#old lady at the checkout asked if i was going back to school soon

[magnetic-dogz]

Also today marked the 2nd time in the past year an older woman I've met has been genuinely shocked upon finding out I'm in my 20s

[kindnessisweakness2]

Delusional - Part 18

After a week of planning, the day of the fundraiser for the local high schools new music block finally arrived. As usual Delaney was running around like a headless chicken trying to get everything on Gemma’s list. Jax, Clay, Opie and Tig were picking up the last shipment of guns and storing them in the warehouse Juice found them out on the border of the Wahiwah. And the rest of the members were helping Gemma set up the stalls. Everyone had been so busy trying to sort out the new arrival of this ATF bitch and the problems she brought with her, Delaney and Jax still hadnt got round to celebrating their new engagement. Oh dont get me wrong no body had missed the Gigantic rock on the left hand of Jax Teller’s Old Lady. And both Delaney and Jax were all over each other the second they got the chance, even Gemma walking in on the couple at one point. They were totally obsessed with eachother, They just hadnt had the chance to throw a party/ annocuncement yet. 

Delaney sighed in frustration as she looked at the Que at the checkout. Why was it always busy when your in a rush? “Oh fancy seeing you here!” Delaney rolled her eyes as she recognized the voice instantly. Turning around Delaney plastered a smile on her face that was clearly fake. “Tara.” Tara’s face twisted at the uninterested tone in Delaney’s voice. “How’s Jax? Havent seen him around.” Delaney smirked, “Oh my Fiance?” She questioned purposely lifting her left hand and flipping her hair. “You wouldnt have seen him around much. We’ve been real busy.” The smirk on Delaney’s face grew wider as Tara’s face fell quickly. “Your engaged?” Nodding her head and sighing dramatically Delaney couldnt help but enjoy this moment abit more than she should. “Yeah. I still cant believe he popped the question so quickly. He’s such a romantic. All over me any chance he gets. We’re just so happy together.” Tara’s face fell deeper into a frown with every word that passed from Delaney’s lips. Hearing how happy they were together is the last thing she wanted to know. Jealousy was clear to read on Tara’s face as she rolled her eyes at the soon to be Mrs Teller and made her way to the furthest checkout in the store. Delaney being the petty person she was couldnt help but call out to the scorned ex-girlfriend, sarcasm dripping from every word. “Dont be a stranger now Tara! I’m sure we will see you at the fundrasier today.”  Turning back to the counter, Delaney unloaded her cart. Damn, She really was turning in to gemma. 

Less than an hour later, everything was finally ticked off of Gemma’s list. Sighing with relief, Delaney finally sat down at the bar in a quiet clubhouse. Everyone was setting up at the school field, But with it being a Friday the usual party also needed setting up. Delaney volunteered hoping it would give her 30 mins peace. She’s felt so tired the last few days. With all the trouble from club and all the worry its no wonder she feels like she could sleep for days. The sound of the door slamming open made her jump in her seat, her heart hammering in her chest. “Sorry Baby. Didnt mean to make you jump.” The sound of Jax’s voice calmed her instantly. Smiling up at him as he wrapped his arms around her, She couldnt help but question how she got so lucky. “You ok?” Jax asked worriedly as he brought his thumb up to caress the dark circles under her eyes. “Yeah. Im just tired. I worry too much about everyone. Been waking up in the middle of the night feeling sick so I'm not sleeping well. It's just anxiety baby it'll pass." Delaney smiled up at her soon to be husband as she lifted her hand to smooth the frown lines on his forehead. "I knew something was wrong when I kept waking up to you leaving our bed. Your going to the doctor Laney." Jax pulled his phone from his pocket but before he could dial the doctors office Delaney pulled it from his hands and placed it on the bar. Standing from the bar stool she was sat on a grin spread across her lips as she gripped Jax's kutte. "I know what will make me feel better." She spoke softly before capturing his lips with hers. Jax smiled down at his fiance as he let her push him backwards until the leather of his Kutte hit the double doors of the club meeting room. "You are insatiable woman." Delaney grinned against the soft skin of his neck. "That's right Teller. Just can't get enough of you." Reaching out behind her Fiance, she forced the doors to the meeting room open and made her way inside. Leaning against the large Oak table with the detailed carving of the reaper, her mischevious eyes met his. "Tell me how good it would be to bend me over this table?" Delaney made her way around to Jax's VP chair, her eyes never leaving his as she spoke. "Or to make me ride you in your chair. Every time you sit in it, your brain giving you flashbacks of me writhing on top of you." Not being able to help himself anymore, Jax sat down in his chair and pulled her to sit astride him. “I love you.” Delaney smiled as she looked down at her fiance, his cheeks light pink and eyes full of lust. How this man even took a second glance at her, nevermind fall in love with her, she would never know. But he did. He was hers. And that filled Delaney with more emotion than she would ever be able to show. “I love you, more than you’ll ever know Teller.” So she showed him, just how much he made her crazy, just how much love and lust he filled her with. Right there, in his VP Chair. In the private room, where no random crow eater or any other insignificant woman had had a piece of her man, she gave Jax a memory he would never forget. No, going forward every time her man sat in that chair he would be reminded just what his old lady could do. 

“There you are! I was getting ready to send a goddamn search party! Your asses are 2 hours late.” Gemma scolded Jax and Delaney as they finally made their way to her food stand. Crossing her arms over her chest as she examined the flustered pair, it didnt take a rocket scientist to work out why they were late. Jax smiled cheekily at his mother as he flung his arm over Delaney’s shoulder. “Sorry Ma, Just cant keep my hands off my beautiful fiance.” God, he would never get tired of saying that. Delaney flushed red as a smirk crossed Gemma’s face. “Yeah Yeah, get your fine ass in that booth sweetheart im swamped.” Delaney stood on her tip toes to kiss Jax gently and headed for the booth to start serving. A few minutes later, when the que for Gemma’s famous Chilli died down, Delaney knew the interrigation from her future mother in law would start. “Y’know if you keep letting him hit it like that you’ll be knocked up before you know it. Bare foot and swollen will be your new normal, Jax wants a football team baby. Always has.” Gemma didnt waste any time. Straight to the point, as she always was. At the mention of babies, her heart panged painfully in her chest. If she was strong enough, if she protected it, they would already have one. And she lives with that guilt every day. If only she had been better. Tears filled her eyes at the thought of what she had lost. What Jax unknowingly lost because of her. Her eyes drifted across the green and locked on her smiling fiance as he played with Opie’s son, Kenny. He would be an amazing dad. Sensing the atmosphere in the booth change and seeing the tears fall down Delaney’s face so quickly had Gemma feeling instantly guilty. “I’m sorry baby.” The look on her face told Delaney she genuinely meant the apology. Shaking her head, She sniffled lightly and tried to dry her still flowing tears. “It’s okay. It’s just me. Over-emotional me.” Delaney wiped her hands on her jeans as she tried to steady her breathing, eyes still locked on Jax as he now held Ellie while talking to Donna. “I’m gonna go for a walk. I just need a minute. I’ll be back by the time the band starts.” High tailing it out of the booth, Delaney made her way into the high school and headed for the bathrooms. She needed as far away from Gemma and her foot in mouth syndrome as she could get. 

After hiding in the bathroom for 10 Minutes, Delaney realised that she couldnt avoid this, as much as she wanted to. She needed to suck it up and stop being so touchy. Knowing Gemma didnt make her comment with malace, Delaney couldnt hold it against her. She didnt know what was going on with her emotions just lately but the drop of a tea spoon could have her crying. Stress really did fuck with your brain. Running cold water over her face to hide the redness, she made her way back towards the booth Gemma and now half the club occupied. Her eyes landed on a frantic Queen B, as she got closer. “Whats wrong gem?” Gemma shook her head in frustration, “The fucking band is running late. Unser is stalling everyone with the raffle but we have no entertainment for atleast 30 mins.” Delaney shrugged, “Maybe tell people theres been a Delay? Refreshment break before the fireworks?” Gemma rounded on her, not even listening to her suggestion. “Wait, you dance right? Jax’s always going on about how amazing you are. You’ll do a performance.” Her eyes widened in fear. “What? No! i cant! i dont perform, i just do classes. Really im not that good, Jax is just being supportive.” Gemma waived her hand still not listening to a word she said. “Unser will announce you in 5 mins. Meet you by the stage.” Delaney groaned in frustration. Gemma really was an Asshole when she wanted to be. Making her way across the green, anxiety twisted her stomach in knots and threatened to make he heart jump from her chest. Coming to a stop infront of the stairs that lead to the stage, Delaney shook her head. There was no way she could dance on that stage with how bad the floor was. One wrong move and she would break her neck. What the fuck was she meant to do?

"And now! Please put your hands together for an exclusive performance from our very own Delaney Carter!!" As she ascended the stairs and made her way towards the microphone, her eyes scanned the crowd for the one person she needed to get through this. And she found him at the back stood with Gemma, his blonde hair tucked under a Reaper Crew Cap and confusion twisted on his face. Clearing her throat, Delaney grabbed the Mic and took a deep breath trying to swallow back the vomit in her throat. "So our band has been delayed and I've been given the job of entertaining you all. As most of you know, nobody gets away with telling my future mother in law no." The laughter from the crowd helped ease her nerves slightly. "Dancing is the only talent I really have but this stage is not the safest thing and I don't really perform. So I'm gonna do something I haven't in years, I'm gonna sing you a song."

Jax Watched as Delaney Nervously shuffled her feet as Unser pressed play on the speakers. He had never heard her sing. No one really had, but when the music started to play loudly and her voice drifted out over the crowd seamlessly he couldnt help but let his mouth drop open. Her voice. He couldnt describe it, but he was in Awe. 

Hold up Hold on Don't be scared You'll never change what's been and gone May your smile Shine on Don't be scared Your destiny may keep you warm

Jax watched as everyone around them started to drift along to the very popular song. It was one of his faveorites and he couldnt believe how fucking amazing she sounded singing it. 

'Cause all of the stars have faded away Just try not to worry You'll see them some day Take what you need And be on your way And stop crying your heart out Get up (Get up) Come on (Come on) Why you scared? (I'm not scared) You'll never change what's been and gone

His eyes never left her. “Shes Fucking amazing!” Gemma commented from next to him, but she sounded so distant. Delaney had his full focus. He didnt even register Tara coming to stand next to him.

Where all of the stars have faded away Just try not to worry You'll see them some day Just take what you need And be on your way And stop crying your heart out (When all of your stars) were faded away Just try not to worry You'll see them some day Just take what you need And be on your way Stop crying your heart out Stop crying your heart out Stop (Crying your heart out), stop now Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Stop crying your heart out Ah, ooh, ooh, oh

Jax smiled widely and all of the guys started to Scream and hollar over the sounds of the clapping in support of Delaney’s Performance. Without a backwards glace, Jax rushed towards the stairs of the stage to meet Delaney as she came down. Red faced and a mixture of embarrassment and shocked that people enjoyed her singing, She laughed loudly as Jax lifted her up and spun her around, Kissing her deeply and telling her how well she did. Gemma watched with a big smile as her son held his fiance tightly. She couldnt explain how it felt to finally see him happy. “Wow. How can i compete with that?” Tara’s comment made Gemmas smile instantly drop. The angry momma bear rounded on the scorned Ex girlfriend who nearly ruined her sons life. “You Cant. Bottom Line, you cant compete when you dont compare.” Taras face instantly turned red at the insult. 

“Take this as your friendly warning sweetheart. Stay away from my family, Or i’ll cut your little tits off.” And with that, like nothing was ever said out of turn. Gemma strolled towards the happy couple, with Tara watching from afar. Scorned. Hurt. And downright pissed at the nerve of Gemma. 

A/N: This version of the song that i imagine Delaney singing is the Leona Lewis cover. Please search it up on Youtube/ Spotify as she has an amazing voice!

[iguessweallcrazyithinktho]

Domestic af Chris, who just wrapped up filming 2 weeks ago and got the well deserved rest, so now he wants spoil his wife and his children. He tells you to do nothing and enjoy the kids free afternoon. While the older kids are at school he takes his littlest one (3yr old) to go grocery shopping. Daddy Chris being cute af at Wholefoods or something lol. He's excited to cook his family dinner and yummy desserts. Baby talking while picking items 🥺 - 💋Anon

Grocery shopping with the little one

Warning: fluff

Your son (Theodore) held onto Chris's hand as they both walked through the parking lot, to the store. Chris just got back from two weeks off working and instantly went into perfect hubby mood. He let you have a day off with Shanna and Carly, while he took care of the kids.

He took your two oldest to school earlier that day, while him and Theodore went to the grocery store to do a little shopping so he can make dinner later.

"Cart?" Theodore pointed to the shopping cart with his little fingers. Chris smiled, "yeah, we get a cart Buddy."

Chris walked over to the shopping cart, pulling one out. "Do you want to get in?" Chris asked looking down at Theo. He shook his head. Chris nodded, "okay."

He guided Theo through the store to get the things he needed. Theo was very helpful; he picked up all the things Chris needed, he was very happy to do that. It was adorable.

"daddy, we get fruit 'nacks." Theo put it in the cart without even waiting to see what Chris was going to say. He also wasn't done; he walked over to the shelf and picked up another box so he could it in the cart. Chris was quick to stop him.

"no, we only need one." Theodore frowned. " for bubby and Sissy." Chris couldn't contain his smile. "Okay, we can get this one for your sister and brother but that's it."

Theodore smiled. " 'Tay." He dropped the box in the basket before walking with Chris.

They grabbed a few more things before Chris went to the checkout. Theodore waved to the lady who was scanning the items. "Hi."

She laughed and waved back. Theodore giggled and hid behind Chris's legs. He was so shy around the pretty woman.

--

After paying for the grocery Chris put Theo and everything in the car before leaving the wholefoods. He went back home and put it the grocery away with Theo's help (barely).

When he was done him and Theo went to walk dodger before it was time for the kids to come home.

He walked to the bus stop with Theo and watched as the bus Drew closer. As it did, Theo squealed. He was always so happy to see his big brother and sister.

The bus came to a stop and the kids got off. Theo quickly let go of Chris's hand to hug them.

"hi Theo." Your daughter(isabella) said as she hugged him. Your son(Milo) was next, he gave Theo a big hug.

Chris chuckled softly. "Come on, let's go home. We're going to make some dinner before mommy comes home."

Chris extended his hands and they took it. They all walked home. Once inside, chris went straight to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

It was 30 minutes in when the kids decided they wanted to help. He let them help with the desert while he finished the dinner. Time was going by so fast that he didn't notice it was 6.

You were just coming home from your day out. As soon as you unlocked the door, you could smell that Chris cooked.

You smiled as you walked further into the house. "Something smells nice." You said smiling as you walked into the kitchen.

Chris and your kids looked up at you. "Mommy!" Your kids ran up to you, hugging you.

"hi."

You hugged your babies back. "Are you helping daddy?" They all nodded. "Yeah, we're made cake." Your oldest son said as he pulled you to the kitchen.

You hummed. "Wow, that's pretty nice." You smiled at Chris as you passed him.

"how about you guys go wash your hands." All the kids skedaddle to go wash their hands, theo of course being the last one because he was so little.

You laughed before turning to chris. "Hi handsome." You walked closer to him, planting your lips on his. Chris smiled into the kiss.

You pulled away, "how was your day?" Chris asked. You sighed. "I had fun but I'd rather be here with you and the kids."

Chris smiled. "Well, I'm happy you'd rather be here with me and the kids." He turned back to the stove. "And maybe later I can give you a treat from being away for so long."

You ohh and laughed. "I like the sound of that." Chris giggled as the kids returned. You both couldn't wait for your official welcome home.

[dreamescapeswriting]

BTS Reaction || Look Younger Than You Are [Request]

BTS X GN!Reader

A/N: As someone who is 23 and regularly gets told I look 16 and constantly gets ID’d for things I relate to this on a personal level. 

Seokjin: 

Jin had left you in the line to go and find something else that was in the store so when you got to the checkout the guy waited for a moment before looking around, 

"Where are your parents?" You stared at him a little confused, 

"I'm with my boyfriend, he just went to get something." He nodded his head and didn't ring you up, 

"You can ring it up,"

"You have money?!" His voice came out strained as he stared at you a little gone out, you pulled out your purse and nodded your head when he looked back at the items. 

"Do you have any ID for the wine you're buying?" You took your ID out from your purse, this was nothing new you got this all the time. It had happened the week before when you and Jin were out to dinner. The waitress offered you a younger menu rather than the adult one which caused Jin to go into a massive laughing fit. 

"Everything okay?" Jin asked coming up behind you and kissing the top of your head, 

"It's fine, just need ID for the wine." The guy checked everything over before deciding it was okay for you and Jin to go and you rolled your eyes. 

"Maybe I should start adding wrinkles to my face with some makeup, make me look older," You sighed taking the shopping cart toward the car while Jin kept his mouth shut if he opened it he would start making jokes about how young you looked and he didn't think he would be able to stop himself.

“Laugh all you want Jinnie you’re the one that looks like you’re dating a teenager.” You cooed tapping his chin and walking away from him to put the shopping cart back. 

Yoongi: 

"I'm just at the store picking up some energy drinks now," You said down the phone to Yoongi as you placed the items onto the checkout, the woman watched you carefully and at first you thought it was because you were looking a little suspicious, you had a giant overnight bag so it might have looked like you were trying to rob the place but then she smiled at you. 

"Do you have any ID?" You stared at her in silence until you heard Yoongi laughing so hard you thought he was going to stop breathing, he kept laughing the whole time you looked for your ID and gave it to her. 

"Oh my...I thought you were much younger than this...I'm sorry." You smiled awkwardly at her and she handed you back your ID card and you began packing up your bags ignoring Yoongi who was still finding the whole thing far too funny. 

"I'm not coming to the studio if you keep laughing at me." You warned him as you loaded up the car filled with bags of shopping you'd just gotten from the store but he kept laughing. 

"Yoongi I'm not going to come-"

"Do you have any ID?!" He laughed even louder so you hung up the phone on him and began driving to the studio, you always got ID'd for stupid things. You hated that you didn't look your age, you looked so much younger than you were and it annoyed you to the point where you'd just accept it. Though it did have it's benefits like getting on public transport for teenage fair instead of full adult prices.

When you got to the studio Yoongi was still laughing as you walked into the room and placed his drinks in front of him, 

"You can get them for yourself next time," You whined as he brought you into a loving kiss and told you how much he loved you to make up for laughing at you.

Hoseok:

There were a lot of articles now slandering Hoseok for dating you, people had caught you out together and snapped photos which instantly started dating rumours and then came the rumours about your age. Everyone claiming to know it despite getting it years wrong. You were just a few months younger that Hoseok so it wasn't a big deal but the things they were stating in the articles was. Claiming that you were young enough to be his baby sister or Jungkook's sibling, that it was ''wrong'' for him to be dating you since you were so ''young''.

"It's such bullshit," You mumbled throwing your phone down onto the bed after Hoseok linked you another one of the articles, the PR team a BigHit were working on a way to get rid of everything and make your real age known but you just felt bad for Hoseok who had to deal with it all. 

"Hobi-"

"No, the PR team will fix everything come here," He whispered opening his arms for you, you crawled over to him and laid your head down on his shoulder. You'd always looked younger than you were but you never thought it would cause problems like this for Hoseok, it was just a couple of months between you but you knew how young you looked. It had always been that way since you were a kid, you'd never looked your age. Hoseok kissed your cheek softly and squeezed you close to him, 

"The main thing is I know how old you are and that everything will blow over soon." He reassured you and you kept your head resting on his shoulder.

Namjoon: 

Namjoon was running late so you were attempting to order yourself and him a drink for the table but the waitress wasn't going to give you anything, 

"This is clearly a fake ID." You stared at her and then down to your ID in her hand, it had been as real as the day you got it on your 19th birthday so you wanted to know how she could say it was fake, 

"It's real-"

"Everything okay?" Namjoon kissed your head and sat down across from you looking at the waitress who was now shyly handing you your ID back and looking at Namjoon with flirty eyes. 

"They're just trying to order alcohol sir, you should teach your child not to use fake ID's." You started laughing as you realised you looked young and Namjoon must have looked old enough to be your father. 

"My partner is old enough to order whatever drink they choose." He reached across the table to take your hand in his and kissed the top of it to make it clear that you were dating and not father and child. 

"O-Oh I'm so sorry! You just- You look so young and I just-"

"It's fine, I get that a lot." You assured her it was fine and she insisted on letting you have your drinks on the house for any inconvenience she caused.

Jimin:

"Hi, baby how you doing?" You turned around to see a 16-year-old boy talking to you with a giant smirk on his face, you looked at Jimin who was now hiding into his drink beside you.

"I'm fine thanks but I'm not really-"

"I've been watching you for a while, you should ditch your older brother here and come with me." Jimin laughed so hard he spat his drink back out into his cup and you nudged his side begging for him to do something but it wasn't going to work, he was enjoying this far too much to put a stop to it.

"He's not my brother, he's my boyfriend." You told him as you tried to take a step closer to Jimin who was now wrapping his arm around your waist, 

"You like older guys-"

"I'm his age," You told the kid who was now blushing a deep shade of red and stumbling over his words as he looked over at his friends, they were all laughing about what had happened and you sighed at him. 

"They dare you to come over?" He nodded and you kissed his cheek and slipped him a blank piece of paper, 

"Tell them you got my number," You laughed turning back to Jimin and begging him to let you both leave now, you wanted to go home and cuddle with him.

Taehyung:

"You should be dating someone your age!" The elderly lady you were looking after scolded as you handed her the cup of tea you'd been making, you were volunteering at the old folks home and decided to bring Taehyung along with you to bring them some joy. 

"He is my age," You laughed pouring another cup of tea for her friend who stared at you, 

"He looks very old to be your age." You laughed once again and looked at Taehyung who was frowning wondering what was so funny over at your table, he finished serving and came over. 

"How old do you think I am Miss Park?" You set the pot of tea down on their table and they shook their heads together, 

"17 years old maybe 18," You started laughing harder and Taehyung tilted his head to the side, 

"We'll put you at least 25," She said to Taehyung as he stared at you, 

"We're the same age Miss Park," You assured her taking out your ID from your purse and showing it to her, she put on her giant reading glasses and then stared at you. 

"You look far too young! It's a compliment my dear, when you get to my age you'll be wishing you looked younger." You smiled at them both and excused yourself to go and laugh some more in the corner.

Jungkook:

"Excuse me," You looked up to see an elderly man watching you and Jungkook closely, Jungkook was about to ask him if there was a problem when he began to speak to you, 

"I was just wondering what you were doing out of school, it seems a little early for high school students to be out," You looked down at your work uniform, it did strike an old similarity to a school uniform but you didn't think it was that bad,

"Oh I was...This is my work uniform, I'm not in school and haven't been for a few years." You laughed softly trying to brush the subject away but the man wasn't letting it go that easily,

"Kids dropping out these days, disgusting." Your eyes widened and Jungkook stared at you, 

"Sir, they're the same age as me, a couple of months younger but they're not as young as you're assuming I assure you." He laughed softly looking at you as you nervously agreed with him, 

"I can show you my ID-"

"No, No I'm sorry dear, my mistake." He chuckled taking your hand and patting the top of it softly, 

"You'll love that you look so young when you get older, you'll still need your ID to get served." You laughed softly and he walked away from the table leaving Jungkook to start laughing at you.

Tagline:

@snowy-meowl @jooniesdarlingdimples @lyoongx @mitzwinchester @fan-ati--c @rjsmochii​ @callingmyangel​ @kneel-begyourpardon​ @taestannie​ @innersooya​ 

[fairyoftbz]

Retrouvailles | l. hyunjae

💐 pairing: florist!hyunjae x fem!reader  💐 genre: cliché fluff 💐 word count: 2.6k 💐 tw: i think i swore once or twice? 💐 synopsis: you are back in your hometown after living in paris for years with your family and a special encounter won’t make you regret your decision. 💐 requested: yes from kyu! i hope you’ll like it!! 💌 💐 a/n: i am so sorry but i absolutely love writing for florist!au, i promise it’s the last one ! (of this series) constructive feedback is always appreciated!!

╰☆☆☆☆╮

Looking around you as you got off the bus, you scoffed in utter shock as this neighbourhood hadn’t changed at all, even if you left eight years ago. All the shops and cafes remained the same, just two new ones got added to the ones that you always found welcoming and cute.

You got a weird sensations when you came back from school a few years ago, your parents stopping you in the entrance and asking you to follow them in the living room. Your siblings were already there, and they all looked down, your little sister on the verge of crying. You were fourteen at this time, and you had imagined the worst.

“Mom, Dad, what’s happening?” you worriedly asked, trying to catch your older brother’s gaze, but his head remained low, a visible disappointed look on his face. “It’s a bit complicated, sweetie, but Dad found a job in Europe. We are going to receive more money and live more comfortably, but we have to follow him,” your mother tried her best to explain you the situation without hurting you, but it was to no avail. You couldn’t control the tears submerging your eyes and cried uncontrollably, your mother rushing to take you in her arms.

“When are we coming back, Mom? Are we going to keep the house? I don’t want other people to live here,” your mother soothingly rubbed your back, trying to ease your pain, and she nodded. “I don’t know baby, but your grandparents are going to live here, it’s better than the house they currently have,” you pouted as you kept on crying, your mother resting a reassuring hand on the back of your head as she drew you closer, but immediately abandoned her arms as soon as your little sister started crying, rushing to hug her instead.

The move was hard, packing all your stuff had you feeling extremely sad to leave all your memories behind, unsure about the future years. The next day, you bid farewell to all your friends, hugging them tightly as you spent your last day at school trying to find solace in your friends and classmates’ presence before leaving. You cried in your best friend’s arms right in front of your mother’s car, and waved at her until she disappeared from the rear-view mirror.

Paris was a wonderful city, not quite like in the movies, but it was still charming. French was a tough language and you kind of struggled go get yourself understood because the other students didn’t really speak your native language, but with many months that turned into years of trying, you managed to now have a decent level in the language of love.

Despite your passion and admiration for this city, creating landmarks in the surrounding neighbourhoods as well as making friends were not easy tasks. However, with the help of your siblings and your parents, you had managed to make a bunch of friends, and that did you good when you didn’t have to think too much when you were talking since you were conversing in your native language.

Your time is France was amazing, you created great memories with awesome friendships, but you couldn’t help feeling nostalgic sometimes. You missed your neighbourhood, your grandparents, and your other relatives, only being able to see and talk to them via Skype or FaceTime. Years passed, and finally, at 22 years old, you decided to let your family in France, where your siblings had already constructed things with people, and come back where you grew up, where you felt like your heart truly belonged.

The shock on your face had to be very visible since some bystanders threw you a weird look as you stood stoic in the middle of the pavement. Spontaneously walking inside the kiosk that was as old as you remembered it, you warmly greeted the owner, an elderly woman that hadn’t changed a bit. Still the same hunched shoulders, long, white hair secured in a tight bun by a flower pin, her wrinkled smile was still as warm and as wise as you knew it when you were buying sweets from her.

You exchanged a few words with her, giving you a pack of the sweets you used to buy and the prepaid card you asked for. You still had your French number, so it’d cost you a kidney if you ever decided to call your relatives with it. The old woman looked extremely happy and somewhat pleased to see you, because she admitted that she got worried when you suddenly stopped passing by and buy sweets.

“And you decided to come back, how wonderful,” she said with her shaky, warm voice while handing you what you just bought. You smiled at her and nodded, eyes slightly widening when she grabbed your wrist. “If you need anything, my husband and I will be happy to help. I’m glad to see you back by us,” she said, and you felt your heart flutter. It was truly where you belonged. “Thank you, I really appreciate it,” you answered as she winked, wishing you a great day.

The fresh air welcomed you once you got out, feeling it clear your lungs from the slight more polluted air from Paris. You opened the bag of sweets and munched on a few, feeling the memories rushing back in your mind as you started wandering around the neighbourhood. You quickly texted your cousin that you were near their house, but he was probably too busy playing video games or napping, so you decided to go grab something more consistent to eat and wandered around, walking further into different areas.

The beautiful, light colours of a shop window caught your attention, not remembering its existence when you were younger. You got near the window and observed inside, discovering a jungle of beautiful flowers arranged by species. A manly back was working behind the checkout, assembling a bouquet of what seemed to be roses. You were tempted to go inside the shop to know more about this new place, but you quickly hid from the window when the man turned around. His face looked familiar, a tingling sensation appearing in your stomach as you tried to remember him. You knew him from somewhere, you were sure of it, but you just couldn’t put your finger on it.

The young man inside the shop slightly frowned as he saw someone suddenly disappearing from the window, the hems of their long brown coat lingering in his gaze. He slightly shrugged with a smile and petted the cat at his feet, who was demanding cuddles and attention. His hands were occupied with the order he had just finished preparing and he wrapped the flowers in some brown paper craft before placing it in the back office, where all the other orders were ready to get delivered by his co-worker Juyeon. He finished his cup of now cold coffee that was forgotten on the main counter, hearing the bell above the door chime.

Much to his great disappointment, it wasn’t the young lady that vanished before his eyes, it was Juyeon’s mother, who was here to pick up flowers for his sick grandmother. Hyunjae hid his dismay behind a warm smile, quickly pacing back and forth to give her the bouquet and bank her total.

A middle-aged woman walking out of the shop looked at you from the side as you still hid, tugging on your lower lip, rummaging your mind in order to find who this man was. You were getting frustrated as you stomped the floor with your foot, getting tired of your brain playing tricks on you as you were sure that you knew this man.

“Fuck it, I’m going in,” you said as you pushed the door open, the intense smell of flowers and pollen attacking your nostrils. It smelt really nice and welcoming, but your allergies said otherwise. 

You sneezed once, twice, and one last time before you could properly greet the man in front of you. He looked as curious as you were, he must have seen you since you weren’t the best at hiding.

“Welcome to the Butterfly flower shop, how can I help you?” the voice of the man sending a nice wave of chill down your spine, feeling yourself smile at who seemed to be the owner of the shop. “Hello, I’m just going to look around for a while,” you said while gesturing to all the flowers around you, sniffling to try and hold a sneeze in, but it didn’t help at all. It actually did the exact opposite that you had wished.

Hyunjae empathically smiled as you kept on sneezing, trying his best not to vocal how cute you were when the pollen seized your entire nostrils. You apologised profusely, mentally cursing yourself for being so curious. Maybe, just maybe, you should have stayed outside and admire him from afar, you wouldn’t be embarrassing yourself just like you were doing right now. But it was so tempting, you had to take a look. He was nice enough to hand you a pack of tissues, which you gladly took with a nod.

“I’ll be in the back office for a minute, don’t hesitate to ask me if you need any help,” he said with a warm smile and you nodded, holding a tissue to your face. “I appreciate it, thank you,” you answered as you started looking around the shop. All the flowers were beautiful, it was really tempting to just buy one of each without even caring about the prices. Since this was impossible, your eyes landed on some daisies, whose petals looked really nice and healthy. You felt bad to have made your choice just a few seconds after the man left for the back office, so you decided to wait for a bit.

Yet, another bad idea. Your nose felt ticklish, no matter how hard you rubbed your finger under it, it only became worse.

“Hum excuse me?” you politely said, and the man reappeared almost instantly, close to scaring you. His whole face lit up just with a smile, and you felt your heart skip a beat at the sight. Staring at him for a few seconds, mouth slightly agape as you detailed his face, his smile and manners hitting you like a truck.

This man was none other than Hyunjae, the young boy you had a crush on during the late years of middle school, right before you left for France. He grew up so much, yet his facial features had barely changed, they only matured. His smile was the thing that made you fall for him, his personality and physical features not helping the hopeless romantic that you were. You barely talked to him when you were younger, only when you were assigned in groups with him since he always hung out with the athletes and dancers, a group that you were dying to join but never did. Hyunjae was an incredible dancer, always performing for the school team and even outside.

“Ma’am? Are you okay?” you heard his voice bringing you back to reality, feeling embarrassment invading your body as you’ve probably been staring at him for long, way too long to not be weird. “I’m-I’m sorry. Can I have a bouquet of those daisies over there, please?” you asked, and he nodded. “Sure thing,” walking around the counter, you followed him to the said daisies, the man gathering a good portion of his stock. Your eyes widened a bit but didn’t dare to say anything, only to follow him back to the counter.

“Are you from here? My usual customers are my acquaintances or the people living in the neighbourhood,” his voice trailed as he arranged the flowers, briefly looking at you with a smile before busying his hands in the plants again. “I was actually born and raised here, but I had to follow my father abroad for his job,” you said while delicately touching the petals of a peony right next to your head. Hyunjae’s hands stopped, and he looked up, eyes going wide. “You are from here? Where in the neighbourhood?” “I grew up in the house right at the corner of the street, the beige one with the burgundy wooden shutters and the garden.” “Hold on. Y/N?” his voice sounded so light-hearted as his eyebrows raised in shock. It was his turn to look at you with a surprised look on his face, his mouth stretching in a wide smile.

You offered him a smile and you fell in a comfortable silence. Thousands of questions were trotting in your head, dying to ask the other, but you were both trying to find a topic that didn’t sound too curious and invading. And it was hard because you both became suddenly very shy, your attention focusing on the flowers. It was normal for you, but Hyunjae wasn’t the type of guy to get intimidated this easily.

“So-” you both said at the same time and chuckled together, the florist gesturing you to go first. “No, no, go ahead.” “So you decided to finally come back? I understand if you missed this town, I would too,” he said and you smiled, approving his words. “I was too tired from France, plus I missed my family that stayed here. I just wanted to pay them a visit and maybe stay over until I find another place to stay on my own,” you explained while observing your former crush wrapping the flowers you had chosen. 

He secured them in the same crafted paper he did for the previous bouquet, placing it on the counter closer to you. Handing him your credit card, you stayed with your hand hanging in the void, Hyunjae typing something on the cash register. He religiously ignored your card and handed you the bouquet, giving you the brightest smile he could.

“Take this as a gift to welcome you back in town,” he said and your eyes widened, hand slowly moving away. “I can’t accept this,” you said, suddenly feeling nervous. Hyunjae encouraged you to take the flowers by placing them right under your nose with a smirk, tickling your nose. “Please do. Welcome back in town, Y/N,” he said as he noticed some fallen petals stuck on his dark green apron, wiping them away before offering you a smile. 

You took the flowers away from your face and sheepishly smiled, thanking him for his generosity.

“Thank you, really,” you said with a shy voice, struggling to look at him in the eyes. He shook his head, indicating you that it was nothing, and he cleared the counter. “Have a lovely day, Hyunjae. It was good to meet you again,” you said as you walked to the door, hand on the knob. “Wait Y/N- would you like to get some coffee sometimes? I’d love to hear about your time in France and… get to know you a bit better and make up for lost time?” His offer wasn’t something you had expected, but who were you to refuse getting closer to your former crush. 

This random encounter with him had your heart fluttering like it did when you watched him perform in front of the entire school a few years ago, when you were still a young teenager hopelessly in love. It was hammering in your chest, warmth travelling in your entire body as a radiant smile appeared on your face.

“I’d love to.” You said with a smile as you walked back to the counter, only to take the business card he was handing you. Your eyes landed on the black ink scratching the phone numbers, only to find another one messily written at the top of the small card. You thanked him and walked through the front door, waving at him with a smile as you walked away, clutching the piece of paper tightly in your palm, excited of what this reunion was going to offer you.

__

╰☆☆ Les retrouvailles nous font rappeler de vieilles histoires, mais elles consentent également à en créer de nouvelles. ☆☆��

[no-mercy-bby]

I cant believe nobody's asked this but how about danny and johnny (1980) crushing on the same girl.

I've never written for Danielle so please don't judge too harshly :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were the new girl at West Valley High school. Yes, your family upped everything at the beginning of the school year to move you out here, let's just say you were less than thrilled to be out here.

"Alright honey, I called the school and everything should be arranged for your classes, you just need to go to the front office for your schedule." Your mom tells you as you sling your backpack over one shoulder.

"Thanks mom, see you later." You nod at her before stepping out of the car, shutting the door behind you. Great, another shitty school with what you could already tell, a lot of annoying people.

As you start down the sidewalk to what you assumed was the main entrance, you mentally jot a list of all the groups you could pick out.

Freshman who still hadn't hit puberty and were just awkwardly hanging around

Sophomores who looked like they would rather be anywhere else

Juniors who probably hadn't slept in weeks and was only running on caffeine

And seniors that were ready to get the hell out of this place (You)

Band kids

Gossip girls

Cheerleaders

Jocks?...

Wait. Were there no jocks? You glance around for a second. Nope, no noticeable letterman jackets or balls being tossed around. Huh... Interesting.

You shrug and just keep walking, making your way inside and going to the front office.

You tell the lady behind the desk your name when prompted and she passes over your schedule, locker number, and combination number. You thank her before going to leave, stopping after bumping into someone's chest.

"Sorry..." You mumble moving to step around him, adjusting the strap of your backpack nervously.

"Don't worry about it," He assures with a smirk you could hear in his voice," I'd let you run into me any time."

This makes you look up at him, laughing softly at how cheesy what he just said was. And wow were you glad you looked up at him. He had extremely blonde hair, it almost looked white, and captivating blue eyes. He also had a dark ring of what you guessed was a bruise around his eye, but nonetheless, he still looked handsome.

"That was the worst thing I ever heard," You smile at him," I'm Y/N L/N."

"Johnny Lawrence, you must be new around here if that's the worst thing you've heard." Johnny tells you with a smile.

"Yeah, actually I am."

"I could show you around school if you wanted," Johnny offers, nodding at the lady behind the desk.

"I'd like that, Lawrence."

Johnny grins and grabs your hand, leading you out of the office and back into the hall.

"So these classrooms are the scien-"

"Johnny, who is this pretty little thing?" Another blonde asks coming over to you with a smirk.

"Dutch, this is Y/N, she's new." Johnny replies with a a smile, glancing at you.

"I'm not a fucking thing, Dutch." You glare at him, only making him smirk more.

"You're right, you're nothing." Dutch laughs and Johnny shoves at his shoulder.

"C'mon man leave her alone." Johnny shakes his head in annoyance, pulling you away with him. "That's just how Dutch is, don't worry about it."

"He's just a fucking asshole for no reason, oh that tracks." You snort as Johnny squeezes you hand, leading you near the end of the hall.

"One of these lockers is probably yours, if you wanna put your backpack up." Johnny explains, glancing back down the hallway.

"Oh right," You glance back at your papers before finding your locker, shoving your backpack inside, taking out your Trapper Keeper.

Shutting your locker, you turn around to see Johnny watching you with a smile.

"What is it?" You ask somewhat nervously, looking down at your papers.

"Ah nothing. What's your first class?" Johnny asks, still smiling as he leans over your shoulder to look at your schedule.

"I think math." You answer him, turning to look at Johnny, getting flustered when you realize how close he was. Johnny meets your eyes and smirks, making you glance away.

"We better get going, babe." Johnny says casually, smirking as he throws his arm over your shoulders, leading you to your math class.

"Babe?"

"Yes, babe?" Johnny cheekily asks back making you shake your head with a smile, feeling your face heat up again.

"After this class is over, wait for me and I'll take you to your next class alright?" Johnny explains with a grin as you arrive to your class.

"Alright," You assure him," See you in a bit."

The bell rings and Johnny takes off down the hall as you walk into class. Noticing most the seats were taken up an empty one in the back catches your eye and you head for that one.

Settling into the hard chair, you glance around, noticing the dark haired boy who was sitting beside you.

"This is a bunch of bullshit," You mumble in annoyance as class starts, earning a chuckle from the guy beside you.

"You're telling me, we've be at this since last week and the old woman still can teach it to us." He complains, making you laugh quietly.

"You new here?" He questions, setting down his pencil and turning to look at you.

"Heh, yeah." You nod, taking in his pretty baby browns and the bruises also littering his handsome features.

"I'm Daniel LaRusso but you can call me Danny, if you'd like," Daniel tells you, holding out his hand for you to shake, which you do.

"Y/N L/N," You tell him with a smile, having a good feeling about him.

"Nice to meet you, Y/N." Daniel smiles brightly at you.

As class continued on, you and Danny both kept cracking jokes and making fun of how ridiculous this math was. Like you'd ever do some of this in your daily life.

When the bell rings, you leave the class with Daniel, still talking and laughing with him. You jump a little as you feel an arm wrap tight around your waist, relaxing when you look and see it was Johnny.

"Oh! Hey Johnny," You smile at him, leaning more into him as his arm pulls you closer.

"Hey babe, what are you doing talking to this son of a bitch?" Johnny growls, glaring harshly at Daniel.

"Hey wh-" You start before being cut off by Daniel.

"Watch your mouth, asshole!" Daniel shouts back, trying to get in Johnny's face, but Johnny easily shoves his shoulder back. With space now available between them, you step in.

"Johnny!! What is wrong with you?!" You yell at him with a cruel glare, defending Daniel, making him freeze as he notices you.

"This isn't over, LaRusso." Johnny growls before start to walk away with a huff.

You turn back to Daniel and he only shrugs, giving you no explanation about why they were about to kill each other in the hallway.

"I'll see you later I guess?" You ask him, which Daniel nods to before going the other way.

Going the way Johnny went, you jog to catch up to him.

"Johnny," You grab his arm but he easily jerks it away from you," Hey! Johnny what's wrong?"

"You were flirting all over LaRusso and now you wanna come back to me, I don't think so, princess." Johnny stubbornly explains as you stand in his way, glaring down at you. He was pretty pissed but damn, he was Very pretty.

"I'm sorry I made a friend? What do you want me to tell you?" You say but Johnny just rolls his eyes, shaking his head.

"I'm not losing you to him too."

"Losing me? Wha-"

"I like you a lot, princess." Johnny states, "I know we only met today but I really like you, I want you to be my girl."

You try to process this as you stare at his light blue and white plaid button down. Johnny sighs and grabs your hand, leading you to your next class.

"Listen, I'll see you at lunch, tell me what you think then." Johnny says a bit sadly before leaving.

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

Soon it was time for lunch and were you nervous. You hadn't really figured out what you were gonna say to Johnny but hopefully you'd figure it out before he caught up to you.

Grabbing a tray and starting down the line, you feel someone bump into your shoulder, glancing back you smile as you see it was Daniel.

"Hey Danny. You real hungry, huh?" You ask as you see all the food he's got.

"Oh yeah, gotta have a lotta food to fuel my brain." Daniel replies swiftly, making you laugh.

"How much for both?" He asks the lunchlady as you both arrive to the checkout.

"Oh you do have to-"

"I want to." Daniel assures, paying for your lunch, smiling brightly at you.

Walking out into the lunch room, you look around, spotting Johnny and Dutch sitting with some other guys. Johnny sapphire eyes meet yours and you freeze under his gaze. Shit.

"You gonna sit with me, Y/N?" Danny asks sweetly nudging your arm.

Johnny stands up and starts walking over to you.

"I don't know, Daniel." You say softly, watching as Johnny comes to stand in front of you.

"Do you know if you wanna go out with me?" Johnny smirks, reaching out to caress your cheek, but you step back.

"Johnny, I don't know..." You shrug, turning away from both them.

First day and already two idiots were trying to impress you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I did this instead of working hahaha :) Danny was pretty fun to write 👉👈

[hasereshdoneanythingwrong]

Librarian AU (Part 1)

Faye sat at her desk, its ornate, hand carved top covered in various cards, books, and miscellaneous papers. She fiddled with her glasses as she read her book. It was nice and quiet, this solitary library of hers. With Google being such a predominant means of acquiring information, her humble campus library had gone almost by the wayside.

Faye rubbed the bridge of her nose as she took off her glasses for a moment, She’d have to get back to cleaning soon. It’s preposterous that the head librarian must be the only one to clean an entire university library, but it couldn’t be helped. Funds were being diverted from her to other facets of the school, leaving the humble librarian to fend for herself. Every once and a while, though, she made sure to put time aside to remind herself why she started this job in the first place; her love of reading.

What a marvelous way to live, surrounded by knowledge and culture! A mountain of books that she could read one every day and never finish them all! Faye sighed at the thought. It wasn’t all roses, unfortunately. Her responsibilities often taking priority over her own enjoyment of her work. Tracking down overdue books was the worst part. Almost everybody who borrowed books from the library seemed to never return what they loaned, meaning she had to be the bad guy more often than she’d liked. Often times leading to fines or people getting disciplined from the dean.

A clock chimed, 4PM. It was almost time for today’s classes to finish up. If there were ever a time for people to come by, it would be after their final class of the day. Faye slowly cleared her desk away, filing the cataloging cards back into their respective drawers and the papers into their files. Finally she marked her spot in her most recent novel and tucked it away below the desk. She’d have to get back to that later. After all, she’d just gotten to the good part of her newest romance novel, and wouldn’t want to lose her spot.

An hour passed as the sun began its descent, shining an orange light through the lofty library windows. No one had come, just like they hadn’t for a couple days now.

Faye: What happened to wanting to learn, to read and gain knowledge? Isn’t that why people come to this school in the first place?

A disgruntled sigh from the young librarian was interrupted by the sound of one of the large oak doors leading into the library being opened. The door closed and Faye laid her eyes upon a young student, by the looks of her uniform. The girl, walked closer, and Faye was able to get a better look at her.

Her blonde hair was tied in long pigtails, held in place by a red and back ribbons, her eyes a deep, dark red, her skin pale, with pale limbs holding her up. The girl walked closer to the desk, stopping just before it as Faye straightened her back.

???: Excuse me Miss--

Faye: Faye, I’m the head librarian.

???: You are? But you’re so young! Faye chuckled a little at that. She’d gotten that quite a lot since she started. Most people regard librarians as decrepit old ladies, not necessarily a twenty-something.

Faye: Well thank you, I suppose, Miss-

Ereshkigal: Ereshkigal. I’m a second year here at Chaldea University.

Faye: Ereshkigal, like the goddess from the Epic of Gilgamesh? Ereshkigal blushed a little. Not many people understood her namesake.

Ereshkigal: Yes, my mother was an avid reader. I grew up hearing old stories like that.

Faye smiled to herself. It was a wonderful thing, hearing that other people loved literature like she did. A rarity nowadays.

Faye: Well she had excellent taste, the Epic was a favorite of mine in highschool, right next to the Iliad and the Odyssey. All that aside, I suppose that small talk isn’t the reason you’re here. How can I help you, Miss Ereshkigal?

Ereshkigal: Please, call me Eresh. My full name’s just a mouthful. I’m actually writing a paper on the Symbolism of Death in the Epic of Gilgamesh, and was hoping you could help me find it.

Faye nodded. It was an odd choice, to be sure, but a good one nonetheless. The librarian gestured to follow her as she took the young girl towards the historical fiction section. It was far back in the intricate library, with many winding turns blocking the way that one could easily get lost in. As they walked, the floors became noticably more aged. These paths weren’t often tread except by Faye herself. She almost considered this a safe haven of hers, though would never say that to anyone.

As they approached the shelf that contained the Epic of Gilgamesh, Faye reached up onto the third shelf, grabbing the old leather-bound book and blowing the dust off of it. Wiping off the rest, Faye handed the book to Eresh, the girl eagerly awaiting the story. As Faye handed the book over, their hands connected briefly, the two of them making eye contact at the gesture, Eresh’s eyes going wide as she quickly took the book.

Eresh: I, um, thank you.

Faye: Of course, I’m, uh, happy to help. I’ll help you check it out up front.

Eresh nodded as they began their trip back. Once the two arrive back at the front desk, Faye took her normal seat, readying the checkout software. Faye looked up at Eresh. There was something about her and- no, Faye was a staff member, It would be wrong to ask a student out for coffee. No, she’d stay in her role and do her job. Even if her job did limit her in capacities such as this.....

Faye: Alright then, you’re all set. Just return it in two weeks or come back to extend the loan date.

Eresh: Thank you so much, Miss Faye!

Faye: Just Faye will do. It’d be weird if you addressed me so formally when we’re so close in age.

Eresh: Then please, call me Eresh.

Faye: Eresh it is then.

With that, Eresh gave Faye a smile that could melt an iceberg and left. Faye sighed, she should’ve dropped the renewal date by a week, just so she could see that girl again. No, that would be wrong. No, just like she said, she’d keep to her role, even if it does mean missing a chance like that..

mentions: @hasabbydoneanythingwrong @hasishtardoneanythingwrong @hasquetzdoneanythingwrong @haspaulbunyandoneanythingwrong

This idea was planted in my head by Val, so here you go. The first part of my experiment in a slow-burn.... I’m not good at slow.

[parknoonseob]

Secret Checkmate summs ch.17, 26-28

! SCROLL DOWN FOR CH 11-16 SUMMS !

Carefully crafted by the lovely Xian, hasty PR by len

Ch 17 

Soohyun wakes up to a text message from Eunsung saying he’ll pick Soohyun up after work so they can go somewhere important together. Soohyun thinks Eunsung is really quick to push him around after they made the deal in the previous chapter. Soohyun picks up his glasses and thinks back to Eunsung requesting him to wear his glasses the next time they meet. He throws his glasses to the side. 

 Soohyun comes out of a glasses shop with a new pair of glasses that have a rounder shape than his old ones. 

 At work, Soohyun’s sunbae says something is different about him and asks about how much information Soohyun has on Eunsung so far. Eunsun asks why he’s asking and his sunbae laughs at the way he’s responding like a veteran already. The sunbae says that Soohyun should continue to devote himself to this story and to let him know if he needs anything. After the sunbae leaves, Soohyun’s coworker congratulates him since what he’s looking into seems like it could become a big story. Soohyun is not at all happy about this and wishes everyone would just leave alone. 

 Eunsung is waiting outside Soohyun’s workplace. Eunsung is calling someone, but they're not picking up. When he notices Soohyun coming out from the building, he calls him over and takes a closer look at him, commenting that the pair of glasses Soohyun is wearing are different from the ones he wore in high school. He adds that it would be strange for him to use the same pair since it’s been ten years since then. Soohyun glares at him, thinking to himself that Eunsung told him to wear his glasses so he could see the pathetic Soohyun from ten years ago again. He walks away without a word. Eunsung follows him and says that they should go together. They reach the destination and Eunsung asks why Soohyun seems to be in such a bad mood today as he hasn’t said a word during the car ride. Soohyun starts opening the door, but Eunsung holds him back, calling him by only his first name (Soohyun-a, which is too familiar to Soohyun’s liking). Soohyun glares at him and tells him to call him by his full name and to use polite speech when they’re in public. He gets out of the car first and slams the door. Eunsung is at a loss for words, thinking to himself what a sensitive guy Soohyun is. 

 Soohyun asks if the person they’re meeting today is Park Moon Seob. Eunsung says they’re meeting someone different. They spot the person Eunsung is talking about walking back to the building. Soohyun remembers him from the first time he visited Park Moon Seob’s studio. Eunsung stops the guy and asks why he hasn’t been picking up his calls. He wants to talk to him for a bit. The guy gets really angry, pulls Eunsung’s shirt, and asks how the fk he has the nerve to even come here. He already told Eunsung that he doesn’t want to get involved with him. As he’s yelling all this, he starts to lose his balance and holds on to Eunsung, crying “Eunsung, fk...fk...that motherfker…(it’s not clear if he actually means this motherfker, but I have a strong feeling he’s talking about Park Moon Seob)”. Eunsung’s expression turns dark and he tells him “Don’t cry, I’ll do whatever I can do to bring that motherfker down”.

Ch 26 

Eunsung and Soohyun are on the bed in the hotel. Soohyun tells him about what happened with Park Moon Seob (reference one of len’s earlier posts*). Eunsung is flabbergasted at the lengths Park Moon Seob would go to “leave a loophole” in everything he does. 

 Soohyun says that they can’t let Moon win. Since Moon cherished Eunsung so much, Soohyun just has to defile him for all the things he was wrongly blamed for to go away a bit. Eunsung asks how he’ll defile him and kisses Soohyun and starts touching him. 

 He’s about to kiss Soohyun’s neck until Soohyun stops him. Does Eunsung really want to kiss the spot that Moon put his lips on? Eunsung says he’ll just leave a bunch of marks so that Soohyun won’t even be able to care about where his lips touch. 

 Eunsung gives Soohyun a blowjob and Soohyun keeps telling him to slow down until he eventually comes. Eunsung gets out a condom from one of the drawers and says they should make good use of their time until checkout. 

 * len was too lazy to do this chapter. What happened was Soo went to Moon’s studio for a follow-up interview. The lady from ch 10 (ch 9 in english) warns Soo not to drink the tea bc Moon told her to drug the tea. During the interview, Soo pretends to drink the tea and accidentally spill it on the ground, making it seem like he drank a lot of it. Soo pretends to be drugged and Moon starts groping Soo, calling out Eun’s name. Moon wants to be close to Eun in any way he can. Moon sees a bite mark on Soo’s neck and thinks Eun made it, so he licks and sucks the mark. Before the interview, Soo got his work sunbae to bite him in the neck. Soo flaunted the bite mark to Moon, making it seem as if it was Eun’s bite mark

Ch 27 

Eunsung is fingering Soohyun. Soohyun thinks to himself that he can’t figure out the answer to this gap between the Eunsung in the past and the Eunsung now. He wonders why Eunsung doesn’t care if he goes down. He didn’t use to be this way. Something must have changed him, something to do with Park Moon Seob.  Eunsung asks Soohyun what happened during the time he was at Moon’s studio. 

 Eunsung says he was wondering what was going on in Soohyun’s mind since he was being so quiet. He tells Soohyun to focus and starts fingering him even harder. He wonders if he was mistaken about Soohyun having no experience. His body is very sensitive. Soohyun retorts that he’s not like Eunsung. Eunsung says that Soohyun really doesn’t let anything go. He rubs his yeah against Soohyu’s hole. Everytime Soohyun squeezes him, he’ll tell him something. 

They’re doing it and Eunsung tells Soohyun to relax his body. Eunsung says Soohyun is really taking it in; it’s as tight as it would be in someone’s mouth. Soohyun puts his fingers in Eunsung’s mouth and says he should suck them if he’s going to talk like that. As Eunsung does as he is told, Soohyun thinks how uncomfortable everything is. While they’re going at it, Soohyun keeps covering his face with his arms. Eunsung asks why he keeps hiding and kisses him. Soohun pulls Eunsung’s shirt. What’s it to him whether he hides or not? All he has to do is keep thrusting. Eunsung says there’s talking involved during sex too. Soohyun doesn’t like it and tells him to stop. Eunsung says his name “Soohyun-a”. Soohyun is very flustered and tells him repeatedly to stop, but Eunsung doesn’t. He’s squeezing Eunsung so hard that Eunsung feels like he’s going to die. Soohyun loves it when he calls his name, doesn’t he? Soohyun comes and thinks to himself how shitty Eunsung is and how he’s even shittier. It’s so humiliating that he wants to die. 

Ch 28 (mature scene only)

Eunsung asks whether Soohyun has a fetish for people saying his name or whether his ears are an erogenous zone. Soohyun stays silent. Eunsung says Soohyun only knows how to read the atmosphere at times like this. Staying silent doesn’t make what happened away. Isn’t Soohyun going to talk back to him like he always does? Eunsung keeps thrusting while Soohyun hides his face with his arms. Eunsung notices Soohyun’s hands shaking and turns him over so Soohyun doesn’t have to face him. They eventually run out of condoms. Eunsung says he’ll go buy some and come back. Soohyun pulls him back and asks about his answer (to his question about Eunsung and Park Moon Seob). Eunsung smiles. Soohyun still has the energy to ask something like that. Then, they should settle everything all at once. He tells Soohyun to not fall asleep and wait for him. He’ll come back soon

[boyfriend-cal]

Rumor - Calum Hood

Note: guess what!! another song fic lol. ps, take a look at my masterlist to see my works in progress that are coming soon!

Description: One night getting a little too close to Calum, and the whole town is buzzing about your possible relationship. Based on the song Rumor by Lee Brice.

friendly reminders: masterlist, request, taglist

Word count: 3.8k

++

Your forehead is pressed into Calums neck. You can feel his pulse, it’s quick but even. His arms are wrapped tightly around your waist, and your chests were pressed together. It felt like the two of you were in your own bubble.

Calum had been around your whole life. Your moms were close, but he’d always kind of been in the background. That was until the two of you fell into the same group at the local community college after high school. There was only one place to hang out in the town, so you and your friends had adopted it as your own.

It’d only been one semester into school, but you’d consider Cal, your best friend. At first, it was a little weird. Do you talk to him like you’ve known him your whole life and ignore the fact that you were never close friends, or do you keep your distance? The progress was slow. It went from stealing glances across the table to remembering what the other's favorite drink was and ordering when one of you was late. It quickly turned into never sitting with one person between you and usually riding together to the bar. You even had a shared playlist on Calum’s Spotify that was a mix of songs you liked and songs he liked, so you never had to argue.

It should’ve seemed weird to be so close to him right now. After knowing each other so long but never being physically intimate, it should’ve felt uncomfortable, but it was the exact opposite. You could barely hear his heart beating over the slow song pumping loudly onto the dance floor. You weren’t sure if your other friends were dancing too because you didn’t want to focus on anything else. 

Dancing with Calum wasn’t new, but being this close and slow dancing was. Sometimes when there was a line dance that called for partners, he’d agree to be yours, but it wasn’t often. Most of the time, the boys sat back and watched. You liked that about your group, everyone was always looking out for one another. 

The music starts to fade, and you lift your chin to look at Calum. It makes you realize just how close you are because you’re not sure that you noticed the stubble that’s started to grow on his chin before. The bar is dimly lit, but his brown eyes have a golden glow to them. While you’re holding eye contact, you open your mouth to say something, but you’re interrupted.

A massive hand lands on Calums shoulder. Cal turns his head, not wholly pulling apart from you yet. The other three boys of the group are standing there, looking between the two of you. Aaron, the most outgoing of the group, motions his hand to point at both of you. “Could y’all get any closer? The song ended.” 

You cough as you step away from Calum, taking your hands off of him. Without looking at him, you spin on your heels to find the girls. They’re sitting at your usual table. The guys shuffle to the edge of the dance floor when people begin dancing again, but the four of you stay at the table. Its the first time the eight of you hadn’t sat together since the time Ashley and Carter hooked up and made things awkward. 

“They’re teasing him about dancing with you, so they’re not going to come over here. Have to prove their manliness and whatnot.” Ashley rolls her eyes. The other two agree. Ashley, Grace, and Kate had been your friends for the longest. Carter, Aaron, Nick, and Calum had only somewhat recently joined the group. 

“Of course they are. They’re dickheads.” You roll your eyes and take another sip of your beer.

“So... are you going to tell us why the two of you looked so cozy or what?” Grace asks. Grace and Nick were an item, but Grace was one of those people that loved love. She was always looking for boyfriends for the other three of you. Ashley is a firecracker, so that seemed like an impossible task for her. Kate was a quiet, shy girl, and you fell somewhere in the middle.

“Oh, so y’all can tease me about it like they are him?” You joke. “I don’t know. It was nothing probably. People had started to disperse when the slow song came on, and I don’t think I had noticed I was going to be alone, but he did. He’s my best friend, so he’s good at things like that.” 

Collectively, they all three take a drink, and it seems suspiciously like a real-life version of a meme. You brush it off. It really wasn’t any different than anything Calum had done for you before. Sure, you almost had a moment, right there at the end, but it was cut off, and nothing happened.

It was already getting late, and the party at the bar hadn’t been as lively as it usually was. Nick parts from the boys and comes over to ask if Grace was ready to leave. Ashley and Kate excused themselves after that. “Are you sure you don’t want to ride home with us? Aaron doesn’t look like he wants to leave any time soon, and Calum will wait on him.” 

Ashley gets in your personal space to look you in the eyes and make sure you’re okay. You aren’t sure why everyone is making a big deal out of it. 

“Yeah, I always ride home with Calum.” Besides, Carter can watch Aaron if Calum is ready to go.

She nods, and the two girls go to tell the boys they’re leaving. You kick your feet up into the seat and wait for Calum to say to you he’s ready. It’s only about five minutes before he taps your feet.

“You ready?” He stands at the end of the booth, shoulder broad and dimples showing.

“Are you sure you are? I don’t mind sitting here.” Calum usually likes to shut the place down. He doesn’t ever drink too much, but he loved watching as people filtered out the later it got. Cal always says the atmosphere is unique and nothing like anything else.

“I can’t have the prettiest girl in the bar waiting on me. Let’s go.” Calum flicks his head towards the door, and your cheeks heat up at his compliment. His hand stretches out to yours, and you scoot out of the booth with his help.

His hand stays on your back as you walk out to his car. The few people left are locals that you recognize, so you nod and smile politely. The parking lot has a yellow haze from the old street lights towering over. Only a handful of cars are left. Suddenly, Calum’s hand is in yours, and he’s spinning you around like you’re still on the dance floor. Your shoes scuff against the gravel, but your smile couldn’t be any bigger.

“Alright prince charming, take me home.” You tease.

“Your carriage awaits.” Calum teases right back, opening the passenger door of his Range Rover. 

++

You don’t notice anything out of particular at first. Monday, three days after slow dancing with Calum, you’re getting your hair done, and your stylist keeps eyeing your phone over your shoulder. The girls were trying to make plans for the weekend because school was out on Friday for a candle lighting your town always did right before the New Year. 

“So, how are you and Calum?” You’re a little too busy on your phone to notice that she grouped you together instead of asking about you individually.

“Oh, he’s a goof, like always. Makes things interesting.” You’re not really paying attention to the conversation, so she stops asking.

Then, on Tuesday, you’re at the grocery store. There’s only one in town. You needed ingredients to make a dessert for the event that weekend. The store was empty save for a couple of your mom's friends and the cashier, but everyone seemed to be looking at you.

At the checkout, the sweet old lady scanned your items and bagged them for you. “Where’s Calum today?”

Because you and Calum had known each other your whole lives and recently had been seen everywhere together, it wasn’t completely unordinary for people to ask you about him. Calum was reserved, as much as you could be in a small town like yours, so if someone wanted information, they usually asked you.

“Uhm... I think it’s a cleanup day at the college so he might be there. I’m sure I’ll see him later.” You shrugged again and left with a smile. It was a little strange that you’d been asked about him two days in a row, but maybe because his birthday was soon, they were all planning something.

On Wednesday, when your baking attempt turned into multiple fails, you entered the local bakery to order an assortment of pastries to be picked up on Friday. 

Mrs. Mary, owner of Mary’s Sweets N’ Treats, greets you by calling your name and smiling. Her place is packed because Wednesday was the day the town elders gathered here to hold their meetings. “Hi, Mary. Can I order three dozen assorted pastries for the lantern lighting and ball this weekend? I’ll come to pick them up on Friday around 12.”

“For sure, Hon! I’ll have them ready. Oh, and I have something else for you.” she scribbles something that looks like chicken scratch on her order pad and then whisks away into the back room.

When she emerges, she has a small box with a bow on top. “Make sure to give these to Calum for me, okay? And tell him to share.” 

As you take the box from her hands, she winks at you, and you nod slowly. Calum comes in here to get coffee every morning, couldn’t he get them himself? “Will do. Should I pay for the cookies now or later?”

“Later is fine, dear. See you soon.” She moves on to another customer, and you’re still looking at the little box, wondering why she needed to give it to you.

+

For Calum, it was obvious on Monday morning what was happening. He stopped in at Mary’s to get his morning Americano before school. He never saw you on Monday’s because he had early classes and yours were in the afternoon. Even though school was out, you weren’t an early riser like he was.

Everyone in the small bakery turned to look at him. Mary hadn’t said anything as she handed him his coffee and to-go bag with his typical pastry. He paid and walked outside. The vibe of the small room was giving him a weird feeling. 

Calum opens his bag and sees two sweets. One is his usual, and the other is your favorite. Before he crosses the street, he glances back through the window of the bakery, and Mary is already waving at him. She didn’t have to say anything. He knew what she meant.

He spent the whole day trying to figure out if it would’ve been their friend group or the locals at the bar that started this rumor. He also wondered if anyone had said anything to you about it. 

On Tuesday, he was at the college in the commons area getting something to eat for lunch. The school was on a break, but they had these quarterly volunteer days that he always showed up for. A professor passed him waiting in line and seemed to do a double-take. “Y/N didn’t come with you today?” 

Calum looked around, not to figure out of the man was talking to him, but to see if anyone here even remotely looked like Y/N. Not that cleaning up was strictly a man's job, but there weren’t usually any girls on campus during these days. “Nah, not today. Maybe next time.”

It was a ridiculous question, but all Calum thought was that he hoped people weren't as blatant to you about it. He wanted his own shot. 

On Wednesday, Calum was leaving the antique store. His mom had been searching for a specific teapot to complete their kitchen set but to no avail. Even the owner had hinted multiple times that he should pick out something for his new girlfriend, so he left with a very fragile and not that antique-looking glass galaxy rose. Calum sees you standing outside of the bakery, small box in hand, and a confused look on your face.

Your attention is caught by someone calling your name across the street. Since your town was small, there was a square or quad area, and all of the shops littered the outside. Except for the bar, it was on your way out of town.

Calum is standing in the middle of the square waving to you. There were people already setting up strings of fairy lights for this weekend. You look before you cross the street and then make your way over. You’re relieved to see him, maybe he knows why everyone's been asking about him. 

“Hey, the weirdest thing happened. Mary said these were for you.” 

“Do you want to go to lunch? And also, this was forced on me as a gift for you.” 

You both speak at the same time and then burst into laughter right after. You’re each holding boxes out to each other. 

“Not that I didn’t want to get you a gift, it was just weird.” Calum stutters a little bit, but you wave him off. 

“Lunch sounds great. How about Chinese?” 

You two settle down in a booth by a window in the Wok Shop. People are still staring. Most of them are at least familiar to you if you can’t call them by name. 

“It’s been so weird this past couple of days.” You sigh. Calum tries to decide if you really don’t know what’s going on or if you’re trying to be funny.

“There’s a rumor going around. Everyone in town is going crazy because they think we’re together now.” Calum takes a big bite right after he speaks, so he doesn’t have to say anything else and can gauge your reaction.

“Is this because we danced together the other night? The girls were giving me a hard time about it. Why can’t we dance together? These people have nothing to do.” You laugh. Calum laughs too. 

“You know, I could just stand up and tell them all they’re crazy. We could shut it down before it goes any further.” Calum opens his palm and motions around the room.

You suddenly have a lack of words. Before this very second, you considered the dance to be nothing. You hadn’t even thought you had feelings for Calum until the possibility of you two being anything was threatened to disappear.

“Or...” Calum leans closer over the table. “You could plant one on me right here, and we’ll really give them something to talk about.”

Did he want you to kiss him? Did you want to? You did. You’d partly always wondered what it would be like. All you could think about currently is the way his arms felt around you on Friday night. The turn this conversation took wasn’t something your heart had been prepared for.

You can’t decide if it's fortunate or unfortunate that the loud shrill of his phone ringing makes you jump apart from him. You hadn’t even realized you’d leaned in. “Sorry I should answer this.”

You dismiss him with a nod as he stands up and walks to the door. A deep sigh leaves your lips, followed by a harsh inhale of air. What the hell just happened? Were you actually going to kiss him?

Both of your plates are pretty much empty, so you get up and pay the bill. You grab his jacket and box of treats before meeting him outside. “I think I’m going to go, I’ll see you at the ball on Friday.”

For just a second, he pulls the phone away from his ear to listen to you. He looks like he’s thinking about saying something, but he doesn’t. Calum takes his jacket and box from you and lets you go.

+

“Come on, Y/N. Quit saying no to every dress I show you.” Ashley groans and puts back yet another dress into her closet.

“I don’t even want to go. Calum and I actually had a moment, at least I think, and now I don’t know if I want to see him.” You fall back onto her bed, where Grace and Kate are already laying.

“Wait, you what?” All three of them look at you. Maybe you hadn’t told them yet. You’d been trying to figure out if you had actually wanted to kiss him before you said anything. The conclusion was that you did. You really did, but what was going to happen if you did?

So you tell them what happened. At first, it was playful, but then he suggested kissing, and it’s like your hormones went haywire. You weren’t a twelve-year-old boy going through puberty, but that’s what it felt like.

“Then you one hundred percent have to go tonight. You left before he could come back, which means you don’t know what could’ve happened!” Grace sits up excitedly.

“Can you imagine anything prettier? All of the lanterns glowing and making everything look softer. It’s literally like a fairytale.” She babbles.

“Okay, Miss. Storybook. The most important part is that you look hot.” Ashley pulls out another dress. It’s hard to believe she has so many. It’s a bright-colored, tight fitted dress. It’s too much.

Your nose scrunch makes her scream into her closet. “I hate letting you borrow clothes.”

Eventually, she pulls out a pretty baby blue dress. In classic Ashley style, it has a low cut front, but the rest of it is actually okay. The whole thing is lace, featuring long sleeves that are perfect for the chilly weather. The top has sparkling beads that disperse as you get to the bottom of the dress. It’s ideal for the occasion, and breathtaking. You’ve never even seen Ashley wear it.

“A dress isn’t even that important, I don’t know what I’m going to say to him. What if he doesn’t bring it up? I don’t want to be the first one. God. He’s my best friend, I’m not going. We aren’t doing this.” You scrub your hand over your face.

“So let’s pretend that we’re all going to go with that. What happens next? You ignore your best friend forever? The worst thing he can say is that he doesn’t feel that way, then what did you lose? Maybe your pride is bruised, but it’ll get better, and you two can be friends. I think we all know that’s not going to happen, he’s totally in love with you.” Kate shoves the dress into your hands and points to the bathroom to tell you to get dressed.

“No more protesting. We have to have time to curl your hair, so put it on.” Ashley pulls you off the bed and pushes you into the next room. Sometimes, you didn’t like your best friends.

+

The whole ride there, you think about what kind of approach you want to go with. Do you want to act dumb? Do you want to say something straight forward off the bat? Should you let him say something first?

When you arrive, it’s moments before the actual lantern lighting part. The four of you quickly grab your own and join in on the fun. The sun has just set, so the sky still has a faint glow. Grace was right about the way the square glows. It’s beautiful.

You’re taking turns snapping pictures of each other holding lights to make it look more Instagram worthy when Grace bumps your arm. Confused, you look away from the phone in your hand, and the other two posing in front of it. All four of you look, and Calum isn’t too far away. He’s already looking at you.

Calum is wearing a black suit and tie. His smile is small, but it’s very present. You don’t pay attention to who you hand the phone to because you suddenly know exactly what you want to say to him. You vaguely hear the girls behind you hollering and cheering you on.

Finally, you get within arms reach of Calum. Your first instinct is to hug him, so you do. Your arms are wrapped around him before he can blink and they’re tighter than they’ve ever been. Calum starts talking when you start pulling away. “Y/N I realized that what I said earlier probably made you un-“

“Let’s make it true.” You blurt, cutting him off completely. Calums eyebrows scrunch in confusion.

“What?”

“The rumor. Let’s make it true. It doesn’t have to just be a rumor, and I’m hoping you don’t think so because I really don’t want it to be.” You’re a little breathless just from the buildup of the situation. You’d been thinking about this for two days now.

You realize you’re close again. He’s holding you by the elbows as if he thought you’d run away after you hugged him. Calum side glances, but you can only look at him. 

“So, how about that kiss now?” He looks back at you and actually giggles. 

Calum lifts one of his hands to cup your cheek as he pulls you in for a kiss. His lips are warm and soft despite it being winter. For a split second, you worry that yours might be chapped, but then you remind yourself to focus. This is happening, even if you didn’t know it was something you wanted until recently.

Both of your eyes are wide as you pull away to look at each other. “I can’t believe we’ve never done that before.” 

Calum laughs as your response and gently sets his forehead against yours. He’s about to say something else, but people around you start cheering. They’re full out jumping up and down just because you two are finally together. You pull away from Calum when your cheeks start to heat up. 

“Everyone happy now?” Calum jokes. More cheers erupt. 

Your small hometown was occasionally annoying, but you had them to thank for giving you the best thing that’s ever happened to you. 

++

don’t forget to reblog if you liked it! feedback is always appreciated💕

taglist:  @calumsnatchedmyheart @cthoodsthetic @calssunflower @aulxna @sebastian-sunshine-stan @mikeyglifford @fluffsshawn @lustingfor5sos @bodaciousbonzi1996 @calum-booo

[heyitstam]

mirio togata x reader - pancakes

this is basically my first fanfic uhh here we go lmao, enjoy!!~

the school day was over, and i was more than ready to start my shift at this cafe i worked at. it is always so calming, heading over there after school and making coffee and small desserts - in this super chill and warm atmosphere, with the sweet, kind, old lady who was just like a grandma to me. she helps me both with work and homework if i need it - and sometimes i even stay there after my shifts just to relax.

soon enough i walked through the doors of the cafe, which was a fair walk distance from UA Highschool, where i am a second year student. there wasn’t a whole lot of customers but at the same time, most of our customers came here to study while having a cup of coffee or a crêpe or something.

“hello!,” i greet in my usual sing-songy voice as i walk behind the counter. i hear the lady i described earlier, Mrs. Watanabe greet back along with a familiar, male voice. i thought nothing of it and headed to the dressing room. i put my bag down and changed into my usual work clothes; a brown collared t-shirt with a white apron and black pants. i put my (H/L) (H/C) hair in a ponytail and clipped on my nametag that i so proudly wore. i walk out of the dressing room and check if there is anyone waiting to order, which there isn’t, so i decide to go find Mrs. Watanabe. i head to the kitchen, where, i indeed did find her, along with... with...

my crush? wait. hol’ up. what is my crush doing- 

“ah, there you are (Y/N)! this is Mirio Togata, starting today he will be working here,” Mirio, despite being the extrovert he is, looked at you and muttered a rather shy-sounding ‘hi’, “i believe you two are from the same school. i was just showing him how things work here but it seems like somebody is trying to order, show him around, won’t you?,” Mrs. Watanabe finished before heading to the checkout to take a girl’s order.

my crush (and upperclassman!) was standing right infront of me and all i did was stand there and stare at him with my mouth open. i mentally punched myself for being this stupid (and possibly freaking him out) and told myself to get it together.

“hey, i- uh, i’m (Y/N).  i’ll uh, just show you around then,” i meekly say, and again give myself a mental punch for being this awkward.

“hey, aren’t you like, my underclassman or something? (Y/N) right? i’m so excited to work with you!,” he said in his usual, lovely cheerful voice, doing a small bow.

“yeah, i look forward to working with you too,” i say while i can feel a blush creeping up on my cheeks, “here, i’ll show you around now. here is the oven,” i walk over to it and give it a good ol’ slap, “this bad boy can fit so many buns in it,” he chuckled at my little meme and i continue to show him around the kitchen.

“so for how long have you been working here, (Y/N)? and why here of all places? from your quirk and personality i didn’t even think that you work” he asks while looking at appliances here and there.

“well, i’ve been working here since basically my freshman year. i really like it around here, it’s so relaxing, and-”

“one batch of special (L/N) strawberry pancakes!” i hear Mrs. Watanabe yell.

“coming right up!,” i yell back, forgetting to answer his last question. i am well known for my delicious strawberry pancakes; thats why they have it on the menu, along with my name. 

“alright, Togata, you want me to teach you how to make my special pancakes or do you wanna clean the tables?”

“well, uh,” he blushes, “i’ll go clean those tables then!,” he points at them giving a sheepish smile, “catch ya later!” he says and hurries out of the kitchen before i can even ask him to wait.

i sigh to myself and make the pancakes. i can’t stop thinking about Mirio. i can feel my face heating up, which i realize and then blush even more. i had liked him ever since i started in UA, he was perfect in all ways in my eyes. nothing could ever change the way i looked at him. 

it took me about 10 minutes to make the pancakes. i neatly arrange them on a plate, and decorate them with whipped cream and strawberries. i put them on the girl’s table, who exitedly moves her books out of the way and thanks me for the food.

i look at mirio, who just finished cleaning his tables, and walk up to him.

“what was that earlier? why’d you so suddenly leave? i thought you were at least interested in learning my secret recipe,” i ask him, finishing that last part with a laugh. i took a seat as we didn’t have any work to be done right now.

“well, you see,” he takes a deep breath, smiles and sits down, “i actually came here yesterday to talk to you but i panicked and instead asked Mrs. Watanabe if i could work here”

well, now i was even more puzzled, and even a little intrigued. i raised an eyebrow, “talk to me? about what? im not even in your class-”

“(Y/N), i was gonna ask you if you wanted to, like, go grab a coffee with me or something?” he blurted out. i’m standing here, practically having a meltdown. did THE Mirio Togata really just ask me out?

“what?” i manage to mutter. he opens his mouth to respond, but i cut him off, “you’re asking me out?”

“i mean, it’s not like you have to, i- i’m not forcing you or anything haha-” he quickly adds while waving his hands in an assuring manner. i was shocked, never in a million years did i expect this to happen. i always admired Mirio from afar, not wanting to act upon my feelings. i always thought he already had a girlfriend considering how many fans he has. but here i was, with him asking me out and all that.

“of course!”, i stand up in joy and he follows my actions. 

“wait seriously?,” he asks perplexed, “i’ve had my eyes on you since when you started in UA. i’ve never seen a quirk like yours before, it really caught my attention,” he laughs, “anyways, is tomorrow okay for you? because it sure is for me!,” his voice seeming more excited with every word he speaks.

“yes, tomorrow is fine!,” i reply happily. he gives me a hug and i tense up for a second because of the unexpected contact, and feeling this he quickly pulls back.

“im so sorry! i shouldn’t have done that, i got too carried away-” before he could finish his sentence, i quickly pecked him on the cheek. his face turned a mild tomato red.

“now we’re equal,” i say and he chuckles like his usual and silly self. i return to Mrs. Watanabe to help out with cleaning the counters. he just stood there dumbfounded, grinning like an idiot for a couple of minutes until he eventually returned back to work too.

im sorry if he was kinda OOC, but i had this idea about him working in a cafe and everything lmao am sorry uwu

[starry-sky-1]

Jungkook's little adventure

Spinoff of this lovely series by @lil-meow-meow-goes-rawr who let me do this!!!! Lotso love to her and kookie who I couldn't resist writing uwu.

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

“JK, JK wake up” Seokjin sighed as he shook the human bundle of blankets for the umpteenth time. The little Hatsune Miku figurine alarm clock on the bedside table chimed a dainty 8:30 am as the bundle in question groaned and shriveled into a tighter ball.

Seokjin stood, arms akimbo, and pursed his lips. “Yah! Jungkook-ah you have to wake up or did you forget its your turn to bring the groceries today? Its your free day so I understand you were up playing Overwatch till 3 am but breakfast is getting cold. I made hash browns with eggs benedict and that bread you’re fond of.We even have Banana Milk.”

Hearing about banana milk, the bundle rumbled and sat up, a head popping out of its recesses like a bunny, puffy doe eyes that were closed, revealed a mop of fluffy hair, sticking up in all directions as Jungkook let out a cute yawn before rolling on the other side and getting up, stubbing his toe in the process.

The shock of pain, made him wince and his eyes flew open, clutching the now sensitive toe in his hand.

“Ow, Ow, OW”

The elder had an amused smile on his face as he watched the entire scene unfold.

“Sometimes I wonder how you’re related to me Jungkook-ah, a graceful, beautiful human like me, sculpted by the finest, who ladies die over, and then there’s you.”

“Way to boost my confidence, hyung” He muttered and grasped his spectacles, promptly putting them on. “I’ll meet you down in 15 minutes.”

Seokjin nodded and moved to the door, kicking a one piece themed sweatpants pair that was lying on the floor for god knows how long and shut the door behind him.

Jungkook stretched, cracking his bones and made his way over to the ensuite bathroom, both brothers had their rooms connected , in a small apartment unit above the bar.

He made his way down to see Seokjin on a call, recently they had been getting quite a number of assignments. The aloof bartender was a former secret service agent and one of the finest in the nation. He knew and dealt with secrets, disillusioned by bureaucracy and corruption, leaving after finishing one of the most difficult assignments ever with him as the only survivor.

“Yes Yoongi I’ll be more than happy to babysit the squirt as you and Hoseok plummet yourself into another dangerous mission, I mean wasn’t Mist enough for you?”

Ahh Mist, that brought back some memories, quite the adventure.

Jungkook scarfed the meal on the table, marvelling at his hyung’s cooking, the meals he cooked could make him a celebrity chef and yet here he was, dealing with dangerous stuff.

“To each his own I guess” he muttered and rinsed his plate, putting it in the right place before moving to the coatstand, his trusty hooded jacket would be perfect for the crisp nip in the air. He shuffled his shoes on and went down, deciding to explore the city a bit before he would fetch groceries and then munch on snacks as he played Overwatch again, he had a score to settle with NoobMaster96.

Patting his pockets, he checked his phone, keys and wallet before making his way downtown. October would be here soon and the parks would be full of leaves in various shades of reds, oranges.He loved those.

The public park was near the older market with a lot of old shops who sold stuff the traditional way, he found the square market to be too boisterous, the stores too fancy with their automatic doors, self checkouts, the crowd too predictable. He would rather source his seaweed chips and ramyun packets from the old lady who would almost always mistake him for her grandson and give him a mangatteok whenever he dropped by.

Speaking of ramyun, he was running low on his nutrition source with cans of energy drink, that’s how he survived those gruesome matches and lived to tell the tale.

He was just rounding the corner near the store, when a police car caught his attention, the small group of people gathering near it obstructed his view from what was happening. He slipped his hood on and slipped into the gathering with practiced ease and noticed his old lady angrily ranting off to two policemen who he knew very well.

Jimin had on a strained smile as he tried to ease the temper of the lady while Taehyung stood flabbergasted, asking questions to an old man who answered them. He turned on his heel and looked at the crowd when his eyes landed at an all too familiar face. Jungkook ducked, having been caught by Tae who flashed him his signature boxy grin and walked towards him, swiftly pulling him out causing Jungkook to squawk.

“Well, well, well if it isn’t my favourite Dongsaeng” he said.

“I’m the only dongsaeng you know from school, hyung” Jungkook pouted as Tae ruffled his hair, causing his cowlick to stand once again which he had spent a lot of time setting.

Jimin noticed Jungkook and pinched his cheek, smiling his infamous eye smile “Still as grumpy as ever.”

“And you’re still as short as ever.”

Jimin’s smile dropped while Tae guffawed and slapped him on the back. Jimin kicked Tae’s shin and then smacked Jungkook’s neck causing the younger to cry out in indignance.

“Yah! Is this how you talk to your hyung after everything we’ve done for you, brat?”

Jungkook gave him a mischievous smirk and rolled his shoulders.

The crowd had begun to disperse and it was then he turned to look at his allies slash friends and asked them what was with the crowd?

Tae looked at him and sighed, “Recently there have been a lot of petty theft incidents here by individuals dressed in all black with helmets or masks and riding gloves. They snatch handbags, briefcases, anything that they can land their hands on. Moreover we can’t ID them as they have blurred their motorcycle number plates and move on a very common design, the physical build is also more or less the same so we can’t say if it’s a single person or a group.”

Suddenly his eyes shone and his grin came back, Jungkook knew that look all too well.

“No Hyung, I am not helping you in this case again, I have to defeat NoobMaster96” He whined.

“Consider it payment for helping your eccentric psychopath friend and his cute ward. Oho she’s too adorable for her own good.”

Jimin added “The coverup alone took us so much time, we hardly slept for a month and it almost cost us our current titles. I NEVER want to work on the desk again” He said with a shudder.

Jungkook nibbled on his lower lip, On one hand he knew he was obligated to help Hoseok hyung and Yana, who he considered his own little sister, on the other hand he still had to game…….

“Fineeeeee” he replied, huffing.

“I knew if there was anyone who could help us, it would be our dear little Kookie” Tae chimed and Jimin smiled as well, highfiving his partner.

“But I need the details you have, the police files and access to the traffic security cameras”

“Consider it done”

“And I want 5 packets of chili ramyeon and nori chips as thanks”

“Whaaaa”

“Don’t question him, Jimin, and done.”

Jungkook moved to their car and Tae fetched a brown paper bag with the words confidential written on it.

“Now lets move to someplace less public and discuss with fewer ears” Jimin suggested and both nodded and followed him to a cafe owned by an ex policeman.

The little bell chimed as they entered and the owner flashed the 2 detectives a toothy smile as he continued to wipe a mug in his hand. They moved to the little private cabin which he held for “special” customers and took a seat. Jimin and Tae knew it was soundproof on the inside meaning no noise from the cabin would go out but they could hear everything on the outside clearly.

Jungkook spread the files on the table and quickly went over them, clicking a few pictures of evidence on his phone, whose camera he had upgraded to give better resolutions. Taking pictures of the suspects from the traffic cameras, he placed them back into the folder.

“I’ve sent you a link that would help you get into the mainframe. I hope you know the drill. Do NOT leave any evidence of your presence, you know SPD’s IT team is getting better at tracking illegal hacking or data hostage attempts.”

The younger only rolled his eyes when there was a knock on the door. Jimin tapped in confirmation and the owner came in, placing two cups of cappucinos for the boys and a hot chocolate for him, closing the door on his way out.

They discussed more details as they took their respective drinks and Tae told him he’d told the owner to bring hot chocolate for him since he knew that Jungkook couldn’t stand the strong taste at all.

Jungkook remembered he had to get groceries and once finished, Tae and Jimin helped him fetch stuff from the aisles at the next door mart and told him they’d drop him off before going back to the station to “work”. He whined when they did not get his snacks telling him that would be his reward if he could give them the missing link to the case and close it.

Clutching the full bags, Jungkook managed to balance them as he slid his key in and went inside. The lights were off which meant Seokjin was out and should be back soon to prepare for opening the bar.

He deposited them on the kitchen counter, placing the perishables in the fridge and moved to his room, opening his laptop as he decided to copy the data from his phone. Maybe Namjoon hyung could give him an insight on this? Ahh no he’s busy so he mustn’t be bothered.

Jin returned and noticed that Jungkook was home a little earlier than usual. The boy would never drop in before 8 pm, just in time for dinner on his days off. So it was surprising to see him back so soon.

He knocked on his door “JK, did you have lunch?” the boy didn’t respond. Jin knocked louder this time. Jungkook fumbled with his headphones and peeped from the door.

“Yes?”

“I asked if you had eaten lunch yet?”

“I had a cup of hot chocolate”

“Yah! That doesn’t count as lunch! I’m making fried rice, come down in 10, irrespective of what you’re working on” Jin said, motioning to the laptop and the wires attached to his phone.

Jungkook swiftly nodded and closed the door, resuming the transfer of data as he waited. He checked his phone for messages, finding none. Of course who would message him, he smiled ruefully before checking progress of the tapes downloading in his system.

As soon as there was a single minute left to 3:10 pm, he went down in the kitchen, just in time to see Jin plating 2 servings, his being smaller than what he had poured for the younger one.

The smell was heavenly and before he knew it, the plate was wiped clean. Jungkook rose to put them in the washer but Jin shook his head.

“You have homework, right kiddo? Don’t worry hyung will handle it”

Jungkook smiled at him brightly before running upstairs, almost tripping on his feet before he plopped himself on his table again, working on a short code that would narrow his search to the bikes of the model, the perpetrators used. It would limit his view time to 5 hours. Something he was sure he could manage. He carefully scanned the now shortened footage and noticed that the perpetrators would always, exclusively be downtown. It was as if they knew their chances of escaping were better there. He also noticed how they seemed to know where to go, irrespective of whether they were on foot or bike. The alleys where the cameras could not record their further movement. Also not a sliver of skin was exposed so nothing could be said about their build, complexion or looks, even gender. All the footage looked the same.

He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing his glasses up, there was no clue, how could he help Jimin and Tae, when suddenly one of the bikes went too close to the pole. Jungkook narrowed his eyes and played the footage again. On the back of the bike was an imperceptible symbol, which he enlarged and screenshot.

One thing that he understood was that the perpetrator(s) had a good idea of the alleys, secondly they knew how to conceal their identity well so it would be physically impossible to identify them, thirdly they chose their victims randomly and finally another bike had yellow paint on its tires, from the footage of a day ago, the one with the old woman whose bag was stolen.

Jungkook knew that there was renovation going on in the eastern part which meant that atleast one of them had entered via Incheon.

He zoomed the footage as he spotted a man push the woman and snatched her bag in broad daylight as he sped off, the old woman screaming at him, which caused the few shopkeepers around to come out. Jungkook noticed that this bike was devoid of the same symbol but had another one in the same design.

He searched them and discovered 2 numbers, in a snake font, 13 and 55.

Weird!

He quickly overlooked the dates of the events and discovered that the dates were in fact a sequence! Running them through the algorithm detector he found that they were Fibonacci numbers and the

snake fonts actually represented their positioning on the cartesian plane.

He had heard Hoseok talk about a gang in town, slowly acquiring power through meticulous attacks, they hadn’t done anything severe, but their attacks were random enough to confuse the police. To make matters worse nobody knew of their arrival or departure, they chose less populated areas to target and left no evidence behind.

Putting the dates in sequence, Jungkook knew when the next attack would take place, coincidentally it was a free day for him as well. It wouldn’t hurt to give a little tip off to the detectives.

The only problem was how to confirm his suspicions, what if he was wrong? He couldn’t afford to let down another of the residents at downtown or undermine what was at stake for Tae and Jimin. He knew the pattern of such gangs all too well, it would slowly evolve to bigger crimes including shootouts and murders once they’d amassed enough power and terrorised the locals. It was an ugly spiral in the Criminal Underworld.

It was almost 11 pm by the time he had finished. Shoot! Just on time his stomach rumbled as well. He hadn’t had anything since lunch. He padded downstairs, knowing Jin would be at the bar but he’d chew his head off the next day for ignoring dinner. There was a plate of samgyeopsal with rice and clear soup, left for him. Jungkook felt a rush of affection for his step brother rise in his heart, who took care of him more like a parent than a sibling, never once questioning when he was dumped at his door out of nowhere and readily gave him a roof to live in and made sure all his needs were fulfilled.

He sat and ate dinner in silence and cleaned the kitchen up before wiping the table. Jin rarely let him in the bar, being fiercely protective of the younger one, wanting him to live as normally as possible.

He shut the lights and formulated a plan in his head. Oh he couldn’t wait to see it all unfold.

The D day had Jungkook nervous as hell, Tae had bombarded him with questions all week about his progress but Jungkook said it was difficult with lack of data but nonetheless sent him the designs on the 2 bikes just to not rouse his suspicions too much. They had thankfully bought the little lie and were busy running for matches through their databases.

He waited at the eastern end on his bike which he had borrowed from Yoongi, the sleek model was very flexible for driving in narrower lanes or taking sharp turns. The only condition was that he had to hack into some company’s financial statements, an easy job.

Hiding in the alleyway, he waited until it was just a few people out on the streets. If his calculations were correct, there would be an incident any time now. His notice turned to one of the shops in his direct line of vision, A girl with curly hair, sunkissed skin exit the cafe where had been the last week.

She had long, pretty legs clad in a pair of skinfit jeans and a white blouse tied in a knot above the highwaist as she put her slingbag around her and moved. He spotted movement on the peripheral of his vision.

Bingo! There were 2 people on the bike this time, heading straight for the woman who now had her headphones on, moving to whatever beat it played. Jungkook revved his own and gave chase right as one of them broke the bag from its sling and ran, clutching it tightly.

She screamed and gave chase, but wasn’t as fast enough as the person. Jungkook knew he’d take the alley with limited access to the traffic camera and his friend would be there, taking a quick shortcut he locked the bike and hid in the thick shadows knowing the person would be there anytime soon, as his friend waited at the other end.

The person came in, huffing as the outfit proved too much for the weather. Jungkook pounced on them, taking them down in a tangle of limbs as he subdued them. Their partner long gone when they realised that the ally had been subdued. He took the helmet off to reveal a young man with a nasty scar across his eye.This wasn’t an injury, no it was a deliberate slash. Quickly he found some spare plastic ties near the dumpbox and tied the man down. He dragged him over to the main footpath and saw the girl jogging up to him.She was even prettier up close and he blushed a bit. He dialed Tae and said

“Hyung, I have a certain present for you, come down quick” as he gave him his coordinates.

Taehyung cursed and kicked the table as his partner raised an eyebrow in question.

“That damn brat” was all he said before nudging Jimin into the car, speeding off.

Jungkook dusted the bag and gave it to the girl who muttered a “thank you”. Heck even her accent was cute and her voice had a lilt to it.

Before he could say something, the siren indicated that they were here. He looked down at the bound man who was glaring daggers at him.

Jimin stepped out first looking at Jungkook and then the man. “why am I not surprised? Of course you would throw yourself in harm’s way with 0 afterthought, Seokjin would have our skins as doormats if anything happened to you,brat.”

Taehyung looked at the man, amused.

“Can’t believe a kid took you down and those are some good knots, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re into some hardcore Shibari shit, Jungkook-ah”

Jungkook only reddened in response as the girl smirked at him.

Taehyung then looked at her and asked if they could ask her a few questions, she was free to go then. She nodded in assent and answered them, truthfully as Jungkook watched in rapt attention.

Jimin noticed and winked at him, wiggling his eyebrows, making Jungkook squeak and turn his head.

The detectives, satisfied thanked Jungkook after taking his statement as well.

“We’ll get all from him, but kiddo, next time you pull a stunt like this, do give us a call before jumping blindly, what if the other man was armed? and do mail us all the evidence you found, your ramyun and chips will be at your door by evening”

He smiled and waved them off before realising the girl was still there.

“So how does coffee sound?”

“Truthfully, Yakult is better than coffee, coffee is too strong for my nose” he replied, tapping his nose and shrugging. He looked at his watch.

“Oh dang I’m late for lunch again, hyung’s going to break my legs but I don’t need to buy snacks now so yess” he mumbled to himself.

The girl shook her head in amusement.

“I-I gotta run, have a nice day.Be safe” he bowed to her before taking off, picking his bike up and speeding his way over to home. Oh he was so dead today!

OMAKE

“You mean she asked me out on a date and I messed it up?” Jungkook groaned as Seokjin burst into laughter at his obliviousness.

Maybe he could spot her next time he was in downtown? It wouldn’t hurt to have her number. He flopped on the bed groaning and cursing. Atleast his Miku chan was still by his bedside to cheer him.

The End!

[theajaheira]

imperfections (51/?)

read it on ao3!

looks like we’re back to semi regular updates ig???? who knows??????

So now Xander was living with Giles, Faith, and Ms. Calendar, in a two-story house with a living room and a study and an actual library. To be fair, he’d been living with them for a few weeks before the move, but there was a difference between crashing on Ms. Calendar’s couch and having an actual bedroom in Ms. Calendar’s house.Like, sometimes he’d get up for a midnight snack, because that was a thing he was allowed to do now, because this was his home. Every single part of the arrangement felt absolutely surreal.

A particularly weird part was the morning. Back at Ms. Calendar’s old place, Xander had gotten up early, grabbed some milk and cereal, and headed to school by himself. Eating breakfast with a group of people wasn’t something he had ever done at home, and he didn’t want to get into a habit he’d just have to break. Now, though—

“We have seventeen minutes before we need to head out,” Giles announced to the room at large, flipping a pancake with precision. “Is everyone going to be done eating by then?”

“I’m already done, slowpokes,” said Faith with her mouth full.

“I think you have to chew and swallow to qualify as done,” pointed out Ms. Calendar, who was idly flipping through the newspaper while she drank her coffee. “Xander, your homework is still all over the living room. Can you pack it up after breakfast?”

“Sure,” said Xander, struck by the ridiculous domesticity of the moment. Looking at them from the outside, and without context…for a few seconds, he imagined a world where Giles was his dad and Ms. Calendar was his mom and Faith was his annoying little sister. They looked alike enough for it to be plausible, he thought.

“Are you gonna eat that?” Faith enquired, gesturing a greasy fork at Xander’s leftover bacon.

“Faith, I can make you more bacon,” said Giles. “Kindly do not harangue Xander about the food that is rightfully his.”

“Waste not, want not, Giles,” Faith persisted. “If he doesn’t want it—”

“I’m eating at least half of what’s left,” said Xander, too amused to be irritated. “But if you take whatever there is after that, I get some of your dinner tonight.”

“Deal,” said Faith.

“Has anyone heard of politely asking for seconds?” said Giles to the stove.

“Top me off, babe,” said Ms. Calendar, holding out her mug without looking up from the newspaper.

“Emphasis on politely, Jenny,” said Giles. “Though it is delightful to know that I’ve become a glorified servant to all of you.” Despite his theatrics, he crossed the room with a small smile, taking Ms. Calendar’s mug to fill it again.

Xander took a few more bites of bacon, then pushed the plate over to Faith, getting up from the table. “Should I, uh, homework?” he said uncertainly.

“You should definitely homework,” Ms. Calendar agreed. “Get it all together and head down to the car, okay? We should all be done pretty soon.”

Pretty soon didn’t work as well as it had in the old house, particularly not when Jenny, used to driving a relatively shorter distance from home to work, got them lost in their new neighborhood for a good fifteen minutes. By the time they all got to school, the kids had missed first period, Jenny had missed an important faculty meeting, and Rupert had missed his usual morning briefing with Buffy. As such, when Rupert and Jenny entered the library, neither of them were expecting Buffy to still be there, which was why it came as such a surprise to see her sitting stiffly at the library table.

“Buffy, you have physics,” said Rupert reprovingly.

“Giles, we need to talk,” said Buffy flatly. “Something seriously messed up went down on patrol last night, and my mom was there.”

Jenny and Rupert exchanged a horrified look. “Goodness,” said Rupert weakly. “Is she all right?”

“What?” Buffy blinked. “Oh, no, she didn’t—she isn’t hurt or anything. We just…” She swallowed, hard, looking vaguely nauseous. “We came across a couple of dead bodies.”

“Oh,” said Rupert, relaxing slightly. “Well, I’m, I’m sorry to hear your mother was shaken by—”

“Kids’ bodies,” said Buffy.

Rupert paled. Jenny reached for his hand, feeling very much like throwing up herself. “God,” she whispered. “Do you know anything about who did it?”

“Only that they’re going to wish they were dead when I find them,” said Buffy grimly.

“Buffy, please do keep a level head,” said Rupert anxiously.

Buffy stood up, very nearly knocking a chair over. “Don’t tell me to calm down, Giles!” she snapped. “They were kids! Little kids, and my mom can barely speak—”

“I’m well aware,” said Rupert, his grip tightening on Jenny’s hand. “I simply don’t want you rushing in after this type of monster with limited information.”

This seemed to relax Buffy, if only slightly. “We have some info,” she said, picking up a pen and a nearby notebook and scribbling something down on it. “There were no, no vampire bites or anything, but there was this symbol on their hands.” To both Rupert and Jenny’s surprise, Buffy handed the notebook to Jenny, looking anxiously up at her. “Ms. Calendar, you’ve been teaching Willow magic,” she said. “Do you know this symbol?”

Jenny looked down. Squinted. Took the notebook with her free hand, turning it upside down. “This symbol,” she said. “Are you sure you didn’t get it wrong?”

“I definitely didn’t,” said Buffy quietly. “It’s burned into my brain.”

“You know it?” Rupert sounded somewhat surprised.

“Well, yeah,” said Jenny, handing the notebook back to Buffy. “Willow—uh—I hate to ruin your birthday, Buffy, but Willow’s been setting up a little protection spell for you as a present. This is the primary symbol she and I have been using to cast it. People use it in spells cast out of love and compassion.”

“Nothing about those dead kids screamed love and compassion,” said Buffy, frowning. “You’re sure you didn’t get it wrong?”

“As soon as Willow comes in, I can show you the book,” said Jenny, genuinely confused. “That sigil’s harmless. Whatever killed those kids, it had nothing to do with that.”

“So it could have been some, some monster, or—” Rupert began.

“I don’t know,” said Buffy miserably. “And I don’t like not knowing, especially when this stupid town is starting to kill kids.”

“You know we’ll figure it out,” said Rupert gently, reaching out to squeeze Buffy’s shoulder.

“I haven’t figured a single thing out,” said Giles dismally.

“Chin up, man,” said Faith, squinting at some particularly gory illustrations in the book she was flipping through. “Weird-ass symbols are your thing, right?”

“Not when they’re completely disconnected from the way those children died,” said Giles, turning the page of a thick volume all but morosely. “There’s no causal link for me to explore—”

“Well, we’ll hack this,” said Jen, shifting the book in her arms and bending to press a kiss to Giles’s cheek. He smiled. “That’s what we do.”

The library doors opened, and Faith looked up. To her surprise, Mrs. Summers entered, stopping nervously by the checkout desk and looking at all of them with a tense, miserable expression.

“Joyce,” said Jen, dropping her book on the table and hurrying to cross the room. “I am so sor—”

“Oh, I’m fine, Jenny, but thank you,” said Mrs. Summers in a small, thin voice. “It’s been…trying, that’s all.”

“Understandably,” said Giles, putting his book down.

“I came to invite you to a vigil at City Hall,” Mrs. Summers informed Jen. “And Mr. Giles, too, of course. We need all the help we can get to make sure that something like this never happens again.”

“Joyce, I’m not exactly sure how much the Mayor can do about this one,” said Jen carefully.

“Well, we won’t know until we take action,” said Mrs. Summers matter-of-factly. “I really hope you’ll be there, Ms. Calendar. It’d mean a lot to me.”

“Of course,” said Jen gently.

Mrs. Summers nodded, an off-balance, wobbly nod, and then she turned and hurried out of the library again.

“Sorry,” said Jen to Giles. “Executive decision.”

“Oh, no, it’s, it’s perfectly all right,” said Giles. “Lord knows we’re not doing all that much here.” He stood up, closing his book. “I suppose we should head home and get ready for the, ah, vigil?”

“Sounds reasonable,” Jen agreed, then hesitated. “Faith, if you want to stay home—”

“Nah,” said Faith. “This shit is sick. Maybe vigil-ing isn’t gonna do all that much, but being around other angry people kinda sounds pretty good right now.”

“Interesting reasoning,” said Giles. “I entirely concur.”

Apparently, there were a lot of other angry people.

“Okay,” said Jenny, looking around at the many signs reading NEVER AGAIN in furious red letters. “This is new, even for Sunnydale. Remember that time that half the swim team died and all we did was hold a half-assed memorial service?”

“Yes, well, they weren’t seven-year-olds,” Rupert reminded her.

“I don’t know,” said Faith. “I kinda agree with Jen. A lot of people go missing in this town, but this is the first time something as big as this has kicked off.”

“Never underestimate the raw, untempered power of my totally terrifying mom,” said Buffy dryly, stepping up to the group with Willow in tow.

“Well, at least your mom’s making an effort,” said Willow. “My mom’s probably…” She trailed off, eyes fixed on a redheaded woman crossing the room to them. “Heading right towards us. Mom?”

Jenny knew very, very little about Willow’s mom, but what she did know, she didn’t at all like. She was already opening her mouth to say something along the lines of hey, I’m the lady who’s been keeping an eye on your emotionally neglected kid when she felt a hand on the small of her back. “Easy,” said Rupert quietly.

“Mom, what are you doing here?” Willow was saying nervously.

“Oh, well, I read about it in the paper, and what with your dad out of town…” Mrs. Rosenberg trailed off, blinking at Willow as if seeing her for the first time. “Willow, you cut off your hair!” she said, sounding genuinely surprised. “Huh. That’s a new look.”

“She cut it back in August,” said Jenny coolly.

Willow turned a miserable shade of red, staring down at her shoes. Belatedly, and horribly, Jenny realized her mistake: Willow had always very pointedly avoided mentioning her mom. Having Mrs. Rosenberg so visibly out of touch in front of her friends couldn’t be a good experience for Willow.

Mrs. Rosenberg missed absolutely all of this. “I like it,” she said brightly to Willow, then turned to Jenny. “And you are…”

“Jenny Calendar,” said Jenny, doing her best to smile. “Willow’s computer science teacher. You know, you’ve got a really remarkable kid there, Mrs. Rosenberg.”

Willow looked up, a small smile on her face.

“I’ll second that,” said Rupert, catching on. “Rupert Giles, Sunnydale High’s librarian. Willow is a treasure and an incredible help around the library.”

Willow glowed.

“Lovely to meet you both,” said Mrs. Rosenberg with a sort of bland politeness. Jenny really didn’t like her.

This was, of course, when Joyce crossed the room to shake Mrs. Rosenberg’s hand. “Sheila, I’m so glad you could come,” she said warmly.

“Well, with the rumors going around…” Mrs. Rosenberg trailed off.

“Rumors?” Rupert echoed, frowning.

“About witches,” said Mrs. Rosenberg. “People calling themselves witches are responsible for this brutal crime.”

Rupert and Jenny exchanged a bemused look. “Where’d you get that from?” said Jenny, frowning. “From what I know about that sigil—”

Mrs. Rosenberg’s and Joyce’s eyes snapped to Jenny, both of their expressions all but accusing.

“I research,” said Jenny, exasperated. “I definitely don’t go around murdering kids. Buffy showed me that sigil, and I recognized it from a book I’ve read. It’s a protective symbol, not a ritual murder.”

The suspicion in both women’s faces hadn’t died down, which struck Jenny as odd. Though she didn’t know Mrs. Rosenberg, she liked to think that she was at least on okay terms with Joyce. Just as she was about to ask why, exactly, a casual mention of her research merited so much distrust, some electronic feedback from the microphone up front interrupted them all, and Joyce stepped away from the group.

The Mayor cleared his throat. “Hello, everybody,” he said, and began his speech.

“That was weird, right?” Jenny whispered to Rupert.

“A bit, yes,” Rupert agreed, looking somewhat perturbed. “Aren’t you and Joyce relatively friendly?”

“I mean, we’re not bosom buddies, but she knows me well enough to know I’m not a child murderer,” said Jenny, still a little stung.

“Well, I’m on your team,” said Rupert helpfully.

“Shh,” said Buffy, and jerked her head towards the lectern. The Mayor had stepped down, leaving room for Joyce to step up.

“Thank you,” said Joyce, and considered, then began to speak. “Mr. Mayor, you're dead wrong.”

“About what?” Rupert whispered.

“This is why it pays to listen,” said Buffy through her teeth.

“This is not a good town,” Joyce continued. “How many of us have, have lost someone who, who just disappeared? Or, or got skinned? Or suffered neck rupture? And how many of us have been too afraid to speak out?”

Jenny’s moment of sympathy for the effect these kids had had on Joyce lasted all of two seconds.

“I-I was supposed to lead us in a moment of silence, but…silence is this town's disease.” There was a new, almost scary note to Joyce’s speech. “For too long, we've been plagued by unnatural evils. This isn't our town anymore. It belongs to the monsters and the witches and the Slayers.”

Buffy’s jaw dropped. Willow stared.

Jenny turned to Rupert. “See?” she said in a sharp whisper. “Weird. You can’t tell me that this is normal.”

“Trauma can cause—”

“A lot of things, I agree, but not Joyce deciding to try and run her daughter out of town!”

“I say,” Joyce persisted, “it's time for the grownups to take Sunnydale back. I say we start by finding the people who did this and making them pay.”

As the room erupted into cheers and applause, Jenny tucked her hand into the crook of Rupert’s arm, frowning at the lectern. Worried as she was, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something they were missing about this whole mess.

[jimlingss]

Starlet and Moonstruck [2]

Chapter 1||Chapter 2||Chapter 3||Chapter 4||Chapter 5 Words: 5.3k Genre: Fluff & Humour, Actress!Au Summary: As a newcomer actress struggling to make a name for yourself in the tough industry, you’re absolutely ecstatic to see your Dispatch pictures on the front page of Naver....but..what is this?! This isn’t about you!

Who’s the third guy from the left?!

Cr.

Once the digital clock, blaring red numbers back at him, has switched the minutes from 59 to 00, Seokjin refreshes the page immediately. He knows the competition is low but he can’t risk losing out on this opportunity. He would regret it for the rest of his life.

The blank screen switches to one with a catalogue full of posters, plushies and hoodies. Seokjin glimpses over at them, putting each object into the shopping cart. In five minutes, he’s at the online checkout section, grabbing his wallet to pay.

As he opens up the leather pouch, he finds himself with less than thirty dollars in cash but whatever. Seokjin brushes it aside, grabbing his card and purchasing the items with express shipping.

Even if he’s broke, as your number one fan and with you as his ultimate bias, he’ll always make an exception in his funds to buy your merch.

Oh...the stanning life.

//

“Nice job, Seokjin!” “You’ve got this in the bag!” “Great job!”

He stands in the corner, arms folded in front of him, head dipping with each compliment and growing sheepish from embarrassment. The owner of the coffee shop has never been this kind to him before. In the past, he was often told to scrub the brown toilets back to white or to go diving in the dumpster for a cheap necklace she accidentally threw out. He even has to sweep up her toenail bits after she’s clipped them at the front entrance, sitting on the stool, waiting all day for customers.

But ever since Seokjin’s obtained the name ‘Third Guy From The Left’, business has been better. Thus, the lady has treated him with a strange amount of courtesy, going as far as to tell him to simply sit there and do nothing.

He got this part-time job on the side to help him make ends meet while he chases after his real dream of being a director. Of course, he has the job of being your bodyguard now but the owner of the café can be very persuasive and he found himself continuing to pick up shifts.

“Oh my god!” Yet another girl swoons and he ducks to hide his warming face. “Can you please sign my phone?”

Her friend jumps, “me too! Me too!”

“Nope! Nope!” The stingy owner stops him from signing with the permanent marker. “You have to buy a drink first!”

The girls stare at her before huffing out, grabbing the wallets from their bag. As if that wasn’t enough, his boss continues to capitalize on his popularity, setting out a drink package that allows others to take a picture of him, increasing the price if people want to take it with him, continuing to increase if they want him to sign something and the list goes on.

The owner goes out, setting up a large sign that the ‘Third Guy From The Left’ works here and she goes to social media to rave about it. There should be lineups winding all the way down five blocks but the coffee shop is ridiculously hard to find. Seokjin, himself, gets lost frequently and initially, he only found this place by accident. It’s a huge maze of through alleyways and unnamed streets, passing through rough neighborhoods and unpaved roads. It’s no wonder the café doesn’t get many customers and why the rent for the place is so cheap; location, location, location - the realtors always said and this place sucks.

A lot of people went on the internet to say that the owner of the café was lying and such a place doesn’t even exist when they’re unable to find it but a few people tread on and they do manage.

“You should keep working here forever!” The middle-aged lady snickers under her breath, licking her thumb and counting up the wad of cash. “I’d make sure you wouldn’t have to lift a finger or use that brain of yours until retirement!”

Seokjin merely laughs, hoping his shift will end soon.

//

“H-hello.” He bows from his waist, accidentally knocking his head into the desk and wincing with an ‘ow’. He steps back, standing straight again with his navy blue binder hugged to his chest. “My name is Kim Seokjin, I am twenty-four years of age and I’m looking to apply here at this company.”

The man behind the desk and the team of interns turn their heads to look at him. Upon finding that he’s unrecognizable, the man turns down to his papers. “Sorry. We’re not hiring.”

“I-uh…”

Another intern steps up, guiding Seokjin out the door before he can provide any sort of explanation for his cause. The door shuts. The binder falls to his side when his arm slumps. He presses his forehead against the wall, sighs through his teeth, the feeling of rejection tingling his senses. How is he supposed to move forward with his dream when no one will even give him a chance?

“Seokjin?”

He spins around but doesn’t know who it is. The boy drops his chin once again, only to do a double take, eyes widening at the sight of you. “Y/N?”

You skip up to him, chewing a snack in your cheek and swallowing it down. “What are you doing here? I thought this was your day off.”

He spends a long moment staring at you, soaking in all your features and making sure he’s in reality, not dreaming up a storm at night. He’s still trying to get used to seeing you around in real life and not on the digital screens or behind metal fence barriers. But today, it’s much different.

You’re makeupless and sporting an old hoodie from your high school alumni. It’s not bad. You look fine, the same eyes and sparkle, the smile and sweet voice. It’s simply that he’s used to seeing you flawless, without a blemish to spare, hair blow dried with copious amounts of products and volume. Seokjin always considered you as a goddess.

But you’re much more human than he thought.

“I...uh...I’m trying to apply for a job.”

“At the company?” You raise your brows, digging your hands into the sweater’s pocket. “Don’t you already work as my ‘bodyguard’?”

You make air quotations and he fights back a smile, glad that you’re a burst of vivid energy in his monochrome life. “I’m looking for a job where I can-”

“Right, right.” You remember now. “You want to be a director…..hmmm…..let me try.”

This is your moment to shine. It’s now that you can truly show off your status and the position you have in this place. You can finally flaunt off your power to someone and impress him.

“Ahem.” You tap on the desk, interrupting the presentation of the interns who are scribbling ideas for a new production on the whiteboard. The man swivels around his chair, exhaling in exhaustion and he gives you an unimpressed expression. “Mr. Wang, please give this man a job.”

Your hands are on your hips and you cock your head to one side. The man narrows his eyes at you, pupils boring into your visage. The interns have quieted down, waiting impatiently for the shenanigans to be over. Seokjin gulps, anticipating an answer.

To him, your backside is the strongest, the most admirable and he’s already proud of himself for not dropping to the ground in screams over his bias actually fighting for him-

“Who are you?”

//

Well shit. If that guy didn’t work at the company, you would’ve punched him in the face.

“It’s okay, Y/N.” Seokjin repeats as he gazes at you, repressing soft giggles as he observes you rub your eyes for the millionth time with the sleeve of your sweater. Upon asking, you strongly denied that you shed any sort of tears. “Really. It already means a lot to me that you tried.”

It’s embarrassing. You’re ashamed. Your entire face is red and you wish the earth would open to swallow you whole. Your pride is too much sometimes and for your ego to be bruised, you feel angry and upset. Someone at the company, your company, didn’t even know who you are.

“Y/N?”

“Shut up.”

Seokjin wonders how you can be so cute.

He smiles happily, walking back to your apartment with you alongside him. It’s a rare day off for you too - granted by Soo-Ae who’s scrambling to get several more auditions for you and then it’ll be back on the grind of memorizing lines and practicing the scenes out until they become muscle memory.

“HEY!”

You shatter Seokjin out of his daydream and he watches as you go flying to your car in the parking lot. A horde of kids go sprinting out of the bushes nearby, rushing past him in scattered giggles, feet hitting against the concrete pavement. “Are you fucking kidding me?!”

You bend over, hands on your knees, whimpers and whines leaving your throat. The man who was with you approaches in light steps, bewildered when he heard you cussing aloud. But then he spots the big brown turd on the hood of your car and the bright yellow word ‘POO’ sprayed across from the doors.

“Dammit.”

You always knew doing that laxative CF was a bad idea.

Out of the corner of your hawk eyes, you find an empty can of spray paint rolling near the tree and you scream. The two kids jump up in response, laughing their heads off and you chase them around the parking lot, spitting on the ground and yelling at them to clean up the mess they made or you’ll find their parents and sue for damages.

Meanwhile, Seokjin is in a state of incredulity, unable to comprehend that this adult woman who he’s idolized and worshipped, is running after the neighborhood kids, uncaring that the fabric skirt is being flipped up and giving him an eye-full of pink panties.

It’s not a bad thing. He finds it kind of funny in a way.

“Got you now!” You wiggle your fingers, cornering them by the front entrance of your apartment. The two children exchange a look, excited from the chase as if you were playing a game of tag with them. There’s good reason why they’re not afraid of you - sure, you’re pissed that someone took a shit on the hood of your car and vandalized it but the vehicle was always a piece of shit anyways.

And you have no plans on beating them up, reporting them to the police or suing poor kids who already didn’t have enough to eat. They were simply mischievous children making memories for the future. You were at that age once and if you got in trouble for all your mischief-making, you’d be in prison by now.

The two of them swap looks and at the same time, they bolt in different directions, right out of your grasps, a hair away from nipping them by the collar of their shirts. You sigh with a smile, shaking your head. “Seriously stop it! I’m going to actually call the police one of these days!”

If you become rich and famous in the future and you move to a nicer part of town, maybe you’ll look back on today and miss being around these terrorizing kids. They’re one of the few things that make you feel less lonely.

“You know...” You tilt your head with a pout, exhausted from the ordeal. “-You’re my bodyguard. Aren’t you supposed to defend me? It’s your one job.”

Seokjin stifles back a laugh, opening the door to your apartment complex. “Against little kids?”

The pair of you enter the stairway, marching up a few levels and conquering the mountain of steps. But as you fish out for your key to the door, the thought floods back in your head and you drop your arm, sigh dripping of tiredness. “I’m sorry.”

“What for?” He blinks in his innocence, not understanding the purpose of the apology.

“I couldn’t get you the job. I couldn’t even get them to hear you out. I….I couldn’t do anything for you.” The shame and self-disappointment cripples your confidence, prompting you to blink away the tears and clench your fist. An urge to pull on the strands of your hair overwhelming you.

But Seokjin places his hand over yours and you lift your chin, locking your eyes with his warm ones. He shakes his head and smiles at you graciously, the corner of his lips raising, looking as handsome as he did in the photos that caused you to be here with him. “You’ve already done enough for me. It’s okay, Y/N. Thank you.”

“If anything,” he adds on, “it didn’t really matter that much. I-....I actually have another interview with a director I really admire and if he could bring me under his wing, that would be...a dream…..it’s just...”

“What?”

“I’m nervous.”

“Don’t be.”

You smile back at him, melting in your spot. Your heel spins around and you finally unlock your door. “Anyone would be happy to have you.”

//

With your reassurance in mind, voice echoing in the hollows of his brain, he takes a deep breath and enters the shop, smoothing out his polo shirt and his neat hair. Seokjin’s hands are shaking and quivering, yet, he takes the courage to step forward. Immediately, he finds the table where the esteemed Park Chanwook is, reading the menu and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

If Seokjin stanned you and had you as his bias, Park Chanwook is his role model. The man began as film critic and from then on, helped to create masterpieces like ‘Lady Vengeance’, ‘Oldboy’, ‘The Handmaiden’ and ‘The Truth Beneath’. He’s won thousands of awards, Best Director to Daesang, famous in his field and to be several meters away from him, Seokjin feels nauseous.

“H-hello.”

“Oh, you must be Kim Seokjin. Nice to meet you.” The older man motions to the unoccupied chair across from him. “Take a seat.”

The younger man blacks out for a few minutes. He doesn’t remember making small talk or ordering from the waitress but by the time he focuses back in, the director is chuckling and he has his entrée half eaten in front of him. “You’re a very charming individual, Seokjin. I'll give you that much but I think we should start looking at your credentials.”

The director wipes his mouth with the tablecloth napkin, setting aside his unfinished lunch and grabbing his file folder. He has Seokjin’s binder as well, flipping through the perfected portfolio that’s had heart and soul poured into each page. Seokjin holds his breath, knee bouncing underneath the table, watching as the director hums every so often and looks through his resume.

“Alright.” Mr. Park Chanwook closes up the documents, clasping his hands onto the table. “You have a good education and a good personality. You’re likeable and easygoing which is very refreshing to see.”

He blushes, flustered from the amount of praise. Seokjin had graduated from the prestigious Seoul University two years ago with a Film Studies degree; albeit not a popular major, one he was shamed for and one where he finds difficulty finding a job in. After graduating, he worked on honing his camera and writing skills before officially applying and entering the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, he never received any calls back and he had given up on his dream of being a director long ago until he found you.

It was you that reignited the fire within him, you who inspired to chase after his ambitions again.

“But aside from those things-” The older man shakes his head and Seokjin’s heart falls to his stomach. “-you have no other background, no experience, no network, no connections. And because of those things, those crucial things, I don’t think you’re suited for this job.”

The bomb drops upon his shoulders and Mr. Park continues, “perhaps in a few years time but I’m deeply sorry Kim Seokjin, you’re not what we’re looking for.”

There’s a moment of silence.

Seokjin gathers his wits and he breathes out a steady breath. “H-how can I improve?”

How can he receive more experience if no one wants to give him a chance? How is he supposed to build relationships when others won’t even talk to him? How is he supposed to make it if no one helps?

Park Chanwook sits back in his seat, crossing his arms and exhaling an extended stream of air. He seems to contemplate the question deeply before answering. “You’re kind and earnest - that much, I can tell. It’s admirable and something I hope you won’t lose in the future. I have a son your age and you actually remind me a lot of him, so, allow me to be frank with you. I hope you won’t take my criticism to heart.”

“Y-yes…” Seokjin nods, “please go ahead.”

“Not everyone can become great people. If it were that possible and easily obtainable, then everyone would be great. Every single person would be a superstar but in reality, there is one.” He holds up his finger before putting it down again. “Not everyone can achieve greatness. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a family?”

“I do.”

“Good,” he hums. “Take care of them. Take care of your parents and support them, start your own family, settle down. Your dream isn’t just your own. It affects everyone in your life.”

It’s at this second that Seokjin really looks at the man in front of him, the person who seems to have exhaustion permanently etched into his bones, wrinkles in places where there shouldn’t be, tired eyes and sunken in cheekbones. “As someone who’s been in this business for a long time, too much...I know when it’s enough. I know when it’s better if someone were to let go. I want you to make a living, Seokjin, and this isn’t it.”

The man has seen things, lived through hell and came back, turned a blind eye when he shouldn’t have but was forced to. The industry is cut-throat and competitive, full of backstabbers and liars. For the sake of keeping another person sane, he pours out all his honesties.

“The sooner you quit this race that has no finish line, the better your life would be.”

Seokjin sits alone in his chair. The world pulls away from him. He can’t do anything but listen to the heartbeat that pounds in his eardrums. His head downcasts to his lap. And he receives the painful advice as best as he can. “T-thank you.”

//

The darkness came before the light could even fade away.

Seokjin is collapsed in the corner, arm rested on top of his knees, head leaning against the wall, phone pressed against his ear. His portfolio binder, full of photographs and writing, his countless ideas, are abandoned by his side, discarded and dumped. “Come home.”

His father tells him on the other line and his mother’s tearful voice can also be heard. “We’re not sad, son.”

“If you’re worried about disappointing us then don’t be. I’m already happy you’re my son. I don’t need anything else from you. You’ve just been gone for so long.”

“We miss you,” his father intercepts again. “Jjanggu doesn’t even remember you anymore. Your younger brother asks about you a lot. We miss you. Don’t you think you’ve spent enough time in Seoul? Son, just let the dream be a dream. Come home to us.”

He sleeps that night.

When his guilt, his agony, his turmoil has become too much to bear, Kim Seokjin escapes the world of reality to the ones in his dreams, letting his exhaustion release him from his nightmares. But when his mind prevents him from leaving into a deep slumber, his tear-stained pillow tells more stories than his broken voice can manage.

He only finds a sense of solace in your presence. You, who is too nervous and preoccupied with the audition to notice his anguish, too ignorant to realize his suffering. It’s a good thing. He doesn’t want to speak out his bleak future and the prospects of having to desert what he wants most.

“Why are you eating right now?”

Soo-Ae, your manager, is on the phone and she excused herself to the washroom, leaving you with your bodyguard. You’re still chewing on the way to the conference room and Seokjin giggles at your cheek that’s stuffed with chicken. “I gained weight for the role. This is my last chance to gain some more.” You lick your fingers off, using a wet wipe to fix your lipstick and clean up any greasy messes. “Alright, wish me luck!”

He opens the door for you, “good luck!”

At least if he couldn’t achieve his ambitions, if he saw you make it, maybe it’ll be enough for him.

“You should dump him!” You visibly sulk, hands on your hips, bottom lip jutted out. The role was created in order to promote the chicken company that would sponsor the drama. It’s a side character and not of any importance to the plot but as long as you get screen time, you don’t care what kind of things you have to do. “You should eat chicken instead! Don’t you know that chicken can cure all kinds of things like the flu to heartbreak?”

You pause, pretending that you made the main role laugh. “See?! It’s already helping you already! I’m telling you he’s too-”

“Stop! Stop! Stop!” The middle judge of the three rubs his forehead and frowns as if he’s under a massive headache. “Look, to make this go by faster, we need someone with more charm or someone with more fame. It draws in more attention to the drama but you obviously….wha-.....what’s your name again?!”

You scoff openly in disbelief. Your resume is right in front of him and he couldn’t look down to read your name? Meanwhile, Seokjin sits at the back of the room, watching the entire scene play out and he wishes it was part of the audition. Unfortunately, he’s about to witness you get slaughtered.

“I’m going to be clear with you - you’re not talented,” the lady to the left remarks in a cold tone. “You don’t have the skill or the material we want. Your posture is bad, your expressions are stiff, you recite lines like a robot - really, why are you even acting? Is this a joke to you?”

A muscle in your cheek twitches but you keep quiet. “I recommend you reconsider your career choices,” she says and you tremble in a mixture of emotions, all threatening to pour over your head like a bucket of ice water.

You slowly turn off to the last lady at the right, your only hope left remaining. But she seems to be distracted, staring off at the glass windows of the city buildings. They’re prepared to call for the next person and you hold back your tears, bawling up your fist to your side.

“I..I’m still going to act! I’ll make it one day.” You manage without your voice wavering and you look at the producers straight in the eye before bowing from your waist. “Thank you for your constructive criticism. I will work hard in the future to improve my abilities and I’ll come back.”

The man pulls his hands over his face, wondering what he has to say to get the message through your thick skull. “No. Don’t.”

“I will. It’s my dream. Thank you for your concern but it’s my life.”

Seokjin’s heart has stopped. His eyes have grown wide. Something strums within his chest.

“If your words alone could make me give up, then that means I lacked sincerity within my dream and that it meant nothing to me. Thank you and goodbye.”

You hold your head up high, strutting out of the room, leaving the producers rolling their eyes in indignation and shaking their heads at your ignorance. On the other hand, Seokjin trails behind you, watching your backside and wondering how you could be so close but so far away.

He marvels at you. You’re a star shining in the sky, a starlet that he can never reach.

//

If only the image in Seokjin’s head and his high regard for you was true, perhaps, you would be a perfect, immortal angel. Regrettably, you are a very flawed individual.

“I can’t do this anymore.” You ball up the damp tissues in your hand, the tears continuing to cascade down your cheeks. Seokjin is at a loss of what to do, the person he reveres is broken in front of him, mascara running down your cheeks, oversized sweater enveloping your frame.

It was an act.

The entire outburst in front of the producers was a mere facade to save your pride.

You were lying to them, lying to the world, lying to yourself. And now you’re tired. You’re simply exhausted of running in the absolute darkness, chasing after nothing, meaninglessly wasting your days away without an inch of improvement. You can’t do this anymore.

“W-what about all the things you said in there about coming back in the future?”

Seokjin doesn’t understand. You were so cool in front of the producers, level headed and calm. On screen, you’ve been even more amacculate. To see you crying on the floor, huddled up by yourself with the apartment lights off is utterly baffling to his mind.

“It was a fucking lie!” You scream at him, hurling the paper tissue box at his stomach to which he catches. “I’m so tired. Do you know how long I’ve been doing this for? Six years! More than half a goddamn decade! I lost contact with all my friends, my family doesn’t even want to call me, I don’t have food to eat, the hot water doesn’t even work in this stupid place and the only thing I thought I was good at, they told me I suck.”

How is he supposed to comfort you? How is he supposed to make things better? Seokjin doesn’t have any clue.

“You said that if their words were enough to tear you down, that means your dream wasn’t sincere…”

You chuckle mirthlessly, shaking your head and wiping your cheeks with the sleeve of your hoodie. “You don’t understand. T-they’re professionals who’ve been working there longer than I’ve been alive...they know what they’re talking about. They know from first glance who’s good and who’s bad…”

You gasp for a breath of air. “You want to know something?”

Seokjin sits across from you on the floor, gazing at your face soaked in by the moonlight. He always thought you looked the most beautiful in the milky wash, where your beauty wasn’t dissected through harsh artificial lighting and your skin glowed instead. He’s especially transfixed at the way your tear drops twinkle, rolling off your cheeks like sparkling diamonds.

“What is it?”

“I’m good at acting. I fucking know I am.” You bitterly smile to yourself, sniffling the cries away. “It’s true that I was inspired at a young age but it was a stupid dream. “My entire life, I’ve been likeable, pretty, outgoing. It’s easy. It’s easy to act happy.”

You’ve always had a talent for smiling on cue, acting as if everything’s okay, putting on an appearance that you’re put together.

You whisper your words out, each syllable wrapped in an unadulterated pain. “You know, if you start to pretend you’re happy, it might feel like it’s real. For a long time, you’ll believe in it. But in the end, it’s fake. It’s bullshit. I’m not happy - I hate myself - and I live a shitty ass life.”

Seokjin has always put you on a higher pedestal. You are the flawless actress, the beautiful goddess with a shining smile that he could only imagine pinning after. You were the one he daydreamed about, the person out of his league, the individual behind the screen, the black mirror of his computer and phone, the one he glorified and looked up to.

There’s almost a sense of betrayal by the way you’ve broken down in front of him. You’ve been presented so perfectly that witnessing your tears, your bitterness, the human inside of you, it should leave a sour taste on his tongue. He’s been lied to. You’re far from the image you present. You've broken the fourth wall. You’re not the impeccable, happy woman that he thought you were.

No.

Each teardrop that rolls from your eyelashes to your chin, dripping on the floorboard, echoes loudly in the apartment, causing him to wince, shattering his expectations, piercing straight through his soul and slapping him across the face with a simple realization-

You’re no longer merely someone he idolizes.

You are L/N Y/N, a dedicated starlet trying to make it in the cut-throat industry, a girl who was initially crass to him but only as a defense mechanism. You aren’t that far away figure anymore, shining brightly in the sky to which he gazed upon from a distance with admiration.

You are here. You are a human.

He repeats the same words the director gave to him. Only, this time Seokjin twists them around.

“You’re earnest. You work hard. You’re good. I know it. Not everyone can become great people - if it were easy then everyone would be a star. In reality, there’s only one. You’re that one.”

You scoff, stealing another tissue to dab at your eyes. “Yeah right.”

“You are.” He reasserts in a strong voice, timbre shaking the walls of your home. You look up at Seokjin, the boy who’s black cloud of hair nearly pricks into his eyes, his irises that have softened and plush lips downturned in frustration. The white sweater on his frame and black, ripped pants are worn but still firm on his body. “You just have to keep going in order to make it and never stop. Your dreams are your own and you shouldn’t put blame onto other people or make excuses because of them. If they care about you, they’ll understand. It might be difficult but I’m here. I’m here for you.”

“The race doesn’t have a finish line but the point of it isn’t to finish. It’s the process of running.”

You laugh aloud, a ringing and familiar tone that has him easing. You wipe your eyes again but there’s no point, not when more are accumulating by the second. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t give up.”

It’s not only to you but for himself as well.

“Don’t be naive,” you mutter past the thick lump in your throat, too stubborn to hear his sweet encouragement. As much as you want to listen to him, step back up again, you don’t want to be disappointed again and again. For your entire existence, you’ve been let down over and over again. There’s only so much you can bear by yourself.

“You make it sound so easy. It’s not. You don’t understand-”

“Maybe I don't.” He retorts back in a sharper tone. “But I know this is just the beginning. If you can become so easily knocked down from a few words and rejections, then maybe you do lack sincerity within your dream.” Seokjin traces the same words you used earlier and you tear your eyes away from him.

“Y/N. If you can overcome these struggles, you’ll rise higher and higher. And you don’t need to do it alone. So...don’t give up. The most beautiful days haven’t even begun yet.”

You burst out crying, grabbing the entire tissue box to weep on. He smiles down at you, wiping away his eyes and Seokjin finds that he doesn’t care that you’re not as perfect as he remembered. You’re no longer the actress he loves.

You’re Y/N. And somehow, that’s a million times better.

//

Seokjin opens up his laptop, clicking a few times before a blank document is on his screen. He inhales a huge breath of air, fingers hovering over the keyboard and after a moment of mustering courage, he begins to write the first few lines of a new script.

Lights. Camera. Action.

[denimwrites-archive]

Life of the Movie Party

Prompt: Writing prompts #13: “Um, it’s not exactly a party … but you can come anyway, if you want.”

Fandom: Be More Chill

Pairing: Jeremy Heere X Reader

Summary: You hear your friends Michael and Jeremy making plans with lots of snacks and you can’t help but be curious. Good thing Jeremy just happens to have a giant crush on you and Michael is an awesome wingman.

Word Count: 3,035

Warnings: Some language? Mr. Heere in his bathrobe? Nothing really.

A/N: This takes place like pre-squip? I mentioned a few different movies, I tried to stick to the classics that most people have seen or heard of, but I don’t go into detail about them, so it’s fine if you haven’t seen them (definitely recommend them though). I don’t really know how this turned out, it’s my first time writing for Jeremy, so feedback would be appreciated! Thanks!

~~~

The day had actually got off to a pretty good start. You had enough time to eat breakfast that morning, and finished all of your homework last night, so you got to relax during your free period. It was probably the best day at school you’ve had for a while, and the fact that you had Friday off because of some teacher work day thing made the week even better. Especially since it was Thursday.

As you got your lunch and made your way to the table your two friends, Michael and Jeremy, were sitting at, you saw them talking excitedly about something. Setting down your tray and taking a seat across from the pair you tune into the conversation and hear a list of food.

“Chips, salsa, onion dip, and guac. Can’t forget guac. Um... “ Michael lists, counting on his fingers. “I can bring Takis, and some ice cream. Maybe some M&Ms. And definitely some slushies.”

“Damn, sounds like you guys are in for a night. Is Jeremy Heere hosting a party?” you tease, taking a bite of your lunch. Jeremy’s cheeks darken slightly and he starts to say something before closing his mouth and clearing his throat and starting again.

“Um, it’s not exactly a party … but you can come anyway, if you want.” He nervously rubs the back of his neck and Michael fails to hide a smirk.

“Alright, when should I bring brownies and cookies?” you ask, leaning forward onto your arms.

Jeremy starts to say something, but Michael cuts him off with a knowing look. “Be at his house,” he says gesturing towards Jerm, “sometime Friday before 1.”

“And what are we doing?”

“Movie Marathon. Make sure to bring a couple of your favorites, but they have to be sci-fi. We have to stick to the theme.” Michael said, taking a sip of his milk. You nod and Jeremy bites his lip, staring attentively at his lunch.

Michael talks about some of the movies he’s bringing and that seems to bring Jeremy back to the present. He interjects into the conversation and you brainstorm some of the movies you could bring. Listing off a few of your favorites, they all seem to be acceptable to the pair and so you move back to the food you can bring.

“Well I was going to drop Jerm off to go grocery shopping after school so he can pick up supplies. He’s the host after all.”

“Do you think I could go with you? To the grocery store? I need to pick up some supplies if I’m going to be baking tonight.”

“Yeah, it’s no problem,” Michael says, when Jeremy’s eyes widen. Kicking him under the table, “I’m sure he would be glad to have the company. I know how much you hate shopping alone, right Jer?” he asks with a pointed look.

“Y-yeah, I-I mean… I’m sure it’ll go by faster with company,” Jeremy splutters out before taking a big bite of his food. You nod and plan to meet the boys at the PT Cruiser after school. Then lunch is over and you’re off to your next class, mind full of thoughts of which recipe to get ingredients for.

The end of the day finally comes and you race to the Cruiser, list of needed ingredients in hand. You greet the boys before hopping in the backseat. The ride is mostly silent except for the Oasis playing through Michael’s speakers. You bob around to the beat and sing along with the two when “Wonderwall” starts playing.

Dropping you and Jerm off in front of the grocery store, he says he can come pick you back up in an hour to take you home. When you ask if he just wants to come in and help, he’s adamant that he would be of no help and pulls away before you can respond. After a quick wave, you turn to Jeremy and gesture to the front door.

“Shall we?” you ask. He gives a stiff nod and you grab a grocery cart, pushing it into the store. Walking past the produce you first head to the baking aisle. He trails behind you as you grab some of the things you need before turning to him. “What do you need? Everything else I want to grab is cold and should be left for last. So, you’re turn?” you say, stepping back from the cart allowing him to push.

He just nods again and starts pushing the cart, heading towards the cracker and chip aisle. Picking up some Ritz crackers and some Teddy Grahams. You also head down the candy aisle to grab some sweets. There isn’t much conversation as you make your way down the aisles, but it feels like Jeremy starts to relax more the longer you spend together. Soda is also grabbed before you finally head towards the cold section, where you split up and head to opposite sides.

You grab some milk while Jerm looks at cheese, and you put it in the cart before getting some eggs and cream cheese. You’re contemplating grabbing some whipped cream when Jeremy pushes the cart up behind you. Glancing at him, you can’t help but notice how sweet he looks just pushing a grocery cart, buying groceries. So domestic. Shaking those thoughts out of your head, you decide to get the whipped cream, and toss it in.

“That’s everything I need. Are you good?” he asks, looking between you and the cart. You nod and you make your way to the checkout. Deciding on self-checkout so you can split up the things you bought, you have a little bit of a hard time with the automated process, but Jerm helps you and you feel your cheeks heat up when his hand brushes yours a few times.

It didn’t help that one little old lady who decided to use the self checkout next to you complimented you two. “Aw, you make such a sweet couple!” she crooned, unpacking her groceries onto the shelf. You and Jeremy’s faces heated up and you just grabbed your bags and left with mumbled thanks.

You walk out of the store, groceries in hand just as Michael pulls up. He has a smug smile on his face and you give him a skeptical look as you put your groceries in the trunk and in the backseat. Climbing in, Weezer is now coming through the speakers as he drives you home.

Dropping you off with a wave and a reminder to be at Jeremy’s at one, you head inside your house and get to work baking. You make the brownies first, and then move on to cookies. You decide to make a few different kinds, just for some variety. Soon sugar and chocolate chip cookies lined your counter and you knew you would have enough for three teenagers.

You let them cool off while you made the frosting. Then you decorated the sugar cookies with the sweet topping and some sprinkles just for show. Carefully packing them up in a few containers you went to bed, excited for your date tomorrow. It’s not a date, stop thinking about it like that right now before you embarrass yourself. Technically it was a date on the calendar though, so you just told your brain to shut up.

Sleeping in the next morning, you get up when the birds just won’t shut up outside your window. Taking a shower to wake yourself up, you feel refreshed and ready for a lazy day of nothing but badass space and cool foreign creatures. You decide to grab Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, along with a few other ones that weren’t as popular but just as good.

Ensuring you have everything you need, movies, food, blankets and a pillow, you make the trek to Jeremy’s house. Arriving a few minutes before one, you knock on the door and are soon met with Mr. Heere in his signature bathrobe.

“Oh! (Y/N)! I didn’t know you were coming to movie day,” he adjusted his robe, “The boys are in the basement, so feel free to head down.” But then he noticed the baked goods in your arms. “I can stick some of those in the kitchen if you want, I’m sure you guys will want to save some of them for later.” He grabs one of the containers from you and ushers you in, pointing towards the basement stairs before hurrying off to do whatever it is he does.

Shaking your head, you heave out a sigh before heading down. As you descend the stairs you hear Michael and Jeremy talking. “Hello?” you call out, announcing yourself. The conversation ceases, and then Jeremy enters your line of sight, a smile lighting up his face.

“Hey,” he calls, grabbing some of the containers from you, setting them off with the other snacks. Michael comes over and inspects the movies you brought and nods at your selections. Jeremy comes and looks and his smile grows. “Nice choices, now we just have to vote for which one we want first.”

He shows you the pile that he and Michael had created and you each pick your favorite out of the pile, then drew straws for whose pick would be watched first. Michael’s pick was first, and you all settled in to watch Jurassic Park. Snacking on cheese and crackers and some of the cookies you brought, you watched as the T. Rex proved it was the king of beasts.

You all made comments throughout the movie, pointing out certain stupid tropes, complementing the special effects, and mimicking characters. Who would have thought that the best way to start a discussion about Jurassic Park would be to call it ‘next level zookeeping’ leading to the google search of the definition of ‘zookeeper’ and devolving from there into speculation of what science was really capable of. To put it mildly, you discussed this long after the credits.

After the first movie, and the following discussion, you took a bathroom and stretch break. You also tried to get your watching positions perfect by moving all of the cushions into one pile. Jeremy’s pick was next and he chose Lost in Space which was an ultimate classic. It was during that movie that you dug into the Takis Michael brought, and the guacamole for the chips.

The discussion after that movie was a little more frightening due to the fact that space travel was becoming an ever more present possibility. Especially with the 2020 mission to Mars being planned and Elon Musk’s ever growing repertoire of space vehicles and other technology. Then it devolved into the argument of alien life, which got a little hairy.

By the time the debate ended it was early evening. Letting out a yawn, you stretched and took another short break. Then it was time for your pick. Grabbing your choice, you stick it in the DVD player and settle in. About halfway through the movie, Mr. Heere comes down to check on you and see what you guys want for dinner. Pizza is the consensus and he leaves to go place the order, but not before complimenting you on your baking skills.

The movie starts again, and the pizza arrives right before the big climactic scene near the end of the film. Munching away as the movie reaches its peak action, you realize that this is probably the best marathon you’ve had, and it was definitely due to the company and the riveting, albeit silly, analysis.

When the movie was finally over, Michael had to head home. Saying goodbye, he left the basement. Turning to Jeremy you ask, “What movie do you want to watch now?” He splutters a little bit while sifting through the pile, unsure of what to choose. Finally he settles on Serenity, the movie that supposedly tied up the Firefly series. Nodding in agreement, he puts it in and you settle in once more.

As the movie plays, you feel your eyes start to get heavier and heavier, your full stomach and comfortableness acting against you. As you doze off, you feel a source of heat wrap around you and you can’t help but try to get closer to it, snuggling into the cozy being.

When you hear a loud noise, you’re startled awake. Blinking in confusion at your surroundings, you remember that you were at Jeremy’s house. You feel something tug on your waist and you realize that Jeremy’s arm is wrapped around you. Feeling your cheeks heat up, you try to get out of his grip, but find that he only pulls you closer with each failed attempt.

Letting out a sigh you know that you’ll have to wake him up if you want to move, but Jeremy just looks too peaceful to disturb. So you just return to your previous position and try to rest again. It’s easier than you thought it would be, and soon enough find yourself asleep again.

The next time you wake up, you can’t help the groan in protest that escapes you. You have no idea what time it is, but you assume it’s early with how groggy you feel. But you are soon wide awake when you feel the arm still around your waist. Turning to Jeremy it only causes him to pull you closer, nose burying into your neck.

You can’t help the squeak that escapes you, freezing at the contact. Jerm doesn’t seem to stir at the sound that released from you, and you breathe a sigh of relief. You try to relax back into his arms, but find it almost impossible with the nerves that slowly start to take over. You feel yourself stiffen even further, but Jeremy seems to subconsciously notice this and rubs at your waist in a soothing motion.

This calms you some and your eyes soon feel heavy again. Finding yourself snuggling back into Jeremy you fall asleep in his arms for the second time. That rest doesn’t last for long however, when you hear him groan in your ear what seems to be only a few minutes later. He wipes at his bleary eyes and is snapped back to reality when he realizes what position he’s in. Starting to shift nervously, you’re jostled awake with a small whine. Jerm freezes as you start to get up, but after you move away slightly, he rushes up saying something about breakfast, then he’s gone up the basement steps.

You let out a yawn and stretch your muscles before checking your phone. You have a text from your parents saying that Mr. Heere called and said you had passed out during the marathon and that you were welcome to stay the night. ‘Just a little check-in text in the morning when you get up please’ was all it meant, and you complied with a simple ‘Good morning’.

Yawning once more, you make your way up the stairs and head to Jeremy’s kitchen where he seems to be making pancakes, toast, and bacon. Giving him a tired smile, you take a seat at his kitchen table, resting your head in your hands as you wait. The smell of the food is driving you crazy, and your stomach seems to voice your thoughts to your dismay. Jeremy gives a small chuckle and you feel your cheeks heat up.

“It’s almost done. Do you want some juice or milk or anything?” You nod and he grabs you a glass as you poke around his fridge for some beverage. You gesture if he wants anything and grabs the juice you hand him, pouring some for himself. He hands you a plate before grabbing his own and sitting next to you at the table.

You eat in relative silence, and you actually get up for seconds which makes Jeremy smile. When you’re both done, you sit and finish your drinks and start to talk about some of the movies you watched and expanded on some of the theories and debates you had last night. Soon you’re laughing and joking and it’s just really peaceful. That is, until Mr. Heere enters the kitchen in only his robe again.

Jeremy’s cheeks burn as he tries to motion his dad out of the room, but as you glance at the time you realize that you should probably head home. When you bring this up to Jerm he seems somewhat happy, but also disappointed. He goes with you to the basement and helps you pack up the stuff you brought before walking you to the door. “Thanks for inviting me to movie day,” you say with a smile as you step outside, “I’ll text you later!” But as you’re about to walk down his front steps he calls out to you.

“Hey, uh, (Y/N)? Would you maybe, I don’t know, want to catch another movie with me on Sunday? Like, at the theater?” He starts rubbing at his neck nervously. After a brief pause he starts, “Y’know, forg--”

But you cut him off with an excited, “I’d love to! Um, swing by my house at 7? We can see that new one you’ve been excited about.” He seems shocked but still nods his head. Nodding in return you continue on your way down the path with a call over your shoulder of, “See you then Jeremy!” And then you were gone.

Jeremy shakes his head to himself. I can’t believe I actually did it. I asked (Y/N) on a date. Hell yeah! I can’t wait to tell Michael! Then he’s rushing to the phone to talk to his friend. Michael likes to say that he was the reason you two got together, and he’s partially right, but in the end it was really the movies that were the catalyst since you shared your first kiss in the movie theater that weekend.

Movie dates became a staple of your relationship after that, Jerm holding you in his arms as you watched. Snuggling and cuddling was also a fundamental part of that, so it just seemed right to curl up on the couch and just exist together for awhile. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tag List:   @helplesshansen 

[fantasticworksandwheretofindthem]

Baby Troubles

Summary: [Name] seeks out advice from Tom without giving him all the details of the problem.

Notes: mentions of abortion, slight smut, assumed masterbation

Prompt: “Does he know about the baby?”

It was a nice Saturday morning. The sun was smiling down on all the blooming flowers, and the birds were singing their happy little songs. Dogs were barking cheerfully, and cats were napping peacefully as always.

Wrong. All of that was so wrong. This was Georgia we’re talking about, for Christ’s sake. The sun was blazing hot, almost as if he found satisfaction in ruining people’s makeup and hair with the sweat and humidity. Nature’s songs were just a less violent way for male birds to tell other males, “Back off, this bitch is mine.” The dogs in the neighborhood were barking, just not cheerfully. They were either chasing the cars that passed by every few seconds on their way to work, scratching the front door and whining to be let in, or they were growling at the cats who were supposed to be sleeping.

Of course, this was the norm for you. You were used to Southern life. You were raised here [ignore this if you’d rather not prefer this] and you’d worked here for God knows how long. This was a typical Saturday, you thought as you hopped in your car and drove to Starbucks. You ordered the usual for yourself and Alaysia. After paying, you resumed your journey and stopped by the dollar store, picking up every flavor of Ben & Jerry’s in stock, double-stuffed Oreos, and a ton of sour candies.

“Tough breakup?” the cashier asked with an apologetic smile as you went to checkout.

You smiled sadly at the college-looking brunette. “My best friend’s having a tough time. Neither of them wanted it.”

She nodded sympathetically. “I figured it was somethin’ like that, since you’re the one buyin’ everything. Last serious breakup I had, I refused to leave my bed for a month.”

“Sounds about like my best friend.” You paid and grabbed the bag.

“I hope she feels better soon.”

“Thank you.” It was instances like this that kept your faith in humanity intact.

You continued on your way to Alaysia’s house. You two had a whole comfort day planned. She and Harrison had just broken up about two weeks ago, so the day was going to be filled with junk food, sappy movies, and soppy, tear-soaked cuddles. You would’ve scheduled this day earlier, but she had shut herself away from everything, even working from home after she talked herself out of taking more sick days.

“Honey, I’m home!” you called after you expertly opened the door while holding the drinks between your arm and waist while the Dollar General bag rested on your forearm.

Suzie, your best friend’s fourteen-year-old mutt, waddled her way to the living room as quickly as she could to greet you. Judging by the loud thud prior to her entrance and the way she was limping, you assumed the near-blind dog had fallen off the bed in her excited stupor and rushed attempt to see you.

“Hi, sweetie.” You bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before she licked your cheek (to which you grimaced in disgust) and led you to your best friend’s room.

“Alaysia?” you called, setting the drinks on the nightstand and the bag on the bed when you didn’t see your best friend. “Where are you?”

You heard sobs and sniffles coming from the bathroom, so you made your way there. To say you were shocked at the scene would be an understatement. There were about four or five pregnancy tests lying on the wooden floor all around Alaysia, and she had another in her hand, just staring at it as she bawled. You stood, frozen as if you had looked into Medusa’s eyes, until your body kicked into Best Friend Mode, where you tore your feet from the ground and hurried to her, dropping down beside her. You pulled her into a hug, rubbing her shoulder and arm while she soaked the front of your (Tom’s) T-shirt with salty tears and snot. Any other time, you would have asked her to explain what happened, but in this case, it was pretty obvious. While you didn’t know all of the details, you had taken Sex Ed in school.

After what felt like a decade, which was really probably a half hour, Alaysia seemed to not have any more tears left in her (for now). She pulled away, wiping away her tears.

“I’m pregnant,” she whispered. Your smartass self wanted to say that Trump had also won the presidential election, but you figured it would be best to bite it back.

Instead, you opted out for, “When did you realize?”

“My lady week was late,” she said quietly, almost as in a daze, like she couldn’t believe this was happening. In all honesty, she probably couldn’t. “And not by just a few days, but a whole week. So I got worried, and I got Blythe to buy me a few. The first one was positive, but then the second was negative, so she bought some more.”

“Wait, where is she now?” You hadn’t remembered seeing her little, green Bug in the driveway.

“She went to her house to get her I Love Lucy collection.”

Alaysia loved I Love Lucy. It was always nice to know that when you weren’t here for your best friend, her older sister was.

“Does he know about the baby?” You asked tentatively.

“Harrison?” she sniffled and wiped her nose with the long sleeve of her Marvel shirt, which you recognized now was Harrison’s. “No. You and Blythe are the only ones I’ve told.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know!” Alaysia exclaimed, suddenly very snappy. Wow, these mood swings were coming quickly. “It’s not like I have many options. I’m not gonna sentence this poor, innocent thing to a horrible life of bouncing around in the foster care system because no one deserves that, but I can’t give up Ireland! I can’t stay here, I won’t. This is a huge deal for me!”

Alaysia had pretty much had her life planned out since she was sixteen. Having a kid before marriage and right as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came up for her was not anywhere in the agenda.

“You could always –”

“If you say abortion, I swear to freakin’ Athena, [Name]! I may be pregnant, but I am not afraid to kick your ass!”

You held your hands up in defense. “I wasn’t going to say that, I swear!”Alaysia was very pro-choice, but you knew abortion would never be a choice she herself would make. She’d rather die than kill a baby who hadn’t even gotten a chance to prove itself yet.

“Oh,” your best friend said, her anger visibly seeping away. “What were you gonna say?”

“You could have the baby and let Harrison raise it,” you said quietly.

“I can’t dump this much responsibility on him,” she pouted. You suppressed a sigh. She was making this so much more difficult. “This is a baby. It’s a whole lifetime.”

“Okay, well, let’s take a breather,” you suggested. “When are you gonna tell people?”

She shrugged. “I was kinda hoping I could keep this to myself until I know exactly what to do.”

You suppressed another sigh. You heard the door open and close, followed by Suzie’s slow, heavy feet hitting the floor. “Well, let’s watch I Love Lucy and get fat on ice cream and candy.”

–

It had been a week since you had gone over to Alaysia’s house. She had still not told anyone else, and she and Harrison were still in their own heartbroken stupors. No one had caught on to her secret yet, dismissing her increasing mood swings as a result of the breakup and stress of leaving the place she’d always known to live in a foreign place that she’d never even visited.

Tom was home for the weekend. Monday he’d have to leave and continue the promotional tours for the new Marvel movies. You were currently curled up on the couch, reading Simon vs. the Homosapien’s Agenda when he crawled over to you, peppering your stomach with soft, lingering kisses. His lips began to trail up to your collarbone, but you pushed him away.

Pouting, he pulled away and sat back on his legs. “What’s wrong, love?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Eggsy.” You peered over your book at him, giving him a forced smile. Truthfully, you weren’t even paying attention to the words on the page. You were just so stressed about Alaysia that your mind would literally not let you think about anything else. It had been the main reason you’d buried yourself at work and hadn’t left the office until after ten at night. (That, and because you missed Tom and didn’t like to stay at your shared home alone any more than you had to.)

“That’s a lie, and you and I both know it.” Tom plucked the book from your hands, dog-earing the page he suspected you were on (which he was wrong; he folded the left one when you were on the right one) before tossing it on the coffee table and looking back down at you. “Ever since I got in Friday, you’ve barely said two sentences to me, and have given me even less physical action. So either you’re cheating on me, you want to break up and don’t want to tell me, or something else entirely is stressing you out.”

“Cheating and breaking up are, like, the top of the list of things that I never wanna do.” You tugged on his sweatpants to pull him downwards, pressing your lips to his to assure him. Part of your plan was to distract him so he wouldn’t keep asking you questions about what was bothering you. So far, your plan was working as Tom had now removed his lips from yours and was attacking your neck with his tongue and teeth. He began tugging down your plaid pajama shorts when suddenly he stopped and pulled away.

You stuck your bottom lip out in a pout and whined, trying to pull Tom back, but he stayed sitting up, seemingly regretfully and with all the strength he could muster. “No. Tell me what’s wrong.”

You sighed and pushed yourself up into a sitting position, crossing your legs applesauce style. Part of you hated Tom for not letting the two of you get started, but the rest of you loved him for wanting to get through the problem first.

“I need some advice,” you said, trying to think about how to word this dilemma. “This girl I know.. She and her boyfriend got a little careless, and she got pregnant.”

“Am I allowed to ask who the girl is?” Tom asked, to which you shook your head. “Worth a shot. Alright, continue.”

“Well, she doesn’t want the baby, but she refuses to put it up for adoption, and it would kill her if she had an abortion.” You bit your lip, fiddling with the strings of your shorts.

“Has she told her boyfriend?” Tom asked. When you shook your head, he asked why.

“She found out after they broke up.” Tom made an ‘Oh’ sound, and you nodded your head, your lips pressed together tightly. “And she doesn’t wanna put all the responsibility of the baby on the guy because she thinks it wouldn’t be fair.”

“Well, yeah, it wouldn’t,” Tom said.

“So what should she do?” The more you left out names, the more you were worried Tom would think you were talking about yourself.

“You said they’re broken up, right? As of right now, they’re no longer together?” You got the feeling your worries had some truth behind them based on Tom’s questions and slightly panicked expression.

“Yes, they’re already broken up,” you repeated. “They’ve been broken up for a while now.”

“The first thing she needs to do is tell the guy,” Tom answered, visibly more relaxed than before. “Then they both need to talk with both of their families, instead of stressing out my poor love bug.”

Tom ‘booped’ your nose, and you giggled. “Thank you.”

“Now let’s say you and me practice havin’ a baby of our own, eh?” He cocked a smirk and leaned in to finish what you two had started earlier, but you quickly shut that down.

“Later, babe, I promise,” you said as you pecked his cheek and hopped off the couch like a box spring. “I have to go give your awesome advice to someone who desperately needs it.”

And with that, Tom was left all by his lonesome, with only himself to take care of his needs. ;)

[sugarfreeslushies-blog]

Starbucks is a synonym for “Wingman” { Jeremy Heere X Reader }

Sometimes it's the most effective method to meet your crush for some basic coffee at Starbucks. 

(Wordcount ; 1,716 - I uploaded this on my AO3 Account as well)

Impaitently I wait at the entrance of the mall. { Y/N } was supposed to be here five minutes ago, did they just ask me to grab Starbucks with them as a joke? No, I tell myself. { Y/N } really wouldn't ghost me, they went out with worse than me. (It's rude to think things like these, but it's true) They aren't like that, I can trust them because besides Michael, they are one of my only friends and I've known them since elementary school. "Jem-Jam!", they call, immediately a low and embarassed groan rolls over my lips. I roll my eyes. 'Why, just why', I ask myself. After all these years they did not dismiss that nickname.

I turn my head and see their familiar face; their familiar hair colour. Seeing them flashes a vivid mental image of them in elementary school. Third grade, first day after summer, they standing infront of our class. Painfully, I automatically remind myself of the foolish crush I had on them. They always looked amazing, their personality was radiating, while I was just the chubby, awkward kid. My admiration for them never went away. I wonder why they still stick with a loser like me, they never had a phase where they resented either me or Michael until now, even when they were asked by the popular kids to hang out quite a few times. They finally approach, get infront of me and want to embrace me in a hug. I return the gesture and feel their chest against mine, their hair tickling my bare jaw. I feel incredibly comfortable having them this close to me. I assure myself, it's platonic. Absolutely platonic, they wouldn't be after me anyway. They have plenty of options and if I am honest, I might be ones of the second choices.

While having { Y/N } in my arms, I briefly remember how they used to be taller than me; until I overshot them by a couple proud inches in Middle School. Michael would sometimes tease them for that by telling them to get the furthest up item in the grochery store or purposely pick the biggest size of sweatshirts for them so they'd look sunken in. I only smile at that mental picture as we make our way to our destination, Starbucks. { Y/N } gets out their phone, I see them open their messenger, most likely to supply me with the newest gossip from Jenna Rolan, she actually talks to them. Then again, Jenna is usually out to find someone to just dump her gossip onto, not to demean them in any way, but that is how Rolan rolls. I mentally slap myself for that pun. "So Jer-Jam", they begin as we approach the Coffee Shop. Their eyes twinkle with mirth and I wonder what they will be telling me.

"Did you know that Mrs. Jackson and Mr. Reyes are supposedly a thing?", they began to gossip and slid their phone in the pocket of their jacket. "Really?", I inquire as we get in the queue. "Yep, Jenna said that Olivia Hansen saw them getting at it in the Janitor's closet", their voice gets lower the more details they spill. "I call bullshit, though." I nod in agreement, "Olivia is known to spread fake news like wildfire. Probably just saw two students if anything." Then they clearly dip into sarcasm, "Oh Jeremy", they say, clutching their chest a little fake dramatically and sighing in exasperation, "You are seriously the best guy to gossip with." What I don't notice is their gaze drifting off into an affectionate one. I turn away before that.

Shaking my head and snorting a little, I take a glance at the menu. I go for a basic Java Chocolate Chip Frappucchino. Nobody ever went wrong with Chocolate, not that I am often at Starbucks, but I only hear that this is supposed to taste good, so I go with that. { Y/N } heckles besides me. I raise an eyebrow, as they begin to talk. "I bet you're gonna go for the most white girl drink ever, Java Chocolate Chip Frap, am I right?" They mock me. I know they aren't truthful, I honestly live for our playful roasting sessions though. "Better make work for the Baristas easier than list all the extras you prefer, { Y/N }", I shoot back sassily.

After ordering, giving our names (obviously giving names that are hilariously difficult to spell, the barista gave us a "are-you-two-seriously-fucking-with-me-like-that-right-now" stare), we pay for our beverages and I sneak a glance at them while waiting for our Frappucchinos to be prepared. While I am not the guy to dig people only for their appearance, I have to admit that { Y/N } does have a nice body. My eyes scan them from head to toe and I note, they like to dress so they empathise only the best about them. It was no miracle that Jake Dillinger once pined after them and went to School Dance in Sophomore Year with them, making me pretty envious of Jake, because in the end, I had to friend-date Michael, not that I minded, but he had been of the view that { Y/N } and I would have been a good match.

Soon after paying and adjusting our drinks at the counter, we sit down a little further away from all the shoppaholics ad sip on our drinks. The mall is huge and lucky for us, there is a calm niche near a Subway. Nobody ever goes here and usually, Michael goes here to pick up some Mary Jane, but only on Mondays. "I don't get why Starbucks is so praised", I confess, stabbing with my straw in the icy coffee/milk/whipped cream mixture. Meanwhile { Y/N } takes a sip and moans lowly. It feels like a flash zaps through my body. That sounded dangerously sexual to me. A deep breath rolls out of my mouth, I take another sip and continue my confession, "I mean, you can get all the ingredients at the grochery store and you can surely prepare it at home as well." "I like it", they reply, straw between their teeth as they suck more of their sugary drink. "Sure, it's hella overpriced, but it's good and making that-" They raise the cup a little before resuming to their argument. "-at home, dunno, would just take the, y'know, Starbucksness away about it." A chuckle errupts from the back of my throat, { Y/N } can be so cute.

"Did you say something, Jer-Jam?", they ask. 'Fuck', I think fearfully to myself. Did I just say that aloud? I feel my face slightly heat up. In my head I pray they didn't understand what I just said. Their familiar { EYECOLOUR } eyes glance up at me through their lashes while they are a little hunched over. I'm usually not that poetic, but hell, I could get lost in them every, damn, day. I feel weird admitting it, but I win every staring contest against them, because I just space out looking into their eyes. So, my heart nearly stops. I scold myself for why I am thinking this way about one of my best friends. They. Are. Not. After. Me. Get that in your head, Jeremiah Heere.

Finally, they lean back up, they took off the lid of their drink and now some some whipped cream was sticking to their upper lip. "{ Y/N }", I say, reaching for one of the napkins we took, "You got some on your li-" I don't get any further as they playfully wink at me and let their tounge run along their upper lip. I feel a warmth pool in my lower body and my drink kind of slips out of my hand, I drop it and it spills all over my pants. "Fucking Hell!", I curse loudly while they errupt into laughter, before they hand me the napkins to somehow rub my pants dry. Which is an awkward task.

Due to the fact that I deem rubbing my pants dry, slightly inappropriate in the middle of a mall, I go with patting them dry and { Y/N }'s idea of quickly popping in at H&M to buy a new pair. It's not ideal as I seriously didn't want to spend more money today than on sugary coffee. (Sugary coffee, that is coating my pants) With my friend's help we quickly picked out three pants for me to try on and now I'm standing here in the dressing room of H&M. I eye myself critically. It fits, however I need { Y/N}'s input on it. "How's it look?", they call from the outside, "Can I come in?" I accept.

Their { EYECOLOUR } eyes roam over me and I swear I saw a hint of need in them. "Suits you", they comment and then look up to face me. A moment of silence wages between us until they lean in and give me a chaste kiss on the cheek. My jaw hangs open. "W-Wha-", I begin to stutter as I feel my face become dangerously hot. "Apology, for ruining your old pants." I feel my heart pound as I wordlessly stare at them, they stare back. I don't know if we both are thinking the same thing right now, however, almost as if we are mirroring each other, we both lean in and our lips meet somewhere inbetween again.

A low groan runs over my lips as they push me against the fullbody mirror at the wall and push aside the stool. The noise irritates me for a moment, but I quickly dismiss it, I'm making out with my longterm crush in a goddamn H&M changing room.

~ extra ~

"Those hickeys weren't necessary", I mumble as we approach the checkout with two pants on hand. { Y/N } smugly waltzes next to me, with the knowledge that everyone can see the hickeys they made at my neck. (I consented to them, of course, it's just really embarassing since they are so visible, I also somehow regret I didn't do any at their neck) The lady at the checkout just eyes us and shakes her head, I still worry but { Y/N } interwinds their fingers with mine, while I pay. I feel slightly better.