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sissytobitch10seconds · 11 months

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Our Love Died

Fandom: The Umbrella Academy Summary: Dumped into a strange yet familiar world, Viktor falls back into some old habits- including losing contact with his siblings. Eventually, some years pass and they start finding him again. At that point he's not quite sure he wants them to, though. Warnings: Domestic abuse, abusive relationships, trans male pregnancy, childbirth, depression/anxiety, and transphobia Word Count: TBD (Chapter 1: 3,535) Chapter(s): TBD Ship(s): Viktor Hargreeves/Five Hargreeves

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A/N: (fic notes) So I actually created an entirely different story and character off of labour and King by their respective artists and then I realized that it would fit really well into this kind of a fic as well. I decided I was just going to write it so I had another nice chaptered fic for TUA before the last season comes out. I'm going to leave a little disclaimer here: I have never been pregnant and I am not a trans man (I'm genderfluid, so still trans) so some things may not be entirely accurate. I'm also writing and uploading this at the same time so there might be some awkward plot holes or something throughout. I'm going to try my best to prevent that but please honor me with some grace if I don't manage it! I hope that you all enjoy this, I know I'm loving writing it so far. Make sure that you heed the tags, though, things do get pretty dark. Stay sissy and bitchy everyone <;3 (chapter notes) Here's chapter one! This is basically a complete rewrite of the last scene of the last episode of season 3. I tried to write every bit of dialogue directly from the show, so if things sound a little awkward it was probably a typo I didn't correct because I didn't want to go rewatch that scene again. Rewriting directly from a script is exhausting, after all, lol. I hope that you guys are enticed by this first chapter but if you're not, try sticking around to the second when the plot is gonna actually get started! Things are moving pretty slow for now but they'll pick up soon. Stay sissy and bitchy everyone <3

The first thing that Viktor saw when the elevator doors opened was a garden.

He hadn’t been in a lot of gardens when he was younger because it wasn’t something that Reginald put a lot of his time and energy into and then he had never sought them out as an adult around the monotony of his everyday life. He had to admit that it was an improvement to the accommodations that they had been staying in for the past week while they tried to sort out the third end-of-the-world.

It was dark, just as he thought it would have been when he was traveling in the hazy, half-asleep state during the ride up the elevator. The dimness wasn’t caused by the dark colored walls and lack of windows, however, but rather because at some point the sky had turned into night. The moon was hanging high in the sky, glinting pale silver-blue light down onto the earth with the help of the blinking stars. The sky was clear and bright, devoid of the heavy rain clouds that so often plagued The City. The color of the light reminded Viktor of the heavy power that slept inside of him, waiting to come forth and create another apocalypse like it had three lifetimes ago.

He tilted his head down so that he could take in what the garden actually looked like while his legs slowly carried him out of the elevator and into the cool night air. There was a gray cement path that led to a bust and plaque in the center of the main part of the garden. From it were several more paths, though it was hard to see where exactly they went because of the trees and shrubs that were obscuring the already dark view. He could just barely make out the vibrant green of the grass clashing with the darker shade of the neatly trimmed bushes along the paths. He thought that it was strange that there were no flowers, all of the books that Viktor had ever read as a child that contained gardens had them described as overflowing with different colors of petals.

Next to him, Lila giggled, “Cool.” It made sense that she would be able to process the weirdness that they had all just endured better than all of them. Viktor was probably handling it with the least amount of grace since he had never been a hero when the Umbrella Academy was active and thus hadn’t seen any of the weird powers or abilities that the villains the others fought possessed. The closest that he had gotten was just seeing his siblings train and listening to their exploits through the radio that Grace kept on when missions were underway. Lila, conversely, had grown up surrounded by time traveling assassins and flipped through many different periods in time with her mother. This was just another thing to add to her list of adventures instead of something that was emotionally shattering as it was to Viktor.

The sound of a police siren wailing in the distance was comforting and terrifying at the same time. The images of the police towering around the car that he had been trying to get his girlfriend and her son to safety in flashed through his mind, quickly followed by his nerves fraying just a little bit more at the memory of his electro-shock torture session. He flexed his hands at his side to try and get rid of the anxiety, something close to what he had used to do. His violin was nowhere in sight now, though, so it meant that he couldn’t pick it up and use that to get rid of the adrenaline-summoned energy.

All of those thoughts were pushed from his mind as soon as he turned properly and saw the towering figure of his brother. He short-circuited for a moment as the only thing that he could really process was the overwhelming joy about seeing the man he thought he had lost, just as he had lost Ben. Viktor was so used to mourning, to grief, that the joy surging through his body was foreign and addictive.

“Luther?” he asked, breathless and awed. Viktor was barely even aware that his legs were moving as he made his way closer to the other. He was moving a little sluggishly, as if he was scared that if he made even a single wrong move then his brother would disappear again forever, just as he had done when Klaus summoned him during their fight. “Luther?” he asked again, which got the blond’s attention.

“Oh, shit,” Luther swore as a smile blossomed over his face. “You can see me?” he asked, pointing towards some of the others.

“Yes! Yes!” Viktor almost screamed as he threw his arms around his brother’s neck and shoulders to trap him there in a hug.

“I’m alive?” Luther asked, his body almost vibrating with the shock of his realization.

Viktor and Luther had shared two hugs in their entire lives. They had never been terribly close as children since Reginald kept Viktor as far away from him as possible, both physically and mentally, while Luther had basically been on his coattails all the way up until the last year of his life.

The first hug that they had ever shared was one of Viktor’s least favorite memories. He had been under the impression that he had just killed his sister with no reassurance from his then-boyfriend. It had felt so wonderful to be wrapped up in the arms of someone he had known and loved without anything in return. Then he had felt the air slowly being forced from his lungs, his body compressing in on itself while black spots danced in his vision. Then he had woken up in the soundproof room where the only thing he had for company was his own quickening heartbeat, watching as his siblings all abandoned him one by one again.

The second hug that the duo had shared was the one that they were having now. Luther’s arms stretched all the way around Viktor and he was so tall that he had to bend over at the waist to be able to loop around Viktor’s chest. He could tell that the other was holding back his strength significantly because this time it felt nothing like it had before. Luther was hugging him and holding him tightly enough that he could know for certain that the taller was there, but there was no pain, even as he got lifted into the air.

“Luther’s alive!” Klaus crowed in the background.

“Oh my God,” Lila breathed. It was odd how quickly she had been assimilated into the family and how deeply she cared for them all already, but they were the Hargreeves. Nothing about their family had ever been normal and nothing about it ever would, not that they would want it any other way.

“And that’s not all, big guy,” Viktor felt like he was going to explode with how many emotions were flowing through his system. Luther had since put him down on the ground and he was able to get a proper look at his brother, though it was already confirmed when he had been up in the air. He was staring at Luther’s chest and arms as he tried to come up with a way to phrase what was racing through his mind.

“Huh?” Luther asked before he gasped when he noticed it as well. “Holy shit, my body!” he brushed his hands over his chest and then looked down at his arms again. Where there had once been copious amounts of thick, wiry hair stretched out over grotesque, engorged muscles was nothing but pale skin with blond hair and lean muscle. “Wait, I look amazing!” he beamed as he realized what it really meant.

Jealousy and happiness mixed inside of Viktor until all he felt was nauseous. He knew that Luther had struggled with how he looked after the experiment that their father had performed on him to save the life Reginald himself had endangered. That much was evident from the way that Luther had hidden himself away in layers and layers of clothing when they had all first reunited. Viktor was very familiar with what it was like to feel uncomfortable in one’s body as that feeling had been magnified for him since he realized what his gender was. He wished that the transport to the new universe had given him a body that he felt more comfortable in, one that didn’t make him want to crawl out of his own skin when he caught himself in a reflective surface at just the wrong angle. At the same time, he couldn’t help but be happy for the gift that Luther had been given after everything he had been through.

Klaus wandered over to them in that stumble-walk that he had perfected when they were teenagers. Viktor had always been amazed he wasn’t tripping over himself more often, the same way that he would be if he tried that. “Luther’s all svelte now,” he commented as he touched his brother’s arm as well.

“Wait. I gotta show Sloane!” Luther beamed. It was heart warming to see him being so affectionate towards someone other than Allison. When they were younger, it was very disheartening to Viktor to try and pour so much love into his relationship with his brother only to be pushed to the side. Of course, back then, he hadn’t realized that Luther and Allison were romantically involved so the relationship he wanted was actually very different. Given everything that had happened with Allison in the last couple days, up to and including Luther’s death, it was a good thing that he had someone who adored him just as much as he did her.

The mention of the Sparrow hero was enough to make Viktor take attendance for everyone standing around in the garden. Lila and Diego were standing next to each other, so close that their shoulders were brushing against each other. Ben and Five were hanging around the bust in the center of the little garden path. Klaus was near Luther, who was standing in front the elevator still.

Five raised up his arm, fussing with his watch. “I got my arm back,” he informed them plainly like it wasn’t the best thing that had happened to him in decades.

“This is so cool. W-wait where’s Sloane?” Luther asked as he reached out towards Klaus for the information.

Surprisingly enough, the most chaotic member of the family actually did have an answer for him. “Oh, she was, uh… she was right behind me-”

“When Allison hit the bloody button,” Lila finished for him, gritting her teeth in anger.

“She’s gone too,” Diego groused.

Five began to walk towards one of the dark paths surrounding the small place of respite that they were in. His brows were furrowed and his face was pinched in that way that it always got when he was upset about something. “You know, I don’t know about you guys, but I haven’t felt this good in years,” Klaus said as he also turned his gaze towards the peaking city that they could see between the trees.

“Does anyone know where the Hell we are?” Ben asked.

Viktor felt his heart sink down into his stomach as he realized that it was the version of Ben that had come from the Sparrows despite none of the other Sparrows being with them. He had been hoping, after Luther had risen from the grave and stepped out of the elevator with them, that his long-dead brother would also return so that Viktor could apologize for using up the rest of his unlife energy. He figured that it made sense it would be that version of Ben, since he was the one that fought the final battle with them after they fucked up the timeline so that he existed in the first place.

“The hotel,” Lila quickly supplied before he could get in a fight with anyone. “Or at least, this is where it used to be.”

Five let out a breath, which really emphasized just how tired he was. “I think the old man did it. I think he reset the universe.”

Diego walked over so that he was standing in front of Lila with his hand up in front of her. She gasped as she held it in both of her own and said, “You got your fingers back!”

“Sloane? Sloane!” Luther called through the garden in a desperate attempt to find his wife.

Viktor could only stand there and watch his siblings interacting with each other as he tried to process everything that had happened. Something inside of him felt like it was missing, something that left him hollow and slightly damaged. He didn’t have time to unpack it now as tensions were already rising between the other family members.

Moving around the bust, Luther grabbed onto one of the lapels of Five’s suit jacket. “I don’t care about any resets, all right? I want my wife back. Where is she, Five?”

“I’m glad you’re alive, but please take your hand off me,” Five snarked. He was using that voice that he always did when he was upset about something or close to getting in a fight with someone. Viktor had heard it often when they were all going through the beginnings of puberty.

Anxiety began to rise inside of him as he realized that this could all go very badly very quickly if someone didn’t step in to stop them before they did something stupid. “Not until you give me an answer,” Luther threatened as he grabbed the other side of Five’s jacket so that he had no chance of escaping.

“Okay, screw this!” Five sassed back. He jerked to the side like he always did when he was getting ready to teleport, but this time he just fell limply back to where he had been before. A look of confusion took over his face and he glanced out around the garden as if that would somehow give him an answer. “Something’s wrong.”

“That’s right, something’s wrong, you’re about to get your ass kicked,” Luther snarled as he jerked his brother around again.

“Yeah, kick his ass,” Diego goaded.

“No, you moron,” Five seethed. The panic was beginning to make him mean, Viktor knew exactly how that felt. “My power. I can’t blink.”

“Yeah, right,” Diego said sarcastically as he got one of his knives out from the vest that he always wore. It was nice to see him in something other than black leather, even if the knives were probably going to exist with him throughout his entire life. Diego flipped the silver blade around his fingers once before it toppled down into the dirt below them. “That’s not good.”

Suddenly everything fell into place. Viktor glanced down at his hand as he raised it. He focused for a moment to try and pick up on the minute noises that existed everywhere in the world. It was only then that he realized that everything had been muffled since he had stepped out of the elevator. Hearing every tiny thing that was happening around him, even if it was accentuated only when he was off of his medication, had just been how he lived his life. He didn’t realize that the world was so quiet for everyone else until his power had been stolen from him. It explained the heavy emptiness that rested in his chest, right where the supernova of noise had been only an hour prior.

A few feet away, Klaus was waving his hand out in front of him as he said, “Okay… come on… Alakazam… ghosties.” Nothing happened. Ben strained with his hands clenched in fists out to the sides, but again there was nothing. “This means I’m mortal again? Aw, man,” Klaus whined as it became more and more obvious that they were ordinary.

“Wait, wait, wait. How do we get them back, you idiots?” Ben asked before anyone had the chance to do anything else.

“Shit,” Klaus groaned when no one was able to come up with any ideas. Reginald had told them so little about their powers that none of them knew where they came from, much less how they were supposed to get anything back.

“I gotta… I gotta go find my wife,” Luther said hoarsely. Viktor had enough breakdowns in his life to recognize that the other man was clinging to something that felt like it could still be tangible. They had all been through something deeply traumatic and painful on top of arriving in a strange world that they didn’t know well enough to tell if it was safe. Learning that their powers, which had been a constant for everyone other than Viktor, were gone had to be enough to make some of them deeply rattled.

Luther turned and began to walk down one of the paths to do as he said he was going to. Klaus turned after him and said, “No! Luther, you can’t go. You were dead ten minutes ago, you’re fragile.” He whirled back around to the rest of the family and said, “I gotta go after him.”

“No, wait, Klaus!” Diego tried to argue with his brother but at that point Klaus had already begun down the path after Luther. Despite what a lot of the public had thought when they were younger and actively acting as the Umbrella Academy, Klaus was the most stubborn out of all of the siblings. If he got an idea that he decided he just had to do, then he was going to do it come Hell or high water.

Ben was the next to leave, already stalking towards the other side of the park, “I’m out, bitches!”

A flare of panic unlike he had felt in a long time rang out in Viktor’s chest. Memories that were hazy with sedative and time flashed through his mind. All the times that they had left him for their training, all the times that they had been ushered into a car together while he had been left watching them out of a stained glass window, all the times that they had snuck out together and left him behind, played over the top of each other. “Guys, come on,” Viktor said desperately. “We should stick together and figure this out-”

“Well what are we supposed to do?” Diego asked, interrupting Viktor before he even had the chance to say what he was planning to. Too much of it felt like what it had been before Viktor had gotten his powers and had become too dangerous to ignore.

They were all quiet for a second as Diego and Lila turned slightly towards each other. “Live our lives?” she suggested. Diego remained quiet as he obviously rolled the idea around his head. He then took her hand, weaving their fingers together, before he disappeared down another one of the paths.

Then it was just Five and Viktor, as it had been so often when they were children. The conversation that they had about other people being ants, which had given them some common ground now that they had shifted so much in their adult lives, rolled over in Viktor’s head again. He knew that it wasn’t true anymore since neither of them had the massive powers that they did when it took place, but he was still hoping that it would mean something.

He supposed that hope was his greatest flaw. Just like last time, Five turned on his heel and marched away from Viktor without saying anything. He disappeared into the dark foliage so that not even a glimpse of his back could be seen.

That morning at the dining room table, when Five had lurched away and thrown himself outside to try time traveling for the first time was a moment that replayed over and over again in Viktor’s mind. He always wondered, both now and when he had been a child, what would have happened if he had just had the balls to pull his brother back into his seat instead of just letting him go.

What was happening now felt so similar to that, that Viktor almost felt himself shrinking down into the demure version of himself that he hadn’t been in so long. Being off of the medication had let him feel free in a way that he had never before, and the idea of having to go back to that now that his powers were gone brought the panic that had been resting dormant in the back of his mind to the forefront of all his thoughts.

He paused for a moment to try and pick up on the sounds of footsteps and rustling leaves from where his siblings and Ben were now lost in the park, but there was nothing. He tilted his head down towards the bust of Reginald and gave his head a small shake. “Asshole,” he muttered.

Viktor turned and walked down the last remaining path so that he could get out of the park.

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seung-scrittore · 2 years

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Have you done a moot games as moots with your fav scents :0 if not can you ? ^_^

oh my gods, i've not done that !! but i'd love to !!

p.s; sorry that i took literal days to answer this -

@releasethypen - coffee - hm, maybe it's just because of your layout and use of coffee emotes on your fic details, or maybe it's because i helped you with that barista!hobi fic... regardless, i associate you with the smell of coffee, ashe ! you've got a strong and awakening personality, yet you've got a variety of sides to you, alike coffee has it's variety of flavours. ♡

@noramoons - citrus - okay, so maybe i took inspiration from your header and theme here, but i really can't associate you with any other scent ? you're tangy ! (in the best way possible) you strike people with your bold personality, and you leave an impact that can be described as a bit sour or intimidating at first, but in actuality you're sweet and soothing, fitting citrus to a T ! <3

@yedammi - rain - this one's almost certainly because you mentioned you loved the smell of rain and lightning ! though, i can't really imagine you as anything else, mayhaps a rainforest ? you're comforting and homely like rain, but you're also more than capable of enhancing feelings, or making a moment worth a thousand memories. thank you for being the pitter patter of rain in my life ♡♡♡

@minilinooo - mint - i know we don't talk often, but your page reminds me so much of fresh mint, i feel like you give off a very youthful and vibrant energy. you're soft, yet sharp around the edges, and you're almost always reminiscent of freshness, youth, and hope. you're such a pure soul, tiana, thank you for freshening up all of our dashes ^^ !

@multifcndoms - bleach - please don't take this the wrong way, i swear you're not in any way a toxic liquid. TT i'm honestly not quite sure why i think your energy is reminiscent of bleach... though, you're definitely strong and distinct, i don't think i could ever confuse you with another smell, a lot like bleach. you also seem very to the point, as if you wouldn't beat around the bush. you're a much needed break from all the fake niceties without being overly brazen or brusque. you're perfectly you, and i truly appreciate that in a person. :>

@sunoo-bby - laundry detergent - firstly, thank you for requesting such a sweet little game ! i think your essence reminds me of laundry detergent, specifically the floral kinds. you're sweet, yet not sickly. you also come across as very clean and organized, a lot like laundry detergent's purpose. though, i think essentially you're just very kind, and you remind me of freshly done laundry ~ comforting, homey, and sweet.

@loverhyunn - salt - honestly, princess, i'm not quite sure how to describe the smell of salt, but it's somewhere along the lines of savory and zesty. you're piquant, personality wise. you've got a sharp and impactful edge to you. but you're also a tad overlooked, similar to salt itself, and i hope that you, amongst others, realize your value. despite your sharpness, you're also familiar, a taste and smell we've all experienced, in the time i've known you, i don't think you've ever felt like a stranger, not even in the beginning. ♡

@late-minhours - old book smell - there is truly no one else i can think of that fits this smell more than you, blue. even the feel of your page(s) itself carries such a library-esc feel. i was originally going to say you have a "new book smell", but that doesn't properly capture your personality. you're wise, you carry a mature sense of humour, and you truly are someone i look up to. your page is such a calm place to visit. you really emanate librarian vibes (in the absolute best way possible)

@svtsunshine - paint - okay, okay, okay! hear me out, i'm in no way calling you anything negative, please ignore the fact that paint emits toxic fumes. okay, i happen to enjoy the smell- but, regardless ! cait, you're unmistakable, and you've got a vague purpose. i mean that in the sense that paint's job is to, well, paint. but the variety of uses it has is alike your variety of talents and interests. you're multifaceted and ever talented, not to mention you're crucial in adding some colour to all of our lives. so, thank you for being just that <3

@septabuspass - windex - *sigh* there was no escaping this one. you know about windex incident as well as i do. you also know that i'm no longer allowed into that store anymore. and well, solely off of those memories and that incident, you remind me of windex. you're weird, funny, distinct, and honestly, fairly concerning. but i love you for that, for all your oddities and obscurities, thank you for encouraging me to do dumb shit and for being there for me like a big sister all these years, even if we aren't exactly blood related. ♡♡♡♡♡

i'm sorry, i swear i tried to stay on a normal path, but i happen to like weird smells - TT

#✨.|| asks.🔓#✨.|| inbox.🔒#✨.|| mutuals.🔑#✨.|| games.🌤#✨.|| user; sunoo bby #tw: food

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n6918 · 2 years

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Its now night time in vale as Chronix can be seen at Blue crab (red lobster please don't sue us) eating and enjoying there time with the white haired God as outside RWBY JNPR and MEN can be seen watching them from outside with binoculars

Weiss: so why are we here

Emerald: to spy on that chronix guy and see how he seduced Cinder so we can save her

Mercury: yeah she's just jealous of Chronix, im here for the entertainment

Jaune: Weiss dragged us along for......reasons

Weiss: because i need witnesses to see all the crazy things that happen when that THING is around

Blake: Weiss your over reacting

Ruby: yeah just cause he's dating our combat teacher and one of the hottest students in school doesn't make him suspicious i mean we already know he's a immortal God

Neo: I'm here to snag some pics of his dick so I can sell it

Pyrrha: ah I see your an entrepreneur as well I for one dabble in the Arc brand

Neo: oooooh~ a fellow connoisseur

Jaune: excuse me?

Yang: yeah it doesn't get any weirder then that

Weiss: I don't care, wait there leaving the restaurant we have to follow them

Nora: oh boy HIJINKS!!!

Ren: I am in constant P A I N

And so Chronix can be seen walking threw vale with the 2 ladies who can be seen genuinely having fun with the white haired male while RWBY JNPR and MEN watch from a distance as the final scene changes to Chronix walking with the 2 woman threw a park as the 3 teams watch from a bush

Weiss: I don't get it we've been tailing them all night and NOTHING

Yang: I told you Weiss he's just a really good guy

Ruby: yeah had me waste my entire Saturday nig-[weapon senses start going off as she smells the air] what is that

Emerald: uuum whats she doing?

Mercury: I think shes on crack

Yang: no its ruby's weapon senses she must smell a powerful weapon nearby

Neo: W H A T

Nora: what is it ruby what is it girl

Ruby then smells the air before pointing at the tall building behind the 3 they are stalking as a white fang sniper can be seen on the roof with a high caliber dust sniper

Blake: that's a

Emerald: White fang assassin?!?!

Pyrrha: what are they doing

The white fang sniper then turns on there red dot sight as the 3 teams watch it land on the back of Chronixs head as he sits on a bench with Glynda and Cinder in each arm

Mercury: CRAP he's gonna get MERCed see what I did there

Jaune: hurry we gotta...

But before anyone could react a gunshot could be heard as a high power dust round Flys threw the air and hitting Chronix in the head as it passes threw his forehead as everyone stares at him in shock

Cinder: c-Chronix.....

Glynda: no...

Chronix unmoving pops the bullet out of his head as the hole quickly closes and he stands and faces where the assassin is perched before charging the bullet in his fingers

Chronix: E R A S E R. B E A M

Everyone stares at Chronix shocked before he smiles and begins to escort glynda and Cinder back to beacon

Chronix: come on girls lets head back to beacon so I can properly end the night with a bang [grabs both there asses] also your not gonna be feeling these in the morning

As Chronix leaves with the blushing pair of women everyone else can be seen still in the bushes watching what just accured with pure shock as Ren passes out

Mercury: that was sick

Neo: i think I'm wet

Rubys brain:

Weiss: I FUCKING KNEW IT!!!!!

Blake: okay that's fine and dandy and all Weiss but let me ask you this.......why did the white fang just try to assassinate our friend

Weiss: I........WHY IS IT WHEN I WIN AND LEARN THE TRUTH IM JUST LEFT WITH MORE QUESTIONS?!?!

Not sure what you want me to add?

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cryunderthewillowtree · 1 year

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Coral Streaks – Chapter 3

Synopsis – In which she loves him, but he's utterly, painfully clueless. Awra always believed love should be easy – a beautiful gift from Eywa herself. But when she falls for the oldest Sully, it's a love filled with trial. A tale of coming apart and finding your way back.

Related Warnings: Eventual Smut (Aged Up Characters), Language, Descriptions of assault, Harassment

Characters – Neteyam x Fem Metkayina!reader

Related Tags: Major Angst, Slow-Burn, Friends-To-Lovers, Heartache, Tension, Hurt/Comfort

Notes: Posting this from my Ao3 account, please feel free to head over there to read this story as well! I realised only after being 14 chapters in that I spelt Omatikaya wrong this entire time – my apologies in advance. But please enjoy this story nonetheless!

[Do not interact with this story if you are underage.]

“He’s been moping, just so you know.” Kiri says nonchalantly. “All sad and quiet.”

Awra rolls her eyes, picking through a bush for medicinal ferns. She had decided to head down to the sea pools to forage for herbs at dawn, and Kiri had asked to tag along. She’d been hesitant to agree at first, because she’d been dying for some time alone. But the Ometicayan girl was persistent, and simply picked up her basket and followed Awra away from the village.

“He says he’s fine, but it’s so obvious he isn’t.” Kiri repeats following a beat of silence. “You should really go talk to him.”

“Kiri please. There’s nothing to talk about.” Awra finally relents, placing a bundle of herbs into her basket. Kiri snorts at that, shooting Awra a wry smile as she stuffs a handful of herbs into a pouch secured to her loincloth.

“Sure. And him moping around after talking to you on the beach yesterday has nothing to do with you.” Awra frowns at her, but the Ometicayan girl simply shrugs sarcastically.

“Pick your herbs.” Awra retorts, and Kiri stifles a cheeky laugh. “And how do you know about that?”

Kiri just sticks her tongue out with a playful scowl. “Real mature Kiri.” Awra scoffs, as she flicks her tail at the Ometicayan girl. Kiri snickers at Awra’s irritation, swatting her tail back at the Metkayina playfully.

“It doesn’t matter how I know. All that matters is that my brother is a moping mess, and it’s getting on everyone’s nerves. And seeing as it’s your doing, you should go talk to him.” Kiri explains.

“He’s your brother”, Awra mumbles, “why can’t you talk to him.” Kiri just sighs dramatically.

“I have to look after Tuk, and keep Lo’ak out of trouble.” Kiri answers smoothly, reaching over and plucking a handful of greens out of the bush. “Besides, like I said, it’s kinda your fault he’s moping.”

“My fault?” You shriek indignantly. “I only told him to leave me be. I didn’t do anything wrong.” You sulk, sitting back on your haunches as you glare at the Ometicayan girl.

Kiri giggles at that, still foraging through a bush for leaves. “C’mon Awra, you can’t seriously be that dense.”

Your scowl deepens at her words. “Dense?” Kiri nods, wiping off her hands as she turns to face Awra.

“Dense.”

“How am I dense?” You argue, pushing back the frustration already bubbling in your gut. “I really don’t see how this is related, or how any of this is even my concern to begin with!” You pinch your nosebridge in exasperation and Kiri giggles again. She scooches over to you, placing a hand on your forearm and dragging it away from your face.

“My brother may be a mighty warrior,” she starts gently, “but he is afterall still a man. He likes you, Awra, and I’m surprised you don’t see it.” Kiri taps Awra’s nose before saying: “See? Dense.”

Awra scrunches her nose in annoyance, but silently glad that she’s away from the village and her’s mother’s prying ears for once. “Neteyam only sees me as a sister. Nothing more.” Kiri opens her mouth to say something, but Awra cuts her off hastily. “Anyway, my mother has forbidden this. I’m not to spend extra time around him outside of teaching or healing, it’s not allowed.”

Kiri’s smile drops. “Besides, I have duties to fulfill. I shouldn’t be wasting my time chasing romance when I have better things to do.” The last part comes out more like a hushed whisper, and Awra remembers her mother’s words from their conversation in your marui. I know you will do the right thing, my beloved.

“Like weaving baskets?” Comes Kiri’s reply, tinged with sarcasm. Awra snorts at that, smacking her arm lighty as she laughs.

“Yes, and I’ll have you know I love weaving baskets. It’s what I do.” Awra giggles at that, and Kiri sends a playful shove her way before getting up.

“Whatever you say, future Tsahik.” Kiri retorts, satire dripping off her tone. Awra rolls your eyes again, grabbing her basket and getting on her feet. “Just, please talk to Neteyam. For me. He’s so upset, nothing I say gets through to him. But I know he’ll listen to you, sisterly feelings or not.”

Awra groans, already getting ready to protest. Kiri senses her reluctance, and grabs Awra’s hands with a pleading look. “Please Awra? Just once is all I ask. Just let him know you’re not upset with him, and then he’ll stop being such a crybaby.”

Awra sighs agai, but softens at the thought of Neteyam all curled up and miserable in the Sully’s marui. Mighty Ometicayan hunter and future Olo’ eyktan, heaped in a miserable pile in his family’s marui pod. It’s adorable, and Awra finds herself smiling at the thought. “Fine, I will.” Kiri’s eyes light up at that. “But just one conversation. And I’ll still tell him to leave me alone.”

She nods eagerly, and Awra can’t help but chuckle at her excitement. “I’m so tired of watching him mope at home, you have no idea.” Kiri jokes, dragging the Metkayina girl towards the village. Awra stifles a cackle at that, grabbing her full basket and following the Ometicayan out of the sea pools.

“Oh yeah? Maybe you should tell him that then.” Awra says, walking elbow-to-elbow with the Ometicayan girl. It’s a warm day today, and Awra can see the village buzzing with activity from the distance. Hunters are getting ready to leave for a day of fishing, towing bows and spears behind them as they leap onto their ilu. Her mother was probably preparing salves or potions in your marui, and her father was likely busying himself with the other Ometicayans.

“I did, believe me I did. But his ears don’t seem to be working, unless you’re the one talking. It’s the worst thing about him really.” She says with no real scorn. “Sometimes I forget he’s just…him. With all that golden child stuff that he parades around with, I really thought he’d be less socially awkward sometimes.”

Awra chuckles. “Golden child huh. Must be nice to be so adored by everyone.”

Kiri shrugs at that. “I don’t know about adored. He’s always been likeable, sure, but sometimes I catch him mumbling to himself and he says…” She trails off, glancing down at the sand they’re walking on.

“Says?” Awra asks.

“Sometimes I hear him talk about himself in a really unkind way. And it confuses me.” Kiri admits, looking at you. You raise a questioning eyebrow at that.

“What does he say?”

“I couldn’t really hear most of it, but I know he hates the fact that he always has to be the responsible one out of all of us. Like taking the heat for Lo’ak or getting Tuk out of trouble. I think he wishes he could have enjoyed his childhood more like a child.” Kiri’s words sink deeper than expected, and reminds Awra of all the times she’d stayed up late wishing the same thing.

Kiri just sighs, squeezing Awra’s elbow tighter. “Yeah, but don’t tell him I told you any of this! He’d kill me.”

Awra just nods quietly, mind thrumming with Kiri’s words. I didn’t know Neteyam felt that way. It makes you feel worse about ignoring him that day on the beach. It probably fuelled the other unkind things he says about himself.

“I’m gonna go Awra, I’ve gotta go get Tuk home lunch before my mom gets upset! Don’t tell Neteyam what I said when you go see him later!” With that, Kiri bids farewell, jogging off towards where the hunting party is to find her ilu. Awra barely has time to wave goodbye before the Ometicayan is darting off.

As Awra starts the slow walk back to her own marui, still carrying her basket full of herbs, Kiri’s words echo in her mind. Her heart twists uncomfortably, and all she can think about is how guilty she feels for brushing the Ometicayan boy off on the beach yesterday. It isn’t my fault. How should I have known he felt that way about himself, she reasoned. If I’d known, I would have asked him to leave me be in a better way. But what’s a better way? Mother would be furious if she caught me being nice to him. God, this is so difficult.

She arrives at her family’s marui pod, climbing up and setting her basket down beside the central fireplace. Her family won’t be home until eclipse, making it the perfect time to sit around and ruminate over Kiri’s words.

I promised Kiri I’d speak to him…maybe I’ll tell him what happened yesterday was just a misunderstanding? But then I gave mother my word to stay away from him. She collapses back against a pile of bedding with a bregrudging sigh. Rationalising her feelings away obviously wasn’t going to work this time, and the only way to make herself feel better was to go over to the Sully marui and clear up this misunderstanding with the Ometicayan boy. If mother finds out, she’ll literally flay the skin off my bones, she reminds herself. Caution was going to be absolutely crucial, and she figures that it’ll be another night of trying (and hopefully not failing) to sneak out to talk to Neteyam at eclipse.

Outside her pod, she could hear the comforting sound of village life. I wonder what he’s doing now. Surely he wouldn’t be spending a perfect day moping inside his marui pod. But then again, after talking to Kiri, she wasn’t so sure she really knew Neteyam at all. That thought made her heart sink. I never really knew him. I liked him, or I said I liked him, but did I really? Or did I just like the idea of him? Frustrated, she rubs a hand over her eyes. Awra couldn’t help but wonder how much more exactly of Neteyam she still had no idea about. All the more reason to talk to him I guess. So much for staying away, Awra. You really outdid yourself this time.

Awra sighed from where she lay on the ground, limbs spread out. She glanced over at the entrance of the marui, and began devising an escape plan for later tonight. Eywa, let this work.

#neteyam x reader #neteyam avatar #avatar way of water #avatar the way of water #avatar #avatar the movie #neteyam sully #neteyam angst #neteyam fanfiction #atwow

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wanderella-w · 1 year

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A snowy adventure (day 1-3)

It all started out well, when the three of us (Sofia, Rosa and I) left our Airbnb in Dunster in time to catch the 8:41 bus taking us to the start of the trail, Minehead. After buying our instant mac and cheese for dinner and some lunch snacks we were ready to go. Sofia joined us for the day, unfortunately she couldn't hike with us longer because her foot (previously broken) started to hurt again. We took a picture by the start of the trail and off we went into the woods. Thanks to the brochure "Did you know XX fact about Exmoore National Park?" in our Airbnb, we now knew that this was the only wooded coastline in England. And it was stunning. The forest looked lush with lots of branching tree stems, evergreen climbing plants and ferns covering the ground. As we climbed higher, the views we got of the sea to our right got better and better. We left the forest and took a break on a hill covered in red withered fern, green grass, and yellow goarse bushes. When I threw away my apple core into the goarse I got a criticizing look from Rosa with the words "leave no trace". Right: From now on this will be our life motto while we wild camp on the South West Coast Path (next to "pitch late leave early").

We said goodbye to Sofia after a break on the beach in Porlock Weir and made our way back into the forest onto the next hill, where we started to look for a camping spot. We found a perfect spot about one hour too early (see picture) but we enjoyed the view of the coastline, to where the trail would still lead us, from there. Our actual camp was directly next to the path and we were afraid somebody might pass but nobody did. Actually, we had seen almost no people on the path so far. Rosa waved me over and said "wow, look at the setting sun", "wow, beautiful!" I said, looking at the red ball hovering just over the horizon. Two minutes later, I looked again in awe. Then two minutes later again... wait.. the sun had moved up, not down. It wasn't the sun it was the rising moon!

The next mornig our tent was wet and had a little bit of snow on it of which I proudly took a picture. It was raining, so we were expecting the snow to disappear soon, but as we got higher and higher the rain turned into snow and soon the trees, bushes, and paths were covered in a thin layer of snow. We got to an area without trees and the wind picked up, luckily it was in our backs. Then, however, we had to take a turn to the left, and now we had to fight really hard against the wind, coming from the front left. The sea, which had been hidden from our sight before, appeared from beind a mountain to our right. It was foggy, and the snowy ground, the sea, and the grey sky melted together to one. To the left there was a way mark and a low wall (typical for an animal fence), to the right the path continued around a hill, as far as we could see right along the cliff. We communicated with handsigns that we would shelter behind the wall and talk. Puh.. we had a moment of rest to eat a muesli bar, and take a look on the map. We decided not to follow the path along the cliff bit to take an alternative path along the wall (sheltered but with deep snow) and over the hill.

"We have to go to the church!" Rosa shouted and pointed at it, when we were past the top of the hill. The snow was deeper here, and through goarse bushes we were making our way there. Unfortunately, the snow got into our shoes at this point. At the church we saw that the coast path continued further along the cliff. On the map, a pub was indicated somewhere to the left, but only a few houses were to be seen. We tried to reach it anyways, as we desperately needed it. Would it be open or not? We approached the "Blue Ball Inn", it did exist - that was great - but no smoke came from the chimneys. "Open all day" it read on a sign, but the windows were dark. The door opened, all tables were empty, "What can I get you?", the receptionist and bartender asked? "Tea, please", I said relieved, and Rosa said "For me too, please". Wohoo! We attempted to dry our shoes by the fire which the bartender lit soon after our arrival but it had little use. The bartender said that all tables for lunch had been canceled due to the weather exept for one, but soon some other guests arrived, seemingly locals. We also ordered some food and ended up staying for 2,5 hours. The Blue Ball Inn saved us!

In the meanwhile we had checked the map and saw that there were several alternative ways to get to Lynton, our goal of that day. We asked a friendly old couple at the table next to us which path they would recommend and they said that the one along the river Lyn would be lovely. We walked through the windless and actually beautiful valley relieved. We learned from signs along the way that the Lyn is protected by law!

In Lynmouth it was still raining and we were looking for a supermarket. Somebody walking past us said "You are not really camping out there with this whether, are you?". "Yes, we are" Rosa said. "Well, really adventurous you are then", the man said. "Yes yes", Rosa said smiling nervously.

We started walking into the woods again and after a while started looking for a camping spot. The spot where we ended up was far from ideal, it was again right next to the path and quite close to a couple of houses, but our legs (at least mine) were too tired to keep looking. Setting up the tent and eating dinner in the rain was not a lot of fun. I also found out that my sleeping bag got wet despite three layers of presumed waterproof fabric around it. We decided that we needed a BnB to dry evenything and also to recover from this slightly horrible day. The night was okay after all, and quite warm.

The next morning after we woke up at 5:30 we wanted to go to a public bathroom we had seen on the map. "Let's go", we both said and started walking into different directions. "Huh, I thought we have to walk back, we already passed it" "No I think we have to go straight, it still has to come". A look on the map clarified the situation and we could laugh about it. In the bathroom we filled up our water bottles, reordered our backpacks sheltered from the rain (yes, it was still raining) and called the BnB.

It was good that we got up so early because it turned out we would have the hardest day on the entire path in front of us with 800 ascension meters is total. Why did those rivers have to decide to flow into the ocean right were we walking?? This meant we had to go up and down and up and down again. Anyhow, the views form up the cliffs were beautiful and my personal highlight was that we saw five wild exmoor ponies that day. It was also only raining half the time, just enough to still keep our rain-pants on all the time.

Exhausted we arrived at the BnB in Combe Martin. We hung out all our stuff to dry, took a shower and even did some washing. The next day was going to be a sunny day so the clothes could dry on our backpacks. That night we slept really well.

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greegorygrimlee · 10 months

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First chapter of my story "Stuff for muse to fall alseep to" 🤣😂

I will put the audio recording here as well so its easier for you to read along. For now you just have to use the google drive version. I still haven't done chapter 2, but I didn't chapter 3! I'll put them here when I have both.

You have to wait though, cause I'm on my way to meet you in Taiwan xoc

Haneul woke slowly. Sleep made his eyes difficult to open, as did the bright light. "Why was it so bright?" He thought to himself. It shouldn't be this bright in his room, especially this early. He sat up but what he saw just made him more confused. He wasn't in his room at all. He was somewhere very white and bright, that was certain. It was as if the walls, floor and ceiling were just made of white, they were so bright. The bedding beneath his hands was softer than it should be too. In fact, as Haneul became more awake and better able to see the room around him, he saw that the whole room was sort of soft and fluffy, and the bright light in the room seemed to be coming from all of the surfaces rather than from a light or a window. "Where the heck am I?" Fear began to replace confusion in Haneul's brain.

He got up and moved toward where the door should be, but it wasn't there. Instead, Haneul was able to just keep walking. Not quite through the wall where the door should be, more like the wall just moved out of his way as he approached. A voice somewhere, he couldn't really tell where, began speaking.

"Hello, Haneul. Please don't be alarmed by what you see around you. You are perfectly safe here." The voice sounded so calm, so serene that Haneul felt safe and warm just hearing it.

"Where am I? Who are you?" Haneul's questions came out sleepily and unhurriedly, like he wasn't even really that interested in the answer. Haneul thought that was a bit weird, considering how much he wanted to know these things. But that safe and warm feeling from the voice did calm and comfort him. Wherever he was, it was so very comfortable. He enjoyed the silence between his questions and the voices' answers.

"This place has many names, but then also it has no name. As for me, just call me 'Ka'. You don't remember, but we know each other very well."

Haneul furrowed his brow and thought hard to see if he could remember who owned the voice. It did seem familiar, but not in a way that brought anyone in particular to mind. His curiosity was quickly drawn back to bigger questions though. Whatever this situation was, he needed to understand it. He could be in danger here, he realized. What if he couldn't get back home? What if he was stuck here? What if, what if he was dead? The safe and comfortable feeling began to fade quickly at that question.

"Ka, what's going on? Why am I here instead of in my room?"

"I don't know." Said Ka matter-of-factly. "Usually there is a reason, and usually I know the reason. But you being here is different. You being here doesn't seem to have a reason. I was hoping you would know, to be honest.

All the comfort and safety that the place had brought to Haneul was fading fast now. He felt a little bit of panic begin to build, though he was a little surprised it wasn't a whole lot more panic.

"Lets worry about reasons later" Said Ka's calming voice. "You are here now, therefore you should be here now. And since you are here now, I will show you what 'here' is. Or more precisely, what here can be."

The air around Haneul seemed to heave, and from nowhere a small woman appeared. She smiled at Haneul warmly and spoke, with the same voice as Ka, "Here is a magical place. It feels like a dream, and like in a dream you can imagine here to be anything at all." Old-woman-Ka waved an arm to her side and a small bush rose from the ground. It's bushy green branches grew and rose higher until Haneul saw before them a rather large apple tree, fully grown and as real as any tree Haneul had ever seen, despite it being in a place that Haneul had until just now been thinking of as his bedroom. Haneul didn't actually know what a real apple tree looked lke, but this was a real enough looking tree, and it was obviously an apple tree because hanging from its branches were more than a few nice red apples.

"This is a tree I have made," Ka began, her tone making it obvious that this was the start of a lesson. Haneul thought of his teachers at school, the better ones at least, and wondered if there might be an exam at the end of Ka's Lecture.

"And that, is a desk which you have made." Ka told him, gesturing towards the school desk that Haneul was now sitting at. Shocked, he got up abruptly from the small chair and stepped back to examine the thing that he, apparently, had just made out of nothing.

"I did that?" Haneul was incredulous.

"You did. I should tell you, be careful what you wish for here young man. Of course, you wouldn't be here if you could really imagine something terrible into existence, that is one of the rules. But even if you have the kind and skilled imagination required to be here, you should still be wary of imagining things into here that could cause problems. Waterfalls, for one, can be difficult. All that water has to go somewhere once you imagine it, so it's best to think ahead and imagine a nice long river for it to flow into as well. I'm sure you'll find enough difficulties for yourself soon enough, but try to think ahead, and try to remember that even the biggest problem just needs a solution to be imagined for it to stop being a problem, for you or anyone else."

"Anyone else?" Haneul looked about but the place was still empty except for him and Ka (Aside from the tree and the desk of course)

"Sure. Right now you're in an empty place, because I imagined it for you. I find it's best for new arrivals to be somewhere serene and calm. It can be quite an adjustment to make and besides, it's good to get used to how things work a little before going out into the world."

"There is a whole world here?" Haneul's mind was spinning at the possibilities.

"Of course! there is a whole world worth of imagining in each one of us, so there are as many worlds as there are minds to imagine them, perhaps many more now that I think about it." Ka herself seemed a little surprised that she hadn't already thought about it.

"Now, let's go see if we can make a start on your world. I have just the spot in my world from which you can start." Ka took Haneul's hand and led him through a quickly dissipating bright cloud of what he had been thinking of as a wall. As it parted, he saw through the disappearing mist green rolling hills, spotted here and there with small green bushes and trees. Haneul noticed some goats pulling at the lower branches of one tree, and a flock of birds busily landing and taking off again from another. Ka and he seemed to glide effortlessly but with some speed sccross these hills, stopping where the green grass did, at the top of a vast and rocky cliff.

A rough wind blew their hair about and tried to push them back from the edge until Ka held up her hand and it stopped. In the silence that followed, Ka gestured out into the empty space beyond the cliff's edge and said "Here you go, you can start imagining form here. You don't have to keep my green hills, nobody will mind if a desert suddenly begins here, or a sky city, or whatever you might like to imagine. Maybe start with something small, perhaps with a road in it to lead you to the next imagining place."

And so Haneul began imagining. For all he knew it was weeks or even months that he spent learning to imagine his world into existence with Ka from that first place. Eventually he slept, though he wasn't sure he needed to and. It just occurred to him that it might be nice to sleep and wake like he used to at home, so he imagined a beautiful big bed and then climed in and imagined that he slept soundly through a whole night.

Haneul kept the imagined day/night routine. It was comforting somehow, like a memory of home. Though his memories of home became fainter and less frequent now. Ka visited infrequently. Haneul found that he could call her and she would usually come, though sometimes she didn't and he would simply hear her voice, telling him she was a little busy and she would come soon. He didn't mind much, since there was so much imagining to do, and he became quite adept at imagining solutions to any problems that arose. The having of days meant also that he could reckon time, and it was some weeks of this new Haneul-time before he met someone new.

He was fishing off the small stubby wharf that jutted out into the river when dark clouds began gathering, signaling the start of a storm. Puzzled, he stared at the clouds as they blew in overhead. He hadn't imagined a storm, at least he didn't think he had.

"Hello there!" a girls voice called out and when he looked back down from the sky he saw a rather large pirate ship was approaching his wharf. Having gotten so used to umagining things by himself, and having control over all of his world, seeing this unexpected stranger, let alone the large pirate-looking ship they were on, sail up was quite a shock.

"Excuse me, what are you doing on my river?" He called out.

"Your river?" came the reply, "I think you'll find that I imagined this beautiful river to sail my beautiful boat on." The impudent woman stood posing like a triumphant admiral at the bow of the ship, hands on hips and chin pointed high in an arrogant and challenging way. Then she laughed loudly and jumped down onto the wharf next to Haneul and stuck out her hand.

"Pleased to meet you strange boy. I am Radya, queen of the seas. And you are?" She was dressed much like Haneul imagined pirates dressed, and he wasn't sure if she was genuinely being friendly or if she intended to rob him or make him walk a plank. Despite that, and despite the resentment he felt at her having claimed his river as her own, he took her hand anf shook it formally.

"I am Haneul. I'm not so sure that I am pleased to meet you." Wary as he was, he couldn't help notice just how pretty her eyes were, and that her hair seemed to shine in the sun, even though the sun was hidden by the dark storm clouds.

"Oh, I know who you are, Haneul. You are the boy who has no purpose. They say that you came here without a reason, just happened to appear one day in front of old Ka." She leaned in closer, as if to share a secret with him. "They say," she continued," that you imagined straight away, without any instructions. And, more importantly, that this whole day/night fiasco is your doing." She cocked one eye questioningly, seeming to dare him to contradict her.

"What do you mean, 'this whole day/night fiasco'?" he queried.

"I mean, that you've gone and decided for everyone that all the imagined worlds that exist now exist in time. Before you there was no day or night, no time at all. Time isn't a thing, a something that someone can imagine. To imagine something you first need to comprehend it, and there's no one that ever managed to imagine time before now." She laughed a little, "Although of course there wasn't a now before you went and made one. Or a before come to think of it." She flopped down into the rather comfortable looking couch she had imagined onto his wharf.

"And there wasn't an after either. But now there is. And now everyone is going to have to deal with getting older, and what comes after after. Because of you, Mr Haneul, everything will die."

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aliciaphen · 2 years

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☆ ALICIA’S MONTHLY MEDIA MENTIONS: AUGUST `22

hellaurrrr!!! I hope everyone had a great August. Recently, my poem + art piece about August starting making the rounds and I’m very grateful for everyone who supported and shared it - thank you! I hope as the season comes to a close, we all transition into a smooth year end. I didn’t make as much as I wanted to this month; but it has been quite eventful! I finished my summer job :( I miss it very much, hung out with my coworkers, got my full license, spent two weeks alone at my home, and had my first experience as a background actor (!) (I'm very surprised I got to cross that off my summer bucket list lol). Please forgive me - my media list might seem a bit short this month, but I hope to discover more throughout September ♡

Music: (August 2022 Playlist)

NewJeans 1st EP ‘New Jeans’ - NewJeans

Girl group debuts have been KILLING it these past two years. NewJeans is no exception. These girls slayed. Attention is a great debut song, Cookie is also super cute! I didn’t like Hype Boy on my first listen - it just didn’t sound much different than what other groups were putting out - but as soon as I saw some MEN hating on it, I flipped switch because I know (!) they’re making fun of those girls for no reason. Hurt is my least favourite track off the EP, but only because the other songs are so fun! A great summer release, and I wish these girls a bright future. I’m also unsure of the scandals going on with Min Hee Jin, but she is someone I really admire creatively. I trust she’s going to do NewJeans good, and I’m happy she’s founded a new group to be her muses and creative outlet.

Stupid - HYO

I go crazy to this shit honestly I wish I could dance well ‘cause this song is so fun to dance to, but alas....

Ending Credit - Uhm Jung Hwa

A great song to listen to if you’ve gotten over Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) by Kate Bush, but still want to enjoy those 80s synths.

Darkness - 2021 Remaster - Sweet Trip

LOVE this song. I wish I could make music so that I could make a song like this.

Off To The Races - Lana Del Ray

Ok. I never had a Lana phase, and I don’t think I ever will, but this song slays! She’s so expressive with her voice. She should release one of those Recording Behinds like idols do because I’m genuinely interested in what her process is.

Aubrey Plaza - Nick Ward

This is a very chill song - apparently it was in Never Have I Ever season 3, but I genuinely don’t remember it at all. Inspired by the cover for one of my latest art endeavours.

BLACKPINK 2021 ‘THE SHOW’ LIVE - BLACKPINK

If you constantly listen to BP, listening to the live albums are a bit more refreshing because of the different mixes. Particularly Don’t Know What To Do - Live has me ASCENDING into heaven. I say this with my chest - it’s better than the original. The transition between the songs in Love To Hate Me + You Never Know - Live is so sudden but SLAPS!!!

Fantasy - Mariah Carey

I murder this song when I sing along to it (and not in a good way).

This Is A Life - Son Lux, Mitski, David Byrne

I only watched Everything Everywhere All At Once one time - and quite frankly I don’t remember all the details of this mindfuck movie, including this track! It makes me feel like that gif where Kermit is floating in a circle in an inflatable pool.

Video:

Alice in Borderland (2020)

Surprised to see just how similar Squid Game was to Alice in Borderland. I NEED to know how they got into the game world. It’s a great show. I like the fashion/styling in the show as well. I actually recently got some grandma shirts, so I feel like I’d fit right in at The Beach.

Seulgi GOT The Beat Fancam

What can I say? Seulgi is the ace of the 3rd generation.

Ugly Delicious - Season 2

For some reason, I accidentally watched Season 2 before Season 1. I loved learning about different foods. I particularly found the episode on Indian cuisine interesting. The biodiversity of bananas and the importance of food at Indian weddings were particular points of interest for me.

Reading:

Enya Umanzor and Drew Phillips Talk ‘Emergency Intercom’ - Bailey Richards

I’ve been watching Enya since Vine and Drew since they started collaborating on YouTube. They’re both people I really admire creatively, and honestly the ‘Media of the Week’ segment on Emergency Intercom is the whole reason I started these Monthly Media Mentions. I’m happy to see they’re getting mainstream recognition and that they can express themselves beyond their podcast and own streams of social media.

The Wealthy Barber: The Common Sense Guide to Becoming Financially Independent - David Chilton

My aunt recommended me this book. I’m still in the middle of reading it. Honestly I don’t prefer this ‘storytelling’ style of giving advice because it is fictional. So far, investing 10% of your monthly income in mutual funds is all I’ve picked up.

Art:

Luca Meneghel for Vogue Portugal with Caterina Ravaglia

Such an awesome shoot. I love the unnaturally bright colours against blue hour and the intensely textured fabrics in the woods. Really makes the fashion stand out, but somewhere melds together to curate a great concept.

Miscellaneous:

This New York pizza dough recipe!

Takes like 2 days. Excellent outcome - worth the effort. I made a bunch of pizza for my family once they got back from vacation and they really appreciated it!

This red velvet crinkle cookies recipe!

I’ve NEVER made cookies that turned out so good. I always burn them. Leave them in the oven at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes and 30 seconds EXACTLY (suggested by my coworker)!

This chocolate cake recipe!

AMAZING. I did add a bit extra flour to make it more “solid”, but the original recipe is SO moist and delicious. Please make all these recipes.

#august #Alicia's monthly media favs #Alicia phen

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maddenleftchat · 3 years

Note

No worries about it taking longer to write, it was a long one-shot and it was really awesome to read! Seeing as requests are open again now... maybe XD with a darling who escapes occasionally, but always stays just out of reach and sees it as a fun game/confirmation he cares about them enough to come after them? (Ace Anon)

Ace anon....you smarty pants. Here have a loli pop 🍭!

Triggers: possessive behavior, threats, God complex, and yandere behavior. Please be careful when reading.

Enjoy

-DreamXD-

Oh...you foolish reader. The first time you pulled this off, he was….less than pleased.

The minute you left your home (which is where he keeps you), he knew you were gone.

But just to be careful, he tore apart your house.

There wasn't an inch that wasn't checked.

Once he found no trace of you, he immediately went into panic mode.

XD used his OP godly powers to track you down.

It took him like 10 minutes max, to find you in a bush by a river.

In frustration, and pettiness, he pushed you into the river.

Of course like any person, you screamed in surprise.

Once you emerged from the water, you were met with a very displeased XD. You gave a small wave and a shy smile.

But XD only picked up by the collar of your shirt, and began to walk back to your house.

He lectured you the entire walk.

And your punishment? No outside time for 3 weeks.

But that was only the first time you did something like this.

So the punishment wasn't that bad, but XD was very frustrated.

For the rest of the day, he had trouble focusing on his work.

His mind was completely centered around you and you attempting to run away again.

Though, a while passed, and you had once again ran away.

XD didn't know how you found away, but things went down the same way they had before.

This time, your face had a small smile when he found you.

He only rolled his eye and scoffed, this time when he took you home he didn't lecture as much.

But as the months went on, you some how kept finding a way to get out of your home.

XD slowly got more and more frustrated.

He was annoyed.

Why couldn't you learn to just stay put?!

This was like a game to you?!

Was this funny to you?!

Do you know how scared you made him for your safety?!

God!

Ugh!

He was about to give up on you as a darling.

He may be a god with patients, but even he has his limits.

And you, dear reader, were pushing them.

But the last time you hid went a little something like this:

You had somehow squirmed your way out of your home, and began to book it.

You knew the minute your feet laid foot on the ground outside your home, XD would know you were gone.

You ran in the opposite direction that you normally would.

You didn't run away because you hate XD. No this was the complete opposite. You did this to test how much he truly loved you. How far he would go to seek you out and save you.

And plus, to you this was like a fun game of hide and seek.

You climbed up a tall tree, cutting your hands and knees along the way. You stayed in the middle of the tree.

Knowing if you were too low, he could see you from the ground.

And if you were too high he would be able to see you from the air.

You were little aware of the raging storm of a god you had coming your way.

XD was just displeased or annoyed.

Oh no.

He was fuming.

You had been looking around for XD, but you didn't realize he was already under.

A strong gust of wind knocked you from the tree, and he let you fall to the ground.

You groaned from pain, and had the breath knocked out of you.

"What the hell?!"

"I do everything for you! I give you whatever you want! I let you roam outside during a certain time! I gift you with the finest gold! I drape you with the best silks! And yet you still run! Are you that ungrateful and stupid of a mortal?! Have I really been waisting my time with you?!" XD yells out in frustration.

But really who could blame him.

The tone of voice he used made your heart ache.

He...he didn't sound mad twords the end...he just sounded exhausted.

You slowly stood up, and cleared your throat slightly.

"You best be careful with your words mortal." XD warned.

You stopped yourself to reconsider his words.

As soon as you got your little plan together, you went through with it.

You had immediately dropped to your knees, and placed your forehead on the ground.

This took XD aback again.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you feel that way! I just wanted to see how much you cared…" you apologized.

"Stand." XD said.

You did as told.

After a long and slow talk, you ended up in your bed.

Your bed, with a gods multiple arms around you as you slept.

In short: XD would get sick of it after awhile. So I would recommend telling him what your intentions are. I'm sure he wouldn't mind playing hide and seek with you once in awhile.

Word count: 837

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Thanks for reading!

#dreamxd x reader #yandere dream #yandere dreamxd #dream xd x reader #dreamxd #yandere dsmp #dsmp x y/n #dsmp x you #dsmp x reader #dream smp x you #dream smp x reader #yandere dream smp

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madametrashbin · 3 years

Text

Wishful Dreaming

In which I pretend Part 3 of Inazuma’s story doesn’t exist and everyone is alive before shit goes down. Yes, people who read this, it’s time for best friend headcanons/drabbles/whatever the hell this is with Teppei. Honestly, it’s just no thoughts head empty right now and I might have gone off tangent a lot.

(And by a lot, I mean the majority of this piece, probably... by the way, credits to @streimiv and @myuni-moon for making my brain be hyper focused on Self Aware Cult Genshin... I can’t get it out of my head as of right now.)

Enjoy, even if it’s never going to be beta-read by anyone and I will never go back to edit this even if I find mistakes in this later on... and I also don’t know where my brain went for this, but what’s done is done.

I’m not even sure if I did his personality correctly, ahaha... (；^ω^)

(I’m going to project my denial in this, so please know it might be wince inducing and incredibly self-indulgent.)

The sun is bright at this time of day, the gentle breeze flowing through the tranquil lands of Inazuma, leaving those who are experiencing the nice morning in a blissful escape from its current reality.

...much like a young foreigner who had left their current abode, leaving behind a note for their caretakers to see as they wander around the land of Eternity for some true fresh air and peace of mind away from the group that had more or less made their life a little too suffocating as of late.

It is also incredibly lonely in there, as they come to understand that no one (for the most part) look at them like they were a regular human... like they were them.

So they now wander, taking in the rarity of solitude that does not come as easily as one might think. Inazuma is beautiful, even if they know that the peace they see around these parts are but a veil that shields the horrible reality going on around them.

(They know what was happening outside the city, outside the teapot they were living in since they were brought here. They’ve experienced it happening before, many times in fact. They know what will happen, and they’re determined to change it. They just need to find a certain someone, and then they’re set.)

Meeting Teppei was something you didn’t really expect all that much, considering you knew he should be still a part of the logistic division of the Resistance Army and would be busy in their current base that was all the way to Yashiori Island.

Yet by sheer luck, or by fate, you meet the good fellow on Narukami Island and had managed to make a pretty good friendship with him over the course of coincidental meetings.

You’ve come to learn a few things about the young man, and it was that he was a pretty trusting guy, didn’t even think twice of being friends with you... which was a little worrisome, considering what happened in the actual storyline.

That’s okay though, you’ll make nothing happens to him... he is one of your only true friends in this world, after all.

“Teppei.”

They call to him as the Resistance Samurai turned his head away from the sight of the Tenshukaku to them.

“Is there anything you wish for? I mean, if you could have one wish granted, anything you want, what would it be?”

The young man looked rather confused at them, before they briefly clarified that they were just curious. As much as they enjoy the peacefulness of silence, they wanted to know what he really wanted... wondering if he really wanted a Vision, for the acknowledgement of the Gods.

“What would I wish for...”

The young man was quiet for a while, no doubt mulling it over before smiling when he comes to an answer, his head lifting to look at the glimmering stars.

“I would wish for the war to end... for the Sakoku Decree and Vision Hunt Decree to be abolished so people won’t have to suffer anymore.”

“Really? Not a Vision, or something like that?”

“Well, having a Vision would be nice, but thinking about it... I think it’s better if everyone is happy. A lot of people are suffering, and even if I did get a Vision, it’s still pretty difficult to win the war against the Shogunate.”

They could only hum quietly in understanding after that, not really certain what else to ask him before he gives them the same question.

What do they wish for?

To go home. They would have said, but they chose not to because they knew there was probably little chance for them to be allowed to go home... Their “acolytes” are rather over-protective and notably possessive towards them, probably rampaging around Inazuma right now in search of them.

Well, they at least know what they’re going to do once they inevitably find them.

“Isn’t it time you should head back to your camp, Teppei?”

“Huh? Oh, right! It’s getting late! Then, if I have time, I’ll see you again!”

And he’s off in a rush, disappearing when he turned around the rocky walls and out of their sight. At the same time as he left, the bushes behind them rustle, and a frantic Zhongli appears with Venti following behind... both relaxed significantly once they saw them in perfect condition.

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you, Your Grace. It’s dangerous for you to go outside on your own like that.”

“Please don’t worry us like that again.”

They immediately take to their sides, quickly ushering them to head back to the Teapot before they stopped them in their tracks.

“Your Grace?”

“I need to do something. Will the both of you accompany me for this?”

...and by the following morning, an official announcement is made to all of Inazuma with the abolishment of both the Sakoku Decree and Vision Hunt Decree.

Teppei is rushing over to them with a beaming smile on his face when they meet again that noon, the young man happily shares the good news with them while they simply smiled and nodded along with what he said even if they knew the reason behind it.

They don’t tell him anything, nor mention that it was thanks to him that it ended... well, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

Extra, because why not:

It becomes a frequent part of your days now that the War in Inazuma was over. Hanging out with Teppei as often as you could, granted you’d have a few people trailing in the shadows at all times, watching over you so you don’t pull the same stunt again.

You have to spend a bit of time giving warning glares behind you whenever Teppei mentions the cold chills that makes his bones shiver despite the relatively warm weather.

When the two of you get roped up into a bit of trouble (whether by lingering Fatui grunts, stray Ronins or local Treasure Hoarders seeking to rob you), Teppei would always jump in between you and them, saying he’ll protect you as he holds his spear (that he brings with him out of habit).

...you thinks it’s endearing with how he’s trying to be brave, as you can see his hands shake just a tad bit due to the numbers.

But as much as you want to let him have his moment, you prefer that your friend doesn’t get himself hurt and therefore skillfully lead him away from the danger while the rest (your cult) dealt with them.

When you feel like the divine treatment is starting to get too overwhelming, and you’re feeling a little too lonely, you always make your way to Teppei who is there to provide comfort even if you never really talked about what’s troubling you.

Your friendship with Teppei is strong, even if you rarely talk about yourself to him and how he’s told you practically everything about himself.

There’s just something about that trust that bring you a lot of comfort... it gave a different feeling compared to Zhongli or Fischl’s kind of trust... it was warmer, and felt more like home.

You’re also very adamant in keeping him away from the whole cult business, not wanting him to think of you like how the others did... you don’t want to lose that friendship that practically kept you sane in this world.

The amount of times you have to keep reminding your cult to leave him be is absurd, and as much as they protest about him, the fact you’re upset at them for that is enough to get them to stop.

...for a while, at least. They go at it again for a while when Teppei does something they don’t like until you actually snapped at them. They stopped bothering him after that.

If Teppei does eventually find out about the cult, which will most likely happen because of Kokomi, you would be genuinely terrified in the beginning of it until he gives you proper reassurance that it doesn’t change anything.

Now he’s allowed to see you in the Teapot, often visiting with curious snacks he finds and occasionally sleeping over when you are feeling particularly lonely.

Overall, a very pleasant friendship to have. Being one of the few you can really be open with and not be concerned about how you’re viewed as.

Wholesome boy will always have your back whenever you need him... even if he is a little intimidated by the Raiden Shogun and the other intimidating acolytes that are a part of your cult.

#self aware genshin #genshin cult stuff #genshin impact x reader #yandere genshin x reader #I believe in platonic friendships #I have no braincells left #it was 12am when I started writing this #I barely slept before that too #idk what to tag honestly #tagging is hard #*dramatically screaming*

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giggly-squiggily · 2 years

Note

Hi, I know your in a writing hiatus but I want to know if you are going to do lers! ten-ren with Lee!muchihiro and sanemi and giyu revenge

Get some good rest and read you later 🤗❤️❤️❤️

Okay so- I know technically this isn't a request, but I wanted to add it the ever growing "Ten-Ren Tickle attack" Saga I'm creating! Thus I wrote a fic for it anyway! :3 I hope you like it friend!

Mild Content warning for Swearing!

“Cuhuhuhuhuht ihihihiht ouhuhuhut! Iihiihihihihm sehehehheherious!” Muichiro giggled, helpless beneath Rengoku’s playful fingers as they danced across his skin. He had only come to report his progress to Master Ubuyashiki- not to be dragged into Rengoku’s chaos.

“Hi, Serious! I’m Kyojuro!” Rengoku smiled brightly, laughing alongside the younger Hashria’s giggle fits. “Hehe, I’ve been saving that one for Senjuro, but you’re good to practice with!”

As the flame Hashira brought the younger boy to even brighter laughter and giggles, Sanemi and Giyu watched on- hidden away in nearby bushes as they planned their attack. “Okay- here’s the plan.” Sanemi turned to look at the other. “I’ll go in for a frontal assault- he’ll get distracted, which gives Muichiro a chance to escape and you a chance to sneak up. He won’t be able to tell you’re there because of how quiet you are.”

“I don’t know- this is Rengoku we’re talking about. He’s well trained. What if he just catches on?” Giyu asked, biting back a snort when Muichiro squealed.

“We’re trained too- don’t forget that dumbass.” Sanemi rolled his eyes, ignoring the glare he received as he turned his attention back to the pair. “Even if he catches one of us- it’s two vs one. We can overpower him.”

“Maybe- and I’m not a dumbass!”

“Are we really having this argument right now?”

“Take it back or I’m not helping.”

“What-okay, fine. I’m sorry, you’re not a dumbass. That was rude of me. Forgive me?”

“.....”

“Please?”

Giyu sighed. “Fine. You’re forgiven. For now.”

“You two are cute, but maybe you should make your move now?”

Sanemi swore, Giyu’s eyes widening when he whirled to find Tengen crouched behind them, eyes dancing with mischief. “Ten-Gah!” Sanemi yelped when the former shinobi grabbed him, pulling him into his arms. “Fuck! Giyu! Ruhuhuhuhn!” The Wind Hashira cried, falling into fits of laughter as the other dug his fingers into his stomach, already earning fresh bouts of giggles.

Giyu didn’t waste the warning, shooting to his feet and making a mad dash towards Rengoku. “Hang on Muichiro! I’m coming-Ah!” His cry of bravery was abruptly cut short when Rengoku lunged, grabbing the other around the waist and dragging him to the dirt path below. “Ren-whahahhahahahhait!” He was already laughing before the other squeezed along his ribs, finding all the sensitive spots. “Haha! Such a brave tactic! Alas, never underestimate the Flame Hashira, Tomioka!” He smiled along with the other’s growing laughter, delighted by the flushed yet happy expression on the other’s face. “My, what a bright smile! Someone’s enjoying himself!”

“Yohoohohohoohu duuhuhuhuhuhumbaahahhahass! Ihiihihihi tohohohoohld yohoohohohu tohoohohohoho ruuhuhuhuuhun!” Sanemi cried from his own tickle trap, trying in vain to push away the other’s relentless tickles along his ribs. “Tehehehhehehen gehehehehhet ohohoohohohff thehehehhehere-GAhahhahahahha nohohohoho!” He cried, ducking his head when the other gently blew against his ears. “Noohohohooht thehehehhe ehehehhars!”

“Aww! Is someone a little ticklish? Hm?” Tengen cooed, carrying on his playful assault against the smaller man. He was so caught up in his game he almost didn't see Muichiro trying to run away. “And where are you going, my dear Muichi?” He shot a hand out, grabbing the other and pulling him in next to Sanemi, hand vibrating against his belly. “Coochie coochie coo, little one!”

“Tehehehhehehehengehehehehehen yoohohohohou jehehehehherk!” Muichiro cried, falling into helpless laughter once more.

“Oo, nice catch, Ten!” Rengoku called, grinning as he brought his own victim to giggly tears. Deciding to be kind, he gave the Water Hashira a much needed break, watching as he suchked down breath after breath in recovery. “You have such a nice smile, Tomioka! You should share it with the world more often!”

“H-Hush! Don’t say that!” Giyu blushed, arms coming up to cover his face. Rengoku snorted, reaching out and poking the other’s armpits, making him jerk with a yelp. Laughing, he stood, turning to his partner in crime. “Oi, Ten, let’s give our dear friends some air.” “Good point!” Tengen laughed, finally releasing the two, watching them sink to the ground in breathless laughter. “Heh, you two are so cute like this- it's practically radiating flamboyancy!” He teased, ruffling their hair and narrowly avoiding Sanemi’s bite. “Oi, watch those teeth!”

As Tengen and Rengoku scurried off to who knows where- most likely to plan their next attack, Sanemi and Giyu shared a look of exhaustion, mildly frustrated their revenge plan came to fail. “Sohorry…I thought I could tahake him…” Giyu groaned, sighing.

“Eh…don’t worry about it. We’ll get him next time.” Sanemi reassured him, reaching out and gently flicking Giyu’s bangs out of his face. “Sorry for calling you a dumbass again…”

“It’s fine. I know you didn’t mean it.” Giyu reassured him, earning a small smile.

“Aww, it’s nice to see you two getting along!” Misturi’s sweet voice carried over the boys, making them look up. “And here I thought you two would never get along.” “Oi, hush! How long have you been standing there!” Sanemi growled, feeling his face burn but too tired to sit up and glare properly. Giyu closed his eyes, also too tired to fully engage.

“I just caught the tail end of it all. But really- are you two really gonna try to take them on again?” Beside her, Muichiro walked up, dusting off his clothes. “You’re only gonna get wrecked again if you do so.”

“We have to! It’s the only way to put an end to their tyranny.” Giyu nodded, a rare glint of determination in his eyes. He really was into this now.

“Okay.” Mitsuri kneeled, eyes twinkling. “You want me to help?”

I hope this was good!

#Demon Slayer #sanemi shinazugawa #giyu tomioka #tengen uzui #rengoku kyōjurō #muichiro tokito #mitsuri kanjiro #tickle #fluff #Ten-Ren tickle attack series #Ten-Ren Tickle Attack!

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justafairytailofinnocence · 2 years

Note

Can you do a part two to that volturi kings chess one like where she comes back?

Hello dear 💖 thanks for the request, I didn't expect someone to ask for a part two 😊. Please let me know if you want a part three. I'm happy someone enjoyed one of the fics.

I present part two of:

Volturi kings x chess player reader♟️🧛‍♂️

A game of life ♟️

Part two

You know that feeling you get when you wake up and suddenly your bloody old yeah, that’s me. Although I’m not an old lady thankfully, it’s been 5 years since I touched a chess board more so even played a proper game. I knew from the moment my dreams still haunt me of that day, I was about to die. So, if you’re still wondering if anything’s changed well, we moved and now I have a job, I guess you can call me the crazy cat lady that lives alone in her apartment. I haven’t really seen my parents in a while despite me being very close with them.

The memory of me collapsing in my parents arms was probably the most I’ve ever been relieved. I have no idea where the castle is and even more so it’s not like I want to go back. I would rather do an hour of running then ever meet them again. My luck and wit saved me plus even if I went back, I wonder what would happen. Would they make me a queen? Would they kill me? I don’t know. I was just a simple girl that cared for her family, sometimes I try to picture what power or “gift” as the weirdo put it. Mabey I could fly or shoot lasers out of my eyes, who knows but even if I did, I’m glad I don’t have to kill random people.

I was sleep deprived of course and it was 3 am, I wore a singlet with tracksuit pants, I know fancy right. I was watching videos on my phone when I felt restless, I decided to go for a late-night stroll. I zipped up my parker and went out, it was freezing of course, I walked from my block to the local park. I love it when I set myself in these situations for a murderer to grab me, my mind was zoning out to the sound of my music. I kind of like being alone it’s peaceful and no one talks about useless nonsense. I stopped when I saw something strange, the bush rustled, and I could’ve sworn I saw a blonde-haired kid. “Hey kids, you’re messing with the wrong person, I’m a cop” why I said that I don’t know, trying to scare people off is hard. I rolled my eyes and went off back to my block, my mind was playing tricks on me.

I eventually reached my apartment when suddenly I noticed a letter in my letter box, weirdly I thought it was kind of sketchy to have mail at 3am. I trailed my fingers against the paper picking it up, in that moment my heart dropped, and I fell to the floor in fear. The symbol on that letter, I knew exactly who it was. “Oh god, oh god they’ve found me” I got to my feet and picked up the encased envelope “V” the stamp read covered in crimson wine red. I tore through the paper to receive a note

“Dearest y/n,

How have you been since our last meeting, I must say I miss you terribly and I know we terrified you but my dear we don’t intend to hurt you.

My brothers and I have agreed it would be fair to start over, I must say you’ve fascinated us all. So, it was only fair to rid this feeling of loneliness with an invitation to a ball we are hosting.

If you agree we shall treat you with utter kindness.

Sincerely,

Your kings”

I ripped the piece of paper apart out of rage, did those morons expect me to come back after all I’ve been through. The word “kindesss” sounded so fake it was rather sickening, “When kings will fly” I replied with a hiss. I ran to my apartment hyperventilating, “why couldn’t jus have been handsome knights on horses” I huffed out of breath.

My mind was in a clutter, so I took the time to have a shower and hop into bed sleeping. My mind was adrift when I dreamed about the time, I was in Volterra:

My eyes were widened, no loner did I feel alive but merely dead; my dress was black going below my legs. It dragged along as I wore a crown. They waited for me, their crimson eyes following my movement as they glided up to touch my hands. All three caressed my cheek begging me for their permission to let me in.

Suddenly it was a ball, I was the main attraction as they came up to me each dancing within their own style.

Marcus danced slowly looking distantly into my eyes, his robes dragged along side my dress as we slowly danced in the moonlight.

Caius was the next person he danced somewhat faster; he was certainly more possessive as he gripped my waist as we spun into the moonlight.

Aro was more eager, he was more power hungry then the other two. We looked proper and he was showier than the others, dipping me as he smiled.

Suddenly, we stopped while I stared at all three of them, I felt their hands wrap around my throat as they all tried to claim me by biting into my neck.

I woke up cramping from the side, my neck felt bruised as my shoulders ached. It was only a dream of course, must’ve been that letter. It would’ve made sense but why in all of heavens did this happen now, were they waiting until the time was right. I assumed it was too good to be true and with that I’m finally convinced they won’t leave me alone unless I go.

I packed my things at 6 am along with the crappy sleep, I was going to book a flight to Volterra. I decided to leave my small abode to the devils cave. I wish I had my chess board right now and I wish my parents would just hug me saying everything is going to be alright. “Zombie y/n” my mother would call me mostly because I zoned out on my phone or my chess board. I was a lonely person back then but now it’s rather different, my parents weren’t going to see me again. To be honest I’ve gotten stronger since then if I’ve outsmarted them once before I can certainly do it again.

I kept my chest high, and my eyes set on beating them once again, they won’t kill me “a deals a deal”. Aro will keep to his word, he was rather more rational than Caius. I was certainly confused while dancing with each of them it seemed that Marcus was more sympathetic than the rest, he didn’t seem interested in the idea.

“Mam, can I see your passport” the flight attendant shook my shoulder “huh oh sorry here” I gave her my passport and boarding pass. I need to think if perhaps chess was the reason, I got out then they wouldn’t be stupid to verse me again. The head is tricky if he loses, he will certainly lose his sing song happy persona, even Caius wouldn’t speak against him. I could sense he almost snapped when I won that round, it was like hearing the devil growling at his future bride.

I sat down on the flight and looked out the window rather bored, so I’ll skip the boring details basically caught a taxi drove there and voila I’m at the town. My mind drifted off when I spotted the same beach, five years ago oh gosh. I really was an old lady, mentally of course.

I walked to past the towns people and through the town, it feels all to familiar. I still couldn’t understand Italian, and I’m not bothered to, learning another language takes too much time. I walked down the same path I remembered, the bushes and grass were overgrown; with luck perhaps they’re all dead.

I got a few scratches along the way ugh, I had no band aids, so the blood trickled down my arm and hand. After pushing through mother nature, I could see the castle in the distance, it seemed to have aged. I stared at the old castle, remembering those creepy twins, anyways I had to keep going unfortunately this isn’t one of those stories where I show up in a big ball gown wearing a crown. I was hot, sweaty, and covered in scratches, yep what a Queen I’ve turned out to be.

I’m expecting them to do the casual.

“Welcome to the castle my queen, we have a thousand big black dresses with riches available, you’ll be sleeping in a grand room with your best friend the torture twins, we all take turns revealing our deepest darkest fantasies about you”.

I certainly don’t know why I prefer that at least I won’t be dead. I watched as my hands touch the stone walls, I was out of breath of course. I kept walking around to at least find the front of the entrance but to no avail. I had no doubt that becoming a vampire would be the typical love story that everyone craved. I had a weirder version involving three kings.

“Y/n” a cold voice shouted at me from behind “The masters have been waiting come”. I was stunned, no “hello” or “welcome Frankenstein’s bride”. I replied “hello twiglet” all I got in response was a glare. I kept my mouth shout after that, I forgot she could snap my neck in a simple second.

We walked through the doors to the grand hall, I had a deep feeling in my gut Aro still hated me for beating him at chess. I watched as we made it to the throne room, “they await you in here” the girl stood to the side.

I slowly opened the doors and walked into the room looking like the fanciest princess they had ever seen, one covered in sweat and scratches that is. “Ah look who’s finally returned” Aro immediately noticed me, his voice still gave me shivers. “H-hello” I stuttered obviously afraid “she’s still frightened after all these years” Marcus whispered in a husk. “Even after all you’ve witnessed your still afraid, how fascinating” Aro clasped his hands together invested in the sight before him. “How was your little adventure” I wanted to run, run, and leave this horrible place. “Listen I know what you’ve said before, but I want you to leave me alone for good” I spoke determined however all he did was laugh, he laughed like I was just a dying doe.

“Silly girl, we don’t intent to kill you right dear brothers” he was keeping his cool it was obvious he didn’t want me to win. “You must be famished my dear” he came close to hold my hand “forgive me but your gift, it’s full of power” he was fascinated to see my deepest secrets. “So that’s what you’ve done after you left, settling in and oh…” His face lost his enthusiasm, he frowned at one scene of my memory. He no longer seemed happy more so concerned “is everything alright dear brother” Marcus spoke up seeing this new reaction they had never witnessed before.

“Indeed…” he was stone cold, like he had no longer a smile. I wondered what he saw in my head however his happy persona returned once he let go of me. “What did you see, was the girl plotting to kill us” Caius hissed “no it was…oh don’t worry mortals memories can be quite fiddly”. “You didn’t answer my quest-“ Caius was cut off with a hiss “and as I said everything is PERFECTLY normal do not doubt me brother”. I could see his annoyance, the man nearly snapped it was like if you cross him your bound to die. Caius silenced himself as Marcus looked the other way, he knew better then to speak against him.

“Can I go now, great seeing you” Felix grabbed me from behind “my dear we aren’t done yet” my eyes widened. “You see a ceremony is in order and we can’t have you leave” in that moment I knew exactly what that meant “Get her ready and one of us shall decide whom she shall claim the girl”.

The three walked away as I was dragged out into what looked like a bathroom, I was given a plain black dress why they had it I have no idea. I had no choice, I had to play along although one thing laid in my mind, what did he see that was so concerning. I could tell he was afraid of something all monsters are, even if it may be the most ridiculous thing.

I put my hair into a neater bun while washing all the grime off my face prepared to head into the kings coronation ceremony. I stuttered while trying to think of a way to out smart them when suddenly I remembered, I read this in lemony snicket somewhere.

I was prepared ready to head off to get hitched to the three kings, my mind was determined. I walked out of the bathroom with Felix guarding my every movement of course he was given permission to kill me if things get out of hand. It was me or the law obviously they were going to choose the law.

I watched as they stood there ready for me to turn “Magnifico” with a sly smile. I spoke above them before “wait shouldn’t I sign legal documents before I go through with this, I mean it’s human law” I smiled. They all looked at each other, Aro agreed to the decision he saw it was only fair for a human to have their side.

“Very well dear sign your deed away” I smiled before signing the documents with my left hand. You heard that right my plan was to sign with my left hand so that way it wasn’t in law. However, before I could even touch the paper Felix caught my hand “do you really think I’m a fool dear” he smiled. “You realize I’m not letting you escape; you fell into my trap silly girl” his voice raised with a joyous tempo.

With one movement he rushed towards my side and bent me to the floor as my fears stood correctly. I could feel the jarring pain as he sunk his teeth into my neck “brother this wasn’t the part of the plan” Caius sneered. “Our brother is correct; the girl hasn’t chosen” Marcus whispered, “Oh is that so forgive me my dear” Aro stood up.

I looked at him with tears filling my sockets “still frightened truly a shame” he placed his palm under my cheek. “I will never end up marrying either of you” I spoke firmly. “You will choose my dear or we shall kill you” he whispered with a laugh. With that I was pulled hard somewhere within the tower “You have three days, remember my dear we give no second chances”.

I tried to pull against Felix, but he was strong as the twins stood by merely watching the scene unfold. “We should just kill the girl she is annoying” alec smiled secretly, Jane smiled back at her twin “Indeed”.

Today I just met the cruellest men in the world, I escaped hell only to be brought back once more. I will be married in three days, whom I’m not sure it’s out of my control.

Mum, Dad if you’re hearing this,

I’m sorry.

Anyways that's all I have for now:

Ta Ta 💫

#twilight x reader #twilight oneshot #volturi oneshot #volturi kings x reader #marcus volturi x reader #caius volturi x reader #aro volturi x reader #marcus volturi #caius volturi #aro volturi #twilight #twilight saga #twilight saga fanfiction #volturi x you

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hajimine · 3 years

Note

Hi Lex! I’d like to request what Bokuto, Akaashi, and Iwazumi would likely do and or gift you for your anniversary? :) and maybe even what you’d get him!

➵ WHAT THE HAIKYUU BOYS DO FOR YOU ON YOUR ANNIVERSARY

a/n: oooh this is so cute! i’m leaving out the part for what you’d get him bc it’s getting too long hehe <3 also please let me know if you prefer this hc format or my usual ones!! request rules

type/genre: headcanons; fluff fluff fluff!! kinda cheesy but it is what it is

PLEASE REBLOG IF YOU ENJOYED <33

✿ BOKUTO KŌTARŌ

first thing in the morning, bokuto will knock on the bedroom door and enter with a huge bouquet in his arms, practically covering his broad torso.

his way of waking you up consists of peppering your whole face with little kisses and sealing it with a final kiss on the lips.

he would happily tell you all about the picnic he planned out for the two of you.

like the gentleman that he is, he’ll carry the giant wicker basket filled with cute mini sandwiches, pre-peeled oranges and a jug of sweet peach tea in his arms.

he sets out a large blanket on the grass for both of you to sit on, and bo wanders around while you take the pre-prepared food out.

after half an hour, he’ll come out from the bushes with a handful of white daisies in hand, eyes sparkling with glee.

“why’d you keep giving me flowers today, bo?” you ask, grateful but confused.

he plucks one of the daisy stems from his grasp and tucks it behind your ear, smiling brightly as he admires your face.

“it’s because you’re beautiful,” he beams, “and the flowers are beautiful! it matches perfectly.”

even after all this time, you’re still caught off guard by the genuineness in his voice.

whenever he says these things, he’s not just being nice—he’s being honest, which is what makes it so much more special.

✿ AKAASHI KEIJI

akaashi wakes up extra early in the morning to cook you breakfast.

he’ll take time to make homemade pancakes for you—from scratch!

he would gently knock on your door and carry the plate filled with pancakes to the bedroom so that the sweet scent of vanilla is the first thing you wake up to in the morning.

both of you might eat breakfast in bed together while watching the latest episode of your favorite TV show.

after you’re done enjoying the fresh pancakes, he draws you a relaxing bath and tells you to get ready for the plans he arranged for today.

the two of you decide to have a quick lunch in your favorite restaurant—the place where you had your first date with akaashi

after you’re done eating, he kisses the back of your hand and guides you to the planetarium, where he had booked out the whole venue for the evening

and when you gape at him in disbelief, he would only smile and press a soft kiss on your forehead.

“i don’t deserve any of this,” you sniff.

“you deserve the world, angel.” akaashi says, eyes full of tenderness, “i want you to know that, and i’ll do everything in my power to make you happy.”

he takes your hands and gently places them on his shoulder, smiling softly when you clasp your fingers together on the back of his neck.

the two of you sway along the planetarium’s background music, foreheads touching, like there’s no one else more important than each other.

“i love you,” you whisper, eyelashes fluttering as akaashi plants a small kiss on the tip of your nose.

“i love you too,” he says, voice firm and unwavering.

✿ IWAIZUMI HAJIME

you wake up to iwaizumi waiting for you in the kitchen, brewing a cup of hot coffee.

he doesn’t even need to ask how you want your coffee made, he practically knew it by heart after years of being together.

he sets the mug on the table and presses a small kiss on the crown of your head before walking over to the couch, nervously reaching over for a big scrapbook filled with pictures of the two of you over the years, accompanied with little notes beside each one.

as you admire the amount of care he puts into making this album of your relationship, he hands you a cream envelope and motions for you to open it.

inside, there were two tickets, yellow in color, for a ride on the ferris wheel during the sunset.

he cooks you some homemade curry and rice, and urges you to eat it quickly so you can catch the train in time for sunset.

he held your hand tight the whole way there, and still refused to let go when you’re on the ferris wheel.

it was only when your carriage stops at the very top for a few short seconds that iwaizumi lets go of your hands to cup your face instead, kissing you softly, gently.

“i know i’m not always the best in expressing my love in sentences, but i hope you can truly feel how much i love you.” he sighs, offering you a half smile.

“oh, hajime,” tears are forming in your eyes, “you make me feel like i’m the most loved person in this world.”

his thumb grazes your cheekbone as he looks you in the eyes, eyebrows furrowed.

“well, you’re the most loved person in my world,” he mutters bashfully, “and you deserve it all. really.”

#❀ —𝐁𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐉𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu headcanons #bokuto koutarou x reader #akaashi keiji x reader #iwaizumi hajime x reader #haikyuu!!#haikyuu imagines #bokuto fluff #akaashi fluff #iwaizumi fluff #haikyuu x you #!bokuto #!iwaizumi #!akaashi

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soobmint · 3 years

Text

paper hearts | choi soobin [f] ; [c] 80s! au, 9.6k words

s u m m a r y ; if there was one thing you wanted to avoid on valentine’s day, it was running into your ex best friend, choi soobin. but when a series of unfortunate events involving too much purple eyeshadow, drunken punches, and one stolen bicycle leads you right back to his side, you begin to realize that maybe you truly belonged with him all along.

c o n t e n t s ; soobin x fem!reader, 80s! au, valentine’s day, ex best friend! soobin, rich boy! soobin, but he’s a major dweeb and the biggest softie, yeonjun is a major prick (i’m so sorry junnie), reader is a part time worker, soobin is best friends with lee felix of stray kids, some themes of social classes, roughly inspired by the 80s movie “pretty in pink,” mentions drugs, alcohol, and single parent households, mostly just fluff, fluff, and more fluff, with a hint of crack/humor

n o t e ; hello friends! this was a very quickly planned, last minute valentine’s day idea, and it’s actually a collab with one of my dearest friends, @chanluster ! she posted her piece of the collab as well, you can check it out by going to the collab masterlist here! this was so much fun to write and i think that 80s! soobin was just too good of a concept to pass up! anyways, happy valentine’s day, i hope you enjoy this oneshot! do leave a like, reblog, or comment if you could, it really helps so much <3

[back to my masterlist] [oneshot playlist]

IF ONE MORE CUT-OUT, CRAFT-PAPER HEART HIT YOU IN THE FACE, YOU WERE GOING TO QUIT YOUR JOB.

Of course you would never actually quit. With your mother out of the picture and your father working nonstop overtime just to barely have enough cash to put food on the table for the both of you, you had come to rely on your minimum wage part-time hours more than you liked to admit. However, the handmade strings of paper hearts that hung from wall to wall throughout the entirety of the record shop you were employed at was enough to make you consider it; not to mention the Phil Collins record that had been spinning all day, filling your ears with melodies embodying the very air of romance, and the embarrassing pink sweater your boss had forced you to wear. You mumbled curses beneath your breath as you pulled at the collar, itching away at your neck.

When you made a step towards a crate full of records, ready to tidy it up after a customer had rummaged through it leaving it a mess, you were met with another face full of cheap red construction paper. With a large growl of exasperation, you swatted at the hearts and accidentally caused the entire string of them to fall to the ground. You cleared your throat, glad that no customers were present to see your little outburst.

Your boss, Jen, still saw it all.

“That’s not very festive of you, kid,” She said, taking a drag on her cigarette. “It’s Valentine’s Day! Lighten up.”

“Ah, my bad. I forgot that I was supposed to be overjoyed on the day honoring the execution of St. Valentine,” You said as you gave her a sarcastic smile. “I’ll make sure to smile at the next couple that walks in and ask them how they plan to contribute to the commercialization of a martyr’s death.”

“You must be real fun at parties,” Jen mumbled. She shook her cigarette at you from behind the counter. “You’re just bitter because you don’t have a valentine. I can’t blame anyone for giving you the cold shoulder with that attitude of yours.”

You scowled, picking up the string of hearts that you had sent crashing to the floor. “I’m not bitter, and I don’t want a date. Also, I told you to stop smoking inside! It smells awful.”

“Last I checked, this was my shop, not yours.” You rolled your eyes as you approached the counter, handing the discarded string to Jen so she could throw it in the trash. “Now you’re making me do chores for you too? You’ve got some nerve, I’ll give you that.”

“Jen, please, I’m really not in the mood for this today.”

Jen shrugged, bending towards the trash can to throw away the string of hearts when she paused and pulled something from the bin. You glanced over your shoulder and gasped when you saw what she held in her hand—a small red envelope with your name scrawled across the front and a pink heart-shaped sticker stuck on the back.

“What’s this?” Jen asked, opening the envelope and shaking out the contents. A single slip of paper fell out, landing atop the counter. You rushed to grab it, but Jen snatched it up just before your fingers reached the countertop.

“Give me that,” You insisted, face growing warm. “I threw it away for a reason!”

“It’s an invitation to a party?” She seemed beyond surprised, glancing back and forth between you and the paper several times. “You got invited to a Valentine’s Day party, and instead of going, you asked me to give you extra hours? Why?”

You looked down at your feet, digging the toe of your sneaker into the blue carpet. There were, in fact, many reasons why you did not want to go to that party. They were as follows:

One: Choi Yeonjun was the one who had invited you. After you had rejected his offer when he asked to take you to a basketball game a month before, you could barely make eye contact with him in the school hallway without feeling guilty. That and the fact that he was one of the richest preps in the school, you knew he had just been asking you out for some sort of prank or dare that you preferred to not potentially fall victim to.

Two: you needed to work as much as you could. Money, as always, was tight for you and your father. There was no way you would sacrifice precious hours to go to a party full of rich kids where nothing but humiliation was sure to await you.

Three: your old childhood friend and the one person you couldn’t bear to see was probably going to be there—Choi Soobin.

You had barely spoken to Soobin in the four years you had been in high school. Crossing paths with him in the cafeteria, turning down the same aisle of books as him in the library, all those tiny stolen glances and accidental encounters were the only bits of interaction you had kept throughout all that time. The worst part was, he hadn’t done anything wrong.

It was nothing but your own cowardice that had driven the two of you apart, and you were still too afraid to own up to it.

Instead of explaining all of this to Jen, you simply shrugged and said, “I dunno. It just sounds lame.”

Your boss sighed, holding the invitation out towards you. “Okay, I’m letting you off early. Go to the party.”

With wide eyes, you shook your head immediately. “Absolutely not. Why in the world would I go?”

“Well, first of all, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. Who knows when your next chance to go to a party will be.”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at that.

“Second, it’s a holiday! The only reason I even opened today was because you were begging me for hours. I thought it was because you were bummed about having no plans, but clearly it’s because you wanted an excuse to be a recluse.”

“Hey, I’m not a recluse.”

“Clearly.” She shook the invitation at you once more, brows raised. “If you go, I’ll raise your pay by fifty cents for the next month.”

Your ears perked up at that.

“Well?” She asked, well aware that she had hit the jackpot. “What'd ya say?”

Weighing the risks against the benefits, you bit the inside of your cheek.

“Make it a dollar and you’ve got a deal.”

“HAPPY VALENTINE’S, CHOI.”

When Soobin heard the sarcastic remark coming from his best friend, Felix, he had to fight back the urge to burst into tears then and there. He still wasn’t quite sure how Felix had convinced him to come, but he was already regretting it. The last thing he wanted to do to celebrate the day dedicated to love was spend it at a house party—or, as Soobin preferred to call them, any outcast high school kid’s version of hell on earth.

With a quick peek between his fingers, which he had used to cover his eyes immediately upon arriving at the site of the Valentine’s party, Soobin caught another eye-full of couples getting all too familiar with one another out in the open. He gulped, letting his hands grip the handles of the bike as he averted his gaze, choosing to cast his best glare at Felix, who was busy adjusting his ever-present beanie.

“Shut up,” he murmured, slowly sliding off the seat of his bike. He dusted off the worn, tearing cushion, glancing around the area. “Now quick, we gotta put our stuff somewhere safe.”

Felix looked aghast, making no moves to help Soobin in his search for a hiding spot. “What are you doing?”

“Tryna find a safe place for my bike?” He thought the answer to be somewhat obvious, but clearly Felix wasn’t on the same track of thinking. “You don’t know today’s world! Anyone is willing to steal nowadays.”

“Soobin, your bike is coughing up oil from its chains. It should be in its own care home at this rate.”

“I don’t wanna hear your slander, skater boy,” Soobin retorted, eyeing Felix’s ebony skateboard that he refused to be seen without. As if on cue, when he pushed his bike forward, the chains squealed, drawing the attention of a pair of particularly passionate individuals who had been wrapped up with one another moments before. Soobin ignored their annoyed stares, feeling his ears burn from embarrassment. He glanced back to Felix. “Help me find a hiding spot.”

Felix was anything but enthusiastic, but he began to help Soobin search nonetheless.

“Slide it in here, Soobs,” Felix called a few moments later. He was pointed to an empty space between the home’s perfectly trimmed bushes. Soobin pursed his lips together, pushing his large glasses further up the bridge of his nose—a nervous tick of his. Felix groaned, rolling his eyes. “Or you can leave it out in the open so it’ll spit more oil on the passersby? Is that what you want?”

“Fine, fine!” Soobin huffed, wheeling his bike over to the shrubbery, chains squeaking all the way. He carefully laid it beneath the brush and moved a few branches to cover it up nicely. He stood up straight, dusting his hands on the front of his loose blue jeans. “What about your skateboard?”

Felix gave the board a pat, awarding his most prized possession a dazzling smile one would expect to see a proud father giving his beloved son. But in reality, it was the school’s stoner grinning ear to ear at his old, dusty skateboard. “Nightrider stays with me.”

Soobin scrunched his nose, cringing on instinct. He still calls that thing by that stupid name?

Felix clapped him on the shoulder before he could make a remark, catching him off guard when he said, “Right. Let’s go and get your girl.”

There was nothing Soobin could do to stop the flush that rushed to his cheeks right away. Images of you, his ex-best friend and the only reason he had even come to this party in the first place, flashed through his mind. Had he not overheard Yeonjun invite you earlier that morning and then casually mention the encounter to Felix, there was no way he would have even stepped foot out of his house that night. Part of him was peeved, wishing he had never uttered a single word about you to his overbearing friend. Yet, deep down, there was hope within him—the tiniest sliver.

If there was even the slightest chance that he could talk to you that night, he would do anything. Even if it meant dealing with a stupid party, and the never-ceasing teasing he was bound to continue receiving from Felix.

“Don’t even say that,” He said, emphasizing each word as they walked up the front steps. Soobin had to glance down at his much shorter friend to see the devious grin on his freckled face.

“Say what? That she’s your girl, your woman, your one and only?”

The blush must have been creeping to his neck by that point. He could feel it. “I. . .” There were many things Soobin wished to say; angry words that would hopefully shut the blonde skater boy up real quick. But he couldn’t bring himself to say a single harsh word, so he sighed in defeat. “I can’t even say it.”

“That you hate me?” Felix only grinned even bigger, and Soobin couldn’t help the tiny defeated smile that slipped over his features. “Oh, I know. It’s because I’m too good of a best friend.”

They stepped into the house then, instantly being overwhelmed by loud music, boisterous laughter, and drunken yells echoing throughout the halls. Soobin latched onto Felix right away, gripping his friend’s sleeve as someone stumbled into him, a bit of beer spilling from their cup. He pushed his glasses up, only for them to slide right back down as he began to sweat.

“Maybe we should go home, Lix!” Soobin shouted to be heard over the noise as they travelled further into the house. “We can always try next year!”

“Stop being a scaredy-cat!” Felix shouted back, and Soobin thought he might actually begin to cry as they squeezed their way into the living room. Soobin nearly gagged at the strong smell of alcohol as it burned in his nose. The scene was nothing short of a nightmare to Soobin—loud voices, smoke rising in the air, vodka assaulting his nose and sweat beading on the back of his neck. He had never been one to drink, and he didn’t plan on starting that night; but he was beginning to understand what Felix meant when he had once told him it was nearly impossible to get through one of these parties sober.

He was about to make another complaint and beg to leave when someone from the crowd hollered his name, causing him to wince when he recognized that voice as the one that belonged to none other than Choi Yeonjun.

“Soobin! Where you been?”

Soobin smiled nervously at the school’s heartthrob—and textbook snobby rich kid—before he turned back to Felix. He didn’t want to leave his friend, but he knew that he would never hear the end of it if he ignored Yeonjun’s persistent calls. “I’ll be right back,” He promised Felix, still holding onto his sleeve.

“No, no,” Felix assured. “You go. You’ll probably find her around that place anyway.”

Soobin wasn’t so sure of that. You were definitely not of the right social standing to be caught amongst the circle of the school’s rich boys—which was why it had surprised Soobin that Yeonjun had invited you to the party in the first place. Your high school had its own caste system, and you were near the bottom of it.

And, as much as it pained him to admit it, Soobin was stuck at the very top with all the other rich snobs who cared about nothing more than their daily allowances that came straight from their daddy’s bank account.

“What about you, buddy?” He asked Felix, desperate for any excuse to remain by his friend’s side. He would have tried to bring Felix with him, but his friend was in an even worse social standing than you were—he was poor, and he was most known for being the school’s pothead. There was no way Soobin would willingly drag him into a situation where nothing but slander and torment awaited him.

“Me?” Felix shrugged, gripping his board tighter. “I’ll just smoke away the night.”

Soobin pouted, glancing back at the group of preps as they called for him once again. He sighed, clapping Felix on the shoulder. “Just make sure you won’t smell too much of it when I come back.”

Submitting himself to his doom then, he turned on his heel and slowly made his way to where the group of boys sat near the sofa, giving them a half-hearted wave.

“Why were you hanging around that Felix guy?” Yeonjun asked once Soobin had reached their circle. “Did he blackmail you or something?”

Soobin frowned, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “He’s my friend.”

Yeonjun rolled his eyes, brushing a hand through his perfectly-straightened ebony locks. “Sure he is. Tell me, do you see every kid you find on the streets as some sort of personal charity project? Or is it just Felix and—what was her name—” He snapped his fingers then before he said, “Y/N, right?”

Soobin didn’t respond—well, it was more like he couldn’t respond. By nature he was a very passive being, but nothing drew him closer to bouts of anger than when the people he cared about were being insulted right before him.

Especially when it came to you.

Yet, as much as he wanted to tell Yeonjun off or give him a nice shove into the smoke-stained walls, words failed him. They always did. Perhaps this was why you had abandoned him all those years ago. Nobody knew him better than you did, so of course you were able to see what he truly was beneath all the expensive clothes and nervous laughter—a coward.

He figured that he’d probably have left himself too.

“Drink up, buttercup.” The chipper voice that belonged to the other Choi in the small gathering of socialites, Choi Beomgyu, thrust a plastic red cup towards Soobin’s chest.

He shook his head, throwing another wavering smile in his direction. “No thanks. I don’t drink.”

Yeonjun rolled his eyes. “Of course you don’t. Why are you even here then?”

Once again, Soobin chose silence as his only response. He swallowed, patting the front pocket of his denim jacket. As the group of boys began conversing once more, he couldn’t help but let his eyes wander around the room, searching every drunken face for the features that belonged to you, trying to hear your name in every conversation, desperate for your voice to break through the blasting music and shouting voices.

“Who ya looking for there, Big Choi?” Soobin grimaced at the nickname. He was skinny, but incredibly tall, and nobody would let him forget that. “Big Choi” was one of his most common nicknames among the elitists. He despised it, but of course, he would never voice that aloud.

He glanced at Beomgyu and smiled nervously again, shaking his head. “Nobody.”

His eyes met Yeonjun’s and he gulped yet again as the latter eyed him with suspicion. It wasn’t as though he had anything to hide, but something about Yeonjun’s calculating gaze made his skin crawl.

He needed to escape. Just for a moment, at least.

“I’ll be right back. Going to find some water.”

He slipped out of the living room then, apologizing profusely to each couple he accidentally bumped into, bowing in remorse to each person’s toes his big feet happened to stumble over. He ached to be by Felix’s side—the stoned skateboarder had become somewhat of a security blanket to the taller of the duo—but his blonde friend was nowhere to be seen.

After snagging a bottle of water from the kitchen, Soobin managed to slip into an empty bathroom. He slammed the door shut and wasted no time in locking it. Letting out the biggest sigh of relief, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the door, taking a big gulp of the ice cold water.

He set the bottle on the counter and carefully reached into the front pocket of his jacket, his fingers finding the piece of paper he had been storing there all evening. He pulled it out and let his eyes wander over his middle school creation. It was a big heart, cut out from a scrap piece of red construction paper. Scrawled across it in his eight-grade handwriting were the words, Be mine this Valentine’s! His name was etched at the bottom, and at the very top, delicately printed in hot pink glitter glue, your name was written as well.

He had planned to give this to you four years ago on Valentine’s day. Everything had been planned out perfectly; he was to pick you up on his old, trusty bike. It wasn’t really made for two people, but the two of you had fashioned a makeshift extra seat for you to sit upon whenever you went places together.

He wanted to take you to the Dairy Shack, which was the local ice cream shop where the two of you spent the most time together. You always got a large chocolate shake to share, playing a quick game of rock, paper, scissors to decide who got to eat the cherry on top. He was going to order a shake and specially ask for two cherries that time, and planned to give both of them to you before he would bravely present you with the handmade card he had spent all day working on.

However, when he waited for you outside your house that day, the red dusk turned to pitch black night, and you never stepped foot out your door.

He had even gone up to your door a few times and knocked, but there was no answer. Eventually he pedalled off into the night, back to his house. He was disappointed, of course, but more worried than anything else. He had hoped you weren’t sick.

But when he saw you at school the next day, he knew that hadn’t been the case.

And when you ignored him calling your name as you passed by him in the hallways, he knew that something had drastically changed.

For weeks, Soobin was in great turmoil as he replayed your last few encounters together before you had stood him up. Perhaps you were angry that he had won the last few games of rock, paper, scissors? If he had known, he would have given you all the cherries for the rest of time if it meant you would still talk to him. He didn’t care about them—he cared about you.

He missed you.

And as weeks turned to months, and months turned to years, you still barely spoke to him, and he missed you more and more. The best friend he had wanted to take a step closer to had taken a thousand steps back from him, and he still had no idea why.

But that night, he was determined to find out.

Well, if he could muster up the courage to get a single word out, of course.

He folded the heart back up and stuck it back in his pocket, taking a deep breath as he observed himself in the fogged-up mirror. He fixed his bright blue hair that Felix had helped him bleach and dye, making sure the pieces fell over the corners of his eyes just right. He straightened his white turtleneck and cuffed the sleeves of his denim jacket until he was at least somewhat content with his appearance.

“You can do this, Soobs,” He told himself, adjusting his big round glasses further up the bridge of his nose. “That’s what Felix would say.”

“Hey, rich boy!” A loud scream came from outside the bathroom door, accompanied by harsh knocking that sent Soobin stumbling backwards until he fell in the shower, pulling the curtains down with him.

“Hurry up in there! I’m about to piss myself!”

Soobin let out a shaky sigh, scrambling to his feet as he rushed to fix the curtain he had torn down with his clumsiness. “Sorry,” he mumbled, though he doubted the person on the other side of the door could hear him.

He realized then with an ever growing dread that it would be a miracle if he survived the night long enough to even find you, but it would take the work of God himself for him to actually speak to you.

He figured it was time for him to start praying.

YOU KNEW IT WAS A MISTAKE TO LET JEN DO YOUR MAKEUP.

When she had stopped you on your way out the door with a compact of bright purple eyeshadow, you had turned her down right away. No way in all of creation were you walking in a party with such an atrocious color caked up to your brow bone.

“How can you say it’s gonna look bad if you haven’t even let me try?” Jen had asked.

You had given her a once-over, your lips pressed into a thin line. “If it’s gonna look anything like the way you do your own makeup, I’m gonna have to pass.”

After that snide remark, she had threatened to fire you if you didn’t let her apply the makeup. And so you obliged, though you didn’t have much of a choice.

The booming sounds of the party hit your ears before you had even reached the lawn. Screaming teens—well, there were probably some adults thrown in there as well—and the sound of music spilled through the open windows of the home. Couples and singles alike were scattered throughout the perfectly kept lawn that was now littered with empty cups and other assortments of garbage.

You looked down at your patchwork jeans and pink sweater, certain that you would be underdressed compared to the rest of the partygoers. But from the looks of things, as you carefully squeezed your way through the front door and into the home, everyone was probably too wasted to even notice your arrival, let alone care about your looks.

You caught a glimpse of your face in the hallway mirror, cringing at the sight of your eyeshadow. You had tried to wipe some of it away before arriving, but it simply smudged, giving you quite the shocking smoky, purple eye look. For someone who didn’t even know the difference between a paintbrush and a makeup brush, it was a bold look, to say the least.

If Soobin saw you looking like this, he’d probably have a heart attack.

Soobin.

In the midst of all your frantic preparation, you had nearly forgotten about the main reason why you had planned to avoid this party at all costs. With a quick glance around the room, you realized that he was nowhere to be seen. You wouldn’t have been surprised if he hadn’t shown up at all. He was never a fan of parties, anyway.

You crossed your arms over your chest and slowly slipped past the couples crowding the hallway with their limbs intertwined, mouths practically swallowing one another whole, until you reached the living room. Surprisingly, it was less crowded in here than you thought it might be. A few minglers were scattered about the room’s perimeter, but they all kept away from the center of the room, which was occupied by none other than Choi Yeonjun and all his brainless, rich-boy worshippers. You quickly scanned the group, not able to make out Soobin among them. When you realized he wasn’t there, you were partly relieved and partly disappointed. If was to be anywhere at this party, it would probably be with these guys.

With a quick turn on your heel, you planned to make your way out of the living room before Yeonjun could see you. The last thing you wanted was for the boy with a bruised ego to see you, regardless of whether or not he had been the one to invite you.

“Y/N? You came?”

Too late.

Plastering a forced grin to your face, you slowly turned to face Yeonjun, who had just called your name. He was eyeing you with slight surprise, but soon, a smirk slipped across his lips as he motioned for you to come over. You had to hold back your sigh, wishing there was some way for you to get out of this situation. It was all Jen’s fault that you had to show up in the first place. You decided you were going to demand an extra ten cents be added to your raise the next time you saw your pushy boss.

“Hey Yeonjun,” you said once you had walked over to him. “I figured I’d stop by for a minute or two, since you were kind enough to invite me.”

He smirked, glancing at a few of his friends. They shared a knowing laugh with one another, but the meaning of it was lost to you. You wanted nothing more than to get away from them, but that wasn’t an option.

“You’re too busy to go out with me to a basketball game but free enough to come to a party, huh?” He asked.

You blinked, digging your nails into your arms. “I’m sorry?”

“It’s fine, really,” He drawled, swirling his plastic cup of beer in his hand. “You didn’t think I’d be upset or anything did you? I only asked you out because I was dared to shack up with you. But I’m guessing you already knew that, since you’re so smart and all.”

Your eyes went wide, but you managed to control the rest of your expression. It was just like you had guessed—Yeonjun had invited you to the party with the sole purpose of making a scene.

If you survived the night, Jen was never going to hear the end of it.

“You’re not gonna say anything?” He asked, pushing himself to his feet. You could tell by the slight stumble in his step and his hooded eyes that he had quite a bit to drink. He took a step towards you, causing you to back up immediately. Your back hit the wall, and you placed your palms against it as Yeonjun towered over you.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I know why you’re here anyways.” He leaned forward, his lips hovering near your ear. “You’re here to see Soobin, aren’t you? Since he’s the only one here willing to waste his time on filth like you.”

Your blood boiled, and you had to clench your fists at your sides to control your anger.

“Don’t,” You seethed, “Call me that.”

“Call you what? Filth? Or sweetheart? Why, is that something good old Binnie used to call you—”

He never got to finish that sentence, because with one big burst of anger, you stomped on his toe as hard as you could with your worn-out platform sneaker.

“What the hell!” He screeched, drawing the attention of several others in the room. His outburst even caused a few of the couples to pull away from each other’s faces long enough to eavesdrop.

Before you could even say anything back, lukewarm liquid was splashed up in your face, burning your eyes and nose. You gasped, running your hands over your eyes to see Yeonjun with his now empty cup of beer pointed towards you.

“Think twice before you act out against me next time, sweetheart. Never forget your place.”

Tears of anger burned in your eyes, and you scanned the room to see several people exchanging whispers and giggles as they glanced in your direction. You pushed past Yeonjun and quickly made your way out the back door of the house, unable to stand the humiliation for a moment longer.

Soobin arrived in the living room just in time to see you leave.

He wasted no time in rushing towards Yeonjun, grabbing hold of his arm. “Yeonjun, was that Y/N?” He asked, eyes quickly taking in the puddle of alcohol on the floor and the empty cup in Yeonjun’s hand. “What happened?”

“Nothing you need to worry your pretty blue head about, Big Choi. I just put her in her place is all.”

Soobin’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you ‘put her in her place?’”

Yeonjun laughed, giving Soobin a nonchalant pat on the back. “Just drop it, would you? It has nothing to do with you.”

“What did you say, Yeonjun?”

Yeonjun was growing irritated now. He huffed out a breath, crossing his arms over his chest. “I said it has nothing to do with you, Soobin. I know you like to hang around people like that pothead Felix, but the rest of us live in the real world, where we’d rather not waste our time with those who have no future anyways. I bet he’s the one that got you to dye your hair that god awful blue, isn’t he?”

Soobin bit the inside of his cheek. He so badly wished to rip Yeonjun to shreds then and there. If he had Felix’s courage, the cocky bastard would have been knocked to the ground ages ago. But if there was one thing Soobin was sure he could never be, it was brave. And so, despite his rage, he remained silent, his eyes practically burning a hole through Yeonjun’s chest from how intently he was glaring.

It seemed as though Yeonjun was about to say something, but his eyes landed on the bit of red that peeked through the front pocket of Soobin’s denim jacket. Before Soobin had time to defend himself, Yeonjun had reached forward and snatched it from his pocket, revealing the large paper heart—his valentine for you.

“So this is why you care so much,” Yeonjun said, laughing as his eyes scanned the glittery words that decorated the page. “You want her to be your valentine.”

“Give that back,” Soobin said quietly, his hands beginning to shake.

Yeonjun instead lifted his eyes to Soobin, gave him a sickly sweet grin, and ripped the heart straight down the middle. He let the two pieces fall from his hands to the ground, and with them Soobin’s heart went also.

“You’re really willing to try and go against me, and for what? For the sake of a girl who can’t even afford a new pair of jeans and a boy that smokes his life away in the bathroom stalls?” Yeonjun took a slow step towards Soobin, his eyes glinting with a sinister determination. “You may be rich, Soobin, but if you choose to lower yourself to their standards, you may as well be dirt poor just like they are.”

With his hands clenched into tight fists, his glasses sliding down his nose, and his heart quite literally in two pieces on the floor below him, Soobin decided that he had had enough.

“I’d much rather be associated with people who are kind and have actual depth to their character than be lumped together with a bunch of pricks like you with no real personality—because that’s something you can’t buy with daddy’s paycheck.”

He had to physically restrain himself from slapping his hand across his own mouth in shock. It was as if the spirit of Felix himself had possessed him to say such harsh things. He wondered where Felix was then, wishing more than ever before to have his best friend by his side as he began to tremble from either the rush of adrenaline that coursed through his veins, or from fear. Or perhaps it was both.

He didn’t have time to ponder it any longer before Yeonjun’s fist collided with his nose, resulting in a sickening crack as pain echoed throughout his face in tidal waves.

He stumbled backward as people began to shout, raising his hand to his nose and gasping when he saw that his palm was covered in blood.

Beomgyu had his arms wrapped around Yeonjun, who was desperately trying to lunge towards Soobin once again.

“Knock it off, Yeonjun!” Beomgyu shouted, pushing the elder back. “His dad is on the school board! Are you trying to get expelled?”

Beomgyu looked over his shoulder at the still stunned Soobin, who was gaping at the blood that now stained his once white turtleneck.

“Get lost, Soobin,” Beomgyu said, to which Soobin only blinked in reply, his ears ringing.

“Now!”

Head spinning, Soobin picked up the two halves of his paper heart, stuffed them into his jeans, and stumbled out the same door he had seen you go through just minutes before. After checking to make sure his glasses were still intact—they were, thankfully—he shook his head in an effort to clear his mind of the static, eyes scanning the front lawn looking for any trace of you.

It didn’t take long for his eyes to spot you among the now dwindling crowd of partygoers. Your bright pink sweater stood out against the darkness, so he was able to recognize you even with your back towards him. He sniffed, wiping the back of his hand against his dripping nose as he slowly made his way to where you sat on the curb, your feet planted on the asphalt street. He wished that he looked a bit more presentable—when he played this scene out in his head over the years in which he would finally reunite with you, he never imagined himself dazed and covered in blood.

Desperate times called for desperate measures, he supposed.

When he reached you, he simply stood beside you in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say. He could tell that you sensed his presence, but you refused to look up at him as you kept your face buried in your hands. He could have sworn he heard a few muffled sobs slip through your fingers, but of course, he wasn’t going to bring that up.

Eventually he decided to slip his jacket off of his shoulders, leaning down to drape it over you. You still kept your head down as he sat beside you on the curb, but he watched you grip the jacket and pull it tighter around your body. He smiled a bit, holding the collar of his turtleneck against his throbbing nose.

“Thank you,” you muttered, wiping your hand across your eyes. You finally looked over at him, and when you did, you couldn’t hold back your gasp. “My God Soobin, what happened to your face?”

“Oh, well, I might have gotten punched,” He said quickly, trying to wave off your concern. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Punched? By who?”

He looked down at the ground, sniffing as a drop of blood hit the pavement. “Yeonjun,” he muttered under his breath.

“I’m sorry, did you just say Yeonjun? Are you insane? Why on earth would you butt heads with the Choi Yeonjun?”

Soobin didn’t say anything in response, he simply stared at you, eyes wide with beer dripping off the ends of your hair, makeup smeared across your face, your sweater stained down the front. It didn’t seem to take long for you to put the pieces together, as the shock left your face and was replaced with something akin to guilt.

“Oh,” You said, looking back down at your shoes.

“So she knows that I did it all for her,” Soobin thought.

For some reason, the idea of that both terrified and excited him.

A second later, he glanced over to see you ripping one of the hand-sewed patches of fabric off your jeans, leaving a square of your skin exposed to the chilly night air. You leaned towards him, pushing his hand away from his nose so you could use the patch to clean up some of the blood on and around his puffy red nose.

“Y/N, your pants!” He exclaimed, trying to push your hand away. “They’re ruined!”

“I’m not worried about my pants, you idiot,” You said, swatting his hand away as you continued to press the cloth against his skin. “You got punched in the face because of me, this is the least I could do.”

“That was my choice though,” He muttered, although he stopped trying to resist your touch. He ignored the way his heart thrummed harder in his chest, hoping that you couldn’t hear.

“Well, this is my choice too.” Your eyes flicked to his for a brief moment, your bottom lip pulled between your teeth. “Why did you do it, by the way?”

“Do what?”

“Stand up to Yeonjun for me and get a nasty nosebleed as a result.”

“Oh.” He blinked slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on yours. “Just ‘cause.”

“Because . . . ?”

“Because of you.” He blurted, causing your hand to go still against him. He swallowed his fear, braving the best smile that he could. “Just you. That was my only reason.”

You didn’t say anything as your hand fell from his face, the cloth clutched between your fingers. The anxiety he had tried his best to suppress came rushing up all at once, and he was surprised that his ears didn’t begin to squeal like a tea kettle from all the pressure.

“Y/N,” He said, gently placing his hand over yours despite how his fingers trembled. “Why did you pull away from me?”

“What?”

“Four years ago. Why did you stop talking to me?”

You were quiet for a moment, digging into the ground with the toe of your sneaker. Soobin held his breath until you finally replied with, “I was afraid.”

“Afraid? Of what?”

“We were getting older, Binnie,” You said, and his heart skipped at the use of your old nickname for him. “You and I, we’re from very different walks of life. You get to hang out with people like Yeonjun, whereas I get a cup of beer poured all over my face just for existing, and you get a fist to the nose for trying to stand up for me. We’re from different sides of the track, one might say.”

“So?” Soobin asked, his hand tightening around yours. “Did you really think that would affect us that much, Y/N?”

You frowned, glancing down at his hand over yours.

“I thought you’d be embarrassed of me,” You said, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Embarrassed?” Soobin’s eyes went wide as he gripped your hand tighter still, pulling it into his lap. “Y/N, I would never, ever be embarrassed of you. Besides, have you seen my best friend? He’s on a first name basis with the principal because of how often he gets written up for smoking behind the school. If I’m not embarrassed of him, why would I ever be embarrassed of you?”

You laughed, wiping the back of your hand across your eyes once more. “I guess I was worried about nothing, huh?” You sniffed, giving his hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry, Soobin.”

He shook his head, squeezing your hand right back. “Don’t apologize. You’re here now, that’s what matters. Do think we could—you know—”

“Pick up where we left off?” You smiled, nodding vigorously. “I’d like that very much, Binnie.”

He beamed then, almost pinching himself to be sure that he was not dreaming, but the pain in his nose was real enough to remind him of that on its own. He jumped to his feet, pulling you right up with him.

“In that case, how about we finally go on that Valentine’s date I had planned all the way back then?”

“Date?” You asked, a brow raised. “Is it really considered a date if two friends are just hanging out?”

He didn’t respond as he pulled you along behind him towards the bushes where he and Felix had hidden his bike. He crouched down and moved the branches aside, feeling his heart drop to his stomach when he realized that his bike was, in fact, no longer there.

He shot up, turning to face you with eyes wide. “Felix—that bastard took my bike!”

You were quiet for a moment, but then, you burst into boisterous laughter, leaving Soobin utterly confused.

“It’s not funny, Y/N!” He whined, shoving your shoulder lightly. “I was supposed to take you to the Dairy Shack on my bike!”

“It is funny,” You said between bursts of laughter. “Only you would get such a rusty old piece of metal stolen from you.”

He pushed his lips out in a pout, sliding his glasses up his sore nose. “It’s a good bike, don’t make fun of it.”

You grinned, interlocking his fingers with yours, which was enough to instantly wipe the pout right off his face.

“Let’s just walk, Binnie. The Dairy Shack isn’t that far anyways.”

You were right; the walk to your favorite milkshake place was very close to the house where the party had occurred. Although Felix stealing his bike had thrown an obvious wrench in his plans, it was a minor hiccup, and one he could most definitely handle. Besides, he wouldn’t have to see Felix until the next day anyways. He could deal with his frustration then.

At least, that’s what he thought anyways, until the two of you spotted Felix at the skatepark on your way to the dairy shack.

Soobin’s eyes took in the deplorable sight before him—from where he stood on the dimly lit sidewalk, he could see Felix and a girl he had never seen before, their faces nearly pressed together, and most importantly, with his bike discarded a few yards away from them.

“Soobin,” You said, tugging on his arm. “They look like they’re busy, let’s just go—”

But Soobin, who had little patience when it came to Felix messing up his plans, didn’t let you finish before he screamed, “Give me back my freaking bike!”

You had to hold back your snort of laughter at his choice of words. Even when he was trying to sound angry, he was undeniably adorable.

Soobin watched as Felix startled, clutching his spliff between his fingers as he glared daggers back at his friend. Soobin gulped, trying not to let his fear show on his face. What did he have to be afraid of, anyways? He was the victim of thievery, and his best friend was the offender.

Felix took a big step towards him, but he paused, his eyes landing on your interlocked hands. Soobin glanced down as well, his face growing furiously warm as he realized the situation he had gotten himself into.

He decided to divert the subject before it could even be brought up by saying, “I can’t believe you stole my bike! All this time I was trying to hide it from strangers, but you, my best friend! I should’ve been hiding it from you!”

Soobin noticed Felix’s female companion step off the skateboard and walk over in his direction, and for a second he felt bad for possibly ruining her night with his best friend. However, his frustration was more prominent in the moment as he fixed his gaze back on his best friend, who had fixed a mischievous smirk upon his face that made warning sirens blare in Soobin’s head right away.

“Now, now, buddy,” Felix said, his voice calm and carefree as ever. It probably had something to do with what he had just smoked, but Soobin didn’t care all that much. “You’re just gonna have to let me borrow it for a little longer.”

Soobin nearly laughed at the audacity of such a statement. “You are gonna give me the bike, or—”

“How about this, Soobs?” Soobin’s lips clamped shut at his friend’s interruption, as the thief in question gestured with his joint to where Soobin’s fingers were locked with yours. “You let me keep your bike for the night, and I don’t tell your dad about you hanging out with the opposite gender.”

Unable to control yourself, you let out a big laugh. Soobin would have felt betrayed, but he was more terrified than anything else at the idea of his father finding out that he was taking a girl out without his permission. He would be grounded for weeks—no, months.

“You wouldn’t.”

Felix’s lips curled up even more into a twisted grin that Soobin wished he had the guts to slap off his face. “God, just imagine the look on Mr. Choi’s face. Imagine him finding out about your premarital hand holding.”

No. Not the hand holding.

Soobin almost felt faint, but he steeled himself to the best of his abilities as he cleared his throat. “One night, Lix,” he warned. “If I don’t see it on my porch in the morning, you’ll be sorry!”

“Oh, I’m so scared,” Felix teased. His expression changed a moment later though, when he finally noticed Soobin’s swollen nose and blood-stained turtleneck. “Wait, Soobs, the hell happened to you?”

Soobin, however, had already taken his first steps away from the skatepark, pulling you along behind him. “I’ll tell you later, bud. Enjoy your spliff with that kind girl who you probably don’t deserve!”

“Hey!”

Soobin couldn’t help but laugh as he swung your interlocked hands together, grinning as you let out a laugh as well. The anger that had seeped through him seemed to melt away in an instant as the two of you continued your journey to the Dairy Shack.

“Would your dad really be that upset if he found out about this?” You asked.

Soobin grimaced. “We should probably wait til next year to tell him about this outing. Or maybe the year after that.”

When the two of you had finally reached the Dairy Shack, you waited outside for him while he went in to order your drink. A large chocolate milkshake, with two straws, just like you used to get every time before.

When he had the drink in hand, he walked back outside and sat down beside you on the curb, smiling as you wrapped his jacket tighter around your shoulders. You smiled back up at him, your eyes creasing from the expression. Your smile had always struck him right to his core; he had missed seeing it every day.

He hoped he could see it every morning and every night from that day onward. There was no way he would let you go this time.

He just had to muster up the courage to grab hold of you first.

“You know what, Binnie, you turned out to be a lot taller than I thought you ever would be,” you said as you took one of the straws from his hands. “You’re actually enormous. It’s shocking.”

“Should I find that offensive? It sounds kinda like an insult.”

“Take it however you will,” You teased, leaning over as he popped the plastic lid off the milkshake. He grabbed the cherry by the stem and held it towards you.

“What are you doing?” You asked, holding out your fist. “We have to rock, paper, scissors for it. Remember?”

Soobin laughed as he shook his head. “I’m giving it to you this time. It’s what I planned to do all those years ago, when I asked you to hang out on Valentine’s.”

You seemed to be taken aback, but you simply shrugged as you plucked the cherry from his hand and pulled it from the stem with your teeth, glancing back over at him. It was silent for a moment, but then your eyes landed on the pocket of his jeans, where you could see a bit of red paper poking out. You leaned over even further, reaching your hand out to snatch the paper.

“What are you—hey! Give that back!”

Soobin desperately tried to take his Valentine back from you, but it was too late. You held both halves of what used to be a whole in your hands, your eyes scanning the words as you pieced them together.

“Soobin . . .”

He held his breath. Had his act of young love left you completely speechless? Were you so touched that you would burst into tears?

“This looks like a middle schooler made it.”

He let out the breath in the form of a long, long sigh.

“That’s because it was made by a middle schooler,” He said as he set the milkshake down beside him. “I made it back in the eighth grade. I planned to give it to you that Valentine’s.”

“Oh.” You ran your finger along the card’s surface, the smallest smile creeping across your lips. “Well in that case, it’s not half bad. Why’s it ripped though?”

“Ah—well, Yeonjun . . .”

You nodded, taking another glance at his swollen nose. “No need to elaborate. It seems you had a lot planned for our Valentine’s Day back then. Is there anything else you wanted to do?”

His mouth went dry at that, and he wished that you couldn’t see his face because he was sure that his expression was quite comical. All the way back then, four years prior, he had in fact planned the perfect, ideal day in his head. Picking you up on his bike, giving you the cherry from his milkshake, and presenting you with his hand made card.

There was only one thing left on his list.

He didn’t move at first, willing himself to have enough courage to even look back in your direction. But when he finally did allow his eyes to meet yours, he felt his shoulders relax and his heart rate became more manageable.

He took a deep breath, leaned forward, and pressed his lips against your cheek.

He lingered there for only a moment before he pulled back, daring to pry one of his eyes open to take in the look on your face.

The disappointment was palpable—from the way your brows furrowed together and the way you pursed your lips. His stomach dropped, and he scooted the tiniest bit away from you.

“I’m sorry,” He blurt out, his face growing warmer by the second. “I shouldn’t have done that, I just—”

“Is that all?”

Your question stopped him mid-ramble, his eyes growing wide. “Huh?”

“Is that all?” You repeated, closing the distance between you that he had created. “It’s Valentine’s Day, Soobin. I think we can do better than a peck on the cheek.”

The implications of what you were saying didn’t register with him right away, but when it finally did, he could have sworn his heart began to beat loud enough for the entire town to hear. His hand curled into a fist as he gripped the denim of his jeans. He leaned forward, keeping his eyes open just enough to watch you as he brought his lips closer to yours. He could feel your eyes on him all the while, causing his heart to pound fiercer still within him.

When he was just a breath away, he whispered, “Can you close your eyes?”

“Hm?”

He lifted his hand, gently placing it over your eyes. He leaned closer then, filling the space between you both as his lips met yours. You tasted vaguely of cherry and strawberry slice soda, and he found it quite nice the way his lips seemed to fit perfectly against your own. As the seconds drew on, your hands slipped around his neck, pulling him closer. He slowly let his hand fall from your eyes, tracing lines with the tips of his fingers down your cheek before he cradled your jaw, letting his lips part just enough to taste the sweet sugar on your lips once more.

He thought in a haze that it was a good thing he didn’t drink anything at the party, as kissing you was proving to be intoxicating enough on its own.

When you finally pulled away, leaving your forehead resting against his, he let his eyes flutter open enough to see the euphoric smile that adorned your features. He grinned as well, gently running his thumb against your cheek.

“I think that back then, I had planned to ask you this before kissing you,” He whispered, “But Y/N, will you be my Valentine?”

Instead of a spoken answer, you laughed, leaning forward to capture his lips with yours once again, and that was the only answer Choi Soobin would ever need.

WHEN SOOBIN ARRIVED HOME THAT NIGHT, HE WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE TELEPHONE.

It was kept upstairs at night right outside his parent’s door, to keep himself and his brother from using it in the late hours. Of course, this never stopped Soobin from sneaking it downstairs to his room in the basement to make late night calls to Felix.

And that particular evening, he really needed to give Felix an update.

He grabbed the phone from the small table in the hallway, carefully tiptoeing towards the basement stairs. Before he had even taken the first step down, the bathroom door creaked open. Soobin whipped his head around to see his brother Kai standing there, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he raised a brow at his older brother.

Soobin froze, blinking slowly as he realized the incriminating situation he found himself in.

“Please don’t tell mom,” He whispered, his eyes pleading with his younger brother.

Kai nodded, although Soobin wasn’t quite convinced that the boy was even coherent enough to understand what was going on. Soobin offered a rushed thank you, and ventured his first step down the stairs.

Well, he tried, anyways, and ended up missing the first step. He tumbled down the rest of the stairs, landing on his butt at the very end.

He winced in pain, glad to see that the phone was still intact in his hands. He glanced over his shoulders to see Kai staring down the stairway with wide eyes, his lips parted in shock. Soobin quickly put a finger to his lips, begging his brother for silence.

Kai simply shook his head and walked away, allowing Soobin the freedom to breathe out a sigh of relief.

He quickly ran to his bedroom and shut the door, collapsing onto his bed with the phone as his breaths came in ragged gasps as an aftereffect from his tumble down the stairs. He figured he should have dialed Felix’s number right away, but he couldn’t help but brush his fingers against his lips, remembering the feeling and taste of having yours pressed against them.

He was so caught up in his daze that he didn’t notice Felix calling until the third ring.

He picked it up, breathing heavily into the speaker as he rubbed a sore spot on his lower back.

“Please tell me that panting is from running a marathon, and not what I think you’ve successfully tried.”

Soobin nearly gagged, holding the phone away from his face as he coughed, flustered by his friend's crude words. He brought the phone back to his face and said, “No, you sicko, I just fell down the stairs.”

“How the hell did you manage that with those long legs?”

“That’s not important, Lix!” He laid back onto his pillows then, twirling the phone cord in his hands as he stared up at his ceiling, the memories of his adventure with you that night flooding his mind once more. He couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear as he said, “Look, I need to tell you something important.”

If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought that he could hear the smile in Felix’s voice too as his friend replied.

“Well buddy, I got something to tell you too.”

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