#really slim pickings on the fics for my usual preferences

[golby-moon]

got some art for a round in the @destielomegaversebigbang. got to draw lots of new things with this fic which is always fun and partly why I started doing bangs at all

with the banner, I was actually given a color scheme by the author to try out, which is why everything is so...green and tan. I wanted to represent the uh weird chastity belt thing without actually showing it, so I designed a belt with fancy Celtic designs on both the belt buckle and the belt itself (which were made to look like 's's for Supernatural). the keys mirror the belt as Cas is the key to unlocking it in the fic, and the background with its dangerously off centered dots and wooden board sort of title are because Cas owns a hardware store in the fic. I definitely didn't overdo it on the symbolic silver color I continuously reused

I originally chose the fic due to this scene being described in the claims, where Dean and Cas bump into each other in a hardware store and all kinds of stuff spills around them on the ground. admittedly I didn't know Cas worked in the hardware store from the claims, but this did give me a great opportunity to draw all kinds of stuff I never have before (mostly in the background with all the tools and idk plates and stuff everywhere). I wanted to imply that Cas knows about hunting and monsters and such, so I not only have iron, silver, and salt bullets on display on the counter, but also added a devil's trap sticker on the cash register next to the cat one and the 'save <3 (bee) bees' one. everything is charged by the dollar instead of any of the $x.99 stuff due to a thought I had about Cas being too blunt to bother with making things seem cheaper (and if any of the prices are way off, that's because I have no clue how much any of this stuff would be ignore that)

I did originally have their faces turned a little less and Cas looking more...well, like Cas, but I like the vibe of the later version better since they seem more friendly instead of like strangers having their first ever mutually gay awakening moment. this one just looks kind of awkward. thank goodness I used references for the kneeling positions for once though 🎉 (I think Cas' was some lady gardening lol)

the art limit for the bang was actually brought down, but I did two pieces for the minibang fic anyway and added the scene of Dean lying on the couch and Cas with his weirdly long right arm (oops) cupping his face. when I read the scene, I just immediately pictured Cas owning an ugly floral grandma couch, which turns out to be the kind of disaster couch the author kind of pictured Cas as having as well. it's such an ugly couch I love it

(not that anyone probably noticed but I did draw this a while ago which is why Dean's hair isn't consistent with the new way I draw it. Cas' is about as messy as always though 👌)

the fic this is made for is called "An Intervention of Silver" by @hannahctwk for the destiel omegaverse big bang

(09/29/23)

[rriavian]

I saw the "Soft™ fic prompt meme" and couldn't resist: may I ask you 10 or 18 for Morpheus and little Orpheus? I adored "Delicate Negotiations" and the way you wrote them <3

Thank you so much for this prompt! I loved writing 'Delicate Negotiations' so I'm really happy that you enjoyed how I write these two :) Writing this fic was just as fun so I hope you like it!

This grew to be a little longer than expected, so here is the link to it on ao3: Lead the Way

-

When they reached the first set of traffic lights Orpheus wanted to be the one to press the button.

The crossing itself was approximately three minutes away from his school. The road immediately outside of the building had never been a problem, was manned by a very diligent woman—look dad! It’s the lollipop lady!—and they had never needed to worry about the safety of crossing there. Her presence reliable even an hour after school had ended; not only for the winter months when it was darker than usual, a familiar face all year round, there even when the after school activities Orpheus enjoyed resulted in a later pick up. Once they ventured further they had no such assistance, no crowd to follow either, the peace of nearly empty streets theirs to enjoy.

There was a chill in the air.

Winter made clear its presence in this crispness, in the fog it made of their breath. In such a season most of the other parents preferred to travel home by car but Dream had always enjoyed walking. Even the cold had beauty. He found the time spent outdoors invigorating, found an additional benefit in how it was a far more useful tool in which to teach Orpheus, an immeasurable value found in a practical lesson.

The hour was edging into late afternoon, the evening making a greeting of a farewell, the sun slipping low in the sky. It was not yet out of sight, an amber glow across the horizon, but it was already beginning to get dark. There was shade setting into the brick of nearby houses, a hint of shadow that would soon unfold far more rapidly. They should be home before then. The traffic lights at this first stop were currently red, cars zooming past while they stood on the pavement, a rush of sound made by both tires and engine.

Orpheus was looking expectantly towards the button that would signal the traffic lights to change.

After a moment he glanced back, peered up at Dream, a wordless request that nonetheless made his intent clear. Though they had come to a stop Dream had not yet moved towards it, and so now he nodded. Orpheus had to let go of his hand to reach up and press the button, a moment where he stood alone, Dream still in reach but a new distance in how he was a moment away. Once done he looked back for approval—unmoving until he saw his father’s small smile—and then Orpheus very seriously took hold of Dream’s hand once again.

“Remember that we must wait for the light to turn green,” Dream said solemnly.

His son’s stoicism withdrew in favour of excitement; an elated smile extending right up into his eyes, proud to demonstrate his knowledge of these steps. “Then we cross!!”

“Yes.” Dream nodded.

They waited patiently, crossed when the lights changed and they heard a familiar beeping sound, turned left, reached another corner and then turned right.

The streets were still empty, but an observer might have seen two figures dressed in warm winter clothes, one small, one tall, linked by a hand reaching down while another reached up. A calibration of two different gaits; two smaller steps for every larger one, so easy to misalign, yet there was care in how they both kept pace with each other as they walked.

Dream was carrying his son’s school bag.

The shoulder strap hold carefully in a slim hand. Next to him Orpheus wore a soft knit hat covering his brown curls, the wool a deep, ocean blue, while Dream had a black scarf tucked into his equally dark coat. There had been a brief disagreement over gloves—my son your hands will get cold—but Orpheus had eventually agreed to put them on after some gentle persuasion. Well, it had been more of a reminder really, a casual comment made at just the right moment. After all, those gloves had been a gift from Calliope, and wouldn’t she like to know how well they fit?

It had granted him a pause. Then a nod. Orpheus had been swayed by mention of his mother, had flexed his fingers in the soft gloves, had shyly commented that they kept his fingers very warm.

He had wanted to be able to tell her that.

Orpheus would be able to prove it once they arrived home. They took another left, followed the road straight, and the next time they stopped Dream was sure to do so a fair bit away from the edge of the curb. It was as usual, his choice of position deliberate to demonstrate the correct place to stand.

He looked down at his son.

“May I press the button this time?”

Orpheus tilted his head up, met Dream’s eyes, a pale face framed by his ocean blue hat, thoughtful as he took a moment to consider the request. His nose was starting to turn a little red from the cold, which made Dream frown, already considering how to ensure his son was warm enough when he took him to school tomorrow. Perhaps he could persuade him to wear his own scarf…

“Alright.” Orpheus was chewing on his lip when he replied. “I suppose that’s fair.”

Dream smiled. “Thank you.”

He pressed the button.

“Need to wait for the green man.” Orpheus said seriously once it lit up. “Then we can go.”

After a minute or so it turned green.

And off they went again.

From then on they preceded to take it in turns to press the button—Orpheus very graciously making the allowance, strictly keeping track of who had gone last—and soon enough they reached the part of their journey where they’d be crossing roads without the assistance of any more traffic lights. As before Dream led them to a stop, now locating a section of the curb that was safest to attempt a crossing, finding a place where the lip of the pavement dipped flat to the road. It was a familiar part of their journey; Orpheus was eagle eyed as ever, critically surveying the opposite side of the road, sizing the distance. The path to reach it was filled with peril, a danger so very real, perhaps mundane for those used to such things but even then this would still be hazardous.

It was a mighty enemy for one so small.

Dream approved of his son’s seriousness. “Now little muse, what do we do here?”

“We look left and right, then repeat, and we can only cross once the road is clear.” Orpheus replied promptly, repeating words he’d been told in a tone that was very matter of fact. The understanding wasn’t empty though.

“Good. Do you wish to decide when we go?”

Orpheus nodded in quiet determination. “I can do it.”

The question had been an honest one, the choice had been a real thing offered, and though he’d not have been disappointed Dream was still pleased Orpheus felt confident enough to attempt this alone. His little face looked left and right, carefully watching the cars driving past, waiting for a gap in the traffic so that they could cross. It wasn’t quite rush hour yet, but it was still busy, and so the vehicles were coming quite quickly without much of a space in between. The hour meant it unlikely many motorists would be willing to slow down to allow them to cross. The task required endurance; it was not a time of year that made waiting easy, there was still that chill in the air, winter nipping at exposed skin with icy teeth.

It was the sort of cold that sank, that was felt more deeply the longer they both stood still. But Orpheus was patient. He didn’t fall prey to the temptation to rush, to ignore a risk, and soon there was a lull in the traffic sufficient for them to cross.

“Now.”

“Very good.” Dream approved as they crossed the road, sure to give praise when it was due, it important for his son to know that he’d done well. He asked his question when they reached the other side. “Are you pleased?”

There was no hesitation in how Orpheus nodded. “It’s not so scary anymore.”

“Then soon we can move to the next stage of learning.” Dream kept his tone soft, not tentative but mindful of potentially unsteady ground. “I will cross first and you will follow.”

Orpheus tightened his grip on Dream’s hand.

It seemed a reflex.

“I suppose.” His voice was tight with anxiety, a fear he didn’t see a need to hide, faith instead that Dream would soothe it now it’d been revealed. “Not today though?”

Dream shook his head, squeezed his son’s gloved hand gently. “No, little muse. Not today.”

“That’s ok then.”

The reassurance perked Orpheus up in a manner that was quite encouraging. His tone already lightened, no sign of anxiety now, the insecurity real but easily put away. This must not be a deep fear then. Orpheus relaxed, his grip on Dream’s hand loosened, holding on but not clinging as if he thought it likely that Dream was about to let go. They once again took it in turns to lead the crossings, took turns to choose the place to cross too, Orpheus easily taking them to the curved segments of pavement that were intended for that very purpose. Their practise had paid off, Orpheus was patient each time, was confident, his grip on Dream's hand so relaxed as to be almost absent. So familiar to be unconscious. He was soon humming to himself as they walked—a tune Dream recognised, a familiar song from an advertisement they had seen on television—continuing as they crossed the last few roads before they arrived at their home.

Above the sky went the way of rust.

Sunlight was fading fast, but that was alright, Dream had been correct that they would make it back before evening fell and the streetlamps took their turn to light the way. As they turned the last corner Orpheus stopped humming, began to sing the rhyme instead; his voice clear, beautiful, a talent to be sure but Dream’s son sang for joy not recognition.

“Though you know the road well, Still you never can tell You’ve got to be wise You can be surprised On the roads near home… Stop, think, and go.”

A big breath, a giggle, and then—

“Ooo-ooo-ooo!”

In the lull between the lines Orpheus looked up expectantly. His brown eyes bright, a wide grin beaming across his small face like light shining, like streetlights in the darkness, like the full bloom of midday. Dream smiled softly, heeding the unspoken request to join in, and they sang the last bit together—

“Ooo-ooo-ooo.”

-

(From this prompt list.)

[marley-manson]

Im back with a few more for the fic ask game (sry if you answered one already, i did read your answers but i dont rmr them all) if youre still up for this:

🌙📚

And my freeform question 💋: how much fic would you say you read? Can you give us a sense?

Thanks again! 💖

🌙 What time of day do you prefer to write? Why?

Definitely night. It's when I'm most comfortable because I know I won't be interrupted, plus I think a lifetime of writing before bed to help myself fall asleep has just made it easier to get into that writing mood at night compared to during the day.

📚 Do you read your own fic?

Oh yeah lol, I am fundamentally writing for myself at all times. The reason my fics tend to be pretty well edited on a technical level is because I constantly re-read my wips just for fun and fix mistakes/adjust them as I do. In fact one of the downsides of posting fic on ao3 is that I feel I can't edit as I read them now lol, so re-reading them has a new frustrating component. (I know I technically could still edit them, but it feels like cheating. Unless I literally just posted it in which case I can't resist reading through and editing one more time anyway lol.)

💋 Freeform

It somewhat depends on what my current fandom is. Like when I was into mdzs I read so much, I spent about 2 hours in the bath reading wangxian fic almost every night for like 2 years lol. But in Mash fandom I read way less. I think it's mainly just because it's a much smaller fandom so there's less to choose from, and I tend to be picky.

Though recently, like in the past year or so, I've been reading much less in general due to my schedule shifting, changing my habits, etc. So in previous small fandoms with slim pickings I usually branched out, read fic in old fandoms I used to be into, got into side fandoms to read fic there, etc, but more recently I just haven't really been reading much of anything except non-fiction.

But yeah like as a lifetime average I’ve read so much fanfic it’s ridiculous, i’ve probably read something like, almost every day for 20 years.

[nsheetee]

One Foot in the Golden Life

Pairing: rich kid!renjun x caddie!reader Genre: rich kid AU, university au, romance, slight angst, mature content Length: 9.7k Summary: this is the story of a boy who is constantly pushed down by his father, a girl who just wants to not live paycheck to paycheck, and how they met on a golf course.  Warnings/Details: includes mentions of other NCT members, female reader, swearing, inaccurate depiction of golf, acts of sexual harassment towards the reader, mature content (unprotected sex, coming inside, oral [female receiving])

a/n: a big thank you to @insomni-writing​ for beta reading this ♡ also, if you are a minor, please beware that there is mature content in this fic!

You thought it would be the perfect opportunity to work at the most well-known country club in the state, but really the only thing your job brought you was perpetual cold to your hands and feet, and entangled your simple life with one of the youngest and richest bachelors at your university.

The only place on top of Mt. Carla is the Augusta Country Club, and it is a sight to see by the regular people who gaze up at it from the city below, like mortals looking up into the Gods’ chamber. The first time you went up the mountain for your job interview at the club, you got lost and were almost late. Thankfully, you didn’t crash your car on the winding roads, and got the job as well.

The Augusta Country Club is equipped with the largest and most expensive golf course in the region, but also has Michilin approved restaurants and the finest saunas and gym equipment any CEO could ask for. Those are usually the type of people that have club memberships: CEO’s, congress men and women, top-notch lawyers, and maybe the odd business owner that made it big enough to afford the price tag.

When you took up the job as a caddie, you had an idea of what you were getting yourself into. You’ve only been working for a month, but there are already a few regular golf players that prefer you as their caddie, which in your book is a success considering the type of high profile people that come to relax here.

However, today is different.

You can sense it when Kara and Mina, your coworkers who have been working here for a year longer than you, walk towards you and your friend, Lia, before your shift today. Mina has a small stack of info cards in her hands and they both hold smug smiles on their faces. The info cards have everything a caddie needs to know about who they’ll be working for that shift, and by the looks of it, today’s game will have a good match up.

“I’m going to be Mr. Huang’s son’s caddie. Don’t even fight me on this, you know I’ll win.” Kara states boldly as the two girls stop in front of you, snatching an info card out of Mina’s hand when she holds them up like she’s playing a card game, flashing the photos and names on the cards at you.

“I call dibs on Mr. Lee’s son.” Mina hums, not even bothering to keep up the act that they just want to be good caddies. “You two can have the old men.” She smiles tightly, shoving the other two info cards into Lia’s grasp and turning on her heel to walk away with Kara.

Considering you don’t even know what they’re talking about, you have no right to be mad at them. There is more confusion clouding your mind than anger at their rudeness. However, Lia does not share the same sentiment.

“I’ll shove these info cards up their-” Lia fumes, her volume rising as the sentence went on, and you quickly pulled her out of ear shot, around a corner by the bathrooms. “-stuck up two faced asses!”

“Lia…” You mutter, her wording making you shake your head at how unstable her temper is, “They’ve been working here for a lot longer than we have, just let them have those clients. Either way, what’s it to you?”

“What’s it to me? ___, they’re talking about Lee Jeno and Huang Renjun. I know I told you about them before.” Lia states like she expects you to have those two names tattooed on the front lobe of your brain already.

“I think I remember them…. They go to our University, right?” You try to regurgitate your friend’s rambles from months ago out of your head.

“Yeah, business department.” She sighs dreamily, as if the business department is the sexiest thing on campus. “This might be our only chance to shoot our shot.” You can’t help but grimace a bit.

“It can be your chance to shoot your shot. Leave me out of this.” You randomly grab an info card out of Lia’s hands, turning it around to see Mr. Huang Lijun’s photo staring back at you. You send Lia one last look, walking around her to go change in the dressing rooms.

“Aw, you’re no fun.” You hear her whine, her footsteps echo through the hallway as she comes up behind you. She almost knocks you into the wall from how forcefully she grabs onto your arm and swings it back and forth like you’re two little kids on your way to the playground.

“Maybe we can shoot our shot at the old men?” You and Lia stop walking, turning to face each other for a moment of silence. You blink at each other as if you’re both considering it, before erupting into laughter at the ridiculous thought and continue walking down the hallway.

You and Lia constantly joke around about finding rich sugar daddies at work to pay for your college tuition, but both of you know you’ll never actually commit to the idea fully. Neither of you will admit it, but you both know you don’t have the guts to do something like that.

By the time you, Lia, and your other coworkers change into uniform and gather your supplies for the Lee vs. Huang game, it’s already 10am. The air is crisp and cool, the signs of fall creep along your skin and taint the deep green trees in light oranges and yellows.

Despite the chill, you and your coworkers still wear skirts, long sleeve v-necks, and puffy vests; the only thing keeping your feet warm is a pair of short white socks and tennis shoes. You don’t mind the chill knowing that once the game starts you’ll be moving around enough to get warm. You stop thinking about your cold toes as soon as the door of the country club opens and the Lees and Huangs walk out.

The first time you lay eyes on Huang Renjun, you think your heart might stop.

You know it’s him because he walks close to his father as they make their way to where you’re standing by the golf carts. He has obviously dyed blonde color, his dark roots proof of that; it’s neatly gelled back in an effortless way with the light wind blowing a few of the locks gently as if an angel is personally moving them for him. His white jacket and black pants are slim and look like they cost more than all of your college textbooks this semester. He walks with his head high, his pretty, pink lips set in a straight line, and his almond eyes gentle.

Okay, so... maybe you understand the hype now.

“Good evening, ladies.” Mr. Lee announces, looking at you and your coworkers. You all politely introduce yourself and state who you’ll be caddying for.

Huang Lijun isn’t as tall as his son, but he looks to be more lively than Renjun, even at his age. He has a permanent smile on his lips and you can feel a friendly demeanor radiating from him when you approach.  

“Good Morning, sir. Let me take those off of your hands.” You politely grab the bag of clubs from him, feeling shy as his gaze doesn’t leave your face the entire time.

“You’re new here, right? I feel like I would remember you if I saw you before.” You’re surprised when he suddenly pinches your cheek, and he laughs at your shocked face. An unsettled feeling plants itself at the bottom of your stomach at the unwarranted touch.

“I’ve only been working here for a month, sir.”

“I think I’ll be coming around here more often, then.” He winks at you and turns to go sit in the front seat of the golf cart. You can’t help but let the feeling at the bottom of your stomach grow at how the older man looks at you. You definitely misjudged his “friendly” demeanor. Your eyes can’t help but glance at Renjun, who’s standing a few feet away from the whole interaction. He gives you a blank stare before turning and following his father.

In the past few weeks, you had gotten many lustful smiles and lewd gazes at your bare legs, but also many dollars in tips just in one morning by letting those smiles and gazes happen. The need to make ends meet justifies it all, and the cash you earn at the end of every shift only fuels this need.

The ride from the club’s main building to the first hole is short, so you quickly recompose yourself. You still have a job to do— a job you’re being paid lots of money for. You believe in your strong will to put up with whatever antics Mr. Huang pulls for the next few hours. Upon arrival at the first hole, you pull the bag of golf clubs out of the cart and follow in Mr. Huang’s quick footsteps, suddenly feeling sweaty from the exercise you’re getting by carrying these heavy clubs. When your group reaches the first hole, you set the bag down on the ground and press your hand over your face, but Mr. Huang’s voice startles you.

“Woah, there.” You jump and face him. “Those clubs cost more than my car, and unlike my car, they don’t deserve to be on the ground, darling.”

“Yes, sir. I apologize.” You smile shyly and pick up the clubs from the ground, your shoulders already straining to keep them up. ‘They weigh as much as a car,’ you huff.

This is going to be a long game.

“You kids can clean the carts today,” Mina suddenly throws a keychain at Lia’s face, she barely catches it before it hits her, “I have plans.”

“Me, too.” Kara quickly says, following after Mina as they both walk away. The game ended right at lunchtime (the Lees won) and now you and your coworkers are back at the club. It’s supposed to be everyone’s job to clean the golf carts after they’ve been used, but it looks like today it’ll just be you and Lia… Maybe.

“___, please. I’m going to be late to the cafe, my boss there is already mad at me.” Lia turns to you and begs with her hands clasped in front of her chest, eyes pleading and feet bouncing. You sigh; you’re hungry and your muscles are sore, and all you want to do is go home as quickly as you can. Still, you roll your eyes and take the golf cart keys from her, making her face crack open into a smile as she hugs you quickly.

“I’ll bring you coffee on Monday!” She screams at you as she practically runs away, leaving you with two golf carts to clean. You sluggishly begin, crawling into the cart the Huangs were sitting in when you find a small notebook laying on one of the seats. Picking it up to examine it, you find out it’s your university’s yearly planner, a book that everyone gets at the beginning of every academic year. Along the binder reads “Huang Renjun” and your eyes widen, immediately looking up to glance at the direction that Renjun walked off to a while ago.

Your legs move quickly through the corridors of the club, moving past changing rooms, saunas, and bathrooms, the planner tightly clutched in your hand. Your head is on a swivel and your lower lip is stuck between your teeth, until you hear a door open and slam shut behind you, making you turn your head to catch Renjun walking out of a changing room.

“Mr. Huang!” You call out.. Renjun freezes at the name, spinning on his heel to see you walking towards him.

“Sorry to disturb you, but you left your planner on the golf cart.” You hold it out for him, but he doesn’t take it.

“How do you know it’s a planner? Did you look through it?” You blink at him, stunned, and then glance down at the notebook. You’re surprised by the sudden questions and at the same time annoyed that Renjun accused you of snooping through his things so quickly. The image you had of him earlier, graceful, classy, and attractive, slips out of your mind as he stares down at you. However, this is the first time he’s directly talking to you, and you can’t help the spark that ignites in your belly from the roughness in his voice. It’s higher-pitched, but unpolished and jagged as he speaks with you.

“No. I go to the same University. I have the same one.” You explain. Renjun’s stare turns into shock.

“Really? Which department?”

“Fine Arts. I study Studio Art.” At first you think that you’re seeing things, but after blinking, you can guarantee that Renjun has jealousy painted on his face. It’s so sour that he looks away, trying to preoccupy his hands by fiddling with his bag. “So, are you going to take this, or…?”

“Yeah,” The bitterness drips from his tone, but you have a feeling it’s not directed at you, “Thank you for returning it.” He finally accepts it and turns to his bag, taking out his wallet. The cards inside look thick and heavy; memberships to places you’ll never step foot in and credit cards with limits you could never even imagine. Your pride tells you that you don’t need anything he could give you, so you silently turn around and walk away.

Renjun shuffles through some crisp 10’s and 20’s, but when he looks up to give you the tip, you’re already down the hallway and halfway out the door. You have golf carts to clean.

The next time you see Renjun is a week after the last game. The chilly weather remains, along with the useless uniform you have to wear, but this time around you’re not Mr. Huang’s caddie, you’re Renjun’s.

Kara walks next to you with Mr. Huang’s heavy golf clubs, her lips straight and head turned away from you to show her annoyance at how the caddie match up situation went this week. You’re sure to get an earful about this for at least the next few days, but you kind of like this revenge that fate dealt Kara. Either way, it’s not like there’s anything you can do about the match up. Renjun requested you to be his caddie this week, and you weren’t going to risk your bosses being angry with you by denying the request.

“Driver.” Renjun’s voice pulls you into the game. You pull out the correct golf club and put it into his awaiting hand, your fingertips brushing with his. “Aren’t you cold?” The words shock you, considering they’re the first words Renjun spoke to you today other than commands for golf clubs.

“I-I’m fine, Mr. Huang.” You respond promptly.

“Don’t call me that.” His tone is icy, and he quickly realizes how unnecessary it is to bite at you like that, “Just call me Renjun.” His father walks back from his shot, looking very smug. Renjun’s face is calm as he trades spots with his father and prepares for his first swing of the day, correcting his posture and loosening his limbs.

You remember the first time you saw him, how elegant and poised he looked. Your cold hands break into a sweat as your chest heats up from the quick beating of your heart. Renjun has only been icy and accusing towards you so far, yet you still feel warm while thinking about him. There has to be something wrong with you.

“Doesn’t my son look like he knows what he’s doing?” Mr. Huang asks from beside you, a small, unnerving smile on his lips.

“Yes, sir.” You reply back with your own, more innocent, smile.

“I taught him everything he knows about golf…. And women.” Mr. Huang leans into you, turning his chest to face you so that his breath is hitting your cheek. You can’t help but swallow to relieve your dry and cold throat, keeping your eyes forward as Renjun swings his club back and forth a bit in preparation.

“Yes, sir.” The only thought on your mind is to stop this man from stepping closer.

“Is that the only thing you can say?”

Renjun swings his arm back, breathing in as he keeps his eyes on the small white ball and his hopes in the green before him. Mr. Huang’s right hand is warm on your waist, but you would give anything to freeze right now.

A sharp crack ripples through the air as Renjun hits the golf ball and sends it flying into the golf course. His eyes are not where the ball lands, but instead on where his father touches you.

Renjun’s mom died when he was not even three days old.

He never got to meet her— to lay on her chest and hold her finger with his whole hand. He’ll never know what advice she would’ve given him when he got his first girlfriend, and he’ll never know how she would’ve reacted to him crashing his first car when he was 17. He only knows that his mom would’ve been there for him through all of that, unlike his father, who was not.

Renjun has had “mothers” through his life; three, to be exact. The first was when he was 5 years old, and she quickly asked for a divorce after Renjun’s dad went on a three month business trip and she didn’t hear from him the whole time. The second “mother” was a bit more mature than the first and with a lot more time on her hands. She wanted to shape 9 year old Renjun into a perfect student, which was something Renjun’s father appreciated, but still divorced her for “being too strong-headed.” Renjun only met his third mother twice when he was 13: once at the wedding and the second time at her funeral. He didn’t ask any questions, he wasn’t very interested in the first place.

These were the type of people Renjun spent his life around, but they really weren’t his mothers. The only similarity he had with those women was his father, and he treated them as poorly as he treated Renjun. That’s why when Renjun looks at you, cowering away from the very man who is his only link to family, he feels sick.

When is his dad going to stop being a fucking predator? How young does he want his next conquest to be? Will Renjun’s next mom be the same age as him? Something swirls in the pit of his stomach when he watches his father and it takes a moment for him to figure out what it is: jealousy. He’s not sure why he’s feeling jealous over someone he just met last week, but the feeling engulfs his whole chest and it burns him to his spot.

Renjun doesn’t even notice that he swung his golf club or that the golf ball went somewhere far into the green, probably an overshot. He only sees you, afraid of the man touching you but not stepping away. Why aren’t you stepping away?

“Nice job, Renjun.” His best friend, Jeno, claps a hand on his back as he steps up, hitting Renjun back into reality and forcing him to walk towards you. As Renjun approaches, his father slyly takes his hand away, and Renjun notices how you let out a relieved sigh. Giving you back his driver, Renjun strategically stands between you and his father, pretending to watch Jeno swing.

“Good job… Renjun.” You whisper, unsure about calling him by his first name so informally.

“Thank you.” Renjun sends a side glance to his father to see the displeased look on his face. “How was that, Dad?” Renjun hopes that maybe he can remind his father of why he’s here (to win against the Lees this week, not to feel up a girl 30 years younger than him) but in this moment, his father is acting like a 5 year old in the middle of a silent tantrum, not a 50 year old who runs the most successful construction company in the country.

“I’ve taught you better than that.” Renjun is sure they’re not talking about golf anymore, the authoritative tone in his father’s voice sends a lightning bolt of surprise and slight fear down Renjun’s back. He hates how he gets scared, he hates how his father can control him. The fury churns in the pit of his stomach as he accepts his father’s words with a bow of his head.

One day, Renjun swears he won’t submit anymore.

After the game ended with the Lees winning once again, you, Lia, and your other coworkers convene at the golf carts after the clients leave to change inside the club.

“You ladies know the drill.” Kara throws both sets of golf cart keys at you before walking off with Mina. You push Lia towards the entrance of the building before she even has a chance to turn around and open her mouth.

“You should get to the cafe before your boss throws another fit.” Lia turns back to face you, her jaw slightly slack and her eyes shining.

“You’re seriously the best. I love you.”

“Yeah, yeah, just give me a few extra shots in my coffee on Monday.” Lia laughs at that, grabbing your face between her two small, manicured hands and kissing you on each cheek before hopping off inside. You can’t help but be amused at her antics, turning to the golf carts in front of you to start cleaning.

“They make you clean the carts by yourself?” The voice startles you, not because you weren’t expecting it but because it’s Renjun’s. You turn your head over your shoulder, he’s standing just a few feet away still in his golfing gear from earlier.

“Uh, not usually, no. But my coworkers haven’t been happy with me lately.” You explain, fully turning to him and crossing your arms over your chest to tuck your cold hands into your sides.

“The ones who have been working here for a while?” You nod as an answer, and Renjun nods back in understanding, shoving his hands in his pants pockets. “They’ve been trying to get with me and my best friend for a while...” Renjun trails off when he sees your eyebrows raise at the comment, “... But that’s not what I came here to talk about.”

“Oh? What are you here for?” The conversation has gotten too informal for a worker and their client to be having, but you kind of like talking to Renjun in this casual setting.

“I realized that the past few times we’ve talked I’ve been such a dick.” He laughs lightly as he remembers, “I wanted to apologize for that. I wasn’t in a good mood last week and this morning, and I ended up pushing it on you.”

Renjun feels lots of emotions when it comes to you, despite only having this one proper conversation with you. He feels envy towards you for being able to study something that he desperately wants to. He feels guilt when he remembers how quickly he made you into a thief when you were only trying to return his belongings, and he feels so many other secondary and tertiary emotions in between. His head is full when he looks at you. He finally feels like he’s thinking about something, not just doing the same day to day motions in a constant cycle of ‘when will this end?’

“You’re apologizing?” You ask, stunned when he nods his head in confirmation. Sincere apologies are important to you. You believe there are not enough of them in this world anymore, and his gentle almond eyes are too wholehearted and warm for you in this cold weather. Your heart feels full looking at him, and you curse at yourself in your head for being swayed like this.

“I also have a question… You mentioned you’re majoring in Studio Art and I was wondering if, maybe, you could let me into one of the studios after a class this week? I’ve been needing a quiet place to work since my house has been busy lately.” One of the hands that was in Renjun’s pocket moves to matte down his sideburns while he glances at his shoes. “Was that too forward? Sorry, I just know that you can’t get into a studio without a passcode and you’re the only person I know who’s in Studio Art.” Renjun explains after you stare for a while, blinking at him.

“You’re an artist?” You finally ask, Renjun giving you a weak ‘yeah’ in response. A part of you wants to say no, that it’ll be weird to do something like this for him when you’ve only known him for less than 2 weeks and up until this point, you’ve only been in a worker-client relationship. However, you’re curious about what he’s like outside of this setting, especially what he’s like when his father has no possibility of appearing, since that seems to be the factor that turns his mood up or down.

“Sure. Come by studio 3 after 6pm on Wednesday and I’ll let you in, but... I heard Mr. Lee already scheduled a game for next weekend?” Renjun nods, “Then in return, you can win that game. It’s embarrassing always being on the losing team.” You smile playfully at the end to let him know you’re only joking.

“Deal.” Renjun sends a smile back of the same caliber, holding out a hand to shake with yours. If you thought you were affected by Renjun’s nice presence, his hand in yours sends you into another realm. His touch is warm from staying indoors and from keeping his hands in his pockets, and they contrast to your cold skin. He sucks in a breath through his teeth when your hands connect, turning your hand in his grip to look at your knuckles. “Are you sure you’re not cold? Your hands are freezing.”

“I’ll be okay. I just don’t have any good gloves to wear while working.” He huffs, small traces of white smoke leaves his mouth as he digs through his pockets.

“Wear these.” He replaces his hand in yours with a pair of his own gloves, “Your hands are precious, they shouldn’t be freezing.” Before Renjun can get embarrassed by his own words, he shoves his hands back into his pockets and turns on his heel, walking away, “I’ll see you on Wednesday!”

A knock on the studio doors shakes you away from staring at your painting, making you turn to look at who it is. Renjun peaks through the small window and waves when you make eye contact. You get up to open the door, almost forgetting that today is the day you agreed to let Renjun into your studio.

… Okay, that’s a lie. You definitely remembered that you’re supposed to meet Renjun, but you keep trying to convince yourself that you’re not excited about seeing him outside of that stuffy country club.

“Hey, sorry if I startled you.” Is the first thing he says when you open the door. He’s dressed in slacks, a dress shirt with a sweater over it, and a long coat over that. His nose and cheeks are slightly red from the rough wind outside and his supplies are clutched to his chest.

“Oh, you’re fine. I was just deep in thought.” Something about the studio makes both of you speak in hushed tones. No one else is here, but you feel the need to maintain the peace and quiet the room naturally holds. You and Renjun make your way to where you’re set up, he puts his things down on an easel to your left and takes off his coat, watching you from his peripheral vision.

Those uniforms they make you wear at work are just for show, Renjun knows that well, but that doesn’t stop him from appreciating you in the tight vest and little skirt. However right now, he likes your laid back look consisting of loose jeans and a layered shirt, he thinks it matches you.

“I was going to leave when you got here, but I think I’ll just finish this and head out.” You comment, aimlessly waving at your project.

“Please, stay as long as you need to. This is your studio, I don’t want to kick you out.” He laughs and licks his bottom lip. It’s breathtaking how innocent and nice his smile looks on his face. His eyes scrunch together to form laugh lines and his cheeks rise, he truly looks pretty when he smiles. You think this is the first time you’ve seen him like this.

You mumble back with a mixture of words that probably didn’t make sense and turn back to your work, leaving the room to continue with its peacefulness and quiet. However, Renjun’s presence next to you is too big to ignore. There are so many things you want to know about him and you have no excuse as to why you’re so curious.

“How about a game while we work?” You suggest.

“Sure… How about 20 questions?” It’s like he read your mind, so you smile and nod at his idea.

“You can go first.” You suggest.

“Okay, uh… Why do you work at a golf course if you’re majoring in Studio Art? Shouldn’t you be working at a, I don’t know, museum?” The question catches you off guard and Renjun notices how you stop painting, your brush and your hand floating in the air as you think, “Oh, sorry, is that too personal?”

“No, no… It’s just, normally, the first question people ask in a game of 20 questions is something like ‘what’s your favorite color’ or ‘what’s your sign’.” Renjun lets out a choked and embarrassed laugh, ducking his head down to look away from you. You can tell he’s about to change his question, so you quickly go back to painting and speak before he can.

“I did apply to work at several museums. I didn’t get any jobs, so I had to look elsewhere and Augusta was hiring. I know it’s not very fitting, but it makes good money and rich people know my name, even if it’s for just a few hours.” Renjun nods at your answer as if he could ever understand the idea of being poor, but the insight into your decision brings a fact to light that Renjun wasn’t 100% aware of before: you’re not like him, you need money.

“Don’t you hate the way people look at you there?” The words tumble out of Renjun’s lips faster than he can process the weight they carry. He turns to face you with guilt pooling in his eyes and his mouth opening and closing to find some words to correct the situation.

“No, I don’t like it.” You surprise him with your quick response, “But people like you don’t understand what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck, to have to worry about how to pay the bills every month for years on end, always on your toes about money. I bet you think I’m cheap and—”

“No.” Renjun cuts you off promptly before you can continue, “Don’t make me into a jerk. I’m not like that. But the fact that that is the first thing you thought of worries me.” Your eyes widen at that, prompting him to elaborate. “Doesn’t that mean that’s how you think of yourself? Maybe not on the outside, but subconsciously. Sure, I won’t ever be able to understand how you live, but I wish you would not look at yourself as cheap and think of yourself as… beautiful.” Renjun lets the last words linger on his tongue, saying it quietly as if to not startle you.

You stare at him, your paintbrush resting in your hand and your back slouched as you watch him watch you. This is not the type of conversation you thought you’d be having with Renjun tonight, but you have to admit he makes a point. Eventually, you turn to your painting and stare at it some more, making Renjun turn and continue his own work.

“Ah, I asked two questions in a row.” He suddenly breaks the tense atmosphere, making you sigh as you remember you’re just playing a game, “You can ask two questions.”

He allows and relaxes when he sees you go back to painting.

“If you like to draw, why are you a business major?” Now it’s Renjun’s turn to freeze. Maybe if he did ask what your favorite color was he wouldn’t have had to endure this question from you, but he feels like he should answer it since it’s of equal weight to the one he asked you.

“It wasn’t my choice. I will most likely take my father’s place in his company and I need to at least know the basics before that happens.” You nod slowly. He looks so calm when he’s focused on drawing, but it’s not the same calm that you see on his face when he’s playing golf. You turn away before you get caught staring.

“Is that why your mood always changes when your dad is around?”

“Is it that obvious…” He trails off and you nod, “I can’t believe I’m about to say this out loud, but… It’s like everytime I’m around him, or at his office, or at home, my mind goes blank. I don’t feel like talking or thinking at all.” As he speaks, he sets down his utensils and turns to you, making continuous eye contact as he explains. You find yourself feeling comfortable at how easily he’s talking to you about such a deep subject.

“It sounds like… you’re angry.” You turned to face him now too, your paintbrush settled onto your canvas and your full attention on him, “My dad is like that. He gets so angry sometimes that he’s calm. No yelling or fighting, just silence. That’s how I know I messed up when he gets like that.” You nod, remembering all the times he’s been calmly mad at you.

“I don’t know… It’s confusing to me.” He straightens his back and stares at your foot as it moves around aimlessly. “What do I do?” He asks into the air, as if his pencil would suddenly start talking to him like a therapist.

“Just do what makes you happy.” Renjun’s glance over at you makes a smile pull at your lips, “I know it’s easier said than done. But you already know what it is that’ll make you happy, and that’s half of the battle. Why bottle it up?”

Renjun doesn’t know how he’ll ever get the courage to tell his father these things, but the way you’re looking at him as if he can do anything, he starts to feel tingles of confidence trickle into him.

“Oh, and why did you pick me to be your caddie this past weekend?”

“Well…” Renjun plays with his pencil. What is he supposed to say? He doesn’t want you to carry around his father’s heavy golf clubs? He doesn’t like the way his father touches you and gets jealous over it for some unknown reason? Yeah, he’s not going to say.

“Just because… I wanted you next to me.” The way he says it makes it sound so simple and true, but your heart drops to your stomach and springs back up going at 100 miles per hour. You can barely stop your hand from shaking as you pick up your brush, and it’s almost like you can’t see in front of you from the thrill of his words.

“Hey,” Renjun suddenly drops his pencil and turns to you, looking a bit confused and slightly upset, “Didn’t you ask three questions?”

“We’re letting the Lees win again today.” Renjun is in the middle of pulling up the zipper of his jacket when his father drops the news. Renjun’s footsteps stutter slightly at his father’s words and he stops walking next to the older man.

“Again?” He asks as he already thinks up an apology to tell you later when he loses.

“Yes, I need Mr. Lee to be happy when I bring up the new contract to him later in the sauna.” Renjun sighs and continues to walk next to his father. It’s the next weekend, and the third Lee vs. Huang game is starting in just a few minutes.

Renjun won’t lie, purposefully losing to his best friend and his dad every week is not the greatest stroke to Renjun’s ego, especially since Jeno won’t let it down around his other friends.

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Lijun swivels on his heel to look at his son, “Have you been requesting for ___ to be your caddie?”

The questions stuns Renjun, making it hard to answer so his father takes it as a yes.

“Well stop it. Dad wants to have some fun.” He claps a hand on Renjun’s back and  smiles. In the past, Renjun would’ve just rolled his eyes and let his father do whatever he wants, but this time his blood boils. He feels true anger when his father struts away with the intentions of doing whatever he wants to someone Renjun cares about. He can barely move his feet after the old man, his mind cloudy as everyone makes it to the golf carts.

“Let’s have a good game today, Mr. Huang, don’t make it too easy to beat you.” Mr. Lee jokes around and the two old men laugh as they settle into their own golf carts. Renjun walks up to his cart and you wave to him, the white gloves he gave you last week snugly on your hands. Renjun thinks his anger is what spurs him into doing what he does next.

He steps close to you, leaning into your ear and wrapping his hand around your covered ones with his thumb rubbing on your exposed wrist, “Keep these on for me, babe. I don’t want you to be cold.”

The amount of jaws that drops after Renjun’s words makes him bite down his smirk and slide into the front seat of the golf cart, pretending to not see the daggers his father is  throwing at him with his eyes.

Your heart beats so quickly and loudly you’re sure Kara can hear it next to you if she wasn’t busy huffing about what Renjun just did. Sitting in the back seat of the golf cart, you watch the back of Renjun’s head on the way to the first hole. What got into Renjun? Why did he all of a sudden call you ‘babe’ and get so close? Not that you’re opposed to it, you’re just shocked.

The game begins once you reach the first hole, and the Huang’s put up a good fight throughout the entire game, keeping the Lees on their toes and the score sheet even. Everytime Renjun comes back from a shot, you smile at him and tell him good job, which earns you a pat on the back from him that warms you up from the inside out.

Renjun can tell his father is getting more and more annoyed with him; how Renjun is keeping you as far from his father as he possibly can, the gentle touches on your waist that you welcome wholeheartedly compared to the ones Mr. Huang would lay on you before. He likes how angry his father gets, especially knowing that he can’t do anything about it right now. Not to mention, you seem to be enjoying Renjun’s attention, which just adds to his confidence.

Now, your group arrives at the last hole of the game. The Lees step up and swing, setting their total score to 357. All Renjun and his father have to do is move the ball around a bit more to get their score to be higher and the Lees will win the game. Mr. Huang is up first, acting clumsy so that the ball doesn’t make it into the hole and brings the game to Renjun.

As he sets up his posture, his hands suddenly go stiff. This shot is so easy to make, he has made this exact hole several times. He breathes in and out deeply, deciding on if he should throw the game like his father said he should, or give his one last ‘fuck you’ to his Dad.

He glances at you and makes eye contact; you nod your head and smile a bit as if to say ‘go ahead, we all know you can do this.’ Renjun then grips his golf club and swings it back to effortlessly hit the golf ball, rolling it along the green and perfectly into the hole.

You and the other caddies clap for the perfectly executed shot and Jeno and his father come up to Renjun to shake hands. They don’t look upset, instead they look pretty happy for Renjun. However, Renjun’s father is deathly silent, not even congratulating Renjun on his win. Renjun wasn’t expecting a whole ceremony for him, but it does feel nice to put his father down a peg or two today, and that’s the thought that fills Renjun’s head as everyone rides back to the country club.

While getting out of the golf cart, Renjun attempts to turn back to you but is promptly pulled away by the back of his jacket by his father. Renjun yelps and pulls away, but that doesn’t stop Lijun from grabbing onto his son’s arm instead and pulling him inside.

“What was that? I specifically told you to lose the game and you did the exact opposite. How am I supposed to talk to Mr. Lee now?” Renjun’s father fumes, his low voice belting out into the corridor and making some of the passing staff turn their heads.

“That’s not my problem.” Renjun shrugs and his father stops shaking, stepping closer to his son.

“Excuse me?” He asks with menace dripping from his tongue.

“I said, that’s not my problem.” Renjun is fired up. He doesn’t see a way out of this now, no way his behavior is being excused, so might as well go all in.

“You did it for that caddie, ___, right?” His father squints his eyes and turns his head slightly. When Renjun doesn’t answer, Lijun laughs in his face, “It looks like I’m right.”

“What?” Renjun asks dumbly.

“It’s okay. You’re just a boy and you can make some mistakes over a girl, we’ve all been there once or twice.” Lijun fixes Renjun’s jacket and pats his shoulder, his angry disposition turning passive. “Besides, you can’t do much for that girl anyway. Is a ball in a hole really all she deserves?”

“I won the game because I could. I won it because that’s what I wanted.” Renjun states, his blood beginning to boil once again when his father says he doesn’t deserve you. What is he thinking? Does he actually think he has a chance with you? He can keep dreaming.

“We can’t always do whatever we want. There are consequences we have to face for doing whatever we want. Are you ready to face the consequences?” At the question, Renjun is reminded about the words you told him Wednesday night.

‘Just do what makes you happy,’ Those simple words are so hard to turn into reality. Renjun wants to be happy so bad. He wants to be away from this man and he wants to be closer to you. The consequences? Sure, he’ll deal with it all if it means he can stop living in the personal hell his father set up for him. Renjun pushes his father away a bit and steps out of the trap his father pushed him into, making Lijun’s eyes widen.

“Yeah, I’m ready.” Renjun says and turns around, walking back towards the exit of the building.

“Hey, where are you going?” His father shouts after him.

“To do the thing that I want to do the most.” He yells back and walks around the corner, out of sight from his father. Renjun practically runs through the hallways to get back outside and run to you, but you surprise him by greeting him by the saunas. He stops in his steps and you smile as you walk up to him.

“Hey, I just wanted to tell you that you did really well today. I know I said I wanted you to win last week, but I didn’t think you’d actually do it.” You laugh.

“Thanks.” Renjun simply says, afraid of what else could come out if he keeps talking.

“Oh, I also want to give you these back.” You dig out Renjun’s gloves from your pocket, holding them out. This is it. This is the moment Renjun will start to do whatever makes him happy, whatever he wants.

And what he wants right now is you.

He quickly takes the gloves and then tightly grips the wrist of your outstretched hand, leading you down the hallway and around some corner. He hears you exclaim a small ‘woah’ but you let him guide you into a sauna, the door closing tightly behind both of you.

There’s no one else in the room, just the stuffy steam that floats in the small space between you two. Renjun has a tight grip on the gloves you gave back to him and his other hand runs through his hair and messes up the perfect form it held.

“Tell me to stop.” He demands, looking straight into your eyes.

“What?”

“Tell me to stop right now.” He takes a step forward, his eyes full to the brim with lust and his hands shaking with how much he’s holding himself together. You’ve barely been in the room for a minute, but your clothes are already sticking to you from the intense heat.

“I don’t understand,” You reply back as he keeps moving toward you. You take small steps back in return, “I don’t know what I’m stopping you from.” Half of you is playing dumb right now; you know what Renjun wants from you just by the look in his eyes. The other half just wants to hear him say it himself

“I’ll fuck you the way you deserve. Right here, right now.” Renjun’s voice is too angelic to say such nasty words, but he growls them out like he’s a tainted angel. You’re pressed against the wooden wall of the sauna now, Renjun just a step away. You lean into him slightly and rip the gloves out of his hand to throw them to the side.

“Do it.”

It’s all the permission Renjun needs to feverishly connect his lips to yours.

The action is so sudden, you don’t remember how Renjun got close to you so quickly. Despite his forcefulness before, his lips melt into you like chocolate melting over a fire, so hot and delicious that you just want more. His hands hold the sides of your face, pushing back your hair and his body pushing you back into the wall.

He sucks on your bottom lip, softly biting afterwards and making you let out a whimper, and then a moan when his thigh pushes between your legs and further presses you against the wall. Amidst the kissing, you find the zipper of his expensive jacket, unzip it, and pull the piece of clothing off. Afterwards, you pull his shirt off and break the kiss while you’re at it.

“I’ve been thinking about you in this skirt since….” Renjun hums at the thought, his hand sliding up your bare thighs and under your skirt, then he grips your ass and brings your core down onto his thigh, the friction enough to have you letting out a strangled moan.

“Since the day I first saw you.” He finally whispers and connects your lips once again. His hand on your ass doesn’t move, his other hand is placed on your waist as he helps you ride the rough material of his pants. Renjun can only watch your reactions; the way your head lolls back into the wall and your eyes screw shut, holding onto Renjun’s shoulders tight enough he’s sure there will be marks afterwards.

“Fuck— Renjun, don’t stop, please.” He’s mesmerized, absolutely addicted to how you look and sound right now, and it’s all because of him. The thought spurs him along, he removes your jacket and you blindly help him in removing your top and bra. You must look like a mess right now, especially since you’re coming close to your climax just by Renjun’s touch and his thigh. Not to mention the sweat dripping down both of you, a glistening sheen coating your skin that makes Renjun let out a low growl before he leans down and takes one of your nipples in his mouth.

He sucks and swirls his tongue, and you can’t help but moan his name again, digging your fingers into his blonde hair and tugging. Renjun moves from your chest downward, not letting an inch of your stomach and hips go past him without a kiss and a nibble, leaving you breathing heavily. He makes his way down to his knees and folds your skirt up, glancing at  you from his position.

“You don’t wear anything under here except your panties?” You nod, your head stuttering as Renjun applies pressure with his thumb over your slick hole, a wet spot already there to greet him.

“You’re so fucking dirty, baby.” He groans and leans in to swipe his tongue over your center making you shake as a response. He slides your underwear down and throws it somewhere to the side, catching the sigh of your arousal dripping down your thigh. His intense stare makes you shake him, embarrassment crawling over you at how he’s not reacting.

“Are you shy?” You whine, not really answering his question. “You don’t need to be. You’re beautiful.” The softness from his voice contradicts his more dominating tone from before, but you don’t have time to think about it before he dives in. You sigh in content when the pressure in between your hips caused by Renjun turns into pure pleasure. His tongue laps at your essence and his lips suck on your clit, you can tell he’s trying to find what exactly will make you tick.

When Renjun slides a finger into your hole unexpectedly, you jump and whimper a bit but the feeling of him sliding in and out along with his tongue circling and sucking on your clit makes a knot form in the pit of your stomach, tightening up your muscles and making your eyes roll back.

“Right there. Oh my god, right there…” You keep repeating, praying that Renjun treats you good and let’s you come. He adds another finger and you gasp, starting to move your hips in rhythm to his hand, holding onto his shoulders for more stability. He glances up at you, watching your eyes screw shut and your tits bounce as you use his hand to get yourself off. Renjun hums against you, and you can almost feel the ecstasy of coming undone, until Renjun pulls away. You groan, feeling like crying when your orgasm fades.

“Hey..” You whine, pouting when Renjun stands back up and licks your juices off of his lips. He has some on his chin and you bring your hand up to wipe it away, Renjun stopping your hand and kissing the wetness away, then kissing up your arm and to your shoulder, up your neck and to your ear. He tugs at your earlobe, licking the skin under it and biting some more, his hands sliding up your waist at playing with your nipples, pinching a little to get whimpers out of you and making your hips buck up, ready to continue where Renjun left you at.

That’s when you feel the hardness in his pants; it must be painful. That’s why you understand his next words, whispered into the shell of your ear between kisses: “You’re not coming until I’m in you, got it?”

You nod quickly, attaching your hands to Renjun’s zipper and button, undoing them and sliding down his pants.

“But, you’re gonna need to do something for me…” He says, helping you pull down his boxers, watching his angry, red length swing out. You gasp, feeling a bit bad that you just left Renjun like this to eat you out, but you’re sure you can make up to him now.

“What is it? I’ll do it.” Your hands run over Renjun’s sweaty shoulders, moving away some longer hair in the back of his head that’s sticking against his neck.

“You’re gonna have to yell my name. I need you to let everyone know who’s doing this to you— who’s making you feel good, okay?” Your breath gets caught in your throat as the words tumble out of his lips. He tilts his voice higher at the end of every phrase to make him sound innocent, but you’re not fooled.

“There’s people outside…” You mumble back, sending a glance at the door. You know there are several staff and customers walking along the hallways outside. What will they think if they hear you screaming Renjun’s name? Not to talk about what will happen to your job.

Those thoughts melt away when Renjun’s dick slides between your folds slowly, making you turn your gaze back to him and hold on tight as he lubricates himself over your wetness, holding onto your hips so that you don’t move and take anymore than what he’s giving you.

“That’s exactly why I want you to scream. Can you do that for me?” He asks and you nod frantically, doing almost anything to get his dick inside you. You’re not sure what’s going to happen once you step out of this room, but at least you know Renjun is going to give you the best fuck you’ve had in a while, and you know it’ll be worth it for what’s to come after all this.

“Finally…” You moan when Renjun’s length disappears into you inch by inch, going slow as to not hurt you. He sucks in a breath through his teeth as he bottoms out, picking up your thigh to hang it over his hip and wrapping his other arm around your waist to keep you close. You hold onto him, adjusting as he kisses your lips sweetly and carefully, and waits to move his throbbing cock through your velvety walls.

“Go, Renjun, move….” You whisper, and he looks at you confused.

“What was that? I didn’t hear you.” He asks, cocking his head.

“Please, move.” You say louder, but he shakes his head and purses his lips as if he still can’t understand.

“I said, fuck me, Renjun. Please, can you fuck me already?” You all but scream out, your voice almost cracking at how whiny you sound. No doubt, if someone passed by outside they would’ve heard you. The thought makes you tense up, but it feels so good to be able to yell out what you want.

“Your wish, baby.” Renjun mutters before he starts rocking into you. You both groan at the sensation, Renjun’s hips speeding up as he gains more momentum. His lips don’t leave yours, kissing you into oblivion while his dick stuffs you. He has you against the wall, his hips powering away and you don’t dare to disturb him, realizing he’s burning all of his anger away as well.

“Yes, Renjun, fuck me just like that…'' You moan loudly to spur him on, now not really caring about who’s outside or who hears you, just wanting Renjun to know you love how rough he’s going. He presses you higher up the wall and pulls your legs apart more, hitting a new angle that literally makes you scream out, tears mixing with the sweat on your face as he relentlessly pumps into you.

There are so many things going on at the same time. Your hard nipples and soft breasts rubbing against Renjun’s chest, making goosebumps rise on his arms. Your hot and sweaty bodies are basically sliding against each other. The clapping of his hips against yours no doubt attracts attention from outside along with your screams and Renjun’s grunts continuously get louder as you both get closer to the climax.

“I’m gonna come… Renjun, come in me…” You’re already fucked out, the words barely leaving your lips coherently, but Renjun understands and moves his finger down to find your clit, circling his thumb fast and steady, just like everything else he’s doing.

“C’mon come on my cock, babe. Let it out, I wanna hear it.” And just like that, you unwind and scream his name as your orgasm washes over and takes control, making you claw onto any part of Renjun that you can reach. Renjun feels your walls deliciously convulse around him and with a few more sloppy thrusts, he comes into you and fills you up, staying wrapped up in you as you both calm down.

Renjun presses small kisses wherever he feels like as your breathing settles down, his softness and the caring way he rubs at your sides and hips where he was holding so hard that you’re sure to have bruises makes you smile hazily.

“___… I don’t regret any of this.” He whispers into your skin, leaning back to look at you properly. “Do you?”

“No.” You answer truthfully, making his eyes shine and you both smile dumbly, your sticking bodies relaxing. The happy moment doesn’t last long before there’s a knock on the door to the sauna. You and Renjun stiffen up as you glance at the door, waiting for whoever it is to announce themselves.

“Renjun? Son?” Your heart drops to your stomach and you cover your mouth at the voice of Renjun’s father on the other side of the door, but when you turn to Renjun, he doesn’t seem bothered. He sends a smile at you and moves some hair from your face before answering.

“Occupied, go somewhere else. We’re busy.”

[iamanartichoke]

Fic prompt: If you feel like doing another hurt/comfort with Mobius, I would love a version of that end scene where Loki's freaking out but it actually is our Mobius. So Mobius listens to everything Loki has to say, and then they just kind of...take a breath, I suppose, before whatever they're going to do to fight Kang - perhaps Loki gets some tea, and/or an actual meal, a little sleep maybe (has he eaten since that cake on the train or slept since that brief nap in ep 2??), or whatever comfort-y stuff you want - I just need that sweet fic healing lmao.

@scintillatingshortgirl19 Thank you for the prompt and I hope you like it! <3

Summary: Takes place at the end of episode 6, where instead of saying "Who are you?" Mobius knows Loki and they pick up from where they left off in the void. Word Count: 1956 Author’s notes: I'm not feeling super confident with these prompts, so please don't judge me bear with me as I dust off my little writer-brain gears and try to find my footing with these new characters and characterizations.

Completed prompts.

*

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Mobius is saying, holding his hands up, but Loki can’t stop talking. The words are spilling from him; he’s tripping over them, and from the look on Mobius’s face Loki knows he’s not making sense, but still, he can’t stop.

“He’s set on war,” Loki babbles. “We need to prepare, Mobius.”

“Hang on.” When Loki pauses to take a breath, Mobius reaches out and places his hands on Loki’s shoulders. It’s almost comical, the way he needs to reach, as Loki towers over him. Yet Loki feels very small, too, and doesn’t protest the contact. “You’re speaking faster than my brain can process words. Breathe, okay? Start at the beginning.”

Loki doesn’t know when the beginning was. It could have been the moment he’d leapt up and grabbed Sylvie’s arm before she could land a fatal blow to their enemy; it could have been all those days (or months, or hours, Loki has no idea; time, for him, has completely ceased to exist) ago that he’d landed in a Midgardian desert and the TVA immediately swarmed upon him.

“You’re not understanding me.” Frustration colors Loki’s tone. “There’s no time to stop; he’s - they’re - coming.”

“You’re right, I’m not understanding you.” Mobius lets go of Loki’s shoulders and rubs the back of his neck. “I want to, but you gotta slow down and fill me in, okay?”

“Maybe we should take him somewhere,” says B-15. Loki had barely noticed her but now he steps back, his gaze flicking from her to Mobius, taking in the confusion on both of their faces.

“You don’t look so good,” B-15 adds, taking in Loki’s appearance. He must be a sight, he realizes; his hair is matted and tangled and he feels grimy, his skin caked with so much dirt and blood from injuries he doesn’t remember getting.

But, what difference does it make? Loki turns back to Mobius, desperate. “Mobius, listen to me. Sylvie and I -”

“Come on.” Mobius cuts him off. He moves in, taking one of Loki’s arms. “You can tell me everything, okay, Loki? I just need you to calm down and to come with me, preferably before you pass out. Hauling around a five hundred pound demigod wasn’t on my to-do list today.”

Loki bites back a sharp retort. He’s vaguely aware of B-15 taking his other arm, and it’s only once Loki’s shoulders slump and he allows himself to be led away from the shelves that the exhaustion hits him. He’s been running high on adrenaline for hours, and now that he’s moving slowly, supported on either side, all of that energy seems to drain from him at once. His knees buckle.

“Careful,” Mobius says. Were it not for him and B-15 holding him up, Loki is certain he would have collapsed. He squeezes his eyes shut and focuses on placing one foot in front of the other, not caring where they’re going. The archives, the time theater, one place is the same as another.

They move through halls that are bustling with activity, minutemen running and disembodied voices crackling over speakers. They don’t know it’s pointless, no amount of hunters in the field will matter or make a difference.

He thinks he says so, or perhaps he just imagines he does. Neither Mobius nor B-15 acknowledge him, at any rate; they only keep moving and after awhile, they arrive at the dormitories, where Loki has not been since the first day Mobius brought him here as an official TVA employee.

“Why are we here?” Loki asks, confused.

“So you can get a shower and a change of clothes,” Mobius says simply, “and then we can have some coffee and you can tell me what happened after the void.”

Loki sighs, and then nods, resisting the urge to insist that everything else could wait (until when?), because Mobius isn’t understanding the precariousness of the situation, but he knows it won’t do any good.

“Fine,” he says instead, giving up. The sooner he does what Mobius asks, the sooner Mobius will listen.

He’d not realized just how badly he needed that shower and change of clothes until he’s scrubbed the dirt and blood from his skin and allowed the hot water to beat over his sore muscles and rapidly-forming bruises. For lack of anything else to wear, he puts on a clean suit, fastening the cuffs firmly around his wrists and buttoning the collar up to his neck.

He’s sick of this outfit; he never wants to see it again but, without his magic, he has no other choice.

In the dormitory kitchen, Mobius is brewing a pot of coffee. He looks up when Loki walks in, and his mouth quirks in a half smile. “Better,” he says, “but you could still probably use some sleep and a meal.”

“Stop fussing,” Loki snaps, irritated with Mobius’s sudden desire to hover over him like a governess hovering over a petulant child who won’t eat his peas. “I hate coffee, by the way.”

“You’ve never had my coffee,” Mobius retorts, sounding unbothered. “Just sit down, okay? You still look like hell, is my point. When’s the last time anyone fussed over you, anyway?”

Loki makes a scoffing noise as he drops down into a chair at one of the small kitchen tables. “I’m sure my mother did at some point, I don’t remember.” Actually, he remembers very well that it was always his mother who looked after him when he was sick or tired or lonely, until he’d grown too old to allow himself to seek her out for comfort.

But he doesn’t want to think of his mother, who is lost to him and perhaps lost to the real Loki as well, the sacred timeline’s Loki, if enough time has progressed and Malekith has indeed run her through with a sword and left her bleeding out on the palace floor.

Loki shudders as he thinks of it, remembering the sight of his mother’s lifeless body projected onto a screen. He’d been helpless to stop it, utterly powerless, just as ultimately he’d been powerless to stop Sylvie.

His mother, dead. Sylvie, lost to him. The timeline destroyed - the end of everything. The weight of it all crashes over him; had he not already been sitting, the sheer despair of it would have brought him to his knees.

Loki drops his head into his hands instead, thinking back to Mobius’s words that first day: you were born to cause pain and suffering and death.

In retrospect, Loki knows that Mobius was merely fighting dirty, using whatever words necessary to break Loki down - the ends justify the means, and all that - but he wasn’t goddamn wrong.

How could Loki have ever believed, even for a second, that he could possibly change?

We write our own destinies now, he’d told that creepy little clock hologram, and she’d smirked, seen right through the words because they were rubbish and they both knew it.

Good luck with that.

Loki doesn’t realize he’s crying until Mobius sets down a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. He lifts his head and rubs tiredly at his tear-stained cheeks, unable to meet Mobius’s gaze as Mobius sits down across from him with his own mug.

“Here,” Mobius adds, reaching into his inside blazer pocket. He pulls out a slim, red candy stick wrapped in plastic and hands that to Loki as well.

Loki stares at it. “What is this?”

“Something better than grapes or nuts,” Mobius says dryly. “It’s a Twizzler. Popular Earth candy. I’d say don’t tell anyone I’ve stashed a bunch, but …” He trails off and shrugs, glancing around at the kitchen with forced amusement. “Doesn’t really matter anymore, does it?”

He pulls out a second Twizzler and unwraps the plastic, then bites into the candy. Loki watches him for a moment, and then imitates him. “Gross,” he says, after he’s taken a bite. It’s a very bland candy, with texture not unlike rubber. “Think I prefer grapes.”

“Well, maybe Twizzlers are an acquired taste,” says Mobius.

Loki finishes the Twizzler anyway, and then takes a sip of coffee. He does usually dislike coffee, but either he’s hungrier than he’d realized or Mobius has a gift, because this cup is actually quite good.

“Okay, now let’s go back to the beginning,” Mobius prompts, after a silence. He drums his fingertips against the table. “What happened? I’m assuming you were able to enchant the murder cloud?”

All of the words that had been spilling from Loki’s lips before, so desperate to be released, now get stuck somewhere in his throat. He wraps his hands around his mug and takes another sip of coffee, wondering idly how long it had been since he’d actually had something warm to drink. Or eat, for that matter. The train on Lamentis, perhaps. A moment ago, a lifetime ago.

“We did,” he finally says. Despite the coffee, a chill breaks out over his skin and he sets the mug down, choosing to fold his arms as if to fold into himself for warmth. “We made it past Alioth and found him - the one who’s responsible for all of this.”

Just like that, the words are no longer stuck. Loki pours out the entire story, starting from when he and Sylvie had crossed the threshold into the citadel and ending with his own tumble back through the tempad’s portal into the TVA.

But he omits the kiss, only mentioning that Sylvie had distracted him to get the upper hand. He’ll never speak of it - either that Sylvie had used his feelings for her in order to betray him, or that he’d fallen for it (of course he’d fallen for it; for a few seconds there, he’d let himself believe - but, it doesn’t matter, it wasn’t real, and there are bigger problems now).

“She closed the portal before I could get back through it,” Loki says. He notices that he’s twisting his fingers together so tightly that his knuckles are turning white. He forces himself to stop. “I can only imagine she finished the job after that because, well.” He barks a laugh that sounds, even to his own ears, broken and pathetic. He used to be so good at maintaining a cool, calm facade but it, like so many other things, had been steadily breaking apart, piece by piece. There is very little left to guard the scared little ice runt who trembles at the core.

“Look at the timeline,” he adds; he laughs again and rubs his eyes against a fresh wave of tears.

For a long time, neither of them say anything. Loki finishes his coffee and Mobius eats two more Twizzlers before another word is spoken.

“So we lost.” Mobius’s voice is hollow. “We lost before we could begin to fight.”

“I’m sorry.”

Mobius shrugs. He runs a hand over his short, gray hair before letting out a laugh of his own. “He Who Remains,” he repeats, more to himself than to Loki.

Loki allows a beat to pass. “We have to try to fix it, Mobius.” The only way to ease the weight of his guilt, Loki knows, is if he goes back and tries to make it right - or to die trying.

“How are we supposed to do that?” It’s Mobius’s turn to rub his eyes. His shoulders slump and for a moment, he looks very tired. Older. Loki studies him and wonders, fleetingly, if the real Mobius is someone’s father. “I don’t even know where to begin, Loki.”

“I might.” Loki straightens. Deep down, beneath the anguish, a seed of determination has taken hold and he focuses on that; a lifeline. “But you’ll need to trust me.”

[gerrydelano]

love your blog. any thoughts on jongerrytim? i can't find any content for it and i'm craving validation

hope you have a good day!

oh anon i was gonna BUILD that city. it was originally going to be the ship i went with for PBR before i realized that jon didn’t fit into it as easily as i wanted because their narratives in that particular story went in different directions (and i’d rather respect a character’s entire arc than shoehorn a ship just because i like the basic idea of it, yfm?) but this is actually exactly what i alluded to in the last four chapters of TSP! so if you’re actually willing to read 147k words of jon and gerry recovery nonsense, you would be rewarded with some Them. <3. ramble time!

i also honestly have some new feelings on jon & gerry as a romantic pairing after having explored it in TSP? TSP wasn’t even initially meant to end in romance, tbh. i think it’s a dynamic that mostly only works in certain situations/like all relationships, it isn’t a one size fits all type of deal. it can be a bit parasocial and feels like they wouldn’t actually pick each other out without some Backstory there, which IS very reminiscent of canon in general? we wanna think they’d work out because they have similar a sense of humor and get along well in mag 111, but when i think about the long run, i imagine them as the type of people who could give it a shot but ultimately not work out because they’re just not vibing. and that’s okay! it happens! they’re REALLY great friend material, always.

(and this part is JUST personal to my HC but i think gerry has a Type™ and i do not really think jon fits into it. similarly, jon’s type strikes as Big Handsome [see: georgie, martin, tim] and gerry is. Slim Pretty. yknow? so, i struggle to imagine them as even being all that attracted to each other! and that IS a part of things. i have other thoughts but i’ll stop here.)

i’m a lot more convinced that both of them would each have a stronger dynamic with tim, which is also a valid take on polyamory in the sense that not all partners involved have to be partnered with each other. if you take it that way, it could potentially be stronger in general! a polyamorous dynamic isn’t just “this pairing but with someone tacked on” — it’s a totally different relationship altogether, and so could for sure end up different than just J&G as a pair.

so basically, i’m here for it! tim is kind of the connecting element there, though, for me. i’m honestly the same way with JM like. i love canon and what canon did with it, but in terms of fanwork, i honestly prefer jonmartim a lot of the time because it spices things up and gives you more room to build something different. stuff that’s already got most of its questions answered in canon or that everyone and their dog has explored just about every nook and cranny of in fan content doesn’t always interest me as much because it feels like there’s nothing left for me to build from the ground up. i like! puzzles! too much!

which is why i like rarepairs so much, and usually ones with tim in them. my absolute FAVORITE gerry/tim/someone ot3 will be revealed in PBR later 💪😤 because where else can i be self indulgent. make the content you want to see.

long story short, you are completely valid! i’ve spent ample time thinking about JGT and i support you fully. i wish there were more fic out there for you to read with them, the only one i’ve seen was a long time ago and i’m pretty iffy on some of the concepts used :-/

so tbh? i encourage you to make some content for them, too! Be Your Own Hero! Make The Content You Want To See! i would love to see it. send it my way if you ever do!

[namjoonmiluna]

Breaking Free - BTS (M)

btsIf you’ve enjoyed my story please share & visit the link at the bottom to view the rest. Thank you!

Main characters : Kim Namjoon & a girl an average girl named Jenilyn. All BTS members are side characters. Suga becomes a main character in later chapters.

Genre/Warning : Written as a Kdrama. 18+ Triggers for mature content, emotional abuse, physical assault, violence, & sexual content. Later chapters may contain mental instability, drug use, racial undertones and sexual assault. Read with caution.

Length of Fic : Very long, at least a novel or two in length currently. It is not completed.

Summary : Purely by chance, a ordinary girl's life is forever changed by her favorite man-band. The simple act of choosing a new career path sets off a chain of events taking her on a journey of love, jealousy, heartbreak, desire, destiny, & drama. With a target on her back she fights to stand tall in the face of adversity.

I tried to make this story very digestible for new and old army. There is a lot of the fandom put into it and I tried to keep their personalities as close to accurate as possible.

Chapter 1 - The Meeting

It had been a long night. One of those nights that make you question why you even work there anymore. She was alone, as she usually was. The gift shop was small - only the sound of the FM radio, 90s, 00's and today's. There had not been a customer in hours. It was late, but nearing the end of her shift. She went to the restroom where she could see the eyeliner rubbing under her eyes. She did her best to fix it and laughed at herself in the mirror. Her blonde hair, now frizzy and limp from a long day - rested on her shoulders, cascading down her upper back. Why is it I'm always the one covering the shift when someone calls off, she asked herself. Her breasts were large and bouncy, held up by a small waist. Her hips were wide with an ass to match. She looked ridiculous. Thank god I can go home soon, she thought. The white tee looked stretched out from the day. She untied the black and white flannel shirt she had tied around her waist and put it on over her shirt. Her skinny jeans had torn a little more from when she had put them on, exposing more of her thighs than she liked. She thought about how she looked and quickly brushed it off - it was closing time soon anyway. She planned to crawl into bed as soon as she could.

   It was 15 minutes until closing when she noticed lights in front of the store. She had already turned off some of the overhead lights, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness - the headlights all but blinded her.

   Great, last-minute customers, she thought to herself, the absolute worst kind.

   She could see many figures getting out of what looked like a bus. One by one, seven entered the store. Each bringing multiple pieces of luggage and handbags. They all looked tired, and perhaps a little angry. One last man entered after them. Entering the store he removed his sunglasses, tucking them into his jacket pocket. The man looked tall, mature. Thick black hair and of clear Asian decent. He had slightly beady eyes and a rounded nose. His lips were thick and dark.

   "Hi! Can I help you?" she asked loudly from across the store.

   The older man walked to her counter, offering out his hand, "Seijin" he smiled. "I know it's late. Our vehicle broke down and there isn't much around here. I realize this is a campground, but I'm hoping you may have somewhere we can stay?"

She took his hand and shook. She looked to the boys, to Seijin, and back again. Trying to piece together what she was seeing, she managed to spit out, "Um, yeah! We should have something available. Let me find out for you. Are you wanting 8 rentals?" She asked him. He nodded.

   She could see that some of the boys had sat down on the floor, two more laid down, resting their heads on their bags. There was one in particular who laid on the other members of the group, flopping his arms and legs enthusiastically over them. Another slowly walked around, picking up things and calling to the others to look at what he found before setting the item back down. He was curious about all the oddities to seen around him.

   She made a few phones calls and figured out availability. "Okay so, we have 4 deluxe rentals, and 4 regular. The deluxe come with linens but ---" she paused "the regulars do not." She braced herself for him to cop an attitude with her - her years in the recreation industry had toughened her skin giving her the ability to handle any disgruntled customer with ease. She tried not too let it bother her too much, that's just how it was - being mad about it wouldn't change it.

   "Okay" one of the boys on the floor groaned, loudly. It sounded like he wanted to lay on an actual bed as quickly as possible.

   Seijin laughed at the boy who groaned, "I guess that's fine, then."

She made him a map of where the rentals were located. The park spanned a total of 80 acres. She handed it to him and vaguely gestured to where they were located, which was all over the map in different areas.

He looked down to study it, seeing that all of them were in different parts of the campground he said, "I hate to ask another favor but can you possibly take them to the rooms? They are exhausted - it's been a tough day. Anonymity is of importance."

   Still slightly stunned from the strangeness of it all, she managed to get out, "Yeah for sure, but I can't leave for 10 mins when I can close up shop." She pointed to the clock above her.

   Seijin, "That is just fine. Boys." He turned towards the boys, who seemed to be getting comfortable on the floor, "do you want to get any snacks before the nice girl closes?"

   She laughed to herself. Girl. She was in her early 30s, far from a girl. Although she had always presented younger. Coworkers always assumed she was in her early 20s. She didn't bother to correct them. It must be her skin care routine. In her mind if you act young, you stay young. It had worked well so far.

   A few of the boys jumped up. One boy followed the others around explaining what things were as they picked them up. They spoke a foreign language that sounded extremely familiar to her, perhaps a movie she watched with subtitles. Even though they spoke a different language, they riddled each other with English phrases, often spurting out words like "Ok" "Yes!" "Let's go" or "Fighting". The boy following them around laughed and shook his head, often covering his face with his hands. He's super cute, she thought to herself as she watched them walk around the store.

While the boys walked around, another man entered the store, he immediately walked to the counter and greeted Jen. He was tall and just slightly on the chubby side, he had a full beard and looked like he lived in the country his entire life. The boy following the others around the store gave him a side-eye, paying close attention to their conversation. As the member of the group most fluent in English it was hard for him not to listen. Their conversation sounded like they knew each other extremely well.

"Hey Jen" he called.

"Oh hey, Brody!" she chimed, "it's late what are you doing here?"

"We're leaving tonight" he mentioned, "someone at work got into an accident and I have to work tomorrow after all."

"Oh" she said, her voice sounding slightly disappointed.

"I'm really sorry" he apologized, "you know I was really looking forward to seeing you."

She nodded, "it's fine, we'll get together another time."

He laughed, "yeah I hope so." He looked around the store to see the guys walking around, "do you know them?"

"I don't" she said, "they just booked some rentals for the night."

"Nice to meet you" he yelled through the store, "I'm Brody."

The guys turned around and mumbled hellos to him for a second before continuing on their way.

"Not very friendly" he murmured.

Jen laughed, "give them a break, I'm pretty sure they are foreigners."

"I can see that" he said, looking to them again. He moved his gaze back to her. He gave her a big smile and dropped his head sideways.

She laughed, knowing he wanted a hug before he left.

She walked around the counter and gave him a big hug. His arms wrapped around her so tightly they arms reached his body again on the opposite side. He hummed while he hugged her before picking her up in the air and setting her back down.

The boy following the others couldn't help but notice her. She has great body lines, he thought to himself. During the hug, her back faced him.

She stepped back from him, "drive safe."

He leaned forward quickly to whisper in her ear, "the tall one is checking you out." She turned around quickly to find him staring in their direction, only to quickly look away. Jen giggled.

He nodded, "I'll talk to you soon" he said before turning to leave.

   She turned around as one of the boys opened the fridge and loudly yelled "SPRITE!" in plain English. The other boys laughed next to him, each grabbing their own drinks. Lots of bottled water and Gatorade - the typical drinks any young guy would choose.

   Items were piling up on the counter : chips, snacks, sprite, bottles of water, slim jims - even cups of ramen noodles. Enough snacks and drinks for seven.

   She packed up the items, making sure to bag the items separately. Each took their bag and went back to sit on the floor. They seemed a little happier and began eating their snacks. The sounds of snack bags crinkling covered up the music on the radio. She could hear light conversation and laughter coming from them. They reminded her of children.

   The last boy stepped up to the counter, shaking his head and laughing, "These guys act like they haven't eaten in days. How much do we owe?"

He was extremely exotic looking. His heart shaped face matched perfectly with his thin eyebrows. He had somewhat soft cheekbones and jawline. His chin sharp when he smiled. His lips were gorgeous and full. She always preferred men who looked different - normal was boring to her. His hair looked to be between a blonde and silver with a hint of blue, as if it was fading out. He stood tall and lean, towering over her 5'4" frame. His shoulders back, he knew how to carry himself to make others feel slightly intimidated. She wasn't intimidated by him in the least, but she did think he was attractive.

She laughed, "$134.89" From the looks of it, they had a very long day.

   The boy threw his head back, looking at the others happily eating their snacks. He handed her a credit card. She ran the card on what seemed like an ancient credit card reader.

"Boyfriend?" he asked in very clear English, his voice low and deep.

"Huh?" she asked.

"Brody" he smiled, "is he your boyfriend?"

"Oh god no" she laughed, "we're just friends."

"Not interested in him?" he asked, curiously.

"I um.." she thought for a minute on how she should respond, "We've known each other since we were teens. At one point we considered dating - on our first date we went to see a harry potter movie so that tells you how long ago that was."

He laughed and nodded, "didn't hit it off?"

"We did but--" she laughed, "it turns out he's in love with his best friend and I wasn't trying to get involved with that."

He grimaced, "ouch."

"He's persistent, I'll give him that" she laughed, "to this day he's still chasing her and she has at least a few boyfriends at any given time."

"He's just basically a backup but he keeps his hopes up" she explained, "whatever works for him." She truly did hope he gave up the chase and found someone, she felt he needed it desperately.

He nodded thinking about all the strange things he learned while in America.

He fiddled with things on the counter, accidentally knocking some candy on to the floor. He would occasionally catch a passing glance at her when he thought she wasn't looking, only to sheepishly smile and look down to avoid direct eye contact.

"Sorry" he apologized, bending over to put them back. She laughed. He is clumsy in the cutest way, she thought to herself.

   "I'm sorry this thing is so slow" she said nervously. She hated how long it took, waiting for it to finish made her anxious in his presence. Awkward forced conversations were a pet peeve of hers.

   He shot her a sideways smile, dimple forming on his cheek. "That's okay" he said, flashing a peace sign over his right eye. "You can call me RM"  he said, loosely introducing himself to her.

   And just like that she knew exactly who he was. Who THEY were. Maybe it was how late it was, but she hadn't put two and two together. Her heart started racing, she gulped and tried to control her breathing. OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG, she thought to herself.

Kim Namjoon, also known as RM was the leader, spokesperson and main rapper for one of the most popular K-Pop groups from South Korea. His singing voice a tenor while his rapping voice ventured closer to baritone - sometimes sounding almost throaty. He grew up in the small city of Islan. As a boy, he had big dreams of being a superhero and changing the world. He felt his music did just that. He chose the stage name of Rap Monster, later changing it to just RM - a better reflection of who he thought he was. During their debut, Namjoon was one of the most hated members. Often receiving hate from "fans" who claimed he shouldn't be in the group at all. He worked hard to prove the naysayers wrong. A lyricist by nature, he provides many of the lyrics for the group. His belief in the group so strong that when asked if he would like to go solo or stay with the group - he chose Bangtan Sonyeondan without hesitation. He believed in the group and each of its members without fault. He had a tendency to hold onto his feelings without letting others know, and doing so has lead him to depression and anxiety in the past. He struggled and continued to struggle with loving himself - something he admitted he will strive for until his death. Although he was technically the "middle child" of the group, he was considered to be in the hyung line - a term used in South Korea that meant eldest of the group. Lover of all things cute and quirky - he had many collections of toys and figurines. If he could choose his own middle name it would be fashion which doubled as his passion.

He looked back over to the guys, "I'm kind of like the leader of the group." He looked back at her and gave her the sweetest smile. His smile is so charming, she thought to herself.

   She collected her thoughts before responding, "Jenilyn" pointing to her name tag. "You can just call me Jen."

   The credit card finally went through, she handed him the card and receipt to sign.

She added the receipt to the register and checked the time. "One minute is close enough" she announced packing up her register. The boys rolled their luggage outside while she finished closing. She put her register drawer in the safe, turned off the lights and clocked out for the night.

Locking the front door to the gift shop, she turned around to say, "I can't fit all of you in my car at once. I can take two of you at a time." She pointed to her pearl white Hyundai Elantra in the parking lot.

"You guys want to introduce yourselves?" RM asked, suggesting the guys to be more polite towards her. He physically pushed one of them closer to her gently.

Two of the boys stepped forward while RM loaded their luggage.

"V" one said in a low tone, bowing slightly and avoiding eye contact. He was slightly shorter than RM, although he kept his head down making him feel even shorter, closer to her own height. His voice sultry and deep. When he did smile, his mouth formed an almost stretched out heart shape. His dark hair looked messy, slightly curly, covering his eyes. He looks like a shaggy puppy, she thought to herself. He had a beautiful set of eyelashes that would make any girl envious. He was extremely shy towards her. She imagined he would look great in a preppy sweater vest or a leather jacket, his beauty knew no bounds.

Kim Taehung, also known as V. - A quirky guy and baritone vocals for the group. Easily distracted by animals and would occasionally act a little strange - so much so that anti-fans dubbed him as an alien, a nickname which he hated.  Considers his dog to be his child. Gets bored easily and sleeps with his eyes open - fans often wondered if he slept during American interviews. Originally considered to be the "pretty" one in the group. While it sounds like a compliment, it was more often used as an insult - that the only thing he had going for him were his looks. Like Namjoon, he worked hard to improve his vocal skills - proving everyone wrong. Very honest about his true feelings in the moment. He was the third youngest member of the group, making him part of the maknae line - a word used in South Korea that referred to the youngest. His personality and quirks made him seem much older than many of the group members.

She smiled at him, "Nice to meet you, V."

RM pushed the other boy on the back softly.

"Suga" he said. He was about an inch shorter than V. His hair also looked a little shaggy, although not as long as V's. His hair stopped just at the top of his eyebrows. His face somewhat round, with a chubby babydoll look. His eyes were dark and almost triangular in shape, as if he was judging the situation. They looked to be a cross between both monolid and double eye lids. His features were soft, even delicate at times. He pulled off the look well. The first thing she noticed about him was his confidence, nothing really seemed to bother him and he had no problems looking her in the eye. He didn't try to present himself in any particular way - he existed as he was. She loved that he could be that way.

Min Yoongi, known as Suga - Another rapper for the group and one of the fastest rappers in the industry of kpop. As a descendant of a very powerful clan during the Joseon dynasty, he had a rich heritage despite growing up poor. He spent much of his time producing his own music as well as music for the group. Slightly anti-social due to his social anxiety, he did the best he could in social situations. He could most often be found observing the group and letting the other guys lead the way. In his down time he liked to sleep, write lyrics and play games on his phone. He thought his fans to be the most special as he saw himself as average looking at best. Slightly obsessed with basketball, his favorite manga featured the sport. He didn't care to show certain parts of his body and remained covered at all times. He suffered from a shoulder injury he acquired during his trainee days, when he took a side job for extra cash. He kept his emotions well hidden, very rarely allowing his true feelings to escape. He remained a loud advocate for mental health and depression as his fight had been long and difficult. Loved to be hugged by the other members but pretended to hate it. Fans called him "sleepy" for his sleeping habits as well as "meow meow" for his cat-like appearance. Even though he looked the youngest, he was the second-eldest member of the group he - was hyung to all members aside from Jin. In their debut days, he felt like he got shafted by the company - he thought he'd be joining an all rap group and with focus on music production with little choreography required. Success and their fan base, known as ARMY, helped him come to terms with and accept his new life as an idol.

"Nice to meet you Suga" she said, opening the car door. Both boys sat in the back of the car, moving the pillows around in her back seat.

Everything in her car was galaxy themed - from the car seat covers to the pillows. Suga picked up one of the pillows, fluffing it in his hands. "You like stars?" he asked.

She laughed, reversing out of her parking space. "Yeah I really like the galaxy patterns. The colors are super pretty."

He nodded his head, placing the pillow next to him and using it as an arm rest.

"I actually have lights installed in the floorboard. Let me get going and I'll turn them on" she put the car in drive and slowly took off. The speed limit was 5 mph in the park. She flipped the switch located under her dash, lighting up the floorboards in purple lighting.

"Oh cool" Suga said checking out the floorboard. He stared at her dashboard, "Bluetooth?"

"Unfortunately, no. But I do have an aux" she said passing the cord back to him. He took the cord and plugged his phone in, playing the next song on his spotify. Drake.

"Do you listen to Drake?" he asked, curious about her.

"I do like Drake. I actually love almost all music" she said pulling into the parking space of the rental. She popped open her trunk. She got out and helped V with his luggage, handing him the key to the rental. She stepped into the rental really quick to show him some key features. "If you need to use the hot water you will need to push this button about 15 minutes in advance." He nodded and said "thanks."

She got back into the car with Suga, who had moved to the front seat in her absence. It had taken several minutes to get V all settled in, Suga still jamming out to Drake when she got back in.

"Geesh, you scared me" she laughed, seeing him in the front seat. He smiled a big smile at her. She pulled out of the parking spot and headed to his rental to drop him off.

"Anyway so as I was saying I really do love just about anything" she laughed, "I remember watching Drake on Degrassi when I was a kid. He was always one of my favorites. Drake is just slightly older than me so I was really at the right age to relate to those struggles in the show." She paused, "I spent a good deal of time watching it."

He smiled at her, still bobbing his head to the music. She pulled into the parking space for Suga's rental. She opened the trunk to help him with his bag.

She laughed, "Oh, wow. You only have one bag? You pack surprisingly light." She handed him the key. "There is extra bedding in the closet."

He smiled at her, his eyes looked tired but he remained attentive to her. "Can I text you?" he asked, holding his phone.

"I uhh.." she wasn't sure what to say.

"As friends" he said laughing slightly.

"Oh okay, sure" he handed her his phone and she entered her number, handing it back to him with a smile, "have a good night Suga."

She got back into her car and made her way up to the front again. She pulled into her parking space and got out, motioning for the next set of boys to get in. RM loaded their luggage into the back.

Another boy stepped up to introduce himself, this one slightly more aggressive than the others. "Jin" he said, "also known as worldwide handsome." He was tall, although slightly shorter than RM with dark hair. Lean, but stockier than the others - very broad shouldered. She imagined he would give a very comforting hug. His eyes were slightly cat-like, flattering his oblong face perfectly. His cheekbones and jawline strong. He had beautiful full lips that looked almost heart shaped when he didn't smile.

Kim Seokjin, Jin for short - Another vocal for the group - one that was renowned for being a "silver voice". His stable breathing and strong falsetto made him extremely versatile in all genres. A funny guy with a mild temper - he was considered the mom of the group, always making sure the guys were well taken care of - bringing them ice cream to cheer them up. Often times preparing meals and lunches for them. Cooking was another passion of his. He had a love of telling uncle jokes. His laugh was contagious and his face would turn red when he felt like people were staring at him too much. He was a terrible liar and loved to be complimented. Easy going until he got worked up - once slightly angered he would speak so fast it was hard to understand him. So handsome that his fans named him "Mr. Worldwide Handsome", meaning he was considered handsome in every country he visited. He was the eldest member of the group.

RM laughed while he put the luggage in the trunk, "It's late can we give the flirting a rest?" He rolled his eyes at Jin.

Jen smiled at Jin, he was very handsome, although in a very traditional sense. Very Hollywood actor. She preferred a man with more unique features but she could appreciate his beauty all the same. He obviously spent a great deal of time perfecting himself and he was proud. "Nice to meet you, worldwide handsome" she said giving him a smile.

His black hair fell over his face as he stepped forward, "Jungkook." His eyes were big and bright as if he was excited about something. Of all of them, he smelled the best, smelling slightly fruity with base notes of vanilla and chocolate. It smelled very familiar to her. He smells slightly feminine but it suits him well. I am pretty sure I own that perfume, she thought to herself. He had beautifully cut features, as if he could pull off both the innocent boy look and a badass at the same time. His lips featured a prominent cupid's bow and reminded her of her own lips. Very full on bottom with a slightly thinner upper lip. He looked sweet and innocent.

Jeon Jeongguk, stage name Jungkook. - For lack of a better word, he was the most "average guy" out of all of them. As the youngest member of the group he was known as the "golden" maknae - a term given to the absolute youngest member. Although he seemed like an average guy with his love of manga, food and video games - his outstanding appearance and professionalism told a different story. His vocals rivaled the greatest of singers - new and old. While the other members preferred to dress in expensive clothing, he stayed with his tried-and-true brands. He was one of if not the most popular member in the group. Fans gave him the nickname of Kookie. Despite their success he had average dreams - he wished to eventually get married and have kids, to settle down and live an average life. Training as an idol from a young age, he joined the group as a teen - his childlike demeanor still holding true. He had an uncanny ability for learning quickly and excelling at everything he tried. It often left him feeling like he needed work harder to feel like he worked just as hard as the other members, to the point of dehydration and exhaustion.

"Nice to meet you Jungkook" she said opening the car door. Jin sat in front with her, Jungkook in the back. Jungkook laid down in the backseat, getting comfortable on her pillows. I'll take him home last since he's so comfortable, she thought to herself. She handed the aux cord to Jin, "Suga wanted to listen to music on the way. You can too if you like." He nodded and set the cord down without playing music.

Her phone sat in the cup holder between the front seats. Her phone starting going off. Her text notification for one of her friends was, "Waste it on me", specifically, RM's part of the song all the way to the end. She quickly took the phone, placing it face down to end the notification. She laughed, slightly embarrassed.

Jungkook immediately started singing and continued singing after the notification stopped. He really does have a beautiful voice, she thought to herself. It was extremely soothing to her and made her feel more relaxed.

"A fan?" Jin asked, curiously looking at her.

She could feel her face getting flushed, "I am." She nodded hoping the moment passed quickly.

"You didn't ask for an autograph?" he asked, although it sounded more like a statement.

She smiled, pulling into the parking space for his rental, "You guys looked tired and honestly I'm not into that kind of thing." She stepped out of the vehicle to help him carry his bags.

He gave her a half smile and raised an eyebrow slightly, getting out of the car with her, "What do you mean?"

She opened the trunk and started removing his bags, setting them gently on the gravel, "I don't really like to get close to celebrities. I like to admire from afar." She paused and stared at him. "In my mind if I can give them one less crazed fan to worry about, maybe their lives will be a little more peaceful." She handed him the key for the rental.

He hugged her, his broad shoulders wrapped around her. I was right, his hugs are the best, she thought to herself. She left her arms to the side without hugging back. He thanked her and headed up the stairs to his rental. She waited until he got inside before leaving.

Jungkook had sat up by the time she got back in the car. In her rear view mirror she could see him smiling at her. He moved close behind her, using her seat to pull himself forward. She felt as if he liked being able to intimidate her slightly. Perhaps he is into power plays, she thought to herself. He was so close to her that she could feel him breathing on her neck. It was kind of weird but slightly erotic. She wasn't even sure if he did it on purpose or not. He looked too sweet and innocent to do it purposely.

She pulled into the parking space, opening the trunk once again. He joined her at the back of the car, removing his luggage. He stood directly in front of her with a big smile on his face. His wide eyes open as if he had a million racing thoughts. After several moments he reached out to her hand, holding it within his. She looked down, noticing the tattoos on his hands. She looked up to see him smiling at her still. She laughed and took her hand back, handing him the key.

"Goodnight Jungkook" she said. He gave her another big smile, this time big enough to crinkle his eyes. He went to his rental while she made she he got in safely.

She drove back to the front of the park. She couldn't stop thinking about how flirty the guys had been. They were all so cute but man are they good at making me feel uncomfortable, she thought to herself.

She opened the trunk and didn't bother getting out of the car this time. It was already nearing midnight and she was exhausted. RM helped load their luggage, lightly patting the trunk after he closed it. Seijin sat next to her in the front seat, another hopped into the backseat, he sat in the middle, leaning in between Seijin & Jen.

"I'm J-Hope" he said cheerfully. He had a very thick Asian accent, suiting him perfectly. He shared a similar height to the other guys, although he seemed noticeably thinner. Very fashionable. He had a slightly longer face cut with a strong jawline and high cheekbones, Like RM he had dimples when he smiled. An adorable nose that turned up slightly at the end. She had always known that he was really cute, but his personality really won her over. He was extremely kind and happy. She often wished she could be that person. Being an introvert, she often tried to conserve her energy for situations she really wanted to enjoy. Being outwardly happy all the time exhausted her in most cases. It was rare she found someone didn't drain her mentally, she thought most people to be energy vampires.

Jung Hoseok, stage name J-Hope and sometimes referred to as Hobi. - The final rapper of the group and another member who received much criticism in their debut days. Anti-fans asked him to leave the group on numerous occasions which he eventually considered before deciding not to - the love and trust of his group pulling him back. He was the best dancer and most fashionable of the group. His laugh was contagious and animated - he had no problems with falling over from laughter. Spending too much time in water made him seasick and roller coasters scared him to death, though he did think it was fun after the fact. He is known as the happiest member of the group - often gritting his teeth and hiding any problems he faced. He was considered to be the second-to-the-last favorite member of the group, after RM of course, in their debut days. His fan base grew as they reached unimaginable levels of success. As the third eldest member of the group, he was a part of the hyung line.

Seijin sat quietly as J-Hope talked both to, and at, Jen. He often nodded his head in agreement, listening to him be so happy. She pulled into the parking space for Seijin's rental. She had her hand on the door handle when Seijin said, "I'll get my bags. You stay here." She smiled at him and handed him the key. He returned a smile adding, "thank you" before exiting and grabbing his bags. She waited until he entered the rental before backing up. She pulled into J-Hope's rental, a mere 40 feet away. She exited her car, helping him remove his bags. He had more bags than most of the other guys. She set his bags gently on the gravel.

He smiled at her, he swayed back and fourth slightly as if he was nervous. She handed him the key. He picked up his bags and turned away for a brief moment before turning around to ask, "phone?" he asked in English, making a phone call gesture next to his face.

She laughed, louder than she probably should with how late it was, "You are the second person to ask tonight. Let me see your phone." He handed her the phone and smiled, a low chuckle escaping his lips.

"Second? Who asked first - V?" he asked.

She entered her number into his phone. She handed it back to him, still laughing about it, "Suga."

He looked at her stunned before returning the phone to his pocket. "I can't believe that. He doesn't even respond to us."

Her laugh died down into a smile, "Well he hasn't actually texted yet so...." her voiced trailed off, dropping her smile. She could feel how tired she was now, even with the excitement of meeting BTS she felt like she could fall asleep at any given moment.

He smiled at her again, giving her a thumbs up before entering his rental. She waited until he got inside and she could see the lights pop on.

Seijin & Hope's rentals were in the back in the campground, it took her awhile to get back to the front. Pulling into her parking spot she could see RM and Jimin outside the store. Jimin laying on the ground, resting his head on RM's thigh. RM staring off into the distance, resting his head against the window of the store. They both looked fatigued. She couldn't imagine what they had gone through.

   She exited the car, and gestured them to get in.

    The last boy she had not been properly introduced to stood up slowly and whined half-playfully and half-seriously,  "I'm hunnnnngry."

   RM rolled his eyes. "Jimin, you just ate" he said with a sigh.

   "No, real food" he whined again. This time almost stomping his foot, his blonde hair bouncing with the motion. Compared to the others, he looked petite, but strong. His lips plump and a generously handsome smile. His had slightly chubby cheeks yet still prominent cheek bones, very doll like. He seemed comfortable in his sexuality and that in itself was attractive to her. He presented himself in a very fun, childlike manner. She could see immediately that he often needed reassurance from the others.

Park Jimin, stage name Jimin. - The second-youngest in the group after Jungkook. Lead vocals and well known for his falsetto - he had the voice of an angel. He was a sensitive guy with a need for attention. He loved being the center of it just as much as he loved showering the other members in it. He loved to compliment and purchase gifts for the other guys, always holding on to or touching the other members. In their debut days, he felt out of place when they would strive for a "bad boy" image. In more recent years he allowed his true personality to shine brighter and was met with complete acceptance from his fans. As one of the most popular members, he loves his fans more than life itself. In their early days, he was one of the most hated members - not by his fans but by fans of rival groups. So much so that he had received multiple threats on his life. He struggled in the beginning with loving himself as he was. In his quest to find perfection he often starved himself to the point of exhaustion. Recent years had treated him much better and he was a happier person because of it. He was one of the sweetest members of the group and his love for army knew no bounds.

RM sighed loudly, tilting his head back, letting his arms fall to the side.

   "I have food, not a lot but I can probably get you something?" Jen offered.

   "It's really not necessary--" RM said before being cut off by Jimin.

   "What kind?!" Jimin asked, practically jumping up and down.

   "Umm, chips, fruits" she said thinking, "maybe some spicy ramen?"

   Jimin didn't even say anything before getting up, he bounced around happily next to her.

   "It's been a really long night for everybody, we don't mean to waste more of your--" RM rebutted, trying to calm Jimin.

   "It's really no big deal. I live in the apartment up there" she said, pointing towards the sky above the gift shop.

   RM looked up to see there was an apartment above the A frame building. Jimin looked to him expectantly. He smiled, rolled his eyes slightly and said, "Well, let's get it."

   They walked around the building and up the set of stairs, dragging their luggage behind them. Jen helped Jimin with his as she noticed his struggle.

She placed her key in the lock and turned the doorknob, forcefully pushing the door open. Immediately the smell of blueberry pancake filled their senses.

"Mmm" Jimin said, smelling the air, "what smells so good?"

She giggled at him, "It's a candle. I love candles but I'm especially fond of fall scented ones."

The apartment was small, but cozy. She loved the shabby chic look and decorated her space to reflect that. Lots of white and ivory with subtle pops of pink. It was calming to her.

   Jimin dropped his bags near the door. Walking through the kitchen, he immediately opened the fridge and started pulling things out, naming things as he went. "Strawberries, blueberries." He found the bananas on the counter. She handed him a plate, smiling at how happy he was.

   RM sighed loudlly, giving up at this point.

   "If you keep walking straight you'll find the living room. You can sit down if you want" Jen offered.

   RM thanked her with a smile, and headed to the couch. He removed the pillows from the corner and placed them in his lap, laying his head back and letting his neck hang. It feels so good to sit on something other than a bus seat, he thought to himself. He looked around to survey the room - clearly a girls space. Candles. Blankets. Throw pillows. He found the remote and turned on the TV, scrolling through her apps. He scrolled through, finally deciding on Funimation, he reached across to grab a blanket. Covering himself he could smell the faint scent of perfume. It smelled beautiful and warm, just like she did. Slightly expensive, but not too expensive. He breathed deep and let the scent fill him.

She walked into the hallway leading to the living room, stopping at the console table to empty her pockets. She usually carried so many things with her, always her phone but also lip balm, a small vial of perfume, and a pen. She plugged her phone into it's charger. "I'm going to change my shirt" she yelled, unsure if they would even care. It felt super awkward having them in her apartment but they acted like it wasn't a big deal. They are probably used to meeting strangers, she thought to herself. She closed her bedroom door and took off her shirt, adding it to the laundry basket. She rummaged through her drawer to find something comfortable, but appropriate. She chose a plain white tee that ruched on one side. She typically preferred to get comfortable as soon as she got home - getting out of her jeans as fast as possible. To her, pants were leg prisons and shoes were foot prisons.

   She entered her living room. "Comfy?" she asked, sitting down on the opposite side of the couch. She admired how cute he looked snuggled in her blanket.

   He smiled, "Yah" purposely snuggling a little more.

   She giggled, "Jimin found the fruit and he's having a good time in there." She said, reaching for another blanket.

   He laughed and shook his head, "I bet he is."

   "We can share" he said, throwing a corner of the blanket at her.

   Damn he's cute, she thought. She wasn't even sure how she was containing her inner fan-girl. Her heart was screaming but she managed to play it so cool. She thought her heart might burst with how fast it was beating. She covered her legs and snuggled on the couch. She was happy, but so very tired. She could feel her eyes slowly closing against her desire to stay awake.

   Jimin finally emerged from the kitchen, smiling and rubbing his tummy. He sighed, eyelids half closed.

   "Ready to go?" Jen asked, sitting up on the couch. Jimin nodded. She got up to take Jimin to his home for the night.

   "Do you mind if I stay here?" RM asked "Thinking about that ramen now."

   "Oh yeah sure. Pans are in the cabinet near the sink. Ramen in the upper cabinet" she said heading out the door, carrying some of the bags for Jimin. He watched through the blinds as she helped Jimin into the car, loading his bags for him. Jimin seems to like her a lot, he thought to himself, I can see why - she is lovely.

RM got up and began looking through the cabinets, finding the extra spicy noodles and boiling the water. He finished the noodles, drained and then mixed them together.

   She had gotten halfway to drop Jimin off when she realized she forgot her phone. CRAP, she thought to herself, It's late anyway, I will be okay. Jimin sat in the front seat next to her, leaning his head against the door. He fell asleep on the ride. He looked peaceful, as if the car ride comforted him in ways he had not been comforted in a long time. She pulled into the parking space, letting him sleep a minute longer before waking him up.

   RM sat the bowl down, deciding he needed to find the bathroom. He entered her bedroom. Small, but plenty of room with a desk and vanity. Curious, he opened her closet doors. The closet was surprisingly big for how small the apartment was. He looked over her clothing, fashionable, mostly tees and denim. Comfortable shoes - Adidas and converse. Clearly a girl who dresses to be cute and comfortable. He closed the doors. Exactly what he expected based on the little he knew about her.

   He went to the bathroom, located next to the closet.

   Exiting the bathroom, he had a clear view of her desk across the room. He walked closer and realized that her screensaver was none other than BTS. He moved the mouse to see that her background had a picture of him, specifically from the "Butter" concept photo shoot. He raised an eyebrow and smiled.

On the other end of the wall sat her vanity, slightly messy as if she used it often. It had a large Hollywood glamour style mirror, surrounded by fifteen bright light bulbs. Exiting the bedroom he could hear music. Getting closer to the source, he could hear it was a BTS song. Mic Drop, in particular. He picked up her phone from the table and looked at it, recognizing the number that texted her.

The text message contained only one word. "Hey." He laughed a little, shook his head and said, "Suga" to himself out loud.

He set the phone down, only for it to immediately begin ringing again, this time a phone call. He picked up the phone again to see "Ex" calling. He let it ring, setting it down and listening to "I'm fine" playing. He sang along softly to it.

   He picked up his bowl of ramen again about the time she walked in. She shut the door quietly.

   "Jimin is safe" she said turning off the porch light. "Poor thing fell asleep on the drive" she mentioned.

   RM, slurping his noodles, raised both eyebrows, "You had a call."

   Immediately she knew that her ringtone was on. He heard it. Oh god he heard it, she thought to herself.

   "It was Ex?" he asked.

   "Yeah" she sighed, "my ex husband."

   Still eating his noodles, he made a sound between huh and oh?

He gave her a big smile, "And Suga texted you." She blushed, slightly embarrassed. He laughed, louder this time, "I can't even get him to text me."

   She picked up the phone, adding Suga as a contact. She returned the call to her ex. He listened to her from the kitchen.

   "Yeah what did you want?"

   "What does it even matter?"

   She sighed.

   "We've been through this. I'm done and it's over".

   RM heard the anger rising in her voice, and gestured with two fingers for her to give him the phone. She handed it over, giving him a sideways look.

   "Yea man, she said no. Its over." He ended the call and smiled - both dimples showing this time.

   "What did you do?" she asked, panicking.

   "Now he knows you're with a man. He'll leave you alone" he shrugged.

   It was silent as they returned to the living room, "Not something you can fix?" he asked out of curiosity.

   She laughed. "No, it is not" she said, plopping down on the couch.

   He sat down on the other end, one eyebrow up as if he questioned her.

   She leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling. It was always hard for her to hold back her tears when someone asked directly. "After five years of marriage he decided that he would rather have girls on only fans." She looked at him dead in the eyes, "and fuck them." She looked down this time, "more than a few times."

   RM was quiet. He had no words that would comfort her in the moment. She seems like a really chill girl, he thought to himself. He moved closer and rubbed her upper back softly, offering what little support he could think of.

   She laughed as she wiped away the tears. "Its alright. He's the one that's missing out. I'm fucking great" she announced.

   RM laughed. She's kind of cocky - I like it, he thought. Clapping his hands together he said, "It's been a long night and I think we're both tired.."

   She blinked at him a few times. She didn't really want to go anywhere at this point. She wanted to fall asleep when Jimin did earlier. "You can stay here if you want?" she offered, half question half offer.

   He nodded his head in agreement. She brought him some pillows and a larger blanket for the couch.

   "Bathrooms off my room if you need it" she smiled. She went into her room, changing out of her jeans and into ruched shorts. She faced the desk fan towards her bed before getting in, she preferred the cold when she slept.

   She fell asleep quickly.

The group chat that they used to communicate with each other was on fire that night :

Suga : Thoughts? She's cute

V : Very

J-Hope : Her car smelled nice

Jimin : Her apartment smelled nice too

Suga : What?! You went to her apartment?

V : I'm thirsty, do you think she'd help? :D

Jin : Too much V

RM : Jimin complained he was hungry

Jimin : I'm full now : )

Jin :  She seems really nice. Reminds me of my mom.

Suga : She likes drake

Jungkook : Cool girl

Jin : She likes us

Jungkook : Yeah all of her ringtones are bts.

RM : I can't believe Suga is actually responding to us in group chat.

J-Hope : A pretty girl will do that to him.

V : We should invite her to the show tomorrow night

Suga : YAS!

RM : We will ask Seijin in the morning.

Jimin: *clapping emoji*

RM : *sent a picture of him laying on her couch to the chat*

J-Hope : You stayed with her?!?!

Suga : OMG

   He didn't respond further after sending the picture. He laid on the couch, thinking about the day. She was obviously a fan but she treated him like any other person. It was refreshing. He thought about Suga asking for her phone number. It almost pained him to think about and he wasn't sure why. To think of it, all of the guys seemed really smitten by her, he thought to himself before falling asleep.

   He fell asleep for a couple of hours before waking up in the night. He walked through her room to the bathroom. He could see her silhouette in the moonlight. She was sleeping on her stomach with one leg bent. He could see her butt poking out the bottom of her shorts. He went to the bathroom and came back. He admired her figure. Her butt was idealistic, the kind that many women would photo shop to copy. Almost too good to be real, he thought. He slowly climbed into bed next to her.

   Him laying next to her woke her slightly. She was a very light sleeper, with any kind of noise waking her. She could feel his body next to hers. Wiggling closer she rested her head next to his and offered him half of the blanket. They slept together but in the most innocent way. Similar to how you would sleep with a very good friend - cuddled together without sexual expectations. Neither of them had been cuddled in so long, both enjoying it immensely.

He woke up very early. He stared at her while as she slept. He wished he could lay next to her for awhile longer but there was a van waiting to pick them up. Before he left, he took a selfie with her phone, entering himself as a contact. He noticed Suga had sent her another text message as she didn't respond to the first. He smiled, surprised that Suga tried a second time. It was unlike him to pursue someone more than once.

He found a notebook on her counter and wrote her a note before grabbing his bags to head out the door. He quietly closed the front door when he left, his luggage behind him. Before getting into the car he dug out his journal. He sat between Suga & J-Hope. Once settled and on their way, he wrote yesterday's journal entry :

"Today was a great day. The day was long and the ride even longer. Our vehicle broke down on the way to Chicago. We stopped at a campground and met a really nice girl. Pretty. Smart. I slept on her couch and then moved into the bed with her. It was lovely."

He read his entry over, adding small details he wanted to remember. J-Hope couldn't help but notice his entry, "She's pretty" he admitted.

RM laughed, "Yeah so pretty Suga got her number." Suga laughed, letting out a little snort.

"Had to try" he responded.

J-Hope blushed, covering his face.

RM laughed, "You asked for her number too didn't you? How many of you do you think she can see at once?"

V, who sat behind RM, leaned forward between the seats, "I wanted to ask her but I was too shy. She seems really confident."

Suga laughed at V's misfortune. "You weren't able to form words around her."

RM smiled as he listened to the boys jokingly fight over the girl. They often fawned over pretty girls, but usually not the same one. His mind got lost in thought.

Suga's phone went off. He looked at it, seeing a text from Jen. "I win." he said, showing the text message around as if it were a gold medal.

Both V and J-Hope sighed. RM laughed at their behavior. It was cute and charming, but also somewhat childish. He rolled his eyes listening to them talk about her.

Jen woke several times during the night to find him snuggled with her pillows. She thought he looked like a sweet angel when he slept. He snored softly and looked at peace.

In the morning, he was gone. She yawned and stretched. He didn't wear a cologne - instead he smelled of incense with hints of honey and lemon. His scent lingered on her sheets. It smelled as interesting as he was.

It was her day off, she wasn't in a hurry to do anything today. She made her morning coffee. She looked out the window, mug in hand, to see if the bus was outside. It wasn't. For a minute she thought it was all a dream until she noticed a note on her console table.

"Thank you for everything. -Namjoon"

She smiled at the note and looked at the dishes in the sink from the noodles and in that instant it hit her like a truck. Last night was real. And amazing - but short-lived. She honestly had the best night of her life. It really doesn't go up from here, she thought to herself.

   Her doorbell rang. She opened the door to find flowers on the deck. A beautiful bouquet of mixed flowers of all colors. Bringing the flowers in, she set them on her dining table and checked the card.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/278213084-breaking-free-bts-rm-kim-namjoon-fanfiction

[gaycey-sketchit]

(Gary anon) It's usually a specific section of the m/f shipping crowd [and who flocks to it], but yeah, if I had a dollar for every blatant m/m and f/f moment being labeled as "JUST FRIENDS DOING FRIEND THINGS". (If Ash's story ever ends with traveling with Gary [or some other male companion]; I fully expect the same results as "Red and Blue are on their honeymoon in S/M") But the 'purity' crew, never fails to not be the worst and I don't think I need to explain why.

(Part 2) I'm not too huge on romance in media in general, but if there's good fun chemistry between characters, I'm cool. I get it. (You can definitely get away with characters who don't have the most extensive story or dynamics that are near non-existent more. But I will admit on being picky when it comes how certain characters are being portrayed. "Pair the shares" is something that always confused me. Not everyone needs to be a relationship; at least not all at the same time.)

(Part 3) Same; not going to waste time fighting with the fandom over takes. I'm fine discussing them and curious on people's views, but keeping civil. Honestly, sometimes canon takes can more mind-numbing. (Oh, according to this week's episode subs, it seems Ash and his opponents can only use one battle mechanic in a PWC battle. I think there's still a possibility of Ash using Z-moves, Megas and Dynamax all in the same match. Feels like something they'd save towards the end

(Part 4) just due to the potential on how crazy they can make it. Maybe it'll be done outside of PWC; in case Leon doesn't make an exception. But, it feels like a battle they can't pick just anyone for; especially if they were to throw all the same back at Ash)

Yeah, I figure most people are normal and it's just a loud minority who does stuff like that. (Absolutely, the amount of homophobia I see on Twitter is... so bad. I have to hope a lot of those people are just trolling and don't genuinely think that way.)

Yeah--and as part of the "Red and Blue are married now" crowd, I can confirm I'd probably do the same. I'm more than happy to give Ash a boyfriend via my fanfic, and if canon gave me that kind of material I would absolutely run with it (and I would definitely write a sickfic).

I know what you mean--can't stand the crowd that thinks being queer is inherently sexual and will get mad at you for even like... bringing up Goh's crush on Ash. It's weird considering that I, a bi person, know I'd had multiple crushes both on boys and girls by the time I was ten. Like... queer kids exist and get innocent crushes too.

I feel that--I'm very much a romantic and I love a good romance as much as the next guy, but platonic relationships can be just as powerful and beautiful and sometimes I prefer stories to focus on those. And I always prefer focus on strong platonic relationships over forced romantic ones.

I'm definitely picky when it comes to reading fic for popular ships I'm interested in, but pickings are so slim for rarepairs that I will read just about anything that's legible and in a language I understand--it's interesting to see the sometimes vastly different interpretations, even if there's definitely some I favor over others. Some people probably aren't into my takes and that's fine, I get it, my target audience is me and like three friends and anyone else liking my stuff is just a nice bonus.

Yeah, pairing the spares sure is... a thing people do. I try not to criticize too much since fanfic is free and so is closing the tab, but. I really have never been a fan. (Funnily enough though, it's kind of justified in high school AUs because high school is Like That--let's say I know from experience that sometimes insecure teenagers under peer pressure will end up in a relationship with somebody they have no chemistry with just for the sake of being in a relationship.)

Yeah, I'm tired and I engage in fandom stuff to have fun, not to pick fights with everybody who has an opinion I disagree with. Civil discussion is fun and interesting sometimes but arguing is not.

Yeah, something as wild as that would almost definitely be saved for some big late-series battle, either with Leon or somebody else really important. Just the thought of a battle that intense, no holds barred, pulling out all the stops, is so exciting--I hope it does happen at some point because I bet that'd be so fun to watch.

[dreamingofscully]

Bated Breath

Rating: G Length: 2198 words Classification: M/S UST

Summary: Mulder drives Scully home from the hospital after the events of “Milagro”

Thank you to my wonderful betas @suitablyaggrieved, @starbuckthirteen, J_A_Hunnings/AO3, and Princess 20-Sided Die. This is my first fic and I’m so nervous.

Read this on AO3.

*****

On the short drive from the hospital to Scully's apartment, Mulder feels like the air between them is almost tangible, heavy with their unspoken words. He glances over at Scully every few minutes and he can't help but notice the small imperfections that tell the story of what she's been through - the smudged makeup, the spot of dried blood she missed below her ear.

His hands tremble. He tightly grips the steering wheel when he thinks about how he almost lost her. He takes a deep breath, and reaches his hand out between them, touching the side of her leg with the backs of his fingers. Her fingers grasp his wrist - briefly, gently - and she leaves them there, skin against skin. Barely a handhold, but enough to know he's not unwelcome.

When they arrive, Mulder walks her up to her apartment and unlocks the door for her. He's reluctant to let her out of his sight but he's not sure how much she'll let him hover. She isn’t pulling away from him - her usual strategy after experiencing any sort of trauma. He keeps silent, afraid that if he said something wrong, she’d snap back into the Scully he knew and that she’d insist she was fine and tell him to leave.

She enters in front of him, the space barely big enough for her to fit but she slips through effortlessly, like she takes up no space. Her hand reaches towards him, inviting him in.

Mulder shuts the door behind them and stands there awkwardly. He's not sure what she's thinking, not sure how long he’ll be wanted or needed. 

He thinks back to that moment he found her in his apartment, covered in her own blood and so quiet and still on the floor. His relief upon her awakening shattered by her fear and desperation. Her desperate need to be reassured and held. Images flash through his head of her hand seeking his when the police questioned her, her shoulder leaning towards him when he insisted on taking her to the hospital, her forehead pressing against his chest while they waited for a doctor to check her over.

It’s just a lingering need for comfort, he concludes, she just needs to know she's alive. Soon she'll go back to keeping her distance. He hopes that this uncharacteristic mood will stick around for awhile though, because he doesn't want to stop being close to her. He offers to make them tea, a hopeful waver in his voice.

Scully smiles warmly, her eyes finally connecting with his. He sees a strange calmness there.

"I'm just going to have a quick shower and get changed. Make the chamomile." Her first words are soft and scratchy, just barely loud enough in her silent apartment. She places her hand on his arm, brushes it down to his hand, where she squeezes their fingers together briefly before walking towards her bedroom.

He doesn't know if she needs him, but he needs her.

Mulder heads to the kitchen, fills the kettle and places it on the stove. There are three boxes of chamomile, and he can't tell which one he should use. He walks to her bedroom, thinking he'll just tap on her door to ask which one she'd prefer; instead, he finds the door wide open and Scully's pale, slim back visible just inside, the dim light from her bathroom illuminating her from behind. She's pulling on her robe and for a moment Mulder swears that time slows down. He watches the glow of her skin disappear under the blue silk of her robe, and as his gaze travels upwards he sees her watching him over her shoulder. The fan of her hair covers half of her face, but he can see her mouth turned up faintly in another smile.

She ties the sash on her robe, walks over and taps one of the boxes of tea in his hands. “This one,” she says, still smiling. He tries to respond, but finds himself unable to come up with just the right sort of joke to hide behind and regain some measure of control. He’s floundering, frozen in place, unsure and speechless. Her smile widens and she walks towards her bathroom, closing the door with a soft click.

Normally, Mulder would have felt like an intruder after having witnessed such an intimate moment, but her warm expression seemed to welcome him, or was that simply wishful thinking? Either way, he takes a few minutes to recover before heading back to the kitchen. 

On the way, he absentmindedly picks up something hard and smooth from a table in her living room - a shell. He pauses, rotates it in his hands, wondering what this item means to her. Is it something that represents a significant memory, that she smiles at every time she notices it? Or was it a gift, equally precious because of its reminder of a special person? Maybe it caught her eye in a shop, and she simply admired its appearance. 

He is suddenly and desperately filled with the desire to know, and saddened by the fact that he has never bothered to simply ask her these things. So much of her past is shrouded in mystery, only because he’s been so selfish and obsessed with his damn quest. He demands so much, and she gives of herself always and without hesitation. If something were to happen to her or she finally decided to leave, what memories would he have to hold onto? How much of her would he actually have?

Mulder’s depressing, rambling thoughts are broken by the tell-tale rattling of pipes that signals the end of Scully’s shower - he hadn’t realized how long he’d been standing there beating himself up. He places the shell back on the table and rushes to finish the preparations for the tea. His fingers tap restlessly on the countertop as he waits for the kettle and he shakes his head to try to clear his thoughts, not wanting to bring any more darkness into their time together tonight.

The kettle whistles and he pours the hot water into two mugs - an elegant cup for her that he knows she favors and the “Albert Einstein was an alien'' mug for him, a gift he got her several years ago that he always uses when he’s here. Just as he's carefully fishing out the label that dropped inside, he feels a small hand on his lower back.

Scully. 

She inserts herself beside him and underneath his arm, her small form surprising him with its graceful agility. Her hand grazes from his back to his waist, wrapping around him with ease and strange familiarity. She looks up at him and smiles, her face scrubbed clean and hair curled and towel-dried from her shower. Her glance moves from his eyes to his mouth, where he's sucking on his burned finger.

"Thank you." she murmurs. She tugs on his shirt and pulls him towards her living room, grasping her cup of tea in the other hand. He follows, feeling oafish and gangly compared to her sudden transformation into some sort of ethereal sylph.

They sit close together on her couch, sipping their tea. It's not something he would normally drink, but he sips slowly, tolerating the smooth, slightly bitter flavor for as long as it lets him stay. He fidgets and can't quite figure out how to sit next to her, discomforted by his awareness of her physicality and his inability to define this shift that has taken place within her.

Scully rests one of her hands, warm from the tea, on his thigh. Her calm seeps into him and he feels content to just sit and be. A few minutes pass, and Mulder finds his voice. He begins to tell a rambling tale of a dryad who loved a mortal, trailing off when he nears the inevitable tragic ending. She finishes the story for him, a dimple forming in her cheek, that she should finish his tale for him.

“Keep talking.” she urges. He obliges, talking of nothing and everything, until their tea cools and they seem to relax into each other.

He turns to look at her, shifting away slightly so he can study her face. Such a contrast to her panic and fear from earlier today - she seems to have recovered remarkably quickly. Maybe it's not the quickness he's noticing but the distance she's come, the complete turnaround from before. He's not sure what it is but she's... still touching him. Smiling frequently. It's definitely good - great, even - but he feels like he’s in a dream. This version of Scully leaves him disoriented and self-conscious.

She turns to face him as well, the corner of her mouth quirking up in a half-smile. The mug of tea makes a muffled click as she sets it on a coaster.

"Like what you see?" her voice is amused, teasing. He realises he's been staring.

Mulder continues to look at her. Impulsively, he reaches out a hand and runs his knuckles delicately over her cheek. 

"Very much." His voice is tender and sweet, and he’s not sure what possessed him to diverge from their usual playful banter.

Scully's eyes flicker, her pupils dilate slightly, and they lower briefly to his lips. Her tongue slides out and wets her upper lip and she seems, somehow, to be closer without moving an inch. Mulder feels a spark travel from his chest to his groin. An overwhelming feeling of intense anticipation rises within him - like he's at the top of a roller coaster about to take the first fall.

The silence stretches between them for too long. Scully's eyes shift away and sudden shyness and insecurity seems to take hold of her. Him too - what is he thinking?

They both turn away with a sigh, chuckling at their synchronized stumbling. The moment lost, they lean back against the couch, still joined from shoulder to thigh.

Mulder breaks the silence by clearing his throat. "You seem really OK - more than me, Scully." Mulder tilts his head in her direction. Scully seems to be watching the ceiling; her damp, wavy hair fanning out around her, the ends tickling his arm.

"Yeah. I'm... OK." Scully's mouth lifts slightly, but doesn't quite reach a smile this time. "I don't think I've ever been that scared before but... after my, uh, outburst I felt..." her hands wave as she searches for the right words. "I don't know, I felt peaceful. Like some sort of darkness I've been holding on to for a long, long time just melted away." Her eyebrows are slightly knitted together, the way they do when she's deep in thought.

"This case made me realize something, Mulder, something we've been trying to avoid for a very long time." She turns her head to look at him, still lying back on the couch. They’re sitting even closer than usual, and Mulder can feel the warm puffs of each breath as she thinks about what she’s trying to say.

"I... " She drops her gaze. He can see the war within her, the arguments taking place, a decision being made. She meets his eyes with a steely determination, and utters a single word.

"Us." Staring at him directly. There is no mistaking her meaning. There is no room to hide from the implications. Mulder is knocked sideways, his mouth dry. It's not strange that Scully is the one confounding him, but he's definitely unaccustomed to feeling like she has all the answers and he's left behind, trying to catch up.

And with that she pats his leg, smiles again and rises from the couch, taking their cups to the kitchen.

"You can sleep on the couch. I know you probably want to stay and make sure I'm alright." She returns with a pillow and blankets, all business and common sense now, a familiar Scully that comforts him but makes him feel as if he's squandered something special.

"I know you're really tired. Please don't leave. I don't want to worry about you driving." She ruffles his hair as she passes behind him, not waiting for an answer. "Good night, Mulder."

With that, she's gone, her slippered feet making only the barest of whispers on the carpet as she shuffles towards her bedroom.

He needs to think, to finally allow himself to contemplate what happened between them tonight. It’s something he’s pushed aside and didn’t allow himself to seriously consider because he always paired relationships with their painful and inevitable end, and that absolutely couldn’t happen with him and Scully. She seemed so sure though, and if there was one thing he learned over these years, it was that she never made a decision without weighing all of the possible consequences. Maybe he should trust her with this as well.

Not knowing what else to do, Mulder makes his bed on the couch, strips to his t-shirt and boxers and lies down. Exhaustion pulls at him as the last pulses of adrenaline fade from his bloodstream. 

As he closes his eyes, he can almost pretend she’s still here beside him, her scent lingering on the cushions. He smiles and thinks, Soon.

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Drinking Buddies (standalone)

Summary:  Stretch and Edge get along great from the very start.

Tags:  Pre-spicyhoney, Enemies to Lovers, Arguments, Underswap isn’t as kind as Edge likes to think. 

~~*~~

Read it on AO3

or

Read it here!

~~*~~

Edge resisted the urge to slam the door behind him as he stepped out into the icy cool of Underswap’s Snowdin. He took a deep breath, held it, counting slowly as he let it back out. A breathing technique he’d learned from a soggy magazine found at the dump that he’d studied diligently despite his brother’s mocking.

It worked, a little. His temper, once on the verge of boiling over, settled down to a low simmer. Not at all how he’d wanted to spend his evening. Visits to the other universes were supposed to be a way for him to leave behind the stresses of his own world and instead, tonight it only doubled it, trebled.

Stretch had been in a bad mood from the moment he and Red arrived. The very first words out of his mouth, “nice of you to show up, edgelord, how long did it take you to shake the dust out of that pretty scarf of yours?”

They only got worse as the night went on. Those little insults of his dug in deeper than they should, his petty cruelties usually disguised as idle observations twisting into Edge’s restless soul until the iron control he usually had over his frustrations rusted over and snapped. He’d grabbed Stretch by the front of his sweatshirt, hauling him up from the sofa despite the startled cries of others.

Stretch only smirked, hanging in his grip as he said, softly, “you wanna hit me? go ahead. just remember, you can only do it once.”

That lazy reminder cooled his temper like breaking through ice into the river. One HP, the same as his own brother and Edge allowed Blue to pry his brother free, scolding them both and it was the faint note beneath those words, like a barely stifled sob, that sent Edge outside into the snow.

The artificial light of day was gone, the town cast mostly in darkness except for the Gyftmas lights scattered about. There was a ‘Librarby’ the same as in Underfell and Muffet’s nearby, the brightly lit sign blinking. It was difficult to distinguish how the 'swap' part of Underswap actually worked.

Not that the Monsters who lived here called it that. The term was coined by Papyrus, and at first glance, it seemed accurate enough. Stretch seemed very much like his brother and Red, and Blue similar to Papyrus and himself. Their enthusiasm for being in the guard and cooking, their cheery personalities and distaste for bad puns, while Stretch matching up with his counterparts in laziness and sarcasm.

But the resemblance only seemed surface deep. For one, even his brother usually knew when to shut his mouth, a lesson Stretch certainly never seemed to have learned.

Muffet's was the analog for Grillby's in this world and much as Edge hated coming into any contact with greasy food and equally so company, he needed a drink. If nothing else, it was certain to be safer than his own Grillby's.

Or so he thought and there lay an important lesson his brother taught him from the moment he could summon the smallest bone attack. Assume nothing.

At a glance, the bar was similar. Cleaner, perhaps, less of the furniture broken in LV-fueled disputes. The jukebox was darkened and silent, the patrons less so, snatches of conversation in the air to mingle with the clink of glasses against tabletops.

Behind the counter was Swap's version of Muffet. Intriguing differences, really. His Muffet dressed in frills and lace, paying no mind to the splatters of blood and dust at the hem of her skirts, dappling her ankle socks and slippers. When she dropped the charming illusion of her smile, her true, ravenous nature showed, her maw opened wide to greedily suck the essence of any Monster caught in her webs. He’d seen it once, in a grainy video that his brother ‘liberated’ from Alphys’s storage. At the very end she’d paused, swinging around to look directly at the camera and through the snow of static, the visible madness in her many dark eyes was enough to convince Edge to stay well out of Hotland.

This Muffet only nodded at him politely, her many eyes reflecting the overhead lights. She was nattily dressed in shirtsleeves and a tie, her wiry hair done up in a pair of simple pigtails, and her smile held no horrors, only the raspy offering, "Drink?"

"Do you have tabasco?" Edge asked without much hope.

She only nodded, pouring out a tall glass and topping it with what he hoped was vodka. A celery stalk completed the drink and she pushed it over to him. A wary sip sent a burst of faintly bitter heat deliciously across his tongue, better than any swill he’d had in Underfell.

Absently, he pushed a G coin back across at her and the rumble of conversation around him dwindled to silence. She stared at it as though it might grow fangs and snap at her many fingers.

"My apologies," Edge offered guardedly, "Is that not enough?"

Two stools away, a Monster leaned towards him, their scaly skin and yellowed eyes reminiscent of Undyne and their words were a slurred, whether from drink or a natural inclination, Edge could not say. "Nah, Muffet says its good. Everyone's jus' surprised to see you paying. Usually everything from youse guys goes on Papyrus's tab."

"Of course," Edge muttered. His own brother would delight in racking up drinks on someone else’s tab for a change. "I'd prefer to pay my own way."

Muffet nodded and picked up the coin, dropping it into her vest pocket.

He was most of the way through his drink, the winding tension in his soul slowly loosening, when from behind him came the invasive prickling touch of a Check, followed by, “Huh, look what we have here."

Edge tipped his skull back, draining the last of the tabasco and vodka from his glass before turning around. Three Monsters, their long ears and furry scowling faced placing them firmly in the Bun clan. In his world the Buns were plentiful but meek, often depending on the Snowdin guard to protect them and their homes from those who would hunt them down.

Here in this swapped world, they were flipped around, turned on their end. Tall enough to loom over Edge, their noses the pale white of a fishbelly instead of wriggling pink, their eyes bloodshot and sunken. The tallest leaned in, a sneer fracturing his wide face.

"Nice outfit,” they said. Alcohol was strong on their breath, sharp and foul, “You come in here to raise some dust, LV collector?"

Edge only looked at them coolly. "You act as if any of you would be worth it."

Raucous laughter came from them all, unpleasant and humorless. The tall one spoke again, scornfully, "Trash knows trash, is that it?"

"You don’t know anything about me." It wasn’t likely that Muffet was going to allow fighting in her establishment; in his own world, Grillby would have interceded almost immediately before he could lose any more furniture. True as that may be, Edge wasn’t about to rely on an unknown Monster to have his back and discreetly, he began summoning an attack meant to incapacitate. LV he might have, but he wasn’t—

"I know enough, killer!" The Bun raised a hand, their curled fingers forming a fist nearly the size of Edge’s skull and swinging directly at it.

Before that hand could connect or Edge could deflect it, it stopped entirely, the Bun standing frozen, his soul pulsing an eerie blue.

"hey, guys,” Nearer to the door, a familiar, lazy drawl, “think it’s time to back off.”

The other Buns moved in near unison, turning towards the door and parting enough for Edge to see Stretch standing just inside it. He was lighting a cigarette, a bony hand cupped around the flame.

“Really?” From the second Bun, shorter and thinner, and no less drunk for it. “You gonna stand up for the murderer, Papyrus? Gonna let him kill us all?”

Stretch only chuckled out a smoke-filled breath and tucked his lighter into his pocket. “nah, you know better than that, bunno. we go way back, don’t we?”

“Yeah,” the bun agreed, “yeah, we do.”

“yeaaaaaah,” Stretch drew out the word, slyly, rocking back on his slippered feet. “maybe you don't know me as good as you think. see, problem is, the thing you don’t seem to get—"

Stretch tapped a cylinder of ash on the floor and stuck the cigarette between his teeth, then raised his hand, slim fingers haloed in light. Four blasters rose over his shoulders, their eye lights feral-bright, maws open with the burning threat glowing in their throats. Stretch’s smirk widened, fingers twitching, "he’s not the one you need to worry about, now is he?"

The two Buns were scrambling for the door before Stretch even finished speaking, each struggling to be the first through it. The last taller Bun stood stiffly as Stretch waved his hand carelessly, the blasters dissolving away at the same moment the counter on the blue magic faded.

“now go home,” Stretch said, lightly, “i don’t really wanna make puns about dust bunnies.” One corner of Stretch’s mouth rose, a lopsided smirk. “dust punnies. heh. okay, just that one.”

The tall Bun opened his mouth, hesitated and visibly re-thought whatever he meant to say, then turned on his heel to follow his companions out.

“guess that was a little too hare-raising for ‘em.” Stretch plopped down on the stool next to Edge’s. The moment he did, Muffet plunked a glass ashtray pointedly in front of him and he grimaced, tapping his cigarette in it. “sorry, muff.”

The apology seemed to mollify her, weak as it was, and she set a shot glass in front of him, the contents a rich golden-brown.

Edge waited until Stretch knocked it back, sockets closed as he savored it. “You didn’t need to do that.”

“yeah, i know,” Stretch said. One socket slit open, the pale eye light focused on Edge, glittering with dark amusement. “but i got dibs on being a dick to you.”

Edge couldn’t stop his mouth from twitching in a slight smile. It wasn’t quite an apology, not unless one squinted and turned it on its side. But then, that sort of thing suited Underswap. “So you do.”

“Another drink?” Muffet rasped out.

“yeah, sure,” Stretch pushed the empty shot glass towards her. “keep ‘em coming.”

“Yes,” Edge agreed, softly. He held out his own glass and added, “Put it on his tab.”

-finis-

[mystifyingorbit]

Dreamlike

So... It’s been a while huh, sorry for the long wait. This is my first Iz*one fic. It’s quite a long one, hence why it took so long for me to post. I hope you all enjoy it regardless.

When Hitomi first laid eyes on her, she was immediately won over. How could she not? Even when surrounded by so many other trainees, beautiful in their own right, that girl stood out as one of the prettiest of them all. When Starship Entertainment was called up and when they mentioned that she was the youngest out of them all, Hitomi was shocked. 

How was someone that was still 15 years old that tall… and unbelievably beautiful?

Something in her heart flutters when Wonyoung winks, so Hitomi buries her face in her arms, trying to hide how flustered she was. (Hitomi hopes it’s just jealousy. She’s not sure if she can handle it being anything else)

---

Wonyoung’s eyes were drawn to the girl in the corner. 

From what Wonyoung could recall, her name was Honda Hitomi, a member of AKB 48. She wasn't the most open nor outgoing, nor was she the centre of attention. Yet, when the AKB 48 trainees were first introduced, she was the first of them Wonyoung saw, her eyes instinctively drawn to her. 

Hitomi turned to her, and their eyes locked. Wonyoung looked down, cheeks flushed at getting caught staring. She hears Hitomi giggle softly, somehow the focus of her attention even over the chaotic noise of all the trainees around her.

When Wonyoung looked up, she was no longer in the corner. Instead, she stood next to her, a soft smile still adorning her plump face. (Hitomi was usually shy, yet for once she decided to be the first to approach.)

“Hello Wonyoung ssi.” She hears Hitomi says. Wonyoung smiles nervously in response, her heart beating fast.

“Oh, hello Hitomi unnie.” the younger says in Japanese, wanting to get to know her

“Oh, You're able to speak Japanese, Wonyoung?” Hitomi says, switching to Japanese in her surprise. 

"Yes, I can." Wonyoung says, noticing how Hitomi instantly relaxes, causing her to smile.

Hitomi grasps her hand, "If you don’t mind, can you help me with my Korean?"

Wonyoung nods dumbly, in disbelief that Hitomi approached her out of anyone for help. "Why me over anyone else? I'm the youngest here.".

Hitomi giggles a bit, "Because you looked like you wanted to get to know me."

Wonyoung immediately moves to deny it, but Hitomi just continues giggling and waves before walking away to join some of her other friends, leaving her to just shake her head and smile at this opportunity presented to her. 

---

Hitomi knew she wanted to debut from the start, but she didn't really prefer anyone to be with her. Now? Hitomi has one person, more than anyone else, she would want to debut with. 

When the time came to do the group battle, Hitomi was ecstatic to be picked into the same group as Wonyoung (thank you Ahn Yujin). Yet, they were paired against what many consider the strongest group. Hitomi was anxious, she knew she wasn’t the best performer among the AKB48 trainees, nor was she the most popular, so she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to pull her own weight in the group.

Suddenly, a hand enveloped her own and squeezed, pulling her out of her thoughts. She looked up to Wonyoung smiling encouragingly at her as if sensing Hitomi’s worries. How someone that young holds so much confidence, so much maturity is something she questions. However, one thing’s for sure. If Wonyoung can stand tall in the face of this hurdle, volunteering to be their centre even, Hitomi will be able to overcome her own issues. For her, she would do nothing less.

---

They won. Oh my god, they won. Wonyoung sat in disbelief, shocked at the result displayed on the screen. Wonyoung turned to look at her groupmates, her friends, the reason they were able to win. Wonyoung feels sorry for the other team, yet, she was really happy that they won.

Yes, for herself. But also Yujin, her best friend who brought them all together. Yena, Miru and Goeun too, who all played their parts and trusted her as their centre. Most of all, Wonyoung was happy for Hitomi, who was nervous and doubtful of herself in this foreign country. Who struggled with the language, and had to be aided by the Korean trainees in the group. The person who approached her, and wanted to befriend her. Yet, she was also the person who taught them the dance, and who, even under all this, was willing and able to help the rest of the group.

As Wonyoung placed her hand in Hitomi’s, she realized something. She knew she wanted to debut with Yujin, with Kahyeon. Now, Hitomi’s on that list too, and with how talented Hitomi is, she knew it shouldn’t be an issue. They’d make it together to the end, and then they’d have more time together.

---

The weeks go by, and the pool of trainees go down and down. Hitomi’s sad that many of her fellow Japanese trainees have been eliminated, yet she’s also happy that they’re still here.

They, as in herself and Wonyoung.

Hitomi would want nothing more but to debut with her, and while things are looking positive, she never knows how much things could change, so she worries still. 

It might be a bit selfish, to want to debut with Wonyoung even over the other Japanese trainees, but how could she not want one of the kindest and prettiest trainees, one that has helped her time and time again, to be her groupmate. 

Like it has been stated multiple times, Wonyoung was born to be the centre, and Hitomi does not disagree at all

(Even if she wanted to centre in rollin' rollin', if there was anyone she would be fine losing the centre battle to, it would be Wonyoung.) 

---

When they started announcing the names of those debuting, Wonyoung was nervous. She felt like she won't debut, that she might've missed her chance. She would be upset, but looking at those around her, her friends, she wouldn't want to take any of their spots either. No matter what, she'd be happy for them, that's what she promised herself. 

Kim Minju, Kim Chaewon. The first two names announced. Wonyoung was happy for them, they were both amazing people and would definitely be amazing idols. Wonyoung can only hope to join them. 

Honda Hitomi. Ah, Hitomi san. Wonyoung felt a burst of joy when she was called up. Hitomi deserves to debut, and Wonyoung pulls the older girl in for a hug, smiling encouragingly. Hitomi pulls away, smiling at Wonyoung, tears of joy flowing from her face. 

Hyewon, Eunbi, Yujin.  If anything, Wonyoung is satisfied that her Best friends, and her Unnies who've worked so hard are making it in. After how much help Eunbi has been in guiding her, how Yujin has always cheered her up and stuck by her side, they deserved to debut. 

Nako, Yena, Yuri. At this point, Wonyoung is distraught. While she still puts up a smile, she knew the chance of her debuting is slim to none at this point. She wasn't ranked that high in the previous rankings, so she prepares to leave disappointed, to not get to debut in a group with some of her best friends and favorite people in the world. 

---

Hitomi looks on nervously, paying special attention to Wonyoung. She hates how defeated the younger girl is, even when she's trying to put up a strong facade. (It's good, but Hitomi knows her too well for Wonyoung to hide it from her).

The first part of Hitomi's wish came true, in that she herself is debuting, with many of the trainees she calls friends. Now, she just has to hope for the second part of her wish to come true.

So when they announced the top two names, Hitomi was ecstatic. She gets to debut with Wonyoung, with Sakura, Nako and Yujin. 

No matter what the result is, she's content, especially with the way Wonyoung smiles at the news, even if she's still teary eyed. 

It was at this moment Hitomi realized her feelings for Wonyoung are different from an ordinary friend. What this means is a problem for future Hitomi. For now, she'll just enjoy the moment. She's debuting in Korea, and that’s one wish that’s come true. 

 ---

Wonyoung is proud of herself. She’s made it, debuted with the rest, as the centre even. Yet, what she isn’t proud of just herself debuting, but more so of how she’s able to fit in and help the others. She’s young, younger than any of the others, so she fears she’s going to be a burden.

So she smiles and jokes around, trying to at least be someone who can cheer others up. She thought she wouldn’t be able to help much, yet when she brought it up to their leader Eunbi just pulled her into a hug, telling her she’s helping just by being there.

Yet, she wanted to do more. She remembered how she helped Hitomi during Produce 48, and she wondered if Hitomi still needed help. So, she approached her unnie one day, asking if she could still help her.

The bright smile on Hitomi’s face at the offer was answer enough, and it warmed her heart that she was the reason for that smile .

---

Hitomi really likes hanging out with Wonyoung. Sure, on camera they might be closer with Chaewon and Yujin respectively, but off camera the two of them always drift towards each other, something that surprises the other members.

Sure, they were pretty good friends during Produce 48, but they didn’t seem the closest to most people. Of course, they were in the same groups multiple times, but that doesn’t always mean much.

So when Hitomi was the first person Wonyoung went to for advice, or when Hitomi seeks out Wonyoung’s hugs, it comes as a bit of a surprise for the others. Not a bad one however.

Seeing how the two take care of each other brings relief to Eunbi, who worries about the two the most. With how Hitomi is arguably the quietest and least outgoing of the Japanese members, and how Wonyoung is by far the youngest member, Eunbi was afraid both of them would struggle to adapt, but looking at them sitting next to each other, Wonyoung teasing the older girl, Eunbi knows that they’re going to be just fine.

---

Hitomi couldn’t believe it. They’ve won their first award, and so soon at that. 

Hitomi sat in the dorm, watching the rest of her members celebrate joyously at their first win. Hitomi would normally join them, but she’s pretty tired, so she decided to just sit on the sofa and relax. 

So drowned out in her thoughts she didn’t notice someone sitting next to her until they nudged her shoulder.

Looking up, Hitomi’s eyes fell on Wonyoung, an ethereal smile on her face.

“Hitomi unnie, why aren’t you joining the rest of us?” The younger girl tilts her head, curiosity and a tinge of worry in her tone.

“I’m just a little tired, don’t worry about me.” Hitomi says, in an attempt to placate the girl she was talking to.

Hitomi watches as Wonyoung looks at the others for a bit, like she’s contemplating something. Before Hitomi knows what’s happening, Wonyoung pulls her up and starts dragging her in the direction of the rooms. “Come on unnie, let’s get some rest.”

Hitomi giggles as Wonyoung pulls them onto her bed, before feeling the latter’s arm wrap around her. “You’re feeling brave tonight.” She comments, as she buries herself deeper into the younger’s embrace.

She doesn’t have to see Wonyoung to know her face is flushed now, as the younger girl stammers and tries to come up with something to say.

She decides to end the younger’s suffering before the girl in question implodes. “It’s fine Wonyoung. Thank you for caring so much.”

“Anything for my favorite unnie, though don’t tell the others I said that.” Wonyoung half whispers into her ear.

As Hitomi drifts off to sleep, she realizes that she’s never felt this content before, without Wonyoung’s arms around her.

---

When Wonyoung woke up, the first thing she noticed was the weight of someone in her arms.

Shaking of her sleepiness, she looked down at the brown haired girl in her arms, still seemingly fast asleep. Wonyoung smiles, having her unnie in her arms somehow brought her more comfort, even if she was the one holding her.

As Wonyoung prepares to fall back asleep, content in her position, Hitomi shifts in her arms, starting to awaken.

When Hitomi turned to her, eyes still half closed with a sleepy smile on her face, Wonyoung's heart just melted at how cute her unnie looked. 

Wonyoung looks on as Hitomi blinks repeatedly in an attempt to awaken, before the latter whispers into her ear, "Thank you for keeping me safe wonnie," before she buries herself in her embrace again. 

Wonyoung sighs as it is so unlike Hitomi to not awake early, but she's not complaining. As she falls asleep herself, she wonders if her presence around Hitomi was the reason. 

The two ended up waking up much later than usual, too comfortable to move. 

---

That was the first of many times they ended up sleeping in the same bed.

Honestly, if it was up to HItomi, they’d be doing that much more often, as she never fails to be refreshed after one of those nights. They were assigned separate rooms however, so they don’t do it every day

Today wasn’t supposed to be one of those days, as Hitomi had to come home late from extra dance practice.

As she finishes her preparations quietly and prepares to settle down for the night, she hears the door to her room creak open, before she feels someone snuggle behind her. “Wonnie?”

As she tried to turn around, the girl behind her tightened her hold, pulling her close “Nightmare…” was all the girl said, distraught clear in her voice.

Hitomi whispers and tries to comfort the younger girl. Before long, she feels her breath calming and evening. "Just sleep Wonnie, we can talk tomorrow. I'm here ok, you're safe."

Hitomi wasn't too comfortable with tight embraces, but Wonyoung continues to be an exception. If it helps her sleep, then Hitomi is more than fine with it. (Especially since it helps her sleep better too.) 

---

Wonyoung took a few months to notice how close she’s gotten to Hitomi.

Sure she’s still good friends with Yujin, best buddies even, but someone else has taken that spot of her closest friend. Without her realizing, Hitomi entered her heart as her favorite unnie, closest confidant and best friend. Last night, how the first person she looked for after the nightmare was HItomi, just cemented her feelings on the matter. 

Later that day, when it was just the two of them, Wonyoung started to open up about her insecurities.

How she felt that she was holding the group back, how she didn’t deserve to be the center (how many people online thought that), how she wasn’t able to contribute more in the group.

Hitomi wasn’t saying anything, causing Wonyoung who was looking down, unable to face her, to get nervous. What if she agrees with the comments, with their opinions on how Sakura’s a better center, or that she doesn’t deserve to be a part of this group.

Wonyoung stood up and started to leave, “I shouldn’t be bothering you with…”. Before she could even finish the sentence, the older girl pulled her into a hug, “No, it’s fine.”. As Hitomi guided them back to their seat, Wonyoung can sense that Hitomi isn’t exactly happy. Was it because of her? “Unnie... Are you mad at me?”

Hitomi pulls Wonyoung’s head down, kissing the top of her head. “Mad, but not at you…” before going quiet again. The two sat there, just enjoying the calmness and each other’s presence, before Hitomi spoke up again.

“You’re perfect for our center ok? Don’t listen to what they have to say. We’re happy with you, even Sakura agrees. You’re an amazing center, an amazing maknae and you always bring a smile to everyone's faces. I’m sure the others would agree with me. But also, you’re the reason why I have the energy to continue. On days I’m down, I see you smile, see how you continue pushing, and it gives me the motivation and energy to continue trying, for myself, but also for you. 

You’re special, you’re important to us and you deserve to be here. Please don’t think otherwise ok?”

Wonyoung nods, comforted by her unnie’s words. If she believes in her, if the others believe in her, then she would believe in herself.

And if the entire group compliments and takes care of Wonyoung the next day? Well, she knows Hitomi is responsible, so she just pulls Hitomi in for a hug as thanks, too moved by her to speak.

---

Hitomi’s starting to get irritated, and it’s all Wonyoung’s fault.

Honestly, for what it was worth, Wonyoung didn’t do anything really, so it’s not really her fault. But Hitomi really can’t help it when Wonyoung is just like that. It’s just, well, she’s so pretty, and she’s caught herself staring way too often.

She really should stop staring at Wonyoung. This was the fifth time this week, and it’s starting to bother her a tad. Don’t get her wrong, it’s understandable why, it’s just that it’s starting to affect her practice and concentration and she can’t afford that. Honestly, she’s surprised no one else has noticed or commented yet.

So busy brooding was Hitomi that she didn’t notice the girl entering the room behind her. 

“Hitomi unniei?”. Hitomi immediately jumped up in shock, before she immediately froze at the sight of the girl she was thinking about.

Wonyoung’s hair’s looking quite disheveled, but she’s still as pretty as ever. Hitomi would be quite hard pressed to find someone who disagrees with that, especially as you could get lost in those eyes…

“Unnie?” Hitomi snaps back to reality, Wonyoung’s hand waving in front of her face. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine Wonyoung, what brings you here?” Hitomi says, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment at being caught staring.

“I just wanted to see my favorite unnie.” Wonyoung says, causing Hitomi to squeal internally, still happy that she was her favorite unnie.

Wonyoung starts giggling and walking out, turning to look back at the door  “Also, can we go buy some snacks? I’ll buy you your favorite ice cream.”

“Of course Wonyoung, just gimme a second to get ready.” Hitomi says, grabbing her hoodie and mask. This girl’s going to be the death of me.

---

Unbeknownst to Hitomi, Wonyoung hasn’t been ignorant to the stares. On the contrary, she’s been quite… enthralled by it.

While she’s younger than the others, Wonyoung isn’t exactly ignorant to what those stares could possibly mean. Honestly, Wonyoung is actually quite flattered that Hitomi really thinks that highly of her, that she finds her beautiful, if those stares are for the reason she hopes. Why is she not bothered by those stares, why does she enjoy it even?

Oh god, she has a crush on Hitomi unnie. 

That would explain why her heart flutters around her, why she’s always drawn to Hitomi unnie. She’s worried about what this means. How these feelings would be received, by Hitomi or by her family. How it could affect the group, how people would react. So she stays quiet and focuses on practice, on school. She enjoys her time with her unnies, and continues to focus on her career and her group. She considers going to someone for advice, but for now, she’ll let it be, and wait, and see how things go.

---

It wasn’t long before Hitomi noticed Wonyoung staring back occasionally. When this happens, one or the other usually looks away, blushing at being caught or catching the other staring at them. This can’t go on forever, so Hitomi is determined to talk to Wonyoung about it as soon as possible. 

So, when Wonyoung was sick on a free day, Hitomi volunteered to look after her and let the rest enjoy their day. To Wonyoung,  who was laying down on the couch, it looked like Hitomi basically kicked everyone else out of the dorm, even their unnies, which was hilarious.

“Wonyoung, can we talk?” HItomi asks as she sits down next to Wonyoung, suddenly nervous, a contrast to how she was just minutes before in front of everyone else.

“Of course unnie.” was the response from the younger girl, looking up at her.

“About the staring… I’m sorry.” Hitomi says, not daring to look at the younger girl. “I’m sorry that i can’t help but do it.”

The younger girl grabs her hand, squeezing softly. “There’s no need to apologize unnie. I feel the same way. It’s just…”

“Not the right time for it.” Hitomi finishes, looking down with a sad smile.

“Wait for me ok unnie? Nothing needs to happen now.” 

Hitomi squeezes the girl’s hand one more time and nods, before standing up to prepare a hot meal for the maknae.

Later when the rest come home, the two share a look. Nothing officially changed, but there’s no need for it. They both know how they feel, and for now, they’re satisfied with it. After all, they’re already the most affectionate with each other, so there’s really nothing that needs to be different.

---

When rumours started to spread about Mnet rigging Produce, Wonyoung could see how everyone was affected one way or another. How a lot of them became more quiet, others tried harder to cheer the others up, sometimes too hard. How some of her members looked distraught, or focused themselves too much on the comments.

She herself wasn’t immune, especially when rumors say Sakura should’ve been the center. The doubts about her being the center were coming back. How It would’ve been so much better for the group if Sakura was center… right? With herself in the center, Izone was locked into mostly cute concepts, and Sakura was more talented and more deserving of the title.

Wonyoung didn’t share this with anyone, didn’t want to disturb anyone else, as they had their own issues going on. She noticed how the group started to fracture a bit, but she couldn’t blame them. So she drowned herself in practice, too try and at least make herself deserving of the title, deserving of what she was given.

---

It was quite late one night, and Hitomi noticed a distinct lack of their maknae. Seeing how no one else noticed, all clearly tired, Hitomi decides to go look for her herself. First, Hitomi tried calling Wonyoung, but after a few tries, Wonyoung still wasn’t answering. Remembering the last time she saw Wonyoung, she quickly became worried. After looking around and making sure she isn’t disturbing anyone, she quickly rushed to the company building, hoping she wasn’t wrong.

Noticing their usual training room’s light was on, Hitomi entered the room as one of their songs were playing. Not seeing anyone at first, Hitomi turned to exit the room, until she spotted someone lying prone on the ground.

Hitomi rushes to her. “Wonyoung? Wonnie? Wake up please.” She says, shaking the girl in panic. Hitomi grew more and more panicked, unable to think straight at the worry for the younger girl. “Oh god wake up wonnie please.”

After a few minutes of trying to wake her up, Hitomi forced herself to calm down, realizing that her panicking won’t help. She picks up her phone and starts to dial one of the managers, hoping they'll be able to help.

---

When Wonyoung woke up, she noticed she wasn’t in the training room anymore. As she turned on the bed, she froze when she felt someone next to her. Opening her eyes, the first thing greeting her was Hitomi’s blonde hair. Confused at first to why she wasn’t in the training room, she started to realize what must’ve happened. Guilt started to flood her whole body. HItomi must have been so worried about her. Of course she couldn’t do anything without messing it up for someone else. Why can’t she just do anything right?!

A hand suddenly brushed her cheek, startling her. “Wonyoung, are you ok? You’re crying.”

Oh, she’s crying, and just worrying Hitomi more.

“It’s fine unnie, I’m fine.”  Wonyoung says, turning around, trying futilely to not worry her unnie more. Of course, Wonyoung knows Hitomi wasn’t fooled, but what else could she do.

Wonyoung felt Hitomi come closer, hugging her from behind. “Why did you practice until so late? I was worried when you weren’t coming back.” Hitomi whines, half playful, half upset. Her tone only served to hurt Wonyoung even more.

“I needed to practice more. I’m not good enough yet.” not good enough to be center, not good enough to for iz*one. These were left unsaid, yet as usual, Hitomi knew.

“You know, you don’t have to be perfect. You’re already good enough. You’re a good center and a good member.” she whispered into Wonyoung’s ear, “Please don’t work yourself to death ok?”

“I’m sorry.” “It’s ok Wonnie. It’s ok.” 

---

Everyone was shocked when they announced Iz*one was going into hiatus. It was understandable, and many of them were upset when hearing that the rumours were true, doubts continuing to flow through their heads. Hugging Wonyoung, Hitomi saw the distress in her member’s faces, how the normally fearless Eunbi was barely keeping it together, how the normally excitable and bright Yujin was solemn, how Wonyung, their lovable maknae and center, Hitomi’s love, is struggling not to cry in her arms. 

The first morning after, Hitomi watches as her dorm mates wake up unenthusiastically, all down and upset as they sit around the dining table. Hitomi’s heart throbs. She’s noticed how the group hasn’t been as close together, ever since the rumours started to spread.  If no one was doing anything, she needs to take action herself. As she grabs Wonyoung’s hand and looks around, she makes her decision.

“Let’s go to the other dorm.” As the others start to look up at her, Hitomi’s nerves start to kick in. Likely sensing her feelings, Wonyoung squeezes her hand, urging her to continue. 

“We can’t sit and stay quiet like this. We need to stay together, work through this as a family, like we’ve always done.”

It wasn’t long before they were headed to the other dorm. Wonyoung stayed with Hitomi at the back of the line, hands still holding each other.

“Thank you Hitomi unnie. You did the right thing.”

Hitomi leaned her head on the younger's shoulders, “Things won’t be perfect. But at least we’ll be facing it together.” 

“... I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Not a day afterwards was spent alone, all the members supporting each other, as they were supposed to. 

---

Their comeback is coming soon, and Wonyoung is nervous. It’s their first show after the scandal, and Wonyoung hopes people will still continue to support them, to support their group. Yet, she’s also beyond excited. To be able to show how they’ve grown, how they stuck together and preserved as a group.

While all comebacks are amazing, this one has a special piece in her heart. Why? Well, it’s because of one of the songs. Dreamlike. The song she helped wrote. Wonyoung mentioned to everyone that it just came up into her head, that there was no deep meaning to the song, but that was clearly a lie. 

Only a few people suspected that Wonyoung wrote it for someone and even less knew who she was talking about, something that Wonyoung doesn’t plan to change. So, she asks everyone to listen to Dreamlike. She shares her feelings through the lyrics of the songs, of her dreams and wishes. If Hitomi knew it was about her, she never mentions it. Yet, Wonyoung is glad to get it out of her heart and share it with the world, even if no one else will see it as such. Wonyoung feels blessed that she could share this dream with Hitomi, and she hopes to be able to share it for much longer, till the end of time.

---

Sitting around the dorm, Hitomi was deep in thought. Hitomi, like everyone else, knew their time as Iz*one wouldn’t last forever. 

It’s almost a taboo subject in the group, that they would likely disband in a year at most. No one wanted to be reminded that their time together will end, that they would have to go their separate ways.

Sure, she's excited to go back home to Japan, to Team 8, but at the same time, she's grown fond of Korea, grown fond of her home overseas, with 11 members who've become her second family. She doesn’t want it to end, doesn’t want to leave them. Sure, going back to Japan means returning to her home country, means seeing her family who she dearly miss. However, it would also mean saying goodbye to rooming with Chaewon, to having breakfast with the girls, to her Unnies daily guidance, and goodbye to comforting and being comforted by Wonyoung. 

2 years ago, Hitomi would barely hesitate to leave and return home, and wouldn't be too disappointed in leaving Korea. Now? She’d give anything to stay with the girls, for things to last longer. She longs for the opportunity to stay with the rest of girls, those she learnt with, learnt from. She would choose to stay with them, to stay in the home she’s formed with Iz*one, to continue on as a family.

Hitomi felt someone behind her, distracting her from her thoughts. She laughed as Wonyoung pulled her in for a hug and leaned her head on Hitomi’s shoulder. Hitomi smiles at the thought that Wonyoung probably knew something was wrong, she always did with Hitomi. Leaning back into the comfort of her arms, Hitomi renewed her decision to make the most of her time here with them, and to leave with no regrets. She’s satisfied with all she’s done, though there’s one more loose end to tie up, then she’d be content with it all ending, even if it hurts.

---

Wonyoung has had a pretty bad day, no, terrible day.

It’s late at night, she’s really tired after a long day of practice and schedules, and one of the shows she was on didn’t go well at all. Coupled with a meeting discussing her plans after Iz*one with the agency, plans of joining a new group that she did not want to think of yet, she’s not at all in a good mood.

So when she enters the dorm, she ignores the others calling out for her to hang out and quickly goes to lay down in the room.

As soon as she enters the comforts of her own room, she breaks down. She wishes that she could be with Iz*one forever, but today was just a painful reminder that that wish was impossible. She will have to learn to adjust to a new group, replace Iz*one, and that the others will have to replace her as their group members. The thought of that turns her stomach, how she will no longer be an important part in these people’s lives.

The door creaked open, and Wonyoung rushed to wipe her tears, the darkness of the room helping to hide her distress. “Wonnie? Are you ok.” a familiar voice called out, one Wonyoung knew she couldn’t fool, not that she wouldn’t try anyway.

“I’m fine Hitomi unnie,” Wonyoung internally winced at how unconvincing the lie sounded, “just a bit tired.” Wonyoung winced and closed her eyes as the light immediately turned on, no point in hiding her distress now. She felt the older girl sit next to her and pull Wonyoung into her embrace, “Hmmm. Talk to me.” Hitomi said, as Wonyoung felt the older girl rub her back, clearly trying to comfort her.

“I’m scared unnie.” Wonyoung finally admits, looking away, not wanting to see Hitomi’s reaction.

“Scared? What are you scared of?” she hears Hitomi say, still holding her close.

“I’m scared that when Iz*one disbands, you’ll all forget me, and that you’ll replace me in your lives.” Wonyoung whispers, her eyes shut and in pain, as if speaking the words will make it a reality.

Wonyoung felt Hitomi grabbing her, squealing as she felt HItomi push her to lay onto the bed, before she felt her arms wrap around her. Wonyoung opens her eyes to see Hitomi’s eyes staring into her own, a ghost of a smile on her face.

“I’m scared of leaving too, but do you really think we’ll forget each other? Sure, we won’t live in the same dorm together anymore, nor will we share a group or schedule. Yet, we’re a family. I’m sure we’ll manage somehow, even if it’s less frequently.” Hitomi says, her voice soothing to Wonyoung.

The two stare at each other for a while, before Hitomi whispers, “But that’s not all you’re worrying about is it?” 

Wonyoung smiles bitterly, pulling the older girl in a hug. “You’ll be in Japan, and, well, I guess I won’t be able to see you at all.”

Hitomi sighs and nods, “That’s something we can deal with later. Let’s make the most of our time here ok.”

The two lay there in silence for a while, Hitomi stroking the younger girl’s back. “Do you want to join the others for a movie night?”

“I’d like to stay here with you just this once, if that’s alright with you unnie.” 

“Of course I’m fine with that. Well, let’s get some rest ok.”

After making a note in the back of her head to apologize to the others and make it up to them tomorrow, she lays down into Hitomi’s embrace, giving in to her drowsiness, enjoying her wistful dreams of pleasant futures with the group and with Hitomi.

When Eunbi went to check in on them after Hitomi didn’t return, she turned on the light to them cuddling in bed, both fast asleep with smiles on their faces. Turning off the light, she closed the door and left to join the others, giddy at how cute they looked together.

---

Hitomi fidgets in her seat as she waits, heart thumping. As Hitomi looks around, she can see how her nervousness is reflected across everyone’s faces. This is it, their final concert, the culmination of their 2 and a half years journey as a group. 

For now, however, she knows it’s not the time to focus on the future. One last performance in Korea, so she better make it her very best. Eyes sparking, she wanted to make this special. For herself, for her group, for their fans, she’s determined to make it memorable, to show that while this is the end, it would be something worth remembering, worth cherishing.

So as they stood up, Hitomi drifted next to Wonyoung, grabbing her hand in hers. The two shared a look, and Hitomi was alarmed to see Wonyoung’s eyes already tearing up. 

Grabbing Wonyoung’s face and turning her around so they were face to face, Hitomi smiled and nodded encouragingly at her. “Don’t cry just yet ok Wonyoung? We still have one last performance to give, for our fans, and for us.”

Wonyoung nods, wiping her tears and setting a determined expression on her face. They could do it. Of course they could. What’s one more concert after so many performances on stage?

Hitomi looked at their fans as she entered the stage, before turning to share a look with the rest of her members. One message shared between them. Let’s put on a show.

---

They sang and danced their hearts out. They performed as many songs as they could, knowing that this might be their last time performing any of them on stage. They rocked the crowd as usual, the cheers louder than ever before.

Yet, as the final song came to a close, they knew it was time, that it was the end.

As Wonyoung stood in the centre, the others all approached her, before they all piled in for a group hug.

Tears have already started flowing through their faces, Wonyoung didn’t know when hers even got this wet.

It was their last performance, and it was oh so bittersweet.

They’ve achieved so much, everything to be proud of, and they’ve achieved it together. Yet, it was time for them to go their separate ways, to say goodbye to their fans, and to each other.

As Eunbi says one last speech, the girls crowded around her, Wonyoung smiles and cries. They were Iz*one, and while they could no longer perform together, they would always be Iz*one, they would always be together in their hearts.

“Iz*one Forever!”

---

Hitomi stands waiting as she waits for Nako and Sakura to finish packing their things.

While Hitomi’s still sad, her tears no longer flow, having long been spent the day before. She would leave this place without regrets, yet there was still one thing yearning in her heart. 

She’s said her goodbye to the rest of the girls, all but one. Her giant maknae has been avoiding her, and while HItomi doesn’t blame the girl for wanting to cut her off early, to try to ease the pain, it doesn’t mean that it does not hurt.

Hitomi wishes she could say goodbye, wishes she could see her one last time, to ease the pain in her heart, and likely in Wonyoung too.

As she sighs, sad that it would end this way, she felt a pair of arms snake around her body, pulling her into a familiar embrace.

“I’m sorry. I thought it would be easier for the both of us if I avoided you.” the voice behind her said,

“So, did it work?” Hitomi says as she turns around to face the girl she’s missed the most.

Hitomi can see Wonyoung tearing up again, even with the smile on her face. “Not at all. Eunbi unnie made me realize that. I’m sorry it took me so long.”

“It’s ok. You’re here, that’s all that matters.” There are many more words Hitomi wishes to say, but for now, they remain unspoken. Maybe the next time they meet she will be able to say it.

“I… I’m glad that I was able to experience this past two and a half years with you, unnie.” Wonyoung says, gratitude and happiness shining through her voice.

Hitomi grabs Wonyoung by the shoulder, looking her in the eyes “So am I…” It turns out Hitomi hasn’t run out of tears from the night before after all, with her eyes starting to water again.

“Please, stay in contact with me unnie.” Wonyoung begs, “I want to make you proud, show you what I can do in the future.” she promises, full of conviction.

“I’ll keep in touch of course, being in separate countries won’t stop me. Besides, you’ve already made me proud Wonnie, you’ve always done so. The future will be no different.” Hitomi says, wiping a stray tear from Wonyoung’s face.

As the two stared at each other, Hitomi could feel the atmosphere changing, feeling more intimate.

Wonyoung leans down, her face almost touching Hitomi’s. “You’ll wait for me?” 

Hitomi blushed at the proximity, her cheeks heeting up. “As long as it takes, as I promised.”

Wonyoung then pulls her into a hug, resting her head on Hitomi's shoulder. Hitomi wanted to stay there forever, but she knows that their time together is ending soon. 

As she pulls back, Wonyoung whispers into her ear, “Don’t tell the others unnie, but it’s you who I’ll  the most.”

Hitomi whispers back, “And I will miss you the most too Wonnie, always.” before she pulls away smiling, bowing to Wonnie before joining the others. 

As they were about to leave, Eunbi pulls them into one last group hug, one final moment together as a group. 

"Take care, each and every one of you. And I'll see you all very soon ok."

Hitomi steps back, joins Nako and Sakura in the car. Eyes shining brightly, because while one part of her journey is ending, another is just beginning, and she knows that the others will always have her back. 

---

Wonyoung returned to Starship with Yujin. It was tough adjusting to living without the others again, to not hear their voices every day, to not share the spotlight with them. Yet, they were still there, all always active in the group chat, always supporting each other and keeping in touch. So, Wonyoung pressed on, she had no other choice anyway, and she had a promise to keep. 

Reuniting with her fellow trainees, she continued to practice hard, not wanting to dull her skills. Her experience with Iz*one has clearly done her good, and she's a much more experienced, confident performer. 

Yet, she felt she wasn't ready to enter another girl group, to move on. Not just yet. 

So, for the next few months, she started to mc on a variety show, along with joining a few more. She's still shining, still developing a fan base, ready for whenever she joins a new group. She's still having fun and living her dreams without betraying Iz*one.

She knows she'll have to eventually, knows that none of the others will begrudge her. Yet, there's something keeping her from doing so, and she mentions it to her boss. One wish, one dream, she wants to fulfill. 

There's one person she wants as a group member, yet that person is still currently in a different country. So she asks if she could be given a chance to talk, to invite her.  

Now, all it takes is time and if that person wants it as badly as she does. 

Wonyoung hopes she does. 

---

A year on, and Hitomi is happy. 

She's achieved brilliant heights with Iz*one, and back here in Japan, she's happy, still performing with Team 8.

Walking down the streets with nothing to do, she loses herself in her thoughts of her members. Most of the others have started to take a new step in their careers. 

They've grown as people, and Hitomi's happy for them, for her sisters. 

Yet, there were two people still not moving, the Starship duo, their maknaes. 

Rumors that a group was forming, and the two of them were a part of it, but something is holding it back, or, more likely, someone. 

Hitomi saw how Wonyoung was content to stay groupless for a while, focusing on variety shows and advertisements. Yet now, she can see how the youngest looks ready to move on. Except, when the group was mentioned in an interview, Wonyoung was wistful. As if she was waiting for something. 

"There's one last thing I have to try before I join the group, one last dream to take."

 Fans speculated for what it meant, was it one last appearance, advertisment, a solo song. 

Yet, in Hitomi's heart, she knew what it meant. What Wonyoung wished for. And, Hitomi knew, she wished the same. 

She immediately turned around, heading back to the company building. 

She had a meeting to discuss and goodbyes to plan. 

---

Wonyoung sits down in anticipation, her hoodie and mask stopping her from being instantly recognized. It’s not that she wants to hide from everyone, in fact she wants to show her support for the person here, yet she had her reasons for doing so.

Wonyoung is really glad she learned Japanese. Exploring Japan alone would’ve been a pain otherwise. She would’ve asked Hitomi, Nako or Sakura unnie for help, but she wanted it to be a surprise. Hence, the mask, because here she is, in the AKB48 theatre, waiting for the performance to start.

As the performance starts, her eyes are drawn to the girl in the centre, her former team member and unnie. Hitomi has only grown more beautiful this past year, and Wonyoung is excited to finally see her in person again.

As the performances continued, Wonyoung was mesmerized. While the others were doing amazing jobs, performing well, they pale in her eyes to Hitomi. Sure, it might be biased, but Wonyoung couldn’t help but feel that Hitomi is the best performer in the group.

During one of the performances, where Wonyoung continued to stare at Hitomi, she sees the older girl glance at her, locking eyes before Hitomi continues performing. While she didn't waver and continued her performance like usual, Wonyoung could see how Hitomi instantly recognized her, how her eyes lightened up a bit, and it brings her joy to see that the elder still remembered her, and still thought fondly of her.

As the concert comes to a close, Wonyoung smiles in joy at being able to see Hitomi perform in person, before getting ready to arrange a meet up with the older girl.

However, when Hitomi steps forward again after the performance has ended, Wonyoung has a feeling something’s going to happen. Hitomi announces that she wishes to graduate, that she wishes to continue her career elsewhere, that she hopes they will continue to support her wherever she goes. As she says this, Hitomi proceeds to look at Wonyoung, a knowing smile on her face. 

As the theatre erupts in applause, Wonyoung smiles, her one fear reassured. Hitomi wants to debut with her, and now, the only thing that would’ve prevented that from happening is gone, and Wonyoung is elated.

Wonyoung suddenly feels her phone vibrating, a message from the girl that is the source of all this joy. “Come to the back of the theatre Wonyoung, we have a lot to talk about and to catch up on.” 

---

After a joyous reunion, where Hitomi introduced her former maknae to her team 8 members, Hitomi dragged Wonyoung out for a walk in the park.

As the two walked quietly, a comfortable silence between the two, Wonyoung suddenly spoke up.

“Unnie, do you know why I wrote Dreamlike?”

 “You mentioned that it was something you just came up with right?” Hitomi offhandedly mentioned, not sure on where this was going. 

“Well, I wasn’t exactly being truthful.” Wonyoung said, causing Hitomi to turn to look at a blushing Wonyoung, one who was not looking at Hitomi. 

"So, why did you Wonnie?" Hitomi asks, curious, both because she wanted to know, and because Wonyoung thought it was important enough to bring it up years later. 

"Well, I wrote it for you Hitomi Unnie, because I wanted to share my feelings, to share my dreams with you." Wonyoung spoke sincerely as she turned to her, her eyes sparkling as she looks at Hitomi, as if Hitomi meant the world to her. 

Hitomi felt her cheeks heat up, flattered by her words and actions. 

After that confident speech, Wonyoung suddenly looked bashful again, "So, remember how I asked you to wait for me."

Sensing where this was going, Hitomi smiled encouragingly at the younger girl. "Of course, as long as I need to."

Wonyoung smiled, before responding in a hopeful tone. "I think I'm ready, unnie, if you would have me."

Hitomi grabbed Wonyoung's hands, before she nods and smiles, conveying her love through her gaze, and Wonyoung smiled back, and that smile is one that only sparks joy in Hitomi's heart, more so than any other. 

Later that night, as the two laid in Wonyoung’s hotel room, Hitomi felt the younger girl lean closer to her, before Wonyoung’s lips met her own, and Hitomi has never felt more at peace. After so many years, it’s finally happening, and it was worth the wait.

Before today, before this, Hitomi still had doubts on whether leaving Team 8 right now was the correct choice. Tonight confirmed she made the right decision to join Wonyoung, and she wouldn't have it any other way. 

---

It was just the two of them, sitting in Hitomi’s bedroom a few days later. These past few days Wonyoung has just relaxed and enjoyed the peace, before she’ll have to go back to Korea and separate with Hitomi, even if it’s temporary.

Wonyoung couldn’t be happier, she gets to spend a lot of time with her favorite person, she reunited with her other unnies for a day out and she doesn’t have to worry about Hitomi not accepting her offer, as Hitomi has mentioned that that was the reason for her to choose to graduate.

When Wonyoung asked Hitomi what she would do if her speculation was false, if Starship didn’t want her, Hitomi just laughed and said that she just knew Wonyoung was waiting for her. Besides, even if that didn’t happen, if she couldn’t debut with Wonyoung, she knew she wanted to move on to something else, and Wonyoung just gave her a reason to do it now. Wonyoung felt touched at how HItomi still trusted her, still loved her, even after a year of separation.

Tomorrow, Wonyoung will go home and say goodbye temporarily to Hitomi. Tomorrow, she will watch the announcement in social media of a new trainee, and eventually the announcement of a new girl group by Starship. Afterwards, she will reunite with the girl she loves again, in a new girl group, in Korea. Whatever the future holds? She’ll spend it with her. She knows Hitomi wishes the same.

Tonight? She just wants to spend time with this girl, one she would move the world for. Leaning into Hitomi’s shoulder, Wonyoung realized how lucky she was, to be able to live her dreams, and with this girl right next to her. She’s said it before, and she will continue to say it until the end of time, there is no one else she would want to live her dreams with then Hitomi. 

[justfandomwritings]

So I saw your post about Twilight and have to say I absolutely agree! It's really reignited my passion to read some more twilight fic, so I was wondering if you have any recommendations (any which aren't reader insert specifically)? Or any other non-twilight ones for that matter. Stuck inside because of current events so looking to pass the time. You stay safe also xx

Thank you for asking this. Twilight fanfiction has long been a useless skill in my arsenal of fanfiction knowledge, so it’s wonderful to dust off the cobwebs and hand out some recs. 

Most of these will be OC fanfics because honestly that’s just what I read. Most of them are also Rated M for sex or violence because often times in fanbases that are older like Twilight there’s a clutter of fanfiction from way back in the day when you could just do a novelization of the movie and call it a day, so you really have to find newer fanfics by fans who loved it back when it first came out and stuck with it as they got older. That’s not to say younger people can’t write, that’s just to say that when twilight was popular when I was a teen fanfiction standards were a different thing. So generally those fanfiction with sex or violence are the best written ones. 

Also, all of these will come from fanfiction.net because I’ve been a member of that website the longest and read there the most often, it tends to have longer fanfictions as opposed to oneshots which is my usual reading preference anyway, and generally twilight reached its hayday when fanfiction.net was still the top dog, and even most people who write twilight now still use it. 

Ok let’s start with some Twilight recs, in no particular order.

Wolves: 

Dancing in the Moonlight - Embry Call x OC - Rated M - This is a spinoff oneshot of a Bella/Jacob fanfiction  but the plot of that story isn’t relevant to this one. I read it without reading the fanfiction so it’s fine to do that. It’s basically pure fluff. The smut lasts like two seconds and then you’re just in it for the feels.

Always the Quiet Ones - Sam Uley x Emily - Rated M - An AU oneshot where they aren’t werewolves, and it’s just fluff and smut and in general a beautifully written story 

Imprinting Has Advantages - Seth x OC - Rated M - Literally don’t know why this is rated M I think they’re might be a sex scene, but it’s so much fluff and romance I don’t even remember. This is a story about Seth imprinting on his best friend, and it’s just as sweet as you’d hope for.

Vampires:

Fate’s Decision - Demetri x OC - Rated M - This is a oneshot, rated M for violence. Demetri is a badass, and I want him to love me but he doesn’t. 

His Angel - Demetri x OC - Rated M - This one’s rated M because this OC went through some shit. Explained by the author at the beginning of the story. Honestly Demetri fics are slim pickings so I take what I can get.

Hide and Seek - Demetri x OC - Rated T - Honestly my fave completed Twilight fanfiction. It has it’s faults in character development in my opinion, but it’s really well written. Imagine Demetri. Now imagine he falls in love with the only person he can’t catch. 

Carpe Diem - Jasper x OC - Rated M - This is my favorite Twilight fanfiction, but regrettably it’s incomplete. I hold out hope the author will finish it. It’s Rated M but none of the chapters thus far warrant it, so it’s more like its Rated T. In general, I’m in love with this characterization of Jasper. Dont’ want to tell you any more than that.

The Psychic - Marcus x OC - Rated M - This one is a Work in Progress which is still regularly being updated. It’s got a well written driving plot, but the author adds more smut as each chapter goes by so whether you like it or not depends where you stand on that. In general, my favorite OC in a twilight fanfic.  Imagine Aro catches wind of another Alice. That’s the start of this story. 

Red and Black - Caius x OC - Rated M - Another WIP that’s being regularly updated. This one has the makings of being an incredibly long story, and I’m a sucker for a bad guy. Basically, Caius finds someone who’s suffered at the hands of wolves as much as him. 

That’s what I’ve compiled so far and what I consider the best of Twilight fanfiction. 

I’ve read some good Twilight fanfiction on AO3 before, but honestly its mostly cross-posts from fanfiction.net or just very short fluffy one shots without any plot. I’m a longer fic kind of person and not usually a person who reads something without plot. All of the oneshots on this list are pretty long, and the only story that’s all fluff, no plot, is the Embry Call one. 

I’m still in the market for more Volturi fics (because I honestly love them, they’re my favorite characters), and for the life of me I can’t find an Emmett fic that I would say is even remotely decent. But I’m trying.

Give me a list of other fandoms your in and I’ll scrounge through my list of recs for you! I like a bunch of random stuff, so I’d hate to give you a useless list. 

[worryinglyinnocent]

Fic: Tightrope

AU-gust Day Twenty-Five: Circus AU Fandom: Once Upon A Time Pairing: Golden Lace

Rated: T

Summary: High wire walker Lacey and ringmaster Gold share a flirtatious relationship that sometimes hides just how deep the feelings go.

Tightrope

No matter how many times he saw the sight, no matter how much he tried to reassure himself that there was a safety net below her, Gold could never get used to watching Lacey practising new moves on the high wire just below the big top’s roof.

Every time he saw her up there, his heart would start beating at least twice its usual pace, and it would not calm down until she was safely back on solid ground. Or at least at one end of the wire on a nice sturdy platform, rather than performing complicated acrobatics several feet in the air with strong but comparatively thin cable as her only support.

She was up there again now, and Gold couldn’t really say that he was all that surprised. She was constantly coming up with new ideas for her act and she would try them out at all hours of the day or night when the big top was not being used for performances. If she’d had an idea then it simply couldn’t wait, and off she would skip to her domain of choice, rigging up her safety net and gliding across her wire as if she was flying on the trapeze. 

Gold had never been able to decide whether he preferred to go and watch her when she was practicing or whether ignorance was bliss, but he had gradually come to the conclusion that he would rather know what she was doing instead of staying away and his overactive imagination coming up with all kinds of terrible scenarios in which she managed to fall to her death or horrific injury in several different ways. At least if he was there with her, he would be on hand should something horrific occur. 

It never did, though, and seeing it with his own eyes helped to reassure him that Lacey really did know what she was doing. Her sense of balance was absolutely uncanny; Gold wondered if she had been a cat in a previous life, always landing perfectly on her feet, without the slightest wobble.

He had not been surprised when Lacey had gone back to the tent as soon as the show had finished, and the last customers had filed out. She’d been antsy and abstracted all day, performing cartwheels and handsprings all over the shop with a focus that was clearly anywhere except on the ground with her. It would have been fun to watch had she not been getting in everyone else’s way all the time. In a way Gold was glad that she was finally back on the wire as it meant she was off the ground and would not be walking on her hands throughout their camp whilst other people were trying to get from A to B. Usually in stilts.

He made his way up to the top tier of seating, leaning back and gazing up towards the roof and the slim figure in spangled turquoise there, performing a perfect arabesque in the centre of the wire. She seemed to stay there on one leg for what seemed like an age, and as much as Gold could never get used to the fear that accompanied seeing her up there, he would also never fail to marvel at the sheer strength and flexibility of her body. It had certainly made for some interesting times in the bedroom which he could only be grateful for. 

Presently, Lacey came out of the arabesque, both feet now firmly on the wire, but only for a split second before she was into a handstand, walking backwards and forwards on the wire with nimble fingers. For a moment she looked unsteady, her legs flailing a little, and Gold started out of his seat - although what he could do from so far down he had no idea. Then she was still and steady again, and Gold eventually sat back down, watching her with increased blood pressure until she had reached the platform at the end of the wire and stepped onto it gracefully, her body arching as she righted herself. 

“Don’t say it,” she called down to him. “One of these days I’m going to give you a heart attack.”

Gold laughed. “You know me so well.”

She set out across the wire again, this time just walking it on her two feet, for which Gold was very grateful. She had done it so many times that she could walk it blindfold - and had indeed done so on a couple of memorable occasions. She was fast and confident, and she continued back and forth for a couple of minutes before stopping in the centre again. 

“You might want to close your eyes for this next bit,” she said. 

“What weird and wonderful idea have you come up with this time?”

“Oh, you’ll see. Well, you won’t if you close your eyes, but I know you. You never listen to me.”

“The feeling’s mutual.”

“I never listen to you because you’re normally telling me that I’m going to send you into an early grave. If you’re that worried about your heart you should have picked a girlfriend with a much more sedate act.”

Although he couldn’t really see her face clearly from this distance, Gold could tell that there was a smile in her voice, and she didn’t really mean it. She had a point though - her role wasn’t exactly the least dangerous even when she did have a safety net underneath her. Still, in a choice between being with Lacey and constantly fearing for his blood pressure, or not being with Lacey and living a quiet life, Lacey won every time. 

Despite his firm decision, however, he still gasped with alarm as she sprung off the wire, turning a somersault in mid-air and landing back on her feet, crouching so low her nose almost touched the wire before straightening back up again and giving a little curtsy. Gold dutifully kept his mouth shut. There had been several times before when he’d been convinced that Lacey did in fact have sticky feet. 

“All right,” Lacey called as she made her way back towards the platform and began to climb down to the ground. “I think that’s probably enough for tonight. We don’t want our ringmaster dying of fright before the Saturday evening crowd comes tomorrow.” She crossed the ring towards him and hopped nimbly up the steps, flinging herself down onto the bench beside him and leaning in with a butter wouldn’t melt expression. Gold knew that she was not contrite at all, but he was glad that she’d got her new ideas out of her system; hopefully, she would be a bit calmer now. 

“With some of the stunts you pull, I’m not sure that we don’t get the audience dying of fright.”

“Ah, yes, but what do you come to the circus for if not to be entertained? And sometimes, that entertainment takes the form of being scared out of your wits. It’s the adrenaline rush. You can bet that none of the audience sitting out here would be able to do what I do. They’re living vicariously. And come on.” She prodded him in the ribs. “You love watching me really.”

He couldn’t deny it. There was definitely something mesmerising about watching her dance along the wire as easily as if it was the solid ground beneath his own feet. She was almost more at home in the air than she was on the ground, she moved so unnaturally well up there that it was natural in its own way. 

“Why do you watch me?” Lacey asked presently. “You grouse about it all the time, but you’re still always in here when I’m experimenting.”

“I…” Gold had never really talked about the extent of his feelings for Lacey before. They had been together for a little while, and they had both been treating it as a pleasant little affair, a nice flirtation with added perks. The L-word had not been mentioned, or even really mooted as a possibility, and it was only now that he was really being forced to confront it that Gold realised that was where his feelings were going. 

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” he admitted. “Seeing you fall would probably stop my heart, but I know that I’d feel even worse if you fell and I wasn’t here to help you.”

Lacey laughed, which wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting to his declaration, but it was soft and light, nothing mocking in it. She leaned in to kiss him. 

“Thank you,” she said. “It’s nice to know that there’s someone out there who worries about me so much. It makes me feel… wanted.”

Gold had never pried into Lacey’s reasons for running away from whatever life she’d had before in order to join the circus, just as she had never really asked about his. They were both searching for love and belonging in their own way, and it was a thousand to one against that they’d find it with each other, but here they were. 

There was a moment of heavy silence, both of them looking at each other. The confession was at the tip of his tongue, and he thought that perhaps Lacey knew that and was not yet ready to hear it, as she jumped up and grabbed his hand, dragging him down the seating to the ground. 

“Come on, time’s getting on and Granny’s going to kill us if we’re late for dinner.”

Gold laughed, following her down willingly. His confession could wait. For now, he was content to keep walking the exhilarating tightrope that was life with Lacey.

[fics-not-tragedies]

In a Week: Chapter 2 🌲

I know that there aren’t many people interested in this fic, but honestly this will be going on for some time, because it’s my favorite idea! Also I forgot to post it yesterday, oops...

Words: 3060; Warnings: none, unless you want another warning for alcohol drinking, then you have it; Summary: Flo meets Andrew who decides to keep her occupied with his presence through the whole week.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight​​​​​; @angelpeachamber​​​​​; @sgt-morgan​​​​​; @julessbrown​​​​​;

Sunday, 11:05pm

After ordering two Malibus, desperately trying not to down them before he even had the chance to ask her about her name, Andrew pulled the chair back and sat down, sliding the glass across the table to her, his hand longing on it, hoping she’d brush her fingers against his skin.

There was something about this girl, the way her impossibly green eyes lit up whenever she looked in his direction that made him want to give her anything she could possibly want. She wrapped her fingertips around the bottom part of the glass, purposely avoiding his hand and pulled it closer to her.

He cleared his throat, suddenly becoming aware of the silence that had been building between them since he sat, but before he could form something clever or witty, he simply spat out the most obvious question that had been circulating since he first caught her gaze.

“What’s your name?” He asked slowly, bringing the glass to his lips and taking a sip.

“Flo” she replied quickly. Andrew nodded, toying with the word in his mind before deciding that it absolutely suited her. He had a thing for noting when people didn’t suit their names but Flo unquestionably did. It was strong, bold and gorgeous and he practiced saying it out loud, enjoying the way it rolled off his tongue.

“Technically it’s Florence” she smiled watching his narrow lips, her cheeks blushing slightly, but she held her chin high, determined to keep her confidence she was still trying to work on, “but I prefer to be called Flo.”

“It’s still a great name” he announced, sinking further into his seat and fixing his eyes on her. There was an ease, an instant softness to the way they spoke to each other despite the overly long pauses.

“Thank you” she said with a shy smile, tucking strands of straw blonde hair behind her ears.

Andrew was mesmerized by the movement of her small hands, the slim gold jewelry that decorated her fingers, her black painted nails.

“Do you have a name?” She asked, feeling utterly ridiculous at the way she phrased it.

Stop trying to be cool.

Andrew squinted at her a little, as if he was trying to work something out, but replied after a second.

“Andrew. Andrew, Andy. You can call me any name that you think suits me.”

“I like them all. Can’t I pick them all?”

“If you want to” he chuckled and they both took their drinks into their hands, silently sipping for a moment or two. The record changed and he looked in the record player’s direction as she tried to figure out what tune is being played now. When she turned back to face him he was grinning from ear to ear, his long hair messy as he ran his hand through it again, wide grin on his face. She smiled back helplessly, “What do you do, honey?” he asked, his lips pressed into the edge of the glass.

“What do I do?”

“Yeah, em… for work and everything that includes” he continued, placing his drink onto the table, pressing his hands together, as he explained himself.

“Oh!” She exclaimed, her face bright, “I’m the head of IT department in a big company. Big office. Big desk. Got one of those spiny chairs too” Andrew was amused by the way she wiggled her finger to explain the movement of her chair. Flo usually held back from talking about her job, men were usually intimidated by her success, but Andrew was different, seemed to understand her even though they just met, “What do you do?”

“What do I do?” He replied quickly, pausing from taking another sip.

So she didn’t know. What a relief.

“Yeah?” He tilted his head and bit the inside of his lip, thinking, glancing away for a moment. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had to explain this. Everywhere he went, people just knew him. But not this girl, this girl was different. Just being himself wouldn’t cut it this time. She was a challenge. And that was exciting.

“I’m a musician and I’m in a band.”

“You are?” She answered quickly, her eyes squinting with excitement at his confession, the vague familiarity of his face striking her again, “That’s so cool! I’d love to hear some of your tunes” he watched as she lean forward enthusiastically, her hair falling over shoulders, soft like honey.

Andrew was obsessed, bewitched, mesmerized by her every move. Not only was she dazzling in every way, she was oblivious to who he was, completely unfazed by it all and it was magical. A complete fantasy. A clean slate.

“Em… perhaps. I don’t usually play my music…”

“Oh why not!” She pouted, “Not even for me?” even the way her lips formed words delighted him. He swallowed sharply, trying to focus on what she was saying. What was she saying? He was lost.

“We will see” he replied with a shrug, though he already knew he would do anything she wanted him to.

“What do you play?” She continued adamantly and he laughed, hoping they would move on from the topic, but she seemed genuinely interested in him as he was in her and she was clearly not going to give up without a fight.

“Are we still talking about… em… me?”

“Yes” she replied confidently, batting her long lashes in his direction.

“The guitar, piano… and… em… other stuff. I do the singing as well.”

“Ooh… I always wanted to learn to play the guitar, but never really had the chance to start it” she grinned and nodded to the direction of the music, “Promise me you’ll play me something on the piano! I noticed it in the ballroom as I walked here.”

“Yeah, I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Andrew” she warned, winking at him. He exhaled sharply and smiled, all warm and intoxicated.

“Never do” Andrew took another mouthful of his Malibu and tried to keep his eyes from wandering over Flo’s body, “I’m here for the whole week” he stated.

“Good” she replied sharply, the thought of a whole week with this man beginning to excite her beyond any rational explanation, “Me too.”

“Why are you here Flo? Em… are you running away from something, honey?”

“How did you worked out that one?” She replied, a slight panic in her voice. Was she really that easy to read? She pushed a few loose strands of hair from her eyes, not used to feeling so vulnerable.

“Well…” he mumbled, lowering his voice and leaning across the table slightly, “I was only guessing, but em… now I know I was right somehow.”

“Maybe I just needed to get away for the week?” She replied, crossing her arms on her chest, unintentionally drawing more attention to it.

“But why did you needed to get away for the week?” He continued teasingly, pointing his finger and raising one eyebrow before taking another sip from his glass which was nearing empty, “That the em… main question now.”

Flo glanced down at her own glass, realizing that she already had more than she  planned to drink tonight, she was nearly three cocktails down. She swirled her finger over the edge of her glass. Then she moved her eyes back to his, the warmness of his eyes making her toes curl and found herself spilling all her secrets without hesitation.

“Well if you must know, uh… I just needed to take a break from everything” there was an obvious crack to her voice that which Andrew couldn’t help but find endearing, even though he embarrassingly wanted to comfort her. He had to slow down on the drink, “I have to rethink my life and perhaps start something new.”

“Oh yes, em… I get that” he sighed, gritting his teeth, “I’m sorry to hear that.” though the perfect stranger opposite her was nothing but a perfect stranger, she knew he was being genuine, that he really was sorry. His eyebrows pulled in and he pulled the softness expression she has ever seen, then like a perfect contradiction he added… “Life sometimes gets too fucked up.”

“Yeah…” she mumbled into her drink, taking another huge sip of it.

The issues and problems mixed together. The loneliness. The way her heart was ripped out of her chest many years ago. Everything that had lead her to this very moment.

Andrew’s voice broke her from her trance, “You’re still on this planet with me, honey?” He waved his hand in her face goofily and she blinked herself back to the room. First the beautiful record sounds, then the stunning vintage decor, then him.

“Yes. Sorry. I’m here.” Flo tipped the remnants of her glass back, savoring the taste of the liquor in her throat and patted her lips dry.

“Look, Lo” he began, scratching his nose and she giggled instinctively at her new nickname, “Em… can I call you Lo?” She nodded in response, “I know you’re feeling absolutely shitty now, but I think em… I think I have em… a plan.”

“Great, because I have no plan.”

“How about we em… spend the whole week together. I can take you for long walks in the woods if the weather gets better and em… I’ll try my best to make you feel better. Even if I had to play the piano for the whole fucking night.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t…”

“Never do” he repeated, cutting her off with a wild grin before she could finish the sentence. He stared her down, his round muddy green eyes unblinking, somehow soft and sexy at the same time, “Well?”

She pursed her lips, weighing the options. Three scenarios were crystal clear in her mind.

Scenario one was an awkward, drunken one night stand which they’d both regret in the morning.

Scenario two was that one of them would make advances on the other and they would argue explosively about it.

And scenario three was that they would spend the weekend simply enjoying each other’s company, until another Monday afternoon comes and they’d never speak again.

She couldn’t decide which sounded best in her head. Unable to determine what she really wanted from her week away from reality, she looked momentarily back to him, tilting her head. She was unable to keep the smile from stretching across her lips when he wiggled his eyebrows in her direction, smoothing his hair back. She shook her head and laughed.

“Fine. I’m in.”

“Another drink?” He asked, waving over a waiter before she even had a chance to reply.

Sunday, 11:25pm

“Surname?”

“Hozier Byrne.”

“Oooh, sexy” she laughed, the alcohol well and truly absorbed into her bloodstream now, “Wait a second… Hozier? Like… you sang that song about church?”

“Sadly I did… em… same question?” He replied, drumming his long fingers on the table, trying to keep his hand occupied.

“Hayes.”

“Flo Hayes…” he mused, rolling the name over in his deep drawl.

“Do you believe in miracles?” She asked, focused on learning as much as she could.

“Em, I think so. Like me being here with you is a miracle, somehow isn’t it?” He chuckled, the creases around his eyes more obvious than before, “Do you?”

“You can’t just ask the same question back every time, Andy” Flo replied, rolling her eyes.

“But you always ask good questions!” he pressed his finger to his temple for a moment, focusing his brain through the fogginess the drinking had brought on, “Do you like em… sleeping?”

“Do I like sleeping?!” Flo scoffed, “Yes. But come on you can do much better than that!”

“Oh Lo, I don’t know… em… you ever broke someone's heart?” Flo could tell he was proud of himself.

“That’s a good one! Probably my first boyfriend. We were 17 and I moved to another country never seeing him again.”

“He probably never got over you em… he probably wrote sad songs about you” Andrew proclaimed as he finished the last of another glass, his voice bold despite the fact he was beginning to slur. Flo was briefly aware of a nervous sensation building in her stomach but ignored it, having the next question prepared as a distraction.

“Okay, you ever wrote a song about your ex?”

“Uhhh…” he took final sip of his drink before placing the empty glass on the table with a loud thud, “Great amount of my songs are the ones about my exes… It’s the yearning for something you once had, but now it’s all lost.”

“The yearning” she repeated after him, before taking a sip from her glass. Before he could say anything else she threw another question at him, “What was your last text?”

He fumbled through his pants pockets to fish out his phone out of them. He tried to unlock it, but the drunken haze wasn’t helping him with dealing with electronic devices.

“Do you need help with it?” Flo asked.

Though he had genuinely been struggling, Andrew took this perfect opportunity to drag his chair closer to hers, so that his whole body was close to her, the table between them had been killing him. Suddenly her knee was against his and he tried not to notice, handing her his phone. She flipped her hair over her shoulder effortlessly and took it from him, her fingers almost brushing his.

Her neck was exposed to him now, pale and smooth and inviting and he inhaled a little too loudly, drunk instantly on her perfume. She was sweet and spicy all at once and he reeled in the uniqueness of it. If she had been a random girl at a random bar, he’d have made all of the moves by now. But there was something untouchable about Flo - he knew he had to work for that opportunity and he was more than happy to.

“Who’s Alex?” She asked seconds later, looking up at him and catching her breath in her throat, not used to him being this close.

“He’s my close friend. He’s in the band with me.”

“Mhm. So your last text was ‘miss you too’” Andrew grinned awkwardly, taking his phone back, only half embarrassed.

“It’s your turn” Flo chuckled.

“Emmm” Andrew licked his lips absent-minded, silently craving a cigarette, even though he knew he shouldn’t be getting into smoking again, determined to drag it out as long as possible so he could stay with her, “Would you rather go to the outer space or… or dive to the bottom of a bog?”

“Easy” she declared, clapping her hands together, “Space. It’s so fascinating and beautiful. All of those stars and colors… And I hate bogs. Too many germs.”

“Well, you wouldn’t have to touch the bog water, you’d in a bog submarine” she giggled a little at his words.

“Bog submarine sounds really interesting, but the stars are much prettier Andrew” she added, “Don’t you think?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay, Andrew. What makes you get out of bed in the morning?”

“Lots of alarms. So many of them that my phone once scolded me for having too many… emm… good cup of tea, toasts and my dog.”

“So you’re single?” Flo blurted, her mouth outrunning her brain for once. Apparently she wasn’t even trying to be cool anymore, “Except for the dog of course” she added with a large smile on her face.

“A good boyfriend would be sat here, on my chair, right next to you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she laughed, the corners of her full lips twisted upwards. Andrew cleared his throat.

“You’re pretty… em… and I hope you’re aware of it.”

“Oh shhh…” she waved him off, her cheeks unusually hot, before adding a quiet: “thank you.”

“So you agree with me?” He purred, his lips parted as if waiting for something. He couldn’t remember the last time a girl had actually accepted his compliment and it was so refreshing, her self-assured nature making him somehow more eager to please.

“Am I not allowed to agree?”

“Of course you can agree. Don’t think anybody could disagree” Andrew and Flo locked eyes for a moment obviously too long, each of them scared to be the first to turn away. Eventually Andrew broke away, consumed by her intensity, devastated that his glass was empty, instead occupying himself with the search for his lighter.

“Is it my turn?” She asked, finishing the leftovers of her fourth? Or was it the fifth? cocktail to divert her mind from wandering further into the ridiculously gorgeous way he smelt.

“No, em… you already asked your question, honey.”

“I did?”

“Em… yes… em… you asked if I was single.”

“Right” she nodded, nonchalantly pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

“I need a cigarette” Andrew announced at last, convinced he couldn’t sit here and be tortured by her for a moment longer.

“Need?”

“Quite desperate need” she was unsure whether he was talking about the cigarette or her now, Andrew pulled a cigarette from his packet and balanced it between his lips. The movement was so slick, so rehearsed. Flo wondered how many girls had watched him make exactly the same move. She shuffled in her chair uncomfortably as he stood and did up the button on the front of his red flannel shirt.

“Okay. I’ll…”

“You’re going with me, yes?” He asked plainly, more of a statement than a question, his palm outstretched to pull her up.

Andrew swallowed and she watched his Adam’s apple bob in his throat, enchanted by the fluffiness of his beard, the softness of his skin.

How could she ever say no to him? She reached out for him and he couldn’t help but stroke down her wrist, taking the tips of her fingers in his, the simple touch enough to make her light-headed. He pulled her up with ease, stroking her palm with his thumb as he reluctantly let go.

Andrew was relieved to have at last touched her, knowing he could now die happy just having done that but he was heartbroken to let go once she was standing. She exhaled sharply, her eyes glowing an unrivaled green under the vintage bulbs, a delicate smile stretched on her face.

“You ever broke someone's heart?” he asked her before. Fuck, if she didn’t break his every time she smiled at him like that.

[logans-chestnuts]

Owed You One

This fic was requested by @neuroticpuppy. I can’t tag you but I hope you like it! 

"Hey! Mister!" you whisper-yelled at the handsome host sneaking past the room where you were tied to a chair. 

He glanced over at you with the darkest eyes you'd ever seen, looked you up and down as if considering it, then whispered back, "Sorry, darlin', I don't do damsel quests."

You were taken aback. "You're human?" you said, utterly shocked that total perfection such as his was actually just the product of a sperm and an egg. "No shit?"

"No shit," he whispered with a smirk, ego stroked enough to cut you loose. Swaggering over as only a man who had won the genetic lottery can, he pulled a knife out of his boot and set you free. "Hold on, are you bleeding?"

"Heh, yeah. I guess I misunderstood the 'hosts can't hurt you' thing."

Logan shrugged as he finished cutting you loose. "There is a reason we have all our guests sign a waiver."

"We?" you asked as you rubbed the circulation back into your hands. "You work here?"

"Something like that," he said as he looked you over. "You OK?"

"Yeah, I just need to find a horse I can steal and get out of here. My bounty hunter got dead so I'm on my own," you said. "Thanks again, appreciate it."

Logan nodded, intrigued that you really didn't seem like you were going to ask him for help. "Take care, darlin'." If he wasn't there for a very specific reason he would have tried to get you to play for a few days, but alas, he had business to take care of.

Logan had learned that his twisted new brother-in-law had a particular host that he liked as his evil minion as he raped and pillaged his way through the park. No one outside the park would ever believe what down-to-earth Bill, nice guy Bill was capable of; Logan intended to show the rest of the family who he really was.

His hatred for Billy was keeping him sane, his anger was making him devious. He was going to find evidence of what a sick cunt William was if it was the last thing he did.

You snuck off, leaving the impossibly handsome rescuer behind. 

You had decided to go on after your companion/guide had been killed. This was your second trip to the park so you thought you knew what you were getting into, but you had obviously bitten off more than you could chew when you had decided to go after Slim Miller despite the bounty hunter telling you needed a bigger posse. 

You still snickered remembering your retort: "I thought men preferred a tight posse?"

Holden was the ultimate white hat, though, and he didn't respond to your quip except to sigh about your stubbornness. 

After you had cornered Slim, you had been overconfident; he overpowered Holden and took you hostage instead, telling you how much his friends were going to enjoy you. You had felt the cold fingers of horror slide down your back, having to talk yourself down by reminding yourself that hosts couldn't hurt you, but goddamn, it had been terrifying. It pretty much became a mantra as Slim had led you to Pariah, hands bound to your saddle. The hosts can't hurt you, the hosts can't hurt you.

Which was how you found yourself in Pariah. It was truly the wild West equivalent of Sodom and Gomorrah. Brothels, booze, naked people wandering around, guns and gambling right out in the open everywhere one could look. 

You weren't quite sure what your captor's endgame was: he couldn't actually hurt you, so tying you up seemed silly. Maybe you were supposed to escape. In any case, escape was your new and improved plan since it didn't look like you were going to capture Slim and return him to justice. 

You shook off your questions. It didn't matter now and the distraction could get you recaptured. You needed a weapon, some food and water and a horse. A plan would be nice but it looked like you were going to have to wing it.

Logan was also playing it by ear. He had followed William to Pariah, wondering what he was doing since he had been so uppity about playing the game as if it were actually a game. All it seemed like he was doing was fucking and killing hosts, the goddamn hypocrite.

He had absolutely no idea how he was going to prove anything. There was no tech allowed into the park unless it was for a medical condition, and for the most part the park wasn't handicap-friendly. Bottom line, even if Logan did see more of William's cold, sadistic behavior, he had no way to record it.

Maybe he really was losing it. How else could he explain his obsession with Billy?

Didn't mean he was going to stop waiting and watching, though. At least he could prove to himself that he wasn't crazy.

You had been amazingly lucky. You had walked past an unoccupied room and there laid your gear like it was waiting for you. Now all you had to do was make it to the stables unseen to get a horse and you could put this embarrassing incident behind you.

As you slinked along a hallway, gun out and saddle bag over your shoulder, you saw your handsome rescuer crouched behind a huge plant. You also saw that there was one of El Lazo's men turning toward where Handsome was hunkered down and it was a matter of seconds before he would be seen, and there really couldn't be a good reason for him to be sneaking around like that.

Thinking quickly, you pulled off your shirt and pants and tossed your things into an unoccupied bedroom, mussed your hair and strolled over to Handsome in your almost-sheer lawn underclothes, looking drunk and like you'd already been bent over several pieces of furniture. 

"Hey, you handsome man!" you bellowed drunkenly. 

Logan followed the sound of your slurred voice and was treated to the sight of you in some very revealing underwear as you staggered toward him. 

"I believe I paid for the whole night with you, so you better get your sweet ass over here and fuck me so hard I won't be able to walk in the morning!" you demanded as only a drunk rich girl could. 

"Shhh," Logan tried to get you to lower your voice, but then he froze when he heard a chuckle behind him.

"Looks like the lady is ready for another round, boy. Better whip that cock out or El Lazo might just decide to cut it off," the passing guard threatened.

Logan had gained his feet and you started rubbing all over him, kissing his neck and groping his ass. "C'mon baby, mama needs to ride that cock again."

"Yeah sweetheart, it's all for you. Let's go back to your room, darlin'," Handsome said with the sexiest smile you had ever seen.

He put his arm around your waist to lead you back to where you had come, his hand sliding down and grabbing a handful of your ass. "Gonna make you feel so good, darlin'" he promised loudly enough so that the guards chuckled and went on his merry way. 

You led Handsome to the room where you had stowed your things and pulled him inside with you.

You both leaned against the door and caught your breath after you almost got caught again. "That was close," you whispered.

"Thanks," Handsome said quietly, then huffed a chuckle. "I thought you were nuts for a second."

"I owed you one," you said dismissively.

"I barely untied you. You went out of your way for me. So really, thank you."

You nodded. You extended your hand and introduced yourself. "So, do you have a name? Because I feel kinda silly calling you Handsome."

"I dunno, I kinda like it," he said with a wink and a charming smile.

"Oh, yeah, of course," you said shyly. "I mean, we'll probably never see each other again as soon as the coast is clear, right?"

Still holding your hand, he dropped a kiss to the back of it very chivalrously. Deciding to trust you, he said, "My name is Logan, but I used a fake name to make my reservations. I'm dressed differently than usual and I cut my hair and shaved my beard. My chin hasn't been this naked in years."

You smiled. "It's a very handsome chin. Logan."

"Why, thank you. And may I compliment you on your current fashion choice?" he said with a cheeky grin and a once over. "Very flattering."

You felt your cheeks heat when you realized that you had been standing around chit chatting while more or less naked. You slapped his arm playfully and said, "Jerk. I'm only half naked because I couldn't think of any other way to rescue you."

"Well, I appreciate the rescue and the view," he flirted.

You stepped over to your things and bent over to pick up your clothes, careful not to give Logan any more of a show than you already had.

Suddenly Logan tensed and leaned his ear to the door, gesturing to you for silence. His eyes widened and he started undressing quickly.

"Um," you began, but Logan was hopping across the room to the bed while pulling his boots off.

"Shhh! Get naked and get in the bed," he ordered.

"Excuse me?" you hissed, crossing your arms over your chest.

Logan hobbled over to you, shirtless and pants unzipped, one boot still partially on. He grabbed your arm to pull you with him and whispered, "They're going room to room looking for that bitch they're gonna ransom. Sound like anybody you know?"

"Shit," you said, untying your camisole and drawers and removing them. When you looked up, Logan was looking you over with such hunger that you felt your heart begin to race. Didn't hurt that he was naked and had a semi, either. 

You shook your head and yanked back the covers and dove in the bed, trying to mess it up as much as possible to make it look like the two of you had been rolling around in it. You felt the mattress dip and then warm skin touching yours.

"They're next door," he said, judging by the indignant shouts of a few voices that were apparently interrupted mid something or other.

When you heard the door slam and boots in the hallway leading to your room, Logan looked at you questioningly. 

You nodded yes and he slid over to lie on top of you, your hands and legs wrapping around him as he began to kiss you, hot and wet, teeth and tongue. If your heart had sped up at the sight of his body, it nearly stopped at the feel of his kiss combined with his body pressed against yours and hands moving over you. Your last coherent thought was how soft his hair was as you ran your fingers through it when he moved his mouth down to suck at a nipple, pulling an inarticulate yell from your lips just as the door burst open.

Logan flipped over into his back, reaching for his gun he'd had the wherewithal to put on the nightstand. "What the fuck?" he yelled angrily, cocking and pointing the gun at the intruders.

"Whoa there, fella!" Slim said, hands making a placating gesture. "Lookin' for a bounty hunter I brought here. You folks go back to what you were doin', sorry to bother you."

When he backed out and shut the door, you breathed a sigh of relief. You looked over at Logan and saw that his semi had grown into a whole -- a very long and delicious looking whole.

You unconsciously licked your lips as you looked up at him and saw him watching at you with a similar expression of avarice. 

"Thank you," you whispered.

"I owed you one," he whispered back, reaching over to gently caress your cheek, looking into your eyes. 

"I guess I should go try to get to the stables," you said quietly, reluctantly. Truth be told, you'd rather stay and finish what had begun, but you didn't know how to ask a complete stranger to continue, pretty please?

Logan finally tore his eyes away and said, "No, you should wait a couple hours til they pass out."

"Wait -- here?" you breathed.

Logan was just barely holding on to his control. He wanted you with an intensity he hadn't felt for anything but the hatred he felt for Billy since he'd been pulled half-dead from the desert. He swallowed hard and pulled away from you, turning to pull the blankets up and at least cover the temptation, even if it didn't precisely remove it.

"Yeah, we can talk," he said, as if it was a novel concept. It kind of was, really.

"OK," you drawled, turning onto your side to face him, noticing when his eyes were drawn to the exaggerated cleavage the new position created by pressing your breasts together. "Tell me all about Logan. Why were you sneaking around?"

He looked taken aback, like he hadn't expected to be the one answering questions. "Ah, you first."

You narrowed your eyes. "K. Well, I was trying to get Slim Miller's bounty. Holden and I went after him and he turned the tables, killed Holden and took me hostage. Said someone ought to want a 'purty thing' like me back, but he'd find a way to make a profit off me one way or another."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. I did not win the game," you said with a self-deprecating chuckle. 

Logan hesitated; he'd clearly been hoping there was more to your story. He took a deep breath and began, "The last time I was here, my now brother-in-law tied me naked to a horse and slapped its ass at the edge of the desert."

You gasped. "What the fuck? And your sibling still married the prick?"

"Thank you!" Logan said appreciatively, then laughed bitterly. "But yeah, nobody believed me. I've been a bit...wild. So my father and sister took his word over mine. He took my life: my family's trust, my company. This was mine. I crawled into a bottle and got high all the time for months, but then one day I got pissed instead of high, and here I am."

You wrinkled your brow. "What was yours?"

He averted his gaze for a moment, then said, "My last name is Delos."

"As in Delos BioEngineering, Delos Destinations? You own this place?" you asked incredulously.

"I did, yeah."

"So how does that explain why you're sneaking around here?"

"He's here. I wanted to catch him in the act." He flipped over into his back and slammed his fist on the mattress. "He went total batshit and they didn't believe me! Nobody would listen!"

"Hey," you said softly, giving him a hug that inadvertently pressed your breasts against his chest. "Um, well, awkward, but I'm sorry nobody would listen."

He smirked. "Thanks."

"So how are you going to catch him in the act?" you asked.

"Didn't think it through," he said in disgust. "No tech, no way to record."

You pulled away and hopped out of bed, grabbing your saddle bag and bringing it back to the bed. First you pulled a shirt over your head, no longer comfortable with your nudity.

"Aww," Logan complained.

"Hush," you said with a smile, then pulled a mobile phone out of your bag.

"How the fuck did you get that past security?" he asked in amazement.

"I have a medical condition I have to monitor."

"That's great!" he exclaimed. "I mean, not that you're sick…"

"I'm not sick, I have a medical condition. I'm perfectly healthy as long as I keep an eye on things. But yeah, recording device," you said, shaking it in front of Logan.

"You're -- you'll help me?" he whispered.

"Yeah," you said with a smile. "Dunno why but I believe you. Does that make me a fool?"

"No!" he said emphatically, taking your hand in his. "I am many things; a lot of them are bad. But I swear to you, I am not a liar."

You smiled. "Let's bring that bastard down."

Logan looked at you in disbelief for a moment, but then he saw something in your eyes that told him you meant it. He grinned and paraphrased the end of Casablanca, "I think this might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

@marauder--harder  / @giggleberts / @joelynnp / @astrangeevent2002 / @thesandbeneathmytoes / @squidscottjeans/ @delos-mio / @banditthewriter / @letsdanceinthedark  / @lilywoood / @ivegotillegalsinmybottom / @irinazatyk / @thinemineours / @ssserpensortiaaa / @starless-skyox / @lalafral / @hxbbit / @itsjustmylifeconfessions / @marauderskeeper/ @buddha-for-satan / @geeksareunique / @russosprettydiamondnow / @cutie-bug/ @deloslxgan  / @acciophoenx / @presstocontinue / @sassygirl25 / @iamnotbenbarneswifeyet / @the-temple-pythoness/ @youveseen–thebutcher / @random-quartz / @curlyhairedblueeyedangel / @myfriendmademedothisxd / @verniquelenoir / @aimingforthehiddenstars / @sssilverssserpent / @blogsulat  / @lostinthoughts23 / @sunaeroglu / @skwriddle / @lady1505 / @deviantly-gayy/ @whovianayesha / @delusionsofnostalgia / @songtoyou  / @funerals-with-cake / @abroadcastofthemind  / @i-padfootblack-things / @something-tofightfor/ @dylanobrusso / @suchatinyinfinity / @silverkitten547 / @propertyofpoeandbucky / @ponycake27 / @weallhaveadestiny /  @siriuslyimmoony / @breanime / @saltyshaggymeme / @bellamys  / @its-my-little-dumpster-fire / @luminex3 / @agent-scully-182 / @rockintensse / @ymariejp / @blah-blah-fuckit-shit / @grotesquely-creative/ @suna-the-lost-cause / @j-finco / @mathle0matle / @life-is-a-melody / @traeumerinwitzhelden

[mamabearcat]

All Fired Up Ch 7

Double the size of my usual chapters for this fic - an early gift for Nalu week. Hope you enjoy it. And if you’d prefer, here’s the link to fanfiction.net

Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5 , Ch 6

“Okay, so spill. What’s going on between you and Natsu?”

 Lucy made an indistinct noise, nearly snorting her strawberry milkshake out her nose. Wendy had dragged her to the mall this morning on the pretext of ‘girl time’ and so far, it had been great. First stop had been to ‘Polish Me Pretty’ for mani pedi’s, then they’d had fun looking around a Japanese dollar store, both leaving with a bag full of cute and kitschy things they hadn’t known they needed until they saw them. They were now taking a break from shopping at a café, and Lucy was feeling relaxed and happy. Wendy’s question had caught her totally unprepared.

 Lucy gulped down the mouthful of milkshake threatening to choke her and licked her lips, placing the metal container down on the table next to her half-eaten donut. “Uh, what do you mean Wendy? We’re the same as always.”

 Wendy rolled her eyes, noisily slurping her chocolate milkshake through the straw. “Yeah, sure you are. You’ve been dancing around each other for the past two days. Natsu blushed when you handed him his coffee this morning.” Her eyes sparkled and the corners of her lips curled up in a knowing grin. “It’s so obvious. You like each other, don’t you? Are you gonna go out with him?”

 Lucy’s eyes widened. What should she say? “Um… we do like each other, but…”

 Wendy squealed excitedly, bouncing a little in her seat across from Lucy, her long blue pigtails bouncing with her. A few café patrons glanced at them curiously as Lucy frantically waved her hand and shushed her. “Wendy! Calm down! This is embarrassing!” Wendy giggled behind her hand at Lucy’s frantic expression.

 “I’m sorry”, she grinned, “but I’m just so happy for you both!” She planted her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “So, are you going out on a date?”

 Lucy smiled back, nodding shyly, twirling the straw of her milkshake absentmindedly between her fingers as she took another sip. “Yes, Natsu’s asked me, but we haven’t decided when or where yet.” She snorted. “Hopefully it won’t be anywhere too fancy, it’s not like I’ve got a wide variety of clothes to choose from at the moment.” She glanced down at the pale pink yoga pants and loose t-shirt she was wearing. She’d bought a few more outfits online as she’d been paid, but she’d aimed for comfort rather than style as her injuries healed.

 Wendy clapped her hands together, a look of determination on her face. “Alright! We���re in just the right place! Let’s go shopping and buy you a date outfit Lucy! My treat!”

 Lucy spluttered. “Wendy! I couldn’t possibly let you buy me an outfit!”

 “Sure you can”, announced Wendy airily. “And it’s not like I’m giving you a choice anyway.” She grinned again. “You two are good for each other Lucy. I can’t think of anyone that Natsu’s been so blatantly head over heels for, ever. And if little cuz Wendy can help smooth the path of true love with a bit of clothes shopping, who are you to stop me?” She looked down at Lucy’s plate. “You better eat that up – the way I shop, you’re gonna need the energy!” she teased.

 ________________________________________________________________

 Lucy frowned as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She’d didn’t consider herself a vain person. She had always liked clothes, and had taken pride in her appearance, but her self-esteem had never really depended on how she looked. Or so she had thought. But now she was second guessing the outfit that she and Wendy had so much fun picking out together.

 The floral skater skirt she’d fallen in love with on sight and Wendy had bought as part of her ‘date outfit’ was a perfect fit, the soft fabric falling to mid-thigh in flattering folds against her slim legs. She still loved the skirt, but that wasn’t the problem. She looked below the hem of the skirt at the mostly healed burn scars on the front of her thighs. Her pale skin had always scarred easily – she had a weird shape on one thumb where a pelican had bit her when she was a toddler, and a star shaped pattern on her knee where she’d come off her bike. But these scars – these would take some getting used to. They were obvious against her lightly tanned skin, the mixture of pale and darker pink looking even more vivid than usual, lit by the afternoon sunshine streaming in her bedroom window. She tugged at the hem of her skirt. Maybe she should have bought over the knee socks to wear with it. But that would still have left scars uncovered. And it wasn’t like Natsu didn’t know her legs were scarred, but… She chewed her thumb nail, unsure about her reflection.

 Her shirt was white and sleeveless, with a cute peter pan collar. The skin coloured pressure sleeves on her arms were ugly, but she planned to hide them under a light cardigan, so that wasn’t really a problem. Her blonde hair was caught back in a loose braid with a few soft pieces around her face, and she’d kept her makeup simple and natural looking. She looked at her legs again. She really had wanted to look nice when she went out with Natsu and had picked this skirt for their date because it was so different to the loose unisex outfits that he’d seen her in since leaving the hospital.

 “Hey Lucy?” Wendy’s voice filtered through her closed bedroom door. “Natsu just messaged me – he said he was running a little late, but he got changed at work and will be home in ten.”

 “Okay, thanks Wendy.” Lucy sighed. No time to change now. She sat down on her bed to pull on her tan suede ankle boots. She would really have to pay Wendy back. The younger girl had got so excited buying her an outfit that Lucy hadn’t had the heart to tell her to stop, but shoes as well as the clothes was really too much. She stroked the soft suede, trying to calm the nervous butterflies somersaulting in her stomach. Natsu hadn’t really even told her what he had planned. Just that he wanted to take her out on Friday evening after he got home from work. She pulled on the baby blue cardigan with small heart shaped buttons, also soft to touch. It was still Summer, but the evenings were starting to get chilly.

 She heard a soft knock on her door. “Lucy, can I come in?”

 “Sure Wendy,” she said, adding her wallet, tissues, keys and lip gloss to the small satchel style leather handbag that she’d bought online.

 Wendy’s head poked around the door, her long blue hair shimmering as the sunlight hit it. “Ooh, Lucy, you look lovely!” she exclaimed, stepping into the room. She made a circling movement with her forefinger, and Lucy obediently twirled for her, tugging her skirt downwards as she did so. Wendy gave her an encouraging smile.

 “Lucy, the scars will fade”, she said gently. “You’re beautiful. And it’s not like Natsu’s not covered in scars either you know.”

 Lucy’s eyes widened. “He is?”

 Wendy snorted. “Guess you’re not up to that part of the relationship yet huh?” she sniggered. “He got them in a house fire when he was younger – tried to climb through a broken window that was too small and cut up his side really badly on the glass. Sliced his neck too. He had so many stitches – I tried to count them while he was in hospital, but I was only four – I couldn’t count high enough.” They both turned at the sound of a key in a lock as the front door opened, and Wendy smiled again. “Speak of the devil!”

 Lucy took one deep breath, then walked out into the lounge room where Natsu had just sat down on the sofa to wait for her. He looked like a nervous wreck; his unkempt pink hair even messier than usual as he ran his fingers through his fringe. He’d dressed nicely, wearing his ‘good’ jeans and leather boots, and a slim fitting black polo shirt that she hadn’t seen before that accentuated his muscular frame. He jumped to his feet as soon as he saw her.

 “Lucy, I’m so sorry I’m late, I left my wallet at the station when I got changed and I had to go back and…”

 Lucy smiled at him, feeling most of the butterflies that had been teasing her stomach settle one by one. It helped that he was nervous too, that he understood the weight of this step they were taking together. She giggled.

 “Natsu, you’re babbling.” Lucy reached out her hand and squeezed his fingers. “It’s just me, remember?” She tugged on his hand and he chuckled.

 “Yeah, I know. I’ve just never been great at this date stuff. But I put a lot of thought into this and I really want you to have a good time tonight Lucy.” He took in her outfit appreciatively. “You look gorgeous, by the way”. The last of Lucy’s butterflies took flight, leaving only excitement behind.

 “Thank you Natsu. You look good too. And of course I’ll have a good time, silly. I’m with you.” Lucy beamed at him, giggling at the pink dusting his cheeks. They both did their best to ignore Wendy cooing in delight at their mutual compliments in the background.

 “Have fun you two!” she teased. “Don’t stay out too late, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

 Natsu mock glared at Wendy and took a deep breath. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road Lucy. I hope you’re feelin’ hungry!”

 ________________________________________________________________

 Natsu parked his little Datsun near the town centre and they strolled down the main street, hand in hand, the sunset dusting everything with a rosy glow. Long shadows tilted in front of them, making giants out of everyday objects. Natsu squeezed Lucy’s hand as they rounded the corner, and Lucy squeezed back and smiled, relishing the warmth of Natsu’s palm against hers. His hands were always warm.

 “I read lots of reviews, and this place is meant to make the best spicy hot pot in Magnolia”, said Natsu excitedly, licking his lips. “I’ve been wanting to try out this place for ages, and this seemed like the perfect night. I can’t wait!” He gestured proudly with his hand to a Sichuan Chinese restaurant called Rising Embers, the windows painted with stylized red dragons.

 “Um, Natsu? It’s closed.”

 Natsu turned, glancing at the doorway in confusion. “But it can’t be! I called and made a booking this morning!” He let go of Lucy’s hand, cupping his hands around his face so he could peer through the window into the darkened interior.

 Lucy pointed at a note stuck to the inside of the door with sticky tape, written in both Chinese hanzi and English. “It says closed due to a family emergency. I hope everyone’s okay.” She turned to take in the disappointment on Natsu’s face and grabbed his hand and squeezed gently. “Don’t worry Natsu, it doesn’t matter if we can’t go tonight. We’ll just come back some other time, okay?”

 Natsu sighed, seemingly mollified by her reassurance that they could come back. “Okay. I just really wanted to take you somewhere special the first time we went out on a date.” He interlaced their fingers and raised their joined hands to his lips, kissing Lucy’s knuckles gently. “I like holding your hand, by the way”, he said softly, rubbing his thumb on her wrist.

 Lucy smiled at him. Already her jaw was starting to ache from smiling so much in one evening. Was she that out of practice? “I like it too, Natsu.”

 Natsu grinned, tugging on her hand. “C’mon Luce, we’ve still got two hours before we need to be somewhere else. Let’s find another place to eat. I’m starving!” He yanked her forward and she giggled as he pulled her back up the street in the direction they’d just come.

 It looked like most of Magnolia had the same idea to eat out that evening. They walked along the main road, but nearly every restaurant looked full to bursting.

 “What about here?” asked Lucy, pointing to the pub on the corner. It also looked to be busy, but there were some empty tables in the beer garden at the side. Fairy lights twinkled in the trees and under the yellow and white striped umbrellas shading the wooden picnic tables, and people chatted animatedly, drinking beer and eating chips and burgers.

 Natsu rolled his eyes. “Give me some credit Luce. It’s our first date. I want to take you somewhere nice to eat.” But as the minutes ticked away, and every restaurant had a wait time of another hour, they ended up standing in front of the pub again. Natsu grumbled under his breath.

 Lucy looked at the brick building. It seemed like any other pub she’d ever seen, smelling faintly of stale beer, with blackboards advertising upcoming live bands and a weekly trivia night. The name was cute too, ‘Three of Cups’; Lucy recognised it as a minor arcana tarot card. Natsu still looked reluctant.

 “Is there something about this place you’re not telling me Natsu?”

 Natsu sighed, running his fingers through his already messy fringe exasperatedly as they walked in the door past the front bar and out into the beer garden. “There’s nothing wrong with it exactly, it’s just owned by someone I went to university with. She’s a good friend, but sometimes she can come on a little…”

 “Heeeey, Natsuuuuuu!”

 A tall woman with brown wavy hair and a wide smile waved at them, easily transferring the empty glasses she was collecting to a tray balanced on one curvy jean covered hip.

 Natsu huffed out a sigh but smiled as he turned to face the woman with a wave. “Hey Cana, it’s good to see you.”

 Cana grinned at him, putting the tray with glasses down on an empty table and leaning forward to give him a swift hug, the tight black cropped t-shirt she wore leaving little to the imagination regarding her curvy figure. “Don’t lie, hotshot, we both know you’re terrible at it.” She winked, looking Lucy up and down. “You do realise you’re punching above your weight with this one Natsu.”

 Natsu made a warning noise in the back of his throat. “Cana!” he growled. “Settle down, okay? This is Lucy. Lucy, this my friend Cana – we met at university, and she’s hung around like a bad smell ever since.”

 Cana rolled her eyes at him and held her hand out to shake Lucy’s. “Nice to meetcha Lucy!” She lowered her voice a little and grinned at her mischievously. “If things don’t work out tonight with this dork, stop by the bar and get my number.”

 Lucy flushed as she shook Cana’s hand, not quite sure what to say. “Oh, um, thank you, I’m flattered, but um…”

 Cana grinned, ignoring Natsu’s sputtering in the background. “Never mind, I gotcha. Always worth a try, ya know. So are you guys thinking about eating here? First drinks are on me tonight Natsu, friend discount.”

 Natsu nodded, and Cana grinned. “Okay, sit wherever. You can order at the bar when you’re ready to eat. Natsu knows what’s good on the menu, he’s a regular.”

 Lucy and Natsu sat down facing each other on the bench seating, the fairy lights overhead twinkling merrily under the yellow and white striped umbrellas. Natsu coughed apologetically, reaching out for her hand across the wooden picnic table.

 “So, uh, that was Cana.”

 Lucy smiled. “So I gathered. She seems nice.” Natsu snorted but nodded.

 “I dunno if nice is the word I’d use, but she’s definitely a good friend. Gray and I come here a lot for lunch.” He rattled off the menu to her, and after she’d made her choice he went off to the bar to order, returning with a beer for each of them and the restaurant pager that would indicate when their food was ready.

 Ten minutes later when the pager began beeping, Natsu disappeared again, returning with Lucy’s chicken skewers and his own gigantic beef burger with a bowl of wedges to share. Lucy tucked in. She was really hungry, and the garlic and lemon flavoured chicken was delicious. Natsu was also hungry, judging by the way he launched himself into eating the burger on his plate. A movement next to Lucy’s shoulder made her look up.

 “Everything okay? Is the food good?” asked Cana as she paused near them with a tray crowded with empty glasses.

 “It’s really delicious, thank you”, replied Lucy with a smile. Natsu, whose mouth was clearly too full to make any sort of coherent comment, just gave her a thumbs up.

 “Okay, glad to hear it!” grinned Cana, disappearing with her tray. But as they ate their meal, she kept reappearing, watching them with a knowing grin. Natsu was clearly getting more irritated by the second as she loitered near them to pick up glasses. Again.

 “Are you nearly finished eating Lucy?” he grumped, as Cana sashayed past them with her tray, giving Natsu a meaningful wink.

 Lucy leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Natsu, it’s okay, really. She’s obviously just teasing you, trying to get a rise out of you. Just ignore it.”

 “Well, it’s working dammit”, he growled. He’d finished his burger and Lucy was three quarters of the way through her meal. “How about we get out of here, and I buy you ice-cream instead? There’s a place near where we’re goin’ next.”

 Lucy nodded. “That sounds good!” They each snagged a handful of wedges to eat on the way and got up to leave, Natsu glowering over his shoulder at a grinning Cana.

 “Nice to meet ya Lucy! See ya later Natsu!” called out Cana.

 “Not if I see you first”, muttered Natsu. Lucy bumped his hip playfully with hers.

 “Come on, cheer up! The food was really good! I’d like to go here again.” Natsu raised an eyebrow at her. “Okay, it possibly wasn’t the romantic atmosphere you wanted during dinner, but I’m enjoying myself Natsu, really.”

 Natsu’s usual cheerful grin returned. “Okay.”

 He took her hand again, and they walked down towards the canal, where there was a man selling ice-cream from a small pink refrigerated food vendor’s cart on wheels. Lucy got a single strawberry cone with a drizzle of cherry syrup, and Natsu ordered a double cone with butterscotch pecan and vanilla. They dawdled slowly across the bridge, licking their ice-creams, and enjoying the balmy twilight, smiling at each other.

 “Look out!” yelled a voice behind them. A courier riding a bicycle zoomed close by, knocking Lucy off balance as she shifted quickly to get out of the way. Natsu’s arm wrapped around her waist before she could fall, pulling her tightly against him. She dropped her ice-cream with a cry of surprise, watching it land with a splat on the ground in front of her, just missing her new suede boots. Natsu’s elbow jostled against the edge of the stone bridge, and the scoops of ice-cream dropped into the canal, leaving him holding an empty cone.  

 “Watch where you’re goin’ you ass wipe!” hollered Natsu at the retreating back of the cyclist, who had already made it across the bridge. His distant cry of ‘sorry’ floated back on the breeze towards them but did nothing to improve Natsu’s temper.

 “Are you okay Lucy?” he asked gruffly, glancing in disgust at the empty ice-cream cone still clutched in his fist, then tossing it over the side of the bridge to join the rest of it in the water below. She nodded.

 “I’m sorry Lucy. Like I told you earlier, I’m not real good at planning dates”, he sighed. His expression was so despondent that she couldn’t help hugging him tightly.

 “Natsu, this is all just unlucky! It wasn’t your fault that the first restaurant was closed. The pub would have been amazing if Cana hadn’t been trying to tease you! And my ice-cream was really good! Please don’t be down about this, okay?” Natsu hugged her back, then picked her up, twirling her around. He finally listened to her squeals to put her down, but refused to relinquish his hold on her, kissing her on top of her head.

 “Why are you so nice Lucy? Any sane person would have given up on this date by now! Hopefully this last thing will make it up to you – I know you’ll love this!” He glanced at his phone to check the time. “Crap, we gotta move or we’ll miss the beginning!”

 He grabbed Lucy’s hand and tugged her along, until they ended up outside an old movie theatre. The exterior architecture reminded Lucy of photos she’d seen of 1920’s buildings.

 “This place shows older movies, and it looks really cool inside too, all red velvet curtains and cushy seats. They even have people dressed up in old time usher costumes who show you to your seats and sell popcorn. I checked their website yesterday and they’ve got a Jane Austen movie festival running – they’re playing ‘Sense and Sensibility’ tonight, which I happen to know is one of your favourites, because I heard you tell Wendy!”

 Lucy grinned at him, squeezing his arm. “Oh wow Natsu, I haven’t seen that movie in ages! Thank you so much!”

 Natsu walked over to the small ticket booth, manned by a bored looking woman with dark hair. “Two tickets to Sense and Sensibility please”, he said cheerfully.

 “Sorry love, no can do. That’s on next month during our Jane Austen festival. It’s ‘Screamers’ showing tonight – we’re doing a 90’s space theme this week.”

 “You’re joking”, said Natsu, pulling back. “Please, tell me you’re joking. I looked it up yesterday – your website said it was on this evening!”

 “Yeah, sorry about that. There was a mix up and the wrong dates were entered. Did you want tickets or not?”

 Natsu looked at her, speechless. He turned to Lucy, who had her back to him, her shoulders shaking. Natsu tentatively put his hand on her shoulder. “Lucy, please don’t be upset. We’ll come back and see it when it’s on, okay? I promise, I’ll make it up to you. Please don’t cry!”

 Lucy turned around. There were indeed tears in her eyes, but that was because she was struggling not to laugh. Finally she gave up and let loose, laughing louder than Natsu had ever heard her. She threw her arms around his neck, still giggling. Natsu gazed at her, unsure of what to do.

 “I’m sorry to laugh”, she giggled, “really Natsu, but it’s just so ridiculous! And you tried so hard!” She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him gently on the lips. “Let’s go buy a hot chocolate and talk under the stars. What do you say?”

 Natsu was momentarily stunned after her kiss, but then smiled, dropping his forehead to hers. “Whatever you say milady”, he grinned, returning her kiss with one of his own.

________________________________________________________________

 Lucy was still giggling as they finally sat down under a tree in the park, Natsu leaning back against the trunk, with Lucy sitting between his legs, her back against his chest. Natsu rested his chin on top of her head, reaching around to tap her on the nose as she handed him his takeaway hot chocolate with extra marshmallows.

 “You can stop laughing now, you know. It’s not that funny”, he grumbled as he sipped his hot chocolate, trying not to smile.

 “Oh, but it is”, she sniggered. “Do you know Natsu, you couldn’t have planned a better first date if you’d tried. Do you know why?”

 “All right, I’ll take the bait. Why Lucy?”

 “Because”, she giggled, “I’m never going to forget this date, not in a million years.” She cupped her hands around her hot chocolate, taking careful sips of the hot liquid.

 “Yeah”, sighed Natsu. “That’s pretty true. I’d rather that it was because I’d got everything right though.” Hearing the wistful tone in his voice, Lucy put down her hot chocolate, and turned so she was kneeling in front of him.

 “But you did get everything right Natsu!” she exclaimed, stroking his cheek. “Every single thing you picked to do, was something you chose because you believed I would enjoy it, that we’d enjoy doing it together. And that makes you the most thoughtful person I’ve ever gone on a date with.”

 Natsu snorted. “The other guys you’ve been out with must have been total bastards then. Why wouldn’t I want to choose things that you’d want to do?” He shifted slightly, pulling on her shoulder gently. “Here, if you’re gonna turn around this way, scoot sideways and sit on me. I don’t want you to scrape the skin on your legs, not when it’s just getting better.”

 Lucy moved to sit on Natsu’s thigh. “Why are you so kind to me Natsu?” she asked seriously.

 “I can’t help it”, he grinned.

 “No, I mean it.”

 “So do I”, he said, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. “There’s just somethin’ about you Luce. It’s like I need to help you find your smile, and when you smile at me, it’s the best thing ever.”

 Lucy looped her arms around his neck. “You do help me smile Natsu. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.”

 “That’s good to know”, he said huskily, moving his forefinger down to her chin and tilting her head back. His green eyes examined hers carefully, pausing, the tension between them winding so taut that Lucy was sure it would snap, and then he closed his eyes and bent down to meet his lips with hers.

 The first press of his lips was gentle, exploratory as he learned the shape of hers, the curve and texture. They were petal soft, moving gently against his own. “Lucy,” he murmured, his hand moving to cradle the back of her head. He stroked his tongue over her plump bottom lip, tasting cherry lip gloss and hot chocolate, a delicious combination. Eager to taste more, Natsu licked and then sucked her lip between his teeth. She gave a needy whimper, and he slipped his tongue swiftly into her mouth to explore and learn all he could. Her tongue was silky and slid against his, and he groaned. Her hands had thoroughly messed his hair, and his had made their way downwards, resting on her hips. Breaking from her lips, he placed small heated kisses in the hollow of her throat as Lucy sighed his name, her fingers still twisting in his tangled hair.  

 A throat clearing behind them had Lucy squeaking, hiding her head in Natsu’s neck, and his shooting upwards with a glare.

 “Sorry to break this up kids, but the park is now officially closed, and you’re trespassing. You’re gonna have to take this somewhere else.” At least the park ranger had the decency to shine the torch to one side, rather than shine it directly in his eyes. Natsu’s head tipped backward onto the tree trunk with a dull thud.

 “That’s it. I’m officially done with today Luce. Let’s go home.”

 The park ranger waited until they’d picked up their mostly empty cups and walked through the park gate, then shut and locked it behind them with a clang. Lucy was still feeling embarrassed, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth as they walked back towards Natsu’s car. She peeked at Natsu out of the corner of her eye. He was striding along with his eyes down, hands thrust in his jean pockets.

 “I’m sorry”, she said hesitantly.

 Natsu looked at her incredulously. “What on earth have you got to apologise for Lucy?”

 “Well, the park was my idea”, she answered softly. “I didn’t realise that they would close it when it got to a certain time.” She curled her fingers around his bicep. “And I was having a pretty good time until we were, um, interrupted.” She cleared her throat. “Natsu, when you said you were done with today, that didn’t mean that you were done with, um, the idea of us…”

 Natsu leaned down and kissed her swiftly. “That answer your question Lucy?” He took his hand out of his pocket and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Please say you’ll give me another chance at this”, he chuckled. “I know I can do better.”

 Lucy wrapped her arm around his waist as they continued walking back to his car. “Of course I will Natsu. But can I make a suggestion?”

 “Anythin’ Luce.”

 “Maybe next date we can send Wendy out, and order in. That way there’ll be less chance of things going wrong, or any interruptions.” Natsu leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

 “Great plan Luce. Tomorrow good for you?”

 Lucy sighed happily. “Tomorrow sounds awesome.”

________________________________________________________________

 This, believe it or not, is based roughly on my very first date with my husband. We’d been best friends for about three years before we started going out, but he was very determined to take me on a ‘proper date’. He lost his wallet and was running late; the French restaurant was booked out for a private function and the dinky Chinese restaurant we ended up at was where his female flatmate worked. She teased us the whole time we were there but did give us free soft drink. Then when we got to the movies, Sense and Sensibility wasn’t playing as advertised, but Screamers was. Unlike Natsu and Lucy, we stayed to watch it. It was hilariously bad. Then we got sprung making out in the hallway at university. It was an unforgettable night and makes me think of him lovingly every time I remember it.