blushed immediately, not daring to answer. You couldn’t see his face but for sure he was flustered. “Song Mingi?” “Okay! I do have a crush on her!” “And what do you want? To be nice with her so you could have a chance?” “No. I’m not a monster.” “Then what?” “I’m just having fun with her because it’s the only one who makes me feel good right now.” He explained. “I’m sorry for having a crush on you Y/N. But I can’t control my feelings.” Yeosang sighed, annoyed and at the same time sad for his friend. “For the sake of the group and our friendship, you need to control it Mingi. And now because of that I can’t let you hang out with her anymore.” He said before leaving the room, bumping into the tallest boy. For sure, nothing would the same.

SAN (& Jongho)

“Oh, did you sleep on the couch?” Asked Jongho, kneeling on the floor in front of you. You smiled shyly and obviously a bit sadly at him. “Yeah. It’s comfy though. Don’t worry.” Jongho hesitated a second but finally started to say. “I heard you and San… arguing yesterday.” “Sorry we might have wake you up.” You apologized. “It’s okay, I know that it was unexpected anyway.” He tried to reassure you. “This was stupid argument anyway...” you sighed, burying your head under the blanket. “Like me.” “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You should be glad to still argue with San. Even if what he said yesterday was rude.” You tossed the blanket away and sat down on the couch, arms crossed on your chest.

“I told him he was mean, but he replied that I am too childish.” “I would never say that to you if I was your boyfriend.” He whispered but enough louder for you to hear it. “You wouldn’t survive with a girlfriend like me.” You giggled. “Well, I’m ready to give it a try.” He replied straight away. Before you could tell him that it was inappropriate, San entered the living-room. “So, you want to date my girlfriend?” He raised a brow. “Hyung.” “I always knew you were not ‘only nice’ with her.” He stepped in front of the maknae. “San it’s okay. Don’t be an ass.” You rolled your eyes. “Sorry, it’s bothering me that my friend who I consider aq my brother, is in love with you.” He stated. “I can’t control it.” “I will need you to control it Jongho.” Said San sadly. “I know it’s going to be hard for you, but we can’t stay this way. It’s bad for you and for us.” Jongho smiled. Out of context, that would be scary. “Why are you smiling like this?” “Do you really think I can forget and erase my feelings for Y/N so easily?” “Jongho...” you called him sadly. “I’m sorry to put both of you, especially Y/N, in this uncomfortable situation. But it’s unfair to ask me to erase my feelings when probably none of you could ever do that as well.” Claimed the maknae. You stared at your boyfriend who was confused, as you. “Well, if you are done Hyung, I would like to go in my room.” San stepped on the side, making the maknae understand that he could leave as he wants to. You plopped down on the couch, “this is crazy...” “Why do you have to be so incredible?” Asked San.

MINGI (& Seonghwa)

As always, you went to the boys’ practice to cheer them up. You hoped that this comeback will help to reduce the tension between all the members. You ignored why but Mingi and Seonghwa were suddenly cold with each other. Seemed like everyone knows why except you. And of course, you hated that.

Well before knocking you heard a loud screams and yells. Scared that one of them argued again, you opened the door. It was worse than expected. Hongjoong and San were holding Seonghwa while Yunho and Jongho were holding your boyfriend. “W-What the hell is going on?!” You yelled, dropping your bag. “I was beating his ass because he’s a betrayer!” Replied Mingi, trying to remove his friends’ grip off him. You noticed that the eldest member’s mouth was bleeding a bit. “Which betrayal?” You asked, completely worried because of this situation. “He said that he betrayed him because I have feelings for you.” Exposed Seonghwa. “This is a betrayal!” “Wh-wait Hwa... it’s a big deal.” “Yes, and this bastard desperately wants you.” Grunted Mingi. “Mingi shut up!” You yelled. “This is not the correct way to solve this.” “Y/N is right.” Sighed Hongjoong. You made a sign at the 2 boys who were holding Seonghwa to let him go. “Come with me.” You grabbed his arm softly but still strong enough to pull him out of the room. For at least 20 minutes, you talked with Seonghwa about this issue. He completely explained when he started to like you more than he should have. Especially the day he was really down, and you helped him to go through this harsh period. He tried so hard to see you as a friend only, but it was too late. His brain was only thinking about you. Without trying to hurt him more than he probably was, you explained that nothing could happen between you and him. Sadly, he accepted that. Even though he was disappointed, he felt like this heavy burden on his shoulders left. “Should we go back inside? Without you trying to fight Mingi?” He smirked. “Can’t promise, but okay let’s go.” You knew it will be hard for Seonghwa to move on but for sure soon he would find the perfect person for him. Like you and Mingi.

WOOYOUNG (& Yunho)

You were the only one awake so early. It was your little time to think and relax calmly without anyone interrupting you. Until: “Hello Y/N.” Greeted San probably more tired than you. “Good morning Sanie.” You replied before sipping your hot chocolate. You noticed the big dark circles, under his eyes. “The party was interesting huh?” You giggled. “That was terrible.” He sighed. “Probably one of the worst parties this year.” “Oh really? I thought it was the best one of this year.” “It was good before your boyfriend and Yunho start to ruin it.” He rolled his eyes.

“Wooyoung?” You asked. “Who? I mean- what they did?” San sighed before resting his forehead right in the table. “It’s better if you don’t know.” “Come on. You can’t drop this bomb and act like nothing happened.” You put down your cup of chocolate, too anxious to drink anyway. “Better ask Wooyoung then. I don’t want problem with any of them.” “Choi San.” The young boy gulped. A bit startled by the tone of your voice. “It’s just that Wooyoung learned that Yunho had a crush on you. So he confronted him-” “Excuse me what?” You asked dumbly. “What?” “Yunho has a crush on me?” “Don’t tell me you never knew about it. It was so obvious please.” “You can’t keep your mouth shut idiot.” Said Wooyoung, flickering San’s upper lip. “She really wanted to know.” Defended San. “Wooyoung you fought Yunho?” You asked worried. “A fight?” Laughed San. “These 2 idiots were too drunk to even carry their glasses. You rolled your eyes at the thought of your boyfriend being drunk. “Anyway...” grunted Wooyoung. “We are supposed to talk about this issue today.” “You seem pretty confident in front of the biggest conflict you might go in.” Added San. “We are adults. We are going to have a mature conversation without using our hands.” He replied calmly. “It’s because you know you are going to lose against Yunho.” You stated. “She’s right.” Smirked San. “Both of you are such a loser.” He grunted. “Join the team when Yunho is going to beat your little cute butt.” “I hate both of you.” “But Yunho loves us.” Teased San. “Choi San!”

JONGHO (& Yeosang)

Jongho was staring at you and Yeosang wrapped in the blanket in front of your favorite K-Dramas.

It’s been 2 days in row that you were glued in front of this TV shows. The most annoying part was that Yeosang was taking all of your attention. He was using this show as an excuse to spend some time with you and to leave you sitting here for few hours. Madly, Jongho sat on the couch just between you and his members.

“How many episodes left?” He asked normally not wanting you to make assumptions. “3. Right Sang?” “2.” He replied a bit coldly. “Oh only 2?” Repeated Jongho smirking slightly. “Too bad, this drama was really good.” You pouted. “If you want, I know another one which is good too.” Offered Yeosang. “Oh really?” You said a bit too enthusiastically for Jongho’s liking. “What about you to stop your k-dramas marathon and go to the restaurant with me?” Suggested the maknae. “Well... that’s a good program too.” You rested your head on his shoulder. Jongho smiled victoriously. No way he could let Yeosang spend more time with you. “After your restaurant maybe, we could check the horror movie you wanted to watch.” Interrupted the other member. “Alive? Oh yeah totally!” You almost yelled. “I want to watch it too.” Both of you stared at Jongho. “You are scared- no wait. TERRIFIED of horror movies.” Smirked Yeosang. “I saw the trailer, this is not that bad.” He lied. “Then maybe we should order a pizza and watch it right now.” He smiled arrogantly. Seonghwa who was looking at the whole scene from the kitchen, finally interposed. “Yeosang, Jongho. Can you help me with something in the kitchen?” “You should call Mingi or Yunho for the utensils you can’t grab.” Sighed Jongho. “He’s right.” Added Yeosang. Seonghwa’s face darkened so fast that both of them rushed in the kitchen. The eldest member closed the door carefully and turned around. “Are you both crazy?!” “Huh?” Yeosang raised a brow. “Both of you are hitting on the same girl!” “I always said that I had a crush on her. It’s Yeosang Hyung who’s being an ass.” The eldest member hit the maknae’s head, “Language.” “You are not even dating.” “Almost! Should I remember you she kissed me?” “She was drunk.” Replied Yeosang. “Even if a kiss happened, Yeosang you should consider that Jongho I in love with her, since a long time ago now and this is not nice to flirt with her too.” Yeosang sighed and rolled his eyes, pissed. “Fine. You are never on my side anyway.” He growled before leaving the room. “Ouch. Maybe I should talk to him.” Sighed Jongho. “Yes, you should. And fix this situation before someone else think there’s favoritism when I hate all of y’all equally.” “Double ouch Hyung.”

[avatarmerida]

Walking Home

This is inspired by @buggachat’s Bakery AU. I hope this is okay because I love this idea so much and I loved the winery arc. I wrote this assuming Adrien also lives at the bakery, though I don’t know.

——————————————————————————

“Okay no, no first of all they did NOT kick us out because I spilled. But IF did they did then that’s your fault!” Marinette exclaimed as the four of them left the restaurant.

“I didn’t mean that time,” clarified a bubbly Adrien as he ran ahead. “I meant when you kept turning the glasses into microphones and trying to get everyone to sing when they were still pretty full.”

“No! No! No!” she insisted, running up to him and giving him a gently tap on shoulder. “It was because you kept making chicken noises and they were awful!”

“They were amazing.”

“I don’t think you’ve ever heard a chicken,” she said smugly as she attempted to suppress her laughter at the memory. “It was so high pitched.”

“Bawk bawk bawk,” said Adrien quietly. Seeing Marinette suppress more laughter, he kept going and got louder. She couldn’t stand still, the laughter causing her to bend in half unable to catch her breath. Making her laugh was somehow so addicting and so he kept doing the awful chicken noise, getting higher and louder and faster. Passerbys gave them strange looks and rolled their eyes. Alya couldn’t help but smile at the thought that everyone who saw them must assume they were lifelong friends. Maybe even more than that.

“Oh wow I didn’t realize how late it was,” announced Alya, pretending to check her phone. She was fairly certain the two forgot her and Nino were there. “Ugh, I’ve got an interview scheduled for the blog at 8am.”

“Yeah and I’ve got to wake her up otherwise she’ll never get there on time,” added Nino with a laugh, catching on quickly. Adrien and Marinette snapped out of their bubble, seeing suddenly how ridiculous they must seem.

“We should do this again soon though,” said Alya. “All of us,” she added, looking at Adrien.

“Yeah, this was fun,” said Marinette, sneaking a glance at Adrien (though he didn’t notice) before turning back to Alya. “Are you okay to get home?”

“Yeah, we’re gonna grab a taxi,” said Alya. “What about you two? Are you okay? You didn’t switch to water when Nino and I did.”

“That was water? I thought you guys just switched to white wine,” asked Adrien. Nino chuckled and handed Adrien his phone so the two could make plans to hang out later in the week.

While the boys talked, Alya pullled Marinette into a hug to supposedly say goodbye.

“No girl, for real are you okay to get home? We can drop you off,” she whispered.

“No it’s okay you guys live the opposite way and you need to get up early,” whispered Marinette back. “The bakery isn’t that far and It’s not like I’m walking alone.”

“Exactly,” said Alya, pulling away but making sure the boys were too distracted by their conversation to hear theirs. “I know tonight was fun but you didn’t start the day being Adrien’s biggest fan. You’re okay walking home with him?”

“Yes Alya I’m fine,” she hiccuped. “I’m not even that drunk.”

“Marinette!” Adrien called suddenly, very excited. “Can we make pizza at the bakery?!”

“Oh my god pizzaaaaaa!” She exclaimed far too loudly, throwing her hands in the air. “Yes, yes let’s go! Bye Alya!”

She ran ahead and Adrien excitedly and instinctively followed her, the two a collection of giggle and hiccups stumbling between the street lights.

“Text me when you get home!” Alya called after the pair. They were quite a sight. She couldn’t help but smile at the fact that this morning Marinette couldn’t say his name without grimacing and now they were rushing off into the night. She wondered how Marinette would feel about the blonde boy tomorrow.

“Pizza, pizza, pizza!” The two exclaimed as they trudged down the sidewalk.

“Okay I know we have dough and cheese I don’t know if we have any pizza sauce,” said Marinette raking her brain. “Do we want toppings? Because I think we just have sprinkles, maybe we-ahhh!” Suddenly the ground came rushing at her, but before she had time to process what was happening she was stopped inches from the pavement. She looked up and saw Adrien had caught her in the knick of time. His hands were on her waist as if he was dipping her in a some eleaborate dance. The streetlight above him reflected on his golden hair like a halo.

He really was a good model, she couldn’t help but think as she found herself drawn to his light like an innocent moth.

“Sorry,” he said realizing the position they were in. “Force of habit, I guess. I didn’t mean, I mean I-.”

“Don’t apologize,” she breathed, not attempting to remove herself from his grip. “You’ve just got like catlike reflexes.”

“Yeah, I maybe??” He laughed. He couldn’t even explain her own pun to her as he pulled her to her feet. “Hehe, uh sorry if I distracted you again.”

“No, no it’s my own fault, I’m extra clumsy when I’m drunk,” she explained, bashful suddenly for some reason. “I’m a regular public menace. But thanks for not letting me fall on my face.”

He smiled. “Anytime,” he stood up straight and offered her his arm. “To ensure you don’t fall again,” he explained.

The logic of his reasoning negated any objections her former view of him held at the ready. He didn’t have to be kind to her when it was just them, and this must be why she held onto his arm so firmly and allowed herself to be so close as they walked. She suddenly felt guilty for her ulterior motives in inviting him out. The skeptic in her wanted to point out that maybe he was faking being drunk, or was so well versed at deception that alcohol had no affect on his ability to lie. But a larger part of her just wanted to rest her head on his shoulder as he led her home, contently listening to him ramble.

“Okay but why isn’t pizza a pastry?” he continued. “Like a lot of baked goods have cheese, they all have dough. Is it the sauce? But donuts have filling and the tomato is a fruit, I think-?”

“Maybe pizza can be your menu speciality,” she murmured, following the voice that told her to rest her head. “But you can give it a fun name and make it look different so they won’t know it’s pizza until they taste it. You’d think of a good name, you’re funny.”

“I’m funny?” he asked, genuinely surprised and flattered.

“I’m drunk, who knows what I’m saying,” she joked. “I’ll deny it but yes you are funny. I like when you write puns on the specials board.”

“Really?” He chuckled. “I didn’t think you’d be a fan of bad puns.”

“I’ve heard worse,” she murmured, her mouth moving faster than her mind. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

“Like what?” he tried, trying to careful in this new territory, but fighting his catlike curiosity . “Are you a secret comedian?”

“No, no but I was in love with a boy who made puns a lot,” she said quietly, almost just to herself. “It seems so silly but now whenever I hear a good one I write it down so I don’t forget. So I can tell it to him. But I’m never gonna see him again. That’s so stupid isn’t it?”

He saw tears forming in her eyes. “I think it’s sweet,” he said. “Is he someone you meet in New York? On your internship?”

She stopped, her mind had brought up another similarly between him and Chat Noir and that was extra confusing right now. But she hadn’t had anyone to talk to about Chat and it felt nice to share something about him aloud. She had to tread carefully though.

“I’m sorry if you don’t wanna talk about it,” said Adrien before she could find the words. “It’s none of my business.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” he continued, gently removing his arm from her. ��You’ve already done so much for me, helping me at the bakery, letting me into your home, inviting me out tonight . You’re a very kind person Marinette and I’ve invaded so much of your space already, I shouldn’t be invading your privacy.”

“No, Adrien please it is okay,” she insisted. “I brought it up. And I... I’ve never brought it up to anyone before, to be honest. And it must be because... I like talking to you. Because-.”

“-of the wine?” He offered.

“-because we’re friends,” she finished, looking up at him with soft, truthful eyes.

“I think it is the wine,” he joked, only half certain.

“Here, I’ll prove it,” she said, keeping her purse and rummaging through its contents. Finally she found what she was searching for. “Here,” she said, placing something in his hand.

“What is this?”

“My lucky charm,” she said proudly, as he opened his hand to reveal a simple keychain composed of colorful beads. “I made it during my internship, it helped me when I had deadlines or a creativity block. I take it everywhere.”

“And you’re giving this to me?”

“Well I still plan on needing it and having it close by, so I wouldn’t just entrust it to someone I don’t want in my space would I? It’s probably not as flashy as the friendship bracelets Chloe made you but-.”

She was cut off as Adrien pulled her into a tight embrace. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

She hesitated, but returned the gesture. “You’re welcome,” she said as the two stood in the middle of the sidewalk, embracing for probably a little too long. “Adrien, since we’re friends, I think I should be honest with you.”

He pulled back to face her, his face still holding a smile despite her dismal tone. “What is it?”

“Today, when I invited you...” she began, her pride almost too big a pill to swallow. “Well, I had ulterior motives for inviting you.”

“Really?”

“I thought, oh god I’m so embarrassed,” she pushed through. “I though you had ... a secret.”

“A secret?”

“Yes,” she buried her face in her hands, utterly embarrassed. “Ugh, and I thought it you got drunk enough you would blurt it out. And that’s so awful of me and I know it’s dishonest, but I promise you it’s not like that anymore. I was paranoid, I guess. I don’t know. But I’m so sorry. really do enjoy spending time with you-.”

“What kind of secret?”

“Huh?” She said, surprised he wasn’t mad. “Oh, i-it doesn’t matter. It was still wrong of me.”

“Well why couldn’t you ask me about it before?”

“I didn’t have any sort of proof,” she admitted. “Only a hunch.”

“Why?” He asked. He wasn’t mad but she couldn’t place his tone. People must have accused him of this before. She knew now he wasn’t his father, he was more than whatever his past held, and he didn’t deserve another faker. She knew he’d ask what she suspected and it would ruin everything but maybe she could make it less awful if she kept apologizing?

“Nothing major, just because of how you acted around me-.”

“I see.”

“-but I know now I was completely wrong,” she quickly went on. “Getting to know you tonight and spending more time with you at the bakery, I know I was wrong.”

“Oh,” was that all he could say? Oh?!

“Because you’re just so nice!” She went on, her drunk brain turning to rambling. “You’re actually a really great guy, and you’re just quiet at first, you’re ... a friend...”

“Just a friend?” He asked, the word holding his attention tight.

“Yes,” she said, hoping he was considering accepting her apology. “And I- oh darn it.” Suddenly, a raindrop fell onto Marinette’s cheek. Then another. Without warning the sky began to pour, and the pair sought shelter. Adrien took off his jacket and placed it over Marinette’s head to attempt and shield her from the rain, a fruitless attempt as the jacket immediately became soaked and heavy and helpful to no one.

As they made their way through the waterfall that claimed the sidewalk, an abandoned umbrella leaning against a building caught Adrien’s eye. He swooped in to grab and quickly opened it over Marinette’s head. “Ugh, I can’t see,” she cried, the rain causing her eye makeup to run and sting her eyes. She wiped it away, only to smudge it and give cover her face with a charcoal color. Adrien laughed.

“Mademoiselle Hamster, you look more like a raccoon now,” he wheezed. Before Marinette could offer a clever response, she saw the rain continued to fall on him as she was safely covered.

“You’re going to catch pneumonia,” she stated angrily.

“It’s not a very big umbrella,” he said, still laughing.

“Nonsense,” she said, yanking the umbrella handle to spin him in. “I’m not about to let you get sick and stick me with all the work at the bakery.”

But the umbrella was very small. And in order for them both to be covered, they had to stand very close together.

“Fine by me,” breathed Adrien, looking down at Marinette. She stood in front of him, her hands landing instinctively on his chest as if they were slow dancing. She was aware of this, but did not remove them. Her eyes went to the ground, not being about to handle the closeness with eye contact. In one hand Adrien held the umbrella, the other one slowly went to removed a strand of wet hair from her face. A bolt of lighting graced the sky.

“You were right you know,” he said quietly, the rain almost drowning him out.

“About what?”

“About my secret,” he said with a chuckle. “I thought I hid it well, but I guess I made it really obvious.”

“What?” Said Marinette, looking up at him is disbelief, her hands trembled. “No, no you’re still drunk, you don’t know what you’re saying. No, no I know now... after everything that happened it can’t be true.”

“Do you... not want it to be true?”

“I guess it doesn’t really matter what I want,” she admitted, bowing her head again. “Either it’s true or it’s not.”

“I promise you, it’s very true,” said Adrien, his voice softer than she had ever heard but somehow insanely familiar. He placed his free hand under her chin and lead her to meet his gaze.

“Wait, what did you think I-.”

“Marinette, I’m sorry that I couldn’t be more direct with you,” he began. “But I didn’t think I’d ever feel this way again since... you’re so amazing and I- I’m done keeping secrets; I do have feelings for you.”

“W-what kind of feelings?” she asked, a tiny portion of her intoxicated little mind convinced he was angry with her.

Adrien closed his eyes and leaned in close to her and his lips stopped mere inches from her own. Hesitating. Waiting. Silence. She looked at him, no streetlight caught his hair now but the shine remained. The glow was just him. He wasn’t a spy, he wasn’t a traitor, he wasn’t a villain. Her mind ran with things he was not until suddenly she realized what he was. Kind. Handsome. Funny. Charming. She had taken these things for granted before and thought they were lost and locked away forever. It was like they were reincarnated, her heart fluttered in an nearly forgotten familiar way as if to say she had been here before. As if to say this is exactly where she was meant to be.

Lighting crashed in the distance.

She chased the feeling and eliminated the space between them, drawn to him like he was magnetic. She could could blame it on the wine. She could blame it on the rain. She could blame it on the way his eyes were so gentle and vibrant at the same time like a lush green forest she wanted to explore until she was hopelessly lost. But she crashed into him like a she was a tidal wave, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pulled herself up to kiss him. He stepped back, surprised but pleased and tossed aside the umbrella in favor of having both his arms around her as he eagerly kissed her back. He lifted her off the ground, perhaps a little too overzealous, and the pair found themselves on the ground in the middle of a puddle. Only then did they break apart, like a dream they were rudely awakened from, and Marinette found herself laying on top of him.

Adrien looked at her, eyes wide and curious, awaiting a sign of how she felt. Even now, with her eyeliner smudged and her hair soaking wet, his heart skipped a beat in way it hadn’t done in years. What was she thinking? Should he say something? His mind raced with what to say next, he had imagined this confession thousands of times since he realized his feelings, but none of his scenarios went quite like this. He didn’t want to risk ruining anything, if there was even something to ruin. He played the last minute over and over in his head like a romantic film scene. He smiled a wide smile and if Marintee didn’t know any better, she could have sworn he was purring.

Marinette took that as her signal to lean forward, slower and more graceful than the first attempt and kissed him again. It was less rushed and more gentle, but also more certain. The umbrella was carried away by the wind, the two seemed to have forgotten about the rain or any storms between them.

The next day, Marinette awoke feeling sicker than she had ever felt in her life. Not only did she have a massive hangover, but being stuck in the rain had given her a terrible cold as well. Her body couldn’t decide which unpleasant feeling to focus on so she remained in bed, cursing the world.

“Hey girl,” came Alya’s voice from the doorway. “Heard you weren’t feeling too good.”

“Alya I’m dying,” moaned Marinette.

“Were you so busy dying that you couldn’t text me that you go home safely?” laughed Alya, removing the pillow from her face. “Omigosh you didn’t even wash your face last night. You really were trashed.”

“Ugh I don’t even remember it raining last night, but I woke up soaked,” complained Marinette.

“Wait, you don’t remember it raining?”

“No, after we said goodbye to you and Nino the night it a total blur.”

“Oh, does Adrien remember the rain?”

“I don’t know, we don’t talk,” Marinette reminded her, covering her head with a blanket. “I don’t know what I said to him on the walk home, but my throat is killing me so it feels like I was yelling.

“Wait, you don’t remember anything from the walk home?”

“No,” repeated Marinette. “Why? Did I drunk dial you or something?”

“Uh, no,” said Alya with a mischievous smile. “But when it started to rain I told the cab driver to drive by your place to see if you guys got caught in the rain and I’m so glad I did because I saw something very interesting.”

“What?”

Alya simply handed Marinette her phone and braced herself for the reaction she knew was coming. Marinettte had to do a double take at first. But there was no mistaking this was a picture of her. And Adrien. Kissing.

“WHAT?!” She exclaimed, giving herself a worse headache. “Ouch. Ugh, Alya please tell me this is photoshopped, this is a joke right?”

“Not this time, I am an eyewitness,” assured her friend. “I saw everything.”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe he kissed me,”

“Well you shouldn’t because if you go back a little bit you see it’s clear as day who kissed whom,”

“What?” But it was true. She swiped back and forth and there was no arguing that she pulled him in, she reached up, she kissed him. Twice. “Oh no.”

“Oh, don’t be embarrassed,” said Alya taking back her phone. “If kissing a former model in the rain is the worst thing you’ve done after drinking, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. I don’t see why you don’t like him anyway, you two got along so well yesterday.”

“Oh no no no I just thought it was another dream!”panicked Marinette.

“Another?” Teased Alya. “So you often dream about kissing Adrien?”

Only when he’s working with his supervillain father “I’m never drinking again,” vowed Marinette, burying her head in her hands. “Please tell me no one else saw those photos.”

“Just me and Nino, but I’m keeping them for blackmail,” confirmed Alya as she headed for the door. “Or to show at your wedding.”

Marinette threw a pillow at the door, just missing her friend as she took her leave. What had gotten into her? Besides copious amounts of wine, that is. She prayed that Adrien’s memory of last night was even foggier than hers. She wished she had Tikki with her to talk her through this without any judgment but she just had her. And all she could do was panic.

“Hey, are you up?” Came a small voice accompanied by a knock on her door. “I just saw Alya leave and I wanted to check on you if that’s okay.”

It was Adrien. “Um yeah, I’m fine. Just tired, I guess,” she replied. He didn’t come in, she didn’t invite him. He was still wary of her. That must be as good sign, right?

“A headache?” He chuckled knowingly. “I had one too. I made a smoothie and that kind of helped. I can bring you one. Or leave it in the kitchen for you.”

“Thanks,” she said awkwardly. Silence stood between them for what felt like hours.

“Listen, about last night,” Adrien said at last. Marinette braced herself for the worst.

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to say thank you,” he said outside the door. “It meant a lot, you guys inviting me out. I had a lot of fun, well the parts I remember anyway.”

“Do you... remember walking home?”

“Hardly,” he admitted. “Apparently it rained?”

She laughed. “Go figure,” she said. She cousins sent he was right: she did enjoy the parts she remembered. “But um thank you too for helping me get home safely. You’re a good friend.”

The sound of the word made him blush, he was grateful she couldn’t see his face. “Anytime,” he said. “Feel better, I guess I’ll see you later?”

“See ya,” she said, as she heard him walk away from the door and flopped on her bed in relief. Crisis averted.

Adrien made his way down the stairs, Marinette’s keychain in hand. The moments of last night replayed in his head. It was blurry to him as well, but a few moments stood out to him. Mostly, the way she said ‘lucky charm’ and the way her smudged makeup resembled a mask.

[hugheshoe]

carter hart // lunch dates

request: 28 from the prompt list for carter hart?

28: my mom asked about you again.

word count: 1655 words

a/n: long time no see! enjoy :) (ALSO I COULD SOOOO DO A PART TWO TO THIS SO LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE ONE) feel free to send in any requests <3

- - - - -

Carter Hart: My mom asked about you again.

You put your phone down after rereading and analyzing the text for what feels like the 50th time. 

Your brain is currently running a million miles an hour.

- - - - -

Why is he telling you this?

Why did he text you?

Why did he use a period at the end of the sentence? What could that mean?

Why is his mom talking about me?

What if it is just a lie?

Could he be lying just to get some?

You shake your head, trying to get rid of all the bad thoughts.

It doesn’t work, though. You sigh and grab the phone again. You start to type back:

Cool

Then delete it. Sounds too harsh. You try again with:

Why?

No...that won’t work. You delete it. Maybe:

Tell her I say hi.

That will do. You hit the send button, and almost immediately regret it. You didn’t need to respond to him, you tell yourself.

My thoughts of regret are interrupted by a chime.

Carter Hart: She wants to get lunch with you.

You start to laugh out loud. 

Lunch? With your ex’s mom?

You remember how sweet she was to you the only time you met her in person, and she sent you embarrassing pictures of Carter to tease him with.

You sigh and write back:

Sure, when is she in town?

- - - - -

You walk five blocks to a hot and trendy lunch spot known for its soups and salads.

The nerves are definitely kicking in.

Why does Carter’s mom want to get lunch with me?

When you arrive, you tell the hostess your name and she shows you to a cute two person table in a room filled with leafy plants as its decor. If you were here with a girlfriend of yours, you would most definitely be snapping pictures for your Instagram feed in her.

You thank the hostess as you sit down, and pick up the menu to gaze at it as you wait patiently.

The waiting only lasts five minutes. Shauna Hart walks into the restaurant and beelines over to you with the biggest smile on her face. You get up to greet her and she embraces you with a warm hug. You know the feeling of a Hart hug. It is iconic.

“How are you, dear?” She asks as you retreat back to your seat.

“I’m well, how about yourself?” You reply.

“I’m lovely. Thank you for coming with me. Have you been here before?” 

You shake your head, “No, this was actually Carter’s recommendation.”

Her smile grows when you mention his name.

Before she can say anything, the waitress comes over to introduce herself and inform us on the specials of the day including homemade chicken noodle soup! Sounds fucking good.

She leaves to let us continue our process of figuring out what we want for lunch.

After a minute of silence, Shauna speaks up, “He misses you.”

You look up from your menu, but don’t know how to respond. The fastest thing you can think of is, “That is nice of him.”

The minute the words leave your mouth, you get a little embarrassed and start to blush.

The waitress comes back to take your orders. You order a cup of the chicken noodle soup and a BLT salad with fresh avocados. Shauna orders a chicken salad sandwich, which is advertised as one of their bestsellers. 

After handing our waitress the menus, you and Shauna get into a conversation that, thankfully, ignores the elephant in the room, Carter.

The nervousness you felt early starts to disappear with time. Shauna is such a easy person to have a conversation with and makes you feel relaxed despite the odd situation the two of you are in.

Your food comes out to the two of you and it looks amazing. You both start to dive into your meals while continuing to chat in between bites. 

Eventually, the conversation takes a turn. Shauna starts to share a story of Carter, without even realizing it. You listen, though, and the mood does not shift. It starts to feel normal and comfortable. 

The story ends up with both of you nearly in tears.

You manage to get out, “Why was he so obsessed with that stuffed animal?” through your laughter. 

- - - - -

At the end of lunch, Shauna insists on paying for your meal, too, and you thank her a million times. You check your phone and realize you’ve been at lunch for almost two hours. Time flies when you are having fun.

You say your goodbyes to Shauna, and go off your own ways.

On your walk home, the memories of you and Carter flood your thoughts. Your cheeks start to hurt from smiling at them. People probably think you are a lunatic walking through the streets of Philadelphia with a smile like the Cheshire Cat for no reason.

When you get home, you kick off your shoes, throw your purse on the couch, and walk into your room. You leap onto your bed and stare at the ceiling. You don’t know what to do.

Your phone starts to ring, but it isn’t your normal ring tone.

It’s Carter’s ringtone. You never changed it.

You rush over to the couch and rummage through your purse to pull out your phone just in time to press accept, “Hello?”

“How was lunch?”

You smile, “It was good. The food was really yummy, and it was so cute. Thank you for the recommendation.”

“Would you ever go back again?”

“Yeah, I think I would. I could get some uber cute Instagram pictures next time. Oh! And some of the drinks looked heavenly, but ya know I didn’t want to get drunk at noon at lunch with my ex’s mom,” you chuckle.

“Want to go tomorrow?”

“Yes, I would love to wha-....wait. What do you mean?”

You hear Carter let out a nervous giggle, “Do you want to go back there for lunch again tomorrow?”

“With you?”

“Yeah. With me.”

You pause before responding. It’s only been three months since he broke up with you. It still hurts you sometimes. 

Would it be okay to go to lunch with him already? 

What if he wants to get back together?

Was this his plan the whole time?

“Y/N? You still there?” The voice through your phone says.

“Yes, yes I’m still here, sorry. I was thinking.”

“Is it too soon?” He questions.

“No. I’ll go. Tomorrow at noon?”

“Yes, that works for me. I will see you there.”

- - - - -

The next morning, you wake up with a smile on your face, but the smile fades as the anxiety kicks in.

You have no clue what to wear.

What do you think he is going to wear?

Is he going to go all out?

What if you look more dressed up than him? Or what if he looks more dressed up than you?

To let out a little steam, you scream into your pillow.

“Ah, much better.” You can and hop out of bed.

You have three hours until the scheduled lunch date. 

Wait is this a date?

You tell your brain to shut up, and get out of bed. You head out into your kitchen to make a cup of iced coffee. In your head, you start to formulate a to do list to complete before heading out.

- - - - -

Carter Hart: I’m early :) I’m at a table in the middle.

You slide your phone back into your purse as you walk out of your apartment building and onto the sidewalks of Philadelphia.

You try to hype yourself up during your walk. It doesn’t work very well, but gives you a little bit of confidence and a break from worrying.

Once you arrive at the restaurant, you enter and see Carter immediately. He looks nervous, which makes you feel a little at ease knowing you are not the only one.

You walk up to his table, and he stands up to give you a hug, “Hi, Y/N, you look good.”

The hug feels so familiar, and not because you were hugging his mom 24 hours ago. Your nose immediately recognizes his smell, too. The scent makes you feel warm and happy inside.

As the gentleman he is, Carter pulls your chair out for you to sit, which you thank him for of course.

He sits down, too, and the two of you look at each other to take in the moment and process what is going on.

You giggle, “I cannot believe this is actually happening.”

“I know.”

“Did your mom actually want to get lunch with me?”

He nods his head, “Yes, of course. She loved you the first time she met you.”

“She’s a really good person. I see where you get it from,” You say to him and smile. You notice he starts to blush a little as he looks down at his menu to avoid eye contact.

To change the subject, Carter speaks up: “Which drink are you getting?”

You are about to respond when the waitress comes up for our drink orders and the whole specials of the day ordeal. You are pleased when she says homemade chicken noodle soup is being served again today.

Since you are unsure how to pick a drink because they all look amazing, you ask the waitress to make whichever she likes the best. Carter only gets a glass of water due to the season being in full swing.

While you wait for your mystery drink, you ask Carter about the season so far and how everything is working out.

When the drink arrives, you slurp it down so fast you aren’t even sure what it was. The drink calms you down, and when you place your lunch order you ask for a new mystery drink to enjoy. Carter laughs while you order it, exactly like he would when you two were dating.

[blossom-hwa]

Sunflowers |Summer| - JUYEON

Can’t believe it’s already Juyeon’s birthday!!! Hope deobiblr enjoys my contribution for the birthday of one of the best dancers in the kpop industry <3

I will be doing a taglist for Sunflowers, so if you’d like to be notified when the next part goes up, send me a dm or an ask! Post dates are also on my posting schedule :)

Pairing: Juyeon x gender neutral!reader

Genre: fluff, high school!au

Triggers: cursing

Word Count: 2.3k

Juyeon is just a sunflower, following the light of your smile. 

Summer | Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer, Once More

TBZ Masterlist | Interwoven

~ in summer, a stranger comes home

. . . . .

It’s the middle of summer when your mom delivers you a little piece of seemingly innocuous news, a piece of glittering information wrapped in old magazines and tied with cheap string to disguise its sparkle. Her voice literally vibrates with excitement when she tells you, which probably should serve as a warning or a signal of some sort, but in your defense, you’re tired from a day of classes and research programs and just want to eat and die.

“Our old neighbors are coming back!” she bursts, a spring in her step that you haven’t seen since the day you were accepted to your current prestigious research camp. “You know, the Lees who used to live next door?”

You blink once, then twice before the information sinks in. A memory settles at the front of your mind. “The Lees?”

“Yes!” She smiles widely. “I missed Yuna so much, I can’t believe she and her family are actually moving back. Don’t you remember, you used to be such good friends with Juyeon?”

More blurry memories of playing in the grass and dancing in the living room with a chubby little boy flash through your mind. You remember playdates that turned into study sessions in middle school, study sessions that disappeared when Juyeon moved away. And though you’d like to forget it, you remember sobbing your eyes out the day he left at the end of summer, the weather turning to fall. Sunflowers were blooming that day, wreathing your lawn in an unfairly bright ring of yellow as you wrapped him in one last hug before his father started the car and the family drove away.

“Mhm,” you only say, taking a box of cookies out of the cupboard. “I remember.”

“Won’t it be so much fun for you two to meet again?” Your mother’s smile turns suggestive as she side-eyes you. “You two were always so adorable together. Didn’t you once say he was your boyfriend in kindergarten?”

That memory makes you cringe. “Thanks, Mom, I was doing a really good job of forgetting that before you mentioned it.”

“Oh, hush.” She shoos you out of the kitchen. “You two were so cute together. I have no doubt you’ll be the best of friends again when they come back.”

“I haven’t seen him in four years, Mom,” you remind her. “People change.”

A glint comes into your mom’s eye. “Maybe so,” she replies cryptically, “but some feelings remain.”

Okay, so in hindsight, you should’ve taken a lot of what she said as a warning that your life was about to get flipped upside down by Juyeon’s homecoming. But with everything already on your mind, you more or less forget about the news until one day towards the end of summer, when your dad tells you to come straight home after your classes.

You stare up at him over your bowl of cereal. “Why?” you ask, mouth full.

“You don’t remember?” Your mom sits down just across from you. “The Lees are moving back in today, and we’ve invited them to dinner!”

Your brain buffers for a good few minutes before you finally recall your dad saying something about “dinner with the Lees when they come back” a couple weeks ago. “I didn’t know they already came back.”

“Well, they are.” Your mom’s fingers tap on the table with excitement. “You have your research, but we’ll be helping them move back in today, and then they’re coming over for dinner. We’ll probably already be home before you get back, so try not to look too messy, okay?”

Wincing, you remember the several still-recovering formic acid burns on your forearms from several days ago. You can’t hide those. “I’ll do my best,” is all you promise.

So that afternoon, instead of staying behind and chatting with a few friends, you find yourself walking down the sidewalk to the front of your house much earlier than usual. There are new cars in the driveway next door.

With the sunflowers beginning to bloom on your and your neighbors’ lawns, it feels eerily similar to the day Juyeon and his family left.

A slight wave of nervousness roils in your stomach. Quickly, as you walk up the pathway to your house, you try to untangle your hair with your fingers, straightening out your shirt as best as you can. As tired as you are, you don’t want to make a bad impression on your parents’ good friends. You don’t exactly want to look horrible in front of Juyeon, either. Even though he probably doesn’t have any idea what you look like anymore.

With a deep breath, you grip the doorknob and twist. It’s locked.

Frowning, you look down at the unmoving handle. Your parents must’ve locked it by force of habit when they came back.

So you knock.

Literally nothing could have prepared you for the boy who opens the door several seconds later to your pounding. He’s tall, muscled, with fine features and a curious look in his eyes, and he looks vaguely familiar.

For several seconds, the two of you just stare at each other, neither saying a word. As you’re trying to figure out why a really hot guy is at your house right now, a much more familiar woman appears in your line of vision, smiling widely as she holds out her arms to you. “Oh, my!” she cries, pushing past the boy to wrap you up in a hug. “I haven’t seen you in so long! You’ve grown so much!”

“Hi, Mrs. Lee,” you reply, still trying to figure out who the tall boy is. It isn’t until she starts pulling away that you realize he has her nose and her eyes.

Huh?

Then –

Fuck.

Oh, fuck.

Oh, fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

You nearly stumble back into the door from shock. “JUYEON?”

. . .

Juyeon thought his feelings for you had disappeared, he really did. When he moved away and thought he was never coming back, he took the love he’d held for you for so long, put it into a box at the back of his heart, locked it, and threw the key away. And as the years slowly passed, one after another, the box slowly disappeared from the forefront of Juyeon’s mind. He never forgot about it, but memories of you eventually stopped plaguing his mind day and night.

But that box never disappeared, not really. He thought it did, thought it dissolved into nothing over the years. Instead, it stayed, small but there, waiting for the right moment to burst and flood his body with the feelings he’d so carefully packed away so long ago.

That right moment is apparently when he opens the door to see a face he really never thought he’d ever see again.

Juyeon doesn’t recognize you, not at first. At second glance, he can pick out some distinct features that stayed the same (namely the sparkle in your eyes that hasn’t changed, even after all this time away). But during those first moments when he opens the door, he just stands there, trying to figure out who this person in front of him is.

Then it hits him, and the box of feelings explodes just as his mom starts pushing him away to wrap you in a hug.

You clearly don’t recognize him, judging by the curious looks you keep giving him over his mom’s shoulder. That makes Juyeon self-conscious – he hasn’t changed that much from when he left, has he? – and the embarrassment only compounds when you stumble back into the door, eyes widening as you yell his name in shock.

So, suffice to say, the conversation between you two at dinner is almost nonexistent. You look like you want the ground to eat you alive in your seat across from Juyeon, eyes barely looking up throughout the whole meal, talking only when someone asks you a direct question. Meanwhile, Juyeon’s stuck in his head.

Why, he despairs, didn’t these feelings actually disappear? Why does he still want to look into your eyes, get lost in your gaze like he used to so many years ago? Thoughts spin in circles in his head, thoughts of how you’ve changed and how you’ve stayed the same and how, oh God, his heart still races like no tomorrow when you meet his eyes for the briefest second before looking away out of embarrassment.

Juyeon needs a moment. He needs a moment to breathe, to think, to reason himself through this whole situation, which is why he volunteers to wash the dishes after dinner. Your mom starts praising him for being a perfect son and he dutifully lowers his head in embarrassed acknowledgment, thanking the heavens that he’ll have a moment to actually think, before she then looks at you to ask, “Why don’t you help Juyeon too?” and the world starts crumbling around his feet.

In perfect tandem, the two of you start picking up empty plates and bowls and carrying them to the kitchen sink. The adults make their way to the living room, laughing and chattering loudly, which only makes the potent silence between you two more prominent.

“I can wash,” you offer awkwardly, still barely able to look Juyeon in the eye (which is perfectly fine, because he thinks he might combust if you do just that). “You can dry? If you’re all right with that.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Juyeon tries to flash a smile, hoping it isn’t too shaky (the thumping in his heart makes it feel like the world is trembling around his feet). As the water runs and you start passing plates over to him, he does his best to ignore how close you are, how easy it would be to accidentally brush your arm with his.

Silence reigns until half the dishes are dry, and then you open your mouth. “Sorry about earlier,” you blurt, embarrassment and shame visible on your face. “I, uh, didn’t recognize you at first. Freaked out for a second.”

It’s surprisingly easy to laugh at that, to laugh at a statement that’s so blatantly you. You still haven’t changed, Juyeon thinks – you’re still the same bluntly apologetic friend he was in love with four years ago. It cheers him when your lips begin to turn up at his burst of laughter, face still embarrassed but beginning to warm with some happiness. “It’s okay,” he says, drying the next plate. “I didn’t recognize you either, not at first.”

“Well, I guess we can say that we’ve both changed,” you acknowledge, finally looking up fully.

Your smile could bring legions to their knees, Juyeon thinks. It certainly stops his hands from drying the next dish – in fact, he almost drops it. Even though the curve of your lips is small and he can’t see all of your teeth, the sparkle in your eye more than makes up for it. “Yeah,” he breathes. “Yeah.”

The two of you scrub dishes for the next few minutes in quiet again. Juyeon has no idea what you’re thinking, but he’s just trying to calm the beating in his heart.

This is not how he expected to feel when he moved back. Not at all. What he’s feeling isn’t even just everything he locked away at the end of seventh grade – somehow, the emotions have multiplied, compounded over years of neglect, and now he’s getting the full force of it.

“My mom wants us to be friends again,” you say, breaking the silence once again. “What do you think about that?”

Um, what the fuck is that supposed to mean? Juyeon thinks. Do you want to be his friend again? Or are you only trying to be nice to him for the sake of your parents?

“Well.” Juyeon bites his lip. “If you want to be friends again, I’d like that. But if it’s, um, just because of your mom, we don’t have to.”

At that, you smack a rubber-gloved, soapy hand against your head, shrieking slightly when you realize there are suds in your hair. Juyeon laughs, really laughs as he hands you a towel from a nearby rack. “God, I’m a fucking mess,” you groan, wiping the bubbles from your forehead. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that. I don’t want to be your friend again just because of our parents, that was just the only way I could think of to bring up the topic and yeah, I should’ve thought this out, I’m a fucking idiot.”

“Didn’t you get into one of the most prestigious research camps in the country?” Juyeon counters, hands moving automatically to take the towel from you and wiping off the suds himself. “You’re not an idiot.”

“Yes, I am.” You sigh. “I think it’d be nice to be friends again. If that’s fine with you.”

With your words fluttering in his heart, it takes Juyeon a good moment to realize he’s been standing with the towel pressed against your head for a full few seconds. Heat rising to his ears (he hopes you don’t see that), he quickly wipes off the last of the bubbles and returns the towel to the rack. “That’d be nice,” he echoes softly. “I’d like that.”

The smile you give him, tentative but much wider than before, makes Juyeon feel like he’s flying. He’s so far gone, he thinks, drying the last dish. He’s only seen you again for a few hours, and already your smile has him feeling some kind of way.

He’d follow that smile, he thinks. He’d follow that smile anywhere, just like one of the sunflowers on your lawn outside chasing the sun from dawn to dusk. That’s all he is, after all. A sunflower, following the light of your smile.

And as you look up, eyes scrunched as he says something to make you laugh, Juyeon doesn’t think he minds.

Not in the slightest.

[writingsfromhome]

Winner’s Choice

A/N: I only have series-type ideas in mind, so I’m trying to write out short one-shot type fics instead just to pump the breaks a little. Any ideas are welcome but here’s my go at this: you lost a drinking contest to Harry and winner decides a tattoo for the loser...

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

"3...2...1...GO!"

I lift the mug to my face and down the beer, ignoring how it splashes over the new top I had worn today. I should've know going out with Harry & Co meant I was getting messy.

Just a second apart, I slam my mug down.

"That was Harry!" The crowd shouts. "Harry's won!"

"It was tied!" I try to shout, ignoring Harry's smug face as his ego rises with the crowd's voice.

"I say rematch!" I shout.

"Don't be a sore loser, love!" Harry shouts at me. I stick my tongue out and hold my empty mug up, declaring louder I wanted a rematch. My swimming head tries to reason with me that it may not be a good idea but I needed to redeem myself.

Harry and I were good friends, I worked as an actor in the industry he dabbled in. And when he laughed at a stupid joke I made one day a few years ago, I'd latched onto him and we'd just become part of each other's lives since.

I moved across the pond from my childhood town in Maine when I turned 21 for an acting job, and have stayed since flitting from role to role. I missed my family and friends but moving here was also the best thing I did for myself. It did get lonely...which was why meeting Harry was also one of the best things to happen to me. Over the first year of knowing him, his friends became my friends and vice versa. I called them all Harry& Co. especially when I was drunk, all their faces blurred into each other and there were too many of them. Except for Harry. His face always stood out from a crowd. Being around him usually cured the ache I had for home.

"If I go again, you've got to put something on the table." Harry finally agrees. The crowd shouts out inappropriate things I could put down and I flip them off. I catch my friend's eye and she gives me a cautious look but I shake my head. I was having fun tonight.

"Loser gets a tattoo of the winner's choice. Tonight." Harry announces and the group goes crazier. My own mouth drops. I had to win this, knowing Harry he would do something ridiculous like his face on my ass. And this was the first time I lost to Harry, I could do this.

"Deal," I shake on it.

"Wait!" My friend tries to reason with us but we pull our mugs supplied by the crowd, closer to us.

"3...2...1...Go!"

I black out downing it but somehow, Harry's mug clashes down millisecond before mine does. A silence descends the room before Harry laughs. And suddenly everyone is shouting, cheering, throwing out tattoo ideas, and one voice is just shouting long live Harry over and over.

"I...." my mouth doesn't close on it's own, I lost. I rarely lost a drinking contest. But...Harry had me beat.

"Fair and square," Harry maneuvers around the table to sit beside me.

"I lost." I say, dumbstruck.

"It happens to the best of us, eventually." Harry kisses my cheek before jumping up and taking my hand. "Celebration dance."

I let him drag me to the dancefloor, trying to bring my mind back to reality. I was going to get a tattoo. My first. "Harry-Harry!" I try to get his attention. "Nothing ridiculous?"

"No promises," he winks. The alcohol sloshes in my brain as he pulls me into him and moves from side to side.

"Harry!" I shout out.

"You'll see," he grins, enjoying my torture way too much. "Just dance now."

His voice in my ear tickles, and I feel fluttery, far away. Some part of me knows that sober me was going to be pissed at drunk me.

I dance with Harry, following his lead, eventually drifting off to my friends, some strangers, and back to him.

"Should we get that tattoo now?" Harry says in my ear then.

"Maybe..." I try to put on my best convincing voice on. "We should wait for tomorrow."

"Nope!" Harry shouts gleefully. "Let's go now!"

"Nothing's open!" I shout but I was lying and he doesn't believe me for a second. I sigh, and find my friends to say goodbye. They try to tell me I didn't have to follow through but I know Harry would get this done one way or another. I may as well get it done while I was drunk and blame it on that.

The cold outside reminds me I left my coat inside, and when I come back out Harry's jumping up and down to keep warm. It makes me laugh but he quickly tugs on my arm. We run to stay warm towards wherever he decided this was going to happen.

It's a few blocks away, a sterile looking place with crazy colours on the walls that I realise are tattoo designs. The warmth inside the studio makes me shiver and Harry wraps his arm around me as we walk through.

"Harry nothing unprofessional please? I don't want to get fired from a job I don't even have." The cold air had sobered me up a bit and I was starting to regret this even more.

"Don't you trust me?" He asks with a glint to his eye that I didn't trust. "Wait here."

I sit down while he goes to talk to the artist, showing her his phone, pointing to various parts of his body.

"Y/N! Come on!"

I drag my feet over and glare at him as I settle in.

"You'll have to take your shirt off," Harry lets me know.

"You're picking where I get it too?" I ask.

"That's part of the deal!"

"I should've read the fine print," I grumble. Harry shows the artist the side of my rib cage-my shirt was still on but his finger traces a small curve up and down where he wants to place it. It sends butterflies to my stomach.

"Okay," I grab his hand so he could stop doing that. It wasn't helping my nerves. "Let's get this over with. But you can't stay."

"Yes I can," Harry insists. "I make up the rules."

"If I have to take my shirt off, he goes." I look at the girl giving me my tattoo and she shrugs, looking over at Harry. He sighs but agrees.

I take my shirt off and have to hike my bra strap higher, ready to settle into the torture.

"Please tell me it's nothing crude? His face included? Or a stupid message like Y/N hearts Harry?"

The artist laughs, "I'm not allowed to tell you anything apparently but from one girlfriend with a crazy boyfriend to another. It's not. Don't worry, just relax."

I try to tell her Harry wasn't my boyfriend but she turns away and I decide it wasn't worth it. I'd explained that a million times to my own mom who always asked if we'd gotten together yet. It was embarassing, my family back home was convinced we were having a secret affair. I stopped wasting my breath nowadays.

"So, do you get this kind of request often?" I try to make small talk.

"More than you think," the cold of whatever she spreads on my skin makes me shiver. I sort of wish Harry was here, to keep me distracted. I pull my phone out and text him.

"I'm back," his head pops in a few minutes later. The tattoo artist looks to me to make sure I was okay.

"Just talk your usual shit so I don't have to think about what I agreed to," I call out. He sits beside me but he falls silent. When I lift my head to look at him, he's staring at me. "Hey!"

"Sorry, I was thinking about the other tattoos I'm going to beat you into getting."

I roll my eyes, but my skin warms under his gaze. "I'm never agreeing to something like this ever again. You got me while I was weak."

"I'll convince you to get another tattoo again," Harry rolls closer to me. He rests his arms on my leg and leans his head on it.

"My leg's going to fall asleep," I warn him.

"Then we'll put another tattoo there," he smiles.

And back and forth we go, he keeps me distracted, and for the most part, the tattoo process is okay. I'm barely listening as she begins to tell me about its aftercare, she'd already said she would give me a pamphlet and Harry had plenty experience, I could ask him.

"Do you want to see it before I wrap it up?" She asks me. From what I felt, it was at least a few inches long and a bigger tattoo was too scary for me to think about.

"I need something to drink before I look at it," I say. "But I know if I don't like it it's his fault not yours."

"You'll love it," Harry pulls me to him and presses a wet kiss to my cheek. I push him away aggressively and agree to be bandaged. I tell Harry he owed me a few beers before I looked at it and he agrees. He purchases some on our way back to my place along with some food. The train ride home is mostly filled with him gloating but I suffer through it, imaging the worst case scenarios.

Back at my place, I stand in front of the full length mirror in my room, deathly afraid. I had waited nervously, threw back a couple of beers and shoved excessive pizza in my mouth. Harry seems more excited than me for the reveal and finally he joins me upstairs.

"So?" He asks, eyes on me in the mirror.

"Fine." I decide. I peel my shirt off slowly and Harry helps, I try to ignore the way my knees turn into jello at the sight of him doing that. "Fine."

My bra is crooked and I act as casual as possible that Harry is still standing behind me. I slowly peel the bandaging off, Harry comes around to help. I close my eyes as he finishes and count to three in my head. When I see it, my heart stops.

"Do you like it?" Harry asks like a kid on Christmas morning. He's buzzing with nervous excitement but all I can do is stare at the simple tattoo as my heart swells.

A few inches big, covering the side of my ribcage, is a twig of wild blueberries: a symbol of home.

"How did you..." I'm at a loss for words. My first tattoo. I just got my first tattoo, and it was...perfect.

"Well, you're always taking about how you miss home. And you rarely get to go back because of your schedule. And I looked up the official things for Maine, didn't think you wanted a moose so I-"

I shut him up by kissing him; that was the only possible response to this. He'd tricked me into getting the most perfect tattoo and if I was ever unsure before I was sure now that I loved Harry Styles. He knew me. His choice of tattoo made that clear. And I loved him.

"Woah," Harry steadies my shoulders when we part.

"It's perfect," I say, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "I don't know what else to say."

"I should've got you a tattoo a long time ago," he says before kissing me again. I could do this forever, I think, as I bury my hands in his hair.

His hand brushes the open tattoo and I flinch. It didn't hurt, but it was slightly sore.

"Sorry," he apologises against my lips. "We should probably take care of that."

"Ugh, wait." I kiss him one last time. "Where's that info sheet-"

"It's okay, c'mon." He leads me into the bathroom and sits me down on the countertop. I watch as he carefully washes his hands and washes the area. He knows where everything is. His face is scrunched in concetration as he washes and dries it. I marvel at how the evening started with his chaotic public personality to this gentle version here.

"This is gonna be cold," he warns before applying jelly over the whole thing. "Don't sleep on this side."

"I won't. I don't really plan on sleeping at all," I grab his shirt and pull him back up to me. I feel him smile as I kiss him, and he pushes me as far back as I can go before I hit the mirror behind me. I can tell he wanted this as bad as I did, and if it weren't for the tattoo we would be a roughened jumble on my bed right now.

"Bad night for a tattoo," he rests his forehead on mine.

"A tattoo can't stop me," I say. "Let's go." I lead him back to my bed and unclasp my bra. "I probably shouldn't be wearing this anyway."

"Fuck," Harry's mouth hangs open but before I can grow self conscious, he strides over and crashes into me. He doesn't bother with holding back, although he avoids my right side. But it doesn't even matter as I simultaneously forget every sense I have and feel every single nerve in my body at the same time as he takes me to bed.

After, when we lay facing each other on the bed, Harry uses his finger to trace my face. When he reaches my mouth, I kiss his finger. "Thanks. Tonight was...great."

"If you think tonight was great, wait until your tattoo heals." He swipes down my nose.

"I was only talking about the tattoo," I tease. "The rest of the night was...okay."

"Okay?" He immediately perches up.

"Yeah. Like...a 6 out of 10?"

He turns on his back and laughs, "You're in so much trouble. You better watch what you say next!"

"I'm not afraid of you--you had your chance with the tattoo and you chose something lovely."

He turns back to me, pressing a kiss to my lips. "You have to trust me."

"I do...usually." I smile. Harry rests his hand on my hip and zones out, his mind elsewhere. The silence stretched out and I can't help but ask.

"So...tonight isn't like, a one time thing right?" I was going to wait to ask but my nerves needed to be soothed. I also didn't want things between Harry and I to be in a gray area. He meant too much to me.

"No, unless...you want it to be?"

"No!" I nearly shout. "Only the tattoo part. Everything else, I'd like again."

"Okay, good." He slides closer to me under the duvet. "Because I wouldn't mind putting a label on this and-"

"Done." I say, not caring how eager I sounded because the grin that splits his face shows the same eagerness.

I mentally apologise to all the people I scolded who asked when Harry and I would get together. As I nuzzle my head into his chest, and he drapes his arm around me, I just think about how right it feels and why I didn't do it sooner. Tonight was a crazy night of bad decisions but every single outcome was perfect.

"I love you Y/N," Harry says after a while, I thought he'd already fallen asleep. I peek out from my position and his eyes are closed. I wait a moment but they remain closed.

I snuggle back in and suppress the urge to squeal. This night felt too good to be real, like I would wake up tomorrow morning and realise it was all a drunk-hallucination. And on the off chance that might be true, I wrap myself tighter against him and whisper the words back, hoping that he was awake enough to hear them.

When his arms tighten around me, I fall asleep happy, knowing he knows too. Maybe tomorrow morning, I would say it again.

[myheelsdontmatchmysweatpants]

This is my first collab fic and I could not be more excited! I'm so thankful that I can be part of the group!

The AU for this month was Sex Work. The Masterlist for this collab can be found here. Please take some time to check out everyone's contributions! There are other fics and amazing art!

That being said here is my fic, big BIG shout out to @doinmybesthere for being an amazing beta reader and sweet angel bb. ily Emme!

Please please please read the warnings. They are there for a reason!

Warnings: consensual noncon, mentions of being burnt, stabbing and blood; no prep penetration, disrespectful use of the word "whore", blackmail, psychological abuse?, Mineta (nuff said) he gets what's comin to him

You’re in the doctor’s office getting a regular checkup when you overhear the nurses in the station next to you talking.

“Look! They posted the new hero rankings today.”

“I forgot those were today, too bad they can’t have the conference during the pandemic. I miss seeing Deku all cute and blushing.”

“FUCK” In your brief moment of panic you forgot where you were. You cringe and look at the nurses, trying your best not to look like you were gonna be sick. “Sorry ladies, didn’t mean to yell.” No point in offering an explanation. You wouldn’t be able to tell them anything anyway.

As you very impatiently wait for your blood results to come back you check the tacky red cell phone you have to keep with you at all times. You had put it on silent since you were in the doctor’s office and you were glad you did. Taking a quick look at your screen had your stomach dropping into your ass.

M.M: Gonna move my appointment up to today.

M.M: You better get ready. I’m not happy.

M.M: I’m sure you saw the postings. Number 36.

M.M: I made sure to pay for any accidents in advance.

M.M: I’ll see you tonight.

Why does he have to be so fucking horrible? Accidents my ass.

The messages make your skin crawl, you should have figured the hero rankings would piss him off but honestly you never paid enough attention. With a heavy sigh you opened up your web browser and pull up the list.

“Number 36...number 36…. Number 36…” When you finally reached the hero you were looking for, you let out a sigh.

Hero Ranking Number 36: The Rainy Season Hero Froppy

Well at least you had her outfit already, for some reason she was one your client asked for a lot. Not that you wanted to ask him why, not with the way his black eyes looked whenever he saw you dressed up like her.

I don’t know if I should feel glad that he isn’t actually taking this out on her. Or upset that I’ve had to deal with this for months.

“L/N, Y/N?” The doctor walks up holding their clipboard and closing the privacy screen. Your file almost too much for the metal clip at the top. “Your test results came back negative and your burns seem to have healed very well. I would tell you that any strenuous activity should be avoided but we both know you can’t do that.”

Their poor attempt at humor had your stomach rolling. “Haha anyways Doc, I think I’m gonna need another medkit to take home today. I can schedule my next appointment online, right?”

You can’t handle the thinly veiled pity in their eyes and look down, reaching over to your side to grab your purse. You hear them moving around and a dark blue plastic box is put on your lap.

“If I remember correctly this is your favorite color, right? You are able schedule an appointment online but if you would like I can schedule it for you. How about in two days? Afternoon work for you?”

You look up after clutching the kit to your chest, you know they are just trying to be nice. All of the nurses are especially nice to you and as endearing as it might be to some people, to you it just feels dirty.

“Afternoon is perfect, thanks Doc.” You get up and walk towards the privacy screen. Before leaving you stop for a moment “Blue ismy favorite color.”

As you make your way back to your living quarters you scroll through the internet looking at every picture of the Pro-Hero Froppy you can find. Your quirk can project a person’s desires onto your body by reading them in their eyes. It’s easier when the person has a clear view of what or who they want. However, your client’s desires are such a jumbled mess that it’s easier if you know what it is beforehand.

Hopefully, I can act like her enough that I don’t have to look at his desires this time. I can’t stand how disgusting they make me feel.

You pass by a few familiar faces on your way back to your rooms but don’t pay them any mind. They in turn leave you alone, most of them knowing that when you have that look on your face you were in a mood.When you first were offered a position at the brothel you thought it would be easy money. You had been stripping for several years, known for how you looked different to everyone who saw your dancing. The beautiful, enchanting, flexible Erised. You had built up your quirks ability to be able to project almost a full clubs worth of desires. Sure, it caused extreme fatigue and chronic migraines but the money you raked in was well worth it.

A few months ago

After an especially successful night a patron walks up to you after you leave the stage.

“I have a job opportunity for you, courtesy of my employer.” He hands you a card you read “Heroes Consulting Agency” in bold silver letters.

“I’m a stripper hun, not sure I can do the type of consulting you’re looking for.” You go to hand it back, but they put their hand up.

“I’m afraid I must insist, why don’t we treat you to lunch and you can listen to our proposal?”

You put your hand back down and study them. They are dressed in a white button up with a vest, definitely out of place in a strip club. You would look in their eyes, but they didn’t really have any, their whole body seemed to be made of dark smoke. You don’t work in the nicest of places so someone with their kind of full body quirk isn’t unusual.

“Alright, I give. I’m not really one to pass up free food.” The rational side of your brain is telling you that you have more than enough money to buy your own food but the stingy part telling you to take it while you can is a little louder.

“Excellent choice Miss Erised. Someone will meet you at the address on that card tomorrow at around 5pm? Should give you enough time to recover from the side effects of your quirk.” They give a slight bow and walk off towards the exit, a large something getting up from a seat and following closely behind.

Sam, one of the waitresses walks up to you with a tray filled with drinks. Her normally short stature elevated with high heeled leather boots. “Did you know that person Y/N?”

Oh man, I do not have the energy for this.

You turn to her and survey the tray before grabbing something that looked like a fruity cocktail. “No, but they offered me a job. Gonna go have lunch with them tomorrow.” Sipping from the glass you tuck the card into your bra, making sure to not show it to the girl.

“That’s weird, don’t they know you’re a stripper? What is someone dressed that nicely want to hire you for? Also did that person look familiar to you or is that just me?” Any normal person wouldn’t be able to keep up with her unending questions, but you had known her for years. The tray in her hands tips dangerously to the left but she balances it out without a second thought.

Guess she does have to be quick on her toes to be a waitress at a strip club.

“They were here for my dance so yes they do know, either way I’m getting free food so…”

She huffs, aware of your attitude for anything “free”.

You finish the drink and place the empty glass back taking a couple bills from your bag and tucking them into her apron.

“Thanks for the drink Sam, but I gotta leave before my headache hits.” You walk off before she can say anything further. You really wanna be nice to her but her endless energy really gets on your nerves sometimes.

By the time you make it to your modest apartment, you can feel the pain starting behind your eyes. You drop your stuff by the door without turning on any lights and walk to the box safe hidden in the kitchen. After you make sure all the money is secure you grab a glass of water and head to the bedroom. The bottle of pain killers already set out on your nightstand. You should really take a shower but for now, you strip down, take a few pills, drink the whole glass of water, and lay down. It takes a while for the pills to kick in but once they do you finally fall asleep.

When you finally wake up the next morning your headache is gone, and you have to piss like no one’s business. You grumble as you stretch your tight sore muscles and get up to go to the bathroom. After taking care of business, you get into some light clothes and walk into the kitchen to make some food. Thankfully, you had some leftover rice and spam in the fridge, so you pop that in the microwave. You put the kettle on for some green tea and down another glass of water as it heats up.

Remembering the offer from yesterday and the promise of free food you pad over to your pile of things by the door and grab their card. It’s sleek looking with a plain black background and silver lettering. The address isn’t something you recognize right away so you look it up on your phone.

“What the fuck?” Why is this place in a business park?

You scroll down and check the street view; the building is a high rise surrounded by a mostly empty parking lot. The entrance of the building is blurred, probably to keep the privacy of anyone entering or exiting.

“Well, I guess it’s a nice gig. Better dress the part.” Or maybe you’re gonna get murdered.

“Wow, I really have to stop watching all those true crime shows.” You put the card in your wallet and head back to the kitchen. The microwave beeps and the kettle whistles shortly after. When you’re done eating you put the dishes in the sink to soak and head to the bathroom to finally take a shower.

By the time you have finished showering the whole bathroom is filled with steam and your body has a pink flush to it. You open the door to air it out and finish cleaning up for the day. Your outfit consists of your nicest jeans with ankle boots, a long sleeve blouse and a dark cardigan. You grab one of your smaller over the shoulder purses and leave your apartment.

One of the things you allowed yourself to really splurge on was a car. Public transportation was not as reliable as it could be and with your hours not the safest either.

By the time you make it to the building the sun is starting to set, giving the sky beautiful pink to blue coloring. As you park and get out of your car a young woman walks up to you.

“Welcome Miss Erised! Please follow me and I will escort you through the building.” The woman’s blonde hair is in two messy buns, her face childlike. Her voice was high pitched enough to grate on your nerves a bit, but you ignored it.

As you follow the person through the lobby you take a glance around. Looks like a high-end hotel lobby. There is a front desk area with a marble counter top, women that are dressed in matching button ups with their hair up in buns or ponytails. Random potted plants and small trees dot the area, and a nice chandelier hangs in the middle of the ceiling. No one besides the women at the front desk are in the area.

“Doesn’t seem to be busy right now.” You didn’t even really mean for her to hear you, but she did, and you sounded like an asshole.

They turn their head slightly with a knowing smirk. “It would seem that way wouldn’t it?”

Conversation halts while you stand in the elevator which you were thankful for. They had chosen a floor close to the middle of the building, which gave you just enough time to rethink your life choices.

By the time you got to your floor you are tired of the silence. Normally you hate small talk, but you figured you would give it a shot. “Do you like your job?”

The woman turns to you and smiles, here canines peeking out a bit while shrugging her shoulders. “It keeps me busy, plus I get to make so many friends.” The gleam in her eyes flashes menacingly for a quick second, you decide to pretend you didn’t see it.

As you get to the end of the hall, she opens a door and gestures you inside, closing it behind you. There is a nice desk to the left of the door, other than that the room is sparce. The person sitting in the chair has quite an eclectic look about him. Grey hair parted to the side, shrew eyes behind circular wire rimmed glasses, a gold chain peeks out from the slightly open white button up with a purple blazer. He reeks of cigarette smoke the evidence of his habit tossed into the half-filled ash tray on the desk.

“So nice of you to join me Miss Y/N. Why don’t you have a seat, we can talk about your new position.” He gestures to the only other chair a smirk on his face that shows of his missing tooth.

“I haven’t accepted the job yet Giran, and I thought I told you I don’t want to work for you.” You aren’t used to seeing him in this type of place. But you do know him so there is no need to put on a show. You lean back in the chair and cross your arms.

“How rude of me, you won’t be working for me, but I have been given authority to hire for this company.”

You don’t bat an eye; most large companies use outside help for hiring. “What is this position you would like offer me?”

“This company provides heroes with a way to alleviate their… desires in a safe and discrete way.”

“So, you hire prostitutes for heroes to have sex without worrying about anyone telling the press about it.”

“That is correct.”

“I don’t know if your just stupid or if you forgot but I’m a stripper not a hooker.” You sit up in your chair fully ready to leave the room.

“They would provide you with a fully furnished apartment, medical coverage with 24/7 access to their fully trained medical staff. Any cash given to you by your clients you can keep, however they would take a percentage out of the money they initially pay for your services.”

“Let’s say I’m a little interested, how much is the initial pay for my services?” You want to deny the offer, nothing wrong with having sex for money but it isn’t really your thing.

Giran doesn’t answer right away, instead putting out what is left of his cigarette only to pull another one out of his blazer and lighting it up. “The starting hourly rate is $2,500 an hour, they would take 30 percent from that.”

Holy shit, that’s as much as I make in a day and I would be making it an hour? You keep your face neutral but something in your eyes must have tipped him off.

“You would start tomorrow; most clients keep a contract with their favorite employee and we actually have someone lined up for you already. He has extremely specific tastes and you are the perfect person to fill in.”

“I’ll have to talk to the club owner; would it be possible to start later?” You don’t want to seem to eager, especially not in front of him.

“I don’t see that as a problem, they can give you one week but that’s it.”

You stay silent, making it look like you’re thinking about it. After a moment you lean forward in your chair and stick your hand out. “Sounds like a deal to me.”

Giran grabs you hand and gives it a firm shake. “If you ever need help or have any questions call the number on the card. Now I believe you were offered dinner, let me take you to one of my favorite places.”

You let his hand go and rise from the chair. As Giran comes around the desk and walks towards the door, he stops for a moment and turns to you. “Welcome to the team.”

Dinner was actually genuinely nice; the food was good, and you were able to have a comfortable conversation with Giran. Of course, he didn’t tell you anything about himself, but you had no problems with that, you didn’t wanna share anything to personal about yourself either. He dropped you back off at your car after dinner and shook your hand again before driving off.

By the time you got home you had decided what you were gonna tell the club owner and mentally packed your apartment. Not wanting to take all of your things you moved most of it to a secure storage facility. Having had it for a few years already in order to store the overabundance of clothes you owned.

After the week was up you had quit your job and packed all of your belongings. You realize you don’t know where you are supposed to go so you pull out the card and call the number.

“Hello, how can I assist you?”

“Giran never told me where I would be moving my stuff to. Could you give me the address?” You pick at your nails while waiting for him to answer.

“Of course, Miss Erised. Will you be needing any assistance for your move?”

He sounds so polite; I wonder if he is always like this.

“No, I’ll be fine on my own thank you.”

He gives you the address and let you know that you can call if you need any additional information.

“Good luck Miss Erised.”

When you get back to your apartment you immediately go into the shower and wash up, using the tea tree oil that Froppy had said she uses in an interview.

I don’t understand how people can like this stuff, but he gets easier to handle if I smell like those women.

When you are done you towel dry your hair and make sure to lotion your whole body. When your hair is dry enough you straighten it and leave it down. He likes it better when its down.

You go to your closet and rifle through until finding the very skimpy version of Froppys hero costume. All it really has in common with the original is the tan harness and the green with black and yellow stripes. Otherwise, it is a one-piece bikini without a crotch. You grab your black leather over the knee boots and get dressed. After checking the time, you give yourself a moment to mentally prepare.

I hate this, I hate him. Disgusting filthy little bug. A false hero, a plague. I can’t wait to leave this place.

Standing in the middle of your room you close your eyes and take deep breaths, allowing your consciousness to drift. You have found that the best way to endure these sessions is to detach yourself from the situation. Only focusing on the absolute necessary and maintaining the effects of your quirk. Giving yourself another minute to get into character you walk to the door joining your apartment to the “service room”.

Thankfully, he hasn’t shown up yet, you shut the door hearing the lock click into place, the door seamlessly vanishing into the wall. Sitting on the edge of the bed you face the door that Mineta will walk through and wait.

No matter how many times we do this I never lose the feeling of wanting to vomit while bathing in bleach.

When he walks in you see that he is wearing his hero costume, as atrocious as it is. He never really deviated from the original design. You immediately start your performance.

“Mineta? What am I doing here? kero” You clasp your hands together in front of your chest and look around frightfully.

“Hello Tsu, what a pleasant surprise to see you here.” He walks up, taking off his gloves and throwing them to the side.

“I don’t understand, do you know where- “Your sentence is cut off, pain in your cheek sharp and hot.

“I don’t believe I gave you permission to talk Miss thirty sixth hero.” He stands there with his hand still up as you cup your cheek and look up at him, the tears in your eyes real. He pulls his hand back again as if to slap you and you flinch.

“Good girl, now finish taking off my outfit for me.” Mineta walks back a few steps and holds his arms out. Your fingers are clumsy as you take it of piece by piece.

Mineta abruptly grabs a fist full of your hair and yanks your head back. You grab his hand with both of yours trying to ease his grip.

“Do you think if you do it slow enough, I’ll get bored and go away?” He pulls harder. “Huh? You really think you’re gonna get out of this don’t you.” He tosses you towards the bed and you scramble to get back on your feet.

The tears in your eyes have started to spill over and you start babbling. “Please let me go Mineta, I don’t know what I did but please pleasejust forgive me kero. I won’t tell anyone about this just please don’t hurt me kero.”

He doesn’t answer you, just finishes taking off his outfit before he is walking towards you again, a vicious gleam in his beady eyes.

You back up until the back of your legs hits the bed. You open your mouth to speak but before you can utter a single word, he slaps you again.

“I told you not to speak unless I told you to once already. Now I’m gonna have to punish you, aren’t I?” He shoves you onto the bed and follows, using his knees to push your legs open he sits up and gives himself a few pumps.” No need to prep you, I want this to hurt.”

You are sobbing at this point, your hands covering your face when you feel him push into you. A scream rips out of your throat and you reach forward to push him away.

“You know Tsu, these meetups have been the best. I’m thinking next time I will find the REAL you and have even more fun.” He closes his eyes a leans his head back, fully immersed in only getting himself off.

To engrossed in his own world, he doesn’t realize that you have gone still. Your tears have stopped, and you have pulled your hands back from him.

DISGUSTING

“Find the real me?”

VILE

You break character, bringing your full consciousness back. You voice is just a whisper at first, so he doesn’t hear you, doesn’t stop thrusting.

FALSE HERO

“Find the REAL me?!” You are screaming at him now.

He finally stops, hearing you the second time. For a second you see fear in his eyes before they fill with rage.

MONSTER

“Hey! You better start doing the job I paid you for, I don’t come here for you to question me.” He lifts his hand up, as if to slap you again. Before his hand comes down you grab it, squeezing until he yelps in pain.

This job is over, he isn’t worth keeping around anymore.

“You think I give a shit about a little piss ant like you?!” As you sit up, he yanks his arm away and pulls out of you. Stumbling back, he starts shaking a finger in your direction.

“You can’t talk to me like that! You’re just a whore!”

You dart forward before he can put more distance between you and grab him by the neck. As you pick him up you snarl and let your quirk fade away.

“I may be a whore but I not a monster like you. You are just a fake hero, a plague on this world and I will get rid of every single one of you.” You throw him onto the ground still holding on to his neck and squeeze.

“In other news, Minoru Mineta also known as the pro hero Grape Juice has gone missing after several videos of him have gone viral. He was last seen leaving a brothel that has requested to remain nameless. The videos contain triggering scenes of the pro hero having relations with a prostitute while she is dressed in various hero suits the resemble his old female classmates. He even refers to them by name. The videos contain triggering images, and it is recommended to not seek them out. The original videos have since been taken down but are reuploaded onto the internet on several other sites. The prostitute shown in the videos has also gone missing. Any information on the whereabouts- “

The T.V. turns off, the voice of the news anchor no longer filling the dimly lit bar. The people present remain silent for a moment before a man with burns all over his body starts to laugh.

“You could have really fucked that up Doll. Good thing we got enough evidence.” You sneer at him, making sure you change your appearance to match your own desire. He flinches when he sees his own face.

“I wish you had cut him! There wasn’t enough blood to keep his appearance up for awfully long!” The young woman with two messy blond buns in her hair twirls a knife around.

“I’m terribly sorry Toga, but I didn’t have anything sharp with me.” You pick at your nails and look over at Kurogiri, who is busy pouring a glass of whiskey for Dabi. “Do I get a break after this one or do you and boss man have another gig for me?”

[h0neyjaehyun]

☁︎ 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 ☁︎

Summary // Tali decided maybe a little flirting won't hurt....oof.

Characters // Talia Flores + Jung Jaehyun(ft.Nct 127)

Era / Year // July 2017

Word Count //

Note // I would like to thank @woopetals for this🥰, ya girl was struggling anyway HAPPY BIRTHDAY OUR VALENTINE BOY JUNG JAEHYUN❤❤❤

"Hey cutie." Jaehyun came into her room laying beside her. She looked up from her book then looked back down and shook her head.

"So you not gonna acknowledge me?" Jaehyun looked offended. Tali looked at him.

"Oh, were you talking to me, I thought you were talking to someone named Cutie." She put a hand on her chest and acting dramatic. Jaehyun rolled his eyes about to leave.

"Ohhh no no no, stayyyy." She whined grabbing on to his shirt.

"Will you respond to me then?" He raised an eyebrow at her and gave her a teasing smile. She slighty lowered her head and pouted.

"Fine, but come on and lets go the cafè handsome." She said getting off her bed, poking his cheek along the way. He loaded for a second but shook it off thinking, no she just playing no way she is gonna keep this up.....

Boy was he wrong.

They left the dorm, and she had a cute smile on her face. Then she suddenly hooked her pinky to his and and took him to the elevator. He was surprised at the sudden contact, he knew he was screwed.

She was humming all the way to the cafe still hooking pinkys. He was just admiring her honestly, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

They made it to the cafe and they got their drinks. They sat down at a table near the back to privacy.

"Whats with you, why you such in a good mood?" Jaehyun asked really curious what got her such in a good mood. She smiled at him and came closer to his face looking him up and down, as he slighty backed away from the sudden closeness. She giggle at his action, she then whispered.

"You."

She quickly went back to her seat sipping on her coffee smiling innocently like she didn't make the handsome man infront of her freeze from her act.

"I- I-"

"shhhh,come one lets go get food and have a picnic." She interrupted him grabbed his hand and dragging him to get some chicken.

Jaehyun's brain malfunction a bit he's not gonna lie, he wasn't expecting that. They got the food and went to the Han River instead to get more privacy.

"Here Cutie." He said smirking, trying to feed her but he is extra close. He was in competition mode, no way he is letting Talia win this.

Tali looked at him she took the bite confidently moved back and hummed.

"Im disappointed Jaehyun." She sighed shaking her head. She then resting her head on her hand looking at him with a mechivious look on her face only a couple people have seen.

"I was hoping you would use your mouth to give me my food how disappointing." She said slightly eyeing his lips then cutely poking his cheek with a pout.

He has never been this surprised, its not the first time Tali has flirted back but its only little comments not full on flirting. His soul left his body, he was a still statue. Tali noticed this and started poking him to get back to the real world.

"Jaehyun~ come back."

"Oh- uh-" he stumbled around his words now fully realizing what just happened. She started giggling when she noticed his ears were turning red.

"Aww, wait I'm sorry, now I feel like I went too far." She said trying to cool his ears down with her hand.

"Oh n-no no your fine I wasn't expecting that." Now replacing her hands with his. She giggle again at his embarrassment, she looked up to the sky noticing it was getting dark.

"Come on mi Bon bon lets go home." She sighed grabbing his hand to get him up. He smiled at the nickname and shook his head. He cleaned up while she was getting smoothies.

"Wow, I really dug a whole for myself." He whispered to himself. He catched up with her and hooked his arm with hers and gave her a cheeky smile.

"Now whats got you in a good mood?" She questioned him with a smirk. He had a cheeky smile on display.

"Because I get to brag."

"Brag?"

"Yeah.." He said now getting a closer to her, while eyed him.

"Cause I had a date and with the one and only Tali when she is usually busy. Dont you have to work the rest of the week and next?" He questioned her for some reason getting more happy.

"Uh yeah why?" She asked him little confused. He chuckled.

"Well it looks like no one can take you out on a date now can they? Not when you are busy." He said smugly.

Then it hit her.

This man took her on a date, flirted with her and with the addition of her flirting back, on her last day off. No one can take her on a date for the rest next couple weeks because she has a comeback with Blackpink so she can't even have a mini date with the members because she wont even be around them.

She looked at him so offended.

"You...you did this...for what?" She questioned him as they make it to their building. He laughed at her question.

"I have bragging rights now, your last day, you flirting back willingly and good at it too." He said chuckling too. She just had a blank face internally regretting the past what 3 hours maybe a couple more of her life. But she then didn't, since she had fun.

She shook her head at him now suppressing a smile from coming to her face.

"What am I going to do with you Bon bon?" She said putting in the pin code to the dorm. Knowing that she now has to face the consequences of today. He chuckled once again and had a smile on his face. He wrapped his arms around her waist and head on her shoulder.

"Love me more." He said slyly.

"Ha in your dreams." She retored back now opening the door. She saw the boys in the living room chilling.

"Hey guys we are back." She said smiling at them while Jaehyun straighted up with a smug smile on his face but still has a hand around her waist.

"Buuub~" Haechan whinned going up to her about to hug her but Jaehyun's hand was in the way.

"Ay hyung move your hand." Haechan said trying to swat off his hand from her waist so he can hug her the way he wants.

"Nope." Jaehyun said now hugging her fully, pulling her away from Haechan.

"Heyyy." Haechan whinned holding on to Tali's arm.

"Where did you guys go anyway?" Doyoung asked ignoring Haechan's whinning.

"We went to-

"Went on a date."

Everything was quiet, the boys were processing what Jaehyun just said.

"WHAT" Haechan screeched out, making Tali srunch up a bit to Jaehyun's chest now giving him to opportunity to hug her tighter.

"But, WE MADE A DEAL NOT TO SPEND ALONE TIME WITH HER TODAY!" Taeyong yelled out feeling betrayed.

Now Tali was even more confused."What?"

"So we made a deal not to hangout alone with you on you last day off because it would make be unfair...to the rest of us." Johnny explaines now kinda embarrassed.

"I didn't even suggest it Tali did." Jaehyun pointed out. Tali made an offened face but then thought about it.....she did, didn't she.

"Well you came into my room and I was bored what else was I supposed to do?" She defened herself.

"So flirting with me was one solution?" He pointed out.

"Nah don't put that on me you flirted first."

"You flirted Tali?" Taeyong asked surprised.

"Yeah a little."

"A LITTLE?" "YEAH A LITTLE."

"N-" "Shhhh I'm going to my room peace people I have a schedule tomorrow." She shushed Jaehyun from talking, she went to her shared room with Mark as she shared a room with him in 127 dorm when she stayed over.

Everyone saw her close the door and then they looked back at Jaehyun offended.

"So you went to her first?" Taeyong asked sassily.

"Yeah, it was nice for the mattera fact and she flirted back too which was the best part." He bragged then started sipping his smoothie.

"Ah Jaehyun whyyy." Taeyong whined knowing damn well he can't spend time with her for the next 2 weeks.

"She wanted to, and I gave her what she wanted." He defended himself.

Haechan huffed also wanting to have a date with her since he hasn't been able to properly hang out with her. Then he thought of something.

"TALI~ COME AND CUDDLE WITH ME TONIGHT!" He yelled out for her waddling to her and Mark's room.

"NO COME CUDDLE ME INSTEAD." Yuta yelled out shoving Haechan out of the way heading towards to door.

Then everyone else joined in.

Jaehyun was now smiling smugly sitting on the island chair looking at the chaos he had made sipping on his smoothie.

"You are proud of yourself aren't you." Johnny said sitting next to him.

"You have no idea."