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earnestly-endlessly · 3 years

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*flies in like magneto* can i get some exes to lovers™?

Do I have some exes to lovers fics for you? Yes I certainly do. It seems that the cherik fandom loves some exes to lovers cherik and I don't blame anyone because this ship really calls for all the angst. I hope you enjoy this list.

Exes to Lovers AU

Bound – FuryRed

Summary: Is there anything worse than someone else’s wedding? Well, perhaps your sister’s wedding- where the groom just has to invite his boss and that man just happens to be your ex-boyfriend; a person you had an extremely passionate and tumultuous relationship with that ended badly.

Charles hadn’t seen Erik for a year by the time Raven had told him about the wedding. He wasn’t looking forward to the occasion, particularly when Raven explained that they would be celebrating the event with a two-week extravaganza at a luxury hotel, meaning that Charles would be forced to spend a whole fortnight with the man who he’d given everything to; the man who had ultimately broken his heart…

Preheat to 350 (just for you remix) – ikeracity

Summary: Charles realizes he's in love with Erik. But there's one tiny little problem: he just broke up with Erik.

Thread Through a Needle – Black_Betty

Summary: Erik and Charles are broken up. Neither of them want to be.

Carry Me Anew (Frost & Darkholme Remix) – kianspo

Summary: While working as a model for Raven and Emma's clothing line, Erik experiences a strong attraction to his shoot partner. These things happen, except Erik has a boyfriend, who does not take this at all well.

Linger like a tattoo kiss – ikeracity

Summary: Six months apart gives Erik a lot of time to think about what he really wants.

(Erik's POV from Carry Me Anew (Frost & Darkholme Remix) by kianspo)

Symphysis – ikeracity

Summary: After Charles and Erik broke up four months ago, Charles convinced himself he'd never see Erik again. But life has a funny way of bringing people back together.

Call/Response – phalangine

Summary: Charles and Erik have a real conversation for the first time since breaking up. Charles is looking to avoid confrontation. Erik is not.

Regression Therapy – Fantine_Black

Summary: O, God, he’d made a terrible mistake. Whatever he’d expected to find here, Erik was still Erik, a man he’d moved continents to avoid. In retrospect, that felt like a rather good idea…

Four years after Charles walked away from Professor Lehnsherr, the two meet again for a drink.

Because things are better the second time round, aren't they?

Forever is Only a Drunk Dial Away – bettysofia

Summary: Charles is sad and drunk and stalking Erik's Instagram.

Shop Space – Caradee

Summary: Charles and Erik break up but still meet at their favorite coffee shop and manage a completely friendly relationship. The kids who work the coffee shop don't understand it, Charles' overprotective twin brother doesn't understand it, and even Charles doesn't understand it. Then, Erik shows up with a new date, someone who seems to be everything that Charles is not.

How will the Professor handle the surprising heartbreak that comes seeing Erik with someone else?

Mutant House at Dead Kings College – mabyn

Summary: When it comes to romance, Charles has terrible timing.

Can You Feel My Heart – FuryRed

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr hates Charles Xavier.

It’s as true as the words written on the wall in the bathroom at the university that Erik attends. Erik sees them one day- accompanied by a crude drawing of Erik and Charles glaring at each other- and recognises the truth of the sentence, and smiles.

He hates Charles.

Probably…

Believe (One More Time) – luninosity

Summary: For the prompt, Charles and Erik dated during college and had a bitter break-up right before graduation. It's five years later and they both meet again at their class's reunion for a weekend. Someone was even stupid enough to have them room with each other for the weekend...

Old Flame Burning – TurtleTotem

Summary: It's ridiculous for Charles to dread meeting the best man at his sister's wedding, just because he shares a name with Charles's ex. It's not as though it could possibly be the same Erik.

Don’t speak to the bartender – Wild_Imagination

Summary: Logan is a bartender, it's a gloomy evening, and in his bar there's someone with a broken heart. But this is not a movie.

Right?

Somewhere I’m Going & Have Never Been Before – Yahtzee

Summary: In late December 1984, Charles falls victim to the terrible pandemic sweeping across the globe. He's sick, probably dying, and utterly alone in an isolated cabin...until he's not.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland – TurtleTotem

Summary: Charles hasn't seen Erik since their devastating breakup ten years ago. He's certainly the last person he expects to run into at a Christmas lights display.

Lean On Me – SpiritsFlame

Summary: Ten years ago, Charles and Erik split up, dividing their six kids between them. None of them expect them to meet at summer camp. And no one could have predicted the results.

It was a yellow umbrella spring – ikeracity

Summary: Three years after Charles left for Oxford, Erik discovers that Charles is coming back to New York.

Second chances are wonderful things.

My heart above my head – annejumps

Summary: Emma thinks her coworker Erik and her friend and fellow telepath Charles should get together. No one expects things to get so intense so quickly.

The Edge of What Doesn’t End – populuxe

Summary: When a mysterious object appears on the moon, Moira MacTaggert calls in two experts with very specific mutations to investigate.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, after years of breaking up and getting back together again, those two experts have finally broken up for good—and they’re the last people in the world who should be stuck together on a spaceship.

Exit Wounds – LemonadeGarden

Summary: It's been eight months since Charles and Erik had a fight that broke apart their marriage. When a mutant rights protest goes awry and Charles begins to get sick, past memories and present obstacles begin to blur the lines of their ideological differences.

Alternatively: Charles and Erik learn how to fall in love again in troubled times.

Note: Unfinished

11 Days, 8 Hours and 12 Minutes (or Bruises, Stupidity and Anger Management) – ximeria

Summary: For six months, Erik and Charles have been the disgustingly happy couple of the school. Considering their pigheadedness and general communication skills (or lack thereof), things are bound to go boom at some point.

Moon Song – ikeracity

Summary: Werewolf AU. When Charles is captured by hunters, Erik and his pack go after him. It turns out there might be some room for redemption left for both of them after all.

I will Never Stop Loving You – swoopswoop

Summary: Erik and Charles split up three years ago but Erik never really got over it and then one day when the man who walked out of his life three years ago is walking down the street towards him, Erik sees an opportunity to mend fences.

Please leave your message after the tone – ikeracity

Summary: Spending his evening getting shitfaced and pining over Erik seems like a totally productive use of Charles's time. Luckily, it turns out to be a better idea than it sounds.

When the Spell Breaks – kianspo

Summary: Erik, a high-profile lawyer with a successful career, meets a 21-year-old grad student in a bar, and within a few short months marries him. He and Charles are blissfully happy, until Erik's boss runs a background check on Charles and discovers he's been cheating on Erik. Charles denies everything, as there was no affair, but Erik doesn't believe him and throws him out. As Charles tries to figure out how to survive and stay at school that he can no longer afford and makes a lot of bad if not plain dangerous choices, Erik has to fight his own battle of discovering the truth and winning Charles back.

We have not touched the stars, nor are we forgiven (the things you love don’t last remix) – hllfire

Summary: Charles hands Erik the signed divorce papers, but Erik has changed his mind. Too late, it seems. All he can do is go forward with the divorce.

A year later, Charles comes back, and Erik can't help but wanting to see him. The only problem is things don't go like Erik had planned.

Suddenly There’ll Be a Blizzard (Let it Snow Remix) – kianspo

Summary: Charles was never at his best while jetlagged, but locking himself out in a snowstorm while barely dressed might be a new low. The last thing he expected was to be rescued by his high school nemesis, the man he hadn't seen in over ten years, who might have broken his heart for good once upon a time.

Write this number down (you can call it anytime) – pocky_slash

Summary: When Erik upsets his children, they have a habit of running away from home--and straight to Charles' school for cookies and consolation. Charles doesn't mind the visitors, but as they appear more and more frequently, he realizes that sooner or later, he and Erik are going to have to talk about what happened on the beach and what it means for their future and the future of Erik's children.

All we do is break up (and make up) – Stuckyl0v3r

Summary: "So instead of making the most out of this next months, because you don't know where either of you is going to end up, you decided to stay away from each other to get used to the feeling?" Hank summed up, stopping in front of the class. Charles nodded his head confidently and beamed at him, but somehow his smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Yes, something like that."

Well, that was the most idiotic plan Hank's ever heard.

Three wheels of cheese and a Great White – ximeria

Summary: Charles and Erik were friends with benefits in college.

They went their separate ways and 18 years later, they run into each other in New York.

The sex was never a problem back in college - and sex was all it had been. But now Erik is a divorced father and Charles has admitted to himself he needs more than just sex in a relationship. So in their usual round-about way they try to navigate becoming friends after so many years. The whole quest is aided by Raven, Edie, Wanda and Pietro (and a large number of shark jokes).

#cherik #cherik fic recs #fic recs #asks #earnestly answers #exes to lovers #ex boyfriends

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thunderthighs77 · 3 years

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Tendou and Semi Cuckold Part 1

**Part 2** IF THE LINK DOES NOT WORK, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. PART 2 CAN BE FOUND ON MY PAGE RIGHT NOW ANYWAY

CW/TW for Pt. 1: Fem Reader x Tendou + Semi, voyeurism, exhibitionism, mentions of weed, cursing, vaginal play, smoking weed.

Y/N comes home from college to her bf’s house. He’s rooming with Semi, who’s always had eyes for Y/N. That doesn’t bother Tendou. In fact, it excites him...

(Basically, Tendou is lead dom here)

CW/TW for BOTH PARTS: Fem Reader x Tendou + Semi, spit roast (tag team), double penetration, voyeurism, exhibitionism, vaginal/anal play, shotgunning, (smoke), oral sex (giving), mentions of weed, cursing, pussy rubbing?, whining, creampie, praise/degradation kink.

18+ MINORS DNI

You were so fed up with midterms. 5 exams this week. 5 e x a m s. You just wanted to go home and get away from this fucking campus. You left your class and checked back into your dorm to empty out your book bag of notebooks onto the floor.

You pack a few clothes and your wallet. Your roommate had left for the weekend to her girlfriend’s house and so, you locked the door and left. You took the 11 up west to where you lived and walked home with your headphones on.

You stopped in front of a mini market and figured your parents hadn’t cooked dinner since they worked nights. It was already evening time, so you decided “what the hell.” You walked in and walked out with some instant ramen, a bag of jerky, and a Reeses, Tendou’s favorite candy.

Speak of the devil, your phone buzzed. It was Tendou asking if your midterms went well.

“They were fine. Thanks for asking, babe. I’m home rn” You typed as you bit a chunk out of the piece of meat.

“Ooo. Want me to pick you up tonight?”, he texted.

You were really close to home. The market was just down the street. As you made it to your front gate, you saw a note at the front that said, “Gone for the weekend. Say hi to Tendou from us if you decide to stay over.”

“Say less!” You shout happily.

“No, I’m heading over rn,” you type quickly. Tendou was also nearby your house. You walked down the quiet neighborhood as you ate your jerky and listened to your vaporwave. It was rarely a nice day in March; a good 68 degrees. Odd in the early spring where you lived, but a nice change from the dreadful winter you had suffered during the fall semester.

You knocked at the front door and was greeted by a tall blonde face you recognized from your boyfriend’s high school volleyball team. He has on some black sweats and a white tank. He opened the door while his head was turned to the side, completely focused on the volleyball game on t.v. “Hey, Y/N,” he said as he just turned his head for a second before it swung back the side to focus on the t.v. He stepped aside as you walked past him.

You walked in to the faint smell of weed, smoked probably a few hours ago. You set the grocery back down and hung your jacket at the front. The house was dark. It was 6:43 pm to be fair, the sun had almost fully disappeared. The tv’s glare and Tendou’s computer screen were the only source of light at the moment.

You walked to where Tendou was sitting. Shirtless and in some grey sweats, he was shouting in his headset. “Come on, you motherfucker! He’s right there!”, he shouted as he pointed to the computer screen at his game. He felt your warm hug around him and he looked back and leaned into your kiss.

“Hey baby,” he said. He turned back and yelled to the set again, “Come on, you dick! Oh my fucking-”

You chuckled and backed away to let him continue playing. Semi was on the couch and glued to the game on the tv. His knees were spread and you climbed over to sit down on the other side of the couch. Your passing did not faze him at all. He kept his focus on the game. “Yes!”, Semi shouted as the whistle blew on the tv. It was some random college game. You sighed and scrolled through your phone.

The coffee table in front of the tv was messy. An ashtray of burnt out cigarettes and blunts, leaves of weed sprinkled throughout, and empty beer and redbull cans. Keys, wallets, a few bills here and there, and a charging PS4 controller.

You shut off your phone and asked. “Can we order some takeout?” You figure the 2 packets of ramen weren’t enough to feed all three of you, and you knew Tendou nor Semi couldn't cook, or even have food in the fridge, except for drinks and the occasional condiment or two.

Tendou sighed in relief at the screen as “YOU WON” appeared in green and he took his headset. “Sure, babe,” he said as he held the power button to shut off the computer. “Semi, do you mind takeout?”, Tendou asked. Semi shook his head no. You walk over to the kitchen and try to find a menu. “That place over on 5th is really good,” you shout back to them.

You get no response as you burrow through Tendou’s messy kitchen drawers. You can’t find any takeout menu as you look through them. “Babe?”, you call out. “What?”, Tendou calls out from the living room. “Where are the take out menus? They’re not in the kitchen.”

“Check the bedroom, hun,” Tendou said. You swish your lips as your stomach growls. That jerky wasn't enough to hold you. You hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. Exams ran through your lunch period so you were starved the whole day. You look through Tendou’s room and into his closet to find a pile of menus. “What the hell are these doing here?”, you ask yourself.

You get a pile of your favorite restaurants’ takeout menus and flip through them, trying to find your favorite one. Suddenly, you felt a finger slide right between your folds and you yelp. Tendou wrapped his elbow right on top of your breasts and held you in a choke hold. He continued to slide his finger in between your folds on the outskirts of your tights, and then two fingers.

You bite your lips and roll your eyes back. Tendou chuckles and sinks his kisses right under your ear. You close your thighs, tightening his fingers and making him rub your clit more. You bend your knees and grind against his groin, him following the motion and grinding back with you.

It has been 3 months without sex since winter break. No orgasm whatsoever. You couldn’t even touch yourself in the dorms. Senior year was brutal with classes and internships. You were just exhausted and starved. Tendou let go of his chokehold and cupped one of your breasts. “Jesusss,” he hissed and he kissed your cheeks and squeezed it.

“Tendou,” you let out in a breathy moan. “We gotta...eat…” You could barely form a sentence. “I missed you so much, baby,” Tendou says in your ear. His fingers are going ham in between your folds. He stops and pulls you by your arm and pins them behind your back with one hand while he bends you over the dresser. Your tights were thin, and therefore, made your pussy easy access.

Tendou took his index, middle, and ring fingers and rubbed your pussy from the back. You let out a few tiny moans and close your eyes at the feeling. You quiver and throw your head back.

“Where is my charger?” Semi asked himself as he looked around the outlets in the living room. “Ah shit!” He realized it’s in Tendou’s bedroom since he needed it last night. Semi walked over only to stop at the door. It was slightly cracked open and he heard moans. He figured you and Tendou needed some alone time.

Semi turned away and wanted to wait until you two were finished. “Ahhh fuuuck!”, you shouted in such a pretty whine. Semi paused in his steps. He looked to the side and sighed. “Just a peek,” he told himself. He turned back and looked into the door. The tent in his pants was pitched just from your moan.

Lord, were you a sight. He knew you were his best friend’s girl...but damn...you can’t blame him. You were just his type, and you were always over during winter break. He could hear your moans all the time. And he didn’t mind. You were fun to listen to. He always jerked off to your moans at night. And whenever he had sex with his one night stands, your vision was what he saw sometimes. It haunted him. He felt so guilty being Tendou’s friend knowing he had such thoughts.

“HAHAHAHA!” Tendou let out a belly laugh as he threw his head back when Semi opened up to his best friend about his guilty conscience. Tendou took an inhale of his blunt and blew it out with another slight chuckle and a sigh. “Why are you laughing? I’m serious, man. I feel awful. And I’m so sorry,” Semi said sentimentally. Tendou shook his head and smiled.

“You don’t get it, do you?” Tendou asked. Semi made a confused face. Tendou smiled and scratched his forehead with his blunt still in his hand. “You see….” he began as he leaned in. “I like to...how do I say this…” he paused as he began to think his words carefully.

“I know my girl is hot, Semi. I know guys look at her all the time. I don’t worry, though. In fact, it’s kind of hot to think everyone wants her, but only I get to have her.” Tendou wasn’t wrong. Every event you came to for their high school, like a volleyball meet or an elegant sports dinner, a lot of guys were over you. Not to mention, Tendou always asked for you to wear tight cocktail dresses or ones that showed off your tits or ass a little. He got off on guys eyeing you as you walked in.

He watched from a distance as guys would ask you, “Can I buy you a drink?” “Can I hold your coat?” “Can I get your number?” Nothing dangerous or unwelcomed, of course. Both you and Tendou liked the attention. And Tendou was always there to make sure everything went well, as he swooped you in last minute and gave you a deep kiss in front of all the guys, making them sigh in despair as they knew you were taken.

Tendou smiled as he watched Semi’s mouth gaped in confusion. “I still don’t get it. You’re not mad at me?” Tendou shook his head as he inhaled his blunt. Semi began to stutter; “But...but...but I imagine Y/n-”

“Don’t you get it?”, Tendou said as he cut him off and leaned in. “It turns me on, Semi. I get hard thinking someone likes Y/n.” Smoke escaped Tendou’s nostrils as he smirked. Semi backed away, almost disgusted.

“How?”, he asked, horrified. Tendou leaned back into his chair and shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just hot. I know she’ll always be mine. But, I always had a fetish of her fucking someone in front of me. Or at least a threesome, you know? What’s that shit called?”

“Cuckolding?”, Semi asked. “That’s it!”, Tendou shouted joyfully at Semi recalling the word he forgot.

Semi shook his head at the past conversation he had with Tendou. He was leaking pre cum from his pants as he watched you quiver at Tendou’s hands. “Se-Semiiii!“, you let out whined. “Ah fuck,” Semi whispers as he grabs his hardened crotch.

“What’s that, baby?”, Tendou asked as he leaned in your ear. “Se-Semi might hear,” you whine as you furrow your eyebrows and close your eyes at Tendou’s pace. Tendou smirks and looks up in the mirror and at the doorway. He sees a figure moving in the lit hallway. He forms a cheshire grin.

Semi freezes in fear, but then realizes Tendou is probably loving this. Tendou smiles in the mirror while glaring at Semi and rubs your pussy faster. You quiver and release yourself from Tendou’s grasp and grip the sides of the dresser. Your head is pressed down by Tendou’s hand and you tremble from your orgasm creeping on you.

You beg and ask for permission. “Oh god! Pleaseeee! Please, sir! Please!” Semi is pulling on his crotch outside the door, thanking Tendou telepathically for leaving a slight crack in the door to peek at this show. Semi was full on hard, and he whipped his cock out and stroked it as he watched you melt in Tendou’s hands.

Tendou suddenly pulled away at your dismay. “Fuck!”, you yell out. “No,” Tendou said sternly as he smiled. Semi realized Tendou had just edged the both of you. Tendou’s fingers were pruned, and a bit sticky from your wet pussy. Your juices had leaked through your thin panties and tights, and onto his fingers. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and caught a whiff of your heat he had just violated.

You slide down to the floor and breathe heavily. Your clit was pulsating, beating rapidly, like a heartbeat. Your hair was a mess and your face was flushed red. Tendou knelt down to your height and kissed you. “Nice to have you home, baby.” You smile and let out sighs before you see a shadow move in the hallway. You gasp as Semi suddenly disappears. Tendou looks back and smiles. He stands back over you and lends a hand to help you stand up.

“The menu was on top of the fridge, baby. “ You smiled gently as you exited the bedroom first and entered the hallway into the living room. Semi was on the couch with a pillow on his lap and scrolling mindlessly through his phone. Tendou was on the phone while you sat down next to Semi. You looked over at his flushed face. How cute.

#tendou smut #tendou #tendou x reader #semi x reader #semi haikyuu #hq tendou #haikyuu smut #haikyuu #haikyuu x y/n #tendou x y/n

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moon-kn1ght · 3 years

Text

toes in the water

pairing: frankie morales x reader

word count: 2k

warnings: kindergarten should def be a warning, maybe also incredibly unvaried sentence structure? rated E for everyone :)

a/n: this is going to be a small series surrounding a single father frankie morales and reader who is a kindergarten teacher. semi-slow burning, super cute and will def have storage closet / after-hours classroom sex at some point. thank you @wyn-dixie for the beta and for quelling my anxieties about literally everything.

masterlist || tag form

Were you supposed to be using the kindergarten enrollment forms to sus out potential cute, single parents? No, definitely not.

But the process of going through the individual forms and comparing them to the database for possible clerical errors was tedious at best, and grueling at its worst. Sitting on those tiny kindergarten chairs, you and the other four members of your team of teachers had already rehashed all of the gossip from the summer, including how Jessica the first year teacher from the 3rd grade cohort had hooked up with that sleazy geometry teacher from the high school at the end of the year district-wide social last May.

“God, I remember when he was student teaching at the middle school,” Dora, your most senior coworker who had ‘been around the block a few times’ and also held onto every piece of gossip that circulated in your district for the last 17 years, drawled, “He had the grossest little rat mustache, you could hardly tell him apart from the 8th graders!”

The group laughs in response to that joke, always ready to make of the holier-than-thou high school teachers. “You know what?” Dora adds, “You’d think after so many years, I’d be used to these tiny fucking chairs, but I am not. I need a walk and a Diet Coke.”

“I’ll join you!” chimed Joanne, the second-oldest teacher in your cohort. The two leaders of your team left the room, leaving you, Claudia, and Andrés, the youngest teachers in the kindergarten cohort. Andrés and you had gone through your credential program together and had known each other for upwards of five years now as best friends. When the two of you arrived at Franklin Elementary, fresh out of school, Claudia had just completed her first year so she welcomed more young teachers with open arms. The three of you have been inseparable for the past several years now.

“Okay, pull out your stacks!” Andrés orders, citing your group’s earlier plan to use this menial labor to check for potential single parents. You were just looking on the forms to see who did not have both parents listed. It wasn’t a perfect system. And yeah, it was probably inappropriate but y’all were just messing around and killing time on this sweltering August day.

“I have one in my class!” you offer. “Student: Grace Miller. Parent: Susan Miller. Occupation: Landscape architect.”

“Oooo, intriguing. Love someone who works with their hands,” Claudia remarks in a silly, sultry voice. “I have one, the student is named Peter, mom is Karen. She’s an accountant.”

“I don’t like the sound of that. Karen? Yeah no thank you. Glad she’s in your class, not mine.” Andrés laughs and you join him. Kindergarten was just as much of a transition for students as it was for parents, and sometimes they took it harder than the kids. “Here’s to hoping she doesn’t live up to her name...” he continues, “Ooh, I have one! He's single dad--”

Oooh, you and Claudia purr.

“Rosalia Morales is the daughter of single dad Francisco; form says he's a small business owner,” Andrés presents this crown jewel piece of information to a round of applause from you and Claudia.

“Ugh, let’s hope he’s cute!” Claudia adds and the three of you dissolve into giggles as the older women return from their Diet Coke run.

—X—

Rosalia Morales was ready for kindergarten. Frankie Morales, on the other hand, was not.

The younger Morales had spent the first weeks of August carefully preparing for this new (and very important) chapter in her life. She carefully deliberated over decisions like what backpack and lunchbox to get from Target (she chose a matching Sofia the First set, so that it could be a topic of conversation for her and her potential new friends at school) to what she was instructing her father to pack in her lunchbox (no PB&J’s in case her new friends were allergic, she wanted to be able to sit at the same lunch table with them and not have these seminal weeks defined by the separation of Peanut vs Peanut free lunches). Rosalia was very meticulous, and she always had been. She was well-prepared to face all the challenges kindergarten wanted to throw at her.

While Rosalia had spent weeks preparing, Frankie had spent weeks dreading the imminent separation from his favorite person in the universe. Yes, he had sent Rosalia to preschool and pre-K but those had all been half-day programs. He would drop her off on his way to work and then pick her up at lunchtime. That only meant four hours apart but full-day Kindergarten was drop-off at 7:45am and pick up at 3:30pm. Seven and a half hours. How am I going to do it? he thought to himself.

—X—

At Franklin, they implemented a very specific first day schedule. Parents walked their kids to their classrooms to hang up their bags, then the students got to go play on the playground while the parents left. The older teachers designed this system to reinforce to the students that school = fun. Yes, of course there were always students who had a rougher first day, but it usually took a couple of hours for the fatigue to set in before the students realized how long the day (and year was going to be).

This system most importantly allowed for a clean break with the parents, a solid ‘goodbye!’ point that the teachers could enforce. But, always, there were some straggler parents (either loitering inside, near the front door or in their cars in the parking lot). The administrative team would let the indoor stragglers know that it was time to leave, but they would have two of the teachers go into the parking lot to make sure all the parents had cleared out.

This year, you and Claudia had pulled those short straws, so while the rest of your team monitored the early recess, you two roamed the parking lot with reassuring waves and “I’m sorry, it’s district policy, you have to leave the parking lot after drop off.” Everyone usually took it graciously—it’s like ripping off a band-aid, it’s better to just get it done.

You had almost cleared the lot of loitering vehicles when you came upon an older, red truck with a man inside it. His window was down so you began to speak to him a little before he noticed you, causing him to jump.

“Hi, I'm one of the teachers in the Kindergarten cohort," you say as you run your bare left hand through your hair. “Are you a parent?”

As he turns to look at you, you can notice that even with his cap pulled low, he has definitely been crying a little. “Hey, yes sorry. I’m Frankie Morales, Rosalia’s dad,” the man stammers, “I’m sorry, I know the policy, I think I’m just having a little bit of separation anxiety.” HIs brown eyes look a little bloodshot as he gives you a half-hearted smile.

You search his face and see no traces of dishonesty, this is just a man very nervous to be sending his kid to school. And a cute one at that too. Claudia called it, you think.

Before you can let your mind wander too far about this stranger, you have to say something. “Mr. Morales...” you start.

“Please call me Frankie. Mr. Morales is my dad,” he interjects nervously.

“Okay, Frankie,” you say. “I understand how nerve-wracking sending your kid to school can be. I may not be a parent myself, but I can empathize. But I can also offer to you that in my years in kindergarten, I’ve never seen a student not adjust to the classroom,” you offer.

“But I also understand that our anxieties can be irrational and don’t like when presented with things that might undermine them. So it’s okay to still be nervous or anxious right now,” you add. “Do you think there’s something that I could do to help you feel better about leaving school property in the next ten minutes or so?” you smile a little to help this last bit come off as nice as possible.

“I…” he mumbles, “I… I’m not sure, my parental intuition is telling me that something will happen in the middle of the day and it’ll take me too long to get here, which I know isn’t going to happen but… I’m worried that I won’t be able to be enough for her”

“You worry because you care, and I can already tell that you care about her a lot. Hey, like I said, our worries don’t have to be rational to get at us.”

“She’s just all I have, she’s the center of my universe,” he adds. With this, you can see the shift in his eyes, from worry to love. You can tell that he loves his daughter with his whole heart.

“Rosalia is in Andrés', I mean, Mr. Gonzales’s class, right?”

“Yeah, she is.”

“I think I might have a solution, a little band-aid just for today,” you bid and Frankie looks hopeful. “This is very much against district policy so you have to promise not to tell on me.”

He laughs with this, and promises not to tell. “How about I give you my phone number, and any time that your fatherly intuition is telling you that something bad is going to happen, you can text me and then I’ll peek across the hall to Rosalia’s classroom, and I can factually assure you that nothing bad is happening?”

Frankie actually smiles, for the first time in this whole conversation, “That would be great,” he says.

—X—

As you knew would happen, the day passed without incident. Frankie didn’t even text you, which you felt good about. But also a little sad because you wanted to start a little texting thing with this single dad. But you knew it would be a little inappropriate, in your heart of hearts.

After all the students get picked up, Claudia and Andrés migrate into your classroom.

“Don’t you think the first day of school calls for a celebratory drink out this afternoon?” Andrés probes. He always was down for happy hour (and to be truthful, you were too). “We should go to the brewery down the road, they have some nice outdoor seating.”

“I’m in,” you state, “And I may or may not have some other good news..” you tease.

“What? What good news could have happened in a room full of 6 year-olds?” Claudia jokes.

“Y’all can’t tell anyone but I got the phone number of that single dad from Andrés’s class,” you say as quickly as you can.

Claudia and Andrés both break into shrieks with this news.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe our prowling on the enrollment forms WORKED!!” Andrés exclaims.

“He was nervous at drop off so I gave him my number but he didn’t end up texting me, so nothing will probably ever come of it. But still, small win in my book.”

Claudia throws her head back, “You deserve all the wins you get, whatever happens, we’re psyched for you.”

Later, during happy hour you check your phone and notice a new text from an unsaved number.

Hey, thanks for your help this morning, having this line of communication made me feel a lot better. Rosalia had a great day today. -Frankie

You try to keep your facial expressions minimal as you read the message. They don’t need to know about this, you think to yourself before shooting back a quick message.

That makes me so happy Frankie. Feel free to reach out whenever you need! About whatever :)

You add that last line hastily and hit send. I can thank this liquid courage for that, you think as you down the rest of your pint.

#frankie morales x reader #frankie 'catfish' morales x reader #frankie catfish morales #frankie morales #triple frontier fic #slow burn incoming baby #my writing #di writes #oH MY finally something i'm actually writing instead of just talking about writing

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wolfieslae · 4 years

Text

"liam saved theo from his never ending nightmare so theo saved liam from himself"

it’s no surprise to anyone, i’m a tiny bit obsessed with thiam.

when theo first arrived to the show i liked him already, i felt like he was an interesting character with an interesting backstory, i wanted to learn more. the more i did the worst it got but i kept thinking he was interesting and i liked seeing how he was able to plan his take on the pack. he managed to insert himself in the life of the characters and turned it around, when his plan failed, he still got his pack but ended up killing them all, i admit, kinda real bad, and then he got drag down to hell.

during the fifth season we found out that when he was ten he was manipulated into thinking his older sister – tara – wanted him to have her heart, because his had a genetic disorder. he believed the dread doctors when they told him they could make him better and he killed his own sister – taking her heart. he then left with them and was raised by them, raised believing that power was all that mattered and that he would be nothing and no one without it.

in season six episode six liam and hayden decided to bring him back because they needed his help with a supernatural creature in town, while hayden was more resistant, liam did not hesitate to smash kira’s sword into the ground and free theo, saving him from his never ending nightmare at the same time.

very rapidly we understood that whatever power theo might have stolen from his chimera pack – more specifically josh – he wasn’t in possession of them anymore, he was back to "classic theo" part coyote and part wolf. after he helped with the ghost rider, liam and hayden locked theo in the holding cell at the sheriff station. theo wanted out and liam wanted answer, they made a deal and liam broke the sword and with it any chance of theo going back to hell, his never ending nightmare.

when they needed him more, liam and stilinski broke theo out of jail but unfortunately the sheriff was taken and only theo and liam were left, leaving them no choice but to work together to flee the ghost riders. they – liam – had one goal, lure them away from scott, lydia and malia who were trying to get stiles back.

the both of them ended up at the hospital where, and i quote, liam said "when the ghost riders find us, i’m not gonna do anything for you, i’m not gonna help you, i’m not gonna save you, i’m gonna do exactly what you’d do to me, i’m gonna use you as bait". we all know he did not keep that promise, in fact, while fighting with a ghost rider, he pointed a gun at the one theo was fighting and shot, saving his life in the process. to "pay him back" and maybe prove that he wasn’t as bad as liam made him out to be, theo offered himself as bait.

while we all thought he had been taken in the hunt, we found out he hadn’t when out of nowhere he came back and saved liam from one of the ghost riders at the school, leaving liam able to get on with his god awful – but working – plan to get into the hunt.

while theo later on fought at the side of scott, malia and peter, he was forgotten and left alone. obligated to live in his car.

we found that out on season six episode twelve, where i noticed that the deputies coming to wake him up seemed to always wear a different uniform, did theo move around? or is the beacon county just, that big?

he was shot and didn’t come back until three episodes later (not gonna lie, these were the three most stressful weeks of my life).

when in episode twelve we found out he was living in his car, we also found out that he might have been the first target for the anuk-ite. thankfully, theo caught the spider early and got rid of it before it took his body and with it, his life.

when he came back in episode fifteen, he was hang up and tied to an electric fence in gerard and monroe’s headquarters. along with two other werewolves. when he thought he was free, he ended not being and was taken into custody.

during episode fifteen, when nolan was caught trying to sneak into the sheriff station liam automatically recognized him as the one who tried to make him shift in front of the whole school by beating him up. by scott’s reaction we understand that he might not have told him. but some of the shots during this scene were interesting, showing liam on the first plan with a close-shot accompanied by a blurry theo in the back. we understand why in the next scene that they share, in the bathroom.

theo confronts liam about what is happening, saying he will not risk his freedom. while liam first manages to stay calm during the discussion, he looses control when talking about brett and lori’s death. he punches theo before heading out and saying "i’m still working on my anger".

while we don’t know what happens between episode fifteen and episode sixteen, we understand that something might have clicked in liam’s brain, because, while he reacted poorly, theo seemed to be the only one noticing that something was wrong with liam. could this be why he brought him with him at the zoo? maybe.

it could also be because theo seems to be able to handle liam. theo has a past and liam knows it, theo doesn’t shy away in front of danger and maybe this is what liam needs at the moment? someone who will not hesitate to get in the way to stop him from doing something stupid?

there is also a line in this episode where theo says "i’m not dying out here because you want pay back against a kid who kicked your ass" and while i have no recollection of anyone explaining to theo what happened in the prior episodes with nolan and liam, maybe someone did between episode fifteen and sixteen, liam perhaps?

the car conversation is also interesting because now theo knows how bad liam has it with his anger, and the fear the anuk-ite brings is not helping "people only feel one emotion at a time liam". he also knows liam needs help "you brought me here because that thing that came out of the wild hunt is affecting you too" at this moment theo has already made up his mind, whether liam wants his help or not, he is going to get it.

and funny enough, liam doesn’t seem that resilient – oh he is yes – but not so much because deep down he knows he needs it, he also knows that whatever technique theo uses, it seems to be working because in episode seventeen, during the locker-room scene, liam calms down a bit too quickly for my liking (wrong i absolutely loved that).

theo uses reversed psychology and makes it to seem like liam would turn into a murderer, into someone like him "i’m the one with experience here", theo even uses "we" so that liam can feel more of a "bad person" because of what he might do. but in the end, it works and liam calms down.

now here is my favorite part, right after that liam asks theo "why do you keep trying to save me" and while theo answers something so dumb i don’t even want to mention it, i know it’s because liam saved him first and now theo feels obligated to return the favor (well, he does seem to enjoy it anyways).

theo can be seen in the next episode, number eighteen, right at the beginning, in the animal clinic with scott, liam and mason.

mason agrees with theo and liam doesn’t seem to like it, everything he says to or about theo seems to come out as an insult, but why? they seemed to be getting along well in the prior episode? finishing each other sentences when showing the dead bodies gabe brought them to to scott and malia? maybe because he’s starting to realize he might need theo more than he thought? and he doesn’t want to acknowledge it?

either way, theo and mason are sent to the tunnels to find aaron. they are both clearly uncomfortable being with each other but theo even more because the tunnels are where everything started and he surely does not want to stay or be here at all.

mason ends up hurt, and theo decides to try and take his pain away. first of all, great decision, it shows that he is trying to change, that he at least knows he can do it at some point and wants to. unfortunately he isn’t able "you can’t take pain if you don’t care". theo still decides to stay with mason while waiting for help.

the next time we see theo, it’s at the beginning of episode twenty, the finale. he is in his car, driving to somewhere on the phone with scott.

here are some details that don’t sit right with me. their phone call lasted twenty six seconds. there is no way theo answered the phone, got in his car, and drove to what seems to be the highway in twenty six seconds, so where was he going? was he leaving town because of what had happened with mason in the tunnels or liam’s sneaky comments at the clinic? because even after all his efforts, he is still not being accepted and knows he probably never will? probably. but i’m glad scott called and asked for his help.

he got to the hospital and saved liam’s ass – again might i add.

then, there is what is for me, their most important scene, for their relationship but also for their own character’s arc.

the elevator scene.

where they promise each other they weren’t gonna die for each other. where they lie their ass off.

i have a theory about this scene. remember the look? yes that one, the famous look down. based on my calculations, it is way too low to be directed to liam’s lips as people believe it to be, no, i think it’s directed to his chest, most importantly, his heart. because liam lied, and theo heard it. now of course theo lied too but he’s a professional he knows how to keep his heart steady.

and of course liam knows that theo knows because the look gives it away, which is why he accepts to fight with him (and damn, they make a pretty good team! i mean, that back roll? come on!) and i think in that moment they understood that no matter what, they can’t hide from this anymore, whatever this is (my money’s on anchor with a touch of love).

but in that moment i knew. i knew that because liam allowed himself to get help from theo, allowed himself to be anchored by theo, he anchored theo too. he gave him a reason and the opportunity to stay on the right path, on the path to redemption. and in that moment theo realized that he mattered, that he had a purpose.

can we also quickly talk about the small shot of theo flinching at the sound of the gun going off? when has he ever done that? he was literally raised by the dread doctors, he’s not afraid of anything, but not knowing if liam was on the other end of that gun shot scared him.

now we all know that part of why theo was able to take gabe’s pain was because he saw himself in him, the kid who trusted the wrong people and suffered the consequences, just like he did. but part of why he was able to care was because liam cared. liam gave theo a reason to care.

and this is why i love them so much. because their relationship, again, whatever it is, is special. it’s unlike any we’ve ever seen in the show. it’s important because it takes into consideration who they are on their own. it doesn’t exist just to add a relationship or a story-line to the show, it exists to fit on their own story-line, to make them better people.

as the title says, liam saved theo from his never ending nightmare so theo saved liam from himself (and fell in love with him in the process).

they are so important to me because i like when relationships have meaning, and theirs seems to be just that, meaningful.

#thiam #theo raeken #liam dunbar #two idiots in love #teen wolf #anchors #season 6 #thiam is the best dynamic ever don’t change my mind #please don’t make me flop #i love them

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ablackfangirlwrites · 3 years

Text

Weak

A/n: so I've learned that my favorite gojou to write is tsundere gojou so this is the product of that and I caught up with the manga

Warning: blood mention, death mention

“I hate weak people, and you Y/n are weak,” Gojou spat those words to you while staring down at you with those piercing cold ocean eyes. He just saved you from a curse you had been fighting and failing to defeat. You sat there helplessly and shivered at those callous words he spoke to you.

“You don’t have to be so mean Gojou,” Suguru Getou said approaching you and reaching out a hand to help you up. “Y/n is strong in her own way,” he said with a smile. You hadn’t even noticed the darker man there, but you should have known better If Gojo was here Getou wasn’t far off.

You heard Gojo click his tongue as a response, But your eyes were now fixed on the much kinder man, Suguru as he helped you, “Are you alright Y/n?”

You nodded, “Yes thank you…” you said in a small voice, Ashamed that they had to rescue you on a mission that shouldn’t have been a problem. “I- I had it under control.”

“Of course that’s why we’re here,” Gojou said with an eye roll pushing past the two of you Gojou as he started to walk off making sure he brushed your shoulder aggressively, “Don’t baby her Getou.”

“I’ve gotten a lot better Gojou!,” you yell out after him defending yourself. “I almost had it!” You hoped that would make him back down a bit, and kill some of the tension between you. But Gojou didn’t respond to you instead he continued to walk; heading back to jujitsu high and all that did was make you feel worse.

“You have Y/n,” Getou smiled patting you on your head to try and console you, “You’ve improved a lot, and if you keep taking on missions I don’t doubt that you’ll get even better.”

“You’re better isn’t good enough,” Gojou said curtly.” His harsh words only hurt you more than any curse could and so you went into silence; biting your lip determined not to cry as the three of you continued to walk.

A few days had passed since that exchange between the two of you and things would have gone back into their same mundane routine.; like today, It was a leisure day at the school and the two friends Gojou and Getou were sitting on the outside steps talking; when they noticed You walking by talking with Utahime. Seeing you reminded Suguru of a question he had been meaning to ask Gojou since the last time the three of you were together.

“Why are you so harsh with her?” Suguru asked, his eyes never leaving you as you walked by.

Gojou’s eyes were also glued to you ask you went by with Utahime he shrugged, “She’s weak.”

“She’s no worst than any other one of our classmates.”

“I don’t like them very much either,” Gojou half heartily joked.

Suguru laughed, “Yes, but your treatment of Y/n is just way harsher like you have a personal vendetta against her If I recall correctly the two of you used to be close?”

The two of them had a clear view of you as you now stood there with your friend talking.

Gojou sighed mentally pushing down the odd feeling he felt in his stomach whenever he saw you, “Things change.”

“He’s staring at you,” Utahime said to you annoyance clearly in her voice.

You could feel his and Getou’s hard stares at you. No doubt they were talking about you. Probably discussing the failure that you were and how pathetic it was that they had to come and save you the other day, “He hates me,” you sigh.

She was now glaring at the two, “Tch, so what if he does?” When she turned to face you she now held a softer expression, “That means you don’t have to deal with the jerk.”

Sorrow was clear in your eyes, “You know why.”

Those words made Utahime roll her eyes, “Right,” She said dryly, “I forgot about your old silly little crush.”

“It’s not silly,” You told her with a matter-of-fact tone. It was true you had taken a liking to him after meeting him, much like many girls who saw him with the exception of Utahime of course. “It’s a logical reaction after seeing him and-and-It’s-It’s never gonna happen.” You stuttered, “Like I said he hates me.”

The change in your tone made Iori feel a little sympathy towards you, “Hey, He doesn’t even deserve you anyway.” The two of you sat down at a nearby bench and continued to talk.

“It’s not about him deserving me,” you explained to her “He doesn’t even respect me as a sorcerer-hell he doesn’t even respect me as a person. He thinks I’m weak.”

“And that’s exactly why I say screw him,” She said going back in a plain voice, “Him and Geto are on another level, people like them will always think there better and the rest of us are weak.”

You knew her words rang true, The was definitely no way you or anyone you knew would ever get on the same level as Gojo, and it was pointless to try to. But that’s not really what was bothering you what bothered you were the words he spoke, That you were weak.

You didn’t want to be weak not by his or anyone else standers. You wanted no needed to be a stronger sorcerer.

“Hey there, Y/n and Iori! You looked up to see Shoko waving at you as she walked along the path with Gojou and Getou.

Iori immediately went to them hugging her and started talking abandoning you to walk with them. Getou waved your way, and you gave him a smile back. He was infinitely kinder than Gojo, but you couldn’t find yourself holding him up to the same regard as Gojo, after all even between those two Gojou still came on top, and he wasn’t the one who called you weak.

As you watched them pass by you caught eyes with Gojo making your smile wash away as he gave you an eye roll.

What did you do to him to make him hate you so much? It couldn’t just be because you were weaker than him. You won’t say the two of you were ever close, but there was a time that the two could have a friendly conversation and joke but then one day something changed and he started to despise you.

You didn’t have a clue, but wanting nothing more than to just be acknowledged by him you decided you would focus harder on becoming a powerful sorcerer

Months had passed since that day, and as usual, Gojou kept his distance from you. All while you stayed focused and trained. And eventually, you did get stronger so much so that you were up for a promotion and would be going up to grade 1.

You were excited. Which meant you had gotten stronger. You weren’t grade 1 yet, But this was your chance. you were close you could taste it, But what was really on your mind was now Gojou was going to have to acknowledge you soon.

He wouldn’t be able to call you weak. And he won’t hate you. And maybe just maybe things could go back to how they were.

“I heard you’ll be going on your solo Mission soon,” Someone spoke right as you had just left your dorm room. Making you jump.

You turned to the right to see it was none other than Gojou.

Shocked, surprise, startled were words that could barely cover what you were feeling. This was the first time he spoke to you in months and it wasn’t an insult or reprimand.

You coughed and nodded shyly, “Um, yes. I got a recommendation- And I’ve been going on missions, but next week I take on a grade one by myself.”

Gojou peered over his sunglass looking at you. He was clearly studying over you but for what you weren’t exactly sure but he settled with a simple sentence “Take care then.” And just like that, he was gone. Leaving you totally confused.

Uneasy, Nervous, on edge, those were just a few words that could describe the emotions going through Gojou’s head when he found out you’d be taking on a grade 1 curse.

You weren’t strong enough yet. If you were him and Geto wouldn’t have had to save you those months back. You were going to end up getting yourself killed. And the thought of that left dread in his mind.

He might have treated you coldly, but that didn’t necessarily mean that’s how he truly felt about you. If he was honest he was crazy about you. And it was that reason why he pushed you away so hard.

Because your fragileness scared him.

Gojou’s mind played back when everything had changed in your relationship. When the two of you were younger and much closer. You had simply fallen over injuring your hand and arm, it wasn’t anything major but you scrapped it.

Gojou looked at the small amount of blood that was smeared on you.

He has always known your line of work was dangerous, but something about that moment registered in Gojo’s head as a tragedy. You were so fragile- so weak. A little fall and you were bleeding. And if a small fall could do this, what if you fell from somewhere higher? Or what if it was a curse? It was disgusting. He was disgusted with himself how could he be with someone so weak? Someone who could leave him destroyed if something happened to them?. That’s how he determined that he couldn’t be with you.

That was also when he decided he hated the weak. Especially you.

But those were just words. Words he thought would change his feeling towards you, but they didn’t. The only thing those words succeeded in was pushing you away.

And now you were on a mission all alone, and he couldn’t save you this time. This time you had to be strong

“Are you worried about Y/n?” Getou asked him.

Gojou hadn’t realized he had been doing a lot of pacing since the moment he found out you left. Wondering how the mission was going for you.

“When you think about it,” Gojou continued, “You’re the one who really pushed her to get stronger. So if she dies it’s on you.”

Getou had a smile in his voice, but Gojou didn’t find his words amusing at all. He knew his friend was just attempting to rail him up to change his mind off you but this method we’re appreciated

“What makes you think I’m thinking about Y/n and how her missions going,” Gojou scuffed.

That only made Getou laugh, “Probably the fact that since you’ve found out about her grade q mission you’ve been unnaturally quiet.”

Gojou rolled his eyes at him, “I’m not thinking about Y/n.”

Getou smiled at his friend knowing the truth, “Whatever you say.”

You made it back from your solo mission it was considered a success. But that didn’t mean you weren’t left with a few injuries that left you in the doctor’s office.

What didn’t expect to wake up in the doctor’s office yet here you were,. You had tried to playback the full events of the fight but you don’t remember the details only that you had finished exorcising the curse

You rubbed your eyes trying to adjust them to the light as you started to sit up.

“So you’re finally up,” putting your hands down you saw it was Gojou.

Frowning you spoke up, “Gojou?”

“You changed your hair.” He said paying with one of your box braids in between his long fingers.”

“Yeah, I put them in right before I went on the mission.”

“Oh,” And he went back into the silences as though he was thinking about something deeply.

He had been acting strangely before you had left and once again he was being strange now that you got back. Not wanting to be a rider on the ride that was Gojou Satoru you called out to him, “Gojo...Why are you here-”

Before you could finish your question Gojou had moved closer to you moving his hand from your hair to your chin slightly lifting it making you stare into his azul eyes and he used this moment of distraction to take your lips in a soft kiss.

He pulled back much too quickly for your liking. Rubbing your bottom lip with his thumb deep in thought he stared at you,, “Gojo-” you started again.

“That’s your rewarded for not dying on me,” he smiled cutting you off before leaving you to wondering if there were any other meanings behind his words

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theodora3022 · 4 years

Text

The Outlaw Prince Part.1 (Fanasty AU Shigaraki Tomura x F!reader)

Summary: As the sovereign Queen, you must sign every execution order before the punishment is performed. This give the criminal a final chance to plead for their case. You would summon them into the castle, treat them like guests, and hear their final words. Your grandfather was the one that made this tradition, to show how he is a merciful ruler (he is not, he is only doing this to save his reputation of a being tyrant). If they have some small final wishes, like what kind of coffin they like or some money for their family, you will fulfill that. Always have mercy on the dying, even they are murderers or human traffickers. That is what Grandpapa told you. You seen your father did this many times, but this is the first time you host such an event. Unfortunately, this criminal seems to have peaked your interests.

Notes: You all seem to love Shigaraki, so here I am. Maybe yandere in second part? This has been stewing in my mind ever since I thought about that fantasy AU. The reader is still the new Sovereign Queen, this happens before she takes suitors. Of course I am not going to make Tomura a conventional Prince! I may or may not write a bit nsfw in the later chapters, but don’t get your hopes up lol. I planned three parts, but it could get out of hand and become a multi-chapter project...

The other fics can be found on my master list.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Warnings: Swearing

This is the moment you dreaded ever since you put that ruby ring on. Signing death sentence warrants. You know it is going to come sooner or later, since you watched your father perform these duties, even accompanied him on several trials. It should not frighten you.

So why does this sense of unease have been plaguing you as of late?

Now you are sitting at your desk, studying the file of this unfortunate soul.

“Tomura Shigaraki, Crimes: attempt murder of one of the most renowned mercenaries, All might.” The stunt failed, and this man received the death sentence for it.

You had met All Might back when you were a princess and think of him as that caring uncle everyone wants. He once praised your sword techniques, leaving you flustered. Who would want such a wonderful man dead? Sociopaths, probably. That is what most criminals are, after all.

“Age:21”

He is about your age, although you cannot even begin to imagine what happened. What made a young man commit such immoral acts? There is more to this file, but you want to hear him firsthand without any prejudice. Shutting the folder, you massaged your temples and mentally prepared yourself for the trials. You received a messenger yesterday from the State Prison that they are transferring him here today. You are supposed to greet him in a few hours.

Grandpapa surely knows what he is getting his descendants into. Meeting criminals? Did he have too much time in his schedule? I know most of these people deserves death, but why do I have to be the final judge?

Cursing your grandfather under your breath, you decide to take a little nap before. Such an exhausting activity surely calls for a little rest prior, right?

As the third bell of the afternoon rang, you got up to stretch and yawn, then takes your time to the special dungeon. You had always disliked attendants trailing behind you, therefore you always traveled in the castle alone. Even if something were to happen, the sword in your skirt pocket can be put to use (That is one advantage of such elaborate crinolines). You are your most dependable protector, or so your grandfather said. So far the castle has been peaceful, thanks to the capable guards.

Even though you were supposed to treat them like guests, you cannot just let them occupy the regular guest rooms. Your grandpapa had built a special building in the northeast corner of the castle gardens, especially for this matter.

The door guards bowed to you as you stood in font of the metal gate, contemplating your mindset. Your father usually treated them like official business partners, cold and distant. That approach is prudent, but you want to do something different. You want them to open up to you, get to know them before you send them to their dooms. Maybe you can even get some wronged ones spared!

“This is the room, your majesty. Should I accompany you?” The steward of this building asks you nervously. Ah, your mind had wondered too far. You did not notice how you had followed him to the location.

“Thank you, but I’ll manage. You can sit on the other side of the glass and aid me if necessary.” You smile, though your tone is firm. This is a good chance to prove you are a competent monarch, interrogate a criminal alone.

The room was decently furnished, without a single unnecessary decoration. Except that big mirror that almost covers the entire wall, a mirror made with two-way glass, see through from the other side. Two armchairs, a little tea table in between and a couch.

There he is; the criminal you’re going to interrogate for the next month. He is sitting on the couch, with shackles on his wrists and ankles. His back is facing you, so you cannot see his appearance beside that messy blue hair.

“Finally here? Your Majesty? You certainly took your sweet time.” He did not come kiss your hand, as expected. Gods, how long has it been since he had a proper drink? Those chapped lips did not form within a day. Even with those scars, his crimson eyes still stood out as beautiful. Ignoring his mocking tone, you told the servants to bring tea and refreshments.

“Mr. Shigaraki. I am sure you know who I am, so I will skip the pleasantries. So, tell me about yourself.” Settling on one of the sofas, you start to caress the wooden handle of your sword. Even though this man is in tied in chains only long enough to just move around this room, the best thing to do it stay on your guard.

He laughs, almost sent a chill down your spine, but decides to take a set on the opposite sofa regardless. “Your country is an odd one.” Shigaraki studies you with that unsettling red gaze, with a grin on his lips. “The Queen has to have tea parties with criminals. Do you have nothing better to do?” That is when the maids brought the tea trays. She offers to come in to act as a chaperone, but you took the tea tray and assure her you are doing just fine.

“This is part of my duties. Sugar cube? Honey? Whichever you prefer.” Pouring yourself a cup of your favorite blend, you offer him some as well. Your mouth already started to water at the chocolate cake on the set.

Tomura is stunned, to say the least. He did not expect you to be so...friendly with a lowly criminal like him. He thought this is just another interrogation session, despite the guard had him bathed and dressed him in nice clothes. Sure, he knows this process, but he thought it was just a gesture of the ruling class to appear merciful.

Still, it would be rude to turn the invite from a beautiful lady like you.

He had heard about you before. A spoiled little girl who took the crown due to family tragedies. So why not indulge in some lighthearted conversations before meeting his end?

“...One teaspoon of honey.” Tomura wanted to add please at the end, then remembered the current situation. This tea sure smells good. When was the last time he drank such sophisticated beverage? He honestly cannot recall; it was such a long time ago...

The clear sound of fine porcelain landing in front of him woke Shigaraki from nostalgia. “So, mind introducing yourself, Sir?”

“You already read files about me.” “Maybe, but I want to hear your story from your lips.” You wonder whether it would be possible to let one of the guards apply lip balm on him, by force or otherwise. Taking a sip from the cup, Shigaraki begun to tell you about his hidden past.

“Despite my current situation, I was born to a high station. Although I am also the one who thrown all of it away. I abandoned my old name and took the current one. I have no family left, nothing to hold me back from my goals.” The tea is sweet, almost too sweet for his liking.

A noble fell from grace, then. You seen those kinds before, usually quite well-mannered, but bitter about how fate had treated them. At least you do not have to bear with profanities. You nod to signal him you are listening, stirring to dissolve the sugar cube. “So why would you kill Mr. Yagi? I personally would never do that, for example.”

Of course you would not. You are too good to even think about killing a hero like All Might. Girls born with golden spoons like you would never understand what peasants had to go through just for a mouthful of food.

“The current social order is crooked. Someone must fix it, by whatever means possible. Even if you were to kill me now, there’ still countless others like me. Have fun with them.” Putting down the cup, Tomura turns towards the small window on his right.

“Interesting. What is wrong with the current society?” Taking out a notebook, you begin to scribble with your pencil. “Do you think this continent should have anarchy?”

“Do you wish to give up your crown this badly? I thought you know better, little Queen. I guess I could tell you, you’re curious one.” Most people would spit on him as if Shigaraki is a rat from the sewers, forgotten who he was before descends to villainy. You are one of the few who shows compassion to him, fake or not. He wonders if this is your usual business attitude. Something in your knowledge hunger attitude, your glistening eyes makes him want to open up to you.

Kindness do come from least expected places.

“Those mercenaries, self-proclaimed heroes, disgusts me. They did the same thing as outlaws, taking lives. But they earn all those praises and adoration? Because of what? The f**king greater good.” Scratch the polite part, Shigaraki is clearly not above using swear words.

“Could you refrain from using vulgar language? You said you are of noble birth; you should know the proper protocol for talking to a monarch. Also, what is your place of birth? Which kingdom are you from?”

“I forsaken my status long ago, right now I’m nothing more then a lowlife. It is only fitting that I act like one. How about you tell me a bit about yourself, little Queen? It’s only fair, and I don’t have anyone to tell.” Cracking a wide smile, Shigaraki took amusement of how you shiver a little. Not so fearless after all, unlike the urban legends.

You do not see any harm in sharing whimsical details about yourself. Just treat him like those irritating distant cousins, you told yourself.

You start by how your grandpapa is a cruel tyrant, but you still love him dearly. How he taught you swordsmanship, riding, cooking simple meals, bandage minor wounds and make a fire in the wild. In between you offered Shigaraki some sweets on the tray, frowned when he only took a pretzel, the least sweet one.

That does not sound like a spoiled upbringing at all. That sounds like how an assassin or soldier was raised. One of his formal guards used to said how hard it was.

“Mr. Shigaraki? Are you feeling alright? Do I need to send for a physician?”

“You’re a funny girl. I think I will give you one clue of my past if you are so eager to learn. Others used to refer me as Tenko.” Shigaraki threw out the bait already, now it is time to wait and see if he can catch the big one. Even if he loses this gamble, this should provide him some entertainment in his final days. A fruitful endeavor either way. You wrote that name down, ready to do research on it.

The gentle knocks on the door reminds you it is time to wrap up this little chat. This is...a lot better than you expected. You cannot help but feel he is charming, in his own twisted, wicked way.

“Is there anything that can improve your stay? A change in meals, perhaps?” Putting the notebook back into your skirt pocket, you fetch up the tea tray and ask.

Look at you, being the good hostess, really care for Shigaraki like a guest. So nice and naïve, it would be a shame if some villain like him to take advantage of that.

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#bnha fantasy au #yandere bnha #bnha shigaraki #bnha shigaraki tomura #yandere shigaraki #yandere tomura #bnha imagines #bnha self insert #bnha reader insert

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daebakinc · 4 years

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Hero Among Thorns - Pt 6

Pairing: Hyunwoo x Reader Genre: Undercover Detective AU, Action, Romance Word Count: 2.5K Summary: When a mistaken connection results in your kidnapping by one of the city’s most notorious gangs, the undercover detective Hyunwoo has no choice but to rescue and protect you, and, most dangerously of all, fall in love with you. Warning: Mentions of violence and blood. Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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Hyunwoo immediately looks over to you, but you can't read anything from his face. Minhyuk's, on the other hand, is drawn. His fingers tap rapidly where they rest on the car door. Something has him agitated and this time, it's nothing you've done. At least, you don't think.

You glance out the windshield. Numerous high-end looking cars sit around the spacious shop floor on lifts or on the ground with hoods open, but they're all abandoned. The rest of Hyunwoo's crew, all outfitted in coveralls with varying grease stains, stand in an open area of the floor around Changkyun, who has one of his tablets in his hands. Their bodies mimic Minhyuk's, tense like warriors awaiting orders to confront the enemy head-on.

A sickly cool settles on your skin. Something's definitely wrong.

“Can I get out first?” Hyunwoo asks Minhyuk.

He backs away from the car.

The car is suddenly too stuffy despite the open window. You put your hand on the door handle, but something closes around your other hand, stopping you. You look down.

Hyunwoo's hand rests on top of yours. Your eyes shoot up to his, your heart thumping. He doesn't smile, doesn't say a word. He only squeezes your hand and nods. A simple dip of his head.

For some reason, that's enough to calm you. That silent reassurance that no matter what has his team so uneasy, Hyunwoo won't let it touch you. Not ever.

His hand is gone the second before his door opens and he slides out of the car. You hurriedly unbuckle and slip out as well, following close behind him.

“What happened?” Hyunwoo stops in front of his teammates, scanning each face.

“Not here. Upstairs.” Minhyuk's eyes land on you for a split second before he jerks his head toward a set of metal stairs. They lead to what you assume is an office space on the upper half of the garage that has a single window to look out of.

The message is clear. Whatever it is, Minhyuk doesn't want you to see it. You can't help but wonder if there's an actual reason or if he's letting his grudge be a pain in the ass.

“If it concerns me, I want to know,” you demand.

Minhyuk doesn't look at you, only Hyunwoo, and shakes his head at the leader's questioning gaze.

“I want to know,” you repeat.

“It's not about you, alright?” Minhyuk retorts. “It's about another witness. It's classified.”

You almost snark back with 'What? Another one die on your watch?' but you bite your tongue. No use pissing this guy off again if he's lying. Plus, if you're right, you probably don't want it confirmed. You do not need to jinx yourself.

“We'll be right back,” Hyunwoo says, addressing you. “There's a couch over there if you want to sit down. It should be clean. I'll show you around after if you want.”

You shrug, crossing your arms. As eager as you were to get out, you'd rather be back in your room right now. At least there, there are no surprises.

Hyunwoo heads for the stairs, the others following. Everyone except Minhyuk and Changkyun.

Minhyuk looks pointedly at Changkyun, who points to the tablet. “Gotta transfer the files first.”

Minhyuk sighs, walks towards the stairs, then turns around to walk back to you. He glances at Changkyun one more time, then says in a low voice, “Look, I'm... sorry.”

Your eyes, which had been following Hyunwoo, shoot back to Minhyuk. You misheard. “What?”

He bites his lip, fiddling with something in his coverall pockets. Sighing through his nose, he says, “I said I'm sorry, okay? For when I blew up at you at the apartment. When you said you didn't know if you'd testify.”

“Oh.” So you had heard correctly. For Minhyuk to apologize to your face is as surprising as Darth Vader being Luke's father. At least on the first watch-through.

“This case is kind of personal,” Minhyuk continues. “Remember the agent we said Yew killed? He was my friend. His name was Jung Jaehyun. He was a good agent and a better man. He didn't deserve what happened to him.”

“Oh,” you say again, more quietly. Whatever anger you still felt towards Minhyuk falls away when confronted with the pain evident in his expressive face. “I'm sorry.”

He wipes at his nose, sniffling, and looks away. “Yew needs to answer for that and everything else he's done. So much of our evidence could be ruled circumstantial; first-hand witness testimony could be what makes him pay, you see?”

Minhyuk's eyes beg for you to understand, to agree. You remember the recital of Yew's crimes, the venom and disgust with which your protectors spoke of him. You remember that tattooed arm and the way it so casually set in motion your shooting, drugging and kidnapping, the way it could have sentenced you to death. Such a man is no man at all. He is the shadow of humanity given form and such shadows are always searching for light to consume whole.

“Minhyuk...” You repeat his name so he finally looks you in the eye again. Summoning what reserve you have, you say, “I'll testify. I promise. For Jaehyun... and me.”

He stares at you, jaw dropping. It could almost be comical if not for the situation. The single promise leaves your legs weak, but it feels right. You know it’s what’s right.

Coming to his senses, Minhyuk shuts his mouth and shrugs. He turns away, tossing over his shoulder, “Thanks, but don't promise anything yet.”

Changkyun waits until his teammate is halfway up the stairs to get off his stool. “Just so you know, Minhyuk doesn't apologize often. If he does, he means it.”

“I'll keep that in mind.”

“Well, better get up there, I guess. Just wanted to make sure all our security cameras were working,” he says, stretching his arms with his tablet in hand, the screen facing you.

You catch a brief glimpse of a small room like an office. Hyunwoo leans against a wall opposite the camera, beside a large, black television screen.

Changkyun sets the tablet on his chair, winks at you without a hint of smile that lacks warmth in his eyes, and ascends the stairs.

Watching him until the door shuts behind him, your eyes then fall to the tablet. It sits there, as tempting and revolting as Pandora's Box. If Minhyuk lied, and what happened does involve you, do you want to know? Or do you want to live as ignorantly blissful as possible?

Your deliberation only lasts a few seconds. Fuck it. There's probably some kind of price on your head. How much worse could it be.

Grabbing the tablet, you sit on the rather battered-looking brown couch. You find the volume button and hold it down.

Hyunwoo's voice grows louder. “... no way to trace it back to Yew?”

You can't see Changkyun's face, but you hear him answer, “I tracked the email. It's a bogus account sent from a burner phone. The signal was from some cafe in down-town. No known connection to Yew. We could always go to the cell's last location to see if they dumped it in the area, but I doubt it. They haven't been that stupid in the past.”

“Go check it out after this anyway. We're sure it's him?”

“Watch it. It's him,” Hoseok says with finality from somewhere off camera.

Changkyun presses something held in his hand. The screen by Hyunwoo lights up white, then a video starts playing.

Out of focus, it shows the outside of a brick building during the early gray hours of dawn. Whoever is taking the video is high up, at least three or four stories. The camera shifts and zooms in, going out of focus again. The sounds of a city are faint. Only a heavy breathing is captured clearly. The video slows to focus on a window of the opposite building.

It's open and without curtains. The camera zooms in even closer.

You gasp. The tablet drops from your frozen fingers.

The image, full of shadows as it is, leers back at you, still on the screen.

That's the blanket on your bed, the lamp on your bedside table, your face peaceful in sleep against the pillow.

The long muzzle of a rifle enters the shot. The end of its barrel aligns itself with your head like a hound trained on a scent.

You watch yourself roll away from the camera's view, completely unaware your safe-house could become the scene of your death.

A voice, mechanical and menacing, breaks the anonymous videographer's breathing.

“You let your girl sleep alone?” it asks, giving a low chuckle that makes you shiver with its chill. “Consider this a professional courtesy. Guess you didn't take my warning to guard her better seriously, Shownu. Bad idea.”

The video goes black.

Bad idea... Bad idea...

Changkyun comes down first, pausing at the foot of the stairs long enough to catch your eye. The look on your face must have confirmed you watched, but he doesn't stay to talk, instead heading out a side door. You drift from car to car after everyone but Hyunwoo and Hyungwon return to the garage floor, handing them tools or fetching needed parts. You know you're probably more hindrance than help. But they keep thanking you and patiently explaining what they're doing when you ask regardless. Jooheon especially pays attention to you, probably sensing your new restlessness. The mechanics may go over your head, but puzzling over it keeps the fear at bay. Somewhat.

Bad idea... Bad idea...

The pizzas Kihyun brings back smells amazing. One of them is even your favorite, but you're not sure you can even take a bite. Your stomach feels too tense to allow food of any kind in. You just smile and wave away Hoseok's call, pretending to be interested by a parts catalog you found on one of the benches. Hyunwoo wordlessly puts a paper plate with two slices of your favorite by your elbow. Rather than insult his kindness, you eat it all. The pizza tastes like ash and sits like a leaden weight in your stomach.

Bad idea... Bad idea...

Dread weighs on your chest when it's time to go. Hyunwoo and the rest of the team have done nothing but prove you can trust them. However, you doubt the windows in your bedroom are bulletproof. Maybe they'll move you somewhere else. But what if Yew can find you then too?

“Hey.”

You look up. Hyunwoo is watching you, holding the car door open for you. You had unknowingly stopped a few feet away. “Sorry, coming.”

Hyunwoo says nothing after he shuts the door after you, nor after he pulls out the garage. The closer you get to the apartment, the tighter your hands grip the seat. They start to ache, but you can't convince yourself to let go. The sanctuary you were so eager to leave feels even more like a trap than before.

Hyunwoo pulls the car into the same spot as before. As he turns the keys off, he says “Are you-?” just as you blurt out “I don't-”

“Sorry, you first,” Hyunwoo says, waving his hand in invitation.

Clearing your throat, you focus on your feet. “I don't want to go back in.”

“Why?”

“I... I saw the video. The one Yew sent.”

“How?” There's surprise, but no anger in Hyunwoo's voice.

You still don't dare to lift your gaze. “Changkyun's tablet.”

“Ah. He did try to argue you should know what's going on.”

You look up to watch Hyunwoo's face when you ask, “Were you going to tell me?”

Your ears suddenly feel hot at the thought of them keeping you in the dark about the new threat. Wouldn't they want to know if someone almost put a bullet between their eyes as they slept?

“We were still deciding,” he replies, meeting your eyes head-on. Even now, his directness is almost shocking. Shocking enough at least to cool some of your anger towards them. “Guess it's out of our hands. We didn't want to scare you any more than we know you are.”

“Too late.” You chuckle mirthlessly.

“If Yew was going to kill you, he would have done it already.”

“Gee, thanks. That makes me feel loads better.”

Hyunwoo sighs at your heavy sarcasm. With patience clear in his voice, he says, “When you were kidnapped, that was a warning. We were entering his game without his permission. I'm still not sure why he got personally involved, but now we're messing up the chain of power. Showing he can still get to you is his bid to scare me and make us back off. But he won't do anything to you again.”

It's incredibly hard not to scoff. The obvious conviction in Hyunwoo's face stops you. “How can you know that for sure?”

“Because Yew's style is mind games. He isn't usually direct; he typically prefers being more subtle than overt. It's why he's been so hard to catch.”

“So what's to stop him from hiring someone to shoot me so it doesn't lead back to him? He killed your other agent.”

“A murder by sniper in a neighborhood like this? Of someone with no known ties to criminal activity? That would make news more than a nameless body in an alleyway. He must've thought our agent was a no one like that. Yew doesn't like news surrounding any of his crimes. News brings pressure on the police to solve the crime. Pressure that could hurt him or his business. He won't risk that.”

You feel like you're missing something. “So how are you supposed to get him?”

“Stealing high end cars was his beginning, now a hobby. We're stealing business from him. If we make him angry enough to do something drastic again, he'll come after me personally. Because I'm making this personal.”

So Hyunwoo is acting as a kind of bait. You shift in your seat, an unwelcome image of an injured Hyunwoo flashing in your mind. It's an uncomfortable thought to say the least, but just how sharp the pang is in your heart is jarring.

Hyunwoo says your name, making you look at him again.

“If I ever thought you were in real danger, that I couldn't protect you, I would get you out of here. I'd send you somewhere safe. Do you believe me?”

To your disbelief, Hyunwoo truly looks worried about your opinion of his ability to keep you from harm. Why should it matter to him? He's in charge of this whole thing in more ways than one. He's the badass skilled agent. As long as you don't run away, which you won't because you like living, he can do anything he wants with you. Hyunwoo could even use you as bait to try to draw out Yew again if he gets impatient.

But you know, as certainly as you've ever known anything, he would die before doing so.

Slowly, you nod. How could you not after everything he's done for you.

Hyunwoo smiles a little, his shoulders sagging slightly. He leans back against the seat, glancing out the window. “We'll move your things into my room. That window faces a brick wall. Should've put you there to begin with, but Jooheon suggested leaving you where you were. To give you your own space to help you feel more secure.”

“Where will you sleep?” you ask.

“On the floor of the same room in a sleeping bag if you're comfortable with that. Just to be close. Like I said, I don't think Yew would risk the attention of a forced entry and murder. It would be just in case. If you're not comfortable, I can take the couch.”

All the times your mother admonished you for not having matching cute pajamas suddenly ring in your head. You can just picture the smug look on her face. “I don't mind,” you squeak out, “but won't the floor be hard on your back? Especially after a few nights in a row?”

Hyunwoo's smile widens and he shakes his head. With a hint of pride, he says, “I've slept on a lot worse. Once, I fell asleep on concrete for a three hour nap.”

“Ow.”

“It wasn't too bad til I woke up. The shoulder I got shot in didn't like it. It's sensitive to cold.”

“You got shot?” You shift to completely face him, looking between his shoulders as if the wound was recent. “When? Are you okay?”

Hyunwoo laughs at your concern. “It was a few years ago. I’m fine, no lasting damage. Just gets a little achy when it's cold.”

“Oh.”

He glances out the window. “We should go in. Same way as we went out. Ready?”

There's a loaded question. Regardless, you answer, “Yes.”

You're not sure what you were expecting in Hyunwoo's room, but it definitely wasn't this. To call it Spartan would be too generous. The only furniture in the gray-walled room is a plain, metal-framed bed, a small trashcan, and a dresser closer to the side of a bedside table than an actual dresser. A large water bottle, the kind you remember jocks walking around with in high school, sits beside the bed on the floor along with a phone charger.

There's nothing personal. Of course, Hyunwoo can't have anything too personal on a deep-cover mission, but still. It looks more like a spartan hotel room than a bedroom.

As you stand in the doorway, clutching your pillow, you hear Hyunwoo shuffle out of the bathroom to stand just behind you. “I changed the sheets while you were in the shower, so you're all set,” he says.

“Thanks,” you say. Walking into the room feels like an intrusion, but you make yourself do it anyway. You step around the already laid-out sleeping bag for Hyunwoo, hesitating before you sit on the bed. When you look to the door, you're glad you did sit.

Hyunwoo is standing in the doorway, still drying his hair with a towel. His tan skins absolutely glows between the low light and the warmth from his shower. The plain gray sweatpants and white tank are hardly sexy on their own, but on Hyunwoo, clinging in all the right places and leaving just enough to imagination. What would it be like if instead of sleeping separately, you could sleep against him...

He drops the towel into the hamper in the hall. “Want me to turn off the light?”

“Yes, please. Thanks.” You quickly dive under the blankets, facing away from him. Hopefully he didn't notice you staring. The sheets smell like the detergent Hyunwoo bought for you. For a crazy second, you wish they still smelled like him.

The room goes dark. Hyunwoo's bare feet pad across the room. The nylon of the sleeping bag crinkles as he slides inside.

“Are you sure you're okay with the floor?” you ask quietly.

“The sleeping bag’s actually not bad,” he replies. “Lots of padding.

“Ok. Good night. Sweet dreams.” The last part slips out naturally. You screw your eyes shut, waiting for his reaction.

He only chuckles under his breath. “Good night.”

You were afraid knowing Hyunwoo was in the room with you would make it impossible to sleep. However, the adrenaline rush brought on by your eavesdropping finally catches up with you and you fall asleep shortly after settling in.

Unfortunately, sleep brings you back to a place you wish you weren't familiar with.

You know each sharp turn and twist of the abandoned street, each slash of shadow, even the haunting smell of garbage and fear and the uneven dips in the ground beneath your feet. You know how this dream goes. You know how it ends.

You wish you could fight to change it. The times you’ve tried to are countless. Unluckily, this isn't one of those dreams.

There's only one street with no end in sight. Every branching alley is blocked, sealed with impossibly high walls of bricks. Each building you pass is boarded up, derelict and hopeless.

The asphalt and concrete echoes with your racing footsteps and panting breath. Potholes and garbage grab at your feet. Every time you stumble, the noise behind you gets louder. A distant, reverberating growl of some monster. You don't know what it is. But animal instinct tells you it's danger. It's death if it catches you.

A faint light beckons in the distance. You run faster even as your legs feel like toothpicks ready to snap. The light gets brighter and brighter, just as your dread grows and grows.

When you reach the source of the light, your hand involuntarily reaches out and opens the warehouse door.

Don't do it! you scream at yourself. It's about as useful as yelling at the character of a horror film not to enter the haunted basement.

Inside, the only light is a single, bare light-bulb swinging from a cord high above the dirt floor. It sends shadows scuttling like rats around precariously stacked boxes. Plenty of places to hide, but you know they won't be enough.

The door behind you rattles and shakes like it's been struck by a battering ram. Although your entire body is on the verge of collapse, you lurch forward with a sob.

Hide. Hide. Hide!

You dive behind one of the towers of boxes just as the door explodes open. Gravel digs into your knees and hands. Tears sting your split lip. Your heart is beating so hard you feel dizzy. Unable to do anything else, you curl in a trembling ball. Praying for the miracle that never comes. Not this time.

The boxes that provided your pathetic cover fly away.

“Found you,” a deep voice says with a sinister chuckle.

The fear that strikes you is so potent you choke on it. You try to scramble away, but a foot connects harshly with your shoulder, sending you sprawling into the corner.

“You won't escape this time,” that voice says again. You could die a thousand times and never forget that voice.

Someone shouts your name in the distance. You know that voice too, trust it, but it's too far away. They won't reach you before it happens.

Hands enclose around your throat, jerking you up. Desperation turns your fingers to claws that scratch at those hands, but to no avail. You can't fight the dark.

Metal presses itself to your head.

But instead of the usual bang and flash of light, water fills your nose and mouth.

Spluttering and coughing, you're jerked from the nightmare. The faceless murderous wraith is gone, leaving Hyunwoo's worried face filling your sight, dimly back-lit by the lamp.

You shrink away, but you don't get far. Hyunwoo drops the water bottle in his hand to cup your face.

Hyunwoo says your name again, eyes darting all over you. His grip tightens, forcing you to look at him. His voice is soft and calm, but commanding. He repeats your name. “Look at me. It's okay. It is okay. You're safe.”

You can only stare at him a moment before you burst into tears that are equal parts relief and exhaustion. Your arms shoot from their petrified position against your chest to wrap around his. They're weak, robbed of all strength by the nightmare. Yet Hyunwoo lets you pull him closer, burrowing as much of yourself against him as you can.

He encircles your shoulders like a weighted blanket. Surrounded by the soothing weight and solidness of Hyunwoo, your trembling slowly eases to occasional shivers. The lingering, grasping phantoms fade away under steady strokes of his hand from the top of your head to your back.

“Nightmare?” he finally asks when your breathing mirrors his.

You nod, not daring to speak. You're afraid his gentleness, so different from your dream, will make you cry all over again.

“Has this happened before?”

You shake your head. Then you nod again. It's happened too many times to count. Nights of waking up alone and breathless in sheets sticky with sweat. Maybe this time, your subconscious knew someone else was nearby to be your savior.

“The first night after we brought you back here,” Hyunwoo says, continuing to stroke your back, “you had a nightmare. I wonder if it was the same. That nightmare was so bad you screamed then too. It made me angry.”

“Why would it make you angry?” you ask, your voice raw. Had you really screamed? You'd kept it in all the other times.

He doesn't answer at first. Then, his voice so quiet it's barely a whisper, he says, “Because I couldn't do anything. I... don't like not being able to keep you safe.”

What did he mean by that? No one can protect you from your own mind. At least he'd saved you in reality. Why did a nightmare matter? You sniffle, your tired brain trying to make sense of it and failing.

“Are you alright now?” Hyunwoo asks. “I can call Jooheon. He probably has some medication ---”

“No. I'm okay,” you interrupt. It was just a nightmare. A terrifying one, but you shouldn't disturb Jooheon over it. Half to reassure him, half to reassure yourself, you repeat, “I'm okay.”

“I'm not sure about that.”

Hyunwoo tries to pull away, but you don't release him. You can't.

“Please.” Your voice cracks. You hate it and how small it sounds. “Please don't go.”

“I won't.” He pats your back. A sigh brushes the top of your head, but it sounds more exhausted than annoyed or frustrated. “I need you to let go for just a little though, okay? I'm just going to grab a dry shirt. I'll be right back. Promise.”

Carefully, Hyunwoo peels your arms away from his torso. He winces as he stands from his kneeling position. Guilt pricks you. How long had he stayed in that position during your meltdown? Definitely too long for comfort.

You hadn't noticed you were shivering again until Hyunwoo comes back wearing a new shirt and carrying an additional blanket. Scooting over, you pull the blankets up to your chin and grab the new one as soon as Hyunwoo shakes it out over the bed. When he slides under the blankets himself, it feels like he brought a furnace with him. Like a cat to a fire, you can't help moving closer to him. To your surprise, he puts an arm around you to draw you snug to his side.

Lifting your head just enough to see his face, you find his eyes closed. His chest is already moving up and down in sleep's lazy rhythm. Damn, the man can fall asleep at the drop of a hat.

Hyunwoo suddenly speaks, his eyes remaining closed. “You've been brave through all of this, braver than I expected. I'm proud of you.”

You're unsure if he expects an answer, but you decide not when he continues speaking.

He sighs sleepily. “This is just for tonight.” The way he mumbles it makes it sound almost as if he's telling himself that as much as you, but your fatigued brain is probably playing tricks on you.

“I know,” you reply, tentatively lowering your head to his chest. Beneath your ear, his heartbeat thumps like a lethargic lullaby.

“You'll talk with Jooheon about this nightmare tomorrow. He can help.”

“Okay.”

The nightmare doesn't return.

#shownu scenarios #monsta x scenarios #kpopwritingnet #kwritersworldnet #kwriterskollection #monsta x fanfics #shownu fanfics #kpop fanfics

19 notes · View notes

the-mandalorian-clone-lover · 4 years

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Ok y’all, I have gathered enough nerve or something and here it is :D

This is kind of the description and then I’ll put the reference photos and the first part under the read more thingy.

Roman is a mob boss and is played by Ewan McGregor (he’s 100% a hopeless romantic and wants someone to cherish, when he finds that person he will literally do anything to keep them, not afraid of much), Erica (She wants to be loved despite her Asexuality, she is afraid it’s impossible, and she isn’t willing to do much to make it happen because she’s convinced it’s impossible) is his girlfriend. Butcher is basically Kronk from the Emperor’s new groove (because he’s enormous and adorable and I love him).

Second part here

Ok so top is Butcher, he’s probably 6′5 in my mind or more? Probably has tattoos, I’ll leave that up to your imagination. Second is Roman (who is Ewan obvs but this is about the age I picture him). Third is Erica, I picture her between 26&28 and Roman 30 or 32, so there is an age gap but it isn’t more than 4-6 years. She’s 5′11 and Roman is 5′10, that’s a surprise tool that will help us later, and yeah I think that’s about it. Story below :)

Oh– Warnings?: Talking about coming out, Erica yells a sentence or two but she’s frustrated, silly self-indulgence? Excessive tooth-rotting fluff

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(The song he sings is Your Song from Moulin Rouge)

Roman’s been deep in thought in the back of the car the entire ride and Butch has finally had enough.

“Somethin’ going on boss?”

Roman sighs, “Erica texted that she wanted to talk to me instead of doing dinner tonight.” He pauses before evidently deciding to give Butch the whole story, looking at his feet as he does so. “I asked her at dinner two days ago if she wanted to be official and now, I’m wondering if it was too soon. Did I scare her off?” Roman’s eyes come back to Butch’s as he asks and for a moment he’s at a loss, thankfully Roman continues before he has to answer. “I know I tend to..” his eyes go to the window, eyes searching it as if it holds the right words “..do things a little old fashioned. Commit to each other, take care of each other, do people, not do that anymore?” He asks the question desperately and Butch ponders a moment before responding.

“Maybe not out there, but if anyone would want a little old fashioned, I think it’d be Ms. Erica.” They’ve been dating a month or so now, strictly dinner and walking in the park type dates, she had come to the pent house once, but only so Roman could give her a one month anniversary present; a necklace (it had been simple but elegant, Butch had helped pick it out).

Roman’s eyes make their way back to him, “What do you mean?”

Butch pauses, tilting his head and looking down before answering “She’s got an old soul, and she’s not the kind of woman you could get away with not treating her right.”

Roman had nodded his assent before opening his mouth but the stop of the car cuts him off.

Butch waits till they’re both out of the car before speaking again. “Do you want me to follow you up?”

It’s a matter of protocol, some days Butch sweeps the penthouse before Roman goes in, just to be sure, but at this moment Roman is pretty sure there could be snakes in his house and it wouldn’t be worse than the thought of Erica leaving him. Its early to be so attached, he knows this, but she’s so lovely and wonderful and one-of-a-kind that he hates to see her go so soon, when there’s so much he hasn’t gotten to say to her. He braces himself inwardly though, putting on a brave face for Butch.

“No, I’ll be alright, I’ll let you know if we decide to go for dinner after all.” He tries to smile but knows Butch sees right through it. Butch pulls him in by the shoulders for a hug before holding him at arms-length.

“Don’t go getting all mopey before she’s even talked to ya, maybe she’s already made dinner and that’s why.”

“It’s much too early for that, I hope she doesn’t think she has to—”

Butch is turning him and shoving him towards the door.

“Go on lover boy, face your music and don’t be a wimp!”

Roman drags himself up the stairs, feeling like a glutton for punishment at this moment, straightening himself up before opening the door. He almost regrets forgetting to knock before remembering this is his house and choosing instead to call out.

“Erica? Darling? I’m a little early, didn’t want to startle you.”

She appears in the entryway that leads to the living room, looking a little nervous herself.

“I-“ She takes a deep breath, eyes never leaving him “Thank you for having them let me in, what I wanted to talk to you about is a more personal matter.”

Well. That certainly didn’t sound like a precursor to a break-up.

“Of course” Roman responds, trying to sound as at-ease as possible. “Can I get you anything?” His eyes sweep her figure and upon realizing she’s abandoned her shoes he begins to toe off his own, leaving them next to hers in the doorway.

She’s shaking her head when he looks up. “No, thank you, I brought some cookies I made, they’re in here.” With that she turns back to the sitting room and begins to walk away. He hurries after her but tries to allow her space still. He takes the moment to look at her. She’d looked ill at ease in the foyer, a large OD green sweatshirt (that had probably seen better days) that said ‘Property of Middle Earth’ in worn white letters nearly swallowing her, hair down and falling in her face, she’d pushed it behind her ears twice as they walked. She’s wearing the black jeans she says are her favorites, everything seems to point to her dressing for comfort. She pushes the sweatshirt sleeves up to her elbows before sweeping the container off the coffee table and holding it out to him.

“I remember you said you liked macadamia nut, it’s my first time making them though.”

He nods, taking the box, also taking care to brush his fingers against hers as well as he can without raising suspicion. He takes off the lid, taking a deep breath before looking up to her in awe, “These smell amazing!” He smiles before looking down again, grabbing one to hold it out to her. “Share?”

She smiles thinly, shaking her head again, (Roman doesn’t think he’s ever seen her shake her head this much) before answering “No, I’m alright. Not very hungry anyway.”

Erica knows its not a convincing answer but what can she say? She’s been dreading this conversation ever since she started having feelings for Roman and when he had asked her to think about being officially together, she’d known she couldn’t put it off any longer. She looks at the floor again, remembering that she’s wearing her favorite sweatshirt and that if anyone from Middle Earth were here they’d be encouraging her (maybe not Sauron but he wasn’t really the encouraging type) and probably giving her an awkward thumbs up from behind Roman’s couch. She smiles at the comforting thought and looks back up at him. No matter what his response was, she’d handle it. She’d come this far. She sits down (albeit a little rigidly) on the couch behind her, and Roman follows her lead, sitting in the chair diagonal from the coffee table.

She takes another deep breath, this is it. “I’m just going to come right out and say it—”

“Do you want to break up?”

Roman’s on the edge of his chair, gripping the container and looking at her with, fear? Dread? She isn’t sure but it isn’t a positive emotion that’s etched into his face. He’s not the only one.

“No,” she says it carefully, deliberately, before continuing past what she knows is the point of no return. “But you might”.

It feels like a bomb went off. Roman actually leans back in the chair before blinking rapidly, attempting to process. “Did–“ he supposes ‘cheating’ might be too strong a word if they’re actually not even together but he isn’t sure what else they would split over.

“It isn’t something I did. It’s something I am.” Erica is resisting the urge to cry now, it doesn’t matter how many times she talks about it, it doesn’t seem to get easier when you care what the other person responds with. She’s looking at the floor when she hears shuffling and feels the couch dip next to her. She looks over to find Roman seated on the far end, reaching slowly to hover a hand above her shoulder.

“Whatever it is, we’ll work through it. It’s not as if anything is irreconcilable.” He pauses and Erica really is bracing now, nearly wanting to get up and run from the room in preparation for the inevitable.

“Unless you’re actually an orc. Or you like eating hummus. I have to draw the line somewhere.”

He says it as if it were obvious and she smiles, shaking her head before breathing out shakily. “It’s, well, its neither of those things.” She says, finally looking him in the eye, reaching up to guide his hand down to her shoulder. If nothing else, she’ll enjoy these last few minutes of comfort he offers before it’s all over.

“I’m asexual.”

Its out. And while it does take a weight off her chest, she isn’t sure it’s gone for good.

Roman blinks, tilting his head, “Tell me what that means?”

It’s a request. Not a demand, he didn’t fill the air with his assumptions, he just asked. That’s a new one.

“Well, it um,” Erica takes another deep breath, reaching out to grab his other hand in both of hers and fastening her eyes to them before spitting out the rest in a rush, “It means I don’t experience sexual attraction.”

He’d already started stroking the fingers he could reach when she took his hand hostage and he doesn’t stop when she finishes. She doesn’t move though, she’s waiting for it to sink in. Either he’ll tell her to get out, tell her that that isn’t a thing, or that he can fix her. She’s already got a plan for all three.

“Ok.” He says it as if she’d just told him it was cloudy outside. “How do you want me to respond?”

She brings her eyes back to his slowly, mouth agape. She can’t even be bothered to close it either, somehow, he’s managed to say the one thing she never expected.

“How do I want you to respond?”

“Well, I know that I don’t know exactly what you need or want to hear, so I’m asking.” He says it all so gently, as if he were trying to comfort her, as if he could sense how hard it was to say this, could he? “I want to support you” he says with conviction, “Sometimes you might have to tell me how.”

His gentle tone never fades, if anything it only sounds more genuine as he continues, moving his hand to hover next to her cheek. She leans into it, sniffing softly and closing her eyes against the tears. It’s hardly the time to cry now. Gathering herself she opens her eyes.

“You need to understand sex is something I might not ever be able to give you.” As sweet as he is, she won’t let him commit to something if he doesn’t even understand what it means. “I’ve, had,–“ now her eyes are back in her lap, withdrawing her hands from his, “experiences, but, I didn’t like them. And since I don’t have the desire anyway, it’s possible I’ll be like this forever.” She’s painting it bleakly but what else is there to say? She’s never been supported by any partner or friend and she isn’t sure she’d even know how to handle it if she was. Part of her does want to break up with Roman now, end it all before he can, give herself control of the situation before it gets any more uncomfortable.

“Why do you say it as if you were broken?”

Shock. That’s what she’s feeling, bringing her eyes up to look at Roman as if he’d grown two heads. Opening and closing her mouth twice before finally blurting out

“Isn’t that what you think?” She’s standing now, words falling out of her mouth in a rush of fear and anger, “Isn’t that what everyone thinks?! Isn’t that what you’re supposed to say? That I can’t be anything other than a robot if I don’t want” she gestures fiercely “that!? As if I wasn’t a whole person without it?” Roman is standing now but she can’t stop “As if there was no way two people could be together without doing it??” Her voice has somehow been getting louder all through her rant and everything’s getting blurry as the tears start “As if I were making the whole thing up?” He’s closer now, and she stumbles back, yelling a final, “AS IF I WASN’T A REAL PERSON BECAUSE OF IT??” before she collapses into his arms. She’s sobbing in earnest now, gripping onto him as tightly as she can. This has never happened. Every other time she’s always handled the rejection, the teasing, the downright harassment before calmly leaving and never coming back but, somehow, it’s Roman being kind to her that finally causes her to break. All the frustration, hurt and confusion finally pouring out in her tears. He’s just stroking her back with one hand, the other cradling her head against his shoulder. Between the sobs she can hear his voice, but he doesn’t seem to be saying much other than ‘its alright’ and telling her to let it out, saying that he’s here and he’s not leaving. It helps.

When the sobs subside to hiccups she wraps her arms a little tighter around him and takes a breath before sniffing.

“Can I have a tissue?” She says it as softly as she can, she doesn’t really want him to leave but she’s starting to worry for whoever does the wash. He seems to pick up on her reluctance to separate, instead taking the arm from her back to reach behind and down for the box on the coffee table. He fumbles in the awkward position for a moment, causing them both to huff in good humor before standing straight and holding it up by her face. She takes it.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said all those things to you.”

She mumbles it without ever moving, choosing to reach over his shoulder to wipe her face, if he’s willing to keep holding her, she isn’t going to make him stop.

He goes back to petting her hair softly, answering in the same tone, careful to keep his voice low. “Don’t apologize. If someone said those horrible things to me, I’d be upset too.”

She sighs quietly. He must not understand still.

“But everyone thinks they’re true. That’s the problem.” She says it matter-of-factly, her arms loosening a bit to rest on his shoulder blades before he suddenly grips her tighter.

“Not everyone.”

It’s a small thing, and it shouldn’t mean anything to her, but it does. It means the whole world.

They stand there holding each other for heaven only knows how long, Erica not wanting to leave the comforting embrace that Roman is offering, and Roman content to hold her as long as she needs.

More time passes before she hears him humming, well she feels it first but then she hears the soft notes next to her ear and feels him shifting back and forth slowly. Swaying them both. Then he’s singing to her. Quietly, barely above a whisper but his voice is like honey.

“My gift is my song, and this one’s for you” he nuzzles his cheek on the side of her head before going on, still whispering gently to her and swaying softly “and you can tell everybody, this is your song. It may be quite simple but, now that it’s done. I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words,” he gets a little louder then, more confident, “How wonderful life is, now you’re in the world.”

“Elton John?” She asks, voice still a little wobbly, only slightly teasing.

“No, well, yes, but I was thinking of Moulin Rouge.”

She frowns, slowing their swaying slightly, “I thought Elton John wrote that?”

She hears a small ‘ah’ followed by “Moulin Rouge is a film, have you not seen it?”

She shakes her head against his, muttering a ‘huh uh’

“Hmm, well, then let me finish serenading you and then we can watch it, how does that sound?”

She pulls away then, wanting to look him in the face even if she doesn’t necessarily want him to see hers. “You want to stay? With me?”

He nods, brushing his thumbs across where they’ve come to rest on her waist. “I’ll admit I don’t understand it all yet but I can learn. And if you promise to never start liking hummus then we seem to have an agreement.” He finishes with a smile and somehow Erica finds herself smiling with him. Somehow, she has hope again.

“I think I can promise that.” She says, taking another shaky breath in before muttering ‘eskimo kiss’ and leaning forward to brush her nose against his, he bumps their foreheads together and then they’re both giggling. He hasn’t ever kissed her lips yet but it’s moments like this that make her certain he’ll wait till she starts it.

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#asexual #ace #ace stories #ace character #ewan mcgregor #mob boss #how do i tag #*runs and hides*#*hopes for the best #aces in spaces

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yuta-nakamots · 4 years

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Beautiful Time - h.rj ; Part 4 of 6

Pairing - Vampire!Renjun x Reader

Genre - Fluff i guess?? with some angst in the beginning??

Warnings - Mentions of blood, feeding, general vampire stuff

Summary - Vampires are creatures forced to walk upon the earth for longer than humans could possibly imagine. One would think it gets boring after a while, but not to Renjun, the foreign exchange student who seems to know a little too much about the early twentieth century.

Word Count - 3.2k

A/N - this is the last calm chapter we’re having haha. sorry it took me so long to update. i just started online summer school but my schedule turned out to be somewhat lighter than expected so i’ll try to update more frequently. feedback is greatly appreciated!

Today was the day that you’d be saying your last farewell to your friends and family. It was a day you dreaded and feared for, a day you never thought you’d ever have to endure. You were at the airport, surrounded by your loved ones as they wished you well in your journey abroad. You wished you could trick yourself into thinking that it was just that simple, that you were only going to be away for four years before being able to return, but you knew it wasn’t that easy.

Renjun was there for you the entire time, he was waiting for you at the check-in gate and came to help you with your luggage as soon as he saw you step out of the car. “Hello, my name is Huang Renjun, I’ll be a transfer student at the same university as y/n this coming school year. Nice to meet you” he said, introducing himself to your parents as he struggled to keep a respectful distance between the two of you.

“Oh, that’s wonderful! It’s nice to know that y/n will already have a friend before school starts. She’s not the best at making friends” your mother jokes, oblivious to the way you rolled your eyes at her.

Despite the fact that Renjun was there, your emotions were just too much. You tried your hardest to not let the tears escape your eyes as you hugged your favorite relatives for what just might be the last time, though your crying would be easily justified anyways.

Once your little party had dispersed, everyone leaving the airport to continue on in their normal lives, you turned to Renjun who immediately pulled you into a hug before the tears could start falling again. You let out a sob, your tears wetting his shirt as he held you in his embrace. “Everything will work out, I promise. You won’t ever be alone as I’m still alive” he whispered, his lips almost grazing your ear as he spoke. “I know it’s not the same but you have a family with me. Whether it includes the other guys or whether it’s just us, I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you.”

You felt numb the entire plane ride, barely even speaking to Renjun other than asking how to say the name of the airport, which he told you was the ‘Changchun Longjia International Airport’ and even taught you the pronunciation in Mandarin. As soon as the plane had taken off, Renjun was quick to raise the armrest between the two of you and pulled you so that your head rested against his shoulder, his arm wrapped around you with his hand gripping your waist.

Renjun felt your intense overflow of emotions from the sadness and grief of parting from your loved ones to the fear of making such a giant change in your life, the excitement of going somewhere new, but also the smallest amount of happiness and fulfillment. He didn’t know the cause of it, but you did. You knew you loved him even if you weren’t big on vocalizing it towards him, but you always showed it to him whether it be through the way you untangled his hair after he spent an hour messing it up out of frustration, or the way you pressed your face further into the hoodie he was currently wearing. You let his scent calm you and eventually sleep overtook you, your energy spent from dealing with so much within just the past few hours.

By the time Renjun is gently rubbing your shoulder and calling your name to wake you, the plane is already about to land. Once you got off the plane and retrieved your luggage, you didn’t even have to think about finding Jaemin, who was supposed to pick you up because that’s literally what he did. Your mind was blank, just absently staring at the ground when suddenly the monotonous tiled floor was no longer under your feet. You didn’t even have enough energy to flinch as Jaemin’s arms held you as he swung you around cooing, “oh my baby is finally here! Do you know how much I missed you? Did you miss me too? I think you did!”

Renjun had to forcefully grab you out of Jaemin’s hold while lightly scolding him, “can’t you see that she’s tired?”

“My little cutie can fall asleep in my arms any day” Jaemin said, pulling you back into his arms and smashing his cheek into yours as if he were a cat. Renjun could only roll his eyes as he took your bags over to where Haechan was waiting, leaning against an expensive-looking car and as you got closer, you noticed it was a Tesla. You were shocked that they had a Tesla, you were even more shocked to find out that Haechan could drive, as none of them had previously mentioned any driving abilities, not that they really needed it with their superhuman speed.

“Did you guys actually steal a car or what?” Renjun exclaimed, clearly just as shocked as you.

Haechan scoffed as he pushed himself off the car, “‘or what’ is your answer. I’ll have you know that we didn’t steal it and it was fully paid for,” he said as he helped Renjun and Jaemin with your luggage, “not by us though. Chenle paid for it. That kid is loaded, I swear.”

At the mention of the new ‘kid’, Renjun’s face lit up as he let out a noise of surprise. As Renjun helped you into the backseat of the car, you made eye contact with him and asked, “who’s Chenle?”

“Ah! Chenle, he’s-” Renjun began, only to be cut off by Haechan, who was buckling himself into the driver’s seat.

“A pain in the ass.”

“Haechan, please be quiet or so help me, I will remove you from this vehicle.” His statement caused you and Jaemin to laugh, only getting an eye roll from Haechan as he started the car. “Chenle is, I guess what you could say, a younger cousin of mine. He’s a whole lot closer to your age though,” that sentence earning a chuckle from Haechan before Renjun reached over to smack the side of his head before continuing, “so he and I are definitely a ways apart in the family bloodline but I heard he was recently turned and he’s in training to take over some business his family runs.”

“Oh? How old is he?” You asked, excited to possibly meet someone who hasn’t been the same age for over ten years now.

Jaemin abruptly turned around, nearly scaring Haechan as he pulled out from the stall, his toothy smile showing as he spoke to you, “he’s only nineteen though he was turned a few years ago so I think he should be about twenty-three maybe.”

“Anyways,” Renjun began, “I think you’d like Chenle. He’s a lot more modern than I am so he’ll probably get your jokes more often than I do.”

“It’s okay that you’re old,” you interjected, “I think it’s cute when you get all confused and I have to teach you.”

Renjun shook his head, letting out a sigh of embarrassment, “The important thing about Chenle though is that he’s still considered a new vampire and I think you’ll find comfort in him since you’ll be transitioning alongside him. You’ll have him to play around with and talk to so it won’t be as lonely.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t believe how boring it was to just have Renjun to talk to” Haechan blurted as he navigated his way out of the airport.

“But you two are like old grandpas,” Jaemin complained, “I had no one to play with and talk to, they were both already some thousands of years old when I was turned. It was like being around mummies” he said, clearly exaggerating.

Despite the overly playful bantering, you were actually thinking about this Chenle guy and you were excited to meet him though you immediately associated him with your imminent fate to become one of them. The thought makes you shudder just a little because you had already done your own research and you knew just how painful it could be.

Haechan seems to always drive a little faster than what seems safe but you’re too tired to care, already dozing off, leaning against the window. The next time you open your eyes is due to Jaemin screaming at you to wake up as the car pulls up in front of a small, traditional, yet cute looking house. The aesthetics of the house immediately sparked the architecture major in you and you knew you could spend hours admiring what you assume to be Renjun’s house, but thankfully said boy pulls you inside the front door, not giving you much time to fully root yourself into the driveway.

Renjun himself seemed to pause in awe when he walked through the front door. “Like what we did to the place?” Haechan asked with a smug look on his face. The interior of the house was almost nothing like the exterior. The furniture was modern but minimalistic, mostly white with occasional wooden accents and grey walls. The difference was almost shocking yet you noticed how there were still traditional elements like the dragons carved into the walls and the gold plating around the light switches.

“Chenle paid for it” Jaemin stated. Again, it was that kid being mentioned with money, causing you to wonder just how much of it he had while Haechan complained to Renjun about how much work it was to remodel, only having himself, Jaemin, and Chenle to do the work. Though when Renjun continued to ignore him and wander off down a hallway, he moved onto bothering you, telling you how he plans to enroll in an interior design program in order to be your other half, who was interested in exterior design.

You playfully pushed him away as you followed Renjun, not wanting to be left alone with the most annoying one out of the bunch. You walked down the hallway to find Renjun and Jaemin already in what you presumed to be you and Renjun’s shared room.

It was a large, spacious room, the walls colored a cute pastel grey-blue mixture, almost the same color as Jaemin’s hair, ironically. Your eyes went from the large closets on opposite sides of the room to the entrance to the bathroom with the beautiful marbled flooring, then finally landing on the large queen-sized bed which was definitely an upgrade from the twin bed that you and Renjun had gotten used to sharing, the other person always half, if not fully, on top of the other.

Haechan quickly joined the three of you and immediately took it upon himself to challenge Jaemin, “I bet I can unpack a suitcase faster than you.” So of course, they both used this opportunity to utilize their enhanced speed to compete against each other in unpacking your suitcases, only slowing down to ask you or Renjun where you wanted a certain item or who it belonged to. You thoroughly enjoyed the show they put on for you, even if it was slightly headache-inducing due to the fact that your eyes couldn’t fully capture them moving so quickly.

By the time you sat down to eat the stew Jaemin had lovingly cooked for you, you were starved. You had barely even taken a single bite when there was a knock at the door. Jaemin left his position in front of the stove to see who it was, exclaiming as he opened the door and letting out a loud “Chenle-yahhhh!”

Your head immediately jerked up at the mention of the name, curious to see what he looked like after hearing so much about him. You were met by his fox-like smile and darkened red eyes as he introduced himself to you, already seeming to know who you were all the while squirming in Jaemin’s hold. “I’m Chenle, though I suppose you could tell already. Nice to finally meet you, y/n.”

“Oh, I’m so happy! Our Chenle is finally talking to a girl! And I can’t believe my two babies are here together~” Jaemin’s incessant cooing causing Haechan to do his infamous dry heave as Renjun directed your attention back to your stew which was already cooling down.

Once Jaemin had calmed down, he took a seat next to you as Haechan and Renjun were busy talking to Chenle about business-related things. You had slowly lost your appetite, as you still associated Chenle with the fact that you had promised them that you’d let them turn you once you settled down here. Jaemin sensed the drop in your mood and didn’t hesitate to grab your hand, that had balled up without you noticing, and drawing shapes on it while reassuring you that it won’t hurt as much as you think. “Y/n, look at me. As long as Renjun is here, it won’t hurt at all. Don’t worry about it, okay?”

He only continues speaking once you take another mouthful of your food. “You’re lucky you have him, though I was lucky enough to have my sister. She turned me to save me after we got into a car accident with my parents,” he looked at you to gauge your reaction, going on after he sees you still chewing, “my parents didn’t make it and she knew they wouldn’t so instead she chose to save me, not wanting to lose all the people she cared for. Personally though, I only really appreciated her after I made the transition,” he looked at you again and you motioned for him to continue while gathering up another scoop. “She spent her early years as a vampire going back and forth between us and her husband. I didn’t realize how much self-control it took until after I had to experience it myself, the constant thirst, especially when your significant other isn’t around.”

You swallowed the food that was in your mouth before asking, “why do you always refer to relationships as if you’re still human? You never just call people ‘mates.’”

“Ah, I think that’s because I’m still fairly new to the whole vampire thing. I still view relationships the way you would, you know? I could be married by now and had kids if I was still human, I think I’d be turning thirty this year” he mused.

While you were lost in the thought of Jaemin having kids and chasing his own little toddlers around, you didn’t notice Chenle taking the seat across from you until he cleared his throat, a little too obnoxiously for Haechan’s liking, getting a slap to the back of his head. The second you looked up and made eye contact with him, he asked “so when are you turning?”

All eyes went to you and Renjun, who had begun stuttering from the sudden attention. “W-we, uh, we haven’t discussed it yet.” If his ears could turn red, they’d have been burning by now.

“Well hurry up then. I can’t wait to finally have someone to play with. Everyone here is so old and boring, they don’t even know what memes are” Chenle quips, earning himself yet another slap from Haechan along with an eye roll from Jaemin, who claims he’s not that old and knows what memes are too.

You miraculously managed to finish your dinner and stayed to help Jaemin clean up the few dishes he had used to cook for you. Haechan and Renjun had ventured off somewhere while Chenle stayed seated at the table, only turning the chair around so he could face you and ask you questions while you did the dishes. Chenle asked you countless questions ranging from when you were born to what your favorite season was and if you had watched the latest trending shows on Netflix.

You could tell he was much closer to your age, as it soon felt like you were talking to just another friend rather than someone who wasn’t even the species as you. Chenle was very energetic and playful, already having taken to teasing you in the slightest ways while cracking jokes that you doubt Renjun, or even Haechan, would understand.

As you finished with the dishes, Renjun had returned to the kitchen, coming up behind you and wrapping his arms around your waist while resting his head on your shoulder. “My love, there’s something I want to show you” he murmured into your ear, gently pulling you away from the sink. Jaemin and Chenle followed along as Renjun led you downstairs and through the lounge area you only caught a glimpse of earlier.

While your attention was drawn to all the high-tech gaming devices set up, you didn’t notice the solid steel door Renjun was guiding you to, only turning to look at it as he was turning the handle and pushing the door open, revealing Haechan inside a small room painted almost entirely grey. It resembled the look of a hospital room, except instead of the cot, there was a metal table with leather straps hanging loosely from the sides which Haechan was playing with.

You looked at Renjun, having an idea as to what this room is for, as he places an arm around your waist and steps inside. Haechan looks up and clears his throat loudly, almost as annoying as the way Chenle did earlier except this one is filled with pride. “Lady and not-so-gentlemen,” he began, Jaemin whining from behind you, clearly upset at Haechan’s choice of words, “this room is my work of art, which Renjun had commissioned me to construct. It is complete with state of the art noise cancelling walls and sealed ventilation to aid you in your transfer from human to vampire” he said, with a smirk at the end.

You were taken aback at how blunt Haechan was being, but you didn’t have much time to dwell on it due to Jaemin letting out a loud ‘wOW’ and running to the table, dragging Chenle along and asking him to strap him down. You let out a laugh at their childish antics while Haechan let out a sigh before turning back to you and Renjun and stating, “I’ll be ready whenever both of you are.”

Later that night, as you were cuddling in bed with Renjun after letting him feed from you, you turned to face him in your euphoric haze and whined “Renjunnieee~ when are you going to make me into a vampire? I want to be like youuu.”

“When would you like to do it, darling?” He replied, smiling at your current state, your eyes barely even open as you struggled to stay awake.

“I want it a-s-a-p,” you babbled, “as soon as possible.” Renjun only laughed as he placed a hand on your cheek while running his thumb over your lip. “I need to stop aging now or else I’m gonna end up older than youuuu.”

Renjun wheezed at your worry of passing his frozen age of twenty when yet, he was well over a hundred years old. As you were about to start whining again, he leaned in to press a kiss to your lips, effectively silencing you and saying “we’ll turn you as soon as possible then.” He pulled away slowly as your eyelids fluttered shut, smiling to himself as you let yourself drift off to sleep.

@nct-writers

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when-they-write-stuff · 4 years

Note

Because I know you love your angst: “I’m fucking terrified and I don’t know what to do or how to stop feeling that way, okay? I’m scared…”

Stiles thought this pretty accurately summed up his life.

The abduction and torture that was. The three weeks spent in darkness and the pain that just kept coming. Stiles felt like this was a pretty normal thing nowadays, much to his loathing.

The token human. The easily kidnappable sidekick.

Stiles Stilinski, ladies and gentlemen.

But then on day twenty-three, there was someone new thrown into the cell next to his.

Stiles didn’t actually see a face or a figure. He just heard the faint sounds of struggle, followed by what could only be growls, and then there was the sound of a door opening, a body hitting the floor, and the door slamming closed again.

Stiles winced, curled up in the corner of his cell. He fiddled with the strings of his hoodie and waited for the footsteps of the hunters to leave, not moving until he was sure they had. Only then did he glance up, cautiously creeping toward the iron wall of his cell and pressing a hand against it.

“Uh… hello?”

Silence was his answer. Stiles curled his fingers against the metal and felt his stomach sink.

“Scott? Liam? One of the other pups?”

He still didn’t get an answer, but Stiles could hear movement from the other cell. He sighed and drew back, curling in on himself again. He’d been here for long enough that he was tired of just about everything. And clearly, this wasn’t one of his friends. But that didn’t mean he had to take another supernatural’s shit.

“You could at least say something, you know,” Stiles said. “Since clearly the hunters have taken both of us and we’re probably in for the long haul. Although I’ve been here longer, so I get seniority.”

“... How long?”

Stiles furrowed his brows at the voice. It was hoarse and definitely male, and there was some part of him that felt like he recognized it. But no matter how hard Stiles wracked his brain, he couldn’t remember from where. Maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him.

He’d spent over three weeks in the darkness, after all.

“Going in twenty days or so now.”

Stiles knew he heard a growl again. He tilted his head toward the wall of his cell and blinked, once more trying to figure out why it was so familiar. He couldn’t quite place where, but Stiles knew he wasn’t crazy. Or he was pretty sure, at least.

“Uh, random question, dude, but do you have a name?”

The darkness went still and a long moment of silence passed. Once more, Stiles didn’t get an answer. He sighed.

“Well, mine is Stiles. You know, just in case I die here and you’re the last person I end up talking to. Because I’d say I have extremely high hopes that my pack will come rescue me— I’m assuming you’re supernatural, by the way— but they’ve been severely lacking in capabilities lately. So I’m not really feeling too positive anymore.”

“You shouldn’t be telling strangers your name,” the man said after a second. “Or anything about yourself for that matter.”

“Hey,” Stiles half-joked. “We’re not strangers anymore, right? I mean, we’ve both been thrown into the darkness together, even though there’s a very rude wall currently separating us. I would say this is quite the bonding experience.”

“A bonding experience.”

“Oh yeah,” Stiles said. “Studies show that being abducted together makes for lifelong friendships. So, you want to tell me your name so I can put something to the face… err, voice?’

“You don’t want to know my name.”

Stiles blinked a few times at the wall. Then he moved closer and lowered himself to the floor, trying to see through the grates into the next cell. But all he could make out was a pair of black boots. He wrinkled his nose and rested his chin on his hands, letting out a long breath. “Don’t presume to know me, kind sir. I would love to know your name.”

“No, Stiles. You wouldn’t.”

It felt weird, hearing his name for the first time in three weeks. Whenever the hunters came in to interrogate him about Scott’s pack, they just called him ‘boy’ and kicked him around a lot. And they were the only voices he’d heard since he’d been taken from his jeep and thrown in here.

Maybe that’s why the voice of the grump next door sounded so familiar. Stiles’s brain was just trying to give a familiar face to anything except the hunters.

“I’ll call you Miguel then,” Stiles said after a moment. “That’s usually my go-to nickname. It’s gotten me out of more tight spots before than you’d ever believe.”

He could’ve sworn he heard the man chuckle. “I don’t doubt it.”

Stiles smiled to himself and leaned against the wall. For some reason, even just imagining that there was someone on the other side only a few feet from where he sat comforted him. He felt a little less terrified. A little less alone.

“Just a quick warning though,” Stiles said. “I talk a lot and ask way too many questions. Before this is all over, you might end up knowing about my entire childhood, all of my lifelong dreams, and every single person I’ve ever fallen in love with only to have my heart broken.”

Stiles heard a sharp intake of breath. His heart skipped a beat or two.

“Unless that’s not okay?”

“No,” Miguel said quietly. “No, that’s okay.”

“Oh good,” Stiles said with a grin. “Because you don’t seem like much of a talker. But that’s okay! I can promise to talk enough for the both of us and then probably some.”

“Have the hunters hurt you?”

The question was so sudden, Stiles’s smile dropped. He reached up and prodded underneath his jaw where one of the men’s knuckles had left a dark bruise only a few hours ago. It still hurt, although Stiles’s entire body hurt at this point. He felt like he’d been living throughout one giant ache these past three weeks.

Miguel seemed to be holding his breath. Stiles lowered his hand and debated either telling the truth or lying; he thought he’d heard fear in the man’s voice. So maybe he feared pain. Maybe he hadn’t experienced the hunters as often as Stiles had.

If that was true, he probably didn’t know what to expect. And Stiles found it hard to make himself tell him.

“No,” he lied. “No, I’ve been fine and dandy. A little lonely, you know, but now I have you! And remember what I said about abduction leading to lifelong friendships—”

“Stiles,” Miguel’s voice cut him off. “I can hear you lying.”

Stiles closed his mouth and slumped a little further into himself. He supposed that cleared up what kind of supernatural creature he was dealing with then, although Stiles had his suspicions from the beginning. “So you’re a werewolf then.”

“Yeah.”

“Bitten or born?”

Miguel didn’t answer. Stiles wet his cracked lips, running a hand through his hair.

“My friend was bitten, but he’s the current true alpha of the Beacon Hills pack. That’s where I’m from, you know. I don’t actually know where we are right now cause the hunters knocked me out pretty good, but I’m sure my friends are coming for me. Or at least, they’re going to try and come for me.”

Silence met his words. Stiles tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, desperately holding onto those words.

“I do believe in him, you know. He’s just… he’s not the same. Not the same as the alpha that used to live in Beacon Hills, that is.”

There was a sudden movement from the other cell. Stiles startled, but then he realized Miguel was only shifting around a little. Relaxing again, Stiles kept talking.

“But that guy has been gone for years now. Four, I think, but I don’t keep count.” Stiles hesitated and then scoffed. “That’s a lie, I totally keep count. I’m pretty sure I’ve counted every damn day since he decided to leave Beacon Hills. I mean… he wasn’t an Alpha when he did, but it still kind of sucks, you know? He kind of sucks.”

“I’m sorry.”

The man’s voice was soft and hoarse and Stiles was surprised at the shiver that ran down his spine at hearing it. He turned his face toward the wall. “Dude, why the hell are you apologizing? It’s not your fault he’s a jerk.”

“A jerk?”

“A jerk, a Sourwolf, a goddamn asshole. I mean, I didn’t ask him not to leave and I probably should have, but still, he left. He left and that was a shit move. No more visits, no more texts. He wasn’t even there when I— er, the pack— graduated. Kinda messed up, you know?”

For a moment he didn’t get an answer. Then there was a soft “I know” and Stiles sighed.

“Sorry, man, I warned you I’d be lamenting all my pains and woes. Hey! Wanna tell me a little bit about yourself? Gimme a favorite color.”

“... Red.”

“Red?”

“Red.”

“I mean, that’s legit,” Stiles said after a moment. Miguel didn’t actually ask the question back but Stiles decided to pretend that he had, furrowing his brows as he thought about his own answer. As if he didn’t already know. “I like red too. But also blue. Blue’s just pretty, you know?”

Stiles could’ve sworn he heard a chuckle. That made him smile a bit.

“So, are you a beta or an alpha? Cause some alpha powers right now would be seriously epic to get us out of this shit—”

“Omega.”

Stiles cut off mid-sentence, snapping his jaw shut. Internally, he cursed himself, and the silence reigned for a moment. Then he chuckled nervously. “Oh, that’s fine too. I mean, at least we got some werewolf muscles, right? I love me some werewolf muscles… that totally came out wrong.”

Stiles definitely heard a chuckle this time. He thought that counted as a win.

“Hey, so if I asked you how you got here—”

But before Stiles could finish his sentence there was a loud bang. He flinched and pulled into himself as the sound of footsteps echoing off the metal floors filled the air. Stiles couldn’t help the pit of dread that formed in his stomach, nor the panic that started to make his throat constrict.

He gasped for breath and buried himself in his hoodie. He’d been going through this for twenty-three days now and it still didn’t get any better. Stiles hated himself a little for the panic that rose up in his throat.

“Hey, hey! Stiles!”

Stiles blinked a few times and spotted a hand reaching through the grates between their cells. He was reaching for it before he could even think and the feeling of another pulse point underneath his fingers was enough to make Stiles’s own heartbeats slow down a little. He gripped the man’s hand tightly and closed his eyes, chin tucked into his chest as he tried to catch calm, deep breaths.

But then he heard the door of Miguel’s cell open and the man’s hand was yanked away from his.

A whole new level of panic rose in his throat.

Stiles shoved himself up and scrabbled at the wall. The sounds of pained grunts and sharp, gasping breaths filled the air and Stiles couldn’t tell if they were Miguel’s or the hunters, but he had a pretty good idea. Moving toward the door of his own cell, Stiles slammed a fist against it and let loose a litany of curses, not even sure what exactly he was trying to accomplish.

“Hey, asshats, why don’t you try coming for the human, huh? That guy doesn’t know shit about the McCall pack but you know I’ve got all the info—”

He cut off as his cell door swung open and one of the hunter’s familiar faces sneered in. Stiles retreated a few steps back, his heart leaping into his throat, and tried desperately not to regret his words.

“Okay, hold up now, let’s talk about this—”

The hunter caught his arm and dragged him out of the cell and Stiles nearly sobbed at the sudden change of scenery. Daylight streamed from down the nearby corridor and glistened off the floors. Stiles hiccuped as his breaths caught in his throat, but instead of being dragged toward the light, he was pulled away from it.

Stiles barely resisted the urge to thrash and fight back, going limp in the hunter’s hold. The man dragged him into the adjoining cell, where two other hunters already waited, and Stiles didn’t raise his eyes until he was dropped to the floor, knees cracking on the cement.

And when he did look up, eyes meeting the grey-green ones of the man curled up in the cell’s corner, Stiles’s heart stopped.

Four years.

That was the first thought that entered his mind.

It had been four years since Stiles had seen such a vivid grey-green color and it had been four years since he’d laid eyes on Derek Hale’s face. Even now, with blood running from a split lip and pain cracking through in his eyes, Stiles recognized Derek like the day he’d left Beacon Hills. He had a slightly scruffier beard, clothes that were ripped and hanging off of one shoulder, and lips twisted back in a grimace, yes, but it was him all the same.

Four years.

Stiles’s knees nearly buckled beneath him.

His second thought was Miguel and that really shouldn’t have made a humorless laughter bubble up in his throat. But Stiles couldn’t help wondering if he was seeing things. Because of all the people that he could’ve seen in the cell, Derek Hale wouldn’t have even made the list.

The hunter shoved him forward and Stiles sprawled to the floor near Derek’s side. The man snarled and tried to rise, but another kick to the ribcage had him doubling back over.

It was then that Stiles noticed the glowing blue bullet embedded in his arm. And the black lines creeping up his skin.

Stiles drew away, shying into himself. And if possible, Derek’s eyes cracked even more.

“The McCall alpha,” one of the hunters hissed, learning close to Stiles’s ear so the words tickled his skin. “Or the Hale mutt. You have twenty-four hours to decide.”

Stiles’s heart stuttered and the man laughed as he drew away. The door slammed as the three hunters filed out back out and as darkness fell over the cell, the silence returned once more.

There was no more sunlight.

Derek shifted with a soft groan and Stils scrambled away, back slamming into the opposite corner. The man looked at him quietly, one hand pressed to the wound in his arm, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed.

“Stiles—”

“Don’t.”

Derek’s face twisted. He tried to sit up even more but only groaned again, slipping back down to the floor. The cut on his lip wasn’t healing, Stiles noticed. His face was unnaturally pale.

Stile’s stomach twisted and he felt nauseous. ‘Four years’ kept ringing through his head. Glancing down at his hands, Stiles unconsciously counted his fingers before feeling sick again. He had ten. There were ten.

This was real.

“Miguel,” Stiles scoffed, still staring at his hands. “Goddammit, Derek, I hate you so much.”

The man flinched. Stiles closed his eyes.

“How soon did you know?”

“The moment I caught your scent.”

“And if I would’ve died in that cell, would you have told me first?”

“Would you have wanted to know?”

Stiles clenched his teeth so hard they gnashed. He didn’t realize he was trembling until he was curled in on himself again; and it wasn’t from the cold. “Why, Derek?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you here?”

For a long moment, Derek didn’t answer. When Stiles opened his eyes again, the man’s gaze was fixed firmly on the floor. He looked shaky, fragile. Stiles couldn’t believe he hadn’t recognized his voice before. He knew Derek. Or at least, he had four years ago.

But a lot of things had changed between eighteen-year-old Stiles and now. He’d done four years at MIT and then he’d done a summer of training underneath his dad’s section at the station. Though Stiles still didn’t know what the hell he wanted to do with himself, wandering aimlessly from thing to thing.

He’d graduated with a master’s in criminology. He kind of hated it.

He kind of hated everything about the past four years.

“How are you here, Derek?” Stiles asked again. “How the hell did you find me when my own pack couldn’t?”

Derek flinched. Stiles’s stomach twisted.

“Did Scott send you?”

“I haven’t been in contact with Scott since I left.”

“... Did my dad?”

Derek looked confused and Stiles shrugged, dropping his gaze again.

“He doesn’t think very much of Scott’s pack anymore. I’d always thought he had outside contacts, but I could never be sure.”

“No, Stiles,” Derek said quietly. “Your father didn’t send me.”

Stiles looked at him pleadingly. Derek swallowed once more and then shifted again, face twisting in pain. When he glanced up, grey-green eyes glowed blue and Stiles felt it like a tug to the gut. Something latching around his chest and pulling.

“I just knew.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know, Stiles.”

Stiles clenched his jaw and looked sharply away. Derek’s sharp breaths filled his ears like a ringing alarm and he realized suddenly that they were on a ticking clock. Twenty four hours or Scott’s pack.

Scott’s pack… his pack. The pack. Whatever it was, they were in trouble.

If he tried to save Derek’s life, that was.

As if the man could read his thoughts, Derek’s eyes flicked back up and he looked pained. But not just because of the bullet wound currently festering in his arm. His lips were cracked. Blood continued to dribble down his chin. “It’s okay, Stiles.”

Anger rushed up in Stiles’s throat. He was on his feet in a second.

“No, Derek, it’s not okay! None of this okay, dude, don’t you understand that? I’ve just been asked to choose between Scott’s pack and you. You, who I haven’t seen in four years and just admitted to thinking about nearly every other day? Do you understand how truly not-okay all of this is? I can’t be expected to choose, asshole! I can’t— I can’t—”

Stiles stumbled and slumped back to the floor again, pulling his knees into his chest. His entire body was shaking now.

“I just got you back. I can’t lose you again.”

Derek blinked at him. Stiles scoffed humorlessly and glanced at the man’s arm where the bullet was still glowing blue.

“Need me to attempt to cut that off for you, Sourwolf? Because I’ve grown and matured since we first met. I think I could attempt as long as it didn’t involve using my teeth or something.”

A rare smile tugged at the edges of Derek’s lips. “I thought you fainted at the sight of blood.”

“Only at the sight of a chopped off arm.”

Some of Derek’s smile faded. Stiles hesitated where he sat and then pushed himself back up and moved forward, sinking down next to Derek’s uninjured side. The man radiated heat like a furnace and Stiles couldn’t tell if that was the werewolf or the wound. He was scared to think that he might know that answer.

“We have twenty-four hours to get out of here, Sourwolf.”

“You’ll have longer than that.”

“No,” Stiles said, voice cracking. “No, because you’re not going to die and I’m not going to give you up. We figured it out the first time, Sourwolf, we can figure it out again.”

“The first time we weren’t trapped in a metal cell.”

“Yes, but the first time we were relying on Scott to come through.”

“And we’re not doing that now?”

Stiles’s smile slipped. He glanced down at his hands and realized the truth in Derek’s words. Except this time, he really didn’t think Scott was going to make it in time. And the choice to save Derek’s life was much more costly than it had been before.

“I could always tell them small things,” Stiles said softly. “Numbers maybe. I could make up names and—”

“If they realize you’re lying to them, they’ll kill you.”

“And if I give them what they want, they’ll most likely kill me anyway.”

Derek’s face tightened, but he didn’t argue with that. Stiles leaned against his shoulder and swallowed hard, still not quite able to believe that this was Derek. This was Derek next to him, the man Stiles had thought about for four years. The same man he’d tried so hard to forget.

He’d failed each time.

“I can’t lose you again,” Stiles said quietly. “Derek, you can’t ask me to do that.”

“I’m sorry.”

Stiles’s stomach clenched as he glanced over. Derek studied his face and then dropped his gaze, eyes flickering blue.

“I was going to come back,” he murmured. “But then Scott had a pack and everything seemed to be going well—”

“Derek,” Stiles said. “Derek, what the hell do you think I was talking about earlier? Everything’s not going well. We could use you. We need you. ” Or maybe just Stiles needed him. But he was terrified to say that out loud.

“Stiles, I can’t go back to Beacon Hills.”

It hit like a blow to the chest. Derek blinked at him and Stiles slowly lowered his gaze, a knot forming in his throat. “Oh.”

“Not because of you,” Derek said softly. “Not because there’s no longer anything left for me. But I’ve been traveling. Meeting other packs, sometimes going back to see Cora. I don’t have a pack in Beacon Hills anymore. I don’t... have a family.”

“And if you did?”

The words slipped out before Stiles could stop them. Derek gave him a startled look and Stiles dropped his gaze, silently cursing himself.

“Sorry,” he whispered. “Nevermind.”

“Stiles—”

“Derek,” he said, cutting the man off. “Derek, I’m fucking terrified right now and I don’t know what to do or how to stop feeling that way, okay? I don’t know if we’re going to make it out alive or if we’re both going to die here. And I’m scared, but I don’t want—”

And suddenly, the man was kissing him.

It was gentle and cautious at first. But the moment Stiles pressed back, Derek was running his good hand through Stiles’s hair and pulling him in closer, kissing him like a drowning man searching for air. Stiles was pretty sure he’d made a sharp noise at the back of his throat but he couldn’t be sure. The only thing he could concentrate on was Derek; the smell of him, the taste, and the feel.

Stiles had imaged Derek’s departure countless times. Maybe he would’ve moved forward and kissed the man before he could wish them goodbye. Maybe he would have tracked him down and dragged him straight back to Beacon Hills, refusing to let him leave.

And maybe… maybe he would have followed. Maybe he would’ve taken Derek’s hand and left with him, and the rest of the pack could’ve stopped to digest all of that.

Stiles was pretty sure they were going to die here. So he kissed the man with all his pains and regrets and tried to pretend they weren’t locked in a cell together, the ticking clock hanging right above their heads.

Stiles could feel it again. That tug in his gut, that rope around his heart. Pulling like he was a magnet and his landing place was only inches away. Derek felt like a place to meet in the middle. Derek felt like an anchor.

An anchor.

And maybe the complete opposite.

Stiles thought he could hear distant footsteps. The ringing of faraway doors opening and voices slowly growing nearer. Panic coiled in his stomach like the terror rising in his throat.

“Derek,” Stiles said, gasping around his lips. “Derek, I need you to do something for me. I need you to do something.”

The man nipped at his lower lip, mouth trailing down his neck. Stiles gasped and grabbed a handful of his hair, pulling Derek closer to his skin. The man’s mouth lingered on the nape of his neck and Stiles gripped his hair tighter.

“Derek, do that. I need you to do that.”

He could feel hot breaths against his skin, Derek’s heartbeat pounding through his chest, and the man hesitating for a moment; waiting. Stiles made a low noise as the back of his throat and moved his hand down to cup the back of Derek’s neck.

“Derek, please.”

When teeth met the skin between Stiles’s neck and shoulder, they were gentle. Cautious. But then they got sharper, fangs elongating and sliding through skin. Stiles winced and tried to smother a small groan at the back of his throat, but he couldn’t quite. Derek tensed and Stiles rubbed a thumb over the back of his neck, tightening his hold a little.

The feeling in Stiles’s gut moved to coil in his stomach. Like fire racing through his veins, feeling blood trickle down his neck. Stiles closed his eyes and focused on it. Derek’s mouth left his shoulder and his nose traced up his neck, underneath his chin and when lips met his own again, Stiles could taste blood.

It hit him like a blow to the chest.

Stiles gasped and yanked back, hand-clapping to the wound on his neck. Derek startled too, pulling away and when Stiles’s eyes snapped back open, the man’s own flashed blue.

Derek’s lips parted, eyes widening a little. Stiles blinked at him and tried to talk, but his tongue felt heavy.

“Stiles,” Derek said softly. “Red.”

Red.

Voices filled the air. A door slammed, another one opened, and then light flooded into the cell. Stiles leaped up as the hunters moved forward but then the man coming at him froze. In his hands, the taser slipped and then dropped. He retreated a step backward.

“What the hell?”

“Twenty four hours,” Stiles said, stepping forward. The man’s face drained of blood and he stumbled back toward his friends. The air filled with the sound of guns cocking. “You really think you should’ve given us twenty-four hours?”

“Get back, boy.”

“I have a question,” Stiles said, leaning down to pick up the taser and turning it over in his fingers. “How much electricity can the human body take?”

“Put that down.”

“This,” Stiles said, wiggling it through the air. “Has fifty thousand volts. I wrote a paper once, you know. For fun. And most humans… most humans can’t take more than a hundred thousand. But that means this isn’t much use to you, doesn’t it?”

“Shoot him!”

Derek snarled from the side. Stiles looked at him, eyes flashing, and the man’s glowed blue in return. Stiles smiled, one word ringing through his ears.

Anchor.

He turned back toward the hunters right as the sound of loading guns filled the air, and Stiles dropped down, slamming a palm against the floor as sparks leaped off of his hand. They raced across the floor, rebounding off the metal walls, and actively sought out any beating heart in front of him.

Gunshots turned to shouts. Shouts turned to screams.

Blood roared through Stiles’s ears. Trickled down his shoulder. Dripped onto the floor, inches from his hand, and sizzled in the heat.

“Fifty thousand,” he murmured to himself, slowly lifting his eyes. “I’d say this is about five hundred thousand or so.”

By the time silence had fallen back over the cell, Stiles felt a little bit faint. The air smelled like burnt flesh and his sight was a little blurry. He still managed to rise to his feet, glancing over his shoulder, and Derek met his gaze with wide eyes.

But Stiles couldn’t find any fear in them. Just wild, dilated shock. He smiled a little and leaned shakily against the wall.

“Guess chopping off an arm won’t be necessary.”

“Stiles—”

The man moved forward but then collapsed, dropping to one knee. Stiles was rushed to his side before he could stop himself, his own world spinning a little. The lines of black had moved to creep up Derek’s neck and he hissed as he pressed a hand against the wound, face terrifyingly pale.

“Stiles, bullet—”

It hit him hard and Stiles scrambled sideways, shaking a wolfsbane bullet out of the nearest gun. He ripped the top off between his teeth, shook the powder into his hand, and then gave Derek an apologetic look before shoving his palm against the man’s wound.

Derek howled and arched into Stiles’s chest, face turning into his neck. Stiles pulled him close and they both sunk to the ground, until Derek’s panting died down to a soft gasp or two and his chest was no longer rising and falling so rapidly.

Stiles still held onto him, holding the man trembling in his arms. Derek whined softly at the back of his throat.

“That should do it.”

“You’re okay?”

“Other than the agonizing pain?”

“Well,” Stiles said, chuckling a little. “The ability to use sarcasm is a good sign of health.”

“Shut up, Stiles,” Derek huffed. Stiles grinned.

“So, I guess we’re not relying on Scott to come through.”

The man stilled. Derek turned his head and glanced up to search his face. Stiles nervously wet his lips and Derek dropped his gaze again. “I still can’t come back to Beacon Hills, Stiles.”

“Because—”

“Pack, Stiles. I’m not part of Scott’s pack. I don’t think I’ll ever want to be.”

Stiles held him for a moment longer. Then he leaned forward and touched his lips against the man’s forehead and when Derek glanced back up again, Stiles smirked. Sparks danced over his fingers and his eyes flashed; Derek’s glowed blue in return. The man swallowed, his words coming out in a hoarse whisper.

“Red, Stiles.”

“And you know blue’s just pretty.”

“Stiles—”

“Come back,” Stiles said. “Derek, come back for me.”

The man studied his face for a moment longer. And then once more, Derek was kissing him, no hesitation or cautiousness to it this time. Stiles chuckled at the back of his throat, making the man growl. One hand tangled through Derek’s hair. Another cupped the back of his neck.

Stiles could’ve sworn he heard the word ‘Alpha’ whispered behind Derek’s mouth. His heart skipped a beat or two.

Twenty-four days, a handful of dead hunters, and one slight love confession later, Stiles saw daylight again. Derek leaned against his side, Stiles bit back a soft sob, and the dawning sun tipped on the horizon, hints of scarlet and blue coloring the sky.

Stiles had thought this all pretty accurately summed up his life a few weeks ago. The abduction and torture that was. He felt like this was a pretty normal thing nowadays, much to his loathing.

But not anymore. There was no token human. No easily kidnappable sidekick. There was the boy and his wolf. The spark and the omega.

Stiles Stilinski and Derek Hale.

- -

This was planned at 1k-2k words. Then it became 5k. I completely blame the prompt but I honestly had so much fun with it ;)

(if you enjoy my writing, consider supporting your underpaid student writer? You can also request a prompt if you’d like!). https://ko-fi.com/rh27writer

#sterek #teen wolf #derek hale #stiles stilinski #all the angst and bamf #staffofoppression #prompts #ficlet

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years

Text

Survey #349

“we’ll meet again, when both our cars collide”

When was the last time you had a PopTart? It's been many, many months. Do you like hot chocolate? Well duh. Who made you laugh the hardest today? I haven't really laughed today. Who was the last person to promise you something, and what was it? Hmph. Would you ever jump into a fire to save your bestfriend? I know I would. Do you have a callus from writing too much? No, I only have calluses on my feet from when I used to walk for hours on end. They just never permanently went away, even with grooming. Who is someone you’ve made a bad first impression on? I dread to guess what the girl Jason dated after me was told about me. I shouldn't care at all, but I do. I have every reason to accurately be defined as "the crazy ex," and I fucking hate it. Who is your best guy friend? Girt, a friend from high school. Do you read cereal boxes while you’re eating? I did as a kid, but now I don't. I just kinda stand and eat. What’s the last thing you accidentally (or purposely) burnt? I kinda burnt the roof of my mouth on pizza the other night. Do you know anyone with a lip piercing? Me, haha. I know others, too. What did the last tattoo you saw, look like? I don't remember. Have you ever given birth? NO FUCKING THANK YOU. Do you enjoy making out? I mean if I'm in the mood to and I love you, yeah. Why exactly do you take surveys? "I genuinely like doing them and they’re great for venting and sorting out thoughts and whatnot. I can just ramble and get things off my chest." <<<< This right here covers it. As well, it's just a boredom killer. And I happen to be bored very, very often. Rockband or Gutair Hero? Both are great, why choose just one? What are you listening to right now? Halocene's cover of "Helena" by My Chemical Romance. It's beautiful. What kind of energy drinks do you drink, if any? None, because I just can't do energy drinks. They taste like pure poison to me. Have you ever been swimming in a river? No. Swimming in a river sounds pretty dangerous... Does your alarm clock wake you with music, or with an annoying buzz sound? Music. When you broke stuff in the house as a child, did you blame it on siblings? I'm hoping you don't mean breaking deliberately, 'cuz I wasn't that kind of kid. But anyway, I don't believe I did. Did you make it all the way through the Oregon Trail game? Yes. I was obSESSED with those games as a kid. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Which one are you more scared of? Tigers, probably. They're so stealthy and, while I may be entirely wrong, seem like the top candidate of the three to attack a human, be it for food or defense. And have you SEEN the muscles on a tiger? Christ. Describe the best use that you’ve found for duct tape: Uh, taping things lmao. Do you wrap gifts or use gift bags? I use gift bags, because I can't wrap for shit. What fast food place do you avoid at all costs? Arby's is really gross to me. Are you afraid of deep sea creatures? Just giant squid... *shudders* Have you ever agreed to purchase something on Ebay and got scammed somehow? No. I did, however, purchase something on deviantART and never got the product. It was going to be a present for Jason. In dA's defense though, I've bought like... two or three other things from there, and there were zero issues. It's really about the people you trust. If you get a call that says “Unknown”, do you answer it? Nnnnope. Do you have any bobble head figures? No. Have your parents ever left you somewhere without realizing it? I don't think so. Have you ever been in a tanning bed? No. Did your last kiss mean anything to you? Well yeah, I wouldn't have kissed her otherwise. Would you say that you have a nice smile? No; I've been self-conscious of it since I was a kid, mostly because one of my eyes looks more squinty than the other, but they both are to me. I've always said I look high when I smile lmao. Is there an ex you want to make up with? My mind immediately screams "Jason," but I know that's a horrendous idea. Our last talk ended peacefully and even with care and good wishes, and I need my fucking impenetrable head to accept that's where it needs to end. He does NOT need to re-enter my life. It would be so bad for me. Do you remember how you felt on 9/11? I have no memory of it, if I'm being honest. What outfit makes you feel the most attractive? None. Other than yourself, who knows you the best? Really? Whoever reads these lmao. What’s one complaint that you have about school? Common Core and how every student's school experience was not tailored towards their unique goals. Like they try to cram a shitload of identical and usually useless information into a kid's brain to make them a jack of all trades, you could say, but not enough information they need to properly pursue their career future. It causes such an unnecessary amount of frustration and stress. I have many, many complaints about the education system, but this one tops the list. What do you do while you’re on campus but not in class? Back in college, I would just do stuff on my laptop. Do you know anyone who has Autism/Asperger’s syndrome? Yes. Are you open to a same-sex relationship and why or why not? Well, considering I'm bisexual... Do you remember life without the internet? No. Have you ever found yourself to be ugly? I've gone my entire life thinking I'm ugly, if I'm being real. What is your state’s minimum wage? $7.25 a fucking hour. :'''''') Is there something you want to say to someone but can’t/won’t? There's a few people. What is your first memory of being in a hospital? Considering my mom worked at the local hospital when I was a kid, I remember being there quite, quite young, playing with my older sister in Mom's and her coworkers' room. I think Nicole was too young to really "play." Do you have any relatives with red hair? No. What is something good that has happened to you in the past week? I got my first Covid vaccine. My arm hurts like a motherfucker now, but to protect my mom, it's worth it. Please get vaccinated. How much was the rent/mortgage at the cheapest place you’ve ever lived? That's never been my business. Have you ever been to a gay pride parade? No, but I would go to a local one if I could actually walk five feet without being in serious pain and sweating like a pig. Do you still keep in touch with your very first best friend? We're friends on Facebook, but that's it. What was the topic of the last conversation you had with your dad? I can't remember, but it was recent, because we all met at Ashley's house for Nicole's birthday celebration. How often did you visit your grandparents when you were growing up? Pretty much never, given they all lived no less than like, 10 hours (via car) from where we lived. My immediate family are the only people in NC. When two family members are fighting, what do you usually do? Stay out of it, but admittedly try to listen just to know what's going on. Do you like the smell of men’s cologne? Yeah. What’s your all time FAVORITE freezer food? Do you eat that a lot? I survive off of microwaveable freezer food, so this is very hard... uhhhhh... perhaps this Banquet bowl meal that's mac 'n cheese with spicy chicken. It's absolutely delicious, like you'd never guess that sucker was just popped in the microwave. I'd say I eat it a moderate amount; it's a reliable option if Mom's not cooking and I'm really hungry, because it's super filling. Do you like documentaries? Have you ever watched one and find it boring? I enjoy them, particularly when they're about animals. Were you ever a fan of macaroni & cheese? Do you like Kraft dinner? Ha, speak of mac 'n cheese. I love it, and Kraft makes it fine. Do you burn incense? Not as much as I used to. I love the smell and just general vibe, though. What would you consider an unacceptable first date? Going to a bar or something. Have you ever been so sick you had to be taken to the hospital? In the head, anyway. Is there anything currently bothering you? Multiple things. Would you say that you’ve got something ‘special’ about you? No. Do you like things vampire-related? I don't really have an opinion on vampire stuff. Are you the kind of person who does not like talking about their past? I don't care. Have you ever been to a casino? No. What’s the last thing you wore a costume for besides Halloween related events? Back when I still took dance classes and we had the yearly recital. What does your father do for a living? He's a mailman. What’s the last app you downloaded on your phone? Haha, I re-downloaded this ollllldddd game I had before, Nyan Cat: Lost in Space (or something like that?) for my niece to play. She's hooked on it now. Are you in any discomfort right now? Yeah; as I mentioned, my arm really hurts. What do you know the most about? Of all things I know, almost certainly meerkats. Are you seeing anyone? No. Have you ever hooked back up with an ex, just for sex? Was it a mistake or no? No. Have you ever gotten in trouble for using a phone in class? No, because I didn't use my phone in class. Have you seen all the Shrek movies? No, which is a fucking crime. I need to see the last one. Have you ever finished a whole video game? Plenty plenty plenty. Do you know anyone with a pet snake? Yeah, myself included. If you had to live in an extreme environment — think Sahara, Antarctica, under the sea, on the Moon— where would you want to live? Why? Probably Antarctica. I'm sure it would be unpleasant, being that cold, but I feel there's more you can do about being cold than being in the scalding heat of, say, the Sahara. Living on the moon or in the deep ocean sounds super sucky. How was your day overall? It's been okay. Not as bored as usual, at least. How many people of the opposite sex do you fully trust? Like... zero. I want to say my dad, and I almost do, just... nightmares make that very, very difficult. Plus his past. What does your mom call you? Normally just "Britt." Write a sentence in another language: Oh god, my German is so rusty... uhhhh... Hallo, ich heiße Brittany, und ich bin 25 Jahre alt und wohne in North Carolina. I think I got the grammar right? Have you ever sent an X-Rated picture to someone? No. Even if I was comfortable with my body, I would be way too paranoid to at any point have a naked picture on my phone, even if I deleted it. Like, hello blackmail, but also, nothing you delete is ever really gone permanently. What big city do you live near? Raleigh is like an hour away. Do you like breaded chicken sandwiches? omg YES Is there a Sonic in your area? Yes, it's my favorite fast food joint. You have GOT to try the pretzel twists with cheese dip. Have you ever gone to a thrift store? Yeah, I love 'em. Do you think Johnny Depp is attractive? I do. Are you happy with the state you live in? No, not at all. I hate this place. Bunch of homophobic, racist rednecks. How many times have you seen the opposite sex naked? It's not like I counted every time I saw my ex naked over three and half years lmao. How many times have you seen the same sex naked? A few times. When days go by, do you cross them off on the calendar? I don't use a calendar. Are you currently counting down to something? If so, what? MY TATTOO APPOINTMENT!!!!! :''') I know I can't stop talking about it, but ugh I'm so excited. May 19th, c'mon already. Do you pay rent to your parents? No. Do you dye eggs for Easter? I used to as a kid. Not so much anymore. Are you in debt right now? For what? Oh god, I don't want to think of this. Would you ever work night crew? I really, really wouldn't want to. Humans are diurnal for a reason. Being awake in constant darkness would depress the fuck outta me, and it'd feel so lonely, with everyone I know asleep. Who was the last person that lied to you, or that you can recall lying to you? What did they lie about? How did you find out they were lying? I don't remember. Has anyone ever called you ugly, straight up, before? How did you react to this? No, not to my face. Who is the most stubborn person you know {excluding yourself}? MY MOTHER.

#survey #surveys #questions #lyrics: ''helena'' by my chemical romance

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imma-lil-teapot · 5 years

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Which Turtle I’d Get Along Best With :)

This is actually in response to @aurora-the-kunoichi ‘s post =

Ignoring the facts on why they are your favorite turtle based on looks and character traits. Based on your personality alone who do you think you would get alone with the best and give me reasons.

I was going to respond to it in the comments, but found the more I thought about it, the more indepth I wanted to actually go into the subject, and it’s been a while since I posted something of my own (sorta) so here we go~

Also, please beware the typos and errors. They bite.

A few things before we start... (Feel free to skip if you’re really not interested, it’s cool) ;)

-- Since a Bay!verse gif was used in the original post (points up), those are the Turts I’m going with in response to the post. :)

-- I have a handful of personal issues that I’m going to take into account when considering which guy I’d get along with best, namely: social anxiety and awkwardness, depression, panic attacks and low self esteem.

-- The general comfort setting I assume is during after the initial reaction of meeting them. So the friendship is still in its early stages but past the ‘OMGOSH, GIANT, TALKING, EXTREMELY BUFF, TURTLES WITH WEAPONS’ phase.

-- I really wanted to talk a bit about each one and how I’d feel around them, so how this is gonna work is basically least comfortable (first) to most comfortable (last) and of course as to why. :)

-- Please don’t think for a second that I dislike any of them based on this! I ADORE all of these boys (even though I do have a fav) and I fully believe that just about anyone (with good intentions) can get along with all of them and vice versa, even if it were to take a while (I’m looking at you, Raph ;P). I don’t see these boys being especially hostile to anyone without good reasoning, but like with all friendships, it takes time.

And with that outta the way~ (Drum roll)

(4) LEAST COMFORTABLE~

RAPHAEL~

Aww, Mr. Big Cuddly Teddy Bear himself? Why would I be the least comfortable around ol’ Red? Perhaps because, first of all, his SIZE!! :O Yeah, technically, Donnie’s slightly taller, and granted, they’re all pretty gigantic, but Raph’s on a whole other level! Skip shoulder day? I think not! And here I am, 5′1′’ and have to look to the sky to see this hulking mass staring down at me with such a piercing gaze and a toothpick poking out of his lips... Yeah, that social anxiety and shyness I spoke of earlier would be busy wetting itself whenever I’d be in the general vicinity of Raphie-Boy. Now let’s get real for a sec, it’s not like Raph’s gonna have a Leatherhead moment and turn savage at the sight of me, but in my irrational mindset, from his displayed temper and the way he goes at that punching bag, he could at any time... Not to mention how he often butts heads with Leo. It would take quite a while to completely dispel the tension and discomfort I’d be in whenever I’m around him. Maybe even a few years since I get really nervous around others that show a lot of anger and physical irritation. I’d definitely feel like he’d find me a bother, irritating or in the way a lot, even though he probably wouldn’t really since he tolerates a lot from others, but that’s just how I’d interpret his actions from my own point of view and I’d always try to stay a little clear of him for the most part. Seriously, I adore you, Raph, but you’d scare the cr@p outta me. :O

On a brighter note, I would admire his dedication to his family, his heroic actions and just the way he works out all the time. But you know, just from... afar. :) At least for a while until I got use to him more, then we might even hit it off after that!

(3) SECOND TO LEAST COMFORTABLE~

LEONARDO~

Sorry Boi Blue. :’( You may be my fav, but I’d be an awkward mess around you. Now I dunno if the favoritism would hold true if I were to meet them in reality (there’s still a good chance it would), but like with Raph, Leo’s someone I’d admire from afar, though the nervousness wouldn’t be as hectic as with his younger brother in red since Leo doesn’t tend to display it as much and not in the same fashion. I tend to have a good amount of respect for authoritative figures (or at least I try to) and he’d be no exception to that rule, but because of this, I’d both enjoy and dread our little interactions for the fear of saying something stupid or to annoy him in anyway, even though I’d probably enjoy his presence since he’s someone to look up to (and no, that wasn’t a short joke ;P ) and to feel protected by. Again, I’d feel like a burden and an annoyance to him but unlike with Raph, I would have to at least open my mouth first to get that same amount of discomfort with him as opposed to Raph... That last sentence wasn’t meant to sound NSFW, just FYI. ;P But with Leo, I think I’d actually try and work around that amount of nerves to get into his good books since he’s proven he can be a bit more on the gentlemanly side so I feel I’d stand a better chance with him... But still pretty nervy and that is why he’s in the no.3 spot. Sorry, Leader Boy. :’(

Up side, the admiration is strong. Leaders have a lot upon their shoulders to bear so that alone puts him in high respects in my eyes. Not mention I’d be in complete awe whenever watching him practicing with his katanas and performing katas... I promised myself I wouldn’t fangirl, but DAYUM, BOI! It’s getting awful warm in the sewer~ Expect applause and compliments after practice! ;P

(2) SECOND MOST COMFORTABLE~

DONATELLO~

Despite us talking about the smartest Turtle, this one’s a no-brainer, really. :) Don’s a sweetheart so I think someone would really have to try their best to get this pacifist to at least not tolerate them. That’s not to say he doesn’t have enemies - like Shredder and Krang of course - but as long you’re not posing a threat to his family, friends, the innocent or the earth, I think you’re pretty much A-okay to him. He’d without a doubt be the brother I’d feel most comfortable around after the first as he seems to take into consideration the feelings and reactions of others and is just pretty laid back in general, not really loud and ranty and for that, I’d definitely feel more at ease around. Plus, he has a bit of a fun and quirky side that comes out every now and then. Heck, even a little bit of a potty mouth. X’D Don is definitely the one I’d go to for advice on just about anything, or just to share random information and trivia with. I feel he’d be a great listener, share his own opinions in a gentle fashion, provide heartfelt solutions and just genuinely be ready to help where he’s needed. Heck, he may even try to engage me in some simple tasks like helping him with a gadget he’s busy whipping up... This is however where the comfort will start to wobble: Don-Bon’s a genius, and I’m intimidated by brilliance of the mind. :( I’d start to feel compelled to stop talking to him after a while for the sheer sake of seeming too dense to be in his presence, especially if he were to start explaining equations and science related topics. His brilliant mindset would be too much for me to bear so I think I’d probably not spend too much time around him. That’s not to say the others aren’t smart, heck, but Don’s on a whole other playing field!

Other than that, I definitely would feel comfortable around this sweetie nerd. He’s adorable! Even though the brilliance is what scares me, I would in turn be in awe of it. :) He’s a regular Einstein and then some with a lovely personality to boot!

When there’s something strange,

with your home wi-fi,

Who ya gonna call?

DONATELLO~

*Is boo’d off the stage* X’D

And finally~

~(1)~ MOST COMFORTABLE~

~MICHELANGELO~

*Lets off balloons and streamers* Well, what a surprise, am I right? ;P Raise your hand if you saw it coming! :)

But seriously though, there wasn’t much to question; Mikey’s easily the one I’d gravitate towards first and feel most at ease around. :) He’s so laid back, fun, non-judgmental, accommodating, sweet, hilarious and charming, just to name a few things! What can I say, the youngest brother of the Turts is adorable and I genuinely feel I’d get along quite well with him. <3 With all my own personal baggage, he seems like the one that would be most patient and understanding with me if anything was to surface, and he’d be so chilled about it or even joke around in a non-offensive manner to help ease the tension. That’s something I’d really appreciate with him, especially in certain situations. His goofiness could quell any nerves, that’s for sure. Even though I’m no prankster of any note whatsoever, if he were to rope me into a very harmless and innocent one here and there, I’d probably be game for it, so the two of us would probably have quite a bit of fun together. Watching movies together too, with pizza, of course! Even laughing at him showing/goofing-off during training.

So yeah, Mikey’s hands down my go-to Turtle boy in terms of comfort level, emotional support and just about everything in that relation. I see no reason as to why I’d not get along with him. He’s just a really great guy whom I feel would really go out of his way to make any human with good intentions feel welcome in his family. Someone who’s really in tune with others’ feelings and emotions and would try to help them when needed in the best way he could think of. A real cutie-pie with a heart of gold who just wants to fit in with the rest of the world. Someone who wouldn’t really care what the person looked like as long as they meant well. That’s Mikey for you, and the one I’d probably be most comfortable around! :D

And there we have it! :) Definitely a fun and enjoyable post to type up! Although the ‘winner’ was a clear cut choice, it really got me thinking how I’d feel around the other three so am really glad I got around to doing this. :) Also, I’m sure @aurora-the-kunoichi would love to see more people respond to the question so if you’re interested, feel free to respond to it. ;)

Thanks for reading~

#tmnt #tmnt 2016 #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt 2014 #tmnt 2k14 #tmnt 2k16 #leonardo tmnt #raphael tmnt #donatello tmnt #michelangelo tmnt #response post #this took forever #no seriously #i started it last year #fail #tmnt leo #tmnt raph #tmnt donnie #tmnt mikey

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blackicephantom · 3 years

Text

The black dragon and the coward CH. 10

You won't believe this but it is done!

I have to say, covid is neither nice nor fun. It's ugly and exhausting as fuck. So please everyone, stay safe and healthy.

tagged: @patolemus - I hope you haven't given up on this *wink*

@runestarchild

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Tsuna closed the door behind himself slowly and gently. He had much to think about. But where to start? What was next?

So much to do and plan and just not enough time. With his eyes on the ground the boy didn't see the three others that were approaching him, at least until it was way too late.

The sound of multiple and heavy steps caught his attention but when he looked up he wished he didn't. His favorite tormentors were on their way towards him. And Tsuna knew that no one would help him. They would just get angry and ignore everything around them if he caused a scene now. And Nono wouldn't be fast enough to get to the door, or him for the matter. With a rather tired sigh the brunette surrendered to his very obvious fate. Hopefully they don't dump him in the forest, for their own sakes.

Just the next moment he was grabbed and everything went dark…

In the forest

Reborn and Fon had shared a small breakfast before the latter departed again. "I'll try finding two certain someones. Who knows? Maybe my dear nephew knows something." A dismissive snort was his answer and even the Stormdragon had to chuckle. His nephew was…… special, to say it simple. He knew almost everything but wasn't prone to share. With anyone…..

Well, almost. Sweet little Tsunayoshi got even the young and moody Clouddragon to trust him. He was the only one who would get straight answers from the youngling. It was truly fascinating.

It wasn't long after Fon had left that Reborn got a certain feeling of unease. He went to the entrance of his den and looked at the surrounding area. Sharp yellow eyes tracked the wildlife: spooked birds taking flight, scared bucks running through the underwood. Something wasn't right. That's when a familiar scent hit his nose. The smell of warmth and something sweet with vanilla….. 'Tsuna!'

Without a thought Reborn jumped down from his perch, right into the forest. He knew that his draconian form would be way too big and too noticeable. So he decided to stay human, at least for now. Just before hitting the treetops he opened his wings and took an easy glide down. Once on the ground he called for his most trusted and oldest companion, someone who was always at his side. His call was nothing more than a rumble, maybe a growl, but it was answered none the less.

A green chameleon crawled down from one of the trees, only to wander up the offered arm until he sat atop Reborn's fedora. "Keep your eyes open Leon. It seems we've got unwanted company. Again."

Blending with the shadows of the trees the dragon tried to follow the scent of his boy but it was more difficult than it should be. There was something else at play, he just couldn't explain it. It was like… like something was overriding Tsuna's smell. Something rather disgusting.

Rising his sensitive nose to scent the air again he almost gagged. Right there was foul magic in the air. Someone was trying to keep their presence a secret and doing a damn shit job.

A short tap on his hat made Reborn look up. It seems Leon found something interesting. There was a fresh trail on the ground. It looked like something was dragged around…. Or someone. A snarl ripped itself out of his throat. If this is what he thinks it is, then someone's gonna die today. "Please be my scout Leon. Try to find the intruders and give me their location."

Between one moment and the next the green chameleon turned into a sparrow and flew fast and agile through the forest. Reborn in the meantime hoped against hope that he's wrong. But what were the odds? With the last day still on his mind and the boys horrible luck it couldn't be anything else. 'Please be OK. For the love of god, please be alright!'

. -. -. -. -. -. -. -. -. -. -. -

Tsuna awoke with a terrible headache and to the feeling of being dragged somewhere. 'Ahhhhh, kidnapping my old friend. How I didn't miss you.'

Loud laughter caught his attention and he tried to listen, but whatever Mochida was saying was lost to the sound of the animals around them. Trying to look around as supple as possible the brunette tried to get a general location or position. But some of his memories still hadn't returned, to his utter dismay. Which means he has absolutely no idea where these idiots were taking him. They were in the forbidden forest, that he knew. But they had to be past the regular path, because the trees were bigger and still looked healthy, unlike the ones closer to the village.

How the fuck are they even pulling him along? His hands were tied, OK. But he could see. Also OK. His head hurt aaaand, jep, he was gagged. 'Better job than last time.' was one of his rather stray thoughts. Sad enough that this happens often enough that he even has something to compare….. 'Wait…… if we're in the forest, away from the path, then there are just a few places they could take me to.'

Tsuna thought and thought even harder, trying to recall the map he had memorized, while still being dragged through the dirt.

Another look around showed him the mountain to their far left. Which means they're taking him somewhere else than usual. 'Just where the heck are we going?'

A bump in the road caused the boy to wince, which alerted his captors to the fact that he was awake. There went his cover.

"Hey boss. Looks like Dame-Tsuna is finally with us again." That's the only warning he had before he hit the ground. Groaning Tsuna slowly turned around and got on all fours. But before he could get up one of the others kicked him in the rips and then again in his stomach. It looks like they had a bad day or something. It's not often that they hit the valuable spots right from the start. Sooooo. Well, nothing more.

While still protecting his poor belly, the younger was suddenly grabbed by his hair and pulled up, only to come face to face with Mochida and his grimace of a face. The raven haired looked him up and down only to sneer. “I have no fucking idea how you got that dragon to spare you. But one thing’s for sure: it won't happen again.”

Tsuna would have loved to say something, but right before he could Mochida let go of him. With one last kick he was ordered to finally get up and to walk on his own. `Not my fault they kidnapped me.´ groaned Tsunayoshi in his mind.

They walked for quite some time, without a break. And the brunette had to say that he started to get tired. His legs felt like lead and his headache was also still present. And let’s not even start with his poor ribs….

Just behind the slowly thinning treeline came a cave into view. It gave off a feeling of dread and gave the young heir more than just the chills. `I believe this is one of the places we were warned about. But some of the Arcobaleno made sure that no human should ever arrive here…..´ Out of the corner of his eyes Tsuna saw a small and rather strangely colored sparrow. Instead of it’s usual brown and gray feathers it had green ones. And it didn’t sing either, not even a little chirp or trill or something similar. It just sat there and watched them….

Then Tsuna's eyes widened. `Of cause, how could I forget! That’s not a bird, that’s definitely Leon!´

Relief flooded his whole system and he could have cried from joy. Where Leon is, Reborn is not far away. He learned that the hard way back then. But this joy was short lived. Not only did Leon take to the sky, hopefully returning to his partner's side, but his intuition started to ring all and every alarm bell inside his head. Whatever lived in this cave, it wanted not only him for dinner…… That’s when he heard the growl and a rather nasty sounding hiss. A feline then. Next thing that came into view were big and ugly paws, perfect for ripping prey apart and slicing through more than just flesh and bone.

`Oh shit.Oh shit.Oh shit.Oh shit.Oh shit.’ was all that came to mind. Tsuna didn’t need to see the redish looking fur or the big fangs to know what stood in front of them. It was a Subspecies of the sabretooth tiger, one native to their region and very VERY deadly.

There are very few who encountered one and got away safely, or at all.

`It won't happen again. I’ll make sure of it.´ Those were Mochidas exact words……

No. Nononononono. The madman wanted to feed him to the tiger, with no chance of defending himself. The closer they got to this cave the more he started to struggle. He tried to free his hands, but that caused much of a ruckus and his kidnappers noticed. The dumbass that most probably came up with that plan started to crackle until he was outright laughing. One of his goons came up to him, only to tie another rope around his hands which he uses to pull him along. But Tsuna leant in the opposite direction and tried to dig his heels in. No one and nothing would get him even close to this thing. Nope, No way. That was as much of a death sentence as being thrown into a dragons den.

The damn gag prevented him from screaming but he still tried. But that just earned him a slap to the face. The tiger started to salivate and didn't take his eyes off them.

Tsuna struggled again, harder than before. He pulled with all his might, always with sudden movements in the hopes that the one leading him would let go out of surprise. Hyper intuition and survival instincts kicked in, closely followed by a rush of panic. No teaching could keep this feeling away but they could suppress it. The rope started to rub his wrists raw and cut into his skin but Tsuna didn't care. He needed to leave, NOW! In a last minute effort to rip himself away he stumbled on purpose, crashing into the one walking in front of him. And then, when he finally let go of the makeshift leash, Tsuna turned around, grabbed the damned gag and ripped it out of his mouth and started running. The sabretooth tiger, scenting worthy prey, set off after him. The thud of the paws equaled the thundering of his heart. The young Vongola didn’t care what happened to the other three, he just wanted to get away.

Ducking around the trees Tsuna tried to lose the big predator but the beast was hot on his heels. Every once in a while the animal would try to sweep him off his feet, trying to take him down with his claws. But his intuition warned him just in time so that said claws hit nothing but thin air. The longer the chase went on, the more agitated the tiger got. With every hit that didn’t connect the beast growled louder, jumping farther, running even faster and Tsuna was reaching his limit. He tripped on a single root and the beast behind him took it’s chance. Jumping down right above him the poor boy just rolled away and struggled to his feet.

Then he remembered what Reborn told him just before leaving the village: ‘Should you ever get into trouble….’ He took a deep breath, his lungs struggling to comply due to the exercise ‘...... call out for me.’ and gave a shout. “REBORN!”

Just then his pursuer pounced and pinned the boy beneath it’s bulk. Sticky saliva dripped down its fangs and landed on his face. Still struggling writhing, winding anything to get away he couldn't hear the trilling of a sparrow, nor the growl of a predator way bigger then the fucking sabletooth tiger. The only thing soothing him were those familiar, gleaming scales.

With Reborn

Technically he knew that Leon traveled as fast as he could but somehow it was still too slow for him. Right that moment his friend darted through the trees, right towards him and flew frantic circles around him. It must be worse than anticipated. “Lead the way” was all he said and off they were. Upon noticing which way they were going, Reborn growled again. When he had Tsuna back he would fucking eat the idiots that dragged him here, no matter if he gets sick afterwards. He could hear a frantic heartbeat and the huffs of breath from the one chasing after the boy. Then there was a crash, the sound of someone falling and landing hard on the unforgiving ground. Next came something that would stay a long time in the dragon's mind. One yell, one call to him, his name screamed atop of exhausted lungs.

“REBORN!”

Changing while still running came naturally to him, crashing through the tree on all four was just as naturel. But when he saw that thing trying to bite the brunette's head off, he lost it. With a deep and mighty growl he lunged forward, catching the feline by surprise and throwing it off of the boy. When the tiger readied itself to jump again Reborn wound himself around his precious boy, his long neck and open maw just above the other, yellow flames flickering out between his fangs. Two predators, one on the hunt and one on the defense. The outcome of this was decided the moment the Sundragon arrived.

The sabertooth took its chance and tried to pounce again but Reborn had enough. He snatched it while it was still airborne, closing his maw around it, piercing though its skin and hide and then fucking incinerates it. Not even a small whine could be heard. The only thing that remained was the ashen corpse. Once sure that no other hunter was nearby, the dragon changed again and turned to Tsuna. Tsuna, who was still bound and struggling to breath properly. Tsuna, in whose eyes tears started welling up. Tsuna, who looked just like the little boy from so long ago. Without thinking about it Reborn cut through the rope with his sharp claw and then embraced the now crying boy as tight as he dared.

Tsuna was just so glad to be safe and to be held in the arms he had missed without knowing why.

_TBC_

I haven't beta read this, it's almost midnight and I'm tired. Please excuse me. I still hope you enjoy! *wave*

#'khr #'R27 #'dragon and coward #'fanfic

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almostkoo · 5 years

Text

How to Enjoy Your Summer and Mend a Relationship In Two Weeks

pairing: namjoon/reader word count: 7.5k

summary: 80′s!au,enemies to lovers! au, oc is a counselor at a summer camp, they don’t really like Namjoon, their friendship is a work in progress.

warnings: since it’s a 80′s au I did not go easy on the slang at all, apparently crop tops were a thing for guys so I took liberty with that one ;), namjoon and oc gets extremely petty with each other through this, namjoon’s a rich boy, oc roasts him for that a little.sorry for any grammatical errors, enjoy!!

Summertime was perhaps without a doubt your favorite season. The air was thick and muggy as you stepped off the bus arriving at Oakpark Sleepaway Camp. Your hiking boots crunching against the dirt as the children ran around full of energy. Your hair already clung to the back of your neck with sweat, running your hands through your hair you gathered it and pulled it back, holding it back with a scrunchie. Oakpark Sleepaway Camp held a very special place in your heart as you had been attending the camp since you were eight. Begging your parents to finally let you venture off to the camp many of your classmates had come back some summer vacation bragging about how much fun Oakpark was.

Fear of missing out was a bitch you suppose.

Over the past three summers since you had become a counselor at Oakpark, now here you were at your fourth and final summer before your freshman year of college. You bonded easily with the children and a lot of them clung to you. The familiar faces grouped around you, everyone happy to see the friends they made the summer prior. In the middle of the crowd stood a lone boy, big, wide doe eyes scanning the people around him as he clutched tightly on the straps of his Transformers duffle bag. Seeing your small pal from last summer you called out to him. “Jungkook!” You called out. He jumped at the sound of his name but his face quickly broke out into a smile and he called out your name before running to you and wrapping you in a tight hug.

“How has your year been buddy, it’s been awhile since I saw you!” You said gleefully.

“Well 5th grade wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I learned about the water cycle” he shrugged “how was your graduation?”

“Well about as good as any graduation could be at least I made it out unscathed.” you said, throwing an arm over your face for dramatic effect which earned a laugh from Jungkook.

“I can’t wait to graduate. I'm absolutely over school.”

“Well it could always be worse you could be-“

Suddenly a loud, obnoxious laugh cut you off from not too far away behind you. Immediately you knew who the boisterous laugh belonged to. You turned around slightly glancing over your shoulder to sneak a glance. There he stood the very bane of your existence — Kim Namjoon.

Kim Namjoon had been annoying you ever since you were eleven. When he started attending the camp yearly after he moved and switched school districts, attending the very prestigious private school Landis Academy. The summer he strolled onto Oakpark’s campsite the whole air about the place changed. Something about the way he carried himself screamed arrogance and you couldn’t stand it. Everyone didn’t see it but you saw right through his facade as soon as you saw his crispy white Nikes hit the ground, decked in head to toe name brands clothes you couldn’t even afford a pair of socks from. He came in high and mighty ruining every summer since. Yet the children loved him and the adults at the camp adored him and his smile that with deep dimples to compliment it . Who gave him the right? You snapped out of your train of thought when Jungkook dashed past you running to Namjoon to hear about whatever had the children crowding around him enthralled. Probably talking about physics to make himself look even smarter than he already is in front of the kids. I can’t believe he got Jungkook to flock over to him. You thought to yourself. The camp leader rounded everyone together with the sound of her whistle. The older lady Mrs. Bradshaw who ran the camp was decked in her all beige camping outfit with a big smile on her face. She greeted the campers, counselors and staff. As you stood there zoning out on what Mrs. Bradshaw was talking about you suddenly felt a presence looming behind you. With a scoff you acknowledged the nuisance behind you.

“What do you want Namjoon?” You whispered annoyed trying not to draw attention to the two of you. “Just wanted to ask how your year went.” he asked. You could hear the insincerity laced in his words. “Gag me with a spoon. You do not care at all how my year went. If anything you probably sought me out to brag about what college you got accepted to, you pest.” “Not even. I genuinely wanted to know.” You glanced over at Namjoon and to your dismay he had his attention directly on you. You noticed he had his hair styled different not that you paid him any attention the past few summers he had let his hair grow a little longer sporting a mullet. You couldn’t help but scoff at the expensive Ray Bans perched in his bleach blonde locks. “It was fine. I hoped for once you would take summer off and not show up but I guess we can’t always get what we want.” “What makes you think I wanted to see you either. Here I am trying to be the bigger person and approach you first to start anew as we go into adulthood but I guess we can’t always get what we want.” He said, repeating your last sentence back to you. “Oh God, don’t have a cow Namjoon, you are not that into the idea of us being all chummy with each other.” “You wouldn’t know, dweeb,” he sneered. You rolled your eyes turning your attention back to the front where Mrs. Bradshaw was wrapping up her speech to everyone. She was about to announce the small groups of campers every counselor was responsible for and what side of the camp they would be on. The piece of land Oakpark resided on was essentially an island with water in the middle separating the two sides, Northwood and Southwood. You zoned back in right as Mrs. Brunswick was ending her list.

She announced you would be in charge of the Butterfly Tribe with Seokjin, Hoseok and Yoongi. She turned to Namjoon, not hiding the favoritism in her voice as she announced him and the Chipmunk Tribe leader with Jimin,Taehyung and Jungkook. Karma couldn’t be more in your favor. The summer prior all six of the named children had attended. Your group was pretty mellow with the exception of Hoseok who was just a walking ray of sunshine and could seemingly never run out of energy. Namjoon’s group on the other hand. Jimin and Taehyung got paired together last summer. The two were a pair of troublemakers to the highest degree. How they managed to get paired together was beyond you. They weren’t in your group and that’s all you had to worry about. But the fact that they were in Namjoon’s group. These next two weeks were going to be very interesting. 💨 The first week of camp hadn’t been so bad. So far it had been the usual. Questionable food (besides the apple pie served for dessert). Relay races and arts and crafts. Somehow within a week you and Namjoon had found a way to put your respective groups of children against each other. Your group had proven successful in many of the camps activities. Although something must’ve happened because on Thursday, Jungkook had completely dusted your team in the relay race. You sat around the other counselors at dinner chatting about everything under the sun. The downside of being away from home was the fact that many of you all were missing your weekly programs. You weren’t too upset you had brought your Walkman to pass by the time. Between the energetic kiddos and Namjoon driving you up a wall Madonna was gonna keep you sane until you returned home. In the middle of picking up a forkful of meatloaf. The lights flickered out eliciting a outbreak of screams from the kids. Quickly the adults grabbed lanterns and huge flashlights as they browsed everyone in attendance doing a headcount. Afterwards Mrs. Bradshaw spoke into a megaphone to grab everyone's attention. “Okay everyone. The lights are out on both sides of the camp, to be safe we’re gonna have all of the campers and counselors sleep in the mess hall tonight. Just in case the lights don’t come back on in the middle of the night it would be safer to have everyone in one spot. We’re gonna have everyone move in groups of eight. Two counselors and six campers. So everyone can grab their sleeping bags and toiletries they might need through the rest of the evening.” Fuck. You thought. Hopefully I’ll get paired up with one of the girls.

Dread fell on your shoulders when you heard yours and Namjoons names called together. “You both have all boys in your groups right?” she practically screamed into the already loud megaphone. You blanked, mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. “Yeah! Do you want us to take our campers to the cabins?” He called back to her. You looked across the mess hall to where one of the staff was holding a flashlight, illuminating Namjoon’s face. You glared at him and you saw him smiling. “Barf me out the universe has it out for me.” you mumbled under your breath. The sudden glare from the flashlight caught you off guard making you flinch. “Is that okay with you?” Mrs. Bradshaw asked. “Radical! Thanks for the suggestion!” You tried to make the cringe expression on your face look less like a grimace and more like a true smile. “Great tubular,” she said, earning groans from the youth in the mess hall. “Gather your campers and come to the front to get a lantern.” You groaned quietly, looping your legs out from under the bench. You made your way to the front where you met up with Namjoon. Mrs. Bradshaw held out a single lantern. “We have to split the lanterns so you two have to decide which one of you want to carry it.” “I’ll carry it.” You and Namjoon said in unison. Both of your heads snapped to each other as you slightly glared at each other. “I’ll rock, paper, scissors you for it.” Namjoon smugly, offered. “No I said I’ll carry it.” you sneered. Gently grabbing the lantern from Mrs. Bradshaw’s grasp. Surprisingly Namjoon didn’t put up a fight. You let out a whistle calling you campers to you as Namjoon gathered together his campers too as you both left the mess hall. 💨 You and Namjoon started the trek to the boys cabin. Thankfully both groups were on the Northwood side. Both of you stood in the doorway waiting for the boys to gather their sleeping bags and to change into their pajamas. You looked out at the lake that was crystal clear. Sighing you felt your face scrunch up as you swatted away what had to be the 20th mosquito that evening. Namjoon let out a soft chuckle, you narrowed your eyes at him.

“What’s so funny? You wouldn’t like it if mosquitoes were flocking towards you either.” You said, irritated.

“I’m honestly surprised they’re around you in the first place I thought they tended to fly around sweeter scents; if being bitter was a scent you’d probably radiate it.” He spat.

“Bag it. I don’t even know why I address your presence in the first place, twerp.” You moved out of the doorway, desperate to move as far away from Namjoon’s bothersome self. You went to take a step attempting to dodge a mud pile in front of you, underestimating the leap you took, you felt the grip of your Keds give and right as you anticipated the fall a pair of strong arms came from behind you wrapping themselves under yours pulling you back away from the mud. Quickly you pushed yourself back off of Namjoon when you got your footing. “Jeez I can’t even get a thank you from saving you from wiping out? I could’ve totally let you slip and walk around with a muddy ass.” You hesitated on the apology. Thinking to yourself you knew if your grandmother was here she would’ve whacked you for not showing common decency in the first place.

“Thanks, Namjoon.” The apology came out through a struggle between your gritted teeth. You looked at Namjoon who stood back in his original spot, leaning on the doorframe. “See that wasn’t so hard. See now I’m gonna help you out and attempt to show you how manners work. Watch this,” he held his hand up underneath his mouth. “No problem.” He smiled big making his deep dimples show themselves. It was a crime such beautiful features had to be on him with that personality inside. The universe sure had an interesting way of doing things.

Quickly the kids came out of the cabin dressed in their pajamas various assorted characters displayed on them. Next you all made your way to the counselors cabins to grab your belongings. You grabbed your sleeping bag and pajamas, opting to change when everyone made it back to the mess hall so everyone wouldn’t be waiting any longer as the sun started going down. Namjoon and the boys stood outside with their belongings waiting . As soon as the boys laid eyes on your sleeping bag they erupted into a fit of laughter.

“Alright dweebs, knock it off its not that funny.” you scoffed, placing a hand on your hip. As the laughter continued. The only one who remained with a straight face was Jungkook and Namjoon.

“Ew is that Care Bears? You’re going to college? With that colorful, glittery mess?” Taehyung asked, in between breaths as he laughed. Your shoulders slumped as you sighed again throwing your head back. You couldn’t believe you were about to be obliterated by a 7th grader.

“Care Bears are better than those grody Thundercats you have all plastered on your pajamas.” You shot back at the boy.

“Take it back! Thundercats are cool!” Jimin said, coming to his friend's defense.

“Alright that’s enough. Thundercats are trash. Let’s head back to the mess hall.” Namjoon said, turning on his heels as he adjusted his sleeping bag securely under his arms. You felt a small grin spread on your face, you were shocked that Namjoon came to your defense but decided not to sweat it. It’s not a big deal. You told yourself.

💨 Back at the mess hall you returned from the bathroom, decked in your older brothers G.I Joe shirt and a pair of shorts. Many of the children were playing around the mess hall. Some playing board games and others talking amongst themselves.

You looked around to find somewhere to lay your sleeping bag down at. Everyones was lined around the wall of the mess hall. As you scanned around the hall there was only a spot between the two of the boys and one by a black sleeping bag laid out haphazardly by the wall and the corner of the wall. Weighing the options you figured that sleeping in between two of the boys would have been worse than sleeping in the corner by the random owner of the bag. You’d be damned if you had to spend the night between boys cracking fart jokes and talking about God knows what gross little boys talk about. Walking over to the bag, you scooted it over a little to lay out your beloved beat up Care Bears sleeping bag. Laying on top of it you grabbed your Walkman and fished through your bag you brought from under your bunk to pull out your mixtape one of your best friends made for you before you left, adjusting your headphones over your head. You grabbed one of the murder mystery novels you packed letting your music play as you leaned against the wall curling up as comfortably as possible you closed out the outside world to dive into the book.

Right when the story was starting to pick up you felt something nudge against your arm. You pulled one of cuffs back away from your ears you looked up at the source and almost choked on your own spit. The source of the nudging came from Namjoon who stood above you dressed in a cropped short sleeved jersey and a pair of plaid pajama pants. He held a book as to his side as he peered down at you with a puzzled expression on his face. “Can I help you?” you sneered.

“Umh, may I ask as to why you’re in my spot?” Namjoon asked. You jumped , smacking your head not so softly against the wall, headphones falling off your head in the process. Namjoon flinched back at the sound of your head against the wood.

“Your spot? I don’t see a placeholder with Kim Namjoon on it anywhere.” you frowned.

“Is your head okay?” he asked, reaching for you slightly.

“ My head is fine. Look if you think I’m going to give up this cozy spot by the wall you are for sure mistaken.”

“I’m not about to childishly argue with you over the spot. If I wanted to I’d wait for you to fall asleep first and slide you across the floor away from it.” “You wouldn’t.” You challenged him. Namjoon said something that you couldn’t make out. You had given him the once over and from where he stood and where you sat on the ground you could see almost straight up his top giving you a perfect view at his toned stomach, your mind went blank for a brief moment until you felt another nudge against your arm. Namjoon smiled down at you.

“See something you like?” He asked, as he lifted his arms over his head stretching dramatically causing his shirt to rise up even higher. You quickly turned away from him, knowing he was trying to bait you.

“Gag me with a spoon, nobody wants to look at you.” you rolled your eyes at him. He sat down on his sleeping bag next to you.

“Can’t you go sleep outside the bathroom? Do you have to sleep right here?” you questioned.

“Is there a window by the bathroom? No I didn’t think so.” You rolled your eyes at his statement. “What does it matter for? It’s not even that hot outside plus you’re half dressed anyways.” You gestured at the jersey he wore.

“It is 88 degrees right now just be lucky I didn’t put on a pair of shorts. I saw how you were looking at me last Thursday when we all played Marco Polo in the lake.” You felt a warm wave quickly come over you.

You felt embarrassed that Namjoon had noticed you in the first place watching him. While you had opted to stay with Yoongi who was adamant that alligators housed the waters over by the tire swings, your eyes couldn’t help to fall on Namjoon multiple times in that afternoon. He donned striped neon lime swim trunks. The color complimented his golden complexion and the trunks themselves showcased his thick, firm legs and had you going slack jawed many times throughout the day. It wasn’t your fault Namjoon just so happened to be as handsome as he was with such a shitty personality.

Even though you attempted to be quick enough to not catch his eyes it appeared you weren’t. “Sit on it. Like I said earlier, nobody is looking at you all like that. Don’t be so full of yourself loser nerd.” you scoffed, deflecting his previous statement.

“If I’m a loser nerd you are too, because here we are two loser nerds both reading a book in the middle of the summer.” Namjoon picked up his book, reaching into the pocket of his pajamas he pulled out a pair of thick lensed glasses. He put them on, flipping through the book to find where he left off at.

“See now you’re definitely a nerd. Look at your pop bottle glasses. I would’ve said they were for style but based on the lenses I think you’d actually need them.” you chuckled. Namjoon’s shoulders slumped as he let out a sigh. He turned in your, the bridge of his glasses slid down to the tip of his nose as he looked over the rim at you.

“What’s your damage?” He asked. You could hear his words dripping with irritation.

“My damage?” You asked, you sat up off the wall facing him. “When you first came to this camp you walked in all stuck up like you owned the place. You thumbed your nose at me from the moment you saw me. Why would I ever like someone like you?” Namjoon opened his mouth to defend himself, when you cut him off again.

“Then to make matters worse I didn’t even speak to you. I didn’t acknowledge you. You put crickets in my bunk one summer and the next summer you trashed my paper mache lantern. I was going to give that to my grandmother when I got back home and I couldn’t thank you very much.” You tried, holding back the tears that threatened to spill.

When you first saw Namjoon all those summers ago. Yes, you would admit that you did have a crush on him. He was probably the first crush you had on another person since being exposed to the public. Between all the relationships you had at school for some odd reason your mind would always trail back to Namjoon. But when he started all the pranks it kind of faded away. You didn’t really know what you had done to get him to dislike you the way he did but you knew it bothered you to the core. “I never hated you,” he confirmed. Confusion quickly spread across your features as you finally pulled the headphones off your head.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Explain what all that bullshit was these past summers, quickly.”

“I don’t hate you. I never did. I—“ he sighed. “I was younger and I liked you, okay? I admired you. I thought you were cute. Given that I didn’t do my best to say that. I didn’t know at first it was the feeling I felt for you and by the time I realized what it was I had dug myself into a hole too deep. I felt like you would have never liked me at this point and I had to keep it going.” He admitted. Your eyes darted around the room looking at anything that wasn’t Namjoon. You didn’t know how to process the thoughts racing around your mind. Were you mad? Yes, but even more confused. The paper mache lantern had really pissed you off when it happened and even though you made another one it still wasn’t as good as the first one which really bummed you out. Namjoon softly called out your name. You looked back at him. He fiddled with his glasses that now laid in his hands. “I really fucking loved that lantern you know.” You attempted to crack a joke. You could tell Namjoon wasn’t sure if he should laugh back or not.

“I am so sorry for that.”

“No no it’s okay. I mean don’t get me wrong the first one was purple and my grandmother's favorite color is purple and I had to give her a green one but that’s neither here nor there. Why did you do all that stuff? Why not just say you had a crush on me?” Namjoon’s eyes bucked in shock.

“Be honest would you have talked to me?”

You opened your mouth hesitating before you spoke. “I mean.” You let your words trailed off. “Exactly my point.”

“Aren’t you like smart enough to know a lot of people don’t like when people pick on them trying to ‘express’ their feelings for others. It’s the 80’s people hate that now. Maybe our parents would have liked that.” You said, pulling on a loose string of your shirt. Namjoon softly called your name. When you looked at him he was looking down at his hands again. “You can’t just treat anyone how you want and expect them to come around when you call yourself having an epiphany.” you sighed. There was a lot to think about. In the entirety of the time you knew Kim Namjoon he had been nothing but a jerk and that’s years of knowing someone it’s a lot to erase about someone.

“ I can’t stress this enough I am so sorry and I know that years of us going back and forth can’t be erased but maybe if you give me a chance maybe we can start anew?” Namjoon reached out to hold your hand. You looked at your hands intertwined and then up at his eyes. Dark, amber eyes peered into yours. Pleading for a you to take a gamble. You slowly pulled your hand out of Namjoon’s grip, his full lips forming a soft frown.

“I don’t know Namjoon. I’d have to think about it.” you replied to him. He let out a sigh, seemingly not out of frustration but something else you couldn’t read.

“I understand. If I was in your shoes I most likely wouldn’t have been able to make a decision on the fly like that either. I probably shouldn’t have even brought it up.” You wanted to attempt to console Namjoon, who in the whole time you had known him you’d never seen him like this. Sad and possibly heartbroken. Your feelings were all over the place. You felt like someone had thrown all of your emotions into a pan like ingredients ready to be scrambled like Sunday breakfast.

“I’ll let you know how I’m feeling when I find out myself.” you wrapped your headphones around your Walkman and closed your book up. You laid back down on top of your sleeping bag. Staring at the wall you let your thoughts all hit you fully at once. There was a huge chance that you weren’t getting any sleep tonight after Namjoon’s confession. 💨

You woke up to someone tapping your shoulder. Your eyes opened as you checked your surroundings, forgetting about the power outage from the night before. Namjoon kneeled in front of you.

“Good morning, breakfast started being served. I didn’t want you to miss it.” he said.

“Uh thanks?” you yawned, your answer coming off more like a question. You slowly sat up rubbing at your eyes. You stood up gathering your belongings together. Namjoon cleared his throat from behind you. You turned around giving him your attention, with a puzzled expression.

“I was- umh wondering maybe- umh did you want to sit with me while we eat?” he asked. Anxiousness rolled off of him in waves. His posture was slightly slumped, as he picked at the hem of his jersey, eyes examining the wood floors. You gave it a quick thought. “I mean.” you dragged. Namjoon instantly perked up.

“I don’t want to pressure you-”

“No it’s okay I don’t feel pressured. I’ll eat breakfast with you.” Namjoon’s face contorted into a grin.

“I wasn’t expecting you to say yes” you heard him say quickly under his breath. “Okay.” you two stood there for a second as the goofy grin on Namjoon’s face didn’t budge.

“So are we gonna get our plates or?” you asked. “Oh! Right, right. Let’s go then.” he turned, heading towards the food line.You two made your plates. You settled for a light breakfast. You and Namjoon sat down at the end of one of the long picnic table benches that lined the mess hall. You slowly toyed around with the assorted fruits in the foam bowl in front of you. No conversation took place between the two of you for at least five minutes. “Guess you aren’t good at starting a conversation with someone if you aren’t being a jerk huh?” you said, taking a bite out of cantaloupe. Namjoon opened his mouth to defend himself.

“No it’s just-”

“Namjoon I’m just fucking with you. I see the electricity still hasn't come back on.” you took into account the ceiling fans in the hall that usually by now would have been running, cooling down the humid place. “Yeah it’s kinda warm in here I probably should’ve slept in shorts. I’m starting to regret it.”

“Do you know what Mrs. Bradshaw has planned for today?I know it was supposed to be movie day.” “I think a dodgeball game.” Namjoon let out a breath, he moved his Cheerios around with his spoon.

“Dodgeball? With children? Not maybe volleyball or something. Wouldn’t that be less dangerous?”

“Isn’t volleyball slightly more dangerous?”

“I knew a girl that got her arm broken while playing dodgeball.”

“Didn’t you play volleyball in high school? If we do end up playing I’m asking Mrs. Bradshaw to make you sit on the sidelines. It’s not fair to have a seasoned veteran playing against us amateurs.” Namjoon laughed. You tilted your head to the side in confusion as you looked at him.

“How did you know I played volleyball?” “You wore your volleyball shirt last summer I’m assuming it was yours. Plus Scoville played against my school this season.” he revealed. “I didn’t know we played Landis.” you said. Namjoon replicated the expression you gave him. “Question? How did you know I went to Landis?”

“I-”

Namjoon laughed at you. “Creeper.”

“No” you replied, firmly. “As prestigious as Landis is I would expect a Einstein such as yourself to go there. Couldn’t have us commoners rubbing off on the elite.” you joked.

“Einstein? I wouldn’t call myself all that.” he said, you could see a subtle blush creeping on his cheeks.

“We’re starting anew right? Accept the compliment.” you smiled and Namjoon mirrored you. 💨

Everyone stood in the gym. It was currently halfway through round two of dodgeball. You sat on the lowest level of the wooden bleachers talking with one of the other counselors, Sam, who had gotten out both times almost as quick as the rounds had started.

Surprisingly Namjoon hadn’t gotten out in this round. The first round he had only gotten out because Jimin had thrown the ball at him and even though it hadn’t quite hit him. It rolled along the floor until it got stopped by the tip of Namjoon’s shoes. Jimin got too excited that he technically had gotten one of the counselors out that Namjoon didn’t really have the heart to tell him it wasn’t an actual out. So he took it in silence, trudging along to the spot next to you on the bleachers to keep you company.

Although you sat on the sidelines. The game was mildly interesting from some of the children who had a mean throw and the counselors mixed in who were playing hard with each other. You didn’t also mind the view that got provided with the game. Namjoon, who opted to wear a blue muscle tank and jean shorts. You allowed yourself to indulge in the sight you got. His biceps flexed as he cocked his arm back to throw the bright red rubber ball. You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you had been holding. Which Sam on the side of you had definitely noticed.

“So you’re finally admitting that Kim Namjoon is attractive?” Sam asked you. The question caught you off guard.

“I haven’t even said anything about him.” you said, bashfully.

“I see the way you’ve been watching him out on the court. What type of front are you putting up?” Sam shook her head at you. You went to plead your case. When Sam started talking again.

“Then when he got out he came straight over to you. You were practically drooling over him. I bet you can’t even tell me what half of the conversation was about. Could you?”

To be quite honest, you probably couldn’t tell Sam what half of the conversation was about. Maybe it might’ve been about a- yeah you didn’t know what the conversation was about. You had found yourself multiple times while Namjoon was talking getting lost staring at him. For a few sentences you would give him eye contact then you looked at his nose fighting back a mean urge to take your index finger and boop it and anything he smiled and his dimples played peekaboo you found yourself sneaking glances. God forbid you looked down while he spoke,

Namjoon, while he was out for some reason didn’t sit on the bleachers like Sam did for instance, sitting upright. He leaned back like you did, getting comfortable while he rested. His thighs spread slightly as he chatted away to you. You had however snuck the quickest look in the world downwards when he adjusted his seating position, Your mind went absolutely TV static blank and your lips parted as you drew a quick breath. You had to straighten up quickly as you got a little worried if Namjoon noticed you checking him out he might’ve fallen into his old ways and teased you. “He was talking about- birds?” you asked Sam.

“Fuck no. He was talking about his graduation. Oh my God you are the worst.”

You leaned forward. “Are you serious? He wasn’t talking about birds? I heard something about a bird.”

“No” Sam giggled.”I can’t even get mad at you. Kim Namjoon is a total babe.” You heard the whistle blow signaling that someone was out again. You looked up to see who was out. This is what I get for talking him up. You thought to yourself. Namjoon strolled over in your direction with a big smile on his face. Who would be happy to be out of dodgeball? He sat on the side of you in the same cursed position. “So as I was saying then as I was giving my speech. One of the parents in the crowd lost it.” His words trailed off as you looked past him at Sam who was shaking her head at you. 💨

One by one the kids had gotten kicked out of the game. Until it was just counselors left. Then suddenly the worst case scenario could have happened as the last kid walked off the court. One of the counselors, a loud mouthed sixteen year old named Tony had suggested one of the most trash ideas in history.

“Mrs. Bradshaw! We should have the counselors play against each other !” he yelled. Before Mrs. Bradshaw could answer the question the kids erupted in cheers rooting for the idea. Mrs. Bradshaw looked at the rowdy children.

It’s not like you didn’t want to play dodgeball. But at least when the children were playing too. The ball got thrown softer because one there was a chance that one of the kids were throwing the ball which meant it wasn’t getting thrown hard and if a kid wasn’t throwing the ball it meant a counselor was throwing and they couldn’t throw the ball but so hard because of the kids. But now it was all fair game and you really didn’t want to get bruised.

“Well the children seem to like the idea. How about it?” she asked. The counselors really didn’t have an option. It’s not like Mrs. Bradshaw abused her power but.. she only asked to be decent. The counselors that were out got up off their various spots on the bleachers.

“Wait? Who’s gonna throw?” Tony asked. Fuck this kid. You thought as you zoned out to make your way to the wall. You heard Mrs. Bradshaw call your name.

“Huh?” you called.

“Namjoon suggested you throw since you played volleyball! You must be a good throw.” she said, cheerfully.

Fuck this kid. You thought again. Namjoon ran to you with the ball in his hands.

“Go get em tiger.” he said, lowering his voice. He handed you the ball, he jogged over to a spot against the wall. You felt your face heat up a little. You were a softie for words of encouragement. You tossed the ball in your hands. First to do was to get this little fucker Tony out for suggesting the idea in the first place. You cocked your arm getting ready to throw the ball in his direction. As soon as the ball left your hand he dashed away the ball smacked against the wall hard.

It went like that back and forth for a while. Four people had gotten out so far. The fourth, Sam who you genuinely wasn’t trying to get out she just so happens to be on the side of Tony when the ball bounced off the wall and hit her arm. You mouthed her an apology that she brushed off with a smile, she was probably happy to sit down in all honesty.

Tony rolled the ball back down the court to you and if you didn’t know better you would have assumed he was doing it mocking you. Knowing that you were trying to get him out. If this was volleyball instead you probably would have just said screw it and spiked the ball at his face. You rolled the ball around in your hands. You heard kids off on the bleachers cheering for you. It put a smile on your face. You looked to where Tony stood, he was on the side of Namjoon .When you locked eyes with Namjoon, he smiled and winked at you. You had to focus. This could be the throw that finally got Tony’s punk ass out,then you could finally stop seeing that shit eating grin leave his face. You took a deep breath. You swung your arm back, throwing it forward you released it propelling it. You closed your eyes before you could see it make it contact. But when you heard the sound of the ball smack against flesh you knew you hit him. A loud “Oh fuck” went through the gym, followed by a wave of gasps.

Wait, that didn’t sound like Tony. You expected to be met with the sight of Tony clutching his arm in pain but instead you saw Namjoon hunched over holding his face. You saw blood dripping through his fingers. Guilt hit you like a runaway train. Even Tony looked shocked. You ran over to Namjoon, frantically apologizing.

“Take him to the infirmary.” Mrs. Bradshaw called from the other side.

“Namjoon, you gotta stand up and tilt your head back for me.” you said, rubbing his back. “I got it. I got it.” his voice came out nasally from him pinching his nose in an attempt to get the bleeding to stop. He stood up and groaned as you two made your way to the infirmary. 💨 Namjoon laid back on the examiners table with gauze in his nose trying to slow down the bleeding. The nurse at the camp seemed to be in awe of your toss. You have a very powerful throw. She complimented you and apologized to Namjoon for being on the receiving end of the ball. It had been ten minutes and he was still bleeding. Even though it was still a lot it was then it was less than what it was when he first got hit. You remained by his side, the guilt of accidentally hitting him that hard wouldn’t let you leave.

“Namjoon, I am so sorry for hitting you that hard. I swear it wasn’t on purpose.” you apologized again.

“Don’t feel bad this is just the universe delivering me my karma for being a dick to you all these years. The universe is balancing itself back out.” he joked.

“If anything it’s from when you told me break a leg before the relay races when I was fourteen and then I actually broke my ankle.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re still holding on to that?” he asked, tilting his head to look at you.

“I am most definitely still holding on to that.”

Namjoon laughed and shook his head.”You are certainly a piece of work.” “That I may be.” You said, taking a spin. “Honestly I didn’t mean to hit you. I was trying to hit that twerp Tony.” You took Namjoon’s hand in yours.

“It’s okay. You’ve explained this to me at least fifteen times in the last ten minutes.” he rubbed, his thumb over yours.

“It’s just that I feel bad. After our conversation got all heavy last night I didn’t want you to think that I did that to be spiteful.”

Namjoon sat up on the examiners table to look into your eyes. He smiled at you. He took a deep breath that didn’t really come off like a true deep breath and more like a content sigh. “The painkillers kicking in?” you chuckled.

“Yes” Namjoon nodded slowly “that’s besides the point. I guess it’s kind of my fault for suggesting a volleyball player throw during dodgeball. I set myself up for this one.” “No it was me being a dick to a teenager.” “Well if we sit here going back and forth between who;s fault we’ll probably never make it to freshman orientation.” he laughed. “How bout we both blame it on Tony?” you questioned, throwing up a pinky for him to loop his around. “You do pinky promises? I wouldn’t have expected you to.” he looped his pinky around yours.

“There’s a lot you wouldn’t expect me to do.” you said, lowly. “Oh really?” Namjoon raised an eyebrow at you.

“Barf me out. Namjoon get your mind out of the gutter and get your priorities straight. You have a nose full of bloody gauze. You’re gross.” you shook your head at him. “It’s not that gross. Plus you caused this.”

“No remember the pinky promise said that Tony caused this.” Namjoon nodded his head remembering the agreement you two had just came to thirty seconds ago. “It’s almost dried up.” he pulled the stained gauze out of his nose, examining it. “Good maybe the guilt can leave me alone.” you mumbled. Namjoon took one of the clean gauzes wiping off his nose.

“Did you give a thought to our conversation?” Namjoon asked, quietly. Had you? It had only been a night and some change. Well at least not a full night for you. You tended to have a habit of violently overthinking just about every aspect of your life. Now the situation with Namjoon magnified it. You barely got any sleep last night. Thinking about every encounter you had with him. Sure enough he could be a good person, the behavior had just seemed biased towards you. Starting off anew couldn’t be the worse decision. If push came to shove you two were going off to college. You could just stop talking to him and completely cut him off.

But did you really not want him around. You had to force yourself to look at him. You were worried about the expression he donned. When you looked at Namjoon he had a neutral expression on his face. You sighed.

“So how are we doing this? Phone calls? Letters? What?” you smiled.

“You’re giving me a chance?” he smiled back.

“One” you held your pointer finger up. “Only one. Be very careful with it.” you whispered, as if people were around to hear your conversation.

“I promise you I will. I’ll call you even if I have to sacrifice my quarters for the wash to talk to you. I’ve got years of lost time to make up for.” he grabbed both of your hands, holding them tightly. You swung your arms. “I promise to write you letters I’ll use the finest of bic ink pens for you.” Namjoon laughed at you. “Can I ask you a question?” you hummed in response. “Can I kiss you?” you blinked a couple of times. Kiss? The word ran through your brain like headlines at the bottom of the screen during the 6 o’ clock news. “I’m sorry. Am I being too forward? Is it too soon? I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.” Namjoon rambled. He was in the middle of still vocalizing his thoughts when you cut him off with a quick peck. Namjoon jumped back away from you. You jumped back too.

“Wait was I being too forward? I thought you wanted a kiss?” you asked, smacking him lightly on the arm.

“No no I did. It’s just I was talking I thought you would have let me finish talking first. It caught me off guard. Wait let’s try that again I’m ready now.” Namjoon puckered up and leaned in. You stopped his mouth holding up your hand.He opened his eyes looking at you in confusion.

“We got the rest of the summer to get it right.” you said.

“The rest of the summer?”

“Oh I’m sorry did you think I was gonna run up my parents bill talking on the phone with you every day. We all don’t come from money.” you said.

“Alright now. If I had to I’d foot the bill.”

You laughed. “Jeez louise, Namjoon just drive to my house, it's not that serious.”

“You got it, tiger.” he wrapped your fingers up in a pinky promise that he pressed a kiss to.

Summer was definitely your favorite season.

#namjoon x reader #namjoon x oc #namjoon imagines #namjoon fanfic #bts imagines #bts fanfic #namjoon scenarios #namjoon #rm x reader #rm imagines #f: how to enjoy your summer and mend a relationship in two weeks #f:hteysamaritw

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agustdomain · 4 years

Text

A Slideshow of Road Lines {3}

Synopsis: They say oil and water don’t mix. What about oil paint and engines? He’s an artist reaching toward his dream while the girl with an engine heart is too busy trying to get her hands on the wheel. Is there a way for them to hold onto each other?

Word Count: 7k words

Pairing: Chris x Reader

Genre: college!au, artist!Chris, angst

Warnings: Language, Mentions of sickness (OC’s dad)

Author’s Note: You ready to meet Chris? (; He’s officially in the next part. Or is he? She won’t face him in the present for the while, but her past is filled with Chris. I’m really excited for you to get to know him!

! IMPORTANT NOTE ! This story is taking place in TWO DIFFERENT TIMES. When you see these flowers ❁, the story is shifting from present to past. There will also be a “Then” next to the day in order to further indicate that. If you have any questions, let me know!

> Part Two <

DAY 8

Every time she steps foot in this sacred oasis, guilt floods her vision. Every single time, the guilt’s almost enough to make her turn around and head back downstairs. Almost.

“Hey, Y/N. It’s been a while.”

She’s startled at the familiar voice, having not seen him when she first came up the steps. Once pinpointing where he’s crouched behind the bar, she takes her time as she trudges over. It’s been too long since the last time she’s been here. What, three or four months? It isn’t anyone’s fault but her own that she got herself in a predicament like this one.

It’s her fault she’s feeling guilty, and it’s her fault for having gotten attached to this rooftop that once held all the answers.

“Sorry, I’ve just been busy,” is her vague explanation. He isn’t the type to push.

Seungmin finally rises from behind the bar, box of tall wine glasses in his arms.

Placing them on the bar, he offers a sweet smile. Any other time, it may have eased her pain. Now, it slams her with unwanted memories.

“It’s all good- hey. You okay?”

She gives herself a moment. With each breath, she hopes to rein in her uneven breathing, for the tears and memories to subside, and for the memories she built here that are heavily stained with Chris to disappear.

“Everyone’s asking me that. To be honest, There’s not enough time to even pinpoint what’s wrong with me.” Yes, there is. It’s just one word. “So, instead. I’m going to sit at this bar. Hopefully, you don’t have any prior obligations. Maybe, just maybe you can make me your delicious ass Shirley Temple. And maybe I can just hear about how you’ve been.”

Seungmin studies her for a moment, continuing to wipe down the glasses one by one. Nodding in understanding, her shoulders sag, although she already knew he would agree. These past few months, in some twisted declaration of fate, she had forged a connection with the man whom Chris adored. In her memory, when Seungmin was just a foggy face in the background of some of her most intense moments with Chris, she never would’ve guessed he’d be her friend now. Life is funny that way.

At the sound of his throat clearing, her ease fades, aware he’s never been a pushover.

“I can get behind that. First, let me finish up all the closing procedures. While I’m putting these up, maybe you can grab a broom?”

A smile she isn’t expecting finds her lips. “That’s fair.”

“Your Shirley Temple will be waiting for you when you’re done.”

Rebel Corner has stood the test of time as one of the most beautiful places Y/N’s ever had the honor of witnessing with her own eyes. It’s a family-owned, "underground” rooftop restaurant. Not many know about it, mostly because it’s exclusive and important to the owners, and she had the honor of being one of the lucky few who was welcomed.

Even after all these years, it still drew her in like the scent of homemade cookies.

As she sweeps the wooden floors, her eyes do what they always do on their own accord. Trailing across the floor. Left, left, left, up. To the very table that sometimes finds its way in her dreams. If she listens hard enough, she can still hear Chris’ giddy laughter.

She forces herself to look away as the tightness in her chest returns.

When she finishes up, she slowly makes her way over to Seungmin. He’s in the midst of wiping down the bar counter, humming a tune underneath his breath.

An escape from her life, a confidant she never would have expected. After all, she already has enough mutual friends with Chris. Seungmin is another story.

Several months ago, her heartbreak had snuck up on her when she had least expected it. It was a night where she had entertained Minnie’s and Yeji’s terrible advice, agreeing to being set up on a date with a stranger.

She didn’t even remember the poor guy’s name anymore, barely even remembered what he had said to set her off. Maybe it was because she wasn’t ready, or how his eyes kind of resembled Chris’ beneath the restaurant light. Who was she kidding? No one could ever compare to the stardust in his irises.

One sentence had sent her running back to this place, her favorite spot prior to everything falling apart.

To be honest, she figured they wouldn’t let her up here. Seungmin had an impeccable memory, seeing the past her caved in on herself and allowing her roof access without so much as a glance.

Their friendship was unlikely, but it was born after many nights of her sorrowful solo dinners. He was a sweetheart in disguise, distracting her with trivial problems. He was a breath of fresh air from her otherwise stifling life.

“... And I told him, ‘Look. If you don’t start using your own bar of soap, you really aren’t going to like what I have planned for you’.”

Y/N bursts into ugly laughter, almost spilling her drink all over herself. “Are you serious? You know that sounds so wrong, right?”

Seungmin feigns nonchalance as he shrugs, throwing his rag across his shoulder as he declares, “That’s why you don’t fuck with me.”

The curse word sounds wrong on his lips, not suiting him at all. They share a look before settling on a mutual distaste for his tough guy act.

“What did you really tell him?”

Seungmin rubs the back of his neck shyly. “Well. I just started buying two soaps. He leaves mine alone now.”

“Seungmin! You can’t just let him take advantage of you like that.”

“What am I supposed to do? You know I hate confronting people!”

Y/N shakes her head, finishing off her Shirley Temple and slamming it down dramatically. “Do you want me to kick Felix’s ass?”

“No.”

“Come on. I have fighting experience!”

“Yelling at your phone screen when it freezes doesn’t count.”

“You’re insufferable,” She points a finger at him, making him giggle like a child. Silence finds them then, the kind she had been aching for since the moment her past came showing up at her door.

Tipping her cup back, she welcomes the rough ice cube stinging her tongue as she settles into her frigid thoughts. Now that she’s calm, she figures it’s time to face her demons.

She laughs at herself. If this is how she melted down when hearing he was back, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like when she came face to face with him.

“Y/N.”

“Hm?” Something about Seungmin’s tone quickly snatches her attention, her composure dissipating at the scared look frozen in his features. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

In slow motion, he looks up from his phone in his hands, swallowing heavily. “It’s… it’s Chris. He said he’s here.”

Oddly, a memory finds her then, one she hadn’t thought of in over two years. A memory of her and Chris running down the street late at night, hands clasped tight and road lines a blur, his dimpled smile brighter than the street lamps guiding their path. She can’t remember what they were doing that night, likely goofing off, she just recalls the bliss he brought her when life was too terrifying to face.

All she felt now was dread at the sound of his name- to the point of vomiting all of the cherry 7-up churning in her stomach.

“What do I do?” Her body moves into action, rushing to her feet and knocking the bar stool onto its side. The crash makes him wince, but he’s just as panicked as she is. “Where is he?”

“I-I don’t know. He’s probably on his way up the stairs-”

She never would have pictured the sound of a rooftop door opening being the sound to freeze her blood. The last sight she sees before dropping to the floor and crawling around the bar is Seungmin’s eyes wide with fear.

“Chris! W-wow! I almost can’t believe my eyes!” If she could, she’d kick Seungmin for his lack of acting skills.

“Is this a bad time?”

If she were an artist, this would be the point in the process where her hand slips and makes an irredeemable mistake across the canvas. She supposes that’s why Chris is the artist, not her. The sound of his voice is a dent in her plans, a deeper pothole in the road than she realized. No, not a pothole. A ditch. And her car is heading for it at 120 mph.

“No! That’s silly. What makes you think it’s a bad time? We’re closed, man! I’m the only one here! Don’t be ridiculous! I’m alone!”

Squeezing her eyes shut, nausea bubbles in her stomach and toward her throat. If Seungmin blows this- no, Chris couldn’t possibly know she’s here. She’s not ready. And how is she going to explain this to him if he sees her? He probably doesn’t even know her and Seungmin are friends.

“Okay,” Chris drags it out, sounding a distance away even though there are mere feet separating them. The tense atmosphere spills into the floor and snakes around her ankles as the boys greet each other normally, sounds of reunion and happiness filling the air. How is this possible? Y/N really went and dug the ditch herself. “How’ve you been, man?”

“I’ve been… well, the same. Rebel has been booming with the usual guests. Boss hired a new hostess though and she’s a pain in my ass.”

The second worst sound-the song of her lover’s laugh- fills the night air. The same night air that offered her answers moments ago now closed in on her. “I’ll never get over seeing you mad. It’s like watching a baby throw a tantrum. Precious.”

“I see you’re your usual chirpy self.”

“I try.” There’s a pause, one that makes Y/N start sweating. As if she hasn’t made too many, she makes another mistake. She can’t help herself. Chris is here in the flesh, and it’s been two and a half years since she was last near him. Before she knows it, she’s peeking around the corner of the bar.

Her heart nearly gives out at the sight of him looking in her direction, throwing herself back behind the bar. Her back’s painfully pressed into the wood behind her, praying silently and heart slamming. Pleading that he didn’t see her, she sighs in relief when he says, “Hey, Seung? Why is there a stool knocked over?”

“Oh. That.” Her eyes widen, sweat gathering all over her body. Clenching her teeth, she mentally spews out all of her anger at Seungmin. “Well, what do you think? You think I snuck a girl up here or something? That when you told me you were here, I told her to scram and she knocked that stool over in a rush?”

Silence.

Her heart’s beating so loud, Chris must hear it. Instead, his laughter plays like the piano chords it is. “You’re something else.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

“You should.” Chair scraping. Like a child and an electrical outlet, she can’t help tempting the danger as she peeks out again, promising herself it’s the last time. How stupid can she get? Seungmin’s blocking her vision, her heart yelling at him to move out the way and her brain telling her not to look. “I just wanted to drop by. I’ve missed you. And, well, I’ve been visiting all the people I haven’t seen. It’s been a minute. Too long of one”

“It really has. Are you back for good?”

“I am,” It’s a mistake, peeking to see him that second time. Once Seungmin moves, unveiling the man that took her heart hostage, she can’t submerge from the tsunami anymore. She’s lost at sea.

His hair’s the color of the marshmallow cake he made for her birthday once. Cut short on the sides, bangs framing his forehead. He used to complain about having bangs.

And she always used to tell him how effortless he made beauty look. He would only laugh it off, never one to dwell on appraisal.

His style hadn’t changed, a dark red dress shirt with a couple buttons undone off the top. The Venus chain necklace he had never taken off still hanging around his neck and glimmering beneath the rooftop’s fairy lights. Even from here, she can recognize that necklace anywhere.

Eyes welling with tears, she scoots back to her previous spot. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she claws at the knot around her heart, threatening her. In the span of his absence, she somehow managed to fool herself into believing she’s fine.

“Well, that’s good to hear. I imagine you’ll be dropping by to get your usual dinner one of these days.”

“Yeah…” A stifling pause, “Shame the food won’t be perfect anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“Food only tastes perfect when the perfect person is with you to share it.”

Y/N slowly raises her head, a storm spilling on her cheeks, wondering if it muddled her hearing somehow. Did she hear him right?

“Ah. I see.” Ask him, Seungmin. Ask him what he means. Ask him about it.

Ask him anything.

“Sorry, man. I don’t mean to dump anything on you. I just got caught up for a moment. This place brings up a lot of buried memories, you know.” A clap, likely on a shoulder. “I’ll be going now. Have some other stops to make before I call it a night.”

“Alright. Don’t stay away too long. I need to hear all about what you’ve been up to. I remember how excited you were about the expedition.”

She doesn’t. All she remembers is the despair raw on his face, his pain on display like a true tortured artist.

“Definitely. I’ll catch you later.”

“Looking forward to it.”

Even after hearing the rooftop door slam closed, she doesn’t move. It’s almost unreal, being so close to him with the distance of two years between. She wonders what it would be like if they had somehow made it work all this time. Would she have been the one to pick him up from the airport? She would have been the one to plan the party for him that she’d missed yesterday.

She needs to move on.

Chris Bang is her past, and even if he chooses to reappear in her present, there’s no future for them.

“Hey.”

She looks up, Seungmin kneeling in front of her with a hand outstretched. It’s a humiliating moment when she realizes she’s been lying to herself all this time. Now’s the time for her lovely friend logic to return home, gone for so long she barely remembers its voice. It’s a shame, because without logic, all of the improvements she’s made in the last couple of years go out the window.

Without logic, how will she protect her heart?

With a watery smile, she ignores the look of sympathy on his face as she shakily grabs his hand. She answers the question in his eyes.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

~~~~

Closing the front door chases off the small ounce of energy left. Sighing heavily, she stays facing the door for a moment. She had spent most of the ride with Seungmin in silence, thankful for his offer and taking it in her vulnerable state of mind. Just like Chuu, he always knows when not to prod, unbothered by her distance and silence.

Hearing a bag zip up, her gaze trails to the living room where Chuu’s in the middle of shouldering her backpack. Without acknowledging Y/N, she moves to walk past her and to the stairs. Odd, even for Chuu.

“Hey,” Slides from Y/N’s mouth awkwardly, confused.

Startled at the greeting, Chuu looks at her wide-eyed before blurting, “I forgot I have to call my mom! I’m headed up to my room.”

“O-kay,” Y/N mutters, eyes following her as she rushes up the stairs. Before dwelling on it any further, Minnie comes down the stairs past Chuu, her gaze clouded and filled with warning.

“Is Chuu okay?” Y/N treads carefully, walking over to the couch and throwing herself across it, all of her efforts in trying not to think about Chris. Trying to block his voice out, his face, him. She’s completely drained.

“She’s fine,” Minnie’s voice is clipped, cold. Y/N doesn’t bother to figure out what she’s upset about this time. She’s surprised when Minnie hovers over her from the back of the couch, cup in hand and eyes staring down at her.

“What?” Y/N says, utterly defeated.

“Are you okay?”

“It seems like that’s everyone's favorite question these days.”

Minnie keeps on staring at her. Taking a sip of her drink, she takes her time before speaking again. “Yeji told me about Chris. Makes a lot more sense now why you got wasted and embarrassed me last weekend. I’m sorry I… haven’t been around to be there for you.”

Y/N doesn’t know what to say. Truth be told, she wouldn’t have expected this type of response from her. Ever. “It’s… fine.”

“I mean it,” Minnie walks around the couch and takes a seat near Y/N’s head. She stares at her roommate at an awkward upside-down angle, noticing her voice is uncharacteristically soft.“I haven’t really been myself. I never thought I would be one of those girls that changes when she’s in a relationship. It’s no excuse, but ever since I met Hongseok, he’s all that fills my mind.”

Sitting up, Y/N’s hand gently squeezes Minnie’s shoulder. “You haven’t done anything wrong. That’s normal. You’re in love.”

“Yeji would disagree with that. She always has something to say.” Sometimes Y/N wonders how the two of them haven’t killed each other.

“You know her. It’s not hard to make her shit list.”

“True,” Minnie stares forward, sipping from her cup every few moments. The longer Y/N sits with her, she realizes how nice it is to be around someone who’s unafraid to be themselves. Minnie can be overbearing more often than not, but on the flip side she’s as honest as they come. She doesn’t tiptoe around Y/N or make her feel like she’s a ticking time bomb.

“It’s just been a lot to process. I feel like since I’m on the go with school and work, with all of these things on my mind, I can’t even begin to process that he’s back. It’s hard to describe. The last time I saw him was… well, it’s stained in my head like a bad tattoo. And I thought the wound had healed. I’m such an idiot. I thought I’d react well if I ever saw him again. That’s… definitely not the case,” Strangled laughter bubbles past her lips.

Minnie peers at her for a couple seconds before lying her head on the back of the sofa. “I’ve never been in your shoes before. I’ve never dated anyone like you have, never had a bond like the one you had with him. I mean, it’s so rare these days for there to be guys like Chris…” Quickly, she continues, “I don’t mean to make it worse. I’m just bringing it all up because why are you being so hard on yourself? Everyone moves on at different paces. Even if you moved on, it doesn’t make it any easier when you see someone you loved for the first time in a long time. You’re human, Y/N. He used to be the guy that had power over your heart. It’s not something you can just bury.”

“I just wish… I don’t know.” Y/N hates that she feels the urge to cry again.

“You’re not going to figure everything out in one night. Go easy on yourself. Just promise me that.”

Easier said than done. Regardless, she knows Minnie’s intentions are pure. “Okay.”

Minnie stands up, hand finding Y/N’s thigh and squeezing comfortingly before rising to her feet. She takes her time heading for the stairs, pausing at the bottom before looking over her shoulder. “It’s not your fault that he left.”

Those words haunt Y/N long after their conversation, repeating in her head like a jammed radio.

As she lay in bed that night, a blanket protecting her from the smiles of her ghosts, Minnie’s words replay.

She understands the sentiment, even recognizes the sincerity.

Only problem is, she doesn’t agree at all.

After all, it’s her fault everything fell apart. If it wasn’t for her, she and Chris would still be together.

That’s what’s poking at her, why it’s so hard to imagine facing him. How can she face him when she can’t even face herself? How can she confront the reality that she’s the reason he’s left with a scar, one she imagines have darkened his hands and his paintings?

His muse? Please. She must be his worst nightmare.

❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁ ❁

Day 10, Then

The pop music flowing from different stores contrasted with the gloomy weather overhead. Glancing up at the rumbling clouds in dismay, she found herself wondering why anyone in their right mind thought it was a good idea to build an outdoor mall.

Looking around at the passersby, it would seem like they didn’t care if it was moments from raining. Bundles of teenagers gathered, filming videos on their phone and talking way too loud. Older couples were the only ones rushing for cover, complaints falling in the space between her and them as they rushed past.

The longer she spent wandering aimlessly, the more close she was to giving up. Yes, her dad insisted on her going out and spoiling herself. The thought only filled her with guilt. Even when he was far from being healthy, he still wanted to take care of her. He worried about her, when he should’ve only worried about getting better.

At the thought of her dad, weights built up and suffocated her chest. She couldn’t do this, not now. Sighing heavily, she turned on her heel and headed back the way she came. If she rushed, she could make the next bus back to campus.

Right as the edge of the mall came into view, a large neon sign snagged her attention, pausing in her footsteps.

Painters. A soft neon pink sign, more inviting than any other sign she’d seen so far. Its soft letters reminded her of pink lemonade. Unlike the name, it appeared to be a shoe store rather than an art supplies store, which is what she expected.

Shaking her head, the rain began its gentle dance on the concrete around her. Not long after, gentle kisses found her exposed skin. Y/N moved to walk past the store, but her legs came to a stop without much thought. Glancing at the bright array of shoes in the window, she realized that maybe she might find something in there she’d like. That, and it would make her dad insanely happy when she called home tonight, telling him she already bought something for herself.

Stepping in, she recognized the sad serenade of a Post Malone song playing overhead. The shoe shop was smaller than the more popular brand stores, colorful paper maché lights hanging low from the ceiling. The longer she studied the shop, the more she appreciated it for its individuality. Even the shoes weren’t all the same, offering varieties and brands she never even heard of.

When she first entered, the first thing to catch any customer’s eye was the big chalkboard in unnecessarily bold letters that read FIRST COME FIRST SERVE FOR EACH PAIR. ONE SIZE ONLY PER PAIR.

“That makes things more difficult,” Y/N uttered to herself.

Wandering down the nearest aisle, an uncontrollable smile tugged her lips at the kids section. Reading the sign above the shelf, her heart tugged in fondness at the realization of just how different Painters was.

Children designed the collection of kids shoes before being placed out in the store to be sold. More intrigued, she turned the corner and stumbled upon the next section titled Kollege Kids. Their designs were more professional but had just as much character. Personally, she preferred the kids’ designs.

She scoffed in disbelief. Prior to this moment, she had no idea stores like this even existed. Her eyes trailed to the top right corner of the shelves in front of her. A pair of high top converse, all white save for the drawings of the milky way galaxy in blue and orange ink.

Taking them off the shelf, she was launched back into her conversation with her dad a couple nights ago, a younger version of her racing down the road holding her daddy’s hand wearing her favorite orange and blue sneakers.

Staring down at the sneakers, she realized how important it was for her to get them now, the uncanny nostalgia from them pressuring her into the purchase. Just then, she was reminded of the obnoxious sign at the front of the shop about how each pair had one size only.

Closing her eyes, she willed the sneakers to be her size before pushing the tongue back to see. Deflating, all hopes of having these special shoes washed away as she slammed them back down on their designated spot.

“I understand the frustration.”

She turned then, eyes finding the guy who was staring at her from the end of the aisle. Her eyes washed over him quickly, eyebrows rising in curiosity at his button up pushed to the forearms and an art apron tied loosely around his hips. She connected the dots a beat too late that he was an employee.

Noticing her confusion, he smiled slightly as he grasped the apron with two fingers. “This? Yeah, it’s an… interesting choice of uniform. My boss is an eccentric gal. It fits the theme, don’t you think?”

Y/N nodded, unsure of what to say. Turning back to face the shoes, all sense of desire to buy anything was completely gone. Those sneakers were it, and since they weren’t her size, there was no use. The eccentricity of the store was fresh and amazing until a person realizes the shoes they love don’t come in their size.

The employee stepped closer, putting up a pair of sneakers near her. Stepping aside a bit, she found her eyes found his again as he continued to observe her. What was this guy’s deal?

“I was just looking around. I’m not going to buy anything,” Y/N decided on, hoping it was enough to get him to leave her alone. It wasn’t.

“Really?” He sounded unconvinced. Nodding at her- well, the pair of shoes- he crossed his arms as if he were all-knowing. “Seems like your heart was pretty set on those. I can see why. They’re pretty kick-ass. I’m assuming they weren’t your size?”

“Yeah, they weren’t,” She said wistfully, ready to go back to her dorm and never come to this shop again.

“Hate when that happens.”

Turning to him, ready to snap, her mouth shut on its own as her eyes found his face. There were no ill intentions behind his gaze, only empathy. Her eyes wandered on their own, his dark hair short and neat but his eyes suggesting a more wild existence. Even the way he wore his uniform suggested he was barely following the rules.

Her eyes trailed to his shoes, dark maroon boots with doodles drawn on it with- was that brown sharpie? Feeling his eyes on her, they quickly jumped back to his face. Dimples appeared and softened his presence even further, catching her in the act.

Mouth parting, trying to justify what probably looked like she was checking him out, she didn’t need to say anything as he headed back the way he came.

“There’s plenty of magnificent shoes in here. I hope you find another pair that makes you feel the way those did,” He called over his shoulder. Stopping at the end of the aisle, he turned back and gave her a look she didn’t quite understand. “It might be hard, but some shoes just aren’t the right fit. And it’s because the ones that are will own your heart more than you realize.”

Her heart was racing after he disappeared from view and she couldn’t figure out the cause. Was it the guy? No it couldn’t have been. Was it the shoes? Definitely not. His words… how could someone be so wise when they were just talking about shoes?

Afraid to be seen by him again, she peeked from behind the aisle she was in, and once the coast was clear she made a beeline for the door. Just as her hand pushed open the door, she felt the strong urge to look back. So she did.

The guy from before was in the middle of placing another pair of shoes on a nearby rack, arm outstretched above his head. Instead of his attention on the task at hand, his eyes were watching her as she left.

Heart jumping, she caught the edge of his smile before she rushed out the store.

Day 14

Another day, another night of drowning in assignments.There were points where thoughts of her dad crept in, but she buried it as the stress of her work washed over. Sometimes, she craved a break.

She didn’t have the time for that.

The break would be possible if she didn’t have a job interview in two hours with the bakery down the street. Gogo’s was its name, and she had been looking for a part-time position that had flexible hours and leniency. Since it was nearby, she hoped she was set for the school year. To keep herself from panicking, she put all of her energy into trying to finish some homework beforehand.

For once, she was grateful for the distraction when Yeji called her. As she typed away at her laptop, she put her on speaker.

“Y/N! Come out with us!”

“I can’t today. Sorry.”

“Hold on.” There was the usual sound of crinkling and she shook her head, knowing what was coming. Like clockwork, there was Hyunjin’s signature confused sounds before he greeted her.

“Hey.”

“Sorry, the answer’s still no.”

“Why, though? It’s been ages since we hung out.”

“I feel like I experience déjà vu whenever I talk to you these days. College has made you two really clingy,” She held back a smile at Hyunjin’s sound of disbelief.

“And college has made you really crabby and mean!”

“I’m flattered,” Y/N said, coming off a lot more colder than she intended. She hoped he understood. Being an engineering major was kicking her ass. The silence made her feel guilty, so she added, “I probably would but I have a job interview in a bit.”

“Oh. Well, why didn’t you just say that?”

“Because if I told Yeji that, she’d want me to skip it. You know her tendency to think everything’s a game.”

“True.”

The two of them chatted for a few more minutes before she hung up, signalling it was time for her to get ready. Her stomach was a bundle of nerves as she attempted to mentally prepare herself for the interview, heading for the shower.

When she got out, Chuu was on her own bed scrolling through her phone. Every now and then, she would glance over at Y/N as she shuffled back and forth throughout the room.

“You seem nervous,” Chuu quietly noted.

“I am. But things will be okay. Whatever happens, happens.”

“Right.” As Y/N did a onceover of her hair, Chuu came up behind her in the mirror. Her head tilted up, nodding firmly at her.

“You got this.”

Somehow, in the short time she had gotten to know the girl, she had the uncanny ability of making things feel okay- even if for a moment. With one gesture, with brief exchanges- Chuu’s strength filtered through her veins.

“Thank you.”

~~~~

By the time Y/N made it back to her dorm, Chuu was nowhere to be found. Knowing her, she was probably holed up in the nearby library- she was the type that couldn’t get work done anywhere else.

She weighed her options, knowing she should probably work on her homework. For once, she allowed herself some time to relax. Changing into her favorite pajamas, she grabbed her keys and left her dorm, heading for the convenience store downstairs. It really was handy to live on campus.

After she grabbed her favorite Jalapeño chips and an orange juice, she got in line. Her thoughts wandered, not really paying attention to her surroundings. That was, until she heard two very familiar voices. Before she could even look for the source, an arm wrapped around her shoulders as Hyunjin’s citrus lip balm filled her nose.

“I thought that was you.”

“Hey, Honey,” she said, pushing him off of her. Looking dejected, his attention was snatched by something nearby, disappearing as quick as he came. Yeji sidled up next to her in line, shooting a dirty look to the person behind Y/N. As if the person waiting in line was the one in the wrong.

“How was your interview?” She asked, smacking the gum in her mouth.

“It was good,” It really was. Y/N didn’t want to jinx it, but she was confident she got the job.

“You probably got it. It’s you,” Yeji sighed, stretching her arms out. Little comments like that always reminded Y/N that as loud and aggressive she could be, Yeji tried her hardest to show her affection in other ways.

“Thanks,” Y/N coughed out, reaching the front of the line. As she paid, Yeji filled her in on her night. At first, she wasn’t paying too much attention to her words, expecting her to complain about Jisung again. When she realized that wasn’t her friend’s topic of choice at all, she tuned in.

“...And I’m actually surprised. I really did have fun. I think I won’t mind if I have to spend time around Jisung, after all.”

“Glad you had fun,” Y/N deadpanned, leading the way out of the line and trailing over to Hyunjin. He was at the dessert aisle and having trouble deciding between a Twinkie and an Oatmeal Cookie.

“You weren’t listening, were you?” Yeji accused.

“I was!” She responded, but Yeji didn’t believe her.

“It’s kinda weird, though. I thought Jinnie here was being dramatic when he said Chris makes everything better. The guy actually does.”

Y/N nodded her head at her words, wondering what Chris could’ve possibly done to get in Yeji’s good graces. It was hard to please her.

Hyunjin grabbed both desserts in one hand before turning to Y/N and placing a hand on her shoulder. “Bummer you couldn’t meet him tonight.”

“Come on, he can’t be that great. You’re hyping him up like he’s Tom Holland or something.”

“Okay, don’t take it that far,” Yeji gasped.

Hyunjin shook his head at her before hitting them both with, “Well, I-” slamming down the sweets in front of the clerk- “think he’s better than Spidey boy.”

Yeji blew a breath out. “I’ll admit he’s cool but no one tops Tom.”

“Not even Tobey? Give me a break.”

“I’ll break your arm and we’ll call it a day.”

The clerk watched the two, wide-eyed, and Y/N could only pretend she wasn’t their friend as she headed for the door. As they all headed for her dorm, she listened to them continue to rave about this guy. It was almost ridiculous how much they idolized him.

There couldn’t be anyone better than Hyunjin, at least in her book. Though she didn’t like him like that, her best friend had set the bar high for her in how she expected good guys to be. Hyunjin was kind, selfless, and did the best he could to make anyone feel like they belonged. He was the lantern that everyone was drawn to in the dark.

So, yeah, maybe this Chris guy was cool. But to Y/N? It seemed like they were just buzzed about getting along with someone new.

“...You’ll like him, Y/N. I know you will,” Hyunjin gave a firm nod, stuffing his entire cookie in his mouth, “Swell guy,” he added, crumbs flying out and toward the girls. Yeji shrieked, hands reaching out and slapping him hard on his arm.

Y/N scolded him, but not before she laughed at his puppy dog face, hands up to block Yeji’s hits as he still continued to mumble with a full mouth. She laughed, “You’re so gross.”

“And so are you! Don’t forget I have dirt on you,” He pointed at Y/N before moving over to Yeji, “And you, too.”

“Whatever,” She sighed, leading the way off of the elevator. She wasn’t surprised at all when they followed her. “Anyways, I’ll meet him next time.”

As she unlocked the door, Yeji leaned in and tried to be quiet as she whispered, “He’s so fine, Y/N. He’s going to be the man of your dreams, watch. I’m going to be dreaming of him tonight.”

Hyunjin choked on his twinkie, shoving Yeji right into the doorway. As she yelped, he shouted, “Ew! You’re so thirsty! Go find someone else to fantasize about. You’re not allowed to like my friends.”

“Why not? You gotta admit he’s hot!”

“And? You’re my cousin. I’m trying to save him from your crazy ass.”

“You’re such a brat. I don’t even want him like that. But finally you have a fine ass friend. Thought having a family member my age meant more hot friends. Guess not.”

“Both of you relax. Didn’t expect a guy to come between the two of you,” Y/N grinned at her own joke as the two of them proceeded to aim their fire at her. After a while, the fire went out on its own as they lounged lazily on her small bed, chatting about random things that came to mind.

Even though they drove Y/N crazy sometimes, she knew that without them, her life would’ve taken a completely different path otherwise.

“Hey, I forgot to mention! Not sure if you remember, but we made plans with the guys on Saturday to go to Kev’s. It’s for Chris’ birthday. I really want you there,” Hyunjin announced out of the blue, Y/N’s eyes leaving her computer.

Kev’s was an entertainment place that had blown up over the past couple of years. It was a mix of an arcade, sports bar and bowling alley- talk about indecisive. She had only been there once back in high school for a birthday party.

Tilting her head back and forth in thought, she eventually nodded. “I think I can make it. I don’t have much due this weekend, surprisingly.”

“Nice! Okay, I’ll ask CB if he can scoop you up.”

“Why can’t you pick me up?” She asked, not liking the sound of riding with a guy she barely met.

Hyunjin avoided eye contact, which led to Yeji answering for him.

“He’s picking up his new girlfriend, that’s why. He’s ditching us and handing us over to his weird friend,” Yeji blurted, before gasping and exclaiming, “I need to think of what to wear.”

“Wait, you have a new girlfriend?” Y/N asked, spinning in her desk chair to face him.

Hyunjin gave his cousin a look before he sighed and said, “No, I don’t. Not yet, at least. I’m just seeing where things go.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well-” Hyunjin looked ashamed- “I don’t know if it’s anything serious yet. I just want to test the waters, you know. And I didn’t tell Yeji, she’s just nosy and happened to overhear me talking to Jisung about it.”

Y/N nodded in understanding, turning back to her desk. It was weird, not because Hyunjin didn’t date, but because it was unlike him to not tell her these things. For the sake of her homework, she decided to let it go.

“I think I’m going to head to bed,” Yeji yawned, “But maybe I’ll see you before Saturday.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll head out too,” Hyunjin added, and Y/N rose to her feet to walk them to the door.

As they said their goodbyes, Hyunjin lingered as Yeji slowly walked down the hall without noticing. Just as Y/N was about to close the door, Hyunjin caught it.

“What’s up?” Her voice came out slow, noting his nervousness.

Licking his lips, he took a deep breath as he searched her face. “I really am sorry I didn’t tell you. It wasn’t like I was hiding it from you I just… yeah, we’ve all had things to do and I just didn’t want to stress you out. You know, with all your schoolwork and… and your dad.”

Up until his last words, Y/N was pretty understanding. At the mention of her dad, she shut down. Hyunjin noticed, too, trying to backtrack.

“W-what I meant by that is-”

“It’s fine, Hyunjin. I’m not even sweating it,” She said, and even to herself she sounded cold.

“Wait, that was insensitive of me. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that. I just didn’t want to put anything else on your plate.”

“Telling me about a girl you like is something to add on my plate?”

Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, before saying, “Yeah.” Even he must’ve known how ridiculous that sounded.

Wanting to be irritated, she realized he was only being considerate of her feelings, right? Even if this was the first time he had kept something from her, it wasn’t a big deal. It couldn’t possibly mean anything else. So, she decided to truly let it go.

“Don’t worry, Honey. It’s all good.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

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