#plus like i said maybe i was just extra annoyed this morning but my roommate was driving me insane and then it was 3v1 in the diner and i

[munamania]

tonight i am going to sit in my room and get wizard high. and then maybe watch queer ultimatum w my friend

[moccahobi]

Dear Diary [Jimin x Reader]

Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff

Rating: E for everyone

Summery: You’re moving! Finally. Getting into a masters program in South Korea meant soooo much to you and it also offered the perfect opportunity to move in with your favorite pen pal and high school friend from an exchange: Park Jimin. A sweet and caring squirrel hybrid.

Word Count: 6.3k words

Genre: Fluff, Hybrid AU, Roommates AU, Friends to Lovers

A/N: OMGGGG. Formatting this was soooo annoying. Never again am I going to do so many dividers. It was not it chief. Lolol. I love this fic though! It is part of a collab for hybrids (check out the masterlist here) you should totally check them out! All the authors here are soooo amazing and their works are amazing in this too! Also! Thank you to @jung-hoseok-s-airplane​ and @spicykoreantatertots​ the two amazing people who betaed this fic for me! They helped soooo much!

Unlocking the door to your shabby apartment, you were struck by how empty it looked. It was really more of a ghost of your apartment at this point. You’d been slowly shipping your stuff over to South Korea for almost a month (really, as soon as you were accepted to Seoul University’s master program and Jimin agreed to be your roommate) and by now, all you had to take with you on your flight tomorrow was a small day bag with your necessities and a suitcase full of the clothes you’d worn this week. Your empty apartment really made the move feel real (something your job’s kind send off party hadn’t done). This move was real.

You had gotten accepted into your dream program across the world.

Tomorrow afternoon you’ll be leaving this area and moving in with Jimin.

You giggled and sat on your couch with a dazed smile stuck on your face. It wasn’t really your couch anymore was it? Your landlord was keeping all the furniture. Not that you really cared. How would you have possibly carted your large furniture across the world anyways? 

After almost four years of living here though… you’d be leaving behind many memories stored in this apartment. Like when one of your friends spent the night here after an evening of clubbing and ended up vomiting all over the rug you’d placed in the living space. He promised to pay for a deep cleaning the next day, which you took him up on… but then he just rented a steam cleaner. He was a funny person like that. Although… it was much less expensive than a cleaning service probably was. Looking back, you laughed at how worried you were of him finding one of your many journals stored on your bookshelf, so worried that you hid them under your bed. Not that it really mattered. He was a sweet friend and your journals just looked like notebooks.

Had you packed them? After shoving them under your bed all that time ago, you didn’t even think about looking back on them. Maybe if you hadn’t been reminiscing, you would’ve forgotten them here and lost them forever. Surely your landlord would just throw them away without a second thought. 

You’d been sleeping on an empty mattress and a small pillow for three days now, your comforter and sheets already in Korea with Jimin. You shuddered against your cold floor as you knelt down on the cold hard floor to grab your almost forgotten journals. With them in hand, you settled onto your pillow-less couch and carefully opened up the last journal you’d written. It was from the study abroad you did in South Korea in your last year of high school. Without that study abroad, you’d never have met Jimin and you most definitely wouldn’t be moving across the world for your masters program.

You wouldn’t want to do anything else though. Jimin was probably your best friend and this program was the opportunity of a lifetime. With a nostalgic smile on your face, you started to read.

Dear diary, 

Something crazy happened today! Ahhh! I was so shocked when Jimin, THE social butterfly of my school, came up and started talking to me. He’s a hybrid of some sort, not that it matters to me. He’s got a black bowl cut too… it looks funny with his furry pointed ears sticking out of it. Anyways, the conversation was a little stunted at first… I barely knew Korean and Jimin barely knew English but somehow we had a really good conversation. I am honestly so shocked. Here I thought that as an exchange student in South Korea, I’d just talk to other exchange students and mumble a few words to other students. I mean… I know Korean some but not much. It was… AHHH! I had so fun talking to Jimin. He’s so sweet and kind. I even added him on Kakao. He’s my first non-exchange family member on my Kakao. I can’t wait to get to know him more.

Dear diary, 

Jimin and I talk almost daily! Mostly through text because we don’t see each other much during school but that’s ok! He is in a lot more advanced classes than I but I think we are planning on meeting up for lunch this Wednesday. He even asked if I wanted to join him at the dance club but I said no… I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of my only friend. Given, Jimin is so friendly and sweet that I bet he’d just laugh and try to teach me but still. Besides, he apparently competes. That’s what I’d heard from others at school at least. I don’t want to distract him from preparing for competitions. 

Dear diary,

I went to a karaoke booth with Jimin and some of his friends. It was so fun! Jimin’s friends were a little shy to talk to me but they opened up as we started to sing more. I didn’t expect them to be such weebs like me! Lol. They all joined in to sing the current theme song of One Piece. It was soo funny. The mic didn’t know who to focus on and we got such a baddddd score. Jisoo was sooo funny while singing (Jisoo is a sweet cat hybrid). Jimin is surprisingly a great singer though! I was surprised. Is there anything he is possibly bad at? I don’t know. 

After karaoke, he and I went to a park and just chilled. Instead of sitting at a bench, Jimin dragged me off to a small clearing and sat on a low tree branch. It was the first time I really thought of him as a hybrid because… like… sitting on that tree with his tail swaying slowly as he ate ice cream… I don’t know. It was nice to just be with him there but still. It didn’t help that he kept batting at me with his tail until I joined him on the branch. I could have sworn the branch shook as I joined! We probably both almost died because of that branch broke, we would have fallen! I am exaggerating… but still. 

You were such an extra kid at times. A laugh left you as you thought back on that afternoon spent talking while chilling on the tree branch. Now you knew there was no way you would have died even if the branch fell. The worst thing that would have happened would have been a broken bone (although with Jimin’s quick reflexes and hearing, he might have noticed the branch start to splinter before it even became an emergency for both of you). 

Looking over at the clock, you noted that it was almost nine at night. Jimin would wake up soon and start his last day roommate-less. You chuckled thinking about what he might be doing right now. Maybe he’d be meticulously rolling over his couch so that his hair wasn’t all over it when you first sat down, or he was washing all the blankets to make sure they were extra soft (in reality, he was probably hitting snooze for the 100th time that morning).  Either way, he was probably just as excited to see you again as you were. Sure you’d texted each other almost daily but it wasn’t the same. You both became super busy and the time zone difference made it hard to video chat often. 

Life happened and no amount of texting or video chatting seemed to make up for that.

For all you knew, Jimin looked so different from what you remember that when you arrive at the airport and look for him holding the “Welcome Y/n” sign he made, you will only be able to recognize him by the sign (and his tail… unless he dyed the dark brown tail to be some other color). 

Maybe you’d changed too. Your hair and style have undoubtedly changed… but would Jimin notice changes other than that? Maybe your scent had changed. You knew that hybrids had more sensitive noses and often identified people by scent (you learned that the hard way by trying to play hide and seek in the dark with Jimin and some of his friends at a party… never again). During your exchange, Jimin claimed you smelled like blossoms (from how you’d read about smells in the past, you knew there was more to one’s smell than just one thing but you didn’t push Jimin for more). Maybe you’d ask Jimin again sometime.

A vibration from your phone took you out of your thoughts and when you checked the notification, you chuckled. It was as if Jimin knew that you were thinking about him. 

Jimi: I built your bedframe~

Jimi: When your sheets arrive today I will make your bed. That way you don’t have to worry about all that after such a long flight. 

Jimi: Can’t wait to see u again!

You: Thank you

You: I am excited to see you soon too!

Looking down at your worn journals and gently rubbing their spines, you decided you wanted to have a journal for this journey too. Given your track record of starting and dropping journals, you’d probably only keep at it for a month or so but could still be very nice. There was one simple issue with your plan though, you didn’t have a notebook to write in… or a pen. Those things were in Korea by now. 

You’d have to leave the house to get that stuff… or you could just buy it at the airport tomorrow. The airport only sold overpriced stuff though… plus it would be cool to start writing now.

With that thought, you got up, put your shoes on, grabbed your wallet and keys, and walked to the closest general store. After little deliberation, you bought a slender black dotted notebook and gel pens. Excitement bubbled up inside you as you sat on your couch again, pen poised to write. This would be fun. 

Dear diary,

I am moving tomorrow. 

I am moving halfway across the world to live with Jimin, a squirrel hybrid and my best friend. I was accepted into my dream masters program and will be living in South Korea on a student visa. I am so excited to see Jimin again. Has he changed much or is he still the same old sweet guy who hid in trees to think and talks to strangers? I’ll know soon. 

Well… it won’t be that soon. I have to fly to South Korea first. 

It’ll be a long flight. I’ll arrive in Seoul tomorrow at 5pm and Jimin will take me out to dinner with some of his friends before we just relax at our shared apartment. Almost all of my stuff is already in the apartment. I’ve been shipping them across for a little over a month or so now. 

I am so excited. 

I should probably eat something and go to bed though. Tomorrow will be long and full of tedious airport procedures… yay! Note the sarcasm. 

Good night. 

Let’s see if I use you.

Dear diary,

It is almost time to board. I am so excited. When I was packing, I thought that I would be more anxious about the move and make a little sad about leaving my friends and family behind, but I don’t feel anxious or sad. Ok… I am a little sad. But my excitement outweighs my sadness. I’ll be leaving some friends behind but I will be making so many more! And I’ll finally get to see Jimin again as well. 

Oh.

My flight is about to board. I guess I will talk to you later then!

You were exhausted by the time you finally sat down in your seat, ready to see Jimin again and sleep in a made bed. The flight would be a long slog full of you getting up to use the bathroom, walking down the isles just to move, reading a book because it was one of the few forms of entertainment you had, and drinking lots of water. It was exhausting (somehow), yet time moved and eventually you found yourself staring out at Korea’s landscape. 

The city was alive and so pretty. For a moment you forgot that you were tired. Given the second you got up, you remembered it all again. Your legs felt sore and tired from sitting in one spot for so long and your eyelids were almost sheets of lead by now. As you waited for the people in front of you to leave the plane, you turned your phone back on (you’d bought a cellular plan last week for when you would be in Korea). As soon as it connected to your new plan, you were bombarded with excited messages from Jimin that he’d sent all through his day. From photos of food he’d cooked for your first dinner together to the ‘Welcome to Korea Y/n’ poster he made for you. It made you smile and  as you neared where he said he would be waiting for you, you grew even more excited once again. 

Would you get along with his friends?

Would your schedules match? 

Jimin came into view before you could keep thinking, his “Welcome to Korea Y/n” sign much bigger and grander than you imagined. There were two hybrids flanking either side of him, one you recognized as Jisoo from high school and the other you’d never met before. Even from the six or so meter distance you were at right now, you could see Jimin’s tail quiver excitedly. You sped up. Six meters couldn’t end soon enough. Jimin handed the poster to one of his friends and engulfed you in a suffocating hug, his warmth flooding you. Almost immediately, you felt a sense of home in Jimin’s arms, your bodies melding together nicely and a sense of calm settling over you. You didn’t want to let go. It wasn’t until one of his friends coughed awkwardly that Jimin released you and held you at arms length while giving you a once over. 

He looked good. 

Not that you expected much else from the dancer. Numberless days spent in the studio sculpted his body better than any artist you knew or studied could have done. Miraculously enough he’d somehow developed a sense of style. You especially loved his colorblocked button up shirt that seemed to shine in the dingy airport. 

“Nice to smell you again, Y/n-ah.” Jimin said, a shit-eating grin splitting his sweet smile as he winked at you.

A loud snort left one of Jimin’s friends, who appeared to be a pig hybrid. A cute pig hybrid at that. A shy blush bloomed across his handsome and plump face before he asked to take your suitcase (something you happily let him take). Jimin chittered quietly next to you as you quickly introduced yourself to his friends (the pig hybrid’s name Minju and the other, a mutual high school friend, Jisoo). The four of you started to leave the airport. 

“I wouldn’t have invited Jisoo and Minju to come and pick you up but I don’t have a car… I figured that you’d rather not lug all your stuff around the subway.”

“Out of all three of us – four of us I guess– I am the only one with a car.” Jisoo injected happily, twirling his keys around one of his slender fingers.

You laughed and nodded. Content to just listen to the three of them banter and talk as you were led to Jisoo’s car. They seemed content to embarrass each other by telling you about things they’ve done in the past that varied in severity from mistakes while dancing to drunken nights spent together. At one point, you even added in a story of Jimin and Jisoo fighting with sparklers, getting burned, and then burning all the sparklers as “revenge”. The banter didn’t stop until the car stopped and by then you’d felt as if you had spent more than just one year and a car ride with them.

“Now, Y/n-ssi, I know that you and Jimin talked about going back to his place and having a relaxing night–”

“We did and I’m excited to eat the food Jimin made. If it’s edible.” You added, smiling as Jisoo laughed and Jimin shouted.

“Yes. Well, Jimin had to make a deal with me to get me as a chauffeur.”

“It was a damn rotten deal.”

Minju laughed, “Whatever you say Chim. He’s still gotta honor it. So we are getting some food.”

A large and towering building faced you from outside the car and if the sign was anything to go by, it was more than just a restaurant. It was a karaoke place. A smile grew on your face as you looked up at it. Tonight would be fun… even if you were tired.

Dear diary,

Tonight was amazing. Sure I’d hoped to just settle into Jimin’s and my apartment and go to bed early after eating… but instead Jimin treated Minju, Jisoo, and I to dinner at a karaoke place. I’d have to look but it might have been the same place Jimin, Jisoo, some of Jimin’s friends, and I went to in high school. Not that it matters too much. We had so much fun! By the end of the night I even had Jisoo’s and Minju’s phone number too. Hopefully we can all be friends. 

Jimin has changed in ways I hadn’t noticed when we talked online. He seems to have picked up this habit of chittering. I want to try to figure out if there is something that causes him to chitter or if it just happens. Near the end of the night I tried paying attention to that but it was hard. Almost always when he started chittering, I was doing something. It’s good to be around him again. I missed him more than I realized.

Dear Diary, 

I start classes tomorrow! Yay!!! I also have a job interview tomorrow… which is less exciting. I knew that I would need a job and that I would have to wait until I had officially signed the lease (which happened literally the day after I moved in), but it was still so much work! Jimin has been helping me through which has been suuuuper helpful. After he comes home from the studio and eats– I have been cooking for him since he’s been busier than me– he’s been helping me modify and send in my resumes to places. It’s nice. We sit next to each other on the couch and just… put our heads together to get it done. 

After finishing that, he and I watched a movie after (this has happened two times!). We’ll cuddle together and watch some movie Jimin’s decided I need to watch. He’s a good cuddle buddy. I’ve enjoyed it. Well… wish me luck on my job!

“You’re back? That was fast! I barely had time to finish making dinner!” Jimin called out as you entered, tired from a long week (more like a long month or two by now) of classes and work but nonetheless happy to be home with Jimin. 

Throwing your bag on the closest chair, you went to him and gave him a tight side hug. Almost immediately, you felt some of your built up stress leave you. He was magical like that. You could be having a horrible day and just the sight of your best friend would make it all so much better. The nights where you would sit on the couch together and read or watch tv or just talk were your favorites. Jimin’s head would slowly drift into your lap and you would start to play with his soft hair and ears, your eyes trailing his beautiful face. Tonight would probably be one of those nights if you had any say in his evening plans. 

Jimin’s tail quivered and tickled your nose.

“I am sorry you had such a rough day, Y/n-ah.” Jimin said with a whine and you felt him move to set whatever he was holding down.

“It’s life, I guess.”

“That doesn’t make it any better, ”Jimin turned around and started hugging you tightly as well, gently rubbing his cheek against your neck, “I don’t like it when you’re this stressed, Y/n-ah. Let me take care of you tonight. I don’t want you stressing anymore tonight.” 

You laughed but gave in as Jimin started leading you to the couch before he started to bring the food he made into the living space as well. Soon enough, you were being coddled by Jimin who was making sure you ate and cuddling you as the two of you watched some random show. Sleep didn’t find you that night though. For some unknown reason, butterflies were hatching in your stomach and all you could do is feel them flutter around while wondering why you were possibly feeling such flutters. 

Less than a month later, as snow started falling down rapidly, you found yourself in a similar situation. It was your turn to make dinner, which wasn’t a problem because it also happened to be one of the rare days you had off. It was almost 8 at night by the time you finished dinner, the sun long set and Jimin would be home soon. You’d just finished setting the table and were scared by how harshly Jimin slammed the door shut. Normally he was so careful with closing the door, respectful of your neighbors and not wanting to damage anything. 

“Jimin-ah? Is that you?”

“Who else would it be? Have you been giving spare keys to your friends?”

You laughed and grabbed his backpack from him, “Aish. Why would I do that? We agreed not to. How was your day?”

Jimin walked into his room, his door open as he started changing. All the while he was venting. The students didn’t catch on to his newest dance as fast as he’d hoped and during break he heard them complaining. Then he ended up needing to take on an extra class because one of his coworkers bailed and he didn’t have time to practice for his showcase next week. Which was also a complete mess because everyone was being complete idiots, not that Jimin would ever tell them that.

“I’ve been looking forward to dinner all day though.” Jimin said with a large smile on his face as he sat down at the table, you joined him.

After dinner, you and Jimin sat on the couch and as Shrek was playing, he curled up next to you and rested his head on your lap, demanded pets. You wanted to laugh and make fun of him for being so clingy but refrained. He was so stressed. Now wasn’t the right time to make fun of him and his vulnerability. Plus, part of you relished in him wanting cuddles from you. 

Dear Diary,

I am sorry that I’ve been neglecting you. Lol. I’ve been so busy! Being a student full time with a part time job is stressful. Who would have thought? Jimin’s been stressing sooo much over his latest dance performance. It is honestly stressing me out. 

It probably isn’t healthy for him either. He literally spent the whole weekend practicing at the studio… I dropped off lunch for him both days. AND yesterday was one of his days to make dinner and instead of telling me that he couldn’t, he simply didn’t return to the apartment until, like, 10pm. I was so worried. THEN! He got upset at me for assuming he’d be cooking when his show is this Friday. Like, sorry I wasn’t informed that you wouldn’t be. 

More importantly though, I am worried about Jimin. He used to come to me before his performances and we would talk. I was a person he could turn to for stress relief, but all he’s done leading up to this performance is snap at me and hide away in his studio in preparation. I don’t want him to be this stressed out… 

What should I do?

By the next day, you’d figured out what must be done. You were going to forcefully bring Jimin home and the two of you would relax. All of Jimin’s favorite foods were laid out on the living space’s coffee table and you’d even gotten some extra skin care stuff because you knew Jimin loved that. This night would be all about relaxing. Hell, you were even prepared to massage Jimin’s gross feet and back. You’d do anything to make sure that Jimin could relax some. 

You just had to… go to his studio and interrupt him in the middle of his practice… and forcefully bring him home. 

No big deal. You could do it.

Right?

Right.

With a deep sigh, you gave your relaxation set-up a final once over and left the house. It was already 5pm and if you were going to make Jimin relax, you were going to need to start it soon. All throughout driving to Jimin’s studio, you were thinking over the many ways you could try to convince Jimin to relax and when you finally made it to the studio, you realized another issue: 

You had no idea which room he had rented out today.

With an awkward smile and a nod at the receptionist, you made your way into the building. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too hard to find Jimin… 

Of course it was hard. He just so happened to be in the third floor studio furthest from the stairs. When you found his room, you noticed he wasn’t alone. Minju was also visiting him. Neither of them noticed you approaching the door. Both were sitting and talking and when you reached the door you started to be able to hear tidbits of what they were saying.

“You’re going to… Seriously?”

“Yeah. I figured it’d be a super sweet way to confess. It’s why I am stressing so much about this performance. It has to be perfect.”

Oh.

You didn’t open the door.

Jimin liked someone? 

Why didn’t you know?

You were best friends right?

Best friends were supposed to tell this stuff. 

Sadness and disappointment filled your stomach and you contemplated turning around and just letting Jimin practice. Clearly this was important to him. You didn’t want to get in the way of him and another person.

“I don’t know man. Y/n… like this.”

“Like you would know? You’ve known her for the equivalence of a year and then some! I have been… five years now. I was… and as she celebrated!”

“Woah, Jimin-ah… I’m going to go now. Good luck.”

What?

Your brain was short circuiting. He liked you? You must have misheard that. That wasn’t possible. Jimin was… he was a catch and you were just you.

Did you even think of him that way? 

“Oh! Hi, Y/n-ah. Crazy seeing you here!” Minju practically shouted, a smirk on his face as he looked back at Jimin. 

Fuck! Somehow you managed to mumble a hello to Minju before shuffling into the dance studio and looking at Jimin. He looked tired. He also looked shocked and afraid. 

You weren’t supposed to hear what you just heard.

“O-Oh… Y/n-ah! What are you doing here?” 

“Well… I, uhhh, I came because I was worried about you. You’re coming home whether you like it or not and you’re going to relax with me.” You tried to be assertive but all the gusto you’d worked up seemed to have disappeared with Minju. 

“O-Ok.”

“How much of that c-conversation did you hear, Y/n-ah?”

You sighed, “I…,” Were you about to be honest about this? 

Did you want him confessing in front of a crowd of people?

No.

“I think I heard you say that you were planning on confessing to me after your performance?” You didn’t sound sure of yourself, not in the slightest. Not that you knew how anyone could possibly be sure of themselves in such a situation. Jimin himself seemed to deflate, his eyes wide.   

“Fuck. This isn’t how you were supposed to find out. I had–”

Butterflies erupted in your stomach at his confirmation of wanting to ask you out.

Why?

Did you have a crush on him?

“So you were planning on confessing?”

“Yeah? I am so sorry if this makes you uncomfortable. Fuck. I didn’t think this through. We’re roommates. This–”

“I’d be down for a date…” 

“What?” Jimin jumped up, his tail quivering and ears twitching.

“I’d be down for a date. I… I don’t know if I like you back, romantically at least… but I might and I won’t know unless we try.” Jimin looked at you with shock and you started to feel much, much smaller than Jimin.

“What? Really?”

You nodded.

“Omo! Omo! You won’t regret this one bit!” Jimin was bouncing around the room, excitement clearly evident on his face as he celebrated. 

Next thing you knew, you were being pulled into a tight hug, Jimin gently rubbing your neck and repeatedly saying “thank you”. Those damn butterflies never left and as you looked at him, you started to really enjoy the idea of dating him. 

He was your little squirrel… but he wasn’t that little.

“When do you want our first date to be? Oh! I need time to plan! Can we have it after my performance? I really need to keep practicing for it… even if I’m not confessing to you after it anymore. Is that ok with you?” Jimin pulled away from the hug, holding you at arms length and looking worried once again. His brows were furrowed and his teeth worried away at his plump lips.

Huh… You’d never noticed just how cute his plump lips were.

“Hmmm… no.” Jimin paled once again, “Our first date… will be… right now.” You said with a smile and a laugh as his brows furrowed deeper. 

You reached up and soothed the space between his brows with a soft coo, “You’re super stressed, Jimin-ah. I don’t enjoy seeing you stressed. I planned to take you away from the studio tonight. I have skin care and food back home… and if we want we can also go to your favorite bibimbap restaurant before going back to the apartment. How does that sound?” 

Jimin looked conflicted, his cute beady eyes searching your face and moving around the room as he thought. Unless he spoke, you wouldn’t know what he was thinking over and you had half a mind to ask him to speak but instead, you simply waited for Jimin to come to a decision.

“I mean… I was hoping to have some really extravagant first date,” He started but he had already moved to his bag at the side of the room, “This does sound like a great date though… maybe more of a second date or a third date in my opinion–”

“Let’s count it as our second date then. No need to split hairs, Jimin-ah. I’ll wait for you outside the locker room.”

Without giving Jimin time to say anything else, you left and made your way down the stairs to where the locker rooms were. Jimin ran quickly down the stairs and bolted into the locker room, his soft brown ears pinned to his head from how fast he was going. You laughed before settling onto the floor outside the locker room and playing one of the games on your phone. It would be a flip of the coin to see how long Jimin would take. You were personally betting that he is so excited to go on the date that he rushes and is out in fifteen, but he could also want to look good for the date and in turn take an hour. 

Not that he didn’t always look good. 

Even when you just thought of him as a friend, you knew he looked good. Did you think of him as more than a friend? Possibly, yeah. The idea of going on dates with him and being romantic with him sounds amazing. You were really excited to see how this date will go. Distractedly, you tapped away at your game, your mind in la-la-land as it started to think up a future with Jimin. 

“Ready, Y/n-ah?” Jimin asked when he finally finished in the changing room. 

In the end, he took a whole hour and a half to get ready and you were almost positive that you saw Jisoo sneak into the changing room with a bag from your apartment, his sleek tail almost hit you in the face as he exited the locker room. As you looked up at Jimin, you were once again struck by just how handsome he was. He styled his hair away from his face somehow and he looked unfairly good in his black skinny jeans and an oversized sweater. 

You clambered up onto your feet, your legs numb from sitting in one spot for so long, and nodded at him with a shy smile. Gingerly, as if he was scared of breaking you, he grabbed your hand and the two of you left the dance studio. 

Dear Diary,

Jimin asked me out! I was so shocked! Like… it isn’t bad at all… It is actually nice. Really nice. I like it a ton… and even though we’ve only gone on one date so far, I am really starting to like the idea of dating Jimin. He is so… so cute and kind and attentive. We got bibimbap and then just did skincare and stuff. 

Something I am really glad about though is that I found out tonight. Apparently, Jimin was hoping to ask me out Friday after his performance… which would have been so embarrassing… (Imagine the pressure and… PDA is roughhh)… but I overheard him talking to Minju. Gosh. I wonder how Minju thinks of this. Did Jimin text him that we started dating? Is he just waiting until we see each other next? I don’t know what I’d prefer. 

But uhhh… Jimin and I talked about having a “real” first date after his performance. I’m a little apprehensive though… I don’t want him to be exhausted during our first date. I trust Jimin though. He knows himself better than anyone else and if he thinks that he can handle a date after his recital… then so be it. 

AHHH! I am so excited! Wish me luck. I really hope this works out. 

You adjusted anxiously in the theater seat, your dress feeling all too tight in all the wrong places as you looked over the recital directory. Jisoo and Minju were next to you, glancing at you and smirking every once in a while. Jimin most definitely told them that you’re dating… and it doesn’t help that you showed up to the recital over-dressed in preparation for your date with Jimin afterwards. Which was at some super fancy place… how he roped you into that? You don’t know. You were just glad that he’d agreed to go dutch. There wasn’t any way in the world that you’d let him pay for both of your meals at such an expensive restaurant. 

The recital hall was packed, people murmuring and talking excitedly. All of it stopped though when the lights dimmed and the host (a stout looking woman with some sort of large ears on her head) came on to introduce people. Soon enough the recital started and you became entranced by the many dancers who flounced around on stage. They all seemed so… natural up on the stage. Your breath was completely taken away when Jimin performed though. He was practically flying on stage and the way he moved was so… graceful and fluid. All too soon he was done. He’d taken the show. All throughout the rest of the recital you were transfixed. Jimin’s dance was playing on repeat in your mind, your breath stolen and thoughts completely empty. Soon enough, the show finished up and everyone around you was cheering. Almost half-heartedly, you joined along and followed Minju and Jisoo to where the meet-up was. 

Why were you so anxious about seeing Jimin now? You were about to go on a date with him and yet all you could think about was his dance. In no time, Jimin was bouncing over in a nice suit of his own. 

How were you supposed to function? 

Not only was he the best dancer in… in the world but he was also undoubtedly the most handsome man you’d ever met. The three were talking around you but you were still transfixed. A hand gently touched your back and you jumped. 

“Are you ok, Y/n-ah?" 

It was Jimin. He was looking at you with concerned eyes and a soft smile. Minju and Jisoo were gone. You two were alone. 

"I… Yeah. You were amazing out there. I am just… speechless.”

Jimin laughed quietly, a smug smile on his face as he wrapped his arm around your waist.

“You’re ready for our date?" 

You nodded excitedly, walking out of the theater with Jimin in tow. This was going to be an amazing night. 

Dear Diary,

Tonight was AMAZING. I know I was apprehensive before about dating Jimin but OMG IT WAS SOOOO GOOD. He was such a gentleman and when we held hands I felt butterflies erupt and it just.. It felt so nice. Tonight literally couldn’t have go-

Dear Y/n’s Diary,

I promise to take good care of her. We had a great night and I plan on making her my girlfriend soon. Now if you excuse us, I need cuddles from her.

Jimin.

[petri808]

@ktdkvalentines​ for Syd on Ig Valentines Exchange

Bakudeku College Au. TW: panic attack, anxiety, some angst w/happy ending based on the request.

Izuku Midoriya was in a great mood that Fall morning as he arrived at the college campus. His first day of his first year away from home, ready to start the next leg of his journey. He’d chosen this university for its good reviews and psychology program. He wanted to do something good in his life and what better way then helping others who’d suffered like he had. Not that he’d had a horrible life but growing up in a single parent household created some attachment issues and bullying when he was younger left him with anxieties. All through high school he’d worked extra hard to get to a point where he could function most of the time, and he was proud of how far he’d come. That growth is what led him to pursue a career in psychology, to take his negative experiences and turn them into a positive one.

So, he wasn’t ready when he walked into the dorm room and saw the familiar blonde hair and red eyes of his nightmares looking back at him. 

Oh, this couldn’t be happening! Izuku swallowed hard, a mantra of calming statements flooding his brain as a silent staring content ensued. Neither man said a word, but the longer this went on for, the voices in his mind slowed and were replaced with questions. He was starting to realize... did the blonde even remember him?! He couldn’t tell if it was confusion, or maybe pain on the man’s twisted features, but it certainly wasn’t the angry boy he’d grown up with.

“Wow, Izuku is that you?” The man spoke with no malice in his tone, even rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Been a long time, huh?”

“Yeah... about 7 years I think.”

“H-How you been?”

“Okay, I guess. A bit surprised to see a familiar face.”

The blonde’s shoulders dropped slightly, and he averted his eyes to the ground, “probably not who you’d hoped to see again...”

“I didn’t say...”

“No, no, it’s okay.” The man waved his hands to stop him. “I— I owe you an apology Zuku. And I’m not looking for forgiveness cause I don’t deserve it, but I hope we can, I don’t know like start off fresh, I guess, since we’re stuck in this room together.”

Izuku blinked in confusion, what had happened to Katsuki Bakugou in these past 7 years?! He was certain it wasn’t all arouse, or that the man was trying to bring his guard down, because Katsuki sounded genuine. Until the age of 2 or 3 they were actually really close, but for some reason by the end of their first year of primary school, he’d started picking on Izuku, or taking out his anger on the smaller boy. He had no idea what triggered it, but in the end, he was left emotionally scarred. Now, the man standing before him exuded a broken version of that 3-year-old child he once knew.

“You’re right. I lost count of how many times I ran home in tears because of you. We were best friends and it really hurt when you started picking on me and being mean to me.” The pain evident in his voice rang out into the small, shared room. “I don’t care why you did it. But,” Izuku continued with a sigh, “you’re right, I don’t wanna rehash the past either, so if we can just start over and put up with being roommates, we’ll see how it goes.”

“I’d like that. A-and I know it might not mean much but am sorry Zuku— about how I’d treated you. I promise, I’m not that guy anymore.”

“I believe you.” And he did, for now. Deep down, Izuku always tried to stay positive because if he didn’t, and allowed the irrational thoughts to fester, it could pull him right back into an episode. He didn’t fully trust Katsuki yet, but if was serious about going into the counseling field, he also knew it was important to continue moving forward. That didn’t mean divulging all of his secrets, or telling Katsuki about his own struggles, but he’ll stay alert to make sure that at any sign the man was slipping, he’d get out of there.

As the first two months crept along, the roommates went about their own business with very little interactions at first. It was a bit weird to Izuku, to be in a shared room where their beds were literally just a few feet from one another’s, yet they were lucky to go beyond a good morning or hello. In comfortable situations, he was a bubbly person who genuinely enjoyed talking to people, so the stillness of their room was unnerving. Of course, this was better than feeling fearful around Katsuki, but how are they to move forward and maybe become friends again, if they weren’t interacting?

So, because they weren’t talking, Izuku did the next best thing and observed. One thing that had not changed about Katsuki, was being meticulous. The blondes side of the room was always neat and tidy, books or stationery on the desk stacked perfectly, clothes in the closet organized by color and type, even the bed was always made with crisp corners. Early to bed and early to rise, the man had a ritual of sorts. If he wasn’t studying at his desk, he’d be on his bed reading or listening to music. Even the way Katsuki ate was curious to Izuku, constantly wiping his hands or face of any residue. There were a few things the blonde requested of him, no scented candles or strong, smelling fish type meals, and to leave his side of the curtains closed, something about the sunlight bothering him. They were simple enough requests to acquiesce to.

The man rarely left the room except to go to class and as far as he could tell, Katsuki had only one other friend on the campus who’d occasionally drop by. A nice guy, very friendly named Eijiro Kirishima. Well, he assumed they were friends because most of the time, his roommate stayed quiet while Eijiro did the talking. Izuku was pretty sure he spoke to the man more then Katsuki during these visits. They seemed unlikely friends really, one happy-go-lucky, and one anti-social... kind of reminded him of their once friendship now that he thought about it.

Izuku could appreciate the idea of sticking to familiar surroundings. Their dorm room was a sanctuary for him as well. He avoided large, crowded areas as much as possible, and if he didn’t know anyone, did his best to be inconspicuous. But within their room, with just the two of them, it should be a comfortable experience. Before coming to the school, he’d wondered what his roommate would be like or imagined making friends, so it was a little disappointing. By the third month it was a close friend of Izuku’s that suggested he make the first move to engage Katsuki in conversations. Start out simple, maybe learn any hobbies, what music he listened to, his major, etc. Forget the fact he knew the man and pretend as if he’s trying to make a new friend. Ugh, he hated making the first move. Izuku preferred being engaged not initiating it because it drove his anxieties up. But they were right. ‘Think of it like practice,’ Izuku reasoned with himself, ‘pulling a difficult client out of their shell.’

It was a lazy Sunday around midterms when Izuku decided to make a move. As he sat rested on his bed similarly to Katsuki, with his back against the wall and a textbook propped on his legs. Every few seconds, he glanced over the book’s edge, side-eyeing the blonde who was also nose deep into a chemistry textbook. Should he say something? But the man looked preoccupied, and Chemistry is a difficult subject. Maybe he shouldn’t bother Katsuki? He didn’t want to be annoying or anything and it wasn’t important really. Then again, the guy was always preoccupied with something or other and if he waited for a perfect moment, what if it never came? Would he wait forever? No, this was as good a time as ever.

Izuku lowered his book. “H-How’s the studying going Kacchan?”

The blonde turned to look at him briefly. “Fine.” Then returned to his reading.

“Oh, that’s good.”

Ugh! It was always so hard to get a read on Katsuki! His affect and tone were flat, no anger, amusement, nothing, just his common one worded response. It was rare for the blonde to give or maintain eye contact, so at least the man looked at him this time.

He tried another question. “I noticed your chemistry book, is that your major?”

“Yup.”

“Um, what do you do with a chemistry degree?” Izuku asked genuinely.

This time Katsuki surprised Izuku when he stopped and put his book down before engaging. “I’m fascinated by the chemical reactions of fire and combustion. How it works, why it occurs, how it can be manipulated, stuff like that. And I don’t know, I could be a scientist, or maybe do pyrotechnics, just work somewhere I don’t have to talk to too many people.”

“Wow! I mean I was never good at math and stuff to understand, but it sounds pretty interesting.”

“I guess so. What’s with the questions all of a sudden?”

“W-Well,” Izuku shifted his body to face the man completely, “we’re roommates. I don’t expect us to be full-on friends, but I figured it would be nice to talk sometimes.” Katsuki’s silent reply of nothing forced him to make a decision to continue talking, because he assumed if the man wasn’t interested, he would have turned away. Silence wasn’t exactly a normal response, but maybe the blonde really wasn’t sure what to say next. “I don’t expect you tell me super personal stuff— just small talk. Like, um, what kind of music do you like?”

“Alternative.”

Izuku’s eyes flashed with surprise at such a quick response. Okay, so Katsuki was fine with answering. “I like that too! Well, some,” he giggled. “Though I mostly listen to pop now. What about movies?”

“Horror films.”

“Oof,” Izuku cringed. “I can’t handle those they scare me too much!”

“I remember. It gave you nightmares.”

Bouncing on the bed, Izuku’s legs moved to hang over the edge in his excitement. He was really surprised in a good way that Katsuki remembered something so mundane about him. “Wow! You still remember that?! Yeah,” he laughed, “I’ll stick to sci-fi or action. Plus, I’m not fond of theaters anyways so, I just watch stuff on my laptop.”

“Why not? You used to be the outgoing one.”

That made Izuku flinch because he wasn’t ready to tread into that territory with his former bully. “Oh, you know, it’s always crowded, and you have to deal with parent-less kids causing a racket in the place. I rather just enjoy my movie without all that.”

“Makes sense. I don’t care to go to places like that either.”

“Yeah, I noticed that— is there anything you do like or hobbies maybe?”

“Just exercising in the early morning, by myself, except since Eijiro inserted himself, I tolerate him.”

So, that confirmed what he’d already suspected. Katsuki kept his body in really great shape and that hadn’t gone unnoticed by Izuku. But since he wasn’t much of a morning person, he didn’t notice what time Katsuki left the dorm, only the man’s return, showered and refreshed. Needless to say, the blonde male with wet hair was nice to look at and smelled good too. “Oh,” his face heated up at the thought of it, but he needed to play dumb. “So, that’s what you do in the mornings. I wondered about that.”

Things between the roommates settle into a comfortable routine. As another month passes by, Izuku still needed to start the conversation, but at least Katsuki would respond amicably or engaged with him, and to his delight with the help of Eijiro, they’d even managed to get the man to go out to dinner once. Those years of dread and angst were melting away, and soon enough Izuku looked forward to spending time with his old friend.

He still couldn’t get a full read on Katsuki’s demeanor. The man’s emotionless responses made it difficult to tell whether or not he was even enjoying anything. So, Izuku could only assume that by participating, he didn’t mind. The old Katsuki would say whatever he was thinking, good or bad, and while he got the sense that he would do so as needed, such as letting him know about the scent issue, it would be really nice if it didn’t feel like a guessing game all the time. Regardless, the progress they were making to rekindle any sort of relationship was a win in Izuku’s mind.

“Here.”

Izuku looked up from his desk to see a plastic shopping bag held in Katsuki’s hand. “What’s this?” He took it tentatively.

“I saw it at the store. You still into this stuff?”

He opened the bag and pulled out the latest action figure of his favorite comic book character. It was a figurine he’d been saving up his spare money to buy. “Kacchan,” Izuku looked back up curiously at the man. “Is this for me? How’d you know?”

Katsuki just shrugged. “Just remembered you were obsessed with the guy.”

“Thank you, really, but I can’t except this gift, it’s not even my birthday.”

“Just take it. Think of it as an I’m sorry gift if it makes you feel better.”

As Izuku sat there stunned, the blonde simply went back to his bed without another word and picked up a book as if nothing significant had just occurred.

“T-Thank you, Kacchan.”

“Yeah, no prob.”

His face heated up and a smile took over as he stared at the action figure for a few seconds before staging it prominently on his bedside table. Izuku had left all of his collectibles at home, so it was nice to have something in their room. But even more important, was again, Katsuki remembered something about Izuku from their childhood and took the time to get this gift. Despite their long rocky history, this small act meant the world to him. It was the first true moment to make Izuku think, maybe they really could be like they once were.

Finals were approaching in barely two more weeks, and some students were already stressing out. The anxiety in the air felt palpable to Izuku. He could feel it practically oozing off the other students. Of course, everyone dealt with stress in different ways. Some went inwards, the pressure fueling them to work harder while other’s went the completely opposite route of goofing off and procrastinating. Other’s might stress eat, binge caffeine drinks, and friends banded together in study groups. But then there are the ones who took out their frustrations and stress on others.

Bullies. The bane of Izuku’s existence.

Most of the time, he could easily avoid their type around campus. He’d developed a sixth sense for such individuals which his therapist explained as a heightened sense of energy levels. It’s really not as mystical as it sounds, rather that, those like him that suffer from a high level of anxiety, are sensitive to other people’s emotional outputs. Being bullied or harassed himself certainly sent his anxiety’s skyrocketing but seeing it could also trigger a problem depending on the severity.

Hence his current predicament...

It was the end of the day for Izuku and he was ready to just get back to his dorm, eat something, and dive into his studies. One of his teachers had released the finals study guide early, so he thought it best to get a head start. But as he made his way past the row of dorm buildings, Izuku spotted something that sent a cold chill down his spine. Three men cornering a fourth. They were at least 50 yards away and he couldn’t hear everything they were yelling. Something about a group project, pulling weight— One man had grabbed the victims shirt and was semi-lifting him up while the other two men just watched and egged him on.

Oh, this was not good! Izuku’s memories started to replay and his experiences were brought back to the forefront. The men’s faces were so close... he could almost feel the hot breath wafting over, spit hitting his face, or the smell of the bullies breath. It made him sick to his stomach. Izuku’s heart raced, his throat began to close up, and breathing grew erratic. He needed to get out of there! The red piercing eyes of his nightmares took center stage in his mind’s eye... all those times he was harassed and battered by Katsuki rushing back like a wave to toss him against a wall of sandy hair.

‘Deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths!’ Izuku screamed in his head, ‘calm down, calm down, get back to my room! It’s not you, it’s not you... it’s not him! It’s not him!!’

Izuku picked up the pace, a fast walk over a running sprint to avoid being noticed. The last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself and risk becoming the new target. He dug his nails hard into his arm to force his mind towards a physical distraction, but it wasn’t working.

A deep voice screamed, cursing at the top of its lungs, and filling Izuku’s mind, just like that long ago day. The worst attack, the one that finally pushed his mother to move him to a different school. All the fear coursing through his veins rush back, heart pounding against his rib cage. Katsuki had grabbed him, hand fisted into his shirt as he pushed Izuku up a wall and off his feet. He could still feel the cold stone wall behind him juxtaposed to the pain from his hot throbbing lip and swollen cheek where he’d been struck.

He burst through the dorm room door, stumbling, spilling his bag onto the floor as he fell to his knees, gasping for air because his jaw felt locked up and he couldn’t get enough air. All of his muscles were tensing up, imagined or not, it felt like he was suffocating. His body was shaking, sweating— he wanted to puke.

“Whoa, Zuku, what’s wrong?!”

Katsuki had rushed over and dropped to the floor, grabbing Izuku by the shoulders to hold him up and steady. But he couldn’t answer the man in words. Tears were streaming down his face as he did his best to focus and answer the man, but it was tough, fighting against the rapid assault of images in his mind and cursing blaring in his eardrums.

“Fuck, um, allergic reaction?!”

Izuku shook his head violently, no.

“Choking?!”

Again, Izuku shook his head violently, no.

“Panic attack?!”

Izuku now adamantly shook his head, yes!

“Okay, okay, shit, panic attacks, um, it’s been awhile, what do I— oh, right, okay, okay, d-don’t move!” Katsuki stumbled back to his feet and ran out of the room, coming back within a minute with a cup of ice cubes from the common kitchen. He takes one, two, three, shoving it into Izuku’s mouth. It took a bit of effort to get the man’s jaw to open wide enough to shove it in. “Close your mouth all the way, try to get the ice to touch the roof of your mouth.”

Seconds after the ice touched, it sent a brain freeze from hell shooting through Izuku’s pain receptors. “Ahhh!” He spat out all the melting cubes as his hands fly up to his head, cradling, squeezing to counter against the physical pain, “cold! Cold! Cold!”

At that statement, Katsuki slumped back onto his haunches in relief. “Oh good, it worked.” He then took Izuku’s hands with an even soft tone. “Look at me.” Once the man complied, he continued. “Focus on your breathing, inhale when I say to, exhale when I say to.”

Izuku struggled against the embers of irrational thoughts coupled with the brain freeze coming down. His breathing stayed haggard, jagged as he fought his own mind to follow Katsuki’s instructions. But every time he’d start to struggle, the man would refocus him back to the breathing by pressing his thumb nail into the webbing of Izuku’s hand. Not very hard, but enough of a sting to bring back his focus on the physical. It took about 15 minutes until he could breathe in time with Katsuki’s words.

Be it the overwhelming sense of release or sheer exhaustion, Izuku collapsed on to Katsuki’s chest. His panicked breathing whittled down to silent sobbing. The blonde didn’t move or flinch and held the man up, simply keeping his arms around his back without a word. Minutes dragged by as the tears finally slowed.

“Thank you, Kacchan,” Izuku breathed out. “How’d you know what to do?”

“Let’s just say, I’ve had my share.”

Izuku sat back, rubbing away the moisture drying on his cheeks as he looked at his roommate with new eyes. “You? W-When? I-I mean if you don’t wanna say, it’s fine, I’ll understand. We probably both have a lot a secrets.”

Katsuki thought for a moment. “If I tell you what happened, you gotta come clean too.”

He hadn’t expected that, but after what had just occurred, perhaps it was time. “Okay,” Izuku nods.

“In middle school I was sent to a therapist because of my anger issues and diagnosed as a high functioning autistic. Frankly, I don’t know how much to believe in that, but in the end, the therapist was a good thing.” Katsuki leaned back against a desk leg. “The short answer, I learned the reason I’d started bullying you was because I was getting frustrated with myself which lead to anger, and I wrongly took it out on the closest person to me.”

“Why were you frustrated? I thought we were fine...”

“It had nothing to do with you. It was me and I don’t know, I just started feeling different, I didn’t like being around people, didn’t understand or even care about anyone because I couldn’t figure out how to fit in. Yet I’d watch you make friends so effortlessly and I got mad. There’s a lot more to it, even blamed my mom for some of it, but I just didn’t know how else to get it out except through anger. It took a few years to learn to control myself. That’s one of the reasons I got into exercising. If I start feeling frustrated, I can take it out that way now, burn off the excess energy I guess.”

Izuku was a little taken aback at the idea Katsuki’s been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. The man didn’t seem like he had a mental disorder, but the clues were there. The aversion to certain stimulus, social apathy, his fixations on certain elements. “Wow... I had no idea. It doesn’t excuse what you did, but I’m glad you’ve come this far.”

“So, what about you?”

“I don’t think it was just the bullying that started it all. After my dad left us, I was already vulnerable, it’s why I latched onto you so quickly. So, when you started— I-I felt extremely hurt. You were my first friend, my best friend Kacchan and when you started hurting me... I don’t know what was worse, the physical pain or the mental ones. By the time I moved schools, I’d developed anxiety and depression, and it got so bad my mom finally took me to a therapist where I worked all through high school to get it under control. I do really good now, but sometimes things trigger me.” More tears resurface to cloud Izuku’s eyes, but he kept them from spilling. “Today, on my way here, I-I saw a guy being harassed and it brought it all back again. Nothing was working, so I just thought if I could just get to safety, a-and I don’t know, I figured I could get it under control once I was alone. But I’m glad you were here, because I don’t think I could have. You really, saved me today Kacchan.”

“It doesn’t make up for anything. I’m the asshole who made you like this.”

He snorted a laugh, “that’s for sure, but the cause became the cure.”

“What?”

“You caused this, but today you cured it. That means a lot to me because I do want to forgive you.”

“No. I don’t deserve a second chance. I’m content that we’re at least on speaking terms again and I could make amends somehow.”

“Kacchan, everyone deserves a second chance.” Izuku’s smile returned. “We were kids. You didn’t know better. And you’ve changed, that’s the important thing. I think we’ve both changed.”

“How?”

“Well, it’s those experiences that helped me to find a new passion in life to help others— people like us who are struggling with something. Turn a negative into a positive.”

“How the hell do you do that? You just had a panic attack and you’re already sunny smiles again. I mean you were always like this, and it’s me, I just don’t get emotions, but if you wanna forgive me, I guess I can’t stop you.”

Izuku shrugged. “Nope you, can’t,” he smiled wider. “Right now, this is probably the happiest I’ve felt in a very long time.” He stood up and extended a hand, helping Katsuki to his feet. “Dinner, my treat.”

“I don’t feel like going out.”

“I know,” Izuku smiled. “I’ll order in.”

[sapphire374]

A Pleasant but Spontaneous Encounter

"I know we're supposed to be just roommates but you just look too damn cute in the morning and now I can't seem to get you out of my mind."

Wattpad Link 

Nina strongly grasped the paper that had written her room number for the year. Even Though, she arrived early meaning she had yet to find out who she was rooming with. Her nerves were truly at its peak when she discovered while walking into campus that the council decided to pair the girls rooms with the boys rooms. Boys… in the same dorm hallway. She already felt scared starting the new year at Oxford but now she feels uncomfortable knowing there was going to be adult males too. She wondered “what if it’s the guys who host those massive overnight parties. How on earth would I be able to study if people next door are partying all night long.” Nina had jumped into a spiral of thoughts by just overthinking everything. 

Once she arrived at her room she had the pleasure of choosing which bed she wanted since her roommate hadn’t arrived yet. She unclasped her luggage after setting it on top of the trunk and began to store her belongings in drawers, shelves and any other kind of available space in her side of the room. 

Knock-knock. Nina heard as she was hanging up her shirts in the closet. Must be her new roommate. “I’m coming,” Nina hurried as she went to the door. She’s been waiting, wanting to anxiously know who she was going to spend all year with. She grasped the door knob, turned it, and opened the door to a revealing surprise. “Gaston?!”

Both, Gaston and Nina stood there in shock looking at one another. “Nina!… Well it’s nice to see you again but how were you able to find my room and enter it. Don’t get me wrong it’s a pleasure to see you again but this feels a little creepy even though I know I’m hard to forget.”

Nina let out a small frown at his words and replied with “Gaston you really think I would do something like that. I don’t know if this is another one of your jokes but this is my room. Even though they have combined girl rooms with boy rooms in the same hallway  doesn’t mean they get to share the same rooms. Girls with girls, boys with boys.”

Gaston scratches his head and glances at his paper again. “But Nina this is my room, 2774.” 

Nina walks to her dresser, grabs her yellow slip and reads out loud “2774, how odd that’s the same number I got. We need to go speak to the director, this must be a mistake.”

Gaston is now smirking in front of Nina while she wears a questionable look towards his expressions. “Maybe we don’t have to fix this mistake. Maybe we can stay roommates and catch up on what we’ve missed. Maybe this is fate that has brought us here Nina.” 

Nina now choking on her words says, “No no no Gaston, we can’t. We would get in big trouble if I don’t say anything about this and I cannot get in trouble on my first day already. Plus it would seem fishy if they saw a boy in a year after me in the same dorm room as I am. We can always hang out and even catch up outside of the dorm but I don’t want to get in trouble.”

Gaston now making a sullen look replies with “You’re right. We should go.”

“Sorry if I seem like a buzzkill. I’m happy we met but I wasn’t expecting it to be like this.”

“Yeah me neither.”

~~~

“What do you mean we’re going to be roommates for the week. Isn’t that against the rules?” Gaston asked. “Yes it is but we’ve already implemented a system for the roommates which means all of the other rooms are taken. We’re now going to have to wait for when a spot opens up. My deepest apologies for the whole mixup by the way. Don’t worry too much though, this problem should be fixed by the end of the week,” the dean of the campus reassured them. But what if Gaston didn’t want the issue to be fixed anytime soon, what if he does want to be Nina’s roommate. Gaston’s already imagining all of the possibilities of him being able to rekindle his romance with Nina.

Wait a second. A doubt, a fearful thought entered his brain and now it can’t get out. What if Nina is still with Eric? Could that be why she didn’t want to be his roommate, could that be why she tried to brush him off and didn’t seem so excited to see him at her doorstep. Heck she didn’t even give him a hug. 

Throughout the whole meeting he couldn’t help but stare at Nina a few times. Oh how he missed her so much. The way she shuffled her feet when the room was quiet, the way how she tightly held her book in her hand whenever she was nervous, and the way how she barely spoke in conversations, overthinking what to say next. 

Seeing her reaction to the news was a scary delight to see. Gaston saw Nina’s face easily turn red when she glanced at Gaston for a few seconds. Did she hate the idea of rooming with Gaston because she doesn’t like him anymore? Gaston would just love to be a mind reader right now.

They both got up from their chairs and left the office. “So I guess I have to unpack my bags…. In our room,” Gaston breaking the five minute long silence whilst scratching his head in the awkward environment.

“I guess so. I will say though that I call dibs on an extra drawer just so I can have space for my books.”

Gaston couldn’t help but chuckle at Nina’s statement, at how Nina hasn’t changed who she was. 

“Gaston it’s not funny, you know I like to keep my books organized into different categories. Ones I haven’t read, ones I want to reread, and ones I’ve already finished but not planning to reread them anytime soon.” Nina couldn't help but giggle as well. Now Nina and Gaston were both giggling.

~~~

All day Nina tried avoiding Gaston. When she was in the library, she tried to fixate her focus into her textbooks and ignore the not so subtle glances Gaston would throw. Oh how she wishes she can have long conversations and tell him exactly how she feels, but that’s the thing she can’t. Whenever she just thinks of the idea, she chokes. Chokes and not a single word can come out afterward. She thought she has finally grown to be more confident and speak to others but with Gaston around, all of the development feels like it never happened. Before she used to feel very comfortable talking to him and now it feels like the first day she met him, scary and nerve-wracking.

While he wasn’t looking, she couldn’t help but stare and wonder how lucky fate has been to her this very moment. She finally got to see him like she has always hoped. Deep down inside, she’s never stopped loving Gaston no matter what. Just about five months ago, she finalized her decision to break up with Eric. She told him the truth, how she’s still not over Gaston. She thought she had feelings for Eric and she did but only as a friend. She pushed herself to date him thinking it would erase the pain she would feel thinking she would never see Gaston again but not even a sliver of that feeling went away.

Now she’s here. Sitting in a vintage, brown chair while reading her newest textbook in the dull lighting of this library. Great, now she can’t stop thinking about him and has lost all concentration in her homework. She puts her hand on her face in frustration. “Why do you have to take over mind Gaston,” she thinks to herself. Honestly, when she applied to Oxford she wasn’t expecting her first encounter with Gaston to be like this. She assumed she would have some time to put herself together and have the guts to have an actual conversation with him. But instead she barely spoke to him today as if she wanted to ignore him and even gave out signs of being uptight. That’s the thing though, she isn’t like that at all. Her shyness and the spontaneous encounter of him took her by surprise. While already having first day of university stress, she now has past love stress. 

She wonders what he must be thinking now. “Does he hate me? Does he not love me anymore? Am I everything he wasn’t expecting me to be? Does he want to be friends? Does he want to be more than just friends? Is he even single” She face palms herself again and is getting really annoyed now at her overthinking and spiral of thoughts getting out of control.

Gaston notices at the other end of the library Nina’s frustration. Automatically he’s worried and is about to step out of his chair till another doubt reaches his mind. “Wait maybe this isn’t a good idea. I don’t want to force her to like me again or seem clingy,” he assumes. He sits back down onto his chair. 

A group of guys head over to Gaston. Only one of them seems to be carrying books in their hand while the others are carrying backpacks.

 “Hey Gaston. Have you heard of the party that Sara is hosting today. It’s going to be sick,” the guy with the letterman jacket said.

“That seems nice,” Gaston replied

“Are you coming? I heard a lot of people are going to be there.”

“No, I don’t think I’ll go today. It’s the first day and I don’t want to ruin my already messed up sleeping schedule.”

“Oh but c’mon it’ll be the first one of the year. You can’t just miss the first one. Plus I heard a lot of girls will be there too,” the guy then gave Gaston a wink after this statement. 

Gaston then looks over to Nina. She immediately dropped her head down to her books. He noticed and couldn’t help but fall in love at how that reminds him of the looks they would share to each other when they were at the Jam and Roller together. 

“Sorry but I can’t today, maybe some other time,” Gaston stated.

“Ok, your loss dude.” The group of guys then headed straight out the door. 

Nina grew a little worried. She liked knowing now that he is single but she wonders whether he even wants to be with her again. All day it has felt like a battle of who can ignore each other better. She picks up her textbooks, slides them into her open backpack, zips it, and gets out of her chair to leave the library. She can’t concentrate having Gaston very far but also very close to her in one large room. 

When Nina heads straight to the door, Gaston does too. He runs over her and says, “No, Nina, wait.” She turns over. Now Gaston is tongue tied and didn’t think through exactly what he was going to say to her. “Uhh… see you later..” Nina waves a bye to him back and leaves with a confused look on her face. Gaston can’t help but feel stupid, creating a huge fuss all to just tell her in the end “see you later.” 

Gaston hurriedly grabs his backpack and exits the building too. He thinks of the best idea he possibly can at a time like this, and that’s to call Matteo. He takes his phone out of his pocket, types the name and places it near his ear. “Hi Gaston. I wasn’t expecting you to call me today. What’s the matter?” Matteo asks.

“Nina is here. I’m happy that she is but everytime I try to talk to her I forget the words and how to speak.”

Matteo laughs on the other end. “Oh wow no hi Matteo. Good afternoon to you too.Well anyways, you both truly are made for each other. Just be honest with her, plus she probably feels the same way you do.”

“I have tried but I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to come on strong but I don’t want to sound annoying either.”

“You’re overthinking this too much, this is Nina we’re talking here. She already knows you and wouldn’t think of you like that.” 

Gaston thought about it for a second and answered, “Yeah I guess but we hadn’t seen each other in a long time and things can change you know.”

“True but from what I’ve seen the last time I met her she’s still the same Nina you fell in love with before. Maybe this time less afraid to speak her mind, cause of what happened with Gary.”

“Tonight I shall try to talk to her. Maybe we can start out being friends and go from there. I just really miss her laugh, our conversations together, and her smile. This whole day I’ve barely seen her smile. I miss it.”

“That’s a good start. Don’t forget to tell me how it goes ok. Good luck hermano.”

“Bye Matteo. Don’t worry I will.”

~~~

It was 9pm and Nina was already in her pajamas sitting all cozy in her bed while reading a book. Today she was wearing a black and beige nightgown. Gaston had just gotten out of the bathroom from brushing his teeth. He headed towards his bed as well whilst stealing glances towards Nina. He went under the covers and positioned his pillow to fall asleep. Before he laid down, he decided to tell Nina something. He would try to have the conversation he told Matteo about but sadly he can’t seem to think of anything to say. Nonetheless the convo ended quickly and barely went out as planned. “Goodnight Nina. Uh I hope you had a nice day today.”

Nina took her focus away from her book and said, “Yes I did. Thanks for asking. How did your day go?”

“It went decent I guess.”

“That’s nice. Goodnight to you too.”

Gaston then tried to fall asleep. Nina held her book but hasn’t read a sentence after their short lived conversation. She stared at the way Gaston slept. It was so peaceful, as if all the stars were aligned with each other. A portrait she would never want to forget. “What am I thinking. I still can't be in love with Gaston. He barely notices me or even talks to me. I have to forget about him,” Nina overthinks again. She places her book on top of her nightstand with her glasses and tries to fall asleep through the night.

After two hours have passed, Nina seems to be having a nightmare. She tosses and turns consistently in her bed. Gaston slowly opens his eyes. The noise of the sheets moving rapidly woke him up. He sees Nina scared with almost tears in her eyes. He rushes over to Nina and gently wakes her up sitting at the side of her bed. “Nina it’s ok, it’s ok I’m here.” Nina’s eyes begin to flutter and she uncontrollably takes a hold of Gaston’s hand. An electric shock rushed over both of their spines. They touched. 

“It’s ok Nina. You were having a bad dream. You’re going to be fine. I’m here and I’m not going to leave ok.” Gaston’s voice of reassurance made Nina feel much better. They couldn’t stop looking into each other’s eyes. She breaks the stare by rushing into a hug. He softly strokes his hand on her back. She then lays her head on his shoulders. 

“Look Nina there’s something I need to tell you.”

Nina breaks out of his warm embrace. “Gaston there’s something I still need to tell you too.”

“I’ve missed you so much Nina. More than you can possibly think. I thought us breaking up would be the best so that you wouldn’t feel tied to me and have to suffer having a boyfriend who was far away and can rarely visit. Also, especially with starting out school and having to frequently study, barely having time for you, which was not what you deserved, I thought at the time it was the right decision to make.”

“Gaston I’ve missed you so much too. More than you could think of. I remember there were even days where I cried just looking at a trinket from our past. Like that book you lent me that was your favorite. It has all of the notes of the lines that you said reminded you of me. I even take it everywhere I go no matter what. I was so hurt from the breakup, I thought dating somebody else would help erase the pain and make me even forget about it. Not about us since I will always remember you but make me feel better. In the beginning it did till I realized that the relationship I had with you could never be recreated with some other guy. And when I noticed my feelings for you were still existent and even stronger I knew I had to break up with him. I wasn’t ready to have another boyfriend yet.”

Gaston couldn’t help but smile at the fact that Nina is single…. And still potentially loves him. “Nina I still till this day have feelings for you. Whenever I felt stressed or depressed I would always look back into your Felicity account and read your posts. They always gave me that extra dose of strength I needed for the day. I always kept track of whenever you posted for Amigos De Patin. Reading your incredible entries made me feel so lucky to have met you and have had a wonderful girlfriend like you. I always carry around with me too that red bracelet that kept us united like the sea. Remember that ribbon I sent you and how I told you it reminded me of us being like the sea. How far we may be but someday it’s waves will meet up again. How our love lives in the ocean. I never got rid of it. I always wear it on my wrist.”

Nina cupped her mouth with shock. “Gaston I do too. I still keep that ribbon and take it everywhere I go. In fact I keep it in a special place.” She grabs her book off her nightstand and takes out a bookmark. In the clear plastic is the red ribbon. “I always take it with me wherever I go too.”

“Nina don’t you get it. This is maybe destiny. Like the poem of the sea how someday we would meet up again if our love is meant to be. Nina I never stopped loving you.”

Nina then had a tear slide down her cheek. “Gaston I never stopped loving you too.”

Gaston wipes the tear off Nina’s face and has his lips meet with hers. He caressed her cheek while she held his arms. This felt surreal to the both of them. They couldn’t believe they got to meet each other again. Their love was held by the big body of water between them and chose now to bring them back together. Gaston and Nina knew deep down inside that they were meant to be.

[thekidultlife]

The Most Convenient Escape | Jihoon Soulmate! AU (2)

⍟ Pairing: Jihoon x fem!reader

⍟ AU: Fantasy/ Soulmate AU

⍟ Genre: ANGST, SLOW BURN, fluff

⍟ Warnings: swearing, mentions of abuse, drinking, and sex

⍟ Word Count: 5.2k

⍟ Synopsis: For all your life, you have a deep disdain towards Soulmate Bonds, so much so that you are able to write opinions about it in a local newspaper. However, as life would have it, you wake up one day bonded to a person you hardly knew. Throwing in an investigation, annoying roommates, and a revolution looming just beneath the surface, you had to seek for the most convenient escape.

CHAP 1 | CHAP 2 | CHAP 3 | CHAP 4 | CHAP 5 | CHAP 6 |

RIOTS AT THE PARLIAMENT by Jeon Wonwoo

The Porta Persa Edition, August 30

On the morning of the 29th, news of the passing of the reformed Soulmate bill in Parliament incurred throes of protesters in front of the building. Armed with handmade placards and their own voices, each were shouting the alleged corruptness rooted in the said decision. Effigies of the King and the Prime Minister were burned and branded as 'capitalist bootlickers'. According to the leader of the Free Will Movement, a student activist named Lee Chan, they all have gathered to voice out their overdue dissatisfaction in the government and its ineffective actions towards domestic and sexual violence. He says that people needed to be aware of the crimes committed under the name of the Soulmate bond.

What prompted these events was the case of Himi Gestalt who was murdered at her home June last year, a crime which was later on confessed to by the owner of Luce Trading Co., her husband and soulmate, Rene Gestalt. While the lower courts had deemed Mr. Gestalt guilty, further appeals were made in Higher Court where he was, instead, absolved of the crime. Motions were then made for the Parliament to amend the hundred-year-old Soulmate Bonding law, in order to prevent such incidents to happen again, and such amendment, after a year, has now been decided upon and passed for the prime minister and the King to sign. 

According to one Parliament member of the Santaragossa Assembly, Rep. Lee Jihoon, the bill has been decided with the intentions of the people in mind. In his opinion, while the bill may seem unsatisfactory to some, necessary changes to the proposed bill were made in order to form an agreeable consensus. 

The gathering of protesters however did not end peacefully, only dispersing after the Royal Guard appeared and tried to arrest the protesters. None were arrested yet most surely, some were injured in the process…

◇

The sun was high, the birds singing eagerly: it was time for lunch. As if separated from the troubles of the world by the tall wisteria trees and ancient walls of the Royal Academy, students leisurely attended to their hunger.

"I'd say you were lucky to get out of there," you remarked, pushing your homemade lemonade to Wonwoo, who drank it eagerly. 

"It wasn't really that intense, you know," he replied, shrugging.

"You're just too relaxed under pressure," Soonyoung answered back. "If I hadn't gotten your call and threw in a carriage for you, you would've been arrested."

The three of you shared a rather peaceful lunch together at the courtyard just after morning classes. In your uniforms and carefully prepared seafood pasta, the three of you chatted domestic affairs as if it were your love lives. It was definitely something you preferred more than the latter. 

"In my opinion though, the protests were well deserved," you started, "The Parliament couldn't even keep its own integrity with how they're trying to appease these corporations."

Wonwoo shrugged, "Well, they do have a motive. Some representatives are part of the sex trafficking scheme we talked about before: people who are powerful enough to tame the amendment. The Gestalt case was just the tip of the iceberg; an ugly head roaring out of the shadows." 

"How's your investigation going with that though?" Soonyoung asked, his eyes gazing seriously at the cooked scallop. 

"At a dead end. I better find new leads soon," he replied as he took a forkful of fettucini. "But I do believe it'll take some time." 

"That's true, but our newspaper is already under fire," you remarked solemnly. "We hardly have any time before they crack on us as well. Soonyoung's and your father's influence can't save us all the time."

The three of you sighed and nodded. 

"You think the monarchy is in this as well?" You asked.

"Maybe." Wonwoo shrugged again, glancing at the other male.

"I've seen the money trail go all the way up though, so it's possible," Soonyoung whispered, incharge of looking into the monetary accounts and the financial side of things. 

A shiver crept underneath your skin. 

"It's deeper than we initially thought. If we still want to go with this report, we really should be careful," you warned them, looking each into their eyes as they understood that this was no longer a silly impulse made by three university students. 

Silence passed the three of you. Only the sound of the breeze rustling through the colorful flowers adorning the surroundings could be heard, as well as the white noise of chatter and carefree laughter. The gravity of the situation finally weighed down on you three. 

"Right so, uh…" Soonyoung spoke, unable to tolerate the awkwardness and the tension around him. 

A sweatdrop on your cheek. "Right."

"I must say though, it was surprising that you have Lee Jihoon as your roommate," Wonwoo started with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

While he was usually stoic and silent, Wonwoo tends to be playful from time to time with his teasing, dad jokes and hit-or-miss puns. An intelligent individual, Wonwoo was your newspaper's government correspondence, lurking in the parliament or at the courts using his politician father's influence. 

"I don't see any wrong in that," you replied, rolling your eyes, a chicken panini on your hands.

"Well, for one, he's quite popular despite his abrasiveness," Wonwoo said as he adjusted his glasses. 

"He's a classmate of yours, right?" Soonyoung asked his bespectacled friend, now lying comfortably on the freshly trimmed lawn. 

"We share a few classes. Usually he's busy working so I see him more often when I sit on Parliament sessions, than inside the classroom."

The other male whistled. "I surely can't imagine having him as a roommate. He looks like a neat and orderly type of person. Does he even have a soulmate yet?" 

"Not much I can say. We rarely talk or even see each other and no opportunity has been provided for such  interactions," you remarked, tugging your sleeve down. 

"Regardless, girls in my class would kill for your position. Lee Jihoon, his power and his money is that popular." 

"I'd rather kill to have your dorm room!" The other male interjected, whining at how unfair the world was while you grinned at him.

"That's one reason I stayed, you know," you told him, getting a bite on a tomato slice. "As long as we mind our own business, there wasn't any problem to be honest." 

You definitely sighed at this, remembering another thing you have to keep your own business to, yet as soon as you recalled this certain memory though, you had it banished from your thoughts. 

"That is fortunate to hear then. I was contemplating that you would wish to change rooms," Wonwoo offered. "It's not that hard to talk to the administration."

"That's right! We can talk to the school for you~" Soonyoung chimed in.

You sighed. I'd rather not use your families' influence with something like this.

"You need not to worry. Lee Jihoon isn't that hard to live with. At most, we would exchange small greetings but that's all there is to it."

Your friends raised their brows. "Are you sure?"

Nodding without a word, you concisely ended the conversation about Lee Jihoon. Any more mention of his name might summon his presence in front of you three. 

"Oh, by the way, Y/N. For your next editorial, you're going to interview a few people in a soulmate bond, is that correct?" Wonwoo asked, looking into a leather bound journal in his hands, clearly his planner. 

"Yes, maybe after class. I've already contacted a few people to interview," you replied as you began to clean up. "This shouldn't be much of a task." 

"Wait! Y/N gets to interview people?!" Soonyoung suddenly cried, sitting up from his relaxed position on the grass. "While I have to look into shipment laws?!" 

"You do study International Trade, in case you've forgotten," Wonwoo, who was a Magical Law major replied, again adjusting his glasses. 

Soonyoung whined, and slumped back on the grass in his random dramatics. "Why do you guys study such cool things?" 

"You're an heir of a business empire."

"Besides, you like your major anyway. You're just being extra."

"Please stop bullying me!" 

Soonyoung complained, tackling you both to the ground. Bouts of laughter echoed across the courtyard as the three of you enjoyed days such as these. You wished it would just stay like this forever. 

It was almost a week after classes began and to say they were challenging was an understatement. The Academy was definitely not for slackers yet you still managed to balance it out with your responsibilities as a budding journalist, albeit with great effort. Every day's end left you exhausted even though you only had a few classes in your schedule, plus the amount of studying you had to do at night. 

Despite all that though, classes were very much enjoyable. The topics discussed were definitely right up your alley. Rather than a chore, studying has become a bit more interesting than before.

"Among the most ancient types of magic is the Soulmate Bond. It is as old as the mountains, older than the Kingdom of Porta Persa."

You sighed on your seat. This was the least interesting of them all. 

"Soulmate Bonds connect two people either through their thoughts, their emotions or their memories. These connections are essential to deepen this bond, even though these two people are inherently compatible with one another. Of course not all thoughts, emotions or memories can be transmitted through the connection. If there are no issues with the bond, then they are able to control whichever they wish to transmit."

Another sigh from you. This class was solely giving you a headache. The teacher was an old magus who, according to her, served under the King's Royal Magis for more than a quarter of her life. Now too old to actually perform duties, she was now teaching Ancient Magic History.

Nevertheless, the class was irritating and boring. 

'I wouldn't be surprised if you hated this class.'

Those weren't your thoughts. 

Pursing your lips, you adjusted your position on your seat and braced yourself.

'I thought we had already established rules? '

The other side of the line was silent for a while.

'The 'rules' merely state that you are uninterested in knowing a single thing about me, which of course, is fine by all means. But that doesn't mean I am prohibited wanting to know more about you.' 

Massaging your temples, you could feel a headache breaking out in a few moments. 

'You definitely know not a single thing about making rules.' Your soulmate continued. 

The problem with this bond, you realized, was that you can't actually hear their voice. It's just information arriving into your head that you know what they were saying. Your tampering neither helped nor stopped you from arriving at this situation at all. 

'Regardless of my rule-making capabilities, let me remind you what those rules were since you seemed to have forgotten all about it.' 

Propping your head on your arm as you pretended to take notes, you scowled at the air. 

'First, there shall be no communication between the two of us. I am unwilling to know you, to meet you, to share any of my thoughts to you.'

'Denied.'

You exhaled, exasperated.

'What do you mean by that? Didn't you agree to it before?'

'Well, I am no longer agreeing to it now. Besides, your little rules are obviously to your own benefit. I don't mind not meeting you, yet I propose I get to talk to you at certain times of the day.'

'The week. Make it two times a week.'

'Four times, out of seven days.' 

You clicked your tongue. You were totally unprepared for something like this. 

'Fine. Four times.'

You had a feeling your soulmate was smirking on the other side, much to your chagrin.

'Glad we can come to a consensus.' 

You knew you were not going to like them.

'I know you're just trying to make me fall for you.'

They were laughing on the other side, you didn't need to guess.

'I don't even need to try. You will fall for me eventually.'

A sudden need to defend yourself welled up inside you; their words wounding your pride. 

'Absolutely not.'  You bristled. 

'Whatever you say. There are reasons why the Universe brought us together, and even if you force it to bend to your will, it will simply backfire on you.' 

Completely livid, the only thing that was stopping you from blowing was the fact that you were in the middle of a class. Instead, you breathed in and out to calm yourself down. 

'Just from this conversation, I could already tell that the Universe has been largely mistaken in bringing us together. A person with no sense of agency and a total lack of concern for others would be the last person I shall prevail upon to marry.' 

You could already tell they were affected by your emotions by the way they bid time to compose themselves. 

'There are things that you can change while there are those which you cannot. You should know the difference.' They paused. 'Yet I doubt it. You can't even tell that I am a guy or anything about me for that matter.'

'I'm not interested--'

'Run while you can then. Though I'd assume you could hardly go that far anyway.' 

Wanting to defend yourself, he had only cut you off at every opportunity, leaving you hanging with your own words.

'I must apologize for taking so much of your time. Until then, my dear soulmate.'

As he spoke those last words with utter spite, like spitting on the ground, the communication went silent, leaving you embarrassed and furious in the middle of class. 

*

Obstinate. 

If there was one thing that Lee Jihoon wanted to do right now, it would definitely be something like plopping on his bed back in his dorm room and sleeping the rest of the century off.

That way, he wouldn't have to worry about mulish soulmates or fucking lobbyists. 

If it wasn't clear yet that he was exhausted right down to his very bones, then he didn't know how to express it anymore. His work was gratifying, sure. He liked creating proposals, he liked battling wits with other representatives, he liked things to get better in Porta Persa. But oftentimes, the risk reward ratio was just too unbalanced. 

He threw away the pair of glasses he was wearing onto the desk in front of him carelessly, allowing it to bump on the stacks of binders arranged neatly on top. Loosening his tie, he never thought it was this exhausting. 

Jihoon sighed.

The glistening horizontal bars around his wrist seemed to be mocking him; laughing at his rather peculiar situation. He definitely knew a few things about his soulmate just from the stray thoughts which enter his mind from time to time: student in the Academy, hates the soulmate bond with passion, probably a writer. With how brash she was, it was easy to deduce a bit of information.

"You are certainly mistaken."

Whispering to himself long after that conversation, it was as if he had been wounded by her words. If that was indeed the case, Jihoon gave no indication nor confirmation. He simply sat there in his office in the Parliament building, skipping his own classes. 

Removing him from his reverie, a small knock came at his door, only to see Jeon Wonwoo, a classmate of his, greeting him with a deadpan look. 

"Jihoon, I heard you were looking for me?" He asked, standing tall and adjusting his glasses.

The dark haired male sat up straight from his seat and glanced at Wonwoo, assessing the situation from his position, before he opened his drawer to place a newspaper on the table. 

He pushed the newspaper before Wonwoo and propped his head on an arm. 

"You and Kwon Soonyoung own this newspaper?" Jihoon asked, his voice devoid of any sort of emotion, a skill he had honed during countless hearings. 

The other stared at Jihoon for a while, weighing his words and planning what he was about to say. Wonwoo might be slow yet he was careful. 

"Soonyoung owns The Porta Persa Edition on paper, but I'm listed as co-founder. Why do you ask?" He finally answered. 

Yet underneath those words was another question unmentioned: 'Are you trying to set us up in a trap?'

Jihoon leaned against his chair, crossing his arms in and legs in a power position. Wonwoo knew the other was trying to intimidate him yet if Jihoon had known any better, Soonyoung would've reacted in his favor. 

"No reason in particular," Jihoon replied.

How dishonest. Wonwoo thought as he watched the other. 

"Though I must say, your Alex Fireflower sure has been quite provocative  over the recent months," he continued, side-eyeing Wonwoo.

"Alex Fireflower writes editorial pieces which are fundamentally their own opinions. It is up to the reader if they wish to be provoked," Wonwoo countered. What a long-winded introduction.

"I am well aware of that," he glared at Wonwoo, as the other remained poker-faced. "Yet that is not the reason why I asked of you." 

Wonwoo raised a questioning brow. Here it comes.

"I wanted to talk about the Gestalt case," Jihoon began, while Wonwoo looked at him with a look akin to surprise.

Did he just use his power to summon me so that we can talk about the Gestalt case? Wonwoo was perplexed and refused to believe there was no ulterior motive over this. 

"What about it?" Wonwoo asked. "I mean, it's quite straightforward." 

"Well, it is straightforward but I wanted to know your thoughts about it."

My thoughts? Is it because of the article I wrote?  The tall male was apprehensive yet answered nonetheless. 

"Rene Gestalt murdered his wife Himi Gestalt. The evidence was against the defendant and the verdict of the lower courts was sound. However I believe the higher court's decision was highly politicized, instead of objective weighing of evidence." 

Wonwoo dared not to mention any of the investigative work he was doing regarding that case and how far he had sunk deep into the mystery. He was wary of Lee Jihoon and what his motives were when he asked him about the case. 

"But that would mean that the Soulmate Bond is a faulty system if soulmates are able to murder each other," Jihoon replied, his expression hard but unreadable. 

"Yes, it is a faulty system. If I say so myself, Alex Fireflower is right by saying that if this system was indeed perfect in the first place, then why is there a need to have divorce laws and violence against women and children laws?"

Jihoon arched a brow at Wonwoo. 

"Then, do you think it is necessary to remove the Soulmate Bond all together?" He asked, fiddling with the glasses he had thrown on the table a little while ago. "You did say that it was a faulty system and Alex Fireflower, as I have read, seem to insinuate that we should be done with it."

Wonwoo felt a sweat drop down his cheek. This was really intimidation. If you were in his position what would you even do? You hated the whole thing and would've answered passionately, no matter how incomplete your logic was. If Wonwoo was indeed nervous, he didn't even try to show it. He was as level headed and cool as ever when he answered.

"What needs to be removed is the clear propaganda spread by this government by painting the bond as something perfect. Not the bond and all of its entirety. I believe that it has created millions of beautiful relationships, yet there are some which are less than perfect. Rather than making it seem like something complete, the soulmate bond is aiding us to a person who could help us grow into someone better and more mature."

Jihoon hummed at his reply, fully considering it.

"Then that would mean that the system itself is not faulty but the people who falsely interpret it as such," he snatched the newspaper on his desk and began folding it into half. "The government did no such thing as propaganda. If people wish to express the happiness they experienced due to the bond, we are in no position to stop such expression, as we are in no position to repress your freedom of expression in your little newspaper." 

Wonwoo almost sighed. It wasn't because Jihoon was a particularly brilliant debater, he was just good at disarming people and diverting topics at an alarming rate that Wonwoo, who was slow in reaction, cannot efficiently fend off.

"Then let's go back to the Gestalt case," Jihoon continued. "If the system is not inherently faulty, but the parties involved, then it is suffice to say that something went wrong between the two of them."

The taller male narrowed his eyes. "What are you implying then?" 

Jihoon made a paper fan out of the newspaper and began stroking his cheek with it as he prepared for his answer.

"If the bond is sound and properly working, then it would be virtually impossible to kill your soulmate who is basically your other half. It's suicide."

Wonwoo blinked, several times in fact. As Jihoon's last two words swirled inside his mind, he felt this door of darker unknowns opening up before him, ready to swallow him whole. How did...? Does Lee Jihoon know…?

On the other hand, Jihoon who was observing Wonwoo's reaction was smirking behind the paper fan. 

"It looks like we seem to agree on a few things about the Soulmate Bond," the darker haired male continued when Wonwoo gave no response. "However, your dear Alex Fireflower would gladly beg to differ, wouldn't they? Anyway, that's all I wish to ask. You're free to leave if there's nothing else." 

The politician was already dismissing Wonwoo who was still digesting everything that has happened, and has even more questions to ask. While that would be convenient, he was worried about placing himself in such a precarious position especially in the middle of his investigation with a new lead to work on. Deciding to leave it as it is for today, Wonwoo bid farewell.

"I'm glad to have this conversation with you Jihoon. I shall be excusing myself now," he finally said, turning around and walking towards the door.

However, as he was halfway out of the doorway, Jihoon stopped him. 

"While you're at it Wonwoo, I should warn you to be cautious. Calling the government as propagandists with no factual evidence can lead to libel cases, if I'm not mistaken," he told him. 

Making a wry smile as he went out, Wonwoo could feel Jihoon's intense stare at the nape of his neck like a panther ready to pounce. 

Now I know why I've been called. 

*

You could feel a sweatdrop roll down your cheek; a polite tight-lipped smile on your lips.

You were slowly descending into madness, being surrounded by all this madness.

"You know Y/N, meeting my soulmate was the most incredible experience I ever felt. The connection just appeared one day while I was buying groceries and finally meeting him was just...oh no, this is quite embarrassing."

The woman who was around her early thirties was gushing about her partner in front of you who was slowly detaching from the present moment. 

"I-I see...but, I mean, surely he wasn't what you were expecting, right? Are there times where you would think of someone else?" You tried once more, pen poised on your notepad. 

The woman, who was named Cecille, placed her hand on her chest and knitted her brows, seemingly offended by your question. 

"Oh dear, why would I do something like that? Philippe is my soulmate. What are you even implying by those questions?"

You made an awkward chuckle, hiding your growing embarrassment. 

"A-ah, is that so Madam? I can totally see the strong bond you have with your husband!"

There was really no escape. 

Sighing as you kicked a stray pebble on the street, you were so close to being kicked out of the woman's house. Crawling your way to finish the interview without crossing the line was kind of difficult. 

One last interview. 

"I'll ask Madam Ascott a few questions if that is alright?" You started, sitting comfortably on a garden chair as you interviewed your final respondent over late afternoon tea.

"Of course! I would be delighted!" She replied, her hair perfectly coifed, her posture restrained and polite. 

A young woman, Julie Ascott was once a lady of a noble house. However, according to your research, she had married a modest shipbuilder: her destined soulmate, now they are living a normal life by Porta Persa's busy docks where she manages their shipbuilding business. 

You glanced at her rather poised mannerisms. What a total one-eighty degree flip. 

"So, how are you Madam? I hope you have been doing well," you began, totally an amateur interviewer yet you could only blame your inexperience.

Fortunately, Madam Ascott did not notice or minded your awkwardness, instead she was cheerful and incredibly polite with you. 

"Thank you for asking, Y/N. I am actually doing quite well! We had built a steady clientele for our business over the years, creating a steady stream of income every year," she replied. "While I was a complete beginner at this when we started, I've been able to learn quite a lot!"

"That's good to hear! Shipbuilding is quite a good business to venture on, considering the booming trading industry," you responded, angling for your actual first question. "So, with all these going, did the soulmate bond help you in any way?"

Madam Ascott pondered for a while as she took a sip of tea, before answering you. 

"Well, I could say it helped a lot with the decision making. Since my husband and I have an emotional connection, we usually do not encounter moments of misunderstanding. If he or I feel like something is off, we would talk about it first before taking action. It's quite convenient, to be honest."

"Oh wow, being able to work as a team like that is actually something amazing. But I'm curious where it all began. We're things as smooth sailing as this even from the start?"

Now you were genuinely curious. You have never met a bonded person such as Madam Ascott, who in a sense, was more grounded than all the women you have interviewed all afternoon. 

Humming, she averted her gaze at the nearby window as she tried to reminisce memories a few years back.

"In all accounts, my family did not appreciate the bond I had with William. Even if it was destined and good at the eyes of society, marrying your first daughter to a commoner was teetering on a fine line between what is acceptable and unacceptable." 

You understood what she meant. While the Soulmate Bond offered a chance to rise in the class ladder, that would also mean there would be a few people going down. Social mobility has become easier yet that doesn't mean it is a truth easily swallowed.

"Truthfully speaking, I had been lucky. I was keen to leave nobility behind. William was at first, just a mere excuse. He was the most convenient escape available to me. Yet he understood what I felt then and supported me as my husband and my soulmate," Madam Ascott confessed, gazing at the palm of her hands. "This was not a love at first sight story if that is what you are looking for. I used him to gain my own freedom. William knew that yet he still accepted me. Maybe that's the reason why I fell in love with him." 

Blinking once, then twice, you felt a heavy toiling weight form inside of you. What a shame.

"It's truly amazing how it had worked out for you Madam. Maybe someday I'll be able to have something like that."

"Y/N, have you had your bond yet?" The Madam asked after taking a sip. 

You flushed immediately, hoping it wasn't as obvious to your interviewee's eyes. There was no way you could tell her.

"N-no...I still haven't," you replied, glad that you had strategically placed a wristwatch to hide the markings. 

Smiling at you, Madam Ascott placed her hand on yours and gave a tight squeeze. 

"Then I hope you don't mind a bit of unsolicited advice," she began, chuckling, "Soulmates aren't perfect, as much as there are no perfect people. Yet they come at the perfect time where both sides need each other to grow. People like that also enter our lives to teach us important lessons and then leave, yet soulmates are the ones who stay."

The weight inside you grew heavier, like a burden you could no longer ignore; a truth you had long ran away from. 

"Unlike what other people think, it isn't always about romance. You are bonded to a person who is fundamentally your other half. They would magnify your insecurities, your fears, your greatest flaws as a person, and force you to face them. That is what a soulmate truly is. Accept them and learn." 

*

The french doors were heavy as you entered the common room. 

It was already late in the evening, yet you couldn't feel any signs of hunger or fatigue. Rather, there was this deep dark void of emptiness inside you that you could not fathom. Afraid that if you take a look long enough, it would swallow you whole.

As you dropped your bag at the couch in front of the fireplace, that was the only time you noticed that your roommate was there in the room, sitting on an armchair, playing a cello. 

Both of you were silent as he observed, assessed your actions. Yet there was really nothing he could find notable. You had no drive to react to him in any particular way as you continued to stare into empty space.

Well, that is until you broke your silence.

"Jihoon, do you think it's possible to be friends with your soulmate and marry another?" 

You still refused to look at him, and instead gaze at the ornate white ceiling.

"Where did that even come from?" He asked, in the middle of a downbow. 

"Just curious."

"Good in theory but not in practice. Imagine yourself falling in love with a person who shares their thoughts, their feelings to someone else. I don't think that would feel good on your part. I could even call it unfair." 

"Does one really have to fall in love with their soulmate?" You asked another, now in a brooding mood.

"I don't think that's even a conscious choice. Soulmate bonds, by design of our magic system, are inherently romantic. You fall when you fall," Jihoon replied, now deciding to take a break on practicing.

"How then, do you know if you have fallen in love? What makes it different from infatuation?" 

For a while, both you and Jihoon exchanged glances. His dark chocolate orbs intensely stared at you as if trying to figure you out, nitpicking your words and your body language, until it simply became pure and unadulterated gazes. 

'Beautiful.'

Jihoon averted his gaze. It stopped. "I don't know."

Sighing, you nodded and marched towards your room. Passing by him, you bid him good night.

"I didn't know you played the cello, you know."

CHAP 1 | CHAP 2 | CHAP 3 | CHAP 4 | CHAP 5 | CHAP 6 |

* A/N: Here’s chapter 2!! Chapter 3 comes out next week!! I’ll be taking a break from this for next next week, and instead 30 Nights with Lee Jihoon would be posted! Hopefully, I can return after that week!!  EDIT: CHAP 3 IS OUT!

-Hyeri

[nctzendreamz]

HOMECOMING — PART ll

Prologue / Part l / Part ll / Part lll

Summary: The year is 3030, and the divide between the rich and poor couldn’t be greater. Wildwood University is the most prestigious school in the entire world, but it isn’t only because of the impeccable flying cars that can be seen best during the fuchsia lit nights, or the dexterous education everyone receives. It has secrets. A lot of secrets—the biggest being that Taeyong is going to kill you.

Genre: Gang!AU, Futuristic!AU, Dystopian!AU

Warnings: Vivid descriptions of violence, foul language, drug use, and murder.

“You’re new.” Is the first thing that comes from your lips. You’re observing him—eyes trailing up and down his lanky build. He can’t tell whether you like what you see. It’s obvious you’re not easy to read. You have some form of a wall, and it’s up. “And you’ve met Mackenzie.” You eek, mouth forming into a straight line. She can’t hear you, as her headphones are placed in her ears and she seems to be meditating.

“She said you were nice.” Taeyong mentions.

“Oh, she wasn’t lying.” You chuckle. It’s a cute sound. “She can just get...how do I say—a little boy crazy? I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me she had flirted with you. How long have you been here by the way? I’ve missed a lot of class.”

“Today is my first day, actually. And yeah...I think she likes me already.”

“Let me guess—subtle touches, awful attempts to make you laugh?”

“Exactly.” He finds himself smiling from your easy-going nature. He’s not having to jump through the hoops he imagined, as you don’t see him being the new kid as a bad thing. You both are smiling at eachother, but the moment is interrupted when a rubber airplane hits you on the side of the head.

“Can you guys leave me alone for one second? God!” You yell, and Taeyong can see that it actually pissed you off.

“Johnny’s orders.” One of them says, laughing at your annoyance.

“Is that your boyfriend?” Taeyong asks innocently. Of course he knows the truth, but he needs to seem clueless. This will help build his case.

“Don’t even make me think about that.” You barf, holding your stomach and mouth at the same time. “My brother. The guy who escorted me to class as if I haven’t been doing this forever.”

“Maybe it’s because you haven’t been to class recently.” Now it’s his turn to eek, and he gets you to laugh. You think he’s funny.

To the naked eye, it would seem like Taeyong was fond of you. I mean, he was enjoying such stimulating conversation, but he hates you even more now. He seemingly doesn’t remember that Indigo is still in his system, even though it had slightly worn his silent demeanor away. The floating of the desk is kind of making him sick, but he can’t speak on it.

“I try to just focus on a certain something.”

Did you just read his mind? He knows such technology doesn’t exist, right?

“Fun fact, I threw up on my first day of school. Everyone thought it was the funniest thing they had ever seen, but poor Mr. Eddie.” You’re relieving the memory; he can tell. The way your hand reaches for your chest, scratching a non existent rash tells him that this isn’t a memory you laugh at.

“Mr. Eddie? Is that our professor?”

“The professor.” You emphasize. “You should probably know this before class—

“Goodmorning class.” The voice comes from seemingly everywhere, but no one else looks creeped out, so Taeyong keeps his cool.

“Morning.” You all say in unison.

Suddenly, another door in the room reveals itself. A squeak of metal is making itself known, and everyone is either cringing, or covering their ears.

“Is he a fucking—

“Half man, half robot. A fucking robot. It’s crazy because we should be used to it right? I mean, it’s 3030 there are robot people everywhere.”

“It’s just the principle.” Taeyong decides, but in reality his chest is getting tight. He hadn’t even known about this. I mean, he had seen the little robots that could clean a little, and even project news on the wall if you paid a little extra, but this man is walking.

“Jeez Ed!” One of the players yells. “Late to the lecture, and loud. I think this means no homework.”

Is this how annoying the wealthy were allowed to be? Sweaty, presumably blonde jocks who just can’t be settled?

“You all are going to be very upset with me.” His voice is robotic for sure. Everyone begins to pop around, concerned for their professors well being. “But I’m going to have to cancel class. As you can hear, I need more oil.”

It’s like an explosion has taken off, because everyone minus you, Taeyong, and Mackenzie stand up immediately, fighting to get out of class first. It’s chaotic, and it’s making him anxious all over again. It’s not dramatic—it’s slight, but it feels like it can grow to make him actually explode.

“You three need a place to stay?” Mr. Eddie drys, clearly shocked at your presence.

“This is Taeyong.” You introduce. “And while we both know I would’ve been the first one out of here, someone has to show him around.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it Y/N.” Mackenzie speaks suddenly, taking her headphones out. “I’m sure you want to go see Kun anyway. He’s back, right?”

Kun? Who the hell was Kun?

“Kun?” Taeyong questions with a head tilt. “Is that your boyfriend?”

Your hand finds home on your earlobe, and it’s rubbing it softly. There is a smile on your face, but it’s extremely quiet and sad. Whoever Kun is to you, you love him—or at the least care about him. But at the same time, things aren’t peachy.

“No.” Is all you say, slapping your hand to your leg. “Enough about me though!” Your bright nature has returned, and it’s almost weird. He must be your ex, and where was he? Why did he leave and come back? “I have to show you around! I also need to meet your roommate and tell them if they try to hurt you it’ll be their head.”

That’s ironic, he thinks to himself. So badly does he want to laugh something evil because you’re so stupid and clueless, but he contains himself.

“What about me?” Mackenzie is pouting now, arms covering her chest. Does she really thinks that’ll work? I mean, it was quite pathetic.

“You know I love you, right?” Your tone is soft as you speak to her, hands on her shoulder. Your eyes must be as beautiful as he predicted, because her aggressive stance is loosening by the second.

“Of course I do.” She spills.

“Then I know you remember that you have a terrifying essay to write for literature, and that you don’t need to be out all day. Plus, weren’t you trying to go to the race tomorrow?”

“It was in my plans.”

“Then finish your essay tonight. Then, all the boys can see you looking good with the LED lights shining all over you...doesn’t that sound perfect?” You’re painting the picture with your hands, the both of you looking into space.

“You’re right!” She squeals, jumping up at the thought.” “You’ll be there too, right Lee?”

He looks at you for a quick moment, realizing he never told you his “name”. You seem to process it for a moment before looking at him for a response.

“I mean...I can’t make any promises. I’m not the going out type.”

“But I’ll be there. And when I’m somewhere, it matters.”

His ears were bleeding. He just knew it. “Right.” He whispers, trying his best to not sound awkward.

He should have said no when you offered to show him around. His current feelings were nothing short of introverted, and the farther the two of you walked, the more hot he became.

“I’m sure you’re used to seeing stuff like this.”

Oddly, you don’t seem tired. You had practically shown him the entire East section of the campus, and even he—the cold blooded murderer needed some water.

“Oh yeah.” He says dryly. “You know how it is in Valhalla. There are things everywhere. Blazing lights, fresh air...”

“Exactly.” You smile.

He had to admit, your smile made him feel safe. He still needed to go through with his mission, but it’s nice to know you won’t be annoying him the whole time he’s getting you to trust him. You’re easy going, and he’s already in the friendzone. He just needs to get farther.

There’s a kid coming by fast on his hoverboard, but you’re too busy looking at your watch to even hear the skrting of the device. With a swiftness, Taeyong takes your elbow and back into his hands, and he moves you to the other side.

“Shit.” You breathe out, hand on your chest now. You’re ashamed. “I’m so sorry. I promise I’m not usually this clumsy—well that’s not true, but none the less I—

“It’s okay.” He chuckles, letting his hand slide from your shoulder all the way down to your hand. He squeezes it lightly, and the look in his eyes are swallowing you. “It happens to the best of us.”

And now the two of you are having a stare down. He can see how genuine you are. The way your eyes soften the more time that passes proves this, and Taeyong is mocking your actions. In the pit of his stomach he can feel something, and he reads it to be disgust. God, you seemed like a nice person, but wasn’t this a waste of time? To do all of this and make you think he actually cares?

“Right.” You finally speak, looking at the first tree that appeared in your vision. “Anyways, we should probably go to your room now. Have you been in it at all?”

This must be how you deal with problems—moving on without a second thought. You didn’t like to think about your feelings, but at the same time didn’t that mean you were in touch with your emotions?

“It was my first stop.” He admits. He had heard about the people whos only job was to move people in and out, all for free, but with the belongings he had in his bag, that obviously wasn’t an option for him.

It took his breath away, although everything at Wildwood did. Back in the day, college dorm rooms were tight-knit, with squeezed beds and insects crawling somewhere unless you went to a top school. His room consisted of two king sized beds, and they gave him the option to make it a water bed.

He had already spent his morning hiding everything, so you wanting to come inside was no big deal. As you two journey up the hologram escalator, he noticed you were looking into space even though you should be looking at all the scenery.

“Something on your mind?”

His voice is soft when he speaks to you, and he decides in this moment that he’ll keep it that way. It seems to make you more comfortable, and comfortable means you’ll start talking; trusting.

“Too many things.” You chuckle. Now your eyes are closed, and you seem to be soaking in the good weather as if it’s the only thing good from your day. “No need to burden you with it.”

“It’s not a burden. There’s nothing worse than having no one to go to.”

“Then tell me a little bit about you, newbie.” The two of you reach the top—another door that leads to his complex. Unfortunately, they do separate these things by gender even in 3030.

Taeyong is looking for a key to his room; stopping himself as he realizes he’s not in NEO anymore. All he needs is his thumb. “Nothing much to know.” He keeps it short. “I’m just a regular, rich guy.” His tone is sarcastic, but instead of being skeptical, you laugh.

“Are you always this funny?”

That was the first time other than Mackenzie that someone had appreciated his sarcastic humor. As deppresing as it sounded and was, there weren’t a lot of jokes to be made in NEO. I mean, he usually was completely intoxicated, not wanting to laugh unless he was taking someone’s life. He’s surprised such a sentence could form from him, especially in a place he was dreading so much.

“Nope, just around nice people like you.”

He hates every second of this. He was never one to be in the mood for love, only death, blood, and darkness. He had his fair share of steamy nights in the alley ways with the street whores, but he never cared about them. He never would care about anyone but his brothers, truthfully.

He can’t tell if you’re a mess because he’s not facing you. He’s focused on his print before the door clicks, and the two of you step in.

Whoever his roommate is, he’s here. The room that Taeyong walked into this morning was empty, but this room was now full of boxes and an outfit on the bed. You’re looking around just as he is, except he’s searching to make sure his belongings are still in place. They seem to be. The pathetic rich boys who went here weren’t capable of putting something back so perfectly, so he lets his guard down.

“Well, this is it.” He motions all around the room, appreciating his own effort to keep his side spotless.

“I always wondered what it would be like to live in a dorm.” You sigh.

“You don’t live in one?”

“My dad is kind of....the president of the university. And per his rules, his kids have to stay with him.”

So you still live with your parents? Not odd, but at the same time why would he be trying to keep you around. The buisness, he remembers. It was never specified what it was. Drugs had crossed Taeyong’s mind, but at the same time, so did paper, and loans. But now that he considered it, your father must have business with bad people, meaning others could be out to get you. I mean, he was. No no, Taeyong. That’s too much of a stretch, and even so, she does live at home, which means the mission isn’t compromised.

“At least he cares about you.”

“I guess.” You take a deep breath, and he can’t miss the way you hault.

“What’s wrong?”

“That scent...I know it.” Now you’re looking all around the room at his mates side, touching his things frantically.

“Y/N, who is it? Did they do something to you?”

The door opens—so cliché. On the other side is a built man sporting a tank top and sweatpants. His hair seems to be black—but it could also be blue. His face is serious as he walks in, but the minute he locks eyes with you, they soften. It was the same thing you had done to him not too long ago. His lips are trying to find the proper words say to you, but instead he just stands there. You’re frozen in place—hands locked on one of his clothing items.

Kun. This had to be Kun.

[amnachil]

The College Society Chapter 3 Part 12

Here’s the next part ! One part left after this one for Chapter 3 !

Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey Monday March 4, in France

"Dude, it's fucking okay. You're out of the water for god sake. Calm down"

They were almost at the hotel. Fuck this cruise. Fuck this trip. Fuck these guys. How the hell the fatty roommate managed to fall in the Seine exactly ? Well, to fall. This moron probably didn't go there all by himself. He looked dumb, but not that dumb. Anyway, the real question was : why he, Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey, decided to bring him back to the hotel once they had pull him out of the water ? Why he, Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey, the god among the hunters, was nice to the baboon's friends ? I hate my life. But I'm also so eager to see my fuckin' boyfriend. Damnit.

"I'm sorry." muttered the fatty roommate (what was is name again ?). "I ruined the day."

"Don't open this stupid mouth of yours to talk nonsense." replied the Dean's grandson. "You fell into the water, you had the fucking right to lose your shit. And these filthy assholes who laughed can go eat dicks in their mother's pussy."

The freshman looked at him with amazement.

"You sure are swearing a lot when Liam isn't around." he noted.

Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey did not answer. It wasn't worth it. To be clear, yes he had spent a good weekend with his baboon's friends. Yes, they were good people. But who cared ? Yeah, this damned Nate had some sense of humor after all. Yes, Colton was a pure good heart built like a gigolo. And yeah, Nick (now he remembered his name) was a freakin' genius. But seriously, the best hunter wasn't here to make friend. Definitely not. They arrived at the hotel at that moment.

"Thank you." says the dark-haired lad. "I'll take a shower and I'll work with Liam on our group project. What are you going to do during this time ?"

"Don't know. Don't care."

He hadn't planned anything. He just went in France for the baboon, and he did not know what to do without him. I can't even believe I thought this. Am I really dependent on him now ? Quite pissed by is own stupidity, Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey just left.

For a while, he just wandered in the streets, at least to calm down. I need to bang someone. He was tore apart between two opposed feelings. A rational part of him only needed sex. Another, stupid and weak, desesperatly wanted Liam. I'm like a fuckin' teenager. I hate it. Finally, he went in a nightclub with the hope to pick up a chick or two. French people knew how to make a good party. It was loud and noisy, but also very sexual. They had their own way to dance, more sensual, more appealing. At first, Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey had great fun. And he found a guy more than eager to please him. They ended up in his apartment for sex. Trust me, you won't wake up after that. They banged in every corner of the flat. The Dean's grandson was so demading. Only he pictured Liam with him, and not this random dude. For god sake. The more he was thinking about the baboon, the hornier he was. He could feel his sweet and wide hands cuddling his body. He could imagine the contact of his strong chest. He wanted to stroke his soft belly. To squeeze his ass.

"Je suis rentré." shouted someone.

It stopped this stupid asshole who obviously wasn't Liam to continue. C'mon. You would not let me so horny, would you ? The idiot who interrupted them arrived in the living room. When he noticed them, he opened his mouth wide, like a big and really dumb carp. I saw him somewhere.

"You... You were with Liam last night." he said.

Now I recall. It was this bloody hell ex-boyfriend. Kevin, Kilian or whatever. Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey understood he wasn't gonna get laid anymore tonight. He put his pants back, annoyed.

"Wait, before you leave... Can you tell me how is Liam ?" asked this blonde guy. "I mean, we didn't have the time to discuss yesterday."

The Dean's grandson scrutinized him. He was very tall, at least 1m90 (6'3"), and rather imposing. Well, I fucked almost the whole football team of my university, and some of them were bigger.

"Look, whatever you want from Liam, just forget it. He doesn't need any extra problem right now."

His bestfriend's situation plus his family, it was enough.

"It was just a question." mumbled the other.

"A stupid question."

Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey didn't wait for an answer. He left this brat and went back to the hotel.

When he arrived, the baboon had already fallen asleep. Same for the fatty roommate. But Nate was waiting in the corridor, looking a bit weird. What more ? I'm done being the fuckin' shrink of everyone for today. But when he came closer, he realised the dwarf wasn't just a bit weird, he was literally crying.

"Bud'. What's wrong ?" he asked with a more gentle tone than he intended to.

"I... Sorry..."

Nate took a moment to calm down. He sniffed loudly.

"You weren't supposed to see me like this." he mumbled.

"Dude. I saw the worst part of you, this is nothing."

Honestly, Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey did not care at all about this short guy. Am I, really ? He was just fooling himself, right ? I hate all these feelings which cross my mind. He never felt the need to help anyone, well maybe except Archie and Zack, and now here he was.

"It's harder than I thought." confessed Nate. "To be normal again I mean. I truly need a talk with Archie right now."

The junior sat down next to his friend (let's call him that way and fuck it) in silent.

"Thank you for having introduced him to me by the way. Archie helps a lot."

"Well he's experienced some rough stuff too." replied Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey. "And you shouldn't try to act normal after what happened. Whatever happened. You seems smart enough to know this wasn't a random accident."

A blank followed. Of course, Nate did not want to remember this dreadful night. Me neither.

"Look midget, I need to ask." grumbled the Dean's grandson. "I already know what we're talking about, but I wonder... Am I fuckin' protecting a criminal who did a truly stupid and horrible mistake ?"

Better that than a sociopath with very good acting skills... Nate remained quiet for a while. His eyes showed all his suffering.

"No." he finally responded miserably. "You're helping a weak, pathetic and unworthy person. An idiot as you say, who can't even protect himself. Who can't even take care of himself."

He started to cry again. Fuck this wicked world. Fuck these assholes who thinks they can do whatever they want without the consent of the others. I hate them so much. Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey hugged the midget. It reawakened bad memories of a miserable Archie.

"You're not unworthy." he whispered. "And I will find all the help you need."

He dialed Archie's number. Thankfully, it was dawn back home and the quaterback replied. The blond lad gave him to Nate, and only when he was sure the boy was okay, he left silently. I'll have to talk with D.R about this one day or another...

Liam Tuesday March 5, in France

In other circumstances, the young lad would have enjoyed this visit of the economics departement. After all, he had a wonderful breakfast before, and he was feeling nice. But he sensed the force of evil everywhere. This morning, Nate wasn't feeling great, and he had stayed at the hotel with Dami. In the meantime, Liam and his group were supposed to work on their project. But it's like the Cold War. Nick was sulking. He still resented Rebecca, but he also seemed to dislike Barbara. The two girls were mean and they often mocked the poor major of their promotion. As for Colton, he tried his best to apease the tension, without any success yet. So Liam did what he did the best. He let his mind ramble. He imagined himself in a paradise. There were living pancakes everywhere. They begged him to eat them. (Liam is a nice guy, you all know that. So he kindly agreed to ate them.) (Ate them ALL). Nick brought him back into reality with a nudge.

"Now, you'll split into your groups." was saying their professor. "Students from the Economic College of Paris will guide you."

Liam followed his roommate towards a group of students, but he froze when he saw them. Tell me it's not happening. Why ? Am I cursed ? Kilian was right here, looking straight at him.

"My god. Kilian is that you ?" asked Barbara. "You have grown so much. My lord, you're so impressive !"

Their old classmate thanked her.

"It's nice to see you again Barb'." he said. "Liam."

Send help. Send help. Send help. (Liam knew his internal screams weren't helping at all.) (But maybe Dami would hear him ? His boyfriend could read minds, right ?).

"Okay, this is weird." intervened Nick. "Can we start the tour ?"

Kilian smiled.

"Of course. Follow me."

It was a true nightmare. An impossible situation. Liam was running right into his death. (Maybe not, but he always loved a bit of drama). What should I say ? What can I say ? He knew Kilian had left the United States after the... incident to go back to France. But what were the odds they would meet again here, in Paris ? I'm convinced this is an international scheme to destroy me and the unicorns.

"Dude, you're so tensed." murmured Nick. "What's the deal with your ex anyway ?"

Liam did not answer. He was truly panicing. Without Nate or Dami to support him, he was completely lost. And what if his new boyfriend discovered the story ? He'll hate me. He'll realise how unwrothy I am.

"I need to go. Far far far away. Right now."

He didn't wait for an answer. He wanted to avoid a panic attack.

Because he wasn't thinking clearly, Liam finally got lost in the building. A bit relieved to be alone, he sat on a bench and got his breath back. What am I supposed to do ? His mother never prepared him for a moment like that ! (He wasn't blaming her, but she could have anticipated right ?) (Educate your children to face their exes ! It's crucial !).

"Why did you run away ?" asked suddenly a voice he recognized (much for his displeasure).

Kilian looked curiously at him. (How he managed to find him ? Did a witch lead him here ?) His ex-boyfriend smiled softly.

"You know, I'm very surprised to see you here, but it's nice."

"What do you mean, it's nice ?" asked Liam, surprised.

"Well, we never spoke since... the middle of 12th grade. Since what happened. I never had the chance to thank you."

"To thank me."

Right, Kilian had lose his mind. The french food must have turned him crazy.

"I almost killed you with my stupid plan." recalled Liam. "I... I have been selfish, reckless and stupid. How come you want to thank me ?"

"You kiddin' right ? My parents blame you, but I don't. It wasn't your idea, but ours. And it was the first and only time someone wanted to take so much risk for me. I owe you Liam, for real."

It was too much for the chestnut lad. He wasn't able to come to terms with all that stuff.

"I thought..." he mumbled. "I thought you resented me. It's what your parents said."

"They lied to you obvious... Wait... you blamed yourself for what happened ? Oh man I didn't know you were putting so much on yourself. I'm sorry Liam, it must have been hard for you."

Hard for me ? He had been through hell with this story. The freshman couldn't think clearly. Everything he thought about Kilian was... false ?

"The others are here." whispered his ex-boyfriend. "Look, once this tour is over, I think it would be nice to talk. I can't tonight but maybe tomorrow night ?"

Liam only nodded, completely lost. Does that mean... I blamed myself for months for nothing ?

Barbara Tuesday March 5, in France

It was better than everything she had planned so far. Way better. She never expected Kilian to be here, in Paris. But this is a godsend. I will make the most of it. Catch Liam would be hard for her, but for his ex ? All she needed to do was to bring back them together for one night. One night and she would dethrone Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey. Afterwards, it would be chaos, and she would appear as a savior for the university. This is perfect.

"Your smile is so creepy. I kind of like it."

Barbara turned towards Matthew. He was almost living in their bedroom with the two girls. I'm glad they didn't have sex while I was here.

"I just came up with a good plan for my next move." she explained. "Soon enough, you'll be proud to be close with the queen."

He snorted.

"You mean, all of this was to be the queen of the university ? Oh man, that's funny."

"Why ?"

"It's nothing." he mysteriously replied. "Good luck girl."

She left one hour later. The short girl had done some research before. Apparently, Kilian  had moved in France approximately one year ago, in the middle of 12th grade. Well, after this sad incident with Liam. He was living with his uncle, and was studying this year as a freshman at the local university. He had multiple friends, but no boyfriend in sight. Which meant he was avaible. Barbara also managed to find his adress, so she came right at his home. When he openned the door, she felt again surprised by his height. He is so tall now.

"Barbara ? What brings you here ?" he asked.

"Hey Kilian. I wanted to talk, in memory of old times."

And at first, they did. They lengthly shared memories. He was nicer, more talkative than she remembered. Well, his parents were beating the crap out of him, and the whole highschool bullied him. No wonder he feels better now. Eventually, she led the subject towards her main concern.

"It's nice to see you." she laughed. "I mean, I was already surprised when I met Liam at my university."

She glimpsed a shining light in Kilian's eyes. He wanted to talk about him. Nice. Maybe the story she heard from Jessy wasn't completly right.

"Yeah, it was quite a surprise for me too..."

A little blank followed. She sensed he wanted to add something. He was so predictable.

"I never wanted things to end like this." he whispered. "I would love to... come back in time. I missed him, you know ?"

"He missed you too." she revealed. "He told me."

A little lie can't hurt. Kilian didn't know she wasn't her friend anymore. He would trust her.

"Really ? It doesn't seem like that..." he mumbled. "I mean, he looks so paniced everytime I'm around. We barely had a normal conversation. He was so stressed."

You sure have confidence now. He was way more assertive than before, and it was kind of attractive. Liam can fall for that.

"Well, it's... Look, I'm not supposed to say this but... Liam fell into the wrongs hands. There's a guy who uses him for sex."

Kilian frowned. Please, believe it. It was the hardest part of the plan. She needed him to trust this.

"Is this by the aggressive guy ? The one with scary eyes ?"

"Yes. How do you know ?" she wondered, surprised.

"He was here last night." explained Kilian with a bit of rancor. "He was having sex with my cousin all over the place."

Oh man. Damian Nicholas Smith-Carrey was playing against himself. That was so ironic.

"I think... the best way to help Liam would be to reveal what you're feeling." she stated. "You want him right ? As your boyfriend ? I'm sure you two will work together. Just tell him."

Kilian barely hesitated.

"Okay. I'll give it a try. I don't like him being exploited by this bad guy anyway."

And now, this is the fall of the king.

To be continued

Well things are escalating. Kilian’s in the place and it changes everything. What will happen to Liam and Dami now uh ? Will they escape the dangerous plan of Barbara ? We’ll see that soon :)

[jklmn-oh]

Room for Two Pt. 2

Genre : roommates!au, fluff, smut

Pairing : Jungkook x reader

Words : 3,446

This chapter has sexual content.

Summary : Having a crush can be hard sometimes. But what’s harder is when you stupidly decide to hook up with him, and recently he turns out to be your new roommate.

The plan of washing your clothes did not happen at all. The moment Jungkook has decided to bring you to his room, he never stopped until you have to beg him to. If you let him continue with eating you out and making you cum, you wouldn’t be able to leave his dorm and head on to yours. You were supposed to have a movie night with your friends and now that might just be a bad idea instead of sleeping in on a Saturday.

Jungkook insisted that instead of giving him a blowjob, he will walk you home, and that thought has rang too many alarms in your head. First alarm, Jungkook has been very extra sweet since this morning. Second alarm, walking you to your dorm means your friends will see him. Third alarm and most important of all, your friends have been ringing your phone since last night and yet you chose to ignore it and continue sucking the boy’s cock. What a shitty friend you are.

“Baby girl, you’re so good with that mouth.” Jungkook groaned once he finally came and lay down his bed lifeless. He pulled you beside him and made you lay your head on his chest. One thing you knew about Jungkook that not anyone would know is that the boy is a total cuddler. He hates it when his friends try to be clingy with him, especially Jimin, Taehyung, and Hoseok. But now, this cute boy even had the courage to kiss the top of your head as if you two have been dating for how many months?

Jungkook’s phone rang momentarily harmonizing with yours and that might be the signal for you to leave. You sat up and grabbed the clothes Jungkook let you borrow and wore them. Your clothes from last night were already kept inside your bag, which is a back pack and who carries a back pack inside a club? You, of course.

The boy grabbed his phone from the nightstand and read the text message. “Oh, shit.” He cursed.

“What is it?” you asked as you fished your phone out of your bag. “Oh my goodness.” A hundred texts from your dorm mates combined plus twenty voicemails from Luna and Debby? You definitely have a lot of explaining to do.

“It’s just, I suddenly can’t remember if I paid rent last month?” Jungkook said as he pondered over it. “Jin-hyung sent me a text saying that I will be moving out.”

You giggled. “Aw, then maybe you even missed the month before that they decided to kick you out.”

“Nah, I’m sure I paid.” Jungkook’s phone made another ding. “He’s asking me to look at my e-mail.”

“That you should, or you might start packing?” you joked, to which he laughed. You have never imagined this to happen. Sure you did fantasize about the dear boy, but have you never thought that all of this would be real. You inside his room, laughing so casually with a naked boy in front of you. Your laugh halted as you placed one strap of your back pack on your shoulder. “I should go.”

“I could really walk you to your dorm.” He said.

“Do you even know where I live?” you smirked. “What if I’m living just a floor above yours?”

“Then why leave early?” he challenged. Welp, you really aren’t up for doing mind games right now. You really have to leave.

“It’s almost lunch time, my dorm mates even bombarded my phone with calls and texts.” You say, “At least let me see them? Are you planning on caging me in your room huh?”

Jungkook didn’t bother answering your question. Instead, he looked you with soulful eyes and asked, “Will we meet again?”

“I think so?” you told him. “We’re in the same university, Jungkook. I’m sure we would meet again.”

He shook his head, “I mean, can we meet again? Like…”

“Like?”

“Never mind.” He smiled. “Do you want me to walk you to the door?”

You suddenly remembered the first time the two of you talked in sophomore year. If there was anything notable that you have learned from the boy, is that he likes to cut himself off when talking and back off like a scared puppy. As much as you’d want to know what he was supposed to ask you, you just brushed it off. Anyway, this was just a one night stand. Even though you would like to hang around with Jungkook, you know that will not be the case. This was just a one time thing and if it weren’t for the alcohol, you wouldn’t be where you are.

“I know my way out, thanks.” You say. “Have a nice day and um, nice to meet you?”

“Yeah, you too.”

-

Getting back to your dorm was a total disaster. The moment you went in; your dorm mates were all rushing towards you. “We saw you with Jungkook last night!” they said in unison as they pulled you towards the living room. You were sat on the couch as they sat on the floor facing you like a child waiting for their mother to tell a story about Cinderella.

“You and Jungkook fucked! I knew it!” Mina exclaimed before you could even talk, and earning a glare from Leena.

“You’re not supposed to say it that way, Mina!” she said.

“But it’s true!” Mina glared back at Leena. The two girls fighting are never a rare occurrence in the dorm. In fact, it has always been like that because they were friends since high school who love annoying the hell out of each other. “Didn’t you, Y/N?”

“What?” you went back to your senses, looking back at your friends. “Uh, well…”

“You did!” Leena pointed at you accusingly. “What have you done? Why did you do that? It’s Jeon Jungkook for goodness sake!”

Luna then laughed, silencing everyone. “Calm down you guys. Y/N haven’t even told us her side yet.” She looked at you. “And it’s not like she can’t do what she wants, right Y/N?”

“Uh, yes?” of all the people, you haven’t really expected Luna to act this way. You expected her to scold you like Mina and Leena were doing because to them, even though you were the third oldest, you were the baby. You grew up from a pretty strict and tight household that was why you had a hard time learning what college life was: cramming, procrastination, partying till sun rise, and just not doing the best decisions in life but still enjoying and surviving. That also meant you rarely hang out with boys, let alone sleep at their places, or hook up with them when you barely know them. But this is Jeon Jungkook, you might be that shy girl but you’re not exactly innocent, right?

You realized how the girls were playing with you once Yena started to laugh. “I can’t put a serious face on. Let’s stop this!”

Everyone laughed and you sulked. “I hate everyone!”

“We’re just kidding oh my god, you chill sis.” Mina said, hugging you and giving you a kiss on the cheek.

“Ew.” You grumbled, still pouting while looking on the floor.

“I’m not asking you to tell us everything but how good was he?” Leena asked, “you got here pretty late so did you have round two? Oh, wait, it was just two rounds, or three? Or more?!”

Everyone laughed with Leena earning a punch on the shoulder from Luna, “stop it!” she told her. Luna looked at you, as if she was waiting for something.

“What? Do I really to answer that?” you groaned, covering your face with your palms.

“Well, we do tell you when we have sex with-” Yena teased but you stopped her. “It’s not like I asked, though.”

“Oh come on!” Luna blurted, “We all know how much you’re crushing on this boy, okay? So we gotta know this big big progress between the two of you.”

“Well,” Lenna stood up, about to leave. “Let’s just not push her, okay?”

“Ugh, fine.” You moaned in a non-sexual way, but more of on a whiny tone. “It was amazing, as in. The least I can tell you is that I came uh… three times this morning.”

“WHAT?” they all squealed.

“Jungkook really did have sex with you this morning? He did not ask you to leave?” Leena knelt in front of you and started asking questions. If anything, they are all supportive with your crush over the said boy, it’s just you were being stubborn as hell, acting like a mad shy high school girl who only wants to see the boy they like from afar.

“Jungkook doesn’t exactly let his hook ups stay the night, even.” Yena said, “heard from a classmate who hooked up with him, she had to take the walk of shame while he and his dorm mates are having breakfast because she insisted to stay.”

You suddenly remembered, “He asked his dorm mates to leave so we could have breakfast.”

“WHAT?!”

“What?” you looked at them shocked that they were screaming, and this time accompanied with some jumping.

“The boy likes you, Y/N. he would not kick his dorm mates out just for him to have breakfast with you.” Mina screamed, being warned by Leena about the noise warnings. “And he had sex with you this morning! Dear god, our friend is finally having a boyfriend!”

“Or not, what if Y/N was so good at sucking him that he wants her to be his fuck buddy?” It was as if there was an imaginary light bulb on top of Yena’s head that she pointed her finger at you, “You sly mix, you’re a sex goddess!”

“What? No!” you groaned. “What are you guys talking about? Jungkook wants nothing more, okay? I’m sure he wouldn’t even talk to me after that. Besides, it’s not like I see him on a daily, or at all. That boy updates his social media once in a blue moon, and last night was like the second time I saw him this junior year.”

Everyone went quiet and you weren’t sure if that was a good thing. After a full minute, Leena decided to break the silence by saying, “Anyway, everyone will have re-assigned rooms.”

“Why?”

“You should read this.” Mina handed you her phone. Looking at the screen was an email from the dorm administration stating that there will no longer be students who can rent a room for themselves only. Meaning, there will now be roommate system effective today. “What?...”

You love personal space, you take your privacy on a serious note. That is why having a roommate is a big no-no for you. However, with the revised dorm regulations of “roomies”, you know it’s over. The sudden fluctuation of the student population may have caused it because a few days back, you hear a lot of freshmen wanted to rent a room. It’s not like you have a choice, and you’re a junior anyway, there’s nothing you can do – or you could find yourself an apartment outside the university, which is quite expensive; or a sorority house who can adopt your introverted ass – which will never be the case.

“So, do we have new roommates already?”

“No-”

“-yes,” Leena said. “But they’ll be here until next month, to fix things here and there.”

“No, yes? What does that mean?” you asked. Your friends only looked at each other, but then Luna smiled, “it means someone might have asked Leena already and she agreed. Leena is like our RA and she’s like our mother.”

“Aw, thanks.” Leena cooed. “Anyways, yep. Someone did ask me, and they’re a group of five. I figured it’s better to let them rent 2 and a half of the rooms since we are five ourselves.”

“2 and a half? That means…”

Leena looked at Mina, “Yep, one of us must be roomies with one of them too. Or, I don’t know, we could be roomies with them, depends on how the room assignments will be. I feel like it would be safe to assign roomies when they’re here, right? We have five rooms, and if we don’t exactly like them then we could probably give them only one room and share the four.”

Ten people in one dorm? That sounds a lot but you trust Leena has made the right decision, and again, you were bound with no choice. It was in the damned dorm regulations.

“Having roommates is good,” Yena said. “That way, our monthly rent will be cut into half. More money for food and clubbing!!!”

“Speaking of which,” Luna turned to you. “My friend Mingyu is throwing out a party on his crib next, next Friday. We should come! It’s on the 17th St.”

You stood up and sigh, “Well, count me out. I’m still in a bit of one of the worst hangover of my existence and I don’t think I’m up for another round of it.”

“Oh, come on! Jungkook’s gonna be there,” Mina sulked. “You clearly enjoyed clubbing last night, girl.”

“All the more reasons to not attend. I don’t think I wanna see Jungkook.” You grumbled, to which the girls snickered. You turn to them before holding the door knob to your room. “Seriously?”

“Oh, baby girl.” you stiffened at the pet name. Flashbacks of everything that happened between you and Jungkook coursed through your mind. Why are you so not into the idea of meeting the said boy? Was it anger, was it because you actually caved in to his advances?

“I just, I’ll think about it.” You told them, and entered your room.

-

One thing for sure, your friends will do anything to make you do what they want to do in exchange of something that you really want to have or do. So the next day, you were lounging in the living room, sitting on the couch with Luna, scrolling through your social media feed when you saw the trailer of this favorite book you read on your Kindle one time. You literally squealed, announcing your love for the movie right away. It premiers on Friday, and you knew you have to watch it. The problem, however, is that it premiers on this movie subscription site you cannot afford. You know you can download it illegally, but you were too lazy to do that, also considering the viruses that may potentially harm your laptop – which is also a university issued one. And then it hit you that Luna owns an account on the said site, “Hey Luna, will you lend me your Netflix account on Friday evening? I want to watch a movie.”

“Well, I’d say yes, but I remembered we have a party on Friday that we have to attend.” Luna said, looking at her own phone.

“You won’t use it in the party?” you say, lifting a brow.

“And you won’t either.” She chuckled, “you’re coming with us, sweet heart.”

“Apparently, I can’t because I’m gonna watch this movie,” you proudly say.

“Except I won’t lend you unless you come with us, “she smirked. “You can watch it on Saturday.” You were about to retort, but the golden deal comes, “I will lend you this, when you come with us.”

And that was why you were left alone seated on one of the corner couches, watching your friends dance in the middle of the living room that looked more of a dance floor than a part of a normal house. What else can you expect from this kind of houses, though? The kid who invited everyone here is from a rich family, the house itself doesn’t look like a normal house to you.

For a moment, you have somehow forgotten about your hook up with Jungkook. Midterm is already starting and since this part of the semester holds the second highest percentage for the final grade, so you were determined to study the hell out of this term. Except that, well, you’re stuck in this party until your friends decide it was the tie to go.

You aren’t exactly a party pooper, or some kind of kill joy – no. For once, you enjoy parties and all that stuff, it was just since you were born and raised in the strict household, you were used to getting home early, and doing nothing that has to do with alcohol and all that kind of stuff. Plus, the strictness of your parents get in your nerves most of the time. It was as if they still have their pairs of eyes on you all this time even at college. You remember on your second year, you went to this concert of your favorite band and you got home (since it was a weekend and it was your aunt’s birthday the next day) at eleven. You can remember how angry your parents were, already trying to question everything about your lifestyle. You love them, but they can be strict as hell it honestly gave you anxiety.

“Do you wanna dance?”

Your thoughts went back to where you were when you heard that voice. Your heart raced, it did not because of fright but because of… giddiness? The voice itself given an excitement within you that you cannot explain. Or maybe you do. Looking up, it was Jungkook, holding two cups of red beer pong cups, one extended towards you.

“Ah, I still have a drink.” You told him.

He remained standing, staring at you with glimmer in his eyes, as if he was so excited to meet you again. “May I sit?”

“Oh! Oh, yes. Of course.” You immediately say. Jungkook gave you that toothy smile he used to give his friends when they crack a nice joke but still not laugh-worthy. He sat beside you and placed both the cups on the table beside your cup. Placing his hands on his lap, he asked, while turning his body towards you, “So, why are you alone?”

“They were dancing.” You answered, eyes still in the direction of your friends, who must have no idea where you were right now, considering they head straight for the dance floor.

He laughed. Oh, that laugh. “I mean, why won’t you join them?”

“It’s not like I wanna be here, you know.” You said bluntly. “I was supposed to be at home but Luna made a deal with me.”

“I haven’t you the past two weeks.” He said, suddenly changing the topic. “I asked Leena for your number but she said it’s better if I ask you that. However, it’s as if you were hiding from me.”

“What? No. Why would you do that?” you asked, but in truth, you really were hiding from him. Having sex with the boy has given you mixed feelings, again returning to the idea that maybe you were just lusting for the boy instead of really having a crush on him. Also, all these unnecessary heart thumps you get whenever he’s near and acknowledging your presence has been driving you nuts. So you were left with just staying away from where he is.

“I don’t know, maybe because we had sex?” he answered. “But you weren’t ignoring me, right? We’re good?”

“We’re… good. Yes.” You mumbled, looking at him, zeroing on his lips. Would he hate it if you kiss him right then and there? Nah, of course he would.

Realizing the length of how long the two of you has been looking at each other, he coughed and looked away, grabbing his cup and drinking from it. “So, if you weren’t here, what were you supposed to be doing?”

“Watching a movie.” You say, leaning your back on the couch, only to be met by Jungkook’s arm extended on the couch. You blushed, but you thank the lightings for hiding it away.

“What movie?”

“To All the Boys I Loved Before.”

“If you agree, we could watch it together right now,” he said. Thinking it was a joke, you laughed, “It’s not like we can watch it here.”

“We can watch it in your place.” He said. “That way I can also be familiar to where we will live soon.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“What?” Jungkook looked at you innocently. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Yes, that part where you said you’re going to be familiar to where you will live soon?” you air-quoted. “With who?”

The boy sat up straight, placing his cup back on the table and smirked, “What, you didn’t know?”

“Didn’t know what?” you say, frowning. To Jungkook, clearly, you were confused.

“We’re going to be roomies.”

[angel5081]

After Review

I read this book forever ago and posted the review on my website, but I decided I would rather put my reviews for things on here for free than pay monthly for a website so here you go. Also the trailer I talk about is the teaser trailer. 

If you've read this book you either loved it or hated it. If you've only recently come across this book it's probably because you saw the trailer and you were interested. The trailer in question starts off with the main character Tessa telling you something that is meant to be profound, and it kept me watching so I guess it was doing something right. However, the trailer then shows you several steamy scenes between Tessa and her "love interest" Hardin with Ariana Grande's' Dangerous Woman playing in the background (if you're wondering why the trailer was so familiar rewatch the first Fifty Shades of Grey trailer only the Fifty Shades trailer was more interesting in my opinion). Speaking of Hardin, let's talk about that trainwreck. 

In the book, Hardin is a grade-A asshole. The more intimate his relationship with Tessa gets the more toxic and abusive he gets. He gets borderline aggressive when he sees Tessa even blink in another guys direction. He tricks her into signing a lease with him which not only binds them legally to an apartment but he also manages to isolate her from her friends in college by doing so. They fight all the time over the simplest things (I realize couples fighting isn't abusive, but Hardin blowing up when Tessa asks simple questions is). At the start of Tessa and Hardin's' relationship, the two were messing around behind Tessas' boyfriend Noahs back. When Tessa showed a willingness to break up with Noah for Hardin he makes fun of her and harshly reminds her he doesn't date. However, when she leaves him still asleep one morning after one of his drunken rampages Hardin storms into Tessas' dorm where Noah also happened to be and forced her to tell him what she and Hardin had been up to. Hardin blames Tessa constantly for the terrible way he acts and is quick to guilt her into not leaving him the second she shows any sort of resistance. That being said I almost feel bad for Hardin. Until he was ten years old he had to deal with an alcoholic father and witnessing his mother be raped by several men. That's enough to do severe damage to a growing mind. You would think something like that would keep someone away from anything self-destructive like that but that isn't always the case. However, I believe that a horrific past will never be an excuse for someone's toxic actions. 

Now I'm not here to simply pick apart Hardin's' toxic personality, I'm here to also pick apart Tessa’s. Tessa cries a lot and she keeps going back to Hardin even though she knows the lovey-dovey Hardin disappears the second Tessa says the wrong thing. Of course, going back to the abuser is easier than finding someone new. Especially after the abuser isolates you from friends and family (I don't really care about the family part because Tessa's mom was abusive in her own way). The part that annoys me is that every time Tessa acts like she really doesn't want to be around Hardin anymore she goes right back to him the second he's angry and drunk. She is warned several times by her friends and even Hardin himself that he will hurt her and in Hardin's words he will "Ruin her." She was very paranoid about Hardin cheating on her if the "slut" (lord help us) of the story was even in the same building as Hardin. More on that later.  

Like Hardin, you could say Tessa’s personality could be because of her childhood as well. Like Hardin, Tessa grew up with an alcoholic father until she was ten. Then she grew up groomed to have the perfect life as an adult. The perfect career, the perfect husband, and the perfect attitude. If anything was less then perfect her mother would criticize Tessas' actions or appearance. That is enough to make anyone willing to do whatever it takes to please other people. It also made Tessa a bit of a control freak at times. This is also why Tessa feels the need to constantly think insulting things about the way other female characters dress, act, and overall present themselves. So much for Girl Love. 

Something that I would like to touch on briefly is the use of Tessa’s full name Theresa. When Hardin first calls Tessa Theresa she tells the reader that the name Theresa reminds her of her father whom we later learn was an alcoholic. Hardin, despite saying he doesn't drink at the beginning of the book proves otherwise. He is continuously getting drunk because of Tessa (or so he says). He calls her Theresa just like her father did which allows us to draw parallels between the two men. There are two reasons why I only wanted to mention this subject briefly. One being that Tessa’s father is not blamed for the reason behind Tessas' dislike for the name in the Wattpad addition. The second reason is that later Tessa tells Hardin that only "family and friends" can call her Theresa. So either that was a mistake on Anna Todd's part or Tessa just wanted to remind Hardin that he was neither at first because she does let him call her Theresa later on. 

Alright now onto the topic of slut-shaming. Like most books originating from Wattpad there was, of course, our "slut" or as I like to say "girl who was sleeping with a guy before the main character appeared and now all the sudden she's expected to back off". The character in question goes by the name of Molly. Of the little group of "friends" Tessa finds herself involved with, Molly is the character that will sleep with any guy in the story including Hardin. Molly sleeping around isn’t something I take issue with, it's the fact that Tessa and Steph (Molly's friend and Tessas' roommate) continuously slut-shame her for sleeping around with Hardin when he never stated that he and Tessa were exclusive and when it's known that Hardin sleeps around with whoever he wants. Of course, he doesn't get shamed for it through. Tessa is only ever warned that that is something he just does. Which is totally an ok thing to do if you have a little extra between your legs.

Then, of course, the big plot twist at the end of the book (not the Wattpad version) is that Tessa and Hardin’s entire relationship was based on a bet Hardin and every member of this “friend” group made. The bet was started because at the beginning of the book Tessa had mentioned being a virgin despite having a longtime boyfriend. So the race was on between Hardin and Zedd (a character I actually liked) to see who could take Tessa’s virginity first. The icing on the cake is that whoever takes Tessa’s virginity has to have proof, which in Hardin’s case are some bloody sheets and a used condom. Disgusting to say the least. To keep Tessa from finding out about the bet Hardin convinces everyone to keep their traps shut and even went so far as to get into a fight with Zedd. Despite Hardin’s noble efforts, Tessa does find out because she goes to meet up with Steph and finds everyone else there too. Molly leads the group in forcing Hardin to spill the beans. And because Tessa has some sense, after all, she wants out of the relationship. For some psychotic reason, Hardin thought that if the two lived together Tessa would be alright with the fact that their relationship was based off a bet. Like he genuinely believed that as long as they were living together in an apartment where both of their names were on the lease Tessa would be like “LOL this kind of thing happens all the time so of course, I’ll stay with you.” How delusional do you have to be?

I want to point out that this book was (according to the Kindle app on my table) 585 pages. That’s a pretty beefy book for its genre. What’s ridiculous though is that there are three more books in the series PLUS a fourth prequel book that is told by Hardin (an engrossing read I’m sure). I could understand two books in a series and then maybe a prequel but anything more kind of just feels a little unnecessary. I’m also very curious as to how on earth this book is going to be a successful movie. I think it could be if they get rid of the slut-shaming and Hardin’s entire personality. As in making him a lot less crazy. Keep his tragic childhood and maybe even his drinking problems, but leave the manipulation and if-a-guy-even-looks-at-Tessa-I’ll-break-his-face attitude in the book. I don’t mind a little bit of protectiveness in a relationship, but damn that was not it sis.

I might read the second book just to see how long Tessa stays mad at Hardin (if it’s for the same amount of time as the thousands of times she was mad at him in After I’m guessing they’ll be back together by Chapter Three). The only way this series could get any better would be if Tessa and Hardin get some therapy as individuals and then maybe some as a couple.

What did you think about the book? Do you think Tessa will hold out on Hardin until Chapter Three or will she gain some kind of self-respect and get a restraining order? Feel free to comment your thoughts below!  

[cosmicdaya]

look-alike, love again | part 3

{summary} : someone learns more about someone

{warning} : swearing ( spoiler-free )

{word count} : 1749 words

{pairing} : smol bean!peter parker x reader, fuckboy!tom holland x reader

{requested} : no one

{type of story} : series

{continuation} : (part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4) (part 5)

{author’s note} : thank you so much to those who loved this series!! Thank you so much for your support and love! Plus I will only continue this series if it reaches more than 150 notes I WATCHED IW AND I CRIEED (no spoilers tho) pssst #lalaps

{taglist} : @maddieolivialove // @mrsmouthymerc // @sophie2003003 // @shookspudey@leni-lion-luke-larb-logic // @saltywerewolfcrusade // @writtenbypics // @slytherinshadowhuntersuperhero // @unadulteratedgalaxyprogramming // @yetitty // @heyyyyitsanie // @random-fandom-lady // @nextkaratekid // @shookspudey // @definespidey // @alimaawilliams // @aquariusiel // @twoplayergaymers // @maybetheylikedmyokdays // @amagicalpieceofshit // @impossiblepizzapainterbagel // @bitchhstopp // @blueavocadosocks // 

(tumblr didn’t let me to tag those username which are striked)

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You dragged your pillow and your blanket all the way to Room 305, where Ned, Peter, Michelle and Rowan were awaiting your arrival. You knocked on their door a few times, before deciding to call one of them. As you unlocked your phone, the door swung open to reveal Rowan in a baggy t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

You plopped yourself down on the couch as you hugged your pillow tightly. You stared at the television, not paying attention to the movie playing.

“Hey Y/N, you okay, man? What did you mean by you were fucked in the groupchat?” Ned asked you, bringing a bowl of ice-cream to eat.

You snatched the ice cream from him and started eating it as he looked at you in shock.

“Okayyyyy, that means our girl is in big trouble now. Ok, honey spill the tea,” Michelle announced.

You told them everything about how to tried to kill Mr Harrington and how you are stuck with an annoying dumbass as a roommate.

“Oh shit, bro. That’s so bad. I would probably go crazy if I was in your shoes,” Rowan slung an arm around you as you kept eating Ned’s ice-cream.

“Where’s Pete?” you asked, realizing the absence of your friend.

“Oh, he’s at the library to do some revision. He did text me saying that he is on his way,” Ned replied.

You nodded your head, setting down your bowl of ice-cream on the table. You heard a knock on the door and went to open it. You saw Tom standing there.

“Tom, what are you doing here?” you asked, confused.

“What do you mean, Y/N? I am Peter,” Peter clarified, knocking you into your senses.

“Oh, sorry. It’s just that my mind is pretty messed up these days,” you scratched the back of your neck, trying to cover up the fact that you mistook him for Tom Fucking Holland.

He gave you a boyish smile which made your knees weak. It’s not that you didn’t like him, maybe you did. It’s just that you were too afraid to tell him that you like him and no one knows about your not-so-little crush on him.

“Why are you here? Wait, I didn’t mean it like that! uhm, uhm,” he started to stutter, making a mess out of himself.

“Ah, it’s just that my roommate has some important stuff today, so I will be crashing here today,” you explained to the cute boy in front of you.

“Where are you sleeping tonight? ‘Cause Rowan’s room is under ‘construction’,” he said using air quotes.

“Oh, Y/N, I can crash with MJ and Rowan, you can stay with Peter,” Ned said to you.

You felt the heat rising to your cheeks and you gulped and saw Peter who was as pale as a ghost.

“Is it ok with you, Pete?” Ned asked Peter, sending a wink at his way that you were unsure why.

“Yeah, yeah, no problem. I am going to my room to freshen up first. Y/N, you can just come in,” Peter proceeded to walk to his room.

You cleared your throat and picked up your stuff, heading to his room.

Oh boy, it’s going to be a long night.

You sat down on Peter’s bed as you took in your surroundings. You noticed that his room was a light shade of blue filled with everything related to Star Wars and Tony Stark. You smiled widely as you saw the Star Wars poster you gave to him on his 15th birthday hanging on the wall.

You reached for the nearest magazine and started reading it as you waited for Peter. As the bathroom door opened, you smelled the manly smell of his body gel. Peter walked in with a towel loosely hanging on his hips, his rock hard abs on show for you.

Your cheeks turned so red and you tried to calm yourself down but unfortunately for you he took no notice of you. When he was going to remove his towel, you cleared your throat loudly to inform him of your presence.;

“Oh shit, Y/N. I-I am s-s-sorry, I didn’t-um- notice that you w-were here,” Peter stuttered as he scrambled around for his pants. You turned around as he wore his boxers and slung a tank top over him.

“It’‘s okay, Peter. Anyways, I should say thank you to you as I am crashing at your place,” you said.

He gave you a soft smile as he sat down next to you. You could feel the body heat emanating from him and it gave you comfort as you were shivering.

“So, movie night or...drama series night?,” he raised his eyebrows.

Fuck, that was cute.

“We have class tomorrow but it starts late. I don’t know,” you reasoned.

“So, drama series night it is,” he said as he turned on Gossip Girl for you to watch.

You snuggled up close to him as he lay an arm over your shoulder. The comfort of you against him slowly lulled you to sleep.

The only thing you remember before going to sleep is Peter setting down on the bed.

You woke up to the sound of an alarm blaring loudly, threatening to rip off your eardrums. You tried to reach it to press the Snooze button but something was holding you down, not allowing to move.

Wait, this doesn’t even sound like my alarm...

You opened your eyelids to see a creamy pale neck and chest. You looked up a little and saw Peter’s arms around you in a hugging manner with a bare chest. You felt content and happy looking at the view in front of you. You could stay like this forever.

What the fuck, man? Come back to your senses!

You tried to move from your spot without waking up Peter, but you were futile at your attempt.

“Hey Y/N, good morning, love,” he said as rose, rubbing his eyes to make his vision clearer.

You gave him a soft smile before you looked at the clock near the bedside. The LED screen showed that the time was 8.00 am in the morning. Your class starts at 8.45 am.

“Oh shoot, Pete. I have to go now as my class starts soon. See ya soon!” you exclaimed as you grabbed your stuff and made a beeline for your room.

Peter just sat there smiling like a goof, reveling in the fact that you just slept with him, not in that way, but in a good way.

As you were heading to the cafeteria after the class, you stopped by the receptionist to take a pamphlet concerning an extra course that you were planning to take. 

You stopped in your tracks when you spotted a notice in your peripheral vision. The notice said “ SUMMER PLAY : The Prince and The Pauper” and to also include the name of those who are interested. You grabbed a pen and scribbled down your name as fast as you could.

MJ, Ned and Rowan were waiting for you at the cafeteria, because Rowan wanted to meet up and tell you guys something about Tom.

“Ok, as we all know, Tom is a playboy who is rude to everyone and I found out the cause of it,” Rowan crossed her fingers in a sassy way.

“Wait, I thought that was a disorder he was born with?”

“Ned, that’s just plain rude, man,” Michelle frowned.

“Okay, okay, I was just joking. Come on, Rowan, spill the beans,” Ned raised his hand in a surrendering motion.

“So, Tom used to date a popular girl called Laura in high school. Their relationship looked good on the outside but actually it was wrecked as hell. There were also rumors that Tom went through depression,” 

“Just one day before their two year dating anniversary, Laura broke up with Tom because she was cheating on him all this while. Tom then changed school and no one from his old high school heard from him ever again,”

“How sure are you of this?” Ned raised his eyebrows.

“My sources, I have. Very trusty, they are,” she replied with a smirk.

“A very good reference, that was,” Ned let out a hearty laugh.

Tom laid against the couch of the common room, the soft glow from the television illuminating his face. He slowly played with the curls of his hair absentmindedly.

His thoughts were filled with you. Thank God, he didn’t have any classes today or he wouldn’t have paid attention. It wasn’t like he ever paid attention anyways.

Why didn’t she sleep here?

Does she hate me that much?

A soft rustling sound from the other side of the room woke him up from his thoughts. He first shook it of as the sound of leaves rustling, but he got alerted when he heard a loud thud.

He took the baseball bat that you used and held it in a ready-to-strike position and tried to find the source of the sound. He let out a breathy gasp as he realized it was coming from your room.

Is she sneaking in?

Tom’s hand was on the door knob as he tried to steady his breathing before opening the door. When he opened the door, he got the shock of his life.

It was Spider-man on the floor clutching his side.

“Holy shit, you are Spider-man! My childhood idol!,” Tom practically shouted on the top of his lungs.

“Dude, chill. Where’s Y/N?” the masked hero asked without looking at Tom.

“Oh, she’s not here yet. Wait, how do you know her?” he asked her.

Spider-man just responded to him with a grunt as tried to stop the blood flow from his side. Tom noticed the blood seeping through his suit and his mask and ran to the common room to take the first-aid kit.

“Wait, you can’t take off my mask!,” Spider-man protested as Tom tried to pull off his mask.

“Then how you expect me to treat you?!” Tom shouted in his face.

The masked superhero reluctantly took off his mask to come face to face with his doppelgänger.

“What in the world?” Peter muttered under his breath as both of the young teenagers stared in disbelieve.

“Do you know you look like Tom Holland?” Tom asked Peter.

“Who the hell is that?”

“Me, Bitch,”

( pls stop me from quoting vines )

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[ezra-blue]

You’ve Got Something - 47

For @baronvonriktenstein‘s Messy!AU

47: One Big, Beautiful Mess

Once they clear up the aftermath…

47: One Big, Beautiful Mess

“It wasn’t that bad, really!” Hakkai couldn’t keep from laughing as Gojyo, pouting, scraped the last of the mushroom casserole into the trash can. “It was a bit salty for my liking, but it was a very nice meal.”

“I saw the faces you were making.” Gojyo stuck his tongue out at Hakkai from behind the kitchen counter, then turned to the sink. “Seriously, you think I can’t read you by now? I’m getting better all the time.”

“It was salty, yes, but I’m proud of you for making it all by yourself. Perhaps we can adjust the recipe.” Hakkai fidgeted with the blanket in his lap, gazing at Gojyo with open adoration in his eyes. “You took initiative, and even if it was salty, it was perfectly serviceable.”

“Serviceable.” Gojyo snorted. “You know, it’s nice that you sound like yourself again. I missed that smart mouth.”

Hakkai laughed softly into his palm. “I think I’m beginning to enjoy being myself again, too.” Then, he stood, still wearing the blanket like a cloak, and approached Gojyo from behind as he scrubbed at the dishes. “I can finish those later; it’s only fair, you cooked, you know.” He slipped a hand around to Gojyo’s front and slid his palm up his chest. “Come sit with me.”

Gojyo couldn’t resist, and let Hakkai lead him back to the futon, fine with leaving the dishes for a little longer if it meant a few extra seconds with Hakkai. The sky was still a little dim, though the clouds were clearing, so Gojyo turned the lamp on, then let Hakkai drag him to the sunken-in spot they’d been in before. Hakkai wrapped his arms around Gojyo’s waist, sighing contently.

“I think I’d be fine just keeping you right here, forever.”

“Eh, not forever.” Gojyo grinned sheepishly, then carded his fingers into Hakkai’s hair and stroked his head. “Gonna have to take a piss eventually.” Hakkai made an unhappy noise, though Gojyo could still feel his mouth curved into a smirk against his chest. “Plus, I’m gonna go in tomorrow and fix your car, and you know they’ll fall apart in the kitchen without you.”

“Ah, I suppose.” He huffed, but squeezed Gojyo tighter for a moment. “I wasn’t doing all that well in the kitchen of late. They essentially gave me the boot until I could get myself together.”

“Really?” Gojyo teased Hakkai’s hair a little, pursing his lips as the light shifted on his face. “It’s pretty tough to think about you havin’ it rough in the kitchen.”

“When I can’t focus… when all I can think about is…” He shut his eyes tight, and Gojyo toyed with his hair a little more, until Hakkai murmured, “I simply can’t think about my work. I tried, but I kept thinking of you.”

“Yeah?” Gojyo lifted his head a little, then kissed his forehead. “Well, maybe you could think of me and use it to bake. Like with the brownies.” He chuckled under his breath, then kissed his cheek a few times. “Think you could come up with a new recipe for me?”

Gojyo could nearly feel the spark run through Hakkai. “A new recipe?” He sat up, the futon creaking from the sudden shift in weight, and searched over Gojyo’s face with wonder running through his eyes. “I’ll make something for you. Anything. What would you like it to be? A muffin? Cupcakes? I could make cookies the very color of your eyes, that spiced chocolate brown with just a touch of crimson in the middle–”

“Surprise me. I want you to get back in that kitchen tomorrow, I want you to put it together whenever you have time, and I want you to show me when it’s done.” Gojyo fluffed his hair, and Hakkai smoothed it down, pretending to be annoyed for only a moment. “We got a deal?”

“We do, but a deal implies that you’ll do something in return.” Hakkai brushed a palm over Gojyo’s head. “I’d like you to grow your hair out again.”

“Is that all?” Gojyo snorted, even as Hakkai played with his hair.

“I can’t fathom why you cut it. It looks fine this way, but I very much liked it long.” His gaze roved Gojyo’s face again. “Why did you?”

Gojyo tossed his head, the way he might when it was long and in his eyes. “Eh.” He rubbed his brow. “I guess, when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see me, and it pissed me off.” He paused. “Guess that’s comin’ out of my security deposit.” Hakkai laughed a little through his nose and kissed Gojyo’s bandaged hand. Gojyo smirked, and caught Hakkai’s chin. “We’re two sides of a coin, I guess. I ain’t me without you.”

“If I didn’t love you so, I’d call you corny.” Hakkai giggled, then rubbed the blunt ends of Gojyo’s hair. “But will you grow it out again? For me?”

“Sure. It grows fast.” Gojyo wiggled an eyebrow. “You think you can finish your new Gojyo special before I finish growing it out?”

“We have a deal.” Hakkai sealed it with a kiss to the mouth, and the two of them rubbed noses, scooting ever closer to one another on the futon. Just as Gojyo tilted his head to capture Hakkai’s lips, there was an excessively cheery tune from the table, and Hakkai jumped, then reached for his cell phone.

“It’s Sanzo. I’m sorry, I really must take this.” Hakkai moved the blanket to his lap, and Gojyo folded his arms and pouted as Hakkai answered. “Good afternoon, Sanzo–”

“He answered!” Gojyo could clearly hear Goku’s voice through the earpiece, and grinned. “Hey, Hakkai! How’re you feeling?”

“I’m feeling much better than earlier, thank you.” Hakkai rubbed Gojyo’s knee, smiling into the receiver. “One moment.” He covered the phone, stifling a giggle as he told Gojyo: “Goku’s calling on Sanzo’s line.”

“That’s a hell of a relief,” Gojyo chuckled, and Hakkai beamed, then returned to the call.

“What can I do for you, Goku?”

There was a pause, and Gojyo faintly heard Goku saying in an eager squeak, “I heard him talkin’ to Gojyo! They must be together!” There was an indistinct answer from a lower voice on the line, and Goku spoke up, “Um, Sanzo says we all gotta talk. Can you come in?”

“Right now?” Hakkai raised an eyebrow, then frowned.

“I mean, um, right now is good, but, um… Are you busy?”

“I don’t have a car. Er, Gojyo does, but… Goku, really, you’ve called at a bad time.” Hakkai let out a nervous little laugh, and Gojyo claimed his other hand and kissed his knuckles. Goku giggled on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, I get it– ow! Sanzo, do I have to sic Nat–”

“Hakkai, this is serious.” Sanzo was on the line now. “You and Gojyo both. You can fuck like mad rabbits and celebrate getting over your own stupid asses later, we need to talk–”

“Aw, hell, Mister Sanzo!” Gojyo faintly recognized that voice, and from Hakkai’s sudden frown, so did he. “Let them have their night! I can come back and talk to the two o’ them in the morning, I promise I ain’t goin’ nowhere!”

“I’ll hold him to it.” Gojyo jumped, nearly dislodging Hakkai, because he did know that voice, what the hell did Gat have to do with any of this?! Sanzo sighed heavily, then spoke low and rough into the receiver.

“I need to see both of you tomorrow. Here. Six AM.”

And then, Goku reclaimed the phone: “And I'ma get mad if I don’t see any hickeys on either of you, get back to makin’ up already!”

“That is the plan, Goku.” Hakkai spoke with query in his tones, but he only had smiles when he glanced back to Gojyo. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Night, kid.” With that, Gojyo plucked the phone from Hakkai and hung up, then slung both of his arms around him into a squeeze. “So, what was that all about? Why would my mechanic be with them?”

Hakkai hummed dismayed agreement. “And that regular of ours, Hazel–”

“Hazel!” Gojyo snapped his fingers as he remembered the drawling kid who’d stared at him while he played pick-up hoops with Goku and his roommate at the Y. “Yeah, I thought I knew that voice, he goes to Goku’s school! I met him when you were away, that time Goku took me out to play basketball.”

“Ah!” Hakkai pursed his lips. “Oh, what a curious coincidence…”

“Dunno if that’s a coincidence.”

“Nor I,” Hakkai admitted, but he leaned deeper against Gojyo. “But it can wait, can’t it? I want to enjoy you just a little longer.”

“Mhm.” Gojyo shut his eyes and accepted Hakkai’s weight and warmth against him. “As long as you want. We’ve got forever.”

“Forever?” Hakkai sounded hopeful, his hand sliding up Gojyo’s chest.

“You’ll have to pry me off with a crowbar.” Gojyo took his hand and kissed his fingers, then tangled his legs with Hakkai. “You wanna watch a movie? Goku gave me his Netflix log-in.”

“Mm. I’d love a movie. Is Chocolat on Netflix?”

“Chocolat?” Gojyo said the word with a little more relish than necessary, already grinning as he pulled Netflix up on the laptop. “Is it a documentary?”

“No, no, it’s a lovely romantic drama set in the rural French countryside, about a widow and single mother who opens a chocolate shop.” Hakkai snuggled down into Gojyo’s chest. “You won’t like it, but we can make out if you get bored.”

Gojyo chuckled, stroking Hakkai’s hair as he started the movie. “I’ll try to like it, but I get to choose next time. How much of the Fast and the Furious series have you seen?”

“Oh, my, those would be a new experience.” Hakkai shifted into a sideways lean against him, and Gojyo accepted him with an arm around the shoulder. “Next time. We have all the time in the world.”

“Every second,” Gojyo agreed, smiling helplessly at the thought of having Hakkai here, with him, just like this, every night for the rest of their lives.

Damn, who would have thought he, of all people, would go from being broken up with a guy to considering how to propose to him in less than a day?

But then again, what they had was something really special, Gojyo was sure. Something unbreakable. Nothing could change that.

When morning came, Hakkai was in the same place he had been after falling asleep halfway through the movie, curled against Gojyo’s shoulder. Gojyo had woken when Hakkai had started talking in his sleep, and gently played with his hair as he waited for him to wake.

Hakkai did talk in his sleep and had, for as long as Gojyo had shared a bed with him, rarely anything sensible but sometimes snippets of recipes or murmurs of denial. Sometimes, when Gojyo woke up for a midnight piss, Hakkai’s eyes would be wide open and Gojyo would jump a foot, surprised that he’d woken up except he hadn’t. He just slept with his eyes open. Weird. It was weirder when he talked in his sleep with his eyes open. When he was sleeping soundly, he tossed and turned and shifted, sometimes enough to wake Gojyo. Gojyo had learned not to care. He loved sleeping next to Hakkai.

Nearly as much as waking up with Hakkai.

Hakkai blinked his eyes open after a few minutes, and smiled. “You’re here.”

“Where else would I be?” Gojyo chuckled and pushed a few sleep-tousled strands of hair from his face. Hakkai made a happy noise, leaning into the touch. 

“I suppose I thought I might open my eyes and find myself at home or in my car, that yesterday was a dream, or that the past two weeks were nothing but a nightmare.”

“Nah.” Gojyo backed off and helped Hakkai sit up. “This is real life, see? I’m here, you’re here, and apparently, we gotta go talk to Sanzo in about an hour.”

“Ah.” Hakkai made a face as if he’d tasted something unpleasant, but rose. “Do you have clothing I can borrow?”

“It’ll be mine, but you’re not that much smaller than me, we can probably figure something out.” Gojyo went to his laundry basket to fish for clean things, then motioned. “Go on and shower. I ain’t got a mirror no more, but I promise you’ll still be handsome once you’re clean.”

Hakkai chuckled, and the pair of them went about the tasks of the morning, showering, dressing (Hakkai in a pair of Gojyo’s pants, a belt drawn tight, and a plain sweatshirt), and each helping to wrap one another’s bandages. Hakkai checked over all the cuts on Gojyo’s hand and put fresh gauze on, and Gojyo re-wrapped Hakkai’s wrists, and kissed them as he released him. Hakkai didn’t have to tell him how much he appreciated that gesture; he ran his hand over Gojyo’s cheeks, letting his palm linger at the crook of his jaw.

“I’ll take you home and make you breakfast after whatever it is Sanzo wants has been accomplished.” Hakkai kissed his nose. “How would you like your eggs?”

“Ah, hell, you sweet-talker, you know I like anything and everything you feed me.” He tilted his head to rub his nose to Hakkai’s, and muttered, “But if we’re talkin’ favorites, that omelet with the basil all rolled up in it is real nice, or the poached with the runny yolks.”

Hakkai, still smiling, and stood, leading Gojyo with him by the hand. “Anything for you. Remind me to make you a Florentine Benedict next Sunday. I’ll add basil to my Hollandaise sauce to make it greener.” He squeezed Gojyo’s hand, and Gojyo grinned.

“I’ll remind you, ‘cause I’m gonna remember. I’m already excited thinking about it.”

“Is that to say, your appetite’s back?” Hakkai studied him, looking just a little sly, and Gojyo chuckled and twined his fingers with Hakkai’s.

“If that’s how you’re trying to tell if I’m feelin’ alright, let me just say it right out: I’m the best I’ve been in forever.” He slid up to lock his elbow with Hakkai’s. “Not even Sanzo’s gonna get me down. Let’s go get his bullshit over with.”

Hakkai chuckled into his hand. “I’d disagree with your language choice, but I absolutely agree with your sentiment.”

The morning was misty after the previous day’s rains, but the sky was pink and clearing as they drove from Gojyo’s apartment towards the block their workplaces shared, and they cleared other things up as Gojyo’s rattly little Nissan crossed the train tracks:

“How soon can you end your lease?”

“I’m month to month, so if you’re serious about moving me in, I can give notice that I’m moving out later today.”

“Month to month, my, my.” Hakkai sounded unimpressed, and Gojyo chuckled.

“Well, the landlady never knows when some idiot’s gonna get himself hauled off to the slammer for selling or holding or whatever, so she doesn’t bother with annual leases. She liked me 'cause I pay on time and my check only bounced once, and she’ll be happy I’m moving out 'cause I’m going somewhere better.”

“I suppose we’ll take it as serendipity, then. If only all complications were so easy to clear up.” Hakkai sat back and sighed contently. “We can go through your things and sort what you wish to keep from what we can discard or donate to charity when we’re both off, too.”

“Not gonna lie, I love my old futon, but most of what I got is just whatever I could afford so I had a place to sleep and a spot to eat. I could fit my whole life, everything I need, into one box.” Gojyo smirked wearily over the wheel. “I guess it makes it easier to just sort of meld my stuff into yours, since you’re already all set up.”

Hakkai hummed, but it was a little unhappy. “When we redecorate the main room, we can do it together, so it reflects both of our tastes rather than just mine. I can’t be happy living in the scene of my crime.”

Gojyo groaned, and slid one hand from the wheel to take Hakkai’s just as he parked behind the garage. “Babe. Darlin’. Love of my life. I’ve forgiven you. We gotta get you to forgive yourself.”

Hakkai shuddered a little when Gojyo squeezed his hand. “I will. I am trying. I think that destroying any evidence that it happened will help me.”

“That’s fine.” Gojyo smiled and kissed his hand, then unbuckled his seat belt and opened his car door. “Let’s get on with dealing with what we’ve got in front of us, and go from there, yeah?”

The two of them walked to the main road, but as they moved through the mist, it became suddenly apparent that not all was well on their block. It looked like a tornado had blown through, leaving thick papers strewn all over the road, stuck to the garage’s doors and windows, and on the buildings all the way up the street. Gojyo scowled, and picked up one of the papers.

And blanched.

“Fuck.” He crumpled the page, then hurried to grab a few more. “Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck!” He turned them all over, then spun around to where Hakkai stood, bewildered. “It’s pictures of me. The not-so-good ones.”

“What?” Hakkai’s eyes went wide, and he ran over to pick up one of the papers on the ground. Sure enough, an image of Gojyo spread-eagle and playing with himself greeted him, and he paled. “Are – are all these –?”

“Yeah.” Gojyo had an armful of them now, but despite himself, he started to laugh. “I figured it out.”

“How can you–”

“Banri. Fucking Banri.” Gojyo kept picking up, crumpling, and gathering more of the pages. “He doesn’t know where you live, and since you’re always in the bakeshop, he couldn’t pass off his little flash drive to you to ruin my life, so he basically had the weirdest fucking Kinko’s trip I can imagine and plastered my dirty laundry all over our block so both of us would know what he’d done. He knew you’d see it this way.”

Hakkai took it in, then shook his head and joined Gojyo in picking up the trash. “I’d laugh, but I rather feel like finding him and ensuring he knows my precise opinion of these images.”

“Yeah?” Gojyo smirked. “If I knew where he was, I’d make sure to litter the floor with his teeth, but since I don’t, the best I can do is clean up the mess in front of me.”

“I’ll help.”

The two of them had barely made a dent in the mess when Sanzo pulled up in his car with Goku in tow, screeched to a halt in the no-park zone in front of the bakery, and bolted over to join them with Goku a step behind. “What the fuck is all this?!”

“Holy crow,” Goku breathed, and Gojyo and Hakkai both saw him gaping at one of the overturned pictures. He pointed right at it. “Gojyo, this guy looks like you but he’s doin’ creepy sex stuff!”

Gojyo and Hakkai traded glances, and Gojyo sighed and answered, “Yeah, he sure looks like I did six years ago.”

“No way.” Goku’s breath escaped him in a weak rattle, and Gojyo rolled his eyes and continued picking up the litter.

“Yeah, my old business partner tried to blackmail me out of my garage. Looks like he made good on his threat.”

“Fortunately,” Hakkai added, “it is early yet, so hopefully few have seen all this. Would you kindly help us in cleaning up this mess?”

Sanzo, who had picked up one of the photographs, taken a long hard look at the picture, swallowed hard, then tore it up and stuffed it in his pocket, merely nodded. “Let’s just never speak of this again. We can talk business when our businesses are presentable again.”

Goku was already clearing the front yard of the garage, and Sanzo joined Hakkai and Gojyo on the street. Without a word, they united to pick the mess up, Sanzo trying not to look at any of the images as he and Hakkai moved up the street and Hakkai explained to Sanzo what had happened that brought him and Gojyo back together (leaving out a few choice details). Goku and Gojyo worked at clearing the garage proper, and Goku explained what had happened to them:

“My roommate found out Sanzo broke up with me and went to beat him up, and I chased him to tell him to cut that out.” Goku had to jump to reach one of the pictures that had somehow gotten pasted higher on the wall, but Gojyo easily reached over him to grab it.

“So, Sanzo got on his knees for his savior, huh?” Gojyo smirked and gave him a nudge with his elbow. “Hope you kept him there a few minutes, if ya know what I mean.”

Goku snorted. “Don’t be gross. Nah, he told me he was wrong, and that he’d gotten scared 'cause he didn’t want to love me and lose me.”

“Is that what it was?” Gojyo shifted his mouth left and right, thinking. “Yeah, I get it. I’m glad he got over that. You seem like you again.” He grinned and fluffed Goku’s hair. “Now ain’t you glad you didn’t hook up with me!”

Goku laughed hard, then held one of the pictures out at arm’s length, pretending to study it like a fine piece of art. “I dunno. You’re pretty hot.”

“Don’t make this weird!” Gojyo snatched the picture out of his hands. “Shit, it’s bad enough my brother and his husband and wife saw this crap.”

“Oh, crap, they did?” Goku gaped at Gojyo’s back as he sauntered past him to dump a wad of crumpled papers into the garbage.

“Like I said, Banri wanted to ruin my life. He knew where my brother lived, so he probably mailed it to him or put it in their mailbox, something like that, and Jien took a good hard look then called and told me what he thought of me. And that’s why I smashed my phone.” Gojyo shrugged and kept on picking the photographs up. “Damn, for a dude who said he was hard up, ol’ Banri sure ran up a fortune on the damn color copies.”

Goku had gaped at Gojyo’s back for a solid few minutes. Then, he shook it off. “I gotta make a quick phone call, I’ll be back.” He hurried into the garage office, and as the door shut behind him, Gojyo noticed a large piece of paper taped to the door that Goku had missed.

“Seriously, that asshole got an eight-by-ten?” He rolled his eyes and went towards it, just as more footsteps hurried towards them.

“Kouryuu! Hakkai!” Sharak was dashing towards them with Hassan close behind. “I just came outside for the first time in a few hours, I just saw, but I don’t know who–”

“We already know,” Sanzo muttered, shaking his head. Gojyo halted, as Sharak, grinding her teeth together, threw a few crumpled pages down (which Hakkai quickly scooped up).

“This is sickening! Why the hell would –”

“My ex-business partner is an asshole who knew too many of my secrets,” Gojyo answered, rolling his eyes. “Guess it’s fair game now. I was a dumb kid, alright?”

Sharak stared at him, then pursed her lips. “Point the prick out to me. Exploiting your old mistakes is plain low.” She then turned back to Sanzo and thrust her hand – and a thin envelope – towards him. “This envelope was taped to the door as well, with your name on it.”

Sanzo grunted and accepted it, and Gojyo turned back to the big paper taped to the door and yanked it off. It didn’t rip – nicer paper, Gojyo surmised – but the picture came off and fluttered to the ground, and Gojyo realized that this photograph was not of him. A strangled noise escaped him, as he got a clear view of Hakkai post-coitus, his wrists still bound by a belt with blood running over his hands, bruises on his backside and thighs, and another man’s spend on his lower back. Gojyo inhaled, his lungs trembling in his breast, and whipped around to see that Sharak was holding a similar sheet of paper folded over twice in one white-knuckled hand.

“Hey, Sharak, if that what you’ve got there is the same thing I got here, you need to give it over!” Gojyo marched over to her, already crumpling the one he held. Sharak turned to him, then glared down her nose.

“Don’t be rash. I was getting to that!” She faced Hakkai, but Gojyo could already see a hint of regret in her hawkish stare. “Listen to me. I need to know if you have ever given anyone permission to take or distribute photographs of you in the nude.”

“What?” Hakkai started, tensing up and drawing his shoulders in tight, as Sharak unfolded part of the photograph in her hand and she whispered something to him. His jaw fell slack. “I’d… never…”

“Your fucking ex. I’ll kill him,” Gojyo growled. “Say the word, babe, and I’ll feed him his own heart.”

“And deprive myself the opportunity to rend him limb from limb? I think not.” Hakkai took the printout from Gojyo, sorrow and rage warring on his face. “I wonder who’s seen this.”

“I have.” Sanzo was making a face as he read what appeared to be a handwritten note, and Hakkai winced. “He texted it to me. Bastard.” Sanzo shook the pages in his hand. “Nii’s left me some screed about honesty and some crap about living the way you want without being tied to societal expectations and – fucking bullshit.” He turned over a page to something that looked printed rather than handwritten, and turned purple. “I’ll fucking kill him!”

“Guys?” Goku was outside at the garage door, frowning at an envelope pinned to it, one with Gojyo’s name written on the front. “Um, someone left a note here for Gojyo.”

Gojyo turned, and realized that it had been under the large picture Nii had left. Gojyo crossed the street again in three strides and snatched it from where it was taped. “That fucking…”

“Gojyo, no!” Sanzo chased him, but Gojyo had it open before he could grab it.

“No, fuck you, I wanna see what the sorry sonofabitch had to fucking say!” He unfurled the note, reading the handwritten part aloud:

“Though we have never met, I owe you a duty of care for the sake of your business. It has come to my attention that one of your employees has deceived you regarding their identity.”

Goku went ashen, and Sanzo hurriedly drew him close.

“It doesn’t matter, alright? It doesn’t fucking matter. The person he’s talking about is dead, like you told me, and you’re here now.”

Gojyo turned the page, to see what looked like a birth certificate, with the handwritten note: “Original, unedited.” He scanned the page, only to find no name he knew, albeit a surname: “Son.” “Goku, is this–” Then, he saw the first name and the gender marker. He flipped his head up and stared at Goku hard for a very long second. Hakkai had come and rested his arm around Goku’s shoulder as well, as Sanzo braced him and Goku hung his head. Gojyo returned his focus to the page, mute. He turned his gaze back to Goku for a moment, then cocked his head. “Huh.” He looked at the page again. “Funny. I just completely forgot how to read.” Then, he shredded Nii’s note and the certificate to pieces, adding a deadpan, “Oops. Clumsy me.” He put the pieces in the ashtray beside the garage door and dropped his lighter into it. “Guess the old man’s right. Whatever that stupid piece of paper says doesn’t fucking matter.” Then, he strode over and put his hands on Goku’s shoulders, crouching to look him in the eyes. “It doesn’t, kiddo.”

Goku, his expression wrought, whispered a soft, “Thank you,” then bowed his head. “I… I would'a told you, but…”

“You don’t gotta make excuses. I get not wanting people to know where you’ve come from, not when you’ve changed so much.” He tossed a roguish grin to Hakkai, then patted Goku’s shoulders. “Come on. Let’s all keep cleaning this up.”

Gojyo didn’t let Goku go before ruffling his hair so vigorously he actually stumbled a few steps, and they broke into teams again, Sanzo and Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku, and Sharak and Hassan joined the cleanup effort too, talking and laughing between themselves as if today were any other day. Each caught snippets of the others’ conversations across the way:

Gojyo heard Sanzo telling Hakkai, “I’m going to need that credit referral. I’m getting my own place. I’m putting Goku somewhere quiet and clean to recover after his surgery.”

“Ah, you’re on a narrow timeframe, are you?”

Sanzo shrugged without breaking his stride. “If it means taking him home to my parents, so be it. I think they like him better than me anyway.”

Hakkai heard Gojyo and Goku talking from his side of the street: “So, why’d you cut your hair?”

“I felt like a change, I guess.” He smiled through the little lie. Goku snorted.

“Well, it looks good, anyway. Like, a whole different kind of sexy.” Goku grinned. Gojyo snorted, and dusted his cropped hair back with a swipe of his hand.

“Yeah, that seals it, I’m growing it back out.” He winked at Goku, as Goku pretended to groan in disappointment, then continued cleaning with a nonchalant, “Oh, and expect Hakkai to invite you to a shitload of taste tests.”

The next to arrive were Koumyou and Toudai. Koumyou marched straight up to Gojyo and threw his arms tight around him without asking. Gojyo dropped the armful of posters with surprise, but pulled away and scooped all of them up, as Koumyou, smiling through obvious sadness, stood back, hands folded at his waist as Gojyo cleaned the litter up.

“I thought you may have needed that.”

“Uh.” Gojyo cocked his head, just as Hakkai came to his side with a trash bag and swept the pages into it, before looking to Koumyou with an apologetic smile.

“I’m terribly sorry I haven’t answered your calls. I’m afraid I haven’t been myself lately.” He bowed his head. “But I’m glad you came.”

“Of course, dear, Kouryuu said someone vandalized your business, what else would I do?” Koumyou took and squeezed Hakkai’s hands. “I’m merely glad to see you hale and hearty.” Gojyo noticed Koumyou’s fingers finding the bandages under Hakkai’s sleeves, and barely caught the grimace he flinched back at the discovery. “Have you taken care of yourself, dear?”

“It’s been difficult, but Gojyo has helped me get back on track.” Hakkai slid his hands from Koumyou’s grip and rested one faintly quaking palm on Gojyo’s shoulder. “I’d like to say we’ve worked out all of our issues, but I’d be lying.”

“Yeah,” Gojyo agreed, remembering something and letting his chin fall. “Uh, we’ve both got stuff to work out. Uh, Mister Koumyou, you were asking me questions I didn’t wanna answer before, or didn’t know how to. If you’ll give me a chance, I’d like to try to think it out with you again.”

Koumyou’s expression lightened. “Gojyo, I’m touched! And yes, certainly! All you need is the will to change and learn.” He gave his arm a hearty pat. “Your usual appointment time is still open.”

“Ah,” Hakkai interjected. “And do you have any other appointment slots available? I was hoping to have a chance to speak with you on occasion as well, and perhaps both Gojyo and I could speak with you together…”

“As a couple?” Gojyo frowned, and Hakkai quickly turned to him.

“If you object, of course, we don’t have to, but–”

“No, no.” Gojyo shook his head and slid a hand up to his shoulder. “No, it sounds like a great idea. I know the two of us got work to do, and maybe having someone who knows what they’re doing will help us with that.”

“That’s the spirit!” Koumyou pumped a fist with cheer. “Yes, of course, yes.” He rested his hands on each of their shoulders, contently ignoring the way Toudai chuckled and shook his head behind him. “I want you two to succeed. I’ll do everything I can to help you – though, er, Gojyo, do brace yourself.”

Koumyou suddenly stepped back, and before Gojyo could ask why, someone grabbed him from behind, tackling him out of Hakkai’s grip. Before Gojyo could even shout a protest, someone was crushing him in a bear hug.

“You idiot,” Jien was half-growling, half-crying into his ear. “You stupid idiot. Why do you listen to me? I’m sorry, dammit!”

Gojyo twisted enough to see that it was Jien hugging him as if he were a balloon about to float away if released, with Kougaiji escorting Yaone behind him, both obviously waiting their turn. Gojyo groaned and tried to swing at Jien’s head. “Let go, asshole!”

Jien caught his arm and pushed it into the hug. “Not until I’m done!” He forced Gojyo to turn and look at him – at the tears in his eyes. “I didn’t mean it, okay? I hate that we argue like this, and I know it’s 'cause – 'cause I did wrong, but… I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I’m not looking down on you 'cause of that.” Jien stomped on one of the fliers still on the ground. “I hate that you felt like you had to do that, and it’s my fault, and I’m sorry!”

Gojyo wasn’t sure what to say, and from Jien’s frantic expression, nor was he. “What are you actually tryin’ to say?”

“I’m sorry I gave you grief 'cause I found out about you doin’ that.” Jien gripped him tight. “I just, I reacted without thinking, 'cause I got so mad that you treated yourself that low, did that, but then I thought and realized…” He trailed off, then swallowed thickly. “I wasn’t doin’ a good job raising you. I’m wasn’t ready to raise you when I did get you back, and I made a lot of mistakes and I know that’s why we kept falling out. You were a kid.”

Gojyo frowned. “I should'a known better, too, y'know.” He broke eye contact. “I’m sorry I’m an embarrassment.”

Jien pinched his ear. “You ain’t. I don’t want you to think that. I love you no matter what.” He finally let go of Gojyo, but crossed his arms tight, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “I guess I still don’t know how to be your brother, after everything kinda got skewed.”

Gojyo glanced to Koumyou, then smiled back at Jien. “We can work on it. I know I gotta work on me, anyway.”

“I can only promise to try.” With that, Jien laid a heavy arm around Gojyo’s shoulder and bumped his forehead against his. Gojyo broke away after a second to turn around to Kougaiji and Yaone (receiving sympathy from Kougaiji about the vandalism, but quickly turning to inquire to Yaone about 'the little olive’), and Jien turned to Hakkai. “I’m glad you came around, too. He’s a good kid. He deserves a good guy.”

“He does, but unfortunately, he chose me.” Hakkai smiled wryly, lacing his fingers in front of him. “I promise, if nothing else, to take good care of him.”

“Now, now,” Koumyou laughed, and Hakkai spun about as if he’d forgotten he was there in the first place. “I think we can all set the self-flagellation aside for a bit; we’re not monks over here! Nobody’s perfect!” He beamed, and held up a box of garbage bags. “I think if we all pitch in, we can get things cleaned up straightaway!”

“Great,” a barely familiar, flat voice added, just as Nataku popped up from behind Koumyou and seemingly out of nowhere. Gojyo jumped a foot as the kid, already holding an armful of the pictures, stared flatly at him, before turning his eyes around between Sanzo, Goku, and Hakkai. “Let’s just clean the mess up before anyone else has to see this.”

For Gojyo, Sanzo, Hakkai, and Goku, it was too strange to see every friend and family member they had unite in the same place, Toudai sitting with Yaone outside of the bakery and tying off garbage bags, Goku chattering with Nataku and Dokugakuji as they scraped pages out of the gutters (as Sanzo gave Nataku wide berth), Sanzo and Koumyou working in tandem to check over all of the lawns between the bakery and garage and diplomatically (or bluntly, depending on which was speaking) explaining to the owners and workers at neighboring businesses that were arriving now, Sharak, with Hassan at her side, being surprisingly friendly with Kougaiji, and Gojyo and Hakkai together taking up the last of the pages that had been left in hopes of humiliating them one last time. It was a tangled web they’d woven, but altogether, it felt complete.

“If nothing else,” Hakkai said as he crumpled a few pictures in his hands, and from the shift on his smile, Gojyo already knew he was teasing him, “I don’t think anything else can surprise me.”

“I dunno, I was surprised.” Gojyo crossed his arms as he waited for Hakkai to stuff the pages into the trashbag. He motioned across the street, where all their friends worked at the cleanup. “We got good folks behind us. We got some rotten stuff behind us too, but we got plenty of good people.” Hakkai nodded with agreement.

“Behind us, before us, beside us.” He nudged Gojyo’s ribs with his elbow, and Gojyo grinned and grabbed him by the waist.

“Always, babe.” He pushed the trash bag from Hakkai’s hand and was about to tip him over into a dip, when there was an uncomfortable cough from nearby.

“Golly,” someone said, and both Hakkai and Gojyo looked to see Hazel with Gat at his side, observing with a bit of a sparkle in his eye. “I do hope I’m not interruptin’ anythin’ important, though I do regret missin’ the volunteer cleanup.”

“You, is it?” Gojyo released Hakkai carefully, cast a curious frown at Gat, then focused on Hazel and crossed his arms. “I know you. You’re that kid from Goku’s college, the one crushing on me at the Y.”

“Oh, dear, is that what'cha thought of me?” Hazel cocked his head. “I admit, you were attractive, but that wasn’t why I was watchin’ you.”

Gojyo noticed Goku and Sanzo joining them out of the corner of his eye, and Koumyou close behind. Gojyo knew this was why they’d been called out this early in the first place, and furrowed his brow. “Well, if you weren’t checkin’ out my ass, why were you staring?”

“I was asked to observe you by my philosophy professor, Professor Nii Jianyi.” Hakkai gasped into his palm, and Gojyo felt his anger wake up again as Hazel broke eye contact. “Though, really, 'asked’ wasn’t the right word. I was kind of, er–”

“Blackmailed,” Gat muttered. Gojyo had been working up a fiery retort, but it got snuffed at that. Gat nudged Hazel’s back. “Tell him.”

“I suppose I have to.” Hazel put on his usual smile, but it was strained. “I was raised by a priest, and he set up a trust fund to put me through college. It was under the supervision of the sisters from his order until I graduated college, but I had free access. Trouble was, the sisters didn’t know I was gay, and if they did, well, gosh, they’d just cut me off cold 'til I wasn’t gay anymore. The Prof found out my situation, and that I was livin’ with Gat here.”

Gat squinted at Hazel a little. “You were covering your friends at Starbucks and bragging.”

Hazel whipped around on him. “When y'say it like that, I sound like a right jackass.” Gat raised an eyebrow and said nothing, and Hazel huffed in disgust and turned back to Gojyo, Hakkai, Sanzo, and Goku. “Well, no matter how he found out, he found out. He pretended to be all concerned, sayin’ it wasn’t right for me to be livin’ with an older man. He wanted to tell the sisters. I asked if there was anythin’ I could do to keep him from doin’ that, and, well…” Hazel actually evinced guilt when he looked at Hakkai. “He tol’ me he was worried about you.” Then, he subtly shifted to anger. “And he said he didn’t know what else to do. He actually pretended to care, and stupid me, I believed him.”

“He asked me to keep an eye on you and your new beau. I hung around, saw what I could, and reported everything back to him.” Hazel clearly couldn’t bring himself to look at them, head hung. He couldn’t see Hakkai, clearly violated and caught between anger and upset, or Gojyo, taking and squeezing his hand tight. “I was the one who caught Gojyo charging at that blond fella, and gave him the pictures.”

“You…” Hakkai spoke first, his expression suddenly snapping to a vicious, sharp version of his usual smile. “I certainly hope you at least got your money’s worth for violating our privacy and giving an abusive former lover of mine material he could use to manipulate me.”

“I did,” Hazel muttered. “The moment he was done with me, he told me that he was still 'concerned’ about my living situation and contacted the sisters. I’m cut off on funds. The only thing I got goin’ for me anymore is Gat here." He held his hands out. "Mea culpa. I messed up, and I know it hurt all of y'all, and for that, I’m more sorry than you can imagine.”

“Sorry ain’t gonna cut it, kid.” Gojyo was about to step forward, when Hazel whipped his head up.

“That’s 'cause I ain’t done.” He held up his phone. “Misters Sanzo and Goku there have heard, but I want y'all to listen to this.”

He played a recorded message from Nii, one wherein Nii declared that the “arrangement was over” and that he’d told Hazel’s “sisters” about his living arrangement. Gojyo pursed his lips as the message ended. “Yeah, you told us that.”

“And you have a recording of it.” Hakkai had already done the math. “That’s clear-cut evidence of blackmail.”

Gojyo gaped. “Oh. That’s a crime, ain’t it?”

“A pretty nasty one.” Hazel nodded. “And if I understand right, he wronged you too by tryin’ to get back together with ya on false pretenses.” Hakkai shivered and took Gojyo’s hand again.

“I never even considered charging him…”

“You don’t have to, babe.” Gojyo kept his hand squeezed tight in one of his, but rubbed the other up and down Hakkai’s spine. “If you don’t wanna go to the cops about what he did, nobody’s gonna make ya.”

“I’ll have no evidence that the two of us were even intimate, or why. It’ll be my word against his.”

“No, no,” Hazel interjected. “I can testify to giving him the photos.”

Sanzo cleared his throat. “And I have the photograph he took of you, and will testify that he sent it to me. Oh, and maybe we should get him on distribution of revenge porn, since both Sharak and Gojyo can also testify that he did that – or is that not a crime in California yet?”

“I can Google it,” Goku offered, already getting his phone out.

“If ain’t goin’ away long enough for blackmail, we could really nail him with that.” Hazel looked smug and confident again. Gojyo hated that, and with a touch of his hand, he urged Hakkai to focus on him and look him in the face.

“It’s your choice, babe, and I’ll stand by you no matter what you do.”

Hakkai furrowed his brow, but he squeezed Gojyo’s hands. “I… I’ll do it. Just know that if I do, there will be no going back. I won’t recant. I’ll take it all the way.”

“And I’ll be with you the whole way.” Gojyo kept his hand laced in Hakkai’s, then glanced back to Sanzo. “You cool with us sending your brother to jail?”

Sanzo cocked an eyebrow. “No, I’d rather help you bury the body.” He let himself smirk lazily. “But sending him to jail could be interesting, if nothing else.”

“Oh man,” Goku squealed into his palm from behind Sanzo, gazing eagerly at his phone screen. “He’s gonna be in jail 'til he’s old and gray! And he’s already old! So he’s gonna be really old and gray!”

“That’s the spirit!” Hazel grinned, then grabbed Hakkai’s wrist. “Come on, you an’ me. We can call the non-emergency line, to start, and probably go down to the station from there.”

Hakkai gingerly tugged his arm from Hazel’s grip, but stepped forward. “Yes, I’m ready. Nii has tangled my life long enough. I’m eager to make a mess of his.”

“Want me to come with, babe?” Gojyo offered an arm, but Hakkai shook his head.

“They’ll be talking to me for ages and ages. I’ll text you if I need your support, but can you leave this to me?” The smile he wore for Gojyo was exceptionally hopeful. “I feel strong enough and want to prove that I can.”

“Hey, no problem.” Gojyo kissed his cheek, making sure to brush Hakkai’s jaw with his stubble as he pulled away so he could feel him there that little bit longer. “I’ll have an ear open for you, and I’m here if you need me, but I trust you.”

“And I, you.” Hakkai kissed his nose, then pivoted back to Hazel. “Mr. Grouse, let’s find somewhere private to handle this.”

“Anythin’ ya say.” Hazel patted Gat’s arm and tilted a quick smile up towards him, before departing with Hakkai a step behind. Gojyo turned around to the others.

“We still got clean-up to do, don’t we? What the hell are we standing around for? We gotta get ourselves back in business!”

And with that, they fanned out again to set everything right and get back to life the way it was supposed to be.

Toudai and Koumyou had invited everyone over for dinner and game night, but Nataku had to go to class, Gat had his other job, and Kougaiji and Jien had to accommodate Yaone, who’d been tired and worried that her stomach wouldn’t be able to handle anything too fancy. “Jien was telling me,” Gojyo told Goku, as he showed him how to peel and chop onions the way Hakkai had taught him, “that even though she’s not sick all the time, she still gets a funny tummy with heavy foods or stuff that’s really flavorful. She’s basically stuck on PBJs, mashed potatoes and white rice, steamed veggies, and chicken with, like, no seasoning.”

Goku scrunched his nose. “That’s the worst.”

“Yeah, be glad you ain’t havin’ kids, monkeybrains.” Gojyo rolled his eyes. “For her, it’s worth it, 'cause they want that little family deal. They want their kid chasin’ 'em around and growing up and stuff.” He grinned and scraped his chunks of onion, not exactly even but still pretty well chopped, into a bowl, then corrected Goku’s grip on the knife. “Watch the tip.”

Goku muttered a, “that’s what Hakkai said,” dodged the play-slap Gojyo launched in retort, then said, “I get it, though.”

“Yeah, plus Kou and Jien are spoiling her.” Gojyo grinned with glee. “He told me we might need to replace Lirin soon, 'cause they’re thinkin’ of insisting Yaone take leave early and rest, 'cause it’s hard on her, y'know? And Lirin’s already said she’ll fill in for Yaone as receptionist, and they’ll hire someone else to do the books. Plus, Jien tells me Kou’s goin’ nuts getting the house ready. I mean, knocking down walls, breathin’ fire at the renovators kinda nuts. They decided to make the baby’s room into an en-suite to the master, and…”

“Boys,” Toudai interrupted curtly from the stove. “Less talking, more chopping if you want to eat tonight.”

“Oh, sure.”

“Sorry!” Gojyo and Goku gritted back down on their task, but not before Gojyo chanced to look back at the kitchen table. Sanzo and Koumyou were together at Sanzo’s laptop computer, Sanzo begrudgingly scooted aside to let Koumyou see, as he browsed the names of local realtors so Koumyou could tell him about each of them (since he apparently knew all of them), and Hakkai had his glasses off, his eyes shut, and his head pillowed on his arms with his phone on the table in front of him.

He’d come back from the police station exhausted, likely wrung out after a few hours of questioning and likely being prodded at (Gojyo hoped they kept it to his injuries and not trying to find evidence of the act itself ten days later), and probably still tired from the accumulated effects of depression and anxiety that had ground him down to the state Gojyo had found him in the day before. Gojyo was happy to fill in for him on helping with the prep work, even though he was slow by comparison… or any standards, really. (At least he wasn’t as bad as Goku.) What he was good at was keeping the conversation miles away from the events of the day, or anything that might rouse Hakkai from his rest.

“Oh, um. That reminds me.” Goku nudged Gojyo’s side with his elbow. “I was gonna tell ya – promise – but, um, I might need to be at the desk a little while. Soon.”

“Oh? What’s up?” Gojyo raised an eyebrow, and Goku quickly looked away.

“Um, ’m having surgery.”

“No shit?” Gojyo raised both eyebrows. “Uh, what kind?” Goku glanced up to Gojyo’s face, then back down, then patted his chest.

“These are coming off.”

“Oh – oh, fuck, you mean – oh.” Gojyo gripped the knife tight, then grinned. “Well, shit, kid, why didn’t you just say so?” He was still having a little trouble recalculating Goku’s status, because he could still only see Goku as a guy. That was probably for the best in the long run, but he loved the kid like a brother and that meant he was going to need to do some serious Googling to figure out how to treat him right. Hakkai probably knew, and they could have a good long talk about it later. Goku, for his part, just pinked when Gojyo nudged him.

“Well, um, I’ve been saving a while, and I finally got the money together. With a little help, and all.” He grinned to himself, still looking down at the potatoes on the board. “Mr. Koumyou was all, 'do it for your birthday!’ but I thought about it and realized I’m gonna have like three weeks of classes left after that and recovery’s gonna be a thing, so I think I’ll get the consult soon but schedule it for after graduation.”

“Smart kid, good on ya.” Gojyo scraped the last chunks of onion off of his knife and turned to Toudai. “Okay, boss, four onions, like you said!”

“Give them here,” Toudai said without turning from the meat on his board. Gojyo set the bowl down at his side.

“On your left.”

Toudai looked into the bowl, and did a double-take. “Good grief, boys, who taught you to chop?”

“Uh.” Gojyo glanced surreptitiously to Hakkai, Goku just shrugged, and Toudai clicked his tongue.

“Hakkai’s a great cook, but he’s obviously lenient on you as a teacher. Goku, all you have to do is ask and I’ll teach you everything you need to know.”

“Aw, I get by alright!”

Toudai wagged a finger at him. “Alright isn’t 'good.’ You young men need some real life skills!” Toudai flipped his focus to Gojyo again. “Wouldn’t it be nice to give Hakkai nights off?”

“Yeah.” Gojyo scratched the back of his head, as Toudai returned his attention to the pan. “Actually,” he stood close and turned their conversation to a whisper, “I’d like to do something else for him, too. Goku, shoo, me an’ Mr. Toudai gotta talk.”

Goku shrugged, but trotted away to the table as Gojyo started a conversation with Toudai in an excited whisper. He tapped Hakkai on the arm, very gently. “Hey, 'Kai, you feelin’ okay?”

Hakkai grimaced into his sleeves. “Mm. Five more minutes.”

“Leave him be.” Sanzo tugged the hem of Goku’s shirt, and Goku patted Hakkai’s arm with a little affection before joining Sanzo and Koumyou. They had moved on to looking at housing listings, and Goku grinned at the pictures of little houses that populated the screen.

“You don’t want more than this?” Koumyou pursed his lips, and Sanzo scoffed.

“Do I need more? Bedroom, kitchen, den, bath and a half.”

“So Spartan, but then, you’ve never been extravagant. What about an office?”

Sanzo shrugged and pointed at one of the listings. “Second bedroom. I can make that into an office or library.”

Goku cocked his head, but leaned over Sanzo and Koumyou’s shoulders. “Hey, what about Nataku? Can he live with us, at least 'til he’s got a job and all?” Sanzo tensed, and Goku twisted around to look at him. “I know you’re still mad 'cause he tried to beat you up, but he’s my best friend, we’re like brothers. I don’t wanna leave him in the lurch.”

Sanzo pursed his lips, then sighed and clicked the bedroom option and changed it from “1” to “3.” “His room has to be as far away from ours as possible. Preferably in a basement.”

“He likes cool places.” Goku cozied himself between Sanzo and Koumyou, one elbow on each of their shoulders, and settled in to browse, as Koumyou chuckled.

“It can be an in-law suite someday after he’s moved out.”

“Dad.” Sanzo put warning in his tones, but Koumyou shrugged.

“I may not want to live alone, dear; be kind to an old man, won’t you?” Sanzo groused something about how Koumyou wasn’t that old, but Koumyou ignored him and pointed at one of the images. “I know this area. The street is secluded, quiet, and because it’s a little out of the way, it’s a little more affordable.”

Sanzo remained impassive. “Mm.”

Goku giggled, because he knew that meant Sanzo liked it. “It’s a cute house.”

Sanzo clicked on it, then scrolled through a few pictures of the interior. “We can visit it.”

“Yes, you should!” Koumyou patted Sanzo on the back. “You should visit a few! After all, this is going to be your nest, Kouryuu. It doesn’t matter what it is, only that you like it and that it’s your decision. Just like the person you choose to nest with.”

“Mm.” Sanzo didn’t look at him, and Goku couldn’t help but giggle a little.

“It’s true. You really are super easy to read.”

Sanzo reached back and tweaked Goku’s ear, then whispered into it: “Don’t go saying that where Gojyo can hear you.”

Goku laughed aloud that time, but just then, through a lull in Toudai and Gojyo’s conversation and the pause between breaths, Hakkai’s phone rang. Everyone turned as Hakkai heaved a sigh and lifted his head from his arms to pick his phone up. He put his glasses back on, read the screen, and rose. “Pardon me, I really should take this.”

Every eye in the room turned to Hakkai as he strode from the kitchen and into the dark shop. Hakkai faced the front door, past all of the antique mirrors and art pieces, took a breath, and answered. “I thought you had finally deigned to leave me alone. Tell me why I shouldn’t hang up on you.”

“Hakkai,” Nii murmured back, all musk and honey down the line, “after all we’ve been through together.”

Hakkai said nothing. It wasn’t a question, he didn’t have to answer. He didn’t owe Nii that, nor anything.

“All these charges, Hakkai – you can’t possibly mean all this.”

“Is this really how you’re choosing to use your phone call, Nii?” Hakkai crossed his arms and held the phone in the crook of his neck and shoulder. “I’d suggest hiring a lawyer.”

“Hakkai.” He put a wealth of emotion into the word, saying his name as if Hakkai might believe he meant something to Nii. “It was just a game, you know it, this was how we played. We took a little pride in getting our teeth into one another.”

“You did, Nii. I only ever bit back. Our game ended when we ended our relationship, and don’t bother denying to me that we weren’t apart, or that we had rekindled our relationship. You detest liars.”

Nii was quiet. Hakkai inhaled slowly, looking down the street, down the road, towards the distant stars. “Review the paperwork that has been provided to you. You will find a temporary restraining order, which you have violated and which I intend to make permanent. Do not contact me again. I am leaving you in my past. I am leaving you exactly where you belong.” He caught his own reflection in one of the antique mirrors, and the image of Gojyo’s silhouette behind him, waiting for him. “Call it muichimotsu. I’ve got a bright future, one without you in it.” Hakkai hung up before Nii could respond, uninterested in anything he might say. He turned back towards Gojyo, where he waited propped against the doorframe, pretending poorly that he hadn’t been listening with utter feigned nonchalance.

“Y'know,” he said in a voice meant only for the two of them, “you probably shouldn’t’ve taken that.”

“No, perhaps not,” Hakkai agreed, smiling blithely nonetheless. “But in a way, I wanted to. Perhaps there’s still a little of that vindictiveness that he so enjoyed in me that wanted the last laugh. However, outside of prosecuting him to the fullest extent of the law, that was the last laugh.”

“Yeah?” Gojyo quirked an eyebrow, and Hakkai did laugh.

“Goodness, don’t pull roguish faces at me. You’re just too sexy like that.”

Hakkai and Gojyo ignored Sanzo’s retort of “gross,” as Gojyo instead chuckled and rubbed his nose to Hakkai’s. “All I’m saying is, send him to jail, but leave him behind. Let go. You got so much better stuff ahead of you.”

“I know.” Hakkai kissed Gojyo on the nose, just the way Gojyo liked to do to him. “I think I see a lovely dinner with many of the people I care about in my immediate future, followed by several rounds of getting our hindquarters handed to us in mah jongg. Shall we?”

“Sounds fantastic, babe. I think we shall.”

Gojyo took his hand and squeezed it as they joined the others. While none of them had forgotten what was behind them, or the rocky path that lay ahead, as Gojyo, Hakkai, Goku, and Sanzo joined one another for a shared meal and a shared night, each of them stood with trust in themselves and each other that they could make it through together.

No matter what that future was, they were going to make it through the wonderful mess that was life, family, work, friends, and love together.

[sapphicscholar]

“Don’t you ever do that again!” (#9) Sanvers

9. “Don’t you ever do that again!” 

A/N: This is pure crack…blame sleep deprivation. 

Alex didn’t love the major holidays—too often they were focused on big family events that had her drinking too much and hiding from her mother—but the little ones? Those ones were her favorite. They were unexpected and trivial and had no real expectations built into them. Plus, getting to teach Kara about them had been fun and lighthearted in a way that most things hadn’t been those first few months.

So when March 31st rolled around, Alex was busy planning up a storm. She and Kara had been rather intense about their prank wars during their teenage years, though they had pretty much fallen off during Alex’s years away at school. Since they were reunited in National City, however, they had picked back up, and now Kara felt free to use her powers to get the upper hand. They’d worked together to prank the boys as well as Vasquez and Lucy, but this year, they had a brand new target: Maggie.

“Now, are you sure she doesn’t have anything against April Fools?” Kara asked once more, thinking back to how guilty Alex had felt after getting the full story about Valentine’s Day.

“I’m positive. She talked about doing a few small pranks with her roommates in college, but she just sort of sounded ambivalent about it.”

“Okay,” Kara nodded, grinning as she thought about all of the plans they had made.

“So, you’ll distract her while I take care of her office and the motorcycle?”

“Mhm, and you’ll distract her while I deal with her apartment?”

“Deal,” Alex grinned, offering her hand out to Kara, wondering how long their own prank war truce would last.

—

The next morning, Alex slipped out of bed a few minutes before Maggie’s alarm went off, tip-toeing her way to the bathroom where she found the fake blood she had from Kara’s last Halloween party. She pulled out the prop ax she had stored under her sink and quickly coated it in fake blood, then added some to her hands and forearms for a finishing touch. Quietly, she flicked off the lights and threw the container of fake blood under the sink before climbing into the bathtub and pulling the shower curtain all the way shut. Now it was just a matter of waiting.

She still found it so endearing that Maggie—badass detective who would show up to a gun fight with a pocket knife and still fight her way through—got scared by the idea of something hiding behind the shower curtain. Maggie blamed it on having watched The Sixth Sense and Psycho far too early in her formative years. But every so often, Maggie would insist that Alex come rip back the shower curtain for her if it was really late, especially if she’d had a drink or two and didn’t feel with it enough to fight off a murderer.

Alex just hoped that the neighbors wouldn’t get too upset by the early morning squealing. But then again, it was April Fools…

After a few minutes of waiting, Alex heard Maggie’s alarm go off and grinned, knowing that on mornings when she “went for a run,” Maggie would shower before eating breakfast, so at least she wouldn’t have to wait long. Sure enough, she soon heard the soft footfalls making their way from the bedroom to the bathroom and she bit her lip to keep from giggling in anticipation—not that Alex Danvers would ever giggle, no, of course not.

She waited impatiently as Maggie brushed her teeth, then tried not to feel guilty about being in the bathroom while she peed, figuring it was a relationship milestone that engaged couples surely passed, so Maggie couldn’t get too annoyed about it. Finally she heard the sounds of Maggie’s clothes hitting the floor and Maggie humming as she set out a fresh towel for herself.

When Maggie pulled back the shower curtain, she screamed—perhaps louder than she ever had—after all, she wasn’t normally shocked by things at work, but in her home, it was new. But before she could really process that it was Alex now cackling maniacally, she had drawn back and punched her “attacker” in the nose, leaving Alex with actual blood now dripping down her face.

“Maggie! What the hell? It’s me!” Alex yelled, pinching her nose as she tried to stem the flow of blood. Luckily she’d seen it coming and had been able to move enough that she didn’t get hit too hard, but it still stung enough to make her eyes water.

“What the fuck?” Maggie yelled, panting as she clutched at her chest. “You could have given me a heart attack!”

“It’s April Fools! Weren’t you kind of expecting it?” Alex protested.

“No!” Maggie yelled. “Jesus, Danvers, never again. Don’t you ever do that again!”

“So, uh, fuck…are you opposed to the whole day of pranks?”

“I mean, like I said, it’s whatever. But that is—that freaked me out,” Maggie finally admitted, only now realizing that Alex appeared to be covered in blood. “Wait! Did I hit you that hard? Are you okay?” Maggie panicked.

While Alex might normally extend the prank and say that, yes, the blood had all come from her, she felt guilty enough already. “No, uh, most of it’s fake blood. The stuff on my face is from my nose…”

“Shoot, I’m really sorry, baby! I’ll get you some ice.”

“It’s fine, I got it. Why don’t you, uh, shower,” Alex offered, realizing she had a lot of calls to make to get rid of the rest of the pranks before they could begin.

Once she heard the sound of the water running, Alex pulled out her phone and dialed Kara.

“H’llo?” Kara yawned.

“Kara! I need help!” Alex hissed.

“Ha! Not falling for that again,” Kara laughed before hanging up the phone.

A few seconds later it rang again.

“What?” Kara whined.

“It’s not a prank this time! I genuinely need your help!” Alex rushed out, needing to get Kara to believe her before hanging up again.

“What happened?”

“Maggie did not like the shower prank…like, at all.”

“Alex! I told you to make sure she didn’t have a problem with this holiday!”

“No, not like that. I think…I think she was expecting stupid stuff, like whipped cream in the hand or whoopee cushions, you know? This one was a little scary for her tastes, so now I think it would be best if we didn’t have any more pranks waiting for her.”

“You always did have a dark sense of humor,” Kara mused.

“It was the best way to get a reaction out of you!” Alex countered.

Kara laughed. “Fair enough. But why do you need me this early?”

“Because I need your help getting rid of the rest of them,” Alex explained.

“Oh, shoot. I didn’t even think about all of them.”

“Exactly! So can you go take care of her apartment?”

“Yeah, yeah, I can do that,” Kara agreed, pulling herself out of bed and shuffling around to find clothes.

“Great, I’m gonna go undo all the stuff on her motorcycle.”

“Good luck!”

“Thanks…bye, Kara.”

Alex quickly made her way down to the parking garage, pulling off the rainbow tassles and the fake vanity license plate (MRS-DANVERS), then ripping out the old-timey car horn she had wired to go off every time Maggie accelerated. With everything from her bike stuffed into a bag, Alex raced back upstairs in time to throw out the fake carton of vegan ice cream she’d filled with ice cubes and a note that read: “Now, with extra flavor!” before Maggie was done with her shower.

“Ready for breakfast?” Maggie asked, ringing her hair out and looking slightly chagrined at the streaks of blood that still decorated Alex’s face.

“Yeah, uh, let me just shower really fast,” Alex mumbled, making her way into the bathroom to text Kara. “Did you get everything?” Alex texted.

“Working on it,” Kara sent back.

“Will you have time to get her office?”

“No, sorry! Also, I don’t think Supergirl can casually walk into Maggie’s office.”

Alex debated what to do. She figured maybe she could walk Maggie to work, but she probably wouldn’t get any time alone to undo it all. Realizing that most of it was stuff on Maggie’s phone and computer, Alex texted Winn, hoping perhaps he could undo it remotely.

“Winn! Tech help needed ASAP!”

“I don’t fall for it 2 years in a row,” Winn sent back.

“Not a prank! I pulled pranks on Maggie and need them undone. Can you help? I’ll be nice to you at the DEO for a full week.”

“I’m listening.”

“Great. I need you to remotely change her desktop so it isn’t that photo of her next to the ‘You must be this tall to ride’ sign.”

“Got it,” Winn sent back.

“Oh…I’m not done. Also, her personal email: please remove the link to her Badass Bonsai blog from the signature line. Then her phone, I programmed it so that no matter what she dials, it goes to the pizza place where the delivery girl is desperately in love with her.”

“You really went all out for her first year with the gang, huh?”

“I love her,” Alex replied, as though it were the most obvious explanation for the excessive number of pranks.

—

Although Winn ended up being able to get all of the technology pranks taken care of, Alex remembered—somewhat belatedly—about the whoopee cushion she had hidden inside of Maggie’s desk chair.

“Hey!” Alex yelled to Maggie on her way out the door. “Do you, uh, can I walk you to work?”

“You gonna jump out at me on every street corner?” Maggie teased, thinking to the bag of assorted prank items she’d found stuffed under the sink when she went to get a new trashbag. A few of them were actually quite sweet, and she felt almost guilty for making Alex think that they couldn’t have some fun, which may or may not have been why Alex’s motorcycle now sported a new “Mrs-Danvers” license plate.

“No…” Alex trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

“You’re okay, I’m just teasing,” Maggie reassured Alex, offering her hand to walk outside.

—

At the precinct, it soon became clear that Alex was waiting for a moment alone in Maggie’s office. Even though Maggie was more than willing to indulge Alex with at least one or two of her more harmless pranks, she figured she’d give her a break. “I’m gonna run to grab a cup of coffee, I’ll be right back.”

“Great!” Alex exclaimed, beaming at Maggie until she was out of sight. She quickly got down on her hands and knees and unzipped the seat cushion, pulling out the whoopee cushion she’d slipped in there the night before and quickly rising to her feet at the sound of Maggie clearing her throat. “Ah, my, uh, my boot was untied. See you tonight! Love you!” Alex yelled, hightailing it out of the precinct.

Maggie just bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to laugh at the telltale bright pink cushion Alex was trying (unsuccessfully) to hide behind her back. “Happy April Fools, Danvers,” she muttered, sinking down into her now silent desk chair.

[w0lfbr0thers]

its a date - evak drabble

note: this is a uni drabble that no one asked for where isak and even live across from each other and even has a movie blaring at 3 am and isak cant sleep - you’re welcome

+2.5K+ Words +Ch. 1/1

Isak wasn't one for sleeping very well on a school night - and now that he's started uni, it hasn't exactly smoothed itself a perfect path. Of course he had his sleep meds, but did they ever work? No. So Isak gave up on the idea of sleeping pills a long ass time ago and just tried to cope with draping his duvet over his head and screwing his eyes shut until he had to wake for his first lecture three or four hours later. A natural pattern, of course, and his roommates tried to help out as much as they could with melatonin supplements or different types of herbal teas but nothing worked. Plus, uni wasn't so welcoming with all these loud ass parties happening somewhere around campus and Isak was dying to go but this wasn't high school - he had to keep his priorities straight.

One night in particular is what set him into this whirlwind of sleeping but yet not sleeping, kind of in a daze but all because of a some cute boy but it wasn't in the way he ever would want to meet any cute boy - ever. He had a big physics test coming up and he had been lying in bed ever since he got home from his last lecture but just at the stroke of midnight, he heard blaring coming from somewhere on his level of dorms. He groaned, rolling his eyes and he tried to drown it out but it was some weird, Shakespearean shit and all Isak could gather was 'this person has to be a fucking poetry fanatic'. It went on for a while, and it seemed to increase in volume every time Isak would shut his eyes which was completely agony.

'This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath, may prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.'

Isak rolled his eyes as how grossly worded this movie was, and just as it hit 3 am, Isak couldn't take it. He pulled on sweats and a hoodie, stormed across the flat and he threw open the door, heading into the halls that were still brightly lit and he limited down the rooms one by one by how loud the movie was and he finally figured out it was the one right across from his own. He groaned, stepping up to the door and banged his fist on the wooden frame, his jaw clenched as he waited for the culprit to open his damn door and give him an explanation. He raises his fist one more time to knock, but just before his hand hit the door it swung open and there stood the most beautiful, outstanding boy Isak had ever laid eyes on. He coughed nervously, dropping his hand as his heartbeat began strumming annoying fast as the boy raises an eyebrow, a questioning look on his face.

"Can I help you?" The boy asked and Isak almost melted at how smooth his voice was and how it sounded like a song as it filled his ears. Isak was annoyingly mesmerized and he crossed his arms, managing to keep a straight and agitated face as he looked up at the boy who seemed only a few years older than him.

"Yeah, could you maybe turn down your movie volume? It's like, three am, pal. People need their sleep," Isak mumbles, his eyebrows knitting together.

Surprisingly, the boy grins, tilting his head to the side in the cutest way and Isak just can't ignore it, "Oh, sorry. I have a theatre class and I have to watch Romeo and Juliet as an assignment. I didn't realize it was loud."

"How could you not realize how loud it was?" Isak scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief. "Why so fucking late to watch a damn movie when there's a book?"

The boy shrugs, "I've seen this movie probably a dozen times but I just enjoy it. The beautiful words - the story line - the tragic ending. It's beautiful. And, it's not really a book." He chuckles. "It's more of a collection of sonnets."

"A collection of what?" Isak asks, utterly confused.

"It's nothing. But, hey, you should join me to watch it sometime?" He offers, a smile tugging on the corner of his lips and Isak catches himself blushing as he looks down at his feet.

"Um. Maybe- I don't- maybe. Sounds nice and all, but I don't think I'm a big guy on- what did you call them? Sonnets. I'm more of a science guy."

"Makes sense, regarding your 'NASA' sweatshirt," the boy chuckles, the sound causing Isak to feel a fluttering sensation in his stomach.

"When's your last lecture today?" Isak asks quickly, a surge of confidence flowing through him as he stares at the cute boy who's standing in the door frame.

"16.35. You?"

"16.00," Isak allows himself a smile. "Meet me at kaffebrenneriet after and then we can head back here for the movie with coffee?"

"Sounds like a great plan," the boy says, extending a hand that Isak is more than willing to take into his own and shake it. "I'm Even."

"Isak."

"Isak, hm. Lovely name," Even comments and Isak feels his heart skip a few beats.

"Till tomorrow?"

Even nods, "Till tomorrow."

"Goodnight, just remember to keep the movie volume down?" Isak pokes one last time, turning to walk back to his own flat and just before he shuts the door behind him, he hears;

"Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow."

Isak allows himself a bittersweet smile as he closes his flat door, shuffling his way back into his bed and his body allows him a few extra special hours of sleep.

-

Isak flies through his physics test in a breeze, collecting a solid six on it which fills him with more happiness then what he was filled with when he woke up almost fully rested this morning due to the early morning events. He was about to go on an almost-date with the cutest guy he was sure was way out of his league but Isak was so willing to give it a try. As he said, he finished at 16.00 and pulled on his jacket, filled his school bag with his essentials he would need for his late night homework session, and headed to the coffee shop he and Even had agreed to meet at. He sat at a small table by the window, constantly looking up and down the street and was badgering by countless waitresses asking if he needed anything but he brushed him to the side, excusing that he was 'waiting for a friend' and the girls seemed to dwindle as the extra 35 minutes passed.

Finally, Isak's heart surges as he seems the familiar figure of the cute boy make his way down the street, and he instantly catches Isak's gaze and gives a wink as he passes the window, walking into the sweet and warm coffee shop, eagerly joining Isak at the table his eyes bright.

"You finally arrived, I began to worry you were going to ditch me," Isak pipes up, grinning as Even laughs and it's so warm that Isak's heart melts.

"I'm not that type of guy, no need to worry about that. Especially if I'm meeting up with a cute boy," Even grins. "Shall we get our coffee and head back to the dorms?"

Isak gives a small nod, getting up from the table and Even follows the notion, following him up to the counter where they both order a hot chocolate and head out into the bitter cold of November, the warm colors of fall surrounding them as they head back to the campus. They receive a few hellos and waves as they head up the stairs to the third floor of dorms and finally they made it to their section of the hallway. Even grinned, unlocking his flat door and they both entered, not speaking a word. They slipped off their shows in the small hallway and Isak followed Even through the rooms and they appeared to be alone which sent Isak into a panic - but in some sort of good way.

Even gestured to where they could lay their things, which was merely a chair but Isak didn't seem to mind. They shuffled through the flat and finally, Even opened the door to what Isak saw as some sort of paradise. He walked in, and was instantly welcomed with drawings plastering the walls and vinyl albums stacked all over, and a small acoustic guitar in the corner by the bed. Isak was in awe as he took in the surroundings and how just by Even's room how much it told him about him. Even watched him, his arms folded, as Isak made his way to the closet doors where dozens of drawings were taped askew across the doors.

"Did you draw these?" Isak asks after a while, unable to pull his eyes away from the magnificent artwork.

Even chuckles, walking further into the room, "I did. Do you like them?"

"They're amazing, wow," Isak admits, biting his lower lip. "You're a good artist."

"Tusen takk. I don't let many people see my drawings due to how personal they are to me, but-" Even shrugs, "-it's chill."

"Why are you letting me gawk at them, then?" Isak suddenly feels embarrassed as he turns to Even who is now setting up the movie on his TV.

"Because it's just you," Even shrugs. "I don't find you dangerous or anything. I find you sweet."

Isak's lips twitch up into a smile as he walks over to Even bed, "So, what should I expect with this movie?"

"Well, it is a tragedy so there might be some crying," Even tells him, smiling as he looks up at Isak's jumbled expression. "And it's the Leo DiCaprio version, which is the most beautiful."

"I doubt this movie will make me cry, but I guess we'll just have to see - and it's just Leonardo DiCaprio. Nothing special."

Even guffaws, "Leonardo DiCaprio is a man of artwork. And see we shall."

They situate themselves on Even's bed, and Isak being the shy boy he is leaves just a big of elbow space between them but he's aching to lean into Even and watch the movie while Even runs his hands through his hair and- no. Isak barely knows the guy, but he already seems half in love with him but then again he never gets the chance to see a cute boy and it's strange how he has never seen him around campus.

Isak gets drawn into the movie carefully, and Even can't help but glance at him from time to time to just see the lights from the TV dance in his beautiful, emerald green eyes and Even would give anything to just gaze into them for hours on end. The movie drones on, and Even barely pays attention to it and Isak can admit that even he stole a glance or two in Even's direction. Isak catches himself more into the movie than he thought and soon the ending credits are rolling and he finds himself turning tense as he feels Even's skin on his own, wiping away the warm tears that signify that he has been crying. Isak swallows, turning his head slowly in Even's hand to face him and he finds a soft, warm smile greeting him.

"Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs; being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes; being vex’d a sea nourish’d with lovers’ tears," is all Even says and Isak is speechless as Even wipes away his stray tears and he blinks once. Twice. No, this isn't a dream. This is all real life and Isak can't believe it. Even removes his hand, dropping it in his lap and Isak yearns for his touch to return.

"I can't believe this movie made me cry," Isak sighs and his voice his quiet, low like a whisper.

"Was it too loud for you?" Even jokes and Isak can't help but roll his eyes but in a fond-like way.

"No, it was fine," Isak sniffles. "The movie was perfect."

Isak raises up a hand to his cheek, wiping away a few more tears and Even speaks again, quoting the tragedy one more time in a quiet, soft voice, "See how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!"

Isak doesn't say a word as he eases his hand away from his face, bringing it to Even's and his touch lingers for a few minutes before grasping his hand, enveloping it in both his hands as he brings it up to his cheek, placing Even's hand against his skin which sends rippling waves of shock through him and his skin is burning as Isak locks his eyes with Even's and he sees just how deep and blue they are and it puts Isak in what seems like a trance.

"I'm really glad that I got up the courage to ask you to turn down your movie," Isak says after a few short moments of silence.

"Why not?" Even asks, a smile playing his lips as he runs his thumb against the soft skin of Isak's cheek and he tucks a small strand of curly, blonde hair behind his ear.

"Because it led me to such a beautiful, soft spoken and sweet guy who has a soft spot for cheesy romance movies," Isak laughs softly, leaning into Even's touch just a bit more.

"Cheesy? Hva? No fucking way, romantic movies are the best. Some of them could use some work, yeah, but Baz Luhrmann makes the best romantic movies," Even pouts and Isak just raises an eyebrow, licking his lips.

"Baz Luhrmann, really?"

"Yes, really! Romeo and Juliet isn't his only masterpiece."

"How many other 'masterpieces' does he have?" Isak asks, allowing himself to move a bit closer to Even.

"Tell you what, let's make all those other movies a date," Even winks, giving Isak a smug look.

"A date? Seriously? You want to watch more movies with me?"

Even shrugs, "Why not?"

Isak bites his lip, considering the offer and he swears that Even can hear how loud his heartbeat is, "Sure. It's a date."

"Ah, finally! I succeeded."

"Succeeded? Succeeded in what?"

"Getting a date with cute curly boy," Even beams, reaching up his other hand to place on Isak's other cheek so he knows holds his face in his hands. "A dream come true."

"Since when did you set this goal?" Isak asks nervously, a bubbly feeling rising in his stomach.

"Since the first day I saw you at orientation," Even winks, letting his hands drop from Isak's face.

Isak feels his cheeks heat up and he finds himself looking down at his lap, a smile tugging at his lips, "Seriously?"

"Absolutely."

"Then it is, 100%, a date."

"Coffee tomorrow and we can get started on the movie dates?" Even offers as Isak rises from the bed, readying himself to head back to his own flat.

"Of course," Isak smiles, grabbing his jacket.

"Perfect."

[dust2dust34]

Pieces of Always: May 2034 (FICoN ‘verse)

Life continues after Forever is Composed of Nows.

by @so-caffeinated​ and @dust2dust34​

Summary: Ongoing non-linear collection of family moments for the Queens. (You do not need to have read FiCoN to enjoy this, but it will spoil the end. Please see the first installment for additional author notes. Thank you @jsevick​ and @alizziebyanyothername​ for the amazing beta!)

A/N: Please see the first chapter for an important Author’s Note.

A/N: As of right now, I am taking more of a beta-like role because I’m having serious concentration issues with my other fics. The effervescent @so-caffeinated has been taking the drafting lead for the last few weeks and she’s been kicking all the ass, so please go send her your love!

(read on AO3)

May 2034 - With A Vengeance

“Oliver!”

Felicity shuts the heavy drapes to block out the afternoon sun, leaving nothing but the dim glow of the television and the distant illumination from the stairwell. She checks the edges, getting an eyeful of a sharp sunray. With a quiet, “Gah,” she cuts off the last remnants of sun trying to sneak through before turning back to the living room.

She blinks, making out little more than the outlines of her kids as they pile on the sofa.

It’s perfect for family movie time.

They’re just missing one key element.

Felicity angles her head towards the stairs, raising her voice louder as she yells, “Oliver!” again. Where is he up there, or did he crawl into the far recesses of Jules’ room?

“Coming!” her husband calls back. His voice is tiny where it wafts from the top floor. His footfalls thud on the stairs, getting louder as he gets closer.

Felicity catches a glimpse of him, but he doesn’t head to the family room, continuing down the stairs to the floor below. “Wrong way, honey,” she calls after him as she grabs the remote. She vaguely sees him waving his hand at her before she rounds the sofa to join the kids. Her eyes are still adjusting to the low-light, so she misses Nate grabbing some of Jules’ popcorn. It’s too late to warn him, though - he’s already got it shoved in his mouth by the time the movement registers.

He should really know better by now. He’s eleven and he’s been burned before.

“Oh my god,” Nate says, pulling a face and scrambling for a glass of the lemonade Felicity had brought up. “What did you do to that popcorn?”

“Serves you right for stealing some,” Jules replies, all nonchalance as she pulls the bowl closer to herself while Nate takes a few heavy gulps. “Get your own.”

“It’s cayenne pepper,” Ellie informs him, grabbing a kernel from her own bowl where it’s perched precariously on her knees and popping it into her mouth. “And mine’s covered in blue cheese, so don’t even think about it.”

“Why would you even do that to popcorn?” Nate demands.

“Says the boy who insists on caramel corn?” a deep voice adds. Oliver appears a second later, carrying two bowls of popcorn. He passes one to Nate who promptly takes a handful and shoves it in his mouth in an attempt to drown out the wicked spiciness of his sister’s cayenne-doused snack.

Felicity wonders if it even tastes sweet after the lemonade he just inhaled.

Oliver crosses over to her, handing her a bowl of normal buttered popcorn - it’s classic - with a soft, “Here.”

Felicity takes the bowl from her husband with a grateful smile. “Any word from William?”

“He’ll be by later,” Oliver replies, his now-empty hands finding her hips with practiced ease. He gives her a quick kiss before adding, “He was on shift until this morning. He wanted to take a nap before he came by.”

“I thought he didn’t work yesterday,” Felicity says as Oliver sits down in the oversized side chair. She moves to plop down on the floor - she’s not about to deal with squeezing into the little space left on the sofa - but her husband has other ideas. Oliver grabs her hips again and pulls her back onto his lap without warning. Felicity yelps in surprise - “Oliver!” - nearly upending the bowl, but his hold on her is solid as he cuddles her close. “You’re going to make me spill the popcorn!”

Oliver’s grin is blinding as he smiles up at her. She rolls her eyes, settling in as he grabs a few pieces of said almost-spilled popcorn. He pops them into his mouth before gripping her chin, pulling her lips to his. His fingers are warms and his lips are buttery and the combination makes her melt. Felicity sighs, savoring the press of his mouth to hers, and presses closer, her tongue darting out to taste just a little bit more.

“Ugh,” Nate says, wrinkling his nose. “You’re gonna make me gag on my popcorn.”

Jules snorts. “So, that’s something to add to the list of things you should have grown to expect by now, then, right?” Felicity can’t see her oldest clearly in the low light, but she has no doubt her daughter’s raising a speculative eyebrow at the boy.

“He changed his schedule,” Oliver tells Felicity, drawing her attention back to him as he answers her earlier question. “One of his roommates worked a rough day earlier in the week. Bad crash. They lost a kid the same age as the guy’s little sister. Will offered to trade shifts and give him a few extra days off. It sounded like he needed it.”

Felicity’s heart sinks at that, a wash of sympathy running through her. “Will’s okay though?” she asks.

“Yeah,” Oliver confirms, kissing her temple. “He wasn’t even working that day.”

The harshness of reality is too clear for all of her children. It’s been such a struggle at times to balance doing what’s right - what’s necessary - while mitigating the occasional awfulness of reality for their kids. They haven’t done nearly as well as she would have liked. When she looks back, she sees so many mistakes they’ve made over the years, so many things she’d do differently, situations she’d avoid entirely if she could. But hindsight is 20/20 and life is a learning process. Or so she tells herself. Logic and her desire to make the world a better place for her kids at nearly any cost don’t always go hand-in-hand.

Still, all-in-all, they’ve raised four amazing children.

Will’s a hero in his own right, these days. It’s more of an everyday kind of way than his father, but no less important. She’s loved that boy since the day she met him, but she’s not sure she’s ever been as proud of him as she was the day he came home from a camping trip and told her he’d decided to be a firefighter. He’s a good boy, her stepson. A good man - he is 26. The sense of accomplishment she gets out of knowing she’s had a part in helping him grow to be the amazing person he’s become is no less than what she feels for any of the children she bore herself.

“Are we watching this movie or what?” Ellie asks, tossing her a look.

“What?” Oliver deadpans.

Felicity smacks him on the chest as Jules groans, throwing a piece of popcorn at her father, payback for the horrid joke. Ellie snickers and Nate scoffs, but Oliver just catches the popcorn and eats it. He doesn’t blink at the cayenne, sharing the same affinity for spice as his daughter.

This is exactly why she’d lobbied for movie time, why she keeps pushing for dinners with all of them, and family outings that have nothing to do with politics or business or vigilantism.

After everything that happened on that earth-shattering day two years ago, after all the setbacks they’d suffered with Jules and the problems that’d started with Ellie because of it, Felicity’s insisted more and more that they need to spend time together. All six of them. They need this. She needs this. She needs Jules to regain that sense of confidence she’d finally grown into. She needs Ellie to see there’s more to the world than just fighting the monsters that lurk in the shadows. She needs Nate to see his sisters are whole and safe. Scars from that day linger - she glances at the silvery line running down Ellie’s neck; some are more visible than others - but they’re healing.

She won’t allow them not to.

“Come on!” Ellie says, a cheer that Nate adds to.

“All right, all right,” Oliver says. He takes the remote from Felicity’s hand and cues up the movie, oblivious to her inner monologue.

It’s an old movie, but she thinks the kids will like it, despite its age.

They’re certainly settled in for the long haul.

Jules is spread out like she owns the entire sofa, one arm draped across the back while her other hand scratches at Buster’s head where he sits dutifully at her feet, graying muzzle resting on her knee. Nate’s on the other end, feet folded beneath himself, back ramrod straight as he watches the screen with a comical amount of seriousness etched into his features. Ellie’s between them, her feet wedged under her brother’s thigh. She takes a deep breath, snuggling deeper into the sofa before leaning her head against her sister’s shoulder.

After a second, Jules leans back, resting her cheek on Ellie’s head.

Tears burn Felicity’s eyes. They’re closer now, her girls. Thank God. It had been so bad there for a while. Last fall had been… Her lungs tighten. She doesn’t even want to think about it now. And she doesn’t have to - not in a way that lingers, anyhow - because it’s not true anymore.

Ellie and Jules are maybe the closest they’ve ever been right now.

Felicity wonders if anyone would notice her getting up to take a picture.

“Your feet are like icicles, Ellie,” Nate protests, pushing at his sister’s legs. She just digs her toes in more, sticking her tongue out at Nate as she intentionally annoys her little brother. “Ellie!” he whines.

Felicity sits up to tell Ellie to keep her feet to herself, but she doesn’t have to.

“Hush it and eat your popcorn,” Jules interrupts. “You’re missing the movie.” Her eyes don’t waver from the screen, clearly expecting Nate to listen, and he does. With a resigned sigh, they all settle in to watch the movie.

It doesn’t last long.

“Why are we even watching this?” Nate asks. “Isn’t this ancient? It’s in 2-D.”

“The reboot comes out in, like, a week,” Ellie tells him.

“Plus, it’ll be fun to watch Dad rub his fingers together in frustration throughout the whole thing,” Jules notes in a singsong voice, dragging out the word ‘whole’ as she smiles at her father.

She’s not wrong.

“Have you seen this?” Felicity asks her oldest.

“No,” Jules replies. “It’s older than hell.”

“Jules,” Oliver warns, his voice heavy, but Jules keeps going.

“But I did see the commercials for the new one and no way is Dad gonna cope with some actor shooting a bow and arrow like that.”

“They’re physically impossible shots,” Oliver interjects, unable to resist. The frustration in his voice is very real and more than a little funny. “How am I supposed to take that seriously? Is a little authenticity too much to ask for?”

“Honey,” Felicity says, “it’s a movie about two human science experiments, a spy, a billionaire in a flying suit, an archer and an alien god fighting the alien god’s evil brother and his army for the fate of the world.” She blinks up at her husband. “You’re worried about authenticity?”

“You say that like none of those things are possible,” he replies, raising his eyebrows as he looks down at her. “We both know better.”

“Yeah,” Felicity hedges, waving at the screen, “but none of them were that pretty. That right there screams ‘entertainment’ more than documentary.”

Oliver levels her with a dry look, to which she smiles in return.

“I like how we watch a movie and spend the entire time talking about it,” Jules says, twisting one of her sister’s curls around her finger.

“We’re more fun,” Ellie replies, resting her chin on her sister’s shoulder and looking up at her.

“With colder feet,” Nate adds, not looking away from the television. Ellie snickers and wiggles her toes. Nate pulls a sour look, earning a broad, toothy smile from Jules.

It’d be so easy to tell them to be quiet and watch the movie, but Felicity doesn’t dare, and neither does Oliver. Her husband rubs his hand up and down her back, the tips of his fingers dancing against her arm, and she knows he’s watching their kids and not the movie as he eats their popcorn.

There’s a peace in this easygoing moment that they know better than to take for granted. They’ve fought for this, refused to fail their family day in and day out for years. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has always, always been worth it.

Oliver sighs against her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. It’s contentment he’s breathing out against her, a bone-deep a sense of calm and fulfillment he would never have expected to find in his life, if asked twenty years ago. But they are each other’s allies in every sense of the word, a team in all the ways that matter, and they have fought - continue to fight - for each other, for their family and for their city.

Because it’s worth it.

They can’t win every battle, though, something that’s sharply evident when Oliver tenses up and holds her more tightly. On screen, a complex of buildings the size of a small town gets swallowed by the earth. It’s far too reminiscent of the Undertaking and Felicity knows he’s bracing himself against those memories. They don’t haunt him as frequently as they used to, but their failures - especially that one - still sit heavily on Oliver’s shoulders.

Felicity splays her hand over his chest, rubbing a small comforting circle over his heart. It soothes him, just enough for him to relax, to turn into her, to let her share the burden that won’t ever fully go away.

She’d expected him to suggest they name Nate after Tommy, when their son had been born. They weren’t beholden to the names the other timeline’s version of themselves had chosen for their kids, after all. But when their son had come into the world, when Oliver had cradled the newborn in his arms for the first time, the baby blinking up at him with surprising alertness, Oliver had greeted him with a soft, “Hey there, Nate. How’s my little man?”

And just like that he’d been Nate.

She’d been the one to insist his middle name be Thomas.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s perfect.”

One of her favorite memories is of her son - not even an hour old and completely dwarfed in the security of his father’s arms - as Oliver looked down at him with teary-eyed joy. As clear as it is in her mind’s eye, watching her not-quite-teenage son dodge a piece of popcorn thrown by one of his sisters, it feels like forever ago.

He’s gotten so big.

They all have.

Never is that more evident than when Ellie suddenly shifts uncomfortably. She pulls away from her siblings, chewing her lip as she glances bashfully toward the television. For a second, Felicity doesn’t get it. She looks at the screen with a furrowed brow, but then it clicks - for both Felicity and Jules.

“So, she’s cute, huh?” Jules asks, elbowing her sister. It’s good-natured, or it’s meant to be. But even if Felicity hadn’t seen her middle child stiffen, her face blazing red even in the dim light as she stares down at her knees, Felicity knows she’s still uncomfortable about being called out on being attracted to anyone.

As Ellie shrugs a little, Felicity says warningly, “Julie.”

“What?” Jules asks, completely oblivious. Or maybe willful ignorance is more accurate. Her approach to everything lately seems to be making herself as bold and brash as possible, spoiling for a fight should anyone call her out. Felicity can’t even imagine her blushing and avoiding eye contact. “She’s not wrong. Natasha is, like, super hot.”

“She’s a good fighter,” Ellie mumbles, not looking at anyone.

“She is,” Oliver chimes in, casting Jules a weighty look.

Jules might think she gets what’s going on with Ellie, she might even think she’s being supportive, but she doesn’t really get that Ellie isn’t comfortable talking about this yet. She’s never walked in Ellie’s shoes, never grappled with her own sexuality, and the sisters are very different people with vastly different ways of dealing with their own discomfort.

The nineteen-year-old rolls her eyes and opens her mouth to say something - Felicity’s ready to cut her off - but another presence in the room quickly shifts the dynamics.

William steps up behind the sofa, saying, “I’d kinda love to see her fight Big Sara, myself,” as he tugs on Jules’ dark-haired ponytail, making the girl yelp.

“Jerk!” she proclaims affectionately, slapping at his hand as her dog gets up and rounds the sofa to greet Will. He whines and butts his greying muzzle against the man’s hand.

“Glad to see you, too, kid,” Will counters Jules as he scratches the dog’s chin. Jules huffs in feigned annoyance at the name as Will drops a kiss on the top of Ellie’s head and claps Nate on the shoulder before looking at his stepmom. “Felicity, I tossed some laundry in the washer. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course,” Felicity replies. She’s always loved this kid - he’s such an easy person to love - but she’s even more appreciative of him when he so easily and single-handedly reroutes Jules.

The smile he gives her is all warmth and gratitude - it’s so Will - and it makes Felicity smile in return as he says, “Thanks.” And then, before anyone can protest, he hops over the back of the sofa and squeezes in between Ellie and Nate, much to the chagrin of his younger siblings. Will’s not too tall, but he’s still a grown man and he’s both well-muscled and stocky. It’s a very full sofa, and while everyone grouses, none of them are really complaining. “Our laundry room was kind of overwhelmed. Elliot was procrastinating as always and then Javi and I were both on last night working that fire at the docks. Everything reeks of smoke back home.”

“I was out there, too,” Oliver tells him, ignoring the movie in favor of his oldest son. “On the wharf.”

“I didn’t see you, but I thought you might have been,” Will replies. “After we realized it was a drug lab that went up in smoke, it seemed very much up your alley. You get the guy?”

“Yeah.” Oliver nods. “Dropped him off with SCPD. They’ve got more than enough evidence to lock him up for ten-to-twenty, at least.”

“Good,” Will says, his voice lowering, his face becoming more grave as he stares blindly at the television. Felicity wonders just how bad the fire had been. It’s a rare day that Will isn’t an easy-going jokester. But she doesn’t ask about it, not right now, not with the other kids here and Will doesn’t immediately volunteer anything.

Jules, on the other hand, does not have the same approach as her mother.

“Why?” she asks, concern furrowing her brow. “What happened?”

“It’s…” Will falters, giving a strained half-smile as he shakes his head. “Tessa had a beam fall on her.”

Oliver sits up taller. “Is she okay?”

“She will be,” Will confirms. “Broken leg and some second-degree burns on her left arm. I’m gonna run by the hospital later and babysit her twins to give her husband a break.”

“Need any help?” Ellie offers immediately.

“Sure,” Will agrees, tugging his little sister closer. “You can change the diapers.”

“Ugh,” Ellie says, wrinkling her nose, but she doesn’t change her mind. “Fine. But you get to clean the spit-up.”

“Deal,” Will proclaims, grabbing her hand and shaking it firmly.

Felicity sort of forgets they’re watching a movie, despite how loud it is, until Nate speaks up.

“I really like this Pepper person,” he says. “But I don’t understand why she’s with Tony. He’s kind of a jerk.”

“You’d probably rather she was dating Coulson,” Jules declares, offering some popcorn to Will. He knows better, though, stealing some of Nate’s instead.

“Coulson is the best character in this movie so far,” Nate insists. And, oh, her little boy would think that, wouldn’t he? “He has more sense than everyone else put together and he’s trying to do the right thing. I like him.”

“Of course you like him,” Jules scoffs. “You basically are him.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment,” Nate informs her, holding his chin up in quiet defiance.

“Suit yourself,” Jules says, shrugging one shoulder.

“Look, Coulson is great and all, but nobody beats Captain America,” Ellie announces, looking back and forth between her siblings.

“Remind me not to show her the sequels,” Oliver mutters in Felicity’s ear, his fingers stroking along her forearm as she leans her head against his chest. She’s not watching the movie. Not really. Her kids are far more interesting.

“He fights with a shield,” Jules tells Ellie. “Like, points for how he throws it and all, but that’s a terrible weapon.”

“It’s protective,” Ellie counters. “Because that’s who he is. He’s there to protect people.”

“Sometimes the best defense is a good offense,” Jules replies. “And, sorry, but a shield is the worst weapon ever.”

“It’s not the weapon that matters,” Oliver pipes up. “It’s the person fighting with it. Anything can be a weapon if you wield it right.”

Jules sighs. She can be so dramatic sometimes… most of the time. “Obviously. But, come on, Dad, you can’t tell me a shield beats guns or a bow and arrow or actual lasers that you shoot out of your hands.”  

“You would side with Iron Man,” Ellie proclaims, shaking her head at Jules.

“Uh, cause he’s badass,” Jules tells her. “He flies and shoots lasers. Tell me again how a shield compares to that.”

“Well, I like the shield,” Ellie declares. “I think it’s awesome. And incredibly useful when it reflects laser beams back at people who underestimate it.”

Jules plasters on a smile, staring at her sister. “You’re infuriating.”

“I aim to please,” Ellie counters with an identical grin.

Nate breaks through the moment when he looks up at Will and asks, “Which one’s your favorite?”

“I’m not sure,” Will muses. “Do I have to have a favorite?”

“Yes,” Jules says at the same moment that Ellie says, “No.”

Will chuckles. After a moment, he says, “I like them when they’re a team. I think they bring out the best in each other.”

It’s an answer that makes her husband damn near preen with pride.There’s a grudging agreement between the kids after that, even if Jules watches Will like she’s wary of his answer.

“Definitely not showing them the sequels,” Oliver mutters into her ear.

Felicity nods. “Definitely not,” she whispers back. If what the kids are getting from this is ‘yay teamwork,’ the next in the series is a terrible idea.

But, that’s not really what has Felicity’s focus at the moment.

No, that’s Jules.

Because, in years past, Felicity is well aware that it isn’t Iron Man her oldest would have sympathized with. No, it would have been Loki. That resentment, that bitterness and sense of displacement - earned or not - would have hit home with her. But now she doesn’t even seem to register the similarities.

And, thank God for that.

“Why do the villains always try and talk people to death?” Jules asks as Loki tries to subjugate a crowd on the screen. “Do they all love the sounds of their own voices?”

“Yes,” Oliver confirms. “Always. It’s ego.”

“Well, that’s convenient for us,” Ellie replies absently as she watches the show.

Us.

The word sends a shiver up Felicity’s spine, one Oliver clearly feels because he holds her a little tighter.

Ever since what the girls went through two years ago, Ellie’s pushed so hard to grow up faster, to be a part of the team and take up the mantle of a vigilante. As a mother, that makes Felicity equal parts terrified and proud. She’s always known that one day her little Ellie-bug would join the family business, take a place at her father’s side - or even replace him - protecting the city. But she’s barely sixteen and there’s such a thing as trying to grow up way too fast. She’s rushing through the stages of her life that she ought to be savoring. And telling her daughter to slow down, to take a breath and give it time, has done no good at all.

It keeps Felicity up at night, makes her worry in ways she never has for her middle child before.

Ellie had been such an easy kid for so long. In some ways, she still is. She’s kind, smart, thoughtful, and generally happy. But then there’s also this - a single-minded drive to mold herself into the hero she thinks she’s fated to be. That’s always been there with Ellie, to a point. But since the kidnapping, since everything turned upside down… Well, her dedication has grown tenfold and it slices through Felicity’s heart with a fresh sense of terror.

“Well, hello there,” Jules says sharply, leaning forward and eyeing the television with way too much interest all of a sudden.

Felicity glances at the screen to find they’ve hit Thor’s arrival. She looks back to her oldest who is rather blatantly checking out the movie’s superhero god.

“You’re ridiculous,” Will tells her, flicking her ear.

Jules bats his hand away without looking. “He’s crazy hot,” she says. Without even realizing it, Felicity starts nodding along in agreement.

“Really?” Oliver asks, a hint of almost-playful incredulity in his voice as he stares down at her.

“I mean… he’s…” Felicity tries, feeling more than a little defensive as she looks back to the screen. Thor’s throwing his hammer and his biceps are just… “Yeah.”

“Ha!” Jules barks loudly. “Mom’s got taste!”

“I knew that, thanks,” Oliver tells her dryly before looking back to his wife.

“Sorry, honey,” she tells him. “He’s one good looking Norse god. But look on the bright side, at least I’m not all doe-eyed over Hawkeye and his archery.”

Exasperation colors his face as he gestures at the screen. “Those shots aren’t even real!”

“I know,” she tells him, patting his chest. “I know. It’s just Hollywood, hon. None of this is real. Not even Thor… and I’m pretty sure Hemsworth doesn’t have those muscles anymore.”

“Is Hawkeye even in this movie, yet?” Will asks.

“For like thirty seconds or something,” Felicity replies.

“Thirty seconds too much,” Oliver grumbles. Felicity laughs. “It’s true,” he defends.

Why is he so adorable when he’s grumpy? It’s ridiculous. He’s pouting and all she wants to do is kiss it away.

“You’ll always be my favorite archer,” she promises him with a little smile, running her fingers through the mostly-gray scruff along his cheek. She angles her head up to press a lingering kiss to his downturned lips. He holds fast, but it’s not long before he’s giving in with a smile, kissing her back.

“Ugh,” Nate protests in the background.

Felicity doesn’t agree with her youngest’s disgust. She hums in quiet delight as they part, her hand still against her husband’s cheek, savoring that connection. Neither of them pay Nate’s protest any mind, instead resting their foreheads together, noses brushing softly.

She sighs in contentment.

“You’re missing the fight scene with your mushiness,” Jules tells them around a mouthful of popcorn.

It’s true, but it’s not like either of them care. They both learned long ago to relish quiet moments of closeness when they can. This is so much more worthwhile than watching Bruce Banner turn into the Hulk or Loki’s escape or the ship lose its engines. They get more than enough destructive moments of excitement in their lives. Quiet moments of holding on to each other are the ones they grab onto and don’t let go of. And they do…

Right up until Nate’s protest is about something else entirely.

“What the heck!” he shouts at the television. “No, that’s ridiculous. They can’t kill Coulson. He’s the best character! What kind of movie is this?”

“Sorry, kiddo,” Will says, bumping his shoulder against his little brother’s.

“Why would they do that?,” Nate asks, his voice high with distress. He’s all tension and a set jaw. Her baby is such a feeler, takes everything to heart. It makes her want to wrap him up and protect him from the world sometimes. “Why would they kill him?”

“They needed something to pull them together,” Oliver tells his son. “Something to motivate everyone to become a team.”

“Well, I hate it,” Nate declares. “He was the best character in this movie. This movie’s stupid.”

“If it helps any, he’s not really dead,” Felicity advises her little boy.

“He’s not?” Ellie asks. “He looks pretty dead to me with the giant hole in his chest.”

“There was a whole thing in the tv show,” Felicity tells her, waving her hand. “They basically Lazarus Pitted him. Without the crazy. Or… with a different breed of crazy, really…”

“That doesn’t help,” Nate tells her.

“Nate,” Oliver starts, pausing and looking toward his wife for a moment before continuing. Just from the look and his tone, Felicity knows whatever he’s about to say is far more important than the movie itself. “We’ve been lucky, for the most part. But what they do, what we do… it’s dangerous. People get hurt. People die. There’s no pretending that’s not true. Not even in a movie.”

Nate frowns, clearly not enjoying the healthy dose of reality. “I don’t wanna watch this anymore,” he says, putting his popcorn bowl on the coffee table and folding his arms.

“Oh, kiddo, don’t quit now,” Felicity sighs. “It gets better from here. I promise.”

“No one else dies?” he demands.

“Spoiler alert?” she asks, looking between the kids, who all nod. “No one else dies.”

Nate stares at her, waiting for the other shoe to drop, but there isn’t one. He finally sits back with a heavy frown. He isn’t thrilled about continuing the movie, but at least he stays. Will wraps his arm around the younger boy and rubs his shoulder comfortingly. It does exactly what it’s supposed, settling Nate some, at least enough for his frown to soften as he leans into his brother.

On screen, the fight spills onto the streets of New York. Buildings crumble and aliens invade, spreading chaos and violence. In some ways, it’s very familiar. They’ve seen scenes like this over the years, fought these battles. But Felicity has no doubt that it’s far more reminiscent of reality to her and Oliver, and even William, than the younger kids. For all that there are still battles to be fought and won - and there always will be - they’ve made a tremendous difference these past two decades. Their city is safer, their world a little bit better.

But the scene that plays out on the television isn’t reality and it isn’t the midpoint of their story; it’s the start. And the Avengers have so much more work to do before their world reflects their heroism. Felicity can increasingly see the fruits of their efforts in the streets of Starling. She knows full well this kind of fight is worth it. But she’s also well aware that it is a fight and it is not something solved within the span of a movie.

“Okay, but look at that shield,” Ellie points out, gesturing at the television with one hand as she stares at her sister. “Tell me that’s not amazing.”

The metal disc bounces around on screen in improbable ways, taking out aliens left and right before boomeranging back to Captain America’s hands. Cinematically, it’s fun. In reality, it’s not like that would actually work. At least, Felicity’s pretty sure it wouldn’t. It’s not like she’s some kind of crazy ninja warrior girl. But she’s been around fighting for a few decades now and she’s got a good idea of what’s realistic and what’s not. That’s not realistic, she decides, before reminding herself it’s not supposed to be.

“Uh huh,” Jules replies with a sigh. “Almost as amazing as flying around with lasers shooting from your hands.”

“Ugh,” Ellie huffs in exasperation, shaking her head as she looks toward the ceiling. Jules is far too self-satisfied with her sister’s frustration and Will is obviously thoroughly amused by both of his sisters, but it’s Nate who once again grabs her attention. He’s so focused on the screen, so intense, and Felicity can’t help but wonder what her little boy is thinking.

“This would be so much less messy if Coulson were there,” Nate grumbles after a moment. “All those people just keep getting caught in the crossfire. All those buildings are falling. Their jobs are gone, their homes… I thought the Avengers were supposed to save the day?”

Things are so simplistic to him sometimes.

“They do, baby,” Felicity tells him. “But you can’t win every battle in a war. That’s not how it works.”

Oliver swallows hard behind her, his hand jerking slightly against her skin. She runs her fingers along his, soft and soothing, chasing away the memories of battles lost.

“I just figured…” Nate starts, shaking his head a little. “I mean, it’s a movie.”

In spite of having seen the rougher aspects of what Team Arrow does, he’s retained the childish innocence that an almost-twelve-year-old should have. As much as it amazes her, she’s grateful for it, but she also wonders how long that can possibly last.

It’s something that his sisters both lost long ago.

“Exactly,” Jules points out. “It’s a movie. It wouldn’t be entertaining if they won every fight, would it? That’d be boring.”

The look on Nate’s face tells Felicity he doesn’t agree, but he also doesn’t speak up. He’s made of very different stuff than either of his sisters. He will never take up the family mantle - not like Ellie will, or like she wonders if Jules might. Nate’s too gentle for that, too much of a pacifist. She can’t even imagine what it would take for him to be pushed into their world of vigilantism.

Felicity actually expects Jules to keep poking at her brother, but the older girl falls oddly silent watching the television.

On the screen, Iron Man is pulling his great act of heroism, moving to sacrifice himself for the city. Jules is visibly bothered by it. Her brow furrows, her jaw clenching tightly as she stares at the screen.

She’s not the only one who picks up on Jules’ discomfort. Ellie leans against her sister again, resting her cheek on Jules’ shoulder, wrapping her arms around the older girl’s elbow. It’s somehow both supportive and protective.

“Tony’s gotta live,” Ellie tells Jules in a quiet voice. “Mom said so. And, anyhow, who would be a pain in the ass to Captain America with him gone? That’s half the movie.”

Jules is a little mollified by that, shooting her sister a small smile before looking back nervously at the screen.

If Felicity had been asked before the movie who her oldest would identify with most strongly, Tony Stark would not have been her pick. But, looking back, maybe it should have. Like Iron Man, Jules so often hides her feelings behind a sense of false bravado and outlandish behavior. That’s varied a lot over the years, hitting its worst peak just under a year ago, but it’s undeniably her default mode when she feels threatened or scared.

The rest of the fight unfolds. The Avengers save the day and they all survive unscathed - more or less. Nate’s pretty annoyed that Coulson’s still gone when the credits roll, but he grudgingly admits he kind of enjoyed the movie. It leaves Jules quietly thoughtful and Ellie excited, talking about working some of Natasha’s moves into her training.

It’s just a movie, Oliver reminds Ellie. What works on screen doesn’t usually work in real life. But she won’t be dissuaded. It’s only Will reminding her that she wanted to help him babysit that keeps her from rushing down to the gym to spar against a training dummy.

Sometimes Ellie terrifies Felicity. She’s so gung-ho, so ready to don a mask, and yet… she’s not ready in the least.

These days, it’s Ellie - not Jules - who she thinks might give her an ulcer.

“Thanks, Dad,” Jules tells Oliver as she stands. Behind her, Nate is collecting their popcorn bowls and lemonade glasses. “You were right. That was a good movie.”

“Glad you liked it,” Oliver tells her. Felicity’s still curled up on his lap, not inclined in the least to move. His body heat suffuses through her, leaves her comfy and so very loved as his hand strokes along her arm. “Maybe we can all go see the reboot. If it’s any good.”

Felicity expects her daughter to say no, to tell them she has plans with friends or she’s not interested. After all, she’s a nineteen-year-old college student and she probably has better things to do with her time than to hang out with her parents and siblings. But Jules surprises her, biting her lower lip and nodding a little. “Yeah, okay,” Jules replies. “That might be fun.”

“Do you have dance practice tonight?” Will asks from behind her.

“No,” Jules says, glancing at the clock. “But I do have a date and I should go get ready because Miles is gonna be here in like an hour.”

It’s almost five months that she’s been seeing this guy, which is a record for Jules. While she won’t say it’s serious with him, she also won’t say it’s not. That alone is enough to give Felicity pause, but what she’s seen of Miles himself does even more so.

She’s met this kid a few times and he seems nice, but it’s all very surface-level interaction. It feels forced, fake. On one hand, she’s just his girlfriend’s mom. She doesn’t expect him to be super interactive with her. But, on the other, she worries that it’s all there is to him.

Jules talks about him like he hung the moon, like he’s some brilliant philosopher and a musical genius. But all she sees is a kid with who took a break from college to focus on his band. He reminds her of Cooper without the intelligence to back up his ego and it makes her wish Jules could learn from her mistakes secondhand. But she can’t and Felicity doesn’t want to risk damaging her relationship with her daughter in an attempt to force it. She’s more than a little worried that this boy is going to utterly shatter her little girl’s heart because she’s pretty sure that Jules has given more of it than she realizes. All she can do is be there to help pick up the pieces once he’s gone.

“I’ve got a group project to work on,” Nate tells them, derailing her thoughts. Knowing him, he’s probably doing the entirety of it himself. That or he’s worked out a detailed assignment chart. Either one is possible.

“Okay,” Felicity nods from her spot on Oliver’s lap. “Thanks for grabbing the dishes.”

“Sure.” Nate smiles as he heads back downstairs toward the kitchen.

Jules gives a little nod their way before jogging to her room to get ready for her date. Will, for his part, wraps an arm around Ellie and says, “Thanks for the help babysitting. I’ll just move over my laundry and then we can get going, okay?”

“Okay,” Ellie agrees, smiling up at him.

“Glad you’re okay, Will,” Oliver tells his oldest son. “Give Tessa our best and let me know if there’s anything her family needs, okay?”

“Yeah,” Will says with a nod. “I’ll make sure to do that. But, honestly Dad, you caught the guy who did this to her. That’s more than enough.”

There’s absolutely no missing the pleased look that takes over Oliver’s face at his son’s pride and approval. William’s acceptance of Oliver has always meant so much to him and it’s always been so freely given. It could have been so much more complicated. Felicity knows that. But they got lucky. William’s a great kid, an easy kid, and he has always been as eager to have Oliver in his life as Oliver has been to have his son in his.  

Will squeezes his father’s shoulder in silent affection as he heads back downstairs toward the laundry. Ellie follows shortly on his heels, dropping a kiss on both of her parents’ cheeks before she goes.

And then, it’s just them.

Felicity sighs, burrowing further into her husband’s loose hold around her. She holds onto him as much as he holds onto her. It’s a quiet moment, domestic and simple, a calm in the storm of their lives. She doesn’t have to be at QI and he doesn’t have to be at the Senate and there’s no big bad launching a war against the city. Their kids are safe and happy and - for the moment - all beneath their roof.

These are the moments she loves to savor.

“Should we get up?” Oliver asks after a minute, his fingers stroking down the length of her neck softly.

“Mmm, no,” she counters, cupping his cheek and leaning her head against his bicep as she looks up at him. The affection that lives in their shared gaze is breathtaking, blinding, perfect. “I like it here.”

He smiles down at her, those soft wrinkles that line his eyes deepening with his joy. “Me too,” he tells her. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”

She doesn’t have to tell him that they both are.

He already knows.

*

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[westforestuniversity]

Fallz

Fall 2017. New year, new drama.

Valerie Azarola & Max Azarola

She stepped onto the football field with a stupid grin on her face. It was dark, so only the white of her teeth and small patterns of pink across her dress showed with the black lights set up all around them. At the end of welcome week for the freshman, their “school” held a rave-type movie night. Out of all the activities, it was the only one most of the new meat actually showed up to. Even seniors, so tired of the place they could barely stand it, moseyed out of their suites to see the action. The movie wasn’t actually what it was all about, unsurprisingly. Being that the old football field wasn’t technically on campus, it wasn’t in control of the school and alcohol wasn’t uncommon in its indiscreet little red cups. Valerie had met nearly all of her friends now at the very event almost two years ago. Then she was so timid she clung to her cousin the entire time, his stoic meanness scaring off everyone except Ally. Now she wasn’t even sure where he was. As soon as she hit the end zone, they parted ways. He with his fellow art nerds and Val with Lukas towards the keg.

Now, she carried two cups as she picked her way across the field back towards him. It was already crowded and when she finally reached them, they were only half full. “Well, I tried,” she grumbled, handing one to Lukas. Valerie doubted he heard her with the music pounding throughout the stadium. She wondered how many calls the cops had already gotten, said they’d do something about, and continued on with their paperwork. There was probably a time where they tried to control it but now just found it pointless. Looking up at the blonde boy, she squinted to try and make out his face in the dark. The music shifted to a song she faintly recognized. Her body began to move along to the beat, though subtly. Into the beat, she jumped when someone grabbed her waist. Valerie turned to see Max and Ally. “Scared me,” she yelled over the music. Shrugging, Max took the cup from her hand and took a sip. A grimace stretched over his face and he handed it back to his cousin.

“Warm beer is awful,” he said. Valerie noticed the way his arm was hovering close around Ally’s waist but not quite touching. Everyone knew they were together by now; she honestly couldn’t figure out why they didn’t just act like it. Maybe that was just their style. That, or she’d gotten used to Lukas always seeming to have his hands on her when they were somewhere with a lot of eyes. It was probably just his weird show of dominance but the romantic part of her mind liked to turn it into something more.

Max still didn’t like Lukas, which didn’t surprise her. He did, however, get over his moodiness with her and was able to be civil with him. Valerie could tell Max was purposely standing so Ally was the furthest away from him, though. She couldn’t blame him, she guessed. “Do you know what they’re playing tonight?” He asked, brushing his hair behind his ears.

“Gotta ask Cam,” Valerie said, holding her beer. She wasn’t a fan of the drink cold or warm but had it as a safety in case the night went sideways. Max watched her tap her finger against the side of it idly and wondered if there was something she was nervous about. Maybe Lukas going off again. He just hoped he wasn’t around if it happened. Valerie would take Lukas’ side no matter what happened, which constantly pissed him off.

“You seen Ezra?” Max asked, angling to Ally. Valerie was already back into space, staring at Lukas to watch his mood. Already tired of it, Max stepped forward so Ally had to step back and increased the space between the pairs. “He’s still a little rough after his mom died. I get worried.” Max crossed his arms as the wind billowed around them, sending his blue shirt twisting around him and Ally. The music that was played held very little interest for him. He enjoyed the actual music, but the lyrics always made him a little queasy. Perhaps it was just the fact that his father raised them on the gospel: the rap genre wasn’t it for him. Maybe he did need a warm beer.

Katherine Palmer 

“I think that’s it,” she murmured, planting her hands on her hips. Her dorm was complete- well, her side at least. She’d already met her roommate even though the girl was stuck at home for a few more weeks. It gave Kathy time to settle into college without having to step around the awkwardness of living with a stranger, though. That was nice. Plus, she had plenty of extra space to move the furniture around in. It was fine now, but so cookie-cutter.

Her brother made an appreciative “hmph” behind her, indeed loving the way it was. She turned and saw him flick his eyes away from her quickly. His eyes were all squinted, chin up and mouth just slightly pursed. Assessing, always freaking assessing. “Charlie-“ Kathy began, tone taut.

“No, no,” he interrupted, waving his hands in front of him. “I’m not going to go all parental on you. Just wanted to see if you were okay, you know. This was yours and mom’s thing for so long.”

Ah, so that was it. Kathy supposed he would bring it up at some point or another. Their parents were supposed to be the ones doing this. Helping her move, co-signing on any paperwork, her father giving the boys in the hall stink eyes even though he should have looked the other way. She hadn’t even gotten a chance to tell them before the crash. Her mother, the daughter of two gay men, would have been ecstatic to know. In all honesty, Kathy presumed her mother already did know. Now she’d never get to tell them. Her father would be able to handle Charlie’s friends being around comfortably and not freak out when one of them looked at her. Overprotective to the core, he was. Kathy’s heart clenched knowing she wouldn’t be getting calls from him every night. Annoying after a while but she’d take them forever over never again. As her eyes connected with her brother’s, she could tell their minds were orbiting the same path. It was only a month ago that they died. For a while, Kathy had thought she wouldn’t even make it to college. She didn’t want to leave Charlie alone but part of her wondered if she didn’t want to be alone herself.

“I’ll be fine, really. This is good.” Kathy dropped her arms from her sides and stepped back to her bed. She adjusted the pillows absently. “But I need to go, if I’m going to make it to that movie. I’m already the latest to move in.”

Charlie nodded, ducking his head. He scuffed his foot across the ground for a few seconds before he looked back up. His eyes were beginning to get puffy. Kathy frowned and wrapped her arms around his skinny waist. “Don’t worry about it, bubs. I’ll even tell you where my stash is at home?”

Laughing, Charlie kissed the top of his sister’s head and detangled her arms. “I found that ages ago, stupid. You aren’t a good hider.” He grabbed his keys from the desk and left with a wave. They never had said ‘I love you’ to each other. Kathy brushed her palms over her shorts when she was alone and took a deep breath. It was now or never. She checked her hair in the mirror but the stands were helplessly tangled from the wind in Charlie’s convertible. Well, it would be dark at least.

At the football field, it was already packed. She knew she was supposed to be in the top end zone for announcements or whatever. Kathy should have actually been there much sooner considering she was new to the student government committee, but she couldn’t help traffic. Snaking her way through the crowd, she ignored the beers offered to her, knowing something more enticing would come her way soon. At the front, nearly everyone else she’d met earlier that summer in camp was already there. “Hi,” Kathy said, waving a little. A boy she remembered best stepped forward and wrapped her in a side hug. “Been a while, huh?” She asked, nudging him. During that month, she probably spent most of her time with him. Matt was his name. Kathy scanned the people standing around her, trying to see any new faces. She paused briefly at a girl with brown hair, tangled like her own, and bright green eyes. Woah, she thought, taking a gulp. Good thing she hadn’t been at their summer camp.

Apollo & Artemis “Rin” Riley 

“You really let Shane drag you to this?” Artemis asked, narrowing her eyes in barely hidden distaste.

“I’m a pushover,” Apollo said. His look mirrored her own. Except, that was entirely false. He wouldn’t, in the slightest, do something he didn’t want to. So despite his initial protests, some part of him must have wanted to go. Maybe it was just to start his year off just like everyone else. But, and this was a firm but, he wasn’t going to go to his chemistry class the next morning with a hangover and someone else’s underwear around his neck like last year. Even though that had ended rather well for him, considering the boy beside him still had the pair to this day.

His twin pushed her hands into the pocket of the garment she had called a romper and shifted her weight. With their shoulders pressed against each other, he felt a little bit of the unease going with each outward breath. It wasn’t like these things were really all that bad. Yes, it was full of boisterous, annoying, hair-brained, and erratic barely-adults full of liquor and questionable substances but that didn’t mean a decent time wasn’t somewhere in between. As long as Apollo didn’t have to taste flat beer or carry Artemis home because she was too green to realize fruity drinks didn’t mean alcohol-free, he would be mostly okay.

“I’m going to find Ally,” Artemis said, gathering her hair at the back of her neck. She kept it there a moment before letting it fall.

Waiting until she was out of earshot, Apollo leaned closer to Shane so he didn’t have to yell. “You know the drill. One eye on Rin all the time, or else she’ll be in a ditch tomorrow.” He loved her, really, but she was entirely too gullible to be on her own. Maybe if she hadn’t stayed at the conservative college down south for her first two years, all for the sake of a dumb scholarship, she could have learned more by now. Nonetheless, Apollo was happy she was somewhere he could watch her safely learn and try new things.

Artemis, however, wasn’t always as happy to have Apollo around. There were some things even a twin brother didn’t need to know about. With their being in the same circle of friends, her adventures often got back to him insanely fast unless she was cautious in only telling Ally. Even though she hadn’t exactly had a single “adventure” since she decided the social life wasn’t the life for her, he still watched her like a hawk. Honestly, she only ended up four hours away naked in a gas station bathroom once. Apollo didn’t think second chances were logical, though.

When Artemis found Ally, she paused. She looked like she was in a more serious conversation with Max, so she hung back until they saw her.

 Apollo could just barely see the top of Artemis’ head. He recognized Max, and three others he probably knew but couldn’t remember. Good, there was more than one person to watch her. “Did Cam want us in the student government meeting? I don’t recall her saying anything,” Apollo said, looking at Shane. He adjusted the sleeves of his polo.