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#pls reblog this peeps
manonamora-if · 11 days
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This is the updated version of this.
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The 100% Good ChoiceScript to Sugarcube Guide!
The 100% Good ChoiceScript to Sugarcube Guide is a coding guide meant for ChoiceScript creators looking to use the SugarCube format of Twine. It is meant as a quick start-up and comparison of the different commands and structures between the two formats, including explanations with examples.
The Guide is based on the ChoiceScript Wiki and covers all the necessary commands and informations required to make a ChoiceScript game, and how it translated in SugarCube in terms of formatting, plain code, and macro equivalence. It also includes resources to go further into the formats.
READ & DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE!
The Guide is sectioned into multiple sections:
The Differences between Twine/SugarCube and ChoiceScript
The Command Equivalences (or close substitutes)
The Creation of a New Project, and QoL functionalities (Stats, Saves, Achievements, Settings)
For further details on how the macros/markups/APIs should be used, check out my SugarCube Guide (as it goes into a lot more details). If you are looking for the Tweego Compiler Folder, see this post.
GITHUB REPO | RAISE AN ISSUE | TWINE RESOURCES TWEEGO | TEMPLATES | SUGARCUBE GUIDE
Twine® is an “an open-source tool for telling interactive, non-linear stories” originally created by Chris Klimas maintained in severaldifferentrepositories (Twinery.org). Twine is also a registered trademark of the Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation.
SugarCube is a free (gratis and libre) coding format for Twine/Twee created and maintained by TME.
READ & DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE!
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miutonium · 2 years
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leave-your-body · 1 year
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my shining stars,,
reblogs>>>>>likes !!
[this is a lot brighter on my screen than it is on other ppls for some reason? sorry abt that☹️☹️]
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cxdemistake · 1 year
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—Time slips away!
Burn out, don’t fade!
Dance on my grave!
I will never be them!—
Indie multimuse, multifandom blog.
Canon and OC muses present
Currently mobile-only
Semi-selective, semi-active
Open to asks and messages
More info (link to OCs, list of canon muses, writer info, and rules) under the cut.
OC Links
*Note: A few characters’ appearances/voices have changed, so make sure to check out the tags on the blog. OCs are tagged with “; (name)”— for example, my character Myarel is tagged with “; myarel” (no quotations).*
Canon Muses
*Note: Many of these muses aren’t listed on my muse page due to being unable to update said page from my phone. Muse tags vary. Some are tagged with fancy tags but I may switch between those and regular tags. They’re listed here in alphabetical order by fandom.*
**Edit: I’ve also marked which fandoms/muses are most active. Very active fandoms will be bolded, semi-active italic, and dormant/needing some time before interaction are regular text. I’ll also put an asterisk after new muses/muses I haven’t played yet. I beg that if a fandom isn’t bolded or italicized that you discuss it with me before sending something in or making a starter— I have a lot of muses and it takes time to get into the swing of new ones when I’m not in the right mindset!**
The Arcana: Asra Alnazar*, Julian Devorak, Portia Devorak*, Faust
American Gods: Mad Sweeney
Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Auditore da Firenze*, Aveline de Grandpré
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Zuko*
Back 4 Blood: Karlee*, Evangelo*
Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion*
Boondock Saints: Murphy MacManus*
Call of Duty: Simon “Ghost” Riley*, Johnny “Soap” MacTavish*
Chappie: Chappie*
Columbo: Lt. Frank Columbo*
Dead Island/Riptide: Sam B, John Morgan*
Detroit: Become Human: Connor, Markus*
Dirty Bomb: Vassili*
Disturbed (band): The Guy*
Dream Daddy: Damien Bloodmarch*, Robert Small*
Dying Light: Kyle Crane*, Rahim*, Karim*
FNAF: Cupcake
Hazbin Hotel: Alastor, Angel Dust, Charlie, Husk, Lucifer
Homestuck: Gamzee, Calsprite
I, Frankenstein: Adam
Into the Badlands: Baron Quinn*
Jet Set Radio Future: Yoyo*
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Jonathan Joestar*, Joseph Joestar, Jotaro Kujo*, Josuke Higashikata*, Giorno Giovanna*, Jolyne Cujoh*, Caesar Zeppeli
Kingdom Hearts: Axel
Left 4 Dead 2: Ellis, Nick
Marvel: Nightcrawler*, Moon Knight*, Eddie Brock/Venom*
Monster High: River Styxx*, Operetta*, Frankie Stein*
The Nightmare Before Christmas: Jack Skellington*
Obey Me!: Lucifer, Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Belphegor, Diavolo
Onmyoji: Yasha*, Hiromasa*, Susabi*
Pirates of the Caribbean: Captain Jack Sparrow*
Portal: GLaDOS
Red Dead Redemption: John Marston*, Arthur Morgan*
Rise of the Guardians: Jack Frost*
Skullgirls: Valentine
Stardew Valley: Shane*
Steven Universe: Garnet*, Ruby*, Sapphire*, Sunstone*, Sardonyx*, Rainbow Quartz 2.0*
Spiritfarer: Gwen*
Suicide Squad: Diablo
Undertale/Deltarune: Papyrus, Sans, Susie*
Until Dawn: Chris*
The Village: Ivy Walker
Walking Dead/Fear: Negan Smith, Daryl Dixon, Morgan Jones, Shiva, Victor Strand*, Qaletaqa Walker*, Crazy Dog*
Warframe: Excalibur Umbra*
Warm Bodies: R, M
What We Do In The Shadows: Nandor the Relentless*, Viago*, Vladislav*
Info About The Writer
Hi! I’m Alistair— you can call me that, or you can use my username for pretty much everywhere else, TheetyPie/Theety. I don’t mind either way.
I’m a trans guy, I use he/they pronouns. I’m panromantic/asexual, and I’m 27 years old.
I have 3 cats, they’re my babies. I also (as you can tell from above) have a lot of OCs, and the number is still growing. I want to turn my ideas into a bigger creation someday, still not sure exactly where I want to go with it.
I do more than write. I do art, I like video games, music, and just collecting stuff. Current obsessions are Monster High, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, makeup, crystals, and jewelry.
Rules
The most important: I do not RP smut. In the past I’ve used the fade-to-black method, but I’m not entirely comfortable with that with most of my muses.
In the same vein, DO NOT FORCE SHIPS. I love ships as much as the next guy, but I would prefer to discuss it first, or for us to agree on it. It’s cool if your muse has a crush, totally fine— mine get crushes all the time! But make sure if you want to ship, we discuss it first.
In a similar vein to that one as well, no god-modding/powerplaying. If your character is strong, an immortal being, or whatever, cool! I have some of those too. But there should always be a limit. Don’t say your character is moving mine unless we’ve talked about that. Attempt to move them. Usually I follow along as long as boundaries aren’t pushed.
Don’t kill or seriously injure my muse without permission. Fights happen, of course, but again: discussion. I’m up for threads where my canon muses are injured or killed, but not where it happens to my OCs, unless we’re getting into a backstory and another OC that’s already deceased dies. Non-serious injuries are alright to come out of nowhere with, but if it’s a first meeting, I’d prefer to plot it out.
I’m semi-selective. I’m kind of particular about who I follow and who I thread with. I prefer us to be mutuals to thread, but you don’t have to be mutuals to send me things.
I’m very bad at keeping up with people. If you message me and I don’t respond, it’s usually bc I’m shy, I forgot, or I’m busy with work. It’s not you, I promise. Usually I don’t message first bc I’m nervous.
Back to shipping: I’m also multiship. Usually my ships are in different universes, unless discussed with all parties beforehand. The exception is a few of my OCs that are partnered together— ask about their availability. I love random ships, just talk to me about them!
I love duplicates of my muses. Whether it’s “x meets self” or I find someone I share a muse with, I love RPing with just about everyone. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if we have a muse in common!
One of my other most important statements, not really considered a rule, but it’s still important: if you want to know something about any muse, canon or OC, please tell me— ask or message me! I haven’t been able to write down a lot of info about any of them because I’m on mobile, but I will infodump for you if you need/want to know something. I love talking about my children, they’re precious to me.
If you send something in or make something for me when we haven’t even spoken, I might not feel comfortable responding. I’m very shy and nervous about not having any discussion beforehand. 😭
If there’s anything I left out or you need to know, just ask!
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re-samo · 1 year
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Why is it called Tokyo After School SUMMONERS when the summoning components aren't even important to the main story until they're convenient??? Like, I love Housamo with all my heart but reworking the main story is WILD
Anyway, what's you're guys' biggest things you're curious about/wish they focused on more because I'm curious and I have a whole list lmao
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themetalheadhippy · 2 years
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𝕲𝖎𝖗𝖑, 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖐𝖓𝖔𝖜 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖒𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖒𝖞 𝖈𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖒 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝖙𝖔𝖚𝖈𝖍 ❤️‍🔥🫂🔥
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sirenofthegreenbanks · 9 months
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tagged by @cryptidafter forever ago!!!!!!
Rules: in a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or however many you like)
this is gonna be a tiny bit more than a single line
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tagging @cryptidafter @fanghuas @intertexts-rabbitloop @specialability (art counts too!!!!!) (also no obligation to participate!!!)
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idk what happened or changed but I've gotten like 10 new followers in the past few days. real people seemingly too!!!
so hi everyone🥰
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rxlehugger · 2 years
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.
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is-it-gay-to · 1 month
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Reblog if
Trans ftm are valid
Trans mtf are valid
Enby peeps are valid
Intersex peeps are valid
Feminine enbys are valid
Masculine enbys are valid
Androgynous enbys are valid
Feminine trans men are valid
Feminine trans women are valid
Masculine trans men are valid
Masculine trans women are valid
Lesbians are valid
Gay people are valid
Bisexuals are valid
Trans people are valid
Queer people are valid
Asexual people are valid
Aromantic people are valid
Aroace people are valid
Pansexuals are valid
Omni peeps are valid
Genderfluid peeps are valid
Agender peeps are valid
Genderqueer peeps are valid
Demisexuals are valid
Demi boys are valid
Demigirl are valid
Aceflux are valid
Aroflux are valid
Acchileans are valid
Neptunic peeps are valid
Bigender peeps are valid
Demigender peeps are valid
Enbian peeps are valid
Fluid flux peeps are valid
Hypersexual peeps are valid
Peeps with autism are valid
Peeps with ADD/ADHD are valid
Neurodivergent peeps in general are valid
LGBT folks are valid
Aplatonic folks are valid
Agender folks are valid
Feminine agender folks are valid
Masculine agender folks are valid
Questioning people are valid
Xenogender peeps are valid
Therians are valid!
Furries are valid!
Otherkins are valid
Trigender peeps are valid
Pangender peeps are valid
Abrosexual peeps are valid
Demiromantic peeps are valid
Xenogender peeps are valid
Peeps who use neopronouns are valid
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MIGHT ADD MORE!
Please correct me on any wrong information or any flags you’d like to see in there
PLS GIVE ME FEEDBACK
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subject delta for the blorbo bingo?
I'm afraid I can't do that as Delta simply fits none of the criteria.
Don't get me wrong, he's great, Number 1 Dad for sure, and Bioshock 2 was a great game. I just...I don't have an attachment to him? I've played 2 twice but only remember the second time. Sorry to disappoint :(
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wolverinedoctorwho · 2 years
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youtube
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simpxxstan · 3 months
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to you (yjh one-shot)
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pairing: model!jeonghan x f.reader
genre: friends to lovers, fluff, slight angst, smut (MINORS PLEASE DO NOT INTERACT!)
summary: jeonghan loves to play cupid. he's thoroughly successful at it as well. you know it's just his incredible luck, and you can't wait for him to trip and fall. even if you'll be the first one to stop him from falling.
word count: 16.2k
rating: 18+
warnings: seokmin and joshua are sexually and romantically attracted to men in this fic(this is not meant to represent/imply anything from real life). infidelity (not by jeonghan or reader mc), heartbreaks, body image insecurities, bad familial relations, jeonghan comes from a rich family, slight love triangle between jeonghan and mingyu, jeonghan is slightly self-centred, joshua is a mean guy and breaks hearts. smut warnings: oral sex (m. receiving), nipple play, protected sex.
a/n: this fic is largely inspired by jane austen's emma. it's an amazing book so pls do read/watch the tv renditions (personally recommend the 2009 bbc version). if you are familiar with, you might think of this fic as somewhat from mr. knightley's pov. i've not kept the plot exactly same ofc, but there are a lot of similarities. hope you enjoy reading it! your feedback, likes and reblogs make my day <333
One fine morning, when you were busy harvesting the freshly grown radish from your backyard, a boy who was about as tall as you and had a mop of brown hair that made you cross because it was so unkempt, peeped from the other side of the backyard gate. He was waving at you, and had a bright smile on his face. 
“Who are you?” You asked, with as much courage as you could, for a five year old. 
“Hello! I'm Yoon Jeonghan!”
“Why are you here?” 
He stuttered, and pointed his hand to the big mansion that marked the otherwise quiet locality as posh, the landmark for all delivery people, and the pride of the neighbourhood. “I live there!”
“Yaah! You're not allowed here.”
“Why?” He pouts.
“I'm busy now. I can't entertain guests.”
“What are you doing? That's what I came to see!” He's smiling again. 
“Harvesting radish that I planted last month!”
“Really?! Wow! You're a farmer!”
You smile with a little bit of pride. “Yaah! How many rooms do you have in your house? Eomma says you have 10  rooms!”
“No…” he pauses, and you're hopeful that he'll just prove your mom was merely exaggerating. “There are 14 rooms!” He then continues, making you even more annoyed.
“Yaah! Then why don't you go live there! Why are you disturbing me!”
“You haven't even told me your name. Why are you being like a mean Ahjumma!” He whined and slapped the gate once. 
“I don't tell strangers my name!”
“Okay keep your secret name.”
“Yes. Now go to your big house.”
“I don't want to! I don't like it! I want to live in your house!”
You're really angry now. First he disturbs you, and then tries to steal your house too! “Yaah! You're a bad guy!”
“No! I really like cozy houses like yours.”
“But when I grow up, I want to live in a big house like yours.”
“No! I want to live in a house like yours. Cozy and warm.”
“You're crazy Yoon Jeonghan.”
He smiles sweetly, before making a tiny heart with his fingers, making you cringe. 
“Won't you let me in, friend?”
“You're not my friend.”
“Aaah…. Right. I must be your Oppa!”
“Oppa? Yaah!”
“What a rude dongsaengie, aigoo! How old are you?”
“I'm not your dongsaeng!”
“No! You are! I was born in 1995. You?”
You bite your lip when you realise you indeed are younger to him.
“Just because I was born in 1997 doesn't mean I'm your dongsaeng. You'll always be Yoon Jeonghan to me!”
He shrugged before giggling. “It's okay, dongsaengie. We can be informal like friends!” He throws another heart at you, and you cringe again.
“Now will you go home or will I call my mom to shoo you out?” Your hands are on your hips. 
“No! I'll leave then. Bye bye chinguya! See you tomorrow, Y/N-ie!”
You huff as you see him skip along the road and enter the gate of his-
Wait. Did he just say your name? 
_
And that was how, twenty years ago, you had met Yoon Jeonghan. And your friendship had stuck along, surprisingly (to you, not to him. He always nodded smugly and very knowingly, as if he knew something more about the secret to how you two had tolerated each other for so long. And you wouldn't be surprised to know he did know more. He always did.)
You had thought to yourself many times. Maybe because you and Jeonghan were the perfect yin and yang. There was enough pride from your end to make up for his shamelessness. Enough street-smartness and easygoing charm from him to make up for your coquettish, brisk attitude. Enough ambition from you to make up for his laidback, lazy nature. Enough laughs from him to make up for your forever anxious self. Enough optimism from you to share the light between the two of you. 
Just like that. You clicked like puzzle pieces, and you loved each other to bits.
Well, mostly.
You certainly didn't love Jeonghan any bit when he was behaving like this. This Cupid thing he adorned whenever he was around people of your age. His matchmaking and romantic agenda, as you liked to call it. It was nothing but a stroke of luck that his brother had married the exact girl that Jeonghan had predicted he would marry (three years before they had started dating, as he reminded you often to prove that it was truly his instinct and nothing else) and the silly fool had taken it straight to his dick and given his already large ego an extra-large pump.
His latest prey was Lee Seokmin, the new boy who had recently joined your friend circle, courtesy of Kim Mingyu, who was his childhood friend somehow. Seokmin was what one could call a young, impressionable mind. He was innocent to an extreme degree, and so illogical and gullible that he believed every damn thing that came out of Jeonghan's compulsively bluffing lips. You hardly knew what he was telling Seokmin, but they were both very animated while talking about it. Ever since you two had met Seokmin at a party three weeks ago, he had followed Jeonghan about like a puppy discovering the joys (and pains) of the human world, and Jeonghan had pretty much adopted him. 
So you take matters into your own hands. When you bump into him in the kitchen of the party you two are at now, you whisper to him, your hands on your hips, “Jeonghan, if I see you mess around with that kid-”
“Which kid?” He asks, an innocent look on his face. “Don’t play innocent now. You know very well I’m talking about Seokmin.” “Aigoo, Seokminnie! He’s such a lovely boy!” “Yes, and we’d all like him to remain lovely, if you please. Don’t go around putting foolish ideas into his head.”
“What foolish ideas?” 
“Jeonghan, I know you’re trying to set him up with Joshua. You know Joshua is a textbook playboy.”
 “Shhh! I think this one’s different. He’s actually bewitched with Seokmin.”
“Bewitched? You’re exaggerating, as usual.”
“Y/N!! You’ve gotta trust me, I have a gut feeling. Now, let me do God’s work, please don’t disturb me, Y/N-”
“Matchmaking is God’s work?”
“Yes! It’s called finding soulmates!”
“And how are you so sure Seokmin is into Joshua?”
Jeonghan pauses, smiling slyly. “Oh my god. You don’t know that yet, do you?” “No, but-” “Jeonghan!” “I know that he’s into guys. Listen, it’s not like I’m forcing him into anything. All I want is that he has some fun in his life! Can you believe it that he’s never had a relationship in his life? He’s too much of a good boy. And he’s told me he thinks Joshua is pretty attractive. The whole gentleman thing is rubbing off on him!” “I have a bad feeling about this.” “You know what, Y/N? You think you’re the only one who can do things correctly. You and your stuck up judgements. Can you please open your mind a little and let loose?”
There. He’s guilt-tripped you successfully. Now you’re on the verge of thinking whether you’re really stuck up. Under better senses, you probably would lean on your instinct that Jeonghan is messing around with you, but now, no. You’re three wine glasses down, and you’re a lightweight anyway. The insecurities have started kicking in.
“Anyway, why are you so protective?”
“I’m not,” you cross your hands across your chest, exhausted from the banter.
“It’s ‘cause of that Mingyu guy, isn’t it? You want to protect Mingyu’s friends?” He’s walking up to you, smiling again, as wicked as the devil. 
“What? I can’t care about a nice guy all on my own? What are you implying-”
“Please. We’ve all seen how you talk to Mingyu.”
“God. I’m so tired of this, Jeonghan.” And so, you walk away. You really are too tired. You’ve seen his brain do acrobats in this one field, and although he may have had successes till now, you’re sure doom is on the way. It’s sickening. Especially now that he’s pushing his agenda on you too. 
_
You’re woken up at six am in the morning to the irritating sound of your ringtone. Squinting, you pick the phone up. It’s Jeonghan. 
“Hello?”
“Were you sleeping, Y/N-ie?”
You pause. You seriously consider cutting the call off right now, because you know that tone. That is Jeonghan’s laidback tone, he’s not in an emergency, he’s not in a crisis. He’s called just to hear your voice, and you’ve been on the receiving end of too many calls like this in your life. 
“Jeonghan, what do you want?”
“Are you still pissed at me?” He’s pouting and you know it.
“Yaah,” you huff out, sitting up in your bed. “I’m not. Just. It’s 6 am for fuck’s sake, Hannie. Did you need anything?”
He’s silent for a second. “I’m sorry I woke you up.”
“It’s fine.”
“I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t fall asleep, and the rain outside keeps making me tense. I decided to call you because I was feeling a little lonely.”
“Hmm. Do I need to come over?”
“Hell no. I have a girl over. She’s naked, and I don’t think you’ll want to see-”
“Wait, what? You have a person at your house?”
“Yeah, we slept together-”
“Then why the fuck are you awake?”
“Huh?”
“Why are you awake and calling me?”
“Umm, because I was thinking of you when I couldn’t sleep?”
“Don’t people, like, sleep very well after sex?”
“After good sex, yes. After what we did last night, no.”
Another pause. 
“Not that I’d know. But isn’t she going to feel upset you’re talking to me instead of, I don’t know, cuddling her or something?”
“Really, Y/N-ie. You want me to cuddle a stranger instead of talking to you? That’s how much you hate me?”
“Han, do not twist my words. You stayed up all night hooking up with someone and now you’re calling me, this is not how people behave after sex in movies-”
“Life isn’t a movie, Y/N-aah. You’ve told me this yourself.”
A slightly long pause.
“I’m sorry for waking you up,” he says. 
“No, I’ll just get into the shower now. I had to wake up at 7 anyway.”
“Ugh, but it’s a Monday!”
“Adults work on Mondays, Hannie. Why don’t you take a walk in the park or something and relax a bit? Work out. Get the energy out. It’ll improve your sleep.”
“Hmm, thank you Eomma. Enjoy your long day of work today! Make sure you earn a lot of money!”
“Hmm, bye bye Yoon.”
“Bye Y/L/N.”
The call disconnects and 6.15 stares at you from your screen. You’re tempted to scream into your pillow and curse Jeonghan for stealing your sleep time. But now you can’t afford to go back to sleep otherwise you’ll lose one of your precious 20 days of leave as well. The opportunity cost is definitely higher, you think, as you stumble and make your way towards the washroom.
_
“Oh Mr. Mingyu, someone’s early I see.” You enter the small office which is bustling with energy even in the morning. “Ms. Y/N, good morning!” Mingyu greets you with a bright smile as you sit down at the desk next to him, and you offer the second cup of ice americano you brought on your way. “Coffee?” “Of course, why not?” And his accented English never ceases to make you laugh. It’s funny how hard he tries to converse in English, even though it’s not even required in your job, but you guess it’s part of his charm- the hard-working good-natured himbo everyone is in love with. 
“How was your weekend? You didn’t come to the party at Soonyoung’s party last night.” You ask Mingyu. “Oh, my sister is in town. I went to pick her up from the train station last week and we spent the entire evening roaming through night markets.” “That sounds nice! Maybe I can meet her finally, after hearing so much about her.” “Yes! That’d be good. She’s here till Thursday. She’s actually here for an interview at a college for the designing program she wants to pursue.” Mingyu’s eyes are lit up with the brightest lights, putting even the sunlight in the room to shame. “Wow! I’m so happy for her.” “Yeah. Are you free tomorrow after work? I wanted to take her to see the cherry blossoms, and you could come too?” “Perfect. That works.”
Mingyu nods happily, before settling down in his seat, still buzzing with excitement. His puppy-like buzzing is endearing, but you quickly turn your eyes away from him, when you notice at least three other pairs of eyes staring at you from across the room. You gulp and glare back, and the eyes look away. You’re well aware of the gossip that surrounds your and Mingyu’s friendship, but you couldn’t care less. As long as it doesn’t interfere in your actual friendship. 
_
“Cherry blossoms? With his sister? Absolutely not!” 
“I didn’t really ask for your opinion, Jeonghan-ah.” You stare him down from where you are sitting across him with the chess board in between you two, and he takes a sip from his juice before playing his next move. 
“You don’t think it’s a date?” 
“A date? With his sister along, how could it be a date!” 
“You’re too oblivious. You can’t see what’s right in front of your eyes.” 
“And what may that be?” 
“Kim Mingyu is, obviously, into you.” 
“Excuse me.” “Excused,” he scoffs, before motioning to you to speed up your next move. You play your move too quickly, and he jumps up in glee, instantly locking you in checkmate. “Fuck!” 
“Pay attention, cutie. Do you want more juice?” 
“Hmm, it’s really good, Hannie.” “I know,” he giggles, before pouring more juice into your glasses. “I want to see cherry blossoms too. I’ll come along with you three, hmm? I’m sure Mingyu won’t mind.” 
You peer curiously at him. “Okay. Yeah, he won’t mind. But I didn’t know you wanted to see the cherry blossoms.” 
“I saw it in my feed today. It’s all the rage right now.” 
“Yeah, it is.” 
“Which is why I’m sure it’s a date. It’s what happens in all k-dramas!”
You can’t argue with Jeonghan, so you don’t. 
“You know, I think it is a little odd that you think Mingyu is into me. We’re really just good friends. I know he’s a little flirty, and very touchy, but that’s just him being comfortable around me.”
Jeonghan rolls his eyes. “My instinct about humans is always better than yours, Y/N-ie. You know it.” “Sure.” “Let’s just wait and see how things turn out, hmm?” He gently pulls your hair back into a bun using a hair tie that’s wrapped around his wrist, and you whisper a thank you, because you hate it when your hair is in your face, and you didn’t realise that he knows about it. Well, you must’ve talked about it sometime or the other.
“Do you want takeout, or should I just make some omelette to mix into rice?” “Or we could just eat ramen.” “I thought you were on a diet, Han-ah?” You gape at him, and he pulls a face. “One cup of ramen won’t do anything.” “No, let’s stick to your diet, hmm? Because we won’t stop at just one cup of ramen, you know that.” He gently places his head on your shoulder in mock crying, and you pat his head before heading towards the fridge to take out eggs. 
“By the way, I have a fair coming up next week, will you come to help me?”
“What will I get in return?” He asks, while popping an olive into his mouth. 
“My friendship. My gratitude. My love and affection-”
“Tangible, please. None of this intangible stuff.” 
You gasp dramatically and relent, “Okay, I’ll treat you to tteokbokki. You’ve been craving ever since your diet started, haven’t you?” He makes an inhuman squeal, but you’re sure it’s one of joy because his eyes go up in twinkling crescents. “Oh, Y/N-ie, you’re the best! What would I do without you?” You laugh, and ask him to turn on the television, before breaking the eggs into your fry pan.
_
It was a mistake telling Jeonghan about your outing with Mingyu. It was a mistake even letting him come along, thinking oh, Mingyu is his mutual friend too through me, so he’ll definitely not mind if Han comes along. Mingyu did not mind, but you minded a lot. Because not only did Jeonghan come along wearing his most expensive Chanel outfit and his most limited edition perfume which you’ve never smelled before, but also brought along his most obnoxious attitude. 
Mingyu’s sister is an innocent darling, nearly six years younger than Mingyu, but his literal split image. And Mingyu is, as usual, accommodative. But there really is something wrong with Jeonghan tonight, you think. Every sentence he utters is passive aggressive, opinionated and designed to annoy. 
I think the air is too stuffy tonight to enjoy the cherry blossom show perfectly. 
I’m wearing my cherry blossom scent tonight, it was a gift from the last event I attended.
Mingyu, don’t hog Y/N all to yourself, let your sister meet your friends too. 
Oh, I don’t drink coffee these days. I’m into earl grey iced tea. Do they have that here?
“What on earth is wrong with you tonight, Jeonghan-ah?” You whisper-scream to him, as you draw him to one corner as Mingyu and his sister go towards the cafeteria to buy drinks for the four of you. “Why?” He says, casually pressing lip balm on his own lips, before extending the stick towards your lips, attempting to put the same balm on your (undoubtedly, chapped) lips, but you shrug away. 
“You’re being an arse. You know, it’s already a stretch that I brought you along here. So, don’t be obnoxious to everyone, especially Mingyu because his sister’s here!” 
“I’ve not been obnoxious for even a second, Y/N-ah! I’ve been so cheerful, so amiable, so wholesome tonight. I have not spoken my true mind for even one second, I’m literally speaking only pleasant words.”
“Oh, really? And what is your true mind?”
“That Mingyu is being too touchy with you.”
“Jeonghan! This- god- is that all you gathered from our lovely evening together, that you’re trying your best to spoil?”
“I mean- he makes it hard to not notice, does he not? He’s literally all over you, even when his sister is here. You should be thankful I’m here to keep company to his sis, otherwise imagine how bored she’d be as a third wheel.”
Right then Mingyu and his sister return with drinks for the four of you, and you resume your walk around the show. So you can’t reply to Jeonghan fittingly, but you notice that on the rest of the evening, you notice that his attitude has softened a little, especially when he talks enthusiastically to Mingyu’s sister about the program she’s selected, and even thanks Mingyu for letting him come along on this outing. 
When he drives you home that night and drops you off at your doorstep, he has the oddest smug grin lazily spread on his face. 
“I was right, then.” He tells you as you walk around the car to say bye to him at his window.
“Hmm?”
“It was a date.”
“Not this again, Jeonghan.”
“Hmm. Sure. Just so you know, I’m rarely wrong.”
“It was not a date. Not with you ruining every single conversation we had.”
“That was the point, wasn’t it? Goodnight, Y/N.” 
And then he drives off with a sharp salute, leaving you with nothing to say. 
_
Jeonghan doesn’t know you’re annoyed enough by him to not reply to his texts during work hours (which you otherwise would). So he doesn’t take the hint and calls you as soon as your work hours end, and you step out of your office into a world painted by the sunset.
“You didn’t say if my haircut looks good?”
You sigh, and you hope it’s loud enough for him to hear.
“Oh god, Y/N, are you still mad at me for that evening with Mingyu? What, did he say something today?” 
“No. He’s too nice to say anything, of course. Anyway, is it really so hard to wait for a few hours to see if I like your haircut or not?”
“Sorry. But I want to know. I’ve cut my hair short after ages, so-”
You take a quick look at the photos he’s sent you. “Hmm, yes you look great.”
“Really?” You can hear the upward lilt in his voice, and it makes you smile. 
“Yes really. Jeonghan-ah, I have that fair tomorrow. Will you be coming?”
“Is it through Saturday and Sunday?”
“Yeah. You don’t have to come throughout the two days, of course. You can just come tomorrow evening, if you’re free.”
“I am. I had a shoot today in the afternoon, after which I went and chopped off my hair instantly.”
“Good decision, Hannie.”
You can hear his satisfied voice grunt in the background. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow? I have a lot of packing work tonight, okay? I won’t be able to call or text.”
“That’s okay. I won’t disturb you. Work hard, Y/N-ie.”
“Yeah, okay. Bye, Han-ah.”
_
Although you might grumble when Jeonghan forgets the name of the plant when a customer arrives at your stall although he’s been your helper for so many fairs now, you’re really very grateful that he makes time to come. Sure enough, as the sun wears down after a particularly sweltering afternoon at the fair and you’re really craving an iced tea, Jeonghan arrives with a bright smile on his face and two glasses of boba tea for the two of you. 
“Your part-timer is here, Miss.” He says, and you hug him. “So happy to see me?” “No, this is for the boba tea.” And you fall back on your chair, chugging down the boba tea as if it’s elixir. He sits opposite to you, picking up an orchid plant that’s hanging on the wall next to him. “How was the footfall today?” “Not great, if I say the truth. But I’m hopeful for the evening. The morning was too hot anyway.” “Hmm, and what’s this one called? Never seen this flower before.” “It’s called vanda. Pretty, isn’t it?” “Hmm, really! But why doesn’t it have any pot or any soil?” “It’s epiphytic, so-” “Epi what?” “Epiphytic. It absorbs moisture from other plants near it and from humidity in the air.” “Wow. E-pi-phy-tic. Fancy new English word.” 
And you’re right. The customers do start strolling in as the atmosphere becomes cooler and the fair more crowded. Although there’s not a whole lot of variety at your stall, you have an edge because you generally sell rare varieties, which are less frequently visible in the other plants’ stalls at fairs. A lot of people think it’s an odd hobby for you to have at such a young age, but Jeonghan knows its the only way you pay homage to your mother, who had helped you fall in love with gardening at a very young age. After her death, you’d had to sell the house in the countryside and move to the city for a job, so you didn’t have a garden of your own, but you made do with plants you grew in your balconies and windows. That’s why your collection was more unique than the general lot- you provided beautiful, rare plants that fit right into modern life- fuss-free yet diverse. 
“This is a vanda orchid!” You see Jeonghan enthusiastically pitch to an ahjumma from the corner of your eye as you’re busy packing some hydrangea plants for another customer. “It’s really easy to keep in your house. It’s epiphytic, which means it absorbs water from its surroundings. So you don’t even need to keep it in a pot. You can just leave it in between other plants and regularly water the plants around it to keep a humid atmosphere, and it grows on its own! So little care!” And along with Jeonghan’s winning smile and persistent pitch, the ahjumma has no option but to fold almost instantly. 
That marks the beginning of a busy evening. The crowd suddenly increases and each of you soon have no time to breathe. It’s at moments like this that your gratitude towards Jeonghan increases- he may ask you the names of plants every two minutes, or make up some random facts about a plant while trying to sell it (pretty sure it would be called out if you did it, but the customers just blindly buy into whatever Jeonghan tells them). When passing behind, he gently pats your butt before bending behind you to retrieve something from the storage area. When you’re free for a second, you tap your hand on the small of his back, asking him to take a break as you take over the customers. It’s nearly nine o’clock before the crowd finally dissipates and you both can take a breather. 
“Good work, Han.” You gently card your fingers through Jeonghan’s newly trimmed hair. 
“Boy, am I glad I cut my hair before coming here. I’d sweat the hell out just by standing here with my old hair.”
“Hmm, it is much more manageable.”
There’s a pause as you both become silent for a long minute. From around you, you can see other stalls shutting down and the sounds of the fair quieten down. Your fingers form a pattern as you gently massage his scalp and his lower neck. You’re too busy taking in the scenery around you that you miss the way his eyes flutter close. 
“I had brunch with mom today.”
You sigh. 
“It felt good to show my new hair.” 
You turn around to look at him, and he opens his eyes. “What did she say?” 
“Nothing. She doesn’t say anything anymore, as long as I keep my hair for her shoots.”
“But it’s still hot outside.”
Jeonghan mumbles, “When has that mattered for her?” He turns away and suddenly gets up. “Y/N-ah, all the other stalls have shut down. Shouldn’t we pack up too? And anyway, the tteokbokki place won’t be open for long…” 
You laugh, and relent. “Okay, let’s feed the baby his treat, hmm? Thank you for coming and helping me out! It was pretty hectic today and we made a lot of sales, thanks to your charms that even the ahjussis cannot resist.” 
He smiles, “Well, what can I say, it’s not easy to be God’s favourite-” He can’t finish his sentence because you punch him softly on his chest, and he bursts out in giggles. “Let’s go get food, Han-ah.” “Hmm, let’s go!”
_
“Hannie, are you free tonight? There was an offer at the convenience store, so I bought two boxes of that pizza you like.” You ask him while you walk into your home after picking up groceries from the store. 
“Nah, I have plans with Seokmin today.”
“Seokmin?!” You ask, a little surprised. “You two are going out together? Wow, I didn’t know you were so close.”
“Oh! We’re inseparable. He’s too fun a guy to let go.”
You sigh. “Wow. Okay okay, enjoy, hmm?”
“Yeah. Do you wanna come? Shua will be there too.”
“Shua?! You’ve started again!”
“Literally no,” you can hear his laughter, and he says, “I didn’t even know Shua would be there until like an hour ago.”
“I bet the plan was made only an hour ago.”
He laughs again, “I’ll have to go now, okay? I’ll be late otherwise.”
It turns out to be a very high-end party of models in which Jeonghan has been invited, and he’s brought Seokmin as his plus-one. You get all this information from the news tabloids on your instagram, which flash extra-large sized photographs of Jeonghan and his new friend Seokmin, who everyone’s curious about. You then see stills of Joshua laughing away, dressed to the nines, arm-in-arm with Seokmin and Jeonghan. Of Joshua whispering something into Seokmin’s ears and Seokmin turning red even under the dim neon lights of the party. Of Joshua and Seokmin making an intense eye-contact, and Jeonghan smirking over his glass of whisky. 
Wow. 
His plan must be a success. Seokmin and Joshua do look like they’re going to hook up. 
Well, you’re just going to have to take the details from Jeonghan later, if that happens. 
You don’t stay online after that, so you miss all the photos of the late entrants of the party. 
_
It’s seven in the morning, and you’ve just woken up, when there’s a knock on your door. “Jeonghan?” Not only is he standing there with his eyes red and his clothes messed up, but you can also see hickeys blooming all over his neck, in shades of purple and red that look pretty against his milk skin. 
“I came here to see if I’m alive.”
You tilt your head towards one side, raising your eyebrows. “You seem alive to me.”
“Good, because I’ve gone to heaven and come back.” And without another word he enters and throws himself face-down on the couch and passes out instantly. 
You don’t wait around for him to wake up, and you figure his metaphorical statements can be cleared up after you’ve come back from work, so you leave him like that.
When you’re back, tired after a long day of work, you see him still lying there, except he’s changed that one shirt and sweatpants he’d left at your place a few months back, at your last sleepover, and he’s watching something on his phone. When you peer close from behind him, he doesn’t even notice you. Which is odd because Jeonghan is usually an alert sort of guy. 
It’s a video of a woman interacting with Jeonghan at last night’s party, her dress a blaze of flames, her dark hair falling in cascades around her lithe frame, and she giggles elegantly at something Jeonghan says, before he takes her hand in his own and kisses on her knuckles, and the video cuts off right there. 
“Who’s that?”
Jeonghan jolts up at that, dropping his phone on the ground, and letting out a tiny yelp. Then he sits up and lightly punches your arm. “You scared me.”
“I literally came in through the door, what if I was a thief and you hadn’t even noticed me?”
“Why would a thief come into your house, what are you doing for its security, huh?”
“God,” you sigh. “I see you’ve made yourself at home. Who were you looking at?”
He walks towards the kitchen to get a glass of water. 
“Heaven. I went to heaven last night.”
“Yes, you told me. What happened, can you explain simply?”
“I met her. That’s what happened.”
“Who?” you ask again, ignoring the dazed look in his eyes as he looks out of the window. 
“Her! Did you see her?”
“I did. Is she famous? Am I supposed to be knowing her?”
“Well. I don’t know. I don’t think you would know her. I mean, I’ve never met her before then clearly, you wouldn’t know her-”
“Then tell me who she is.”
“Han Sujin. She’s the daughter of the owner of Han Electronics.”
“Really? Wow. Must be filthy rich.”
“Is that all you gathered?” Jeonghan turns around to look at you incredulously, and you retort, “Well what else is there to gather?” “Maybe the fact that she looks like an angel?” “She does look gorgeous. Did you sleep with her last night?” Jeonghan sighs. “No. I slept with someone else, but I’ve not been able to get her out of my mind! This has never happened before!” 
You stare at him. “You’re right, it has not.” 
“Am I falling in love, Y/N?” 
“I don’t… know? It’s a little too early to say, isn’t it?” 
“I’ve been dreaming about her for twenty four hours now, I’m pretty damn sure it’s love.”
You gulp, realising he’s not going to hear your voice of reason now. So you switch the topic. “What happened with Shua and Seokminnie?”
“Huh?”
“Joshua? Seokmin? You set them up last night, I know.”
“Oh that.” He runs a hand through his hair. “That went well, as far as I remember. Well, I didn’t really notice them much after she came in. They went off to get drinks, Joshua’s hand was gripping Seokmin’s bicep very suggestively, so I’m sure that went well.”
“You were so blown away by this woman that you missed out on your little pet project?”
“Shame, isn’t it? But no matter. I’ll call Seokmin tomorrow and find out about it. Y/N-ah, do you know anything more about Sujin?”
“I literally just told you I don’t even know her-”
“Ugh! I have to meet her again, somehow!” And he lets out a dramatic huff of exasperation before lying down on the couch again. 
_
“Seokmin?” You’re surprised to see Seokmin at Jeonghan’s place when you drop by on Friday night. “Y/N! Jeonghan didn’t tell me you’re coming.” “Nah I just came by on an impulse. What are you doing here?” He stands up, his face red with excitement. “Joshua invited me to his housewarming party!” He pauses for a second, waiting for your reaction. He’s clearly expecting a very happy reaction, so you humour him with a bright smile. He doesn’t see how fake the smile is, and he claps his hands with yours. “Oh, isn’t it going to be so much fun, Y/N-ah?”
Just then Jeonghan walks into the room, and calls out your name. 
“Did you hear? Seokmin is in the circle now!”
“Yes, that’s pretty cool. But then, who wouldn’t want Seokmin as their friend,” you smile. 
“Not friend, Y/N. Seokmin is Joshua’s specially invited guest. He sent roses with the invitation!” 
There’s another loud squeal from behind you and you turn to see Seokmin rubbing his face with his hands, making it even more red than it is already. 
“I saw y’all had fun at that last party.”
His blush goes down till his neck and collarbones. “Yes, it was such a high-end party. There actors, models, singers, idols, and chaebols everywhere! And the food was so awesome- although I’ve never eaten any of them before and I don’t think I’d be able to eat them anywhere else because they looked too fancy.”
You giggle. “But would you go back a second time?”
Seokmin thinks for a second, before whispering scandalously, “If Joshua wasn’t there, I don’t think I would.” 
You laugh at that, extending your hand for a high-five. “Same! They get boring after a point because I simply cannot fit in.”
“That’s true! Although Joshua introduced me to so many people, I don’t think I could make eye contact with any of them.” 
You continue laughing at that. “But I gather you really had a good time with Joshua.”
Jeonghan intercepts. “Good time?” He scoffs. “They made out in the backseat of my car.”
Seokmin whines at Jeonghan’s slightly strict voice, “We didn’t have any other spot because I came with y-”
Jeonghan laughs, “I’m not mad, hey! It’s just funny that Joshua chose to make out in my car and not his-”
“That’s because his car was farther away and the valet took longer to bring it along.”
Seokmin gets a call and he excuses himself for a second. You take that opportunity to turn around and look at Jeonghan, who’s sitting right behind you. “So?” You raise one eyebrow, “Looks like your plan will come through.” “When am I ever wrong?” “But be careful, this is first-” “Oh god. Even after coming so far, you’re going to ask me to be cautious?” “ Because you need to be. Seokmin is such a soft soul- do you see how excited he is just by receiving flowers from Joshua?”
Jeonghan stands up. “But I don’t recollect Joshua ever sending flowers to anyone before. And I’ve known Joshua for long enough, you know.”
You sigh, twisting your lips in displeasure. 
“Still. I just don’t want anyone’s hearts to be broken by your meddling.”
_
An invite arrives at your house as well. There are no roses, but at least some beautiful gerberas. But Jeonghan’s meddling does not stop. Nor does it slow down in pace. Before Joshua’s housewarming party, Jeonghan ensures that Seokmin and Joshua bump into each other at least three times. First, on Monday, at the coffee shop Joshua and Jeonghan often eat brunch together after hungover weekends. Second, on Tuesday, at a pop-up store Joshua has been invited to inaugurate. Third, on Friday, at Jeonghan’s mother’s flagship store, where Joshua was invited to browse through the latest collections at the same time that Seokmin was taken by Jeonghan to choose an outfit he’d like for the housewarming party. 
It’s getting a little too forced. Seokmin doesn’t see it because of his rose-tinted glasses of infatuation. Jeonghan doesn’t see it because he’s desperate for success. But you do see it. Seoul is not a small city. It’s incredibly hard to run into the same person three times in the same week, right after making out with them. But you also know that Jeonghan will turn a deaf ear to any of your words now. 
So you don’t broach this topic of conversation for the rest of the week, until the day of the housewarming party. As always, you’re never too sure of what to wear to any of these parties of Jeonghan’s friends, because you’re sure all these models have their secret dress codes planned and you always seem out of place. It’s not that you don’t enjoy dressing up, and you also have the advantage of being able to borrow dresses from Jeonghan’s mother. But somehow, you never fit in. Or perhaps you don’t try hard enough and you don’t want to put in that much effort either. So you settle for a baby blue dress with little yellow butterflies embroidered throughout. It’s a safe bet for a cocktail party, so you’re hoping it’s not going to be a wild night. 
Jeonghan arrives at your door right when you’re about to leave for the party.
“We’re going together?”
“Have we ever not gone together?”
You open your lips to say that you had thought he’d be going with Seokmin, but he interrupts you. “You look good.” You notice that he’s wearing a grey silk blouse that fits him like a glove, paired with golden earrings. “So do you.”
“The paparazzi are saying I would look better with my old hair.” He bites his lips and averts your gaze. 
“Where did they see you?” 
“Oh, I was getting out of my house. There were a few people outside.” 
“The paparazzi don’t matter.”
“Yes. They don’t matter. But for what it’s worth- they’re not lying.”
You sigh. “Let’s go, Han-ah. We don’t want to be late.” You’re well aware of the insecurities Jeonghan has about his hair, so you don’t want to say anything more. You remember all the times when Jeonghan’s cried next to you because his mother is obsessed with him having perfect looks, because she knows very well that her designer brand blew up ever since Jeonghan started modelling for it. You also remember Jeonghan being bullied by boys in high school because of his long hair, in response to which you’d cut your hair to a crew cut, making an odd visual when you both walked through school corridors. You know that the reason that Jeonghan spends so much time at your house in spite of having his own house, is because he wants to be as far away from his mother as possible, who only sees him as a source of revenue. And you’ve tried but given up trying to mend his relationship with her, primarily because Jeonghan’s mother disapproves of his friendship with you and considers you as the reason why her son does not listen to her. 
“Wow. Joshua has spent a lot, clearly.”
The penthouse is absolutely stunning. Definitely as expected from South Korea’s top model. The guest list seems to be hand-picked, with the paparazzi stopped outside the gates, providing full privacy to the guests. And yet again, you’ve dressed quite differently from what everyone is wearing. You’re now fully convinced that there’s a secret dress code that they don’t tell non-celebrities to purposely make them feel left out. 
But Joshua is the perfect host. He greets you almost as soon as you two enter, successfully avoiding all the cameras flashing at the entrance. 
“It’s so beautiful. Love the asymmetric design, and all the glass detailing outside.”
Joshua smiles that disarmingly charming smile of his, as you sip on the glass of champagne. “I’m so glad you liked it. Now that I’ve impressed someone in the housing industry, I know I’ve invested in the right property.” 
“You certainly have. The view is also idyllic, displaced from the general crowds, but you still get a view of the Han.” 
Jeonghan groans next to you, clearly bored with the talk, but Joshua’s smile widens at the praise. 
“I’d like you to come around someday in the morning, when the sun is still up. The view is even more spectacular.”
“So cool, I’d be able to see the design even better then! Thanks. You know Mingyu, my colleague? He’d really appreciate the design.”
“Oh yeah, he did praise it highly.” 
You pause for a second. “Sorry- he- he’s seen it already? Did he design it, by any chance?” 
Joshua laughs. “No, but he’s here as Seokmin’s plus-one.”
You turn to look at Jeonghan, who also looks at you at the exact same moment, eyes wide. “Wow, I did not know that,” you gulp, before laughing the embarrassment off awkwardly. 
“Yeah, they’re up near the mini-bar. Now, if you’ll just excuse me-” and Joshua walks away with a polite smile, waving hi to someone in the distance.
“I did not see that coming.” Jeonghan says. “Seokmin must’ve lost his nerve and brought him along. Good, now Joshua will be more jealous.”
“Jealous?”
“Didn’t you see how Joshua’s smile tightened when he talked about Mingyu?”
You stare at Jeonghan for a solid second, before looking away because he did not break the gaze, determined to prevail. 
“Let’s go and find Mingyu and Seokmin, hmm?”
_
You do stick to Mingyu’s side throughout the evening, as Jeonghan goes out to mingle and Seokmin is soon called to Joshua’s side as they go to see the other side of the house. 
“Wanna bet?”
You’re stuffing your mouth with the croutons on the cheese fondue plate you’d received along with your glasses of wine, while Mingyu ravishes the delicately baked egg tarts he’s seemed to fall in love with. 
“On what, Gyu?”
You were wrong earlier. Seokmin and Mingyu do not look out of place. Seokmin is wearing an all black outfit, the shirt with a low neck which accentuates his excellent figure, while Mingyu wears a charcoal grey turtleneck and glasses, which you’ve never seen him wear before except when he’s working on something intently. They both look exactly in place, especially Mingyu. You’ve noticed multiple people send flirtatious smiles towards Mingyu, but he keeps his eyes on yours while the two of you talk at the edge of the bar. 
“On Joshua and Seokmin. I bet that they’ll be dating by the end of the month.”
You laugh. “Sure. What do you want if you win?”
“I don’t know. Loser takes the other out to dinner?”
“Cool. But Mingyu… by the end of the month… you may be short on cash.”
“Me?! Hah! I’m not going to lose. Have you seen how Joshua’s undressing Seokmin with his eyes?”
You tilt your head in amusement. “Did you know that lust does not equate dating?”
“I do! But Seokmin isn't the type of guy to like someone based on lust purely.”
“I agree. But Joshua might just be.”
Mingyu squints his eyes, then shakes his head. “I doubt. He sent roses, you know. That can only mean one thing.”
“We’ll see.” You clink your glass to Mingyu’s before sipping it. Your eyes trace the large lawn area to see if you can spot Jeonghan, but it’s hard to find him under the dim lights. Thank god for Mingyu, you think. Otherwise you’d be bored to death tonight, and drink yourself to death on the open bar. 
“Say, Mingyu. Who do you think will get married earlier from our friends? We’re all pushing thirty now, you know.”
“Twenty-five isn’t pushing thirty.” He pouts, clearly upset at the idea. “I don’t want to be called an ahjussi anytime soon so don’t say things like that.”
You pinch his cheek, which deflates his pout into a smile. “My question still stands.”
“Well, I think Seungcheol will get married first. He’s really smitten with his girlfriend, I don’t see why they’re not married yet.”
“Hmm, I agree. He’s the oldest amongst us as well.”
“By that metric, Jeonghan would be married next. I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“Why not?”
“Do you think Jeonghan would ever? He’s told me many times that he's not interested in settling down.”
“That’s all big talk. Going to change the second he meets someone he likes. And from what I hear, that may not be too far-”
“Oh here you are!” The man in question arrives at the spot, cheeks flushed with excitement. There’s a woman walking right behind him. It’s her, you realise. The girl from that night, the girl he was so desperate to meet again. So he has met her again, you see. 
“Sujin, this is my best friend, Y/L/N  Y/N, and her colleague, Kim Mingyu.” You do a light bow, while the woman in front of you smiles elegantly while bowing in return. “I’m Han Sujin. Such a pleasure to meet you two. Are you also in the modelling world, Mingyu-ssi?” 
Oh. 
You don’t miss how her question is directed to Mingyu only. 
Mingyu grins, “No, I’m an architect. Y/N and I work for a housing estate firm.”
“Oh? Such a shame. What a waste, isn’t it, Jeonghan-ah?” You wish Mingyu would shrug his hand away as she drags one carefully manicured nail along the edge of his bicep. You wish Jeonghan would also react, but he doesn’t seem to move at all except one smirk. Perhaps this is normal for them? You don’t know why it’s annoying you then. Maybe because you don’t like this undue attention she’s giving Mingyu, clearly flirtatious as she leans into him to whisper something into his ears which you miss as you zone out of the conversation. Maybe because Jeonghan is still looking at her as if she’s a goddess, which is so uncharacteristic of him, leaving you second-guessing every damn thing you’ve understood about him till now. The ugly head of something raises its head in your chest, but you don’t know what it is so you really can’t quash it either. You wish it wouldn’t be so- you wish you could be normal about this, whatever this minuscule interaction has been. But you decide in your mind. You don’t like this woman at all. 
But as the night winds away, one thing becomes clear to you. 
There’s no one else who has the same opinion as you. They’re all clearly in love with her. Folding over for her. And perhaps you understand- she’s everything you expect a rich, high-class, beautiful, elegant and socially supreme woman to be. She’s the perfect woman, the epitome of one’s dreams. 
No wonder she’s the first woman Jeonghan is falling in love with. And falling in love, he is. It’s in the cherry eyes he’s throwing her, the way he’s blushing everytime she introduces him to someone all while clasping her fingers around her arm, the way the small of his hand rests on her pristine back which is left naked in the backless dress she’s wearing, the way she seems to have inside jokes with him because you can’t catch half of the things they’re saying but they seem to be laughing a good deal over it. 
You don’t wait for Jeonghan to offer you a ride home. You know he will not. So when Mingyu offers to drop you home after dinner, you jump to his offer.
_
Something changes from that night onwards. Two things had clearly happened that night. First, Seokmin and Joshua did sleep together. As per Mingyu’s details, when Mingyu had gone to Seokmin’s house the next night to pick up something, he’d found Joshua casually lying on Seokmin’s bed, wearing Seokmin’s favourite red jersey and no pants, and both of them had been covered in hickeys, but he had not been able to ask anything else because Joshua was right there. 
Second, Jeonghan had definitely become enamoured with Sujin. Such that over the rest of the week, you barely see him, only communicating through a couple of texts here and there. His instagram story receives more updates than you do- and his soft launching definitely fails because his dates with Sujin are so obvious. 
It doesn’t matter. 
You make yourself busy with work. It doesn’t matter when the entire
It doesn’t matter that you have another fair coming up this weekend and you clearly remember telling Jeonghan about it a few days back. But he doesn’t come to help. He doesn’t even call before the fair, to wish you luck. For that matter, he doesn’t even call after it. 
It doesn’t matter that your mother’s death anniversary comes and goes, and Jeonghan breaks the four year old tradition of the two of you visiting her grave and spending the entire day together.
It doesn’t matter that Jeonghan has never gone this long without meeting you, but it doesn’t matter. You’re twenty-five. You’ve lost friends before, you can make do with losing another one. 
_
“So, it’s the last Friday of the month. I remember a bet…”
You sidle up to Mingyu’s desk as the work day comes to an end, gently sitting against the edge of his desk. 
“Fuck. I can’t believe I lost it, Y/N.” He leans back against his chair, stretching his arms behind him. He’s wearing a short sleeved polo shirt today, so his biceps strain against the sleeves. You wonder again how many hours he dedicates to the gym every day. 
“Well. It doesn’t matter now, does it? You’ve lost it, now don’t act like a sore loser. Where are you taking me out?” 
“So it’s a date?” He suddenly stands up, so that your eyes are at his chest level, and your breath is knocked away. 
“Where did that come from?”
“I’m the one taking you out, so it’s my rules.”
You smile. “You could’ve told me before. I’m dressed shabbily today.”
“Huh? I think this blouse suits you perfectly. The red makes your lips look… brighter.”
You gulp, as Mingyu takes another step towards you, almost locking you into his desk. “Pack up so we can leave early, Y/N. Don’t wanna miss our reservation.”
_
“This looks expensive.” You feel underdressed for the high-end Mingyu has brought you to. “Are you sure this is the place you booked your reservation at?”
“You heard them saying that this table was for Kim Mingyu, didn’t you?”
“Still.” The place is too cold, it makes a shiver run down your spine.
“Have you ever been here before? What’s good?” You ask Mingyu when you’re offered the menu card by a server, and Mingyu asks her for the special wine of the restaurant as if he’s already tried it before. 
“The pasta is good. But I particularly enjoy their paella. But of course, it’s your call-”
“Dude, I can't even read all these english names. I’ll eat whatever you recommend. It is your treat afterall.”
“Alright then.” So Mingyu orders two plates of seafood paella and the pesto pizza. 
“Seems like you came all prepared to lose the bet? A reservation here could not have been easy.” “Well, it was some luck. But it’s kinda unbelievable that I did lose the bet. How has it been twenty days since they’ve been hooking up but still not dating? Maybe they’re just, like, secretly dating. And not announcing it. ‘Cause Joshua is a celeb and all.” “Perhaps. But I would think Seokmin is close enough a friend of yours to tell you if he did get into the first relationship of his life.” Mingyu pouts, his eyebrows furrowed as he drinks some of the wine that just got served. 
“I just hope he doesn’t get his heart broken, Gyu.”
The man in front of you shakes his head. “Don’t worry. Seokmin may be innocent but he’s cautious. He wouldn’t go in deep if he wasn’t sure of Joshua’s feelings too.” He gingerly edges his fingers towards your palm resting on the table, and gently caresses your fingers, sending shivers down your spine. “Y/N, let’s take our mind off the bet for some time, hmm? If I’m taking you out for the first time, I want it to be a date, and I want it… I want to do it the right way. Will you let me do it the right way?” 
Your breath hitches in your throat. Mingyu doesn’t have to make it more explicit, you understand well enough what he’s trying to say. But you still ask him, because you can’t wrap your head around it. 
“What do you mean, Gyu?”
He smiles, his cheeks glowing with happiness. “It means I’m asking you for a chance, Y/N. I like you. Let me show you how much I like you. Will you let me?” The intensity of his gaze and his gentle but firm grip on your fingers mean that he’s waiting for a response, but you’re literally taken aback and speechless. That took a quick turn. You had hardly expected that Mingyu did actually like you. All that banter and friendly touching? It was not your fault for thinking any good-looking man with flirtatious tendencies probably did that with every woman he saw. 
Fuck, Jeonghan was right about Mingyu liking me. Wow. What would the look on his face be when you’d tell him about this?
As soon as Jeonghan’s face crops up into your mind, the pleasant buzz of the situation dissipates into an anger you cannot understand. The faint traces of a drunk conversation from months’ ago float into your mind. 
Men like him aren’t worth chasing, you know.
Men like him? Why do you say that so condescendingly, Jeonghan?
Because I don’t understand the hype about him. Sure, big arms and height and all. But he’s after all just an average man. Using greasy pick up lines, wearing printed t-shirts, looking to marry and have three kids as soon as possible, and then grow old with dogs in a house he’s still paying the loan for, until retirement and then popping off. Just like that, he’s gone. Nothing remarkable about him for people to even remember him. Jeez, I really do not get the craze for unpolished men like him. I didn’t think you’d also be like other women and like him.
Ridiculous, ridiculous opinions. At that moment, you’d dismissed his statements as his usual drunken ludicrousness, but now an intense anger grows in you. As you see Mingyu sitting in front of you, his fingers still clasping yours, eyes shining with genuine fondness, you think how wrong Jeonghan was. Mingyu may not be a celebrity. He may not be a model with thousands of fans looking for him. Sure, he may be making just a regular paycheck at the end of the month. 
But he still wants to take a date out to a fancy high-end restaurant you know is beyond his affordability. He still wants you to give him a chance and he’s willing to work hard for it. He’s not an entitled bitch who thinks he can dump off a twenty-year old friendship for some random hot woman he met the other night, because he’s too busy thinking with his dick, too busy exploring the feeling of an infatuation because he’s never felt anything like that before and-
Mingyu gently rubs your fingers, breaking you out of your head. 
You heave in a deep breath, and say, “Yes, Mingyu. I… I can’t say anything about my feelings right now, though-”
“And that’s okay! I don’t want to force anything on you either. Your feelings are your feelings. Give me one chance and let me change your mind.” 
Mingyu’s smile is ever so genuine, his canines poking out of the side of his mouth. He picks your hand and slowly brings it to his lips to kiss your knuckles. 
And you should melt at the sweet gesture. You should melt at the feel of his soft, full lips touching your hand. You should melt at how big his hands feel against your smaller ones, the way his big fingers grasp your smaller wrist.
But it gives you deja vu from a distant memory and you avert your gaze. 
Thankfully, the pizza arrives just then and you two can dig in. 
_
When the bill arrives, Mingyu doesn’t even let you see it. You let him pay it, knowing his ego is too proud. Somehow, the fact that this was the outcome of him losing the bet has escaped your mind and you’ve realised it was all a ploy to get you out on dinner. 
“Did you design the bet in order to take me out to dinner?” You shyly ask him, as you both make your way out of the restaurant towards the spot where his car is parked.
He laughs, and whispers back to you, as you sit down in his car. “Guilty as charged. Did you really have no idea of my feelings?” 
You smile, no idea why the two of you are whispering but it feels strangely alright. It makes you feel like a high school forbidden romance, and he’s treating you like those ambitious teens who want to give the best date to their crush like you see in movies. With all the attention and compliments he’s given you over the last two hours, he hasn’t made you a tad bit uncomfortable, rather you’re quite floating on clouds right now. No one has ever made you feel you so wanted. Especially at a time when you feel particularly unwanted. 
“I did not, I swear. I thought it was your usual thing. The banter and all.”
He laughs again. He seems to be laughing a lot more than usual, and that’s okay with you. It adds to his warmth and his charm, and you like the sound too. 
“I think I fell for you ages ago. Ever since you shifted to that desk next to me.”
“Hell no. That was eight months back.”
“Uh-huh. What’s wrong with that?”
“It took you eight months to ask me out, Mingyu?” You scoff at him, squinting your eyes. “You’re a sore loser then. That’s way too long to crush on someone at this age.”
“I am a sore loser, I didn’t have the guts.” He giggles. His hand extends over the console to find your hand resting on your thigh, and he gently wraps his fingers around yours. “To be honest, I thought you were dating Jeonghan at first.” You let his fingers be on your hand, and you squeeze his meaty fingers. “That’s ridiculous. Jeonghan and I have never been that sort of thing.” “Really? I mean, it’s not obvious. But I kinda figured it out when we started mingling in the same circle and going out for parties with common friends and all. Seokmin and I both thought you and Jeonghan were a thing until we noticed how often he slept around with others.” 
You shudder. You don’t want to talk about Jeonghan now. God, Jeonghan was so wrong. Average man? No. Sincere man. Mingyu was a genuine man, and what was wrong in wanting to get married and have kids early? At least he didn’t have a vanity the size of the moon and an absolute disregard for others’ feelings. 
“Mingyu, you know my house is on the other side of the town. You don’t have to drive all the way up there. I can take the bus, it’s not that late.”
“What?” He squeezes your fingers, which have remained entangled in his own. “No. Of course I’ll drop you. Why would I want to cut our time together short?” That makes you blush wildly. You can’t believe the kind of cheesy stuff that comes out of his mouth so casually, almost fully seriously. 
“Mingyu! Stop saying things like that.”
“Why? Does it make your heart flutter?” 
And there’s a red light, so he turns to look at you, and you realise he’s close enough for you to smell his cologne. He smells good even at the end of the day. The cologne is from a cheap brand, the artificial fragrances make that obvious. Nothing like Jeonghan’s expensive bergamot fragrance you’ve gotten used to. But you’re not going to think about him. So you don’t. 
You lean in closer towards Mingyu. 
“You know, it’s not a working day tomorrow.”
His eyes go slightly dilated as he stares back at you. His grip on your hand tightens as you inch closer. “Yes, and?”
“Do you want to watch the World Cup finals game tonight, together?”
A very cocky, but an excited smirk spreads across his face. “Are you sure? Of course I want to.” His voice is still a whisper, but his excitement makes it shrill and cute. “Do you want to come to my place? I have snacks and soju at home, we can have a full binge session while we watch the match. Which team do you s-”
“Hey, pretty boy! Don’t speak so fast.” He pouts, but it’s extremely cute. “Mingyu, it’s a green light.”
He looks away from you and suddenly jerks into place, and you laugh. “You’re such a baby, Kim Mingyu.”
_
So you do end up at his place. You change into a spare set of clothes that he lends you, and you two spend a solid three hours laughing and watching the match. By the end of it, your eyes are red from staring at his large TV but you both fight sleep to watch the penalty kicks and the final winning shot. And when the last penalty kick is hit, and the team you both have been supporting is declared the winner, you both jump into the air, your popcorn spilling everywhere, but the giggles and the dopamine makes it worth it. You end up sleeping on the couch, and Mingyu on the carpet on the floor, semi-drunk after finishing three bottles of soju between the two of you. And then you’re out like a light, with no dreams and no disturbances even though the couch isn’t really comfy.
The next morning, you wake up to the sound of a doorbell. When you open your eyes, you see a ton of sunlight streaming in through the windows. Must be at least ten in the morning for the sun to be this bright. Mingyu is still asleep, his legs tangled with the blanket he brought last night, and his hair mussed up. Not wanting to wake him up, and realising that you look decent enough to open the door, you peep through the eye-hole, before gasping and immediately opening the door. 
“Seokmin?”
“Y/N?” There’s a croak in his voice, like it’s broken. His eyes are wide, like he hasn’t been expecting you. “Sorry- I- Mingyu and I were watching the match last night so I slept here. We didn’t sleep together or anything-” “No, you don’t have to explain. Is Mingyu here?” “Yeah, I’ll just be leaving. You can talk to him, don’t mind me!” 
Mingyu wakes up at the sound of your conversation, and comes to the door equally surprised to find Seokmin standing there. He takes up the rein of the conversation and it’s only now that you notice how gloomy Seokmin’s face looks- clouded with worries and a seriousness you’ve never seen in him before. It’s an odd look because you thought it impossible to ever see Seokmin look downcast like this. 
“Is something wrong?” Mingyu asks him softly, drawing him a little away from you, and you understand. It may be a private thing between friends, you wouldn’t want to intrude. 
“No, it’s okay if Y/N hears.” Seokmin clears his throat and turns around to face you. 
“Joshua… cheated on me. No, that- that’s wrong. We were never together, he said. So he was never exclusive. We were never exclusive. So he’s been cheating on me since the first day… No, what I mean is-”
“Fuck.” You mutter under your breath, as you see Seokmin struggling with his words, his eyes on the floor. “Are you sure, Seokmin-ah? Did you see him-”
“I went to this house this morning. To surprise him. We were supposed to meet yesterday but I had to cancel, so…” he runs a hand through his hair. “I fucked up, didn’t I?” And your heart breaks at the misery painted across his face, so you pull him into your arms and he instantly breaks down and starts crying in your shoulder. You can see Mingyu looking equally distressed, so you pull him into the hug too, and the two of you take turns to comfort Seokmin as he sputters out the rest of the story in between sobs. 
“Hadn’t you spoken to him before about dating and all, Seokmin-ah?” Mingyu asks him, but Seokmin shakes his head. “I hadn’t… because I was too scared he would reject me. Of course, I was okay with us not having tags until he wanted to… of course, I understand that he is a celebrity and these sorts of things are probably okay between them but… It still hurts, I’m sorry.” “You should not be sorry, Seokmin-ah. It’s literally not your fault that Joshua was an absolute jerk,” you say, patting his back. “Mingyu, can you take care of Seokmin-ah? I have to go talk to Jeonghan about this.” “Jeonghan?” Seokmin looks at you with wide eyes, and you simply nod without elaborating. “Joshua will regret losing you, Seokmin.” 
Jeonghan will regret his meddling.
_
When you arrive at Jeonghan’s house, you find that his mother thankfully is not there. It wouldn’t matter anyway. In their four storey mansion, you and his mother have rarely clashed when avoidable. Although you let yourself in, you find Jeonghan’s bedroom locked, slow jazz music clearly audible. 
You bang on the door. 
No response. 
“Jeonghan, open up.” 
The door opens after a solid ten seconds, with a curious Jeonghan peering down at you. “Y/N?” He’s shirtless, his pale, glowing skin shining in the sunlight. “Is she here?” “Who?” “That woman.” “No.” You snort. Look at him, all blissfully unaware about the damage he’s done. You notice how he doesn’t open the door fully to let you come in, which is absurd. “You won’t let me in? Have we ceased to be friends?” “No, I- sorry. Come in.” “What?” “Those are not your clothes. You don’t own red clothes. You don’t even like the colour red.” You look down at your clothes and realise that you’re still dressed in Mingyu’s clothes. “Yeah, they’re Mingyu’s.” Jeonghan looks up from where he’s standing, trying to put on a shirt. He stops midway and walks closer towards you, “You’re wearing Mingyu’s clothes?” “Yes, and?” 
The beauty of Yoon Jeonghan hits you with full force as he steps into your personal space, all up close until you can count his long eyelashes. You can see the way his gaze hardens, his eyes darken, and his jaw locks itself, making his face more serious and less delicate. “Did you sleep with him?” “Jeonghan, there’s something else I came to talk to you about-” “Did you?” His finger grazes your chin. The touch is not unfamiliar, but not familiar either. It sends a shiver down your spine as you take a step back, without breaking eye contact. 
“I don’t have to answer you, Jeonghan. Not after you decided to go MIA after meeting one woman-”
“I did not go MIA.”
“Don’t fucking lie to me, Yoon! Fuck, do you have no conscience, lying to my face like that? Why did you stop calling me? Stop coming over? Avoided every time I planned to meet up with you?”
“I was busy.”
“With what? What on earth could make you so busy that you missed my mother’s death anniversary? What on earth could make you so busy that you felt it was normal to not talk to me properly for days? Years of friendship, broken by what? I want to know, Jeonghan! Was it her? Does she ask you not to talk to me?”
“No, what? Why would you bring her into-”
“Then why? Are you really the same Jeonghan who wanted to video call every week even when you had gone abroad for that study program? Are you really the same Jeonghan who swore that even if you got married with ten grandchildren, you wouldn’t lose contact with me?”
“Y/N, listen to me.”
“No, I’m not going to fall for your lies-”
He steps in front of you and gently places his left hand on your mouth. “I’m sorry.” There’s that intense gaze again. He wraps his other hand around your arm, holding you in place. “Listen to me, once, please?” You look away, and you make the mistake of looking down at his chest. You didn’t realise he was still shirtless. And while it’s not a view you’re seeing for the first time and it’s never really phased you before, you swear your mouth goes dry seeing the way a single silver chain hangs in front of his collarbones. 
“What is it, Jeonghan? What do you have to say?”
“I’m sorry, I made a mistake.”
There’s a pause, where you expect him to say something else, but he doesn’t continue. “That’s it?” You raise an eyebrow, and you see his jaw twitch. 
“Yes. I don’t have an explanation because there isn’t any. I was infatuated with Sujin until I found out on the internet after our photos of kissing went viral last night from a club.”
“Until you found your photos went viral? What happened, did your agency cut you off?” 
“What- no, of course not. My agency has it under control.”
“Then? Fans pressurised-”
“No, dammit. She’s not been talking to me since the incident. But she’ll come around. She’s probably a little shocked because of the paparazzi.”
You sigh. “Well. At least your life’s under control.”
“What do you mean?” Jeonghan’s eyes slightly furrow as he leans into you. Your nostrils fill with that typical scent of his, but it’s the first time you can smell his masculine scent too, perhaps because he is shirtless. But you refuse to be taken off guard, so you harden your gaze and look back into his stare with full force. 
“Seokmin…”
“What about Seokmin?”
“Joshua’s been fucking other people apart with Seokmin.”
Jeonghan steps back. “Seriously?”
“Yes. You’ve broken his heart, Jeonghan.” You can’t help from throwing him your most disappointed look, reflecting your real feelings. “You knew that he is a playboy and I’d told you that he would not take Seokmin seriously. I told you to not meddle, and look at what you’ve done now.”
Jeonghan falls to the bed behind him with a loud thud. His voice cracks when he asks you, “Is Seokmin okay?” 
You bitterly shake your head. “It was his first relationship. Think of how he’d feel after finding out the man he loves didn’t love him all along.”
_
There was nothing to be done that day, except you going back to Mingyu’s place, both to return his clothes, but also to check on Seokmin. You brought soup and some more comfort food, and found Seokmin sitting in one corner of Mingyu’s bed, wrapped in a blanket but still shivering because of the tears that kept flowing down his cheeks from time-to-time. 
Jeonghan goes to meet Joshua. You don’t know how much good that’s going to do, considering that Joshua is a stubborn man. And to be honest, you wouldn’t want Seokmin to go back to Joshua either. There was a high chance that the sensitive younger boy’s feelings would get hurt again, and you didn’t want to take that chance. 
And you’re proved right. When Jeonghan comes to Mingyu’s house after talking to Joshua, he begs forgiveness from Seokmin, who doesn’t blame him at all. He instead cries a bit more, blaming himself and his innocence, and his inability to understand Joshua’s feelings correctly. Hearing him cry, Jeonghan cries too, the two wrapped up in each other, as you and Mingyu leave them alone to sort out the mess. It is a mess, but nothing Jeonghan says makes it better. It doesn’t matter how many times Jeonghan tries to explain to Seokmin that it’s not his fault, because Seokmin has shut off all voices of reason. 
So you take Jeonghan away from him. He’s quiet throughout the journey back home, swimming in his guilt. And your heart breaks a little seeing him. 
He doesn’t respond to your voice when you ask him to get out of the car and come into your house, so you open the door and gently take him into your arms and carry him inside, his arms limp in yours. 
“Hannie?” You ask him when you’re finally inside and you’ve seated him on your kitchen stool. 
“I let him down. I let you down, Y/N.”
His eyes gradually look up at you, and you can see the raw vulnerability in his doe eyes. But you cannot comfort him. A part of your heart aches to touch him, to let him know that it isn’t his fault either, but another part of your heart thinks that he deserves it. His self-important ass should take a blow from time-to-time, and realise that everything in the world does not revolve around him.
So you don’t reply to him, only walking away. You busy yourself with other chores around the house, doing the laundry, cleaning the rooms, washing the dishes. And Jeonghan just sits there in that chair throughout, waiting for you to finish your work, as he looks at you with sad wide eyes. 
You don’t miss what he’s trying to do. He’s trying to throw puppy eyes so that you can forgive him. But you won’t forgive him. It’s only when you finish making dinner and place some of it before him on a plate, that you speak to him. “Eat up. Both of us haven’t eaten anything since the morning.”
He doesn’t look away from you, not making a move towards the plate. 
“Jeonghan. Looking at me like that is not going to mend things.”
“Like what?”
“Like that. Puppy fucking eyes. I’m not going to melt because of that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know you’re feeling sorry. I feel sorry too, if it makes you feel any better. In spite of knowing what kind of man Joshua potentially could be, I didn’t do anything to caution him. I’m as much to blame as anyone else.” 
“No, you’re wrong. It is my fault, through and through.”
You push the plate of food towards him. 
“Enough of your self-pity. Now, eat, please.”
Hearing your stern tone, he silently picks up his chopsticks. And then you only talk to him after he’s finished his entire meal. “Do you want more? You must be hungry.” “Hmm, if there’s any more.” So you give him some more, and finally, when he’s done, some of the natural glow comes back into his face. 
“Do you want to go home now? Or-”
“Can I stay here? I don’t want to go home.” When you don’t immediately respond, he adds, “I can sleep on the couch.”
“Have you ever slept on the couch, Han?”
He looks away. “I’ll wash the dishes.” So you leave him to do that and go into your bedroom to brush your teeth. He doesn’t come into the room for the next hour, not until you’ve changed into your night clothes and snuggled into your warm bed with the covers pulled up to your chin. On any other Saturday night, Jeonghan and you would wear matching face masks before going to bed. On any other Saturday night, you would eat liquor chocolates before bed, as a guilty pleasure. On any other Saturday night, Jeonghan and you would watch youtube videos till you slept. 
But tonight is not any other Saturday night. There is still a rage simmering in your heart. So you text Mingyu good night, but you don’t even look at Jeonghan when he finally comes into the room. Even as you feel him finally shuffle into bed and the other side of the bed dip under his weight, you don’t turn to look at him. Almost thirty minutes later, you finally turn around to stretch your body, hoping that the smoothness of Jeonghan’s breathing means he has finally dozed off to sleep. 
You’re wrong. As soon as you turn around, you see his eyes flutter open to meet yours, his face shining under the moonlight flitting in through the window. It’s at moments like this that you realise that he was truly born to be a model. He looks beautiful, even restless like this, even on stressful nights, when his eyes are clouded and the usual flush in his cheeks is lessened. 
Somehow seeing his eyes on you makes your heart calm down. 
“Did you really sleep with him, Y/N?”
Huh? This is what he wants to ask you? Is this what he’s been restless about? You can feel your heart race up again with irritation. Why is he pressing on about this? How dare he, when the only reason you’re spending time together with your best friend after weeks is because he’s made a grave mistake and he wants you to forgive him. 
Is this why you’re not forgiving him, yet, Y/N? Because you want to hold on to him at any cost? A voice in your head asks you. You dismiss it quickly. 
“After everything, this is what’s keeping you up?”
“Just please answer me, Y/N-ah.”
You take a breath.
“No I didn’t, Jeonghan. But we did go out on a date last night.”
In the darkness, you miss how his breathing speeds up and his jaw clenches. You just see him stare at you for a long minute. Then you turn back around and close your eyes. You hope he’ll be gone the next morning. 
_
He is gone the next morning. 
Well, gone from the room. You find him sitting on the couch, reading something on his phone. 
“You’re up early.”
He looks terrible. It’s clear he’s not slept well, if at all. 
“She called.” 
The coffee machine pings, indicating that your cappuccino is ready. 
“Who?”
“Sujin.” 
You pick your cup and turn around to look at him, leaning on the kitchen counter. “Oh good. Do you want eggs or ramen-”
“She has a husband. He lives in New Zealand.”
You almost drop your cup, as Jeonghan stares at you with the full force of his gaze. “She wants to break off ties immediately. She doesn’t want to stay in touch.”
“God, I didn’t know people were this casual about relationships these days. First, Joshua… then Sujin. I am sorry to hear-”
“Don’t be. I don’t feel bad. I don’t know, should I feel bad?” He walks up towards you and slowly takes a sip from your cup of coffee. He’s standing really close to you, and you can see the way his hair is growing along his neck. 
“Jeonghan, but you liked her?”
“I did, I suppose. But I can’t find myself to care that she’s gone. The restlessness in my heart is not caused by her at all. And, the longer,” he takes another sip, “I think about it, I think, I’m glad she’s gone.”
“What?”
“Because she took me away from you.”
Your breath hitches in your throat. “What are you saying, Jeonghan-ah?”
“Y/N, I- I don’t know what came over me. I swear I didn’t want to miss your mother’s anniversary. I knew you had a fair last week and-”
“Jeonghan! It’s fine, don’t fret so much. I’ll eventually get over it,” you laugh, trying to desperately avoid the intense gaze which is pinning you down now. 
He takes a step closer to you, his hand extending to touch your neck gently, feeling the hair near your neck. “You might. I won’t be able to look myself in the eye in the mirror, fuck, I won’t even be able to look at you with a clear mind until you forgive me.”
And then there’s a strange sensation in your limbs. A sensation to touch him too. It’s not like you’ve never touched him- but this time, you don’t want to touch him like you’ve touched him for all these years. You want to touch the way the faint morning sunlight is kissing his cheeks. You want to touch the gentle ends of his brown hair which are slowly growing in length. You want to touch his lips, chapped evidently, but still rosy and delicate. How would it feel to kiss him? Would he kiss you back?
“Jeonghan, you don’t know what you’re saying. You feel hurt because of Sujin and you want a quick fix.”
“Fuck, no, Y/N! Stop misunderstanding me, please! You don’t get it, do you? When I heard that you and Mingyu went on a date, I realised it.”
“Realised what?”
“That you’re mine. And I’m yours. I can’t imagine belonging, I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else.” You don’t have any words to say, just leaning back as he gently caresses your neck and hairline. So you stay silent, as you let his touch ease your mind. It doesn’t feel wrong. It feels as if his fingers just belong there. You crave the way he touches you, and you think you agree with what he’s saying. “Y/N, I… there’s a reason why I’ve never fallen in love with someone. Because, I didn’t need to. And because nobody was you. I’ve been a fool to not realise it earlier- but you’re literally my soulmate. We match, yin and yang, you’ve said this before yourself. And nobody makes me feel as loved as you do. Nobody makes me as happy as you do. I’m sorry I got carried away with the infatuation, but I know in my heart that it was nothing but physical attraction with Sujin. And I don’t even care for it. She has no place in my heart. Nobody does, except you.”
“But Sujin is perfect. You-”
“But she’s not you. She may be perfect, I don’t know. She’s definitely not perfect for me.” 
He leans in even closer, until you’re breathing the same air as his own, and his palm gently massages your neck. “I know who’s perfect for me.”
And then he steps back. He fucking takes a step back, leaving you high and dry, leaving you perched on his words, a glint in his eyes and all misery gone from his face. “I’ll wait for your reply, Y/N. I’ll wait for you to give me a chance. Unless, of course, your heart has already gone to Mingyu-”
You take a step forward. “Mingyu has never meant anything for me. I don’t … feel anything for him. You know that.”
“But you went on a date with him?”
“I… I didn’t put too much thought to it. We were going out just normally and he suddenly said if we can make it a date. And I had no reason to not give into his request-”
“But do you like him? Giving into his request and wanting the same thing as him are two different things, Y/N.”
You stay silent for a second, considering his question. It is a perfectly valid question, a question that had tormented your mind throughout the ‘date’. You hadn’t paid it much mind because of the sudden incidents after that, but when it comes back to your mind now, you realise…
“No. I don’t like him like that. And you know that too.”
There’s an evident shift in Jeonghan’s eyes, his gaze becoming warmer. “I do. But he is a better man, Y/N-ah. Better than I could ever be.”
There’s a long pause after his words, both of you waiting like prey and predator, wondering what the other’s move would be.
And then you take quick steps towards him, gently moving towards him timidly, until his back is against the wall, and you’re pinning him down on it. His lips part and he leans downwards, and that’s enough bait for you to fall for it, hook, line and sinker. So you meet him halfway and kiss him. You press your lips against his softer lips, the same lips you had wondered what it would be like to kiss, the same lips you had wondered if it would kiss you back. 
When you both finally break the kiss for air, you whisper to him, “I don’t want a better man, Jeonghan. I want you.”
So you kiss him again. And again, until his kisses become insistent, and he gently pries open your lips with his tongue. When his tongue enters, he flips you so that your back is against the wall, and he gently cages you with his hands on your hips. Then he takes his sweet time exploring your mouth the same way his gentle hands roam all over your waist and hips, pulling you up towards him, so that his hands wrap around you back as well.
“Fuck, Y/N, why haven’t we done this earlier?”
“Because we were friends?”
He laughs, a warm, tinkling sound in your ears, as he bends down to kiss your neck, making you gasp with each touch. “Fuck being friends, Y/N. I love you. I don’t think there’s ever been a day when I haven’t loved you and wanted to live the rest of my life with you by my side.”
“Hannie, what you’re saying-”
“Does it feel wrong? Do you want me to stop? I will stop if you say so, love.”
Love. He’s called you nicknames before, but something about the way he says it now makes you weak in the knees. 
In the past twenty-four hours, you’ve realised you were wrong so many times. Like right now, you realise that it was never Mingyu who made you feel the most wanted. It was because you were craving for Jeonghan’s attention that made you feel like Mingyu’s attention was unique. It was, is, and will always be Jeonghan. Had been him when he’d seen you through the shabbiness of your home, through the simple lifestyle your single mother provided, through your worst days when you’d isolated yourself from the world because you were too scared to face your demons. Had been him when he’d shown you that friendships can exist beyond a single classroom’s companionship, that love doesn’t always have to come in the form of big gestures and gifts, that life is always better with someone by your side. 
And you can’t imagine anyone else by your side, except Jeonghan. 
“It feels so right, Hannie. Don’t stop kissing me, please.” 
He chuckles, a deep, glorious sound, as he captures your lips again, his fingers daringly fiddling against the clasp of your bra that’s evident through your thin t-shirt. You gently edge yourself off the wall, bracing your back, pressing your body against his. “Fuck, don’t do that, Y/N. I’m not going to be able to keep my control if you do that.”
“You don’t have to control yourself, Han-ah. I want you as much as you want me.”
He kisses you again after that, a searing kiss that makes your body warm with liquid passion, and then he unclasps the bra from behind in one go. Then he kisses your jawline, leaving tiny bites as he pulls of the straps and your bra drops to the floor where you’re standing. Your body suddenly feels cool, so you press your chest against his, nipples rubbing against the fabric of his t-shirt and hardening, and he notices it.
He mutters something under his breath, before asking you, “Can I?”
“I don’t know,” you throw him a smirk. “Can you?”
“Fuck,” and then his hands grasp your breasts from over your tshirt, gentleness all forgotten as you arch your back to press into his squeezing hands as they rub circles into your nipples, feeling so warm against the cold air of the house. He trails his kisses down from your neck, through your collarbones, and finally over your shirt on your breasts, leaving wet patches all over. The erotic sight turns you on, as his spit gently lingers on the thin material of your shirt, leaving everything translucent. 
“Babe, let’s take you to the bedroom, please? I don’t want our first time against your kitchen wall.” His voice is hoarse in your ear, desperate groans you could never imagine Jeonghan to be emitting, but here he is, his low voice working wonders to your body. And you whisper a yes, before he drags you into the bedroom and nudges you to fall against the bed. He quickly pulls off your shirt, damp all over by now, and takes in the sight of your bare upper body. “God, you’re so fucking pretty, Y/N. Prettiest fucking tits I’ve ever seen,” he whispers, making you blush with the way he’s casually talking dirty to you. Then he latches his lips onto one of your breasts, sucking your nipple, while a hand pinches your other nipple, making you scream out at the sudden pleasure. And it’s his name you’re screaming. He looks at you with crazed eyes, his bangs falling over his eyes, but he doesn’t leave eye contact even as he switches sucking and nibbling from one breast to another. The soft skin of your tits are all wet and blooming with hickeys by the time he’s done, leaving your panties sticky and your breathing erratic. 
“I want to feel you too, Hannie.” You whimper, and he giggles. “God, you’re so cute, babe. Can you take off my shirt, cutie?” You sit up instantly and take off his shirt. And his chest is as pretty as you remember it. But this is the first time you’re having such a visceral reaction towards his bare chest, as you gently lick and leave open mouthed kisses all over his neck and chest. “Baby, so good-” his voice breaks, and it makes you feel powerful. The blood rushes to your brain, and you quickly unzip his pants on an impulse, feeling the loose fabric slip down, leaving his boxers in front of your face, his dick already weeping through the thin fabric of his boxers, leaving a stain. “Hannie, I want your cock, in … my mouth.” You know the effect your words are having on him, as he grips on to one bedpost to steady himself. “Yeah? Pretty baby wants her mouth on my cock? God, just do it already. Don’t tease, f-” his voice gets strangled again as you lick the stain on his boxer, before gently taking his red cock out of his tented boxer. “So pretty, like you, Hannie. Delicate and pretty, and oh,” you gag on your first attempt. “So long.” Unexpectedly long, so you can’t fit him in one go. Still you try to take as much as you can, and his hands wrap around your hair. When you bob your head once, a low groan leaves Jeonghan’s mouth as his grip tightens on your hair. “If you do that, Y/N-ah, I swear I’m going to cum right now.” You don’t listen to him, you continue to suck his length off. His pretty length, which is leaking more and more pre-cum as you continue to suck it and lick off the tip, as you enjoy the sounds Jeonghan makes just for you. 
An insecure part of you wonders if Sujin did it as well. So you ask him, in all your vulnerability. 
“Did Sujin do it like this? Or was she better?”
Hannie’s hands stop in your hair. He gently pulls his cock out from your mouth before sitting down to your level on the bed. Then he roams his hand all over your skin as he pushes you down to lie on your back. “Y/N, believe me when I say this. Sujin didn’t make me feel even an ounce of what I’m feeling right now. I feel so safe, and wanted, and sexy when you even moan for me, and I swear I almost came on the spot when you took off your shirt and showed me your body.” 
His hands delicately wrap all over you, as he places his weight on you. Your heart warms at his words, so you grab his face to kiss him. And kiss he does. Slow, passionate kisses, as you lift your hips to feel some friction against his milky smooth thighs. Kisses which end up in him biting your lower lip as he pinches your nipples almost cruelly, making your toes curl up. Kisses which bend down to your chest as he sucks on your buds to make them hurt less, and his hands move towards gently pressing a finger against your folds. 
“So wet, pretty baby? For Hannie?” 
“For Hannie. All for Hannie.”
And he enters the entire finger inside you without a moment’s pause, making you moan out his name in an almost pornographic moan, arching your hips, as he uses his thumb to gently rub your clit. “So pretty for Hannie. You were made for Hannie, all of your beautiful body and your beautiful mind. What would I do without you, love?” 
“You would never be without me, baby.” And he kisses you again, as his fingers work your folds open gently, first one, and then two, and slowly, without you even realising, with the way his fingers piston into you, you’re on the brink of your orgasm. So you cum all over his fingers without warning, and he chuckles as he feels the warm sensation over his fingers. Then he sits up, and rubs the remnants of your wetness over his dick and jerks himself off a little, making his proud length stand up even taller. 
“Fuck, Hannie, put it inside me already. Feel-feeling empty.”
He kisses your cheek. “So cute, but so dirty, god. You’re empty? Wait. Do you have condoms?”
You nod. Indicating the top shelf of your bedroom drawer. He retrieves a pack quickly, and as he rolls the condom over his dick, he sits tall, watching how you’re writhing under him for his touch. 
“Does this boost your ego, Han-ah?”
“So much. To think that you’re like this for me. Fucking unreal.”
“Shut up,” you giggle shyly, before grabbing him and kissing him slowly, as he gently enters you inch-by-inch. Once he’s seated all the way inside, he breaks the kiss. “Does it hurt?”
“No. You can move, Hannie.” You blush with how he tries to angle his hips correct from the very first thrust, biting his lips in concentration. He’s really trying to make this the best experience for you two, and it warms your heart. But he doesn’t have to get so worked up about this. 
So you whisper to him, “Hannie, come into my arms please. Wanna hold you, wanna feel you close.” “I’m here, I’m here baby,” he says, leaning closer to you, his thrusts becoming slower, but you can feel him deeper like this. 
And soon, your moans become higher and higher pitched, as do his. He kisses you through every second of it, even when you’re both chasing your climax. “Fuck, baby, I’m going to cum now, can you cum with me?” You nod, reaching out to rub your nipples, as he kisses the sensitive spots on your neck. And within seconds, you’re both seeing stars, as you feel an intense orgasm run over you and his lazy thrusts through it all. 
It takes you a long minute to recover, and you see that Jeonghan’s cleaning you up with a soft cloth. “Hannie?” “Sleepy?” “Hmm,” you reach out for him, and he comes to cuddle in your chest. “But it’s still early morning, how can I sleep now?” “Let’s just cuddle, hmm? You need some rest at least before we go for round two,” he gives you a cocky smirk, and you blush at his words. God, he made you feel all mushy and gooey inside. 
“I love you, Hannie.”
“And I love you, Y/N-ie. I always have.”
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violetlight · 1 month
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If you post g/t or follow the g/t tag please interact with this post in someway so I can follow you. I need to know all of the peeps so I can collect them like a g/t infinity gauntlet
Pls Reblog so that I can follow as many people as possible the goal is constant g/t on my feed :)
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xxrainbow-gutzxx · 11 months
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Pls like/reblog if ur an active ed/sh blog, I need peeps to follow
(I am a minor so pls dni if u have minorz in ur dni)
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harleehazbinfics · 8 months
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Home is where my heart is.
Chapter 4: Family Table of Contents | Profile
Word Count: 2000+ A/N: WHERE ALREADY AT CHAPTER FOURRR AAA this concludes the life they had while they were human, but we'll still have a few flashbacks to see cuz plot. also thank you for over 1,000+ of likes and reblogs that means so much to me that you enjoy my works. i think y'all really liked the devout one lol, i'll just say now that i have plans to make it about lucifer so if you're into that please expect more and hit follow, really helps when peeps comment on stuff <33 much love, enjoy!
there were so many errors bro LMAO also I added a few paragraphs to this, so pls enjoy my scuff (edited as of Feb 20)
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“I’m home~,” my husband’s voice calls out from the doorway.
Wiping my hands on my apron, I greeted him coming from the kitchen, “Al! Welcome back. How was your day?”
“Same as always. It’s gotten quite dusty out, I wouldn’t recommend you and the lil’ munchkin to go out for a while. I’ll take a shower first,” he responded dusting himself off briefly by the door before removing his shoes and coat. Heading towards the bathroom past me, but not before giving me smooch on the cheek and a gentle rub on my swollen belly.
Yes. Miledy got pregnant with Alastor’s child. He slowly warmed up to the idea when he saw her babysitting the neighbor’s toddler and when they both visited an orphanage, albeit to Al’s hesitance, where he saw her dote on the children, as she was also a kid that grew up in an orphanage feeling great empathy towards them. If Alastor didn’t stop her, she would have adopted all of them. At the end of the day, he concluded that you would be the best mom possible out there and gave her wish. Making him very sentimental and missing his late mother, which she often comforted him about.
I sighed happily and rubbed my stomach. I stared at the cradle with much longing, I couldn't wait to see our baby. Above the cradle was a mobile, it was a string of ornaments that were meant to be a toy for them, it was decorated with shells, dolphins, rabbits and a deer—as requested by Al.
I picked up a music box that had our favorite music. Alastor had this requested as a gift for your child, I was surprised when he presented it to me. I didn't think he'd be attached to them as much as I was, but I guess he adores them in his own way. Making a family does make it seem more real.
It makes me think back all those lives we've taken just to protect our family. I wonder if those people had family too? Did they look for them?
I was pulled from my thoughts when Alastor stood beside me, gazing at the cradle as I was.
“And how have the two of you been, my love,” Alastor asked, his hair still wet and changed clothes.
The both of us walked towards the couch, him making me sit on his lap as always after work, where he would rub my stomach and lower back, and even sometimes my chest whenever they get too heavy.
“Been kicking and moving around so much lately. I’m so sore all over,” I moaned as I leaned my back on his chest, letting him massage my lower back.
“Don’t worry, darling. I’ll give them a good talking to,” he joked poking around my stomach.
Giggling and squirming in his hold I cried, feeling fluttery inside when the baby kicked in response, “Al, that tickles! Haha!”
“What?~ I’m just disciplining our child,” he explains himself in a light tone.
“You’re such a loser,” I rolled my eyes playfully at him.
“Oh, please,” he scoffs, “I’m anything but a loser. Have you seen my wife? The most sought out singer in all of Louisiana? You must have heard of her surely.”
“I have indeed,” I giggled, “but I heard she unfortunately got knocked up by some random radio broadcast guy that does his shows in a basement.”
Alastor gasps dramatically clutching his hand over his chest and exclaims, “You did not! One, I own a studio in the city where I do my shows, thank you very much. Two, how dare you say unfortunately, I’m the most highly paid broadcaster. Any person would drop on their knees to even get to be in the same room as me.”
I chuckled at his haughtiness and conceded lying on his chest once more, “You’re right, you’re right, your royal highness.”
He lets out a hum similar to a purr contently embracing us.
(3 years later)
“Abigail!”
A little squeal sounded down the halls along with little pitter patters of her tiny feet as she tried to get away from me.
“Come here, Sunshine. You need to get changed. Don’t you wanna go and see Dad?” I asked her walking to her slowly.
She excitedly jumps from behind the couch and yells, “Dad! Dad! I wan’ta see Dad!”
“Alright, alright. Come’re,” I called her to come closer to put on her little yellow sundress. I took my bag that had all our necessities while Abby tried to put on her shoes that she immediately showed off when she did it all by herself.
“Well done, Abby! Dad will be happy that you can put on your shoes by yourself now. Do you want to tell him yourself?” I asked putting on her hat.
“Mhm! I’ll tell him myself!” she answered cheerfully holding my hand after I shut the door and locked it.
“Alright then. You ready?” I asked her again with a doting smile.
“Yes! Let’s go meet up with Dad!” she replied excitedly trying to drag me with her.
After we arrived at his studio, we went to his office and waited for him to finish with his morning show so we could take Abby to the park and eat at a restaurant for lunch after. She was on the floor playing with her toy doll and stuffed bunny, playing pretend by herself.
“Hello there, darlings,” Alastor greeted with a smile. Arms already open for his daughter to dive in.
“Dad!” She yelled excitedly jumping into his arms, “Are you done with work?”
“Yup. You excited to go to the park today?” he asked booping her nose playfully.
She laughed delightedly making both Al and I’s hearts to melt.
“Yeah! I wanna go now please!” she requested politely hugging her father’s neck.
“Okay, Sunshine,” he replied petting her back.
Hand in hand, the three of us spent the day together happily on our family outing. Of course, it couldn’t be helped that we would be stopped a few times, but we immediately excused ourselves from them to enjoy as much time as we could while we were together, not letting all the disturbances get in the way for our plans today.
Reaching home with a tired Abigail in my arms. Alastor carried all our bags and toys that we bought for our daughter along with a balloon with a smiley face on it tied around his wrist. As he was opening the door for us, he stopped suddenly, making me look up to him alert.
I clutched Abby closer getting ready to run. Alastor fully opened the door and dodged a swing from a brass knuckle to his head.
“Run!” he yelled as he fended off the intruder from getting to us. Abigail waking up from the shout of his father, she trembled in fear as she saw him fight another man.
“Mom? What going on?” she asked, confused and afraid grip tightening around me.
“Shh, I’m sorry but mom’s gonna ask you to stay quiet, okay? Just-just close your eyes, honey.” I requested seriously making her tuck her head in my neck.
I ran as fast I could, reaching our other house that was used for emergencies. We entered together and pushed her inside a bunker in the bedroom.
“Baby, you need to listen to me. I need you to be quiet for me, okay? No matter what, don’t open this door if it isn’t me or Dad, got it?” I ordered her with a serious face making her nod despite being afraid out of her skin. I swiped the tears under her eyes and gave a kiss on her forehead saying, “I love you so much, Abby.”
I left her after locking the door and pushed the vanity on top of the door. Holding my gun close to me and creeping my way out the bedroom to check for any of followers, as I was rounding a corner someone tugged at my hair making me throw my head back.
I whacked him with my gun up on his chin making him back up from me, taking this opportunity to shoot him in the chest twice. I aimed my gun to the window when I saw a sliver of light catch the corner of my eye, shooting when he jumps in through the window stopping him from letting him move further in.
I turned my gun to the door when I heard it open, only to feel relieved when I saw the familiar tuft of brown hair styled in a certain way that I could immediately recognize. I run towards him for an embrace that he returned.
“Where’s Abby?” he asked looking around the room.
“She’s in the bunker. Did anyone follow you?” I asked placing my hands back to my sides.
“None. I had 4 people outside, you?” he said rushing into the room making sure Abby’s safe.
“Just 2,” I sighed rubbing my face frustratedly. “I’m sorry. It must’ve been Alex’s men. They’re getting pretty fucking desperate if they’re attacking from our house,” I snarled.
“It’s fine, darling. That’s why we prepared this to make sure Abby stays safe,” he said assuring me, and giving me a quick peck on the head. Then helping him push the vanity off the door and took our daughter out.
“Let’s stay in the cabin for a while, we aren’t safe here,” Alastor suggested which I agreed to.
Morning come; Abby woke up confused, she then realized she was in her father’s cabin seeing his prized hunting gun on wall. Her eyes scanned the room for her parents and found none of them there, so she slowly opened the door and was greeted by the smell of cooked meat. She found her father in the kitchen cleaning while you were knitting on the sofa. Hearing the door creak, both the adults turned their heads to their daughter’s little round head.
“Good morning, Sunshine~,” Alastor greeted waving his spatula.
I got off the sofa, leaving my knitting materials and scooped her up into my arms, “Hello, bunny. Did you have a good sleep? It’s already 10pm.”
“Mhmm, but I had a bad dream. Mom and Dad where fighting some bad guys and I was so scared that you got hurt,” she mumbled making my face ridden with guilt.
I never wanted my baby to experience this, I never knew that Alex’s obsession would ever get this deep.
To briefly explain what happened over the years, I sang in a private bar where some very important people were having a meeting. Unfortunately for me, one of people there was interested in me. So, I explained to him that I had a husband, but he refused to leave me alone until Alastor came with the owner of the establishment to diffuse the situation. However, it didn’t stop there, he insistently showered me with gifts and letters that I had to refuse each time. I confronted him saying that I would never be with him as long as I lived, so in retaliation his obsession turned sinister, believing that if he couldn't have me then I was better off dead.
Alastor, fueled with irritation, confronted him almost successfully killing him in the process if it weren’t for Alex’s group to look for him and warded Al off. And to this day he’s eager to hurt our family.
“I’m sorry, honey,” I replied eyebrows furrowed kissing her head, “it’s just a bad dream don’t be scared.”
“Exactly, nothing to be worried about. Why don’t you have some breakfast first? Breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day, Sunshine,” Alastor spoke up after setting the plates, taking Abby into his arms, and placing her on her chair.
At the end of the day, when Abby passes out from exhaustion from playing in the meadow all day. Alastor takes his gun off the wall making me stand up in worry.
“Where are you going?” I asked, holding his arm.
“To finish this once and for all. I don’t want Abby to be in danger anymore. Most of all, I don’t want you to live in fear that we’re going to lose Abby, neither do I,” he reason placing his hand on your cheek.
“Just please... please be careful, Al,” I pleaded him covering his hand over mine.
He gave me a smug smile and replied, “I’ve never lost before, darling. I’ll be back before sunrise. I promise.”
I nodded as he gave me a kiss, as much as I was worried about him, I knew Al could take care of himself.
“Stay safe,” I said staying by the door frame while he waves goodbye, painfully unaware how devasted I would be when he never returned the following day.
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