#replies and asks with responses are very welcome i want to have this conversation

[candicewright]

I want to throw out a question to people because I can't really wrap my head around it. Why is it that people who are ostensibly leftists and kink positive turn around and shun certain artistic expressions of kink? I understand that if you think kink is gross you also wouldn't like kink art but every day I see more and more kink positive who call out some "gross art" and I have to wonder why that is. (I should also specify that i am talking about non-mainstream art, i understand why there might be aspects to critique there)

[teamatsumu]

wrong twin? (miya atsumu x reader)

summary: you have a massive crush on miya osamu. so the plan is to get closer to him through his twin brother. it’s genius. it’s bound to work. right?

word count: 3008

warnings: fem!reader, fluff, slight angst, swearing, maybe a dash of humor, atsumu being atsumu, him and reader bicker a lot

tags: @keiva1000

When you handed in your application to join the Inarizaki High School volleyball club as manager, you had a very clear agenda in mind, but nobody needed to know about that. You had a good knowledge of volleyball, you had good organizational skills, and you were responsible. They accepted your application in a heartbeat, and were none the wiser of your true intentions behind joining the team.

It was only when you cornered their blond setter after practice one day that you actually said the words out loud.

“Ya want me to do what?” He raised an eyebrow, shoving his volleyball shoes into his backpack.

“Help me get close to him!” You whispered in a conspiratorial tone, looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to you two. Your eyes lingered on Osamu where he was helping Gin clean up. “You’re his twin brother. You’re closest to him. If we hang out more, that would inevitably mean I get to hang out with Osamu more too. And we can become friends. Eventually, I will get him to fall in love with me.”

Atsumu stared at you with a very distinct ‘what the fuck’ look, but you stared right back, determined.

“Yer insane.” He stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder and making his way to the gym door. You followed behind.

“Please, Atsumu!” You begged, following him out of the gym and down the path leading out of the school.

“No!” He responded, not looking back at you. “Ya wanna get close to him, just go talk to him! Why ya gotta drag me into yer crazy schemes?!”

“I can’t just go talk to him, it would be creepy! I need a way into his circle.”

Atsumu gave you another look. “Oh yeah, what yer saying right now isn’t creepy at all.” Sarcasm dripped from his words.

You huffed, scowling at the back of his blond head. Your eyes caught the lights of the corner convenience store, and you felt an idea forming.

“I will buy you an after-practice snack every day for a year.”

Atsumu stopped short, looking back at you. “Yer bein’ serious?”

You gestured to the store up ahead. “We could start right now. I have money on me.”

His answering grin meant you had a deal.

……………………

When you joined the twins for lunch the next day at Atsumu’s desk, Osamu raised an eyebrow.

“It was my idea.” Atsumu explained. “She’s cool so I said we should hang out more.”

Osamu seemed to buy it, shrugging and giving you a welcoming little smile. You felt yourself flush, giddy as you pulled up a chair and sat down next to Atsumu, opposite to his brother.

“Oh sweet, are those pancake rolls?” Osamu asked when you opened your bento. You nodded eagerly.

“I made them myself!” You replied, pushing the box closer to him. “Wanna try?”

You knew Osamu liked food (okay, maybe you had stalked him a little), and even though you sucked at cooking, you had meticulously made your lunch today for this very reason. You couldn’t help your grin when Osamu bit into a roll and moaned at the taste, saying it was delicious. You could feel how hot your face was, even the tips of your ears felt warm. Atsumu rolled his eyes in your periphery but you paid him no mind, striking up a conversation with his brother instead.

“Yer like a different person around him.” Atsumu commented later that evening, when you were sitting on the curb outside the convenience store and he was chowing down on a pork bun you had bought him. The rest of the team had gone ahead, most of them too tired to stop for a snack and just wanting to get to bed as soon as possible.

You sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. He makes me feel things.”

Atsumu chewed for a little bit, watching you stare at the moth circling the streetlight.

“Gross.”

You slapped him hard on the bicep at that, making him let out an ‘ow!’. He pouted at you as he rubbed his arm, while all you did was roll your eyes in return.

……………………………

Lunch became a normal thing with the twins after that. You would wake up at 5am, cook something new that you thought Osamu might appreciate, and you would watch him devour it, praising you for how good it was. One time, Atsumu had gotten curious and tried to reach for a piece of onigiri, making you smack his hand away. He yelped and clutched it.

“What was that for?!”

“You already get a snack out of me every day, Miya. Keep your paws off my lunch.”

Osamu had snickered at that, and your heart had skipped at the sound, effectively forgetting Atsumu even existed as your focus shifted entirely to his brother. Atsumu grumbled but complied, saying something about ‘’s probably not that good anyway’. You paid him no mind.

You got to know Osamu a lot better during your little lunch sessions. He didn’t talk as much as his brother, but he was perceptive, and a great listener. He seemed to balance out Atsumu perfectly, and you could see how close they actually were. You would often giggle at their banter, witnessing the many foul names they would call each other, but knowing they didn’t mean it at the end of the day.

You often went to their house, under the guise of tutoring Atsumu. At first, Atsumu had told you no one would buy it, but you were adamant to try. And you were right. When you told Osamu why you were there, he snorted in response.

“Figures. This dumb fuck needs all the help he can get.”

Atsumu had yelled and tried to swat at his brother, but Osamu expertly dodged him. You had laughed at their antics.

Your study sessions were often spent with you stealing glances at Osamu from the dining table where you and Atsumu were located. He wouldn’t stick around much, preferring to camp out in their shared bedroom, but you still appreciated every glimpse that you got of him when he wandered down to the kitchen for a snack. Atsumu would nudge you with his knee under the table.

“Be a little less obvious, will ya?”

You stuck a middle finger in his face in response. He grabbed your hand and twisted it a bit, just enough to make you yelp and try to push him away.

“Tsumu, you jerk! Let go!”

“Say sorry!”

“Over my dead body!”

Osamu had to break you two apart sometimes, while you glared at each other from either side of him.

At practice, you would stay late when they needed help perfecting their quick attack, throwing balls so Atsumu could set them for Osamu. On the way back, you would buy Atsumu his daily snack and offer to pay for Osamu’s as well, which he always refused.

“Unlike this tool, I’m not shameless enough to let someone else pay fer me.”

“Hey!”

With every passing day, you felt that you were getting closer and closer to Osamu. Where you had barely exchanged words before, you two could hold long conversations now, and you especially loved when you ganged up to shit on Atsumu, who would be overdramatic as hell about the insults and act like he just got shot. You couldn’t remember the last time you had laughed so much.

Then, Osamu got a girlfriend.

You didn’t learn about it until you saw a girl at the gym on one random Wednesday. You had raised an eyebrow at her, watching as she looked around for something.

“Can I help you?”

She shook her head. “I’m just looking for Osamu. He left some stuff at my place last night.”

Your brain short circuited. Her place? Last night?

Then he ran over to her. Greeted her and thanked her for bringing his stuff. And then he kissed her.

You were mentally tuned out of practice for the rest of the evening.

When Atsumu walked up to you after practice so you could make your usual trip to the convenience store, you had just silently followed him. You had bought him some yakusoba bread, and you sat on the curb, waiting to walk home after he finished eating.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” You finally asked.

Atsumu sighed in return. “Didn’t want ya to get hurt.”

You turned to look at him. His attention was on the bread. “Did you expect me to never find out?”

He shook his head. “I was hopin’ to tell ya after practice. Just couldn’t think of the words.”

For some reason, you felt anger boil up inside you. You stood up abruptly. Atsumu paused his chewing to look up at you.

“I don’t need you to coddle me, Tsumu.” You grit out. “That was not the deal.”

Atsumu didn’t seem fazed by your tone. “Sit down.”

You glared at him. “I’m going home.”

When you turned to leave, you were stopped by his hand reaching up to clutch at the hem of your jacket, pulling you back.

“I know yer hurtin’. Just sit.”

You don’t know why that did it. Tears that had been building up all during practice were set free, rolling down your cheeks. Silently, you sat back down next to him. He didn’t talk as you cried, only shuffling closer until his side was pressed to yours. An unexpected comfort came to you with the contact. You leaned on him, resting your head on your knees, shoulders shaking.

When you had calmed down enough, you wiped your face with your sleeves, sitting up straighter. Atsumu extended his bread to you. You raised an eyebrow.

“When have you ever shared with me before?”

He rolled his eyes. “Ya want it or not?”

The bread seemed to melt in your mouth. Food did make you feel a bit better, but your mind was still on Osamu.

“‘M sorry yer scheme didn’t work out.”

You laughed a bit, taking another bite. “When you call it a scheme, it makes me think it was bound to fail from the start.”

Atsumu shook his head. “Nah. Ya made an effort. I respect that.” He stretched his legs in front of him, leaning back on his hands. “Yer a real catch. Yer smart and yer pretty. Samu’s blind ta not see that.”

You giggled, nudging Atsumu a bit. “Careful, Tsum-tsum. I might think you were falling for me.”

If your emotions weren’t so over the place, and if you hadn’t just tired yourself out from crying so much, you would’ve noticed how the older Miya’s eyes softened.

…………………………

Getting over Osamu wasn’t easy. Especially after having chased after him for so many months. It didn’t help that his little girlfriend seemed to come around more often, sometimes joining the team during practice. At times like those, you tried to stay as far away from her and Osamu, and that often meant you would find comfort in Atsumu, the only person who knew about your crush.

“What does he see in her anyway?” You voiced out loud, watching her laugh at something Osamu had said. You were sitting on a bench outside the gym with Atsumu, watching the two interact on the other side of the path. The rest of the team still weren’t done with their run. As usual, the twins were the first ones to reach the school.

Atsumu ran a towel over his neck, setting his water bottle down next to him. “Ya need ta get over him.”

You rolled your eyes. “Easy for you to say. You’ve never loved anything except volleyball.”

“Damn right. Has volleyball ever betrayed me? No. So suck it.”

You dug your elbow into his side, making him yelp and grab your head, pushing you away. His hand was massive and covered over half your face, and you struggled to get him off, digging your nails into his forearm.

“Tsumu, you asshole-”

You didn’t even notice when Osamu stared at the two of you, too absorbed in your little squabble.

So yeah, getting over Osamu wasn’t easy, but having Atsumu around helped a ton. Everytime he would see your eyes linger on Osamu too long, he would make some sort of comment, or change the subject, just trying to get your attention anywhere else. Too many times, he would physically grab you and turn you away from his twin, saying something along the lines of how you should be looking at the ‘better twin’ instead.

“Sorry but which one of you decided to dye their hair the color of piss?”

“It’s blond!”

“You ever heard of toner, dumbass?”

And you would grab his hair, messing it up and tugging at it a bit, giggling when he whined about you ruining his ‘hairstyle’. You also knew that Atsumu would kill anyone else who dared touch his hair, and the fact made your heart skip a bit. It also made you think, and once the gears in your head started turning, there was no going back.

Now that the fog of your infatuation with Osamu was lifting a bit, you seemed to notice his twin more. You would watch how Atsumu seemed to almost shield you from anything that reminded you of Osamu. How he had made it a habit after that one evening to always share half his snack with you, no matter how small it was. He would often say out of pocket shit, but rather than annoying you, it seemed to endear you more. It was like these little quips were a part of his charm, and you would giggle along instead of telling him to shut up.

He was awfully touchy too. You suppose he had always been, and you had just never thought about it. But now it seemed like none of his moves went unnoticed by you. He had a habit of gripping your head with one hand and turning your face to his when you weren’t paying attention. It used to annoy the crap out of you but now it made you pause and blink, meeting his caramel colored eyes. He would nudge you and poke you, he would drape an arm over your shoulders and whine about how tired he was. And your cheeks would warm up every time. You were forced to admit it.

You had a thing for Atsumu.

Deep down, you cursed at your luck, almost laughing in incredulity. What a joke this was, having a crush on both twins. But you knew that this was different. You knew this wasn’t just a silly crush.

Atsumu was more. He had always been more.

“Tsumu?”

He hummed in response, indicating he was listening, even if he was busy stuffing a chocolate bar into his mouth. You two were in your usual place, sitting on the curb outside the convenience store, lit up only by the light of the store behind you and the lamp post across the street. You watched his profile, the way his jaw moved when he chewed, his eyes trained before him, his undercut, and his dyed hair falling over his forehead slightly.

He was so painfully attractive. And you had never noticed.

He looked at you finally when you didn’t speak, raising an eyebrow.

“Everythin’ okay?”

You nodded hastily, turning away from him. You heard him pause, wrapping up what was left of his chocolate and placing it next to him before shuffling closer to you.

“Yer lyin’. What is it?”

You let out a laugh, shaking your head. “You can read me so well.”

He shrugged in response, draping his arm over your shoulder. You closed your eyes, mentally accepting how the action now made you feel.

“I did spend the whole year hearin’ ya whine about yer feelings, so yeah. I can read ya pretty well.”

You sighed, turning your head to look at him. At this proximity, you could see the brown swirling in his eyes, and it reminded you of milk chocolate. You were nearly nose to nose with him, and you weren’t nervous at all. With Osamu, you would always be on edge. Your insides would squirm, your heart would race, and oftentimes, you would stumble over your words.

With Atsumu, you felt every muscle in your body relax when he touched you. Despite his chaotic personality and his crude language, Atsumu was so tuned in when it came to you. When you needed it, he was as calm as they come. There was such unprecedented comfort in his presence. When you were around him, it felt like everything would be okay.

“I love you.”

It came out of you involuntarily at that moment. But you weren’t scared to tell him. You should have been, but one look at him this close and all your fears were melting away. When Atsumu gave you a little smile, you couldn’t help but return it.

“I love ya too, sweets.”

His kiss was expected. Soft, slow, perfect. His lips were plush and warm, and he tasted like the chocolate he had just been eating. His arm around your shoulder tightened, and his other hand came up to cup your jaw, tilting your head enough to deepen the kiss. You felt your head buzz, your hands fisting at the front of his shirt and trying to pull him closer, though it was impossible.

You whined in protest when he ended the kiss, making him chuckle slightly. The sound made your lips twitch up a bit, and you ran your eyes all over his face. He hummed in approval.

“There it is.”

You blinked. “What?”

He traced your cheekbone with his thumb. “Ya know how long I’ve wanted ya to look at me like that and not Samu?”

Right. Samu. You had forgotten about him completely the moment Atsumu’s lips touched yours. The thought made you giggle and pull at his jacket collar to tug him close, until his lips were meeting yours again.

[vax-merstappen]

feelings (ln4)

my fist lando fic! lmk if you enjoy!

summary: in which lando clearly has feelings for you but will not confess, no matter how many plans you and your friends come up with.

warning: some swearing, lando being an idiot

Ever since you had been invited to join Quadrant by your best friend Ria, you had become increasingly close with the rest of the group. Niran was the first one you got close to, him welcoming you into the group with open arms and listening to all your content ideas. Soon after, you got close to Max, Aarav, and Steve, the boys always making sure you felt like a part of the group. Lando, with his busy schedule, took longer for you to get to know and have in your life.

But when you and Lando finally hit it off, you couldn't imagine what your life had been like before him. You found yourself watching Formula 1 races more often and wearing various pieces of merch sent to you by Lando himself. Occasionally, you would find yourself with a text from him, asking how your day had been or wondering if you would be free to grab dinner while he was in town for a few days.

But soon the tone began to change. You spent many late nights at his apartment, laughing over inside jokes. The random gifts from countries around the world kept appearing more often. Your phone calls got longer and longer until neither of you wanted to hang up.

It seemed like Lando Norris was into you.

You decided to ask Ria about it one day. After all, she had known the man longer than you.

"Hey, do you think Lando is into me?"

Ria gave you a shocked look. "Did you only now just pick up on it?"

"Yeah...?"

"He thought you were hot before you even joined Quadrant. He was avoiding getting to know you because he was intimidated by you at the start. But clearly that has changed."

"Yeah, now he's made it obvious."

"Has he confessed to liking you?"

"Not yet. But i really don't feel like he will any time soon. I mean, there have been so many opportunities when I've been alone with him at his house. And when we've gotten dinner. Or when he's driven me home."

Ria smiled. "Then we'll have to make him confess. Give him an opportunity he can't pass up."

"And how do you suppose we do that?"

---

You had asked Lando to a fancy restaurant in London and reserved a private table with help from Ria, whose family knew the owners. Lando had picked you up in his McLaren, dressed up in a suit. If you hadn't found him attractive before, this would have done the trick.

Dinner was delicious and you enjoyed the flavors while having casual conversation. You laughed over stories from his previous race weekend while you caught him up on the antics going on with the Quadrant group.

"This sure is a nice restaurant, what made you want to dine somewhere special tonight?" he asked.

You could have told him, but you wanted him to confess first.

"Oh, you know. To celebrate someone very special to me being home for once."

"Am I special to you?"

"Yes, Lando. You mean a lot to me."

You held eye contact in the awkward silence that followed. "Stop getting all sentimental on me!" he exclaimed. "You gonna start crying?"

"I might if I have to put up with you for too much longer, let's get the check," you replied, rolling your eyes before laughing.

It seemed like this plan wasn't going to work.

---

Niran sighed dramatically. "So you told him he meant a lot to you and he told you to stop being sentimental? That man is an idiot!"

"I know, right? Any ideas on how we can get him to confess?"

"Easy. Quadrant truth or drink hot sauce video. We ask him point blank if he likes you and he has to answer."

You agreed to Niran's idea and you both got to work writing the questions. A few days later, when Lando was available for the shoot, you had set up in the studio with you three and Ria. The questions started simple.

"So do you watch all of Lando's races?" Ria asked you.

"Of course I do! Wouldn't want to miss one."

You saw Lando smile at your response out of the corner of your eye. Just more evidence the man had fallen for you. You looked at your next question for Niran.

"Have you ever ghosted someone?"

"I have. She wasn't too happy about that one," Niran said.

Niran looked at you for a few seconds as he picked up the next question card. You gave a barely perceptible smile and nod to indicate that you wanted to go along with the plan.

"Lando, do you like y/n?"

Lando's gaze flicked to you before he burst out into laughter. "What kind of question is that? Of course I like y/n! They are a great friend."

Clearly, the question hadn't been worded correctly. Or Lando was finding a way out of admitting his feelings. When you watched the video back before it went out to the internet, you noticed that Lando blushed when Niran asked the question. He fidgeted with his shirt sleeve while he answered, unlike in any of the other questions. He knew the implications and what Niran was getting at. Clearly you would have to try something else.

---

"So you think he does like me?"

Max Fewtrell turned in his chair to face you. "I don't think he likes you. I know he likes you. The man has been down bad ever since he met you. I've never seen him look at anybody else the way he looks at you, like you're the only person he can see."

"But how do I get him to say so?"

Max sat there in silence for a few seconds.

"We're going to make you into Lando Norris' dream girl. He won't be able to resist you."

"What exactly does that entail?"

Apparently, it entailed a full day of spending time with Lando. The day would start with you taking him on a trip to Top Golf, where you would show off that you knew how to hit a golf ball. Next was inviting Lando over to your house for dinner. It would be a home cooked meal of microwave chicken nuggets and mac and cheese, two foods Lando adored but did not eat often. For dessert, it would be ice cream sundaes, a notorious favorite of Lando's. Activities for the night included Mario Kart and sitting together on the couch and watch episodes of Money Heist, one of his favorite shows.

Max said that if he didn't confess his feelings by the end of this night, the man truly was beyond hope.

It was a long day full of activities Lando loved, but surely this would do the trick that nothing else had. You started by going to Top Golf as planned. Little did Lando know, but you had practiced a bit before the trip so that your golfing skills would be attractive to Lando.

"Woah, you can really hit a golf ball!" Lando exclaimed, watching as you swung.

"What, you thought I would be bad?"

"Of course not, I just hoped I might be able to impress you."

You smiled, sensing that you were one step closer to getting Lando to ask you out. Even though golfing may not have been your favorite thing in the world, it was having the intended effect.

Next of course was the dinner. You drove Lando back to your place and led him inside. Of course he had been over a few times before, but this time felt different somehow.

"So what's for dinner?" he asked, interrupting your thoughts.

"I thought we could do something easy, like chicken nuggets and mac and cheese."

"Oh my god! Are you a picky eater too? I never noticed before."

You nodded. "Yeah, I mean I like a lot of foods but there are many I don't like as well."

"How were we not friends sooner?"

You tried not to let any emotions show that he had again called you his friend, but the night was not beyond saving yet. There were still four more stages to the grand plan Max had made.

When you brought out the ice cream sundaes, you could sense his heart starting to melt just like the treat in the bowls. The looks he gave you were different now, like he couldn't take his gaze away from you. And to be fair, you couldn't stop looking at his freckles and his blueish eyes.

"Want to play Mario Kart?" you asked nonchalantly, as if the night hadn't been planned from the start.

"You know I love beating you at video games."

You rolled your eyes. "You say that like I didn't win 5-0 last time we played."

"Oh you're in for it now!"

The competition was close, you winning the first two rounds and Lando winning the next two. In a close battle for victory, you got a red shell that sent Lando spinning and you passing him to claim first place.

"So who's beating who at video games now?" you asked tauntingly.

"It wasn't fair, I got distracted," he whined.

"By what?"

"You."

You couldn't help but blush. "What did I do to distract you?"

"You were shouting at me the whole race, how could I tune that out?" he laughed. A slight wave of disappointment passed through you.

"Want to watch TV?" you asked.

"What show?"

"Money heist? I've been watching that lately."

"Oh my god that's one of my favorite shows! How did you not tell me that you were watching it?"

"I guess it slipped my mind."

You sat next to each other on your small couch, legs pressed up against each other due to how close together you were sitting. It seemed like the night was a waste. You had done all of Lando's favorite things and still he couldn't bring himself to tell you his feelings. Maybe he just wasn't into you? Even though his friends had all reassured you that the signs were there, doubt started to creep in.

You were three episodes in and all of your hope was gone.

"I think I'm going to head home after this one," Lando said. "But thanks for having me over, I had a real good time."

"I did too, Lando."

The credits rolled and you turned off the TV. Lando got up from the couch and you felt cold where the physical contact with him had disappeared. The opportunity was closing fast.

"Lando, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, what is it?"

"I...do yo...have you..."

"Just spit it out."

"Do you have feelings for me? Like more than friends kind of feelings?"

Lando was silent for a moment. "Yeah. I have for a long time and I just didn't know how to let you know. Didn't want to ruin our friendship."

You sighed dramatically. "Are you fucking kidding me, Lando Norris? I took you on a date at a fancy restaurant?"

"Oh my god, that's what that was all about?"

"And then I had Niran ask you if you liked me? And you called me a great friend?"

"Well I couldn't just say it to Niran could I?"

"I was right there! And then this whole night I've been waiting for you to ask me out. You were just going to leave!"

"Ok maybe that one is my fault."

"Lando Norris you are completely oblivious!"

"I know I'm so sorry I didn't-"

You silence him with a kiss on his lips. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that I love you. Even if you can be oblivious."

Lando looked at you before pulling you in for another kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow. Let me take you on a proper date for once, one that I'll actually realize is a date."

"I can't wait."

---

"So you had to confess to him?" Max asked incredulously. "That man is worse than I ever thought."

"Yeah, he was just going to leave without saying anything."

"Jesus Christ."

You laughed. "But at least it's over now, you don't have to watch us pine for each other anymore."

Max rolled his eyes. "But now I have to deal with you being all sappy together. I don't know what's worse."

"Well I can tell you which option I prefer."

[ja3yun]

Melting Point | P.SH | CH.5

brother's rival!sunghoon x fem!reader warnings: fluff, angst, confrontation, minhee lovers i am so sorry, no smut this chapter, injury, anything else lmk ch.5 synopsis: life is good for you and sunghoon after you become official, yet, things take a drastic turn very quickly, and you're stuck between love and loyalty. wc: 12k previous | masterlist | next a/n: hi! so this is where the shit gets real icl. i loved writing this chapter honestly, it holds a place in my heart but tbh, the whole series does. not many warnings or whatever and i don't want to spoil anything here so...enjoy! likes, reblogs, feeback are all welcome as always <3 thank you so much for the support, ilyasm.

As you flip through the pages of your Successful Event Management book, your attention wavers, consumed by thoughts of your boyfriend. Despite your efforts, the words on the pages seem to blur together as your mind dances with images of him. Each time the realisation hits that he's officially yours, you find yourself involuntarily twirling a strand of your hair, unable to contain your giggles or the playful kicks of your feet. It's almost unsettling how deeply he occupies your thoughts, and now that you can call him your man, it's as if the intensity has multiplied tenfold.

Over the past week, Sunghoon has been immersed in training, preparing for Nationals, leaving little time for your usual moments together. But you understand, what with Nationals coming up, he has to be prepared for it. Your understanding doesn’t mean you don’t miss him any less though. This time apart has been the longest you’ve gone without seeing him in the past 4 months and it feels agonisingly long.

It’s just past October and you probably missed him most at Halloween, wishing you could have dressed up with him and gone to Rina’s party together, but he couldn’t cancel the trip to Japan he had. If it were any other schedule, he would have blown it off but everything had already been booked, he just couldn’t get out of it.

You loved your boyfriend's willingness to drop everything for you, even if it was often unnecessary. When you told him you nearly broke your ankle while walking down Rina's stairs in 6 inch heels and a bottle of Pinot in hand, Sunghoon instantly left his training and came to check on you. You told him about the incident so you could both laugh at how stupid you are but he didn’t find anything funny, not until he saw you were okay and giggling with Rina as if nothing had happened. 

That’s one thing that’s slightly changed since becoming official, Sunghoon is way more protective of you. Truth be told, he’s always been protective, he can just showcase it more now.

You adored him in every way a person can be adored. All his flaws, all his perfections, he was all yours.

A ping from your phone pauses your idle daydreaming.

My Hoonie ♡

9:10pm: look outside

It’s ominous but you can't resist the pull to glance out the window. Swirling out of your desk chair, you're met with the unexpected sight of Sunghoon, grinning from ear to ear and waving animatedly, as if beckoning you to join him outside.

Why the fuck is he here? He normally texts you to meet him at the corner of the street so he’s out of sight of your family.

Keeping Sunghoon a secret has been surprisingly easy these days, given how rarely you saw Minhee. You sent your brother a play-by-play of what occurred at the ceremony, along with a few pictures, but he hasn't spoken to you since his brief 'Nice' text response. You tried to initiate a few conversations with him about it, asking if anything was bothering him, but he just replied he was busy with training.

He no longer takes you to train with him, but you can't put all the blame on him; you've been telling him you're too tired for weeks to accompany him; he probably just assumed you'd keep saying the same excuse.

You missed him even though he was only across the hallway.

You quickly put on the jumper Sunghoon had given you, grab your phone, and slip on your shoes as you prepare to make a discreet getaway. With your family still inside the house, you turn the front door handle with full caution, making no sound as you sneak out to meet Sunghoon.

"What are you doing here?" you whisper urgently as you greet him.

Sunghoon brings you in for a kiss while his hand cradles the back of your head, answering your question with his actions rather than his words. He missed you, that’s all there was to it. 

"Are you free?" he murmurs against your lips, his kisses lingering, "I want to take you on a date."

You pull back slightly, taken aback, "A date? Why all of a sudden?"

"I realised I haven't properly treated you to a date," Sunghoon admits, a tinge of guilt evident in his tone. The ill-timing of officially becoming a couple and his intense training schedule for Nationals made it look like he was putting in no effort now that he had you. He never intended to spend less time with you, it’s just what happened. 

You lean back to look at him sceptically, “We’ve been on plenty of dates, Hoonie.”

"Shh, just let me take you out, please?" he playfully feigns annoyance, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes.

Looking back at your home, you consider the options available. On one hand, there's a mountain of tasks awaiting your attention now that the new school year has kicked off. On the other hand, there's the tempting prospect of spending time with your beloved.

Was it even a question?

"Do I need to change?" you ask, casting a critical eye over your attire: his hoodie, some well-worn leggings, and slightly battered shoes—hardly your typical date ensemble. Sunghoon inspects you, pinching your leggings to rub the fabric thoughtfully, “What are you doing?” you ask quizically, raising an eyebrow.

"Just checking the thickness," he replies, turning you around and lifting the hoodie slightly to inspect the material covering your butt. "They'll do," he declares, giving your ass a playful slap to signify the end of his examination. "I have a pair of your other leggings in my car. We could layer," he suggests with a grin.

You don’t have a clue what he’s planning but it can’t be good. 

Sunghoon interlocks his fingers with yours and walks you to his car up the end of the street. The air is growing cooler now that it's early November, so all you can do is sigh with happiness as you take your seat in his warm car. 

With the early November air turning crisp, you sink into the warmth of his car seat, unable to suppress a contented sigh. Over the past few weeks, Sunghoon has allowed you to personalize the interior of his car to your heart's content. 

It started with a simple addition—a plush teddy bear seatbelt cover to cushion the strap that always seemed to bite into you. But it quickly escalated, evolving into a display of your quirks and interests: stickers adorning the glove compartment, a bobblehead of Cinnamoroll dangling from the dashboard with a matching Tuxedosam counterpart on his side, and even a change in the air freshener scent from ocean breeze to peony and cherry blossoms. Each addition is a testament to your bond and the little ways you've woven your lives together.

His life was covered in you, and he has never been happier.

Since the award ceremony, Sunghoon's skating demeanour has noticeably lightened, shedding the weight of perfectionism now that he has your unwavering support echoing in his ears and he knows you mean it because when he glances over to you in the stands, he sees the pride in your eyes. Coach Lee has commented on it a couple of times, saying how his Nationals performance might be his best yet and to keep up the good work. With you by his side, Sunghoon finds joy in skating again, rediscovering the passion that initially drew him to the sport.

"So, where are we headed?" you inquire, fastening your seatbelt and tuning into the radio.

Sunghoon starts the car and pulls away, his hand resting reassuringly on your thigh, "You'll find out soon enough," he replies cryptically. Normally, surprises catch you off guard, leaving you feeling unprepared—an impromptu birthday party is one thing, but this unexpected adventure is an entirely different story.

He chuckles at your attempt to decipher his plans, giving your leg a playful squeeze, "Sweets, I promise I'm not leading you into a cornfield and abandoning you there. You'll enjoy it, I swear."

“A cornfield is so specific, now I don’t trust you at all”  you tease, your tone laced with mock suspicion, though there's a hint of genuine curiosity beneath it all.

As the drive progresses, a sense of familiarity settles in, and when the car pulls up at Belmore, you twist in your seat to face him. "Belmore?" you query, eyebrows raised in surprise. His only response is a knowing nod, a roguish smirk playing on his lips.

"Baby, no offence, but watching you train isn't exactly my idea of a romantic date. And if it ever did count, I think we've been on far too many dates for only being together a month," you point out with a playful yet pointed look.

Sunghoon parks the car and switches off the engine, turning to you with a grin, "So, you don't consider our friends-with-benefits phase as being together?" he counters, raising an eyebrow. "Because technically, we've been together for like four months."

"No, our 'fuck buddy era' definitely doesn't count," you retort, stepping out of the car.

"That's a shame," Sunghoon muses, a playful glint in his eyes. "I had grand plans to whisk you away for our six-month anniversary in January. I guess I'll just have to enjoy Jeju on my own," he shrugs nonchalantly, locking the car before striding towards the main building, gym bag slung over his shoulder.

You quickly fall into step with him, looping your arm in his, a gleam of merriment in your eyes. "Well, I suppose we could round it up to four months," you offer, hoping he was just joking about going himself.

You're not about to let the opportunity for a trip with your man slip through your fingers, even if he's just teasing. You've been dropping hints about wanting to hike Hallasan Mountain and go tangerine picking on Jeju Island so often that he's actually started a 'Jeju Jar' where you contribute money whenever you mention it.

Sunghoon graciously holds the door open for you, and Miss Barbara's cheerful wave as she recognises you only adds to the excitement bubbling within you.

Miss Barbara has been in on your little secret love affair since you made it official, her only bribery she requested to keep it a secret was a bag of Revels on top of her usual Toffee gift. 

"Hi, Miss Barbara," you greet her warmly as you approach the reception desk.

"Hello, Y/N, Sunghoon. How are my favorite forbidden lovers?" she exclaims with a twinkle in her eye, settling back in her chair.

Sunghoon chuckles, shaking his head. "It's not quite as dramatic as you make it out to be, Miss Barbara," he replies with a good-natured smile, though the receptionist waves off his comment. She's fond of weaving your relationship into a romantic narrative, a tale of two star-crossed lovers defying societal norms to be together. It's a bit over the top, but it gives her something to gush over.

"We're doing well. Is anyone in there?" you inquire, grateful for Miss Barbara's discreet support. With her on your side, it's easier to gauge just how obvious your affection for each other can be. While you don't hide your love in everyday life, at the rink, you're more cautious. The last thing you need is for any of the coaches or, heaven forbid, your families to catch you in a moment of intimacy. That could set you both back to square one.

Keeping it a secret until after Nationals wasn’t just for the benefit of Minhee, but also for your own sanity. If one of your mothers found out, that would be it, you would never hear the end of it. 

“Nope, all free. Coach Kim just left and not another soul in sight.” Miss Barbara confirms.

"Thanks, Miss Barbara. This was a spur-of-the-moment thing, so we'll make sure to bring you double sweet treats tomorrow," Sunghoon promises, knowing full well she's eagerly anticipating her goodies.

"Triple and I'll let you in on a little secret," she counters, arms crossed expectantly. Sunghoon nods in agreement, intrigued, "The coaches are planning to bring you and Minhee in tomorrow for peer review and a Nationals run-through, to ensure you're both in top form for the competition in two weeks. It's a new method they want to try to strengthen your connection, especially since you're both going to be on the same Olympic team," she reveals, her tone filled with anticipation.

Your eyes widen in shock as Miss Barbara's words sink in. "Wait, Minhee and the Olympics?" you repeat, the idea sounding both fitting and surreal at the same time.

"Oh yeah, he's been putting in a ton of hours here, especially in the last three weeks. Coach Kim believes he's more than ready," she confirms with a knowing smile, leaning in conspiratorially. "But shh, it's a surprise. The coaches plan to break the news to him when he places in the top three at Nationals."

The news hits you like a wave of emotions. It's beyond perfect - your brother finally achieving his lifelong dream after years of hard work and dedication. A sense of pride and happiness swells within you, threatening to overwhelm your senses.

Suddenly, you get a strange feeling because the more you think about how excited you are for him, you realise Miss Barbara has just said he's here a lot, but you didn't know that. Although you may not have seen him recently, you should be aware that he is spending his time here. You used to know his entire schedule.

“Was my mum here with him?” you inquire, a hint of concern in your voice.

"No, he's usually by himself or with Coach Kim. Didn't he mention it to you? I was wondering why you haven't been with him like usual," Miss Barbara explains, her tone sympathetic.

Sunghoon notices the discontent written across your face, assuming it's because of the impending peer review with Minhee tomorrow morning. Wrapping his arm around your waist, he gently guides you towards the rink. "Thanks for the heads up," he acknowledges gratefully.

As he leads you into the arena, you can feel the excitement draining from your shoulders, leaving you feeling deflated. Sunghoon hates seeing you like this. He wishes he could simply pluck the negative thoughts from your mind and replace them with happiness, but all he can do is offer distraction.

"Sweets, wait here for a minute," he murmurs, planting a kiss atop your head before darting off to the back rooms to fetch some necessary tools for your impromptu date, leaving you to wonder what surprises he has in store.

A few minutes later, Sunghoon returns, his excitement palpable as he practically skips towards you, hands hidden behind his back. The mischievous glint in his eyes sends a shiver of apprehension down your spine, "Sunghoon, what's going on?" you inquire warily.

He stops in front of you, a wide grin spreading across his face. "You aren't going to watch me train," he announces, revealing a pair of pristine white ice skates and a deep blue helmet from behind his back, which he then presents to you, "I'm teaching you how to skate."

The look on your face is one of absolute shock. You have already told him how your mum had tried to get you on the ice when you were little and it wasn’t pretty, you can barely walk in the skates never mind glide on the ice. Did he forget this was the one thing you explicitly said you couldn’t and wouldn’t do?

Noticing your lack of enthusiasm, Sunghoon's arms drop to his sides, a hint of disappointment flickering across his features. "Come on, it'll be fun! I'm a great teacher," he insists, trying to persuade you. Taking the skates from his hand, you inspect them apprehensively, feeling a surge of fear at the sight of the gleaming blades.

"Look, baby," Sunghoon begins, his voice softening as he places a hand on your shoulder. "You've mentioned how you never took to the ice well, but it occurred to me today that maybe that's because your mum had all these dreams about the Kang siblings dominating the figure skating world. That's a lot of pressure for a seven-year-old. But this... this is just for fun. A simple, free lesson from South Korea's greatest skater who promises to never shout or get impatient with you," he reassures, placing a hand over his heart in a solemn pledge.

It’s true you suppose, there would be no need to feel a weight on your shoulders to be as good as Minhee or have your mum telling you how easy it was and that you just weren’t trying hard enough. 

The sparkle in Sunghoon's eyes only adds to your resolve to give this a shot. He wants to share his love for the sport with you, and you can't help but feel touched by his enthusiasm. If he's willing to keep both feet firmly on the ice, then maybe, just maybe, you can brave this adventure.

"Fine, but I'm not jumping under any circumstances," you bargain with a playful glint in your eye. The last thing you want is to end up flat on your back on the ice. If Sunghoon can promise to keep you grounded, then you'll give it a try.

Sunghoon’s face radiates with glee once you accept his date idea, which is good for him because he doesn’t have a backup. He sits you down on the bench and helps you put on the skates, fastening them tightly. He goes over the warnings every skater gets about new skates, and how they need to be broken in so they might nip at the skin. He’s already tried to stretch them out for you by making Wonyoung wear them for a little while when she warmed up. 

Once both of your skates are securely laced up, Sunghoon swiftly puts on his own, his familiarity with them evident in his speed. He's had these skates for a year now, and they've never failed him.

"Put your helmet on, babe," he instructs, handing it to you. You look at it with disdain, but he catches your expression and intervenes, "I get that it's not glamorous, but the last thing I need is for you to smash your head open," he reasons, gently placing the helmet on your head and fastening it securely.

"I don't want to fall in the first place!" you protest.

"I will always catch you, I promise," Sunghoon reassures you, leaning in to press a kiss to the top of your helmet, as if it were your head. He offers a gentle smile, "Plus, the rink just got Zambonied, and they'll be peeved if you dirty up the nice ice with your blood."

"Sunghoon!" you exclaim, a mix of exasperation and affection in your tone.

______

Seventy minutes into the lesson, and you've only stumbled twice. The first time was when you initially stepped onto the ice, resembling one of those cartoon skits where the character can't find their footing and begins flailing everywhere. The second stumble occurred when you attempted to march in place, a simple task that somehow became a challenge on ice. Despite Sunghoon's assurances that you couldn't fall, you seem determined to prove him wrong, even in moments like these.

Nonetheless, you have made progress. Sunghoon has painstakingly taught you how to forward glide and perform a snowplough stop, which seemed impossible given your previous difficulties on the ice. Granted, he's been hovering only centimetres behind you the entire time, waiting to catch you if you fall, but progress is progress.

Now, he's introducing you to forward swizzles, a manoeuvre with a deceptively cute name that you're convinced spells disaster for you. With Sunghoon's reassuring grip on your arm, he explains the technique. "You're just going to do a forward glide and then kind of push your feet outward and then bring them back in a circular motion. Like this," he demonstrates, making it look effortless.

Of course, he makes it look like it’s the easiest thing in the whole world, like using a knife and fork, but he's dealing with a girl who can't even distinguish her left from her right or drive a go-kart without crashing it. This venture into forward swizzles feels like a daunting challenge, but with Sunghoon by your side, you're determined to give it your best shot.

Sunghoon skates to face you, taking both of your hands as you attempt to master the forward swizzles. For the most part, you're actually not too bad at it. But as confidence starts to swell within you, you let go of his hands, only to teeter dangerously on the edge of a fall once more.

True to his word, Sunghoon is there to catch you, his grip firm and reassuring.

Determined to get it right, you take a deep breath, calming your racing heart, and try again. Sunghoon can't help but admire you in this moment. Most people would have thrown in the towel by now, but he knows you're doing this not just for yourself, but for him too. It's a realisation that fills him with a profound sense of affection as he watches you concentrate intently, your tongue sticking out in concentration as you execute a few more forward swizzles with his assistance.

"That's it! My girl is so good at this," he praises, but you shoot him a pointed look. It's not angry; it's more of a silent plea for him to refrain from speaking and distracting you while you're focused. Understanding the cue, Sunghoon promptly stops talking, allowing you to concentrate.

As you cheer and sway joyfully, a surge of euphoria washes over you, you're briefly swept up in the exhilaration of your performance. But the laws of physics are unwavering, and the slippery ice beneath your skates is unforgiving. Without warning you lose your footing and collapse hard onto the ice, your head creating an unnerving thud as it hits the icy surface. Maybe the helmet was a good idea.

"Shit, Y/N!" Sunghoon's voice rings out in panic as he rushes over to you, his expression etched with concern. He kneels beside you, quickly assessing your condition and helping you sit up. Despite the impact, all you can do is laugh. What was once a terrifying prospect - falling on the ice - is now a source of amusement.

"I'm okay," you assure him between fits of laughter, patting the helmet atop your head. "Thank god for this piece of shit helmet, that's all I'm saying." But Sunghoon's expression remains tense, his worry evident, "It's okay, baby, I promise I'm fine. Let's take five, hmm?" you suggest, reaching out to stroke his cheek in a comforting gesture.

Sunghoon nods silently, sitting beside you on the cold ice, both of you ignoring the chill seeping through your clothes. He removes his gloves and places them on your hands, a small but tender gesture that sends a flutter of warmth through your stomach, despite the icy surroundings.

"You're actually pretty good at this, Sweets," Sunghoon compliments, taking your helmet off.

But you brush aside his comment, a question that's been nagging at you for a while now finally bubbling to the surface. "I have a question," you begin, ignoring his compliment. "Why do you call me Sweets? Like, you've called me that since you started skating here."

Sunghoon's face flushes with a deep red blush as he gazes up at the rafters, gathering his thoughts. "I've been calling you that for a lot longer than that," he confesses quietly.

"What do you mean?" you press further, turning your body to face him, curiosity piqued. For all the time you've spent together, you've never questioned the origin of the endearing nickname.

He exhales softly, a nostalgic grin spreading across his face as he begins to reminisce. "Do you remember when you were 14, and you confessed to me with a packet of sweets and a makeshift card?" The memory floods back to you, each detail vivid and clear. "You came up to me at one of the Youth competitions and gave them to me - a packet of Love Hearts, I think.” You want to protest but the more he speaks about it, the more the memory comes back to you.

Back then, you had mustered up all your courage to ask him out after years of secretly admiring him. You knew it was a long shot, considering Sunghoon was the most sought-after skater in the Junior division, but you took the chance anyway. You had even dressed up in your best outfit and attempted makeup—a slick of lip gloss from a teen magazine and a touch of mascara you'd pilfered from your mom's makeup bag.

"You knocked me back!" you exclaim, feeling a surge of offense, "I poured my heart and soul into that card, and you didn't even spare it a glance. I remember now!"

Sunghoon shakes his head defensively, "I did look at it! And I ate the sweets too," he tries to argue back, but the realization only seems to deepen your offense, "Wait, no! I know I said no, but... I had my reasons, okay?"

"Oh yeah, what?" you challenge, shaking your head sassily, eager to hear his explanation.

"I... It doesn't matter, does it? Look who won?" Sunghoon smoothly redirects the conversation back to the present day, "You've got me whipped for you."

You raise an eyebrow, conceding that he does have a point. He is your boyfriend now, albeit five years later than you originally wanted—or eleven years, if you count all the time you spent pining over him as a kid.

"Exactly," you agree, a smirk playing at the corners of your lips. "If you told fourteen-year-old Y/N Kang that Park Sunghoon would be desperately in love with her now, I think she'd pass out." 

Silence.

Deafening silence.

Sunghoon stares down at his skates, eyes wide and mouth dry. The weight of his confession hangs heavy in the air, catching both of you off guard. He hadn't anticipated the words to spill out so spontaneously, and he's never felt more vulnerable in his life.

Park Sunghoon loves you. He is in love with you.

The arena seemed to vibrate with the weight of his confession, wrapping you both in startled stillness. You can't comprehend it - Sunghoon didn't just say he loved you; he confessed to being desperately in love with you. The enormity of his admission takes your breath away, bringing back memories of your 14-year-old self, who would have had no idea how to deal with such a discovery. Even at 19, the reality of his love has you spinning.

"You love me?" you ask, your voice barely above a whisper, unable to tear your gaze away from the ice beneath your feet. The words hang in the air, heavy with disbelief and wonder.

Finally, Sunghoon meets your gaze, his own expression a mixture of apprehension and hope. Seeing the beginnings of a smile tug at the corners of your lips eases some of the tension in his chest. He had thought his love for you was obvious, but he had never found the courage to say it out loud before.

"I do," he affirms, his voice soft but unwavering.

“How long?” you inquire, stealing a glance at him.

Sunghoon chuckles softly, a playful gleam in his eyes as he picks up the helmet and spins it in his hands. “Ah, I can’t tell you that,” he teases, “If I do, you’ll never get your head back in this.” His laughter lightens the mood, but you're not satisfied with his evasive response.

Snatching the helmet from him, you firmly place it back on your head. “See, now you can tell me. It still fits, and there's even a little room,” you declare, shaking your head to demonstrate how loose it is.

Sunghoon reaches over to fasten the helmet again, his laughter mixing with yours. His fingers linger on the strap, tracing it until he reaches your chin, gently tilting your head to meet his gaze. “It's been a long time,” he admits, his voice soft but earnest. The more animated your expression becomes, the more the doubt that lingered in his mind fades away.

You don't hesitate to seize the moment, pouncing on him and knocking him back onto the ice. Your chest presses against his as you pin him down, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss that steals the air from his lungs. Both of you are grinning like fools, reveling in the warmth and intimacy of the moment.

But there's still one final piece missing from this perfect moment.

“I love you, too, Sunghoon,” you whisper into his mouth, your words laden with sincerity. You hope he can feel the depth of your feelings, knowing that you're not just saying it out of obligation but because you truly mean it.

“It was me, by the way,” he admits sheepishly, catching your curious gaze. You silently prompt him to continue, which he happily does “The sweets my dad gave you all the time? I asked him to give them to you. You looked so miserable one day that I gave up the packet of Haribos my dad would sneak me. After I saw your face light up, I told him to just keep giving them to you instead.”

Your heart feels like it could burst with joy. Why hadn’t he told you this before when you brought it up at the cafe? “Why did you do that?” you inquire, searching for an explanation.

Sunghoon just shrugs, playing it off, kissing you on your nose to distract you from asking any more questions he wouldn’t be able to answer. 

You look at each other and exchange sweet, short kisses on each other's lips. The moment is filled with innocence, and pure love surrounds you. But as the rink's ice starts to seep into your bodies, you both realise that, while the kisses and giggles warm you up, the frostbite on Sunghoon's ass is getting a little too much.

He stands, offering you a hand up, which you gladly accept, trying not to wobble. His lips find yours again within seconds, whispering ‘I love you’ over and over like it's a sacred mantra. Even as he picks you up and spins you around, the words never falter.

Your feet dangle in the air, suspended and untethered, a sensation that terrifies you but this whole situation is. Being in love with someone as deeply as you are with Sunghoon, anyone would find it a little scary - that’s even taking out the impending conversation you’ll need to have with Minhee. You can’t believe someone like Sunghoon is even in love with you a little bit. You counted your blessings every day that he even bothered to spend time with you or ask you to be his girlfriend, this was just surreal.

“We should go, yeah? Especially if I have to show up your brother tomorrow,” he suggests, setting you down gently.

“Sunghoon, be nice to him tomorrow, yeah? Don’t provoke him. This is important for him,” you plead with him, your voice laced with concern. All you want is for Minhee to come out of tomorrow's session feeling confident and ready. If your boyfriend starts to poke fun at him, it'll only serve to undermine Minhee's focus and now that he has a chance to go to the Olympics, he needs to feel confident, not taunted.

Sunghoon follows you as you carefully skate off the rink, back to the security of the grated mats outside. “I’m going to give him the critique he needs, brutal or not,” he says, his tone tinged with frustration. Sitting on the bench, he begins to remove his skates. He knows you don’t mean it to sound this way, but your phrasing made it seem like tomorrow wasn’t as significant for him. A whole run-through of his routine in front of everyone to determine if he's ready for Nationals? That's just as crucial for him as it is for your brother.

Ridding yourself of the devil skates you massage your feet. You have a greater respect for anyone that has to wear them for more than an hour, “And that’s fine, but don’t be a dick about it. This could be our chance to sway his opinion of you and make telling him about us easier.”

“Well, are you going to tell him the same thing? Because he isn’t exactly friendly towards me either,” Sunghoon counters. He can't argue with your logic; building a bridge with your brother would make things easier for you both. However, he isn’t willing to let Minhee berate him without standing up for himself.

You sigh, feeling deflated by the conversation already, wondering why you even brought it up. “Sunghoon, please just be the bigger man here, for me. Can you do that?” you ask, your voice pleading.

Putting his blade guards back on with a forceful gesture, he lets out an exasperated groan. “No. I will do anything for you, Sweets, but I draw the line at letting him walk over me,” he asserts firmly.

“I’m not asking you to do that,” you insist, gently pulling his face to meet yours. “If he’s rude to you, you can defend yourself, but just don’t take it too far or say anything unnecessary, especially about his skating.” The tone in your voice, combined with your touch, begins to soften the tension in his body. He grudges how much of an effect on him, “Please? Because you love me?”

He sticks his tongue into the side of his mouth and swipes it along his inner lip, “Wow, are we playing that card now?” You nod, and a satisfied smile sits smugly on your face. It was a low blow, you know that, but when push comes to shove. Inhaling deeply he agrees reluctantly, “Fine, I will be nice to him. But it’s in no way is it for his benefit, I’m doing it for us.”

You’ll take it. It’s a start and every reconciliation has to start somewhere, “Thank you, baby.” You press a smooch to his cheek and stand up, locating your shoes and putting them on.

Glancing at your phone, you notice it's past 11pm and there are a couple of messages from your mom. She's letting you know that you can't stay at Rina's tonight because Coach has requested Minhee's presence tomorrow morning, and she wants you to be there too. And you want to be there, because right now you feel a little like a shit sibling missing out on his training when it used to be the one activity you looked forward to together. 

And he’s been all alone the whole time. What was going on with your mum these days? She would rather die than miss a Minhee schedule, even if it were just practice. 

Sunghoon hugs you from behind, reading your messages, “Don’t tell me the witch is cock blocking me?” 

That’s the other thing about him being your boyfriend, you’ve started to open up to him a lot more about your relationship with your mum and how thin the bond is. You told him about her moving you out of your old room to make way for Minhee’s trophies, how she made you skip Rina’s birthday to attend a dinner with a potential sponsor when you didn’t even have to be there, and so many other unfortunate occasions.

Sunghoon was seething each time you spoke about her because you’re her daughter, you’re meant to be the joy of her life and it sounds like you’re just an inconvenience. Truthfully, you hadn’t paid much mind to it before you said all your woes with her out loud, but Sunghoon doesn’t see it as casually as you do. 

“Guess tomorrow morning is officially happening then,” You say, messaging back a quick ‘okay’ to your mum, “I’m sorry, Hoonie, I can’t come back to yours,” You rest the back of your head on his shoulder as his grip gets tighter around you.

“Sweets, it’s okay. I just wish I got to fuck you good after I proclaimed my undying love for you finally,” he kisses down your neck, “Guess I’ll just need to take you home after I wipe the floor clean of your brother.” 

Angrily, you turn around, “Any more of that and you’ll not only not be able to fuck me, you’ll also be single.” You’re not messing about and Sunghoon knows it.

“Sorry,” He winces, rubbing your arms, “Force of habit. I promise tomorrow I will be on my absolute best behaviour!” he kisses you but you don’t kiss him back, still trying to keep your annoyed demeanour. “Aw, c’mon, baby, don’t be like that! I promise skaters honour and all that.”

“You better be, Hoonie,” you warn him, finally giving in and kissing him back once, just to let him think he can’t get away with it that easily, even if he can. 

As you walk out of the arena, he follows you, stooping down to whisper, "You're kinda sexy when you're mad like that." You know he's only half-joking, so you don't play into it because if you do, he'll make you angry more often since he knows you aren't able to stay angry. Instead, you say your goodnights to Miss Barbara and make your way to his car.

He’s a piece of work, but you wouldn’t have him any other way. You love him exactly how he is.

_____________________

Applying the last finishing touches of your makeup, you check yourself out. Today was a big day, so yes it’s a little extreme to get dolled up at 5am on a Wednesday, but you’re seeing Minhee and Sunghoon skate their Nationals routines in full today, so what’s not to be excited about?

If anyone had told you that today you would feel no nervousness about the both of them being so close to one another, you would have told them to pull the next joke out of their ass. There was no way that could happen but it is and Sunghoon promised to try and be civil with your brother. So now all your worries are on them and their skates. 

You’ve seen Sunghoon’s routine countless times, so you know what to expect, but Minhee was a whole different story. It still irks your heart that you haven’t seen your brother train, you feel awful, truly. You just need to cheer for him extra loud today.

You grab your tote bag, which has some extra panties since you're spending the night with your sweetheart, and head out of your room. His roommates have joked that you’re moving in since you’ve left so much stuff at his place including a toothbrush, clothes, shampoo and conditioner, and even a spare book to read if you wake up before him in the morning. Not like you meant to, just over time it happened.

As you reach the bottom of the stairs, you hear Minhee and your mum whispering about something, but it’s hard to make out the conversation. Carefully tiptoeing towards the kitchen, you hold your breath, trying not to make a noise. They don’t normally whisper, especially not at this hour, so whatever they're discussing must be important.

“I can handle it, Mum, I told you,” Minhee's voice is heavy with sadness. Has he always sounded this despondent, or are you just overthinking?

“Good. I've invested too much for you to Cave now. When we get there, you know what you need to do, right?” What is Minhee supposed to do? Cave doing what? What does he have to do? Skate?

There are so many questions that need answers just by this snippet of conversation. You press your back to the wall of the hallway to make sure you stay hidden, hoping for any sort of clarity.

“Mum, I said I got it.” he snaps back and leaves it there, packing his bag, “Did you let Y/N know about today?”

“About the run-through? Yes, I told her.” your mum pours herself a coffee into her reusable cup.

Minhee rubs his eyes, clearly exhausted. Now that you’re getting a good glimpse of him after a few weeks, he looks a lot thinner and the circles under his eyes are a deeper shade than normal, “I told you not to tell her, she doesn’t need to be a part of this,” he zips his bag and slings it over his shoulder.

Does he not want me to be there for his skates anymore? Is that why he hasn’t invited me?

You can’t make head or tail of the conversation or what they mean, but the last thing you want is for Minhee to shut you out. 

“Oh, Y/N there you are,” your mum spots you, foiling your plan to eavesdrop.

At the sound of your name, Minhee tenses, pausing in his tracks for a beat. He was acting so strange, it made you hurt for him. Your brother was so lively and now he looks like a shell of himself. 

Putting on a cheerful facade to conceal your concern, you approach Minhee and casually swipe half of the banana from his hand, as you would normally do. If he were his usual self, Minhee would protest loudly, demanding you to get your own fruit. But instead, he simply hands you the rest without a word.

“Both of you hurry up, we need to go,” your mum whooshes past you both and heads for the front door, leaving you and Minhee on your own.

“Hey, are you okay?” you ask, quiet as a kitten. 

Minhee nods his head once and brushes by you, not even glancing at you. The relationship you have with him is now feeling like you’re strangers. You don’t know what spurred this change on but you have a high suspicion it’s because of you.

Obviously, you don’t want it to be, but you haven’t really spent time with him recently or supported him the way you should have. He probably feels neglected, something you never want him to feel.

Taking hold of his wrist you stop him before he exits for the car, “Mini, I’m sorry for not being at your training sessions. Miss Barbara said that you’ve been going to the rink a lot, I should have made it to at least one of those.”

“It’s fine, Y/N. I don’t need you there.” 

That hurt. A lot. 

He finally glances down at you and sees your eyes flash with hurt, “I’ve been going spontaneously, you’ve been busy with school and…Rina. Our schedules don’t fit anymore,”  he plays it off but you’re his sister and you know he’s hiding something deeper in his nonchalant words.

Pulling his wrist from your grip, Minhee goes to the car, leaving you a lot more concerned for him than before.

As your mum pulls up to Belmore you see Sunghoon’s car already here. He must be getting in the practice he missed last night because of your date. You would feel guilty about it if it wasn’t his idea.

When the engine stops, there is a weird tension in the air as everyone has gone into covert mode. You want to break the silence but you can’t fathom what to say right now. 

"Minhee, I'm feeling good about today, do well," your mother says. Despite her words of positivity, her expression portrays a different mindset, as if she is just saying what she knows she should.

Placing your hand on his shoulder, you grin at him, "Do your best, Mini, that's all anyone can ask," He smiles back at you, acknowledging your words. What's strange is that he takes your hand and squeezes it, his eyes fixed on yours. Sibling communication is turned on; you just can't understand what he's saying to you.

Walking into the arena is a completely different vibe from last night, no peace to be found. The coaches are happily chatting about their prodigies; it’s nice to see them getting along considering they were also pushed together through this blending of rinks. You wished the same for Minhee and Sunghoon.

Speaking of Sunghoon, he isn’t anywhere to be seen, he’s not on the ice like you thought he would be. 

“Minhee, go get changed, me and your sister will be over there,” your mum points to the same two seats you’ve both occupied for over a decade, “Don’t fuck it up, I’m serious.”

How can she be so harsh? 

Minhee simply waves you both off, shoulders slumped. While you watch him retreat to the changing room, you scowl at your mum, a toxic taste in your mouth at how rude she is being. At the end of the day, Minhee was always her favourite child, and now she can’t even be bothered with him.

Deciding he can’t go out with those being the last words he hears, you excuse yourself and walk in the same direction. You say your hellos to the usual staff as you go into the back hallway, scouting the place for your brother.

Without warning, you’re being pulled back and pinned to the wall. You almost scream until you feel those perfect lips that belong to your boyfriend, smushed against yours. 

Perplexed by his actions, you look around to see if anyone saw you. Fortunately, you were hidden enough, “Hoonie! What are you doing?” 

“I needed a good luck kiss, that’s all,” he smirks, “What do you think?” he draws back and shows you the outfit he was planning to wear at Nationals and your natural reaction is to gasp.

The royal blue silk shirt was basic, but you knew it would spring to life once he got on the ice, and his black slim trousers had crystals embroidered down the side as well as all around the bottom, the gems a mix of white and three shades of blue. He really fits the description of Ice Prince.

Spinning around on his tippy toes, he awaits your response. He felt good in it like he was one hundred percent ready.

“You look like you belong in a museum,” Gawking at him, you cover your mouth, you haven’t seen him look so handsome in any skating costume before, “Why are you wearing it just now?” 

He shrugs, “Coach thought it would be good to see how it holds up since I went with a new designer,” he smiles, rubbing up and down his torso. The material feels so good, he’s grown a habit of touching it whenever he can, “I’ll need to thank Karina when I’m done.”

“Huh? Why?” 

“You’re looking at a Yu Jimin original, I’ve been told she’s going to be famous.” Sunghoon grins at your surprised face.

Your best friend made this outfit? Her talents never failed to amaze you but she had never let anyone wear the clothes she made, not even you unless she was sampling. How on earth did he pull this off? 

Inspecting the costume more carefully, you see Rina’s signature stitching aka the first one she learnt and stuck with because she can ‘always make it work’ and to be fair, she does. It really was hers and your boyfriend was wearing it. 

But she would never do it out of the kindness of her own heart, “How much did she charge?” you ask worried, Rina could easily have bumped up the price since it was Sunghoon, milking him of the money she knew he had.

“Not a penny,” He stands proudly, but you know him, and you know your best friend, so you give him a dubious look, “Well, it didn’t cost money, I gave her a matching Tiffany ring and bracelet set.” He throws the sentence out as if the jewellery didn’t cost 4 times the wages you got this month.

“Hoonie, What the fuck?” 

"Nah, I got these for free a while back. I was planning to gift you them for your birthday." Wearing a playful smile, you tilt your head back as you absorb the unexpected information of your given-away gifts. Sunghoon instantly becomes aware of what he's just confessed. "Then I realised you're worth more than free jewellery and I swear when I gave her them, it was in the most 'I don't love you, this is just to get on Y/N's good side by winning you over' kinda way." 

Sunghoon bats his long eyelashes after he stumbles over his words, nervous you might get the wrong idea. You didn’t though, you know he’s only got eyes for you. 

It does make you laugh and think about how lucky you are, “Thank you for trying to get along with her,” you leave out the jib about it being your supposed gift because you can see how hard he is trying. 

Sunghoon wants to be a part of your life, that much is evident, and he’ll do anything he can to integrate himself peacefully, cautious to not disrupt too much. Rina was an easy win because as soon as she saw the trademark Tiffany Blue boxes she was on his side. Plus, the chance to have her first-ever design worn on a televised competition wasn’t really an opportunity she could pass up.

“I just need to win over Minhee now,” he says, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and drawing you closer. But as you remain unresponsive, lost in thought, his concern grows. "Sweets? What's wrong?"

Your mind is consumed by the events of the morning with Minhee. It gnaws at you - his lack of confidence and timid nature seems perplexing, especially given Miss Barbara's assurance that he's practically a shoo-in for the Olympic team. If there ever was a time for Minhee to exude self-assurance, it's now.

Sunghoon shakes you a little, bringing you back, “Sorry, baby, I need to see Minhee.”

“Is everything okay?” Concern is painted on his face but you can’t let him worry over something that doesn’t involve him.

“It’s fine. Good luck out there,” you pull him for an unintentionally long kiss. He melts against you, using his arms to bring you into him, hoping his touch will give you some sort of comfort. Even if you don’t tell him right now, he knows when you’re ready, you’ll let him in on what has you this way.

Stepping out of the hiding spot, you briskly walk to the changing room to find your brother. You don’t want to cast a shadow over his day, not when this performance meant so much for him, but the anxiety and concerns embedded in your body need to be aired. You need to know what’s going on.

As you approach the room, Minhee is just walking out, head hung low. 

He quickly spots you and his eyes stretch wide, “What are you doing here?” he looks around urgently before looking back at you. 

“I just wanted to talk to you. Mum was way out of line back there and I needed you to know I’m proud of you, no matter what happens. You’ve worked so hard and I know how much this skate means considering it’s basically your ticket to the Olympics, and that’s always-”

Minhee interrupts you, “Wait, pause, what do you mean Olympics?” 

Shit. You had to tell him now, you couldn’t backtrack such a monumental piece of information.

“Miss Barbara told me that Coach Kim said you’re ready for it, and if you pass this and make it to Nationals, you’ll be offered a place on the South Korean Olympic team.” You blurt it all out at once and the smile on Minhee’s face grows bigger and bigger with each word.

“You’re not fucking with me, are you?” he asks, his tone in disbelief.

Shaking your head, you mirror his vibrant smile, “No, you’re a shoo-in!” 

Suddenly, Minhee picks you up and squeezes you tight, laughing lightly. You shouldn’t have let it slip but seeing the sadness wash away from him was worth it, even if it ruined the surprise. Coach Kim is so confident in his abilities, and so are you, you just needed Minhee to believe it too.

He puts you down, running his hand through his hair, still processing the good news. Minhee whispers to himself how he can’t believe it. You’ve watched him work tirelessly for this since you were kids, and you also saw how disappointed he was when he missed out on the Youth Olympics, so seeing him now at 20 practically being offered a place on the team is a dream come true for both of you. All you’ve ever wanted was for him to succeed.

Looking behind you, Minhee’s face drops again. As you look to see what caused the sudden change, you see Sunghoon walking towards you both. For the first time in 4 months, you didn’t want to see him right now; Minhee was finally in better spirits and you can’t have Sunghoon ruining it now. But he promised to behave, to take the high road, so you trust him to do just that.

Sunghoon stands beside you, his hand goes to sit on your lower back instinctively but he catches himself, pointing to the rink instead, “Coaches asked if you’re good to go or if you need a warm-up?”

You can’t lie, you’re proud of Sunghoon for not making a snide remark about how Minhee would need the warm-up. It’s tiny, but it’s progress.

Glaring into his eyes, Minhee doesn’t say anything, biting his lips into a thin line and nodding in acknowledgement. 

What is up with him today? You know why Sunghoon is being a bit nicer, but where is Minhee’s sarcastic quip?

“Can I get in there?” Sunghoon gestures to the changing room, “Left my skates,” You move to the side but Minhee doesn’t budge, “Are you seriously going to make me walk around you?” Sunghoon scoffs.

Again, Minhee doesn’t move but you know it’s not in a defiant way, his face isn’t giving you the normal ‘I hate Sunghoon’ look, it’s giving you more of a concern concealed by a deadpan face kind of vibe. Strange. 

Sunghoon isn’t as attuned to your brother's emotions, so he takes offence to Minhee’s resistance to move and pushes him out of the way, “You’re pathetic, Kang.”

You bite your tongue down hard, trying to suppress the anger bubbling inside you. Although Sunghoon warned you already that if Minhee provoked him, he would snap back but he didn’t have to call him pathetic. 

Minhee clenches his jaw and fists, trying to calm himself down. You take the opportunity to rub his arms, soothing him a little, “Don’t listen to him, Mini. Go out there and do your best, yeah? Remember what I told you.”

“Yeah, I know, I’m basically going to the Olympics.”

“No,” you smile softly at him, “I’m proud of you, for everything you’ve achieved and everything you will,” Stepping to stand beside him, you push him towards the rink. The words might not mean anything to him, but you say every syllable with as much sincerity as you can. 

He takes off his blade protectors and skates onto the rink, doing a few laps to warm up. Seeing him glide across the ice, practising his jumps with ease. Miss Barbara was right, he has improved a lot and that’s saying something considering he was already one of the best skaters.

Sunghoon walks up beside you, his skates in one hand as the other takes yours, giving it a quick squeeze before he lets go, joining his coach on the other side. It was a quick moment no one would be able to see but Sunghoon saw the opportunity to touch you for luck just one last time before he had to pretend you meant nothing to him. The sooner you both tell Minhee, the better.

Going back to your seat next to your mother, she doesn’t spare you a look before asking where you went but you don’t bother answering her, choosing to focus your energy on Minhee. He takes his spot in the centre and shifts into his starting pose. He looked so elegant on the ice, even in his sports athleisure. You wonder how much begging and bribery it would take for Rina to make him a costume for his Olympic performance.

Coach Kim gives him a supportive thumbs-up as the music begins. From the bleachers, you see Minhee let out a nervous breath before he begins. His eyes scoot to you and your mum for a second and you use the time to smile and wave enthusiastically which seems to settle him.

As he starts his routine, you can see how his movements have been perfectly choreographed, his frame is poised and he showcases a seamless fusion of strength and elegance. You look to Sunghoon for a moment, who seems to echo your awed amazement. Minhee wove through his spins and intricate footwork with ease. It was like he was a painter and the ice was his canvas, painting the most delicate yet structured portrait. He was sensational.

Minhee looks to your mum mid-skate for approval but you already know she isn’t showing him what he needs, so he shifts to you, eyes never leaving yours as he hits his quadruple axel. The one move he’s been dying to get into his routine, the one move that burdened him forever because he could never land it, now he just achieved it with some ease.

Your hands are clasped to your chest, your face radiating a beam of joy and pride. You can’t believe he did what everyone told him was impossible for him to achieve. The expression on your face is just as elated as his.

He missed having you here to cheer him on, you can tell by the smile of appreciation on his face.

He finishes up his routine with a Biellmann Spin and ends the way he started as if he could continuously loop his performance - it’s been his signature for years.  The arena is silent as all eyes are on your brother as he relaxes from his pose and hunches over for breath. No one can quite believe the magic they just saw.

Surprisingly, Sunghoon is the first one to clap, a smirk on his face. He just witnessed a skate that might actually throw him off the top spot for Nationals, he had to respect it. You join in, standing up to jump and cheer his name. 

On cloud 9, Minhee skates over to Coach Kim who is eagerly awaiting to praise him, “Kid, you were incredible! Seriously, by far your best skate to date,” he roughly pats the skaters back and brings him in for a hug, “My kid is going to Nationals!” The moment was so sweet you naturally pouted before running down to meet him.

“Mini! Oh my god!” your voice pulls him away from his coach, the hug from him being replaced by you, “You did so good, I almost cried! Look at my eyes, I’m not lying,” you point to your face and true to your word, there are tears in the ducts of your eyes. 

Minhee ruffles your hair, “Thanks, Bubs,” he shines at the adoration he’s being soaked in, pure happiness circulating his body.

“You did well, Kang. I have nothing to fault.” Sunghoon’s voice booms behind you, his body pressing against yours as he congratulates Minhee, “Seriously, you’ve always skated well but it’s nice to see you finally bringing me some competition.”

Your brother pulls you from Sunghoon and tucks you into his side. It’s ironic how he’s protecting you from your own boyfriend. Minhee is on such a high, not even Sunghoon could ruin it for him but that doesn’t mean he has to say anything to him. He tightens the hold on your shoulder and walks you past Sunghoon. 

As he puts his guards back on, you take the chance to look at Sunghoon, mouthing him a ‘good luck’ and smile which he happily returns with a wink. He didn’t need luck, he was a pro, but now he does have to step up his game because if he doesn’t get the same reaction from the onlookers, his mum won’t let him leave the rink until he does.

Taking your seat, Minhee gives your mum a look to which she only nods. Was that all he was going to get from her? You seriously needed to find out what had turned them so cold to one another. But that’s future you’s problem, right now, you focus on Sunghoon while he puts on his skates.

He circles the ice, stretching his legs and arms, yet his expression is one of unknowingness. While he chips his skates into the surface a few times, he becomes uneasy. 

Regardless of how he feels, Sunghoon takes his starting stance, arms in the air and one leg spread out behind him.

Beginning his routine, the blare of Ocean Eyes plays through the speakers. The song, the routine, the outfit, everything was cohesive. Sunghoon has spent months preparing his Nationals skate, meticulously changing and adapting every detail to make sure it was perfect. You’ve watched him over the weeks and it’s nothing like how it is right now.

But not in the breathtaking way Minhee was, there was something wrong.

Sunghoon’s eyebrows furrow and as it’s coming up to his quad jumps, he skips them. Now you can confirm something is drastically wrong, nevertheless, he continues on, preparing for his flying camel spin. Whatever is going on, he’s doing his best to brush it off.

“What is wrong with him?” you whisper to yourself but your mother overhears it, smirking at you. 

“He’s thrown off by your brother, I imagine,” she says so casually but as you look at her, there’s a glint in her eye.

Just as Sunghoon completes the spin with a slight wobble, Coach Lee encourages him to keep going despite the apparent struggle. Determined, Sunghoon presses on, transitioning into a forward glide as he prepares for the upcoming triple loop. It's in that moment that everything seems to crumble beneath you.

As Sunghoon launches into his jump from his back foot, smoothly completing the rotations in mid-air, however, the performance takes a sudden turn upon landing – a moment of unease grips everyone watching, you included, as his ankle unexpectedly snaps at a 90-degree angle. The consequence is immediate and stark, leading to his descent to the ground. The hushed gasps of the onlookers echo at the sight of his body skimming across the ice. In the aftermath, Sunghoon holds his injured ankle, his face contorted in pain as he tries to move it.

He's badly hurt, unable to move from his spot on the ice, and the circumstances turn what should have been a flawless routine into an unexpected nightmare.

"Hoonie!" you yell, your heart pounding as you rush to the edge of the rink to assess the situation. Sunghoon is writhing in pain, tears pooling in his eyes, and you notice the blade of his skate has come off his boot - It must have come off when he landed. 

You need to be next to him, but before you can check on your lover, Minhee is quick on your heels, dragging you back. "Let me go," you're no longer concerned about how it will look if you go to check on Sunghoon; all you can think about is if he's okay. 

Minhee doesn’t listen, his grip tightening as he pulls you away. You struggle against him, feeling utterly helpless as you watch the commotion around Sunghoon unfold. Coach Kim, Mrs. Park, and others gather around him, their urgent actions heightening your anxiety. But Minhee is determined to remove you from the scene, forcefully guiding you through the doors and out of the arena.

Once in the car park, he releases you with a frustrated exclamation, his agitation evident in his gestures as he runs his hands through his hair. His eyes betray a storm of emotions, leaving you unsettled and desperate for answers.

“Minhee, what’s happening? We have to go back!” you insist, your voice tinged with desperation.

“We can’t, okay? Let’s just go home,” he responds, his tone strained, his features drawn with tension.

Sensing something amiss, you step closer to him, your heart racing with concern. “Minhee, please, tell me what’s going on. None of this makes sense,” you implore, your hands reaching out to him.

“It’s nothing, alright!” he snaps, his words too forceful to be convincing. “His skate broke, that’s all. I didn’t do anything,” he adds, his denial ringing hollow.

The straightforward solution would be for him to share what's going on, but the way he's shutting down makes it clear that direct communication is off the table. Your mind races back to the kitchen, recalling your mom's directive to Minhee to 'get it done.' Then, at the rink, she warned him not to fuck up. It dawns on you that this is more than just about the routine; something else has transpired. Yet, the connection between Minhee and a botched landing seems implausible. Skaters experience falls regularly; it's just a part of the sport. 

Unless he psyched him out but you were with each of them at different times and the only time they interacted was before Sunghoon went to get his skates from the changing room. Minhee acted super strange when Sunghoon asked to pass him like he was nervous about letting him in- 

Sunghoon’s skate…No, surely not. 

You take a cautious step back, your expression one of bewilderment. What you’re thinking couldn’t possibly have happened, your brother wouldn’t stoop so low, “Mini? You didn’t…”

"You're a liar." Minhee abruptly deters the conversation, leaving you much more puzzled than before. Tilting your head, you give him a sceptical look, but he only offers you a harsh stare, “Oh Mini, I would never do that, wasn’t that what you told me? You said that, didn’t you?” 

Okay, you've officially reached the top of your perplexity. What is he on about? “I don’t know what you mean?” you utter, awaiting any form of clarity. 

A visual cloud storms over his head, symbolic of his tone as he spits, “You’re dating Park fucking Sunghoon.”

How did he find out?

The weight of Minhee's accusation hangs in the air as you come to terms with the fact that your hidden relationship with his rival is now openly known. Your mind races, wondering who could have told him. To be honest, it could have been anyone at that point; you weren't being very secretive, merely keeping it low-key around those who knew Minhee. That was your first mistake, clearly.

The forced laugh that leaves his mouth is venomous, “You really ought to be more careful with your lies, Sis.” Retrieving his phone from his trouser pocket, he flicks through it until he finds something. As if viewing it for the first time, he gets angry again, shoving the device in your face, “You sent me it with the others.”

You’re faced with a picture, and not just any picture, the one of Sunghoon kissing your cheek at the award ceremony. The frozen moment captured in time reveals more than words ever could. Your heart sinks as the reality of your indiscretion stares back at you from the screen. The once-precious memory now serves as evidence. The tension in the air increases as you deal with the impact of your secret finally coming to light.

How could you be so stupid? You were so careful around him, always triple-checking everything and now it’s all up in flames.

“Mini-”

“Just tell me one thing, Y/N. Tell me you haven’t been seeing him since that night you got out of his car? That this started way after and you haven’t been with him for like 4 months?” his resolve has turned from one of anger to despair, desperate for you to tell him his suspicions are wrong.

But deception wasn't an option; lying to him now would only add more layers to an already tangled web. It was too complicated to tell him how you stayed away for a week, and how Sunghoon came to your rescue the night of Yeonjun’s party, and it was certainly not the right time to tell him how Sunghoon brought you back to life with his kisses and how he makes you feel like the most important person in the world. Revealing the true depth of your connection with Sunghoon would undoubtedly trigger Minhee, unleashing a storm far beyond fits of anger, something he couldn’t come back from.

The silence gave Minhee his answer, his face falling from anger to disappointment, “I fucking knew it.”

This is what you wanted to avoid the whole time, the reason you kept Sunghoon a secret in the first place. 

If he knew, he would do something rash like…

“Did you mess with Sunghoon’s skate? Did you do this because I’ve been seeing him?” It all starts to click into place but Minhee quickly shuts you down.

“It wasn’t that Y/N.” He dismisses.

“So it was you? You caused that? Minhee what the fuck?!” you shriek at his twisted confession. 

The revelation sends a shiver down your spine as your emotions mix with disbelief and confusion. This wasn’t the brother you knew, the one you grew up with and held so dear to you. 

The air thickens with unspoken words as Minhee rattles his brain for an explanation. His eyes portray the evident guilt he feels, a turbulent storm in the depths of his gaze. Any anger now dissipates with the wind as it blows cold on his face. His voice, when he finally speaks, carries the weight of regret, “Look, Y/N, it’s complicated; you have no idea what’s going on.”

“Then help me understand because right now it seems like you just tried to hurt Sunghoon because he's my boyfriend." The chill in your words reflects the icy breeze. The atmosphere is thick with tension, like a heavy curtain waiting to be dragged back to reveal the truth behind Minhee's aberrant actions.

Minhee’s anger washes his body again, muttering the word ‘boyfriend’ in disbelief before he speaks up, “The less you know the better, okay? Stay out of it.” With a swift turn, he attempts to walk away, yet his mind is unwilling to let the matter of you and Sunghoon rest. "Y’know, when you sent that picture, I was so angry I could have killed him, but as the weeks passed I was just so fucking disappointed you didn’t have the balls to tell me." 

This whole situation is so fucked up and there is nothing you can do to place everything in a perfect timeline that will help you understand his actions because he’s keeping something detrimental from you. If it wasn’t because Sunghoon and you are together, then what could it possibly be? If it was because he wanted to be at Nationals, it wasn’t Sunghoon standing in his way so it couldn’t be that. 

Before you can dwell on the situation further, your mum strides over, balancing both your belongings. "Will you two stop acting like children and fighting? You're not 5 anymore." She thrusts your jacket and bag into your arms and does the same with Minhee. "Get in the car."

“Mum, is he okay?” It’s a hopeful, albeit hesitant, question directed at your Park-hating mother. You know it's a long shot, but you chance it.

"He'll live. I doubt he'll make it to Nationals, though." She smirks, her reply tinged with dark humour that adds an unexpected dimension of tension. The revelation regarding Sunghoon's injury, delivered with that sneering twist, leaves you with a mix of anxiety for your boyfriend. 

She had something to do with this, that’s obvious. You just had to find out how and why.

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[onlyrains]

𝓹𝓲𝓽𝔂 party | 𝓵𝓱𝓼

PAIRINGS: brotherbestfriend!heeseung x fem!reader CONTAINS: profanity, violence, mention of blood, skinship WC: 2,3k-ish

it is almost midnight and you're at jake's house. he's your brother's best friend, actually, and he threw a party for his two best friends who happened to be born on consecutive days. it is a big party. well, since you knew jake pretty well, you decided to come when he invited you a couple days ago.

you were hesitant at first, but when you asked your brother, jay, and he replied with, "why you suddenly wanna come? do you know what a party really is?" you felt heavily offended. so you shoot your shot and begged jay to let you come with him.

he finally agreed. well, you're 19 after all. your mom doesn't even nag that much again on you. you're aware of your responsibilities and know what your priorities are now. you definitely can go to a party.

"don't go out of my sight." your brother warned when you both arrived. then he opened the door, and you were welcomed with an unfamiliar scene in front of you.

you grabbed your brother's shirt subconsciously and almost regretted your decision right away. maybe, this thing is just not for you?

your eyes swept across every room you passed through, hoping there will be someone you know. half of the people are very familiar to you though you don't know them personally. some are just strangers and you don't have the guts to sit and blend in with them.

"hey, you came!" jake greeted you when you and jay finally found him with the other guys. they all have been your brother's best friend since high school but you only knew jake since he is the friendliest and nicest one. well, his face said so.

you fist-bumped him and sat right next to him and your brother for extra shield. for real, if there's someone you know other than them who offers to leave, you wouldn't think twice.

for the next ten minutes, you didn't move an inch in your seat while watching the guys greet here and there. like sunoo, he kept talking to random people from time to time and received a never ending hello from everyone. turns out your brother was right when he said that he's quite popular. you started to feel like a burden when realizing he is the only one that hasn't moved from his seat.

"you got someone to talk to?" he whispered, a little annoyed.

"you can go if you want."

"how can i?"

"don't mind me, jay. just do like you usually do."

he clicks his tongue. "you sure?"

you feel the cushion beneath you move as a weight just plopped onto it. "i'm here, don't worry," a voice interrupted before you could answer.

"really, bro? i really need to find him." your brother slowly got up. you frown, have no idea the 'him' he's referring to.

he pats your head a few times. "i need to go, kid. just stay with heeseung."

you clear your throat when it's finally just you and the stranger–named heeseung.

"first time?" he starts.

"what?"

"at a party."

you pause as you look into his eyes. is it so obvious?

you eventually hissed when he just followed the staring contest. "yeah."

"don't worry. i'm used to guide people at their first party,"

your body turns to him unconsciously. "really?"

"no." you give him the biggest side eye ever. they're no different to your brother, honestly.

he smirks at your face. your shy exterior with an expressive self behind intrigued him to keep the conversation afloat.

"heeseung," a girl greets him. wait, she seems so familiar.

"new girl—oh? are you an archery club new member?" she asks, eyes lit up. oh, right. she's your senior in the club.

"you're with heeseung?" she glances at him. you shook your head with a smile plastered on your mouth. "no. jay's my brother, so..."

she gasps. "come on, let's introduce you to the others." she held your hand and led you to the back yard.

you follow her with a slight panic but then you turn your head, heeseung is there, right behind you with both hands tucked in his pocket. you turn again. feel a wave of relief just washed over you.

the next thing you know, you already talk to a number of people. you occasionally look for heeseung's whereabouts. well, since your brother is nowhere to be found, you need him to stay in your sight or else you might sprint to the front door and ignore people around you. oh, that shouldn't happen because you are only a first-year and you need to make a few connections for the sake of your social life.

him, on the other side, never really pay attention to the convo he's having. he's keeping an eye on you in case something inconvenient happen and you need to get out of the crowd. he knows jay is having a serious matter right now so when he saw you the moment he's arrived, he was so perplexed.

he believed, you didn't know him at all, and he was right. but that doesn't apply vice versa. he knows you. i mean, how could he not know his best friend's sister? impossible. jay is always cautious about his family so he told all of his friends to not come near them. his bad hobby has nothing to do with his family at all, he said. so he feels responsible for you and dedicated to be by your side until jay comes back, at least.

"he won't let it slide, dude. you know him."

heeseung breathed out harshly. "relax, jay can handle it." he replies calmly and turns to you again. you exchange glances this time. your stare doesn't laden for help so he continues to talk with the guy in front of him.

"i bet."

then you hear the birthday boys, sunghoon and riki, just got dragged to the edge of the pool, making the room filled with cheers and shouts everywhere. your ears are ringing from the loud noise, but your laughter breaks when they finally manage to throw hoon and riki to the pool fully clothed.

"after what i just did for you, jungwon? so funny," riki laughs sarcastically then try to reach for jungwon's pants. the people suddenly take riki's side and push jungwon to the pool, making the cat look-alike boy shouts in the water.

you giggle seeing them bicker in the water right before everyone suddenly pushes each other. no, not because they are trying to drench their friends but it turns out to be jay that caused the chaos.

everyone started screaming when the sound of breaking glass was heard. then jay show up and just casually pushes a guy to the back yard with blood dripping from his knuckles. you swear on your parents name, you have never seen this side of him. he always the grumpy yet mature, calm, and collected brother. you've never imagining him throw someone to another so easily. 'jay' and 'fight' had never put in one sentence.

heeseung, from the other corner of the room, rushes to jay who is just a mere step from you and the people you previously talked to. "jay, c'mon,"

"attention, huh? enjoy it, fuckass! c'mon, get up. you haven't say nothing to them," ignoring heeseung in his back, jay kept closing the distance between him and the 'fuckass' guy. he can barely sit up after his head just hit the wall.

your shock stare still lingers on your brother and you can see heeseung keep whispering something to him. you don't know a thing about this. the situation even more tensed up when riki, sunghoon, and jungwon joined them. not giving a shit about their drenched body. jake and sunoo soon arrive out of the blue and stand in front of jay, preventing a possibility of their crazy guy going on a rampage again.

"jay, please, at least not in my house, silly," jake whines.

"hey, listen," jake carefully approaches the other guy who is now successfully standing up. "i don't know what do you want, but can—"

all of a sudden, he throws a vase near him to jake, starting a big chaos to avoid the broken glass.

"fuck you, not my mom's favorite vase!"

you still can't take your eyes off your brother while the crowds keep pushing your stiff body out of their way. you are drowning in your own thoughts realizing you're not completely know your brother. what kind of person is he really? and what matter he's fighting for? who is that guy he's competing with?

your mind was so full of unanswered questions when you felt a firm arm circling your waist from behind and throwing you both into the pool.

"what the f—" you stop when you see heeseung's concerned face and you notice the spot you were standing is now a mess, full of dirt and broken pots that were thrown.

you okay?" heeseung asks, a concern is evident in his tone.

you nod twice. that's all you can do. how can your first party be basically a disaster? made by your own brother?

there are a few people that aren't going away and you assume they are the fuckass' friends. they watch everyone left in the room without doing anything.

you wipe your face before turning back to heeseung. "let me take you home."

"without jay? please, no. i need to see him."

"not right now. he'll be okay."

you glare at him. your eyes become big and teary, threatening in the most soft way possible.

"i guarantee you he'll be fine and you can talk to him tomorrow."

you bite your lower lip as your gaze falls on jay again. "are you sure he is okay?" you ask.

"mhmm. he used to this,"

your neck never turns so fast. " what do you mean—"

"let's go." he swims to the pool coping. "your shirt is soaked," he pauses. "it's see-through."

you spontaneously lower your legs so your body is fully under the water and follow him to the edge.

"c'mon. i won't see." he offers his hand and stands so casually while you try to hide your bra underneath the white shirt. you scan the area before you jump out of the pool and find your brother is now gone. you let out a long exhale, they managed to break it up.

"do you wait for my help?"

you hear his voice again. you roll your eyes, "it's not like that!"

you follow heeseung inside with water still dripping from your clothes.

"you can wear this." he drapes a velvet blazer on your shoulder.

"whose blazer is this?" you ask as he searches for his new clothes in a wardrobe that you believe is jake's.

"mine. so make sure not to damage it." he says as he enters the bathroom to change.

you feel the cold air from the AC blowing on your skin, making you shiver and gritting your teeth. but searching for the AC remote is the last thing you want to do. your energy drained as the scene of your brother fighting playing in your head. it didn't make sense at all. your mom probably laughing if you tell her about this because what kind of bullshit are you talking about?

yes, jay is never the nerd, bookworm, or obsessed with study kind of kid. but as far as you know, he wasn't this type of person at all. when things started to turn?

heeseung comes out of the bathroom in the perfect timing, right before you let a tear fall from your eye.

"let's go." he walks past you to the garage, where his motorbike is parked.

"you ride this?" you ask in disbelief.

"we ride this,"

gosh, you could probably freeze to death.

"it's windy. gonna be so cold, maybe."

you roll your eyes. "i know."

he chuckles inside his full-face helmet. "just hold onto me."

your brow raised, but you're not saying anything while holding on tightly to his leather jacket.

"not my jacket, you'll disturb me driving." he scoffs. "like this," he lifts his jacket until there's enough space for your arms to slip underneath it.

you intertwine your finger right above his stomach. his body heat on your hand makes you feel better, maybe it's also the thick material of his jacket. you continue to rub your palm to his packs that are only covered by a thin fabric of his sleeveless tops.

"okay, let's go home." you say after finding comfort in his body.

he nearly jumped when your cold hands almost electrified him, but he still managed to start the engine and run his bike.

it's just the way your hands just won't stop moving somehow giving a thrill sensation to his body. the way your thumb so recklessly caresses his abs and your right cheek lean on his back with ease, almost causing him to go rabid.

like... how can you?

"still cold?" he asks. you nod on his back and tightens your hug.

"but it's fine. your body is warm." you add, not caring if he's listening or not. but the thing is, he heard you and it makes his body automatically melt into your touch. he grunts under his breath for being so weak to his best friend's sisters.

a few minutes later you both finally arrived at your house and there was a slight urge to not let go of his body.

"you definitely need to drive a car rather than this," you pout, complaining about your slightest inconvenience throughout the ride.

"i'd rather take a thank you than that,"

"oh, right. thank you," you sigh. "are you going back there?"

he nods and places his helmet on the gas tank to put his arms on it. "of course."

"b-be..." your words hang in the air. it's either because of your freezing lips or the nervousness that suddenly crashes to you.

he raised his eyebrows. "hmm?"

"be careful, then—and please make sure jay is okay. and get home safely."

your eyes watches as he presses his lips into a thin line. "okay."

oh wait, why is the desire to smooch it suddenly surged up?

taglist [open]: @llvrhee

a/n: yes this is slightly inspired by a movie and YES I CRINGED A BIT WHEN I WROTE THIS BYEE

[miniwrites1]

Welcome to the Family - Ominis Gaunt

Requested! - I've merged a few requests together for this one :)

Word Count - 1.6k

Themes - Fluff

Ominis’ heart was racing, the end of seventh year was quickly approaching meaning that he’d no longer have the safety of Hogwarts, that he’d have to return to his family in the south of England, away from Sebastian and away from you. It wasn’t something that he wanted to think about, however the harsh reality was starting to set in.

He sighed softly to himself as he perched on a bench in the Transfiguration courtyard, waiting for you and Sebastian to finish your last class for the day.

The warmth from the summer sun felt nice on his skin, he appreciated it. He worried that soon he wouldn’t feel warmth anymore upon his return to the frosty, uncaring atmosphere of his parents home. He was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of your voice travelling across the courtyard.

“Ominis!” You called out to him, catching his attention. You walked quickly to him, Sebastian following behind you. Ominis smiled as you approached, however the smile seemed half hearted.

“Are you alright?” You asked, slightly concerned at his mood. Ominis was normally very open with you, he trusted you with some of his deepest secrets so to see him closed off was a cause for concern.

“Not particularly, no.” He responded, rubbing the patch of skin between his eyebrows. Sebastian caught your eye, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Undercroft?” Sebastian mentioned, trying to guide all of you to a private place, one that would be more suited to this conversation. Ominis nodded, standing quickly and allowing his wand to guide him. You and Sebastian followed after Ominis in silence, unsure of what to say.

Once you’d arrived at the Undercroft, Ominis sat on the floor, his back against one of the pillars and hands folded into his lap. You and Sebastian took spots on the floor next to him.

“What’s happening Ominis?” You asked, worry lacing your voice. Ominis sighed again, he was unsure of how to explain his situation.

“I can’t go home.” He spoke softly, feeling his eyes stinging slightly at the thought of going back home. It made him feel physically sick. Realisation dawned on you, Ominis had told you about his family and their use of dark magic on muggles for sport, he’d never condoned it and the thought of him returning to that environment was stomach churning for you. You cared deeply for Ominis, spending many a night up late and talking about anything you could think of, it pained you to see him like this.

“Then we come up with a plan so you don’t have to.” You spoke softly, trying to think of a way that you could keep Ominis away from his family. Ominis let out a small laugh at the thought, as kind as you were to suggest trying to help him escape, to him it seemed impossible.

“I agree, you shouldn’t have to go back there Ominis.” Sebastian chimed in; brows furrowed in thought.

“I may have an idea.” You spoke cautiously, unsure as to whether your idea would work. Both boys looked at you, waiting for you to speak. “I need to send an owl, I’ll let you know when I hear back.” You mentioned as you stood, making your way to the Undercroft exit, heading straight for the Owlery. You knew just the person to contact for help but you could only hope that it would happen in time.

By the time you had received a reply from your owl, it was only a day before the start of summer, a day before you would all return home.

As you sat at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, you saw your owl swooping in from above, attached to its foot was a small scroll tied with a blue ribbon, your mothers signature sign off to any letter that she sent. You smiled at the sight of your owl as it landed on the table in front of you. Making quick work of the ribbon, you unfurled the scroll and began reading your mothers response.

My Dearest (Y/N),

After receiving your letter, you’ve reminded me of myself at your age. Please invite your friend to stay with us over the summer until we can arrange a more permanent solution.

Any friend of yours is a friend of the family.

Love

(Y/M/N)

You couldn’t help the smile that broke out across your face, quickly attracting the attention of Sebastian who was sat opposite you.

“What’s that?” He asked curiously, gesturing to the letter in your hands. You quickly passed the letter over to him, letting him read through it. As he read the letter a small smile formed, he glanced up at you, gently handing the letter back.

“I told you I had an idea.” You laughed, overjoyed that your mother would allow Ominis to stay with you. She’d told you of her own troubles as a child, growing up in a prominent wizarding family and being expected to marry a pureblood, however she’d had other ideas, finding love in your father, a squib. She’d packed her belongings one night and disappeared, never contacting her family again. She’d followed her heart, the same way that you were now.

“We need to tell Ominis!” Sebastian exclaimed, almost shooting out of his seat with excitement. You both made your way towards the Slytherin common room, running down the corridors to get there more quickly.

As you entered, you spotted Ominis immediately perched over by the window looking out into the Great Lake.

“Ominis! We have a plan!” You yelled over to him, causing disgruntled glances to be cast in your direction from the other students present in the common room. Ominis’ head snapped around in your direction, a small smile forming.

“Enlighten me?” He asked softly, beckoning you to continue.

“You can stay with my me and my family.” You said happily, his smile grew more but you could tell that he had some reservations. The Gaunt name was well known in the wizarding community and not for pleasant reasons.

“Are you sure your family won’t mind (Y/N)? I don’t want to be a burden.” He asked cautiously. You responded softly that they wouldn’t. You knew your family and everything they’d been through, if they believed that someone needed help, they’d be the first to step in, regardless of their last name.

“I’m sure Ominis, now you need to pack your trunk. My mother will meet us outside of the castle grounds tomorrow morning.” You spoke reassuringly, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Ominis smiled at you gratefully.

“Thank you, I’ll never forget this.” He mumbled, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into a hug which you gladly returned. You stayed that way for a moment, catching Sebastian’s eye as he made kissing motions, referring to you and Ominis. You rolled your eyes at him, shaking your head softly before pulling away from Ominis.

“Now go and pack!” You exclaimed, emphasising the urgency. Ominis quickly stood from his seat at the window and scurried off to his dorm, Sebastian following quickly behind him to help him pack.

You took a seat in Ominis’ place, watching the swell of the water hitting the window as the creatures of the lake swam about. You were grateful to have the family that you had, a kind, supportive family, a stark contrast to Ominis’.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, Ominis had packed all of his things into his trunk and left it by the common room door next to yours. Before you knew it, it was the next day. You had said goodbye to all of the friends you’d made over the few years that you’d been at Hogwarts. Tears flowed, hugs were exchanged and promises to write were made. You and Ominis had promised to visit Sebastian and Anne in Feldcroft over the summer, making plans to explore the area and swim at the local beach, you couldn’t wait.

Your mother arrived to collect you and Ominis shortly after Sebastian departed, greeting you warmly. You ran to her, embracing her in a warm hug.

“I’ve missed you my love.” She spoke softly to you. You smiled into her shoulder.

“I’ve missed you too.” You mumbled. You pulled away gently, stepping back towards Ominis. “Mother, this is Ominis, the friend that I wrote to you about.” Your mother smiled softly at Ominis, greeting him kindly. You saw Ominis relax at your mothers greeting, seeming to believe that he would be accepted into your home.

Your mother took the arms of you and Ominis, quickly apparating away back to your home. You appeared in the living room, startling your father who was sat in his chair reading a muggle newspaper. His eyes were wide to start but they softened when he saw you and your mother, quickly embracing you in a hug. When he pulled away, he turned to Ominis.

“You must be (Y/N)’s friend, what’s your name lad?” He spoke in a friendly tone, smiling at Ominis.

“Ominis Gaunt, sir.” Ominis replied, a tinge of shame lacing his words, worried for the reaction of your father. Even though you’d reassured him that everything would be fine, he wasn’t able to believe that your family would accept him.

Your father paused for a moment, glancing over at your mother, your heart sunk slightly until your mother approached Ominis.

“May I hug you Ominis?” She asked kindly. Ominis looked shocked, unsure of what to say, he simply nodded. Your mother embraced him in a warm, somewhat bone crushing hug. Ominis was unsure at first as to whether he should hug back, but soon returned the hug.

“Welcome to the family dear, you’ll be safe here.”

A/N - As always, feedback is appreciated!

[saphronethaleph]

Palpatine Deafeted

“Long have I waited… for my grandchild to come home,” Palpatine said, smugly. “I never wanted you dead. I wanted you here… Empress Palpatine.”

He waved his hand at the throne.

Rey glanced at it, cocking her head slightly, then continued to walk towards him.

“You will take the throne,” Palpatine said. “It is your birthright to rule here. It is your blood. Our blood.”

Rey just kept approaching him, and Palpatine frowned slightly before deciding to skip a few pages.

“You want to kill me,” he said. “That is what I want. Kill me, and my spirit will pass into you. As all the Sith live in me… you will be Empress… and we will be one.”

Rey was still advancing, and Palpatine started to get a bit concerned.

“If you strike me down, your journey to the Dark Side will be complete,” he said. “I have no weapon! With your hatred, you will take my life-”

Rey cut his head off.

A minute or so later, Ben Solo entered the room.

“What was that explosion?” he asked. “I heard it from out there!”

He looked around, spotting no Palpatine, a large crater, and a slightly dazed looking Rey.

“Rey!” he said. “There you are – I knew you were coming here!”

She looked up at him, frowned slightly, and he spread his hands. “I don’t have a lightsaber any more, which, by the way, I actually really hope you can get some help regarding that at some point because the explosion distracted my followers but it isn’t going to keep distracting them. Um…”

He looked from her, to the destroyed medical equipment, and did his best to put two and two together.

“Did you kill your grandfather?” he asked. “Honestly I know you wouldn’t have believed it from me six hours ago, but, great work!”

“What?” Rey replied, loudly. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”

“...uh,” Ben said, because he wasn’t sure what he was expecting but it hadn’t been that. “I’ve… asked at least two questions and been saying quite a lot. Are you all right?”

“You’re welcome?” Rey said, quite blatantly guessing about what Ben was saying. “It was actually really easy, I don’t know why anyone had trouble with it. He didn’t fight back or anything. I guess maybe he’ll come back again in future but it’s going to be just as easy to do it again? Maybe coming back from the dead absolutely destroys your ability to use the Force or something.”

“...that’s not remotely what I said,” Ben muttered, then realized that speech was getting him nowhere and began using sign language.

Rey just stared at his hands.

“Is that some kind of mind trick?” she asked, still loudly. “It’s not working.”

Ben rubbed his temples, then gestured to her ears.

“Yes, there is quite a loud ringing noise,” Rey agreed. “I think one of the explosions overhead might have started some kind of alarm going off.”

Ben blinked.

“...you have tinnitus?” he asked.

“If we tell the Sith Eternal that I cut their god’s head off, maybe they’ll stop?” Rey suggested.

“Okay, this is getting ridiculous,” Ben said. “We’re having one and a half conversations.”

Rey looked very confused.

“I got it from your mother!” she answered. “But I never learned to use two.”

Ben rolled his eyes, then took Rey by the shoulders and rotated her to face the door he’d come through.

When the Knights of Ren emerged, brandishing their weapons, they saw Rey standing next to the crater which was where Sheev Palpatine had been about five minutes ago.

“Fair warning!” Rey shouted to them. “I don’t know why but the last person I killed exploded!”

The Knights of Ren promptly ran away again.

“That’s a Jedi thing, right?” Rey added, still shouting. “Trying to resolve a fight without fighting?”

She indicated where Palpatine had been. “I was hoping I could solve the whole war just by killing him, since he’s apparently responsible for all wars. By the way, why did you listen to him exactly?”

“I didn’t know it was him!” Ben protested. “Within twelve hours of finding out I’d turned back to the Light Side. It’s been a very complicated day.”

“I found the Wayfinder on Kef Bir!” Rey said. “You know that!”

Ben began rummaging in his pockets to see if he had the materials to jury-rig some kind of rudimentary dry-erase marker pen and whiteboard.

[nwjws]

let’s share? - yjw

; pairing - jungwon x gn!reader

; synopsis - in the face of your upcoming midterms, you decide to visit the library to continue your revision. luckily, they had just one copy left of the textbook you needed - but you weren’t the only one who did.

; wc - 1k

; tags - fluff, college au, study date at the library

; warnings - this isn't an accurate depiction of college life bc im not a college student yet... not proofread so lmk if i missed anything!

your shoulder aches as it carries the weight of your bag, full to the brim with books and your laptop.

the cool breeze of october doesn't help you either, hitting your underdressed figure mercilessly. you hadn't anticipated it would feel this cold, so you had opted for just a simple flimsy long-sleeved top and jeans. it was a decision you certainly regretted now.

why does the library have to be a 15 minute walk away? maybe you really should've taken public transport - but that would've taken longer, and you want to make good use of time for your psychology midterm tomorrow.

warmth welcomed you as you finally reached the local library, one that was made specifically for all the college kids around the area; for students like you.

relief filled you as you finally set down your heavy belongings on a table, massaging your shoulder right after.

you look around the huge library as you take your seat, when your eyes land on a cute boy just 3 tables away from you.

you take in the way he's hunched over his own notes, a pair of headphones drowning out all other sound. a dimple appears on his cheek as he makes a concentrated face. you suddenly get the urge to poke it.

maybe i should go to the library more often.

somehow, you manage to pull yourself away from thoughts of your new library crush, and focus on your test tomorrow.

you regret procrastinating for the exam - although, if you hadn't then you wouldn't have gone to the library, and you wouldn't have seen mystery dimple boy. so are you really complaining?

soon, you realise your own resources don't have enough information on a study you needed to learn though, but that's why you came here in the first place.

getting up and stretching, you don't realise how long you had been sitting until you stood up. you immediately start scavenging the shelves for books that might have details of the study you were looking for.

you happen to find one that has a collection of studies and theories on the exact topic and time period, and to your luck, it has the exact study you need! it seems like other students had the same problem as you, seeing as the area where there should've been extra copies of it was empty; you had gotten to the last one.

you turn around to return to your table, but find yourself face-to-face with the very boy you had been eyeing earlier.

"oh, is that the last one?" he asked with wide eyes. they glittered and rooted you on the spot, your heart racing as you got a proper look at his face.

"oh! umm, yeah i think so," you reply after a pause, having to pull yourself out of your reverie.

"ugh, that sucks. i really needed details on schmolck et al," he says, bummed out as he looks down and scratches at his nape.

"no way, me too!" you say in surprise. "you take psychology class too?"

"yeah, i guess we all needed that book for the test tomorrow," he laughs awkwardly.

"well, we could just share the book," you propose. normally, you weren't so inviting, and would come up with a compromise such as taking photos of the pages he needed.

but something about his aura was inviting, and easy to get along with. not to mention, he looked like he was heaven-sent.

"yes please, if you don't mind," he smiled gratefully. you swear your heart just melted a thousand times.

you two get to studying together, whispering easy conversations and helping each other with particular concepts the other struggled a bit with.

after telling him that your weaker point was structuring your responses, he gladly helped you in that area, because he happened to know a cheat code to the best way of doing so.

you learned that his name was jungwon, and took a psychology class at a different time as you, which is why you two hadn't met until now.

he was an amazing study buddy, patiently explaining to you in a way you would understand. his voice was soft and sweet like honey, and helped calm your nerves for the upcoming test. he paid attention to you with those eyes that seemed to hold the world within them.

whenever he shifted closer to you to look at your notes, your skin tingled when it grazed against his hand, the heat rushing to your face.

when the sun had set, you decided you spent the last 6 hours pretty productively, especially with someone like jungwon by your side.

something about him made you feel giddy, like you were floating on air. with him, you think you can do anything.

you wanted to get to know him more, find out what he likes and what he didn't. to give him the same feeling he did to you.

"thank you for today, jungwon."

"no problem," he smiled at you softly.

you two stared at each other for what felt like hours, comfortable silence overtaking your little space. soaking in each other's presence.

"so, i really should go back home and get some sleep. mentally prepare myself for tomorrow, you know?" you tell him, and begrudgingly start packing up your things. he follows you after.

"of course. good luck, you'll do well. I know you will."

you look up at him, feeling like you were going to cry at his reassuring words.

"thank you, i have no doubt you will either."

"tell you what, let's both promise to ace tomorrow's exam okay? and then let's get some ice cream after," he suggests, patting your shoulder.

"in the middle of october?" you raise an eyebrow at him, a smile tugging at the corner of your lips.

"nothing like ice cream when it's cold, right?" he chuckled. "c'mon, i know a good place downtown."

"sounds good to me. is this going to be a first date then or something?" you ask with mock confidence, feeling a little unsure if he was thinking the same. jungown frowned confusedly at you.

"what? wasn't this our first date? a study date?"

you stare at him, and giggle at his cute expression.

"well, if you say so, then tomorrow will be our second."

jungwon smiled at you, satisfied as he waits for you.

"take this, it's cold out," he says, shrugging off his puffy jacket, and handing it to you, before taking your hand. "let's go, i'll walk you home."

; tags! - @wonuslust

[aesethewitch]

#OcculTea Masterpost

Earlier this year, witches took to social media (mostly YouTube and Instagram, from what I can see) to talk about witchcraft in the social media landscape: community, influencers, grifting, impact, imposter syndrome, and more. They did this as part of the hashtag “#OcculTea” in a call to the community of internet creators to come forward and talk about their experiences. The tag was started by Ella Harrison, the Red Headed Witch, and the Polish Folk Witch to generate really important conversations across various social media sites.

The Polish Folk Witch actually created a playlist full of videos from witchcraft creators, which you can take a look at here if you’d like to watch a few.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time watching videos from various creators with their responses, and it got me thinking about how I’d answer those same questions. Our formats are different, and our internet niches are different, so our perspectives on the same topics are obviously different. So, here we are: I’m bringing #OcculTea to Tumblr! (I’m not the first; a handful of others have answered the same questions in the #OcculTea tag, and you should check them out!)

If you want to take part in this tag, please do! I’m not directly tagging anyone, so there’s no pressure. The list of questions can be found here. If you make a post, tag it as #OcculTea! I’m following the tag, and I want to see everyone’s responses. (:

Now, without further ado, here is the list of post links, organized by category:

Introduction & Topic 1: Impact on Community

Topic 2: Influencer Authenticity

Topic 3: Imposter Syndrome and FOMO

Topic 4: Capitalizing Off Community

Conclusions

This was fun to put together! I won’t directly tag anyone to respond with their own answers, because… well, this has been a beast of a project that’s taken several days to type out and more to edit. But if you’re a witchy content creator here on Tumblr, please feel free to check out the list of questions and post your own answers!

Replies, reblogs, and asks on any or all of the topics covered in this post series are very much welcome.

(And if you did enjoy this series or my other work, consider tipping me over on Ko-Fi! Thanks!)

[kaleldobrev]

My Hero

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Fem!Reader

Summary: Your younger sister comes to the spend the Summer in the Bunker with you and the boys. The secret she's hiding? She's a Supernatural fan.

Word Count: 2.7k

Warnings: Cursing (3x), Lots of Fluff, Sexual Innuendos

Authors Note: This is something a little bit different, but I hope you like it! | I think there's a healthy mix between Y/N and Dean / Y/N and her sister (Shell) | Maybe I'll do a part 2? Not sure yet! This could either be a one off or maybe a two parter, you guys let me know! | If you liked this, don’t forget to like & reblog. I really appreciate it! Feedback is always welcome ♡

You woke up to the sound of your cellphone vibrating on the nightstand next to you. Your eyes slowly started to open, thankful that they didn’t need to adjust to the light, although you wished the Bunker bedrooms had windows. You started to reach for your phone, but you were stopped by a semi-sleeping Dean next to you; who simply started to grip you tighter, and pull you closer against his chest. “No baby.” He mumbled, just audible enough for you to hear him.

“Love…” You whispered. “Gotta answer it.”

“No…you don’t. Too early…for phone calls.” He continued to mumble. He cleared his throat, and adjusted his body, throwing his leg on top of yours, and nuzzling his face into your hair.

You didn’t want to move to answer the phone, he had gotten himself so comfortable thus making you more comfortable as this was one of your favorite positions to sleep in.

Against your better judgement, you decided to not answer the phone in that moment, hoping that it wasn’t anything too serious. If it was, they would leave a voicemail whoever it was.

You had fallen back to sleep, waking up about an hour later. Dean still was comfortably nuzzled and pressed against you. Like always, Dean pressed a kiss on the back of your neck, sending a slight shiver down your spine. “Mmm.” You let out.

“Morning baby.” Dean said, his voice sounding a lot less groggy than it usually did whenever he woke up.

“Morning my love.” You replied back. “How’d you sleep?”

“Pretty good.” He said, propping himself up with his elbow. “Always sleep great next to you Sweetheart.” His comment made you smile. “How about you? How did my baby sleep?”

“Like a baby.” You replied, your response had made him smile too. “I always sleep great whenever you’re holding me.” You started running your fingertips along his arm. “Makes me feel safe.”

“Good.” He said, cupping your cheek, rubbing it slightly with his thumb. “Cause when you’re safe, I know I’m doing my job properly.”

“And what job is that?” You asked, already knowing the answer.

“Being your boyfriend obviously.” He grinned, starting to lean in close to your face.

“You know how cheesy that sounds right? Very chick flick.” You teased, inches away from his lips.

“You love it.” He said, before crashing his lips into yours.

“Shit.” You said, looking at the missed calls and texts on your phone.

“What is it Y/N?” Dean asked, tossing his dirty clothes into the hamper next to the bedroom door.

“It’s my sister.” Dean’s face turned worried, almost panicked. “She’s fine Dean.” You reassured him, his body became lax then. Although he wasn’t necessarily close with your sister, she was someone that he had become fond of over the course of time that he has known you and your family. He has known you and your family for over a decade, first meeting your parents on a ghoul case about a year or two prior to them introducing you two. Part of the reason your parents were so adamant about the meeting was because they hated that you were a solo hunter. Not because they didn’t know that you were capable or because you were a woman, but because they knew hunters needed backup (that’s how they felt at least), so when you had agreed to start traveling with Dean, they were extremely happy.

“Her flight is going to be here in a couple of hours.” You said. About a few months ago, you and your sister were having a conversation about how she’s never been to the Bunker before and you had told her it was for good reason – it was a secret Bunker. Despite it being one of the safest places in the universe, creatures still managed to find the place, and the last thing you wanted was to put your baby sister in danger. She wasn’t a hunter like you or your parents, that was something that she was never interested in doing. Although she loved the fact that you guys helped people, she had said that she could still help people but in a different way, in a much more safe way: through medical school.

Dean looked at his watch, sitting on the edge of the bed. “What time?” He asked, grabbing his boots and started lacing them up.

“Three.” You walked over to the closet, grabbing one of Dean’s shirts – the maroon one specifically – and put it on over your very faded band t-shirt that you too had stolen from Dean. “I have to go to the airport and pick her up.”

“Want me to come with you?” He asked standing up. He eyed you for a moment, and couldn’t help but grin seeing you in not one, but two of his shirts. “Always so cute wearing my clothes.” He placed one of his hands behind your back, slowly bringing you close to him.

“Only cute?” You asked, giving him a slightly seductive grin.

“Sexy?” He suggested.

“Are you asking me or telling me?” You asked.

“Telling you.” He said, finally deciding. He leaned down and started kissing you, and you found yourself quickly wrapping your arms around his neck, his arms brought you closer to his chest. You could smell that he was wearing the cologne that you had bought him for his birthday this year, which made you slightly turned on a bit more than it probably should have.

As the two of you deepened the kiss, Dean lifted you up, only holding you by your thighs as you kept your arms around his neck. “Wait.” You said, breaking the kiss.

Dean looked at you, slight confusion on his face. “What?”

“We can’t right now. We have to go and get my sister.” Your voice disappointed. With a frustrated and disappointed sounding groan, Dean placed you back on the ground. “I’m sorry.” You offered him an apology, and placed one of your hands on his chest. “Trust me. You know I want to just as much as you do.” You leaned up and gave him a quick peck. “For the record though, I’d love it if you could come with me.” He gave you a smirk. “To the airport.” You clarified.

“Before we go uh…I gotta take care of something first.” Dean said, gesturing downward.

You eyed the slight bulge in his pants before looking up at him. “Noted.” Your hand started traveling downward, slight rubbing the front of his jeans. “Want me to…?” Your voice was soft, seductive sounding.

“Fuck.” He mumbled, watching your hand. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but…you’d make it that much harder for me Sweetheart.” You knew exactly what he meant by that. If you had ended up helping him, there would be no way in Hell that he would be able to control himself from fucking you right then and there afterward.

“I’ll meet you in Baby.” You said, grabbing your bag before leaving the room and shutting the door behind you.

The drive to the airport was uneventful. It was a very easy hour and a half drive. The entire drive there, you and Dean did what you always did: listened to his collection of cassette tapes, singing along, and talking about everything and anything, even having a debate or two. You loved having these interrupted moments with Dean, especially the moments where they seemed to be the most normal. You knew he had cherished these too.

Pulling up to the airport you sent a quick text to your sister telling her that you and Dean were here, noting that she needed to look out for the black impala. She gave your message a thumbs up, and texted you back that she was just getting off the plane now. “Still think this is a bad idea.” Dean said, turning off Baby.

You looked at him, and nodded in an agreement. “Look, I’m not saying I don’t disagree with you but, she’s not a moron. She knows how to hunt, she just…chooses not to. Not that I don’t blame her. Hunting wasn’t necessarily my first choice either.”

“It’s never anyone’s first choice unless they come from a long line.” Dean commented. “Even then…” He trailed off, thinking about his own family history. He came from a long line of hunters and Men of Letters, but that didn't necessarily mean that he wanted this life for himself. He dreamed of having a normal life, away from all of this. He had told you though, that one of the only good things to come out of this was the fact that he got to meet you.

Getting out of Baby, you saw your sister starting to make her way toward you, giving you a small wave you gave one back in return. Dean got out of the car behind you, and the two of you started making your way to your sister, meeting her halfway. “Y/N! Dean!” Your sister yelled and started to run toward the both of you. She quickly wrapped her arms around you in a tight hug.

“Hey Shell.” You said, giving her a slight squeeze when you hugged her.

“Hey kid.” Dean and Shell hugged, giving her a small pat on the back.

“Hate when you call me that you know.” Shell teased. “How would you feel if I called you old man?”

Dean shrugged. “I’ve been called worse things.” He motioned over to you. “Mostly by her.” You playfully hit his arm. “Let me get those bags for you.” Dean offered, reaching out his hand to take one of the few bags that your sister had brought with her.

“Such a gentlemen. No wonder you keep him around.” Shell winked in your direction, and you couldn’t help but smile.

“She’s stuck with me whether she likes it or not.” Dean winked, walking ahead of you and Shell.

You wrapped your arm around her shoulders as the two of you walked to Baby.

The drive to the Bunker was almost equally as uneventful as when you and Dean had driven to the airport. But this time, Dean and you had to try and contain yourselves when it came to making sexual innuendos, or comments that he knew would land with you, but wouldn’t land with your sister. For a majority of the ride, your sister was quiet in the backseat, reading. You tried to read the cover of the book but there was nothing defining about it. “Whatcha reading?” You decided to ask, her face suddenly getting a little flush.

“Supernatural fiction.” She simply said.

“What’s the book about?” You asked, genuinely curious about what she was reading.

“Ghosts.” Again, another simplistic answer, something your sister didn’t particularly do.

“Would I like it? You know I like supernatural fiction.” You turned to her, offering her a smile.

“Sweetheart, you just like the supernatural. Fiction or otherwise.” Dean said as he started pulling Baby into the Bunker’s garage.

“You can tell me more about it when Dean’s not around.” You whispered and then winked at your sister. She gave you a small laugh, followed by a smile.

Dean looked at you, almost as if he was offended. “I love books.” He defended.

“You like books that have pictures in them.” You joked.

Shell looked at the two of you bantering back and forth, joking with each other, and she couldn’t help but have a smile on her face. When she had first met Dean, she couldn’t have been more than eleven or twelve, you were about nineteen or twenty. Even when the two of you were just friends, even at a young age, Shell could see that there was something deeper between the two of you. So when you had told her and your parents that you and him had started dating, it really wasn’t that much of a surprise. It was more along the lines of, “What took you two so long?”

“Okay, so, this is going to be your room for the summer. You’re literally right down the hall from me and Dean.” You said putting one of her bags onto the bed. Your sister gave you a look. “We promise to keep the noise level down.” You reassured her. “And we already talked to Cas and Jack about boundaries.”

“I’m not worried about Jack and Cas, Y/N.” Shell said as she started unzipping one of her bags. “It’s a little sad in here.” Shell commented, referencing the various shades of brown that were in the room.

“Trust me, it was a lot worse when we first got here.” You sat on the edge of the bed and watched your sister starting to put some things away. “I hate to brag but, mine and Dean’s room is pretty cool.” Your sister rolled her eyes, jokingly. “I’ll tell you what, you finish unpacking and I’ll start making some dinner. I got all the things to make your favorite.” You touched her arm, giving her a smile.

“Thanks for having me.” Shell said, pulling you into a hug. You hugged her back.

“I’m happy to have you here.” You told her, genuinely meaning it.

Dinner had come and gone without much casualty. Jack and Cas kept the personal questions for your sister at a minimum which you were extremely happy with. Sam, Dean and you kept it relatively PG and trying your best not to talk about the supernatural – something that you didn’t realize was actually pretty difficult to do.

Since Shell had a long flight, she had told you that as much as she had wanted to stay up and watch a movie with you, she knew that there would be no way she would be able to stay awake for it. She opted to go back to her room and read until she fell asleep, telling you that she would be more than happy to watch a movie tomorrow.

The book she was currently reading was something that she would never disclose to anyone, as it was a book that she knew was despised around here, even when she was at home. The book she was currently reading was Supernatural by Carver Edlund – the very first book in the series, and honestly one of Shell’s favorites. The reason she had loved this particular one is because it was the start of your adventures with Sam and Dean, you and Dean had already been hunting together for about a year before the events of the novel, and you could already tell that there was some tension between the two of you.

Shell had read all of the Supernatural books numerous of times, but never brought up that fact with anyone – not even her closest friends knew that she was a fan of the books. For Shell, it felt strange calling herself a fan because although she didn’t know how it felt having an entire book series being written about you, she knew how you, the boys, and your parents had felt about it.

Despite reading these books several times, there were some parts that she always skipped over (the sex scenes for one – she didn’t need to know the kind of sex you, Dean, or Sam had partaken in). The parts that she had found herself reading over and over again were the parts in which you had saved one or both of the boys. It was something that you didn’t really talk about or mention to her, probably because you didn’t really think it was a big deal to save them – that was what being a hunter was, saving people. But she had loved those parts the most because she could truly “see” how badass you really were.

You were a hero in her eyes, despite how you may think of yourself. You had thought of yourself as a bad person, thinking that the boys would be much better off without you there – but Shell had the books to prove otherwise, the boys always thinking or telling each other how much they truly appreciated you, and how much that they had loved having you in their lives (especially Dean).

Despite you thinking those awful things about yourself, she considered you a hero – her hero. Something she knew you’d probably never know; but she was okay with that. Because she was happy to have you in her life, and she was happy to call you her sister.

Tag List: @roseblue373 @beansproutmafia @queenie32 @deanwanddamons If you'd like to be added to a tag list, let me know!

[ellecdc]

While I don't like to spend time feeding into negativity on my page, I received a rude/aggressive comment which, though it had been sent to me anonymously, I have reason to suspect who it might have been from; so while I'm not going to broadcast it, it prompted something that I would like to remind anyone who might need it [which is truly maybe only 0.02% of you]

I have been on this app for 4 months; I have gotten hundreds [if not thousands] of asks sent to me during that time and I have always made a solid effort to respond to anyone and everyone who has taken time out of their day to reach out to me or even leave comments on my fics because it truly means the world to me

Over the past 4 months and throughout the hundred [or thousands] of asks and just as many comments and messages, I have only ever received 2 negative/rude/insulting asks - both were sent anonymously, one I had responded to and one I have blocked

And while this blog has grown bigger than I have ever imagined possible for myself and I now receive the most number of asks and requests than I ever had before, I continue to try to stay active, diligent in my responses, and enthusiastic in my chats and conversations with you all

I will admit that I have many unanswered asks in my inbox right now from a large number of my mutuals, listed anons, and many more requests that I have been saving for when the inspiration hits - I cannot respond to everyone and everything all of the time and for the most part, people have been very understanding about that

Sometimes I save chats for later when I have the headspace for it, sometimes I'll answer on the whim, and sometimes I save simple chats that I actually think would make for a good fic idea!

But it's important to note that I don't owe anyone the explanation I just gave to you all

The people that you interact with on this app are just that - people

People who have good days and bad days, people who have jobs and lives and loved ones who take precedence, and people who don't actually owe you anything

This is true whether you're a mutual, whether you're a dutiful fan, whether you're a listed anon, or otherwise - blogs don't owe you anything

They don't owe you a response, they don't owe you their time or energy, and they don't owe you their 110% every time you interact with them

I give my best to every single person I have spoken to on here, and some days my best is better than other days. Sometimes I get so excited when I'm out with friends or at work when I notice an ask from someone - mutual, anon, or otherwise - that I reply immediately because I just cannot wait to chat. This means I'm not always sitting down at my computer and able to give every single response the same amount of time or effort because I am a) busy, b) perhaps a little distracted and c) human

But I don't owe anyone that explanation either

This blog has always felt like a super niche book club filled with likeminded people who loved the same things I do, loved the same characters that I do, and who enjoyed chatting about it. It has also felt like a fun and wholesome community that I am happy to be apart of

And while I like to think that my blog is a safe space for everyone and anyone who might want to visit it; it's a safe space for me first

This blog is my space and my safe haven; you are welcome to it - but that welcome is a privilege, not a right - and I am not obligated to cater it to you

Like I said, I have only ever received two rude asks, but even though 99.98% of my messages are positive, the negative ones feel the loudest

Please think before you send criticizing asks to any blog; the 'saddest' thing of all is being both cowardly and cruel to people you don't know

& again, as always, thank you all for being here with me 🫶

-L

[hongcherry]

pretty please (stay with me) || c.sc [SERIES TEASER]

"After being assigned a fashion show for your big senior project, you set off to find volunteers to make it successful. However, when you meet Choi Seungcheol and his unfriendly clique through your volunteers, you realize they’re an unwanted package deal you can’t escape from. Can you handle Seungcheol's obnoxious friends, and can he handle your brash behavior?"

🍒 Pairing: businessMajor!Seungcheol x fashionMajor!Reader (afab)

🍒 Rating/Genres/AUs: M(18+); Slice of life (!!!), slow burn, drama, fluff, angst, smut; Unrequited enemies to lovers (lol), strangers to lovers, college au

🍒 Warnings: [teaser] bantering, a mention of murder in a joking way

🍒 Word Count: [teaser] 417 | [full] well over 30k, chaptered

🍒 Release Date: August 2023

🍒 Author's Note: Eeep~ very nervous and excited to fully release this series! If you're interested in this story, please consider joining my taglist! ♥️ More info/tws/etc will be with the full fic.

Disclaimer: Text was slightly edited from the full story.

join the taglist!

seventeen masterlist | main masterlist

When Seungcheol answers another question with a vague response, you can’t stop the groan from escaping your mouth.

“Are we playing twenty questions?” you exasperate, rolling your eyes. 

“We can,” Seungcheol says with a shrug. “You asked three already—more if you start from the time I sat down.”

Exhaling a deep breath, you put your forehead on the hand that’s propped on the table. The conversation is slowly draining your energy.

“Seungcheol,” you warn. You are not about to play a guessing game with this man. “Please.”

“Oh, so that word is in your vocabulary.”

“Yes. Would you like me to use it in a sentence?” you question, pitch raised as if you’re talking to a toddler. You lift your head to glare at him.

“Sure,” he smirks and leans forward. He still holds his hair back and this time, you can really see the way he is goading you.

“Please fuck off,” you grin widely. Your head tilts to the side as you push your arms together to act overly cute.

“Please make me,” he counters. The smirk he wears is still plastered on his lips.

“If we weren’t in public, I would,” you say, voice going back to normal as you relax your body—the cute act over.

“Oh? How?” he chuckles. From how he looks at you, you know his mind has gone elsewhere.

You push at the arm that is stretched across the table. “Because I would rather not get caught for murder, you pervert.”

Seungcheol laughs and sits back, letting his hair fall back into his eyes. It’s the first time you notice he has dimples. Your first impression is that they’re cute, but you quickly recall who they belonged to and shove that thought from your mind.

“Seokmin wanted to let you know he lost your card,” he finally discloses. “Asked if you could give him another.”

“If he lost a simple card, is he really reliable?” you sigh as you grab another from your purse.

“The good news is those stage lights are so big, he won’t be able to lose those,” he says, taking the card from your hand.

“Thankfully,” you mutter. “I hope you’re better than Seokmin at not losing things.”

“I’ll get this to him, don’t worry,” he replies and puts the card in his suit jacket before standing up. 

“Thanks for the talk,” he says as if you had a choice. “I’ll see you around.”

You would have doubted that, but you know that won’t be true.

join the taglist!

©️hongcherry // DO NOT REPOST OR MODIFY Please consider reblogging if you liked this work to show your support. Feedback/commentary is always welcomed.

[personwhowrites]

Okay uh― I am quite new here and I saw that ypur requests are open (I hope)

But, I LOVE your writing with Self-Aware 141 TF with Player!Y/n ！Especially the ones with Ghost's and Price's mocking - I swear, they wpuld totally do that.

Can you maybe do 2 part or just Platonic one with them hanging out (somewhat) with Player!Y/n that just accepted that they are aware amd just rolls with it?

There will be no part 3! ~maybe~ I will be catching up on requests! My inbox is now close for a short while -E <3

Aware Part 2

You nervously bit your lip as you debated turning your PC on. Slightly regretting the choice as your eyes fell upon their character.

John “Captain” Price

At first, you hesitated deeply to turn your PC on. Your mind was filled with dark thoughts of what could be waiting for you if you switched it on – a hacker, or even worse, a stalker. You were about to give up until you heard a voice coming from your screen.

“Nice to see you, kid," Price said, causing you to jump out of your chair in surprise. "Easy now."

"Fuck this is so weird," you mumbled, eyeing the screen warily. "Jesus, so you all can actually see me?"

"And hear you, so watch that fucking tone," Price said with a low chuckle, causing your body to freeze in fear. "Took you long enough to come back."

"Well, it’s hard to come back when a fucking game character is talking to you!" You hissed back a response as you tentatively sat back down. "Hell, I was thinking about throwing my whole PC away."

“Well, aren’t you glad you didn't!" Price said, sitting down on a log. "So, what made you come back, kid?"

"I...uh...I don't know," you replied, averting your eyes from the screen and grabbing your phone. You started to record the conversation. "I guess I needed some company?"

"Company?" Price said, crossing his arms and looking at you. "I may be ones and zeros, but I'm not dumb, kid."

You remained silent and sighed. He was sure smart – smart enough to soon point out that you were facing the camera the wrong way, making you blush in embarrassment. As you and him talked, slowly it hit you – you liked talking to ones and zeros.

"So, you all just hang out or something?" You asked Price, taking some notes down on your phone. "Like, none of the stuff ever happened?"

"Pretty much, kid but we practice our aim.” Price said in a teasing tone before turning to look behind him. "Looks like I gotta go back to my code."

““Wait!" You yelled, slightly as you put your hand up to the screen as if you could actually stop him. "Wait wait...I uh...want to know more about you."

Price stopped for a moment then looked at you. His eyes slightly softened as he tossed his head back slightly, laughing. He nodded and stared at you for a long time.

"Very well, kid," Price said with a smug smile forming on his lips. "So, what’s your name, kid?"

"Y/N," you said softly, moving your hand away. "You guys always been...aware of this...world of yours?"

"Of course we have! Every single character in a game is!" Price said with a small laugh. "I'm surprised you humans didn't figure it out faster."

"Why expose yourself to me?" You asked, making his laughter stop and his stare become tense. "Why me?"

"Well...Y/N," Price stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. "We... felt some sort of welcoming with you."

You stayed silent as Price took off his hat. You couldn’t help but smile and shake your head in amusement. You may have been a little out of your mind for talking to someone from a video game, but it felt so good to have someone in your life who would listen to you. Price looked at you with a gentle expression as you deleted the recording from before and threw your phone somewhere he couldn't see.

“Tell me how it feels like to be code!" You said excitedly, taking out your pen and notepad. "Please..."

Price laughed and shook his head. He seemed to be enjoying the comfort of someone that isn't code as well. He looked at you with a kind expression, like he was trying to understand what it was like for you. "It's a strange thing, being code. I'm not really alive, but I'm still here. It's like I'm connected to a world that I can't see, or touch, but I can feel it. It's like I'm a part of something much bigger than me."

Kyle “Gaz”Garrick

You eagerly turned on your PC as soon as you woke up, hoping to talk to Price again. Your excitement only grew when you saw Gaz waiting for you, with a warm and welcoming smile on his face.

“Well, well, so you really are back, huh?" Gaz said, making you quickly nod. "Wow, you seem excited to actually see me and not scared."

"Well, I had a good chat with Price," you responded softly, reaching for your notes from the night before. "Gaz, I wanted to ask you something."

"Go on, Y/N," Gaz said, making your heart race. He already knew your name. "What? Surprised I know your name, kid?"

"I can guess Price told you all," you said, looking back at the screen. "He did, didn’t he?"

"Mhm, he sure did," Gaz responded, nodding his head. "Now, you seem like a talkative person."

"I guess I am?" You said softly, making Gaz sit down. "Hey...I already asked Price this, but...why did you guys pick me?"

"Pick me...that's one way to put it," Gaz said with a chuckle. “Well Y/n, like Price said. You brought us some sort of welcoming.”

You gave him a smile and look at the time. You were late to work, late for your real life experience.

“I have to go..” you say getting up from your PC. “I have work in thirty minutes and the bus ride is fourteen.”

“Do you have actual good aim at work?” Gaz asks making you roll your eyes. “Come on! It was a joke!”

“Very funny Gaz..” You say shaking your head. “I will have better aim after work.”

You waved goodbye to Gaz and reluctantly turned your PC off. You stared at the blank screen for a moment, slightly worried that they could still see you. You sighed and shook your head, feeling a bit silly for worrying. You grabbed your bag and headed out the door, feeling a bit lighter knowing that you had a friend to talk to when you needed it.

After a long day at work, you finally make it back home and turn on your PC. Much to your delight, you see Gaz still waiting for you like before. You eagerly sit down in your chair and give him a warm smile. He notices you and responds with a friendly smile of his own. You lean back in your chair and take a deep breath, feeling a sense of comfort.

“So how was work?” Gaz asked, his voice filled with concern. You let out a sigh and looked down at your dirt-streaked uniform.

“It was alright,” you said with a shrug. “But I had a few problems.” You hesitated for a moment before asking, “Gaz, do you guys even eat?”

Gaz laughed. “No, not even in the game!”

“That’s strange,” you murmured to yourself, shaking your head in disbelief. You looked back at Gaz and smiled. “Video games sure can be weird, can't they?”

You sighed and leaned back in your chair, your mind drifting back to the long day at work.

“I guess I should have known you guys didn't eat,” you said with a laugh.

You hadn’t meant to, but before you knew it, you were lulled into a deep sleep by the sound of Gaz's voice. His gentle words were like a lullaby, and it wasn't long before you drifted off into a peaceful slumber. It felt like only seconds had passed, but it must have been longer, for when you awoke the sun was peeking its head through the curtains, signaling the start of a new day.

John “Soap” MacTavish

It had been a while since you last touched your computer. With work, personal issues, and other distractions, it was easy to forget about it. But one day, you finally decided to turn it on, and the game loaded up by itself. You watched as Soap loaded in, and his face was filled with worry as soon as he saw your tired eyes. He could see the exhaustion in your eyes, and he knew you had been through a lot lately. He wanted to make sure you were doing okay and that you weren’t pushing yourself too hard.

Soap spoke sheepishly as you leaned back in your chair, “

The last time we talked wasn’t so great... Where have you been, Y/n? It's been a while..." His voice was filled with worry, and you could tell he was concerned.

“Busy..." You murmured under your breath, closing your eyes slightly. "God, I’m so tired..." You could feel the weariness weighing down on you, and you wished you could just take a break.

“Then why don’t you sleep?” Soap says watching closely. “It’s good to sleep! Hell we even do it when you turn the PC off.”

“I can’t sleep now.. I gotta count how many hours I worked the past week.” You mumble rubbing your eyes. “So I will have to exit you out and get on Google Docs.”

“Couldn’t you have me on your screen, just on the side?" Soap said, getting closer to the screen. "I could help you..."

You sat upright, opening your eyes and considering the idea of splitting the screen.

"Maybe... but how could you help me?" You asked, curious as to what Soap might be able to do. “Or do you just want to chat?”

“We can chat while you work.” Soap says as you move him to a bother screen. “Nice! Hey I never knew your PC was this colorful.”

“Me ether..” You respond with a yawn and rub your eyes. “Better get started..”

Soap started to ask you some basic questions, like what your favorite color, food, and things to do besides work and gaming were. Everything seemed to be going well until you suddenly passed out headfirst into the keyboard, making him worry. He stayed there for a few minutes, only to discover you were asleep. Work and your life seemed to be in a state of disarray from his perspective, and he was concerned for your well-being.

Simon “Ghost” Riley

You took a seat in your chair, turning on your PC. You held a steaming cup of tea in your hand as the game loaded. You were slightly surprised to see Ghost and Price there, and a feeling of dread settled in your stomach. Were they there to make fun of you again? Was it your lack of progress in your work that had drawn them in? You tried to ignore the feeling, focusing on the game ahead.

“Looks like the brat is back.” Ghost says looking at you. “Got better aim this week or what?”

“Very funny..” You say rolling your eyes. “Never knew two of you can be here at once..”

“Well, we can be if we want.” Price responds looking at you. “Heard you passed out talking to the other two..”

“Work..is slightly overwhelming.” You respond taking a sip from the tea. “Hey, you boys been doing good?”

“Mhm, but I better get going.” Price says leaving you with Ghost.

“So, you gonna pass out on me?” Ghost says changing the background behind him. “Seems like you are kid.”

“It’s y/n.” You hiss in response, Ghost shakes his head and laughs. “How come your not acting your character?”

“Well, it gets boring acting like a low level person.” Ghost says with a slight shrug. “What want me to just stare at you? Because if that’s what you wa—“

“Your British accent is stronger..” you say interrupting him. “Why?”

“Why ask so many questions?” He snapped back making you roll your eyes. “Is that all you do? At least the questions have better aim than you kid.”

“Look! I’m good at gaming! I swear it’s just the control messed up!” You day setting your cup of tea down. “I’ll prove it! I bought a new controller.”

Ghost watched as you grabbed a new controller, a hint of amusement in his eyes. You started to load a mission with him, and he waited patiently as the game booted up. As you settled into your seat, you were aware of his gaze on you, but you tried to focus on the game ahead.

You slumped in your chair, a feeling of defeat settling over you as you surveyed the scene. Ghost had been roaring with laughter when he loaded in to see your performance, and now you were both in fits of laughter. You shook your head and covered your face with your hands, still chuckling at the absurdity of it all. You looked up at Ghost with a rueful smile, his laughter slowly fading away. You sighed and put your head down on the table, your cheeks still flushed with embarrassment.

“Think that controller is messed up too.” Ghost says calming down from the laughter. “Might need to buy a new one.”

“Whatever.” You say wiping a tear from the laughter. “Fuck..I haven’t laughed like that in ages.”

“Maybe same time next week.” Ghost says leaning against a tree. “Or what, too busy?”

“Maybe..” You respond as your phone buzzes. “Shit, I forgot I had movie night with some friends.”

“Better get to it.” Ghost responds with a slight sad tone. “Hope to see you soon Y/n.”

Before you could say bye to him, the screen went dark. Your PC had shit down by itself, you sigh and got up from PC. Why did you feel some sort of connection with him?

Alejandro Vergas

You were listing to music at the time, not seeing him loaded on your other screen. Watching you sing to the songs that played loudly around you.

“Mi Amor, you got a beautiful voice.” Alejandro says making your fall out of your chair. “Shit! Sorry didn’t mean to scare you. Are you alright?”

“Fuck.. ow..” You murmured getting up from the floor. “Bloody hell.. that hurt..”

You glanced at Alejandro, noting the worried look on his face. Then you looked down at your hand, which had taken a hard hit when you fell. It was still throbbing with pain and you winced as you tried to make a fist.

“Please don’t just appear in another screen.. I forget I have more than one.” You mumble looking at your hand. “Thank for the compliment..”

“Are you alright?” Alejandro asks again hoping to get a response to his question.

“I will be..” You finally say sitting back down. “How you been Al?”

“Al?” Alejandro says confused looking at you. “New name for me?”

“You deserve it.. you were the only one that wasn’t on my ass about my aim.” You mumble looking at him. “Is Al okay?”

“It’s perfect Amor.” Responds quickly. “Please tell me about your day..”

You smile at him, he was kind hearted. Sweet and elegant with you, it made your heart flutter each time he would laugh at funny moments in your life. You yawned and rub your eyes not noticing how long you been talking to him.

“You better get some sleep.” He says looking at you. “Go on now and get rest.”

“Right.. I have work in ten.” You mumble rubbing their eyes. “Talk to soon..”

You look back at your screen to see it’s black. The PC has shut down by itself once more, you get up from your chair and rush to lay down down on your bed. Closing your eyes you hear Alejandro voice the back of your mind, comforting you and loving your smile.

?

“Test seems to to run well.” ? Says looking at you through a window. “Make her more tired, see how long it takes her to realize.”

The scientist nodded in response to the order and quickly walked away towards the cameras that had been pointed at you in the room. You were completely unaware of the life you had been thrust into, but the scientist pressed a button on a nearby table and suddenly gas was released into the room. You groaned in pain as the gas filled the air and you felt a prickling sensation in your lungs and throat. You tried to move, but found yourself unable to as the gas started to take effect.

“Enough, we don’t want to kill them.” ? Says making the scientist release the button and walk back to them. “Check on her on every hour.”

The scientist nodded once more and watch at ? Walked away. Leaving them to watch over at your tired weak body. You were their experiment, their fun, their..lab rat. You had no choice, no voice to it.

————

{Tag List} @emtynessinmyworld @angi61400 @lenasvoid @thatanonymouschocolate @astrologhoul @smolmoonbabey @agspgrwasb @uwu-i-purple-you @bbygirlformw2 @euovennia

[tip-top-cloud-surfer]

The Ironies of Life (Part 4) - Rooster

Pairing: Rooster/ Fem!OC (Naomi)

Word Count: 3.6k

Warnings: (Unplanned) Pregnancy; Exes to Partners; Emotional Angst; Pregnancy Complications; Hospitals; Referenced Labor and Delivery; Carole and Goose are Mentioned; Named Female OC (Naomi), but No Physical Descriptions

This work, all of my other works, and my entire blog are 18+ Only.

Summary: Naomi and Rooster welcome their child to the world.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Master List

Rooster spent the rest of the weekend up with Naomi’s family setting up the nursery and just generally preparing for the baby’s arrival. Naomi thanked him for making sure that she got into bed safely after she fell asleep in the nursery after her baby shower and Rooster told her not to worry about it. And that was all that came of that.

After the baby shower weekend, Rooster and Naomi left on better terms. And with the baby’s due date coming up, Rooster was very thankful for that. They had been texting back and forth pretty much every day. Naomi kept him up to date on her latest pregnancy milestones and appointments. Rooster found himself staring at the updated ultrasound photo before he went to bed every night and every morning when he woke up.

But then that little voice in that back of his head would scold him for getting attached and he would stow it away again, only to repeat the cycle the next day.

He didn’t want to claim that he was a thousand percent ready to be a dad, to be a co-parent with his ex, who lived hours away from him. But it was getting easier to picture. It was getting easier to slip into that fantasy. Even when that voice in the back of his head told him that he was crazy for thinking that it was attainable and maintainable, it was getting harder to fight the urge to picture that picket fence kind of life.

“I was talking with Cyclone today,” Hangman stated, causing everyone to turn to him. They were all sitting out back of the Hard Deck, soaking up the sun after a long day. “He seems to think that we'll be called up soon. Within three months is what he told me.”

“That sounds about right,” Phoenix agreed, tapping her fingers on the table. “Frankly, I was expecting us to be deployed sooner.”

That had Rooster whipping his head around.

Naomi’s due date was two weeks away. A date that was now burned into Rooster’s brain. Any date that got thrown around him, Rooster always measured it against Naomi’s due date. He already informed Cyclone about Naomi's due date and Cyclone told him that he couldn’t guarantee anything, but he would try his best to make sure that Rooster was there.

But there was nothing that Cyclone would be able to do when it came to a deployment. If they got called up, they got called up, and it would have been like Rooster never even tried to reenter Naomi’s life or be there for the baby in the first place.

“Really?” Rooster asked Phoenix quietly, who quickly noted his concerned expression.

“Relax. It probably won’t be for some time,” she replied, sensing his nerves. “You’ll make it.”

Rooster nodded, blinking a bit rapidly, before he took a couple sips of his beer and calmed down. Falling into a casual conversation with Bob and Fanboy, Rooster didn’t notice his phone vibrating on the table. If it wasn’t for Phoenix nudging him in the side, he would have completely missed the call.

Taking his phone from Phoenix’s outstretched hand, Rooster flipped it over to see that Sydney was calling him. Raising an eyebrow, Rooster answered the phone call as he stepped away from the table. The conversation died down a bit as the rest of the Daggers glanced over at him curiously.

“What’s that about?” Bob asked Phoenix, who shrugged in response.

“Hello?” Rooster answered, confused.

“You need to get here. Now,” Sydney stated, not beating around the bush at all.

“What? Is Naomi in labor?” Rooster questioned, raising his voice a bit in surprise.

“No. Not yet. She passed out. Collapsed. At work,” Sydney replied, causing Rooster’s blood to instantly run cold.

“What?” he breathed out. “Is she okay? Is the baby okay?”

“She’s at the hospital. I’m driving there now and I haven’t talked to her or the doctors yet. I’ll keep you updated, but if you can get up here, get here. Now.”  

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Rooster promised before hanging up the phone.

The other Daggers seemed to hear the panic in his voice because when he turned around to grab his keys, the other Daggers were already standing up, ready for action.

“What do you need?” Phoenix asked bluntly, reading the panic all over Rooster’s face.

~~~~~

Naomi sighed, rubbing her bump slowly as the doctors and nurses moved around her. Her mom and her sister Sydney were sitting on either side of her as the doctors continued to study the monitors. Naomi was clearly exhausted and very much embarrassed, but she thought that she was just a little dehydrated and sleep deprived. Nothing more.

“Can I go home yet?” Naomi asked softly, earning a sharp look from her sister.

“You just passed out and you’re over eight months pregnant. Don’t be stupid.”

“Sydney, your sister is aggravated enough,” their mother called from the other side of the room. Turning to one of the nurses, Naomi’s mom smiled kindly. “Do you have any kind of update that you could share with us? Anything at all?”

“We’re waiting on an obstetrician,” the nurse stated, typing something into Naomi’s chart. “In the meantime, you should focus on getting your blood sugar up.”

Naomi sighed, leaning back, and holding her hands to her face. It was already embarrassing enough that she passed out at work, on one of her last days before she took her maternity leave, but now it looked like she would be spending an extended period of time in the hospital when all she wanted to do was curl up in her own bed and shut out the world.

“I just want to go home,” Naomi sighed, exhausted and emotionally drained.

“Honey, it’s probably best if you just hang out here for some time. Just until we’re sure that you and the baby are all set,” Naomi’s mom stated, patting her daughter’s shoulder. “Why don’t you just take a breath, okay? Everything’s going to be fine.”

Naomi nodded, focusing on her breathing for a few moments, until the sound of rapid footsteps down the hall caused her to open her eyes again. She turned her head just in time for the curtain blocking off her emergency room section to burst open, revealing an absolutely frazzled and stressed-out-of-his-mind Rooster.

“Rooster?” Naomi gasped, sitting up in her bed.

“Are you okay?” Rooster asked, rushing around to her bedside. Sydney shifted out of the way, making space for Rooster. “Are you and the baby alright?”

“Yes, we’re fine,” Naomi assured him quietly, blinking rapidly. “How did you even know that I was here?”

“Your sister called me,” Rooster stated softly.

Naomi to shot a glare in Sydney’s direction only to find that Sydney excused herself from the whole room. Growling out in frustration, Naomi leaned back against her bed as her mom got up, glancing between Naomi and Rooster.

“I’ll leave you two to talk,” she spoke with a knowing look.

Rooster waited until Naomi’s mom stepped out of the room and drew the large privacy curtain again before turning back to Naomi. His ex-girlfriend seemed annoyed by his presence and he was beginning to wonder if he crossed some unwritten boundary by coming up here to check up on her.

“Did you want me to go too?” he asked, causing Naomi to immediate whip around.

“No, no,” she quickly replied, grabbing his hand, as if she was worried that he would slip away in a second if she didn't. “No, I, I want you here. I just, I thought that you had work and everything else and I was just dehydrated and I didn’t see the big fuss in it to call you and freak you out and everything.”

“Naomi, I don’t give a shit about what else I have going on,” Rooster responded firmly, causing Naomi to pause. “You’re in the hospital. That’s my first priority. Always.”

“Did you get emergency leave?”

“Yeah, I called Cyclone and he granted it,” Rooster replied softly, nodding along. “He said that if you went into labor, he would just send me on paternity leave.”

“Well, I don’t think that she’s coming any time soon,” Naomi mumbled, rubbing her bump.

Of course, her little slip up went unnoticed by herself. But Rooster noticed it. His eyes widened a fraction and he stood there in shock for a few moments. Naomi turned back to him, a bit confused at his sudden silence.

“What?”

“We’re having a girl?” Rooster asked, causing Naomi to start to panic.

“Shit, I—I’m so sorry!” she apologized, holding her hands over her mouth as tears came to her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Bradley! I knew that you wanted to wait and I just forgot because I’m just stupidly tired and I’m so sorry, Bradley!”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Rooster replied, grabbing Naomi’s hands away from her mouth and getting her to look at him. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. You wanted to wait and I ruined it,” Naomi started to cry, simply overwhelmed with her day.

“You didn’t ruin anything,” Rooster assured her, squeezing her hands. Tears came to his own eyes as he stared down at her large bump for a moment before turning back to Naomi with a watery smile. “We’re having a girl. A little girl.”

“Yes, we are,” Naomi agreed, tears still streaming down her face.

Rooster gently pulled Naomi into a hug, emotionally overwhelmed on his own. Rubbing her bump as Naomi buried her face into his neck, Rooster finally let himself accept the fact that he was going to become a dad. He had been frightened, terrified, absolutely out of his mind with stress after Sydney called him. And during the short flight and trip here, the same thoughts kept flying through his mind.

He couldn’t lose her. He couldn’t lose Naomi. He couldn’t lose the baby. He couldn’t lose his daughter.

And that emotional distance that he forced himself to maintain from the idea of having kids, which was more of the result of his childhood trauma than his own personal desires, chipped away all the more. He held Naomi close and didn’t dare let her go. Not when he was so close to losing her and the baby. Even if it was just a scare, he wasn’t going to take them for granted ever again.

“May I come in?” a voice called from outside the drawn curtain, causing Naomi and Rooster to release each other.

“Please,” Naomi replied, sniffling and wiping away her tears.

“My name is Dr. Nazario. I’m an obstetrician in the maternity ward here at the hospital,” the obstetrician explained softly, standing on the other side of Naomi’s bed. “We’re going to briefly transfer you to the other side of the hospital to check you and your baby over.”

“And then I’ll be released?” Naomi asked, causing the obstetrician to pause and glance up at Rooster.

“Let’s just see how the two of you are doing first before we make any decisions about that.”

A nurse arrived to unhook Naomi from the monitors. Rooster texted Naomi’s mom and her sister to tell them what was going on before gathering all of Naomi’s things and pushing Naomi in a wheelchair down the hall. Naomi was quickly hooked up to several different machines and Dr. Nazario conducted an exam and an ultrasound to see if their baby girl was healthy and happy.

The obstetrician was calm and methodical and didn’t give anything away as she did her checks. Rooster stood on the balls of his feet, ready for action, and offered Naomi a hand, which she quickly took to holding and fiddling with to try and keep her own sanity.

“Alright,” Dr. Nazario stated, turning back to Naomi and Rooster, “it seems that you’ll be here with us for a little while longer.”

“I’m sorry?” Naomi asked, sitting up more.

“What’s wrong?” Rooster questioned, squeezing Naomi’s hand reassuringly.

“Nothing extreme,” Dr. Nazario assured both parents, her face calm and neutral. “But your baby’s blood pressure is lower than it should be and seems to be getting lower.”

“What?” Naomi gasped, protectively wrapping an arm around her bump. Rooster’s expression steeled but internally he was panicking. Absolutely panicking. But he couldn’t let it show. Not when he could feel Naomi’s anxiety radiating off of her. “But she was fine at my last check up! They said that—”

“—She’s fine now,” Dr. Nazario interjected, trying to keep Naomi calm. “She just needs to come sooner rather than later.”

“Like a C section?” Naomi asked, causing Dr. Nazario to shake her head.

“No, no, you can give birth naturally. But we’ll have to induce you,” Dr. Nazario explained, causing Naomi to freeze. “You still have plenty of time and you should get your rest now. But in a couple of hours, we’ll need to induce you so that it doesn’t get any worse.”

“Did I do something wrong?” Naomi sobbed out, causing Rooster to immediately drop to her side and pull her in for a hug.

“No, not at all,” Dr. Nazario replied calmly, resting a hand on Naomi’s shoulder. “Sometimes, it just happens this way. It’s nothing to be scared about and there’s certainly nothing to blame yourself over. We’ll take good care of you here, alright?”

“Thank you,” Rooster stated for Naomi, holding her close.

“Try and get some sleep,” Dr. Nazario suggested, causing Rooster to nod on behalf of Naomi.

Once Dr. Nazario was out of the room, Naomi immediately burst out into tears, burying her face into Rooster’s chest. He held her as close as he could, rubbing her back and her bump as he tried to remain calm himself. Naomi was the one going through it right now and he needed to support her. She needed him, their daughter needed him, and he wouldn’t let them down.

“What are we going to do?” Naomi whimpered out, snapping Rooster back to the present.

“I’m going to text your mom and your sister and tell them to come down here. One of them will go and grab your stuff from the house and bring it back here. And we can email your boss to tell them that you’re taking your leave early. And then you should sleep, if you can,” Rooster listed off, maintaining his composure. “And then they’ll induce you and our daughter will be here and it’ll all be fine.”

“Please don’t leave me,” Naomi begged him, causing Rooster’s heart to shatter in his chest.

“I won’t,” he vowed, pressing a kiss to her head. “Not again.”

~~~~~

Naomi eventually settled to sleep, exhausted from her day. They already talked to her boss about her maternity leave and Sydney dropped off the hospital bag and the car with the baby seat before heading home herself. Naomi’s mom promised to be back in the morning and Rooster stayed by Naomi’s side the whole time.

When he was certain that she was asleep, Rooster stood up from his seat and walked out of the room. Shutting the door behind him quietly, Rooster headed down the hall so that he wouldn’t disturb Naomi or anyone else. Stepping outside the ward for a brief moment, Rooster pulled out his phone and made a call.

Maverick picked up before the first ring even finished.

“Bradley? What’s wrong? Is Naomi alright? And the baby? What’s going on?” Maverick asked, rapid fire.

“They’re okay,” Rooster stated shakily, glancing back at the ward. “But, uh, they’re going to induce her.”

“Induce her?”

“Yeah, the baby’s blood pressure is low and they’re worried that it’ll keep dropping. They’re going to induce her in the morning,” Rooster explained, tears stinging his eyes. Sitting on the bench, Rooster held his head in his hand. “Mav, I’m so scared.”

“Bradley, they’re going to be fine. There’s a whole team of doctors there to help.”

“There was a whole team of doctors for Mom, Mav, and they didn’t do shit,” Rooster sobbed out, letting his emotions from the day out all at once. “I can’t lose them, Mav. I can’t. I fucked up too much with them and I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to them.”

“I know, Bradley,” Maverick reassured him, remaining calm on the other end of the line. “But this isn’t like that, okay? Those doctors birth a hundred babies a week. And, hey, they didn’t rush her to surgery or anything like that. They probably see a whole bunch of cases just like Naomi all the time. It’s going to be fine, Bradley. They’re going to be fine.”

“Can you come up here?” Rooster asked, pathetically, like a child. “Please, Mav.”

“I’ll be there, Bradley,” Maverick promised his godson. “I’ll be there tomorrow morning. Can you sit tight until then?”

“Yeah, I can,” Bradley stated, wiping his tears away. “Thanks, Mav.”

“It’s what your parents would have done,” Maverick told Rooster, who let out a shaky breath, dropping his head again.

“Yeah, it is,” Rooster agreed quietly, wiping the rest of his tears away.

~~~~~

Naomi was induced early the next morning and gave birth to a healthy little baby girl fourteen hours later.

Sobbing with just pure joy, Naomi cuddled her newborn daughter, who was screaming and crying and shaking her fists. Rooster, keeping a steady hand on Naomi’s left leg, leaned down to inspect his daughter, crying right there along with Naomi and their baby. Naomi looked up at Bradley with a watery smile and he pressed a loving kiss against her head in response.

“You did it,” he praised her, rubbing his thumb on her thigh and pressing another kiss to her shoulder. “She’s here. And she’s so beautiful.”

The nurses briefly took their baby away to look her over and make sure that she was healthy. Rooster did his best to soothe Naomi, who was on the edge of her bed and physically leaning towards her baby. And when the nurses returned, Naomi quickly took her daughter back into her arms.

“She’s so tiny,” Naomi whispered out, tracing their daughter’s face with her finger.

“What do you want to name her?” Rooster asked, barely breathing as he stared down at their daughter.

“What about Carole? Or Caroline?” Naomi offered softly, causing Rooster to turn to her with wide eyes. “After your mom.”

Rooster gulped and looked down at his daughter for a moment, running a finger slowly through her soft hair. Naomi stared up at him, waiting for him to react. She knew how much Rooster’s mom meant to him. He was a mama’s boy in his heart and he had to bury his mom while he still needed her. And Naomi wanted her daughter to still feel close to her paternal grandparents.

“Maybe her middle name?” Rooster suggested after a long pause, tears still in his eyes. “She should have her own name.” Trailing a finger along the crown of his daughter’s head, Rooster turned back to Naomi. “What did you want to name her?”

“I really liked Mila,” Naomi replied, staring down at her daughter with a soft smile.

“She looks like a Mila to me,” Rooster agreed, resting his head against Naomi’s. “Mila Carole.”

“Welcome to the world, Mila,” Naomi mused before turning to Rooster. Noting how Rooster seemed to barely be breathing, his brown eyes studying every millimeter of their daughter’s face, Naomi smiled encouragingly at Rooster. “Do you want to hold her?”

“Can I?” Rooster asked, noticeably perking up.

“Hold your daughter,” Naomi insisted, causing Rooster to stand up straighter.

He carefully leaned over and took his daughter into his arms for the first time. Naomi kept a supportive hand on Mila’s head until Rooster straightened up, holding Mila on his own. Naomi smiled widely as she watched Rooster’s face break out into an expression of complete awe and devotion. Mila was small, not even a full six pounds, and looked even smaller in Rooster’s thick arms.

“Hi, Princess,” Rooster choked out, trailing his finger over her little clenched hand. "I can't believe that you're here." Choking back some intense emotions, Rooster pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You're so beautiful, sweetheart. So beautiful."

Mila grabbed her dad’s finger gently, her puckered lips parting a bit as she let out a noise. Rooster leaned down and pressed another kiss to the top of Mila’s head, trying to not let his tears drip onto her delicate little face.

"I love you, sweetheart," Rooster told his daughter as he held her just a little bit closer. "I didn't tell you when you were in your mommy's belly because I was an idiot back then, but I want you to know that I love you. I love you so much, Mila. And nothing is ever going to change that. Ever. I'm never leaving you again, Mila."

Pressing a kiss to Mila's nose and causing her to scrunch up her face and stick out her tongue a bit, Rooster chuckled to himself, rubbing her face gently with his finger. He turned to back to Naomi and was surprised to see her looking like she was on the edge of tears. Quickly stepping over to Naomi's bedside and bending down a bit so that he was closer to her, Rooster shot her a concerned look.

"What's wrong? Did you want me to call the nurse?"

Sniffling, Naomi leaned forward and pressed an emotional kiss to Rooster's lips. He froze for a moment, shocked that Naomi, after all that he put her through, would initiate a kiss with him. But just before he was about to return the kiss, Naomi pulled away, shocked at her own actions.

"I'm so sorry. I . . . I just . . ."

"You don't have to explain it," Rooster spoke quickly, before Naomi could say that she regretted the kiss. Adjusting his hold on Mila, he turned back to Naomi. "We'll talk about it. When you're rested and healed up."

"Thanks," Naomi sniffled, smiling softly.

"I should be the one thanking you," Rooster replied, turning back to stare down at Mila.

~~~~~

Rooster walked into the waiting area, still wearing a stupid, absolutely lovesick smile to grab Naomi’s mom, sister, and Mav. Sydney was the first to spot him and quickly got to her feet, followed closely by her mom. Maverick stood up slowly, smiling to himself at Rooster’s expression.

“She’s here,” Rooster stated, stopping in front of the three of them. “She’s five pounds, twelve ounces. Perfectly healthy and beautiful. And we named her Mila Carole.”

“And Naomi?” Sydney asked, still concerned.

“She’s doing fine. Tired and sore, but she’s doing well. She said to come back and meet Mila,” Rooster encouraged, gesturing down the hallway.

Naomi’s mom and Sydney hurried down the hall, eager to check up on Naomi and the new baby, leaving Rooster and Maverick in the waiting room. Turning to Bradley, Maverick couldn’t help the tears forming in his eyes as he smiled proudly up at his godson.

“Congratulations, Bradley.”

“Thanks for coming, Mav.”

The two men shared a tight, meaningful hug, both letting the happy tears slip out briefly. Maverick gave Rooster a squeeze before leaning over to pick up the small gift bag that he brought along. Rooster took the gift bag from Maverick’s hand but stared at him questioningly for a moment.

“Just something that I brought along for the baby. For Mila.”

Rooster nodded and opened the gift bag. Reaching inside, Rooster slowly pulled out a white goose stuffed animal. Letting out a light chuckle, Rooster ran his thumb over the stuffed animal before pulling Maverick into another hug.

“Thanks, Mav.”

“You don’t thank family,” Maverick replied, giving Rooster another supportive squeeze.

Pulling away slowly, Rooster grabbed Maverick by the shoulder and gestured down the hallway.

“Come meet her,” Rooster insisted, pulling Maverick with him.

A.N. And that's the end of 'The Ironies of Life'! I might write an epilogue, but I'm still waiting on inspiration for that. Thank you to everyone who read, reblogged, and commented on any of the parts of this series along the way!

Tag List:

@gxlden-honey @caidi-paris @xoxabs88xox @badasspizzalover @rosiahills22 @midnightmagpiemama @indigomaegrimm @pinkpantheris @itsmytimetoodream @appledressing @senjoritanana @averagereader35 @abaker74 @avengersfan25

[bonesandblood-sunandmoon]

Tumblr has been working on implementing a Communities feature here, and they've gotten to a Closed Beta stage. There's more details in this post, but basically, some people will be getting emails with information about filling out a form if they're interested in a community and ideas will be selectively approved and created. There will be a community member cap while in Closed Beta, and taking part in feedback will probably be inevitable.

I'm honestly not sure if there's an underlying reason for who gets sent emails or if I was randomly chosen, but I have the opportunity to fill out a potential community form. Someone would have to approve it, and at this stage, allowing duplicates or communities that are very nearly duplicated with minor differences will probably be unlikely. Considering the tag spamming in Jumblr, I thought it might be a good idea to suggest some sort of Jewish themed Community.

If anyone else has gotten an email about creating a Community and has had this idea, I would absolutely like a response about it. (I have no idea if this is a 'first come, first serve' sort of thing, but I'd rather not make a duplicate suggestion.)

There is a note in the email that not every suggestion will be approved, and they're looking for a spread of different types of Communities. However, it also can't hurt to at least put forward the suggestion.

I haven't looked at the form in great detail yet, but it will probably ask for a name, description, community guidelines, and if the Community will be public or private.

Name: I'm not 100% sold on using 'Jumblr', 'Jewish', or 'Judaism' since those are so broad and general. However, if enough people like using 'Jumblr' or something that does seem personally broad, it's still on the table for consideration.

Description: A space for Jewish Tumblrites...? (Jews of Tumblr?) To be determined, really. (Should it be a space also open to gentile allies? Probably see the private vs public section.)

Community guidelines: Some will be the usual matters of what posts will not be allowed, how to tag for certain topics, and what conduct could lead to being removed from the comm. Specific guidelines to this comm are definitely where I'd appreciate some degree of input, though.

For example, it's entirely possible that someone interested in joining this potential Jewish themed Community will want to avoid examples of antisemitism. Does this look like a guideline about not posting antisemitic anon hate or reblogging conversations with antisemitic responses in the reblog chain into the Community? Does this look like needing to use a specific tag so other community members can blacklist or use Tumblr's filtering feature? What if someone wants to talk about antisemitism they've recently faced?

The Israel-Hamas war. Do the community members want a space free from news updates? Or would a guideline about not showing gory imagery or videos, but allowing text only updates, be alright? (Do community members want a space free from larger I/P discussions? Or as long it's tagged for filtering purposes, do they want to be able to talk about I/P without having trolls and random antisemites wander into the replies/reblogs?)

Zionism. I don't want this to be another space where people face the 'are you a Good Jew or a Bad Jew' sort of questioning. However, does this look like a statement in the description welcoming everyone including Zionists, or does there need to be a guideline about talking about anti-/non-/Zionism within the Community?

Other: I don't know what the community member cap will be in the beginning, so I have no idea whether there'll be a need for mods immediately or not. The only language I'm comfortable doing any modding in is English, so at the very least, I'd probably need someone who knows Hebrew at some point.

Public or private: I like the idea of a public community that's not dissimilar to the Jumblr tag, but you know, I'm not sure about how comfortable community members will be with a public community given the compilation of blocklists based on interacting with a particular post/user.

From the Communities Help page:

Public communities can be seen and visited by non-members, logged in or logged out. However, only the feed of posts in each community tab, and the About page, are accessible. Non-members cannot view the member list, see who reacted with what, or see community comments. Non-members with an invite can see everything a member can see, but cannot interact with anything until they accept the invitation. Private communities cannot be seen or visited by non-members at all. The existence of a private community is not hidden, however, if someone has the URL (they’ll see a message like “this is a private community”). Non-members with an invite can see everything a member can see, but cannot interact with anything until they accept the invitation.

-

Not directly related but notable enough to mention: I can easily imagine that some people will not be enthusiastic that I'm volunteering for this effort. This is the main associated with a conversion sideblog, but I have not felt comfortable with revealing my sideblog, especially after October 7th. However, I don't think a Tumblr Community can be associated with a secondary account, so I can't really change that my not-really-Jewish-looking account is the one associated with this idea. If someone likes this idea but still would rather have someone else try to implement it, I guess we'll cross that bridge if we get there in the response to this.

[coldfanbou]

TM IS Side Stories: Prepping

Sana is really looking forward to the baby in this side story.

Sana lay on her bed, looking at her belly and poking it gently. "You're growing so well. I can't wait to see you." She thinks to herself. 

Her phone buzzes with a message from her mom, "Honey, did you get the magazines I sent you?"

"I did; thank you, Mom," Sana replies. 

"Here's what I think looks good." Her mom messages back with items from the magazine circled in red. 

"Mom, I want to choose."

"Okay, okay. I'll talk to you later, sweetie."

"Talk to you soon," Sana says, ending the brief conversation. Putting her phone down, she stretches her arm out to the nightstand and picks up one of the magazines her mom sent her. It was full of baby clothes and other things a mother might need. Sana kicked her feet as she saw all the small cute clothes. "I wonder if you're going to be a boy or a girl." She says aloud. She makes mental notes of which designs she likes for all the clothes. "There's so many choices; I wish you were here already. My little baby." Sana says with a smile. She puts the magazine down on her chest and pats her tummy. "If you're a boy, you'll grow up to be big and strong just like your daddy. If you're a girl, you'll be cute and amazing, just like me."

"Did you just compliment yourself like that?" Sana lurches up and looks to the door, surprised by the comment. In the doorway, Jihyo stands holding Ari. "Mina wanted me to ask you if you wanted to try breastfeeding. You've been watching us all the time, and she thought it would be good if you started to learn, even if you're not producing milk yet."

"Yes! Yes! I'll do it! Sana says as she stands up. She stretches her arms out for Ari, ready to take her.

"I'll hand her off in the living room. Mina doesn't want to have you alone."

Sana pouts before rushing to the living room and sitting on the sofa. Jihyo follows behind, handing over Ari. The small girl is happy to be with her former caregiver again. Raising her arms and rubbing against Sana's chest. "Aww, I missed you too, Ari."

"You've seen her nearly every day." Jihyo points out.

"I…" Sana gets quiet, not having a response for Jihyo. Sana raises her shirt enough for her breast to poke out. Ari instinctively latches on to Sana's chest and starts suckling after the nonexistent milk. Mina laughs, seeing Ari so eager. "This isn't so hard," Sana says aloud to the mothers.

"Just wait until you have to do it every few hours; you'll be very sensitive and tired of it," Jihyo says. Mina nods along as she feeds Hina. 

"Make sure to support her head and neck." Mina points out as she moves Sana's hands to help Ari better. The session is cut short as Ari unlatches herself and lightly smacks Sana's chest. The women laugh at Ari's frustration.

"Here, let me take her," Jihyo says as she pulls out one of her breasts. Sana sadly hands over the child and watches as Jihyo feeds Ari. 

"You did well, Sana. She's just being a little fussy." Mina says to reassure her. Sana nods her head and stands up. She's on her way to her room when an idea hits her. She turns around and heads for your office where you were working.

 She knocks on the door, "Oppa!" 

"Come in, Sana," you reply. Sana walks into your office and stands before your desk turning from side to side. "What is it, Sana?"

"I'm hungry."

"Ask Jeongyeon to make you something to eat."

"No, not this mouth. This mouth." She says while rubbing her slit.

"Sana, I can't help you with that right now. I'm working." 

Sana fills her cheeks with air and pouts. "Then at least cuddle with me."

"Fine, fine. Come here." Sana climbs onto your lap, adjusting herself so you can still work. After a minute or so, you feel her fish your cock out of your pants. "Sana, I said not right now."

"I just need it inside me. That's all." Sana says as she slips your cock into her cunt. You feel her pussy welcome you, cradling your cock as it pushes further inside. Sana lets out a low moan and wraps her arms around you. "This is all I need." She says quietly while resting her head on your shoulder. She falls asleep in that position; her occasional movement makes you shudder as you feel her walls move around your cock. When you're done with work, you nudge Sana awake. "Hmm, five more minutes…" she says while squeezing you as if you were a teddy bear. You capture Sana's lips, and after a few moments, she's wide awake."Oppa, are you done with your work yet?" 

"I've been done for a while now, but you were sleeping." 

"You could have fucked me while I was asleep. I don't mind." Sana's words turn you on, and she feels you get harder. "Let's do it right now, Oppa." She says, taking advantage of the situation. You lift Sana and drop her on your cock, making her moan loudly. "Ahh, Oppa. Fuck me harder." You hold onto her ass while you begin thrusting; Sana's walls clamp down on your cock, trying to milk despite having just begun. While you're pushing your cock deeper into Sana, she begins whispering in your ear.

"Aren't you lucky for breeding me? For putting a baby in my tight body." She moans as she forces one of your hands to explore her body. "I know just how much you love pumping babies into us, and I'll let you pump as many babies into my tummy as you want," she continues. You moan Sana's name as you press her against the wall. Her dirty talk is enough to push you into your first orgasm as you fill her womb with baby batter. "Ahh, fill me, Oppa!" Sana cries as she climaxes. Sana wastes no time in wanting more. "Fuck me from behind next," She commands. You let Sana down and get behind her, slapping her ass with your cock before ramming it in. 

"Pull my hair." You do as Sana wishes and pull her hair, "I love when you're rough with me." Sana moans as you plow her from behind.

"You know we won't be able to do this so roughly when you're a few months along. It could be bad for you." You continue thrusting into Sana, your hand snaking its way under her shirt as you grab her breasts. Sana's moans grow louder as she feels you pinch her nipple.

"I'm cumming!" She yells. 

"Me too. Here's another load for you." You groan as you plant yourself in her womb and give Sana more cum. You both continue like this for some time.

At the end, Sana looks at you. "When I have this baby, I want you to breed me again. We'll keep having them back to back." You chuckle at this but then see Sana's face completely serious. It sends a shiver down your spine.

"I-I can't do that, Sana. Jihyo would be mad."

"I'll talk to her, Oppa," Sana says with a smile. You both rest in your office for a while before leaving the room.