#not really tea it's just a story ... my roommates went to a party today. they were hell bent on getting drunk tonight.

[yeoldotcom]

hello. i haven't been here all day. ive had 4 bowls of pasta.

[aetheternity]

Hard pass 2 (Levi x Reader)

I'm a little concerned about how little time I took on the ending for the last part so I'm gonna put a little more time into this one. Hope you guys enjoy. :)

Synopsis: Levi is forced out of his comfy dorm room and in a strange twist of events right into your arms at a college party.

Levi was transfixed to say the least. He'd spent the past hour that he'd been back in his dorm room staring into a freshly made cup of black tea. The small jingling of keys in the door shaking him from his daze.

"Hello, Hello Leviathan." Mike greeted, tossing his bag to the side haphazardly.

Any other time Levi would've rolled his eyes but he just let out an agitated huff.

"Uh oh.. I know that look." Mike announced plopping down onto his unmade bed. "Who's the lucky girl?" He asked his smirk bright.

Levi's hair whipped against his cheek as he turned to Mike. "What are you on about? Who told you?" Probably Hange. Damn four eyes could never keep her mouth shut.

"No one had to." Mike laughed "You've just told me basically everything I need to know. Your distracted gaze when I came in the room, having very little reaction to me calling you Leviathan, your tea cup is still full and my side of the room is still messy." He seemed a little too pleased about that last bit.

"I know you went out tonight." He continued

"And what about it?"

"Who is she?!" Mike stood coming closer to sit on the edge of Levi's desk.

Levi rolled his eyes setting his cup down.

"Come on, I'm curious about some mysterious girl that has Levi Ackerman wrapped around her finger."

"Just shut up already." Levi replied turning his gaze to the window with a small pout.

"Fine, fine I'll shut up." Mike stood heading back towards his side of the room. An idea suddenly popped into his mind and he turned on his heel. "But.. I think I'll give Hange a call. You know.. cause I haven't talked to her in a bit-"

"When did you become so annoying?" Levi grumbled

"You're more aggressive tonight I like it. Is it because of her?"

As much as Levi wanted to fight it, Mike was one of those people that always got information about literally anything if he genuinely wanted it. Even if he didn't find out from Hange or Levi he was definitely going to find out from even the weirdest sources.

"Hange's friend.. she's not ugly I guess.." Levi could feel his face growing warm and he pulled his feet up onto his desk chair to hide it.

Mike laughed obnoxiously, "It's like watching a little kid finding out what a crush is." He chuckled "Super cute. So when are you going to ask her out?"

"Never."

Mike crossed the room again, seating himself on his bed. "You can't be serious! This is the first time I've ever seen you interested in girls and you're just gonna let her get away?"

"Stay out of my business, Michelangelo."

Mike just huffed reaching into his pocket to pry his phone out of his pocket. The room quickly grew quiet as Levi turned to his laptop though he was quickly distracted again by Mike's little chuckles. He turned his head in Mike's direction quickly catching the other male's gaze.

"By the way, Hange agrees with me." He said pointing to his phone.

Levi groaned, tugging at his hair. "Eat shit."

~ ~ ~ ~

Levi stared down at his watch with a soft tch.

It was 4pm and Hange was late again. He turned to Erwin who's face was currently pressed into a book. Thumb sliding along the sentences as he read.

"Where the hell is she?" He grumbled, shaking his mouse back and forth as the screen began to dim.

"She said she had to do something after class so she'd be a little late." Erwin replied, without looking up from his book.

"That's her excuse every time." Levi replied with a roll of his eyes.

Erwin just shrugged. Hange was always late. Sometimes she just showed up 30 minutes late with no real explanation and sometimes she showed up an hour late saying she had, had something to do after class. But every time the three of them got together to study she was late.

"Yo! Levi!" Hange greeted as she walked into the library ignoring the chorus of shushing that followed her.

Levi's scowl deepened, "Were you stuck on the toilet waiting for someone to fuck off?" He asked

"I have a great surprise follow me." She clapped in delight.

Erwin looked to Levi and then in the direction Hange had left in. He slowly pushed his chair out looking at Levi's irritated scowl.

"Are you coming."

"Whatever it is, is definitely stupid knowing Hange." Levi retorted, packing his belongings up in an orderly fashion.

The two of them quickly left before Hange could come back to ruin the peace again. They pushed through the library doors and standing against the wall with a somewhat bashful expression was Y/N with Hange who smiled brightly as if she wasn't currently disturbing Levi's peace.

"Oh hello Y/N." Erwin greeted, he looked over at Levi before asking. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh well Hange invited-"

"Ah ha ha! Y/N has homework to do so I figured she could come study with us. Though today me and Erwin have a thing." She quickly grabbed Erwin's arm yanking him over to her.

"But I was-" Erwin tried but was instantly silenced by Hange's hand over his mouth.

"You and Levi can study. Levi's great with everything! Right Levi? Ok me and Erwin will go now, by you two!"

"Hange!" Levi tried, his face already flushed with heat over the whole situation. Hange was surprisingly fast though, managing to drag Erwin away so quick they were a couple of dots within seconds.

Levi and Y/N stood in silence for a couple seconds before Y/N let out a deep exhale. "I feel as though we've been set up." She says, toying with the zippers on her back.

Levi can only manage a grunt in reply. Not daring to look into her eyes. "Well I mean.." she starts turning to Levi. "I actually do.. have to study so.. I wouldn't mind if you don't." She shrugged

"Mm.." Levi pulled open the library door for Y/N and lead her over the seats that him and Erwin had been sitting in only moments before.

He made a mental note as he opened his laptop again to keep the door locked next time Hange said she was coming over. Around 10 minutes went by of complete silence and Levi was incredibly happy for it.

Not because he was focusing, no his attention had been completely taken away from any possible work he could've gotten done here. There was no way he was actually going to be able to do anything when your scent was trapped in his nose and his eyes kept staring over his screen at your fingers.

Knuckles that Levi honestly wanted to kiss and fingernails completely devoid of dirt which Levi was instantly captivated by.

"Hey-"

He sat up straight, his own hands slightly curling around the aged wood of the table. Your book came sliding toward him and he looked down at it before looking back at you.

"I don't really get this? Could you help me a bit?"

Levi nodded before his brain could properly process what you'd asked. He almost thought he imagined the way your lip tucked itself under your teeth. And he felt dazed as your scent washed over him all at once as you slid into the seat next to him.

You pointed to your book and Levi tried to pay attention to your question but your notes threw him a bit. All the words were written in different colors and there were squiggly lines around definitions and texts. Small doodles between paragraphs as a way to properly space them and stars next to the most important words.

You scratched at your scalp and he took notice. "I paid attention when my professor was going over this I swear. But I don't really get it?? It can't be as difficult as I'm making it in my head." Your giggle of nervousness took Levi back a little.

The warm pit in his chest deepened and he sighed, trying to accurately assess the situation.

"Y-you made a small.. mathematical error." He explained, his fingers pointed to the equation as he tried to push away the ball in his throat. "You don't need these numbers."

Her smile hit Levi like a truck as it was instantly directed towards him. "Ah, you're so smart." Y/N said "What about this? I checked with the calculator but my answer was way off."

It was hard for Levi to ignore the way your shoulder rubbed up against his sending sparks all through his body like a tidal wave. It was honestly a little overwhelming.

"Oh sorry, am I too close?" You moved away and Levi gulped. He stared at your fingers, he didn't want you to move away.

He was surprised when he looked up and instantly made eye contact with you. "Stay." It probably didn't come out the way he'd wanted but he'd managed it and on some level he was proud of himself.

You smiled, "Sure."

After a while Levi felt himself loosen up a bit but the knot in his stomach was still very much there and alive. He found himself chuckling at your little jokes and he was mostly able to look you in the eyes. (As long as you didn't smile directly at him).

The first hour had been studying with small quips from your end that Levi found he enjoyed. Though around the third hour it turned into horror stories about present and past roommates.

Your laugh was so bright as you tapped your pen cap against the table. "And then Sasha just cracks the window open though it's definitely too late cause Connie had already created a war zone in our room." You were shaking so much from laughter that Levi was honestly a little worried you'd fall out of your chair.

He shook his head where he was resting it in his palm. "I still think Mike forgetting the do not disturb sign was worse." He shrugged

"Mm well maybe someday I'll have a story that bad. Considering Connie and Sasha have been playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse for two years now."

Levi shook his head. "You don't want to walk in on your roommate having sex. No one does.."

He felt his cheeks flush over again. Whether it was from the story or the way you'd playfully pushed his shoulder though he couldn't tell. He watched as you positioned yourself back in the seat next to him.

"Ok, ok. You told me about your roommates relationships. Now tell me about yours."

"What?"

Y/N playfully rolled her eyes. "You know the in and out of Levi. I'm curious."

Levi's gaze fell to the table. "There's nothing to tell."

Y/N's voice immediately softened. "Sorry, didn't mean to try and pull it out of you."

Levi picked up his head closing his laptop. "I-I just.. never felt that way.." he tried

"Not everyone goes to college and high school and stuff for the parties, drugs and sex." You said, laying your elbows against the desk. "I commend you for having a goal and sticking with it."

Levi's heart stuttered at your words. "Did you come.. or well.. umm? What did you-"

He was interrupted by your hand on his shoulder again. "To answer your question." You leaned in closer your breath tickling Levi's earlobe. "Yes I did come specifically for the drugs."

Levi's eyes practically bulged out of his head. This time when you laughed you were met with shushing and stares. "Sorry." You whispered, popping a hand over your mouth. "I'm completely joking." You then said to Levi who's shoulders relaxed with the information.

Levi's signature deadpanned expression was starting to make an appearance now. "That's not funny."

"Hmm.. well I'm laughing so." Y/N laid her head on the table.

"Your humor is shit." He said

"Funny you say that." She laughed back a smirk was playing at Levi's lips. "Hey." Y/N broke the lingering silence.

"What?"

"Give me your number."

"Tch, nice way to ask."

Y/N pretended to be shocked. "Oh, would you prefer I beg?"

Levi already knew how red his entire face had become. No need to check a mirror. "H-hand me your p-phone."

Unsurprisingly even her phone wa as cute. And Levi honestly wanted to admire the case and how warm it felt after being in your pockets. Oh.. you'd touched it with your warm hands. Levi couldn't help but think about how warm your hands must feel. How the spaces between your fingers looked so perfect. Like they-

"Hey." A voice shook Y/N and Levi.

"Jean, what're you doing here?" Y/N asked as she stood moving closer to him.

"You've been gone all day. I had to ask Sasha where you were."

"No, you didn't because you didn't need to come here." Y/N crossed her arms over her chest, pulling her hands into the sleeves of her hoodie. Her eyebrows scrunched together.

"Who's this?" Jean asked gesturing to Levi with his head. Levi felt his chest flare a little.

"Ugh, it doesn't matter because it has nothing to do with you!" She quickly grabbed her bag stuffing her notebook inside. "I'll talk to you later Levi." She explained her face still completely unamused. And with that she was pushing Jean out the door following him right out.

Levi's fingers dug into his palm. Who was that? It couldn't have been her boyfriend right? No, no that didn't make sense.

He started to pack up himself when he noticed your pretty phone sat next to his ordinary black one.

~ ~ ~ ~

Levi practically slammed into his dorm room scaring Mike who had his music blasting. Levi set his bag down on his chair, placing his phone on the desk.

"Hey man." Mike greeted as Levi quickly unpacked his other stuff. "I heard Hange forced you to go on a study date."

"I'm going to murder her." Levi turned, practically slamming his notebook into the desk. So hard that he could've sworn Mike jumped.

"Yeah what else is new?" He laughed trying to clear the air. "But did you at least get in close?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "She's.. there's this guy.."

Mike grew quiet for a few seconds. "You think she's with him?"

Levi normally wouldn't indulge Mike like this but his chest felt so tight that he was pretty sure he was going to burst. "She didn't seem happy to see him. She was like rolling her eyes when he came."

"Maybe he's just some guy then?"

"What if he isn't?"

"By the way you're describing it they'll break up soon anyway." Mike said "But that's great my plan worked."

Levi narrowed his eyes, "The library thing was you?"

Mike shrugged, "Hey, It could've been worse! Hange wanted to lock you guys in a supply closet for the night."

"Sleep with one eye open." Levi huffed, placing your phone down on his desk.

Mike immediately noticed, sitting up and placing his own phone to the side. "Don't tell me you murdered her and stole her phone for having a boyfriend that wasn't you." He chuckled

"Tch, she accidentally left it."

"How are you gonna return it?"

"I'll ask Hange for her dorm number tomorrow and I'll hand it over then."

"Ooo, well I would tell you not to go looking through her phone while you have it. But you're not like me so.." Mike shrugged, laying down with both hands holding his phone above his head.

Levi looked at Mike and then at your phone sitting on his desk. He silently looked away, putting away the rest of his stuff with a huff.

[jeonjeonggukenergy]

Anti-Hero

summary ~ in search of wine at a party that’s so not your scene, you run into jungkook, the weeb from your film class, and become determined to learn just how much he lives up to his big reputation.

pairing ~ jungkook x reader

genre ~ fluff, smut - college!au

wordcount ~ 8.5k

warnings ~ 18+ only! smut, explicit discussion of kinks/sexual preferences (yay healthy communication), dom/sub undertones during both discussion and sex (dom Jungkook, sub reader), mentions of daddy kink and degradation but both are a no, marking, biting, hair pulling, spanking, they both have a srs pain kink lmao, brief oral (f receiving), penetrative sex, creampie

a/n ~ SO excited to finally have this chapter out for yall! it’s a huge one and i’ve been working on it for quite a while, this includes the first full smut scene for this fic and i would love to know how yall like it or any other feedback. i really enjoyed writing the character development in this chapter too! they’re so cute and whipped for each other already hhhhhh. thank you so much for loving this story so far, i’m really looking forward to writing the rest. hope you enjoy! ❣️

previous: chapter 1 | chapter 2 ~ next: chapter 4 (coming soon!) 

~ read on ao3 ~

CHAPTER 3 ~ particular, perfect

You concluded your walk home by ditching your shoes at the door, swinging your bag off your shoulders to the floor, and plopping down onto the couch immediately. Pulling all three nearby blankets over yourself, you realized you still weren't quite comfortable. You looked around for a second, puzzled, until an absentminded clutch of your boobs reminded you why. Triumphantly, you reached into a sleeve to untangle your bra and chucked it across the room with a deep stretch of relief. Okay, time to overthink again.

Jungkook? What the fuck?

Wait. A bag of chips on the kitchen counter caught your eye before you could descend any further into panic. The perfect emotional crutch. You clutched it to your chest like a safeguard against your own internal monologue, anxiously shoving handful after handful into your mouth. After about thirty minutes spent motionless on the couch with one hand shoved in the chip bag and the other distractedly scrolling through Twitter, your eyes suddenly widened and your hand froze, dropping your next bite of chips back into the bag. Fuck. You had just eaten nearly an entire family-size bag of chips before what could end up being your first fuck in over a year. Well, maybe this was part of why you hadn't gotten fucked in over a year. No, don't go there. You shoved down your own insecurity, knowing you'd just been too busy for a relationship and honestly, probably still were. But that wasn't going to stop you today.

You shook the chip dust off of your hands and got up to head to the shower, turning up your trashiest throwback playlist of getting-ready bops and resolving to at least shave your legs. Going in with no expectations was probably the best strategy here, but it never hurt to be prepared.

~

Having cleaned his apartment in record time, Jungkook was now at the gym. After triple-checking that his roommate Jin would be in rehearsal until 10pm at the earliest, he quickly scanned all the common spaces and his bedroom and realized he didn't actually have that much work to do besides politely closing the door to Jin's still-decent-but-somewhat-messier room. To be honest, Jungkook had mainly bought himself the time after class so he could shave just in case. But then he figured if he had to shower, he might as well hit the gym first. So here he was, burning off an unprecedented amount of nervous energy. Settling comfortably into the leg curl machine, he turned his music up and started on a low weight to put in reps until his thighs burned and his head felt pleasantly empty.

After completing his normal leg day rotation and dutifully stretching, Jungkook prepared to head home. He walked out of the gym feeling more energized and centered, barely even flinching when he switched his AirPods off to say bye to the nice girl at the front desk and the action accidentally blasted "Whistle" by Flo Rida from his phone speaker for the whole lobby to hear. As he walked back into his apartment, the kitchen clock let him know it was only 4:30. He had plenty of time. Jungkook hopped straight into the shower, shampooing his hair, shaving everywhere he normally did, and savoring several extra moments to relax his muscles under the hot stream of water. Finally, he toweled off to wrap up in the black t-shirt and cozy matching sweatpants he'd carefully stacked on the counter. Offhandedly singing to himself in the steamy mirror, he checked the time on his phone, deciding he might as well go ahead and text you before he got nervous again and did something stupid. Like chickening out completely.

hey its jk! im ready when u are :) my apt is 344 glencoe rd #1521 (yes its on the 15th floor sry D: )

His charming old-school smileys lit up your phone while you still had a leg perched on the bathtub's edge.

"Fuck!" you reacted. The hiss resounded, thanks to the too-good acoustics of your cramped bathroom. Your razor clattering to the floor, you paused your max-volume 2000s music to check the message, and then the time. Only 5! That wasn't dinnertime yet. Plugging his address into Google Maps, though, you realized it was a 15- to 20-minute drive from yours on the opposite end of campus. Even if you got ready at light-speed, you would get there closer to 5:30. Which was a bit more reasonable. He was being reasonable! You should be ready by now!

You leaned over to pick up your razor and cursed again as the water stream grazed the blouse you'd left on out of laziness. You'd showered this morning, so there was no need to repeat that with your shave, but now you'd have to change outfits completely. Feeling like an idiot, naked from the waist down but now all the way wet, you peeled the shirt over your head slowly to preserve your good hair day and glanced down at the dilemma you'd been facing. The patch of hair between your legs stared back at you like the final boss of stupid societal beauty standards. You'd only shaved down there once, as an anniversary present for your first boyfriend the summer before college, and it had been a fun, smooth novelty for about two hours and then itchy, red, gross-looking, and miserable for about three weeks. Also, it had kind of made you feel like a little girl, which creeped you out when you thought about why guys would prefer it. You'd been debating whether to try it again for the past fifteen minutes, because if there was ever a right time, this was probably it. But now you didn't have time, if you were going to be respectful and not keep Jungkook waiting. Well, this was the real you. He could take it or leave it.

Slathering a quick coat of lotion over your freshly shaved legs, you prepared to get dressed in a soft pastel sweatshirt and a flattering pair of workout shorts. Wait, should you wear lingerie? Was that too try-hard? You didn't really even need to wear underwear with these lined shorts, which could be a cool-girl move, you supposed. You settled on a cute white sports bra to go with the shorts, not wanting to deal with a real bra and hoping it still appealed to Jungkook's casual, athletic style. You checked yourself in the mirror briefly before grabbing your bag, confirming you looked chill enough but still felt like your best color-coordinated self. Heading out, you shoved a tin of chrysanthemum green tea in your water bottle pocket. Why not?

~

You whizzed over to Jungkook's apartment, yelling along to "Sex With Me" by Rihanna from your throwback playlist to hype you up in the car. When you knocked on his door after a nerve-wrackingly long elevator ride, Jungkook welcomed you with a "C'mon in!" amidst a mouthful of shrimp chips.

"It's not really dinnertime yet," (yeah, no kidding, you thought) "I went ahead and worked out but it's still kind of early, so I figured we could just have a snack and do the homework first."

"Sounds good," you affirmed. "I'm not really that hungry," (read: there's no way I can eat chips AGAIN right now, I'm going to bloat so badly) "but I brought tea so I can go ahead and make that if you want some too!"

"Oh cool, thanks!" Jungkook accepted. "Are you sure you're not hungry though?"

You almost gave into his sweet pout, but managed to convince him, and soon you both sat at the table with laptops open and twin cups of tea. You had a blast working together for the first time, acting out your "conversation" for the discussion board and pretending to respond spontaneously to each other's points like you hadn't already excitedly rambled back and forth through them in real life. You hit "send" five minutes apart, your idea to not seem too suspicious, and kept raving over Rear Window in between. As the sun lowered outside his living room window, you moved on to making the ramen.

After three offers to help Jungkook, all of which he denied, you simply made another steep of the tea, leaving a mug on the counter for him. Standing at the bar counter sipping yours, you enjoyed all the tiny, cute noises he made while chopping green onions and sprinkling extra garlic in the seasoning, like an anime character who came with his own sound effects. You could tell he made these recipe additions every time, because bulk quantities of the same simple ingredients lined the counters of his cozy kitchen. When he beat two eggs and dropped them into the pot, though, he couldn't seem to find a lid, and eventually settled on trapping the steam with a plate. You both waited on the egg for a silent moment, your foot bouncing under the bar while Jungkook restlessly acquired a slight wiggle. As he took a sip of his tea, a strand of hair fell over his eyes, and he yeeted it out of his face. Your inner language nerd cringed, but there really was no more apt word to describe the action.

You offhandedly said you liked his hair long, and he replied with a smile, "Maybe I'll have to keep it then."

"Do you like it too?" you wondered.

"Honestly no, it's kind of inconvenient."

"Oh, then why would you keep it?" you immediately asked back.

"Well..." he dragged out. "You like it? Maybe I should keep it if it looks better this way."

Your eyes crinkled appreciatively at his thoughtfulness, but then you backtracked. "Wait, no, it's okay! If you don't like it, don't feel like you have to keep it just because of something I said. You can do whatever you want."

"Hm, yeah." A demure smile tugged up the corner of his mouth as he lifted the plate from the ramen pot.

You watched him drag a chopstick through the floating, now-cooked egg to tear it into ribbons, then divide the noodles between two generously-sized bowls. He carefully wiped down the drips of broth from each bowl before sprinkling in his fresh toppings, then walked with you to the table.

Serving you with a pleased smile and a slight nod, he announced, "Dinner!"

"Wow," you mused playfully. "So gourmet."

"I'm really particular about my ramen," he admitted. "I have it down to a perfect routine at this point."

You took your first slurp of his particular, perfect ramen. "Well, it's really good. I'm impressed. And thanks for making me dinner, you didn't have to do all that."

"Oh, come on, it's instant ramen," he laughed. "Nothing special. And you brought the tea, so thanks. And thanks for coming over. And doing the homework with me. And...yeah." Rambling again. Why did he seem so...nervous? You were nervous. He couldn't be nervous. What reason did he have to be? But the twitch of his mouth under his wide eyes, his slightly reddened ears, his hand skittering over his neck—fuck—to ruffle his hair...every action turned another page of his open book. It felt infuriatingly unfair that genetics had assigned someone so sweet and shy and unsure of himself to that fucking body.

While you both ate and talked, you kept catching glimpses of any small flashes of skin you could find, as his long sleeves fell to expose his forearms and the wide neckline of his boxy black shirt gaped around his collarbones. What was wrong with you? Even if this did eventually turn into a dick appointment, the boy still had literally all of his clothes on. You tried to refocus on finishing your noodles, while your brain screamed at itself in shame that you could get this turned on by the sight of someone covered from neck to ankle.

Jungkook ate surprisingly slowly, probably because he kept pausing to excitedly explain his favorite things about the Cowboy Bebop episode you were about to watch together. You smiled into your tea through every out-of-context fun fact and "wait, sorry, that might have been a spoiler!"

Finally, he reached the bottom of his bowl and insisted on both taking your dishes to the sink and leaving them for him to clean later. "You sure you want to start on episode 2? Not 1?"

"Yeah, I remember well enough and your summary helped a lot too!"

"Okay, if you're positive!" he double-checked, grabbing the remote.

Gingerly lowering yourselves to the couch in sync, you avoided looking at each other as you both tried to calculate a comfortable distance between you. His hand looked ready to either hold yours or lower to your thigh, but he retracted at the last second, smoothing it over his own leg anxiously and still clearly itching to make a move. You shuffled closer to him until your thighs barely touched, and he shifted to slink an arm around you, letting your head rest on his well-muscled shoulder. After pressing “play”, he began wiggling slightly again, subconsciously grooving to the old-newspaper-style intro. Spike Spiegel appeared on the screen, his broad shoulders squared into a slouch as he listlessly watched TV. Jungkook kicked one leg over another and stretched his arms out symmetrically to echo the pose. Raising an eyebrow, he waited until you acknowledged him with a faux grimace and a hand to your ear, imitating the old man in a lab who’d just called up Spike for a new mission. You both burst into laughter and settled back into your former arrangement, Jungkook holding you imperceptibly tighter. Though you tried to stay staring straight ahead, wanting to genuinely appreciate the anime, you kept catching his doe eyes in the corner of your sight as you both giggled and gasped your way through the episode.

After avoiding eye contact too many times, you finally tilted your head for a cute sideways view of his face. He leaned toward you too, shyly closing the gap to touch his warm lips to your nose, then lower. You responded immediately, rolling your body with his so your chests met as he pulled you up into a full, deeper kiss. The longer you explored each other's mouths, the more Jungkook punctuated your movements with whimpers. He seemed hesitant to let his hands roam away from your face and neck, but his high, breathy moans made it clear that he was just as into this as you. Your hands had naturally found his taut waist, and at some point you started to bring them back up to his face too—but as your short nails grazed his chest, a particularly sensual, voice-cracking moan interrupted you. You drew back in slight surprise, blinking your eyes open to scan from his face to his body.

He followed your gaze, both slowly settling on the massive tent in his pants. You froze. Your breath grew heavier, confronted with evidence of his physical attraction to you, if nothing else. After regaining his composure, he laid a useless hand over his lap in a delicate attempt to distract you and brought his other hand up to tap your face lightly.

"Is this okay?"

His eyes glittered with equal parts hunger and concern.

"Yes!" you nodded, too quickly, too eagerly. "Yes, this is totally okay. Sorry if I'm being weird, I just...it's been a while." You cringed internally at your own words, but couldn't seem to avoid putting your foot further in your mouth. "I haven't really, like, hooked up like this before—like, I've had sex, but never really outside of a relationship. But don't worry, I get this is more your thing, and I'm totally down if you are. I just don't really know what I'm doing, and you clearly do."

Jungkook blinked at your admission, then his face twisted into something curious, inscrutable. Would he decide you weren't worth the potential for drama? His lips flattened out to a tight line, then pursed to speak, and you looked down at your lap, hoping he wasn't as embarrassed of you as you now were of yourself.

"Well, I've never had sex sober."

Your eyes flashed back up to his. A complex half-smirk offset the furrow in his brow as he exhaled in nervous relief. "So, I don't actually know what I'm doing here either."

You tried to delay your response as you processed the implications. "You mean..." You tilted your head for better eye contact, hoping to convey empathy but not pity while you silently contemplated how to proceed. "Never?"

"Yeah, I've always shown up to parties and the hookups just...happened. Nothing I didn't want, nothing bad like that, but always spontaneous. So I guess we're kind of meeting in the middle, because I've never really had to plan ahead for a situation like this and, uh, figure out what I want. Beyond, yknow, wanting to get laid in the moment, of course." Jungkook laughed off the end of his explanation, but the smile never quite hit his eyes.

"Well, okay, let's pause right there." You sighed. Something in his words didn't sit right with you. "What do you want? I want you to be sure about this, of course, but more than that, even—what do you like?"

"I..." he chuckled, sheepish, shaking his hair over his face again. "What, you want me to just tell you? Like, what I'm into?"

"Yeah," you shrugged, trying to project more confidence than you felt in hopes of encouraging him to keep opening up. "I want you to be able to communicate, I want you to be comfortable. And I want to know what you like, so I can make it as good for you as possible."

With your hands still laid flat on his chest, you felt his heart rate jump a tiny bit, and took the liberty of digging your nails in just slightly deeper. His breath caught him, and then he caught himself. "I don't know, I just want what you want."

Jungkook struggled to appear nonchalant as you rolled your eyes with an "Oh, come on," challenging his avoidance. Every instinct was telling him yes. He could hear his mind screaming at him to be intentional for once and let you take him, if not farther, then deeper than ever before. But he still hesitated, because being intentional in this case required him to be real. He had always been a fairly private person, but something about you made him feel so comfortable so fast that it counterintuitively made him more nervous. Of course Jungkook knew you weren't all innocent at this point, but the risk remained that you wouldn't really be down for everything he secretly wanted to explore. Even worse, though he didn't truly think you would, you could easily turn around and spin anything he revealed into yet another graphic rumor. Especially since you had no skin in the game yourself. He glanced down at your fingers, tensed into his chest, and narrowed his eyes.

"Why don't you tell me what you like first? And then I can tell you where we overlap," he grinned competitively. Your eyes widened as he tossed the challenge back your way. Not backing down, you flattened your hands and steeled yourself to settle the stakes.

"Fine—but only if you promise not to just go along with whatever I say. I'll let you know anything that's a hard no for me, but otherwise I want to hear at least one thing that's not on my list. I really do want what you want, that's how I am too, okay? So..." you paused to slide your fingertips over his collar and drag it down with a light scratch, now directly on his skin. You smiled with your eyes, enjoying the way he naturally responded with a hitch of his breath again. "Surely you can think of something specific."

He nodded quickly, before he could convince himself to back out. "Yeah. Promise."

"Okay," you confirmed, slightly nervous but determined to go through with this, for Jungkook's sake if anything. Seeing his body come alive with each new twist of the situation was building your curiosity, not to mention turning you on beyond belief. You could barely stand the warmth of his skin under your hands, so you drew them back to fold in your lap as you began. "So. Uh. To start. I've never really laid it all out like this either. I really like neck kisses? Like, a lot." Equally unused to this kind of directness, you wrung your hands together nervously, but sucked up the boldness to keep elaborating. "That's definitely, like, a big thing that turns me on...and then getting marked up and everything is really hot to me too. Like you can honestly go really rough with me on that, bite me even. I don't know if this is weird but even though it's annoying to cover up, I love taking off the makeup at the end of the day and seeing all the bruises on myself. Knowing I was walking around all day with that as my little secret." You swallowed shyly before continuing, but Jungkook interrupted the brief silence immediately with a hushed "Fuck."

You turned to face him fully and he didn't even move to meet your stare, eyeing the space above your sweatshirt's wide neckline like he was ready to devour you. Emboldened, your smile grew.

"So...yeah. I like being bitten, marked up. Mostly, uh," you rubbed a slightly trembling hand over your shoulder, "I'm just really into pain in general. Obviously not the bad 'I'm too dry and you're jackhammering me' kind of pain, or like, anal. Anal is a hard no. But things like biting, or hair pulling, or overstimulation. Or, like—I don't really know how to explain this, but...getting held too hard? That deep pain like when you get a massage when you're sore and it hurts but it's good, yknow?"

Jungkook looked like he was about to vibrate out of his skin, breathing shallow and rapid. His eyes flicked up to meet yours, just in time for you to whisper in conclusion:

"I love that feeling."

You suddenly looked away, reticent. A thick silence swelled between you, until he composed himself enough to punctuate it. "Okay. Yeah. Pain. So like, BDSM?"

"I mean, kind of? Sure? I don't have much experience with that and I don't really need the whole power dynamic aspect; I just like the, uh, physical pain. I wouldn't be opposed to trying further, but one thing I do know is I really don't like being degraded. And I'm not into the whole daddy kink thing either. I'm just not gonna call you that, sorry," you laughed, and fortunately he giggled too. "But I know that's not, like, necessary to the rest of BDSM, and the part about giving up control is still...interesting, for sure."

"Wait," Jungkook cocked his head, making a mental note of your last sentence before he went back to the previous one. "What do you mean, being degraded?"

You half-chuckled, half-cringed, never having needed to explain something like this, especially to a guy you hopefully were about to fuck. Cheers to better communication, you supposed.

"You know, how some people when they do dirty talk are like 'yeah, you little slut, you're such a whore.' I don't like being called any of that. Like it's fine that other people like it, there's nothing wrong with that, it's just really uncomfortable for me."

His brows knit together as you explained, and he shook his head so fast it almost looked cartoonish, like a little kid refusing vegetables. "Yeah, no. Don't worry, not really my thing either."

You sighed in relief. "That's nice. I feel like it's, like, weirdly common with guys. Maybe just the kind of thing people learn from porn."

"But you still like it rough, huh? Did you learn that...from porn?" he half-joked, trying to overcome both his shyness and his gritted-teeth arousal.

"No, I don’t like porn. Most of it’s really unethical. I learned from experience," you sassed back. "I don't have a whole lot, but enough to know what I like."

"Well. Hm." He worked his tongue over his teeth, poking one cheek out over his tensed jaw. You couldn't get enough of watching him grow fascinated by your every revelation, and you were preparing to keep pressing further when he beat you to it, posing a question. "Is there anything you haven't tried before, but really want to?"

Your face heated up instantly, tasting your own medicine. You looked back to your hands, breaking his intense eye contact to give yourself the courage to be even more uncomfortably honest. "I...I...um." Your first attempt at disclosing your fantasy came out as a squeak. Swallowing, you set your shoulders and tried again, selfishly reminding yourself Jungkook seemed so eager to please that this was 99% likely to get you exactly what you wanted. "I've always been, uh, really into the idea of, um, getting spanked. I've been, uh, too nervous to ever bring it up, before now obviously, but it's definitely one of the biggest kinks I've always wanted to try. Maybe being tied up too, I think I'd like it if I tried but I haven't thought about that as much. But, yeah...spanking, definitely."

"Fuuuuuuuuck."

A lengthened version of Jungkook's earlier under-breath exclamation made you peer up at him. Your thighs already pressed together from the tension of admitting something totally new, you found yourself needing even more friction just from the sight of Jungkook with his head thrown back on the couch, a veiny hand threaded in his hair to pull the long waves back from his forehead. The full reveal of his sharp eyebrows brought a whole new level of intensity to Jungkook's already beautifully carved features. He glanced over at you, then squeezed his eyes shut with a terse exhale. You couldn't place why, but you felt a deep attraction to the way he expertly restrained himself from acting on the lust written over his face—not under your control, but his own.

"Oh, fuck. What the fuck. How the fuck would you fucking know," he swore more in a single burst than he cumulatively had ever in your presence.

"What?" you toyed, heart rate still high but relaxed enough to enjoy agitating him. "Something ring a bell?"

Jungkook shuddered out a long breath, hand ruffling his hair as his other forearm still tried desperately to subdue his boner.

"Everything," he hissed, more willing to elaborate now that you had done the same, and especially now that he could tell you really did enjoy him being more assertive. "Shit. I...I want...I know you said not to just say this but I really do want everything you want. I can't wait to mark you up. I can't wait to hold you down and bruise your neck. I want it all, I want to make you hurt so good. And then—" Breathless. He looked almost embarrassed. "Then you had to go and somehow guess basically my biggest fucking kink, I can't fucking believe you." Both hands had come up to seize his long locks as he held himself back physically, while finally letting his guard down mentally to declare everything he intended to do to you. Letting out a short laugh, he finally met your eyes. "I wanna spank your ass bright red. Fuck. This is crazy. You're perfect."

Your core throbbed at every bold word. Leaning in close to him, you let your lips approach Jungkook's beautifully sculpted jawline as he panted, his chin tossed up to fully expose his neck. You stopped just short of his skin, in awe of how much you'd been able to work him up and still so tempted to take it to the next level. "Fuck," you echoed. "This is so hot," you murmured almost to yourself. Your eyes closing along with his, you dealt the final blow. "I love that we have so much in common. But come on, you promised. One thing that's not on my list."

Jungkook whined. You could tell he needed to touch you so badly, and no one was stopping him but himself. He had no way of knowing that if he cut the whole discussion and just took you, you wouldn't even try to resist at this point. Staring at his trembling mouth from below, you quickly averted your eyes when he opened his, pretending you hadn't been looking. He inhaled a short hiss, and then spoke.

"Okay..." He paused after just the first word, blowing air through the tiny "o" of his mouth as his eyes bugged slightly from nervousness. He couldn't resist a challenge, though, and his urge to please you overwhelmed his reluctance to peel back one more layer. "So, the pain thing. I think we, uh, feel the same about me giving and you receiving. But...I'm really into it for myself too. I don't know if you'd be comfortable with it, I know you maybe want me to be more dominant and I think I like that more too in general, but you can be as rough with me as you want back. I'd love that." Eyes still open but fluttering, Jungkook's tone grew breathier, heady as he confessed. You almost giggled at how bashfully he worded his desire to dominate you, to rough each other up, but the contrast was so hot you couldn't help sucking your bottom lip between your teeth, eager for him to continue. His voice lowered. "I love being scratched, marked, bitten...hit me, push me back, any kind of pain or any way you can hurt me, I want it." He shivered, but his voice firmed up even further. "I want it so bad."

You fought to stay motionless beside him, unable to even process how much more his honesty had turned you on. You felt helpless in your desire for him, your craving to give him everything he wanted and more. He noticed your charged stillness and shifted toward you, removing a hand from his hair to finally reach for your face. Threading his fingers through your hair instinctively like he had with his own, he tilted your head back to access your neck. Jungkook finally felt confident enough to tease you back as he skimmed his lips over your pulse point, tugging your skin between his teeth for a gentle first taste and grinning when you moaned. Seeing someone so satisfied, for reasons better than just his body or their pride, brought the most incredible rush of blood to his head. And his other head.

"And I get why you want it too," he finished with a whisper in your ear. "So trust me when I say I really, really want to give it to you."

In an instant, your hands yanked his hair down to bring his face up to yours, mouths crashing together. Feverish, restless, you kissed him, hastily attempting to straddle his thick thighs before he threw his body over yours and pinned you to the back of the couch. His hands wandered, intrepid, from your waist to a quick squeeze of your breasts before he spiraled you into his strong arms. Pressing your chest flush with his as your mouths meshed, he ground his hips into you shamelessly, enjoying the way you struggled beneath him to align your core with his rock-hard dick.

"Your room?" You rushed out the words.

Jungkook laughed a little, his tone half whine and half dare. "So we're done talking?"

"Come on," you pleaded back. He finally relented, pulling you up with him and dragging you across the living room and through his door, lips not leaving yours for a second. You backed him into the bed with your arms against his strong chest, and once he was sitting perched on the edge, you laid yourself horizontally over his thighs.

"What are you doing?" he murmured, curling a hand over the dip of your waist to hold you gently.

You angled your head back to make unsteady eye contact with him, flipping your shorts down boldly. His free hand automatically reached to slowly conform to the shape of your ass, so eager to touch you but tentative as he grazed your curves.

"Giving you exactly what you want."

"Fuck. Really? You're sure about this?" Jungkook held careful eye contact as you brought your arms back up, crossing your wrists over your head delicately. You nodded slightly and did your best to meet his gaze with confident invitation, convincing him how much you trusted and wanted him.

He smoothed his warm hand over your ass one more time, then brought it up and watched your thighs tighten at the loss of his touch. Breathing in, still a little shakily, he brought his hand down on your right cheek with a loud but mild smack. A grunt of satisfaction involuntarily left him when he saw your face flinch down into the sheets, subduing a small noise of surprise. He returned his hand to caress the light redness he'd left, checking in with you again. "Is this okay? Let me know if I should stop."

You replied with your face still tucked between your arms, muffled by the bed. "More than okay. Please don't stop."

He spanked you again, moving to your left cheek. This time you felt his dick twitch under you and couldn't help grinding down on him a little bit. "Is that as hard as you can go?" you taunted in low tones, brave enough to egg him on but not quite enough to meet his eyes again.

Jungkook's thighs and core tensed under you, and he squeezed his fingertips tighter, digging into the skin of your ass. "Not at all," he said simply.

Deep breath. A few seconds passed, and his hand came down, harshly. You cried out in shock, the timing unexpected and the sting far sharper, and he gave your other cheek a fourth hard smack before you could even process the third one. "Harder?" he tested. "Tell me."

Another spank. "Mmmf."

"You like this, huh?"

"Yes, I told you," you whimpered back, half-teasing even though you were in no position to do so. Immediately, he cut you off with a stinging hit across both cheeks, and you moaned.

"You really do," he breathed lowly. "Fuck yeah. Take it then."

He spanked you again, and again, then paused, tugging down your shorts all the way to your ankles to expose the crease right above your thighs. Rubbing your already sore bottom, Jungkook cupped the underside of its curve in his big, firm hand. Already anticipating your whine, he drew back his touch and hummed in harmony with you. He continued landing satisfyingly hard smacks, alternating to cover your ass evenly. His dick strained through his pants more and more each time you trembled under his touch. Never hitting you hard enough to do serious damage, he still clearly enjoyed his thorough reddening of your ass, and occasionally took a moment just to caress your skin as it warmed from the spanking. The pain lit your senses up from head to toe. Face burning with deep arousal, you mentally thanked yourself for going out of your comfort zone and unprecedentedly admitting your kinks before even venturing into your first time together. Amidst the thrilling sting of his hand meeting your soft curves, Jungkook eventually noticed your thighs clenching together, craving friction but not really wanting relief from the pleasurable burn.

"You're wet," he marveled, sliding two warm fingers up and down your slit.

"Mhm," you mumbled back as you tilted your hips into his hand. He gave you a light slap right on the folds between your legs, eliciting another soft moan.

"So good for me," Jungkook said softly, pulling you up into his lap by your waist. "You look so pretty like this. I wanna see all of you." He tugged your sweatshirt over your head, followed by your sports bra, thankful that it stretched over your head easily. Suddenly grinning, he wound up and shot it across the room like a rubber band, and you smacked his arm, giggling.

"What was that? You cheeseball," you teased, and he blinked, chuckling lightly back. It occurred to him that he'd never laughed, or made someone laugh, during sex before.

"It was so stretchy! Don't make fun of me," he blushed.

"You're so cute," you said, fingers sliding under his t-shirt hem.

"Cute?" His eyebrows rose in mock disbelief, and he reached around to land another hit to your still-red asscheek.

"Hot," you amended. Raising his shirt and finally getting a full glimpse of his enviable abs, you groaned. "You're extremely hot, and also really cute, and it's kind of ridiculous and I don't really know how to handle all of it at once."

His face scrunching up into a smile at the praise, he fell back onto the bed with his arms behind his head. "You are too, you know. Really cute, of course. But really hot too." As you discarded his shirt and moved on to easing his sweatpants down his hips, you held in a gasp as his erection sprung up from the waistband. He was big, thick, and painfully hard, his tip glistening warm with precum and a lone vein running prominently up his smooth shaft. Although you wouldn't be corroborating them, you had to admit to yourself that all the rumors were true. You instinctively curled a hand around it, barely covering half his length, and he winced at your slightest touch. Pulling off with a single slow stroke, you slid his sweatpants and briefs all the way to the floor and then stood, looking up from his legs to his blown-out eyes to take in the glorious sight of his fully naked body.

"You shave," you said, surprised by the clean skin under his arms and between his legs.

"Yeah," he demurred, self-conscious for some reason. He lowered his arms to fold them over his torso, somehow defining his biceps even more. "I'm on the dance team, and it's nice to feel all smooth for practice and stuff. I don't know, I just like it."

"Oh, that's cool! No worries, I like it too. And you don't mind that..." You looked down at yourself, still just standing naked in front of him. "...I don't? Like, down there at least."

"No, you do you!" he said quickly. With a shy smile, he admitted, "I actually kind of like it on you. I do this for me, anyway, not for anyone else," he playfully noted. Slowly, he was sitting up to take hold of your waist and lower you down to the bed with him. Pausing to kiss the sweet spot under your jaw, he continued. "So don't feel like you have to do anything, or not do anything, either."

Jungkook couldn't quite explain the nature of how his attraction to you had developed. Seeing how open and honest you were with him made it easy for him to be honest with you too, and just to feel comfortable being himself. He admired the way he could still tell you sometimes got nervous like him, but it didn’t stop you from getting real or going bolder. Unable to fully express it in words, he just hoped to ensure you felt as comfortable and respected around him as he did around you. He already knew that he wanted this to be more than just a one-time thing, and while he still hesitated to assume that you felt the same, he intended to leave no doubt by the end of the night.

You moaned as he nipped at the skin of your neck. It was so easy to get swept back up in Jungkook. You could barely handle the friction of his dick rutting against your wet folds from below, craving him inside you. "Ughhh. Wait, one more thing. I'm on the pill, are you clean?"

"Yes," he gasped, barely removing his mouth from your jaw. "Are you?"

"Yeah, so we don't need a condom. If that's cool with you!"

"Yeah! But, you're ready?" He seemed surprised.

"Aren't you?" you whined, beyond holding back. He felt so unbearably hard that his coherence and willpower kind of surprised you too. "Please, I want you so bad."

To your surprise, he lowered his head to the crest of your legs, dotting wet kisses down your torso. Keeping his big brown eyes on you, he teased your entrance with a finger and echoed your immediate groan at the welcome stretch.

"You really are ready," he remarked, awed at the ease with which your wetness sucked the digit in. Frankly, you were in awe as well. It had taken your ex-boyfriend months to figure out how to get you this worked up. Jungkook either had even more experience than you'd heard from the grapevine, or he was a natural. Or maybe you were just really, ridiculously, primally attracted to him. He went on to curve his finger in you and lick a messy swipe up your folds, sucking hard once he reached your sensitive clit. You cried out at the delicious burst of stimulation and he rose up to catch your lips with his.

"I had to do that, just once," he grinned breathlessly. "But—"

"Let me suck you off," you interjected, unbelievably fucking turned on and dying to please him.

"No," he gasped with far more fervency than you'd think anyone could refuse a blowjob. "Please, I was about to say—" he choked out a high-pitched moan as you ran a single finger up his shaft in anticipation, sinking the nails of your other hand into his thigh. "—I think I'm gonna explode if I don't get inside you right this second."

So he did have a breaking point. "Fuck," you muttered, bringing your legs around his to tuck your heels under his tight ass as he lined up. He eased his tip in, keeping heavy eyes on you the whole time, and you could feel the hot, thick tension in his thighs as he struggled to hold himself back from just thrusting into your heat. Slowly, he drew closer into you until he bottomed out with a low moan. You whined at the perfect slight pain of the stretch, and Jungkook squeezed his eyes shut, gripping you by your waist. Watching the veins in his forearms stand out as he drove almost all the way out and back into you, you rocked your hips carefully against his with each smooth stroke, getting used to his fullness. When his balls met your ass again, he shuddered a bit and opened his eyes into yours.

You answered his question before he could even ask it. "Jungkook—you feel so good. You can go faster, it's okay."

A smile hit his eyes before his mouth, and he kissed you once, pressing his chest to yours and intertwining your tongues eagerly. You bit his bottom lip as he slowly drew away, tugging it between your teeth to pull a sweet little whimper from his throat. Grinning, he leaned back in to touch his forehead to yours and simultaneously slid a subtle hand under your ass to curve your hips up with his. The slight leftover sensitivity of your skin amplified his light touch, and Jungkook seemed to realize this, curling his fingers to tease you with the tips of his nails. Instinctively, you ducked to bite his neck, not even registering your move to pass the pain back to him until he choked out a beautifully half-restrained moan and snapped his hips into yours. Gasping, you encouraged him to lose himself in you, dragging your lips up to latch around his earlobe. He hissed and thrust into you sharply again, meeting the time of your movements as you swirled your tongue between each of his hoop earrings. Soon he was pounding you rhythmically, finally letting you feel the full force of his strength but keeping remarkable control over both his body and yours. Both of you had gone silent except for your heavy breaths, lost in the moment, but the flexed shivers of his thighs and twitches of his fingers in your hair told you all you needed to know. Suddenly yanking your strands to pull you back from the additional bruise you'd sucked beneath his ear, he earned a new set of scratches on his back as your hands dragged down the muscular expanse in reply. Jungkook switched places with you to draw dark clouds from your skin, a storm brewing under your jaw. Your face fell into pure bliss, eyes shut and immersed in the barrage of sensation from his hands, mouth, and big dick filling you. Already feeling the familiar tension that preceded an orgasm building through your whole body, you chased him closer to his climax too, grinding back roughly into every thrust and raking your hands over every part of his firm body you could reach.

You had really been fooling yourself when you thought you could try something casual for once. You wanted more of Jungkook, all of Jungkook, nothing but Jungkook ever again. Knowing he'd never even gone back to the same hookup twice sank slight anxiety into your stomach, a kind of future nostalgia for this moment you already feared losing. You knew you weren't anything special compared to the catalogue of gorgeous girls he'd had his turn with, but a deviant voice whispered from the back of your mind that you could be, because it was clear none had bothered to learn him like this. You'd still try your desperate best not to want too much from him, but you resolved to do whatever you could to make him crave more.

Rolling your hips in a smooth circle against him, you clenched around his dick and your hands tightened their fierce hold on his tiny waist. You felt his abs tense within your grasp as he tried not to stutter into you.

"Fuck. No." His voice cracked, but held an undertone of ferocity. "You come first." Jungkook rushed a hand to your clit, adding pressure in small, deft motions with a fingertip as he kept fucking you deep. You sank your teeth into his shoulder in response, drawing your hands up his back to clutch him closer to you, and Jungkook cried out. You left your mouth on his golden skin to stifle your moans as he sped up his fingers, and he tried to let you stay there but eventually couldn't help pulling you off him to see your face. Eyes narrowed and eyebrows turning up sharp at the ends, he watched you like a hawk to track the exact moment when he pushed you over the edge. Your face crumpled and you felt your whole body burn under his gaze as you came, squeezing around him in waves of pleasure while he fucked you through your high, unrelenting. Drinking up the bliss obvious on your features, Jungkook's eyes never left yours and his expression grew more and more fucked out. You marveled at how even as you lost control and energy to fuck him back, your body freezing in orgasm seemed to turn him on further. One last pulse of the tension leaving your core made his dick throb inside you, and you impulsively broke your eye contact to lean in and bite down slow but hard on his neck again. He gasped.

"You're amazing." Murmuring into his skin, you kissed the bite marks gently. Jungkook whimpered at the sweet contradiction and lurched into your hips even harder. You recovered to move with him, squeezing him deeper into you every time he bottomed out, and as his breathless moans escalated in pitch, his whole body shivered with each stroke. Pressing wet, heavy kisses all over his neck, you felt his jaw flutter while his lips hung open. His considerable strength spent, Jungkook shuddered one last hard thrust into you and finally let go, coating your walls from within. His hips lightly rocked against yours as he stayed deep inside you, still hard and savoring the euphoric release he'd held back for so long. You felt so incredibly warm and comfortable around his sensitive dick, relaxed but still holding him tight, and he couldn't help holding you up for a languid kiss before pulling out of you smoothly.

He briefly looked into your eyes, and you saw stars. The sun had continued to set outside, and it peeked between the blinds of his window to wrap you both in a warm, slivered glow. Staring down at his hands on your body, Jungkook took a deep breath and collapsed to your side, holding you close. You settled into him, cupping a hand over his head on your chest. With your fingers laced through his sweaty hair, you stroked his temple with your thumb, worrying for a second whether the gesture seemed too intimate but forgetting your fear when he snuggled up into your touch. You felt the need to say something, to figure out what the fuck was next after this, but stayed silent, not wanting to disturb the comforting weight of his frame. Heartbeat still racing, Jungkook stretched out to breathe a long sigh. As he sank back into you, you stretched under him too, letting his solid, warm body drape over you like a blanket. This couldn't be farther from what you'd expected with him, but you weren't about to make it stop. Surely, eventually, he would.

A minute passed. And then five. And then, before either of you could talk yourselves out of it, you were asleep, intertwined.

[writeofmind]

a ghost?! (pt. 1)

Genre: fluff, slow burn, multi-shot <3

Pairing: College!Rosé x Reader

anon: Hi! If possible could you make a master list of all the fics and scenarios you have posted? 😅 I’d also like to request a blackpink college AU focused on Female Reader x Rosé 🥺 lots of fluff and maybe some slow burn and smut? I’d be happy with any Rosé fluff or blackpink fluff though 🤍🤲🏻 thank you 😊

A/N: hi, j anon! this is part 1/? of your slow burn college!au. :D I will try to make this as slow and fluffy as possible. i don’t have a specific plot that i’m sticking to rn, but i have general ideas that i’m very excited to write. that being said, feel free to send in suggestions as to how you want this story to go! (or you can leave it up to me, and be in for cute surprises >:) ) 

a ghost?! | caramel lattes | your favorite regular

-

There were two things that you learned from living your college life. One, you definitely weren’t a morning person, and two, your roommate was a ghost. 

Not literally. The thing was just that you had never formally met them; when you moved in, they weren’t home, and when you would wake up in the afternoons, they would already be long gone and out of the house. Your schedules never lined up with each other, so for the past few weeks, you’ve just been barely missing them, not even knowing their name. 

You didn’t mind, really. The apartment was kept clean at all times, so it really did feel like only you lived there sometimes. But, you can say: if your roommate was a ghost, then they were the loudest ghost. Ever.

It was just your luck to be paired with them, too; they would be up at the crack of dawn, most times even earlier. You’d often wake up in the mornings to music playing or their (you’re sure you can say her) voice singing along. If you were being honest, the latter was your preferred way of waking up. She did have a wonderful voice, and you wished you could get yourself out of bed to tell her that; but she just woke up way, way too early. 

Today was another one of those days. Music was blasting in the background, yet another replay of “Call Me Maybe.” 

Ugh, god... you raised your head at the rude awakening, squinting your eyes at the door. Not this song again.

Based on what little you knew about your roommate, you had an image in your head of what she may look like. To put it short, you imagined a sorority girl, in a way. The type that dance and sing along to pop songs, dresses in tank tops and jeans, partying everyday, that sort of thing. You figured that maybe she didn’t party a lot though, considering she was already home and sleeping when you would walk through the front door. 

You let your head drop back into your pillow. You were too groggy and beat from work the night before that you blocked out the song, blocked out your roommate’s singing, and fell soundly asleep once again as her music faded out the front door and into the hallways of your apartment. Jeez, that girl needed some headphones.

When you woke up a few hours later, the apartment was silent. There was a sigh of relief from you, and you groaned as you stretched your entire body out. Class started in about an hour and a half, so you decided not to laze around in bed and instead get ready for the day.

When you walked into the kitchen to grab something quick to eat on your way to campus, you smelled something delicious. Sniffing the air, you smelled... something spicy? 

Sure enough, when you walked inside, there was a pan of tteokbokki sitting right on the stove. The aroma of the spiciness itself made your mouth water the closer you got to it- then, you saw a note next to it, sitting right under a bottle of water.

Good morning, roomie! I heard you come home late last night, (not that I was trying to be a stalker, but I couldn’t sleep so I was still up when you got back. Crazy, right?) Anyway, I figured you didn’t eat because I didn’t hear you in the kitchen, so I made extra tteokbokki this morning for you to take with you. I made it a little too spicy, so make sure you grab the water too!!

- PC

Your eyebrows raised higher the further down you read the note. She made you breakfast? And packed you a water? 

How sweet of her, you smiled. You wasted no time in scooping a whole bunch of the delicious rice cakes onto a plate and devouring every single piece. (She was right, though, it was super spicy.) 

That was really sweet of her. I should do something for her, too. I feel bad that I haven’t thought to even leave a note. And PC, huh? I wonder what that could stand for. I should make a mental note to ask. 

After eating and cleaning everything up, you realized that you wasted a little too much time in your own head and was running a bit behind schedule. You grabbed the water bottle quickly and ran as fast as you could out the door, into the elevator, and out the main lobby of your apartment. You didn’t even notice the blonde haired girl you almost ran into along the way. 

-

When you were finished with your school day, you always dreaded having to go to work afterwards. Not that it was a terrible job, you were just a barista at a café near campus, after all- but you would be tired and drained after pulling afternoon to closing shifts.

So there you stood, leaning against the counter top at your job as you sipped away at a small cup of espresso. You and your coworkers chatted absentmindedly. It wasn’t too busy tonight, except for a few straggling students that stayed to study. Your manager had even offered to let you go home early, but you decided you needed the money- you were practically getting paid to stand around, anyway.

The bell on the door jingled after what seemed like hours (and maybe it was). Your coworkers, all clowns, hid away from the incoming group of customers and shuffled behind the counters, leaving you to take care of them all. You glared at them and groaned internally, but that was the rules of a college student barista. If you’re not fast enough to hide, you face the consequences.

“Hey, guys,” you put on your smile as you approached the register, “what can I get for you tonight?”

When the girls got closer, you were glad that your hat was a bit too big for your head. It covered the burning read at the top of your ears at the sight of how pretty they were— all four of them, to be exact.

One of the shorter ones smiled back at you. “Hiii,” she greeted, “do you guys know what you want?”

The redhead of the group spoke up first. “Yes, can I just have a tea, please?” She turned to the other girls, “I noticed that my voice has been kind of raspy from rehearsal. I hope it’s nothing serious.”

You minded your own business as you punched in the order. “Of course, and for you?” You looked at the tall brunette, who was squinting at the menu board. You had to hide a laugh as you slid a smaller menu to her. “Here you go, our menu is printed kind of small.”

“Oh my gosh, thank you,” she laughed and took the menu in her hands. The shorter one that spoke earlier laughed too and simply pushed the brunette’s hands down. 

“Can we just get two large white mochas, please?” 

You smiled as you punched in that order too. “Of course.” You now turned to the final girl of the group, who stood silently, staring back and forth at the pastries in the case and the menu board. “For you, miss?”

When she looked up at you, you froze. 

Wow, she was cute. 

She smiled at you so sweetly, brushing her blonde hair behind her ear. “Um, yes please, can I get all of the vanilla scones that are in here? Oh, and a caramel latte, please.”

Just from eyeballing the case, there were at least 10, if not a couple more scones in there. You glanced at her with a humorous smile and nodded. “Yeah, no problem.”

As you punched in the order, you made sure that you only rang her up for four scones. It was almost near closing time anyway (you told yourself that, but really you still had a couple hours left), and you didn’t want to have to waste any pastries. 

“Can I have your guys’ names for your drinks?” You popped the tip off of your sharpie. 

The redhead, again, spoke first. “Jisoo.” 

Then went the brunette. “Lisa,” she then pointed to the shorter one, “Jennie.”

Lastly, you turned to the blonde. Again, she smiled, and nodded when she spoke. “Rosé.”

Such a pretty name, you thought to yourself. You made it a point to draw a little flower next to her name, just for funsies. You let them know that their drinks would be ready soon, and you gathered all the scones in the case for the girl to have.

The girls didn’t notice the price difference at first when they paid. After calling out their names for their orders, it wasn’t until they sat down at their table with their drinks and snacks that they realized something was off. 

It was Rosé who came back up to the counter as you were wiping it down. 

“Um, hi,” she spoke softly as if not to surprise you, “I’m sorry, but I think there may have been a mistake?”

You looked up at her from the counter with raised eyebrows. “Oh, I’m sorry. Was your drink wrong?”

“No, not at all! It’s great,” she shook her head and showed her bag of scones, “but, um, I think you mischarged me for these.”

Ah, so she did notice. “No miss, that’s okay,” you laughed at her innocence and honesty. Her face even looked worried just from you saying that. “We’re going to be closing in a couple hours anyway, and to be honest, the scones can be a bit overpriced when you buy a lot. Don’t worry about it.”

Her eyebrows were furrowed in the cutest way possible. “But— are you sure? You won’t get in trouble?”

“I’m sure, I’m sure. It’s fine, really miss.”

“Aww... well, thank you—” she beamed and squinted at your name tag, “Joy.”

Aw, shit. You internally slapped yourself in the face, I put on the wrong apron. 

Of all days to be talking to a cute girl, you weren’t even wearing the right apron with the right name tag. You really didn’t want to have to explain yourself and essentially embarrass both you and the girl right now, and you were quite frankly a bit shy already from talking to her for as long as you have. So you just smiled back. “It’s no problem, Rosé.”

With a giggle, the girl turned back around and hopped over to her table, where you could hear her recounting your conversation. You chuckled.

-

As your shift went on, the students inside the café began to disperse and pack up their bags to head home. One of the last students to leave was the group of girls you served earlier, and they even made sure to call out “bye, Joy!” as they left. Your coworkers looked at you funny but ended up laughing at your awkwardness once they realized your mistake.

“Oh, come on, y/n!” One of your best coworkers, Seulgi, laughed, “Now you’re gonna be known as Joy to them! Joy is not going to be happy.”

“Look, man, I didn’t wanna correct her, alright??” You sighed and palmed your forehead, “I got nervous!”

“Ah, well,” your other coworker Yeri shrugged, “at least you may not see her again. So you don’t have to be too embarrassed.”

Your shoulders dropped at the sound of that. You may not see her again? Boo. 

Your closing shift went by smoothly and before you knew it, you were walking through the threshold of your already dark apartment. You saw that your roommate’s door was closed and her light off, but her shoes were on the shoe rack, so you knew she was already sleeping. 

You almost went straight to your room to knock out before remembering what your roommate did for you this morning. You didn’t want to just leave her hanging and make yourself seem ungrateful, so you grabbed a post-it note and a pen.

Hi there, roomie, you began, thank you for the tteokbokki this morning! It was delicious, actually, and I only needed a few gulps of water between each bite. (lol, i’m just teasing, it really was good. i love spicy food.) i’m not sure if you like flavorings in your coffee, let alone if you like coffee or not, but here’s some for you for the morning, since you’re usually up earlier than me. you can use any of my coffee cups, i have way too many.

- y/n

After setting up the coffee machine to brew in the early morning, you stuck the note on top and dragged yourself into your room to get ready for bed. 

-

The next morning, you woke up to silence. No music, no singing, nothing. And it wasn’t early in the morning- it was the usual time you yourself would get up and out of bed.

Huh? you wondered, This feels... unnatural.

You got yourself out of bed and ready for your day as you normally would. You walked into the kitchen for your usual breakfast of coffee and a single granola bar, when you saw yet another note waiting for you on the kitchen table.

it’s no problem at all! i almost thought you hated the tteokbokki when i didn’t see any feedback when i got home. TT TT it’s so funny that we haven’t even met yet. btw, i’m sorry i’m loud in the mornings, i never realized how late you got home every night. i’ll let you sleep in more. :) and you’re so sweet, thank you for letting me use one of your cups, and thank you for the coffee this morning :)

p.s, just so you know a fact about me too, i love caramel in my coffees.

- PC

[mydriases]

Boyfriend headcanons for Epel and Lilia

Anon asked: Hello! Welcome to the fandom! I look forward to your future writing. Can I get some boyfriend headcanon for Epel and Lilia? Thank you!

Thanks, I've kept the format of my first post so I hope it's what you expected!

A small digression to thank you all for the +100 followers! I don't understand how so many people would want to read what I write lol Thank you to everyone who commented or sent messages of encouragement, it touches me deeply.

Epel Felmier

Like loads of people, when you first saw Epel, you thought he was just another pretty boy.

It was at the welcome party for Pomefiore’s new students that you changed your mind.

You heard him fuming over the fact that he wanted to be a Savanaclaw, saw him get reprimanded for his table manners and noticed the way he really seemed out of place, all of this convinced you that he wasn't just another narcissist.

You made a point to become his friend, not out of pity but out of admiration. He was a person with many hidden talents who was able to put up with an environment he despised.

It is true that you were also looking for a type of personality different from the one who invaded Pomefiore like ivy.

One evening, while you were reading in the living room, the incessant chatter of your classmates forced you to leave the room. At least that's what you would've done if you hadn't seen Epel trapped by three other people.

They were talking together about how Epel was a model of elegance and that some people should follow his example. Their discussion was one-sided, judging by the expression of embarrassment that covered Epel's face like a veil.

You made it your duty to get him out of this situation.

You approached the small group, interrupted them and then took your sweetest voice to apologize to these gentlemen because you had to work on a project with Epel.

Of course, they didn’t express any objection and let the two of you go away after a final praise.

Epel showered you with thanks and even asked you if there was any way he could repay you.

« I mean… I wasn’t lying when I said I had a project to work on. »

You don’t feel any shame for asking him that, since as a result the ice broke between you and him.

None of you was close with the other students of your dorm so you spent most of your free time together.

Step by step you discovered Epel’s inner fire, and it was hot pun intended

In spite of his shyness, he could be quite responsive and outspoken when the situation was too much.

He began to open up and talked to you about his insecurities. Specifically, about his own body.

You understood that what was for Pomefiore an asset, was for Savanaclaw a drawback. All the praise was nothing when his own body was telling him he hadn't the capacities.

But some things can't change, so he focused on his magical abilities more than anything else.

It was hard for you to find the right words, but you assumed that sometimes you just need someone to listen to you. You took his hand.

Nothing was really the same after that, from this point there was an unspoken intimacy you two shared.

You held hands and hugged easily. Epel became something more than a friend, he felt closer and soon there was no more words needed for you to understand him. In fact, it felt natural to know.

One evening, while some festivities were taking place in the dormitory, you two apologized and went for a walk in the gardens.

You were chatting on a bench enjoying the coolness of the night. Until a comfortable silence settled between the two of you, and Epel turned to you.

Out of the blue he decided that kissing you was a good idea. yes it fricking was

If you ignore the fact that he withdrew as quickly as he moved forward or the fact that you were so shocked that you almost lost the ability to think properly, it all went pretty well.

The new physical intimacy that came with that kiss was unknown to anyone because of how discreet you were in your pda

He starded to give your little presents more often : carved apple, homemade food and even bouquets if that’s what you like (doesn’t know how to romance but he's not gonna admit defeat let me tell you).

He'd take you flying on his broomstick, he isn’t allowed? Who cares ! For once he can break the rules.

He would use you as an excuse to get away from Pomefiore student, « sorry but my love is waiting » he would said in a polite but slightly smug way

You'd discuss ways to make Pomefiore's uniforms more cool and what should change in the dorm. It would happen most of the time after Vil made a comment that Epel didn’t like.

Kisses in the library between the bookshelves, kisses in the garden, kisses everywhere when no one is around.

The kisses with Epel are such a soft thing, his hair would tickle your face and his hands would slide slowly up to your elbows to cup them.

When the kiss would end, you'd stand a few inches apart and notice the beauty of his eyelashes as his breath would caress your face.

Lilia Vanrouge

It was a hard thing not to notice the strange character that was Lilia Vanrouge.

He could hear your discussions from across the hall, spoke in an archaic way and appeared before you without you seeing him coming.

Actually, that's how you first met him. You were looking for a book in the library and he appeared in your field of vision, the wanted book in his hands.

He introduced himself, asked if you were looking for this book in particular and disapeared after giving it. He literally disapeared. You blinked once and paf ! You were alone.

You understood that what happened wasn’t a dream when he actually called you by your name in potions and asked you to be his partner.

In the first place, you were quite astonished. From what the rumors said Lilia was old, like so-old-I-should-be-dead years old, which means that he is knowleadgeable. Although you surely were not the last in your class, you still didn’t reach his level.

Your regular partner was absent, so you had no reason to say no.

It was difficult to know if he was good or bad at potions because he could propose an ideal solution and then he would assume that « perphaps if we add that  the result would be better » (spoilers, it didn’t work but at least the final result didn’t change too much)

Since, he continued to appear unexpectedly next to you, only to disappear the minute you looked away. It was entertaining so you didn’t mind.

 « Good evening. I was wondering...is the answer to question number 15 « the heart of a legendary beast »? 

Yes, it is…Hey Lilia, as you can see I’m on cleaning duty and it would be nice if you could h-

Thank you very much, it is always a pleasure to discuss with you » and he disapeared the basta-

You would soon start to have tea together, it kind of happened naturally. He asked you once and the invitations never stopped.

At least that's what you would have wished for.

You didn’t get any explanations, from one day to the next he stopped talking to you. There was no more funny stories over tea, no more surprise appearances, not even a glance at you.

Three weeks, three weeks of being ignored. Who can blame you if you were mad at him ?

His absence made you realize many things, the first being how much he had become an essential part of your daily life. It was strange not to talk to him anymore, there was a kind of mourning inside you when you were seeing him, as if he was the ghost of a loved one.

Then, you got a letter from one of your roommates. Because apparently, Mr. Vanrouge didn't have the guts to give it in person.

You've never read such a letter from Lilia before. It was short, to the point and didn't even have a cheap joke as usual. It was for the better, you couldn't bear it if he had acted like nothing happened.

He didn't look up at you when you came to sit in front of him. You waited for him to make the first move.

« Look, I think you're aware that my appearance doesn't match my real age. This kind of advantage is not without a price, I have loved and suffered a lot because no matter what I do ,the end remains the same. Even today, in my darkest moments, I wonder if love is worth if, in the end, I find myself carrying such pain. Some of my loved ones have told me that when they find themselves on the brink of the grave, no matter how much pain our relationship has brought them, they will have no regrets. And it is to honour the memory of those people whose voices I have forgotten that I come to talk to you. What we have between us at the moment may just be a passing infatuation, but I know too well where it's going to lead us. That’s why before we go too far, I need to see your point of view on love. For me, love isn't easy, it's not constant happiness that solves all your problems. It's a complex thing that can pull you down as well as up… I’ve been a bit dramatic on the edges but you need to understand that even if loads of relationships don’t last till the end of a life, ours is bound to be harder. »

You were puzzled. This Lilia was different from the one you learned to know, he was dead serious and his saddened look made you feel a little bit ashamed that you didn’t think about how he felt.

« As you said, loads of relationships don’t last till the end and it’s fine. We don’t need to rush things and we don’t need to think about our future for now. It sounds reckless but to answer what you said : yes, it is worth it. »

You never thought you'd start your relationship with Lilia this way but, oh well here you go.

Everything was the same as before but better. He still appeared where you least expected it but now he hugged you from behind which almost gave you a heart attack multiple times.

Lilia loves passionately. He gives without expecting anything in return and has no reserve with his feelings. He is candid, not hesitating to say what is wrong as well as what is right.

It’s hard to be bored with him. He has always an idea to entertain you or something to tell.

He's quite reserved when it comes to kissing, it's a little dated but for him it's more decent to do it within four walls.

But once in private, that's a different story.

His lips would run through yours, he would take the lead and hold you close to him, it's impossible not to be out of breath after his kisses.

There's a melancholy running through you that you can't explain when he embraces you. It makes you feel small in the face of Lilia's longevity. You can almost feel the dust of those former loves on your fingertips, and one day you’ll be one of them. And Lilia will remember you, because there are some things you can’t forget entirely.

[snowdice]

Finding the Time to Study Fic 2 [Day 25]

Here is my starting post for today’s study break stories session. See this post for more details and feel free to send me asks to keep me going! It’s been a lot of fun so far! I will reblog this post with the story as I write them today. I’ll be constantly looking for ideas of times and places for Janus to have missions, so feel free to send in any you can think of at any point!

If you are a new follower or just don’t want all of these posts clogging your dash, please feel free to block the tag “study break stories” as all posts and voting about it will go there. You can still see the finished product of the story even if you are blocking that tag as I will not tag the edited chapters with “study break stories” but with the tag “folds in paper.” See edited chapters below. Chapters 3-8 and what I have of Chapter 9 are under the cut.

My Masterpost Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

I also have a playlist on youtube (because Spotify didn’t have one of the songs I wanted). It’s short, and not really for serious listening, but I had fun with it.

Alright. I have a midterm that is due in 24 hours so we’re going to be going quite a while today. I’ll probably even stay up late since that class is canceled in the morning and I’ll sleep better if I go to bed at 2am with it done then I will if I go to bed at 10pm with it not done. I have a lot of water, tea, and snacks. Feel free to send me Lo-fi playlists because I’m not sure what vibe I want today and took 15 minutes to pick out my first one. XD

Chapter 7

“Him,” was the only thing Janus said before taking off after the figure who had just disappeared into the game area.

“What?” Remus’s voice followed after him. “Janus! What?!”

Janus did not pause, just continuing to run after Pat, hopping over two barricades as a shortcut. Janus cursed when he lost sight of the man for just a moment near the prize table filled with colorful goldfish, but he was able to spot him once again walking into one of the tents. Janus blasted into the tent. It was a game where they raced rats, and when Janus entered, Pat was cooing at one of them.

 “Who’s a tiny little squishy precious baby?” he was asking one of them, wiggling his pointer finger at it.

“You,” Janus growled stepping up to him.

He turned and tilted his head at Janus with a frown. “Um, me?” he asked, pointing to his chest, all sorts of innocent, but Janus could see a spot of hidden amusement in his eyes.

“Where is it?”

His eyebrows drew together, but it was an act. It was clearly an act! “Where is what?”

“The…” he glanced around them at the people surrounding them. “Thing you just took.”

“I didn’t take anything,” Pat said with a frown.

 “Oh, no,” Janus said. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fooling me twice is not an option.”

“I’m sorry sir,” Pat said. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bull. Shit.”

Just then, Remus jogged into the tent. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“It’s him,” Janus said pointing. “He took it. He has it.”

“I… don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pat said. He looked over to Remus with a confused frown.

Remus looked at Janus. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Janus said. “It’s him. It has to be him. He’s the mask guy.”

Remus squinted at Pat. “He is?”

“Whoever you think I am, I’m not. I haven’t worn a mask all night. I just did the face paint,” he pointed to his cheeks.

 Remus raised his wrist and his timepiece lit up green. He looked at Janus.

“I lost sight of him for five seconds. He must have stashed it somewhere,” Janus said. He turned on Pat. “Where did you put it?”

“…Are you,” Pat asked, his eyes going back and forth between Janus and Remus, “… the police?”

“We are, actually,” Khalid said as she stepped into the tent. Remus must have called her. She inserted herself between Janus and Pat. “Agent Khalid,” she said, offering a hand with a smile. Pat looked at it in surprise and then smiled back hesitantly as he took it. “Apologizes, one of the big game prizes was stolen by someone matching your description. Would you mind coming down to security for questioning? Just to clear it up.”

 “Oh,” Pat said, hesitant. Janus expected him to refuse outright, but then he said. “Uh, sure.”

“Thank you very much, Mr…”

“Jonas,” Pat told her earnestly. “Do I need to be handcuffed?”

“No,” Khalid said. Janus frowned at her, but she ignored him. “It’s just a talk for now.” She gestured to the tent entrance. “Come with us.”

He did without argument, and Remus and Janus followed behind the both of them. Khalid did not lead them back to the base, but to a little spot that said “security” near the center of the event. Remy was already there waiting for them at a desk.

 “Remy, would you please take Mr. Jonas to go sit down?” she asked.

“Sure, boss,” Remy said, standing up. He led Pat away.

Khalid turned to Janus and Remus once they were out of earshot. “What is going on?”

“It’s the mask man,” Janus said, “the one from 1923, and my scanner said the time bomb was on the Millenia Bird outside the games entrance, but then it was gone the next second, and I saw him, and then he ran away.”

“So, does he have it on him?”

“No. I lost sight of him, and he must have stored it somewhere, but I know he took it.”

10264

“He’s the man from 1923?” she asked.

“Yes! Remus, that’s him, right? You recognize him.”

“Well,” Remus said thoughtfully. “He was in a mask, and it was dark in the room with the necklace. Other than that, I only really saw his back, and he was wearing pants. Mr. Jonas is wearing a dress, so I can’t really tell if their asses match.”

“Okay, but I was with him for hours. I swear it’s him, and I swear he took it,” Janus just about shouted.

“We’ll question him,” Khalid placated, “and Fred and Lena will keep looking in the meantime.”

 “He knows where it is,” Janus insisted. “I swear.”

“Okay,” Khalid said, before leaving to follow where Remy and Pat had gone. She stopped Janus with a hand on his shoulder. “I think Remus and I will do the interrogation.” He opened his mouth to argue. “You know the most about him, so observe from the sidelines and see if he makes any mistakes that indicate you’re right.”

“That’s just to placate me and you know it.”

“Observation’s over there,” she said pointing.

He got a thumbs up from Remus as he walked by, and Janus glared at his back before walking off to the indicated location.

 He watched as Remus and Khalid entered the room, and Remy left it. Remy joined him in the observation room after leaving and leaned against the wall.

Pat was sitting at a table and watched Remus and Khalid with that same rubbish placid confusion that he had before. “So,” Khalid said, “Mr. Jonas.”

“You can call me Nick,” Pat interrupted.

“Lia,” Khalid replied. He smiled at her happily. “So, are you enjoying your day?” she asked.

“I am!” he replied. “It’s a big day. You only get to see the turn of a millennia once in your life.”

“Ah, yes,” Khalid said. “Doing anything special for it?”

 “Um, not really,” he said. “Other than the party. I’m going to meet up with my roommates after dinner. Kevin doesn’t like this sort of thing, and Joe couldn’t come.”

“Your roommates,” Khalid said, considering him. “Do you live around here?”

“Uh huh,” Pat replied.

“Do you have any ID?”

“I do, want me to get it?”

“If you wouldn’t mind.”

Pat unzipped one of the bubbles on his waist and handed her a chip. “Remus, would you mind going out and getting the ID scanner?” she asked, even though her timepiece would be able to read it.

“Ah, shit,” Remy said. “Props. What do those things even look like?”

 As Remy scrambled to find something that would pass for an ID reader so “Nick” didn’t get suspicious of Khalid using her timepiece, Janus watched the two alone in the room like a hawk.

“I see you’re wearing a dress inspired by the 2770s,” Khalid noted, as Remus came to stand next to him.

“Yeah!” Pat replied. “Joe made it for me. He’s really good at fashion design!”

“Can I see?” she asked.

With a happy smile, he reached over the table to let her get a look of the sleeves. Janus saw her subtly scan the fabric, probably to make sure it was from the 2990s and not actually from the 2770s. Considering she didn’t mention it, Janus assumed it checked out.

 Remy came back with some sort of device then and handed it to Remus who saluted and wandered back into the interrogation room. Khalid pretended to scan the ID in her hand. She handed it back to him without comment. “So, you said you live with your roommates: Joe and Kevin?” she asked.

“Yep!” he replied. “We’re practically like brothers.”

“Would you mind calling them?”

“Erm,” he titled his head like he was confused by the question. “Well, like I said, Joe is a bit busy, but I could definitely call Kevin.

“Here,” Khalid said, “use my phone.”

“I have my own,” he said with a frown.

“Humor me,” she requested.

“Uh, okay,” Pat agreed. He took the offered 2999 phone and dialed a number on it. Khalid reached over to put it on speaker.

“Hello?” a voice asked after a few seconds.

“Um, hey Kevin, it’s Nick.”

There was a sigh on the other end. “Hello Nick, is something wrong? Why are you calling me from someone else’s phone?”

“I’m fine, I think.” He looked up at Khalid. “Why am I calling him exactly?”

“Hello, I’m Officer Khalid,” Khalid said. “I just wanted to confirm that you are Nick Jonas’s roommate, and he does live in Manaus.”

“Yes, we live together with our other roommate,” the man replied flippantly. “Officer? Is something wrong?”

“I believe there was just a case of mistaken identity,” Khalid said.

“Bullshit there was!” Janus hissed, though she could not hear him.

“No need to worry,” Khalid continued.

“I’m good Kevin,” Pat said.

“Are you absolutely sure?” Kevin asked.

“Don’t be Paranoid, Kevin. I’ll see you Tonight for the New Years Celebration. You know I Live to Party.”

“I am hanging up now,” Kevin said.

“No! Comeback.” The line went dead. Pat handed the device back to Khalid.

She took it and smiled at him. “Give us just a couple of minutes,” she requested. He nodded easily, and she and Remus exited the interrogation room. “I… think we’re done here,” Khalid said.

“No, he’s lying,” Janus insisted, and got a dubious look in return. “I know he is! Remus!”

“The alibi is pretty solid…” Remus said, “and he doesn’t have the bomb on him.”

“Oh, come on,” Janus said. “You can’t say there is nothing fishy going on here.”

Khalid and Remus shared a look. “Janus,” Khalid said. “I respect your intuition. It is usually very good, but you have been a bit intense about the man from the 1920s, and I think that may be blinding you a bit...”

“I am not imagining this!” Janus said. “That’s him and he took it.”

“You only met him once while he was wearing a mask,” Khalid pointed out with a frown, “and you didn’t see him take the bomb, did you?”

“No, but he looked at me and I knew,” Janus argued. They both gave him a skeptical look. “Oh, come on!”

“You know that’s a little weak, Jan,” Remus said.

“Let me talk to him,” Janus requested. “Just give me five minutes to talk with him.”

Khalid raised one eyebrow. “Fine,” she agreed. “You have five minutes, but after that, you have to let it go. We can’t waste any more time.”

 Chapter 8

Pat looked up as Janus stepped into the interrogation room. “Hi,” he said with an innocent smile that could cut steal.

Janus didn’t say a word as he took a seat; he just watched him intently. He leaned slightly over the table and steepled his fingers in front of his chin. “So, your name is Nick this time?” Janus asked.

“Nicholas Jonas,” he said. “Always has been.”

“Stop it,” Janus said.

“Stop what?”

“Cut the crap. I know.”

Pat leaned forward, mirroring Janus as he leaned closer, interlocking his fingers and laying his chin on top of his knuckles. “What did you say your name was again?” he asked, pleasantly.

 “Janus,” Janus replied.

“No, I’m Jonas,” he said, pointing to his chest.

“Not Jonas,” Janus spat. “Janus.”

“Um,” Pat said, eyes alight with amusement. The bastard. “Those are the same words.”

“No, they’re not. It’s Janus. J-A-N-U.-S.”

“Well, that’s confusing,” Pat said with a frown, but his nose was crinkling. “It’s close to my name. You should go by a nickname instead.”

“What?” Janus said. “No.”

Pat hummed. “How about Love Bug?”

“What! No!” Janus sputtered, almost flipping the table, as Pat winked at him.

“BB Good?”

“What does that even mean?!”

“Mandy.”

“No!”

“Okay, okay, how about Macy Misa.”

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Janus stared at him for a moment. “Fine. Whatever. What was I even talking about?”

“Hmm. I Believe we were talking about my name and how you think it’s not my name.”

“Right,” Janus said. “So, Nick. That was your roommate, Kevin on the phone, right? He seemed a bit unhappy with you. Any reason?”

“Nah, we’re Cool” said Pat. “That’s Just the Way We Roll.”

“Not because you’re messing up a mission right now?”

Pat’s eyes crinkled together. “A mission?” he parroted. “I’m not messing up a mission.”

“Oh, really?” Janus growled. “Because you’ve been captured by the TPI, and I know who you are and what you’ve been doing.”

“I have no idea what the TPI is,” he claimed.

“Yes, you do!” Janus said, standing up. “You obviously do! Or you wouldn’t be playing this game!”

 “Game?” Pat asked. “Macy I ask you what you’re talking about.”

“This is all just a game to you isn’t it!” Janus said, slamming his hands down on the table in front of them.

“Whoa,” Pat said, putting his hands up. “Calm down. Your face is getting all red. You must be Burnin’ Up.”

“I’m not sure what, but something about what you just said pisses me off.”

“And that is five minutes,” Khalid said, bursting into the room. He felt a tug on the back of his shirt and glared back at Remus who was putting his own body between Janus and Pat.

 “There was no way that was five minutes,” Janus growled.

“It was five minutes,” Khalid gritted out. “Remus, get him out of here.”

“Come on Jay,” Remus said, dragging him back towards the door.

“Remus, I swear to god.”

“Just chill, Janus,” Remus said, slamming the door closed behind them.

Janus shrugged him off. “You chill!” he snapped. “He’s playing you all for the fool.”

“Wow, Macy,” Remy drawled like an asshole. “I’ve never seen you so fired up.”

“Oh, my gosh. No one is going to believe me, and he’s going to get away with this.”

“You’re not really helping your case, babe,” Remy said.

 Remus grabbed him by the shoulders again. “Here, let’s go get some water.”

“I don’t want water,” he said even as he let Remus lead him to another room to get a glass of water.

“Look,” Remus said. “I know the Mask Guy thing really sucked, but you have to look at the facts.

“I am looking at the facts,” Janus insisted, “and the facts are, he’s fucking with me.”

“You don’t know what mask guy looks like,” Remus said. “You didn’t see Nick take the time bomb, he has an ID from this time period and a roommate in this time he called on the phone, and he legitimately seems to not know what any of us are talking about.”

 “Did you even listen to our conversation?” Janus asked. “He was screwing with me the entire time!”

“Janus…” Remus said.

“What?” Janus said, narrowing his eyes at Remus’s tone.

“I know you recently had a bad experience, but not everyone who flirts with you is doing it out of evil.”

Janus’s mouth hung open for a few seconds. “That’s what you got out of our conversation?”

“He called you Love Bug.”

Janus felt his face heat a bit at the reminder. “That’s not… I. I’m stealing your cat and then never speaking to you again.”

Remus laughed. “Ah,” he said. “Young lust.”

Janus elbowed him roughly in the side. “No!”

“Yes!” he crooned, pleased.

 “You are the worst partner,” Janus hissed. “When I’m right you owe me 10 loafs of your fresh bread.”

“Branching out from poptarts?” Remus asked.

Janus shook his head. He still wasn’t happy about the state of things, but he could feel himself cooling down a bit.

Khalid came out of the integration room after a few minutes, leaving Pat with Remy. “What was that?” she asked him.

“He got under my skin,” Janus said.

“We’ll talk about it later,” she said. “For now, we’re letting him go and then going back to looking for the bomb like we’re meant to be.”

 “Fine,” Janus relented. “Just do me the favor of tagging him before he leaves. Just that. I beg of you.”

“Sure,” she agreed. “If it will calm you down.”

He nodded.

“Then, let’s go,” she said. When they met back up with Remy and Pat, he saw Khalid make the subtle gesture that would tag Pat like they would have for the Millennium Birds. Pat sent him what could pass as a sweet smile if Janus didn’t know better. Then, they walked him outside, leaving Remy on clean-up duty for the make-shift security office.

“So, I’m free to go?” Pat asked. His bemused expression edged far too much on the side of amused verses confused for Janus’s taste.

 “You are,” Khalid said. “Have fun at the festivities.”

His hands went flapping about. “Oh, you too!” he said. “Well, I guess you’re working, but you can have fun anyway, I’m sure.”

“We’ll do our best,” she said.

He gave her a blinding smile and reached forward to shake her hand enthusiastically. Janus rolled his eyes and looked up at the heavens. “It was nice to meet you!” he said, “and you too, Remus!” He turned to meet Janus’s eyes. “Macy Misa.”

Janus pressed his lips together.

Then, Pat turned and walked away.

“Well, now that we’re done with that,” Khalid said, turning to them. “We have only a few more hours before midnight and we really need to find the time bomb.

 “Oh,” Pat called. He’d paused a few yards away and turned back to them. “Thanks for letting me go so easily by the way,” he said, “and just in the Nick,” he winked, “of time too.” Janus narrowed his eyes at him. He smiled back. “Wrist check,” he said holding up his arm to show off the timepiece there. Khalid immediately looked down at her own wrist just to see that the one timepiece that could move through the time lock was no longer there. Pat made a gesture and disappeared.

All three of them stared at the spot he’d been for a long moment.

Janus was the one to speak first. “I want. The yellow. To be erased. From my record.”

 Chapter 9

Khalid immediately called everyone back to base.

“What happened?” asked Fred when he and Lena arrived. The tech people were already scrambling to get through to the TPI and get the time lock broken from the outside.

“Remus, Remy, and Khalid got played by Pat or whatever his name is. It certainly isn’t Nick. He was just setting up a joke,” Janus told him.

“Stop being smug,” Remy said. “It’s not a good look for you.”

“Pat is…?” Lena asked.

“They guy who fucked me over in 1923,” Janus said, “and is currently in the middle of fucking us all over because he stole the pin timepiece, and by extrapolation, probably the time bomb too.”

 “It will be fine,” said Khalid, “because what he doesn’t know is that timepiece has a tracker on it. Wherever and whenever he went, we’ll have his coordinates.”

“Speaking of,” one of the techies said. “It’s about to break. You might want to hold onto something.” Janus grabbed for a support beam next to him as the techie put a device on the ground in the center of the base. It blinked once, twice, and on the third blink the ground rumbled. There were sounds of panicked yelps outside. The fail safe for the time lock was not nearly as gentle as ending it correctly.

 Everything settled after a few moments, and they all straightened themselves out. Janus’s timepiece buzzed to indicate it was now functioning normally. Khalid had returned her usual timepiece to her wrist and now used it to open a display they could all see. “The pin timepiece’s closest time/space coordinates are…” she trailed off. “Right outside?” She frowned. “That’s strange. Why would he still be here?” She turned to march outside, following the coordinates to a trash can. She pulled the pin timepiece out and stared at it. “Fuck,” she said.

“What just happened?” Remy asked.

“He ticked us,” Janus said. “Again.”

 “He was stuck in the time lock,” Khalid said. “That’s why he got our attention. He couldn’t leave with the time bomb unless he had the pin timepiece or we broke the time lock. Apparently, he’s smart enough to know that if he took the pin timepiece away from here, we’d probably be able to find him, but he knew we’d break the lock as soon as the pin went missing. So, he must have stashed his own timepiece and went back in time within the time lock to grab it while we were distracted with the past version of him. As soon as the time lock went down, I imagine he left.”

 “Probably with the time bomb,” Janus said.

“Probably with the time bomb,” she confirmed.

And everyone knew the only thing worse than a time bomb was a time bomb you didn’t know the location of.

They evacuated after that, of course, and time locked the location once they were out just in case they were wrong, but midnight 3000 struck without thousands of people dying in Brazil, so the time bomb had defiantly been removed from then.

The, they initiated a time travel lockdown for all nonessentials, not willing to let random history students get caught up in an explosion if Pat decided to set the thing off somewhere.

 Then, it was a matter of figuring out everything they could about ‘Pat.’ First, they checked the tracker data as Khalid had tagged him with one of the Millennium Bird trackers. It wouldn’t work outside of the zone they’d set up that day, but the record would show his behavior during the time lock after he’d escaped with the pin timepiece.

There had been many little green dots on the map that day as Fred and Lena had actually been doing the job they’d set out to do, but most of those were running around in the south. There had been one green dot, however, that appeared suddenly in the game area about 10 minutes before the time bomb had been stolen.

 They could see Janus’s yellow dot almost brush his when he’d been chasing the earlier Pat down, around when he’d lost him briefly. The earlier Pat must have all but handed it off to his future self.

“He doubled back,” Remus commented when they watched the recorded data. It was a ballsy move and one that most people balked at, because there were inherent dangers any time you interacted with yourself from a different point in the timestream. It was ripe for paradoxes. It made everyone at the agency even more worried, because if he was willing to risk that, then what else was he willing to do?

 Because of the lockdown of all nonessential time travel, people working for the TPI were not allowed to go home for the night. They were allowed to pick up anyone or anything dependent on them for care like kids and pets if there wasn’t someone in their home time to care for them, but other than that, they were unfortunately all sleeping in their offices for the foreseeable future.

“You are the only tolerable one,” Janus told the cat who upon being let loose in the office by Remus, immediately jumped on Janus’s lap.

“I have literally done nothing to you,” Lena said, but then added. “Yet.”

 “You exist. In my space.”

“Can’t we just all get along?” asked Fred. “It’s only been an hour past when we’d usually go home. I went and grabbed milk and I have my giant thing of different flavored hot chocolate under my desk. We can try them all and vote on which is better.”

“Fuck your hot chocolate, Fred,” Janus growled, having been one of the three who had chipped in to buy it for him on his last birthday.

“Don’t go after Fred, jackass,” Lena spat.

“He’s just testy because his boyfriend escaped,” Remus contributed.

Janus’s lips turned down into a frown and he cupped Diesel Fuel’s face. “We agree we’re eating him first, right?” he asked her.

 She purred her agreement.

“I’d have it no other way,” Remus replied.

“There is plenty of food,” Fred said, sounding stressed. “In fact, I was thinking we should all chip in on ordering take-out soon. “What does everyone like on pizza?”

“This is not a slumber party, Fred,” Janus pointed out.

“Shut it,” Lena snapped and turned to Fred. “I’m fine with almost everything, except…”

“Bananas and tuna salad!” Remus interrupted.

“…whatever Remus is about to say.”

Janus rolled his eyes as that started a debate about whether or not fruit and/or fish belonged on pizza. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, which was when there was a knock on the door.

 He froze when he heard the familiar voice. “Hello, hello,” said Emile, cheerfully. Janus looked up to see Emile standing at the open office door. Shit. Apparently, the man had decided to give up on sending lackeys to come fetch him and had decided to track him down himself when Janus couldn’t even escape without breaking a time lockdown. They met eyes briefly and Janus could see irritation if not anger in his eyes despite his otherwise cheerful expression and tone.

“Janus,” he said when he’d gotten their attention. “I’d like to have dinner with you.” The word choice told Janus everything he needed to know. Usually Emile was careful with how he said things to make sure people knew they had a choice. Typically he’d say something like, “I was wondering if you’d have time to have dinner with me tonight,” or “I’m about to go get food, would you like to come?” Today, there was no choice in the statement.

 Janus still dried to dodge anyway. “Uh,” he said. “We were actually about to order pizza.”

“Go ahead,” said Fred kindly. Janus wanted to strangle him. “We can order pizza with olives if you’re not here.”

“I…” said Janus. “Guess, I’ll be going with you.”

“Great!” Emile said. “Let’s go.”

“Oh,” Janus said. “Uh, now?”

“Now,” Emile said a bit of uncharacteristic steel to his tone.

 Well, Janus was screwed. He swallowed his nervousness and got to his feet, taking Diesel Fuel with him. He turned to hand her off to Remus with a plea in his eye, but he just got an eyebrow raise in return. Traitor.

Then, he followed Emile out of the office door. “What would you like to eat?” asked Emile.

“Uh,” Janus said. “I don’t know. You asked me to eat, don’t you have any ideas?”

“I don’t actually,” Emile replied. Right.

“…Noddle Bar?” Janus threw out the nearest restaurant he knew.

“The one noodle restaurant? Sure,” Emile answered simply. They walked side by side out of the front doors of the TPI building. Janus actually couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken these stairs. He usually used his timepiece to get in and out.

 The noodle bar was only moderately busy at this time. They were quickly able to find a table near the back and Emile pulled his menu up in front of him. Emile hummed as he flipped through the different displays. “What are you having?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Janus said, only then pulling up the menu himself, but still not quite looking at it.

“What about the fortune noodles,” Emile suggested.

Janus shook his head. “I don’t like those,” he said.

Emile glanced at him through the menu displays. “You used to.” Fortune noodles were a bit cheekily named. They didn’t actually indicate anything about your future. They were just supposed to taste like what you wanted from your future. A grad student might experience a feeling like they’d just aced a paper. A child that they got to stay up an hour later that night. Janus had liked the experience when he was younger, but in recent years, he’d begun to taste the underlying chemicals in the dish until that’s all he could.

 “Well,” Emile said lightly, eyes on his menu. “That makes me even more worried for your mental health than I already was because of the almost three years of you avoiding talking to me.”

“No small talk, huh?” Janus asked.

“Forgive me,” Emile said, eyes now focused on Janus, and tone much darker. “How has your life been since I last saw your face 5 months ago during a business meeting and you refused to look me in the eye? Anything interesting happen? Shave your head and let it all regrow? Develop an allergy to peanuts? Join a convent and take an oath of silence that you only just broke today?”

“No,” said Janus quietly into the table.

 “Great,” Emile said clipped. “Small talk over. Order your food.” Janus reached up blindly to select the first thing that came up on the food and drink menu as Emile punched something into his own and both menu displays disappeared, meaning there was nothing between their faces anymore. “You know, I was willing to give you a year,” Emile said. “I was willing to let you deal with it on your own because I thought eventually, you’d come talk to me about it, but apparently I was mistaken. The next year, I thought maybe you thought I didn’t want to talk to you, so I subtly made myself available, and you never took me up on the offer. I thought maybe I was just not being clear, and I should make my desire to talk to you more explicit, but as you have been routinely, clearly avoiding me at every single turn, I’ve decided I’ve had enough. So, let’s lay it all on the table. Is it me or do you need help?”

 Janus closed his eyes. “It’s not you.”

“Then you need help,” Emile concluded.

Janus shook his head.

“Yes,” Emile snapped. “Whatever this is has gone on far too long.”

Janus stood up and slammed his hand down on the table. “And it’s going to keep going on!” he said. The food popped up at that moment. It appeared Janus had ordered lasagna and bubble tea, and Emile had ordered something with spaghetti and a fizzy drink.

“So, you’re just planning to go on being miserable then?” Emile asked, and Janus wasn’t sure if it was worse or better that he didn’t sound angry anymore.

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Janus slapped his hand down on the “To Go” button and his dinner was insta-wrapped by the table. “Yes,” he said.

“What exactly do you think you’re paying penance for, Janus?” Emile asked.

“You wouldn’t understand,” Janus said, paying for both of their meals with his fingerprint.

“That’s a cop out and you know it,” Emile said. “All you’d have to do is talk to me. Or even just talk to someone else. Please.”

“Just…” Janus said, grabbing his bag of food to avoid looking at him. “Just, leave me be.” He walked out of the noodle shop without another word.

 Chapter 10

“And I thought Remus was going to be the most disgusting roommate in this equation,” Lena grumbled. Janus and Lena were apparently the earlier risers in the group as Fred was still curled up around a pillow and Remus was sprawled out under his desk.

Janus flipped her off.

“Protein infused Poptarts and caffeinated orange juice for breakfast?” she asked. “Just eat an energy bar and have a cup of coffee like a normal person.”

He took another pointed bite of his Poptart.

“You’re a horrible roommate. This is why they gave us different partners.”

“Yeah, well you snore, asshole,” Janus said after finishing off his meal.

 “I’d tell you to go eat shit, but you already did that once this morning.”

A pillow flew across the room and somehow managed to hit the both of them. “S’op fighting,” Fred mumbled. “It’s sleep time.”

“It’s morning Fred,” Lena said.

“No,” Fred mumbled.

Janus ignored them, turning back to his integration port to continue to keep plugging in phrases of interest, but he kept getting nothing.

“What are you doing?” Lena asked after a few moments of him huffing at his screen reader.

“Trying to do anything that may change our current living arrangements.”

She puffed out an amused breath. “Can I help?”

 “Can you see any connection between these words and phrases?” he asked, pulling away his screen reader and tapping at the words he’d typed out.

“Paranoid, tonight, I live to party, comeback, love Bug, BB good, Mandy, Macy Misa, I believe, cool, that’s just the way we roll, burnin’ up,” she said. “What are these?”

“They’re things Pat said when we interrogated that struck me funny,” Janus explained. “I feel like he was saying something more than what he said.”

“Hmm,” she said. “PTI for the first three?”

“Maybe,” Janus agreed, “but what about the rest of it? I feel like I’m missing something.”

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“Millennia,” Remus mumbled from under his desk. Janus hadn’t been aware he was awake. “He said something something about it being the only time he could see the change of the millennia.” He turned his head to look at Janus. “Considering he’s a time traveler, that’s definitely a weird thing to say.”

“Millennia,” Janus contemplated. “A different turn of the millennia. Oh no.”

“What?” Lena asked.

Janus sighed, and rubbed his temple. “I know someone who studied the 1700-2200s.”

“Isn’t that good?”

“No,” Janus groaned, “because now I have to go talk to him.” He stood with a sigh and then paused. “How do I even get to Silver Mountains University without my timepiece?”

 Luckily Sliver Mountains ended up only being about an hour away from the TPI by time adherent travel, but considering Janus was used to his travel being instantaneous, it was an aggravating trip. He had to show ID and be buzzed up to the fourth floor since it was usually locked to everyone not traveling by timepiece or who worked in the office.

The receptionist was the same man as before. “I’m here to speak to Professor Eran,” Janus said.

The receptionist nodded. “He mentioned you asked to meet him but didn’t know when you’d arrive. He’ll be done teaching his class in about 5 minutes. You can wait over there.”

 Janus nodded and sat, waiting for time to slowly tick by. Virgil arrived after a few minutes, lugging a giant bag with him. He caught sight of Janus and wordlessly jerked his head towards the hallway. Janus followed him.

“What’s in the bag?” Janus asked.

“Early 21st century cell phones,” Virgil said, dropping it on his desk. “I let my students mess around with them for their lab.”

“I see,” Janus said.

“What did you need?” Virgil asked. “You said it was official business.”

“You’ve heard about the lockdown, I presume,” Janus said.

“Yeah, it really screws up my research schedule for the summer,” Virgil said.

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“Do you know why the lockdown was instituted?” Janus asked. Virgil shook his head, so Janus explained briefly that they had been trying to find a timebomb on the eve of the year 3000, but it had been swiped by a free agent time traveler. “Some of the things seemed to be references to things that I couldn’t place, and I was wondering if you would recognize any.”

“Shoot,” Virgil requested, seeming intrigued by the prospect.

“Okay,” Janus said. “First, the alias he was using was Nick Jonas.” A weird expression crossed Virgil’s face immediately and Janus paused.

“You said the year 3000?” Virgil asked.

 “Er. Yes.”

“Nick Jonas. Year 3000,” Virgil repeated with a snort. “Were Joe and Kevin a part of this too?”

Janus blinked. “Yes, how did you know that?”

“Yo-you’re going to have,” his sentence was broken by a giggle, and actual full-fledged giggle, “have to give me a minute.” With that, he sort of listed to the side and seemed to purposefully fall off his chair onto the floor under his desk.

Janus blinked and when he didn’t surface after a moment, he stood up to lean over the desk and look down at him. Virgil had his arm thrown over his beat red face, as he shook from what Janus thought was suppressed laughter.

 “What?” Janus asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Just…” Virgil said, sobbing through his laughter. “Just tell me the things he said.”

“Er, mostly he just had weird inflections on words and phrases. There was ‘paranoid, tonight, I live to party, comeback…’”

“Wait, stop,” Virgil said. “Let me guess a few. That’s Just the Way We Roll, Burnin’ Up, Sucker.”

“The first two were, but not the last one.”

Virgil laughed. “Maybe the last one was just implied.”

Janus frowned down. “What are you talking about? What does this all mean?”

Virgil pulled himself out from under his desk and grabbed his bag of phones. He dug through it for a few seconds before pulling one out and handing it to Janus. “I have a lab for my students where they get preloaded phones from the early 21st century and are supposed to guess the demographics of the person who owns it. This one is an iPhone 3 meant to belong to a pre-teen to teenage girl from the year 2009. Look under music artists starting with the letter ‘J.’”

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Confused, Janus scrolled through the old style phone, finding the music app and opening it easily. Upon getting to the ‘J’s, he immediately paused on an artist called the ‘Jonas Brothers.’ He clicked on it and read a few of the song titles. They weren’t all there, but…

“That rat bastard,” Janus said.

“Scroll to the bottom,” Virgil said. Janus did and found a song titled ‘Year 3000.’

“You’re kidding me.”

“Click on it,” Virgil requested.

Janus did, listening to the fairly standard pop like intro from the time period. It wasn’t until he got to the lyrics saying, ‘He told me he built a time machine’ that he cursed, understanding exactly what Pat had been doing. When the singer a few lines latter proclaimed that his neighbor said ‘I’ve been to the year 3000’ he almost smashed the artifact to pieces right then and there.

“I have no idea who this guy is,” Virgil said, “but he’s a comedic genius.”

 Chapter 11

Khalid caught him on his way back into the TPI building. “I heard you went to Silver Mountains to follow up on a lead,” she said.

“Yeah, but it was garbage,” he seethed. “All I learned was ‘Pat’ knows early 2000s popular culture and likes to fuck with us.”

She hummed. “I’d still like a report about whatever you found. Who knows what we might end up getting from seemingly inconsequential data.”

“Sure,” he said.

“Anyway,” she continued. “I have a mission for you.”

“We’re on lockdown,” Janus pointed out with a frown.

“For nonessentials,” she said. “This is essential.”

 “What happened?” Janus asked.

“We picked up a small time distortion in France 2027. At the moment, it is small enough not to cause any disruptions, but it is slowly growing, and we don’t know what caused it. Usually we’d just send surveillance agents at this stage, but considering what’s going on, I think it would be best to send a field agent. And it would just be you, because we don’t want to send too many people out at once.”

“Is this related to the time bomb?” Janus asked.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “At the very least, it’s not it being set off as it was in 2999, but if it’s been altered for some other purpose…”

 “I’ll go,” Janus said.

“I’ll send over the mission directive to everyone who needs it. You’ll go in around 3 hours.”

He nodded. “I’ll be ready,” he agreed.

In less then 3 hours, he was dressed for 2027 France and in decontamination. “Well,” he said out loud when he was given the all clear sign, “I hope I don’t explode.” He selected the coordinates on the timepiece and the next moment he was in a small alleyway in the city of Montpellier, France in 2027.

It was a little bit warm, but not stifling even in the mid-afternoon and he could faintly smell the sea on the breeze.

 After a moment to get his bearings, Janus made his way out of the alleyway and onto a small street. The street was lined with restaurants and shops as people went about their daily lives. He carefully integrated himself into the crowd and began weaving his way through them. He needed to find the source of the distortion but doing a quick scan with his timepiece told him there wasn’t any sign of it yet. He’d have to wait for it to act up.

For now, he decided to get slightly away from people by heading towards the river. He found a park that had benches along water.

 As he walked towards the river, he noticed a man on the bench, angled slightly away from Janus and looking out at the water. He immediately recognized the man. “You!” he exclaimed.

Pat’s head shot around to look at him, and he gave a slight head tilt. Then, he smiled, amused. “You are not the person I’m here for,” he said.

“Well, I am now,” Janus snapped. “Where’s the time bomb?”

“Time bomb?” Pat asked, eyebrows drawing together, but amusement on his lips. “Oh sweetie, the time bomb happened a long time ago for me.”

“What?” Janus asked.

“Oh, you’re just a baby,” Pat laughed. “Don’t you get it yet? The two of us are out of sync timeline wise. You’ve been apparently running around with a much younger version of me, but all of that happened quite a while ago for me. Don’t worry though, it gets better.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The time bomb has been long deactivated. Here,” he reached into his pocket and tossed him something. Janus caught it on instinct. “Proof. Don’t worry, we took all of the dangerous bits out years ago from my perspective.” It was the core of a time bomb, the time bomb Pat had stolen if he was to be believed. “You can tell your people it’s safe to remove the lockdown.”

Janus curled his fingers around it. “I don’t get it.”

Something on Pat’s wrist beeped and he looked at it curiously before he stood from the bench, “and I don’t have time to explain it.”

Janus jerked forward to grab his wrist. “Don’t you dare.”

Pat reached up to pat his face. “Don’t worry honey, you’ll be seeing me later.” He twisted his wrist and a small electric current sparked between them. Janus jerked his hand away, and Pat smiled at him. “Or… earlier.” He winked, and then he was gone.

Janus cursed, but he didn’t have more than a moment to be angry because in the next second there was a yelp, and something landed on top of him. He was bowled over into a tangle of limbs and pained noises.

“Oh my god, we need to figure out the height thing,” a familiar voice groaned, just as Janus managed to pull himself away. Pat blinked up at him and his eyes narrowed. “You,” he hissed.

“…What?”

 Pat jumped to his feet, leaving Janus on the ground in front of him. “What are you doing here?” he spat, his tone much different then the one he’d been using a moment earlier. His hair was longer than it had been before, and if Janus looked closely, he did seem like he was a couple of years younger suddenly. Out of sync timelines. I’ll see you earlier. Holy shit.

He was suddenly very glad he’d been forced to let the other Pat (the older Pat?) go, else they’d have a whole thing on their hands.

“What are you doing here?” was Janus’s retort as he stood up and dusted himself off.

 “It’s none of your business,” Pat told him.

“It is my business,” Janus said, “because for all I know, you are the cause of the time distortions I’m after. Considering that I doubt you have a license for that,” he waved at the odd looking timepiece of Pat’s wrist, “it’s very possible.”

“What are you?” Pat asked, “the time police.”

“Yes.”

Pat dared to roll his eyes, but then he tilted his head slightly. “Time distortions?” he asked.

“Yes, that’s why I’m here.”

He still had a confused frown on his face. Did… did he not know what a time distortion was?

 Just then there was a sudden flash of lightening through the sky despite the absolutely lack of clouds. He and Pat both looked up.

“Is that the time distortion?” Pat asked.

“It’s probably the beginning of it,” Janus said.

“That doesn’t look good,” Pat said as he squinted at the sky.

“Just wait,” Janus answered grimly. He looked at Pat. “Usually I’d arrest you on the spot,” he said, “but I’m alone for this one, and that is far more important at the moment. So, have a nice day doing whatever bullshit you are doing.” He glanced at his timepiece.

 Janus turned to walk away from him.

“Wait!” Pat exclaimed, and Janus turned back to him to see that his eyes were wide. Janus raised an eyebrow. “So, this time distortion thing is dangerous, right?”

“Depending on the severity, it could cause time to fracture around this place and time, basically erasing it from existence and killing everyone in it.”

“Well, in that case, I should go with you. To help.”

Janus looked him up and down. “You… have no idea what’s happening, do you? You’re an amateur.”

“I’m not,” he claimed. “I just. Pooling resources. You know?”

Janus sighed. “Well, you going around mucking about this time period without knowing what you’re doing could just exasperate the situation, so fine, you can tag along.”

“I know what I’m doing,” he grumbled even as he rushed to Janus’s side at the permission.

“Sure,” Janus said with an eyeroll. He guessed he was a babysitter now. “I believe you.”

 Chapter 12

There was something off about his readings. Clearly the time distortion was starting to pull at this place with the way the weather was flickering between storming and sunny, but he still couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact location of the source of it. He could, however, get that it must be somewhere on this side of the river more into the downtown area, so that’s the way he was walking, Pat close on his heels.

“What’s your name, by the way?” he asked.

Janus shot him a glare. “Elvis Presley,” he said.

Pat frowned, clearly knowing who that was. “There’s no reason to be mean.”

 “You did it to me first.”

“…Introduced myself as a famous musician?” he asked. Janus didn’t respond, and after a moment, Pat laughed lightly. “You really don’t understand time travel, do you?”

“Oh, yeah,” Janus said. “Name the three types of time distortions.”

“Just because I don’t know the names of things doesn’t mean I don’t understand them.” He stuck out his tongue. Janus was dealing with an actual toddler. “Unlike you who has a bunch of fancy words, but just caused a time loop.”

Janus scoffed. “I did not just cause a time loop.”

“Maybe not a big one,” Pat agreed, “but you did.”

 Janus raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never introduced myself to you with a musician’s name, but now you’ve told me that I will. So, at some point in the future I will have to, thereby making you think to say that now. Time loop.”

“That’s not… that doesn’t count.”

“Does too,” Pat claimed. “Like I have said once before and you may or may not have heard me say before, anything you do to me to get back at me for something I haven’t done yet, just causes whatever that is to happen in the first place.”

“But you’re still going to do it.”

 “Then take it up with future me. I haven’t done anything to you.” Then he paused and sighed. “…Which I guess means you’ve done nothing to me.” He seemed to mull this concept over for a long moment. “Well you were a bit crabby about me not knowing what a time distortion was, but I can forgive you for that.”

“And I’m supposed to forgive you?”

“Like I said,” Pat said. “I haven’t done anything yet.”

“You also haven’t done anything to endear yourself to me either,” Janus grumbled.

“Hmm,” Pat said. “Fine.” He pulled something out of his pocket. “You’re obviously not having much luck finding whatever you’re looking for. Tell me what it is and I’ll help.”

Janus squinted at what was in his hand. “Is that… an iPhone 5?”

“No!” he said. “It’s super-secret time travel tech disguised as an iPhone 5!”

“We’re in 2027,” Janus said. “Not a great disguise. Those things have been obsolete for a decade.”

“Well I’ll keep in mind to have my tech disguised as phones from the right year next time,” Pat said, sticking out his tongue. “Now what are we looking for?”

“If my timepiece can’t find it, I’m certain yours can’t.”

 Pat rolled his eyes and tapped on the device’s screen a couple of times. “I’m going to guess it’s that,” he said proudly.

Janus leaned over to look at the screen. “Are you using google maps?” he sputtered.

“It integrates time relevant data like traffic conditions and local weather warnings with time travel technology,” Pat explained. “Something seems to be going on in a museum a couple of blocks that way.”

“I…” Janus said. That was actually a really good idea, usually unnecessary with scouts observing that data beforehand, and Janus wasn’t sure how good the accuracy would be considering whatever was taking it into account was automated, but still a good idea. “Well, I guess since we have no other leads, we can check it out.”

 Pat looked far too proud for having only used a piece of tech that hadn’t even been confirmed as accurate. “Then, let’s go,” he said right as a chilly wind started to pick up and a couple of snowflakes began to fall around them. “Before that gets worse…”

Janus let Pat lead with his iPhone. Janus’s timepiece still wasn’t picking up a clear signal for some reason, but it seemed to point in the same general direction as Pat’s. Strangely though, as they got closer to their destination, the signal started to get fuzzier. Pat’s tech seemed unaffected leading them closer to the museum.

 When they got to the Musée Fabre museum, Janus stopped. “What?” Pat asked. He was shivering slightly in the cold and holding his arms around himself.

“My timepiece stopped working completely,” he said.

“I’m assuming that’s weird?” Pat said.

“It is,” Janus confirmed, turning to squint at him suspiciously. “How do I know you’re not the one doing it?”

“If I was doing it, wouldn’t I have just knocked it out from the get go?” Pat questioned.

Janus pursed his lips. “I don’t know,” he said. “Would you have? Maybe it’s a trick.”

Pat’s eyes narrowed a bit on him. “Think what you want, but I’m freezing. Come in with me if you want.”

 He dithered from a few moments before following Pat inside. Pat had already struck up a conversation with the woman charging admission into art museum. She was looking at him, her brow knit as he spoke. Janus nudged him away from her getting a confused glance from him in return. He shot a smile at the woman.

“Two adult passes for the museum and the Hotel Sabatier d’Espevran, please,” he said, placing down 14 euro.

“Ah,” she said, still looking at Pat oddly. “Yes sir.” She gave them the passes and Janus quickly shuffled Pat away.

“What is wrong with your French?” he hissed once they were out of earshot.

 “What?” he asked, bewildered.

“You sound like you’re reading Le Comte de Monte-Cristo. No one talks like that anymore.”

“I’m a little rusty,” Pat defended himself.

“Two centuries?” Janus asked. Pat stuck his tongue out like a child once again. “Is that your only way to respond to legitimate criticism?”

“What does it even matter anyway? No one ever expects time travel, at least not for something so silly.”

“It’s not silly,” Janus said. “It’s a legitimate issue. The wrong person who’s watched too much science fiction notices and you’re putting the timeline at risk. Not to mention if there are other time travelers around that aren’t as nice as me.”

 “Are there a lot of time travelers around?” Pat asked, sounding intrigued.

“There are plenty, both legal and not.”

“Huh,” he said, “but what are the chances we’ll run into another one?”

“Considering the time distortion? There could be many. Opportunists wanting to capitalize off the chaos, people trying to stop it, like me, and not to mention the person who caused it.”

“Wait, someone made it happen?” Pat asked.

“These things don’t just happen naturally.”

“Huh. So, something like this has to be caused by a person?”

“Yes,” Janus said. “…Why?”

Pat smiled. “No reason. I think we should head upstairs. Whatever I’m picking up says it’s around here, but I don’t see anything. Maybe it’s a floor or two above us.”

“Which is why it’s ridiculous to use Google Maps.”

 “Would you rather use yours?” he asked sweetly.

“I’m still not convinced it’s not your doing,” Janus growled. “Why does your tech still work when mine doesn’t?”

“Probably the same reason the ring did,” he muttered.

“What?”

“What?”

“You may be the most aggravating being in the universe.”

Pat glanced at him with a bit of a smirk. “I can’t tell you,” he said. “It would be a much bigger risk to the timeline than me speaking in French from the 1830s. But, I’m pretty sure the reason mine still works is just a software difference.”

“What the hell do you mean a software difference?”

 Pat opened his mouth, doubtlessly to supply him with yet another frustratingly cheeky and unhelpful answer. Yet, Pat did not have a chance to do so as, just as Janus stepped onto the second floor of the museum, the ground started to violently shake. Janus tried to turn to catch Pat as the other man’s foot slipped on the last step, but he couldn’t do so in time. Pat fell onto his hands and knees, sliding back a few steps and smacking his face into the stairs hard once and then a couple of times more after that as he slid.

 Chapter 13

The room stopped shaking after a moment. “Ow,” Pat said. He seemed a bit stunned but was still moving at least. He carefully maneuvered himself into a seating position. “Ouch. Owie.” He reached up to poke his own nose. “Ow!” Janus slapped his hand away when he got there. A bit of blood was already trickling from his nose and there was a small cut over his eye, but it wasn’t bleeding too much.

Janus pushed him so he was leaning slightly forward and produced a pack of time appropriate tissues from his pocket. He pulled one out of the package and offered it to him.

 He took it and pressed it up against his nose to try to stop the bleeding. He seemed mostly alright though Janus imagined he’d have plenty of bruises down the line. The power in the museum flickered and Janus looked up. Now that he was listening, he could hear people panicking in and out of the museum.

“We should probably get off of the stairs,” he suggested.

“Yeah,” Pat agreed. Janus helped him to his feet, and they climbed back up the steps. Janus looked around and found an employees only sign a few feet away. Usually he’d not risk that as it could get him into trouble he didn’t want to be in, but considering the earthquake that had just happened, he could probably play it off as panic.

 He ushered Pat into a small room and found a chair and table. He had Pat sit in the chair and pulled out another one of the tissues to dab at the blood coming from the cut over his eyes. “Here,” he said. “Hold that there. I’m going to go see if there are any bandages about.”

Pat took the tissue with the hand not already holding one to his nose. “Thanks,” he said.

Janus nodded and got to his feet. The lights flickered once again but didn’t stay off for now. He didn’t know how long that would last.

 He couldn’t see anything that might hold bandages in this room, but there was a second door. “I’ll be right back,” he told Pat, exiting through it.

The lights flickered once more as the door closed behind him and he cursed. When they came back up Janus’s eyes immediately fell on a man. They both froze.

“Remus!” Janus hissed the second their eyes met. “What are you doing here?”

Remus blinked at him for a moment. “Hi. Janus,” he said. “I… come to France for… tea sometimes?”

“There isn’t any tea back here.”

“So, there isn’t…” he said. There was a moment of silence. “Uh, so I actually cannot talk to you right now.”

 “What do you mean?” Janus asked. Remus grimaced in a way Janus had never seen from him before. It immediately set off alarm bells in Janus’s head. “Oh my god,” Janus said. “Oh my god. You’re not from the same time as me.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Remus mumbled.

“Holy shit, you’re looping?!”

“It’s… not looping if I wasn’t here the first time.”

“Remus, we spend more than 12 hours a day together most of the time. The only thing worse than this is if I looped back to this time myself.”

“…Yeah. Anyway, I need to leave now.”

“Please do.”

 He turned to go, but then stopped. “Oh, and,” he reached into his pocket and tossed something at Janus. Janus caught it.

It was Band-Aids.

“Oh, shit,” Janus spat at the clear use of foreknowledge. “I hate this. I hate you. I’m going to kill you the next time you see me.”

“Sure, Jan.”

“Go.”

He did, slipping into the next room while Janus took a deep breath and then turned back to the door behind him. He schooled his face before Pat looked up. “I found some Band-Aids.”

Pat nodded and Janus came over to squat next to him.

 Janus opened the box and Pat looked down. His eyes lit up with sudden joy so intense that Janus felt like he’d just gotten a punch to the gut. “Kitty Band-Aids!” he exclaimed. Janus bothered to actually look at the design on the container, only to note the cartoon cats on the front. Pat was almost vibrating off his seat. “Look they’re all so cute!” He grabbed the container from him to inspect the different designs printed on the back with glee even as a bit of blood was still trickling from his nose.

Janus took the box back gently and guided the wad of bloody Kleenexes back to his nose.

 “Which would you like?” Janus asked.

“Oh, they are all so cute,” Pat cooed. “Um, how about that one!” he pointed. “Or that one! Or that one!”

“Pat you only have one cut.”

“But they’re all so cute!” Pat said, tongue tucking into his cheek. He contemplated the box again. “Let’s do the black one,” he finally settled on.

Janus selected one of the Band-Aids with a black cat wrapped around a pink ball of yarn and staring back at them with wide green eyes. The think looked like it had partaken in one two many doses of catnip, but Janus didn’t mention that.

 Instead, he just carefully unstuck the backing from the Band-Aid and motioned for Pat to remove the tissue from his forehead. He smiled at Janus as he drew back.

Janus cleared his throat. “How’s the nose.”

“It’s slowing down,” Pat replied. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Janus replied. They met eyes for a second before Pat looked away back at the box of Band-Aids.

“Oh,” Pat said. “There’s a grey one. I didn’t notice.” He pointed to it. “I should have used that one.”

“Do you like grey cats?” Janus asked.

“I like all kitties,” he said, “but one of my roommates loves grey cats. He had one when he was a kid and thinks of them as good omens. Seeing one always brightens up his day.”

“A friend of mine has a grey cat,” Janus said. “She’s much more tolerable than him.”

Pat laughed a bit. “Don’t be mean,” he said.

“Oh, he deserves it, don’t worry.” Janus considered him for a moment. “Here,” he said, pulling out one of the Band-Aids with the grey cat on it. It did, actually, look a lot like Diesel Fuel.

“But I don’t…”

Janus just shrugged and stuck it on his cheek where there was no wound. Pat giggled and touched it with a finger. Janus stood back up.

“Can I have another tissue?” Pat asked.

“Sure.” Janus handed a tissue over to him and he crumpled up the bloody ones in his hand.

“I think I’m good to keep going,” Pat said, putting the new tissue under his nose. “The nose will stop soon.”

 Pat got out his iPhone and directed him back out of the room. They checked the second floor and didn’t find anything and so went to the third floor. The second they arrived in the room that Patton’s phone was directing them too, Janus knew that it must be right. There was a strange, distorted whirling sound and the entire room was shaking slightly like they were standing next to a railroad track.

“I’m guessing this is it,” Pat said.

Janus nodded and looked over his shoulder at the screen. They both cautiously walked towards where the little dot was on the phone.

 “Is that it?” Pat asked, pointing at a small device on the center column in the room. Janus reached forward to flip the switch on it. The whirling stopped and the room settled. Janus’s time piece vibrated as it came back online. They waited for a few moments. “I assumed… time distortions would be more…”

“They are,” Janus said. “This one is artificial.”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s a simulation,” Janus said. “It causes similar symptoms to a time distortion, but it’s not actually fracturing time at all.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Pat asked.

“I don’t know,” Janus said. He took the piece of tech of the wall and carefully stored it in his pocket, “but someone’s trying to get our attention.”

 Chapter 14

20204

Janus didn’t feel comfortable leaving France 2027 just yet, still weirded out by the strange turn of events. So, he and Pat ended up sticking around for a couple of hours. They looked through the art museum for a bit, but Janus was having trouble focusing on the pieces, and Pat eventually suggested they get some air. Janus agreed considering the museum would close for the night soon anyway.

They wandered around the downtown for a bit. The people seemed to jump back from the strange weather and earthquake that afternoon rather quickly, and there were plenty still about to blend into.

[spookidema]

Love Potion # 6

Day 3 of Spooki Month 

Witch!Kim TaehyungXFlorist!Reader (Reader being a florist isn’t really mention but they’re a florist)

Genre: Fluff and slight crack

Summary: Sometimes you forget that your roommate/best friend was a witch. You didn’t care that he was different. You loved him all the same. You loved him and all his witchy way. But you just forget about that fact early in the morning when before opening your store you accidentally drink one of his potions, and now he occupies your thought more than usual.

Author Note: Soooooooo day 3 is hella late. I apologize. My job has had me working so much and then Hurricane Delta knocked out the power to my house for days. I haven’t really been able to think straight. But I hope you enjoy.

Tagging: @alwayschoosechocolate​

In retrospect, you should never drink your tea mixed with the first thing you put your hands on in the fridge when you are half asleep especially when you live with your best friend, who is an actual witch.

"(Y/N), I can tell something is going on with you."

Speaking of witchy best friend, here he is. Kim Taehyung. Your best friend for a good part of your life. Ever since his parents took you in when you were 9 after Tae found you trying to steal strawberries from their farm, but that’s a story for a different time.

"Huh, what are you talking about, Tae," you questioned. Your eyes never leaving the collection of poems that you were reading to clear your head.

"I've been standing here for ten minutes watching you read the same page before glancing at me and going back to reading the same page again," Tae stated." You usually at least acknowledge me coming down, Flora."

'Maybe cause I can't look at you right now without my heart racing out my chest,' you thought as your face turned involuntarily at the use of your nickname.

"You even had Tannie and your kitties worried," Tae continued mentioning his familiar and your three furry companions." Mars was side eyeing me before I came downstairs like I did something."

"I don't know what's going on with him today," you said turning the page." He hissed at me when I tried to give him love. Moony and Ginger were weird too."

"That's not normal,(Y/N)," Tae said taking the book away from you making you look at him for a split second. "Please tell me what's going on."

What does he want you to say? That you can't figure out what's going on with you? That you can't stop thinking about the small things that you love about him? How its difficult just to look at him right now without confessing that you would bring him the moon and stars if he asked you to?

"Tae, I really don't know what you are on about," you forced yourself into a straight face." You don't have to worry. I'm fine. Don't you have to make a youth potion for the lady down the road?"

"Yes but-"

"Tae, that potion takes hours and she needs that for her Halloween party tonight," you reminded him causing to give you a face that said you weren't done talking about what was going on.

As Tae turned to leave back up stairs, the Golden Maknae of your friends group, Jeon Jungkook walked in. He went straight to Taehyung and attached himself to him.

"Hyung," Jungkook sang in Tae's ear.

"Kookie," Tae sang back." What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be helping Hobi-hyung and Namjoon-hyung?"

"Hobi-hyung sent me here," Jungkook answered jumping on the counter beside your arms. "Said he had a bad vibe."

Tae snapped his head to you throwing his hands like 'you-see-what-I-mean.' You rolled your eyes at Tae again. All of this causing Jungkook to look between the two of you.

"What the heck is going on with you two," Jungkook asked.

"Nothing," you said shooing Tae off back up to your apartment upstairs.

"She is acting weird," Tae said as he left causing you to breath out in relief.

You drink from your tea that you made before you came down to the shop. Lemon ginger tea with honey.

"Why does it smell like you are drinking a vanilla cake," Jungkook asked wrinkling his nose like a rabbit. "Don't you usually drink ginger tea?"

You looked at him puzzled and smelt your tea. It smelt unlike how your tea usually smelt. It smelt slightly like lemon ginger tea, but it also smelt heavily like a strawberry field and mint leaves.

"Funny," you said sipping the drink." It smells like strawberries and mint to me, but I know I made lemon ginger tea earlier. I must have added something weird from the fridge."

Jungkook's face flushed a pale color quickly before he asked", can you chug that real quick?"

"Why," you asked back with a raised eyebrow.

He touched the side of the cup slightly.

"It's cold. I'm going to make you another cup," he explained. You looked at him skeptical. "Hurry before I take back my offer."

Still eyeing him weirdly, you chugged the last half of you tea and handed him the mug. A shutter shook your body soon after making Jungkook mumble inaudibly. He scanned your face quickly before his eyes settled on your own.

"Bingo," he said before dragging you from around the counter. "We need to go see Namjoon-hyung."

"Why do we need to see him, Kookie," you asked as you were getting pulled from your shop. "I can't leave my shop unattended."

Jungkook waved his hand, and as you left the shop, the door locked itself and the closed sign was placed on the door.

'Smartass,' was all you thought as you were drug through the streets to Namjoon's.

~

When you two arrived at Namjoon's, Hoseok was at the door before Jungkook could open the door.

"So I was right then," Hobi sighed after looking at you. "They drank something. What are we going to do with you, (Y/N)?"

The two men pulled you into the living room, and Jungkook pushed you to sit on the couch.

"(Y/N), you know not to drink any of the potions we mix without us giving it to you cause we know what it is," Hobi lectured as you sunk into the couch.

"I-," you started before getting cut off.

"No buts,(Y/N)," Hobi cut off. "This is something we learn as kids."

"But-"

"I said no buts," Hobi cut off again. Namjoon walked into the room as he continued to lecture you.

"Hobi, what is going on," Namjoon questioned stopping you from becoming a part of the couch, and Hobi from turning into Professor McGonagall. "Usually its me doing the lecturing."

"They drank a potion from their fridge," Hobi said throwing his hand toward you.

"Was it on purpose or an accident," Namjoon questioned rounding the couch with what looked like a cup of coffee.

"I-," Hobi started before closing his mouth.

"You don't know," Namjoon stated simply. He looked over you like Jungkook did earlier. "Did you drink the potion on purpose,(Y/N)?"

"I honestly don't know what you guys are talking about, Nams," you answered becoming one with the couch. "I've been drinking my tea I make every morning."

"And you didn't mix anything with it," Namjoon continued to question.

"Not that I know of," you said honestly." I was exhausted this morning from not sleeping well so I really don't remember."

"Their tea smelt like vanilla cake to me," Jungkook spoke for the first time since walking in", but to them, it smelt like strawberries and mint. Doesn't Tae smell vaguely like strawberries?"

"And doesn't Jimin smell like cake, Jungkook," Namjoon said side eyeing the maknae causing him to stutter and blush. "Have you been feeling strange today, (Y/N)? Anything out of ordinary?"

You looked anywhere but Namjoon's eyes as you shook your head. This was embarrassing to you. After Jungkook had you finish your drink, the thoughts of Tae got worse. Before they were a slight annoying whisper that wanted to make itself known, now they were shouts that wanted to spill out your mouth.

"(Y/N), we need to know what's going on or we can't help you," Namjoon sighed as he sat on the coffee table in front of you seat sitting the coffee he had beside him." We already know you drank something by the color of your eyes right now."

You gave Namjoon a weird look as you pulled out your phone and pulled up the front camera to check. You were kind of shocked when you saw that your eyes were their normal eye color with a bright pink ring around them.

'The fuck,' you thought as you stared.

"Now are you going to tell us what's going on," the '94 liners asked together.

You thought about it for a second. If you told them what was going on, they could help you not be trapped with wanting to blurt out confessions to your best friend. Though they would probably tease you for a bit.

"If I tell you," you started to ask, "will I have to go into complete details or can it be slightly vague?"

All three witches looked at each other.

"Complete details," they said together making you sigh.

Complete details is what you gave them. Details on how it seemed like your small crush on Tae seemed to explode after you starting drinking your tea. How it was a slight explosion before Jungkook had you chug the rest of you tea before it became a volcano eruption. How the animals in your shared apartment were acting weird. How your feelings for Tae were always well hidden until now. Now you felt like shouting them to the world.

After you finally finished word vomiting what was going on, Namjoon summoned his potions book from his room and started researching. He muttered curses while reading as he would read a page and it didn't hold the answer he wanted. It felt like forever before he finally looked up from the book.

"It could be one of two things,"Namjoon started," it could be regular Amortentia-,"

"But that creates strong obsession and infatuation with the giver of the potion," you interrupted, "and I had a crush on Tae before this and I'm not obsessed with him."

"I'm thinking it was mixed with something to cancel that out," Namjoon said closing his book. "The only option we have is to ask him what he could have made that would have done this."

"WHAT? No," you frantically tried to stop them. "Can that not be an option?"

"We have to or you will stuck like this for who knows how long," Hobi said pointedly." Now shush, we are calling Taehyung."

As they called Tae, you were searching the room for exits. This was now something you wanted to do.

Then a knock came to the front door, and walked in the man of the hour.

"That was quick," Jungkook chuckled.

"You said it was something to do with (Y/N) acting weird," Tae said jumping over the couch to sit beside you. "Now do we know what's up."

"Kind of, but first," Namjoon answered, "have you been brewing anything that's a mix of Amortentia that cancels out the obsession and makes it where the drinker's thoughts of their crush gets stronger to where they just want to blurt it out?"

Tae thought about for a second before locking eyes with you making you blush pure red.

"Amortentia and Veritaserum," Tae admitted. "Someone wanted me to make it so they could confess to their crush. I thought something was off when I checked the fridge after talking to you earlier."

"Why in the hell would you keep that in the fridge,” you mumbled crossing your arms.

"Cause you usually know which bottles are potions or not, flora," Tae said grabbing one of your hands making you uncross your arms. "Although this one looked like honey in its bottle."

You groaned loudly slapping you palm to your forehead.

"And I always add honey to my tea," you said. "Explains a lot."

"So does this go away on its own or is there an antidote," Namjoon asked.

Tae shook his head," The person I made it for wanted me to make it to where they had to confess or it wouldn't go away. Said it would be motivation to actually do it."

'Well I'm dead,' you thought groaning again.

"Well there you go,(Y/N)," Jungkook said grabbing the '94 liners," your solution. Your time to shine."

Jungkook drug Namjoon and Hoseok out the room.

"(Y/N), do you have something to tell me," Tae asked as he turned toward you.

"We need to get you a small fridge to put in your room," you told him trying to avoid what you were going to have to say to the man.

"We'll deal with that later, flora," Tae said. "We now need to deal with the problem on hand at the moment. Now is there something you need to tell me?"

"Nope, not a thing," you said dodging the question again.

"(Y/N), this isn't a joke," Tae said getting really serious. "I made that potion for someone that is about as stubborn as Jungkook, and it won't go away. I think I know what you want to say, but you have to say it yourself."

"I don't know what you are talking about, Taehyung," you said lowly being stubborn. The words your body want to blurt out were right at the tip of your tongue wanting to escape.

Taehyung groaned out loud.

"Why are you so damn stubborn," Tae questioned.

"Cause I'm not going to risk losing you," you answered absentmindedly.

"You would never lose me,(Y/N)," Tae said grabbing your other hand that he didn't already have. "You are too dear to me for that to happen."

You looked toward Taehyung. His face was set with a soft smile. His eyes bright like the sun was reflected in them. His presence casting a warm feeling through your body.

"So many words want to spill from my mouth like a fountain. Like I want to explode from keeping them in," you mumbled so low that Tae almost didn't hear you," but I really don't want to lose you."

"Would it be easier if I tell you something," Tae asked softly. "Admit to something?"

You nodded choosing to stay quiet. Tae cleared his throat before speaking.

"There wasn't someone who asked me to make that potion," Tae admitted." I made it for myself and Jimin, who admitted he wanted to confess to Jungkook but kept losing his nerve much like myself."

Your jaw dropped slightly. You had no idea.

"I wanted to confess to them so bad, but every time I would go to, I would clam up," Tae continued." They are literally the best person and I don't know what I would do or where I would be without them."

"You would still be the amazing person you are now," you said. "I wish i was that person. You make me want to hang the moon and stars if you asked."

You went wide eyed and started to stutter with a blush.

"I mean I-," you started before you stopped yourself.

"You would hang the moon for me,(Y/N)," Tae asked grinning his boxy smile. You squeaked a 'yes' cause Tae to pull you into his his lap. You squeaked again as he wrapped his arms around your waist.

"Good, cause I would do the same for you," he said looking you straight in the eyes. The pink had disappeared from them. You started to say something before he quickly cut you off. "And not just because you are my best friend. You are my best friend and the person I care for the most in this world."

You were a tomato at this point as you admitted that he was the same to you as well. He smiled at you for a bit causing you to get shy and hid your face in his neck.

"Stop staring," you pouted into his neck, "you are being weird."

He chuckled.

"Being weird as in looking at the person I've had feelings for for years who also likes me back," he continued to chuckle."Suure."

"Take me on a date before you say cheesy stuff like that, Tae," you smiled.

"Let's go on one then," he said unwrapping his arms and sliding you off his lap.

"Wait, now?" you barely got out before Tae pulled you out of the house.

"Yes, now," he said looking back at the with a bright smile causing you to smile back.

Maybe drinking that tea wasn't so bad.

[schrijverr]

I Wrote My Own Deliverance

Chapter 10 out of 10

Alexander Hamilton is reborn as Alex Hambleton. He is desperate not to make the same mistakes twice, but it seems he is stuck in the narrative, unable to get out. Familiar faces pop up all around him as he attempts to keep his previous life a secret and write himself out of the story.

On AO3.

Ships: none

Warnings: none, but tell me if I missed anything or if you want me to tag something!!

~~~~~~~~~~~

“- Oh my god, you have been roommates with Aaron Burr for over a year!”

Alex winced. He’d hoped everyone had forgotten that detail, but it seemed not as the entire room exploded once more. With a last “What the shit, Alex,” from Laurens the room fell quiet to look at him expectantly.

He shrugged and said: “I made my peace with Burr, he’s pretty cool.”

And with that the whole room was send into disarray again.

“How!” John shrieked, “He murdered you!”

“Yeah and he had his reasons. I hate to inform you, but I was the one that said yes to the duel and insulted him the whole way through.” Alex shot back, “Besides, I thought we had just established that this time things can be different. If I can believe in Aaron, I can believe in myself. So far he’s been nothing but civil to me, he’s just another student wanting to live his life.”

It was quiet for a moment and Alex offered: “And Betsy already punched him, so even-Steven?”

“Only you, Alexander.” Eliza face palmed.

“I try.” he grinned.

“Wait,” Angelica said and Alex was scared of what she remembered, “You already knew at the party. Why did you come if you knew you would get punched?”

“First of, I didn’t want to assume and I only put the pieces together when the fist was already flying at my face. Second, I kinda did deserve that.” he told her.

“That’s not exactly healthy.” John pointed out, but he shut up after a look from Alex, the other had too much dirt on him and John was honestly the last who could talk about fighting as a coping mechanism.

Alex stuck his tongue out, as he turned and grabbed his phone: “Speaking of the party and Aaron, I probably need to find him before he does something stupid with his self-esteem issues and blame complex, like no offense, but our last meeting was not the most important thing ever.”

“You died.” Lafayette pointed out.

“Happens to the best of us,” Alex shrugged, “Case and point.”

“Ego much.” John grumbled and Alex just smiled as he called Aaron anonymously, the man probably wouldn’t pick up otherwise.

“Ah, yes, with me, Alex, your favourite and only roommate.”

“No, I’m not here to yell at you. I would have done that already if I wanted to.”

“Yeah, naturally, I never come back on my words.”

“They’re here yeah, already yelled at me and stuff.”

“I cannot with a 100% certainty promise that you will not get punched, but I am willing to try and convince them otherwise.”

He hung up and turned to the others: “Aaron is coming over, be nice.”

“Why would I be nice.” John pouted, arms crossed.

“Because, my dear Laurens, I have forgiven him and he could use some friends.” Alex explained.

“I’m with John here, I don’t want to be his friend.” Eliza mirrored John.

Alex smiled and said: “I know, Betsy, I know, but he hasn’t had it easy either. Even more of a nay-sayer and all around stick in the mud this time around. He has no one, you know how much it sucks to have no one.”

“Theodosia?” she asked, but Alex could tell her bleeding heart was giving in.

“Hasn’t come back, yet.” he smiled sadly at her.

“Alright, I won’t punch him then.” she threw her hands in the air.

They turned to John, who moped: “Whatever, but I’m not going to be nice.”

“Oh come on, man.” Herc said, “Making fun of Burr was always fun, it’ll be like the good old days when we were right and he told us to shut up.”

“You have a warped idea of fun, mon ami.” Laf told him.

“Like you weren’t there every single time to join in.” Herc shot back as they dissolved into squabbling.

Alex smiled and finally felt like he could take a breath. He had his friends around him again and no matter what the world threw at him, he could take it. He was home.

A knock at the door shook him out of his musings and he threw a look over his shoulder as he walked over to the door. Before he opened it, he warned: “Be nice.”

Aaron was indeed standing there and Alex greeted him cheerily: “Aaron Burr, sir.”

“Alexander” Aaron greeted with a wince.

“Come on, don’t be like that. If I had known you would become more boring, I would have never written another public document to fuck with you.” Alex grinned.

“Don’t antagonize him, Alex.” Eliza called out.

“Yeah, we all know how that turned out last time.” John huffed.

The comments didn’t really help, because Aaron winced as he started to back away, clearly on the brink of running.

“Guys, please try to be civil.” it earned Alex some disbelieving snorts, “Look at him, he’s about to cry. Are you gonna make Aaron Bartow cry?”

“Oh, it’s Aaron Bartow now?” John huffed.

“Yes. Yes, it is.” Alex said, “Just like you’re John Lawson and I’m Alex Hambleton. We’re not the same people anymore and I forgave Aaron a long time ago. He deserves people who know and understand as much as the next person.”

“You forgive me?” Aaron voice sounded so small and fragile that all retorts that might have been, died before they were spoken.

“I do.” Alex told him, “I saw your face, you know? When you shot. You were bracing for a bullet and when it didn’t come you looked so heartbroken and surprised. Van Ness had to drag you away. I don’t forget easily. I know I’m abrasive and a loud mouth that has an opinion on everything, who makes rash decisions, so I don’t blame you for wanting to protect yourself.”

Aaron looked at him wordlessly, unsure of what to say.

Alex grinned: “I’m aware you have a stick up your ass, but are you going to stare at my handsome face the entire day or am I going to get a hug.”

“You’re an asshole.” Aaron told him as he clutched the other tightly.

“I’ve been told.” Alex replied, merely holding on just as strong.

It took a while before either let go, but Alex was planning to hide for today and standing in the hallway with his door open was not ideal, especially as time went on and more people got the news, so he pried Aaron off him and led him inside.

He turned back to properly close the door when it was slammed open by none other than Tom, or Thomas Jefferson, he wasn’t sure who he had in front of him.

“You.” he pointed at Alex, whose eyes grew wide as he held up his hands, probably Jefferson he thought, “You motherfucker.”

Jefferson slammed down his hand and seethed: “This, really? You and your fucking pamphlets have to- Ugh! It’s always fucking you with your big ego and thousands of words that don’t even make sense most of the time and-”

“Hey, dude, calm down.” Alex cut him off, “What got you so mad?”

“This triggered my memories.” Jefferson admitted with venom, “Not the history lessons, not my face in buildings, not my legacy fucking me over or even that stupid musical. But you and your constant need for attention.”

“Ah,” Alex is quite unsure about what to say and one look at the others confirmed that neither did they, so he weakly offered, “At least you remember?”

“Like you think that’s a good thing, I read your stupid pamphlet, Lord knows I did, and it sucks, asshole.” Jefferson snarled, “We both know that.”

“It gets better when you find people.” Alex said, gesturing to the others, who waved awkwardly.

“Maybe, but I don’t really have anybody, now do I?” Jefferson told him and Alex would’ve never thought he’d see the day where he sympathized with Jefferson, though in front of him was Tom as well, not just Jefferson anymore.

“I thought we were kind of friends?” he replied, “I like debating with you and we agree more this time and, look, I know people we knew.”

Jefferson looked at him as if he had three heads as he slowly said: “You, Alexander Hamilton, you- you want to be friends? With me? Did you hit your head? Like is there something wrong with you and are you missing your memories? You hate me.”

“No, I hate Thomas Jefferson and if I recall correctly, your name is Tom Jamesson.” Alex replied, “And if you look closely, you’ll see Aaron Bartow sitting there. Besides, I think I can handle more debating in my life.”

“Only you would keep someone in your life to fight with them.” Tom said with a faked annoyance, “Though my name is actually Thomas Jamesson, so get your fact straight.”

“Well, then, Thomas, welcome to my humble abode, now please shut the door behind you before nosy strangers come in.” Alex said when Thomas’ reply wasn’t a blunt no.

Thomas snorted: “You published your life story again and you’re worried about nosy strangers.”

“It’s about the principle of the thing, I wanna do it all official, maybe hold a press conference, get a dinner thrown in my honor, make a long speech that everyone is forced to listen to. It’ll be great.” he grinned.

“The fact that I believe you is disturbing.” Angelica piped up.

And so they roped Thomas into the fray that was their little Revolution crew as they talked about their life now and their life back then. They compared notes on what was different and what was the same.

Apparently the Schuyler sisters were now childhood best friends and Angelicas memories had triggered those of the others. Eliza remarked: “Peggy was so sad she couldn't come to slap you into next week, but she has her internship.”

“Not looking forward to that.” Alex winced, “And I thought she liked me?”

“She does, she just likes fighting more.” Angelica commented humorously, “Being able to have opinions and do stuff, has really gotten her out of her 18th century shell.”

“Good for her.” Alex nodded.

“That’s what I said!” John exclaimed excitedly.

They moved on to Lafayette, who told them it was same old French noble blood and being send off to America for better education and to explore the world. He pouted over not being as close to Washington anymore, but brightened when he told them about the tea they drank together every other Wednesday.

John didn’t say anything about his father, besides the fact that he was a Senator and still a dick, or other family for that matter, but he was ecstatic that he would be able to become a Doctor this time around and he loved his study dearly.

Thomas didn’t really say much either. He was still struggling with connecting his two identities and what that meant for him. When asked about James, he sadly said: “If I saw him, we didn’t recognize each other.”

“Hey, we’ll find him if he’s out there.” Alex comforted him, then joked, “He probably remembered and tried to stay as far away from here as possible to avoid seeing me again.”

It got a small huff of amusement out of Thomas.

Alex looked at Aaron to ask about him, when his phone rang. Nervously he picked up: “Hello, yes, this is Alex Hambleton speaking.”

“Ah, you’ve read it then.”

“I understand.”

“Within the month?” Alex asked surprised, “Then I get to keep my scholarship? Thank you so much, sir!”

He turned to the others who were waiting expectantly as he grinned: “Looks like I’m getting registered and my plan for world domination is still on track.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Herc yelled, getting cheers from the others.

Alex smiled in the midst of his friends with a future bright and obtainable. A story ready for him to write how he saw fit, unbound by mistakes of the past.

He might be an old story in a new place, but there was always room for a rewrite. They were already on the second draft anyway.

[agentbarton12]

my @spideychellesecretsanta gift for @purplefuzzysweater! hope you like this Mar

summary: mj has known she was in love with peter since their senior year of high school. when peter asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend for some dumb christmas party, she agrees, and she realises that she'd do anything for him.

warnings: fluff, fake dating, college au

words: 2.3K

mj was undeniably in love with peter. she realised at the beginning of their senior year of high school when on their first day back she was running late cause there was long line at her favourite tea shop and she couldn’t pick up her order, she arrived and found peter waiting for her with a cup in his hands and a dumb grin on his face.

so, of course, when peter runs into the café they always meet up at every two weeks or so when they could spare the time and slams his hands on the table in front of her and heaves out: “i need you to pretend to be my girlfriend at this party”, mj doesn’t even look up from her book when she says, “don’t be stupid.”

peter groans and sits down in front of her. “just hear me out, okay?” he pleads. mj sighs and nods for him to continue, when the waiter comes with tea for her and a cup of coffee for peter. he stared at it funny. “you ordered for me?”

mj felt her cheeks heat up and cleared her throat. “i knew you were going to be late, it’s not a big deal.”

peter just hummed. “anyway, about the girlfriend thing...”

“yes, care to explain that?”

he nodded as he took a sip of his drink. “so you know that prick i was telling you about at my school? brad davis?” the way peter siad his name, dripped with hatred and disdain never failed to make ner laugh.

“uh-huh. with how much you talk about him, i’d think you’re dating,” mj says looking up from her book to give peter a sly grin. he merely rolled his eyes.

mj really had heard all about brad davis. it’s the one consistent thing peter talks about whenever they meet up. the two friends got into different colleges and while peter was off becoming his own person, mj could count on his hatred for brad never changing.

“well,” peter said continuing, “brad davis keeps annoying me about not having a girlfriend and today i guess i snapped. i kinda told him you were my girlfriend? and that you’d be my date to this dumb christmas party he’s throwing this weekend?”

michelle nearly choked on her tea. “why would you do that?”

“i know, i know, the expectation that people in their early twenties should already be in relationships is a product of the toxic societal standards western culture has thrust upon us, but i really wanted to shut brad davis up.”

michelle’s eyes widened as peter went on his tangent because that was the same thing she said to her parents when she had ned and peter over during junior year after they kept asking when they were going to get into relationships. “i said that. you remembered?” she asked scrunching up her nose.

peter shrugged. “of course. i remember everything you say.” michelle felt heat rise up her neck. honestly, this whole loving peter thing was a bit of an inconvenience. “so please, please, please come with me? just to get brad davis off my case.

looking at peter’s pouting face, michelle sighed. “you are so lucky i—” she cut herself off, knowing what she would have said if she wasn’t careful.

“so lucky you what?”

i love you. she doesn’t say this. “so lucky i have nothing better to do this weekend.”

her friend’s eyes widened and a huge smile broke out on his face. “you’re serious? really, you’ll do it?”

“keep asking and i’ll change my mind.”

“oh my god, thank you! you are the best! i love you, you know that right? i will make it up to you and i swear...”

the rest of what peter said was lost to mj. i love you, you know that right? replayed itself over and over in her head. of course she knew he meant it platonically, but the warmth it caused in her chest was undeniable.

***

mj was undeniably in love with peter. she knew this because she was sitting in a subway dressed up in the nicest dress she owned on her way to nyu to pick up her boyfriend for the night.

when she called ned to yell about what she had agreed to (because ned has been mj’s sole confident in everything peter since high school) he just laughed and told her to hope for mistletoe. which was not bad advice. she’d get to kiss peter and brad davis would get to shove it. everybody won.

she arrived at his dorm room and knocked on the door. peter swung the door open with his shirt half-buttoned and jeans unzipped.

he stood there staring at mj not saying anything, his mouth slightly parted. michelle felt her body heat up under his gaze. “uh...you look...” his words died in his throat.

“thank you. you too,” michelle said nodding nervously. peter swallowed.

“uh, i thought i was picking you up,” he said scratching the back of his neck.

michelle shrugged rubbing her arm. “i knew you’d be late.”

peter smiled at that. then he seemed to remember that she was still standing outside. “oh! you can come in. i won’t be long.”

nodding, michelle smiled and followed peter into his dorm. now of course mj had been in his dorm. they’d visit each other on campus as well sometimes. so she was familiar with the layout and took a seat on a chair where a desk sat.

“mj?”

turning around she saw peter’s roommate, harry osborn, staring at her in shock.

“hey, osborn.”

“you know peter told me this whole thing was fake, just to get davis to shut it, so let me give you some advice.”

mj furrowed her eyebrows. “what?”

harry nodded. “you want this to be believable? just act like you always do.”

michelle’s eyes widened. “uhh...i don’t—”

“—trust me.”

peter came out at that moment dressed properly and he cleared his throat. “ready to go...babe?” he added almost as an afterthought. like he was getting used to the weight of the word in his mouth.

“uh, yeah.” michelle stood up, cheeks flaring. “are we doing the pet name thing?”

“i guess so,” peter said shrugging. “unless you don’t want to,” he quickly added.

michelle brushed him off and held an arm out for him. “shall we? babe?”

he hooked his arm with hers. “we shall, darling.”

they walked out the door arm in arm as harry yelled, “be safe kids!”

***

mj was undeniably in love with peter. she knew this because she was walking arm in arm with him to a party ready to piss off a prick by pretending to be his girlfriend.

the party was, in what mj assumed was, brad’s apartment on campus. it was fancy; way more than mj could ever afford. when they opened the door, they were met with obnoxious music and last minute christmas decorations strewn around. mj wasn’t even sure this was a christmas party. just a party that happened to be taking place at christmas time. this alone made michelle dislike brad even more.

speak of the devil, as if her thoughts summoned him, a tall man with broad shoulders and dark hair walked through a sea a people towards them. michelle knew without a doubt that this was brad. she had never met him before, but judging from the confidence so clearly exuded, and the natural douchebag aura he had going for him, she knew this was the guy and so she instinctively wrapped her arm around peter’s waist and chalked up his sharp intake of breath as surprise and not because it was her specifically.

brad greeted peter with a booming, “porker! glad you could make it!” michelle let out an audible groan. great, she thought bitterly, another flash. brad turned his head to her as if just noticing her for the first time. he eyed her skeptically. “wait, are you peter’s girlfriend?”

mj had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. “i am nobody’s anything. peter is my boyfriend.” next to her, michelle saw peter nod along.

brad let out a douchebag laugh that mj was all too familiar with thanks to the four years she spent with flash. “peter was right. you are...feisty.”

michelle’s eyebrow cocked. she isn’t sure how peter sees her, but she is sure that ‘feisty’ is not a word he would to describe her. unless he wanted a punch to the gut.

peter groaned. “i never said that. i said she was her own person.”

“yeah, whatever porker.” brad clapped a hand on peter’s shoulder. “enjoy the party. and merry christmas!”

when he walked away, michelle turned to peter. “i despise him.”

peter chuckled. “join the club. come on,” he took her hand and mj felt sparks shoot up her arm, “let me introduce to my friends.”

“oh, i didn’t know ned was here,” she joked.

“i have other friends, em.”

“sure.”

he led her away to a group of people sitting on a couch. there, she met gwen stacy, felicity hardy and eddie brock. it made sense for peter to have a small group of friends and they were nice. mj liked them.

felicity stood up and offered to get them snacks and she looked at mj with a pointed finger. “vegetarian, right?”

surprised that she knew that, michelle nodded. “yeah...”

felicity sent a wink to peter who was blushing furiously when mj turned to him before heading to the kitchen. he wouldn’t meet her gaze, which michelle found strange. felicity came back with a bowl of chips and the group swapped all the crazy college stories they knew.

at some point, michelle stood up to get a drink and peter decided to join her. they stood leaning against the kitchen counter, each with a beer in hand.

“cheers,” peter said nervously scratching his neck. mj clinked her bottle with his.

“cheers.”

they drank holding hands and facing each other, so whenever someone looked over at them, they looked couple-y. it was peter’s idea.

“can i ask,” michelle asked, taking a sip of her beer, “how did felicity know i was a vegetarian?”

“uh, i may have mentioned it once or twice.”

“why would my diet have come up in a conversation?”

peter groaned loudly. “fine, i talk about you to my friends, no big deal.”

it was a big deal. to michelle at least, because, well, what was peter saying to his friends?

they fell into a comfortable silence after that.

when brad walked passed them, slapping peter’s back, peter cleared his throat and looked at mj. “hey, uh, thanks again for doing this.”

michelle waved him off. “of course. and between you and i, i kind of enjoy having you as a boyfriend. even if it is just for show.”

mj was not a lightweight. she could handle her liquor just fine. but this was nearing her third bottle and the filter between her brain and the rest of her body was slowly disappearing. there was no way she would say any of these things sober. ever.

peter’s eyes widened. “really?” mj nodded. he took a breath. “how drunk are you right now?”

it took her a moment before she responded. “big drunk.”

he stifled a laugh at her. “you gonna remember any of this?”

“i always do.”

he nodded with a smile. “well then, can i tell you something?” mj hummed an affirmative. “i really enjoy being your boyfriend. and i don’t want it to only be for show.”

michelle’s eyebrows furrow deeply. “i...i’m too drunk to respond properly.”

“that’s fine. you can give me one tomorrow when you’re sober.”

the rest of the night, michelle was uncharacteristically quiet. she was deep in thought mulling over what peter meant. by the time peter had called a taxi for them, she had already sobered up a bit. meaning she had thrown up in brad’s potted plant.

peter and mj were standing outside the house in the snow waiting for the car. after thinking it over and debating the pros and cons in her head, mj decided that if peter got to be cryptic and shit, so did she.

“peter,” she called out. he turned to face her, nose tinged red from the cold. “i have something to tell you. the only reason i agreed to be your girlfriend for tonight was because i am madly in love with you and you could literally ask me to do anything and i would. in a heartbeat. i also kind of wanted to see what it would be like to be your girlfriend for a little while.”

letting out a breath, mj realised she was not as sober as she thought she was. becuase that? that was not cryptic at all.

peter was staring at her like a deer caught in headlights, with his lips slightly parted and eyes wide.

“shit,” mj murmured. “that wasn’t supposed to be so direct and—shit. ignore me, please. you can turn around and pretend i never said anything and—”

michelle didn’t notice peter walking towards her until his lips were on her cheek. her eyes immediately fluttered shut and her heart raced beneath her ribcage. it was freezing outside, but mj swore she felt heat spread through her body all the way to her toes. peter’s kiss lingered and mj had to fight a groan of frustration when he finally pulled away.

his face was beet red and he had this doe eyed look to him. softly, he said, “we’re under the mistletoe.” michelle looked up and he was right. over the doorway was a piece of mistletoe hanging. “and,” he began, still as close as he was when he kissed her, “i just really wanted to do that.”

michelle inhaled sharply. “well, are you gonna do it again?”

he did. again and again. as if he was making up for the times when he did not.

***

mj was undeniably in love with peter. she knew this because she was sitting on his couch with his head in her lap and her hand in his hair. she knew this because this was not the first time they had ended up like this and knew it wouldn’t be the last.

also the fact that peter was undeniably in love with her wasn’t hurting anything.

[jojoreadwhat]

don’t be fooled, the first two hours ruled / honey & smoke - m.h. x OFC story

Lucy's POV.

I woke to the sounds of my alarm bombarding my dreams like if it were a wrecking ball.

The sun drowning out the room, piercing my eyes with its welcome. Fluttering my eyes open, the feeling uneasy to adjust to, forcibly making them acquainted.

Today was the big day, the first time ever stepping into a new form of education. Was I ready? Of course not, who was?

I sat up in disapproval, stretching out my legs till they reached the mat and placing weight into them like a box full of twenty hand me down paperbacks. Retreating to my mirror, noticing the slight bags forming from the lack of sleep of the night before. That were only bound to get darker further into the semester. Like how time changes make the sun go down sooner and the night have the closing act.

My mind was racing last night, mixed with anxiety approaching today, and the ricochet of events that had went down at the party. But most of all, he kept making a visit.

I really had no explanation on why he kept entering my mind like an old friend. Yeah he was quite the looker and all, but what boggled me the most was how he lingered around me before I left. The boy could have anyone and every girl in the party proved me right. He latched onto me, like a koala to a tree.

Maybe it was all because of the pool incident he felt like he had to hang around. Make sure I didn't chill at the bottom of the pool the next time. But then again, he started the questions. Questions that needed long answers, answers he seemed to enjoy.

I chucked to myself, over believing that he had interests in a person like me. It was all out of guilt, and it was just a joke to keep thinking otherwise.

I retreated to my closet, pondering on what I could possibly put together today.

Leggings and a oversized shirt? No, too cozy. I'll fall asleep before the second lecture.

A band tee and some boyfriend jeans? Too familiar.

I moved the next few shirts till it came into sight. A black and white floral skater dress. Something new and different like the day I was prepared for.

Pairing with a beat up jean jacket from my dads hippy days, and tights. I laced up my combats and sat at the edge of my bed.

Flinging my bag over my shoulder, grabbing my laptop off my desk. I checked my phone noticing that I had an hour before my first lecture to grab a coffee. Slipping my headphones, playing my teenage angst soundtrack before slipping out the door.

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

Matty's POV.

The sun rays beaming through the blinds aligned her hair like highlights. Her brown long hair hanging over her bare shoulder as my hangover made friends with the devil in my head. I lied within the common white sheets of the common white room, my room as she walked around familiarizing it as she looked for the clothes I misplaced of hers.

I couldn't recall her name, possibly Marie rang a bell. But she had a pretty face, model like with beautifully structure cheek bones and rosy lips I had swollen the night before.

She was a bit taller than me in the heels she was in, the ones she had found moments ago. The black strappy ones that I unbuckled and threw behind me in the moment. The events reconfiguring themselves into a picture of the night before.

The brunette retreated to the end of my bed, one leg over the other as she placed her shoes back on. Her dangling hair danced across her back tattoo of a butterfly with vibrant purples and blues cascading inside it's black outline. Trying to figure out if I had seen it before or was it my lips jogging my hazy memory from when I traced it with them.

Everything was a blur, something that always came naturally from when I lost myself the night before. But there was one thing that stuck out like a sore thumb.

The brunette's dark green eyes met my brown ones, they weren't the crystal blues that almost led me through a whole other world, totally perplex than the one I led on my own. There was a road that was never founded in mine.

The woman's lips curled into a devious smile. "Last night was fun" she stated as she slipped her white and gold shirt back on.

I could say the same, but not with her.

I was intrigued by the clumsy American I helped out the pool. I was intrigued by the fact she wanted to tell how much she enjoyed Steinbeck instead of letting me kiss her neck. How her favorite song by The Cure was Just Like Heaven instead of showing her what heaven really felt like.

It was a conversation unexpected, too new and not like the ones that barely had another and I speaking at all.

++

With a headache as an accessory to my outfit. I leaned against the kitchen counter sipping my Black tea after walking Mary out, admiring the sun waltz across the white cabinets.

My thumper of a roommate, George came hopping down the wooden stairs. Ending in a goodbye and a door closing before he had made it into the kitchen we shared.

"Mornin'" he greeted, pouring himself a  glass of the tea and taking a seat at the table.

"Sounded like you had a good night." He spoke with a cheeky smile plastered to his face before he took a sip of his tea. Commenting on the soundtrack I was supplying with his room next to mine.

George has been my best friend since what's felt like since birth. When the good boy gone bad had taken over my nerdy boyish ways. He was in the bathroom when I cut calculus for a smoke. Being the first day that I learned how to roll a spliff. Being the day that I dragged him through the roadless world I walked.

I nodded slowly, never being one to kiss and tell unless it was worth the telling. George was a different story, he'd tell you every detail till you couldn't.

"Introducing the American the right way, that's my boy!" He remarked,

I chuckled, shaking my head. "No, it wasn't Lucy." George looked at me surprised, "You remembered a girls name.. That's a first." He remarked, taking another sip of his tea.

That was true but Lucy wasn't some casual 'call me' that I never got back too. She wasn't another pretty face and she knew that.

George placed his mug into the sink, grabbing his keys off the table. "Need a lift?" He offered, his bartending job was on the way of university. I shrugged, placing my Ramones mug next to his and slipping over my messenger bag.

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

Lucy's POV.

So far I was two lectures in and I enjoyed my professors, and the place was a lot less scarier than I had imagined.

Overall, the day being pretty good except for that essay due by next week and the exam coming up this Friday. Not making it the perfect 10 I was hoping for.

I became a girl gone mad, making sure that every note was jotted into my Evernote. Sometimes unconsciously jotting down the professors name. I wasn't going to start out the class with any less than an A.

Professor Stein walked around handing out a list of all the textbooks needed for his class, reminding us of all of the deadline in bold red lettering that we needed them by.

"Please, if you have any questions or concerns. Let me know. Have a good day everyone." He exited, all of us rising in unison and on our ways to next lectures.

For me I had an hour to spare, finding myself in the university cafe. Consuming my second... No fourth. No no, third coffee of the day that was sending me bouncing off the walls before I had settled at a table near a window. Pulling out my leather bound journal onto the wooden, industrial table in front of me.

It was coming to me, the experiences of today and things I was excited about. Running off the pen before it reached the paper and place them into words.

Time ran by, the three students that I had met earlier. Their raving about our classes together were nowhere in sight. I lit up my screen, fear rushing in. I was going to be late!

+++

I made it in the nick of time, shimmying myself up the aisle till I spotted a empty seat. Taking a seat and pulling out everything as fast as lightening rippled through gray skies. I was never one for being late, I was always extremely early.

"Welcome to Creative Writing" The professor introduced, standing so small at the bottom of lecture hall.  Beginning the welcome PowerPoint once all the seats were filled.

Professor Leone lost me when she talked about an overrated author, a book boring for the boring girl like I. I sighed to myself, already typing in the facts I knew before she flipped screens.

As I sat slightly slumped in my seat. My chin resting on my hand as I looked on, I felt a stare grazing the back of me. I turned scanning all the unfamiliar faces that were looking at the screen lighting up the room and none fasten on me. I shrugged it off, going back to Leone and waiting for the class to end.

Professor Leone handed out a stack of papers to each row, "Alright, please have all your textbooks by Friday!" Her voice clashing with the books and pens hitting the bottoms of backpacks.

I followed suit, placing everything back into my bag and closing my laptop. I went to turn on my heel, almost colliding into a chest. Tensing at the sight of the familiar tattoo reading 'Annie' peaking from their button down.

It was Matty.

"Blue." The wild wind picking up, twisting in my body as the nickname fell so easily from his mouth.

I looked up at him. "I thought you were in a band?" I recalled, he nodded. "I am. I'm studying audio engineering on the side." He furthered on. "But you were just in my creative writing class?"

He chuckled, shaking his head at my flood of questions. "Extra credit. Last minute." He replied, shooting a crooked smile. "But now I'm pretty glad it was my final choice."

This boy definitely knew how to add color to canvas, my cheeks turning a shade of crimson.

And how to lower my GPA.

[roboticonography]

Fic preview: The Fixed Foot

Pals, I regret to inform you that the fic I had planned to post today is not done. I was hoping to put the finishing touches on it today, but out of nowhere it got a lot longer and somewhat sexier, so I hope you’ll forgive me for posting just this first part, a small taste of things to come.

The title is a reference to John Donne’s “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” which has been in the back of my mind ever since Agent Carter’s S1 finale episode.

Extended metaphors about compasses for the win.

This is for Day 1 of Steggy Week 2019: It’s Endgame, Baby!

===========

He starts with a date range. He doesn’t want to risk making things too complicated. This is going to be tricky enough as is.

He reads up on Peggy. He’s avoided knowing some of the details thus far; she wasn’t able to tell him directly, and using the internet felt intrusive.

There isn’t a lot of detailed information to be had through official channels. Employment forms and tax forms give him a dry chronology of cities, addresses, changes in marital status.

Howard’s butler’s unpublished memoirs are more illuminating. Edwin Jarvis uses pseudonyms for all of Howard’s associates, but it isn’t hard to figure out the identity of “Nancy,” who nearly knocked Jarvis unconscious the first time they met. In spite of that—or maybe even because of it—he seems to have really liked Peggy. (Steve can’t imagine meeting her and not liking her, but he is, of course, biased.)

Steve discovers that Peggy and a friend lived in one of Howard’s Manhattan penthouses for a period of time in the late 40s, after both of them were “asked to vacate” a women’s boarding house. He suspects there’s more to the story than that. He hopes he’ll get to hear it in person.

In one entry, Jarvis specifically mentions that Peggy is single. He seems to be one of those types who loves being married so much that he thinks everyone ought to try it at least once.

Steve decides on a date.

He collects the things he’ll need: a set of clothes, a paper map, some valuables he can hock for cash when he gets there, and a few keepsakes that won’t give him away.

He debates whether to get a different haircut, whether to grow a beard or get a pair of glasses. He wishes Natasha were here to help him with this part.

He wishes Natasha were here for a lot of reasons.

He reads everything he can get his hands on: what’s happening in politics, movies, music. Who made it to the World Series. It’s a sobering reminder of the time he’s returning to, and the battles that will lie ahead.

He has Bruce explain how time travel works, again and again, until it finally feels like it might be starting to sink in. He doesn’t want to do anything that might cause harm to his loved ones—those in the here and now, or those in the past. But he also knows himself. He knows he won’t be able to sit idly by.

Bruce assures him that there’s nothing he can do in the past that will alter what’s already taken place. His actions will create a new timeline, with its own outcomes; once he’s there, he won’t be able to take anything for granted.

Last but not least, he makes sure he has a backup plan. He loves Peggy, and he knows Peggy loves him, but it’s got to be her choice.

Bucky figures it out, of course. 

Sam doesn’t.

*

The one thing he should have thought to check was the weather report. The night he lands, it’s raining in sheets. The sidewalks are flooded.

He finds a spot to disable his quantum suit and change into the clothes he brought, which are instantly soaked as soon as he goes outside. Naturally, he didn’t think to bring an umbrella.

By the time he makes it over to Howard’s building, he looks like a drowned rat. The concierge eyes him suspiciously when he asks if Miss Carter is in.

“Who?”

“Margaret Carter. I know she lives here. She’s a friend of mine. Please.”

“I’m sorry, sir, I can’t help you.”

He scans the cavernous lobby; he doesn’t particularly want to have their reunion here, under the watchful eye of the building’s staff, but he may not have much choice.

Mercifully, the place is empty, aside from a single resident. Her back is to Steve, but her arrow-straight nylons and her tidy blonde pincurls remind him of Peggy, and he feels a heady rush of longing and anticipation. 

Watching her collect a letter from a bank of tidy pigeon-holes along one wall, he has a brainwave: he’ll leave Peggy a note. She might not believe it, but it’ll probably at least make her curious enough to want to meet him. And it’ll give her time to adjust to the idea before seeing him in person.

He borrows a sheet of paper and a fountain pen from the concierge, and makes an effort not to drip on the counter as he ponders what to write. He tries to think of a place nearby where they could meet.

“Is there an all-night diner anywhere around here?”

The concierge has just opened his mouth to reply when Steve is distracted by someone tugging on his sleeve.

It’s the woman who was picking up her mail. She’s young, and looks strangely familiar, though Steve has no clue where they might have met. Hopefully not at a USO show.

Fortunately, she doesn’t seem especially star-struck. “If you’re just looking for coffee and pie, I know an okay place,” she tells him, pointing to the waitress’s uniform under her rain slicker.

“Great, thanks.”

“Did I hear you asking for Peg earlier?”

Steve nods.

“She went to the pictures. I’m the roommate.” The blonde loops her arm through his. “You can wait upstairs, it’s okay. I’ll even scare up a cup of coffee for you, pro bono. Come on.”

He knows he shouldn’t; he needs to get his story straight with Peggy before he starts interacting with her social circle. But he’s been on the move for days, and it’s miserable outside.

“Sure. Thanks.”

*

The apartment is huge, a carefully curated monument to old-school wealth: antique furniture and oil paintings, dark wood and heavy fabric. The only thing that keeps it from being oppressive is the elegant simplicity of the architecture: long, clean lines and tall windows.

Angela—Angie—has the kitchen send up a tea tray. It’s enough food for six people, which is a blessing, because Steve is starving. He has to force himself not to be a pig.

“Nice spread,” he observes. He’s trying to remember the way he used to talk. It feels like he’s back in his USO days, playing a parody of himself.

Angie doesn’t seem to notice anything amiss. “I know! Oh, how the other half lives,” she says, comically, shoving half a raisin scone into her mouth.

Steve suddenly realizes where he knows her from: a 1951 movie musical called Life of the Party. She was billed as Ella Martin, but the cheeky grin is the same, and the strident voice. She couldn’t sing worth a lick, but she had razor-sharp comedic timing.

“So what’s your story?” asks Angie, still chewing. “How do you know Peg?”

“We met overseas during the war.”

“Oh yeah? What’s your name?”

He hesitates before replying, “My friends call me Steve.”

“That your way of telling me you want to be friends?”

“I’d like that a lot,” he tells her, with absolute sincerity.

She licks her fingers and eyes him suspiciously.

“I promise I’m not…” All the euphemisms he can think of are modern ones. “Trying to get anywhere with you,” he finishes, awkwardly.

“Good.” She nods in agreement with herself, and tops off his teacup.

Angie supplies the deficiency of the small talk, while Steve quietly polishes off most of the pastries. For the first time in days, he feels like he can let his guard down a little.

He starts to sink deeper into the plush sofa, his mind drifting pleasantly as Angie regales him with a story about a customer who tried to smuggle a cat into the automat in a briefcase.

Down the hall, the elevator dings.

“Angie?”

The sound of Peggy’s voice hits him like a sucker punch. It must show on his face because Angie asks, “You okay?”

“Fine. Thanks.” He sits up straighter, suddenly uncertain of where he should put his elbows.

“In here, Peg!” Angie hollers.

Steve can hear Peggy talking quietly—and a distinctly male voice whispering back.

“There’s someone with her,” says Steve.

“Probably just Daniel.”

“Who’s that?”

“Oh boy.” Her voice is suddenly soft, sympathetic. “Been a while since you saw her, huh?”

Before he can get the answer out, Peggy strides into view.

Her hair is different—longer than he’s ever seen it, swept over to one side in soft waves, like Veronica Lake. Her burgundy dress is perfectly molded to her magnificent figure, and has a very appealing neckline. She even has a tan, as though she’s just come home from a long beach holiday. 

She looks youthful, beautiful, vital. Happy.

“How was the picture?” calls Angie, oblivious.

“Absolute rubbish,” Peggy proclaims.

“It wasn’t that bad,” says her companion, helping her off with her coat. He’s young, good-looking, also tanned, and clearly smitten. “You’re just not very romantic, that’s all.”

“Oh!” She tosses the coat over a chair before turning to smack him on the arm. He chuckles, jokingly fending her off with his crutch.

Steve suddenly regrets not leaving a note.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

[prettywordsyouleft]

The Best Easter Ever

Pairing: Kwon Soonyoung x reader

Genre: oh you know this is gonna be fluffy and cliché as hell

Warnings: none

A/N: Happy Good Friday everyone! You know, the blog is going to appear like we’re all up to some bunny good fun but in reality I’m not celebrating it at all (totally waiting for the Easter chocolate to go on half price come Tuesday though XD). Easter gave me an excuse to write something really cute with Soonyoung, who I really don’t write enough for though so I hope you enjoy this!

Word count: 1351

This is part of a mini-collab, An Easter Collab To Dye For. From today until Easter Monday @this-song-thats-only-for-you​ and I will be sharing two stories each. Please check out tomorrow for what else is in store!

If anyone could survive your family at Easter time, they were a keeper. Sure, Christmas was a big ordeal for your family too, generally it was Easter where the crazy came out. You weren’t a large family but when you could gather together, you would. And Easter was normally the perfect time to do so.

“Are you really sure you want to come?” you asked hesitantly, even as Soonyoung put his duffle bag into the back of your car. You didn’t close the door, leaving him ample access to remove his belongings.

And run, far away.

Your boyfriend chuckled and ruffled your hair affectionately. “You don’t want your family to meet me?”

“Of course I do, I mean, we’ve been dating for months now it’d practically be a disservice not to take you home with me. But we can do that another time. Like at my birthday or just some random, perfectly sane and calm weekend instead.”

“Your family can’t be that bad. You can’t tell me they’re any worse than my roommates Seungkwan and Seokmin. You know how crazy they can get. Your family will be a walk in the park for me compared.” He placed his hands on your shoulders and smiled before kissing your forehead. “Would you please stop worrying and close the back of the car up so we can go? You’re going to get wrinkles over absolutely nothing.”

Creased skin was the least of your concerns, yet you closed the trunk of the vehicle and went around to the driver’s side, letting out a sigh before turning on the ignition.

You really hoped you didn’t come home boyfriend-less after this.

When you finally arrived at your family home, you smiled weakly at Soonyoung before clambering out, stretching your legs. You then moved to the back of the car where your boyfriend nudged you lightly. “You told me it’s crazy decked out here in Easter decorations. Are you sure we’re at the right address? There’s not a giant egg in sight.”

“We’re here the day before my parents put them out. They told me they would wait for our arrival for extra hands.”

“That’s a good idea,” he agreed, shouldering his bag and then reaching for yours. “It’s pretty quiet. From how much you talked this up, I was expecting a welcome wagon or something.”

“Oh, it’s coming,” you told him, your smile strained. “In three, two…”

“Welcome to our eggs-traordinary abode my little bunnies!” a voice boomed and you spun to see your father there.

“Told you,” you mentioned to Soonyoung before moving forward to hug your paternal figure. You glanced up at the hat on his head and smiled. “Are we having a Mad Hatter tea party this year?”

“You betcha kiddo. Only the best for my daughter and her boyfriend. We’ve got to officially bring you into the family as one of us.”

Soonyoung chuckled as he held out his hand at your father, who avoided it and hugged him instead. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

“Sir?! There will be none of that up in here. Call me Dad.”

“Dad!” you cried, shaking your head quickly. “You can’t just ask Soonyoung to-”

“What, he’s going to become one of us, isn’t he?”

“Of course I am!” Soonyoung cheered and grinned back at you. “That’s why I’m here, right? To meet the family.”

“That’s the spirit, son. You know, I always wanted a son. I’m lumped with daughters,” your father told Soonyoung dramatically as he took him up towards the house and you rolled your eyes at his usual antics. Your Dad spun around to shoot you a sweet look. “Even though I just love you, a son would be nice!”

“You have a son-in-law already,” your mother told your father at the doorway before leaning in to kiss Soonyoung on the cheek lightly. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Soonyoung.”

“Likewise. Do I call you Mum or-”

“Of course you do son, you’re a part of us now, remember!” your Dad enthused and you turned to close the front door with a sigh.

Here we go.

Admittedly, the first day was pretty quiet. Your sisters weren’t home yet and so you got to have your parents to just you and Soonyoung. It was actually pretty endearing watching their interactions too. Your Mum swooned over his boyish charms much like you had months ago, and your Dad was persistent in finding something in common with him. Dinner was delicious and they had only sprung one of the board games on you both to play that always came out during family gatherings. The laughter was still ringing in your ears as you got ready for bed and after the travelling you had done all day to get here, you were feeling pretty exhausted.

As you settled into your old bed next to Soonyoung, he kissed the side of your head tenderly. “I like your parents.”

“They like you too.”

“I seriously don’t get why you were so worried.”

“The crazy hasn’t happened yet,” you mumbled, nestling in further. “Tomorrow there will be eggs to dye, chocolates to make, decorations to put up. And then in the weekend when my sister comes with her children, there will be the Egg Hunt and then Dad will really be in his element. Bunny costume and all. Oh, and on Sunday we’ll have the tea party to look forward to as well. I’m exhausted just thinking about it all.”

“Are you embarrassed by your Dad?” Soonyoung asked and you frowned, looking up at your boyfriend whilst shaking your head. “Really? You seemed to dread coming here this week. Meanwhile, he’s literally glowing from the anticipation of what’s to come.”

“I love how excited he gets. It’s the one time of the year where he gets all of us girls home for days on end. Where no other family or commitments can take us away early. He’s like this because he misses us.”

“Then why did you talk it up like it’d be a great inconvenience for me?”

You sat up and Soonyoung joined you, taking your hand in his. “I watched my older sisters bringing home guys to meet the family. They’d do it at different times of the year, never at Easter. And when they had been dating for some time, Easter would just naturally arrive. Several relationships broke up and I could always remember them crying and saying it was because our traditions were overbearing.”

“You made this into such a big deal to me to see if I would back out?” Soonyoung concluded and you nodded.

“I figured if I was ever going to bring home someone, the best time was now. If you could survive Easter at my side, then we could do anything together. My sister who is married even told me if you lasted Easter here then you were a keeper.”

“You needed this experience here to confirm that?” he teased and you pouted.

“As I said, you haven’t experienced the crazy yet.”

“Your Dad showed me the storage room before,” he mentioned and your eyes darted towards Soonyoung, widening with what secrets that room held. He grinned. “I got a taste of what’s to come.”

“And you don’t want to run away? That giant blow up basket takes up the entire front lawn, you know.”

“I actually asked if your Dad had a spare bunny costume. I think he teared up a little.”

You leaned over to kiss Soonyoung, smiling when you pulled away. “I’m starting to think this might be the best Easter yet.”

“Because you get to see your sexy boyfriend as a bunny with the cutest cottontail?” Soonyoung wondered cheekily, and you shook your head. “Hey, I can make that outfit cute and sexy, just you wait!”

“You sound just like my Dad, you know!” you laughed and Soonyoung nodded happily.

“He told me I was already family to him after that. And isn’t that what you wanted?”

You nodded as well, leaning in to kiss him again. “It is, and that’s why it’ll be the best Easter ever.”

_________________

All rights reserved © prettywordsyouleft

[SEVENTEEN Masterlist] | [Main Masterlist] | [Request Guidelines]

[all-things-skam]

I adore you’re fics! I’d love to see 23 & 62 for Elu 💕💕💕

Please continue to sent requests from this list of prompt!

23. “I’ve wanted this for so long.” 

62. “You look so hot like that.”

Title: The morning after

Ship: Skam France | Lucas Lallemant and Eliot Demaury (Elu)

Lucas woke up alone.

Eliott had left, again.

Although last night felt really good, this morning was another story. Now that his judgement wasn't clouded by his pulsing, teenage hormones anymore, Lucas immediately felt like an idiot. He shouldn't have given in so easily, he should've insisted they talked before jumping each other.

Yann won't be proud of him...

He wasn't proud of himself either.

He reached for his phone on the floor, lost somewhere in his pile of clothes from the night before and checked his messages.

[22:48] Basile: So. Did you fuck?

[22:50] Arthur: We left ten minutes ago, calm down...

[22:50] Yann: Leave them alone, man

[22:51] Basile: What? If I were Lucas, I'd want to get in Eliott's pants 😏

[22:51] Basile: No homo though!

[23:31] Basile: And now?

[2:10] Yann: Seriously, you're heavy

[2:10] Arthur: I'm calling it, Basile will did a virgin

[2:11] Yann: ^^

Lucas closed the chat without responding. He just can't.

.

The closer Lucas got to the kitchen, the louder the voices were. He could make out Mika's but the second wasn't Lisa - it was a guy's. Lucas groaned from the inside. Please let it not be one of Mika's hook up...

Lucas drew a breath when he was who was in his kitchen with his roommate. What the fuck. Eliott was sitting at the kitchen island with Mika, chatting over a cup of steaming tea. He was wearing a black tee shirt and a pair of sweatpants he must've found in Lucas's room - most likely on the floor, aka where all his closet lies.

Being seated facing the door frame of the kitchen, Mika saw him first. ''Good morning, Kitten! You didn't tell me you had an handsome man in your bed last night.'' Mika gave him a pointed look which Lucas ignored, blue eyes glued on Eliott.

He didn't leave.

Eliott twisted his middle, a smile forming on his lips when he saw Lucas and his infamous bedhead. He stood from his seat and crossed the floor, planting a kiss right on Lucas's lips, taking the brunet off guard. ''Slept well?''

Lucas opened his mouth but stayed inarticulate.

''Did you find him on Krindr like I taught you? Because I never saw that fine specimen on there and you know I'm always stalking the app.''

Krindr? Eliott was not some random guy who swiped right on a dating app and messaged him for a good fuck. Eliott was more than that. Eliott was the guy that made Lucas doubt his sexuality - something that had never happened before. He was the guy who he let his guard down for and played piano to for the first time in years. He was the guy who toyed with his heart and made him an emotional wreck over the past weeks but keeps falling back into his arms because he can't help it.

But, Lucas couldn't say that.

''It's almost eleven, don't you have work today?'' Lucas asked Mika, subtly yet bluntly kicking him out of his own kitchen.

''Yes, I do.'' Mika down the last of his tea and stood, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair. ''There's rolls of condoms on my nightstand if you need more and, no fucking on the kitchen table. We eat on that thing!'' he reminded them and Lucas wanted the floor to swallow him. Why was Mika so embarrassing...

''So, you're on Krindr?''

Lucas groaned, pushing his face in his hands. ''Can we not talk about that.''

''Sure.'' He kissed Lucas's temple. ''What do you want to talk about, then? Oh, I know! What do you want for breakfast? Eggs? French toasts?''

Apparently, Eliott was the chief of the family. Both of his parents working late shifts, he had to fend for himself most of the time and, believe it or not, you get tired of eating take out every single day. So, thanks to YouTube cooking videos, he can flick a whisk.

Lucas decided on french toasts because he has a sweet tooth and he hadn't had some since his parents's divorce. It's not Mika who will cook him a delicious breakfast every mornings - cereals will have to do it.

Eliott took out all the ingredients he needed for the french toasts, listening to Lucas's indications of where the milk, eggs, sugar, bread, vanilla and cinnamon were at. Lucas had jumped up on the counter, watching as Eliott whisked everything into a large bowl. 

‘’You look so hot like that,’’ Eliott pointed, glancing at Lucas between two wrist flicks. ‘’Sitting on that counter, looking all soft and cute. It’s difficult to not break your roommate’s rule.’’

Lucas blushed and reached for Eliott, opening his legs to make room for him. Eliott got the message and walked over, responding to Lucas's neediness.

''I thought you had left when I woke up. I was alone-''

Seeing how needy Lucas was in the morning, Eliott regretted leaving the last time he slept over.

Eliott shook his head, leaning down to press his forehead against the brunette's. ''I'm not going anywhere. I told you, I'm done running away from my feelings.'' He closed the gap between them and felt Lucas smile into the kiss.

''I've wanted this for so long,'' Lucas sighed, a beaming smile on his lips. He hadn't been this happy in a long time...or, ever.

He dived in for another kiss, slipping his tongue between Eliott's parted lips and crossing his legs behind his waist, keeping him prisoner between his hold as he deepened the kiss. Eliott's hand slid underneath Lucas's navy tee shirt, feeling his smooth skin under his fingertips.

Their make out session was interrupted by Eliott's phone buzzed on the counter - the recipe long forgotten on his screen. He groaned and pulled away to check the device, quickly typing a reply.

Lucas pulled his eyebrows, pursing his lips. ''Is it Lucille?''

''What?'' Eliott put down his phone, frowning. ''No. I told you, I'm done with her.''

Lucas looked down. ''It's just, the last time you told me you broke up with her-''

Knowing where this was heading, Eliott returned to Lucas to clear things. ''Lucie and I are over, Lucas,'' he promised. ''I ended things for good with her before coming here last night. I can't have her control me like this. She's always monitoring my every actions and it's not how a relationship should be. I get that she cared about me but there's a line between caring for someone and monitoring them like some child. She was my girlfriend, not my mom.''

Lucas recalled hearing Lucille telling Eliott to slack on the beer at Daphné's party, right before they left. It was one of the reason Eliott wanted to leave the party, to breathe without someone snooping over his shoulder.

''When I told her about you, she laughed and said it was only a phase and that I was being delusional about liking a guy. She couldn't have been more wrong. I have real feelings for you, strong feelings. I-'' Eliott drew a breath, staring at Lucas intently. ''I have never felt something so strong for someone...ever,'' he said, baring his feelings and feeling more naked and terrified at the confession than last night when he was literally naked in front of Lucas.

''Me either and it kind of scares me...''

Eliott pressed his forehead against Lucas's. ''You have nothing to be scared of.''

''Last time you told me not to be scared you broke my heart and I don't think I could deal with another heartbreak,'' Lucas said with honesty.

Eliott felt his throat thicken, a lump of guilt forming. ''I'll take care of your heart this time,'' he promised, deposing a kiss right over Lucas's heart, filling Lucas's heart with warmth.

Their intimate embrace was broken when a familiar melody coming from the kitchen radio filled the room, catching Eliott's attention.

''This song.''

Lucas paid an attentive hear to the radio, recognizing this awful song. ''Are you kidding?''

Eliott shook his head, bopping his head to the melody, waiting for Adrien Gallo's voice to fill the kitchen.

''What did I do to deserve this... I just found the love of my life and it turns out he had shit music taste.''

''Uh?''

''First your shitty dubstep and now...this.''

''I'm the love of your life?'' Eliott repeated and Lucas blushed.

Oh no. Did he say that out loud?

''I didn't-'' he started but Eliott cut him, grinning.

''You said I was the love of your life. I heard you!''

Lucas rolled his eyes and Eliott kissed him. ''Say it again,'' he asked, pressing their forehead together. Lucas hummed. ''Say it again.''

''You're the love of my life,'' Lucas repeated, his voice so quiet and intimate, breathed only for Eliott to hear. He looked at Eliott trough his long lashes, his gaze so intense before Eliott went in for another kiss, this time slipping his tongue inside Lucas's mouth. Feeling Eliott stepping back, Lucas snaked an arn behind his neck, keeping Eliott there, stopping him from breaking the kiss.

It didn't last long though because Eliott smirked and started singing along to the radio, much to Lucas's annoyance. ''Une violente envie de descente lorsque t'embrasses ces gars. Je n'ferai point l'enfant, tout cela ne m'atteint pas.''

Lucas rolled his eyes at his cheesy behavior, laughing because he couldn't help it, already completely enamoured by this boy. He tried to steal a kiss from Eliott but he denied him.

''Des rumeurs adolescentes disent que je ne suis pas...'' Eliott trailed, staying in character as Lucas watched him finish the song with an intense look. ''Un homme à femmes et rien d'autre qu'un homme à toi.''

And, if Lucas found himself singing along, no one had to know.

[hcneymilkks]

Woojin ‘City Nights’

Life is always better at night.

Inspired by a post from Tumblr, changed it just a little

post found here!

College au! Friends to lovers.

[NOTE: Although Woojin is not in Stray Kids anymore (I'm still sad about that), or he right now is not a K-pop idol, he is still one in my heart and I will continue to write for him as one (not just a member of Stray Kids, but as a performer as well. Woojin will still be under Stray Kids in my masterlist until he becomes solo or an actor or something (he just gotta show off his talent if you know what i mean)]

Word count: 1.6k words

MASTERLIST

It was a Friday night. Normally people would be hanging with friends, going to clubs or bars, basically doing anything fun.

Y/N was not one of those people today. You usually were outgoing, your bright aura pulling everyone in, making you instantly be friends. It wasn't your fault that you had the face of a goddess.

But there were times where you felt like you were living a double life,  always wanting to stay at home wrapped up in the warmest blankets watching Netflix. Today was no exception.

Except.

You were stuck at the library doing a statistics lab, as the printer back at the apartment wasn't working and her roommate not home yet.

"Just one more question and then you can leave." you mumbled to herself.

Glancing at the clock, you knew it was late as you saw only a few lamps on. Probably students who wanted to get ahead on their studying.

Punching in the last bit of numbers, she relaxed in her seat. The papers still warm from the printer as it was stuck in your folder, ready to be handed in Monday morning.

You waved at the sweet librarian goodnight. The one who always gave you some book recommendations, your sore feet screaming for help as you trudged home.

_________________

Stiffing a yawn and pressing the number three on the elevator, you were ready to pass out. But as you got to the door you blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

There, on the door handle of your apartment was a pink sparkly scrunchie.

"No no no no." You sighed and knocked loudly on the door.

The door opened and your roommate peaked through, glaring.

"Um hello scrunchie on the door. Remember the rules?"

Of course you had remembered the rules, you made them.

A scrunchie on the door meant that the other roommate had company for various reasons. This meant that your roommate had company now and it didn't sound good.

"Yes I remember but come on I'm tired and I just want to sleep on my own bed."

Your roommate laughed fakely. "I would love to let you in but I'm entertaining San right now. He's hot and a great dancer." She waves at who you presume is San inside their shared apartment and cringe.

"Listen I don't wanna know San facts I just want to sleep in my bed."

Your roommate glares once more. "Sorry girl, go find somewhere else to sleep. Byeeeee."

The door closes.

You groan, just where are you supposed to go now?

Cursing your roommate, you dial someone hoping that they answer.  

"Oh Woojin please pick up."

"Hello? Y/N?"

"Woojin thank god. I just got kicked out of my own apartment for the night so can I um crash at yours."

Woojin chuckles on the other end of the receiver. "She has company over doesn't she?"

"Yup and I can clearly hear them from outside so I'm coming to yours right now."

Woojin laughs. "You're always welcome."

_________________

Across from the University campus was an apartment that Woojin resided in. It was five stories high, with blue blocks coating one side of the building. A bubble tea shop was beneath the building, Woojin wiping the last of the tables and counting the tills.

As he shut off the lights, his phone started to ring.

"Hold on Y/N, I'm just closing the shop."

"Hurry up you big bear, it's cold out here." Woojin looks through the shop windows and sees Y/N hugging her unoccupied arm towards her. He chuckles in response and opens the front door, getting hit with a small breeze.

You end the call and run to Woojin, your body colliding with his. "Hurry up Woojin I'm freezing and hungry and tired."

He hugs Y/N like there's no tomorrow, the heat radiating off of him mixed with the scent of his cologne makes your stomach swirl with a lot of emotions. You smile and relax in his embrace, the feeling of home.

_________________

Woojin groaned.

"Great just great." He had forgotten to buy groceries today.

You were curled up on the couch, the blanket wrapped around like a burrito as the television was turned on to watch a Late Night Show.  "So Woojin, any luck with some food?"

He closes the fridge and walks into the living room with two bottles of water. "So how does a gourmet meal of ice and cheese sound?" You choked on the water, laughing.

"Woojin! This is the second time in two weeks! Are you okay? What are you living off of?"

"The Chicken Gods."

You rolled your eyes as he typed something on his phone. "Ah here's good news, the convenience store across the street is open 24 Hours. We could go on a little adventure, grab some food and then drive somewhere?"

Looking outside, it was pitch black with some stars scattering the sky. The clock shone 11:00 pm in green numbers. "Really Wooj? You want me....already wrapped like a burrito, to go outside in the freezing cold to get some food and go on an adventure?"

"Why not? It's not like you have done something exciting the past two months."

"I have!"

Woojin crossed his arms and rose an eyebrow. "Tell me Y/N, what have you done in the past two months that was exciting?"

You chewed on your bottom lip. "I went to a party?"

"Bullshit I came with you to that party! I know for a fact you wanted to leave because the one person you have been eyeing in your Chemistry Lecture was sucking someone else's face instead of yours."

Putting your hands up in irritation, you groaned. "Okay fine! So I have not done anything exciting, but what makes you think I'm going to get out of your apartment and into your car?"

"There's gummy choco at the store."

_________________

There you were, wearing Woojin's hoodie over your thin turtleneck and in the car, forcing the heater on high.

"Dammit you! How could you say the name gummy choco in front of my face!?"

"Yeah yeah, you'll thank me later." Woojin's hands found yours and he clasps them together, squeezing it every so often.

The low sound of 3Racha, a music group at your local University was humming through the air. A comfortable silence wrapped around both of you.

Hands reattached as Woojin dragged you out of the car and into the small but bright convenience store, saying hello to the worker who was none other than Minho. A few things here and there. Instant ramen and rice cake soup added into the mix. Finished off with a huge handful of gummy choco, you whining to Woojin to pay for it because "you were forcibly dragged out of your warm burrito blanket".

The convenience store smelled of beef and spice, both you and Woojin sitting down and catching up. No longer sleepy, as the laughter from Woojin was like a melody to your ears.

Hands reattached as Woojin ran into the empty parking lot laughing and smiling. You couldn't resist and joined along, fooling around while the stars were watching.

Woojin smiled and tugged you closer. "Let's go into the car, I have somewhere I want to go."

Both of you looked back and waved to Minho who's phone was out recording. He waves back and chuckles to himself.

"Well someone is getting cuffed tonight." [Sent to SKZ groupchat]

_________________

Woojin's fingers lightly tapped the steering wheel as Day6 started to play on the radio. He increased the volume and started singing along to Shoot Me as you used your fist as an imaginary microphone.

Although it was getting closer to 1:00 am, the city became a nightlife, as if everyone had the same thought on this one Friday night.

Life is always better at night.

Woojin parked the car and opened the door, taking your soft hand in his. There was chatter amongst the crowds, as food vendors and shops were still open at this time.

Could it be? "Is this, a Nightmarket?"

Woojin smiled and nodded. "I heard this one is the most popular, wanna check it out?"

"Hell yeah."

Music played throughout the venues, trying out different foods, drinks. Taking lots of photos. You learned a new side of the city you resided in, that, not everything exciting happens in the daytime.

"Can we get one chocolate hazelnut mousse bubble tea with white pearls, 30% sugar and no ice and then just one pearl milk tea please."

"Can we get one fish cake soup, one order of dumplings, and two orders of the red bean pastries."

"Stand here Y/N I'll take a photo."

"Woojin come in here let's take one together."

The buzz became quieter as Woojin led you to the place he came to think. A hill that overlooked the city. The lights twinkling under the sky that was calling for a sunrise.

"I can't believe that we just stayed up for the whole night. Woojin do you know how bad that is?"

He shrugged. "I mean we both have the day off since it will be Saturday. Plus live a little Y/N, you're an adult, you're allowed to be free of the constraining chains of a society accustomed to the same norms and values of 'if you finish school you will have a higher chance at getting what you want.'"

"Wow, no need to go all educational on me."You looked at him smiling. "But I don't mind it."

Closer they went to one another, hands on your hips, hands on the back of his neck. Both of you knew it, felt it, wanted it.

And as the sky slowly turned to orange, you whispered a thank you and your lips met each other’s in a breathtaking kiss.

[fan-dumb-trash]

Come Out And Play [Prinxiety One-Shot]

Hey @5-crofters-jams ! Here’s your present for @secretsanders! I really love Prinxiety along with Panic! and Billie Eilish so I’m super happy I got you! Hope you had a good Holiday! TBH this is one of my favorite things I’ve ever written, so I’m praying that youll love it as much as I do :D - <3 Ray

Warnings: Angst and Self deprecation in the beginning.Some swearing. don’t worry it ends up fluffy very quickly :D

•••

Roman curled up in a ball, head between his knees and tightly shut his eyelids. His roommate was stomping around their little apartment in her thick combat boots, sounding like an elephant in tap shoes. Her shouts where echoing in the open space, fading in and out everytime she exited and entered a room. Roman suddenly felt the same pit in his stomach he did when he was a child. Little Roman always tried to drown out his parent’s shouting by his favorite Disney songs, hiding away from the ugly with the lighthearted.

Now, it was like everything came around full circle. Roman messed up. He always did. His passions, his fears, his inability to live his life, had caused others to get dragged down with him. Roman’s roommate just happened to be the collateral damage of today.

“It’s Christmas Eve! How in the hell are you okay with staying here all night, being sorry for yourself and sad. If you want to throw a pity party, do it on your own terms. I’m goin’ out. Don’t bother joining me.” The girl seethed, her tone cold and biting. At this point, she was standing by the door with her hand on her hip. Roman’s earbuds were in and he pretending to ignore his roommate.

“Go ahead and write your dumb little short plays and hide the fact that you don’t have a clue what you’re doing with your life,” she scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. Roman flinched and bit his lip. He would not cry. He asked for this. As usual he declined another one of her offers to go out. Roman was tired, and his words came out uncensored and offhandedly. Clearly he had stricken a nerve in his roommate.

“Why can’t you just loosen up and go out for once? Is it so hard to be a normal human being?”

Roman heard her sigh. He had no energy to respond to her. Her car key jingled in her hands as she went to open the door. “Goodnight Roman,” she said, “Merry Fucking Christmas.” She huffed and slammed the door. Roman began rocking back in forth. He would not cry. He asked for this. He screamed into his knees and rolled off the couch, walking towards the table. Roman opened his laptop and stared at the empty word document.

Time passed. A few words were typed, and just as quickly, they were deleted. Ideas of heroes and dragons bounced in his head. Epic journeys and stories of love could unfold in his head, but to translate them into written word took more concentration than Roman could muster. He decided to give up for the night and retreat to Netflix. Before doing so he decided he had to at least grab a snack.

As he began to walk towards the cupboard, he heard a soft noise coming from outside his apartment. It was faint, but alluring. Roman found himself being drawn to it and carefully unlocked his kitchen window. He slowly opened it and he heard the sound of instrument strings being plucked from above him. A soft, deep humming swirled with the wind that directed the noise to his ears. The voice began to sing.

“And some days I lie wide awake 'til the Sun hits my face. And I fade, elevate from the Earth”

Roman, tired and disheveled, jumped onto the counter and grasped the window sill, his nail polish chipping a bit under his tight grip. The voice became more clear.

“Far away to a place where I'm free from the weight, this old world, this old world~”

Roman took a sharp intake of breath when he heard the small riff at the end of the line. He leaned closer and closer to the sound, sticking his head out the window.

“I don't trust anything, or anyone, below the Sun.”

Silky, smooth, and striking with each word, Roman somehow felt connected to the source of music. What twist of fate had him stumble upon this siren-like voice? Roman didn’t know, but he wanted to find out. Whether it was the spirit of the holiday, or the exhaustion creeping up on Roman, the man, in a leap of faith, decided to investigate.

“And I don't feel anything, at all”

Roman looked down. It had come to his attention that there was a fire escape starting a few feet under the window. Forgetting his fear of heights he plopped out of the window and walked on the metal balcony over to a nearby ladder. The wind blew around the man, throwing him a bit off balance.

“I'm king of the clouds, of the clouds~ I get lifted, I get lifted,”

He pinpointed the source of the noise. It came from above him. One foot in front of the other, he scrambled up the ladder. He prayed that it would lead him to the stranger, and not to his death. Roman’s head began to race. Thoughts bounced around like a kid on a sugar rush. What am I thinking? I’m going to die I’m going to die I’m going to freaking die. As he got closer and closer he found himself regretting his decision more and more. It took all his strength to not look down. He knew that if he did, he would freak out and plumit towards the ground. Roman imagined himself as prince climbing up a tower to reach his beautiful Rapunzel. With this in mind, the stranger with the lovely voice finally came into view.

“King of the- What the FUCK!?!?” The man screeched, and suddenly stopped playing his guitar. His eyes were wide and dark, like a deer in the headlights. His jaw virtually dropped down the six stories below him.

•••

Virgil appreciated cliches. They offered consistency. You always knew what to expect when you sat down on the couch with your cozy blanket, and put on a Hallmark movie. There were no surprises. Real life was never like the movies, so everything he watched, he concluded would never happen to him.

Never in Virgil’s uneventful and drab life did he expect to actually live through one of these cliches. That’s why when a man with tangled red hair and big caramel eyes appeared at the edge of his secluded balcony, he concluded that everything he knew, was a lie.

“SORRY! Ididntmeantostartleyou! I just-erm… reallyreally liked your voice.” Roman, at this point, had climbed over the banister and sheepishly waved at Virgil. His smile was tight, but easy. Virgil didn’t quite know what to make of this situation.

“Thanks…? But that still doesn’t explain what the HELL you are doing up here! Where did you come from?” He interrogated, burying himself in his scarf. Virgil’s face was on fire.

“Oh,” Roman’s brow furrowed. “I’m in room 42, right bellow you, I think…” Virgil growled and buried his face in his hands.

“Why are you here?” He asked. Everything was silent for a moment, but the wind howled and caused Roman to shiver. He didn’t plan to be out in the cold. His thin bomber jacket would do him no good in the winter weather. Virgil caught onto this and looked up at the man, concerned. Roman shrugged at his stranger, and replied to him.

“I mean, isn’t a little spontaneity good every once in a while? People just do stuff without any explanation. It can be good, bad, but it just happens. Is it your job, or my job, to decide what the universe should and shouldn’t make happen?”

Virgil couldn’t decide if this dude was crazy or brilliant. He did know he was cold, and scared of heights. The man refused to look at anything that wasn’t Virgil. The way he couldn’t truly smile, or relax his posture told him something was off. Roman slowly came further and further from the edge. Virgil didn’t have the heart to send him back down the ladder.

“You’re shivering,” he said. “I will be right back. Don't go anywhere, okay?” Roman nodded in response, and Virgil slipped through his own window. As his feet hit the tile floor, a loud whistling noise startled him and sent him up into the air. He looked over and realized it was just his tea pot. Thanking the gods for not letting his house burn down, he grabbed the first jacket he saw and an old beanie, and quickly filled two mugs up with tea. Walking back outside, Virgil had no idea what he was doing. A handsome stranger, speaking like a crazy person just decides to meet him on his balcony, and for what? His mediocre at best singing voice? Maybe guy is right, he thought. Spontaneity can be good.

With this newfound motivation, Virgil carefully approached Roman after much struggling. He set down the two tea mugs and then tossed him the sweatshirt and beanie. Roman quickly threw the sweatshirt over his head. It was much too big for him, but frankly he did not care. As he slid the beanie on, he felt a little warmth come back to his body. Virgil moved his guitar case off of an empty chair and gestured to the seat with his long, pale fingers. He cleared his throat and began to speak in his best medieval voice.

“Have a seat, lone traveler. If you’re gonna trespass, and invade my secluded balcony, you owe me every last detail of your halfway decent origin story.” It took all of Virgil’s self control to not burst out laughing at the bewildered look on the other man’s face. Roman did not expect this tall glass of emo to provide such a performance. He began to laugh, and sat down next to Virgil. Virgil’s cheeks tinted pink at the harmonious sound and Roman smiled.

“But what if my origin story’s no good, kind sir?” Roman questioned, with the same kind of voice. Somehow it held more of a dramatic flair than Virgil’s. The edgy man snorted and crossed his arms.

“Well you’ll just have to tell me anyways, won’t you? If it’s that bad- I’ll feed you to the crocodiles.”

Virgil replied. If possible, Roman smiled even wider, causing warmth to spread though Virgil.

“How about this,” the man began. “I’ll start you off with a question. What’s a dude like yourself doin’ all alone on Christmas Eve. You seem like the social type, right?” Virgil asked, curiosity in his eyes. He sipped the tea and buried himself into his scarf. Roman practically guzzled his tea, desperate to warm up.

“Well, I am. A prince such as myself has got to slay. Theater sort of demands that you be social. All the actors, tech crew, directors… Frankly, I don’t think I get a break,” Roman sighed.

“Should’ve guessed you were a theater guy,” Virgil shook his head and chuckled.

“Yeah,” Roman grinned. “It’s obvious once I mention it. But I mean when things get overwhelming I tend to… back up? I mean if it’s in the middle of a show I’ll play my part, but I don’t attach myself to the vulnerability of it all or I’ll get hurt… I mean good thing a lot of male leads are shallow and one dimensional.”

Virgil hesitantly nodded. “I guess… I mean guys aren’t always like that in real life. And I’m sure you aren't. So I’d just accept that you’re gonna get hurt and just live,” Roman flinched and shut his eyes as the other man finished that phrase. Virgil cursed under his breath and slowly reached out to touch his hand before sharply pulling back.

“Sorry! Did I say something? I probably did sorry that was harsh I shouldn’t have-“

“You aren’t wrong. I really do. It’s just not easy, outside of theater. Christmas has always been tough since my parents split. Don’t get me wrong, I live for the aesthetic. Red is my favorite color. Green is… captivating,” Roman breathed out, catching a glimpse of Virgil’s own eyes, hidden behind raven hair. “ It’s just that what I expect is never what I get. Christmas kinda ruined itself for me. It didn’t help that ever since I moved here I haven’t kept in touch with my folks as much as I should. I just feel… guilty. For feeling free. But I’m also sad as hell if you can’t tell,” He gestured towards himself and his disheveled appearance. Virgil noticed the bags under his eyes, and the exhaust plaguing him. He hummed sympathetically.

“That’s gotta suck big time. I mean, if you’re living a better life without their drama, you shouldn’t feel guilty. If they truly gave a shit about you they’d understand your actions, or at least try to,” Virgil sipped more of his tea and gazed at Roman. He seemed to be in his own little world. A part of Virgil wanted to join him in the bliss. “I’m just an antisocial guitar lover who’s only plans are to hang out with their parents on Christmas Day. The universe is one funny dude for giving you me, of all people, for condolences,” he reached out a hand to touch Roman, but this time he didn’t pull back last moment. Roman looked over at him with an intense gaze. He sighed and smiled sadly.

“I write. A lot. Short plays. They never go anywhere because they’re never real. It’s all in my head, fantasy. For once I want something tangible. Theatre is my escape from my sadness… it’s just that I think it’s taking away from stuff that really matters,” Roman whispered, almost too quietly. The wind had settled at this point, not taking away from the spoken word. Virgil smiled back, unsure of why he was listening to a stranger.

“It seems like your art is your way of expressing yourself. Isn’t that what really matters? Being yourself? Music is my escape. Singing something is acknowledging it’s real, but also acknowledging the wisdom and power that you gain when you overcome an obstacle. It’s also just… really nice ya know? I respect you. And any other sane person should,” Virgil said. Roman stared at him, in awe. He was stunning in more ways than one. His features, his words, his voice, made Virgil a person that could inspire Roman in such a short amount of time.

“Will you sing for me?” Roman asked. Virgil blushed and shook his head.

“No! I mean I’m used to singing in front of people it’s just the circumstance-“

“How about this,” Roman began, rubbing circles on Virgil’s palm, making him blush more. “You can play a song on your guitar and I will sing it, but you have to promise to sing a little with me too. Deal?”

Virgil contemplated for a moment. It would be interesting to hear if this prince man could carry a tune. He hummed aloud.

“Hmm. What do have in mind?” Virgil asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Do you like Billie Eilish?”

“Is that even a question? Of course I do. What song?”

•••

Roman was shocked how quickly he could answer Virgil. I mean, it was a simple question, and the choice was obvious. While Virgil’s voice was steady, Roman could see the nervousness swimming in his eyes.

“Come out and play.” Roman replied, pulling his hand away from Virgil’s. His checks tinted pink, and Virgil laughed at him. Roman imagined the gears in Virgil’s head turning. His jaw was tight and he averted his gaze away from Roman. Roman noticed this, and carefully grabbed Virgil’s guitar, pushing it into his chest.

“You don’t have to be nervous. It’s just me, a random stranger who doesn’t know a thing about you, and who definitely won’t judge you,” Roman softly said. Virgil finally looked up at him and smiled.

“Okay,” Virgil muttered, adjusting his position so he could play. “Thank god I know this song by heart. If I didn’t, we’d be screwed.” Roman shook his head, amused.

“Well, my damsel in distress -heh, literally- I happen to know the song, infact, I could sing it backwards.” Virgil raised his eyebrows, and adjusted his fingers on the fretboard. Roman scotted forward in his chair and curiously peered at Virgil. The emo man sighed.

“I would rather you not do that. You ready?” He asked.

“I was born ready.” Roman exclaimed, sipping the last of his tea and abruptly clearing his throat. Virgil pursed his lips together and shook his head at Roman.

“You do know that clearing your throat actually rubs your vocal chords together and messes up your singing, right?” Virgil said matter-of-factly. Roman gasped, somewhat surprised. The other man laughed quietly to himself and began playing his guitar, long fingers plucking cooper strings to create a calming sound. Roman grinned and hummed along. He looked across the balcony and the setting sun that peeked between the trees.

“Wake up and smell the coffee. Is your cup half full or empty? When we talk, you say it softly- but I love it when you're awfully quiet,” Roman sang with a bright, warm voice, throwing Virgil in for a loop. There was somewhat of a shaky undertone to it, even if Roman himself was confident. Virgil found it endearing.

“Hmm, hmm quiet. Hmm, hmm” Virgil hummed softy with Roman, their voices not quite melting together. Roman looked over at Virgil and their eyes met for a brief moment. The moment ending just as quickly as it started.

“You see a piece of paper, could be a little greater. Show me what you could make her. You'll never know until you try it-“ This time Roman sang to Virgil, sincerity lacing his words. “-and you don't have to keep it quiet” Roman emphasized this phrase, causing Virgil to roll his eyes good heartedly. He sang the chorus with him.

“And I know it makes you nervous. But I promise you, it's worth it- to show 'em everything you kept inside. Don't hide, don't hide~” Virgil’s smooth softer voice blended perfectly with Romans’. They both grinned, noticing it. They sang to each other as Virgil began playing his guitar more enthusiastically. Roman refrained from singing- entranced by Virgil.

“Too shy to say, but I hope you stay. Don't hide away~ Come out and play.” Roman stared, seeing the weariness poke out in Virgil's voice. He found it beautiful. He found him beautiful- and thanked the universe for having this happen to him. The rest of the song way sweet, and unsteady- but by the end they where both lost in the moment. Virgil sighed, content.

“Well that wasn’t so bad, now was it?” Roman crossed his arms and leaning back in his chair. His eyes betrayed any negativity he was trying to portray. They were filled with light and joy. Virgil smirked and shook his head.

“No, it wasn’t. I’m going to come hug you now, okay?” Virgil said, placing his guitar back in its case. Roman laughed and stood up and Virgil embraces him. Roman rested his chin on Virgil’s shoulder as he wrapped his arms around his waist.

“Did I make your Christmas Eve less crappy?” Virgil asked, mostly as a joke.

“Hell yeah you did!” Roman replied, tilting his head a bit. Virgil broke away from the hug and grabbed Roman’s hand.

“Okay, I have a question and this might be a bit odd-“ Virgil started- but Roman interrupted.

“Oh, of course my darling emo I will marry you!”

Virgil cackled and lightly smacked him on the shoulder. Roman grinned, proud of himself.

“Noted. I was going to ask if you wanted to come to my parents tomorrow? I’m sure they won’t mind another human around and they always make a ton of food anyways even though it’s just me and all. I mean if you don’t want to that’s chill too…” Virgil looked down at the floor, his face on fire. Roman squeezed Virgil’s hand, causing him to look up.

“I’d love too, but first I need to know your name.”

“Oh shit!” Virgil exclaimed, facepalming. “My names Virgil. My dad's a huge poetry nerd and my other dad just like adores unique things so bam!”

“Wow, that's a lovely name! I happen to like poetry myself.” Roman smiled as Virgil’s blush became more visible.

“I should probably ask what your name is,” Virgil commented.

“I’m Roman Prince, at your service,” He said, bowing. Virgil snorted.

“Fitting. Oh, I’m glad you decided to waltz into my life and climb up a fire escape just to hear me sing.” Roman’s smile grew as Virgil spoke. Fate was a funny thing. Perhaps Roman was able to live a little all along, all he had to do was find the right person.

“I’m glad I did too, Virgil.”

•••

Note: The songs used in here are King Of The Clouds By Panic! At The Disco and come out and play by Billie Eilish! I’d recommend giving them a listen! I also don’t own thoose songs I’m just a huge fan of them :3 Hope you liked this!

[the-best-bread]

Story time

Ok I’m going to preface this by saying it’s probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever done but it was fun so oh well

Anyway so I’m on my fourth day of class today. Nothing eventful has happened yet buts it’s only noon so there’s still plenty of time. Tuesday however is where the fun started. So there’s a guy that I sat next to in calc both of the the first two days. His name is Ian. Later in that second day I ran into Ian in the dining hall where we decided to do homework together later. So we go do homework and we’re having fun so we decide to go downtown to get tea. It’s really good tea. But anyway we kept walking around town after that and it starts getting dark but oh well we’re having a good time joking around, he taught me how to play an Italian gambling game (we didn’t gamble) and then it’s like 10pm. A good time to go to bed right? No instead we go stargazing on campus in a random place I’d never discovered before. Then I discovered he’s a hugger as we were walking back so he gave me a hug and we parted ways. The end right? No

So then yesterday I was bored and asked him if he wanted to hang out since I was done with the homework I needed to do. I ended up going and getting milkshakes with him and his friend as they were walking back from a game store place after game night. His friends name is josh. They argue like an old married couple it’s great. But anyway after milkshakes Ian wanted to go drop off his backpack in his room. So we all went to his room. This is where I met Denver, Ian’s roommate. Denver also joined the party. This is where we decide to go downtown to get tea. At like 9:30. The tea place closed at 10. That’s a half hour to walk a mile and a half ish. On the way there i should mention half the streets don’t have lights on them. I also mentioned it was a good place to get murdered and the four of us ended up in a discussion of ways to get killed on dark sketchy sidewalks.

On the walk we ran into a random dollar on the sidewalk. I picked it up. The lights in the house turned on and a bunch of likely drunk frat boys shouted “poop dollar!!” It was hilarious. I dropped the dollar. There was indeed poop in the dollar. I will get back to this in a sec.

When we got to the tea shop they were closing in about five minutes and we felt like that would be rude to get four teas as they’re basically cleaned up already. So we walked back. On the same route the poop dollar was. When we got there one of the guys picked it up and threw it at the house. The people in the house thought it was hilarious. So did we.

Then we went and hung out at the statue in the center of campus for a while. Ian and Josh talked on a bench and I talked to Denver which was pretty cool. And then we found a cat at a gazebo thing. We were there until midnight. It was so much fun but I’m never telling my mom I was up until midnight with three guys I’d just met because now that I think about it that could have ended very badly