#once i had to scroll - no kidding - a full three minutes. i was about half way through the post. i quit. i was so fucking annoyed

[uncanny-tranny]

The whole "sex is gender" crowd really gets to me because there is a fundamental lack of understanding what sex is in people.

Sex is not just primary sex characteristics, and I question why it is seen as such. Do you really demand to see if somebody has the primary sex which you deem "appropriate" every time you need to gender somebody? No, most often you will look for markers in a person's secondary sex characteristics (that is if you assume people's gender, or don't ask).

If sex is gender, then I can tick off the boxes where I fit the "male" marker (which will almost completely male). But, at the end of the day, it isn't about the idea that sex matters (well, primary sex characteristics, anyway). This argument is using scientific wordage in order to weasel out of respecting trans people.

[nanaslutt]

hello, i hope youre good !

may you please write one day about y/n sending hot pics for satoru ?

sorry if I spoke something wrong, english isnt my first language :] take ur time and have a good day ! 💞

Your english is perfect ml, please enjoy! <3

Contains: fem reader, established relationship, sending nudes, phone sex, mutual masturbation, he talks you through it, praise, DIRTY TALK

MDNI

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ

"I don't know Shoko.. I've never sent him anything like this before." You groaned into your pillow, your voice through the phone coming out muffled on her end. "But you want to right?" She pushed, making you raise your head up from the sheets and sigh, "I doooo." You huffed out begrudgingly. "Great! Problem solved, the pictures you sent me were hot, but not too revealing, so you can send him something like that for starters." She replied, making you blush at her compliment.

You had recently bought a new set when you went out with Shoko for a girl's day. You had practically ripped the bag in half when you got home so you could get it on your body faster. Once you had on the garment you were posing left and right, making sure to take some sensual pictures for yourself later. Your boyfriend; Satoru; had texted you in the midst of your shenanigans, telling you how he was on his lunch break, making an idea pop into your head.

You wanted to show your man how good you looked, but thinking about sending Satoru; or anyone for that matter; nudes? That made you a little nervous. You quickly dialed up Shoko, she always knew just what to say, she was your hypewoman after all. After a quick convo she had successsfully pushed you in the direction you truly wanted; that being sending your boyfriend risque pictures while he was at work.

"Let me know how it goes, see ya." Shoko's voice echoed through the phone speaker before the tone indicating the call had ended rang through the room. You took a deep breath and rotated yourself on your bed, flopping your back against the pillows, still dressed in the pretty set, while you scrolled through the pictures you had taken-- trying to pick your favorites.

You settled on three for starters, it was an easy pick, only taking you a couple minutes to assess the best ones for Satoru. The first one you were on your side, body laid across the floor sensually as your arm rested on your hip, giving the viewer's eyes full access to your body. In the second picture, you were on your knees, you had placed your phone on the ground and set it to a timer so you could lean forward, making your thighs crease at the top, as you used to squeeze your breasts together.

The last photo was your favorite. You were sat on the floor, your legs folded and spread, the sheerness of the panties leaving little to the imagination in the lighting, while your hand once again rested against your tit, pushing and groping it in your hand while the other took a picture in the mirror, your phone covering most of you face save for a sliver of a smile that peeked out the side of the phone.

Your heart was racing, you knew Satoru would like the pictures, and you're pretty sure he would find you attractive in a trash bag, but you digressed, opening the chat to your lover.

Satoru <3: finally on lunch, yaga brought donuts today!

The picture attached was of the white-haired man laying back in his chair as he held his shirt up over his stomach to reveal his somehow still toned, but bloated tummy, an empty donut box in the background. Something told you that the donuts might've been for the kids, but Yaga should've known that bringing sweets around Satoru without anything for him was a recipe for disaster.

You laughed to yourself as you shook your head before responding. The two of you bantered back and forth about the subject for a while before he asked you what you were up to right now, which gave you the perfect excuse to send him the pictures. After sending an ominous 'you wanna see?' text, you clicked on the three gold medal winning pictures and sent them his way. You bit your lip between your teeth as you watched the blue bar at the top of the screen slowly slide across it, indicating it was sending.

Seconds before the pictures had been successfully sent, Satoru had started typing back his own response, which made you nervous because it meant he was in the chat and would see the photos sooner. Which is what you wanted, yes, but it didn't make it any less nerve-wracking.

When the little ‘delivered’ popped up underneath your pictures, quickly followed by a ‘read’ you held your breath. The three dots that indicated his typing stopped, then started, then stopped again. Uncertainty filled your body, did he not like the pictures? Was he mad you sent them while he was working?

You were snapped out of your stupor when your phone started vibrating in your hand, Satoru’s contact picture and name lighting up the phone as it rang. You quickly answered his call, readying yourself to apologize for being out of line, but before you could do so you heard a loud drawn out groan resonate from the speaker.

“You’re such a tease.” He pouted on the other side of the line, “I only have 5 minutes left on my lunch break and you just made me so fucking hard.” He groaned, making you sigh in relief as you registered his words. “I’m sorry Satoru, I felt pretty and wanted you to see,” you faux apologized, biting your lip as you looked around your room.

“And you do look so fucking pretty baby, that’s the problem.” He sighed, spinning himself around in his chair while he stared down at his erect cock that was tenting up his pants. He looked over at the large clock on his wall, which he mainly used for decoration, before sighing into the receiver. "Thank you, Satoru," You blushed. "I was going to send them when you texted me that you were on your lunch but our conversation wasn't really.. in that mood" You explained.

You heard his signature laugh from the other end, "Baby, I don't care if I just told you the school got attacked by a hoard of curses, if you have sexy pictures to show me you better not keep them from me." You rolled your eyes, you both knew he was exaggerating and you would never do such a thing, but his words made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside still. "Sorry Satoru, is it too late to tell you that I took more than the ones I sent you?" You giggled, biting your lip when you heard him groan in response.

"Fuckk, please send me those pictures baby~" He wined, reaching over to his wireless headphones as he popped onto into his ear so he could still hear you while he oggled your pictures, he wouldn't want anyone to hear this conversation after all. You were one step ahead of them, the delivered notification once again popped up on your screen as you sent him three more pictures, all more risque than the last.

In one your back was arched in the mirror, showing off the pretty decoration on the back of the panties. Another, you completely abandoned the bra of the set, leaving the panties on as you covered your nipples with your fingers, and one of the same vein of you holding the phone over your body while you lay on the bed, your arm squishing your tits in the bra together while it cupped over your panty-less cunt.

"Oh you're trying to kill me, look at that fucking arch." He groaned, covering his mouth with his hand as he took in the photos. "Baby you look so cute in that last one." He complimented, making you blush and giggle as you whispered out your thanks to him. He looked over to the clock once more, it was a couple minutes over the time he was supposed to be back and teaching the kids, but he figured if he was already late, what was a couple more minutes?

"Answer that," Satoru instructed, referring to the FaceTime request that popped up on your phone from him. You accepted it quickly, pulling your phone from your ear as you slid the green button over, smiling fondly when his flushed face popped into view. "You're so handsome, Satoru." You complimented, feeling your stomach start to tie itself in knots with how debauched he looked from just looking at the pictures you sent him, he was so clearly aroused.

"Oh shit, you still have it on?" He said, biting his lip as he set his phone down on the desk in front of him, giving you a full veiw of his body as he leaned back once more and startaed rubbing himself over his slacks. "Satoru what are you doing?" You asked with a laugh, surely it had been longer than five minutes now, he needed to get back to teaching. "Shh baby, they wont miss me for a couple more minutes ill make it quick." You imediately picked up on what he was insinuating.

"Look at how hard I am baby, I can't go out there looking like this." He wined, tipping his head to the side against his chair as he looked at you with a pout. "You're gonna take care of me too right?" You asked, giggling before you set up your own phone on your bed, using some pillows to stabilize it. The white-haired man scoffed before he started unzipping his pants and pulling his cock out, "Can't believe you just asked me that." He said, semi-faux offense plastering itself on his face, "Was there ever a time I've left you unsatisfied?" He asked, slapping his cock against his free hand when it was finally unobstructed from his too-tight pants.

You sat back on your heels and started massaging your tits in your hands, making the warmth in your stomach grow as you pretended to think, looking around the room as you hummed. "Oh, so you already forgot how I made you cum in under a minute before work yesterday morning?" He said confidently, beginning to stroke himself as he watched you push your covered tits together. "I barely have to touch you and you're a squirming mess, dont play with me." He huffed out a laugh, bringing his other hand down to massage his balls in his hand, really giving you a show.

"But you're not here right now, Satoru." You retorted, sliding one of your hands down your body slowly, making your way down to your cunt. "Maybe not, but just my words are making you all wet, huh?" He asked knowingly, pulling his lip between his teeth as he watched you tease yourself. You nodded, making him coo at you as you finally made it to your cunt as you started to rub small circles over your clit.

"Get comfortable for me baby, keep the set on." He instructed. You lay back against the pillows and spread your legs. The crotch of the panties had a little patch over your entrance that he couldn't see through, but every other part of the fabric was almost completely sheer, except for the fact that your wetness was seeping through them little by little and making them see through the more you teased yourself.

"Play with your nipples while you rub yourself baby." He groaned, trying to keep his voice relatively quiet as he was in his office. "This is so dirty." You giggled, following his instructions. You rubbed small circles against your panty-clad clit while you pinched your nipple through the fabric of the unpadded bra.

The two of you have tried many things sexually throughout the entirety of your relationship together, but somehow, have never thought of getting off together over the phone. When Satoru was gone on missions the two of you would send dirty messages back and forth, saying how bad you missed each other, but nothing to this extent. This was opening a whole new world for the both of you, and it would be something you would definitely do again.

"Good fucking girl. Goddd, what I wouldn't give to bend you over right now and fuck you into the bed." He groaned, his strokes picking up pace while he watched your body jerk and twitch under your ministrations. "Yeah?" You encouraged, rubbing yourself faster and harder as your cunt clenched around nothing, aching for him to fill you up.

"Yes baby, want you to fuck yourself back on my cock too, wanna watch your little pussy swallow up my dick." He continued, rambling as the wet strokes on his dick emanated louder through the room. "Pull your panties aside and touch yourself, gotta see your pretty pussy." He grit through his teeth, as he tried to keep his eyes from rolling back in his had. You did as told, pulling the fabric aside you exposed your twitching clit and pulsing hole, a string of your arousal that connected to the panties failed to excape his eyes, making Satoru's cock twitch.

"Touch yourself, baby, pretend it's me touching you." He groaned, letting his jaw drop as he watched your fingers come in contact with the little bud, beginning to rub quick circles against it, just like he always does. "L-like this Toru?" You asked, needing him to praise you right now. "Just like that baby, doing so good for me, so fucking perfect." He groaned, shaking his head back and forth as he watched your smaller fingers work yourself through your orgasm.

"Shit, wanna feel your cunt squeezing me so bad, can see her twitching." He whined, making you blush in embarrassment at how exposed you were. Satoru's leg started bouncing against the floor at how fast he was working himself up. "P-please, fuck me Toru', fuck me-" You whimpered, getting lost in the sensation as you tipped your head back against the pillows and dropped your other hand down to the opening of your pussy, slowly sliding them inside your walls and starting up a blissful pace as you curled them up towards your sweet spot.

"Yes fuck your pussy for me, baby, yesyesyes." The man rambled, his back beginning to arch off the chair with how close he was. The squelching emitting from your cunt was going to send him over the edge, he so desperately wanted to pull your inadequate fingers out and lick them clean before he replaced them with his own. "Faster baby, cmon, get yourself there." He begged, slowing his strokes against his cock to let you get closer to your orgasm so the two of you could cum together. "I-I'm fuck S-satoru- Right there- right there-" You moaned, losing yourself in your fantasy as you fucked your fingers harder and deeper into yourself.

"Yeah? Right there? You like when I fuck you right there?" He slurred, clenching his teeth together as he picked up his pace once more, beginning to fuck his hips up into his hand. "Yes Toru- G-gonna- gonna cum-" You wined, your voice raising in pitch as you dropped your chin down to the screen in front of you, watching the show he was so kindly putting on for you as the sight pushed you over the edge.

"M-me too- Gonna fill you up cutie- fucking- take it-" Satoru groaned, hot ropes of cum spurting from his dick as his torso curled in slightly, his abs clenching and body jerking with the force of his orgasm. He watched intently as you snapped your legs shut around your hand, he saw the muscles in your forearm moving, praising you for working yourself through it as wave after wave of your high crashed over you. "Good girl, good fucking girl." He praised, slowing his strokes on his cock as he worked himself through the aftershocks of his orgasm.

"S-shit" Your body relaxed against the sheets once more, your legs staying shut as you relished in the friction your closed thighs brought to your cunt as you came down from your orgasm. You heard your boyfriend giggle, dropping your knees down to the side you looked down at the screen and noticed that he was wiping his cock clean and tucking himself back into his pants. "Whew, 3 minutes, and I didn't even touch you." He praised himself, making you laugh and roll your eyes at him as you sat up to grab your phone in your hand and lay it against the side of the bed with you as you laid down.

"You could say the same for me too you know." you retorted, making him smirk. "Yeah, you could, made me make a huge fucking mess." He giggled, staring at you lovingly through the phone. "You look beautiful." He said, making hearts practically form in your eyes as you thanked him. "Clean yourself up before you fall asleep, I'll be home soon, okay?" He said, raising his eyebrows at you as he waited for your answer before he ended the call.

"Okay Satoru, hurry please." You added the two of you said your goodbyes, he blew you an animated-looking kiss before he hung up the call. You sighed, dropping your hand against the sheets as you smiled to yourself, you couldn't wait for him to get home.

After giving yourself a couple more seconds to lie there, you sat up, heading his words as you started to get yourself cleaned up. You paused in your ministrations when your phone buzzed, the screen lighting up as Satoru's name popped up on the screen. You decided to check his message before you left for the bathroom, your jaw dropped and your body tensed when you opened his message.

There was a picture of Satoru's impressive-sized softening cock that rested on his hand, his length and hand alike covered in his cum with a message attached. When did he even have time to take that picture?

Satoru <3: Keep the set on till I get home please~

[irondadidontfeelsogood]

cw: this is a long and self-indulgent sickfic, so if that’s not your jam, scroll on and have a good day! if it is, boy do i have a treat for you—enjoy

——————

No More Flights—Ever.

Peter’s putting on his best act to seem unfazed by being on the jet, but Tony knows him well enough to know he’s hardly hanging on. It’s barely perceptible, but he’s shaking all over, and he’s white as snow. He’s sweating through his t-shirt, and if the kid so much as blinks once, tears are going to start streaming down his face.

They’d had a conversation a few months earlier about how his parents had passed, and Peter assured him that he’d be fine on a plane, that he was so young when it happened that it wouldn’t affect him. Tony wishes he’d called his bluff. That would be infinitely better than watching the kid suffer on what’s sure to be over a seven hour flight, not to mention the matching trip back home.

Tony keeps a close eye on him, especially when they start to hit mild turbulence. Peter had fallen asleep for all of four minutes before they hit the first patch, and he woke so abruptly that he had to catch his breath. Tony was by his side in an instant.

“Everything’s fine, kiddo, it’s just some turbulence. We’re gonna be okay.” Peter nods, swallowing. “You want some water?” Another nod.

Tony gets up and retrieves a bottle of water, bringing it back to the poor kid. He sits with him as he drinks a little over half of it and then screws the cap back on. Tony doesn’t miss the way his hands shake.

After that, Peter has a much harder time of going back to sleep, but he eventually manages it. Tony relaxes just a little. Hopefully the kid will sleep through the majority of the flight. Tony wishes he’d brought some Xanax or something. Oh well, next time.

A little over two hours goes by peacefully, but then Tony is woken from his own slumber from a particularly violent patch of turbulence. Peter is already awake beside him, grey in the face and breathing erratically. He looks like he’s going to pass out.

“Hey—hey, kid, it’s okay. It’s totally okay. We’re fine. Breathe,” he urges, a hand on Peter’s chest.

The tears in Peter’s eyes spill over fast, streaming down his face in twos and threes. He’s breathing so hard that he’s wheezing, and his eyes are wild and grieving. His face somehow actually goes green.

The plane jolts again, even worse. Peter breathes out a sob, clutching his seat with all he has. Tony tries to redirect his attention.

“Kid, I need you to look at me, can you do that?”

Peter briefly glances at him, but then his eyes shut tight, and he weeps. The minor shaking from before has become full-body tremors, and he can barely wipe his own tears. The cries coming from him don’t sound like the kid he knows at all. They’re pained and terrified, everything Tony has never wanted to hear from him. The worst part is that he can’t do anything about it.

“Peter, everything is okay, remember the jell-o thing? We’re not going anywhere, kid. I’m right here, you’re okay.”

“Tony, I—I don’t want to die,” he sobs, having a full-on panic attack now. “Please, I don’t want to die, I’m not even seventeen, I’m not ready.”

Tony’s heart breaks. “You’re not gonna die, Peter, no one’s going to die, okay? I promise. Please take a deep breath. Drink some more water.”

Peter does neither of those things, completely disoriented from sheer panic. He’s pouring sweat and tears, heaving sobs and coughing from crying so hard. Tony’s worried he’s not getting enough oxygen.

He’s just about to pull Peter’s oxygen mask down when the kid presses both of his hands to his mouth and retches. Tony can’t even think about grabbing an airsickness bag before Peter gags again, spewing vomit from between his fingers. He moves his hands, choking just before he throws up a massive gush of puke all over himself and the floor.

“Oh, kid…it’s okay. You’re gonna be okay,” he attempts to soothe, but the kid has gone off the deep end and is barely treading water.

He pitches forward again and blows chunks all over the seat in front of him. If he was pale before, it was nothing compared to now. He throws up again.

For some reason, it clicks in that moment to grab a barf bag, and once it’s open, he holds it over Peter’s mouth. He can feel the weight of Peter’s stomach contents pouring into the bag. It turns his own stomach, but he has to keep it together for the kid.

He curses Peter’s enhanced metabolism for causing him to stuff his face before they boarded, because the amount that the kid is puking can’t be scientifically possible. By the time it’s all over, Peter has filled two and a half bags, plus whatever he lost to the floor and his lap. Tony can’t believe what a colossal trauma he’s put this innocent kid through.

He’s panting and shaking, seemingly paralyzed otherwise. He’s probably in shock. The plane has stopped jolting, but Peter isn’t recovering visibly by any means.

“You’re okay. You’re doing good, Peter. It’s over now.”

It takes a few more minutes for the kid to even blink, sending more tears rolling down his cheeks. When Tony offers him napkins, he doesn’t respond. Like the dad he’s slowly becoming, he wipes the puke from Peter’s face and hands.

He goes over to Peter’s luggage and digs out some clean clothes, bringing them back to him. He looks awful. Tony worries he might be sick again.

Tony gives him all the time and patience he can. It’s over thirty minutes before Peter’s eyes seem to tune back into his surroundings. He blinks a few times and looks down, groaning lowly when he sees the mess.

“Fuck…,” he finally breathes out. Tony has never heard him curse before. “I’m…I am so sorry.”

“No need to apologize, kid. It’s okay that you threw up, I understand.”

“I’m so sorry,” he repeats again, more tears spilling over.

Tony doesn’t care if he gets puke on his shirt, he leans over and wraps the kid up in his arms tightly. Peter holds him back tighter. He sobs and sobs, his body still shaking.

Tony rubs his back and repeatedly tells him everything’s alright, but he’s not sure how much of a help he’s being. Eventually, he pulls back, heart aching as he sees Peter’s face again. He looks awful, like he’s actually sick.

“I got you some clean clothes, okay? Right there,” he says, pointing at the pile on the aisle across from them.

“Thank you,” Peter breathes out, standing weakly.

Tony looks away while the kid gets changed, and then they switch seats to another row. While Peter tries to fall asleep again, Tony gets up to clean as much of the mess as he can. It’s a lot.

When he returns, Peter is still awake, pale as ever with dark, sunken circles under his eyes. Tony rubs his back some more, wishing there were something substantial he could do for him. He wishes they had never left New York.

They hit the smallest patch of turbulence yet, and Peter blanches. He grips his seat again and looks at Tony desperately.

“Please let me off this thing,” he begs, voice broken.

“Trust me, kid, I really wish I could.”

Another jolt.

“I’m gonna be sick,” he chokes out, and Tony has never moved faster in his life.

He opens a new bag and gives it to Peter. He takes it with shaking hands, and Tony loses all hope of a false alarm when he sees watery spit dripping from Peter’s mouth. Not even five seconds goes by after that before he hurls into the bag. Tony rubs his back again.

He coughs, and burps, and gags, and every time he does, a little more comes up. It sounds awful. The poor kid must feel like shit.

When it finally seems to be over, Peter gently pushes the bag away, swallowing thickly. Tony rubs his back a little more. Peter apologizes softly. Tony tells him it’s okay.

He winds down again after about thirty minutes, and Tony disposes of the bags. He can’t seem to relax anymore, sure that Peter could wake up sick again at any moment. He alternates between looking at his phone and the kid, thankful for each moment of peace that they manage to have.

There’s about two and a half hours left on the flight, so Tony prays that Peter stays asleep. His heart drops when they hit another wave of turbulence, but Peter is so deep in sleep that he doesn’t wake. Thank God. Being sick must have made him exhausted.

Another half hour goes by without incident, and Tony feels himself starting to drift off. After jolting awake a few times, he’s out. He dreams of nothing in particular.

He wakes to a hand on his shoulder, and when he blinks his eyes open to see Peter standing beside him, he’s suddenly much more awake. He sits up straighter and clears his throat. When he gets a good look at the kid, he’s worried again. Peter looks sick to say the least.

“Hey, Pete, I’m sorry I fell asleep. Are you okay?”

“Um…we—there was some turbulence,” he manages, his voice nearly gone.

“I’m really sorry, kiddo. I didn’t know it would be so stormy today. Try not to worry about the turbulence, though, we’ve made it through the worst of it, and we’re okay.”

Peter nods, but he looks far from okay. He sits down beside Tony.

“How much longer?”

“Uh…,” he breathes out, looking at his phone. “Just about an hour. Not so bad.”

“Okay,” he says, voice small.

“Wanna try watching some TV or going back to sleep?”

“Can’t sleep.”

“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here,” Tony says, pulling up the menu. There’s a few cooking shows, but he doubts Peter’s stomach is ready for that. There’s also wipeout and Judge Judy, and that’s what Peter ends up choosing. It makes Tony laugh a little, but then they’re both invested.

Tony still keeps a close eye on him, and he can tell Peter isn’t comfortable. He must not be feeling all that well. Hopefully they’ll avoid another round of vomiting.

And that they do. The landing is a little rough, and Peter goes pale again. Tony’s ready to grab the puke bags in an instant, but he doesn’t seem to be in vomit territory, at least not yet.

He’s never been happier to get off a jet in his life. He’s sure Peter is feeling the same way. He’s still shaking as they gather their luggage and head for the taxi.

He’s silent the whole ride to the hotel, and silent as they check into their room. He grabs a water out of the mini fridge and sips at it before crawling into bed. He looks so small.

They’d planned on exploring the city when they landed, but Tony expects that Peter’s not feeling up to it. Maybe tomorrow. As of now, he’s still looking decidedly green and withdrawn.

“Wanna keep watching?” Tony asks, turning on the TV. Peter gives a small nod and takes another sip.

They only manage to make it about five minutes into the episode before Peter speaks up.

“Tony…”

“Yeah?”

He says something, but it’s so quiet that Tony misses it. It’s a little dark, but he swears he sees tears on the kid’s face. His heart shatters.

“Sorry, kid, I couldn’t hear you. What was that?”

“Can you pause it?”

“Yeah, you okay?”

“Um…I don’t know. I think I might throw up.”

“Oh, kiddo…again?”

In lieu of an answer, he shucks off his blankets and gets up from the bed with a hand on his stomach. Tony gets up next, following him into the bathroom. Peter lowers to the floor in front of the toilet, and sure enough, watery spit is dripping from his mouth. Tony sits on the edge of the bathtub and lays a hand on his back.

Peter is visibly nauseous for the next five minutes, burping and swallowing repeatedly. He moans, draping himself over the toilet. Normally, Tony would find that gross, but he understands that the kid must be completely spent.

Just as Tony begins to wonder if it’s a false alarm, Peter’s back lurches under his hand, and he hears vomit hit the water. Tony’s heart clenches. He hates seeing him like this.

Peter throws up again, all water and bile. The shaking comes back. He’s not bringing up much apart from the first wave, but he’s retching pretty violently.

It takes a while for the gagging to turn to hiccuping and then slow to a stop. He wipes his mouth and flushes the toilet. When he turns to Tony, his eyes are flooded with tears.

“I’m so sorry, Peter. Do you think you’re actually sick?”

He shakes his head and crumbles, his head falling to his knees. His breath hitches with quiet sobs. Tony lays a hand on his shoulder.

“I…I’m sorry, I just—I keep thinking about my parents, and how I felt on the jet. I can’t imagine how scared they must have been when they realized what was going to happen,” he breathes out. “They were probably terrified, it makes me sick to think about it,” he all but weeps.

“I’ve heard people talk about their near death experiences and say they felt complete peace before they went. I’ll bet they were scared at first, but I think once they knew, it was suddenly okay.”

“I hope so,” he murmurs softly, wiping at his face. Then, “I miss my mom,” he sobs, breaking right in front of Tony’s eyes.

Tony gets down on the floor beside him and holds him silently while he cries. Several minutes go by, and then Peter suddenly tenses, and an awful noise comes from his mouth. He pulls away.

Tony watches helplessly as Peter throws up a mouthful of stringy vomit into his hand, lurching toward the toilet to let it spill out. He coughs a few times, emptying his stomach for the fourth time today. Tony’s so out of his depth here.

Still, he sits with Peter until he apologizes and says he’s done. Tony helps him to the sink to wash up and then get back to bed. Peter’s tremors are slowly dying down.

Tony puts a trash can next to his bed just in case, and encourages him to take a few more sips of water. The last thing they need is for him to get dehydrated. He already feels bad enough.

Peter obeys, and then they go back to watching Judge Judy. Peter is asleep in under two minutes. Tony can’t get to sleep for another four hours. What the kid said was so heartbreaking, and it won’t stop echoing in his mind.

By the morning, Tony considers it a miracle that he wasn’t woken by a sick Peter. In fact, he’s still sleeping peacefully. Tony thinks about waking him before breakfast ends downstairs, but he’s not sure how his stomach would feel, and he figures he needs all the sleep he can get for today.

That turns out to be about another hour. While he’s asleep, Tony watches some more Judge Judy, silently cursing the kid for actually getting him interested in this show. He can’t help but laugh at himself.

When Peter stirs in the bed beside his, he pauses the TV. He watches with a bit of anxiety as he rolls over with a low groan. Hopefully he doesn’t feel as bad as he sounds.

He blinks his eyes open and they settle on Tony. “Hey, kid. How are you feeling?” he asks, sitting on the edge of his bed.

“M’okay…but my mouth tastes like puke.”

“I’m sorry. You want some water?”

“Please.”

Tony gets up and retrieves a water from the mini fridge, bringing it to him. “Sit up a little.”

Peter obeys, taking the water and drinking just a few sips. Tony hopes that isn’t a sign that he’s feeling bad. Hopefully he would tell Tony the truth at this point.

“You excited for today?”

Peter nods, a smile spreading across his face. “Only waited a year for this.”

“I think it’ll be worth it.”

“Well, I don’t know about the flight over, but hopefully.”

“Again, I’m really sorry, kid. If we could swim back to America, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

“Might consider it.”

He laughs, but Tony can sense the nervousness in it. He lays a hand on his shoulder and squeezes. Peter drinks a little more water.

“Alright, so we should probably head out in a few minutes. Think you can be ready?”

Peter nods, sitting all the way up and standing from bed. Tony heads to the bathroom to get ready while Peter gets ready in their room. He goes over what they’ll do, and tries to think about ways to make it even better for Peter after their rough day and night yesterday.

When they’re both ready, they head down to the lobby and out to the train station. He hopes sincerely that part of Peter’s problem isn’t motion sickness in general. That wouldn’t be a great start to the day.

Thankfully, they make it through the ride without incident, and by the time they arrive to the convention, Peter is alight with excitement. He’s looking around with bright eyes and a wide smile, yesterday all but forgotten about. Tony’s heart grows warm.

They head straight for Peter’s favorite scientist, Alain Aspect, a major leader of research in quantum entanglement. Peter’s whole face lights up, and Tony could swear he’s trembling. He goes straight up to Alain and shakes his hand, telling him how amazing it is to meet him, how he has so many questions.

Alain feeds off his energy and gives him a big smile. He entertains Peter’s every question, loving and complimenting Peter’s brilliant mind. He can’t believe he’s only sixteen.

They spend a good amount of time there, and Peter’s enthusiasm never wanes. Eventually, someone else walks up, and Peter gives them a chance. After that, they visit several other booths and meet more physicists, biologists, and astrophysicists. Tony loves watching the kid soak everything in. They don’t even stop for lunch.

He surprises Peter with an exclusive panel with the board of directors for NASA. The kid almost bursts, thanking Tony repeatedly and very nearly crying. He’s on the edge of his seat the entire time, even being selected to ask a question toward the end.

He’s still buzzing by the time it’s all over. He’s blabbering about all of it as they leave, going to explore the city as they planned to do yesterday. They stop at a nice restaurant for dinner, and the food is amazing. Peter is back to his old self, downing more food than Tony can ever imagine eating himself.

He doesn’t even stop talking for the whole ride back to the hotel and even as they enter their room. Tony is thoroughly enjoying all of it despite his usual tiring of Peter’s rants. It can be a little much sometimes. Tonight, he’s more relieved than anything.

They go to sleep easily with Judge Judy on softly in the background again. Sleep comes with no disturbances. The night is a good one.

When Tony wakes to his alarm, he groans, stretching. He cracks his eyes open and looks over at Peter. He’s already awake, sitting up in bed with his knees to his chest. He looks pretty terrible. Tony’s heart sinks. He was afraid of this.

Their flight back home is this morning, and neither of them are looking forward to it in the slightest. They’re silent for most of the morning. Peter gets ready sluggishly and refuses to eat breakfast.

“Kiddo, if airsickness has anything to do with it, that’s going to make it worse.”

Peter wilts. “I’m really not hungry.”

“Doesn’t have to be much, just something small. Okay?”

“…Okay.”

They had down to the dining area of the hotel and grab some food. Peter only puts a plain croissant and some fruit on his plate. Tony figures that’ll be okay.

They eat in silence. Tony wonders if there’s anything he can do for him, and then he remembers a medication Bruce used to have to take for long rides on the quinjet. It started with a D.

He pulls out his phone and starts to research. He finds it quickly—Dramamine. It’s sold at regular corner stores, so he plans to stop there before they leave.

When they head out to the train station, he drops by somewhere called Puls Apotek and buys some Dramamine. He hands one to Peter with a bottle of water and tells him it’ll help with his nausea, and then they board the train to the airport. Tony doesn’t miss the way Peter is restless, nervously fidgeting the whole way there.

When they arrive, Tony’s private jet is right there waiting for them. It’s had a good cleaning and been restocked with everything they need. Peter looks up at the jet with mild horror and lots of dread, as does Tony. He braces himself for the worst.

Hopefully the medicine has enough time to kick in before takeoff. Peter is already pale, sitting down beside Tony with his eyes shut. He swallows a few times in a row.

“Pete? You wanna try watching some Judge Judy to take your mind off of things?”

“…Okay,” he breathes out, voice weak.

About an episode in, Peter goes sharply downhill. Tony could swear he hears him whimper. When he looks at Peter, his face is grey with an awful yellow tinge, and sweat is beading across his forehead. He reaches in front of him to grab an airsickness bag.

“Oh, kid…it’ll be okay.”

Peter shakes his head just a little. He swallows with effort. Tony was really hoping they’d make it through this without Peter getting sick.

“I think…the medicine is making me really dizzy,” he breathes out.

“What? That makes no sense. Anti-nausea meds shouldn’t make you dizzy.”

“I don’t know…I didn’t feel like this before.”

Tony digs through his carry-on and finds the bottle. Sure enough, the warning label mentions drowsiness and dizziness as possible size effects. Tony inwardly smacks himself.

“I’m so sorry, Peter. I had no idea.”

“It’s okay. Like you said, that shouldn’t even happen. It’s not your fault,” he manages, but Tony can hear the nausea in his voice.

As if the universe is playing some sort of cruel joke on them, the cabin starts to jerk with turbulence. Peter lets out a string of curses under his breath. He goes completely pale, draping an arm across his stomach. The other is gripping the sick bag tight to his chest.

“Remember what I said, okay? We were fine before, and we’re going to be fine now. I promise, kiddo.”

The words seem to have no effect on Peter. For all intents and purposes, Peter is lost to the world. His breathing picks up. The jet jolts again.

Peter lets out a quiet sob. Tony starts to rub his back, repeating that it’s okay. It’s all he can do. He hates that.

The turbulence doesn’t stop, and a minute later, Peter pitches forward with a half-gag, swallowing down the impending vomit before it reaches his mouth. This happens a couple more times, like he’s fighting for his life.

“Don’t hurt yourself, kid. If you need to throw up, don’t try to fight it. It’s okay.”

“I don’t want to,” he chokes out.

It happens again. And then again. Peter’s stomach makes an awful noise each time its contents angrily return.

“Peter.”

“I’m—trying really hard not to puke, okay? Just give me…give me a second.”

His eyes shut, and he starts taking measured breaths. Tony’s never seen him look so sick before, not even on the flight over. He hates it.

Despite his best efforts, only about three more minutes go by before he’s unable to swallow back his stomach. He lurches forward, vomiting violently into the bag. Then, again.

“There you go, kid. You’re gonna be alright.”

Tony rubs his back as he loses his hard-fought breakfast into the plastic. The effort of holding everything down has made the release much more intense, and he’s filled the first bag in no time. Tony already has another one ready.

He’s completely doubled over in his seat, panting into the bag between heaves. He’s shaking like a leaf and sweating through his t-shirt. The retching doesn’t stop for several minutes.

When it seems to slow to a stop, he’s drained completely. He stays folded over himself. The only sign that he’s conscious is that his eyes are open, blinking tears of exertion and anxiety down his cheeks.

Just as Tony thinks it’s over, he hears what he can only imagine is the rest of Peter’s stomach contents retreating from their rightful place. Sure enough, not even a minute goes by before Peter starts throwing up last night’s dinner. Poor kid.

He vomits over and over, to the point where Tony fears he’s going to pass out from the effort of heaving. He loses everything he ate. It’s several minutes before he pushes away the third bag.

He looks traumatized to say the least. Tony is heartbroken. This was supposed to be a great weekend, and now the kid’s been properly wrung out four times.

“I’m really sorry, Peter. If I had half a brain, I would have reconsidered this whole thing.”

Peter shakes his head. “No…no, I had a really great time yesterday. You couldn’t have prevented this any more than I could’ve.” His voice is wrecked. “It’s okay.”

“I just hate seeing you sick. I hate it so much.”

“Being sick isn’t that great for me, either, but I’ll live. I’m sorry you had to see all of it.”

“You don’t owe me an apology, Pete. I just wish you felt better.”

“Me too.”

After that, Tony gets rid of the bags, and they return to watching TV. It’s a welcome distraction. Tony had forgotten about the drowsiness side effect, but not even five minutes later, Peter is knocked out beside him.

Tony drapes his jacket over Peter’s lap and watches him for a minute. He’s got some of the color back in his face, and Tony feels a little better at seeing that.

He watches Judge Judy until he drifts off himself, praying that the flight will be over by the time they wake.

—————

A/N: Thank you for reading! I have so many stories built up over the years, so if anyone is interested, let me know! Take care :)

[st4rrg1rll]

august 24. i saw you for the first time, and thought to myself, “at least we have some eye candy, better stay away from that one.” i wish i was kidding. i was in my hating-men era. maybe it was intuition.

sometime in october, you talked to me, just me, for the first time, to comfort me about not getting the grade i wanted by showing me your 56%. i got lost in your eyes for the first time. i thought to myself “oh no.” with excitement.

november 18. i learned your name, from accidentally scrolling by you in the zoom call for class that day. i still have the picture i took to show to my best friend, though, she’s not my best friend anymore. i lost a lot more than just you this year.

we talked a little in between then and the final, our mutual friend always present, and i started smiling at you and laughing at your jokes instead of avoiding speaking to or looking at you.

december 12. we spoke for more than fifteen minutes before or after class, for just about two and a half hours actually, just you me and our mutual friend, though with all the eye contact you were giving me, and the personal information you divulged, i felt like it was just us. you told me your birthday was tomorrow. i looked at your chart and gave you a bullshit sun sign reading because your placements freaked me out but explained a lot. i called you by your full name when i bid you goodbye and a happy holiday. i didn’t know you had a nickname, since i learned your name from zoom. i can still see the face you made in my mind. i knew i was done for that day.

i daydreamed of you all winter break, not sure if i’d see you next semester. fate has its funny way. i checked the roster as soon as it published to canvas. i made a commitment to get to know you.

january 18. i got to school early, can’t be late on the first day of class. we crossed paths outside, you were in front of me. i watched you walk in the building, knowing we were going to the same place, that spot we three would sit and chat before class a month before. fate has its funny way. we chatted for so long we were almost late. there were only a few open seats left. you invited me to sit next to you. i chose to sit in front of you instead. a wise choice, unbeknownst to me at the time.

we sat in that spot and talked just the two of us every other morning for the next two and a half weeks, and walked together after class. once, i left late, and you waited for me on the stairwell, i remember how you stared at me. i asked if you were waiting for someone. you replied, “just waiting for my bestie,” referring to my one usage of the word for you the monday prior. i rejoiced your acceptance of my knighting you ‘bestie,’ confiding in you that most men hate that. “i’m not like most men,” you said. i can still hear it in my mind.

january 31. gamma opened their valentines candy grams form, and without hesitation, i wrote your name in that box and paid $1 to for a gamma officer to give you a lollipop. i thought you’d get a kick out of that.

you left me hanging one morning, and then the next, and then i texted you even asking you to come, and you still didn’t. i still went there early each morning that week.

february 3. friday morning. i thought my cat was dying before i left for school. you didn’t know, but if you had met me that morning, it would have made my whole day. i knew i was done for then. you found out about your dad that afternoon, and i tried to stop making shit about me. i understood the emotional availability that shit takes up, and knew where we stood would be silently different.

february 13. your first day back to school. i knew it would be. i dressed up just to see you. well, i dressed up to see you every day i knew i would see you. i was ecstatic to see you. the gamma officer gave you the valentine i sent. you blushed, we laughed, and you shyly touched my arm that always rested on your desk.

i flirted heavily with you all that week. whether i was trying to distract one or both of us, i don’t know. you flirted back. i doodled on your paper, and you doodles back, and we whispered during class, and you laughed so hard that one time i snorted while laughing, and we always turned into our own conversation less the other members of our little group, that one on one you’d always rope me into. it didn’t feel like drowning yet. i’d walk with you after class, continue getting to know you, even though you were making it a bit more of a challenge by then. unfortunately for you, i love challenges. i told you i was taking a sign language class, and signed your name to you. you laughed a bit, and looked at me like you were thinking it was cute, maybe that you thought that i was cute. but what would i know, i couldn’t read your mind, as much as i’ve always tried to.

february gets blurry after that. we walked together some days, and others i knew to leave you alone. i only asked you if you were okay once. you said you had a lot on your mind. i touched your hand sympathetically. i’d try to cheer you up, flirt with you, but i see now maybe that wasn’t the best approach to my intentions. though, i’ll acknowledge sometimes the way you’d talk about your family and wealth made me so jealous i couldn’t help but glare at you and turn away. my fascination with you was interesting in that way. there were some times, even before i knew your name, that i liked you a lot, and then times i didn’t like you at all. from the first time i saw you, you ignited a passion in me, for better or worse. the latter were much fewer between than the former, though. there’s so much to like, and my own insecurities were the real issue. i can only assume the feeling was mutual, it seemed that way.

my cat died at the end of february. it was a grueling, week-long ordeal. monday, knowing i was putting her down the next day. you made fun of me when i startled and nearly dropped my phone after getting the email reminder of my vet appointment. it almost made me feel better, but i turned away without saying anything. wednesday, the day after, and i was a mess but you didn’t know. or maybe you did. i did wear the same sweatshirt and no makeup for a week straight, which id like to think you’d notice was abnormal for me. you were better about that than any other guy i’ve known, noticing little things about me, like what time i left for work, or little things i said. that was one of my favorite things about you. friday, i was getting better, and spring break was approaching, and so was a new month. we walked together after class, instead of me rushing to my car before i burst into tears. i told you about my cat. you tried to distract me by talking about something else. i guess that made two of us.

march is blurry, too. i was still grieving. it was full of us working on our project. we made a good team, and we were the backbone of ours, editing the each others parts and everyone else’s, accidentally touching legs under the breakout room table and not moving. we spent time on facetime together, most of the time talking about the project, but occasionally i’d steer us off course. i tried to flirt less, take a new approach to a friendship with you, but it didn’t work. you’re just so flirtwithable to me.

march 24. not long before our presentation, we called, supposed to be working on our slides, but ended up talking about and bonding over weed, and our childhood trauma, and your many medications, and your shampoo that your sister recommended to you that was the same as the one i used. i don’t use that one anymore, i use a special-order one made custom for me, but i’m not sure if i like it that much for its price. sounds familiar. before we hung up, i quickly and awkwardly blurted out that id like to hang out sometime and get to know you more. your face lit up, and you said, “yeah, we should definitely smoke together sometime.” it wasn’t what i was going for, exactly, i was thinking something more casual like lunch after class, but i was used to taking what i could get from you. i smiled and said, “yeah, maybe sometime after class.” “oh, y-know i don’t really smoke in the day time like that,” you replied, though you had just got done telling me how you were about to smoke at 2pm, and how that was different from your usual routine of smoking at night, “but you could totally come over some night.”

that’s where shit ended, pretty much, with my reply, i closed up our story with haste and without second thought to the words that were about to tumble carelessly from my mouth. jesus took the wheel, and it was the beginning of our end. this last chapter is the longest. “you want me to come over at night?!” i asked, incredulous, having not expected at all for you to say that, looking for clarification. i realized my mistake instantly, watching your face fall into a frown at my (unintentional) rejection. you stammered something about forgetting i commuted, though i find that hard to believe, and said “whatever, we’ll figure something out,” before hastily trying to end the call. “boo,” i said before we hung up. it took me a minute to process how badly we had just fucked up.

that ignited a familiar fear in me, and my attachment to you that was already disorganized became even more cluttered, ten fold. i drove myself crazy thinking about it, that i was just an object to you, something for you to fuck and discard. something i had avoided being for any man and wasn’t going to start any time soon, and this i was resolute about, long before i knew you. i know what i deserve, and i know you know it. what else was i supposed to think after you made it clear you were only interested in seeing me at school or at night? why you tried that with me, well, i can only make a million inaccurate guesses and speculations, but that’s never stopped me from overthinking every possibility. i’m an underwriter, that’s for sure. that’s when i started feeling like i was drowning with our every slight interaction, like my vision was blurry and i was flailing for a raft that suddenly wasn’t there, unsure if it ever was or if i had only made it up in my head.

that was when i told zach, searching for another male perspective, wanting desperately to believe there was some other meaning, some other way, something i could still do, and he became my counselor for all things you, which i wish i hadn’t let myself do. for the record, he couldn’t fathom that you only saw me as a sex object, either, so that made two of us unable to figure you out.

we facetimed again days later, putting some finishing touches on our project that we were presenting that weekend. i tried to initiate flirting with you, and i felt like you were trying to get back at me, because you shut me down harder than ever before, leaving me awkwardly stumbling over my replies and desperate to hang up the call. guess that feeling was mutual by then.

march 31. the day before the presentation. i told you i wasn’t sure where i was going to park tomorrow. you invited me to park at your apartment and walk with you to campus. i still remember your old address.

april 1. it rained. you messaged me when i was halfway to school, telling me you were leaving your apartment, and that i should park on campus somewhere. i was disappointed, and by this point, plenty angry with you for toying with me. i’d hardly speak to you that morning unless i had to, and strangely i felt like you liked me better that way, or at least you tried harder to get my attention when i’d act indifferent. how tragic that both of us have disorganized attachment styles. i opened up more as the day went on, and it was like a switch flipped of you trying to get my attention to me trying to get yours. we went back and forth all day. it was dizzying and confusing and intoxicating and i’m fucked up, you’re fucked up, we’re fucked up, we were fucked up and i liked it. too much happened to even get into. by the way, i think vaping is gross, and it finally clicked that all the money talk was you trying to impress me and not understanding why it was backfiring so hard. a lot of things finally clicked, but that wasn’t enough.

i spent the rest of the month trying to mentally prepare for the future that was approaching fast and trying to make peace with the fact that we weren’t friends by now, and we probably wouldn’t be by the end of the semester, or after graduation. i tried to distract myself from feeling like i was losing everything.

april 24. zach and i got invited to the little luncheon with the industry lecturer that monday. you were offended you didn’t get invited. you went to a wedding that weekend, i remembered, and i asked you about it. you told me all about it, and showed me, just me, a cute video of you dancing. your talking about it had slowed, and i was about to change the subject when you said, “i wish i had partied a little harder. there was this girl in the band who i was like, in love with, and my sisters boyfriend was like gonna be my wingman and help me talk to her or get her number or something, but i didn’t end up saying anything.” and even now, five months later, it still hurts just replaying the memory in my mind. i can still hear you saying it. this girl in the band who i was like in love with. you seemed to love throwing that word around for someone so afraid of it. i just turned around in my seat and stopped talking to you for the rest of the school day.

well, some weird shit went down at lunch about women and it was fucked up to be the only woman at a table while men talked about how women and assault allegations ruined the corporate workplace. i talked to zach about what you said to me that morning, and he pretty much said to me that you were just trying to make me jealous, and that i should talk to you about what happened at lunch instead, and made me text you. physically watched me send you a text that said lunch was weird and i’d tell you more when i got home. and i did, i regaled the whole story for you, lacking periods and all, just one long sentence in true lana fashion. i’ve been trying to be better about that. your replies were excessively punctuated, a stark contrast to my run-ons, but were supportive and encouraging and kind nonetheless. you offered to come talk to our professor with me for moral support, even if just to stand in the hall while i talked in his office. i thought about it for a couple of days before agreeing.

april 26. the middle of the end. that wednesday, you did come with me, even talked with me beforehand to help me talk through my feelings and what i wanted to say. i expressed why the sexualization of women bothered me. you listened and were understanding, and accompanied me to professors office. you waited outside, promising to come check on me after ten minutes and save me by pretending to have a question if things weren’t going well. it went well, and you didn’t have to save me, and we hugged and you congratulated me multiple times for being so brave. we were walking to my car when i all but blurted out, “i’ve had a crush on you for the last six months. just wanted you to know that.” and you proceeded to stomp my heart into the pavement on that corner you so frequently left me at, with some “it’s not you it’s me but let’s be friends” bullshit that i still can’t gauge the truthfulness of. needless to say i didn’t react well, and it was an awkward walk the rest of the way to my car. you tried to hug me goodbye, told me you’d be there if i needed you, but that was definitely a lie. i didn’t hug you back, i just wanted to get in my car and cry. can you blame me? that was the last time we actually spoke, but still not the end.

over the next few days, i tried to talk to you, but you avoided me with all your might. i’m always the first to relinquish power, and you made it clear you were not interested in communicating about things further, and that’s where we differ. i’m a fixer, i always want to communicate, but i had to learn to do that, something your life hadn’t forced you to learn yet. you skipped class friday just to avoid me. zach and i talked for a long while, about you, and then about life. it was nice, it took my mind off of you, and it helped that he took my side as far as analyzing the situation goes, both of us unsure why you’d refuse to just talk to me.

may 1. the last day of classes aside from exams. we both wore all black. i was mad that we unknowingly matched once again, having the same rising sign will do that. i didn’t even look at you aside from giving zach a panicked glance between him and you when you walked in. i had spent the last five days crying my eyes out over you, i wasn’t ready to see you. needless to say, i wasn’t having shit that day, and cried in my car again on the way home. thankfully, i didn’t have to see you for the rest of the week.

may 8. the following monday, we had our final. you finished before me and i watched you walk out of class, thinking it would be the last time i saw you. i cried on my drive home again. but of course, while i’m out enjoying time with my benefits friends who you so despised at the campus bar, you walk in and your eyes are glued to me so hard that my instincts forced me to look and make eye contact with you, multiple times. i tried to just look away right away, look busy, distract myself with alcohol. i felt like you were just waiting for me to talk to you, but i was glued to my friend’s side since she already heard enough about you. ended up sending you a drunk voice memo that night trying to drunkenly explain how i felt, how i just wanted to be friends, knowing not to pursue anything more with you after your dad died, followed up by an awkward apology and promise to leave you alone if you really don’t want to talk to me in the morning. you read it, but never replied. i was so embarrassed i couldn’t even cry. at this point, i was looking forward to never seeing you again, absolutely mortified.

may 15. unfortunately, fate has its funny way, and that wednesday, graduation day, was the last time i saw you, and zach, and rayan, and plenty of my other school friends. i was walking toward the seats when my instincts pulled my gaze to you once again, to once again find you already staring at me. i tried to smile at you but i can imagine it either looked sad or like a grimace. it’s hard to smile when you really really don’t mean it. you gave me a nonchalant wave and just about rolled your eyes. we didn’t even look at each other as you walked past me on your way to the stage, even though zach was right in front of you and he and i congratulated one another. maybe you did look at me, i don’t know, i was only focused on getting out of there before i had to watch you walk across the stage, glad that you had to see me do it. mission accomplished. and that was the end.

so why am i awake at 3am still thinking of you three months later? i’ve talked to plenty of other guys since. proved to myself that i’m desirable and worthy, since you ended up making me feel so much the opposite. so why do you still occupy so much space in my mind? why can’t i get over this?

it’s lonely in this little town. you probably don’t even remember the name. i miss my friends, i don’t see them nearly as often as i’m used to, it’s hard to believe i have to spend the next year plus here, alone. do you remember when you said you’d come visit me? that was sweet. you were the first person to say that to me. those little moments drive me crazy. i find myself spending so much time wishing i could go back in time with what i know now. i feel like i just keep getting unhappier.

i’ve been sick all week. i wonder what you’ve been up to. as i approach more networking requirements in my career, i find myself both terrified and yet secretly hoping that we’ll bump into each other again. fate has always had it’s funny way with us, after all.

[puredivinity]

untitled.avi | eren jaeger

hi, hope you enjoy <3

warnings: nsfw (18+), sex on camera/camera sex, ever so slight degradation, unprotected sex, semi-public sex (photographer’s studio), creampies, spitting, cumplay, snowballing (don’t look at me), college au. there’s a threesome hidden in here somewhere, look for it and you’ll see. Eren is also a tease. <3 

word count: 2.6k

It was your idea. Your idea.

Your silly, stupid, and offhanded suggestion while eating lunch with him.

‘Perhaps we should make one of those,’ you laughed with him, referring to an OnlyFans post you’d seen earlier in the sitting while scrolling through Twitter. Eren had only snorted in response, which was more of a reaction that you thought he’d give you—he didn’t like when people touched his stuff. His property—whether it be his girlfriend or his headphones—wasn’t allowed to be touched, and especially not seen. Not like that.

He never shot down the idea, though. Instead, he drank in the idea, flipping it through his mind like one would flip a coin absentmindedly. Mulling over it, smoothing out the idea and potential execution in his mind. He’d heard about it plenty of times, and not once in his careful deliberation did he seriously consider the fact that you might’ve been joking because he wasn’t.

He connected the dots a week later when he met up with you at your home. You were studying, reviewing some problems in Calculus—that he honestly couldn’t care less about—when he clicked his pen and caught your attention. “You remember what you said the other week?” Eren drummed his fingertips on the table, green eyes staring right into yours with an expression you couldn’t quite put your finger on.

You raised an eyebrow in confusion. “To be fair,” you put down your textbook on the wooden table, “I said a lot of things last week. Do you mean when we were at lunch?” He nodded. “Then okay, enlighten me, because I’m still confused.”

“You brought up something about that website, OnlyFans,” your eyes widened slightly at his words, “Said somethin’ about making an account. I’ve been thinking about it and—“

“Yeah, yeah, I remember,” you scratched your cheek with your nail, “but I was just kidding, I didn’t think you’d take it seriously.”

“Well I did, and I’ve been thinking about it since you asked me. Though I didn’t think you were joking, so there’s that.” Of course, he didn’t. “So, is that a no?”

“It’s not a no or a yes,” you mumbled and averted your gaze away from Eren’s intense one. Sure you had considered doing that, but not seriously. You had said it as a joke and had fully intended for it to be that and only that, but you can’t sit here and honestly say that no part of you doesn’t want in; the idea of camera sex is enticing, tempting even, but there are risks of people finding out. “Say we do this,” you folded your hands in your lap, eyes focused on the way your thumbs twiddled in nervousness, “there are too many risks, aren’t there? What if someone sees or recognizes me? Or you?”

“I’m fine with being recognized. I don’t care if anyone sees, or doesn’t see, so it’s no issue for me,” he nudges your foot underneath the table to get you to look at him, “it’s only a suggestion, babe. We don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He’s right, and you know it; he wouldn’t press the matter any further if you gave a sign that you were uncomfortable and that you didn’t want to do it. The only reason you hadn’t outright refused the proposal is that there’s a part of you that did. A part of you that wanted to be on camera, fucking your boyfriend even just to watch it back on your own. The mere idea had heat rising between your legs. Although reluctantly, and with knowing the risks you faced, you agree.

“Sure,” you murmured, speaking low to hide your shame in admitting this out loud, even though the two of you were alone in your dorm room.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you?” There was a hint of teasing in his voice, and a twinge of happiness in his eyes. Asshole.

“I said sure,” you huffed and lightly kicked his shin with your foot, “get back to work before I change my mind.” He made you roll your eyes with a wide grin and picked up his pencil.

Your idea, to which he happily agreed.

creamy pussy.avi

PLAY: 05:07

“Look at the viewfinder,” he murmured to you, tilting your head up with three fingers, “You’re so wet and we’ve barely even done anything.”

The red light on the expensive camera is blinking, an indication that it’s recording. It has about five minutes to the tape, and Eren’s been absolutely nothing but a tease in that time—teasing you with his fingers, slipping his cock through your slick folds—it’s unfair.

He has you kneeling above him, legs parted and your entire body is bare, save for your panties that hang just between your thigh and your calf. They’re soaked—so much so that the camera picks up on it—and you’re dripping down your thighs. Two fingers plug you from below—Eren is right beneath you, legs outstretched and pants pulled down to his mid-thighs, and his cock stands free. You’re leaking onto him, which he relentlessly teases you for, and you think that if you could see your face, you would be embarrassed. It’s nearly enough to make you close your eyes, but you don’t; you want to see what he’s doing to you.

Eren retrieves his middle and ring fingers from your cunt, shiny and coated with your slick. “Look,” he coos, feigning awe, and you cannot help but follow his words, “you’re drenched, princess. You see that?” You nod and receive a light tap on the ass. “They can’t hear you.”

‘Mhm,’ comes the quick, high-pitched reply that he was looking for. He’s really glad he chose the zoom lens for this video, because it gives the audience (and you) a perfect view of your drooling pussy and puffy clit, pushing out from beneath your hood. His favorite is the way you clench around him when he sinks his fingers back in, and practically beg him for more when he removes them; it’s music to his ears.

He brings his fingers up to your mouth, pushing the soaked tips against your lips, and you open; wide, wrapping your pretty lips around his large fingers, resting on your tongue. Swirling your tongue up and over the digits—one, two, three times—and he heartily praises you, calling you a ‘good girl’.

Eren curls an arm around your hips, holding you firmly, tightly in place, and the head of his cock bumps your swollen clit, making you gasp in response; “Sink,” he commands and you obey, not wasting a second to angle your hips just right, and cock slips through that first ring of muscle, and you can feel his stare burn you from behind.

Removing his fingers from your obedient mouth, his hands fall to your thighs and hold your legs in a tight grip, prying them open so your pussy is on full display for the camera; stuffed full of his cock and creaming around him. “Look at that, guys,” he pushes his hips upward and spreads around some of the cream gathered at the base, “isn’t that just sinful?”

lingerie.avi

PLAY: 15:29

The light on the camera blinks again, and you’re fifteen and a half minutes into the video. The room you’re in is lit red, and it’s dark, but there’s just enough light for the viewer to tell exactly what you’re doing.

Eren’s fingers dig into the soft flesh of your inner thighs, leaving nail-shaped marks deep enough to stay for a while as he drapes them right over his shoulders. He’s sucking shamelessly at your clit and curling his fingers just right inside of you, tongue lapping up the white liquid he stuffed you full of just moments prior.

You’d just finished a lingerie shoot for his magazine, and he took liberties on being the last one in the studio, not even bothering to be sure that he locked the door before he ravished you on the pink couch they lent him for his shoot. It was clear on camera that something had already been done both to and on that couch, seeing as there were wet spots directly above your head and below you.

“Oh—oh, please,” you tangled your fingers in his hair and your toes curled, “I can’t—I can’t take anymore.”

“You can take whatever I give you, princess,” He murmured to you in reply, a thin line of saliva leading from his open mouth to where he detached from you, “you know that.”

You don’t have time or the words in your muddled brain to form a coherent sentence before he makes you cum and squirt all over his fingers, delivering two light ‘slaps’ to your pussy. He rises up and out of frame, kneeling on the cushion beside you and pressing a kiss to your shoulder while grinning at the camera.

He uses his index and ring fingers to spread your pussy lips and dips his middle finger in your hole. The pressure forces some cum to leak out and start pooling below you, and Eren lets out a very pleased chuckle.

“See? How pretty.”

Video 1 of 2 - double.avi

PLAY: 11:04

This time, it’s a multi-perspective shot. The main camera in front of you and the second one is positioned right below your spread legs. The angle obscures most of your face, showing from your lips downward, zoomed in on you and your position. Bare for the camera, save for a thin red collar loosely secured around your neck and a dress that's been bunched up to your waist and since forgotten.

Only the two of them can see it, but the sight of you is one to behold; you look amazing with your makeup smeared and running down your cheeks, so much so that both of them took a picture. The cameras on their phones flash and you blink away the thought of someone seeing you on your knees like this.

You’re finally more in the frame after four videos, and Eren is quick to tell you to wave and you waste no time in obeying. “Say hello and be good.” He groans when you take him fully, “N’ pay attention to him, too.” Eren lets out a loud moan mingled with a swear, pushing your head down to shoot his cum down your throat, “Don’t ignore him.”

You pull away from him, making eye-contact through glossy and hazy eyes. You stick your tongue out for him, showing him the way his cum sits on it, not swallowing for him like the good girl you are.

“Good,” he approves, jerking his head forward. “Don’t swallow until he tells you.”

You take Eren in your right hand and turn your attention to the man on your left. His eyes rest on the sight before him, drinking it in. He lifts a hand from his side and cups your jaw, tilting your head down so he can get a better look. “Open wider,” Armin tells you and you comply, batting your eyelashes and opening as wide as you could. He makes a noise of approval and doesn’t break eye contact as he spits in your mouth, mirroring Eren’s satisfied smirk.

“Good enough?” Eren asks, watching the two of you with hooded eyes.

“Mm,” Armin hums and nods his head, “For now. Swallow.”

You waste no time following the orders that you were given.

“Good girl.”

Video 2 of 2 - penetration.avi

PLAY: 10:02

Your head is pushed down into the mattress by one of Armin's hands, and the other rests on your hip, digging into it to keep you firmly in place. Eyes rolling back in your head, all you can do is sit there and moan, squeezing your eyes shut and gripping the sheets beneath you for some sort of support. Armin’s said almost nothing the entire time he’s been fucking you, letting the sounds of your moans and the squelching sound of your pussy do all the talking for him. He’s made you cum with his fingers and his cock repeatedly, and Eren’s praised you both.

You, for taking him so well, and Armin for fucking you so well.

“Look at the camera,” Armin says in a tone that sounds like he’s hissing at you, and loosens his grip enough that you can. “Look at yourself, you see that? How you’re fuckin’ losing yourself right now? You see that?” He gives a particularly harsh thrust of his hips when you make no move to answer him, “I asked you a question, didn’t I, princess?”

“What? Pretty girl can’t take it?” Eren coos and takes on a teasing tone of voice. He comes to sit beside Armin, zooming the camera in on your pleased expression. He knows he’ll have to blur it later, for safety purposes (and because you’ll probably kill him if he doesn’t) but he cannot help but enjoy your fucked-out look. You’re losing it — having been built up and brought back down by both of them several times, after hours and hours of this. You’ve been so good, letting them hear your pretty mewls and moans, your cute little pleas for more. It’s especially delightful when your toes curl as Armin’s cock twitches inside and he fills you for the nth time, alongside Eren.

“I don’t think she can,” Armin huffs, blue eyes filled with something you’ve only seen in Eren. His nails dig in the flesh of your hips, leaving searing hot marks in their wake. “Mm,” he hums, “Do you think we should stop? Give her a break?”

Eren pretends to think while looking at you, and his eyes fall from your glossed over and half-lidded eyes to where Armin plugged your hole. It takes him longer than just a few seconds to answer, but he finally does.

“I suppose so,” Eren drawls, seemingly unsatisfied.

Armin uses his thumbs to pry your pussy open and slips himself out of you with ease. “Look at that,” Armin sighs, almost dreamily. “What a delight,” he purrs, and carefully flips you over on your back.

But just as carefully as he turned you, he was not so careful when throwing your legs over his shoulder and lapping at your cunt with his tongue, never mind the fact that you were still sensitive. His tongue flicked over your clit, and three times was all you could count to before he had your vision going blank again.

A few seconds later, Armin was pressing his lips to yours, pushing something between your lips and it settled on your tongue. It’s quite thick and heavy, not bitter, but you realize what it is. He pulls back from you, leaving behind a thin string of saliva from his lips to yours. “Don’t swallow,” he tells you, turning your head toward Eren holding the camera.

Without him telling you, you stick your tongue out, and the camera gets an amazing view of the white liquid on your pink tongue, some dribbling out of the corners of your mouth.

The star of the show.

“Well?” Eren asks and presses the spacebar on his laptop, turning to face you. “You still wanna go through with your idea?”

You ponder for a moment, but the answer was at the tip of your tongue before he’d even finished the question. “Yeah.”

Eren snorts at your lack of hesitation. “You sure, princess?”

You nod. “Absolutely.”

Eren turns back to his laptop and presses the button to upload the videos.

Upload [untitled.avi]?

[Yes] No

tagging: @levilaughlove69, @proseofpandemonium, @starstruckkittensweets, @rainteslerrrr, @alrightberries, @redhairedace, @jean-does-not-have-a-horseface, @jaegerbrat, @asterroidd, @imonmylastthreadofsanity, @hexbestfriend, @thethyri, @gojosweets, @namrekcaivel

[twentytarot]

hello, everyone!! i know it's been a hot hot minute since i've posted a PAC but uni has actually been whooping me like a piñata at a kid's party so i've been on my school grind. recess week is approaching, though, so hopefully i'll have time for another reading soon! anyway, today's advice is on your career. what do you need to know to get through the next few months and year? pick your pile, scroll down, and let's find out! enjoy~ 👩🏻‍💻

PILE ONE: CANDY ORANGE

it seems like act one of your career life was a success, and you're ready to move on to bigger and better things! congratulations, friend, but the future will not be easy if you want to reach your full potential.

you need to know and remember that you can do anything you set your mind to. people are going to tell you otherwise: some because they want to keep you down, some because they truly believe it. you are nothing like any of these people. you are meant to climb higher, you are meant to do the impossible. it might feel like what i'm saying is too far-fetched right now, but all you need to do is look around you, look at all these weak foundations that are about to crumble, look at all the things you need to do, and you'll realise that the castles are crumbling beneath your feet because they are meant to be built back up by you.

so people aren't going to like it. people, especially those that have no intention on allowing you to lead them, are going to call you young and naive for thinking you can make impactful change. but here's the thing: you know you can. so do it anyway. don't let your passions turn into burdens because of a few moments of cowardice. it's part of your career purpose to change the way people do things, to grow into a full-fledged leader, to break traditions that no longer serve your workplace. have courage, and you can do anything you set your mind to. good luck!

PILE TWO: BUBBLE TEA

right now, you're scared, my dear. you just feel unprotected by the people around you; in fact, you feel like some of them may be out to get you when you haven't even done anything other than mind your own business and get work done well. half of it may be true, because either you're starting something new or your existence is something new to others at the workplace, and people may be trying to size you up. but there's good part of this that's just your anxious personality talking. i feel like people disappoint you and treat you carelessly often, so you sit there and brace yourself for the next person to attack, a weapon in each hand, instead of developing yourself and growing. it's not that they won't disappoint you or treat you badly— this is unavoidable. they will promise you the world and give you a spinning globe. however, knowing this should not paralyse you. once you desensitise yourself to these people, you free up so much space in your mind and heart to focus on other things that really matter. people being nasty in general is something that will never change, so put your effort into something that can be changed like your knowledge and skills. have the courage to keep moving on your own, and lean on the people that have been there, supporting you from the start. believe that you are supported; if not by your colleagues, then by the universe. you got this!

PILE THREE: STRAWBERRIES

it's time! time for you to tie up the last few loose ends of whatever you were doing and finally start doing what it is you were meant to do. your world is about to change quite drastically, but don't look back and feel like you wasted time— see it all as a rite of passage that you had to go through in order to get right here, right now. with a tad more wisdom and inspiration, you can find a way to put everything you wanted to achieve mid-life together. i see you also wanting to make some space for a new family, how sweet! honestly, i don't think you need much advice. just one thing: when you feel like the weights on your ankles have been removed just to be replaced with another pair, think about the line that divides stability from getting weighed down. does it feel like you're on the right side of that line?

make sure you're always reading up and keeping yourself up to date! you're not really the kind of person to just jump in out of nowhere— either you've never been like this, or you're past your impulsive days. stay wise and in control, and very happy, fulfilling days of being able to give back and lead are in your future!

PILE FOUR: LEMON

unlike all the other piles here, you're going to need to be a little patient because things will take a while to fall into place for you. many of you are young, looking for your first position in your career, looking for a place in university that fits, and i don't see you being extremely committed to anything yet, career-wise. that being said, there is something that you've been hoping for, some kind of aspiration or pipe dream, and you're going to be led to the first step in achieving that goal soon. it looks like either a job or a scholarship; whatever it is, it's going to be something that demands more of your commitment and effort, but it's going to be very good for your career, especially in the long term. when called upon to make your choice, don't be wishy-washy about it. you will know what you really want, so don't second guess yourself and go for it! your hard work and determination is sure to be rewarded.

in the meantime, use this knowledge to keep moving forward and don't be discouraged if things are taking longer than you expected to work out. take life's moments as they are, because they only pass you by once. the future will follow whether you think about it or not. have a great day!

[neonacity]

LUCID | NCT DREAM ‘00 LINE X READER | CH.3

LUCID DREAMS - A TYPE OF DREAM WHEREIN THE PERSON IS AWARE THAT THEY ARE CAUGHT IN A DREAM WORLD.

Summary: It was supposed to be a harmless, professional transaction. You were to tutor a group of boys, get your pay at the end of the day, and go home to your loving fiance. Kids aren’t supposed to be dangerous, right? So why, then, are you caught up in a web of madness that slowly makes you feel like you’re in a living nightmare?

A/N: Third chapter is here! Again, thank you to all those who are supporting the story. Once again, this is a yandere plot featuring NCT Dream ‘00 line which means there will be mature themes in the story as well as obsessive, toxic behavior. If you’re a minor, please refrain from interacting. If this isn’t your thing, then just scroll and skip. In no way am I condoning anything written here— this is not love, this is obsession—nor do I think that any of the people mentioned here will act any way like in this story. This is purely a work of fiction.

Genre: yandere, horror, suspense

TW: abuse, obsessive behavior, toxic relationships, suggestive scenes, stalking, possible kidnapping, mental health. Age gap–though nothing dramatic. Everyone is of legal age. Creepy, creepy, creepy! This will be updated as the story goes along.

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

“Insane madness of the living can be more, more terrible than the bloody hunger of the undead...”

― Silvia Liam

The rules of hunting down prey are simple. First, you observe to take note of their weakness, then you stalk...waiting for the right opportunity to take your shot. Hunting is more often about a game of time than aim sometimes. You jump too soon and you risk scaring your target to a successful escape, or you do it too late that you let them fully slip through your grasp. Hunting... has always been about perfect timing.

"You already know the rules of the game, right boy?"

The frail form of a seven year old child cowered against the foot of a dead tree, eyes shaking as it regarded the man leering at him. The sky was a deep dark velvet above them, and the only source of light came from the full moon that dipped in and out between the passing clouds. A bell dingled from the tight chain strapped around his left ankle when he moved, the sound causing the smile on the man's face twist into a wicked grin.

The hum of a gun being cocked sent the boy to give a choked sob. He shakily tried to stand up from his spot and pressed his palm against the rough bark of the tree to support himself, his wide eyes set on the looming form that has taken a step closer to where he stood.

"It's the first sturgeon moon tonight, so we are going to change the rules a little bit, okay?" Those words only made the child shake harder, the thin shirt he had now clinging to him like second skin due to the cold sweats gripping him.

"You run. And if I catch you, you die," the man cooed as he craned his face a bit to the side, causing the light from the moon to illuminate his features briefly. He looked handsome, inhuman, like he was one of the fallen souls exiled to earth at the beginning of times.

The man moved the arm holding his hunting gun and used it to lift the chin of the boy still cowering in front of him. He smiled—a smile so beautiful and dangerous it can make angels weep.

"But if you die, then your brothers will be the one running in this forest to take your place. So...make sure I don't catch you, hmm?"

Tears finally streamed down the bruised cheeks of the child as he realized what he was up to tonight. Eyes wide with fear, he pushed himself off the tree he was leaning on and started making a run for it.

He could still hear his words even as he dove deep into the woods, the bell on his feet masking his thundering footsteps.

"Seven bullets! You have one minute to hide, son~!"

Gunshots pierced the night air like a wailing scream.

------

Bang!

Jeno lowered his hunting rifle and let go of his breath slowly. Despite the shadows cast by the towering trees surrounding him, his eyes could still clearly see the slight flailing of the fawn he just shot before it went completely still. Above him, a flock of crows looked down on the fallen prey with their beady eyes, as if gauging the best time to dive for their feast.

He slowly picked himself up from his hiding spot, a wide oak tree with overarching branches that hid him from sight. He's been crouched there for a good half hour or so, just waiting for the fawn to finally circle the area. He's been observing it for the past week or so, taking note of its routes, and today he decided to make the kill.

Unlike other hunters, Jeno prefers the thrill that comes with stalking his prey over simply making a successful game. For him, the fun of hunting is in the process and not in its ending—a kill , after all, means nothing if you didn't work hard for it.

He looked down on the small fawn now as it lay lifeless on the mossy forest ground with its glassy eyes still open. Leaning over, he lightly pressed his hand over it to feel its heartbeat just to check if he killed it properly.

It was so beautiful and graceful just prancing in the forest a few days ago….it would be a shame if it suffers now.

"Hey, you got it?" A voice from the edge of the clearing made him look around. Haechan emerged from between the trees, his own hunting rifle slung over his shoulder.

"Yup. What did you get?"

The other boy lifted a brown sack and gave it a light shake.

"Got three rabbits. I'm too lazy to skin them here so I'll just ask Taeyong-hyung to do it. Want to go back now?"

Jeno turned to look back at the fawn in front of him briefly before finally shaking his head. He didn't really want to go back to the mansion yet, so he decided to just throw an excuse to the other for now.

"You go ahead. I'll just skin it right here," he said casually over his shoulder at his brother. Haechan, too cold and too bored to stay another minute in the humid woods, gave a wave of his hand before turning back. Unlike Jeno, he prefers the comforts and luxuries of the manor over anything else.

"I'll go ahead then. Try to get back before nightfall, the forest can be a dangerous place~" he said in a sing-song voice, knowing full well it was a useless warning he just gave.

Jeno simply ignored him and silently pulled his skinning knife from his belt so he could get to work. Nights in the forest have never scared him, he knew it like the back of his hand.

If anything, it is the creatures there who should be terrified of him.

------

You glanced over at Jisung and Chenle who were currently immersed in their readings over the page you’ve been scanning. The sun is about to set in just a few minutes and you have the last session of the day scheduled for the pair before you could pack up and go home. Your lips slightly quirked into a smile as you watched Jisung lean over slightly into the other to silently ask about something, Chenle looking up from his pages to roll his eyes before patiently answering. The two have such different personalities from each other, which adorably and ironically, makes them work so well together.

If you're going to be honest with yourself now, you'd say it is your time with the two youngest that you enjoy the most as Rosewood's tutor. Chenle and Jisung were withdrawn and shy at first, but the pair slowly started warming up to you as time went by. Maybe it's because they are younger, but you prefer the innocent air around them every time you would have your lessons. Chenle is the chattier and the more confident of the two, but with his help, even the shy Jisung also started lightly joking around with you on his best days.

That's not to say that you hate your time with the rest of the brothers. You've only ever had one session with Mark—which went so well as expected from the eldest—while the rest have always been polite and casual. There isn’t really anything about your job and connection with any of the boys that should put you on edge and yet... you have to admit that there are still those rare moments when you just feel as if something is out of place. You couldn't really place your finger on it, nor have you blatantly caught anything suspicious, but sometimes you just feel odd whenever you are around any of the four middle children. It’s something similar to being watched...like there is an imaginary pair of eyes always pinned to the back of your head, or the ghost feeling of hands hovering around your throat.

Your eyes flickered now to the grand clock on the far side of the room which finally struck five. Closing your own book which you have been scouring over, you called out towards the two who quickly looked up from their work.

"Alright, time's up. Have you answered the first two questions at least?" You asked with a smile. Chenle groaned and pointed at Jisung accusingly.

"I only got three questions because he kept disturbing me, noona."

Jisung frowned and you had to keep your laugh back with how offended he looked.

"Hey, I wasn't disturbing you. I was just asking questions."

"Okay, okay. Don't fight now. Do you want an extension for the chapter quiz? We do have our next lesson the day after tomorrow."

Their faces simultaneously lit up.

"Can we do that?" Chenle asked.

"Yes, but I'll have to leave you the assignment of reading another chapter and finishing the questionnaire for that as well. That'll be your homework, okay?" You tried your best to put on your best impression of a stern look, which only made the two giggle.

"Okay, noona."

"You promise you'll do it?"

Jisung put up his right hand and placed his left one over his heart.

"We promise."

That made you chuckle. "Well then, that will be all for today. I'll see you again tomorrow, okay? I'll have lessons with your brothers but just come to me if you have any questions." You gathered the rest of the papers that you have sprawled on the desk you were using before waving the two goodbye.

You were in the middle of trying to fit in a rather stubborn pile of files on your bag that you didn't really notice the tall figure that entered from the front door. When you finally looked up, it was already too late for you to stop crashing straight first into someone's chest, if not for the strong hands that held you steady. You felt an arm settle on your waist, and another on your back as you almost toppled when you hastily stepped back.

"Oh! I am so sorr—" you looked up with wide eyes to see Jeno looking down on you. Your words died in your throat when your eyes caught the red stain on his neck and you gasped.

"Jeno, what happened?!" Your voice raised in panic as you stared wide eyed at the blood running down the side of his neck. He gave you a slight look of confusion before raising a hand to touch the area you've been staring at.

"Ah… this…"

You didn't wait for him to finish. Quickly, you grabbed his hand and turned on your heels to drag him to the opposite direction. You didn't look back to see his surprised expression, and before he could even say anything, you had already pushed him into one of the expansive bathrooms down the nearest hallway.

"Sit there."

You pushed him urgently on the closed toilet seat before you proceeded to rummage on the hidden compartment behind the mirror that Taeyong showed you before. You quickly grabbed the box of first aid kit there and hastily opened an antiseptic wipe.

"Uhm...noona…"

You didn't pay him any attention, too focused on what you needed to do. You quickly kneeled in front of him so that you were more eye-level with each other before finally pressing the damp wipe against his injury.

"Shh. This might sting a little. We have to see how deep your wound is and stop the bleeding," you said, a small frown creasing your brows as your fingers gently dabbed at his skin. You were so focused on what you were doing that you didn't notice the light in his eyes shift as he looked at you closely. 

His gaze dropped to your slightly parted lips, then at the look of concentration on your features.

Are you...worried about him?

Your frown deepened as you finally managed to wipe most of the blood away from his skin. The antiseptic sheet you were using has already turned dark red from the liquid, but still you haven't—

"It's not my blood," Jeno said plainly, his voice suddenly sounding too close to you. You looked up to him in confusion, and for the first time you realized how close the two of you were. His gaze didn't waver from your face, pinning you into the spot where you are kneeling in front of him.

"Not your…"

"I was hunting. I was skinning the game I caught but my hand slipped and I hit a major vein. This is deer blood."

If your face wasn't burning after realizing how close the two of you were at the moment, it is definitely on fire now. You opened your mouth to say something, then closed it again in embarrassment. Jeno continued staring at you and you watched as his lips ever so slightly curled into a smirk.

That made you suddenly stand up from your crouch. He calmly followed you with his gaze, a mix of curiosity and amusement in his brown eyes.

"I-I'm so sorry. I thought you were injured so I panicked," you stuttered as your eyes fell on the bloody wipe that is still on your hands. You quickly ducked to throw it away just so you could avoid his gaze.

Jeno followed your every move closely before slightly leaning his head to the side. He seems to be mulling over something, face now devoid of any telling emotions.

"Were you concerned about me?" He asked, tone curious. You glanced at him in surprise, stunned that he would ask such a question. It was bad enough that you stumbled over your words when you finally managed a reply.

"Of course I was concerned. Anyone would be."

Jeno slowly stood up from where he sat and for the first time, you realized just how much he towered over you. It didn't help that the two of you were in a much smaller space than usual which sent a wave of claustrophobia to wash you over briefly. You involuntarily took a step back, eyes only high enough to meet the base of his neck.

"Why though?" He asked again, and you could genuinely hear the curiosity in his tone. You frowned. He was asking...as if he isn't used to such a level of care. As if things like this are so foreign to him.

"Because you are my student. And I wouldn't want to see anyone hurt."

For a moment, Jeno didn't say anything else. He simply looked at you while you tried so hard not to flinch under his heavy gaze.

Then, as if a switch had been turned, he took a step to the side to free some space between the two of you. Your eyes shot to his face when he did that, and you were met by his boyish smile that crinkled his eyes into half moons.

That made you blink. You see it on him whenever he is with the rest of his brothers, but it was the first time he ever smiled that way to you.

"Thank you, noona. I appreciate it."

It was as if a blockage in your throat dissolved all of a sudden. You smiled back, a sense of relief overtaking you.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I panicked, too."

"It's cute. Nobody has ever…" he trailed off before shrugging. "I guess, it's because we're all men here. So none of us are used to that kind of care."

You nodded slowly at that. It really must be hard...being in this kind of household. Now that you think about it, the boys are technically orphans.

"Anyway, I have to go. I need to get back before dark. I'm not really a big fan of night drives," you said as you picked up the bag you had haphazardly thrown into the sink in your panic earlier. Jeno simply watched you silently from where he stood.

"Make sure to be careful next time alright? Don't give anyone a heart attack again," you smiled before finally excusing yourself out. He smiled back and gave a nod of goodbye as you closed the door.

Jeno turned to the mirror in front of him and slowly touched the part of his neck where your fingers grazed earlier. It was cold now from the antiseptic you had rubbed, but he could still remember how good the warmth of your touch felt against his skin when you were trying to wash the blood away. He curled his fingers slightly over the area now, leaving half moon marks as his nails dug there.

Oh what he would do to have you touch him again.

-------

"Pretty neat, huh?" You grinned at Jaehyun as he parked the car in front of the manor. You watched as your boyfriend's eyes moved over the impressive facade of the structure in front of him, knowing full well that his architect training is kicking in.

"Not bad. Victorian-era, probably. The stones look old but the place looks pretty well-kept…"

You grinned to yourself now as you leaned back on your seat. Of course you have absolutely no reason to be proud of something you don't own, but you can't help but boast a little at your boyfriend. It is your workplace after all.

Jaehyun turned to his seat now to give you a slightly guilty smile. He sighed before reaching out for your hand.

"Are you sure you will be okay though? I'm sorry about borrowing your car all of a sudden, the timing is just so bad."

You gave his hand a squeeze before patting it with your other. He was supposed to go on a three day business trip away from the city when his car, all of a sudden, just wouldn't start this morning. He wouldn't make it if he waits for the shop to fix it so the both of you decided to just have him use yours for now. At least he has enough time to drive you to work, which is why the two of you now are parked outside the manor, 10 minutes before your first lesson has to start.

"Don't worry about it. I'll make sure to pick up your car later. I'll have the taxi drive me there."

Jaehyun glanced back at the mansion briefly.

"Are you sure you can get a taxi here though? This is pretty far off the main road…"

Well...to be honest, you weren't even really sure about that yourself but he didn't have to worry about it right now. You nodded and reached over for your bag with a smile.

"Yes. Or I'll just ask Taeyong for help if I can't get one. I'm pretty sure they have some taxi companies in contact."

Jaehyun still didn't look convinced but gave you a small nod nevertheless. His eyes were back to studying the house again which made you chuckle.

"Jae, I'll be fine. You have to go now or you'll be late to your conference. Thanks for driving me here," picking up the last of your things, you leaned over to give him a quick peck on the cheeks. He responded by pulling you over for a slightly longer kiss when you tried to move away.

"Yah, Jung Jaehyun. We'll both be late if you don't stop," you whispered softly with an amused tone. He laughed before finally letting you pull back.

"Just getting my fill of it since I won't see you in three days. Call me once you get home later, okay?"

"Mmn. Take care, too. Go get that deal closed," you gave him a wink before finally opening the passenger seat. You watched as he finally pulled away from the driveway and waited until he disappeared again on the long winding road before turning towards the manor again. You were almost at the front steps when the doors finally opened, spilling Haechan, Renjun, and Jaemin out of them. You frowned slightly as you took notice of the canvases they were carrying as you approached the group.

"Hey...are you going somewhere? Class is about to start." You asked curiously, eyes landing finally on the small leather bag that Renjun was carrying. It seems to be full of art supplies.

"We're doing a free art class today, right noona?" The eldest of the trio asked. You nodded, still a bit confused.

"Renjun suggested we do it in the garden since the weather is nice today," Jaemin finally said. "We think it'll be a nice change from the stuffy rooms inside," he slightly jerked his head back at the wide windows of the manor which are currently shut back with thick curtains. You glanced at them briefly too before nodding slowly in understanding.

"Oh… I mean… It's not a bad idea. We can have the first session outside while the sun is still bearable, I guess."

That made Jaemin, and most especially Renjun smile. The boy can be withdrawn most of the time, but you did notice that he looks happiest whenever you do creative classes.

"Thank you, noona."

"No problem. I'll just put my bag inside and then I'll follow you. Why don't you set up your things first?"

You've taken a couple of steps towards the front door already when Haechan suddenly spoke up.

"Who was with you, noona?"

That froze you on your tracks. Slowly, you turned to face the trio again. They saw Jaehyun drive off?

"Oh, that was my boyfriend. He dropped me off today," you said casually with a smile. Haechan leaned his head a little bit to the side in curiosity.

"But he took your car…"

"Yes, he did. His broke down so he had to borrow mine. He's leaving for a three-day trip so—" you stopped all of a sudden, realizing that you're explaining things too much. There's nothing wrong about what you said but there was still a part of you that made you feel a little...exposed. Jaemin, Haechan, and Renjun, fortunately, didn't seem to notice and continued to politely look at you.

"Anyway, I'll just grab a cab to go home," you continued with a smile. "There are some who stop by here, right?"

"Yes. Or we can just ask Taeyong-hyung to drive you. He is the only one who has a license among us," Jaemin offered with a casual shrug.

"Ah, maybe I'll have to bother him this one time if I can't get a cab," you said with a sheepish smile. "Okay, I do have to bring my things inside. I'll see you."

You have already reached the top of the steps before the double doors when you finally realized something. Quickly you turned to the three boys who were just about to disappear to the side of the house leading to the manicured gardens.

"Wait, where's Jeno?"

It was Jaemin who answered.

"Oh yeah. He can't come. He is on bed rest."

You frowned.

"What happened?"

Haechan snickered which caused Renjun to shoot him a reprimanding look.

"He got into a hunting accident," the boy explained as he barely tried to keep his lips from twitching with amusement. "He was foolish enough to get stabbed in the chest by a stag."

-----

You gave the oak wood door a few light taps before drawing your hand back to yourself. You still weren't sure if this is a good idea, and yet here you are standing outside Jeno's room, the expansive hallway making you feel too small and out of place. This is the first time you've been in this part of the mansion since you only ever roamed the lower floors for your classes, and you couldn't help but feel a little strange at the heaviness of the air clinging around you now.

Maybe it's because it is where the private quarters of the boys are, but the corridor was only slightly illuminated by dimmed lighting from the lamps on the walls. Everything was silent, and for a moment you wondered if you got the wrong door that Taeyong gave directions to when you told him you wanted to check on Jeno. You have already taken a step back and was about to turn away when you heard some rustling from inside the room. It was followed by a voice muffled by the thick wood separating you from the other side of the door.

"Come in."

You froze on your spot for a few seconds before finally managing to shake yourself to open the door before you slowly. Peering around it, the first thing you noticed was how big the room was—it looked more like a smaller section of a house than a private quarters. It was dark, but a quick look at it told you that it was mostly bare if you don't count the essentials, which is a simple desk by the side, a long couch, and, in the middle, a four poster bed.

Your eyes landed on Jeno who was looking at you with equal mild surprise. He was propped against the headboard of his bed, the light from the laptop on his lap illuminating his face. You noticed that he didn't have a shirt on, but most of his skin from the right shoulder down to his chest was covered by bandages.

"Hi," you smiled, suddenly feeling conscious now as you stepped into his room.

"Um. Hi. What are you…"

"I heard that you were injured so I just dropped by to check on you," you quickly answered to diffuse any awkwardness that is in danger of settling between the two of you. Jeno blinked, as if processing what you just said.

"Uh… sorry, I didn't realize that I might be disturbing you. I can also just go back another time and—"

"No," He said all of a sudden before you could excuse yourself. Quickly, he closed his laptop and put it away on his side. "You can stay for a bit."

"Oh...great. I uh…" your eyes roamed around his room once again, hoping to find a chair that is closer to his bed. There was none. You figured the couch was the only place you could go to so you started walking towards it, Jeno's eyes on you.

"You can sit here," he suddenly said and you looked up to see him pointing at the foot of his bed. That made you stop before glancing again at the couch at the farther side of his room, something which he immediately noticed.

"It's too far away. It'll be awkward for us to talk if you sit there,” he said, as if he read your mind. 

That...makes sense. With a slight nod, you closed the distance between you and the bed instead and chose to sit by its far end.

Jeno was back to watching you as you settled down, his expression curious. You softly cleared your throat.

"How are you feeling?"

He glanced down his chest briefly. "Oh, I'm fine. It didn't hurt as much during the weekend, but I was still told to stay in bed. I can't really move that much yet."

"What happened anyway?"

He scratched the back of his head almost sheepishly and looked away.

"I was trying to hunt a deer. I didn't know its mate was just around the area when I approached it so...yeah."

You winced as your eyes fell on his bandaged chest. You know next to nothing about hunting, but you know enough that an angry stag doesn't spell good news for anyone. Things could have been more serious for him.

"Are you sure that you shouldn't be in the hospital though?"

"Yes. We have a private doctor anyway. I just need to make sure I don't move too much to keep my wound from opening. And I also hate hospitals so I prefer to stay here…"

"You have to be more careful next time, okay Jeno? The forest is such a dangerous place…" you sighed before shifting your attention towards the window at the far wall of his room. He only had his curtains partially open but you could still see a sliver of the woods from where you sat.

Something about what you said shifted something in him. You missed it entirely thanks to the shadows from the room's dim lighting that masked his features, but it was there, hiding in plain sight.

"You take care of us so well."

You turned to him again as you heard him whisper something.

"What?"

Jeno simply smiled. He leaned back against the headboard, as if mulling over something.

"Since noona is worried about me, can you help me change my bandages?"

You blinked. That wasn't something you expected him to ask at all. Before, you figured Jeno to be one of the more withdrawn among the brothers, always with this air of intimidation about him, but lately, he has been throwing you off with these kinds of moments. He isn't flirty like Jaemin or sly and playful like Haechan, but he’s just so...direct. Almost pushy, sometimes. 

"I uhm… I don't know. I wouldn't know how to do it, maybe I can call someone and—"

You watched as he already started to undo the bandages on his torso, your eyes growing wide as he started to expose more skin.

"Jeno wait, I think we should call Taeyong for thi—oh my god."

Your words were cut off when he finally let the last of the bandages fall to reveal the cut on his torso. It started from his right chest, a few inches above the collarbone, and ran sideways to the middle where it cut off. Stitches held the skin together, and you could see the darkening sides of the flesh where it broke.

Yet it wasn't only that which caught your attention. Despite the dimness of the room, you could see other marks in his body, old scars that adorned his pale skin here and there. They varied in length and thickness, and you couldn't figure out what might have caused them. Were they from hunting accidents too…?

You immediately turned to look away. You didn't want to seem rude for staring. Jeno, however, seemed unbothered, if not mildly amused. Watching you through hooded eyes, he let you squirm for a little bit first before finally calling for your attention once more.

"Noona."

"Yes?"

"Help me, please?"

The tone he used on you finally made you turn with a slight wince, which only made him chuckle.

"You're not used to seeing injuries?"

"I'm not fond of them. I don't think anyone is."

“So let's get this over with then. I just need you to hold one side of the bandage for me while I wrap it again. It's hard when I do it alone."

You were about to open your mouth to say something again but chose to purse your lips after in the end. With a soft sigh, you finally picked yourself up from your spot by the foot of the bed to move closer to him. Jeno had already uncapped what looked to be a bottle of antiseptic at this point and had started to dab gently at his cut. You tried to watch without wincing too much as he tried to do the job, but it was probably too painful for him to move too much because he was missing a lot of it.

"Hey, just give me that. I'll do it," you asked as you gently took the cotton pad from him. Jeno wordlessly let you take it, eyes closely watching you as you ducked a little to clean his wound. You tried your best to keep your eyes on target, not allowing them to move anywhere else…

"It looks so bad… I'm surprised you can still move…" you whispered, more to yourself than to him as you frowned over it. You completely missed the way the corners of Jeno's lips ever so slightly tilted as your fingers brushed against his skin.

"Your fiance must have never gotten injured before, noona."

Your hand froze at what he said. Slowly, you looked up at him, only to see him smile at you.

"How did you…"

"Oh, Taeyong-hyung told us. He just reminded us to be nice to you or else you might quit. He said you are saving up for your wedding."

You didn't say anything at first after his explanation. There's nothing wrong about it, and it seems very in-character for Taeyong to say that since he seems to be the most worried about the possibility of you quitting. Still, you couldn't help the odd feeling that tugged at your chest, one you tried to shove back as you turned your attention again to what you were doing just so you could escape Jeno's gaze.

"Well… yes. I am saving up for it. But I also enjoy my time here… so far…"

Jeno smiled to himself as he looked down on you, eyes watching your every move.

"We'll behave too, we promise," he said softly that you almost didn't catch it.

"Until then, I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't mind us borrowing you from him."  

----

"Jisung! Chenle! Don't run too far into the forest, okay?" Taeyong called out to the two boys who have already turned on their tails and have started running towards the woods. You watched as the two laughed and pushed at each other playfully before finally disappearing into the forest edge.

Taeyong sighed beside you and let the hands he had on his hips fall to his sides. You turned to him and he gave you an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry for suddenly asking you to watch over them. I totally forgot that I had to drive the rest to their dentist appointment today," he said with a scratch of his head. You simply shook a hand at him to wave him off.

"Don't worry about it. I don't have any other classes today anyway so I'll just wait here for them. But... uh... are you sure that it is safe for them to play there?"

"Yes. As long as they stay in the right zones. There are parts there where some wild animals might roam around this season but Jisung and Chenle already know that, don't worry. It won't be the first time they'll be going there too. They've been playing there since they were kids."

You nodded slowly, still a little bit unsure as your gaze floated over to the woods once more. If it were you, you wouldn't let them go near it, especially after what happened to Jeno.

"I'll have to go then. I promise I'll be back by 5. Then I can drive you back to town after."

You turned to look at Taeyong once more and gave him a grateful smile. You usually would have declined the offer under normal circumstances, but you honestly think it will be easier and safer for you to just have him take you back later.

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

The other nodded before giving you one last smile. Turning around, you watched him go to the car where Haechan, Renjun, and Jaemin were already waiting. Jeno was still in bed rest, so he is skipping the impromptu trip this time.

You only turned back to look at the woods ahead when you finally saw the black sedan disappear down the road. The forest looked foreboding in front of you, one look at it and you know there is no way you'll venture there in your own free will. With a sigh, you picked up the book you've brought with you and let yourself take a seat by the grass as you wait for Jisung and Chenle to return.

A sudden sharp caw that tore the air made you look up in surprise from the current chapter you were reading. You didn't have any idea how much time had already passed after you lost yourself in your book, but you were surprised to see that the sky had gone red over the horizon as a flock of crows soared from the depths of the forest. You watched as they circled just above the trees before finally disappearing far into the sky. That was when you realized it; it's been a while since Jisung and Chenle left.

With panic slowly creeping into your chest, you glanced at your watch then back at the mansion behind you. Taeyong didn't say anything about a curfew for the two kids, but your own sense told you that the pair should be back before night falls. Your gut told you that you should start looking for them, but the problem is that there is still more than half an hour left before Taeyong said they will return and the only other person left in the manor was Jeno—who can't even get out of bed. 

You swallowed. Before you could make any decision, however, a bone-chilling sound floated into the air that made your blood turn cold. It was faint at first, making you wonder if it was just your imagination playing tricks on you, but then it called out again, and you felt your heart drop to your stomach.

It was Chenle. Screaming.

You broke into a run without a second thought.

It took you everything you have not to topple over the uneven forest floor as you wove through the trees. You have no idea where you were going, your mind and vision reeling as you tried to follow the voice. Your skirt have caught countless times on shrubberies and wayward tree barks as you tore through the woods but you kept going, not minding the tears on the fabric and the skin of your legs.

"Chenle! Jisung! Where are you!"

You called out desperately when the cries suddenly stopped. You were only barely aware of your heart thundering in your chest and your lungs burning from overexertion.

No. No. Don't stop screaming. I can't find you if you do.

"Chenle! Jisung!" You called out again desperately as you stopped at the edge of what seemed to be a small patch of land that dropped off to a ravine. The trees beyond were denser than the ones at the edge of the forest and the already fading light of the day wasn't helping the thick canopies above you that rained shadows on where you stood. You looked around and swallowed thickly. Something inside of you told you to turn around and run again but you stayed frozen on your spot, waiting for any sound from the kids.

It took you a few more heartbeats to pick up something again. Jisung's voice sounded far off to your right, maybe about 15 meters from where you currently are.

"Noona! Help! Chenle fell down!"

Your adrenaline jumped into action again.

"Jisung?! Jisung! Wait—Is Chenle with you?” A soft voice called out and you breathed in as you recognized the latter's tone. “I'm coming! Don't stop calling for me, okay, so I can find you!"

You were about to turn away from the edge of the steep ravine you were still standing on when you felt your back hit something hard. Before you could even turn around to look at it, however, a blunt force hitting the middle of your shoulder blades sent you toppling forward, straight into the sharp fall beyond.

You screamed, before everything went quiet as your head hit the bedrock below.

---

A.N. GOD THIS WAS SO LONG IM SO GLAD IT IS FINALLY DONE.

Taglist:  @negincho,  @jhornytrash, @jaeminhyuckiii, @jungwoosswhore, @jsturkey​, @aj--7, @pukupukupawpau​, @tomiesgirlfren​, @vsszn

CHAPTER 4

[maeve-writes]

Heroes

Pairing: Stripper!Bucky Barnes x Reader x Stripper!Steve Rogers

Rating: 18+, Minors DNI 

Warnings: Adult situations, alcohol consumption, allusion to mild cheating(??). More to be added later.

Summary: It’s your friend’s birthday and you’re dragged to the Heroes club. You’re not one for that kind of place, but you quickly change your mind after you get to play the damsel in distress for a pair of Brooklyn babes. 

a/n: Unbeta’d, any mistakes are my own and please forgive me. This is the second story I’ve written in a while. Forgive me?

You normally don’t go to these sorts of places but it was your friend’s 30th birthday and it was on her bucket list. Luckily, you weren’t talked into planning any of it, just had to toss in some cash for the fee to get in and the never ending flow of drinks, plus the very special Birthday Girl Dance package.

It took you three years after the second Magic Mike movie came out to watch the first one. The idea of male strippers seemed odd. But, when you really thought about it, so did female strippers. 

Nevertheless, the night ultimately wasn’t about you, it was about your friend and her birthday. You were happy to be there with your friends, enjoying the celebration and drinks, seeing hot guys take off their clothes was a weird added bonus.

Heroes was the club to go if you wanted to see buff dudes bare it all. Tara, the birthday girl, had been raving about it for months. She found videos of it online and shared them in your group chat. That, of course, had your other friends looking for more videos and all of them started to have their favorites.

“Girl, some of them even give private shows,” Sonya, the oldest and who was supposed to be the responsible one of your group, mock-whispered excitedly.

You tried not to roll your eyes as your gang was escorted to the front table near the stage. It was a semicircular booth where small round tables came up from the floor, big enough for drinks, but small and spaced out enough to allow for bodies to move around and in between.

Your host was a slender built guy on the younger side, barely old enough to be allowed in. He had a baby face and a boyish smile, but his muscles were well defined as the club forced him to be shirtless save for the small bow tie around his neck with a spider in the middle, and the tiny pair of shorts that cupped his rear which stayed there by what you guessed was his will or magic. Maybe both.

“Here you are, ladies,” he guided, instructing Tara to take her seat near the middle. “The name’s Peter- uh Spider-Man. I’ll be taking care of you tonight.”

That set off a fit of giggles from your friends which caused a full body flush from your waiter. His embarrassment tugged at your heartstrings. “New at this, Mr. Spider,” you asked.

His flush darkened and he rubbed absently at the back at his neck after he passed out the menus. “It’s Spider-Man,” he corrected you, “but is it that obvious?” You tilted your head and scrunched up your nose, parting your pointer and thumb a small ways apart. He laughed in return, his shoulders relaxing a little. You gave him a wink and a smile before the rest of your friends attacked the poor kid with their drink and food orders.

You felt sorry for the guy, but he seemed to have loosened up a bit since your small, playful banter and your friends ate up his boyish charm. 

While you waited for your turn to order, you looked around the club to find its sleek design, not something you thought a strip club would offer. The walls were painted black, accented by silver framed posters of the dancers. Above each were white neon lights that spelt out their Hero name.

The rest of the booths were like your own, made of soft black cushions, black metal bases which were illuminated underneath by white light. The tables that sprang from the ground were polished silver necks with textured tempered glass tops to keep drink slipping and spilling to a minimum.

Of course, all of the booths surrounded the stage, which was mostly closed off by a thick black curtain, save for the large catwalk that split half of the sitting area in two. It was wide enough to fit three large men comfortably across it, shoulder to shoulder, and from some of the videos your group shared, they had done so before.

When Peter- there was no way you were going to refer to him by his Hero name- got to your order last, you could hear other rowdy groups start to file in. A couple of bachelorette parties, a girl’s 21st birthday, and a Happy Divorce Finalization Day were all joining you. Your friends quickly became friends with everyone in the room, so even if the show sucked, at least all of you could get drunk and have fun.

“Excuse me, ladies,” a voice rang out above you. Cheers burst from the crowd and every light in the room popped out and stayed out until the room fell silent. “Now that I have your attention…” A tall, dark man walked out from the split of the curtains. He wore a wireless microphone over his ear, an eyepatch over his eye which rested just above a self assured smile. Dressed in a fitted pair of leather pants and combat boots, he strode to the center crossroads of the stage and catwalk, “My name is Director Fury. I will be introducing you to your Heroes tonight.” He paused for another round of catcalls. “And hopefully we can save you from the Villains, too.” That drew out louder screams from the crowd.

“Now, what do we do to the bad girls like you,” he paused, looking pointedly to the crowd, “we contain,” he pulled a piece of rope from the back of his pants and tossed it into a group nearby, “detain,” he pulled out cuffs and twirled them around a finger before he threw those out as well, “and entertain.” With that, the bass dropped and the curtain flew open, behind Director Fury were the Heroes (and Villains) in all of their sweat slicked glory. 

Once the Director stepped aside, the seven dancers on stage began their opening routine. Dressed in black vests and tear-away leather pants, the men paraded around the stage and catwalk to the thump of the music, pulling off pieces of their clothing as they went. The women around you went wild, snatching at whatever was tossed their way, fighting playfully for it. While it seemed incredibly silly, Tara was having the time of her life and you absently sipped at your Tequila Sunrise while you scrolled on your phone. 

The dance number finished not two minutes later with a screaming cheer and standing ovation from the rest of the already slightly tipsy crowd. Director Fury came out while the dancers disappeared into the back to get ready, he worked the crowd, mentioning the brides-to-be and promised them a very special wedding gift before the night was over. “But I heard there were a couple of birthdays here,” Fury said, looking between your group and the one behind you. “Now, I’m going to get the young gun back there in a moment, but… a little bird told me that you,” he pointed to your friend, “are a very big fan of our first Hero of the night.” 

Tara squealed and stood up, “Fuck yes, I am. God bless Captain America! ...and dat ass!”

It was obvious that Director Fury was trying to keep his composure, but the corners of his lips twitched like he wanted to join in on the laughter from the crowd. “Well, he is certainly blessed,” he replied, “and ladies, you will be, too, when you see him at full salute.” He winked and started to walk off stage, “Captain? Duty calls…”

Some sort of abomination of the Star Spangled Banner started to play, remixed with drum and bass. You looked up to see what kind of horror show would come from something treasonous as what bled from the speakers around you, you were met with over six feet of muscle covered in a fitted blue suit, fingerless leather gloves on his hands, and a round metal shield on his back painted red, white, and blue. 

The Captain’s background was what looked like a large war ship with painted ski-masked bad guys spread throughout the levels. His stage allowed him ramps and poles to move up and down, which he used freely. He used a mixture of acrobatics and dance to move across the stage, tossing the shield around, “fighting off the bad guys” and losing his clothes in the process. By the end of the song he was left in just the leather gloves and a very tight pair of shorts, much like the ones Peter wore, except the Captains had the same pattern of his shield printed across the backside. 

Tara’s screams knocked you out of your daze and you realized you hadn’t stared down at your phone at all during the Captain’s dance. You watched all five minutes of it and couldn’t tear your eyes away. Heroes wasn’t about getting drunk women horny, they wanted to put on a show, too. You clapped lightly, though it was drowned out by the cheering around you, but unbeknownst to you, it wasn’t unnoticed. 

Fury was out once again and he brought up the first bachelorette of the night. He put her in a chair on the catwalk and gave her a candy-garterbelt. Then he asked her waiter, a guy named “Ant Man”, to remove it with only his tongue, which he happily obliged. 

Peter cut off your view with another drink, one you didn’t order. “On the house,” he said with a lopsided grin and placed the red, white, and blue layered drink next to your nearly empty Sunrise. Before you could ask him who ordered it, the candy garterbelt was being tugged between the bachelorette and her waiter. It ended in a tongue-y kiss and the ladies went wild. 

“Let’s hope her future husband doesn’t mind,” you muttered and turned your attention to your phone once again. Director Fury, thankfully, broke up the awkward scene on stage and began to introduce the next dancers. It was a pair, brothers, apparently, and they worked on the good versus bad troupe. Thor and Loki were opposites in every sense of the word. Thor was a large blond with a commanding presence. He had a bright smile and sun kissed skin that looked great in his red and gold trimmed briefs. But his brother was slender, graceful - almost cat-like, with dark hair and a mischievous grin all wrapped in flawless alabaster skin. They didn’t look like brothers, but they moved around each other like they had been together all of their lives, and knew each other’s moves. 

You only caught half of their story, as you were already halfway done with, what you found out was called the American Glory drink, and half wondered if that was what Captain America tasted like. Fury was up again and had the young lady celebrating her 21st birthday take two shots and lick the salt from Thor and Loki’s still sweaty chests. 

Peter found his way in front of you again and said that someone needed to talk to you about your card being declined. You frowned and excused yourself from your friends to find out what was going on. There shouldn’t have been a problem, you got paid the day before, there was plenty of money in your account.

You were taken to a hall that connected what seemed like offices, the dressing room, and the route to the backstage. “Sorry,” Peter said sheepishly, “they said this was the only way to get you back here. Gotta go.” He waved and jogged back out to the lobby.

Confused, you were about to shout out after him when you felt a tap on your shoulder. When you turned, you faced that wall of American muscle beaming down at you. “Hey there,” he greeted, a smile almost blinding you from its perfection. “Don’t be too mad at the kid, I asked him to get you back here.”

“What,” was all you could get out. He was thankfully dressed, but his muscles were straining against the white tshirt and the gym shorts did not hide the package he carried. Even with all of that, what mesmerized you most was his eyes, sparkling blue and bright with amusement. 

“This next bit requires audience participation and he had someone in mind,” the Captain replied like he explained everything.

“We had someone in mind,” a voice corrected behind the door you two stood near. You tore your eyes away from the blond and eyed the wood barrier suspiciously. 

“Don’t worry,” Captain America laughed, capturing your attention once again, “it’s nothing too dangerous or embarrassing. You just have to sit there, pretend to be tied up, and me and Buck will dance around you.” He put his hands on his hips and tilted his head in thought, “Well, actually, you really will be tied up, but we promise we’ll let you go once we’re done.”

“Or not, if you don’t want us to,” came the voice again, which made the Captain laugh.

You blinked up at him and frowned, “What’s the catch?”

“There’s no catch,” he shook his head. “We might dance on you a little, if you don’t mind, the crowd likes it. But if not, we can work around that.” The thought of Captain America in those tiny shorts grinding on you was a very nice thought.

“‘Sfine,” you shrugged.

He beamed and reached out to squeeze you on the shoulder, his touch lingering and his thumb running along your collarbone. “I’ll let the stage team know.” Reluctantly, he dropped his hand and knocked on the door next to you both, “Five minutes.” When he heard a ‘yeah, got it’, the Captain motioned you to follow him. 

The stage crew took over and the Captain disappeared to get ready. You were told about the chair you’d be sitting in, the rope that would be tied around your chest and if you would be okay with it. There was some hesitation on your part, but ultimately you agreed. They brought you on stage, a winter wonderland of sorts and placed you on a log-like chair. The rope wasn’t tight, but it was obvious you were the damsel in distress. 

“One of you was taken,” Director Fury said from the other side of the curtain in front of you, “by The Winter Soldat. Will she survive? Will she be saved?” All of the lights turn off once again and an industrial heavy beat thrummed through the speakers, rattling your bones. Red stage lights shone down on you when the curtain pulled open and your friends lost their minds.

To your right you saw a figure stalk out of the dark, red light bouncing off a silver metal arm. A mask covered the lower half of his face, but his eyes were trained on you like you were prey. His black muscle shirt clung tightly to his chest, one sleeve missing to show off his arm, and his black tactical pants stretched against his thick thighs. You could feel the shaking of the stage from the stomps of his booted feet.

Eyes wide, you stared at him until he stopped short of your chair on cue with the music. His nostrils flared lightly before he moved again, the music flowing with him. He slung one leg over the side over your chair, straddling you. The metal arm clamped the wooden back rest of the chair and he narrowed his gaze. Lights flash around you, strobing from red to white and back again until they settle on the house lights. 

Soldat began to roll his body with the tempo, blue eyes locked with yours. You could hear the screams behind him as he dancing, but neither of you were paying attention. 

His hips circled until he’s seated on your lap, you’re practically nose to nose. He brought his flesh hand to the side of your face and you could feel it trembling against your skin. With him that close you could hear him mutter in some other language that isn’t English, you’re guessing Russian, but you’re not sure. Either way, you felt crushed by his weight and you liked it. You didn't want him to go. 

But the music changed and the lights started to flash again, red, white, and now blue mixed in. Captain America joined the two of you on stage and Soldat slipped from your lap. Just as Thor and Loki had before, these two moved around each other like they were made from the same mold. 

During the fight, pieces of clothing were tossed aside and at one point you were freed from your bonds. Soldat pulled you up from your chair and up against his chest, your backside pressed so tightly against him you could almost feel his heartbeat. He moved you with him as he continued to fight the Captain.

Until seconds before the song ended and the music swelled, the Captain landed one good blow to Soldat and sandwiched you between them. The Winter Soldier recalibrated and recognized his old friend and you. He pulled the Captain into a big bear hug and then picked you up bridal style, taking you off stage with cheers from the crowd.

Once you’re all off stage, he sat you down with a hearty laugh. “You did a fantastic job, sweetheart,” the Soldier praised, running his metal hand through his chin length brown hair. “Couldn’t have asked for a better dance partner.” Flushed from embarrassment and arousal, you continued to stare at him until you were joined by the Captain. “I told you she’d be great, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, Buck, you know how to pick ‘em,” the blond agreed with a smile.

“Thanks,” you replied breathlessly, finally coming out of your stupor. “That was… fun. I’m just going to go back to my seat now, I guess.”

“Wait,” the one named “Buck” jumped to stop you, “we were wondering if you wanted a private show?” You heard about those from Tara. You knew that they were exclusive and very expensive… and sometimes had happy endings. They seemed to sense your hesitation because they both added in unison as they eyed you up like you were a four course meal, “For free.”

“I never turn down free anything,” you shrugged. The pair turned to look at each other and their smiles turned to wicked grins. You aren’t sure what you got yourself into, but you’re pretty sure you were going to enjoy it.

a/n: Part Two coming soon... with smut!

[uwuwriting]

Breaking in w/ Hawks, Shoto and Dabi

Request: I read another post about ppl breaking in your shared house with the boys not knowing that you are inside and hurting you and I was like well this would be interesting with their kids in the mix. So i'm here to provide you with the following request ppl breaking in and immobilizing you while you're still awake and they try to go into your kids’ room with Shoto, Hawks and maybe Dabi or Aizawa- anonymous 

Oh this is a nice little concept. It's very interesting. I’m happy to deliver. I have been devastated by chapter 290, if anyone hurts Shoto imma start a riot and if Dabi doesn’t kill Endeavor i will. I’m thinking of making a double post today so this one and a kny post but we’ll see. Love ya. 💖💖💖

masterlist

rules

warning: cursing, mentions of blood, crying but fluff in the end. 

Hawks/Keigo Takami

-You were waiting for Keigo to come home after a long day. 

-The twins were a nightmare to put to bed today and you were exhausted. 

-Both of them wanted Keigo to tuck them in for some weird reason and they just wouldn’t accept your cuddles or attempts. 

-So after a tiresome two hours of trying and failing to calm them down you called your husband on facetime and they went to bed. 

- “I’ll be home soon, do you want me to bring you anything?”

- “No, no just you.” 

-So after taking a shower and checking on the kids you relaxed on the couch, turning on the TV while scrolling though tik tok. 

-Not even half an hour later you heard jiggling coming through the door. 

-Assuming it was Keigo you got up and went to greet him but who you met at the entrance of your house was a complete stranger. 

-You and the two bulgars stared at each other for a solid minute before you scrambled to get to the kids’ room and lock yourself in there. 

-But one of them tackled you to the floor before you could reach the pastel colored door and pinned you down, binding your hands with a cloth. 

- “I thought you said he wasn’t here man? What is this?”

-They had tied your legs to a chair, putting a makeshift gag in your mouth so you wouldn’t scream as they bickered back and forth. 

-Your eyes kept darting from the front door to your kids’ room.

-He said he was almost home, he should be here at any moment. 

- “Just stick to the plan, she doesn’t change anything.”

- “Doesn’t change anything? You tackled the n. 2 heros’ partner and you think that nothing is gonna happen?”

-You couldn’t care less about their words as you saw the light of the baby monitor light up.

-Eyes widening, you tried to get out of your  restraints to turn it off but to no avail, the soft babbles of your son could be heard coming from the device sending the whole room into an uncomfortable silence. 

-Before you know it, the one that tackled you pushed his partner towards you. 

- “Keep her in check while I go pay a visit to the other room.” 

-Managing to get the gag out of your mouth, your eyes frantic, you tried to reason with him. 

- “I’ll give you whatever you want just stay away from that door, please.” 

- “The number 2 hero has plenty of money. I bet he would be willing to give a handsome amount for that brat in there. What do you say babycakes? 

- “Dude you’re taking it too far-” 

- “Stay away from them!” 

-You realized your mistake a little too late, the new information making the man's eyes light up.

-Two cries came from the twins’ room due to the commotion and your panic rose. 

-But then you saw it. 

-The single feather hovering over the mans’ head, as red and vibrant as ever. 

-You let out a sigh of relief as a wave of red feathers flooded your living room, cutting you free from your restraints. 

-Without missing a beat you sprinted to the door, stepping inside and locking it. 

-Both of them were awake and teary eyed but at the sight of you they calmed down a bit. 

-Taking them out of their cribs, you sat in the far corner with both of them in your lap waiting for the moment Keigo would knock on your door. 

-One would assume that being part of the hero industry, although you weren’t a full blown hero yourself, mere bulgars wouldn’t really faze you. 

-In reality you hadn’t been afraid for your own life, you couldn’t care less about yourself at that moment, but when you realized that they knew about the twins everything slowly fell apart.  

-After what seemed like an eternity a soft knock came from the locked door. 

- “Y/N, dove, open up.”

-Raising to your feet, you almost ripped the door handle out of position in your rush. 

-Once Keigo came into view you didn’t miss a beat before pressing yourself close to his chest, the twins just happy to see their dad. 

- “There are my favorite Takamis!” he said kissing their heads as his wings enclosed all of you. 

- “Dove they are gone, don’t worry. I’m here. We’re alright.” 

-The news report the next morning said that two men were found on the top of the police department butt naked. 

Todoroki Shoto

-Poor man had merely gone to get take out. 

-He hadn’t been gone for that long. 

-But apparently the villains had been waiting for him to leave the house so they could go in. 

-You were still inside with your daughters; the twins chasing each other in their matching onesies while you sat on the living room couch with your youngest.

-You heard the front door open suddenly and at first you assumed that Shoto had forgotten his wallet again.

-But the footsteps were too heavy and his voice didn’t echo through the entrance hall. 

-He always said something when he came in and his footsteps have become lighter ever since the girls were born. 

-Sensing that something was off you placed your toddler in her crib and motioned towards the twins. 

- “Stay with your sister and no matter what you hear you do NOT come into the hallway. Understood?”

- “But what-”

- “Rei do I make myself clear?” 

-Nodding their heads they took their seats in front of the crib, Ren squeezing her hand through the bars to gently grab her sister's chubby hand. 

-Taking a deep breath you entered the hallway and lo and behold, two strangers were staring back at you. 

- “Can I help you gentlemen?” 

-After a few seconds the one closest to the door flung himself at you while the other one started digging through his pockets. 

-Swiftly dodging the attack, you grabbed his wrist and swang him with incredible force to the wall, letting go of him as you turned your attention to the other one. 

-And then you felt a sharp pain course up your right leg as a heaviness settled on your chest. 

-The room began to spin while the air was knocked out of your lungs.

-You kneeled down, hand over your heart as you tried to use your quirk. 

-Nothing happened though; it was like you didn’t have one at all. 

- “Quirk cancelling bullets, aren’t they neat?” 

-The man stared down at you as ever so slowly your senses came back at you. 

- “I can still beat your ass even without a quirk.”

- “I don’t think you’ll do that.”

-Angry voices could be heard from the other room before the man you had slammed into the wall appeared again, blood dripping from his nose and onto the snow white hair of your daughter.

-Ren looked at you, tears forming in her eyes as a red flash of hair jumped onto the man. 

-Rei was having none of it.

-Taking that opportunity you kicked the one in front of you in the groin before separating the girls from the other, sprinting into the living room, closing the sliding doors behind you. 

-Laying the girls on the couch you grabbed one of the fireplace tools and got into a fighting position. 

-Soon enough the door opened revealing none other than Shoto himself.

- “Are you all alright? Did they hurt you?”

-He looked absolutely disheveled, his hair going in different directions as his gaze frantically scanned all four of you, his eyes lingering at your slightly raised leg. 

-The twins hopped off the couch and tackled his legs. 

-Shoto crouched down hugging them both tightly as they started to sniffle into their dad’s chest. 

- “T-they hurt mama and t-tried to hurt Ren.”

-He shot you a look but you waved him off, deciding to instead check on the baby before joining them on the living room floor. 

- “I won’t let them touch you ever again, even if it's the last thing I do.”

Dabi/Touya Todoroki *I ain't never letting this go*

-In reality the dudes didn’t know you were preggos. 

-You were too early on so you couldn’t tell you were preggo but still. 

-They knew that you had something going with Dabi and that’s why they wanted to fuck with you. 

-They thought that they would gain something from trying * key word trying * to take you.

-They were wrong though because a) they got their asses kicked by you and b) they got fried once Dabi found them. 

-You were chilling at Dabis’ while he was out to get you some mustard and a chocolate bar because cravings, when you heard the door open. 

-Immediately you knew it wasn’t Dabi. 

-You would’ve heard him grumbling under his breath about forgetting to take money with him * bc you have been pushing him to pay for stuff every once in a  while* or he would be shouting at you that your disgusting meal had arrived. 

-Neither of these things happened so something was up. 

-Not bothering to get up because you didn’t give two fucks, you waited for whoever stepped inside the apartment to show themselves. 

-You are a villain hun you ain’t about to stress over some crusty ass dude trespassing into your house because you could obliterate his ass from the face of the earth in negative five seconds. 

-Whispers and a frantic “But what if he comes back?” was all you heard before the ground breaking phrase left their mouth. 

- “Who cares? She’s a woman, how strong can she be anyways?”

-You were livid. 

-It might have been a mix of your hormones along with the fact that that was hella sexist but you were ready to beat some crusty ass. 

-Laying down on the couch and pretending to be asleep you waited for them. 

-And soon enough you felt the three figures standing over you. 

- “See easy as hell.” 

- “And hot as hell, please don’t forget that.” 

-All three of them stared down at you like that pikachu meme for a solid minute before scrambling to activate their quirks. 

- “We don’t wanna hurt a pretty girl like you so please don’t cause a fuss.” 

- “Oh baby you think you can hurt me? Please have you seen who I’m dating?” 

-Slowly standing up you flicked your wrist and one of them dropped to the floor. 

-You made your way to the kitchen pouring yourself a glass of water right when one of them ran into you, pinning you to the counter. 

- “Watch it there bud I’m carrying precious carg-”

- “Shut up you fucking slut! You’ll come with us whether you like it or not.” 

- “The only person who can boss me around is not currently in this room so I suggest you let go.” 

- “Yeah you should probably let her go.” 

-At the sound of his deep voice you knew that they were dead men. 

-The one basically on top of you stared at Dabi in horror as you pushed him off of you. 

-Making your way to your boyfriend you gave him a small peck while he rested a hand over you stomach as a silent ‘are you okay?’.

-Shrugging you took the bag from his hands and went into your bedroom, not caring to see what he was about to do to them. 

-You were hungry anyways. 

- “Now which one of you wants to be roasted first?”

TAG TEAM AY:

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[spnsisterimagines]

Mario Kart

Summary - Y/N decides to engage her brothers and Castiel into Mario Kart, not realizing what she was getting herself into.

Pairings - Dean Winchester x Sister!Reader, Sam Winchester x Sister!Reader, Jack Kline x Platonic!Winchester!Reader, Castiel x Winchester!Reader

Word Count - 1,911 words

"Let's get it!" Y/N squeals, claiming her spot on the middle of the couch. She was practically bouncing up and down, waiting impatiently for everyone to join her. The Dean Cave had brightened considerably since she had added a few redecorations. While Dean initially denied her, she had forced him to allow her to put up LED lights, several polaroids from her camera(they were mostly of herself smiling widely at the camera while Sam and Dean looked mildly annoyed with fake smiles. There was also a real funny one where Sam was unconscious on a hunt and Y/N decided to pose beside him), as well as posters from their favorite bands. Not to mention the added dock to the TV stand to hold her Nintendo Switch that Sam had bought her for her previous birthday. 

She supposed he regretted it now, since she was forcing him to play a game he'd never even heard of.

He entered the room first, holding a big bowl of popcorn and a soda. Dean followed close behind, Little Debbie packages hanging from his mouth since his arms were occupied with pillows from their bedrooms and a pack of beers for himself. Jack was the only one to come empty handed. He happily took the spot beside Y/N, waving merrily as Castiel also appeared with two sodas(both of them for Beth because he was just so considerate), taking the spot on her other side.

"I'll give this an hour before we switch to movie night, Y/N," Dean warned as he occupied his armchair, which was to the left of the couch. She had discovered this old thing at a garage sale. It had been a rather stressful day because Dean had refused to strap it to Baby and they had to hound what little friends they had for a truck. Since most of their friends were dead, Y/N had hot wired one outside of a bar and returned it before the drunk redneck inside could notice it had even left. She was sure the dent in the bed was there before they put the couch on it. Sam had not been happy about that.

Sam took his own armchair, which was to the right of the couch. 

"What is it, again?" he asked curiously. 

"Is the only thing in the media you've ever heard Facebook? You've seriously never heard of Mario Kart?" Y/N asked, happily accepting one of the sodas from Castiel. "Dad really did a number on us. I was introduced to this through Charlie." She got up to grab the number of controllers necessary for four. Jack was eager to try the game, but he was always open to trying new things, something Y/N could appreciate.

After connecting them to the Switch, she handed them out to her brothers along with Jack before returning to her spot on the couch between the angel and nephilim. 

"If I remember correctly from what you've told me, it's a racing game, right?" Castiel asked.

"Exactly, except with a few quirks to make it interesting. Like, um...I could throw a shell and hit one of them and vice versa. Or a banana peel. I'll give them a trial run before we actually get into it. Are you sure you don't want to try it, Cas?"

Castiel shook his head. "I have seen how you play with Charlie, and I don't want to be on the receiving end of your anger. And I rather like watching you in your element."

Y/N smiled, blushing, before playfully pushing him. 

"I need to get drunk to stomach this," Dean said, offended as he popped one of the beers open and took a gulp. "Keep the PDA to a minimum guys, you've got a kid next to you. Alright, what buttons do I push to hit Sam?"

"What the hell?" Sam scoffed. 

"What?"

"We haven't even started and you're gunnin' for me?"

"Uh, yeah!" 

"Alright, alright! First we gotta pick our player," Y/N mediated, pressing the buttons to get them to the screen full of Mario players. "I already got mine." She moved her icon until it landed on Wendy, before selecting her. "Obviously the best character, hands down."

The three boys maneuvered their icons over different characters, for some reason taking it a little too seriously on who they would choose. Sam selected his first. 

"Luigi?" Dean scoffed.

"You got a problem?" Sam asked. 

"No, but...why Luigi?"

"Who cares, I just chose him."

"You have to have a reason, man." Dean shook his head, before selecting his own. 

"Why'd you choose Bowser, then?"

"Because he's a badass. And he'd beat the holy hell out of Luigi if the games lost their PG rating," Dean shrugged.

Jack hummed thoughtfully, still scrolling. "I choose him!" 

He selected Toad. 

"Why him, Jack?" she asked. 

"I like his hat."

Y/N snorted, but it was a valid enough answer. Once everyone was ready, she selected the settings for the game and then decided to use the time to explain to them how the controls worked and anything else they were curious about. After a few trial races, they were ready for the real thing. Castiel was sitting patiently, his hands on his lap. 

"You assholes are going down," Dean declared, bringing his remote closer to him. 

"So much for being appropriate in front of the kid," Y/N sneered, but she was just as ready.

She set the game to go through ten races with a random select for the roads. 

And with that, they were off.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Dean yelled, nearly jumping to his feet. His first empty beer bottle slide across the floor from his rapid movement. "I DIDN'T EVEN TOUCH IT! I DIDN'T GO NEAR THE GODDAMN PEEL!"

"That might've been mine," Sam stated, smugly. "But Bowser also takes up half the road, so avoiding it was probably impossible anyway."

Dean squinted. "You callin' me fat, Sammy?"

Sam shrugged. "Luigi's doing just fine."

Y/N hid her smile as she hit her own item, snatching that smile right from Sam's face.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, incredulous, the red shell sending Luigi off the edge of the map. 

"You got in my way!" Y/N sang. 

It only seemed to get worse from there. What was supposed to be an hour of playing turned into four with the bowl of popcorn thrown across the room at Dean when he had decided to hit Sam three times with three separate shells before snagging first place and doing a lewd dance as a way to declare his victory. Y/N's hair had bristled up, becoming bushier almost as though it were alive. Her right eye was twitching, and her hands were cramping by now. 

Jack, however, was having a good time. He has gotten last place the entire time, but he was still having fun, and that's what truly mattered.

Castiel, on the other hand, seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack, not knowing whose side he should take because all three Winchester siblings were completely out of their minds, including Y/N.

Finally, it was the last race. Everyone's nerves were shot. Sam's hair seemed even more raggedy than Y/N's, and his shirt was stained with soda because Dean decided to take vengeance by chucking his pillow at him when Sam was taking a big gulp. They had to pause the game for several minutes while Sam fought for his life coughing and wheezing because the soda went down the wrong pipe.

"I'm afraid I must at least attempt to deter you guys from participating in another race. There aren't any weapons in the Dean Cave, but I'm sure you three will find a way to kill each other," Castiel said, worried. "Jack, are you okay?"

Jack nodded enthusiastically. "I'm having fun!"

"I will let it be known if I lose, someone is dying tonight. I will call Billie to fix it, but someone has to die tonight if I lose," Y/N threatened. 

"Good luck with that, I'm kicking all of your asses, and you can kiss mine when it crosses the finish line," Dean said.

"I don't even care if I win, as long as you guys lose. And I'll make sure it happens." Sam jeered. 

With that, the race began. Aside from Jack and Castiel, everyone was bloodthirsty. Surely no matter who won, someone was gonna be pissed off. Castiel was making a mental note to grab Jack as soon as possible and escort him out of the room while the siblings brawled. 

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Y/N shouted, jumping to her feet. "WHO DID IT! WHO DID IT?"

"I did!" Sam happily announced, moving to and fro with the turn of his controller, as though he were in the game himself. 

"I'm gonna get you, Sam," Y/N snarled, pressing hard on the buttons, trying her best to catch up to her brother, collecting any items she came across, but none of them were good enough, so she kept using them without thinking until she heard Dean curse and also jump to his feet. 

"THAT WAS ME, JACKASS!" he yelled, completely distraught. "I didn't even do anything this time!"

"You probably deserved it anyway!" Sam shrugged, continuing to maneuver through the AIs to get to the front. 

By that time, Dean and Y/N had caught up, and with all they had, they used their items to completely screw each other over up until every kart had passed them. In the end, they were the bottom three with Sam first, Y/N second, and Dean in dead last. And for a moment there after, nobody said anything. They were completely beside themselves in utter shock at what just occurred. 

"What just happened?" Y/N asked, deflating considerably. 

"We lost..." Sam mumbled. 

"Screw you guys, I lost overall!" Dean scoffed.

"I won!" Jack suddenly cheered, leaping to his feet and jumping up and down. "I won!"

"You what?" Y/N asked, shocked as her eyes trailed to the top. Sure enough, Toad was in first place. "You're kidding!"

"I can't believe I won!" Jack said, smiling as he high-fived a proud Castiel.

"I want a rematch," Dean commanded, sitting back down and retrieving his controller. 

"Yeah, me, too!" Sam agreed. 

"I'm down!" Y/N eagerly agreed, about to grab hers when Castiel snatched it. He went around the room, taking up all the controllers.

"Given that it's five in the morning, and just a couple moments ago you three were ready to quite literally rip each other's throats out, I'm going to recommend everyone get up and get to bed instead," he instructed curtly. "I think we should postpone a future night of games indefinitely, at least for a little while until you three can learn to control yourselves."

"What-but-you can't-" Y/N sputtered.

"Quite literally, I can shut off whatever is necessary so you can never play the game again with just a snap of my fingers," Castiel warned. "Shower and get some sleep. Jody already told us she needed to discuss something at noon tomorrow, and it would be rude if we were tardy. C'mon, let's go!"

With a grumble, everyone got up and cleaned their mess, ignoring each other vehemently as they walked out. Except for Jack; he was practically skipping. 

There was another good thing about tonight that he knew about. He was the one that triggered the lightning item that really stumped the three siblings and put them at the bottom three.

[barzzal]

between halls and thin walls → part two

summary: friends who fool around almost never work. almost.

↳ pairing: mathew barzal x you

↳ warnings: swearing, sex toys, masturbation, sexual/suggestive themes, and yenno, mathew :(

↳ genre: angst, smut, roommates au, best friend’s best friend, friends with benefits, 18+ minors dni*

↳ length: series; part one, part two (5.9k), part three, part four, part five, part six

↳ masterlist: the barn

↳ track: listened to a lot of beyoncé for this one !!

note: part two’s here!! and i know it’s late for an update but i just wanna thank everyone for commenting on the first part 🥺 really glad that you guys liked it. reading your tags are everything to me it means a lot! happy reading <3 (gif used: mine)

You come out of your bedroom dressed and ready for work. Your handbag was slung over the depth of your forearm as you headed for the kitchen and the other, scrolling past emails on your phone, admittedly bracing yourself for the mess you know will eventually greet you.

To your surprise, what you see instead were Mat Barzal’s guns rippling through the jet black sweater he had worn last night. A memory that sent your mind to less than eight hours ago, before eventually landing on what happened shortly when the two of you had woken up.

“Thank god you haven’t burnt the house down.” you kid, placing your handbag atop the island.

Mat spares you a quick glance, rolling his eyes whilst he lets you watch him whisk some eggs for breakfast.

“Like it?” he cocks, pertaining to how your eyes were pinned hard on his biceps that he was, for the most part, effortlessly sporting. It’s true, though. He didn’t need to flex because it was just there.

“Coffee or Juice?” he asks, as the kind friend and roommate that he is. 

Anthony, as surprising as it was, takes incredibly long showers. If people hadn’t known him well, they’d easily think he’s abusing himself there. But you’ve got to admit that not having him around felt nice for you didn’t have to feel so seen with Mathew.

‘Course, there’s nothing more, like a fix-in on the side, to your set up. You just appreciate the feeling of not having to lie to Beau about all the ugly concealed underneath all the innocent gazes you and Mathew exchange.

“Coffee.” you answer shortly, realizing that you forgot the material you need for today’s meeting.

“Where are you going?” Mat asks when he catches you receding out into the hallway. You didn’t bother looking back, “Forgot something!”

He gets back to whisking the eggs when a chime comes off his phone. He takes it from the counter, placed just before the plates he left to dry last night, absent-mindedly putting the bowl he was holding onto the island, toppling over the green juice he has prepared for himself. 

“Shit.” he curses as soon as he sees it for it was already spilling all over the place, making the mess you’ve been secretly anticipating the moment Mathew said he’d make breakfast.

Panicking at how you’d see he’s successfully screwed such a no-brainer task, Mat grabs the first thing he sees on the marbled surface and uses it to clean the mess he’d made.

“Huh.” he muses to himself, realizing that the silk fabric didn’t do much in helping him clean up. He tosses it over the sink carelessly and grabs a few napkin rolls from one of the cupboards. 

So much for making an effort to feed Anthony Beauvillier. 

“Now, that was fast.” you say with a smirk once you’ve entered the kitchen, startling Mathew as he continued cleaning up after his mess. 

“Ha-ha. Very funny.” he sarcastically laughs, discarding the paper towels onto the sink along with the used ones. 

Thankfully, your stuff was at the other side of the island so it was very much safe from all the chaos happening at the other end of the marbled surface. However, your laugh dies down the second you realize that your handkerchief was no longer where you’ve last put it.

“Hey,” you call on Mathew, “What’s up?”

“Have you seen my handkerchief? I know I left it somewhere.” you anxiously ask, eyeing every corner of the room hoping to see Nana’s handkerchief, the one she gave to you on your 18th birthday.

“What does it look like?” Mat asks, now holding a pan in his hand as he prepares breakfast.

You proceeded to describe your grandma’s handkerchief in the most specific and perhaps excruciating detail Mathew has ever heard someone talk about something as mind-numbing as a handkerchief.

Despite that, Mat lights up the moment it hits him, not realizing the bigger mess he’s about to walk into. He rejoices at how he knew exactly what you were looking for, “Oh! You mean this?” 

With clueless eyes, you watch Mat go over the sink after he wipes his hands dry, fishing out an all too familiar fabric from the sink. Once your eyes land onto the cream colored silk handkerchief, with details carefully sewn by hand, drenching in what seems to be Mat’s morning drink, your heart falls to the pit of your stomach. 

“What did you do??” The sudden rise in your voice startles an unsuspecting Mathew. You eagerly went over to his side and hastily snatched the smooth fabric off his hands, “It’s ruined!”

“What? I didn’t know it was yours!” Mat’s eyes are wild with confusion. Puzzled at how you were so fixated on the useless fabric. It didn’t help him anyway. There’s nothing much left to do but to throw it. It’s garbage. 

“You ruined it!” you lash out, letting Mat get eaten up by the sudden anger bubbling inside your guts but he was rather quick in defending himself, “I didn’t know it was yours since I grabbed the first thing I could find. Why are you getting upset over a shit-ass handkerchief?” 

Your mouth falls and you shake your head, finding his defensiveness quite appalling. “You’re an ass.”

“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was yours.” he explains, “Come on, it’s just a stupid handkerchief I’ll just buy you a new one.” he tries to laugh the tension off, sporting his signature grin.

Mat take shots of the stunned expression on your face, “Stupid?” you repeat what he said, your eyes already starting to sting with tears. Clearly, you were far too overwhelmed to even acknowledge Mathew’s half-assed apology.

“You’re a fucking asshole.” your words bite and that’s when things took a turn for the worse. 

“I said I was fucking sorry! What the hell do you want from me? Shit a fucking hanky?” he rans a hand through his hair, “Do you realize how childish you’re being right now?”

Outraged, and perhaps disappointed by how he was too high up his horse, your voice takes up a higher tone, entering what seems to be an early screaming match between you and Mathew.

“Could you just–” you breathe, “for one second– stop being so goddamn stupid and get over yourself!?” were words that welcomed Anthony the moment he stepped into the kitchen, towel wrapped around his waist, a grin on his face visible as he poured himself a glass of water, inviting himself in the screaming match you and Mathew have exclusively put forth for him.

“Stupid is not when you’ve already apologized a hundred times! Stupid is being such a crybaby and a bitch about it!” Mathew retorts, gaining his better end of the argument.

“What a beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Anthony chimes in, a hand resting on his chin, adoring his two best friends upon getting used to the best worst duo he’s ever known in his life. 

“Shut up, Beau.” you say, throwing him a glare.

“Well, beautiful is definitely not in Y/N’s dictionary.” Mathew chides with a smirk, enough to earn himself a scoff from you. 

“You know what? I don’t have the time for this bullshit.” you cuss, finally retreating, your already heavy heart taking a better hold on your thoughts, blocking your ability to even come up with a clever remark to come back at Mathew.

You throw the delicate, yet already ruined piece of fabric towards his way as hard as you could before marching out of the kitchen and head off for work.

“Fucking unbelievable.” Mathew curses under his breath once he catches the silk linen, shaking his head as he turns his attention back to the morning task at hand. 

You were fucking unbelievable.

Once the boys were left alone, Tito raises a brow, briefly looking back after your footsteps, “What happened here, anyway?” he asks, having realized what must’ve caused such a heated argument so early in the morning. 

“I used this handkerchief to wipe the whole thing off and she just went ape shit! I mean–” Anthony cuts Mathew the moment he recognizes the thin cloth he was holding.

“Woah, woah. Wait a minute, you used this?” he muses, stressing on the possibility of what might have been Mathew’s biggest mistake of the day, his eyes darting between him and the fabric.

With furrowed brows, admittedly weirded by how Anthony reacted almost the same way you did a while ago. “It’s just a handkerchief, man. I can go buy her a bunch if that’s what she wants.” he says defensively.

Anthony shakes his head wildly, his irises now dilated as he examined the stain already sitting on the material. “No no. Oh god no.” He says, snatching Mathew’s phone from the counter to google quick remedies that might remove the said stain from the already ruined cloth. 

“What do you mean no? You guys spend way too much time together, you’re beginning to be as weird as her.” He scoffs, sipping on a glass of water. 

“No, you dumbass. This was her grandma’s!” Anthony says, eyes fixated on the delicate handkerchief. Remembering how you’d told him how long it has been in your family that having Nana give it to you after all the years you’ve spent admiring it from afar meant so much to you than anything anyone could have possibly given you.

“So?” Mat casually replies, closing his arms to his chest before adding, “Is she dead or something? Didn’t you guys visit her for the Holidays?” 

“What?? Why would you even say that?– You’re such a jerk.” Tito shakes his head, appalled by how Mathew easily shrugged the matter off when he knew full well how sentimental he himself could be.

“Well, how am I supposed to know?? If that thing’s so important I wouldn’t leave it on top of some random shit lying around!” He counters, defending himself for reaching for the nearest cloth he could find when he did whatever he does best when he’s in the kitchen.

Tito clicks his tongue and looks at Mathew exasperatedly, “Tell me, where did you find this exactly?”, to which Mathew only answered with a quiet voice, “It may or may not have been placed on top of her purse…” he avoids Tito’s gaze, finally catching on how he was the one in the wrong. 

“See? Jerk. Now, go figure out how you’ll take the stain off.” Anthony demands, his voice embraced by a definitive tone. One that made Mathew know he wouldn’t be able to persuade him into letting this go. 

Tito takes one good look at Mat’s catastrophic attempt to feed the house, striding his way out of the kitchen, “And make sure you apologize!” he adds, footsteps receding into the hallway, leaving Mathew scratching the back of his head out of guilt and frustration.

You have spent the following days either avoiding Mathew or ignoring his existence completely. Anthony talked to you the night that incident happened and assured you that he would do his best to have it fixed. You didn’t want to bother him nor take time off his already busy schedule, but you were just so bummed to even say a word.

That night, you spent the entire evening in your room, facetiming your mother, saying how much you’re missing home. You can’t bring yourself to tell her about the handkerchief. For some people, and that people being Mathew, it might’ve been just some silly thing but Tito knew how much that small piece of cloth meant to you. 

Mathew, on the one hand, was for sure guilty to his bones. He didn’t see you that night nor the nights that followed. He didn’t think much of it but when he found himself searching for that same handkerchief in the hopes of replacing it only to find out that it was nowhere to be found in the market, was when he did realize that ruining the one thing that held you closer to home was the last push your non-existent relationship with him had to have for you to finally lose any ounce of amour nor civility you once had for him. 

Anthony wasn’t a stranger for said changes either. He began waking up to a still apartment enveloped by a wall you profusely built between you and Mathew. You even unknowingly shut Tito out in the process as well. It was like you were grieving. Like, it was a whole different kind of heartbreak he knew he can’t get you out of that easily. 

You tried making it up for your best friend of course. Knowing that you haven’t been yourself since that day. You thought about the possibility of having taken the whole thing too seriously that you might’ve overreacted a bit. Nonetheless, no matter how much you try to push it in the back of your head, Mathew’s mere presence began irking you in ways it never did back when you used to enjoy the bickering you exchange with him, especially in bed.

“Thanks for dinner, belle.” Anthony politely says, earning a smile from you so effortlessly upon hearing the pet name he uses for you. Something Mat only shrugged off, trying to piece out the same gratitude, “Thanks, y/n.” he genuinely adds. But as expected, he had nothing.

You pick up all the empty plates, including Mathew’s, who was sitting in front of you while Anthony sat at the end of the table. Tito hurriedly wipes his mouth with a napkin and takes the plate from you, “Let me help you with that.” he says with the same kind eyes that has never failed to win you over. 

“Yeah. Okay, sure.” you shortly answer, leading the way towards the kitchen, leaving one Mathew Barzal feeling small and alone at the dining table. 

𖥸

If there was one thing you’d gladly acknowledge after all the years of watching people kiss Mathew’s ass was that he was is really good. He’s fast and he can do unimaginable damage on the ice. There’s no denying that he deserves to be the face of the New York Islanders. But we know you don’t care about any of that. The only thing you care about was how unbelievably good he is at everything he does that not even you or your pink rubber toy could suffice. 

He was just that damn good. 

As your eyes shut whilst you mount your pleasures on your own, biting your lips to choke in your own moans, Mathew handling you was what circled your mind since you started defiling yourself in the bathroom. You let your arousal be washed away by the warm water trickling down your skin, envisioning Mat’s rough hands grazing your body, touching your core like his hands were meant to do nothing else but that. 

It was wrong and pathetic, but you couldn’t think about anything else. You and Mathew have been avoiding each other for days. The dynamic went so much worse than when you weren’t sleeping together and you know that Tito was bound to notice it soon. Thankfully, the boys were on another roadie for a week so you had quite some time to think things through about your current sitch with Mathew. You didn’t like any of it because it felt like you gave a fuck (which obviously, you didn’t). You just feel obligated to sort things out with the biggest ass that ever lived because you didn’t want to involve Tito into the mess you’ve wrongfully made yourself. 

You hop off the shower feeling unsatisfied. You haven’t gotten laid since the last time you were with Mat. Which is sad, not just for you but also for her. You’d think considering the boys aren’t around you’d bring someone home, maybe even one or two. But just thinking about going on bars alone so you could find a potential bone-mate is already far too tedious and you weren’t in the right state to do so. You had so much going on at work, anyway. And you can always use a wand to scratch an itch. Neither would satisfy you more than how someone-who-will-not-be-named could, but you might as well be pathetic without having to hook up with some random dude whose name you’ll eventually forget in the morning. 

You opted to wear an old pull-over you borrowed (took) from Tito years and years ago and partnered it with some leggings so you’d be comfortable enough for the rest of the night. You have nothing else to do and you are already fed up with your workload that watching a crappy movie off of Netflix doesn’t sound like a bad idea. 

With a giant bowl of popcorn and two bottles of beer in your hands, you march your way into the living room, ready to spend the night binge watching romantic comedies, crying and laughing in between. Or maybe just fall asleep on the couch while your comfort TV series is on. 

The boys won three games out of the four that they had during the trip and you only saw the ones they won so you were thankful that you didn’t have to sit at home alone watching their faces fall after that OT lost against the Flyers. Anthony phoned you that night and you can just feel the relief in his voice that you didn’t have the time to see it. They weren’t playing like they should. Thankfully, they were able to bounce back. 

Your eyes were beginning to grow tired halfway into the movie when you hear the front door open, followed by luggages dragged into the house tirelessly. 

“Y/N?” Anthony calls out.

You hit the movie on pause and hurriedly make your way towards the hallway. “You’re home already?”

They were already taking their coats off when you met them halfway, Tito was putting his away while Mat had just taken off his toque and was running his hands through his hair, unconsciously meeting your eyes upon hearing your voice. 

You quickly break it off when you give Tito a quick embrace and plant a small kiss on his cheeks, “I texted you.” he says, eyebrows quirked, surprised that you didn’t know. 

In an effort to avert any more of his questions you immediately point towards the movie you had on, “Haven’t checked my messages, sorry.” 

“So, you guys ate dinner?” you ask, passing Mat a quick look. One that came as a surprise because he wasn’t even hoping to hear a word from you given the way you two left things a little too on the edge, screwing with the whole thing even more. 

Mat avoids your irises and faintly nods. 

“Big win tonight huh? Told you, you can do it.” you say with a beaming smile, nudging Tito with your hips as you get back to watching your film. “You gotta do what you gotta do, babe.” he winks, lugging his stuff around towards his bedroom. 

“Barz, don’t stay up, Trotz needs us first thing in the morning.” he looks back, reminding Mat who was already standing in front of his door, “Yeah. Sure.” he replies shortly with a tired voice. 

You and Anthony bid your own goodnights whilst Mat mutters a quiet “Night.” when you nodded his way, clearly not enjoying any of the first awkward encounters he’s yet to have with you. Seven days is quite a reasonable time for your anger to dissipate, a short yet seemingly long period of time that’s just enough to kill off whatever guilt Mat had initially felt before you parted ways.

𖥸

“Alright, I’m off.” Tito casually declares, putting on his watch. “There’s food in the fridge, and tell Mat to go easy on my beers.” he gives you a knowing look as he bends down to give you a kiss on the cheek. 

Tito had been seeing some mystery girl for quite some time now. He hasn’t told you anything spicy in particular but by the looks of it, you could already tell that she has him towed. 

“Good luck, loverboy.” you say, swatting his hand away and pushing him out to the door. The two of you cringe at what you said, sharing one last laugh before you watch him disappear out into the hallway.

The apartment was cramped the whole day because Anthony and Mat had the day off. Tito had plans for the night, obviously. As per you, you had plans lounging in the living room, switching through channels in the hopes of stumbling on a show that isn’t half as bad than the rest. 

Thankfully, a Sandra Bullock film was on HBO.

The Proposal, to be exact.

You decide to dive in the film with a cold bottle of beer on your hand. There was no way you’d be washing down the effects of a naked Ryan Reynolds with a glass of water. You haven’t gone mad. 

The film was already at the part where Sandra was proposing to Ryan when you hear Mathew’s door open. You haven’t talked since the night they came back home other than the small nods you exchange upon passing by each other. All of which are mind-numbing and impossible to swallow. The awkwardness has not dissipated completely unlike what you presumed. You were just grateful Tito was always around that you didn’t need to be alone together. 

Alarmed by another impending awkward encounter, you clear your throat and turn up the volume a little to remain focused on the film, investing your sole attention to it even if you have seen the movie countless times. 

Mathew, in his sweats and a gray shirt on, carefully makes his way out the hallway and into the common area after snatching a glass of water from the kitchen. You see him move further into the room but you make sure that he knows you weren’t paying attention. You take that he must’ve been thirsty and needed a drink but you don’t see him move further in the corner of your eye like he was making his way back in his room. It almost seemed like he was actually waiting for you to look his way.

Hesitantly, you follow your gut feel and see him standing a few feet away from you. “Yes?” you ask when you catch him staring. 

Mat blinks a few times, “Hi.” he takes a deep breath, trying to shake off the awkwardness circling the two of you.

When the only thing he gets from you is a tight lipped smile, he shakes his head and proceeds to walk where you were seated. 

“Mind if I join you?” he asks, his voice deep and clear enough to send your mind elsewhere. 

Regardless, you contain yourself and return a polite smile, “No. Not at all.”

“So, what are we watching?” he sits once you gestured onto the other end of the couch. 

“The Proposal.” you answer before throwing a question yourself, “Aren’t you supposed to be resting now?” you shake your head, absentmindedly chuckling. Not intending to make him feel that you’ve forgotten about what he’d done weeks ago. 

“I couldn’t sleep.” he props his back and lets himself sink in the cloud couch, his legs spread wide eating up most of the space left for the two of you to share. “Oh. I only like him when he’s Deadpool” he points out, cringing at how you were watching another one of your romantic comedy films.

You roll your eyes, admiring how he’s trying to break the tension between the two of you despite his unsolicited sentiments, “I like it when we were on not-speaking terms.” 

Mat mocks you for a while but decides to watch the movie so you let him be and get back to the film, letting a giggle slip every now and then. Something you thought Mat wouldn’t notice.

Watching the remainder of the film went with ease. ‘Course, Mat would steal a few glances here and there (ones he thought had gone unnoticed), but overall the quietude between the two of you was bearable. Almost like it was just two buddies hanging out. 

Although, not long after, your eyes were torn away from the huge flat screen when Mat spoke, “By the way,” he looks at you and calls your attention. 

Puzzled, you watch him take something from his pocket, “Here.” 

Once you see what he has in his hands your heart froze. Mat carefully hands you the cloth with an apologetic smile; his eyes soft with a hint of hope as he watches your reaction. 

“What– How?” you ask in bewilderment, failing to comprehend how he was able to fix the handkerchief. It looked the same as before. All of its details were in place, it was good as new. You were holding Nana’s handkerchief. 

Mathew didn’t bother to dance around and just offered you a quiet chuckle, evidently enjoying the wide smile painted on your lips. “Don’t worry about it. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.” he apologizes, shielding you from all the strings he had to pull just to get that cloth fixed up.

You hold the smooth and delicate piece in your hands as you look at Mat, letting your feelings get a better hold of you, “Thank you.” you say, unknowingly reaching out, your arms wrapped around his neck as you give him a quick peck on the cheek. 

Mathew’s hand instinctively finds your back to support you, startling himself in the process. Nonetheless, the thought was easily shrugged off by how close your faces were, your smiles fading once you meet each other’s gaze. You feel the same rush you felt the night you and Mat got involved for the first time. Your hand was placed rather endearingly on his cheek, your faces, just like all the other times, unreasonably close to each other. Mat then clears his throat and only looks you in the eye. 

Afraid that the innocent hug would lead to something more, perhaps another mistake to be jotted down on the board, you breathe a laugh and break away, “Uh, thanks again. It really means a lot.” 

Mat must’ve sensed that you were being cautious so he puts his guards up and returns a chuckle, “So… we good?” he asks, reaching out a hand your way. 

Your fingers slide into his, gliding its way perfectly, your hands fitted well with his despite the obvious difference in proportion. His grip tightens in the most comfortable way possible. 

A smile breaks off his lips once he hears you answer, “We’re good.”

“I should probably get some sleep.” Mat tells you the moment you pull your hand away.

“Are you gonna be okay here?” he adds.

You looked at him, not wanting him to be obligated to keep you company, “Oh, yeah. I’m a big girl.” you say, making Mathew grin, shaking his head.

“Alright. I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”

Not picking up on whatever sloppy insinuation Mat has thrown out carelessly into thin air, he hears a simple “Mkay.” 

Thus far, letting him know that his subtle invitation was far from being RSVP’d.

𖥸

“You’ll be in your room?” Mat scoffs, staring at the ceiling while he lays on his bed, “The fuck was that, Mat?” he scolds himself for always coming up with the worst things to say. 

Mathew would be lying if he’d say he hasn’t thought about you (or doing you) for the past week of not being around home. But he definitely wouldn’t deny that the roadie kind of made things easier for him because then he didn’t have to stomach seeing you walk around the flat looking like the hot piece of ass that you were in his eyes. 

Mat knows he needs to pull his shit together. He wasn’t some 13 year-old boy raging with hormones. He needs to control himself around you and he could only do that once he learns how to push this whole thing between the two of you behind him. 

What happened with you and Mathew shouldn’t have happened at all. It was just a moment of weakness, and he hated that he’d let his dick (and apparently, him being one) ruin the relationship he once had with you. 

Before that night, seeing you do yoga and work out on the terrace was just seeing you drenched in sweat, and in your work out clothes looking icky and constipated. Something he’ll later on tease you about and he’ll end up catching the water bottle you throw in his face. But now, after all that fucking, seeing you sweaty and all worked out in the same yoga pants is just like walking into a porn commercial. Like the ones they show before the actual porn. In fact, he doesn’t even have to watch any of it. Tents and Boners were pretty much sponsored by you from then on. It’s sick, and he knows it. 

However, the tension he feels with you is palpable that he’s even certain that you feel it too. But how can he be wrong? He sees how your eyes blink a few times when he’s fresh out the shower, he sees you follow his trance when you thought he wasn’t paying attention, and you never fail to slide him shadowed hints with every touch you “accidentally” pass at him. The kind that’s short enough to remain innocent but not so much as to keep him at bay. Mat hated everything about it. He hated that he wanted you– and he hated that he thinks he might be right about you wanting him too.

All that self-loathing aside, did he regret it? 

That was one of the things he feels bad about. Because as much as he wants to lie and push it aside, he didn’t regret any of it. He didn’t like you that way and just thought about you sexually but he just wishes that you could push past this and just be friends. He was still sexually attracted to you, yes. But he knows he’d eventually get over it and be back on his game. That is if he can ever find someone who’d be as good as how you were the last three times you’ve let him be with you because it would really help him a lot if he could stop picturing your mouth getting stretched by his cock every time he hops into the shower.

Mat was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a knock on his door. The shy banging sound made his heart beat rapidly in an instant, knowing full well that the two of you were alone in the house and that Tito was, in no way, going to be home for another hour or two.

A faint knock follows the first one before he gets to the door. 

“Hi.” you greet him, a moment unfolding like it was déjà-vu.

“Hi.” 

“Did I wake you?” you sheepishly ask, your hands balled into fists before eventually settling down to hug your own build, unsure of where to put your hands exactly.

Mat quickly shakes his head, “No. I couldn’t sleep myself.”

You offer him a smile, acknowledging how he’s been nothing but good to you ever since they got home. Of course you wanted to get your hands on him being that you were completely dry and horny ever since you’ve ignored him completely, but you haven’t gone mad and you weren’t a complete neanderthal. You can keep your hands to yourself and act like a decent human being. 

“I’m sorry for making things weird between us.” you say, your eyes heavy with guilt. “But I’m only apologizing for being so unreasonable for the last couple of weeks.” you reiterated.

To which he only answers with, “You shouldn’t be. You have every right to be unreasonable– and I know that I’ve been a giant prick that day. It’s what I deserve.” he bites his lower lip, scratching his brow as he continues, “That’s why if there’s someone who owes someone an apology, it should be me. What I did was pretty crappy, so… I’m sorry.”

Like all the other times, Mathew towers over you wearing the same confidence he does when you’re around. Your bodies were reasonably apart from each other but close enough to mean something else if someone had walked by. Mathew was still in his room while you were out in the hallway, separated by the thin line made by the door frame. 

You feel Mat’s steady breathing and everything went still. He looks down at you, pretty eyes drowning yours. His messed up bed hair ridiculously makes up for how dressed down he was. No, actually, he looks fine even when he is. And all of that sight instantly makes your throat dry as you feel something curl in your belly, enough to make your hands sweaty as the thought of tasting his lips again cruised your mind entirely.

Mathew was no stranger to the said feeling either. He watched you punish him more at how plump and inviting your lips were. Or how your hand brushed on your clothes as you remain uncomposed under his gaze. 

Mat was becoming accustomed to how the two of you meet. Same time, same place, only this time, a different hallway. He steps further and crosses the line that divides the two of you, making you take a deep breath as his scent floors every nerve in your body. Waking what has been awake ever since that moment you shared back in the living room even more. 

“Yeah, okay.” you gather yourself, “I– I should probably head back.” 

Just by how his shoulders dropped, you knew you had said the wrong thing. And you hated that you did. Mat clears his voice and swallows, breaking off his gaze, “You probably should.” 

“Good night, Mat.” you smile, trying to regain yourself. 

“Good night.” he replies as he watches you turn your back before finally closing the door behind him. 

Frustrated for he was already starting to feel things more than just being “sorry”, Mat leans against the door and runs a hand through his hair. He takes a deep breath and tries to get you out of his head. 

He was about to walk away from the door and sleep off his frustration when he hears your faint footsteps on the other side of the door. He rests his head back on the wooden surface and sighs, “You’re still out there, aren’t you?”

There was a total silence for a moment, devoid of the knowledge of how you had your fist, ready to knock yet again, suspended in mid-air. 

Mathew hears you deny sheepishly, “No.” 

You hear him let out a small laugh, knowing that he was trying to contain himself. 

The door sprung open again, and for a second you thought how what you’re about to walk into will start another mess for you and Mathew. But how could you possibly think about it that way when you have nothing else but this man standing at the other end? 

A friend that took no seconds to waste as he finally lets his thirst and perhaps foolishness, get the better hold of him once he cages your heated face in his hands, crashing into your lips as fast as he’d taken you to his end of that thin gray line that has once irkingly parted him from you. A gray line you’re both willing to cross if that meant sharing another night in between halls and thin walls.

[petri808]

Ooooo can you do, “you’re my mate?” 🥺

Sure! 😊

@stillsnowfalling

“Natsu, you know our ways, and as heir to this clan, it is my duty to choose who you will marry!”

“But it’s not fair!”

“When you are finally king, you can change the rules, but until then, I have chosen to uphold tradition.”

“But dad!”

Igneel bellowed at his defiant son. “The nuptial rites will take place in three moons! That is final!”

Natsu stomped away from his father absolutely furious! This whole traditional bullshit of arranged marriages was as outdated as the most ancient scrolls held in their reliquary. Why was his father so adamant about upholding such an antiquated rule?! The draco clan was doing perfectly fine, what need was there for a marriage based on an alliance? At least give him a chance to choose his own bride so the union was one of love instead of condemnation.

“I won’t love whoever he chooses!” Natsu growled to himself, and his first ruling as king will be to pick someone he actually desired.

Because there was someone… he sighed, and dropped into a squat on the rock outcropping. When Natsu couldn’t stand being in the village anymore, he ran to a place that brought him a tiny bit of peace, deep in the forest. The tiny pond was hidden from prying eyes. None of his attendants or even friends knew about the place— save for one, if he could even call her a friend anymore…

It was here, in this very spot twelve years ago after the draco had once again run away from under his fathers thumb that he met her. Lucy whose last name he knew not. They were so young at the time. Natsu was a young draco of 7-year’s old, and she a 5-year-old forest fairy. Of course, it had nothing to do with love at that age, they were just two children running away for their own reasons and found a friend to play with. For the next two years, Natsu and Lucy would meet every day around lunch time and played until dusk or risk someone coming to look for them. They had so much fun together, it was truly the best two years of his life. The draco and the fairy…

Natsu still remembered the day Lucy never showed up at the pond like it was yesterday. How he went back every single day for months hoping to see those big brown eyes and wispy blonde hair waiting for him. But it wasn’t meant to be. He had no idea why she stopped coming or if she was even still alive. Had something bad happened to her? Or was it more likely her father had caught her running off into the woods? Lucy would tell him the stories of an over bearing father that made his blood boil over in anger. The problem was, she refused to tell him exactly where she came from.

The years passed by and his own father stepped up his son’s kingship training. Natsu didn’t like the constraint and many a time wished he’d been born a simple clansman. He often promised himself that one day when he did become king, he would send out his men to search for the wayward blonde of his childhood to make her his wife. But, Natsu never imagined that his father would step in to choose one for him first.

He sighed, and stared into the dark blue pool as if praying to its watery gods for a miracle. “Lucy…” if only Natsu knew where she was, he’d find her and run away from here…

The moons came and went in a flash, and the day of the nuptial rites had finally arrived. Natsu felt dead inside, his body merely following the instructions given to him. It was all scheduled out. Whoever was his bride-to-be had arrived with her family two days ago, but guards had kept him sequestered in his room, both for fear of him running away as well as upholding the tradition that they not meet until the the ceremony itself. Natsu was dressed in a ceremonial attire made of fine leather, and decorated in their clans red and gold colors. Every little detail was attended to, including painting his horns and wings with golden markings that he didn’t understand. All a part of the so-called tradition.

His cousin Sting came into Natsu’s room and gave him a couple of play punches on his shoulder. “Cheer up, it’s almost over.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Natsu rolled his eyes. “Do me a favor, and just shove a dagger in my heart.”

“She can’t be all that bad, and besides, if you ain’t happy with her, just find yourself a concubine.”

“Keh! You know that’s not allowed!”

“Only if you get caught,” the fellow draco winked.

“Just get out,” Natsu sighed in full disinterest. “I’m not in a mood to banter.” He just wanted to fantasize about brown eyes and dream of a happier life.

“Suit yourself.” Sting shrugged and left his cousin alone. “Your dad said someone will come to take you to the ceremony in an hour. So, at least try to look interested.”

“Tch.” As if that would happen…

Minutes before high noon, Natsu was led from his chambers to the ceremonial hut. It was skin crawling as he was paraded through the rows of awaiting onlookers like a goat being led to slaughter. At least, that’s how he felt. Not a future king, but a sacrifice just to satisfy an alliance. Once inside the wooden structure, there was only the priest, his father, and another man assumably the father of the bride standing to the sides. Natsu was stood in front of the priest to wait for the brides arrival, but kept his head down the whole time. While he wasn’t looking, his ears stayed tuned to the goings on around him, and after a brief wait, he could hear chatter coming from outside. She had arrived.

His scowl grew as the tiny steps came closer, every fiber of his being in argument— should he just run? But he knew he wouldn’t get far with the place surrounded. The priest began to speak and Natsu only half-listened. Most of it was rubbish anyways, the typical stuff one might hear in such a ceremony. Some chanting, some instructions. He just stood there silently, with eyes glued to the floor. But there was one thing he could sense, the female wasn’t happy either. Her silent sobbing coupled with the demoralized aura surrounding her body spoke volumes. He rolled his eyes. ‘Great, this union will be such a happy one! Thanks dad.’

“Please remove her headdress,” the priest instructed Natsu, “and take her hands.”

He groaned in his head, but followed the instructions like a wooden puppet, looking up for the first time since entering the building. Natsu pulled the dark veil up to finally get a look at the woman, but his hands froze midair as he stared into big brown eyes coated in moisture. Was his mind playing tricks on him? Was it so distressed that it projected who he wanted to see?!

It was a gasp from the woman and the fluttering of gold-dusted fairy wings that snapped his brain back to the present.

“N-Natsu?!”

“Lucy? Y-You’re my mate?”

“I’m your mate,” she responded with a twinkle in her eyes.

Natsu looked towards his father in confusion only to find a man standing there with the biggest grin. Son-of-a— his dad knew all along! He smiled brightly and happily took Lucy’s hands at the priests insistent instruction to move along with the ceremony. But it was clear from that point that neither paid any attention to the priest, too focused only on each other. Little tears still trickled down her smiling face, while his sported a euphoric high. And when the words came to kiss the bride, Natsu gladly swept forward and took the lips he’d dreamed of kissing for years. He got his wish.

[little-dragon-stories]

When life forms a full circle

What happen when Kim Namjoon, single father of twins, meet his university crush as the teacher of his precious little ones? 

W.C. 12 372 

Pairing Kim Namjoon and female reader

Warning: none! This fic is just cuteness overload (maybe a bit of anxiety but nothing much.

This fic is a collab between me and my dear princess @aspaceformyself @aspaceformyselffics09, without her, it wouldn’t have been that good!  Thanks a lot my princess! I love you <3<3<3<3<3

Dear Mr. Kim,

Here it is! Already the first day of school of your precious little ones!

Let me introduce myself! My name is Y/N and I will have the privilege to be a homeroom teacher for your kids, for their first year at the Blooming dale Kindergarten school.  I am so excited to meet your children and team up with you for their first steps as a ‘big kid’ :) 

In this email, you will find everything you need to know to get ready for the big day.  From the school material to the class behavior code, take the time to read it all with your little ones.

To start this year on a festive note, I along with a couple of other teachers are organising a small event to help the kids get to know each other and also warm up to us teachers. I would thus like to invite you with your children on their first day of class. On the site, many games will be organised along with snacks for everyone. 

Please, join us on monday, (date) 

I can’t wait to meet them and start this year together. 

Y/N Y/L/N

++++++++++++++++

Namjoon blinked at the message once, twice and thrice. 

It was 3 am in the morning and judging by his red eyes and unkempt hair, it’s easy to deduce that Mr. Kim Namjoon barely got any sleep since god knows how many days. He pushed himself up from his chair, waddled down the hallway into the kitchen, fetched himself a bottle of water and plopped in front of his laptop once again. The past few days at work had been crazy for him. And today was much crazier. After a rollercoaster ride of juggling between his work and his kids, he finally got a moment of peace for himself. And just as he thought of finishing up more of his work, his eyes began to droop and found himself passed out on his desk only to be awakened by a notification waiting for him in his email.  

“Ugh,” Namjoon groaned to himself and hurriedly typed out a reply. This is when he saw it again, the message that you sent him 2 weeks ago. He was so drowned out in everything that he almost forgot his precious 5 year olds are starting kindergarten tomorrow. It seems as if it was only yesterday, that he was changing their diapers and bringing them to sleep, comfortably wrapped against his chest in the big rocking chair.  And here he was, reading emails from the school where his babies would be starting classes tomorrow. Time flies so fast. The mere thought of his kids taking their first steps in this world, made Namjoon’s chest flush with emotions to the point his eyes felt watery.

“Dammit Namjoon,” He thought to himself, “This is not the time to get all teary and emotional about your kids, it’s 3 am in the middle of the night!” But nonetheless, he was proud and more than anything he was happy.  Overwhelmed, he did the first thing that came to his mind and grabbed his cell phone resting on the desk.

“You better tell me you’re dying, it’s 3 am!” Jin’s voice slurred through the other end, not impressed. But on the other hand he answered before it even rang twice, which means, he guessed Namjoon would be calling him at his wits end and he was ready to answer. Namjoon smiled sheepishly to himself. It was such a Jin kinda gesture. 

“Wait, don't say anything, you’re overwhelmed because tomorrow it’s the twins first day of school ?” Jin asked before Namjoon could get any words out.

“How did you know, hyung?”

“Namjoon - ah you’re forgetting we enrolled our children together.”

“Right” Namjoon snorted. 

“So, on a scale of 1- 10 how anxious are we?”

“Am I that obvious hyung?”

 “Kim Namjoon, I live 10 minutes away from you and I can hear your thoughts overflowing all the way here.”

“Right.”

“So?” Jin asked, “Gonna spill or do I have to make you spill?”

“That won’t be necessary hyung”, Namjoon laughed, “I’m gonna spill.”

Namjoon sucked in a deep breath before he dived in.

“The thing is, I know how they’re excited to start school. I know they are ready and will be doing just fine. But, at the same time, I don’t want them to be hurt or sad and I’m afraid I won’t be around them to be able to comfort them. What if they are mocked? What if they hurt themselves? I won’t be there to help and worse I won’t know about it… I know their teacher will certainly be there for them, but she’s not me, you know. She’ll have so many kids to take care of… Hyung… Just the thought of them being away from me and hurt makes me so sad and scared. I see their excitement and I want to be excited too but I’m just scared. They are so small. They are my precious babies… Also, Namu needs time before he’s comfortable around new people, it’s not so easy for him to adapt to new situations”

Jin was quiet for a while and Namjoon worried the line disconnected before he spoke again.

“Namjoon - ah trust me when I say this. I feel you. I’m shit scared my little DaMi might get hurt too. But you know what,” Jin added in a tone softer than before, “I think they are ready. We should trust them and ourselves.”

“Is this your gut talking to you?”

“I don’t know,  could be,” Jin chuckled, then sighed, “it’s okay to be scared Namjoon - ah. Nothing wrong with that.”

“Are you scared too, hyung?” 

“Yah! Who do you think I am?” Jin’s voice boomed through the phone, “I’m Kim SeokJin, I’m never scared of anything.”

“Then why are you up so late hyung?”

“You know...Uhhh, I’m prepping! I’m prepping Dami’s lunch box for tomorrow!”

“Hyung, the school is arranging lunch, it’s a school party, the first day celebration.”

“Then I’m preparing her clothes for tomorrow!”

Namjoon laughed, “Whatever you say, hyung”.

“Okay, Namjoon, I need to go. I have so much to do before the morning arrives. But before that, how are you feeling now?”

“Hyung, before that hold on, who signed the email? Who’s Dami’s teacher?”

“I don’t remember, wait, I’ll check”.  Scrolling his phone, he found the information.

‘Her name is Y/n”

‘NO WAY! Dami will be in the same class as the twins. How cool is that?”

“That’s so nice! They will all be able to count on each other. I’m so grateful, Dami won’t feel alone in the big class”

“Oooh, I thought you were not scared of anything…”

“I… I’m not”

“Yeah, sure.” Namjoon giggled, “ See you tomorrow, hyung. And for the record, I feel much better. I hope you do too.”

“I was always cool with it, you know. See you tomorrow Joon-ah. Give them a kiss from uncle Jin when they wake up. We’ll meet there”.

“Will do. Hyung… Last question… do you think their teacher will love them as much as we do?”

“She cannot love them as much as we do Namjoon, no one can. As a parent, the love we have for our little ones cannot be compared. But I’m sure that if she decided to be a teacher, it’s because she loves kids in general and therefore, we have no choice but to trust the fact that they will be treated with much care. But you know, our kids are lovable, they will be the teacher’s favorite!”

“Damn, you’re right! Thanks Hyung. I feel much better now”.

“Anytime Joon, preferably during business hours” Jin teased.

“As you were sleeping”

“Yeah, yeah! See you Joon-ah”.

_____________

Morning came way too fast for Namjoon’s liking. He barely had closed his eyes after he spoke with Jin, his fellow ‘Single dad club’ friend as they like calling themselves before he was awakened by two noisy kids racing up to his bed and jumping on him. 

“Appa! Namu will have a pancake!” Little Namu straddled Namjoon’s chest while his twin sister Nam Young followed behind equally enthusiastic, “And Nam Young will have a sandwich and omelette!”

Namjoon groaned in his sleep, shaken awake by the sudden intrusion. Slowly squinting his eyes open he glanced at the clock next to him. 6:25 am it read. Lazily scooping both his kids in his arms, Namjoon sat up. 

“Morning little monsters,” Namjoon greeted them fondly, kissing their faces and holding them close to his chest. 

“Dad! Leave us alone!” The twins giggled, “We’re not babies anymore! Don’t hold us like babies!”

“Noooo!” Namjoon whined holding them closer than before, “You’ll always be my babies! Don’t even try to make me say otherwise! Even on your wedding day, you’ll be my babies. You better get used to it right now”.

“Please appa, don’t call us like that at school”

Sniffing the air, a sweet smell tickled Namjoon’s nose. And before he could wonder where the smell came from, another pair of tiny footsteps echoed in the room and then another little girl jumped Namjoon. 

“Uncle Namjoon!” She squealed, throwing her arms around him. Namjoon struggled to hold her tight in addition to his kids already in his arms. 

“DaMi!” Namjoon’s face stretched into a smile, “When did you get here princess ?? Where’s your appa?”

“Kitchen!!!” The children sang all at once, “He’s making us yummy food! Let’s go! Let’s go!”

“You guys need to get down though”

“Appa nooooo, hold us!” Nam Young pouted followed by Namu and DaMi joining in on her.

“Fine, aye aye captain,” Namjoon sighed. Seriously, he’s way too whipped for the kids to say no. Scooping the kids in his arms with the three of them hanging on to him, Namjoon rose from the bed and made his way through the hallway, into the kitchen. 

When he entered, he was greeted by the sight of Jin behind the oven skilfully taking care of a frightening amount of poelons and cauldrons at the same time. How he never burned anything always remains a mystery for Namjoon.

“What a nice surprise!” Namjoon exclaimed, “When did you guys get here by the way?” 

“Don’t mention it! I was not lying when I told you I was prepping their lunches last night. Besides, it kept me away from overthinking,” Jin’s half admitting his anxiety was somehow touching for Namjoon who came beside his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. Both were ‘losing’ their babies this morning and the thought of it made their heart twist.

“We got here at 6 am!” Dami exclaimed from where she was perched on Namjoon’s shoulder.

“Aaaaw, did my little Dami wake up that early?” Namjoon cooed at her, then turned to Jin,“Well, it’s a wonderful surprise. Thanks a lot hyung.”

“How many times have I told you that we would be the perfect couple, Kim Namjoon? I was not lying! You would have these breakfasts each morning” Jin teased his friend. 

“I might consider the offer,” Joon joked back.

The children jumped down from Namjoon’s embrace and began to set the table in a chaotic but efficient manner. As efficient as the kids can get. In no time, the cutlery was set, and all gathered together before a delicious breakfast prepared by Jin.

No sooner did they finish their breakfast, the kids raced past Namjoon and Jin to gather their belongings as the adults cleared the table and cleaned up everything. Soon, everything was in order and Namjoon and Jin found themselves all packed, in their respective cars ready to drive to school all prepared to welcome their kids to take their first steps as the big kids. 

Concentrated on the road, Namjoon didn’t pay attention to the kids for a couple of minutes. Lowering the music, he realised that the atmosphere suddenly changed in the car. He turned his attention to what was happening in the back seat while still driving.

“... you’ll see Namu, we’ll have fun. Plus, we’re in the same class as DaMi. We’ll be together…”

“I want to stay home with appa… he’ll be alone if we both go to school. I’ll miss appa too”

Namu tears went down on his round cheeks as Joon could see and it broke his heart into tiny pieces.

“What’s going on son?”

“I don’t want to go to school appa. I want to stay home with you. I don’t want to go…”

“Aaaaw… Namu, you forgot that for today I will stay with you guys. We’ll meet your teacher and the other kids together. I can’t wait to see your class. Meet your teacher. Play with the other kids. We’ll have fun, you’ll see. Plus, tomorrow, you’ll have only half a day to let you have the time to adapt. In no time, you’ll get used to it”

“I don’t want to meet them… I don’t want to meet Miss Y/n and the other kids. I want to stay home with you”.

“Namu is just a big baby,” Nam Young playfully teased her twin brother while wiping his tears at the same time.

“Nam Young, don’t tease him. He has the right to feel anxious. It’s normal to be when we are facing a new situation”

“I’m just teasing him appa, I wanted to make him smile”.

“You didn’t make me smile, you made me cry” Namu pouted

“I’m sorry Namu,” Nam Young said as she wrapped her brother in a hug, “… please don’t cry”. 

 “Aaaaaw…” Namjoon’s heart was threatening to explode with warmth in his chest. His kids were so different. Their personality was always the opposite. While Namu was more reserved, anxious and introverted, NamYoung was a child that goes to meet everyone and adapt easily to every situation. This morning was not different. If he was being honest, Namjoon was more scared for his son’s adaptation than for his daughter’s. But looking at the duo now, he feels a little assured that Nam Young will be there for her brother if needed. She may not know how to help him yet, but she tries and it makes Namjoon proud.

“We’ve arrived kids… Jin is already parked. Let’s go”.

Namu hesitated to untie his belt. It’s his sister that did it for him and as soon as Namjoon opened the car door, the little one jumped in his father’s arms. It’s with Namu sitting on his forearm with his little arms wrapped around his neck and his face buried into his neck, and Nam Young proudly walking by his side (but still needed to hold his hand) that Namjoon joined Jin. The latter helped his friend to carry their belongings and the quinquet walked their way into the school. 

As they walked towards the building, Namu’s grip tightened against his father’s neck.

“It’s gonna be okay Namu,” Namjoon reassured his son with a small pat on his back, “ Appa is not going anywhere. I’ll stay with you today, remember?”

Namu nodded but didn’t seem to be convinced. The closer they went to the school, the more tense he felt his son against his chest. And by the time they reached the gymnasium, where the event was taking place, Namu burst into full blown tears. 

“I want to go home!” He insisted between tears, “Bring me home appa! Please.”

Watching his son melt down into tears broke Namjoon’s heart. The group stopped before they could enter the venue and Jin led them to a quiet corner where they hoped to help Namu feel at ease. In the middle of the crisis, Namjoon heard your light footsteps coming their way.

“Oooh, what do we have here?” A soft and cheerful voice asked, “I was waiting for you guys, to complete my class” you said.

Too engulfed by his son and too anxious to notice anything, Namjoon merely looked above his shoulder and turned his attention back to his son when his cries intensified.  At the side, he noticed Jin approach you, but didn’t heard the conversation you had together. It’s only when his daughter said “see you later Namu, come and join us when you feel better” did he realise that something was going on.

“Would you come with me, Mr Kim?” he felt your hand on his forearm, trying to catch his attention. “I think it will be less stressful for Namu to be in a quieter place for now. Come on” 

“Nam Young…” Namjoon enquired, now turning towards the source of the voice. It was a young woman probably in her mid twenties. She had a bright and an understanding expression on her face as she spoke to Namjoon. 

“Your daughter is okay, she left to meet the other kids with Mr Kim,” you said, “she even said bye to you and her brother. Come with me, please”.

Namjoon nodded and the duo followed you in a daze. You entered a light and colorful classroom filled with small tables and tiny chairs. There was a rocking chair in the middle of the class, 15 cushions on the floor. Books everywhere. 

“Namu… can you look at me please?” you asked the little kid. He lifted his eyes and with a tiny sob, he looked at his teacher.

“Annyeong Namu. I’m Y/n. I’m so glad that you are here, I needed help this morning because I didn’t have the time to prepare everything” you winked at Namjoon. “I will be your teacher this year and this is our classroom”

No answer from the little boy. Sensing that Namjoon wanted to interfere, you made a sign to signify that you were in control. You needed to bond with the little boy, you know you will have him sooner or later.

“Namu, I worked all week to prepare this class for you guys. But I am not sure if it will be perfect. Would you like to help me with something?” 

You had to think fast. You wanted to occupy the little boy so he would forget he was sad. Very often, the tactic worked in the past.

“No, I want to stay with Appa,” He sniffed.

Namu didn’t agree, but at least he answered you so that was a good beginning.

“But your appa will help me also, we will use him, of course” You winked knowingly at Namjoon. 

Looking around the class, Namu looked suspiciously at his teacher.

“I think it’s pretty enough as it is,” he told you with a skeptical face.

With a tinkle of a laugh, you turned to face Namu snuggled up in Namjoon’s arms. This was probably when Namjoon realised there was something nostalgic about the woman in front of him. Something he couldn’t quite place or point a finger at. But, at the same time, he couldn’t quite shrug the feeling of the warmth, the familiarity that your laughter made him feel. 

“Aaaaw, thanks a lot Namu!” You cheerfully smiled,  “You think that our classroom is pretty! I worked so hard to prepare it all, you have no idea how it looked like, before I came in. But I didn’t lie to you though, I need your fathers’ arms. Can you get down and let him help me with the boxes you see there?”

You pointed a finger at some boxes piled up in a corner of the class. “See this? I would like your appa to give me the box that is in the middle. They’re too heavy for me. Why don’t you come with me, shall we discover what’s inside together”?

Curious, the little boy looked at his father for his authorization. Namjoon gave him a reassuring smile and told his son “Shall we help miss Y/n Namu? Come on,” and he walked with his son still in his arms towards the boxes. When he arrived, he gently put him down, the little arm of Namu lightly sliding along Namjoon’s neck. Curious, the little one looked at his father taking the first box, putting it on the floor and going that way until you said “Yes, this one. Please bring that box on the table”.

Namjoon smiled at your answer. There was not a single box that was heavy enough for you not to be able to carry them. He found that you were clever as he could see the strategy you used there. 

“Here you go Miss Y/n! The box was so heavy, no wonder why you needed me with it” he smiled.

“Thanks Mr. Kim. Namu, wanna come and discover what’s inside with me?” 

Curious, he ran towards the table, the excitement slowly replacing his anxiety.

“One, two, three… Tadam!!!” you exclaimed as you placed your hands on top of the box and opened it together with the little boy. Namu's smile grew big. 

“Woah! This is figurines! I didn’t know I could play at school! I thought I was only here to be serious all the time!”

This time, you laughed for real, a big belly laughter that made Namjoon doubt again for a moment. Somewhere inside his head, he feels like he knows this sound, this person. But at the sametime he’s not so sure if he does. There’s a part of him that wants to ask and put an end to his curiosity but at the sametime, there’s another part of him that doesn’t want to make a fool of himself if he got it wrong. Then again, it wouldn’t be such a surprise if you turned out to be someone he knew. The world is small after all.  Scratching his head, he observed you while you talked to his son. He wished his mind was working at full capacity right now but unfortunately, it was not the case at all. The anxiety caused by the big event today paired with the lack of sleep of the last weeks barely left him a working neurone. One thing was certain though, this woman in front of him loves kids and has the twist with them. You seemed to be a loving and caring person, empathetic enough to take time to create a bond with an anxious little one. Namu will be at ease in no time with you, he already seems to be. It was a relief. 

“You thought we would never play?” You huffed, clearly surprised, “What’s this idea? Namu, you know what? With me, we will always play. We will use games to learn. And when we are tired of learning, we’ll play just for fun! But, but, but, you will learn so many things! You won’t even realise and you will learn. We’ll also have more serious moments of course. Tell me, do you have those figurines at home?”

“I have some, but we couldn’t buy all of them, they were not available anymore”.

“Ooooh!” you blinked at Namjoon “I have my ways to collect toys. Wanna place the figurines on the shelf you see over there? I don’t  know the best way to put them. Should I sit them? Should I group them? See? I really need your help!” you said, turning to Namu. 

“YES! Let me do it!” Namu lifted the box and dragged it in front of the shelfs, not realising the box was actually really light. “Shall I use the top or middle or lower shelf?”

“This is why I need you Namu, I don’t know what will please the kids. Do as you want, we’ll bring more boxes, I have more figurines”

“Yeah” the boy exclaimed happily, his eyes shining like glitter. 

Turning to Namjoon, you murmured lower enough so Namu won’t hear you.

“Here we go Mr. Kim. I thought it was a good idea for him to be in his little bubble before he meets the other kids. At least, now, he will be more comfortable with his environment, it’s less overwhelming for him. I know, I was the exact same at his age” you told him. He softly gazed at his child trying to arrange the figurines as he pleased by the shelves. “When he’s ready, we’ll go to the gym where the other kids are. Want me to go check on Nam Young while you watch over him?”

“You wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course not, wait”.

A short minute later, you came in and sat by Namjoon’s side as he was watching over his son with proud eyes.

“She and DaMi are already entertaining the crowd!” you smiled at Namjoon “Mr Kim is with them both, he said to take your time with Namu. So, no worry. We have a little time before I need to go there”.

“Thank you, Miss Y/n,” Namjoon sighed, relief clearly flooding through his mind and his body. His shoulders finally slouched and he let his body relax in the chair he sat in. 

“Tough morning?” You asked, judging by the demeanor of the man in front of you. 

Namjoon nodded, then smiled at you, “It was. It was the first time I’m going to part with my kids for a relatively long time. I’m excited for them and proud of them. But at the same time, seeing Namu so anxious broke my heart. He’s a sensitive kid, quiet and reserved. But bright and kind at the same time.”

“I can understand Mr. Kim,” You reassured him, “Maybe not understand all the nuances of being a parent but my students are like my little babies too. Please, don’t tell them I called them babies” you laughed.

“Oh lord,” Namjoon mixed in with the laughter, “I called them that this morning and they didn’t like it.”

“I can tell,” You giggled, “Anyway Mr. Kim, rest assured, your little ones are safe with me. I will always care for them and make sure they’re surrounded by a healthy and loving atmosphere while they’re at school.”

There wasn’t anything more Namjoon could ask for. It seemed that you knew how to create a bond with kids too, judging by how Namu was now playing with the figurines as he placed them. He was certainly more at ease.  And as it looked like you were about to get up and go towards Namu, Namjoon finally couldn’t help but ask what was on his mind the whole time. 

“Miss Y/N,” he called out to you, as he scratched his head for the nth time that day, “I apologise if this may sound weird or come across as rather creepy. But, have we met somewhere before??”

“Finally!!” You exclaimed to which Namjoon appeared startled, “ Of course we met before! I was waiting for you to recognise me!”

“...”

“It’s me Y/N from Seoul University”, You continued, “ We met from time to time during our university days”.

Namjoon still looked confused.

“Wait, remember HyunNa? She was a common friend of ours. Sometimes we met with a bunch of other people. I always loved talking with you, I have to say. You were so brilliant and kind compared to her other friends. Maybe you left a better impression than I did” you said but you didn’t seem mad at all. In fact you were smiling brightly. 

“Oh wait!” It finally dawned on Namjoon, “You’re that Y/N?!”

“Yes! Have I changed that much?” You giggled, “You finally recognised me!”

“Sorry,” Namjoon laughed, “I do remember you but damn, you changed a lot! We met often at the parties. Although neither of us are the kind to party.”

“I think this is why we found ourselves together sitting outside sipping at our drinks and reflecting on the whole wide world, while the other danced and got wasted! ”

 “And those midnight ice cream trips with our friends!”

“Yep! Ice cream was the best! That was my kind of activity”

“Gosh, those days seem so far away. Anyway, I didn't think I would meet you like this after years. It’s a pleasant surprise though.”

“I’m glad too, to be honest. Plus, I’m gonna be the one who takes care of your twins. What a faith!” You said, smiling fondly at Namu.

“They were good times,” Namjoon said, a soft smile adoring his lips.

“It certainly was,” You said, nostalgically, “I wonder how the others are doing right now.”

Once Namu felt at ease with his surroundings and after a while of catching up, Namjoon and you decided that it’s time to regroup with the others at the gymnasium. By the time the three of you entered the gym where the main festivities were held, the school party with the other kids had already started. Once you made your way towards the other teachers, Namjoon joined in with Jin and the other parents. 

“A moment of attention please,” the physical education teacher said. It was Junkook, your colleague. “It’s time for everybody to meet with your group. Would you please group in front of your teachers please, parents follow your kids. We’ll take your presence and we’ll have a short time to get to know each other before the games start. Let’s go meet your teachers guys”.

Jungkook came to you as soon as his speech was done. You had missed the welcome speech and he wanted to tell you how it went. 

“Is the little one okay, noona?” He asked, concerned.

“Yes, he was just a little shy,” You said and then added, “You took good care of my class while I was away, thanks Kookie.” 

“I did, of course. And they can’t wait to meet you, they didn’t believe me when I told them I was miss Y/N,” He pouted.

“Aaaaaw! You said that? Thank you so much! You’re the best!”

“My pleasure. Luckily, you have a bunch of single fathers in your class,” Jungkook smirked, “for the single lady you are, you’ll have plenty of choices. If needed, I may help you all year long with this group, they are all pretty cute and I may get lucky with one of the dad’s myself,” He shrugged.

“Jesus Kook! Calm your hormones” you laughed. “I’ll talk to you later” you smiled at him. Ever Since he joined your school, he was the most popular among kids. Funny, dynamic and respected by everybody. You even found in him a little brother that you never had.

“Okay guys, I’m sure you all met Jungkook?  He will be the gymnastic teacher this year. You can call him Kookie.”

Kids squealed and applauded, already under his charm. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you before but here I am now. And I’m so glad to meet you.  Now, before you arrive, I have memorised all your names and I would like to put a face on your names. Who do we have here?” 

In addition to Kim Namu, Nam Young and Kim Dami, Namjoon and Jin’s kids respectively, there were Min Jae Hyun and Min Hyun Seok, two bright kids of a young couple, Min Yoongi and Jung Hoseok. Then there was Park A-Reum, daughter of a really charming man Park Jimin, whose beauty turned the heads of everyone in the gymnasium from the teachers to the staff and the helpers.  There was Kim Sang Jung, whose energy was more chaotic than an atom bomb. He came with his equally chaotic uncle, Kim Taehyung. There was also a cute but extremely turbulent little girl named Kwak Bo Young whose parents didn’t bother to come for her first day of school, she came in class with her angelic cousin named Lee Min Ji.  Both of them were not accompanied and they soon found themselves under Jimin and Taehyung‘s  protective wings.  These were the kids mainly under your small class.  

“Woah! What a wonderful group I have this year! I’m sure we’ll have so much fun together!” you told them. “Before we start the games, your gym teacher, Kookie and I have arranged some snacks, so be sure to try them and enjoy yourselves. Parents too, can eat as much as you want”

Namjoon along with Jin looked around the gymnasium, taking in the whole atmosphere. Their kids have long ago ran towards the snacks leaving the two behind.

“This place is not bad,” Namjoon mused to himself, ��I was pretty anxious yesterday. But somehow after this morning and right now, I feel at ease.”

“I know what you mean,” Jin added, as he signed Namjoon to look in front of them, “I don’t think we have to worry about the kids anymore.”

Sure enough to Namjoon’s amusement and happiness, both their kids seemed to have made friends with the others in their group. It was probably then, that he caught your attention and briefly sent you a smile along with a small wave.

“Ah I see,” Jin mused, smiling to himself.

“See what?” Namjoon asked.

“You know, the teacher,” He shrugged, “I saw that.”

“Saw what hyung??” Namjoon asked, still oblivious.

“I noticed a certain someone who seems all smiley and bubbly around the teacher,” Jin remarked, an amused expression masking his face.

“What do you mean, hyung? Bubbly?  I just waved to her,” Namjoon said, exasperated. And when Jin didn’t budge, he added, “Okay, fine, I knew her from college. We weren't exactly close, but hung out with the same group of friends”.

“And?”

“And what?”

“And?”

“Okay fine! I probably had a tiny bit of a crush on her back then!”

At this Jin’s smile grew wider and wider.

“No no no, I know what you’re thinking and don’t you go there Hyung!” Namjoon exclaimed, “It was long ago and now’s a totally different situation.”

Jin continued to smile and looked like he wasn’t convinced but didn’t say anything more. Namjoon just continued being exasperated by his friend. 

At the same time, on the other side of the Gymnasium, Jungkook approached you. 

“So… what about you and Mr Kim?” He asked you as soon as you were both out of reach of the children.

“There are 3 Mr Kim in my class. You’ll have to be more precise”

“The one with the hot thighs” He smirked.

“What about Namjoon- ah?” You asked, not even realising what you just said.

“DAAAAH!” he laughed, pointing at you. “You know exactly who I’m talking about, how’s that”

“Oooh…. Well… Why do you even ask about him, there is nothing about him” you shyly answered. 

“3 years now, I’ve known you for 3 years and I have never seen you blush when a parent waved at you”.

“I didn’t blush” you said, feeling your cheeks with the back of your hand. “We knew each other back then. There is nothing about him or anything. Leave me alone Kookie” you pouted. 

“She’s shy, how charming” Kookie said as he laid a hand on your shoulder “I think that your red cheeks speak for themselves. Oooh, wait” and he left as fast as he arrived, little A-Reum coming his way with her appa and little Min Ji.

Looking at Kook squatting down to be at the same level as A - Reum, you smiled to yourself as you watched Kook put a bandaid on the finger of the little boy.

Soon, the games began and you didn’t have much time to think about Kim Namjoon anymore, the kids taking all your attention. They were all charming but certainly will keep you busy this year. They involved themselves in the activities with every inch of enthusiasm and energy that was hidden in their little bodies. It was a fun filled day both for you, the parents and their children. And just like that, time flew and in the blink of an eye, the day came to an end. The kids, and even Namu who was so hesitant, were disappointed to go home, but you assured them that they will be back tomorrow and it’s going to be filled with fun like today was. With hopes of looking forward to the next day, and the year ahead, the kids and their parents bid you a good bye. 

****************************

“Are you sure about it hyung?”

“Oh course I’m sure,” Jin insisted on the other end of the phone, “I promised Dami I’ll bring the twins with us. She wanted it, you don’t want to disappoint my daughter, do you?”

Namjoon chuckled.

“I certainly don’t want to make my little princess sad,” He sighed, “Okay then… Are you sure you can handle the three?”

“YAH Kim Namjoon! Who do you think I am?” Jin remarked faking a playful offence, “The day is already planned and you approved all the activities we prepared. Just take that day for yourself and relax. I don’t know how long it’s been since you had a day without responsibilities. Take that time my friend, and enjoy it. You need to recharge your batteries and the kids are really happy about it all. It’s a win win situation.” Jin reassured his friend. “No worry, I know where to reach you in case anything happens”

“Yes, please. I will keep my phone with me. Call me if anything happens. Anything, okay?”

“Yes Namjoon heard you loud and clear, now stop worrying and have fun. Trust your hyung on this one, I got your back.”

Namjoon felt reassured and was even grateful for Jin’s idea. This is when he heard him laugh and say.

“Maybe you can even call the cute teacher and have some good quality time together with her,” He smirked, “I told you many times, she blushed looking at you thrice that day”

“Hyung!” Namjoon exclaimed, “She did not! And that’s all in your imagination!”

“It’s not.”

“It is.”

“Nope. No sir.”

“Yes it is.”

“Fine hyung, whatever lets you sleep at night,” Namjoon signed exasperated knowing his friend won’t relent to him.

Jin didn’t say anything but his laughter was enough to tell Namjoon that he was clearly enjoying this teasing. Ever since he learned of Namjoon’s little university crush on the teacher of their kids, Jin made it a point to tease him relentlessly over it every chance he has got. Now, Namjoon just learned to let Jin have his moment. 

Soon after this, Jin along with Dami, dropped by to collect both the twins. Namjoon bounced around the house double checking everything just to see if the kids had everything they needed. Honestly, everything was already prepared but at the last moment, he felt hesitant. Thankfully, Jin reassured him.  He now loaded all their belongings into Jin’s car with his help, hugged his little ones one last time, breathing in their smell, and made sure they’re properly seated in the car.

“Uncle Jooooooon” Dami happily called him “Can I have my kiss goodbye too?”

“Sure thing, my little princess” He opened the car door he had just closed and hugged her little frame, careful not to crash anyone with his weight.  “Have a good day Dami.”

“You too uncle.”

 And then with a final goodbye from both Jin and the kids, the car zoomed off into the distance.

It’s been quite a while since Namjoon got time for himself. Whether it was to just walk around aimlessly or watch a movie by himself or anything of that sort. In addition to the time, the weather also seemed to work in his favour. It was a clear day, with the blue of the sky peering over the millions that walked the planet. There were hardly any clouds but it also wasn’t very sunny or hot. Just the perfect weather for a stroll along the bed of the Han river. 

Namjoon sighed, leaning into the touch of the breeze that passed him by. It’s been five long years since there was any moment of peace. Ever since the day his twins were born, everyday was a jumble of rollercoaster rides for him. Not that they were bad. He certainly did have days where he was stressed, where he thought he was going to snap from the pressure of it all. But most of all, the rollercoaster ride was still welcome. His kids mean everything to him and without them, he probably couldn’t have gotten to where he is now. The hours he spent caring for them all alone, watching them grow and bloom into beautiful human beings were certainly worth all the fatigue that had accumulated over time. After all, he will always have time to rest later.

And as he sat there lost in his thoughts, he soon noticed a familiar figure sitting by a tree and reading a book. Upon closer inspection, Namjoon realises that it was you, his longtime friend and a teacher for his kids. You didn’t notice him, you were too engrossed in your book, your brows furrowed from the seriousness of what was in the story, your mouth upturned into a pout. It brought a little smile on Namjoon’s face, because it was something he was used to seeing back when you both were in university. From the little bits he knows of you from here and there, and of the times you hung around, books were a constant. Never in his life, he thought he would meet you again or feel this familiarity once again. 

As he continued to notice you and take in your presence, a soft breeze blew by you, whipping your hair onto your face. It didn’t seem like it bothered you though as you continued reading despite it. And when it happened for a second time, it was when you finally tucked your hair behind your ear and looked up to meet Namjoon’s gaze. 

“Namjoon - ah” you murmured, more for yourself. You were not quite sure if he was really in front of you, still engulfed in the emotional part of the story you just read. It was when you heard his deep velveteen voice that you knew it was not your imagination. 

“What a nice surprise” he softly giggled before he walked towards you “It’s nice to see you haven't changed at all after all these years. It’s nice to see you like that, like before”.

This was when he noticed what Jin was teasing him with for weeks now, the pink on your cheeks that he’s quite sure you never had in your university years. More so, around him.

“Oooh! You mean, reading all alone in my little corner?” You chuckled, “Yep! This is still how I spend my off days.  My friends wanted to go for a bicycle ride but after being surrounded by people all week, I needed some quiet time”.

“Haha, I know what you mean, I’ll leave you then” Namjoon shyly said.

“No! I didn’t mean it like that. I’m actually happy to see you, come sit with me” you pat the place close to you. 

“You sure?”

“Yep! Of course”

With a blinding smile, he walked towards you and sat close by. 

“By the way, where are my babies?” you asked him with a concerned smile.

“Oooh, out with Jin hyung and Dami. It’s the first time I’m on my own. They will even sleep there, if I don’t change my mind and join them or kidnap them. Because they were so happy about their day, it would be a kidnapping” he laughed. “They have planned to sleep in a homemade tent on the terrace of Jin hyung’s building, I mean…. Quite an event, right?”

“Aaaaw! This is so cute!” You exclaimed, “Don’t you dare bother them” you teased. 

“Yeah, we’ll see if I can stand it tonight,” Namjoon sighed as he gazed towards the sky.

“And how is Mr. Namjoon spending his day so far?” You asked playfully, wiggling your eyebrows.

“To be honest, they just left and I was just wandering around. I feel useless,” he chuckled, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Aaaaw! Single dad, not being used to being by himself” You cooed, “I’m glad that you have this day though. It’s good for you”

“You don’t have kids right?” 

“Nope, it’s still impossible for a single woman to procreate by herself” you laughed, “Unless it happens by a miracle.”

Namjoon snorted at that. Strangely happy for a reason he can’t fathom. But then he also wondered, 

“How do you spend your free time? Then again, how come you’re single?” he asked, almost surprised.

Looking up at him through your eyelashes, you wondered what he meant for a moment. 

“This is a question I ask myself too, Namjoon -ah,” you broke into a laughter, “Where is my prince charming, I wonder!” 

“Aaaaw!” he smiled at your cuteness.

 “Well, to answer your question, I spent my free time with whatever I want to do. I don’t ask myself how to spend my time, I just do what I want. Then again, it’s easy for me since I have no children yet. This is what you should do today. What do you, Kim Namjoon, want to do today?”

“What if I say, I want to go have ice cream with an old friend like the old times??” Namjoon asked, “Will she agree to it?”

 “This is a very good idea. You go ahead, call her” you playfully winked at him but at the same time, you were already closing your book with the same page holder you used back then, Namjoon noticed.

“I mean you, pabo!” Namjoon whined, “I don’t think I have many people I know around here or consider anyone else to be an old friend.”

“I know!” You exclaimed happily, “But wanted to tease. Oopsie.”

“Let’s get going then shall we??” He said, smiling as he stood up and reached a hand to help you. His hand was big and his grip soft but strong. You felt happy that the connection with him didn’t seem to be lost after so many times apart. 

“You won’t have that horrible flavor again, right?” Namjoon asked you with a pout.

“You remember what I used to eat?” you asked him, surprised.

“How can I forget, it’s kind of noticeable”

You laughed, delighted that he remembers, for some reason.

“Let’s see if my tastes have evolved enough to meet yours” you answered. Ice cream flavor was always a subject of playful bickering between the two of you. Never on the same page when it comes to choosing it. 

As you walked along a little path along the river with Namjoon on your left, you looked up at him to meet his soft smile. When did he become so handsome? He was always a beautiful person inside and out but somehow along the way, as he aged, he became even more beautiful. How come you never noticed it back then? And how was this something you noticed after all these years? 

“Appa doesn’t have a lover” you remembered Namu telling you and Kookie, last week “he said his priority was me and Nam Young but I would like to have a mother” the little boy had pouted cutely.

“You have a really good appa, Namu” Kookie had answered “he’ll meet the good person for him and for you guys one day. But the fact that he’s taking his time to do so is really good”.

The class had started and you had to leave the subject like that but it kept running in your thoughts today. 

“Namjoon- ah” 

“Hmmmm” he said as he looked down on you, his dimples shyly flashing on his cheeks as he smiled.

“It will be the only thing I’ll say about your kids because today, I’m not their teacher, I’m your old friend. But I found it amazing how a single parent could be able to raise such beautiful human beings. Namu and Nam Young are so lovely and brilliant. They learned to care for one another but they also care for the entire class, including me.  It’s easy to say that they received a lot of loving attention and that they were in a stimulating environment. I love them so much. If you ever doubted, I want to tell you that you did a good job at parenting them. I… I’m impressed”

“Oooooh” he blushed “Thanks Y/n, I mean, it was not always easy but they were my number one priority all the time and I certainly cared a lot for them.”

“You prioritise your kids over your own needs, I mean, it’s remarkable. I found it really amazing”.

“Thanks Y/n… for me it was the only thing to do”.

“It would have been the same for me, too, you know” You said as you gazed into his eyes, then shrugged, “But it’s not that obvious for everyone else I guess. I met a lot of egoistic parents in my young career, unfortunately”

Namjon’s eyes were captivating. Again, something else that you never noticed before. Maybe there were times you did notice that. Some moments in passing when you both were in university. Or some nights when you were drunk and stared a little too longer into his eyes. But you never gave it much thought back then. In fact you can count the number of times you felt something but shrugged it off immediately, thinking it wasn’t a big deal or blaming it on the alcohol. But why tho? Was it because you were already seeing someone? Was it because it felt wrong? Was it the guilt? In hindsight, It was probably the guilt that made you focus on something else. But now, as you stared into his eyes, you can feel the familiar warmth stir in your chest. A kind of warmth you’ve never felt for anyone in years after you last broke up with your ex. 

“Anyway,” You abruptly turned your head to face forward. Somewhere at the corner of your head, you can feel the blush creep up your cheeks and for some reason you felt embarrassed that Namjoon might notice that, ”I think I’ll have chocolate ice cream today. I don’t feel like ‘fighting’ with you.” 

Namjoon busted a laugh at that, he has a really pretty smile, “You know what,” He said, “Have whatever you like, I’m not going to judge you on that today. I just like teasing you.”

“Aaaah, Kim Namjoon! You’re such a meanie!” you pouted, then chuckled, “It’s good, I.. It’s good”.

What’s happening to you? What’s this good feeling of meeting up with an old friend and connecting just perfectly again. At the same time, what’s this bubbly, sparkling sensation tickling inside? What was that? Why so suddenly?

“Look at that,” Namjoon pointed as he came to an abrupt halt. You were so lost in the chaos of your emotions and bubbling feelings that you didn’t notice when Namjoon stopped, didn’t hear him talk to you or point at something. With your mind in a haze, you walked right into him. The tall and broad shoulders, perfect him.  It was so sudden, that the collision surprised you and in an effort to steady yourself, you tried to find the right footing. But that only led you to further losing your balance and before you could blink, you found yourself falling face first onto the ground. You tightly closed your eyes, bracing yourself for the impact.

But before, you could even realise what was happening, a strong arm quickly snaked around your waist and lifted you up from falling. You don’t know how he managed to do that but you found yourself facing Namjoon, securely held in between his arms, his hands away from you in a respectful manner. As you looked up at him, your eyes met his. His perfectly shaped, deep coffee brown eyes that stared right into your soul. They were so tender and soft, that you could feel yourself sucked right into his gaze. In this moment, you didn’t mind the ‘respectful’ manners and with the excuse of holding yourself still, you placed your hands flat on his chest. His heart was beating way faster than the calm that was emanating from his firm stillness on the outside.

“Namjoon- ah” you smiled at yourself, feeling a sting of warmth in your heart, “Why is your heart beating so fast? Were you so scared that I might have fallen down?” 

At this very moment, you couldn’t imagine that he could have been feeling the same warmth at your contact. It was so sudden for you, so inexplicable. Namjoon didn’t answer, he just stared at you. He too was so lost in the moment that he didn’t realise the kind of hold he had over you, nor did he realise the position you were in. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine that he would get such a close look at your face. And when you spoke, things suddenly fell in place. His eyes went wide as the realisation kicked in. His face turned a deep shade of red as he finally let you go. 

“I...I’m sorry,” He smiled sheepishly, “I didn’t think.”

“What are you sorry for?” This confused you further. But decided not to dwell on it too much, “You saved me from face planting myself on the floor, thank you,” You laughed.

If saying that Namjoon was starstruck was an understatement, saying that he was spellbound would be too underrated.  You have an enthralling laugh. Namjoon remembered the first time he heard it back in the university, he thought it had a distinct sound to it. Like the distant chime of a bell, like birds chirping in spring. And even now if you ask him, he would say it still had the same ring to it. Had the same effect on him. If he was being completely honest with himself, he would admit right here and right now that this sound you make when you burst into laughter, he would like to hear it every single day for the rest of his life. It just made him feel light and bubbly, calmed him down. 

“You know what Y/n?” he asked as he collected himself

“What?” 

“I want to make a bet with you”.

“A bet? What kind of bet?” you looked at him, not sure what he was about to propose.

“See the tree over there? The one close to the ice cream stand? The last one that arrives there has to pay for the ice cream. What do you think”

You smirked, as your expression changed in the blink of an eye and rolled up your sleeves. How did Namjoon forget how competitive you can get when bets were involved. 

“Bring it on Mr. Kim!” You exclaimed as you jumped to prepare yourself. “You’re so gonna have to pay for me!” 

For the nth time that day, he was reminded of how much you didn’t change over the years. How much the same old things excited you or brought a spark in your eyes.

“No way I’m paying! I’m so gonna beat you in the race!” Namjoon challenged you right away.

“Sureeeee,” You chuckled, “Says the same guy who lost all the time back at uni and paid for everyone.”

“You remember??” Namjoon asked, taken by surprise.

“How can I forget? I had a couple of free treats, thanks to you” you laughed “I mean, who will say no to free ice cream, han? You better get ready Namjoon- ah! I’m on fire today. I might be smaller than you, but I’m way faster. Ready?” you asked, still warming up your muscles as if you were preparing for an olympic competition. 

“Aaaaw” Namjoon cooed “you didn’t change at all. Okay, on your marks…”

This is when things became serious for you. You position yourself in order not to miss the departure, not a single bit aware of Namjoon’s tender expression. The more he looked at you, at your cuteness over the simplest things, the more he felt endeared at you.  You probably may not have been aware, but Namjoon let you start ahead of him and he ran right after you. Always making sure he kept a step behind. 

When your hand finally touched the tree bark, you turned around and did your little happy dance exclaiming that you won. Just for that Namjoon thought he was in fact, the real winner here.

“I can’t believe that you won” he exclaimed but it sounded so fake, you became skeptical. Panting from the effort, you managed to say.

“Namjoon- ah! You cheated! I can see you let me win! Why?” you frown, pouting. “You’re not even breathless, how is that possible?”

“Aaaaw! Have I let you win?” he asked, dangerously close to you. “I don’t think I did! Anyway, ice cream is on me today… again”.

You studied his face for a moment. He didn’t seem a tiny bit deceived that he just lost a bet. He even had a warm smile on his face, his dimples on full display. You pouted even more.

“Namjoon-ah, you let me win. I know you did”.

“Of course not. I ran like my life depended on it”.

“Yeah! Yeah! Sure, I believe that,” You stared back at him, your eyebrows knitting on your forehead, your eyes in a squint.

Your breathing was much calmer now, and you were able to speak normally. Namjoon felt himself too entranced by you, if he continued to look at you like that, he didn't know what he could do. Instead of kissing you like his guts were claiming, he leaned towards you and poke your forehead. 

“Ouch” your fingers traced the spot Namjoon just poked. It was so sudden, that it took you by surprise. But at the same time you couldn’t help being fond of it.  

“Namjoon-ah! You meanie!” You pouted “You let me win and now, you’re hurting me! I don’t follow you this morning” you laughed, “Why are you like this??”

“I believe that you should not ask that, little miss. This might be information I want to keep top secret”.

“Oh Oh!  look at you,” You playfully teased, “All cool and mysterious, keeping information to yourself,”

“I heard that mysterious people are very attractive,” Namjoon remarked as he puffed out his chest, “Does Ms. Y/N think that mysterious people are attractive?”

You smiled at him, looking straight into his eyes. He was so handsome, a mix of confidence and doubt. He was himself the incarnation of Adonis. The greek god of desire and beauty. 

“Hum… let me think about it… Nah, I am personally not attracted to mysterious people. You know what seduces me?” without realising it, you got lost in your own thoughts and you had no filter anymore “Intelligence is seductive. Kindness is seductive. When someone is really caring and tender, this is really attractive, at least to me. If the person has dimples, broad shoulders, a beautiful smile and thighs… omg, if he has muscular thighs I’m a lost case”

Namjoon, who’s brain usually malfunctions when you’re around, has now completely stopped functioning. He just stopped in his tracks staring at you, his eyes wide. Trying to process the words that just left your mouth. It can’t be true is it? It’s too good to be true is it? But he just heard them. Straight from you. 

You stopped walking on the spot, realising what you just had said. Your eyes went wide and it seemed to Namjoon that the blood had left your face before that beautiful pink colored your cheeks once more.

“I mean… I…” You stuttered, which was unusual for you. A hint for Namjoon that your brain too, was malfunctioning. “I mean, dimples are universally attractive, right? We… Aren’t we all attracted to dimples? I mean… Oh well, I think I’ll just shut up now” you blushed. You were red from the top of your head to your toes. 

“I’m pretty sure it’s just you, who found it attractive,” Namjoon teased you. He couldn’t help himself, he needed to make you laugh again. His heart was beating loudly inside his own chest and he could very well feel the blush creep up his own cheeks. But that’s a story for another time. For now he just wants to see you smile at the very least. But instead of a smile, you got shy and it melted his heart.

“Namjoon-ah… I was just…”

“Say no more, Y/N, I just love teasing you”

“Yeah, it’s better if I just stop talking” you sheepishly smiled at him “The good thing is, you will pay for my ice cream today so I’m gonna take the bigger portion I ever had”

“You can buy the entire shop and I still won’t mind paying for that” Namjoon grinned.

Your heart was beating so fast and you felt so light. You never felt like this before near anybody else other than Namjoon, even back in uni. Was he flirting with you? Were you flirting with him? What was happening? How’s this even possible? Not even half an hour ago, you were alone, reading against a tree. Now you are with the most handsome and interesting man that you ever met and both of you seem to be fond of each other, at least you hope you were not imagining this. 

You were probably standing there staring at him, the familiar blush dusted on your cheeks that your mind didn’t get enough time to process it when Namjoon took your hand in his, like it’s no big deal. Like it’s something of a usual occurrence to him, to you. And when you finally came to your senses, you couldn’t help but feel his hand. His soft but tough skin, his long fingers and the way they intertwined and laced around your own. The warmth of his grip, the tingling sensation that every point of contact sent through your skin. You were no longer sure of what’s reality or what’s an illusion. 

The day couldn’t have been more perfect for Namjoon. This morning, he wouldn't have imagined it would turn out so beautifully. Walking hand in hand with the person he held a crush for over the longest period of time. If anyone would ever tell his university self that he would be walking with you while holding hands, he would have probably laughed at that person. But life does have weird ways of coming in a full circle. And here he was. The anxiety of being away from his kids was long gone. He did think of them, of course. But he was in such a peaceful and happy place, he didn’t have time to be overwhelmed. 

You walked around for a while like that. Stopping for your ice cream once and then making a few more stops as you both tried some street food here and there. And between all this, the walking, the eating, the picking out food stalls, you both couldn’t stop talking to each other, couldn’t stop the bickering. It was a while since any of you had so much fun. Been a while since you both felt so light and bubbly. Particularly with another human being, an adult specifically. Nothing about today was planned beforehand but the day was nevertheless full of remarkable moments. Small moments that you never want to forget.

****************************

“So this is it then,” Namjoon’s words jolted you out of your thoughts. Surely enough, you could see your apartment come into view from a distance. The day surely flew by. And probably for the first time, you were disappointed by the thought of having to return home yet. Beside you, Namjoon didn’t seem to let your hand go either. His grip on your hand was as tight as it was when he first held it.

A little sad that you will soon have to go separate ways with Namjoon, you looked at him. His features were half hidden by the darkness that already fell on the city. Sensing your gaze on him, he looked back at you with a tender smile on his face.

“What are you thinking of Namjoon?” You asked, an equally tender smile on your face.

“Thinking?” Namjoon asked, “Nothing really. Why?”

“You had such a soft smile on your face,” You shrugged, “So wondered what got you smiling like that.”

“Ah, that’s because I had a good day today. I’m happy I got to spend all this time with you.”

You probably weren’t expecting this answer from him, so it was a bit surprising and also made your heart flutter thinking about how you were the cause of that smile. He, too, made you happy today.  Very happy.

Guided by the desire to stay with Namjoon a little bit longer, you let your hand secure in his and with the other one, you gently laid your fingers on his forearm as you continued walking. It was not something that you planned to do, you just felt the need to hold onto him. He didn’t react to this but his already wide smile grew wider, if it’s something that’s even possible. 

“We’ve arrived” you stopped in front of your apartment building “I live here”.

Namjoon didn’t say anything but stared at your doorstep, lost in a daze. It seems that it still didn’t fully dawn upon him that it’s already the end of your day together. And when he didn’t say anything else for a while longer you just gave him a small nudge waking him up from his reverie. 

“This is so funny,” He remarked, “I walk in front of your home almost every single day when I go to work, yet I never imagined you lived here. Life is full of surprises”.

“Oh yeah?” You giggled. 

You both just look at each other, a little awkward, a little shy, unsure of what you had to say. Of what both of you wanted to say. You both knew that the time you spent together today was a million times different than how you spent it before. You can’t really pinpoint what changed or what pushed for this change. But whatever it was, it was good. It was more than just good. It was perfect.

“So….” 

“So…”

“You live here…” Namjoon bashfully said and mentally slapped himself almost instantly. Wasn’t it obvious? You had just said you live there. Jin will laugh at him until the next century when he gets to know this. 

As he was scolding himself internally, he didn’t notice you tiptoe in front of him. It’s your hands taking a hold on his chest that made him realise that something was happening. 

“Oh” was the only thing he thought of saying when he felt your warm lips against his cheek. Less than a second after, he could see your beautiful smile. You seemed to be way more at ease than he was. On an honest note, you weren’t sure what prompted you to do that. But looking at him, it only felt right to peck his cheek in a kiss. 

“You’re so cute when you’re mad at yourself Namjoon-ah! You’re the cutest!” you tittered, your eyes bright. Namjoon swore, if he stared any longer he would be able to trace galaxies in them. 

And as for you, saying Namjoon was cute was an understatement. You knew he was just as nervous as you. Nervous, happy, excited, overwhelmed and so many other things. It’s like waves crashing on top of each other. Restless, yet everything seemed like it was falling into place. 

Under the pale moonlight, you gazed at Namjoon’s face. In contrast to the softness he radiates, his face was full of sharp angles and beautiful lines. He was looking at you with something akin to tenderness in his eyes, his coffee brown eyes, fixated on yours, his brown hair falling over his face. You were tempted to reach out and brush it away. But you couldn’t do anything but standstill and continue to gaze back into his eyes. And deep inside you, a fire burned and crackled.  

When you felt him closing the distance between you, you instinctively closed your eyes and clutched at his shirt with your trembling hands. He was so close, you could feel his warmth enveloping you like a comfortable blanket. And with each passing moment, the fire inside you burned brighter. Stomach tangling, ribs crackling, butterflies scattering everywhere.

And just as Namjoon’s gaze dropped down to your mouth, he snaked an arm around your waist and pulled you in, your lips tarried at his, baiting each other with the warmth of your breath. And just as his lips gently leaned on yours, a sound to your side broke the charm.

“Hum hum” the old man living in your block cleared his throat. Still not completely coming to your senses, both Namjoon and you sprang apart, half shy, half embarrassed. You then moved on your left, giving the space that the intruder needed to pass by and enter the building.

This is when you noticed Namjoon’s finger, grazing his red and luscious lips at the exact place where he felt you. He seemed as shy and shocked as you were. 

“I… This is like an old dream coming true” Namjoon admitted, flustered.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know if I can say it”

“...” you stared at him.

“It’s nothing bad, you know?” he moved from a foot to another, seemingly shy and nervous.

“Then, why don’t you tell me” you had no idea what he was gonna say. All you could think about was the sudden sensation of cold you felt when you had to move back from him. It seems like you belonged in his arms and you wished you could just snuggle up against him as soon as possible. 

And the next words that slipped past his lips was probably something you never imagined yourself or ever pictured happening. 

“I used to have a huge crush on you while we were at uni,” He said, softly giggling, “I can’t believe I’m admitting that to you years later.”

Surprised, it was not something you expected him to have said, you stared at him blank, your eyes wide open. But then again, there was also no denying the sparks that flew between you back then. All this while, you thought it was only you. But, now you know, he was feeling something similar too. In a way, it was sort of comforting to know that. 

When you noticed that his features changed, you realised he might have confused your reaction to rejection. Indeed, when he started to talk, he seemed to have regretted the confession. You didn’t want him to feel that way so you moved towards him and engulfed yourself in his arms.

“Woah Namjoon-ah! I didn’t know at all…” You said, at a loss for words. Equal parts embarrassed, equal parts happy. But at the same time you couldn’t help squeeze his frame between your arms. And in your grip, Namjoon stood still, probably too shocked or surprised for his own good. His heart at that point was slippery and hot and loud. So, so loud.

You both stood still like that for a few moments. It was too surreal, it was like falling off a cliff at a high velocity, unaware of your surroundings, yet still somehow suspended within the moment. And after what felt like ages, you turned your head to face him. When you looked at his gentle features peering at you, you knew what you felt in your heart. You were sure. But wanting to confirm if Namjoon was feeling the same, you ask -

“What about now Namjoon? How do you feel about me now?” you asked, your voice barely a whisper. 

Namjoon thought it was too good to be true, that the moment was too magical, too perfect. He must have been dreaming and yet here he was.  With you in his arms, worried about what he might think, he thought that life offered him the most beautiful gift in a long time. He smiled right back at you as he looked straight into your eyes before he tighter his arms around you. One hand at the nape of your neck, he brought you closer to his chest and kept you there for a long moment, both savoring the sensation.

“Now? Let’s see… It’s beyond just a crush. I feel like… we belong? Isn't it strange?” 

“No Namjoon, it’s not strange. I feel the same” you told him, your nose against his shirt, breathing in his familiar scent.

And with that Namjoon giggled in your hold. 

“How do you feel about a date next weekend then?” He asked as his fingers delicately carded through your hair.

“Let me see” you said, thinking “I found it’s a very long time to wait! I already cannot wait to be with you… What to do?” you teased “If we talk on the phone meanwhile, maybe I can wait until next week-end” you smiled at him.

“Aaaaw! Of course we can talk,” Namjoon laughed, “I recognise you there. You didn’t change a bit!”

“But it’s how you like me, right?”

“Right!” He smiled and took your hands in his “I also can’t wait to be with you again”

The journey was coming to an end, sadly. You moved back from his arms, tiptoed to kiss his cheek one last time and lingered against him a bit longer than necessary. 

“Stay safe Namjoon”

“Yes, you too” 

“Sure Namjoon,” you giggled, “I’ll try not to get robbed on the way to my doorstep.”

Namjoon busted a laugh at that. 

“Anyway, see you soon.”

“See you soon.”

When you entered your apartment, you couldn’t believe what just happened. Sliding against the door, you sat down on the floor and held your knees against your heart in an attempt to keep it in your chest. 

Not even 15 minutes later, still in the same position, you received a text message. 

“Kind of think that next weekend is way too far… you were right missy <3”

[alienaiver]

Half the Battle, pt. 1

Kuroo Tetsurou x gn!reader

find part two here!

warnings: slight angst about childhood/parents fighting/divorce, one (1) bottle of wine is opened, someone is betrayed in Mario Party, NOT beta-read! apologize for any mistakes! (lmk if there’s any warnings i missed!)

wordcount: 5.5k

content: soulmate AU, mild angst, fluff, post-timeskip but slight canon divergence (i haven’t read the manga yet so this is loosely based off of their canon timeskip lives), gender neutral reader, reader is a video editor, reader is bad at eye contact but the details as to why are vague/up for interpretation!

notes: this was made for @gg9183 ​ ‘s wonderful birthday event, a soulmate collab! (go read the other wonderful works!) happy birthday once again, gray!! this was meant to be a 2k one shot but.... plans and inspiration changes sometimes, right? 🥺 so this ended up as a 5k part ONE lmfao i hope thats alright w u!!! part2 will be up asap, i promise!! i hope you enjoy this!!!! 

—————————

Not meeting his soulmate was fine, Kuroo often found himself thinking. The odds of finding your soulmate’s way too low to be realistic anyways, he supported the thought. It’s illogical to spend so much time fretting about it, he finally added for good measure.

Soulmates were a natural part of life, always had been. But with the big wide world filled with over seven billion people, meeting yours wasn’t completely unheard of. But given the powers of soulmates even existing, it wasn’t unrealistic to also believe that some kind of fate would pull you towards each other throughout your lives so that you would meet each other. Kuroo however, prided himself in not caring about soulmates. His life was rich enough. People explaining their feelings about “something being missing until they finally meet them” was incomprehensible to him.

Kuroo had lived for 29 years without being able to see color. And you know what? His life was damn well fulfilling enough. He had a beautiful apartment, an economy that flourished, an adorable cat named Cucumber and good people around him. What would he really need a soulmate for? He could ignore his friends comments on how wonderful the world was in color, if only he would just start looking for his soulmate, how much meaning it gave life. Just because the people in his closest circle had all magically met theirs – not to mention how many of them had already met in Goddamn high school, Kuroo scoffed and was always able to move on.

Even though a lot of people actively made eye contact with everyone they met, even people on the street, to make sure they would meet their soulmate, Kuroo kept his eyes down. He wasn’t insecure, come on, he was perfectly happy! He just didn’t need to be late for a meeting because he got eye contact with some stranger, you know?

His life was in perfect balance as is.. Until yesterday, of course. It had turned out there was mold in his apartment complex so they had to evict it for a month while a crew would go through everything to remove it. He didn’t want to go to his mother’s place, that was too far from his work, but he wasn’t in the mood for a hotel, that was way too expensive, so he turned to his best friend of many years with the biggest set of puppy eyes he could muster and the prospect of making every dinner while he lived there.

“Fine… but don’t get in the way,” was all Kenma had to say.

And so Kuroo spent his last weekend in his own apartment packing things down to make it accessible to the cleaning crew. Cucumber hated other cats with a passion so he couldn’t bring him to Kenma’s, where three cats already happily lived, so his mother would pick him up tomorrow afternoon.

__

He sat on his couch, scrolling his phone mindlessly with Cucumber on his lap who had been stressed with all the packing down, sensing something was up. He was being extra cuddly towards Kuroo who, honestly? Didn’t mind at all. He loved when Cucumber was in mood for cuddles, though it wasn’t very often. He had been told his cat was orange and while he didn’t have a measure for what that color actually looked like, he was happy with his gray cat.

His mother was supposed to arrive any minute now, so he should have gotten up and put the cat in his carrier but it was easier to get him in it if you had two pair of hands. He scrolled through Instagram, reaching a photo put up by Tsukishima of his soulmate, the light-haired manager of their high school volleyball club, with a tooth-eating grin on her face and proudly showing off a ring on her finger, the caption said, This smile makes me wanna brag. Kuroo could physically hear the provocative tone of his voice, knowing he was one of the first in his circle of friends to actually plan a wedding. Kuroo clicked his tongue with a smile on his face and double-tapped to like the picture.

He didn’t know if it was the combination of that post and the fact that his mother was on her way but memories of his parent’s wedding flooded his mind. For a lot of people, weddings felt obsolete in the face of the whole “you already got your soulmate and you know this” thing, so a lot of couples were happy not getting married but just being together. But there was also the benefits of marriage in the practical sense, so some people did anyways, some hosting parties, some not. His parents weren’t married when he came to, but after he turned five they decided to do it so he would be protected by both of them, in case of any emergency.

It had been a small wedding, only the closest family and friends but Kuroo was vivid, so excited about being part of that whole romantic ordeal, even helping his mom find a dress and everything. He had been a huge and important part of the wedding – if he did say so himself. Everyone had been glowing at the day, the food was delicious, there was laughter, song and cheers and everyone had brought so many presents – even some for little Tetsurou, who had been very excited about his new train tracks.

But when Kuroo was seven years old, it wasn’t as romantic anymore. His parents were fighting a lot, he wasn’t entirely sure why or about what because they would never tell him about it, no matter how much he asked. When he tried to listen in, the words he heard didn’t explain anything to him because even though they were yelling at each other, the important words were always whispered, as if they knew Kuroo was listening in.

When he was eight his mom had come into his room, hugged him and with tears in her eyes and said that they were going to move away.

“Where are we going?” he asked simply, no emotion to be read on his little face. He was exhausted from his parents being this way – they were soulmates, right? Why did they fight like that?

“To Tokyo, just you and me, my love.”

That’s when he met Kenma. He had been very closed-off and shy back when they met, he reminisced. He had been a regular kid when he was younger but the way his parents split up – his soulmate parents – had closed him off pretty bad, so it was a miracle he met Kenma and started opening up again.

Kuroo smiled to himself bitterly before scratching Cucumber’s ear. He supposed this was also why he wasn’t interested in his soulmate. So many people had romanticized the whole soulmate ideal so a lot of people forgot that relationships still took work, took effort and just because they were made for each other, didn’t necessarily guarantee that they would stay together. His mom and dad didn’t officially talk anymore, but when he asked his mom as a child whether or not she still saw color, she said that she did. He also found long letters in her bedroom when he was nine, letters from his dad, so he supposed they still talked together, though Kuroo wasn’t let in on it – nor was he particularly interested. And he definitely we wasn’t interested in ending up in a relationship with someone who would end up not wanting to put in the effort for the relationship to flourish.

After Cucumber had been picked up by his mom it was time to leave for Kenma’s place. He carried the last boxes of valuables down to his basement and locked them in before trekking down to the subway with his suitcase and sports bag.

_____

You were late for work, so you scrambled to pack your things. It was Wednesday afternoon and you were supposed to meet in at 3PM, because that was around the time that Kodzuken had planned to finish his recording, he told you yesterday. You were a video editor and had met Kenma through your old part-time job in his favorite convenience store quite a few years back, back when he had first bought his house when he was 24. You remembered talking to him about video games in the store since you also played some, and after a good while of polite customer service and talk about new games, you had started hanging out outside of work as well. When you had then told him you were actually a freelance video editor but just didn’t get many jobs, he had almost instantly hired you to do his YouTube videos for him and general editing and set-ups of his streams. I know video games, not recording equipment, he had told you so many years ago.

Your original thought had been wary, because working for a friend might get messy but Kenma cared a lot about keeping it professional when you were on the clock, which you appreciated very much. In his house, down by his game room, there was a room next door with screens and all the best editing software just for you to play with. Your pay was higher than average for such a “simple” but regular gig but when prompted about it, he simply shrugged and told you it wasn’t up for negotiation and no one was being treated unfair – and who were you to go against such a good pay for a job that you loved doing and wanted to do full-time? With Kenma being a famous streamer and gamer, he often made lots of different videos for various sites so your job hours resembled a nine to five job, easy, even if the hours were off from the more conventional jobs and you usually came in later in the day and sometimes finished off late in the evening – some of his videos had a time limit for a release date of a game, so there was also days where you were extremely busy and scrambling to get the video done right for a release of a game.

As you closed your bag and ran out the door towards the subway, you checked your phone for any updates. If he’d finished early, he would’ve texted you about it, so you put your phone in your pocket and hurried towards his house.

When you arrived you immediately rang the doorbell before catching your breath, you were used to Kenma spending a few minutes before reaching the door and opening it, so when the door opened almost instantly you took a step back before looking up. The one opening the door was taller than Kenma and in a loose dress shirt that was unbuttoned at the top - that’s all you saw before your eyes darted down to your feet.

“...Hi! I’m uh… Where’s Kenma?” was all you got out while fidgeting with your purse strap, it certainly wasn’t his boyfriend Hinata opening the door today.

“Oh, hey! You must be his video editor, right? He told me about you!” The man said, pointing to himself with his thumb,

“I’m Kuroo Tetsurou! Kenma’s childhood friend! Sorry to intrude, I’ll be living here for the next month, I promise not to get in your way!” As he finished his introduction, he moved aside so that you could enter. As you took off your shoes you heard Kenma’s feet shuffling towards you, “oh hey, welcome, you’re early,” Kenma said with his usual deadpan expression but you could clearly hear the teasing in his voice.

“At least I’m here now, right?” You smiled back, instantly relaxing at the sight of your boss and friend. You turned to Kuroo again, bowed and introduced yourself before taking off your coat and putting it on a hanger, while Kenma and the guy named Kuroo seemed to bicker a bit about whether or not Kuroo should answer the door while he lived there.

“I’ll go set it up, have you transferred the video files to the hard disk?” you asked Kenma as you moved towards ‘your’ office, sending Kuroo a polite smile while keeping your eyes on his neck.

Eye contact was hard for you, it always made you extremely uncomfortable and you didn’t really have any before you felt comfortable with the person. Your mother had often scolded you, saying you’d never find your soulmate at this rate, which you always acknowledged with a hum or a simple yes without starting a discussion.

You honestly weren’t sure whether or not you cared for a soulmate. Your biggest argument to wanting to find one was so that you could see colors, because it’d help your career. Kenma already had his soulmate, so he was the one deciding the color scheme for his videos and helped with the color-related editing, which worked fine as of now, but you would probably appreciate to be able to do it yourself. You had also spent some years coming to terms with your struggles with eye contact and accept that this was just how you functioned. If you missed your soulmate in a random supermarket thanks to it one day, well, you’d be none the wiser, so you felt sure you’d survive without one, but you also couldn’t deny that the sound of a soulmate sounded really nice and comforting. That someone out there existed to fit you, that you were born to love someone who was also meant to love you. You were sure that finding your soulmate wasn’t a dance on roses, it was sure to still be hard, frustrating and maybe even painful sometimes, but you also couldn’t just have all the good, there was a balance that was sure to exist within soulmates as well.

After hours of going through the raw footage from his video game play and slowly editing while watching it, you popped your shoulders and stretched your arms for a moment, yawning as you did so. Your hours were always a bit intense, but that couldn’t be helped when you had six hours of raw footage to work with. Looking at the clock you saw that it was 5.30PM which meant that soon Kenma would wake up from his pseudo-sleep (which was more like a nap in your opinion) to look at your process and ask what you wanted for dinner.

Soon after a soft knock was heard followed by the door opening slowly, Kenma standing in sweats and a hoodie with bags under his eyes, “do you like hotpot?” he asked, and you smiled at him, “sure, are you cooking tonight?” he yawned while he shook his head, “Kuroo is. He insists on a ‘fulfilling meal’, whatever that means.”

You giggled before beckoning Kenma in to see some of what you’ve done so far and making minor adjustments along the way. “Now, something smells delicious and I’m thirsty,” you stated after the two of you had talked a bit about the rest of the video’s plans. As you went towards the kitchen you could hear the sound of of a nameless tune being hummed, pans sizzling from something being cooked and kitchen utensils being used.

Inside, the table was already set with plates and prepared ingredients lying ready for the pot that Kuroo was just about to put on the table. It seemed he had made an endless supply of different side dishes and really put in a lot of work for it, so you looked really forward to eating it and it smelled delicious. You grabbed a glass from the set table and went to the sink to get some water and just as your hand reached it, Kuroo had extended his hand as well to the sink and you accidentally touched.

You both recoiled as if you had been burned and you couldn’t stop the gasp that accidentally left your lips. A feeling was rushing through your body you hadn’t experienced before and you immediately apologized to Kuroo and went back to the table, foregoing the water. You didn’t notice how Kuroo was frozen in place from when he touched you before Kenma called out to him and he immediately started moving again.

You ended up eating shortly after, Kuroo serving the food and talking animatedly about him and Kenma’s childhood, making you laugh quite a bit at their (or more, Kuroo’s) antics and their volleyball days. Kuroo was the type of person to make you relax in his presence and have fun which you didn’t even notice until you got home later that evening and really thought about what a great time you had had. You found yourself surprised by how easily you clicked with Kuroo, a total stranger. It must be his charm, you thought to yourself before going through your night routine. You had to come back tomorrow and finish work, after all. You estimated the video would take you a few more days to finish but that would end up fitting well with the weekend coming, so as you went to bed you felt yourself more relaxed than you had in a while.

_____

“What are they like?”

It was Friday and it seemed you had finished Kenma’s video and therefor you weren’t here for dinner – for the first time in a few days, which did let down Kuroo just a tiny bit. He had talked a lot with you during dinner preparations when you came out from the office and during dinner as well and while you did answer all his questions (which, he admitted, there were quite a few of them) and follow up with your own for him, it still felt… off… talking to you – and Kuroo didn’t like not knowing why. “What do you mean?” Kenma asked, taking another bite into his mouth.

Kenma swallowed a piece of meat before looking up at Kuroo who was stabbing his plate with his fork in what seemed like a useless purpose. He knew he was being a little weird but meeting you was weird, even though he had no reason to explain why.

“I mean, is this how they usually act?” He didn’t even know what that question meant or why he was even asking it, nothing made sense! But he had a desperate feeling that he needed to get to know you – he was afraid of what that implied and what suspicions he needed to hold onto, but he was sure it was his gut telling him you were dangerous for Kenma to be around – that had to be it! Kenma was his best friend, his childhood friend, it had to be a gut feeling meant to protect him!

“Who knows, they’re being more polite than usual, I think. But that makes sense,” Kenma replied calmly before adding, “I mean you are a stranger who’s really intent on being social with them over our dinners, they were a bit shy as well when I met them,”

Kuroo nodded and finally took a bite of his own food. He didn’t notice Kenma’s raised eyebrows or the questioning look that was sent his way, so Kenma decided to let the subject rest.

Not seeing you today felt weird to him too and he couldn’t help the irritation building up inside him – you had just met a few days ago and only in the evenings when he was done with work and ready to make dinner – and yet, the thought of you kept invading his mind. He had gotten through work today thinking you were going to be there for dinner so when he came home and found out you wouldn’t be there, the first seed of irritation had been planted – why was he suddenly looking so much forward to seeing you? Had it been like this yesterday too? Why was it suddenly important that you weren’t there? He ended up sitting in front of the laptop in the guest room for the rest of the evening, the document left open and completely untouched.

Kuroo, however, didn’t let the subject rest in his head for the rest of that evening. Hinata was in town, having time off after a big game yesterday so Kuroo was left to his own devices – which really wasn’t a problem considering he had to make the paperwork for a promotional deal for a meeting Monday morning that he had procrastinated making – which wasn’t like him at all, he usually never pushed assignments to last minute and he then realized the reason he wasn’t done yet was because he had spent so much time over the dinner table with Kenma and you, talking even after dinner had been done for a while. You always offered to help him with the clean-up so you also spent some time talking there, drifting off to various subjects far passing the cleaning duties and sitting down again with a glass of water.

He enjoyed your company, it felt... easy, somehow, the sensation that something was off was there but it didn’t really settle in his stomach until every time after you left, as if it was left to grow a bit from a small sensation to a problem, which worried him – Kuroo prided himself as an impeccable people-reader, he was captain for both the volleyball team in high school and college, he knew how to act around business relations so well because he could read them so flawlessly – so the feelings he got from you was unsettling and unreadable and it took some control away from him – and Kuroo always felt uneasy when he wasn’t in control.

____

Kuroo heard your name and almost got whiplash from how fast his head moved towards Kenma, “what?”

“I asked if we should invite them? To game night? Being three is a little annoying in Mario Party.”

“Oooh, that’s a good idea! I’d love to see them again!” Hinata happily exclaimed before taking another bite of the lasagna Kuroo had prepared tonight. It was Saturday and Kuroo had been in a daze the entire day, first at the office for a quick meeting with his boss about a potential partner he might be able to reel in soon and then doing his laundry at Kenma’s and continuing to try and make the stupid paperwork but ultimately failing before he had to make dinner.

“Isn’t it a bit late to invite someone? I mean, they could have plans already...” Kuroo tried, knowing what a pain it could be to be asked to something an hour before it happened and he didn’t want to let you go through that – that’s what he tried to tell himself, at least. In truth? He was a bit afraid of seeing you again, afraid of his potential reactions, since he had spent his entire Friday in a stupor just thinking about you. His thoughts didn’t mean much for Kenma and Hinata though, who was already texting you to ask.  “Oi, no phones at the table, have you parents taught you no manners?” Kuroo chided and Hinata immediately shrank back and apologized – Kuroo smirked, yea the Chibi-chan still had respect for his seniors. But he was quickly pulled back to thoughts about you by Kenma’s phone lighting up again, “they’ll be here in an hour. They’re asking if they should bring anything?” Kenma looked up to gauge Kuroo’s reaction, having noticed something about his friend had been off the past few days. He immediately made a funny grimace before turning it into a smile. “Yea, they can bring a bottle of white wine, if I have to beat you all at Mario Party, I would very much like to be a tiny bit buzzed,” Kuroo said, and Hinata looked at him with wide eyes, “you drink wine!? So grown up!” Hinata exclaimed, to which Kenma just muttered, “or just an old man…” Kuroo didn’t hear that though, too busy to fidget with his hands under the table, suddenly feeling nervous that you were showing up.

Hinata plopped down between Kuroo and you with a controller in hand, “I’m gonna beat you all in this Mario Kart!” to which you laughed loudly, “good luck since we’re playing Mario Party.”

“Huh? Is there a difference?” Hinata asked, making Kuroo belt out a loud laugh as well, holding his stomach, “you just told us you’d beat us but you don’t even know what we’re playing!” Kuroo couldn’t contain his laughter for a bit until he noticed how you were looking at him and instantly retracted his laugh, sitting up straight with a cough, and apologizing for being loud, which confused him to no end. He had never been self-conscious of his own laugh! He knew it could be obnoxious and loud, but he also liked it himself, and-

“That’s a really cute laugh.”

The comment earned you the stares of the century from the three other people in the room, with Kenma in genuine shock – he wouldn’t say he disliked Kuroo’s laugh, just that it was… special.

“Uhm… Uh. Thank you?” Kuroo could feel that his blush went all the way to his ears but he hoped that the light in the living room wasn’t bright enough to catch it. “Yeah uh! Sure! Mhm,” you awkwardly coughed a bit as well before reaching for your glass of wine.

You had brought a bottle of white wine for Kuroo on the promise that you’d get a glass too, saying he was your first friend who also liked wine. The word ‘friend’ had dumb-founded him and he’d just answered “you can have it all,” to which you had laughed and said it’s fine with half, you weirdo.

The game was about to begin but Kuroo was still sitting stuck on the fact that his laugh was cute – cute? Had anyone else found it cute before besides Bokuto and his mom? He wasn’t sure – he sure couldn’t pinpoint them right now anyways. He tried to shake it off and focus on the game, though quite a bit of time was spent explaining the rules to Hinata who apparently had thought they were just playing Mario Kart.

When you were 12 laps into it, it seemed that you were set to win with your four stars and 121 coins. Kenma was right behind you with three stars and Hinata and Kuroo had been left in the dust with zero stars. You had stolen Kuroo’s first (and only) star early in the game, so he was plotting his vengeance in quiet but was getting afraid that the game would end before he could do anything to you – but just as his hopes were at the smallest during the last round of the game, you were put in the same team as him in the last mini game.

Kuroo had a wide smirk when you cheered and said, “this’ll be easy then!” because no, it would not be easy for you. If he had to go down in order to take you down a notch, then so be it. He’d rather Kenma win than you did with stolen goods!

The last mini game was “Tow the Line” where two players were put in a sewing box shaped with nine dots as a grid and two players tied together with a string and the objective was to make the shape with the string as shown in the middle of screen. As soon as the whistle sounded, Kuroo lowered his hands and stopped using his controllers, all with a big grin on his lips.

“Kuroo, what the fuck! Get moving, we’ve started!” you yelled at him as Kenma and Hinata won the first round, signaling the next round began, Kuroo started whistling and looking away from the screen, to which you got up from your seat, “fine, I’ll just take your controller and do it myself!”

Kuroo put his arm with the controller behind him, “nah-ah-ah! You’re not winning this, fiend! That’s what you get for stealing my star!” He grinned up at you with his eyes closed as you stood with your hands on your hips, “come on man! I stole that star in the fourth round! Kenma stole a star from me as well!” you tried, “maybe he stole the one that was yours, who knows! Get over it so we can win!”

But as soon as you’d said that, the third round had just been won and you sighed and flopped down on your seat again, “not cool Kuroo, not cool. I’ll remember this!”

You both laughed as the game made ready to announce the winner, Kenma and Hinata entertained by your antics.

“You can’t avenge something that I avenged in the first place! I only did it because you did me wrong, you know!”

“You can’t use logic on me, it doesn’t apply!”

To no surprise, you won the entire game, even winning one of the two bonus stars given at the end of the game.

After the last sequence and a bow from you there was a quick break before you decided to play some Mario Kart for Hinata’s sake, since his argument was that he lost due it being Party instead. You played quite a few hours and after another toilet break you had switched places with Hinata so Kenma could cuddle up against him. You yawned, drinking the last of the wine in your glass and said, “I should head home, I have a friend coming over for lunch tomorrow.”

Hinata and Kenma both started to get up to say goodnight but you waved at them with a smile, “I can walk out myself, it’s fine!” But Kuroo had already gotten up from the couch as well, so you walked with him towards the hallway where you put on your shoes. There was a comfortable silence between the two of you, which Kuroo noted and scowled a bit - he might have only known you for less than a week but for some reason he felt like it had been a lot longer, like you were old friends – it felt strange, to be so close with a stranger. He didn’t know anything about you, really. He knew your name, your job and how you liked some of your vegetables and which meat was your favorite, he knew you also loved cats but didn’t have one (he couldn’t remember if he knew why) and he felt pretty sure he would recognize you in a crowded area – why it was so intense, he was unsure of, he hadn’t tried meeting someone this way before. It had also seemed like having this game night had made you considerably more relaxed in his presence, even joking around with him instead of being polite, which made Kuroo somewhat giddy, though it didn’t really make sense to him as to why.

“I hope you had fun,” Kuroo said awkwardly, as if he had been the host and scratched the back of his head.

“Yeah, I did! I’m sorry I stole your star, though,” you laughed, buttoning your jacket.

“Nah, no worries, as they say, all’s fair in love and war, right?”

You giggled and picked up your bag from the dresser while Kuroo opened up the door for you. As you exited, you turned around with a bright smile, “well, thanks for toni-”

Everything ended up a blur, too bright, too much, too noisy, too… colorful? Kuroo was still looking into your eyes as all that went through him, completely blindsided. As he took a proper look, he could see that you looked just as surprised as him, your eyes wide but still never leaving his either.

“Is… Is this? Are you? Is…” You asked after what felt like both days and milliseconds, I could stare at them so much longer, he thought to himself, the colors only making your face more clear to him. Had you really not had eye contact at all? Had you seen each other for several hours – more than a few times, without looking each other in the eyes at all? Kuroo was more baffled by this happening so late than the fact that it was happening.

He was about to say something, anything, when you promptly turned around, nervously yelling, “I-I uh, I gotta go! Goodbye!” as you hurried out of the driveway and down towards the subway.

“W-wait!” Kuroo belatedly and unhelpfully yelled out as you turned a corner, too late. You were gone. A hand was dragged down his face as a sigh left him, what the fuck had just happened? He obviously needed to talk to you about this, but he also needed to gather his thoughts about all of this, so he slowly closed the door and went back towards the living room, greeted by Hinata and Kenma who looked up at him curiously, “why did you yell?” Hinata asked with his head tilted.

“I think I just found my soulmate.”

[folkloredean]

Happy birthday, Dean

click here to read on ao3

It's Dean Winchester's 42nd birthday, and Becky has a present for him.

Inspired by Tumblr. This is my first fic ever, and it's for him. Happy birthday, Dean, and happy Dean's birthday to all of you.

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

They had enough pie in the fridge to last a month- not that Dean was complaining. Forty-two was not old, he insisted, but it was more than he'd ever expected. For once, his birthday was a date to celebrate, with hope for the future, a future that was truly his own. Yet he was not on his own. Dean Winchester's life was full of family and friends -full of love-, all of which had been brought back by Jack before he had transferred his god-powers to the universe, and they all had come to his birthday party. At night, however, the bunker had returned to its usual quiet.

“Alright, Sammy, the kitchen's clean and Jack's taking out the trash. Thanks for everything but Cas and I are going to bed”, said Dean, with an arm around his angel and a party hat still on his head.

“Wait”, said Sam, staring down at his phone. “There's, uhm... someone else coming”.

“Who?”, asked Dean.

“Becky. She says she'll be here in ten minutes”.

The first thing Becky had done after being un-Thanosed was to hug her kids and her husband. The second thing she did was to search for Sam’s number. Apparently, Chuck’s plan for them was Dean dying on a lame vampire hunt and Sam living a sad life with a random woman who didn’t even get a name. When she told them, they couldn’t help but laugh at such bad writing. Vampires, can you believe it!?, Dean said. Sam just shook his head while holding Eileen’s hand, and both brothers explained that everything was fine now. They had stayed in touch since then, a text message here and there every once in a while, but while telling Chuck’s ending didn’t need more than a phone call, apparently Dean’s birthday was worthy of a visit of the notorious Sam Girl.

“Hi, guys! It’s so nice to see you. And to finally meet you, Cas”, said Becky, walking down the stairs, Sam behind her. She was holding a pie on one hand and clutching her laptop with the other. “I know it’s a bit late but, well, first of all, pie!”. She put it down on the table and hugged Dean and his boyfriend. “I’ll be quick, actually Greg is waiting outside in the car, but… I had to show you this myself. Sam, could you please give me the wi-fi password?”

They all sat down at the table. While they waited for the laptop to turn on, Cas gave Dean a soft kiss on the cheek, and Becky couldn’t help but smile. Chuck could have only wished to come up with something like what they had.

“So”, Becky cleared her throat and started typing. “You know there are Supernatural books and…” she pointed at herself, “and Supernatural fans.”

Dean let go of Cas’ hand and shifted in his seat, visibly uncomfortable. “Yeah. Uhm. Sam came across some stuff online once and it was more than enough. Sorry, Becky, but I’m not a fan of those fans, so whatever-“

“No, wait!” Becky cut him off. “This is different, I swear. I know what you mean and I... am really sorry about that, but this is different. Please trust me”.

Dean gave Sam a worried look, but apparently his brother didn’t feel the same way. Maybe Becky had told him something beforehand. “Alright”, he sighed. “What did you want to show me?”

Becky moved closer so that they all were in front of the computer. On the screen was a website none of them recognized, with a dark blue background and white rectangles with text. Half of it was incomprehensible to Dean, but he could understand the three words that came up the most often:

Happy Birthday, Dean!

“Chuck got a lot of things wrong in the books, and didn’t include a lot more, but he did mention your birthday”, explained Becky, and scrolled down to show Dean the whole thing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAN!!!!

HE’S A BIRTHDAY BOY!

The answer to the great question of life, the universe and everything is… 42. Happy 42nd birthday!

happy birthday angelfucker :)

That one made Sam chuckle.

happy 42nd birthday king

you know birthdays aren’t real right…they made them up for dean

anyways. happy birthday dean

happy birthday dean! you are so loved

Becky turned her head to see Dean’s reaction, but his eyes here away from the screen. “Dean, are you okay?”, she asked, fearing her idea had not been a good one.

“I don’t understand”, Dean said. “They…”

Cas took Dean’s hand beneath the table. “I think they know it’s your birthday”, he said. Dean looked up at him, and then back at Becky, while his face slowly shifted from a frown to a smile.

“You’ve saved more people than you think”, Becky said. “Happy birthday, Dean”.

[yayteaberry]

*SFW* Babysitting (Bakugou)

Rarely did he ever take a Saturday off from either training or studying, he was determined to stay better than everyone else. But, it had been raining since yesterday and he felt like he deserved a break anyways. From morning to afternoon, he enjoyed doing absolutely nothing, scrolling his social media and avoiding liking any of his friends posts on principle.

Shitty hair still won’t shut up about the selfie he liked so now nobody gets any.

His planned day of nothing is interrupted by a knock at his door, and he’s been pacified by memes to a degree where he doesn’t react violently to the intrusion.

Instead he shoves his phone into his pocket as gets up and opens the door, plain faced until he sees it’s you and that you’re holding something. Well, someone.

“Hey!”, you greet with an unusual level of enthusiasm, “I need you to do a favor for me.”

“A favor?”, he asks while he takes in the fact that you’re holding a baby, dressed in a striped onesie.

“Yeah, I’m kinda busy with stuff and I need someone to keep an eye on this little cutie for a bit!” To emphasize the importance or maybe sway him, you turn the baby around so he can see the chubby face.

“... If you’re asking me to babysit it, then no.”

You click your tongue against your teeth, rolling your eyes. “Well don’t call her by ‘it’, and I really need you to do this for me!”

He puts a hand on the door to signal that he’s about to close it, “Nah. Ask shitty hair or Deku, I think they’d love to drool over your kid.” “It’s my aunts baby!”, you say as you put your foot over the threshold, jostling the baby somewhat, which excitedly babbles as it meets his eyes, “They’re busy too, I tried asking! Believe me, you weren’t my first choice.”

“What do you mean by that?” He speaks with annoyance, opening the door fully as his competitive nature rises.

Internally you give a sigh of relief, externally you place the baby on your hip. “Bakugou, I think we both know that you’re awful with children. But you’re my last option and I have nowhere else to turn.”

“I should’ve been your first choice! I’m a fuckin’ wiz at keeping brats well behaved! Gimme!”

“Ah!”, you step out of range of his attempted grab and put out your pointer finger, “Don’t yell at the baby, don’t be aggressive with the baby, and most of all, don’t yell at the baby.”

In spite of your words you know full well he’ll do nothing of the sort, just wanting to give the appearance so he’ll be on his best behavior. He doesn’t have to know he was actually the only one you wanted to watch her.

After all his surface level bullying you can tell he’s soft on the inside, knowing he’s the least likely to give into a baby's whims while also being gentle enough to avoid making her cry.

“Yeah yeah.”, he grumbles, taking her from you when you extend her towards him, “When are you gonna collect the brat?”

You give a 50/50 gesture, shrugging, “Ah an half hour to two hours, but I’ll be back before three hours for sure! She’s been fed and changed recently but just in case,” A bag is revealed when you pull it from behind your back, taking it off by the strap and setting it inside.

“Diapers and toys, if she’s hungry there’s something for her in there too. Just, be careful about that, she’s sorta young for it.”

He nods at your words, watching her grapple at his shirt, having not once taken his eyes off her.

“Thank you!”, you chirp and give him a kiss on the cheek, knowing that he can’t do anything about it while holding her. That makes him glance up at you with some minor malice, which is reduced severely by the dusting of pink across his nose.

With that you take your leave, confident he’ll do fine.

He shuts the door and sits at the edge of his bed, cradling her in his arms. After a moment he takes a look over to the bag you left, thinking it’d probably be best to fish something out of there for her to do.

While he wasn’t experienced in caring for a baby in any capacity that felt like common sense. Plus, it’d allow him to continue wasting time on his phone.

“You,” he gently places her on the middle of the bed as he stands, “are not taking my Saturday from me with your tiny incapable hands.”

With one hand he grabs the bag off the floor and sets it on the bed beside her, opening it and digging through its contents. You were right, the thing is loaded with diapers and many different plastic objects.

Keys, babies love keys.

That toy seems the best choice, taking that and a blanket out before putting the bag on the floor nearby, holding the baby like a barrel under his arm while he flattens the blanket, then placing her on her belly.

He dangles the keys in front of her, watching as her eyes widen as she takes a horribly aimed swipe towards them. With a laugh tinged snort he lets her have them, sitting with his back against the bed and taking his phone out, resuming his leisure hobby.

A minute passes before he peeks over at her to make sure she’s still there, idly chewing on an orange key. It reminds him of something a puppy would do, up until she shoves it in way too far.

He drops his phone and yanks the keys away with concern she’ll vomit, not expecting her to look so upset over it. Briefly she contentedly waits for them to be returned, but when it becomes apparent they aren’t, she scowls.

“No,” he preemptively says, putting the keys down at his other side to keep them away, “you did something fucking stupid, so now they’re off limits. Don’t get all upset over it.”

She huffs and slams a hand down a few times, making a ‘gah’ with very demanding intent.

“I said no. Let me find something else then, calm down.”, he says as he reaches over to grab something random out of the bag, finding a plush red dinosaur. “See? Fun. Chew on this.”

He sets it down in front of her, and she immediately pushes it over, repeating herself. If nothing he gives her credit for having a strange amount of object permanence.

“I. Said. No. The fuck do you want me to do? You’re the one who can’t handle having the damn thing!” With a curt ‘no’ as a final statement, he leans over her to shove the keys back into the bag.

This turns out to be a huge mistake.

In a universally understood way, her face screws up as she starts taking in heavy breaths, which makes his eyebrows raise.

“Don’t. No crying.” his tone is as assertive as he can get it, shaking his head as if to cement it. Her tiny face turns red, sniffling once before fat tears begin to roll down her cheeks.

With no idea what to do in this situation, he starts rummaging through the bag for a solution, diapers spilling out as he digs for a similar toy if there even is one. He cringes as she really starts crying, caving and getting the keys back out, giving them to her. “See? See??”

She either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care, bawling in the way only babies do, arms giving out as she lays down.

His instincts on consoling anyone are terrible and usually not to be followed but he acts without thinking, picking her up and setting her in his lap, bouncing his leg as he pets her back, softly shushing her, ignoring the part of him that does in fact wish to yell at the baby.

Her tiny body trembles, pawing at his shirt as she rubs her tear stained face into it. Continuing to follow his instincts he lifts her up, both arms cradling her as her head rests against his shoulder. She does eventually calm, relaxing as quiet hiccuping replaces her sobs, breathing regulating.

She's effectively soothed, he on the other hand is completely shaken up.

Jesus, why did that scare him so much? He’d heard babies cry before and always was irritated by it, but this time there was something so different about it. Even now his heart is still racing, mouth dry as he stares forward into the wall with a mixture of worry and gratefulness.

Once she’s relaxed, he picks up the previously discarded dinosaur, placing it in his lap next to her. Thankfully, she seems to have forgotten about the keys, happy to latch onto the plushy.

He takes his phone back out with the intent to resume his earlier scrolling, but he can’t entirely take his eyes off her.  He’s more interested in watching her reactions than he’d ever admit.

In some ways she reminds him of you, mainly the eye color and the way her cheeks pinch up when she smiles.

You seem the motherly type to him so he assumes you’re leagues better at this than he is, but you’ve never mentioned having to babysit her before.

In fact you’ve never mentioned her before at all.

Maybe you enjoyed doing it but kept quiet so you didn’t have anyone intruding or asking to see her, babies can feel stranger danger so that made sense, it’d probably be overwhelming. She doesn’t hate him though, maybe you knew that she wouldn’t? 

Despite the panic she’s sent him through he really wouldn’t mind watching after her again. It'll probably be easier with you here, though he isn’t sure what he’d do if you were, he’d just be sitting around while you did everything.

God, she is really goddamned adorable. He smirks as he takes a second to allow himself to outwardly express something positive, watching her slap her tiny hand against the toy.

Usually the idea of having a baby is the worst one anyone can have, but right now he isn’t all that opposed to it. Not that it looks simple, more that it looks to be worth it.

He knows he’d make super cute babies, based on what he looks like and has always looked like the kid would outshine any other snot maker.

While he didn’t know what you looked like as a baby he just assumed you did too, briefly considering what a baby would look like if it came from you and him.

He’s got his mother's blonde hair despite his father's brunette coloring so that’s a dominant trait, possibly overriding your own but who can know, it’d more likely have more of your features.

Out of anything he’d want a little girl just like this one, though he’d be happy with anything as long as it's yours. Your features have always been something he likes, face as well as body, you’re built well in every aspect he tends to care about.

That, and your winning personality, even he can see that it’s a very pleasant contrast to his own. A kid with a mixture of both would be undoubtedly unstoppable, making him proud left and right.

Suddenly the thought bubble pops as reality rises to the surface.

You’re not his and he doesn’t like you anyways, this doesn’t bear so much thinking since it’ll never happen.

A heat takes to his cheeks as he tries to move on and pretend he wasn’t having a domestic fantasy involving you, mostly pretending he hadn’t had any fantasies about you.

It was something that’d creep into his mind sometimes.

Kirishima and Deku tended to have some softer traits alongside their bolder ones but it just wasn’t the same coming from either of them.

You had a certain tenacity to you, it was totally within your options to let some rich older man take care of you but you wanted more for yourself, you wanted to be a hero.

It made you strong, and you were strong because you worked for it constantly. As thick as your innocence tended to be, he was fairly confident you could knock him unconscious if it strikes you as the right choice.

He shook his head and made an effort to clear out all his emotions, directing his attention back towards the baby to ground himself. 

At some point during his daydreaming she’d knocked out cold, the dinosaur laying on the floor beside him, propped up against his chest, quietly snoozing while drooling a slight amount. Even if he wanted too he couldn’t be grossed out, it was way too cute of a sight for him to get mad.

Looking at her makes him feel tired, so he decides that taking a nap wouldn’t be a terrible idea. Careful to avoid waking her, he shifts around to get comfortable, hooking an arm around her so she doesn’t teeter backwards while he’s moving.

He thinks about whether he should turn her over and lay her on the blanket, unsure of what the proper protocol is.

His neck is gonna get super fucked up if he stays sat like this, so he very slowly gets up and lays on his bed, keeping her held to his chest until he’s flat enough to let gravity do the work. For a moment he returns to thinking about laying her on a flat surface but he lets her stay as she is, being a light sleeper means he’ll be able to deal with any problems if there are any.

-

After thanking Aizawa for the extra sparring lesson, you quickly get yourself showered and changed.

It’s been about two hours since you left her with Bakugou and you were getting increasingly worried he was reaching his limit.

Honestly you didn’t expect to be gone this long, but you were glad you gave him the estimate because it meant he’d have less reasons to be upset with you.

You prepare yourself for him to yell at you for leaving him alone with a demon for so long, even if she’s rarely a problem you do suspect he’ll be dramatic.

Still, it was a godsend that he said yes to begin with, you were going to make sure to tell him that.

When you get to his room you don’t bother with knocking, opening it to let yourself in without hesitation.

You were going to say something, but you forget the instant you lay eyes on the scene in front of you.

Practically swooning, you place a hand over your mouth to prevent making any noise, getting your phone out to document perhaps the cutest thing you’ve ever seen.

He’s laying on his bed, one arm over her and one over his eyes to block out the light, her tiny hands secured around the collar of his shirt, both of them peacefully asleep.

Not intending it to be blackmail but being aware it would probably become that, you take pictures from several different angles, wanting nothing more than to show everyone.

Though, for his own sake, you don’t actually send them anywhere near the class.

This doesn’t mean you don’t send them all to his mother, you do.

It does pain you to know you’ll have to hold off on showing people lest the information come back to him, but you do make it your phones home screen anyways.