#next order of business is to learn how to mix sound better bc i keep hurting my ears

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

for @spoonietimelordy thank you for the suggestion, i hope you like what i did with it <3

cw flashing images and glitchy sfx and vfx

[thegrandromantic]

ok so i wrote an usagi x ami one shot fic bc sailor moon is grossly heteronormative and They’re Perfect For Each Other Your Honor. i haven’t written literally anything in absolutely ages so you’ll have to excuse it if it’s not very good, i’m honestly just doing it to practice but i hope someone on here enjoys it :) also if any of the science/baking shit in this is inaccurate it’s because it’s entirely based on my memory of middle school science classes and a very cursory glance at a bread making recipe online lmaooo i just thought the scenario was cute.

Usagi sat cross-legged on the floor of Ami’s room, Ami was a few feet away rifling through some flash cards they’d been using to study for the past few hours.

“Ughhh I’m NEVER going to get this stuff! I’m just going to fail the test tomorrow like I always do,” Usagi flailed out onto her back in frustration and stared at the ceiling.

“Usagi...” Ami began, reaching out to comfort the other girl but withdrawing her hand nervously, “You’re going to be fine! You’ve made it through school this far haven’t you? Besides, now you at least have someone to study with.”

“It’s just not working!” Usagi snapped back up into a sitting position, “No matter what I do I’m always late to class which gets me in trouble which gets me sent out of class and I miss the lessons and that means I don’t understand the material and I fail the test!”

“Well it sounds like what you really need to work on is your sleep schedule, but that can be a problem for another day,” Ami looked thoughtfully at the girl across from her.

They’d been doing this for a few weeks now, even though Ami was always busy with cram school she had noticed how much Usagi struggled in her classes and had tried to take up a hobby of tutoring her. After all, they were best friends and it was the least she could do for her. Ami sometimes wished she had more time to spend on her own studies, but for some reason it was worth it just to see Usagi more often.

After a long silence between the two girls Ami caught herself staring and stopped herself, shifting her gaze back to the cards in front of her, “I think we need to try a different tactic, the flashcards seem to be too frustrating. You seem pretty energetic... Let’s try to get you moving while we do this!” She stood up and offered both hands to the other girl to help pull her off the floor.

Usagi dramatically rolled onto her back again momentarily, “I don’t know why you don’t just give up on me Ami...” before she sat up and took the girl’s hands, hoisting herself into standing up.

“Of course I don’t give up on you! No one’s a lost cause, least of all you,” Ami said, a bit of color rising in her cheeks, “Besides, I really enjoy spending time with you.”

“I thought I was just being a pain to teach this whole time, it’s good to know you enjoy this though,” Usagi blushed a bit as well.

“I absolutely do, now come on!” Ami eagerly tugged the blonde out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen, “Have you ever tried baking?” she asked on the way down.

“Not much... I’m a bit too clumsy to be allowed in the kitchen very often at home,” Usagi admitted sheepishly.

“Well we’re going to fix that. The science test you’re studying for tomorrow is about chemical reactions and stuff anyway, and that’s all baking really is! We’ll just get you some hands-on experience and maybe it’ll stick better in your mind!” Ami said excitedly, her volume slowly increased the longer she rambled on and she paled a bit when she realized. She called to her mom in the other room, “Hey mom! Do you mind if Usagi and I use the kitchen for a while?”

“Of course not honey, just be careful,” her mom called back.

“Thank you Mrs. Mizuno!” Usagi called into the other room.

Ami started rifling through various cabinets, pulling down the different tools and ingredients they’d need to bake some bread. Ami had spent a fair amount of her free time baking so the process to prepare for it was almost mechanical for her.

Usagi hoisted herself onto a counter, swinging her legs as she watched the other girl go about her work. She watched closely, admiring how methodical Ami seemed about what she was doing but she also noticed a certain excitement about it. Usagi rarely got to see Ami get this passionate about something, since most of the time Ami had a bit of a hard time expressing her emotions. She heard Ami muttering her way through a list of the items she needed in an almost sing-songy voice and grinned when she heard it. It was the first time she’d ever even heard Ami’s singing voice. It wasn’t particularly impressive but there was something so sincere in it, a happiness that Usagi rarely got to hear. The only other time Ami got this excited was when she had aced a test in cram school or something.

“Great! So what’s the first step then? I’m still not sure how this is going to help me pass my science test but I’ll give anything a try at this point,” Usagi giggled and hopped off the counter, approaching the area where Ami had laid out all the supplies.

“Well we start out by making the dough, which is really just a mixture of all the ingredients here,” Ami instructed, waving to the ingredients.

Usagi nodded and grabbed the first ingredient, allowing Ami to explain how much of each one to add to the mixing bowl as she went.

“So now you’ve made the raw dough, and since we haven’t made any chemical reactions yet this is still just a...” she trailed off hoping Usagi would fill in the blank.

“A... uh... a mixture, right?” Usagi offered hesitantly.

“Exactly! I told you you could get this stuff down,” Ami jumped up and down a bit, excited that she had helped Usagi learn something already, “So the next step is called proofing, which is more of a baking term than anything but we’re going to add lukewarm water to the dough in order to activate the yeast, which should start to make the dough puff up,” Ami rambled on.

“Wait! Since it’s changing shape after we apply heat... does that mean we’re doing a chemical reaction to it?” Usagi attempted to make the connection on her own this time.

“Absolutely right! Do you remember what we call a mixture that’s been bound through chemical reactions?”

“It becomes a um... a compound, right?”

“Exactly!” Ami was practically giddy with joy and flung her arms around Usagi, “See, you knew this stuff all along! You just needed to see how it works in real life!”

Usagi blushed at all of the sudden affection from Ami, “Th-thanks for showing me all this, it’s really helped so far! Let’s keep going!”

The two girls worked hard at the bread they were making, Ami occasionally jumping in to quiz Usagi on the different chemical reactions that were happening as they made the bread. It came time to knead. Ami explained the process but when Usagi started doing it she noticed that she was getting the dough a bit thin in places.

“Here, let me help,” Ami offered, gently walking up behind Usagi and wrapping her arms around Usagi’s waist. She placed her hands on top of the other girl’s nervously and guided Usagi’s hands through the kneading process. It was a good thing Usagi was so intent on the bread, if she had turned around she would have seen just how red Ami had become at the intimacy she had accidentally created.

Usagi was surprised at first and stiffened before she eased into it, allowing Ami’s hands to guide her own. The slow rhythmic methodical movements of the other girl lulled Usagi into an almost hypnotic state. She felt nothing in the world except the dough between her fingers, Ami’s hands pressing gently down on her own, and the soft warmth of the other girl’s breath on the back of her neck which was enough to make her hair stand on end. There was an electricity about it all and Usagi felt her heart thumping hard in her chest. She never wanted this moment to end.

At last, Ami sheepishly pulled her hands away and said, “That should be good enough now,” her voice cracked awkwardly on the first word.

“R-right, and now we just... bake it, right?”

“Y-yeah... let’s put it in together?” Ami grabbed one side of the pan and Usagi grabbed the other. They knelt down across from each other in front of the oven and shared a long lingering stare as they pushed the pan in. Ami fumbled with the handle on the oven and pushed it closed. Her breath quickened when there were no longer any obstructions between her and the other girl’s face.

Usagi felt herself leaning in, closing the distance between the two of them almost on instinct. After the experience of kneading the bread with Ami something inside her wanted... NEEDED to be closer to her.

Ami leaned in as well, now visibly reddening again. She had never quite felt this way before, it was new and thrilling and she was terrified but comforted all the same.

Before they knew it, their lips had collided. It was short, both girls taken aback by the kiss. Their lips had hardly brushed and yet it felt to them both as if their lives had changed forever. There was a long silence as they stared intently into one another’s eyes, entranced.

“I’m s-“

“Did we j-“

Both girls had started talking at exactly the same moment. The little awkward foible managed to get a giggle out of Usagi and a weak laugh out of Ami.

“Do you want to...” they both began, again speaking simultaneously.

“Yes.” Ami replied, grabbing Usagi by the shoulders and pulling her into another, deeper kiss.

When they pulled apart both girls were breathless. All Usagi could think to say was, “Well... that was a pretty productive study session.”

Both girls laughed and in that moment, they knew something truly special had begun.

[master-sass-blast]

Tricks, Tricks, Tricks!

I hate doing intros when I’m tired bc it feels like it takes forever.

Summary: You and Wade set up a haunted house for the kids at Xavier’s --and prank Scott Summers, of course.

Pairings: Piotr Rasputin x Reader.

Rating: G. Just ignore the swear words. Pls.

Set before “Questions and Answers” but after “THIS IS HALLOWEEN.”

Taglist: @marvel-is-perfection, @chromecutie, @super-darkcloudstudent, @girl-obsessed-with-things, @nebulous-leo

It’s not every day that you and Wade stumble onto a legitimately, objectively good idea.

Granted, you guys have tons of great ideas. The fallback of nearly all of them, however, is that they usually involve some sort of destruction and-slash-or generally deviant behavior.

Which, in yours and Wade’s opinions, makes the entire shebang that much more fun, but dealing with the “post brilliant idea clean-up” and the temporary social fallout among your peers –depending on who you target and piss off—isn’t quite as fun.

However.

It’s Halloween season. And the teachers at Xavier’s tend to do some sort of Halloween-y thing for the students there because a lot of places that host seasonal events –surprise, surprise—won’t admit mutants.

Plus, Piotr loves Halloween, which means the two of you have a “non-deviant” spokesperson to advocate for your plan.

And, the cherry on top of it all, is that Scott has been an absolute asshat as of late, meaning that he needs to get the shit pranked out of him to whack his massive ego back down to a more manageable size.

You and Wade grin at each other as you look up various “how to make a haunted house” tutorials. This is gonna be awesome.

 ***

 Convincing Piotr to back your idea is easy.

First, you convince him without Wade around. You’ve learned that Piotr doesn’t necessarily mind if you and Wade come up with ideas, but that Wade’s manner of “selling them” completely frustrates your darling boyfriend and puts him off even the most benign suggestions.

Second, you present the idea as something fun and seasonal for the students at Xavier’s; Piotr, essentially, is a massive mother hen that loves nothing more than making his “kids” happy, which means that he’s on board for just about anything that involves doing special stuff for the students.

Third, you’re his girlfriend and he thinks you’re cute, which means all you have to really do is bat your eyelashes at him and say please.

(And, granted, you’d had other tricks up your sleeve if he’d hesitated, but sometimes life just lets you knock one out of the park. It’s a great feeling.)

***

 With Piotr’s seal of approval, you wind up selling the idea to the rest of the X-Men with no problem –and, since Jean’s out of town visiting family, she’s not here to rat you out to Scott, either.

Granted, Xavier still could, but you’re starting to think he’s less of a “lawful good” and more of a “neutral” or “chaotic good” type than he lets on. There’s been plenty of times he could’ve sold you or Wade out on any of your pranks, but he usually keeps his mouth shut.

Ah, well. Best not to question the freebies life sends your way.

Better yet, you and Wade already have a list of ideas and necessary supplies, thanks to your “haunted house research binge” that you two did earlier. Granted, Piotr outright naysays half of the suggestions due to them being too expensive, too destructive to the building, or too gross –Wade—but all in all it’s a success.

Hell yeah.

 ***

 The official set up goes as such: on the designated “haunted house day,” you, Wade, and a few volunteers get to spend the morning and part of the afternoon setting up the haunted house in a sectioned off part of the mansion –except it’s for the elementary aged students, so it’s technically “Haunted House Lite,” but that’s fine. Then, at four in the afternoon, the elementary aged students will get to walk through, enjoy some G-rated spooks, and get little bags of candy at the end to enjoy.

Lovely. Wonderful. Wholesome.

And then the fun comes in.

Because, beknownst to Piotr only because he caught you and Wade conspiring with everyone else, you and Wade managed to get all the middle school and high school students in the room and fill them in on your idea to scare the everliving shit out of one Scott Summers.

And, because teenagers are basically little shits that run on caffeine and entropy, they’re all super down to watch Scott get pranked.

So, once the little students have had their seasonal fun and have been ushered off for dinner with everyone else, you and Wade and your volunteers have five paltry hours to beef up your haunted house with some higher grade spooks and also set up your prank for Scott.

Granted, it’s not a lot of time to work with, but the two of you have worked with less before.

 ***

 The prank itself, compared to yours and Wade’s usual fare, is… unremarkable, actually.

“Go figure,” Wade grumbles under his breath while he wrestles with one of the several smoke machines he’d purchased for the prank. “Captain Vanilla-Save-For-the-Pole-Up-His-Ass doesn’t watch horror movies. Leave it to a fucking jumpscare. Fucking stupid. He’s literally the single most boring person to exist!”

“Hey, at least it makes it easy for us,” you reason as you work on dying a bunch of cheesecloth with a massive mixing bowl of tea. “Why go through the extra effort for a dill-hole like him?”

“Fair enough. Hey, I think I got this working!” Wade tries turning on the smoke machine, then pulls a scowl when it makes an alarming grinding noise, turns it back off with a disgusted huff, and turns in his chair to shout down the hall. “Nathan! Get your ass in here and talk to your cousin! This fucking thing won’t work!”

You snort and shake your head.

(Nathan does, in fact, get the smoke machine to work, but only because he bothers to read the instructions first.

Wade calls bullshit anyway.)

 ***

 The day of is nothing short of busy.

The two of you –and your volunteers—set up shop in one of the unfinished wings meant to be proper classrooms. You’ve got the entryway, the flight of stairs going up to the second floor, the hallway, and a few of the rooms of the rooms to set up your little “house of horrors” in (along with the back stair case that leads back down to the main hallway on the first floor, but that’s only for an easy exit for everyone).

The main order of business is such: put up the most labor intensive props –curtains to black out the windows, a curtain to block off the first floor hallway from view, spiderwebs, anything hanging from the ceiling or the walls that isn’t going to be switched out—first so that the bulk of the work is done for the day, since you won’t have much time between the littler students and the older students (and, most importantly, Scott).

The smoke machines get put in next, along with any special lights –including some cool black lights you and Wade had gotten their hands on, which go next to a mirror at the end of the walkthrough so the students can see what their costumes look like under the effects of the lights.

After that is the rest of the props, which are all switch out stuff. The younger students get some relatively innocuous skeletons, some cartoonish looking zombies, a couple mummies, and a bunch of pumpkins, black cats, and otherwise tame Halloween fare. The older students get much gnarlier, gorier stuff, including a demonic clown statue that actually gives you the creeps.

You grin as Wade sings “Spooky Scary Skeletons” –the dubstep remix, no less—while the two of you fill up goody bags for the students. This is going to be great.

***

 Piotr stops by after lunch with a bag of costumes –yours and his—and some extra supplies Wade had asked for.

You kiss his cheek as he hands off the bag of decorations to Wade. “Hey, babe. Had a good day?”

He nods. “Students are very excited to go through haunted house. Especially younger ones.”

“Well, here’s hoping we can give them some good, old-fashioned, spooky fun,” you say with a grin. “Ready to get changed and transform into creatures of the night?”

He does a scarily perfect Dracula laugh and winks at you. “But of course, moya lyubov’.”

Your costumes –for today and also for this year’s Halloween—are Dracula and the bride of Dracula. Piotr made nearly all of it, save for his shirt and slacks (and your two’s shoes, obviously), and between the costumes, the makeup, and some fake fangs, the two of you actually look the part.

(And Piotr sounds the part, what with his Russian accent and all. It’s almost like he was born for the role of Dracula.)

The two of you get to set up in one of the rooms with two doors, which also boasts a cauldron with a smoke machine in it, a bunch of fake spiderwebs, a couple of fake coffins, and some skeletons hanging on the walls. You get dressed, do each other’s make up, and then Piotr helps you put on your fangs before doing his own.

“So, tell me how to do a good Russian accent,” you say, lisping slightly around your fangs. “I gotta match what you’re selling.”

“I think you do just fine,” Piotr replies as he puts a glob of denture cream into one of his fangs and sticks it to his upper canine tooth. “Just try to avoid cheesy mobster accent, and you will do great.”

“Are we gonna do the whole ‘I want to suck your blood’ thing?” you ask. “I think we probably should.”

“If you want to.”

“Okay. I’m gonna practice, you tell me how I sound.” You clear your throat, get into your mental zone, then let out an accented, ominous, “I want to suck your blood!”

Piotr chuckles as he tests the fang’s hold on his tooth. “Very nice, myshka.”

You preen, then practice a few more times at varying pitches and speeds. Then, once you’re certain Piotr’s adjusted to your fooling around, you lean in and murmur, “I want to suck your dick.”

Piotr sputters, cheeks flushing –even under the pale make up you’d put on him—and looks around for anyone that might’ve overheard you. Once he’s certain that no one heard you –especially Wade—he exhales and shakes his head. “Later.”

You giggle and kiss his cheek.

***

 Right at four, the elementary aged students are ushered into the haunted house.

You can hear them from the room where you and Piotr are set up, giggling and gasping as Ellie and Yukio –who had volunteered to walk the younger students through—escort them along.

“Alright, before we enter this room, we all need to practice our brave faces,” Yukio says outside the door furthest away from you and Piotr. “Because in this room are Dracula and his wife!”

There’s some gasps and “oohs” from the kids, along with a couple expected “Dracula isn’t real”s.

“Don’t get too close,” Ellie says warningly. “Or else they might try to suck your blood!”

You grin at Piotr as the kids gasp again –he grins back and winks at you—then put on your “game face” as Ellie opens the door so the kids can enter the room.

It’s hard to keep a straight face, though, in the presence of the elementary students. It’s easy to tell that they’re really enjoying the mini haunted house, what with how they’re bouncing and grinning, and that combined with their adorable costumes –skeletons, princesses, pirates, pumpkins, there’s even one of the kids dressed as Iron Man—makes the entire thing downright heart-melting.

The kids all gasp, giggle, and whisper amongst themselves as they approach you and Piotr, flocking together like a bunch of baby birds—

And then one of the kids in the back shouts, “That’s not Dracula! That’s Mr. Piotr!”

Ellie, Yukio, and you all snort, while Piotr just winks at the kid in question.

“What do we have here, my love?” you ask, slipping into your “vampire accent” as you make a show of looking over all the kids, which prompts another slew of gasps and giggles from them. “It seems someone has brought us a bunch of tiny treats to eat!”

Piotr “hmms” as he stands, looming over the students in his long, flowing black cloak. “So it does, moya Koroleva. I must say, I am feeling peckish. Perhaps we should have afternoon snack.”

“Oh no!” Yukio exclaims. “Do you guys think they should be able to do that?”

“No!” the group of students all shout at once (which, admittedly, is a little rough on the ears).

“Well, I think we can do whatever we want,” you retort, looking over at Piotr to make sure the two of you time everything properly. “And…”

“We want to suck your blood!” you and Piotr declare while simultaneously fake-lunging at the group of students.

The students shriek, then run out the other door at Ellie and Yukio’s encouragement.

You and Piotr “pursue” the students –which is less of an actual pursuit and more just angling yourselves in their direction—until the last of the kids “escape” into the hall, then stop and grin at each other.

“I think that went well,” you say –quietly, so as not to disrupt the students’ experience.

“I agree.” Piotr holds out his arm to you. “Shall we, moya Koroleva?”

You giggle and place your hand on his arm. “Absolutely, my love.”

The two of you head out the door at the far end of the room –the door the students had originally entered in—and into the hall. Fortunately, there are a couple curtains blocking the rest of the hall from view, meaning that there’s no risk of anyone seeing the two of you sneaking through the hallway and down the stairs to the main floor.

Piotr ducks into one of the storage closets by the staircase and pulls out a box with various goody-bags stashed in it. “These looks very nice, moya lyubov’.”

“Thank you. I tried to make sure everyone got one of everything –oh, wait a second.” You reach into the closet and pull out a bag you’d stashed separately from everyone else’s. “This one’s Timothy’s. I wanted to make sure it didn’t get mixed up and he get peanuts by accident.”

“Good thinking.” Piotr sets the main box of treats on a nearby table, then turns back to you and kisses the top of your head. “How are you feeling, dorogoy?”

“I’m feeling good; I’m really looking forward to the big prank tonight!” The corner of your mouth turns up when he makes a “hmmm” of disapproval. “I take it you’re not a fan?”

“I just… I am concerned about how you and Wade target Scott,” Piotr says diplomatically. “The two of you seem to ignore everyone else.”

“Well, there’s not really a need to prank everyone else,” you reason. “And it’s not like we prank Scott all the time, either.”

“I would just worry about team dynamics.”

“He already fucks that up by being an asshole, honey,” you argue, careful to keep your voice down so the kids don’t hear you swearing. “Scott’s a total dick! He’s objectively horrible to Wade; he’s also a jerk to Russell. Like, massively.”

Piotr sighs. “I… I do not think pranking helps the situation.”

“Look, sometimes when people refuse to listen to polite conversation, you have to smack them around a little to keep them from letting their asshole behavior ooze all over everyone.” You grin. “Wade and I are just the smacking team.”

Piotr glances towards the door where the back staircase opens onto the main floor; there’s sounds of little voices and footsteps, meaning the kids are almost done. “Just… be considerate. That is all I ask.”

“Already done, baby,” you reassure him. “It’s a super basic jumpscare prank. Nothing about him, nothing about being a mutant, all Halloween themed. I made sure Wade didn’t get too crazy or destructive this time around.”

Piotr relaxes a little at that and kisses your temple—

And then the door opens, and the group of students rush into the main hallway.

“I told you it was them!” one of the students shouts, prompting everyone else to laugh.

“It was,” you admit, foregoing the vampire accent. “Did you guys like the haunted house?”

“Yeah!” the group choruses at once.

You and Piotr both grin, then work on handing out bags of candy to the students –and make sure that Timothy gets his special bag, no allergy episodes today, no sir—

And it’s good. Life is good.

 ***

 Once the younger students exit for dinner, everything switches to a mad scramble to flip the space for the second walkthrough.

Granted, it doesn’t sound like much, until you realize that it involves taking down basically all the props and putting new ones in.

It’s sweaty work, and by the time you’re done you have to reapply all your vampire make-up –because you and Piotr are still doing the vampire bit. And then—

And then.

Once the older teams exit the “vampire room,” you’ll sneak out the “entry” door and down the hall, then hover over the door everyone exits out into the main floor hall at the end of the walkthrough, and when they do, you’ll drop down next to Scott and scare the everliving shit out of him.

Simple. Stress-free. Borderline stupid.

It’s gonna be great.

 ***

 The second walkthrough is just as much of a success as the first one. The older students aren’t as giggly or excitable as the younger group, but it’s still easy to tell they’re enjoying the haunted house –at least, if the occasional screams and comments about “how cool” everything looks is anything to go by.

Better yet is that Scott is jumping and gasping at, like, everything. He’s so easily scared that you won’t even have to try when you drop down next to him. He’s so easily scared that the prank almost isn’t fun.

Keyword being: almost.

You and Piotr do your vampire schtick again –which, unlike what you did for the elementary students, this round involves the two of you lunging out of dark corners and acting, objectively, much scarier—and when the older teens and Scott run out, you grin, give Piotr a kiss, then dart out the other door.

It takes basically zero time to get positioned over the door everyone exits out of. You tuck yourself up into the corner where the walls and ceiling meet, then resign yourself to being bored while the older students finish their haunted house walkthrough.

Scott, predictably, is the first one out of the door. He looks annoyed by the entire situation, and is trying to brush fake cobwebs off his shirt.

Perfect.

You wait until there are a couple of students in the hall as well –you can’t have the prank go unwitnessed—then count down from five before dropping down next to Scott while screaming “Trick or treat!” at the top of your lungs.

He jumps five feet into the air and shrieks like a teenage girl in a horror movie, and the students laugh.

Mission: accomplished.

[moiraineswife]

Autistic!Kaz Headcanons

Just bc I can. You should all read @barrelrat‘s initial post about this that initially got me thinking this way/that inspired a few of the following. But basically I couldn’t sleep last night so here we are. 

-Kaz longing for the quiet, peaceful familiarity of the farm when he first comes to Ketterdam. The city is too big, too loud, too bright, too crowded, too much. Everything overwhelms him for the first few weeks, and he clings to Jordie as the only stable, familiar anchor that he has. 

-He picks up magic/sleight of hand quickly/easily because in addition to being a special interest, the constant, repetitive movements he practiced over and over again necessary to let him master the skills are stims. He does this a lot unconsciously. One of his favourites is manipulating small stacks of coins in his hands, or shuffling packs of cards. 

-One of the things that makes him so successful with magic, with conning, with life tbh is his Need to know why. (this is canon, and I love it, so it’s not really a hc but see if I care) His plans are so detailed, so meticulous, and generally go so well because of how thoroughly he understands each and every detail of them. It’s not enough to know that, for instance, Wylan’s timed bombs will go off when he says they will, Kaz needs to understand the mechanics behind them. This helps him spot weaknesses, flaws, and patterns, and is one of the things that makes him so successful. 

-Kaz being touch averse before Jordie’s death. Only now there are images and grief attached to the aversion. That makes it worse but also, in a twisted kind of way, better. Because at least now there’s a Reason behind it, and he can understand it. 

-Kaz plans everything. From breaking into the Ice Court, to basic, every day to-do lists. He can do it all mentally, and keep track of everything that way, but he likes writing it all down. IT’s a way of taking control and it’s grounding/calming. Probably has an old blackboard/some chalk in his office at The Slat. It’s stimmy and it means he can doodle elaborate lists and plans all over it. 

-Most of his stims are small things that he can hide. The streets worked out the notable ones from him a long time ago. He strokes the head of his cane, tracing all of the deep lines and groves in it, lingering on patches that are especially smooth. He flexes his hands - the feeling of the leather gloves curling around them is especially Good. Is also prone to leg dancing and finger tapping (especially to music. He picks out the beats of any nearby music and taps along to the them) But they’re all things that he can be discreet about. He used to hum, but when he was abandoned on the streets it was too much of a giveaway and he trained himself to stop. 

-Kaz saying he has a headache when he becomes overloaded because he doesn’t know how else to explain that he needs to leave this place now. 

-First signs of him heading towards a meltdown is always irritability. He becomes v easily frustrated, snaps sharply if interrupted, becomes frantic if he can’t easily find something, and is agitated and irritated by even small sounds in his vicinity. Will murder you for being too Loud when he’s like this because he just can’t deal with it. 

-Never has meltdowns in front of other people. He instinctively suppresses them in public/on a job. This typically causes a massive shutdown afterwards. he locks himself in his room, turns off all the light, and buries himself in his bed where it’s dark and quiet. He refuses to see anyone during that time, and everyone knows not to bother him/to let him recover in peace. 

-Has shutdowns more frequently than meltdowns. Becomes nonverbal during them, very withdrawn and unresponsive - typically the only communication anyone gets out of him then is nods/shakes of the head. 

-Bad trauma days make his sensory issues much, much worse. Some days he can’t leave his room because the very feel of the air on his skin is too much. He won’t even let Inej see him on those days, he needs to be alone to be able to meltdown/stim and process everything the way he needs to. 

-Occassionally becomes utterly Consumed by short but very very intense special interests. Once developed one in baking, it only lasted about a week but it was Intense. He was covered in flour for days and was constantly trying new things, and tweaking old recipes to make them completely perfect. Only Kaz could turn cake-making into a form of science. He experimented with different methods of mixing, different amounts of flour, the order he added the ingredients in etc etc etc. The Dregs were baffled but delighted. Nina swears she has never eaten better waffles in her entire life. 

-His cane becomes a comfort object, he gets really angsty if he doesn’t have it close at hand at all times. His gloves are comfort objects too, even if he manages to stop wearing them all the time, he always keeps them on him. Inej brings him back a small, smooth, polished stone she found on her travels - it becomes a comfort object, too. He always has it in his pocket. 

-Can recreate maps/building plans he’s studied incredibly accurately....But he has no sense of direction. Frequently gets lost in The Slat. Only manages to navigate the city bc he’s carefully memorised maps/routes/landmarks. 

-APD has him threatening to gag Jesper at least twice a week because ‘I can’t process two different speakers/conversations at once, Jesper shut up.’ 

-Loves listening to Wylan play flute. Will legit sit and listen to him quietly for hours. Wylan starts noticing when Kaz is getting overloaded and, if he’s able, will discreetly play for a little while to help ground him. 

-One time Inej changed her perfume an he became so irritated and bothered and  he couldn’t understand why which was almost more frustrating. Eventually she realised what was wrong. 

-Hates clothes with high/tight collars, they feel like they’re strangling him. 

-I’m not entirely sure if this is possible Heartrender wise, or rather, if it was possible pre-parem but, like, humour me okay? He asks Nina to use her abilities to lessen the quality of his hearing/eyesight/touch, just slightly, and only for short periods of time, but it really helps when he’s becoming overloaded. 

-Will cut you if you fuck with his routine/his plans in any way. (Always has v precise, detailed plans and no, we can’t go there first, because if we go there first then x, y, z will happen, and we won’t be able to do that, and the world will end no just everybody do as I say I have worked this shit out) 

-Absently stroking Inej’s hair = The Best Stim. 

-The pickiest of picky eaters. 

-Kaz ‘I don’t like new things’ Brekker. Nina despairs over him bc he orders exactly the same thing every single time they go out for anything to eat. 

-One time a restaurant took his item off their menu and Kaz Twitched uncomfortably until the owner told him they kept a few of the necessary ingredients on-hand for him so he could still have it. All of Ketterdam relaxed and a shrine was later built to this good woman’s sense. 

-Had to carefully teach himself to read each individual person’s tone/expressions/body language etc for each job. He constantly studies people and improves his understanding of them - it’s like watching for tells in a fight/card game, but with everything. Keeps very detailed, very extensive notes. Doesn’t realise that not everyone has to do this until Nina spots his notes on her and is just like ??? Kaz ??? is this necessary ????? 

-Dsypraxia!Kaz - performs incredible precise, delicate, deft lock-picking one minute. Bangs into the corner of a desk the next bc it was moved an inch to the right of its usual spot. 

-One day, Mathias decides to be ‘helpful’ and sets about fixing up The Slat. Kaz walks in and freezes. ‘No.’ ‘But the floorboards were creaking here so-’ ‘No.’ ‘The roof leaked a little, I thought-’ ‘No.’ ‘The carpets were-’ ‘No.’ ‘The paintwork could use a little freshening u-’ ‘No.’ Kaz threatens to drown him in the fresh tin of paint he has open and ready next to him and methodically undoes all of Mathias’ fixes until the Slat is creaking, whistling, leaking, and tripping people up as it should. 

-One time Nina got bored and decided to rearrange the furniture ‘for a change’. This did not go down well. 

-Gunshots are sensory hell tbh. 

-Views literally everything in terms of business arrangements bc it’s the only way he’s learned to really make sense of social interactions?? People are loyal to him bc he knows their secrets, and bc he’s the most beneficial to their interests than any other gang leader in Ketterdam. People will do favours for him bc he’s done things for them in the past/would do in the future. ‘I will make you waffles today, and you will promise to help me with my sensory shit at a later date when I need you to. The deal is the deal.’ ‘Uh...Kaz...We’re friends?????’ Kaz: *this does not compute* *Nina sighs and just nods and yes, yes, u strange boy, just prepare me my waffles* 

-He slowly starts to understand things on a more personal/intimate/informal level when he’s with Inej and they start getting closer. But he still, at the end of the day, rationalises/makes sense of everything via a structure that’s simple, and logical to him, and that’s by viewing it as a job. Inej is patient with him, and pretty understanding...As long as he never gets to the point of, like, ‘I have kissed you three times today, this equates to a ten minute leg massage, I would like to cash this in now, please.’ (He never does. (Except once when he was teasing her about it and she just like ffs, kaz, u had me for a minute there.)) 

-Has a ‘mutually beneficial relationship’ with a stray cat he insists he hasn’t adopted. He feeds it and gives it somewhere warm to sleep. In return it is an A++++ stim toy. V soft and it’s a great, warm presssure stim when it curls up in his lap which is obviously the only reason he lets it do this. But he has not adopted it, this is strictly a business arrangement- I can see you rolling your eyes at me, Nina. (Its name is ‘Demjin.’) 

[nogoodmox]

okay, challenge time. thoughts on sami/dean/finn. i want DETAILS.

this is…….a cursed ask peggy.

putting it under a read more bc this got very very long!!

so sami/dean? great. finn/dean? great sami/dean/finn?????? that’s some fucken….next level shit okay….how can we even fathom such a perfect trio….

- first thing’s first, i definitely think finn and sami would get along more naturally. they’re close friends irl and they’re just more similar. deano’s the odd one out in this but never fear!! they make it work!!!

- dean is….confused?? like how the fresh hell did he end up with two absolute angels when he sees himself as….a problem child at best. i hate to get edgy (no i don’t) but while i don’t think dean has self-esteem issues, i think he has self-worth issues if that makes sense?

- to clarify i think like,, he doesn’t care what people think of him (obviously) and he’s confident in his abilities, but he doesn’t see himself as a good person. i mean he’s referred to himself as a scumbag on more than one occasion, and let’s not forget “my whole life was a mistake anyway” line. so i think, being in a relationship with people as seemingly perfect as sami and finn might be initially tough for him.

- sami, being a sweetheart, constantly wants to reassure dean. he’s the best at reading other people’s feelings, so when finn’s kinda oblivious, sami knows to step in. he tries his best to not be obvious about what he’s doing, but he acts extra affectionate and clingy around dean when he’s in a low mood to let him know he’s loved.

- finn and dean aren’t super huge on pda, so when it’s just them two it’s mostly rigid “i wanna express my love for you but idk how”. sami’s pretty good at initiating it but despite him being affectionate i don’t think he’d be super into pda either. he mostly just does whatever dean and finn are comfy with!

- that being said, sami knows with finn it’s more a matter of “idk how to handle pda” than “i don’t like pda”, so you can catch him casually slipping his hand into finn’s while they’re out doing stuff. with dean it’s more tricky because he just feels….weird about it. he feels self-conscious no matter how subtle the touch, he’s much more chill about it in private. 

- they love going to parks!! it suits all of their needs tbh. dean being dean, can’t sit still and hates being cooped up, so a nice open space is good for him. sami loves being ~at one with nature~ and sunshine and just generally living his life out in the world, and finn…well he’s happy with whatever makes dean and sami happy. i personally think he’d love taking pictures of them having fun like a doting parent. 

- hiking is also a thing they love, but most of the time it’s dean dragging sami and finn out. dean loves it, whether it be rocky terrain or in forests. he has seemingly endless energy when it comes to that stuff, and he kinda comes to life on a bad day. dean just likes to be outside, point blank. sami and finn are usually the ones in awe of the landscapes and posing for pretty pictures while dean experiences some spiritual shit.

- dean is all over sami and finn’s social media. instagram, twitter, you name it. their accounts are full of strange off-guard pictures of dean (finn’s personal favorite thing is posting a blurry picture of him with the caption: cryptid spotted 👀 ) even the pictures where dean is expecting it he just seems…..off-guard. he usually poses with a hastily thrown-up peace sign and wide eyes, and he has no idea all these pictures are ending up on the internet.

-dates are always a weird mix of things for them. finn likes traditionally “simple” ways of spending time together like playing board games, or building things (cough cough legos). they all get pretty invested in it tbh. games of jenga can last hours if they try hard enough, that is until dean loses his patience and absolutely destroys the thing, bc of course he would. they also watch a lot of movies, but it’s usually obscure ones that finn and dean are super into while sami just kinda watches to humor them.

- sami likes to do romantic things for dates. they go out to dinner a lot, but knowing dean he doesn’t always make it fancy. he and dean are both fans of upbeat places with a fun atmosphere. they order a lot of food, and dean and finn are most definitely the kind of people to write their names on their to-go boxes to ensure no one eats from them. sami, on the other hand, really doesn’t mind and is generous with these two greedy boys.

- when it comes to dean, dates are a wildcard. anything that can catch his attention for more than 3 seconds is worthy. they’ve done some ODD shit together. i’m talking visiting a cheese factory, a dinosaur museum (finn especially appreciated that), amusement parks, visiting a psychic, tank driving, deep sea diving, etc. he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but he tries his best. 

- group naps are a very common thing. they’ve got a busy schedule, so they try to squeeze in rest whenever they can. they usually share a room, and sleep is the time where all guards come down. dean and finn become totally comfortable and there’s nothing awkward about it when sami initiates contact. they all kinda lump together, even when it’s hot, just because it’s reassuring to have everyone there. especially for dean, who doesn’t have the best relationship with sleep. finn is super touchy-feely in his sleep without realizing it, and sometimes he’ll wake up completely draped over sami or dean (usually sami, bc dean moves around too much)

- all of them being wrestlers definitely helps their relationship, and their road trips from city to city are always a blast. they take turns driving, but dean slacks off the most because he gets tired more than anyone. he’ll doze off in the car while mumbling lyrics to the shitty music he insisted on playing, then he’ll fall asleep again at the hotel. sami is most definitely the kind to point out the cows they pass up, and finn will gladly stop on the side of the road to get a closer look at them. they also give up on having proper meals while traveling, so catch them leaving gas stations with a mountain of junk food in their arms. 

- this one is a more biased headcanon but, i like to think sami teaches finn and dean words in arabic or french sometimes! dean will naturally ask him about all the curse words there are, and he sounds absolutely ridiculous trying to pronounce them. he and finn eventually get the hang of a lot of expressions though, and they start to use them casually with each other. finn might shout “yallah!” (come on) when they’re late for something, dean will gladly call anyone and everyone a “hmar” (a donkey, which is a v rude insult in arabic). 

- dean thinks arabic music? absolutely bangs. he gets really into it and asks sami to start playing it on road trips to keep him awake. bc a majority of arabic music is pretty…intense and party-inducing so good luck dozing off to that. 

- kisses! finn is personally the biggest fan of kisses amongst them. sami prefers long hugs and dean just likes leaning on others or resting a hand on them. finn kisses sami’s cheek a lot, he thinks his cheeks are adorable. he kisses dean on his forehead a lot because he came to learn that’s what he likes. dean gives forehead kisses a lot too so sami and finn decided that’s what he was most fond of. 

-kisses on the mouth from finn are usually short, but he almost always puts his hand on sami/dean’s neck when giving them one. he kinda pulls them forward a bit then pulls back quickly. 

-dean really likes giving neck kisses, not even in a sexual way he just kinda dips his head there because he likes the reaction. he also might nip their ears a lot bc…he’s dean and he’s a feral child. 

-sami’s kisses aren’t as common since he’s more of a hugger, but when he does give kiss it’s long and sweet and usually leaves dean/finn surprised and breathless. sami’s a charmer and a smooth criminal B) 

- dean really loves sami’s tummy! he already loves resting on people and sami’s presence in general is just so comforting and warm, so of course he loves sami’s stomach. he likes to rest his head on it and feel it rise and fall softly. for finn, dean loves his shoulders. he thinks they have a nice shape and his head fits there perfectly in his humble opinion. 

-finn likes sami’s general softness, and his stomach fits right in with that, but sami’s cheeks are still his favorite. he loves their roundness and how much bigger they get when he smiles. as for dean, finn really likes his arms. they’re muscular but in a subtle sort of way, and his hugs feel nice despite their rarity. 

- sami really likes finn’s hands. he likes how they look delicate, but also have underlying strength that’s apparent by the veins. sami’s favorite thing about dean is his crooked nose. it’s a silly thing, but he thinks it gives him character. he also loves dean’s dimples but, who doesn’t??

- dean usually feels like he’s being babied by finn and sami, which is a strange feeling. he’s used to only looking out for himself and not depending on anyone, so he’s reluctant at first. he especially feels bad because he doesn’t think he can give anything back. they try to assure him that his presence is enough, but dean doesn’t think so. he sometimes does random acts of kindness to show appreciation in any way he can, and finn and sami are always touched. 

- finn is a sweetheart like sami, but he has a less natural way of going about it which puts him in between dean and sami on the spectrum. he’s not as good as picking up on cues, so it takes him a bit to catch on and realize how sami or dean may be feeling. he immediately tries to make things better though, and he does his best to figure out their body language and mannerisms (especially sami, since he’s the best at hiding any personal issues) 

- sami is as close to an omniscient being as there is in this relationship. granted, he’s not perfect and he definitely misunderstands things sometimes, but he’s usually the best and handling dean and finn’s emotions. dean is more difficult than finn with expressing himself because he already feels like a burden on bad days, so talking about his feelings doesn’t really help. sami’s great at making dean and finn feel more relaxed about opening up, especially by letting dean know he just wants to hear his problems so dean can get them off his chest. sami’s definitely more proficient with the heart-to-heart stuff, but he’s so used to being on the receiving end that sometimes he doesn’t take his own advice and voice his emotions. 

- overall, they may have their rocky moments or times where they but heads, but sami/dean/finn is as close to a perfect relationship as you can get imho. healthy, pure, and Good. 

[itshyejung]

Coffeehouse Angel - Zhu Zhengting

Type: Scenario

(Not gonna do genres bc tbh idk how to categorize my scenarios? I guess they’re fluff I mean they’re not rly angsty and def not smut so... just cute? Who even knows lmao)

Characters: Nine Percent Zhu Zhengting x you

(Pics are edited by me so pls give credit. Scenarios are not requested, I came up with all these a long time ago but never really shared them publicly, so hope you guys enjoy! I tried to be creative with each scenario and not do super cliche or boring ones but I think all of them are still kinda cliche lmao...)

P.S Sorry if there are any typos on the last two and this one! 

The crowded counterspace was so small, it was uncomfortable to breathe in the area especially when your co-worker, Zhu Zhengting, was always squishing behind you to get around you as you rang up customers’ orders. The satisfying sound of steaming coffee falling into a cup made you realx as Zhengting’s quick and skillful hands expertly mixed a raspberry mocha for the tall lady in a red leather coat. You adjusted the hat you wore on your head and wiped off a bit of sweat before turning on your super smile for the next customer in line. Your hands worked quickly at the cash register, occasionally glancing to the side to see if Zhengting was squeezing by. You made sure to let him have plenty of space when he would. You blushed insanely at the thought of bumping rear ends, so. you were carefuly to make sure it wouldn’t happen. Little did you know of Zhengting’s expression on the other side, secretly smiling at the way you cutely tried to move out of his way. But, he thought, a little skinship wouldn’t be too bad, would it?

“Oh it’s 9:30am. Position switch,” Zhengting noted as he glanced at the small clock on the left wall of the shop. You nodded and traded places with him, ashamed at the fact that you would now have to openly perform your coffeemaking skills, which weren’t nearly as skillful and exciting as Zhengting’s. You also kind of enived the way he confidently took over your job. Your boss had told you that you were better suited for cashier management and customer service, but as Zhengting has been working here longer than you had, he obviously had more experience and was good at just about everything.

You rubbed your hands together, untied and retied your apron, and set your elbows on top of the coffee machine as you waited for Zhengting to call orders out to you. From there, you got a nice view of his straight back and long fingers, handling cash just as expertly as you did and typing away on the touch screen of the cash register. However, he seemed to handle everything with ease, unlike the way you had scurried around, handing a pile of orders to him, shuffling left and right, and fingers shakily typing out orders onto the touch screen that you sometimes made typos (no one saw, so that was okay, right?). 

“Hey. Are you listening?” Zhengting’s large hand waved in front of your face rapidly as the customers in line laughed. “I know I’m good looking, but if you stare too long, you might lose your job.”

You flushed madly, which Zhengting smiled cutely at. He thought you were generally pretty, but prettiest when you were modest. He had a strong attraction to girls who were just the way they were, not hidden under layers of disguise that supposedly made them “pretty” but rather, he liked the pretty nature of them. He thought the best kind of person was one who always stayed their true self, and sometimes they were crazy or weird, and it entertained him to meet those people. He was very outgoing in meeting all kinds of people, and one of the reasons he liked working at a coffee shop was because it also amused him to see all the slack faces of people who were having shitty days, desperate for a kick of caffeine to wake them up. 

You hastily yanked down on a lever on the coffee machine to fill up one of the styrofoam cups. The calm brown liquid flowed into the bottom of the cup and pooled to fill the container. Just like how many people like the sound of rushing or running water, the sound of coffee hitting the bottom of a cup calmed you the same way. You quickly capped the cup after it was filled and handed the steaming beverage to the customer. A few coins fell from his hand into the glass jar on the side of the counter.

“Thank you, sir!” you waved at him as he stepped out of the coffeeshop, the bell on top of the door jingling as it swung open and closed.

You shook the glass jar a bit to loosen up the coins inside. This week, you and Zhengting had collected a good amount of tips. Not great, but what would you expect? Indeed you were an amateur. Seventy-five percent of those tips were probably the college girls going crazy over how cute Zhengting was. He looked like an adorable little mouse or cat with really fluffy fur.

“Seriously, if you’re going to keep doing that, I’m going to have to go work back there.” Zhengting pointed towards the back kitchen, where a few cooks worked making orders for people who had stopped by for a bite. Although it was mostly known for coffee, the shop was also partially a cafe where you could dine in. “And I’d be washing dishes. Now, I don’t want to do that, with you out here having all the fun, right?” He pushed on your forehead gently with two fingers. “Focus.”

You rolled your eyes. “Sure, boss.”

The day rolled by quickly, but you were kept busy for the rest of the day and surprisingly rarely thought about Zhengting as you served sandwiches and handled to-go customers who pulled up at the window. “I think it’s your turn to wipe down tables,” Zhengting said to you as you flipped over the sign on the front door.

“Right.” You walked over to the small calendar that hung off a pushpin in the wall. “It says ‘JUNGJUNG’ in giant letters. And obviously my name is not Jungjung.”

“Ugh, I hate going by that nickname,” Zhengting groaned. “And contrary to wait it says, it’s actually your turn anyways. Boss said so, because he saw you staring off ‘into space’ during work today.”

“Whaaaaaat,” you tried not to blush at how he had sarcastically covered up what (or who) you were actually staring at. “Alright, I guess this makes up for that then,” you sighed, and headed to the kitchen to grab the dish towel. You and Zhengting both detested wiping the gunk off the tables. The cookies and muffins many people requested for were especially crumbly, and there were messes all over the tables. You tied your apron tighter around your waist and began wiping the crumbs off the table, sweeping them onto the floor which you would later make Zhengting sweep up. You wiped ugly, sticky smudges of coffee off the tabletops, secretly making faces at them.

Meanwhile, Zhengting hid his smile behind his hand. Actually, the boss had never spoken a word of what he’d just told you to him. In fact, it was 100% true to say that Zhengting loved watching you work, especially when you wiped off tables. It wasn’t that he was a pervert who just liked staring at nice asses, definitely not. He especially liked your figure from the back. He thought that even your derpiest moments were done with at least some beauty and grace; you just looked beautiful to him. And he loved viewing your hard-working self from a distance, where you were completely clueless about it. After all, anything pretty should be looked at from a distance. You didn’t suspect a thing, just begrudgingly worked at making each table spotless. When you were done, you wiped sweat off your forehead with the backs of your hands and threw the towel at Zhengting, who caught it perfectly in the center of his chest.

“Whoa there, calm down. Hey, if you’re mad about wiping down twice in a row, I’ll take it tomorrow and the day after. Coffee?” Zhengting held out a hot cup of the liquid as you approached the counter, fingers already fumbling to untie the knot on the back of your apron. You folded it up neatly and hung it on your apron hook.

“Don’t mind if I do,” you grinned, accepting it halfheartedly. To be honest, all you wanted to do was go home and sleep all day, every day. Yet something about Zhengting’s attitude and personality made you stay later than your shift every night. Perhaps it was the way he joked humorously, but then was sincere at other times. Maybe it was the way he had voluntarily taught you all that he’d learned working here so that you wouldn’t be behind all the other employees. Or maybe it was because he had been the one that proposed the idea of “coffee dates” each night.

It wasn’t that you two were dating or anything. In fact, you’d never thought of him as more than a best friend and a long time co-worker. However, you didn’t think you’d rather have a coffee date with anyone else other than Zhengting. You enjoyed these a lot because they were especially refreshing after a tiring and long work day. They definitely stretched longer than the amount of time you’d been scheduled for. Three hours a day felt like three years. Besides, there was something about Zhengting’s smiling face that always left you relaxed at the end of the day.

“School’s ending pretty quickly, don’t you think? Soon all of us seniors will move onto uni,” Zhengting suddenly brought up, staring out the window while propping himself up against the counter. He gulped down a big sip of his coffee. You swirled your own raspberry mocha in your cup absentmindedly. There was something eating at the back of your mind that you didn’t really have the heart to tell Zhengting. However, it was not something you could avoid.

“It has been a pretty fast year,” you agreed, finally consuming a bit of your coffee. “Sometimes I wonder if everything really happened that fast or if I’m just terrible at paying attention.”

“Worried?” Zhengting grinned. “Don’t worry, star student. Didn’t you tell me you sent a lot of college applications out? I bet all of them are going to fight over you.”

Heat flushed through you and colored your cheeks warm. “Don’t say that,” you brushed it off. “I haven’t gotten any letters yet. Where are you planning on going to college?”

Zhengting’s head snapped up to look at you and grinned when he caught you off guard. Returning his gaze outside, he said, “I just applied for the local university. Nothing too extravagant. I think staying here will be just find for me.”

You nodded in understanding. “The safer choice, of course.”

“Are you saying I’m not a risk taker?”

“W-what? No… well, it’s not that it makes me one, obviously…” 

“I think asking you to prom was probably the biggest risk I ever took,” Zhengting made a face and downed the rest of his drink, tossing the empty cup into the trash can with a loud clutter. “Don’t you think?”

You set your cup down with a clunk as you thought back to the clumsy but fun mess that night had been. “You punk! I’m not as difficult as you are to deal with!”

“Perhaps not, but you have to agree that I’m better at dancing.”

Aish, this kid. You grabbed a bunch of his coffee-brown locks in one hand and dragged his towering head to your eye level. “Say one more word and you won’t be able to dance anymore, you got it?”

“Ouch! The f-” Zhengting began, trying to yank his hair out of your grasp. Then his gummy smile suddenly returned. “Yes, ma’am.”

Your stomach was full of hot coffee but you weren’t ready to leave yet. Although Zhengting was an annoying kid a lot of the time, you had to admit you had a lot more fun if he was around. You two had somehow become close a long time ago when you had been swinging int he backyard. A grubby, sweaty little brown-haired kid barreled through, trying to keep a slippery frog in his grasp. You had jumped off the swing and joined him in the chase, always seeking adventure.

“Do you think… that Seoul University will accept me?” you wondered aloud as Zhengting watched you carefully. There. You had said it aloud, but unbeknownst to you, he had long ago known about your desires to study in South Korea. He was your childhood best friend, after all.

“Idiot.” Zhengting pressed two of his fingers to your forehead again and pushed gently. You feigned pain and flopped down on the counter. “You know smartasses like you will get in. You just wanted to rub it in my face.”

“That hurt!” you complained, but was secretly grateful that Zhengting supported you and gave you encouraging words, even if it was in a rough way.

“Ah, true love always does, doesn’t it?” Zhengting joked nonchalantly, but his cheeks flamed up at what he’d just said.

You choked. “Whoa, where’d that come from?”

“I was just thinking.” Zhengting dragged his finger around on the counter and said nothing more. You looked at him funny and then proceeded to finish your coffee as if nothing had happened.

“That’s never a good thing for you,” you joked back.

“Yah! Your smartass is showing too much!”

“Or maybe it’s because you’re too much of a dumbass.”

“Ugh, forget this. I’m going home.” Zhengting laughed a little and swiped your car keys from you, pretending to head off with them.

“What about me, you inconsiderate punk?” You jumped on his back and yanked his arm down, desperately prying athis fingers. What was with him today?

“There! Now I really get to go home.” You smiled triumphantly, walking out of the door with a huge new ego.

Zhengting just chuckled and turned off the lights, locking the doors before heading home himself. It was true, he loved annoying you. But he loved it more when he made you smile.

_______________________________________________________________________

You couldn’t help it. Your smile would just not disappear. It had to be completely normal, right? How could one’s smile disappear when they had received an acceptance letter from Seoul University as a foreigner? You almost jumped out your bedroom window, wanting to show Zhengting the letter, but miraculously refrained from pitching yourself out 50 ft into the air onto gravel down below and waited with close to no patience until your shift had started.

At five o’clock in the morning, you raced to the coffeeshop with more speed than you had ever run in gym class and probably more speed than you will ever run in a zombi apocalypse and burst into the staff room, banging the door so loudly that it ricocheted and almost hit you back in the face.

“ZHENGTING!” you yelled, jumping on him again.

“Whoa there, tiger. Calm the hell down. Did you get into Seoul U or something?”

“See for yourself!” You shoved the envelope in his face excitedly.

“I can’t see anything,” Zhengting said in a muffled voice. “Lemme see this.” He tore the envelope from your hand.

“Don’t crinkle it!”

“I’m guessing you got in then,” Zhengting smiled genuinely and opened the envelope carefully, skimming over the letter and stopping at the last sentence. “You smartass. I knew you would make it.” He ruffled your hair affectionately, but it ended up looking like a wild bird’s nest.

“Yah! You-” you protested, trying to fix your hair. “So this is how you congratulate me?”

“I’m proud of you, smartass. Let’s get back to work,” Zhengting winked.

You smiled at him, knowing that he was sincerely happy for you. You two had been friends for years, so of course you could read that on his face. However, you could also hint that there was a bit of disappointment on his face. What could he possibly be worrying about? Did he not get into the college he wanted? You dismissed it temporarily and stepped out the doors feeling more confident and ready for work than you had ever been in your career there. You made sure to give your absolute best in customer service today, and even surprised yourself when you volunteered to wipe down tables and wash the dishes.

Zhengting watched you with a longing expression. He knew this would be one of the last moments he would ever get to spend with you before you left for Seoul. You didn’t know that he would miss you so much he would never have the same work attitude again just because you weren’t there. Zhengting watched you nonchalantly wipe down the tables and hum a familiar tune, admiring your figure for the last time and making sure to remember it forever. He had wanted to confess to you soon, but apparently “soon” wasn’t soon enough. Now you were leaving even sooner.

You lazily dragged the towel across the countertop when you were finished and proceeded to head back into the kitchen to start washing the dishes. As this was probably your last day here, you wanted to be of as much help as you could to the coffeeshop you loved working in so much, mainly because of Zhengting. You admit that you had to thank him in the first place for giving you such great memories throughout your childhood.

If it weren’t for him, you might not have even gotten a job here. And finally the feeling of missing him terribly slapped you in the face. How could you have been so blind? You were so excited about getting into the school of your choice that you had completely forgotten about the reason why you had the confidence and the potential to be accepted into such a school: Zhu Zhengting. You shook your head in disbelief.

“Hey.” Zhengting pushed a small styrofoam cup your way. The last coffee date you’d ever have with him was beginning, and somehow you wished it would never end. You smiled and picked it up, suddenly feeling silly for wanted to keep the cup as a memory to reminisce the days you’d worked here.

“Thanks.”

“And I have something else for you too.” He drew out a box from behind his back and slid it across the counter towards you. Surprised, you turned over the box in your hands a couple of times.

“What’s this for?” You unlocked the clasp that locked the box together and found yourself looking at something you knew would touch your heart forever.

“Remember this?” Zhengting smiled the instantly he saw you smile at the pair of star earrings that used to belong to your mother. Perhaps she had gone off with another man ever since the divorce, but you knew that she never forgot about you. She’d left those earrings just for you, but then a month later you had lost them and gone to Zhengting to cry about it. This was when you were ten years old. Now you had to confess that you’d never really thought about them again. You’d never expect that they would turn up again, much less in the hands of Zhengting.

“But how did you get these?” you asked him, closing the box finally.

“I have my secrets,” he said slyly.

You were confused at his sudden generosity. Zhengting had always been one to play around, throw around a couple of jokes, and tease you in every possible way he could. For him to be this sincere was a completely different image to you. For the first time since the two of you had been friends, you saw Zhengting as other than just the little kid who used to push you on the swings in the neighborhood playground every day. You saw him as someone who had really matured and grown up.

“What are you staring at?” Zhengting wondered in amusement.

“You- uh, I mean thank you, Zhengting. I definitely won’t lose these ever again, and I’ll wear them all the time in Seoul.” You just smiled back at him, refusing to admit that he looked different to you now. How could he possibly have known where your mom kept her valuable things even after she died if he wasn’t interested in it, and how was he that dedicated to find those for you? And for what reasons?

_______________________________________________________________________

It had been a year since you’d moved out of the country for Seoul University. She really left. The idea had hit him harder than a car accident probably would. Without you, working at the coffeeshop had obviously never been the same.

Zhengting didn’t really pay attention to the shifts of new co-workers that came in and out to replace you over the past year. He hid his friendly, outgoing self with a more modest mask. As he turned over the dirtied “Open/Close” sign on the door one night, the new co-worker began wiping down tables.

He knew that she, too, was one who had feelings for him but he ignored that fact. Even the way she wiped down the tables was not as appealing to him as the way you had done it. It was a whole other level of missing somebody that he had. He missed the way you and him always had soap fights when washing dishes. He missed the way you always walked into work with a smile on your face and kept it that way as you handled customer service. He missed the way your beautiful, long fingers tapped on the touch-screen cash register.

He missed coffee dates with you.

He knew it was against the rules to suddenly pull out his phone during work, but his fingers were itching to get in contact with you again. He’d done the same only a few days after you left, remembering that he had worried about seeming desperate since you didn’t know about his silly crush on you still.

You hadn’t had the chance to come back over the holidays you’d had that year, and he was even more devastated but generously understood how busy you were. You were studying at one of the top universities in eastern Asia. Just as he was opening the chat you guys had, the co-worker called out, “I’ll be going, Jungjung!” 

Zhengting didn’t even look up at his subtley rolled his eyes while she hung up the towel. “Can you please not call me that?” Ever since you used to scribble his weird nickname on the schedule, all the other workers had seen it as well and loved to tease him. But he’d only allow you to call him that. “Just call me Zhengting.”

“Okay,” she said, not seeming to pay any attention to what he’d just said. Zhengting sighed as she finally left the shop.

He walked to the counter where you two always had your coffee dates. Something was different about the counter. Although it was pretty much empty, he saw on the end of the counter that there was a small green box sitting there, with one of the shop’s lights shining on it like a spotlight on a main actor in a play. Curious, he reached for the box and almost made a noise of surprise when he saw his name on the back.

“This must be a gift from the boss for all the hard work I’ve done,” he jokingly praised himself. 

With hesitant fingers, he untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. Surprised, he found a silver and bronze chain, the kind he had always wanted to attach to his black pants. He couldn’t think of anyone who could’ve possibly known that he had wanted it, except…

His fingers hit something papery at the bottom of the box. His eyes breezed over the words and his breath caught in his throat as he read the words over and over again, feeling that what was happening now was completely unbelievable. He looked around quickly, but as usual, he was the only worker left in the shop. Suddenly, a sliding sound across the counter startled him. A cup of his favorite espresso was being pushed towards him. As the familiar smell met his nose, his smile brightened.

He pushed himself up onto the counter and peered at the person crouched below the counter, trying to hide herself. “You’re finally back.”

Zhu Zhengting,

First, I apologize for not acknowledging your feelings earlier. I think I knew in myself that I had those feelings for you as well. At first, Seoul University seemed like a good idea. But as I went through this past year, I found that I didn’t really enjoy studying far away from you after all. I haven’t been doing too well because of being homesick. If I can’t be where you are, I don’t think I would be able to live my life very well. So I transferred to Anhui University, where we can be reunited again. I chose to come back to you, because I love you. I hope you’re not disappointed in me.

Zhengting felt your beautiful, long fingers against his broad back as he engulfed you in the biggest bear hug he could ever give someone. When he breathed in your scent, it was just like waking up and smelling the coffee. 

[jaeminlore]

Let Me // Jeon Jungkook

-

the prompt: prince jungkook au where he always comes into the kitchen for late night snacks and y/n is new to the kitchen staff. soon they become friends and maybe something more. (definitely something more who am i trying to kid)(also request was rlly long so i summarized it)

words: 3820

category: fluff + once again, fond!kookie

author note: never apologize for long requests bc that is how i survive. also, someone seriously needs to stop me from writing about fond jungkook bc ya girl can’t get enough. anyway, please enjoy!

- destinee

-

“You’ll have the night shift,” the head chef of the castle, Mr. Kim, stated, “along with a few other staff members. Your job will be to wash dishes and make food. Then, as you get used to it, you’ll eventually spend all day here.”

“I have to make food in the middle of the night?” You asked.

Your eyes drifted around the kitchen. Shiny pots and pans hung from the ceiling, along with dried herbs and spices. The walls were made of stone bricks, and wooden tables surrounded the floor. Crates of rice were hidden under the tables, along with bowls of fresh fruit and vegetables. Your fingers were itching to make something with all of these ingredients.

“A chef’s work is never done.” He said, a slight twinkle in his eye.

You had to agree. Excitement was rushing over you as you realized your dreams were coming true. Surely you would be cooking for the royal family soon!

“So, shall I begin washing dishes?” You asked.

“No, wait until after dinner. For now, you can act as an assistant to me while I make the royal family a meal.”

“Sounds good!”

-

Jungkook could only stare at his plate at this time.

One of his favorite meals had been prepared for him, and yet he wasn’t sure he could even consume it.

His mother had been grilling him all week about a future queen, and the young prince detested the idea.

He was only nineteen. An age ripe for going on hunting trips and learning about other cultures. An age for visiting sister-countries and trying out their delicious food.

Except Jungkook was different. His father, the king, had been murdered two years prior. Which meant that it was up to Jungkook to become King as soon as he could, in order to preserve the lineage.

Which also meant it was time for him to find a wife. At least, that is what the queen liked to bring up every meal.

Jungkook was a fairly obedient son, yet marriage was something he felt he could be rebellious about. After all, he was going to spend the rest of his life with this person.

So when his mother said that she would start bringing eligible ladies into the castle, Jungkook couldn’t find it in himself to eat one bite.

-

Naturally, as Jungkook was a growing boy, he was still hungry by the time the day was over.

He was supposed to be asleep in his bed. He had a meeting with the ambassador tomorrow, and it wouldn’t look good if he was yawning throughout.

Still, the young prince found himself walking towards the kitchen, a place where he often found solace.

All of the kitchen workers loved him, and they were used to his many journeys to the kitchen in the middle of the night. Jungkook was a stress eater, and if it hadn’t been for his fast metabolism and active agenda, he would’ve become a rather chubby boy by now.

Everyone bowed when he entered the kitchen. He bowed back respectfully and smiled shyly, “Would you guys happen to have any spicy noodles?”

“Coming right up.”

Jungkook leaned against the counter and talked to everyone about their day. In return, they listened to his stress-filled complaining. It was a good system.

You came into the kitchen after a bathroom break, only to see the one and only crown prince leaning against the counter, chatting with the staff.

You bowed deeply, keeping your gaze to the ground, as was respected. “Your Highness.”

“It’s just Jungkook,” he said awkwardly. “Are you new here?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” You bowed again.

Jungkook scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Then one of the cooks stuck an entire pan of spicy noodles in front of the prince.

“I’m making spicy chicken for you as well!” she cooed, reaching out to pinch Jungkook’s cheeks.

Jungkook smiled brightly and accepted the chopsticks from her.

You hesitantly moved away from the prince as he ate his food.

The cook who was making chicken for him, Mrs. Choi, gestured for you to come help her.

“Jungkook doesn’t like formalities,” she whispered. “He also comes here often in the middle of the night to eat and talk to us. It’s best to just let him say his piece.”

“Okay.” You took in her words as you mixed the ingredients for the chicken sauce.

“Mom keeps bringing up marriage,” Jungkook said. He slurped his noodles quietly as he mulled over his memories of dinner. “Can you believe she’s going to start bringing ladies in for me to court?”

Mrs. Choi tsked. “You’re growing up, Jungkook. It’s time to take responsibility and get yourself a wife.”

You furrowed your eyebrows as you poured the sauce over the chicken. “With no disrespect, Mrs. Choi, marriage is a really big decision. How can he choose out of people his mom picked for him?”

“Thank you,” Jungkook breathed. He walked up towards you and took a piece of chicken.

You backed up respectfully as Jungkook ate his food.

He continued, “I have told her time and time again that I am perfectly capable of becoming a good king without a queen. I’m too young, anyway.”

Picking up courage to address him, you spoke, “As long as you have wise advisors by your side, you won’t need a queen. Besides, it’s not like the current queen will drop of the face of the earth.”

“That’s what I’ve tried to tell her!” Jungkook but into a chicken leg angrily. He chewed thoughtful for a moment. “This is so good it almost makes me forget my problems.”

While he ate, you collected the empty dishes and brought them to the sink.

“Where are you going?” Jungkook asked.

You turned around, your arms filled with dishes. “I’m just going to clean the dishes.”

“Oh,” the prince picked up his plate of chicken and followed you.

This action was strange, as the sink was only across the room. You weren’t going into another room or kitchen or anything.

“So,” Jungkook leaned against the counter. “How do you think I can get my mom to let the subject go?”

Mrs. Choi pulled on her coat. “I’m going! Y/n, finish the dishes and you’re done. Also, don’t give him any ideas.”

You nodded as you scrubbed the dishes. “Yes, Ma'am.”

As soon as she left, you turned off the faucet and turned around. “Okay,” you gestured with your soapsud-covered hands. “So you have to prove to the queen that you can run a kingdom without a queen. Make wise decisions based on facts and not feelings.”

Jungkook smirked, “Ah, so after she trusts me, I’ll ask her if I really need a queen.”

“Right.” You smiled at him.

“Thanks so much…” his voices faltered. “What’s your name?”

“Y/n.”

Jungkook smiled. “Thanks Y/n, I feel a lot better now.”

-

Jungkook didn’t come back for the next two nights. You heard a lot of gossip from your fellow cooks, that Jungkook had been busy lately.

You secretly hoped it was him taking your advice and proving his strengths to his mother.

Unfortunately, his efforts were fruitless.

You were sitting around the kitchen, idly waiting as the dinner plates soaked. The kitchen was lonely, save for you, since Mrs. Choi had fallen sick and wouldn’t be back for a few days.

Jungkook slumped into the kitchen, surprising you. The frown on his face was enough to answer your unasked question.

“Mother didn’t appreciate my efforts,” he said sadly. “She told me I would never understand.”

You sighed. The last thing you wanted to do was disrespect the queen. Still, you felt bad for the prince. “That’s hardly fair. I wonder why Her Majesty is so adamant about you getting a wife.”

Jungkook pulled a chair beside you and fell into it. “I think she is worried that she won’t be around much longer. Ever since Father was murdered, Mother fears that she is next. I think the real reason is that she wants to know I’m being taken care of, even if she leaves this world.”

“Hmm…” You hummed. “That’s understandable. But the staff takes care of you. It’s not like we would leave you if she died.”

“I know that, I just wish she did,” Jungkook said. He looked around the empty kitchen. “Where is everyone?”

“Mrs. Choi is sick so she’s been home. Why? Do you want me to make you something?” You stood up.

Jungkook stood up. “I dunno. I kind of want cookies.”

You stood up. “How about double chocolate chunk? I’m really good at making those.”

“Can I help?” He grabbed the chocolate from the cupboard while you preheated the oven.

“If you want.” You shrugged and passed a cutting board and knife towards him. “You can cut half of this into chunks while I melt the other half.”

Jungkook grinned. “Mrs. Choi never lets me help her.”

“Why not?” You asked. You broke up the chocolate and placed it in a glass bowl. “Oh! Wait, Your Highness.”

Jungkook paused while you ran to get an apron for him. You let him pull it over his neck while you tied the lower strings around his waist. “We wouldn’t want to mess up your nice outfit.”

Jungkook snorted in an un-princely manner. “I don’t care about that.”

You moved to place the bowl of chocolate over a pan of boiling water. “Well, I live in the servants quarters, and I know for a fact that the laundry workers do.”

Jungkook nodded appreciatively, “I’ll wear the apron.”

Once the chocolate was melted, you began to mix cookie dough from scratch. You didn’t have a recipe, since you knew it by heart.

“Wow,” Jungkook said, watching you. “How many times have you done this?”

“I used to make these all the time when I was younger. It’s my own recipe.”

“Really?” Jungkook reached his hand into the bowl and took a small piece of dough.

“Don’t do that!” You slapped his hand away. “You’ll get sick.”

“Try and stop me,” Jungkook sassily replied as he grabbed the mixing spoon and began to eat the cookie dough off of it.

You sighed and let him continue to eat off of the spoon. Then you added the melted chocolate, along with the chocolate chunks Jungkook had cut for you.

Jungkook watched you mix it with a new spoon. “When will it be ready?”

“In fifteen minutes,” you answered. “We have to play the waiting game.”

Jungkook pouted and blew air out of his cheeks. “Fifteen minutes is a long time.”

“Patience is a virtue, my friend.” You said calmly.

Jungkook peeked up, although you were busy greasing the pan so you didn’t see his happy expression.

“Friends?”

You turned around, “Of course, if that’s okay.”

“That is more than okay.” Jungkook said. Then, trying to hide his smile, he said hastily, “Now let’s get these cookies in the oven!”

-

Mrs. Choi eventually came back, along with a few more staff members.

Since there were more than a dozen eligible ladies in the castle, the entire kitchen staff had a lot more dishes to clean. Not to mention more portions to make.

You and the rest of the kitchen were very busy, as well as the rest of the royal staff. The royal family had been in meetings with the many ladies all day.

The first day the ladies came, you and the rest of the kitchen staff had to work very hard to create each of the new guest’s favorite meals for dinner.

By the end of the day, you and the rest of the staff were tired. The smell of grease and seasoning was stuck to your clothes and hair.

You were washing dishes when Jungkook came in. He plopped into the chair, and sighed. “If I get asked my goals for marriage one more time I am going to lose it.”

You smiled, “Don’t worry, I’ve got cookies in the oven.”

Jungkook’ expression brightened.

Mrs. Choi came over. “A cookie for Kookie?”

“Kookie?” You looked at the prince. “Is that your nickname?”

The prince’s face flushed. “Maybe.”

“Can I call you by it?”

“No.”

You frowned, “Why not?”

The prince looked down at his shoes. You didn’t noticed the red blossoming on his cheeks. “I want you to call me Jungkook.”

You rolled your eyes. “Fine.”

The oven dinged.

“Yes!” Jungkook sprouted up. He walked over to the oven and pulled it open.

You tugged an oven mitt over your hand and took out the cookie sheet.

Jungkook, in his impatience, grabbed a cookie off of the pan. “Ow, ow, ow!”

You yanked the pan away and grabbed his wrist. “What did I say about patience, Jungkook?”

“It’s a virtue,” he recited like a scolded child.

All of the other cooks were on the other side of the kitchen, washing the dishes.

You grabbed a first aid kit out of the cupboard.

While you were sorting through the kit, Jungkook carefully picked up a cookie with his uninjured hand and ate it in one bite.

“You’re ridiculous,” you muttered.

You dabbed the ointment onto his fingers before bandaging them.

Jungkook watched before he picked up a second cookie. “Even so, thanks for taking care of me.”

“No problem.”

-

“Y/n!” Jungkook barged into the kitchen in the middle of the day.

All of the staff were used to you and the prince’s strange friendship. Jungkook was most confident around you and he was able to confide only in you.

To be frank, the kitchen staff had never seen Jungkook more stress-free than when he was with you. They liked seeing the happiness on the prince’s face when he talked to you.

Many times he talked to you about anything going on in his life. More than nought, he talked about nothing at all. Sometimes he just liked to stay in your presence and help you cook or clean.

All of the older staff could tell Jungkook was very fond of you. With your humble and kind attitude, it would be hard for the young prince not to fall for you. They believed you would be a good queen for him, should he ever come to terms with his emotions.

“What’s up?” You asked. You were eating a sandwich on your break.

Jungkook sat across from you and opened his mouth expectantly. You fed him a bite of your sandwich.

“I went on a date today.” He said between chews.

“How was it?” You took a sip of your water.

Jungkook swallowed his bite and took a sip of your water as well. The boy had no boundaries when it came to sharing food. You had learned to get used to it.

“She wanted to go to the bakery to try some food. I ordered some chocolate chunk cookies.”

“How were they?”

“They were dry.” Jungkook frowned. “I kept thinking of your cookies and how cool it would be if they were sold at the bakery. Could you imagine having your own bakery?”

You ducked your head. “I don’t know if I could ever pull it off. I need to be good at business and I don’t think I’ll ever be good at that.”

“I think you could do it,” Jungkook said, assured. Then he sighed, “So I told her about your cookies and she got mad at me.”

“Why? Because you didn’t like the bakery cookies?”

“No. She said I shouldn’t talk about other women on a date. She said it was rude.”

“What did you say?”

“I told her that I didn’t even want to be on a date with her so I should be able to talk about who I wanted.” He took another bite of your sandwich, “Besides, she wouldn’t give me a bite of cheesecake. I can’t build a marriage on a foundation like that!”

You snorted. “Jungkook, you’re never going to get a wife if you talk to her like that.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes, “That’s the point, Y/n. I’m trying to stay single as long as I can.”

“You know what you should do?” You pointed at him with sandwich in hand. “You should run away.”

Jungkook snapped his finger and pointed back at you, “You know, if you and I run away and start a bakery, we can stay single forever.”

“True.” You agreed. “We can make the best cookies this kingdom has ever seen.”

“I’m ready when you are,” Jungkook smiled.

-

Jungkook came in the next night, hoping to make some more cookies with You. “Y/n?”

Mrs. Choi peaked around the corner. “She’s got an off day, today. Sorry, bud.”

Jungkook pouted unconsciously. “Will she come back?”

Mrs. Choi smiled. “Aren’t you the sweetest.”

“What? Why?” Jungkook’s eyes widened.

Mrs. Choi’s eyes glistened mischievously. “This whole kitchen knows how you feel about her.”

“How do I feel about her?” The prince gulped nervously.

“You love her, Kookie. The two of you are practically joined at the hip. Even when you talked about running away, you still wanted to take her with you. Isn’t it love when you can’t imagine life without another person.”

Jungkook’s entire face was red. “I don’t really know how it happened.”

“She takes care of you, Jungkook. You found someone who listens to you and is willing to help you fix your problem.”

“I don’t want to tell her,” Jungkook said. “She won’t feel the same.”

“You don’t think?” Mrs. Choi quizzed. “You think she wouldn’t take this much time out for you if she didn’t like you?”

Jungkook bowed his head, “I think I’m afraid she only treats me like that because I’m the prince.”

-

You walked down the halls towards the kitchen.

On your day off, you had spent it reading and sleeping the day away. Your only regret was that you forgot to tell Jungkook you were on a break. He must’ve been confused when he entered the kitchen last night.

“Y/n?”

You turned around and saw Jungkook leaving what you assumed was his bedroom. He was half-dressed, in his pants and an undershirt. His dark hair was messy and you were slightly surprised to see his bare, flushed face.

“What are you doing out here?” His raspy voice questioned you.

“This is my route to the kitchen,” you answered. “Shouldn’t you be on your way to breakfast right now?”

Jungkook leaned against the doorway and smiled sleepily. “You caught me. To be honest, I couldn’t sleep.”

“Oh? Why not?” You stepped closer to the prince. “Are you sick?”

“I just have a lot on my mind,” he said.

“Well, try not to stress about it. If you want, I can make you some chocolate chip waffles.”

“Really?” He straightened up.

His tall figure seemed even more attractive to you this morning. The prince was always attractive, but here, in the rawness of the morning, he looked so natural. And natural was beautiful.

“Really.” You ushered him back into his room. “So go get ready and I’ll have your waffles ready for you when you come out.”

“Alright.”

He retreated into his room and you walked on, a smile on your face.

How many other people got to see the prince in such a beautiful state? You thought it might be a privilege.

You began the waffles as soon as you entered the kitchen.

After making enough for the entire royal family, you placed them all on the tray.

Then you carried it out into the dining room, where the queen and her son sat, along with a few remaining ladies.

“Have you chosen a wife yet, son?” The queen spoke.

You timidly walked towards the table and placed the tray of waffles in the middle of the table.

Jungkook caught your eye as he answered, “I’ve got someone in mind.”

If you were already nervous, being in the presence of the queen, Jungkook’s comment rattled you fatally. In shock, you lost your footing and fell towards the table. Only, when you used your hands to keep you from falling on the table, your right hand fell onto a small teacup, which ceremoniously broke, stabbing your flesh.

“Are you okay?” One of the ladies asked, reaching out for your hand.

You held you hand close to your stomach and bowed in respect. You were biting your lip to try and distract yourself from the pain. “I’m fine, My Lady. Please enjoy your breakfast.”

You hastily cleaned up the broken teacup and speed-walked back to the kitchen.

A few tears escaped your eyes as you extracted the painted glass from your palm.

“Y/n?” Jungkook entered the kitchen.

You looked down as he grabbed the first aid kit and extracted some ointment and gauze.

“Clumsy girl,” he tutted, kneeling in front of you. He grabbed your hand gently and examined it before applying the antibiotic ointment.

“It’s your fault,” you retorted.

Jungkook pretended not to hear. He really hadn’t meant to let that little comment slip during breakfast, but he couldn’t stop himself.

“I can wrap it myself,” you said. “You need to go finish dinner with your mother and those ladies.”

Jungkook scoffed. “I told them I had a stomachache and needed to go.”

“But—” Jungkook cut you off with a soft gaze.

“Hey,” he muttered, “You take care of me all of the time. Let me return the favor just this once.”

Your heart beat just a tiny bit faster after hearing those words. Not sure what to say, you simply replied, “Thanks.”

Jungkook wrapped the gauze around your hand and tied it securely. “Just so you know, I wasn’t lying.”

You bit your lip. “I know.”

“It’s just…you’re the only person I trust fully. I know that you’re fully capable of being a good wife and a good queen. But if you don’t want the responsibility, the runaway option is still available.” Jungkook gave you a nervous smile, as if he was worried you would reject him.

“Jungkook, you know you’re my best friend,” you said. Then, watching his smile falter, you shook your head. “I just mean that I can trust you with anything as well. You’re my favorite part of every day. Your voice is my favorite out of all the voices in the world and I want you to know that there is nothing on this earth I would rather do than be by your side for the rest of my life.”

With those words, Jungkook lifted himself to your level and kissed you. Gently, tentatively at first, until he grew more confident because you loved him as well.

“Besides,” you whispered against his lips, “Who says a queen can’t have her own bakery?”

“You are absolutely right,” Jungkook said. He grabbed your waist and pulled you closer to him. “I love you, Y/n.”

“I love you too, Jungkook.”

~the end~