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miraculouswolf99 · 10 months

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This Is Halloween

Lila Salt and Chloe Salt. I do not know if France celebrates Halloween or not, but this idea was too good to pass up. It is a little late for Halloween, but I still wanted to post it.

"Why do you love Halloween so much, dude," Nino could not help but ask Adrien as they walked to school.

"I grew up on Disney, Nino," Adrien reminds his best friend. "They have some of the best Halloween movies outside the horror genre. Not to mention the best Halloween songs."

"You are never gonna stop loving Disney, are you, dude," Nino chuckled.

"Nope," Adrien smirked as he popped the 'P.' "And you can not blame me regarding their Halloween movies. Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, Twitches, Under Wraps, Nightmare Before Christmas, Haunted Mansion, Girl VS Monster. Nothing says Halloween, to me, like a good Disney Halloween movie!"

"You are probably the only person I have ever met who likes Halloween for the movies rather than for the candy," Nino laughed.

"Can you even imagine my dad letting me go out and get free candy," Adrien raised an eyebrow.

"That is... a very good point that I really should have seen coming," Nino said.

Adrien had taken full advantage of the fact that it was Halloween. His father could take a lot of things away from him, but it would most definitely NOT be Halloween. So, he had chosen a character from one of his favorite anime, Naruto. With his blond hair, he could not imagine being any other character. So, he was wearing the classic Naruto orange and blue jacket with a white collar, a white swirl with a tassel on the left side, and a red Uzumaki crest on the back. He also wore orange pants with a shuriken holster on his right knee, blue sandals, and a blue forehead protector.

Nino had chosen a different character. He had chosen Cyborg from the 2003 Teen Titans cartoon. Mostly because, in Nino's own words, Teen Titans Go is a crime against the Teen Titans. He, with the help of Alya and Marinette, used makeup to make the robotic half of his face. In contrast, Marinette used her fashion design skills to make more realistic-looking robotic arms and boots that did not keep him from being able to use his hands/fingers. He had already revealed his costume was approved by his little brother, which said something since Chris was a very tough critic.

Soon, the two of them walked into the school. Everyone around them was in costume, including the teachers. They made their way up to their classroom.

"Girl, how much makeup did you use," they heard Alya say as soon as they came in.

"Don't even get me started," Marinette giggled. "I will probably be in the shower all night to get this stuff off."

Looking over at the two girls, they definitely could see what the two were talking about. Marinette had decided to take advantage of her blue hair by becoming Lapis Lazuli from Steven Universe. Her entire face, as well as other visible parts of her skin, was covered with blue makeup to really make her look like the character. She used long blue gloves and blue tights to make her arms and legs also look blue along with a blue dress exactly like the one Lapis wore on the show before her look changed in the final season.

Alya, on the other hand, chose a much more simple look. She was dressed up as Valerie Gray from Danny Phantom. She was wearing a yellow camisole and orange skirt with yellow socks and white tennis shoes. She also wore an orange headband, golden earrings, an orange necklace, and two bracelets on each wrist, one golden and the other orange.

"Lookin' good, Red Huntress," Nino flirted with his girlfriend as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Did you seriously just expose my identity," Alya faked offense at Nino 'exposing' Valerie's anti-hero identity of Red Huntress.

"Hey, if I can't hide, then neither can you," Nino countered, using the fact that Cyborg can not hide who he is to his advantage.

"I can hide," Adrien declared as he put his hands together in a 'ninja' pose. "I am from the Hidden Leaf Village, so hiding is what I do best!"

"You really love getting into character, don't you," Marinette giggled.

"I can't help it when it is something as fun as this," Adrien grinned brightly. "I love Halloween!"

"Something that has been made clear pretty much since the end of September," Nino chuckled.

"I am mostly just surprised that your dad actually allowed you out of the house while wearing that," Alya giggled.

"My dad can control me any other day of the year, but I draw the limit at Halloween," Adrien declared.

"If only you had this confidence when dealing with your father every other day of the year," Lyon said as he and Vallia walked into the classroom.

The Greek twins had also embraced the holiday.

Lyon had chosen an anime character just like Adrien. Only, he was dressed as Gray Fullbuster from Fairy Tail. He was dressed in Gray's look from the first couple of episodes. Which was a long white coat with dark blue outlines and a high collar, dark green pants, and black boots that almost reached his knees.

Vallia, on the other hand, took a more elegant approach to Halloween. She had grown up with the Rainbow Magic fairy books by Daisy Meadows. So, she chose to dress up as India the Moonstone Fairy. She let down her hair and placed a single pink rose in her hair. She also wore a strapless white dress that reached down to just above her knees. All over her dress were spots of pink and blue with another pink rose being on the top right part of her dress. She was also wearing pink ballet flats since she could not find shoes that matched the ones the fairy was wearing on the book cover. She carried a fake wand while also wearing fake fairy wings.

"You take your whole 'Ice Prince' thing to a new level, Lyon," Alya commented.

"I am icy and I know it," Lyon smirked. "Just be glad I went with the version of Gray that actually has clothes on."

"I am sure there would be a lot of people that wouldn't mind you being that version of him," Nino chuckled. "Present company included."

"I would be jealous, but it's not like I can deny it," Alya laughed.

Lyon blushed, not used to people saying stuff like that to him. Sure, he knew when people had crushes on him, especially gold-digger girls who wanted access to his and Vallia's family fortune, but not in the way their friends were currently acting. Course, he knew it was all in good fun and teasing.

"You guys are going to ruin my brother's 'Ice Prince' persona if you keep this up," Vallia tells them.

"That blush ruins it enough without us saying else," Adrien smirked.

"I hate all of you," Lyon glared at them.

"Love you too, Lyon," Marinette giggled.

The rest of the class soon came into the classroom. All of them were in costume as well.

The girls were some of the first to arrive. Juleka, to the surprise of no one, was dressed up as Wednesday Addams from the Jenna Ortega show. Complete with a fake hand on her shoulder to represent Thing. Rose, also to the surprise of no one, came dressed as Princess Peach from Mario. She even wore extensions to make her hair longer to match the character. Alix was dressed up as Lavagirl from the classic Shark Boy and Lavagirl movie. Like Marinette, she took advantage of her hair. Mylene had channeled her dad and chose to dress up like a mime. She even chose to wear a black and white wig to go with her costume. Sabrina, who had been becoming more independent, embraced her own inner anime nerd by dressing up as Misty from Pokemon. She even wore Pokeball-shaped earrings.

The boys arrived close to the girls. Ivan decided to embrace his "title" as a "gentle giant" by dressing up as another "gentle giant" from TV, DJ from Total Drama. He even had a bunny stuffed animal with him to represent the bunny DJ adopted in the first season. Max wanted to throw it back in the face of all those who call him a nerd by dressing up as Steve Urkel. He was ready to start saying "Did I do that?" Nathaniel, who was also an anime nerd, had dressed up as Kirishima from My Hero Academia. However, he chose to dress in the school uniform since he did not want to wear Kirishima's shirtless hero costume. Kim, who was not afraid to show off what he had, came in dressed as Sin Cara from the WWE. Vallia was already drooling over seeing his bare chest.

Lila and Chloe were the last to enter the classroom. Of course, Chloe was dressed up as Queen Bee. They expected nothing less from the brat. Lila, much to Adrien's disgust, was dressed as Ladybug. She was clearly still trying to keep up the lie that she was the hero's best friend.

"I'm gonna go throw up, be right back," Lyon remarked before he and Vallia went to their seats behind Juleka and Rose.

"He might blush, but he is STILL the Ice Prince," Alya remarked.

"There is no doubt about that," Nino agreed with his girlfriend.

The class had pretty much had an unspoken agreement when it came to Lila. They did not really believe that Lila was lying about everything to them like Marinette said she was, but they also did not believe Lila whenever she would say anything bad about Marinette. So, they had all come to a silent agreement to simply keep Lila and Marinette away from each other and no longer try to get Marinette to be friends with Lila.

"Oh, Marinette, what an... interesting costume," Lila tried and failed to not sound jealous of Marinette's costume.

"I wanted to use my hair to my advantage," Marinette tried to keep things casual. "Plus, Alya and I have seen this show when we are babysitting together. So, I thought it was a great idea."

"Are you not worried about taking a character from a children's show," Lila tried to sneak in an underhanded comment.

"Who cares," Marinette shrugged. "There are people of all ages that enjoy shows that are usually meant for kids. Besides, Halloween is about fun no matter who you are dressed up as."

"I know that I always want to have as much fun as possible on Halloween," Adrien stated. "And I will use all my ninja powers to make sure no one can stop me!"

"Someone enjoys getting into character," Alix snickered.

"Can you all keep it down," Juleka said in her best Wednesday voice. "I am trying to ignore the bright sun in the sky. It burns my eyes."

"There are so many reasons why I enjoy having this girl as a friend," Lyon chuckled, enjoying Juleka going full-goth.

"Friends are as pointless as daytime is," Juleka stated.

"Is it wrong that even when I know it is Juleka, she still creeps me out," Nathaniel asked.

"I am pretty sure Juleka would be insulted if you were not creeped out by her right now," Rose stated.

"Probably the only person on the planet that takes pride in creeping people out," Vallia giggled.

"I say again, so many reasons why I like her being my friend," Lyon repeated himself.

Lila's eyes visibly twitched, which would be seen by anyone who was paying attention. It was obvious that she did not like how her attempt to get under Marinette's skin had failed so quickly. Not to mention how she also lost the attention on her just as quickly.

"Well, my costume is pretty self-explanatory," Lila said. "Of course, I had to dress up as my best friend."

"Ladybug appreciates anyone that dresses like her for Halloween," Marinette tried not to call Lila out on that lie. "I know that the girl I babysit, Manon, also wanted to dress as Ladybug."

"Well, my costume was designed and made by one of the biggest fashion designers back in Italy," Lila bragged.

Lyon yawned as she talked. He and Vallia had never been the type to hide how they felt about Lila. They never believed anything she said and often made it clear how they got bored of her constant talking. Lyon had even said to her face that he would rather rip his ears off than willingly listen to her non-stop talking.

"I wish I actually had ice magic so that I could freeze her mouth shut," Lyon commented to his sister.

"Maybe if I wave my wand at her enough, a moonstone will eventually come out of nowhere and knock her out," Vallia responded.

"I would pay literally anything for that to happen," Lyon said.

"Death comes for everyone, but maybe sooner for those that deserve it more," Juleka says.

She could obviously hear them from her seat in front of them. While most of the class was trying to be neutral in the 'Lila and Marinette Drama' there were those who did know the truth. Juleka, Nathaniel, and Kim were all aware that Lila was a liar. Juleka figured it out after it was revealed that Jagged was her and Luka's father, so she had "insider" information about Jagged never having had a kitten not writing a song about anyone other than Ladybug and Penny. Nathaniel was shown that she was a liar when Marc told him that Lila tried to say that she could introduce him to Stan Lee, even though he was dead. All Kim needed was to sit down with Marinette and listen to why she believed that Lila was a liar, which Marinette told him was because there was no way that Ladybug would befriend someone who would instantly boast about it on the Ladyblog, and he believed her since he had grown up with Marinette.

"You are really enjoying your costume, aren't you," Vallia giggled.

"Enjoyment is for those that try to make up for the fact that they live sad and lonely lives," Juleka stated.

"Are we sure that she is not possessed by Wednesday Addams rather than just dressing like her," Lyon joked.

"I will never tell," Juleka said.

"At this point, I would be seriously surprised if her birthday was not Halloween, Friday the 13th, or Dia De Los Muertos," Vallia says.

Rose looked like she wanted to tell Vallia the day of Juleka's actual birthday, but she chose not to just because she liked the joke.

"I would have asked her to make your costume as well, Marinette," Lila continued talking in her fake sweet tone. "But I know you don't like me."

"Her acting is not even that good," Adrien mumbled to himself, even though Nino could hear him.

"I would have said 'no' anyway," Marinette said. "After all, since I want to be a fashion designer, it is better to get as much practice as possible as a teenager. And Halloween is the perfect excuse to practice my craft."

"And my girl's got skills," Alya gave Marinette a side hug. "She even made me these bracelets for my costume since I couldn't find any in any store I tried."

"Besides, as much as you wanted to be Ladybug, being something so... predictable has never been my style," Marinette could not but throw in her own underhanded comment. "After all, even just from those in the bakery this morning and who I saw on my way to school, so many people were dressed as Ladybug. That has never been my style."

"It's true," Kim said. "Ever since we were kids, Marinette has always had the most unique and fun costumes on Halloween. However, nothing less can be expected from someone that lives in a bakery than for them to love a holiday all about sweets."

"I remember all of her costumes," Nino says. "And they have always been awesome. During that entire werewolf and vampire craze a few years ago, Marinette went against that and dressed like a fairy princess. The complete opposite of what everyone else was going for."

"That sounds adorable," Adrien said, unknowingly making Marinette blush.

Miss.Bustier soon came into the classroom, making everyone go to their seats. Much to the surprise of everyone, she was also in a costume. They all could not help but giggle and chuckle at how Miss.Bustier was dressed up as Miss.Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. She even had a fake lizard to represent Liz.

"Good morning, class," she says. "While I am sure all of you are excited about Halloween, it is still a school day."

"Can I just say that you actually look really nice as Miss.Frizzle, Miss.Bustier," Adrien commented after he was called on.

"Thank you, Adrien," Bustier smiled at him. "I used to teach elementary and would show episodes of the show to my class. So, I thought it would be nice to experience some nostalgia from those days."

"Memories are some of the best reasons to wear costumes like that," Marinette smiled at her.

Bustier smiled at them some more before she went to start her lesson.

"Alright, class, today we are going to..." Bustier started.

A slight wave of energy washed over all of Paris. It was barely noticeable, only noticed by those who have been involved with magic in the past. Which was technically all of them since they have either been akumatized or wielded a miraculous or both.

"Take chances, make mistakes, get messy," Bustier suddenly blurted out, shocking the entire class. "I'm sorry, class. I have no idea where that came from."

"I hope any mistakes made are deadly ones," Juleka in her Wednesday tone again.

"Okay, something feels wrong," Nino groaned almost in pain as he put his hand on his head.

"I'm glad that someone else feels that way," Lyon agreed with Nino.

"Is anyone else suddenly really hot, or is it just me," Alix started using her hand as a fan to try and cool herself down.

"If anything, I'm cold," Lyon shivered a little.

"Uh... Juleka," Rose looked nervous while speaking in the higher-toned 'Peach' voice. "Is that hand supposed to be... moving?"

"WHAT!" the class all yelled at the same time, looking at Juleka immediately.

Sure enough, the "fake" hand on her shoulder was moving. It suddenly jumped off Juleka's shoulder and was "standing" in front of her on her and Rose's desk. Everyone instantly jumped and moved away from the hand.

"You guys are going to hurt Thing's feelings," Juleka said.

"Juleka, the voice was fun before, but you are starting to really freak me out," Nathaniel stated.

"I don't... I don't think I can stop," Juleka actually sounded worried even in her lower Wednesday voice.

"Guys... I think she is being serious," Rose said.

Everyone got even more worried. Something was most definitely wrong. Juleka may be quiet, but she did not have a low voice like the one she was currently speaking in. And then just to add more freakiness to the situation, the previous fake bunny that Ivan had been holding also jumped out of his arms and onto his desk.

"I, officially, am freaked out," Kim stated.

"Did you guys feel that energy from before," Marinette asked them all. "Maybe that has something to do with what's going on."

"And what is even going on, girl," Alya asked her best friend.

Marinette gave her a look that clearly was saying "Are you serious, right now?"

"An akuma, Alya," Marinette says. "You would think after all this time, you would have learned the signs of an akuma by now."

"Marinette, don't be mean to Alya," Lila had the gall to try and scold her.

"Hey, Marinette has a point," Adrien stood up for Marinette. "Hawkmoth has been sending akumas for over a year. It is pretty obvious when he is up to something."

"What type of akuma even is this," Lyon was visibly disturbed by the sight of 'Thing' still crawling around on Juleka and Rose's desk. "Does it bring inanimate objects to life?"

"I would have guessed that if not for Juleka's change in voice and Miss.Bustier's earlier shout," Marinette says.

"Vallia, what do you..." Lyon cut himself off at the sight of his sister missing from her seat. "Vallia? What in the name of the gods!"

He looked around, trying to find his sister. The others all looked under their desks and around them as well to see if Vallia had hidden somewhere in the classroom for some reason. They would have thought she climbed out the window for some reason if they had not heard a tiny voice.

"You guys might want to look up," they all heard from above them.

They all looked up and their jaws hit the floor. Flying above them was a fairy. And not just any fairy, it was Vallia.

"Someone please tell me that I am dreaming," Max stated. "Ow!"

"You're not dreaming," Kim said, having just pinched Max on his arm.

"Vallia," Lyon gasped at the sight of his sister being an actual fairy.

"Don't ask me," Vallia flew down and sat on her and Lyon's desk in front of her brother. "One second I was fine, and the next I was tiny and flying. I know I joked about wanting my want to actually be able to work earlier, but not like this."

"That's it," Nathaniel, of all people, stood up.

"What's it," Alix asked him.

"That is what the akuma does," Nathaniel says. "It doesn't bring inanimate objects to life, that wave of energy from earlier turned all of us into our costumes!"

All of them then started looking at themselves just to test if Nathaniel's theory was true. And it turned out he was right. Sabrina nearly jumped out of her skin when one of her fake Pokeballs grew larger in her hand when she pressed the button on it. Alix touched her desk and immediately had to take her hand off it because she accidentally started burning it just from her touch. Nino tapped his robotic arm and it opened up to reveal a small computer screen, just like the one Cyborg uses to communicate with his teammates on the show without the use of his Titan communicator. Max simply stood up and instantly tripped over his own feet in a classic case of Urkel clumsiness and also instantly said "Did I do that?" by pure instinct.

"How did you figure it out, Nath," Adrien asked him, curious.

"It would not be the first time I have seen this happen," Nathaniel said.

"What," everyone gasped.

"Not in reality, obviously," Nathaniel continued. "But, I've seen a lot of TV shows that have had 'turning into their costumes' as part of their Halloween specials. It was done on Fairly Odd Parents, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The Simpsons, not to mention the iconic Haunted Mask episode of Goosebumps."

"I am suddenly so glad that you're a nerd," Alix stated.

"I'm a nerd and proud of it," Nathaniel says.

Unknown to the rest of the class, four other members were way more concerned about the current situation. Adrien, Marinette, Lyon, and Vallia all had no idea if this akuma would keep them from transforming. None of them had currently been wearing their miraculous but had also kept them on them. Giving her bag a quick look, Marinette was relieved to see Tikki was still there with the earrings. The same could be said for Adrien, who was glad that Plagg was still in his jacket pocket with the ring. Lyon looked inside his and Vallia's backpacks, glad to see their own miraculous and kwami were still there. The only problem was that Vallia was too tiny to put hers on.

"Adrien, I'm scared," Lila immediately took the opportunity to latch onto Adrien's arm.

"Then go get comfort from someone that cares," Adrien forced her arms off of him.

"You don't mean that," Lila would not take 'no' for an answer.

Adrien smirked as he decided to take advantage of his own costume transformation. He made some hand gestures and with a POOF, he was replaced by a log of wood with Lila holding onto a branch of the log. Adrien appeared behind Lyon.

"I have always wanted to do that," Adrien was actually excited.

"You are not that upset about this akuma, are you," Lyon raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"While I can not really be excited about there being an akuma, out there, I can at least have some fun with this one," Adrien smirked.

"You really are an anime geek," Lyon chuckled.

"Says the guy dressed as another anime character," Adrien threw back.

"A character that can freeze you into an ice statue, so I would watch that mouth," Lyon playfully threatened his friend.

The fact that ice was slowly spreading from where Lyon's hand was on his desk, Adrien chose not to push his luck even though he knew Lyon was only joking.

"You're a real Ice Prince, now," Vallia giggled.

"You are too tiny to make fun of me, right now," Lyon glared at her.

Vallia wisely shut up, knowing that she could easily be squished given her current size. Plus, she was not in the mood to be turned into a fairy-cicle.

Bustier ended up sighing, knowing that there was no point in trying to continue class because of what was going on. After all, how could she when she might end up taking the class on a potentially dangerous field trip because of her own costume? So, she dismissed the class and told them all to go home.

Getting out of the classroom, they saw that all the other classes had been let out as well. And everyone had been transformed into their costume the same as they had.

"Oh, crap," the four secret heroes swore at the same time.

Looking around, they could see their other friends from around the school not doing very well with their new abilities.

Aurore, who had dressed up as Stella from Winx Club, was currently trying her best not to blind anyone with her new light powers. Not to mention she could not control her wings very well. Jean, who had obviously dressed as a magician, could not stop pulling rabbits out of his hat. Plus, flowers kept popping into his hand every time he flicked his hands in the slightest way. Mirelle had dressed up as Mulan and she was now being followed by what had definitely been a fake Mushu that she had been carrying around. She also looked terrified that she was now carrying a real sword.

It was Marc who looked to be struggling the most. Mostly because the costume he chose had been outside of his comfort zone. He had dressed as a vampire. An old-school one, at that. So, now he had to hide in the shadows because the sun would literally kill him. Nathaniel immediately went over to check on his boyfriend.

"Something tells me that this is going to be one seriously crazy Halloween," Marinette says.

"My sister is literally sitting on my shoulder because she is not even six inches tall," Lyon says to her. "We are already way past crazy at this point."

"Let's just hope Ladybug, Cat Noir, Beautifly, and White Wolf can take down the akuma before chaos takes over Paris," Alya said.

"If the akuma ever shows itself," Kim muttered.

"Kim," Max slapped his best friend on his arm.

"I didn't mean that in a 'we are doomed' kind of way," Kim immediately tried to change what he had said before. "I meant it in a 'the akuma has not even really revealed itself and is already causing problems' kind of way."

"Oh," Max said, before he then tripped again, knocking down a bunch of the class like human dominos. "Did I do that?"

"I am never watching that show ever again," Sabrina stated, having been the first one Max had knocked over when he tripped.

"There is nothing to worry about," Lila bragged. "I texted Ladybug and she knows about the akuma. Or, since I now have Ladybug's powers, I could handle it if she ends up having trouble."

Those aware that she was a liar all rolled their eyes.

"Who needs Ladybug now that Queen Bee is back," Chloe boasted, obviously enjoying that her costume was made real.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Lyon, Marinette, and Adrien all did their classic "got to transform away from prying eyes" disappearing act. No one even noticed they had vanished. And even if they did, they probably thought that Marinette went home to check on her parents, Lyon and Vallia went to check on their dad, and Adrien was summoned home by his father.

Lyon hid in the empty art room and opened up his backpack to pet out his and Vallia's kwami, Flutter and Frostbite.

"Please tell us that there is a way for me to transform," Vallia immediately asked them.

"We... uh... We don't know," Flutter reluctantly admitted.

"You don't know," Lyon almost yelled.

"This has never happened before," Frostbite says. "Fairies have never been involved with the miraculous. So, there has never been a reason to see if a fairy could use a miraculous."

"Hold on," Vallia could not help but pause at what the wolf kwami had said. "Are you saying that fairies are real?"

"I don't think right now is the right time to process that," Lyon tells his tiny sister.

"Fine," Vallia got back on topic. "Do you think it could work if I basically stood inside of my bracelet almost as if it was a very large dress?"

"There have been many situations the miraculous face faced, but never anything like this," Flutter said. "While there have been times when our holders have been shrunk, but that was also a time when they were still wearing the miraculous, so it was shrunk along with them."

"I do believe that this is what you humans would call an uncanny valley situation," Frostbite says.

"At least you have been slowly learning about modern language," Lyon said. "And yet, I still feel the urge to keep you away from the internet."

"That is something more for what Plagg's holder should do," Frostbite says.

"The more we learn about Plagg, the more I feel pity for Cat Noir," Lyon stated.

And speaking of Cat Noir, Adrien had hidden in the locker room to talk to Plagg to see if the transformation would affect him as Cat Noir.

"So, there will be some type of effect my current situation will have on me being Cat Noir," Adrien wanted some clarification from Plagg.

"I have had holders in the past who have had their own powers," Plagg reveals. "When they use the miraculous, their powers would get enhanced. So you, ninja boy, will be given a boost when you transform."

"I know I should feel this way, but I think this is my favorite akuma," Adrien says.

"It would have been a lot better if you had been dressed as someone that could summon cheese by their will," Plagg adorably pouted.

"As I told you when I was choosing my costume, there is no such character that can do that," Adrien could not help but roll his eyes.

"And I said before, that should be considered a crime," Plagg stated.

"You are a smelly cheese gremlin and not even you can deny that," Adrien tells him.

"It's not my fault that you do not know how to appreciate proper smelly and delectable cheese," Plagg adorably crossed in arms in stubbornness.

Adrien rolled his eyes as he put his ring back on.

With Marinette and Tikki, they were having a similar conversation that Adrien and Plagg were having. Marinette had also been concerned if her costume would interfere with being Ladybug.

"If anything, this could help you defeat the akuma more easily," Tikki tried to soothe her panicking holder.

"But I don't even know where to begin with these powers," Marinette was once again in full panic mode. "Lapis is one of the most powerful characters in Steven Universe with her ability to bend water to her will. I can't learn to control such a powerful ability this quickly."

"You are going to have to, Marinette," Tikki says. "So far, everyone is still acting like themselves. But, it is only a matter of time before your costumes start influencing your personalities as well."

"You think that will happen," Marinette was now even more concerned.

"I may have never experienced anything exactly like this before, but there have been things like this," Tikki explained. "There is a magical Native American mask that a tribe once used to turn into animals to fight in wars by wearing animal skins and then using the mask's magic on themselves. Only, once they were turned, they also acted like animals rather than simply turning into them."

"Great, just great," Marinette facepalmed.

"While I am not sure that will happen this time, we still need to find and defeat this akuma as quickly as possible," Tikki advised.

"The one time that Kim was right about something, it had to be that the akuma has not shown up, yet," Marinette groaned.

"I am sure the akuma will show up sooner or later, Marinette," Tikki tells her.

"Let's hope for sooner with this one," Marinette said.

And then, as if summoned by her desire, the sky started to darken. Given that Aurore had been transformed into a fairy, they knew it was not Stormy Weather. It seems that Marinette's "Ladybug Luck" was working in her favor this time.

"Well, you got what you wanted, Marinette," Tikki said.

Soon, they heard a voice shouting from outside. Even for akumas that have nothing to do with the school, they would still find ways to come to the school. There was a reason why Dupont had gained the reputation as the "Akuma School." However, there were literally no students who would argue with that title for the school. Especially since Chloe had been the cause of a majority of the akumas created, with a lot of them happening because of things she had done at school. Such as when she had locked Juleka in the bathroom, called Ivan a monster, and ripped up Rose's letter to Prince Ali.

"I am the Pumpkin King," shouted out a male voice, but also sounded very young at the same time. "If others want to make fun of me for being scared of Halloween, then I will be the one to make THEM scared!"

The heroes all looked out of the rooms they had hidden in. They saw the akuma riding on what was obviously supposed to be a witch's broom right over the school courtyard.

"That name is definitely a Nightmare Before Christmas reference," Lyon said.

"Hawkmoth is pushing the limits when comes to a potential copyright lawsuit," Vallia says.

Pumpkin King was definitely a young boy. They could only guess that he was about seven or eight years old. His looks were also inspired by the main character of Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack. He was dressed in a pitch-black suit but with some visible spider web designs on it. There was also a mini skull in the middle of his bowtie. He also had black boots on. His head looked a lot like a skeleton skull because of the white and black makeup. Over his eyes was a pumpkin-designed mask with a pumpkin-themed witch hat on his head. It was like he was the child of Jack Skellington and a witch.

"Someone please tell me that Chloe did not make fun of a little kid and got him akumatized," Adrien basically was pleading with the universe.

"What makes you think she was the cause of this one," Plagg asked his holder.

"Why else would an akuma come straight to the school," Adrien looked very done with the number of akumas his childhood friend caused.

"There, there," Plagg tried and failed to be a comforting kwami.

All of the heroes were about to transform when they, unfortunately, heard a very familiar voice. And they could also feel headaches forming.

"You came to the wrong place, you utterly ridiculous villain," Chloe said in the most pompous voice possible. "Queen Bee is back and I am the only hero that Paris needs!"

"Delusional, party of one," Aurore called out.

That got a lot of laughs, even though there was an akuma right there. Given that the entire school hated Chloe, they could not help but laugh whenever anyone would make fun of her.

"Nobody cares about Queen Bee, Chloe," Alya yelled at her.

"You were never a hero," Kim shouted at her.

"Get out of here and let the actual heroes come and fight the akuma," Aurore called out again.

"You are all ridiculous, utterly ridiculous," Chloe huffed at what everyone was shouting at her. "You don't deserve to have the help of the amazing Queen Bee."

"More like Queen Brat," shouted another student.

The akuma was floating on his broom, watching everything that was going down. The look on his face was definitely saying that he was thinking something like "Did they forget I am even here?" However, he did have to admit that it was very entertaining to watch most of the school gang up against a very obvious spoiled brat.

"Only this school could be so against Chloe that they forget about the akuma that is right in front of them," Lyon sighed.

"It should really say something about a group of people if they can so easily forget about an akuma," Vallia said.

The akuma, tired of being ignored, decided he was not going to take it.

"Maybe this should teach you not to ignore and akuma," he shouted.

He held out his hand and shadows seemed to fall from his fingers. Once the shadows landed on the ground, they formed into classic Halloween monsters. Vampires, werewolves, mummies, witches, and many others. All the students started to back away from the creatures.

"This isn't good," Marinette gasped.

"You need to transform, Marinette," Tikki tells her, urgency in her voice.

"Tikki! Spots..." but hearing a voice stopped her from finishing her transformation phrase.

"Hey, Skeleton Boy," Alya's voice was heard. "You do realize that you made a big mistake, right?"

"Excuse me," Pumpkin King glared at her.

"Oh, Alya," Marinette facepalmed. "One of these days, she is going to give me a heart attack."

"You may have transformed us into our costumes, but maybe you should have also added some mine control when you did that," Alya smirked.

Suddenly, she changed. Since she had been transformed into Valerie Gray, that meant she also had Valere's Red Huntress suit. So, with a small swirl of energy, the red and black mechanical suit appeared on her body. Complete with the red and black hoverboard under her feet.

Within seconds, Alya flew right at the summoned monsters. Wrist blasters came out of her armor at the wrists, obviously, and she started shooting at them. She looked to be having a lot of fun.

"Why am I not surprised Alya is the first to go on the offensive," Tikki giggled.

"There is a reason why I wanted Alya to be given the bee miraculous while fighting Style Queen," Marinette tells the kwami. "As great as she is as Rena Rouge, Alya is more headstrong and straightforward. So, she is better with a miraculous where she can fight head-on rather than staying back to cast an illusion."

"We still need to transform, Marinette," Tikki reminds her.

"Right, Tikki," Marinette nodded.

As much as Adrien, Lyon, and Vallia were all enjoying the sight of Alya using her costume to her advantage, they knew they had to transform as well. Quickly ducking back into their hiding places, they put on their miraculous and said their transformation phrases.

"Tikki! Spots on!"

"Plagg! Claws out!"

"Frostbite! Freeze over!"

Lyon almost went "Awwwwww" as he saw his sister pouting from where she was sitting. It was obvious that she would not be able to transform because of her new fairy form. Lyon had to admit she was very adorable as a pouting fairy.

The heroes all had to sneak out of the windows in the rooms they had been hiding in. That way, they could make it look like they arrived normally rather than having obviously come from somewhere inside the school. It was a lot of work, but hiding their identities was very important. They were glad that when they "arrived" at the school, a lot of students followed Alya's lead. They went on the attack.

Alya looked to be having the time of her life being Red Huntress. If she was not blasting vampires with her wrist blasters, she was dropping energy bombs onto groups of werewolves. All with a smile on her face. Nino was backing his girlfriend up using his new Cyborg strength. And if she needed a more powerful helping hand, he was more than happy to use his sonic cannon. Kim actually provided some great backup by using his new wrestler moves. There was a reason why Sin Cara was one of the best wrestlers in the WWE. Because he had skills.

And to the surprise of most of them, another one of the best fighters turned out to be Juleka. Since he had chosen the version of Wednesday from the Jenna Ortega show, it meant she was incredibly skilled at fencing. So, she had grabbed two swords from the gym supplies and was using them to be a terrifying force of fierceness. Mirelle joined her, using her new skills that came from being turned into Mulan. Not to mention she had her own backup in the form of the fake Mushu that had been brought to life. That tiny dragon could be very scary once it lets loose its fire breath. Aurore also let loose her new fairy magic. Being the fairy of the shining sun was actually the best member of the Winx that she could have been for the situation that was happening. Especially given that they were fighting literal creatures of the night. Marc did have to avoid her powers as he and Nathaniel fought side by side. The boyfriends were already partners while working on their hero comic, but they were now crime-fighting partners as well.

There were still some students who were not very helpful since their costumes were not of characters that had powers. Such as Mylene, whose mime costume only meant that she had lost her voice and had basically been turned into the stereotype of French mimes that others like to make fun of. Ivan was also not very helpful given that DJ was known for being quite the loveable coward on Total Drama. With Rose, it was pretty easy to see why she was not very helpful. After all, Princess Peach was known for being a damsel in distress.

The three heroes all landed next to each other on the school's roof.

"Well, it looks like we have more help than we usually do," Cat Noir immediately said.

"We're going to need it," White Wolf stated.

"That have to do with the reason why Beautifly is not here," Ladybug asked him.

The icy hero nodded. "Her costume was that of a fairy, so she shrank too much for her miraculous to be able to work with her."

"I am never looking at Halloween in the same way ever again," Ladybug sighed.

"Speak for yourself," Cat Noir grinned brightly. "I am still going to love this holiday no matter what."

"As an almost literal black cat, I am not surprised that you love... Ladybug, are you blue," White Wolf cut off his statement to ask the question.

"I will be honest and say that I only noticed that when you brought it up," Cat Noir's eyes widened at the sight of Ladybug's blue skin.

Ladybug sighed. "My friends and I had chosen to do a combined theme for our costumes. We all wanted to basically turn into human versions of the elements. I was water."

"You had a much more creative costume than me," Cat Noir chuckled. "I just dressed as a ninja."

"I was my own original character that I called the Ice Prince," White Wolf shrugged.

The other two heroes raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't that a bit of a hint to you being White Wolf," Ladybug asked him.

"Hiding in plain sight is the best way to hide my identity," White Wolf tells them. "After all, no one would think an ice hero would dress up in an icy costume."

"Got to admit, it is clever," Cat Noir says.

The three of them then jumped into battle. They head right for Pumpkin King. He barely was able to dodge them since they had caught him by surprise.

"So, you have finally shown up," he says to them. "Give me your miraculous or Paris will be known as the City of Nightmares instead of the City of Love!"

"I have a better idea," Cat Noir smirked. "How about you give us your akumatized object before we unleash a can of butt-kick on you!"

"I think this is a better idea," Pumpkin King glared at them. "Get them!"

Some of his creatures that had not been fighting the students all charged at the three heroes. White Wolf simply yawned as he touched his hand to the floor. Instantly, ice covered the ground. It caused the monsters to slip and side right into a wall.

"You, ghouls, should learn how to be careful," the icy hero snickered. "Icy roads ahead."

"How did you do that," Pumpkin King yelled. "You did not even say your superpower activation phrase!"

"I didn't have to," White Wolf smirked. "My costume had been a character with ice powers. Your powers are the reason for my little upgrade."

The look on the villain's face was priceless.

"Yeah, neither you nor Hawkmoth thought things through when it came to your powers," Cat Noir laughed.

He did a few hand gestures and in the blink of an eye, multiple versions of him appeared around the villain. And all of them looked just as cheeky as the original.

"And we are more than happy to use our new ninja powers to our advantage," they all said at the same time.

They all attacked the Halloween villain at the same time. Even though he had the advantage of being able to fly because of his broom, Pumpkin King was learning that flight was not the big advantage he thought that it was. After all, with a dozen Cat Noirs attacking him at the same time, it would only be a matter of luck and time before one of them would be able to get a hit in.

And it soon came to pass when he had to dive down to avoid one group of Cat Noirs, but that sent him right into the path of two more. Using their staffs, they were able to knock him off his broom. They all smirked as they looked at the downed villain.

"He is really enjoying himself," White Wolf said.

"He is such an anime nerd," Ladybug playfully rolled her eyes.

"Or, just a nerd in general," White Wolf chuckled.

The Cat Noir copies then all vanished, leaving only the original.

"I am going to miss that for after you cast the cure, M'Lady," he said.

Ladybug opened her mouth to answer, only to be distracted for a second. A few vampires tried to attack her, which forced her to use her new powers. She held out her hands, which unleashed a strong blast of water. It sent the vampires flying back into another wall.

"I have to admit that it would be nice to still have these powers," Ladybug admitted. "If only I did not have to be blue."

Thinking that the broom Pumpkin King had been riding on had to be his akumatized object, Cat Noir picked it up from where it had landed on the ground. He was about to say his power activation word when someone else said theirs first.

"Venom," Chloe shouted.

Her hand lit up as she activated her paralyzing power. Only, she did not go for the akuma, she went for Cat Noir. If it had not been for the quick action of Ladybug using her yo-yo to pull Cat Noir away from her, she would have been able to get him with her power.

"Chloe, what in the name of the gods are you doing," White Wolf yelled at her.

He notched an arrow into his bow and aimed it at her. He was not going to let her come close to them.

"You can't do this to me," Chloe screamed at the heroes.

"Do what to you," Cat Noir raised an eyebrow. "We are just defeating an akuma as we usually do."

"You took Queen Bee away from me once," Chloe continued to yell. "I will not let you do it to me again!"

"You are willing to let an akuma stay out just so that you can continue to pretend to be a hero," White Wolf glared at her.

"I was a GREAT hero," Chloe protested White Wolf saying that she had only been pretending to be a hero. "It's not my fault you were utterly ridiculous enough to take MY miraculous from me."

"It was not YOUR miraculous," Ladybug yelled back. "It was NEVER yours. It did NOT belong to you!"

"It was MINE," Chloe denied Ladybug saying that the bee miraculous was not yours.

"Just because you want it, doesn't make it yours," Cat Noir glared at the brat. "And it was long overdue for someone to not give into your spoiled brat attitude."

"If Beautifly and I had been here from the start, we would have dealt with her long before she had a chance to be such a dangerous fake hero," White Wolf growled.

"How dare you," Chloe screamed.

She tried to use her Venom on him, only for him to easily dodge her by gliding on the ice still on the floor. He barely even looked like he cared that she was attacking him, which only made her even angrier. After all, someone like Chloe basically lives off of others paying attention to her. So, White Wolf basically dismissing her only served to piss her off. Not that he cared.

"I think he might actually be enjoying this," Cat Noir commented to Ladybug.

"If there is one thing we are well aware of when it comes to White Wolf, he takes no nonsense from anyone," Ladybug said. "Especially Chloe."

"So, you think you should call your lucky charm," Cat Noir asked her. "We might not need it for Pumpkin King, but that is how you cast the cure."

"You have a point," Ladybug says. "Lucky charm!"

She threw up her yo-yo in order to summon her charm. When it came down, it was revealed to be a replica of her magical yo-yo.

"Huh," Cat Noir looked at the replica. "I feel like that is a message."

"For what is the real question," Ladybug said.

"Well, it certainly isn't for this brat," White Wolf says as he continues to easily dodge Chloe's strikes. "I have her handled."

"You will pay for disrespecting the most amazing person in all of Paris," Chloe screamed at him.

"When did that happen," White Wolf tauntingly raised an eyebrow. "You are the one I am disrespecting and you are the WORST person in all of Paris.

That really pissed Chloe off. She charged at him again, only for the icy hero to simply step to the side and then put his foot out. He tripped her, which caused her to slide down a path of ice he made. She crashed into the janitor's closet. The door was closed by Juleka.

"Sweet revenge," Juleka smirked, still talking in her low Wednesday voice.

"I knew there was a reason why I liked that girl," White Wolf chuckled.

But while they were dealing with Chloe and Pumpkin King was still knocked out from the multiple Cat Noir attacks, the heroes did not notice someone else sneaking near them. Someone who was also holding something red and black ladybug-themed. The person threw it at the heroes, specifically Ladybug. But, she did not count on Cat Noir's new ninja reflexes.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the object heading right for them. His eyes widened when he noticed it was a ladybug-themed grenade. He quickly took action by throwing his baton, which easily met its mark because his ninja skills combined with his cat eyes made him a very good shot. After all, ninjas had to be very good at throwing things because of their use of throwing stars.

The grenade was knocked back to the person who threw it. It exploded but was thankfully not a firey type of explosive. It exploded with what they thought was red and black glue/paint. The scream that followed the explosion told them who had thrown it.

"Well, now the lucky charm makes sense," Ladybug said as she saw Lila covered in the sticky paint.

"I guess means we are finally done, then," Cat Noir says. "Let's actually finish this. Cataclysm!"

The broom that was still in his hand crumbled to dust. The purple butterfly flew out of the dust.

"No more evil-doing for you, little akuma," Ladybug opened her yo-yo and captured the akuma. "Time to de-evilize! Bye, bye, little butterfly."

She opened her yo-yo and freed the now-white butterfly. She then threw up the lucky charm yo-yo while shouting "Miraculous Ladybug!" to cast the cure. It washed over Paris which turned everyone back to normal while also getting rid of all the creatures Pumpkin King had summoned. He was also turned back to normal.

However, one person was strangely not completely cured by the magic. Even after the ladybugs washed over the school, Lila was still covered in her sabotage attempt.

"I am seriously not surprised," White Wolf commented.

"Lila... you tried to sabotage Ladybug and the other heroes," Alya was the first of the students to come over. "Why... Why would you do that?"

Normally, Lila would have tried to lie while also throwing in her typical crocodile tears as well. But, this time, she was too angry to do that.

"What did you do to me, Lady Brat," Lila yelled at Ladybug. "Look at me! You did this to me!"

"You did it to yourself, Lila," Cat Noir crossed his arms. "I always knew you would make a mistake one of these days and it looks like karma has finally come to collect your debt."

"What... What do you mean," Rose stuttered as she asked.

"He means that Lila is finally experiencing the consequences of her actions," White Wolf says. "Something she has previously been able to escape because of her lying skills."

"L...Lying," Mylene stuttered.

Ladybug sighed. "I did not want it to come out this way, but it is true. Lila, there, has been nothing but a liar ever since she came to Paris. Especially since after what you have all just witnessed, it is obvious that she is NOT my best friend."

"But... But you never said anything," Alya looked at her phone, obviously looking at her blog.

"I never said anything because I wanted you to come to me," Ladybug tells the blogger. "Alya, you can become an amazing reporter someday, but you need to learn to not take things at face value. I did not come to you because you should have come to me in order to fact-check what Lila was saying. Clearly, I had too much faith in you. Maybe after this, you will learn to be careful about who you trust."

Ladybug was not that upset with Alya, especially since Alya had stopped trying to get her and Lila to become "friends." But, she still wanted Alya to learn about these things in case anyone else tried something like Lila had. Lying about being friends with a hero to gain attention.

"I think a lot of people learned a very good lesson today," White Wolf stated, smirking at Lila while she glared at the heroes.

"If I was in Harry Potter, this would be my Patronus memory," Cat Noir snickered while also looking at Lila.

"Bug out," Ladybug says.

The heroes then all left. Slowly, the students returned to their classes. The battle had not been that long, so they did still have to return to class.

"Hello," Chloe yelled from the janitor's closet. "Hello! Get me out of this filthy place! I demand it! Let me out right now! This is ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

No one heard her. And even if they did, they wouldn't care.

#miraculous #miraculous fandom #ml salt #original character #lila salt #i hate chloe #chloe salt #halloween #original akuma #original heroes #original miraculous

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maybeamiles · 2 months

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Okay so something happened in the Honkai Star Rail community that really bothered me and I'm trying to put into words what makes me so upset about it.

So Hoyoverse recently hired a new voice actor named Chris Niosi to voice one of their new characters. He is no longer voicing this character. The reason he is no longer voicing this character is because a bunch of people found out that in 2019 Niosi released a shitty internet apology for being abusive to people in his personal life in response to callout posts on Twitter and Tumblr. During this time he also violated an NDA about a role he played in Fire Emblem 3 Houses, and was replaced with Zach Aguilar. He did not face any criminal charges for this behavior, but it is a thing that happened. Naturally people are upset about this and kept asking for him to be fired, and some VA's stood up for him claiming he'd changed, and fans began to lash out against them too. Niosi ended up resigning, and Hoyoverse will hire a new voice actor.

So far, it seems this controversy has not affected his work. Since 2019 he's played Reigen Arataka in Season 3 of Mob Psycho 100 and was an NPC in Genshin Impact.

Now I have a few problems with the community reaction to all this:

Problem number 1: I spent way too much time in the Dream SMP fandom, and have heard way too much bullshit about people being abusers in their personal lives to be ok with any of this. Like part of the reason Dream SMP was so awful is that every other week there would be a new post along the lines of "Dream is the Worst! Here are 7 Heavily Censored Screenshots To Prove Why!" This stuff instantly activates my "I don't like this" senses, I have a very bad reaction to these things.

Problem Number 2: He's a fucking actor. Just because he now has a bit of fame in the community doesn't mean he's somehow more worthy of criticism than he was before. Hell, he still has work in the industry. Just go look up his IMDB. The only reason it matters more in Star Rail is because a lot of the Hoyoverse VA's make extra money off of being Hoyoverse VA's, like how Dan Heng's VA gets the other Star Rail VA's together to do music covers. Even then, he's WORKED WITH HOYOVERSE BEFORE. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT HE'S NOW VOICING A PLAYABLE CHARACTER INSTEAD OF AN NPC.

Problem number 3: Personally, I don't see what online abuse allegations from 2019 have to do with his role as a Voice Actor. Would working at McDonald's or in a less flashy job stop him from hurting people? No! Now, if I was hiring him, I would be nervous about that NDA violation, or that the abuse allegations might flare up into a PR disaster (like they ACTUALLY DID). I might not hire him for a major role. I might take concerns about his mistreatment of his colleagues more seriously. He might not be a Good Face for my company. But, at the end of the day, he is still a Guy Doing a Job, parasociality be dammned, and not doing This Job will not make anything better for the people he hurt.

(Also your (and my) favorite game has like, one not-pale dude in it and is made by a huge dev team that probably has shitty people in it just because that's what happens when you get a large enough group of people together but like heyyyyy let's all jump onto boogeyman of the week now shall we?)

(now, concerns about parasociality I do respect. Hoyoverse VA's are VERY parasocial, and tend to make a bit of extra money from fans by doing cool Hoyoverse VA things. But most people are like ABUSER = BAD AND GROSS and... ugh onto the next slide).

Problem number 4: ABUSER = BAD AND GROSS is a stupid black-and-white mindset and I think everyone who has this mindset should grow the fuck up. People can and do get better, I know people who have gotten better, people who it would be really fucked up of me to stop speaking to because of things I wasn't even alive for, when I don't even know the people who were hurt. People who have already had enough guilt and now need the space to live again. Hell, I've hurt people. You can't divide people into "good" and "bad" and you have to make room for change because if you do not you will hurt someone badly and that mindset will either break you with guilt or turn you into one of the "bad" people without even realizing it. (i reblogged earlier a comic about this exact phenomenon go read it)

At the end of the day I do think it was a good thing Niosi resigned because jesus fucking christ this was a PR disaster, and I would have hated to see him do something like Elliot Ghindi and use the parasociality of Hoyoverse fans to hurt more people (which is just a possibility, not something Niosi has actually done), but I don't think the internet Hate Mob was a good thing. I think bringing up someone's irrelevant personal details into their work life is a universally bad thing and even though he's a semi-public figure, nobody's private life should be exposed like that. There are court systems for a Fucking Reason and I know that they are flawed but also I genuinely believe that this whole internet tradition of making "callout posts" and stuff is incredibly toxic and abusive and I don't want it to keep happening in the fandoms I'm in.

#honkai star rail #chris niosi #I know it's not a good idea to hate tag things but I'm gonna do it this time cause this is important fandom discussion #and you have to break the hivemind every now and again #if this gets too controversial though I will delete it cause I'm an adult who knows when to get rid of stuff for my mental health

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sunspray-peak · 1 year

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Ch. 53: Stardew Valley's Highest Honor

WEDNESDAY - WINTER 3

He took a shower. Shaved his face. Managed to scrounge up an old tube of concealer to hide the circles underneath his eyes.

Achilles spent five minutes wrestling himself one-handed into a linen button down before clumsily tugging on a sweater vest and some slacks. He covered the scent of cigarette smoke with cologne and dragged himself to the kitchen to nibble on a stale scone.

For thirty minutes, he steeped his tea and steeped in dread before three missed calls and two angry voice mails from Lewis finally dragged him to Pelican Town.

******

“You’re late,” Lewis hissed, quickly shoving him into a small tent that had been erected behind a raised stage in the town square next to the saloon. “You were supposed to be here 10 minutes ago!”

“There are 20 people here, Lewis, I don’t think they’ll particularly care if we happen to start a bit late…”

But it was like talking to a ghost—Lewis had already high tailed it back to the waiting crowd (it was actually 30 townsfolk, not 20, and a dozen or so tourists and small town reporters).

Abigail, who had been waiting patiently playing some game on her phone, gave him a hearty wave and rolled her wheelchair over to him. “Why the long face, my dude?” She slapped him on the lower back. “Come on, cheer up, Achilles! We’re heroes!”

“Right… any idea how long this is supposed to take?” Achilles glanced at his watch—or, fuck, Alex’s watch, he still hadn’t gotten around to giving it back…

“Sheesh! So impatient! Busy busy bee, huh.” Seeing that Achilles’ face remained stony, she punched his hip. “Come on, what’s the matter with ya? Whatever’s bothering you, forget about it, this is our time to shine! Look at us.” She jabbed the cast on his arm and motioned to her broken leg and ankle. “We deserve it! Bruh, honestly, we should get our own freakin’ deakin' holiday…”

“We” is a strong word…

*****

“My fellow citizens. We gather here today to honor two of our finest members of our community…”

Lewis voice, magnified by a slightly screechy microphone, came trailing through the open flaps of the tent. Abigail, all attempts at making conversation having been repeatedly rebuffed, had muttered “sourpuss” before returning to the tile-matching game on her phone and was now humming a jaunty tune.

Can’t be more than half an hour…

“…braving the mines, braving the spirits, all to save our humble town…”

Though who knows with this man, he’ll likely prattle on for years unchecked…

“… and now, let us give the warmest round of applause to Stardew Valley’s very own heroes: Abigail Maison and Achilles Robinson!”

“Seriously, Lewis, you couldn’t get a ramp for the stage?” Achilles snarled as he pushed Abigail’s wheelchair out from the tent and towards the platform. The criticism fell on deaf ears, however, though whether that was because Lewis chose to willfully ignore it or because of the crowd’s exuberant applause, Achilles would never know.

Abigail was unabashed, however. She took Lewis’ outstretch hand and (to Dr. Harvey’s dismay) hopped one-legged up the steps, leaving Achilles behind to carry the wheelchair up.

“I’ve got it, I’ve got it, I can carry a fucking wheelchair, believe it or not…” he grumbled, shoving aside whoever it was who had stepped forward to assist. He hadn’t bothered to look, he didn’t care. The sooner this was over the better.

Marnie, dressed in her finest (and perhaps only) collared shirt, directed him to stand to Lewis’ right with Abigail, who was now seated once again.

Achilles surveyed the crowd of villagers and curious tourists and wondered if Lewis had threatened them all at gunpoint to attend—there was Sam, hooting alongside an actually beaming(!) Sebastian up in the front. Shane in the second to last row, clapping slowly and slightly off beat compared to the rest. Haley right below the stage, snapping photos, the flash near blinding. And Alex…

“Today, we humbly invite you…”

Oh lord, he’s still got more shit to say, huh…

“…I ask each and every one of you: where would we be now if it weren’t for these brave souls…”

Where would I be now if you just shut the fuck up… how much longer can you go on for, man, what is there more to say…

“…forever shall our town be in your debt. You two deserve our everlasting thanks and gratitude...”

The fuck did I do? It was Abigail, all Abigail…

“…we bequeath you Stardew Valley’s highest honor…”

Achilles stifled a snort.

Bequeath? Bequeath?? Stardew Valley’s highest honor my ass, you made that up last night, didn’t you…

“…presented to those who have made outstanding contributions to the Stardew Valley community…”

If you don’t shut up soon, I’m pushing you off the stage… that’ll be my real outstanding contribution to the community…

“…and outstanding service…”

I’ll kill myself right here, right now, I swear to Yoba, light myself on fire—

“…we are honored to have such upstanding, admirable, accomplished representatives of our community…”

This was too much.

All the decorum that had been drilled into him from a young age had been seeping out over the past five minutes, and he was nothing now but a hollow husk of a man with no filter and nothing more to lose. He laughed.

“Achilles?” Lewis paused from his speech. “Do you have something to say?”

But Achilles only continued to laugh—a high pitched (and highly unflattering) wheeze that sent him sinking to his knees and cackling until his eyes watered.

With an irate wave of his fingers, Lewis directed Marnie to present each of the two medals, but Achilles only continued to laugh maniacally as he bowed his head and presented his shaking shoulders for her.

He couldn’t stand being here a moment longer. He didn’t need interviews or his picture in the paper. Didn’t deserve them. This was all ridiculous—why was he here? what had he done? No outstanding contributions, far from accomplished…

When the townsfolk and tourists broke to crowd around the buffet table, he slipped quietly away and returned to his home.

*****

The laughs hadn’t yet bubbled their way out of his system. All the way back to his farmhouse, he found himself erupting into crazed bouts of giggles, until he was safe behind his front door and the snickering turned suddenly to a torrent of tears.

His knees had grown weak, but he managed to stagger blindly to the living room, collapsing into the sofa as Voltaire leapt in his lap.

You’re not a hero. You’re not anything. Not a writer, not a farmer, couldn’t even be a corporate drone for more than a handful of years. You are pathetic. You are nothing.

He wanted to call his mom.

The phone was in his hand, her number punched in, when he faltered, remembering a headline from his phone’s news app that morning.

It’s Monstera Fashion Week. Fuck. Of course it’s fashion week. Couldn’t even time your mental breakdown well, huh? Can you do anything right?

Not that she would care. She’d answer in a heartbeat, hell, she’d probably take the next plane out if he asked her to.

Lord, how did his parents end up with such a fucked up failure of a son.

This is a you problem. No use bringing other people into this.

Hey now—Eva wouldn’t be too happy with you for thinking that way…

Well Eva’s not here anymore, is she?

Maybe he ought to give her a call instead. See if she did virtual therapy sessions.

Nah. You have the tools—you figure this out yourself.

Well a refresher on said tools can’t hurt…

Yoba, why was it so hard? To even just think clearly, to organize his clashing thoughts.

He stood to grab his lighter from the coffee table but in his haste, tripped over one of Voltaire’s cat toys, and in a sudden, near comical series of errors, went crashing into the corner of the table, the collision shattering a small ceramic vase.

Muttering under his breath, he tried to dodge the pool of water seeping among the shards, but his socks were quickly sodden as they danced tip-toe among the wilted corpses of flowers he’d once treated himself to weekly, back before he’d gone down the mines. Before everything had gone downhill.

Lord, was that mold? He bent down to better examine the fuzzy cream clouds among the broken ceramic, but lost his balance and began to teeter straight into the table once again, right into the corner.

Yoba, I humbly ask for you to just cut me some slack just for the rest of today —

But it seemed like Yoba was sleeping in. The resulting fresh cut on his arm led him to retaliate with a painful kick to the table’s legs, which only served to send a shockwave up his shin and a pile of neatly stacked pages scattering haphazardly to the ground.

An anguished screech died in his mouth. Instead, he watched the pages flutter, half of them settling in the moldy vase water. He slowly bent to gather the semi-sodden pages. Couldn’t help but read over the damp words of his novel’s first draft, scrawled in his second favorite fountain pen, the ink already beginning to cloud and bloom.

What were you even thinking? Trying again. That door’s long closed, buddy.

He tossed the manuscript into the fireplace and set it aflame.

He didn’t want to move anymore. He didn’t care about progress, didn’t care about what was next. What was the point?

Achilles buried himself under his covers, and for the second time in a week, cried himself to sleep. He could stay here forever.

#llnks #stardew valley fanfic #my fic #sdv fanfic #sdv oc #sdv farmer #stardew valley oc #stardew valley farmer #farmer x alex

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owlbelly · 1 year

Text

found an 80s hardcover of Cabal in the thrift store & grabbed it because i had completely forgotten i'd ever read it (which tells you something!!!) & thought "oh yeah i love Nightbreed, i should really read this one"

truly incredible how much the movie is just exactly the book, except you get a little more interiority for Lori & more interesting descriptions of the monsters - i love the practical effects & costuming in the movie but they just couldn't pull off what Barker actually wrote. but oh man this story in either form just epitomizes my love/hate relationship with the dude's work. it's got so much potential. it's so, so bad. Cabal (1988) / Nightbreed (1990) spoilers ahead

i mean come on: queer monster misfit sanctuary vs. the "real monsters" of policing & carceral mental health systems (that enable & provide cover for sadistic humans)? fuck yes. vivid descriptions of wild genderfucky polyamorous kinky mystical creatures living in their huge necropolis? all day long please

but Clive's brilliance is only matched by how much he sucks so we get an incredibly bullshit portrayal of mental illness (what's Boone's deal? we'll never know. it doesn't matter, it only matters that he's Beautiful and Tortured) & a fairly confused sense of the moral standing of various characters/systems. like. are at least some of the Breed not also sadistic killers? what exactly makes them better than Decker or the cops - is it just that they admit to what they do & they're more sexually liberated? would Decker have been accepted if he came to them looking for belonging? also are we meant to think Decker is "mentally ill" - and what does that mean for the narrative - or is the Mask literally a separate entity & does that make him/it a Breed-type monster too?

Boone calls Ashberry a monster (non-pejoratively?) for being secretly some kind of trans ("a crossdresser" but there are some other vague gestures towards gender stuff, Clive doesn't know or care) & then Ashberry, who has been trying to stop the massacre, appears to genuinely want to accept himself & join the Breed, but when he comes into contact with Baphomet (who should recognize his gender stuff!) he gets rejected & fucked all the way up instead. why?

the queerness in this story is all over the place but critics seem weirdly obsessed with a queer reading of Boone/Decker, which i just don't see at all - in the movie there's NOTHING backing that up, in the book there's some bits of narration around them being "like lovers" in terms of their mutual dependence/obsession - but Boone & Lori's very straight relationship is pretty centered! i would be super interested in a queer and/or trans reading of Lori, who actually has some dysphoria (around looking "sweet") & thinks about herself when she's jacking off (iconic...), i just don't think there's anything interesting going on with Boone. obviously the Breed as a whole are a queer allegory & in the movie & background of the book, there are some obviously queer people/relationships, but honestly why tell this queers vs. the straight world story by focusing on an apparently straight, extremely lackluster "tortured man & devoted woman" romance??

and good lord the sex scene. the reason i remembered i HAD read it is that the phrase "he threw his fuck up into her" was burned into my mind & activated me like a sleeper agent when i read it again. honey no. also Boone ejaculating on Baphomet's severed head...oh Clive.

the funniest thing i'm taking away is that i forgot that Boone is supposed to be a bewitchingly gorgeous man with a face no one can resist & the guy playing him in the movie looks like THIS

#nightbreed #cabal #clive barker #queer horror #in the night in the dark #<- my horror thoughts/reviews tag

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piracytheorist · 2 years

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Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't think Ethan's one-liners are cringe. They are a little dorky sometimes, sure, but I laugh every single time I hear them, because some of them are genuinely good? Ethan saying "God must really love you, bitch" will always have me cackling. "In death as he was in life: DISGUSTING" is fucking hilarious. Him standing in front of an actual, literal dragon, and still talking shit? Now that's just badass. Or what about telling Mother Miranda that the problem is her?

While everyone's view of what Ethan is like is perfectly valid, absolutely, I'll never understand why some people genuinely think he is some lame, soft guy who's only capable of being cringe-y and stupid. Ethan's a brave person, who's maybe not a badass because of his choice of words, but because he has the guts to say those words, even in the face of absolute horrors, and then doing so without hesitation, or fear. He IS brave, and he IS tough, and badass in his own right. Dude single-handedly went up against every mold monster at the Baker House, as well as a whole-ass village full of monsters, and he came out on top every single time. I'd say that's pretty fucking cool.

Oh don't get me wrong, whenever I (and I assume the grand majority of Ethan fans) call Ethan a cringey pathetic meow meow or any variation of that, it's only a joke to cover the fact that I wouldn't do any fucking better myself.

I love Ethan because he loves his family more than anything, he'll do anything to protect them, go feral to fight the monsters that keep them away from him, walk through horrors and nightmares in order to save them, but ultimately he is still Just a GuyTM. His silly one-liners only emphasize how human he is, and this is why I love the fact that they're not "cool" or "sassy". It's what every one of us would say in such a situation, then spend twenty minutes in the shower later being like "GOD I was so fucking stupid, couldn't I find anything more witty to say? I should have said that instead!"

The fact that he has the guts to talk back to the monsters that try to kill him shows his bravery and perseverance. The fact that the stuff he tells them are silly af shows that he's also a human being like us. He's not some male-fantasy superhero protagonist. He's just a dude. He's your neighbour. He's you. And that makes him very relatable and enjoyable to follow along. He's neither a super-duper fantastical guy whose story you go along with even if you don't understand his motives and/or reasons, nor an empty vessel that's just there to move the game forward. He's a simple guy with a simple goal that even people who don't care about having children will understand, and many many people will be touched by. When he says his one-liners you're supposed to relate to him (and frankly my deepest condolences to those who don't relate to or aren't entertained by those moments, you have no idea how much fun you're missing out on) and either nod along or scream "YOU TELL 'EM ETHAN! THAT WAS LAME AF BUT YOU TELL 'EM!"

(For what is worth, by the way, one of my absolute favourite lines of his is "You're the one who's cursed" LIKE EVEN TYPING IT DOWN I'M LAUGHING. If you asked me top 5 Ethan lines that one would unironically be in there for sure. Like it comes after the first big Boss fight and you're all up and excited from the adrenaline and the excitement of winning, Dimitrescu dies cursing at you... and then Ethan goes like "I am rubber, you are glue" AND IT'S HILARIOUS)

In short, I don't think anyone but a few butthurt RE fans actually mean any negativity or even criticism when they talk about Ethan's "cringey" one-liners. If they didn't invoke any kind of positive reaction in you, then sorry sweaty but they were not made for you :) Almost everyone I've seen talk about that has been with an understanding that Ethan is still a badass to go up against those monsters, with enough wits about himself to even speak and (try to) insult them, and the nature of his one-liners just adds a humorous and relatable tone to the whole thing. It makes Ethan who he is, and I wouldn't have it any other way <3

#Ethan Winters #Resident Evil #Resident Evil 8 #anonymous #ask and ye shall receive

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huenjin · 4 years

Text

the study of relationships.

summary — college team's volleyball captain and your roommate-cum-best friend, hwang hyunjin argues with you over guys being better than girls in relationships to help you out of one. or in which hyunjin is in love with you for years now and he finally decides that maybe he doesn't want that best friend tag anymore.

pairing — hwang hyunjin x reader, ft. minho

genre — fluff, angst | volleyball!au, f2l!au, roommates!au

rating — nc-17

word count — 15k words

note — kinda excited to post this very long plotted fic on here because first long fic for skz !!! this fic is brought to you by hq, hyunjin's long blond hair and b me mv that we never got. please please do send me constructive criticism so that i can improve on my writing for this community. happy reading!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa."

Your best friend, Hwang Hyunjin yells at the top of his voice, pitch lower in precision as you open the door and slam it shut forcefully, the sound loud enough to bounce to him clearly. Your feet storm hard against the wooden flooring of your apartment, sound bouncing off from that again and Hyunjin pauses his video game to look at you.

It's a familiar sight. Hyunjin sighs.

"Hey," he tries catching your attention but he fails. You storm into your room, hair flailing behind you in your anger, eyes blurry with the angst you feel that wraps slowly around your heart. You walk into the room and slam the door shut, so loud that a chip of wood breaks from the top of the door and falls down.

"Jesus Christ! Y/N—" Hyunjin yells to no one in particular. However, he drops his controller to the side of the couch and jumps to his feet only after pausing his game. He takes big strides to your room and in high contrast to his rash movements, his knocking on your door is very gentle.

"Can I come in?" He asks, scratching the door absentmindedly. He presses his ear and head against the door to hear a response but all he hears are your soft cries and it makes him sad.

"Y/N—"

"Go away, Hyunjin!"

"Y/N, let me in," he stresses, his leg kicking the air slightly, dangling before that. "I—"

"You're going to make fun of me."

"Will not." Hyunjin knows where this stems from and he won't deny. However, at this minute, he just wants to be there for you. Teasing could wait for an hour or so after you've calmed down. "So please?"

You hum and Hyunjin waits for a sign of protest. When he hears none, he takes it as an approval to open the door and the sight before him hurts him ever so slightly.

You are wrapped in a cocoon of your white blanket and your head is buried in the sheets outside, not ready to look up at your best friend. He frowns as he walks towards you, letting himself to sit by your side. He stretches his arm out and stops when you declare,

"I'm a world class dumpee."

"You are," he shrugs, voice tainted with a slight tease and you look up at him, glaring with your red, puffy eyes. You try shoving him but the cocoon you are wrapped in slightly falls forward too in impact. Hyunjin laughs and stretches both his arms forward to prevent you from falling forwards.

You pout, mumbling with a voice that is strained and is your proof of the urge to cry, "You promised you wouldn't."

"I'm your best friend," he shrugs and pushes your body wrapped in the thick blankets backwards, your head hitting against the pillow. A soft whine leaves your lips, followed by an oomph. "You knew I was going to tease you at the very first opportunity."

And then Hyunjin pounces on you, tickling your sides over the covers and your tickle sensitive being rushes in sensation as you laugh your heart out, chest heavy and mind focussing only on your best friend that you forget about the boy who broke up with you an hour back.

"Stop," you laugh. "Hyunjin," you whine. "Stop, you idiot," you laugh again. "I'm going to kill you—"

Hyunjin's laughter fills the air along with yours. In your perspective through your watery eyes, you see a boy with no worries and all smiles and you want to be like that. You desperately want to be like that. You push your wrapped body upwards to shove Hyunjin to the side and it works. He laughs, slowly receding with yours and he lets out a loud relieved sigh as he looks at your face with less creases and tears that now fall due to laughter.

"Hey," Hyunjin says and you turn your head to face him. His face is rigid, the childish gleam that he had just a while back long gone.

"Yeah?"

He sits up, running a hand through his hair and folding his arms soon after. "The guy was a jerk," he tells, helping you up. His hand finds the end of the blanket and unwraps it slowly from your being. "He was a mighty jerk, okay?"

"He is your teammate, Lee Minho," you stare, dead into his eyes and he shrugs.

"I know," he sighs before shrugging, giving you a nonchalant look. "What was it this time? Let me guess, he broke up with you for no reason again."

You hit the blankets that cover your thigh hard and send imaginary daggers in Hyunjin's way, "Yeah! I just don't understand why he'd break up with me."

"Uh, possibly because—"

"Is it because I'm on like close friend terms with everyone in the college volleyball team? I mean, Lee Minho always said dating—"

"Dating you would be hard, Y/N," Hyunjin continues, mocking your ex-boyfriend's voice. "You hang out with so many guys and all your best friends are dudes that it makes me jealous," Hyunjin pauses, placing his hands flat on the bed from behind as he leans back. "Ah, Lee Minho, that bastard. He always did say that to you."

You look down, fidgeting with your fingers and you roar out in anger. Hyunjin looks at you amused until you say, "Why can't guys be more like girls?"

"Excuse me?"

Hyunjin's eyebrow is raised and he laughs mockingly. He lifts his arms from behind, stretches his back before sitting up straight. He kicks his legs and raises it upwards to sit cross legged, looking straight at you and laughs again. "You are totally kidding me, right?"

"No, I'm not, Hyunjin," your eyebrows furrow. "The reason behind most, if not all, break-ups is the guy."

Hyunjin agrees with you deep down. Okay, maybe not completely but at least a ninety percent and that's a good one. However, he knows how competitive you are and if there's something that can get your head out of this post break up blues, it's this.

A competition. And so just to entice you a little, he sneers, "If anything, girls should be more like guys."

"Bitch, no," you laugh, head falling back at the sheer stupidity that rolls out from your best friend's mouth. "Men are so conceited that they had to make a whole word for treating women equal."

"Not all men simp. Plus, it's an AAVE and that people should not use it. In my defense, I've treated you like a guy my whole life," he shrugs. Lies. Lies. Lies he spews out endlessly because at one point, without him even knowing, things did change and he's seen you as a woman; as a woman he now has feelings for.

Hyunjin, to prove his point, hits you on his back like you've seen him do with all his teammates and your torso bends forward from your hips on impact. "See!" He stretches his arms, tattoos on display in the loose half sleeved black top he wears and you wince, stretching your hand back to rub only for Hyunjin to stop laughing quickly and rub your back, mumbling, "Sorry."

"Hyunjin," you shrug, mumbling, trying to guide your best friend. "Don't ever use the not all men tag, please."

He slaps a hand over his mouth, realising his error, again apologising and you stretch your hand forward quickly to protest, "No, no," you tell, "You don't have to apologise. I just hope you know how it sounds."

"I do," he falls back, lying down against your mattress. "I do and I hate that I accidentally said it."

You follow suit, and fall on the bed, hair splaying around, some falling on Hyunjin's face. He groans, moving the hair away and whining, "It got into my mouth, ew." You laugh.

Hyunjin speaks out, staring at the ceiling, "Whose fault is it that a relationship goes astray?"

"Still going to say the men," you look at the same spot he stares at. "They're—"

"It's a war."

"See!" You exclaim. "This is the issue with men. They cut us off all the time."

Hyunjin laughs, hand stretching out to hold your wrist to soothe you down and mumbling another apology, he continues, "This is a battle, Y/N; a battle that's aged long and has never come to a conclusion. The battle—"

"Get to the point."

"Look who cut me off now."

"Touché."

"Anyhow," he continues. "The battle between men and women."

"You definitely sounded like a prepubescent boy there," you look at Hyunjin. His skin is so clear, you notice, making a mental note to steal his skin care products later. He turns a second later to face you and he nods, "Don't care. Definitely going to win this."

"You wish," you let out a condescending laugh. "I'm going to beat your ass, Hyunjin."

"Kinky," he smiles that stupid, toothy grin of his, "I likey."

"You gross pubescent boy," you shove at his arms only for him to quickly hold your hand, interlocking his fingers with yours in the midst of the squabble. You let him, still laughing lightly, lungs light and mind free from all the sad thoughts.

"I see that I've got an upgrade."

"You did."

You're about to thank Hyunjin for this small gesture that probably seems to be nothing when his phone rings from the other room. The scary unexpected track to Tokyo Ghoul's opening – Unravel – that you can't help but accept that you've grown to like, plays.

He lets go of your hand and jolts upwards, jumping off the bed. A small whine leaves your lips unexpectedly and Hyunjin smiles at that. He pulls up the blankets over your body that he shifted, mumbling, "You should sleep early. You had a tough day."

"No," you whine yet again, "Let's talk more—" His phone rings louder, the scream part of the ringtone jolting you up and your hand falls on your chest in shock. "Hate when your phone does."

"And yet you sing along to it," he sings, humming the tune.

"Pfft," you scoff, holding onto the blanket, scrunching it in your grip. "Go. It's probably about the practise match against Yonsei University."

He hums in agreement, folding the blanket again carefully, right below your neck, his cold hands brushing against your clavicle and the temperature difference runs a shiver down your spine.

Hyunjin switches off the light as he walks out, gently closing the door shut and you watch your best friend throwing a small smile at you before leaving. Did you really deserve all this care? Perhaps not.

Hyunjin, on the other hand, dashes out to get the phone before the caller cuts the call in frustration. He's definitely not spending the money to call back whoever it is. That shit is expensive. He jumps a couple of steps and grabs his phone, accepting the call before looking at the name of the caller.

"Hyunjin…" It's Lee Minho. "Can you come over?"

"I really want to throw a punch at you, you bastard."

And Hyunjin does. Virtually, of course. Over the game they are playing. He couldn't afford to injure a fellow teammate when the preliminaries are right around the corner.

"Bro," Minho sighs. "Can you go easy on me?"

His game character hits Minho's again, the energy bar of the other drastically going down on the screen. Hyunjin can't stop. The frustration that he has pent up over the last hour after seeing you cry and crumble over being dumped by his other friend drives him to the edge and he delivers another punch. Minho's character dramatically collapses as soon as the energy bar is empty and he drops the console by his side, pressing his back against the sofa, arms wrapped against his chest, pouting.

"I—"

"Go on," Hyunjin glares at him. "You better have a good explanation."

Minho runs a hand through his hair and sitting up straight, turning his torso to face Hyunjin, he tells, "I don't."

"You're lucky that we have a match soon, else you'd be six feet underground," Hyunjin sighs, throwing his hands over his head and folding it behind. "I can't believe you did that to Y/N."

"I fell out of love with her," Minho says. He doesn't dare to look at Hyunjin because he fears if the glares would actually result in him six feet underground. "Can't that be the only reason?"

Hyunjin chuckles, moreso at himself than at his friend, mumbling under his breath so low that Minho thinks it's just him humming, "Is it possible to fall out of love with her?"

He wishes Lee Minho could tell him how.

Hyunjin stands up, patting his denim jeans and looking at Minho, he warns, eyebrows furrowing, "I'll help her out with this. Just don't be a jerk and start dating in like two days."

"I—" Hyunjin glares at him. "Fine."

"Practice at seven," he adds and grabs the key of his motorcycle from the table before him. "Don't be late and act normal around Y/N."

"Fine, sir," Minho rolls his eyes. He won't admit it ever but the man warning him could be the reason for his breakup. That and his insecurity and fear of you cheating on him. But it's mostly Hwang Hyunjin. He knows how he feels even if you didn't.

Hyunjin walks out of Minho's house, closing the door on his way out and getting on his motorcycle, he rides back home to you. Just as he had promised you.

He opens the door to your room as soon as he enters his house, removing his shoes and placing it to the side, only to find his ears listening to the soft snores that let free from your lips. Carefully he walks towards you, his thumb and forefinger holding your chin lightly and tilting your head upwards to help you breathe properly.

He pauses for a minute just to watch you. Your eyebrows that you dislike so much just because according to you, it's not thick enough. He loves it however, even though you would never listen to him. Your eyelashes cast a gentle shadow on your high cheekbones and he gasps because you're so beautiful. You're so near to him and yet so far.

He bends forward, pushes your fringes to the side and places a soft kiss against your forehead, mumbling the words he wishes he could tell you straight up. Even if he did, you'd probably laugh and scoff at him.

"Beautiful girl," his lips graze the skin by your forehead, "You are a fighter. You have always been a fighter. You are stronger than you think. You are braver than you believe. Every challenge that life has thrown at you, you've conquered every obstacle that has been placed in front of you. You've overcome every single one of them. You are unstoppable and unbreakable and right now, you are filled with more faith than you have ever been."

Hyunjin pulls away, softly caressing the hair by the side of your face, "So please believe in yourself. You're worth so much love. So much of it, Y/N."

"The jerseys came!"

Bang Chan screams, a huge grin on his face as he opens the door for you. He runs to Felix and holds onto his shoulders before jumping up and down in joy. He is so delighted. "It looks so good, dude."

Hyunjin smiles, running towards you and helping you with the cardboard box. "It's alright," you mumble. "I'm the manager. It's my job."

"Pfft," he scoffs. "And I'm your best friend. It's my job." He picks the huge box that covers your entire upper half, easily and places it down before the coach and the team.

Jisung rushes to your side, nudging you with his elbow, "We've got a pretty good manager." He bends down and rips open the box, taking his jersey in his hand, "Number 13, bitches. Nothing shows what an amazing libero I am like the number most feared." You laugh.

"Number 10 isn't that bad, I guess." You hear Minho's voice break through the cluster of voices and your movements still. You turn your head to look at the brown haired boy who towers over you, wearing a smile so pretty that your heart still skips a beat.

"Hey, Y/N," he smiles. "Thanks for bringing this over."

"Uh," you fidget with your fingers, averting your gaze everywhere else besides at Minho. "I guess. It's my job, yeah."

Hyunjin notices. He always does. The boy runs towards you with his jersey. Number 1 printed in big behind. The setter brings the jersey so close to your face that it's buried in the fresh opened shirt. "Number 1, of course," he laughs, scrunching the shirt in his hand as he raises both his arms above.

"Oh, shut up, Jinnie," you laugh.

"Yeah, shut up, Jinnie," Jisung echoes. The middle blocker, though not the tallest in stature, is excellent at his position and has the biggest love-hate relationship with your best friend. He folds his arms and mocks Hyunjin.

Hyunjin places his right hand down on Jisung's head, ruffling his hair after pressing down on it. He scolds the older boy, "Don't call me Jinnie. Y/N's the only one who gets to call me that."

"Stop gathering around people," The captain claps his hands together to gather all of your attention. You quickly rush to his side and he smiles at you warmly, before looking at his team and glaring at each of them as they gather around him. "Yonsei University was kind enough to arrange a practice match with us thanks to—"

"Y/N," Jisung shouts, pivoting his arms by their sockets before lifting them both high above his head, cheering for you.

"Don't cut me off, Han," the coach shoots daggers at him, frowning visibly at the disobedience. "One more time and you're running around the gymnasium twenty times."

Jisung groans, only after winking at you. You chuckle under your breath, covering your face with the notepad in your hand. Hyunjin rolls his eyes, nudging Jisung to 'keep it in his pants' in the scariest voice ever. You could feel the dark clouds around Hyunjin, the aura darkening for a split minute before he breaks out into a huge smile as he looks at you.

The coach instructs out commands; strategies to help the team win against Yonsei. Moves that he's studied after watching their matches. You know this because you watched Hyunjin do the same at home. He does it at odd timings though.

You would wake up at three in the morning to grab a glass of water and you'd find your best friend squatting in front of the television as he watches every single one of Yonsei's matches. He wouldn't listen to you telling him to go to sleep because, "Being the captain is hard, Y/N. The whole team's banking on me to set the ball perfectly at the right time. I can't..."

And you understand. You understand the worries that go around in his head, the anxiety of being the best because he's no genius. He got to the top, made a name for him all thanks to his hard work and if he needs to keep it — he won't have it any other way — he swears to god that he would practise and study till he drops dead. Hwang Hyunjin loves volleyball that much.

So, you do what any friend would do.

You would make two cups of coffee, one for him and one for yourself. You sit next to him and watch the match with him. Your head lays back against the soft material of the sofa, just watching Hyunjin's eyes fixed on the screen, studying each movement of every player, gasping occasionally at how the setter of Yonsei's team leans his head back to decoy the opposite team only to dump the ball.

You don't remember much from that night because you fall asleep way too quick in the silence and in the presence of a focussed Hyunjin, your cup of coffee half empty. You don't remember anything from that night besides the fact that you woke up in your bed the next morning, or more like, Hyunjin waking you up the next morning because you overslept. Either ways, you were back in your bed and for that, you were grateful.

And as soon as the coach is done with the instructions, the team members scramble before splitting themselves into two groups, first to do serves and then perfect shots and finally, have a practice match.

You sit next to the coach, watching each and every member. That's what the previous manager told you to do. To observe. That's what the manager must do. To observe so well that you know each member well enough to know how their mind works, how their personalities are and who they truly want to be.

This is exactly why you can't seem to ever hate Lee Minho. Because you've seen him on the court, at his very best.

He's the best darn middle blocker you've ever seen. He doesn't tower that much over people with his height but when he jumps, lifting off his feet, he is as good as a wall cemented and strong before the opponent. He has only got better with every practice match and you realise that he wants to be better. And that's how he truly is. The constant urge to do better than the person he was before and perhaps, to Minho, you are someone he wants to leave behind in the past.

There's no one to blame here and you realise that it's a lot better if you accept the truth before it hurts you more than it should.

But then, in a second, Hyunjin takes your attention away whole heartedly. The boy arches his body so beautifully as he sets the ball for Jisung who slams the ball over the net with such force that leaves you gaping, notebook slamming your thigh. The coach stands up, his heels slamming the ground first before his toes do and he is as stunned as you are, eyes wide.

Funnily, Jisung's surprised too.

"We did it!" He says slowly, his words gradually making sense to him and when it does, he rushes to him, holding his shoulders and jumping ecstatically, "Hwang Hyunjin, we fucking did it!"

"When did you guys practice that?" The coach cuts the commotion short with his question. Hyunjin turns to face him along with Jisung, scratching the back of his head. Jisung is so overjoyed that he rushes to the coach, "Today morning! It sounded delusional but we pulled it off, coach."

You look at Hyunjin, who turns his attention back to you as soon as the coach is scrambling off to tell more instructions to Jisung on how he should time it a little bit earlier to hit it with even more impact. You smile, giving him a thumbs up and Hyunjin laughs, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Are you guys finally dating now that Minho's out of the picture?" Chan nudges Hyunjin. The man stumbles a step forward on impact only to quickly look at the older with eyes so wide that he wonders if it were possible.

"What?" He splutters the words out, voice haphazard after the cough.

"Everyone in the team thinks you guys should," Chan shrugs and Hyunjin's face morphs into that of seriousness almost instantly and shoots the other male with, "Did Minho hear of this?"

"Perhaps," Chan catches the ball Felix throws at him. The coach claps his hands to bring the attention back to him, barking out orders to resume the game. Chan pats Hyunjin's shoulders, "You know what we always tell, Hyunjin, in this sport—"

"Take the shot when you see the opportunity."

"Exactly."

"Or someone's going to block again," Chan sniggers and looks at Minho, who was trying his very best to avoid your gaze, "This time round, it could be someone better than our middle blocker."

You're picking up the volleyballs lying around when the guys go to shower and change, dribbling them slightly and smiling to yourself. A figure towers over you as they drop a ball into the huge bucket. You turn around to look up at Minho.

"Can we speak?"

"Do we have more to say?"

"I guess," he shrugs.

"We can still be friends, Minho," you sigh, eyes closed. "I also won't be those annoying types to tell Hyunjin to stay away from you because you broke up with me. You should know better."

"I didn't mean that," Minho looks offended. "I wanted to apologise. I should have tried harder perhaps."

"You should have."

"I know," Minho sucks in his lower lip. "I really should have but you know—"

"Lee Minho," your voice is firm. "I've told you a gazillion times that Hyunjin and I are just friends, Minho. Somehow you made up this sort of weird thing in your head so don't drag me into this mess. This is yours."

Minho scoffs, "You're going to eat your words soon," and picks up another ball. You remember the task you had forgotten in the heat of the moment, rushing to pick up a ball to put it back. The rest of the team is slowly making their way outside.

"I doubt," you sigh, throwing the last ball into the bucket and dusting your hands together. Jisung's darting towards you, hands in the air. Minho moves to the side, gliding against the floor, making way for the shorter man to reach you, bubbling with such enthusiasm you wonder what the cause of it is.

"Felix is treating us!"

Ah, so that's the reason. You smile at Jisung, nodding your approval. You push the bucket to the side of the gymnasium with Minho's help and switch the lights off as the team exits the gymnasium.

"Lee Minho!" You hear a feminine voice through the air, your eyebrows quirking upwards automatically. Hyunjin walks to your side, sighing as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his sports jacket, mumbling so softly that you barely catch it, "I warned that asshole, God damn him."

Minho's face lights up in a way you haven't seen in a while and your heart is heavy. The woman, Irene — you hear Chan shout her name and wave at her — locks her arm with Minho's and walks with him, the man doing nothing to push her away. It shouldn't affect you. Not anymore now that the two of you have broken up and yet it hurts.

Hyunjin quickly pulls you away, preventing your eyes from lingering further even a minute more. His hand holds yours and he drags you to his motorcycle. You look down, biting the insides of your cheeks, alternating between the right and left every time you taste the copper of the blood.

"Your hand is so small," Hyunjin says. "Like look at how it fits into mine," he laughs, lifting your hand upwards as he clasps it tightly. He mumbles, "So small."

You break into a smile, watching Hyunjin tease you, momentarily drifting from the thought that upsets you and it leaves you wondering how Hyunjin does it all the time. He lets go of your hand, ruffling your hair as he bends lightly, "You've got this."

He quickly turns on the heels of his feet, pulling out the keys to his bike and igniting it. You hear Jisung scream from behind, "I thought you were taking me with you!"

Hyunjin screams back, "Carpool with the rest. I'm taking Y/N."

He lifts his leg, straddling the bike as he holds onto the handles, kicking the support free. He turns towards you and tells you to hop on and you do as he says. Your fingers hold his jacket, making sure you're not hugging him from behind. Minho's words run in your head and Hyunjin notices this small gesture of yours but he pays no heed. After all, it's been a while since he realised that what he has with you is better when it's platonic. He is too afraid to lose you.

"Jinnie," you tell him as he starts the motorbike, accelerating behind Jin who leads the way. You hear your best friend scream, "Yeah," through the loud winds that hit you.

You lean forward and speak closer into his ears, your jaw hitting his helmet, "Remember how I said the guys are to be blamed in a relationship."

"Yeah," he hints at you to proceed.

"Here's my first point. Minho back there," you point out. "It was that easy for a guy to move on. That easy," you stress your word. "While I'm here repenting if there was any way to get things back to where it was. However, there's no use in me trying because there's Minho with Irene like our relationship was a thing in the past."

"That doesn't mean he didn't care about you during the relationship. That's how guys are. They give it their everything when they're in the relationship," Hyunjin reasons and you laugh sardonically.

"You're kidding me, right? The girl definitely cares more. It almost seems so easy for the guys to break up and move on. Remember the time when you broke up with Lisa," you speak, raising your tone a little more so that Hyunjin can hear you. The motorcycle moving against the wind causes your hair to touch your mouth and you're spitting hair out facing the side. Hyunjin laughs, his grip on the accelerator tightening as he speeds up just a little bit, causing you to hold onto his jacket pockets a little tighter.

"Bro," Hyunjin mutters when you bring up Lisa. "I cried enough when she broke up with me, okay?"

"You did, for a day or two," you state. "The girl cried her heart out for a whole week. You went partying that Friday with Jisung!"

"Are we now using quantitative measurements to determine how deep our care and love is?" Hyunjin gasps, sounding very offended. "This reminds me why most relationships don't work. Because girls are shallow as fuck."

Hyunjin accelerates, missing sight of the speed breaker in front of him. It hurls you onto his chest, your arms wrapping around his waist to keep you safe. A soft scream leaves your lips as the side of your face buries into his broad back.

"Sorry," Hyunjin apologises quickly. "Didn't see that!" Hyunjin prays that you don't move your arms away but you do and he sighs, face falling. He is glad that you can't see him. Your hand is back to gripping his jacket and head back in this battle of words you're currently having with your best friend.

"It's okay," you tell him. "What's not okay is how you think women are shallow."

"They are!" He takes a turn to the left. Your thigh muscles tighten as it straddles the seat, fingers digging into his side for support. "I mean, let's be real, sweetheart. You take an hour or more to get ready for college."

"Because I want to look presentable!" You hit his broad back and he chuckles.

"Lies! You're shallow!"

"Says the person who walks around shirtless at home and stares at the mirror, lightly touching your abs and saying perfect," you tease and Hyunjin turns to look at you for a minute with his eyes wide before he turns his attention back on the road.

"You saw that?"

"Of course. I see that every day."

"But you're watching the television, how?"

"Reflections," you state.

He's gasping. The motorcycle slows down as it reaches Pizza Alvolo. The pizzeria is adjacent to a pretty park and you can hear the birds chirp lowly right before the sun is ready to set. You jump off the motorcycle, dusting the denims covering your thighs and Hyunjin removes his helmet, hooking it to the handle securely.

The rest of the team are seated in the pizzeria already waiting for the two of you, waving at you as soon as you enter the place. You rush and sit next to Jisung who has been aggravatingly patting the seat next to him. Hyunjin sits opposite to you, next to Chan. He snatches the menu from him and the elder male whines at the behaviour.

You look around and notice that Minho hasn't reached the place yet. Not that it mattered to you. You will slowly learn to stop caring so much for a man and you will soon be able to look at him and think of only the fond memories and nothing more.

Or so you thought.

The minute you see Minho walk into the pizzeria, although not with Irene, you feel the ground slip underneath you. Jisung is nice enough — albeit not knowing of the whole pickle you are in — to hold your wrist and turn your attention towards the stack of pizza boxes that come your way as he gleams, "Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!"

You look away from Minho and toward the direction Jisung points before turning to look at Hyunjin who lets out a loud sigh. You know that he's clutching at his thick thighs, nails digging into it at the sight of your uncomfortability. Hyunjin knows it will take you days to get over this break up, maybe weeks and that as a good best friend, he should wait. He should understand.

But it frustrates him so much. The sight of you being in pain, in hurt because of another man — his other best friend at that — pisses him off way more than he thought it should at first.

Hyunjin quickly takes his phone out and you narrow your eyes at him, mouthing, "Rude. Put it back into your pocket." In a second, your phone dings and you take yours out. Minho sits by Jisung's side in that second, a seat away from you and your heartbeat accelerates. You unlock your phone to see a message from Hyunjin and you lift up your head, raising an eyebrow at him and he eyes at you to open the message.

Jinnie: do you want to leave?

Your eyes widen and your lips part slightly. You don't respond immediately, locking the phone and shoving it back into your pocket. You smile at Hyunjin, trying to signal that you were alright so far. Jisung opens the cardboard boxes of the pizza and squeals. Chan looks at the situation, analysing if it'd be bad for the team on a bigger approach. Hyunjin might be the captain but had it not been for Chan's guidance, the volleyball team would not have lasted a day more with the differences.

Felix announces, "Eat to your heart's merry! I might never treat again." He takes the first bite for courtesy's sake before telling everyone to join in.

The team laughs and Minho smiles, the skin by his eyes wrinkling and your heart stops to remember all the reasons you were so madly in love with this man. It is at this minute you realise it'll take you maybe a little longer than you thought, a little longer than a casual fling and a little lesser than a long term relationship. You should have known this is bound to happen the minute you allowed yourself to let your petty emotions take over.

And maybe, just maybe, it is the fact that you have to pretend to be alright with having Minho around you that makes this heartbreak pain ten times worse.

Surprisingly, Hyunjin already seems to know because he doesn't stop glancing at you after every bite of the slice he has in his hand.

You stretch your arm out to take a slice of the pepperoni pizza on the table at the same time Minho stretches his arms out to take one. Your fingers brush against his and you jolt your hand backwards, mumbling, "Sorry."

Jisung laughs without knowing and teases, "Why would you apologise for brushing your boyfriend's hand?" He takes a bite of his pizza and as soon as he finishes chewing, he continues, "I mean, you guys do nastier stuff and suddenly, you all are prim and proper, Y/N. Love the contrast you exhibit. It's beautiful. You guys could be at it every time I catch you in the gymnasium alone. Also, you're his longest relationship. You should pride yourself—"

Jisung is speaking and you won't look up. Hyunjin has dropped the knife slightly just to try and get him to stop, though in vain and Minho's looking at you. His eyes won't leave your frame and you just want to leave. It is too early for you to be alright with this. Way too early.

"Stop, Jisung," Chan tells him, reading the situation in the room.

"Why?" Jisung's laughing. Felix understands by now, seeing your face hung down and so does the rest of the team besides the man himself. You can't even come to be angry at Jisung because he seems so innocent, unaware of it all.

You spill the beans for your own heart's safety, "Minho broke up with me."

Minho doesn't shift his eyes at anyone else and Hyunjin holds the knife again, a little too tight this time. Jisung's smile turns instantly into a frown and he turns his head to glare at your now ex-boyfriend.

He doesn't bother to filter his words. "Why the fuck did you do that, you arsehole?" Minho turns to look at Jisung for a split second before his eyes are back at yours. You lift your head to lock gaze with him and you feel your chest tighten, eyes water and it hurts.

Everything seems so much more painful.

Chan says once again, his voice firm, ready to not listen to one more word of the conversation, "Stop it, Jisung. Read the room."

You stretch your arm out to have another bite of the pizza and everyone eats in silence. The room is pregnant with the most awkward silence you had been in your whole life. You take your phone out, unlocking it and finally replying to the message.

Jisung puts another slice of pizza onto your plate and you smile at him. Felix tries breaking the uneasy tension by talking about this dude he met in his neighborhood that was kind of cute. After sitting for another two minutes, you push your chair back to Jisung's surprise and stand up. Hyunjin stands up instinctively, his calves pushing his chair back and everyone at the table looks at the two of you.

Jinnie: do you want to leave?

"I just realised I have to do some grocery shopping," you laugh nervously. "There's absolutely nothing back at home. Not that Hyunjin would buy anything and keep, right?"

Hyunjin chuckles and everyone in the room knows quite obviously that you are trying to escape the scene. They are kind enough to let you. Felix asks, spilling the oregano seasonings on top of his pizza slice, "Is Hyunjin going with you?"

"Ye—"

"No," you cut your best friend before he can give his approval. "I'll go alone." You stretch your arm out, palm facing upwards, "Keys, please?"

"Don't hurt my baby," Hyunjin's sincerity is voiced and you laugh genuinely. Little did you know he meant both you and his motorbike. He drops the key to his motorbike onto your hand and you do a little cheer. Jisung mumbles, "Cute," before stuffing his face with pizzas.

"Have a good time, guys," you wish them and grab your bag, hanging on the chair. Jisung waves enthusiastically. Felix, Chan and the rest of the team waves too. You smile fondly at your team and walk towards the door only to find Hyunjin following you.

"What do you think you are doing right now, mister?"

"Can't I walk you out at the very least, woman?" Hyunjin gapes in dismay. He pulls open the glass door and you laugh.

"Sure thing," you say and walk towards his motorbike. Hyunjin leaves the door after stepping out, the glass door swinging back to shut itself. You swing your legs over his bike, straddling the automobile and dropping your chest slightly to balance the heavy vehicle.

"You sure you'll be alright?"

"Don't you trust your teaching? You taught me how to ride this thing. Don't worry."

You look over Hyunjin's shoulder to see Minho still looking at you, worry smeared all over his face and you feel your throat constricting again as you do your best to tear your eyes away from him.

Hyunjin takes a step closer, making sure everything's alright with the vehicle so that it doesn't endanger you. He places his hand over your wrist and you look at him in confusion, "Promise me you'll take care of yourself."

"I will," you laugh. "What are you? My daddy?"

Hyunjin stiffens for a minute before he lets go of all the inappropriate thoughts that fill him for a minute there before teasing you, "Do you want me to be your daddy?"

"Nah," you throw your head back. "You aren't that rich enough." You place the helmet over your head and look at him. Hyunjin taps your helmet and hugs you slightly.

"I'll see you at home."

You start the bike on ignition and look over Hyunjin's shoulder one last time to look at Minho, locking gazes with him before you pull yours away from him towards Hyunjin.

You look ahead, the clear road in front of you and turn the accelerator only after telling Hyunjin, giggling slightly,

"Sure thing, Daddy."

Hyunjin, on the other hand, is too caught up in his worry, eyes lingering behind the trailing presence of yours that finally disappears from his sight into a speck that fades away. In any other circumstances, he would have found your petite figure driving the huge motorcycle and you even calling him daddy, although in a teasing tone, insanely hot.

Right now, however, he just hopes you are safe. He wishes he could be by your side at every second.

Gaho's Stay Here blasts on the bluetooth speaker. Hyunjin pulls open the door only to find you lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling with the most emotionless face he has ever seen you with. His eyes dart towards the empty bottles of soju on the small table in the hall.

"Y/N?"

You sit up, looking at your best friend and your lip pucker out quickly pouting at the sight of him and you stretch your arms out wide, squealing, "Hyunjinnie. You are home."

Hyunjin walks towards you, plopping on the couch and sitting next to you. He quickly lifts his arm up, hand darting back and forth at the air to steer the smell away as he frowns at you, "You reek of liquor, dude."

You quickly hug him, wrapping your arms around his frame from the side and snuggling your face into his shoulder. Hyunjin stiffens under your grip and he looks down at your being with eyes closed and he realises that you might after all just be a small being in need of some loving. He wishes to be the person to do that. Hwang Hyunjin utterly and truly wants to be your person.

Hyunjin takes your phone to stop playing the music — Stay Here that's been currently playing on repeat for the twentieth time straight — and you whine against his skin, tickles running down Hyunjin's spine.

"Don't stop the music," you mumble and Hyunjin looks at you and your figure that hugs him securely, head snuggled by his neck, chin digging into the skin by his collarbone and all Hyunjin can focus on is his heart that is beating furiously against his chest.

"Y/N," Hyunjin's voice seems like an anchor to your woozy mind and you hug him tighter, gripping stronger on to his white shirt. You hum in response and Hyunjin continues, "Gaho's music doesn't seem very fitting for the minute."

You pull apart, your face morphing and changing into that of offense as you glare at him, mumbling, "Gaho is the only one that understands me." You play the music again, the bluetooth speakers blasting with the sad slow tune in the air and you feel the want to cry all over again.

You stretch your arm out to take a soju bottle from the table to down it all out when Hyunjin stretches out to stop you, his fingers wrapping around your wrists. He locks his eyes with yours and in the softest, most caring voice you've ever heard from him, he says, "Don't, Y/N. It hurts me too."

"Can I hold you?"

In a split moment, the room is filled with just the soft beats of Gaho's Start Over playing, your raspy breaths and Hyunjin's lost stare. His grip on your wrist tightens and your mind is far too intoxicated to think if this friendship could be ruined. Your heart is heavy, chest tight and you want someone to free you. Anyone. You are clawing at the imaginary wall all by yourself and anyone could be a help. Anyone that is not Lee Minho.

"Yes," and you fall on Hyunjin at the exact same moment he pulls your hand closer towards him. The timing seems to have lapsed on to each other. Your chest on Hyunjin's, eyes looking up at him as your arms snake slowly over his torso. You snuggle forward, rubbing against his body slightly and Hyunjin sighs.

To Hyunjin, the scene is a lot dramatic just because of the soft music playing and because you are drunk off your head according to him, barely able to make decisions. He just doesn't want to do anything that will make either of your friendships but right now, in this minute with you almost on top of him, locking your eyes in his, your arms around his torso, close enough to feel every part of your being, he wants to be drunk too.

Hyunjin wants to be drunk so that he can make a mistake. Hyunjin wants to be so drunk that he can't think just because he is a coward.

"Do you feel better?" He asks and you snuggle into his chest, burying your face into it as you hold him. Your lonely heart being comforted by just his presence and in the back of your drunk head, you know you feel a little bit more that causes your heart to flutter when Hyunjin cares.

You and Hyunjin are both cowards — two small people in this big world with big emotions unwilling to risk one status for another, over the fear of losing each other.

But Hyunjin wants to risk it tonight. After years of pining, he wants to risk this golden friendship he has shared with you for years now. You are the trigger, however. You lift your face away from his chest and crawl slightly towards him, pushing yourself against him. You look at him, lips pressed together and you stretch your right arm upwards to hold his face in your hand.

"Jinnie," your voice lets out his name in such an airy tone that it seems to disappear away even before it reaches his ear. His eyes are glassy and his heart is in his throat, eager in nothing but anticipation that is risen from all his hoping.

It happens as he has imagined. You lean forward so slowly that he pictures every second vividly and in an instant, your lips are on his. Hyunjin knows it should have felt wrong but God, save him — nothing felt more right than this.

You kiss him and his whole world falls away. It lingers, like a memory that stays behind. Your lips are slow and soft against him, comforting yourself and him in ways that words would never be. Hyunjin's hand slowly lifts up to rest below your ear, his thumb caressing your cheek as your breath mingles only for a split second — one filled with hesitance and uncertainty — before you pull away, looking at your best friend.

It is just a second of a kiss. Something so small and insignificant to seemingly anyone else yet it means the whole world to Hyunjin. It is the whole world to Hyunjin because this is all that is needed to let him astray, hinge released of the stupid restrictions he has made up in his head over you.

Your small kiss is all Hyunjin needs to hold on to because in the next minute, he is pulling you towards him, hands cupping your face tightly and angling it to kiss you, encasing your lower lips in his as he moves against your coral ones. You let out a small gasp and run your fingers down his spine, holding him as close as possible until there is no space left between the two of you and you can feel the beating of his heart against your chest. Loud, clear and unknown to you that it beats for you in this minute.

Hyunjin's lips are slammed against yours, nearly knocking all wind from your lungs and you don't know if it is your feelings or Hyunjin himself. He presses his tongue to the seam of your lips and, the minute you let him in, he delves inside your mouth. Hyunjin kisses you like he thinks it is the last time he will ever be able to have his lips against yours.

Your arms move up his back and tangle around his thick, strong neck. In an instant, you pull away and arch up into his broad chest, moaning in the contact of body heat against your own, before you draw back into his lips. Hyunjin can feel the burn of hard soju in his mouth, thanks to you, and it rolls off your tongue into his, seeping down his throat and he can't hate it. There is a thrill in its own that Hyunjin knows stems from you.

If it was possible, Hyunjin would slow down time.

You pull back eventually only to hug him, humming against his neck, lips pressed against the soft expanse of his skin. Hyunjin's hand is pressed against your back as he pats you in a steady rhythm, instinctively humming to a tune that could calm you.

"Jinnie?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," and he feels your weight fall on to his shoulder as you snuggle closer into his neck, your warm breath fanning against him, sending shivers down his spine. "For everything."

Hyunjin holds you for a while, silence and nothing but your breathing that is soft music to his ears, till he hears your soft snores buzzing against his eardrums and he knows you have fallen asleep in his arms, against his chest.

The next morning, you find yourself magically in your bed, comforter on top of you covering every inch of you, head aching thanks to your reckless drinking last night with no memory of whatsoever that happened. Lightheaded you should have known better.

Hyunjin chooses to be a coward, the morning after.

The greens that cover the campus is the only other thing that keeps you sane in this university. The first being, the volleyball team. However, you don't know anymore if it is still, in the present.

You sit on the same bench before a beautiful fountain with a tiger head right in the centre, watching the vast basketball court. A place that holds way more memories to you now than it did a year before.

You shake your legs, feet pointing forward as you listen to music with about half an hour in your hand to waste before you head down towards the gymnasium to meet with the volleyball team. Besides few people that walk down towards their classes, the campus looks pretty stranded as you watch every single person stay happy in their sphere.

"Y/N," you hear your name being called out through yet another one of Gaho's songs and you lift your head up, to look at the person by your side, standing and providing you the shade they probably didn't intend to.

It's the man himself, the one who broke your heart for an explanation that made no sense to you. Lee Minho.

He stands tall, towering over you and your neck aches from looking up at him that you decide to stand up, removing the earbuds and placing it on the wooden bench, next to your phone.

"You're here." You gulp. "Aren't you supposed to be headed to the gym for practice?"

The fountain is everything you associate Minho with — moreover, it is perhaps the relationship with him that you associated the beautiful water fountain with. To see the very same man before you right now is needless to say surprising.

"I could ask you the same thing," Minho chuckles. He takes out a small cone of butterscotch ice cream and extends his arm, offering it to you. You smile softly, thanking him, sitting down back on the bench. "Can I sit here?" He asks and you nod, unwrapping the wrapping paper around the ice cream.

"Yeah," you tap on the seat by your side. You take a bite of your ice cream and Minho visibly flinches, mumbling, "Still the same."

"You broke up with me like two days back. What did you expect? A nirvana attained me?" You scoff. You take another bite of the ice cream, the sensitivity hitting your teeth and you hiss.

"Brutal," Minho chuckles darkly. You scoff, turning your head away and taking another bite of your ice cream. Minho opens his ice cream and you raise an eyebrow at him, mumbling, "You don't eat ice cream though."

"Thought you might want another one," he smiles and the thought of a second ice cream lights you up. "There you go smiling like a dork as always at the thought of it." Minho laughs and you bend forward to take it, your left arm stretching forward. Minho tugs it backwards and your body moves a little more to grab at it until it's too far for you, bringing you to your present position.

Your hand is on Minho's chest, his eyes locked in yours and you are surprised. This is not in your to do list and yet with Minho's grip on your wrist, you drop your ice cream as soon as he edges closer. His face is so close that you can see the perfect plump lips pout slightly, his face glistening in the bright sun and you gasp softly. It has been a while since he has been this close and he still makes your heart go livid within you, beating crazy.

He drops his ice cream in a second, his hands pressing forward to cup your face and pull you into him to kiss the living hell out of you. Your eyes widen, arms falling limp on either side as you stiffen.

"Can I try something?" He hesitates, iron grip on you.

"Try?" You look worried and the next minute, Minho is kissing you, his plump lips on yours for a while before he moves them against yours, taking hold of your lower lip.

It is an instinct. You choose to blame it rather on instincts. Your hand moves to grab the linen draping his arm as you hold it and kiss Minho back. It is as bitter as coffee thanks to all the memories that go along with it and yet — you find yourself drowning. You find yourself wanting more. You find yourself hoping if Minho could stay, if Minho could just pretend to love you, if not.

And it breaks your heart.

All over again.

A lone tear leaves your eyes and then another, till you are crying as you kiss him. A wet messy affair at its finest. Minho pulls back in surprise feeling the wetness against his skin. He cups your face and holds you, looking at you to check for damage — little does he know of the emotional one. Or maybe he does and he chooses to ignore. Typical Lee Minho.

"Did I hurt you?"

Your emotions take over, sanity pushed to the back. You are pulling yourself from Minho as he tries to hold you to calm you down. Your fist plummets down onto his hard chest once and then, for the second time till you are hitting him over and over again till you completely break down in front of him. Minho quickly pulls you into a hug, holding you close till you completely soak his white shirt with your tears.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you—" It's a repeated chant. Over and over again till you don't remember how many times you told Minho the same thing. Your mind goes insane with the overdrive of emotions. Did you like Minho still? You don't know. You don't know whether it's the familiarity of his hugs or his kisses or his whole presence that you crave or if it's his love.

"I'm sorry," he whispers and you accept because it's the first time an apology from Lee Minho sounded this sincere. "I'm sorry for breaking your heart." He snuggles into the crook of your neck, swallowed by guilt. Perhaps this is why one should never date their friends; because you lose something much greater.

"I hate you more now for kissing me here," you manage to say, throat rasp from the crying. "How could you stain this memory too? How dare you stain the memory of the location of our first kiss? It was supposed to be a bittersweet memory when I sit here and think." Minho is still hugging you.

"I'm sorry."

It is still bittersweet in a new way, you realise — the fact that Lee Minho kisses you for the last time, you swear to God, in the very same place he kissed you for the first time. The weather changed, the people around changed and the emotions changed. Even after all that, the fountain stays proud and mighty and bears witness to more new relationships and new heartbreaks. Nothing changes besides you. Nothing changes besides what we want.

You pull away from him. Sitting straight, facing the vast basketball court and the juniors playing the game, you make a decision, firm and determined. The soft pink petals fall down from the cherry blossom trees over the two of you and Minho looks at you, and then at the spilled ice cream. To see the boughs that were so bereft in the snow become so beautifully adorned should lift your spirits infinitely and it does slightly. Their scents diffuse in the warming breeze and you hold your head high to savour it.

"Let's stay away from each other for a while."

Minho's eyes shoot up, head lifting up to face you. He does not refute. After all, he knows he has to take a step behind after breaking your heart. What he does not understand is how the two of you could stay away from each other when your friend circles overlap to a large extent.

"How?" He finally asks. "How do I help you with that?"

"By doing just that. Give me space and time to get over you. I'll come back asking for your hand in friendship again," you smile. Your tear stained visage and the difficult smile you put forth is a funny combination but you manage to pull it off well, you'd say. "You don't have to take the first step this time. Let me do this on my own, Minho."

You stand up on your own, grabbing your earphones and your phone. Minho stands up, following suit and asks, "Are you leaving?"

"Yes," you turn only to look at him as you walk backwards. "And you have to head for practice. So get going. I won't have you mess up your performance by all means." You turn back and move ahead. From everything.

"You know I wouldn't," Minho screams back and the last syllable ends with a laugh. You lift your hand to wave and you leave, far, far away from him.

You now have an open wound to stitch back and you know you have to do it on your own.

Hyunjin's phone rings right when he decides to serve the ball. He drops the ball in surprise, the sphere rolling all the way to where his phone is placed. Chan groans, stopping his pace at the sound of the phone ringing, and yells, "Yah! Hyunjin, how many times should I tell you to switch off your phone?"

Felix walks in exactly at that minute, laughing, "Anyone from outside would totally think Chan's the captain!"

Hyunjin runs to his phone, his blond hair strands falling forward, ponytail swinging left and right. Felix laughs at the sight, walking towards the ball and picking it up before throwing it at Chan who catches it swiftly. Hyunjin sees your name on the phone, eyes lighting up instantly and a smile prominent only for Chan to announce, "It's Y/N."

"Of course, it is," Felix scoffs. "Where's the rest of the guys? I thought you said we were to come early—" Felix pauses, eyes widening and gasping, "Hold up! Y/N is late. Whoa!"

"They are probably running towards the gym right now," Hyunjin says before picking up the call. He mouths to the rest, "It'll be short, I promise," and pouts. Chan sighs, only to smile and wave his hand at him to take the call.

"Y/N," Hyunjin cheers up instantly. "Where are—" He hears a choked sob from the other hand and Hyunjin stiffens, face losing the smiling in a second. "Are you alright?"

"I am," you strain it out. You barely manage through with the chokes and that pain that ripples through in waves but you eventually find the words to tell him, "I won't make it to practice today. Yeah?"

"Where are you?"

Hyunjin is angry and he doesn't even know who it is aimed at. He is just beyond mad at the fact that you are crying and someone made you cry. The thought of the skin by your eyes aching and eyes red and burning over anyone made him so angry that he could punch a wall through.

"I'm not telling you," he hears you say and he clenches his fist.

"Stop being a brat, Y/N," he stresses and Chan gestures at him, asking if there was something wrong. Hyunjin nods. "Where are you?"

"Leave me alone, Jinnie," you tell him through the phone, "Please," and his eyes widen before he calms himself down, realising that you are trying to cope all alone, a pathetic self-destructive quirk of yours that he had learned to live with after all these years. He gulps and realises you truly needed time alone and he hums in approval.

"Please reach out to me when you need me," he begs. "Please, Y/N."

Felix and Chan are staring at Hyunjin in worry when the door to the gymnasium opens and Jisung rushes into the room. He is panting and he looks around, searching for someone. Hyunjin turns away, his attention back on the call in his hands and he ends the call quickly, making a note in his mind to check up on you after practise. Not that you would let him miss practise. (Not that Hyunjin would do it to himself in the first place. He'd kill for volleyball.)

He walks towards the rest when Minho walks in, black duffel bag on his shoulder. Jisung is quick on his feet as he runs towards the other man, hands on his shoulders and he shakes the living hell out of him.

"He's gone crazy, dude," Felix mumbles and Chan laughs.

Hyunjin stays at a comfortable distance still, looking at his phone in worry every now and then. The man lifts his head and brings his attention back to the present only when he hears your name leave Jisung's mouth.

"Whoa, dude. You got back together with Y/N?"

"What?" Chan is the first to respond. "You did what?"

"I didn't get back together with her," Minho says, his voice is monotone and lacks anything more than nonchalance and it pisses the hell out of Hyunjin who has his fists still clenched tightly.

"I saw you kissing her but. . ." Jisung drops the bomb all at once in such a lost way that he doesn't realise the impact it was to have in this large gymnasium.

Hyunjin is charging forwards all at once, yelling, "You bastard," as he throws a punch at Minho. The blond dyed man is quick to put two and two together and realise that you are after all, crying because of the black haired man before him.

He pushes him back, Minho hitting the floor and Hyunjin's on top of him, punching him with his clenched fist, mind void and painted in hot red anger. Minho has his arms, blocking his punches and chooses to play on the defensive side.

In fear, we are all monsters. Hyunjin believes that he would be afraid of himself had he astral projected and looked at himself in this minute, all unhinged because of one girl — one girl he would set the world on fire for.

All that rage comes out faster than magma for Hyunjin and is just as destructive. More so because he's the captain. It consumes all that he is, so delicate under that carefully ordered world and carefully put up feign that he is alright with Minho breaking the heart of the girl he loves. Minho shrivels before him but Hyunjin does not stop. He relentlessly keeps going, stopping short of physical violence but doing far more damage with the words that he throws.

Chan tries to pull Hyunjin away as Jisung drags Minho from underneath him. The black haired man is left with bruises and a busted lip. On the other hand, Hyunjin is still fuming, along with Chan, sporting a few cuts from Minho who decided to throw a few punches in the last moment.

"Can you all stop?" Felix sighs.

"Why would you bastard make her cry again?" Hyunjin raises his voice. He's yelling at this point, loud enough for everyone passing by the gymnasium to hear. "Why the fuck would you make Y/N cry again? I told you to leave her alone!"

"This wouldn't have happened if things went different—" Hyunjin tries to rush forward to hit him again upon hearing his words, but Chan and Changbin, another teammate, have a strong grip on him. His blond ponytail lashes in anger and he fights against the two, trying to let go of himself. Minho yells back, "I would have never broken up with her if you never liked her, Hyunjin."

"What?" He stops still in his tracks, limbs falling and Chan lets go.

"How am I supposed to think it's alright for you to randomly stare at my girlfriend with heart eyes? For fuck's sake, you guys hug way more than I hug her," Minho glares, chest rising up as he vents everything he has bottled up so far. "If you had always liked her, you should have told me! I shouldn't have overheard it from Chan telling you to ask her out." Chan's face pales visibly. "I would have tried making her stay. I would have made her stay. I would have," Minho's voice lowers. "I still did, but I was too late."

Hyunjin has no words to refute. His eyes widen and his heart is in his throat, barely being able to say, "You could have taken it out on me. Why would you drag her into this? She loved you. She still wavers because of you. Your faithless love was the only hoax she was forced to believe."

Jisung pouts in awe at the words Hyunjin spills and Minho mumbles, "I don't know. I couldn't think straight."

Felix drops the ball with force, suddenly. The ball squelches before raising high and hitting the wall with impact. He folds his arms and speaks up, "Stop acting like kids." He points at Minho. "You, stop putting the blame of your failed relationship on Hyunjin. Him liking Y/N did not ruin your relationship. You killed it yourself."

"But he—"

"I liked her even before you made a move on her. Nothing has changed, Minho," Hyunjin inhales sharply.

"It's because you're a coward, you arsehole."

Hyunjin closes his eyes, looking away, mumbling, "Not going to even bother denying that. I'd be dating her if I wasn't this scared of losing her."

Felix proceeds to point at Hyunjin, glaring sharply at him, "You call yourself a captain? We have a match in a few days and you decide to lose control and beat up your teammate? One of the best middle blockers out there! What in the world are you thinking, Hyunjin? Jesus Christ, when Y/N hears of this, she's going to beat you up so bad for doing this to him in the name of the team."

Hyunjin doesn't dare to look up at Felix, shuffling the balance of his body from one feet to another. He is embarrassed. He should have never let his emotions take control of his body and yet he did.

Chan walks towards Felix before announcing, "We'll start practice in five. I want the two of you to sort this out by the end of this day. If you haven't, I don't want either of you coming to practice tomorrow."

"I'm the setter!" Hyunjin protests.

"Jeongin can do a darn good job too, so shut up and listen to me well."

"Now," Felix claps his hand, smiling once again brightly before running to pick up the ball. "Let's practice like the perfect team we are!"

"And like I couldn't stop myself. It's like something dragged me to move forward and the next thing I knew, I was on top of Minho—"

"Fuck, that'd be hot."

"Y/N, focus. And like I was beating the crap out of him."

You dab an alcoholic swab over the small wounds on his face as he seethes in pain and you sneer, "Deserved it."

"Ouch," Hyunjin fakes offense. "Side with me at least now. You aren't dating him anymore." You stop, your hand midair and you dab constantly over his wounds till Hyunjins screaming, "Ow, ow, ow. I'm sorry," and holds your wrist and pulls it away.

"But you messed up your team dynamics just because of your anger," you frown. "You and Minho better sort it out quickly, Jinnie. Else, I swear to God." You glare at him.

"What will you do?" Hyunjin laughs, scrunching his nose and teasing you. You place the bandaids over the wounds and raise an eyebrow. Hyunjin prompts, "Bite me?"

"I will," you warn and Hyunjin scoffs, "As if."

You bite him. His shoulder, to be exact. Your teeth hold onto his socket for a good one minute tightly till he is yelping, hitting your back to let go of him as he hisses in pain. You let go of him and narrow your eyes at him. Hyunjin is shocked. So shocked that he blankly stares at you with his mouth wide open.

"Are you a dog?"

"I could be one if you taunt me too much."

"Wow," he blinks and you poke the insides of your cheek with your tongue. "Wow, you're truly one of a kind." And Hyunjin breaks down laughing, holding his shoulder with his hand and bending forward overcome by intense laughter.

"Buy me mint choco," he prompts. "Because now you injured me and I want compensation."

"Excuse me?"

Hyunjin pushes himself forward, edging closer to you, looking you in your eyes before saying, "You know you have to," in a low guttural tone that your heart does a whole somersault, triple axle and then lands with an ovation. "You hurt me."

You push him away and you leap onto your feet, your eyes wide and your hand over your chest. Hyunjin looks at you with a raised eyebrow. To change the mood of the situation, you quickly announce, "Fine. You'll get mint chocolate only if you get ready and come out in five minutes. Else you pay for it on your own."

Hyunjin stands up and holding your wrist, he pulls you with him to the door. You look at him in utter confusion and ask, "What are you doing?"

Hyunjin stops in his tracks and turns to look at you, blond strands leaving his ponytail to cover his eyes slightly and pink lips so plump that you wonder how they feel. The realisation that you have started viewing your best friend as someone more than just that hits you and you look down instantly. When did this happen?

"I'll just wear a coat and so should you," Hyunjin laughs. "Ice cream can't wait."

People think of laughing as a noise that comes from the mouth more often than not, but when Hyunjin laughed it was nothing like that. The laugh is in his eyes, in the way his face changes into that vision of relaxed joy and unrestrained mirth. And yet, in all honesty, it is not in his face either. His laugh comes from within, it is just the way he is wired with the instant ability to comfort someone. Just the sound of his gales, his snickers, his giggles, was enough to transport you far away from all your worries and the tension your life has in the minute.

Enough to make you forget that you have to tell him today about the decision you have taken.

Hyunjin and you walk down the stairs and off onto the road in five minutes as planned. The cool air of the night hits you and you hold yourself closer, the long coat held tightly to your body surface. Hyunjin laughs before wrapping his arm around your shoulder and pulling you close by just a little bit and yet enough to share his body warmth.

"Mint choco, here we come!" And he runs with you.

The thing with your stupid heart is that you don't understand why it is beating so rapidly in this moment, your heart beat easily jumping to more than 95bpm and all because Hyunjin holds you. You look at the man by your side, his blond hair moving with the air, exposing his face and you wonder — had Hwang Hyunjin always been this beautiful?

You have known Hyunjin for a long time now. Too long for you to realise that your heart had a change in its plans for emotions recently. You have known Hyunjin way too long to know that you want him for a lifetime by your side, as a best friend at the very least and the thought that if you did act upon your new emotions that you have just discovered in this cold, breezy night, you are screwed.

Hyunjin turns to look back at you after hearing absolutely no sound from you. His face pales when he realises you are looking far ahead and he wonders if you do remember now. If you remember the drunk night.

So he asks to put himself at ease, "Y/N?"

"Huh?" You jolt up to consciousness, looking properly at Hyunjin. "Yeah?"

"Do you remember the night a few days back?"

"Night? Few days back?" You ponder. "When I was drunk?"

"Yeah," Hyunjin mumbles and you raise your body in anticipation, finally wanting to ask about the magical teleportation.

"Now that we are on this topic," you fold your arms and raise your eyebrows at your best friend. Hyunjin shuffles his balance from his left to his right. "Did you carry me to bed that night?"

Hyunjin chokes on air, sputtering out incoherent words before finally forming one proper sentence, "You knew?"

"You're the only other person I live with and I don't have any recollection of going to bed so like I presumed," you look down, heat rising to your cheek and you fidget with your fingers. "That you carried me to bed."

"That's all that you remember?"

You lift your head up, lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed, "Is there more?"

"Uh," Hyunjin turns back to face forward, his broad back in your vision again as he walks forward to the ice cream parlour by the junction.

"Hyunjin?" He walks quicker. "Yah! Hwang Hyunjin!" You follow him with quick, short strides, almost jogging up to him. "What did I do, Jinnie?" He opens the glass door to the ice cream parlour. "Yah, Hwang Hyunjin, tell me no matter how embarrassing it is." You follow him into the white aesthetically pretty place.

You finally catch hold of his coat and tug at it. Hyunjin turns, his cheeks flushed and you wonder what in the world happened that night. Yes, you have vague memories of hugging Hyunjin and passing out, but for him to act like this — wait, you didn't empty your stomach out on him, did you?

"Did I—" Hyunjin's eyes widens. He turns back, his attention on the man behind the counter and he points towards you.

"She's paying."

"Okay," the man nods and turns to look at you, waiting for your order. You sigh, glaring at your best friend before ordering one quantity of mint chocolate ice cream. Your eyes waver to the green ice cream and you frown in displeasure, something Hyunjin catches sight of your expression.

"How dare you?" He folds his arms, dramatically. "The only people that matter in this world are the one that like mint chocolate." The man at the counter smiles at the two of you.

You open your mouth, clicking your tongue, "I'm not paying money to eat toothpaste."

The man behind the counter laughs out loud and Hyunjin glares at him, scoffing. He takes the ice cream from his hand and waits for you to pay. The tall man looks at the two of you, again, before finally telling, "Good luck on your relationship. It's always fun to see couples have an argument over mint chocolate and still be so in love with each other." He turns to look at Hyunjin only, "For your information, I like mint chocolate."

Both Hyunjin and you look at each other, either of you waiting for the other person to disagree with the man but there is just silence. You can feel Hyunjin looking at you through the corners, waiting for you to refute like you always do. You don't and you do not even know why. The heat builds up beneath the apples of your cheek and the thought of being in a relationship with your best friend strangely brings about a wave of calmness within you, doing its best to shove the uncertainty of so many things away.

"Thank you for the ice cream," you say and walk to an empty table. Hyunjin thanks the man too, and follows you, sitting on the seat opposite to you and places the mint chocolate in between.

He watches you, unsure of the situation and you bite your lower lip nervously before shoving the cup closer to him and mumbling, "Eat. We came all the way here for you."

"You should have gotten another ice cream," Hyunjin frowns.

"It's past nine," you laugh, your hair falling over the chair as you lean back. "I can't let fat into my body after nine. You know that."

"Why do I know you?" Hyunjin puts his hand on his forehead looking at you and then he pushes the cup of ice cream towards your side. "Disappointment." You look at your best friend, disgusted and he won't take the disrespect though.

"It's a refreshing taste," he digs in and takes a big bite. "Plus, it's the right balance." He lifts the spoon with a small amount of the mint ice cream and shoves it right in front of your face. "The perfect amount of mint, chocolate and milk to make the world's most perfect ice cream."

You push his hand away and glare, "Why would you ruin two beautiful sweets," you raise an eyebrow, "Chocolate and ice cream by including," you fake a gag, "Mint?"

"Because mint balances the sweetness of the chocolate," he scoffs. "All you mediocre people won't understand. Mint chocolate was created for the elite class."

"Did you just call me mediocre?" your jaw drops and Hyunjin laughs. It's soft, airy and so carefree that you don't mind the fact that he is laughing at you and not with you. You don't mind one bit when you break down and laugh with him, unable to keep your face straight as you lean forward on the table, your head resting on your hands and you watch Hyunjin.

You decide to tell him of your decision in this minute.

"I'm going to make Seungmin manage the team," you tell Hyunjin and he stares at you, the spoon dropping from his hand and clattering against the glass rim of the ice cream cup. You continue, "He's always wanted to manage the volleyball team and I thought I should let him—"

"Why?" He sounds hurt. Disappointed, in fact and your heart plummets down.

"I thought it's time to move on."

"From the team or Minho?"

"Minho," you say, nibbling on your lower teeth. "I want to go back to him—"

"What?" Hyunjin feels his heart sink.

"Don't cut me off, hoe," you click your tongue. "I want to go back to him and be his friend. I'm not ready to ruin a friendship over this. I just won't."

Hyunjin looks down at his cup of ice cream. His spoon digs into the cold dessert over and over again till he realises that he'll do what he has always done for you — be right by your side as your pillar.

"Feed me," Hyunjin prompts and you stare at him with a void expression, mouth still open, wondering if he suggested this only and only to change the topic. Hyunjin stretches his arm out to shut your mouth. "People are going to think I'm starving you here."

"Whoa." You lift your head up. "And if I do that, people are going to think we're possibly the cutest couple out there still in our glorious honeymoon phase of it."

"Okay," Hyunjin shrugs and leans back against the chair, folding his arms against each other.

"Okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine with that."

You sit up straight and look down before finally saying, "Don't say that."

"Say what?"

"Those words that make my heart flutter. I don't know what to feel, Hyunjin." Hyunjin is too stunned to react and whine over the fact that you called him properly by his name in your conversation. The fact that he too can cause your heart to race a little bit just like you have with his all these years. "Don't say them to me if you won't ever be ready to take responsibility over them."

You place your thumb and forefinger on your forehead, squeezing the skin slightly to calm the slight ache you can feel, the vein throbbing slightly and you know it is your anxiety that kicks in because you almost spilled everything out. You quickly stand up and holding your coat tightly, you look at Hyunjin who is still seated and looking at you intently.

"I need to go to the pharmacy next door. I'll wait for you there. Finish your ice cream and come."

You don't turn to look at Hyunjin as you walk out, slightly embarrassed by your own behaviour. Between you and Hyunjin, you are the one who had to keep your cool, making sure you didn't slip up or make a mess so that you could at least have time to clean his spilt milk.

You push the door of the ice cream parlour and walk out, the doorbell ringing at your push and you hold yourself in the cold breeze. If Hyunjin did not respond to it, it is only safe to presume that he feels nothing more towards you. You could at least put two and two together. Or so you thought till Hyunjin is chasing after you, big strides and dark blond hair in the wind as his rubber band comes loose and slides off a bit.

"Y/N!" He shouts and quickly holds your wrist, pulling you so quickly that you stumble forward into him. Hyunjin grips your arms to steady you and he looks at you, his brown eyes trying to peep into your soul. He smiles, hand running through his hair only to bring more strands forward, covering his vision.

Falling in love with Hwang Hyunjin, you realise, is the easy part. He makes it so easy to fall for him — when he smiles at the sun, covering his eyes or when he is covered by the dogs in dog parks all eager to hug him because that's how he just is. You don't even realise when you fall for Hyunjin but when you do, you know you are already sinking and you are far too gone for saving.

It is, however, admitting to yourself that you fell for your best friend that is hard. The Hwang Hyunjin that you have seen since the five year old boy moved next door to you. The Hwang Hyunjin that would cross dress in your clothes. The Hwang Hyunjin that would steal your dumplings. It is the same Hwang Hyunjin that you fall for. You had all these doors with specifications that opened to only men like Lee Minho and yet like the rude asshole that you oh so adorably love he seemed to tear them down. Or perhaps those doors were meant for others and Hyunjin always had a door of his own for your heart.

You should have asked yourself why but would it have really mattered? You're here with Hyunjin by your side, whether he knows your feelings or not and you couldn't be any less glad, even if you are sometimes hiding, imagining a distance instead of seeing Hyunjin right there.

"I'll come back, Jinnie," you tell him, looking up at him and coughing slightly, trying to move back slightly to put some space between the two of you. "I'm not running away. I just need to buy some strips of paraceta—"

"I want to be responsible for them," His gaze doesn't leave yours. "I want to be responsible for you, your emotions and everything you are, if you let me."

You wouldn't dare to shift your eyes away, or focus on anything else. Just Hyunjin. Just your Hyunjin. Your heart beats so fast against your chest that you wonder if it ever had this much for any man or woman. And when Hyunjin pulls you into him, his arms wrapping around your frame, hand flat against your head that buries your face into his chest, you learn that Hwang Hyunjin's heartbeat is always your metronome — the beat your entire life seemed to have moved smoothly to.

You giggle against his chest, breaking into a smile, "Are you asking me out, Jinnie?"

"I guess," he chuckles into your hair, snuggling himself into you. He pulls you back to explain. "My original plan was to ask you out after the practice match that I'll make sure we win, but you could possibly not be there as our manager and what if I miss the chance?"

"You lovesick boy," you laugh, smiling stupidly at him. Hyunjin cups your face and presses his forehead against yours.

"I've liked you for so long, Y/N," and you blush, lips pursed and you smile back, heart fluttering.

"Thank you," you press a kiss against his cheek.

"For what?"

"For being you and for always loving me."

Hwang Hyunjin holds your face and kisses like he is capable of getting rid of all your worries, slowly bleeding into your marrows and cells and soaking you of the very essence he is. He holds you like you are a precious being — and to him, you are because he finally has you after all these years; he finally gets to call you his.

His lips are warm and tasted of mint; obviously from the mint chocolate ice cream earlier. His hands are wrapped around your waist and yours are locked around his neck pulling him down slightly. His strands of blond locks brush against your face, ticking you slightly and you giggle into the kiss. He laughs against your lips before kissing you slowly, drawing the kiss for as long as he could. When you break apart for air, you lean forward and rest your forehead against his, gathering some much needed oxygen. His smile tells you everything you need confirmation over and you smile back, sinking into his hold.

Hyunjin hugs with gentle arms that still gives the space to breathe; yet it is the hug of a strong pair of arms that tells everything that you are - every fibre of your being - that he is with you, and you wonder how he is capable of that. How he is capable of holding like you are his whole world — like he rather hold you than anything else.

Hyunjin does exactly that. He holds you tight and close to him in this cold night, ignorant of everything else around the two of you, like you and him only mattered in the place, like you and him are fireworks in this velvet dark, the blaze that dares to light up the night.

4K notes · View notes

shorkbrian · 4 years

Text

Creep

Prelude - bitch hold on what about mean brother Shigs being an absolute creep? Inspired by me playing a boss in AC Odyssey and my controller vibrated so hard I almost dropped it, and I couldn’t beat this dude and it was so freaking frustrating!!!!!!

Pairing - Shigaraki X Reader

Warnings - - INCEST, NSFW, innocence kink, do not read if those squick you out bro!!! Seriously! abuse of trust, dubcon, noncon, literally nothing about this situation is good, or healthy, or nice. Disgusting behavior is exhibited by Shigs.

Music - (does anyone actually like when I provide music? I like getting music vibes while I read through fics but ik that my music taste is a bit wacky lol anyways). https://open.spotify.com/track/0ODyahnUlK9G5bT4dA5NCI?si=10R9ggoJS1inYidrMeWrHA

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He offers to let you play his Xbox game, you keep annoying him by pouting for his attention and he gives up with trying to ignore you.

Stipulation - you gotta sit on his lap while you play, you’re such a stupid little girl that he forces his hands over yours, showing you how to use the Xbox controller while sneering at how dumb you are.

You’re too focused on the game to pay attention to how one of his hands has dropped from the controller, is creeping up your thigh, thumbing at the hem of your shorts. You don't realize that he’s plastered against your back, breath picking up in your ear as he hunches over your shoulder, thinking of all the dirty things he wants to do to you, how you’re too absent-minded to realize how much of a perverted creep he is.

“Shit!” You curse, breaking Shigaraki out of his thoughts as you bounce your leg in frustration. He feels the slight vibration of the controller - you’re getting attacked in the game, enemies surrounding you and hacking at your player. Shigaraki is too entranced by how he can watch your jiggling breasts over your shoulder, jostling around as you jerk your arms, trying to not die in the game.

“Nii-san help me, ‘m gonna die!” You shriek, whole body getting into the gaming experience, jerking around in his lap as you struggle to press the right buttons. Shigaraki tries not to groan - he can feel the space between your thighs as you move around, hot and doughy and he wants to touch so bad.

Yeah, he’s always been a bit of a creep, but he’s never actually done anything to you.

The most he does is fantasize, thinking about how you’d feel clamping down on him, how’d you’d taste if he made you ride his face. What you’d look like if he forced his cock into you with barely any prep - you’d squeeze your eyes shut so tight, let out little whimpers and clench your fists because “Hurts, hurts! Go slow Nii-san, don’t want this!”

But he wouldn’t have to listen, you’re just a naive little girl who doesn’t know that Shigaraki would be trying to make you feel good too, that it would feel good soon.

“Stop wiggling, you’re gonna fall off.” He rasps back at you, taking his other hand off the controller to grab your waist, barely saving you from keeling over and onto the floor. You’re left to fend for yourself now, button-mashing, groaning when you finally succumb to your enemies and die a violent, gory death.

“I died! Why didn’t you help, you’re right here?!” the accusatory tone of your voice is ignored as you revert to the last save, huffing in frustration as you’re forced to start over.

“You’re never gonna learn if I’m holding your hands like that.”

Shigaraki’s glad you’ve stilled again - if you’d kept up your wiggling, he’d have to figure out a way to explain what the hard thing poking into the side of your plush little rear.

God, you had the most perfect ass.

Maybe he’s a freak, a disgusting man with fucked up morals, but Shigaraki’s always been a social outcast, seen as weird and wrong and criticized for every little thing he did.

What’s wrong with settling into the role other people were so quick to offer him?

Surely you’ve noticed his odd behavior by now, the behavior that’s picked up in the last few years. How he stares at you a little more than he should, how sometimes he slips into bed with you, murmuring some lame excuse about not being able to sleep.

The way he freezes when you give him an affectionate hug, clenching his fists by his side as your breasts are squished up against his body.

You had to have caught on to his uncharacteristic softness with you. He’s still mean and coarse and rude, but there's an underlying affection underneath the way he mocks your outfits, when he says you look like the gross character out of a manga he’s reading, how he tugs on your hair sometimes when he passes by you, wheezing out a laugh if you turn around and try to slap at him in irritation.

If you didn’t want him to be weird, you could’ve said something by now. You should’ve said something by now.

So really, it’s your own fault that he feels so comfortable being a sicko.

“Don’t tickle, I gotta focus.” You tell him, squirming away when he runs a hand experimentally over your stomach. You’re so cute, and dumb, he wants to bully you until you’re crying, say mean things and hurt your feelings only so he can kiss it better.

But he doesn’t, because he’s a good brother.

His hand travels further up, rests right underneath your breast, almost cupping it. Still, you don’t say anything, attention on the game.

Do you want this? Are you just stupid? His affection is so obviously not normal for siblings, and yet you act like it’s fine. Maybe you’re a virgin, untainted with the knowledge of how sexual touches feel like.

The hand on your waist begins to slip under your shorts, his cold fingers quickly warmed by your skin. “Nii-san, stop that, it’s weird.”

Ah, there’s the common sense.

“I though you wanted to play the game? Don’t be a bitch.” He doesn’t really care whether you want him willingly now or not, he’s getting excited by the heat of your body, your weight on his lap.

You pause the game when his hand creeps lower into your shorts, when his fingers skim low over your tummy, too close to a private place that brothers shouldn't touch.

“Stop touching me, I don’t like that.”

“It’s not like you wouldn’t enjoy it.” He mumbles, and you stiffen in his lap, but he quickly takes his hand out of your shorts, stops cupping your soft breast.

The game gets unpaused, and you resume playing, although your attention is divided now, nervous about sitting in your brother’s lap.

Has it finally clicked? Are you thinking about what he could do to you, how he could make you feel?

“You suck at this.” Shigaraki observes, the controller shaking almost violently as you’re attacked again, overwhelmed by enemies.

“Well, maybe if you taught me how to play instead of being weird, I wouldn’t be.” You snarked, frustrated with the game, uneasy with your brother holding your hips like that.

Shigaraki rolls his eyes. You’re so dramatic, and although you have a valid point, he’s always been weird. This is nothing new, you’ve just been too thick-skulled to realize it before, which isn’t his fault.

A few more tries, and you still can’t get past the one group of enemies, dying after a few minutes every single time. You’re going to waste the batteries like that, controller jumping in your hands.

“I can’t-” You whine, coming across the enemies after your latest death, already knowing what’s going to happen.

Shigaraki stays silent, red eyes finally flickering away from your body and up to the screen of the TV.

You’re at one of the hardest parts of the game, facing a section that took Shigaraki two days to beat (not that he’ll tell you that). He grins as you throw yourself into the fight, immediately getting decked.

The noises you’re letting out are cute, frustrated groans on each hit landed on your player, muttered curses and triumphant scoffs whenever you manage to strike an enemy, which isn’t often.

The controller’s still shaking like crazy, and you’re moving around in his lap again, and Shigaraki is done. He can’t take this anymore, you’re being a tease.

He snatches the Xbox controller out of your hands, ignoring your little “Hey! What’re you doing, I was playing!”

“You call this playing?” The shuddering of the controller surprises him, gives him an idea.

There hadn’t been a plan, he had just been acting on instinct, hands itching to push you off his lap and to the floor, just to see the way you’d look up at him after.

Like that, you’d be in the perfect position to suck his cock.

But he wants to go in a different direction now.

“Stay still, you’re so annoying.” He’s spreading his legs out, sinking back further in his chair to get a better angle, your legs hooked over his.

There’s no time for you to protest. Like this, you’re spread out nicely, exposed, even though your shorts cover your intimate place.

Without any further preamble, Shigaraki shoves the vibrating controller up against your clothed cunt.

“NIi-san!” You shriek, immediately writhing in his hold. But Shigaraki has an arm locked around your chest, keeping you pinned to his chest. “Don’t, think sins’t-this isn't-! Stop this, stop! Don’t touch me!”

He can bet it feels good, that you’re struggling to tell him to stop. He begins rubbing the controller against you, snickering at the way you jolt and writher on each pass of the hard, curved plastic against your protected clit. He can’t even imagine how good it would feel if your stupid shorts weren’t in the way.

“Stop, stop! Stop it! Stop!” You sound like a broken record.

“Shut up, you can’t even play the game right. Feel that?” the controller gets rubbed harder against you, and you writhe. “That’s how bad you are. So pathetic, can’t even fend off a couple of bad guys.”

Can’t even fend off one, Shigaraki thinks to himself. You could be trying harder to get out of his hold, could be screaming and yelling and scratching and kicking.

Well, you are scratching and kicking, moving around so much that he’s having a hard time keeping you still. And you making a lot of noise, but there’s no one else home.

He’s fully hard, and every movement you make struggling rubs him right up against the meat of your ass, and he sucks in a stuttered breath, biting his lip.

“No, no, no, no, don’t want this Nii-san, stop it-” Your panicked pleas are ignored, Shigaraki shoving your hands away as you try to pull the controller off of your cunt, get the vibrations to stop.

On screen, the player is still getting attacked, each new hit making the controller vibrate even harder.

“Ow, ow! It hurts, make it stop! Nii-san-”

“I’ll gag you if you don’t stop complaining.” Shigaraki seethes, feeling irritation creep up. “It hurts because you’ve never felt this good before, idiot.”

He remembers the first time he’d used something on his dick. It was your toothbrush, unsurprisingly, the one that vibrated with three different speeds and made you so proud of your pearly whites.

It had been so overwhelming, he couldn’t even touch the back of the head to his cock. At times, it felt so good it had hurt, had completely blinded his senses and leave him in a puddle of his own cum and sweat, panting.

So Shigaraki understood what you were trying to say - your inexperienced body needed him to slow down, ease up a little. But your gross, nasty brother wanted to ruin you.

Your character on screen died, resulting in one last heavy vibration that made you sob, thighs struggling to snap shut, hands desperately pushing at Shigaraki.

He felt you convulse in his grip, could practically feel the way your little hole was clenching as you gushed all over yourself, whining and moaning at the pleasure.

Your character was sent back to the last save, the game on a loading screen.

But Shigaraki wasn’t done.

He was still hard against your back, rubbing himself off as best he could, but he was finding his own pleasure in watching you writhe on his lap.

The controller was tossed to the side, nimble fingers sliding over your shorts, Shigaraki laughing at what he found.

“You’re so wet, holy fuck. That’s disgusting, wow.” You were drenched, the fabric of your shorts completely soaked with your juices. You only sobbed out a pitiful noise, maybe trying to deny it, but Shigaraki wasn’t listening. He was too busy rubbing over the wet spot, gleefully feeling you up. It was easy for his fingers to find a comfortable, mind-numbing rhythm, so used to playing games and deftly pushing buttons, using sticks and joysticks, directional pads and the like.

You were rocking against his hand unconcsiously, body unable and unwilling to decided whether to pull away or push closer - you had just cum, but that didn’t negate the vicious, heady sensation that his fingers brought.

Shigaraki quickly grew bored of this though, unable to ignore his dripping erection. He had never been a patient man, quickly removing the hand stimulating your swollen pussy so he could pull his cock out of his sweatpants.

With a quick movement, your shorts were tugged down, your brother completely pushing past your refusal to lift your hips, burning your skin with how forcefully the fabric was ripped down.

“Nii-san, what are you doing-you can’t, you can’t!” You cried, renewing your struggle when you felt skin against skin, his cock hot and velvety as it rested against your cheeks. “I don’t wanna do this, don’t make me do this-”

“I don’t care. I’ve tried to be good, and it’s like you don’t even care.” The man ground out, beginning to rut his hips against your ass. It was dry, and it didn’t feel great, but it was more than enough to satisfy Shigaraki. “I barely touch you, I keep my hands to myself-”

Which was a lie. Late at night, when he was sure you were fast asleep, he’d touch, just a little. Rubbing your nipples, feeling them peak under his touch. Feeling the curve of your waist, skin soft against his dry palms.

“-I wouldn’t stare either, but you wear those stupid shirts-” The deep cut ones, the ones that showed off your cleavage and allowed him weeks of jerk-off material.

“So annoying, just a stupid little imoto that follows me around, you just want attention.”

He knows you don’t do it on purpose. You aren’t trying to make him see you in a sexual light. But maybe that’s what makes it all the more appealing, how naive and innocent you are.

Fuck, he’s getting close just thinking about your purity, how much you don’t know, how much he could teach you.

He doesn’t know a ton, but Shigaraki knows enough about what feels good for him, and you probably wouldn’t want to learn, but he deserved something nice every once in a while, didn’t he?

The drag of his cock between your ass cheeks was making him loose his mind, the slide too rough, but it felt delicious and stimulated him just right, pulling at his foreskin and spreading his precum into a sticky mess on your skin.

“Fuck, stay still, lemme feel good-” His voice was choked up, still holding it’s usual nasal resonance.

You sobbed in his hold, his fingers still playing over your shorts, exploring, keeping you occupied and frozen with sensation while he got himself off with your body.

And then he was breaking, splurting his seed all over your lower back, watching it come out of his cock in shaky squirts, painting your skin a cloudy white.

Shigaraki groaned, eyes transfixed to the sight before him. It was hard to keep them open, body shaking with little snaps of pleasure in his veins, in his stomach.

On the bed next to his thigh, the controller started shaking again. Panting, Shigaraki raised his eyes to the TV screen as you slumped against him, softly crying.

Your character was getting attacked again.

“Let’s keep playing.”

And the vibrating controller was pressed to your bare cunt, making you scream.

He’d have to wash it after this, but he figured it was worth it in the grand scheme of things

#gross misuse of Xbox controller #and I mean GROSS #shigaraki #shigaraki tomura #shigaraki tenko #one sided relationships #yandere shigaraki #bnha shigaraki #tw.incest #tw noncon #tw dubcon #dead dove do not eat #creepy shigaraki

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ironmanfridgemagnet · 2 years

Text

Confusion and Confessions

Garret Mcneill x Reader

"younger reader liking garrett but she thinks he doesnt like her back so she lets jonah or marcus take her on a date and garrett confesses"

Requested by @lolawassad <3

Word count: 2.1k

You liked Garret. You really did - and you had since the day you started at cloud 9. Yet, he'd never seemed to notice, at least as far as you were aware.

Prior to now, you'd spent days, weeks - even months - waiting for Garret to notice your affections and ask you out, as you were too concerned about getting rejected to act on your feelings yourself. So when Marcus asked you out, you decided their was no harm in going out with him, especially when Garret would never see you as more then a friend.

"I just don't understand, why would you want to go out with him?" Garret asked, deeply confused and seemingly stressed by the fact you had agreed to go out with Marcus.

"The dude's sweet enough," You defended, folding your arms across your chest. "Besides, It's not like I'm going to get any otherwise. God knows all I do is work."

"So you're just going out with the guy to get laid?" Garret asked, surprise filling his words.

"Oh, get off my dick." You snapped back at the man who sat beside you, fed up with his criticisms of your date. "Marcus is nice. And who cares if I'm going out with him to get laid? You certainly shouldn't be one to judge."

Pushing away from where you had leant against the customer service counter, you stood up, ready to leave Garret as his attitude was not amusing you today. If he had such an issue with it, he should have asked you out instead. But he hadn't.

"I'm just saying, y/n. You could do better." Fed up with Garret's constant criticism, especially after Marcus had been nothing but sweet to you since he'd asked you out, you began to walk away.

"I'll see you tomorrow Gare. I've got to go and get ready for my date." Waving goodbye to him, you turned around headed for the breakroom to get your things before making your way home to get ready for what you were sure would be a good night.

Unfortunately, when wrapped up in your own thoughts and anger at Garret, you didn't see as he watched your retreating form longingly until you were completely out of his sight - wishing it was him who was taking you out tonight instead.

————————————————————————

Brushing the fallen strands of hair out of your eyes, you looked yourself up and down in the mirror once more, making sure you looked good for your date with Marcus tonight. Though you didn't particularly mind what the outcome of your time tonight was, you still wanted to impress the man who had asked you out.

Smiling at your reflection, you smoothed out the fabric of your dress, pulling your bag onto your shoulder and picking up your phone which then buzzed in your hand.

Marcus <3 | I'm outside! Can't wait to see you ;)

A blush covered your cheeks, taking a second to breathe, you slipped your phone into your bag before quickly walking out of the front door. Marcus was leant against the side of his car, a single pink carnation held loosely between his fingers, which he rolled back and forth between his forefinger and his thumb. Looking up from where he had been staring intently at the floor his eyes met yours, his mouth dropping open slightly as he took in the sight before him.

"You look beautiful." Marcus complimented, though his words came only barely above a whisper due to the awe he was captured in. He suddenly scrambled to stand up straight, taking a step closer to you and offering you the flower he had brought with him, before running around to the other side of his car and opening the door for you. "M'lady."

You let out a quiet laugh, a hand coming up to cover the smile that was covering your face at his very serious use of the formality. Holding the flower delicately, as though not to damage it, you walked around the side of his car, placing a gentle hand against his chest as you now stood right in front of him. "Thank you my lord."

Climbing into Marcus's car, you watched as he ran around to the drivers side, hopping inside quickly, his excitement making him appear as though he was visibly vibrating inside the vehicle. With a final glance shared, you noticed Marcus had forgotten to plug in his seatbelt, so you leant across him, grabbing it and gently placing inside the socket.

"There you go, nice and safe." You sheepishly smiled at him briefly, shifting back into you seat and looking out of the window, excited for what the night ahead of you may hold, especially when Marcus had already been so sweet to you and the night had barely begun.

————————————————————————

"No way he said that! Really?" You cried, nearly stumbling over your own feet as you were laughing so hard at what Marcus had said, his story making you laugh so much your stomach hurt. However, you were quickly stabilized by Marcus's hand wrapping around your waist, pulling you into his side and helping you walk down the path as you continued to laugh.

"Yeah, really! It was hilarious!" You leaned more into Marcus side as you laughed once again, the conversation slowly dying down as you realised you had completed the walk back to your front door from the car, Marcus's story having filled the silence that may have otherwise remained.

Coming to a standstill at your front door, you both stood facing each other, a slightly awkward silence filling the distance between the two of you, Marcus's hand having slipped from around your waist to hold your hand in his bigger, warmer one.

"I had a good time tonight." He admitted, his thumb brushing over your knuckles as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet anxiously. "Did, um- well, did-"

"I had a great time Marcus. Really." Your response was earnest, having had more fun tonight then you had had in a long time, not just in the realm of dating, but in general.

"Well, maybe we could do it again sometime? Or something? If not though I totally understand." The blushing mess before you made your stomach fill with butterflies, Marcus's words being vulnerable and genuine, him seemingly worried that you wouldn't want to see him again despite the amazing night he had made for you.

"I would love to." You confirmed, leaning up and placing a light and delicate kiss on his cheek, lingering there just a moment longer then you should have, revelling in this strange, new thing you were feeling.

"Goodnight Marcus. Thank you." Slipping away behind the safety of your front door, you slammed it behind you, leaning against it and slipping down to the floor. You hadn't felt so overwhelmed from being on a date - in a good way - in a long time, and it was all too much, the butterflies beating against your stomach making you feel sick. Unbeknownst to you, Marcus was experiencing something not all that different only on the other side of the door, still in the spot you had left him, his hand hovering over the ghost of a kiss you had left upon his cheek.

You couldn't wait to tell Garret about it in the morning.

————————————————————————

"Who rained on your parade?" Jonah asked, sitting down in the seat next to Garret, the seat usually occupied by you. Scouring his eyes across the breakroom for you, he finally found you, sitting at a different table, with a different guy then usual and seeming to be enjoying it all too much. "Oh."

"I still don't get what she sees in him." Garret scowled, his knuckles turning white due to the tight grip he had on his mug of coffee, fuming at the sight before him. He had hoped he'd said enough before to convince you to not go on that stupid date, but now watching as the two of you laughed and joked together, he'd wished he'd done everything he could've to stop you.

Garret hated how you looked at him: your cute little smiley-eyed expression that he had thought was reserved just for him, the way your hand rested against his arm without thought which you usually did with him when he'd told a joke you couldn't hide your laugh at, the way you were sharing your morning in the breakroom over a coffee with Marcus and not Garret as you had done like tradition everyday since you began here.

Garret felt as though he had been replaced overnight - and he didn't like it one bit.

"Should've made a move while you had the chance." Jonah chastised, waving at you over the brim of his coffee as you looked around the breakroom and made eye contact with him. "God knows she likes you, even I can see that. And If I didn't know better, I'd think you liked her too."

"No, I- I never-" Garret's attempted defence was cut short as you shouted Jonah over to you, wanting him to hear the story Marcus was telling you, thinking he'd like it.

"Duty calls." As Jonah walked away, joining you with a wide smile and an awkward side hug, Garret made the decision he had been dreading, knowing that if he didn't say something sooner rather then later, he would probably loose you for good.

————————————————————————

"Done avoiding me now are you?" Garret asked as you approached the customer service counter, him seeing you without Marcus by your side for the first time so far today. Quirking your eyebrow at him, you continued towards the counter he sat at, taking your usual spot leaning against the ledge of it and looking slightly over your shoulder at him.

"I could never avoid you Gare - what are you on about?" The man before you let out a deep, frustrated puff of air, his shoulders dropping and a frown settling on his face.

"Where's thing two?"

Oh. So that's what this is about?

"Are you still being grumpy that I agreed to go out with Marcus? Seriously?" Standing up straight you turned to fully face Garret, folding you arms across your chest and glaring at him in disbelief. "I don't understand why you can't just be happy for me? I had a great time and Marcus is so sweet to me, so what is your issue?"

"It's not that Y/n I just-"

"Well it sure seems like it. This is the first time I've gone out with anyone and actually enjoyed it in years. You know how I feel about this kind of shit." You cut Garret off abruptly, anger completely consuming you as you couldn't believe you had been so foolish as to think that your best friend would ever be happy for you. "And it's not fair for you-"

"You're right its not fair for me!" Garret cut you off this time, for some reason upset at what you had said as though it wasn't the truth; as though you hadn't spent the last few years waiting around for him to notice you, as though it was bad for you to be happy about a date going good, as though he wasn't acting like a dick. "Because it should be me."

What?

"I should be the one talking you out, and walking you back to your doorstep and kissing you before I go, and bringing you flowers or whatever. Whatever he did I can do, and I can do it one hundred times better! It's not fair that he gets to have you when you're all I want."

"Gare-"

"Don't pity me." Garret snapped, his harsh tone cutting you off before you could even begin to admit you felt the same about him. "I can clearly see you're more then happy in your current situation."

"I think I'm In love with you." You whispered out, Garrets demeanour immediately dissolving at the sheepish tone you used, suddenly very aware of close you had gotten to each other despite the counter separating you. "I mean, you're like the coolest person I've ever met, and you've always treated me as an equal, even when others treated me as though I was a kid just because I'm younger. You're my best friend, and I would kill for you to be more - if that's what you'd have me be."

"Well then, you better go and cancel any second date plans you've made." Garret commanded, his hand reaching out to intertwine with you own, his thumb rubbing back and forth over your knuckles. "'cause I've got to take my girl out on a date."

————————————————————————

Thank you sm for the request I hope you liked it!! I'm so sorry it took so long to get around to, I was so busy with making sure I was writting SOTS that I just kinda avoided requests for a while

However, I'm going to try and get all my requests done this week, so I'm up to date.

And as always, have a lovely week!! <333

#superstore #superstore x reader #cloud 9 #superstore imagine #superstore garret imagine #superstore garret x reader #garret mcneill x reader #garrett mcneill #garrett mcneill x reader

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ptergwen · 4 years

Text

only you and me

w/c: 6.7k

warnings: angst, mentions of weed, and some swearing

summary: whenever peter tries to tell you how he feels, harry gets in the way

a/n: ahhhh hi my loves! my mini writing break is over :,) life has been just a mess for me and i’ve been way more critical than usual about my work but i’m doing a little better and ready to get back into everything! this helped me a lot so i’m excited to share it with y’all <3 it’s also my first time writing harry osborn so lmk how i did lmaooofwfjj but yeah pls enjoy

“dude, she’s right there! just tell her!” ned whisper yells to peter, elbowing him for emphasis. they’re hidden behind a wall to watch you at your locker. you’re grabbing books while betty rants to you and mj rolls her eyes. “not now. she looks... busy,” peter gulps, gaze trailing down your body. he always finds excuses to put off telling you how he feels.

or rather, excuses find him. something comes up every time he gets the courage to do it. he has no idea why he’s so scared because he’s pretty sure you like him back. pretty sure. there are a few reasons why you might not. also, plenty why you might. you stay up late texting most nights, and you’ve even flirted a couple of times. it never fails to make peter blush. he trips over his words whenever he tries to flirt back.

he’s had feelings for you since the first time you two hung out alone. none of your other friends could make it, but you happily took him up on his offer to come over. you grinned through his whole apartment tour, asked about may and what she does. when peter showed you his room, you even complimented his movie posters, much to his surprise.

“really? you don’t think they’re, like, dorky?”

“no, peter. your interests aren’t dorky. everyone likes what they like.”

and, he liked you. he knew it from that point on. you’d know it too if the universe wouldn’t keep stopping him from saying that.

“she’s so...” peter pauses for a second. him and ned watch you pull betty in by her shoulders as if you’re going to kiss her. she dodges you, mj pushing her back, all three of you giggling about it before you grab betty’s hands and give her words of encouragement. “cool,” peter finishes, turning back to ned. “i mean, how she puts herself out there like that.”

“what’s stopping you from doing the same thing?” ned points out with a knowing smile that peter returns. you make it look so easy. whenever you’re comfortable around people, you can let go of any doubts you have. you stop worrying about what they might think and instead do what you want. it’s inspiring to peter, and heart warming getting to be one of the people you’re fully you with.

he wishes he could apply your wisdom himself.

peter shakes his head, staring down at the floor. “oh, you know. anxiety, fear of rejection. that fun stuff.” “so, yourself,” ned concludes, clapping peter’s backpack so hard it makes him stumble forward. betty and mj wave goodbye to you before heading to their first class. you’re still getting your things together at your locker. this is peter’s moment.

“come on, dude! y/n’s not busy anymore. you got this.” ned keeps his hand on peter’s back, adding on, “it’s been a year already.” “half a year,” peter corrects him in a mumble. he’s liked you for a really long time. “ok, i’m going. wish me luck.” he takes a deep breath and focuses in on you. “aw, dude. you don’t need it.” ned gives him one last pat on the back. “good luck, though.” “thanks, man. see you in trig.”

right as peter starts heading over, harry comes up behind you and covers your eyes. you squeal, jumping up and turning to him, laughing as you playfully hit at his chest. he brings you into a hug where your face is buried in his sweater and probably inhaling his super strong, super expensive cologne.

that’s what’s stopping peter, harry freaking osborn. his own friend.

peter quickly loses the tiny bit of confidence ned gave him. he figures it might be better to hold off on his confession and get an early start to class. unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen. harry has already spotted him and calls him over.

“hey, pete! come give us some love, eh?” harry beams, an arm slung around your shoulders and you smiling up at him. you direct your smile to peter when he slumps his way to your locker. his lips pull into a barely noticeable frown. you notice. “there’s my guy. why so down, sunshine?” harry offers his fist for a fist bump. peter gives it to him, eyes staying on you.

harry osborn. where to begin with such a specimen? he’s the perfect combination of everything you’d want in a guy. he gets good grades, he’s a star player on on the basketball team, nice to everyone and makes you laugh, popular yet fits right into your small group.

he was friends with you before the popular thing. what kicked it off was him making varsity basketball while only being a sophomore. yep, he’s unreal. since then, he’s been balancing his cool life and also hanging with “the nerds,” as he likes to call you. he got his own feelings for you along the way. peter can tell.

he’ll give you rides home, compliment how you look, basically act like your boyfriend without really being it. it absolutely infuriates peter because he doesn’t compare to harry in the slightest. if he were you and had the choice between himself or harry, he would pick harry.

it’s been a factor in why he hasn’t come clean about how he feels yet. he’s not trying to create a love triangle that he doesn’t stand a chance surviving in.

“for real, peter. you good?” you ask him, eyebrows knitted together in concern. “fine,” peter lies and musters up a smile. “i’m just tired. didn’t sleep too good last night.” you’re only more concerned now. this has been happening to him a lot lately. you search for his eyes. “again?”

“aw, man. you need something for it?” harry punches peter’s shoulder and lowers his voice. “i know this kid who-“ “harry, stop.” your words are serious, tone lighthearted. you throw your head back on his arm. “do you really know a kid?” “i’m not telling you,” he says in an overly happy voice, you humming the same way. peter feels like he’s third wheeling.

“i was telling pete.” harry looks at him expectantly, peter’s mouth dropping open while he thinks of what to say. harry likes to mess around. this is a different level, though. “no thanks. i- i shouldn’t. i’m-“ “relax, i don’t know a kid,” harry chuckles and points at peter. “your face right now.” it’s completely flushed. you knock into harry’s side.

“ok, well literally no one laughed. you’re scaring him,” you tell harry sternly. peter tugs tight on one of his backpack straps. he doesn’t feel like he’s third wheeling you two now. he feels like your kid. he’ll never let ned mettle in his love life ever again if this is where it gets him. “he knows i’m kidding, y/n/n. right?” harry checks with peter. you make a face at him that says you aren’t convinced.

he switches his arm from you to peter, drawing him into his side. “look, pete. i’m sorry. the only kid i know who’s selling is chocolates for his band trip.” you’re satisfied with that, grinning at both of them. peter forces a laugh and nods. “no worries, man. i gotta get to class.” “good boy,” harry lets him go. “bye, pete. we’ll see you at lunch,” you remind him. he gives you a tight lipped smile. “see you, y/n/n.”

you and harry continue practically spooning each other as soon as peter is out of sight.

what the hell is going on?

peter is back to being grumpy, plopping down in his seat next to ned. their teacher has the lesson plan pulled up on the smart board. ned looks from it to peter, almost jumping in his seat. “oh, you’re back already? how’d it go?” “it didn’t go,” peter huffs, copying down the aim. he’s only doing it so he doesn’t have to look ned in the eyes while telling him he bailed. again.

“you didn’t do it?” ned repeats, peter writing something about pi and a unit circle in his notebook. he bites the inside of his cheek. “you have to do it at some point,” ned sighs out and picks up his pencil. even he’s getting tired of this, and ned never gets tired of a good friends to lovers moment. “i think she likes harry,” peter says under his breath. “huh?” ned gasps.

peter doesn’t feel like explaining the extremely awkward moment he just finished living. although, it wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion. “y/n. he came over, and they kept hugging and whatever.” “they always do that,” ned almost scoffs, their trigonometry teacher moving to stand in front of the class. “yeah, but he had his arm around her the whole time we-“

the bell rings and cuts their conversation short. peter struggles to label the unit circle they learn about when his mind is filled to its capacity with images of you and harry all over each other. it’s not daydreaming. this is a nightmare. maybe, he actually will be having sleep problems.

peter’s morning is relatively decent after that. he gets to do an experiment with mj in chemistry, and she lets him take the lead for once. spanish is easy, health is okay, then he has a free period, then it’s lunch. things can only go downhill from here.

he thinks about hiding in the library until it’s over, but it’s the thought of harry eating your face that gets him to drag himself to the cafeteria.

flash is at the head of your table talking to harry when peter gets there. great, now he can’t eat his soggy chicken fingers in peace. “sounds dope. let’s go on the-“ flash stops saying what he was saying and nods at peter. “penis parker, you’re late.” peter takes his seat on your left, harry on your right. you glance over at him to make sure he’s okay. he acts like he doesn’t care, peeling open his milk carton.

“just text me later, man. get outta here,” harry dismisses flash, the two of them doing a bro handshake before he leaves. he’s well aware of his and peter’s history. he keeps them separate for the obvious reasons. peter appreciates it because saying no to flash is nearly impossible. he shouldn’t be so mad at harry, should he? he’s a good friend.

harry’s arm snakes around your waist and brings you closer to him. never mind.

“who’s up for sushi later?” he asks the table, everyone agreeing and saying how awesome that sounds. everyone except peter. you tap his shoulder with a small smile. “what about you, peter? you coming?” he realizes you’re all waiting for him to respond and puts down his milk. “uh, i can’t. homework,” he lamely answers.

“dude, we have homework, too. just do it a little later,” ned suggests, betty laying her head on his shoulder. you share a look with her, your eyes wide and a grin on your lips. that must have been what you were talking about this morning. she asked for boy advice. ned advice. why can’t this crap work out for peter?

“i really can’t. sorry, guys,” peter half heartedly apologizes.

he misses the disappointment that crosses your features because he’s pouting at his lunch again.

“homework, huh?” mj tests him, squinting as she takes a sip of apple juice. harry nudges peter’s side with two fingers. “you still mad about the sleeping thing?” “sleeping thing? what sleeping thing?” betty wonders while ned rests his head against hers. a quiet laugh slips out of you as you lean in to tell her.

“peter said he couldn’t sleep last night, so harry offered him...” you mime rolling a joint. “i said no,” peter clarifies, rolling his eyes at the inevitable teasing he’s about to get. none of you have even smoked besides harry. you’re being annoying about it. “of course you did,” mj sighs and kicks her feet up on the table. “unrelated to what y/n just said... harry, i have insomnia.”

everyone bursts into laughter at that, betty shoving her side and you pulling harry by his torso as he pretends to go into his backpack. peter wants nothing to do with any of this. he usually enjoys joking around with the group, even if it’s at his expense because it’s from a place of love.

today feels like you’re straight up making fun of him. harry might as well invite flash to join in.

“alright, alright, alright. enough of the weed talk,” harry decides, you removing your arms from him and grabbing your coffee. “you’re such a bad influence.” your voice drips with sarcasm. you bend the straw and take a sip while scooting closer to peter. “you really can’t come later? i feel like i’ve barely seen you today.” that’s on harry. “i wish i could, y/n/n,” peter exhales. “i’ll text you later, okay?”

you don’t get to answer because mj tugs on your arm, distracting you from peter. she explains how she has to do an art project on what it means to be a woman and needs help brainstorming ideas. you’re full of them, offering up an interesting perspective for her to use. peter smiles to himself as he listens in. you find a new way to impress him every day.

he should tell you that.

“hey, y/n?” “listen to her! you’re seriously my idol,” betty gushes, so loudly you don’t hear peter. not a single thing has gone in his favor at this table. he gives up.

peter locks himself in his room when he gets home from his overall terrible day. he does homework like he said he would, only taking a break for dinner, giving one word replies to may’s questions about school. he’d much rather be having sushi with you. he would’ve gone if the others didn’t.

after dinner, it’s back to grumbling and scribbling down answers. there’s a knock at peter’s door around ten o’clock, which he assumes is may saying goodnight. “i’ll be done in a few minutes, may! love you.” “it’s y/n,” you reply, the smile clear in your voice. his eyes go comically wide. that’s the last thing he expected to hear. “oh. uh, come in.”

you’re holding a small takeout bag, shutting the door behind you and walking over to his desk. you meet his twinkling eyes in the dim light that hits off his walls. from his open window, you faintly hear cars as they rush by and honk their horns in the distance, accompanied by a fresh breeze. it’s cozy, safe. it’s peter.

“hey. what’re you doing here?” peter questions, leaving his pencil in his binder and shutting it. you shake around the plastic bag. “i saved you a roll.” he bites back a smile, getting up from his chair. “may let me in. she was really chill about it,” you continue and hold out the sushi for him. “it’s a california roll. i wasn’t sure what you wanted, and everyone likes those.”

peter lets his smile spread out and takes the bag from you. “thanks, y/n/n. i was honestly hoping one of you would have leftovers.” you laugh softly, peter setting the bag down on his desk. he scratches the back of his neck. “did you guys have fun?” “yeah. i missed you, though.” you clasp your hands behind your back. “everyone did.”

“i feel bad i didn’t go. just... things felt off today,” peter admits the real reason he stayed home, you letting out a breath. “it was harry, wasn’t it? god, he was being so weird.” your arms drop back to your sides. “there’s a difference between playing around and actually upsetting people.” by people, you mean peter. no one else seemed too bothered by him. “i’m sorry, peter. i tried to make him stop.”

“no, you don’t have to apologize,” peter assures you sweetly, grabbing one of your hands. “it’s not your fault, okay? he probably didn’t realize what he was doing. the jokes landed.” he’s referring to ned, mj, and betty finding harry’s comments hilarious. you lace your fingers with peter’s and frown. “this isn’t like him. maybe he’s stressed about a game.” your gaze drifts off to the side, what you see getting you to perk up.

“is that new?” you ask peter, leading him by his hand over to a poster he put up recently. it’s for 13 going on 30. you showed it to him a couple of weeks ago, and he clearly liked it a lot. any movie that makes it to peter’s wall is a special one. “mhm. i got it literally right after you went home the night we watched,” he chuckles and looks over at you while you study the poster.

you turn to face peter again, keeping your hand tight in his. “were you gonna tell me something earlier? at lunch?” he’s confused for a second, then he remembers your ideas for mj’s art project. the fact that you cared enough to bring it up after all these hours makes his stomach do summersaults in the best way. he shrugs and gives you a smile.

“the stuff you were saying about femininity and how there are so many ways to define it,” peter starts, you grinning back at him, at how he took an interest in what you were saying. “you’re so smart, y/n. you make me wanna be better.” a light pink dusts his cheeks. “peter, you’re a feminist?” you coo, joking but genuinely wondering at the same time. he squeezes your hand. “duh.”

“i thought so,” you nod, taking in the rest of what he said. “you think i’m smart? i trust you because you’re way smarter.” peter pffts in response. “i’m only good at, like, physics. you’re good at things that really matter. smart in that way.” you’re feeling your own face get hot. you swing yours and peter’s hands back and forth. “why are you the nicest person ever?”

the answer to that, may, peeks her head into the room. “hey, kids. it’s getting late.” she notices your intertwined hands and shoots peter a smirk. “i thought you were a cool aunt,” he teases, you sadly letting go of him. “she is. thanks for having me over so late,” you tell may on your way to the door. “oh, stop it. you can come over any time.” she puts a hand on your arm. “thank you so much,” you murmur back.

you walk backwards to the doorway, may leaving you two to say your goodbyes. “wanna hang out only you and me? on friday maybe?” that should make up for everything earlier. “yeah, of course. friday is perfect,” peter agrees and bounces on his feet as excitement takes over him. “thanks again for the sushi.”

“no problem. goodnight.” it’s taking every last bit of power in you to not freak out. “night. text me when you get home.” he presses his tongue into his cheek. you slowly pull the door shut. “ok, i will. bye!” it closes, leaving peter skipping across his room to his bed on one side and you doing a little happy dance on the other.

the next day at school, everything is back to normal. honestly, better than normal. your hangout with peter is tomorrow, and he’s planning on telling he likes you then. he already talked it over with ned. he’s relieved it’s finally happening, especially since him and betty have their own thing. she’ll be taking up most of his free time from here.

your group is spending lunch outside today, lounging across a picnic table, surrounded by trees and the shining sun in a bright blue sky. mj sits on the table and has her feet on the bench, which would usually bug peter to no end. he doesn’t mind this time because it takes up enough room that harry has to sit with ned and betty instead of you. you lean into peter’s side and stab a piece of lettuce from your salad.

“it’s so nice out,” betty sighs, ripping off half her cookie and giving it to ned. “we should ditch.” “oh my god, you sound like harry,” you groan between bites of salad. peter lets out a breathy laugh, you looping your arm through his. he grins down at where you’re linked. harry crosses his own arms over his chest. “she wishes.” betty only nods because her mouth is full of m&m’s.

“nah, seriously. i’d take us out somewhere, but i have practice after school.” he speaks quieter than he normally does, less confident. your theory about him having basketball drama was right. “what did we tell you? talk about the sports shit with your sports friends,” mj complains, sitting back on her hands. she glances at harry over her shoulder and catches ned mouthing you can’t say that.

sitting criss cross, she spins around to face harry, unenthusiastically saying, “what i meant was, you sound upset. what’s wrong?” harry gets into it right away, like he’s been waiting for someone to ask. “coach says there might be a scout at the next game. it’s a really good opportunity even though i don’t have to worry about... college yet.” the word makes him cringe.

“oh, damn. that’s a big deal. scary,” mj snorts, turning back to you and peter. her behavior makes ned internally face palm. “that’s awesome, dude. you’re gonna play amazing like always.” he gives harry a high five, who smiles nervously in response. he’s never nervous. “thanks, bro. you guys wanna come and watch?” he’s never invited you to one of his games before either.

this isn’t a group of friends that likes to spend their weekends in bleachers while angry teens shout around them.

“definitely. we’ll be there to support you, harry,” betty answers for everyone, ned pecking her cheek in satisfaction. mj cusses to herself before replying. “if i absolutely must, sure.” only you and peter haven’t said anything yet. he’s been chewing his lower lip, and you your salad. harry looks between you two hopefully. it’s more so at you, which peter doesn’t like.

“y/n? pete? it would help a lot, i’m serious.” he taps his fingers on the table until one of you speaks up. you’re the one who does. “i’ll go. this is pretty huge, right? congrats.” you reach across the table and squeeze his shoulder while simultaneously tightening your arm around peter’s. he takes that as a cue. “i’ll go, too. happy for you, man.”

though peter isn’t currently in the best place with harry, he should show his support by showing up. it can’t be too bad since the rest of you will be there.

a loud, long chuckle leaves harry as he hops up from his bench and comes to yours and peter’s. he bends over and wraps both of you in a hug from behind at the same time. his arms are around each of your shoulders, holding you so close his cheeks are squished against either of your heads. you giggle at that, peter finding himself laughing along and reaching back to ruffle harry’s hair.

staying mad at him is one of the world’s greatest challenges.

“you’re saints, both of you. my angels.” he kisses the back of your head, then lays one right on peter’s cheek, leaving him blushing red and grinning. “what about the rest of us? i never go to shit like this,” mj huffs and seems genuinely offended. harry wiggles his eyebrows. “you want a kiss?” his offer gets her flustered, which she can’t manage to hide. that’s a first.

“shut up. i’m just saying... never mind.” mj glares at you and peter, ned and betty making kissing noises behind her. “someone change the subject.” peter steps in. “when’s the game, harry?” he asks, harry snapping and waving his finger. “tomorrow! cancel your plans, kiddos.” “like we had any,” betty retorts.

some of you did. that was going to be peter’s hangout with you.

ned smiles sympathetically at peter before betty is getting his attention. you‘re unfazed and rambling to harry how proud you are of him.

did last night mean nothing? was it an empty gesture? were you only doing it out of guilt? peter must have read your visit wrong. he’s been wrong the whole time he’s liked you. you don’t like him back, you pity him. harry is who you’re really interested in.

may always says he should trust his instincts.

peter pulls his arm from yours suddenly, swinging his backpack onto his shoulders. you’re taken back because it’s so out of no where. you stop talking to harry so you can figure out his deal. “where are you going?” “bell’s gonna ring,” peter mumbles and picks up his lunch tray. he heads to the garbage can without another word or goodbye to anyone.

“i’m gonna go check on him,” you tell harry, already getting up from the bench. “you do that,” he acknowledges and calls mj’s name again.

peter tosses his mostly untouched food in the trash, seeing you make your way over from the corner of his eye. he tries to speed walk inside so he doesn’t have to talk to you. you’re too quick, cornering him between the door and brick wall.

“we still have ten minutes,” you state, worry flashing across your face. he’s avoiding you. well, attempting to. “what’s wrong?” peter gulps before saying anything. “my next class is on the other side of the-“ “no,” you cut him off. “what’s really wrong?”

he doesn’t feel like having this discussion. it’s bad enough he came to the realization his feelings are one sided. must he break that down for you so soon?

you toy with your sleeve while you speak because peter doesn’t. “i thought you and harry were fine again. i mean, he kissed you.” peter clenches his jaw so hard he can imagine the sound of it cracking. “it’s not about harry.” “what, then? what the fuck happened?” your sleeves are now balled in your fists. you hate it when peter does this angsty routine.

he keeps his voice low and calm so he doesn’t come off as jealous or hurt. he’s both of those things. “the game is tomorrow. friday. when we were supposed to hang out.” you meet peter’s eyes with nothing but remorse in yours. “i... i forgot,” is all you have to say.

you feel awful. he’s had a tough couple of days, and you fell through on your promise to cheer him up.

“clearly,” peter remarks, voice sharp. the way you’re looking at him makes him think he won’t like what’s coming. “peter, we have to go,” you almost whine. “i’m really sorry, i am, but this is a big night for harry. he needs us there.” peter stays silent. you’re twisting the knife deeper into him with every word. “i wouldn’t be cancelling if this wasn’t important.”

now you’re cancelling?

you reach for peter’s hand, but he shoves it into his pocket. that stings for you and him. “please, peter. we’ll hang out at the game, i swear.” this is the last chance you’ve got, so you pile it on. “harry won’t even be there, technically. he’ll... he’ll be on the court.” peter hadn’t thought about that. he lets himself unclench, starting to see the appeal. you add one more thing to lighten the mood and persuade him.

“i’ll buy you popcorn, all you can eat.” it’s that easy. cracking a smile, peter accepts. he’ll deal with his unresolved, unreciprocated feelings after he stuffs his face, courtesy of you. “you better. i’m gonna need it for this long ass game.” your face lights up, grabbing his wrist in both hands.

“so, you’ll come?” “i’ll be there,” he confirms. you throw your arms around his neck. he laughs into the hug and holds you by your middle. “i promise this’ll be the first and last game we ever go to,” you say and mean it. harry is lucky you’re even suffering through this a first time. “thank god,” peter exhales, resting his chin on your head.

that interaction leaves peter confused as hell. you’re crushing his mind and soul one minute, then hugging him the next. you were making him feel so special lasts night, and treating harry the same way today. it’s so jumbled that he isn’t sure if he’s in the friend zone or something more zone.

there are a ton of mixed signals coming his way, and he sucks at reading people as is.

he can’t take another second of this. he’d rather you come out and say you like harry already because it’s torture. knowing you don’t want him in that way would at least eliminate the possibility of anything happening between you two, and allow him to stop driving himself insane.

he’d be able to stop taking it out on harry, too.

the hold you have on peter, that you’re oblivious to, rules his every thought and decision. he’s constantly analyzing what you say to him, debating whether or not your affection is simply platonic. it’s been half a year of this madness, the night of harry’s game blurring every line so much more.

your group arrives a bit early to find seats and hype harry up before he plays. peter gets there after all of you because he’s not exactly in a rush to watch sweaty guys be aggressive. there’s only one upside, which is spending the night with you... and everyone else.

he steps into the gym that’s filling up fast with family members, friends, and the college scout harry was talking about. midtown has a different feeling to it at night. the smell of pencils is oddly stronger, and it’s a lot less intimidating.

cheerleaders are huddled in a circle while the team supervisor has them run their chants. the “leading official,” who peter thought was called a referee, takes his place off to the side. coaches give their players last minute instructions, players fool around with each other, a lot is going on.

peter scans the room for you, and grins a toothy grin when you catch his eyes. you’re sitting by yourself in one of the middle bleachers, only a bag of skinny pop in your lap. you return the smile once you spot him and wave him over.

“i don’t know why, but i thought they’d have an actual concession stand,” you explain the lack of fresh, buttery popcorn as peter takes a seat next to you. he catches the prepackaged bag you toss him. “it’s just a snack table.” “works either way,” peter hums and pokes the bag. “i’m not sure skinny pop is all i can eat, though.” “it’s good!” you defend the snack you chose for him.

“i’m kidding! you’re right, it’s kind of addicting.” he puts it by his feet for now and gives you a half smile. “you’re welcome,” you deadpan in a playful tone. “thanks.” he narrows his eyes. “where’s everyone else?” “right,” you twist around and gesture to the bleacher above you. mj is gloomily seated near the back. ned and betty are a few behind you.

“i told them to find their own seats so we can sit together, alone.” you look over at peter and move ever so slightly closer. “welcome to our friday hangout. just the two of us.” “aw, you didn’t have to do that,” peter laughs out, his knee bumping yours. “but, i’m happy you did.” he goes to put an arm around you, then harry comes racing up the stairs.

just the two of you didn’t last so long.

“y/n, i’m freaking out,” harry announces, zooming through your row to get over to you. he stops once he’s standing in front of peter and shakes him by his shoulder. “hey, pete. you made it.” “yup,” peter replies, pressing his lips together. you wince at his reaction, then quirk an eyebrow at harry. “you’re freaking out? why?”

harry sits down between you and peter, blissfully unaware of the moment he interrupted.

“i found the scout. he’s fucking terrifying as fuck. this super ripped guy, looks like he’d rather be anywhere else,” he talks quietly, like the man will hear him. “he’s not the only one,” peter says to himself, kicking around his bag of popcorn to pass time. you ignore him and grimace.

“shit. wait, how do you know it’s him? did they tell you?” you’re not sure how these things go. harry casually shrugs a shoulder. “dude has a clipboard. seems legit to me.” he gives you a cocky smile. “he’s also in the row before mj. that’s how i noticed. um...” his back now facing peter, he whispers something in your ear that makes you giggle.

peter’s face scrunches up as the spark of anger the past few days have lit reignites itself.

when harry pulls away, you motion for him to come closer with your index finger, cupping your hand around his ear and speaking into it.

nope, no more. peter is entirely about to explode. you cancelled your plans so you can force him to watch basketball, you sweet talk him so he’ll let it go, and you’re running right back to harry after all of that? what the hell does that mean?

peter stands up from his seat. “y/n, we need to talk,” he demands, you moving away from harry to respond. “ok, gimme a minute. we’re-“ “no, we need to talk now.” you don’t have time to refute because he’s taking your arm and dragging you away. harry squints at you in utter confusion.

“um, have a good game! we’ll talk later,” you call back to him, walking with peter even though you have no idea what his issue is and aren’t a fan of how he’s acting.

he releases you once you’re in the hallway. you make a point of harshly yanking your arm back, a scowl painting your lips. “jesus, peter. i was having a conversation.” “do you like harry?” peter blurts out. you’re so shocked at his abruptness that you don’t give him much to work with, only, “what?” “do you like harry?” he asks you again, this time less accusing and more curious.

“do i like...” you’re too aware of the seemingly hundreds of people surrounding you to answer comfortably. “can we talk about this somewhere else?” “sure,” peter nods, letting you lead the way since he did to get out here. you two go down the hall and choose the first room you see, which happens to be the custodian’s closet. it’s thankfully unlocked.

things were tense between you and peter on the way over, and it’s physically mirrored when you step into the room, air thick and smelling of lemon cleaning supplies. you tug on the string hanging down to turn on the light. it casts a faded glow, leaving you in mostly darkness. you sort of like it. this feels more intimate, which is fitting for what you’re both about to say.

neither one of you knows where to begin. peter’s question is ringing in the back of your mind, and you could touch on that, but there’s more to it than a simple yes or no. you don’t have to worry about it because peter gets his words out first.

“i think harry likes you, and i think you like him back,” peter restarts, already sounding deflated by what he came up with. “he doesn’t, and i don’t.” you take a step towards him. “he likes mj.” it’s peter’s turn to be shocked. the hint of a smile sets on your lips. “that’s what we were talking about. harry asked if he should take her to dinner after the game, and i said yes.”

this is going better than he expected.

“mj is the one who likes him, not me,” you reiterate and watch some life enter peter again, a tiny bit. he’s coming around, and he wants to believe you. his trust issues don’t. “but, you’re so... touchy with each other. the hugging the other day?” he mentions. you tilt your head to the side in amusement. “friends can’t hug?”

to be fair, you hugged peter yesterday. that’s a point rightfully shut down.

“he calls you pretty,” peter tries, raising both eyebrows. you have to laugh at this one. “you call may pretty.”

obviously, peter’s analysis skills could use some serious improvements. it sounds like he had the right idea, wrong person. your relationship with harry is platonic. hell, he’s crushing on a whole different person. this actually opens up the possibility of you liking peter in the romantic way, of him being in the something more zone. he had it backwards.

in case peter isn’t convinced yet, and because you really want to, you use one more trick to prove to him you don’t like harry.

“do me and harry do this?” your lips speak for you, colliding with peter’s unexpectedly yet easily. he feels like he’s floating, like he’s in some sort of magical wonderland until it hits him that this is real, and he should probably kiss you back. he does so softly and tangles his fingers in your locks. his hand supports the back of your head as the kiss goes on.

you push forward so your bodies are almost fused together, the closest you can be while you hold his jaw. peter breaks the kiss for a short breather, going back in without more than a moment passing. this one is feverish, his free arm looping around your lower back, hand resting on the small of it. you let out a giggle against his swollen lips and stroke your thumb over his jawline.

he’s been waiting to do this for the longest time, but he doesn’t have to tell you that. it shows in how eager he was to reciprocate, his shyness blossoming into passion. you feel yourself melting under his touch, the kiss eventually becoming a series of short pecks. peter gives you the final one. his pink lips form a grin when you pull apart. your hands stay on each other, not in a rush to go anywhere.

“woah, i like you so much,” peter laughs out. the words roll off his tongue naturally. “you know i like you,” you drawl, smiling at him, a full body smile while you caress his skin. he winds both arms around you and dips his head down to steal another kiss. you’re loving what’s happening. however, you don’t feel like making out while dirty brooms stare at you. you should take this back home.

“wanna get out of here? i do,” you suggest, voice muffled from his lips. they detach from yours and brush your cheek gently. peter makes a funny face. “hm, i thought we had to come. harry needs us,” he says what you did yesterday, earning a groan back. “you’re joking.” “i’m not. what kind of friends would we be, ditching him like that?”

he’s going to end you one day.

“yeah, no. i have no idea how basketball works, and i’d like to keep it that way,” peter drops the act, pressing his fingers into your sides. “i’ve been so mean to harry. i was...” “a dick?” you finish for him. it’s more of a statement than a question. to soften the blow, you rub his cheek with the tips of your fingers. “yup. he’s gonna think i hate him or something if we don’t stay.” his formerly smiley face is frowning.

“harry of all people will understand after we tell him our reasons,” you reassure him, nudging under his chin with your nose. “besides, he has other things to worry about. mj, the scout. it’s fine.” peter considers it, ultimately giving in to you like he always does, resting his forehead on yours. “i guess so. less distractions for him, yeah.” “exactly. that’s what i wanna hear.”

having his approval, you unwind yourself from him and head to the door. his fingers wrap around your wrist gently. “what about my popcorn?” a giggle escapes your lips. “you’re still on that?” “you said all i can eat!” his voice comes out high pitched, adorably high pitched.

“fine. i might have those bags you put in the microwave.” you smile when his fingers lock with yours, peter kissing the side of your head.

“even better. let’s go home.”

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